The Eight Hundred | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

The Eight Hundred | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

The Eight Hundred | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: November 23, 2021

On November 23, 2021, Shout! Factory is releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for Guan Hu’s critically acclaimed historical war actioner The Eight Hundred.

The film stars Huang Zhizhong (The Founding of an Army), Zhang Junyi, Oho Ou (Legend of the Demon Cat), Jiang Wu (Shock Wave), Zhang Yi (Operation Red Sea), and Wang Qianyuan (Brotherhood of Blades).

From the highly acclaimed director of Mr. Six, Guan Hu, and producer Edward Cheng (Terminator: Dark Fate), comes the incredible true story of the outnumbered and under-equipped Chinese soldiers heroically defending the Sihang Warehouse from 20,000 members of the formidable Continue reading

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, News |

‘No Time to Die’ gets a Final Trailer, also Trailer for New Documentary ‘Being James Bond’ to stream on Apple TV

“No Time to Die” Theatrical Poster

“No Time to Die” Theatrical Poster

In No Time to Die, Bond – Daniel Craig, returning as 007 for the 5th and reportedly the last time – has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

Directing is acclaimed filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective, Sin Nombre) off a screenplay credited to Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag creator, writer and star), Neal Purvis (Casino Royale) and Robert Wade (Spectre). Singing the theme song for No Time to Die is award-winning Continue reading

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Tech Changing how we Engage with Entertainment

The traditional moviegoing experience is one where we sit in the theatre, eating our popcorn and enjoying the ambience. To many, this is considered the be the purest form of movie viewing, to which nothing else could compare. Outside of theatres, we obviously also can watch from home. This has historically been regarded as a step down from theatres, but public opinion on this option is slowly changing. Taking this concept a step further is the ability to watch on phones. Often derided as inauthentic, this option nonetheless presents the favored option for some.

These different options raise some interesting questions on where we should draw the line. Is there a set level where entertainment becomes authentic or is there room enough for everyone? Using movies and online digital entertainment in bingo as examples, we want to explain why this world isn’t as black and white as we might initially think.

Complicated Growth

Online bingo today is one of the most popular forms of digital gambling. Take, for example, when users play jackpot games on Paddy Power Bingo, a popular online casino service. Here, variations on the game like the Gold and Green rooms give players considerable choice in prizes and buy-ins, while also illustrating a level of convenience that simply isn’t possible offline. At first, these systems were derided by traditionalists but, over time, their popularity has brought them to much-loved parts of the greater casino industry. In a nutshell, bingo has shown that changing the experience to better cater to new technology can be a good thing, for the right audience.

In movies, the same battle over purity has been waged for generations. As reported by The Verge, major industry names like David Lynch have taken up the torch against watching on mobiles, to varying levels of public support. Just like what happened with bingo traditionalists, it could be that people like Lynch might be too close to the industry to be objective.

Component Parts

Though it might not be fully plausible to break something as subjective as entertainment appreciation down to objective parts, there are at least elements that can be considered when taking a broader view. Take, for example, when people aren’t comfortable in movie seats, or when they don’t like being around crowds. In this case, a traditional movie-going experience is never going to be the best way for these people to engage.

On their TV at home, viewers could get far more comfortable, they could set the audio/visual settings as they want, and the experience would only be better for it. Taking this a step further, as we did with bingo, we could also extend this concept further into the mobile space.

What if somebody is short-sighted, and is only physically comfortable watching a close mobile screen? What if they use high-quality headphones, exceeding the audio quality possible in local theatres? What if they don’t have access to a larger screen in the first place, or simply prefer to watch on their phone for reasons they don’t fully understand themselves?

Looking at the possibilities for entertainment like bingo and movies in this light, the idea of traditionalism looks less like purity, and more like elitism. The simple fact of entertainment is that it’s nobody else’s business how you engage, and what avenues you find the most enjoyable, as noted by the NYTimes. There are no wrong answers, and artificially limiting your options in an age of superior choice is only going to hamper your experience. In other words, enjoy entertainment how you like, and you’ll never be wrong.

Posted in News |

Jackie Chan & Stanley Tong: Giving the People What They Want – A Retrospective

Jackie Chan & Stanley Tong: Giving the People What They Want – A RetrospectiveIt may come as a surprise, but the only director who’s worked with Jackie Chan more than Stanley Tong is Lo Wei. Of course the relationship between star and director is quite different. Chan cranked out 7 movies with Lo Wei at the helm in the 4 years spanning 1976 to 1979, starting with the intolerable New Fist of Fury and concluding with Dragon Fist, one of Chan’s best old-schoolers. It’s well known that Chan wasn’t happy being under contract to the Lo Wei Motion Picture Co., which is the complete opposite to the star’s relationship with Stanley Tong.

Lo Wei, Nora Miao and Jackie Chan on the set of 1976's New Fist of Fury.

Lo Wei, Nora Miao and Jackie Chan on the set of 1976’s New Fist of Fury.

To date the pair have worked in the capacity of star and director 6 times, however unlike Chan’s 4-year stint with Lo Wei, his collaborations with Tong to date have spanned a whopping 28 years. Sometimes leaving gaps of more than a decade between collaborations, the question of what keeps drawing Chan and Tong back together no matter how much time passes is an interesting one. With this feature, we decided to delve into their shared filmography to explore the theory that, whenever Continue reading

Posted in Features, News |

Deal on Fire! Ip Man 4: The Finale | Blu-ray | Only $9.96 – Expires soon!

Ip Man 4: The Finale | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Ip Man 4: The Finale | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Ip Man 4: The Finale (read our review). The film sees the return of Donnie Yen (Chasing the Dragon) as the legendary martial arts figure, Ip Man.

Following the death of his wife, Ip Man travels to San Francisco to ease tensions between the local kung fu masters and his star student, Bruce Lee, while searching for a better future for his son.

Joining Yen this time around is Chris Collins (Paradox), Vanness Wu (Dragon Squad), Scott Adkins (The Debt Collector) and of course, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan (Ip Man 3) returns as Bruce Lee. Acclaimed action director Yuen Woo-ping (Ip Man 3) will be handling the film’s fight choreography Continue reading

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

4 Ways to Make Sure Your Fundraising Cash is Safe

4 Ways to Make Sure Your Fundraising Cash is SafeIf you are collecting money for a nonprofit or for some other charitable cause, you need to make sure that any cash or checks that you collect remain as safe as possible. If you can’t safeguard that money, you’re doing a disservice to both the individuals who gave it to you and also the entity for which you are collecting. You also don’t want to lose any of that money or have anyone steal it because then, there is some risk of people thinking you did something underhanded with it.

You can take certain steps to make sure the cash and checks you collect are safe. Let’s look at how you can take a commonsense approach to this issue right now.

You Can Use a Secure Container When Collecting

Safety matters in everything you do. For instance, if you’re trying to access a computer network, and you want to make sure only authorized individuals can do that, you might use multi-factor authentication. If you were crossing the street, you would look both ways, and so forth.

In fundraising, if you’re going to have to carry around checks and cash, you can make it less likely that anything might happen to that money by keeping it in a secure box with a lock on it. There are portable cash boxes you can get that lock, and as long as you retain the keys for that box and don’t let it out of your sight, that’s going to work a lot better than keeping the money in an unsecured location.

You Want at Least Two Unrelated People Handling the Cash

You should also make sure you assign at least two individuals to handle the organization’s cash during the collection process. If you’re collecting for a nonprofit, for example, you’ll want to arrange for a team to deal with that money rather than just one person.

As long as you trust everyone on that team, this is a better situation than assigning just one individual to handle this significant of a job. This way, one person can go to the bathroom or go get some food while the others watch over the cash. It’s much harder for anyone to lose that money or for anyone to steal it if this is a multi-person effort.

Use a Safe Route When Going to the Bank

Until the money you collect is safely in the bank, there are risk elements involved whenever you fundraise. You’re going to have large cash quantities on you, and that can attract someone who might want to steal it. You’d hope they would think twice about their plans because you’re collecting for a nonprofit and a worthy cause, but some unscrupulous people won’t care about that.

When you’re going to the bank to drop off that money, make sure you go in the daylight and that you take a route with plenty of people along the way who can see what’s happening. Visibility is your friend. 

If you take some secluded route to get to the bank, you make it easier for someone to try and rob you. You can avoid this by having as many witnesses around as possible.

Put that Money in the Bank as Quickly as Possible

As long as you have that fundraising money out of the bank, it’s not safe. You want to make sure to get to the bank as fast as possible and drop off that money for your own peace of mind.

You don’t want to leave the cash in your home for days after the fundraising event. Keeping it at home overnight should be okay, but do not delay any longer than that. Once the sun is up the next day and the banks open, make sure to drop off that money before you try to do anything else.

Once you drop off that money, make sure you get a receipt for it as well. You can keep that receipt as proof showing how much money you collected. You will also want to give everyone a receipt who donated. They can write off charitable contributions on their next tax return.

If you follow this approach, you should be able to bank all the cash you collected for your charitable event or nonprofit entity. You run little risk of anyone robbing you or losing any of that money. The charitable organization or nonprofit for which you collected will definitely thank you for it.

 

Posted in News |

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun | Blu-ray (Arrow)

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun | Blu-ray (Arrow)

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun | Blu-ray (Arrow)

RELEASE DATE: November 11, 2021

On November 11, 2021, Arrow Video is releasing the Blu-ray for Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, a 1981 Japanese actioner directed by Shinji Somai (Wait and See) and starring Tsunehiko Watase (Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 1), Hiroko Yakushimaru (Never Give Up) and Rentaro Mikuni (Shinran: Path to Purity).

Read the official details:

A perky high-schooler takes on the mob in Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, a one-of-a-kind genre-bender that riffs on the yakuza film, coming-of-age drama and ‘idol movie’, inventively adapted from Jiro Akagawa’s popular novel by director Shinji Somai (Typhoon Club, Wait and See), a massively influential figure in Japanese cinema whose work has been little seen outside his Continue reading

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, News |

Commando Ninja | Blu-ray (ETR Media)

Commando Ninja | Blu-ray (ETR Media)

Commando Ninja | Blu-ray (ETR Media)

RELEASE DATE: September 28, 2021

On September 28, 2021, ETR Media is releasing the Blu-ray for Benjamin Combes’ Commando Ninja, a 2018 film that parodies actions films such as Commando and American Ninja (and practically every popular action flick of the 80s).

1986: John Hunter (Eric Carlesi) is a Vietnam veteran, half commando, half ninja, 100% American. He is forced back into action when his young daughter is kidnapped by a secret ninja organization, led by a Central American dictator who wants to create a new world order through time… Unfortunately for them, she is the only thing he would kill again for. Hunter will have to fight his way through an army of ninjas, vietcongs, punks, dinosaurs, mutants, one of his former commandos and a fully equipped private army. With Continue reading

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles, News |

Sweet Girl (2021) Review

"Sweet Girl" Netflix Poster

“Sweet Girl” Netflix Poster

Director: Brian Andrew Mendoza
Cast: Jason Momoa, Isabela Merced, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Raza Jaffrey, Justin Bartha, Lex Scott Davis, Michael Raymond-James, Amy Brenneman, Reggie Lee
Running Time: 110 min.

By Paul Bramhall

For a long time it seemed like the musclebound hero was a thing of the past in Hollywood action cinema. The bombastic action movies that dominated the 1980’s filled with ripped six-packs and bulging biceps had long fallen out of favour, and to this day there’s only really 2 options – either 1. You’re Vin Diesel so your “family” has your back, or 2. you get cast as one of the more ripped superheroes in the MCU or DCU. It was option 2 that happened for Chris Hemsworth, who’s biggest claim to fame was playing Patrick Swayze’s role in a disastrous remake of Red Dawn, when he took on the role of Thor and nailed it. It’s a similar story for Jason Momoa, who took the ill-advised decision to step into Arnold Schwarzenegger’s shoes for a critically mauled reboot of Conan the Barbarian, until he found his groove as the nautically inclined Aquaman. Life was good, but what do you do in-between these super-heroic cinematic outings!?

One answer to the question comes in the form of Netflix. With the likes of Cannon Films and PM Entertainment long gone, the streaming service has taken it upon itself to provide a platform (and the funds) for the kind of straight up macho action flicks that the likes of Hemsworth and Momoa would be headlining if we were still in the 80’s. In 2020 we got the Chris Hemsworth vehicle Extraction, a movie that puts him front and centre as an archetypal grizzled action hero Continue reading

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Watch the Trailer for Well Go USA’s post-pandemic Swedish actioner ‘Last Man Down’ from Fansu Njie

Last Man Down | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Last Man Down | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

On October 19, 2021, Well Go USA is releasing the Blu-ray for Last Man Down, a Swedish actioner from writer/director Fansu Njie.

Read the official details:

After civilization succumbs to a deadly pandemic and his wife is murdered, John Wood – a special forces soldier – abandons his duty and becomes a hermit in the Nordic wilderness. Years later, a wounded woman appears on his doorstep. Maria Johnson is an escaped lab rat, and her pursuers believe her blood is the key to a worldwide cure. Though John is hesitant to get involved, all doubts are cast aside when he discovers Maria’s pursuer is none other than Commander Stone, the man Continue reading

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Practical Tips To Make Savings On Gas Bills

An energy-efficient home or organisation uses its business gas more productively. It can be a good way to save money and the lower consumption of natural resources is better for society in general. Do you want to save money on your gas bills but don’t know where to start? Here we provide you some tips that you can use to lower your monthly gas consumption. 

  1. Installing A Smart Meter

A smart meter helps indicate where most of your energy consumption is taking place. You can help remedy the situation only if you can identify which areas of your premises that are using the most energy. With a smart meter installed you will know exactly where you need to make the changes in your gas consumption. 

  1. Roof Insulation

There are a lot of different places where heat can escape from in office premises or at home. The roof is the main place where the heat escapes from in any piece of property. Older properties are more prone to having worn out or no insulation at all on the roof. This means that more than a quarter of the gas consumed is used to heat the roof. 

Consider upgrading the insulation for your roof especially if your property was built before the ‘90s. The constant gas savings you will be able to make each month will easily justify any spending which needs to be made. 

  1. Changing Your Boiler

The average lifespan of a boiler is anywhere between 10 to 15 years. After that time, these machines might not run as efficiently as they should. This means that you could be incurring extra costs just to continue to let an older boiler function. You can achieve a higher level of energy efficiency with a more updated version of the boiler. 

Avoid purchasing excessively large boilers because they can also add to your gas expenses. Do not hesitate to find out from a professional which size of boiler will be the right choice in your specific scenario. 

  1. Installing Double Glazing

Glazing is a form of protection against losing the heat that is already in your premises. Most offices often have standard single glazed doors and windows. An easy way to ensure that less heat is lost over longer periods of time is to double glaze your doors and windows. Once the double glazing is installed you will begin to notice savings in your gas consumption.

  1. Insulating Hot Water Pipes

Having uninsulated hot water pipes means that these pipes will easily be affected by their surroundings. It also means that it will take longer to heat the same pipes if they do not have some kind of insulation around them. Once they reach the desired temperature, uninsulated hot water pipes will become cooler much faster. This means that a lot of energy will be wasted because the hot water pipes are not insulated. 

Insulating hot water pipes is an easy way to make savings on your energy bills. When choosing the insulation make sure you choose the right insulation based on the walls of your property.

Posted in News |

Chinese Boxer | Blu-ray (88 Films)

Chinese Boxer | Blu-ray (88 Films)

Chinese Boxer | Blu-ray (88 Films)

RELEASE DATE: November 9, 2021

On November 9, 2021, 88 Films is taking its first venture into Region A with the Blu-ray for The Chinese Boxer (aka Hamme of God), a 1970 martial arts film directed by and starring Jimmy Wang Yu (The One-Armed Swordsman) with Lo Lieh (Black Belt Karate) co-starring.

Read the official details below:

From the golden age of kung fu movies, the legendary Shaw Brothers bring you an action-packed tale of revenge, mayhem and flying fists. When his martial arts school is viciously attacked by a rival gang of Japanese thugs, Lei Ming swears to bring them down with violent justice. Written, starring and directed by Jimmy Wang Yu, The Chinese Boxer is a fabulously fast-paced feature full of exquisite set-pieces and Continue reading

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles, News |

Burning Ambition (1989) Review

"Burning Ambition" Theatrical Poster

“Burning Ambition” Theatrical Poster

Director: Frankie Chan Fan Kei
Cast: Frankie Chan Fan Kei, Simon Yam, Yukari Oshima, O Chun Hung, Eddie Ko Hung, Michael Miu Kiu Wai, Seung Yee, Austin Wai Tin Chi, Lau Siu Ming, Kara Hui
Running Time: 104 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The final year of the 1980’s represented a peak when it came to the elements that had come to define Hong Kong action cinema during the latter half of the decade. Arguably kicked off by Jackie Chan’s Police Story in 1985, the high impact kickboxing style and brutal stunt work that made its action scenes so memorable soon became the go-to action aesthetic, and could be found in almost every corner of the genre. Determined to see out the 80’s with a bang, 1989 gave us triad potboilers like Bloody Brotherhood, Girls with Guns action with Devil Hunters, and even Phillip Ko Fei picked up his directorial game for Final Run. Featuring plentiful knocks and bumps, all of these productions looked to ensure that the stuntmen involved certainly earned their paycheque, and left a legacy of action that’s never been replicated before or since.

Another entry in the 1989 canon was Frankie Chan’s Burning Ambition. While Chan is most well known as being the composer for literally hundreds of Hong Kong movies dating back to the 70’s, he’s sat in the directors chair and appeared in front of camera in a respectable number of movies as well. For many fans of kung fu cinema it’s likely Chan will always be remembered as playing Yuen Biao’s nemesis in Sammo Hung’s seminal 1981 wing chun movie, The Prodigal Son. Despite only being his 2nd time onscreen after his acting debut the year prior in the comedy Read Lips, Chan’s Continue reading

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Sonny Chiba: January 22, 1939 – August 19, 2021

Posted in News |

What Defines Book-to-Film Adaptations’ Success or Failure?

What Defines Book-to-Film Adaptations’ Success or Failure?

What Defines Book-to-Film Adaptations’ Success or Failure?

The cinematic adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” topped the box office when it debuted in the spring of 2012, grossing more than $155 million in its first three days in cinemas.

With novels, how the reader envisions events is totally reliant on the writer’s descriptive abilities. As a result, when descriptions are adapted from the novel to the big screen, the way these descriptions are converted into real visuals has a profound effect.

It’s not really about perfectly recreating a novel’s plot, as this will always have to be altered in some way to accommodate the change in medium. Nor is it about the casting, as there is rarely a perfect real-life match for a fictional character. 

Rather, it’s about delivering the story in the way that fans of the novel would have pictured it in their heads. Good adaptations can even exist between wildly different mediums — as in from movies and books to board games, video games, and even slot machines. Often, the more closely a film’s presentation lines up with readers’ and viewers’ expectations, the more well-received that film will be. Betway Insider will present their arguments below. 

Fidelity to the Source Material

Immediately, one’s mind goes to Peter Jackson’s adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings.” The film is critically acclaimed as one of the best book-to-film adaptations of all time — the book it’s based on is one that many have come to love. 

Jackson not only captured the scenery of Middle Earth, but he also used language straight from the novels to capture its essence. There’s a certain satisfaction in knowing the story ahead of time – there’s no suspense, and you know how it’ll end. You’re aiming for the visual experience, so hearing the dialogue that you’re familiar with just adds to the enjoyment of the experience.

Unrealistic Expectations

People will always be dissatisfied if they go in to see a film of their favorite book with the hope of complete fidelity to the source material — when they decide in advance that they won’t be satisfied unless the film exactly matches the book.

It should go without saying that books and films are two distinct forms of media. You’ll always be disappointed if you walk into the movie hoping to see everything from the book shown on screen.

Reader-viewers unhappy with the screen adaptations say that they wouldn’t mind having to sit through a 9-hour long movie if it meant everything from the book could be included in the film. But they forget screen adaptations of novels have to reach a very wide audience in order to be profitable.

The longer a film is, the more it costs. At the same time, the longer a film is, the fewer people are going to be able to spare the time to watch it. What’s more, it’s simply unfeasible — the Lord of the Rings is one book, with three movies actually totaling a run time of over 9 hours. The film adaptations still weren’t able to include everything from the books, not even remotely.

That said, Film adaptations do occasionally stray too far; the artistic direction of the film’s directors and producers may have a greater focus on aesthetics at the expense of the plot. For example, the Harry Potter films, particularly the latter ones: the graphics and effects are amazing, but the narrative’s intricacy has vanished, whereas the very first film has almost laughable graphical quality but is almost a perfect adaptation of the first Harry Potter book.

Takeaways

The mix of brilliance, inspiration and the popularity of the novel itself is required for box office success. Still, film directors and producers must also pair these aspects meeting reader and viewer expectations. The basic rule is to strive for the greatest production quality and the most detailed visuals, but never at the expense of the novel’s narrative and the overarching plot.

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