Get ready for 88 Films’ Blu-ray (Region B) release for Chuck Norris’ Good Guys Wear Black, a 1978 thriller directed by Ted Post (Hang ‘Em High, Magnum Force).
In Good Guys Wear Black, an ex-US Army commando (Chuck Norris) must find the reason why his comrades from his unit are being systematically murdered before he is next.
The film also stars Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction), James Franciscus (Longstreet), Lloyd Haynes (Dynasty), Dana Andrews (Fallen Angel), Jim Backus (Rebel Without a Cause), Soon-Tek Oh (Man with the Golden Gun, Missing in Action 2) and Lawrence P. Casey (The Rat Patrol).
When looking at the vast cultural contributions gifted to the world by Japan, a few immediate associations might spring to mind. One might think of the bright lights and cutting-edge fashion served up by the buzzing Tokyo districts of Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Akihabara. Others might think of the sumptuous animations of Studio Ghibli.
For many of us, our experience with Japanese film immediately brings to mind the neon glow of the pachinko parlor. Ubiquitous in Japan for close to a century, Pachinko is a game you will find in any urban area of Japan, a form of low-stakes gambling that attracts people of all backgrounds.
This is perhaps why Pachinko parlors have been used as a setting and plot device in some of the best films set in Japan to have ever been released. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of our favorite uses of Pachinko in cinema to date.
Pachinko Today
In Japan and outside of it, Pachinko is undergoing a major revival. Some estimate the domestic pachinko market to be worth as much as $300 billion, due to the immense popularity of this game, which combines traditional slot gaming with a ‘Wheel of Fortune’ style format.
Today, people all over the world play Pachinko, thanks to the advent of international online casinos that have made the game more accessible than ever. One of the biggest operators in this space is the Mr Green live casino. One of the most popular offerings at this platform is the live casino game Crazy Time, which offers a Japanese-themed Pachinko bonus round with top prizes worth up to 10,000x the initial stake. The fact that this game is available around the world really demonstrates its broad appeal.
Meanwhile, Apple TV is due to release a new TV show to the Western masses in 2022 titled Pachinko, which looks at the history of a Korean family in Japan and uses the Pachinko parlor as a recurring motif. Bringing the game further into modern pop culture will likely have an effect on its overall popularity.
Pachinko in Film
For audiences outside of Japan, there are a number of iconic films set in the country that introduced the game to viewers for the first time. One of the most obvious examples is the Sofia Coppola classic Lost in Translation, which features an iconic encounter between Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray inside a Tokyo Pachinko Parlor. Then there is the Ridley Scott 1989 action shooter Black Rain, a cult classic that marked the Hollywood debut of Japanese film star Yusaku Matsuda and features a couple of prominent action scenes inside a Pachinko parlor.
Arguably the most widely-seen depictions of Pachinko in the west were delivered through the vehicle of Jackie Chan action films. A huge number of Chan’s biggest hits feature fight scenes in pachinko parlors. There’s the 1987 film Final Victory, the 1995 film Thunderbolt, and the 2009 film Shinjuku Incident, to name just a few. All of these films feature some high-octane fight sequences, using the crowded interiors and neon-lit backdrops of the Pachinko parlor to liven things up a bit.
There are countless great examples of the classic game of Pachinko being used to enrich a film and its setting. What are your favorites?
On June 7, 2022, 88 Films will be releasing Sun Chung’s 1982 horror/kung fu film, Human Lanterns (aka Human Skin Lanterns). A UK (Region B) version of the film will also be available around the same date.
Long before Anthony Wong was serving human Chinese “pork” buns in Untold Story (1993), Lo Lieh was kidnapping woman and making beautiful Chinese lanterns out of their freshly peeled human skin.
Suen Chung’s Human Lanterns has a fine balance of well-choreographed martial arts, a hint of horror and a pleasant amount of gore. As you’d probably expect, action is still the main showcase Continue reading →
VIP Bank Manager Sung-Gyu drives his daughter and son to school one morning. Along the way, a phone rings from the glove-box. It’s an anonymous caller claiming there’s a bomb under Sung-Gyu’s seat and if anyone exits the car, it will explode unless Sung-Gyu can pay a ransom. What at first feels like a prank call quickly turns into an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Sung-Gyu Continue reading →
On March 21, 2022, Eureka is releasing the Limited Edition Blu-ray (Region B) for the 1979 kung fu classic, Odd Couple, starring Sammo Hung (Eastern Condors), Lau Kar-wing (also directing) and Bryan “Beardy” Leung Kar-yan (The Victim).
Official details:
Two ageing masters of the spear and sword engage in an epic mountaintop battle every ten years, but the outcome invariably ends in a draw. Realising that neither one of them will ever outclass the other, they each agree to take on a younger student and train them to champion their cause, thus putting an end to their longstanding Continue reading →
“The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead” Theatrical Poster
Director: Tony Lou Chun-Ku Cast: Donnie Yen, Pauline Yeung, Ben Lam Kwok-Bun, Chui Hei-Man, Kathy Chow, Ken Lo, Robert Mak Tak-Law, Hsu Hsia, Sibelle Hu Hui-Chung, Lee Ho-Kwan Running Time: 92 min.
By Paul Bramhall
When people ask what it is about Donnie Yen that sets him apart from his peers, you’re likely to get a multitude of answers. Some may refer to the way he’s stayed relevant as an action actor for almost 4 decades. Others may mention his ever-evolving style of choreography, fusing the grappling techniques of MMA with the traditional Hong Kong action aesthetic. Some may even say it’s because he’s an arrogant jerk, but hey, you can’t please everyone. For me though, my answer would be – what other iconic kung fu star can say they starred in a Cat III flick full of gratuitous full-frontal nudity, bodily dismemberment, and moustached goddesses? The likes of Jet Li and Jackie Chan don’t even come close, but Donnie Yen, he embraced the opportunity with both hands, and because of that we’ll always have 1991’s The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead.
A protégé of Yuen Woo-Ping, Yen burst onto the scene in 1984’s Drunken Tai Chi, a production which many argue to be the last old school kung fu movie, before succumbing to the contemporary settings that would come to dominate the 80’s. Yen would continue to exclusively work with Woo-Ping throughout the decade, taking starring roles in Mismatched Couples, In the Line of Duty 4, and Tiger Cage II (notably he also had a small role in the first one). However in 1991 he began to explore working with other directors, first with Hsu Hsia on Crystal Hunt, and later in the year Continue reading →
Rise of the Machine Girls | Blu-ray (Media Blasters)
RELEASE DATE: February 15, 2022
On February 15, 2022, Media Blasters is releasing a Blu-ray for 2019’s Rise of the Machine Girls, a loose remake of Noboru Iguchi’s The Machine Girl.
The film is directed by Yuki Kobayashi (Death Row Family), produced by Yoshinori Chiba (The Machine Girl) and Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police).
Official details:
Meet the two new mechanical enhanced sisters who replace their missing anatomy with high-powered automatic weaponry the same way some people collect tattoos! As sideshow freaks, the sisters just scrape by while secretly lusting for revenge against the sinister Dharma company that forced their poor mother Continue reading →
Combining brilliantly choreographed fight sequences and infectious physical comedy, this tour-de-force comedy-adventure showcases incredible action tributes to the films of Bruce Lee. Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragonmakes its UK debut on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration! Continue reading →
On March 8, 2022, MVD is releasing a Blu-ray for the 2018 Kaiju flick, The Great Buddha Arrival. The film is directed by Hiroto Yokokawa (Nezura 1964) and stars Kazuma Yoneyama (Nezura 1964), Philip Granger (Shall We Play?), Shelley Sweeney (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II), Akira Takarada (Godzilla Final Wars), Akira Kubo (Gamera: Guardian of the Universe), Yukiko Kobayashi (Space Amoeba), Yukijiro Hotaru (Stacy) and Bin Furuya (King Kong vs. Godzilla).
Official details:
A gigantic statue of Buddha awakens and goes on a trek across Japan while the world watches in awe. Featuring an all-star cast of beloved actors from kaiju cinema’s history. A modern day reboot of the long lost, and quite possibly first daikaiju film, classic Daibutsu Kaikoku (1934), this is Continue reading →
On February 15, 2022, Media Blasters is releasing the 2020 South Korean action Slate to Blu-ray. The film is directed by Jo Ba-reun (Gang) and stars Ahn Ji-hye (Six Flying Dragons), Lee Min Ji (Coin Locker Girl) and Park Tae San (The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos).
Official details:
Since she was a child, Yeon-hee dreamed of becoming an action movie star. Despite her amazing sword skills, her ultimate big screen goals always seemed just out of reach. One day, Yeon-hee is hired as a stand-in for a famous action star and goes onto the set, only to be abruptly transported to a chaotic parallel universe where people wield swords and slay each other with impunity! When Yeon-hee rescues some Continue reading →
Later this year, Pushing Hands (1991), the debut film of director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), will be available on Blu-ray in a New 2K restoration.
Read the official details:
Having just moved from Beijing, elderly tai chi master Mr. Chu (Sihung Lung, Eight Hundred Heroes) struggles to adjust to life in New York, living with his Americanized son Alex (Ye-tong Wang). Chu immediately butts heads with his put-upon white daughter-in-law, Martha (Deb Snyder), a writer who seems to blame him for her own paralyzing inability to focus. But when Chu begins teaching tai chi at a local school, his desire to make a meaningful connection comes to fruition in the most unexpected of ways.
Stay tuned for pre-order information for Pushing Hands. Until then, check out its Trailer Continue reading →
On February 15, 2022, Media Blasters is releasing the 2019 South Korean crime thriller Gang to Blu-ray. The film is directed by Jo Ba-reun (Slate) and stars Cha Ji Hyuk (One Step), Jo Sun Ki (Crime Solving Special Squad), Baek Jae Min (God of Fight: Sirasoni), Kim Dae Han (The Divine Fury), Lee Jae Han (71: Into the Fire) and Maeng Jae Ryul (The Prison).
Official details:
After getting into serious trouble, Choi Ji-hoon is transferred to Daehoon High, renowned as the worst school in Korea. Ji-hoon’s goal is simple: he wants to become the top dog of the new school’s gang. Attending his first class, Choi gets into everyone’s face and tries to pick a fight but there are no takers. When Continue reading →
Jackie Chan’s Police Story 1-2 | Blu-ray (Criterion)
Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray set for Jackie Chan’s Police Story (1985) and Police Story 2 (1988), both with a Brand New 4k Restoration, as well as a endless amount of extra features.
The director/star/one-man stunt machine plays Ka-Kui, a Hong Kong police inspector who goes rogue to bring down a drug kingpin and protect the case’s star witness (Chinese cinema legend Brigitte Lin) from retribution. Police Story set a new standard for rock-’em-sock-’em mayhem that would influence a generation of filmmakers from Hong Kong to Hollywood.
Jackie Chan followed up the massive success of Police Story with an even bigger box-office hit. Having been demoted to a lowly traffic cop for his, ahem, unorthodox policing methods, Chan’s go-it-alone officer Ka-Kui quits the force in protest. But it isn’t long before he’s back Continue reading →
Martial arts star Vincent Zhao (The Blade, The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom) and parkour founder David Belle (District B13, Brick Mansions) team up for the 1935-based action film titled Invisible Tattoo.
The long-awaited film, which started production back in 2018, is directed by Lu Yitong (Lost in Wusong) and also stars Mincheng Li (A Better Tomorrow 2018), Kenji Sawada (The Happiness of the Katakuris), Sang Ping (Railroad Tigers), Brazilian model Julia Gama (Delírius Insurgentes) and Raquel Xu (Heroes Return).
The film revolves involves a tattoo artist who lives in a southwestern salt industry town.
Invisible Tattoo opens domestically on January 14, 2022 (so here’s hoping for a U.S. release from Continue reading →
Director: Kelvin Chan Cast: Gordon Lam, Bipin Karma, Michael Ning, Singh Hartihan Bitto, Ben Yuen, Chin Siu-Ho, To Yin-Gor, Tony Ho Wah-Chiu, Tommy Chu Pak-Houg, Tai Bo Running Time: 110 min.
By Paul Bramhall
From an audience perspective, the Hong Kong crime genre has been extinct since at least the mid-2010’s, with the last production to truly deliver a slice of uncompromising (re: disregarding Mainland censorship requirements) HK cinema being 2015’s Port of Call. The classic crime flicks that populated the golden era like City on Fire, and even in more recent times like Beast Stalker, have long been considered a thing of the past, so whenever a new Hong Kong crime thriller pops up it always feels like the equivalent of stumbling across a dodo. It’s interesting then that in 2021 we got not one but two of them, both starring Gordon Lam (Nessun Dorma, The Brink). Auteur Cheang Pou-Soi returned to the dark and gritty with Limbo, and actor Kelvin Chan made his directorial debut with Hand Rolled Cigarette.
Chan’s name may not be immediately familiar, however as an actor he’s featured in supporting roles in just about every Hong Kong movie that’s been worth watching over the last few years, including the previously mentioned Port of Call, and personal favorties The Midnight After and Robbery. His decision to move behind the camera proves to be a welcome one, as Hand Rolled Cigarette reveals itself to be a masterfully restrained and intimate look at the lives of two Continue reading →
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