Odd Family: Zombie On Sale, The (2019) Review

"The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale" Theatrical Poster

“The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale” Theatrical Poster

AKA: Zombie for Sale
Director: Lee Min-Jae
Cast: Jung Jae-Young, Kim Nam-Gil, Uhm Ji-Won, Lee Soo-Kyung, Jung Ga-Ram, Park In-Hwan, Shin Jung-Keun, Jeon Bae-Su, Oh Eui-Sik, Kim Ki-Cheon, Jo Eun-A
Running Time: 112 min. 

By Paul Bramhall

Korea’s infatuation with the zombie genre may have come a few decades later than its western counterparts, but despite its relatively late-in-the-day appearance, that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a popular fixture on both the big and small screens. While there have been zombie movies before in Korea, it was arguably Yeong Sang-ho’s 2016 production Train to Busan that kicked off the current wave. A sequel to his animated feature Seoul Station, Sang-ho’s take on zombie lore can be considered patient zero when it comes to discussions on the subject, and the series was continued in 2020 with Peninsula. In between we’ve had ancient Korean zombies with the likes of Rampant and 2 seasons of the Netflix series Kingdom, zombies in isolation with #Alive, and in 2019 we finally got a zombie comedy in the form of The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale.

The directorial debut of Lee Min-jae, who also wrote the script, TOF:ZOS (as I’ll refer to it from here on in) opens much like any other zombie flick in recent times – a collection of voiceovers from various news broadcasts explain that a pharmaceutical company has been conducting illegal experiments on human subjects in an attempt to find a cure for diabetes, but has had an adverse reaction on a number of patients, turning them into flesh hungry zombies. As the narration continues Continue reading

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Iron Girl Final Wars | Blu-ray (Switchblade)

Iron Girl Final Wars | Blu-ray (Switchblade)

Iron Girl Final Wars | Blu-ray (Switchblade)

RELEASE DATE: April 6, 2021

On April 6, 2021, Switchblade Pictures will be releasing the Blu-ray for Iron Girl Final Wars, a 2019 Japanese actioner from director Ken’ichi Fujiwara (Iron Girl: Ultimate Weapon) that stars Saki Akai (Lady Ninja: A Blue Shadow), Jun Amaki (Hop Step Jump!), Takaya Aoyagi (Ultraman Z TV series), Kirara Asuka (Iron Girl: Ultimate Weapon).

Chris may have survived the Apocalypse, but there are still plenty of threats from the past lurking in the ruins of civilization… and now one of them is actively looking for her! At least, that’s how it seems when she encounters Joe, a member of the resistance who is trying to discover why the artificial intelligence known as JUDA has been sending out murderous cyborgs with a certain heroine as their target! Even more unnerving is the fact that a mysterious young girl Sara has been having dreams calling to Chris for help… even though Continue reading

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400 Bullets (2021) Review

400 Bullets | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

400 Bullets | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

Director: Tom Paton 
Cast: Jean-Paul Ly, Andrew Lee Potts, James Warren, Adesuwa Oni, Steven Blades, Spencer Collings, Wayne Gordon, Adam Sina, Thomas Smart, Tina Barnes, Eddie-Joe Robinson, Duncan Holmes, Jimmy ‘The Bee’ Bennett
Running Time: 90 min. 

By Martin Sandison

Being a huge fan of Jean Paul Ly, especially the deliriously fun Nightshooters – I look forward to every project he does with excited glee. While working as a stuntman on such upcoming high profile projects as The Batman and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, 400 Bullets sees Ly in the lead role again for another UK low budget movie. To get it in there quickly; don’t expect the high kicking, tricking exploits of Nightshooters. 400 Bullets is a military actioner with a small amount of realistic hand-to-hand combat and gunplay. While watching the film I was in constant anticipation of Ly bringing the action, when he does in little spurts it’s satisfying, but I do wish I’d known he doesn’t break loose properly. The movie is a different kettle of fish from his usual type, and is a neat change of pace. And, after the initial disappointment for you the reader, I’m happy to report 400 Bullets is an entertaining, atmospheric film that reveals more talent in the UK movie scene.

Rana Rae (Ly) is a soldier manning an outpost in Northern Afghanistan, with only a friend and fellow soldier for company. When a cargo is ambushed near the outpost by Taliban, a surviving soldier Noah (Andrew Lee Potts, The Crown) takes refuge with Rana, with the Taliban Continue reading

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Flowers of Shanghai | Blu-ray (Criterion)

 Flowers of Shanghai | Blu-ray (Criterion)

Flowers of Shanghai | Blu-ray (Criterion)

RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2021

On May 18, 2021, Criterion Collection will be releasing the Blu-ray for Flowers of Shanghai, a 1998 period drama from director Hou Hsiao-hsien (The Assassin).

The film stars Tony Leung Chiu-wai (Chungking Express), Carina Lau Kar Ling (The Eagle Shooting Heroes), Annie Shizuka Inoh (My Kingdom), Michiko Hada (Tokuso 9), Michelle Reis (Bodyguards and Assassins) and Jack Kao (Island on Fire).

Read the official details below:

An intoxicating, time-bending experience bathed in the golden glow of oil lamps and wreathed in an opium haze, this gorgeous period reverie by Hou Hsiao-hsien traces the romantic intrigue, jealousies, and tensions swirling around four late-nineteenth-century Shanghai “flower houses,” where Continue reading

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Watch martial arts stars Donnie Yen and Wu Jing’s Wushu performance at the 2021 Spring Festival Gala

"2021 Spring Festival" Poster

“2021 Spring Festival” Poster

Watch martial arts movie stars Donnie Yen (Ip Man 4: The Finale, Big Brother) and Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior 2 , SPL II: A Time for Consequences) take the stage during the 2021 Spring Festival Gala Wushu Stage Extravaganza, which aired during a live broadcast by CGTN.

Their Wushu performance – featuring Shaolin fighters, weapons, wire work, Wing Chun, Tai Chi and so much more – is set against a backdrop of nature’s beauty through augmented reality (AR) technology.

If anything, it’s a little something to crave your Donnie Yen/Wu Jing thirsts while you wait for their latest action films to be released. Don’t miss the clip(s) below, courtesy of Martin Go at Continue reading

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5 Tips for Making the Most of Your First Film Festival

Attending a film festival can be a highly entertaining, engaging, and rewarding experience. There is something about the atmosphere of a festival that cannot be matched by a regular trip to the cinema. While the most famous international film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, and the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, attract hundreds of thousands of attendees, there are also plenty of smaller film festivals that you can choose from.

Whether you are going to one of the big events or something a little more of a hidden gem, you may be wondering what to expect. Here we have gathered five tips for making the most of your first film festival experience!

Keep Your Pass Visible

Whether you are simply attending the festival as a film fan or as somebody in the industry, you will probably have some sort of pass that verifies you and grants you access to different parts of the festival. Make sure that you keep this close to hand at all times!

Check the Program Regularly

Any film festival will have a program detailing when and where each film is going to be screened. Don’t go in blind—check the program before the festival starts to plan your personal schedule and avoid missing anything you really wanted to see. Be aware also that schedules can change at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, so make sure to check the festival’s website or app at least a couple of times a day so that you are aware of any changes.

Queue Early

Don’t expect to be able to just rush into the screening of your chosen film two minutes before it starts. You will need to get seats, and some screenings may fill up quickly. It is usually best to arrive around half an hour before the film is due to start to make sure that you get a seat. If you end up queuing for a while, have some activities prepared to pass the time. This could be a game installed on your phone, playing a range of games, which you can find at a reputable online casino UK, including poker, slots, and Blackjack, or even a film magazine to read.

Book a Hotel Nearby

Part of what makes a film festival so exciting is the social aspect and the buzz around the festival. Hundreds or even thousands of filmmakers, actors, and other people in the industry will have been anticipating this chance to show their work for months and are likely to hang around the festival or spill out into nearby bars when screenings have finished. Staying near to the festival instead of leaving to commute home each evening can give you the chance to soak up this buzz and maybe even meet some of your favorite stars!

Show Your Appreciation

If you really enjoyed a film, don’t just sit in silence and walk out like you might do at a regular cinema trip. It is likely that some of the filmmakers and actors are in the audience with you, so show them your appreciation with clapping and cheering! There may also be special guests at the end of screenings holding question and answer sessions.

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Hansel and Gretel | Blu-ray (Media Blasters)

Hansel and Gretel | Blu-ray (Media Blasters)

Hansel and Gretel | Blu-ray (Media Blasters)

RELEASE DATE: April 6, 2021

On April 6, 2021, Media Blasters will be releasing the Blu-ray for Hansel and Gretel, a 2007 South Korean horror film from director Yim Pil-Sung (Doomsday Book, Antarctic Journal).

Hansel and Gretel stars Chun Jung-Myung (The Faceless Boss), Eun Won-Jae (Marrying the Mafia), Shim Eun-Kyung (Psychokinesis), and Jin Ji-Hee (Doomsday Book).

When Eun-soo s car is disabled in the country, he meets a mysterious girl who leads him to her storybook house deep in the forest. Trapped with the girl and her strange ageless siblings, he soon learns that all adult visitors meet a mysterious, terrifying fate! He discovers that their previous victim s deaths were foretold in the pages of a book of fairy tales. With no escape, will Eun-soo escape or end up Continue reading

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Action U.S.A. | Blu-ray (MVD Rewind)

Action U.S.A. | Blu-ray (MVD Rewind)

Action U.S.A. | Blu-ray (MVD Rewind)

RELEASE DATE: May 11, 2021

On May 11, 2021, MVD Rewind is releasing the Blu-ray for Action U.S.A., a 1989  film directed by Hollywood stuntman John Stewart, who is perhaps best known for his work on 1973 film Scorpio, and the TV’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Read the official details below:

Billy Ray’s a bad risk. He took the mob’s family jewels, now they want his! They tried beating and scaring it out of him, but he’s not giving them up. So they kill him. Now everyone believes Carmen must know where the jewels are. The Mafia boss has brought in his ”top gun” to find her and the jewels. This slime-ball and his trained killers follow our heroes through car chases and gun battles across the state of Texas leaving a trail of fireballs and hunks Continue reading

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The Best PC Games for Martial Arts Lovers

Martial arts are popular worldwide. They become inspiration for movies, books, slots which you can play with a TonyBet bonus in Canada. Moreover, there are lots of PC games about martial arts. Here are the best of them.

Punch Club

Pixelated street fighter simulator with an interesting plot, elements of which are borrowed from the action films of the 80-90s. The main character is a guy from the bottom, who makes his way to the top of the sports Olympus through endless training, underground fights and street fights with all kinds of trash.

Kung Fu Strike

A three-dimensional Beat’em up, also dedicated to kung fu-style brawls. With spectacular special effects and almost three dozen unique fighting moves. And many of them are revealed gradually, as you move through the plot, based on traditional Chinese legends of honor about vengeance.

Absolver

Extremely addictive multiplayer action game based on very unusual and interesting mechanics, combining fighting game and MMORPG principles. Absolver’s setting also looks very appealing: the events take place in the ancient and mysterious Adal Empire, across the vast lands of which martial arts masters in masks travel. Travel and fight each other to earn the right to join an elite corps of fighters.

Rag Doll Kung Fu

Joke game in the form of an unusual fighting game, parodying many famous kung fu movies. You can play as a single player (Rag Doll Kung Fu has a lot of exciting scenarios and modes) and in multiplayer, competing with a buddy or vice versa, playing in co-op. The most unusual kung fu game in our list.

Kings of Kung Fu

Another exciting Kung Fu game that offers classic 2D fighting game gameplay. All the fighters in Kings of Kung Fu are characters from iconic martial arts movies.

Overgrowth

Action with a third-person view, the action unfolds in an unusual world inhabited by anthropomorphic beasts. These guys do not want to coexist peacefully and regularly organize bloody showdowns between each other, demonstrating spectacular acrobatic pirouettes, ability to handle traditional cold weapons and mastery of various techniques of oriental martial arts.

Karateka

Karateka is a legendary old game, released on the PC in 1984 and then ported to many home gaming systems. Of course, today it is not so interesting to play it anymore. So, in 2012, the developers from Liquid Entertainment released an excellent remake, which is now available on Steam. Anyone can download the game for a symbolic price and again experience unforgettable adventures with the karate hero.

Martial Arts Brutality

This game offers exciting and rich tactical turn-based battles, plenty of cards with fighters and an amazing atmosphere of oriental martial arts. Besides, Martial Arts Brutality is a free-to-play game that anyone can try out.

Blade & Soul

MMORPG in an unusual fantasy setting, the characters are the adepts of various martial arts, and the combat system is based on a clever combination of role-playing action and fighting game elements. Besides, it is one of the most beautiful games of all online RPGs.

 

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Fukushima 50 | Blu-ray (MPI)

Fukushima 50 | Blu-ray (MPI)

Fukushima 50 | Blu-ray (MPI)

RELEASE DATE: April 13, 2021

On April 13, 2021, MPI Home Video will be relaxing the Blu-ray for Fukushima 50, a 2020 disaster film directed by Setsuro Wakamatsu (The Unbroken) and starring Ken Watanabe (Rage, Shanghai) and Koichi Sato (Samurai Resurrection). This edition will feature two audio track options: English Dub and Japanese with English subtitles.

March 11, 2011 – 2:46 PM – Japan’s Tohoku Region: at a magnitude of 9.0, the strongest earthquake in the country’s history strikes,  triggering a huge tsunami and carnage that would end up injuring thousands of people and displacing many more. It mercilessly engulfs the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima prefecture, causing a crippling station blackout. Unable to be cooled, the nuclear reactors quickly turn into hydrogen bombs at the brink of explosion. If the power plant is abandoned, Japan’s destruction is assured.  Facing a life or death Continue reading

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Here’s what’s streaming on Hi-YAH! for the month of February

Hi-YAH!, Well Go USA’s very own Asian/martial arts streaming channel has just announced their New Release line up for the month of February, which includes a New film added to Hi-YAH! every Friday! Keep on reading for the full list!

February 5th | Double Tap Former shooting-range instructor Nick goes on a killing rampage when his girlfriend Colleen is arrested and the only one who can stop him his sharp-shooter cop Miu. Double Tap is directed by Bruce Law (Extreme Crisis) and stars Leslie Cheung, Alex Fong and Ruby Wong.  Continue reading

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Space Sweepers (2021) Review

"Space Sweepers" Theatrical Poster

“Space Sweepers” Theatrical Poster

Director: Jo Sung-Hee
Cast: Song Joong-Ki, Kim Tae-Ri, Jin Sun-Kyu, Yu Hae-Jin, Park Ye-Rin, Richard Armitage, Kim Moo-Yul, Oh Ji-Yul, Kim Hyang-Gi, Nas Brown, John D. Michaels
Running Time: 136 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The marketing material for Space Sweepers proudly boasted the production to be “Korea’s first sci-fi film project”, a claim which does somewhat of a disservice to the film industries frequent dabbling with the genre during the early days of the Korean Wave. 2001’s 2009 Lost Memories, 2002’s Yesterday, and 2003’s Natural City were all flawed but ambitious attempts at sci-fi world building, but for whatever reason it’s never been a genre thats stuck. It’s never entriely disappeared though, with more recent offerings going down the dystopian route thanks to the likes of 2018’s Illang: The Wolf Brigade, and 2020’s double offering of Peninsula and Time to Hunt. So while billing director Jo Sung-hee’s latest as Korea’s first foray into sci-fi isn’t quite the case, it is at least the countrys first foray into sci-fi that takes place in space, and the associated tropes that go along with it.

As a director Sung-hee has been one of the most consistently original voices in Korean cinema over the last decade, even if it feels like he flies somewhat under the radar. His debut, 2010’s End of Animal, was an impressively atmospheric piece of filmmaking (and made it into Our Top 15 Watched Movies of 2015), which was followed up in 2012 with his breakthrough sophomore feature A Werewolf Boy. Since then, Sung-hee helmed the comic book noir Phantom Detective in 2016, and with Space Sweepers he once again switches up genres, working with his biggest Continue reading

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Newest and English subtitled earlier Trailer for Wang Baoqiang and Stanley Tong’s ‘Rising Shaolin: The Protector’

"Shaolin Temple: Legend of Debao" Theatrical Poster

“Shaolin Temple: Legend of Debao” Theatrical Poster

Wang Bao Qiang (Kung Fu Jungle, Iceman 3D) is returning to Monk Comes Down the Mountain-mode in Rising Shaolin: The Protector (aka Shaolin Temple: Legend of Debao), an upcoming martial arts actioner that has some obvious nods to old-school kung fu films from the 70s and 80s.

Although we’re not sure what to make from its plot, it’s apparent that Rising Shaolin: The Protector is a reflection of Wang Baoqiang’s real-life account of entering the Shaolin Temple at the age of 8, after having seen Jet Li’s groundbreaking 1982 film, The Shaolin Temple.

The film is directed by frequent Jackie Chan-collaborator Stanley Tong (Vanguard, Police Story 3: Supercop) and co-stars Liu Haoran (Detective Chinatown Trilogy), Ni Dahong (The Trough) and Ng Man Tat
(Shaolin Soccer).

If anything, Rising Shaolin: The Protector will give Wang Bao Qiang another reason to show off his kung fu repertoire, just as he did in Iceman 3D, its sequel and Kung Fu Jungle – and judging from the Trailer below, he does just that.

Domestic audiences can catch Rising Shaolin: The Protector on IQIYI/VOD on February 12. The rest of us can at least enjoy the film’s latest Trailer, as well as earlier Trailer, now subtitled:

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Deal on Fire! Enter the Fat Dragon | Blu-ray | Only $7.99 – Expires soon!

Enter the Fat Dragon | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Enter the Fat Dragon | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Enter the Fat Dragon (read our review), the latest from martial arts star Donnie Yen (Ip Man 4, Big Brother14 Blades).

The Chasing the Dragon team is back! Only this time, producer Wong Jing (Mission Milano) and Donnie Yen are chasing a dragon that’s about 100 pounds heavier in Enter the Fat Dragon.

In the film, directed by both Wong Jing (City Hunter) and Kenji Tanigaki (Legend of Seven Monks), Yen plays a cop escorting a convict to Japan. With that said, it’s not a remake of the 1978 Sammo Hung classic of the same name, it just happens to share its title, which is a parody (by title only) of Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon. Continue reading

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Bruce Willis Dies Hard in space for an Edge of Tomorrow with Frank Grillo, Luke Wilson and C.J. Perry in ‘Cosmic Sin’

"Cosmic Sin" Theatrical Poster

“Cosmic Sin” Theatrical Poster

While we anxiously wait for another Die Hard sequel to come out, Bruce Willis will soon die hard in space in Cosmic Sin, a sci fi actioner directed by frequent collaborator Edward Drake (Willis is developing somewhat of a Scott Adkins/Isaac Florentine-like working relationship with the filmmaker, as they both worked together in Breach, Apex and the upcoming American Siege).

Joining Willis for the ride are Frank Grillo (Jiu Jitsu, Wolf Warrior 2), Brandon Thomas Lee (Sierra Burgess Is a Loser), Luke Wilson (Bottle Rocket), professional wrestler C.J. Perry, Johnny Messner (Kill ’em All) and Costas Mandylor (Fist of the North Star).

Cosmic Sin involves seven rogue soldiers who launch a preemptive strike against a newly discovered alien civilization in the hopes of ending an interstellar war Continue reading

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