Man Standing Next, The (2020) Review

"The Man Standing Next" Theatrical Poster

“The Man Standing Next” Theatrical Poster

Director: Woo Min-Ho
Cast: Lee Byung-Hun, Lee Sung-Min, ak Do-Won, Lee Hee-Joon, Kim So-Jin, Seo Hyun-Woo, Ji Hyun-Joon, Park Sung-Geun, Park Ji-Il, Lee Tae-Hyeong, Kim Seung-Hoon
Running Time: 114 min.

By Paul Bramhall

South Korea has had a tumultuous history since its creation after the division of the peninsula in 1954, shortly after the Korean War ended, up to it achieving democracy in 1987. While it spent most of the 33 years under some form of authoritarian regime or another, the era which still causes controversy to this day is the time spent under the rule of Park Chung-hee, who came to power in 1962 following a military coup the year prior. As president Chung-hee kept himself in power up until his assassination in October 1979, and while he’s largely credited for the rapid modernisation of Korea, it’s a legacy which is stained by his autocratic style of ruling. The many restrictions on things like freedom of speech and the press, and the fact that his opponents frequently found themselves held without trial and subject to torture, gradually saw the tide of public opinion begin to turn against him by the late 70’s.

The subject of Chung-hee’s assassination has been covered before in the Korean film industry, notably in Im Sang-soo’s 2005 dark comedy The President’s Last Bang, which covered the 3 hours leading up to the assassination along with the immediate aftermath. 15 years later, the subject is back on the screen with director Woo Min-ho’s latest, The Man Standing Next. Decidedly different in both tone and scope than Sang-soo’s take on the subject, Min-ho has created a poker-faced Continue reading

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Devilman: Special Edition | Blu-ray & DVD (Media Blasters)

Devilman: Special Edition | Blu-ray & DVD (Media Blasters)

Devilman: Special Edition | Blu-ray & DVD (Media Blasters)

RELEASE DATE: December 15, 2020

On December 15, 2020, Media Blasters will release the Blu-ray & DVD for Devilman, is a live-action film directed by Hiroyuki Nasu (Be-Bop High School), based on the manga of the same name by Go Nagai.

Read the official details below:

First time on blu-ray! Best friends Akira and Ryo (played by real life twins Hisato and Yusuke Izaki) are your average high school students, that is, until they learn that Ryo s scientist father stationed in Antarctica has accidentally unleashed a horde of demons upon the earth! The demons spread like a virus throughout the world, possessing ordinary people and turning them violently against each other. (It sounds all too familiar in 2020!) When Akira becomes possessed, he becomes the one and only Devilman, an all-powerful demonic entity who somehow retains his humanity. It’s up to Continue reading

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Bruce Lee fights back from the grave to save Chuck Norris in Romeo Candido’s fantasy actioner ‘The Dragon Returns’

"Way of the Dragon" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Way of the Dragon” Chinese Theatrical Poster

A new “Bruce Lee” project, titled The Dragon Returns, is making its way into the digital edition of the IFFAM Project Market (IPM) during the International Film Festival & Awards Macao, which takes place on December 3-8.

Directed and produced by Romeo Candido (Lolo’s Child), The Dragon Returns involves a plot where Bruce Lee is brought back from his staged death and retirement to save his old friend Chuck Norris from imprisonment (via Deadline).

The film is one of 14 projects that will go through an “intensive program of presentations and meetings conducted digitally with members of the global industry” before it will be eligible for one of four cash awards.

We’ll keep you updated on Continue reading

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Dead Reckoning (2020) Review

"Dead Reckoning" Theatrical Poster

“Dead Reckoning” Theatrical Poster

AKA: Altar Rock
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Cast: India Eisley, K.J. Apa, Scott Adkins, James Remar, Ellie Cornell, Sydney Park, Phuong Diep
Running Time: 91 min.

By Paul Bramhall

2020 has been a good year for the discerning Scott Adkins fan. He returned as French in Jesse V. Johnson’s Debt Collectors, re-teamed with Isaac Florentine for Seized, took the lead in espionage thriller Legacy of Lies, and plays a Muslim terrorist set on blowing up a beachside Fourth of July party in the self-proclaimed “millennial romantic thriller” Dead Reckoning. It’s not difficult to spot the odd one out, but in case there’s any doubt, it’s the last one.

Originally entitled Altar Rock after a location in the story, Dead Reckoning was filmed way back in 2016, and has spent the last 4 years trying to market itself from various angles to be distributed. The tale of the tape can be gauged from looking at the various poster designs over the succeeding years. We’ve had the patriotic angle with the title simply imprinted against the backdrop of the star-spangled banner, complete with the tagline ‘Sacrifices will be made’. We’ve had the teen-centric angle with a collage of the attractive young cast on a sunny beach and huddled around a campfire, with the new tagline of ‘The Summer you’ll never forget’. For its eventual release distributor Continue reading

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Gamera: Showa Era | Blu-ray (Arrow Films)

Gamera: Showa Era | Blu-ray (Arrow Films)

Gamera: Showa Era | Blu-ray (Arrow Films)

RELEASE DATE: January 25, 2021

On January 25, 2021, Arrow Video is releasing the Blu-ray 4-disc set for the Gamera: Showa Era collection, which includes Camera: The Giant Monster, Gamera vs. Barugon, Gamera vs. Gyaos, Gamera vs. Viras, Gamera vs. Guiron, Gamera Vs. Jiger, Gamera Vs. Zigra and Gamera: The Super Monster.

Read the official details below:

As giant monsters rampaged through the Japanese cinematic landscape during the “kaiju boom” of the mid-1960s, Daiei Studios introduced a new character to the screen that would be embraced for generations: Gamera, the giant, flying, fire-breathing turtle, and friend of all children!

Buried under the Arctic ice for several millenia, the colossal chelonian is unleashed upon Japan Continue reading

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

‘Wolf Warrior’ star Wu Jing gets called into battle in the Trailer for ‘Sacrifice’ with Deng Chao, Zhang Yi and Jang Du

"Sacrifice" Theatrical Poster

“Sacrifice” Theatrical Poster

Martial arts star Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior 2, Call of Heroes, SPL 2) returns to the battlefield in Sacrifice (aka Jin Gang Chuan), a war epic that also stars Deng Chao (Shadow, The Mermaid), Zhang Yi (Operation Red Sea) and Jang Du (The Captain).

According to AFS, Sacrifice is directed by three different directors: Guan Hu (Dirt, Mr. Six), Lu Yang (Brotherhood of Blades, Colored Youth) and Frant Gwo (The Wandering Earth, My Old Classmate).

Sacrifice is pitched as a simple tale of Chinese soldiers attempting to repair a bridge, while under constant bombardment from U.S. forces and planes. The three directors present three different points of view of the Chinese bravery under fire (via Variety).

Sacrifice had a domestic release date on Continue reading

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Camera: Heisei Era | Blu-ray (Arrow Films)

Camera: Heisei Era | Blu-ray (Arrow Films)

Camera: Heisei Era | Blu-ray (Arrow Films)

RELEASE DATE: January 25, 2021

On January 25, 2021, Arrow Video is releasing the Blu-ray 4-disc set for the Gamera: Heisei Era collection, which includes Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris and Gamera the Brave (don’t miss our review for the actual films here).

Read the official details below:

After laying dormant for fifteen years, Gamera was rebooted for the big screen in a smash hit trilogy masterminded by director Shusuke Kaneko (Necronomicon), writer Kazunori Ito (Ghost in the Shell) and SFX director Shinji Higuchi (who went on to co-direct Shin Godzilla).

Trading the campy, kid-friendly surrealism of the earlier films for a darker, more realistic tone and jaw-droppingly innovative special effects, the Heisei Trilogy are still Continue reading

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

Deal on Fire! Man of Tai Chi | Blu-ray | Only $8.99 – Expires soon!

Man of Tai Chi | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

Man of Tai Chi | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2013’s Man of Tai Chi, the directorial debut of Keanu Reeves (John Wick), who also happens to star in this action-packed homage to classic kung fu films.

Reeves plays a wealthy owner of a Beijing underground fight club who recruits a humble Tai Chi student (Tiger Hu Chen, Monk Comes Down the Mountain) to his closed-circuit battles. But when the young man is seduced by money and power, it will trigger a war between the Hong Kong police, the world’s deadliest combatants, and a peaceful spiritual discipline turned lethal new fighting style.

Man of Tai Chi also stars Karen Mok (Fallen Angels), Iko Uwais (The Raid, The Raid 2), Simon Yam (Wild City, Cross) and features action choreography by martial arts legend, Yuen Woo-ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II).

Order Man of Tai Chi from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Need a light? Here’s the Trailer for Chan Kin Long’s ‘Hand Rolled Cigarette’ starring Gordon Lam

"Hand Rolled Cigarette" Theatrical Poster

“Hand Rolled Cigarette” Theatrical Poster

Actor-turned-director Chan Kin Long – who appeared in Fruit Chan’s The Midnight After – will soon be releasing his debut feature film, Hand Rolled Cigarette, starring Gordon Lam Ka Tung (The Brink, Paradox, The Sleep Curse) and Bipin Karma.

Hand Rolled Cigarette tells the story of a retired soldier, formerly in the British colonial army, who agrees to store drugs for a South Asian small-time crook. The two men bond when they realise they are both leftovers from a long-gone colonial past, but loyalties are tested when it’s revealed that the drugs have been stolen from an underworld kingpin (via SD).

The film also stars Chin Siu-ho (Vampire Cleanup Department), Singh Hartihan Bitto (Raging Fire) and Aaron Chow (Firestorm).

A release date is still pending for Continue reading

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Dragon’s Claws (1979) Review

"Dragon’s Claws" Promotional Poster

“Dragon’s Claws” Promotional Poster

Director: Joseph Kuo
Cast: Lau Kar Yung, Hwang Jang Lee, Wong Biu Chan, Yuen Qiu, Hon Gwok Choi, Chan Lau, Chu Tiet Wo, Lau Hok Nin, Sham Chin Bo, Wong Chi Wai, Got Ping
Running Time: 91 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The kung fu genre had a pretty tough act to follow in 1979, following a year which gave us such timeless classics as Drunken Master, Warriors Two, and Heroes of the East. Thankfully kung fu talent was in plentiful supply, and arguably the whole of the late 70’s and early 80’s period is responsible for creating some of the greatest kung fu movies of all time. While studios like Golden Harvest, Seasonal Films, and Shaw Brothers continued to be the big hitters, the independent scene was also cranking out plenty of classics around the same time as well. One name which is synonymous with the independent kung fu movie, is director, writer, and producer Joseph Kuo.

By 1979 Kuo had already been directing movies for over 20 years, however in the mid-70’s he struck up a particularly illustrious partnership with Carter Wong, who became his go-to leading man. Between 1976 – 1978 Kuo and Wong would collaborate as director and star on The Blazing Temple, The 18 Bronzemen and its sequel, The Eight Masters, The Shaolin Brothers, and Born Invincible, however with the 80’s looming, Kuo spent the final 12 months of the 70’s looking for his next leading man Continue reading

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Contacts | Blu-ray & DVD (Indiecan)

Contacts | Blu-ray & DVD (Indiecan)

Contacts | Blu-ray & DVD (Indiecan)

RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2020

On November 10, 2020, Indiecan Entertainment will release the Blu-ray for Alex Chung’s 2019 indie martial arts thriller, Contracts.  

Contracts follows a team of assassins who become victims of a superior killer. The film took home Best Action Film and Best Fight at the 2019 Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

Contracts is directed by and starring Alex Chung, who also serves as a producer, editor and fight choreographer. Chung is perhaps best known for his stunt work on The Man in the High Castle, The Boys and xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

Contracts also stars Jermaine Carty (Haphead), Christena Gaunce (Teenage Love), Dan Sanderson (Martyrs – The Chronicles of Blood), Michael Carter (Heart Strings) and Kyle Stewart Continue reading

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Bruce Willis returns as John McClane in a New ‘Die Hard’ commercial

"A Good Day To Die Hard" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“A Good Day To Die Hard” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Remember that 6th Die Hard sequel/prequel from director Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard) that was supposed to be titled McClane? If you do, forget the idea ever existed, because it has been scrapped.

Cancellation of Fox’s McClane should have come as no surprise, given Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox last March. But now, a reputable source claims that Disney is moving forward with an entirely new Die Hard project, not related to McClane.

Disney’s new take, which will be a reboot of the franchise, which means we will be introduced to a younger McClane (i.e. Bruce Willis was 33 when he made the first Die Hard).

Again, this is a rumor. For all we know, Disney is reverting back to Ben Trebilcook’s Die Hard 6 idea from 2013 Continue reading

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Long Day’s Journey Into Night, A (2018) Review

"Long Day's Journey Into Night" Theatrical Poster

“Long Day’s Journey Into Night” Theatrical Poster

Director: Bi Gan
Cast: Tang Wei, Huang Jue, Sylvia Chang, Lee Hong-chi, Chloe Maayan, Ming Dao, Xie Li-Xun
Running Time: 138 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Once in a while a movie comes along that transcends genres and conventions, the type of movie that lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled, and results in many a late-night conversation. Movies like Lee Chang-dong’s Burning and Takeshi Kitano’s Hana-Bi both fit the bill, and joining their esteemed company is Bi Gan’s A Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

Much like Korean director Yoo Ha, Gan is a poet turned filmmaker, and displays the rare ability to transpose that poetic tone to film, crafting a hallucinogenic noir that has distant echoes of Wong Kar Wai and David Lynch. A Long Day’s Journey Into Night is Gan’s sophomore full length feature, and in it Huang Jue (The Final Master, The Wild Goose Lake) plays a former casino manager who returns to his hometown Continue reading

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Enter the Fat Dragon (2020) Review

"Enter the Fat Dragon" Theatrical Poster

“Enter the Fat Dragon” Theatrical Poster

Director: Tanigaki Kenji
Cast: Donnie Yen, Niki Chow, Teresa Mo, Wong Jing, Louis Cheung Kai-Chung, Jessica Jann, Takenaka Naoto, Tetsuya Watanabe, Wong Cho-Lam, Lawrence Chou, Jerry Lamb, Yan Hua, Anthony Chan, Philip Ng
Running Time: 96 min.

By Paul Bramhall

I guess any review of Enter the Fat Dragon should begin by addressing its existence (it’s as good a place to start as any!). First up, yes, the production was conceived all thanks to a 2015 commercial that Donnie Yen starred in for the memory foam brand Sinomax. In it, we get Yen in a fat suit (think Gwyneth Paltrow in Shallow Hal), in which he goes up against his slim self in a race to meet their returning partners first, and somehow it all ends up being about the very comfortable looking Sinomax memory foam mattresses and pillows. I was sold, and it only takes a brief look at the comments section of the clip on YouTube to realise a disproportionate amount of them read “You should make a movie out of this!” It’s somewhat fitting then, that a producer such as Wong Jing should set in motion the plan to do just that.

Secondly, no, it’s not a remake of the 1978 Sammo Hung movie of the same name. Although, in fairness, both Sammo and Donnie’s characters share a love of Bruce Lee, so there are certainly some thematic similarities between the pair. In terms of plot though, they’re 2 distinctly different beasts. In the updated version, Yen unsurprisingly plays a righteous cop with anger management issues, much the same as he’s done several times over since 1988’s Tiger Cage (but when you do it as well as he does, it’s not a complaint). After one ridiculous brawl too many, he finds himself demoted to the archive room, and to top things off his aspiring actress fiancé dumps him. Skip forward 6 months later, and a diet of potato chips and soft drinks has taken its toll on the waistline to the tune of 250 pounds. Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! Shogun | Blu-ray | Only $22.83 – Expires soon!

James Clavell’s Shogun | Blu-ray (Paramount)

James Clavell’s Shogun | Blu-ray (Paramount)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for James Clavell’s Shogun, starring Richard Chamberlain (Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold), Toshiro Mifune (Stray Dog, Incident at Blood Pass) and Nobuo Kaneko (Tokyo Nights, Battles Without Honor and Humanity).

This critically-acclaimed 1980 mini-series, spread out on 6 Blu-ray discs, focuses on John Blackthorne (Chamberlain), an English ship pilot, whose vessel wrecked upon the Japanese coast in the early 17th century.

Blackthorne is thrown in the midst of a war between Toranaga (Mifune) and Ishido (Kaneko), who struggle for the title of Shogun which will give ultimate power to the one who possesses it… oh yeah, and it has Continue reading

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