Gareth Evans reveals what ‘The Raid 3′ would have been…

Posted on October 3, 2018 by JJ Bona
"The Raid 2: Berandal" Poster

“The Raid 2: Berandal” Poster

If 2009’s Merantau hinted that director Gareth Evans was on to something special, then 2011’s The Raid proved our point. With 2014’s The Raid 2: Berandal, expectations were not only met, they were drastically surpassed.

Fact is, in such a short amount of time, Evans is an ingenious filmmaker who is on one hell of a creative peak; funny thing is, something tells us the guy hasn’t even reached his peak yet. Using The Beatles as analogy: If Merantau is “Meet the Beatles,” then The Raid is “Rubber Soul;” If The Raid 2 is “Revolver,” then perhaps The Raid 3 will be “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”?

Evans has made his mark as one of the hottest action directors working in film today. And he does it with a limited budget, a foreign language and no big names or stars (which has obviously changed for Iko Uwais).

In celebration of Evans’ cinematic victory, we decided to jump the gun on The Raid 3 (regardless if a Raid 3 ever happens), using a roller coaster of updates from the director himself:

So far, here’s what we know/knew about The Raid 3:

“I don’t have any plans to do The Raid 3 within the next two or three years so I’m going to take a break from that franchise for a bit… I want to do some some things outside of Indonesia for like two films, then come back to Indonesia and shoot The Raid 3. I have another one I want to shoot with him first. Still in the action genre and it’s something that [Uwais] needs to train for for a fair amount of time. You have to make good with some weaponry, my friend,” says Evans (via CO.com, March 2014).

“If The Raid 2 starts two hours after the first film, The Raid 3 will start three hours before The Raid 2 finishes. We’ll go back in time a little, and then we’ll branch off. So for me – without giving too much away – I want to try a different landscape. I want to try to shoot something that’s very, very different from the first and the second one. So visually it’ll look completely different, tone-wise it’ll be very different. So there’s a lot going on there, a lot of ideas going around in my head, it’s just a case of putting them down on paper. We’re in the process of developing it for maybe two years down the line,” says Evans (via DOG, April 2014).

Evans has brought up Scott Adkins on numerous occasions, so you can’t deny that Adkins has a chance of appearing in The Raid 3. Even Adkins himself has tweeted: “I’m officially stating it NOW!! @ghuwevans better me put in The Raid 3!! Here’s what Evans had to say about him: “Scott Adkins I’ve had the pleasure of meeting on a few occasions. He’s ridiculously talented with an all round skillset that combines fight techniques with athleticism and acrobatics. I’m looking for the right project, once I do I would love to work with him on something” (via COF).

There were some imdb.com rumors that suggested martial arts super star Tony Jaa (Ong Bak) may be joining the cast of The Raid 3. Although imdb’s information may or may not be accurate, it’s definitely a 50/50 scenario. Here’s what Evans had to say about Jaa: Tony Jaa is a phenomenal talent. Ong Bak was a major announcement to the industry and to audiences that the martial arts genre was back. Of course there’s been a fair amount of mud thrown around regarding the situation between artist and production company but that’s not for us to know nor is it in any way something that takes anything away from his all round talents. With the right script, the right role and please God no elephants.” But in a later reply with Evans, he said this about the rumor: “That’s just someone posting it up on imdb.com. I have a huge amount of respect for Tony, but I haven’t even put pen to paper on The Raid 3 yet, and it won’t happen for a couple of years” (via COF).

In early 2015, Evans took to Twitter to give us an update (or lack thereof) for the 3rd chapter of The Raid series: “The Raid 3 isn’t going to be happening anytime soon. Ideas in my head. Nothing written. No set date. 2018/19 possibly.”

In a November 2016 interview with Impact’s Mike Leeder, Evans had this to say about The Raid 3: “To be honest I don’t really know. I have an idea and it’s the same idea I’ve had since we were making part 2. Nothing has changed on that front, I just can’t say for sure when I’ll be in the right headspace to do something with it. Whether it was a conscious decision or not, moving back to UK felt like a closing chapter on that franchise – we ended the story pretty neatly (I feel) in part 2. I’m aware there’s an interest for it, and genuinely it is incredibly touching to see people still dropping messages my way asking for it. So never say never, but it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.”

On September 23, 2018, came some disappointing news for those of us wanting a Raid 3: Here’s what Evans told CB: The Raid 3 was… at one point it was on my radar. I had a full idea. I know what the storyline would have been. But I think enough time has passed now that I think I’m not likely to go back and revisit it. We had a lot of fun making those films, and I think we came to a nice, sort of natural conclusion with [The Raid 2]. And I think sometimes you can have a little bit too much of a good thing.

Updates: Speaking to JoBlo, Evans revealed that The Raid 3 would have been more about the gangs rather than Iko Uwais’ character, Rama:

“I knew what I wanted to do with The Raid 3, I knew what that story was going to be. If I was ever going to make it, it really had to have happened after we made The Raid 2. The storyline was going to pick up – I’ll give you a little bit of it – if you were watching The Raid 2 and rewound from the ending about 15-20 minutes back to when Goto gives instructions to his right-hand man to go kill the police, kill the politicians, ‘kill everyone that we work with, we’re going to start fresh,’ that was going to be the first scene of The Raid 3. It was going to be more about the yakuza than it was going to be about Rama; Rama was not really going to feature in that storyline much at all, it was going to be about the bosses in Japan realizing that someone in Jakarta that represented them started to fuck with the politicians and the police in a country they don’t belong in. It was going to be the fallout from that.”

“It was going to be a 95 minutes, 100 minutes, sort of… escape into the jungles of Indonesia type of thing. But it really needed to be made at that period of time. Four years, five years later to go back and try to recreate that, it felt a bit disingenuous. I made three martial arts films in a row, I wanted to explore other things first. It was always a cool idea, but it stopped being really special for me. The Raid, it gave me an awful lot that I’m very appreciative about, but that adventure is kind of over now.”

Again, never say never, but for now, Evans is prepping Apostle, which hits Netflix in October!

Posted in News |

Takeshi Kitano: TKO Collection | Blu-ray (Film Movement)

Posted on October 3, 2018 by JJ Bona
TKO Collection - 3 Films by Takeshi Kitano | Blu-ray (Film Movement Classics)

TKO Collection – 3 Films by Takeshi Kitano | Blu-ray (Film Movement)

RELEASE DATE: November 20, 2018

On November 20, 2018, Film Movement Classics will be releasing the TKO Collection – 3 Films by Takeshi Kitano on Blu-ray. This box set includes Violent Cop, Boiling Point and Hana-bi (aka Fireworks).

Violent Cop (read our review): In his explosive directorial debut Japanese renaissance man-cum-comedian-extraordinaire Takeshi Beat Kitano plays vicious rogue homicide Detective Azuma who takes on a sadistic crime syndicate only to discover widespread internal corruption in the police force. Facing criminal charges for his unorthodox Dirty Harry-type methods, Azuma finds himself caught in a web of betrayal and intrigue that sends him on a bloody trail of vengeance. But when his sister is kidnapped by a sadistic drug lord, Azuma’s tactics escalate towards an apocalyptic climax.

Boiling Point (read our review): Ono Masahiko is an unlucky gas station attendant who belongs to a losing junior baseball team. When the local yakuza threaten and capture his coach, he and a friend get more than they bargained for when they travel to Okinawa seeking revenge. This is the second feature film from renowned action auteur Takeshi Beat Kitano.

Hana-Bi/Fireworks (read our review): Former police officer Nishi feels responsible for the shattered lives of his loved ones. His partner Horibe has been crippled in a disastrous stakeout, a colleague is shot dead by the same villain, and his own wife has a terminal illness. In debt to a yakuza loanshark, Nishi conceives a bank robbery to provide for his partner, help the dead cop’s widow, and take one last holiday throughout Japan with his wife and share a final taste of happiness. A highly original crime drama written, directed and starring Takeshi Kitano.

Features:

  • Violent Cop 20-minute featurette
  • That Man Is Dangerous: The Birth of Takeshi Kitano
  • Original Violent Cop trailer
  • New Violent Cop HD re-release trailer
  • Boiling Point 20-minute featurette
  • Okinawa Days: Takeshi’s Second Debut
  • Original Boiling Point trailer
  • Hana-Bi Commentary by film writer for Rolling Stone magazine, David Fear
  • Hana-Bi Making-of featurette
  • Exclusive Violent Cop and Boiling Point artwork by influential comic creator Benjamin Marra
  • Violent Cop and Boiling Point Collector’s Booklet, featuring film essay by Tom Vick, the Asian film Curator for the Freer and Sackler Galleries (The Smithsonian’s Museums of Asian Art); cast and crew credits
  • Hana-Bi Collector’s Booklet, featuring essay by film writer, Jasper Sharp; chapter breaks; stills

Pre-order the TKO Collection from Amazon.com today! 

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

The House That Never Dies: Reawakening | DVD (Well Go USA)

Posted on October 2, 2018 by JJ Bona
The House That Never Dies: Reawakening | DVD (Well Go USA

The House That Never Dies: Reawakening | DVD (Well Go USA

RELEASE DATE: December 4, 2018

On December 4, 2018, Well Go USA is releasing the DVD for 2017’s The House That Never Dies: Reawakening, a Chinese thriller directed by Joe Chien (Zombie 108)

This sequel to 2014’s The House That Never Dies stars Joan Chen (Lust, Caution), Gillian Chung (Ip Man: The Final Fight), Julian Cheung (The Grandmaster), Vivian Wu (The Last Emperor) and Ting Mei (Unbeatable).

A hundred years after the mysterious murders of the entire Zhisheng household, a cultural relic restorer Song Teng experiences strange events at the ancient mansion. After discovering baby skeletons and weird spells, the intricate weaving of the past and present begin to emerge and reveals a haunting tale of the wrongly deceased still seeking justice from the living world.

Pre-order The House That Never Dies: Reawakening from Amazon.com today!

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

Eastern Cherries – First Experiences of Asian Cinema: Japan Edition Part I

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

EasternCherries-05

While it was Jet Li’s breakthrough role in Shaolin Temple that provided me with my first real taste of Asian cinema, my curiosity was piqued enough that I soon found myself exploring the realms beyond the kung fu genre. As a result, after binge watching the Hong Kong cinema classics for over a year, I gradually began consuming cinema from countries like Japan and Korea. My exposure to Japanese cinema in-particular had mainly been through the written word, with books I owned on Asian cinema inevitably raising names like Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu somewhere along the way. While such instances of name dropping provided me with a peripheral awareness of the Land of the Rising Suns cinematic output, my first Japanese movie was about as far away from the works of Kurosawa and Ozu as humanly possible.  

"Yojimbo" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Yojimbo” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Being somewhat of a horror fan, it was while browsing the local newspaper in March of 2001 that I came across the cinema listings for the area, always wedged with a familiar regularity between the puzzle and sports pages. Each cinema usually had its own little box on the page, with the movies and times that were being shown listed within the frame. However, occasionally some movies were given their own little box, usually taking the form of a poster, and some small quote from a magazine such as Empire or Total Film. With my newfound curiosity for Asian cinema, I immediately noticed that one of the small pictures on this particular day was that of an Asian woman, and at the top of the picture were 5 stars – a small text underneath indicating that they were a rating from Empire magazine.

The picture was for a movie called Audition, and best of all, was at the time I had a subscription to Empire magazine, so it turned out I actually had the issue from which the review was taken. As I flicked through its pages, it turned out the writeup was of the kind that today would be referred to as a capsule review. Stuck in a small column on the side of one of its pages, the lack of dedicated space explained why I’d missed it upon my first browse of its pages, when it’d been delivered the week prior. The review didn’t give much away, other than it was an unsettling horror from a director called Takashi Miike, and that if it was showing on a cinema close to you, it would be a crime not to check it out.

"Audition" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Audition” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Well, that was me sold. I immediately cross referenced the listings on the cinema closest to where I lived, and sure enough, it had a couple of screenings on the upcoming Saturday. One phone call later, any myself and my friend had our plans for the weekend sorted. It’s interesting to me now that, almost 20 years on if I know a Takashi Miike movie is being shown on a nearby cinema, you’ll most likely find me overbrimming with anticipation in the days prior. Back then though, with no prior knowledge of what we’d be seeing, in the intermediate days we gave Audition no further thought. It was simply that movie we were going to go and check out over the weekend.

I still clearly remember the day itself though. The screening was at 6:15pm, and I met my friend outside of the local Odeon multiplex (the same one we’d watched The Matrix a couple of years earlier) shortly before to shoot the breeze for a few minutes before going in. The plan was to watch the movie, then have a few beers in the pub next door. Skip forward a couple of hours later, and while we usually left the cinema declaring that whatever movie we’d watched was a masterpiece, or a steaming pile of crap, after Audition we both strolled out in a kind of speechless silence.

Whatever it was we’d just watched had been a cinematic experience, the kind of which neither of us had ever experienced before. We both had no real prior knowledge of what to expect, other than it was about a widowed man who, on the advice of his film producer friend, agrees to hold an audition for an upcoming movie, which in reality is in fact a ruse for him to find a new wife. On paper the plot already seemed somewhat outlandish, and the setup if anything resembled more of a comedy than anything indicating a horror. 

A night to remember...

A night to remember…

Even onscreen, the opening third of Audition could well be argued to take on more of a comedic tone than anything close to resembling horror. But then, without the audience even noticing, the tone begins to shift gradually into a territory that, for someone who’d only been exposed to western style horror, feels increasingly uncomfortable and uneasy. The loud shock scares and build-up of music, so much a part of Hollywood horror, were completely missing from Audition, with scenes unapologetically playing out with no soundtrack accompaniment whatsoever. However rather than detracting from the experience, the silence in itself brought about a sense of creeping dread, the type of which it was impossible to put your finger on exactly what it was. As an entry point to Asian horror, I was hooked, even if at the time I didn’t yet know it.

Takashi Miike

Takashi Miike

It’s difficult to resist the urge to describe such scenes, even the smallest ones, that created that sense of foreboding, however I hold out the hope that there are still viewers out there that haven’t seen Audition, and for that reason I’d hate to reveal anything. In any case, regardless of my readings on the likes of Kurosawa and Ozu, Takashi Miike immediately became my favorite Japanese director (ok, so disregard the fact that I hadn’t seen the work of any others at this point), and Japanese horror became a genre I needed to see more of.

Tartan Video's grimy "Ring" DVD.

Tartan Video’s grimy “Ring” DVD.

Watching the finale of Audition in the cinema is still as fresh in my mind today as it was back then. Despite it being a subtitled Japanese movie with minimum marketing, the cinema was about half full, which even today would be considered a good turn-out for such a production. Out of all the movies I’ve watched on the big screen both before and after Audition, it remains the only screening that I’ve witnessed people stand up and walk out of. For whatever reason, watching shocked audience members make their exit, somehow only added to the horror and excitement of watching the final scenes play out. The memory of gripping the armrest of the cinema seat, to the sound of “Kiri kiri kiri kiri kiri!”, is not one that can easily be forgotten, and I doubt it ever will.

As it happened, the UK distributor Tartan Video would release another Japanese horror movie on DVD, a little known title by the name of Ring, the same month, and its sequel a few months later. Naturally they were purchased almost as soon as they landed on high-street shelves. Looking back now, I was lucky enough to watch the likes of Audition and the original Ring trilogy with little to no knowledge or spoilers of what terror they contained, and for that I’m forever grateful. Would they be any less impactful if I’d known, or even had a hint, of how these movies ended? I’d argue most likely yes, however in the culture of social media and micro information sharing that we live in today, I’d say it may be almost impossible to not have some idea, which is a shame.

Ironically it was Ring more than Audition which went on to set the trend for Asian horror for most of the 00’s, with long haired pale skinned white ghosts appearing left right and centre. However as much of an influence as Hideo Nakata’s take on Sadako would have on the horror genre, it will always be Takashi Miike’s Asami that will linger in my memory as my entry point to Japanese cinema. It’s a film industry in recent times that frequently disappoints more than it entertains, but regardless of its current state, nothing can take away those glorious few years of the late 90’s and early 00’s, when for a brief shining moment, Japanese horror reigned supreme once more.

Read Eastern Cherries – First Experiences of Asian Cinema: Japan Edition Part II
Read Eastern Cherries – First Experiences of Asian Cinema: Japan Edition Part III
Read Eastern Cherries – First Experiences of Asian Cinema: Japan Edition Part IV

Posted in Features, News |

Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Posted on October 1, 2018 by JJ Bona
Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: November 13, 2018

On November 13, 2018, the third film from the Detective Dee series, titled Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (read our review) is arriving on Blu-ray & DVD from Well Go USA.

The visionary Tsui Hark (Double Team) is back in the director’s chair – this time around, Dee (Mark Chao) is forced to defend himself against the accusations of Empress Wu while investigating a crime spree.

Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings also stars Kenny Lin (The Great Wall), William Feng (The Bodyguard), Ma Sichun (Time Raiders), Carina Lau (Let the Bullets Fly) and Ethan Juan (The Assassin).

Pre-order Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings from Amazon.com today! 

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

Trap: Lethal Temptation (2015) Review

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"Trap: Lethal Temptation" Theatrical Poster

“Trap: Lethal Temptation” Theatrical Poster

Director: Bong Man-Dae
Writer: Lee Chang-Yeol, Bong Man-Dae
Cast: Yu Ha-Jun, Jung Min-Gyul, Na Sang-Gyu, Kang Yong-Gyu, Jo Soo-Jung, Lee Sang-Hwa
Running Time: 107 min.

By Paul Bramhall

In Korea director Bong Man-dae is something of an anomaly. Even today he remains the only director to successfully transition from the world of erotic B-movies to mainstream cinema. After cranking out 12 titles in the 3 years spanning 1999 – 2002, a snail like pace considering the rapid-fire nature of such productions, in 2003 he helmed his breakthrough The Sweet Sex and Love, which put him on the map as a director to look out for (it was even reviewed by Variety!). Since then he’s gone on to direct the horror Cinderella, and perhaps what could be considered his crowning achievement, with the 2013 gonzo docu-drama Playboy Bong (so called after his nickname in the industry), in which he plays himself attempting to direct a new erotic movie.

A couple of years after the self-reflective Playboy Bong, Man-dae finds himself back in familiar territory with his latest, Trap: Lethal Temptation. Not to be confused with similarly named titles – namely Yoon Yeo-chang’s The Trap, another erotic drama from the same year, the Ma Dong-seok psycho thriller Deep Trap, also from the same year, and of course Kim Sung-hong’s classic Trap from 1997. The plot for Trap: Lethal Temptation  shares a striking similarity with Noh Young-seok’s sophomore feature The Intruders from 2013, in that it focuses on a writer who decides to escape to a remote guesthouse in the depths of winter, so that they can concentrate on their writing.

The writer in question here is a script writer played by Yoo Ha-joon (The Prison), who after having had his latest script re-written against his will, decides to get away from it all by heading into the snow covered wilderness for some quiet time. Of course, his lack of creative control isn’t his only source of self-esteem issues, as he’s also just been dumped by his girlfriend of 4 years (whom, in the opening scene, his head is rather enthusiastically between the legs of). It’s in the midst of this tantalizing foreplay that she announces she’s through with him, a clear indicator of his lack of skills in the bedroom if ever there was one.

Ha-joon eventually comes across a guest house in the mountains, albeit one which is so shabby and rundown, he quickly reaches the decision to keep driving and settle for one in the nearby town. However, when who appears to be the grumpy owner’s attractive teenage daughter emerges, offering to throw in meals as well, suddenly the prospect of spending a few days there doesn’t seem so bad. What follows is a strange mix of sexual pot boiler meets psychological thriller. The teenager is played by Jung Min-gyul (who was born in 1990, so is definitely not a teenager), who has to be the only actress with 2 credits to her name listed as High school girl 2 – the first in Confession of Murder in 2012, and again in Tattoo, also from 2015. Koreans simply don’t age.

Ha-joon finds himself becoming increasingly curious about Min-gyul , who comes across as mysteriously alluring, while also playing hot and cold in her brief exchanges with Ha-joon. After glimpsing her heading to the bathhouse one evening, he’s soon crawling along the rusty tin roof to ogle her bathing through a crack in the tiles. While all of this sounds very graphic, it’s worth noting that Man-dae shows very little skin for the vast majority of Trap: Lethal Temptation. As someone who’s been associated with the erotic genre for over 15 years, Man-dae has become something of a master in the art of teasing rather than showing.

Indeed more mainstream blockbusters like A Frozen Flower and The Treacherous show much more than anything bared here. The talent that Man-dae has is to maintain a constant undercurrent of sexual tension, one that’s kept simmering away for a whole hour before anything significant actually happens in terms of physical interactions. Instead of exposed flesh, the narrative takes the direction of making us question exactly what’s happening between Ha-joon and Min-gyul. She begins to frequently visit his room in the evening, initially bringing food and drink, before waking him up to entice him with her body. However whenever they see each other the next day, his questions about their interactions together are met with bewilderment.

He soon begins to question if any of their more intimate encounters are in fact just in his head, a bi-product of his stress at attempting to write a new script, and his obvious horniness. All of this is combined with the fact that she’s only 19 (the age of consent in Korea is 20), and it increasingly becomes questionable if the apparently mute owner is in fact her father at all. In some ways the narrative structure of Trap: Lethal Attraction reminded me of the types of movie that can be found within Japan’s Pink Eiga genre. Movies like Prison Girl also have the audience (and the characters) questioning the reality of what’s happening, and while the promise of some sexy scenes is what these movies are sold on, the filmmakers behind them often use the genre for more ambitious storytelling.

Trap: Lethal Temptation is never going to be mistaken for an unknown masterpiece, however the plot offers up something much more than just city guy and countryside girl getting it on in the woods. Man-dae incorporates some nice touches of black humor along the way, such as when Ha-joon cuts his foot on a severed chicken head, that the owner had previously thrown away when he was cooking it for dinner the previous day. By the time the truth is revealed behind Min-gyul’s interactions with Ha-joon, it becomes clear that he’s gotten in way over his head, and that neither the owner or Min-gyul are to be trusted.

With that being said, there’s no denying that Man-dae’s latest is a low budget affair, and sometimes it suffers for it. At one point Min-gyul disappears from proceedings all together, only for her to show up and have Ha-joon tell her how much he’s missed her. Quite where she’s gone and how long for is never clearly explained, making it difficult to ascertain how much time has passed, especially considering the short period that Ha-joon is staying at the inn. Such instances are indicative of a likely rushed production schedule, and while they don’t damage the narrative overall, they do result in some mild head scratching.

Her return significantly sees her long hair chopped off to a bob, no longer looking like the innocent 19 year old school girl of the earlier scenes, it’s a change in appearance which seems to indicate the end of the mind games which have been being played. The price for Ha-joon to give in to his temptation is an unexpected one (and one that notably, is detailed in the official synopsis despite not appearing until 90 minutes in. So if you don’t want an important plot point spoiled beforehand, stay away from the plot descriptions!), revealing the true nature of the title, which leads to a satisfying conclusion.

While Man-dae has arguably come a long way from those early days of directing erotic B-movies, in many ways he remains a director who’s a contradiction for the industry he’s working in. He openly states he’s still interested in eroticism and how it can be portrayed, and to a large degree his reputation as Playboy Bong precedes him, no doubt making it difficult to ever fully get away from the image of a director that makes sexy movies. Trap: Lethal Temptation serves as the perfect example of showing off Man-dae’s strengths at being able to tastefully tease the audience, but also shows the budget constraints he’s likely to be restricted to working with. For what it is though, anchored by strong performances from Ha-joon and Min-gyul, his latest does its job of being both tantalizing and thrilling, which is arguably exactly what it set out to do.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

In Harm’s Way | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

Posted on September 30, 2018 by JJ Bona
In Harm's Way | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

In Harm’s Way | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: December 4, 2018

On December 4, 2018, Shout! Factory is releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for In Harm’s Way (aka The Chinese Widow), a war/drama directed by Bille August (1998’s Les Misérables). The film stars Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer) and Liu Yifei (Outcast), the star of the upcoming live-action adaptation of Mulan.

In 1940s, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor destroyed Americans’ morale. President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to risk it all to bomb Tokyo, raising the public’s hopes. Bombardment air crafts led by U.S lieutenant colonel Jimmy Doolittle took off from a massive aircraft carrier. However, after completing their missions, the bombardment air craft pilots had to bail out at the coastal areas near Zhejiang due to shortage of fuel. A young pilot, Jack Turner (Hirsch), was saved by a young local widow named Ying (Liu), who risked her life as she hid the injured American pilot in her house.

Pre-order In Harm’s Way from Amazon.com today! 

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

Why Choose Wallpics over Alternatives?

Posted on September 30, 2018 by JJ Bona

Making your house walls look appealing is something that most of us do. Sometimes we try handing some paintings, while sometimes we prefer sticking wall sticker. All these things make the walls appear attractive, but it leaves your wall damaged. This is something that most of you do not pay heed to and that is why when you remove any of these decorative items from your walls, you have to spend money on painting again. In order to help you out with all these problems, Wallpics appears to be the best option among the other alternatives. 

Scroll down to learn about the reasons that make Wallpics customized pictures the best option over other wall decors.

Wallpics – the best wall décor option

It is unique

Everyone wants their home to look unique and different from the others. Whether you reside in a flat or have a house, it doesn’t matter, all you need is a high-quality stylish wall decorative piece to make your home appealing.  Interestingly, this is what Wallpics do to your abode. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it uses your personal photographs to create a view that attracts others. It weaves a story from your images and makes it appear intriguing to others. 

It is elegant

You know the most difficult part of decorating your home is that the chances of overdoing it are quite high. You might end up making your home look like a roadside salon.  In fact, it has happened with many people when they just place paintings on the walls without really knowing much about it, huge clocks that instead of enhancing the beauty of the room makes it look small, thereby deteriorating its grace. However, when you opt for Wallpics, it gives an elegant look to your walls. You have something related to your life on the walls of your home that unfold many memories some sweet and some bitter. This all makes the photographs elegant in a real sense.   

It is customized

At a time when you want everything customized, then why to opt for wall decorating items which are common and general. This is one of the reasons why it is recommended to select Wallpics. Here, you get a chance to place different pictures of 8”x8” square photo boards stick together in a shape and size which suits the walls of your rooms and meets your requirements. There are many who prefer Wallpics images in their living room, but there are others who want it beside the stair steps. You can get whatever you want with the help of Wallpics and this is something which is hard to expect from any other wall decorating alternatives.

It is easy to order

The whole process of getting all this customized Wallpics is quite simple. You just need to download Wallpics App and then place the order after uploading the picture on the mobile application of Wallpics. Surprisingly, in order to help both the Android and iOS users, Wallpics roll out to your mobile app for both Android phones as well as iPhones. You can download it and then receive the images within the stipulated time.

It is simple to place on the wall

When you buy a mirror or a painting, you face one problem for sure and that is to hang these things with the help of a nail. This is not as simple and easier as it appears too. Even with wall stickers, you face this type of problem. Most of the stickers do not involve simply sticking it, as in many of these the different parts are numbered and you have to stick all these parts together so that it looks like the one that you saw online while buying it. Perhaps that is why when you place these stickers these things most of the times do not appear the same. However, when you opt for Wallpics, you do not face such problems. You just need to stick it and it will appear the same way as you expected. It will look appealing and definitely garner compliments from your visitors. 

Celebrities From Instagram & Facebook

Kathryn
http://www.wallpics.com/celebrities/kathryn-dennis

https://www.instagram.com/kathryndennis/?hl=en

Mark
http://www.wallpics.com/celebrities/mark-jansen

https://www.instagram.com/realmarkjansen/?hl=en

Alex
http://www.wallpics.com/celebrities/alex-cooper

https://www.instagram.com/_alexandracooper_/?hl=en

Lange
http://www.wallpics.com/celebrities/alex-lange

https://www.instagram.com/alexlange/?hl=en

Beatrice
http://www.wallpics.com/celebrities/beatrice-bouchard

https://www.instagram.com/beatricebouchard/?hl=en

It doesn’t damage your walls

Decorating your walls doesn’t mean damaging it. However, most of the wall decorating items end up damaging your walls. Usually, the wall stickers when peeled off it never come out clean. It carries away some of your wall paints exposing the wall of your home and making it look uglier. Even the same thing happens when you take off the painting or a mirror, you can see nails coming out of the wall and damaging your concrete wall. It is only Wallpics that takes care of these issues as it is prepared with the help of special sticky double-sided adhesives that leaves no marks on your walls. Further, it never peels off the wall paints. 

It instills positive energy in your home

When you decorate your home, it is not just to make it look beautiful and attractive, but also to instill it with positive energy, love, and warmth. It should reflect that you live life to the fullest. Wallpics do all these things for you. When you place customized pictures from Wallpics, it ensures your home become lively with the energy that you experienced in the selected photos. For instance, if you place a photograph of you playing with your dog, then this picture creates an atmosphere of warmth and positivity in your house. This is something which you cannot find in any other wall décor.

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wallpics/id1294085580
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wallpics
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my_wallpics/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wallpicsapp/

Visit Website: https://www.wallpics.com/

Conclusion

Your house is made of bricks and mortar, but your home is built with your memories of love, fight, laughter, etc. All the feelings that you experience in a home with your family members, your friends, and your pets make your residence a home. Any decorative wall hanging or wall paintings will not reflect that thing other than Wallpics photos. These customized snaps come to life from your album when you place them on your walls. This is what makes it special among all the other wall decorating alternatives. 

Posted in News |

Bruceploitation returns? ‘He is Back’ with the Afghan Bruce Lee

Posted on September 27, 2018 by JJ Bona
"Way of the Dragon" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Way of the Dragon” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Is this “Brueploitation” for the new age? We’re not sure what to make of this project, but we are definitely impressed with Abb Li (aka “Afghan Bruce Lee”). For what it’s worth, check out the official press release for He is Back below:

Chitah Yajnesh Shetty (Krishna, Sainik) makes his directorial debut with the Hollywood film titled He is Back. The film is weaved around martial arts, and honors the legacy of Bruce Lee. Presented by Showtime Sinema & SBM Pvt Ltd in association with Ninjoor Pictures, He is Back is being produced by Suresh Sharma & Suresh Babu Malge.

Starring newcomer Abb Li – a martial artist discovered in Afghanistan – He is Back is about a poor young man from Afghanistan who has devoted his life to helping his village. Within him is a special power that will help him fight an encroaching evil that threatens not just his home, but also the world.

The unveiling ceremony for He is Back was launched at Armani Burj Khalifa, introducing Abb Li (popularly known as the Afghan Bruce Lee) and Alina Lliumzhinova.

In attendance at the ceremony was Her Royal Excellencey of Thailand Mom Luang Rajadarasri Jayankura, Ex-President of Kalmakiya (Russian Federation) Mr. Kirsan, Prince Firoz, member of Royal Institute of British Architects from England,Thomas Fung, Chairman of City Credit Capital (UK) ltd UK, Edmond Nercez from Belgium, Edmond Avakian CEO Avakian Group of Companies GENEVA; they all supported the film overwhelmingly.

Dr. BR Shetty, an eminent personality of UAE graced the Film Muhurath by switching on the Camera, and the clap was given by blockbuster film producer Mr. Rockline Venkatesh, along with Hollywood cinematographer Ross Clarkson (Undisputed III, Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear), action director Keecha Kempkadee in presence of the film’s partner Mr XU from China and others dignitaries.

He is Back is a film By Chitah Yajnesh Shetty, Co produced by Amarjit Shetty and executive produced by Mr. William Bond (Hong Kong).

He is Back is set to shoot in Kosovo, Cambodia, Thailand, Russia, and the USA. Filming officially begins on January 28th, 2019.

brucelee

Posted in News |

Train to Busan: SteelBook | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Posted on September 26, 2018 by JJ Bona
Train to Busan: SteelBook | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Train to Busan: SteelBook | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: November 6, 2018

On November 6, 2018, Well Go USA will be releasing a Limited SteelBook Blu-ray Edition of Train to Busan (read our review).

Directed by Yeon Sang-ho (The King of Pigs), this 2016 thriller stars Gong Yoo (The Suspect), Ma Dong-Seok (Veteran), Jung Yu-Mi  (A Bittersweet Life), Choi Woo-Sik (Big Match), Kim Soo-Ahn (The Net) and Ahn So-Hee (Hellcats).

Train to Busan follows a group of terrified passengers fighting their way through a countrywide viral outbreak, trapped on a suspicion-filled, blood-drenched bullet train ride to the Safe Zone…which may or may not still be there.

There are currently no official details if this Limited SteelBook version will also include any New supplemental features, but as of now, Amazon has the following listed:

Bonus Features

  • Behind the Scenes
  • That’s A Wrap
  • Trailer
  • Collectible Packaging – Limited Quantity

Pre-order Train to Busan from Amazon.com today!

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

Oh Lucy! (2017) Review

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Kelly Warner
"Oh Lucy!" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Oh Lucy!” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Atsuko Hirayanagi
Cast: Shinobu Terajima, Josh Hartnett, Kaho Minami, Shiori Kutsuna, Koji Yakusho, Megan Mullally, Reiko Aylesworth, Suzuka Ohgo, Hajime Inoue, Leni Ito
Running Time: 95 min. 

By Kelly Warner

Setsuko is a depressed, lonely middle-aged woman working in a joyless office job with nothing to come home to but a big mess of an apartment. Her family – a bitchy sister and a niece that was the result of the man her sister stole from Setsuko – don’t think very highly of her and Setsuko knows it. We do not need to have walked in Setsuko’s shoes to recognize the pain of depression that’s eating at her soul. Change is needed and Setsuko goes a little overboard in her pursuit of that change, leading her on a comical culture clash adventure with its fair share of heartbreak.

Setsuko’s niece, Mika (Shioli Katsuna, Deadpool 2), is in need of money and has a proposition for her aunt; buy off Mika’s English class lessons and go in her place. Setsuko is reluctant but the place is conveniently located (though clearly run by yakuza), so she drops by. She’s surprised by a livewire English teacher named John (Josh Hartnett, Bunraku) who barely speaks a word of Japanese, believes that good spirits and lots of hugs are the best way to achieve the American attitude, and orders Setsuko to go by the name of ‘Lucy’ during all their classes. This is absurd enough, but then he drops a blond wig on her head. John is grinning ear to ear, Setsuko is staring on in disbelief, and I’m laughing my ass off. It’s clearly not what Setsuko was expecting. But when John notes her stiffness in a farewell hug, he asks her to ‘just hug me,’ and she relaxes into his arms. Something happens, something clicks, and Setsuko (or is it Lucy now?) rediscovers joy in the company of another. Maybe she even rediscovers herself – or a new version of herself – and she decides she needs this in her life. Setsuko returns to her next class, but John has abruptly quit and is heading off to America with Setsuko’s niece, Mika. Depression comes creeping back in, but Setsuko decides to fight it by tracking John (and Mika, but she’s secondary to her needs) to Los Angeles.

I like road movies but I’m especially fond of road movies seen through the eyes of a foreigner. Setsuko, who is joined by her sister in their hunt for John and Mika, observes everything without disappointment or fear. When a tattooed man on the streets of LA offers Setsuko help in the middle of the night, she does not recoil but rather accepts his assistance and notes his tattoo parlor so that she may return to it later. America, as seen by the Japanese born but San Francisco residing writer/director Atsuko Hirayanagi, is not a beautiful place. Our fast food joints and seedy motels take up more space in California than seemingly anything else. But this is okay. This is honest. And honesty is key in the story of Setsuko. For while this is a very funny movie, it’s no feel-good comedy. The humor can be dark, Setsuko is clearly not in a healthy mental state, and the hand of death looms over much of the film.

In the very first scene, Setsuko is waiting for the train to take her to work when a stranger gropes her, says goodbye, and steps out in front of the train to commit suicide. When she is late for work, a coworker asks if she was really present to see the incident. “I haven’t seen one yet,” says the coworker, apparently disappointed and suggesting that it is a common occurrence. From then on, death and the idea of suicide are never far from our minds. Certain scenes are fake-outs – you think this is gonna get bloody, but nope. And other scenes seem safe, only to go horribly wrong as that dark specter visits the film again. You can be laughing one second and then gasp the next. It’s a disquieting piece of comedy but it works.

Shinobu Terajima (R100) plays Setsuko/Lucy in what is one of the finest performances you will see this year. Terajima puts on a masterwork of comedy, inner torment, and human longing. Setsuko is not all right. We don’t get a full sense of this until she arrives in America but looking back it was pretty clear from the start. She wants to find something with John as Lucy but it’s a fantasy and she’s not ready to accept that.

Josh Hartnett, who I have always liked despite the fact that many of his most well-known roles as a leading man are some of his weakest movies, is really good here. Like Terajima, Hartnett gets to go to two different extremes in playing English teacher John. Terajima’s Setsuko is withdrawn whereas Lucy is more outgoing. For John, he was outgoing and warm in Japan, but he was playing a part. In America, they find the real John, whose life is in pieces and is not nearly as full of good humor as we would’ve expected. It’s a good role for Hartnett, one that lets him play with both comedy and drama.

Kaho Minami (GMK) plays Setsuko’s sister. It’s not an easy character to like – partly because we are naturally drawn to take Setsuko’s side – but it’s another great performance. Minami plays the sister as so superior to everyone else. She doesn’t care that her kid has run off to America; best to think of her as dead. But then she basically plays a private detective in a foreign land trying to find her. Japanese superstar Koji Yakusho (13 Assassins) has a small but important role as another student in the English class. Like the rest of the cast, Yakusho’s performance is very charming, and splits time between comedy and drama.

Oh, Lucy! is the feature directorial debut of writer/director Atsuko Hirayanagi. The film is actually a remake of a 21-minute short film she made in 2014 starring Kaori Momoi (Izo) in the Setsuko/Lucy role. The short won some prizes and a good deal of attention (I haven’t seen it). By happy circumstances, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell came on to executive produce the feature-length retelling of the story. Hirayanagi doesn’t waste time before you realize you’re watching something made by a special new talent. The script, co-written by Borin Frumin, is especially good. The humor is sharp, the drama is unflinching, and the pace is near perfect. It’s the sort of film that makes me take note of a young artist’s name so that I can keep up with whatever they’re up to next.

Oh, Lucy! would make for a fine double feature with Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, which also saw a Japanese woman looking for something grand in America but finding the end of her journey less beautiful than she’d hoped. Take Kumiko, then add a side of Please Teach Me English and a pinch of Nurse Betty and maybe you’ve come close to describing the messed up, laugh out loud road trip into pain that is Oh, Lucy!

A dark comedy about a lonely lovesick middle-aged woman is not the sort of movie that’s frequently covered here at City on Fire. But I figured with the cast of recognizable names, it would be worth sharing some love for the movie and maybe inspiring someone to check it out. Like the title character, Oh, Lucy! is charming, funny, lovable, and definitely a little fucked up. Highly recommended.

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 9/10

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , |

Mel Gibson to remake Sam Peckinpah’s ‘The Wild Bunch’

Posted on September 24, 2018 by JJ Bona
"Wild Bunch" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Wild Bunch” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Mel Gibson (Blood Father) has been recruited by Warner Bros to direct a remake of Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. Gibson is also co-writing the script with Bryan Bagby (via Deadline). The 1969 western, which has influenced popular filmmakers like John Woo and Quentin Tarantino, is known for its graphic violence and slow motion imagery.

The idea of a Wild Bunch remake/reboot has been lingering for some time. At one point, Warner hired David Ayer (Training Day) to write the script. Tony Scott (True Romance), who was set to direct, wrote about half of the screenplay with Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) before his death in 2012. There was even a moment when Will Smith was in talks to star and produce a modern day reboot.

The original – which starred William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, Warren Oates, Jaime Sanchez and Ben Johnson – involved an aging group of outlaws who look for one last big score as the “traditional” American West is disappearing around them. According to The Wrap, the remake is expected to follow a disgraced D.E.A. agent who assembles a team to go after a Mexican drug lord and his fortune.

Stay tuned for more updates regarding this project. In the meantime, we will next see Gibson in front of the camera in Dragged Across Concrete, The Professor and the Madman, War Pigs – and his next directing gig will be Destroyer, a WWII drama starring Mark Wahlberg (The Big Hit, The Corruptor).

Posted in News |

Maximum Impact (2018) Review

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
Maximum Impact | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony)

Maximum Impact | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony)

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Cast: Alexander Nevsky, Danny Trejo, Tom Arnold, Kelly Hu, Mark Dacascos, William Baldwin, Alphonso McAuley, Matthias Hues, Keith Powers, Bai Ling, Eric Roberts, Brian Kirchoff, Liliya May, Odin Lund Biron
Running Time: 110 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Let me start by saying that I’m a guy who’s all for giving second chances. I mean if I wasn’t, then I’d never have bothered checking out a movie like Wolf Warrior 2, and then I’d never have known it’s possible to stop an RPG mid-flight with just your bare hands and some wire mesh (plus I’d have missed out on a fantastic sequel to a lacklustre original). My point is, whether it be a franchise or an individual, you can never write off the action genre, because the adrenaline rush that audiences are looking for could be just around the corner. After telling myself the above several hundred times, I found myself apprehensively sitting down to watch bodybuilder (cum advocate for Russians being good guys in Hollywood movies) Alexander Nevsky’s latest showcase, Maximum Impact.

How there’s never been an action movie (specifically, a Steven Seagal action movie) called Maximum Impact before I’ll never know, but somehow it took us until 2018 for it to happen. I confess to not being the biggest fan of Nevsky’s last big screen adventure, Showdown in Manila, which I found to be atrocious on every conceivable level. But like I said, second chances, and this time Nevsky has brought on-board director Andrzej Bartkowiak to take the helm. Yes, as in that guy who was responsible for the early 00’s fad of pairing martial artists with R&B or rap stars. He sat in the director’s chair for Jet Li’s first starring role in Hollywood, Romeo Must Die, which paired Li with the late Aaliyah. He temporarily got Steven Seagal back into cinemas again with Exit Wounds, by pairing him with rapper DMX. Then thanks to some dark alchemy, he took Jet Li and DMX and threw them together for Cradle 2 the Grave, which was horrible.

Bartkowiak hasn’t really done anything of note since then, unless you count Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, so I’m sure it didn’t take too much convincing for him to say yes to his latest gig. He’s even worked with some of the cast before, with Mark Dacascos (who directed Nevsky in Showdown in Manila), Kelly Hu, and Tom Arnold all being reunited from their time on Cradle 2 the Grave. Of course, being a Nevsky production, the usual who’s who of “why the hell are you in this movie?” faces are also present and accounted for – Matthias Hues, William Baldwin, Danny Trejo, Eric Roberts, and Bai Ling all turn up with varying amounts of screen time. In fact the only person who stands out as missing is Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa. I guess some other ex-USSR funded movie must have been in production at the same time.

The plot, for what it’s worth (which isn’t much), is explained in some onscreen text that reads “Relations between Russia and the USA are at their worst since the Cold War. In hope of a breakthrough, top diplomats will hold a secret summit in Moscow.” Said diplomat is played by Eric Roberts, however when former German TV star turned international terrorist Mark Dacascos (you read it correctly), decides to kidnap his daughter and hold her for ransom, Russian agent Nevsky will have to do all he can to save the day. Or something like that, I can feel the vein in my forehead starting to pulsate, due to the sheer effort of trying to summarise the series of inconsequential events that take place into a few concise sentences. From the moment the onscreen text appears, set to ear bleedingly bad rap music, I knew things were going to be bad. Just how bad, not even I was prepared for.

We’re actually supposed to believe that Nevsky is a desk agent, who assists his partner in the field, played by fellow Russian Evgeniy Stychkin, to capture the bad guys from behind his computer screen. Sound familiar? That’s because we’re watching a Russian male version of the Melissa McCarthy vehicle Spy, and Nevsky is playing McCarthy (there’s even a similar scene with a scooter). The only difference is this version is minus any laughs and, well, everything else that made Spy kind of enjoyable. In fact the only laugh to be had from Maximum Impact is how it ever got made in the first place, and how Nevsky continues to be able to convince likeable actors to appear in his almost unwatchable ego reels.

The comedy is cringe inducing to sit through. One running joke has people frequently mistake Dacascos for other famous Asian celebrities. Try to stop your sides from splitting as he gets taken for Jet Li, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kato, the Hangover guy, and Harold from Harold and Kumar. It’s terrible. Dacascos himself gives a slightly manic performance that looks like he may be under duress, randomly bursting out moves straight from Dancing With the Stars, and blurting out dialogue in a mix of German and English. His character is revealed to have once been the lead of a successful German TV show, called Shaolin Cop (we even get to see clips from it, which are the highlight of the movie), however how he came to be a criminal mastermind is never explored. To be honest I’m actually ok with that, as it would only have extended the runtime. Perhaps his role here is punishment for Showdown in Manila not turning Nevsky into a megastar.

There’s also a strange undertone of pandering to the current US administration. A paparazzi photographer is given a hard time throughout, at one point being called a “smelly little rat bastard” (an insult worthy of any dubbed old-school kung-fu movie!), and a discussion about the media by government officials refers to them as “maggots and cockroaches”. If Nevsky is gunning for a role in Trump’s office, it wouldn’t surprise me if this is the way he’s trying to do it. The whole script is unbearably vulgar and offensive. Nevsky’s partner Stychkin plays a sex obsessed cop who’s supposed to be funny, but only manages to come across as a creep. If you want to watch a short Russian guy telling Kelly Hu that he’s on his way to boner-ville just from looking at her, Maximum Impact is the movie for you. When not listening to Stychkin’s A-Z of How to Get Embroiled in a #metoo Scandal, we’re subjected to some truly lurid product placement.

It’s explained that Eric Roberts’ daughter was adopted from Russia (of course she was), so she naturally jumps at the opportunity to visit, not least because it’ll provide the chance to meet with her rock star Russian boyfriend. The irony is that the ‘actor’ (I use the term loosely) playing her boyfriend is actually playing himself, as he’s a member of Russian rock outfit Multiverse (expect to see posters of the group frequently). It gets better, the daughter is played by Russian pop star Polina Butorina, the same annoying girl that interrupts a chase scene in Showdown in Manila just to say how much she’s loving the Philippines. Anyway, I digress. In one scene, believing that she’s being tracked by her phone, Multiverse guy throws it into a river, to which Butorina exclaims “But I love my 6!” Cue Multiverse guy presenting her with a freshly wrapped gift, accompanied by the line “You’ll love your 8+ even more.” I punched myself in the face.

Speaking of Kelly Hu, she plays a CIA agent sent as part of Eric Roberts delegation to Moscow, and unlike so many of the other familiar faces peppered throughout, thankfully she’s front and center for most of Maximum Impact. I’ve been a fan of Hu’s ever since she starred alongside Sammo Hung in Martial Law (ok, I admit it, The Scorpion King helped as well), and while her role here is hardly a career highlight, her presence at least makes proceedings slightly more bearable. She’s even given some Seagal-esque treatment when taking part in a boxing match, when she starts making quips against her opponent which have clearly been added in post, because the ADR sounds awful. Unfortunately a lot of her dialogue is solely there to give lip service to Nevsky, with a script that has almost every character somewhere along the way pointing out what a gentleman he is

To be honest, he may very well be a gentleman, but what he’s not is a thespian. Nevsky is the kind of guy who makes someone like Steven Seagal look like they have the range of Robert De Niro, with his acting pushed to the limits in a particularly awkward scene which sees him tickled by a bevy of Russian whores. By the time we’re given a Nevsky vs Dacascos finale, choreographed by a slumming it James Lew, you’ll just be grateful at how mercifully short it is (and that hopefully, after John Wick 3, Dacascos never has to appear in one of these movies again). In a comedy sequence that plays over the end credits in the form of a newsroom interview, Kelly Hu responds to one of the questions asked by the host with “I mean, shit just about sums it up.” I have a feeling she was probably trying to tell us something.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 1/10

Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , |

Tiger Shroff, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, teaming up for a movie?

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Samson Kwok
"Rambo" Theatrical Poster

“Rambo” Theatrical Poster

Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff may get to star alongside Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, in an upcoming film project.

Shroff is a rising star in India who has been cast in the Hindi remake of Rambo. According to the report, Hollywood producer Lawrence Kasanoff (True Lies, Mortal Kombat) has recently flown to Mumbai to hold the final round of discussions about the project with Shroff.

This won’t be the first time for Jackie Chan to share the screen with Bollywood stars. Mallika Sherawat is one of the female leads in The Myth, and more recently, Sonu Sood, Disha Patani and Amyra Destur star in Kung Fu Yoga.

Details about the untitled film are sketchy at the moment, but we will bring you updates as soon as we learn more.

Posted in News |

Batman Ninja Provides Welcome Break From Drama of DC Extended Universe

Posted on September 21, 2018 by JJ Bona
Source: Batman Ninja via Facebook.

Source: Batman Ninja via Facebook.

The future of the DC Extended Universe is filled with uncertainty, and fans of DC should have tempered expectations for their characters on the movie screen in the next few years. The good news for Batman aficionados is that in Batman Ninja they have a thrilling and unique interpretation of the character to tide them over until the live-action movies get their act together. Released earlier in 2018, Batman Ninja sees the superhero transported to the unfamiliar environment of Feudal Japan to deal with some very familiar foes.

The English voice cast brings together staples of the animated world, with Tony Hale (Arrested Development and Veep) adding his comedic pedigree to the role of The Joker. Casual Batman fans may be slightly surprised to see a Batman adventure set in Feudal Japan; most recent cinematic outings of the character have emphasised how the hero has abilities and threats that are feasible in the real world. Other than the otherworldly threats in the DC Extended Universe, Batman has largely found himself in gritty situations that pose questions of morality transferable to our world.

Source: Batman Ninja via Facebook.

Source: Batman Ninja via Facebook.

Yet Batman is, well, Batman. If you could rely on any superhero to be transported to a world of ninja and samurai to pull off a convincing and gripping adventure, then it would be Batman. Iron Fist may have more natural ties to martial arts, but Marvel’s depiction of him in their Netflix show thus far wouldn’t encourage you to rely on him to do anything convincingly. The imagery of ninjas has always appealed to fans of action. The Lego Ninjago Movie brought ninjas to a new audience, while the unique style of ninjas attracts players in the world of gaming. The top-ranked casino bonus of September at Gambling Metropolis comes from Mr Play Casino, whose slot game Ninja Fruits transports players to a distant land in a similar manner to Batman’s experience in Batman Ninja. Legendary video games Street Fighter and Tekken also utilise characters versed in the art of the ninja.

Batman Ninja may well be the best thing that DC are involved in this year. It is fair to say that life has not exactly gone too smoothly for those behind the DC Extended Universe. Criticised for shrouding movies in an overtly dark tone and for trying to do too much too soon to match Marvel, the DC Extended Universe has so far provided more disappointment than excitement. Wonder Woman suggested that DC had found a more suitable tone, while Justice League was flawed but hinted at a more promising future for some of the most famous characters of all time. The last thing DC needed was to lose its actors for the two most iconic superheroes, with Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill rumoured to be hanging up their capes as Batman and Superman respectively.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of the DC Extended Universe will likely take time to subside, so fans of Batman should not hesitate to explore the rich world of his animated adventures. Taking Batman out of Gotham City gives the character a new dynamic and a new set of problems to solve, a refreshing means of escaping from the problems that plague the movies of the DC Extended Universe.

Posted in News |
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