Legend of the Naga Pearls | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
RELEASE DATE: January 30, 2018
Ready for a heavy dose of fantasy-infused martial arts action? If so, then Yang Lei’s Legend of the Naga Pearls is right up your alley. And even more – Well Go USA is releasing its Blu-ray & DVD on January 30, 2018.
Legend of the Naga Pearls stars Darren Wang (Railroad Tigers), Crystal Zhang (The Founding of an Army), Sheng Guansen (City Monkey), Simon Yam (The Midnight After) and Xing Yu (Call of Heroes).
After being defeated by humans centuries ago, the Winged Tribe has lost their ability to fly. Seeking vengeance, a royal descendant of the tribe has begun searching for the magical Naga Pearls, which he plans to use to destroy the humans. When the legendary pearls fall into – and out of – the hands of Heiyu, a wily human street punk, he must join a team of unlikely heroes as they race to prevent the destruction of their people in this magical fantasy adventure.
On December 1, 2017, North American distributers, Visual Entertainment, will release the DVD for the complete Longstreet series (including TV movie), a semi-obscure ABC TV show that aired in 1971-72.
Longstreet follows the adventures of Mike Longstreet (James Franciscus), a blind insurance investigator who’s on a mission to capture the people responsible for killing both his wife and his ability to see.
For kung fu cinema fans, Longstreet is perhaps best known for showcasing Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon) in 4 episodes: “The Way of the Intercepting Fist”, “Spell Legacy Like Death”, “Wednesday’s Child” and “‘I See’, Said the Blind Man” – all of which will be included in the set.
Bruce Lee historians consider his appearance in the Longstreet series the truest representation of not only his personality, but also his philosophy and art. It’s also one of the very few times we get to hear his actual voice speaking an ample amount of English dialogue.
This will be the first time Longstreet will be officially available in any format in the United States. Until Visual Entertainment’s set goes on sale, the series has only been available through VHS-quality bootlegs.
Reuniting the colorful cast of the much-loved Death Note (2006), Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler (2009) is a manga adaptation which presents the story of a young protagonist rife with debt, doing whatever he can to pay back the money he owes. Kaiji Ito (played by Tatsuya Fujiwara) finds himself in heaps of debt, and then Rinko Endo (Yuko Amami) cons him into boarding a ship to play a game to attempt to dig himself out of the hole he’s in. It doesn’t go so well for Kaiji, and the lead character is held against his will, dragged into a social system where he begins to realize all of the mechanisms that are used by the higher financial powers to keep the working class down. The captured people become the gamblers, coming up against deadly situations in which they risk it all in an attempt to earn their way out and appease the powers that be.
Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler is the classic tale of an average, working-class person being held down by the upper class, struggling financially, and finding a way to emphatically rise up against it. Also starring Ken’ichi Matsuyama, Taro Yamamoto, Teruyuki Kagawa, and Shogen, this movie represents the obstructions that many people feel trying to break out and move up the social class system through the win-it-all theme that has become so entrenched in popular culture.
Chow Yun-fat in Gold of Gamblers. Source: Welovenugg, via Twitter
The all or nothing nature of pop-culture
Gambling has become a staple of pop culture, with so many films, television shows, books, and even music videos depicting the lavish lifestyle of a casino high roller. Just looking at Asian cinema, there are is a multitude of films centered on casino play. One of the biggest films of this genre came in the form of God of Gamblers (1989), which has birthed six sequels and nine spinoffs since its release. One of the most popular in the series is God of Gamblers Returns (1994), which continues its casino theme and high roller lifestyle. After a boom of films in the genre, it all went quiet for a little while, until Tazza: The High Rollers (2006) was released to regain interest in the gambling theme once more; going on to ignite other great films like Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014).
The common storyline running through media of the gambling genre often culminate in an all or nothing, win big or lose everything situation, with the protagonist usually coming out on top thanks to their superior skill or just pure luck. There’s no wonder why these films, especially in Asian cinema, have become so popular as gambling as a whole is so popular in the region. According to The Economist, Macau’s gambling revenues rocketed by 29% a year, on average, between 2008 and 2012 thanks to their new venues – with their revenues exceeding that of Las Vegas, as well as Singapore beating out Atlantic City. In a piece by Betway, the casino article explains “It isn’t just brand familiarity that draws players in” – it is the brand affinity and familiarity that has helped draw punters in, associating a slot machine for example to an iconic figure to Elvis Presley is important. So this boom in gambling revenue isn’t merely down to films and media having a casino theme as people have always seemed to be at least intrigued by the casino experience. Nevertheless, people love films about gamblers and the tales of rising to the top by staking it all.
The genre on the big screen was in fine form during the 1980s and 1990s, with it coming back to life in the late 2000s. But, with the increased interest in real-life casino play, particularly at land-based venues in Asia, the genre could see another uptick in popularity. Macau gaming saw its revenue grow for the 14th straight month at the start of October 2017, per Bloomberg, with 2017’s Golden Week naturally bringing in huge revenue for the casinos. People from all over, particularly the Chinese, flock to Macau – labeled the gaming capital of the world in 2011 – to indulge in some casino action, which may be partially due to the Asian entertainment media having such a fascination with gambling.
Guardian Movie, via Twitter
Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler revealing all
There is a lot of hidden and not so hidden meaning within the film Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler, from the society that Kaiji is thrown into, to the desperate measures required to break out of the unfortunate situation that the protagonist has found themselves in. Starting off with immense debt, Kaiji is firmly placed at the bottom of the class pyramid, with high-risk gambles in the games being the only way to get out. This classic tale of having nothing left bar one last shot with the odds stacked against them is a common theme in entertainment media as it makes for a thrilling watch. With the protagonist often prevailing, there’s no wonder why people – particularly those among the lower or working class of their society – enjoy the thrills of the casino, hoping that their gamble pays off in a big way.
The casino genre has been wildly popular in Asian cinema for decades now. There have been a huge number of fun and exciting movies centered on playing at a casino, or are even more cryptic about the love of gambling that Asian nations possess – as is the case with Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler. There’s no doubt that due to the success of these films in the past as well as the massively increased popularity of casino play at venues in places like Macau, even more great gambling-centric films are to come. They may not all be directly about gaming at a casino, or even at an online casino as would be a common case in modern times, but the story of gambling to be better off will continue to run in movies to entice the many bettors of the world.
With the recent release of the Charlize Theron starring Atomic Blonde, a disproportionate amount of mainstream press coverage has revolved around how refreshing it is to finally see a Hollywood movie with a female action lead. Understandably, many Asian cinema fans have been quick to point out how Hong Kong has delivered more butt kicking female leads than you can shake a stick at, dating back to the beginnings of cinema itself. The same applies to the U.S. B-movie circuit, with the likes of Cynthia Rothrock, all the way up to present day femme fatales such as Amy Johnson and Zoe Bell, anchoring plenty of DTV action movies.
“Atomic-er” blondes: Cynthia Rothrock, Amy Johnson and Zoe Bell.
However lest we forget, the coverages generalised implication that mainstream Hollywood action movies lack female leads is in itself not entirely true. Sure, there’s no female equivalent of Jason Statham, but then again, would we really want to see a female version of a gruff voiced Londoner with a receding hairline? Chances are no, but with a bit of thought it’s easy to realise that you don’t have to. Over the last 25 years there’s been plenty of mainstream Hollywood action flicks that star a feminine force to be reckoned with, and with a disclaimer that we’ve not put a quality filter on this selection, COF has taken the liberty to highlight 15 of them.
The criteria is simple – it has to be a mainstream Hollywood action movie that got a theatrical release, which features a female lead. We’ll be featuring each actress once only, so if they’ve been the lead in more than one action flick, we’ll mention it in the text. So as not to muddy the waters, and also because there’s 100 other sites out there that focus on this element of the genre, we won’t be including any movies that are based on comic-book or video-game characters. Apologies in advance to the likes of Catwoman, Elektra, and the Resident Evil series. So, listed in the order of the year they were released, for those hankering for a big budget female action fix, check out our list below –
“Everly” Theatrical Poster
Everly (2014) – Salma Hayek
You don’t get much more of a stripped down action movie than Salma Hayek holed up in her apartment, defending herself from an onslaught of yakuza assassins sent by her former mob boss.
While Hayek has done action before, most notably when she starred alongside Penelope Cruz in 2006’s Bandidas, for pure visceral impact it’s Everly that takes the cake.
With action sequences choreographed by Akihiro Noguchi, who previously worked on Black Belt and has an extensive history with Alpha Stunts, Hayek was certainly in good hands to deliver the pain.
“Haywire” Theatrical Poster
Haywire (2011) – Gina Carano
Director Steven Soderbergh was so impressed by MMA fighter Gina Carano, that he decided to create a movie just for her. The result was Haywire, a kind of B-movie espionage thriller which just happens to have an A-list cast, and the undeniable physical presence of Carano herself anchoring everything.
Her mid-movie throwdown with Michael Fassbender, in which a whole hotel room gets completely trashed, is still one of the best fights of the last 10 years. Carano has since gone on to headline the DTV effort In the Blood, and has a memorable supporting role in Deadpool.
“Hanna” Theatrical Poster
Hanna (2011) – Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan plays the title character of Hanna, a 16 year old girl with the strength, stamina, and skills to rival Jean Claude Van Damme’s Universal Soldier. But she hasn’t been genetically modified, instead being raised in the wilderness of Finland by her father, in order to become the perfect assassin. That she does, and soon puts her skills to the test in one of the more offbeat action movies of recent years.
Most recently Ronan played the titular Galway Girl in Ed Sheeran’s song of the same name, go figure.
“Salt” Theatrical Poster
Salt (2010) – Angelina Jolie
If Haywire most closely represents the kind of choreographed action that Atomic Blonde strives for, then in terms of plot, it’s Salt that most closely resembles David Leitch’s latest effort.
Angelina Jolie has done action plenty of times before, from playing Tomb Raider Lara Croft twice, to prominent roles in the likes of Wanted, but it’s Salt that gives her the opportunity to shine in a gritty espionage thriller as a framed CIA agent.
Much like many billed Atomic Blonde as the female John Wick, so at the time of its release Salt was widely labelled as the female Jason Bourne.
“Blood: The Last Vampire” Theatrical Poster
Blood: The Last Vampire (2009) – Jeon Ji-hyeon
Kiss of the Dragon director Chris Nahon did the unthinkable when he adapted the 2000 anime Blood: The Last Vampire into a live action movie – he cast an Asian for a character who’s supposed to be Asian.
Korean star Jeon Ji-hyeon acquit herself well, debuting in a Hollywood movie as the lead, and displayed a keen talent for action.
Despite not sticking around in the U.S., Ji-hyeon continued as a force to be reckoned with in her native Korea, most recently as a sharp shooter in 2015’s Assassination.
“Doomsday” Theatrical Poster
Doomsday (2008) – Rhona Mitra
Somewhere between being the Lara Croft model, and throwing down with Scott Adkins in Hard Target 2, Rhona Mitra struck an impressive figure as a stoic warrior in Neil Marshall’s homage to post-apocalyptic movies like Mad Max and Escape from New York.
It may be a B-movie disguised as a blockbuster, but there can be no denying that she owns the screen when she’s on it (which is frequently), in a performance which allows for plenty of blood soaked mayhem.
Mitra got her action licks in again the following year, when she played Sonja in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.
“The Brave One” Theatrical Poster
The Brave One (2007) – Jodie Foster
For those still shaking their head at the recently released trailer for Eli Roth’s Death Wish remake, the remedy could well be argued to come in the form of director Neil Jordan’s The Brave One.
Casting Jodie Foster as a vengeance seeking widow after her husband is killed by thugs (and in a precursor to John Wick, also looking for her missing dog), The Brave One is notable for its protagonist’s unapologetic approach to wiping the bad guys off the face of the planet. Effectively updating the vigilante genre without even knowing it, Foster’s steely performance is a standout.
“Domino” Theatrical Poster
Domino (2005) – Keira Knightley
Hot on the heels of her turns in the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie and Love Actually, Keira Knightley took on a role that was unlike anything she’d done before, or indeed has done since, as the real life model turned bounty hunter Domino Harvey.
Directed by Tony Scott in his trademark frantic and flashy style, Harvey herself was frequently onset to act as a consultant (although she passed away before the movie’s release).
While Domino received largely mixed reviews, Knightley more than holds her own against fellow bounty hunters Mickey Rourke and Edgar Ramirez.
“Aeon Flux” Theatrical Poster
Aeon Flux (2005) – Charlize Theron
Lest we forget that Atomic Blonde is not the first time Charlize Theron has headlined an action movie, when she played the title character in Karyn Kusama’s 2005 adaption of the MTV animated series.
Theron’s Aeon Flux is a skilled assassin set in a future dystopia, and despite the movies flaws, it provides ample opportunity to witness the South African born actress acquaint herself well with her fists and feet. Throw in a healthy dose of gunplay along with some neat sci-fi concepts, and Aeon Flux could well be appreciated more today than it was upon its release over 10 years ago.
“Kill Bill” Theatrical Poster
Kill Bill (2003/4) – Uma Thurman
Undoubtedly Uma Thurman’s most iconic role, the character of Beatrix Kiddo was discussed between her and director Quentin Tarantino as far back as 1994, when they were working together on Pulp Fiction.
Their discussions eventually came to fruition as a 2-part homage to the kung fu, karate, and chanbara movies Tarantino grew up with in the form of Kill Bill, as Thurman plays an assassin that was left for dead by her former boss and team.
Cue plenty of slicing and dicing, complete with Gordon Liu and Sonny Chiba thrown into the mix, and it’s difficult to go wrong.
“Underworld” Theatrical Poster
Underworld (2003) – Kate Beckinsale
When Kate Beckinsale first starred as vampire warrior Selene in 2003’s Underworld, very much a Matrix influenced take on the battle between vampires and werewolves, I’m sure she had no idea that it’d spawn a total of (to date) 4 sequels.
As of 2016’s Blood Wars the Underworld series is still going strong, and Beckinsale has been there to anchor them all, decked out in black leather as if it never went out of fashion.
If anything, the Underworld series proves that a feisty British femme fatale can easily outlast both tax evading vampire hunters and pasty white teenage vampires.
“Charlie’s Angels” Theatrical Poster
Charlie’s Angels (2000) – Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu
While both Charlie’s Angels and its 2003 sequel rely just as much on its trio of leading ladies eye candy factor as they do on such things as plot and characterisation, it was one of the first Hollywood movies in the post-Matrix era to bring in a Hong Kong choreographer for the action.
In this case it came in the form of Yuen clan member Yuen Cheung-Yan, and just as his brother Yuen Woo-Ping did for The Matrix, the result is some competently performed and filmed action scenes. Notably made 2 years before The Bourne Identity would make it ok to shake the camera around like a madman.
“G.I. Jane” Theatrical Poster
G.I. Jane (1997) – Demi Moore
Demi Moore’s leading lady status was already on the rocks in 1997, not least thanks to the previous year’s lamentable Striptease, however G.I. Jane goes a long way to proving how committed she could be to a role.
Playing a senator who enrols herself to the U.S. Navy SEAL program, she undertakes a training regime so punishing that it rivals Gordon Liu’s performance in 36th Chamber of Shaolin (yes, I said it, and she gets her head shaved too!)
While it didn’t revive her career, it does make for a strong female led action flick, recommended for those who like more grit and less flair.
“The Long Kiss Goodnight” Theatrical Poster
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) – Geena Davis
Long before the ‘skilled killer with memory loss’ plot device became a well-worn trope, with the likes of the Bourne movies (and most recently Headshot), in 1996 Geena Davis showed everyone how it was done.
Made at a time when Renny Harlin still knew how to put a decent action movie together, it’s a joy to watch Davis’s small town schoolteacher leap off the top of buildings while unloading a machine gun, and all manner of implausible action antics, as her memory gradually comes back.
With her dyed blonde hair, it could well be said that this is the original Atomic Blonde.
“Point of No Return” Theatrical Poster
Point of No Return (1993) – Bridget Fonda
Luc Besson’s La Femme Nikita has been remade twice in the U.S. Most recently as the Maggie Q starring TV series, but perhaps most well known as the 1993 movie Point of No Return, which cast Bridget Fonda as the violent drug addict cum government trained assassin originally played by Anne Parillaud.
While critics were split over the remake, one point that all agreed on was that Fonda’s performance was a standout, as she shoots and maims her way through a particularly bloody plot. Plus, there’s training sequences, which make it obligatory viewing for most fans of this type of flick.
I’m sure if we stretched even further back in time there’d be plenty more examples of female-centric action flicks, and with the onslaught of Atomic Blonde-alikes that Hollywood appears to be lining up, they’re not going to be in short supply any time soon. But for every one of them that results in an article declaring “Finally Hollywood gives us a female action lead!”, we should remember the ladies mentioned above did it first, and in most cases, did it in style.
Zhang Xiaobei, the writer of An Inaccurate Memoir and Time to Love, is making his directorial debut with a sci-fi actioner that bears resemblance to popular films such as Alien/Aliens, Mad Max, and even features powered exoskeleton suits, as seen in recent productions like Elysium and Edge of Tomorrow.
So what can be expected of the film’s plot – who cares!? With an aforementioned description like that, you’ve probably already made up your mind whether you wanna see it, right? The film stars Song Yang (The Final Master), Qi Xi (Someone to Talk To) and Qu Jingjing (Birth of the Dragon).
Look out for Pathfinder in 2018. Until then, don’t miss the film’s first Trailer (via AFS):
Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 1971’s The Deadly Duo, directed by Chang Cheh (Five Element Ninjas),
It’s the Sung Dynasty versus the Chin invaders as David Chiang (New One-Armed Swordsman) and Ti Lung (The Pirate) truly hit their stride with this crowd-pleasing kung fu epic. When a handsome prince is taken captive and guarded by a martial arts master, it’s up to two powerful patriots to fight overwhelming odds. From the first fascinating minute to the final desperate battle to the death, culminating in an unforgettably evocative conclusion – this duo is dynamic as well as deadly.
The Criterion’s “wacky C” logo was first spotted attached to various Showa era Godzilla titles on Starz’s streaming service. Because fans had received no prior notice of such a major move – and since the art on each title was rather cheap by Criterion standards (worth noting that Criterion often uses temp art for streaming titles that have not yet received a physical release) – the kaiju fandom mixed their excitement with a bit of caution. But now Criterion, speaking with Godzilla-Movies.com, reveals that indeed they and Janus Films have now obtained the rights to the majority of Toho’s Showa Godzilla films. They also add: “We hope to make them available on other platforms in the future.” They do not specify at this time whether this means Criterion’s streaming service with FilmStruck or future physical media releases.
The titles currently streaming on Starz with a Criterion logo are Godzilla Raids Again, Mothra vs Godzilla, Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster, Invasion of Astro Monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, Terror of MechaGodzilla, and the 1954 original Godzilla as well as the Raymond Burr version titled Godzilla: King of the Monsters (both versions of the 1954 film were released by Criterion on DVD & Blu-ray in 2012). In addition to the Godzilla titles, Criterion also now has rights to two other kaiju classics, Rodan and War of the Gargantuas.
Notable Showa era Godzilla movies apparently not included in the Criterion deal are King Kong vs. Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, and Godzilla vs. Gigan. King Kong vs. Godzilla is owned by Universal, who has released the English cut on Blu-ray. The latter three were released on Blu-ray in the States by Kraken Releasing. Fans had long waited to see if Kraken might release more, but they never did. Whether these titles might eventually join the Criterion label remains to be seen.
What’s interesting is who previously held the rights for the Godzilla titles that Criterion got their hands on. The 1954 Godzilla rights have long been held by Classic Media and Criterion licensed the rights for that film from Classic Media for their Blu-ray release (which far outdid the previous Classic Media Blu-ray, it must be said). Classic Media also held the rights and released DVDs for Godzilla Raids Again, Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster, Invasion of Astro Monster, Terror of MechaGodzilla, Rodan, and War of the Gargantuas. (Those DVDs are full of scholarly information for fans and featured both English and Japanese cuts of the films, but could definitely use an upgrade in picture quality.) Classic Media made it clear they were not interested in Blu-ray releases for those films. And since Criterion had seen much success with the 1954 Godzilla, it always seemed like a possibility that they may return to Classic Media for the other Godzilla titles someday.
But the other Showa era Godzilla movies in this deal were previously held by other companies, which signals a strong push on Criterion’s part to put as much of Godzilla under their label as possible. Son of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla were previously released by Sony on DVD (and have long been OOP). Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla vs. Megalon were previously released on DVD & Blu-ray by Media Blasters (if memory serves, these two were apparently released without Toho’s full approval which caused them to then be pulled from shelves, get special features cut, and released again. It was kind of a mess). Who knows whether Criterion’s interest in the once-upon-a-time Sony titles means they might also be interested in other, later Sony Godzilla titles as well (with the exception of The Return of Godzillaand Godzilla vs. Biollante, Sony licenses all the Heisei and Millennium series Godzilla movies). The Media Blasters Godzilla titles also makes one wonder if Criterion might show interest in previous Media Blasters Toho sci-fi like Varan, Dogora, Frankenstein Conquers the World, or The Mysterians (Criterion producer Curtis Tsui once, perhaps jokingly, expressed interest in The Mysterians in a SciFiJapan interview). This is me – a fan – jumping ahead and getting a bit greedy, though.
For now, we wait to hear the details about Criterion’s plans for these newly acquired Godzilla titles. A ‘phantom web page’ on Criterion’s website for filmmaker Motoyoshi Oda would seem to suggest that a DVD/Blu-ray release for Godzilla Raids Again is a distinct possibility in the not-too-distant future (there is also a phantom web page for Megalon and MechaGodzilla director Jun Fukuda, for what it’s worth). But we’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, you can enjoy all the city smashing entertainment by streaming the titles from Starz.
“36 Chambers of Shaolin: The Final Confrontation” Theatrical Poster
AKA: Drunk 8 Blows, Crazy 8 Blows Director: Ulysses Au-Yeung Jun, Lee Yeong Cast: Gordon Liu Chia-Hui, Chin Yuet-Sang, Eagle Han Ying, Wong Yat-Cho, Kwon Il-Soo, Hyeon Kil-Su, Choi Jeong-Il, Chang Mi-Hee, Kim Jeong-Jung, Kim Wuk, Kim Ki-Ju, Park Seong-sik, Kim Il-chung Running Time: 75/84 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Call me a masochist, but nothing beats trying to untangle the mystery of an obscure Korean kung fu movie. I’d like to say I’m not alone, but let’s face it, I am. 36 Chambers of Shaolin: The Final Confrontation is one such mystery. Clocking in at a lean 75 minutes, on the surface it’s the English dubbed version of the Korean kung fu movie Drunk 8 Blows, Crazy 8 Blows. However the original version clocks in at 80 minutes, and then to add a layer of additional confusion, there’s another international title of The Shaolin Drunken Monk, which (according to the Tai Seng DVD) clocks in at 84 minutes. It’s fair to say that The Shaolin Drunken Monk is actually the most popularly known title of the production in question, however the UK Moon Stone distributed DVD that I viewed went under the 36 Chambers title, and indeed is also the title card shown during the opening.
So in any case, 36COS: TFC (as I’ll refer to it here on in) is a legitimate version of the movie, seemingly clocking in 9 minutes shorter than The Shaolin Drunken Monk, which itself clocks in 4 minutes longer than the original. This is why I love these movies. Outside of the identity crisis that many such productions suffer from (through no fault of their own), here Shaw Brothers star Gordon Liu finds himself in one of a trio of Korean movies that he starred in during ’81 and ’82. The others being Raiders of Buddhist Kung Fu, made during the same year, and Fury in Shaolin Temple, made a year later. 36COS: TFC has an ace up its sleeve though compared to its counterparts, in that Liu was accompanied this time by his long-time collaborator and teacher Lau Kar-Leung.
Whenever Liu and Kar-Leung worked together, a certain kind of magic happened, creating many a kung fu classic (usually under the Shaw Brothers studio) that still hold up today. When they worked on productions individually, I’ve always been of the (some have told me controversial) opinion that the spark was often missing. You only need to check Liu’s miscasting in the likes of Godfather from Canton, or Kar-Leung’s left of field directorial debut The Spiritual Boxer, to see proof of this in action. So while Kar-Leung is neither in the director’s chair nor in front of the camera for 36COS: TFC, he is on fight choreography duty, which if you only had the choice to put him in one position, is exactly where you’d want him to be.
Directorial duties fall between popular Taiwanese director Ulysses Au-Yeung Jun, responsible for the likes of Valley of the Double Dragon, and Korean director Lee Yeong, who surprisingly spent most of his career helming melodramas. However any discussion of the director’s influence will quickly go out the window, once whatever it is that constitutes 36COS: TFC has bombarded your eyes and ears for more than a couple of minutes. Incomprehensible editing, mind bending dubbing, and questionable acting are the order of the day, and for those that have seen more than one Korean kung fu movie, then most likely it’s exactly these elements that you’re checking in for. The good news is you’ve come to the right place.
As with many of these productions, any plot description that attempts to make sense of what’s going on will be impossible to match up with what actually takes place onscreen, however for the sake of coherency, I think it goes something like this. When Gordon Liu’s character was still a child, Eagle Han Ying and his power craving cronies kill his parents, who are masters of a kung fu school. The child is captured; however Han Ying’s innocent daughter takes pity on the boy, and they become friends. Skip forward a number of years (doesn’t matter how long, just know it’s long enough for Gordon Liu to become Gordon Liu), and Liu kidnaps the now grown up daughter (played by Chang Mi-hee), in an attempt to lure out Han Ying so he can take his revenge. For added drama, Mi-hee eventually recognizes who her captor is, and the two become involved romantically (Stockholm syndrome anyone?), complicating Liu’s need to kill her father and complete his vengeance.
If the above sounds remarkably straight forward, then don’t panic, there’s more! The boy manages to escape Han Ying, and ends up under the tutelage of a drunken master (played by Hyeon Kil-Su, the earring adorned villain of Magnificent Wonderman from Shaolin). Most bizarre though, is a parallel plot that involves another of Han Ying’s enemies, a One Armed Boxer clone played by one-hit wonder Wong Yat Cho. Quite what the relationship is between Yat Cho and Liu is never explained, however Liu seems pretty upset when Han Ying is stomping his head into the ground during the finale, so my guess is in the original version they know each other. Yat Cho’s disability may be inspired by Jimmy Wang Yu, but it’s also apparent that he visited the same barber Casanova Wong was frequenting in the early 80’s.
His one armed fist thankfully packs a mighty punch, frequently sending anyone that looks at him the wrong way several feet through the air. Speaking of barbers, Liu’s hair length has a tendency to change from scene to scene. In some it looks like he’s just come back from a session with a Gillette Mach 3, looking very much the “bald headed bastard” that he’s frequently referred to as, and in others, he’s well on his way to having a full head of hair. One inexplicable decision in 36COS: TFC, is that whole sections of Fury in Shaolin Temple, made a year later, have been inserted into the runtime. From shots of Liu busting out the moves under a waterfall that the titles play over, to scenes of him training in the temple kitchen. The temple sequences are particularly out of place, as it completely contradicts his solitary training with Kil-Su. Suddenly he’s making a huge vat of rice, and washing countless bowls, but for who!?
Thankfully the action in 36COS: TFC more than compensates (or should that be compliments?) for the ridiculousness of everything else. Stripped of the usual martial arts philosophy or comedic themes that Lau Kar-Leung imbued his most famous works with, here he’s given a chance to choreograph Liu as a blood seeking vengeance seeker, and it makes for a welcome change. As expected, the choreography is joyously sharp and crisp, incorporating one-on-ones as well as one-versus-many scenarios. The fact that Kar-Leung is also working with a cast of Korean boot masters, and of course the prerequisite drunken boxing that’s eventually utilised to see off Han Ying, ensures that the fight action remains of a high level throughout.
The other significant plus that 36COS: TFC has going for it is the promise of a Gordon Liu versus Eagle Han Ying finale, and it’s a promise that is delivered upon for the most part. Han Ying usually looks razor sharp even in the most low budget productions, so to see him let loose under the guidance of Kar-Leung is at least worth the price of admission. While he isn’t in action for most of the movie (the majority of his screen-time has him sat down unleashing a barrage of curses), whenever he does decide to unleash, it’s worth the wait. At one point he delivers a painful looking flying bicycle kick, and his fighting style involves a series of mantis like joint locks, that he does a convincing job of conveying as being difficult to shake off.
While Liu’s ultimate deferral to the feminine style of drunken boxing to defeat Han Ying comes off as a little too derivative of Jackie Chan’s similar routine from Drunken Master, 3 years earlier, it’s still a worthy confrontation. Combine the plentiful fight action with the dubious dubbing and eclectic editing (my favorite of which has a scene randomly start with Liu jumping down from a temple roof, with no context or reason whatsoever), and you’re left with an admittedly brief but satisfying slice of old school kung fu goodness. The best conditions to watch 36COS: TFC can be summarised by a line from the drunken master himself – “Eat, drink, and be merry…as merry as hell.”
Back in September, rumors were running wild that Jet Li (League of Gods), Donnie Yen (Kung Fu Jungle) and Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior II) would be getting together for a project. It looks like those rumors were true, plus more (plus less)…
The project is a short film titled GSD, or Gong Shou Dao, which is derived from and influenced by Taiji, kung fu, and martial arts. The meaning represented in Chinese characters roughly translate into “martial art” that is based on “guard and defense” (via JL.com)
GSD stars Chinese billionaire/Tai Chi practitioner/founder of Alibaba Group, Jack Ma, Jet Li (also acting as the film’s producer), Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, Wu Jing, Tony Jaa, Yuen Woo-Ping, Ching Siu Tung, Jacky Heung, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, boxer Zou Shiming and wrestler Asashoryu Akinori.
Gavin Lim, director of the acclaimed-short film Subtitle, is getting ready to unleash his full feature debut with Diamond Dogs, a martial arts thriller starring Headshot star, Sunny Pang.
A stage three cancer diagnosis leaves deaf and mute Johnny with little to lose when he is lured into a deadly underground social experiment. Funded by the uber rich, it pits fighters against one another in a test of animalistic aggression and adrenaline. Johnny’s fight to the top is brutal, fueled by the sole desire to exact revenge on the man who caged him in (via FCS).
Diamond Dogs will be making its debut at the Singapore International Film Festival later this month. Until then, check out the film’s Trailer below, which is reminiscent of Jet Li’s Unleashed/Danny the Dog:
Director: Jang Hoon Cast: Song Kang-Ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yu Hae-Jin, Ryoo Joon-Yeol, Park Hyuk-Kwon, Choi Gwi-Hwa, Um Tae-Goo, Jeon Hye-Jin, Ko Chang-Seok, Kim Na-In Running Time: 137 min.
By Paul Bramhall
An interesting element of Korean cinema has always been how much the film industries output reflects the political climate of the time. When the nationalistic Park Geun-hye was elected in 2013, a slew of patriotic themed movies filled the theaters, from the saccharine laced Ode to My Father, to the bombastic The Admiral: Roaring Currents. However by the time she was caught up in a number of controversies, from the handling of the Sewol ferry disaster, to sharing government documents with the daughter of a cult leader, so too the film industry changed its tone to reflect a lack of trust for those in authority. Instead of rousing patriotism, movies like Veteran and Inside Men painted an ugly picture of those in power, and Korean audiences lapped them up.
The controversy Geun-hye got caught up in led to her eventual impeachment in early 2017, which resulted in Moon Jae-in being elected as president. A former student activist and human rights lawyer, Jae-in has seen a Korea which is more self-reflective, and the latest Song Kang-ho vehicle (no pun intended), simply titled A Taxi Driver, is arguably a result of current attitudes. The movie takes place over a couple of days during The Gwangju Massacre (May 18th – 27th 1980), one of the most traumatic events in modern Korean history, and the turning point for the countries eventual return to democracy in the late 80’s.
Before getting into the movie itself, it’s important to give some context in regards to what led to those fateful days. Park Chung-hee (the father of Park Geun-hye) had led Korea as an authoritarian dictatorship since 1963, torturing his opponents and restricting civil liberties. When he was assassinated in 1979, many hoped for a return for democracy, but instead a general by the name of Chun Doo-hwan executed a military coup and seized power himself. Citing fears of North Korea infiltrating the South, Doo-hwan imposed martial law, shutting down universities and any political activity, which included dispatching troops to various cities to enforce curfews and alike. In short, one dictatorship was exchanged for another. In May 1980, a group of pro-democracy students in Gwangju took to the streets to protest the military rule, which led to dire consequences.
Doo-hwan ordered his troops to deal with the protestors using any force necessary, which saw many of them clubbed to death in the street. Outraged by the senseless violence being witnessed, within 2 days a protest of 200 people had become more than 10,000. Gwangju went into lockdown, with the military sealing off anyone coming or going from the city. The news stated that a group of communist sympathisers and gangsters had been causing trouble, which the military were controlling with minimum casualties, while in reality hundreds of pro-democracy protestors were violently murdered. It’s one of the darkest events in recent times, and perhaps not the most likely setting for a mainstream blockbuster, however it’s certainly not the first time for it to be featured on film, with the likes of May 18 and Peppermint Candy also using the traumatic days as a backdrop.
One of the most interesting stories to come out of the Gwangju Massacre, is that of a German journalist stationed in Japan, Jurgen Hinzpeter, who after hearing of the impending strife, smelt a scoop and flew to Korea a few days before the massacre began. Posing as a missionary to enter the country (foreign reporters weren’t allowed in at the time), Hinzpeter convinced a Seoul taxi driver by the name of Kim Sa-bok to take him to Gwangju, with the intention of filming an interview with the protestors. As it turned out, he’d become one of the key people to report the truth behind the Gwangju Massacre, with the footage he took revealing the true nature of how the military were senselessly killing civilians. A Taxi Driver is based on the story of Hinzeter and Sa-bok, using their very real story as a framework to construct a very mainstream blockbuster.
A Taxi Driver is the 4th movie from Kim Ki-duk’s former assistant director Jang Hoon. After making his directorial debut with 2008’s excellent Rough Cut, Hoon would go on to work with Song Kang-ho for his sophomore feature Secret Reunion, in 2010. Here reuniting after 7 years, Kang-ho makes the perfect anchor for what’s easily Hoon’s most commercial production to date. As a down-on-his-luck taxi driver, Kang-ho’s character ticks all the boxes – a wife who died from an unnamed illness, a single father to an 11 year old daughter, behind on his rent, and a landlady who looks down on him due to his profession and financial instability. Basically, he’s the archetypal Korean everyman that’s become so popular over the years, but thankfully with an actor as talented as Kang-ho in the role, as an audience we’re fully invested in his predicaments.
While grabbing lunch in a taxi driver’s eatery, he overhears another driver say their next booking is to take a foreigner to Gwangju for a hefty sum, a sum which would be ideal to clear his rent backlog. Seizing a moment of opportunity, Kang-ho grabs the fare instead, and so an awkward relationship begins between him and his stern faced passenger, played by Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong, Wanted). Having an English speaking actor in any Asian production is a daunting prospect, as all too often the exchanges can seem stilted, an example perfectly showcased by Han Suk-kyu and John Keogh in The Berlin File. Even Liam Neeson didn’t come away completely untarnished from Operation Chromite, despite having minimum interaction with the Korean cast. Thankfully no such issues exist in A Taxi Driver, and the language barrier that Kang-ho and Kretschmann experience feels perfectly organic, with the pair sharing a natural chemistry with each other.
Despite knowing the traumatic events that Kang-ho and Kretschmann are literally heading towards, Joon deserves credit for still eliciting laughs from their journey to Gwangju, thanks in no small part to Eom Yoo-na’s nuanced script, as the pair try to figure each other out. The fact that both are headed there for self-gratifying reasons also puts an interesting slant on things, with Kang-ho simply wanting the fare so that he can get going back to Seoul, and Kretschmann looking for the all-important scoop. Needless to say, A Taxi Driver sets itself up to cover a broad amount of territory, both in terms of the journey itself, and the tones invoked. Mainstream Korean cinema has a tendency to pour on the melodrama, even in movies billed as comedies (just check out the recent I Can Speak), and with subject matter such as that which is being covered here, gunning for the tear ducts is a given.
However Joon successfully keeps a steady balance throughout, with the expected tonal shifts flowing into one another rather than jarring against each other. The beginning of the massacre itself is handled particularly well, seen through the eyes of Kretschmann, Kang-ho, and a young activist played by Ryu Jun-yeol, the horrors inflicted are played straight and unflinching, making it a harrowing sight to witness. With a 135 minute run time though, towards the end proceedings do begin to feel slightly bloated. A scene which was likely included to make the movie appeal to as wider audience as possible, that features a completely unrealistic car chase between the taxi drivers (led by the always reliable Yoo Hae-jin, fresh from starring in Confidential Assignment) and the military, could arguably have been removed all together.
This is a minor gripe though, and despite its commercial nature, Joon does a remarkably effective job of capturing the essence of how ordinary lives get caught up in historically tragic moments. It’s as refreshing to see a Korean production that doesn’t rely on the Japanese as its villains, as it is to see one that doesn’t shy away from portraying the atrocities that it inflicted upon itself. Setting a movie such as this against the Gwangju Massacre could potentially be construed as insensitive, however Joon provides us with a tale that both respects the truth, while also delivering an engaging character drama through Kang-ho and Kretschmann’s relationship. Like most taxi rides, it may not be perfect, but all in all A Taxi Driver is one fare that’s worth coughing up for. A tip is optional.
CJ Entertainment, South Korea’s leading entertainment conglomerate, announced today that the company will produce a feature film adaption of best-selling French nonfiction book The Vanished for the U.S. market.
The Vanished deal comes on the heels of CJ Entertainment revealing its plan last month to produce and release a minimum of 20 local films overseas in more than 10 languages annually by 2020. The deal also marks the second French novel adaption for CJ Entertainment in the US, following the 2013 hit film Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon Ho and starring Chris Evans, Song Kang Ho, Octavia Spencer, Ed Harris, and Tilda Swinton, which CJ adapted from the French graphic novel titled Le Transperceneige.
Written by Léna Mauger and Stéphane Remael, The Vanished tells the powerful true story of the disappearance of people in Japan. Every year, nearly one hundred thousand Japanese vanish without a trace. Known as the johatsu, or the “evaporated,” they are often driven by shame and hopelessness, leaving behind lost jobs, disappointed families and mounting debts.
In The Vanished, the authors uncover the human faces behind the phenomenon, including those who left, those who stayed behind and those who help orchestrate the disappearances. The quest to learn the stories of the johatsu weaves its way through: A Tokyo neighborhood so notorious for its petty criminal activities that it was literally erased from the maps; Reprogramming camps for subpar bureaucrats and businessmen to become “better” employees; the “suicide” cliffs of Tojinbo, patrolled by a man fighting to save the desperate; and desolate Fukushima in the aftermath of the tsunami.
Cityonfire.com received the above press release from CJ Entertainment.
On November 10, 2017, CJ Entertainment will be releasing Heart Blackened to theaters. The film is a South Korean thriller directed by Jung Ji-Woo (Fourth Place).
A man (Choi Min-Sik of Oldboy and Admiral: Roaring Currents) who has everything risks it all in order to protect his daughter, who becomes a suspect in his fiancée’s murder.
Heart Blackened also stars Park Shin-Hye (The Beauty Inside), Ryoo Joon-Yeol (A Taxi Driver) and Lee Honey (Fabricated City).
The film is a remake of Fei Xing’s 2013 Chinese film, Silent Witness. For more about the current trend of Asian remakes of Asian remakes, don’t miss our recent feature: Made and (& Remade) in Asia.
“Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws” Korean Theatrical Poster
AKA: Yong-ho’s Cousins Director: Lee Hyeok-Su Cast: Charles Han Yong-Cheol, Hwang Jang-Lee, Nam Chung-Yat, Park Ae-Kyung, Han Kyung Running Time: 95 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws is about as perfect an example of Godfrey Ho tampering that you’re likely to come across. A 1981 Korean production titled Yong-ho’s Cousins, directed by Lee Hyeok-su, it became one of the many Korean kung fu flicks that were picked up by Ho and Tomas Tang for overseas distribution through their Asso Asia company. At best, under Ho and Tang these movies would be given an English title, an English dub, and a new set of opening credits citing Ho (or one of his many aliases) as the director. At worse, they’d be given all of the above, and then also be re-edited into completely different plots than the original movie, or even have newly shot ninja footage inserted into the runtime to be passed off as a completely new movie.
In this case, Ho’s meddling has it sat somewhere in the middle. While there’s no new ninja footage randomly inserted, the original version Yong-ho’s Cousin’s has been completely chopped up and dubbed to resemble a very different beast than it started out as. The original involved a pair of Korean independence fighters that steal a horde of Japanese gold. When the pair meet an untimely end, half of a map which shows where the gold is buried ends up in the hands of one of the fighter’s sisters, while the other ends up in the possession of Hwang Jang Lee. Step in Han Yong-cheol, who also plays an independence fighter looking for his fallen comrade’s sister, and who ultimately gets embroiled in the search for the gold. Then you have Ho’s version, which strips the plot down to make Hwang a mischievous card sharp who’s after the gold, and ends up partnered with Yong-cheol to find it. That’s pretty much it.
It isn’t the first time one of Hyeok-su’s movies has been bastardized by Ho’s confusion inducing editing, with another production featuring Hwang Jang Lee from the same year, Chunyong-ran, being given the same treatment and released under the title of Hard Bastard. What’s most interesting about Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws though, at least in terms of its western marketing (which is exactly the audience it was edited for), is its heavy leaning on the presence of Hwang. In fact, the Silver Fox himself is not the main star of the piece, but rather he plays a supporting role to Han Yeong-cheol (who takes center stage on the original poster). Yong-cheol was the leading action star when it came to Korean kung fu flicks in the 70’s, and even over 40 years since he first appeared onscreen in 1974’s Manchurian Tiger, it’s easy to see why. Six foot tall, handsome, and with a confident swagger, even dubbed into English his screen presence and charisma still shines through.
In many ways, the pairing of Yong-cheol alongside Hwang in Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws can be seen as a handing over of the torch from one kicking legend to the other. By 1981 Hwang had already become a seemingly permanent fixture in Hong Kong movies as an indestructible villain, with enough classics to his name that they run into double figures. For Yong-cheol on the other hand, this would be the last movie he appeared in, and unlike his Korean contemporaries such as Casanova Wong and Kwan Yung-moon, he never felt the urge to hop over to Hong Kong and apply his formidable kicks there. Just 7 years earlier, Yong-cheol played the lead in one of his best movies, Returned Single-Legged Man, horrendously chopped up and released in the U.S. as The Korean Connection. While Yong-cheol played the title character, here Hwang was a nameless lackey, so for him to rise to co-star status by the time of Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws is to be admired.
Interestingly Hyeok-su, who would continue making action movies all the way up to his final picture with 2002’s Quick Man, cast Hwang in similar roles both in Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws and Hard Bastard. Playing distinctly against type compared to the unstoppable villain roles he’d become accustomed to playing overseas, in both productions he plays comically inclined swindler type characters, who tend to run away from confrontation just as much as they’re likely to get involved in it. Fans of the king of leg-fighters may be thrown off by such portrayals, and indeed 1981 itself is a unique year in the boot masters filmography. Apart from his comedic turns in Hyeok-su’s productions, he’d spend part of the year minus his trademark beard (including here), and also make his directorial debut with Hitman in the Hand of Buddha.
One thing that can’t be denied though, is the entertainment value derived from watching Yong-cheol and Hwang strut around in their fantastically 70’s style wardrobe, despite it already being 1981. Bell bottom pants, oversized collar disco shirts, and blazers that look 2 sizes too big are the order of the day, and the visual appeal of throwing flying kicks in such attire can likely be appreciated more now than it could at the time of its release. While Yong-cheol had made his fair share of contemporary set movies, including Strike of the Thunderkick Tiger from the same year, Hwang on the other hand had mostly been cast in period pieces, and very rarely got to let loose in a modern day surrounding. This would change as the decade progressed, with appearances in the likes of Bruce Strikes Back and Where’s Officer Tuba?, but by then the bell bottoms were out, and 80’s style nylon tracksuits just didn’t have the same appeal.
Hyeok-su had spent most of the 70’s directing Korean kung fu movies, working with the likes of Casanova Wong, Dragon Lee, and Eagle Han, and sure enough for fans of the genre there are plenty of familiar faces to enjoy in Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws. From Kwon Il-soo as a black leather blazer wearing assassin, to Kim Ki-ju as a cane wielding villain. The main villain of the piece though comes in the form of Nam Chung-il, who never once takes his sunglasses off, even when he’s in the middle of throwing down. The finale, which appears to take place in a gravel pit, has Yong-cheol taking on Ki-ju, before both Hwang and Chung-il show up, which sees it segue into a two versus one showdown against the latter. I admit that even for me it was strange to see Hwang paired up with another hero to take out the bad guy, as so many of the movies he appeared in involve 2 or more protagonists needing to team up to take out his usual villain character.
However it should come as no spoiler to say that, true to form, events culminate in the righteous Yong-cheol having to throw down against a backstabbing Hwang. To see two legends of the Korean kung-fu movie face off against each other is one of the main reasons to watch Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws, and it should come as no surprise to say that the confrontation is suitably scrappy and raw. Those looking for Hong Kong style choreography have definitely come to the wrong place, but both sides definitely get their licks in and show off some brutal kicks. Like always, Hwang dominates the fight, the viciousness of his kicks unable to be tamed even for the screen, with Yong-cheol spending most of it on the defence, until the two of them are sent tumbling down a mountain of gravel while still going at each other. As expected, ultimately Yong-cheol makes a comeback, but there’s certainly no doubt left at the end of it as to how Hwang gained his formidable reputation.
Ultimately Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws is an entertaining snapshot of early 80’s Korean action. The suits are sharp and action is raw, even if not as frequent as some may like. However much like Hong Kong’s Chow Yun Fat, Han Yong-cheol has a level of charisma that allows him to carry a movie by himself, so when you throw in Hwang Jang Lee, things are never going to be that bad. While it lacks the goofier elements that made me so endeared to Korean kung fu flicks – there’s no bizarre instances of wirework or outlandishly whacky characters – for those that like their action served poker faced, shortly before being kicked in it, there’s plenty to enjoy here.
Veteran Hong Kong director/writer Jeff Lau (Treasure Hunt) is currently putting finishing touches on Assassins and the Missing Gold (aka Heavyweight Assassin), a martial arts film starring Max Zhang (SPL 2), Ada Choi (Fist of Legend), Andy On (Outcast) and Hung Yan Yan (Double Team), who is also handling the film’s action choreography.
Assassins and the Missing Gold is about a group of assassins attempting to track down a stash of hidden gold, according to SD.
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With the recent release of the Charlize Theron starring 
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