Old school martial arts fans, rejoice! Kino Lorber will be releasing No Retreat, No Surrender on Blu-ray on February 21, 2017.
The upcoming Blu-ray will include the International cut (with extra scenes and alternate music) and the rarely seen “New World” U.S. cut (alternate opening sequence and soundtrack), as well an interview with the film’s lead, Kurt McKenney.
This 1986 cult martial arts classic is noted for being one of the first U.S. productions by Hong Kong action director, Corey Yuen (Yes, Madam), who would later find bigger fame in America choreographing Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) and Kiss of the Dragon (2001).
No Retreat, No Surrender is perhaps best known for giving Jean-Claude Van Damme (The Hard Corps) his first starring role. The film also features an all-star martial arts cast, including Peter Cunningham (Righting Wrongs), Timothy D. Baker (Bloodfist II) and the late Kim Tai-chung (Tower of Death), once again, as “Bruce Lee”.
Blu-ray features include:
85-Minute U.S. Cut
94-Minute International Cut
Interview with Star Kurt McKinney
Audio Commentary by Screenwriter Keith W. Strandberg
Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited Silence – starring Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge), Liam Neeson (Taken) and Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) –opens in theaters on December 23rd.
Silence tells the story of two Christian missionaries (Garfield and Driver) who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Neeson) – at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence forbidden.
The film is based on Shusaku Endo’s 1966 acclaimed novel with a script written by Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York).
Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2014’s Godzilla. In this gritty, realistic sci-fi action epic, Godzilla returns to its roots as one of the world’s most recognized monsters.
Directed by Gareth Edwards (Star Wars: Rogue One) and featuring an all-star international cast, this spectacular adventure pits Godzilla against malevolent creatures that, bolstered by humanity’s scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.
Godzilla stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston.
Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Terra Formars) remains one of the hardest-working filmmakers in the world. Despite his 100+ filmography, which has a share of rough spots, there’s no denying that he, at least for the most part, delivers both quantity and quality to audiences.
In addition, Miike has tackled just about every genre known to cinema (even a musical), and now the mega-prolific director is adding another unexpected turn to his resume: a Chinese wuxia film.
According to AFS, the planned wuxia project (in case you’re not familiar with the term, a wuxia film is Chinese fiction dealing with martial arts, sorcery, and chivalry.) has the preliminary title of The Assassin of the Tang Dynasty. No casting details are available, but given the subject matter (which is curiously similar to 2015’s The Assassin), you can expect a mostly Chinese cast.
We’ll keep you updated on news regarding The Assassin of the Tang Dynasty. In the meantime, Blade of the Immortal, a live-action movie adaptation of Hiroaki Samura’s manga, will be Miike’s next released film.
Director: Luigi Bazzoni Producer: Manolo Bolognini Cast: Franco Nero, Silvia Monti, Rossella Falk, Edmund Purdom, Maurizio Bonuglia, Pamela Tiffin Running Time: 90 min.
By HKFanatic
Barely five minutes into The Fifth Cord and Franco Nero’s character is swigging back a bottle of J&B behind the wheel of an automobile. So I had a feeling this was going to be a good giallo, and for the most part I was right. The Fifth Cord is your standard Italian horror film of the early 70’s, with Nero playing an alcoholic reporter out to solve a murder mystery before everyone in his social circle winds up dead. There’s not much exceptional about the film but for the fact that it was scored by legendary composer Ennio Morricone (The Good, The Bad, The Ugly) and lensed by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, Last Tango in Paris, Dick Tracy).
Indeed, The Fifth Cord is one of the most visually stunning giallos you’ll ever see. While it lacks the inventive POV shots or aerial camera work that Dario Argento frequently brought to the genre, the film is beautifully lit and features some wonderfully fluid camera movement. Although director Luigi Bazzoni never went on to become famous in the horror genre, he at least understood one thing about the giallo: besides the lighting, half the atmosphere of these films is location, location, location. Nearly every shot of The Fifth Cord showcases unique architecture or interior design that helps heighten the paranoid mood of the film, whether it’s the hospital with gray spiral staircases outside its windows; a cement apartment building with dust particles shimmering inside beams of light; or the swank home where a young boy is terrorized by a killer in one of the most harrowing scenes of the film.
Ennio Morricone unleashes a dissonant score with a lot of propulsive drums. The frequent party scenes feature a kind of Morricone-style lounge music. The music is good but it’s used sparingly so overall The Fifth Chord is not one of Morricone’s more memorable ventures. Followers of the composer will still want to give the film a watch since the score displays a lot of variety: from sweet female “la la la’s” to gothic organ music depending on what the scene calls for.
For giallo fans with a hunger for red meat, The Fifth Cord is disappointingly bloodless. There are a handful of murders but nothing up to the standards of onscreen brutality that Dario Argento would set later in the decade. There’s plenty of skin to go around, though: whether it’s Franco Nero romping in bed with his prostitute mistress or a kinky sex party where a bunch of rich elites pay money to watch a young couple get it on. Personally I’d rather have an elaborate murder set-piece than 70’s-style nudity, but the best giallo usually managed to fit both in.
The Fifth Cord is not one of the best but it is very watchable, mostly due to director of photographer Vittorio Storaro and actor Franco Nero (Django, Street Law), who has one of those expressive faces just made for the silver screen. Sadly, this movie falls into the same trap as many other Italian horror films in which the killer just has to be someone on the fringes of 70’s mainstream society, whether it’s a homosexual, transvestite, a cripple, someone deformed, etc. As if there’s no way those kinds of people could lead a normal, well-adjusted life. It’s a bit uncomfortable from a modern perspective, but as a viewer there’s not much you can do about it.
The Fifth Cord DVD is available from the always reliable Blue Underground. If you’re a fan of Franco Nero, Ennio Morricone, or Vittorio Storaro, you could certainly do worse than this film. I’d only recommend that viewers educate themselves with the best the giallo genre has to offer – the seminal works of Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Michele Soavi, etc. – before queuing up The Fifth Cord. Oh, and make sure you’ve got that bottle of J&B ready.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 7/10
On January 3rd, Scorpion Releasing is unleashing a wave of Cirio H. Santiago (Future Hunters) classics on DVD, as part as their “Roger Corman’s Post Nuke Collection” line up. If you’re fan of this cult Filipino filmmaker, you’ve came to the right place; so grab your pork adobo and enjoy the jeepney ride!
Equalizer 2000 (1987)
First up, Equalizer 2000 (aka Apocalypse Warriors). You won’t find Edward Woodward or Denzel Washington in this flick. Those guys were too expensive.
Think of this one as Mad Max meets Kung Fu meets the partial title of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel.
After the end of the world, Earth is a thirsty planet ruled by vicious warlords. One woman is brave enough to fight back; she bands together five warriors to save her town and their precious water…
Dune Warriors stars David Carradine (Kill Bill Vol.1, Vol.2, Circle of Iron), Rick Hill (Deathstalker), Luke Askew (No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers), Jillian McWhirter (Bloodfist VII: Manhunt) and Blake Boyd (Raiders of the Sun).
Wheels of Fire | DVD (Scorpion Releasing)
Wheels of Fire (1985)
Sorry folks, no Richard Norton, David Carradine or Robert Patrick in this one. The only selling point this flick has is the fact that it’s another Road Warrior rip-off.
The Future is now. There are no rules and no place to hide from the deadly Highway Warriors who ravage the roads in machines of destruction.
Wheels of Fire stars Gary Watkins (Johnny Dangerously), Laura Banks (Demon of Paradise), Lynda Wiesmeier (Avenging Angel) and Linda Grovenor (B.J. and the Bear…I remember this… sh*t, I’m old!).
The Sisterhood | DVD (Scorpion Releasing)
The Sisterhood (1988)
What do the leading ladies of Knight Rider, For Your Eyes Only and Robert Patrick have in common? They make up the cast of The Sisterhood (aka Caged Woman), a female Mad Max if you you will.
The year is 2021 AD. Women have been enslaved by a brutal army of men who survived the nuclear holocaust. Their only hope for freedom is in the hands of a nomadic band of fierce she-warriors: The Sisterhood.
The Sisterhood stars Rebecca Holden (Knight Rider), Lynn-Holly Johnson (For Your Eyes Only), Barbara Patrick (yes, it’s his wife) and Chuck Wagner (America 3000).
If you’re interested in these titles, they’re all available for pre-order at Amazon.com. And don’t forget about Stryker, another Cirio H. Santiago flick that’s also being released on January 3rd. Despite not being part of the “Roger Corman’s Post Nuke Collection,” it very well should be! Read about the release here... maraming salamat po!
Mad Max Fury Road, eat your heart out! Kino Lorber presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1983’s Stryker, a Philippine-made, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior rip-off directed by Cirio H. Santiago (Future Hunters), one of Paul Bramhall’s favorite filmmakers.
Stryker is a cult classic that stars Steve Sandor (Bonnie’s Kids), William Ostrander (Christine), Monique St. Pierre (Motel Hell), Mike Lane (Grotesque) and Ken Metcalfe (Stranglehold).
After the last breakdown of technology, this is the post-apocalyptic future. The world is nothing but dirt, gangs and lone “road warriors,” but the most devastating consequence is that water is nowhere to be found.
Special Features:
New HD master
Commentary by filmmaker Jim Wynorski (director of Chopping Mall)
The London Korean Film Festival, now in its tenth year, has been gathering steam. This year sees offerings from the likes of Kim Sung Soo (Asura: The City of Madness), Woo Min Ho (Inside Men) and Hur Jin Ho (The Last Princess).
Alongside these high profile movies, there are also some smaller scale arthouse offerings, which the Glasgow leg will feature. First there is Dong Ju: The Portrait of a Poet, a biopic of the well-regarded poet; Factory Complex, an essay film which won the Silver Lion at the 56th Venice Biennale; and Shifted Horizon, a collection of director Seoungho Cho’s video works.
Look out for City on Fire reviews for these films soon. Until, then, you can read our review for Inside Men: The Original.
As streaming service giant, Netflix, pours most of its money into original programming instead of obtaining film streaming rights, fans of specific cinematic genres and niches have had to look to other streaming services and physical media in order to consume the wide array of classic and current films that they are looking to watch.
Thankfully, a new service, FilmStruck, has finally launched as of November 2016, offering up everything that fans of both physical media and specific niche cinema have been searching for: an end-all-be-all streaming service that offers up a wide selection of classic and current world cinema, as well as specialized programming and supplements that other services like Netflix make no effort to provide.
Put together in part by The Criterion Collection and TCM, FilmStruck offers a wide variety of High Definition films and supplements, whether they be previously available on DVD or Blu-ray from various companies or The Criterion Collection, or new to streaming and previously out of print.
Readers of City on Fire will be happy to know that FilmStruck provides many Asian and genre films that action and world cinema fans crave like candy. For example, fans of Criterion have known for many years now that the company has always been reliable as to releasing classic samurai films in pristine condition.
However, most of those samurai films are now streaming online, ranging from many of Akira Kurosawa’s classics (Sanshiro Sugata, Rashomon, The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, Ran, etc) to nearly every installment of the Zatoichi franchise, including Takeshi Kitano’s own The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi remake. Speaking of Kitano, many of his violent Yakuza films are streaming as well, including Violent Cop, Boiling Point, and Sonatine. That FilmStruck’s library ranges from Kurosawa’s debut Judo film from the 40s to Kitano’s gangster classics from the 90s demonstrates the breadth of its library. And that’s not even including the hundreds of other varied films and genres that are available to stream, such as random Asian horror and Anime titles. Fans of this kind of stuff need to get behind FilmStruck, because it is clearly a service that cares about film and its fans.
If the library wasn’t good enough, film fans can rest assured that the prices for the service are exceptional and a near steal based upon what it offers viewers. You can either pay $6.99 per month for the basic FilmStruck library or $10.99 per month for the entire library including the Criterion Channel, which offers most of these Asian specialty titles. There is also a $99 per year fee for those who need no convincing and want to dive right in. Better yet, you can start off with a free two-week trial.
However, there is currently a downside to the service, one which will improve with time. The service is only available upon all hand held devices, computers, and the Amazon Fire Stick at the time of this writing. Those hoping for a simple app that can be downloaded on any Vizio TV will have to try harder if they want to watch these pristine transfers on their big screen. While the service will be launching on other platforms in the coming months, it’s access is fairly limited right now. Also, the service can only be viewed within the United States. Therefore, cinema buffs from around the world will have to wait until this limitation is lifted, if ever.
For those who are curious about seeing more details on FilmStruck, such as what films it carries in its library or as to what specific devices it streams upon, you can click here. Otherwise, say hello to the new streaming service that you should be giving your money too and looking forward too adding more Asian and world cinema titles to watch online. Happy streaming!
The masked crime-fighting duo, known as The Green Hornet and Kato, are once again heading to the big screen in a new Green Hornet reboot that’s currently in development. Gavin O’Connor, the filmmaker behind the recent Ben Affleck actioner, The Accountant, is set to helm the project.
According to Deadline, O’Connor looks to wipe the slate clean with the hope that a storied, branded IP can get a do-over, as happened with Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films and JJ Abrams’ Star Trek and Star Wars pictures.
The Green Hornet franchise – created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker – originated as a radio show in the 1930s that centered around a newspaper publisher and his Asian valet/martial arts expert. Secretly, the two battled crime as the feared Green Hornet and Kato.
When the heroes made their transition from radio to screen, The Green Hornet, aka Britt Reid, and Kato, were played by Warren Hull/Gordon Jones and Keye Luke in the 1940s; then by Britt Reid and Bruce Lee in 1960s; and finally, by Seth Rogen and Jay Chou in the 2011 film.
It’ll be interesting to see who they cast as the two main leads. Scarlett Johansson as Kato? And who knows, maybe O’Connor’s affiliation with Affleck means his Britt Reid has been found? The possibilities are endless – stay tuned!
Director: Herman Yau Producer: Wong Jing Cast: Anthony Wong, Angel Wong, Vincent Wan, Mariane Chan, Lo Meng, Ng Sui Ting, Peter Ngor Chi Kwan, Shing Fui On, Cindy Yip, Chang Yin, Tsang Yin Running Time: 97 min.
By Martin Sandison
After the success of the sadistic and powerful Bunman: The Untold Story, the director and star team of Herman Yau and Anthony Wong set about making another classic slice of Category III horror, Ebola Syndrome. Those expecting more of the same will be disappointed, as the movie is far more tongue in cheek than it is nasty. Bunman’s Wong is completely psychotic, and delivers one of the greatest performances of its kind; Ebola’s Kai is one of the most disgusting characters ever to grace the screen. Credit must be given to Anthony Wong for both portrayals, as alongside Simon Yam, he was the king of Category III.
The action starts with Kai seducing his bosses wife, being discovered by him, and promptly murdering everyone. He absconds to South Africa where he works for a pittance as a chef in a Chinese restaurant. When Kai and his new restaurant boss take a trip to a tribe to buy a low-price pig, Kai rapes a tribe girl who evidently has some kind of disease. It’s Ebola, and he contracts it. The irony comes in that Kai is one in ten million people who is immune to the disease; but he can give it to anyone through his bodily fluids, and boy does he love to spread them around.
Some horrendous highlights are: Kai penetrating a piece of meat as he listens to his boss having sex in the next room, and cooking it the next day; in a nod to Bunman he murders people who have the virus and makes them into “South African burgers”; he also wipes his nose, post-sneeze, on garments in a clothes shop. The last one doesn’t sound bad, but as the viewer knows that he has Ebola, and no one else in the movie does, the amping up of his disgusting nature makes for cringe-worthy viewing. Ebola, as explained in the movie, is a real virus that causes internal bleeding that’s fatal, and has a very high death rate.
Of special note, the cast includes Lo Meng (Two Champions of Shaolin) as Kai’s boss, in a noteworthy non-martial arts role; divorced completely from the Venom mob Shaw Brothers movies that made him famous. He aquits himself well in a dramatic and comic manner, the latter especially when he’s channelling his chi having energetic sex with his wife. Shing Fui On (Big Silly Head to his fans) has a small cameo, chewing up the scenery as usual. Vincent Wan Yuen Ming (Wild Search, Don’t Give A Damn) has a small part as the Police officer who goes against Kai, and actresses Marianne Chan Miu Ying (Ghost Punting) and Cindy Yip Sin Shi (A Moment of Romance 2) are featured at different stages of the narrative as Kai’s love interests.
The direction is very well-handled by Yau, with some creative shots, Hong Kong-style visuals and a tight running time. One shot stood out for me as brilliant: a POV inside Kai’s mouth as he goes to kiss a girl, with the Ebola rife in there. It’s hilarious and disgusting, as is the movie overall. Without Wong’s maniacal performance, the movie wouldn’t really stand up; he delivers on every level. As the film climaxes, it breaks into that secret world of Hong Kong filmmaking madness that blows the mind – it cannot be described, because it is a massive spoiler – rest assured, this one doesn’t disappoint.
Interestingly, I watched some extended nasty scenes in the deleted footage. It seems strange were cut out, as they are in no way as bad as some of the scenes in the full length Bunman. The aesthetic of Ebola Syndrome is a little tacky and over colourised, and let’s be honest, the idea is a little silly. This doesn’t detract from a rollicking good piece of category III outrageousness.
Hong Kong favorite Jordan Chan (Fox Hunter, Trivisa) is back in Seng Dao’s new crime thriller, Foolish Plan (not to be confused with Jiang Tao’s Foolish Plans, which opened earlier this year). This upcoming movie also stars Lawrence Ng (Keeper of Darkness, Picture of a Nymph) and recording artist, Jiro Wang (My Beautiful Kingdom).
It’s hard to make out exactly what’s going on in the film’s fast-moving trailer, but at a simple glance, Foolish Plan involves a man’s desperate attempt to tie up some life-threatening loose ends that involve a large gambling debt and some deadly gangsters.
Foolish Plan hits Chinese theaters on December 9th. Be sure to catch the film’s gritty new trailer below:
Director: Takashi Miike Cast: Hideaki Ito, Takayuki Yamada, Kane Kosugi, Emi Takei, Shun Oguri, Masaya Kato, Rinko Kikuchi, Tomohisa Yamashita, Eiko Koike, Mariko Shinoda, Rila Fukushima, Kenichi Takito, Rina Ohta, Ken Aoki, Kiyohiko Shibukawa Running time: 108 min.
By Matija Makotoichi Tomic
Fans and those familiar with the work of Takashi Miike might be missing the “old” Miike; whoever enjoyed films such as Dead or Alive, Deadly Outlaw: Rekka, Ichi the Killer or Visitor Q, will probably say this director’s glory days are a thing of the past and talk about them with nostalgia. While his new films can hardly play with the same effect, one can always look forward to the occasional glimpses of greatness that are 13 Assassins or Lesson of the Evil. In his latest directorial effort, Miike delivers a live action adaptation of the hit manga Terra Formars written by Yu Sasuga and illustrated by Kenichi Tachibana, later followed by two OVAs and an animated television series.
Italian premiere of Terra Formars was the first chance I had to watch any movie made by Miike on the big screen, so I feel the need to compliment the dedicated team behind Trieste S+F festival and the fantastic line-up they’ve put together for this year’s edition. As a special surprise prior to the screening, the public gathered in Sala Tripcovich enjoyed a video message from Miike personally, saying he’s sorry he couldn’t be there in person, but wishes all to enjoy his movie. He also added that the reason of his absence was his new movie that he’s curently filming in Spain. Nothing surprising about that, Miike always was a busy director and though his tempo isn’t as frenetic as it was before, he shows no signs of stoping. He’s working on a sequel to his 2014 title The Mole Song and another manga adaptation, Blade of the Immortal, set for 2017. It is his latest project however, 90’s manga based movie JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, that got him filming in Spain. Seems Miike must enjoy working outside Japan. His 2015 drama TheLion Standing in the Wind was partly shot in Kenya, and Terra Formars is said to be the first Japanese film shot on location in Iceland.
Plot of Terra Formars takes us to 2599. Tokyo of the future looks like the dystopian, cyberpunk version of itself and is swarming with people adrift among large video boards and shiny neon lights. Overpopulation has mankind searching for another habitable planet, and as expected, Mars is the solution. In an attempt to make it environmentally suitable for humans, scientists have sent cockroaches to do the terraforming. However, nobody thought they would end up turning into giant humanoid bugs unwilling to share the planet with other species. In order to exterminate the threat, evil, fashion-obsessed emo doctor sends a group of lowlifes to Mars with a special power to mutate their bodies with various bug characteristics. The unsparing fight for the Red Planet begins.
Ex-cop, pair of yakuza, murderer, teenage prostitution ring leader, serial killer/pervert; the crew of Bugs 2 headed for Mars is made of rejects with one thing in common: they could all use the money offered to them for the mission. Most of the actors casted in these roles have previously worked with Miike, most notably Hideaki Ito (Lesson of the Evil, Over Your Dead Body, Sukiyaki Western Django) and Takayuki Yamada (Crows Zero, Crows Zero 2). Perhaps the biggest surprise among familiar names and faces is Kane Kosugi. He is hardly recognizable in the role of God Lee, the only terrorist amid the exterminating crew, dressed as Jack Sparrow would be had he been born an Indian. Unfortunatelly, he is one of the first to fall in battle. All characters except the one of Sakakibara played by Rila Fukushima are manga originated. Their stories, or more precisely, the events that led to them becoming a part of the Bugs 2 crew are shown in a series of flashbacks.
Perhaps mostly in line with Yatterman and Zebraman 2, Terra Formars is another colorful, CGI fueled blockbuster that can offer more in character design and costumes than it does in satisfactory scriptwriting or storytelling. While it’s not a particularly good movie, it still shows Miike in his best, playful, unladen tradition. The movie’s facetious tone should be taken into consideration upon watching; with Terraformars looking the way they do, and being that their blood resembles human semen, who could mistake this one for a serious feature? Silly humor, funny dialogue in english and occasional anime moment blend in with the overall tone well, while dynamic camerawork and soundtrack made mostly out of metal music manage to add a serious touch, only to make the whole thing even more humorous. There’s even a sprinkle of gentle sax music that adds a noir breeze to the movie.
Regardless of whether you like this movie or not, you can be sure Miike had fun making it. Had I seen Terra Formars in the cozy privacy of my home, I probably wouldn’t think much of it. But when seen on the big screen amidst the fan made public, Terra Formars explodes into pure cinematic spectacle that comes close to incredible as the movie reaches its finale. In its intensity and the amount of insane ideas glued together, such as tsunami made of Terraformars, it evokes the work of Nishimura or Iguchi, albeit with far less blood sprinkling. When viewed as such and valued for its fun factor if nothing else, it makes a lot more sense. If you don’t let the lack of character development or similar trivia ruin the fun, you actually might enjoy this movie.
With a cliffhanger ending it is not excluded we’re up for another round of space battle between feisty humanoid bugs and bug-like humans. I don’t know about you, but as long as Miike keeps making movies, I will continue watching whatever he comes up with. I’m pretty sure he still has one or two surprises in store for us.
Pedring Lopez, the Filipino director currently making waves on the festival circuit with the action horror hybrid Nilalang, starring Cesar Montano and former Japanese AV actress Maria Ozawa, is already lining up his next production – an action movie titled Breach, starring Mark Dacascos (Drive).
Dacascos has been very active as of late, with his own directorial debut which was also shot in the Philippines, Showdown in Manila, and a role in the Mike Leeder produced Ultimate Justice. Lopez is aiming high with Breach, and has already shown a knack for action after bringing in Sonny Sison (one of the assassins in the Koichi Sakamoto directed Broken Path) to action direct for Nilalang.
“It’s not going to be kung fu in the traditional sense of the word, but it’s definitely not going to be just your average fighting,” Lopez said. “Dacascos’ character in Breach is an anti-hero, as his brother gets killed by PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), and he has to go home to take care of the family business and bury his brother. So the PDEA are actually going to be the villains of the piece, which is fitting considering the current climate in the Philippines,” he added.
Together with Sonny Sison, who choreographed action for Nilalang, the director wants to add Filipino martial arts in Breach: “Sonny is especially pushing for this [Filipino martial arts]. So we’ll have the Filipino stick fighting, and also the blades. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a Filipino martial arts movie, there’s been nothing, so now is the time.
Lopez also revealed (read the full City on Fire interview) that he’s in talks with another one of the assassins from Broken Path, Dan Southworth (Mortal Kombat: Legacy), to join the cast, along with bringing in various stuntmen who have worked on many Hollywood and international blockbusters. Lopez also confirmed Yoshi Sudarso’s (Power Rangers Dino Charge) involvement.
With Erik Matti (On the Job) also working on his own Eskrima movie, Buy Bust, the Filipino action flick looks to be making a much welcomed resurgence. Set to start shooting in March – April 2017, you can be sure we’ll keep you posted as we hear more about Breach.
For now, enjoy the classic Dacascos trailer for Drive:
AKA: Rain of Sword Director: Su Chao-Bin Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Jeong Wu Seong, Wang Xue Qi, Barbie Hsu, Kelly Lin, Shawn Yue, Nina Pau, Guo Xiao Dong, Matt Wu, Leon Dai, Jiang Yiyan, Hu Xiao Guang Running Time: 117 min.
By Kelly Warner
As a fan of John Woo and star Michelle Yeoh, Reign of Assassins was once a film I couldn’t wait to see. Then, like the rest of America, I was forced to wait. And wait… It’s been six long years since the film was originally released in China but Reign of Assassins has finally received a DVD release in the States. In the time since its original release, John Woo’s been making more period epics in China (that much of his Western fans have yet to see), whereas Yeoh is doing more and more Hollywood productions. It really feels like more than six years have passed. But it’s finally here and we all get to see it.
Reign of Assassins starts with an animated segment that tells the story of a monk named Bodhi. Before his death, Bodhi became a master martial artist. And after his death, his remains have been rumored to grant extraordinary power to any martial artist who possesses them. We enter the story as the Dark Stone, a league of assassins led by the Wheel King (a very raspy Wang Xueqi), attempts to steal Bodhi’s remains from a prominent family. The family is killed, the remains are stolen, and the young female assassin (Kelly Lin) betrays her comrades and runs off with Bodhi’s corpse.
Instead of attempting to achieve ultimate power, Kelly Lin’s assassin ultimately decides to give up the life of martial arts and settle down in a more normal lifestyle. But first, she goes to a doctor and asks for a new face so as to avoid her enemies (the doctor alters her face by sticking insects beneath her skin to gnaw away at her bone structure. We don’t see the torture of the surgery but just the idea is terrifying). After a passage of time, off come the bandages and Kelly Lin becomes Michelle Yeoh (but the voice remains the same. I’m not certain, but I don’t think we actually hear Yeoh utter a word in the movie). Years pass and the woman, now going by the name Zeng Jing, blends into society as a merchant. However, the martial arts world’s search for Bodhi’s remains continues, and she cannot outrun her past forever.
As far as MacGuffins go, the crispy corpse of a badass monk ranks up there as one of the stranger ones I’ve heard of. And I enjoy odd ideas that you don’t see all the time. But the rest of the plot is a little beyond belief, relying on coincidences, body switches, and more than one supposedly dead person coming back to life. It’s like a soap opera with kung fu.
It should be noted that I watched the international version of the film, which is more than 10 minutes shorter than the cut released in China. What was edited and where, I have no idea. It’s my suspicion that many of the cuts came in the first act of the film, which is edited with such frenetic pacing that it’s occasionally difficult to follow.
Though written and directed by Su Chao-Bin (Silk), the film’s promotional material mainly focuses on producer and co-director John Woo (Red Cliff). It’s unclear how much credit Woo deserves as a co-director, though it’s said that he was on set almost daily, spent time in the editing room in post, and was the main director for a sequence featuring his daughter, Angeles Woo (The Crossing). Watching the movie, it’s easy to make comparisons to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as both films feature Michelle Yeoh, wire-fu, and a couple similar plot developments. But it’s clear from the start that Su and Woo have a totally different kind of film in mind, and they never go for the same sort of visual poetry that Ang Lee achieved. Reign of Assassins is a wuxia action movie with a healthy dose of romance thrown in, but it is no art film.
Michelle Yeoh is pretty solid in her first major martial arts-heavy role since Crouching Tiger nearly ten years prior. It’s a bit odd to watch her performance done in a different voice but that’s part of the film’s bizarre charm. Korean actor Jung Woo-sung (The Good, the Bad, the Weird) plays Yeoh’s lover in the more laidback second-act of the assassin’s life. I’ve always liked Jung and thought he did well in a role that was likely a challenge for him, as it required him to speak Mandarin. As the Wheel King, Wang Xueqi (Bodyguards and Assassins) is a bit over-the-top, with a whispery villain’s voice and a hood that obscures much of his face. The Wheel King’s motivations for obtaining the dead monk’s remains are certainly eye-opening, and it makes for one of the film’s more, umm, amusing developments. The rest of the Wheel King’s Dark Stone assassins are likable in their own ways, but they lack much in the way of character development beyond their main fighting style attributes. Still, actors Barbie Hsu (Croczilla), Shawn Yue (Wild City), and Leon Dai (Yi Yi) make good work of their limited screen time.
There are a few cool especially cool moments in the film, like the bank robbery performed via martial arts, and the film’s final fight sequence that successfully mixes drama and action to make for a satisfying finale. However, I still feel the story disappoints.
Reign of Assassins is an entertaining, if unremarkable wuxia action movie that ranks a few notches below some of the genre’s finer efforts from recent years. Whether it was worth the wait is up for you to decide. I certainly would not deter curious viewers from watching the film. Just keep your expectations in check.
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