Steven Seagal to bring back Nico from ‘Above the Law’?

"Above the Law" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Above the Law" Japanese Theatrical Poster

The man, the myth, the mystique that is Steven Seagal started with 1988’s Above the Law, his gritty debut feature by director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive). The film put Seagal on the map in the late 80s/early 90s and from that point on, his movies would get bigger, louder and more successful for the next 4 years or so.

Just recently, the Exit Wounds star “officially” tweeted the idea of bringing back Nico Tuscani (his character from Above the Law). Of course, this tweet most likely means nothing, but we couldn’t help to make a post about it. With the resurgence of titles such as Samurai Cop 2Kickboxer: Vengeance and xXx 3, anything is possible, right? Just don’t be expecting Davis to return to the director’s chair – expect someone like Keoni Waxman (Force of Execution), Seagal’s frequent filmmaker of choice of recent times.

If it doesn’t happen, fans still have a mountain full of pending Seagal films to look forward to that include AttritionChina SalesmanContract to KillCypher, Gunfighter, End of a GunDeadly Arsenal and Four Towers. His latest completed films include Code of Honor, The Asian Connection and Perfect Weapon.

If an Above the Law sequel materializes, you’ll definitely hear from us.

Updates: Well, it looks like there might be a grain of truth to the news we reported a week ago. Woodie Mister, partner of Seagal, states that he and the Aikido star are officially developing an Above the Law sequel (via Woody’s Twitter/FCS). Of course, nothing is 100% certain until production begins, but we have our fingers crossed.

Posted in News |

Exclusive: Interview with the visionary Nobuhiko Obayashi

Nobuhiko Obayashi

Nobuhiko Obayashi’s film House is rightfully regarded as one of the craziest and most singular films ever made, and I would say no other movie comes close to its beyond-surreal vision. Obayashi’s debut, made in 1977, would kickstart a career of eccentric, hilarious and visually wild films.

Obayashi was present at the Udine Far East Film Festival where they screened four of his films: House, Exchange Students, School in the Crosshairs and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. I managed to secure a short, one-on-one interview with him, which was a joy from start to finish. Enjoy!


"House" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“House” Japanese Theatrical Poster

MARTIN SANDISON: You began your career in commercials and directed hundreds of them. So how did you begin your career in the film Industry?

NOBUHIKO OBAYASHI: My initial career in cinema began when I was three years old, with the tools that I found in my house. I studied how to make films myself. When I was a teenager I started to make some short films, in 8 or 16mm. So I became famous as a film artist. At that time In the United States, the underground movement happened. I became very friendly with the underground filmmakers. And then at that time in Japan, commercials were a way to start, and a producer came to me and asked me to make some TV commercials.

MS: To move on to your first film, House, the visual style you created is so interesting, and it is your signature movie. What inspired you to come up with this style?

Obayashi and Tomoyo Harada on the set of "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time"

Obayashi and Tomoyo Harada on the set of “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”

NO: I have to say that House was the first work done by an Indie director, but doing a major film. So I thought that my work with House should be done the way other major films weren’t being done. Major films, as you know, want to have success, have a hit film. I personally have a vision, and I watched a lot of films from the beginning of cinema, even from Tomas Edison. Every critic said after seeing House that it was not a real film. Now, I think actually it was a very classical film. For this reason, for the title, I put The Movie: House! (laughter)

MS: Could you talk a little about the editing style of House? Because when I saw it I thought, “Wow! It’s so unusual!” I’ve never seen anything like this.

NO: For me, it was so natural, not unusual.

 

MS: Okay. Could you talk about the music in your films? You studied music. How important is it to the effect of your films; and who are your musical influences?

Eriko Tanaka, Ai Matsubara, Miki Jinbo, Kimiko Ikegami, Kumiko Ohba, Masayo Miyako and Mieko Sato of "House"

Eriko Tanaka, Ai Matsubara, Miki Jinbo, Kimiko Ikegami, Kumiko Ohba, Masayo Miyako and Mieko Sato of “House”

NO: Both music and film are the arts of time. The seven actresses of House were all unprofessional. So it was difficult to let them know how to play with words. So in that case I created the music before making the film. And during the film I played the music all the time so they could get involved. So listening to the music from major to minor, the girls in the film would act happy when it was major and sad when it was minor. To edit the scenes using the music was more effective than using only the words.

MS: It has been some time since you made a horror film, would you make another one?

NO: I don’t like zombie horror films. I don’t like the fast paced music in them. Film should be beautiful.

MS: Do you like contemporary Japanese cinema?

NO: Yes. I find it very interesting. I find the films made by young Japanese directors very interesting, like the films in this festival. They reflect real Japanese society. The history of film is only 120 years, so it is possible to see all the films created, and I would like to say to the young producers to see all of them. With their talent after studying the history of film they would be able to create more and more interesting films. Without knowing the music of Beethoven for example, musicians would not be able to create rock music.

Martin Sandison and Nobuhiko Obayashi hanging out at the Udine Far East Film Festival.

MS: Which are your favourite Japanese directors?

NO: All of them! Especially Ozu. He remains mysterious.

MS: Do you have a favourite Ozu film?

 

NO: Late Spring.

MS: Yes, I know it. To talk about your influences again, are you influenced by the early surrealist films, like the films of Luis Bunuel?

NO: Yes I like those films, but the most surrealistic director is Ozu.

MS: Interesting! Do you have a project you are working on now?

NO: Yes, I have a project to start in the autumn.

 

Nobuhiko Obayashi on the set of "House" with a young actress.

Nobuhiko Obayashi on the set of “House” with a young actress.

MS: And could you tell me about the project, or is it secret? (laughter)

NO: Nothing secret! But I don’t know what it will be! (laughter)

NO: It’s not interesting to do something I have done before. It is not me who creates the film, but the film creates me.

MS: Arigatou!

NO: Thanks very much! (in English)

Thanks again to Martin Sandison, Nobuhiko Obayashi and the great staff at the Udine Far East Film Festival. Vintage set photos courtesy of Ob’s House.

Posted in Interviews, News |

Phone, The (2015) Revew

"The Phone" Korean Theatrical Poster

“The Phone” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Bong-Joo
Cast: Son Hyun-Joo, Uhm Ji-Won, Bae Sung-Woo, Hwang Bo-Ra, Roh Jeong-Eui, Jang In-Sub, Jo Dal-Hwan, Lee Sheol-Min, Park Ji-So, Hwang Suk-Jung
Running Time: 114 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The Phone joins the ranks of that great Korean tradition – the movie which contains something about a phone in its title. Alongside the 2002 horror movie, which went for the simplistic Phone, and the 2009 thriller, which decided to shake things up with the title Hand Phone, first time director Kim Bong-joo differentiates his own production with the inclusion of a The prefix. It’s as good a differentiator as any, and will surely raise the bar for the next movie which comes along which requires a Phone in the title. Bong-joo is certainly not a newcomer to the Korean film industry, having worked as a member of the directing department on the likes of The Divine Weapon, Running Turtle, and The Yellow Sea. However this is the first time for him to sit in the director chair, one which has him working off his own script.

It’s hard to know whether to feel sorry for or to admire actor Son Hyeon-joo. He’s made a career of playing rather plain and unremarkable characters, cast in equally pedestrian mid-budget movies. In 2013 it was Hide and Seek, and in 2015 we got a double whammy, with both Chronicles of Evil and The Phone. He works just as frequently in the expansive field of the Korean TV drama, and it’s easy to see why, as he brings a reliable presence to whatever character he’s called on to play. You’re not going to get a knockout performance, but you’ll get a believable one, and I highly doubt anyone’s ever spoke the line, “Hyeon-joo was pretty unconvincing in that role”.

The Phone sees him in another mid-budget production, but this time it’s one with a twist. Playing a lawyer in the middle of transitioning to a new role, his wife and daughter find themselves harassed by the death threats frequently found in the mail box, due to his involvement in an animal rights case. On the day he wins the case, he’s due to meet his wife for a long overdue dinner date, but the victory quickly sees a celebratory work drinks session take priority, leaving his nearest and dearest unfairly dumped. On the same day, it also happens that a solar flare is set to be interrupting phone services, explained rather uninterestingly through a TV news segment. The solar flare is bad timing, because on the same night a killer has been sent to off Hyeon-joo at his home, however as he’s out getting drunk, his wife ends up being murdered instead.

Skip forward one year, and there’s going to be another solar flare, as it turns out that these things are an annual occurrence, and specifically affect mobile phones in Korea. While at work, at the exact same time as one year ago, Hyeon-joo receives the exact same call from his wife. However it’s not some kind of time echo, it’s actually his wife on the phone, and he’s able to interact and talk to her. The difference is of course, she’s in 2014, and he’s in 2015. Naturally Hyeon-joo, after some initial disbelief, seizes the opportunity to be able to save his better half, and so goes the central premise of The Phone.

Is it a science fiction movie? It is a supernatural flick? It’s hard to say, however on paper, The Phone most closely resembles a mix of Frequency meets Cellular. Onscreen though, events play out in a way that resemble neither science fiction nor supernatural. The fact that his wife is calling from a year earlier is simply a plot device, giving a slight twist to what is ultimately a rather pedestrian and dull crime thriller. It’s a shame, as initially the premise shows some potential. The wife, played by Eom Ji-won, is able to change things enough so that instead of being outright killed, she gets into a struggle with the assailant in the living room. Hyeon-joo is standing in the exact same spot one year later, and as his wife fends off the killer, sending ornaments and shelves smashing everywhere, so they disappear in present day.

The effect of the past affecting the present day as it happens provides a welcome sense of immediacy to proceedings, and it continues to propel the plot forward until ultimately, events transpire in the past that see Hyeon-joo framed as the murder suspect in present day. It’s a worthy twist, however it’s also one that derails the movie, as it changes the whole focus from Hyeon-joo trying to save his wife in the past, to him trying to clear his name in the present. The sense of immediacy that the phone call from the past plot device brought quickly evaporates, as The Phone descends into a low budget version of bigger and better movies. So instead of the motorbike chase through the streets of Seoul that we got in Ryoo Seung-wan’s Veteran, we get Hyeon-joo frantically pedalling a push bike instead, with the police meagrely in pursuit, and other such scenarios.

The loss of focus on attempting to save his wife also results in the audience losing interest, just long enough to begin questioning some of the logic behind the plot. Why did the call go through to the 2015 Hyeon-joo anyway, when the 2014 Hyeon-joo is still very much alive and well? Why does the calls taking place at the exact same time as they did a year ago element get completely discarded by the end of the movie? In fairness, even before the loss of focus, The Phone has some believability stretching moments. These aren’t really due to the actor’s performances though so much as a weak script. The fact that the murdered Ji-won is calling a year after her death should be a sizable emotional blow for Hyeon-joo, but his acceptance of it seems to happen incredibly quickly. It felt like just a couple of minutes after the call he’s already over the emotional trauma of speaking to his dead wife, and is calmly explaining to her that he’s in 2015, while she’s in 2014.

The bad guy of the piece comes in the form of Bae Seong-woo, easily one of the busiest supporting actors in Korea. In 2014 – 2015 alone he featured in eighteen movies, including the likes of The Divine Move, Big Match, Veteran, and The Office. Chances are if you’ve watched more than a handful of Korean movies from the last couple of years, Seong-woo would have been in at least one of them. In The Phone his tall stature lends him an imposing presence to the scenes he appears in, playing a corrupt cop whose debts have led him to working as a hitman for a gang on the side, and with a more polished script he could have been a more worthy villain to root against. As it is, apart from some throwaway scenes with his young daughter, he effectively shows up to murder Hyeon-joo and his family with little other purpose.

As a directorial debut I’m always willing to give a little leeway. A movie doesn’t need to have the best script in the world, or even be completely coherent, as long as it shows some promising ideas, a flair for cinematography, or creates an atmosphere which immerses the viewer its world, then it’s still worthy of recommending. The Phone however is simply too much of a damp squib to fully enjoy. The fact that the central plot device, which involves a man receiving a phone call from his murdered wife, hardly seems to matter by the mid-way point, is perhaps the biggest indicator that Bong-joo was trying to cover too many bases with his first screenplay and directing gig. Unfortunately once the focus moves from the central premise, proceedings play out in such a way that The Phone becomes more like a B-movie version of a Ryoo Seung-wan or Kim Seong-hoon flick, a change in direction that does it no favors.

Perhaps the best approach would be for Bong-joo to pass The Phone off as an extended commercial for the Samsung S6 Edge, or alternatively, wait for the next solar flare to happen one year later, when hopefully he’ll read this review from the past and skip making it all together.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 5/10

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

A 90s action star is back for more in ‘The Butterfly Guard’

"Fists of Iron" Theatrical Poster

"Fists of Iron" Theatrical Poster

If you recall straight-to-video titles like To Be the Best, Final Impact, Fists of Iron and Isaac Florentine’s U.S. Seals II, then there’s a chance you might remember a martial artist named Michael Worth.

Worth is mostly known for his action film resume in the 90s, but over the years, he has branched out to writing and directing a number of indie films in multiple genres that include romance, comedy, war, horror and even a musical.

But now, Worth is bringing his skill back to the ring with a new martial arts drama titled The Butterfly Guard, a project he wrote, directed and is starring in (he also knows a thing or two about Bruceploitation).

The Butterfly Guard is a drama about two fighters as they make the journey from opposite ends of the world to fight each other and the realizations they face along the way. The film co-stars Scottie Epstein (Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown), Tim Thomerson (Trancers), Francesca Agramonte (Grimm), Justin Mccully (Code of Honor) and Ivan Sergei (Once a Thief TV series).

There’s currently no release date, but we’ll be sure to fill you in as we learn more. Until then, don’t miss the film’s 1st teaser, featuring the character played by Worth.

Updates: 2nd teaser for the film has been released, this time focusing on Scottie Epstein’s character.

Posted in News |

Wade Barrett and Gary Daniels want ‘Vengeance’

"Vengeance" Teaser Poster

"Vengeance" Teaser Poster

Stu Bennet (formerly known as WWE’s Wade Barrett) and martial arts star Gary Daniels (Zero Tolerance, Tekken 2) are teaming up for Vengeance, an upcoming film by UK cult director Ross Boyask (Left for Dead).

According to Mike Leeder, Vengeance is a fast-paced revenge thriller that kicks off when an ex-soldier learns of the murder of his best friend and sets off on the road for (you guessed it) vengeance.

Vengeance is produced by Evolutionary Films, the company that unleashed one of our favorite martial arts films of 2014, One Million K(l)icks.

Vengeance is currently in production. Stay tuned.

Posted in News |

Death Warrant | aka Dusted (1990) Review

"Death Warrant" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Death Warrant” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Deran Sarafian
Writer: David S. Goyer
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Robert Guillaume, Cynthia Gibb, George Dickerson, Patrick Kilpatrick, Dean Colbby, Art LaFleur, Abdul Sazaam El Razzac, Joshua John Miller, Conrad Dunn, Al Leong, Paulo Tocha
Running Time: 90 min.

By Kyle Warner

When Jeffrey Bona, operator of City on Fire, told me that he’d like to see every Jean-Claude Van Damme flick reviewed at the site, I might’ve laughed. Figuring that sure, we’ll review a JCVD movie here and there, but c’mon man, all of ’em? It can’t be done—and what’s more, I’m not sure that it should be done! Some dreams are best left as just that: dreams. But when 1990’s Death Warrant showed up on my doorstep, I realized this was no laughing matter. The man was serious! And what’s more; it’d apparently fallen to me to tackle much the rest of the actor’s filmography. Should I feel honored or terrified? Perhaps both, for to navigate the long-forgotten parts of Van Damme’s career can be compared to a film buff’s journey into the heart of darkness. And remember, one should never get off the boat. You’re absolutely goddamn right, Chef.

Death Warrant is the movie where Van Damme goes to prison to sort out justice. And as a prison movie, I think it probably has more in common with Ernest Goes to Jail than The Shawshank Redemption. From the start, it’s unclear if this is a bad action movie or a very sly comedy. (I remain convinced that it was going for comedy at least part of the time, though the delivery is so lacking that it results in zero laughs, only groans.) Jean-Claude Van Damme is a total badass cop out of Canada that’s looking for revenge against the serial killer who murdered his partner. It’s the usual “Wait for backup!” vs. “He killed my partner!” argument as Van Damme goes rogue and attacks the serial killer known as the Sandman. Flash-forward a bit and Van Damme’s given a new and (it seems) totally unrelated assignment: go undercover in a prison to find out the cause of a series of suspicious deaths. Seems someone’s been driving a spike through the brains of various inmates. Van Damme’s first assumption is that it’s a serial killer, because he’s just dealt with the Sandman, and this is the 90’s where serial killers were everywhere! But other lingering theories hold more water: it could be an illegal program run by corrupt guards, or perhaps ritual killings by one of the many gangs in the prison. Van Damme must find out! So, he assumes the identity of a carjacker, slips into the jail, and starts asking questions.

In prison, Van Damme meets every prisoner stereotype imaginable and a more than a few “That Guy” character actors (Robert Guilluame, Art LaFleur, Armin Shimerman). Van Damme asks seemingly every sane inmate he can find about the dead guys with the scrambled brains but everyone’s suspiciously hush-hush about it. Are they scared? Is it a cover-up? Do they just not want to talk to him because he’s Canadian? Fear not, Van Damme will discover the truth, even if we don’t really care!

Directed by Deran Sarafian (Terminal Velocity), Death Warrant presents us with the most stylized and unbelievable of movie prisons. One can imagine that Sarafian’s major screen directions were, “More smoke! More lights!” It ends up looking like a popstar music video. If only Van Damme could sing… Van Damme spends most his time in prison busting out of his shirts that are two sizes too small. So, umm, maybe it’ll appeal to a different sort of Van Damme fan than myself.

Today, Death Warrant might be best recognized as the first writing credit for screenwriter David S. Goyer, who has since made a name for himself as the go-to writer in superhero cinema. In his writing and his story credits, Goyer has given us some of the best (Batman Begins, Blade II, The Dark Knight) and some of the worst (Batman v Superman, Blade: Trinity, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) of the modern superhero film. Death Warrant is a different sort of movie, obviously, but it serves as a reminder that sometimes it takes a while for a creative talent to come into his or her own. Death Warrant is a stupid movie and much of that starts with the screenplay, which has a half-baked plot, lame dialogue, forced romance, and a finale that goes off the rails. I do appreciate Goyer’s attempts of working slasher horror into the prison movie genre, though. The Sandman and the killings happening behind bars are reminiscent of the sort of stuff you’d see in Halloween or Scream. So, when Van Damme must come face to face with these evils, there is some fun to be had in watching a martial artist take on a wannabe Jason Voorhees.

The film’s final moments are so rushed that I think the characters were more than ready to leave the theatre and beat the audience to the doors. Though Death Warrant may lack the name recognition of Derailed and Cyborg, don’t be fooled; this is one of Van Damme’s weakest films. Dumb, unintentionally silly, and lacking in surprises, I gotta recommend you skip this one unless you’re a JCVD superfan.

Kyle Warner’s Rating: 4/10

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

Deal on Fire! Killers | Blu-ray | Only $8.68 – Expires soon!

Killers | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Killers | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Killers, a Japanese/Indonesian thriller directed by Timo Tjahjant and Kimo Stamboel (Macabre) – the duo also known as The Mo Brothers – and produced by Gareth Evans (The Raid 2).

Killers (read our review) follows a well-dressed serial killer who preys on women in Tokyo, as well as the ruthless Indonesian vigilante he begins engaging in a twisted ‘competition’ with – over the internet! The film stars Kazuki Kitamura, Oka Antara, Rin Takanashi, Luna Maya and Mei Kurokawa.

Order Killers from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Dark Water | Blu-ray (Arrow Video)

Dark Water | Blu-ray & DVD (Arrow Video)

Dark Water | Blu-ray & DVD (Arrow Video)

RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2016

Just in time for Halloween! Arrow Video is releasing Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water to Blu-ray & DVD on October 11, 2016. This 2-disc, special edition is jam-packed with extra features that include new interviews with the film’s writer, director and much more.

After terrifying audiences worldwide with the blockbuster J-horror classic Ring and its sequel, director Hideo Nakata returned to the genre for Dark Water (read our review), another highly atmospheric, and critically acclaimed, tale of the supernatural which took the common theme of the dead wet girl to new heights of suspense and drama.

Based upon on a short story by Ring author Koji Suzuki, Dark Water follows Yoshimi, a single mother struggling to win sole custody of her only child, Ikuko. When they move into a new home within a dilapidated and long-forgotten apartment complex, Yoshimi begins to experience startling visions and unexplainable sounds, calling her mental well-being into question, and endangering not only her custody of Ikuko, but perhaps their lives as well.

Beautifully shot by the same cinematographer as Ring and Pulse, and featuring an especially unnerving sound design, Dark Water successfully merges spine-tingling tension with a family s heart-wrenching emotional struggle, creating one of the very finest and most unsettling contemporary Japanese horror films.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

  • High Definition digital transfer
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
  • Original 5.1 audio (DTS-HD on the Blu-ray)
  • Brand new interview with director Hideo Nakata
  • Brand new interview with novelist Koji Suzuki
  • Brand new interview with cinematographer Junichiro Hayashi
  • Archive interview with actress Asami Mizukawa
  • Original Making of documentary
  • Trailer
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain
  • First pressing only: Illustrated collector’s booklet containing new writing by David Kalat, author of J-Horror: The Definitive Guide to The Ring, The Grudge and Beyond, and an examination of the American remake by writer and editor Michael Gingold

Pre-order Dark Water today from Amazon.com.

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

‘Abyss’ finally coming to Blu-ray, but where’s ‘True Lies’?

"True Lies" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"True Lies" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Where art thou classics of James Cameron? Back in 2014, Tom Arnold confirmed that he and the rest of the cast shot interview material for James Cameron’s True Lies: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, which was supposed to be released in 2015, but for reasons unknown, the Blu-ray never saw the light of day.

But now we have confirmation for the next best thing: While promoting the upcoming 30th anniversary Blu-ray release of Aliens at 2016 Comic-Con in San Diego, Cameron publicly confirmed that The Abyss has been recently remastered in 4K and will be released on Blu-ray in 2017.

With that said, maybe True Lies is around the corner as well? We’ll see…

Posted in News |

Exit Wounds (2001) Review

"Exit Wounds" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Exit Wounds” Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Dengeki
Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Cast: Steven Seagal, DMX, Isaiah Washington, Anthony Anderson, Michael Jai White, Bill Duke, Jill Hennessy, Tom Arnold, Eva Mendes
Running Time: 101 min.

By Zach Nix

Steven Seagal is one of action and martial arts cinema’s most fascinating creatures. He broke out onto the action scene almost out of nowhere with several fantastic vehicles, such as Above the Law, Hard to Kill, and Marked for Death, that showcased his martial arts and acting abilities. After experiencing a minor taste of A-list stardom with Under Siege, Seagal’s career seemed to immediately tank after words with the release of his deeply personal and widely mocked environmental directorial debut, On Deadly Ground. From there, Seagal’s star faded as he experienced an interesting transitional period made up of minor hits (Under Siege 2, Executive Decision) and notable failures (The Glimmer Man, Fire Down Below).

While some action fans claim that Seagal’s stardom ended in the late 90s, many forget that Seagal experienced a very minor but notable comeback in the early 2000s with Exit Wounds, an urban action thriller that honestly should have catapulted him back to A-list stardom had he played his cards right. Exit Wounds may not be nearly as brutal, simple, or personal as Seagal’s earliest efforts, but it’s still one of his best films and quite honestly one of the most underrated pictures in his filmography.

Seagal plays Orin Boyd, a detective who is clearly underappreciated amongst his peers, as evident by the film’s opening prologue in which he risks his life to save the Vice President of the United States and is instead punished by being moved to the worst precinct in Detroit, Michican. Upon arriving there, Boyd continually stumbles upon crimes and drug dealings linked throughout the city that connect to a mysterious man named Latrell Walker (DMX). As Boyd investigates into the case, he realizes that there may be more to Walker than meets the eye, and that the cops within the precinct may be dirty and linked to the crimes as well.

The first striking realization that action fans will notice upon watching Exit Wounds is that Seagal looks physically fit. He apparently lost a lot of weight to get back into shape for the film, and it shows. He not only looks fantastic, but also cut his pony tail off. Going from The Patriot, to Exit Wounds, and than to Ticker and Half Past Dead is quite shocking, as Seagal’s weight and build drastically changed in between all of those films. Besides looking absolutely great within the film, Exit Wounds was not only a return to form for “The Sensei,” but a bonafide box office hit. Made for a solid $33 million, the film grossed $79 million worldwide, making it both profitable and commercially successful. Therefore, based upon the film’s box office returns and Seagal’s physical image, Exit Wounds could be declared a through and through comeback, something that few action stars ever experience.

However, Seagal immediately wasted his comeback by starring in 2002’s Half Past Dead, a terribly incoherent picture that featured the plotting of his DTV work but with the budget of a studio picture. It was such a failure, that Seagal did not return to the big screen until 2010’s Machete, although he only has a cameo in that picture. Therefore, Exit Wounds is a unique anomaly within Seagal’s filmography in that it helped reestablish his place back at the top of action cinema, only for him to dive right back into incoherent action with a major studio flop and successive DTV films.

Nevertheless, Exit Wounds is not just a Seagal picture, as it is also notable for being directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak and co-starring DMX, a rapper who was very popular at the time. Therefore, it is quite impressive that the film turned out somewhat competent, given that it had to balance the egos and stardom of both Seagal and DMX, two entertainers whose glory days are long behind them now. Bartkowiak is remembered by action fans for also directing Romeo Must Die and Cradle 2 the Grave, two of Jet Li’s English language films. Those two films, along with Exit Wounds, form a trilogy of urban action films that feature hip-hop soundtracks and several of the same recurring actors, most notably DMX, Isaiah Washington, Anthony Anderson, and Tom Arnold. This trilogy was most definitely a product of what was popular at the time, as seen through its extensive wire-work and hip-hop soundtrack.

As someone who was a director of photography on many action films for several years, it makes sense that Bartkowiak was able to do such a solid job with action when promoted to director, as he has a great eye for visual flair and flashy bouts of violence. Barkowiak crafts a competent studio picture that is undeniably entertaining from start to finish thanks to helping heaping of action nearly every ten or so minutes. This might just be one of Seagal’s most action packed films, as shootouts, car chases, and fist-fights are literally around the corner of nearly every dialog scene.

Exit Wounds doesn’t waste any time getting to the action, as Seagal racks up a kill count a mere seven minutes into the film. The opening shootout is one of the best set pieces of the picture, as Seagal’s character fights off a group of armed assassins atop a bridge as they attempt to take out the Vice President of the United States. There’s also a great climactic shootout at the end of the film where all of the characters come together for a dramatic conclusion to the film’s many plot threads. Hong Kong cinema fans will notice a shout out, or blatant steal, from the Hong Kong buddy cop film Tiger on the Beat during the final action scene when DMX wraps his belt around a shotgun and throws it into the air in order to shoot at enemies that he cannot see. One can only wonder if producer Joel Silver, who is a huge fan of Hong Kong cinema and even cast Tiger on the Beat’s Conan Lee in Lethal Weapon 4, came up with that moment.

Although Exit Wounds is a cop thriller, it also has plenty of fist-fights featuring Seagal, DMX, Michael Jai White, and other characters. The fights are hardly brutal or cruel along the lines of early Seagal efforts, opting to be tamer, safer, and flashier. Arms and bones still break, but there’s rarely any audible sound effects when victims suffer said injuries. It’s all fairly middle ground stuff, although squibs and gore shots abound throughout during the shootouts, keeping it somewhat hard edged. The fights in the film are also notable amongst Seagal fans for their obvious incorporation of wirework, something that Seagal typically doesn’t delve into, Belly of the Beast aside.

It makes sense that there is some wire work in the film, as just about every action film released post-Matrix dabbled in the stuff for a few years, especially ones produced by Joel Silver. The wire-work is most obvious during a club brawl in which Seagal flips over a bouncer and even bounces off a string of chains. There’s also some obvious and quite hilarious wire-work in the final showdown between Seagal and Jai White as the two flip through the air whilst holding giant cutting blades. It’s all a ton of fun, and further adds to the flashy studio nature of the picture, but it’s a far cry from the greatness that was Seagal’s brutal hand-to-hand fights of the early years.

While the film is undeniably entertaining from an action standpoint, it leaves much to be desired storytelling wise. First off, the main plot of the picture takes awhile to get going. Much like other Seagal pictures such as Marked for Death and even latter DTV efforts like The Keeper, Exit Wounds opens with a prologue that sets the stage for the rest of the picture. Unfortunately, the first thirty or so minutes of the picture are completely unnecessary in the long run, as they should have been trimmed down significantly in order to get to the more gripping (if you could even call it gripping) story at the center of the picture, Seagal and DMX’s hunt for corrupt officers.

And speaking of DMX, his character’s motives are mostly kept in the shadows and not revealed until two acts into the picture. I always find withholding crucial information like this to be a cheap way to “surprise” the audience, as it proves that the filmmakers don’t know any other way to keep viewers engaged other than to string them along.

Based upon the novel of the same name, Exit Wounds offers up characters and themes consistent within Seagal’s filmography and personal beliefs. His character, Orin Boyd, is a cop whom is simply disgruntled with the rules of the system. When he risks his life to save the Vice President, he is reprimanded, moved elsewhere, and declared everything but a hero. While this opening portion of the film only serves the purpose to explain how Seagal ends up in a new precinct, it also represents Seagal’s continuing and innate frustration with law enforcement and the system that surrounds him. Making Exit Wounds a Seagal vehicle was a good idea because it also deals with internal affairs and dirty cops. These themes concerning shady protective agencies appear within other Seagal ventures, and always reinforce his best work. After all, Seagal does such a great job embodying characters who fight for what is right and protect the innocent, whilst also rebelling against the system that employs him.

And last but not least, one can’t go without mentioning that Exit Wounds is not only one of Seagal’s more overtly comedic films, but successfully comedic as well. Let it be known that Seagal actually got a couple laughs out of me in this film, especially during an anger therapy group scene where he declares, “Do you see this face? This is a happy face! You all, would be lucky, to be as happy as I am.” Most of the humor is fairly silly and mainstream-esque in nature, such as Seagal being too big for a classroom chair or him being forced to direct nearly uncontrollable traffic, but it honestly works. Comic actors Anthony Anderson and Tom Arnold don’t serve the narrative very much, and easily could have been chopped out of the picture altogether, but the two go a long way in adding laughs and charisma to the picture. Their joke a second fest during the end credits could be a stand up comedy act in and of itself, and yet it’s attached to the end of a Seagal/DMX venture. Go figure. Unlike The Glimmer Man, which is one of Seagal’s most painfully unfunny action films, Exit Wounds has some pretty reliable comedy that helps liven the mood when things get more serious. You may disagree with me, so watch The Glimmer Man and Exit Wounds back to back, and than you’ll most likely side with Exit Wounds as to which of the two is funnier. On second thought, scratch that. Don’t watch The Glimmer Man, it’s an abysmal picture.

Although the story takes a while to take form and a large cast of characters over crowd the film’s narrative, Exit Wounds is a thoroughly entertaining crime thriller from start to finish thanks to a somewhat reliable narrative, a pulsating sense of energy, and a non-stop variety of action sequences. I would go so far as to say that Exit Wounds is leaps and bounds better than some of Seagal’s lesser 90s work, such as The Glimmer Man, Fire Down Below, and The Patriot, as it is never boring and mostly competent. Whenever people mention how Seagal’s downfall began in the late 90s, make sure to always pull out the Exit Wounds card in order to tear down their theory and to prove that “The Sensei” still had the chops, even in 2001.

Zach Nix’s Rating: 7/10

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

Martial Law: Complete Series | DVD (Visual Entertainment)

Martial Law: The Complete Collection | DVD (Visual Entertainment)

Martial Law: The Complete Collection | DVD (Visual Entertainment)

RELEASE DATE: September 30, 2016

On September 30, 2016, Visual Entertainment will be releasing Martial Law: The Complete Collection, which will include the entire series on 10 discs, plus two bonus crossover episodes and much more.

Martial Law is an American/Canadian crime drama that aired on CBS from 1998 to 2000. The title character, Sammo Law, portrayed by Hong Kong action legend Sammo Hung (The Bodyguard), was a Chinese law officer and martial arts expert who came to Los Angeles in search of a colleague and remains in the US.

The show was a surprise hit, making Hung the only East Asian headlining a prime-time network series in the United States. At the time, Hung was not fluent in English, and he reportedly recited some of his dialogue phonetically. In many scenes, Hung did not speak at all, making Martial Law perhaps the only US television series in history that featured so little dialogue from the lead character.

Martial Law also stars Kelly Hu (Cradle 2 the Grave), Arsenio Hall (Coming to America), Gretchen Egolf (Journeyman) with appearances by Tzi Ma (Rapid Fire), Sung Kang (Bullet to the Head), Elaine Lui (The Bride with White Hair), James Hong (The Perfect Weapon), Eugenia Yuan (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny), Mako (The Big Brawl), Byron Mann (The Corruptor), Billy Blanks (The Master), Mark Dacascos (Only the Brave), Loren Avedon (Raging Thunder), Shannon Lee (Enter the Eagles), Aki Aleong (Pound of Flesh), Johnny Nguyen (The Rebel), Roger Fan (Finishing the Game), Olivier Gruner (Nemesis), Simon Rhee (Furious), Ron Yuan (Revenge of the Green Dragons) and Steve Tartalia (Operation Condor).

The set will also include the following extras:

  • Produced by Carlton Cuse (Lost, Nash Bridges, Bates Motel)
  • Includes all 44 episodes plus two Bonus crossover episodes from Walker: Texas Ranger and Early Edition.
  • Bonus audio commentary from creator Carlton Cuse on series premiere, Shanghai Express.

Pre-order Martial Law: The Complete Series from Amazon.com today!

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

‘Kickboxer: Vengeance’ kicks in a new theatrical poster

"Kickboxer: Vengeance" Theatrical Poster

“Kickboxer: Vengeance” Theatrical Poster

Radar Pictures’ highly-actipated reboot of 1989’s Kickboxer, titled Kickboxer: Vengeance (read our review), will finally be hitting the big screen and VOD on September 2nd.

The upcoming film is directed by John Stockwell (In the Blood) and written by Jim McGrath (1990’s Elvis TV series) and Dimitri Logothetis (Wings of the Dragon).

Newcomer Alain Moussi (click here to read our interview with him) takes the lead role of Kurt Sloan (previously played by Jean-Claude Van Damme in the original).

Other stars include WWE star Dave Bautista (The Man with the Iron Fists), UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Gina Carano (Haywire), Darren Shahlavi (Ip Man 2), Jean-Claude Van Damme (Kickboxer), T.J. Storm (Punisher: War Zone), Matthew Ziff (The Martial Arts Kid) and Sara Malakul Lane.

Martial arts star Tony Jaa (Skin Trade) was attached, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Also attached was Scott Adkins (Zero Tolerance, Wolf Warrior), who declined the role of  David after realizing how small his role would be. Both of their roles were replaced by Van Damme and the late Darren Shahlavi, respectively.

Kickboxer: Vengeance tells the story of David and Kurt Sloan, the descendants of a well-known Venice, Calif., fighting dynasty. When David wins the Karate World Championship, a promoter lures him to Hong Kong, despite his brother’s protestations that the man is a crook. When Kurt travels to Thailand to meet his brother, he discovers he has died, and seeks his revenge.

Media: Official still, which has Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Tong Po, double wielding swords. | Click here to see 12 official stills. | Photo featuring Moussi vs. Bautista and fists of glass! | First teaser trailer. | Second trailer.

Updates: Check out our review for the film.

Posted in News |

Donnie Yen to do a ‘Wesley’ film (and it’s not ‘Passenger 57′)

"Flash Point" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Flash Point" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Donnie Yen (Ip Man 3Kung Fu Jungle, Flash Point) and producer Raymond Wong have announced that their next project in the line is the Indiana Jones-esque film, Wesley (via AFS).

Wesley (or Wisely) will be based on the fictional character of the same name created by legendary Chinese novelist/screenwriter Ni Kuang. Wesley’s adventures have been covered in many novels, comic books and movies, including 1986’s The Seventh Curse with Chow Yun Fat and 1987’s The Legend of the Wisley with Sam Hui.

Despite Yen’s The Noodle Man (his first would-be Hollywood starring role) being put on the back burner, fans of Yen still have his high-profile appearances to look forward to in the upcoming xXx 3 and Star War: Rogue One.

As far as Yen’s long list of off again/on again projects – which include The Master, Dragon City, a possible Ip Man 4/Flash Point 2 and of course, Ice Man 2let’s just say, we’ll keep you updated!

Posted in News |

Bruce Lee: Tracking the Dragon | DVD (MVD Visual)

Tracking the Dragon | DVD (MVD Visual)

Tracking the Dragon | DVD (MVD Visual)

RELEASE DATE: October 25, 2016

It’s been 43 years since the passing of Bruce Lee, yet the spirit of the martial arts icon is more powerful than ever. In addition to George Nolfi’s upcoming Bruce Lee biopic, Birth of the Dragon, as well as a Chinese film titled Double Dragon, a new Bruce Lee project is headed your way.

On October 25, 2016, MVD Visual will be releasing a new, 100-minute Bruce Lee documentary titled Tracking the Dragon on DVD (read our review).

Bruce Lee expert John Little (A Warrior’s Journey) tracks down the actual locations of some of Bruce Lee’s most iconic action scenes. Many of these sites remain largely unchanged nearly half a century later. At monasteries, ice factories, and on urban streets, Little explores the real life settings of Lee’s legendary career.

This film builds on Little’s earlier short, Pursuit of the Dragon, to present a comprehensive view of Lee’s work that will change the way you see the films. In such pivotal films as The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon, Lee staged the elaborately choreographed action sequences that revolutionized the martial arts field. They took on a mythic status and it is mindboggling to see how he expertly built traditional locations into his story lines to give them added dimension.

No one has ever taken on the task of finding what remains of this Bruce Lee’s world. The revelations are nothing short of astounding for fans of Bruce Lee, martial arts, and action movies.

Pre-order Tracking the Dragon from Amazon.com today!

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

Train to Busan (2016) Review

"Train to Busan" Theatrical Poster

“Train to Busan” Theatrical Poster

Director: Yeon Sang-Ho
Writer: Park Joo-suk
Cast: Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-Seok, Jung Yu-Mi, Choi Woo-Sik, Ahn So-Hee, Kim Soo-Ahn
Running Time: 118 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Korea’s film industry is one which is rarely associated with the medium of animation, however one name that may change all that is director Yeon Sang-ho, who’s been successfully carving out a name for himself within the animated arena. His hard hitting features like King of Pigs and The Fake, which display a biting social commentary towards modern day Korea, have drawn international acclaim, and were widely screened on the festival circuit. Sang-ho ventured outside the realistic trappings of his most recognised work for the 2015 feature Seoul Station, which deals with a zombie outbreak in the Korean capital, and a year later he followed it up with an immediate sequel in the form of Train to Busan.

What makes Train to Busan a unique sequel is that, instead of being animated, it’s a live action follow-up. Similar to Hollywood director Brad Bird, who after rising to prominence with the likes of The Incredibles decided to take on live action with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, so fans of Sang-ho have also been looking forward to seeing the director work on a live action production. The fact that his first foray was to involve Korea being overrun by a zombie outbreak was a welcome bonus.

Rather than drawing on comparisons to other zombie flicks though, the movie that immediately springs to mind when watching Train to Busan is fellow Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer. Despite one revolving around an outbreak of the undead, and one being a futuristic vision of humans surviving on a train in an earth which has frozen over, both share the same thematic overtones and setting. Far from being a visceral thrill ride of an undead bloodbath, Sang-ho has constructed a tale which is more about the invisible divides that exist between the social classes, the members of whom are very much alive.

As expected, proceedings unfold which see a group of survivors on a train travelling from Seoul, located in the north of South Korea, travelling to Busan, a coastal city in the South. Gong Yoo plays the main character, most recognizable as the lead from the 2013 action movie The Suspect. His character is that of a stereotypical salary man, one who is so involved in his work that he’s already divorced, with a young daughter that wants to go and stay with her Mum in Busan. For his daughter’s birthday, he agrees to take her to Busan to meet her mother, until of course events get interrupted by a zombie outbreak.

The cast of characters who convene to form the group of survivors are like a who’s who of disaster movie archetypes – we have the good hearted working class couple, played by Ma Dong-seok (the stocky muscular guy from any Korean movie made within the last 10 years) and Jeong Yu-mi. There’s a slimy middle aged business man who’ll happily sacrifice others to save himself played by Kim Eui-seong, a faithful train driver, a pair of old ladies, a teenage couple, and a homeless guy just for good measure.

Sang-ho wastes no time getting down to business, and within 15 minutes we’re already on the train watching events unfurl, as a stray zombie who managed to get on-board just before it pulls away from the platform begins to wreak havoc. For the remainder of the almost 2 hour runtime, we stay within the confines of the train, or never far from it. As a result of almost 75 minutes being spent in train carriages, there are times when the action begins to strain. At the end of the day, its zombies on a train, and as expected, most of the tension is wringed from the survivors frantically dashing from one carriage to the other, closing the door seconds before a horde of the undead pile up in pursuit. It’s initially effective, but by the umpteenth time we see it, all sense of danger has effectively dissipated.

Sang-ho’s script also makes the most interesting characters the supporting ones. Gong Yoo’s fund manager who doesn’t have time for his family is as dull as dishwater, despite being the main character. Before the first five minutes are over, it’s obvious that he’s going to take the train with his daughter, be put in peril, and realise that family is more important than work. It’s a cliché that’s been recycled time and time again in Korean cinema, and both the script and Yoo’s bland performance add nothing new to it. Dong-seok’s dedicated husband on the other hand stands out, both relatable and willing to do anything to protect his heavily pregnant wife, he easily steals the show whenever he’s onscreen.

One of the best scenes has Dong-seok round up Yoo and a teenage baseball player, to single handedly fight their way through several carriages of zombies, in order to get to a group of stranded passengers further down the train. Watching his burly frame punch and wrestle though several waves of the undead almost makes you wish that he was the main character, and it’s certainly a breath of fresh air to see zombies being dispatched with plain old brute force rather than the traditional bullet in the head. However for those checking in hoping to see a Korean version of Dawn of the Dead, those expectations should be adjusted accordingly. Despite several victims falling prey to the zombies insatiable appetite, Train to Busan feels like a tame affair when it comes to violence, with very little imagination shown when it comes to the nitty gritty of zombies doing what they do best.

Indeed it seems that rather than going for visceral thrills, Sang-ho is more interested in using the outbreak as a plot device in which to frame his commentary on the questionable decisions of those in authority. There’s been a number of Korean movies of late which take swipes at the countries government, a prime example being the excellent Inside Men, and Train to Busan also comes with a message for its audience. The issue is that it’s not a subtle one, and the moments when Sang-ho’s script wants to say something, it does so in a way which sticks out like a sore thumb. A newsreader announces “We must keep calm and trust the government” over images of a burning cityscape, and in another scene an employee, who knows the orders he received will condemn people to certain death, questions that it’s not his fault if he’s just doing what he’s told to do.

The lack of imaginative violence, social commentary, and a particularly awkward change in tone that switches to a melodramatic finale, all point to Sang-ho looking to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. The problem is that when you want to appeal to such a broad audience, a movie can easily lose its identity. To a degree that seems to be the main issue with Train to Busan. Is it a Korean zombie flick? Is it a scathing commentary on those in authority? Is it the tale of a father and daughter reconciling their relationship? Sang-ho has tried to make it all of those things, and it doesn’t quite succeed at being any of them, at least not in a way which effectively connects with those watching.

The zombies don’t feel scary enough, the characters aren’t fleshed out enough, and the swipes at the authorities aren’t subtle enough. With that being said, it’s unfair to write off Train to Busan as a bad movie. It’s not, and to Sang-ho’s credit it remains watchable throughout, even if by the end it has worn out its welcome ever so slightly. As a first foray into live-action, Sang-ho hasn’t quite hit the mark, but his talent is still very much on display, with the distinct visual style present in his animated productions successfully carried over into a live action environment. Next time, hopefully he’ll return with a sharper and more focused script, and when that happens I’ll be more than happy to buy a return ticket. But for now, Train to Busan is thankfully just a one-way trip.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 6/10

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