Wailing, The (2016) Review

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Jeff Bona
"The Wailing" Theatrical Poster

“The Wailing” Theatrical Poster

Director: Na Hong-jin
Writer: Na Hong-jin
Cast: Kwak Do-Won, Hwang Jeong-Min, Jun Kunimura, Chun Woo-Hee, Kim Hwan-Hee, Jang So-Yeon, Heo Jin, Jo Han-Chul, Son Kang-Kuk, Kim Do-Yoon
Running Time: 115 min.

By Jeff Bona

Na Hong-jin, the fierce South Korean filmmaker behind Chaser (2008) and The Yellow Sea (2010), is once again unleashing hell with The Wailing – and let me tell you  – I’ve never been happier seeing a director’s return since Kim Jee-woon made sadistic violence look so alluring in I Saw the Devil (2010).

While every Asian film fanatic was waiting anxiously for Donnie Yen to fight Mike Tyson in Ip Man 3, I was fantasizing about the release of Na’s next relentless project – his first in 6 long years – and thanks to the gang at Well Go USA, my dreams have officially come true. With Chaser and The Yellow Sea being two of the damnedest crime flicks I’ve ever seen, I’m here to answer the simple question: Is The Wailing another bullseye for Na? Read on.

When a series of unexplainable, gruesome murders take place in a rural village, an incompetent cop (Kwak Do-Won) starts a chaotic investigation. Things get seriously personal when his young daughter (Kim Hwan-Hee) is directly affected by this deadly phenomenon. The only suspect is a Japanese hermit (Jun Kunimura) who recently relocated from Japan at the very same time slaughters began to happen; and the only clue is a poisonous mushroom which turns up at every crime scene. Are these murders committed by a human being or sparked by a mysterious force of nature?

While watching The Wailing, I couldn’t help but feel the influence of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973), Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) and Alan Parker’s Angel Heart (1987). And to really throw you off, I also felt shades of Scooby-Doo, George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Hideo Nakata’s The Ring (1998). But let’s get one thing straight: The Wailing has its own thing going on, so don’t expect spinning heads, a deranged axe-welding lunatic, killer VHS tapes, Lisa Bonet’s hairy armpits or some kind of zombie apocalypse (and the “monster” doesn’t reveal itself as a high school janitor in a man-made costume).

I’ve only seen The Wailing once, but something tells me, no matter how many times it’s viewed, it’s one of those paradoxial movies where questions will always remain, leaving everyone with their own, unique theory. Of course, all of this is intentional. Clues and visuals are subtly placed to misguide the audience, but not in a cheap M. Night Shyamalan sorta way. By the end of the film, I didn’t feel like I was deceived, cheated or part of a stupid trick; once the end-credits rolled, I froze with a look of wonderment on my face. I was calmly thinking to myself “What the hell?”. At that very moment, I realized the movie did its job.

Even the The Wailing’s title is a double entendre: The original Korean title is Goksung (in English, it translates to Wailing, as in “give a cry of pain, grief, or anger”), and it also is the name of the location where the movie was filmed. In other words, Na has viewers by the balls, and he’s loving every minute of it. And so was I.

Mysteria aside, The Wailing delivers the goods. Na’s trademark grit is here. The violence is down and dirty; the presence of blood is all-you-can-eat; and once again, Na shoves intensity, uneasiness and evil down our throats. The entire cast, led by Kwak Do-Won, push themselves to the limit, surrendering to Na’s high standards.

Although The Wailing isn’t technically an action film, there’s certainly a revenge element that’ll undoubtedly satisfy fans of Chaser and The Yellow Sea. Humor also plays a noticeable part, but don’t get too comfortable with it, because things get disturbingly dark. And talk about a hard-hitting soundtrack that empowers the visuals to sheer perfection.

The Wailing is a third reminder to us all that Na Hong-jin is one of the greatest filmmakers alive. James Wan, take note: This is how you make a thriller.

Jeff Bona’s Rating: 8/10

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

Master, The | aka The Final Master (2015) Review

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Martin Sandison
"The Final Master" Theatrical Poster

“The Final Master” Theatrical Poster

Director: Xu Haofeng
Writer: Xu Haofeng
Cast: Fan Liao, Xiao Song Jia, Jiang Wenli, Huang Jue, Jin Shijie, Zhang Aoyue, Song Yang, Dong Xiaosong, Leon Dai, Chen Kuan-tai, Xiong Xin-Xin
Running Time: 109 min.

By Martin Sandison

Now that the old guard of Hong Kong martial arts stars are getting on in age, the eyes of the kung fu movie-loving public have turned to Mainland China. With big money behind productions, some new talent – as well as a different approach to action choreography – right now may be the time for Mainland films to flourish.

This brings us to Xu Haofeng’s The Master (aka The Final Master), a film that I heard a lot about before finally seeing it at The Far East Film Festival.

The story, while a little contrived from the outset, is classic old school stuff. It concerns Chen (Fan Liao), a master of Wing Chun from the South who arrives in Tianjin in the early 20th century to set up a school. The beginning of the film is simple: Chen must defeat eight masters from different schools to be able to set up his own academy; but as the film progresses, the story becomes more interesting and complex. Chen gets involved with a beautiful waitress Zhao (Jia Song) and takes on a student Gen (Yang Song), while the various masters collude to bring Chen down.

The approach to The Master’s aesthetic is what marks The Master as something unique; it takes an existing kung fu movie, tropes and twists it into something almost surreal and extra diverting. Characters are not chivalrous, heroic or evil; they merely have their own motivations and interact accordingly.

The look of the The Master are reminiscent of Shaw Brothers 80’s flicks, especially with coloring and set design. The budget of the film shows in its crane shots, elaborate camerawork, period detail and high-standard costume design. With this base, director/writer Xu Haofeng creates a dark and thematically heavy film that does not celebrate, but rather berates the Martial World, which is usually lauded in most kung fu films. This is put forth with intelligence rather than extremity; there is not much blood or killing in the film, rather a dependence on martial arts technique and an unusual way of depicting fight scenes.

Together with its weight of intellect and spiritual undercurrents, The Master conveys a fresh feeling that permeates each frame of the film. I have the utmost respect for Xu Haofeng’s vision. As his third film as director, The Master is his biggest in scope (his last film, The Sword Identity, made waves with its new approach to the wuxia genre).

The Master’s cast are all established actors, with the lead Fan Liao having previously had stand out roles in Let the Bullets Fly and Black Coal, Thin Ice. Main actress Jia Song recently appeared in Sammo Hung’s The Bodyguard. Every talent in the film quits themselves well, which is evident in the wiggle room given for character development, as well as humorous moments.

However, where the film falters for me is during the fight sequences. There are many action scenes in The Master featuring open hand and weapons fighting. The filmmaker’s vision was to have a more realistic style than most viewers are used to. The way the combat is shot and staged is at a high level: good framing, editing and execution. There’s no doubt that the choreographers – and editors – must be applauded for this (their approach definitely bodes well for future productions). The problem for me is that I was never that excited by the action. In some of the best examples of Hong Kong martial arts movies, there is an intricacy to all aspects of filmmaking that make me completely immersed in that universe. They create a kind of awestruck consciousness that I can’t find with much else in life. Unfortunately, The Master, by virtue of its realistic approach, does not tap into this for me. It’s such a shame because everything else about the film is top notch.

One interesting aspect of the action is that it’s at times humorous, in a very surreal way. Such as at the end where Chen takes on an alleyway full of old masters, with each given a sprain, break and/or scuttling off after amusing reaction shots.

Fans will love the cameo appearance by none other than the Shaw Brothers legend Chen Kuan Tai (Shanghai 13, Killer Constable) in one of the last fights of the film (where he wields a massive sword).

Near the end of the film, the masters are about to sit down and watch The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple, considered by many to be the film that began audiences love of the martial arts genre. An ambitious reference to make, The Master pulls it off despite some shortcomings.

Martin Sandison’s Rating: 7/10

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

Techno Warriors | aka Computer Hero (1997) Review

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Paul Bramhall
"Techno Warriors" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Techno Warriors” Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: The Cyber Warrior
Director: Philip Ko Fei
Cast: Philip Ko Fei, Tamara Guo, Darren Shahlavi, Winston Ellis, Monsour del Rosario, James Ha Chim Si, Thorsten Nickel, Alan Chan Yiu Lun, Niño Muhlach
Running Time: 85 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The career of Philip Ko Fei is an interesting one to say the least, and one which has made me an unabashed fan of his work. If you were to ask me why, like many others, I’d probably lean on the fact that he rightfully became known as the King of Shapes. The use of the word ‘shapes’, in the context of kung fu cinema, relates to the highly intricate choreography style that reached its peak in the early 80’s. From witnessing Ko Fei’s performance in the likes of The Loot, Tiger Over Wall, and Eight Diagram Pole Fighter, his ability to perform such a complex number of moves in a single take, with speed, was mesmerising to watch.

However this was only one side of his talents. Outside of stealing the show in various kung-fu classics, Ko Fei featured in some wonderfully left of field productions. From a raw egg drinking bald assassin in Leung Kar Yan’s Profile in Anger, to a revenge seeking brother-cum-Buddhist monk in the completely out there The Boxer’s Omen. By the time Ko Fei retired from the film industry in the early 2000’s, some of the last productions in his filmography consist of self-directed titles such as Royal Sperm, Love & Sex in Sung Dynasty, and Burning with Desire. Chances are that if Eight Diagram Pole Fighter was made at the tail end of his career, it wouldn’t have been referring to a style of kung fu.

The 1990’s were definitely some of the most interesting years for Ko Fei. At the beginning of the decade he packed his bags and headed for the Philippines, were he began directing a number of decidedly low budget, but highly energetic, action movies. They often starred Yukari Oshima, with whom he was rumoured to have been in a relationship with at the time, and came to be defined by the B-grade production values, OTT wirework, and cheap and cheerful pyrotechnics. Some of these movies also seemed to reflect a sci-fi influence, as titles like Ultracop 2000 indicate, and Techno Warriors was another production which aims for a more fantastical angle.

Explaining the plot of Techno Warriors could easily be described as headache inducing, but I’ll attempt to anyway, as much to give myself disclosure on the whole thing as it is for this review. It’s the year 2020, and people have become so sufficient on their computers that they never need to leave their homes. One such person is an overweight unemployed fellow played by Niño Muhlach (more recently seen in the breakthrough Filipino crime thriller On the Job), who wears t-shirts which look two sizes too big for him, and speaks in an annoyingly winey American dubbed accent. Muhlach loves nothing more than playing on a computer game called Techno Warriors all day (which involves him wearing what looks like a virtual reality version of a gimp mask), and his dream is to one day get so good at it, that he’ll be skilled enough to rule over the Cyber World. Yes, there’s an alternate universe called the Cyber World.

In the real world anyone who can’t use a computer usually ends up in a criminal gang, and it’s up to crime unit members Tamara Guo (most recognisable as one of the two Women on the Run) and local Filipino actor Monsour Del Rosario (who’s character, it’s explained, has recently transferred from the Inter-Planetary Immigration Service), to keep the streets clean. The Black Ninja (played by a permanently masked Ko Fei), who rules over Cyber World, has cottoned on to the fact that this Filipino layabout could be a threat, so he sends various assassins (who all happen to be characters in the game also) into the real world to kidnap and make him their slave. Thankfully, cyber-police Darren Shahlavi, Lee Kwang-su, and Karin Perathoner (who are also characters in the game) plan to foil the kidnap attempt, so also make the leap into the real world in an attempt to stop the Black Ninja. Once in the real world, they team up with Guo and Rosario, which sees the best of the cyber world police and the best of the real world police join forces to take on the bad guys.

If you feel baffled, you’ll be even more confused once you actually watch it. There’s a reason why I mention all the principle players from Cyber World also being characters in the game. There are a few scenes which involve Muhlach playing the game, which follow him from selecting the characters to the fight itself. Except the in-game fight is played out by the actual actors, so we get to see Darren Shahlavi (whose character is called Twister, exactly as it is in Ip Man 2) let loose in what amounts to a couple of nice one-on-one exchanges against other opponents. The secret is to remember that this is Shahlavi the Techno Warriors game character, not Shahlavi the cyber cop, who’s busy trying to save Muhlach due to his mastery of playing him in the game. Lost? So was I.

As entertaining as these specific fights are though, unfortunately they’re completely ruined by Muhlach’s commentary which plays over them. We also have to suffer cut away shots of him attempting to perform the moves in his living room, adorned in his virtual reality gimp mask, which convert over to the characters in the game (thankfully much more convincingly than he does them). There’s nothing quite as frustrating as watching an intense HK style fight, while some guy enthusiastically yells over everything such clangers as, “Looking good! Looking cool!” and “Oh yeah, suck it up!” A high tolerance threshold comes thoroughly recommended, or the mute button.

Thankfully these scenes only make up a small portion of the action, which is plentiful, and Shahlavi remains front and center for many of them.  Techno Warriors is about as close as the British powerhouse would get to a leading role in a Hong Kong movie, all be it one shot in the Philippines, and he sells his fights with aplomb. Even more so than in Bloodmoon, made the same year, he unleashes a formidable array of kicks whenever he springs into action, as do the rest of the fighting cast. Taekwondo seems to be the martial art of choice for most of the fight scenes, so for those who like their boot work, Techno Warriors should definitely deliver some entertaining moments.

However I should warn that the action comes with a caveat that may turn some viewers off. It seems that Ko Fei was attempting to stick so closely to creating a live action computer fight game, that almost every kick, punch, or thrust of the sword is accompanied by some kind of animated projectile being attached to them. While for some this may be an annoyance, in the context of the plot I found it to add to the productions already goofy charm. The fact that the projectiles are also adequately paired with practical explosions (of varying sizes) actually made the effect quite fun, as one thrust of the sword would throw off 10 laser beams blasting off the walls and ground. I’d say one of the biggest reasons why the decision works, is that the effects are there as well as the choreography, rather than getting in the way of the latter. So it’s still possible to enjoy the fisticuffs, while watching laser beams and things explode all around the opponents going at it.

Perhaps more than any other movie I’ve seen which hopes in some way to capture the essence of a fight based video game, Techno Warriors does the job, for better or worse. The irony of course being, that it’s not directly based on any game. Characters wear face masks, capes, bright colored leggings, carry around over-sized weapons, and best of all it’s all done completely poker faced. The influence of Street Fighter 2 and Moral Kombat is blatant, with an M Bison clone being the stand out, and while it is completely derivative, it’s also a lot of fun seeing such characters on the screen, with almost zero adjustment from what you’d imagine them to look like in a game. Indeed the opening 8 minutes of the movie is basically a video game intro, as each character gets his own onscreen profile detailing their vital stats. Shahlavi is a ‘Supercop of the Game World’, Perathoner is ‘Pretty, Cool, & Precise’, and Ko Fei’s Black Ninja biography reads ‘Dangerous, Tricky, & Ulmost Cruelty’.

Ko Fei at least must have been happy with the end product of Techno Warriors, as he’d go onto recycle scenes from it in his movie Digital Warriors, made just 3 years later. Mercifully, the footage doesn’t include a late in the game (excuse the pun) appearance by some laser firing spaceships, which look like they’ve come straight out of a primitive flash video program (they probably were). But really, what other kung fu movie has opponents duking it out while fighting off spaceships? Reasons like this make me torn, as Techno Warriors looks and feels like it should be immediately written off as an embarrassing disaster. However the frantic pacing, colorful characters, boot work, and even the laser beams all somehow add up to a goofily entertaining 90 minutes. For fans of the late Darren Shahlavi, fight based video game adoptions, and Ko Fei’s Filipino action output, Techno Warriors is definitely worth a look. Would I recommend it to anyone else? Maybe, but doing so could be considered a move of ulmost cruelty.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in All, Chinese, Filipino, News, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Young Rebels: Special Edition | DVD (Cinema Epoch)

Posted on June 1, 2016 by JJ Bona
Young Rebels: Special Edition | DVD (Cinema Epoch)

Young Rebels: Special Edition | DVD (Cinema Epoch)

RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2016

Cinema Epoch presents the DVD for 1992’s Young Rebels: Special Edition, directed by Amir Shervan (Samurai Cop).

Young Rebels follows an enforcer named Jon Greene (Maniac Cop), who plays a one-man army up against an evil drug cartel organization.

Young Rebels also stars Tadashi Yamashita (American Ninja), Robert Z’Dar (Maniac Cop 2), Aldo Ray (The Green Berets), Christine Lunde (Open Fire), Dale Cummings (Samurai Cop) and Delia Sheppard (Sins of Desire).

Pre-order Young Rebels from Amazon.com today!

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

Five Memorable James Bond Scenes

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Barey Gusey
"License to Kill" Theatrical Poster

"License to Kill" Theatrical Poster

If the rumours are true, Daniel Craig may already be planning the end to his days as James Bond. The fervour around who will take over him as the British secret agent though shows just how much the man with the license to kill is still loved. With the recent rise of online casino and more and more people look to play bingo, we thought we would put together a list of some of his best moments:

License to Kill

Timothy Dalton may not be the best loved Bond, but he gave the character an edge that was close to how he was represented in the books. License to Kill saw Bond in some of his darkest moments when he was out for revenge.

In one of the films more iconic scenes we saw Bond go up against Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi) in a game of blackjack that was designed to get the aggressors attention. Winning a victory that gave him a £250,000 win, it not only helped him achieve his goal but caught the admiration of many an online blackjack player who could only dream to achieve such a winning.

Casino Royale

In Casino Royal we saw Daniel Craig as James Bond, again taking part in a card game but this time with a somewhat different outcome. This time taking on the evil Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen before his Hannibal days) Bond finds himself poisoned in a bid to take him out of the high stakes game of poker. The unforgettable scenes of Bond fighting to expel the poison from his system and fighting to get to his car to use an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) was a moment of weakness we don’t usually see from the normally unstoppable killer.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

While historically On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is memorable for George Lazenby’s strange decision to play the part only once, the film is also the greatest moment of weakness for James Bond himself. Having found love with the Contessa Teresa ‘Tracy’ di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg) we see him truly happy. In the film’s closing moments though we see this ripped from his hands as she is assassinated. This is a turning point for the secret agent as from this point forth we see a more brutal killer whose heart has a stonier edge.

Goldfinger

Goldfinger was the second outing for the character, and the film which truly showed that Sean Connery deserved the mantle of the best Bond, though some may not agree. The most iconic scene from this movie is also one of the most memorable from all the films as we see Bond strapped down to a table with a laser slowly cutting its way towards the secret agent. With Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) walking away, Bond asks if he expects him to talk, with Goldfinger’s reaction simply being “No, Mr Bond. I expect you to die!”.

Dr. No

The greatest moment of any James Bond has to be his first introduction. The character needed to be set up for the audience to be suave and enigmatic, and most importantly handsome. Under Terence Young’s direction, Connery played the scene perfectly, delivering the iconic words “Bond, James Bond” as an introduction to one of the most successful characters in British film history.

I’m sure you have your own choices of for iconic James Bond scenes, but I’m sure you’ll agree these are some of the best. One thing we know for sure is, Daniel Craig may be leaving the role, but there is still life in the old secret agent yet.

Posted in News |

Outlaw: Black Dagger (1968) Review

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Kelly Warner
"Outlaw: Black Dagger" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Outlaw: Black Dagger” Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Gangster VIP 5
Director: Keiichi Ozawa
Cast: Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Kunie Tanaka, Sanae Kitabayashi, Kaku Takashina, Yoshiro Aoki
Running Time: 86 min.

By Kelly Warner

Outlaw: Black Dagger begins the way most the other Outlaw films end: a bloody knife fight, tragedy, and a love story interrupted. This opening sequence is actually the film’s finest moment, giving us drama and action with no shortage of style. During the sequence, Goro (Tetsuya Watari) faces off against his rival Sueo while his lady love Yuri (Chieko Matsubara) rides a train out of town… or so he thinks. Yuri comes out of the train station, sees the fight in progress, and tries to intervene. During the struggle, Sueo accidentally cuts Yuri with his blade. She dies right there on the street, leaving Goro heartbroken and making Sueo his sworn enemy.

But that’s not the end of Chieko Matsubara’s participation in this particular film. The actress, who has played a different character in all but two of the Outlaw films so far, returns to Black Dagger as yet another character after Yuri’s death. At this point in the series, the decision to give Matsubara two different parts in the same film feels something like self-parody. They’re not even twins or sisters, either. They’re both just inexplicably identical. At least the other characters notice this time, though. Matsubara’s second role is a nurse who tends to Goro after he’s injured. When Goro first sees her, he is struck by how much she resembles his lost love (I like to think that Goro’s deeply troubled by the fact that 80% of the women he meets share the same exact face). Goro’s nemesis Sueo also runs into Matsubara’s nurse, and though at first he’s haunted and confused to see the doppelganger of the woman he accidentally killed, he soon switches gears and decides to woo her. Sueo stalks the nurse everywhere, apparently thinking that’s the best way to win a woman’s heart. Later on, Goro, Seuo, and the nurse run into each other at the same time, at which point Sueo abruptly gives up the game and the nurse falls head-over-heels in love with Goro. The relationships in Black Dagger are about as forced as stuffing a triangle block through a square-shaped hole.

Black Dagger is the weakest film of the Outlaw series. The story is generic, with Goro trying to go straight (again) and getting caught up in yakuza affairs that have little to do with him. While Goro acts as Black Dagger’s hero, it’s difficult to call him the main character. I don’t even know if he cracks the Top 3 most important characters when it comes to pushing the plot where it needs to go. At the center of things is a good-natured yakuza who’s married to one of Goro’s other former romances. Sueo’s gang is muscling in on the local yakuza’s turf. In order to appease Sueo’s gang, the yakuza is ordered to give his wife to their rivals. “It’s only a woman,” explains his superior. When he refuses, it begins a series of bloody confrontations. Only then does Goro become useful to the plot, as he slices and dices better than all the rest. What’s unfortunate is that in the many scenes where Watari’s not onscreen, the rest of the cast provides generally subpar performances. The characters are overly familiar but that’s not the problem. Many actors look stiff and others frankly coming across silly. Only Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, and Kunie Tanaka (as a doctor) manage to impress, and even they don’t look as into it as they did in earlier films.

While I do think this is the weakest entry, I still thought it was rather entertaining most of the time. Black Dagger has a good deal of action and Keiichi Ozawa continues to improve as a director, filming the brawls with style and chaotic energy. This is the most violent Outlaw film, with a seemingly endless body count. Goro’s flow is interrupted in one fight scene when he’s unable to pull his dagger out of a dead man’s spine—it’s a nasty beat in the bloody action, helping the scene’s pacing in a cool way. Though Goro rarely walks away unscathed from his many brawls, his status as “the Assassin” has become legendary at this point in the series, and for good reason. He’s almost an invincible adversary. Goro could be outnumbered 50 to 1 and you’d still call those even odds. By this point, the Outlaw series has largely shrugged off the realism depicted in the first film. And I’m mostly okay with that. Similar to sequences found in action-packed samurai flicks, the Outlaw series is full of good hack ’n slash fight scenes, and Black Dagger has some of the series’ best examples of such sequences.

It’s just too bad that the film’s human elements are so lacking. Though entertaining, it’s hard to call Black Dagger a “good movie.” The story is generic, the acting is mediocre, and Chieko Matsubara playing two roles within the same film is a bit of a headscratcher. The Outlaw series has some ups and downs but I’ve enjoyed getting a chance to work my way through the films. Looking forward to the final film, Outlaw: Kill!

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 6/10

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

Five of the greatest gambling films

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Barey Gusey
"Casino Royale" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Casino Royale" Japanese Theatrical Poster

It seems that gambling is all around us these days, whether it be placing a bet on a horse, a football game, or even the many no deposit bingo sites that always seem to be doing good trade. For film lovers though, the more popular side of the pastime is the romanticised world of the gamblers, whether it be through heists, or the darker side that has been seen through history. Here are five of the most memorable films to feature gambling:

Casino

It is fair to say that Martin Scorsese is a master of the art of making movies. Coming off Goodfellas, many wondered how he could top it. The answer was to continue the success with Robert De Niro and to bring us Casino. Teaming the actor up with Joe Pesci once more, we saw both the charismatic side of the history of Las Vegas, as well as its darker side in a movie that has stuck with us for many years.

Ocean’s Eleven

With rumours of a female remake, this would be the third version of Ocean’s Eleven. Whether it be the “Rat Pack” original, the George Clooney and Brad Pitt remake, or this rumoured new version, there is a lot of love for the Ocean’s movies. This has been through not only the choosing of a strong cast, but also the idea of pulling off one of the biggest heists in Las Vegas history, and that is a narrative you can never go wrong with.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Guy Ritchie exploded onto the film scene with this film which brought the heist movie to British cinema. Featuring the Cockney charmer characters, and even a sneaky homage to the Italian Job, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels not only raised Ritchie to the heights of Hollywood glory but also raised the profile of a certain James Statham too.

Casino Royale

You can’t have a list about gambling movies without a bit of James Bond. When Daniel Craig was given the role of the iconic secret agent, many questioned if he could make the role his. In one of the most iconic scenes of his tenure we saw him take part in a card game more dangerous that any online poker game could be as he fought off the effects of poison. Thankfully he survived and by the end of the movie Bond fans knew that the actor was up to the part.

Rounders

Rounders is an interesting film because it takes gambling outside of the glitzy world of the casino and gives it a more street feel. Starring an up and coming Matt Damon and Ed Norton, Gretchen Mol managed to steal a few of the scenes she was in. The real star in this movie though was the card games which were used as a tool by Damon’s character to win back money to pay off old debts. Featuring some of the most dramatic poker games on screen, this is one movie hard to forget.

We all have our favourite gambling movies, and these are just a few chosen to include on this list. One thing we know for sure though is the love of the pastime not only by the people who partake in it, but also the film fans who enjoy those classic moments put to screen.

Posted in News |

Five Bingo Scenes in Movies

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Barey Gusey
"Inglourious Basterds" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Inglourious Basterds" Japanese Theatrical Poster

At the heart of the game of bingo is a fairly basic game, this is what can make it so fun. Whether you play it at your favourite bingo hall or choose to do it online, you’ll know the rules of the game and how it works, and even recognised its use in movies. Here are some films that have used the game of bingo, with some in fairly unusual ways:

Inglorious Basterds

While not literally a game of Bingo, the interrogation by Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) is memorable because of the way he incorporates the phrase into the scene by uttering the words ‘that’s a bingo’. His aim of course is to get the truth out of Brad Pitt’s character and to put all the jigsaw pieces together to work out the assassination plot. His “bingo” moment is when he believes he has confirmed everything (even if he is incorrect in his usage).

Hotel Transylvania

While being a film that is perfect for all the family, the tale of a hotel made for monster has its fill of jokes that are more aimed at adults. One of the more memorable scenes from the film is the attempt at a game of bingo that includes skulls and beasts that are more intent on eating their bingo cards than actually playing the game. This is a funny scene that works well with both adults and children alike.

Bad Grandpa

Johnny Knoxville’s Irving Zisman is a character so popular that he managed to make his way out of the Jackass show and films themselves and made it to his own movie. In one of his most memorable scenes he goes on a trip to a bingo hall to create as much chaos as possible. In his attempt to not only drink some of the pen ink, but also chat up some of the patrons of the game, it was not only funny but quite charming to see the people around him take more enjoyment than offense in his weird actions.

Rampage

This may be a movie with a darker edge, but Rampage still has an interesting use for Bingo. Featuring a hitman walking through the bingo hall picking off participants in a game, the scene is memorable for the fact that players are too engrossed in their game to care about what is going on around them. Surely there is some kind of social commentary about gaming in this, but that is for the audience to decide.

Bingo – The Documentary

We’ve included this documentary by John Jeffcoat in the list because, for fans of the game this is surely going to be the most interesting look at the pastime. Featuring interviews with players it looks into the experiences on a personal level and why people are so in love with it. No doubt it would be just as interesting to see why players look to play bingo, and if the experience in the halls, and on the Internet are the same, or different.

There are many films that use various of the bingo game to provide their entertainment. What the ones we have listed here show is that the use of bingo doesn’t have to be so literal, but can be used in a more abstract sense, while still being interesting for fans of the game.

Posted in News |

American Ninja Saga | Blu-ray (Olive Films)

Posted on May 26, 2016 by JJ Bona

American Ninja 1-4 | Blu-ray & DVD (Olive Films)

RELEASE DATE: August 16, 2016

Ready for an American Ninja overdose? On August 16, 2016, Olive Films will be releasing 1985’s American Ninja, 1987’s American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, 1989’s American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt and 1990’s American Ninja 4: The Annihilation on Blu-ray and DVD.

Join Michael Dudikoff (Avenging Force), David Bradley (American Samurai) and Steve James (The Delta Force) as they take on an army of evil ninja and other baddies in this popular action/martial arts series made famous by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus’s Cannon Films company.

Here’s a glimpse of each title’s special features:

American Ninja (pre-order)

  • Audio Commentary with director Sam Firstenberg
  • “A Rumble in The Jungle” – The Making of American Ninja: Featuring interviews with director Sam Firstenberg, actors Michael Dudikoff and Judie Aronson, Screenwriter Paul De Mielche and Stunt Co-ordinator Steve Lambert
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Optional English SDH subtitles

American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (pre-order)

  • Audio Commentary with director Sam Firstenberg
  • “An American Ninja in Cape Town” – The Making of American Ninja 2: Featuring interviews with Director Sam Firstenberg, actors Michael Dudikoff and Gary Conway, Executive Producer Avi Lerner and Stunt Co-ordinator BJ Davis
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Optional English SDH subtitles

American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt (pre-order)

  • “Strike Me Deadly” – The making of American Ninja 3: Featuring interviews with Director Cedric Sundstrom, Executive Producer Avi Lerner, and actor Gary Conway
  • David Bradley Audition Tape
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Optional English SDH subtitles

American Ninja 4: The Annihilation (pre-order)

  • “Last Tango in Lesotho” – The making of American Ninja 4: Featuring interviews with Director Cedric Sundstrom, Executive Producer Avi Lerner, and actor Michael Dudikoff
  • “The Cobra Strikes” Music Video
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Optional English SDH subtitles

*In case you’re wondering, American Ninja 5 is not part of this release wave.

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

Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung (1992) Review

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Paul Bramhall
"Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung" VHS Cover

“Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung” VHS Cover

AKA: Great Hero from China
Director: Lee Chiu
Cast: Chin Kar Lok, Lam Ching Ying, Jacqueline Ng, Suen Kwok Ming, Kwan Hoi San, Chan Siu Pang
Running Time: 93 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The name of Chin Kar Lok should be one that needs no introduction to anyone who considers themselves a fan of Hong Kong action cinema. The current president of the Hong Kong Stuntman Association and respected action director, back in the golden era of HK action cinema that was the 1980’s, Kar Lok was one the most fearless stuntmen working in the industry. As a member of Sammo Hung’s Stuntman Association, chances are if you were watching a Jackie or Sammo movie and saw a thug go crashing out of a third floor window / get mowed down by a speeding car / take a painful looking fall on the receiving end of a kick or punch, it would be Kar Lok.

As well as the stunt work, his physical dexterity saw him doubling for moves that even someone like Jackie Chan couldn’t pull off. In Dragons Forever, both the head over heels kick performed on the steps of the boat, and the finishing 360 helicopter kick to Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez are performed by Kar Lok, a fact that once known becomes blatantly apparent upon watching. So understandably, by the beginning of the 90’s, while Kar Lok’s older brother Chin Siu Ho was already an established leading man in the kung fu movie world, the decision was made to also thrust the younger Chin sibling into starring status.

Kar Lok’s most well remembered leading role remains as the hero in Operation Scorpio, were he famously took on Korean super kicker Won Jin using the unorthodox method of eel kung fu. Outside of Operation Scorpio though, he must also be the only actor to have played three legendary characters in the space of 4 short years – in 1991 he assumed the mantle of Wisely in Bury Me High, then a year later he stepped into the shoes of Wong Fei Hung in Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung, before donning the mask of Kato in 1994’s The Green Hornet. Out of the three productions, I always found his take on Wong Fei Hung to be the most curious.

Released the same year as Once Upon a Time in China II, whoever made the decision to go up against Jet Li’s take on the historical figure most likely never worked again. That’s not to say that Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung doesn’t come with its own pedigree of talent.  Once Upon a Time in China II may have had Donnie Yen as the villain (all be it before Donnie Yen became ‘Donnie Yen!’), but Kar Lok had a foe in the form of kung fu cinema legend Lam Ching Ying. Made just a couple of years before his untimely death, Ching Ying was well known for wanting to get away from the Mr. Vampire styled Taoist priest roles that he’d found himself typecast in, since taking the lead in the 1985 seminal classic.

Here he plays a wandering Japanese samurai, who’s only wish is to take on the most famous Chinese martial artists in order to prove that he’s the best. Indeed in many ways his character is reminiscent of Frankie Chan’s role in The Prodigal Son, however his musings feel straight out of a Chor Yuen directed Shaw Brothers wuxia, as he dwells on how it’s lonely at the top, and that whoever eventually beats him will be destined to the same loneliness. Deep stuff, however beyond his words he’s very much a 2-dimensional antagonist, one who arrives on the scene via landing on top of a flying coffin and announcing that he wants to challenge Fei Hung’s father. If nothing else, it’s certainly an arrival that serves as a reminder that we’re watching an early 90’s new wave movie.

The pairing of Kar Lok and Ching Ying must have worked well together, as it would be Ching Ying who’d step into the director’s chair for The Green Hornet, giving the lead role to Kar Lok. Beyond having two of the most physically gifted martial artists in the same movie though, much of Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung falls flat. It would be easy to blame it on the patchy storyline, one that fails to really build any significant threat or serious villain to propel it forward. There are times when you can almost imagine director Lee Chiu, the man behind such old school efforts as Crippled Kung Fu Boxer and Kung Fu from Beyond the Grave, trying to figure out which way to take the plot.

A perfect example is the fact that Ching Ying actually turns out to be an honourable opponent, however when he first bursts onto the screen he ends up driving a spear through one of Fei Hung’s classmates chest, sending him to his death. It’s a scene which screams your usual Japanese villain, however it turns out that the killing is literally only there as a plot device, so that Fei Hung has an excuse to fight him in the finale. Despite these strained moments, Kar Lok’s budding relationship with Ching Ying’s sister, played by Ng Suet Man, is charming enough, and pre-dates the same Chinese-Japanese romantic relationship theme that would be used in Fist of Legend by a couple of years.

As I mentioned, it would be easy to blame the movie falling short of being a complete success on the ropey storytelling, however that’s really only half the story. The other half is Kar Lok himself. From the mid-90’s his lack of leading roles becomes glaringly conspicuous, as he fell back into supporting parts and TV work, and the reason why becomes immediately apparent whenever watching one of his movies. He has amazing physical talents, but what he doesn’t have is any real charisma or screen presence. The truth is that, whenever he’s onscreen for more than a couple of minutes with no action to perform, things get boring and dull very fast. The same spark that he has whenever his fist or feet are called into action, just wasn’t there when it came to acting, which is essential if you want to carry a whole movie on your shoulders.

Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung suffers from this issue like his other movies do, and it’s perhaps telling that for some scenes he disappears all together, instead having the focus turned to inconsequential supporting characters, ones that at least have some energy and character to them. That being said though, the moment Kar Lok does spring into action, your eyes are immediately glued to the screen. The fight choreography here was done by Lau Kar Leung regular Hsaio Hou, and Deadful Melody director Ng Min Kan. Expectedly, the pairing results in a perfect combination of old school meets new wave action. There’s occasional use of wirework, both for jumps and power hits, sending the recipients flying into breakable walls and tables with a satisfying level of impact. However there’s also plenty of grounded action, featuring some fantastic kicking and hand to hand exchanges, thanks not only to Kar Lok, but also the likes of co-stars Suen Kwok Ming and Kong Miu Deng.

While Kar Lok gets to let loose on several occasions during the runtime, I was left with the impression that Ching Ying was somewhat underused. He does get a few fight scenes, however his role as a samurai has all of his fights being performed katana in hand, so we never get to see any of that blistering Wing Chun handwork that was witnessed in the likes of The Prodigal Son. His fights also rely on wirework more than others, and I was unable to decide if the reason why his character is wearing a wide straw hat is because he was being doubled in some shots. That being said, if you can put aside your memory of knowing what Ching Ying is capable of, his character is still an entertaining one, and fans of new wave action will definitely have little to complain about.

The promise of a Chin Kar Lok versus Lam Ching Ying match-up in a period kung-fu movie is of course the reason most fans will be checking out Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung, and the said match-up is indeed delivered. It pits an umbrella wielding Kar Lok against Ching Ying armed with a katana, in the confines of a relatively cramped barn (most likely inspired by the Jet Li versus Yen Shi Kwan fight in Once Upon a Time in China, only minus the ladders), and again the choreography goes for a mix of both grounded exchanges and high flying clashes. Surprisingly, the most effective part of the fight is the music. We learn earlier on that Ching Ying trains to the rhythm of his sisters flute playing, and in the finale, as she’s left to watch on as her potential suitor and brother battle each other, she begins to play a melancholy tune. The intensity of the choreography, set to the sombre flute playing, elevated the scene to carry a certain level of feeling and emotion, despite it being admittedly undeserved.

All things considered, Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung is a difficult movie to rate. It has plenty of kung fu action, and it’s of a high quality, but it may not be the type of kung fu action audiences are expecting, and in a way that kind of summarises the whole movie. It delivers on what you’re expecting, most likely it just doesn’t deliver how you were expecting it. For those willing to look past Chin Kar Lok’s flat performance, and an occasionally nonsensical plot, then it could well be worth a look, but one thing it definitely isn’t, is Once Upon a Time in China II.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 5.5/10

Notes: (i) It’s probably a fair warning to mention that for those who don’t enjoy animal cruelty, the final fight in the barn involves a couple of pigeons being caught in the crossfire of Lam Ching Ying’s blade, although it’s nothing on the scale of the chickens in the finale of Outlaw Brothers.

(ii) I watched the Dragon DVD version of the movie, a sub-label of the now defunct UK based Soulblade distributors, and on the DVD cover it states ‘A FILM BY JANG LEE HWANG’. As in Hwang Jang Lee – so just to confirm – everyone’s favorite Korean boot master had nothing to do with Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung.

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

Shepherd, The: Border Patrol (2008) Review‏

Posted on May 22, 2016 by Kelly Warner
"The Shepherd: Border Patrol" Japanese DVD Cover

“The Shepherd: Border Patrol” Japanese DVD Cover

Director: Isaac Florentine
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Stephen Lord, Natalie J. Robb, Gary McDonald, Daniel Perrone, Scott Adkins, Andrée Bernard, Miles Anderson
Running Time: 95 min.

By Kelly Warner

Who needs a giant wall that costs upwards of $18 billion when you could just hire JCVD to man the border between the US and Mexico? Hey folks, that was me trying to make an eight year old film seem topical in a crazy election year. It’s a reach (but only just a bit) to try to make the film feel relevant to the conversations happening today (and, for that matter, relevant to the discussions we’ve been having over the past couple decades). For while The Shepherd: Border Patrol is an action movie dealing with drug smugglers at war with Border Patrol on the US/Mexico border, it manages to say as little as possible about the desperate illegal immigrants or the failing War on Drugs. It’s an action movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a bunny-toting badass sorting out justice on the border—no more, and a little bit less.

Quiet guy Jack Robideux (Van Damme) arrives in a small New Mexico town carrying a rabbit. He’s not in town for more than a day before he’s breaking limbs in a bar fight and getting chewed out by his Border Patrol boss for being a loose cannon. If that sounds like the setup to an awesome action comedy to you, you’re not alone. Alas, the film flirts with comedy from time to time, but it’s clear that the script and the performers aren’t up to the job as most attempts at humor fall flat on their face. Robideux joins the Border Patrol agents at a time when they’re feeling outmatched against a new influx of drug shipments and violent action from across the border. But this isn’t just any cartel they’re dealing with. A group of ex-Army Special Forces has joined together with a Mexican drug cartel, bringing with them dangerous military tactics and a few lessons learned from the terrorists they previously fought in Afghanistan. Though most Border Patrol agents are more than willing to accept a payoff if it means avoiding conflict with ex-Special Forces, Jack Robideux is a standup guy that never backs down from a fight.

In the early goings, the Special Forces guys strap explosive C4 vests to the coyotes smuggling drugs and illegals across the border. The concept is both disturbing and also really effective. If the Border Patrol knows that the guys they’re trying to tackle to the ground are strapped to a bomb, maybe they’ll turn a blind eye. The tactic works… and then it’s immediately abandoned as the Special Forces go into their next phase, which includes turning a bus into a heavily armed mobile fortress. They cruise this thing across the border and end up in a firefight with Robideux, which sets off a series of violent shootouts as the fight heads back to Mexico.

The film features plenty of strong action sequences, mixing shoot ’em up gunplay with well-choreographed hand-to-hand martial arts. Van Damme’s fight scenes in The Shepherd are some of the best you’ll see from him in recent years. The big fight comes at the end when he must square off against Scott Adkins (Wolf Warrior), which allows both stars to pull off some good moves. The action of The Shepherd showcases brutal realism, sometimes bordering on becoming unsettling as we watch helpless innocents get gunned down in the crossfire between heroes and villains. The film is directed by Isaac Florentine (Close Range) and was made as the filmmaker was transitioning from low-budget action movies nobody talked about to the low-budget action movies that seemingly everybody talked about. Florentine’s done far superior work as a director in other films but there are a few flashes of style here that I enjoyed. He employs extreme close-ups and makes good use of every corner of the screen, reminding one of Sergio Leone’s trademark style at times, which fits the film’s Western themes. Florentine also uses zooms here more than most directors today would, which lends it the look of a 1970’s action film.

The story is a bit of a mess, though. Why did the Special Forces soldiers turn their backs on their country and become drug smugglers? Well, it’s a little vague, but I think they were upset that they weren’t celebrated as heroes for their time in Afghanistan… which seems like an unconvincing rallying cry, especially if that’s all it took to convince multiple men to join the cartel, fight the law, and kill civilians. Jack Robideux’s motivations make more sense, even if it’s drawn-out and doesn’t fully excuse Van Damme’s overly somber performance. Turns out his daughter (played by Bianca Brigitte Van Damme) overdosed on drugs, which made the narcos Robideux’s personal nemesis. For his character, this isn’t about saving America from drugs and violence, it’s about striking out at the smugglers—any smugglers—and getting some sweet revenge. There are other inexplicable character moments. Later on, the villains kill a civilian who meant something to Robideux’s boss. When Robideux offers his condolences, we are treated to a flashback to remind us of who he’s talking about—it’s actually a smart move, because the character seemed like little more than a glorified extra before his death, and so we didn’t know we were supposed to care that he died. It’s the sort of addition that feels like a last minute rewrite to add more drama, but they forgot to add that drama earlier on so they just threw it all on the tail end of the story.

There’s some entertainment to be had watching The Shepherd, though it doesn’t make up for the rest of the time when the film is dead on its feet thanks to poor writing and lame acting. A repeated joke has someone spilling coffee on Van Damme’s uniform. In the second instance, everyone’s laughing while he grumbles and walks off to change. That’s comedy! The Special Forces bad guys complain about America not appreciating their sacrifices, while they kill Americans. That’s… I’m not sure what that is. Irony? Credited to Hell on Wheels co-creator Joe Gayton and former Navy SEAL Cade Courtley (his only screenwriting credit to this point), the screenplay is a rambling, tone-deaf sideshow to the complex border situation. If there’s anything it’s actually trying to say about the War on Drugs or the US/Mexico border, the message is lost underneath the stupid tough guy dialogue, caricatures of slimy politicians, and set pieces that test your suspension of disbelief.

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 5/10

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

Corpse Party | DVD (Section 23)

Posted on May 22, 2016 by JJ Bona
"Corpse Party" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Corpse Party" Japanese Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: September 27, 2016

Section 23 presents the DVD for Masafumi Yamada’s Corpse Party, a live action movie adaptation of a survival horror video game series originally created by Makoto Kedoin and developed by Team GrisGris.

On the last day of a high school festival, students are locked up at Tenjin Elementary School, where a horrific murder once took place.

Corpse Party stars Rina Ikoma, Ryousuke Ikeoka, Nozomi Maeda, Jun, Yoko Kita, Reina Visa, Ryotaro, and Ayu Matura. | Trailer.

Pre-order Corpse Party from Amazon.com today.

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

Coin Locker Girl | aka Chinatown (2014) Review

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Paul Bramhall
"Coin Locker Girl" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Coin Locker Girl” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Han Jun-Hee
Cast: Kim Hye-Soo, Kim Go-Eun, Um Tae-Goo, Park Bo-Gum, Ko Gyung-Pyo, Lee Soo-Kyung, Cho Hyun-Chul, Jo Bok-Rae, Lee Dae-Yeon, Ki Joo-Bong
Running Time: 110 min.

By Paul Bramhall

As anyone who’s seen any number of Korean gangster movies will know, rarely are they complete without a scene in a basement carpark, a setting which never fails to lend itself to knife wielding figures of the underworld partaking in varying degrees of bloodshed. To that end, Coin Locker Girl jumps straight into the thick of things, as proceedings open with a character already sprawled on the floor of a basement carpark, a knife wielding assailant standing over them as blood drips off the freshly used blade. Had it been any other gangster movie, the scene would probably come across as remarkably familiar, however what sets this scene apart from those that have gone before it, is that both characters are women.

The women in question are played by an almost unrecognizable Kim Hye-soo, and newcomer on the block Kim Go-eun. Hye-soo, known for her roles in the likes of Kick the Moon, and Choi Dong-hoon’s Tazza: The High Rollers and The Thieves, here has her beauty hidden under some very effective aged make-up, a shock of grey hair, and some frumpy body padding. Go-eun on the other hand effectively portrays a young adult, one whose life has been moulded and controlled by influences that are only looking out for their own interests. After being severely miscast in Memories of the Sword, made the same year, her role here shows the same level of talent that initially brought her to the attention of critics and audiences alike, in 2012’s A Muse.

The opening scene with the pair is a refreshing sight in a genre that’s overcrowded with masculinity, and is no doubt thanks to first time director Han Jun-hee, here working from her own script. The female leads aren’t the only aspect of Coin Locker Girl that gives it a distinct feel of its own. As the Korean title suggests, the setting is in Incheon’s small cluster of streets that make up what became Korea’s first Chinatown. With so many Korean movies limited to taking place either in Seoul, or in one of the provincial small towns, it makes for a welcome change to be immersed in the distinctly different streets of Chinatown. It’s immediately noticeable that the buildings have both Chinese language signage as well as Korean, and the gritty dockside location and gloomy whether set up a suitably brooding atmosphere.

The plot of Coin Locker Girl focuses on the tale of a new born baby discovered in a train station coin locker by a homeless man. Seven years later, during a routine clear up of the many homeless people residing in the station, a heavily in debt corrupt detective notices the young child amongst the sea of down and out faces, and makes the decision to sell her off to the loan shark (Hye-soo) he’s indebted to. Fast forward a decade, and the girl (Go-eun) has become part of the loan sharks ‘family’, having become suitably effective at debt collecting. However when one of the debtors she’s sent after turns out to be a kind hearted young man, saddled with his father’s debts who’s escaped to the Philippines, she finds herself unable to go through with the grim ending that most who can’t pay up meet with. When her adopted mother gets wind of the indiscretion, it sets off a trail of bloody violence and revenge.

On paper, the synopsis for Coin Locker Girl may sound like a female take of Kim Jee-woon’s seminal classic A Bittersweet Life, however this would be to dismiss Jun-hee’s debut too easily. While the similarities are undeniably there, A Bittersweet Life cast its focus mainly through the unspoken feelings between Lee Byung-hun’s enforcer and Sin Min-ah’s gangsters moll, while Coin Locker Girl chooses to focus on the dynamics of the relationship between Go-eun and Hye-soo. There’s a running theme throughout Coin Locker Girl, which has Hye-soo bringing up which of her ‘family’ members are still useful, and which have become useless. Initially, Go-eun’s only real goal in life seems to be to remain useful to her adopted Mum, however as the plot progresses, the dynamic is interestingly switched, until it gets to a point were Hye-soo directs her own question at herself.

The journey that Coin Locker Girl takes us on, while never anything less than engaging, is a decidedly dark and grim one. At the end of 110 minutes, there’s not many people left breathing, and many of them have met decidedly painful deaths. The relentlessly dark tone will definitely not appeal to everyone, and Jun-hee’s decision to play things poker faced throughout make some of the events that unfold an unforgiving experience for the viewer. While movies like Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance tackle similar dark themes and grim scenarios, director Park Chan-wook injected his production with some blacker than black humor, which popped up in the most unexpected scenes. Coin Locker Girl could probably have benefitted from a similar deft touch, to lighten proceedings just slightly, however for a directorial debut, this is a minor quibble.

If any aspect of Coin Locker Girl really sticks out like a sore thumb, it would have to be Park Bo-geom’s performance. The young actor plays the son of a businessman who is heavily in debt to Hye-soo, and is apparently working in the Philippines to pay it off. Hye-soo tracks down the address of Bo-geom, and sends Go-eun to collect. However instead of making a run for it, upon arriving at the apartment, he cheerfully invites her in, and is soon cooking up a pasta dish so that she can have something to eat. The intention is obviously to provide a contrast to the cold harsh world Go-eun usually resides in, next to the world of someone that genuinely cares and takes an interest in her life. In fairness to Bo-geom, his overly cheerful demeanour is not the only issue, as the script also goes a little too far. One scene has Go-eun desperately begging him to run away, but all he seems to care about is that her shoelace is undone, even going so far as to bend down and tie it. Scenes such as this only result in taking the viewer out of the movie.

Despite Bo-geom’s character more closely resembling a glowing ray of sunshine than an actual human, his role is integral to the plot, and the consequences of Go-eun’s brief insight into how life could be are both swift and brutal. Indeed in contrast to Bo-geom, Hye-soo’s character of Mom (a term which she’s referred to by everyone) is remarkably detached and cruel, so much so that it’s difficult to relate to what her intentions and motivations could be. Not only is she a loan shark, but she also dabbles in fake ID’s for Chinese immigrants, with an organ trafficking business on the side. The concept of debtors paying what they owe with their organs has been used before in Korean cinema, most notably in Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta, however here it feels particularly nasty and cruel. While we’re given vague hints at Hye-soo’s past, the script stops short of providing us with enough to connect the dots entirely, and as a result even a last act moment of redemption seems questionable against the backdrop of cruelty which has gone before it.

While the motivations of her character remain murky, both Hye-soo and Go-eun’s performances effectively embody the nature of the roles they’re playing, and as is often the case with Korean gangster flicks, the ending doesn’t back down from showing the consequences of their actions. Far from being a bloodbath in the style of A Bittersweet Life or Man in High Heels though, the expected confrontation between the pair is surprisingly low key, a risky decision, but one which perfectly works considering the context in which it’s taking place in.

Despite the familiar plot, Coin Locker Girl marks itself as an impressive debut from Han Jun-hee, thanks in no small part to the performances of its leads. It’s been a long time since there’s been a female-centric gangster movie out of Korea, with the last installment of the My Wife is a Gangster trilogy already a decade old, so many would consider it long overdue. Jun-hee is definitely a talent to keep an eye on, and no doubt fans of the gangster genre will walk away satisfied, which in a genre that’s already overcrowded, should be considered no mean feat.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Shanghai (2010) Review

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Kelly Warner
"Shanghai" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Shanghai” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Mikael Håfström
Writer: Hossein Amini
Cast: John Cusack, Chow Yun-fat, Gong Li, Ken Watanabe, Rinko Kikuchi, David Morse, Franka Potente, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Hugh Bonneville, Benedict Wong
Running Time: 105 min.

By Kyle Warner

Once upon a time, Shanghai had a considerable amount of buzz surrounding it, with some dreaming up award talk considering its stellar cast of international talent, and others more realistically just hoping for a cool WWII-period thriller. If that seems like a long time ago, that’s because it was. Shanghai took some years to get made and then took just about as long to arrive in US theatres. Despite being a US-based Weinstein Company production, Shanghai made it to international theatre screens in 2010 and was delayed and then seemingly forgotten about for domestic release. Film fans, myself included, waited and waited for the film to finally arrive. In that time, we listened for reactions from foreign audiences… and heard crickets instead. The buzz quickly died and anticipation died with it.

Unless you were paying close attention, you might’ve missed that The Weinstein Company finally gave Shanghai a US release in late 2015, unceremoniously dumping it onto 100 screens for two weeks without any noticeable attempt to promote the film. Shanghai is said to have cost fifty million dollars to make. It raked in $46,425 in domestic sales and close to ten million dollars in foreign tickets. I don’t know why it took such a frustratingly long time to make it to the US, other than to say that the Weinsteins have a history of doing similar things. Was it worth the wait? Sadly, no, but I think we had a strong feeling that it wouldn’t be by now. It’s not a complete failure of a film, and seeing some of the best dramatic stars of Asia square off in a Hollywood production should be fun for some fans. But Shanghai can’t escape the feeling that it’s not half the film it should’ve or could’ve been.

In the final weeks leading up to Pearl Harbor, Shanghai was one of the last major Chinese cities not under Japanese control. At that point, America was not directly involved in the fight in the Pacific, so Americans in Shanghai found themselves in the difficult position of acting neutral to both sides. Spy Paul Soames (John Cusack) arrives in the city looking to unravel the mystery of a murdered friend and colleague (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and a missing Japanese woman (an uncredited Rinko Kikuchi).

*Beware of possible spoilers in the following paragraph*

People make fun of Sean Bean for dying in almost all of his movies, but Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) has found himself time and again playing the guy that’s killed off in his first scene, with his death sparking major plot developments going forward. It’s so strange. You want a guy to play a murdered comrade? Call up Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Here Morgan plays a spy that’s suspicious of Japan’s intentions in the Pacific. Before he can figure it all out, someone cuts his throat and the mystery then becomes John Cusack’s to solve.

*End of possible spoilers*

With an impressive backdrop of a city in chaos, Cusack meets all the dangerous players of Shanghai. Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai) plays Japan’s top spy and military advisor in the city. Chow Yun-fat (Hard Boiled) plays a Triad kingpin who reluctantly takes orders from the Japanese in order to remain in a position of power. And Gong Li (2046) plays Chow’s wife, who is secretly a high-ranking member of the Chinese Resistance. It’s a nice collection of characters, played by actors who give it their all despite some clunky narrative choices.

It has all the pieces to make for a fine film noir but it never manages the look and feel. Director Mikael Håfström (Escape Plan) worked with Cusack before on the effectively creepy Stephen King adaptation 1408. That film had no shortage of ideas but Håfström’s work in Shanghai shows a lack of any kind of coalescing style and mood, largely bungling the good work done by some of his cast and crew. The film’s a bumpy ride and it sometimes teeters on the edge of becoming a boring one.

The screenplay by Hossein Amini (Drive) has its own issues. The mystery is never as interesting as it should be. We don’t care about Jeffrey Dean Morgan, because who was he to us? Nobody. Similarly, the missing Rinko Kikuchi doesn’t inspire much intrigue, as the stakes of who finds her first is never as clear as it should be. The worst part of the screenplay is the voiceover narration spoken by John Cusack’s character. The voiceover serves to set the film noir mood and fill in the blanks between scenes but it makes for some dull storytelling.

The constant, uninterested droning of Cusack’s spy is probably meant to remind one of a Humphrey Bogart antihero. Instead it just serves as a reminder of how disinterested Cusack can make himself seem. Cusack performs a bit better onscreen than he does when we get to hear the thoughts inside his head, but I think it’s fair to say that he’s the weak link of the headlining cast. Gong Li, who’s as luminous as ever, gives us her best English-language performance as the femme fatale, Anna. Though her forbidden romance with Cusack never smolders, she does good work as the conflicted female lead of the film. Ken Watanabe, the West’s favorite Japanese actor of modern film, manages to find a way to the marrow of his rather simplistic villain. Chow Yun-fat plays the 1940’s gun-toting playboy gangster with effortless skill. Charming, funny, and cool, Chow’s the film’s MVP and Shanghai definitely could’ve used more of him.

Shanghai is not the war-time spy thriller we’d hoped for. But it’s also not the disaster that we’ve been led to believe, either. There are pieces here that work, including its international cast and strong production values that really sell the period setting. However, poor direction and uninteresting plot twists make for a rather dull affair overall. The story within Shanghai is one worth telling… it’s just not told very well.

Kyle Warner’s Rating: 5/10

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

Deal on Fire! Red Belt | Blu-ray | Only $8.93 – Expires soon!

Posted on May 17, 2016 by JJ Bona
"Red Belt" Blu-ray Cover

"Red Belt" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Red Belt, directed by David Mamet (Homicide) and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave). It’s a film that City on Fire can’t recommend enough – read our review!

A fateful event leads to a job in the film business for top mixed-martial arts instructor Mike Terry (Ejiofor).

Red Belt also stars Max Martini (Pacific Rim), Alice Braga (Predators), Randy Couture (The Expendables), Rodrigo Santoro (300), Joe Mantegna, Tim Allen and a special appearance by Dan Inosanto (Game of Death).

Order Red Belt from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |
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