Great Hypnotist, The (2014) Review

"The Great Hypnotist" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“The Great Hypnotist” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Leste Chen
Writer: Endrix Ren, Leste Chen
Cast: Xu Zheng, Karen Mok, Hu Jing, Li Fangcong, David Wang, Lu Zhong, Yang Kaidi, Guan Le, Dai Ming, Song Ci, Jiang Ditong, Jin Shunzi, Yin Hang, Song Yanzhou
Running Time: 102 min.

By Kelly Warner

You know how sometimes you’re watching a film and think, ‘I bet so-and-so would really enjoy this movie’? Well, I’m willing to bet that M. Night Shyamalan would really dig The Great Hypnotist. A psychological thriller that withholds its secrets until the final act and then yanks you on a hard right, throws a plot twist at you that completely changes your understanding of the film’s world, and leaves you putting together the pieces like a drunk working on a puzzle in the dying light. When the plot twist is delivered, I suspect half the audience is going, “Now hold on one gosh-darned minute,” while the other half is muttering to themselves, “Ohhhh, now I see…” And then the solitary figure of M. Night Shyamalan stands up in the middle of the crowded theatre and exclaims, “What a twist!” … Yep, it’s that kind of a movie.

Before the twist, we have two main characters that dominate the film. Xu Zheng plays famous psychiatrist Dr. Ruining Xu, who specializes in hypnotherapy. A former teacher comes to him with a difficult case: a woman who claims she can see ghosts. Xu reluctantly agrees to meet the woman after hearing how she’s scared off all other psychiatrists and has proven exceptionally difficult to treat. Karen Mok’s Ren walks into his office and so begins a battle of wills as she tries to convince the doctor of what she’s seen while he tries to cure her of her delusions. But there’s more at play here. The questions begin mounting up and reality starts to bleed away as we’re left unsure of who to believe, doctor or patient.

Thankfully, The Great Hypnotist is more than just a ‘twist movie,’ giving us plenty of dramatic content before the finale. Most the narrative takes place in Dr. Xu’s office while doctor and patient recount stories from the past. When Dr. Xu hypnotizes Ren, he doesn’t exactly follow her into her dreams, but the film’s style suggests something similar. In these moments, it’s like Inception meets HBO’s In Treatment. What I found interesting is that the film gives us two unreliable narrators to tell the story. Dr. Xu is a skeptic that’s more hell-bent on exposing lies than he is in helping people and Ren’s ghostly visions don’t match up with our perceived reality. Who to trust?

Or perhaps more importantly, who do we want to trust? Well, that one’s easy: Ren. The film’s chief flaw is that Dr. Xu is a completely unsympathetic person and I wanted him to be wrong. Arrogant, short-tempered, and showing very little empathy for the people he’s assigned to help… I thought he was a complete asshat. Maybe that was the point? Fiction and film are full of psychiatrists that do more harm than good and it can’t be ignored that the character’s full name is Ruining Xu. I mean, that’s a little on the nose, isn’t it? Still, whatever the intentions of the character, I turned against him long before the end, so some of the later plot developments fell flat for me. Xu Zheng taps into the educated arrogance of the character but fails to find any redemptive qualities (self-pity doesn’t count). He’s good in the back-and-forth with Karen Mok, though, and keeps his side of the story interesting enough when the film is little more than a two part argument in a nicely lit office. I have seen very little of Xu Zheng’s work but he’s fast becoming one of the most popular and profitable actors in China, having starred in and directed two of the country’s biggest box office sensations, Lost in Thailand and Lost in Hong Kong. While I didn’t like his character here, he’s clearly a capable performer and I expect to see much more of him in the future.

Karen Mok has long been one of today’s most underrated actresses, playing basically any part under the sun. With the character of Ren, Mok gets to play with many interesting emotional states that would normally be spread out across multiple roles. Ren is part femme fatale, part confused victim, part scheming intellectual, and part creepy ghost whisperer. It’s a great role and Mok navigates the complicated eccentricities with exceptional skill. The movie will try to draw you in with creepy supernatural promises and a male lead in the prime of his career, but make no mistake; Karen Mok’s the best part of The Great Hypnotist.

The film is directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Leste Chen, who made his directorial debut with 2005’s ghost story The Heirloom. Chen and his crew make their film suitably creepy while also keeping you guessing about whether Ren really sees ghosts or if she’s just a creative liar. However, I found that the supernatural business started strong and then faded before the end. There’s one moment early on that elicited a verbal, “Oh shit!” from this viewer, and I thought that this was Chen setting the tone for things to come. But unfortunately that was the only such moment from the film, and the rest rarely attempts to surprise you and instead only hopes to outwit you.

The film’s not able to remain consistently interesting, perhaps due to its setting or its unlikable male lead. I felt a bit fatigued by the back-and-forth nature of truth and lies before the finale. Despite some ghostly happenings, it’s not a horror film. And despite the twists and turns, it’s not much of a thriller either. The Great Hypnotist is a mystery movie at heart, one that’s sure to appeal to film fans that love it when a story takes them in unexpected directions. Stylish and thought-provoking, The Great Hypnotist is more clever than the usual psychological thriller, but because it fails to forge a connection to its audience it fails to ever become truly involving.

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 6/10

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

Veteran (2015) Review

"Veteran" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Veteran” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
Producer: Kang Hye-Jung
Cast: Hwang Jeong-Min, Yu A-In, Yu Hae-Jin, Oh Dal-Su, Jang Yun-Joo, Oh Dae-Hwan, Kim Si-Hu, Jeong Woong-In, Jeong Man-Sik, Song Young-Chang
Running Time: 123 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Director Ryoo Seung-wan is a familiar name to fans of Korean action cinema, ever since his debut Die Bad in 2000, he’s consistently delivered a series of movies which combine action with a strong narrative. Since his riotous parody of old school Korean action movies with 2008’s Dachimawa Lee, the director has taken a decidedly darker approach, with both The Unjust and The Berlin File exploring the not so pleasant side of life. While both contained plenty of his trademarks, Seung-wan himself expressed a desire to move away from these darker tales, and get back to the type of action movies that he watched in his youth, those that existed in a brighter world where the good guy wins.

Veteran is that return, and is arguably his most successful production to date. At the time of writing, Seung-wan’s latest has surpassed US$1M at the US box office, which is no small feat for a Korean movie, and become the third most watched production of all time domestically. Pushing out Avatar, Korea’s top 3 most watched movies are now all domestic productions released between summer 2014 – summer 2015 (the first is The Admiral: Roaring Currents, and second Ode to My Father), perhaps indicating a new golden era for the Korean film industry.

On watching Veteran, it’s easy to see why. Seung-wan is once again paired with Korea’s best action choreographer and frequent collaborator, Jung Doo-hong, and together the end result is the director’s tightest movie to date. Hwang Jeong-min takes the lead role (also the star of Ode to My Father), and he gets plenty of chances to flex the action muscle which he showed a knack for in Fists of Legend and The New World. Playing an experienced detective, when one of his friends suspiciously attempts to commit suicide, all leads point to an arrogant corporate heir played by Yoo Ah-in. There are a whole bunch of supporting characters, on both sides of the law, however the story basically boils down to Jeong-min trying to get to the truth about what happened to his friend.

Jeong-min and Seung-wan have collaborated together before, when the actor played the lead in the 2010 thriller The Unjust. While in that movie he was also playing a detective, here his role couldn’t be any further away from the previous incarnation. Essentially playing the heart and soul of the movie, Jeong-min confidently swaggers his way though proceedings, never afraid to deliver a punch to the face of someone who deserves it, and thankfully the plot delivers a fair few that do. As the movie opens to the thumping soundtrack of ‘Heart of Glass’ by Blondie, he sets himself up to infiltrate a car smuggling ring, by hiding in the trunk of a vehicle set to be reconditioned. When events transpire that see him alone in a small garage against a group of angry gangsters, a fantastically choreographed scene plays out that displays more than a few nods to Jackie Chan, as various props are utilized in increasingly imaginative ways.

The Jackie Chan influence is also very visible in the way humor is incorporated into the action scenes, with several laugh out loud sight gags thrown in amongst the fists and feet. One aspect of the action which I felt really stuck out in Seung-wan’s previous effort, The Berlin File, was the understanding of how to convey a sense of impact onscreen. In that movie one scene has Ha Jeong-woo being knocked off his feet, landing awkwardly on a ventilation pipe jutting out from a building roof, and it’s filmed in such a way that you genuinely feel it. The sound design and camera angle is just perfect. Seung-wan and Doo-hong have successfully carried over that technique to Veteran, with some truly wince worthy blows and falls thrown into the mix.

Veteran also delivers a stellar cast, with plenty of familiar faces from Seung-wan’s previous movies turning up in various roles. Yoo Hae-jin, who starred alongside Jeong-min in The Unjust, here delivers a repulsive turn as Ah-in’s faithful assistant. Oh Dal-soo, a performer who could well be Korea’s busiest actor working today, turns up as Jeong-min’s closest team member, here hot off the heels from significant roles in both Assassination and opposite Jeong-min in Ode to my Father. Dal-soo also notably had a role in Seung-wan’s 2004 boxing drama Crying Fist.

Ah-in himself could be considered the newcomer of the bunch, and Veteran is by far the biggest production he’s worked on to date. At times his performance threatens to push his villainous upstart into territory which could be considered over the top, however he successfully manages to reel it in just as it’s teetering on the brink each time. His portrayal creates a character that’s easy to hate, which exactly fits the job description of his role, so no complaints.

Notably missing in action is the director’s brother, Ryoo Seung-beom, who usually turns up in some form or another in Seung-wan’s movies, marking the first time he hasn’t appeared since 2006’s City of Violence. Thankfully the movie doesn’t suffer from his absence, and despite a slight lag after a blistering opening third, things are brought back with a bang for the finale, that sees a car chase through the streets of Seoul which is refreshingly CGI free. Seung-wan has stated that a stuntman suffered an almost fatal injury on the set of Veteran, and while he didn’t go into the specifics of which stunt it happened on, watching a couple of impacts during said sequence, it’s probably a safe guess that it was during this scene.

After a container yard throwdown, a frenzied knife fight in a small apartment, a rooftop chase sequence, and a car park beatdown, Jeong-min breaks his fists out one more time to take on Ah-in, in a wonderfully messy knock down drag out street brawl that doesn’t disappoint. It even throws in a hilarious cameo from Ma Dong-seok just for good measure

Seung-wan has openly stated his love for the Lethal Weapon series, and approached Veteran with the series in mind. Stating in a recent interview how he particularly admired the way the cast, director, and production staff remained the same for each movie, the director has confirmed that there’ll be two sequels to Veteran. While we won’t be seeing the next installment for at least a couple of years, if it’s anything like the first one, you can count me in.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 8/10

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

Deal on Fire! Once Upon a Time in Shanghai | Only $9.99 – Expires soon!

Once Upon A Time in Shanghai | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Once Upon A Time in Shanghai | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (read our review), a martial arts film directed by Wong Ching Po (Let’s Go!) with action choreography from the legendary Yuen Woo-ping (The Matrix).

The plot involves a laborer who moves to Shanghai in the hope of becoming rich, but ends up using his kung fu skills to survive. The cast includes Phillip Ng (Bodyguards & Assassins), Andy On (Special Identity), Luxia Jiang (True Legend) and Sammo Hung (Kill Zone). Watch the trailer.

Order Once Upon A Time in Shanghai from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Scott Adkins to take on Al Capone in ‘The Returner’

"Zero Tolerance" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Zero Tolerance" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Scott Adkins (Wolf Warrior, Zero Tolerance) is reuniting with William Kaufman (Jarhead 3: The Siege) for The Returner, a fantasy action film that echoes both Death Wish and The Crow. The film will be written and produced by Chad Law (6 Bullets, Close Range).

According to Deadline, Adkins will star as Piper, the owner of a speakeasy who refuses to sell Al Capone’s booze during Prohibition and pays the ultimate price. After Piper and his family are murdered, he mysteriously returns from the grave; a revenant, he has nine lives to exact vengeance — and possibly rewrite history.

Be sure to read about Adkins’ other forthcoming projects, which include Hard Target 2, Eliminators and Undisputed IV – not to mention a role in Marvel’s Doctor Strange.

We’ll keep you updated on The Returner as more news is available.

Posted in News |

Hard Corps, The (2006) Review

"The Hard Corps" Japanese DVD Cover

“The Hard Corps” Japanese DVD Cover

AKA: The Defender
Director: Sheldon Lettich
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Razaaq Adoti, Vivica A. Fox, Peter Bryant, Ron Bottitta, Viv Leacock, Adrian Holmes, Mark Griffin, Aaron Au, Dexter Bell
Running Time: 110 min.

By Kelly Warner

When a movie is a direct-to-DVD release, it comes with certain (usually lowered) expectations. We typically expect something low budget, often with subpar acting, and just enough of the right genre ingredients to appease that genre’s less discerning fans. The Hard Corps fits those expectations pretty well, but it does offer up a few things that set it apart. The film looks pretty good despite its low budget, it gives us some characterization with real depth, and the story (though far-fetched) does come to a satisfying conclusion… However, along the way The Hard Corps largely skimps on the action, likely letting down the primary audience who just showed up to watch JCVD kick some ass for a couple hours.

Jean-Claude Van Damme plays Sauvage, a soldier who’s recently come home from Iraq. Suffering from PTSD, he spends most of his time in a veteran’s hospital until an old war buddy comes to him with a job opportunity. Boxing champion Wayne Barclay (Razaaq Adoti) is in danger now that a rap music producer with a grudge has gotten out of jail. At the behest of Barclay’s sister (Vivica A. Fox), Barclay’s head of security hires Sauvage and his war buddy to protect the boxer while the angry rap producer comes gunning for his life. This is a film that attempts to mix the Iraq War with boxing and the dark side of the music industry. That’s a lot of competing worlds fighting for space in one movie.

It’s not long before Sauvage finds himself the leader of Barclay’s protection team. He then makes up his mind to fill the ranks with boxers, martial artists, and one of his other old war buddies. During all of this, Sauvage grows closer to Barclay’s sister, while Barclay develops suspicions about Sauvage’s wartime history and his time apparently spent in a psychiatric hospital following the war.

One thing that The Hard Corps succeeds at that other similar films do not is that it cares about character development. Van Damme’s Sauvage begins as a broken man who rediscovers his purpose as a man of action. The boxer Barclay learns to trust and put his life in other people’s hands. And Barclay’s sister Tamara gradually grows closer to Sauvage, beginning what looks like a romance despite Sauvage’s distant nature. Van Damme is good in the lead role, mixing drama with his usual action star moves. Though not as lively as some of Van Damme’s best work, his performance here is sure to satisfy fans. Razaaq Adoti (Second in Command) is okay as Barclay. The film has some dopey dialogue that would’ve been tough for the greatest of actors and Adoti is not in that class. Vivica A. Fox (Kill Bill) has never really been thought of as a top talent in the dramatic acting category, but she has a likable nature and she uses that here, providing the film with a bit of levity when the rest of the story is brooding and angry. Without her, I think the film would’ve drowned in testosterone.

The film’s major weakness is that it takes too long to get to the point, particularly in regards to just why this rap music convict has it in for Barclay. Played by Viv Leacock (I Spy), the bad guy Terrell Singletery is laughably over-the-top. He kills his own men, feeds people to dogs, and sends hitmen after Barclay almost daily and the cops never seem to care. Now, there are a few twists that I don’t wish to divulge, but suffice it to say that this whole thing is more than a bit far-fetched. I think the plot would’ve played better if it’d been more open with the audience. All the important things are withheld until the final act—Sauvage’s wartime history, the rapper villain’s history with Barclay, etc.—and I think we should’ve gotten some of the facts before then. At some point, especially in the case of the villain’s motivations, we need to know why there’s a beef between these guys if they expect us to remain invested in the story. They keep their secrets too long and I suspect some viewers may check out of the story before the end.

The film is directed by Sheldon Lettich, who has a history working with Van Damme, previously directing the star in The Order, Double Impact, and Lionheart. There’s a story to the reunion of Lettich and Van Damme that includes martial arts superstar Don ‘The Dragon’ Wilson. In a 2012 interview with CraveOnline, Wilson claims he came up with the story for The Hard Corps with Sheldon Lettich. They agreed to make the movie and Wilson went off in search of a producer with the intention of shooting the film in LA. When he called Lettich sometime later, he found out that Lettich was already nearly finished filming the picture in Canada and had cast Jean-Claude Van Damme in the lead. I don’t know the other side of the story (there’s always another side to every story), but I figured it was an interesting production story worth mentioning here.

The Hard Corps does a lot of things right. The characters have depth, the action (though limited) is skillfully done, and the story reaches a satisfying conclusion. However, there are a few bumps on the road, including lame dialogue and a story that’s far-fetched and unnecessarily drawn-out. For fans of Jean-Claude Van Damme and Vivica A. Fox, I say give it a look. It’s an entertaining action drama that stands a notch above most DTV flicks. Still, keep expectations in check.

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 5.5/10

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

Michael Jai White’s ‘Never Back Down 3′ gets a trailer!

Never Back Down: No Surrender | DVD (Sony)

Never Back Down: No Surrender | DVD (Sony)

Never Back Down: No Surrender (aka Never Back Down 3), the sequel to Michael Jai White’s directorial debut, Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown, is kicking its way onto DVD this June,

In Never Back Down 3: No Surrender, White is returning to the director’s chair, as well as reprising his role as the film’s star. Picking up after the events of Never Back Down 2, former MMA champion Case Walker (White) finds himself in Thailand and aims to become champion once again.

Never Back Down 3: No Surrender also stars Jeeja Yanin (Chocolate), Nathan Jones (Muay Thai Giant), Ron Smoorenburg (Who Am I?), Brahim Achabbakhe (Pound of Flesh), UFC’s Josh Barnett (Mercenary: Absolution), Esai Morales (Rapa Nui), Stephen Quadros (Cradle 2 the Grave) and Gillian Waters (Jackie Brown).

Thai action superstar Tony Jaa (SPL 2) will be making a cameo appearance, which makes Never Back Down 3: No Surrender Jaa and White’s 2nd time appearing together since Skin Trade. Also back in action is the incredibly fluid choreography work of Larnell Stovall (Falcon Rising).

The DVD for Never Back Down 3: No Surrender is will be released on June 7, 2016. and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Update: Watch the film’s first trailer.

Posted in News |

Deal on Fire! 14 Blades | Only $7.99 – Expires soon!

14 Blades | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

14 Blades | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2010’s 14 Blades, starring Donnie Yen (Ip Man 3) and directed by Daniel Lee (White Vengeance).

14 Blades is a kung fu thriller (read our review) that centers on a secret service agent (Yen) in the emperor’s court who is betrayed and then hunted by his colleagues.

The film also stars Zhao Wei (Painted Skin 2: The Resurrection), Wu Chun (Assassin’s Blade), Kate Tsui (Eye in the Sky) and Qi Yuwu (The Founding of a Party). Watch the trailer.

Order 14 Blades from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Cityonfire.com’s ‘Veteran’ Blu-ray Giveaway – WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Veteran | Blu-ray (CJ Entertainment)

Veteran | Blu-ray (CJ Entertainment)

Cityonfire.com and CJ Entertainment are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Ryoo Seung-wan’s highly-acclaimed Veteran (read our review) to three lucky Cityonfire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment to this post and describe, in your own words, this video.

We will be selecting a winner at random. Be sure to include your email address in the appropriate field so we can contact you for your home address. Additionally, you must ‘Like Us‘ on cityonfire.com’s Facebook by clicking here.

The Blu-ray & DVD for Veteran will be officially released on April 5, 2016. We will announce the 3 winners the following day.

CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by April 5, 2016 to qualify. U.S. and Canada residents only please. We sincerely apologize to our non-U.S./Canada visitors. Winners must respond with their mailing address within 48 hours, otherwise you will automatically be disqualified. No exceptions. Contest is subject to change without notice.

WINNERS: Lee G., Ben and Edwin.

Posted in News | Tagged |

Michelle Yeoh and Collin Chou join Jeff Lau’s ‘Nezha’

"Nezha" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Nezha" Chinese Theatrical Poster

The cast for Nezha is falling into place nicely. The upcoming fantasy epic, directed by Jeff Lau (Treasure Hunt), is based on the Chinese mythological figure, Nezha, an unruly child-god who loves causing trouble (via Godchecker).

According to AFS, the all-star cast lineup includes: Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny), Zhang Fengyi (Assassin), Collin Chou (Special ID), Wu Lei (The Legend of Qin) and Jike Junyi (Zhongkui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal).

As always, we’ll keep you in the loop as we hear more about Nezha. Stay tuned!

Posted in News |

Shameless, The (2014) Review

"The Shameless" Korean Theatrical Poster

“The Shameless” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Oh Seung-uk
Cast: Jeon Do-Yeon, Kim Nam-Gil, Park Sung-Woong, Kwak Do-Won, Kim Min-Jae, Park Ji-Hwan
Running Time: 118 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Director Oh Seung-wook may not be a name that’s immediately familiar to many fans of Korean cinema, and that’s forgivable. Seung-wook directed and wrote the criminally overlooked 2000 gangster flick Kilimanjaro. The movie featured Park Shin-yang as a police officer returning to his hometown to scatter the ashes of his twin, only to be mistaken for him by the local gangsters who it seemed his late brother had some dealings with. Deciding to play along under his brother’s alias, he’s soon hooked up with his siblings old gangster buddy, played by the legendary Ahn Seong-gi, and a dangerous game of false identity and questionable friendships is set in motion.

Despite being a solid entry into the gangster genre, Kilimanjaro wasn’t a box office success. It’s a shame, as had it been made just a few years later, once the Korean new wave movement was well and truly underway, I’m sure it would receive much more recognition and praise. However in a film industry as cutthroat as many of the gangsters it portrays, despite Seung-wook’s wishes to direct again, the various attempts to get his story ideas off the ground never ventured further than the pre-production stages. Instead, he returned to working in the capacity of script writing. Both Lee Chang-dong’s 1997 debut Green Fish, and Heo Jin-ho’s 1998 classic Christmas in August came from the pen of Seung-wook, and in the wake of sitting in the director’s chair, he’d go on to pen the likes of the 2002 psychological horror H, and 2004’s wrestling biopic Rikidozan.

Fourteen years on from Kilimanjaro, Seung-wook finally got the chance to make his sophomore feature, with The Shameless. Not only that, the script was attention grabbing enough for Park Chan-wook to come on-board in the capacity of ‘creative producer’. Described by the director himself as ‘a hardboiled romance noir’, the description of his creation hits the nail on the head pretty well. The plot follows a detective, played by Kim Nam-gil, who gets assigned to a murder case in which the culprit is obviously a gangster on the lam. To try and locate the suspect, Nam-gil decides to approach the gangster’s lover, played by Jeon Do-yeon. Leveraging some low-level thugs, he goes undercover as the new head of security at the hostess bar Do-yeon runs, however soon finds himself with conflicting feelings over Do-yeon’s debt laden lover.

Put simply, it’s the classic hardboiled tale of an undercover detective falling for a gangster’s moll, done Korean style. Seung-wook has said himself that in many ways he sees The Shameless as a kind of spiritual follow-up to Kilimanjaro, in terms of the way both movies see a character enter into the lives of another under a false identity. Here Ahn Seong-gi’s role is taken on by Jeon Do-yeon, and Park Shin-yang’s role is taken on by Kim Nam-gil. However the scenario in The Shameless is much more intimate than in Kilimanjaro, and as a result, despite what could be argued as a smaller scale, there actually feels like a lot more is at stake.

The Shameless works as the flip side of the coin to each of the 2 productions that Nam-gil and Do-yeon starred in during 2014. Nam-gil co-headlined the lacklustre high-seas adventure flick Pirates alongside Son Ye-jin, while Do-yeon was dreadfully miscast in the equally awful Memories of the Sword, despite a cast that featured both Lee Byung-hun and Kim Go-eun. Thankfully their roles in The Shameless more than make up for their respective misfires, as both do a worthy job of portraying how, while their characters outwardly portray a tough exterior to the world, there’s a deep vulnerability running just underneath.

Those looking for a tightly knit detective tale may come away disappointed, as Seung-wook paces his noir with a slow but steady hand. Juggling the elements of being a thriller, murder mystery, gangster flick, and romantic noir all at the same time takes a certain level of talent, and thankfully this is a talent that the director has an abundance of. Seung-wook has a strong understanding of the visual medium, and as a result some of the moments that have the most impact in The Shameless are those that involve no words, but rather a gesture between two characters, or a briefly glimpsed facial expression. My favorite scene of the whole movie involves Nam-gil just after he drops off Do-yeon in his car, it’s a brief scene with a seemingly meaningless gesture that takes place as he’s driving away, but in the context of what’s happening at this point in the plot, it speaks volumes.

That’s not to say that The Shameless is without violence though, indeed there are a handful of brief but explosive scenes that should keep any fan of the Korean gangster genre happy. The highlight being when Nam-gil first encounters the gangster he’s been looking for, played with an intimidating level of physical menace by Park Seong-woong (who also starred in another movie during 2014 – the excellent Office), the pair go at it in an intensely physical and punch heavy few seconds in the parking lot of Do-yeon’s apartment. However unlike movies made around the same time, such as No Tears for the Dead and The Divine Move, the action is not the selling point here. Rather it’s the relationship between Nam-gil and Do-yeon, and it’s a credit to Seung-wook that it never devolves into the typical K-drama trope of the love triangle.

The camerawork and soundtrack play a significant part in setting the tone of The Shameless. Thanks to Do-yeon’s role as a hostess club manager, most of the proceedings take place at night, or at the time in the early hours of the morning when the first hints of light cast a murky ambience in the air. The winding networks of Seoul’s hilly streets almost take on a character of their own, highlighted none more so than in a fantastic opening tracking shot that takes place during those early hours. Opening on a construction site, the camera pans down into the tightly packed residential buildings of a local estate, before settling on Nam-gil and following him through the winding back alleys of the neighbourhood. The cinematographer, Kang Kuk-hyun, definitely knows his trade. Combined with Cho Young-wuk’s moody score, a regular Park Chan-wook collaborator, the rhythm and beats of his music compliment the tone of the movie perfectly.

As much as Nam-gil holds his own when he’s onscreen, Do-yeon’s screen presence is simply magnetic, and despite being almost the only female in the whole cast, when the credits role you’re left with the distinct impression that this was her movie. An actress with more awards to her name than perhaps any other in Korea, including Best Actress at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival for her role in Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine, her performance in The Shameless should hopefully see her earning another one. We’ve been told everything we need to know about her character before she even appears onscreen, but even knowing this, the way she encapsulates the traits of a woman with nothing left to lose provides a strong anchor for the movie. In a way Nam-gil’s character becomes a proxy for the audience, as we gradually witness that he too is taken in by her resilient demeanour, and his character becomes the embodiment of what we as the audience are feeling toward her dilemma.

In its native Korea it wouldn’t surprise me if The Shameless has a hard time finding an audience, much the same way Kilimanjaro did 14 years earlier. It’s not enough of a straight up gangster flick to appeal to the typical male demographic, but then it’s not enough of a romantic flick to appeal to a wider female audience. As mentioned earlier though, Seung-wook knows exactly what it is that he’s created, and if you’re looking for a hardboiled romance noir, then The Shameless shamelessly delivers exactly that.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 8.5/10

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

Project Eden | DVD (Entertainment One)

"Atomic Eden" Theatrical Poster

"Atomic Eden" Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2016

What happens when you put Fred “The Hammer” Williamson (Fist of Fear, Touch of Death, Vigilante) and martial arts star Mike Moeller (One Million K(l)icks) in one action flick? Answer: A nuclear reaction!

Entertainment One presents the DVD for Project Eden (aka Atomic Eden), an action film about a group of mercenaries – trapped in Chernobyl – who must band together to fight an army of mad men.

The film also features Hazuki Kato (Falcon Rising), Lorenzo Lamas (Final Impact), Wolfgang Riehm (Ultimate Justice), Everett Aponte (Shilo), Nico Sentner (Urban Fighter), Dominik Starck (Iron Wolf), Josephine Hies (Small Fish) and Jens Nier (Allies). | Trailer.

Pre-order Project Eden from Amazon.com today!

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

New trailer for ‘Truy Sat’ promises stylish martial arts action

"Truy Sat" Vietnamese Theatrical Poster

“Truy Sat” Vietnamese Theatrical Poster

Down for some kinetic violence from Vietnam? If so, get ready for Cuong Ngo’s martial arts thriller, Truy Sat. This stylish action film stars Troung Ngoc Anh (Bride of Silence), Thien Nguyen, Lamou Vissay (Leipzig Homicide), Vin Thuy, Maria Tran (Fist of the Dragon) and Mike Leeder (Pound of Flesh), who plays “a sleazy white boy up to no good in Vietnam.”

Truy Sat (read our review) currently doesn’t have North American release date, but with all the leveled demand of MA films from Asia, news should pop up soon from CJ Entertainment.

Don’t miss the film’s newest trailer.

Posted in News |

Asian Connection | DVD (Entertainment One)

"Asian Connection" Theatrical Poster

"Asian Connection" Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2016

Steven Seagal’s latest action film, Asian Connection, is heading to DVD on June 7, 2016, courtesy of Entertainment One. Although Asian Connection is marketed as a “Steven Seagal film,” promotional material suggests that Seagal has more of a co-starring role as the lead bad guy. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Asian Connection also stars Johnny Edward Lee (Terminator Genisys), Pim Bubear (Man with the Iron Fists 2), Byron Gibson (Only God Forgives), Ron Smoorenburg (Who Am I?), Sahajak Boonthanakit (Tekken 2) and Michael Jai White (Skin Trade).

Asian Connection is helmed by Daniel Zirilli, a director mostly known for 2010’s Locked Down and Circle of Pain, both of which are MMA-style TapouT Film productions.

Here’s what you can expect from the film’s plot: Two American expatriates, Jack and Sam, unwittingly steal a drug lord’s money when they rob a series of banks in Southeast Asia and become the target of the gang’s vengeance. When Sam is killed, Jack turns to the love of his life, Pom, and the couple becomes a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde that takes the fight to the gang. | Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Asian Connection from Amazon.com today!

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

U.S. audiences: Watch crime boil in ‘Chongqing Hot Pot’

"Chongqing Hot Pot" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Chongqing Hot Pot" Chinese Theatrical Poster

U.S. distributor, China Lion, is releasing Yang Qing’s (One Night In Supermarket) contemporary crime thriller Chongqing Hot Pot in U.S. theaters.

According to Twitch, Chongqing Hot Pot is about classmates who open a hot pot restaurant in a converted bunker, only to discover they can access the underground vault of the bank next door. The film stars Chen Kun (Flying Swords of Dragon Gate), Bai Baihe (Monster Hunt), Qin Hao (Blind Massage) and Yu Entai (My Own Swordsman).

Check your local listings to see if Chongqing Hot Pot is playing near you. Until then, the trailer is hot ‘n ready.

Posted in News |

Second in Command (2006) Review

"Second in Command" Japanese DVD Cover

“Second in Command” Japanese DVD Cover

Director: Simon Fellows
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julie Cox, Alan McKenna, William Tapley, Razaaq Adoti, Velibor Topic, Warren Derosa, Ian Virgo, Raffaello Degruttola Raffaello Degruttola, Serban Celea, Vlad Ivanov, Vlad Ivanov, Razvan Oprea, Mihai Bisericanu, Colin Stinton
Running Time: 92 min.

By Kyle Warner

After reading the post by Jeff Bona on the influential career in action movies that Jean-Claude Van Damme has had (“The Most ‘Remade’ Action Star”), I realized that I’d only seen a small number of the actor’s films. So, I decided to change that, and over the past six months I’ve caught up with a lot of the JCVD films I’ve missed over the years. In doing so, I became a fan of the guy, and was introduced to many good movies and more than a few bad ones.

Second in Command is one of the bad ones.

In my time exploring the filmography of Van Damme, the star has worked with many high-concept ideas but rarely seems to deal with important, real-world issues. Second in Command is one of the rare political action movies that I’ve seen starring The Muscles from Brussels. However, its attempt to convey a political message beyond ‘Americans good, communists bad’ never fully develops (in fact, I’m not sure there even is a message beyond that). For a movie that begins with the burning of the American flag, things soon play out very safe and predictable. That flag burning is an act of protest that’s amusingly largely ignored by traffic and civilians and only has one photographer present to document it all. A protest lacking an audience seems to defeat the point of having a protest, I would think… Oohhh, I know. Maybe the lack of an audience for the protesters reflects the lack of an audience for the movie. How’s that for film criticism?

Second in Command basically plays out like the season premiere of a particularly unimaginative season of 24. Jean-Claude Van Damme plays the French-accent version of Jack Bauer by the name of Commander Samuel Keenan and he comes with Jack’s reputation for going rogue, surviving ticking clock scenarios, and a tendency to piss off terrorists wherever he goes. Sam Keenan’s been called into the small Eastern European nation of Moldavia to join the US Embassy there. Not long after he arrives, a faction representing the country’s communist past rises up and attempts to overthrow the government. Because the Moldavian President’s military is conveniently off doing training exercises in the mountains, it’s up to the good ol’ US-of-A to step in and save the day. Sam Keenan swoops in, picks up the President, and returns him to the US Embassy where they will endure a last stand and wait for backup to arrive. Second in Command thinks its situation is a bit like The Alamo. “Good movie,” says one character. No one will be saying that about this film.

The film clearly lacks a decent budget but that doesn’t explain some of its poor decision making. Beyond Van Damme, the cast is made up of mostly no-name actors—and I have nothing against that—but many of them are no good. More puzzling is how many actors resemble each other. You’d think that if you don’t have the cash for bigger names that you’d go for diversity and variety in your cast. Nope. Two villains look enough alike that I thought they were the same guy until I saw them in two different places. The way the film is shot also shows some odd choices. It switches from the usual camerawork to a camera that’s meant to remind the viewer of live news broadcast. Instead, it just draws attention to its lack of money and looks more like something shot on video. On top of all that, the film’s editing is frantic, completely chopping up otherwise impressive explosions or stunt pieces (one part has an RPG blowing a hole in the embassy—it looks good but the editing ruins it, trying to show the sequence from a dozen unnecessary angles). Sometimes it even jumps between the different film styles during these moments of action, throwing me completely out of the movie. It’s annoying when a film manages to look even cheaper than it probably actually is.

Let’s talk about Van Damme for a moment, since he’s the main reason someone would think to pick this up. I can’t remember the actor ever looking so bored on screen before. There’s no fire there. His gaze remains vacant even during the scenes that are supposed to be dramatic shifting points, like he’s already dreaming of being far away. As far as the action goes, most the film is limited to dull gunfights. Only in the finale do we see the martial arts Van Damme’s known for. It’s not a bad scene but it’s definitely not worth the wait. However, that fight is performed inside the US Embassy with an active sprinkler system, which basically allows JCVD to have a fight in the rain INDOORS. So, check that one off the fight scene bucket list, I guess.

It’s basically a bad movie from top to bottom. As I work my way through the films of Jean-Claude Van Damme, it’s sometimes difficult to tell which ones should be skipped. Well, here’s one of the skippable films. Second in Command is dull as dishwater… Hmm. You know, now that I’m thinking about it, what has dishwater ever done to get the reputation of being dull? I really can’t say it deserves such a rep. It’s nasty and I gotta use gloves because damn, what if there’s a piece of a noodle floating around in there? Like the garbage compacter from Star Wars, my dishwater is never dull. Second in Command sure is, though! So, I say we grant dishwater a reprieve. It’s suffered a false reputation for far too long. From now on I shall say that something is ‘dull as Second in Command.’ No one will know what the hell I’m talking about, but I’ll know… Oh yes, I’ll know…

Kyle Warner’s Rating: 3/10

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