Cityonfire.com’s ‘Mojin: The Lost Legend’ Blu-ray Giveaway! – WINNER’S ANNOUNCED!

Mojin - The Lost Legend | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Mojin - The Lost Legend | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Mojin: The Lost Legend to three lucky Cityonfire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment to this post and describe, in your own words, the 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 Mojin: The Lost Legend will be officially released on May 3, 2016. We will announce the 3 winners the following day.

CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by May 3, 2016 to qualify. U.S. residents only please. We sincerely apologize to our non-U.S. 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: Nick, Sharon Walsh and Matthew.

Posted in News | Tagged |

Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2 (1968) Review

"Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Keiichi Ozawa
Cast: Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Izumi Ashikawa, Eimei Esumi, Jukei Fujioka, Shoki Fukae, Joji Hidehara, Seishiro Iwate, Meiko Kaji, Hatsuko Kawahara, Ichiro Kijima, Toshizo Kudo, Kayo Matsuo, Hideaki Nitani
Running Time: 97 min.

By Kelly Warner

Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2 catches up with our gangster protagonist Goro Fujikawa (Tetsuya Watari) as he rides a train out of Tokyo to reunite with the woman he sent away at the end of the first film. The train takes him to a snowy town in the country, as far from the buzzing metropolis as you can get, and Goro makes a strong attempt at going straight and working a normal job. But he needs money to help a friend and his job doesn’t provide reliable income, so he’s forced to return to the yakuza life, taking him back into the city.

It’s too bad that the film so readily returns to the sort of scenarios that populated the original. In the first act of Gangster VIP 2, the film suggests a very different sort of story, one with less action and more character drama set against a snowy backdrop. (Some of the shots immediately call to mind Watari’s wanderer of Tokyo Drifter, who also traveled to the snowy countryside to escape his rivals.)

When Goro returns to the world of the yakuza in order to get the funds and help a friend, he loses himself and forgets his purpose. His friends go forgotten as well, their condition taking a turn for the worst when he fails to come to their aid. There’s something compelling about the idea of the yakuza lifestyle being like an addictive drug—that, when you reconnect with it, you abandon your friends and your original goals. But Goro becomes less interesting in VIP 2 as he develops into a character that doesn’t know what he wants, drifting through life and only acting when loyalty and morals dictate that he must.

In many ways, Goro’s the least important part of the film’s plot, which again returns to the theme of friends who find themselves on opposing sides in gang warfare. At the center of the plot is a Romeo and Juliet love story between a low-ranking yakuza and the sister of the rival boss. Ryohei Uchida (Blind Woman’s Curse) and Hideaki Nitani (Voice Without a Shadow) chew up the scenery as the leaders of the two rival gangs, while Meiko Kaji (Stray Cat Rock) makes a good impression in her small, early role as the sister/lover stuck in the middle of the two gangs.

Another welcome addition to the cast is Kunie Tanaka (Battles Without Honor and Humanity), who plays an underachieving yakuza with a grudge against Goro. Tanaka’s his usual squirmy, sweaty self and I think his character is one of the best parts of the film. He’s the forgotten antagonist, holding no alliance to either of the warring yakuza clans, acting only for himself. It’s a part similar to that of Tomorowo Taguchi’s in Rainy Dog, though not nearly as dark.

Thankfully the sexism found in the first film is toned down here, allowing women to be individual characters instead of plot devices or solely existing to motivate the men. Chieko Matsubara returns as Goro’s kinda-sorta love interest (it’s almost more of a big brother/little sister relationship at this point) and she gets more to do than simply acting as the naïve, doe-eyed virgin.

After the greatness of the first film, I would’ve liked it if Toshio Masuda returned to the director’s chair for the sequel, but that didn’t happen. Stepping in for Masuda is one of his assistant directors from earlier films, Keiichi Ozawa. In his directorial debut Ozawa doesn’t show Masuda’s flair for filming action. Whereas the knife fights of the first film occasionally inspired awe, here they just felt like a hundred other similar brawls seen in Japanese films. Ozawa’s drama lacks subtlety, with one death scene going so far as to have a ray of Heaven’s light shine down on the dying character before they pass away. Ozawa would return to direct three more films in the series, so I’m hoping he improves with more experience.

The film doesn’t simply stick to a formula like some sequels, it reuses some of the same beats, shots, and acting moments from the first film. Gangster VIP 2 even attempts to recycle the style of the original’s finale by splitting the action between two competing sequences—I loved the effect in the first film, but here it doesn’t really work.

The fact that Gangster VIP 2 teased a totally different vision in the opening act makes the remaining hour of the film all the more disappointing… It’s really not a bad film, it’s just a lazy one.

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 6.5/10

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

Emperor of the Underworld (1994) Review

"An Emperor of the Underworld" Korean Theatrical Poster

“An Emperor of the Underworld” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Hwang Jang Lee
Writer: Im Seung-su
Cast: Dragon Lee (Mun Kyong-sok), Hwang Jang Lee, Lee Jin Young, Kim Mi Young, Hyeon Kil Su
Running Time: 87 min.

By Paul Bramhall

If there was ever a genre that could be described as having little to no exposure outside of its native country, then it’s the 90’s Korean action movie. Compared to the likes of Hong Kong and Japan’s own action cinema output during the same decade, Korea’s equivalent remains shrouded in mystery. It’s a shame, as there’s plenty of action gold to be found, however it’s a country whose film industry had little to no attention paid to it before the release of Shiri in 1999, which broke through internationally thanks to its Hollywood style aesthetic. Unfortunately, even at the time of writing more than 15 years on, only a fraction of Korean movies released before 1999 (in any genre), have made their way to DVD.

As it stands, many of the action movies that came out during the 90’s received a release on Korean VHS, and that’s it. To confound matters even further, a significant number of them didn’t receive a theatrical release, instead going direct-to-VHS, and often such titles aren’t even listed on the notoriously difficult to navigate Korean Move Database. Much of the reasoning behind this is that the action genre was treated much the same as Japan’s equivalent in the 70’s. Karate movies were quickly filmed productions, often featuring heavy doses of exploitation, and were never made with the thought that there’d be an audience who’d want to check them out several decades later.

Many of Korea’s own action output in the 90’s could be considered to fall into the same category. During the 80’s erotic film became hugely popular, and the end of the decade coincided with many of the Korean stars, who’d been busy delivering their boot work in the Hong Kong kung fu movie boom of the 70’s and 80’s, returning home. Hwang Jang Lee, Casanova Wong, and Dragon Lee – a trio of instantly recognizable names to any kung fu cinema fan – were all back on Korean soil in the 90’s, and all of them made their final film appearances during the decade while working in Korea. With period movies long gone out of fashion, the gangster flick quickly became the go-to genre for some Taekwondo style action. Fedora hats, oversized shoulder pads, and bulky suits came to define the 90’s Korean gangster flick, which often served up fight scenes and nudity in equal measure.

It could be said that 1994 was a year of particular significance. Casanova Wong, the star of such Hong Kong classics as Warriors Two and The Master Strikes, would make his last screen appearance in, as well as directing, the violent gangster flick Bloody Mafia. Hwang Jang Lee, who needs no introduction, would also mark his last significant screen appearance, in a movie which, like Casanova Wong, he’d also direct, titled Emperor of the Underworld. It’s worth noting that many sources list the 1996 Korean movie, Boss, as Hwang’s final movie appearance, and while this is true, his screen-time clocks in at barely a minute, with a role that’s purely dialogue.

Hwang had directed himself before, most memorably playing the clean shaven good guy in Hitman in the Hand of Buddha in 1981, and as the conflicted anti-hero a couple of years later in Canton Viper. Emperor of the Underworld though marks the first time he doesn’t cast himself as the lead, instead opting to take the villain role. The lead goes to another familiar face from the world of kung fu cinema, Dragon Lee. Both Hwang and Lee had worked together before, on both the likes of old school Korean kung fu movies such as Secret Ninja, Roaring Tiger and 5 Pattern Dragon Claws, as well as in another 90’s action movie, the second installment of The Nationwide Constituency trilogy.

The plot for Emperor of the Underworld is straight forward stuff. Lee is a marine who has a reputation for getting the job done, shown in a pre-credit sequence that has him storming a criminal hideout, decked out in all black fatigues with machine gun in hand. Any movie that starts off with Dragon Lee armed with a machine gun has already earnt instant favour with me. However once he’s discharged, he finds himself stalked by the police. It turns out they want to infiltrate a violent gang, one that’s working in conjunction with some evil Japanese property developers, and Dragon Lee seems to be the guy for the job. He agrees to take on the mission, on the condition that his friend is released from prison so that they can work together. However when it turns out that their former colleague, a girl Lee used to be close to (played by So Bia, an actress who was known for the erotic movies she starred in during the 80’s and 90’s), is also working for the gang, the situation gets complicated.

Despite the simplistic plot, it’s told effectively, and it’s refreshing to see a Dragon Lee movie being told entirely poker faced from start to finish. Despite being over 15 years since the peak of his career in movies like Enter the Invincible Hero, he’s still instantly recognizable and in great shape. Several lackeys end up on the receiving end of Lee’s fists during the run time, and at one point, for no other reason than to intimidate a group of thugs who are threatening him, he flips a stationery car over with his bare hands. The scene is so random that it’s difficult not to appreciate. I’m also unsure if it was an intentional homage or not, but when he’s first discharged from the army, he visits a nightclub to meet his old colleague, carrying a rucksack of his belongings slung over his shoulder. I’ve personally lost count of the number of Dragon Lee movies I’ve seen, which have him wandering the countryside with nothing but a rucksack slung over his shoulder! It’s like it was his permanent prop.

The nightclub scenes are also notable, purely for the fact that the music playing in the background, an American rap song, has some of the most obscene lyrics I’ve ever heard in a movie (or anywhere). It became a little difficult to concentrate when Lee was having a serious conversation with his old friend, when all you can hear in the background is the rapper distinctly announcing that he was “gonna put my d*ck in your behind.” I’m sure some MC Hammer would have been much more suitable.

Hwang Jang Lee himself doesn’t make an appearance until the 55 minute mark. Playing a former colleague who feels heavily indebted to the gang boss, he agrees to become the chief enforcer. When events transpire that see the gangsters retaliating against Lee and his colleague by killing their mentor, it’s time to serve up some 90’s style Korean action movie revenge. The lead-up to the finale somewhat echoes the finale of A Better Tomorrow 2, as Lee leads a funeral march with the coffin of his mentor up to gates of the gangsters mansion, in which Hwang Jang Lee and the other gang members are wining and dining on the front lawn. Thankfully as well as bringing the coffin, they also brought along a machine gun, in a scene which perhaps has the record for number of bullets fired without managing to hit a single solid object.

The showdown eventually culminates in a face-off between Dragon Lee and Hwang Jang Lee, which has them going at it on the lawn, in a pond, and finishing off in one of Korea’s many mud flats. For anyone that’s seen the Korean flick Rough Cut, it’s a possibility that the idea for that movies similar ending, which has the two main characters slugging it out on a similar mud flat, came from here. Like any good Dragon Lee movie, he ends up shirtless, and covers himself in mud, using it’s slipperiness to deflect Hwang’s lethal kicks. While it’s easy to argue that the choreography of the fight, and the action as a whole in Emperor of the Underworld, is far from matching that of the pairs work at their physical peaks, it’s never anything less than entertaining.

Best of all (or worse, depending on how you look at it), is that whenever Lee gets involved in a fight, he immediately switches to Bruceploitation mode – flicking his nose, staying light on his feet, and breaking out Bruce’s famous facial expressions whenever he hits someone. It’s almost as if he doesn’t know how to fight any other way, it’s simply become ingrained. Far from being detrimental to the story though, the scenes remind us that we’re watching a Dragon Lee flick, and how much we would have missed it if there hadn’t been a single nose flick in sight. These types of production can never be considered anything more than B-movies, a fact that’s no doubt contributed to securing their obscurity, but Emperor of the Underworld sets out to do exactly what it says on the tin – deliver a tale of macho gangsters and people being punched. I only wish there was more of them to choose from.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10

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

Live-action adaptation of Sega’s ‘Shinobi’ moves forward…

Sega's "The Super Shinobi"

Sega's "The Super Shinobi"

Back in 2014, Variety reported that video game developer Sega hired film director/producer, Evan Cholfin (The Garlock Incident), to adapt a number of video game titles into live-action and animated movies. Some of the titles potential titles included Altered Beast, Streets of Rage, Shinobi, Rise of Nightmares and Crazy Taxi.

“With his impeccable taste and experience developing and producing entertainment in nearly every format imaginable, Evan is the unique executive to revitalize and canonize our partners’ brands by working with Hollywood to create stories that will last for centuries,” said Stories president and CEO Tomoya Suzuki, who will help oversee the projects.

Today, we’ve received conflicting word (via Collider) that producer Marc Platt (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and his production company Marc Platt Productions have teamed up with Stories International, Inc. – the production division of SEGA Group and Hakuhodo DY Group – to adapt the high-priority Shinobi franchise as a feature film.

“We love the Shinobi games and believe that the world of ninjas has never been properly explored onscreen. We now have the opportunity to do just that. With Shinobi, we hope to make a film that honors the essence of the games and brings this fascinating world to life for moviegoing audiences,” Platt explained.

Whether it be Cholfin or Platt, one thing still stands: we’d love to see Joe “Shinobi” Musashi on the big screen. Stay tuned!

Posted in News |

Outlaw: Gangster VIP (1968) Review

"Outlaw: Gangster VIP" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Outlaw: Gangster VIP" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Toshio Masuda
Writer: Kaneo Ikegami, Reiji Kubota
Cast: Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Mitsuo Hamada, Tamio Kawaji, Kyosuke Machida, Kayo Matsuo
Running Time: 93 min.

By Kyle Warner

There are a huge number of classic Japanese films that most the world hasn’t seen yet. So it’s always great when a home video distributor like Arrow, Criterion, Eureka, and others rediscover some forgotten gem and show it to the world. And that’s exactly what’s happened here, as Arrow Video releases the Outlaw Gangster VIP series for the first time for viewers in the US and the UK.

Gangster VIP is relatively unknown to most film fans in the West. I knew very little about it other than it starred Tetsuya Watari, who is best known as the singing gangster of Seijun Suzuki’s Tokyo Drifter. The first film opens with a disclaimer that everything that follows is fiction and none of the characters are based on any real people. That’s not 100% true, though. The Outlaw series follows Watari’s gangster Goro Fujikawa, a loner that’s partly based on real-life criminal Goro Fujita. After living as a gangster, Goro Fujita wrote novels about the yakuza, and the Outlaw series is a semi-autobiographical version of his life story (he would also write the novel on which Graveyard of Honor is based). I’m sure that there is a great deal of fiction in Fujita’s retelling of his life, but there’s no doubt some truth in there, too.

The film opens with a prologue set after WWII as young Goro struggles through a life of poverty. When doctors ignore his begging, Goro helplessly watches sickness take the lives of his mother and sister. After he’s caught stealing food, Goro’s taken to a boy’s home where he befriends the somewhat older Sugiyama. Time passes and the boys grow into men, soon finding themselves on opposing sides of a yakuza conflict. Goro stabs Sugiyama and is sentenced to three years in prison. When he’s released from jail, Goro plans to go straight, but within 24 hours he’s stabbed another yakuza and he’s back in trouble all over again. His next victim survives but he’s a high-ranking member of the treacherous Ueno gang, the same clan that his old friend Sugiyama pledged loyalty to, and the Ueno clan isn’t going to let Goro get off easy. Though Goro tries to stick to the old yakuza way, his rivals aren’t playing by the same rules. At one point Goro apologizes by chopping off his pinky (a common way for yakuza to apologize for some unforgivable offense), only to have his dead friend’s badly beaten corpse dumped onto the floor as thanks.

Nikkatsu was typically known for its ‘borderless action’ films, hyper-stylized action movies. (Hong Kong’s ‘heroic bloodshed’ action movies would’ve fit right in with what Nikkatsu was churning out in the 1960s.) Gangster VIP’s kind of yakuza drama isn’t Nikkatsu’s regular cup of tea, but I think that everyone handles the concept and the themes wonderfully. In addition to being a yakuza drama, director Toshio Masuda (Red Pier) brings some of that ‘borderless action’ style to the film, filling it with bright colors, unpredictable action, and a welcome dash of humor.

Tetsuya Watari gets to show some range in the role of Goro. The actor could’ve easily let his rogue be super cool, like a gentleman among murderers and morons, but it’s a more honest portrayal than that. The character lacks a heart of gold—Goro’s too cynical, thinks the world’s too rotten—but he’s basically decent. Watari plays him as an oafish thug who’s ultimately redeemed by his fierce loyalty and a need to set things right (I guess the internet would call him a Chaotic Good?). Another highlight of the cast is Mitsuo Hamada (Iron King), who plays Goro’s friend and a hopeless believer in the yakuza code until it asks him to sacrifice too much.

On the negative side of things, I found Gangster VIP’s depiction of women rather weak. There are four major female roles in the film: one’s a hooker, one pleads her ex to beat her because she’s sorry she moved on, one latches onto a perfect stranger like a goddamn remora, and the only woman with some actual depth is basically put in the position of repeatedly reminding the characters that yakuza suck. Maybe weak depictions of women are to be expected from a genre that occasionally looks like male fantasy wish fulfillment, but that doesn’t mean I gotta like it.

Director Toshio Masuda’s film takes on certain operatic qualities in the later stages. In two grand sequences, Masuda splits the film’s narrative, letting two important, contrasting scenes play at the same time. The film’s finale is done this way and actually mutes the action while the background scene is played at full volume. The result is insanely cool. Masuda was well-liked by Nikkatsu for his fast pace and his quality filmmaking—he was the most reliably bankable director the studio had—but he’s not often considered one of classic Japanese cinema’s most stylish filmmakers. One film doesn’t change my mind about how I view Masuda on the whole, but this is a very stylish effort, full of moments that made me sit up and take notice.

The film ends rather ambiguously but we already know that the story would continue. There were six Outlaw films in total and all are include in the new Blu-ray/DVD set from Arrow Video. Since this is my first time viewing the films, I’m going to follow the special feature’s advice and not watch some extras that are said to contain spoilers just yet. Full thoughts on the set and its features will be included in the review for the final film, Outlaw: Kill! As far as the first film’s audio and visual, I can say that I thought the audio was great and the picture quality was… pretty good. It’s not a failing on Arrow’s part, but the print does show some age with flashes of blue crossing the screen a couple times during the movie. It doesn’t happen often, though, and it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the film.

I started off this review by talking about uncovering forgotten gems and that’s exactly what I think this film is. Gangster VIP is a stellar example of the yakuza film genre and I can’t wait to dive into this set and watch all the remaining films.

Kyle Warner’s Rating: 8/10

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

Prequel to Tsui Hark’s ‘Taking of Tiger Mountain’ in the works

"The Taking of Tiger Mountain" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"The Taking of Tiger Mountain" Chinese Theatrical Poster

A prequel to Tsui Hark’s The Taking of Tiger Mountain is currently in development. According to AFS, there’s a possibility that Hark is returning to the director’s chair. Casting details are in progress.

2014’s The Taking of Tiger Mountain (read our review), an action epic based on the real life story of an incident during the Chinese Civil War, involved a communist reconnaissance team soldier who disguises himself to infiltrate a local gang of bandits.

The film starred Zhang Hanyu (Bodyguards and Assassins), Gao Hu (The Man From Macau), Tong Liya (Journey to the West), Kenny Lin (Young Detective Dee) and Han Geng.

We’ll keep you posted as we hear more.

Posted in News |

First visual of Newt in Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Aliens’ sequel

"Alien" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Alien" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Back in March of 2015, writer-director Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) announced that his next movie would be an Alien (aka Alien 5) film. This exciting news came soon after Blomkamp shared some “personal” concept art/photos for an Alien movie that had been running around his mind.

The artwork – featuring the return of both Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and Corporal Dwayne Hicks (Michael Biehn) – was a warm welcome to fans of the franchise, especially given the acclaim Blomkamp has received for his influential work.

Blomkamp’s Aliens sequel would basically ignore Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection: “I want this film to feel like it is literally the genetic sibling of Aliens, so it’s AlienAliens and then this film,” said the director. Both Weaver and Biehn confirmed that the will be reprising their roles as Ripley and Corporal Duane Hicks, respectively. The character of Newt, now 27-years-old, will return, although it has not been made clear if Carrie Henn will be reprising her role.

Ultimately, Blomkamp’s Aliens sequel was put on hold in an effort to avoid colliding with Ridley Scott’s Prometheus/Alien continuation, Alien: Covenant.

In a recent interview (via LFF), Weaver shed some light regarding Blomkamp’s Alien sequel: “Ridley asked Neill not to make our Alien ’til after Alien: Covenant/Prometheus 2. [Ridley] wanted his movie to shoot and be released first. But it’s an amazing script, and Neill and I are really excited about doing it. We’re doing other things until we can get going on that. I’d be really surprised if we didn’t do it, because it’s such a great script, and we love working together. So, it’s just going to take a little bit longer to get out to you, but it’ll be worth the wait.”

As always, we’ll keep you updated as we hear more. Stay tuned.

Updates: To mark “Alien Day,” Blomkamp shared concept art of Newt. It’s obviously modeled after Carrie Henn (who played Newt in Aliens), but it’s still unclear on whether or not she’ll be reprising her role.

Posted in News |

Mercenaries from Hong Kong (1982) Review

"Mercenaries from Hong Kong" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Mercenaries from Hong Kong” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Wong Jing
Cast: Ti Lung, Chan Wai Man, Candice Yu On On, Nat Chan Pak Cheung, Lo Lieh, Ngaai Fei, Philip Ko Fei, Wong Yu, Johnny Wang, Yuen Wah, Lee Hoi San, Aai Dung Gwa, Cheng Miu, Cheung Gwok Wa, To Wai Wo
Running Time: 90 min.

By Matthew Le-feuvre

Known for his affable personality as well as an eccentric reputation for having “fingers in many pies” pursuits, Wong Jing began his steadfast career at the Shaw Brothers’ prominent movie town enclosure, learning the logistics of a machination that was, essentially, built upon committment, self opportunity and the ability to present original concepts within a studio production collectively. And, like most of his peers, he excelled himself as a notable scriptwriter and 2nd unit director prior to being exclusively upgraded to a full directing credit with casino/gambling sensations: Challenge of the Gamesters (1981) and Winner Takes All (1982); both pictures – unreleased in the western hemisphere – featured the late, sorely missed Wong Yue; stalwart ‘Shaw’ contractee, Chen Kwan Tai; and the rather underrated, long redundant Patrick Wu, as principal stock players.

In addition to producing or working over the years with highly ranked A-listers – such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Simon Yam and Michelle Yeoh – Jing maintained a collaborative and personal friendship with quirky funnyman, Lolento Chan (The Magic Crystal), himself a regular participant of whatever production Jing is currently involved in. However, no stranger to the art of performance – giggles aside – this spirited filmmaker has also delighted in gracing the jade screen with truly demented Hitchcockian-type cameos (ala Twin Dragons (1992), playing an inffectual faith healer), yet contemporary audiences are probably more familiar with Jing’s controversial and extremely viscreal 90’s features: The Naked Killer (1992) and The Last Blood (1991), although both City Hunter (1992) and the wire-fu laden Last Hero in China (1993) had been designedly toned down at a time when age restricted categories were systematically endorsed; these alternative, but no less enjoyable popcorn distractions, were/are still endulgent enough to satisfy even the most hardened of cynics.

Indeed, Jing’s world of ‘make believe,’ often surrealist approach is ebulliently crafted in a way the great Tsui Hark or even the nihilistic John Woo may wince with envy or applaud with competitive enthusiasm. In equal designation, technically, these resourceful, gifted and innovative visionaries basically retain a similar celluloid style: multiple quick edits and an inordinate bodycount are two personalized touchstones that tends to inspire audience appreciation, but can simultaneously infuriate critics for lack of realism or originality. Nevertheless, after continued exposure absurdity becomes championed by escapism in its purest form, which is why a film like Mercenaries from Hong Kong might have struggled either commercially or (in) dealing with censorship issues if had it been released following the wake of John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow (1986) sequence or Ringo Lam’s City on Fire (1987).

Mercenaries from Hong Kong is bloody, gritty and extremely fast-paced, as one would expect from a Hong Kong picture. Jing’s unappologetic third foray behind the camera dispenses with storyline subtleties or complexities from the outset. Either by choice or tactful administration, he also limits himself from using over elaborate production values, special effects or convoluted dialogue seemingly by steering directly to the crux without pretension or stylized self glorification as Mercenaries from Hong Kong opens to a rock orientated soundtrack and unusual close-up shots of a heavily tattooed enforcer Luo Li (Ti Lung), rigorously weight-training for a solo revenge assignment against a triad-linked drug dealer, who’d previously and intentionally hooked Li’s niece to heroin dependency.

In a scene blatantly lifted from Andrew V. McClagen’s political action hybrid The Wild Geese (1979), featuring then-James Bond sensation, Roger Moore: Li force-feeds his target with his own narcotics, thus inducing death. Barely escaping, Li options (as anyone would do!) to go underground as he discovers a contract has been circulated for him, via a prevailing triad fraternity.

Conveniently at this juncture, Li is approached by a mysterious lady named, Hei-Ying (Yvonne Yu), whose tycoon father had been murdered by an assassin, Na Wei (Philip Kao). Ying propersitions Li to (A): hunt down Wei, (B): kill him and (C): retrieve an audio tape containing top illicit business deals which is in Wei’s possession. In return for Li’s services, Ying offers the luxury of both money and freedom if he journeys to the treacherous jungles of Cambodia to fulfill his mission. Agreeing with her terms, Li assembles a special team of former army comrades comprising of Lei Tai (Lo Lieh), a sniper trained soldier who desperately needs capital for his daughter’s kidney transplant; Hong Fan (Wang Lung Wei), a driving ace; conman/cabaret nightclub performer, Curry (Wong Yue) and womanizing explosive expert, Blanche (Lo-Lanto Chan). Together, after confronting numerous obsticles, both in Hong Kong and Cambodia, the mercs reach their objective where Na Wei is being protected by a guerrilla army that discreetly trades opium for weapons or medical supplies. Posing as smugglers they gain entrance, capture Na Wei and learn all isn’t what it appears to be. Suspicion, dissension, duplicitousness and sacrifice ensues at an untold price.

Verdict: Motifs of brotherhood, loyality and naturally, betrayal, are all quinessential elements which one favourably reconciles with, despite the fact of being proverbially generic, either erswhile or in contemporary terms. However, solid performances (especially from Ti Lung) and consummate fight choreography including very few explosive set pieces, otherwise reinforces Mercenaries from Hong Kong from plummeting into total obscurity. Although at intervals, reprehensible and horrifically violent, but never commonplace, this slice of exploitational cinema, perspectively, is an unique exploration into military bravado and criminal machiavellianism.

Matthew Le-feuvre’s Rating: 8/10

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

‘Falcon Rising’ producer to remake Van Damme’s ‘Lionheart’

"Lionheart" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Lionheart" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Back in 2014, it was reported that Albert Pyun – filmmaker of cult classic films such as Cyborg (1989) and Nemesis (1992) – was approached about directing a remake of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Lionheart (1990). But now, we have word that Pyun is no longer attached; nonetheless, a remake is still moving forward. Very forward.

According to Impact’s Mike Leeder, Moonstone Entertainment and producer Etchie Stroh (Falcon Rising) have the Lionheart remake listed in pre-production and it’s scheduled to shoot before the end of the year. At this time, there is no information regarding the film’s potential cast or crew.

The original Lionheart (also known as Leon, A.W.O.L. and Wrong Bet), directed by Sheldon Lettich (Double Impact), is considered a favorite amongst Van Damme fans because of its heartfelt plot laced with hard-hitting violence. The film follows a soldier (Van Damme) who deserts his assignment in the French Foreign Legion after he hears about the brutal murder of his brother. He then travels to the United States and competes in a series of illegal hand-to-hand fighting competitions to aid his widowed sister-in-law (Lisa Pelikan), who is now struggling to care for her daughter (Last of Us’ Ashley Johnson).

In addition to Lionheart, many of Van Damme’s other titles – such as Bloodsport (1988) and Timecop (1994) – are currently being developed for a remake/reboot (read our article The Most ‘Remade’ Action Star in the World). Kickboxer Vengeance, a remake of Kickboxer (1989), is only months away from being released.

We’ll keep you updated on the Lionheart remake as we hear more. Stay tuned.

Posted in News |

Brutal | DVD (Inception Media)

Brutal | DVD (Inception Media)

Brutal | DVD (Inception Media)

RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2016

Inception Media presents the DVD for Donald Lawrence Flaherty and Colin Follenweider’s Brutal, an MMA flick with a clash of sci-fi and extreme gore!

“Brutal combines some of the most balls-to-the-wall fight choreography you’ve ever seen. Benoit and Hatch’s bone-crunching fights are so realistic that they are simultaneously hard to watch and hard to turn away from.” – Bill Oberst Jr., Emmy Award-winning Actor and Horror Film Icon

Brutal centers on Trevor (Morgan Benoit), abducted from his backyard at the age of fifteen by an unseen alien presence. Forced into nearly two decades of savage fights to the finish against other abductees inside an unearthly mixed martial arts arena, Trevor has evolved from an innocent boy into a brutal fighting machine.

Derek, (Jeff Hatch) an ambulance-chasing lawer, is the latest lab-rat abductee forced to fight Trevor. As the two men exchange ever-increasing beatings over the course of weeeks and months, the brutality of their existence and the true nature of their humanity is slowly revealed.

With elements of The Twilight Zone and The Prisoner, Brutal explores through science fiction, allegory and psychological drama, man’s violent nature and our propensity to commit unthinkable acts of violence against each other. Yet through this prism of brutality, our capacity to love one another, even in the worst of circumstances, is celebrated. | Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Brutal from Amazon.com today!

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

The real fight of the century is here…‘The Ring vs The Grudge’

"Sadako vs. Kayako" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Sadako vs. Kayako" Japanese Theatrical Poster

In the last 50 years or so, there’s been a number of notable “versus” movies: 1962 brought us King Kong vs. Godzilla. In 1971 came Dracula vs. Frankenstein. We entered the beginning of millennium with 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, followed by 2004’s Alien vs. Predator.**

Now comes Sadako vs. Kayako – aka, the ghosts from The Ring and The Grudge are going to duke it out in this upcoming thriller from Koji Shiraishi (Grotesque).

Sadako vs. Kayako hits Japanese theaters on June 18, 2016. Dare to watch the trailer?

Updates: Watch the film’s latest trailer.

Posted in News |

A Touch of Zen | Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion)

"Touch of Zen" Blu-ray Cover

"Touch of Zen" Blu-ray Cover

RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2016

Film aficionados’ (i.e. film snobs) favorite video-distribution company, The Criterion Collection, have announced a July 19th Blu-ray and DVD release for King Hu’s seminal wu xia classic, Touch of Zen (1971).

Here’s the official release information:

“Visionary” barely begins to describe this masterpiece of Chinese cinema and martial arts moviemaking. A Touch of Zen by King Hu depicts the journey of Yang (Hsu Feng), a fugitive noblewoman who seeks refuge in a remote, and allegedly haunted, village. The sanctuary she finds with a shy scholar and two aides in disguise is shattered when a nefarious swordsman uncovers her identity, pitting the four against legions of blade-wielding opponents.

At once a wuxia film, the tale of a spiritual quest, and a study in human nature, A Touch of Zen is an unparalleled work in Hu’s formidable career and an epic of the highest order, characterized by breathtaking action choreography, stunning widescreen landscapes, and innovative editing.

  • New 4K digital restoration uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Documentary from 2012 about director King Hu
  • New interviews with actors Hsu Feng and Shih Chun
  • New interview with filmmaker Ang Lee
  • New interview with film scholar Tony Rayns
  • Trailer
  • New English subtitle translation
  • PLUS: An essay by film scholar David Bordwell and notes by Hu from a 1975 Cannes Film Festival press kit

Watch the trailer for the 2016 release of A Touch of Zen.

Pre-order A Touch of Zen from Amazon.com today!

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

Deal on Fire! Chinese Zodiac | Blu-ray | Only $7.88 – Expires soon!

Chinese Zodiac | Armour of God III: CZ12 | Blu-ray & DVD (Universal)

Chinese Zodiac | Armour of God III: CZ12 | Blu-ray & DVD (Universal)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Chinese Zodiac (read our review), an action/adventure written, directed and starring Jackie Chan.

Chan returns as Asian Hawk (his iconic character from Armour of God and Operation Condor) – this time scouring the globe for the bronze head statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, which were sacked by the French and British armies!

The film also stars Liao Fan (Black Coal, Thin Ice), Laura Weissbecker (France Boutique), Oliver Platt (Chef), Yao Xing Tong (Who Am I 2015) and Kwon Sang-woo (Once Upon a Time in High School)

Order Chinese Zodiac from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

The Midnight After | DVD (Well Go USA)

The Midnight After | DVD (Well Go USA)

The Midnight After | DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

Are you ready for more post-apocalyptic madness? If so, Well Go USA is scheduled to release Fruit Chan’s (Made in Hong Kong) thriller, The Midnight After, on DVD in June!

The film – based on the web-novel, Lost on a Red Mini Bus to Taipo – revolves around a minibus full of passengers that travels through a tunnel late at night. When the bus gets to the other side, the city appears to have been destroyed by deadly virus.

The Midnight After after stars Wong You Nam (Gangster Pay Day), Janice Man (Nightfall), Kara Hui (Angel Terminators), Simon Yam (SPL II: A Time for Consequences), Sam Lee (Wild City), Chui Tien You (Kick Ass Girls), Lam Suet (Trivisa), Vincci Cheuk Wan Chi (12 Nights) and Fiona Sit Hoi Kei (Girls). | Don’t miss the film’s trailer.

Pre-order The Midnight After from Amazon.com today!

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

The Mermaid | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Entertainment)

Mermaid | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Entertainment)

Mermaid | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Entertainment)

RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Sony presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid (read our review).

The Mermaid stars Deng Chao (Jian Bing Man), Lin Yun (L.O.R.D), Show Luo (Journey to the West), Zhang Yuqi (CJ7) and Kris Wu (xXx: The Return of Xander Cage).

The film is also available as a double feature with Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, which stars Yuen Wah (Kick Boxer), Yuen Qiu (Man with the Golden Gun), Bruce Leung (Invincible Eight) and Danny Chan (Ip Man 3).

Pre-order The Mermaid from Amazon.com today!

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