The ‘Universal Soldier’ Films: A Retrospective

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Zach Nix

The Universal Soldier films are unique in that they blend stories about cyborg-like killers with martial arts and several of action cinema’s greatest stars. Action icons like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Michael Jai White, and Scott Adkins all appear throughout the franchise and leave their stamp on the Universal Soldier name. Fans of both science fiction and martial arts cinema adore these films because they blend two separate sub-genres into one strangely rewarding franchise that has actually gotten better with time.

If one were to compare the Universal Soldier series to any other action franchise out there, than it would have to be the Highlander series. Both franchises started off with fairly successful theatrical entries that eventually led into sequels that appealed to the direct to video market and retconned previous entries’ continuity. However, the Universal Soldier series is unique in that the direct to video entries of the franchise are actually better than the theatrically released entries, a rarity in any franchise. The series is also interesting for shifting its tone over time. What started as rather dumb escapism eventually became a bleak and horrific martial arts blood fest that even explored interesting themes of identity and humanity.

It should be mentioned that this retrospective will not cover the two television/direct to video entries of the franchise, Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms and Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business (same goes for The Asylum’s Universal Soldiers), as both do not feature any of the actors from the rest of the series and were not made by the series’ creators. These ‘direct to video quality’ entries are mostly disregarded by fans and not considered as part of the series’ canon either. Few action buffs have even seen these low budget turds. No offense to their place in action history, but the true Universal Soldier franchise consists of the films starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, plain and simple. Therefore, let’s dive into the rocky but consistently rewarding Universal Soldier series that proves that the direct to video market is a force to be reckoned with and that Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren have actually gotten better with time.

"Universal Soldier" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Universal Soldier" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Universal Soldier (1992)

Roland Emmerich’s first true blockbuster is a fun but dumb start to a franchise that nobody expected to outlast its first installment. Universal Soldier is clearly a rip-off of The Terminator with its cyborg-like protagonists and chase concept. Unfortunately, Universal Soldier channels nothing more than B-movie thrills, not intellectual thematic material a-la Cameron’s own Terminator films. Emmerich and his screenwriting partner in crime Dean Devlin take what could have been a rather intelligent sci-fi/actioner and dumb it down to basics. Universal Soldier is nothing more than required viewing if only to understand the mythology of the series and nothing more. The film isn’t even the best within its own franchise even though it is the first installment. In a world where film buffs argue that the first film in a series is typically the best, Universal Soldier joins the ranks of Friday the 13th as being a lackluster start in a franchise that would only get better.

Van Damme and Lundgren promotional shot.

Universal Soldier starts off with a rather excellent prologue that sets the stage for the rest of the film. The year is 1969 and the Vietnam War is in full bloom. When Private Luc Deveraux (Jean Claude Van Damme) discovers that his superior Sergeant Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren) has snapped and killed a helping of villagers, the two duke it out with one another until they both lay dead in the wet mud. When American soldiers arrive upon the scene, they bag up the two and sign them up for the Universal Soldier program. The program takes once deceased soldiers and turns them into UniSols, invincible cyborgs that go on dangerous missions for the government. UniSols are the perfect soldiers because they cannot think for themselves and do exactly as they are told.

However, both Luc and Andrew’s past memories are triggered when a reporter, Veronica (Ally Walker), sneaks onto the UniSol training ground. Andrew resorts back to his psychotic ways when he murders Veronica’s cameraman and Luc turns back into the protective soldier he used to be when he grabs Veronica and chooses to protect her from Andrew. The trio engage in a cross country chase that leaves numerous innocent bodies behind.

The entire UniSol platoon.

It’s clear that there was great potential with Universal Soldier. The film could have delivered both the entertaining action and intriguing themes of a similar master class sci-fi/actioner like The Terminator. Unfortunately, Emmerich aims straight for basic B-movie entertainment and delivers nothing more than that. Emmerich fails to elicit an iota of tension out of his chase-like proceedings or deliver a competent laugh courtesy of the film’s rather abundant assortment of jokes and annoying characters. The lead characters themselves would also be particularly forgetful if not for being played by Van Damme and Lundgren.

Lundgren goes crazy.

Universal Soldier isn’t all bad though. You could say that the film is also what Devlin and Emmerich do best: blockbuster fun. The opening Vietnam prologue and mission at Hoover Dam hold up to this day and stand as the film’s standout set pieces. Van Damme and Lundgren also get to show off their action chops with numerous car chases, fist fights, and shootouts. Universal Soldier is more or less a ‘versus’ film between Van Damme and Lundgren where the two chase one another across the country and duke it out several times. While far from exciting, Universal Soldier is a unique relic of 90s cinema where two action stars shared screen time and top billing with one another. The action stars of the 80s and 90s were all about competition. This is why you never saw any of them on screen together until Stallone’s The Expendables. Therefore, Universal Soldier is worth checking out in order to see two of action cinema’s biggest stars acting alongside one another all the way back in 1992.

If B-movie entertainment is what you seek, than Universal Soldier is the film for you. Van Damme and Lundgren fans will definitely want to check this film out for their fun performances and entertaining action sequences. Otherwise, the first Universal Soldier film does nothing more than establish the mythos of an ever complex franchise and force the audience through an hour and a half of bad comedy courtesy of Ally Walker’s gaping jaw. Unfortunately, the franchise would only get worse with its first sequel.

"Universal Soldier: The Return" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Universal Soldier: The Return" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)

Universal Soldier: The Return is the low point of the franchise, an abomination of action cinema if there ever was one. Mic Rodger’s ham fisted film is nothing more than a lazy sequel meant to cash in on the original’s success and Van Damme’s marque name. Univeral Soldier: The Return is so bad that it more or less killed the franchise until direct to video master John Hyams “regenerated” the franchise in 2009 with one of the best direct to video sequels of all time.

Universal Soldier: The Return opens with an action scene within the first few minutes and more or less establishes the tone for the rest of the picture. If you thought that Universal Soldier was too comedic or dumb, than prepare yourself for a camp fest. Universal Soldier: The Return dives head first into sexist jokes, dumb action, and forced romance within minutes and tortures the viewer with these atrocities until the very end. The film barely constitutes as a sequel, as Luc Deveraux returns as a soldier working for the government, but no longer with the defects of a UniSol. He’s a cured man now with a daughter and a job to attend too. When the UniSol program is shut down due to budget cuts, the artificial intelligence program that runs the facility takes matters into its own hands and uses the UniSols to take over. This A.I. eventually takes the form of a man named Seth (Michael Jai White) and gives Deveraux a physical opponent to best. Therefore, Deveraux must help the military shut down the UniSol program and stop Seth.

Van Damme and Kiana Tom in a promotional shot.

Universal Soldier: The Return barely has a plot. The film was more or less an excuse to get Van Damme back in the shoes of Deveraux in order to kick some ass and shoot some UniSols. The sequel even borrows its rogue A.I. plot from none other than 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film goes so far as to recreate the infamous scene of HAL-9000 reading the lips of two men when Seth reads the lips of two military officers through a window. Both scenes are shockingly similar to the point where Universal Soldier: The Return’s “borrowing” of the material seems down right criminal. One should not even mention 2001: A Space Odyssey and Universal Soldier: The Return within the same sentence, it’s just wrong.

Van Damme unleashes on Bill Goldberg.

That Rodger’s sequel was made for $45 million astounds me. This crappy film features the terrible acting abilities, awful special effects, and nonsensical plotting of a television movie, not a theatrically released sequel. The sound design, cinematography, and score are especially bad too. Your eyes and ears will hurt from watching this hazy and cheap looking sequel that dares to compare itself to Emmerich’s competent sci-fi/actioner. Say what you want about the first film, but at least it had good cinematography. Universal Soldier: The Return also cements its action and plot amongst three sets: a military facility, a hospital, and a strip club. Get used to those gray walls and bland sets, cause they are all you are going to get for a thankfully short run time of 83 minutes.

Michael Jai White and Van Damme promotional shot.

The action scenes in Universal Soldier: The Return barely amount to an R rating or excite the viewer either. Bland shootouts between Van Damme and nameless UniSols, as well as average fistfights between UniSol Romeo (Bill Goldberg) and buff nurses, do nothing more than pad out the running time. In fact, nearly all of Goldberg’s action sequences will make you laugh out loud, as they feature an odd amount of accidental comedy that director Mic Rodgers had to be idiotic not to pick up on. The only fight scene in the film that truly dazzles is the final showdown between Van Damme and Michael Jai White. The two beat up one another, hurl themselves through glass, and utilize chairs as weapons in the film’s only memorable physical bout. Unfortunately, this awesome final fight isn’t enough to save a film that already features awful ADR and a scene where a character rides Bill Goldberg down a staircase as a surfboard.

With Dolph Lundgren out of the picture and Van Damme grasping onto some of the worst material in his career, Universal Soldier: The Return barely constitutes as a Universal Soldier film. The memorable and psychotic Andrew Scott is all but absent and Luc Deveraux is barely the same character as seen within the first film. The film might as well be called Universal Soldier: Jean Claude Returns, as he is the only true returning element of the previous film. As far as sequels come, Universal Soldier: The Return may just be one of the very worst. It is nothing more than a cheap cash crab that somehow features a shocking $45 million budget. Those in search of a good laugh should check out this horrendous sequel. Otherwise, skip this franchise killing film and jump ahead to the next one.

"Universal Soldier: Regeneration" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Universal Soldier: Regeneration" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009)

After one particularly average entry and one horrendous sequel, the Universal Soldier franchise seemed officially dead and beyond repair. However, director John Hyams and screenwriter Victor Ostrovsky saw different when they revived the franchise in 2009 with Universal Soldier: Regeneration, a direct to video sequel (in the United States) that also rebooted the series. Universal Soldier: Regeneration rebooted the franchise by building off the mythology established in the original film while wisely ignoring the events of Universal Soldier: The Return altogether. Hyams also stripped the franchise of its hokey humor and popcorn elements in favor of a serious tone and brutally realistic fight sequences. In doing so, Hyams crafted one of the best entries in the series.

A group of political activists kidnap the Ukrainian prime minster’s son and daughter in exchange for the release of imprisoned political activists. If their demands are not met, than the activists will detonate an abandoned Chernobyl power planet in 72 hours. U.S. forces team up with the Ukrainian army in an effort to combat the political activists many numbers as well as their secret weapon, a sole Next Generation Universal Soldier, or, N.G.U. (Anrdei Arlovski). When the U.S. army’s forces and own UniSols fail to defeat the N.G.U., the U.S. army reactivates former UniSol Luc Deveraux in an effort to stop the activists from activating the bomb.

Van Damme back in top form.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration excels where previous Universal Soldier films failed by exploring themes of identity and humanity amidst the Universal Soldier program. The film conveys the dangers of trying to control soldiers and the effect it has on their humanity and personality. When the film opens on Deveraux, we find him undergoing a rehabilitation program that aims to restore him as a normal member of society. However, all of Deveraux’s rehabilitation is ruined when the U.S. army makes the decision to remove his humanity altogether and turn him into an unstoppable soldier again. The film is truly a tragic and depressing look at the effects of creating the perfect soldier, as well as a harrowing warning of said effects. Look towards the next sequel for more on this.

Hyams’ first Universal Soldier film is also an improvement in the action department thanks to a helping of brutally realistic fight choreography and incredible camera work. Andrei Arlovski’s many fight scenes benefit from the actor’s experience in mixed martial arts. The fights feel like actual brawls to the death this go around instead of flashy bouts of popcorn entertainment. Even Van Damme and Lundgren’s long awaited rematch since their final fight at the end of Universal Soldier trumps nearly every fight the two have engaged in amongst their lengthy careers. All of this bone crunching action is made all the better thanks to the camera work by Peter Hyams, John’s father who had previously directed Van Damme in Time Cop and Sudden Death.

Van Damme vs. Lundgren II.

John and Peter take a page out of Alfonso Cuaron’s filmmaking handbook by incorporating long tracking shots and smooth camera movements that convey an incredible sense of fluidity during the film’s many action sequences. The film’s gorgeous cinematography shines the best during an incredible single shot where Van Damme runs through a house and guns down various political activists left and right. Peter Hyams gives even John Woo’s tracking shot from Hard Boiled a run for its money. Hyams crafts an incredible finale filled with shootouts and numerous physical bouts that drive Universal Soldier: Regeneration home as one of the best action films of the previous decade.

Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski is a welcome addition.

If one were to fault Hyams’ otherwise excellent direct to video sequel on anything, than it would have to be that the film suffers from having no clearly defined protagonist. Even though Van Damme returns as Deveraux, he doesn’t appear until 20 minutes into the film’s run time and only has a couple more scenes until he dives head first into the film’s action packed finale. Arlovski more or less dominates the first half of the film until he vanishes and Mike Pyle steps in to steal the show during the second half. With so many characters taking center stage throughout the film, it’s hard to place one as the clear protagonist, even Van Damme’s respective franchise character.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration is a brutal but restrained sequel that reboots the franchise to greatness and establishes John Hyams as its auteur. John and his father direct and frame several incredible fistfights that stand as some of the genre’s very best. Hyams also directs newcomer Arlovski to great effect with a Terminator-esque performance of silence and sheer horror. Van Damme, Arlovski, Pyle, and even Lundgren shine bright in this unforgettable film that establishes the Universal Soldier series as one of action cinema’s secret treasures.

"Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning" Japanese DVD Cover

"Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning" Japanese DVD Cover

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012)

Hyams’ second sequel within the series is a daring, artistic, and complex film that barely resembles its refreshing predecessor. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning takes the franchise in an increasingly complex and animalistic direction as it explore themes of reality and humanity amongst a plot that places action star Scott Adkins (Close Range) in the spotlight as the franchise’s newest hero.

The fourth Universal Soldier film immediately pulls a switcheroo on the viewer by turning its franchise hero, Luc Deveraux, into a psychotic villain. The film opens as John (Scott Adkins), a husband and father, watches his family murdered before his eyes by a trio of masked men led by Deveraux. When John awakens from a coma several months later, he sets out to uncover why Deveraux murdered his family. He soon discovers that his sense of reality is not as he believes and that he may be a pawn in a larger game involving the Universal Soldiers and the government that controls them.

Scott Adkins is ready to kill and kill again.

Whereas Universal Soldier: Regeneration was simplistic and straightforward, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is anything but. Hyams crafts a radically different sequel that combines the hard-hitting elements of the previous film with the stylistic tendencies of extreme foreign art house pictures. Neon and fluorescent lights decorate many of the film’s sets and recall the neon-tinged films of Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives). The film also features several first person point of view shots complete with blinking eye effects for maximum immersion. The occasional POV shots, along with several scenes that feature near headache inducing strobe lights, mirror the filmmaking techniques of Gaspar Noe (Irreversible, Enter the Void). It’s clear that Hyams pulls inspiration from varied filmmakers for each of his Universal Soldier films.

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning may fend off viewers who are uncomfortable with such extreme techniques and gory violence. Hyams takes the fourth film in such a dark and extreme direction at times that the film feels like it has crossed over into the horror genre. In fact, the film is so violent that it feels primal and animalistic in tone, especially during the scenes that take place within the UniSol compound. There is no denying that Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning joins the ranks of Rambo, Punisher: War Zone, and The Raid 2 as one of the most violent action films in recent years.

It's apocalypse now for Arlovski and Van Damme.

Adkins gives a great performance as a confused and confounded man who questions his own reality. The character of John, and his subsequent adventure, mirror Douglas Quaid’s plight in Total Recall. Franchise veterans Van Damme and Lundgren are reduced to particularly small supporting roles. While viewers may be familiar with Lundgren’s insane antics over the course of the franchise, some may be caught off guard by Van Damme’s rather dark performance as a corrupted Deveraux. Van Damme’s bald appearance and performance recall Marlon Brandon’s infamous turn as Colonel Kurtz in the classic war film Apocalypse Now. In fact, Deveraux’s journey from decorated soldier to insane leader is incredibly similar to Kurtz’s own fall from grace. Both men’s journeys show the harrowing effects of war on its soldiers. Arlovski also returns, now referred to as “The Plumber”, in a supporting role that pits him against Adkins throughout the first half of the film.

Hyams ups the action ante from the previous film with numerous one on one fights and one of the goriest action finales in recent memory. Both of Adkins’ fights against Arlovski excel due to their hard-hitting choreography and lack of music. Their fast paced fights stand out the most because they differ from the rest of the film’s highly stylized fights that incorporate copious amounts of slow motion, tracking shots, and sped up footage. The film’s entire finale feels reminiscent of a video game as Adkins makes his way through several UniSol henchmen, a mini-boss in the form of Dolph Lundgren, and than the long awaited final bout against Van Damme. Few action films contain as brutal a display of violence as Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning.

Adkins and Lundgren havin' a bloody good time.

Whether Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning ends up being the final entry in the franchise or simply the latest remains to be seen. Either way, it’s clear that Hyams is the franchise’s defining author and the one who should be writing, producing, or directing all future entries. Hyams took the franchise in a new direction with this brutal entry of the series that exudes art house horror and animalistic fervor. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is an action film that must be seen if only to experience its raw energy and jaw dropping action sequences. Adkins’ one on one fights with Arlovski, Lundgren, and Van Damme are worth the price of admission alone. If anything, Hyams has successfully passed the franchise torch from Lundgren and Van Damme to newcomer Adkins.

Conclusion:

The Universal Soldier franchise is a unique gem of action and science fiction cinema. The series started out with Universal Soldier, an overly humorous but entertaining summer blockbuster that felt more like a one-off film than the start of a franchise. However, Van Damme desperately needed a comeback in the late 90s. Therefore, he pulled the sequel card and starred in Universal Soldier: The Return, one of his biggest budgeted action films at the time. Unfortunately, the film was nothing but a disaster. It was an insult to the series, a financial flop, and critically reviled. It stands to this day as one of the very worst films in all of Van Damme’s filmography.

Fortunately, John Hyams resurrected the series in 2009 with Universal Soldier: Regeneration, one of the hardest hitting and simplistic reboots to date. Hyams followed up his reboot with the increasingly complex and diverse Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, a fascinating and dark science fiction film. Both of Hyams’ sequels also gave Van Damme and Lundgren a second chance at redeeming the franchise. Hyam’s sequels more or less stand as the series’ definitive entries thanks to their penchant for brutal action, engaging stories, and interesting themes of identity and reality. Few franchises evolve over time and feature as diverse a selection of sequels as the Universal Soldier series. Therefore, count me in for whatever direction the series heads towards next.

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

Posted on January 12, 2016 by JJ Bona
The Assassin | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

The Assassin | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of The Assassin 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 The Assassin will be officially released on January 26, 2016. We will announce the 3 winners on that day.

CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by January 26, 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: Lundon, Frankie C., and Paul.

Posted in News | Tagged |

21 (2008): The New Story About Online Casino

Posted on January 12, 2016 by JJ Bona
play blackjack

“21” Theatrical Poster

21 is a must-see movie about blackjack, casinos in Las Vegas, and the famous MIT card counting team. Anyone who has ever tried online gambling at Casino-X will definitely love it. The movie is based on real events happened in the mid 1990s. 21 is not quite true historically, being “based on” one of the most exciting stories about casino.

Although, the movie is worth seeing if you realize that the whole world of casino is not just a dump of slot machines for an intelligent man. With a reasonable approach, it can really “feed” the player – while some play online casino games or go out to have fun, others substitute the online casino real money experience with real games like blackjack and counting cards. The plot of the movie in general is copied from the real story, except for some details that could only overload the narrative.

Blackjack online and in reality

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a talented student working in a clothing store. Ben is in love with his classmate Jill (Kate Bosworth). Our genius dreams of admission to Harvard, but there is one problem – the admission fee is $ 300,000. That is just too much for a humble student…

Imagine what his life would be like but for one incident in the classroom. No, he didn’t have the chance to win at the best online casino. The usual Ben’s life is disturbed by a tempting offer.

His teacher – Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) – invites Ben to join a team of blackjack players, consisting of the most talented students of the course. Every weekend the team goes to Las Vegas and quite legally wins very large sums of money playing at the casinos. Although the main hero is not exactly mad about such intrigues, he has no choice – he needs $ 300,000 to pay for the studies.

This is the way he accepts the offer to play blackjack… Moreover, Jill is among the players. The members use special game signals and start to win big money in the casinos of Las Vegas. After all, who would refuse to lay aside online black jack and break the bank in Las Vegas, especially if you know how to do this?

The guys liked the contrast between the way they lived in Boston – nerds with pencils in their pockets – and the life they had in Las Vegas, where you can become a real star. The keys to the city were in their hands. They could afford things others could only dream of.

The story could go on further, but… Casinos love to see people win, but will not allow the players win consistently. Security service is closely following the new players. Besides, being still new to the space, Ben falls to temptation and loses a considerable sum of money.

From that moment the trouble starts. The team founder can’t forgive Ben his mistake. He takes the money from the hiding place and expels him from the institute. But Ben has a plan: he returns to his recent offender to change the situation for the better and win even more.

Despite the fact that the plot may seem like a fairy tale, card counting strategy in blackjack works fine. This is probably the only casino game where you can predict the future based on the past. Even if 21 may seem a little bit overlong, yet the film is well worth watching.

Posted in News |

Priests, The (2015) Review

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Paul Bramhall
"The Priests" Korean Theatrical Poster

“The Priests” Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: Black Priests
Director: Jang Jae-Hyon
Writer: Jang Jae-Hyon
Cast: Kim Yun-Seok, Gang Dong-Won, Park So-Dam, Kim Eui-Sung, Son Jong-Hak, Nam Il-Woo, Lee Ho-Jae, Kim Byung-Ok, Jo Soo-Hyang, Park Woong
Running Time: 108 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Out of the many genres that can be found within Korean cinema, it’s the supernatural horror movie that seems to struggle to find any consistency in terms of quality. While movies like The Whispering Corridors series and A Tale of Two Sisters both stand out as superlative examples, it’s fair to say that many of the countries entries into the genre are quickly forgotten. What can’t be argued though, especially in recent years, is that just as popular as the tales of vengeful spirits, are the tales of spirits which have possessed an innocent human host. In other words, the exorcism movie. Hollywood has of course, as it always does, been churning them out like they’re going out of fashion. Since 2010 alone we’ve had The Last Exorcism (and its sequel), The Possession, and The Devil Inside.

Korea thankfully hasn’t been quite as energetic, with their last notable entry into the exorcism sub-genre coming in the form of 2009’s Possessed. So, with the arrival of director Jang Jae-hyon’s debut feature, The Priests, it’s fair to say a sufficient amount of time has passed for audiences to accept the latest demonic possession movie. It’s estimated that almost 30% of the Korean population is of the Christian faith, with 10% of that figure being Catholic, so if anything it’s surprising that we haven’t seen more movies from the local industry pitting the church against some sort of evil spirit.

The plot of The Priests will no doubt seem familiar to anyone who’s seen William Friedkin’s seminal work The Exorcist, a 1973 production that still holds up over 40 years later. Kim Yoon-seok, here in his third movie from 2015 alone, plays a world weary soju drinking exorcist, who despite orders from the church explicitly telling him not to, has been secretly performing exorcisms on a young girl in a coma, believed to be possessed. Yoon-seok isn’t without allies in the church though, and those that believe in him have been hooking him up with assistants to help perform the exorcisms, however none of them ever last very long. The latest is a young deacon, played by Kang Dong-won, last seen as the bad guy in Kundo: Age of the Rampant, and together Yoon-seok plans to expel the demon from the girl once and for all.

Yoon-seok and Dong-won have shared the screen together before, in Choi Dong-hoon’s 2009 feature Jeon Woo Chi: The Taoist Wizard. In that movie Dong-hoon was the lead, playing the title character, so The Priests provides the opportunity for them to share top billing. It quickly becomes clear that it’s a production which benefits greatly from having them both on-board, and onscreen they have a believable chemistry together, which keeps things feeling grounded and based in reality. The possessed girl (has there ever been an exorcism movie in which the victim is a male?) is played by Park So-dam, here featuring in her second horror movie of 2015, the first being The Silenced released earlier in the year.

For a first time director, Jae-hyon kicks off proceedings with an impressive opening, as the Vatican sends a pair of its own exorcists to Korea, having identified that one of the twelve manifestations of evil is residing in Seoul. After successfully capturing the demon, a high impact traffic accident results in it being freed from the grasps of the exorcists, and it’s this event which leads to the involvement of Yoon-seok and Dong-won. It’s clear from the word go that Jae-hyon, who also wrote the script, has put a lot of passion into his debut. On top of the strop opening, there’s also some very subtle references to The Exorcist thrown in for those that are looking for them. Dong-won’s initial scene has his body framed against a building, which clearly recalls the iconic image of Max von Sydow’s arrival at Linda Blair’s house, along with some parts of the soundtrack having faint echoes of Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’.

However The Priests carves out enough of its own identity to separate itself from being simply another derogatory version of The Exorcist. Much of this comes from the unique cultural slant the fact that it’s a Korean production brings to the narrative, like the emphasis on the year of birth, and most notably, the inclusion of a scene involving a traditional Korean shaman performing a gut. Korean shamanism is still a largely overlooked practice, and is rarely shown in mainstream media, so it was refreshing to see it incorporated into the plot for a movie such as this. For anyone who checks out The Priests and would like to know more, I strongly recommend watching the 2013 documentary Manshin: Ten Thousand Spirits. Directed by Park Chan-wook’s brother, Park Chan-kyong, it’s a fascinating look into traditional Korean shamanism.

Despite its strengths though, The Priests also reflects the fact that it’s a director’s debut in various aspects of the narrative. There’s a real feeling that Jae-hyon probably had the tale complete in his head, but not every aspect of it made it onto the screen or script. Several interesting plot points that get introduced early on are never really followed up on. The church superiors suspect Yoon-seok may in fact be abusing the girl, so essentially send Dong-won to assist him as a spy, however once Yoon-seok has Dong-won’s trust, this element is completely dropped. There is a significant scene when Dong-won visits Yoon-seok’s former assistant, however once it’s over, again nothing ever comes from it. Most bafflingly is a senior church member who wakes up from a coma, and all indications point to him being possessed, which after a brief visit and exorcism from Yoon-seok is never touched upon again.

The tone in which Dong-won is first introduced as a suitable candidate to be Yoon-seok’s assistant is also jarringly comedic, and almost comes across like it’s been transplanted from another movie. Dong-won’s mischievous antics play out onscreen, like sneaking out to buy alcohol or cheating in an exam, while Yoon-seok reads out his requirements via voiceover in a poker faced manner. However Jae-hyon directs with a refreshing level of energy, and keeps the pace moving along in such a way that the suspense and tension is kept high throughout, so ultimately these complaints are forgivable. It just would have been even better if he could tie them into the wider plot, making a good film potentially into a great one.

The exorcism is of course the main event, and it doesn’t disappoint. Rather than filling the screen with CGI creations, a mistake that so many modern horror movies make, here it’s used sparingly, and acts to compliment Yoon-seok, Dong-won, and So-dam’s performances rather than distracting from them. Jae-hyon does a great job of wringing the maximum amount of tension from the ritual, ensuring the two priests are definitely not given a smooth ride, and the lack of grand spectacle really keeps it grounded in reality, ensuring the terror feels real. By this point we’re also completely invested in Yoon-seok and Dong-won’s characters, ensuring that as an audience we’re not just watching it for the sake of being scared. The fact that we want the characters to beat the demon makes a lot of difference.

The Priests is a refreshingly straight forward horror movie, which is successful in being both suspenseful and delivering a few jump in your seat moments. By eschewing any pretentious flights of fancy, like the usual winks at the audience or veiled deeper meanings, it actually works in the movies favor. What’s left is a lean supernatural tale of two priests, neither of whom are perfect, that set their sights on freeing a young girl of the demon that’s possessed her, and that’s exactly what they do. It doesn’t re-invent the wheel and may not be completely original, but at the end of the day, who doesn’t like to see good prevailing over evil?

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7.5/10

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

Deal on Fire! Close Range | Blu-ray | Only $9.99 – Expires soon!

Posted on January 7, 2016 by JJ Bona
Close Range | Blu-ray & DVD (XLRator)

Close Range | Blu-ray & DVD (XLRator)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Close Range, an action film by Isaac Florentine (Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear) starring Scott Adkins (Assassination Games).

A rogue soldier turned outlaw is thrust into a relentless fight with a corrupt sheriff, his obedient deputies, and a dangerous drug cartel in order to protect his sister and her young daughter. | Watch the trailer.

The film (read our review) also stars Nick Chinlund (Supremacy), Caitlin Keats (Kill Bill: Vol. 2), Jake La Botz (Rambo 4), Tony Perez (Scarface), Madison Lawlor (Until Forever) and Javad Ramezani.

Order Close Range from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Our Top 15 Watched Movies of 2015

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Paul Bramhall

As the year that was 2015 fades into the distance, it’s that time once more to reflect on the cinematic highs that were enjoyed during the last 12 months. Just like last year, this will be a collection of movies that I watched for the first time during 2015, not movies that were necessarily released in 2015.

There’ll be some movies on this list that don’t have reviews on the site, such is the nature of occasionally watching a movie that you enjoy so much. While it’s easy to review 90 minutes of trash that can be easily torn to shreds, sometimes the best movies are the most difficult to review, and I confess to bailing out on having a crack at some of them. Thankfully, they can be included in this feature!

2015 was also a year in which I watched an inordinate amount of old school kung fu. So much so that I’ve decided to (almost) completely skip over including any here, short of saying ‘Every movie Dragon Lee has ever made’, which frankly, would be misrepresentative. Though if I did watch an old school kung fu movie and enjoyed it, chances are I definitely reviewed it, so feel free to scroll through by clicking on my name under the feature header.

Just like last time, the movies will be listed in order of release, so without further ado, let’s begin.

Wild City (2015, Hong Kong) – The news that Hong Kong auteur Ringo Lam would be returning to the director’s chair, for the first time in 12 years, was greeted by equal amounts of excitement and trepidation from his long-time fans. The man behind such classics as City on Fire and Full Contact, there’s no doubt that the Hong Kong cinematic landscape had changed a lot since he was last active in the industry. Thankfully, while not perfect, Wild City proved that he hasn’t lost a step, proving to be a gritty crime thriller in which the streets and alleys of Hong Kong are just as much of a character as the leads, played by Louis Koo, Shawn Yue, and Tong Liya.

Full Strike (2015, Hong Kong) – Directors Derek Kwok and Henri Wong teamed up for this tale of a former badminton champion fallen on hard times, and a group of physically impaired ex-cons, teaming up to try and win a badminton championship. While on paper it may not seem like the most exciting prospect for a movie, onscreen Full Strike harks back to the insanely paced HK comedies of old. With aliens, drunken masters, steel-capped shuttlecocks, and some of the most hilariously foul language you’re likely to come across in a movie about badminton, Full Strike proved to be one of the most entertaining HK movies of 2015.

SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015, Hong Kong) – Arriving a whole decade after the original SPL, this time minus Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung, the thematic sequel delivered the goods thanks in no small part due to the assured direction of Soi Cheang. The man behind the likes of Dog Bite Dog and Accident, Cheang not only made sure he brought the action, but also extracted a pair of career best acting performances from Wu Jing and Tony Jaa. Taking on the dark subject of organ trafficking, as the corrupt prison warden behind a trafficking ring, Max Zhang almost stole the show in a high impact physical performance.

From Vegas to Macau II (2015, Hong Kong) – Following the original which was ultimately more miss than hit, it didn’t stop Wong Jing from bringing back Chow Yun Fat and Carina Lau for a second installment of From Vegas to Macau, a hark back to the popular gambling movies of yesteryear. Thankfully, the sequel makes amends for its predecessor by delivering an almost non-stop barrage of action and wacky comedy. From Vegas to Macau II wisely does away with Nicholas Tse and Chapman To, and replaces them with the likes of Nick Cheung, Shawn Yue, and Shaw Brothers legend David Chiang, all of whom are game to indulge in the silliness of it all.

Scarlet Innocence (2014, South Korea) – What starts off as a seemingly sedate melodrama, which sees Jeong Woo-seong taking a job as a community teacher in the countryside following a scandal in Seoul, takes an unexpectedly dark turn when he embarks on a passionate affair with a girl several years his junior, played by Esom (here appearing for a second time in the Top 15 list, after last years Man on High Heels). As the story skips several years forward, Esom’s return into Woo-seong’s life, who now has failing eyesight, becomes a psychological nightmare of excessive sex and violence. A modern re-telling of a Korean folk tale, director Lim Pil-seong delivers a movie which stays with you long after it’s finished.

A Hard Day (2014, South Korea) – Director and screenwriter Kim Seong-hoon’s sophomore feature came a whole 8 years after his 2006 debut, however it was definitely worth the wait. The tale of a cop who accidentally hits and kills a man while driving to his mother’s funeral at night, his ensuing attempts to hide the body result in one of the most entertaining thrillers to come out of Korea in recent years. A big factor of its success is thanks to Seong-hoon’s tightly paced script, which weaves in plenty of laugh out loud dark comedy moments, and an energetically frantic performance from Lee Seong-gyoon, who plays the cop in question.

A Girl at My Door (2014, South Korea) – One of the most impressive debuts by anyone, director and screenwriter Jeong Joo-ri shows many of the trademarks of her teacher, Lee Chang-dong, with the auteur himself coming on-board as producer. Featuring a pair of powerhouse performances by Bae Doona and Kim Sae-ron (here grown up considerably from her role in The Man from Nowhere), the tale focuses on the friendship between the pair, as Doona’s new-in-town police captain takes Sae-ron under her wing. However when the past begins to catch up with them both, proceedings take a surprisingly dark direction, but one which is both empowering and morally ambiguous.

The World of Kanako (2014, Japan) – Any movie by Tetsuya Nakashima is worth paying attention to, the director behind the likes of Memories of Matsuko and Confessions, and The World of Kanako proves to be no different. Featuring a scenery chewing performance by Koji Yakusho, as we follow his journey to try and locate his missing daughter Kanako, it’s very much a case of being dragged into a rabbit hole of psychosis, violence, and insanity. Relentless in its pace, by the end of the 2 hours you’ll likely be as exhausted and dishevelled as he is, however you’ll also be left with little doubt that what you’ve just witnessed is an impressively powerful piece of cinema.

Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014, China) – Mainland Chinese crime cinema was one of my favourite discoveries of 2015. Independent movies aren’t screened in China, however thankfully that doesn’t stop them from being made, and many have gained recognition at film festivals around the world. Black Coal, Thin Ice is one such example, and walked away with a couple of awards at the Berlin International Film Festival. It’s easy to see why, as director Diao Yinan crafts an atmospherically told tale of a serial killer, who likes to leave his victims body parts strewn across a snow covered province in North East China. Following a disgraced former detectives attempts to track the killer down with the widow of one of the victims, it’s a movie which will keep you guessing until the end.

End of Animal (2010, South Korea) – While director Jo Sung-hee has gone onto bigger budget productions recently, his 2010 debut, funded by a grant from the Korean Academy of Film Arts, still packs a weighty punch. Undeniably low budget, Sung-hee defies the financial limitations by focusing on a pregnant girl riding a taxi to her hometown in remote Korean countryside. Featuring a darkly foreboding and creepy atmosphere, when an unexplained event leaves both the taxi and everyone’s mobile phones without power, the sense of isolation and omnipresent sound of an unknown beast growling in the far distance make for an effectively unsettling experience. The answers to what exactly is going on are never spoon fed, and End of Animal is all the more rewarding for it.

Adrift in Tokyo (2007, Japan) – Miki Satoshi has made a career out of making slice-of-life movies focusing on a variety of odd and eccentric characters, but in my opinion Adrift in Tokyo is his masterpiece. Featuring Joe Odagiri (who also has a role in The World of Kanako) as a heavily in debt student with no particular ambitions, when a burly yakuza played by Tomokazu Miura bursts into his apartment and gives him 72 hours to pay, he all but gives up on life. However after running into Miura a second time, the yakuza offers him a different deal – he’ll give Odagiri a million yen, and all he has to do in return is accompany him for a walk around Tokyo. What follows is a subtly charming and warm road trip, only on foot, around Tokyo, as the pair quietly grow fond of each other in the face of an inevitable ending.

Takeshis’ (2005, Japan) – Without doubt Takeshi Kitano’s most unique movie, Takeshis’ plays like a surreal deconstruction of his own image, that which was developed through his filmography. Taking on 2 roles – one a version of his real-life actor persona ‘Beat’ Takeshi, and one a mild-mannered convenience store clerk who dreams of being an actor, proceedings increasingly become a series of dreams and hallucinations, often involving both characters’ lives overlapping into the other. Impossible to fully grasp on first watch, Takeshis’ is a movie which becomes increasingly rewarding on repeat viewings.

Hypnotized (2004, South Korea) – A movie which frequently defies categorization, equal parts psychological horror, sexual thriller, and mystery, Hypnotized is anchored by a fantastic performance by Kim Hye-soo as a mentally unstable woman being treated by a therapist, played by Kim Tae-woo. Director Kim In-sik blends fantasy and reality throughout to create a variety of visually stunning imagery, reflecting the disturbed nature of the protagonist’s fractured mind. As Tae-woo becomes increasingly obsessed with Hye-soo, despite her unstable state, he also finds his mind starting to fray at the seams, which leads to a memorably horrific finale.

Rendezvous of Japanese Kanto (1993, Taiwan/South Korea) – When you’ve been watching kung fu movies for 16 years, it’s easy to feel like you’ve seen everything that’s worth seeing. Thankfully, hidden gems like Rendezvous of Japanese Kanto come along to remind us that there are always movies out there worth watching, they’re just not as obvious as when you’ve just gotten into the genre. A Taiwan and South Korean co-production which is equal parts Korean Taekwondo action and Girls With Guns (thanks to the presence of Sibelle Hu), the fights come thick and fast, topped off with a fantastic 15 minute finale. Throw in cameos from the likes of Baby Venom Ricky Cheng and Chang Shan, and you have a perfect slice of kung fu cinema goodness.

Monk’s Fight (1979, Hong Kong) – An obscure title from 1979 which features an unlikely collection of kung fu cinema luminaries all thrown together in the same movie, from Korean superkicker Casanova Wong, to Taiwan femme fatale Pearl Cheung, to Shaw Brothers regulars such as Ling Yun, Tien Feng, and Choi Wang. The actual main actor of Monk’s Fight, Lee Wing, would only make this movie and disappear. It’s a shame, as the production has one of the most unique feels to it of any kung fu flick I’ve seen, almost like a chambara influenced wuxia style spaghetti western, with quick and brutal one blow fights eschewing the usual fantastical nature most wuxia’s lend themselves too. For a change from the usual, Monk’s Fight is well worth checking out.

That wraps up my list for this year, and 2016 is already shaping up to be a hotly anticipated 12 months of cinematic goodness. Feel free to weigh in with your own movie highlights of 2015 in the comments section below, and in the meantime, wishing you all a happy and healthy 2016 on fire.

Posted in Features, News |

Breaker! Breaker! | Blu-ray (Olive Films)

Posted on January 6, 2016 by JJ Bona
"Breaker! Breaker!" Blu-ray Cover

"Breaker! Breaker!" Blu-ray Cover

RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2016

Olive Films presents the Blu-ray for Chuck Norris’ action classic, Breaker! Breaker! In the film, a truck driver (Norris) searches for his brother (Michael Augenstein), who has disappeared in a town run by a corrupt judge (George Murdock).

This 1977 feature is Norris’ first true starring role, if you don’t count his baddie appearances in 1972’s Way of the Dragon and 1974’s Slaughter in San Francisco. Following the release of Breaker! Breaker!, Norris would dominate theaters with a string of endless action films throughout the 70s and 80s! Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Breaker! Breaker! from Amazon.com today!

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

White Storm, The | aka Cartel War (2013) Review

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Z Ravas
"The White Storm" Theatrical Poster

“The White Storm” Theatrical Poster

AKA: Metamorphosis
Director: Benny Chan
Cast: Louis Koo, Nick Cheung, Lau Ching Wan, Yolanda Yuan Quan, Lo Hoi Pang, Alex Fong Lik Sun, Berg Ng Ting Yip, Hou Yong, Elanne Kong, Ken Lo
Running Time: 140 min.

By HKFanatic

It might sound hard to believe now, but there was a time when director Benny Chan was considered a great hope for Hong Kong cinema. Halfway through the Nineties, when other filmmakers like John Woo and Ringo Lam were vacating the island for Hollywood pastures, Chan stood his ground: his film Big Bullet, released just one year before the 1997 handover, adhered resolutely to the staples of Hong Kong cinema. In other words, it was an explosive action flick about hardboiled cops. Even as the years wore on and Chan was forced to work with pop stars to keep up with the times (see: Gen-X Cops), his movies felt as though they had at least one foot remaining in the old-school style, with their practical action and flashy camerawork.

Then something changed. Fans are still not sure what went wrong, but the consensus seems to be that Benny Chan’s last truly good movie was 2004’s New Police Story and the filmmaker has been on a decline ever since. Chan reached his nadir with 2010’s City Under Siege, a film so bizarre it feels beamed in from another planet. It’s hard to believe an actor as popular as Aaron Kwok signed on to a picture about circus performers granted superpowers after being doused with a chemical developed by the Japanese during World War II, but he did – and it was unspeakably awful.

All of this is partially why Benny Chan’s 2013 effort The White Storm appeared so promising. The film was touted as a loving tribute to the heroic bloodshed films of yesteryear, and it was set to unite Benny Chan with two of the strongest actors working in Hong Kong today: Lau Ching Wan (Big Bullet) and Nick Cheung (The Beast Stalker). The questionable talents of Louis Koo (Flash Point) were along for the ride but this seemed a necessary concession in order to ensure a box office return.

So far so good. The movie’s story might be best described as A Better Tomorrow meets Infernal Affairs, with a dash of John Woo’s unheralded masterpiece Bullet in the Head. Our three leads play best friends since childhood, who also happen to be members of the Hong Kong police department’s Narcotics Division. The difference is that Lau Ching Wan and Nick Cheung are superior officers while Louis Koo has spent years deep undercover, spending his time cavorting with drug dealers when he’d rather be at home doting on his pregnant wife. Koo desperately begs to be pulled out of the field, but Wan assures him he needs Koo for one last (and dangerous) mission to apprehend one of Southeast Asia’s most powerful drug lords, the Eight-Faced Buddha.

Needless to say, everything goes to hell…but it takes a long time getting there. Inexplicably, Benny Chan has afforded a lengthy 140 minute runtime to what is a boilerplate cops-and-robbers tale. Most of that runtime is eaten up by teary-eyed melodrama, as though Chan was under the impression that everyone loved the A Better Tomorrow series for its scenes of manly men crying. Unsurprisingly, Lau Ching Wan delivers the best performance here as the loyal and steadfast officer and friend, while Louis Koo is more or less adequate as the ‘undercover cop who’s about to have a nervous breakdown,’ though it’s difficult to ignore that Tony Leung Chiu-wai did the same role more convincingly in Infernal Affairs. Nick Cheung is afforded the flashiest part by far, and he seems to be having fun when the second half of the film tosses its twists and turns, as improbable as they are, at the viewer.

Naturally, action fans would be able to forgive a convoluted storyline and emotional histrionics if The White Storm delivered on the bread and butter of heroic bloodshed films: intricately choreographed and balletic violence. Sadly, the vast majority of action in The White Storm is shot and cut in a way that’s virtually indistinguishable from your average Hollywood journeyman director. An opening clash between cops and drug dealers on the streets of Hong Kong goes by without a single noteworthy moment. Things pick up significantly around the middle of the film when the Eight-Faced Buddha attacks our heroes with a gatling gun attached to a helicopter, but here it’s the sheer scale of the slaughter – the number of bodies and vehicles devastated by bullets – that makes an impression, rather than anything Benny Chan is doing behind the camera. It’s a bravado sequence, no doubt, but it’d feel just as at home in an Expendables movie.

The finale offers Benny Chan, as well as our three main characters, a chance to redeem themselves. After all, how many ‘tragic hero’ films save the best for last and unleash a climactic gun battle for the ages? Chan even finds the perfect location for his shootout: the sleek and gaudy backroom of a Macau casino. Unfortunately, even this finale ends up disappointing, as Lau Ching Wan and company spend the first half of the fight literally standing in a circle and firing at the bad guys as though the plot has inexplicably made them bulletproof. It’s a far cry from the days when Chow Yun-fat would dive through the air or slide down a railing in the midst of battle. All in all, this climax brought three words to mind: Johnnie To lite.

Speaking of Johnnie To: almost a decade ago, the talented filmmaker released a little film called Exiled. Featuring some of the best acting talent in Hong Kong (including The White Storm’s Nick Cheung), the film managed to pay homage to vintage Hong Kong action cinema while delivering a fun and smart piece of genre entertainment. It’s a shame that, so many years on, a filmmaker like Benny Chan can’t deliver a comparable tribute to the pistol opera genre fans know and love; but for whatever reason, Chan has seemed behind the curve for awhile now. His upcoming 2016 effort The Deadly Reclaim will see the director pair up with action choreographer Sammo Hung; perhaps working with one of the all-time greats will reignite some spark in the commercial filmmaker. In the meantime, The White Storm is a night’s passable entertainment, but only for the most forgiving of Hong Kong cinema buffs. As both an action film and a tip of the hat to the heroic bloodshed genre, The White Storm registers as a missed opportunity.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 6/10

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

Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 5: Final Episode (1974) Review

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Kelly Warner
"Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 5" Blu-ray Cover

"Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 5" Blu-ray Cover

Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Writer: Koichi Iiboshi, Koji Takada
Producer: Goro Kusakabe
Cast: Bunta Sugawara, Akira Kobayashi, Kinya Kitaoji, Joe Shishido, Junkichi Orimoto, Kunie Tanaka, Shingo Yamashirom Hiroki Matsukata, Goichi Yamada, Goro Ibuki, Nobuo Kaneko, Asao Uchida, Isao Konami
Running Time: 98 min.

By Kyle Warner

The Battles Without Honor and Humanity series was hugely successful when they were first released in the early 1970’s and the films remain highly regarded today. The series turned supporting actor Bunta Sugawara into a star and paved a way to greatness for director Kinji Fukasaku. Many other members of the cast and crew also went on to enjoy future success as a result of working on the series. If there’s one name that I feel has been unfairly overlooked in the legacy of the series, it’s screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara – but maybe that’s not a surprise, since screenwriters who don’t also double as directors rarely get the credit they deserve. With a dedication for research that’s more comparable to a journalist chasing a story instead of a screenwriter putting together an action movie, Kasahara’s attention to detail and realism pairs up perfectly with Fukasaku’s unflinching direction. They’re two sides of the same coin that made the Battles series so great.

Watching Police Tactics, it seems clear that at least Kasahara felt that film was the end of the story. The finale of Police Tactics gives some closure to various conflicts while also making its viewpoint on the yakuza in Hiroshima abundantly clear. Fans watching the films today know that there’s a fifth entry titled Final Episode, so despite that feeling of finality in Police Tactics there’s still obviously more to the story. There would be no more Battles for Kazuo Kasahara, though. He stuck to his guns, feeling that the story was done and stepped aside (the writer also admitted to being burnt-out from the hectic schedule of research and writing Battles Without Honor and Humanity — the four Battles films he wrote were all released over the span of just twelve months). In his place, Toei hired veteran screenwriter Koji Takada (The Streetfighter), who sought to stay true to the world Kasahara had helped create while also bringing some of his own flavor to the mix.

Final Episode is my least favorite entry in the Battles Without Honor and Humanity series for a few reasons. I call attention to the change in screenwriters first because it’s the most obvious one to me. Koji Takada’s a good writer but I feel like his script for Final Episode features too many starts and stops, making for a film with a weird sense of pacing. Much of Final Episode is based around the idea of the movers and shakers in the yakuza getting locked up and the trouble the subordinates get into while their leaders are away. But because the bosses have been the only characters to really latch onto for much of the series, their absence is a little too noticeable when they’re locked up. Some of the developments in the story are based on truth and can’t be helped — but too often the audience, like the characters, is left waiting impatiently for the more memorable characters to get out of jail and take control again.

After the major conflict in Hiroshima between rival yakuza clans has finally died down, Takeda (Akira Kobayashi) is intent on turning his yakuza family into a political party with legitimate business partners and aboveboard dealings. Dubbed the Tensei Coalition, Takeda successfully unites multiple yakuza with hopes that they may make money together without the usual hazards that plagued the life of crime. However, the unity in Tensei doesn’t last. Takeda is arrested and must serve time in prison after guns are discovered at one of his offices. Before he’s taken away, Takeda names the young Matsumura (Kinya Kitaoji) to be his acting successor. A smart young man with a good eye for business, Matsumura represents the future of the yakuza. Naturally the old-school yakuza see him as a threat. As soon as Takeda is away, Matsumura’s closest rival Otomo (Jo Shishido) stirs up discontent and secretly plots to murder the youthful upstart.

Final Episode is full of familiar faces, though not always in ways you’d expect or approve of. While multiple supporting actors return in the Battles series playing different characters, none are as noticeable and distracting as Kinya Kitaoji. Previously playing the crazed lead in Hiroshima Death Match, Kitaoji plays the polar opposite to that character in Final Episode, but that can’t change the fact that he’s still a very recognizable face playing two different people in a series that’s already complex and occasionally difficult to follow. Hiroki Matsukata also returns to the series in what I believe is his third character, but Matsukata is more of a chameleon than Kitaoji and this repeat in casting isn’t as immediately obvious. Similar to how Kitaoji took over Hiroshima Death Match, he’s also the central character in Final Episode. Unlike Hiroshima Death Match, Final Episode makes better use of Bunta Sugawara’s Hirono, though he may even see less screentime this time around. Not entering the story until about a third of the way through the picture, Hirono is a character often spoken of but rarely seen. By film five, Hirono’s developed the reputation of a troublemaker, so everyone fears his eventual release from prison and whether he will disturb the fragile peace that Tensei is working towards. I personally would’ve liked to have seen more of Sugawara in the film, but I liked how Final Episode treated his character like a sleeping dragon, causing tough guys to quake in their boots when debating who should be the one that confronts him.

The series began in the aftermath of WWII and Final Episode takes place in 1970, bringing the story closer to the time when the films were actually made. What that also means is that the characters who were young in the first film are now old men doing war with the younger generations. While Hirono and other familiar characters are locked away on various criminal charges for much of the story, the film needed someone to represent the old guard, and who better than the puffy-faced genre icon Jo Shishido? Less than a decade removed from Branded to Kill, Shishido looks rough and old in the part of Otomo, playing the gangster drunk and covered with sweat in nearly every scene. He’s a welcome addition to the great cast and it’s too bad that this is the only Battles film the actor appears in.

By the end of the film, many of the characters are dead, some have retired, and others are set to walk a path to presumed fortune and glory. Ultimately though, little has changed. One of the final scenes in the series features young yakuza killing each other in the street. It’s bloody, it’s chaotic, and it’s pointless. Who are they? Doesn’t matter. Why are they fighting? Doesn’t matter. What did the bloodshed achieve? Nothing at all. Whatever Tensei has done to try to change their image as bloodthirsty thugs, the way of the yakuza is still ultimately about young men dying for the pride of their elders. In the end, most the men we’ve followed over the decades are dead and buried, and the survivors feel disenchanted with their entire way of life. The series is known as cool and chaotic, but Final Episode surprises by offering up a more reflective and melancholy finale.

Final Episode may be my least favorite of the five original Battles Without Honor and Humanity films but that doesn’t make it a bad film. The film’s major failings are that the bumpy pace keeps it from being a breathlessly entertaining crime thriller and too often our favorite characters are left out of the central conflict. The rest of the film brings just about everything you expect from the series; the realistic look at a life of crime, the complicated relationships between sworn brothers, and the way that violence between a few greedy men impacted an entire city. Though not the series’ finest entry, Final Episode does put a fitting cap on the story, making for one of the best film series ever produced.

The Arrow Video Blu-ray for Final Episode is perhaps the best looking and sounding disc in their new Battles Without Honor and Humanity box set. For special features on this disc, Arrow gives us a new 18 minute interview with screenwriter Koji Takada, a gallery of posters from the series, and the film’s original trailer. I quite liked the interview with Takada. In fact, I think it’s probably the best interview on the set. Takada explains how he took over writing responsibilities from Kasahara and how they shared research. He shares some views on things he liked and disliked about Kasahara’s previous entries, making for a very honest and entertaining interview.

Kyle Warner’s Rating: 7.5/10

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

The Mo Brothers are cookin’ up a sequel to ‘Macabre’

Posted on January 2, 2016 by JJ Bona
"Macabre" Indonesian Theatrical Poster

"Macabre" Indonesian Theatrical Poster

Following on from 2009’s Macabre (aka Rumah Dara), The Mo Brothers (Killers) have hinted on Instagram (see image) that a sequel is in the works (via Paul Bramhall).

The original Macabre revolved around an awkward pack of people enjoying road trip until they come across a young woman who had just been robbed and left stranded on the side of the road. After much speculation, the group decides to give her a lift home and, well… let’s just say that all bloody hell breaks loose!

The Mo Brothers are currently hard at work on the highly-anticpated Headshot, which stars Iko Uwais (The Raid), Chelsea Elizabeth Islan (Refrain), Julie Estelle (The Raid 2, Macabre) and Sunny Pang (The Collector).

We’ll keep you updated on Macabre 2 as we hear more.

Posted in News |

Cityonfire.com’s ‘Memories of the Sword’ Blu-ray Giveaway! – WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Posted on January 1, 2016 by JJ Bona
Memories of the Sword | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Memories of the Sword | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Memories of the Sword 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 Memories of the Sword (read our review) will be officially released on January 5, 2016. We will announce the 3 winners on January 6, 2016.

CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by January 6, 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: Ben, Alice H. and Sam Ng.

Posted in News | Tagged |

Tiger: An Old Hunter’s Tale, The (2015) Review

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Paul Bramhall
"The Tiger: An Old Hunters Tale" Korean Theatrical Poster

“The Tiger: An Old Hunters Tale” Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: The Tiger
Director: Park Hoon-Jung
Cast: Choi Min-Sik, Jeong Man-Sik, Kim Sang-Ho, Sung Yoo-Bin, Ren Osugi, Jung Suk-Won, Ra Mi-Ran, Yoo Jae-Myung, Kim Hong-Fa, Woo Jung-Kook
Running Time: 139 min.

By Paul Bramhall

In 2015 Korean history was a hot topic, mainly due to President Park Geun-hye’s hugely unpopular decision to replace all high school history text books, currently produced by private publishers, with anonymously written government-issued ones by 2017. The decision is largely looked at as one which will whitewash much of the countries less pleasant history, and lead to an education system much like Japan’s, in which anything that presents the country in a negative light will be conveniently glazed over. While the newly authored books are still being written, it seems that the current trend for historical revisionism in Korea has already become apparent in its mainstream cinematic output.

Recent productions such as Ode to my Father, The Admiral: Roaring Currents, and Northern Limit Line, all play fast and loose with historical facts to paint a picture of a Korean national identity which is unwaveringly patriotic and pure of heart. How long this trend will continue for is difficult to answer, however with two of the three titles mentioned holding their place in the top five most successful Korean movies of all time, it’s safe to say it’ll continue for a while.

The Tiger has Choi Min-sik on patriotic duty again, after his star turn as the revered Admiral Yi Sun-shin in the previous years The Admiral: Roaring Currents. This time he’s under the direction of Park Hoon-jeong, the man responsible for writing and directing The New World (which also starred Min-sik), as well as penning the scripts for the likes of The Unjust and I Saw the Devil. Min-sik, as expected, proves to be the perfect fit for the role of a rugged tiger hunter, both conveying a sense of authority and world weariness from under his hulking frame, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else as the character.

The tale is set in 1935 under Japan’s occupation of Korea, and revolves around Min-sik’s hunter, who’s been retired since his wife passed away. The Japanese have set about killing every native Korean animal they can find, on the orders of a bloodthirsty commander played by Ren Osugi (recognizable from many pre-2000 Miike Takashi and Beat Takeshi movies), who has a particular liking for displaying stuffed Korean tigers. When the tiger population is completely wiped out except for one, a one-eyed male whose ferocity is legendary, Min-sik finds himself in a dilemma – let the Japanese eventually find and kill it, or give it the dignity of a Korean hunter sending it off into tiger heaven?

There are of course other plot threads introduced throughout, such as the son of Min-sik’s character wanting to marry a girl from the nearby town, however the narrative never strays far from the central goal of killing the tiger. This is of course the movies first big challenge, in that with such a simplistic plot, there is never any doubt that proceedings are going to finish with a Min-sik vs. tiger confrontation. Just like we know Titanic will end with it sinking, the important part becomes about the journey that will take us to that point. Weighing in with an epic 140 minute runtime, you’d hope that Hoon-jeong has a strong narrative structure in place to keep us gripped until the penultimate showdown.

Unfortunately, it becomes apparent some time before the mid-way point that this isn’t the case. Hoon-jeong weighs his script down with a numerous pieces of dialogue depicting Min-sik’s dedication to the mountain that he resides on, constantly mumbling such words of wisdom as “It’s up to the mountain now” and “We must respect the mountain”. The heaviness of his character is in stark contrast to the two dimensional treatment the Japanese antagonists are given. Once again, as was the issue with The Admiral: Roaring Currents, the Japanese are portrayed as almost cartoon like villains, and by the end of the movie are recklessly blowing up whole forests while murdering any animal they come across. The only Japanese character given even a hint of humanity, is a high ranking officer played by Jeong Sok-won, who’s looked down upon for being a native Korean. Subtly isn’t a word which applies to The Tiger.

From a technical standpoint however, the movie is a gorgeous affair, with stunning cinematography of the Korean mountains, and the tiger itself comes in the form a particularly impressive CGI creation. It’s not perfect, but the technology has certainly come a long way from the CGI tiger found in 2011’s War of the Arrows. While the tiger may look and move remarkably naturally, its instincts seem anything but, armed with an amazing ability to single out Japanese officers and subject them to the grizzliest deaths. The actions of the title animal become increasingly ridiculous, and equal parts laughable, the more the movie chugs towards its finale, as it gains the ability to rescue Koreans from a pack of hungry wolves, and seemingly drop by to visit Min-sik at will.

Working with such an epic scope appears to work against Hoon-jeong’s directorial style, as several other instances that stretch believability pop up with a disengaging regularity throughout. The reason behind the death of Min-sik’s wife isn’t revealed until around the mid-way point, however what should be a revelatory moment is quickly squandered by the contrived nature of the reveal. With the Japanese having spent so much time emphasising how vast the mountain area is, the sudden appearance of three key players convening in the same spot by chance goes against everything the narrative has established thus far. It’s moments like this which do damage to Min-sik’s dedicated performance, laden with a director who, while evidently a talented storyteller based on past efforts, seems to have bitten off more than he can chew here.

In the last hour things really go off the rails, as it consists of an increasingly frustrating series of false climaxes, each one seemingly bringing the movie to its close, before revealing that it’s still not over. By the time the Japanese army find themselves being stalked by the tiger, it almost feels like we’re watching a sequel to Predator. The beast is briefly glimpsed speeding through the shadows, and before you know it arms are being ripped off, bodies are randomly falling out of trees, and the only thing missing is Bill Duke turning up with a mini-gun. Even when the tiger has been riddled with countless bullets, it still seems relatively unfazed, like any true Korean tiger should be.

By this point it seems to have made the decision itself to die at the hands of a Korean, so strolls off to meet with Min-sik for a session of exchanging intense stares set to a sweeping choral soundtrack. In fact the choral soundtrack plays in every scene involving Min-sik and the tiger during the last hour, practically demanding that we feel their emotional connection to each other. Unfortunately, at least for a non-Korean audience, the feeling of forced emotions is one that permeates throughout the production. There are scenes at the beginning which seem like they were filmed purely to be used as flashback fodder later on, and sure enough they are. It’s this type of blatant commercial filmmaking that earmarks these recent Korean productions, which come with a checkbox list of histrionics, two dimensional foreign villains, and self-sacrificing heroes.

While The Tiger continues to deliver the high end production values we’ve become accustomed to from Korean cinema, it also long outstays its welcome. At one point, the Japanese commander yells at one of his soldiers – “How can it be such a hard battle?” With such an epic runtime, trying to get to the end of The Tiger will likely result in you asking yourself the same question.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 5/10

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

Attack on Titan: Part 2 – End of the World (2015) Review

Posted on December 29, 2015 by Paul Bramhall
"Attack on Titan: Part 2" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Attack on Titan: Part 2" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Shinji Higuchi
Writer: Yusuke Watanabe, Tomohiro Machiyama
Based on Manga by Hajime Isayama
Cast: Haruma Miura, Hiroki Hasegawa, Kiko Mizuhara, Kanata Hongo, Takahiro Miura, Nanami Sakuraba, Satoru Matsuo, Shu Watanabe, Ayame Misaki, Rina Takeda
Running Time: 90 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The second installment of Shinji Higuchi’s adaptation of the Attack on Titan manga reached Japanese cinema screens just a month after the first one came to the end of its run, aiming to pack a swift one-two punch of Titan mayhem. In my review for Part 1, I expressed the opinion that, by unashamedly stripping a multi-layered tale down to a pulpy adventure of humans trying to survive against bloodthirsty oversized zombies, the end result was surprisingly entertaining. By avoiding the typical issues that plague modern mainstream Japanese cinema, and simply concentrating on how much blood and terror could be splattered across the screen, for those unfamiliar with the manga at least, a good time could be had.

Attack on Titan: Part 2 clocks in at a compact 90 minutes, and so I was looking forward to returning to the grim world of the slow moving, permanently grinning Titans. I mention the 90 minute runtime, because from the word go we’re given an overly long recap of Part 1 which runs for over 5 minutes, making a short movie even shorter. I find it highly unlikely that anyone watching Part 2 will have left it so long that they’ll have forgotten everything that happened in Part 1 (which really, was just Titans eating people), so this recap seemed like a needless way to kick things off.

Sadly things don’t get any better, as once we finally settle into proceedings, it turns out that the first 20 minutes of the movie are spent discussing and arguing about the events which close out Part 1. As a note to this review, I’ll write it from the perspective of assuming the reader may not have seen Part 1 yet, so I’ll avoid mentioning any specific spoilers from the first installment (and if you fall into this category, also ensure you stay away from reading the IMDB cast list for Part 2, which unintentionally spoils some major plot points). What I gradually came to realize, with a sense of horror that was very different from what I was hoping for, is that Part 2 was turning out to be everything I was dreading Part 1 was going to be.

The cliffhanger revelation that Part 1 closed with quickly becomes a millstone around the neck of Part 2, as a grand total of half the movie is spent discussing it, with a mix of characters yelling and screaming at each other in a vastly irritating manner. Indeed the only appearance by any Titans in the first half is either through flashbacks to Part 1, or sightings of them in the distance, with the exception of a brief appearance by a new mega-Titan in one of the initial scenes. For a production which setup the expectation of providing plenty of Titan action from the first installment, 45 minutes becomes an almost terminal amount of time to wait for something interesting to happen.

When I say interesting, it’s unfortunate that the Titan’s really are the most interesting thing about Part 2. The characters are still the same from Part 1, although unforgivably Rina Takeda doesn’t return, however the pace and tone of the first installment really didn’t give us time to worry about caring or building a connection with the cast. Part 2 gives us too much time with them, and none of the performances are particularly noteworthy. Haruma Miura and Kanata Hongo return as the central pair of Eren and Armin, and both are ladened with considerably more dialogue heavy scenes than before. Sadly they only seem to have only 2 acting ranges – talk in a low tone for serious scenes, and yell at the top of your voice for scenes that need to emphasize drama.

Nobody else fares any better, with Kiko Mizuhara, playing a character that seemed so important in Part 1, all but sidelined for many of the crucial events that take place, and Satomi Ishihara’s quirky character of Part 1 here registering as a one note annoyance. Much of the blame can be put on the script, which appears to want to shoehorn in the underlying themes of the manga such as militarism and a distrust of the government, however the end result is that it all comes across very forced. Throwing such a talky opening 45 minutes at the audience was never going to work considering what’s come before, and it begs the question of why Higuchi didn’t attempt to spread out the more dialogue heavy segments across both parts.

Thankfully though, after a long wait we are finally given some Titan action, which comes in a three way battle between a trio of the mega Titans. I confess that it left me disappointed when, apart from a couple who are treated as collateral damage in the three way throwdown, the grey skinned sexless Titan’s that provided so much of the horror element in Part 1 are completely missing from Part 2. The origin of them is briefly explained away in an almost throwaway scene at the beginning of the movie, after which for whatever reason they seem to be considered as not worth focusing on anymore, so it becomes all about the mega Titans instead.

It’s ironic then, that the mega Titans are barely given any explanation whatsoever. We get a rudimentary understanding of what and who they are, however there are numerous head scratching aspects of their existence that are never answered. The biggest one being of why the huge skinless Titan, the image of which essentially defines the series, is about 5 times bigger than the other couple of mega Titans. In Part 1 it didn’t really matter, it moved along so briskly that such plot holes could be forgivingly overlooked, but here, if you’re going to spend 45 minutes talking, at least take a couple of them to explain why the most important part of the movie is the way it is.

On the technical side of things, the mega Titans do look great. Their skinless bodies, usually smoking from being so hot, successfully creating what’s certainly one of the most memorable creatures to grace screens in recent memory. There’s something quite primeval about their humanoid nature, which really makes them come across as much more terrifying than a fictional monster, and it’s a credit to Higuchi and his team that they’ve been able to conjure up such convincing onscreen creations.

Like the first half of the movie, the finale eventually also begins to feel needlessly protracted, especially with the element introduced of one Titan being a friend to the humans, effectively removing any sense of danger. When proceedings come to their explosive close, there’s a real lack of clarity on what’s actually been achieved. The smaller humanoid Titans are presumably still roaming around eating anyone in their path, which has always been the biggest danger, however this minor detail seems to have been forgotten in the closing scenes. Needless to say life was much simpler when it was just a case of humans versus oversized zombies.

Attack on Titan: Part 2 ultimately feels like an unnecessary filler to Part 1. Having watched both within a relatively short time period, it’s a struggle to see why they didn’t just make a single 3 hour movie, in which events could have progressed much more naturally than splitting them into two parts. Of course, by doing that they also would have made half the profit. The opening title of Attack on Titan: Part 2 doesn’t even appear on screen until the 20 minute mark, and looking back now, I think I would have been equally pleased if it had been the closing credits.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 4/10

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews |

Jean-Claude Van Damme Collection | Blu-ray (Mill Creek)

Posted on December 29, 2015 by JJ Bona
Jean-Claude Van Damme Collection | Blu-ray (Mill Creek)

Jean-Claude Van Damme Collection | Blu-ray (Mill Creek)

RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2016

Mill Creek Entertainment presents the Blu-ray set for the Jean-Claude Van Damme 5 Movie Collection, which contains the following films on two discs:

Sheldon Lettich’s The Hard Corps (2006), Tsui Hark’s Double Team (1997), Ringo Lam’s Maximum Risk (1996), Mic Rodgers’ Universal Soldier: The Return (1999) and Simon Fellows’ Second in Command (2006).

This collection marks the Blu-ray debut of both The Hard Corps and Double Team.

Pre-order Jean-Claude Van Damme 5 Movie Collection from Amazon.com today!

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

Deal on Fire! The Raid 2: Berandal | Blu-ray | Only $8.99 – Expires soon!

Posted on December 27, 2015 by JJ Bona
The Raid 2: Berandal | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Pictures)

The Raid 2: Berandal | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Pictures)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Gareth Evans’ thrilling action film, The Raid 2: Berandal.

From Paul Bramhall’s review: “Evans has constructed a masterpiece here, which is every bit as much of a gangster movie as it is an action one. For those who are looking, there are subtle nods of the head to several of the classic Korean gangster movies, the Nikkatsu movies from the 60s, The Godfather, as well as a host of winks to talent he obviously has a lot of respect for such as Donnie Yen, John Woo, Panna Rittikrai, Takeshi Kitano, and in one scene I’d even say David Lynch. I’ll sign off there, now get out and see it.”

Order The Raid 2 from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |
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