Cross | aka Smile for Me (2012) Review

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Kelly Warner
"Cross" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Cross” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Daniel Chan Yee Hang
Writer: Daniel Chan Yee Hang
Cast: Simon Yam, Kenny Wong, Mimi Kung, Liu Kai-Chi, Evelyn Choi, Chen Ran, Nick Cheung, Pal Sinn, Zhu Guangxuan, Mo Tzu-Yi, September Zhang
Running Time: 90 min.

By Kelly Warner

It took four directors over two years to complete Cross, a thriller that’s less than 80 minutes long with a good portion of that running time taken up by flashbacks. Why did it take so long to finish? Why was it passed from director to director in a desperate attempt to save it? I don’t know the answers but clearly something went very wrong in the making of Cross.

The film starts by giving the viewer false hope. First we get a notice that the film won the 2010 It Project NAFF Award (an award I’m unfamiliar with, but from what I understand it was awarded to screenwriter Daniel Chan’s original pitch for the film, not the finished product that went to theatres). The film kicks off and we get a cool horror movie title sequence, a rather obscure quote from the Bible, and an interesting scene as Simon Yam goes to a police station, spreads evidence across a police officer’s desk, and turns himself in for murder. Except, in Yam’s character’s eyes, he’s not really committing murder, he’s doing “God’s work.”

A devout Catholic, Yam’s killer believes suicide is an unforgivable sin. When his sick wife overdoses on pills and kills herself, Yam becomes obsessed with suicide and begins frequenting websites where people talk about suicide, give each other tips on how to kill themselves, and post videos of their deaths.

Yam’s killer has no interest in talking people out of killing themselves. Rather, he offers his services to them, saying he’ll kill them and they can find peace in death without any worries about Hell. Many people take him up on his offer and he becomes a self-righteous serial killer. And though the killer claims he gave his victims a peaceful, joyful death, one method of murder included driving a power drill into a man’s brain… which, if you ask me, doesn’t seem like a peaceful way to go.

Because the killer turns himself in at the start, all of his kills are told in flashbacks (sometimes flashbacks of flashbacks). As a result, the film never builds up much momentum, resulting in a slog of a thriller. While Yam tells his story to the police and lawyers, a criminal psychologist played by Kenny Wong (Firestorm) tries to piece together the crimes. Wong goes to Yam’s house, puts on Yam’s clothes and eye glasses, touches all his things, and apparently attempts to become the killer in order to get into his head. Ignoring the fact that he’s putting fingerprints all over evidence, this entire subplot seems completely unnecessary, as the killer is already giving them everything they want. I still don’t understand the importance of Wong’s character in the story’s narrative. The film’s cast also includes a cameo by Nick Cheung (Helios), who plays the sleazy webmaster of the suicide site. Cheung’s scene is actually one of the film’s best but I imagine the actor feels lucky he didn’t sign on to play a bigger part.

At times the film plays like a dark drama about death and faith and other times it’s a bloody serial killer thriller. Considering the four writer/directors employed to make Cross (Daniel Chan, Steve Woo, Hiu Shu-Ning, Lau Kin-Ping) one should not be surprised that the film developed a split-personality disorder during its production. So instead of just being a boring movie, Cross is often a confusing one as well.

The most baffling part of the film is the fact that Yam’s lawyer Woo Yip is played by three different actors (Jason Chang, Morning Mo, and Sit Lap Yin). Now, casting young Sit Lap Yin makes sense, as he plays the teenage version of the character in flashbacks. But Jason Chang and Morning Mo are both approximately the same age and the film switches between them with no notice, no reason, no sense of logic whatsoever. When I was first watching the film, I naturally thought they were two different characters… linked somehow… but definitely different people. Not so. Same guy. I had to go back and rewatch things to make sure. Interestingly, the film ends with credits that include freeze frame images of all the primary cast members, but the Woo Yip character and the actors that played him are mysteriously (suspiciously?) left out of the slideshow. In the white text on black screen crawl that follows, the three different versions of the character are officially identified as ‘Woo Yip (Glasses)’, ‘Woo Yip (Ego)’, and ‘Woo Yip (Young)’. If this was an artistic decision, it makes no sense. I suspect the casting of both Chang and Mo had more to do with scheduling conflicts that arose thanks to the prolonged production (or possibly one of the actors ran away from the set and never returned). Whatever the reason, the choice to cast both Chang and Mo did not work, and only served to make more of a mess of things.

In the film’s final act something snaps and whatever had once barely held the film together falls apart. We get an admittedly unexpected twist and then the rest of the film is spent explaining the twist and giving us flashbacks of all the previous kills with new, distorted filters. So many flashbacks. I guess it was easier than filming new material? I don’t know. It’s at this point that you can tell the people making the film were just ready to be done with it and passed it along to the editors to figure out.

The concept behind Cross is decent and one can imagine how it could’ve been a good movie (or perhaps a decent episode of a dark police procedural on TV). Things just went wrong along the way and all attempts to fix it only seemed to exasperate things. Simon Yam’s reputation won’t be hurt by this one as it’s clear he did just about everything he could with the character. Only Yam’s biggest fans should bother with Cross. Everyone else is better off forgetting it.

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 2/10

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

Zhang Ziyi and Ge You venture through ‘The Wasted Times’

Posted on June 27, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Lethal Hostage" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Lethal Hostage" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Young rising director Cheng Er (Lethal Hostage) is back with another thriller titled The Wasted Times, which stars Ge You (Let the Bullets Fly), Zhang Ziyi (The Grandmaster), Gillian Chung (Ip Man Final Fight) and Asano Tadonobu (Lupin III).

According to FBA, the offbeat thriller, which takes place in 1920s Shanghai, is about a Japanese spy hunting down a former friend for the murder of his family.

If you haven’t already, check out the film’s funky teaser trailer, which keeps the element of surprise up its sleeve. The Waste Times hits Chinese theaters on October 3rd. Stay tuned!

Posted in News |

Silver Hawk (w/Bonus Movies) | DVD (Echo Bridge)

Posted on June 27, 2015 by JJ Bona
Silver Hawk | DVD (Echo Bridge)

Silver Hawk | DVD (Echo Bridge)

RELEASE DATE: July 21, 2015

Echo Bridge presents the DVD for Jingle Ma’s Silver Hawk starring Michelle Yeoh (True Legend), Richie Ren (Punished), Luke Goss (Death Race II),  Michael Jai White (Falcon Rising) and Li Bingbing (Detective Dee). The DVD also includes the bonus movies: Running Delilah, The Legend of Red Dragon, Snake-Crane Secret and Honor.

In the public eye, she’s billionaire heiress, but with a mask, she’s transformed into a silver crusader. Silver Hawk’s (Yeoh) martial arts skills are put to the test though when a villain sets out to enslave the world.

Pre-order Silver Hawk from Amazon.com today!

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

Ready to see some ‘Awesome Asian Bad Guys’?

Posted on June 27, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Awesome Asian Bad Guys" Theatrical Poster

"Awesome Asian Bad Guys" Theatrical Poster

Get ready to get reacquainted with Awesome Asian Bad Guys from films of the 80s and 90s! This action/comedy is about two offbeat filmmakers (Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino) who reunite iconic Asian bad guys – from action films such as Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and Rambo: First Blood Part II – to carry off one impossible mission.

Awesome Asian Bad Guys stars Dante Basco (Blood and Bone), Al Leong (Big Trouble in Little China, Rapid Fire), Yuji Okumoto (The Karate Kid II, Red Sun Rising), Tamlyn Tomita (The Karate Kid II), George Cheung (Big Trouble in Little China, Lethal Weapon 4), Randall Park, (The Interview) and Aaron Takahashi (Welcome to the Jungle). | Don’t miss the 1st trailer.

Updates: The film is currently available to watch on Amazon’s Instant Video service. Don’t miss the latest trailer!

Posted in News |

Stray Dog (1949) Review

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Matthew Le-feuvre

"Stray Dog" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Awaji, Eiko Miyoshi, Noriko Honma, Isao Kimura, Minoru Chiaki, Ichiro Sugai, Gen Shimizu, Noriko Sengoku
Running Time: 122 min.

By Matthew Le-feuvre

At a time when social or political ambivalence wasn’t an option to explore or express through art – or by any other visual medium – acclaimed Japanese filmmaker, Akira Kurosawa, then under contract with the Toho film studios, was one of a select few who took a noble stance at edifying post war audiences with personal featur­es like: The Judo Saga (1943), The Most Beautiful (1944), The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail (1945) and Drunken Angel (1948). And despite censorship from an American occupational body, these pictures were structured to both preserve and cultivate an awareness of Japanese national identity, while concurrently reconciling with the savage realities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Unlike his contemporaries, Kurosawa appeared to be something of a political chameleon: in one instance during a drunken stupor in the company of Andrei Konchalovsky, he allegedly praised Lenin for his Communist policies – somewhat eccentric, and totally against character for an artist/filmmaker who deliberately chose to illustrate and promote non-conformity, especially in challeng­ing bureaucracy of all kinds because he himself was from a middle class samurai background. Yet for many – including Hollywood’s elite: George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola – Kurosawa remains an emblem of pure genius whose technical innova­tions resonate a visual style which even by current paradigms is unsurpassed.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t always about technicality; character development was just as important as Kurosawa’s fascination with the human condition: particularly the study of the ‘lone archetype’ as presented in his seminal ‘ronin’ masterpieces Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962), where customized traits of suspense-building, raw emotion and explicit sword choreography were all majestically weaved to­gether on a rich celluloid tapestry that was far more appealing in the western hemisphere than in homegrown Japan.

This was, in part, due to Kurosawa’s preoccupation with (largely) ‘Western’ filmmaker, John Ford (1895-1973); another contemporary and a relatively older breed of maverick who invariably defied studio executives with his preference for casting stalwart, John Wayne in many of his own productions. Again, Kurosawa followed suit often fighting for, or opting to select, comparatively inexperienced unknowns such as renowned, intensely versatile, Toshiro Mifune, who went on to help revolutionize Japanese cinema with extraordinary performances in: The Seven Samurai (1954) – remade or reenvision numerous times – Throne of Blood (1957) and The Hidden Fortress (1958); the latter inspiring Lucas’ A New Hope (1977) segment of his ongoing Star Wars anthology.

While Drunken Angel (1948) was raw and, at intervals, uncompromising, Stray Dog (Kurosawa’s follow-up picture with Mifune) is more of an allegory piece than a straight forward detective chase thriller. Yes! An element of noir influences from Frank Tuttle (This Gun For Hire) to Jacques Tourneur (Build My Gallows High) are recognizable at the outset, noticeably made more real by a feeling of oppression, firstly from a sweltering heat wave; which, psychologically, is just as uncomfortable for the viewer as was in all probability for the cast. (And) secondly, Toshiro Mifune’s character is almost represented as a lost soul in a neon-lit hades that is Tokyo – a symbolic, and in essence, ‘corrupt’ macrocosm, by night – yet in daylight hours – embarrassingly depicts overcrowd­ing, poverty and refugees juxtaposed to an extant sense of cynicism which permeates every alleyway, town dwelling or high-rise apartment. Equally, devastation is not solely concentrated upon Tokyo’s infrastructure, but ubiquitously within the heart of all citizens yearning to better themselves socially, materialistically and/or spiritually.

On the surface, the premise (based on Kurosawa’s own unpublished novel) of Stray Dog was as ‘simplistic’ as you could get: however beneath its external, unconventional post-WWII moulding lies a very complex, thoughtfully realized project that – despite occasionally confounding, even frustrating – its maker begins with the theft of a police issue gun owned by a former soldier-turned-detective named Murakami (Toshiro Mifune). Enterprisingly, this instrument of law enforcement becomes an extension of death as Murakami’s gun is sold through an illegal black market, and is eventually passed onto psychopath, Shinjuro Yusa (Isao Ko Kimura), who incrementally leaves a trail of murder and confusion just to impress his sponging, morally vacant girlfriend, Harumi Namaki (Keiko Anaji).

Overwhelmed with guilt, Murakami naturally questions his competency, while doubly intent on catching Yusa dead or alive – a broad view that mildly clashes with his more seasoned superior, chief detective Sato (an award-winning Takashi Shimura), whose passively inclined, almost philosophical, ethics nearly costs him his life during a (subsequent) chance encounter with Yusa at a board­ing house. However there appears to be a methodology to Yusa’s violent dementia, and the grand old question is subtly put forward as to whether killers are born, or manufactured by a series of societal interactions/incidents: a typification unknow­ingly conceived (or perceived), even perpetuated out of ignorant vulgarity.

In a climax clearly indicative of Hitchcock, Lang or Preminger, Murakami pursues Yusa to a rural railway station. It is here in a darkly ironic, yet intense, multi-edited sequence, the claustro­phobia of a lively waiting room amplifies Murakami’s desperation as he fails to identify Yusa (as does the audience) from the description given to him. Ultimately, the railway station randomly transforms into an arena; a battleground of wits, observation, adrenaline, as well as razor sharp reflexes: all in accord will ordain closure for one of them… but who?!

Verdict: No hint of ‘Noh’ or ‘Kabuki’ motifs whatsoever, Stray Dog was the least favourite of Kurosawa’s productions as he felt it was “too technical!” Regardless of this self criticism, characters are defined irrespective of controversy, while pivotal messages are concealed just barely beneath an organized narrative, and like Murakami, we first repudiate – even prejudge who’s good, who’s evil, without fully understanding the totality of ’cause and effect’: a liberating perception Kurosawa was relentlessly communicating in a nontraditional way through his own inspirations, topics, imagery and concepts.

Matthew Le-feuvre’s Rating: 10/10

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

The Mercury Conspiracy | DVD (Entertainment One)

Posted on June 26, 2015 by JJ Bona
The Mercury Conspiracy | DVD (Entertainment One)

The Mercury Conspiracy | DVD (Entertainment One)

Entertainment One presents the DVD for The Mercury Conspiracy (aka The Mercury Factor), directed by and starring Luca Barbareschi (Cannibal Holocaust).

After her son dies from poisoned food, Xiwen falls in love with Matteo, a businessman. Though a good man at heart, Matteo has been lured into the black market trafficking of adulterated food – the same food responsible for killing Xiwen’s son!

This Italian film is noted for its heavy Chinese cast, including Jingchu Zhang (Switch), Carl Ng (New Police Story), Kenneth Tsang (The Killer), Michael Wong (Zombie Fight Club) and Eddie Ko (Heroes Shed No Tears). | Watch the trailer.

Pre-order The Mercury Conspiracy from Amazon.com today!

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

Master Killers | aka The Master Avenger (1980) Review

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Paul Bramhall
"Master Killers" Theatrical Poster

“Master Killers” Theatrical Poster

AKA: The Master Avenger
Director: Wong Hung Cheung
Cast: Casanova Wong, Blacky Ko, Philip Ko Fei, Bolo Yeung, Chiang Kam, Suen Kwok Ming
Running Time: 92 min.

By Paul Bramhall

There’s an old romantic cliché that goes something along the lines of everyone has that someone out there who’s ‘the one’, and what a tragedy it would be if they never realize it. Comparatively, for a kung fu fan like myself, I always thought what an amazing movie it would be if two of my favorite stars of the old-school era, Casanova Wong and Philip Ko Fei, got to face off against each other. For some inexplicable reason, for the longest time I’d thought there was no such movie, until someone guided me towards the direction of a little known title by the name of Master Killers. Like the protagonist of a love story finding ‘the one’ that they never realize existed, for me stumbling across this slice of old school goodness was the kung fu movie fan equivalent.

Not to be confused with Master Killer, the widely popular international title for Lau Kar Leung’s 1978 classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Master Killers is one of the many productions made in the wake of 1978’s Drunken Master. The movie, which put Jackie Chan, Yuen Woo Ping, and their unique blend of kung fu comedy on the map, spawned countless clones which were churned out with an almost reckless abandon in the late 70’s and early 80’s, and there’s no mistaking that Master Killers is one such imitation.

Blackie Ko is on Jackie Chan clone duty as the main character, playing a country bumpkin looking to seek revenge for the death of his father 20 years ago. Ko, who sadly passed away in 2003, is perhaps most well remembered for becoming an action director who specialized in vehicle stunts, as well as directing such Hong Kong movies as Curry and Pepper and Invincible. However before gaining the nickname of the ‘Evel Knievel of Asia’, Ko could bust out the old school shapes choreography with the best of them, and Master Killers is a rare chance to see him in the lead of a kung fu movie.

The plot is as simple as it comes, and is hardly even worth mentioning. But to give it the one line summary – Casanova Wong turns out to be Ko’s long lost brother, and they team up to take down Philip Ko Fei who killed their father 20 years ago. The end. Such finer details like exactly how they became separated, the reasons why Ko Fei killed their father, and an almost endless list of other questions you’ll ask yourself while watching, are never answered. But let’s face it, when you have the talent on board like you do here, even the most jaded old-school movie fan should be willing to overlook the lack of cohesive storytelling.

Master Killers was made in a year that produced a ridiculous amount of top level kung fu movies. Even without looking outside of the cast it’s easy to reel off several – Philip Ko Fei also starred in The Loot, Tiger Over Wall, and Snake Deadly Act. Casanova Wong was in The Master Strikes and Two Toothless Tigers. And everyone’s favorite lump of muscle, Bolo, was in Challenge of the Tiger. When you then consider that people like Jackie Chan were making The Young Master, and Sammo Hung was directing classics like The Victim and Encounters of the Spooky Kind, it’s easy to see why 1980 is viewed as one of the best years for the old-school kung fu movie genre.

So the question is, does Master Killers stand up alongside those other classics that were made in the same year? Perhaps the movie most comparable to Master Killers is one that Casanova Wong starred in during the same year, The Master Strikes. Apart from sharing a similar title (really, how many kung fu movie are there that have the word ‘master’ in the title!?), they both share the element of being comedy heavy for the bulk of their run times, and it’s not a good heavy. It’s the type of heavy which puts you at risk of a heart attack and comes with a severe health warning.

After a fantastic red backdrop opening, a staple of many kung fu movies of the era, which has Blackie Ko strutting his stuff in an amazing display of shapes and acrobatics, things quickly devolve into what amounts to 40 minutes of gurning, pratfalls, and high pitched cockney whining. My personal pet hate even makes an appearance – the child urination joke. Nothing seems to say kung fu cheapie like the arrival of a scene when a child urinates over someone! People getting hit so hard that it causes them to turn around and slowly walk into a tree also seems to qualify as comedy gold here, so it perhaps goes without saying that a certain level of patience and hope is required to get through these scenes.

Even with the arrival of Casanova Wong, and some unintentionally humorous nonsense about the ‘6.5 method pole fighting’ technique, things don’t really look any brighter. An initial misunderstanding which results in a fight between Wong and Ko is uninspired and almost sloppy, with several of the hits clearly not making any contact. However at the 40 minute mark, a strange thing happens. Wong finds himself in a situation which results in him facing off first against Bolo, and then – the moment I was waiting for – against Ko Fei, and suddenly you’ll find yourself sitting bolt upright to pay attention. Ko Fei is also the fight choreographer, and it’s almost as if he spent the first few days of the shoot asleep, having needed his own lengthy fight scene to wake him up. Either that, or it was one of Wong’s kicks.

Wong is convincingly laid waste to by Ko, and left for dead, which sees him disappear from the movie until the finale. However this isn’t such a bad thing. After watching the triple threat of Bolo, Wong, and Ko in action, all of which is fast and fluid, Master Killers builds up sufficient momentum to ensure your attention is maintained. Soon Ko is being trained by Sam Seed (another shameless nod to Drunken Master) in what is, to be fair, an imaginatively put together training sequence that has Ko suspended in the air by a series of rope pulleys, which he has to use to perform pushups. Most importantly, he’s taught the secrets of Empress Kung Fu, which is basically a rip-off of the feminine drunken boxing that Jackie Chan utilizes to defeat Hwang Jang Lee in the finale of Drunken Master.

Master Killers really comes into its own though in its final reel, as from the 1:10 mark it becomes a non-stop fight fest, and every one of them is certified excellence. Starting with Blackie Ko vs. Bolo and his henchman, this fight is fun to watch just to see Bolo’s unique fighting style. While Bolo’s ability to perform choreography doesn’t always get to shine in many of the movies he’s in, that’s not the case here, even throwing in some impressive kicks. What’s so unique about him though is that he doesn’t look at his opponent during the fight, almost like he’s memorized the choreography to the point that he simply focuses on performing it, and trusts the other person to do what they’re supposed to do. It makes for entertaining viewing.

However the real reason to watch Master Killers is the epic 12-minute final fight which pits Ko and Wong against Ko Fei. The fight is almost like a mini-movie in itself, as over the course of the 12 minutes it builds up in both complexity and intensity. Ko Fei is absolutely on fire, and makes it look perfectly believable that he’s capable of taking out both Wong and Ko. At the same time, you kind of feel sorry for him, while Wong opts to go shirtless, and Ko adorned in a thin white t-shirt, Ko Fei performs the whole fight in a traditional long sleeved Chinese shirt and pants. Within the first minute his back and armpits are completely saturated with sweat, redefining what our perceptions of a sweat patch should look like, but he still looks nothing less than a boss.

All three performers get their time to shine during the fight, with the battle constantly segueing from two-on-one attacks to one-on-one beat downs. Ko Fei proves as always why he’s considered to be the king of shaped based choreography, with his fast and powerful movements looking all but unstoppable. Ko proves to be up to the task of matching his choreography, performing some intricate exchanges which take place over satisfyingly long takes. Thankfully Wong lives up to his name of being the Human Tornado, with at least a couple of his kicks being pulled so fast that if Ko Fei had got his timing even a split second off, he probably wouldn’t have a head on his shoulders. Slow motion is also used sparingly throughout the fight to great effect, particularly to highlight Wong when he starts going airborne with his kicks.

In a world where fights like the finale of Master Killers have become as extinct as the dinosaurs, on reflection, sitting through the painful first half of comedic tomfoolery is a small price to pay to witness some jaw dropping displays of kung fu excellence. Just remember to check your armpits for sweat patches once it’s finished.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7.5/10

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

Lawless Kingdom | aka The Four II | DVD (Lionsgate)

Posted on June 24, 2015 by JJ Bona
Lawless Kingdom | aka The Four II | DVD (Lionsgate)

Lawless Kingdom | aka The Four II | DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: September 2, 2015

Lionsgate presents the DVD for Lawless Kingdom (aka The Four II), directed by Gordon Chan (Fist of Legend).

Four detectives (Emotionless, Iron Hands, Life Snatcher, and Coldblood), each uniquely skilled with their own individual superpowers, are sent to investigate a murder outside the city.

Lawless Kingdom stars Deng Chao (Detective Dee), Liu Yifei (Outcast), Collin Chou (Special ID), Ronald Cheng (12 Nights) and Anthony Wong (Untold Story). | Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Lawless Kingdom from Amazon.com today!

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

Philip Rhee is rebooting the ‘Best of the Best’ franchise!

Posted on June 23, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back" Theatrical Poster

"Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back" Theatrical Poster

While promoting his latest movie, Underdog Kids, Philip Rhee revealed that he will be rebooting his successful Best of the Best saga, which consists of Best of the Best (1989), Best of the Best 2 (1993), Best of the best 3: No Turning Back (1995) and Best of the Best 4: Without Warning (1998).

The big question is whether Rhee will be the main star or if he’s looking for new blood to lead the new franchise? Here’s what he told TAE: “We’re going to reboot the whole franchise with a new cast. I have things… I’m going to bring in elements that nobody has ever seen before. I will produce the picture.”

Underdog Kids, Rhee’s first movie in 17 years, will be released on DVD by Anchor Bay on July 7, 2015.

Posted in News |

Happiness of the Katakuris, The (2001) Review

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Kelly Warner
The Happiness of the Katakuris | Blu-ray & DVD (Arrow Video)

The Happiness of the Katakuris | Blu-ray & DVD (Arrow Video)

Director: Takashi Miike
Cast: Kenji Sawada, Keiko Matsuzaka, Shinji Takeda, Naomi Nishida, Kiyoshiro Imawano, Tetsuro Tamba, Naoto Takenaka, Tamaki Miyazaki, Takashi Matsuzaki
Running Time: 113 min.

By Kelly Warner

When Takashi Miike agreed to do a remake of Kim Jee-woon’s directorial debut The Quiet Family, he wanted to give the story his own “personal stamp” to make his version worthwhile. And Miike did exactly that, turning the dark comedy into a bizarre musical, complete with claymation monsters and zombie dance numbers. The Happiness of the Katakuris is somehow simultaneously one of Takashi Miike’s most insane films and one of his most accessible. It’s a wonderfully weird journey into the mind of one of cinema’s boldest, most inventive filmmakers.

The basic plot of the film follows the original pretty closely. After a series of disappointments, Masao Katakuri (Kenji Sawada) buys a guesthouse and wants his family to help him run it. There are rumors of a new road coming through the area, promising to bring lots of business right to their door. Until that time, though, there’s a whole lot of waiting as the guests just aren’t coming. When finally they welcome their first guest, the man commits suicide in his room. Worried that the death will ruin their business, the family gets rid of the body and covers up the crime scene. Then the next guest dies, too, and it seems like the Katakuris are spending most their time burying bodies in the woods. Things get even crazier when a series of suspicious characters enter their lives, threatening to bring down everything they’ve worked for.

Unlike The Quiet Family, which was a thriller with a dark sense of humor, Miike tells this macabre tale as a musical. No musical number is quite like the one that came before it as multiple music genres are depicted throughout the film, including a Sound of Music-style song in a field, an 80’s rock and roll music video, and even a karaoke singalong. I would say that even those filmgoers who typically don’t like musicals will get a kick out of this one.

The film opens in a way that I fear may scare some viewers off. In the opening sequence, a claymation monster pops out of a woman’s bowl of soup, jumps into her mouth, and tears out her uvula. The monster then flies off and so begins a circle of life with other claymation animals and monsters. It’s the weirdest, most disturbing sequence in the film and is only barely connected to the rest of the story. I’ve grown to like the opening on repeat viewings, but initially it came as a shock, and made me worry the whole film would be just as strange. Well, the movie that follows is weird, just not the same breed of weird. The opening does successfully setup the audience for an “anything goes” type of movie, but I’m still not sure it was the right way to start things off.

Miike’s known for filling his films with shocking content, so it’s interesting to see how he plays with comedy here. The situation that the Katakuris have put themselves in is nuts already, but the world that surrounds them seems just as crazy. On TV the only shows to watch are a newscaster with a beetle in his brain and an aging female singing ‘Dem Bones’ (both the newscaster and the singer are played by one of Miike’s repeat players, Naoto Takenaka). In one of my favorite parts of the film, daughter Shizue Katakuri (Naomi Nishida) falls in love with a dashing Navy serviceman named Richard Sagawa (rock star Kiyoshiro Imawano). Richard claims to be on leave from the US Navy, or “To be more precise, Britain’s Royal Navy.” This all leads to one of the film’s best visual moments as Richard sings about how much he loves Shizue in the middle of a garbage dump while trash flies in the wind.

The performances all around are very good, selling both the horror and the humor. Naomi Nishida (My Secret Cache) is excellent as the love-struck Shizue. I’m largely unfamiliar with Kiyoshiro Imawano but he’s great as Richard, who is likely the film’s most complicated character. Veteran actor Tetsuro Tamba (You Only Live Twice, The Water Margin 1 & 2) is also a welcome member of the cast, giving a carefree performance as Grandpa Katakuri. It’s a great ensemble with no weak links to be found.

The newly released Arrow Video Blu-ray contains a wealth of special features both old and new. Ported over from the old DVD are interviews with the cast, a making-of featurette, a quick look at the claymation, and a commentary from Takashi Miike. New to this edition is a video essay look at Miike’s career put together by Midnight Eye’s Tom Mes, a film commentary by Mes, a booklet, and a new 40 minute interview with Miike. The new video essay by Mes is pretty good, detailing Miike’s start as an assistant director for Shohei Imamura before eventually becoming one of the most famous directors in Japan. Tom Mes isn’t the liveliest commentator and his commentary track for Katakuris won’t be for everybody, but the author knows his subject well and offers some informative tidbits throughout. The best new feature is the interview with Miike, who tells memories of filming Katakuris and his feelings towards directing in general. The exhaustive special features — plus a colorful picture presentation — make this Blu-ray easy to recommend to fans of the film.

Kim Jee-woon’s The Quiet Family is a good film but it’s not one of the director’s finest. You can see how Kim has grown as a filmmaker since then. Miike made The Happiness of the Katakuris at the most interesting point in his career where he was transitioning from Japan’s bad boy director to one of Japan’s most popular mainstream filmmakers. As such, the film has the same madness and energy we recognize from his earlier films, while also being mainstream enough for general audiences without ever feeling like a company product.

After The Happiness of the Katakuris, Takashi Miike proved that he could competently direct pretty much whatever he set his mind to. Miike would go on to do many more mainstream films after this, but he remains one of cinema’s most unpredictable directors. Despite its status as a remake, The Happiness of the Katakuris is a one-of-a-kind film. In a 25 year career with already almost 100 films to his name, The Happiness of the Katakuris ranks among Miike’s very best.

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 8.5/10

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

Ultimate action flick starring Jason Statham and Tony Jaa?

Posted on June 22, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Tom Yum Goong 2" Japanese DVD Cover

"Tom Yum Goong 2" Japanese DVD Cover

Furious 7’s Jason Statham (Blitz) and Tony Jaa (Skin Trade, Tom Yum Goong 2) may re-team for a potential martial arts film together. Statham says he wants to “elevate the action in a way that’s never been done before.” A script for the untitled project is currently being worked on.

Here’s the full scoop from Statham himself: (via MH/MAAC): “What I’d like to do is a fully-fledged fight movie. I’ve never done one. I met Tony Jaa in Thailand and to me he’s an inspirational athlete: one of the greatest real-life stunt guys in the business. We talked about doing a proper fight film where we’re on the same team, and we’ve got a script we’re trying to put together. I want to elevate the action in a way that’s never been done before.”

We’ll keep you posted as we hear more. Stay tuned!

Posted in News |

The Most Memorable Villains in Martial Arts Film: Part I

Posted on June 22, 2015 by JJ Bona

Every film genre – action, science fiction, horror, comedy and even animated – has had a series of memorable villains that have stuck with us for most of our lives. Whether it be a sadistic teenager portrayed by James Spader; an emotionless cyborg represented by Arnold Schwarzenegger; a suave, humorous terrorist leader played by Alan Rickman; or even a scarred lion voiced by Jeremy Irons – it’s the bad guys who make the classics so great!

So what about villains in martial arts film?

Villains in martial arts film definitely don’t get enough attention, so we’re aiming to fix this right now. Remember: It’s not so much how they look or how many foes they’ve taken down, it’s more about their impact on modern pop culture.

In no particular order, we introduce The Most Memorable Villains in Martial Arts Film. This is only Part I, so if you don’t see your favorite villain listed here, chances are, he, she or it, will be featured in Part II. Enjoy!

BOLO

Played by: Bolo Yeung (aka Yang Sze)
Trademark: Huge pectoral muscles
Weapon: His own super strength

Whether he’s playing Chong Li in Bloodsport (1988) or Moon in Double Impact (1991), most will refer to the Hulk-built actor as simply “Bolo,” the name of his most popular character in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon (1973). The name “Bolo” would eventually became his stage name from that point forward. I mean, come on, you know you’re a badass when you’re legally referred to as a character you portrayed in a flick! Imagine if Sylvester Stallone changed his real name to Rambo?

PAI MEI

Played by: Lo Lieh
Trademark: Long white eyebrows and beard
Weapon: Eagle Claw-style kung fu

There have been many renditions of this evil Shaolin priest character, but for the sake of this article, our obvious choice is Pai Mei from Executioners from Shaolin (1977) and Clan of the White Lotus (1980). He’s a villain that you can only defeat by use of extreme trial and error (if you’re lucky to even survive the trial period). If by chance you’re able to strike him, he’s protected by his “Iron Shirt” defensive form, which is an exercise that directs energy to reinforce parts of the body, so blows against them are useless! Even Quentin Tarantino dug Pai Mei so much that he resurrected the character in Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004), where he was played by Gordon Liu.

BASEBALL BAT MAN

Played by: Very Tri Yulisman
Trademark: Black hoodie and a baseball bat
Weapon: Take a guess!

If you’ve seen The Raid 2, there’s a good chance “Baseball Bat Man” is embedded in your memory. “Baseball Bat Man” would have flopped as a pro baseball player, but as a cold-blooded assassin, he’s an all-star MVP. Any chance of seeing the character appear in another film would upset any oddsmakers. But then again, Bolo is still alive and breaking necks, despite his character’s demise in countless films. Maybe there’s room for a possible resurrection? Whatever the case, someone out there has a tattoo of this guy.

THUNDERLEG/THUNDERFOOT

Played by: Hwang Jang Lee
Visual Trademark: Sideburns and a pornstache
Weapon: His deadly legs

Unlike most villains in old school kung fu movies, the character portrayed by Korean martial artist Hwang Jang Lee said very little and let his legs do the talking. It’s no wonder why the Taekwondo Grandmaster is dubbed “King of the Leg-fighters,” a term given to him because he annihilates his opponents using nothing but a series of deadly kicks. Although his most prominent roles are similar, Hwang is widely known for playing “Thunderfoot” in Drunken Master (1978), opposite Jackie Chan. Don’t let the pornstache fool you, this guy will mess you up!

MR. HAN

Played by: Shih Kien
Trademark: Prosthetic hand and receding hairline
Weapon: Interchangeable prosthetic hand weapons

Not even the invincible Jim Kelly had a chance against Mr. Han, the James Bond-esque villain in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon (1973). The fact that he had only one hand made him deadlier: in place of his missing hand was an interchangeable slot – on Monday, his left hand can be a cast iron fist; on Tuesday, it can be a series of sharp blades; on Wednesday, well, you get the idea. We’re pretty sure the inspiration for Wolverine’s claws came from Mr. Han’s detachable Ginsu knives. And yes, this guy really does come right out of a comic book.

THE THREE STORMS

Played by: Peter Kwong, James Pax, Carter Wong
Trademark: Handwoven straw hats
Weapon: Powers consist of flying, electricity currents and self-explosions

What would John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China (1985) be without “The Three Storms”? Well, it would be like The Terminator 2 (1991) without the presence of the T-1000. When these mystical kung fu fellas – Thunder, Lightning and Rain – appear on the screen for the first time, this Kurt Russell cult-classic goes from great to epic in a matter of seconds. Several years later, the immensely popular Mortal Kombat video game/film franchise would introduce Raiden, a character that’s not only a spitting image of “Lightning” of The Three Storms, but also hovers and shoots out electricity as well. No coincidence.

HAKIM

Played by: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Trademark: 7 feet 2 inches
Weapon: Power kick (while sitting down, nonetheless)

If the duel between Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game of Death (1972/1978) isn’t iconic, then I don’t know what is. Lee would only prove victorious to the basketball giant by using his own philosphical approach: “Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically yours” (i.e. stomp on his bare feet, go for his balls and expose sunlight to his sensitive eyes). The cartoony charm of this match can only be compared to something like James Bond vs. Jaws (Richard Kiel), Godzilla vs. Mothra or Rocky Balboa vs. Ivan Drago.

HAMMER GIRL

Played by: Julie Estelle
Trademark: Sunglasses and a pair of hammers
Weapon: Two steel hammers

The line “Hammer Time” once belonged to M.C. Hammer, but now it officially belongs to a certain deaf-mute woman named “Hammer Girl,” who was introduced to the world when she displayed her act of barbaric violence in The Raid 2. Let’s put it this way: she uses the claw side of a hammer more frequently than the flat-head side. She’s cunning, adorable and menacing at the same time. If she doesn’t have her victim’s blood sprayed all over her own face, it was probably her day off (or she might have just wiped it off). There’s a teenager out there that has a poster of “Hammer Girl” on their bedroom wall, and she probably wasn’t old enough to see The Raid 2.

Stay tuned for The Most Memorable Villains in Martial Arts Film: Part II.

Posted in Features, News |

Daisy (2006) Review

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Paul Bramhall
"Daisy" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Daisy” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Andrew Lau
Writer: Felix Chong
Producer: Hoon-tak Jung
Cast: Jeong Woo-Sung, Jun Ji-Hyun (Gianna Jun), Lee Sung-jae, Cheon Ho-Jin, Simon Yam Tat Wah, David Chiang Da Wei, Yu Sun-Cheol, Dion Lam
Running Time: 110 min.

By Paul Bramhall

On paper Daisy reads like an Asian action thriller fan’s dream. A Korea and Hong Kong co-production (which translates to Korea being in-front of the camera and Hong Kong being behind it) shot entirely on location in the Netherlands, the production boasts an enviable pool of talent from both countries. Directed by Andrew Lau and written by Felix Chong (with the assistance of Jin Gan-san and Kwak Jae-yong), in 2006 the pair were still hot off the tail of being the duo behind the Infernal Affairs trilogy.

Here they provide us with a story that focuses on 3 Koreans living in Amsterdam – Lee Song-jae plays an Interpol agent, Jeong Woo-seong plays a hitman working for the Chinese mafia, and Jeon Ji-hyeon plays a street painter who gets caught up in the middle of everything. For good measure, throw in Shaw Brothers legend David Chiang as the boss of the organization that Woo-seong works for, and an action director in the form of Dion Lam. It’s fair to assume that with the people involved, the end result should be a winning combination.

There is, however, a slight caveat which may impede audiences enjoyment of Daisy, and that is that it’s not an action thriller at all. Despite the names involved, Daisy is in fact a romantic melodrama. Perhaps Lau wanted to have a crack at a different genre, but decided to try and pull it off using the types of characters he was familiar with dealing with. Lau has had a long career in the industry, and before Infernal Affairs he was most well known for directing a series of wuxia movies in the late 90’s – most notably The Storm Riders – which pushed the envelope for what Hong Kong could do with CGI at the time. Daisy was made in-between his car racing manga adaptation Initial D, and Confession of Pain, which was an unsuccessful attempt to recreate the style of genre filmmaking that made Infernal Affairs such a success.

To his credit, while Lau’s decision to basically make a Korean movie may have been a risky one, he was certainly successful in getting some big names to come onboard. Lee Seong-jae was still considered A-list material in 2006, having been in everything from Bong Joon-ho’s debut, the dark comedy Barking Dogs Never Bite, to gritty action flicks like Holiday. Likewise for Jeong Woo-seong, while at the time he was still 2 years away from starring in The Good, The Bad, The Weird, which gained international recognition, he still had several notable roles under his belt, such as his memorable character from Musa. Of course Jeon Ji-hyeon is most recognizable as the title character of My Sassy Girl, and at the time Daisy was a significant departure from the type of slightly wacky characters her career had been defined by to this point.

It’s worth noting that there are 2 versions of Daisy – the theatrical cut and the director’s cut. The version I’m reviewing is the director’s cut version, and for full disclosure I’ve never seen the theatrical cut. What I do know is that the director’s cut is 25 minutes longer than the theatrical version, pushing it to almost 2 hours, and significantly re-orders the scenes, so that the narrative plays with the timeline of how events unfold.

One of the changes I can definitely say applies to the director’s cut is how the movie begins. Over a third of the total runtime is dedicated to following the events that lead up to a fateful shootout in the town square, but it takes the time to be told from each of the 3 characters perspectives. From the opening shot we see Jun Ji-hyeon whimsically musing on when she’ll find her one true love in voiceover, learning that she lives with her grandfather who runs an antique shop, and in her spare time she paints tourists portraits in the town square. Ji-hyeon has been receiving a pot of daisies delivered outside the antique store every day for several months, and although she has no idea who they’re off, she hopes that the sender could be the guy for her.

When Song-jae, the Interpol agent, discovers that the gangsters he’s tracking are using a location in the town square, he realizes that the spot where the portrait artists sit is the perfect position to observe them without being conspicuous. Of course, the portrait artist he chooses to paint him is Ji-hyeon, and as it just so happens that the day he chooses her is also the day he himself is carrying a pot of flowers, she becomes convinced that Song-jae is the mystery daisy sender.

But wait! Enter hitman Woo-seong, whom we learn that after performing a hit, usually waits for the heat to cool off at a cottage in the countryside. That cottage also happens to look out onto a field of daisies that Ji-hyeon often comes to paint, so watching her from a distance, he finds himself becoming silently enamored with her innocent beauty. Hence, it’s actually Woo-seong who’s sending her the daisies, and he even goes so far as to rent an apartment overlooking the town square where she paints, so he can observe her every day instead of just now and then. See his rule is to never make direct contact, it’s a hitman thing.

So we have a perfect love triangle setup, however Dion Lam is onboard for a reason, and that reason becomes evident when the gangsters realize what Song-jae is up to. At this point Woo-seong has learnt that Song-jae is a cop that’s been developing a relationship with Ji-hyeon, so instead of continuing to sit there depressed in his apartment window watching them together, he’s given a choice. With the gangsters about to take out an unsuspecting Song-jae, does he allow his jealousy to let them do it, or will he do the right thing and come to his aid? Of course things get messy, and it’s the innocent Ji-hyeon who ends up coming off worse in the ensuing gun battle.

If the above description sounds a little similar to John Woo’s The Killer, it’s understandable. A cop and a killer both wanting to come to the rescue of a damsel in distress, who gets maimed due to their actions, the comparison is inevitable. However unlike Sally Yeh, Ji-hyeon doesn’t lose her sight (I’d consider it a spoiler to reveal what happens though, so I won’t.) While The Killer was very much about Chow Yun Fat and Danny Lee bursting into action, guns blazing, with Yeh’s blindness serving as the reason for them doing so, Daisy is the opposite. Song-jae and Woo-seong both want to capture Ji-hyeon’s heart, and occasionally it involves firing off a few bullets. A perfect example of the difference is when Woo-seong goes on a date with Ji-hyeon, and pops out for a couple of minutes mid-way through to perform a hit, before coming back to carry on were they left off. You know what type of movie you’re watching when the date is the focus, and not the hit.

Daisy relies on the voiceover technique a lot, arguably to the point that at times it results in a disconnect to what’s happening onscreen. On the other hand sometimes it works to keeps things interesting, particularly when one of the many shots of characters brooding in slow motion is given some narration. It somehow manages to make it feel a little less pretentious than just watching them brood in silence. These shots could work under a director like Wong Kar-wai, but here Felix Chong’s story relies a little too much on coincidence and disbelief to give the scenes any weight. Aspects of the movie like Song-jae and Woo-seong constantly letting the other go, because they know Ji-hyeon would be upset if either of them got hurt, come across as laughable rather than admirable. It takes a certain type of director to be able to convey bromance effectively, and Lau is no John Woo.

Once the shootout in the town square is over the movie also suffers, at times feeling like it’s going to stutter to a complete stop. With Song-jae back in Korea, Woo-seong decides to take a chance with Ji-hyeon, however it simply makes all his prior actions seem like that of a stalker rather than a love sick hitman. In part his acting is to blame, while movies like 2014’s Scarlet Innocence and 2013’s Cold Eyes show just how much his acting has matured, here some of his looks and line delivery come across as more creepy than tortured soul. Of course Lau should also take responsibility, and it makes me speculate as to if the reason why there’s so much voiceover is because he couldn’t confidently direct when the lines are being delivered in Korean.

With a decidedly downbeat tone permeating through most of the movie, Daisy is a hard sell both to fans of melodrama, and to those expecting a dose of action. By the time Woo-seong loads up to raid David Chiang’s headquarters close to the end of the 2 hours, the pace has been so gloomy that even the promise of some action, which does indeed get delivered, is difficult to get excited about. With this in mind, perhaps it’s best to leave this Daisy unpicked.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 5.5/10

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

30th Anniversary ‘The Last Dragon’ Blu-ray detailed!

Posted on June 19, 2015 by JJ Bona
The Last Dragon | Blu-ray (Sony)

The Last Dragon | Blu-ray (Sony)

Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon celebrates its 30th Anniversary by debuting for the first time on Blu-ray August 25 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The cult classic has been fully remastered in high definition for Blu-ray and features exciting all-new dynamic packaging art by acclaimed Mondo Gallery artist Gary Pullin, as well as the featurette Return of the Dragon, a newly-created retrospective look at the making of the film, featuring new interviews with the cast and crew, including Taimak, Berry Gordy and more! Additional bonus features include commentary by director Michael Schultz and the original theatrical trailer.

The martial arts musical extravaganza follows Leroy Green (A.K.A. “Bruce Leroy”), who dreams of becoming a great martial artist like his idol Bruce Lee, as he searches for the “master” to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as “the glow.” Along the way, he must fight an evil martial arts expert and rescue a beautiful singer from an obsessed music promoter. The Last Dragon stars Taimak (Book of Swords) as “Bruce Leroy,” former “Vanity 6” frontwoman Vanity (Action Jackson) as the singer, Christopher Murney (Barton Fink) and Julius Carry (The New Guy).

Celebrate thirty years of The Last Dragon, now fully remastered in high definition on Blu-ray. Martial arts student Leroy Green (Taimak) is on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow.” Along the way he must battle the evil, self-proclaimed Shogun of Harlem – a kung fu warrior also known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III) – and rescue a beautiful singer (Prince protégée, Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter. Combining pulsating music, cutting edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, The Last Dragon is kickin’ good fun featuring an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity and DeBarge performing their smash hit “Rhythm of the Night.”

Directed by Michael Schultz (Car Wash) from a screenplay by Louis Venosta (Bird on a Wire), The Last Dragon was produced by Rupert Hitzig (Jaws 3D) and executive produced by Berry Gordy (Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, The Wiz).

Exclusive Blu-ray Bonus Features Include: “Return of the Dragon” Featurette; Original Theatrical Trailer; Other features include Director’s Commentary by Michael Schultz.

Cityonfire.com received the above press release from Sony on June 15, 2015.

Posted in News |

‘Hit-Girl’ prequel and ‘Kick-Ass 3′ in the works?

Posted on June 19, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Kick-Ass 2" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Kick-Ass 2" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Mark Millar, creator of the comic books, Kick-Ass and The Secret Service – the basis for the upcoming Kingsman: The Secret Service – recently mentioned that a planned Hit-Girl spin-off movie was in the works. Here’s the interesting part: Gareth Evans (The Raid, The Raid 2) was in talks for the project.

Here’s what Millar told IGN during a recent interview: “Before Kick-Ass 2 came out, we’d been talking about a Hit-Girl spin-off movie… we’d even talked to a director – we had a couple of calls with Gareth Evans, who I absolutely love. He’s an amazing director. But Gareth’s now busy.”

Well, one can only imagine what a Evans-directed Hit-Girl movie would have been like, but hey, at least we have The Raid 3 to look forward to in 2018.

Updates: In a recent interview with Yahoo, this is what Matthew Vaughn (director of the original Kick-Ass) had to say about a Hit-Girl prequel and a Kick-Ass 3: “I’m not happily done with the franchise, for sure. Kick-Ass is a really important film to me and I’m very proud of it, and we would like to dip our toe back into it—when I say ‘we’ I mean Mark [Millar] and I and the team… We’re working on an idea for a prequel of how did Hit Girl and Big Daddy become Hit Girl and Big Daddy. If we make that, hopefully that will be the sorbet for the people that didn’t like Kick-Ass 2, and then we can go off and make Kick-Ass 3. But I think we’ve got to do this prequel just to regain the love that we had with Kick-Ass.”

Posted in News |
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