Robot Jox | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

Posted on April 11, 2015 by JJ Bona
Robot Jox | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

Robot Jox | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2015

Before Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim… Before Michael Bay’s Transformers…

Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray for Robot Jox. Directed by Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), Robot Jox reveals a world where nations settle their territorial disputes by a single combat between two giant machines. Piloted by national heroes Achilles (Gary Graham) and Alexander (Paul Koslo), the robots meet in Death Valley to fight for the greatest prize of all: Alaska. Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Robot Jox from Amazon.com today!

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

Typhoon (2005) Review

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Z Ravas
"Typhoon" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Typhoon” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Gwak Gyeong-Taek
Writer: Gwak Gyeong-Taek
Cast: Jang Dong-Gun, Lee Jeong-Jae, Lee Mi-Yeon, David McInnis, Chatthapong Pantanaunkul
Running Time: 124 min.

By HKFanatic

From the opening of Typhoon, it’s clear that Korea is screwed. A rogue pirate named Sin (Dong-gun Jang) with a grudge against both the North and the South has amassed some weapons-grade plutonium. His big plan is to release it during a typhoon, when the high velocity winds will spread it across the entire island. Fortunately, some stern-looking military generals in the South declare, “I know just the man for the job.” Smash cut to: our South Korean alpha-male Navy officer hero playing shirtless football on the beach with a bunch of his military buds.

Yup, it’s that kind of movie. South Korea attempts to mimic Hollywood with this slick, expensive blockbuster whose protagonist, played by Jung-Jae Lee, seems like the country’s answer to Keanu Reeves. But Typhoon is not as empty-headed as your typical Michael Bay flick.

That is, there’s some genuine drama to be found. The villain’s only living relative is his long-lost sister, who also happens to be a drug addict. Our hero locates her and tries to use her to bargain with Sin. In the process he develops something like affection for her and respect for Sin. He slowly realizes that the only thing separating him from the pirate is chance or fate; the Navy officer feels just as strongly about protecting his country as Sin does destroying it.

At 124 minutes, Typhoon takes plenty of time to develop its story and lay out some action sequences. There’s nothing mind-blowing but a car chase about halfway through the movie is a sure highlight, with Jung-Jae Lee running out of a hotel lobby and firing his gun at the fleeing bad guys in slow-motion like a bad-ass. Later there’s a tense shoot-out in a tiny cottage, with the good guys in the sights of a crackpot sniper. The climax of the film sees the Korean Navy undergo a daring operation in the heart of the typhoon. The hand-to-hand combat is your standard Hollywood fare, nothing to write home about, but this finale has enough of that ‘explosions on a rain-swept barge that could capsize at any moment’ feel to it to keep your adrenaline going.

Oddly enough, Dong-gun Jang seems like the bigger star of this production, seeing as how he gets top billing in the credits and is featured most prominently on the movie posters. The screenplay goes to great lengths to establish his character as a wounded and sympathetic villain, despite the fact that he plans to murder millions of people. While Dong-gun Jang gives a solid performance and I appreciate the film’s attempts to give us a more three-dimensional antagonist, when I watch an action movie I really just want to see the hero kick the bad guy’s ass without remorse.

There’s not quite enough of that vibe in Typhoon, but it’s a solidly entertaining flick. It tries to imitate your typical Hollywood blockbuster with some degree of success. Still, I think if there’s anything South Korean films have taught us lately, it’s that they’re at their best when they’re making the movies that Hollywood won’t.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 6/10

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

Tiger Over Wall (1980) Review

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Paul Bramhall
"Tiger Over Wall" Theatrical Poster

“Tiger Over Wall” Theatrical Poster

Director: Tony Liu Jun Guk
Producer: Alex Gouw
Cast: Philip Ko Fei, Kong Do, Chu Tiet Wo, Hwang Jang Lee, Cheung Lik, Candy Wen, Chan Lau
Running Time: 91 min.

By Paul Bramhall

There’s a certain familiarity to watching an old school kung fu movie, in that you tend to know exactly what you’re going to get. A villain has killed a teacher, and the student vows to get revenge. A villain has killed a family member, and the surviving relative vows to get revenge. A villain has killed someone who has a loose connection to someone else, and that someone else vows to get revenge. It’s a tried and tested formula, and the rule of thumb seems to be that as long as we get a healthy dose of exciting fight action, the sub-standard plots can be forgiven.

So with Tiger Over Wall, apart from having a title which resembles a grammatical car crash, it’s refreshing to get a plot which takes a different approach from the norm. As the bombastic music plays over the opening credits, you can’t help but also notice the sound of a dog barking in what sounds like an empty room, which has been mixed over the music at equal volume. It’s quite jarring. This however is the closest we get to a dog for the rest of the movie, as proceedings open on a middle aged British diplomat and his Chinese mistress realizing that their treasured boxer dog, Rover, has gone missing.

Soon enough they’re questioning the nearest passerby to see if they’ve seen the precious Rover, and when the poor sap reveals he hasn’t, he ends up getting beaten by the diplomat, while the mistress cheerfully yells in the background, “That’s right! Beat him! Kick the bastard harder! Kick him ‘till he’s dead! Kick him! Go on!” Things escalate, and within the first 15 minutes, the chief of police – played by Korean kicking legend Hwang Jang Lee – has been called in to try and find the dog, threatening to arrest anyone who doesn’t help with the investigation.

There we have the plot of Tiger Over Wall – the police try to find a white guy’s missing dog. As ridiculous as this may sound, the events are actually based on a true story that took place in Shanghai during 1919. The fact that the dog belonged to a foreign diplomat resulted in the police getting involved, however I’m sure that’s as far as the similarities go.

The movie is directed by Tony Liu Jun Guk, and while his name may not be as familiar as other directors working around the same period, he’s arguably been behind several classic slices of kung fu. Jun Guk hit his stride a few years after making Tiger Over Wall, when while working for the Shaw Brothers studio he made several high energy, slightly off the wall, kung fu movies such as Holy Flame of the Martial World, Bastard Swordsman, and Secret Service of the Imperial Court. As the 90’s beckoned he moved into the Girls with Guns genre, directing a number of Moon Lee starring action fests like Devil Hunters, Dreaming the Reality, and Angel Terminators 2.

Jun Guk enlisted fight choreographer Dang Tak Cheung to stage the action for Tiger Over Wall, and Tak Cheung’s resume makes for just as impressive reading as the director himself. Like Jun Guk, Tak Cheung also liked to work on the slightly more off the wall side of the kung-fu movie world, choreographing the likes of Kung Fu Zombie, and the insane Shaw Brothers production Buddha’s Palm. While working at Shaw Brothers Dak Cheung got the opportunity to have full control on a couple of productions, which led to him directing, writing, and choreographing the late-Shaw era movies Demon of the Lute and Long Road to Gallantry, both of which are personal favorites.

With such talent behind the camera, to really make a great old-school kung-fu movie, you need to have an equal amount of talent in front of it. Thankfully Tiger Over Wall does, who come in the form of Philip Ko, and the previously mentioned Hwang Jang Lee. Both are ably backed up by such familiar old school faces as Kong Do, Chu Tiet Wo, Cheung Lik, and even the director himself shows up as an assassin for hire. Both Philip Ko and Hwang Jang Lee have so many classics between them that it would be impossible to do them justice in just a few lines. Ko, arguably the master of the ‘shapes’ style of choreography, was on fire in 1980, also starring in The Loot and Snake Deadly Act to name but a couple, while Hwang, often referred to as the king of leg fighters, also cranked out classics like The Buddha Assassinator and Challenge of the Tiger in the same year.

In an era where we’re happy just to have one good kung fu movie a year, it’s easy to forget that in the golden era we had several stars making several movies every year, year in year out. It’s a time that will likely never be rivaled in terms of productivity and output, but at least it leaves us with plenty to choose from. In Tiger Over Wall Ko plays the guy who has to see not only his girlfriend’s poor family, but also his teacher, end up getting roped into taking the fall for the missing dog, under false promises of money or business permits. As he’s forced to watch his nearest and dearest be lied to, beaten up, and tortured, things begin to boil over until he can’t take anymore, and he begins to bust out the moves that we’ve all been waiting for.

It’s worth noting that Tiger Over Wall certainly doesn’t rush its fight scenes. Indeed for the first 50 minutes, with the exception of a few brief scuffles by Ko and the constant threat of violence, there’s actually no substantial fight action. Thankfully the hilarious English dub more than makes up for it, providing plenty of unintentional laughs as Hwang Jang Lee storms into various establishments yelling “WHERE’S THE BOXER DOG!?” The absurdity of it never wears off, and keeps proceedings moving along nicely. However at the 50 minute mark Ko gets to explode, taking on Kong Do in an awesome shapes fest involving fists, feet, and a pair of umbrellas. It’s fast, fluid, and sets off a buildup of action which doesn’t stop until the credits roll.

While you’ll often see discussions which talk about how great it would be if certain stars of the old school era had faced off against each other but never did, movies like Tiger Over Wall make you thankful that a movie exists in which, yes, kung fu legends like Philip Ko and Hwang Jang Lee actually do get to face off against each other. And for those who are worried, don’t be, it doesn’t fail to impress. The finale is lengthy and exhausting, as the pair start off with Ko armed with a staff and Hwang armed with a guandao, before segueing into an empty handed showdown of tiger claw versus mantis fist. There’s a part when the two opponents briefly move their fight indoors, and you’d swear Hwang had never learnt to tame his kicks for screen fighting, as every one of them looks like if it made contact it would take Ko’s head off.

What’s so great about Ko and Hwang is that they not only had the moves, but they also had an intensity behind them. When they fight it doesn’t just look like they’re performing finely tuned choreography to perfection, it looks like they really want to kill each other. These guys could perform intricate displays of choreography, and act at the same time, and that’s talent. By the time they’re through with each other, I can guarantee that you’ll have completely forgotten about wondering what became of Rover the boxer dog, which is just as well, as it appears the director did as well.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 8/10

Full disclosure: I watched Tiger Over Wall as part of the Brooklyn Zu Vol. 1 9-Movie set which was released by US based label Ground Zero in 2004. The movie was released in the UK by the now defunct Vengeance Video label in 2006 in its original Mandarin language with burnt-in English subtitles, and claims to be fully uncut. While there are no obvious cuts in the Brooklyn Zu version, I have seen discussion in which people talk about a character being on the receiving end of a 360 degree neck snap, which I’m sure wasn’t in the version I saw. On a note of personal preference, I would have to say that I wouldn’t have enjoyed the movie half as much had it not had the English dub, which offers many moments of unintentional hilarity that I’m sure wouldn’t be found with the original audio.

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

Incident at Blood Pass | aka Ambush (1970) Review

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Kelly Warner
"Incident at Blood Pass" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Incident at Blood Pass" Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Ambush
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki
Producer: Toshiro Mifune
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Yujiro Ishihara, Ruriko Asaoka, Shintaro Katsu, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Chusha Ichikawa, Ichiro Arishima, Mika Kitagawa, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Jotaro Togami, Chieko Nakakita, Ryunosuke Yamazaki
Running Time: 117 min.

By Kyle Warner

Toshiro Mifune has played many great characters but perhaps his most popular and influential role was born in the 1961 samurai action comedy Yojimbo. After the success of that film, Toho wanted more of the character, so Mifune and Akira Kurosawa returned to their nameless ronin for Sanjuro the very next year. And though writer/director Kurosawa would never again return to the character, Mifune seemed less willing to let the nameless ronin go. After the studio contract system started to die, Toshiro Mifune and other esteemed talents in Japan were forming their own production companies. In 1970, Mifune would bring back the Yojimbo character for not one but two films, both of which would co-star Shintaro Katsu. The first would be in the crossover film Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo, which was produced by Katsu Productions. And the second would be Incident at Blood Pass (aka Ambush), produced by Mifune Productions.

There’s some debate about whether the character that Mifune plays in Incident at Blood Pass is the same man he played in Yojimbo and Sanjuro. My opinion is that yes, he is playing the same guy, but the character has changed from how we remember him. In Incident at Blood Pass Mifune plays a nameless ronin in tattered clothes that hires himself out as a yojimbo (bodyguard) and is more interested in gold than he is in proper samurai etiquette. Sound familiar? The thing is, it’s the same man on the surface, and a different man underneath. Whereas before the Yojimbo was a fiery, amusing rogue that liked to watch people and how they reacted to changing circumstances, here he appears somewhat bored with everybody. Much of this probably stems from Mifune himself, who does not give the same level of performance that once made the character so endearing. What’s puzzling, though, is that he did manage to tap into the character more successfully in Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo, but wasn’t up to task on this film despite having more creative control. But that’s not the film’s most puzzling question. The real mystery is this: how did they get so many talented people together and end up making such a bland movie?

The cast and crew of Incident at Blood Pass can read like a who’s who of classic Japanese samurai cinema from the 60s and 70s. You’ve got Toshiro Mifune maybe-probably-kinda giving a final performance as his most popular character. You have Shintaro Katsu (the Zatoichi series) getting into villain mode to play a sleazy, discredited doctor that’s making illegal medicine in the woods. There’s the stunning Ruriko Asaoka (Goyokin) playing a woman that’s had enough of her abusive husband and leaves him in the dust. Plus there’s Kinnosuke Nakamura (The Shogun’s Samurai) as a half-crazed lawman and 60s superstar Yujiro Ishihara (Crazed Fruit) as a homeless gangster. The film is directed by genre-favorite Hiroshi Inagaki (The Samurai Trilogy) and co-written by Hideo Oguni, who had been one of Akira Kurosawa’s favorite collaborators. There’s so much talent and star power involved in this movie. How did it go wrong? Short answer: bad script.

Mifune’s ronin is hired by a mysterious old samurai to go to a mountain pass and “wait until something happens.”

That’s the plot. ‘Wait until something happens.’

Because he can’t just stand around waiting forever, Mifune checks into an inn where all the other colorful characters are also staying. The film’s not bad when it tries to be an ensemble character piece, because it does a good job of letting every actor shine in their role at one point or another. But mostly we’re just waiting at the inn for something to happen. There’s even a few times when Mifune goes into voice-over and wonders, “Is this it? Is this what I was supposed to wait for?” It’s a film that’s wasting time as it tries to arrive at a plot. Mifune’s hero (and soon the audience) just wants the wait to be over and the mission to end.

Now, I believe that a film can be without plot and still make for a watchable movie. But those successful films are about characters or themes and that’s what makes them work. Incident at Blood Pass is a film that teases you that it’s about something by constantly reminding you, ‘wait for it… wait for it!’ There’s a part where Mifune leaves the inn for a time only to return to find villainous characters are staying there. Mifune says, “I see… so I guess something did happen, after all.” That’s the payoff we’ve been waiting for all this time. I believe the movie thinks it’s being cute and clever but really it just feels like unengaging storytelling.

When you ignore the movie fumbling around for a story to tell it’s possible for you to enjoy the individual scenes. I like the characters and I appreciate how much the actors put into their performances. While he could be accused of overacting, Kinnosuke Nakamura gives an enjoyably nutso performance as the stammering self-righteous officer of the law. And I do believe that any film which pits two titans of cinema against each other is something that fans of those actors are likely to enjoy, so I had fun watching Mifune and Katsu try to figure each other out. But even so, they’d done pretty much the same thing more successfully earlier that same year with Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo.

The film’s final scene is an interesting one. I’m not going to spoil who dies, but I do want to explain the imagery. Mifune cuts down a group of samurai and then walks off into the distance as a harsh wind blows, kicking up dust that flies past the camera in a flurry of movement. Every Yojimbo film ends in a similar fashion: climactic swordplay, Yojimbo gives a somewhat sad farewell, and he walks off as the wind really starts blowing. I think that this final scene of Incident at Blood Pass is deliberately meant to remind the viewer of the imagery from the original Yojimbo and Sanjuro (Kurosawa sure did love his wind), but what’s strange is that this sort of imagery is almost completely absent from the rest of the film. It’s like it took director Inagaki the entire film to figure out the sort of movie that he should’ve been making.

Incident at Blood Pass is not a good movie, but I’ll admit it took me two viewings to figure that out. I liked it more the first time I watched it a few years back. I knew it was flawed then, but I enjoyed it. And you know what, I still enjoy it today, at least on some level. The screenplay really could’ve used a couple more revisions before the cameras started rolling, but there is some good stuff here. Incident at Blood Pass is one of those cases where you can admire multiple scenes but you can’t exactly praise the film on the whole. It’s just unfortunate that the great character of Yojimbo went out on such a dull note.

Kyle Warner’s Rating: 5.5/10

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

Deal on Fire! Wu Dang | Blu-ray | Only $9.99 – Expires soon!

Posted on April 7, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Wu Dang" Blu-ray Cover

"Wu Dang" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2012’s Wu Dang (aka Great Wu Dang), a fantasy-based Chinese martial arts film from director Patrick Leung Pak Kin (Twins Effect II) and action choreography by the legendary Corey Yuen (No Retreat, No Surrender II: Raging Thunder).

Wu Dang (read our review) stars Vincent Zhao (The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom), Siu-Wong Fan (Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky), Dennis To (Zombie 108) and Yang Mi (Painted Skin 2).

Order Wu Dang from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

New Expendables-style poster for ‘Hitman: Agent 47’

Posted on April 7, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Hitman: Agent 47" Theatrical Poster

"Hitman: Agent 47" Theatrical Poster

Hitting theaters on August 28th is the reboot of 2007’s Hitman, a live action film adaptation of the hit video game, which will be titled Hitman: Agent 47.

The late Paul Walker was previously set to star as Agent 47, but due to his untimely passing, Rupert Friend (Homeland) took over as the film’s lead. Agent 47 also stars Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Hannah Ware and Thomas Kretschmann.

Making his big screen directing debut will be Aleksander Bach, who was hired based on his commercials (see his work here). Skip Woods (A Good Day to Die Hard) and Michael Finch (Predators) are writing the screenplay.

Updates: Check out the newest poster, complete with Expendables-style design. If you haven’t already, watch the film’s first trailer.

Posted in News |

Cityonfire.com’s ‘Vengeance of an Assassin’ Blu-ray Giveaway! – WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Posted on April 6, 2015 by JJ Bona
Vengeance of an Assassin | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Vengeance of an Assassin | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Vengeance of an Assassin 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 Vengeance of an Assassin will be officially released on April 14, 2015. We will announce the 3 winners on April 15, 2015 and ship out the prizes immediately.

CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by April 14, 2015 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.

WINNNERS: Congratulations to Ben, Ritchie and Travis. You have all been notified via email!

Posted in News | Tagged |

The Taking of Tiger Mountain | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Posted on April 6, 2015 by JJ Bona
The Taking of Tiger Mountain | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

The Taking of Tiger Mountain | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2015

Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Tsui Hark’s The Taking of Tiger Mountain, an action epic based on the real life story of an incident in 1946 during the Chinese Civil War, involving a communist reconnaissance team soldier Yang Zirong who disguised himself as a bandit to infiltrate a local gang of bandits.

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

Pre-order The Taking of Tiger Mountain from Amazon.com today!

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

Newest trailer for Jean-Claude Van Damme’s ‘Pound of Flesh’

Posted on April 6, 2015 by JJ Bona
Pound of Flesh | Blu-ray & DVD (Entertainment One)

Pound of Flesh | Blu-ray & DVD (Entertainment One)

Get your organs ready for Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Pound of Flesh! This upcoming action-thriller re-teams the martial arts star with Ernie Barbarash (Favela), the director behind 2011’s Assassination Games and 2012’s 6 Bullets. Van Damme’s son, Kristopher Van Varenberg (Enemies Closer), Darren Shahlavi (Ip Man 2), John Ralston (Degrassi The Next Generation), William B Davis (The X-Files) and Charlotte Peters are co-starring.

The plot line of Pound of Flesh is reminiscent of Park Chan-wook’s 2002 thriller, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance:

In China to donate his kidney to his dying niece, Deacon (Van Damme), an former black-ops agent, awakes the day before the operation to find he is the latest victim of organ theft. Stitched up and pissed-off, Deacon descends from his opulent hotel in search of his stolen kidney and carves a blood-soaked path through the darkest corners of the city – brothels, fight clubs, back-alley black markets, and elite billionaire estates. The clock is ticking for his niece and with each step he loses blood.

Pound of Flesh will be getting a North American theatrical/VOD release date on May 15, 2015, followed by its Blu-ray & DVD release on June 23, 2015.

Updates: Via the Hollywood Reporter, Pound of Flesh will feature fight scenes coordinated by veteran choreographer and stuntman John Salvetti (Donnie Yen’s Flash Point, Special Identity). | Ernie Barbarash, the director of Pound of Flesh, spills some details about his upcoming film in this video. He mentions that it is an “action movie that’s very character driven.” | Bruceploitation actor Huang Kin Long (aka Bruce Le) recently visited the set. So what does Le look like today? Well, here’s a photo (courtesy of Impact) of him with Mike Leeder, Darren Shahlavi and Mike Moller on the set of Pound of Flesh. Simply amazing!

First “real” trailer re-edited with some extra footage not seen in the first “leaked” teaser. | 2nd trailer. | After a series of trailers consisting of broken links, unofficial leaks (and other unexplained uploads), here’s the film’s first official full trailer. | 10-minute featurette.

Watch the newest trailer (via FCS) – and, don’t forget… Pound of Flesh is hitting VOD on May 15, then  Blu-ray & DVD on June 23, 2015. Pre-order it today!

BREAKING NEWS: Read our our review for Pound of Flesh!

Posted in News |

Cross | DVD (Well Go USA)

Posted on April 6, 2015 by JJ Bona
Cross | DVD (Well Go USA)

Cross | DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2015

Well Go USA presents the DVD for 2012’s Cross, a crime-thriller written and directed by Daniel Chan, Steve Woo, Lau Kin Ping, Hui Shu Ning (yes, four filmmakers).

Cross revolves around a Catholic serial killer (played by Simon Yam) who, after witnesses his wife’s death, believes he is given to duty to kill suicidal people to bring them peace and allowing them to enter heaven. The film also stars Kenny Wong (Firestorm), Liu Kai-chi (Viral Factor) and Nick Cheung (That Demon Within). Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Cross from Amazon.com today!

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

Ode to My Father (2014) Review

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Paul Bramhall
"Ode to My Father" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Ode to My Father” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Yoon Je-Kyun
Writer: Park Soo-Jin
Cast: Hwang Jung-Min, Kim Yunjin, Oh Dal-Su, Jung Jin-Young, Jang Young-Nam, Ra Mi-Ran, Hong Suk-Youn, Kim Seul-Gi, Lee Hyun, Uhm Ji-Sung, Go Yoon
Running Time: 126 min.

By Paul Bramhall

When a major Korean studio decides it’s time to churn out a crowd pleasing blockbuster for the masses, things normally go one of two ways. We either get movies which aim purely for the heart strings like 2013’s Miracle in Cell No.7, or we get movies which aim squarely to tap into Koreans deep rooted patriotism, such was the case with 2014’s The Admiral: Roaring Currents. Both choices will inevitably involve soaring bombastic scores, moments of overwhelming melodrama, and basically be the cinematic equivalent of an emotional roller coaster. Of course there’s nothing wrong with any of that, these movies rarely pretend to be something they’re not, so going into them, one should know what to expect.

With Ode to My Father, director Yoon Je-kyoon goes for the double whammy. He does this by incorporating a story which seems to have the sole purpose of eliciting as many tears as possible, while at the same time presenting the audience with the constant hardships the elder generation of Koreans went through to make the country what it is today. Je-kyoon is no stranger to combining melodrama and spectacle, having also been at the helm of the wildly uneven 2009 tsunami disaster movie Haeundae.

What’s more interesting perhaps is that he’s working from a script written by Park Su-jin. Su-jin most recently scripted the action comedies Quick and The Spy, both movies that involved a lot of general shouting and gurning in the name of entertainment. Ode to My Father on the other hand, plays out as an epic decade spanning tale of one man’s dedication to his family in the face of much resistance and turmoil, so in comparison to her previous efforts, I hoped for a touch of subtlety to be added to proceedings.

However, once you get past the first few minutes, you quickly realize this isn’t going to be the case. Opening with a tracking shot of a butterfly fluttering against a blue sky, we’re soon following it through the modern day street markets of Busan, before finally settling on an elderly couple sitting on a rooftop. It’s a sequence that seems to be dripping with sentimentality before even a single word has been spoken. The couple is played by Hwang Jeong-min and Kim Yoon-jin, both well disguised under some very convincing aged make-up to make them look like they’re in their twilight years.

Jeong-min is one of those actors who’s able to make almost anything he’s in watchable. From starring alongside the likes of Choi Min-sik in gangster movies such as The New World, to taking the lead in Ryoo Seung-wan’s cop thriller The Unjust, he rarely puts in a bad performance. Yoon-jin remains most well known for her role in the US drama series Lost, as well as playing the pivotal role in the movie which broke Korean cinema out on an international level, Shiri. Here they both have great chemistry with each other, and it’s their relationship which forms the heart of the movie.

That being said, Ode to My Father will no doubt be an acquired taste outside of Korean shores. It’s very much a movie which has been made for a domestic audience, and in that regard it’s been a massive success, currently ranking as the second highest grossing domestic film in Korean cinema history. Nostalgia no doubt plays a huge part in this, with the movies largest audience being members in their 40’s, who made up almost 35% of total ticket sales. It’s easy to see why, as Jeong-min’s character almost plays out like an under-fire tour guide through some of the most tumultuous times in recent Korean history.

The Korean history shouldn’t only be of interest to the local audience though, where Ode to My Father really segregates itself is through its localized histrionics. Indeed there’s probably more crying and hysterical yelling in the first 20 minutes than some movies fit into their whole run time. Crying and hysterical yelling feature prominently throughout the next 2 hours. It’s a Korea in which people are either ludicrously happy, gut wrenchingly devastated, or Tom Cruise jump-on-the-sofa in love – there is no middle ground. Of course every outburst of emotion is met with an equally bombastic score, be it soaring violins or somber guitar playing, everything is fine tuned to equate to a lump in the throat.

It’s aspects like this which make Ode to My Father a difficult movie to review, as arguably it does what it sets out to do, striking a chord with its intended audience. However despite this, I couldn’t help but feel there’s a much better movie in there somewhere. There are some elements which are decidedly cringe worthy for any audience, such as there are not one but two scenes when characters stand up for the national anthem (one of which involves the characters singing it, the other which has Jeong-min and Yoon-jin stop mid-argument to salute the flag, a scene that current president Park Geun-hye cited as being her favorite, and driving the need for patriotism).

For all of the above criticism though, it’s a movie which does look amazing. The production design, attention to period detail, and cinematography are all top notch. Following Jeong-min’s character, we get to travel in flashback from when he was a boy being evacuated from the Korean War in 1951, to the many Korean’s who worked in the German coal mines in the 1960’s, through to the Vietnam War in the 1970’s, and the torn family reunification efforts in the 1980’s. Jeong-min plays his role from being in his early 20’s to old age convincingly throughout, and thanks to the tale being told in flashback from when he’s an old man, there’s never any doubt of there being a happy ending.

Despite the visual appeal of the many different era’s, the overall feel is let down by Su-jin’s clunky script, with each part seemingly following a template of – establish setting, cue big disaster, cry, give a speech about what a hard life Koreans are living. It’s about as subtle as a brick, with Yoon-jin’s begging to a German mine boss to let her in after an explosion being particularly awful, as she rambles on about the hundreds of decent Koreans who just came abroad to make an honest living for their family.

All in all though it should be remembered that this is Korean cinema at its most commercial, and whenever things are getting too much, thankfully there’s always a bright spot to keep us watching. To Su-jin’s credit there are a number of in-jokes and character references that are enough to draw a smile, from the child version of Jeong-min’s character meeting the founder of Hyundai, and sarcastically declaring “What next, they’ll be saying we can make Korean cars!”, to chance encounters with Korean wrestling legends.

It would also be a crime not to mention the character of Jeong-min’s best friend, played by Oh Dal-soo, who most will recognize from the likes of The Good, The Bad, The Weird and The Thieves. Much like Hugh Grant always plays Hugh Grant, Oh Dal-soo always plays Oh Dal-soo, he’s the try hard guy with a heart of gold, and always plays the role to perfection. Like Jeong-min, he also has the presence to make even the worst movies have some redeeming quality, and some of the biggest laughs to be had from Ode to My Father are thanks to his character.

In many ways Ode to My Father is the antithesis to Lee Chang-dong’s 1999 feature Peppermint Candy, which featured Seoul Kyeong-gu playing a character whose life plays out in flashback from present day. While that movie drags its protagonist through some of the darkest places in Korean history, with dire consequences, Ode to My Father is the flip side of the coin, as Jeong-min’s resilience and cheeriness see him pull through all the way to the end, and sometimes, a happy ending is enough.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

In a galaxy far, far away…’Machete Kills Again…in Space’

Posted on April 3, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Machete Kills" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Machete Kills" Japanese Theatrical Poster

According to Danny Trejo himself, the long-rumored Machete Kills Again…in Space, which was featured as a parody trailer in 2013’s Machete Kills, may actually see the light of day.

In an interview with HDN, the Machete star had this to say: “Robert (Rodriguez) and I are going to start to do Machete Kills in Space, so that’s going to be awesome. Absolutely. We’re going to be working on it this year.”

If there’s any truth to the Machete Kills Again…in Space parody trailer, here’s a list of potential new and returning co-stars: Michelle Rodriguez, Alexa PenaVega, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Leonardo DiCaprio.

With Rodriguez, anything is possible. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more!

Posted in News |

Cemetery Without Crosses | Blu-ray & DVD (Arrow Video)

Posted on April 3, 2015 by JJ Bona
Cemetery Without Crosses | Blu-ray & DVD (Arrow Video)

Cemetery Without Crosses | Blu-ray & DVD (Arrow Video)

RELEASE DATE: July 21, 2015

Arrow Video presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1969’s Cemetery Without Crosses (aka The Rope and the Colt).

Inspired by the international success of the Dollars trilogy, and dedicated to director Sergio Leone, Cemetery Without Crosses offers a Gallic spin on the Spaghetti Western formula thanks to its star and creator, Robert Hossein (best-known to English-speaking audiences for his role in Jules Dassin’s Rififi). Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Cemetery Without Crosses from Amazon.com today!

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

Dragon, The Hero, The | aka Dragon on Fire (1979) Review

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Martin Sandison
"The Dragon, The Hero" Theatrical Poster

“The Dragon, The Hero” Theatrical Poster

Director: Godfrey Ho
Writer: Sze To On
Cast: John Liu, Dragon Lee, Tino Wong Cheung, Chung Liang, Philip Ko Fei, Chiang Kam, Chan Lau, Alexander Grand, Mars, David Wu Tai Wai, Lee Hang, Mars
Running Time: 87 min.

By Martin Sandison

In the 1990’s one distribution company released some of the greatest old school kung ku movies ever made: Eastern Heroes. As a young kid in my mid teens growing up in the UK they opened up a world that I will be eternally grateful for. One of the first ones I watched at that time was The Dragon, The Hero. I immediately fell in love with the movie, and rewatching it for this review was a delight. Especially since it was a widescreen decent quality print in Mandarin, released by Vengeance video the company created by Toby Russell. He formed Eastern Heroes with another great figure in kung fu movie history, Ricky Baker. Their knowledge of the genre knows no bounds.

Apparently The Dragon, The Hero was a huge hit in the cinemas on 42nd Street in New York in the 70’s, and it’s easy to see why. An insane combination of classic kung fu movie tropes and psychedelic weirdness, it really is a unique picture. This is despite the fact that it is directed by who Eastern Heroes called ‘the boss of dross’ Godfrey Ho. A man that needs no introduction, he has arguably made some of the worst films in history. For my money The Dragon, The Hero is his best film (that I’ve seen, there are a lot!) alongside Ninja Terminator. The star of the film is that wonderful super kicker John Liu, one of my favourite Martial Arts movie stars. At this point he had appeared in some of the classics of the time such as Secret Rivals 1, Secret Rivals 2 and Invincible Armour, and had established himself. His costar is Tino Wong, who was also in Invincible Armour (his best role IMO). Appearing in a small role one of the best Bruce Lee imitators Dragon Lee who hams it up to the maximum. The villain is that matchless genius Phillip Ko, who really gets to break loose in terms of his villainy and varying styles of kung fu. His partner in crime Chan Lau puts in a performance that has to be seen to be believed.

The plot involves Liu and Wong as sons of the Strike Rock Fist Masters who meet by chance and are enemies at first. They both get involved with Ko and Lau, the latter a wheelchair bound criminal and the former Lau’s partner in crime and superb Martial Artist who seems to know every style around. There are some special small touches that create a great atmosphere in this picture, and each star gets his own. John Liu fells a tree with a single kick and has a cool ‘Mysterious hand’ technique that sets up some of his best handwork. Tino Wong gets some awesome training scenes with a portly master who is prone to smoking a cigarette (joint?) between each finger before expertly dispatching them against a wall. Phillip Ko has to defeat his enemies in the time it takes for his personalised egg timer to run down, complete with running sand high on the soundtrack. The psychedelia really kicks in when it comes to Chan Lau’s character, with trippy music and visuals creating scenes that are seriously strange and powerful.

The choreographer of the movie is Tang Tak Cheung, who began his career as a bit part actor in early Shaw Brothers films. His most well known film as choreographer is the great Billy Chong starrer Kung Fu Zombie, which also featured Chan Lau as a Taoist Priest. Although not as crazily constructed as the aforementioned film, the action in The Dragon, The Hero is straight out of the top drawer. Long takes featuring various styles are the order of the day, with each performer at the top of his game. The quality is pretty consistent, and the ending amps up to superb levels. Dragon Lee’s nunchaku fights are a joy to behold, especially for me as they were edited out of the VHS version I grew up with. The use of reverse cinematography, that technique so inventive in kung fu cinema, is present here with Liu moving from the splits to a standing stance and Ko using the deadly art of Sun Ta to go from a prone position to standing in an instant. The best use of it happens at the end as Lau becomes more and more crazed, and a shot with a fish eye lens cuts to a super weird reverse shot. Who could believe this innovation was created by Godfrey Ho! Ko uses about a half a dozen styles throughout, and arguably his fight with Liu matches their duel in Mar’s Villa (another stone cold classic).

The music in the film deserves special mention, with the main theme taken from my favourite Spaghetti Western score for the movie The Big Gundown, by Ennio Morricone. First used in Secret Rivals, here it works at an even higher level, complimenting the action superbly. It’s all part of the similarity between the two genres. In turn the hip hop band Wu Tang Clan member Genius Gza sampled The Dragon, The Hero especially the parts featuring the main theme for his album Liquid Swords, one of the best Wu Tang records.

Predictably the plot of the film is perfunctory and uninvolving, and the plot twists are obvious. And as usual the Western actors are terrible and add nothing to the film. A sub plot featuring that great bit part actor the rotund Chiang Kam is very silly and adds next to nothing. These are minor quibbles however, in what for my money is one of the most entertaining old school movies.

Martin Sandison’s rating: 9/10

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

Bieber and Rain pair up for McG’s ‘Lethal Weapon Reloaded’

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Paul Bramhall
"Lethal Weapon" Japanese DVD Cover

“Lethal Weapon” Japanese DVD Cover

In a Hollywood where increasingly nothing is sacred, it was announced yesterday that the Weinstein’s have started pre-production on a Lethal Weapon reboot, to be titled Lethal Weapon Reloaded. While there’s a certain inevitability about the movies we love eventually being remade, what will no doubt get fans of the original riled up is the casting choices in the remake.

Playing the part of Martin Riggs, the role which Mel Gibson made so memorable, is reformed (or so he would have us believe) pop star Justin Bieber. Taking on the role of Roger Murtaugh, originally played by Danny Glover, will be Korean pop icon Rain, who formerly starred in Ninja Assassin.

In a statement to the press, perhaps anticipating fans reaction, Harvey Weinstein had this to say – “We want to introduce the Lethal Weapon franchise to a new generation of fans, a generation who can feel the thrill of a Lethal Weapon movie the way we did almost 30 years ago. The decision behind Bieber was clear – he’s been through some tough times, played the fool, and now he’s come out the other side – all experiences that are essential to embodying the character of Riggs. As for Rain, he was an obvious choice. The original used the juxtaposition of the black and white cop and played it perfectly, and then the Rush Hour series used the same technique giving us an Asian cop and a black cop. People have seen enough black cops, so it’s time for a white cop and an Asian cop. Rain has proven to be the most exciting action talent since the late Bruce Lee tore up our screens, and now it’s time for the new generation to tear up the screen for a whole new audience.”

Initial reports have already noted that the theme song will be a duet between the two stars, and the man given the responsibility of bringing this bold re-envisioning to our screens has been given to McG. Weinstein stated, “We’re very happy to have a talent as big as McG on board for this project, we loved what he did for the Charlie’s Angels franchise, and firmly believe he’ll be able to do the same for Lethal Weapon.”

While the following has yet to be confirmed, it appears that the reboot will be going the same way as the lastest Transformers and Iron Man sequels, and be a China co-production, fuelling speculation that a recent photo of Rain hanging out with Taiwan pop star Jay Chou may indicate that Chou will be playing the villain, possibly as the son of Jet Li as a connection to the last installment.

What are your thoughts, could this reboot work, or would you rather have Gibson and Glover?

– Happy April Fools’ Day from Cityonfire.com!

Posted in News | Tagged |
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