Roundup: Punishment, The (2024) Review

“The Roundup: Punishment” Teaser Poster

“The Roundup: Punishment” Teaser Poster

Director: Heo Myung-haeng
Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Moo-Yul, Lee Dong-Hwi, Park Ji-Hwan, Lee Beom-Soo, Kim Min-Jae, Lee Ji-Hoon, Lee Joo-Bin, Park Bo-kyung, Derek Chouinard
Running Time: 109 min. 

By Paul Bramhall

In a world where it’s perfectly normal to wait a couple of years for a sequel to land, The Roundup rebranded follow-ups to 2017’s The Outlaws have looked to buck the trend. Audiences only had to wait 11 months between the release of 2022’s The Roundup and 2023’s The Roundup: No Way Out, and in my review for the latter I’d expressed that “I hope we’ll get a little more breathing space before the next round.” Such hopes were futile though, as barely 11 months later the 4th instalment has already hit the screens in the form of The Roundup: Punishment, which sees everyone’s favourite burly bruiser Ma Dong-seok return to the role he was born to play.

The directorial reigns have been handed over to Heo Myeong-haeng for the 4th outing (replacing Lee Sang-yong who directed both of the previous entries), a veteran stuntman and action director who made his directorial debut earlier in the same year with the Concrete Utopia spin-off Badland Hunters. His debut also featured Ma Dong-seok as the lead, with the pairs working relationship going back as far as 2014’s Kundo: Age of the Rampant, after which they’d go on to collaborate on over 10 productions in the capacity of action director and actor. While Badland Hunters was essentially a straight-to-streaming taster for Myeong-haeng’s talents Continue reading

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Virtual Recall (2010) Review

"Virtual Recall" Theatrical Poster

“Virtual Recall” Theatrical Poster

Director: Larry Cheung
Cast: Stephen Fung, Cherrie Ying Choi Yi, Tang Yi Fei, Samuel Pang King Chi, Sammul Chan Kin Fung, Lemon Zhang Meng, Mandy Chiang Nga Man, Simon Lui Yue Yeung, Astrid Chan Chi Ching, Tin Kai Man, Li Hui
Running Time: 95 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Back in the late 2000’s it kind of felt like director Roy Chow’s 2009 production Murderer placed an exclamation mark on the Hong Kong cinematic output of the decade. The Aaron Kwok starring murder mystery is best remembered for its oblivious descent into levels of ridiculousness and absurdity that audiences (and likely a few filmmakers as well) weren’t even aware existed until that point. I bring up Murderer, because I have a theory that the then long-retired director Larry Cheung was one of those filmmakers, and it woke something inside him that said – “You have a Murderer inside you too, let it out!”

The result was 2010’s Virtual Recall, which saw Cheung return to the directors chair for only the third time in his career, with the previous time being for 1993’s entertainingly unhinged wuxia The Sword Stained with Royal Blood. Here Cheung does away with the period setting, instead choosing contemporary Hong Kong for a tale of parallel universes and characters floating through space in bubbles. The moment the opening credits appear onscreen, which look like they’re based on a late night 1980’s infomercial, there’s already a sense that the next 90 minutes are going Continue reading

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Superhero flick the Takashi Miike way! Media Blasters Blu-ray for ‘Zebraman: Ultimate Z-Pack’ arriving in June 🦓

Zebraman: Ultimate Z-Pack | Blu-ray (Media Blasters)

Zebraman: Ultimate Z-Pack | Blu-ray (Media Blasters)

On June 11, 2024, Media Blasters is releasing the Blu-ray set for Zebraman: Ultimate Z-Pack, from cult director Takashi Miike (First Love, Blade of the Immortal). The set contains 2004’s Zebraman and 2010’s Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City.

Zebraman – It’s 2010 and Shinichi (Sho Aikawa, Rainy Dog) is a down-trodden third-grade teacher who gets little respect from his own family let alone from his wise-ass students. Back in 1978 he became obsessed with a TV superhero named Zebraman, a show that was cancelled after only a few episodes. Since the Zebraman show was set in 2010, Shinichi decides the time is right to make a crude Zebraman costume and slink around the city at night to fulfill his childhood fantasy. His seemingly harmless escapism takes Continue reading

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Kato who? Eureka’s Blu-ray for Jet Li’s sci-fi actioner ‘Black Mask’ now available from Eureka Entertainment

Black Mask | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Black Mask | Blu-ray (Eureka)

On April 22, 2024, Eureka will be releasing a Blu-ray (Region A/B) for Black Mask, 1996 sci fi actioner directed by Daniel Lee (Code of the Assassins, Dragon Blade) that stars Jet Li (League of Gods, Last Hero in China).

Jet Li stars in an action-packed superhero spectacle produced by the legendary Tsui Hark!

Tsui Chik (Li) is a librarian who leads a quiet, unassuming life – or, at least, that’s what he wants people to believe. In truth, he was once a member of the 701 Squad, a group of elite combatants produced by a failed super-soldier project. In kind with his former comrades, his central nervous system has been altered to render him impervious to pain. When several of his fellow test subjects resurface and embark on a crimewave under the leadership Continue reading

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Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2 | aka Digital Warriors (2000) Review

"Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2" Theatrical Poster

“Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2” Filipino Poster

AKA: Digital Warriors 
Director: Philip Ko Fei
Cast: Darren Shahlavi, Lee Kwang-su, Yukari Oshima, Zoren Legaspi, Jimmy Ko, Man-Kei Lin, James Jim-Si Ha, Philip Ko Fei, Winston Ellis, Thorsten Nickel
Running Time: 93 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Let’s address the elephant in the room – I’m convinced nobody was clamouring for a sequel to the 1997 sci-fi action mashup Techno Warriors. Philip Ko Fei’s incomprehensible Philippines shot action flick gave us a dystopian future (set in 2020!), where a villain called the Black Ninja escapes from the Cyber World into the real world, and cops from both worlds team up to stand a chance of taking him down. What Techno Warriors lacked in narrative cohesion it did make up for in its energetic pacing and high kicking action sequences, so much of which were shot Ko Fei decided to make a follow-up, ensuring the scenes that were left on the cutting room floor didn’t go to waste. The result would come 3 years later in the form of Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2 (or as it was released in some territories, Digital Warriors).

In my review for Techno Warriors I complained that “Explaining the plot…could easily be described as headache inducing”, however compared to Lethal Combat I can safely take that back, as almost nothing make sense from the first scene. Essentially a thematic sequel rather than a direct continuation (even though characters names remain the same, and scenes from Techno Warriors are frequently shown in flashback, albeit in a different context to how they first appeared!), Lethal Combat opens with returning cops Darren Shahlavi and Lee Kwang-su. Neither Tamara Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! The Foreigner | Blu-ray | Only $9.98 – Expires soon!

The Foreigner | Blu-ray & DVD (Universal)

The Foreigner | Blu-ray & DVD (Universal)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for The Foreigner (read our review), starring Jackie Chan (Bleeding Steel).

Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan star in The Foreigner , a timely action thriller from director Martin Campbell of Casino Royale and Goldeneye.

Chan stars as humble London businessman Quan, whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love — his teenage daughter — is taken from him in a senseless act of politically-motivated terrorism. In his relentless search for the identity of the terrorists, Quan is forced into a cat- and-mouse conflict with a British government official (Pierce Brosnan), whose own past may hold clues Continue reading

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Acclaimed ‘Versus’ filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura is getting into the amusement park business with ‘Thrill Ride’

"Versus" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Versus” Korean Theatrical Poster

Action filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus, The Doorman, Downrange) will be directing Thrill Ride, an upcoming rollercoaster thriller from writers Chad Law and Christopher Jolley, who previously worked with Kitamura on Lights Out and Remember Be, respectively

The English-language film – spearheaded by Film Bridge International – will tell the story of a group of people, including two young women, who are trapped upside down on a roller coaster taken over by a mysterious saboteur threatening to drop them all one-by-one to their deaths (via Deadline).

The same source adds: “As a hardcore rollercoaster fan since I was young, I immediately fell in love with this script filled with suspense, action, crazy ups and downs, turns, loops, and corkscrews at maximum Continue reading

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Lama Avenger, The | aka The Three Avengers (1979) Review

"The Lama Avenger" Theatrical Poster

“The Lama Avenger” Theatrical Poster

Director: Wong Wa-Kei
Cast: Bruce Li (Ho Chung Tao), Chin Yuet Sang, Michael Winston, Chui Fat, Lee Hoi San, Baan Yun Sang, Ching Chu, Sham Chin Bo, Austin Wai 
Running Time: 85 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Looking back at the careers of the Bruceploitation genres big three – Bruce Li, Bruce Le, and Dragon Lee – eventually all of them would step out of the Little Dragon’s shadow, admirably pushing for their own onscreen identities to come to the fore. However it was Bruce Li who took the initiative first, and understandably so, since he holds the record for how many times he’d portray Bruce Lee onscreen in numerous biopics of varying quality (if you’re wondering, the one worth tracking down is 1976’s Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth). By the late 70’s Li had seemingly had enough of the Bruce Lee association, and started appearing in productions billed using his actual name of Ho Chung Tao, headlining a number of gritty contemporary kung-fu flicks (and even venturing into some Jackiesploitation territory with the Drunken Master inspired Blind Fist of Bruce).

The evolution of Chung Tao as a kung-fu leading man is one of determination and learning on the fly. The difference from the stiff and uninspired performance he’d clock in for his debut lead role in 1974’s Super Dragon (unsurprisingly playing Bruce Lee, in what many consider to be the first Bruceploitation movie), to 5 years later when he’d transformed into a performer who fully understood how to convey power and intensity onscreen, is like night and day. Chung Tao would headline Continue reading

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An Old Kung Fu Master | Blu-ray (Terror Vision)

An Old Kung Fu Master | Blu-ray (Terror Vision)

An Old Kung Fu Master | Blu-ray (Terror Vision)

RELEASE DATE: May 2024

Next month, Terror Vision is releasing the Blu-ray for 1981’s An Old Kung Fu Master. This kung fu classic is directed by Cheng-Liang Kwan (Showdown at the Equator) and stars Simon Yuen Siu-Tin (Drunken Master), Charles Heung (Deadly Kung Fu Factor) and Cecilia Wong (Stranger from Shaolin).

Official details:

From actor/director Cheng-Liang Kwan (The Eight Robbers) comes An Old Kung Fu Master! A drunken master takes on some new disciples from a Kung-Fu school and he teaches them his secret styles of martial arts to take on a greedy warlord that is trying to take over the Continue reading

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Quentin Tarantino has dropped his 10th and final project: does this mean a ‘Kill Bill Vol. 3’ is back on the table?

“Kill Bill Vol. I” Theatrical Poster

“Kill Bill Vol. I” Theatrical Poster

Now that Quentin Tarantino has dropped The Movie Critic as his 10th and final project (he simply changed his mind, Deadline has been told), there’s a chance that a Kill Bill Vol. 3 is still possible. Sure, we’re aiming high here, but in the world of Hollywood, anything can happen.

The 3rd installment of Tarantino’s Kill Bill saga – and even some prequels – have been rumored for years. Tarantino himself mentioned the possibility, stating that Uma Thurman was definitely up for another round as The Bride. According to Thurman, an unfinished script does exist. There was even some talk of it being done entirely in Anime-form.

While promoting Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2019 (via Josh Horowitz’ HSC Podcast), Tarantino had this to say: “Me and Uma have talked Continue reading

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Lionsgate teams up with Park Chan-wook for an English-language series remake of his 2003 masterpiece ‘Old Boy’

"Oldboy" Theatrical Poster

“Oldboy” Theatrical Poster

Lionsgate Television is teaming up with Park Chan-wook (Thirst, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) for an English-language series adaptation of the director’s own 2003 cult masterpiece, Old Boy, which itself was based on Garon Tsuchiya’s manga of the same name.

The movie followed Oh Deasu (Choi Min-sik), who wakes up only to find himself locked in a room for 15 years, until he finally wakes up in the same place he was abducted from a decade and a half earlier. What follows is a phone call as his first clue as to the identity of his abductor and the reason for his incarceration. In his search for revenge, he falls in love with a younger woman which becomes a key element in his twisted story.

In 2013, Old Boy was the Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! Hard Target 2 | Blu-ray | Only $8.95 – Expires soon!

"Hard Target 2" Blu-ray Cover

“Hard Target 2” Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on fire is the Blu-ray for the Jean-Claude Van Damme-less sequel to 1993’s Hard Target.

Disgraced and retired mixed martial artist Wes “The Jailor” Baylor (Scott Adkins) couldn’t refuse the million dollar purse offered to fight in Myanmar. When he arrives to fight, he learns he’s been tricked into becoming the target of a human hunt. Carrying only water and a ruby-filled money belt for the last person standing, Wes must outsmart the heavily armed group who’s paid to kill him. As Wes fights for his life in the treacherous jungle terrain, the hunters become the hunted.

Hard Target 2 also stars Robert Knepper (Prison Break), Rhona Mitra (Shooter), Ann Truong (Sonnigsburg), Temuera Morrison (Green Lantern), Adam Saunders (A Heartbeat Away), Jamie Timony Continue reading

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Veteran HK director Billy Chung is back in action in the Trailer for ‘Operation Black-Ops’ starring Shawn Yue and Celina Jade

"Operation Black-Ops" Theatrical Poster

“Operation Black-Ops” Theatrical Poster

Veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Billy Chung Siu Hung (Hong Kong Bronx) returns to the director’s chair for Operation Black-Ops (aka China Top Arms: Mission Top Secret or Alpha Solider).

Chung’s credits include 1993’s The Assassin and 2000’s Undercover Blues (as well co-directing duties on 2009’s To Live and Die in Mongkok and 2016’s From Vegas To Macau 3).

Described as a “military action film” by AFS, the upcoming action-thriller stars Shawn Yue (Mad World, The Brink), Celina Jade (Triple Threat, Wolf Warrior 2), Kelly Yu (Moonfall) and Jiang Luxia (Coweb).

Operation Black-Ops releases domestically on June 15, 2024. Here’s hoping for a U.S. release. Until then, don’t miss the film’s New Continue reading

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Wanna dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? Watch Lionsgate’s Trailer for Kimo Stamboel’s ‘Dancing Village’

"Dancing Village: The Curse Begins" Theatrical Poster

“Dancing Village: The Curse Begins” Theatrical Poster

On April 26, 2024, Lionsgate will be releasing Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari (Dancing Village: The Curse Begins), the prequel to Indonesia‘s highest-grossing film, KKN Curse of the Dancing Village. The film is also the first IMAX movie produced in Southeast Asia.

Dancing Village: The Curse Begins is directed by Indonesian filmmaker Kimo Stamboel (Killers) – of the “Mo Brothers” directing duo (Headshot, Macabre).

In this horror-thriller, a shaman instructs Mila to return a mystical bracelet, the Kawaturih, to the “Dancing Village,” a remote site on the easternmost tip of Java Island. Joined by her cousin, Yuda, and his friends Jito and Arya, Mila arrives on the island only to discover that the village elder has passed away, and that the new Continue reading

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King Kong Escapes (1967) Review

"King Kong Escapes" Theatrical Poster

“King Kong Escapes” Theatrical Poster

Director: Honda Ishiro
Cast: Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Mie Hama, Akira Takarada, Hideyo Amamoto, Yoshifumi Tajima, Yoshifumi Tajima, Andrew Hughes, Shoichi Hirose, Ryuji Kita
Running Time: 96/104 min.

By Ian Whittle

Following the colossal success of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Toho did not rush to bring back the giant ape in a hurry – the cost of licensing the character from RKO was high, and Toho had been left holding the bill by KKvG’s American co-producer, John Beck. But by 1966, American animation company Rankin-Bass had produced The King Kong Show in collaboration with Japan’s Toei Animation and a new live action Kong film was put into development between Rankin-Bass and Toho. Sekizawa Shinichi’s original script, Operation Robinson Crusoe: King Kong, was rejected and instead turned into the Godzilla film Ebirah, Horror of the Deep – which explain why that film has a scene where Godzilla takes an interest in a bikini-clad island girl.

Whilst Ebirah was in effect a B-movie, the resultant King Kong Escapes was very much top-grade, with direction (Honda Ishiro), music (Ifukube Akira) and SPFX direction (Tsuburaya Eiji) all being handled by Toho’s main monster specialists, in what would turn Continue reading

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