Drafthouse trailer for Sion Sono’s ‘Why Don’t You Play In Hell?’

Posted on October 14, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Why Don't You Play In Hell?" Theatrical Poster

"Why Don't You Play In Hell?" Theatrical Poster

Sion Sono, the controversial and prolific director behind such Japanese-language films as Cold Fish, Love Exposure and Guilty of Romance, will be reaching a new audience when his 2013 film, Why Don’t You Play In Hell?, gets a limited release by Drafthouse Films on November 7th, 2014.

Why Don’t You Play In Hell? is an over-the-top mix of martial arts, comedy and gore. The best way to describe the gist of the movie is to catch its North American trailer, courtesy of Apple.

Sono’s latest film, Tokyo Tribe, will be getting a North American release by XYZ Films (The Raid 2) in the near future. Sono has also just completed Shinjuku Swan, so look out for a trailer soon… stay tuned!

Posted in News |

Deal on Fire! Crows Zero | Blu-ray | Only $9.99 – Expires soon!

Posted on October 14, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Crows Zero" Blu-ray Cover

"Crows Zero" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Crows Zero, directed by Takashi Miike (13 Assassins, Audition) and based on the manga Crows by Hiroshi Takahashi.

Crows Zero tells the story of characters in Suzuran, a violent high school. A mob boss’s son transfers to the school and teams up with three of his most powerful rivals in a shot to gain power. Roadblocks and tragedy wait along the way, and danger is around every corner.

Crows Zero stars Shun Oguri, Kyosuke Yabe, Takayuki Yamada and Shunsuke Daito.

Order from Crows Zero Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

American Muscle (2014) Review

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Dirac
"American Muscle" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"American Muscle" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Ravi Dhar
Writer: John Fallon
Cast: Nick Principe, Robin Sydney, Todd Farmer, Malice McMunn, Malice 666, Trent Haaga, John Fallon, Laban Pheidias, Philip Salick, Laban Pheidias, Joshua Lou Friedman
Running Time: 90 min.

By Dirac

American Muscle is the feel-good movie of the year. That is – if you like headshots, painfully bad dialog, and annoying characters.

This revenge flick chronicles the exploits of John Falcon (played by Nick Principe), a guy who’s just spent the last 10 years in prison. Through flashbacks, we are gradually shown that Falcon and his friends were involved in a botched robbery, after which things went wrong (much like the movie itself). After John gets out of prison he immediately goes to work on finding his girlfriend (Robin Sydney), as well as killing everyone who is responsible for ruining his life. What follows is an hour and a half of headshots, breasts, flashbacks, flashbacks with breasts, a lame plot twist, and guns. And more breasts.

It’s set in unincorporated California, through a series of abandoned homes and dilapidated buildings. It’s actually shot in a way that’s somewhat compelling, with gritty environments that really gave me the feeling of economic desperation and despair. All the other backgrounds and settings are so dilapidated that they didn’t look too different before and after gun battles took place. You could say that the movie succeeds in that way: it makes me fully appreciate the hopelessness of the character and his circumstances. The sound editing and music weren’t bad, just a generic mix of ambient music during flashbacks and “introspective” moments.

The problem is that these things work best with no dialog and no action. The dialog made me cringe, and I was anxious for these annoying characters to meet their end. On the rare occasion there was hand to hand fighting, which was used as a silly plot device. It seemed like the writer wanted John Falcon to be injured at a certain point, so he had him try to take on nameless bad guy #23 with fists. You have a gun, use it! One wonders if their budget allowed a set number of bullets that needed to be used sparingly. The only special effects to speak of are for headshots; it really looks like they were augmented with CGI, which makes the gore look comical at times.

I found myself feeling relief with each one of these headshots not because I’m a lover of violence, but because it marked the end of another inept and annoying bad guy. In good revenge movies there is a sense of satisfaction when the protagonist puts down an enemy, but here I only felt like it moved me one step closer to the end of the movie. Another problem is just a lack of depth in the main character, John Falcon. We know virtually nothing about him other than the fact that he was in prison, and he’s just now getting out of jail.

John starts his killing spree literally the day he gets paroled from prison; that doesn’t make any sense at all!!  If you were wrongfully convicted of a crime and spent time in prison, I doubt that the first thing you’d do after you gained your freedom is commit a bunch of high-profile murders that will send you back to prison immediately. You would probably want to be at least a little bit methodical about it. If the writers had even briefly thought about this, they could have written the character with some more depth; he could get out of prison and try to stay out of trouble, but he reluctantly gets caught up in violence again after he gets word that one of the people who betrayed him has put out a contract on his life.

Any kind of effort at writing a compelling character would’ve added much-needed depth. Also, he steals a really distinctive yellow muscle car in the beginning of the movie, and takes this vehicle on his revenge mission. Once again, this is just stupid; he might as well have stolen the “Pussy Wagon” from Kill Bill Vol. 1. The Blu-ray contains no extra features, lends credence to the idea that this movie was written and filmed over the weekend.

Just avoid this one, which should be easy to do.

Dirac’s Rating: 2/10

Posted in News, Other Movies, Reviews |

Lionsgate to release ‘7 Assassins’ DVD on December 23rd

Posted on October 13, 2014 by JJ Bona
7 Assassins | DVD (Lionsgate)

7 Assassins | DVD (Lionsgate)

Lionsgate is set to release the DVD for Eric Tsang’s 7 Assassins on December 23rd. The Canadian-American entertainment company is marketing the 2013 Hong Kong production as “The story of brotherhood, loyalty, and the rise of the underdog intersect in this epic movie in the vein of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and 47 Ronin.”

Here’s their official plot description: When a Kingdom’s royal gold goes missing, a group of elite royal guards are tasked with recovering the riches, but they quickly realize the missing gold is part of a larger rebel defiance, made up of a group of assassins who have banded together to rid the government of corruption.

Directed by both Tsang (who also stars) and Hung Yan Yan (action director), 7 Assassins features an all-star cast of old school action stars such as: Felix Wong, Ray Lui, Guo Tao, Kara Hu, Well Lee, Michael Wong, Fung Hak On, Waise Lee, Leung Kar Yan, Ken Lo, Mars, Jason Pai Piao, Ti Lung, Dick Wei, Simon Yam, Yu Rong Guang and many others!

7 Assassins is now available for pre-order. Until then, be sure to check out the trailer!

Posted in News |

Well Go USA releases two more Shaw Brothers titles!

Posted on October 10, 2014 by JJ Bona
Well Go USA releases two more Shaw Brothers titles!

Well Go USA releases two more Shaw Brothers titles!

Good news for old school martial arts fans! Well Go USA has announced two more additions to their Sword Masters series (Well Go’s own line of classic Shaw Brothers titles):

The first is 1979’s The Shadow Boxing (aka The Spiritual Boxer 2), not to be confused with 1974’s The Shadow Boxer, which was also released by Well Go USA in 2009. Directed by Lau Kar Leung, this kung fu “comedy” stars Wong Yu, Gordon Liu Chia Hui and Lau Kar Wing; The second is Chang Cheh’s Trail of the Broken Blade. This 1967 classic stars Jimmy Wang Yu, Chin Ping, Kiu Chong, Lisa Chiao Chiao and Wu Ma.

You can now pre-order both titles, which will be released on December 9th, 2014.

Posted in News |

The Shadow Boxing | DVD (Well Go USA)

Posted on October 10, 2014 by JJ Bona
The Shadow Boxing | DVD (Well Go USA)

The Shadow Boxing | DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: December 9, 2014

Well Go USA presents the DVD for 1979’s The Shadow Boxing (aka The Spiritual Boxer 2), not to be confused with 1974’s The Shadow Boxer, which was also released by Well Go USA in 2009. Now’s your chance to own this classic Shaw Brother’s gem!

Directed by Lau Kar Leung (Drunken Master II), this kung fu “comedy” stars Wong Yu (Shaolin Executioner), Gordon Liu Chia Hui (Shaolin Mantis) and Lau Kar Wing (The Dragon Family).

Pre-order The Shadow Boxing from Amazon.com today!

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

Trail of the Broken Blade | DVD (Well Go USA)

Posted on October 10, 2014 by JJ Bona
Trail of the Broken Blade | DVD (Well Go USA)

Trail of the Broken Blade | DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: December 9, 2014

Well Go USA presents the DVD for Trail of the Broken Blade, directed by Chang Cheng (Chinatown Kid, Five Element Ninjas), one of Shaw Brothers Studio’s best known and most prolific film directors!

This 1967 classic stars Jimmy Wang Yu (Man Called Tiger), Chin Ping (Killer Darts), Lisa Chiao Chiao (Seven Warriors), Paul Wei Ping Ao (Way of the Dragon) and Wu Ma (White Vengeance).

Pre-order Trail of the Broken Blade from Amazon.com today!

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

Cityonfire.com’s ‘Raw Force’ Blu-ray Giveaway! – WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Posted on October 9, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Raw Force" Blu-ray Cover

"Raw Force" Blu-ray Cover

Cityonfire.com and Vinegar Syndrome are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Raw Force (aka Kung Fu Cannibals) to three lucky Cityonfire visitors. If you’ve never heard of it, watch the trailer.

To enter, simply add a comment to this post with your answer to the following question: What’s your favorite exploitation/grindhouse flick from the ’70s? Please explain why. 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 Raw Force was officially released on October 7, 2014. We will announce the 3 winners on October 20, 2014 and ship out the prizes immediately.

CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by October 19, 2014 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.

CONGRATULATIONS: Adam A., Glincy A. and Stefan. You have been notified via email!

Posted in News | Tagged |

Snowpiercer (2013) Review

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Kelly Warner
"Snowpiercer" Theatrical Poster

“Snowpiercer” Theatrical Poster

Director: Bong Joon-ho
Cast: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Ed Harris, Ko Ah-Sung, Luke Pasqualino, Alison Pill, Adnan Haskovic
Running Time: 126 min.

By Kelly Warner

In 2013, three of South Korea’s top directors stepped onto a bigger stage with their English-language feature film debuts. Jee-woon Kim (I Saw the Devil) went the big studio route with the Arnold Schwarzenegger comeback actioner The Last Stand. Enjoyable but immediately forgettable, the film barely showed any of the style or verve we’ve come to expect from Kim’s films. Chan-wook Park (Oldboy) went the independent route with the dark drama Stoker. It’s far from one of Park’s best films, but every scene and every frame is unmistakably Chan-wook Park. My favorite of the three, Joon-ho Bong (The Host), didn’t go far from home, as his film Snowpiercer was produced by CJ Entertainment, allowing him more flexibility to make his movie his way outside of the Hollywood system… It was only when the film was ready to make its US debut that it ran into problems.

The Weinstein Company bought the US rights back before the film was finished. When Bong showed them the final product, TWC was suddenly hesitant. It’s a dark, violent, satirical film and it possesses a strangeness to it that apparently TWC felt was difficult to sell. Widely published and almost as widely disputed reports suggested that TWC was afraid the film wouldn’t be understood by the people of Idaho and Oklahoma. They wanted to trim approximately 20 minutes from the runtime in order to make a film that was easier for general audiences to digest. Bong fought for his movie, which was making big bucks overseas, and soon the 2013 US release date was made impossible. They settled on a compromise: the film would go to US theaters intact in 2014 but it would not receive the wide release they’d originally envisioned.

And though it’s a shame that Snowpiercer did not go wide and make a bigger impact on US box offices, I believe this tradeoff was worth it so that we could get the movie as Bong intended.

And what a movie.

Snowpiercer is adapted from the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige. It tells the story of a world frozen by man’s attempts to combat global warming. The last of the human race survive by riding the ‘rattling ark’, a train in constant motion with an engine that can never die.

The train is split into two sections: the elite who live in luxury at the front, and the dirty, desperate ‘little people’ who ride in the tail. The two sides are in constant conflict. The people at the tail want more food and more room, but the people at the front rule over the train with an iron fist, physically maiming those who do not get in line. But the people at the back have had enough. A revolution is ignited under the watchful eye of the elder Gilliam (John Hurt) and his commander Curtis (Chris Evans). They break out of their section and begin their long, bloody march to the front in an attempt to make things better for their people.

Equipped with a bullhorn and an army of thugs, Minister Mason (Tilda Swinton) is tasked with putting an end to the rebellion. Tilda Swinton owns this movie. Her performance is so wonderfully batty that she steals the movie out from under the star Chris Evans. There are so many ideas to her performance, many of which could not have been found on the script’s pages. Swinton becomes one of the best, weirdest things you’ll likely see in all of 2014’s new films.

Snowpiercer is a weird little movie. The setting is oppressive. It’s filmed with dark, moody lighting and the sets are claustrophobic. However, instead of being yet another dank, dreary film about the apocalypse, Snowpiercer is wildly inventive and wickedly funny. If you’ve seen any of Bong’s previous films you know that he is adept at mixing comedy into some incredibly dark situations. His serial killer thriller Memories of Murder reminded me of the Coen Bros. with the way he effortlessly mixed drama and humor, and his monster movie The Host slipped in plenty of laughs amidst the horror and action.

Snowpiercer shows Bong at his most imaginative. The tail section of the train is a slum, but it’s a slum full of character and wonder, looking a bit like how Terry Gilliam might envision Neverland (I would be willing to bet that John Hurt’s character Gilliam is named after the director). The fight sequences are violent, pitting the front against the back in brawls with axes and knives, but they’re so full of black humor and weird visuals (most notably Tilda Swinton standing on a stool with binoculars, smiling while she watches the bloodshed) that the fights manage to feel fresh and – dare I say it – fun.

When you set a film in a dystopian future you’re able to say something about the present without getting preachy. Snowpiercer’s tale about the elite with their boots on the necks of the poor could’ve easily gone wrong. The message is obvious, its parallels are clear. But Bong doesn’t hammer it down. He lets the viewers figure it out. He trusts the audience – an increasingly rare thing in modern film. If you want to analyze the film – and I believe that people will – you’re bound to find even more messages. But you should understand that this is not a message movie. It’s a movie with brains. There’s a difference. There’s meaning, but its delivered with humor, wit, and buckets of blood. And if you want, you can just sit back and enjoy it as an original piece of science fiction and nothing more. It works both ways.

Chris Evans does a good job playing the haunted leader of the armed resistance. It’s a darker, more brooding role than we’re used to from Evans at this point in his career. Second-billed behind Captain America himself is Korean superstar and frequent Bong collaborator Kang-ho Song. Song plays a man who helped design the doors that separate the train cars and thus can help the resistance in their quest to reach the front. He doesn’t go willingly, however, and they must buy his services with drugs made from toxic waste. His daughter comes along for the ride. She’s played by Ah-sung Ko, who also played Song’s daughter in The Host.

The way in which the American cast and the Korean stars interact is interesting. Instead of asking Song to speak broken English or asking Evans to speak muddled Korean, the characters use sci-fi tech to translate their words to each other. It’s a fine solution, allowing both Evans and Song to deliver their lines in a way that’s most comfortable to them.

If there are issues to be found in the film, they can all be found in the first half hour. It’s not long before the film settles into its groove, but I do think the beginning is more cluttered than it should’ve been. And while there are some very fine performances in the film – again, Tilda Swinton is the best of them all – Jamie Bell fails to impress. He’s essentially playing the same character he played in Peter Jackson’s King Kong but he looks uncomfortable here and gives some really bad line deliveries. Bell hurts the film.

Despite some flaws, I think that Snowpiercer is one of the best films of the year. Beyond being an excellent film, Snowpiercer also exists as an interesting example of how Hollywood does things, and how too much originality makes studio execs anxious. TWC thought they had acquired a cool summer movie starring a bankable cast, but they got something a little bit deeper and a whole lot stranger than anticipated. In response, they wanted to suck the brains out of the movie. Thankfully, The Weinstein Company did the right thing in the end, releasing the film in its original form.

One hopes that instead of being afraid of strange new visions, the studios would embrace them. We need more movies like Snowpiercer. Despite the overcrowded dystopian and post-apocalyptic genres in movies today, Snowpiercer manages to feel like a breath of fresh air. It’s a bold film. Flawed and sometimes messy, but brilliant just the same.

I think that people are going to be watching and rewatching this movie for many years to come.

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 8.5/10

Posted in Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , , , |

Louis Koo to star in movie version crime series ‘Line Walker’?

Posted on October 7, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Drug War" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Drug War" Japanese Theatrical Poster

According to Jaynestars, TVB is developing a movie version of the series Line Walker, a crime saga which revolves around a group of undercover police agents that live a deadly double life. The successful TV series – which aired on August 25 and ended on October 3, 2014 – starred Michael Miu, Charmaine Sheh, Raymond Lam and Benz Hui.

The movie version of Line Walker will explore the background of Foon Hei Gor, portrayed by Hui. The big news is the possible addition of Louis Koo (Accident, Drug War) and Guo Tao (Million Dollar Crocodile), who are currently being approached to sign onto the film as new major characters.

We’ll keep you updated on Line Walker as we hear more. Stay tuned!

Posted in News |

Deal on Fire! Mortal Kombat: Legacy | Blu-ray | Only $6.99 – Expires soon!

Posted on October 6, 2014 by JJ Bona
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Blu-ray (Warner)

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Blu-ray (Warner)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Kevin Tancharoen’s Mortal Kombat: Legacy.

This action-packed adaptation of the Mortal Kombat video game franchise stars Michael Jai White (Blood and Bone, Black Dynamite), Jeri Ryan (Dracula 2000), Darren Shahlavi (Ip Man 2), Matt Mullins (Blood and Bone) and many more.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy also features ace fight choreography by Larnell Stovall (Falcon Rising). Be sure and check out our review.

Order Mortal Kombat: Legacy from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Zombie 108 (2012) Review

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Paul Bramhall
"Zombie 108" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Zombie 108” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Z-108
Director: Joe Chien
Cast: Yung Cheung, Yvonne Yao, Tai Bo, Jack Kao Jie, Dennis To, Lena Lam, Cica Zhou
Running Time: 87 min.

By Paul Bramhall

“The first genre movie combining apocalypse and zombie in Chinese film history” the tag-line for Zombie 108 proudly declares. Well, who doesn’t love a bit of zombie? And if it’s history making zombie, well, even better. The movie is the sophomore feature from Taiwanese director and writer Joe Chien, created thanks in part to a bunch of enthusiastic fans contributing their dollars via various crowd funding initiatives.

Chien certainly doesn’t waste any time getting down to business, with the movie immediately kicking off with a woman waking up at the wheel of her car, crashed in the middle of Taipei. As she comes to, it becomes clear that something isn’t quite right, the streets are deserted, her husband is still unconscious next to her, and her daughter who was in the backseat is missing. It’s an engaging start, and it had my undivided attention, as clichéd as it may be. However then something strange happens, the woman, played by Taiwanese model Yvonne Yao, gets out of the car, and the camera slowly pans back to reveal she’s wearing a pair of denim hot pants and a vest, which the shot lingers on long enough to ensure we realise there’s no sign of a bra underneath it.

In the space of a split second the tone changes from worried mother realising her child is missing, to ‘check out this hot chick, from various angles!’ It may come as no surprise then when I say that the rest of the movie maintains the tone of the latter, unashamedly declaring its intentions from (almost) the word go. It takes a whole 6 minutes for the zombies to appear, and you only have to wait until the 10 minute mark to enjoy some gratuitous topless nudity. A grossly overweight gang boss is surrounded by scantily clad women in the office of a nightclub, a scene which serves the sole purpose of introducing his character and that of his lackey. When he leaves the room, the scene should come to its natural close, but instead it doesn’t, with the camera lingering on purely for the purpose of watching two of the topless women kissing each other. No other reason at all.

So we’re basically setup for a throwback to the trashy Category III flicks of Hong Kong’s yesteryear, only in Taiwanese form. Except for the fact that somehow Chien manages to make a relatively simple setup seem incomprehensibly muddled and confusing. He throws in a couple of American guys, who are in debt to the gang boss for stealing drugs off them; there’s also a SWAT team who are going to raid the gang boss, but then reveal the gang boss was never their target; there’s a Japanese couple who are hiding a dark secret, and someone in the SWAT team recognizes them, but it doesn’t mean anything whatsoever; and most bizarre of all is the character of a deranged pervert.

The pervert character is of particular note (and this is exactly how he’s billed in the credits – ‘Pervert’), as not only is he played by Chien himself, but his scenes are basically separate to the rest of the movie. Seemingly coming to the rescue of Yvonne Yao and her daughter by picking them up in his car as they’re being chased by a horde of zombies, as soon as he’s back in his apartment it’s revealed that he’s a sadistic monster. Wearing a grotesque skin coloured latex mask and a leg brace, he falls somewhere between being a twisted cross between Leather Face from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Choi Min-sik’s monstrous serial killer from I Saw the Devil. His apartment contains a secret basement containing a group of kidnapped women in various states of undress – either chained up or in cages, some with bags over their heads – and all subject to being raped at his will.

These scenes are particularly unpleasant to watch, and are not enjoyable whatsoever. The fact that Chien wrote the part, and decided to have himself play the role, only adds to the repulsive nature of them. The women get slapped around, verbally abused, and put through all manner of degradation, with the only connection they have to the rest of the movie being that it’s the pervert’s apartment where the surviving members of the gang and SWAT team end up hiding out. Speaking of which, it’s these members who come to resemble the main characters of the movie, as in, the characters who we’re supposed to be rooting for, even though we know absolutely zero about them, to the point were none of them are even given names.

The SWAT team at least deserves a mention as its led by Tai Bo, who had small roles in many of Jackie Chan’s 80’s classics, as well as being one of Ohara’s crew in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon. Dennis To is also a member of the team, so you’d think we could at least get some young Ip Man vs. zombies action at some point. Sadly this never comes to fruition, with the action scenes being embarrassingly bad. At one point they’re standing on the back of a pickup truck, and as it’s surrounded by zombies the SWAT members fend them off by throwing empty cardboard boxes at them. Have you ever seen a movie before in which zombies are fended off by throwing empty cardboard boxes at them? Of course you haven’t, because it’s a stupid idea.

One of the American guys can also do Parkour, because it probably sounded like a good idea to have someone doing Parkour to escape the zombie hordes. Now this actually is a decent concept, but watching him jump around a room it quickly becomes clear that he’s really not that talented at it. To make things worse, it seems the intention was to make him something of a wisecracking character, so as he clumsily leaps over a couch to avoid a female zombie, we have to listen to him yell out such comedy clangers as, “I told you I’m not giving you my number bitch!” The whole situation quickly becomes fist clenchingly annoying.

Zombie 108 commits several crimes against cinema. Not only is it poorly acted and played out, but its sheer lack of being anything close to coherent push it into the realms of being beyond awful. A Japanese reporter screams at the Taiwanese army to let her know what’s going on, when they don’t answer she becomes even more frantic and starts screaming asking why they’re not answering her. Hmmm, couldn’t it be that they don’t understand Japanese? The script seems like it probably wasn’t finished before they started filming, and randomly interchanges between Mandarin, English, and Japanese, with none of the lines in any language being delivered in a close to believable manner.

Of course no review of a zombie movie would be complete without mentioning the zombies themselves. Chien seems to have applied a rule that none of them could be filmed for more than 1 second at a time, so even if it’s just a shot of a zombie standing still, after one second it cuts…. to a shot of the same zombie still standing there, with the camera now moved a centimetre to the left. Perhaps this was to try and disguise the poor makeup effects, but it ends up being more distracting than anything. There are some brief glimmers of hope here and there, such as towards the end it looks like the gang boss is going to undergo a Story of Ricky-type transformation, however it appears the budget only stretched far enough to buy prosthetics for one arm, which he amusingly uses to swat away a bunch of other zombies by swinging it back and forth, obviously unable to perform any other movement.

Zombie 108 may well be “The first genre movie combining apocalypse and zombie in Chinese film history”, however if it’s Chien who’s going to be the driving force behind them, then hopefully it’ll be the last.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 3/10

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

Physical media dead? Yeah right! Just look at our October list…

Posted on October 4, 2014 by JJ Bona
Mystic Blade | DVD (Indican Pictures)

Mystic Blade | DVD (Indican Pictures)

Get ready for the latest roll of new Blu-ray & DVD releases handpicked by cityonfire.com. We have to warn you, it’s one heckuva list…

The spooky month of October brings Asian, action, horror, cult, martial arts, new school, old school and even some Italian westerns! It’s definitely our longest list yet! (And they say physical media is dead? Yeah right…)

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the titles, we’re hoping you’ll click on our Amazon.com links to show your support towards cityonfire.com.

Raw Force: October 7, 2014

Vinegar Syndrome presents the Blu-ray & DVD for the 1982 cult classic, Raw Force (aka Kung Fu Cannibals or Shogun Island). Raw Force is a U.S./Filipino martial arts action film directed by Edward D. Murphy (Heated Vengeance) and starring John Dresden (Final Mission), Geoffrey Binney (Hot Potato), Jewel Shepard (Return of the Living Dead) and Camille Keaton (I Spit on Your Grave).

Asia Extreme Collection Volume 1: October 7, 2014

Pallisades Tartan presents the DVD for Asia Extreme Collection Volume 1: South Korean Horror Films. This 3-disc set includes the following titles: Kong Su-Chang’s R Point (2014), Yoo Sang-Gon’s Face (2004) and Kim Yong-Kyoon’s Red Shoes (2005).

Asia Extreme Collection Volume 2: October 7, 2014

Pallisades Tartan presents the DVD for Asia Extreme Collection Volume 2: Japanese Horror Films. This 3-disc set includes the following titles: Shinya Tsukamoto’s Snake of June (2003), Yuichi Sato’s Pray (2005) and Shinya Tsukamoto’s Vital (2004).

Asia Extreme Collection Volume 3: October 7, 2014

Pallisades Tartan presents the DVD for Asia Extreme Collection Volume 3: Thai Horror Films. This 3-disc set includes the following titles: Mark Duffield’s Ghost of Mae Nak (2005), Monthon Arayangkoon’s The Victim (2006) and Paul Spurrier’s P (2005).

Jean-Claude Van Damme Triple Feature: October 7, 2014

MGM presents the Jean-Claude Van Damme Triple Feature Blu-ray set, which includes Albert Pyun’s Cyborg (1989), Sheldon Lettich’s Double Impact (1991) and Deran Sarafian’s Death Warrant (1990), written by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight, Man of Steel, Justice League).

Bruce Lee Action Pack: October 7, 2014

Echo Bridge presents the Bruce Lee Action Pack DVD set. This 2 disc collection includes the following titles: One Down Two to Go (1976), starring Fred Williamson, Jim Brown and Jim Kelly; L.A. Street Fighters (1985) aka Ninja Turf, starring Phillip Rhee; Laser Mission (1989) starring Brandon Lee, Terminal Rush (1996), starring Don “The Dragon” Wilson and Roddy Piper; Fist of Fear, Touch of Death (1980), starring Fred Williamson and Ron Van Clief; Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave (1976); and Blind Fist of Bruce (1979) and The Image of Bruce Lee (1978), both starring Bruce Li.

Talk to the Dead: October 7, 2014

Pathfinder Entertainment presents the DVD for for Norio Tsuruta’s Talk to the Dead. From the Producer of The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Waters comes a dark tale of tragedy revolving around Yuri and her troubled family. But it when Yuri discovers a mysterious mobile app that is rumored to enable its user to talk to the dead, things get deadly! What VHS tapes did for The Ring, mobile apps will do for Talk to the Dead! The film stars Kazuki Kato, Ayaka Komatsu and Chihiro Ohtsuka.

Cult: October 7, 2014

Pathfinder Entertainment presents the DVD for Koji Shiraishi’s Cult. From the producer of The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water, comes the chilling tale of pop idols who play themselves as they appear on a paranormal television show to investigate the exorcism of the Kaneda family. The supernatural events in the Kaneda household are recorded by the documentary team. A mysterious shaman seems to be the only hope of salvation not only for the family, but for the investigators as well. Cult stars Yaeko Kiyose, Ryosuke Miura, Mari Iriki, Yu Abiru and Mayuko Iwasa.

Missing in Action: Double Feature: October 7, 2014

MGM presents the Blu-ray for the Missing in Action: Double Feature, which includes Joseph Zito’s Missing in Action (1984) and Lance Hool’s Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1984/1985). Norris ‘n ‘Nam? A match made in heaven!

Chuck Norris Total Attack Pack: October 7, 2014

MGM presents the Chuck Norris Total Attack Pack Blu-ray set. This 3 disc collection includes three of Norris’ most acclaimed films, including an early one by filmmaker Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Under Siege): Lone Wolf McQuade (1983), starring David Carradine; Code of Silence (1985), starring Henry Silva; and The Delta Force (1986), starring Lee Marvin and Robert Forster.

Duck, You Sucker: October 7, 2014

MGM presents the Blu-ray for 1971’s Duck, You Sucker (aka A Fistful of Dynamite), directed by Sergio Leone (Once Upon A Time in the West). When an IRA explosives expert meets up with a revolutionary bandit in Mexico, he is persuaded to join their cause. Available for the first time on Blu-ray! Duck, You Sucker stars Rod Steiger, James Coburn and Romolo Valli, with another excellent soundtrack by prolific composer, Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly).

Good Guys Wear Black & Force of One: Remastered: October 14, 2014

American Cinema presents the DVD Double Feature for Chuck Norris’ Good Guys Wear Black & Force of One: Remastered. In 1978’s Good Guys Wear Black, an ex-US Army commando (Norris) must find the reason why his comrades from his unit are being systematically murdered before he is next. In 1979’s A Force of One, when the detectives of an undercover police unit are being mysteriously killed by a martial artist, a professional kick boxer (Norris) is hired to assist them. This Double Feature also contains over 2 hours of bonus material. 

Van Damme 5-Movie Action Pack: October 14, 2014

Universal presents the Van Damme 5-Movie Action Pack Blu-ray set, which includes John Woo’s Hard Target (1993), Jean-Claude Van Damme’s The Quest (1996), Steven E. de Souza’s Street Fighter (1994), Peter Hyams’ Sudden Death (1995) and for the first time on Blu-ray, Sheldon Lettich’s Lionheart (1990).

The Last Supper: October 14, 2014

Random Media presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Lu Chuan’s The Last Supper. The story focuses on the famous Hongmen Banquet, which was held in 206 B.C. by one warlord with the express purpose of assassinating his rival. The Last Supper features an impressive cast, including Yu Liu (Curse of the Golden Flower), Daniel Wu (New Police Story), and Chen Chang (Crouching Tigger, Hidden Dragon).

Mercenaries: October 14, 2014

Asylum Home Entertainment presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Mercenaries (aka Prison Raid). A diplomatic official is captured and imprisoned while touring a war zone, so a team of elite female commandoes is assembled to infiltrate a women’s prison for a daring rescue. Mercenaries stars Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machine), Vivica A. Fox (Kill Bill Vol. 1), Zoë Bell (Death Proof), Nicole Bilderback (Sideliners), Brigitte Nielsen (Red Sonja) and Cynthia Rothrock (Raging Thunder).

Mortal Kombat: Legacy II: October 14, 2014

Warner Bros. presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Kevin Tancharoen’s Mortal Kombat: Legacy II (aka Mortal Kombat: Legacy – Season 2). Featuring Casper Van Dien as Johnny Cage, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shang Tsung, Eric Jacobus as Stryker, Michelle Lee as Mileena, David Lee McInnis as Raiden, Ian Anthony Dale as Scorpion, Samantha Tjhia as Kitana, Harry Shum, Jr. as Kuai Liang (Sub-Zero’s younger brother), Brian Tee as Liu Kang, Mark Dacascos as Kung Lao, Kim Do Nguyen as Ermac, and Daniel Southworth as Kenshi.

Penance: October 18, 2014

Music Box Films presents the Blu-ray for Season 1 of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Penance (aka Shokuzai), an eerie, intense psychological thriller. When a mysterious stranger approaches a group of young friends, one of them is kidnapped and brutally murdered. Wracked with grief, the victim’s unhinged mother (Kyoko Koizumi) demands that the shaken survivors identify the killer or face a penance of her choosing.

Mystic Blade: October 21, 2014

Indican Pictures presents the DVD for 2013’s Mystic Blade, an English language, Thai martial arts flick, directed by David Ismalone (Ong Bak, Tom Yum Goong 2). Sam (Don Ferguson of Tom Yum Goong) is a killer by trade, one of a group of merciless men known as the Shadow Syndicate, whose business is delivering fate for a price. But when Sam is asked to erase the line between honor and evil, he turns his back on the Shadows. Now, they want him dead.

Misfire: October 21, 2014

Image Entertainment presents the DVD for Misfire. Martial arts star Gary Daniels (The Expendables) is back with a new action film called Misfire. Directed by R. Ellis Frazier (Dead Drop), the official plot of Misfire centers arounds a hardened DEA agent names Cole (Daniels), who descends into the dangerous underworld of Tijuana, Mexico in search of his journalist ex-wife who he believes has been abducted by a charismatic Cartel boss with aspirations for public office.

Kundo: Age of the Rampant: October 21, 2014

Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray and DVD for the South Korean film Kundo: Age of the Rampant (aka Band of Thieves). This 19th century period action/martial arts film stars Ha Jung-woo (The Chaser) and Kang Dong-won (The X), and directed by Yoon Jong-bin (Nameless Gangster). Kundo: Age of the Rampant revolves around a group of righteous thieves who steal from corrupt public officials and give to the poor. But things get deadly when the thieves come across a powerful figure.

The Squad: October 21, 2014

Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray & DVD for The Squad, a 2011 Colombian action-horror film directed by Jaime Osorio Marquez. When contact is lost with a military base set deep in the desolate plains of Colombia, a special high mountain command unit is sent to check things out. On arrival they find only one person alive and gradually the isolation and inability to communicate with the outside world takes its toll on their sanity.

Snowpiercer: October 21, 2014

Anchor Bay presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon-Ho (The Host) and produced by Park Chan-Wook (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance). A post-apocalyptic ice age forces humanity’s last survivors aboard a globe-spanning super train. One man (Evans) will risk everything to lead a revolt for control of the engine and the future of the world. Snowpiercer stars Ed Harris, Chris Evans, Song Kang-Ho, Ko Ah-Sung, John Hurt and Tilda Swinton.

Guardian: October 21, 2014

Millennium presents the DVD for the Indonesian action thriller, Guardian. If you’re a fan of Merantau, The Raid or The Raid 2, then Guardian might be your cup of tea. Just keep in mind, this is definitely an action flick where guys take the back seat! Written and directed by Helfi Kardit (Suster Keramas), Guardian stars Sarah Carter (DOA: Dead or Alive), Dominique Diyose (Love for Share), Belinda Camesi (Laskar Cilia) and Tio Pakusadewo (The Raid 2: Berandal).

Himizu: October 14, 2014

Olive Films presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 2011’s Himizu, directed by Sion Sono (Cold Fish, Love Exposure). Based on Minoru Furuya’s best selling manga of the same name, Himizu follows two teenagers (Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaido) living a dystopian existence in post-tsunami Japan who embark on a campaign of violence against evil wrong doers.

4 Film Favorites: Blades & Battles Collection: October 28, 2014

Warner presents the Blu-ray set for the 4 Film Favorites: Blades & Battles Collection. This 4 disc set includes 1995’s Mortal Kombat, 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, 2011’s Mortal Kombat: Legacy and 1997’s Spawn. The above films feature the following stars: Michael Jai White, Matt Mullins, Darren Shahlavi, Robin Shou, Christopher Lambert, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, John Leguizamo and Martin Sheen.

Moebius: October 28, 2014

RAM Releasing presents the DVD for Kim Ki-duk’s Moebius. A father driven into desire, a son coveting that of his father’s, and the sorrowful maternity that hovers them into tragedy. Moebius stars Jo Jae-hyun (The Isle), Seo Young-joo (Juvenile Offender) and Lee Eun-woo (A Ghosts Story). Be sure to read our review!

009-1: The End of the Beginning: October 28, 2014

Tokyo Shock presents the DVD for 2013’s 009-1: The End of the Beginning, directed by Koichi Sakamoto (Kamen Rider Fourze the Movie: Everyone, Space Is Here!). Marking the 75th anniversary of his birth, Shotaro Ishinomori’s classic spy heroine manga, 009-1, has been adapted into a live-action motion picture. The story concerns a female cyborg who works as a secret agent. 009-1: The End of the Beginning stars Mayuko Iwasa, Minehiro Kinomoto, Nao Nagasawa, Mao Ichimichi, Shizuka Midorikawa, Naoto Takenaka and Aya Sugimoto.

Shogun Assassin: October 28, 2014

Animeigo presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Shogun Assassin, starring the legendary Tomisaburo Wakayama (Black Rain). Shogun Assassin is perhaps the most famous – and bloodiest – samurai film in the Western world. Unlike the currently released Shogun Assassin: 30th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, this new version contains both the Blu-ray & DVD discs.

Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist: October 28, 2014

Funimation presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist. Watch Ken, Ryu, Akuma and many other of your favorite characters from Capcom’s Street Fighter video game come to life! Originally released as a 12-episode web series by Machinima, Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist will now be showcased as a 143 minute, full length film, with 13 minutes of bonus footage not seen in the web series.

Companeros: October 28, 2014

Blue Underground presents the Blu-ray for Companeros, written and directed by the legendary Sergio Corbucci (Django), Companeros is a once-in-a-lifetime teaming of the two greatest European stars in `Spaghetti Western’ history. Franco Nero (Django), Tomas Milian, Jack Palance and Fernando Rey star in this action-packed comedy classic that also features a remarkable score by Ennio Morricone (The Good, The Bad and the Ugly).

Looking for new import releases?
If you’re looking for a new import release, please visit DDDhouse.com. The trusted retailer carries new and upcoming releases that are not yet available in North America.

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Deal on Fire! King Kong vs. Godzilla | Blu-ray | Only $8.49 – Expires soon!

Posted on October 4, 2014 by JJ Bona
"King Kong vs. Godzilla" Blu-ray Cover

"King Kong vs. Godzilla" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla, directed by Inoshiro Honda (Godzilla).

When both destructive monsters descend on Tokyo, it’s a fight that holds the future of mankind in the balance in this knock-out film that was the first theatrical release to bring its larger-than-life contenders to the big screen in glorious color.

Kong vs. Godzilla stars Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yu Fujiki and Ichirō Arishim.

Order King Kong vs. Godzilla from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Albert Pyun’s ‘Cyborg Nemesis’ to sneak peek October 16th

Posted on October 3, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Cyborgs Nemesis: Dark Rift" Teaser Poster

"Cyborgs Nemesis: Dark Rift" Teaser Poster

THE MOVIE: Albert Pyun’s Cyborg Nemesis (aka Cyborgs: Rise of the Slingers or Red Moon) is a prequel to his 1989 film Cyborg, which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme. According to Impact, the upcoming movie will be a blend of “steam, cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic vampire horror”.

The film stars Kevin Sorbo (The Extendables), Dina Meyer (Starship Troopers), Sasha Mitchell (Kickboxer 2), Michael Paré (Streets of Fire) and Natassia Malthe (DOA). Vince Klyn and Terrie Batson are rumored to reprise their characters from the original Cyborg.

In Cyborg Nemesis, a U.S. Marine special ops team awakens from a hypersleep in a locked-down underground laboratory complex with no memory of who they are and why they are there. They realize that something’s wrong since the complex is abandoned. The team is forced to learn who put them to sleep ten years earlier and why – as they discover a creature has infiltrated the complex.

Updates: Beyond Hollywood has a 2-minute and 23-second long promotional teaser. Actor Michael Pare claims that the film “feels like a sci-fi Expendables.” | The 2nd teaser. | Latest teaser. | If you’re a die hard fan of Cyborg and you want to get your hands on Slinger (Albert Pyun’s Director’s Cut of Cyborg), it’s available through Amazon’s German website on Blu-ray & DVD. It appears to have english audio, but please be sure you have a multi-region Blu-ray/DVD player if you decide to order it.

BREAKING NEWS: According to Pyun’s Facebook, Cyborg Nemesis will be sneak peeked to prospective distributors on October 16th. In regards to the early teaser, which featured underwhelming digital effects, Pyun had this to say: “It was an early teaser….but hopefully you will all like the finished film.”

Posted in News |
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