"Monster" Korean Theatrical Poster

After the ultra-violent, ultra-bleak bloodbath that was 2010’s I Saw the Devil, you might be forgiven for thinking that the Korean revenge movie has seen and done it all. Well, at least one movie is out to prove that the genre still has a few tricks up its sleeve: opening this Friday, March 13th, in South Korea is a twisted new thriller titled Monster.

The movie follows a somewhat developmentally disabled girl whose younger sister is brutally murdered by a serial killer. Quite naturally, this causes the woman to go a bit crazy and she soon ensues on a quest for retribution against her sibling’s killer. Be sure to check out the trailer (with English subtitles!) for the film, online now. Thanks to Far East Films for the story.

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"Guardian" Theatrical Poster

Film Combat Syndicate has the latest scoop on the upcoming Indonesian action thriller, Guardian. 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).

Here’s the “official” plot: After Wisnu gets killed in his own house, his wife Sarah urges their daughter to train in martial arts. When a gang comes to hunt them, Sarah enlists the help of her husband’s best friend, Captain Roy. Action ensues…

Head over to Film Combat Syndicate for a set of character posters and the latest trailer. Expect Guardian to be released in 2014.

Update: The newest trailer is now available, thanks to Film Combat Syndicate.

"Stoner" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Fans of classic kung fu films have every reason to be happy. With the reemergence of news regarding the Weinstein’s and their plans to remake two Shaw Brothers classics (1966′s Come Drink With Me and 1978′s Avenging Eagle), it seems that kung fu movies are slowly finding their way back on the market.

Just recently, Apple’s iTunes Store has added 23 Shaw Brothers titles to their digital download library where you can choose to rent or purchase them in high definition at $3.99 and $7.99, respectively. Many of the titles are either hard to find or currently out of print (see current available titles in the comments section below).

Additionally, Well Go USA has announced two new additions to their Sword Masters series (Well Go’s own line of classic Shaw Brothers titles) that include 1978’s Legend of the Bat and 1977’s Death Duel. After a two year hiatus, this marks the first time Well Go USA has released a Sword Masters title.

It’s not only Shaw Brothers martial arts classics that are finding their way back on the market. In addition to their old school Jackie Chan catalogue, Shout! Factory has released The Bruce Lee Legacy Collection, which introduces all four of Bruce Lee’s Hong Kong movies on the high definition Blu-ray format for the first time (along with 3 documentaries and endless amount of extras).

Also, just a few months ago, Warner released a newly-expanded Blu-ray set of Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon, which marks the iconic film’s 40th Anniversary.

Even smaller production companies are getting in on the action. MVD Visual has just released a Bruce Lee Double Feature that includes A Warrior’s Journey (previously out of print) and the fantastic Pursuit of the Dragon, which is a 90 minute documentary that follows the chronology of Lee’s four films and their filming locations.

Updates: Shout! also has more Golden Harvest classics coming, including a Lady Whirlwind & Hapkido Angela Mao double feature, a Martial Arts Movie Marathon set, featuring The Skyhawk, The Manchu Boxer, The Dragon Tamers (aka Belles of Taekwondo) and The Association – and we’re sure there’s more to come!

During a chat with Screen Daily (via Film Combat Syndicate), Robert Rodriguez revealed that his El Ray Network will be teaming up with Celestial Pictures to release classic Shaw Brothers titles: “We are thrilled to partner with Celestial Pictures on this collection as it is a perfect addition to our existing line-up of renegade programming,” said Rodriguez.

BREAKING NEWS: Today, Shout! Factory announced another batch of Golden Harvest classics, in the form of The Angela Mao Ying 5-Film Collection. This 6 film, 3 disc set includes 1973’s When Taekwondo Strikes, 1974’s The Tournament, 1974’s Stoner, 1976’s The Himalayan, 1976’s A Queen’s Ransom and 1977’s Broken Oath. Other actors who star alongside Mao are 007’s George Lazenby, Bolo Yueng (Enter the Dragon), Sammo Hung (Ip Man 2), Yuen Biao (Dragons Forever) and Carter Huang (Big Trouble in Little China).

March is one hot month for Asian and Martial Arts movie releases!

For those of you looking to beef up your Asian cinema or martial arts Blu-ray/DVD collection, it’s going to be one hell of a month!

Since March is filled with so many high profile releases, we decided to put together a list of movies that every cityonfire.com visitor should know about: Wong Kar Wai, Van Damme, Korean remakes/originals, Jackie Chan, Akira Kurosawa, Cung Le, Dolph Lundgren, Takeshi Kitano, Exploitation, B-movies, Indie martial arts films and much, much more!

For your convenience, we listed them by day of release. If you’re interested in purchasing the titles, we’re hoping you’ll click on our links to show your support towards cityonfire.com. As always, we’ll appreciate it!

The Grandmaster: March 4th
Anchor Bay presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, an epic action feature inspired by the life and times of the legendary Kung Fu master, Ip Man, who mentored Bruce Lee. The Grandmaster stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Zhang Ziyi.

Spike Lee’s Old Boy: March 4th
Sony presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Spike Lee’s Oldboy. Obsessed with vengeance, a man (Josh Brolin) sets out to find out why he was kidnapped and locked into solitary confinement for 20 years without reason. It’s not the most loved remake, but hey, someone out there likes it!

Kingdom of Conquerors: March 8th
Lionsgate presents the DVD for Wang Ping’s Kingdom of Conquerors (aka An End to Killing). In the early 13th century, when all the nomadic clans of Mongolia were at war, one man was able to conquer them all and unite them under one banner: his own. Genghis Khan, known for his ruthlessness and barbarism, built an empire that covered nearly all of Asia and cemented his place as one of history’s greatest emperors.

Death Grip: March 11th
Osiris Entertainment presents the DVD for Death Grip. This 2012 martial arts picture stars Johnny Yong Bosch, a former star of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, as well as Contour director Eric Jacobus and various Stunt People members. Indie martial arts flicks don’t get better than this!

Puncture Wounds: March 11th
Lionsgate presents the DVD for Puncture Wounds (aka A Certain Justice). After returning home from a traumatic tour of duty in Iraq, John (Cung Le) finds himself at war with the criminals of the underworld. Also starring Dolph Lundgren, Sean O’Bryan and Vinnie Jones.

Enemies Closer: March 11th
Lionsgate presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Enemies Closer, directed by Peter Hyams (Timecop) and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, as a maniacal drug cartel lord. Two mortal enemies (Orlando Jones and Tom Everett Scott) must make a choice: put aside their past and work together, or die alone at the hands of a ruthless gang (headed by Van Damme) who will stop at nothing to retrieve their lost cargo

Commitment: March 11
Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Park Hong-Soo’s Commitment. After his father’s botched espionage mission, North Korean Myung-Hoon (Choi Seung-Hyun) and his young sister Hye-In (Han Ye-Ri) are sent to a labor prison camp. In order to save his sister’s life, Myung-Hoon volunteers to become a spy and infiltrates the South as a teenage defector.

Beyond Outrage: March 11th
Magnet presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Beyond Outrage, written, directed and starring Takeshi Kitano. As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West. What started as an internal strife in Outrage has now become a nationwide war!

The Hidden Fortress: March 18th
Criterion presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1958′s The Hidden Fortress. Akira Kurosawa directs this spirited period action-adventure in which two conniving peasants are tasked with smuggling a general, a princess and the remains of her family’s wealth through mountainous, hostile territory in feudal Japan. This rip-roaring ride is among the director’s most beloved films and was a primary influence on George Lucas’s Star Wars.

The Wrath of Vajra: March 18th
Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for The Wrath of Vajra, directed by Law Ching Cheong (The Iceman Cometh). In The Wrath of Vajra, a top Chinese martial artist (Yu Xing) sets his sights on a Japanese death cult after they abduct innocent Chinese children and train them to be assassins.

A Touch of Sin: March 18th
Kino Lorber presents the Blu-ray & DVD for A Touch of Sin. Both acclaimed and controversial, Jia Zhangke’s A Touch of Sin (a nod to King Hu’s 1969 action classic, A Touch of Zen) has been compared to the works of Sergio Leone and Quentin Tarantino. This ultra-violent film stars Wu Jiang (Dragon), Vivien Li (The Guillotines) and Lanshan Luo.

The Flu: March 18th
CJ Entertainment presents the DVD for The Flu (aka Flu), directed by Kim Sung-su (Musa the Warrior). This Korean blockbuster is about an outbreak of a deadly disease that throws a city into chaos. It stars Jang Hyuk (Volcano High) and Soo Ae (Athena, Goddess of War), as a couple who race against time as they try to save themselves and find a cure.

Chinese Zodiac: March 25th
Universal presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Chinese Zodiac. Jackie Chan returns as Asian Hawk (his character from Armour of God and Operation Condor), this time scouring the globe for the bronze head statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, which were sacked by the French and British armies!

Girls, Gangsters & Zombies: March 25th
Switchblade Pictures presents the DVD for Masahiro Assou’s Girls, Gangsters & Zombies. It would have been the perfect crime except for those darn meddling zombies! Well, with that said, the title says it all in this Japanese splatter fest. Starring AV superstar Laura Aoyama, Ichiro Nishikoshi, Yu Minami, Ryuhei Kawana and Ken-ichi Takada.

Welcome to the Jungle: March 25th
Universal presents the Blu-ray & DVD Welcome to the Jungle. A group of office workers find themselves stranded on a desert island when a corporate retreat, led by unhinged former Marine (Jean-Claude Van Damme), goes horribly wrong. Now Chris (Adam Brody) and his co-workers must battle nature – and each other – to survive!

Countdown: March 25th
Action Slate presents the DVD for Countdown, a 2012 thriller from Thailand! Set in New York City on New Years Eve. At a time when most people start with a clean slate, three Thai roommates are at the mercy of a mysterious psychotic, house-crashing drug dealer, who forces them to face horrors from their past and to make amends, or die trying!

Killing American Style: March 25th
Cinema Epoch presents the DVD for 1990′s Killing American Style: Special Edition, directed by Amir Shervan (Samurai Cop). Looking for some cheesy action? This 1990s exploitation film will deliver. It stars Harold Diamond (stick fighter from Rambo III), Jim Brown (Three the Hard Way) and Robert Z’Dar (Maniac Cop).

If you’re looking for a new import release, please visit DDDhouse.com. The trusted retailer carries new and upcoming releases that are not available in North America, such as Firestorm, The White Storm, Out of Inferno or Unbeatable.

Also, be sure to enter our current Blu-ray and DVD contests! Your chances of winning are pretty darn good!

"Zomboobies!" Promotional Poster

Zomboobies! is an upcoming boobs-to-the-walls horror-comedy. It combines a love for insane Japanese horror movies with traditional creature FX, modern digital FX, comedy, action, drama, gore and of course boobies! Zomboobies! stars Cathy Shim (Oishi High School Battle), Marisa Tayui (Balls of Fury), Diana Toshiko (Bad Milo) and Greg Watanabe (Only the Brave).

In conjunction with the new full length trailer, Mike L. Taylor, the film’s director and creator, launched a Kickstarter to raise the funds to transform the insane trailer into a fully developed movie. To find out how you can partake in making it happen, visit Zomboobies!’ Kickstarter site.

Warning: The trailer lives up to its title. Don’t say we didn’t warn ya.

"The Matrix" Japanese Theatrical Poster

There’s a new rumor going around that The Wachowski siblings – the duo behind The Matrix, Cloud Atlas and the upcoming Jupiter Ascending – are in the process of developing a new trilogy of Matrix films.

Latino Review broke the news with this information: We’ve been told that the Wachowski’s have already started the writing process with early treatments and outlines already turned into the studio. No word if they will want to direct but my money says “Claro que Si!”.

So, will Keanu Reeves be back? Will Yuen Woo Ping be handling the fighting choreography? For all we know, the new set of films may be a set of remakes. Whatever the case, cityonfire.com will keep you updated. Stay tuned!