Enter Ke Huy Quan, the action star! Quan takes on Lionsgate’s ‘Fairytale In New York’ from ‘Sisu’ director Jalmari Helander

Ke Huy Quan’s (Everything Everywhere All at Once) highly-anticipated action-comedy Love Hurts won’t be released until February 7, 2025, but Lionsgate is already prepping him for Fairytale In New York, his 2nd action headliner that comes from writer-director Jalmari Helander (Big Game), who is perhaps best known for the celebrated 2022 Finnish action film, Sisu.

Set to be produced by FlynnPictureCo.’s Beau Flynn, Fairytale In New York takes place on Christmas Eve in New York City, as an unassuming cab driver takes one last ride before going to celebrate the holiday with his estranged son. After a run-in with a gang Continue reading

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High Forces (2024) Review

"High Forces" Theatrical Poster

“High Forces” Theatrical Poster

Director: Oxide Pang
Cast: Andy Lau, Liu Tau, Zhang Zifeng, Qu Chuxiao, Jiang Mengjie, Jiang Chao, Eric Chou
Running Time: 115 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The disaster movie on a plane has been going through a bit of a renaissance in Asia during recent years. China threw their hat into the ring with 2019’s The Captain, and Korea’s returned to the genre twice in as many years with 2022’s Emergency Declaration and 2024’s Hijack 1971. 2024 is also the year China decided to get back at it, with (the as yet to be released) Wings of Dread representing the iQIYI web-movie end of the scale, and the Andy Lau produced and starring High Forces representing the big budget other end.

Directed by Oxide Pang, High Forces is only the 2nd movie he’s helmed in the 2020’s, no doubt in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which put a pause on any filmmaking activity in China for a couple of years at the start of the decade. A director who began his career as one half of the Pang Brothers, since debuting with 2000’s Bangkok Dangerous the pair cranked out several movies spanning Thailand, Hong Kong, and even Hollywood (which included a Nicolas Cage starring remake of their debut). The last production they worked on together was 2013’s firefighting Continue reading

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Let’s get one thing straight… females have always been kickin’ ass! Angela Mao’s ‘Broken Oath’ is now available

Broken Oath | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Broken Oath | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Now in stock at Goodie Emporium is Eureka’s Blu-ray (Region A/B) for Broken Oath, a 1977 Golden Harvest classic from Cheng Chang-Ho (Double Crossers) that stars Angela Mao (Dance of Death), the first lady of kung fu cinema!

A Hong Kong take on Japan’s Lady Snowblood, Broken Oath is an action-packed tale of righteous vengeance! Orphaned and angry, Lotus (Mao) is raised by Buddhist nuns before she is exiled for her violent ways – and skipping classes to improve her martial arts skills. Finding herself alone in the world, she quickly comes to discover the truth of her past: that her father was once a respected member of the Imperial Court who was murdered in cold blood, and that her mother gave birth to her in a jail cell after being unjustly imprisoned for killing one of the culprits. With revenge on her Continue reading

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Bangkok Dog (2024) Review

"Bangkok Dog" Theatrical Poster

“Bangkok Dog” Theatrical Poster

Director: Chaya Supannarat
Cast: D.Y. Sao, Jenny Philomena Van Der Sluijs, Brian Le, Ron Smoorenburg, Sahajak Boonthanakit
Running Time: 85 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Throughout the 2000’s and 2010’s having the Thai capitals name in an action movie title seemed to be all the rage – Bangkok Dangerous, Bangkok Adrenaline, Bangkok Revenge, BKO: Bangkok Knockout, Bangkok Rush, Bangkok Assassins – the list goes on! However as the Thai action scene gradually began to fade away, both in terms of local productions and overseas ones using it as a shooting location, so too did the energy charged titles that always promised a dose of elbows and knees to the head. It’s to be admired then that the director who became synonymous with Thai action in the 2000’s, Prachya Pinkaew, is now attempting to bring it back in the 2020’s. So far Pinkaew has been involved in a couple of productions, and while he may no longer in the director’s chair, by serving as executive producer it conveniently allows the productions to be branded with the “Prachya Pinkaew presents” label.

The star he’s chosen to put his faith in is D.Y. Sao, a Cambodian born, California raised former representative of the U.S. National Wushu Team who’s proficient in several martial arts styles. The first production that Pinkaew and Sao collaborated on was 2022’s Shadow Master, which in my review for I’d stated, “Sao seems to have found his partner in crime Continue reading

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So who are you going to kill next, Mr. Ninja? Newest Trailer ‘Under Ninja’ starring Kento Yamazaki and Minami Hamabe

Writer/director Yuichi Fukuda, who is perhaps best known for 2017’s Gintama, is back at helm for Under Ninja, an upcoming actioner that stars Kento Yamazaki (Alice in Borderland) and Minami Hamabe (Godzilla Minus One).

The film is an adaptation of the manga (and anime series) of the same name by Kengo Hanazawa. If the film is anything like its source material, here’s what you can expect of its plot:

A high school loner is given the part-time job of a lifetime as a modern day ninja tasked to perform international assassinations. After World War II, Allied Command in Japan developed a new agency to help manage terrorism and violence within the Pacific region. The agency was staffed with ninja and they were initially tasked to handle domestic affairs. Eventually that program grew Continue reading

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Rampo Noir | Blu-ray (Arrow)

Rampo Noir | Blu-ray (Arrow)

Rampo Noir | Blu-ray (Arrow)

RELEASE DATE: January 6, 2025

On January 6, 2025, Arrow will release a Blu-ray for 2005’s Rampo Noir. Four filmmakers from completely different backgrounds bring their radically personal takes to the stories of Japan’s celebrated master of the macabre, Edogawa Rampo (Horrors of Malformed Men, Blind Beast).

In “Mars’s Canal”, by music video director and visual artist Suguru Takeuchi, a lone man encounters the other side of his psyche beyond the reflective surface of a circular pond set in a desolate landscape. Japanese New Wave auteur and longtime director of the Ultraman series Akio Jissoji (This Transient Life, Mandala) harnesses his distinctive stylistic sheen in his story of a mad mirror maker, “Mirror Hell”. “Caterpillar” sees the singular vision of cult director Hisayasu Sato (The Bedroom, Naked Blood) at its most grotesque, in his portrait Continue reading

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Cure | 4K Ultra HD (Eureka)

Cure | 4K Ultra HD (Eureka)

Cure | 4K Ultra HD (Eureka)

RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2025

On January 27, 2025, Eureka is releasing a 4K Ultra HD for Cure, a 1997 thriller from director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who would go on to make several further modern masterpieces in PulseCreepy and Tokyo Sonata.

Released to critical acclaim in both the East and the West, this nerve-shredding thriller charts the hunt for a depraved serial killer in a bleak and decaying Tokyo.

A series of murders have been committed by ordinary people who claim to have had no control over their actions, many of them having killed friends, co-workers or even their spouse. There are only two links between each crime: an X carved into the neck of each victim, and a mysterious stranger who seems to have had brief contact with the perpetrator a short period of time Continue reading

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Bridge of Death (1974) Review

"Bridge of Death" Theatrical Poster

“Bridge of Death” Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Doo-yong
Cast: Han Yong-cheol, Bae Su-chun, Kim Yeongran, Chang Il-sik, Woo Yeon-jeong, Mun-ju Kim
Running Time: 90 min. 

By Paul Bramhall

In my review for Returned a Single-Legged Man 2 I concluded with “What’s left to ask but for more taekwon-action productions be made available to be enjoyed.” The line was in reference to the Korean Film Archive’s decision in 2023 to release some of director Lee Doo-yong’s taekwon-action movies starring Han Yong-cheol on their Korean Classic Films YouTube channel, which kicked off with The Manchurian Tiger and Returned Single-Legged Man. Sadly Doo-yong would pass away in January 2024, so was no longer around when the Archive released the sequel a month later in HD, uncut, and in its original language probably for the first time since it was released. Within the same year the ask was answered, when in August Doo-yong and Yong-cheol’s 2nd collaboration was released, Bridge of Death.

With information being so scarce on the taekwon-action genre for so long, confounded by the fact many were distributed overseas with different titles and edited into completely different plots (and thanks to Godfrey Ho, some even had gweilo ninja footage spliced in!), it’s not surprising that Bridge of Death has rarely been mentioned. On the likes of the Hong Kong Movie Database the title is listed as an alias for Returned Single-Legged Man, more thank likely down Continue reading

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That woman deserves her revenge and we deserve 4K Ultra HD! ‘Kill Bill’ saga soon to be announced from Lionsgate

"Kill Bill Vol. I" American Theatrical Poster

“Kill Bill Vol. I” American Theatrical Poster

This year, Lionsgate Films will finally release 2003’s Kill Bill: Volume 1 & 2004’s Kill Bill: Volume 2 on the rising 4K Ultra HD format.

There’s some speculation if the long-awaited Whole Bloody Affair (Tarantino’s edit of both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 as one film, complete with new footage not seen in the U.S. release) will be part of the release roster, but according to HD Movie Source, we’re expecting the usual, separate theatrical cuts.

Directed by Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), the Kill Bill saga revolves around a former assassin (Uma Thurman) who wreaks vengeance on a team of assassins (David Carradine, Darryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Lucy Lui and Vivica Fox) who not only betrayed her, but also left her for dead.

The film also boasts Continue reading

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Running on Karma | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Running on Karma | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Running on Karma | Blu-ray (Eureka)

RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2024

On January 27, 2024, Eureka is releasing the Blu-ray (Region A/B) for Running on Karma, the tenth film co-directed by Johnnie To (Running Out of Time) and Wai Ka-fai (Peace Hotel).

Following a string of collaborations that included comedies, romances, action films and historical epics, Running on Karma is a crime thriller with a distinctly Buddhist flare starring a titan of Hong Kong cinema in Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs).

Big (Lau) was once a devoutly religious man, but turned away from his vocation as a Buddhist monk when he could no longer bear the weight of his unusual gift: the ability to see people’s past lives and predict the impact of karma upon their present and future. Having found a new life as a bodybuilder, he is drawn to use his sixth Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash | Blu-ray | Only $18.99 – Expires soon!

Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash | Blu-ray (Arrow)

Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash | Blu-ray (Arrow)

Today’s Deal on Fire is for Arrow Video’s Limited Edition Blu-ray (Region B) for Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash, a 2021 Indonesian action film directed by Edwin (Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly).

Read the official details below:

From acclaimed Indonesian director Edwin (Postcards from the Zoo) and based on the novel by Eka Kurniawan comes Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash, winner of the Golden Leopard at the 2021 Locarno Film Festival – a pulpy, energetic throwback to 80s South East Asian action and coming-of-age cinema about Continue reading

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More WANG for your buck? From ‘Drive’ director Steve Wang comes ‘Kung Fu Rascals’ now available on Blu-ray

Kung Fu Rascals | Blu-ray (Visual Vengeance)

Kung Fu Rascals | Blu-ray (Visual Vengeance)

Now available from Goodie Emporium is Visual Vengeance’s Limited Edition Blu-ray for the 1992 martial arts fantasy film, Kung Fu Rascals. This long out-of-print rarity marks the debut feature from cult director Steve Wang (Drive, The Guyver), who also stars.

In the tradition of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and the Three Stooges comes this wildly funny action comedy from director Steve Wang. When chased by mutated monsters, crafty ninjas and a 300 foot tall stone god, the bumbling heroes battle against the powers of darkness in search of “The Power Most Big”.

Kung Fu Rascals also stars Troy Fromin (The Perfect Weapon), Johnnie Continue reading

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Just in time for Halloween! Radiance Films’ Blu-ray for Toshio Matsumoto’s 1988 thriller ‘Dogra Magra’ now shipping!

Dogra Magra | Blu-ray (Radiance Films)

Dogra Magra | Blu-ray (Radiance Films)

Now available is Radiance Films’ Blu-ray (Region A/B) for Dogra Magra, a 1988 thriller from Toshio Matsumoto (Funeral Parade of Roses).

A man wakes in an asylum with no memory. Dr Wakabayashi helps him to recall his past in which he killed his bride on their wedding day. Part of his memory becomes linked to another doctor, Dr Masaki, and a manuscript, Dogra Magra. As the two doctors treat him, reality and fantasy become blurred and the patient becomes unsure of his identity or his doctors’ experiments.

The final feature film by Toshio Matsumoto (Demons) is an adaptation of the celebrated novel by Kyusaku Yumeno, a period set gothic tale with a sense of dreamy dread that recalls Kiyoshi Continue reading

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Notice the trend? Watch the Trailer for Ke Huy Quan’s actioner ‘Love Hurts’ from ‘John Wick’ producer David Leitch

"Love Hurts" Teaser Poster

“Love Hurts” Teaser Poster

Ke Huy Quan – best known for his child roles in 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1985’s The Goonies and perhaps less so for wiping the floor with Bolo in 1991’s Breathing Fireis making a hard-hitting comeback with an upcoming actioner, titled Love Hurts (previously known as titled With Love)

A Hollywood action lead for Quan should come as no surprise, given his critically acclaimed comeback role for 2022’s Everything Everywhere All at Once, which earned Quan a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In Love Hurts, Quan will play Marvin Gable, a real estate agent in the Milwaukee suburbs whose life is upended when he receives a mysterious crimson Continue reading

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Horrible High Heels | Blu-ray (Massacre Video)

RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2024

On November 12, 2024, Massacre Video is releasing a Blu-ray for Horrible High Heels, a 1996 Hong Kong cult classic directed by three filmmakers: Chow Cheung (responsible for helming the Michiko Nishiwaki flicks Big Circle Blues and City on Fire), Chen Wei-An (who helmed little known Cat III erotica like Windflower and Dark Tale), and Mao Chiang-Pang (the man behind obscure Taiwanese actioners like I Revenge for My Son and Flying Car Nation).

The film stars Shing Fui-On (My Flying Wife), Dick Wei (Final Run), Billy Chow Bei-Lei (The Blonde Fury), Suen Tong (Cheetah On Fire), Chow Continue reading

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