Move over ‘Expendables,’ here come ‘The Dependables’!

"The Dependables" DVD Cover

"The Dependables" DVD Cover

In the last couple of years, we’ve reported a number of projects riding the success wave of The Expendables franchise. Some are currently filming, other are sitting in development hell. Here’s what we gathered so far: a few female takes (The ExpendaBelles; an untitled Gina Carano flick; and Prison Raid); a B-movie take (The B-Team) and even a satirical take (The Extendables).

One take that’s definitely in the can is the action-comedy The Dependables. If you thought Stallone’s crew were a bunch of old men, check out this cast: Bo Svenson (Walking Tall Part II), Louis Gossett Jr. (Iron Eagle), Seymour Cassel (The Mountain Men), Cedric Smith (Forever Knight), Tom Jackson (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Margot Kidder (1978’s Superman).

The Dependables is directed by Sidney J. Furie (Iron Eagle, Superman IV) and is currently available for pre-order. We seriously doubt you’ll spend your hard earned money on it, so check out the free trailer.

Posted in News |

Production on John McTiernan’s ‘Red Squad’ has stalled

"Predator" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Predator" Japanese Theatrical Poster

John McTiernan – the legendary action director behind Die Hard, PredatorThe Hunt for Red October and Die Hard with A Vengeance – is currently serving his last month in a federal prison for the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping scandal. Upon his release, he has already landed the duties of directing a mercenary thriller called Red Squad.

According to Variety, Red Squad centers on a former DEA agent with a rogue streak and his select team of mercenaries who descend upon a Mexican border town to neutralize a drug lord. The story is written by Cannon and Jorge Suarez (The Scratch).

No casting information has been revealed, but production is slated to begin this Spring. Now, someone needs to start a petition for McTiernan to direct Die Hard 6!

Updates: New promo poster for Red Squad, courtesy of Collider. Also, Nicolas Cage is in talks to take the lead.

BREAKING NEWS: Thanks to manlymovie.net, we have some bad news: production on Red Squad has stalled because John McTiernan views the current draft as offensive. Now for some good news: In an interview with Empire, McTiernan says that he would be open to making an Expendables movie or another sequel to Die Hard.

Posted in News |

First look at Duncan Jones’ ‘World of Warcraft’

"Source Code" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Source Code" Japanese Theatrical Poster

THR reports that Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) is set to direct a live-action adaptation of Blizzard Entertainment’s video game, Warcraft or World of Warcraft (aka WoW). The film is expected to have a budget of about $100 million. Legendary Pictures’ (The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel) is prepping for production, which begins this March.

Here’s Amazon’s description to the original 1994 game: Set in the mythic kingdom of Azeroth, players are given the task of maintaining a thriving economy while building a war machine with which to destroy the enemy. By playing either the Humans or the Orcs in this saga, two separate story lines evolve with 12 scenarios per side telling the tale of the battle for Azeroth.

BREAKING NEWS: Collider has the first images from Warcraft.

Posted in News |

John Woo’s ‘Beast’ will have its day!

"Youth of the Beast" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Youth of the Beast" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Can’t say I ever saw this coming. John Woo is reportedly planning to direct a remake of Seijun Suzuki’s 1963 film Youth of the Beast. Woo’s version will carry the title Day of the Beast. Here’s where things get crazy (and multi-national): the remake is set in Tokyo and sees a Western outsider become involved in a turf war between the Yakuza and the Russian mob. Day of the Beast will be shot in English with an eye on making sure the movie has international appeal.

Director Seijin Suzuki is perhaps best known for movies like Branded to Kill (1967) and Tokyo Drifter (1966), both of which are available from the Criterion Collection. John Woo claims he has been wanting to remake Youth of the Beast for 10 years but only now has he secured the rights from the Nikkatsu company.

Even if the premise and title are a deviation from Suzuki’s original, I’m just looking forward to seeing John Woo behind the camera again for a modern day gangster picture. Let’s hope this ends up being one hell of a ‘pistol opera.’

Update: It’s been 2 long years since we updated this article. For a while, we thought Day of the Beast was cancelled, but in a recent interview with Jaynestars, John Woo says it’s still on the horizon. Woo has just wrapped up his upcoming film, The Crossing. After the completion of his next film, Flying Tigers, he will finally start production on Day of the Beast, followed by an untitled action film with Tsui Hark. – Thanks to DiP!

Posted in News |

Weapon of Choice (2014) Review

"Weapon of Choice" DVD Cover

“Weapon of Choice” DVD Cover

AKA: Fist 2 Fist 2
Director: Jino Kang, Tony Urgo
Writer: Jino Kang, Tony Urgo
Cast: Jino Kang, Douglas Olsson, Katherine Celio, Artem Mishin, Kelly Lou Dennis, Don Williams, John Carney, Steven Menasche, Robert D. Parham, William Armando
Running Time: 103 min.

By Jeff Bona

If you’re willing to take a break from all the mundane action movies playing in theaters, look no further than Jino Kang’s latest revenge thriller, Weapon of Choice. Also known as Fist 2 Fist 2 (a sequel by name only to 2011′s Fist 2 Fist), Weapon of Choice follows a retired assassin named Jack Lee (Jino Kang) who must rescue his “daughter” (Kelly Lou Dennis) from a notorious crime boss (Douglas Olsson) and his crew of gangster hitmen. With a little help from a lovely rogue cop (Katherine Celio), Jack becomes a one-man kill squad who is determined to get his daughter back by any means necessary…

Master Jino Kang – the film’s star, co-director, writer and producer – reminds me of Hong Kong film legend Michael Chan Wai Man (Handcuff, Five Element Ninjas). Not only are the two built alike, they both have that hard-edged, stone-like facial structure. Like Chan Wai Man, I see Kang more as a heartless villain than a typical good guy. In Weapon of Choice, he essentially plays both – a contract killer at first, then a man who tries to pursue a normal life – which makes the character of Jack Lee a fitting role for him.

Despite its low budget, Weapon of Choice is a classy little flick. It shows off fancy cars, attractive women, sharp wardrobe attire and some magnificent aerial shots of San Francisco. It’s apparent the most was made out of a limited budget by utilizing the backdrop of a beautiful city, as well as being resourceful with the flashy toys and props. But enough with the pretty visuals…

It’s during its finale that Weapon of Choice truly shines. To put it simply, Kang annihilates about 25+ men in a brutal 15-minute action sequence. It’s a nonstop segment filled with kicking, punching, choking, breaking, slicing, slashing, stabbing and even some shooting. It’s here that Kang delivers the goods to martial arts film junkies. Be on the look out for homages to both Fist of Fury and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. This should give you an example of the film’s subtle humor throughout, even during its violent moments.

The film’s action choreography – which showcases Wushu, Sanshou, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Hapkido and various MMA techniques – is tight, authentic and handled with grace and style; which shouldn’t be a surprise, since Kang, who is also the film’s fight choreographer, holds a black belt in Hapkido, Tae Kwon Do, Kyokoshin-Kai Karate and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Unfortunately, they’re plagued with quick cuts/editing, which tarnishes their flow. Let’s put it this way: As long as you’re not expecting the awe-inspiring Ong-Bak, Ip Man or The Raid-type choreography – not to mention camera work – you’ll be pleased with the way Kang presents his action sequences.

My main gripe with Weapon of Choice is that it has a good share of scenes that felt like they could have been edited more tightly (particularly its non-action, dialogue based moments). There’s also a brief love scene that comes out of nowhere, which is a common pet peeve of mine. There have only been a few times, in the history of action films, where I felt a scene like this was necessary. To give Weapon of Choice some credit, it was at least done tastefully. Also, I don’t care for CGI-blood, which is also becoming more and more common, even in big budget Hollywood movies (i.e. The Expendables, Machete Kills); it basically spells out l-a-z-y.

The bottom line: In the context of being a small, straight-to-video action flick, Weapon of Choice delivers.

Jeff Bona‘s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Asian Related, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Iron Fist Frenzy | DVD (Mill Creek)

Iron Fist Frenzy | DVD (Mill Creek)

Iron Fist Frenzy | DVD (Mill Creek)

RELEASE DATE: June 10, 2014

Mill Creek Entertainment presents the 13-disc DVD set for Iron Fist Frenzy. This collection includes 50 movies. Prepare to unleash a fury of immortal martial arts masters with this 50 movie set of kung-fu classics! This thrilling collection of jaw-droppin flicks brings together a colossal assortment of martial arts genre films from the 70s, 80s and 90s. From the ultimate Shaolin masters to the legends of kung-fu, theses hard to find cult classics are sure to delight, with 50 times the high-kickin humor and adrenaline pumpin action! Note: See the comment section below for the included titles!

Pre-order Iron Fist Frenzy from Amazon.com today!

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

Way of the 5 Finger Death Strike | DVD (Mill Creek)

Way of the 5 Finger Death Strike | DVD (Mill Creek Entertainment)

Way of the 5 Finger Death Strike | DVD (Mill Creek Entertainment)

RELEASE DATE: June 17, 2014

Mill Creek Entertainment presents the 3-disc DVD set for the Way of the 5 Finger Death Strike. This 12 movie collection includes Blind Warrior (1987), The Bravest Fist (1974), The Challenger (1980), Five Kung Fu Daredevil Heroes (1977), A Hero’s Tears (1979), Kingfisher the Killer (1981), The Mighty Four (1980), Ninja Avenger (1982), The Rage of Wind (1973), Ring of Death (1980), Triple Impact (1992) and Woman Avenger (1980). You may also be interested in Mill Creek’s first two volumes.

Pre-order Way of the 5 Finger Death Strike from Amazon.com today!

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

The Great Impersonators | DVD (Mill Creek)

The Great Impersonators | DVD (Mill Creek)

The Great Impersonators | DVD (Mill Creek)

RELEASE DATE: June 17, 2014

Mill Creek Entertainment presents the 3-disc DVD set for The Great Impersonators. This 12 movie collection includes Dragon Lee’s Big Boss 2 (1978), Bruce: King of Kung Fu (1982), Bruce vs. Iron Hand (1979), Crazy Couple (1979), Enter the Game of Death (1978), Great Hunter (1975), Kung Fu Genius (1980), Kung Fu Warrior (1980), Marvelous Stunts of Kung Fu (1979), Mission for the Dragon (1981), Return of the Red Tiger (1978) and Showdown at the Equator (1978). You may also be interested in Mill Creek’s first two volumes.

Pre-order The Great Impersonators from Amazon.com today!

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

100 Greatest Martial Arts Classics Collection | DVD (Mill Creek)

100 Greatest Martial Arts Classics Collection | DVD (Mill Creek)

100 Greatest Martial Arts Classics Collection | DVD (Mill Creek)

RELEASE DATE: June 10, 2014

Mill Creek Entertainments presents the 26-disc DVD set for the 100 Greatest Martial Arts Classics Collection. Over 140 Hours of Kung-Fu Combat! Knock yourself out with 100 high flyin’ and punch packin’ Kung Fu films! This thrilling collection of jaw-droppin flicks brings together a colossal assortment of martial arts madness. From the ultimate Shaolin masters to the legends of Kung-Fu, theses cult classics are hard to find and sure to delight with high-kickin humor and adrenaline pumpin action! Note: For a full listing of the film’s includes, click here.

Pre-order 100 Greatest Martial Arts Classics Collection from Amazon.com today!

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

Quentin Tarantino may film a new draft of ‘The Hateful Eight’

"Inglourious Basterds" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Inglourious Basterds" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Following the release of 2012’s Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino spoke of doing another Western or a “Pretty Boy Floyd”-type 1930’s gangster flick as his follow up. Then, news broke out that Tarantino wanted to complete his “Historical Trilogy” with sort of a spin-off of Inglourious Basterds, involving black troops that have been screwed over by the American military.

Updates: According to Deadline, the next Quentin Tarantino movie is definitely a western titled The Hateful Eight. Apparently, Tarantino has finished a draft and is ready to distribute it to actors. So far, Christoph Waltz and Bruce Dern are attached. | Deadline reports that Tarantino has shelved The Hateful Eight, due to script leakage. “I’m very, very depressed,” Tarantino said. “I finished a script, a first draft, and I didn’t mean to shoot it until next winter, a year from now. I gave it to six people, and apparently it’s gotten out today.”

Allegedly, The Hateful Eight script was hosted and distributed by a website called Gawker. Deadline reports that Tarantino has filed a legal complaint against Gawker, charging the website copyright infringement and contributory copyright infringement. Apparently, Gawker is now blaming Tarantino for making his script a ‘frenzy.’

BREAKING NEWS: During a recent live-reading of the “leaked” The Hateful Eight script (featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth and Bruce Dern), Tarantino announced that he may be filming The Hateful Eight next winter, and it will be based off a newly revised script with a totally new final chapter.

Posted in News |

2014 is one hell of a year for ‘Godzilla’ fans!

"Godzilla" 60th Anniversary Poster

"Godzilla" 60th Anniversary Poster

To celebrate its 60th Anniversary, a new restoration of Ishiro Honda’s Godzilla: The Japanese Original (aka Gojira) will debut April 12 at the fifth TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, followed by a national release beginning at New York’s Film Forum, April 18-24.

In addition to the 60th anniversary re-release, new Blu-ray and DVD editions of the following movies will be available in April/May from Universal and Section 23: 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla, 1966’s Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, 1971’s Godzilla vs. Hedorah and 1972’s Godzilla vs. Gigan.

And of course, there’s the highly anticipated reboot of Godzilla – starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen  – which will be hitting theaters May 16, 2014.

Updates: For those also interested in Gamera, Mill Creek is releasing the following titles on Blu-ray/DVD in April: Gamera: Ultimate Collection Volume One, Gamera: Ultimate Collection Volume Two and The Gamera: Legacy Collection.

Sony has just announced a pack of Godzilla Blu-ray double features coming in May: 1991’s Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and 1992′s Godzilla vs. Mothra; 1995′s Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and 2000′s Godzilla vs. Megaguirus; 1993′s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and 1994′s Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla; and 2004′s Godzilla: Final Wars and 2003′s Godzilla: Tokyo SOS.

BREAKING NEWS: Tokyo Shock is releasing 1968′s Destroy All Monsters (aka Charge of the Monsters) and 1973’s Godzilla vs. Megalon.

Posted in News |

Southern Comfort | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

Southern Comfort | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

Southern Comfort | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: July 8, 2014

Shout! Facory presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1981’s Southern Comfort, directed by Walter Hill (The Warriors). When nine National Guardsmen enter the Louisiana swamp for routine training, they come across some angry Cajuns who know the territory like the backs of their hands. Armed with a precious few bullets, and confused by the dimly lit, moss-covered maze into which they ve stumbled, the innocent guardsmen know they’ll be picked off one-by-one. Starring Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe and Peter Coyote. Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Southern Comfort from Amazon.com today!

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

Destroy All Monsters | Blu-ray (Tokyo Shock)

Destroy All Monsters | Blu-ray (Tokyo Shock)

Destroy All Monsters | Blu-ray (Tokyo Shock)

RELEASE DATE: July 22, 2014

Tokyo Shock presents the Blu-ray for 1968’s Destroy All Monsters (aka Charge of the Monsters), the 9th in Toho Studios’ Godzilla series. Directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa (supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya). The plot involves aliens who take control of Earth’s monsters and begin using them to destroy the human race. Check out the trailer here.

Pre-order Destroy All Monsters from Amazon.com today!

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

Deal on Fire! Apokalips X | Blu-ray | Only $9.96 – Expires soon!

"Apokalips X" Blu-ray Cover

"Apokalips X" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Mamat Khalid’s Apokalips X. This anticipated Malaysian-made martial arts film – about rival gangs who fight for pride and ego in a world destroyed by chemical warfare – stars Farid Kamil, Peter Davis, Jehan Miskin, Adam AF2, Iqram Dinzly, Pekin Ibrahim, Pyan Habib and Ayez Shaukat Fonseka. Watch the trailer.

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Special ID (2013) Review

"Special ID" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Special ID” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Clarence Ford
Writer: Clarence Ford
Cast: Donnie Yen, Andy On, Sally Jing Tian, Zhang Han Yu, Yang Kun, Qi Da Ji, Nina Pau, Frankie Ng, Collin Chou, Ken Lo, Rain Lau, Terence Yin
Running Time: 99 min.

By Paul Bramhall

It seems that 2013 was the year for troubled productions to finally reach our screens. The Tony Jaa come-back vehicle Tom Yum Goong 2 finally got a release, after an arduous 2+ year production, and while it definitely didn’t take quite that long to get made, the no less troubled come-back of Donnie Yen to modern day action movies, Special ID, also arrived on the scene.

Special ID was the movie fans had been waiting for from Yen. After making Sha Po Lang and Flash Point in 2005 and 2007 respectively, Yen proceeded to spend the next 5 years making period action movies. While there was no doubt that this era generated some classics, most notably Ip Man and Wu Xia, it seemed that even Yen himself had an itch to get back to more modern day surroundings.

So, how do you top off a pair of modern day action classics which have Yen facing off against such high caliber performers like Wu Jing, Sammo Hung, Xing Yu, and Colin Chou!? Special ID had the answer – it was announced that Yen’s nemesis would be Vincent Zhao, star of The Blade and True Legend. Zhao would be a worthy foe, and the thought of him facing off against Yen was enough to have fans of Hong Kong action cinema salivating.

Shooting began, production stills started to hit the internet, and then… everything went wrong. In February 2012 Zhao left the set and never returned, leading to filming being put on hold. As details filtered through, it was revealed that Zhao believed he had signed on to a movie called The Ultimate Codebreak, which was to be directed by Mainland director Tan Bing from a script by James Yuen (Bodyguards & Assassins). However once production started, he found out it was now going under the name Special ID, was being directed by Hong Kong director Clarence Fok, and that Yen had made sizable changes to the script, reducing his characters role and importance to the story significantly.

Thankfully, Andy On was brought in to replace Zhao, and while Yen and On had faced off before in The Lost Bladesman, luckily it seemed most fans were still onboard in the hopes of a solid action movie rising from the ashes. As much as it pains me to say it, when Special ID did hit the screens, those hopes were suitably dashed. What becomes immediately clear upon watching Special ID is that Yen needs to be under a good director, who’s able to extract a convincing acting performance from him. Yen has never been strong in the acting department, so his roles in the likes of Ip Man and Wu Xia were he really nails the character in terms of his performance are a joy to watch, no doubt thanks to directors Wilson Yip and Peter Chan. Clarence Fok isn’t either of these.

Fok is a director who crafts a movie in which if a character is happy they’ll jump up and down, while excitedly running circles around the nearest person, if a character is sad they’ll sit in the corner alone while crying in intermittent squeaks, and if a character is angry they’ll yell while gesticulating wildly. Subtlety is not an option in Fok’s repertoire, and it shows in the most painful way possible. To confound things, the script is awful, resulting in Yen delivering his most teeth grindingly irritating performance in years. Special ID takes all of his most annoying traits from his other movies, and dials them up to 11 – the pretentious mouthing off, the overly cocky posing, and the complete lack of any danger that he may lose a fight.

I’m fine with blaming the script for his performance, until I remembered that it was Yen’s tampering with it to give his character more screen time which has resulted in the movie being what it is. On is in fantastic shape, and threatens to steal the show from Yen, both in acting and action, whenever he’s onscreen. It’s perhaps for this reason that he doesn’t seem to be onscreen half as much as he should be, and is also most likely the reason why Zhao left the movie in the first place.

Of course in the golden days of 1980’s Hong Kong action cinema poor plots, goofy acting performances, and jarring tonal shifts were all par for the course. We were there for the action, and as long as that delivered, we left with a smile on our face. So, while I’d like that to be the case here, for me the fights also fell flat. Yen is a pioneering force in fight choreography, and has been since he successfully infused the Hong Kong style of choreography with the grappling and locks of MMA, back in Sha Po Lang and Flash Point. Special ID shifts things too far over into the realm of MMA choreography, which unless you’re a practitioner of the sport itself, just doesn’t come across as particularly exciting onscreen.

An inordinate amount of time in each fight scene is spent on the ground grappling and rolling around, which while exiting to watch in say, a UFC match because you know it’s real, in a movie that sense of immediacy and danger just isn’t there. Yen also falls back onto one of his old bad habits, in that hardly anyone seems to be able to lay a finger on him. After scuttling about on all fours being chased by Ken Lo, he’s quickly laid to waste, a restaurant brawl has Yen against a gang of about 20 with not one of them even getting close to touching him, and even the final showdown against On eventually becomes a one-man beat down.

As a result, it’s actually waif like actress Jiang Tian who gets the most exciting fight scene, when she scuffles with Andy On in a moving car as part of a car chase which is arguably the best action sequence of the movie, and sadly also the one Yen had no hand in – it was constructed by Bruce Law, also responsible for the amazing car chase in the recently released The Raid 2.

Special ID ends with Yen dishing out some life advice via voiceover, while onscreen he jumps for joy in slow motion on the rooftop of a building. For those who have still managed to keep watching up until this point, far from wanting to jump for joy on top of a building, your feeling is more likely to be that of wanting to jump off one.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 4/10

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