Escape to Athena | DVD (Henstooth Video)

Posted on May 14, 2014 by JJ Bona
Escape to Athena | DVD (Henstooth Video)

Escape to Athena | DVD (Henstooth Video)

RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2014

Henstooth Video presents the DVD for 1979’s Escape to Athena, directed by George P. Cosmatos (Rambo: First Blood Part II). Roger Moore took a break from the James Bond franchise (between 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me and 1979’s Moonraker) to film this action gem about a group of World War II POWs who plan to escape from their Nazi captors and retrieve valuable stolen art at the same time. Escape to Athena also stars Telly Savalas, Stefanie Powers, Claudia Cardinale, Richard Roundtree, Sonny Bono and Elliott Gould. Still not sold? Then watch the trailer!

Pre-order Escape to Athena from Amazon.com today!

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

Deal on Fire! Gojira | Blu-ray | Only $9.49 – Expires soon!

Posted on May 14, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Gojira" Blu-ray Cover

"Gojira" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 1954’s Gojira (aka Godzilla), Ishiro Honda’s original and uncut Japanese-language version. Critically acclaimed as a bold anti-nuclear allegory and one of the greatest monster movies of all time. Also included is Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956), the popular “Americanized” version starring Raymond Burr as a reporter covering Godzilla’s rampage. Gojira stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. Before you see the remake, see the original!

Order Gojira from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Seven Warriors (1989) Review

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Paul Bramhall
"Seven Warriors" DVD Cover

“Seven Warriors” DVD Cover

Director: Terry Tong
Writer: Tsang Kan Cheung
Producer: John Sham
Cast: Chen Jing, Adam Cheng, Jacky Cheung, Lisa Chiao Chiao, Elaine Kam, Benz Kong, Philip Kwok, Ben Lam, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Lo Lieh, Teresa Mo, Max Mok Siu Chung, Shing Fui On, Wu Ma, Sammo Hung
Running Time: 94 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The sterling team over at Well Go USA recently released the little known Hong Kong movie Seven Warriors on both DVD and Blu-ray format, and I got around to watching it this week. First up, I think it’s important to point out that specifically for this release, the back of the sleeve proudly declares – “Legendary actor, stuntman, fight choreographer and pioneer of Hong Kong’s New Wave Movement, Sammo Hung directs (and appears in) a rousing retelling of Akira Kurosawa’s SEVEN SAMURAI.” Ok, let’s just get this out of the way, Sammo doesn’t direct it, in fact the same sleeve features the movie credits just a few inches below, which clearly state ‘Directed by Terry Tong’! As for his appearance, it clocks in at less than two minutes, and those two minutes take place before the opening credits have even finished rolling, so this is not a movie to purchase based on the Sammo Hung factor.

That being said, it’s hard to get mad at the Well Go guys, as apparently even at the time of its release it used Sammo’s name to appeal to a wider audience, so a quarter of a century later not a whole lot has changed. The claim that he is the director though is just a brazen lie, he has no connection to the production in any way with the exception of his few seconds of screen time. So, what does that leave us with? Hollywood gave us its own take on Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1954 movie, The Seven Samurai, with the 1960 western The Magnificent Seven, and a whole 35 years after the original, Hong Kong decided to try its hand at retelling the tale with Seven Warriors.

In place of feudal Japan and the wild west of America, Seven Warriors transports the tale to 1920’s China, when warlords were ruling the land. When a rural village that relies on its annual harvest to get by becomes the target of a group of marauding bandits, they decide the only way to survive is to head into the city and try to enlist some soldiers to help them put up a fight against their attackers.

I would hazard a guess that part of the reason Seven Warriors has become a largely forgotten production is its failure to live up to the promise such an all-start cast bring to the table. Director Tong enlists Shaw Brothers legend Lo Lieh as the villainous head bandit (you know he’s bad because half his face is covered by a mole, complete with protruding hairs), the star of the Venoms crew Philip Kwok plays the villager on a mission to enlist help to defend his village, and then you have the titular seven themselves. Lead by Adam Cheng, he’s backed up by Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Max Mok, Wu Ma, Jacky Cheung, Shing Fui On, and Ben Lam.

Expectations should be duly set for a showdown which involves plenty of heroic bloodshed and kung-fu, but these expectations are only partly met. For an hour of its run time Seven Warriors plays out focusing on the plight of the village and the formation of the seven warriors, while minor conflicts are developed between certain characters which frankly, do little to generate interest or hold attention. Thankfully, actors like Tony Leung Chiu-wai, even at this early stage of his career, have enough charisma and charm to make proceedings watchable, and events move along towards the big showdown at an acceptable pace.

The big showdown of course, without kidding ourselves, it what we’re all here for. Sammo Hung may be nowhere to be seen, but Jacky Cheung has just spent a good portion of the run time teaching the villagers how to fight, one of which is Kwok, and Ben Lam has been introduced as being deadly accurate with a throwing knife, and not too shabby with his feet either. It’s time to see them let loose. Unfortunately, that time never really comes. Yes a lot of bullets are exchanged, and a mounted machine gun is even thrown into the mix, which evokes thoughts of both The Wild Bunch and Boxer Rebellion, but somehow all of the action comes across as rather perfunctory. Those looking for their martial arts fix will be left most disappointed of all, as Kwok doesn’t get to do anything, and Lam’s skills are used for a mere few seconds.

Seven Warriors isn’t a bad movie per se, it just lacks any stand out moments to elevate it above being anything other than average. None of the actors put in particularly poor performances, they just all have movies were they’ve done much better. If you want to check out Tong Leung Chiu-wai playing the naive do-gooder there’s My Heart is That Eternal Rose, if you want to see Ben Lam fully let loose there’s Angry Ranger, and if you want to see Max Mok busting out the moves there’s Night Life Hero. A director like Terry Tong was never going to mistaken as being in the same league as Akira Kurosawa, and indeed he only sat in the directors chair for a total of 7 movies, the most famous of which is 1982’s Coolie Killer. Here he has all the ingredients for what could be a fantastic adventure romp, but it never really seems to get past the simmering stage, when what we all want to see is things boiling over.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10

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

Put Up Your Dux: The Story of Frank Dux (2010) Review

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Jeff Bona
"Put Up Your Dux: The Story of Frank Dux" Theatrical Poster

“Put Up Your Dux: The Story of Frank Dux” Theatrical Poster

AKA: The True Story of JCVD Bloodsport
Director: Jesse Barrett-Mills
Co-director: Daniel Gallai
Cast: Frank Dux, Joe Fiorentino, Jeff Langton, Sheldon Lettich, Brian Thompson, Vic Moore
Running Time: 70 min.

By Jeff Bona

If you’re a fan of 1988’s Bloodsport, then you might be familiar with the name Frank Dux. If not – or if you’ve forgotten – here’s a refresher: In Bloodsport, the name of the character Jean-Claude Van Damme portrays is a guy named Frank Dux, a real life American martial artist who supposedly lived though the events portrayed in Bloodsport, hence the “Based on on a true story” tag that was slapped on the film’s initial VHS release. The main focal point of Bloodsport’s plot is Dux’ participation in a deadly, underground fight tournament known as the Kumite.

In most cases, when the name “Frank Dux” is brought up to a reputable martial artist, they’ll reply back by calling Dux a fraud, liar or con artist. Then you have that other small percentage of people, including four-time world karate champion Vic Moore, who says that Dux is “one of the top fighters today because of what he went through…” The next thing you know, you hear a rumor that Dux bought his martial arts trophies at a local trophy store.

In a series of archival footage and interviews – mostly from Dux himself – Put Up Your Dux: The Story of Frank Dux examines the highly debatable Dux story, and by the end of its 70-minute duration, it’s up to the audience to decide whether Dux’ life is fact or fantasy.

First and foremost, there’s no evidence of the Kumite ever existing. Many people, especially those in the martial arts community, believe that Dux made it up to sell a screenplay – but that’s just the tip of the ice berg. There’s a lot more to Dux than his supposed Kumite competition…

The controversial martial artist is also known for breaking bullet proof glass with his bare hands, as well as being a master of the “death touch,” (the ability to bare-handedly strike through layered thin bricks, only to break the bottom thick brick, leaving the first layer of thin bricks intact) which can obviously be a fatal technique if used against an opponent. Although there is no actual “film” of the Kumite, there is footage of Dux breaking glass and performing the “death touch.” However, skeptics dismiss the footage as being fake or staged.

Things get really strange when the documentary goes into Dux’ life as an undercover CIA operative, complete with propagana-like “home video” footage of Dux walking the Ukraine streets in a James Bond-like suit, as well as questionable interviews with anonymous Russian agents (via voice changer to hide their identities) who authenticate Dux as a legit secret agent. During these scenes, Dux clearly states that he was on a mission to recover biological weapons from terrorist organizations. In fact, he has even written his own book titled The Secret Man: An American Warrior’s Uncensored Story, which is described as “a true-life espionage account chronicles the exploits of a former CIA hitman who performed highly classified missions and who masked his covert operations under his international reputation as a martial arts black belt.”

Regardless if Dux’ life is fact or fantasy, Put Up Your Dux: The Story of Frank Dux is both an interesting documentary and a solid character study. One minute, it feels like a mockumentary; the next minute, you actually feel bad for the guy. For instance, during an autograph session at a martial arts convention in the 90s, Dux was knocked out by MMA fighter Zane Frazier (who was supposedly wearing brass knuckles). After the incident, Dux checked into a hospital to treat the injuries caused by Frazier, only to discover a massive tumor in his brain. As a result, Dux lost the use of one side of his body (including one of his eyes), which eventually led to memory loss. It was around this time that his wife aborted their child and divorced him. Additionally, he had to shut down many of his dojos due to his disability.

What really makes Put Up Your Dux: The Story of Frank Dux shine is the rare archival footage: Dux’ appearances on shows like That’s Incredible (circa 70s), obscure tabloid talk shows (circa 90s), news interviews, and even an HBO special that aired around the time of Bloodsport’s cable premier. Also featured are snippets from the “Dux vs. Van Damme” Court TV footage (In 1998, Dux filed a lawsuit against Van Damme, claiming that 1997’s The Quest was based off a 1991 screenplay he co-wrote with Van Damme which was then-called The Kumite: Enter the New Dragon).

Adding to its pacing are interviews with various acquaintances and friends, such as filmmaker Sheldon Lettich, who worked with Dux on Bloodsport, Lionheart, Double Impact and Only the Strong. At one point, Lettich explains that Dux “started becoming an embarrassment” on various film sets.

I was shocked to find out Put Up Your Dux: The Story of Frank Dux was panned by audiences. The negative response definitely has something to do with how it was marketed. In most countries, Put Up Your Dux: The Story of Frank Dux was changed to the totally misleading title The True Story of JCVD Bloodsport (click here to view artwork). To make things even more bizarre, the Blu-ray was released in 3D, which makes no sense at all. With a title like The True Story of JCVD Bloodsport, anyone would be disappointed if it wasn’t solely about Van Damme and the film Bloodsport. They should have called it Bloodsport: The Frank Dux Story – not only does this title make sense, it’s also highly marketable.

Put Up Your Dux: The Story of Frank Dux may not have the budget or slickness of a PBS documentary, so it has its production/editing hiccups here and there. Other than that very minor flaw, this film is highly recommended. Cheers to filmmakers Jesse Barrett-Mills and Daniel Gallai for making it!

Jeff Bona‘s Rating: 8/10

Posted in Asian Related, Documentary, News, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Legendary | DVD (Lionsgate)

Posted on May 8, 2014 by JJ Bona
Legendary | DVD (Lionsgate)

Legendary | DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: July 29, 2014

Lionsgate presents the DVD for Legendary (aka Legendary: Tomb of the Dragon). Travis Preston (Scott Adkins) assembles his team for an expedition to a remote region in China’s hinterland, where a wild animal that the locals believe to be a primeval monster they call the “Shocate” is said to roam free. Travis’s nemesis Jim Harker (Dolph Lundgren), a merciless trophy hunter, has already set up camp. A race against time ensues, and Travis and his team will have to pool all their resources if they want to capture this legendary creature alive. Note: Even though Adkins stars, be aware that this is not a martial arts movie. Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Legendary from Amazon.com today!

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

Martial Arts Movie Marathon Vol. 2 | DVD (Shout! Factory)

Posted on May 8, 2014 by JJ Bona
Martial Arts Movie Marathon Vol. 2 | DVD (Shout! Factory)

Martial Arts Movie Marathon Vol. 2 | DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: August 19, 2014

Shout! Factory presents the DVD for the Martial Arts Movie Marathon Vol. 2, which contains four classic Golden Harvest movies on two discs. This set includes 1973’s The Fate of Lee Khan with Li Hua Li, Roy Chiao, Feng Hsu, Ying Bai, Feng Tien and Angela Mao; 1974’s The Shaolin Boxers with James Yien; 1977’s The Shaolin Plot with Chan Sing, Cheung Ging Boh and Sammo Hung Kam Bo; and 1975’s The Young Dragons with Cheng Lui, Chiang Nan and Chin Yuet Sang – directed by John Woo! Also available is the Martial Arts Movie Marathon Vol. 1.

Pre-order Martial Arts Movie Marathon Vol. 2 from Amazon.com today!

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

Cityonfire.com’s ‘Special ID’ Blu-ray Giveaway! – WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Posted on May 6, 2014 by JJ Bona
Special ID | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Special ID | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Special ID to three lucky Cityonfire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment to this post telling us what your favorite action movie is (from any country), along with a brief explanation of why it’s your favorite. We will be selecting three winners 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 Special ID will be officially released on May 13, 2014, so we will announce the 3 winners on this date and ship out the prizes immediately. Please read the disclaimer below.

CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by May 12th to qualify. Also, because Well Go USA holds the film’s U.S. rights, only U.S. residents may enter the contest. 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.

WINNERS: Congratulations to Justin B., Sito and Emanuel H. You have all been notified via email.

Posted in News | Tagged |

The month of May brings monsters, mayhem and martial arts!

Posted on May 6, 2014 by JJ Bona
Journey to the West | Blu-ray & DVD (Magnolia)

Journey to the West | Blu-ray & DVD (Magnolia)

For those of you looking to add a number of exciting Blu-ray & DVD titles to your collection, get ready for one hell of a list! The month of May is packed with monsters, mayhem and martial arts action!

If you’re a fan of the Godzilla franchise, a total of 11 films are releasing – many of them for the first time on Blu-ray!

Asian and Martial arts highlights include Donnie Yen’s Special ID, Stephen Chow’s Journey to the West, Shout! Factory’s Martial Arts Movie Marathon, Zoe Bell’s Raze, as well as a creepy Vietnamese horror film called House in the Alley (it’s rated 8.1/10 on imdb.com) – be sure to skim the full list, because there’s a lot more titles we didn’t mention.

For your convenience, we listed titles 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 appreciate it!

Predator Trilogy: May 6, 2014
20th Century Fox presents the Predator Trilogy on Blu-ray. This 3-disc set includes 1987’s Predator, 1990’s Predator 2 and 2010’s Predators (aka Predator 3). Not included are the AVP spin-off titles (let’s face it, those were pretty lame anyways).

Double Feature: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah & Godzilla vs. Megaguirus: May 6, 2014
Sony presents the Blu-ray for 1995’s Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and 2000’s Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. In Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, the aftermath of the Oxygen Destroyer brings forth Destoroyah, a beast intent on killing Godzilla, who is on the verge of a nuclear meltdown. In Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla is back! This time, Japan has a new weapon: Megaguirus! Now a 3-way battle begins between Godzilla, Megaguirus and the humans beings!

Double Feature: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II & Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla: May 6, 2014
Sony presents the Blu-ray for 1993’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and 1994’s Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla. In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, the United Nations assembles the ultimate weapon to defeat Godzilla, while scientists discover a fresh pteranodon egg on a remote Japanese island. In 1994’s Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla, Godzilla is threatened by both Mogera – another UN built machine; and Space Godzilla, a beast spawned from Godzilla’s particles in space.

Double Feature: Godzilla: Final Wars & Godzilla: Tokyo SOS: May 6, 2014
Sony presents the Blu-ray for 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars and 2003’s Godzilla: Tokyo SOS. In Godzilla: Final Wars, Godzilla travels around the world to fight his old foes plus a new, mysterious monster named Monster X. In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, one year after the fight between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla, the two monsters along with Mothra face off in a conclusive battle royal.

Double Feature: Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and Godzilla vs. Mothra: May 6, 2014
Sony presents the Blu-ray for 1991’s Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and 1992’s Godzilla vs. Mothra. In Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah time travelers use Godzilla in their scheme to destroy Japan to prevent the country’s future economic reign. In Godzilla vs. Mothra in the midst of another rampage by Godzilla, Mothra emerges to save the human race from Battra.

Godzilla vs Gigan: Godzilla on Monster Island: May 6, 2014
Section 23 presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1972’s Godzilla vs Gigan: Godzilla on Monster Island (aka Earth Destruction Directive: Godzilla vs. Gigan), directed by Jun Fukuda (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla). A man begins to suspect that something is wrong about his employers; meanwhile, Godzilla and Anguirus are alerted to something strange going on.

Ebirah – Horror of the Deep: Godzilla vs the Sea Monster: May 6, 2014
Section 23 presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1966’s Ebirah – Horror of the Deep: Godzilla vs the Sea Monster (aka Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Big Duel in the South Seas), directed by Jun Fukuda (Son of Godzilla). A young man steals a boat to find his brother, but he and his shipmates become shipwrecked on a mysterious island inhabited by a giant sea monster and a slumbering Godzilla.

Godzilla vs Hedorah: Godzilla vs the Smog Monster: May 6, 2014
Section 23 presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1971’s Godzilla vs Hedorah: Godzilla vs the Smog Monster, directed by Yoshimitsu Banno (Ninja, the Wonder Boy). From Earth’s pollution a new monster is spawned. Hedorah, the smog monster, destroys Japan and fights Godzilla while spewing his poisonous gas to further the damage.

Jackie Chan: 8 Film 2-Disc Collection: May 6, 2014
Shout! Factory presents the DVD for the Jackie Chan: 8 Film 2-Disc Collection, which includes 1978’s Dragon Fist, 1978’s Magnificent Bodyguards, 1980’s Battle Creek Brawl, 1985’s The Protector, 1985’s Police Story, 1988’s Police Story 2, 1993’s Crime Story and 1993’s City Hunter.

Special ID: May 13, 2014
Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Clarence Fok’s Special Identity, which stars Donnie Yen. A cop (Yen) and his team of comrades go undercover in one of China’s most ruthless underworld organizations to stop a gang leader, only to put themselves in great danger after being exposed one by one.

Mortal Kombat: 3-Disc Collection: May 13, 2014
Warners presents the Mortal Kombat 3-Disc Collection on Blu-ray. This set includes 1995’s Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2: Annihilation and 2011’s Mortal Kombat: Legacy.

Martial Arts Movie Marathon: May 20, 2014
Shout! Factory presents the DVD for the Martial Arts Movie Marathon, which contains four classic Golden Harvest movies on two discs. This set includes 1974’s The Skyhawk with Kwan Tak Hing, Sammo Hung, Carter Wong and Nora Miao; 1974’s The Manchu Boxer with Anthony Lau Wing, Sammo Hung and Wilson Tong; 1975’s The Dragon Tamers (aka Belles of Taekwondo) with Carter Wong, James Tien and Ji Han Jae – directed by John Woo! And last, but not least, 1975’s The Association with Byong Yu, Tien Nei, Angela Mao Ying and Carter Wong.

Raze: May 20, 2014
MPI Home Video presents the DVD for Josh C. Waller’s Raze, a horror/action film, that focuses on a bunch of women who are forced to fight each other using their bare hands. The film stars Zoe Bell (Death Proof), Rachel Nichols (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), Sherilyn Fenn (Fist of the Warrior) Rosario Dawson (Death Proof) and Tracie Thoms (Death Proof).

Eastern Bandits: May 27, 2014
Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Eastern Bandits (aka An Inaccurate Memoir) directed by Leon Yang Shu Peng (The Robbers). A group of bandits led by Fang (Huang Xiaoming) and his sister (Zhang Xinyi) sets out to kidnap a rich groom (Zhang Yi) who has a secret identity.

House in the Alley: May 27, 2014
Shout! Factory presents the DVD for House in the Alley (aka Ngoi Nha Trong Hem), a Vietnamese horror film directed by Le-Van Kiet. Until they lose their baby to a miscarriage, a young couple was happily settling into their new home. After the tragedy, normal life eludes them as terrifying visions undermine their sanity. Think Insidious with a spice of Asian horror!

Journey to the West: May 27, 2014
Magnolia presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Stephen Chow’s (Kung Fu Hustle) Journey to the West, a story centered on Tang Sanzang, a Buddhist trying to protect a village from three demons, his emerging feelings for Miss Duan, the demon hunter who helps him repeatedly, and Sanzang’s transformative encounter with the Monkey King.

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 The Four II, Hwayi and Jackie Chan’s latest, Police Story 2013!

Also, be sure to enter our current Blu-ray and DVD contests!

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, News |

In The Blood | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

Posted on May 6, 2014 by JJ Bona
In The Blood | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

In The Blood | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

RELEASE DATE: June 3, 2014

Anchor Bay presents the Blu-ray & DVD for In The Blood. When her husband goes missing during their Caribbean vacation, a woman (Gina Carano) sets off on her own to take down the men she thinks are responsible. In the Blood is directed by John Stockwell (Into the Blue) and stars Gina Carano, Stephen Lang, Luis Guzman, Amaury Nolasco, Cam Gigandet, Danny Trejo, Treat Williams, Ismael Cruz Cordova and Yvette Yates. Watch the film’s first trailer!

Pre-order In The Blood from Amazon.com today!

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

Deadful Melody (1994) Review

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Paul Bramhall
"Deadful Melody" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Deadful Melody” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Deadly Melody
Director: Ng Min Kan
Cast: Brigitte Lin, Yuen Biao, Carina Lau, Elvis Tsui, Wu Ma, David Lam, Peter Chan Lung, Chung Fat, Cheng Song, Siu Wing-Sang, Zheng Shuang, Lee Kin
Running Time: 93 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Reading reviews for Deadful Melody is somewhat of a fun exercise in itself. Depending on if the reviewer thinks it’s a good or bad movie tends to depend of their expectations of it. On the one hand, you have the Yuen Biao fanatics. One of the Three Dragons, the other two being Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, Biao was easily the most physically gifted of the three, seemingly capable of performing the most amazing acrobatic feats without breaking a sweat. Throw in the fact he had an ability to pull of some jaw dropping fight choreography, and it’s somewhat understandable that these skills are what his fan base pretty much expected from every movie he was in.

On the other hand, you have the fans of the 90’s Hong Kong new wave wuxia movies. Wuxia movies take place in the ‘martial arts world’, and if any comparison must be made, you could say they’re like macho versions of the western worlds fairy tales. Full of noble swordsman, treacherous villains, and exotic weaponry, everything in the world of wuxia is highly exaggerated and dramatic, to the point were you shouldn’t bat an eyelid when people start to fly. The Shaw Brothers movies of the 60s and 70s were filled with entries into the wuxia genre, before it slowly died out during the 80s. However the likes of directors Tsui Hark and Ching Siu Tung brought it back with a bang in the 90s, with a series of highly stylized movies which were heavily reliant on mind boggling wire-work and explosive set pieces.

Deadful Melody will only satisfy one of these two fan bases, and it’s the latter. To this day there seems to be no other genre that divides kung-fu movie fans as there does the wuxia movie. It’s perfectly normal to see complaints demanding to know why people are flying and twirling about in the air, however these complaints are the equivalent of complaining about magic being used in a Harry Potter movie, or fantastical beasts showing up in the Lord of the Rings. Wuxia movies are usually based on traditional Chinese swordsplay novels, and have a poetic quality to their visual style, as was often found in the Shaw Brothers movies of the past. Fluttering reams of silk in slow motion, whimsical musings on what it means to be the best swordsman in the land, and yes, said swordsman defying gravity at every given moment are all part of the deal.

By the time the 90’s had rolled around, the directors of the new wave took these tales, and gave them a forcible injection of adrenaline. This led to the creation of a plethora of movies with a distinctive visual style, somewhat madcap plotting, and highly exaggerated and energetic action sequences which often involved whole trees being uprooted and thrown at each other, bodies exploding into puffs of dust, and buildings being obliterated with single sword strokes. 1992 gave us Swordsman 2, 1993 gave us Butterfly and Sword, and in 1994, we had Deadful Melody.

The iconic actress Brigitte Lin plays a mysterious woman who, clearly channeling the character she played in the hugely popular The Bride with White Hair movies made a year earlier, entrusts Yuen Biao as the head of a security company to deliver a lyre, a type of Chinese musical instrument, to a clan headquarters. The lyre in question also happens to be one of the most powerful martial arts weapons in the world which, if played correctly, can render anyone in its melodies path to die within a few steps. It’s worth pointing out that when I say ‘die’, I specifically mean start pouring blood from every orifice before exploding into a whirl of dust and silk.

Of course Biao doesn’t have it easy on his journey to make the delivery, as he regularly finds himself being tracked down by various scoundrels attempting to steal the lyre and use it to gain dominance over the martial arts world. Amongst them are the late great Wu Ma, playing a clan leader called Fire, who sports a skin tone which looks like he spent the year before production on a sunbed, and Elvis Tsui as Ghost, another clan leader who hilariously declares upon hearing of his sons death that he couldn’t care less, as long as he manages to get his hands on the lyre his son doesn’t matter! These details should give you some indication as to the zaniness of the plot, and true to how it sounds the movie speeds along at a break neck pace barely stopping for breath.

The action comes thick and fast as well, choreographed with an equal level of wild abandon as the plot. In the hands of action director Meng Hoi people twirl through the air and spin through trees at a hundred miles an hour, heads are kicked off bodies, characters have drums the size of trucks hurled at them, bodies explode in splashes of multicolored dust, and a single punch can send you flying like a human cannonball. What’s truly joyful to watch in Deadful Melody so many years later is to appreciate just how much skill must have gone into creating the action scenes. Recently Tsui Hark has recaptured the zany tone of the new wave movies with his Detective Dee series, and as effective as the CGI is in these efforts, to witness the level of chaos on screen in Deadful Melody and appreciate that it’s all taking place exactly how you see it, using practical effects and highly complex wire-work, is a wonder to behold.

It is of course these exact reasons why for fans of Yuen Biao this movie is a disappointment. Although it’s great to see him sharing the screen with Brigitte Lin, it’s worth noting that Biao’s career was already in a bit of a slump in 1994. Deadful Melody was made in the middle of such lesser efforts as The Sword Stained with Royal Blood and Tough Beauty and the Sloppy Slop (probably the worst English misspelling of any HK movie out there). Biao is a performer who seemed to need his fellow opera school brothers Sammo and Jackie to bring out the best in him, as can be seen in any of their collaborations together, but out on his own he never fared as strongly. While Biao does perform some acrobatics and displays his trademark nimbleness at some points in Deadful Melody, the movie is by no means a showcase for his talents. But as I mentioned, during the 90’s, not much was.

All in all Deadful Melody is an entertaining ride, but it’s for those of us who love The Bride with White Hair and Swordsman II, rather than those of us who love Above the Law and Knockabout. Well worth a watch for some wild and wacky wuxia insanity.

Paul Bramhall Rating: 7/10

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

‘Tell Me Something’ director returns with ‘The Peaceful Island’

Posted on May 2, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Tell Me Something" Korean Theatrical Poster

"Tell Me Something" Korean Theatrical Poster

Filmmaker Chang Yoon-hyun, director of 1999’s Tell Me Something, is prepping an upcoming survivor horror film titled The Peaceful Island. According to THR, the movie is about ocean surveyors who survive an emergency landing on a bizarre desert island and their struggles to escape (photo from the film).

The Peaceful Island – a Korean/Chinese co-production – stars Stanley Huang (Dear Enemy), Leon Dai (Control) and Jiao Yun Yan. If you haven’t seen Chang Yoon-hyun’s Tell Me Something, definitely check it out. It’s along the lines of David Fincher’s Seven, only with more body parts floating around.

The Peaceful Island will be released domestically later this year. Check back with us for the trailer!

Posted in News |

Eddie Murphy gets into ‘Rush Hour’ with ‘Beverly Hills Cop 4′

Posted on May 2, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Beverly Hills Cop 3" Theatrical Poster

"Beverly Hills Cop 3" Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Beverly Hills Cop 4 is currently being developed. Eddie Murphy is expected to reprise is role as a reckless, but charismatic Beverly Hills police detective. The original 1984 film, which made Murphy and international star, was directed by Martin Brest. It was followed by two sequels, Beverly Hills Cop 2 and Beverly Hills Cop 3, which were directed by Tony Scott and John Landis, respectively.

Updates: AICN reports that the Eddie Murphy quashed any talks of a fourquel which was supposed to be directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour series), but that he is looking into a TV spin-off featuring lead character Axel Foley’s son. | THR via MTV got word from director Brett Ratner that he’s still determined to make the movie eventually.

Now that Paramount Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer are back in business, their first project together is Beverly Hills Cop 4 (which will be followed by a Top Gun 2). Both Eddie Murphy and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) are on board. Deadline reports that Foley (Eddie Murphy) will be returning to his Detroit roots for the fourth movie.

BREAKING NEWS: Beverly Hills Cop 4 has a target release date for March 25, 2016. The heat is on!

Posted in News |

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance: Ultimate Revenge Edition | Blu-ray (Palisades Tartan)

Posted on May 1, 2014 by JJ Bona
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance: Ultimate Revenge Edition | Blu-ray (Palisades Tartan)

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance: Ultimate Revenge Edition | Blu-ray (Palisades Tartan)

RELEASE DATE: July 22, 2014

Palisades Tartan presents the Blu-ray for Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance: Ultimate Revenge Edition. Directed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy), Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is not an easy film to watch, but it’s well-crafted masterpiece! The film follows a recently laid off factory worker (Shin Ha-kyun) who kidnaps his former boss’ daughter, hoping to use the ransom money to pay for his sister’s kidney transplant. His plan goes haywire and unleashes a series of savage events. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance also stars Song Kang-ho (Snowpiercer) and Bae Doona (Cloud Atlas).

Pre-order Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance: Ultimate Revenge Edition from Amazon.com today!

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

New posters for ‘The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom’

Posted on May 1, 2014 by JJ Bona
"The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director Jacob Cheung (A Battle of Wits) is back with a wuxia-fantasy 3D film titled The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom. Penned by Liang Yusheng (The Bride with White Hair, Seven Swords), the film revolves around a pair of star-crossed lovers – a devilish outlaw (Fan Bingbing) and the righteous Taoist leader (Huang Xiaoming), and their love that could change the fate of the nation.

The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom also stars Vincent Zhao, Wang Xuebing, Yan Kuan, Li Ruxin, Du Yiheng and Nicholas Tse.

Given Fan Bingbing’s rising popularity around the globe, we’re sure that a company like Well Go USA has already acquired the film’s North American rights. Until then, feast on the trailer.

Update: Scope out the newest poster. | Newer poster, as well as an English-subtitled trailer. | The release date  for The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom has been moved from April to early August of 2014, due to the its competitive time slot.

BREAKING NEWS: Here’s a couple of new posters, featuring Wang Xuebing and Fan Bingbing.

Posted in News |

Revenge is a dish best served with ‘Asian School Girls’

Posted on May 1, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Asian School Girls" Promotional Poster

"Asian School Girls" Promotional Poster

Asylum Home Entertainment is at it again! With a catalogue that features knockoff titles like Titanic II, The Terminators and American Warships – not to mention outrageous thrillers such as Airplane vs. Volcano, Sharknado and 2-Headed Shark Attack – it was only a matter of time before this exploitive, low-budget film company ventured into the martial arts genre with Asian School Girls.

Directed by Lawrence Silverstein (Freerunner), Asian School Girls is about a group of Asian girls (Minnie Scarlet, Sam Aotaki, Andray Johnson and Alan Pietruzewski) who must fight and seduce their way to vengeance!

Without further ado, here’s the trailer. Asian School Girls is currently available on DVD… just in time for Mother’s Day!

Posted in News |
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