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 |

Can Olivier Gruner survive ‘Sector 4: Extraction’?

Posted on April 30, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Sector 4: Extraction" DVD Cover

"Sector 4: Extraction" DVD Cover

Martial arts star Olivier Gruner, who is best known for 1989’s Angel Town and 1992’s Nemesis, is back in Lionsgate’s Sector 4: Extraction. In addition to being the star, Gruner is also the director and co-writer. This upcoming action thriller also stars Salman Bokhari (Hawaii Five-0), Steven Dell (Re-Generator) and Eric Roberts (Best of the Best).

Sector 4: Extraction is more of a low budget version of 2013’s Lone Survivor, so expect hand-to-hand combat sequences to be very limited. However, this “war” themed film is more suitable for Gruner than you think, considering he’s real-life former Commando Marine.

Here’s the official plot: When an elite band of private military mercenaries known as Black Knight are caught behind enemy lines in the hellish combat zone Sector 4, their only hope for survival is their team leader, who managed to get away. But after escaping the clutches of Al-Qaeda, returning home and finding out that his men are still alive, he pledges to uphold the Black Knight motto: “No One Left Behind.”

Catch the DVD for Sector 4: Extraction on July 22, 2014. Until then, here’s the trailer.

Posted in News |

Man of Tai Chi (2013) Review

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Dirac
"Man of Tai Chi" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Man of Tai Chi” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Keanu Reeves
Writer: Michael G. Cooney
Cast: Tiger Chen, Keanu Reeves, Karen Mok, Simon Yam, Iko Uwais, Ye Qing, Chan Chi Chun, Sam Lee, Yu Hai, Steve Yoo Seung Jun, Michael Tong
Running Time: 105 min.

By Dirac

I was really curious about this film, given that it’s Keanu Reeves’ directorial debut. The lead character, Chen Lin-Hu is portrayed by Tiger Hu Chen, an accomplished martial artist and stuntman. Combine all this with the fact that the cast is rounded out by Simon Yam and Karen Mok (plus a very cool cameo by Iko Uwais!), and you’ve got a film that I’m interested in seeing.

The story revolves around Tiger Hu Chen, a practitioner of Tai Chi who works a thankless day job. As he is struggling to make ends meet, he competes in televised martial arts tournaments in Beijing. His success in showcasing the true power of Tai Chi in this setting gets the attention of Donaka Mark (played by Reeves himself), who then makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Sun Jingshi (Karen Mok) and Wong (Simon Yam) are police officers investigating Donaka Mark’s crime syndicate.

The skills of Tiger Hu Chen really make this one worth checking out; the fights (staged by the legendary Yuen Woo Ping) are well-choreographed and intricate, and I think that without him as the lead this movie would’ve been somewhat bland. Also, I’m not saying that Reeves does a bad job in the acting department, but his delivery always comes off as creepy. I don’t know if this was by design or what, but it just comes off as being really weird. There are some moments of the film when I wanted to use some of his facial expressions as animated GIFs to use as avatars in forums.

Another awesome highlight is the cameo made by Iko Uwais during a short fight scene with the protagonist near the end of the film. He’s a rising star in Asian action cinema, and lemme tell you: go see Raid 2: Berandal while it is still in theaters.

In terms of production quality I also have to give Reeves credit for the film’s slick delivery. Its $25 million budged was well-spent making the sets and environments look very cool and modern, and it made me want to visit Hong Kong in the same way that Flash Point did. Also, I really enjoy the thumpin’ soundtrack.

To summarize, Man of Tai Chi a solid directorial debut for Keanu Reeves, and I really hope to see more from Tiger Hu Chen. I recommend it.

Dirac’s Rating: 7/10

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

The Suspect | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Posted on April 28, 2014 by JJ Bona
The Suspect | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

The Suspect | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: July 22, 2014

Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for The Suspect. Directed by Won Shin-yun (Seven Days, A Bloody Aria), this high-octane Korean film follows a North Korean secret agent who is betrayed by his government. On a mission of revenge, he heads to the South and cuts a warpath through deadly assassins and rival agents, all the while trying to unravel the conspiracy he’s found himself in the middle of. The film stars Gong Yoo and Park Hee-soon. Watch the trailer.

Pre-order The Suspect from Amazon.com today!

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

Monstrous international trailer for the ‘Godzilla’ reboot

Posted on April 28, 2014 by JJ Bona
"Godzilla" IMAC Theatrical Poster

"Godzilla" IMAC Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: The world’s most famous monster is pitted against malevolent creatures who, bolstered by humanity’s scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.

Godzilla is directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters) and written by David Callaham (The Expendables), David S. Goyer (Dark Knight) and Max Borenstein (The Seventh Son). It stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston and Elizabeth Olsen. Tentative release date is set for May 16, 2014.

Updates: Legendary Pictures has tweeted an on set photo of Akira Takarada and Gareth Edwards.| Comic Con Poster. | First poster.

Viral videos: 1 | 2. | First official images. | First trailer and check out the new poster. Also, be sure to watch the international trailer and TV spot, which contain slightly different footage. | New behind-the-scenes featurette, courtesy of Yahoo. | Don’t miss the spine-tingling new trailer! | Newest poster.

Check out Empire Magazine’s Godzilla cover, courtesy of Collider. And in case you missed it, here’s the latest trailer. | Want a clear image of what the new Godzilla looks like? Well, Collider has a peak by means of the toy. For those who have some extra bucks to throw away, it’s available right now at amazon.com. The toy is 24” tall, over 40” long and features a swinging tail. | New international trailer. | Latest poster. | Two new TV spots: Spot 1 | Spot 2. | New extended trailer! | All new featurette, featuring director Gareth Edwards. | Japanese trailer and check out the IMAX poster.

BREAKING NEWS: Watch the international trailer!

Posted in News |

Commitment (2013) Review

Posted on April 26, 2014 by oneleaf
"Commitment" Korean Theatrical Poster

"Commitment" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Park Hong-Soo
Writer: Kim Soo-young
Cast: Seung-Hyun Choi, Han Ye-Ri, Kim You-Jung, Yoon Je-Moon, Cho Seong-Ha, Park Sung-Woong, Lee Ju-Sil, Jung Ho-Bin, Kim Sun-Kyung, Park Ji-Il
Running Time: 113 min.

By oneleaf

Seung-Hyun Choi, more popularly known as T.O.P, the power rapper of the K-Pop super group Big Bang, stars as 19 year-old Myung-Hon Ri in Commitment. His previous film roles include Iris: The Movie (2010) and 71: Into the Fire (2010). In the latter, he won critical acclaim and numerous awards for his role as a student soldier.

Commitment is Choi’s first lead starring role. The film was a huge box office hit and it was a perfect vehicle to catapult him to major stardom – or was it?

Along with his sister, Ri was sent to prison labor camp because of his disgraced father’s (Seong-Woong Park) so-called traitorous activities. Given a chance to redeem both him and his sister, Ri reluctantly agrees to become an agent and follow in his father’s footstep and be sent to South Korea. Posing as a defector, he takes on the identity of Dae-Ho Kang, an 18 year-old high school student.

While in school, Ri encounters a soft-spoken, mild-mannered and oft-bullied girl, Hye-In Lee (Ye-Ri Han). Reminding him of his own little sister because of their identical first names, Ri is intrigued by Lee and strikes up a friendship with her and soon becomes her protector.

Ri soon learns of his mission in South Korea. He is tasked with searching for another North Korean agent who has been systemically killing other North Korean agent defectors, who has long since assumed new identities and has assimilated into the populace in South Korea. His objective is to search and terminate the assassin.

Not everything is as it seems as Ri delves deeper into the dealings, double crosses and intricacies of political expediency. He begins to face danger at every step with nowhere to turn to and soon realizes that forces beyond his control are shaping events that will ultimately lead to answers he has long sought.

Choi’s good looks and charm is a plus for his character and he does play a high school student quite nicely. His acting is good but his reticent, innocent, and somewhat disengaged mannerism shows very little emotional depth where needed (credit julius). Understandably, his character is an innocent and gullible 19 year-old thrown into games better suited for adults. Yet, I find his lack of emotion in trying circumstances somewhat disappointing, be it rage, sadness, confusion, desperation or sheer joy.

The relationship between Ri and his little sister could have been explored a bit more adding yet another layer to the dilemma he faces. His relationship with Hye-In Lee was also somewhat underdeveloped.

The action scenes were crisp and well-choreographed. Most of the them involve close up hand to hand combat, which look pretty realistic. What I can’t get over, however, is how good of a fighter Ri has become in such a short period of training right out of labor camp.

Plot plausibility issues aside, the film was quite enjoyable. Recommended.

oneleaf’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , |
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