Cityonfire and Well Go USA are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of ‘Ip Man: The Final Fight’ – WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Ip Man: The Final Fight | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Ip Man: The Final Fight | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Ip Man: The Final Fight to three lucky Cityonfire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment and list 3 of your favorite fight scenes of all time (from any movie), along with a brief explanation of why they’re 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 Ip Man: The Final Fight will be officially released on November 12, 2013. We will announce the 3 lucky winners on November 12th and ship out the prizes immediately.

CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by November 11th 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. Contest is subject to change without notice.

WINNERS: Congratulations to Matthew A., Nick and Shaun W. You have all been notified via email.

Posted in News | Tagged |

Deal on Fire! Get the Gringo | Blu-ray | Only $8.99 – Expires soon!

"Get the Gringo" Blu-ray Cover

"Get the Gringo" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Get the Gringo (aka How I Spent My Summer Vacation). A career criminal (Mel Gibson) is placed in a tough prison where he learns to survive with the help of a young boy. Get the Gringo is supposedly the “unofficial” sequel to 1999’s Payback; and just like Payback (the original, not the director’s cut), Get the Gringo is an underrated gem that I highly recommend.

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Jet Li’s ‘Badges of Fury’ explodes onto Blu-ray & DVD on January 7

Badges of Fury | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Badges of Fury | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

International action superstar Jet Li (Hero) teams up for a third time with Zhang Wen (The Guillotines) as bickering cops out to catch a prolific serial killer in the action-comedy Badges of Fury, debuting on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital January 7th from Well Go USA Entertainment.

The tongue-in-cheek spoof on kung fu cops from first time director Tsz Ming Wong, with action choreography by Corey Yuen (Shaolin), also stars Shishi Liu (Sad Fairy Tale), Michelle Chen (Ripples of Desire), Yan Liu (Laugh and Cry Forbidden) and Aaron Shang (Let the Bullets Fly).

Synopsis: When a series of eerie murders erupt across Hong Kong, two troublemaking cops are assigned to the case. Young maverick Wang (Zhang Wen) is a reckless risk-taker, and grizzled vet Huang (Jet Li) is fed up with cleaning up his rookie’s messes. After discovering all the victims were former boyfriends of aspiring starlet Liu (Shishi Liu), the detectives (one now posing as her lover) are caught in a deadly game to lure out the killer.

Features: Languages: Mandarin (original) English (dubbed) | Bonus Features Include: Four-part “Making of” Documentary, The Guys, The Girls, Wen Zhang Action Scene, Funny Stuff, “Behind-the-Scenes” Featurette, Trailer | Badges of Fury has a runtime of approximately 98 minutes and is not rated. Click here to pre-order!

Cityonfire.com received the above press release from Well Go USA and MPRM Communications.

Posted in News |

Madame Sin | DVD (Shout! Factory)

Madame Sin | DVD (Shout! Factory)

Madame Sin | DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: January 28, 2014

Shout! Factory presents the DVD for 1972’s Madame Sin. If you ever wondered what it would be like to see Robert Wagner (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) as a James Bond-type character, here’s your chance. Madame Sin is about a CIA agent (Wagner) who is used as a pawn in an insane woman’s (Bette Davis) plan to steal a Polaris submarine. Watch the trailer.

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

Brosnan and Wilson face Thailand violence in ‘The Coup’

"Die Another Day" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Die Another Day" Japanese Theatrical Poster

THR reports that The Coup, which stars Pierce Brosnan (Die Another Day), Owen Wilson (Shanghai Knights) and Lake Bell (I’m Good), has begun shooting in Thailand. The action-thriller is written and directed by John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine, Devil) and produced by David Lancaster (Only God Forgives).

Here’s the plot, according to imdb: In their new overseas home, an American family (headed by Wilson) soon finds themselves caught in the middle of a coup (a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government), and they frantically look for a safe escape in an environment where foreigners are being immediately executed.

Stay tuned for more updates about this project.

Posted in News |

Nightmare City | Blu-ray & DVD (Raro Video USA)

Nightmare City | Blu-ray & DVD (Raro Video USA)

Nightmare City | Blu-ray & DVD (Raro Video USA)

RELEASE DATE: December 31, 2013

Raro Video USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1980’s Nightmare City (aka Incubo sulla città contaminata), directed by Umberto Lenzi (Gang War in Milan). An airplane exposed to radiation lands, and blood drinking zombies emerge armed with knives, guns and teeth! They go on a rampage slicing, dicing, and biting their way across the Italian countryside. Starring Hugo Stiglitz, Laura Trotter and Maria Rosaria Omaggio. Watch the trailer.

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

Thief | Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion Collection)

Thief | Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion Collection)

Thief | Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion Collection)

RELEASE DATE: January 14, 2014

Criterion Collection presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1981’s Thief, directed by Michael Mann (Heat) and starring James Caan (The Godfather). Becoming closer to his dream of leading a normal life, a professional safecracker (Caan) agrees to do a job for the mafia, who have other plans for him. Featuring music by Tangerine Dream.  Also starring Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, Willie Nelson, James Belushi and Dennis Farina. Watch the trailer.

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

Bruce Lee: In Pursuit of the Dragon (2009) Review

Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey & Pursuit of the Dragon | DVD (MVD Entertainment)

Bruce Lee: A Warrior’s Journey & Pursuit of the Dragon | DVD (MVD Entertainment)

Director: John Little
Writer: John Little
Cast: John Little, Bruce Lee, Malisa Longo, Jon T. Benn, Anders Nelsson, Riccardo Billi, Chaplin Chang
Running Time: 90 minutes

By Jeff Bona

If you’re a die hard Bruce Lee fanatic and you’re sick and tired of all the countless Bruce Lee documentaries that contain the same footage, usual interview clips and a bunch of other “talking heads,” then John Little’s In Pursuit of the Dragon is a film you don’t want to miss. It may not have any new or rare visuals of Bruce, but it does contain fascinating content that most fans will find both unique and educational.

The majority of Bruce Lee documentaries are decent, but once you get past the essential ones (Bruce Lee: The Legend, Death by Misadventure and A Warrior’s Journey come to mind), the rest aren’t worth your valuable time. Using the recent I Am Bruce Lee documentary as an example: Do we really care what Mickey Rourke thinks of Bruce’s abilities? So Kobe Bryant practices Jeet Kune Do, and? Should we really give a sh*t that an electro house musician was influenced by Bruce? Don’t get me wrong, these guys are talented, but they don’t belong in a Bruce Lee documentary. An interview with Gene LeBell or Danny Inosanto makes total sense, but Al Bundy? Come on. They might as well interview me.

So what makes Little’s In Pursuit of the Dragon so refreshing and different? In a nutshell, Little and a film crew travel to key locations where Bruce Lee’s four completed films were shot: Thailand (The Big Boss), Macao (Fist of Fury), Rome (Way of the Dragon) and Hong Kong (Enter the Dragon). To a casual Bruce Lee fan, seeing these locations may not seem like a big deal, but to an avid fanatic who has watched Lee’s films countless times, it’s a wondrous experience.

Using footage from the actual movies to coincide with the “what the locations look like today” is simply magical. The outcome is comparable to seeing what The Beatles’ Cavern Club looks like today; or even the actual location where John F. Kennedy was assassinated (not to sound crude or anything).

In addition to the then and now-location footage, Little provides interesting insights and commentary (i.e. what goes on in the The Big Boss “mansion” today). He even interviews obscure cast members, such as the bank teller and the Italian beauty from Way of the Dragon. Also, the current “real” manager of the The Big Boss’ ice factory provides a few anecdotes.

In Pursuit of the Dragon has been available in the UK for a few years, but it was recently released on DVD for the first time in the U.S. It’s currently available as a double feature along with Little’s other Bruce Lee documentary A Warrior’s Journey (read our review).

The bottom line: In Pursuit of the Dragon is a breath of fresh air. It made me want to cash out my savings account, get on a plane and head to Thailand so I can visit The Big Boss’ mansion. If there’s one negative thing to say about it, it’s the lack of then and now-location footage for Bruce’s final film, Game of Death. Other than that, I can’t recommend this film enough!

Check out the then and now screen shots below (If you think they’re cool, wait ’til you see them in motion):

Jeff Bona‘s Rating: 8/10

The ferryboat in the opening of "The Big Boss"

The entrance of the ice factory.

The wooden beam in the center of the ice factory still stands.

Amazingly, the sign Bruce runs under remains. I'm sure it'll end up on ebay one day.

The tree still stands strong.

The interior of "The Big Boss" mansion almost looks identical.

John Little takes us to where no "The Big Boss" fan has gone before.

Other than needing a serious dust job, not much has changed.

The grand staircase to "The Big Boss" mansion.

I bet these goons have some interesting stories, especially the guy with the yellow shirt.

The gate entrance to the "The Big Boss" mansion.

The location where Tony Liu failed at winning Maria Yi's heart.

Just add water.

"No Chinese or dogs allowed" in Macau. The rest of "Fist of Fury" was shot in Golden Harvest studios.

The airport in "Way of the Dragon" has changed, but a hint of 1972 remains.

Riccardo Billi played the bank teller in "Way of the Dragon"

The beautiful Malisa Longo. Interestingly enough, she married Riccardo Billi after the two met on the set of "Way of the Dragon"

Bruce and Nora Miao taking a stroll in Rome.

The location where Bruce and Roy Chiao exchange words in "Enter the Dragon" remains the same.

If only Bolo and his henchmen were there to catch the graffiti artist.

Read our review for Tracking the Dragon, which is essentially an updated version of this documentary.

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

Deal on Fire! Alien Anthology 6-Disc Set | Blu-ray | Only $19.49 – Expires soon!

"Alien Anthology Set" Blu-ray Cover

"Alien Anthology Set" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Alien Anthology 6-Disc Blu-ray Set, which includes Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection plus a log pile of extra features. For $19.49, this is a deal you don’t want to alienate. And for $9.49, you can also get a Blu-ray copy of Prometheus!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

22 Bullets | Blu-ray & DVD (New Video Group)

22 Bullets | Blu-ray & DVD (New Video Group)

22 Bullets | Blu-ray & DVD (New Video Group)

RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2014

New Video Group presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 22 Bullets. From producers Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) and Robert Mark Kamen (Taken) comes a French action film called 22 Bullets (aka L’immortel) starring Jean Reno and directed by Richard Berry (The Black Box). A retired mobster (Reno) goes on a revenge spree after being left for dead with 22 bullets in his body by his former childhood friend. Watch the trailer.

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

Shannon Lee’s thoughts on a new CGI Bruce Lee film?

"The Big Boss" Japanese Poster

"The Big Boss" Japanese Poster

Shannon Lee, daughter of Bruce Lee and head of the Lee estate, is open to the idea of bringing her father back to life for a feature presentation, via computer generated technology. Forbes recently interviewed Lee regarding the new 90-second Johnnie Walker Whiskey spot, which features a realistic cgi animation of Bruce.

“Do I think the technology could carry itself front and center for a 90-minute movie?” asks Lee. “That remains to be seen. But given enough time and enough artistic people, I’m sure it can be done.”

The idea of a cgi “Bruce Lee movie” dates back to over 10 years ago. In the early 2000’s, Shincine Films, a Korean-based company, once announced a $50 million dollar project that would resurrect Bruce titled Dragon Warrior (no relation to the Bruce Lee Dragon Warrior app). Obviously, the project went into development hell and hasn’t been heard of ever since.

With today’s sophisticated technology, the thought of bringing any famous person back to life is very likely. In fact, with the Johnnie Walker commercial, it’s already happening. Now, a full movie? Like Shannon says, only time will tell.

If you liked the Johnnie Walker spot, definitely check out A Warrior’s Dream (aka Bruce Lee vs Donnie Yen), which is equally impressive for its own reasons. If you’re interested to know what else the Lee Estate is up to, be sure to click here for one of our earlier posts.

Posted in News |

Keanu Reeves talks about his martial arts film ‘Man of Tai Chi’

"Man of Tai Chi" Alternative Poster

"Man of Tai Chi" Alternative Poster

THE MOVIE: Keanu Reeves directs and stars in Man of Tai Chi, an action-packed homage to classic kung fu films. Also starring is Hong Kong singer-actress Karen Mok and Chen Hu (aka Tiger Chen). Yuen Woo-ping will be handling the choreography. In Man of Tai Chi, Chen Hu stars as a young martial artist whose fighting skills brings him to a realm of vast opportunities, and painful choices. Reeves is playing the villain.

Updates: You won’t want to miss this behind the scenes look at the film, which shows how Keanu Reeves is using automated camera dollys to capture the martial arts sequences.

Filmofilia.com reports that The Raid’s Iko Uwais has joined the cast. | New poster for this highly anticipated martial arts film. | First trailer for Man of Tai Chi. | Deadline reports that The Weinstein Company has secured the North American distribution rights to the film. Here’s a new poster as well. | New international trailer. | New character posters.

While it does note bode well for the box office success or quality of the film, the Weinstein Company has announced Man of Tai Chi will go straight to iTunes/On Demand services this September 27th. The movie will then receive a limited theatrical release this November 1st. Check out the latest trailer for Tai Chi and judge for yourself whether the film deserves a proper release! | New alternative poster, courtesy of of Crave. And don’t forget, you can watch Man of Tai Chi on VOD right now!

BREAKING NEWS: Collider has an interview with Reeves where he talks about Man of Tai Chi, making a film in China, 47 Ronin, what he collects and more. Interesting.

Posted in News |

Shout! Factory announces a ‘Fist of Fury’ replacement disc

"Bruce Lee Legacy Collection" Blu-ray & DVD Booklet Packaging

"Bruce Lee Legacy Collection" Blu-ray & DVD Booklet Packaging

After weeks of delays and quality concerns, Shout! Factory’s highly-anticipated Bruce Lee Legacy Collection became available for purchase last week. The final released version contained what was promised from the beginning: True HD remasters of all the Bruce Lee movies, not to mention a correction on one of the mislabeled discs.

However, there were many recent reports that the Fist of Fury Blu-ray disc was missing the mono Mandarin audio track. The good news is Shout! Factory is on top of it.

Today, cityonfire.com received the following email from Shout!: It’s come to our attention that on the Fist of Fury Blu-ray disc, the mono Mandarin audio track is not accessible. We regret this oversight. If you would like a replacement disc, please send an email to info@shoutfactory.com with “Bruce Lee Fist of Fury Replacement” in the subject line, and one will be mailed to you in 3 to 4 weeks.

Once again, thanks to Shout! Factory for their excellent customer service!

Posted in News |

Fudoh: The New Generation (1996) Review

"Fudoh - The New Generation" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Fudoh – The New Generation” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Takashi Miike
Cast: Shosuke Tanihara, Kenji Takano, Marie Jinno, Tamaki Kenmochi, Toru Minegishi, Miho Nomoto, Riki Takeuchi, Takeshi Caesar, Yuichi Minato, Mickey Curtis
Running Time: 100 min. 

By Woody

Pussy fart darts. Pre-teen assassins. Riki Takeuchi putting out a cigarette on Mickey Curtis’ severed head. A giant member of Riki’s gang kicking a severed head, splattering it into pieces, no doubt angering the young children using it for a game of soccer. Buckets of blood. Hermaphrodite sex. Need I say more?

This, my friends, is great cinema. This is the one that established Takashi Miike as one to watch for, and it still ranks among his best.

“Fudoh- The New Generation” is as close to a live-action manga as I have yet to see. After a subdued, fifteen minute introduction that sets up high school gangster Riki Fudoh’s motives for dethroning his father as the head of a powerful criminal organization, the film jumps right into it, with Riki’s high school friends and pre-teen killers annihilating the other members of the said organization, each killing topping the previous one is creativity and goriness. The fast pacing and excessive, overstated gore are part of what gives this film it’s manga feel. The other factor is the characters. They are a memorable and interesting bunch. Riki is cool as ice “quiet, tormented, and intelligent. Riki’s posse includes a hermaphrodite who shoots queef powered darts out of her vagina and an impossibly cool giant Hawaiian guy who rides on a motorbike, does rebellious shit, knows karate, and, after surviving the death of his bike in an explosion, dons a metal face plate. Riki Takeuchi is on hand as a bad guy with a mullet and a deadly smirk. Only Riki Takeuchi can wear a mullet and still be cool as hell.

A film like “Fudoh” could never get made in the US. Take a scene towards the middle of the film. Fudoh sends two of his grade school aged assassins to take out Riki Takeuchi’s character. As the boys unload their guns at Takeuchi, one of his bodyguards jumps in front of him, intercepting the bullets. The boys are all out. Their guns are empty. Useless. They look at each other. They look, terrified, at Takeuchi. Takeuchi smirks. Cut to a dumpster the following morning. A man goes to take out some trash. Looking down, he sees a black garbage bag. Sticking out of it- a young boys limp arm.

This is a great starting point if you are interested in filmmaker Takashi Miike. This film houses many of the recurring themes present in Miike’s later films, namely- freaky sex, excessive, cartoonish graphic violence, and the place of foreigners in Japan.

I believe it was Howard Hawks who said that in order for a film to be great it had to have three great scenes and no bad ones. There are no particular scenes in “Fudoh” that I can really call bad, yet plenty that reach the heights of greatness. One of my personal favorites, this comes highly recommended. I mean, how many films feature pussy fart darts? Only in a Miike movie.

Woody’s Rating: 10/10

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Deal on Fire! True Romance | Blu-ray | Only $5.99 – Expires soon!

"True Romance: Director's Cut" Blu-ray Cover

"True Romance: Director's Cut" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 1993’s True Romance, directed by Tony Scott (The Last Boy Scout) and written by Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction). A comic book clerk (Christian Slater) marries a hooker (Patricia Arquette), steals cocaine from her pimp (Gary Oldman), and tries to sell it in Hollywood, while the owners of the coke try to reclaim it (headed by Christopher Walken). It’s violent, it’s hip and it’s Scott’s second best movie after Revenge. A flawless classic!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |