"Sanguivorous" Theatrical Poster

Tidepoint Pictures LLC, a company that formed in 1996 to concentrate on bringing contemporary and cutting-edge Asian films to North American audiences, will use MVD Entertainment Group (click here for their current titles) for their exclusive title distribution. The company’s exceptional growth has been due to selective film production and acquisition, individualized marketing strategies and strong salesmanship.

“We are very excited to represent Tidepoint Pictures” said Ed Seaman, COO of MVD Entertainment Group. “They have a fascinating product line which has worldwide, mass-appeal.”

The first films to be released in the partnership is the Japanese erotic comedy Electric Button by Yuki Tanada, the experimental vampire horror Sanguivorous by Naoki Yoshimoto, and the Chinese/Japanese comedy drama New World (not to be confused with Well Go USA’s New World) by Lim Kah-Wai.

Says Tetsuki Ijichi, President of Tidepoint Pictures, “There is a much broader range of contemporary Asian cinema than what typically gets shown in the U.S. We’re excited to present these fresh voices of talented Asian directors to American audiences.”

Cityonfire.com received the above press release from MVD Entertainment Group.

Scott Adkins's "The Expendables 2" Character Poster

THR reports that Scott Adkins (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning) and UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture (The Expendables) are set to star in Distant Shore, an action thriller from veteran indie producers Joseph and Jack Nasser.

The Nasser Brothers have previously produced a string of straight-to-video action movies, including Tactical Force (Steve Austin, Michael Jai White) and Dawn Rider (Christian Slater).

Distant Shore is being described as Phillip Noyce’s Dead Calm meets Joe Carnahan’s The Grey.

According to THR, the story centers around a couple who sails into the ocean to commit suicide but are interrupted by the arrival of another mysterious vessel. Before long these two people who were ready to die are fighting to stay alive.

Scott Adkins and Randy Couture recently worked together in The Expendables 2. They are both currently wrapping up their individual projects, Tomb of the Dragon and Rush, respectively (both co-starring Dolph Lundgren). Filming for Distant Shore will start this year.

Update: A Scott Adkins fan site reports that plans for Distant Shore have been cancelled. More details to come.

"Saving General Yang" Chinese Character Poster

Acclaimed director Ronny Yu was at the Hong Kong FilMart, promoting his forthcoming film Saving General Yang. A press conference occurred with most of the cast and crew, followed by a private screening of the trailer. The film is a historical action epic focusing on “the well-known story of four generations of warriors from a Northern Han family.” The budget is set at a whopping $31.7 million, making it one of this year’s biggest films in the Asian market.

The pedigree behind Saving General Yang is just as impressive: Ronny Yu (The Bride With White Hair) directs while Raymond Wong (Flash Point) produces and Stephen Tung (A Better Tomorrow) handles action choreography. The film stars Adam Cheng, Yu Bo, Vic Chou, Raymond Lam, Wu Chun, and Fu Xinbo.

Update: Seems like it’s been forever since we heard about this film – but the bloody and action-packed first trailer is here! | Don’t miss the new action-packed Taiwanese trailer for the movie. | Check out the multitude of character posters released to promote the film’s April 4th release in China.

After declining the offer to direct the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, director Ronny Yu has set his sights on his next project. He wants to reunite the ‘Seven Brothers’ of his Saving General Yang cast for a spiritual sequel of sorts. Set in modern times with plenty of globe-hopping locations, the movie would be China’s answer to Ocean’s 11 (or perhaps The Thieves!).

BREAKING NEWS: Website JayneStars reports that Ronny Yu’s Saving General Yang bombed at the box office, despite the presence of big name stars like Ekin Cheng, earning just 56 million RMB (about 9 million US dollars) after one week. That’s well behind Johnnie To’s recent crime thriller Drug War, which earned about US$16 million in its first week. This has led some to suggest that Chinese audiences are growing tired of period pieces. We can’t help but wonder if this will put an end to Ronny Yu’s plans for a ‘spiritual sequel’ to Yang.

Captain America Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

On May 21, 2013, Shout! Factory will unleash the long-awaited 1990 action sci-fi movie classic Captain America, starring Matt Salinger (What Dreams May Come), Ronny Cox (Total Recall), Ned Beatty (Superman), Darren McGavin (The X-Files), Michael Nouri (Damages) and Scott Paulin (JAG), in a special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray™.

Available for the first time on Blu-ray™, Captain America: Collector’s Edition features widescreen movie presentation in astonishing high-definition and insightful new interview with director Albert Pyun and actor Matt Salinger. A must-have for movie collectors, comic book enthusiasts and young aspiring heroes to complete their pop culture library, this definitive collector’s edition release of Captain America: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray has a suggested retail price of $14.97. Pre-order is now available at Amazon.com.

Bonus Content: Brand New Interviews: Looking Back At Captain America with Director Albert Pyun and actor Matt Salinger

Features: 1080p-High Definition Widescreen (1.78:1)/Stereo/1990/Color/97 minutes

Update: The release trailer for Shout! Factory’s Collector’s Edition of Albert Pyun’s Captain America Blu-ray is now online.