"Versus" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Nippon Cinema reports: While promoting his latest movie, No One Lives, director Ryuhei Kitamur mentioned he was planning a sequel to 2000’s Versus sometime next year. Ryuhei even said he’d get Tak Sakaguchi out of retirement to return: “The lead actor is retired, but I’ll get him to make a comeback. He’ll do it if I do it.”

Cityonfire’s Numskull describes the original Versus as “Evil Dead and Bad Taste meet in-your-face combat like only those bloodthirsty Asian film makers can do it.” Joe909, who gave it a perfect score of 10, says it’s “the most enjoyable movie I’ve seen in a long time.”

Stay tuned for more on Versus 2. In the meantime, if you haven’t seen the original, Amazon.com carries it in a variety of formats.

"Bruce Lee Double Feature" Shout! Factory DVD Covers

It’s that time again to look towards this week’s new releases. If you’re interested in any of these titles, you can support the site by ordering through our affiliate. We appreciate it!

Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 4/30/13:

ASIAN CINEMA

Bruce Lee: The Big Boss / Fist of Fury (DVD) – two classic martial arts films starring Bruce Lee are offered on one DVD, courtesy of Shout! Factory. Sorry, no hi-def release quite yet

Bruce Lee: Way of the Dragon / Game of Death (DVD) – two more famous features from the one and only Bruce Lee

FOREIGN

Parked (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2010 comedy/drama starring Colin Meaney (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) explores the economic recession’s impact in Ireland

Young & Wild (DVD) – this 2012 drama from Chile follows a sex-obsessed teen whose lifestyle conflicts with her strict religious upbringing

Stuck to Your Pillow (DVD) – a Spanish-language twist on “Ghost”? A young diver lingers on earth after his death and falls in love with a married woman in this 2012 movie

In Danger and Deep Distress, The Middleway Spells Certain Death (DVD) – this experimental 1974 effort out of Germay blurs the line between documentary and fiction

MAINSTREAM

Broken City (Blu-ray/DVD) – big name actors Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe headline this 2013 crime drama set on the gritty streets of NYC

Silver Linings Playbook (Blu-ray/DVD) – Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star in the 2012 Academy Award-winning dramedy from “The Fighter” director David O. Russell

Not Fade Away (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 drama from the creator of “The Sopranos” follows a young band from the suburbs of New Jersey during the early 60’s

Strictly Ballroom (Blu-ray) – the 1992 debut feature from “Moulin Rouge” director Baz Luhrman is now in hi-def

CULT

Manborg (DVD) – this 2011 cult film out of Canada takes place in a desolated future where the forces of hell have taken over the earth and the only one who stands in their way is a half-man, half-machine hero named Manborg

NEW TO BLU-RAY

Star Trek films (Blu-ray) – several of the “Star Trek” movies are available on discounted single-disc Blu-rays this week, including “Star Trek I: The Motion Picture,” “Star Trek III: The Search For Spock,” “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” “Star Trek VII: Generations,” “Star Trek IX: Resurrection,” and “Star Trek X: Nemesis”

CLASSICS

Cloak and Dagger (Blu-ray/DVD) – Olive Films presents this 1946 spy thriller from legendary director Fritz Lang (“M”), starring cinema icon Gary Cooper (“High Noon”)

The Enforcer (Blu-ray/DVD) – Humphrey Bogart of “Casablanca” fame headlines this 1951 suspense thriller, in hi-def from Olive Films

The Men (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 1950 picture about a paraplegic WWII veteran was actually the screen debut of Marlon Brando

The Lonely Trail (Blu-ray/DVD) – a very young John Wayne stars in this 1936 Western set shortly after the Civil War

Hoodlum Empire (Blu-ray/DVD) – Olive Films offers this 1951 noir film from director Joseph Kane

HORROR

The Vampire Lovers (Blu-ray) – this 1970 vampire film is one of the best (and sexiest!) efforts from the venerable Hammer Horror studios. Now in hi-def thanks to Shout! Factory

Night of the Scarecrow (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 1995 horror b-movie has developed enough of a cult following over the years that it’s now in hi-def from Olive Films

Body Melt (DVD) – speaking of cult followings, if you’re a fan of Peter Jackson’s early work you might want to check out this ultra-gory 1993 Australian horror/comedy

The Dreaming/The Initiation (DVD) – it’s a double bill of Ozpsloitation from Katrina’s Nightmare Theater

Night of the Living Dead: The Resurrection (DVD) – this 2012 horror film is yet another remake/spin-off of George Romero’s zombie classic “Night of the Living Dead”

Interested in any of these movies? If so, we hope that you’ll consider ordering from our affiliate to help support this site. Thank you!

Hands of the Ripper | Blu-ray & DVD (Synapse Films)

RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2013

Synapse Films presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1971’s Hands of the Ripper. The film follows Anna, the daughter of Jack the Ripper who witnessed him murdering her mother when she was a child. When new bloodshed occurs, a psychiatrist suspects that Anna may be possessed by Jack’s spirit. Presented uncut for the first time in the U.S., plus a load of extra features. Watch the trailer.

"Urban Fighter" AKA "Arena of the Street Fighter" Poster Art

Martial arts fans are always keen to discover the next big onscreen fighting sensation. With some of our icons like Donnie Yen and Jet Li eyeing retirement and Tony Jaa’s future looking uncertain, there’s some manner of urgency as action buffs hope to find new talent to fill the void.

Well, as luck would have it, a martial artist out of Germany named Mike Möeller is earning praise from some respected figures in the industry – including Undisputed III: Redemption director Isaac Florentine and kickboxing legend Don ‘the Dragon’ Wilson.

Möeller has been in the stuntman business for years but he’s looking to make his breakout in 2013 with Arena of the Street Fighter, a film he not only stars in but wrote and directed.

Formerly titled Urban Fighter, the movie promises plenty of bone-crunching fisticuffs and flying kicks, if this impressive trailer is anything to go by. With any luck, Arena of the Street Fighter should hit DVD in North America sometime in June of 2013. Thanks to Film Combat Syndicate for the story.

Update: Film Combat Syndicate reports that Arena of the Street Fighter will have a limited theatrical release and will also be available via VOD on June 6, 2013 from Gorilla Pictures. For more details, visit the film’s official site.

Judgment DVD (Pathfinder Home Entertainment)

There’s plenty to see and do this week, so let’s get started. If you’re interested in any of these titles, you can support the site by ordering through our affiliate. We appreciate it!

Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 4/23/13:

ASIAN CINEMA

Judgment (DVD) – this 2012 Japanese film from Pathfinder Entertainment is a ‘locked room’-style horror flick said to be in the tradition of “Saw” and “Battle Royale”

Penthouse Playboy (DVD) – also known as “Searching For the Elephant,” this 2009 dark Korean drama follows several friends who suffer from various maladies, including infidelity and schizophrenia

Secret Love (DVD) – a steamy 2010 Korean drama about a woman who falls in love with her husband’s twin brother while her hubby lies in a coma. Available now on Amazon’s Instant Watch service

Electric Button (Moon & Cherry) (DVD) – in this 2004 Japanese film, a writer of erotic fiction finds new inspiration in the form of a virginal young man

A Tale of Legendary Libido (DVD) – this 2008 Korean sex comedy is a “American Pie”-esque tale…set in feudal-era Korea, of all places

FOREIGN

Thale (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 Norwegian chiller focuses on a woman with a tail who might just be a mythical creature

Cold Prey II (DVD) – the 2008 sequel to the popular Norwegian slasher series “Cold Prey,” available from Shout! Factory

Pierre Etaix (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents five 60’s-era films from the nearly forgotten French director/actor Pierre Etaix, considered a master of comedy

MAINSTREAM

Gangster Squad (Blu-ray/DVD) – popular actors Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling take up arms to battle the gangs of a post-WWII Los Angeles in this 2012 action flick

The Impossible (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this acclaimed 2012 film from the director of “The Orphanage,” Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor star as a tourist family trying to survive the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Promised Land (Blu-ray/DVD) – Matt Damon headlines this 2012 environmentally-conscious small town drama from “My Own Private Idaho” director Gus Van Sant

Pawn (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 2013 direct-to-video thriller about a robbery in progress, Forest Whitaker and Michael Chiklis reunite for the first time post-“The Shield”

Assassins Run (DVD) – direct-to-video mainstays Christian Slater and Cole Hauser team up for this 2012 action/thriller set in contemporary Russia

Any Day Now (Blu-ray/DVD) – Alan Cumming (“X2: X-Men United”) stars as one half of a gay couple who adopts an abandoned child in this 2012 family drama

NEW TO BLU-RAY

Jurassic Park 3D (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD) – Steven Spielberg’s beloved 1993 film about rampaging dinos returns in 3D Blu-ray

The Great Gatsby (Blu-ray) – a 1973 adaptation of the acclaimed novel, starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. Now in hi-def

Flirt (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 1995 effort from beloved indie auteur Hal Hartley tells three stories of love in New York City, Berlin, and Tokyo

CULT

Mistress of the Apes (DVD) – this 1978 picture reportedly has to be seen to be believed, as the wife of a missing anthropologist heads into the jungle and discovers a bizarre world of ‘sexy jungle women’

CLASSICS

Richard III (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents actor/director Laurence Olivier’s 1955 adaptation of the famous William Shakespeare play

City That Never Sleeps (Blu-ray/DVD) – Olive Films offers this 1958 noir picture that’s set in Chicago

Champion (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 1949 picture, Kirk Douglas stars as a champion boxer who alienates everyone around him in the way to the top

Magic Town (Blu-ray/DVD) – Jimmy Stewart headlines this Frank Capra-esque 1947 picture about life in a small American town

Wake of the Red Witch (Blu-ray/DVD) – cinema icon John Wayne plays a 19th century sea captain out for revenge in this 1948 picture. In hi-def from Olive Films

The Fighting Seabees (Blu-ray/DVD) – Olive Films presents this 1944 feature starring John Wayne as the head of a construction company building military sites for the Navy during World War II

Federal Agents Vs. Underworld, Inc. (DVD) – a 12-part Republic series from 1949, available on DVD for the first time

HORROR

Night of the Hunted (Blu-ray/DVD) – Redemption Films presents this 1980 effort from director Jean Rollin, the master of dreamy French horror. Now in hi-def

Grapes of Death (Blu-ray/DVD) – a fan favorite 1978 effort from French director Jean Rollin, now on Blu-ray from Redemption Films

Blu-Ray Twin Pack: Poor Pretty Eddie & Carnival Magic (Blu-ray) – HD Cinema Classics presents this double feature of two horror movies previously thought lost to time

A Haunted House (Blu-ray/DVD) – a 2012 horror spoof in the “Scary Movie” vein, featuring the Wayans Brothers

Interested in any of these movies? If so, we hope that you’ll consider ordering from our affiliate to help support this site. Thank you!

"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.