The Howling: Collector’s Edition | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

"The Howling" Blu-ray Cover

"The Howling" Blu-ray Cover

RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2013

Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1981’s The Howling: Collector’s Edition, directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins). After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a newswoman is sent to a rehabilitation center whose inhabitants may not be what they seem. Watch the trailer.

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

This Girl Is Bad-Ass!! | Blu-ray & DVD (Magnolia Pictures)

This Girl Is Bad-Ass!! Blu-ray & DVD (Magnolia Pictures)

This Girl Is Bad-Ass!! Blu-ray & DVD (Magnolia Pictures)

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2013

Magnolia Pictures presents the Blu-ray & DVD for This Girl Is Bad-Ass!! Jija Yanin (Chocolate, Raging Phoenix) takes her skills to the next level as a girl whose life turns upside-down when she is hired as a bike messenger to transport smuggled goods to a group of ruthless gangsters. Watch the trailer.

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

Shout! Factory unleashes ‘Ninja III: The Domination’ and ‘The Howling’ to Blu-ray in June!

"Ninja III: The Domination" Blu-ray Cover

"Ninja III: The Domination" Blu-ray Cover

Shout! Factory has added two more titles to their Scream Factory tag: 1984’s Ninja III: The Domination, directed by Sam Firstenberg (Revenge of the Ninja) and 1981’s The Howling (click here to see cover art), directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins).

If you’re wondering why Ninja III: The Domination is on the horror-thriller label, it’s because the movie is essentially “Revenge of the Ninja meets The Exorcist” (see our review). Ninja III: The Domination is the 3rd title of The Cannon Group’s unrelated trilogy of ninja films (Enter the Ninja and Revenge of the Ninja were the first two), all of which feature Sho Kosugi (Ninja Assassin) playing a completely different character.

Look for the Ninja III: The Domination and The Howling in June 2013 (pre-order now). Until then, check back with cityonfire.com for updates regarding special features.

Posted in News |

The director of ‘Bangkok Adrenaline’ unleashes a ‘Dragonwolf’

"Dragonwolf" Promotional Poster

Raimond Huber, the director of Bangkok Adrenaline and Kill ‘Em All, is back with a new action-packed martial arts film. What happens when a beautiful but deadly woman comes between two friends who happen to be highly trained assassins? You’ll find out in the Dragonwolf, which stars Kazu Patrick Tang.

Tang is a Thailand-based martial artist and actor who may look familiar – he played the romantic lead opposite Jeeja Yanin in Raging Phoenix and had a smaller role in Bangkok Knockout. 2013 should be a big year for Kazu Patrick Tang as he also has an appearance in Tom Yum Goong 2 as one of Tony Jaa’s many opponents. In the meantime, check out the trailer for Dragonwolf and stay tuned for further details on this project.

Posted in News |

The Last Stand | Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

The Last Stand Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

The Last Stand Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2013

Lionsgate presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Kim Jee-Woon’s (I Saw The Devil) The Last Stand, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker and Johnny Knoxville. Features include: Making of; Cornfield Chaos; The Dinkum; Firearm and Historic Weaponry Museum; Actor-Cam Anarchy; and Deleted & Alternate Scenes. Watch the trailer.

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

Quentin Tarantino’s Rolling Thunder Presents: Mighty Peking Man, Detroit 9000 & Switchblade Sisters | DVD (Lionsgate)

Rolling Thunder Presents: Mighty Peking Man, Detroit 9000 & Switchblade Sisters DVD (Lionsgate)

Rolling Thunder Presents: Mighty Peking Man, Detroit 9000 & Switchblade Sisters DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2013

Lionsgate presents the DVD for Quentin Tarantino’s Rolling Thunder Triple Feature. This grindhouse treat features the 1977 Shaw Brother’s classic Mighty Peking Man (trailer), 1973’s Detroit 9000 (trailer) and 1975’s Switchblade Sisters (trailer). Could this mean that The Beyond, Chungking Express and Sonatine are the next triple feature? Our fingers are crossed.

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

Mad Max: Complete Blu-ray Trilogy (Warner)

"Mad Max Trilogy" Blu-ray Cover

"Mad Max Trilogy" Blu-ray Cover

RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2013

Warner Bros. presents the Blu-ray set (packaged in a tin) for the Mad Max: Complete Trilogy, which features 1979’s Mad Max (trailer), 1981’s Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (trailer) and 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (trailer), which is presented in Blu-ray for the first time. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (click here) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (click here) are also available individually.

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

Mad Max: The Road Warrior | Blu-ray (Warner)

Mad Max: The Road Warrior Blu-ray (Warner)

Mad Max: The Road Warrior Blu-ray (Warner)

RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2013

Warner Bros. presents the Blu-ray for 1981’s Mad Max: The Road Warrior (aka Mad Max 2, The Road Warrior), directed by George Miller. In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter (Mel Gibson) agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits. Watch the trailer. Also available in the new Mad Max Trilogy Blu-ray set.

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

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome | Blu-ray (Warner)

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome Blu-ray (Warner)

Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome Blu-ray (Warner)

RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2013

Warner Bros. presents the Blu-ray for 1985′s Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (aka Mad Max 3), directed by George Miller. A drifter (Mel Gibson) is rescued by a tribe of children when he is banished from a desert town and sent into the desert to die by the desert town’s evil queen (Tina Turner). Available for the first time on Blu-ray. Watch the trailer. Also available in the new Mad Max Trilogy Blu-ray set.

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

It’s a good day for Gerard Butler to die hard in ‘Olympus Has Fallen’

"Olympus Has Fallen" Theatrical Poster

Olympus Has Fallen (aka White House Taken) is an upcoming action film directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and starring Gerard Butler (Machine Gun Preacher), who plays a United States Secret Service agent who must stop Korean terrorists from taking over the White House and holding the President of the United States hostage. Also starring Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Dylan McDermott, Melissa Leo, Rick Yune, Ashley Judd and Robert Forster.

Note: Don’t confuse Olympus Has Fallen with Roland Emmerich’s similarly themed White House Down, which will be released June 28th, 2013. Olympus Has Fallen is scheduled to be released in theaters on March 22, 2013.

Updates: Watch the first trailer. We need to free John McTiernan right now! | Yahoo has a featurette on the film for your viewing pleasure.

BREAKING NEWS: Enjoy a new poster and TV spot for the action film.

Posted in News |

Tormented | aka Rabbit Horror | Blu-ray + Blu-ray 3D & DVD (Well Go USA)

Tormented (aka Rabbit Horror) 3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray 3D & DVD  (Well Go USA)

Tormented (aka Rabbit Horror) 3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray 3D & DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2013

Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D & DVD for Tormented (aka Rabbit Horror 3D), directed by Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on: The Grudge). This Japanese horror film involves Kiriko (Hikari Mitsushima) and her younger half-brother Daigo (Takeru Shibuya) who are haunted by a large rabbit-doll. Tormented features cinematography work by Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love), which is his first film made in 3D. Watch the trailer.

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

Deadball | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Deadball Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Deadball Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: April 9, 2013

Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Yudai Yamaguchi’s (Meatball Machine) Deadball (aka Dead Ball). The film stars Tak Sakaguchi (Versus) as Jubeh, a teenager who accidentally kills his father with his powerful baseball arm. Years later, he is sent to a reform school after killing over 50 people. To escape the school, Jubeh agrees to join the baseball team, even though he had sworn of the sport since his father’s death. Watch the trailer.

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

Blu-ray and DVD Releases for 2/26/13

Joshua Tree aka Army of One Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

Joshua Tree aka Army of One Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

It’s time to say goodbye to February with a fresh batch of 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 2/26/13:

ASIAN CINEMA

A Simple Life (Blu-ray/DVD) – heralded by Roger Ebert and many other critics as one of 2012’s best films, this heartfelt drama arrives from Hong Kong New Wave director Ann Hui and stars Andy Lau and Deanie Ip

Sansho the Baliff (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents this 1954 epic from acclaimed director Kenji Mizoguchi, about slavery in feudal Japan

Red Tears (DVD) – Japanese horror meets Hong Kong-style action sequences in this 2011 feature, starring Yasuaki Kurata (“Fist of Legend”)

Suzane Paradise (DVD) – also known as “The Parasite Doctor Suzune: Genesis x Evolution,” this 2011 Japanese thriller from Tokyo Shock follows a female doctor who specializes in disposing of erotic parasites

Hey Japanese (DVD) – fifty-eight of Tokyo’s suburban denizens take to the city for a wild night on the town in this 2009 ‘dark erotic comedy’

Lady Ninja: Reflections of Darkness (DVD) – Tokyo Shock delivers this 2011 adult-oriented film about a group of female assassins who risk life, limb, and wardrobe malfunctions for their line of work

FOREIGN

Holy Motors (Blu-ray/DVD) – Leos Carax’s mind-bending French-language film was one of 2012’s most talked about pictures

Chronicle of a Summer (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collectio also releases this 1961 French film, considered one of the most influential works of the cinéma verité style

Monsieur Gangster (Blu-ray/DVD) – Olive Films releases this 1963 French comedy about a dying mob boss’ last request

Beyond the Clouds (DVD) – in 1995, legendary directors Michelangelo Antonioni and Wim Wenders teamed up for this dream-like anthology film, co-starring John Malkovich and Peter Weller

Madrid 1987 (DVD) – this 2011 Spanish-language film has been called ‘an artfully erotic 2-person play’

Silent Souls (DVD) – this 2011 Russian drama about a widow transporting his wife’s ashes has been declared a masterpiece of post-Soviet cinema

MAINSTREAM

Joshua Tree (Blu-ray/DVD) – Dolph Lundgren (“Rocky IV”) headlines this 1993 action flick, which contains an infamous shootout in a body shop that channels the spirit of John Woo’s “Hard Boiled.” Also known as “Army of One”

The Master (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 drama starring Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman is the latest from “There Will Be Blood” and “Boogie Nights” director Paul Thomas Anderson

Man From Shaolin (DVD) – Zhang Li, the star of “The Last Kung Fu Monk,” is back with this 2012 martial arts film which features a similar premise

The Loneliest Planet (DVD) – a young couple engaged to be married finds their relationship tested on the hiking trip from hell in this acclaimed 2012 drama

Company of Heroes (Blu-ray/DVD) –  Tom Sizemore stars in this 2013 war film set during the Battle of the Bulge

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (Blu-ray/DVD) – the final 2012 chapter in the popular teen vampire saga comes to home formats, alongside The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (Extended Edition) (Blu-ray/DVD)

Border Run (Blu-ray/DVD) – Sharon Stone and Billy Zane headline this 2013 direct-to-video thriller about immigration issues along the Arizona/Mexico border

CULT

Samurai Cop (Special Edition) (DVD) – you have the right to remain silent…deathly silent, in this 1989 cult flick starring Robert Z’Dar of “Maniac Cop” fame

Freaky Deaky (DVD) – this 2012 crime thriller features one of the most eclectic casts ever assembled, including Christian Slater, Michael Jai White, and Crispin Glover

Midnight Movies Vol 11: Mondo Triple Feature (Mondo Cane/Mondo Cane 2/Women of the World) (DVD) – Blue Underground presents a 3-disc collection of the notorious Italian “Mondo” documentaries, which straddle the line between journalistic filmmaking and exploitation

Midnight Movies Vol 12: Shockumentary Triple Feature (Africa Blood & Guts/Goodbye Uncle Tom/Godfathers of Mondo (DVD) – Blue Underground presents more ‘shockumentary’ fun from the Mondo label, including the notorious “Goodbye Uncle Tom,” which was reportedly an influence on Tarantino’s “Django Unchained”

CLASSICS

She Devil (Blu-ray/DVD) – Olive Films presents this 1957 chiller, from the director of the original “The Fly,” about a woman who becomes an inhuman she-monster after a science experiment gone wrong

HORROR

Zombie Lake (Blu-ray/DVD) – Redemption Films continues their string of hi-def releases from cult favorite French director Jean Rollin with this 1981 zombie flick

Oasis of the Zombies (Blu-ray/DVD) – Jean Rollin’s 1982 spiritual successor to “Zombie Lake” is not as well-regarded as that film. Now in hi-def from Redemption Films

Silent Hill: Revelation (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 film continues the horror saga based on the popular Japanese video game series “Silent Hill”

Girls Against Boys (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 2012 horror thriller, two female friends have had enough and decide to get revenge against the exploitative men in their lives

The House That Dripped Blood (DVD) – Hammer Horror icons Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee both feature in this 1971 horror anthology picture

Crawl (DVD) – boutique horror label Bloody Disgusting Selects offers this 2011 slow-burn thriller about a woman who becomes a hostage in her own home

Celia: Child of Terror (DVD) – the horror imprint Katrina’s Nightmare Theater delivers this 1989 chiller that’s been called a creepy mash-up of “Father Knows Best” and “Death Wish”

Nobody Gets Out Alive (DVD) – Clint Howard, brother of Ron Howard, stars in this 2011 slasher flick

Monster From Bikini Beach (DVD) – this 2008 beach-set horror flick offers bikini-clad exploitation in the vein of “Piranha 3D”

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!

Posted in News |

Ready to get a kick out of the Malaysian action drama ‘Bunohan: Return to Murder’?

"Bunohan: Return to Murder" Theatrical Poster

"Bunohan: Return to Murder" Theatrical Poster

At first glance, 2011’s Bunohan: Return to Murder (aka Bunohan or just Return to Murder) appears to be a Muay Thai action flick, but there’s more to this Malaysian art house film than meets the eye. It’s been described as Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros) meets The Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men) meets Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood) and has made an impression at film festivals around the world.

Written and directed by Dain Said (Dukun), Bunohan: Return to Murder is the story of three estranged brothers—Adil, Bakar and Ilham—and their ailing father who become intertwined in a web of deceit, corruption and tragedy. Each man’s unfulfilled struggle for reconciliation and forgiveness leads to the violence of loss, betrayal, corruption and murder.

Oscilloscope Labs (Meek’s Cutoff, Bellflower), the independent film company founded by now-deceased Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, is giving the film a limited theatrical release on March 1st. You can also watch it now, via Amazon’s steaming service (click here). Check out the trailer, courtesy of Apple.com

Posted in News |

‘The Last Tycoon’ draws its guns on Import Blu-ray and DVD this March 7th

"The Last Tycoon" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Chow Yun-fat returns to the role that made him famous back in his Hong Kong TV days by portraying Shanghai crime boss Cheng in director Wong Jing’s The Last Tycoon. Also starring Hong Kong acting veterans Sammo Hung and Francis Ng, The Last Tycoon received some of the best reviews of Wong Jing’s career.

The film hits Import Blu-ray and DVD on March 7th, 2013.  Trusted retailer DDDHouse is offering the Blu-ray for only $21.15. Since the disc is Region A, it should play on any North American Blu-ray player. Also available is the Region 3 DVD for $13.36, but this disc will require an import player. Both releases feature English subtitles.

Those eager to see Chow Yun-fat return to his pistol-packing glory days would be wise not to miss this lavish gangster tale.

Posted in Asian Import Titles, News |