Ninja the Mission Force Riffs: Ninja Empire | DVD (Dark Maze Studios)

Posted on February 8, 2013 by JJ Bona
Ninja the Mission Force Riffs: Ninja Empire DVD (Dark Maze Studios)

Ninja the Mission Force Riffs: Ninja Empire DVD (Dark Maze Studios)

RELEASE DATE: February 8, 2013

Dark Maze Studios, the creators of the Telly Award-winning series Ninja the Mission Force, are back! This time, they riff the cheesy cut-and-paste flick Ninja Empire in a new DVD called Ninja the Mission Force Riffs: Ninja Empire.

You can watch the Godrey Ho film with or without the riffing commentary, PLUS you get the season 2 premiere of Ninja the Mission Force over a month before it’s available anywhere else.

Check out the trailer and order a copy today through Dark Maze Studios.

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

Captain America | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

Posted on February 7, 2013 by JJ Bona
Captain America Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

Captain America Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2013

Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray for 1990’s Captain America, directed by Albert Pyun (Cyborg). Frozen in the ice for decades, Captain America (Matt Salinger) is freed to battle against arch-criminal, The Red Skull (Scott Paulin). Also starring Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty. The MGM DVD is currently available. Watch the trailer.

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

The Name of the Game is Kill | DVD (VCI Entertainment)

Posted on February 7, 2013 by JJ Bona
The Name of the Game is Kill DVD (VCI Entertainment)

The Name of the Game is Kill DVD (VCI Entertainment)

RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2013

VCI Entertainment presents the DVD for 1968’s The Name of the Game is Kill, a cult-shocker that stars Jack Lord (Hawaii Five-O, Dr. No), Tisha Sterling and Collin Wilcox Paxton. A family offers a traveling stranger hospitality, but the stranger doesn’t realize exactly what they have in store for him. Watch the trailer. “Contains moments of Bava-like Brilliance!” – Joe Dante, Director of Gremlins

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

South Shaolin Master, The (1984) Review

Posted on February 7, 2013 by JJ Bona
"The South Shaolin Master" DVD Cover

“The South Shaolin Master” DVD Cover

AKA: Red Dragons Of Shaolin
Director: Siao Lung
Cast: Yau Gin Gwok, Li Yan-Long, Zhong Xiao-Zhen, Suen Gen-Fa, Xu Xue-Yi, Dong Li, Li Zhong-Ru, Pan Wei-Xing, Ku Guo-Xing, Xu Qi-Cheng

By Reefer

The absolute best thing about being a movie fanatic is being surprised, caught off guard by something unexpectedly brilliant. Something you dug out of the bargain bin at your local movie store. Something you thought would be a simple time-waster and not something that you would immediately jump onto the computer to write about – Well, The South Shaolin Master has become that kind of film for me.

With a largely unknown cast, wonderful fight choreography, and some very nice photography, The South Shaolin Master exceeded all my expectations. It’s somewhat of a shame that this film really hasn’t achieved much notoriety in this respect.

The story begins as a rebel fighter, with skillful kung fu, comes to the aid of an opera troupe being assaulted by Manchu government thugs. The rebel was in town to deliver funds to colleagues. Unfortunately tricked and injured by other Manchus at the drop, the rebel is taken in by the opera troupe, his identity unknown to some its members. Personal vendettas and political maneuverings abound as the opera troupe and the rebel eventually go to war against the government forces.

Many of the fight scenes are wonderfully electric, full screen duels, filmed with an economy of cuts and camera tricks. These action sequences are the epitome of the way fight scenes should be filmed. If is no surprise that members of the Yuen clan choreographed this film.

The fights feature weapons of all kinds: fists, swords, spears, etc. My favorite of all the weapons used is the metal dart with a rope attached (I don’t know the correct name for the weapon). I saw this weapon used last, in a poorly-staged way, in Jackie Chan’s Shanghai Noon, involving a horse shoe and a rope instead. Nonetheless, it is brilliantly staged here. Other notable scenes feature the three or four women in the opera troupe immersed in a deadly group sword fight. Each girl dresses in a certain solid color like pink, green, and yellow, laughably reminding me of my daughter’s favorite cartoon, The Powerpuff Girls.

This being a larger budget Mainland production, the viewer is also treated to some beautiful landscapes serving as the backdrop to most of the action, as well as some very large scale sets.

In fear of over-hyping this film, let me get to the very major flaw of this film. Character development. Unfortunately, the story unfolds as if none of the characters existed before this film. They are mostly without pasts or any emotional baggage that doesn’t originate within these 95 minutes. Bottom line: These are not well-drawn characters. Consequently, the potential for any changing attitudes or meaningful revelations about one’s lot in life gets lost in all the marvelous punching and kicking action.

I understand that, ultimately, these might be small criticisms for the action genre, but it is also the element that is keeping this film from receiving a score of ten from me. At the same time, the acting is pretty straightforward standard fare. The heroes are likable. The bad guys deserve the beating they get. Justice is served. And another movie fanatic is very satisfied.

I almost regret raving this film up so much because it means that other fans won’t have the opportunity the react to this film in a similar way. So, please, check it out. Sit back. And watch kung fu the way it was meant to be filmed.

Reefer’s Rating: 8.5/10

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

Kunoichi: Lady Ninja (1998) Review

Posted on February 7, 2013 by JJ Bona
"Kunoichi: Lady Ninja" Theatrical Poster

“Kunoichi: Lady Ninja” Theatrical Poster

Director: Hitoshi Ozawa
Cast: Hitoshi Ozawa, Yuko Moriyama, Tomomi Kuribayashi, Kazuki Takeda, Yoshio Shima, Tomoroo Taguchi, Takekazu Shigehisa, Hidehiko Ishikura
Running Time: 105 min.

By Numskull

‘Ninja Magic: Energy Ball!’ A blazing, luminous sphere is conjured out of thin air by one of the Seven Beasts of Katoh, and with a murderous glint in his eyes, he directs it towards the imperiled Hori girls with deadly speed and accuracy!

“But wait! What’s this? It looks like the lovely Okei’s dormant ninja powers have chosen a most opportune moment to awaken!

“‘Ninja Magic: Returning Echo!’ Okei sits up and spreads the pair of sleek legs that her ninja costume, unconcerned with authenticity or practicality, leaves so accommodatingly exposed. As squiggly purple lines clearly intended to represent an irresistible electromagnetic pull or some shit materialize in the air, the villain’s deadly orb is drawn to the source of this new energy! Yes, the Energy Ball is clearly outclassed by the Returning Echo magic emanating from… from… uh… Okei’s… um… well… you know… her… ah… THERE.

“In goes the energy ball, and the brave young ninja’s body becomes host to an orange-sized bulge that threatens to rip her flesh asunder! Driven by forces beyond mortal ken, it makes its way up through her abdomen, her chest, her neck, and finally into her very head itself! OH NO!!! Will Okei’s efforts all be in vain? Will the battlefield become strewn with fragments of her skull, scalp, and brain? Will shiny white stuff burst forth from the head so soon after the meeting of ball and vagina?

“Oh, heavens be praised! The valiant Okei spews the Energy Ball forth from her mouth and sends it hurtling towards her foe, whereupon it explodes in a blinding burst of righteous ninja destruction! The Beast of Katoh dies a horrible death, his carcass falling back to the earth in bloody, smoking chunks! A rousing victory for the Hori forces! Hurrah!!!”

And so forth.

This may sound like grand entertainment. And it is, sort of. The problem is that there isn’t enough of it. Kunoichi: Lady Ninja (the 7th and last film in the Kunoichi series; knowledge of the other six may help but is not required) takes itself too seriously, inserting FX-heavy action scenes like the one described above in between laborious plot and character development scenes, resulting in a ride so uneven it would make even Wong Jing say “Wow, that’s really uneven.” I know this is a jaded Westerner speaking, but it seems to me that if you’re going to do stuff as “out there” as magnetic vaginas and electrocuting nipples, you might as well just go all out and cast off any pretense of seriousness.

This wouldn’t be such a big deal if the story was involving, but seven ninja girls getting into all sorts of trouble until their hitherto unfamiliar magical powers decide to spring to life just didn’t do much for me. I am reminded of another manga adaptation: Riki-Oh, The Story of Ricky, which coasts through an hour and a half or so on its shock value and little else. This is a film best left ignored.

Numskull’s Rating: 5/10

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

Hammer Horror 3-Film DVD Set (Millennium Media Services)

Posted on February 7, 2013 by JJ Bona
"Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires" Japanese Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2013

Millennium Media Services presents the DVD for the Hammer Horror 3-Film Set, which contains 1966’s Dracula: Prince of Darkness (trailer), 1967’s Frankenstein Created Woman (trailer) and Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (trailer), which is the Hammer and Shaw Brothers Studio mash-up, co-directed by the legendary Chang Cheh with David Chiang co-starring alongside with Peter Cushing.

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

Cityonfire and Well Go USA are giving away 5 Blu-ray copies of ‘The Thieves’ – WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Posted on February 7, 2013 by JJ Bona
"The Thieves" Blu-ray Cover

"The Thieves" Blu-ray Cover

Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 5 Blu-ray copies of The Thieves (read our review) to five lucky Cityonfire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment to this post telling us what your favorite heist film is, along with a brief explanation of why it’s your favorite. We will be selecting five winners at random. Be sure to include your email address in the appropriate field so we can contact you for your home address. Also, please ‘Like Us’ on cityonfire.com’s Facebook by clicking here.

The Blu-ray & DVD for Well Go USA’s The Thieves will officially be released on February 12th. We will announce the 5 lucky winners on February 8th and ship out the prizes immediately. Enter now!

CONTEST DISCLAIMER: Contest is now closed. You must enter by February 5th 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: Congratulations to Bryan, Patrick Chan, Spirit31, Alan Tan and Keith. We will contact you shortly via e-mail for your mailing address. Thanks to everyone for participating. Please keep an eye out for future contests.

Posted in News | Tagged |

The Town That Dreaded Sundown | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

Posted on February 6, 2013 by JJ Bona
The Town That Dreaded Sundown Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

The Town That Dreaded Sundown Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2013

Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1976’s The Town That Dreaded Sundown, directed by Charles B. Pierce. A Texas Ranger hunts for a hooded serial killer terrorizing the residents of a small town, set in 1946 Arkansas. Loosely based on a true story. Pierce’s rare cult movie classic The Evictors will also be included with this title. Watch the trailer.

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

Crimewave | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

Posted on February 6, 2013 by JJ Bona
Crimewave Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

Crimewave Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013

Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1985’s Crimewave, directed by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead). Crimewave revolves around a pair of whacked-out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen who kill the owner of a burglar-alarm company, and stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and a nerd framed for the murder, who tells the story in flashback from the electric chair. Watch the trailer.

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

The Burning | Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

Posted on February 6, 2013 by JJ Bona
The Burning Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

The Burning Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: May 21, 2013

Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1981’s The Burning, directed by Tony Maylam (Split Second). A former summer camp caretaker, horribly burned from a prank gone wrong, lurks around an upstate New York summer camp bent on killing the teenagers responsible for his disfigurement. Watch the trailer.

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

Asian film distributor Indomina closes up shop in North America

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Z Ravas
Life Without Principle DVD (Indomnia)

Life Without Principle DVD (Indomnia)

Today bears some potentially distressing news from the Hollywood trades. Film distributor Indomina, who brought Asian titles like Flying Swords of Dragon Gate and Bodyguards & Assassins to North America, has closed up shop. More specifically, the US and Dominican Republic-based company is shutting down their North American operations.

Recently, Indomina had begun to branch out from its Asian and genre-based lineup with arthouse titles like the acclaimed documentary The Imposter and the experimental French film Holy Motors. Indomina’s new goal is to create commercially viable features out of its facilities in the Dominican Republic. In the meantime, you should be able to check out Indomina’s back catalog of top tier Asian titles – including Dante Lam’s Fire of Conscience and Johnnie To’s Life Without Principle – on Netflix streaming for the foreseeable future.

Posted in News |

Penthouse Playboys | DVD (Asian Media Rights)

Posted on February 5, 2013 by JJ Bona
"Penthouse Playboys" DVD Cover

"Penthouse Playboys" DVD Cover

RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2013

Asian Media Rights presents the DVD for Jeong Seung-Gu’s Penthouse Playboy (aka Searching for the Elephant, Penthouse Elephant). Three young professionals struggle with compulsions: sex addiction, infidelity, betrayal and schizophrenia. Starring Dong-Hyuk Cho, Jong-min Baek and Myeong-hee Go. Watch the trailer.

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

A Simple Life | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Posted on February 5, 2013 by JJ Bona
A Simple Life Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

A Simple Life Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: February 26, 2013

Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Ann Hui’s A Simple Life. Ah Tao (Deanie Ip) has worked for Roger’s (Andy Lau) family as a nanny and maid over the course of four generations. After suffering a stroke, she (Deanie Ip) announces that she wants to quit her job and move into an old people’s home. Watch the trailer.

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

Blu-ray and DVD Releases for 2/5/13

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Z Ravas
The Ballad of Narayama Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion)

The Ballad of Narayama Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion)

Welcome to February. Not much is happening yet in February for us Asian film buffs but we have a feeling that will change soon.

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 2/5/13:

ASIAN CINEMA

The Ballad of Narayama (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents a new 4K master for this haunting 1958 film based on a Japanese folk legend. From acclaimed director Keisuke Kinoshita (“Twenty-Four Eyes”)

Somewhere In Between (DVD) – this highly praised 2011 documentary takes a look at the experience of four young girls who were born in China but raised in the United States

FOREIGN

Little White Lies (Blu-ray/DVD) – a close-knit group of friends, including the lovely and talented Marion Cotillard (“Midnight in Paris”), embark on a yearly getaway when tensions arise in this 2012 dramatic French comedy from the director of “Tell No One”

The Pool (DVD) – Kino Films presents this 2007 Hindi-language film about a young hotel worker in India who dreams of the good life

My Worst Nightmare (DVD) – Isabelle Huppert stars in this 2011 French comedy as a woman who must deal with a roughneck man who is her ‘worst nightmare’ when he’s hired to remodel her apartment

MAINSTREAM

Flight (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 recovery drama follows Denzel Washington as an alcoholic pilot who becomes a media sensation

Alex Cross (Blu-ray/DVD) – Tyler Perry puts down his Aunt Madea drag and picks up a  shotgun for this 2012 action/thriller

Deadfall (Blu-ray/DVD) – Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde headline this neo-noir as a brother and sister pair of outlaws who are caught unawares on their most recent getaway by a snow blizzard

A Late Quartet (Blu-ray/DVD) – a world renowned string quartet must face the music when one of their members is forced to retire. This 2012 drama stars Christopher Walken and Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Side by Side (Blu-ray/DVD) – none other than Keanu Reeves takes a look at the ‘film vs. digital’ cinematic debate by interviewing directors as famous as Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese in this 2012 documentary

Mafia (DVD) – this 1970’s set cops-and-gangsters direct-to-video thriller stars Robert Patrick (“Terminator 2: Judgment Day”) and Ving Rhames (“Dawn of the Dead” remake)

Hostage/Set Up (Blu-ray/DVD) – the underrated 2005 Bruce Willis actioner “Hostage” is paired up with one of Willis’ more recent direct-to-video excursions

NEW TO BLU-RAY

Laura (Blu-ray) – Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews star in this 1944 film, one of the most critically acclaimed and historically important film noirs of all time. Now in hi-def

Peter Pan (Blu-ray/DVD) – Disney’s 1953 animated classic is released in hi-def

Cabaret (Blu-ray/DVD) – the classic 1972 film, set in the Weimar Republic, arrives on Blu-ray

CLASSICS

Ambush At Tomahawk Gap (DVD) – this 1953 adventure film about a group of treasure seekers who must contend with a tribe of Apaches can be manufactured by demand on DVD-R by Amazon

Target Hong Kong (DVD) – a soldier of fortune is hired to keep Communist invaders from reaching Hong Kong in this 1953 action movie, manufactured on demand by Amazon

The Brigand (DVD) – a lookalike for the King is used to stop would-be overthrowers in this 1952 swashbuckling adventure, manufactured on demand by Amazon

Other films available on DVD-R this week from Amazon: Apache Ambush (1955), The Spanish Prisoner (1997), Ghost of the China Sea (1958), There’s Always a Woman (1938), The Bamboo Prison (1954), Five Golden Hours (1961), A Matter of Wife and Death (1976)

HORROR

Bela Lugosi: Scared to Death Collection (DVD) – this collection features over 20 films starring Bela Lugosi on DVD, including “White Zombie” and “The Phantom Creeps”

Bigfoot: The Lost Tapes (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 feature is – you may have guessed by the title – a ‘found footage’ horror flick about the legendary Bigfoot

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 |

Bullet to the Head (2012) Review

Posted on February 3, 2013 by JJ Bona
"Bullet to the Head" Theatrical Poster

“Bullet to the Head” Theatrical Poster

Director: Walter Hill
Producer: Joel Silver
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christian Slater, Jason Momoa, Jon Seda, Holt McCallany
Running Time: 91 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Walter Hill, the acclaimed director of some of the most greatest, testerone-filled films (Warriors, 48 Hours and Last Man Standing) of our time returns with Bullet to the Head, his first theatrical release in over 10 years.

Based on Alexis Nolent’s French graphic novel Du Plomb Dans La Tete, Bullet to the Head stars Sylvester Stallone as a tough New Orleans hitman who teams up with a by-the-book police officer (Fast Five’s Sung Kang) to bring down a ruthless enemy they want for their own reasons.

Have you ever woke up extra early for work to avoid traffic, only to realize your car keys have been misplaced, which in turn makes you more late than you’ve ever been? Or maybe instead of having a pizza delivered, you decide to cook yourself a healthy dinner, which resulted in your house being burnt to the ground? Well, that’s what Bullet to the Head is. It’s the blueprint for what should have been a nice little action flick, but the finished product is a complete disaster. What a waste of a perfect recipe: an in-your-face title based on a cool comic book; a prolific director who is worshipped by genre buffs around the globe; and a respected, tatted up action star who physically looks like he’s still on his peak of manhood, despite being 66 years old. It’s also R-rated for violence, which is always a positive thing.

Even though I was looking forward to Bullet to the Head, my expectations were moderately low. I wasn’t looking for originality or clever dialogue. I wasn’t expecting Hill to re-create the magic of 48 Hours or even Another 48 Hours. After watching The Expendables and its sequel, all I wanted was a decent action movie from Stallone. Basically, I wanted something along the lines of Tango & Cash.

The main problem with Bullet to the Head is everything. There’s not a single hair of chemistry between any of the actors no matter how you mix and match them. The plot is basic, yet the way it’s presented makes it a clusterf*ck that passes from one scene to the next. There’s a style with the way it was edited (sped up/slowed down panning with sound effects and more nonsense I’d rather not describe) that makes it appear as if it was filmed in the late 90s. After about 20 minutes in, I lost interest in the plot and I no longer cared for the characters or anything they were saying or doing. I was this close to walking out of the theater and I’ve never walked out of a theater before.

The only way I can recommend Bullet to the Head is if I told someone to fast-forward to the action scenes, which are tight and brutal (which is why I gave the movie a 3/10, instead of a 0/10). But then again, this isn’t exactly a Jackie Chan flick from 1985, nor is it The Raid, so the fight scenes alone aren’t worth your time. With that said, I can’t recommend it unless you’re in it for pure curiosity.

At this point of his “action” career, Stallone needs to star and direct another Rambo movie, because the last one he did was a flawless victory. Sung Kang needs to buy less v-necks and stick to minor roles in those Fast & Furious films, because his presence, at least in this movie, is that of a card board cut out of himself. I almost hate to admit this, but even though Jason Momoa’s (Conan the Barbarian) charisma lies closer to the Barbarian Brothers than Arnold Schwarzenegger, he’s the best thing about Bullet to the Head.

As for Walter Hill? I think Quentin Tarantino said it best: “I think directors are like boxers. They need to know when to hang up the gloves.”

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 3/10

Posted in Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , , , , |
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