4 Assassins DVD (Inception Media Group)
RELEASE DATE: February 19, 2013
Inception Media Group presents the DVD for 4 Assassins (aka Far Away Eyes), an action drama about four killers who meet in a hotel to resolve unfinished business. The film stars Will Yun Lee (The Wolverine), Miguel Ferrer (Robocop) and Mercedes Renard (Hitch). Watch the trailer.
Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball Blu-ray (Miramax Echo Bridge)
RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2013
Miramax Echo Bridge presents the Blu-ray for 1997’s Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball, starring American Ninja’s Michael Dudikoff, Lisa Howard and the legendary Tony Curtis. Directed by straight-to-video favorite, George Erschbamer (Snake Eater trilogy), Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball is sure to please all you closet Dudikoff fans. Watch the trailer. Part 1 is also available!
"Desperado" Japanese Theatrical Poster
During a 20th Anniversary screening of 1992’s El Mariachi at the Sundance Film Festival, Robert Rodriguez hinted that we’ll see another El Mariachi film in the future.
Here’s what Rodriguez told MTV: “We forgot about how much fun we’ve had together,” Rodriguez said. “We decided we have to do something. We want to do another El Mariachi movie at some point. We always said we would, but [we’d shoot it] much later when he’s older and rounder.”
Made in 1992 for about $7,000, El Mariachi put Rodriguez on the map as one of Hollywood’s most craftiest filmmakers. Along with Quentin Tarantino, Rodriguez helped usher in the independent movie boom of the early 1990s. El Mariachi spawned two sequels: 1995’s Desperado and 2003’s Once Upon A Time In Mexico, both starring Antonio Banderas, who took over the role of ‘El Mariachi’ for Carlos Gallardo.
While you’re waiting for the two to team up in El Mariachi 4, be sure and catch Antonio Banderas in Rodriguez’ Machete Kills, which opens September 13, 2013.
"Dragon Lord" Blu-ray Cover
DATE: May 7, 2013
Miramax Echo Bridge presents the Blu-ray for Jackie Chan’s Dragon Lord (aka Young Master in Love). This 1982 classic is directed by and starring Jackie Chan. Buyer Beware: Miramax Echo Bridge’s titles are not exactly known for their quality and care when it comes to Jackie Chan’s films (ie DVD upscales for Blu-ray editions, English dubbed tracks only). Great movie, though! Watch the trailer.
Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back Blu-ray (Miramax Echo Bridge)
RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2013
Echo Bridge presents the Blu-ray for Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back. It’s “Bruce Lee meets Mississippi Burning!” Phillip Rhee stars and directs the 3rd chapter of the Best of the Best saga. This time, the highly underrated Rhee is up against the KKK. Also starring Bound’s Gina Gershon. Check out the trailer.
Icons of Action 4-Film Blu-ray Set: Blitz, Eye See You, In Hell & Direct Contact (First Look Pictures)
RELEASE DATE: March 12, 2013
First Look Entertainment presents the Blu-ray & DVD for The Icons of Action 4-Film set, which includes Blitz (trailer) starring Jason Stathem, Eye See You (trailer) starring Sylvester Stallone, Ringo Lam’s In Hell (trailer) starring Jean Claude Van Damme and Direct Contact (trailer) starring Dolph Lundgren.
Interview with a Hitman Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2013
Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Interview with a Hitman. Silent. Relentless. No attachments. This is Viktor’s code. The mantra that took him from the slums of Romania to the pinnacle of his profession – as a murderer for hire. But after a ruthless betrayal by his bosses, he escapes to London, joins a new “family,” and finds himself caught in a vicious underworld power struggle. Watch the trailer.
Jurassic Park 3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray 3D & DVD (Universal)
RELEASE DATE: April 23, 2013
Universal presents the Blu-ray for Jurassic Park 3D. Based on Michael Crichton’s best-selling novel, director Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park created a world where science brought the dinosaurs back to life. Now you can experience it like you never have before in 3D! The Blu-ray & DVD’s for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park & Jurassic Park III are now available individually.
"Jurassic Park III" Blu-ray Cover
RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2013
Universal presents the individual Blu-ray & DVD’s for Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park & Jurassic Park III. Previously only available as a set, you can now choose the ones you want. Also available is the Blu-ray for Jurassic Park 3D.
"The Complex" Japanese Theatrical Poster
Hideo Nakata is back! Sure, he never really went away, but the Ringu director’s career has taken slight a detour the past few years. Nakata made the jump to Hollywood by directing sequel to The Ring, which was not nearly as well received as the original American remake. In 2008, Nakata directed a spin-off of the live-action Death Note series titled Death Note L: Change the World.
2010 gave us Chatroom, a little seen cyber-thriller out of the UK starring Kick-Ass‘ Aaron Johnson. Now with the imminent arrival of 2013’s The Complex, it looks like Hideo Nakata is getting back to what he does best: filming movies in Japanese that also speak the universal language of fear.
You won’t want to miss the teaser trailer for The Complex, which boasts high production values and a stylish look.
Perhaps taking a page from Nakata’s own Dark Water, the film follows a young girl who moves into a large apartment complex and soon becomes witness to a series of horrifying events. The Complex hits Japanese theaters in May of 2013. Thanks to Far East Films for the scoop.
"Hwayi" Korean Teaser Poster
Jang Joon-hwan made a name for himself back in 2003 with his directorial debut Save the Green Planet. Part black comedy, part science-fiction, the movie was instantly held up as one of the best Korean films of all time, only slightly overshadowed by that same year’s Oldboy. Rather than get straight to work on a follow-up, Jang Joon-hawn decided to all but disappear from the movie industry.
Ten years later, Joon-hawn is prepping his next film. Titled Hwayi, the story is said to be a dark revenge drama. Headlining the picture is none other than Kim Yun-seok, an actor who Western audiences should recognize instantly due to his performances in recent blockbusters such as The Chaser and The Thieves. Thanks to Twitch Film for the news.
Updates: Twitch has an update on the project, including a synopsis. The plot follows a 16 year-old boy (played by child actor Yeo Jin Goo) who has become the perfect killer after being raised by 5 master criminals. The film follows his quest to discover his true identity.
BREAKING NEWS: Take a peek at the first poster.
Tai Chi Zero Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
This week is jam-packed with Asian film releases. 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 1/22/13:
ASIAN CINEMA
Tai Chi Zero (Blu-ray/DVD) – actor-turned-director Stephen Fung launches a new kind of action hero with this highly anticipated 2012 steampunk martial arts film
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (Blu-ray/DVD) – director Takashi Miike returns to the samurai genre with this 2011 remake of 1962’s “Harakiri”
Dead Sushi (Blu-ray/DVD) – what happens when the sushi of Japan becomes sentient and decides they want revenge? Find out in this off-the-wall 2012 splatterflick, featuring “High Kick Girl” herself Rina Takeda
Bleak Night (DVD) – this 2011 teen drama explores complex topics such as bullying in a thought-provoking manner. It’s also one of the best Korean films we’ve ever seen
Hard Romanticker (DVD) – don’t be fooled by the title, this 2011 autobiographical Japanese film is about a hard-edged hoodlum who becomes targeted for violent revenge
End of Animal (DVD) – in this 2010 Korean film, civilization is reduced to a dog-eat-dog mentality with the global loss of electricity
FOREIGN CINEMA
Ivan’s Childhood (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents the hi-definition release of director Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1962 film, a landmark in Soviet cinema for its depiction of war’s affect on children
Breathing (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 2011 German-language film, a young criminal offender begins to repent his old ways after a job at the morgue
Son Of Sardaar (DVD) – a man returns to the village of his birth and finds himself in the middle of a longstanding family feud in this 2012 Bollywood film
Cuentos De Barrio (DVD) – two American teens travel to Mexico for a taste of illicit drugs but instead find a world of cannibals and blood magic in this 2012 Spanish-language chiller
MAINSTREAM
End of Watch (Blu-ray/DVD) – hit the streets with Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena in this popular 2012 ‘found footage’ police thriller
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (Blu-ray/DVD) – a breakout hit with critics and fight fans alike, John Hyams’ 2012 dark rumination on the “Universal Soldier” series stars Scott Adkins and Jean-Claude Van Damme
The Paperboy (Blu-ray/DVD) – a surreal crime drama from the director of “Precious,” starring Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman
Fat Kid Rules the World (DVD) – Matthew Lillard makes his directorial debut with this film about an overweight kid who befriends a punk rocker
Nobody Walks (Blu-ray/DVD) – the presence of a beautiful young woman disrupts a married couple’s life in this 2012 indie drama
Death Race 3: Inferno (Blu-ray/DVD) – the “Death Race” reboot lives on with another direct-to-video sequel, featuring Luke Goss (“Blade II”) and Danny Trejo
Officer Down (Blu-ray/DVD) – Stephen Dorff headlines this gritty 2012 police thriller as a crooked cop trying to do right
NEW TO BLU-RAY
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (Blu-ray + DVD combo) – in this 1976 film, Dr. Watson convinces Sherlock Holmes to seek treatment for his cocaine addiction from none other than Sigmund Freud
Trust (Blu-ray) – the second feature from indie auteur Hal Hartley, 1990’s “Trust” receives the hi-def treatment this week
The Sex Thief: Remastered Edition (Blu-ray/DVD) – believe it or not, this 1974 sexy comedy was an early feature for “Casino Royale” director Martin Campbell
CULT
Trancers (DVD) – Full Moon Entertainment presents a re-release of their 1985 sci-fi thriller, in which people are able to travel back in time by inhabiting the bodies of their ancestors. Assassin’s Creed, anyone?
CLASSICS
The Quiet Man (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 1952 film, screen icon John Wayne plays a retired boxer returning to his homeland of Ireland
Indiscreet (Blu-ray/DVD) – movie legends Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman star in this 1958 romantic comedy
HORROR
Cujo (Blu-ray/DVD) – Olive Films presents a new Blu-ray and DVD release for this 1983 thriller about a killer St. Bernard, based on a novel by Stephen King
Deadly Blessing (Blu-ray/DVD) – Shout! Factory’s horror branch Scream Factory presents a new Collector’s Edition release of this obscure 1981 effort from Wes Craven
Ticks (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 1993 creature feature about a bunch of giant, blood-sicking ticks was a perennial favorite during the early days of the Sci-Fi Channel
The Incubus (DVD) – legendary actor/director John Cassavetes stars in this 1982 horror movie, on DVD from Katrina’s Nightmare Theater
A Thousand Cuts (Blu-ray/DVD) – a horror movie director learns the hard way that violence in films has consequences in this 2011 thriller
Lurking Fear (DVD) – Full Moon’s 1994 cheapie is another early 90’s horror movie loosely inspired by the work of author H.P. Lovecraft
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!
“Jackie Chan Double Feature: Crime Story & The Protector” Blu-ray Cover
The following review is for Shout! Factory’s Jackie Chan Double Feature, which contains 1993’s Crime Story & 1985’s The Protector. To see detailed credits for each title, as well as additional reviews, please click on the links provided within the review below.
By HKFanatic
THE PROTECTOR
When Jackie Chan finally made it big in the United States with 1995’s “Rumble in the Bronx“, it stands to reason that he did it on his own terms – with a movie that was shot in his native language and displayed the full range of his comedic talents – since previous attempts to shoehorn Jackie into the Hollywood mold had failed miserably.
Back in 1980, Jackie teamed up with Robert Clouse, the director of “Enter the Dragon,” for “The Big Brawl,” a film that should have been Jackie’s emergence into the mainstream, except that Jackie wasn’t allowed any input into the fight scenes and Clouse was too intent on portraying Jackie as the next Bruce Lee. “The Big Brawl” failed miserably at the box office.
Five years later, another Western filmmaker seemed intent on repeating Clouse’s same mistakes. Low-budget exploitation director James Glickenhaus was handpicked by Jackie’s handlers at Golden Harvest for another try at introducing Jackie to the American market. The result was 1985’s “The Protector,” a buddy-cop action flick that was Jackie Chan by way of “Dirty Harry.” The film flew in the face of Jackie’s personal value system: Glickenhaus filled the movie to the brim with gratuitous nudity, excessive swearing, and bloody violence.
In an interview on Shout! Factory’s new Blu-ray release of “The Protector,” director Glickenhaus remains defiant about the film. He admits the only reason he made the movie was to visit Hong Kong and to try and emulate the Bruce Lee movies he enjoyed. He knocks Jackie by suggesting he was not a ‘real fighter’ like Bruce Lee and that Jackie’s comedic brand of kung fu would not have traveled well to Hollywood circa ’85. In all fairness, he might be right about this last point but one has to imagine American audiences would have been more receptive to a film like “Wheels on Meals” than the dour and depressing affair that is Glickenhaus’ American cut of “The Protector.”
Fortunately, Jackie knew better. Back in ’85, he returned to Hong Kong and assembled a few key players – including American Karate champion Bill Wallace and ‘Girls With Guns’ icon Moon Lee – to shoot new footage in Hong Kong. Jackie edited these new sequences into the film, while dubbing “The Protector” into Cantonese (and thereby removing the frequent f-bombs) and cutting all the nudity out. Jackie’s personal cut of “The Protector” was the version released throughout Asia and the film ended up doing decent business, although it did not perform as well as Jackie’s usual Hong Kong output.
Jackie’s version of “The Protector” has never been widely available in America but that all changes with Shout! Factory’s release. For better or worse, the HK version of the film is included on the same Blu-ray disc as “Crime Story“/”The Protector” and is only available in Standard Definition. The picture quality is, to put it bluntly, abysmal; but if you’ve spent decades watching Asian films on worn out VHS tapes or Tai Seng DVDs, you probably know how to deal with it by now.
The difference between the two cuts is night and day; Glickenhaus’ version moves slow as molasses in comparison, while Jackie’s cut has the kinetic energy of his 80’s Hong Kong work. The reshot bout between Bill Wallace and Jackie is arguably one of Chan’s finest fight scenes. The American version of “The Protector” wallows in its own sleaze and violence for the sake of it, whereas Jackie’s cut is strictly about the action. Though it’s admittedly a little strange to see Danny Aiello dubbed in Cantonese; and it’s a shame that Moon Lee doesn’t get much to do in either versions of the film, but this was two years before her breakout action role in 1987’s “Iron Angels.”
CRIME STORY
Also available on Shout! Factory’s Jackie Chan Double Feature is Kirk Wong’s 1993 effort “Crime Story.” Wong pitched the film to Jackie as a way for the popular funnyman to stretch his dramatic chops in a more serious and sober-minded crime thriller. Jackie was initially onboard for the idea but ultimately box office pressure got the best of him; Jackie was worried the public wouldn’t accept him in a more psychologically tormented role, so he scaled back his character’s inner conflict and injected a bit more of the prop-heavy action one expects from a Jackie Chan movie. The final result is something of a mixed bag: one senses that the film is not the harrowing crime saga that Kirk Wong had in mind, but “Crime Story” is still one of Jackie Chan’s more interesting career diversions.
Although he’s been inactive during the last 12 years, Kirk Wong was always one of Hong Kong’s finest journeymen directors. From the “Blade Runner”-esque dystopic kung fu of “Health Warning” to the period actioner “Gunmen,” Wong tried his hand at several genres but always knew how to bring the action. “Crime Story” differentiates itself from other Jackie Chan films through its stunning visual palette; the sets are frequently awash in neon colors and several sequences feature some truly bravado crane shots. It’s perhaps not surprising that master stylist Andrew Lau (“Infernal Affairs”) served as one of four cinematographers on “Crime Story.”
Once Jackie decided that “Crime Story” wasn’t the venue to deconstruct his onscreen persona, Kirk Wong likely had no choice but to focus on the rote mechanics of the film’s kidnapping plot. The film is somewhat front-loaded with action: the story opens with a violent and daring shootout in the middle of the streets of Hong Kong, followed shortly thereafter by a jaw-dropping car chase. The screenplay loses momentum during its third act, particularly when Jackie becomes trapped inside a seemingly bottomless sea freighter and then later rescues a small child from an exploding building. Regardless of the lull in pacing, “Crime Story” is likely to satisfy those who are looking for the usual JC action as well as viewers interested in a more ‘serious’ Chan outing.
The good news is that the picture quality on Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray is above-average for Hong Kong films of this era. Bonus features for both films include an interview with Kirk Wong (“Crime Story”) and an interview with James Glickenhaus (“The Protector”). Whether you’re a longtime Jackie Chan film or simply looking to explore the hard-edged films in his catalog, the Jackie Chan Double Feature is an easy purchase to recommend.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 9/10
"True Romance" Japanese Theatrical Poster
Debuting at this year’s Sundance Film Festival is Fredrik Bond’s The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman, written by Matt Drake (Project X) and starring Shia LaBeouf, Rupert Grint, Evan Rachel Wood and Mads Mikkelsen. The story revolves around a guy (LaBeouf) who falls for a woman (Wood) who’s claimed by a violent crime boss (Casino Royale’s Mikkelsen).
LaBeouf originally dropped out of the project and the lead role was briefly given to Zac Efron before LaBeouf settled for the part. Following the footsteps of method actors like Robert De Niro and Sean Penn, LaBeouf reportedly tripped on acid while filming acid scenes to “get into character.”
In an article from EW, Wood compares the The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman to the 1993 Tony Scott/Quentin Tarantino film True Romance. “It has a vibe of True Romance. It’s a passionate, tender love story surrounded by chaos, violence, and crime,” she says. And, like True Romance, it also has moments of humor.
Gorgo Blu-ray & DVD (VLC Entertainment)
RELEASE DATE: March 19, 2013
VLC Entertainment presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1961’s Gorgo, directed by Eugene Laurie (Battle of the Bulge). Greedy sailors capture a giant lizard off the coast of Ireland and sell it to a London circus. Then its mother shows up. Think of it as the “British Godzilla” with elements from King Kong as well. Gorgo is praised for its complex effects and unique ending. Watch the trailer.
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