"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.

"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!

"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.

"Cold War" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau is presiding over the Jury at the 2012 Asian Film Awards. Today the jury announced the nominees, which include a number of genre films from all over Asia. Says Andy Lau: “Asian films are spreading across the globe because of their diversity and innovation.”

Nominees for Best Picture include Johnnie To’s “Drug War,” starring Louis Koo; Takeshi Kitano’s sequel to his violent Yakuza thriller “Outrage,” titled “Outrage Beyond”; and the latest from Korean badboy Kim Ki-duk, titled “Pieta.”

In addition, veteran Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka-Fai is up for Best Actor award for his role in the Chinese cop thriller “Cold War.” Korean mega-hits “The Thieves” and “Nameless Gangster” were up for plenty of Actor-related awards as well.

For the full rundown of nominees, be sure to check Chinese Films. The awards ceremony will take place in Hong Kong on March 18th, 2013.