"The Tower" Korean Theatrical Poster

CJ Entertainment is thrilled to announce the North American release of The Tower on 1/11/13!

Already stirring up intense interest in Korea where it opens as the holiday blockbuster offering for this Christmas, The Tower features a star-studded ensemble cast including Sul Kyung-gu (No Mercy, Haeundale), Son Ye-jin (A Moment to Remember, Spellbound) and Kim Sang-kyung (Memories of Murder).

Interwoven dramatic storylines, heartfelt acting, and show-stopping pyrotechnics make The Tower a bold new addition to the disaster action movie genre.

Synopsis

Christmas Eve – at Tower Sky – the ultra-luxurious landmark building complex, a “White Christmas” party is held to dazzle its equally high-end tenants and VIP guests. Dae-ho (KIM Sang-kyung), the manager of the building and single father, is forced to cancel plans with his daughter Hana (CHO Mina) to work the event. His Christmas is saved when Yoon-hee (SON Ye-jin), the food mall manager with a secret crush on Dae-ho, offers to babysit Hana during theparty. Meanwhile, Young-ki (SUL Kyung-gu) the legendary fire chief of Yoido Station has finally promised his first holiday date night to his long suffering wife.

The party is in full swing with the spectacular sight of two helicopters flying overhead just to spray snow on the partygoers and make everything perfect. When unthinkable disaster strikes, Dae-ho and Young-ki must summon all their strength and courage to save the lives of thousands but at what cost to themselves and their loved ones?

Theatrical Listings

The Tower is now playing in the Los Angeles area. The film is coming to Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, and Honolulu on 1/11/2013. Check here for theatrical listings.

Cityonfire.com received the above press release courtesy of CJ Entertainment

"Police Story" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Shout! Factory has announced the release of 6 Jackie Chan films in 2013. In addition, they have secured rights to distribute all of Bruce Lee’s films, with the obvious exception of Warner’s Enter the Dragon. There are currently no official details on which titles and formats will be released, but definitely check back with us for the latest updates.

So far, Shout! Factory has the January 15th release of the Crime Story and Protector Double Feature, which includes Jackie Chan’s Hong Kong cut of the Protector (Blu-ray version only); as well as the American-made Bruce Lee documentary I Am Bruce Lee.

As far as other Asian titles, Shout! Factory will most likely continue their association with South Korea’s CJ Entertainment, as they did with the action packed Sector 7 and Quick.

Updates: Amazon.com now has pre-orders up for the following Bruce Lee Double Features on DVD: The Big Boss & Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon & Game of Death; as well as a link for the Jackie Chan Beginnings Double Feature, which contains Killer Meteors & New Fist of Fury. Please check back for updates regarding extra features, languages and cover art.

Current message board rumors indicate Shout! Factory is likely planning a Bruce Lee Blu-ray box set for release in July 2013. It’s expected that the four films featured in the DVD Double Features will be collected in this set.

Police Story 1 and Police Story 2 are now available on Blu-ray & DVD (pre-order link). They are both set to hit retailers in April 16, 2013.

BREAKING NEWS: Shout! Factory now has pre-order links up for the Jackie Chan Double Feature: Battle Creek Brawl and City Hunter Blu-ray & DVD. Also, Shout! Factory’s Bruce Lee Blu-ray Box Set is here.

"Going By the Book" Korean Theatrical Poster

Film distributor 5 Points Pictures is pleased to announce the two-disc, special-edition DVD release of Going By the Book will be available on April 16, 2013.

Writer, director and producer Jang Jin (Guns and Talks, Righteous Ties) and actor Jung Jae-young (Moss, Righteous Ties) reteam for this South Korean bank-heist comedy, which is helmed by first-time director Ra Hee-chan (Mr. Idol) and features supporting performances by Son Byung-ho (The Good, The Bad, The Weird, May 18), Lee Young-eun (Doomsday Book, To the Beautiful You TV), and more.

Going by the Book is based upon the Japanese film “Bang!” (a.k.a. “Asobi no Jikan wa Owaranai”), with an adapted screenplay by Jang Jin and Lee Gyu-bok. It was produced by Film It Suda and is presented by CJ Entertainment.

SYNOPSIS

It’s Cops vs. Cops (pretending to be robbers)!

Sam-po is a small town with a major problem. Its banks are increasingly targeted by armed robbers, and local law enforcement’s efforts to address the issue have been nonexistent. Incoming police chief LEE Seung-woo (Son Byung-ho, The Good, The Bad, The Weird) initiates an ambitious plan to send a message to the criminals and win the confidence of the townspeople. Every member of his force will participate in a “Bank Robbery Simulation” – unscripted training involving bank personnel and customers, plus a lone cop playing the role of the crook. And the new chief thinks he knows the right man for the job…

By-the-book patrolman Jung Do-man (Jung Jae-young, Moss) is dismayed to find he has been personally selected for this role. But when the dedicated officer is told to “do his best,” what was meant to be a simple role-playing exercise quickly spirals into a nationally televised event!

Includes the feature film plus more than an hour and 45 minutes of video extras, all with on/off English subtitles!

DISC SPECS

5 Points Pictures’ release of Going By the Book will feature an upgraded English translation of the film, plus more than an hour and 45 minutes of translated and subtitled video extras from the South Korean limited-edition releases.

Visit www.5pointspictures.com for more information about Going By the Book, to sign up for 5 Points Pictures’ newsletter and press release lists, or to inquire about retail opportunities.

Cityonfire.com received the above press release courtesy of 5 Points Pictures

"Trailer War" Blu-ray Cover

Get ready for Trailer War! Unleashed from the vaults of the Alamo Drafthouse, a meticulous selection of the best, strangest and most amazing coming attraction trailers in the world! Most have never been available in any home format, and all are presented for the first time in high definition.

From the high flying, explosive metal mayhem of Stunt Rock to Thunder Cops’ disembodied flying head chaos, each 3 minute masterpiece is like a beckoning portal to another, more exciting dimension. It’s a crippling overdose of towering flames, mechanized destruction, lurking fear, poor sexual choices and spiritual devastation on an apocalyptic scale. You might want to have a cornea donor standing by just in case…because this is going to burn!

Update: You can now order a Blu-ray, DVD or even a digital copy of the film exclusively from Drafthouse or Amazon.com. A percentage of proceeds from every sale benefit the American Genre Film Archive. Watch the trailer!

Na Hong-Jin's "The Yellow Sea"

Fans of the 2008 Korean thriller The Chaser were eager to see what director Na Hong-jin would do for a follow-up. Their anticipation soon turned to disappointment, however, when it was announced that 20th Century Fox’s Region 1 release of The Yellow Sea would be DVD-only and cut for content by about three minutes. Fox even went so far as to ensure that the movie’s Korean Blu-ray release didn’t contain English subtitles, a rarity in this day and age.

Well, Asian film buffs are finally able to experience The Yellow Sea in all its uncut glory – with graphic violence intact – thanks to a new Chinese Blu-ray release. Trusted retailer DDDHouse is currently offering the All-Region Blu-ray disc for just $22.44. It comes with both Chinese and English subtitles, and we can vouch for the picture quality of this release.

If you’ve been holding off on watching Yellow Sea due to the number of edits and versions floating out there, now is the time to check out this grim and unrelenting thriller from one of South Korea’s most promising new filmmakers.