"Back to 1942" International Poster

China Lion Film Distribution will release the Feng Xiaogang epic Back to 1942 on November 30th throughout the U.S. and Canada, day-and-date with its planned Chinese Mainland release. The film, based on the bestselling Chinese novel Remembering 1942 by Liu Zhengyun, revolves around the devastating famine that ravaged the Henan province while Nationalists and Japanese troops fought during World War II. The film stars a cast of well-known Chinese stars including Xu Fan, Zhang Guoli, Chen Daoming, Zhang Mo and Zhang Hanyu as well as Academy Award winners Adrien Brody (The Piano) and Tim Robbins (Mystic River).

China Lion Film will initially release the film throughout the U.S. and Canada in limited release throughout major North American metro areas of Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Vancouver on November 30th. The film will open in Chicago and Seattle on the 7th of December, with future bookings to be announced.

China Lion Film is planning special advance screenings on November 27th in both Vancouver and Toronto for press and selected members of the public. Locations for special advance screenings in the U.S. will be announced. Watch the official trailer at Apple or Youtube.

Cityonfire.com received the above press release from China Lion on November 14th, 2012.

"Swelter" Teaser Poster

According to sources – including The Film Catalogue and the folks at vandammefan.net – Jean-Claude Van Damme is set to star in an action movie titled Swelter, which will be directed by Keith Parmer (Mob Rules). The film will also star Dermot Mulroney, Lennie James, Alfred Molina, Josh Henderson and Catalina Sandino Moreno.

Swelter centers on four violent escaped prisoners arriving in a dusty, small California town where the heat is unbearable and everyone knows each other’s business. The escaped convicts are in search of the fifth man who fled with over $10 million in cash.

According to imdb.com, many of the above cast members, including Van Damme, are not credited. But according to The Film Catalogue, Swelter is still on, currently in pre-production, and is set for release in 2013. Van Damme is currently wrapping up Enemies Closer, which reunites him with Peter Hyams (Time Cop).

Check back with cityonfire.com for more updates regarding this project.

Painted Skin: The Resurrection Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

This is one heck of an eclectic week, that sees a couple of high-profile Asian film releases, the Blu-ray edition of “Lawrence of Arabia,” numerous Blu-ray Triple Features, and more. 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 11/13/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Painted Skin: The Resurrection (Blu-ray/DVD) – Well Go USA brings this 2012 visually lush Chinese fantasy to North America. Expect our review tomorrow

Silmido (The Basters) (DVD) – one of the most successful Korean films of all time finally sees a Region 1 DVD release. The 2003 film follows a group of North Korean infiltrators in the late 60’s tasked with assassinating the South Korean President

Big Tits Zombie (DVD) – with a title like that, what more can I say? This 2010 Japanese zombie splatterflick hits retail on Tuesday

Slave Ship (DVD) – the Japanese sexploitation continues with this 2012 effort about a S&M ‘pleasure’ cruise

FOREIGN CINEMA

Trilogy of Life (The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights) (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents this trilogy of films about premodern literature from legendary Italian filmmaker Pier Pasolini (director of “Salo”)

Weekend (Blu-ray/DVD) – your friends at the Criterion Collection give the hi-def treatment to director Jean-Luc Godard’s 1967 film, long considered one of his finest efforts

Zorro (Blu-ray/DVD) – French superstar Alain Delon brings the swashbuckling hero to life in this 1975 adaptation

A Burning Hot Summer (DVD) – two couples find their love tested to the extreme in this 2011 film anchored by French stars Monica Belluci and Louis Garrel

Asylum (AKA I Want to Be a Gangster) (DVD) – a 2008 independent, French-language gangster film, courtesy of Synapse Films

Offenbach’s Secret (DVD) – a 2012 German and French-language examination of composer Jacques Offenbach

Schoolgirl Report #9: Mature Before Graduation… (DVD) – Impulse Pictures presents a little German sexploitation with this 1975 film

MAINSTREAM

Savages (Blu-ray/DVD) – Oliver Stone tackles the drug trade in this gritty 2012 crime drama

Brave (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 2012 family-friendly adventure from Pixar animation, now on home formats

Empire of the Sun (Blu-ray) – a very young Christian Bale made his big screen debut in this 1987 film from Steven Spielberg

Watchmen Collector’s Edition: Ultimate Cut + Graphic Novel (Blu-ray) – receive Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ groundbreaking graphic novel as well as Zack Snyder’s feature film in its ‘Ultimate Cut’ form

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (Blu-ray) – the 1989 cult classic that helped launch the career of Keanu Reeves lands in hi-def

Snowmageddon (Blu-ray/DVD) – mysterious natural disasters begin to strike in Alaska in this 2011 flick starring Michael Hogan

Children Who Chase Lost Voices (Blu-ray/DVD) – a full-length anime feature from the acclaimed creator of “Voices Of a Distant Star” and “5 Centimeters Per Second”

Dark Horse (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 unsettling indie drama is the latest from shock master Todd Solondz (“Welcome to the Doll House”)

RE-RELEASES

Ocean’s Eleven / Ocean’s Twelve / Ocean’s Thirteen (Triple Feature) (Blu-ray) – all of Steven Soderbergh’s star-studded pictures, together at an affordable $19.29 price point

Superman: The Movie / Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut / Superman Returns (Blu-ray) – Richard Donner’s first two Superman classics, alongside Bryan Singer’s revamp of the caped hero

American History X / A History of Violence / True Romance (Triple Feature) (Blu-ray) – an interesting mash-up of titles, together on Blu-ray

16 Blocks / Last Boy Scout / Last Man Standing (Blu-ray) – Bruce Willis headlines this Triple Feature of action flicks in hi-def

2001: A Space Odyssey / Clockwork Orange / Shining (Blu-ray) – three films directed by Stanley Kubrick on one Blu-ray disc

The Lost Boys / Lost Boys: The Tribe / Lost Boys: The Thirst (Blu-ray) – what do you know, the “Lost Boys” series actually spawned two sequels and here they are

House of Wax / Return to House on Haunted Hill/ Ghost Ship (Blu-ray) – three low-budget horror flicks on one Blu-ray

CLASSICS

Lawrence of Arabia (Restored Version) (Blu-ray/DVD) – director David Lean’s 1962 award-winning epic finally receives the hi-def treatment

Barbarian & the Geisha (Blu-ray + DVD combo) – John Wayne headlines this 1958 picture, directed by John Huston

Big Trail (Blu-ray) – a very young John Wayne stars in this 1930 epic, one of the few Widescreen films made at the dawn of ‘Talkies’

Twilight’s Last Gleaming (Blu-ray/DVD) – Burt Lancaster stars in this movie from the director of “The Dirty Dozen,” about a group of men who hold America hostage from a nuclear base

HORROR

The Fantasist (DVD) – Katrina’s Nightmare Theater presents this obscure 1986 horror flick from the director of the original “Wicker Man”

5 Dark Souls (15th Anniversary Special Edition) (DVD) – this 1996 horror movie chronicles a group of high school students who decide to murder someone on camera just to see what it feels like

The Definitive Document of the Dead (DVD) – Synapse Films presents this behind the scenes documentary of George R. Romero and his many zombie films

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!

"The Assassins" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release from Well Go USA:

Martial Arts Superstar Chow Yun-Fat Returns

THE ASSASSINS

Yifei Liu and Hiroshi Tamaki Also Star in

Director Linshan Zhao’s Historical Drama

Debuting on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital January 8^th

Bonus Materials Include a Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

Details:

Legendary action hero Chow Yun-Fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Dragonball: Evolution) tackles his most demanding role yet in Director Linshan Zhao’s action-adventure film THE ASSASSINS, debuting on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital January 8^th from Well Go USA Entertainment. Also starring Yifei Liu (White Vengeance) and Hiroshi Tamaki (Heavenly Forest), the lavish historical action drama is set inthe Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history and focuses on Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao (Chow Yun-Fat) in his latter years, as he explores the areas of military tactics, love, and the relationship between father and son. Bonus materials in a behind-the-scenes featurette.

Synopsis:

During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao stands as the last pillar of power preventing the collapse of the Han throne. Emperor Xian, who sits on that throne, cares more about music and poems than his own power. But behind the Emperor’s disinterest, rumors that Cao Cao wants the throne for himself have driven Emperor Xian to plot Cao Cao’s assassination, a plan that’s been years in the making. An ancient prophecy states that when the four elemental start to align, a new dynasty will arise, and in 221 A.D., they do. With the weakened government and impending omen, Cao Cao has enemies everywhere, and they all want him dead. Someone has been abducting the children of Cao Cao’s dead enemies and training them to be assassins. In 221, they are grown, and sent to infiltrate Bronze Sparrow Tower. When the four stars align over Bronze Sparrow Tower, the struggle for Cao Cao’s life begins …

Bonus Features:
–  Behind the Scenes
–  Trailer

THE ASSASSINS has a runtime of approximately 103 minutes and is not rated

Rashomon Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion Collection)

Autumn is upon us as we move into November. 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 11/6/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Rashomon (Blu-ray/DVD) – Japanese director Akira Kurosawa gained international recognition with this 1950 samurai-era mystery, faithfully presented in hi-def by the Criterion Collection

Eleven Samurai (DVD) – a 1996 samurai film from Eiichi Kudo, director of the original “The Thirteen Assassins”

Incredibly Ever After (Blu-ray/DVD) – Funimation presents this 2011 Hong Kong/Chinese comedy about a husband and wife superhero duo facing retirement. Starring Louis Koo and Sandra Ng

I Wish (DVD) – a heartwarming 2011 Japanese family drama about two young brothers, separated by their parents’ divorce, who hope a new bullet-train system will reunite them

The Day He Arrives (DVD) – a low key, black & white 2011 Korean drama about a film director who finds himself living each day exactly like the last

The Vertical Ray of the Sun (DVD) – a 2000 Vietnamese-language drama from the director of “The Scent of Green Papaya,” about three sisters dealing with the anniversary of their mother’s death

Wu Tang Iron Fist Collection (Blu-ray) – purchase at your own risk: this collection claims to hold 25 ‘vintage kung fu films’ on a single Blu-ray disc, but makes no mention of whether they’re dubbed or not

FOREIGN CINEMA

Even the Rain (DVD) – this 2010 Spanish-language drama follows a filmmaker’s quest to create a revisionist take on Columbus’ conquest of the Americas

Corpo Celeste (DVD) – in this 2011 Italian-language film, a young girl searches for her own spirituality against a backdrop of organized religion

Kiss Me (DVD) – an engaged woman finds her life complicated when she falls in love with another woman in this 2012 Swedish-language film

Outskirts (DVD) – a 1933 Russian-language picture that has been heralded as a pioneer of early sound

By the Bluest of Seas (DVD) – although many films of the early Soviet era are considered propaganda, this 1936 picture is a comedy about love and friendship

MAINSTREAM

The Amazing Spider-Man (Blu-ray/DVD) – Spidey swings back into action in this 2012 summer blockbuster from “500 Days of Summer” director Marc Webb

Fire With Fire (DVD) – Bruce Willis and Josh Duhamel (“Transformers”) go the direct-to-video route with this 2012 crime thriller

Maximum Conviction (Blu-ray/DVD) – two titans of direct-to-video action movies, Steven Seagal and Steve Austin, collide in this 2012 prison-set feature

360 (Blu-ray/DVD) – a 2011 drama about how all lives are connected. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law, and Rachel Weisz

Hirokin: The Last Samurai (DVD) – Wes Bentley stars as the ‘last samurai’ in this 2011 post-apocalyptic tale

Fighting Sullivans (DVD) – this 1944 World War II picture is considered one of the ‘inspirations’ for Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan”

Blue-Eyed Butcher (DVD) – Sarah Paxton stars in this 2012 drama about a suburban housewife who seems to have it all…until she murders her husband

Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed (DVD) – a low-budget World War II film made in 2012

CULT MOVIES

Gator Bait (DVD) – it’s some trashy Cajun exploitation with this 1974 redneck drama starring a Playboy Playmate of the Year

Gator Bait II: Cajun Justice (DVD) – the exploitation fun continues over a decade later with this 1988 sequel to “Gator Bait”

Running Cool (DVD) – this 1993 biker film is lauded by real-life bikers for its accurate depiction of the riding pasttime

NEW TO BLU-RAY

Sunset Boulevard (Blu-ray) – the classic 1950 Hollywood film noir starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson, now in hi-def 

Die Nibelungen: Kino Classics Deluxe Remastered Edition (Blu-ray) – Kino Films presents this 1924 Nordic epic from legendary director Fritz Lang (“Metropolis”)

Planes Trains & Automobiles (Blu-ray) – Steve Martin and John Candy headline this beloved 1987 comedy from director John Hughes, now in hi-def

Dark Star – Thermostellar Edition (Blu-ray) – John Carpenter’s 1974 sci-fi comedy makes its way to Blu

Von Ryan’s Express (Blu-ray) – a 1965 World War II adventure picture starring Frank Sinatra

The Client (Blu-ray) – Joel Schumacher directs this 1994 legal thriller starring Tommy Lee Jones

The Bonfire of the Vanities (Blu-ray) – Brian De Palma’s 1990 adaptation of the Tom Wolfe novel, starring Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis, was long considered one of Hollywood’s biggest bombs

ANIMATION

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (Blu-ray) – the long unavailable 1989 animated film based on the beloved comic strip comes to hi-def

HORROR

They Live (Blu-ray) – John Carpenter’s 1988 sci-fi/horror cult classic starring “Rowdy” Roddy Piper arrives in hi-def

Rec 3 (DVD) – the 2012 latest installment in the popular [REC] series comes to DVD

The Pact (Blu-ray/DVD) – a 2012 indie haunted house tale co-starring Casper Van Dien

American Nightmare (DVD) – Katrina’s Nightmare Theater presents this 1981 horror movie co-starring Michael Ironside

DeathShip (Remastered Widescreen Edition) (DVD) – Scorpion Entertainment offers this 1980 horror movie co-starring Richard Crenna of “Rambo” fame. The Blu-ray hits retail next month

Outpost: Black Sun (Blu-ray/DVD) – during the closing days of WWII, the Nazis are able to create a powerful zombie force in this 2012 flick

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!