James Sallis' "Driven"

In 2011, James Sallis’ book Drive was brought to the big screen by Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling. Upon its premier at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, the movie received a standing ovation and Refn was awarded “Best Director.” Since then, Drive has become an instant cult classic, securing Refn as one of Hollywood’s hottest directors and officially proving Gosling as a lead tough guy.

Two months ago, Sallis released Driven, a sequel to his 2005 novel, which takes place seven years after Drive ends: “He is trying to suppress the violence – but the sequel shows the process of him accepting that this is who he is. He tries to become a normal person and re-invents himself,” says Sallis.

Sallis says that movie producers are loving Driven and that it’s definitely in the movie pipeline. The big question: Will Refn return to the director’s chair? After all, it was his blend of neo-noir, ultra violence and ’80s film-influence that made the original a unique experience. If Refn does return, we know that Gosling will be back; after all, the two have been inseparable since teaming up in the original Drive (the two are currently working on Only God Forgives and a Logan’s Run remake). Be sure and read the full interview with Sallis, courtesy of The Independent. Beware of spoilers regarding Driven. Also, be sure and check out our review for Drive.

Updates: According to Evening Standard. (via The Citizen), this is what Nicolas Winding Refn said about a Drive sequel: “That is never going to happen. But the character of The Driver might return in another film. We’re playing with that idea. We’ll see what happens.”

"The Expendables 2" Blu-ray Cover

The Expendables are back and this time it is personal! The biggest action-adventure superstars from around the world reunite in the next chapter. The Expendables 2, exploding into homes on Blu-ray Disc (plus Digital Copy plus UV), DVD (plus Digital Copy plus UV), Digital Download, On Demand and Pay-Per-View November 20 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

In addition to Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables 2 features an all-star team of the most bad-ass classic action stars of all time including Jason Statham (Safe), Jet Li (Hero), Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV), Terry Crews (Terminator Salvation), Randy Couture (Setup) with Bruce Willis (Die Hard) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) and newest cast members Chuck Norris (The Delta Force), Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), Scott Adkins (The Bourne Ultimatum) also Jean-Claude Van Damme (Timecop) and the first female Expendable Yu Nan (In Love We Trust). Based on characters created by David Callaham; story by Ken Kaufman & David Agosto and Richard Wenk; with a screenplay by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone; directed by Simon West.

The action-packed Blu-ray Disc and DVD are filled with kick-ass bonus features including behind-the-scenes featurettes along with audio commentary with the director, a gag reel and deleted scenes. The Expendables 2 Blu-ray Disc and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.99 and $29.95, respectively.

Features Include: Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, Gods of War: Assembling Earth’s Mightiest Antiheroes, On the Assault: The real-life weaponry of The Expendables, Big Guns, Bigger Heroes: The 1980s and the rise of the action film, Guns for Hire: The real Expendables and Audio commentary with director Simon West.

Donnie Yen in "Together"

Prepping a romantic comedy with big name stars for a Valentine’s Day release is not just a Hollywood strategy. The Chinese-language romantic film Together is set to hit theaters overseas in time for the February holiday. The movie features young actors Ko Chen Tung and Michelle Chen, who made a box office splash in 2011’s You Are the Apple of My Eye. The big surprise? Donnie Yen also plays a part in Together and he won’t be busting out his famous martial arts moves for the role.

Donnie’s transition to romantic leading man shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. In 2011’s All’s Well Ends Well 2011, Yen stretched his comedic chops by making fun of his tough guy persona. The film was reviewed as your typical slapstick Hong Kong comedy but most critics singled out Yen’s self-deprecating performance as a highlight.

Donnie has made no secret of the fact that he’s nearing his 50th birthday and won’t be making stunt-filled action pictures forever. By emphasizing the dramatic content as much as the action in recent films like Wu Xia, and dabbling in comedies and romantic pictures such as Together, Donnie is likely trying to branch out of his action star image and age gracefully into other kinds of roles. Only time will tell if audiences are willing to accept Donnie Yen in movies where he doesn’t have to fight ten opponents at once.

""The Thieves" Korean Theatrical Poster

Over at Beyond Hollywood, Todd Rigney has posted the teaser poster and plot synopsis for the upcoming Korean film The Thieves, marketed as Korea’s answer to the popular Ocean’s 11 films. This heist flick features a group of thieves with names like Popeye and Pepsi competing against their Chinese rivals for the possession of a diamond known as the ‘Tear of the Sun.’

Not only that but veteran Hong Kong actor Simon Yam is among the cast. Sounds like this isn’t a movie to take seriously but it could also be a lot of fun. We anxiously await the trailer. The Thieves arrives in Korean theaters this summer.

Update: Hop on over to Beyond Hollywood for a stylish new poster and picture from the film.

A 57-second teaser has hit YouTube. This movie looks like a hell of a lot of fun and the cast is star-studded, to say the least. Thanks to Asian Movie Pulse for the story. A new full-length trailer for the film. Sorry, no English subs yet!

According to Variety, Well Go USA has acquired all North American rights to actioner The Thieves and has been set for a theatrical release on Oct. 12. Check out an English-subbed trailer.

BREAKING NEWS: AICN has three exclusive character posters for the film. The Thieves opens this Friday in New York, California, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, and Washington. Well Go USA will expand the movie to more theaters in the coming weeks.

"Million Dollar Crocodile" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Fooled you with that headline, huh? It’s really just the plot of the upcoming Chinese-language film Million Dollar Crocodile. Fans of ‘creatures features’ (like me) might want to keep an eye on this movie as the plot literally involves a giant-ass crocodile on the attack in Beijing. The film is directed by Lin Lisheng and stars Barbie Hsu and Guo Tao.

Despite the monster-on-the-rampage plot, it is said that the film has a strong humorous bent with Barbie Hsu revealing her comedic side for the first time. Let’s just hope this isn’t a Lake Placid redux.

Website Chinese Films has the sharp-toothed poster and more details here. And don’t miss the amazing trailer, featuring extensive footage of the computer-generated croc terrorizing people. Million Dollar Crocodile doesn’t have a release date yet but we’ll keep you posted.

Update: Be warned, I’m gonna keep readers updated on this movie until it comes out because I love me some foreign monster movies. Today Chinese Films has some cool new stills and word that the film will be released in Chinese theaters in early June.

Four new stills from the movie. Chinese Films expresses doubt that the movie is a comedy, although that remains the producers’ line. Also, we now know the croc is 8-meters long! A brand new poster for the film. Wait, are you telling me that there’s more than one crocodile in this movie?! Thanks to Chinese Films.

The final trailer is online and ready to take a bite out of ya.

Enjoy a new poster at Chinese Films alongside the trailer in case you missed it, and then marvel at this ridiculously cool poster featuring Barbie Hsu.

BREAKING NEWS: You probably thought you’d heard the last of Million Dollar Crocodile, eh? But 24 Frames Per Second relays news that Screen Media has bought North American distribution rights to the creature comedy, with plans to bring the film to America in early 2013.

"Enter the Dragon" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Next year marks the 40th Anniversary of the Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon and William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. To celebrate, Warner Bros. is putting out 40th Anniversary Editions of both of these titles on Blu-ray and DVD. According to Warner’s 2013 Calendar of Events, Enter the Dragon: 40th Anniversary Edition and The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Edition will be released in the 2nd and 3rd quarter of 2013, respectively.

Also of note is the release of the Mad Max Blu-ray Collection, which is also due in the 2nd quarter. The first two Mad Max films are currently available on Blu-ray and DVD. Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome has yet to see a Blu-ray release. The Max Max Blu-ray Collection, which I assume will be all three films, will obviously coincide with the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road (aka Mad Max 4), which is due for a 2013 release.

If you’re wondering what to expect from any of the above titles – as far as versions, deleted scenes, extras – keep on wondering, because there’s still no official press release. I wouldn’t hold your breath for any groundbreaking supplemental material (especially for Enter), other than what we’ve seen in previous editions. Hope Warner Bros. proves me wrong.

Update: Here is a minor update regarding the Mad Mad Trilogy on Blu-ray, which will be released in a limited edition, premium tin packaging collection on June 4th.

"Haywire" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Adi Shankar, the producer behind The Grey and Dredd 3D, apparently has written a script for a “female version” of The Expendables and he wants Haywire’s Gina Carano to headline the project. Shankar explains to Variety why Carano is essential to the movie: “I don’t know how I’m supposed to make a movie that is supposed to be the female version of The Expendables without Gina Carano in it. It would be like making Twix without caramel or Jamba Juice without jamba,” he said.

As of yet, there are no other names attached to the “female version” of The Expendables. Websites like The Playlist mention names like Milla Jovovich, Kate Beckinsale and Michelle Rodriguez. As for Carano, she is currently working on the John Stockwell action-thriller In The Blood, and to our knowledge, she has not given any official response to Shankar’s proposal. Judging from the success of both The Expendables movies, cityonfire.com believes that she will be interested in the project.

Updates: According to The Playlist, Adi Shankar wants Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff in the untitled “female version” of The Expendables. Other actresses tied to the film are Linda Hamilton (Terminator), Pam Grier (Coffy) and Sharni Vinson (You’re Next).

Bedevilled Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

This week we’re literally buried under a pile of budget-priced re-issues and triple packs, but don’t let that dissuade you from checking out movies like “A Chinese Odyssey” or “Prometheus.” Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 10/9/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Bedevilled (Blu-ray/DVD) – distributor Well Go USA brings this pitch-black 2010 Korean revenge tale to home formats. Look for our review tomorrow

A Chinese Odyssey 1 & 2 (DVD) – Stephen Chow’s 1994 two-film series is a blend of Chow’s patented humor with wuxia action and romance. On DVD from the Weinstein’s Dragon Dynasty label

Triad War (DVD) – this is Lionsgate’s release of the 2008 Hong Kong action flick “Fatal Move” starring heavy-hitters like Simon Yam, Sammo Hung, and Wu Jing

Tokyo Vengeance (DVD) – Tokyo Shock delivers three recent entires in the genre of extreme Japanese cinema: “The Machine Girl,” “Tokyo Gore Police,” and “Death Kappa”

FOREIGN CINEMA

The Seduction of Mimi: Kino Classics Edition (DVD) – in this 1972 dark Italian comedy, a laborer runs afoul of the Mafia

Four More Years (DVD) – TLA presents this 2010 film billed as a gay political farce from Sweden

Kino Classics Lina Wertmuller Collection (Blu-ray) – Kino offers three films on Blu-ray from director Lina Wertmuller, the first woman to ever be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. Films include: “Love & Anarchy,” “The Seduction of Mimi,” “All Screwed Up”

Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2 (DVD) – the second installment of this 2012 vengeance-fueled Bollywood gangland saga

MAINSTREAM

Prometheus (Blu-ray/DVD) – director Ridley Scott’s 2012 prequel/re-imagining of “Alien” is either an underrated masterwork or a blasphemy against “Alien,” depending on who you ask. We quite like it

Rock of Ages (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 2012 comedy musical featuring Tom Cruise as a Motley Crue-esque rock star

The Courier (Blu-ray/DVD) – Jeffrey Dean Morgan stars as a courier in over his head in this 2012 throwback to 70’s thrillers

NEW TO BLU-RAY

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane: 50th Anniversary (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 1962 horror classic featuring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, now in hi-def

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray + DVD) – Steven Spielberg’s 1982 ‘phone home’ family classic is now in hi-def

Strangers on a Train (Blu-ray) – Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 exercise in suspense, on Blu-ray for the first time

Red Dawn (Blu-ray) – just in time for the remake, the original 1984 ‘Russians attack’ movie is now in hi-def. Starring Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, and C. Thomas Howell

The Poseidon Adventure (Blu-ray) – Gene Hackman and Ernest Borgnine headline this 1972 film, hailed as a classic of the once-popular Hollywood disaster genre

Dial M For Murder (Blu-ray) – believe it or not, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller was filmed and originally released in 3D. This new Blu-ray offers the chance to view the movie in 3D

Ice Station Zebra (Blu-ray) – the 1968 Cold War drama starring Rock Hudson and Ernest Borgnine

Little Shop of Horrors: Director’s Cut (Blu-ray) – the cult classic 1986 horror musical starring Rick Moranis and Steve Martin

Dead Ringer (Blu-ray) – Bette Davis headlines this 1964 black-and-white thriller

Find Me Guilty (Blu-ray) – Vin Diesel plays against type in this 2006 legal drama directed by Sydney Lumet (“Dog Day Afternoon”)

ANIMATION

The Great Mouse Detective (Blu-ray) – one of Disney’s overlooked films is this 1986 animated take on Sherlock Holmes – as a mouse, of course

A Cat in Paris (Blu-ray/DVD) – a 2010 hand-drawn animated film from France. Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards

RE-ISSUES

Universal Soldier: The Return/Knock Off/Second In Command/The Hard Corps – 4-Pack (DVD) – a rather haphazard selection of Jean-Claude Van Damme films, although “Knock Off” is an underrated action flick from legendary Hong Kong director Tsui Hark

Attack Force/Into the Sun/The Russian Specialist/Conspiracy – 4-Pack (DVD) – Steven Seagal and Dolph Lundgren share this 4-pack of direct-to-video action movies

Doom/The Scorpion King/The Rundown Triple Feature (Blu-ray) – can you handle this much Dwyane Johnson AKA The Rock in one collection? We say “The Rundown” is too entertaining to be paired with these two stinkers

Jarhead/The Kingdom/Green Zone Triple Feature (Blu-ray) – three modern looks at conflict in the Middle East starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, and Matt Damon respectively

Flash Gordon/The Last Starfighter/Battlestar Galactica/Dune Four Feature Films (DVD) – a quadruple feature of 80’s sci-fi goodness

Cry-Baby/Public Enemies/Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Triple Feature (DVD) – Johnny Depp takes center stage for this 3-pack of films

Death Race/Death Race 2 Double Feature (Blu-ray/DVD) – Paul W.S. Anderson’s 2008 remake of “Death Race 2000” starring Jason Statham and its direct-to-video sequel not starring Jason Statham

Casino/Traffic/Miami Vice/Eastern Promises Four Feature Films (DVD) – you give “Doom” and “Scorpion King” a Blu-ray pack, but Martin Scorsese and David Cronenberg don’t deserve the hi-def treatment? Come on!

King Kong/The Mummy (1999)/The Scorpion King/Van Helsing Four Feature Films (DVD) – more modern monster movie mayhem – how’s that for alliteration? – with this quadruple feature

Hostel & Hostel II Blu-ray – Double Feature (Blu-ray) – Eli Roth’s two staples of the ‘torture porn’ genre are paired together

Casino/Carlito’s Way Double Feature (DVD) – Robert De Niro and Al Pacino star (separately) in these two 90’s crime movies

The Fast and the Furious / 2 Fast 2 Furious Double Feature (DVD) – the first two entires in the popular “Fast and the Furious” series

The Last House on the Left/The Strangers/A Perfect Getaway Triple Feature (Blu-ray) – three modern horror films on Blu-ray together

Dawn of the Dead/ George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead Double Feature (Blu-ray) – oddly enough, this pairs together Zack Snyder’s remake of “Dawn of the Dead” with Romero’s “Land of the Dead”

Dawn of the Dead/George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead/Halloween II/The People Under the Stairs Four Feature Films (DVD) – the remakes of “Dawn of the Dead” and “Halloween II” are included in this set

Deep Rising/The Puppet Master Double Feature (Blu-ray) – two seemingly mismatched horror flicks in one Blu-ray set

Bloody Disgusting Double Feature (Rammbock: Berlin Undead, YellowBrickRoad) (DVD) – two of Bloody Disgusting Selects’ recent offerings on DVD together

HORROR

The Raven (Blu-ray/DVD) – from the director of “V For Vendetta” and “Ninja Assassin” comes this 2012 tale of Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) hunting down a serial killer

Werewolf: The Beast Among Us (Blu-ray/DVD) – believe it or not, this 2012 film is a direct-to-video sequel to Universal’s failed big screen “Wolfman” movie starring Benicio Del Toro

The Barrens (Blu-ray/DVD) – a 2012 thriller about a man (Stephen Moyer) who thinks his family is being haunted by the Jersey Devil

Basket Case 3: The Progeny (DVD) – the 1992 entry in the venerable horror series, on DVD from Synapse Films

Truth or Die (DVD) – Bloody Disgusting Selects presents this 2012 British horror film about a group of friends hunted by a man who wants revenge for the death of his brother

A Cadaver Christmas (DVD) – a 2011 Christmas-themed horror comedy

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!

"Code Name: Geronimo" Theatrical Poster

The first trailer for John Stockwell’s Code Name: Geronimo (aka SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden) has arrived. Not to be confused with Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, Stockwell’s movie is about, well, you guessed it: a group of Navy SEALs who come to learn the identity of their target: Osama bin Laden.

Code Name: Geronimo stars Cam Gigandet, Anson Mount, Freddy Rodríguez, William Fichtner and Xzibit. Former 1980’s star-turned-filmmaker, John Stockwell (Dangerously Close), who is mostly known for directing Blue Crush, is currenty filming In The Blood, with Haywire’s Gina Carano.

Code Name: Geronimo will air on the National Geographic Channel on Sunday, November 4. Without further ado, here’s the trailer for Code Name: Geronimo.