Ultra Seven: The Complete Series DVD Set (Shout! Factory)
RELEASE DATE: December 11, 2012
Shout! Factory presents the DVD for Ultra Seven: The Complete Series. In this popular Japanese TV series from 1967, an alien superhero from M-78 protects Earth from extraterrestrial threats in this popular classic follow-up to the original Ultraman TV series. Check out this clip, featuring the opening theme song.
"Bleak Night" DVD Cover
Cityonfire.com has received the following press release from 5 Points Pictures on September 26, 2012: Film distributor 5 Points Pictures is pleased to announce the Region 1 DVD release of Bleak Night will be available on January 22, 2013.
A grieving father (Cho Seong-ha, The Yellow Sea) seeks to understand the circumstances that led his teenage son, Ki-tae (Lee Je-hoon, The Front Line), to commit suicide. The discovery of a photo prompts him to seek out the young man’s friends, Dong-yoon and Hee-june. Before viewers’ eyes, a complex picture of the dynamic between them develops: Friends and foes. Bullies and victims. Brothers and strangers.
What could have pushed the bond between the three young men past its breaking point?
Writer and director Yoon Sung-hyun originally created Bleak Night – which was also his feature film debut – as a project for his coursework at the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). It features the on-screen talents of Lee Je-hoon (The Front Line, Architecture 101), Seo Jun-young (Tree With Deep Roots TV, Eighteen), and PARK Jung-min (Golden Time TV, Feast of the Gods TV) as the three teens at the story’s center, along with veteran actor Cho Seong-ha (The Yellow Sea, Helpless).
Since its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, Bleak Night has screened and received acclaim at events worldwide, including the Fantasia Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam (Tiger Awards), Hong Kong International Film Festival, Taipei Film Festival, Munich International Film Festival, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, and the Korean Cultural Service/Subway Cinema Movie Night film series in New York.
Bleak Night was produced by KAFA Films. It is presented by the Korean Academy of Film Arts and CJ Entertainment.
5 Points Pictures’ release of Bleak Night will feature an upgraded English translation of the film, plus on-disc extras. Visit www.5pointspictures.com for more information.
Blood Beat DVD (Apprehensive Films)
RELEASE DATE: December 4, 2012
Apprehensive Films presents the DVD for Blood Beat, the most bizarre Christmas themed horror film ever made! 1982 was a great year for weird and wild independent cinematic sleaze, but Blood Beat may take home the crown. Part slasher, part poltergeist, part samurai, and ALL crazy. This is one film you won’t forget. Watch the trailer.
Godzilla vs. Biollante Blu-ray & DVD (Echo Bridge)
RELEASE DATE: December 4, 2012
Echo Bridge presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 1989’s Godzilla vs. Biollante. Godzilla is freed from his prison in Mt. Mihara just in time to face a genetic experiment gone wrong in the form of Biollante, a huge hybrid monster made from plant, human, and Godzilla’s DNA. Watch the trailer.
Ninja Scroll Blu-ray & DVD (Section 23)
RELEASE DATE: December 4, 2012
Section 23 presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s Ninja Scroll. A ninja-for-hire is forced into fighting an old nemesis who is bent on overthrowing the Japanese government. His nemesis is also the leader of a group of demons each with superhuman powers. We usually don’t report anime, but this classic is an exception. Check out the trailer.
Osombie Blu-ray & DVD (E1 Entertainment)
RELEASE DATE: December 11, 2012
E1 Entertainment presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Osombie. Dusty is on a desperate mission to rescue her brother, a conspiracy theorist who is convinced Osama Bin Laden is still alive. To make a long story short, this movie involves Osama Bin Laden as a zombie. Watch the trailer.
"Predator" Japanese Theatrical Poster
THE MOVIE: David Ayer, the director of End of Watch, will team up with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sam Worthington in Breacher. The plot will revolve around members of an elite DEA task force who find themselves being taken down one by one after they rob a drug cartel safe house. Breacher is currently in pre-production and will start filming on October 2012. Breacher also stars Malin Akerman, Joe Manganiello, Olivia Williams, Josh Holloway and Terrence Howard.
Update: In an interview with Empire, Schwarzenegger says: “Breacher, especially, will be very like a new Predator,” he adds. “It’s a team around me and they get knocked off until there’s only me left. Except in this case there will be a different twist to the whole thing instead of some alien monster.”
Lone Wolf & Cub Complete Blu-ray Set (Animeigo)
It’s the end of September and there are plenty of great new releases on Blu-ray and DVD to look forward to, from Lone Wolf and Cub to Bond, James Bond. So let’s get started.
Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 9/25/12:
ASIAN CINEMA
Lone Wolf and Cub Complete (Blu-ray) – AnimEigo presents the entire 6-film “Lone Wolf and Cub” series, uncut and subtitled in hi-definition
Gamera the Brave (Blu-ray) – Tokyo Shock brings this 2006 family-friendly entry in the popular Gamera series to Blu
Wong Kar-Wai Double Feature: Fallen Angels + Happy Together (Blu-ray) – two 90’s Hong Kong classics from that master of cool, Wong Kar-Wai, courtesy of Kino Video
Man of Vendetta (DVD) – in this 2010 Korean thriller, a preacher must set aside his faith for some more secular-style revenge when his daughter is kidnapped
The Outlaw (DVD) – a detective turns bitter as he watches the worst of society get away with brutal crimes in this 2010 Korean thriller
Lady Ninja Kasumi Collection 1 (DVD) – Warning: Contains Adult Content! Tokyo Shock brings you 2006 female ninja’sploitation
Shaolin Deadly Kicks / Chase Step By Step (DVD) – Screenmagic Films delivers the low-budget 1974 kung-fu action
FOREIGN CINEMA
Sleepless Night (DVD) – this gritty 2011 French action flick has won praise from internet critics, who billed it as ‘Die Hard in a nightclub’
Ek tha Tiger (DVD) – a rip-roaring 2012 Bollywood action/romance starring Salman Khan of “Dabangg” and “Bodyguard” fame
Klown (Blu-ray/DVD) – a misguided man-child kidnaps his pregnant girlfriend’s nephew in order to show he has father potential in this raunchy 2010 Danish comedy
Delicacy (Blu-ray/DVD) – international cinema sweetheart Audrey Tautou (“Amelie”) stars as a widow trying to rebuild her life in this 2011 French drama
Goodbye First Love (DVD) – in this acclaimed 2011 French-language film, a 15 year-old girl tries to move on from her first true love as she grows older
The Man From Beijing (DVD) – despite the title, this is a 2011 German-language mystery/thriller based on a novel by the creator of Wallander
Snowman’s Land (DVD) – in this 2010 German thriller set in the Carpathian Mountains, what should be a routine job for a dogged hitman becomes a battle for survival
Shut Up! (Tais Toi) (DVD) – Jean Reno and Gerard Depardieu team up in this 2003 French film labeled as the ultimate buddy-caper comedy
Soul of Sand (Pairon Talle) (DVD) – this 2010 Indian drama shot on HD is a scathing satire on Indian politics and the caste system
Twisted Romance (DVD) – this 2008 Spanish-language film tells the story of an abusive romance between two men
The Light Thief (DVD) – a 2012 satire from Kyrgyzstan, detailing life in post-Soviet Central Asia
El Tinte De La Fama (the Color Of Fame) (DVD) – in this 2008 Spanish drama, a woman enters a ‘Marilyn Monroe Lookalike Contest’ at the behest of her husband and suffers an identity crisis as a result
MAINSTREAM
Marvel’s The Avengers (Blu-ray/DVD) – do I even need to introduce this movie? The biggest blockbuster of 2012, featuring Marvel comics’ colorful but dysfunctional heroes, is coming to home formats
Bond 50: The Complete 22 Film Collection (Blu-ray/DVD) – every Bond film released to date, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, is collected in one box set
Resident Evil: Damnation (Blu-ray/DVD) – not to be confused with Paul W.S. Anderson’s live-action series, this 2012 original Computer-Generated film follows the video game “Resident Evil” series continuity
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 (Blu-ray/DVD) – Frank Miller’s popular graphic novel from the Eighties is adapted into a two-part 2012 animated film
Soliders of Fortune (DVD) – Christian Slater, Sean Bean, and Ving Rhames get their own ‘Expendables’-style action flick with this 2012 movie
FDR: American Badass (DVD) – a 2012 action-packed Presidential spoof featuring Kevin Sorbo
The Samaritan (Blu-ray/DVD) – Samuel L. Jackson stars as a grifter trying to get back on the straight and narrow after a stint in prison in this 2012 thriller
CULT
Eating Raoul (Blu-ray) – the Criterion Collection offers this 1982 out there black comedy from director Paul Bartel in hi-def
Damsels in Distress (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2012 comedy starring Greta Gerwig is the latest sharp-witted satire from writer/director Whit Stillman (“Last Days of Disco”)
CLASSICS
Mark of Zorro (DVD) – Douglas Fairbanks stars in a budget release of this 1920 swashbuckler that many consider to be the best Zorro film ever
HORROR
The Tall Man (Blu-ray/DVD) – Jessica Biel stars in the 2012 English-language debut of Pascal Laugier, the director of “Martyrs”
Night of the Devils (Blu-ray/DVD) – RaroVideo USA delivers this 1972 obscure Italian horror film to hi-def
Zombie (Blu-ray) – Blue Underground re-issues Lucio Fulci’s classic 1979 Italian horror classic as a single-disc, budget-priced Blu-ray
Maniac (Blu-ray) – the grimy 1980 slasher movie cult classic arrives on a one-disc Blu-ray from Blue Underground
388 Arletta Avenue (DVD) – Nick Stahl and Mia Kirshner star in this 2011 ‘found footage’ horror film
Dracula vs. Frankenstein (Blu-ray) – the 1972 monster mash-up in hi-definition
Demonic Toys (DVD) – the 1992 low-budget horror film from Full Moon Pictures
Dollman vs. Demonic Toys (DVD) – Full Moon Pictures delivers a crossover between the Dollman and Demonic Toys franchise with this 1993 horror 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!
“6 Bullets” Japanese DVD Cover
Director: Ernie Barbarash
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Joe Flanigan, Anna-Louise Plowman, Bianca Bree, Kristopher Van Varenberg, Terese Cilluffo, Charlotte Beaumont, Andrei Runcanu
Running Time: 115 min.
By HKFanatic
2011’s “Assassination Games” was anticipated as the beginning of a possible comeback for Jean-Claude Van Damme: it paired the aging action star with hot newcomer Scott Adkins and managed to secure decent theatrical distribution in the United States, a first for Van Damme since 1999’s “Universal Soldier: The Return.” Fans were doubly disappointed, then, when “Assassination Games” turned out to be a lukewarm effort. Most viewers cited the lack of action as a major flaw of the film, which Scott Adkins would later explain was the result of the filmmakers being pressed for time.
Thus, expectations weren’t exactly high when it was announced Jean-Claude Van Damme would reteam with the director of “Assassination Games,” Ernie Barbarash, for his next film “The Butcher” – even though Van Damme promised he’d been hitting the gym for the role and that fans would notice a ‘physical difference’ in him. Now Sony has unceremoniously delivered the movie to DVD under the new title “6 Bullets.” The physical difference Van Damme spoke of seems to be the many scenes of him without a shirt on (and he’s still looking buff). Although the generic title doesn’t help its case, “6 Bullets” is actually a step above “Assassination Games” and many of Van Damme’s other recent direct-to-video outings such as “Second in Command” and “The Hard Corps.”
The setting remains the same – a drab Eastern European country – and Barbarash maintains the same dour, color-drained look as “Assassination Games,” but this time around there’s a good deal more action and Van Damme seems invested in his role. Van Damme’s son, Kristopher Van Varenberg, returns as well – although he’s been criticized for delivering stiff, unnatural performances in movies like “Universal Soldier: Regeneration” and “Dragon Eyes,” Kristopher actually acquits himself rather well here. It likely helps that Kristopher is playing the role he was born to play: Van Damme’s character’s son! But the duo have a warm familial bond that shows onscreen and adds some much needed humanity to what is otherwise a very dark film.
The story of “6 Bullets” offers a twist to the familiar plot of “Taken.” An MMA fighter (Joe Flanigan) and his wife are in Moldova for a big match when their 14 year-old daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers. Desperate to find their daughter in a country where they don’t speak the language or know the local customs, they turn to Van Damme’s Samson Gaul. Van Damme plays a tortured mercenary with the soul of a poet – the kind of role he practically invented. His character is haunted by past mistakes but is the best at locating and extracting missing children.
The real issue with “6 Bullets” is that the film’s dreary look and depressing human trafficking plot mean that there’s not much of the usual escapism or, well, entertainment value that you’d expect from a Van Damme action movie. As good as Van Damme is at playing the melancholy ass-kicker, scenes of underage children being held in captivity and bodies burned by acid baths almost make one nostalgic for JCVD’s wise-cracking “Time Cop” days. Regardless, “6 Bullets” is one of the better direct-to-video movies of recent years and still miles ahead of Steven Seagal’s regular offerings. The 115 minute runtime could have easily been trimmed to a much tighter 90 minutes, but if all you want is to see Van Damme filet a few bad guys with a kitchen knife and shoot a rocket launcher at a jeep, you’ll go home happy.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 6/10
Doomsday Book Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
RELEASE DATE: December 11, 2012
Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Doomsday Book. Top Korean directors Kim Jee-Woon (I Saw the Devil) and Yim Pil-Sung (Hansel & Gretel) collaborate on this science-fiction anthology film. The movie will weave together three high concept stories that deal with topics like robots, zombies, and the end of the world. Check out the trailer.
"V/H/S" Theatrical Poster
RELEASE DATE: December 4, 2012
Magnolia presents the Blu-ray & DVD for V/H/S, a found footage thriller about a group of misfits who are hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape. They discover more found footage than they bargained for. Check out the trailer.
My Heart Beats DVD (Asian Media Rights)
RELEASE DATE: November 20, 2012
Asian Media Rights presents the DVD for My Heart Beats. 37-year-old Yoo Jo-Ri is an english professor. She also likes to watch pornography. It seems the only way she can escape from her boring life is by watching those videos. One day, she watches an odd erotic video and feels herself wanting to experience similar emotions. Check out the trailer.
Slave Ship DVD (Switchblade Pictures)
RELEASE DATE: November 13, 2012
Switchblade Pictures presents the DVD for Slave Ship. Onimata Kan is famous for two things: a successful career writing S&M erotica, and hosting the erotic gatherings aboard what has come to be known as the Slave Ship, where the main attraction is the auctioning of sexual partners willing to fulfill any desire. You’ll have to determine the truth for yourself, once you’ve booked passage aboard the Slave Ship!
"Motorway" Chinese Theatrical Poster
Cheang Pou-soi is a filmmaker who seems to try on a new genre with each movie he makes, from the nihilistic underground fighting of Dog Bite Dog to the romantic drama-meets crime story Love Battlefield. His latest effort, produced by Johnnie To, is an action-packed look at the Hong Kong police’s Invisible Squad – an elite vehicular unit tasked with stopping illegal street racers and other dangerous drivers.
Sean Yue (Infernal Affairs II) co-stars alongside Hong Kong veteran Anthony Wong in a film that is equal parts Fast and Furious flick and sleek Michael Mann crime picture. With a premise this action-packed, it’s no surprise that a Western company has jumped at the chance to distribute Motorway.
Hot off the heels of the film’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, Lionsgate has acquired exclusive distribution rights to Motorway in North America.
Of course, if you’re eager to see the movie right away – and why wouldn’t you be? – you can head on over to DDDHouse to snag it on Region A Blu-ray or Region 3 DVD. Expect our review later this week!
"Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection" Blu-ray Set
RELEASE DATE: November 20, 2012
Lionsgate presents the Tarantino XX 8-film Blu-ray Collection. The set includes Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds and two discs with five hours of all-new bonus material.
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