"The French Connection" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Deadline reports that Nicolas Cage is set to star in a revenge thriller called I Am Wrath. The film, which definitely has shades of 1974’s Death Wish, will center on a man who – following the murder of his wife – becomes a vigilante after he uncovers a plot of police corruption. His ultimate goal: “destroy those who abuse their power.”

William Friedkin, the gritty director behind The French Connection, The Exorcist and To Live and Die in L.A., is tied to the project. As for Cage, his stream of movies of the last few years have been a hit (Kick-Ass) or miss (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance), but it’s still nice to see that he continues to pump out decent thrillers (Seeking Justice). Looking forward to seeing him in Expendables 3.

Updates: According to Deadline, it’s almost official: The French Connection’s William Friedkin is in negotiations to direct I Am Wrath.

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate 3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray 3D & DVD (Indomina)

Welcome to October! Get ready for a 3D Tsui Hark movie and Wong Kar-Wai in hi-def. Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 10/2/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (Blu-ray/DVD) – Jet Li headlines this 2011 special FX-infused wuxia from legendary director Tsui Hark. The film is also available in 3D on Blu if you have a 3D capable TV set

In the Mood For Love (Blu-ray) – Wong Kar-Wai’s 2000 film – arguably his finest work – stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung. The Criterion Collection presents this tragic love story in hi-definition

Headshot (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2011 Thai-language film has won rave reviews from critics and been called ‘a bad-ass slice of neo-noir’

Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (DVD) – this obscure 1982 Jackie Chan film is re-released on DVD by Sony Home Entertainment. The price tag isn’t cheap but the DVD reportedly has widescreen picture and the original Cantonese audio track with remastered subtitles

Retro Game Master: The Game Center CX Collection (DVD) – this popular TV series follows a Japanese comedian as he plays through some of the toughest old-school video games on camera. Highly recommended for gamers

FOREIGN CINEMA

Free Men (DVD) – in this 2012 French thriller set in Nazi-occupied Paris, a young Algerian man is arrested by the French police and forced to become a spy

Train of Life (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 1998 French-language film, a Jewish community tries to build their own train to escape the incoming Nazi invasion

Funkytown (DVD) – a 2012 French and English-language film that takes a look at the booming disco scene of late 70’s Montreal

Milk of Sorrow (Blu-ray) – this 2009 Spanish-language film follows a young woman’s quest for re-awakening after the death of her mother

Under the Same Moon (DVD) – this 2007 Spanish-language drama takes a romanticized look at Mexican illegal immigrants working in the US

MAINSTREAM

Dark Shadows (Blu-ray/DVD) – director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp team back up to revisit the late 60’s gothic soap opera in this 2012 film

Iron Lady (Blu-ray/DVD) – Luc Besson steps behind the camera once again for this 2012 drama starring Michelle Yeoh and based on the life of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s number one voice for democracy

Iron Sky (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 2012 farce, space Nazis travel from their secret moon base to launch an attack on earth

Red Lights (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 2012 drama/thriller, Robert De Niro plays a famous psychic investigated by Cillian Murphey’s paranormal researcher

Flesh & Blood (DVD) – director Paul Verhoeven’s absolutely brutal 1985 look at medieval life, starring Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh, receives a DVD re-release

Public Enemies (Blu-ray) – Universal Studios offers a budget-priced 1-disc edition of Michael Mann’s 2009 crime movie masterpiece

NEW TO BLU-RAY

Masters of the Universe (25th Anniversary) (Blu-ray) – this 1987 sci-fi/action/comedy cult classic features a muscle-bound Dolph Lundgren bringing the He-Man character to life

Princess Bride: 25th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) – the acclaimed 1987 comedic romance comes to Blu-ray

Double Impact (Blu-ray) – you get not one but two Jean-Claude Van Dammes as the Belgian thespian portrays ass-kicking twins in this 1991 action flick

Cyborg (Blu-ray) – one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s more underrated films in this 1989 science-fiction movie from oft-reviled director Albert Pyun

Death Warrant (Blu-ray) – Jean-Claude Van Damme goes way, way undercover – in prison! – to catch an unstoppable killer named the Sandman in this 1990 action movie

Dark Star – Thermostellar Edition (Blu-ray) – John Carpenter’s wacky 1974 science-fiction film comes to Blu

Red River Range (Blu-ray) – the 1938 Western starring John Wayne is now on Blu-ray

ANIMATION

Cinderella (Blu-ray) – Disney’s 1950 animated classic receives the hi-def treatment

Superman/Batman (DVD) – in this Double Feature you receive two of DC’s recent animated films, “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies” and “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse”

Batman Triple Feature (DVD) – likewise, in this Triple Feature set you receive the DC animated movies “Batman: Gotham Knight,” “Batman: Under the Red Hood,” and “Batman: Year One”

HORROR

Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 8-disc film set, you’ll receive eight of Universal’s classic monster movies in deluxe Special Editions. Includes the 1931 “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”

The Satanic Rites of Dracula (DVD) – Hammer Horror’s final Dracula tale is this 1973 picture starring Christophe Lee, now re-released at a budget price and with an accompanying CD of goth music ‘inspired’ by the film

Pet Cemetery (Blu-ray) – the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s novel receives the hi-def treatment

The Hole (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2009 film from director Joe Dante (“Gremlins”) has been sitting on the shelf for quite awhile, but reviews have been generally positive

Sound of My Voice (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 2011 psychological thriller, a filmmaker couple investigate a beautiful cult leader who claims to be from the future

Chained (Blu-ray/DVD) – a 20012 serial killer thriller starring Vincent D’Onofrio and directed by Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David Lynch

Hypothermia (DVD) – Michael Rooker (“Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer”) headlines this 2010 creature feature

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"The Assassins" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Film Business Asia reports that premiere distributor Well Go USA has pre-bought North American rights to the upcoming Chinese historical action film, The Assassins. The film stars Chow Yun Fat and is written by the screenwriter behind Zhang Yimou’s Hero and House of Flying Daggers. Directed by newcomer Zhao Linshan, The Assassins is currently in post-production.

The rights to the film are being sold by Arclight Films, a sales agency based out of Sydney, Australia and Los Angeles, California. In the article, the CEO of Arclight mentions that his company is producing and distributing more Asian films than any other non-Asian based company. Arclight is also selling the rights to the Chinese/Korean co-production of Dangerous Liaisons starring Zhang Ziyi; a martial arts picture called The Four; and a live-action, English-language retelling of Mulan.

Updates: Scope out a poster for The Assassins at Chinese Films. The cast and crew of the film will be making an appearance at the opening ceremony of the The Second Beijing International Film Festival on April 23. The film itself is expected to hit Chinese theaters in October. It’s set during the Three Kingdoms era with Chow Yun Fat starring as the famous military strategist Cao Cao.

We haven’t heard much about this film lately but it’s hitting Chinese theaters at the end of September and there is a new batch of stills featuring actress Shizuka Inoh in costume. At last, a trailer for this highly anticipated film. The Assassins releases in China at the end of September.

A new trailer for the film – sorry, no English subs this time. The plot involves several attempts to take the life of military strategist Cao Cao (played by Chow Yun Fat) during the Three Kingdoms era. The final poster is here, courtesy of Chinese Films. Yet another new trailer. Hey, we’re not complaining! Man, the producers of The Assassins sure are keen on advertising this movie. Here’s another new trailer.

BREAKING NEWS: Chinese Films reports that The Assassins has performed fairly well at the box office since its release two days ago. However, actress Shizuka Inoh has dropped out of her promotional obligations for the film, citing disappointment that several of her scenes were cut. Director Zhao Linshan stepped in to say that lead star Chow Yun Fat had more of his scenes cut than anyone, implying that such editing is simply a part of crafting a film.

"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.