"Stolen" Theatrical Poster

I couldn’t resist the play on words, but the headline to this post is far-fetched. It’s not like Taken was the first movie to revolve around a father – a skilled badass – who has to save his daughter from a bunch of assholes (remember Commando?).

Directed by The Expendables 2’s Simon West, Stolen stars Nicolas Cage as a former thief who frantically searches for his missing daughter. Turns out, she has been kidnapped and locked in the trunk of a taxi from some of his former crime partners. Now he has 12 hours to come up with $10 million dollars or his little girl is dead.

Stolen releases on September 14, 2012. Check out the trailer.

"Unstoppable" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Yesterday, news broke of Tony Scott’s tragic death. In order to celebrate the man’s life and work, we look back at some of his best films.

The Hunger (1983) – despite being known for his work in the action genre, Tony Scott got his start in horror – with this very-Eighties vampire tale co-starring David Bowie

Top Gun (1986) – perhaps Scott’s most endearing work, this movie helped launch Tom Cruise to super stardom

The Last Boy Scout (1991) – based on a script from “Lethal Weapon” scribe Shane Black, Tony Scott ended up creating one of the funniest and grittiest action flicks of the 90’s. Black’s dialogue and Scott’s direction seemed to bring out the best in lead actor Bruce Willis

True Romance (1993) – Tony Scott translated Quentin Tarantino’s script to the screen in a culturally-defining movies of the 90’s. Scene-stealing performances from the likes of Gary Oldman and Christopher Walken help color this violent but humorous crime thriller

Crimson Tide (1995) – this tense submarine film co-starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman is famous for its uncredited rewrites from Quentin Tarantino. The movie would also be the start of a fruitful partnership between Tony Scott and leading man Denzel

Man on Fire (2004) – this pitch-black revenge film reunited Tony Scott with Denzel Washington and signaled the beginning of a more visually experimental phase in Scott’s career

Unstoppable (2010) – another collaboration with Denzel Washington, Tony Scott’s last film was a crowd-pleasing thriller, based on the true story of a runaway train

Moss: Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Bayview Entertainment)

It’s a packed week for film buffs, as several contemporary Korean films get their due with North American releases and some old Disney animated favorites arrive in hi-definition for the first time. So let’s get cracking. Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 8/21/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Moss Two-Disc Special Edition (DVD) – a young man travels to the village where his father was born, only to discover a place full of well-kept secrets in this 2010 Korean film based on a popular webcomic

Silenced (DVD) – this acclaimed 2011 Korean drama tells the true story of the tragic abuse that occurred at a school for the hearing impaired

Murderer (DVD) – in this 2009 Hong Kong thriller, Aaron Kwok is a detective chasing down a brutal killer…when all the clues point towards Kwok himself

Breathless (DVD) – this 2008 Korean film tells the story of a violent debt collector with a dark past and the high school girl who tries to soothe his troubled soul

Sunny (DVD) – two middle-aged woman, unhappy with their lives, reminisce about the good old days and decide to get the high school gang back together in this 2011 Korean drama

The Image of Bruce Lee: The Snake, The Tiger, The Crane (DVD) – this Brucesploitation release features two 1978 movies on one disc

FOREIGN CINEMA

A Separation (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2011 Iranian film holds a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Picture

Bonsai (DVD) – in this 2012 Spanish-language comedy, a young writer searches for work and inspiration, all while dreaming of the one who got away

Post Mortem (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 2010 Spanish-language film, a lonely morgue clerk’s obsession with a burlesque dancer is set against the backdrop of the 1973 Chilean military coup

Attack of the Killer Backpacks (DVD) – this 2012 German film offers a deliberate spoof on Eighties slasher movies

Tigra Chaco (DVD) – in this 2009 Spanish-language film, a young truckdriver returns to the town where he spent his idyllic childhoods and ends up rekindling romance with his childhood sweetheart

Bunty Aur Babli (Blu-ray) – this 2005 Bollywood film offers a more light-hearted, musical take on “Bonny & Clyde” – now in hi-def

Ishaqzaade (Blu-ray) – this 2012 Bollywood romantic drama proved to be a surprise hit worldwide and now arrives in hi-def

MAINSTREAM

Kill and Kill Again (DVD) – acclaimed martial artist James Ryan stars in this 1981 action movie. In the film, Ryan is hired to save a a Nobel prize winning chemist from a deranged billionaire and his private army of martial artists

Bernie (Blu-ray/DVD) – this Southern-fried 2012 comedy starring Jack Black is the latest from “Dazed & Confused” director Richard Linklater

The Dictator (Blu-ray/DVD) – Sacha Baron Cohen continues his irreverent brand of comedy with this 2012 feature

Freelancers (Blu-ray/DVD) – 50 Cent, Forest Whitaker, and Robert De Niro headline this 2012 direct-to-video cop thriller from Lionsgate

Two in the Chamber (Blu-ray/DVD) – Dolph Lundgren and Cuba Gooding Jr. team up for Anchor Bay’s direct-to-video action thriller about an assassin playing both sides of a Russian mob war

Virginia (DVD) – Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris headline this 2010 Southern drama

Elevator (DVD) – in this 2011 thriller, 9 people are stuck on an elevator…and one of them has a ticking time bomb

Trucker’s Woman (DVD) – in this 1975 drive-in favorite, a college student is convinced his truck driver father’s death was no accident…along the way to stopping an evil crime syndicate, he falls in love with a beautiful woman at a truck stop

Joysticks (Remastered Widescreen Edition) (DVD) – the one and only Joe Don Baker stars in this 1983 sex romp apparently set in an arcade

NEW TO BLU-RAY

War Games (Blu-ray) – the 1983 Cold War thriller starring Matthew Broderick as a teenage computer genius who inadvertently starts World War III

Halloween 4 (Blu-ray) – the 1988 sequel that represented the return of killer Michael Meyers and actor Donald Pleasance to the series (Part 3 was quite the detour)

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Meyers (Blu-ray) – this 1989 Halloween sequel actually went direct-to-video in most countries outside the United States

Stephen King’s Thinner (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 1998 thriller about an overweight man who starts shrinking down to nothing thanks to a gypsy curse

Good Will Hunting: 15th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) – Gus Van Sant’s 1997 drama that put Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on the Hollywood map

Weekend (Blu-ray/DVD) – the acclaimed 2011 British indie drama about two men’s one night stand receives a re-release from the Criterion Collection

ANIMATION

Space Adventure Cobra: The Animated Movie (DVD) – this 1982 theatrical anime is a deadly serious space opera

The Rescuers: 35th Anniversary Edition (The Rescuers / The Rescuers Down Under) (Blu-ray) – two of Disney’s animated classics return in hi-definition

Pocahontas Two-Movie Special Edition (Pocahontas / Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World) (Blu-ray) – the 1995 Disney animated film comes to hi-def

The Aristocats (Blu-ray) – the 1970 Disney animated musical comes to Blu-ray

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Summer Vacation (DVD) – the 1992 direct-to-video animated feature, co-written by Paul Dini (“Batman: The Animated Series”), finally gets the upgrade to DVD

CLASSICS

Sante Fe Trail (Blu-ray) – Amazon describes this 1940 film as ‘A pre-American Civil War tale of bravery and romance starring Errol Flynn,’ and featuring Ronald Reagan as General George Custer(!)

Private Hell 36 (Blu-ray/DVD) – director Don Siegel (“Dirty Harry”) helms this 1954 film about a cop who falls for a world-weary lounge singer and betrays his partner

Captain Carey U.S.A. (Blu-ray) – in this 1950 noir film, a former OSS Operative returns to Italy after WWII only to discover that his former flame is not a casualty of war after all

HORROR

Black Magic Rites: Remastered Edition (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 1973 Italian horror film is a sadomasochistic shocker set in a gothic castle, now remastered in hi-def

Frankenstein ’80 (DVD) – this 1984 Italian splatter flick updates the Frankenstein mythos to then-modern times

Hell (Blu-ray/DVD) – the sun has scorched the earth barren in this 2011 post-apocalyptic horror film

Little Big Boy: The Death Stalker Murders (DVD) – this 2011 horror film tells the story of a horror director who suffers a psychotic breakdown when his leading lady leaves his current project

Zombie A-Hole (DVD) – the product description bills this 2012 horror film as ‘an exploitation flick with Southern gothic flair’

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 Bullet Vanishes" Teaser Poster

The teaser trailer is now online for The Bullet Vanishes, a big-budget Chinese murder mystery with Nicholas Tse as a gun-slinging detective and Lau Ching-Wan as his eccentric partner.

This looks to be a period piece in the vein of Guy Ritchie’s recent Sherlock Holmes films: think lavish production design, loud action set-pieces, and plenty of suspense.

The cast includes Yang Mi, Jing Boran, Wu Gang, Liu Kai Chi, and Jiang Yiyan. Ghost Bullets is produced by Derek Yee (Triple Tap, Shinjuku Incident) and directed by Law Chi Leung (Inner Senses, Koma). It releases across China this August 14th, 2012.

Sina has posted all-new stills from the movie. Enjoy new concept poster for the film, courtesy of Chinese Films.

Some new stills for the film feature Nicholas Tse, though they also bear the Chinese Films watermark. Sina has posted a collection of seven new character posters. Thanks to DiP for the heads up!

The full-length trailer is now online. No English subtitles as of yet.

BREAKING NEWS: Distributor China Lion is bringing the film to North American theaters on August 31st, 2012. Select cities include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington DC.

"Soar Into the Sun" Korean Theatrical Poster

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release courtesy of CJ Entertainment:

CJ Entertainment America brings the aerial action thriller R2B: Return to Base to North American theatres on August 24, 2012.  Inspired by the 1963 South Korean film, Red Scarf by legendary director Shin Sang-ok, R2B: Return to Base is set in modern-day Seoul and features top stars RAIN (Ninja Assassin), SHIN Se-kyung, and YU Jun-sang.

They have 7 minutes to pull off the most critical airborne mission in history.

South Korean elite Air Force pilot Tae-hun is kicked out of his flying team and demoted into a combat unit after a cocky and dangerous air show demonstration.

On the first day of his transfer to F15K, he has a run-in with Cheol-hui, the unit’s leader.  Tae-hun’s rebellious swagger and Cheol-hui’s buttoned down discipline come into conflict almost immediately.  Meanwhile, Tae-hun becomes fast friends with the rest of his new squad, including Se-yeong, whom he immediately falls for.  One cloudless day, a routine reconnaissance mission for the squad suddenly ends in the untimely death of a team member and the disappearance of another.  Just as quickly an unidentified combat plane is found heading into Seoul’s airspace and Tae-hun and Cheol-hui must find a way to pull off an impossible mission to stop a war!

An unidentified combat plane appears in the middle of modern-day Seoul!

“What if a tsunami swept up the city of Haeundae, Busan?” (Tidal Wave)

“What if a mutated monster emerged from the Han River?” (The Host)

Two of Korea’s most popular films such as Tidal Wave and The Host have been launched from “what if?” stories that portrayed shocking events set in modern-day South Korea.  Technically still at war for over 60 years across the most dangerous border in the world, R2B: Return to Baseuses the very real premise of tensions between North and South Korea to ask, “What if a North Korean jet suddenly attacked modern-day Seoul?”

Featuring South Korean megastar RAIN (Ninja Assassin, Speed Racer)—who is currently serving in the Korean military—as the charismatic Tae-hun, R2B: Return to Base showcases exhilarating air scenes that were shot at heights ranging from 7.5 km to 13,000 km in the air.

R2B: Return to Base is scheduled to release in select cities across North America.  For more information and a full list of theatres, please visit www.r2b2012.com.

The Raid: Redemption Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Pictures)

Any week that gives more people a chance to see “The Raid: Redemption” is a good week. So if you haven’t seen this sucker yet – hey, put some money down on the Blu-ray! It’s just that good. Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 8/14/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

The Raid: Redemption (Blu-ray/DVD) – writer/director Gareth Evans and star Iko Uwais delivered the most talked about action movie of 2012. This Indonesian martial arts flick has earned universal acclaim across the web for its bone-crunching fight scenes

Godzilla vs. Megalon (DVD) – Tokyo Shock releases this 1973 Godzilla film featuring the size-shifting robot Jet Jaguar

Sword Identity (DVD) – from the writer of Wong Kar-Wai’s upcoming film “The Grandmasters” comes this 2011 sword-wielding Chinese epic

Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (DVD) – this collection from distributor Pop Flix promises 5 monster flicks on 2-discs, including “Gamera the Invincible” and “War of the Monsters”

Sultry Assassin: Ninja Brainwash (DVD) – a 2012 Japanese live-action film that promises ‘erotic ninja action’

FOREIGN CINEMA

Juan of the Dead (DVD) – this internet-acclaimed 2011 Cuban horror flick promises nonstop zombie splatter AND socio-political commentary

Les Vampires: 2-Disc Kino Classics Edition (Blu-ray/DVD) – Kino brings the legendary 7-hour French silent film crime story to hi-def

La promesse (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection offers this 1996 French-language film about a 15 year-old boy’s struggle with domestic and immigration issues

Rosetta (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 1999 French-Belgian production follows a teenage girl’s struggle to escape from the dreariness of her life. In hi-def from the Criterion Collection

Korczak: Kino Classics Remastered Edition (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 1990 Polish film follows a doctor’s struggle to protect local children during the Holocaust

MAINSTREAM

The Hunger Games (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 2012 blockbuster based on the best-selling young adult series comes to home formats

Assassin’s Bullet (Blu-ray/DVD) – from the director of “Undisputed III” comes this European-set 2012 action-thriller, starring Christian Slater and Donald Sutherland

Iron Sky (Blu-ray/DVD) – Space Nazis attack from their hidden moon base in this internet-hyped 2011 feature

Hick (DVD) – Hit Girl Chloe Moretz strikes out on her own in this controversial 2012 indie drama

NEW TO BLU-RAY

Jaws (Blu-ray + DVD) – at last, Steven Spielberg’s riveting 1975 classic about a giant shark comes to hi-def

Romeo Must Die (Blu-ray) – Jet Li and the late singer Aaliyah star in this 2000 qausi-update of the “Romeo & Juliet” story, crossed with martial arts and hip-hop

Cradle 2 the Grave (Blu-ray) – by all rights this 2003 action flick starring Jet Li and DMX should have been a classic due to its final bout between Jet Li and Mark Dacascos (“Drive”), but it somehow managed to underwhelm

Death Wish II (Blu-ray) – Charles Bronson once again cleans up the streets in this 1982 sequel

Death Wish III (Blu-ray) – far removed from the gritty vigilanteism of the first film, this 1985 Charles Bronson-starring sequel maintains a cult following due to its over-the-top, Cannon Group violence

Death Wish IV (Blu-ray) – AKA “Death Wish 4: The Crackdown,” Charles Bronson is out to end the drug war once and for all in this 1987 action film

The Royal Tenenbaums (Blu-ray) – the Criterion Collection offers Wes Anderson’s acclaimed 2001 indie drama on Blu

Fallen (Blu-ray) – this 1996 supernatural thriller stars Denzel Washington as the cop on the trail of a body-hopping killer

New Jack City (Blu-ray) – Wesley Snipes headlines this 1991 drug-dealin’ crime saga

Shaft (Blu-ray) – we’re just talkin’ about the 1971 blaxploitation classic starring Richard Roundtree in the title role

A Man Apart (Blu-ray) – fresh off his “Fast and Furious” success, Vin Diesel starred in this 2003 action/revenge movie

RE-ISSUES

Stallone Collection (Blu-ray/DVD) – an odd assortment of Sylvester Stallone films populate this collection: “First Blood,” “Cop Land,” and “Lock Up.” Hey, at least the first two films allowed Sly to stretch his acting chops

Schwarzenegger: 3-Film Collection (Blu-ray/DVD) – Arnold also gets his due with this 3-film set including “Terminator 2,” “Red Heat,” and “Total Recall”

HORROR

Kill List (Blu-ray/DVD) – the acclaimed 2011 indie horror-thriller, about a hitman taking on a supposedly easy assignment, arrives on home formats

The Life and Death of a Porno Gang (Blu-ray/DVD) – the ‘other’ Serbian film comes to America with this gruesome 2009 feature about a troop of adult actors performing murders on camera for extra cash

The Snowtown Murders (DVD) – based on a horrific series of crimes that plagued Australia in the late 90’s, in this 2011 film a serial killer becomes a mentor to a young teen

Father’s Day 4 Disc Limited Edition (Blu-ray + DVD) – Troma’s 2011 video nasty in a 4 disc Limited Edition

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!

"Lethal Hostage" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Lethal Hostage is a new Chinese kidnapping thriller set on the China-Burma border. The film stars Wang Luodan, Sun Honglei, Ni Dahong, and Zhang Mo, and opens in China on August 17th, 2012. Unfortunately, that’s about all we know about the film.

Judging by the trailer, Lethal Hostage should be a pretty vicious and violent flick. Sure, it might not be in that full-on ‘heroic bloodshed’ mode, but it still appears to offer a bit more grit and blood than other recent Chinese action movies.

Update: Chinese Films states that the film will explore the psychological effect known as Stockholm Syndrome. The plot follows a drug dealer (Sun) who falls in love with his hostage (Wang Luodan) and decides to quit the business – after just one deal.

BREAKING NEWS: The final trailer for the film has been released. A cast member states they have hopes the movie will gross as at least US$12.5 million at the Chinese box office, while the producer praises Lethal Hostage as being full of “elegant masculinity.”