"Total Recall" Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Len Wiseman, director of the most contentious Die Hard sequel (Live Free or Die Hard), has his remake of Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 film Total Recall. The original starred Arnold Schwarzenegger; this time around Colin Farrell headlines a cast that includes Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston, and Jessica Biel. In theaters on August 3, 2012.

Updates: ComicBookMovie via Collider has a blurb from Beckinsale on how her Lori distinguishes itself from the Sharon Stone take. CBM has word from Len Wiseman that we’ll probably see the first trailer for the film in March. CBM also has a more detailed plot synopsis here. IMDB finally has a picture from the film and a plot summary.

AICN has the teaser for the trailer. Also, hop on over to Beyond Hollywood for the first poster for the movie.

The first full-length trailer is now online! The Playlist has posted new images of Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel & Kate Beckinsale. The Playlist has the newest trailer!

BREAKING NEWS: A new poster for the film, courtesy of AICN.

"Clandestine: Follow the Path"

Thousand Pounds Action Company are the creators of over 20 popular martial arts shorts, which are viewable on their YouTube page. Thanks to their intense fight choreography, fluid camerawork, and subtle special effects, their videos have earned them over 13 million views online.

Just check out this video game-inspired Street Fighter x Tekken video for a taste of what Thousands Pounds is capable of.

Now Thousand Pounds is turning to the popular crowd-funding website Kickstarter to ask their fans for help. Donate and you can help them realize an original supernatural-themed martial arts web series called Clandestine: Follow the Path.

The show will feature trained martial artists in the lead roles and tell the story of a young woman who wakes up one day to realize she’s at the center of a war between several mystical, super-powered warrior clans. Thousand Pounds Action Company already has 397 backers with more than 20 days to reach their goal so there’s a fair chance we’ll be seeing Clandestine in our future. There are rewards involved for backers who commit to donating $5 or more.

Thanks to regular Cityonfire.com reader TheBigLenano for bringing Clandestine to our attention!

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

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release from Sony Pictures on July 9th:

Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim star as members of a rookie SWAT team tasked to infiltrate a safe house containing the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters in the hard-hitting, jaw-dropping, martial arts action extravaganza The Raid: Redemption (see our review), coming to Unrated DVD and Blu-ray™ with UltraViolet™ August 14th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

When the SWAT team’s cover is accidentally blown, they become stranded inside the dangerous high rise with no way out and must fight their way through the city’s worst criminals to survive their mission. The film also stars Ray Sahetapy, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian and Pierre Gruno and features music by Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda.

The DVD and Blu-ray™ are loaded with bonus features, including commentary with Writer/Director Gareth Evans; six behind-the-scenes video blogs with Gareth Evans; a “Behind the Music” featurette with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and composer Joe Trapanese; “Inside the Score,” a trailer teaser for Mike Shinoda’s first feature score, and “An Evening with Gareth Evans, Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese” feaurette. Also included are four featurettes in “Conversation with Gareth Evans and Mike Shinoda” on the hard shoot, score, stunts, and themes, as well as “An Anatomy of a Scene,” in which Gareth Evans talks in detail about creating the hole drop scene. “THE RAID TV Show Ad (circa 1994)” is a spoof of a 1994 Japanese anime TV commercial created by Phil Askin, with the idea that Gareth Evans may have seen it as a child and set off to make a live action version one day. Finally, “Claycat’s The Raid” features Lee Hardcastle’s UK claymation short film with a Mike Shinoda music score.

“Makes most other genre movies look like they’re not even trying.” – Cityonfire.com

“Relentless–It’s second to no film.” – Indiewire

“The best action film in decades.” – Twitch Film

Bonus Features Include: Commentary with Writer/Director Gareth Evans, 6 Gareth Evans Behind-the-Scenes video blogs, “Behind The Music with Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese” Featurette, “Inside the Score” trailer teaser for Mike Shinoda’s first feature score, “An Evening with Gareth Evans, Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese” Featurette, “An Anatomy of a Scene” Featurette, “In Conversation with Gareth Evans and Mike Shinoda” Featurettes, “THE RAID TV Show Ad (circa 1994)”, “Claycat’s The Raid” Featurette and English Dub.

The Viral Factor Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release from Well Go USA on July 9th:

Rising superstars Jay Chou (The Green Hornet, True Legend) and Nicholas Tse (Shaolin, The Stool Pigeon) team up in award-winning Director Dante Lam’s (The Beast Stalker, The Stool Pigeon) all-action, bio-terror thriller The Viral Factor (see our review), debuting on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital August 28th from Well Go USA Entertainment.

The film also stars Andy On (White Vengeance, Three Kingdoms) and Bing Bai (Shaolin) in the story of an International Security Affairs agent (Chou) who gets caught up in a deadly, international crime ring developing biological weapons. The release includes a new English dub.

Synopsis: IDC Agent Jon (Jay Chou) is on a dangerous mission to escort a criminal scientist to another country. En route, a member of his team turns out to be a traitor and shoots Jon in the head while kidnapping the scientist. When Jon wakes up in the hospital, a doctor tells him that within weeks, the bullet in his brain will cause complete paralysis. Jon returns to Beijing to see his mother, who confesses that Jon has a brother in Malaysia. On a flight to meet his long lost sibling, Jon forms a bond with Dr. Kan (Lin Peng), who promises to look into possible treatments for his condition. However, when they arrive, they are kidnapped. Jon soon realizes the kidnapper is his brother (Nicholas Tse), and they decide to work together in order to keep an international consortium of criminals from re-infecting the world with a disease long thought cured.

“Gunfights and explosions are audaciously played out in real urban locations swarming with people and vehicles, all unfolding with high tension, without losing sight of continuity.” – Maggie Lee, Variety

“… Chou and Tse have the chops for this brand of socky.” – Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Feature Include: “The Making of The Viral Factor” featurette and Cast & Crew Interviews

Butterfly Swords DVD (Well Go USA)

It’s about time – we’ve finally got a week where there’s plenty of Asian cinema to choose from, no matter what your tastes happen to be. In fact, I dare say this is one of the best weeks we’ve had in awhile. So enjoy!

Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 7/10/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Butterfly Swords (DVD) – Well Go USA offers a DVD re-release of this 1993 wuxia, also known as “Butterfly and Sword,” featuring a cast of Hong Kong heavy-hitters, including Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Michelle Yeoh, and Donnie Yen

Flowers of War (Blu-ray/DVD) – in 2011, director Zhang Yimou took a break from his usual costumed martial arts epics to tell this story of the Nanking Massacre, starring Christian Bale

Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog (DVD) – in this documentary-like 2004 Japanese film, we follow the life of a yellow Labrador Retriever that becomes a seeing eye dog for a blind man

Zoom In: Sex Apartments (DVD) – this Japanese sexploitation thriller is posited as a homage to the work of director Dario Argento, as a black-gloved killer stalks and mutilates the inhabitants of a Japanese apartment complex

True Story of a Woman in Jail: Continues (DVD) – the second installment of this ‘women in prison’ Japanese sexploitation saga

Sophie’s Revenge (DVD) – Chinese starlet Zhang Ziyi plays against type in this 2009 quirky romantic comedy, also starring Fan Bingbing

Good Morning President (DVD) – Pathfinder Home Entertainment offers this heartfelt 2009 political comedy from South Korea

FOREIGN CINEMA

Making Plans for Lena (DVD) – this 2009 French family saga arrives from acclaimed filmmaker Christophe Honore, the director behind “The Beautiful Person” and “Love Songs”

Seven Minutes in Heaven (DVD) – in this gripping 2009 Hebrew film, a young woman tries to piece her life and her memory back together after a terrorist attack

Fatso (DVD) – a 2008 Norwegian comedy about a socially awkward virgin who meets the woman of his dreams

Paraiso (DVD) – in this 2012 Spanish-language film, a Cuban refugee travels to Miami and soon finds himself turning to a life of crime just to survive

My House is Full of Mirrors (DVD) – actress Sophia Loren plays her own mother in this 2011 Italian film based on her sister’s memoir

Rakhtbeej (DVD) – a 2012 Hindi action/thriller about two men on opposite sides of the law who are forced to confront each other

MAINSTREAM

Spawn (Blu-ray) – born in darkness but chosen to be a hero, Todd McFarlane’s Spawn comes to life in this 1997 special FX-infused comic book movie starring Michael Jai White – and now in hi-def

Outland (Blu-ray) – Sean Connery headlines this underrated 1981 ‘Western in Space,’ directed by Peter Hyams (“Time Cop”)

Altered States (Blu-ray) – director Ken Russell’s 1980 cult favorite about William Hurt’s experience with a hallucinatory new drug receives the hi-def treatment

Brainstorm (Blu-ray) – Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood star in this 1983 speculative science-fiction film about a device that can beam your memories – even your emotions – into another person’s mind

The Astronaut’s Wife (Blu-ray) – before he became the box office king he is today, Johnny Depp finished 1999 with a trio of hardcore genre films, including this sci-fi spin on “Rosemary’s Baby” co-starring Charlize Theron

Coma (Blu-ray) – this 1978 medical thriller from novelist-turned-director Michael Crichton comes to hi-def

Royal Deceit (DVD) – this forgotten 1994 costumed drama with a plot similar to “Hamlet” features an all-star cast, including: Christian Bale, Helen Mirren, Gabriel Bryne, and Kate Beckinsale

Mercenary For Justice (Blu-ray) – the 2006 direct-to-video Steven Seagal action flick gets the hi-def treatment

Bitch Slap (Blu-ray) – this 2009 grindhouse-style thriller featuring a bevy of buxom ladies and fast cars now comes to Blu-ray

Cherry Bomb (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this 2010 ode to the sleazy action movies of the early 80’s, a stripper named Cherry goes after the men who have wronged her

INDIE

Margaret (Blu-ray + DVD combo) – in this 2011 drama, Anna Paquin plays a young woman torn with guilt after she accidentally causes the death of a pedestrian. Also starring Mark Ruffalo and Matt Damon

On the Ice (DVD) – a 2011 thriller about two boys in a remote Alaskan town who find themselves perpetuating a murderous lie to save their own skin

HORROR

Blade II (Blu-ray) – finally on Blu! Arguably even better than the first film, director Guillermo Del Toro’s 2002 “Blade” sequel upped the ante by adding mutant vampires and Donnie Yen

Twins of Evil (Blu-ray + DVD combo) – your friends at Synapse Films bring this cult favorite 1971 Hammer Horror film to Blu-ray

Interested in any of these movies? If so, we hope that you’ll consider ordering from ouraffiliate to help support this site. Thank you!