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!

"Ghost Story Shin-Mimibukuro" Japanese Theatrical Poster

It feels like there’s been a surplus of Asian horror anthologies as of late, but one in particular to keep an eye on is Ghost Story Shin-Mimibukuro. This horror comedy arrives from fan favorite director Noboru Iguchi of The Machine Girl and Robo Geisha fame. Ghost Story features four different spooky tales, the twist being that Iguchi is adding a healthy dose of humor to his fright flick.

In the tradition of Hausu, the story follows a group of ridiculously cute Japanese school girls who run afoul of the supernatural. But don’t take our word for it. Take a look at this poster and then hop on over to the official website where you can view the trailer. Thanks to 24 Frames Per Second for the story.

"Naked Soldier" Promotional Poster

Chances are, no Hong Kong director working today will ever manage to top the gloriously sleazy Category III exploitation of Clarence Fok’s Naked Killer. But that’s not keeping some people from trying. Back in 2002, the usually classy Ching Siu-tung helmed a movie called Naked Weapon, which was seen as a throwback of sorts to Naked Killer and starred Maggie Q and Daniel Wu.

Now Marco Mak, no stranger to Category III films, is taking a stab at things with Naked Soldier. Far East Films has the possibly NSFW but definitely senses-shattering trailer.

The plot involves a young girl who is kidnapped by an evil organization and programmed to be an assassin with the aim of killing her own father.

The funny thing about Naked Soldier is that it actually has some decent pedigree. Jenn Tse headlines but both Sammo Hung and Andy On will be making appearances, and Corey Yuen handled the action choreography. The film will bare all in Hong Kong theaters this June 14, 2012.

Enjoy the second full-length trailer for Naked Soldier. Have a gander at the stars promoting the film in Beijing.

BREAKING NEWS: Check out some wild new stills from the movie. Yup, Jenn Tse is indeed Nicholas Tse’s sister.

"Kuchisake-onna Returns" Japanese Promotional Poster

Kuchisake-onna is the urban myth involving a slit-mouthed woman that was popularized in Japan during the late 70’s and has since been immortalized in several horror movies. You can add another film to the pile with Kuchisake-onna Returns, which opens in Japan this July 7th, 2012. The story follows a young grad student who heads to a rural town in the hopes of studying the Kuchisake-onna myth. Not surprisingly, she soon finds more than she bargained for.

The trailer for the film is online here. While Kuchisake-onna Returns looks admittedly low-budget and perhaps easy to poke fun at, there’s no denying the subtle (or not so subtle) creepiness of Kuchisake-onna’s visage. This should be a good movie to watch if you ever need to stock up on nightmare fuel.

Update: It’s in Japanese, naturally, but the official website for the film has launched.

Lone Wolf & Cub Complete Blu-ray Set (Animeigo)

Animeigo has announced that the classic “Baby Cart” films, which helped shape 1980’s Shogun Assassin, will be available unedited, uncut, and remastered on HD from new prints, in its original Japanese language with English subtitles. Expect the set to go on sale this Fall.

Included in the set will be 1972’s Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, 1972’s Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx, 1972’s Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades, 1972’s Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril, 1973’s Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons and 1974’s Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell.

The first three films were directed by Kenji Misumi (The Last Samurai). The next three films were directed by Buichi Saito (The Bloody Priest), Kenji Misumi and Yoshiyuki Kuroda (The Invisible Swordsman), respectively. All films star Tomisaburo Wakayama (Ridley Scott’s Black Rain) and Akihiro Tomikawa.

BREAKING NEWS: Amazon.com now has the pre-order up for the Blu-ray edition of the complete Lone Wolf and Cub saga, which has a release date of September 25, 2012.

Scream Factory Presents "The Fun House" and "Terror Train" on Blu-ray!

Scream Factory™ presents Terror Train Collector’s Edition Blu-ray + DVD combo pack and The Fun House Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and DVD on October 16, 2012.

Both collector’s editions of Terror Train and The Fun House feature anamorphic widescreen presentation of the movie and a spectacular array of bonus content, including new interviews and commentaries, archival material, a collectible cover featuring newly rendered retro-style artwork, a reversible wrap with original theatrical key art and more!

Take an excursion into terror with Jamie Lee Curtis in Terror Train, a classic shocker from director Roger Spottiswoode (Tomorrow Never Dies). It’s New Year’s Eve and group of college co-eds have planned a masquerade bash aboard a chartered train. What they didn’t plan on was that a knife-wielding psycho would crash the party and begin slaughtering the guests one by one!

In The Fun House, Director Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist) pays affectionate tribute to various classic horror movies in this tale of two teenage couples who spend the night in a sleazy carnival funhouse.

On her first date with Buzz, Amy disobeys her father and goes to the carnival with Richie and Liz, but their first date may end up as their last. After witnessing a murder, the four terrified teens are trapped in the maze of the funhouse and stalked by a real monster, a horribly deformed killer who lurks among the freakish exhibits to butcher them one by one. Also stars Sylvia Miles and Kevin Conway.

EXCLUSIVE LIMITED OFFER: Order any one of these titles on Blu-ray + DVD combo pack directly from ShoutFactory.com and receive an exclusive 18”x24” poster featuring the newly commissioned artwork! Less than 500 have been made, so these are only available while supplies last.

"Death Grip" DVD

Death Grip is a new independent martial arts picture that stars Johnny Yong Bosch, a former star of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, as well as Contour director Eric Jacobus and Stunt People members Nathan Hoskins, Rebecca Ahn, Ray Carbonel, Chelsea Steffensen, Alvin Hsing, Shaun Finney, and Lucas Okuma. The film will be released in June 2012.

Check out the teaser trailer here.

Updates: The Stunt People are asking fans to contribute towards their finances so they can wrap up filming. Watch this teaser for more information.

The full official trailer has been released. A knife fight scene is on Youtube in HD.

BREAKING NEWS: The film is available to order on Blu-ray and DVD now, directly from The Stunt People. Be advised that due to delays in manufacturing, the Blu-ray won’t ship until July 15th. You can check out special features and other disc details at Far East Films.

"Bi Xian" Korean Theatrical Poster

Beyond Hollywood has the trailer for a new Chinese-language horror film called Bi Xian (“A Crazy Single Mom”), which is actually arriving from the Korean filmmaker behind movies like Phone and Nightmare. Director Byung-ki Ahn formed his own Beijing-based production company and Bi Xian is their first release.

Plot details are scarce but it looks to involve a woman who moves into a haunted house with her young son. Chinese Films also has an earlier promotional trailer. Even if some Asian horror tropes are starting to feel a little overly familiar these days, I have to admit that Bi Xian looks pretty damn terrifying. Stay tuned for more info.

Update: A striking Korean poster for the film is online here. In that country, the film apparently carries the title Bushinba.