"Wu Dang" Chinese Theatrical Poster

The trailer is online for Wu Dang, a new fantasy-based Chinese martial arts film from the director of Twins Effect II and featuring action choreography by the legendary Corey Yuen. The film stars Vincent Zhao, who is probably most famous at the moment for dropping out of Donnie Yen’s Special Identity, alongside Siu-Wong Fan (Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky) and Yang Mi.

Based on the trailer, it looks like this movie is leaving reality far behind, with characters floating through the air, walking on water, and generally defying gravity like it ain’t no thing.

Chinese Films has more details, with Wu Dang slated for a July 17th, 2012 release date in China.

Update: Some very brightly colored promotional posters over at Chinese Films. Actress Yang Mi has actually arrived in France to help promote the film at Cannes since this is her first martial arts role.

While promoting Wu Dang in Beijing yesterday, actor Vincent Zhao spoke out about the controversy surrounding his departure from the Donnie Yen aciton film Special Identity. Says Zhao: “I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years. I was taught to treat people with respect. But he [Yen] destroyed everything I knew about him.”

A final, and generally more impressive, trailer is now online. This trailer puts more emphasis on the film’s slick production values and Corey Yuen’s action choreography. Now this looks like something we’d actually want to see!

BREAKING NEWS: Guess that final trailer wasn’t so final after all. Wu Dang opens in China in just two days. Check out the latest trailer.

"Zombie 108" on UK DVD

There’s no denying the zombie genre has grown a little stale these days. George Romero has said just about everything has to say with the genre and zombies are now beamed into our homes on a regular basis thanks to The Walking Dead. But Taiwanese director Joe Chien may have stumbled upon a way to make the shambling undead seem interesting again, by adding a healthy dose of Category III-style nastiness in his new film Zombie 108.

In this highly buzzed about film, a deadly virus spreads throughout Tapei, Taiwan, turning the populace into zombies. SWAT teams are called into action to try and fight off the dead. The only trouble for them and the rest of the human survivors is that gangs have taken control of the panicked streets.

Meanwhile, a deranged killer (played by the director himself!) is preying on young women in the area, torturing them in secret while the rest of the world goes to hell outside his door.

By all accounts, Zombie 108 is one depraved and sick little zombie movie. You can watch the trailer in HD here to get a taste for the film. Unfortunately, Zombie 108 hasn’t secured a release date in North America yet, but you can purchase the Region 2 UK DVD courtesy of Amazon UK.

Wind Blast Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

It’s not even the Fourth of July yet and already I’m tired of all the fireworks that have been going off in my neighborhood. Anyway, let’s take a look at what’s available this week, shall we? Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 7/3/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Wind Blast (Blu-ray/DVD) – Well Go USA releases this 2010 Western-tinged Chinese action film starring Wu Jing and Francis Ng

The Great Killing (DVD) – a 1964 samurai film from the director of the original “13 Assassins”

FOREIGN CINEMA

Joe + Belle (DVD) – the cover describes this 2012 Hebrew-language film as “the lesbian Thelma and Louise,” so let’s just go with that

Department (DVD) – this action-packed 2012 Bollywood picture has a bunch of tough cops fighting corruption in Mumbai

MAINSTREAM

The Hunter (Blu-ray/DVD) – Willem Dafoe tracks down the deadliest game, a Tasmanian tiger, in this acclaimed 2012 drama

God Bless America (Blu-ray/DVD) – two people fed up with contemporary society go on a shooting spree in Bobcat Goldthwait’s violent 2011 comedy

Born on the Fourth of July (Blu-ray) – Oliver Stone’s 1989 war drama starring Tom Cruise hits Blu-ray this week

Tough Enough (Blu-ray/DVD) – Dennis Quaid headlines this 1983 boxing drama, now in hi-def

Firestorm (DVD) – looks like this 1998 action vehicle starring Howie Long is receiving a new DVD pressing

Phenomenon (Blu-ray) – John Travolta has the healing touch in this 1996 drama, now in hi-def

CULT

Django Kill… If You Live, Shoot! (Blu-ray) – the good folks at Blue Underground bring this 1967 spaghetti Western starring Thomas Milian to Blu-ray

Barbarella (Blu-ray) – at last! The kinky 1968 sci-fi classic starring Jane Fonda is now viewable in hi-definition

No Holds Barred (DVD) – the new packaging makes this action movie looking like a wrestling event, but it’s actually a 1989 starring vehicle for Hulk Hogan

The Pirate Movie (DVD) – a 1982 update on the Pirates of Penzance, starring Kristy McNichol

Vanishing Point (DVD) – a 1997 Fox TV remake of the cult classic film, featuring Viggo Mortenson in the driver’s seat

ANIMATION

Treasure Planet (Blu-ray) – the 2002 Disney animated feature comes to hi-definition in a 10th anniversary package

Home on the Range (Blu-ray) – the 2004 Disney cartoon featuring singing barn animals is now on Blu-ray

HORROR

The Entity (Blu-ray/DVD) – Barbara Hershey is, um, violated by a ghost in this 1982 cult favorite horror film

Some Guy Who Kills People (DVD) – a 2011 pitch-black comedy about a comic fan who fantasizes about murdering people in his spare time

Ghost in the Machine (DVD) – this 1993 cyber-thriller follows a killer who is zapped by lightning and is then able to travel inside electronic devices

Nightwatch (DVD) – Ewan McGregor plays a morgue attendant in this 1997 thriller co-starring Josh Brolin

Quicksilver Highway (DVD) – two stories from horror icons Stephen King and Clive Barker are brought to life in this 1997 feature

Joshua (DVD) – Sam Rockwell and his wife try to figure out what’s up with their Satanic son in this 2007 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!

Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition Blu-ray (Lionsgate)

Just in time for the 2012 release of the theatrical remake, fans can experience the original sci-fi masterpiece like never before when Lionsgate releases Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition on Blu-ray Disc and Digital Download this July.

Comprised of an all-new Director approved, high-definition transfer from the original film negative and including exclusive bonus materials, there’s no better time to revisit this cult classic starring action legend Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator). Winner of a Special Achievement Academy Award® for its groundbreaking visual effects, the blockbuster action film was also nominated for two Oscars®*. Inspired by the short story We Can Remember it For You Wholesale by Phillip K. Dick, Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition features a screen story by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Jon Povill and a screenplay by Ronald Shusett & Dan O’Bannon and Gary Goldman.

Highlighted by an exclusive, never-before-seen interview with director Paul Verhoeven and restoration comparison, Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition also contains additional bonus materials that fans will love including a behind-the-scenes documentary, a “making of” featurette, a special effects featurette, audio commentary with Arnold Schwarzenegger and director Paul Verhoeven, a photo gallery and the theatrical trailer. Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition will be available on Blu-ray Disc July 31st for the suggested retail price of $14.99. The new HD version of the film will also be available on Digital Download July 17th featuring the new interview with director Paul Verhoeven.

"Cabin Fever" Theatrical Poster

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release from Indomina on June 30th: Production on Indomina’s Cabin Fever: Patient Zero will commence on August 13th in the Dominican Republic with a cast that includes Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings), Brando Eaton (Born to Race) and Ben Hollingsworth (The Joneses). Renowned comic book artist, turned director, Kaare Andrews, is directing.

Indomina, the fast-growing U.S. and Dominican Republic based producer and distributor of film, TV and trans-media content, committed to resurrecting the popular Cabin Fever franchise by producing and distributing at least two more feature installments: Cabin Fever: Patient Zero and Cabin Fever: Outbreak. Both films will be shot in the Dominican Republic.

Original Cabin Fever producer Evan Astrowsky and his Hypotenuse Pictures is producing Patient Zero with Indomina.

Astrowsky commented, “With Sean, we wanted an actor with gravity who is also popular with the fanboy fan-base. Coupling Sean with fresh faces like Ben and Brando gives Cabin Fever the pedigree of cast we’ve always desired.”

Jake Wade Wall (The Hitcher) wrote the Patient Zero screenplay.

When a bachelor party cruise in the Caribbean unexpectedly runs ashore on a medical research island, a deadly virus is unleashed. The passengers must struggle to find a way to survive before their own demons and the flesh eating bacteria consumes them all.

Director Kaare Andrews is best known as a writer and artist who worked on Marvel Comics’ The Incredible Hulk, Ultimate X-Men and Spider-Man: Reign. He is currently drawing covers for Marvel’s recently relaunched Ultimate line of comics. He made his feature debut with the supernatural horror movie Altitude, which starred 90210’s Jessica Lowndes and was released by Anchor Bay, and is in post on the ABC’s of Death, a horror anthology featuring up-and-coming genre directors tackling each letter of the alphabet and building a story around that. Andrews’ entry is V is for Vagitus, a sci-fi horror movie.

Award winning cinematographer Zoltan Honti (The Last Exorcism) is Director of Photography.

In addition to Cabin Fever: Patient Zero, uupcoming productions from Indomina include a new live action Afro Samurai with Samuel L. Jackson and Cabin Fever: Outbreak.

Recent acquisitions for The Indomina Group’s releasing division include the French drama Holy Motors and the Chinese blockbuster Flying Swords of Dragon Gate, which will have an IMAX theatrical run in the U.S. this fall.

Yuen Woon-ping

Legendary martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter to reflect back on his long and illustrious career in both Hong Kong cinema and Hollywood. It’s a worthwhile read, which you can find over at Chinese Films.

It’s long been rumored that Yuen Woo-ping and actor Donnie Yen were no longer on good terms, despite Yuen Woo-ping helping give Yen his big break, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. In the interview, Woo-ping discusses the aging of the ‘old guard’ of Hong Kong talent: “It’s very difficult find the next Jackie Chan or Jet Li, and even Donnie Yen isn’t a young man anymore. He’s paid his dues, and finally got his break.”

Speaking of the old days and how things have changed, Woo-ping states: “In the era of ‘Drunken Master,’ all the fighting you see on screen were genuine fighting; the actors were hitting each other for real, and it really hurt…The action nowadays is all about romance, and the whole process is so much more careful and meticulous when putting together an action scene.”

At present, Yuen Woo-ping is reuniting with one of his other former pupils, Keanu Reeves, who Woo-ping trained to fight for The Matrix trilogy, in order to direct the action sequences in Reeves’ The Man From Tai Chi.

"Horror Stories" Korean Theatrical Poster

There’s a new horror anthology film coming out of South Korea, featuring five tales of terror from five uniquely talented directors, and appropriately enough it’s titled Horror Stories. The trailer is now online and it’s equal turns atmospheric and disturbing. Past works from the filmmakers involved include Epitaph, White, and Memento Mori. Supposedly each story in the film will explore a relevant topic in contemporary Korean society, such as capitalism run amok.

Of course, there’s an over-arching narrative tying the various stories together: in this centerpiece, a serial killer holds a a young woman captive and demands that she scare him to death with a terrifying tale. Horror Stories arrives in Korean theaters this July 26, 2012. Thanks to 24 Frames Per Second for the story.

"Conspirators" Korean Theatrical Trailer

Just what is the upcoming South Korean horror/thriller Conspirators about? Well, as of right now the plot is anyone’s guess. Some suspect it’s about an organ harvester claiming victims on a cruise ship, while the Asian Wiki has a more cryptic summary of Chinese cruise passengers under siege by ‘pursuers.’ Either way, it sounds like this particular oceanbound trip is going to be anything but smooth sailing.

Check out the striking poster and then hop over to Beyond Hollywood for the teaser trailer. Let’s hope that a full-length trailer will be released shortly and shed some light on the plot. We do know the cast includes Im Chang-jeong, Choi Daniel, Oh Dal-soo, Jo Yoon-hee, Jo Dal-hwan, and Jeong Ji-yoon. Expect Conspirators in Korean theaters this August 2012.