Feast your eyes on this ‘Naked Soldier’ – new images!

"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.

Posted in News |

‘Kuchisake-onna Returns’ will likely make you scream for mommy

"Kuchisake-onna Returns" Japanese Promotional Poster

"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.

Posted in News |

Double Feature: The Image of Bruce Lee & The Snake, The Tiger, The Crane DVD (Screen Magic Films)

Double Feature: The Image of Bruce Lee & The Snake, The Tiger, The Crane DVD (Screen Magic Films)

Double Feature: The Image of Bruce Lee & The Snake, The Tiger, The Crane DVD (Screen Magic Films)

RELEASE DATE: August 21, 2012

Screen Magic Films presents two “classics” in this martial arts Double Feature: In The Image Of Bruce Lee, detective Bruce Li teams up with another undercover agent known as Moustache in an effort to apprehend a ring of counterfeiters. In The Snake, The Tiger, The Crane, The kingdom of the Ming Emperor is being over run and is killed, but his daughter escapes and plots revenge against the invaders!

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Animeigo’s ‘Lone Wolf and Cub’ set on Blu-ray: Pre-order now!

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

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.

Posted in News |

Scream Factory terrorizes us with two more classics on Blu-ray: ‘The Fun House’ and ‘Terror Train’

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

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.

Posted in News |

Tokyo Raiders (2000) Review

"Tokyo Raiders" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Tokyo Raiders” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Jingle Ma
Writer: Chan Suk-yin, Chong Man-keung
Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Ekin Cheng, Kelly Chen Wai Lam, Cecilia Cheung, Toru Nakamura, Ken Abe, Maiyu Ozawa, Kumiko Endo, Sirakawa Minani
Running Time: 101 min.

By Numskull

The problem with movies in the “mindless fun” category is that too many of them forget the “fun” part. Happily, Tokyo Raiders does not suffer from this problem and is readily available in unbutchered form on DVD in North America courtesy of Columbia TriStar. Comparable to the cult favorite Steve Wang/Mark Dacascos film Drive in terms of sheer, kinetic joy, Tokyo Raiders is a great movie to show to anyone who thinks that action-packed Hong Kong cinema is the exclusive domain of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. It’ll put a big, goofy grin on the face of just about anybody with a pulse.

Tony Leung Chiu Wai (the Hard Boiled one, not the Dragon Inn one) takes a refreshing break from his usual serious roles to play a detective who wears a jacket full of neat toys and swings a mean umbrella. The oft-ridiculed Ekin Cheng (not the worst actor I’ve ever seen, but there is definitely room for improvement) is a roguish, ass-kicking interior decorator, and Kelly Chen is Macy, the lead female who spends lots of time unconscious, drunk, drugged, or just plain helpless. Cecilia Cheung and an assortment of Japanese cuties show up in somewhat insignificant supporting roles, making the film seem like a strutting peacock saying “damn I look good” while showing off its glamorous feathers. People who (rightly) say that aesthetically gifted individuals (especially women) are pretty much the only ones who stand a chance of succeeding in show business regardless of their talent (or lack thereof) will find plenty of ammunition here. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing is up to you. I can picture guys jerking off to that one shot of Cecilia swinging those black leather-clad legs of hers over the side of the car without too much difficulty…not because I WANT to, but because the camera makes such a big deal of it.

The thin but serviceable plot about a missing Japanese gang lord (Macy’s fiance) and his affair with the wife of his partner in crime is punctuated by a spiffy “salsa techno” soundtrack (Mom loved it) and plenty of action sequences; outstanding amongst these is the golf club fight (it’s about time that stupid game started earning its keep) and car carrier scene near the middle of the film. I didn’t much like the “double take” editing trick that kind of makes it look like the DVD is skipping (I have had more defective Hong Kong DVDs than I have had bowel movements), but that’s just part of the movie’s overall style. Patches of implausibility, like some very conveniently-placed exploding barrels during the motorboat chase, only add to the mindless fun factor.

Note that Cantonese and Japanese are both spoken in the film and if you can’t tell the difference just by listening, you’ll have to figure out who’s speaking what within the context of the story… which should not be the least bit difficult, but, you know… there ARE stupid people out there. THEY can listen to the English dubbed track (which I haven’t heard, for reasons which, I hope, are obvious).

Numskull’s Rating: 8/10


By Alexander

Ten minutes into the film I was tempted to stop the DVD player and look for reruns of “Battle of the Planets” on the Cartoon Network. I wasn’t sure what to expect with “Tokyo Raiders”, but I was not encouraged by the sight of Tony Leung beating the hell out of a gang of thugs with an umbrella, trick cigars, and a cattle prod. It wasn’t clear if I was watching a straight spy film ala Bond or an “Austin Powers”-like spoof. Mercifully, the film quickly switched gears and I ended up enjoying it immensely. I was pleasantly surprised by “Tokyo Raiders”, a stylish, fast-paced thriller with an absolutely gorgeous cast and plenty of humor.

The film has a great contemporary look and reminded me a bit of “Gen-X Cops”. Every character in the film is sickeningly stylish. The fight scenes are well choreographed with some interesting editing and camera angles, including a very plausible fight early in the film involving a vacuum cleaner and liquor bottles. I think I was most surprised by the script which manages to effectively blend humor, action, and drama. The only really irritating thing about “Tokyo Raiders” is the techno heavy soundtrack. Not that techno is bad, but the techno in this movie sounds like the background music during the fight scenes in the old Super Nintendo “Street Fighter” game.

I’ve got to admit, I did feel a bit of kinship with some of the characters in the film. Soon after Tony Leung does his silly Bond thing, Kelly Chan’s character Macy is left standing at the alter in the Silver Bells Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, THE VERY SAME CHAPEL I WAS MARRIED IN! I thought this was a very nice touch by director Jingle Ma and gave me yet one more reason to recommend “Tokyo Raiders”.

Alexander’s Rating: 7.5/10

Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , |

Independent martial arts film ‘Death Grip’ now available for purchase on Blu-ray and DVD

"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.

Posted in News |

Red Eye DVD (Tokyo Shock)

Red Eye DVD (Tokyo Shock)

Red Eye DVD (Tokyo Shock)

RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2012

Tokyo Shock presents the DVD for Red Eye. It’s Mi-sun s first day as a rail attendant. Her assignment is an overnight trip through Korea, and she s understandably nervous. But it’s not the motley group of passengers that has her feeling uneasy, it s the train itself. Some of the cars on the train were involved in a devastating crash 16 years earlier, in which 100 people died. Now, the train is rumored to be haunted! Check out the trailer.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

‘Bi Xian’ promises a house full of horrors

"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.

Posted in News |

The latest on martial arts movie ‘Wu Dang’ – new trailer!

"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.

Posted in News |

Starship Troopers: Invasion Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Pictures)

Starship Troopers: Invasion Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Pictures)

Starship Troopers: Invasion Blu-ray & DVD (Sony Pictures)

RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2012

Sony Pictures presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Starship Troopers: Invasion, directed by Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed Saga: Ex Machina). This CG/Anime-style continuation to Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 cult classic promises to be “A fast-paced thrill ride that tops the original,” according to Movieweb.com. Check out the trailer.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Extreme Asian Cinema meets the zombie genre with ‘Zombie 108’

"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.

Posted in News |

Blu-ray and DVD Releases for 7/3/12

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

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!

Posted in News |

Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2010) Review

"Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" International Theatrical Poster

"Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" International Theatrical Poster

Director: Masaaki Taniguchi
Writer: Tomoe Kanno, Yasutaka Tsutsui
Cast: Riisa Naka, Akiyoshi Nakao, Narumi Yasuda, Masanobu Katsumura, Kanji Ishimaru, Munetaka Aoki, Anna Ishibashi, Shota Chiyo, Tokio Emoto, Mayu Kitaki, Yuya Matsushita, Toshiya Toyama, Maya Okano
Running Time: 122 min.

By Ningen

Akari is former high school student about to head off into college, when her mother gets into a semi-coma after being in the path of a car. Akari’s mom was viewing a photo of herself in junior high paired with a mysterious man. She asks Akari to visit him in the 70s and meet him to fulfill a “promise”. Akari discovers a mysterious liquid which allows her to do just that, and she “leaps” 35+ years in the past. There, she encounters a amateur student film director who she works with to find the man from her mother’s past.

I’m commenting on this pic from the perspective of the original English in the UK-only Yasutaka Tsutsui novel, and the 2006 anime film from Mamoru Hosoda. Time Traveller is more tied into the former story, and less so the latter story, even though they’re both adaptations of the same source material. I enjoyed the novel’s surprisingly dark sci-fi tone coupled with its overall optimism, and so I felt ready to see what they could do with a “sequel”. I’d say the anime is the definitive adaptation, even though there have been many live-action versions of the book in Japan. Nonetheless, the 2010 movie works in its own right, if you’re willing to accept its preference towards atmosphere and realism, rather than fantasy.

The only gripe I have is that you’re thrown a bit of a curveball in assuming that it’s about discovering how Akari’s parents got together, when it’s really about her parents’ friends’ social scene. Not to mention that I’m not entirely fond of movies which feature subplots about making movies, as I’ve already had my fill of that for the next decade, after Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. But if you have any connection to that era, and are in the mood for a bit of nostalgia, then Time Traveller does a damn good job rebuilding the setting from scratch. The clothes look like they’re right out of The Street Fighter and Three’s Company; the Spartan lifestyles resulting from the energy crisis of the 70s are properly observed; and the posters look like they came from Quentin Tarantino’s basement.

The story itself is quiet and off-beat, with few real moments of tension until near the end. The supporting characters take a while to grow on you, but the actors show a lot of enthusiasm for their roles, and don’t try to ham it up, in spite of the rampant kitsch camp they were exposed to on a regular basis. The actual sci-fi aspect of the film does not come into play often, but it works when it does-and logically so. The negative is that time can’t be changed for the better, like it was in the anime film. Well, to be more precise, it’s denied from changing for the better, for the sake of continuity with the present. However, Akari is able to grow and appreciate life, even if she’s a bit fuzzy on the details why by the end. So I’d say Time Traveller works as an enjoyable coming-of-age story, even if it does not incorporate the wish-fulfillment of its predecessors.

Ningen’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Japanese, Reviews | Tagged , |

Karate-Robo Zaborgar Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Karate-Robo Zaborgar Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Karate-Robo Zaborgar Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: September 11, 2012

Well Go USA presents the DVD and Blu-ray for Karate-Robo Zaborgar. From the director of Robo-Geisha and The Machine Girl comes this action-packed tale of a police officer and a robot created by his father. The robot, known as Zaborgar, is an expert in martial arts and has the ability to transform into a motorcycle. Check out the trailer.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |