13 Assassins DVD (Animeigo)

June is upon us. There’s not much happening this month in regards to Asian cinema but at least the one film being released is a good one. Meanwhile, Universal continues to shuffle out their back catalog via Blu-ray+DVD+digital combo packs. Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 6/5/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

13 Assassins (The Thirteen Assassins) (DVD) – the great folks from AnimEigo offer this 1963 samurai film on DVD. Yup, this is the movie that Takashi Miike’s recent blood-soaked epic was based on

FOREIGN CINEMA

Desire (DVD) – this 2012 French-language film explores the sexual lives of several twenty-somethings living in a seaside town. Oh, those French. Always so erotic

Tomboy (DVD) – an acclaimed 2012 French film about a 10 year-old girl who is able to pass herself off as a boy when she moves to a new town

Declaration of War (DVD) – in this 2011 French-language movie, a young couple pulls together when they discover their newborn son has a brain tumor

Hate Story (DVD) – a 2012 Bollywood erotic thriller that is said to be based on a true story

Queen of Hearts (DVD) – a 2010 French comedy about looking for love in the big city

Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi (DVD) – this 2012 Indian film follows four people in Mumbai, each with a different mission – some for vengeance, others for love

MAINSTREAM

John Carter (Blu-ray/DVD) – I still contend that this pulp-y, fun, heart-tugging 2012 adventure film is superior to Joss Whedon’s “Avengers.” It didn’t set the box office on fire but maybe it’ll find some love on home formats

Act of Valor (Blu-ray/DVD) – hoo-rah! This 2012 action movie starring real life Navy SEALs comes to home formats

Safe House (Blu-ray/DVD) – this underrated 2012 Bourne-esque thriller starring Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington comes to Blu-ray

Machine Gun Preacher (Blu-ray/DVD) – Gerard Butler finds redemption as a machine gun-toting preacher (or something like that) in this 2011 film

U.S. Marshals (Blu-ray) – Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes, and Robert Downey Jr. star in this 1998 sequel to “The Fugitive.” Man, what I wouldn’t give to see those guys do a movie together now

Bad-Ass (Blu-ray/DVD) – Danny Trejo is one senior citizen you don’t want to $#%& with in this 2012 direct-to-video feature. Inspired by true events!

The Town: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) – Ben Affleck’s surprisingly great 2010 bank heist flick gets an Ultimate Collector’s Edition

Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (DVD) – Chuck Norris stars in this 1985 action flick that pretends Vietnam never really ended. Be advised that this DVD is not in Widescreen

Act of Vengeance (Blu-ray/DVD) – Danny Glover, Gina Gershon, and Robert Patrick star in this 2010 direct-to-video action/thriller about U.S. anti-terrorist policy

Knockdown (DVD) – this 2012 direct-to-video action/thriller features Casey T. Evans, Tom Arnold, and Bai Ling. The one review on Amazon says the fight scenes are good!

Champion Road: Arena (DVD) – a low-budget 2012 action movie about an underground fighting circuit. The fight choreography looks promising from the trailer

The Color of Money (DVD) – Martin Scorsese directs Paul Newman and a young Tom Cruise in this 1986 pool shark tale

Sea of Love (Blu-ray) – Al Pacino plays a cop who’s in over his head in this steamy 1989 thriller

Blood Work (Blu-ray) – a 2002 thriller from director/actor Clint Eastwood, in which Eastwood plays a retired FBI profiler

Ransom (Blu-ray) – Mel Gibson famously shouts “Gimme back my son!” in this 1996 thriller

REISSUES

Smokey and the Bandit (Blu-ray + DVD) – Universal Pictures gives this 1977 film a re-release for the studio’s 100th anniversary

Spartacus (Blu-ray + DVD) – Stanley Kubrick’s 1960 masterpiece also gets a re-release for Universal’s 100 anniversary

The Mummy (Blu-ray+DVD) – Universal keeps the hits rolling with a re-release of this 1999 summer blockbuster starring Brendan Fraser

The Fast and the Furious (Blu-ray + DVD) – go back to the innocence of the early 00’s with Universal’s re-issue of the 2001 action movie starring Paul Walker and Vin Diesel

Earthquake (DVD) – Universal also offers this 1974 disaster epic starring Charlton Heston, for shame that it’s not in hi-def

The Sting (Blu-ray+DVD) – Robert Redford and Paul Newman team up in this beloved 1973 film

Casino (Blu-ray+DVD) – Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film features Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, and a baseball bat

Warrior Quad Volume 1 (DVD) – four martial arts-themed films in one DVD set: “Kung Fu Master,” “The Assailant,” “Wushu Warrior,” and “Fight Night”

Natural Born Killers/Any Given Sunday/JFK (Blu-ray) – it’s a triple threat of Oliver Stone in this 3-film Blu-ray set

CLASSICS

Yellow Submarine (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 1968 animated film from The Beatles gets a hi-def release

Hondo (Blu-ray) – this 1953 Western stars John Wayne and remains a fan favorite

Zorba the Greek (Blu-ray) – Anthony Quinn brings Zorba the Greek to life in this 1964 film, now in hi-def

HORROR

The Awakening (DVD) – Charlton Heston fights off a mummy in this 1980 Egyptian-themed horror flick

Dear God No! (DVD) – with a title like that, how can you go wrong? This grindhouse-style flick promises “Bikers, boobs, blood, and bigfoot”

The Collapsed (DVD) – a 2011 post-apocalyptic film from Anchor Bay about a family trying to escape the confines of the city

Rogue River (DVD) – a direct-to-video torture cheapie starring Bill Mosely of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”

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The Hidden Blade Blu-ray (Palisades Tartan)

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release from Palisades Tartan on June 1st: Nominated for 12 Japanese Academy Awards, Yoji Yamada’s slow-burning, character driven samurai drama, The Hidden Blade, is being released for the first time on Blu-Ray in a special edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo package.

Based on a series of best-selling stories by Japan’s premier historical fiction writer, Shuhei Fujisawa, Yamada’s period study picks up right where his 2002 masterpiece, The Twilight Samurai, left off. Starring award winning Japanese actors, Masatoshi Nagase (Mystery Train) and Takako Matsu (Confessions), The Hidden Blade transports the viewer into the thrilling world of the historic samurai with a mesmerizing tale of honor, loyalty and love in mid-19th-century Japan. Palisades Tartan is proud to bring you the special edition Blu-ray/DVD combo of The Hidden Blade, available on June 19th (SRP of $29.98).

“An old-fashioned Hollywood western…loyalty, honor and virtue carry the day.”
– Stephen Holden, The New York Times

”A brilliant movie.”
– Harry Knowles, Ain’t It Cool News

“Yamada has performed a minor miracle…He has managed a portrait of
goodness and virtue that is neither cynical nor contrived.”
– Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter

Yoji Yamada has long been regarded as one of Japan’s most popular and critically-lauded filmmakers. Most well-known for directing the phenomenally popular Tora-San movies, Yamada has achieved nearly equal fame for his sensitive portraits of poor people struggling to maintain their lives in the midst of often convulsive social upheaval. Yamada has won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture four times (The Yellow Handkerchief – 1977, My Sons – 1991, A Class to Remember – 1993, The Twilight Samurai – 2003) and his film Twilight Samurai was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2003 Academy Awards. Hidden Blade is his 78th film.

Bonus Features: Behind The Scenes With Director Yoji Yamada, Berlin Film Festival Premiere, Director Press Conference, Japanese Theatrical Trailer, US Theatrical Trailer and Upcoming Release Trailers

Blu-ray/DVD Specs: Language: Japanese, Subtitles: English & Spanish, Running Time: 132 min, Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Blu-Ray Aspect Ratio: 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1, DVD Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1/DTS 5.1 Surround Sound, Blu-Ray Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

"Emperor's Concubine" Korean Theatrical Poster

Online now is the teaser trailer for a steamy new Korean period piece titled The Emperor’s Concubine. The film arrives from director Kim Dae-seung (Blood Rain) and tells the story of what happens when King Sungwon’s concubine becomes embroiled in a love affair with another man.

This all takes place during the Chosun Era, which would be helpful except that Wikipedia tells me that this period of Korean history lasted over 500 years so that doesn’t exactly narrow things down.  At any rate, the poster and teaser trailer certainly look interesting. The Emperor’s Concubine arrives in Korean theaters on June 6th, 2012. Thanks to 24 Frames Per Second for the story.

Update: A steamy new poster and trailer for your perusal.

"Button Man" Graphic Novel

After Drive’s Nicolas Winding Refn wraps up his his Thai boxing flick, Only God Forgives, the director’s next project may be The Killing Game for DreamWorks, which is based on a graphic novel called Button Man by Judge Dredd creator John Wagner and Arthur Ranson.

According to Empire, “It’s Red meets The Hunger Games!” The plot of The Killing Game involves millionaires who pay former cops and mercenaries to hunt one another to the death. Back in 2009, Screen Rant reported that Leonardo DiCaprio had signed to play Harry Exton – the main character in Button Man – who decides to break the  game rules by going after the creators of the event. Judging from the cover of the graphic novel, DiCaprio definitely fits the bill.

"The Bullet Vanishes" AKA "Ghost Bullets" Promotional Poster

Last year, Chinese film distributor China Lion made great strides in releasing more Chinese-language films in North America by partnering with AMC theaters. Chinese Films reports that the company has acquired 5 films at the Cannes Film Festival with the express purpose of screening them in American theaters.

Granted, the hardest part of putting out foreign films in the West is securing enough screens to reach an audience – I’m not sure many people living in the Midwest even realized that Dante Lam’s The Viral Factor saw an American theatrical release last year. But it’s comforting to know that China Lion is making a profit by catering to the large amount of Westerners who are eager to pay money to see Asian films at the movie theater.

Some of China Lion’s acquisitions from Cannes include the Chinese mystery-thriller The Bullet Vanishes, starring Nicholas Tse and Lau Ching-Wan, and the Thai martial arts flick Rebirth AKA Bangkok Renaissance. If action isn’t your bag (but then again, why would you be on Cityonfire.com?), you can look forward to the Hong Kong sex romp Vulgaria and the Taiwanese romantic comedies Girlfriend Boyfriend and When a Wolf Falls In Love With a Sheep. Stay tuned to this spot for further updates, such as theatrical release dates, when they become available.

"Kotoko" Japanese Theatrical Poster

At this point in his career, it’s fair to say that writer/director/actor Shinya Tsukamoto can rightfully be called a genius. The man behind such modern classics as  Tokyo Fist and A Snake of June has made an indelible mark on the genre known as “extreme Asian cinema.” Back in 1989, his 67 minute film Tetsuo: The Iron Man proved to be a landmark cyber-punk film that would go on to influence filmmakers as diverse and respected as David Cronenberg, Darren Aronofsky, and Takashi Miike.

Although Shinya Tsukamoto may have lost his way in recent years, making a stab at commerciality with films like Nightmare Detective and Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, there’s no denying that he’s still one of the most unique and important voices in global cinema.

And now he’s back with Kotoko, a thriller that looks ready to both shock and disturb. The film follows the dark journey of a new mother who’s afflicted with a second sight, one that grants her disturbing visions. Today Beyond Hollywood has a new trailer for the film, which will open in Japan on April 7, 2012. The trailer isn’t subtitled but Kotoko is also set for a theatrical release in the UK this August, with the blu-ray/DVD arriving in October.

Update: Twitch Film has the exclusive UK trailer in preparation of the film’s screening at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

"Kotsutsubo" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Over at Beyond Hollywood, you can scope out the first batch of spooky images from the new Japanese horror film, Kotsutsubo. The plot follows a high school girl trying to save her friend from a cursed urn, and is adapted from a popular short story by author Yamada Yuusuke.

The cast includes Matsubara Natsumi, Yokoyama Rurka, Miyazaki Rina, Itogi Kenta, Kanayama Kazuhiko, and Shinozaki Ai. Kotsutsubo opens in Japanase theaters on May 26, 2012. We’ll be back with a trailer when it’s available.

Update: And we’re back with the trailer and a new poster, as promised.

"Street Fight" Promotional Poster

Street Fight is a 70-minute martial arts film by the Aberdeen based, Noble Brothers Productions. The film follows the story of a young drug addict that wants to turn his life around. However, his plan involves entering a brutal fighting competition that puts him and all the people close to him in great danger.

The film contains 12 gruelling fight scenes. Each fight is choreographed by the films editor, producer, director and lead star, Graeme Noble. The fight scenes in the film are heavily influenced by Hong Kong cinema of the 1980’s. The film was shot entirely on location in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Street Fight shall be submitted to a few film festivals, including the Action On Film International Film Festival in California. Be sure and check out the trailer for Street Fight.

"One False Move" Theatrical Poster

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release on May 30th: Meyers Media Group and McDonald Entertainment have announced today that they will co-finance the thriller City of Night. The film, to be directed by award-winner Carl Franklin (One False Move), was written by David Chisholm (Kidnapped in Paradise) and will be produced by Brendan McDonald of McDonald Entertainment and Jesse B’Franklin, and executive produced by Lawrence Meyers (Unfaithful) and Randy Dannenberg of Meyers Media Group.

In City of Night, Emmett Conlin is a rookie cop aspiring to be one of the finest in the Los Angeles Police Department– until he’s unexpectedly lured into the toughest crime unit in the city and finds that his greatest danger lies within the department. Drawn into a web of deceit and betrayal by a veteran cop who has corrupted all that he touches, Emmett becomes the target of an elaborate psychological game to destroy him. Set against the teeming and dangerous backdrop of South Central L.A., City of Night is an explosive, sexually intense thriller in the tradition of LA Confidential and The Departed.

Franklin first achieved notoriety for directing the moody thriller One False Move, which won him the New Generation Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. A date for principal photography will soon be announced.

"Beyond the Black Rainbow" Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Beyond the Black Rainbow is one of the most interesting trailers I’ve ever seen – it’s like a strange fever dream of 2001: A Space Odyssey, THX-1138, and Nicolas Winding Refn’s films. Set in the strange and oppressive emotional landscape of the year 1983, Beyond the Black Rainbow is a Reagan-era fever dream inspired by hazy childhood memories of midnight movies and Saturday morning cartoons.

Beyond the Black Rainbow is directed by Panos Cosmatos, son of director George P. Cosmatos (Rambo: First Blood Part II, Tombstone) and another example of the talented offspring of famous artists who seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately, i.e. Duncan Jones’ Moon (son of David Bowie) and Jordan Scott’s Cracks (daughter of Ridley Scott).

Updates: We’re a little late on posting this, but be sure to check out a 2-minute clip, courtesy of Apple.com, which also has a trailer. If you’re not an Apple fan, the trailer is on youtube as well.