United Red Army DVD (Lorber)

United Red Army, the 2007 Japanese-language film that Sight & Sound magazine called “one of the best films of the decade” is now streaming on Netflix Instant in HD. Director Koji Wakamatsu’s (Caterpillar) epic docudrama explores the political unrest of 1960′s Japan, when mass student uprisings coincided with the beginnings of the far-left United Red Army group, which tortured and murdered its ”deviant” members during a 1972 training session.

An uncompromising piece of filmmaking from one of Japan’s most controversial filmmakers, United Red Army also features a score by former Sonic Youth member Jim O’Rourke. Check out the trailer!

Gantz 2: Perfect Answer Blu-ray/DVD (Warner)

This week leaves us with plenty to talk about so I’ll cut my speech short and get started. Here are your Asian and genre movie blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 1/17/12:

Gantz II: Perfect Answer (blu-ray/DVD) – Viz Media presents the final installment in the live-action Gantz series! This 2011 film is based off the popular – and very dark and violent – anime

The Coast Guard (blu-ray/DVD) – Tartan Palisades re-releases Korean iconoclast director Kim Ki-duk’s 2002 film on blu-ray

United Red Army (DVD) – Director Koji Wakamatsu presents a stirring docudrama that explores political unrest in 1960’s Japan. Released in Japan in 2007, Sight & Sound magazine has called it “one of the best films of the decade”

Caterpillar (DVD) – Lorber Films is releasing another film from Japanese director Koji Wakamatsu, this 2010 film about a soldier who returns from war horribly disfigured

Rikidozan: A Hero Extraordinaire (DVD) – Pathfinder Home Entertainment presents this 2004 Korean biopic about the half-Korean, half-Japanese sumo wrestler who faced prejudice all his life

Parallel Life (DVD) – Pathfinder Pictures also releases this 2010 Korean film about a lawyer who discovers he may be repeating the same mistakes and tragedies of another lawyer who lived decades ago

Soh Daiko: Taiko in New York (DVD) – this 2012 English language documentary is all about the Japanese art of taiko drumming and how this piece of Asian culture has been transported to modern day NYC

FOREIGN CINEMA

Bella de Jour (blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents this 1967 film from director Luis Bunuel, starring the lovely Catherine Deneuve

Mysteries of Lisbon (blu-ray/DVD) – a 2011 Portuguese-language film based on the sprawling 19th century novel

The Overcoat (IL Cappotto) (DVD) – RaroVideo presents this 1952 black-and-white Italian film based on a Russian short story. When a nobody becomes a somebody thanks to his fancy new overcoat, he wonders if the clothes truly make the man…until one day the overcoat is stolen

Cop in Drag (DVD) – Mya Video sure loves their obscure Italian flicks. They’re putting out this 1984 number starring Thomas Milian as a cop looking to solve the murders of several drag queens

Special Treatment (DVD) – Isabelle Huppert stars in this 2010 French language film about a high-class prostitute who becomes intrigued by a psychoanalyst and his analytical world

Cold Sweat (DVD) – a 2010 Spanish language horror movie about a night of terror and torture in one remote house

ANIMATION

Redline (blu-ray/DVD) – it would be no exaggeration to say that “Redline” has become the most hyped and talked about anime of the last year. Finally you can find out what all the fuss is about as it races onto home formats

First Squad (blu-ray/DVD) – here’s something you don’t see everyday: a Russian-made animated film using the Japanese anime style. The plot concerns the Russians developing teams of psychically-powered young girls to fight the Nazis in WWII

MAINSTREAM

The Ides of March (blu-ray/DVD) – an all-star cast including Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, and Marisa Tomei headline this 2011 political thriller, also directed by Clooney

Abduction (blu-ray/DVD) – this 2011 movie tried to be ‘Taken for tweens’ and failed miserably at the box office, most likely ensuring that Taylor Lautner won’t get too many roles outside the “Twilight” franchise

Dead Poet’s Society (blu-ray) – this beloved 1989 school-set drama starring Robin Williams gets a hi-def upgrade

Good Morning Vietnam (blu-ray) – it’s the 25th anniversary edition of this 1987 Robin Williams film

Traffic (blu-ray) – the Criterion Collection releases their own edition of Steven Soderbergh’s breakout 2000 film

Project X (blu-ray) – how can you go wrong with Matthew Broderick and a monkey in this 1987 film, now getting the upgrade to blu-ray

The Color Purple (blu-ray) – Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film makes the leap to blu-ray

The Tuskegee Airmen (blu-ray) – Morgan Freeman stars in this 1995 film, based on the true story of the black airmen who broke color barriers during WWII

Age of Heroes (blu-ray/DVD) – 006 himself, Sean Bean, stars in this 2011 film based on Ian Fleming’s actual squad in WWII, who helped lay the foundation for the birth of the British SAS

CULT

The Boys in Company C (blu-ray) – one of the first films to openly discuss the Vietnam War in 1978 finds its way to blu-ray

Action Double Feature: The Last Hard Men/Sky Riders (DVD) – two 70’s action flicks for the price of one, starring tough guys James Coburn and Charlton Heston

HORROR

Donner Pass (DVD) – the story of the Donner Party is mined for screams once again in this modern update, shot in just 18 days

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!

Donnie Yen

“Fine, I’ll be an action star,” says Donnie Yen. During an AsianOneNews interview, Donnie also states that he will be taking a break from period films, focusing instead on contemporary action films, a genre he personally prefers. Donnie is currently promoting his new film, Wu Xia. To read the full story, please click here.

Update: News has surfaced that Donnie might star in a heist/action movie produced by and co-starring Jackie which will start production in November. – Thanks to DiP for the heads up!

Update 2: Donnie Yen recently talked to CNN and discussed the possibility of Ip Man 3.

Update 3: When asked if he would make another Ip Man, Donnie answered: “I wouldn’t make another one after someone else’s is released (referring to Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmasters). Actually I am still brewing, when the time arrives I would make it again.”

District 13: Ultimatium" Japanese Theatrical poster

Looking to add a little excitement to your life? Well, you know that producer extraordinaire Luc Besson always has you covered in that regard. As of today, his 2010 film “District 13: Ultimatum” has been added to the Netflix Instant catalog and is available in HD.

Like it’s predecessor it’s another mix of high-octane martial arts and death-defying parkour, set in a near-future Paris that’s not unlike the world of John Carpenter’s “Escape From New York.” It may not exactly be Academy Award-worthy material but it’s still a good time for fight fans.

And if you think the original B13 is still better than the sequel, well hey, they’re both on streaming now so the choice is yours.