"The Front Line" Korean Theatrical Poster

Distributor Well Go USA via Indie Wire announced today that they’ve obtained the rights to the Korean war drama The Front Line which is Korea’s submission to the Academy Award category of Best Foreign Picture. The film tells the story of the fierce struggle to establish a border between North and South Korea at the end of the Korean War and is currently a box office smash in its native country.

Doris Pfardrescher, President of Well Go USA Entertainment, said “Our mission is to bring the best in Asian film to the North American market and The Front Line is a perfect fit with our goals.” Expect a January release for the film.

Update: Well Go USA will release The Front Line in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto on January 20. Let’s hope the film expands to more cities from there! The Front Line is also South Korea’s official submission for Best Foreign Picture at this year’s Academy Awards. Check out Well Go USA’s official website for theater listings.

Update 2: Apple Quicktime has a high quality, English-subbed trailer for the film.

"1911" American Theatrical Poster

Welcome to the new year! Finally, a week that’s got a decent variety of Asian films to choose from. Anyone picking up Jackie Chan’s 100th movie just cause it’s his 100th movie? Well, here are your Asian and genre movie blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 1/10/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

1911 (blu-ray/DVD) – Jackie Chan marks his 100th film with this tale of the Chinese public’s revolt against the Qing Dynasty in 1911

Night and Day (DVD) – this 2008 Korean language film from director Hong Sang-soo has won great critical acclaim. It tells the story of a middle-aged Korean painter who flees to Paris after being busted for smoking pot

Gurozuka (DVD) – Synapse Films delivers this blody 2008 Japanese horror film about a group of teenage girls rehearsing a play in an isolated house where residents have a habit of dying in a most gruesome fashion

Death Bell-Bloody Camp (DVD) – delayed from a few weeks ago, this 2010 Korean horror flick is a sequel to the surprise smash hit “Death Bell”

FOREIGN CINEMA

Film Socialisme (blu-ray/DVD) – cinematic iconoclast Jean-Luc Godard returns with this 2011 film co-starring Patti Smith, set on a cruise ship touring the Mediterranean

Aurora (DVD) – a 2011 Romanian-langauge film about a middle-aged divorcee who plots murder to bring order back to his life

Saving Private Perez (DVD) – a 2011 Spanish-language film about a Mexican drug dealer who rounds up a band of oddballs to rescue his brother from Iraq

The Man From London (DVD) – Bela Tarr’s 2007 black-and-white noir-ish tale stars Academy Award-winning actress Tilda Swinton, though it is in Hungarian

MAINSTREAM

Killer Elite (blu-ray/DVD) – you’d think a movie that pitted Jason Statham against Clive Owen, while Robert De Niro watches from the wings, would be a knock-out, drag-out action movie for the ages. Instead, we got 2011’s “Killer Elite,” which didn’t so much as make a dent at the box office

Saints and Sinners (blu-ray/DVD) – this 2010 cops ‘n robbers action drama starring Johnny Strong and Tom Berenger looks extremely promising. It’s taken awhile to secure a blu-ray release and it’s built up a ton of internet buzz in the meantime. I can’t wait to check it out

There Be Dragons (DVD) – from the director of “The Killing Fields” and “The Mission” comes this 2011 film about Saint Josemaria Escriva

A Bronx Tale (DVD) – it looks like Focus Features is re-issuing this 1993 film, Robert De Niro’s directorial debut. The disc has been out of print for awhile and fans have been clamoring for it

The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (blu-ray/DVD) – they made a “Scorpion King 3”? Words fail me. This 2011 direct-to-video offering stars Billy Zane and Ron Perlman

CLASSICS

Treasure of the Sierra Madre (blu-ray) – the 1948 classic starring Humphrey Bogart is now in dazzling hi-definition

North by Northwest (blu-ray) – Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1959 spy thriller is getting the one-disc blu-ray treatment this week, although there’s only about a $2 price difference between it and the 50th Anniversary Edition right now

DOCUMENTARY

The Hellstrom Chronicle (blu-ray/DVD) – this cult favorite 1977 psuedo-documentary details in completely eerie terms how the insect kingdom is fighting to take over the planet

HORROR

The Green Mile (blu-ray) – okay, this isn’t really horror but it is based on a story by Stephen King. The 1999 film starring Tom Hanks gets the one disc blu-ray treatment this week, which will save you a few pennies over the original release

The Summer of Massacre (blu-ray/DVD) – this micro-budget horror film from 2011 claims to have the highest body count of any slasher movie

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!

Artist's depiction of Nicolas Cage as "Superman"

If you need further proof that a Superman movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Nicolas Cage would have been a disaster of epic proportions during the late 90’s, look no further than this recently released concept art from Hasbro. The preliminary designs for their Superman Lives toyline reveal a gaunt-faced Superman with a receding hairline. This is one comic book movie that fanboys can be happy was never made.

Update: Comicbookmovie.com uploaded more unused concept art.

Update 2: Even more discarded pics.