"Hindsight" Korean Theatrical Poster

Need another reason to pack up your belongings, cash a life insurance policy, and move to the Big Apple? The 10th Annual New York Korean Film Festival is fast approaching. On February 24th through the 26th, the Festival will play host to a slew of promising new Korean films.

Asian Movie Pulse has the full line-up but some of the highlights include the fast ‘n furious-looking Quick; mob love story Hindsight; period piece love triangle The Servant; and the dark mystery Moss. If you can’t make it to NYC for the festival, don’t fret: The Servant and Moss are currently streaming on Netflix Instant.

Three Outlaw Samurai Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion)

This Tuesday happens to be Valentine’s Day. What better way to celebrate than with a Criterion samurai film or a Jeff Speakman flick on Blu-ray, right? Here are your Asian and genre movie releases for the week of 2/14/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Three Outlaw Samurai (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection presents director Hideo Gosha’s 1964 samurai film in hi-definition

Sword of Desperation (DVD) – AnimEigo offers this 2010 samurai film, which garnered 6 nominations at the 2011 Japanese Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Cinematography

Ocean Heaven (Blu-ray/DVD) – Well Go USA presents a different kind of Jet Li movie, as the acclaimed martial artist stretches his acting chops in this 2010 drama about a widower and his autistic son

My Kingdom (DVD) – a 2011 Hong Kong film set in the opera scene of 1920’s Shanghai, featuring action choreography by Sammo Hung

Yakuza Hunters: Final Death Ride Battle (DVD) – Tokyo Shock offers more fun with the Yakuza Hunters in this 2010 flick, featuring the duo of deadly ladies who live for the thrill of killing Yakuza

IMPORT ASIAN

Life Without Principle (Blu-ray/DVD) – Johnnie To’s 2011 film about the growing financial crisis in Hong Kong stars Lau Ching Wan, Richie Ren, and Denise Ho. Available on Region A Blu-ray for $23. 72 or Region 3 DVD for $11.54 at DDDHouse. Releases on February 16th

GP506 (Blu-ray/DVD) – also known as “The Guard Post,” this 2008 supernatural military thriller arrives from the Korean director of “R-Point.” Available on Region A Blu-ray for $16.03 or Region 3 PAL DVD for $12.56 at DDDHouse. Releases on February 16th

FOREIGN CINEMA

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 2010 sequel to the 2007 Brazilian smash hit, about the police’s most elite unit who battle vicious drug lords for control of Rio’s slums

VIPs (DVD) – a 2010 Portuguese-language film based on the true story of a teenage con man who could impersonate anyone…except himself

Debt (DVD) – the 2007 Israeli picture that inspired the recent Hollywood remake “The Debt” starring Sam Worthington and Helen Mirren

Mozart’s Sister (Blu-ray/DVD) – a 2010 French film that is honestly all about the titular character

Tales From the Golden Age (DVD) – a 2009 Romanian film comprised of short stories detailing life under a Communist regime

Summer Holiday (DVD) – a 2008 Romanian slice-of-life film about a family who finds their relationships strained when they go on a seaside vacation

La Hora Cero AKA The Zero Hour (DVD) – a 2009 Spanish language film about a tattooed hitman who takes a hospital hostage

MARTIAL ARTS

The Perfect Weapon (Blu-ray/DVD) – at long last! Jeff Speakman’s classic 1991 action flick arrives in hi-definition. If you’re a fan of 90’s martial arts movies, you won’t want to miss this

The Assailant (DVD) – the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira gets its long deserved time in the spotlight with this 2009 action movie

CULT

Nude Nuns With Big Guns (Blu-ray/DVD) – it’s not what you think. Or maybe it is? This 2010 direct-to-video grindhouse-style flick features a nun wielding a big gun on the cover

Modus Operandi (Blu-ray/DVD) – this low-budget exploitation flick probably needs to be seen to be believed. Featuring appearances by Danny Trejo and Sasha Grey

Burning Moon (DVD) – this 1997 cult film is purported to be one of the goriest splatter flicks of all time

MAINSTREAM

The Rum Diary (Blu-ray/DVD) – Johnny Depp once again portrays the mad writer Hunter S. Thompson in this 2011 film

Take Shelter (Blu-ray/DVD) – soon general audiences will know him as General Zod but you’ll probably want to catch Michael Shannon first in this critically acclaimed 2011 film, about a man who becomes obsessed with building a storm shelter for his family

Tiny Furniture (Blu-ray/DVD) – the Criterion Collection offers this 2010 feature from writer/director/star Lena Dunham, who got her start making YouTube videos. This quiet indie drama explores post-collegiate malaise

CLASSICS

All Quiet on the Western Front (Blu-ray) – the classic 1930 film about the desolation of war, set in the trenches of World War I, now on Blu-ray

The Man in the Iron Mask (DVD) – the 1939 adaptation of the famous novel by “Three Musketeers” author Alexandre Dumas

Carve Her Name With Pride (DVD) – a 1958 film about the French Resistance during World War II

Last of the Mohicans (DVD) – a 1920 silent film adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper’s novel

HORROR

Paranormal Activity 3 (Blu-ray/DVD) – more ‘found footage’ demonic shenanigans, now on home formats

Friday the 13th the Ultimate Collection (DVD) – the upside to this 8-disc collection is that you get all of the “Friday the 13th” movies for only $35. The downside is that it’s not Blu-ray

The Dead (Blu-ray/DVD) – this 2010 zombie film was called “the best zombie movie” of that year by Ain’t It Cool News

Human Centipede II: Full Sequence (Blu-ray/DVD) – does the Blu-ray at least come with a barf bag? IFC offers the unrated director’s cut of Tom Six’s 2011 exercise in torture and cruelty

My Pure Joy (DVD) – this obscure, low-budget 2011 horror film about a deranged teenager supposedly features references to Takashi Miike and the current New Wave of French horror

The Devil’s Rock (DVD) – this 2011 horror film is set during World War II and hails from the peaceful land of New Zealand

Swinger’s Massacre (DVD) – Apprehensive Films offers this 1975 slasher flick that is limited to a pressing of just 500 units

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!

'Beat 'Em Up' Teaser Poster

Beat ‘Em Up is an upcoming martial arts feature starring and directed by Peter Hallett (The Silencer, Death List). The film, openly billed as “Bruce Lee’s Game of Death for the UFC Generation,” features action from the stunt team behind Batman Begins, Blade II and The Golden Compass.

Beat ‘Em Up has a surprising cast that includes Richard Grannon (Real Outlaws) Antonio Fargas (Starsky And Hutch) Joe Estevez (Apocalypse Now) Danny-John Jules (Blade 2) Richard Ng (Jackie Chan’s Miracles, Winners And Sinners) and Bobby Ball (Mount Pleasant). Release date TBA.

Check out the teaser trailer!

Bruce Lee and Raymond Chow on the set of "Enter the Dragon"

Raymond Chow is the prime mover of Golden Harvest Studios, which he founded in 1970 with Leonard Ho. Some of the biggest names of Hong Kong cinema were launched (and still are associated) by the studio: Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, John Woo and Jet Li – just to name a few.

Twitch recently posted a 20-minute video interview, which was conducted on March 21st, 2011, during the celebration of his Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 Asian Film Awards. Check out the the interview here.

Yuen Woon-ping

THE MOVIE: Commercial director Michael Gracey is helming an East-meets-West take on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves for Disney, titled The Order of the Seven. Saoirse Ronan (Hanna, The Lovely Bones) stars as Snow White but this adaptation of the story will place more of an emphasis on the seven “dwarves,” who are now full-bodied warriors. The film has been in development since 2002 but is slated for release sometime in 2013. Cityonfire.com readers will be most interested to hear that Yuen Woo-Ping has been circling the project as a fight choreographer.

Updates: The Hollywood Reporter lists Scott Rudin and Andrew Gunn as producers. On board as executive producer is Gunn Films’ Ann Marie Sanderlin, along with Anthony Wong and Dede Nickerson. One of the Toy Story 3 writers did a polish on the script.

BREAKING NEWS: The Hollywood Reporter says that the seven male characters won’t be vertically challenged. The premise has also now been updated accordingly:

In this iteration, the seven are a 19th century-set disparate band of international warriors belonging to a centuries-old order who have lost their way. They meet with an Englishwoman (Ronan) who is being chased by an ancient evil, and she proves to be the catalyst for their redemption.

The film will still be set in China but have fighters from America and Russia, each with their own “unique fighting style.” More info at IndieWire.