The Order Blu-ray (Image)
RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2012
For the first time on Blu-ray! 2001’s The Order is an action-adventure set in exotic locations. It’s practically Jean-Claude Van Damme’s answer to Armor of God and Indiana Jones. The film also stars Charlton Heston (“Planet of the Apes”) and Ben Cross (“Chariots of Fire”); and is directed by Sheldon Lettich (“Double Impact”). Check out the trailer.
High Road To China Blu-ray & DVD (Henstooth)
RELEASE DATE: April 17, 2012
Following the footsteps of oddities like The Cannonball Run and Megaforce, 1983’s High Road To China is another U.S.-made film that Golden Harvest produced in the 1980’s. This action-adventure-comedy (soundtrack by John Barry) revolves around a society heiress (Bess Armstrong) who hires a hard-drinking biplane pilot (Tom Selleck) to find her missing father (Wilford Brimley). Check out the trailer.
The Terrorists aka Ransom Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)
RELEASE DATE: April 10, 2012
A ruthless military police chief (Sean Connery) has two serious problems: A British plane carrying innocent passengers has just been hijacked; and the British Ambassador’s residence has been seized by a second group of terrorists. I’ve never seen this 1974 film, but I know two things: Sean Connery is in and it has an awesome movie poster! Also, Jerry Goldsmith (Rambo) does the film score! Check out the TV spot here.
Yakuza Weapon Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
“Yakuza Weapon is literally a blast” – Fangoria
“Slapstick comedy with tightly choreographed action and outrageous special effects, Yakuza Weapon is a riotously entertaining ride” – Twitch
The Team Who Brought You VERSUS Have Returned with Another Hard-Edged Battle Royale Featuring Tough Gangsters, Deadly Women and Cybernetic Penis Implants!
YAKUZA WEAPON
The Latest Blood-Soaked Gore Fest
From Japanese Production House Sushi Typhoon
Debuts on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack February 7th
Bonus Materials Include a Making-Of Featurette
and the Spinoff Film Takuzo Weapon
From the director of Mutant Girl Squad (Tak Sakaguchi), and Meatball Machine (Yûdai Yamaguchi) comes the “bloody awesome”* Yakuza Weapon, debuting on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack and DVD February 7th from Well Go USA Entertainment. Another warped film from the prolific Japanese production company Sushi Typhoon, Yakuza Weapon is based on the cult manga by Ken Ishikawa and stars stuntman-turned-director Tak Sakaguchi as a one-man, butt-kicking army out to avenge the death of his father with built-in firepower.
The extensive bonus features include the behind-the-scenes featurette “The Making of Yakuza Weapon,” a discussion with Director Tak Sakaguchi and the spinoff short film Takuzo Weapon. Yakuza Weapon will be available in a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack for $29.98 SRP and on standard DVD for $24.98 SRP.
Synopsis:
Stuntman-turned-director, Tak Sakaguchi, directs himself as a hard-hitting maverick who returns to Tokyo, only to discover his Yakuza father murdered, his family headquarters turned into a shady loan shop, and a powerful gang leader attempting to overthrow the entire criminal underworld! With rival gangs jacked up on “hyperdrug,” he must becomes a one-man, butt-kicking army – and things only get wilder when he loses an arm and a leg, only to have them replaced with more firepower than the entire Japanese military possesses.
Bonus Features Include:
– “The Making of Yakuza Weapon” Featurette
– Director’s Discussion
– Tokyo Stage Greeting
– Spinoff Film: Takuzo Weapon
– Trailers
Yakuza Weapon has a runtime of approximately 106 minutes and is unrated. It is available at amazon.com.
"The Sniper" UK DVD Cover
Thanks to hit action-thrillers like Fire of Conscience and The Viral Factor, Dante Lam is arguably the biggest director in Hong Kong cinema right now. That might lead you to believe that all of his recent films would be readily available on Region 1 DVD, but sadly that’s not the case. His 2009 film The Sniper, starring Richie Ren and Edison Chen, has still not seen a release in the West.
Now the film is now slated for an official UK DVD release (Region 2) from Chelsea Films on March 12. If you’re in the UK, you might want to show your support for Hong Kong cinema by picking up a copy. Meanwhile, the rest of us can pick up the All-Region blu-ray or the Region 1 & 3 DVD available from online retailer DDDHouse. Check out a trailer of the film here.
Thanks to 24 Frames Per Second for the scoop
"SIU" Korean DVD Cover
SIU is a high-octane police thriller from the booming Korean film industry. The plot concerns two cops with differing methods who are tasked with investigating a drug-related murder. It doesn’t take long for the trail of corruption to lead to their own department. The film’s trailer promises pulse-pounding suspense, slick cinematography, and plenty of chase scenes.
SIU will arrive on Korean DVD on February 14th. It was directed by Hwang Byung Guk (Wedding Campaign) and stars Uhm Tae Woong (Cyrano Agency) and Joo Won (Don’t Click). The DVD is Region 3 so make sure you have an import player.
Thanks to Far East Films for the scoop
Dark Horse Comics' "Star Wars: Underworld"
Star Wars producer Rick McCallum has a new interview with IGN about the long-in-development live-action Star Wars TV show. The working title for the show is Star Wars: Underworld and it focuses on the 20 year gap between Episode III and IV, and the various criminal elements – bounty hunters, gangs, and corrupt politicians – who vie for control of the galaxy during that time. 50 scripts are already in the can. The problem for the show has always been getting the cost down to a manageable level, say $5 million an episode, and finding the right venue for it: network television or cable TV.
Update: AICN has a rumor that the show will incorporate time travel. Thanks to @timmaughan and @mynki for the tip.
TAKE THAT!
A live-action adaptation of Capcom’s popular visual novel game series “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney” is set for a theatrical release in Japan on February 11, 2012. The magazine Otona Fami published the first photograph of actor Hiroki Narimiya as the lead character, Phoenix Wright. Anime News Network has your first look!
The movie is actually directed by Takashi Miike of “Ichi the Killer” and “Audition” fame. Bet you didn’t see that coming? In addition, ANN reports that film studio Toei will use computer effects to enhance the film’s dramatic court room scenes but will keep the video game’s signature catchphrases of “Objection!” and “Take that!”
Update: Dark Horizons has an awesome new photo from the film. You can also visit City on Fire’s Tumblr to check out the image.
Update 2: Video game blog Siliconera has a look at some teaser footage from the film.
Update 3: Crunchyroll has a look at the poster. Thanks to @aicnanime for the tip.
Update 4: Video game blog Siliconera has the full-length trailer.
Update 5: New trailer.
Update 6: Anime News Network uploaded more character profiles.
Update 7: Gamespot via Twitch reports plans for a worldwide release of the film.
Ransom Baby DVD (Mya Communication)
RELEASE: March 13, 2012
Not much is known about Ransom Baby, a 1975 Greek flick by writer/director Pavlos Filippou. The only information I was able to find about it was at imdb.com: (“Sea, Thrill, Sex and Action: The Usual Elements of Greek 70’s Cinema… The shock thriller of the year…”). No trailer on youtube, but there is this. It looks like it’s an obscure crime/thriller from the 70’s. That’s good enough for me.
“Outrage: Way of the Yakuza” American DVD Cover
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Writer: Takeshi Kitano
Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Kippei Shiina, Ryo Kase, Tomokazu Miura, Jun Kunimura, Tetta Sugimoto, Takashi Tsukamoto, Hideo Nakano, Renji Ishibashi, Fumiyo Kohinata
Running Time: 109 min.
By HKFanatic
“Outrage” is Takeshi ‘Beat’ Kitano’s first Yakuza film in ten years (since 2000’s “Brother“). Kitano himself admitted he designed the film from the ground up to be a commercial crowd-pleaser, a goal that seems well within his reach as writer, director, editor, and supporting actor. While “Outrage” may not be commercial in the Hollywood sense, it is easily one of the most swiftly-paced and violent movies of Kitano’s career. Whereas his previous gangster pictures saw him using violence as a way to punctuate scenes of poetic silence, in “Outrage” it feels like somebody is brutally beaten or murdered at least once every ten minutes. This is a merciless film. It’s also one of the most purely entertaining gangster pictures to come down the pike in quite some time.
Takeshi Kitano doesn’t exactly break new ground in the Yakuza genre with “Outrage” but that doesn’t seem to be the point. Its tale of a quiet war between two Yakuza families is well-told and thoroughly engaging. The story presents the Yakuza as the ultimate cut-throat corporation; you’re just as likely to be slated for an execution as you are a promotion. There is a “Godfather”-like level of scheming and manipulation going on behind the scenes. The message I took away from the film was something like: in a world where your sworn brothers can betray you at any moment, it’s better to go out in a blaze of glory than wait to be hunted down like an animal.
I dare say “Outrage” is close to being a perfect Yakuza movie, but for a lengthy subplot in the middle of the film concerning the Gbannan ambassador. Not only does this sequence feature some awkwardly voiced English dialogue, but it trades in the kind of casual racism that Japanese society has long been in the shadow of. Although one could argue that this subplot is crucial since it shows how the Yakuza are able to use diplomatic immunity to cover their crimes, I imagine most viewers will find these scenes to be poorly acted and in bad taste. The African ambassador is portrayed as a clueless stooge of the Yakuza, engaging in illegal gambling and drug trafficking, and is at least once the butt of a racist joke. If you could excise this entire subplot, the film would be close to flawless – unfortunately, it causes the film to sag around the halfway mark, right when the plot should be gaining momentum.
I would be amiss to reveal much more about “Outrage” because part of the pleasure in watching it is that you have no idea who’s going to live or die, or who’s manipulating who. The sudden and graphic bursts of violence are even more gruesome than your average horror movie – I pride myself on having an iron stomach when it comes to gore but a scene at the dentist’s office managed to leave me rattled. At the same time, I found myself frequently laughing out loud during parts of “Outrage.” There’s a certain absurd quality to the sight of a bunch of well-dressed Japanese men sitting in barely-furnished office rooms, delivering guttural yells and ordering each other to cut off their pinky fingers. Takeshi Kitano ‘gets’ it – he embraces the limitations and dark humor of this genre he knows so well.
The blu-ray from Magnet features an immaculate visual transfer that helps highlight the gorgeous cinematography – this has some of the best lighting I’ve seen in a film all year. I can whole-heartedly recommend a purchase for anyone curious about this film. Long-time fans of Kitano may be disappointed that “Outrage” lacks the outwardly poetic and meditative quality of films like “Sonatine” or “Violent Cop,” but much like Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins,” this film represents a master of his craft operating at the height of his powers in a commercial mode. See it sooner rather than later.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 8.5/10
Recoil Blu-ray & DVD (Nasser)
RELEASE DATE: March 6, 2012
Directed by Terry Miles (A Night for Dying Tigers), Recoil is about a cop (Steve Austin ) who turns vigilante after his family is murdered, exacting vengeance on the killers – and then on all criminals who have slipped through the system. The trailer is now online.
JCVD Blu-ray (Peace Arch Trinity)
Jean-Claude Van Damme fans have a lot to look forward to this year. In addition to Six Bullets, he’ll be starring along side Cung Le in Dragon Eyes; re-teaming up with Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins in Universal Soldier: A New Dimension; and is part of the ensemble action flick The Expendables 2 – his true, big budget, major theatrical comeback. On top of all of this, you can pick up JCVD, one of his most critically acclaimed flicks, for $7.99.
Double Feature: Avenging Eagle & Blood Brothers DVD (Dragon Dynasty)
RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2012
ARC Entertainment’s Dragon Dynasty label is back, this time with previously released titles, but paired up in a nicely priced double feature: Sun Chung’s Avenging Eagle, starring Ti Lung and Alexander Fu Sheng; Also included is Chang Cheh’s Blood Brothers, starring David Chiang, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, Ching Li and Wang Lung Wei!
Double Feature: Golden Swallow & Killer Clans DVD (Dragon Dynasty)
RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2012
ARC Entertainment’s Dragon Dynasty label is back, this time with previously released titles, but paired up in a nicely priced double feature: Change Cheh’s Golden Swallow, starring Starring Jimmy Wang Yu, Cheng Pei Pei and Lo Lieh; Also included is Killer Clans, starring Chung Wa, Chan Ping, Yueh Hua, Lo Lieh and Wong Chung.
"Furyou Shounen: 3000-nin no Atama" Japanese Theatrical Poster
If you enjoyed Japanese high school delinquent films like Takashi Miike’s Crows: Episode Zero and the Funimation released Drop, you might want to keep an eye on the upcoming film Furyou Shounen: 3000-nin no Atama. The movie, which lands in Japanese theaters in March, is based on an autobiographical novel by Endo Natsuki and stars Saito Takumi (Takashi Miike’s upcoming Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney flick) as a youth who sets out to be, what else, but the toughest kid in his school.
The teaser trailer features about what you’d expect: Japanese youth in traditional school uniforms and slicked out pompadour haircuts, beating the crap out of each other.
We’ll be back with a full-length trailer when it becomes available. Thanks to Far East Films for the scoop
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