Kung Fu Double Pack Vol. 2: Bloody Fight & Story in Temple Red Lily DVD (Performance Syndicat)
RELEASE DATE: January 24, 2012
Performance Syndicat presents The Classic Kung Fu Double Pack Vol. 2, which includes Bloody Fight and Temple Red Lily. The cover art claims that both movies are digitally remastered and fully restored, yet there’s no mention of the movies being in widescreen. Sketchy if you ask me. Let’s hope Performance Syndicat proves us wrong.
Fistful of Bullets: Spaghetti Western DVD Collection (Mill Creek)
RELEASE DATE: January 10, 2012
Titles include Apache Blood, Between God, the Devil and a Winchester, Beyond the Law, Death Rides a Horse, The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe, Find a Place to Die, Fistful of Lead, God’s Gun, Grand Duel, Gunfight at Red Sands, It Can Be Done Amigo, Johnny Yuma, Sundance and the Kid, This Man Can’t Die, Trinity and Sartana & Twice a Judas! Just to get you in the mood, check out this trailer for Death Rides A Horse!
The Assailant aka Besouro DVD (Phase 4)
RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2012
Based on the life of a legendary capoeira (a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music) fighter from Bahia, Besouro spins a fantastic tale of a young Brazilian man (Aílton Carmo) of African descent in search of his mission. Let’s hope it’s better than Rooftops. Check out the trailer.
Three Outlaw Samurai Blu-ray & DVD (Criterion)
RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2012
This first film by the legendary Hideo Gosha (Sword of the Beast) is among the most canonized chambara (sword-fighting) films. An origin-story offshoot of a Japanese television series phenomenon of the same name, Three Outlaw Samurai is a classic in its own right. In it, a wandering, seen-it-all ronin (Tetsuro Tamba) becomes entangled in the dangerous business of two other samurai (Isamu Nagato and Mikijiro Hira), hired to execute a band of peasants who have kidnapped the daughter of a corrupt magistrate. With remarkable storytelling economy and thrilling action scenes, this is an expertly mounted tale of revenge and loyalty.
Check out the trailer.
Features include: High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition; Trailer; New English subtitle translation; and a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Bilge Ebiri.
“Bullet Train” Theatrical Poster
Director: Junya Sato
Cast: Ken Takakura, Sonny Chiba, Kei Yamamoto, Eiji Go, Akira Oda, Raita Ryu, Masayo Utsunomiya, Yumi Takigawa, Etsuko Shihomi, Takashi Shimura, Fumio Watanabe, Mizuho Suzuki, Ken Utsui, Tetsuro Tamba
Running Time: 115 min.
By Sergio Martorelli
It’s official: american action films sucks mammoth balls, even the ones directed by HK masters like John Woo and Tsui Hark. And do you wanna know why? I’ll tell ya. It’s because they’re not about action anymore. They’re all about special effects and boosted egos. They’re about multi-digit budgets that look very impressive ’til we find out that a gem like Shiri was made for under $ 4 million. They’re about posters with huge pics of Well-Paid Star’s noggin with his name in bold letters on top, as if every actioner is now called “CRUISE” or something of the sort. They’re about Well-Paid Star braggin’ on Letterman about how he did his own stunts – or, to be more precise, how he valiantly posed in front of a bluescreen hung by wires that would be digitally removed in post. They’re about Well-Paid Star saving the world single-handedly, a formula already tired back when Sean Connery was still dancing with leprechauns. They’re about how Well-Paid Star is considering directing-writing-producing the next eleven sequels. Well, Mr. Well-Paid Star. you think you’re da shit, eh? Then go jump from a building like Jackie Chan did on “Rumble In the Bronx”, and maybe. I said MAYBE. you can earn my respect. Deal?
That brings us to this exciting japanese production from the 70’s, that served as the basis of “Speed”. Wait, I said basis? Ha! This one has a train instead of a bus, no Keanu and no Sandra. But apart from that, it’s exactly the same story. One of the last lines from “The Bullet Train” is “Kuramochi, there’s always somebody who will try this again”! Man, those japanese must have ESP powers beyond of the mere mortal men! If you saw “Speed” you kinda saw “The Bullet Train”. A terrorist mob, led by likeable villain Tetsuo (Takakura Ken), plants a bomb in the bowels of a shinkansen (that’s “bullet train” for you non-japanese speaking folks). If the train speed drops below 80 km/h, it will go kablooey and kill 1,500 commuters. Whoa. In “Speed”, the greatest danger was snuffing Cameron from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. But now comes the biggest difference: “The Bullet Train” is not flashy at all, but is a far better film. Instead of falling on the cliché of the “sole hero achieving what the entire police force was too incompetent to do”, director Junya Sato made almost everybody a hero in this one – including some passerbys who end up helping to catch one of the terrorists.
Crash Cinema put this DVD in its Sonny Chiba Collection, but Chiba isn’t the star at all. Even so, he does indeed saves lotsa asses doing what his character is supposed to: conducting a train. And not alone. Aiding him are the men in the control room, headed by Kuramochi (Utsui Ken), monitoring the trains that go back and forth and radio-ing precise orders to avoid accidents. Yeah, I can hear you go “yawn”. A bomb on a bus sounds more exciting cause they may run out of fuel or Sandra Bullock’s character, A DROP-OUT FROM THE DRIVING SCHOOL, can screw things up stepping on the wrong pedal. FYI, japanese shinkansen are controlled by computers that will automatically shut down the train if something weird is happening – like, if said train is going too fast and failing to stop on the stations. Making a quick left turn is easy even for a DROP-OUT FROM THE DRIVING SCHOOL, but how do you trick a computer, eh? What do you do, hotshot? What do you do?
The action isn’t limited to the insides of the train. Meanwhile, the police negotiates with the terrorists while the clock ticks, as nobody knows for sure where the bomb is or how to defuse it. I don’t know if you’re aware of this little piece of trivia, but a train is slighty longer than a bus. The way the investigators find out is more complicated and clever than removing a piece of the floor and looking under the vehicle. Oh, one more thing: buses can run around in circles, but train lines end. So there. Case in point: this is a hell of an exciting flick that MUST be watched by any self-respecting action afficionado. “But how’s the DVD quality, o Great Poombah?” you ask me so very politely. Well. it’s acceptable at best, with nice contrast but faded colours. You wouldn’t want to use this one to test your schmancy fancy Home Theater set-up. But then again, if the only thing you need is an anamorphically-enhaced image with DTS-EX sound so you can show off your widescreen TV and listen to choppers flying all over your room, then this kind of movie is not for you. Where you’re heading, you don’t need brains.
Sergio Martorelli’s Rating: 7/10
Infracells are up, mega thrusters are go and the legendary robot hero is ready to make his resurgence in Voltron: Defender of the Universe, scheduled for release in October on Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation®Network.
In this brand-new take on the classic Voltron animated adventure, players will find themselves teaming up to battle the evil forces of King Zarkon across the varied landscapes of Planet Arus. Interwoven with clips from the original animated television series, the new game from THQ promises a re-mastered adventure in stunning high-definition.
Voltron fans can finally relive some of the most defining moments from the classic series, or even introduce a new generation of young Space Explorers, as they command any of the individual Lions or even team up to form Voltron and wield his epic blazing sword.
Galactic peacekeepers may choose to play either online in seamless 1- to 5-player co-op or offline in 1- or 2-player co-op. Players will select a Lion based on a number of strengths, resistances and elemental attacks that they use to battle fierce Robeasts and a number of other familiar adversaries.
“We really wanted to create a game that’s exciting, true to the original series and challenging to play,” said Peter Armstrong, executive producer. “All of us here are big fans of classic Voltron, and we’re really proud of what we have created.”
See the game in action here!
Voltron: Defender of the Universe will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade (800 Microsoft Points) and PlayStation Network ($9.99).
“Mortal Kombat: Legacy” American Poster
Director: Kevin Tancharoen
Cast: Michael Jai White, Jeri Ryan, Darren Shahlavi, Matt Mullins, Sam Tjhia, Jolene Tran, Ryan Robbins, Ian Anthony Dale, Kevan Ohtsji, Peter Shinkoda
Running Time: 100 min.
By HKFanatic
Back in 2010, a director named Kevin Tancharoen appeared out of nowhere with a short film titled “Mortal Kombat: Rebirth.” The film was a ‘proof of concept’ for Kevin’s vision of a Mortal Kombat relaunch, a way to gauge fan enthusiasm and see if Warner Brothers would greenlight a new movie to be helmed by Tancharoen. Starring martial arts heavies Michael Jai White (“Spawn”) and Matt Mullins (“Blood and Bone“), the short offered a different take on the Mortal Kombat franchise; jettisoning most of its more outlandish fantasy elements for a gritty real world flavor tinged with some mysticism. The project accomplished at least one of its goals: fan interest went through the roof. Warner Brothers didn’t say “yes” to a full-length movie based off the strength of the 8 minute video, which quickly went viral on YouTube, but they did allow Tancharoen to do a web series.
Now that the web series has run its course, all nine episodes of “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” are collected on a single disc blu-ray and DVD. Each episode takes a look at a particular character in the Mortal Kombat universe and typically explains their reasoning or motivation for partaking in an upcoming martial arts tournament. No previous knowledge of Mortal Kombat is necessary; this series ignores Paul W.S. Anderson’s 90’s guilty pleasure flick and its atrocious sequel. Since the game mythology itself has become increasingly convoluted and difficult to make sense of after nine entries, Tachnaroen wisely offers up a “Batman Begins”-style reboot of the entire franchise. “Legacy” starts over from scratch and presents the characters in a new, generally more realistic light.
“Legacy” is something of a dream project for action fans as Tachnaroen was able to bring together ace fight choreographer Larnell Stovall (“Undisputed 3,” “Bunraku“) with a host of top Western martial arts talent. Michael Jai White and Matt Mullins are back but this time so are Darren Shahlavi (the evil British boxer from “Ip Man 2“) and Ian Anthony Dale (Kazuya Mishima in the “Tekken” movie). Stovall’s choreography is hard-hitting and exciting, taking inspiration from the arcade game without being a slave to the characters’ move sets. The first two episodes are stand outs, especially when Stovall combines Michael Jai White’s hard-hitting combat skills with some bloody gunplay. Seeing White square off against Shahlavi, who has been an excellent bad guy since his days in Yuen Woo-Ping’s “Tai Chi II” and the Gary Daniels flick “Bloodmoon,” was one of my main interests in the project and their battle does not disappoint.
If anything, these first two Michael Jai White-filled episodes are so action-packed and exciting that they set the bar too high for the series; later episodes have their share of fighting but are far more plot-centric and focused on setting up Tachnaroen and his writing team’s interpretation of the Mortal Kombat universe. There are some definite highlights, though: Matt Mullins seems to relish the chance to play the cocky pretty boy Johnny Cage, who is portrayed as something like a parody of Jean Claude Van Damme during his ego-fueled 90’s era. I only wish they would have shown clips from Cage’s fictional movies rather than focusing on his botched attempts at a reality TV show since it doesn’t play out as humorously as it could have. I did appreciate the in-jokes about Johnny Cage’s Power Ranger past; a fun reference for fans seeing as how Matt Mullins starred in the TV show “Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight,” a Power Rangers-esque show.
Another highlight is the episode that focuses on Raiden, the God of Thunder, who is brilliantly brought to life by actor Ryan Robbins. This episode seems to crystallize Tancharoen’s unique approach to the Mortal Kombat series: just enough brutal realism tempered by dark fantasy. The final episode, focusing on the cyborg characters Cyrax and Sector, features Stovall’s most outlandish choreography yet as the motion-captured robots pummel each other like a bunch of crazed Iron Men in all their CG glory.
If this collection has any flaws, it’s that “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” leaves you wanting more. Most of the major plot threads are left unresolved; these episodes get the characters into position for the Mortal Kombat tournament but don’t actually delve into it. This is, essentially, a 104 minute teaser for a potential MK movie – I just hope that Tacnareon gets to make it and with this cast. All of the story set-up means that a few episodes fall flat, in particular the two-partner about Katana and Mileena, which has an almost constant voice-over track providing exposition. Quibbles aside, the series does a great job of re-introducing popular characters to a fresh audience, establishing their conflicts, and making the viewer hungry for more.
If you’ve only seen “Legacy” in a tiny box on YouTube, the blu-ray should be something of a revelation. On the big screen, detail is sharp and you notice just how much care when into lighting this series. It doesn’t look like a “web TV show” at all, with the production values outshining many prime time shows. Although Kevin Tancharoen’s previous credits include the glitzy remake of “Fame,” you get the sense that he’s always wanted to play in a universe as dark and bloody as Mortal Kombat. The blu-ray has some solid Special Features too, including an excellent behind-the-scenes look at Larnell Stovall’s fight choreography. Overall, this is a worthwhile purchase for fans of the Mortal Kombat license. It may be over too soon, with these nine short-ish episodes hopefully serving as a prelude to a film to come, but if you love your Outworld and your Fatalities you’d be hard pressed to find a more serious and faithful adaptation of Mortal Kombat.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 7/10
36 Styles: An all-new brand of Fashion Fu-Wear
Shaolin Chamber 36, Golden Swallow and Kung Fu Bob have collectively created something for the kung fu film fans: 36 Styles: An all-new brand of Fashion Fu-Wear.
Currently, there are 4 stylish types of t-shirts (featuring retro artwork from Snake in the Monkey’s Shadow, The Hot, The Cool, and The Vicious, Dance of the Drunk Mantis, and Invincible Armour) in various colors and sizes (M, L, XL). Please support your love for the genre by checking out the store.
Update: 36 Styles has just added an old school, “movie style” T-shirt featuring Master of the Flying Guillotine. Click here to check it out!
Catch .44 Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)
RELEASE DATE: December 20, 2011
Bruce Willis, Malin Akerman (Watchmen), Nikki Reed (The Twilight Saga), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) star in the tough, sexy story of three hit women sent to rural Louisiana to intercept a big money dope deal. Shea Whigham (‘Boardwalk Empire’) and Brad Dourif (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) co-star in this intense crime thriller with a killer twist. Catch .44 is written and directed by Aaron Harvey (The Evil Woods). Check out the trailer.
Infernal Affairs Blu-ray (Lionsgate)
A diverse range of titles will be available for purchase this Tuesday. A little something for everyone, as they say. So here are your Asian and genre-related blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 11/15/11:
ASIAN CINEMA
Infernal Affairs (blu-ray) – ignore the gun-toting cover art and enjoy this 2002 Andrew Lau film starring Andy Lau and Tony Leung, now in glorious hi-def
Treasure Hunter (blu-ray/DVD) – a 2009 Taiwanese action-adventure film in the “Mummy” mold, starring Jay Chou of “The Green Hornet” fame and Eric Tsang. Released by Funimation
The Warring States (DVD) – a 2010 Chinese historical epic with a dash of romance and slapstick, co-starring the great Francis Ng
What Women Want (DVD) – it’s hard to believe Andy Lau would need magic powers to know what women want – he’s Andy Lau! – but that seems to be the case in this 2010 Chinese language remake of the American film, this time starring Lau and Gong Li
Ninja Triple Feature (DVD) – Switchblade Pictures presents three Japanese ninja’sploitation movies on one disc. Expect plenty of AV idols from the looks of it. Movies include: Ninja She-Devil, I Was a Teenage Ninja, and Ninjaken: the Naked Sword
FOREIGN CINEMA
Three Colors: Blue, White, Red (blu-ray/DVD) – Krzysztof Kieślowski’s trio of films, in French and Polish, starting from 1994 are released on blu-ray by the Criterion Collection
The Rules of the Game (blu-ray) – Jean Renoir’s classic 1939 black-and-white French film about class and social codes arrives on blu-ray from the Criterion Collection
CULT
Bellflower (blu-ray/DVD) – this controversial 2011 film that divided critics and viewers alike with its tale of love and homemade flame-throwers finally arrives on blu-ray and DVD
Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis: Special Edition (blu-ray/DVD) – the legendary composer and synth-pop pioneer presents his 1984 rock opera vision of Fritz Lang’s classic silent film “Metropolis,” now on blu-ray from Kino Video
Griff the Invisible (DVD) – your friends at Indomina release this charming 2010 indie superhero movie from Australia
Despair (blu-ray) – a 1978 adaptation of the novel by “Lolita” author Vladimir Nabakov, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and now on blu-ray
Fist 2 Fist (DVD) – a 2011 low-budget fight movie starring Jino Kang and Bill Duff
Neverwhere (DVD) – the BBC presents the 15th Anniversary edition of this live-action adaptation of Nail Gaiman’s novel
Fading of the Cries (DVD) – a 2011 demon-slaying, vampire and zombie kind of low-budget flick, co-starring character actor Brad Dourif
Red 71 (DVD) – Variety says this 2008 film is “a highly stylized noir puzzle”
MAINSTREAM
The Big Lebowski (blu-ray) – previously only available as a deluxe limited edition package, you can the 1998 Coen Brothers film on single disc blu-ray this week
Gettysburg (blu-ray) – the director’s cut of this acclaimed 1993 Civil War film
Adrenalin – Fear the Rush (DVD) – a low-budget Miramax film starring Christopher Lambert and Natasha Henstridge
Warriors of Virtue – Return to Tao (DVD) – unbelievably enough, Miramax must have funded a low-budget, PG-rated sequel to Ronny Yu’s “Warriors of Virtue”
Best of the Best – Without Warning (DVD) – Miramax continues their string of low-budget releases this week with a sequel to the Eric Roberts “Best of the Best” series
CLASSICS
West Side Story (blu-ray) – the 50th Anniversary Edition of the 1961 classic musical
My Fair Lady (blu-ray) – the 1964 film starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, now in hi-def
TELEVISION
Crime Story: The Complete Series (DVD) – we don’t usually cover TV releases on here but I figure this 1988 series deserves special mention as it was created by Michael Mann of “Heat” and “Public Enemies” fame
HORROR
Evil Dead 2 (blu-ray/DVD) – Sam Raimi’s 1987 horror-comedy classic is now available on blu-ray as a 25th Anniversary Edition
Prophecy (blu-ray) – the 1995 apocalyptic movie starring Christopher Walken and Viggo Mortensen, now on blu-ray
Humongous (DVD) – the Katrina’s Nightmare Theater imprint offers this 1982 slasher movie, rare and uncut on DVD
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!
Sinners and Saints Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)
RELEASE DATE: January 10, 2012
Serious buzz alert for action fans! Beleaguered Detective Sean Riley is trying to cope with the death of his young son and his failed marriage. Facing a probable suspension from the department, Riley is teamed with a young homicide Detective, Will Ganz, to help solve a series of brutal murders that have plunged the city into a major gang war. Sinners and Saints is directed by William Kaufman (The Hit List) and stars up and coming action star Johnny Strong (no relation to Arnold Strong). Check out the trailer here.
Helldriver Blu-ray/DVD (Well Go USA)
“Helldriver explodes with goodness!” – Cole Abaius, Film School Rejects
“Plenty of gore, comedy and carnage to go around!” – Colleen Wanglund, CinemaKnifeFight.com
Welcome to Zombie World!
HELLDRIVER
Japanese Splatter King Yoshihiro Nishimura
Delivers a Blood-Soaked Gore Fest
on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack and DVD November 22
Extensive Bonus Materials Include Three Spinoff Short Films Set Within the Helldriver Universe: Helldriver Dokata, Catch Me If You Can! and Bailout!
From director Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police, Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl) comes the epic, apocalyptic Zombie-fighting road movie Helldriver, featuring non-stop, over-the-top splatter action debuting on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack and DVD November 22 from Well Go USA. The latest cult film from the prolific Japanese production company Sushi Typhoon, Helldriver takes place in a Japan where half the population has become not-so-sexy flesh eaters and the economy has gently withered away … until Kika (Yumiko Hara) arrives. A stunning high school girl armed with an artificial heart-powered chainsaw sword, she leads a motley crew of desperados on a secret mission into the zombie-infected wilds to exterminate zombie queen Rikka (Eihi Shiina, Tokyo Gore Police) and put an end to the plague of the living dead.
The extensive bonus features include three exclusive short films set within the Helldriver universe: Helldriver Dokata (directed by Helldriver First Assistant Director Jun Shiozaki), Catch Me If You Can! (directed by Lighting Director Hiroshi Ota), and Bailout! (directed by poster designer Yoshiki Takahashi). Additional added value includes an in-depth interview with the Japanese splatter king himself, Yoshihiro Nishimura and two behind-the-scenes featurettes: “The Making of Helldriver,” directed by Helldriver actor Demo Tanaka that not only details the making of the film, but also the literally hellish conditions under which the film was shot (two-week shooting schedule, bad weather) and “Sushi Typhoon: Tokyo Invasion!,” featuring interviews with many of the Sushi Typhoon team while launching the Sushi Typhoon festival, where four films were screened for a month in the Ginza area of Tokyo. Helldriver will be available in the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack for $29.98 SRP and on DVD for $24.98 SRP.
Synopsis:
A meteorite crashes into Japan, releasing a toxic ash that turns inhabitants in the northern half of the country into bloodthirsty zombies. Some time later, with the north now walled off from the rest of Japan, a young woman (Yumiko Hara) is charged with leading a group of ragtag soldiers into the infected region to kill the “zombie queen” (Shiina) – who also happens to be her homicidal mother.
Bonus Features Include:
– Director Interview with Yoshihiro Nishimura
– “The Making of Helldriver” featurette
– “Sushi Typhoon: Tokyo Invasion!” featurette
– Short Films
o Helldriver Dokata
o Catch Me If You Can!
o Bailout!
– Trailers
Helldriver has a runtime of approximately 114 minutes and is not rated.
“Who Saw Her Die?” German DVD Cover
AKA: Chi l’ha vista morire?
Director: Aldo Lado
Cast: George Lazenby, Anita Strindberg, Adolfo Celi, Dominique Boschero, Peter Chatel, Piero Vida, José Quaglio, Alessandro Haber, Nicoletta Elmi
Running Time: 90 min.
By HKFanatic
“Who Saw Her Die?” is a 1972 giallo from director Alan Aldo that stars George Lazenby in a rare post-James Bond leading role. Unfortunately, Lazenby looks quite unflattering here, with a thick handlebar mustache and a gaunt, almost sickly physique. IMDB claims the actor lost 35 lbs to play the character of a sculptor but for the life of me I can’t imagine why that would be necessary for this run-of-the-mill Italian horror flick. Far from the handsome image of an international superspy, Lazenby appears emaciated and unhappy in a thankless role.
The story follows an estranged husband and wife as they seek to uncover the mystery of their daughter’s death in Venice. Horror fans will notice that this set-up bears more than a superficial resemblance to the Nicholas Roeg film “Don’t Look Now,” which was released just a year later. Whether or not Reog was influenced by (or even saw) this film feels almost inconsequential to me since “Don’t Look Now” stands tall as a classic of the horror genre while “Who Saw Her Die?” is instantly forgettable. With “Don’t Look Now,” British director Reog managed to beat the Italians at their own game, crafting a giallo-like film superior to many “authentic” efforts.
All the cliches of the genre are present in “Who Saw Her Die?”: a black-gloved killer, wobbly POV shots from the killer’s perspective, more red herrings than you can shake a stick at, and jabs at the Catholic church. Even the gimmick of having a question in the title is familiar, the much superior “What Have You Done to Solange?” being released the same year.
This film does at least feature a worthwhile soundtrack from genre mainstay Ennio Morricone. The composer made clever use of a child’s choir to echo the “children in peril” theme of the film, which also makes the soundtrack resemble some of Danny Elfman’s early 90’s work. However, the music is implemented haphazardly into the film, with the score at times starting and stopping in an abrupt fashion. Actually, the opening credits play with absolutely no musical accompaniment; the dull aerial footage of a ski slope in France is the first warning that the viewer is in for a sleep-inducing cinematic experience.
That’s really all I can imagine “Who Saw Her Die?” would be good for: curing insomnia. Thrill as George Lazenby walks, bony shoulders haunched, through the gloomy streets of 70’s Venice, banging on windows and searching for clues as to the killer’s identity. The story moves at a snail’s pace and features very little onscreen violence, which any giallo fan knows is the opposite of Dario Argento or Lucio Fulci’s films of this era. If all you’re after is nudity you’ll get to see Dominique Boschero (“All the Colours of the Dark”) and Anita Strindberg (“The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail”) in the buff frequently enough, but you’d have to be seriously hard up for a date to find the awkward sex scenes in this movie erotic.
Lazenby’s character isn’t even sympathetic or relatable. At one point he abandons his daughter with the other local children then saunters off to have sex with his mistress. Once he’s gotten his rocks off, he heads to his studio to work on a sculpture and knock back a few drinks. That’s when he finally pauses to wonder, “Now wait a minute, where’s my daughter?” Sorry, pal, you practically deserve all the crap that’s coming your way in this horror film.
Off the top of my head, I could probably think of a dozen giallo’s I’ve seen that are superior to “Who Saw Her Die?” There’s really no reason to watch this movie unless you’re out of sedatives. I’d recommend listening to the isolated Morricone soundtrack by CD for a much more entertaining experience. George Lazenby fans – I know you’re out there – are most likely to be aghast at the sight of the actor looking so ill and malnourished. Not to mention that 70’s mustache he’s sporting. Hey, I thought he was great in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” too but this is not one of his shining moments. Horror buffs are better served by watching “Don’t Look Now” instead; it takes the same premise but makes visual poetry out of it. Though, fair warning, Donald Sutherland sports a mustache in that one too.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 3/10
“Azumi” Korean Theatrical Poster
Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Cast: Aya Ueto, Shun Oguri, Hiroki Narimiya, Kenji Kohashi, Takatoshi Kaneko, Yuma Ishigaki, Tak Sakaguchi, Yoshio Harada, Kazuya Shimizu
Running Time: 124 min.
By Alexander
Strip the Power Rangers of the space-age outfits and crappy-looking rubber-suited monsters and place them in say, feudal Japan, and what you’re left with is the swordplay epic-lite Azumi. Because like their weekday afternoon brethren, the kids in Azumi say things like “that’s cool!” and “creeps me out”; they’re all teen idol cute; and their costumes are, well, costumes, not authetic looking period pieces. And like the Power Rangers television show, the sets are obviously sets with each town seemingly owning a single street. Toss in a few colorful and colorfully costumed villains and voila, you’ve got the Power Rangers, 15th century-style.
But despite the pop star sheen and the limited martial artisty of its cast, Azumi is a load of fun, especially in its latter half when character development has been tossed aside in favor of bloody mayhem and copious close-ups of hottie Aya Ueto as Azumi. Although Ueto’s martial arts skills are obviously limited (she’s about a tenth as athletic as Uma Thurman, who pulled off HER fight scenes with surprising believability in Kill Bill), she more than makes up for it by looking super hot in feudal Japan’s version of the traditional schoolgirl outfit, replete with a pair of swords perfect for slicing up scores of ninja and samurai. There’s blood galore, a severed body part or two, ocassional comic relief and a pair of super-interesting baddies in Bijumaru (the pasty white one with the red eye shadow) and “Monkey-face,” the Wolverine-like ninja.
Azumi is too long (and I watched the 124-minute Korean version, not the full-length 148-minute Japanese release). Its length could easily have been trimmed had some of the less important plot threads been axed along with some of the sillier character development. But despite its length, Azumi entertertained me from start to finish. After all, it’s tough not to enjoy a flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously, features two cool villains, has a host of ninja and showcases the um, acting talents of Ueto.
Recommended.
Alexander’s Rating: 8.5/10
By Equinox21
I’m really not sure what to say about Azumi, other than that if you liked Versus AT ALL, you’ll LOVE Azumi. The style, the action and the body count all make this a fun, fantasy flick for the whole frickin’ family.
A group of orphans are raised by their master to be excellent swordsmen. They are trained to be assassins and to carry out their mission at all costs. That mission is to kill any warlords around the country who refuse to stop waging war. It almost plays out like a Guns & Talks, from Japan, with sword fighting, that takes place 400 years ago and centers on a girl named Azumi. It’s stylishly shot, it’s got interesting characters (very reminiscent of all the ninja from the anime Ninja Scroll) and it actually got a plot (unlike Versus, which was just fun, plot-less action).
If I had to come up with any complaints about the movie, at all, I would list two. One was when a lot of the characters would strike with their swords, it looked like the actors intentionally missed or they slowed way down before the strike. It simply made the fighting look more like movie fighting than like ACTUAL fighting. But, as this WAS a movie, I’ll let it slide.
The other complaint was when a character gets his head chopped off and, even as the head is falling to the ground, he’s continuously screaming. Now, here’s the thing about screaming· due to evolution, we’re able to control our breathing. So, when the diaphragm rises it forces air out of the lungs, and past the larynx. The larynx then vibrates, creating sound, which is then controlled through movement of the lips and tongue. Now, if a head is not attached to the body, then the larynx (which is in the neck) doesn’t get air passing over it, allowing it to vibrate and allowing the person to scream. Oh well. As they say, it’s just a movie.
Check out Azumi. Then check out the sequel when it comes out. It’s just a cool movie with cool action and enough blood to make everyone happy.
Equinox21’s Rating: 9/10
A Better Tomorrow (Korean remake) Blu-ray/DVD (Well Go USA)
This is a pretty jam-packed so let’s get right into it. From masters like Terry Gilliam and David Lynch on blu-ray to a Korean remake of one of John Woo’s best loved flicks, there is plenty to discuss. Here are your Asian and genre-related blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 11/8/11:
ASIAN CINEMA
A Better Tomorrow (blu-ray/DVD) – a stylish, 2010 Korean language remake of John Woo’s classic 1986 heroic bloodshed film “A Better Tomorrow.” Produced by Woo himself!
Destroy All Monsters (blu-ray/DVD) – can you handle this much kaiju action? This classic 1968 Godzilla flick pits every monster under the sun against each other for your viewing enjoyment. Now on blu-ray from Tokyo Shock!
The Greatest Love (DVD) – this 2011 Korean TV is a romantic comedy about a fledgling pop star looking to revive her career and what happens when she finds love along the way
Zombie Triple-Feature (DVD) – three Japanese zombie flicks in one DVD collection! For your money you get: Zombie Self-Defense Force, Attack Girls’ Swimteam vs. the Undead, and Zombie Hunter Rika
FOREIGN CINEMA
Fanny and Alexander (blu-ray) – the Criterion Collection releases this seminal 1983 film from legendary director Ingmar Bergman in hi-def
In a Glass Cage (blu-ray) – delayed from last week, this 1987 Spanish language shocker arrives on blu-ray
The Sleeping Beauty (DVD) – from Catherine Breillat, the acclaimed director of “Fat Girl,” comes this 2011 dark and erotic French-language take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale
CULT
Blue Velvet (blu-ray) – David Lynch’s modern 1986 classic arrives on blu-ray for the first time. To say that I’m excited to watch this disc would be an understatement
Fisher King (blu-ray) – Terry Gilliam’s 1991 urban fantasy features two of Jeff Bridges’ and Robin Williams’ best performances. Now on blu-ray
Boy Wonder (DVD) – this 2011 dark superhero film has built solid buzz due to its uncompromisingly gritty vision of a vigilante in the real world
ANIMATION
Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (DVD) – the 2009 animated adaptation of the popular puzzle-solving Nintendo DS series finally arrives on Western shores
MAINSTREAM
Mortal Kombat: Legacy (blu-ray/DVD) – the popular 2011 web series based on the video game, starring martial artist extraordinaire Michael Jai White, Darren Shahlavi, and Matt Mullins, now arrives on home formats
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part 2 (blu-ray/DVD) – the final, 2011 installment of the Harry Potter saga can now be viewed from the comfort of your own home
13 (blu-ray/DVD) – the original director of “13 Tzameti” also directs this 2010 remake starring Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent, and Jason Statham
Executive Decision (blu-ray) – this lukewarm 1996 terrorist thriller starring Kurt Russell is probably most remembered for killing off Steven Seagal within the first twenty minutes. Now on blu-ray
To Die For (blu-ray) – Gus Van Sant’s 1995 dark comedy won Nicole Kidman a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Now on blu-ray
Cannonball Run (blu-ray) – this 1981 goofy American comedy managed to combine the considerable talents of Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, and Jackie Chan
Atlus Shrugged Part 1 (blu-ray/DVD) – considering how “Part 1” performed at the box office, I wouldn’t expect a Part 2 to this 2011 adaptation of Ayn Rand’s novel
CLASSICS
Mutiny on the Bounty (blu-ray) – this classic 1962 film stars Marlon Brando in his prime, now on blu-ray
One-Eyed Jacks (blu-ray) – the 1961 film starring Marlon Brando, now on blu-ray
Little Big Man (blu-ray) – the 1970 film starring Dustin Hoffman from director Arthur Penn of “Bonnie and Clyde” fame. Now in hi-def
The Collector (blu-ray) – this 1964 film is in the vein of “Psycho” and stars Terence Stamp of “Superman II” fame
Absence of Malice (blu-ray) – the 1981 film about journalistic integrity stars Paul Newman and Sally Field, now on blu-ray
HORROR
Frankenhooker (blu-ray) – this 1990 horror cult classic from the director of “Basket Case” is now uncut and in hi-def, courtesy of Synapse Films
Zombie 4: After Death (blu-ray) – the fourth installment in the Italian language horror series is now on blu-ray from Shriek Show
Satan’s Blood (DVD) – the Katrina’s Nightmare Show imprint presents this 1978 Spanish shocker about sex and Satanic rituals
The Carpenter (DVD) – Katrina’s Nightmare Show presents Wings Hauser in the uncut version of this 1987 horror flick
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