Michael Jai White delivers The Beatdown on September 13

Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown cover art

Featuring more thrilling and jaw dropping fight sequences than the original; Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown hits Unrated DVD September 13th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Starring America’s number one martial arts action star Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite, Blood and Bone) in his directorial debut, Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown returns to the adrenaline-pumped underground world of MMA fighting, as a group of four college-aged fighters must learn the most intense fighting techniques and go head-to-head in a punishing Beatdown competition.

The film also stars Dean Geyer (“Australian Idol” 2006), Alex Meraz (Twilight), Evan Peters (Never Back Down, Kick-Ass), and Jillian Murray (Wild Things: Foursome) and features professional MMA and UFC stars, including UFC Light Heavyseight Champion Loyoto Machida, Todd Duffee, “Big” John McCarthy, Eddie Bravo, and Scottie Epstein. Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown includes deleted scenes and filmmaker commentary. The film will be available on DVD for $26.99 SRP.

Michael Jai White and his students

Never Back Down 2 beats the original in every single way.”-Ryan McLelland, Ain’t It Cool News

Delivers a beatdown to every other fighting flick.”-Jarett Wieselman, NYPost.com

Appearances by Lyoto Machida, ‘Big’ John McCarthy, and Eddie Bravo jack up the reality factor.”-Robert W. Young, Black Belt Mgazine

Some of the best martial arts action in years!“-Ric Meyers, Insidekung-fu.com

Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown is a Mandalay Pictures – BMP, Inc production. Directed by Michael Jai White, the film was written by Chris Hauty (Never Back Down) and produced by Craig Baumgarten (Universal Soldier series) and David Zelon (Into the Blue), and executive produced by Moshe Diamant (Dragon Eyes). Fight choreography by Larnell Stovall (Undisputed III).

Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown has a runtime of 103 minutes and is unrated. DVD debuts on September 13, 2011.

Posted in News |

Blitz (2011) Review

"Blitz" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Blitz” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Elliott Lester
Writer: Ken Bruen, Nathan Parker
Cast: Jason Statham, Paddy Considine, Aidan Gillen, David Morrissey, Zawe Ashton, Luke Evans, Mark Rylance
Running Time: 97 min.

By HKFanatic

“Blitz” is a 2011 police thriller starring Jason Statham and represents the first production effort from Lionsgate UK. While the film secured a theatrical release in the United Kingdom, it went straight to DVD and blu-ray in North America. After watching “Blitz,” I’m not surprised it was resigned to Redbox on our shores. You could argue whether American audiences would have responded to a cop movie set entirely in London without any American characters, but beyond that the movie is just a slow and tepid affair. If you’re looking for the next “Crank” or even “The Transporter,” don’t stop here. There’s very little action in this movie, which at 97 minutes feels almost twice as long due to poor directing and an aimless script.

The film starts off promisingly enough: Jason Statham wakes up in his apartment and hears some punks trying to jack a car outside. He heads to the streets with a giant wooden paddle and proceeds to beat the shit out of them. This scene is about as much fighting as Statham does the entire movie but it’s meant to establish right away that Jason Statham is a cop with an attitudewho plays by his own rules. You know, like “Dirty Harry” or every cop character that Steven Seagal ever played. Statham almost seems to be a parody of himself in this film: he’s a hard-drinking, cussing cop who constantly does things that would get a normal police officer thrown off the force. There’s even video surveillance footage of him beating a suspect with a pool cue and then stuffing an 8 ball in the guy’s mouth. But his superiors keep him around because “he’s the best” and “he gets results,” blah blah. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

The problem for the screenwriters is that Jason Statham’s character is static and you can’t devote a feature length film to a character who doesn’t change. So a lot of the runtime is eaten up by supporting characters, like a young female cop who’s recently gotten out of a disastrous undercover stint that saw her hooked on drugs. The villain of the piece, a crazed killer who hates cops down to his very bones, might just get more screentime than Statham. The audience has to endure the sight of him giggling at quiz shows in his underwear.

The sad thing is, “Blitz” actually features a decent cast of British actors. Starring alongside Statham is Paddy Considine (“The Bourne Ultimatum,” “Dead Man’s Shoes”), who gives the film’s best performance. David Morrissey (“Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction,” “Centurion”) plays a sleazy journalist. We know he’s sleazy because he’s got porn on his laptop screen while he’s at work. The bad guy, played by Aidan Gillen, looked really familiar as soon as he appeared onscreen. It took me about twenty minutes to realize he was also the villain in the Jackie Chan/Owen Wilson vehicle “Shanghai Knights.” If you had the misfortune of seeing WWF star John Cena’s “Speed” rip-off “12 Rounds,” he was the bad guy there too. The guy seems to get typecast as these deranged, borderline-megomaniacal villains and he’s no stranger to overacting, but I’m sure there are plenty of people who will find him to be the most entertaining thing about “Blitz.” Statham himself is kind of a vacuum of charisma, seeing as all he does is talk in his usual put-on raspy voice and drink a lot of whiskey.

I struggled to hear the dialogue in “Blitz” since a lot of is delivered in a whisper or masked behind thick British accents. This is the kind of movie you may want to turn the subtitles on for even though it’s in English. Then again, I’m not sure if understanding what the characters were saying would have made “Blitz” any more enjoyable. Here’s a sample exchange that I did manage to pick up:

STATHAM: Did she get a good look at the suspect?

COP: No. She just said he was big and white.

STATHAM: Big and white, eh? So he’s not the black kid from “Different Strokes.”

Groan. Making a good Jason Statham movie is not rocket science. When I rent a movie with him on the cover, I want to see him talk some shit, get into a few tussles or shoot-outs, maybe drive a cool car, and put the villain through some serious pain. “Blitz” doesn’t deliver any of that. Worse yet, it seems to advocate that that London Police be allowed to use excessive force and execute suspects when they deem necessary. Considering the current climate of phone-hacking scandals and widescale riots over in England, this is probably not the most socially responsible message to send.

The movie is an adaption of the novel by Ken Bruen, which I have not read. Maybe fans of the book will be more pleased with “Blitz.” For me it failed to be even a passable way to spend a night in front of the TV. There’s an on-foot “chase” at climax of the movie, in which Aidan Gillen’s character shadows Jason Statham, that is indicative of the poor filmmaking behind “Blitz.” This scene just goes on forever. I started to feel bad for the composer since he had to generate so much ‘suspenseful music’ to cover what felt like ten minutes of Aidan Gillen trailing behind Statham – first at a graveyard, then in traffic, to a parking garage, and finally up a flight of stairs that felt endless. At this point the audience has got to be screaming: get to the point already! “Blitz” never does, and then it’s over.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 4/10

Posted in Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , |

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three aka Pelham 1-2-3 Blu-ray (MGM)

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three aka Pelham 1-2-3 Blu-ray (MGM)

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three aka Pelham 1-2-3 Blu-ray (MGM)

RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2011

Don’t let Tony Scott’s glossy remake scare you away from the gritty 1974 original. The plot is about a group of armed men who highjack a New York City subway train and hold it and its passengers for ransom. It’s up there with some of the best 1970’s crime movies ever made. Directed by Joseph Sargent and starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw and Hector Elizondo. A must see! Check out the trailer.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

The Treasure Hunter Blu-ray & DVD (Funimation)

The Treasure Hunter DVD (Funimation)

The Treasure Hunter DVD (Funimation)

RELEASE DATE: November 15, 2011

Directed by Chu Yin-Ping (“Kung Fu Dunk“), Treasure Hunter is a 2009 Taiwanese action/adventure film. It stars Jay Chou (“The Green Hornet“), Lin Chi-ling and Eric Tsang (“Bodyguards & Assassins“); with action by Ching Siu-tung (“Duel to the Death“). Check out the trailer here.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Italian Crime Comes to Netflix Instant

Franco Nero does the "Death Wish" routine in "Street Law"

We may be bemoaning their 60% price increase but at least Netflix is steadily adding genre films to their streaming catalog, including some “Poliziotteschi” movies. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, Italian directors popularized Italian crime and police films which were later nicknamed Poliziotteschi movies. What these flicks lacked in finesse they made up for with “mucho gusto”: they were all about tough-talking cop or vigilante protagonists, dangerous stunt work, tense shoot-outs, and memorable music.

Many of these films have recently been made available on Netflix Instant. Here’s a look at some select titles:

Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man (1976)  – directed by Ruggero Deodato of “Cannibal Holocaust” infamy. Ray Lovelock and Marc Porel play two womanizing cops who shoot first, ask questions later

Street Law (1974) – directed by Enzo G. Castellari, who made the original “Inglorious Bastards.” Franco Nero of “Django” fame becomes a vigilante after he is the victim of a violent crime. Released the same year as Charles Bronson’s “Death Wish,” also starring former Bond girl Barbara Bach (“The Spy Who Loved Me”)

The Big Racket (1976) – directed by Enzo G. Castellari. Leading man Fabio Testi of “What Have You Done to Solange?” fame takes on a protection racket in a small Italian village

Beast With a Gun AKA Mad Dog Killer (1977) – directed by Sergio Grieco

The Italian Connection (1972) – directed by Fernando Di Leo

The Boss (1973) – directed by Fernando Di Leo, starring Henry Silva

Rulers of the City (1976) – directed by Fernando Di Leo, starring Jack Palance

Calibur 9 (1972) – directed by Fernando Di Leo

Still in the mood for some Italian thrills? You might want to watch these Italian horror/giallo films that were also recently added to Netflix Instant.

The Cat ‘o Nine Tails (1971) – one of Argento’s early giallo is a vintage Italian murder mystery, with a score by Ennio Morricone. Streaming in HD

Deep Red (1975) – Dario Argento’s seminal giallo that garnered attention worldwide. Soundtrack by Goblin. Streaming in HD

Inferno (1980) – a film in Dario Argento’s “Three Mothers” trilogy. Streaming in HD

Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972) – directed by giallo master Lucio Fulci (“Zombie,” “The Beyond”)

The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1974) – an acclaimed but rare giallo directed by Francisco Barilli

Who Saw Her Die? (1972) – directed by Aldo Lado, starring former 007 George Lazenby. With a score by Ennio Morricone

The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1972) – directed by Paolo Cavara, starring not one but three Bond girls: Barbara Bouchet (“Casino Royale” ’67), Claudine Auger (“Thunderball”), and Barbara Bach (“The Spy Who Loved Me”). With a score by Ennio Morricone

The Fifth Cord (1971) – directed by Luigi Bazzoni, starring Franco Nero of “Django” fame. With a score by Ennio Morricone

Cold Eyes of Fear (1971) – an obscure early giallo from director Enzo G. Castellari, who was more well known for his action films

The Pyjama Girl Case (1977) – directed by Flavio Mogherini

Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (1970) – directed by Luciano Ercoli

Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971) – directed by Aldo Lado

The Bloodstained Shadow (1978) – directed by Antonio Bido

Posted in News |

Wong Jing goes on a Treasure Hunt to find a good movie

Theatrical poster for Wong Jing's "Treasure Hunt"

The Malay Mail has an early look at the loved and hated director Wong Jing’s latest effort, “Treasure Hunt.” The film appears to be a family adventure picture and represents a comeback attempt for actress Cecillia Cheung after a sex photo scandal hurt her film career. There’s also a cameo appearance from Lucas Tse, her child with Nicholas Tse. The reviewer says:

…Treasure Hunt bears a close resemblance to the Indiana Jones franchise, only cheaply made with a storyline that is not as exciting.

Which doesn’t bode well. Wong Jing remains confident that “Treasure Hunt” will be a hit. Read more about the movie here. The film will debut in Chinese theaters tomorrow, August 19.

Posted in News |

Cold Fish (2010) Review

"Cold Fish" American Theatrical Poster

“Cold Fish” American Theatrical Poster

Director: Sion Sono
Cast: Makoto Ashikawa, Denden, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Asuka Kurosawa, Megumi Kagurazaka
Running Time: 145 min.

By HKFanatic

Japanese director Sion Sono first caught the attention of the international film community with 2001’s “Suicide Club,” a movie that remains a J-horror cult classic, notorious for its opening scene in which a cadre of schoolgirls leap in front of an oncoming train. Since then Sion Sono has been putting out films on a startlingly frequent basis, though they haven’t always found their way to North America. Bloody Disgusting Selects is releasing his 2010 effort “Cold Fish,” a remarkably bleak film that combines elements of horror, drama, and dark comedy. Perhaps even more disturbing than what occurs onscreen in “Cold Fish” is the fact that Sono based the film on a true story: a series of murders committed in 1980’s Japan by the married owners of a dog kennel.

The first twenty or thirty minutes of “Cold Fish” lull you into a false sense of security. The story is centered around a dysfunctional family unit headed by Shinamoto, the owner of a small tropical fish store. When Shinamoto’s daughter is caught shoplifting at a local market, the police are nearly called until a charismatic middle-aged man named Murato intervenes. It turns out Murato is also the owner of a larger, more successful tropical fish shop. Murato feels that Shamato’s daughter should come and work for him at his store and learn how to become a responsible adult. Shamato agrees since he’s been looking for more private time with his new, younger wife. So far so normal, but “Cold Fish” soon takes a turn for the macabre that I won’t spoil here.

Subtitled and 145 minutes long, “Cold Fish” takes a certain level of commitment to watch but it’s full of unpredictable plot twists and strong performances. Actor Denden is a revelation as Murato: this is the kind of guy who can shake your hand and smile to your face one minute, and then the next he’s serving you a poisoned drink. The heart of the film, though, is Shamato’s gradual psychological transformation. This is the familiar sight of a bespectacled, middle class Japanese man slowing giving in to his more primal urges (see also: Shinya Tsuakmoto’s “Tetsuo: The Iron Man“). Fukikoshi Mitsuru is fantastic in the role. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone do the “repressed husband and father” part quite so convincingly. And when his character goes off the rails towards the end, Mitsuru absolutely sells it. All it takes is his glasses being tossed into a river and he seems to turn into another person entirely.

“Cold Fish” was produced by Sushi Typhoon, the Japanese imprint known for gory splatterfests like “Machine Gun Girl” and “Tokyo Gore Police.” The company feels like an odd match for the more controlled and intellectual style of Sion Sono; although there is plenty of violence in “Cold Fish,” most of it is implied offscreen while the audience only witnesses the grisly results. Sono is more interested in exploring man’s seemingly limitless capacity for evil. In an interview for “Cold Fish,” Sono claimed he wanted to “depict a sense of total hopelessness” which he feels is “lacking in Japanese films.” As a friend of mine put it, people generally don’t watch movies to experience a feeling of total hopelessness. For all its horror movie trappings, “Cold Fish” is an artfilm; it engages a different part of the brain than your average genre flick.

While the structure of the screenplay is repetitive at times – particularly whenever the characters returned to the cabin where most of the violence takes place – ultimately I feel that Sion Sono has delivered a one of a kind cinematic experience. Even when I find it difficult to outright “love” one of Sono’s films, I have to admit that they’re always strange and unique. Not many directors could craft a movie like this. Nor could most directors make a 145 minute film about incest, rape, murder, and domestic abuse be this engaging and, well, downright funny at times. With “Cold Fish,” Sono makes an effort to convey the often contradictory and absurd nature of life, and largely succeeds. Whether this film shocks or downright offends you, you aren’t likely to forget it.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 8/10

Posted in Japanese, Reviews | Tagged |

Big Racket, The (1976) Review

"The Big Racket" Italian Theatrical Poster

“The Big Racket” Italian Theatrical Poster

Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Cast: Fabio Testi, Vincent Gardenia, Renzo Palmer, Orso Maria Guerrini, Glauco Onorato, Marcella Michelangeli, Romano Puppo, Antonio Marsina
Running Time: 106 min.

By HKFanatic

Two years after “Street Law,” director Enzo G. Castellari returned to the Poliziotteschi genre, or Italian police films, with “The Big Racket.” This time around the main character is actually a cop (played by Fabio Testo) instead of a vigilante. Italian horror fans will probably recognize Testi from his most famous role, that of the womanizing gym teacher in the 1971 classic giallo “What Have You Done to Solange?” Fabio’s rugged good looks recall a young Sean Connery and his dynamic screen presence makes “The Big Racket” an altogether more successful film than “Street Law.” Of course, it also helps that the actor plays a capable and action-ready hero in contrast to Franco Nero’s whimpering engineer-turned-crime fighter.

Like most of these Poliziotteschi films, the first ten minutes feature crime(s) being committed in slow motion: here we have a gang of punks breaking into a jewelry store and demolishing the place while the credits are still playing! We soon find out that this once peaceful Italian village is under siege by a protection racket who will do just about anything to get money out of local storeowners. Fabio Testi is on the case but, in keeping with the cynical theme of Castellari’s 70’s films, the police’s hands are tied; there’s only so much they can do when citizens are too scared to talk and smooth-talking lawyers get in the way.

After a slow-paced hour of Fabio trying to do the right thing and failing, the real plot kicks in when he gives up his badge and assembles a gang of vigilantes, comprised of men who have all been wronged by the protection racket. Although “The Big Racket” is definitely Fabio Testi’s film, a supporting character played by Orso Maria Guerrini (also in “The Bourne Identity” and “Double Team”) steals the spotlight during the latter half of the film. Guerrini plays an ace skeet shooter out to the avenge the brutal rape and murder of his wife, which he was forced to watch. Let’s just say that the revenge that Guerrini enacts is sweet, indeed, with bloody squib-work that would make Sam Peckinpah green with envy. Guerrini’s intense, hate-filled eyes as he stares down the barrel of his sniper rifle is the iconic image of “The Big Racket.”

“The Big Racket” features the exciting stuntwork and violent gunplay that is a staple of Enzo G. Castellari’s films of this era. The budget on the movie was clearly low since half the time people are shot there’s just a puff of smoke and then they comically fall over, which lessens the impact of the violence. But I was amazed by the scene where the camera remains locked on Fabio Testi as his car rolls down a hill. Fabio’s arms flail in slow motion while glass pelts his face and the roof of the car caves in. The actor appeared to be in genuine danger during this stunt so I have no idea how the hell they pulled it off.

Castellari does a great job of making you truly hate the bad guys. The gang looks like a bunch of hippies but continually threatens store owners with rape and violence, laughing and sneering the entire time. Once their true leader is revealed, he gives a lecture about how to run a protection racket while preening around in a fancy suit; in his speech he extols the values of murdering children to get your point across. I mean, you just can’t wait to see Fabio put the hurt on these guys! Though the epic shootout doesn’t occur until the end of the film, it’s worth the wait. Behind the lens, Castellari expertly choreographs the mayhem in the crowded warehouse location, with a special emphasis on slow-motion bullet wounds; while Fabio Testi gets a big-ass shotgun to blow the bad guys away with.

The thing about Italian action cinema of this era is that it was nothing if dependable. Movies like “The Big Racket” and “Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man” may never enter the hallowed halls of your favorite films and they can be a bit slow-paced at times, but damn. For pure bad-ass, testosterone-laden cinema, they can’t be beat. In a way, these Poliziotteschi flicks are like proto-John Woo movies: iron-jawed tough guys with limitless bullets, shooting it out in slow-motion for a cause that feels all but lost. If you love these kind of no-nonsense action flicks, “The Big Racket” is one of the best I’ve seen.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 7.5/10

Posted in Italian, Reviews | Tagged , , |

The Chaser aka Chugyeogja Blu-ray (IFC)

The Chaser Blu-ray (IFC)

The Chaser Blu-ray (IFC)

RELEASE DATE: TBA

One of my top 20 movies of all time! The Chaser is about an ex-cop turned pimp (Yun-seok Kim) who realizes his “bitches” are sporadically disappearing one by one. He backtracks through his paperwork and figures out that the latest missing girl was sent to the same guy (Jung-woo Ha) the previous missing victim was sent to. Check out the trailer, which does the movie no justice!

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

Helldriver Blu-ray/DVD (Well Go USA)

Helldriver Blu-ray/DVD (Well Go USA)

Helldriver Blu-ray/DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: November 22, 2011

Well Go USA presents Helldriver, a Japanese splatter film directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police). It stars Yumiko Hara and Eihi Shiina, and was written by Nishimura and Daichi Nagisa. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

A Better Tomorrow (Korean remake) Blu-ray/DVD (Well Go USA)

A Better Tomorrow (Korean remake) Blu-ray/DVD (Well Go USA)

A Better Tomorrow (Korean remake) Blu-ray/DVD (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: November 8, 2011

Well Go USA’s newest release is a Korean remake of one of the most influential movies to come out of Hong Kong. This new film stars Kim Gang-Woo’s (Marine Boy), Joo Jin-Mo’s (Musa) and Jo Han-Seon and directed by Song Hae-Seong (Failan). Check out the trailer and read our review.

Note: Despite what the Amazon links say, this is the remake and not John Woo’s 1986 film, as noted at Well Go USA’s official site.

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

Twilight Samurai (2002) Review

"Twilight Samurai" Theatrical Poster

“Twilight Samurai” Theatrical Poster

Director: Yoji Yamada
Cast: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Min Tanaka, Nenji Kobayashi, Ren Osugi, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Keiko Kishi, Tetsuro Tanba, Takako Miyashima
Running Time: 129 min.

By Alexander

This isn’t your traditional samurai action flick. There’s only a couple of fight scenes, and while both are well-filmed and suspenseful, they’re short and with only a fraction of blood you would expect from a movie with the word “samurai” in the title. But the lack of action in Twilight Samurai doesn’t make it any less engaging, suspenseful or mesmerizing. Rather, its brilliance lies in it’s superb acting, pacing, cinematography and story.

Hiroyaki Sanada won the Japanese equivalent of the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the dutiful and doting Seibei Iguchi. It was well-deserved. Iguchi’s unkempt hair and tattered clothes, hooked nose and weak chin belie his mastery of the short sword and his steadfast protection of his small and relatively ramshackle home. Sanada is mesmerizing in this role. He evinces a myriad of emotions and traits, from humility and ferocity to guile and hopeless romantic.

We often see the pain and anguish and compassion of the characters in film, but rarely is a performance so powerful as to transcend that space between us and the screen of our television and actually allow us to feel these emotions. Sanada’s performance is virtuosic, his brilliance evident when we can feel his embarrassment at being reprimanded by his lord; when we feel his joy when reuniting with a childhood friend; when we feel his adoration of his two daughters; when we feel his frustration at his mother’s senility. It’s really one of the most complete and moving performances I’ve ever seen in a film.

But Sanada isn’t the only reason why I love Twilight Samurai. While the film’s running time is daunting at 129 minutes, and the prospect of little action might suggest stretches of boredom for the viewer, the film moves at a brisk pace and keeps us engaged with suspense surrounding the many dilemmas Iguchi faces. I found myself caring–a lot–about the outcome of the handful of duels, the reappearance of Tomoe (played beautifully by Rie Miyazawa), the fate of Iguchi’s daughters, and Iguchi’s constant struggle to balance his duty to his master and his duty to his broken family.

I really could ramble on and on about what I liked about Twilight Samurai; about how much I enjoyed Sanada’s performance and how enthralled I was by the plot. Instead, I’ll do something I rarely do in these oft-rambling reviews I write for the site and award Twilight Samurai a perfect score.

Alexander’s Rating: 10/10

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Nowhere to Hide (2000) Review

"Nowhere to Hide" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Nowhere to Hide” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Myung-sae
Writer: Lee Myung-sae
Cast: Joong-Hoon Park (Woo), Dong-Kun Jang, Ji-Woo Choi, Sung-kee Ahn, Sang Myun Park
Running Time: 112 min.

By Joe909

A mish-mash of style and substance, Nowhere to Hide is more focused than most other Korean movies I’ve seen. Which is to say, it doesn’t clock in at an epic running time. The shorter length doesn’t prevent flaws, though. As MPM points out, the opening credits alone prove that the filmmakers were trying to cover every base: a gritty murder scene gives way to colorful, upbeat opening credits. The rest of the film offers more contrasts, as well.

Park Joong Hoon is Inspector Woo, an almost cartoonish character. The man seems to run off Duracell batteries. There’s barely a moment in the film where he’s sitting still. He bounces off the walls and gets into scrapes at the drop of a hat, like a leaner version of Chris Farley. Still, he’s a threatening individual, even though it looks like his wardrobe is from Old Navy.

Nowhere to Hide doesn’t feature much in the part of character development; the attempt at filling out Woo’s character toward the end of the film by meeting his sister’s family comes off as lame, and villain Sungmin is more of a shadow than a physical presence. Nowhere to Hide is basically one long chase scene, with Woo and his colleagues on the hunt for Sungmin.

The action is scattered about the movie, and again it comes off as a cartoon. This movie features one of the longest on-foot chase scenes in film history, as Woo races after a con on the lam. There’s also a fight in the dark between Woo and an underground boxer; the fight is mostly shown via shadows, and it looks like something out of an old Warner Brothers cartoon. And when Woo and Sungmin finally face off in the end, each can hurl the other several feet into the air with just one super-powered punch.

On the whole, I enjoyed this more than the more famous Korean movies I’ve seen, such as “Shiri” and “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.” There’s more of a Hong Kong style to this than most other Korean flicks, and everyone who’s anyone knows that’s a good thing.

Joe909’s Rating: 8/10


By Woody

One of the coolest movies I’ve ever seen. Not one of the best, mind you, but it was certainly cool.

I’d be lying if I said I knew what the exact plot was (I was tired while watching it-fell asleep-had to rewind-got all confused), but I do know that it has cop Joong-Hoon Park and his partner chasing down this dude named Chang Sungmin, a pretty cool name if you ask me. Chang is a hardcore killer dude, and is really good at evading Joong-Hoon Park and his buddies at the Police Station. Bla bla bla, enough summarizing. The plot of this film is really not the important thing, it’s the style.

This is one you may need to watch twice to really appreciate. The style may leave you shaking your head, saying “What the fuck was that?!?” It’s got somber killings set to somber music that sets a really somber mood (somber–what a cool word), insane cartoon inspired slapstick fights, black and white to color and back, a brutal fight at the end, and a lot of shots where you’ll be saying Keanu Reeves style “Whoa”s.

Now to say all of the usual stuff: Joong-Hoon Park and the dude who plays the killer with the kickass name are both really grrrrreat. If I had to fuck one Asian man, it would be Joon- alright, that’s a lie. His last few movies may have been kinda not really sorta good, but if I had to fuck one Asian man, it would be Chow Yun Fat. Not that I’m gay or anything. -Cough-. The music in this movie is also really great, with that somber Bee Gees song and what sounded to me like a take on The Doors “Spanish Caravan”.

Alright, fuck all of what I just wrote. Imagine Wong Kar Wai and Wong Jing working together with a really tight script. That’s what this movie feels like. Lee Myung-sae, the director of this head trip of a film, is one to look out for.

In conclusion, Chow Yun Fat is still the world’s most fuckable Asian man, Chang Sungmin is a cool name, and somber–God I love that word.

Definitely recommended.

Woody’s Rating: 9/10

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Shiri | aka Swiri (1999) Review

"Shiri" Korean Theatrical Poster

"Shiri" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kang Je-Gyu
Producer: Kang Je-Kyu
Cast: Han Seok-Kyu, Song Kang-Ho, Choi Min-Shik, Kim Yun-Jin, Yun Ju-Sang, Park Yong-Woo
Running Time: 125 min.

By Numskull

Normally, I hate it when people talk about movies “sending messages.” The blocs of suburban yuppie mommies (better known as “soccer moms”) that currently hold a disproportionately large amount of dominion over American life have hijacked the word “message” and imposed upon it a definition along the lines of “an insidious statement contained in a piece of popular entertainment, cleverly veiled or otherwise, designed to warp impressionable young minds” (much like they have seized the word “homophobic” and use it to refer to hatred of homosexuality and its adherents, when, in, fact, the literal meaning of the word is “afraid of people”). Furthermore, “messages” in cinema, by a somewhat different meaning, seem to often be the territory of elitist film buffs so eager to “prove” their (nonexistent) superiority to “normies” that they see (or claim to see) “messages” or hidden meanings in movies where A) they do not actually exist, or B) they are so brazenly obvious that only the most intellectually devoid of all viewers (I’m talkin’ single digit I.Q.s here) could possibly miss them. “Yeah, people don’t get it, but Terminator 2 is really all about, like, the danger of losing our humanity and stuff.” No shit, buddy…now you gonna give me my french fries or what?

Perhaps I speak too much from personal experience rather than general rules of thumb. Either way, in the case of Shiri, it would be pretty much impossible to argue against the movie having a “message” (“theme” is a better term if you ask me, here and in many other such instances), the nature of which was undoubtedly a significant factor in its overwhelming success in its native land of Korea (as opposed to the USA where people, in their infinite wisdom, would rather watch Snow Dogs). The desire for North and South Korea to reunite is quite obvious what with the soccer game subplot and the terrorists’ dialogue (and if you think that a line of dialogue expressing an opinion contrary to that of the majority constitutes a “message” and that, by extension, the writer of the dialogue in question must agree with it…as so many suburban yuppie mommies seem to think…then you’re out of your fucking mind). What REALLY enforces the theme are the smaller touches, like the kissing fish who can only survive in pairs, and Hyun telling Ryu that she’ll be happy as long as he never leaves her.

Political statements aside, Shiri is a solid but not exactly spectacular cop/action movie with the typical incompetent good guys (a dozen of them, toting weapons that can clear a crowded room in a handful of seconds, can’t take out a guy armed only with a handgun), comic relief character (the guy who cleans the fish tanks and, judging by his hair style, dumps the old water onto his head when he’s finished), and requirements for suspension of disbelief (how the hell did Hee just walk away from all those guns pointed at her when her partner was the one with the hostage and they went in opposite directions?). The violence gets pretty over-the-top at times, especially the terrorist training camp sequence at the very beginning. The storyline about top secret explosives being stolen and used to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting populace is a decent enough vehicle for the reunification theme, but the doomed romance elements…well, they suck. I’m tired of that shit.

If you decide to pick up Shiri, go for the double DVD set from Bitwin (“Bi” = two, and I’m sure you all know what “twin” means…hmmm…). Most of the extra features are only in Korean, but you’ll get the movie uncut, in an excellent package, with subtitles that are well above average for Asian DVDs. (The most complete version of a foreign movie is readily available to North Americans. Holy shit, has that ever happened before?)

Numskull’s Rating: 7/10


By Joe909

Though it’s a South Korean production, Shiri has Hollywood written all over it. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear that Jerry Bruckheimer had something to do with it. From look to feel to story structure, Shiri is more “The Rock” than “The Killer.” The movie even employs the Hollywood standard of the “ticking clock climax,” as our heroes have mere seconds to disarm a bomb that threatens to wipe out an entire city. But beyond the Hollywood-copycat feel, Shiri is still a good film, with several exciting action setpieces.

The plot: Lee Bang-Hee, a female assassin from North Korea, has been preying on politicians in South Korea for years. Ryu, a South Korean secret agent, is obsessed with finding her. Ryu has a life outside of work: he plans to marry his girlfriend Hyun, who owns a fish shop. Hyun gives Ryu a pair of Kissingmaru, fish that need one another to survive. Can you see the melodrama coming? Meanwhile, a group of North Korean commandos gets hold of an experimental bomb called CTX, which is liquid-based and more powerful than any other type of explosive. They plan to use the experimental weapon to engender a new war between North and South Korea, one which will hopefully result in a unification of the rival nations.

Before the film’s end, Ryu will be shaken by an unpleasant surprise: one that isn’t very plausible, but is effective nonetheless. However, this surprise (and the action that leads to and results in its revelation) doesn’t come until the second hour of the movie. The first hour is boring, full of static scenes of characters talking about doing something, then doing it: a definite no-no in the screenwriting world. Well, in Hollywood, at least. But anyway, the first half of this movie nearly bored me to tears, and I was wondering where all the accolades of this being “the greatest action movie in years” had come from.

Fortunately, the second half of the film picks up the pace, with Ryu and his associates taking on the North Korean commandos. The violence is brutal; anytime someone’s shot or knifed, blood sprays in every direction. One notable scene of gore is in a flashback, as we witness North Korean commando leader Park Mu-Young (portrayed by Min-Sik Choi, who looks like an Asian Gary Oldman) slice off a passenger’s face and place it over his own, in loving tribute no doubt of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Another grisly shot has a female commando gulp down some CTX in defiant suicide; she explodes in gory splendor.

One notable way in which Shiri differs from Hollywood action flicks is in the climax: there’s no happy ending, here. Hollywood is always sure to show our heroes ride off into the sunset with their girl, but Shiri stays true to its Asian roots and gives us a more tragic ending, which I must admit succeeded in depressing the hell out of me.

For a larf, try keeping up with how many times “CTX” is said in this movie. I imagine Shiri could be used as the basis for a drinking game, for college kids with too much time on their hands: chug a beer every time you hear “CTX.” You’d be wasted halfway through the movie.

Joe909’s Rating: 7.5/10


By Alexander

I wasn’t about to spend 45 minutes in my VW hurtling down L.A.’s notoriously frenetic freeways just to watch “Shiri” at the only theater west of the Mississippi brave enough to show it. Despite the praise showered upon on it by the L.A. Times, the hype surrounding the film at this website and others, and the promise of a free poster featuring a slender gun-toting assassin wearing half a dress (who doesn’t even appear in the film, I should add), I was content to wait for the DVD.

And wait I did.

It would be two long, agonizing weeks before I was able to secure the “Shiri” DVD. With the promise of enough extra credit to carry her into her senior year of college, I was able to convince one of my freshman Honors students to let me borrow her father’s coveted 2-disc set. She thought it weird I enjoyed Asian cinema so much (“You’re weird, Mr. Koers,” were her exact words), but I didn’t care in the least as I had found an unexpected source of Korean movies that would only cost me that invaluable commodity every Honors student craves: Extra Credit. The shiny silver box reflecting my grinning face was finally in my trembling hands.

The wait was over.

And I was not disappointed.

The Korean hit “Shiri” isn’t the BEST Asian film I’ve ever seen (John Woo’s “The Killer”, the “Citizen Kane” of Hong Kong cinema, will always be my favorite), but it is the sleekest, best acted, best scored and obviously big-budgeted. It surpasses every Hong Kong and Korean release I’ve seen in terms of production values and is definitely on par with any U.S. “action” film not helmed by James Cameron or Ridley Scott. While watching “Shiri” with my wife, I think she finally GOT why I enjoy Asian cinema so much: It offers something so few U.S. films do. The over-the-top violence coupled with romance; fresh settings; unfamiliar faces; and wholly original direction are all appealing features of Asian movies. It offers something unique and not of the cookie-cutter variety (“Collateral Damage” and “Rollerball” spring immediately to mind) churned out on regular basis by Hollywood. “Shiri” is no exception.

And there is A LOT to like about “Shiri”. The first ten minutes of the film, a ridiculously violent training sequence, is one of the most intense introductions to a film I’ve ever seen. The ensuing score enhances the mood, suspense and overall quality of the film. The cast is fantastic, including stellar performances by stars Suk-Kyu Han, Kang-Ho Song (“Joint Security Area”), Min-Sik Choi (“Failan”) and Yun-Jin Kim. The pacing is brisk and the story never meanders too long on any one scene. In fact, although being promoted as an action film in Japan and the U.S., “Shiri” is at its best when focusing on a myriad of complex relationships. The comeraderie between Ryu and Lee and the affection shared by Ryu and Hyun are the film’s highlights and these scenes are far more enjoyable (and plausible) than the Lone Bad Guy Slaughters a Squadron of Highly Trained Professionals While Dodging a Hail of Bullets and Escapes episodes.

Yet despite my obvious love of the film, “Shiri” is far from perfect. There are too many scenes of people escaping seemingly imminent death without a hint of explanation as to how they got away from veritable armies of soldiers. For example, one minute the North Korean commandoes, Park and Hee, are cornered by a legion of MP5 sub-machine gun-toting police and in the blink of an eye it’s evening and Ryu is following Hee into an abandoned alley. This is only one of a couple scenes that had me turning to my wife with a did-I-miss-something look on my face. I really thought the DVD was skipping ahead.

My second annoyance with “Shiri” was the gratuitous violence. I’m a hardened vet of super-bloody Hong Kong fare, but scenes of heads exploding, legs being amputated by gun fire and a sliced-off face were wholly unnecessary and only served to distract from the compelling story.

Regardless, it’s a shame the future U.S. release of the DVD will include about 20 minutes of cuts. Despite my distaste of the gore, the film deserves to be seen in its entirety. “Shiri” is highly recommended for all fans of Asian cinema and serves as a wonderful introduction to the world of Korean film.

NOTE: The 2-disc DVD is rife with extras, including an entertaining collection of outtakes, a behind-the-scenes documentary (in Korean, unfortunately), a couple of brief deleted scenes, a “video” of the haunting song at the end of the film, a weapons dossier, and a couple actor bios.

Alexander’s Rating: 8.5/10

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Enter Three Dragons | aka Dragon on Fire (1981) Review

"Enter Three Dragons" American Theatrical Poster

“Enter Three Dragons” American Theatrical Poster

Director: Joseph Kong
Co-director: Godfrey Ho
Cast: Dragon Lee, Bruce Lai, Bruce Thai, Cheung Lik, Samuel Walls, Bolo Yeung Tze, Philip Ko Fei, Fong Yau, Tiger Yeung Cheng Wu, To Siu Ming, Kong Do, Alexander Grand
Running Time: 90 min.

By Jeff Bona

When a small time hood named Sammy (Samuel Walls) gets himself mixed up with deadly gangsters, he enlists the help of a kung fu master named Dragon Hung (Bruce Lai) to help him straighten things out.

The movie starts out with a gimmicky plot based off mistaken identity: Dragon Yeung (Bruce Thai) is immediately confused for being Dragon Hung. In addition, there’s another “Dragon” roaming around named Bruce Hung (Dragon Lee), who happens to be the brother of Dragon Hung (you may have to re-read this paragraph, but trust me, it make sense).

To make a long story short, Sammy and the “three dragons” combine forces and take on a bunch of bad guys, which include: Philip Ko Fei (“Dragons Forever“), Tiger Yeung (“Tower of Death“), Kong Do (“The Chinese Stuntman“), Alexander Grand (“The Dragon Lives Again“), San Kuai (“The Iron Dragon Strikes Back“) and Bolo Yeung (“Enter the Dragon“).

“Enter Three Dragons” is the perfect companion piece to “The Clones of Bruce Lee,” which was also directed by Joseph Kong. Correct me if I’m wrong, but these two “Bruceploitation” films are the only titles to have not one, not two, but three Bruce Lee look-alikes. Actually, “The Clones of Bruce Lee” has a 4th look-alike: Bruce Le (“Enter the Game of Death“); but both movies share the appearances of Dragon Lee, Bruce Lai and Bruce Thai. “Enter Three Dragons” isn’t as wacky as “Clones,” but there’s definitely enough unintentional entertainment that makes it just as fun.

As with most kung fu flicks, the English dubbing job is part of its appeal, but I have to say, the choice for Samuel Walls’ voiceover is hilarious. It’s as if they they didn’t want him to sound like a black guy OR a white guy, so they just made him sound like half a retard (I don’t mean to use the word “retard” in a derogatory sense, but I challenge anyone to find a better word!).

More of the film’s appeal resides in the way it’s edited. This film is so disjointed and sloppily put together that it qualifies as an art house masterpiece. For example, there’s a bit part where there’s a flashback sequence, but since the rest of the film is so choppy, the flash back sequence blends right in with its current structure!

I love the funky disco tune that plays during the opening credits (same music is used in Bruce Li’s “Dynamo“). The rest of the film’s soundtrack contains stolen music from Giorgio Moroder’s “Midnight Express” and various James Bond cues.

What’s up with this Bruce Thai? (not to be confused with Bruce Lai) He looks like Bruce Lee more than the rest of them – yet – he doesn’t have a single fight scene. Does he even know how to fight? Instead, they show him drinking, smoking and picking away at plants. His character is so lame that he actually gets kidnapped and is later saved by Cheung Lik!

Who is Cheung Lik, you ask? Well, between the Bruces we have Cheung Lik (“Bruce Lee The Invincible“), who plays his usual self: a nice guy who knows kung fu but just isn’t good enough to hold his own. Unlike someone like Michael Chan Wai Man, Cheung Lik is the type of guy who never gets laid. Is it me, or does Cheung Lik’s career seem to revolve around Bruce Lee clones saving his ass? (or maybe I need to see more Cheung Lik flicks).

“Enter Three Dragons” is filled non-stop martial arts action — that’s not necessarily a good thing. If the fights were tightly choreography by someone like Lau Kar-Leung or Sammo Hung, I’d say otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, the fights aren’t bad, there’s just so much of it that it’s hard to appreciate.

Recommended for Bruceploitation fans only. Everyone else better have a solid sense of humor.

Jeff Bona‘s Rating: 6/10

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