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

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

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

Posted in Bruceploitation, Chinese, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

Assassination Games aka Weapon DVD (Sony)

"Assassination Games" American Theatrical Poster

"Assassination Games" American Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: September 6, 2011

Van Damme is back! And he’s teaming up with Scott Adkins (“Ninja”) in his most highly anticipated movie since J.C.V.D. Check out the cityonfire.com review here.

Check out the trailer here.

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

Street Law | aka The Anonymous Avenger (1974) Review

"Street Law" American Theatrical Poster

“Street Law” American Theatrical Poster

AKA: The Citizen Rebels, Vigilante II
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Cast: Franco Nero, Giancarlo Prete, Barbara Bach, Renzo Palmer, Nazzareno Zamperla, Romano Puppo
Running Time: 105 min.

By HKFanatic

Following my review of “Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man“, I continue my exploration of the “Poliziotteschi” genre, or Italian police films from the 1970’s, with “Street Law.” Much like “Live Like a Cop…” this film opens with a blistering ten minute sequence that barely allows the audience a moment to catch their breath: in a montage of gang-style violence, we watch as innocent people are robbed and gunned down in the streets all over Geneo, Italy. The impression being that the cops aren’t doing jack to stem the tide of crime. We’re soon introduced to our protagonist, played by Franco Nero (“Django“), as he goes to deposit some of his hard-earned money at the bank. That’s when he’s abducted by some vicious bank robbers and pistol-whipped senseless in the back of their getaway car. What a way to start a movie!

Released the same year as the Charles Bronson film “Death Wish,” “Street Law” – also known as “The Anonymous Avenger” – has a reputation for being an Italian rip-off of that film. Although the two films concern a mild-mannered citizen who takes up arms after becoming the victim of a horrible crime, they really couldn’t be more different. You see, Franco Nero’s attempts at becoming a vigilante hero are ill-advised at best. Every time he tries to put his toe in the underworld to find a connection or get closer to the men who robbed the bank, he gets his ass kicked. His character is obviously in way over his head and Nero constantly has this mystified look on his face like he can’t believe what’s happening to him, an expression that becomes almost comical. There’s even a scene where he’s dragged through the mud – literally! – by the gang he’s after, with his arms outstretched in a Christ-like pose. Yes, this movie could have been called “The Passion of the Nero.”

“Street Law” was directed Enzo G. Castellari, a man who is now most famous for having made the original “Inglorious Bastards” film that Quentin Tarantino took inspiration from. In his long and storied career, he directed films as diverse as crime thriller “Heroin Busters”; the “Jaws”-inspired “Great White” (which Universal Pictures successfully banned from the United States due to claims of plagiarism); post-apocalyptic films like “The New Barbarians” and “1990: The Bronx Warriors”; and a film that is considered by many to signify the end of the spaghetti Western genre, “Keoma,” also starring Franco Nero. His direction in “Street Law” is confident and assured with brazen stunt work, unique POV angles, and a flair for balletic, slow-motion violence that is not unlike Sam Peckinpah. It also helps that Franco Nero appears to have done many of his own stunts, particularly the scene where he’s tossed around by a bad guy’s fish-tailing Mustang.

“Street Law” is a fun, guilty pleasure kind of flick, only hampered by its slow pacing (after the opening 10 minutes, you have to wait awhile for the action to kick in) and the inadequacy of its main hero. I mean, you keep waiting for Franco Nero to man up and slug someone across the face. It’s not like he isn’t an intimidating guy – he’s “Django” for crying out loud! Unfortunately, the screenplay calls for him to be a simpering weakling for most of the movie until he finally gets mad enough to take up a sawed-off shotgun at the end. The film concludes with a tense shoot-out in a gigantic warehouse, a location that director Castellari utilizes well.

In the 1970’s, street crime was a real issue in Italy. The country had fought back the fascist invaders during World War II but was now under a different kind of tyranny – by powerful gangs that strong-armed or bought off the police. “Street Law” is an attempt to visualize the kind of righteous indignation that a lot of citizens felt during this time. I’m not sure if Nero was the right man to embody their anger but I have to admit it’s something of a novelty to see an action movie where the hero is as scared shitless as Franco is here. If he – and, in turn, the movie – had been a little more bad-ass, “Street Law” could have been a classic. Instead it’s just another entertaining flick to watch if you’re into Italian crime movies.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Italian, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Zombie aka Zombie Flesh Eaters 2-Disc Ultimate Edition Blu-ray/DVD (Blue Underground)

Zombie aka Zombie Flesh Eaters 2-Disc Ultimate Edition Blu-ray (Blue Underground)

Zombie aka Zombie Flesh Eaters 2-Disc Ultimate Edition Blu-ray (Blue Underground)

RELEASE DATE: October 25, 2011

In Italy, it was considered the ‘unofficial sequel’ to DAWN OF THE DEAD. In England, it was known as ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS and banned as obscene. In America, it was called ZOMBIE. Blue Underground is proud to present ZOMBIE in a new 2K High Definition transfer from the original uncut and uncensored camera negative. Now fully-loaded with hours of brand new Extras, this is the Ultimate Edition of ZOMBIE!

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

Nowhere to Run (1993) Review

"Nowhere to Run" American Theatrical Poster

“Nowhere to Run” American Theatrical Poster

Director: Robert Harmon
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rosanna Arquette, Kieran Culkin, Tiffany Taubman, Ted Levine, Edward Blatchford, Anthony Starke, Joss Ackland, Tony Brubaker
Running Time: 94 min.

By HKFanatic

Jean Claude Van Damme released two films in 1993: “Nowhere to Run” in January and “Hard Target” in August. Although Van Damme got to show off his muscles in both movies, the two couldn’t be more different from each other. Say what you want about Van Damme but he knew to work with talented directors: “Hard Target’s” John Woo may be more famous but director Robert Harmon was no slouch either. He’s since been relegated to making TV movies with Tom Selleck for the past ten years, but in his prime Harmon had a real eye for lensing genre movies. In 1986, he helmed “The Hitcher,” a movie that combined the horror genre with the action thriller and featured one of venerable actor Rutger Hauer’s best performances. You get the sense that Harmon could have been the next James Cameron if he really wanted to, but instead he delved into the world of television.

Back in ’93, Harmon brought his flair for kinetic action to “Nowhere to Run.” The film features fantastic wide angle shots, impressive camera movement, and is beautifully photographed by cinematographer David Gribble, who would later work with Van Damme on “The Quest.” The score by Mark Isham (also a veteran of “The Hitcher”) compliments the film perfectly. Overall, “Nowhere to Run” is a classy production; no one involved treated the film like it was a b-movie or “just another Van Damme flick.” These guys were serious.

As an actor, Van Damme seemed to want to be taken seriously too. He responds to the film’s opportunity to give a quieter, more subdued performance. It’s only 1993 and we’re already a long way from the splits-and-spandex era of “Double Impact.” Here Van Damme stretches himself, perhaps trying his best to avoid the cycle that Seagal fell into of just playing the same character movie after movie. You get the impression that Van Damme wants the audience to know that, yes, he’s technically an “action star” but he wants to be viewed as an actor too. And, okay, he’s not likely to let you forget that he’s man-pretty either.

So we’ve got genuine talent behind the camera and Van Damme firing on all cylinders – what could go wrong? The script, which was partially penned by Joe Eszterhas. Back in the 90’s, Eszterhas made headlines for being one of the most overpaid screenwriters in Tinsel Town and churning out sleazy potboilers like “Basic Instinct” and “Jade” until he effectively ruined his career with the box office bomb that was “Showgirls.” This guy wrote some of the trashiest mainstream Hollywood movies of all time and actually had the balls to criticize Tarantino for a perceived lack of talent. Granted, there’s guilty pleasure to be had from some of Eszterhas’ films but the screenplay for “Nowhere to Run” is just plain schizophrenic and I have a feeling it’s a result of his involvement.

For one thing, Van Damme starts the film has a ruthless escaped convict. He pretends to be injured after a prison bus crash (a scene that was more or less lifted for 2011’s “Fast Five”). “My leg!” he yells. “My arm!” A guard hobbles over. “Which one is it, son? Is your arm or your leg broken?” Van Damme yells “Your face!” and then delivers a brutal punch to the guy’s nose. From there, JCVD escapes and goes on the run. When he stops at a drug store and the clerk behind the counter catches on that Van Damme might be a prisoner on the lam, Jean Claude more or less threatens to kill the guy.

After that and from the rest of the movie on, Van Damme suddenly becomes a sweet-natured and misunderstood guy with a heart of gold. Huh? Did I miss something? Maybe the producers thought Van Damme had to be shown as “aggressive” during the opening of the movie so audiences wouldn’t think he was a wuss when he mellows out and starts hanging out with kids later on – but that’s a terrible line of thinking, and it’s a real weakpoint in the screenplay. Character consistency is a crucial components to keep your audience immersed in the story and “Nowhere to Run” doesn’t really have it.

That’s not even the worst part about Eszterhas’ script, though. Once Van Damme escapes from police custody, he gets to know a small town widow, played by Rosanna Arquette, who’s raising her two children on her own. Her land is highly coveted by some greedy developers but she refuses to sell her property. Van Damme protects the family from the developers’ increasingly violent attempts to frighten her into giving up her home. It’s a perfectly fine set-up for the action movie but the way the children are written is just plain wrong.

There’s an awkward dinner conversation where the little girl brings up the size of Van Damme’s, well, you know. Instead of her mom telling her to watch her language, Rosanna Arquette actually keeps the conversation going. Come on, JCVD! I’m sure you wanted to spread rumors about the size of your manhood back in your heyday but even you should have been embarrassed filming this scene. I know the 90’s was more forgiving of “little kids talking about sex,” and it was even considered ‘funny’ or ‘cute’ by some back then, but these days it’s just creepy. Especially since Van Damme had been prowling about their property earlier in the film and watched Rosanna Arquette take a shower through the window. And these children keep getting excited about the possibility of Van Damme sharing a bed with their mom. The whole thing will just make you go: what the hell?! It’s a blemish on an otherwise solidly structured story.

As I mentioned in my review of “Hard Target“, Van Damme’s always struggled with delivering one-liners – blame it on his accent, I guess – and yet screenwriters kept giving them to him. In “Nowhere to Hide,” he’s saddled with the unbelievably awful: “I’m da parking attendant – and you’re boddering my custo-murrs.” Later on he smashes a guy’s head with a wooden board and an overdubbed voice that doesn’t even sound like Van Damme says, “Three strikes and you’re out.” Yikes. The lame puns are really out of step with the rest of the film, which at its heart is a small town thriller, and do a disservice to Van Damme, who was trying his best to take the role seriously. I kept wanting to embrace “Nowhere to Run” but the script desperately needed another rewrite.

Fortunately, the film is well cast from top to bottom. Rosanna Arquette has a mousey look that makes her believable as a lonely but good-hearted single mother. Joss Ackland, who played one of the South African bad guys in “Lethal Weapon 2” and had a role in “The Hunt For Red October,” stars as the evil land developer; it’s the kind of character he could probably play in his sleep but his raspy voice just lends itself to playing the menacing bad guy. His right hand man is played by Ted Levine, one of my favorite character actors in the world. Levine has starred in “Heat” and “The Hills Have Eyes” remake, but will probably always be most remembered for his turn as the serial killer Buffalo Bill in “Silence of the Lambs.” Levine has an intense face and that deep, warble-ly voice that just screams “evil.” To my endless delight, he has at least two scenes where he gets to play off Van Damme. Seeing these two unlikely actors cross paths is a film geek’s delight, especially the way they try to man up one another. Ted Levine even makes fun of Van Damme’s characteristic accent! It’s priceless.

Despite my qualms about the film’s laissez-faire attitude towards kids and sexual dialogue, I have to recommend “Nowhere to Run” as one of Van Damme’s stronger pictures of late 80’s to early 90’s. He’s made better films but for my money this blows the hell out of run-of-the-mill action movies like “Kickboxer,” “Lionheart,” and “Death Warrant.” Van Damme delivers a more subtle performance that befits his expressive and often melancholy-looking face. I don’t think he throws a single one of his signature spin-kicks the entire film. He must have known it would have been out of place. As mentioned, Robert Harmon was a genuinely talented filmmaker. The opening bus crash features some bravado camera angles that harken back to a similar scene in “The Hitcher”; and watch for the sequence where the camera actually pans down from a shot overlooking a blast site and ends up inside a module where a conversation is taking place. The film’s extended motorcycle chase, while a bit cheesy, is well-shot and edited with some great wide angles.

Jean Claude Van Damme released two films in 1993, which is almost unheard of for an action star these days. As others have mentioned, “Nowhere to Run” is interesting because its story most resembles a Steven Seagal film and yet it is delivered purely in the Van Damme style. In truth, this film is rather similar to the 1997 Seagal picture “Fire Down Below.” But whereas Seagal tends to play the Renaissance man (he plays guitar, he speaks multiple languages, he cares about the environment!) who can never be touched, Van Damme is vulnerable. He might take a hit, he might show a look of fear or concern for others on his face. It makes him more well-rounded and empathetic as a man of action. Typically the only thing holding Van Damme back from giving a good performance was his vanity. In “Nowhere to Run,” he seemed to have genuine chemistry with Rosanna Arquette, which strengthens the film. I wish the screenwriters had shown a bit more discerning taste but ff you’re a fan of the Muscles From Brussels, be sure to catch this flick as it’s probably the first time he got to show his acting chops more than his trademark kicks. That means “Nowhere to Run” is still one of his best.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 6.5/10

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The Vineyard DVD (Image)

The Vineyard DVD (Image)

The Vineyard DVD (Image)

RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2011

Directed by and starring James Hong (best known as David Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China). Dr. Elson Po (James Hong) is a man obsessed with the forbidden secrets of immortality. An expert in black magic, he poses as a film producer to lure young victims to his remote island. Also starring Hong Kong’s Michael Fitzgerald Wong (Beast Cops). Check out a clip here.

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

The Hills Have Eyes Unrated Collection: Parts 1 and 2 Blu-ray (Fox)

The Hills Have Eyes Unrated Collection: Parts 1 and 2 Blu-ray (Fox)

The Hills Have Eyes Unrated Collection: Parts 1 and 2 Blu-ray (Fox)

RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2011

I’m not one for remakes, but I’m down for anything with French director Alexandre Aja’s (“High Tension” aka “Haute Tension”) name in the credits. Aja’s 2010 “Piranha 3D” remake hit the spot, but there’s nothing like his version of “Hills Have Eyes”. Talk about pulling no punches.

I can only speak for the 1st one (I have yet to see Part 2, which wasn’t directed by him). You can either get it alone, or with the sequel. Alexandre Aja is currently tackling the live-action version of Japan’s “Space Adventure Cobra“.

Trailers: Hills Have Eyes | Hills Have Eyes 2

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

Biker Collection Volume 1: Angels Die Hard/Black Angels (Entertainment One)

Biker Collection Volume 1: Angels Die Hard/Black Angels (Entertainment One)

Biker Collection Volume 1: Angels Die Hard/Black Angels (Entertainment One)

RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2011

An all out “hate war” towards humanity! A carousing biker gang “The Angels” live on the edge leading to a classic confrontation with angered towns folk! A story of brutal attacks, beatings and seemingly mindless violence! Includes a remarkable 70’s hybrid Blaxploitation soundtrack and features the underground cult classic The Cigarette Song! Trailers/Clips: Angels Die Hard | Cigarette Song from The Black Angels

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

All Outta Bubblegum Presents: Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Hard Target Uncensored

Van Damme says: Don't hunt what you can't kill.

Van Damme says: Don't hunt what you can't kill.

In celebration of our “Hard Target” retrospective review, we’ve got a special treat for you die-hard John Woo fans. Movie blog All Outta Bubblegum is famous for tallying just how many bad guys the hero kills in our favorite action movies. On their “Hard Target” page, they have a video of Jean Claude Van Damme’s kills in the uncut version of the film. Their video is pieced together from the “R” rated release, the 110 minute cut of the film found on many Region 2 DVDs, and John Woo’s 116 minute workprint.

Be warned that the footage is quite graphic. You’ll see that the uncensored version of “Hard Target” brings the level of violence to almost cartoon proportions as Van Damme unloads about 30 bullets into the bad guys (no exaggeration) before delivering a spin-kick to their face with his clunky workprints. It’s awesome!

Props to All Outta Bubblegum for being the best at counting dead bad guys. Please click here to see the “Hard Target” footage.

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Hard Target (1993) Review

"Hard Target" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Hard Target” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: John Woo
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen, Arnold Vosloo, Yancy Butler, Kasi Lemmons, Chuck Pfarrer, Wilford Brimley, Robert Pavlovich
Running Time: 97 min.

By HKFanatic

Considering how much time has passed since its theatrical run and the fact that John Woo has gone on to become a Hollywood superstar, it’s easy to forget that “Hard Target” was a contentious film upon its release. Several factors were working against “Hard Target” during filming: you had uneasy producers at Universal Pictures wondering if Woo would be able to make a big-budget American flick with only a limited command of the English language (at the time). You had Van Damme back in the days when his ego was bigger than his muscles – just watch his old Arsenio Hall interviews if you don’t believe me – wanting to ensure that the movie glorified his image. And then you had poor John Woo, just trying to make a good debut film in Hollywood after passing on literally dozens of mediocre scripts. It’s a testament to Woo’s innate ability as a filmmaker that “Hard Target” turned out to be such a great action movie despite so many elements working against it.

Universal Pictures was smart in one regard: they handpicked Sam Raimi (“Evil Dead”) to shepherd Woo’s arrival into Hollywood. Raimi received an executive producer credit and was on set during filming to help Woo as needed. Universal was expecting Raimi to step in as director if there were any problems but fortunately Raimi had a great deal of respect and love for Woo’s Hong Kong work; by all accounts, Sam never had to get behind the camera. Viewers may notice that Yancy Butler’s car in the film has Michigan plates, a reference to Raimi’s home state.

The editing process on “Hard Target” was a nightmare. The MPAA kept giving John Woo grief for the onscreen violence yet never told him what scenes in particular he needed to edit. Ultimately, Woo was forced to make 20 cuts in order to secure a “R” rating for the film. To make matters worst, Van Damme and his chosen editor locked themselves in the editing bay to make their own cut of the film. The actor wanted to make sure his fans got what he assumed they wanted: his dashing good looks and rippling biceps front and center. Van Damme’s new edit gave his character more screentime even at the expense of other characters and subplots.

There are those who claim that in John Woo’s original vision of “Hard Target” Lance Henriksen’s villain was the main character, with his role and backstory fleshed out. While that would have certainly been an interesting film, fans are probably most disappointed by Woo having to tone down his signature violence. There do exist Region 2 DVDs of “Hard Target” from countries like Russia, Japan, and Australia that have 3 minutes of footage restored. 3 minutes might not sound like a lot but when you figure a John Woo movie can kill dozens of people in seconds, 3 minutes adds up. If you get the chance to see it, the uncensored violence is spectacular – with Van Damme emptying 30 bullets (no exaggeration) into some enemies before jump-kicking his workboots across their face – but, to be fair, the film works just fine in its “R”-rated form.

The screenplay for “Hard Target” by Chuck Pfarrer (who also helped write Sam Raimi’s underrated superhero film “Darkman) takes liberal inspiration from the classic short story “The Most Dangerous Game,” which you may have read in high school. Van Damme plays Chance Boudreaux, an ex-marine living in New Orleans who’s down on his luck and in need of some easy money. He meets up with Yancy Butler’s out-of-towner and she offers him a decent chunk of cash to help track down her missing father, who had become homeless. As it turns out, her pop was the victim of an illegal operation run by Lance Henriksen, which allows the privileged and wealthy to hunt vagrants in the streets for a large sum. Van Damme isn’t going to stand for that and soon the hunter – Lance’s deliciously over the top baddie – becomes the hunted.

The script for “Hard Target” has a decent amount of set-up. A good hour goes by without much action, other than a brief but beautifully-choreographed fight between Van Damme and some thugs outside a diner. The dialogue isn’t very good but what the screenplay does well is build up its villains as truly loathsome and evil human beings so that when the finale comes you can’t wait to see Van Damme kick their asses. Lance Henriksen and his right hand man, “The Mummy” actor Arnold Vosloo, seem to delight in playing sophisticated bad guys – you gotta love the scene devoted to Lance sitting at the piano before he closes his next “business” deal.

Van Damme’s never been good at delivering one-liners. His accent always seems to make him put the emphasis on the wrong words. In “Hard Target” he tells some purse snatchers, “Why don’t you take your PIG-stick and your BOYfriend, and find a bus to catch.” However, Van Damme is an underrated actor when it comes to his expressive face. Notice the look he gives Yancy Butler when she finds her father’s belongings in an abandoned shopping cart. Van Damme knows how to display vulnerability and concern with a simple look on his face, something that made him a more memorable action star than many of his peers like Arnold or Stallone.

The final 30 minutes of “Hard Target” is basically an extended chase sequence, featuring some amazing stunt work on a freeway overpass and the final shootout in a warehouse full of Mardi Gras floats. It’s during this climactic battle that Woo seems to be trying to top the warehouse sequence from “Hard Boiled.” If he doesn’t quite succeed, it’s probably because of Hollywood safety regulations rather than any lack of ambition. In 90’s Hong Kong, directors like Woo worked insane hours and stuntmen risked their life and limb for the perfect shot. In Hollywood, they have a little thing called “insurance policies” that prevent such dangerous filmmaking. And as Jackie Chan explains in his book “I Am Jackie Chan,” Hollywood will spend twenty days shooting dialogue and three days shooting action scenes; in Hong Kong, it’s the opposite.

Watch “Hard Target” enough times and John Woo’s subtle stylistic flourishes really stand out. I love the way Van Damme can’t turn around during the last act without a 4X4 truck full of bad guys careening around the corner, dudes leaning out the window with automatic weapons trained on him. Sure, Woo employs plenty of slow motion but it’s not often during instances of action; it’s in the seconds preceding or following the violence, or the little moments like when Van Damme blows the dust off his trusty old shotgun.

The production values are sky-high; I can’t really remember the last time Hollywood pumped money into a movie that featured SMG machine guns and motorcycle stunts instead of CGI. You’d probably have to go as far back as 2003 with “Bad Boys II.” And the action scenes in “Hard Target” still hold up; there are very few movies I can watch again and again and still have them thrill me like the first time, but the sight of Van Damme surfing on a motorcycle always makes me laugh so hard I cry. And as ridiculous as this scene is, I promise I’m not laughing at Van Damme – that stunt is incredibly bad-ass! Kudos to the stunt man who actually flipped himself over the hood of a 4X4.

The score from New Zealand-born composer Graeme Revell (“Dead Calm,” “The Crow“) is actually quite good and fits the action at every turn. Though I gotta say, there’s this bluesy gutiar riff that plays during Van Damme’s fight outside the diner – this riff, titled “Streetfighting” on the soundtrack, is so damn cool I wish it would have been repeated throughout the film as Chance’s ‘motif.’ Regardless, “Hard Target” continues Van Damme’s trend of working with great musicians (Mark Isham on “Nowhere to Run,” Randy Edelman on “The Quest”) and features some wonderful slide guitar work not unlike the soundtracks of composer Ry Cooder.

One of Van Damme’s lasting legacies as an actor is how he brought so many Hong Kong directors to Hollywood – Woo, Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam. Interestingly, Woo is the only one of those celebrated filmmakers who didn’t work with Van Damme again. I contend that John Woo and Van Damme were a great match for each other. Their collaboration just occurred too soon in Van Damme’s career. It wasn’t until “Maximum Risk” in 1996 that Van Damme seemed to humble himself and focus on honing his acting skills. With “Hard Target,” one gets that sense that JCVD was a little too concerned with making a glamor piece to get out of the way and let John Woo do his thing.

Funnily enough, John Woo originally wanted Kurt Russell in the main role. Can you imagine that? I’m picturing an alternate reality where Kurt Russell was the star of “Hard Target,” sort of like that scene in “Last Action Hero” where Arnold walks into Blockbuster Video and there’s a poster for “Terminator 2” with Sylvester Stallone on it. I’m sure Kurt Russell would have brought more depth to the role, but would he have brought the same physical flair and machismo as Van Damme? Maybe, maybe not.

In addition to the 100 minute cut on some foreign DVDs I mentioned, there is a 116 minute work print copy of John Woo’s cut floating around out there in the wild. This cut was never finalized so if you manage to find it, the footage will most likely look rough; there won’t be any soundtrack; and the time code will be burned into the bottom left of the picture. For hardcore Woo fans, it’s probably worth a watch at some point since subplots are developed more and all the violence is intact. This cut does deliver more on Lance Henriksen’s backstory and philosophy about hunting humans, and Jean Claude and Yancy Butler actually have a love scene. What’s potentially crucial about the deleted love scene is that JC explains more of his past and his relationship to his Uncle before he and Yancy ‘get it on.’ This would have helped the film as a whole as “Hard Target” admittedly features one of the most superficial characters of Van Damme’s entire career. I mean, the guy is basically an out-of-work seaman (yeah, yeah, ha ha funny) who decides to take down Lance Henriksen’s operation. That’s it. But I suppose with John Woo making Van Damme look like a superhero onscreen, character depth is a overrated.

I’d love to see an uncut blu-ray release of “Hard Target” in the future – if not the 116 minute cut mastered in high definition, then at least the 100 minute one found on many Region 2 DVDs. Sadly, this seems highly unlikely. It’s hard enough to get Universal to release their prestigious catalog titles like the Hitchcock movies on blu-ray, let alone a Jean Claude Van Damme picture. In the meantime, hardcore fans will have to content themselves with foreign DVDs or perhaps their worn-out VHS copies. Van Damme and John Woo have both had interesting career paths since their sole collaborative effort in 1993. You may feel that they’ve both done several films that were better (“Face Off,” perhaps?) or worse (“Paycheck“) than “Hard Target” in the intervening years, but there’s no denying that “Hard Target” features some of the most stunning action photography to ever come out of a Hollywood. And it wouldn’t have been possible without Van Damme’s physical prowess or Woo’s unique vision.

NOTE: Here’s a link to the All Outta Bubblegum blog, famous for keeping track of how many bad guys the hero kills in action films. They have a video of the uncut version of “Hard Target,” featuring some work print footage, that gives you an idea of just how violent John Woo’s un-compromised vision is: http://www.allouttabubblegum.com/main/?p=350

HKFanatic’s Rating: 9/10

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