Deal on Fire! Black Dynamite | Blu-ray | Only $6.99 – Expires soon!

Posted on January 20, 2023 by JJ Bona
"Black Dynamite" Blu-ray Cover

“Black Dynamite” Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2009’s Black Dynamite, starring martial arts sensation Michael Jai White (Blood and Bone).

Director Scott Sanders (Thick as Thieves) definitely did his homework. Meet Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White), the smoothest, baddest cat on the street. He’s a ladies’ man and the man with a plan. He’s also a former C.I.A. agent out to avenge his brother’s death. Whether he’s taking down drug dealers or sweet-talking foxy mommas, he’s the man on the streets out to stop The Man. Take a wild ride from the mean streets of the ghetto to the pool halls of the inner city, all the way to the “Honky House” with this bad-ass, tough-as-nails action hero.

Black Dynamite also stars Continue reading →

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Watch the U.S. Trailer for Takeshi Kushida’s award-winning, David Cronenberg-esque thriller ‘Woman of the Photographs’

Posted on January 19, 2023 by JJ Bona
"Woman of the Photographs" Theatrical Poster

“Woman of the Photographs” Theatrical Poster

U.S. distributor Epic Pictures/Dread will be releasing Woman of the Photographs, the 2022 debut horror film from writer/director Takeshi Kushida.

This award-winning film follows a solitary and skilled digital photographer who begins a twisted romance with a model suffering from body dysmorphia and obsessed with appearing perfect in her photos (via Deadline).

It stars Hideki Nagai (Orpheus’ Lyre), Itsuki Otaki (Tokyo Vice), Toki Koinuma (Dance with Me) and Toshiaki Inomata (Drive My Car).

Woman of the Photographs took home numerous awards in the U.S. including Best Foreign Feature at Phoenix FearCon; Best Narrative Feature at the Black Hills Film Festival; as well as the Skip City Award at Japan’s Skip City Continue reading →

Posted in News |

Actors Set for a Great 2023 

Posted on January 18, 2023 by JJ Bona

The world of movies is one that you really can’t compare to anything else. When you see a great movie for the first time, there is no feeling quite like it. It can leave a lasting memory with you that you treasure for a long time. This is why people get so excited when new movies are coming out that are meant to be very good. If you are currently not into the world of movies too much right now, then you might want to change that in 2023. 

Of course, great movies would not be possible without just as great actors. The people who the audience loves to see on the screen help to make the movie amazing. When a great movie has a fantastic lead actor, there is just no better combination. Each year, some actors have particularly good years at the box office. These actors help to define an era in cinema, and their work will never be forgotten. So, who is on course to have a great 2023? Here is a look at some of the actors who have a promising 2023. 

Margot Robbie 

Margot Robbie has become a quick fan favourite among cinema fans. From a groundbreaking performance in I, Tonya she had fans invested. Even her intense and high-stakes role in Focus would be enough to make you want to check out freeextrachips.com. However, Robbie’s work is not done at the box office by any means. One of the most anticipated movies of the year is Barbie, in which she has the lead role. This is set to smash the box office. Not to mention, she is also going to be starring in Asteroid City, which is set to release in 2023. 

Timothee Chalamet 

One of the best and brightest stars in recent years has been Timothee Chalamet. He had a great 2022 by working on projects such as Don’t Look Up and Dune, the latter of which he will reprise his role in 2023. Dune part 2 is set to release this year, and there is a lot of excitement around the title. However, Chalamet’s work is not done there. He is also going to take on the role of Willy Wonka. Chalamet will portray the character in a new way in 2023 when the film Wonka is released. 

Vin Diesel 

Vin Diesel is one of the first people you think of when it comes to action movies, and rightfully so. For years, Vin Diesel has brought excitement and chaos to the big screen. This is something he is still doing with no signs of slowing down either. Fans are going to get some Vin Diesel on the big screen this year. First of all, Vin Diesel will voice Groot in the third instalment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Then, in the summer, fans will get to see Diesel in his most iconic role when Fast X releases. It’s set to be an exciting year for movie fans.

Posted in News |

Detective vs. Sleuths (2022) Review

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Paul Bramhall
“Detective vs. Sleuths” Theatrical Poster

“Detective vs. Sleuths” Theatrical Poster

Director: Wai Ka-fai
Cast: Lau Ching-Wan, Charlene Choi, Raymond Lam, Carman Lee, Tan Kai, Carlos Chan, Kathy Yuen
Running Time: 102 min. 

By Paul Bramhall 

Practically everything about Detective vs. Sleuths on paper indicates it’s a sequel to the 2007 Milkyway classic Mad Detective. Wai Ka-Fai back in the director’s chair? Check. Lau Ching-Wan playing a mentally unbalanced but brilliant detective? Check. Mostly set at night on the streets of Hong Kong? Check. However, onscreen it soon becomes clear that it’s not. For a start, Lau Ching-Wan’s character has both of his ears, which is the first dead giveaway. So in that regard it’s more of a thematic sequel, despite the shared character traits, in many ways reminiscent of Jackie Chan’s character in 2005’s The Myth and 2017’s Kung Fu Yoga. Basically the same, and yet somehow different. If I was a cynical kind of guy I may theorize that the characters in the 2000’s productions are for a Hong Kong audience, and the characters in the post 2000’s productions are made to be digestible for Mainland distribution.

The plot sees a cop killer on the loose in Hong Kong, and while the force believe they’ve caught the murderer (a mentally challenged father who’s shot dead during an attempted arrest), Ching-Wan believes it’s a stich up and that the real murderer is still on the loose. His decision to convey his theory by gate-crashing a press conference, in which he lambasts his superiors for all to see, soon sees him released from duty. Spending the next 17 years in a downward spiral to the point he’s homeless and living beneath an underpass, Ching-wan spends his days scribbling Continue reading →

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

Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin | Blu-ray (88 Films)

Posted on January 15, 2023 by JJ Bona
Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin | Blu-ray (88 Films)

Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin | Blu-ray (88 Films)

RELEASE DATE: January 16, 2023

Goodie Emporium now has 88 Films’ newly updated Blu-ray (Region B) for the Lo Wei-produced Jackie Chan classic, Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin.

This 1978 Kung Fu film directed by Chan Chi Hwa (Shaolin Wooden Men) and also stars Nora Miao Ke Hsiu (The Skyhawk, Bruce Lee’s Deadly Fingers).

An international box office success, this all-time classic is one of Jackie Chan’s most beloved masterworks. The fights come thick and fast in this relentless tale of a wandering fighter who claims to possess a secret Shaolin technique instruction manual which everybody wants (and nobody gets). Numerous characters hunt him down and confront him for a chance to win the prized book. “A more appropriate title would be “Jackie Chan vs. The Peoples’ Republic of Continue reading →

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

Trailer for Zhang Yimou’s mystery thriller ‘Full River Red’ starring Jackson Yee, Shen Teng and Zhang Yi

Posted on January 13, 2023 by JJ Bona
"Full River Red" Teaser Poster

“Full River Red” Teaser Poster

Zhang Yimou, the acclaimed filmmaker of Hero, The Great Wall, Shadow and Cliff Walkers, is putting finishing touches on Full River Red (or “Man Jiang Hong”), an upcoming period mystery that Zhang is also co-writing with his Sniper screenwriter, Chen Yu.

The film stars Jackson Yee (Pound of Flesh, Chinese Doctors), Shen Teng (Mission Milano), Zhang Yi (Operation Red Sea), Lei Jiayin (A Writer’s Odyssey) and Yue Yunpeng (Jian Bing Man).

Full River Red, a title borrowed from a famous poem by Yue Fei, who was a military general during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Yue Fei was well-known for his patriotism, only to be framed and executed by Prime Minister Qin Hui, one of the most treacherous officials Continue reading →

Posted in News |

Silencers, The (1996) Review

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Henry McKeand
"The Silencers" Theatrical Poster

“The Silencers” Theatrical Poster

Director: Richard Pepin
Cast: Jack Scalia, Dennis Christopher, Carlos Lauchu, Lucinda Weist, Clarence Williams III, Stephen Rowe, Lance LeGault, Madison Mason, Terri Poch
Running Time: 103 min. 

By Henry McKeand

PM Entertainment always understood how to borrow the most successful elements of mainstream action cinema and synthesize them into sweaty, single-minded B-movies that somehow delivered more fireworks than tentpole films with three times their budget. If the composition of your average high-testosterone Hollywood effort was about 40% set pieces, a PM joint would manage to bump that number up to somewhere around 60%. To find this sweet spot, they treated the contemporary action landscape like a machine that could be stripped for parts; no trend or plot idea was safe.

The Silencers, a ’96 PM vehicle for Jack Scalia, is no different. Set in (you guessed it) sunny California, it looks and feels like so many other L.A.-set actioners of its time, regardless of budget. The use of a high concept sci-fi premise (here, the government’s infiltration by secretive extra-terrestrial agents) as a catalyst for copious amounts of gunfire and vehicular destruction will feel familiar to anyone who’s seen anything PM-related. Buddy cop banter and fish-out-of-water humor and divorced tough guy redemption…there isn’t a beat it doesn’t hit.

But it’s more interesting to look at how The Silencers was actually ahead of its time. That’s a sentence that probably would have surprised anyone involved in the production, but there are ideas at play here that would take cineplexes by storm Continue reading →

Posted in All, Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , |

Deal on Fire! Street Fighter SteelBook | Blu-ray | Only $19.99 – Expires soon!

Posted on January 12, 2023 by JJ Bona
Street Fighter SteelBook | Blu-ray (Mill Creek)

Street Fighter SteelBook | Blu-ray (Mill Creek)

Today’s Deal on Fire is for Mill Creek Entertainment’s SteelBook Blu-ray for Steven E. de Souza’s Street Fighter, a 1994 martial arts film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (Black Water, Bouncer).

Based on the massively popular video game franchise, this adrenaline-pumping adventure stars martial arts superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme as Colonel Guile, who leads an international strike force against the mad General M. Bison (Raul Julia – The Addams Family, Presumed Innocent).

Bison, who has hatched an evil plan for world domination, takes dozens of relief workers hostage and gives the world only 72 hours to respond to his twisted demands. In that time, Guile must find the captives and confront Bison in an electrifying battle for the fate of the free world. Along the way Guile recruits intelligence Continue reading →

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Death Knot | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Posted on January 12, 2023 by JJ Bona
Death Knot | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Death Knot | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: January 17, 2023

On January 17, 2023, Well Go USA is releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for Death Knot, a 2021 Indonesian thriller that not only stars, but also marks the directorial debut of actor Cornelio Sunny (3 Alif Lam Mim).

The exciting new wave of Indonesian cinema (The Raid, The Raid 2, Macabre, The Night Comes for Us, Killers, Impetigore, etc.) continues with this upcoming film starring Cornelio Sunny (Gundala), Morgan Oey (The Night Comes for Us), Widika Sidmore (Whipped) and Djenar Maesa Ayu (Bidadari Mencari Sayap).

Hari and her sister return to the village where they were born after the death of their mother, a practitioner of black magic. But the inexplicable suicides of several villagers cause the Continue reading →

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

Megaforce (1982) Review

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Paul Bramhall
"Megaforce" Theatrical Poster

“Megaforce” Theatrical Poster

Director: Hal Needham
Cast: Barry Bostwick, Michael Beck, Persis Khambatta, Edward Mulhare, George Furth, Henry Silva, Mike Kulcsar, Ralph Wilcox, Evan C. Kim, Anthony Pena
Running Time: 99 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Ask anyone which studio first springs to mind when thinking about Hong Kong cinema’s golden age from the 1970’s – 1990’s, and it’ll likely be Golden Harvest. The likes of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan’s best-known works are preceded by the instantly recognizable GH intro, and looking to expand their horizons, from the early 80’s the studio looked to break into the western market by either fully or co-producing a number of English language productions. Some of these proved to be successful (think the likes of The Cannonball Run flicks and Blade Runner), and others not so much (think the Keanu Reeves starring gymnastics drama Teenage Dream). By far the most unique, and some may argue memorable, of Golden Harvest’s English language output though, has to belong to 1982’s Megaforce.

A movie made in collaboration with toy maker Mattel as a kind of win-win for both companies, these days it has the distinction of being cited by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker as being the inspiration for their 2004 classic Team America: World Police. From the moment lead Barry Bostwick steps onscreen, adorned in a figure-hugging shimmery gold lycra jumpsuit that leaves little to the imagination, complete with a star-spangled banner patch embroidered on the shoulder, it’s easy to see why. Bostwick, who at this point in his career was most well known for his part in 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show, notably wouldn’t show up on the big screen Continue reading →

Posted in All, Asian Related, Golden Harvest, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , |

Sony Pictures developing a Television adaptation of Ang Lee’s martial arts masterpiece, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’

Posted on January 10, 2023 by JJ Bona
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Theatrical Poster

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” Theatrical Poster

A Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon series is in the works from Sony Pictures Television. The studio has hitched writer-producer Jason Ning (co-executive producer for the upcoming Silk: Spider Society) to develop the TV series adaptation of the action-packed box office smash from two-time Best Director Academy Award winner Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain).

The original was set against 19th-century China’s breathtaking landscape and followed two master warriors (Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh) who are put to the challenge when the treasured Green Destiny sword is stolen. A young aristocrat (Zhang Ziyi) prepares for an arranged marriage, but soon reveals her superior fighting talents and her deeply romantic past. As each warrior battles for justice, they come face to face with their worst enemy – and the inescapable, enduring power of love.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was Continue reading →

Posted in News |

Vinegar Syndrome announces Blu-ray for Ringo Lam’s 1990 all-star actioner ‘Undeclared War’

Posted on January 9, 2023 by JJ Bona
Undeclared War | Blu-ray (Vinegar Syndrome)

Undeclared War | Blu-ray (Vinegar Syndrome)

Later this month, Vinegar Syndrome will be releasing the Blu-ray Undeclared War, a 1990 Hong Kong actioner from acclaimed director Ringo Lam (Sky on Fire). The film stars Danny Lee (The Killer), Tommy Wong Kwong Leung (Madam City Hunter), Peter Liapis (Ghost Warrior), Vernon Wells (The Debt Collectors), Olivia Hussey (Romeo and Juliet) and Rosamund Kwan (The Head Hunter).

Official details:

After a Polish diplomat and his family are murdered by a radical terrorist organization, CIA agent Gary Redner tracks the violent extremist group to Hong Kong on a personal mission of revenge. Once in Hong Kong, the “rough-and-ready” Gary is reluctantly partnered with “by the book” Special Branch Inspector Continue reading →

Posted in News |

Sex and Fury (1973) Review

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Henry McKeand
"Sex and Fury" Theatrical Poster

“Sex and Fury” Theatrical Poster

Director: Norifumi Suzuki
Cast: Reiko Ike, Akemi Negishi, Ryoko Ema, Yoko Hori, Naomi Oka, Katsumasa Uchida, Rena Ichinose, Tatsuo Endō, Yōko Mihara, Christina Lindberg
Running Time: 88 min.

By Henry McKeand

While action cinema has long been criticized as pornographic in its depictions of bloodshed and weaponry, the ‘pinky violence’ films released in Japan during the 60s and 70s are early examples of filmmakers pushing that pornographic label past the figurative. Most pink films, classified by high amounts of explicit violence and nudity, remain relatively obscure outside of Japan, but there are some that have gained small cult followings in the West. 

One such film is Norifumi Suzuki’s Sex and Fury, which owes some of its lasting appeal to its purported influence on Kill Bill. There are certainly visuals and themes that will remind modern audiences of Tarantino’s epic, but Sex and Fury is a scuzzier affair than most of Kill Bill’s other Eastern influences. It’s a down-and-dirty exploitation film that also happens to be beautifully shot, and part of the appeal is Suzuki’s ability to find moments of sublimity in all of the sleaze. In this sense, it’s not hard to see why Suzuki’s work would have an effect on a wave of later filmmakers, Tarantino included, who went further in combining grindhouse subject matter with arthouse sensibilities. 

The film kicks off with the cold-hearted slaying of a detective in front of his horrified daughter, Ocho. Jumping forward in time, the rest of the plot centers around Ocho (played as an adult by pink film staple Reiko Ike) as she searches for vengeance using her skills as a swordfighter and gambler. The seemingly simple premise is complicated by a handful of B-stories introduced early on, the most notable of which being the star-crossed romance between a tormented British Continue reading →

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

Buffalo Boys, a World Kickboxing Champion and a Bond Girl: Here’s what’s on Hi-YAH for the month of January

Posted on January 8, 2023 by JJ Bona

Hi-YAH!, Well Go USA’s very own Asian/martial arts streaming channel has just announced their New Release line up for the month of January, which includes a New title added to Hi-YAH! every Friday.

If you want to give Hi-YAH! a go, visitors of this site can use the promo code “CITYONFIRE” for a FREE 30 Day trial!

Read on for the full list of New and Exclusive Continue reading →

Posted in News |

815 Pictures is releasing Hwang Jung-Min and Hyun-Bin’s thriller ‘The Point Men’ to U.S. theaters on January

Posted on January 7, 2023 by JJ Bona
"The Point Men" Theatrical Poster

“The Point Men” Theatrical Poster

On January 27, 815 Pictures is releasing The Point Men (read our review), in select theaters in the U.S. and Canada on January 27. The film stars Hwang Jung-Min (Deliver Us from Evil: The Final Cut) and Hyun-Bin (Confidential Assignment).

Korean filmmaker Yim Soonrye (Little Forest) – who is perhaps best known for her 2001 Korean New Wave hit, Waikiki Brothers, and her acclaimed documentary Keeping the Vision Alive: Women in Korean Filmmaking – dips into the action genre with this thriller that’s based on the true events of the Korean hostage crisis in Afghanistan.

The Point Men co-stars Kang Ki-Young (Exit), Lee Chun-Moo (20th Century Girl) and Cha Yu-Joo (Waiting For Rain).

In the film, a Continue reading →

Posted in News |
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