Martial arts star Scott Adkins (John Wick: Chapter 4, One More Shot, Ip Man 4: The Finale) is joining Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in RIP, an upcoming Netflix actioner from Joe Carnahan (Boss Level, Smokin’ Aces). Adkins will be playing the brother of Affleck’s Continue reading
“Devils Stay” Theatrical Poster
On December 6, 2024, Well Go USA is releasing Devils Stay to U.S. theaters. This 2024 thriller marks the feature-length debut from writer-director Hyun Moon-Sub, who is perhaps best known for penning the Nightmare High South Korean TV series.
Devils Stay stars Park Shin-Yang (The Uninvited), Lee Min-Ki (For the Emperor) and Lee Re (Peninsula).
In the film, a heart specialist doubts his daughter’s death after an exorcism, believing her heart still beats. Amid her three-day funeral, he and a priest clash over the truth, each trying to prove their stance and potentially save her life.
Watch Well Go USA’s New Continue reading
RELEASE DATE: February 25, 2025
On February 25, 2025, Radiance Films is releasing the Blu-ray (Region B) for a double feature from director Patrick Tam Kar-Ming (The Sword) that includes 1982’s Nomad and 1989’s My Heart is That Eternal Rose.
An icon of the Hong Kong New Wave and mentor to Wong Kar-wai, Patrick Tam worked with icons including Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love), Leslie Cheung (Onc e A Thief), Kenny Bee (Armour of God) and others in these two inimitable Continue reading
Love Unto Waste | Blu-ray (88 Films)
RELEASE DATE: January 20, 2025
On January 20, 2025, 88 Films is releasing the Blu-ray (Region B) for for Rouge, a 1986 film directed by Stanley Kwan (Centre Stage) that stars Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (My Heart is that Eternal Rose), Chow Yun-Fat (The Head Hunter), Elaine Jin (Beijing Love Story) and Irene Wan Pik-Ha (Bloody Brotherhood).
In this 1986 masterpiece by acclaimed director Stanley Kwan, Love Unto Waste is a moody blend of romance, mystery, and urban tension. Tony Leung stars as a listless young man drifting through the glamorous yet hollow nightlife of 1980s Hong Kong. When his close friend is found murdered, Tony and his friends find themselves entangled in an emotional and psychological struggle to make sense of their shattered lives.
Chow Yun-Fat delivers Continue reading
Rouge | Blu-ray (88 Films)
RELEASE DATE: January 20, 2025
On January 20, 2025, 88 Films is releasing the Blu-ray (Region B) for Rouge, a 1987 film directed by Stanley Kwan (Centre Stage) and produced by Jackie Chan (Miracles).
Cantopop superstars Anita Mui (Drunken Master II) and Leslie Cheung (Double Tap) display their iconic androgynous magnetism as doomed lovers in this emblematic film of Hong Kong’s Second New Wave, directed by pioneering queer melodrama master Stanley Kwan.
Rouge bridges past and present in its tragic romance between a humble courtesan and the wayward scion of a wealthy family, who embrace death by suicide pact amid the opulent teahouses of 1930s Hong Kong. Fifty years later, she returns to the city-state to find him, drawing a young contemporary Continue reading
The Lady Assassin | Blu-ray (88 Films)
RELEASE DATAE: February 25, 2025
On February 25, 2025, 88 Films is releasing the Blu-ray (Region A/B) for The Lady Assassin, a 1983 Shaw Brothers martial arts actioner from director Tony Lou Chun-Ku (The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead).
The film stars Anthony Lau (To Kill of Jaguar), Leanne Lau Suet-Wah (The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter), Max Mok Siu-Chung (Outlaw Brothers), Norman Tsui Siu-Keung (The Sword), Jason Pai Piao (Shaolin Intruders), Ku Feng (The Jade Raksha) and Daisy Cheung King-Yu (The Drummer).
From Hong Kong’s legendary Shaw Brothers studio comes a blood-drenched story of ninjas, eunuchs and dark palace intrigue: the old emperor is on his last legs, and his most ambitious and amoral son plots to cheat his way to the throne. But taking Continue reading
“Diablo” Teaser Poster
Director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza (Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman) and Chilean martial arts sensation Marko Zaror (Invincible) – the creative duo who previously worked together on 2006’s Kiltro, 2007’s Mirageman, 2009’s Mandrill, 2014’s Redeemer, and the recent, The Fist of the Condor – are reuniting for Diablo. Zaror’s Undisputed 3: Redemption, Savage Dog, John Wick: Chapter 4 co-star, Scott Adkins (Ip Man 4, Max Cloud), headlines the devilish fun.
Kris Chaney (Adkins) released from prison, on a mission to fulfill a promise but finds himself in danger when he kidnaps Elisa. El Corvo (Zaror), a psychopathic killer joins the hunt not for the money but for his own vengeance against Vicente’s family.
The film also stars Diana Continue reading
Shaw Bothers Classics: Volume 5 | Blu-ray (Shout!)
RELEASE DATE: January 14, 2025
On January 14, 2025, Shout! Factory will be releasing Shaw Bothers Classics: Volume 15, an 11-film Blu-ray (Region A) collection that will include 1967’s The Silent Swordsman, 1967’s Rape of the Sword, 1968’s The Fastest Sword, 1969’s Twin Blades of Doom, 1969’s Twelve Deadly Coins, 1969’s Vengeance Is a Golden Blade, 1970’s The Iron Buddha, 1970’s A Taste of Cold Steel, 1971’s The Jade Faced Assassin, 1971’s Mission Impossible and 1971’s Six Assassins.
Leap into action and adventure once again with another 11 classic martial arts films from the famous Shaw Brothers’ library. Focusing on the Shaws’ output from the late sixties and early seventies, this thrilling boxset includes many films appearing for the first time on Blu-ray. From swordplay to hand-to-hand Continue reading
Hokuriku Proxy War | Blu-ray (Radiance)
RELEASE DATE: February 25, 2025
On February 25, 2025, Radiance Films is releasing the Blu-ray (Region A/B) for Hokuriku Proxy War, a 1977 thriller from director Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale, The Green Slime, New Battles Without Honor and Humanity).
Loose-cannon gangster Kawada rebels when his two-timing boss forms an alliance with a major crime syndicate. The syndicate’s main rivals see Kawada as their perfect proxy, but his furious temper quickly rubs them the wrong way, leaving Kawada to face overwhelming forces.
Fukasaku’s final yakuza film features some of the strongest women’s roles in his career, plus a raucous central performance from Hiroki Matsukata (Cops vs Thugs) and support from Continue reading
“100 Yards” Theatrical Poster
Director: Xu Haofeng
Co-director: Xu Junfeng
Cast: Jacky Heung, Andy On, Bea Hayden Kuo, Li Yuan, Shiyi Tang, Kevin Lee, Brono Bajtala
Running Time: 109 min.
By Paul Bramhall
There’s a strong argument to be had for Xu Haofeng being the greatest kung-fu cinema director of the 21st century. When Haofeng made his directorial debut with The Sword Identity in 2012 he was billed as the writer of Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmaster (which ironically at the time was yet to be released), however such was the strength of his debut that he was soon recognized as an established director in his own right. Typically blending themes based on the rules that govern the martial arts world, and imbuing them with a sense of everyday reality, Haofeng’s ability to create works that feel grounded yet poetic has become one of his defining traits.
In modern day China though dealing with the world the wuxia genre operates in comes with its own risks, with it by nature having an element of the political in its tales of rival clans and individualistic aspirations. With the shakeups that took place in the latter 2010’s around how productions have to pass the censorship board, and President Xi Jinping’s own speech that declared the film industry should make “patriotism the main theme of literary and artistic Continue reading
China O’Brien 1 & 2 | 4K UHD (Eureka)
Today’s Deal on Fire is Eureka’s 4K Ultra HD for 1990’s China O’Brien and 1991’s China O’Brien, two Golden Harvest cult martial arts classics starring the one, the only Cynthia Rothrock (Manhattan Chase, Blonde Fury).
The inimitable martial arts superstar Cynthia Rothrock stars in two of the most gloriously entertaining films of her career!
In China O’Brien, city cop and formidable martial artist Lori “China” O’Brien (Rothrock) is forced to resign from the force and return home to a small Utah town after her involvement in an accidental death. But upon arrival in Beaver Creek, she finds that her lawman father – Sheriff John O’Brien (David Blackwell) – is desperately trying to bring down local crime boss Edwin Continue reading
Love and Crime | Blu-ray (88 Films)
RELEASE DATE: January 21, 2025
On January 21, 2025, 88 Films is releasing the Blu-ray (Region A) for Love and Crime, a 1969 Japanese cult thriller from director Teruo Ishii (Blind Woman’s Curse).
Japan’s legendary “King of Cult” Teruo Ishii (Horrors of Malformed Men, Shogun’s Joy of Torture) delivers four dramatized tales of real-life crimes of passion involving women across the ages in this grotesque anthology featuring the stories of the “Hotel Nihonkaku Murders”, the notorious “poison wife” and last woman in Japan to be executed by beheading, Oden Takahashi, the brutal serial killer Yoshio Kodaira and the story of Sada Abe, the infamous castratice featured in Nagisa Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses.
88 Films is proud Continue reading
Nothing quite beats settling down to a movie franchise you know you’ll love, and Mission: Impossible provides the perfect weekend binge for many film lovers. While not every installment has been worthy of high praise, these films deliver all of the things that fans love most – death-defying stunts, sleek car races, and gadgets galore.
Yet, as it stands, Paramount seems pretty set that the franchise will end with the 8th film, Mission: Impossible – Fallout. So where does that leave fans? Luckily, there are some high-grossing franchises out there that could help to fill the Mission: Impossible hole, and we’re going to consider them here.
The ‘Bond’ Franchise
While both franchises have their differences, the Bond films are another classic spy go-to that can provide those car chases and gadgets that you love so much. What’s more, with an impressive 25 films to keep you going, Bond is sure to keep you busy for a long time.
Admittedly, a lot of the older Bond films might not keep you on the edge of your seat quite like Mission: Impossible, but newer launches like Skyrim (2012) seem to have taken inspiration from Mission: Impossible in terms of stunt choreography. Out of the older Bond films, Golden Eye (1995) is a fantastic choice. This film came out just a few months before the first Mission: Impossible, and is famed for stunts that include helicopter theft and even a car chase with a tank!
The ‘Bourne’ Franchise
The Bourne franchise sits more closely to the Bond films than Mission: Impossible ever attempted to do, but these are still well worth watching in their own right. All five movies are especially comparable to Mission: Impossible thanks to their use of real stunts and the shaky cam style that Mission: Impossible fans will recognize.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) is generally considered to be the best film in this franchise and is loved for a detailed, fast-paced plot that’s sure to make your spy movie-loving heart happy.
The Alien Films
Now that we’ve covered the most obvious Mission: Impossible comparable franchises, it’s time to think outside of the box, and the Alien films are the perfect place to start. Sure, you’ll need to suspend your love for car chases in place of alien appearances, but these films will inevitably get your heart racing just the same.
Forget Cruise’s death-defying race around Paris in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the Alien films are all about subtle tension. In fact, you don’t actually see the alien all that much in the first film, Alien (1979). Yet, in a stroke of genius, these films are every bit as tension-filled as a spy thriller ever could be.
Harry Potter
If you thought the Alien films were a little left-field, then the Harry Potter franchise could feel like a leap for your next film pick. However, there are some surprising crossovers for these films, not least pretty similar themes across their plot lines. More incidentally, both franchises also feature a total of 8 films, the last of which are feature-length two-parters. Both films also used Norwegian filming locations, if that happens to be a selling point for you.
In terms of the watching experience, Harry Potter is a great next option purely because it’s incredibly bingeable – just like Mission: Impossible. You’ll certainly want to make sure you have access to all 8 films when you get down to choosing where to watch Harry Potter as, just like with the Mission: Impossible films, you’ll be on the edge of your seat and desperate to know what happens next.
The Hunger Games
We’ve covered Harry Potter, so why not The Hunger Games? This franchise was huge when it launched back in 2012, and the launch of the prequel last year went down equally well. But, we know what you’re thinking – what does a dystopian young adult series have to do with Mission: Impossible?
In reality, not much, but you’re sure to find a similar thrill in these films as you do when watching a quality Mission: Impossible movie. This is especially true of the first two films in the franchise – The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as they see us entering an arena where kids are literally playing to the death. Katniss and Peeta can only survive by pulling out espionage and cunning that would surely make Tom Cruise proud.
There might not be another franchise quite like Mission: Impossible, but all of these options will do a pretty good job of filling that Cruise-shaped hole in your life.
Hi-YAH!, Well Go USA’s very own Asian/martial arts streaming channel has just announced their New Releases for the month of November
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
“Tai Chi Master” Theatrical Poster
On November 12, 2024, Well Go USA Entertainment is releasing The Tai Chi Master on Digital. Directed by Siyu Cheng (The Grandmaster of Kung Fu) and Zhenzhao Lin (Detective Dee’s Hell Road), this martial arts fantasy stars Wu Yue (Paradox, Sakra, Ip Man 4, The Brink), Yan Liu (Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy) and Mingcan Zhang (Restart the Earth).
Read the official plot below:
In the strife of the Song Dynasty’s end, Zhang Sanfeng forges Tai Chi amid sect wars and demonic intrigue. At the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, as the country was troubled by domestic and foreign aggression, foreign countries were eyeing the dynasty, trying to invade the Central Plains. One day, when the foreign enemies attacked the city, Zhang Junbao, a disciple of the Wuji faction, turned Continue reading
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