The wild west just got wilder with Alexander Nevsky’s ‘Taken from Rio Bravo’ featuring Don ‘The Dragon’ Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock

"Gunfight At Rio Bravo" Poster

“Gunfight At Rio Bravo” Poster

Writer/director Joe Cornet, who is known for his output of low budget Western thrillers that include 2018’s A Prayer for the Damned and 2020’s Incident at Guilt Ridge, recently wrapped production on Taken from Rio Bravo, the sequel to the soon-to-be-released Gunfight At Rio Bravo.

Taken from Rio Bravo stars returning leading man Alexander Nevsky (Showdown in Manila, Maximum Impact), as the mysterious Russian gunslinger who, in the first film, aids a marshal (Olivier Gruner) and a sheriff (Joe Cornet) in a standoff with a bloodthirsty outlaw gang known as The Hellhounds.

For Taken from Rio Bravo, the Russian cowboy (Nevsky) is back, and this time he’s up against a group of sadistic human traffickers who plan to market their Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! Dragons Forever SteelBook | Blu-ray | Only $19.99 – Expires soon!

Today’s Deal on Fire is for 88 Films Blu-ray for Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao’s 1988 classic Dragons Forever, in a special Limited Edition 2-Disc Steelbook.

Attention U.S. buyers: Please note that this is a Region B (UK) release, so a multi-region Blu-ray player or multi-region UHD Blu-ray player is required to play this movie (standard U.S. players will not play the discs). 

Hotshot lawyer Jackie Lung (Jackie Chan) is hired to defend the owner of a factory which, unbeknownst to him, is the centre of a clandestine narcotics syndicate. He enlists resourceful acquaintances Wong Fei-Hung (Sammo Hung) and Dung Dak-Biu (Yuen Biao) to assist in the case, but loyalties begin to falter when romance blossoms between Continue reading

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Watch the action packed Trailer for the Jamie Foxx vampire thriller ‘Day Shift’ with Snoop Dogg and featuring Scott Adkins

"Day Shift" Poster

“Day Shift” Poster

On August 12, Netflix is releasing Day Shift, the directorial debut of J.J. Perry (Bloodsport III), who is best known for his second-unit director and stunt coordinator for The ShepherdBullet to the Head and the John Wick franchise.

In the film, Jamie Foxx (Sleepless) plays a hard-working, blue-collar dad who just wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted daughter, but his mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income, hunting and killing vampires as part of an international union of vampire hunters (via THR).

Martial arts star Scott Adkins (Legacy of Lies, Dead Reckoning, Ip Man 4: The Finale) and hip-hop star Snoop Dogg are part of an ensemble cast that includes Meagan Good, Karla Souza, Eric Lange, Zion Broadnax, Dave Continue reading

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VR Fighter | aka One More Shot (2021) Review

"VR Fighter" Theatrical Poster

“VR Fighter” Theatrical Poster

Director: Tang Qiaojia
Cast: Fan Siu-Wong, Yiyi Jiang, Diego Dati, Jiang Yi-Yi, Wang Zhipeng, Song Ziqiao, Tang Hu
Running Time: 80 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The web movie has become something of a cultural phenomenon in China. While what can be considered the first official Chinese web movie is up for debate, it’s a trend which has continued to grow at a rapid rate since their inception in the mid-2010’s. Fuelled by the trifactor of a rapid uptake in smartphones, a successful 4G network rollout, and the boom of online payment systems like Alipay, the number of web movies being produced per year in China currently sits in the hundreds. While it’s easy to disregard such output – these are ultimately throwaway productions that don’t go beyond 80 minutes, likely to be watched on a smartphone during a commute to work – the Chinese web movie industry has also become a place that Hong Kong stars of yesteryear can continue to find work.

One such former star is Fan Siu-Wong. Known for his roles in the likes of cult classic Story of Ricky and Ip Man, after an embarrassing turn as a gay butler who lusts after Lee Min-ho in 2016’s horrendous Bounty Hunters, Siu-Wong threw himself into the world of web movies like they were going out of fashion. Since 2018 he’s headlined the likes of Wolves Action 2, Taoist Master, The Bravest Escort Group, The Bravest Escort Group 2: Howling Wind, Monster Undersea, Monster Undersea 2, Southern Shaolin, and Special Mission – it’s possible to go on. The nature of web movies needing to hold a viewer’s attention, and resist the temptation to tap into TikTok or Instagram, has seen the kung fu and monster genres come to the fore, with Siu-Wong frequently dabbling Continue reading

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Witch: Part 2. The Other One, The (2022) Review

"The Witch: Part 2. The Other One" Theatrical Poster

“The Witch: Part 2. The Other One” Theatrical Poster

Director: Park Hoon-Jung
Cast: Shin Shi-A, Park Eun-Bin, Seo Eun-Su, Jin Goo, Sung Yoo-Bin, Lee Jong-Suk, Jo Min-Soo
Running Time: 137 min.

By Paul Bramhall

At the end of my review for 2018’s The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, I finished up by saying “If we do get another round of witchery, here’s hoping Hoon-jung go’s for a less is more approach, with more focus on being lean and mean, and less on everything else.” The line was in reference to many of the superfluous plot threads that populated the 125 minutes runtime, and now in 2022 we finally have the follow-up in the form of The Witch: Part 2. The Other One (a completely non-ironic title, I should point out). The only assumption I can safely make is that director and scriptwriter Park Hoon-jung didn’t read my review, as the sequel clocks in at an even longer 137 minutes.

It’s been almost 10 years since Hoon-jung marked himself as a director to keep an eye on with the release of his sophomore feature The New World, and while arguably none of his subsequent efforts have matched the gritty gangster thriller, that hasn’t stopped him from becoming the busiest director in Korea. Never going longer than 2 years without having a new big budget production hitting local cinema screens, some of Hoon-jung’s trademarks have become a fondness for blood shed (seemingly the messier the better), and an apparent allergy to runtimes of less than 2 hours. Following the first instalment of The Witch in 2018, Hoon-jung returned Continue reading

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VR Fighter | DVD (4Digital Media)

"VR Fighter" Theatrical Poster

“VR Fighter” Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2022

Hong Kong action star Fan Siu Wong (Attrition, Righting WrongsRiki-Oh: The Story of Ricky) is making his way into U.S. territory with Tang Qiaojia’s VR Fighter (aka One More Shot), a 2021 Chinese sci-fi action film arriving to DVD and VOD in October by way of 4Digital Media.

In a future city with highly developed technology, Special Forces Team leader Long Wei (Siu-Wong Fan) quits his job after a disastrous mission where none of his men survived. His family were also subject to a brutal attack where he loses his wife and his daughter is injured, so he decides to takes her to live in seclusion overseas. But after those traumatic experiences, he´s asked to enrol into a high-tech military program, testing virtual reality products – almost indestructible exoskeleton suits. At the same time this occurs, a group Continue reading

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Baby Assassins, Angela Mao, Scott Adkins and more! Here’s what’s on Hi-YAH for the month of July!

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 July, 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 titles Continue reading

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Bring Him Back Dead | DVD (Uncork’d)

“Bring Him Back Dead” Theatrical Poster

“Bring Him Back Dead” Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: August 2022

Martial arts star Gary Daniels (City HunterBloodmoon, The Expendables) returns in Mark Savage’s Bring Him Back Dead, an upcoming actioner coming to Digital and DVD in August from Uncork’d Entertainment.

The film also stars Louis Mandylor (The Debt Collector), Daniel Baldwin (John Carpenter’s Vampires), Cuyle Carvin (America Made) and Katie Keene (Rogue Warfare: The Hunt).

In Bring Him Back Dead, a violent gang of criminals is ordered, after a botched heist, to track down and eliminate the man who betrayed them and ran off with their loot. Daniels plays the “anti-hero,” while Mandylor plays the leader of the gang and Baldwin a man with mysterious motives.

The movie is a co-production Continue reading

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Shogun’s Samurai | Blu-ray (Discotek Media)

Shogun’s Samurai | Blu-ray (Discotek Media)

Shogun’s Samurai | Blu-ray (Discotek Media)

RELEASE DATE: September 27, 2022

On September 27, 2022, Discotek Media is releasing a Blu-ray for Shogun’s Samurai (aka Yagyu Clan Conspiracy or Intrigue of the Yagyu Clan), a 1978 film from Kinji Fukasaku (The Green Slime, Battle Royal).

The film stars Yorozuya Kinnosuke (Lone Wolf and Cub), Sonny Chiba (Fighting Fist) and Hiroki Matsukata (Cops vs. Thugs).

Read the details:

Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Continue reading

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Roundup, The | aka The Outlaws II (2022) Review

"The Roundup" Theatrical Poster

“The Roundup” Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Sang-yong
Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Son Suk-Ku, Choi Gwi-Hwa, Park Ji-Hwan, Heo Dong-Won, Ha-Joon, Jeong Jae-Kwang, Eum Moon-Suk, Nam Moon-Chul, Park Ji-Young
Running Time: 106 min.

By Paul Bramhall 

Burly Korean actor Ma Dong-seok’s popularity skyrocketed after his supporting turn as a zombie bashing protective husband in 2016’s Train to Busan, leading to him featuring in a whopping 13 productions from 2017 – 2019, over half of which he was the star. While many hoped (myself included) to see a combination of Korea’s love for violent and gritty gangster flicks combined with Dong-seok’s powerful physical presence, it turned out not to be a given, with Dong-seok’s own admittance that he’s not really a fan of overly violent cinema. So while movies like Unstoppable, The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, and Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos may have all been perfectly serviceable, there was always the nagging thought of how much more entertaining they’d be if Dong-seok really got to let loose. 

Thankfully in 2017 director Kang Yoon-sung got the balance just right with The Outlaws, casting Dong-seok as a roguish detective in a story based on the real life Heuksapa Incident from 2007 (although The Outlaws is notably set in 2004), in which axe wielding Chinese-Korean gangsters went on the rampage throughout the Garibong area of Seoul. Dong-seok’s character played to all of his strengths – his obvious physical power, a gift for comic timing, and a quietly affecting charm underneath all of the machismo. In a period that arguably risked Dong-seok becoming overexposed, The Outlaws easily stands out as his best movie, and after a couple of years out of the spotlight (save of course, for his Hollywood debut in Marvel’s The Eternals) it’s appropriate that his return Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! World of Wong Kar Wai Collection | Blu-ray | Only $99.89 – Expires soon!

World of Wong Kar Wai | Blu-ray (Criterion)

World of Wong Kar Wai | Blu-ray (Criterion)

Today’s Deal on Fire is for Criterion Collection’s 7-film collection World of Wong Kar Wai, which includes the New 4K Restorations of As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love and 2046 – all approved by director Wong Kar Wai.

Read on for the the full official details:

With his lush and sensual visuals, pitch-perfect soundtracks, and soulful romanticism, Wong Kar Wai has established himself as one of the defining auteurs of contemporary cinema. Joined by such key collaborators as cinematographer Christopher Doyle; editor and production and costume designer William Chang Suk Ping; and actors Tony Leung Chiu Wai Continue reading

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Righting Wrongs | Blu-ray (Vinegar Syndrome)

Righting Wrongs | Blu-ray (Vinegar Syndrome)

Righting Wrongs | Blu-ray (Vinegar Syndrome)

RELEASE DATE: July 26, 2022

On July 26, 2022, Vinegar Syndrome is releasing a Blu-ray (Region A) for Righting Wrongs (aka Above the Law), a 1986 Hong Kong film directed by Corey Yuen (No Retreat, No Surrender II) and starring Yuen Biao (Circus Kids) and Cynthia Rothrock (Shanghai Express).

Note: 88 Films is also releasing a Deluxe Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-ray (Region B) in September 26, 2022.

The film also stars Melvin Wong (Run and Kill), Wu Ma (Showdown at the Cotton Mill), Fan Siu Wong (Attrition), James Tien (The Tattooed Dragon), Karen Sheperd (The Shinobi Ninja), Roy Chiao (The Protector) and Peter Cunningham (No Retreat, No Surrender).

Yuen Biao is a prosecutor Continue reading

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Andy Lau re-teams with ‘Chasing the Dragon’ filmmaker for ‘Sneak’ co-starring Eddie Peng, Simon Yam and Gordon Lam

"Chasing the Dragon" Teaser Poster

“Chasing the Dragon” Teaser Poster

Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau (The White Storm 2: Drug Lords) is re-teaming with director Jason Kwan (A Nail Clipper Romance) for Sneak, an upcoming crime thriller that tells the story of an undercover cop who gets wrapped up with a high-tech narcotics crime ring in Hong Kong.

Kwan is perhaps best-known for co-directing 2017’s Chasing the Dragon, as well as its 2019 “unconnected” follow up, Chasing the Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch, with legendary Hong Kong director, Wong Jing (The Saint of Gamblers).

Sneak also stars Eddie Peng (Hidden Man), Simon Yam (Black Cat), Gordon Lam Ka Tung (Hand Rolled Cigarette), Kent Cheng (Ip Man 4: The Finale), and features action by noted Hong Kong heavies, Dion Lam (League of Gods) and Continue reading

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5 Great Games Adapted into Movies

Movies and games are an enormous part of popular culture, so it makes sense that games have made their way onto the big screen – and vice versa. There have been tremendous successes and a couple of unadmirable flops, but what do you expect when you’re turning mindless FPS games into movies (Doom)? With this in mind, we dive into five great games adapted into movies. 

Poker

Okay, so poker itself hasn’t been turned into a movie – although it would make for a fun animated movie similar to Sausage Party. However, there are plenty of movies entirely based around poker, with our favorite being Molly’s Game. The film is based on Molly Bloom, who was an Olympic skier turned high-stakes poker game runner who quickly became an FBI person of interest. If you haven’t watched it already, you should put it on your list. You can get in the mood for the game by practicing your poker face – Gamble Online will tell you where you can play the world’s favorite card game safely. 

Tomb Raider

Your favorite rock climbing, villain fighting, and treasure hunting protagonist, Lara Croft, is the reason for Tomb Rader’s enormous commercial success. The game was first released on PlayStation back in 1996, and only five years later, Angelina Jolie brought Croft to life on the big screen, which was a raging success. The Tomb Raider reboot turned Alicia Vikander into Lara Croft in 2018. A sequel is in the works, but significant delays mean it won’t be arriving anytime soon.  

Doom

Doom is a fantastic game franchise that involves mindlessly shooting hordes of aliens. In 2005, Doom was turned into a movie with a budget of $65 million. Unfortunately, the film bombed hard at the box office and couldn’t even make a profit, which is disappointing despite the involvement of Karl Urban and Dwayne Johnson. 

Sonic The Hedgehog

Whether you enjoy gaming or not, there’s no denying that Sonic the Hedgehog is a huge hit. The game franchise is enormous, with a staggering estimate of 90 games of speedy fun. In February 2020, after a series of meme-spawning design flaws, live-action Sonic raced onto the big screen for the first time in history. If you enjoyed the first movie and you’re ready for more, you will be happy to know that Sonic 2 is due to release on 1st April 2022, and he’s bringing Tails and Knuckles along for the ride. 

Mortal Kombat

No game-to-movie list would be complete without Mortal Kombat, which was first turned into a move back in 1995. Unfortunately, the movies weren’t that great despite the commissioning of a second movie. Fortunately, after years of licensing-related trauma, the franchise was rebooted, and the first new movie released in 2021 – a must-see for fans of Scorpion and Sub-Zero.

Games have been turning into movies for around 30 years, and there are no signs of it slowing down, with Uncharted just around the corner. Whether you enjoy gaming or not, you should make sure you put most of these titles into your watchlist. 

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Paramount and Stallone’s Balboa Productions are developing a U.S. remake of ‘The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil’ with Ma Dong-seok (aka Don Lee) reprising his role from the original

"The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" Theatrical Poster

“The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil” Theatrical Poster

Paramount Pictures is developing a U.S. remake of the 2019 South Korean crime thriller The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil (read our review), with original star Ma Dong-seok, aka Don Lee (Derailed, Unstoppable), reprising his lead role from the original film, which was directed by Lee Won-Tae (Man of Will).

The original film centered around a crime boss Jang Dong-su (Lee), who – after having barely surviving an attack by an elusive serial killer – finds himself forming an unlikely partnership with local detective Jung Tae-seok (Kim Moo Yul, Illang: The Wolf Brigade) to catch a sadistic killer.

Lee, whose acting credits also include Disney/Marvel’s Eternals and Korean blockbusters Train to Busan and The Roundup, is also producing under his U.S banner Gorilla 8 Productions; and alongside Chris Continue reading

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