cityonfire.com | Movie News & Developments |
- Firestorm | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
- Ryuhei Kitamura makes his grand return to Japanese cinema with ‘Lupin the Third’
- Baby Blues | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
- Rain joins forces with Bruce Willis in the action thriller ‘The Prince’
- From Vegas to Macau | aka The Man from Macau (2014) Review
- New photos of ‘The Raid 2′s’ Yayan Ruhian in Takashi Miike’s ‘Yakuza Apocalypse’
| Firestorm | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA) Posted: 25 Jun 2014 01:59 PM PDT  "Firestorm" Chinese Theatrical Poster RELEASE DATE: September 23, 2014 Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Firestorm, starring Andy Lau (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame). This high-octane action/thriller is set in modern day Hong Kong. It follows Lau as a senior police inspector out to bring a vicious gang of thieves to justice. Firestorm (read our review) arrives from screenwriter-turned-director Alan Yuen, whose previous script credits include such titles as New Police Story and Shaolin. Watch the trailer. Pre-order Firestorm from Amazon.com today! |
| Ryuhei Kitamura makes his grand return to Japanese cinema with ‘Lupin the Third’ Posted: 25 Jun 2014 01:40 PM PDT  "Lupin the Third" Japanese Theatrical Poster When Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura made the transition to Hollywood and began directing low-budget horror fare like Midnight Meat Train and No One Lives, fans were eager enough to see what the talented filmmaker threw our way…but deep down, most were waiting for Kitamura to return to Japan and get back to reinventing action cinema with films like Versus and Azumi. Well, it appears that Kitamura is back in his native country and his first project is a live-action adaptation of the popular and long-running manga/anime series Lupin the Third. Lupin the Third, or Lupin III as it’s often known, follows the gentleman thief Arsene Lupin III and his many colorful allies as they steal valuable items all over the globe. The trailer for Kitamura’s live-action film is here, and it promises to deliver plenty of over-the-top setpieces and diverse characters. Could this be the dazzling return to form that Ryuhei Kitamura’s fans have been waiting for? Thanks to Twitch for the news. |
| Baby Blues | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA) Posted: 25 Jun 2014 01:39 PM PDT  "Baby Blues" Chinese Theatrical Poster RELEASE DATE: September 2, 2014 Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Baby Blues, directed by Leong Po Chih (Hong Kong 1941). When a young couple moves into a home, they find a doll that changes their lives forever (and not in a good way). Originally released in 3D during its 2013 theatrical release, Baby Blues is bound to please The Ring and The Conjuring fans. Baby Blues stars Raymond Lam (Saving General Yang), Kate Tsui (14 Blades), Karena Ng (Hotel Deluxe), Lo Hoi Pang (Rigor Mortis) and Janelle Sing Kwan (Z Storm). Watch the trailer. Pre-order Baby Blues from Amazon.com today! |
| Rain joins forces with Bruce Willis in the action thriller ‘The Prince’ Posted: 25 Jun 2014 12:59 AM PDT  "The Prince" Theatrical Poster Brian A. Miller (Officer Down) is set to begin production on the action thriller The Prince, which features an all-star cast that includes Bruce Willis (Die Hard 6), John Cusack (Love & Mercy) 50 Cent (Get Rich or Die Tryin’), Jason Patric (Narc), South Korean superstar Rain (Ninja Assassin) and Johnathon Schaech (Doom Generation). The plot for The Prince, written by Andre Fabrizio and Jeremy Passmore (2012′s Red Dawn), is as follows: A retired Las Vegas crime boss is forced to return to the city, and face his former enemies, when his teenage daughter goes missing. According to Variety, The Prince starts shooting the day after Thanksgiving in Alabama. We’ll keep you posted as we get the updates. Update: It’s been at least half a year since we’ve heard anything about The Prince, but a trailer has surfaced online. The film receives a limited theatrical and On Demand release this August 22nd. |
| From Vegas to Macau | aka The Man from Macau (2014) Review Posted: 25 Jun 2014 12:51 AM PDT  "From Vegas To Macau" Chinese Theatrical Poster Director: Wong Jing By oneleaf The Man from Macau (aka From Vegas to Macau) stars Chow Yun-Fat (The Monkey King) as "Magic Hands" Ken, a highly-skilled, legendary gambler (conman) with lightning fast hands and the ability to literally "feel" the suits on the cards. The film reunites Chow with prolific writer/producer/director Wong Jing. There are obvious similarities between Chow's character Ken, and another legendary character, Ko Chun, from the God of Gamblers (1989) and Return of God of Gamblers (1994) – two titles made famous by Chow and Jing. The similarities are a recurring gag that alludes throughout The Man from Macau. The plot is simple. Ken, along with Cool (Nicholas Tse from The Bullet Vanishes) and his cousin Carl (Chapman To from Men Suddenly in Black), get caught up in espionage and danger when they unwittingly become involved in bringing down a money-laundering criminal named Mr. Ko (Hu Gao from The Bullet Vanishes), the head of DOA. The Man from Macau is heavy on slow motion, CGI and slapstick comedy. The cinematography and sound are top notch. The set design is impeccable; especially Ken's home, which used to be a Portuguese library with its high vaulted ceiling, beautiful wood bookcases, eclectic hardwood floor, and thin curved metal staircases. The film is visually dazzling with its flying dice and semi-levitating/gold-plated cards being flung around like shiruken (ninja stars). Most of the comedy involves Chapman To. As usual, he’s unny in a nonsensical way. Unfortunately, his scenes don’t add much to the overall flow, as he repeatedly shouts "production by Wong Jing" throughout the film. Tse’s character looks disinterested throughout much of the film. He’s just there looking bored. Despite being a capable actor, his character is very under-developed. He yearns to become Ken's protégé and son-in-law, but these two thematic elements could have been explored a bit more. Instead, they were superficial and went nowhere. Max Zhang (from The Grandmaster) as Ko's bodyguard/assassin is a very proficient wushu practitioner and his skills are evident in his fight scenes with Lionel (Phillip Ng from Bodyguards and Assassins). Unfortunately, Zhang is given very little to do nor say other than trying to look menacing. The choreography by Nicky Lee (Chung Chi Li) and Wong Wai-Leung are pretty good. One of the highlights: A scene where Rainbow bounces around on two giant cables, a la Cirque du Soleil-style. However, any action scene involving Tse looked rehearsed, ineffective and weak. I am a big fan of Chow and had high expectations when I heard he was reuniting with Jing. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. The Man from Macau could have been so much more with the talents of Chow, Tse, To and Hui. Yet, the sum of its part do not equal to the end result of this hodgepodge of sight gags, farce comedy, dull plot and uninspiring characters. Chow is in fine form as Ken and looks dapper in every scene, courtesy of costume design by Chan Chi-Man and Jessie Dai. A chameleon of an actor, Chow easily switches between comedy and drama effortlessly in the film. He even sings and dances with Benz Hui, which is a breath of fresh air. Yet, even Chow couldn't save the movie. Other than Ken, all the other characters are one-dimensional. Ko would have been an excellent adversary for Ken, had Jing given his character more to do, rather than just posturing aimlessly from one scene to another. Kimmy Tong (from The Last Tycoon) as Ken's daughter, Rainbow, is very pretty and a decent actress. I would have loved to see more of her on screen. Unfortunately, she and the other China-based actors have very little screen time, as their characters are merely accessories. The Man from Macau is a classic Wong Jing production with stylized images and great cinematography, but the script is weak and formulaic. Obligatory gambling scenes are too few and far in between. They could have been utilized to add more substance to the film. Same goes for the fight scenes. Nonetheless, it's good to see Chow in action again. I wanted so much to recommend the movie, but can't. Oneleaf's Rating: 5/10 |
| New photos of ‘The Raid 2′s’ Yayan Ruhian in Takashi Miike’s ‘Yakuza Apocalypse’ Posted: 25 Jun 2014 12:00 AM PDT  "13 Assassins" Japanese Theatrical Poster Shooting has started for Takashi Miike’s Yakuza Apocalypse. According to filmbiz.asia, the upcoming fantasy action flick revolves around an immortal vampire who joins the yakuza and becomes the most powerful fighter in the criminal underworld. The film is penned by writer-director Yamaguchi Yoshitaka (Neko Samurai). Miike (13 Assassins) calls Yakuza Apocalypse his return to form. In a public statement, he said: “Goodbye to tediously boring Japanese films… no one wanted this to happen, but I am making a rampage back to the basics!” Yakuza Apocalypse has an expected theatrical release date for 2015. We’ll keep you updated on further developments. Updates: According Film Combat Syndicate (Via screendaily.com), Yayan Ruhian (The Raid 2) is joining the cast of Yakuza Apocalypse. Screendaily reports that Ruhian will play one of the international assassins, who specialises in the Silat style of martial arts. BREAKING NEWS: Check out some of the first photos from Yakuza Apocalypse. - Thanks to Film Combat Syndicate! |
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