cityonfire.com | Movie News & Developments |
- John Woo to shoot remake of the Japanese classic ‘Manhunt’
- The Heroic Ones (1970) Review
- Trailer for ‘SPL 2: A Time For Consequences′ coming soon…
- First footage from Shinji Higuchi’s live-action ‘Attack on Titan’
- Deal on Fire! Dragon | aka Wu Xia | Blu-ray | Only $9.99 – Expires soon!
| John Woo to shoot remake of the Japanese classic ‘Manhunt’ Posted: 19 Mar 2015 05:45 AM PDT  "Manhunt" Japanese Theatrical Poster Here is some exciting news for all the fans of Hong Kong action films out there! John Woo, the man behind action classics such as A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Bullet in the Head and Hard Boiled, is finally making a return to the genre that made him an internationally acclaimed director. After years making Hollywood films and big budget Chinese epics like Red Cliff and the recent The Crossing, Woo is going to remake the 1976 Japanese classic action thriller Manhunt (which starred Ken Takakura, who passed away late last year). The story is about a man who is accused of multiple crimes and trying desperately to clear his name. Woo is reportedly a big fan of Takakura and was hoping he would get the chance to work with the actor. Filming for Manhunt will begin later this year and the film will be in Chinese, English and Korean. Stay tuned for more details! |
| Posted: 19 Mar 2015 12:20 AM PDT  "The Heroic Ones" Chinese Theatrical Poster AKA: Shaolin Masters By JJ Hatfield In a time when warring factions fought for a divided China, a powerful Mongol warlord and his thirteen generals ruled the territory with swift and savage force. Any and all who dared challenge their authority were summarily dispatched. They were an invincible force none could defeat, meeting every challenge with supreme confidence, never doubting certain success. To those who counted them on their side they were The Heroic Ones. Amidst the chaos and conflict of the latter part of the Tang Dynasty, Li Ke-Yung, played by Ku Feng (My Rebellious Son), together with his thirteen generals, is a power to be reckoned with. Li considers all the generals his offspring, lavishing them with the best of everything, denying them nothing. His generals are as enthusiastic about bloody battle as they are about drunken debauchery – every one of them a fierce fighter and arrogant as hell. The Heroic Ones is directed by the prolific Chang Cheh (Five Deadly Venoms) with David Chiang (Kung Fu Jungle) and Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow) having standout roles in the large cast. Though an early ‘Iron Triangle’ film, Chiang has the lead role to himself with the most screen time as Li Tsun Hsiao, the youngest of the thirteen and the fond favorite of Li Ke-Yung. Tsun Hsiao is deadly in combat being exceptionally skilled with a spear. He also carries out a unique piece of action choreography during an encounter with an enemy general played by Bolo Yeung of Enter the Dragon fame. Ti Lung is Shih Ching Szu, the only other brother to recieve much attention from Li Ke-Yung. Though he isn’t the focus of the film, Ti manages to shine in an epic warrior battle against a barrage of hundreds of the enemy. Not only an impressive display of valor but one of the longest fight scenes to be found in a martial movie of any age. With The Heroic Ones, Chang and his co-writer Kuang Ni (The Pirate) drew from the late 800′s – early 900′s China for the basis of the story with more more than a few liberties taken with the facts. The movie has been noted by some for the effort afforded to costumes and set pieces consistent with the time period and culture, but it should not by any means be taken as a true portrait of history. If The Heroic Ones was being filmed today, it would feature computer generated armies with one or two actual people doing battle. In 1969, they did it the real way with a couple hundred people and Lau Kar-leung, Tony Gaai, and Lau Kar-wing orchestrating the training and directing for the throng of actors, stuntmen and extras who must appear to be familiar with weapons. The hard work paid off in the realism of fight scenes, many times with one general against a multitude. Once the onslaught begins, the torrent of enemies rarely lets up. Purely on an action level fans will be thrilled with the profusion of nearly non-stop combat and The Heroic Ones certainly delivers on that count. Unfortunately, the size of the cast is unwieldy even in Chang Cheh’s usually capable hands. And though the film clocks in at a little over two hours, Chang spends little time on character development for the majority of the cast. That decision on Chang’s part ultimately renders the film’s ending unfulfilling, lacking the impact The Heroic Ones could have had. JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 7.5/10 |
| Trailer for ‘SPL 2: A Time For Consequences′ coming soon… Posted: 19 Mar 2015 12:00 AM PDT  "SPL 2" Promotional Poster THE MOVIE: A $23 million sequel to SPL or Sha Po Lang is in post-production. The original – released in North America under the title Kill Zone – helped provide a boost to Donnie Yen’s and Sammo Hung’s popularity before they collaborated again three years later on 2008′s Ip Man. Despite a Category III rating (essentially the Chinese equivalent of the NC-17), SPL proved successful in Hong Kong theaters. Updates: Donnie Yen will not be in SPL 2. The film is being helmed by Soi Cheang (Motorway) with Wilson Yip (Ip Man) serving as producer. For now, Tony Jaa, Louis Koo, Wu Jing, Simon Yam and Zhang Jin make up the film’s leading cast. According to Film Business Asia’s Kevin Ma, SPL 2′s plot involves “a Thai prison guard who needs to free an undercover cop who can save his daughter’s life.” | Set photo of Tony Jaa in uniform. | 2nd promotional poster, thanks to Keung. According to THL, the full title of SPL 2 will be SPL 2: A Time For Consequences. Here’s the main cast that was showcased during a recent press conference: Tony Jaa (Tom Yum Goong 2), Louis Koo (Flash Point), Wu Jing (SPL), Simon Yam (Fatal Move), Zhang Jin (The Grandmaster) and Babyjohn Choi (Black and White). Click here to see press release photo. | Actor Wu Jing recently tweeted this new poster for the film. | A pack of new photos of Tony Jaa. BREAKING NEWS: According to the film’s Facebook page, a trailer for Sha Po Lang 2 will be released in a few days. We’ll be sure to post it here, so check back! |
| First footage from Shinji Higuchi’s live-action ‘Attack on Titan’ Posted: 19 Mar 2015 12:00 AM PDT  "Attack on Titan" Japanese Teaser Poster The shrinking budget for complex computer-effects has allowed many Japanese filmmakers to bring the world of anime, with its gravity-defying heroes and city-destroying battles, into the realm of live-action. Successful adaptations of the Death Note and Gantz series have helped pave the way in recent years, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, director Shinji Higuchi – known primarily for his special effects work on the 90′s Gamera trilogy – is preparing to bring Attack on Titan to the big screen in a two-part saga, the first of which releases next year. The series Attack on Titan takes place in a strange, quasi-medieval world in which giant humanoid creatures named Titans appear and threaten the lives of everyday people. Civilization’s only line of defense of the Titans are teenage soldiers who traverse the Titans’ massive bodies using powerful grappling hooks. The first season of the popular show is currently streaming on Netflix. In preparation of the film’s release next year, the producers have released several character posters (click here). Updates: Check out the first footage from the live-action film, courtesy of FCS (via Kotaku). |
| Deal on Fire! Dragon | aka Wu Xia | Blu-ray | Only $9.99 – Expires soon! Posted: 18 Mar 2015 01:07 AM PDT  Dragon (aka Wu Xia) Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay) Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2011′s Dragon (aka Wu Xia), directed by Peter Chan (Comrades, Almost A Love Story). In this loose remake of 1967′s One-Armed Swordsman, Liu (Donnie Yen) is a villager whose quiet life is shattered when he saves a man from two notorious gangsters. He comes under investigation by a detective (Takeshi Kaneshiro), who is curious on how Liu single-handenly took on the gangsters. Dragon (read our review) also stars Jimmy Wang Yu, Tang Wei, Kara Hui and Yin Zhusheng. Order Dragon from Amazon.com today! |
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