cityonfire.com | Movie News & Developments |
- Crank 2: High Voltage (2009) Review
- Skin Traffik | DVD (Alchemy)
- Latest insane trailer for Takashi Miike’s ‘Yakuza Apocalypse’!
- The Challenge | Blu-ray (Kino)
- Rumble in the Bronx | Blu-ray (Warner)
- Jackie Chan’s First Strike | Blu-ray (Warner)
- Blunt Force Trauma | DVD (Alchemy)
| Crank 2: High Voltage (2009) Review Posted: 12 Jun 2015 12:06 AM PDT  "Crank: High Voltage" Japanese Theatrical Poster Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor By HKFanatic I used to wonder what a film directed by video game auteur Suda51 (No More Heroes) would look like. Then I saw Crank 2: High Voltage and wondered no more. With High Voltage, writer/director team Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have taken the inner workings of your average 14 year-old’s ADD-addled, Mountain Dew-charged, Xbox-and-sex-obsessed mind and uploaded it onto the big screen. Actor Jason Statham is somehow the perfect filter for their madness as he goes around the greater Los Angeles area, trading fisticuffs with thugs and replenishing his ‘health meter’ like a video game beat-em-up come to life. Neveldine and Taylor have had an interesting rise in the film industry. Their debut was the original Crank, a low-budget effort that made great use of Statham’s trademark snarl and a politically incorrect script. Moviegoers responded to it because of its sheer audacity – like the scene where Statham has sex on a public street corner – and even though it wasn’t a massive hit, a sequel was greenlit. Probably because Neveldine and Taylor know how to make a movie on the cheap: High Voltage was made for $20 million, a paltry sum by Hollywood standards. Inbetween the Crank films the duo turned out the interesting failure Gamer, which took the whole shaky-cam aesthetic to its most nauseating limit, and later saw their reportedly excellent, R-rated screenplay for Jonah Hex turned into the mutilated box office bomb it eventually became. High Voltage represents Neveldine and Taylor’s signature filmmaking style, back with a vengeance. It’s American pop culture put in a blender and served up raw: you never know when the movie is going to transform into an Atari video game, a talk show parody, or a dream sequence that resembles public access television. The film opens with Jason Statham having his heart removed while a Chinese gangster mocks him and flicks cigarette ashes into Statham’s gaping chest cavity. Later on, Statham escapes from the medical facility (like you had any doubt he would) and kills off the guards, upgrading his weapons along the way in a remarkably video game-like manner. The rest of the movie proceeds with Statham running on foot, grunting and trash-talking, as he looks for his stolen heart. The screenplay’s gimmick is that Statham’s artificial ticker needs to be charged with electricity every so often or else Statham will drop dead. This leads to scenes like Statham using a police taser on his own tongue. The film’s 90 minute runtime is dedicated solely to seeing if the filmmakers can top themselves every five minutes. Expect outrageous moments like a Latino gangster cutting off his own nipples as a sign of atonement to his boss, Bai Ling’s hooker character being pulverized by a car, and a repeat of the first film’s public shagging. Most likely you’re either in on the joke or you think the whole thing is an affront to decency. If Crank 2 has one serious flaw, it’s that the movie is so dependent on the first entry. Upon viewing High Voltage I hadn’t seen Crank since it was in theaters all the way back in 2006. The returning characters, frequent references, and flashbacks to the first film were lost on me. I’d suggest watching them back to back if your brain can take it. That’d be one hell of a movie marathon; afterwards you might want to watch that movie that was done in one long camera take, Russian Ark, to give your retinas a rest. High Voltage has plenty of action – shoot-outs and car crashes occur almost as frequently as the f-bomb – but don’t expect anything jaw-dropping or expertly choreographed. Most of the time the camera shows Jason Statham firing a gun then cuts to someone being shot. Rinse and repeat, and Statham can stand in the middle of a room and not get hit even when eight gangbangers are aiming for him. Oh well, it’s of little consequence – the film is pure superhero fantasy. I’d admittedly like to see Neveldine/Taylor really stretch themselves and film an intricate action sequence, but for Crank 2 the short bursts of violence work. The duo shoots these movies on the cheap and at a rapid pace (31 days of filming) and actually operates the hi-def handheld cameras themselves, even going so far as wear rollerblades to capture Statham as he’s running. Now that’s commitment. As the film comes to an end, the fate of several lead characters are completely up in the air. You could say it’s a blatant set-up for Crank 3 but at the same time the story is almost besides the point. High Voltage is about attitude – a tribute to Statham’s tough guy persona and a distillation of every pop culture influence rattling around in the directors’ heads. Watch it, enjoy it, feel your brain throb against your skull as you try to keep up with the images onscreen. There’s a cameo from the lead singer of Tool; a scene where Statham and a bad guy turn into giant kaiju monsters and battle like that movie War of the Gargantuas; and another scene where Statham rams a shotgun up a goon’s ass. If you queue this sucker up, I think you know what you’re getting it. HKFanatic’s Rating: 6/10 |
| Posted: 12 Jun 2015 12:04 AM PDT  "Skin Traffik" Theatrical Poster RELEASE DATE: October 13, 2015 Alchemy presents the DVD for Skin Traffik, the first “professional” directorial debut by the multi-talented Ara Paiaya (Dubbed and Dangerous). The film stars Gary Daniels, Daryl Hannah, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Michael Madsen, Dominique Swain, Jeff Fahey, Ron Smoorenburg, as well as Ara Paiaya himself. In Skin Traffik, a jaded hit man (Daniels) regains his humanity in this dark tale of redemption and sacrifice, set amidst a brutal underworld in which daily survival is not so much a skill but an instinct. Watch the trailer. Pre-order Skin Traffik from Amazon.com today! |
| Latest insane trailer for Takashi Miike’s ‘Yakuza Apocalypse’! Posted: 12 Jun 2015 12:00 AM PDT  "Yakuza Apocalypse" Japanese Theatrical Poster Post-production for Takashi Miike’s Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld is currently in full effect. 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. Yakuza Apocalypse is penned by Yamaguchi Yoshitaka (Neko Samurai) and stars Ichihara Hayato (Negative Happy Chain Saw Edge) and Lily Franky (The Devil’s Path). Also appearing is Yayan Ruhian (The Raid 2), who will play one of the international assassins who specializes in the Silat style of martial arts. 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 is due to hit theaters in 2015. Watch the first teaser trailer. | First full trailer. |
| The Challenge | Blu-ray (Kino) Posted: 11 Jun 2015 01:02 AM PDT  "The Challenge" Theatrical Poster RELEASE DATE: Late 2015 Kino presents the Blu-ray for 1982′s The Challenge (aka Sword of the Ninja), directed by John Frankenheimer (Ronin) and written by John Sayles (Eight Men Out). The movie will be sourced from a brand new HD master. This swashbuckling cult-classic stars Scott Glenn (Urban Cowboy), Toshiro Mifune (Incident at Blood Pass), Donna Kei Benz (Pray for Death) and Atsuo Nakamura (47 Ronin). The film is also noted for being Steven Seagal’s first film gig (credited as Steve Seagal), where he serves as martial arts coordinator. Watch the trailer. Stay tuned for pre-order information. |
| Rumble in the Bronx | Blu-ray (Warner) Posted: 11 Jun 2015 01:00 AM PDT  "First Strike" and "Rumble in the Bronx" Blu-ray Covers RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2015 Warner presents the Blu-ray for Rumble in the Bronx, directed by Stanley Tong (Police Story 4: First Strike). Please note that this Blu-ray is most-likely the English-dubbed, U.S. edited version of the film. A young man (Jackie Chan) visiting and helping his uncle (Bill Tung) in New York City finds himself forced to fight a street gang and the mob with his martial art skills. Also starring Anita Mui (Drunken Master II), Francoise Yip (Infatuation), Marc Akerstream (Cyberjack) and Ailen Sit (Thunderbolt). Pre-order Rumble in the Bronx from Amazon.com today! |
| Jackie Chan’s First Strike | Blu-ray (Warner) Posted: 11 Jun 2015 12:59 AM PDT "First Strike" and "Rumble in the Bronx" Blu-ray Covers RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2015 Warner presents the Blu-ray for Jackie Chan’s First Strike, (aka Police Story IV) directed by Stanley Tong (Police Story 3: Supercop). Please note that this Blu-ray is most-likely the English-dubbed, U.S. edited version of the film. In post-soviet Russia nothing is as it seems. When members of the Russian mafia pose as KGB agents to steal a nuclear missile, the CIA calls on martial arts master Jackie Chan to stop them. Also starring Jackson Lou (The Last Blood), Annie Wu (Ballistic Kiss) and Bill Tung (Rumble in the Bronx). Pre-order First Strike from Amazon.com today! |
| Blunt Force Trauma | DVD (Alchemy) Posted: 11 Jun 2015 12:03 AM PDT  "Blunt Force Trauma" Theatrical Poster RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2015 Alchemy presents the DVD for Blunt Force Trauma (aka The Effects of Blunt Force Trauma), written and directed by Ken Sanzel (The Replacement Killers). Two duelists wearing Kevlar vests stand in opposing circles; face each other, draw, and shoot. The one left standing in the circle wins. John (Ryan Kwanten), a talented young shooter seeks the ultimate duel with the champion, Zorringer (Mickey Rourke), while Colt (Freida Pinto) seeks revenge for the death of her brother. Pre-order Blunt Force Trauma from Amazon.com today! |
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