"Youth of the Beast" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Can’t say I ever saw this coming. John Woo is reportedly planning to direct a remake of Seijun Suzuki’s 1963 film Youth of the Beast. Woo’s version will carry the title Day of the Beast. Here’s where things get crazy (and multi-national): the remake is set in Tokyo and sees a Western outsider become involved in a turf war between the Yakuza and the Russian mob. Day of the Beast will be shot in English with an eye on making sure the movie has international appeal.

Director Seijin Suzuki is perhaps best known for movies like Branded to Kill (1967) and Tokyo Drifter (1966), both of which are available from the Criterion Collection. John Woo claims he has been wanting to remake Youth of the Beast for 10 years but only now has he secured the rights from the Nikkatsu company.

Even if the premise and title are a deviation from Suzuki’s original, I’m just looking forward to seeing John Woo behind the camera again for a modern day gangster picture. Let’s hope this ends up being one hell of a ‘pistol opera.’

"Marble City" Cannes Conceptual Poster

File this one under ‘cool things that will probably never happen but really should.’ Twitch Film reports on a piece of conceptual poster art at Cannes that envisions a movie directed by Ryuhei Kitamura of Versus and Azumi fame, and starring Nicolas Cage. The poster is ridiculous, with Cage’s head floating atop an ultra-chiseled torso, but at least the plot sounds promising if anyone actually decides to fund this movie and make it happen.

The film, titled Marble City, would theoretically co-star Mickey Rourke, Melissa George, Tom Waits, and Bill Pullman. The story concerns Nicolas Cage as an eye-patch wearing (just don’t look for one on the poster) anti-hero, fresh out of prison and looking for revenge against those who wronged him. Somebody give Kitamura money to make this happen, please?

Zhou Xun in "Painted Skin: The Resurrection"

Back in 2008, Fist of Legend director Gordon Chan helmed an action-romance titled Painted Skin, starring Chen Kun, Zhou Xun, Zhao Wei, and Donnie Yen. The film was very loosely based on a classic short story by Pu Songling, a writer of supernatural tales during the Qing Dynasty. The same story also served as the inspiration for a 1992 Painted Skin starring Sammo Hung.

Now a sequel to the 2008 iteration is in the works with most of the cast returning except for Donnie Yen. In addition, Painted Skin 2 (AKA Painted Skin: The Resurrection) will be directed by Wuershan of The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman fame. Over at Twitch Film, you can check out some brand new character posters for the film.

Update: Full-length trailer for you to enjoy. Thanks to 24 Frames Per Second for the news

Director Wu Ershan reveals he invented the fictional ancient language that is utilized in ritual scenes during the film. The director says he feels the film will be a success at the box office because “it contains all the necessary elements required of successful commercial movies, including CGI, extreme prosthetics and an all-star cast. And most importantly, it’s a fantasy costume film.”

Chinese Films has some striking new promotional posters for the film.

For my money, actress Zhou Xun has one of the loveliest faces in all of contemporary cinema. However, for her latest movie she’s been called to bury her appearance under layers of prosthetics and make-up. “I am the first to come to the set and the last one leave,” says Xun. Chinese Films has a picture by picture look at Zhou Xun’s transformation into a fox demon. Enjoy Xun without make-up in these two steamy shots from Painted Skin: The Resurrection.

BREAKING NEWS: A press conference in Beijing yesterday with the filmmakers behind Painted Skin 2 revealed that the film will be released in both 2D and 3D formats in China this June. 3D visual effects supervisor Hu Xiao said, “We met with many difficulties during the production, but we are confident that the final visual effects will be on par with that of the 3-D ‘Titanic.‘”

"Wu Dang" Promotional Poster

The trailer is online for Wu Dang, a new fantasy-based Chinese martial arts film from the director of Twins Effect II and featuring action choreography by the legendary Cory Yuen. The film stars Vincent Zhao, who is probably most famous at the moment for dropping out of Donnie Yen’s Special Identity, alongside Siu-Wong Fan (Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky) and Yang Mi.

Based on the trailer, it looks like this movie is leaving reality far behind, with characters floating through the air, walking on water, and generally defying gravity like it ain’t no thing.

Chinese Films has more details, with Wu Dang slated for a July 17th, 2012 release date in China.

Update: Some very brightly colored promotional posters over at Chinese Films. Actress Yang Mi has actually arrived in France to help promote the film at Cannes since this is her first martial arts role.

"Iron Man 2" Japanese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Previously known for penning and/or selling scripts to classic high-concept action films such as Lethal Weapon and Monster Squad, Shane Black’s star has once again risen in recent years, starting with his directorial debut on what is considered to be Robert Downey Jr.’s come-back movie, Kiss Kiss Bang. Black has since then also been attached to the adaptations of the Doc Savage pulp action series, as well as the Hollywood remake of the Death Note anime/manga thriller series. Iron Man 3 is anticipated to be in theaters by May 3, 2013.

Updates: According to AICN, the third film will go for an espionage angle, and is planned to be produced after The Avengers. There will also be no cameos for this installment. Runaways writer Drew Pearce is involved on the script. Body of Lies actor Michael Stuhlbarg has joined the cast. American Gangster’s Josh Brolin plays the younger version of Jones’ character. Moviefone via NY Post speculates that Downey’s getting special lifts. Downey hopes it will be the “best of the three”. Also, Comicbookmovie.com has him reacting to naysayers who think his recent work has been less character-driven. Cheadle is hyping the action. Total Film reports that Scarlett Johansson will return as Black Widow. Also, Shane Black describes the storyline as a “Tom Clancy-thriller” that has “Iron Man fighting real world villains.”

AICN gives word via Variety that Ben Kingsley (Shutter Island) is in talks to play the villain in Iron Man 3, but sources also say he probably won’t appear as the popular Iron Man baddie known as the Mandarin.

Need further evidence of China’s growing dominance in worldwide cinema? China’s DMG Entertainment will help Disney and Marvel Studios co-produce Iron Man 3, besides managing the film’s shoot while in China and distribution in the country.

Actor Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) is in talks to play a character from the comic books named Aldrich Killian, a brilliant scientist whose Extremis nanotechnology falls into the wrong hands. Actress Jessica Chastain has had to bow out of the production due to scheduling conflicts.

James Marsh of Twitch Film reports that the Chinese media is all abuzz with word that Hong Kong actor Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs, House of Flying Daggers) is close to starring in Iron Man 3 as an old friend/scientist ally of Tony Stark. I wonder if Andy Lau in Iron Man 3 will look anything like this? Actress Rebecca Hall (The Town) is the new female lead.

Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man and Iron Man 2, has revealed he will be closely involved in the production of the new film. He promises that the movie will have a different tone than Avengers – not darker but “a little bit more offbeat.”

BREAKING NEWS: Word that actor James Badge Dale (HBO’s The Pacific) will play a new character from the comic books named Coldblood, a lieutenant colonel in the army who is cybernetically rebuilt and enhanced after stepping on a landmine.

Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition Blu-ray (Lionsgate)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for the new Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition. Features includes: New Director supervised 1080P HD transfer from original negative, Interview with Director Paul Verhoeven, Special Effects of Total Recall, Commentary by Arnold Schwarzenegger & Director Paul Verhoeven, ”Making Of ,” “Imagining Total Recall” documentary, Photo Gallery and Trailer!

"Motorway" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Chinese Films has the scoop on a new Hong Kong action picture with an impressive pedigree, called Motorway. The project has culled together talent from the Hong Kong, Mainland, and Taiwan film industries. In the film, produced by the legendary Johnnie To, Anthony Wong (Hard Boiled) and Shawn Yue (Infernal Affairs II) play two traffic cops who go after speeding bad guys in their disguised police car.

Director Pou-Soi Cheang promises that the car chase sequences will thrill audiences. “More than that,” he added, “[Motorway] also includes the most classic elements of Hong Kong gangster films.” The rest of the cast includes Michelle Ye, Ka Tung Lam, Barbie Hsu, and Guo Xiaodong. Expect Motorway to rev into Mainland and Hong Kong theaters this summer.

Update: Twitch has the full-length trailer and a new poster for the film. Over at Chinese Films, you can find more details and pictures of the cast promoting the movie. Motorway hits Chinese theaters in June.

BREAKING NEWS: A brand-spankin’ new trailer at Twitch Film.

Quick Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

A Major Motion Picture
from the Filmmakers behind Tidal Wave

Starring Lee Min-Ki, Kang Ye-Won and Kim In-Kwon

Packed with explosive visuals, full throttle action sequences, extensive bonus content, and more!

QUICK

Own it on Blu-ray and DVD

In stores nationwide on August 21, 2012

from Shout! Factory

DISC DETAILS

Spectacular street chases and pulse-pounding action are taken to new heights on August 21, 2012 when Shout! Factory, in collaboration with CJ E&M, fulfills viewers need for speed with Korea’s highly popular, action-packed motion picture QUICK onBlu-ray^™ and DVD, as well as being made available on digital entertainment platforms. Both Blu-ray and DVD editions boast English and Korean audio tracks, English subtitles and extensive bonus content. The Blu-ray contains exclusive bonus features. A must have home entertainment addition for action fans, collectors and world cinema enthusiasts, QUICK Blu-ray is priced to own at $ 26.97  SRP; the DVD has a suggested retail price of $19.93. Pre-order now on Amazon.com.

SYNOPSIS

Starring international film stars Lee Min-Ki, Kang Ye-Won and Kim In-Kwon and directed by Jo Bum-Gu, QUICK delivers the high-octane action adventure, the thrills and  grand scale explosions that will blast the summer heat away. While driving a female pop star to a live broadcast appearance, motorcycle-riding messenger Gi-su receives a mysterious call that there’s a bomb wired to the pop star’s helmet and will blow up if he fails to make a series of deliveries within a fixed time limit. Caught up in a terrorist attack on the grandest scale smack in a heavily populated city along with the police hot on his trail, he and his passenger must embark on a high-speed race against time that their very lives depend on.

QUICK BLU-RAY Special Features

-The Making of Quick featurette
-Theatrical trailer
-CGI featurette
-Stunt featurette
-A look at the creation of the movie poster

Street Date: August 21, 2012
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1080p 1.85:1
Audio: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles: English
2011/Color/111 minutes/Not Rated

"Mister K" Promotional Photo

Director Lee Myung-Se’s 1999 film Nowhere to Hide was a top-notch Korean action-thriller that turned heads even before that country became one of the hottest film industries in the world. Now Lee Myung-Se is back with his first film in five years, the action-packed Mister K.

The story almost sounds like a riff on James Cameron’s True Lies since the main character is, unbeknownst to his wife, a globe-trotting spy. When he heads to Thailand on a mission, it isn’t long before she uncovers the truth.

Production on Mister K starts on March 12 in Bangkok, Thailand. In the meantime, Beyond Hollywood has two pictures of the case and Film Business Asia offers more production details.

Update: Unfortunately, it looks like Lee Myung-se has left the project due to commercial and artistic reasons. He has been replaced by Lee Seung-jun, who was assistant director on the Korean action blockbuster Quick. A spokesperson for CJ Entertainment, Korea’s largest movie conglomerate and the company behind Mr. K, said that they expect the film to remain on schedule. It is rumored that Lee Myung-se was deviating from Mr. K‘s intended comedic action-adventure tone during the early days of filming and that he repeatedly clashed with producers.

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Japanese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, featuring James Franco and motion capture work by Andy Serkis (AKA Gollum) was one of the breakout hits of the summer of 2011. It’s no surprise, then, that Fox is keen on doing a sequel. A rumored release date is Summer 2014.

Update: Looks like Fox is keen on making the franchise into a trilogy. Read about the alternate ending to the first movie here. Dark Horizons revealed that Andy Serkis has signed on for the sequel. Oh, director Rupert Wyatt is back too.

BREAKING NEWS: AICN reports that Fox is getting serious about scripting duties on the film, as Scott Z. Burns (Contagion, The Bourne Ultimatum) has been brought on to do another pass at the screenplay following original Rise writers Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa.

"Snow Piercer" Graphic Novel

The Host and Mother director Bong Joon-ho is working on his first English-language film, an adaptation of the French comic Le Transperceneige (Snow Piercer). The story follows the last survivors of a new ice age as they travel aboard a train. A high profile international cast includes Chris Evans (Captain America: The First Avenger), Tilda Swinton (We Need To Talk About Kevin), John Hurt (The Immortals), and Jamie Bell (The Adventures of Tintin).

Updates: Beyond Hollywood notes that Chan Wook-Park of Oldboy fame is on board as producer. Kelly Masterson, writer of Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, will do a rewrite of the Snow Piercer script before the film goes into production in March. The Help’s Octavia Spencer has joined the cast.

BREAKING NEWS: Film Business Asia reports that Dutch actress Emma Levie has joined the cast. Main production on the film has officially gotten underway in the Czech Republic, following some preliminary shooting in Austria back in March.

"Million Dollar Crocodile" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Fooled you with that headline, huh? It’s really just the plot of the upcoming Chinese-language film Million Dollar Crocodile. Fans of ‘creatures features’ (like me) might want to keep an eye on this movie as the plot literally involves a giant-ass crocodile on the attack in Beijing. The film is directed by Lin Lisheng and stars Barbie Hsu and Guo Tao.

Despite the monster-on-the-rampage plot, it is said that the film has a strong humorous bent with Barbie Hsu revealing her comedic side for the first time. Let’s just hope this isn’t a Lake Placid redux.

Website Chinese Films has the sharp-toothed poster and more details here. And don’t miss the amazing trailer, featuring extensive footage of the computer-generated croc terrorizing people. Million Dollar Crocodile doesn’t have a release date yet but we’ll keep you posted.

Update: Be warned, I’m gonna keep readers updated on this movie until it comes out because I love me some foreign monster movies. Today Chinese Films has some cool new stills and word that the film will be released in Chinese theaters in early June.

"Passion" Cannes Promotional Poster

Ain’t It Cool News has the first image from Passion, the new erotic thriller from director Brian De Palma (Dressed to Kill, Body Double). The still offers a glimpse of co-stars Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace seemingly about to share a kiss. In other words, it looks like the De Palma who brought us all those great, lurid thrillers from the 70′s and 80′s is back.

Passion is loosely based on Alain Corneau’s 2010 French language film Love Crime. The film will tell a tale of corporate intrigue and also reunite De Palma with his longtime composer Pino Donaggio. Passion is expected in theaters sometime in 2013. I for one am excited to see De Palma working in familiar territory once again.

Update: A hot new poster and some even hotter stills from the movie! Having recently watched the original French-language film, I can’t wait to see what De Palma does with the material.

"Thor" Japanese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Thor returns with his giant hammer. Who will Thor fight this time? Will the movie serve as a set-up for Avengers 2? Only time will tell. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, and Tom Hiddleston. This time director Alan Taylor (TV’s Game of Thrones) is behind the camera. In theaters November 15, 2013.

Updates: The sequel will have Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’s Don Payne as a writer. Dark Horizons notes that Monster’s Patty Jenkins is up for the task of directing the sequel. Dark Horizons indicates the sequel will explore the other nine worlds common to the Nordic epic. CBM explains why Branagh ditched Thor 2.

Moviefone indicates that Patty Jenkins is no longer attached to the sequel. THR reports that Portman was displeased at Jenkins’ firing, but that she’s contractually obligated to do a second film. So Marvel will likely work with her on the casting of a new director. CBM confirmed Alan Taylor as director.

Kenneth Branagh recently elaborated on why he won’t be returning for Thor 2. The short version: Marvel wanted to get the gears turning on a sequel too soon and Branagh has other projects he’s interested in, like Wallander season 3. Elba confirmed he’s returning.

BREAKING NEWS: Although this has been known for a little while, actor Idris Elba – who has long been a rumored replacement for Daniel Craig as James Bond – has reiterated he will be returning for Thor 2. He suggests that if the sequel chooses to heavily focus on Asgard, his character Heimdall will have a larger role.

"Die Hard" Japanese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Yyippee ki yay, mo- well, you know the rest. Yes, Bruce Willis is back once again as John McClane for a fifth installment in the Die Hard franchise, titled A Good Day to Die Hard. This time John McClane travels to Moscow, Russia to team up with his son and foil some kind of terrorist plot. Directed by John Moore (Max Payne). In theaters on February 14, 2013.

Updates: The film has been scripted by Skip Woods. Awesome article called “Take THIS Under Advisement: Hey, ‘Die Hard 5,’ Don’t Drag Down A Classic“. Indiewire notes that Mary Elizabeth Winstead won’t reprise her role as Lucy McClane. Shooting should begin in January.  Spartacus: Blood and Sand actor Jai Courtney has beat out Liam Hemsworth for the coveted role of John McClane’s son. Comic Book Movie has a pic of Jai Courtney and Bruce Willis together during their screen test. Cinema Blend reports that Unknown’s Sebastian Koch and Dolina Roz’s Yulia Snigir have been cast as the film’s villains. AICN has the first photos from the set in Budapest. Actor Cole Hauser (Pitch Black) has signed on to play a villain in the sequel.

AICN has word from 20th Century Fox CEO Tom Rothman, who describes the general plot of the movie and promises “…[John McClane's] son is more badass than John McClane.”

BREAKING NEWS: Cinema Blend via Variety reports that Prison Break’s Amaury Nolasco and CSI: Miami’s Megalyn Echikunwoke have signed on to A Good Day to Die Hard.

"Welcome to the Jungle" Sales Art

THE MOVIE: Directed by Rob Meltzer, Welcome to the Jungle is a Lord of the Flies-style comedy/thriller starring Jean Claude Van Damme with The O.C.’s Adam Brody, The Flight of the Conchords’s Kristen Schaal, The Descendants’ Rob Huebel, Assassination Games’ Kristopher Van Varenberg and Six Bullets’ Bianca Bree.

Welcome to the Jungle is about the employees at a design firm who end up stranded on a remote island after a corporate retreat gone wrong. It doesn’t take long for a hierarchy to form and pit the survivors at each other’s throats. Jean Claude Van Damme as a corporate raider? Could be interesting.

Updates: Filming begins next month in Puerto Rico so we can only assume that Van Damme’s duties on the set of The Expendables 2 have all but wrapped. On-the-set photo of Van Damme sporting a pornstache and a leaner body. Looks like Kristopher Van Varenberg buffed up for his role. Welcome to the Jungle is currently in post-production.

Vandammefan.net linked a Jimmy Kimmel interview with Kristen Schaal, comedian and Van Damme’s co-star in Welcome to the Jungle. In the interview, she talks a great deal about ‘Claude,’ as well as the movie itself. Here is the interview: Part 1 | Part 2

BREAKING NEWS: Twitch Film has the sales art for the movie. It’s funny how Adam Brody gets top billing but Van Damme dominates the poster! He almost looks like his ‘bad’ twin character from Double Impact here. I gotta admit it’s surreal but cool to see JCVD headlining a mainstream American comedy.

"The Amazing Spider-Man" Teaser Poster

THE MOVIE: 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb presents the untold story of Spider-Man’s origin in Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man, featuring Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as the costumed web-slinger. Also starring Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field. In theaters July 3, 2012.

THE TRAILER: Courtesy of Apple Quicktime.

Updates: ComicBookMovie via Latino Review has an interview with Webb on Spider-Man. Oh, and some more pics, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. THR has more info from Webb on the creative process behind the new Spidey. CBM also uploaded MTV video interviews with Garfield. CBM via Comic-Con Annual posted an interview with Stone. The first official clip from the film features Peter Parker vs. Gwen Stacy’s doorman. Youtube has a new viral video. AICN has a new picture of the Lizard. AICN has three new low-resolution clips that somehow tie into a smartphone promotion. Youtube has a newly released Japanese trailer, which features a little more footage. Better yet, watch this. AICN has two new posters for the film.

AICN reports that Sony has already commissioned screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci (Transformers, Cowboys & Aliens) to begin penning a script for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, for a possible Summer 2014 release date. Collider has a couple of new images! Total Film has reported that two new posters have been released. Total Film has posted a couple of images, featuring The Lizard. Trailer #3 now available! Call me crazy, but I’m more excited about this than The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers. Don’t under estimate the power of director Marc Webb. Ropeofsilicon has posted a featurette that focuses on The Lizard. Total Film has posted a pair of Viral videos, focusing on the The Lizard.

BREAKING NEWS: Still not sold on the movie? Check out a four minute preview.

"Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Animeigo has announced that the classic “Baby Cart” films, which helped shape 1980′s Shogun Assassin, will be available unedited, uncut, and remastered on HD from new prints, in its original Japanese language with English subtitles. Expect the set to go on sale this Fall.

Included in the set will be 1972′s Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, 1972′s Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx, 1972′s Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades, 1972′s Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril, 1973′s Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons and 1974′s Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell.

The first three films were directed by Kenji Misumi (The Last Samurai). The next three films were directed by Buichi Saito (The Bloody Priest), Kenji Misumi and Yoshiyuki Kuroda (The Invisible Swordsman), respectively. All films star Tomisaburo Wakayama (Ridley Scott’s Black Rain) and Akihiro Tomikawa.

If you can’t wait for the Blu-ray release, the DVD release of the Lone Wolf and Cub set is currently available. Also available is the Shogun Assassin Collector’s Set on Blu-ray, which is the legendary re-edited, dubbed versions of the first two Lone Wolf and Cub movies, plus the dubbed versions of the remaining Lone Wolf and Cub movies (we recommend the Shogun Assassin Collector’s Set on Blu-ray for those who prefer english dubbing over subtitles and don’t mind the cuts and edits).

If you’re confused (we understand!), we highly recommend that you check back at Cityonfire.com for the pre-order announcement regarding the Blu-ray set, because that’s all you’ll ever need. If you don’t own a Blu-ray player, then your search stops here.

The bottom line: Any of these bad boys are essential viewing. Just pick one and enjoy.

Brake Blu-ray & DVD (MPI Home Video)

RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2012

MPI Home Video presents the Blu-ray & DVD for 2012′s Brake, directed by Gabe Torres and starring Stephen Dorff. In this critically-acclaimed action/thriller, a Secret Service Agent (Stephen Dorff) is held captive in the trunk of a car and endures mental and physical torture as terrorists attempt to extract information for their plot against the President of the United States. Check out the trailer.

Donnie Yen

Asian Movie Pulse relays news that Ip Man 3 will start production at the end of the year – in 3D! Star Donnie Yen will return in the titular role, alongside director Wilson Yip.

This time around, Ip Man’s most famous pupil – Bruce Lee – is set to have a much larger role in the story. “What is certain is that the film will begin with Bruce Lee becoming Ip Man’s disciple,” says screenwriter Edmond Wong. The production team is planning to search for a young actor capable of portraying a 16 or 17 year-old Bruce Lee.

Producer Raymond Wong claims the film will feature a much larger budget than the previous two films, with special 3D effects incorporated into the fight scenes.

Update: Chinese Films is running with the story now so, hey, the movie must really be happening! They say that the studio behind the Ip Man movies, Pegasus Motion Pictures, is hoping for a 2013 release for Ip Man 3 in 3D. Lynn Hung (Ip Man 2) and Yu Bo (known for TV roles in China) are set to join the cast.

The Hunter DVD (Olive Films)

RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2012

Olive Films presents the DVD for The Hunter, a Persian-language film from writer, director and Golden Berlin Bear nominee, Rafi Pitts. When his wife and daughter are accidentally killed in a police shoot-out with demonstrators, Ali (Pitts) goes into a full blown rage (there’s reason the film is called The Hunter). Check out the trailer.

Jackie Chan on the set of "CZ12"

Jackie Chan announced his latest movie project in Beijing on Wednesday – a new collaboration with Rumble in the Bronx director Stanley Tong.

Titled Shi Er Sheng Xiao, literally The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals, features many intense fighting scenes, almost from the beginning to the end, the kung fu star said. Shooting locations include France, Beijing, Taiwan and an island in the Pacific Ocean.

A major fight scene of the action movie cost 70 million yuan, or more than 10 million U.S. dollars, Chan revealed. ”I think I won’t fight so fiercely as this in the future,” said the 56-year-old.

The action movie tells about a Chinese hero bringing back the bronze head statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, which were sacked by the French and British armies from the imperial Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860. ”We wanted to make this film as early as six years ago,” Chan said. “Last year, the news about the statues’ auction struck us and we finally started on it.”

Many believe that this may be the 3rd part in Jackie Chan’s Armour of God series. In fact, when the film was initially announced back in mid-2009, the project’s working-title was Armour of God III: Chinese Zodiac. Source: CRIenglish.com – Thanks to AlbertV for the heads up

Updates: On-set photos of Jackie in Paris filming The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. - Thanks to AlbertV for the heads up! Many set photos have been added to this site (also the source for the captioned photo) – Thanks to AlbertV for the heads up! Teaser trailer has been released. It states ‘Jackie Chan is BACK!’

Website Chinese Films reports that Chinese Zodiac is now known as CZ12. The film will release in Chinese theaters on December 20, just two days after Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmasters. Surprisingly, CZ12 will be the first Chinese film to screen in IMAX format this year. Jackie’s production team is currently in the country of Latvia to shoot a 4-minute action sequence. A global premiere will be held on December 12 of this year, and Jackie and the rest of the cast will promote the movie at this year’s Cannes in May.

BREAKING NEWS: Asian Movie Pulse has a few behind the scenes videos for the film, some taken by fans on their cellphone cameras. The website states that Jackie Chan spent most of April visiting the “Aerodium” vertical wind tunnel in Latvia. Is Jackie going to try to top the famous wind tunnel ending from Operation Condor?

Sylvester Stallone

THE MOVIE: A prison security expert is framed and forced to escape his own high-tech security prison. Sly Stallone is taking on a role previously considered for Bruce Willis. The Tomb will be directed by Derailed’s (the Clive Owen movie, not the Van Damme one) Mikael Hafstrom is set the direct. Road House 2′s Miles Chapman wrote the original script and Machine Gun Preacher’s Jason Keller is doing a rewrite.

UPDATES: An official press release announced today that Arnold Schwarzenegger will star opposite Sylvester Stallone in the action/thriller The Tomb, which will be directed by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Hafstrom. “I am thrilled to be making The Tomb with two film icons – Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger,” said producer Mark Canton. “It is the perfect pairing for this high octane thriller.”

AICN reports that Jim Caviezel has joined the cast. Variety reports that Amy Ryan, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vinnie Jones and 50 Cent have joined the cast.

BREAKING NEWS: Summit Entertainment has solicited a press release stating that the film is officially in production. Screen Rant has a detailed plot synopsis. No release date is set as of yet but just get ready for Stallone and Schwarzenegger to share the big screen in a full-length movie rather than a glorified cameo!

"Dracula 3D" Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Acclaimed horror director Dario Argento (Suspiria, Opera) brings Bram Stoker’s Dracula to life in three dimensions. Starring Thomas Kretschmann, Rutger Hauer, Asia Argento, Marta Gastini, and Unax Ugalde. The film has no distributor as of yet but is expected to be released in 2012.

Updates: Sadly, Rutger Hauer does not play Dracula. Rather, he will be played by Blade 2/Wanted/Valkyrie’s Thomas Kretschmann. Hollywood Elsewhere linked what’s supposed to be a trailer, but is more like a promotional reel. Slightly NSFW.

BREAKING NEWS: Check out the brand new trailer. The film will have a special midnight screening at Cannes this month but advance word has been extremely lukewarm.

I’m gonna hedge my bets and say it’s doubtful Dracula 3D will secure a theatrical release in North America. If you really need your Dario Argento fix, though, they just added his 2009 film Giallo – with Adrian Brody! – to Netflix Instant.

"The Land of Hope" Promotional Poster

Sion Sono, the controversial and prolific director behind such Japanese-language films as Suicide Club and Love Exposure, is currently wrapping up his latest movie, The Land of Hope. Twitch Film has the teaser trailer and, as brief as it is, it looks extremely promising.

Much his other recent film, Himizu, the story deals closely with the recent earthquake and resulting nuclear disaster in Japan – but it’s thought that this time around Sion Sono will provide audiences with a more optimistic look at humanity.

"Bi Xian" Conceptual Poster

Beyond Hollywood has the trailer for a new Chinese-language horror film called Bi Xian (“A Crazy Single Mom”), which is actually arriving from the Korean filmmaker behind movies like Phone and Nightmare. Director Byung-ki Ahn formed his own Beijing-based production company and Bi Xian is their first release.

Plot details are scarce but it looks to involve a woman who moves into a haunted house with her young son. Chinese Films also has an earlier promotional trailer. Even if some Asian horror tropes are starting to feel a little overly familiar these days, I have to admit that Bi Xian looks pretty damn terrifying. Stay tuned for more info.

"Black and White: Part 1" Chinese Theatrical Poster

The filmmakers behind the new Taiwanese action film Black and White held a press conference yesterday to announce that the film will be released in Mainland China this summer. A 110-second preview of the movie was screened and included car chases, explosions, shoot-outs, and a plane crash. Directed by Tsai Yueh-Hsun, Black and White stars Mark Chao and Huang Bo (Design of Death).

At the conference, director Tsai Yueh-Hsun revealed that the film had a budget of around $1.1 million US dollars and that some of the crew involved in the Hollywood blockbuster Inception helped build the stage where the plane crash was filmed. In addition, French action star Cyril Raffaelli of District B13and Live Free and Die Hard fame flew to Taiwan to serve as action choreographer on the film. Sounds like Black and White is something to look forward to; the movie should arrive in Chinese theaters this June.

Update: Chinese Films has a brand new poster and some stills for the film. The movie is now titled Black and White: Part 1 and will hit Mainland Chinese theaters on June 21. I’m glad I went looking for the trailer because somehow I missed it. You can watch it now on YouTube with (tiny) English subtitles! Looks like this movie is a massively big-budget affair with tons of stunts and action sequences.

"Another" J-Horror Movie

Over at 24 Frames Per Second, they’ve got the scoop on a new Japanese horror movie called Another. The film is based off an anime which was in turn inspired by a bestselling novel by author Yukito Ayatsuji. The story follows a 15 year-old protagonist who transfers to a new school and is assigned to Class 3-3. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that Class 3-3 is haunted or, at the very least, bad things tend to happen to its students, like the poor girl who is impaled by her umbrella handle. The characters race to figure out why Class 3-3 is cursed, which may be tied to a fateful night back in 1972.

The big screen adaptation of Another arrives from Ghost Train director Takeshi Furusawa and should be in theaters in Japan this August. Check out the teaser trailer and a more detailed plot synopsis here.

Update: A brand new trailer for the film, courtesy of Todd Rigney at Beyond Hollywood.

"Machete Kills" Teaser Poster

THE MOVIE: Deadline reports that the cult Mexsploitation film Machete, directed by Robert Rodriguez and starring Danny Trejo, is getting a sequel entitled Machete Kills. This time, the U.S. government recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer who looks to launch a weapon into space. The events of Machete Kills obviously leads to the rumored 3rd chapter, Machete Kills Again… In Space!

UPDATES: AICN has a piece of promotional art for the film. Imdb.com lists Tony Jaa as a rumored cast member. - Thanks to ActionJackson for the tip!

Accoring horror-asylum.com, in addition to trying to cast Mel Gibson and Michelle Williams, Rodriguez is also trying to snag Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez. Deadline reports that Mel Gibson is close to finalizing his appearance in the film. Empire notes that A Better Life’s Demián Bichir has joined the cast. Variety reports that The Ward’s Amber Heard is in talks to become the latest femme fatale to join the cast of Robert Rodriguez’s sequel. And Sofia Vergara of Modern Family fame.

BREAKING NEWS: The new teaser poster is now available.

"Total Recall" American Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Len Wiseman, director of the most contentious Die Hard sequel (Live Free or Die Hard), has his remake of Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 film Total Recall. The original starred Arnold Schwarzenegger; this time around Colin Farrell headlines a cast that includes Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston, and Jessica Biel. In theaters on August 3, 2012.

Updates: ComicBookMovie via Collider has a blurb from Beckinsale on how her Lori distinguishes itself from the Sharon Stone take. CBM has word from Len Wiseman that we’ll probably see the first trailer for the film in March. CBM also has a more detailed plot synopsis here. IMDB finally has a picture from the film and a plot summary.

AICN has the teaser for the trailer. Also, hop on over to Beyond Hollywood for the first poster for the movie. The first full-length trailer is now online!

BREAKING NEWS: The Playlist has posted new images of Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel & Kate Beckinsale.

"Green Lantern" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2011′s Green Lantern, which also contains the DVD & UV Digital Copy. In addition, it includes both the extended and theatrical cuts. It’s directed by Casino Royale’s Martin Campbell, so it couldn’t be as bad as HKFanatic says. Come on, give DC some love! Don’t you guys want a Justice League movie?

"Six Bullets" Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: In Six Bullets (aka The Butcher), Van Damme plays a martial artist who has to rescue a daughter of an ex-mercenary. This will be Van Damme’s second film with director Ernie Barbarash (Assassination Games). Also starring Joe Flanigan, Bianca Bree, Anna-Louise Plowman and Kristopher Van Varenberg.

Updates: From Van Damme’s Facebook: “I haven’t forgotten the kicks, but… I have a new move that has not been seen before, I have been practicing. You will see it in The Butcher. Wait until you see the condition I am in for this film you will see a real physical difference from my last film. Actors have to adapt to suit the role and I am ready for this one. Its really good to focus on training and nutrition. The Director Ernie (Barbarash) is the same Director as Assassination Games, he is really on his game.”

Not much news, but a quick message from Van Damme regarding The Butcher. Also, a hilarious new Dash Detergent commercial. If you still haven’t seen Van Damme’s Coors light advertisements, check them out here.

BREAKING NEWS: Added the new poster to Six Bullets. According to visitors of Vandammefan.net, this is the official poster, while a visitor of COF believes it’s a promotional Cannes poster. Whatever the case, let’s just hope it’s as good as Assassination Games, but hopefully with more action! Meanwhile, Beyond Hollywood has an alternative “fan” poster and six stills from the movie. Van Damme is looking good!

"Helter Skelter" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Now this does not look like your typical Japanese film. Helter Skelter is an adaptation of the popular manga by Kyoko Okazaki. It appears to be a bit of a ‘psychological horror’ story that follows a young actress/model who slowly goes insane thanks to the rigors and demands of the Japanese entertainment industry and her own addiction to plastic surgery.

Far East Films has a teaser trailer which doesn’t show much footage but definitely teases that Helter Skelter could be quite an interesting film. Erika Sawajiri (Ghost Train) is in the lead role, co-starring alongside Nao Omori, Shinobu Terajima, Gou Ayano, Kiko Mizuhara, and Hirofumi Arai. The film opens in Japan on July 14th so expect a full-length trailer before then.

Update: A new full-length trailer courtesy of Twitch Film.

"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" Poster

THE MOVIE: Comic book fans and film buffs alike have long been awaiting a sequel to 2005′s smash hit Sin City. Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller keep saying it’s gonna happen, but when is it gonna happen? Release date is currently known.

Updates: Screenrant noted that the Machete director has funding necessary to tackle the next installment of the Frank Miller noir comic-based movie, Sin City. And now he’s just waiting for a script. The Departed’s William Monahan is involved with the script. It looks like they’re still polishing the script. THR says RR is doing a pass on the Monahan script and is aiming for an end of the year start. Mickey Rourke seems a tadreluctant to return, citing his aversion to the make-up wearing process.

Fandompost gathered from an interview with MTV Geek that Rodriguez will base the new movie on “A Dame To Kill For”, “Just Another Saturday Night”, and two new stories. RR also plans to bring back Alba’s character from the first film.

I almost thought I’d never see the day, but Beyond Hollywood reports that Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller have officially begun production on Sin City 2. Says Miller: “Robert Rodriguez and I are going to shake things up and deliver a ferocious film experience that is going to go even further than the first.”

The movie will adapt the “A Dame to Kill For” story-arc, with Clive Owen’s character from the first movie taking the spotlight. Casting is expected to start next week. CBM has word from Robert Rodriguez that Mickey Rourke and Rosario Dawson are likely to return for the sequel.

BREAKING NEWS: Twitch Film has the first poster.

"Choy Lee Fut: The Speed of Light" (aka Fight the Fight) American DVD Cover

AKA: Choy Lee Fut: The Speed of Light
Director: Tommy Law, Sam Wong
Writer: Maan Lik, Ye Feng-Jin, Ceng Chun-Hui
Cast: Sammo Hung, Sammy Hung, Kane Kosugi, Lau Kar Wing, Yuen Wah, Sam Wong Ming Sing, Sam Wong Ming Sing, Sam Wong Ming Sing, Ian Powers, Joe Odagiri
Running Time: 92 min.

By HKFanatic

As far as I can tell, “Choy Lee Fut” was produced for two reasons: 1.) to serve as the debut starring vehicle of Sammo Hung’s son, Sammy Hung and 2.) to introduce movie-goers to the martial art of Choy Lee Fut. If so, the film is a failure on both counts.

“Choy Lee Fut” never once convinced me that Sammy Hung has inherited an iota of his father’s talent. Whereas Sammo Hung busted his ass for years to get out of Jackie Chan’s shadow by directing, choreographing, and starring in a bunch of classic Hong Kong action movies, Sammy Hung barely registers onscreen. Although he recites his lines and conveys minimal emotion when necessary, Sammy doesn’t come across as much of a fighting force. Aside from a few flying kicks during his training sequences, I wasn’t impressed by Sammy’s moves. In a post-Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa world (this flick even has a shout-out to Tony), you’ve just got to try harder.

As for the plot, its your basic inspirational sports drama a la “Best of the Best” as the entire film leads up to a martial arts competition between Sammy Hung’s school and the evil Pan-American Corporation. The movie maintains a simple worldview in which the Western lifestyle and corporate mentality are seen as universally negative; in fact, “Choy Lee Fut” opens with a veiled call for Chinese expatriates to return to their homes in Mainland China. Kane Kosugi is at least given fair treatment as a Japanese citizen spending time in China, though the film implicitly states that Chinese martial arts are superior to Karate.

Die-hard fans of 80′s ninja movies will recognize Kane Kosugi as the son of Cannon Video icon Shane Kosugi and Kane is easily the best thing about this movie. He’s the only actor who seems to invest any seriousness into his role and he comes across as the most talented martial artist of the bunch. The penultimate fight scene in which he squares off against American brawler Ian Powers is clearly the highlight of the entire production.

When you watch Donnie Yen in “Ip Man” or Jet Li in any number of his films, you become convinced that their respective fighting styles are the best in the world, whether it’s Wing Chun or Wushu. “Choy Lee Fut” aims to similarly impress by bringing its titular style to the big screen for the first time, but I felt unmoved by the fighting on display. In fact, two of the three Choy Lee Fut students who compete at the end of the movie serve as glorified punching bags for their opponents. I wasn’t exactly running to my local dojo to sign up for Choy Lee Fut classes after watching this.

Lionsgate has slapped Sammo Hung on the cover of the DVD in order to sell more copies in North America but, buyer beware, Sammo has only about ten minutes of screentime in the entire movie. That said, I don’t think even Sammo could have saved this flick. He has a brief fight scene with his old Peking Opera buddy Yuen Wah (“Eastern Condors,” “Kung Fu Hustle”) but it’s all wires and computer effects since the two masters are most likely too up there in age to duke it out anymore.

Sam Wong, who was so ferocious against Jackie Chan in “Supercop,” has good screen presence but isn’t allowed to cut loose in front of the camera. You can mostly say the same for Dennis To of “The Legend is Born – Ip Man” fame, who has a brief cameo. For a movie that’s stuffed to the gills with famous Chinese martial artists, it’s a shame that no one gets to break a sweat and really show the audience what they can do during its entire 90 minute runtime.

Let’s be real, we action buffs watch these movies for the fight scenes. When the fighting sucks, it puts the rest of the film’s faults in sharp relief: the predictable storyline, canned dialogue, phoned-in performances, and sappy music stick out all the more. I can put up with a lot if you impress me with your action choreography (see: “Champions,” also from Lionsgate), but “Choy Lee Fut” suffers from over-edited, over-directed fight scenes and limp choreography. Only the biggest gluttons for martial arts movie punishment will find anything to enjoy here. Avoid at all costs.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 3/10

"Norwegian Wood" International Theatrical Poster

We’re already well into the month of May and, for better or worse, the studios are using it to put out their double and triple (and quadruple) film sets. So hopefully you don’t mind those. Well, let’s get started. Here are your Blu-ray and DVD releases for the week of 5/15/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Norwegian Wood (DVD) – New Video Group releases this 2010 adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s novel of the same name. A melancholy love story set in 1960′s Tokyo

The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake (Blu-ray/DVD) – director Herman Yau (“The Legend is Born – Ip Man”) tells the story of real-life Chinese revolutionary Qui Jin and adds a liberal dose of kung fu in this 2011 biopic

FOREIGN CINEMA

1900 (Blu-ray/DVD) – acclaimed filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci aims to tell no less than the sweeping history of 20th century Italy in this 1977 film starring Robert De Niro and Gerard Depardieu. Languages include English, French, and Italian

Michael (DVD) – this chilling 2011 German-language film has been compared to the work of Michael Haneke (“Funny Games”) and tells the story of an accountant who appears normal on the outside but who is secretly holding a 10 year-old boy captive

Agent Vinod (DVD) – this 2012 Bollywood film was meant to be a comeback vehicle for troubled star Saif Ali Khan (“Race,” “Tashan”). It received lukewarm reviews from critics but the trailer sure made it look like an action-packed spy-thriller

My Piece of the Pie (DVD) – a 2011 French comedy about a recently unemployed woman who finds the perfect opportunity to get back at the man who closed down her factory

Paraiso (DVD) – according to the tagline for this 2009 Spanish-language film, “Freedom is Murder.” But unfortunately that’s about all that’s known about the movie at this time

Blood Money (DVD) – a 2012 Hindi-language film about a young couple who run away to a resort town and find themselves slowly pulled into the underworld

MAINSTREAM

The Grey (Blu-ray/DVD) – despite the misleading trailers, this 2012 survivalist film is not about Liam Neeson punching wolves. It is about men confronting death in the wild, though

Chronicle (Blu-ray/DVD) – the acclaimed 2012 ‘found footage’ teen-superhero film comes to home formats

The Order (Blu-ray) – in this 2001 direct-to-video action flick, Jean Claude Van Damme (“Bloodsport”) finds himself trying to avert a crisis in the Holy Land. Featuring an appearance by Charlton Heston!

Rampart (Blu-ray/DVD) – in this critically acclaimed 2012 film, actor Woody Harrelson plays the kind of cop we all pray we never get pulled over by

White Squall (Blu-ray) – one of Ridley Scott’s lesser known features. In this 1996 film, Jeff Bridges is up against the perfect storm

Terminal Velocity (Blu-ray) – before Charlie Sheen’s celebrity persona went off the rails, he actually made a go at being an action/thriller star. In this 1994 starring vehicle, he plays a “maverick skydiving instructor”

American Battleship (DVD) – somebody finally had the stones to unite Mario Van Peebles and Carl Weathers (“Rocky 4″) for a movie. Only problem is that it’s a cheap knock-off of “Battleship” from Asylum Entertainment

CULT

Walking Tall: The Trilogy (Blu-ray/DVD) – speak softly and carry a big stick in this cult series starring Joe Don Baker and Bo Svenson. Based on the real life of Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser who cleaned out his small town of criminal element

Eagle’s Wing (DVD) – Martin Sheen and Harvey Keitel headline this 1979 psychedelic Western that’s been compared to “2001: A Space Odyssey” for its experimental nature

CLASSICS

Caravan (DVD) – VCI Entertainment releases this 1946 love story starring Stewart Granger and Jean Kent

Yankee Clipper (DVD) – a 1925 Cecil B. DeMille silent film production, courtesy of Alpha Home Entertainment

HORROR

The Devil Inside (Blu-ray/DVD) – how many people do you know that complained about the ending of this 2012 ‘found footage’ demon possession film?

Mortuary (DVD) – a 1981 horror film co-starring Bill Paxton, about nightmares and mortuaries

Immortality (DVD) – Echo Bridge re-releases this little seen but acclaimed sensual 1998 vampire film starring Jude Law

Fever Night AKA Band of Satanic Outsiders (DVD) – three teen friends find themselves on the run from a Satanic manifestation in this 2009 horror movie

Descendents(DVD) – a 2008 post-apocalyptic zombie tale from Latin America. And yes, the title is spelled that way

DOUBLE AND TRIPLE PACKS

Kill Bill: 1 & 2 Double Feature (Blu-ray/DVD) – this is not the extended, seamless cut of “Kill Bill” we’ve long been promised, but if you don’t own either of this early 00′s Quentin Tarantino films then this is a fairly good deal at $24.99

Romancing the Stone/Jewel of the Nile (Blu-ray) – the two audience-loved 80′s action-comedies starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in one Blu-ray set

Fantastic Four/Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Blu-ray) – if you ask me, these are two of the worst superhero movies of the 00′s but here they are, together in hi-def

Kevin Smith Triple Feature: Clerks/Chasing Amy/Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (Blu-ray/DVD) – me thinks they should have just included “Mallrats” instead of “Jay & Silent Bob.” Regardless, Kevin Smith fans can enjoy three of his films on Blu-ray for only $19.99

Predator/Predator 2 (Blu-ray) – if it bleeds, we can kill it. What else can I say about these two classic movies? Okay, “Predator 2″ is less of a classic but it still has its moments. Together on Blu for $17.78

The Transporter/The Transporter 2 (Blu-ray) – I still dig the first two “Transporter” movies – especially the first one. So sue me! They helped cement Jason Statham’s tough guy persona. $22.49 gets you both in hi-def

Independence Day/The Day the Earth Stood Still (Blu-ray) – $13.38 is a decent price for these two films but unfortunately Amazon doesn’t tell us if this is the “Day the Earth…” with Keanu Reeves or without

Quentin Tarantino 3Pk (DVD) – in this 3-film DVD set, you receive the Tarantino films “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction,” and “Jackie Brown.” Finally, three films that make sense together. For only $14.97

Jean Claude Van Damme Double Feature (DVD) – get ready for twice the Van Dammage with 2001′s “The Order” and 1993′s “Nowhere to Run” on DVD

The Keeper/Double Impact/Delta Force (DVD) – hot damn. Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Chuck Norris unite at least in spirit for this 3-film DVD set

Mercenary For Justice/Death Warrant/Missing in Action (DVD) – a direct-to-video Steven Seagal cheapie alongside a decent 80′s Van Damme movie and a classic Chuck Norris action vehicle

12 Rounds/The Marine (DVD) – it’s twice the John Cena for your buck with these two modern action films starring the famous wrestler. “The Marine” is still one of my guilty pleasure movies

Behind Enemy Lands/The Thin Red Line/Tigerland (DVD) – proving that just because movies are about war-torn countries, they don’t necessarily belong together. Someone decided to package an Owen Wilson ‘action flick’ with a Terrence Malick film!

Kiss of the Dragon/Ong Bak (DVD) – hey, it’s one of my favorite English-language Jet Li movies alongside the movie that made Tony Jaa an international star. Only $13.48

In the Name of the King/Kingdom of Heaven (DVD) – you wonder if Jason Statham regrets he ever made a film with Uwe Boll? Now it sits alongside Ridley Scott’s Crusades epic for $13.48

The Day After Tomorrow/Jumper (DVD) – two special FX-infused blockbusters on DVD for $13.48

Dillinger/The Newton Boys/Robin Hood/The Thomas Crown Affair (DVD) – these films explore the criminal element and rogue-ish characters so I suppose they fit together. For $17.98

Max Payne/Hitman (DVD) – two less-than-well-received video game adaptations together on DVD for $13.48

Marked For Death/Navy Seals/Siege (DVD) – Steven Seagal! Charlie Sheen! Denzel Washington! They may not star together in any movies but they share this three-pack

Chain Reaction/Entrapment/Phone Booth (DVD) – okay, now these studios are just throwing any old movies together. Price is $17.98

Road House/Bandidas/Big Trouble in Little China (DVD) – here’s a good question: who had more awesome 80′s hair, Patrick Swayze or Kurt Russell? The answer will cost you $17.98

Live Free or Die Hard/Man on Fire (DVD) – Bruce Willis and Denzel Washington star in two action-packed movies for $13.48

Patton/The Longest Day/The Sand Pebbles/Tora! Tora! Tora! (Blu-ray) – not one but four World War II-era movies together on Blu-ray

Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years at Warner Brothers (DVD) – collecting every title that Clint Eastwood did at Warner Brothers, from 1968′s “Where Eagles Dare” to 2008′s “Gran Torino.” Price tag is $125.87

Interested in any of these movies? If so, we hope that you’ll consider ordering from our affiliate to help support this site. Thank you!

"Armour of God II: Operation Condor" Chinese Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2012

Miramax Echo Bridge presents the Blu-ray for 1991′s Operation Condor (aka Armor of God 2). Jackie Chan plays an adventurer who tracks down stolen Nazi gold while being pursued by terrorists. Keep in mind that this is the English-dubbed U.S. version, which has been slightly cut from its original Hong Kong release. Check out the trailer.

"Waves of Lust" Original Promotional

RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2012

Raro Video presents the DVD for 1975′s Waves of Lust, a balmy, sun-kissed Italian version of Polanski’s Knife in the Water. A young couple becomes embroiled with the personal problems of another couple on a yacht. In time, the trip goes from romantic fun to betrayal, spouse abuse, and murder. Directed by Cannibal Holocaust’s Ruggero Deodato. Starring Al Cliver, Silvia Dionisio, John Steiner, and Elizabeth Turner. After seeing this clip, you’ll want to see more.

"The Avengers" Japanese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, has assembled Earth’s mightiest heroes for a big screen adaptation. This is the movie that all of Marvel Studios’ movies like Captain America and Thor have been building up to. The budget is a whopping $220 million and the cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and Samuel L. Jackson. In theaters on May 4, 2012.

THE TRAILER: Courtesy of Apple Quicktime.

Updates: CG version of the Hulk is based off Mark Ruffalo and his chest hair. Footage of action scenes here. Footage of a Captain vs. Loki fight here. New international trailer. Joss Whedon claims the films takes place from Captain America’s perspective. Joss also says this is less of an action movie and more of a thinking man’s superhero picture. CBM has a look at the Hulk. Joss Whedon brings up the Firefly movie Serenity in relation to The Avengers. Check out Tony Stark’s new ride. New Loki pic.

Twitter chat between Whedon, Jackson, Hiddleston, and Clark Gregg. Incredible new Superbowl spot. Are these toys what we can expect the aliens to look like in the film? The visual effects supervisor on Avengers has revealed a little bit on what we can expect from the opening sequence of the film. AICN has posted two new photos. Brand new poster here. Get ready for trailer #2! AICN has posted new character posters. Empire brings us the Japanese Avengers trailer with fresh footage.

A new batch of character photos, courtesy of The Playlist and on-set images, courtesy of Total Film. Also check out an all-new featurette on youtube. Check out the awesome new TV spot, which reveals the enemy aliens. Collider has posted a brand new clip. And you can listen to samples from Alan Silvestri’s score at AICN.

A new clip at AICN reveals the “Hulk Smash” moment of the film so beware of mild spoilers. AICN has a couple of new TV spots and a clip. The Playlist has another clip, this time, some fighting words between Loki and Iron Man. Latest Avengers clip: Loki Imprisoned. Plus, Iron Man vs. Thor. Here’s the latest Avengers clip: Bruce Banner meets Black Widow. Collider has the the IMAX TV Spot and a new Behind-the-Scenes Featurette. AICN suggests that we could see another Hulk stand-alone movie as early as 2015. Get a taste of how the film is being marketed in China with these cool posters. Collider has posted an interview where Joss Whedon talks the sequel, and reveals the Blu-ray/DVD, which may have 30 minutes of deleted scenes.

Want all the latest news on upcoming films such as The Avengers? Visit the new LOVEFiLM facebook page where you can find all the latest infomation from the film world.

BREAKING NEWS: EW reports that after its record-smashing $207.4 million debut last weekend, The Avengers easily stayed atop the box office in its second frame, rising to $103.2 million over the Friday-to-Sunday period.

"Project A" Japanese Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2012

Miramax Echo Bridge presents the Blu-ray for 1983′s Project A. Jackie Chan plays a coast guard officer who battles a ruthless syndicate for control of the dangerous waters. Also starring Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung. Keep in mind that this is the English-dubbed U.S. version, which has been slightly cut from its original Hong Kong release. Check out the trailer.

"Maniac" American Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Dark Horizons reports a new version of the 80s slasher flick is in the works from P2′s Franck Khalfoun with a script by The Hills Have Eyes ’06′s Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur.

Updates: Dark Horizons via Sky News says Sin City’s Elijah Wood has signed up for the lead prt.  Twitch posted five shots of Elijah Wood doing his thing. Dark Horizons via Shocktilyoudrop.com reports that the remake’s gonna be shot from Wood’s POV. Dead Central reports that Maniac will make its debut at Cannes.

BREAKING NEWS: Twitch as a couple of new bloody stills.

"The Bride with White Hair" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Here at Cityonfire.com, we previously reported that Tsui Hark plans to helm a 3D gun-slinging wuxia called Tracks in the Snow Forest for the Bona Film Group. Today, Twitch offers word that Jacob Cheung, director of the Andy Lau-starring Battle of Wits AKA Battle of the Warriors, is also helming a 3D film for Bona.

Cheung will be putting together a new take on the same wuxia novel that inspired Ronny Yu’s 1993 Hong Kong film The Bride With White Hair. This time around it’ll be called White Hair Witch.

The Bride With White Hair has always been one of those classic early 90′s Hong Kong films that newcomers to the genre would soon seek out and be dazzled by. The film offered seminal roles for both Brigitte Lin and Leslie Cheung, and cemented the style of cinematographer Peter Pau, who would go on to serve as director of photography on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

My question is: how can a modern remake ever expect to top the original Bride With White Hair? Sure, technology has advanced a great deal in the intervening twenty years but Bride is one of those films that captures the limitless creativity and visual spectacle of 80′s and 90′s Hong Kong cinema – the film literally creates a world unto itself. That seemingly effortless magic is something filmmakers in the region have been struggling to recapture ever since.

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release from MGM and Park Circus film distributors: Park Circus and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios are pleased to announce a special celebration at the 65th Cannes International Film Festival to mark the 50th Anniversary on the big screen of Ian Fleming’s James Bond.

Five James Bond films will screen in new digital versions as part of the Cinema de la Plage screenings.

The celebration will kick off with a 50th anniversary screening of Dr. No directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery and Ursula Andress. First released on 5th October 1962 Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli’s production of Dr. No marked the first big screen appearance for Ian Fleming’s James Bond character.

DR NO will be followed by screenings of From Russia with Love, Diamonds Are Forever, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Casino Royale.

This is the first time a James Bond film has screened during the festival. The screenings in Cannes mark a year long celebration including a return to theatres worldwide of some of the classic Bond films. The celebration continues on the small screen with Bond 50, a collectible box-set featuring all 22 James Bond films on Blu-ray disc for the first time including the debut of nine James Bond films previously unavailable in high definition Blu-ray. Fans around the world can pre-order from Amazon.com.

"Prometheus" International Poster

THE MOVIE: Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define. With Prometheus, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

THE TRAILER: Courtesy of Apple Quicktime.

Updates: CBM got info from Filmophilia about Alien creature designer H.R. Giger’s involvement. U.S.A Today has a pic of Rapace with helmet hair. New Rapace photo. Alternative, Prometheus-style Alien (1979) trailer. AVPgalaxy.net has some alleged spoilers leaked by actress Kate Dickie. A different type of head shot. The international trailer is online. So who does Guy Pearce play in the movie? AICN has a major spoiler alert. The new UK teaser trailer is here, featuring footage not available in previous trailers. AICN, via prometheus-movie.com, has posted a new teaser trailer with some great footage. Also, feast your eyes on this “unboxing” viral video. The latest, full trailer. But wait, there’s more: a new internationaltrailer! The latest, full trailer. But wait, there’s more: a new international  trailer! The latest TV spot with a tad of new footage. The latest TV spot with a tad of new footage.

Empire has posted an exclusive interview with Ridley Scott where he talks about the possible PG-13 rating and his return to the mysterious Space Jockey: “I always wondered when they did [Aliens] 2,3 and 4 why they hadn’t touched upon that, instead of evolving into some other fantastic story. They missed the biggest question of them all: who’s the big guy?” Please visit Empire for the full interview.

Moviecultists.com has posted 17 new photos, which consists of stills and set shots. Totalfilm.com has posted 5 new photos. Totalfilm.com has posted 4 new photos. A poster of the USCSS ship is now available, courtesy of Fearnet.com. Also, here are some details and photos about an upcoming mini game called Prometheus Mission Connect.

AICN has word from Ridley Scott that, regardless of whether Prometheus is ultimately given a PG-13 or R rating by the ratings board, he considers the film his “director’s cut.” Also, 20 new pictures, courtesy of ropeofsilicon.com. New Prometheus viral Happy Birthday David. 3 new viral posters. AICN has posted a featurette with new footage!

Collider reports that according to a pre-sale ticket stub, the MPAA has handed down an R-rating for Prometheus. Fox has confirmed the “R” rating. Also, don’t forget to check out the new Prometheus international launch trailer, which features revealing footage. If you already did, watch it again! Head over to Fearnet.com for two new videos: A new featurette and TV spot, titled Agenda. Are you guys sick of this shit, yet?

BREAKING NEWS: Check out the new international poster, courtesy of Collider. Entertainment Weekly has some fun and high quality new images from the film.

"Facts of Murder" Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2012

Mya Communication presents the DVD for the 1959 Italian film, Facts of Murder. A thief sneaks into an apartment and steals a fortune in jewelry. Inspector Ingravallo (Pietro Germi) starts to question the neighbors, but he immediately has a fishy feeling. Pietro Germi’s Facts of Murder is known for its quick cuts, flawless acting and tight script. Also starring Once Upon A Time In The West’s Claudia Cardinale.

Ilsa: The Wicked Warden DVD (Cheezy)

RELEASE DATE: May 22, 2012

Cheezy presents the DVD for 1977′s Ilsa: The Wicked Warden. Ilsa, now a vicious warden, runs a mental-hospital for young women. A girl deliberately “checks” in to the hospital to find out what has happened to her sister who stayed there. Meanwhile Ilsa and one of the guards are forcing the inmates to have sex with male prisoners, filming them and selling it as pornoflicks.

Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition Blu-ray (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2012

Lionsgate presents the Blu-ray for the new Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition. Features includes: New Director supervised 1080P HD transfer from original negative, Interview with Director Paul Verhoeven, Special Effects of Total Recall, Commentary by Arnold Schwarzenegger & Director Paul Verhoeven, ”Making Of ,” “Imagining Total Recall” documentary, Photo Gallery and Trailer!

"Kick-Ass" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2010′s Kick-Ass, directed by X-Men: First Class’s Matthew Vaughn. Based on the comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., Kick-Ass tells the story of a dorky teenager, who decides to become a real-life superhero. All-round quality entertainment, but Chloë Grace Moretz steals the show as Hit-Girl.

"Dragon Eyes" Teaser Poster

I think we can agree we all could use a little more puncking and kicking in our lives. Thankfully, After Dark has us covered. They’re known for their yearly selection of horror films but for 2012 After Dark is launching their very first ActionFest – and it starts today!

At select theaters across the country and On Demand right now, you can check out a stellar line-up of new action flicks featuring fan favorite stars like Scott Adkins, Jean Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, and Cung Le. Don’t believe me? Just check out the lineup of films:

Dragon Eyes - the new film from director John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Regeneration) features MMA champ Cung Le and martial arts icon Jean Claude Van Damme in a rip-roaring action yarn: Watch now at Amazon.

El Gringo - Scott Adkins of Undisputed III fame finds trouble South of the Border in a movie co-starring Christian Slater and a whole lot of empty bullet cartridges: Watch now at Amazon.

Stash House - for the first time in years, Dolph Lundgren is back to playing a bonafied Bad Guy with a capital “B” as he terrorizes a young couple who accidentally move into his prized drug den: Watch now at Amazon.

Transit - Jim Caviezel (yes, Jesus himself from The Passion of the Christ) learns how far he’ll go to save his family in this tense thriller that sees the action spill on and off the road: Watch now at Amazon.

Philly Kid - a MMA flick about one young fighter’s Rocky-esque climb to fame. Featuring an appearance by Michael Jai White!: Watch now at Amazon.

"Carrie" Japanese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: Director Kimberly Pierce (Boys Don’t Cry) is doing another take on the “crazy chick with psychic powers” story from Stephen King. As AICN notes, two stabs at the concept have already been attempted with a 90′s remakequel known as The Rage, as well as a recent TV movie. Screenwriter Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa hopes to do an adaptation which is more faithful to the source material. Boxofficemojo.com has a listed release date for March 15, 2013.

Updates: Via Rotten Tomatoes, Cinemablend indicates that True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld could be up for the part of Carrie. Apparently, now the Boys Don’t Cry director is now attached to the pic. Sacasa is just writing the script. According to Vulture, looks like Chloë Moretz and Haley Bennett are the top choices to play Carry. Jodie Foster and Julianne Moore have been approached to play her mom.

AICN reports that Chloe Moretz (Kick Ass, Dark Shadows) is the new face of Carrie.

BREAKING NEWS: According to Deadline, Julianne Moore is playing Carrie’s mom. Also signed is The Three Musketeers’ Gabriella Wilde.

"City of God" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Fernando Meirelles’ City of God, a 2002 flick that involves Rio de Janeiro, gangster violence and an edible Alice Braga (what else do you need?). In all seriousness, this film is a must-see!

"Red" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Unbeknownst to me, the action-comedy Red must have been one of the sleeper hits of 2010 because Summit Entertainment is fast-tracking the sequel and they’re signing on some big-name talent to join the cast. Headliners Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich are all back, but now they’ll be joined by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun (I Saw the Devil, G.I. Joe: Retaliation).

This time around, Dean Parisot of Galaxy Quest fame will be handling scripting and directing duties. The first movie was based on a graphic novel written by acclaimed comic book author Warren Ellis. Red 2 takes our cast of geriatric ex-C.I.A. agents to Europe and should arrive in theaters on August 2, 2013.

Death Watch Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2012

Shout! Factory presents the DVD & Blu-ray for 1980′s Death Watch, an obscure science fiction flick that involves a man who secretly films footage of a terminally ill woman (with a video camera that has been implanted in his brain) for a popular TV series called Death Watch. This prophetic gem stars Harvey Keitel, Romy Schneider, Harry Dean Stanton and Max von Sydow.

"Warrior" American Theatrical Poster

Beyond Hollywood gives word that Gavin O’Connor, director of the critically acclaimed MMA fight flick Warrior starring Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy, is slated to direct a new action-thriller titled Yakuza. The film will be set in post-Tsunami Japan and follow what happens when an American intelligence agent gets caught up in the seamy underworld of Japanese organized crime. Well, this definitely sounds promising.

Gavin O’Connor will rewrite the script currently penned by Chap Taylor, while Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment will produce. There’s no word on how swiftly O’Connor will mount Yakuza, since he has a few projects currently in the works, but those of us craving more Asian-centric Hollywood films are hoping it’s soon.

Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks DVD (Cheezy)

RELEASE DATE: June 19, 2012

Cheezy presents the DVD for 1976′s Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks. Dyanne Thorne returns as Ilsa! This time, Ilsa and her lethal lesbian guards run the most sadistic slavery ring in the Middle East. But when an American diplomat threatens to expose the perverse secrets of Ilsa’s domain, she ignites a holy war of sexual violence and savage revolt! Also starring No Retreat, No Surrender 2′s Max Thayer. Check out the trailer.

"Passenger 57" Theatrical Poster

Variety reports that Unknown’s Liam Neeson is in negotiations to appear in Non-Stop, an action movie that Joel Silver’s Dark Castle Entertainment will produce and Warner Bros. will distribute. Attached to direct is Never Back Down’s Jeff Wadlow.

If Liam agrees, he will play a burnt-out air marshal who battles terrorists while aboard an international flight.

Even though Non-Stop sounds just like 1992′s Passenger 57, I’m looking forward to seeing Liam kick some ass again. After all, he’s been the world’s #1 action star since Taken. I think he has officially earned a part in Expendables 3. What do you think, Sly?

Update: It looks like Liam Neeson might just be teaming up with his Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra once again for Non-Stop.

"Piranha 3DD" International Teaser Poster

THE MOVIE: After the events at Lake Victoria, the pre-historic school of blood-thirsty piranhas make their way into a newly opened waterpark. Taking over Alexandre Aja’s director’s chair will be John Gulager, who is known for the Feast films. The film is set for a June 2012 release.

Updates: Gary Busey has been added to the cast. Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, and original Piranha 3-D actor Paul Scheer have been added to the cast. David Hasselhoff has joined the cast. It appears Piranha 3DD has been delayed indefinitely until at least 2012. Trailer Addict uploaded the SCREAM teaser. Watch it before it gets taken down. Bloody Disgusting denies that 3DD will go DTV. AICN posted two international teaser posters. The 1st official trailer is here. Watch out! New Redband trailer has arrived. Collider has 7 new images from the film. Craveonline.com has posted a clip featuring David Hasselhoff, who was an Avenger years before Samuel L. Jackson (this is my way of keeping “The Hoff” relevant).

BREAKING NEWS: Collider has posted another clip of David Hasselhoff in Baywatch action!

"The Four" Chinese Teaser Poster

The Four is a new wuxia film from director Gordon Chan (Fist of Legend), based on author Wan Ray-an’s famous novels about four detectives in ancient China. The cast includes Deng Chao, Ronald Cheng, Collin Chou, and Crystal Liu.

Gordon Chan and the cast were in Beijing yesterday to promote the film, which is considered one of the most anticipated Chinese films of 2012. They unveiled the trailer, which will hopefully appear online any day now. Says Chan, who co-directed the film with Janet Chun: “I never shoot real wuxia films. In this field, my best teacher was Tsui Hark, and I don’t dare get involved in this casually. I hope my teacher is able to see my efforts in this film.”

It was announced that The Four will open in China on July 12th, 2012, just a week after director Lu Chuan’s historical epic The Last Supper. Enlight Media is the company behind The Four; CEO Wang Changtian claims that this film is just the first installment of a planned trilogy – and that shooting has already begun on Parts 2 and 3. Wang added, “I’m crazy about wuxia.”

Update: Here’s the teaser trailer, courtesy of Twitch.

BREAKING NEWS: Chinese Films has some high resolution stills revealing the four warriors in question. And here’s two conceptual posters.

"Gangster Squad" Teaser Poster

Well, hell. Hollywood has a new cops-and-crooks picture coming out and you couldn’t ask for a better cast than this: Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, and Sean Penn headline a roster that also includes Emma Stone, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, and Giovanni Ribisi. You’d basically have to pay me not to see this movie.

The film is called Gangster Squad and it tells the true-to-life-story of how the Los Angeles Police Department formed a ruthless gang of cops to take down mobster Micky Cohen in the late 40′s. The trailer is now online courtesy of Apple Quicktime. Here’s hoping we have a new modern classic a la L.A. Confidential on our hands. Expect Gangster Squad to roll in to theaters on October 19, 2012.

"7500" Teaser Poster

THE MOVIE: The Grudge director Takashi Shimizu takes to the sky with a new English-language horror film from CBS Films. The plot follows a flight from L.A. to Tokyo in which the passengers encounter a supernatural presence. The cast includes Leslie Bibb, Amy Smart, Jamie Chung, and Ryan Kwanten. Release date: TBD 2013

THE TRAILER: The Movie Box has the teaser trailer.

Updates: Lost’s Craig Rosenberg worked on the script. Also of note is that remake producer king Roy Lee and Grudge’s Taka Ichise are producing. Via Dark Horizons and EW, check out Kwanten on a plane.

BREAKING NEWS: Deadline reports that the film has been removed from its August 31, 2012 release to an unspecified date in 2013. Thanks to Cityonfire.com alumni Ningen for the story

"Django Unchained" Teaser Poster

THE MOVIE: With the help of his mentor, a slave-turned-bounty hunter sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this Spaghetti Western-inspired tale is set to be released December 25, 2012.

Updates: Samuel L. Jackson just tweeted a photo of himself in make-up. Deadline notes that Friday Night Lights’ Todd Allen has been added to the cast. Variety notes that Dexter’s James Remar, original Dukes of Hazzard actor Tom Wopat, and Public Enemies’ James Russo have been added to the cast.

Deadline reports that CSI: Miami’s Rex Linn has been added to the cast. Variety notes that Sacha Baron Cohen is up for a part. Dark Horizons reports that True Blood’s Cooper Huckabee will play one of the Brittle Brothers. Boardwalk Empire’s Michael Kenneth Williams is in talks to play the role.

Adelaide Now reports that singer Catherine Lambert has landed an unknown role. Reuters reports that newcomer Danielle Watts will play Coco. Sundhance Channel obtained an interview with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in which he seems uncertain, but eager, about the rumours that he has a part in the movie. QT is recycling one of the sets from Deadwood. Cinema Blend reports that the writer of Project X will have a role.

Christophwaltzfans.com has a photo of Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained.

EW reports that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will no longer appear, due to possible scheduling conflicts with his directorial debut feature, Don Jon’s Addiction, which he’ll also being starring in alongside Scarlett Johansson.

Empire has gotten their hands on what appears to be the official teaser poster for Django Unchained. AICN has confirmed that the poster has been seen around the film’s set in New Orleans. AICN has the synopsis. Beware of spoilers. Total Film talks with Samuel L. Jackson about Django Unchained. Empire has new photos from the film, featuring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz.

BREAKING NEWS: Collider reports that Kurt Russell and Sacha Baron Cohen will no longer appear in Django Unchained.

"Fast & Furious" Japanese Theatrical Poster

THE MOVIE: The fourth sequel in any franchise is rarely the most popular but Fast Five rocked the box office so now Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, and the rest of the crew are returning for Fast Six and Fast Seven. The big question is: will they film them back to back? In theaters on May 24, 2013.

Updates: Screenwriter Chris Morgan has been assigned to a fifth sequel. Apparently, they want to pull a fast one on viewers and change the sixquel to a heist movie. Twitch suggests plans are in the works to shoot F6 and F7 simultaneously and bring in Jason Statham. Also, the new location intended for the film(s) is Europe. Vin Diesel confirmed via THR that there will be two movies shot back-to-back.

Dwayne Johnson says they most likely won’t shoot Fast Six and Fast Seven back-to-back due to weather issues. The source seems to confirm that Fast Six will be set in Europe, with filming taking place in both the UK and Germany.

Twitch has news that Jason Statham has declined to star in Fast Six. Maybe he’s had enough of ‘transporting’ stolen cars in his career? The story is breaking that MMA fighter/actress Gina Carano (Haywire) is in talks to join the cast of Fast Six.

BREAKING NEWS: Luke Evans (Immortals, The Raven) has signed on to play the bad guy in the film.

The Last Samurai DVD (Neptune Media)

RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2012

Neptune Media presents the DVD for The Last Samurai, by Kenji Misumi, the director of Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman and the Lone Wolf and Cub films (aka Shogun Assassin). This 1974 classic features dazzling swordfights, elaborate battle sequences and a stirring score from internationally renowned composer Akira Ifukube (Godzilla series). Check out the trailer.

"Helpless" Cast Photo

The film never ceases to compel. As the layers of deceit are peeled back, Byun seems in complete command of her material. Her narrative dexterity flaunts an audacious Chinatown-like clue to the missing woman’s whereabouts without pre-empting the climax. -Russell Edwards, Variety

Byun’s film uses [Miyabe Miyuki’s] book as a framework upon which to hang more current issues… Byun also floats questions of how much we can truly ‘know’ those closest to us. - Elizabeth Kerr, The Hollywood Reporter

A Hitchcock-ian, film noir –Andy Klein, FilmWeek on 89.3 KPCC

HELPLESS

Following a limited release at CGV Cinemas in Los Angeles, CJ Entertainment America is launching the moody Korean thriller Helpless on May 11, 2012 in select theatres across North America. The film was a critical darling and unexpected box office champion for two consecutive weeks when it was released in Korea earlier this year.

SYNOPSIS

In the blink of an eye, my fiancé vanished.

Mun-ho (LEE Sun-kyun) and Seon-yeong (KIM Min-hee) are a couple engaged to be married who pull over at a rest stop on their way to meeting Mun-ho’s parents. When Mun-ho returns to the car with coffee, he finds the car door flung open in the pouring rain with the engine still running – his fiancée is nowhere to be found. Frantic after discovering her apartment emptied out and that her previous workplaces don’t even exist, Mun-ho enlists his cousin and former police detective, Jong-geun, to help him find her. As they delve deeper, they discover that piecing together the shards of this woman’s puzzle produces a horrifying picture.

THE TALENT

Known for her sensual portrayal of female obsession in Ardor (2002), director BYUN Young-joo ends her eight year hiatus and returns to form with Helpless. Having audaciously founded her own production shingle Boim Pictures in her early twenties, BYUN has an impressive track record of films that bring previously silent voices to the screen. Byun was fascinated upon reading Kasha (火車), the novel of best-selling Japanese author Miyabe Miyuki, and almost immediately got in touch with the author to pursue a film adaptation. The result is a haunting picture of an incident that goes beyond the thriller genre and speaks to our modern society.

HELPLESS May 11 Theatre Release List

AMC Ridgefield Park (NY)
AMC Empire (NY)
AMC Showplace Niles (Chicago)
AMC Alderwood (Seattle)
Cineplex Silvercity Coquiltam (Vancouver)
AMC Yonge & Dundas (Toronto)

ONLINE

Visit the film’s website for trailers, clips, photos and more information: www.helpless2012.com

"The Zodiac Mystery" Chinese Theatrical Poster

We may be at least a decade on from the heyday of Asian horror, but the genre is clearly alive and well. Far East Films has the teaser trailer for a new Chinese-language suspense film titled The Zodiac Mystery and, thankfully, it looks to avoid most of the genre’s cliches, with the trailer instead highlighting the slick cinematography and an attractive cast being menaced by the supernatural.

The plot concerns a group of friends who are dying off one after the other; the survivors must figure out how the deaths are linked to the victim’s zodiac signs before it’s too late. The Zodiac Mystery arrives from director Sheng Zhimin (2006′s Bliss). The cast includes Tong Dawei, Gan Wei, Qin Hao, Kimi Qiao, and Ada Liu. The film opens in China this July 2013.

"The Taste of Money" Korean Theatrical Poster

Far East Films has the first trailer for the new Korean-language film from Im Sang-Soo, the director of 2010′s critically acclaimed The Housemaid. His next project, titled The Taste of Money, is an erotic thriller about a young man hired by a wealthy family to take care of their business-related and private matters.

This being a thriller and all, it’s not long before the poor sap is pulled into a world of deception, lust, and murder. Be advised that the trailer is definitely NSFW. The film opens in Korea this May 2012.

Update: A new full-length (and still NSFW) trailer in preparation of the film’s premiere at Cannes. Sorry there’s no English subs, though. Thanks to 24 Frames Per Second for the story

"The Incredible Hulk" Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2008′s The Incredible Hulk, directed by The Transporter’s Louis Leterrier. If you didn’t like Ang Lee’s version (which was the Deal on Fire a couple of days ago), maybe this one better suits you. And I say again, I’m not trying to exploit The Avengers movie or anything. =D

"Let's Go!" International Theatrical Poster

Director: Wong Ching Po
Writer: Simon Lai, Pak-wing Yan
Producer: Willie Chan Chi Keung
Cast: Juno Mak Jun Lung, Jimmy Wang Yu, Pat Ha Man Jing, Stephy Tang Lai Yan, Gordon Lam Ka Tung, Chin Siu Ho, Ken Lo, Tony Ho Wah Chiu
Running Time: 96 min.

By HKFanatic

Mild pre-release buzz suggested that “Let’s Go!” was a Chinese martial arts romp inspired by 80′s Japanese superhero cartoons, and the trailer seemed to confirm this general notion. If I had realized this was the latest film from Ching-Po Wong, the director of the slick Triad drama “Jiang Hu” and a movie called “Revenge: A Love Story,” I probably would have altered my expectations. “Let’s Go!” is not a ‘romp’ in any sense of the word. Ching-Po Wong is a filmmaker with a strong sense of visual style, there’s no doubt about that – but he does not make brightly colored, optimistic, or generally humorous movies.

The majority of this film feels like a Johnnie To pastiche, with story bits and images culled from movies like “The Mission” and “Exiled.” Hong Kong singer Juno Mak stars in the lead role of a cartoon-loving kid who becomes an angsty young man after the death of his father. As luck would have it, he’s pretty damn good in a fight and it doesn’t take long before he’s hired by an ultra-exclusive bodyguard service that may or may not be in the pocket of a big time crime boss (the legendary Jimmy Wang Yu in a cameo role). An over the top, spaghetti Western-tinged score reminiscent of Ennio Morricone-esque adds to the Milkyway Image vibe.

Cross this gangster imagery with extended scenes of brutal violence – vicious dog attacks, people being filleted by steak knives – and a generally depressing story about how life loves to chew up and spit out ‘the little guy,’ and you can see why “Let’s Go!” is a bit of a mutt of a movie. If you’re expecting a rollicking Hong Kong fight flick that pays tribute to “Voltron” – like I was – you might end up feeling let down. “Let’s Go!” is kind of about that, sure, but it’s really about how those wide-eyed kids who idealized “Voltron” grow up to have the world crap on their dreams.

In the end, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about this film. What action is here is good but there’s probably not enough of it to satisfy fight fans. The overall tone of the film is unrepentantly dark, which seems to be de facto for director Ching-Po Wong, but the material arguably called for something a bit more light and fun: a “Let’s Go!” that lived up to its excited title and provided proper homage to its Saturday morning inspirations. While this is not the film I thought it would be, I’d still say “Let’s Go!” is worth a watch for fans of violent Chinese action movies.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 7/10

Kristen Stewart

Snow White and the Huntsman’s Kristen Stewart has signed on to play the lead in Cali, an ultraviolet drama that’s reminiscent of films like True Romance and Bonnie and Clyde.

According to Variety, the plot of Cali concerns a couple who decide to make a chunk of money by producing and selling a fake snuff film (a motion picture genre that depicts the actual murder of a person or people); of course, their plan backfires and before they know it, they find themselves mixed up with homicidal porn stars, dangerous businessmen, stoner vet techs and an unstoppable killing machine in a cowboy hat.

Cali comes from the mind of Michael Diliberti, a rising screenwriter responsible for writing 30 Minutes or Less. Diliberti has recently been hired by Todd Phillips (The Hangover II), Seth Gordon (The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters) and directing duo John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (Crazy Stupid Love) for screenwriting work. In addition, Diliberti has just sold his script for Little White Corvette, which Easy A’s Emma Stone is supposedly starring in.

BREAKING NEWS: Variety reports that Alpha Dog’s Nick Cassavetes will direct Cali.

Sylvester Stallone in "Bullet to the Head"

THE MOVIE: It’s a match made in heaven: Sylvester Stallone teams up with The Warriors and 48 Hours director Walter Hill for a buddy-cop action flick starring Sung Kang of the Fast and Furious franchise. Also starring Christian Slater, Jason Momoa, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. In theaters February 1, 2013.

Updates: What’s Playing notes that the film is meant to be an homage to 80s buddy-cop films like Hill’s own 48 Hours. ComicBookMovie has the first image from the film. Axe fight! AICN has a look at a Sly with a dragon tattoo.

Twitch has the story saying Warner Brothers has pulled Bullet to the Head from its April 13th release date – and has not issued a replacement date. Twitch has breaking news that Sylvester Stallone is overseeing a final edit of the film. AICN has the word directly from Sly Stallone: “I have nothing to do with the editing to ‘Bullet to the Head.’  Walter is doing a FANTASTIC job!  I think it is a FANTASTIC job and he’s editing it!”

Meanwhile, over at MovieHole, Walter Hill speaks: “…as to the content and style of the film, Sly and I are in perfect sync. I’m delighted with the way the film is turning out and hopefully so will the audience.”

BREAKING NEWS: Deadline reports the film now has a release date of February 1, 2013. That’s a delay of almost a year. A Stallone action movie we thought we would see months before Expendables 2 now won’t hit theaters until next year.