ACTION MOVIE ADDICT

AMAZONS, A FIVE STAR GENERAL & JEFF LAU NUTTINESS!!!

2011-10-17T00:08:00.002+01:00

The two Chan's, Lau and Chou (yes, I'm aware that that rhymed!) return with three new action-enriched titles that are packed with eastern promise...

LEGENDARY AMAZONS

Frankie Chan, the legendary The Prodigal Son antagonist and director of early 90's action hits like Burning Ambition, Outlaw Brothers, Fun and Fury and Oh, Yes Sir, is back!

This time, with the help of producer Jackie Chan - a frequent collaborator (they worked together on Armour of God 2: Operation Condorand Thunderbolt, as well as a few other titles) - he has lensed this remake of the early 70's Shaw Brothers classic The 14 Amazons.

The film stars Cheng Pei Pei, Yukari Oshima and Cecilia Cheung and will be released November 18th 2011.

HKCinemagic

EAST MEETS WEST (Eagle Shooting Heroes 2011)

Here's a little trailer for Jeff Lau's (Kung Fu Hustle, Chinese Odyssey) new zany comedy featuring Eason Chan (I Corrupt All Cops), Karen Mok (Shaolin Soccer) and Ekin Cheng (The Storm Warriors).

The film, apparently, is a pseudo redux / remake / sequel to his 1993 Wu Xia Kung Fu comedy hit Eagle Shooting Heroes, which starred Tony Leung, the late Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin and Maggie Cheung.

You should expect the usual amount of Mo Lei Tau nonsensicalness, interspersed with smatterings of martial arts goodness.

East Meets West will be released in November 2011.

HKMDB

FIVE STAR GENERAL (The Five)

Fu Huayang, the filmmaker behind the mad martial arts comedy Seven Arhat, and the dance movie Kung Fu Hip Hop, is to take to the director's chair again for a more conventional - and down right cool lookin' - action flick.

This one, known both as 'The Five' and 'Five Star General', stars Collin Chou (The Matrix Reloaded / Revolutions, City Under Siege), Andy On (True Legend, The Lost Bladesman) and Simon Yam (Election), Exiled.

Really lookin' forward to this one - jungles, Kung Fu, man traps and loud 'n' colourful shirts...what more could any discerning action fan want?!

Release is set for Summer 2012.

HKMDB

12 SOUTH KOREAN ACTION FILMS THAT ROCK SOCKS!!! (Part 1)

2011-10-15T21:59:00.000+01:00

Reantimator's back with 12 top picks - this time, he's lookin' through his scope and pointing his actiony gun at the South Korean output of the last decade or so. Here we go...I'm lookin' forward to this!

PUBLIC ENEMY

As with my little look at 12 Hong Kong Movies That Kick It...Hard!!!, this list o' twelve isn't in any particular order. That is, apart from this first one.

This film, although not a full on explosion 'n' gunfight filled carnage-o-ramathon, is SO DARN GOOD that it deserves a place at Reantimator's 'Numero Uno South Korean Movie' spot any day of the week.

It focuses on Kang Chul-Jung, a douche bag (and majorly corrupt) cop, played AMAZINGLY by Sol Kyung-Gu (Haeundae / Tidal Wave, Silmido), who happens upon a knife-wielding hooded assailant whilst on a lazy stakeout session. On top of this, he gets a small facial cut in the process...and a poo-stained hand! (don't ask, just watch!). Little does he know that the assailant is Cho Kyu-Hwan, an outwardly upstanding member of the community (played with a real coldness by Lee Sung-Jae - Kick The Moon, Attack the Gas Station) who has just murdered his own parents for their money!

When Kang is let in on the double-murder case of Lee's folks, and after meeting Lee himself, his instinctual - and little used - detective skills kick back in to action and he is convinced that the preppy, white-collar big shot is his man. This leads to a full on, down 'n' dirty, game of cat and mouse between the two polar opposites.

Kang Woo-Suk's (Hanbando, Moss) direction here is top notch, as well as all the technical aspects of the production. Like most South Korean movies of the last 15 years, this busts the 2 hour running time - and then some. But unlike a lot of projects, it doesn't suffer because of this. In fact, every time I view it I wish it was longer...a lot longer!

The two things that really shine are the performances, both from the two leads and from the amazing supporting cast, and the remarkably simple, but effective, script - penned by Kim Hyun-Jung (writer / director of Double Agent). It does exactly what it says on the tin, and does it in spades.

If you've seen it before - SEE IT AGAIN, and if you haven't - SEE IT NOW!

Also worthy of note is that the film garnered two sequels, Another Public Enemy and Public Enemy Returns, both of which are top notch (although not quite on par with this masterpiece) and feature many of the original cast and crew.

IMDB

THE HOST

Here we feature a modern monster movie directed by Bong Joon-Ho and starring Park Chan Wook regular, Song Kang-Ho (The Good, The Bad, The Weird and Thirst).

After some military types dump a shed-load of formaldehyde into the Han River, South Korea, a mutated beast emerges from it's waters. Somewhat squirrel-like, it has taken a bunch of humans - including our unlikely leading man, Park Gang-Du's daughter, Hyun-Seo, played by Ko Ah-Sung - and has hidden them for safe-keeping so it can feed on them in the not-too-distant future.

It is up to our hero, along with his failed Olympic archer sister, Nam-Joo (Bae Doo-Na - Sympathy For Mr Vengeance, The Tube), and the rest of his rag-tag family to find and hopefully save her from the aquatic beast.

Although the plot is pretty much par-for-the-course stuff, it really packs a punch. The initial 'Monster Reveal' sequence where we see Hyun-Seo captured is beautifully realised, and the special effects - which include some nice CGI with a little animatronics wizardry - are right on the money.

This is another instance where the South Koreans have proved that they're more than a match for their western counterparts.

IMDB

BROTHERHOOD [TAEGUKGI]

More epic running time goodness is to be had here with this hugely melodramatic, and immensely enjoyable, war movie from Kang Je-Gyu (director of the awesome Nikita-alike, Shiri / Swiri).

It stars Dong-gun Jang (Typhoon, The Promise) and Won Bin (from Mother and the fantastic The Man From Nowhere) as Jin-Tae and Jin-Seok, two brothers living a quiet and peaceful life, where everything is happy and gay, where there's no troubles or cares. Nothing could ever mar their little slice of heaven...EXCEPT WAR!!!

Yep, it's war on a massive scale. North versus South (or vice versa, depending on how you look at it), brother against brother, friend against friend. Our two brother protagonists are thrown right in it, and thrown in DEEP!

After a kind of slow and subdued start, you get the feeling that it's all going to be rather like that all the way through...it isn't! When the warring, the in-fighting, the swapping sides and the carnage starts, it never lets up. Yes, there are brief aforementioned melodramatic interludes peppered throughout, and the cheese factor is high in places, but that doesn't stop this being one helluva war movie that isn't backward in going forward.

If you think Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan's got scope, you ain't seen nothin' yet. I can remember thinking: 'How the hell did they get hold of the sort of coin needed to produce such a high quality product?' when I first saw this film and, to be honest, I still ask myself the same question now.

Unless you are particularly ignorant to the goings on in the Korean War, you're not going to learn a huge amount about history or the politics of the situation, and you're not going to get a new and original approach to the war genre. What you are going to get is an amazingly emotional, and at the same time, brutal and beautifully made movie that - although rather long (running at nearly two-and-a-half hours) - will, after the long intro, keep you gripped to your seat from beginning to end.

IMDB

That's ya lot for now, but I will return in the near future, like some sort of deranged Phoenix from the flames, to give you the next 3 entries in my sock rockin' list!

THAI ACTION MOVIES COMIN' YOUR WAY!

2011-10-12T12:34:00.000+01:00

Here's a few Thai releases that might tickle ya taste buds!

THE KICK

Prachya Pinkaew is back directing full-on Asian action flicks after his brief interlude with the more internationally flavoured, and a little disappointing, Elephant White. This one stars Pinkaew regulars, JeeJa Yanin (Chocolate, Raging Phoenix) and Petchtai Wongkamlao (Ong Bak,The Bodyguard) in a story about a family of Tae Kwon Do masters who move to Thailand from South Korea to open a Gym. Expect the usual copious amounts of martial arts madness from this one.

Out Nov' 3rd in Thailand.

IMDB

AFTER III 2090

Byron Gibson, an up 'n' coming stunt performer (who appears in The Hangover Part II, the forthcoming Scorpion King: Battle for Redemption and the, as yet, unreleased Jean Claude Van Damme flick The Eagle Path), features in this futuristic action movie. It looks like it could go both ways, either down a half decent 'Ong Bak goes Sci Fi' road, or down a 'Bad Uwe Boll video game adaption' route. Time will tell!

Touted for a late 2011 release date.

KillerFilm.com

BANGKOK KUNG FU

Not sure what to make of this one - seems a little too High School Musical in places for my liking. Having said that, it might be like a Thai version of Kung Fu Hustle, which is A-Okay with me.

Out Sep' 1st in Thailand, so it should find it's way to international markets some time soon.

TWITCH

Also of note are 2 future Thai film releases from director Raimund Huber (Bangkok Adrenaline) - Kill 'Em All and Dragonwolf. Unfortunately no trailers have hit yet so you'll have to wait in feverish anticipation, or alternatively you can go to the Epic Pictures website below, or click on the film titles for more info.

Epic Pictures

JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN REVIEW

2011-10-10T14:31:00.000+01:00

Reantimator takes a look at the new spy comedy sequel with Rowan Atkinson - returning to his bumbling, James Bond-esque role originally seen (under the name Richard Latham) in a bunch of Barclaycard ads that started in the late 80's. Will this be better than the original Johnny English?

Having been meditating and training at the local Shaolin Temple for the past few years, after a terrible - nay, eye-twitchingly terrible - incident in Mozambique, Johnny English returns to spy work to thwart an attempt on the Chinese Premier's life. That is basically it in a nutshell...the usual spy bumf!

The weird thing with this movie is that it's totally and utterly unoriginal in every way. The premise of having a spoof on the spy genre has been done to death a million times before. Many of the set ups, sight-gags and action sequences have also done the rounds of umpteen different projects. Like-minded stuff from the Carry On films, Ace Ventura, Monty Python and shades of other Rowan Atkinson characters (Blackadder, Mr. Bean) are, alomost shamelessly, regurgetated for entertainment purposes in this film.

'Why weird?', I hear you ask.

It's weird because I found it funnier than a funny thing on a string and it entertained me 100%. It totally worked for me on almost every level. It was funny, the casting is terrific - Dominic West (The Wire), Gillian Anderson (The X Files, Bleak House), Daniel Kaluuya (Psychoville) and Tim McInnerny (Blackadder, Severance) are all top-notch - and it really captures the feel of the very sort of thing it lampoons. You could almost swear that it was directed by Terence Young or Guy Hamilton (directors of Bond classics Dr No and Goldfingerrespectively), and not Oliver Parker - the director for this one.

Again, originality has left the building completely, and the plot's the usual kinda stuff, but it's so much fun watching the people who are supposed to play it straight - play it straight, and the people hamming it up - TOTALLY hamming it up that this gets two huge thumbs up from me any day of the week.

A more than worthy follow up - go see it!

Johnny English: Reborn is out in UK now and in the US on October 21st.

IMDB

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!!!

2011-10-02T17:39:00.064+01:00

Although Russian cinema goes back beyond the Soviet Union to when it was the Russian Empire, Andrei Konchalovsky, the director behind Hollywood films such as Runaway Train and Tango and Cash, was one of the first Russian directors that I had heard of that was working within the Hollywood system, or in the action genre in general.

The aforementioned movies were, of course, simply US movies that were directed by a Russian. What about wholly Russian made action films that have found an audience internationally???

In the last few years there has been an all-out explosion of new talent coming from the semi-presidential republic - the first that really caught this action movie addict's eye was Timur Bekmambetov, director of the sublime horror / action epic, Night Watch (which he followed with the sequel, Daywatch and the recent US hit, Wanted).

Another Bekmambetov-related movie you may not have heard of is the Alexandr Voitinsky and Dmitry Kiseliov-directed movie (which TB produced), Black Lightning. It features (in a very Spider-Man-esque way) a poor young college kid who receives a present in the form of a crappy car - only to find that the car is much more than what it appears...

Great stuff! Now, before you go thinking that Timur is the only dude taking eastern European action to the max, think again! We also have movies like the Antikiller series, which actually pre-dates the Night Watch films by a couple of years (and features it's main bad guy, Yuriy Kutsenko), the upcoming horror remake Viy: The Return and the awesome Nepobedimyj / Invincible / Man of East (directed by Oleg Pogodin, who also lensed the recent Paradox Soldiers).

You see? Don't go thinking that it's just the US and Asia (with a little nudge from Frenchman, Luc Besson every now and again) churning out the action goodness...THE RUSSIAN'S ARE COMING!

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12 HONG KONG KUNG FU MOVIES THAT KICK IT...HARD!!! (Part 4)

2011-09-30T19:49:00.000+01:00

In our last (sob, sob!) look at 12 worthy Hong Kong Kung Fu films that NEED to grace your DVD shelves, we look at more modern takes on the traditional syle.

TRUE LEGEND

This was Yuen Woo Ping's return to feature film directing after a nearly 14 year absence (the years in between were filled with Choreography gigs on things like The Matrixand it's sequels, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)...and what a return it was!

True Legend tells the story of Su Can (played by Wu Shu star, Vincent Zhao / Chiu Man Cheuk), a military general who, after saving a prince, is offered the chance to be a governor in return. Instead of accepting this, he decides to retire from service to focus on raising a family, and the pursuit of perfection in the martial arts, and asks if his adopted brother, Yuan Lie (played with menace by Andy On), can receive the promotion instead.

Unfortunately, Yuan Lie is ferociously jealous of his brother and after becoming a powerful leader returns to Su Can's home and kills his father (played by 'Beardy' himself, Leung Kar Yan), kidnaps his son and leaves Su Can for dead.

And so, Su is lead down a path of recovery, martial arts training and revenge as he meets his destiny and becomes one of the famed '10 Tigers of Canton'...the legendary Beggar So.

This film is AWESOME in nearly every aspect. Well shot, well acted and totally Fu-rific! Zhao shows that he really can work well on the big screen, after mainly doing TV work since Fist Power, some 10 years ago. The rest of the cast are fantastic too - which includes great cameos from people like Michelle Yeoh, Jay Chou (recently seen in the Seth Rogan take on The Green Hornet), Gordon Liu and the late David Carradine.

And the fight scenes are too bad either! Yes, there's the odd use of Wire-fu and they've certainly gone OTT on the ol' Breakdancing in a few places (Woo Ping apparently made Zhao do a few months training in the Urban Arts!), but that doesn't stop each superbly choreographed duel being both pacy and bone-crunching.

All in all, this is one of the better 21st century Fu films in the tradional-style. Get it now!

IMDB

ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA

Tsui Hark returned to solo-directing for the first time since Peking Opera Blues in 1986 (he co-lensed movies such as The Swordsman, Big Heat and I Love Maria in the interim) with this much copied and sequel-spawning traditional Kung Fu movie hit.

This sets up Wu Shu sensation Jet Li (Shaolin Temple, Kids From Shaolin, Martial Arts of Shaolin) as the new embodiment of Wong Fei Hung, a real-life folk hero and another of the 10 Tigers of Canton - a group of ten of the best martial arts fighters in southern China. Before this movie, everybody knew the late Kwan Tak Hing as the film version of Wong, having starred in countless movies featuring the character between 1949 and 1981, but Jet takes over the role with effortless ease.

The main focus of the film (and I'm not gonna go through the intricacies of the plot - coz I hate typing!) is the effect of the West (primarily Britain and America) on South-east Asia - guns, the slave trade, you name it - and sees Wong (a herbalist and Kung Fu Master of the Hung Gar style) pitted against rival martial arts schools, spiritual sects and an American crime syndicate.

This film has it all - not only does it have instances of fantastic martial arts prowess provided by Jet (ably assisted by his stunt-double, Hung Yan Yan / Xin Xin Xiong, who also has a decent role in the film), Yuen Biao and old-school villain, Yen Shi Kwan, but it also has a great story, characterisation and is beautifully filmed.

Unlike most martial arts films up until this time, it really makes sure that all the elements are working 100% and although running at over 2 hours in length, it never lets the eyes wander or segues into too much scatological comedy or ham-fistedness.

Truly a classic in every sense of the word.

IMDB

HERO

Another Jet Li vehicle hits our list of 12. This one, a simple but beautifully whimsical film directed by Chinese art-house King, Zhang Yimou, is about as good as it's gonna get in this age of CGI, uber-slow mo and high budgets.

Set in a time when China's different region's were separately governed and not yet unified, a nameless swordsman (Jet) is allowed to go before one of these region's Kings (Chen Daoming) as he claims to have killed 3 assassins (Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Donnie Yen) that were aiming to murder the powerful leader.

Because of the assassination attempt, the King will not allow anyone within a certain distance of him, but as 'Nameless' tells his story he is allowed closer...and closer, and we - the viewer - get closer to the truth.

The whole style of this film, both in terms of set design and story design (as well as knee tremblingly good fight sequences co-ordinated by the legend that is Ching Siu Tung) is what really sets this apart from your usual Wu Xia

Truly a masterwork in every sense, I urge you to get hold of this masterpiece.

IMDB

That's ya lot folks. That's Reantimator's '12 Hong Kong Kung Fu Movies that Kick it...Hard!' done, dusted and in the rear-view mirror. But there's gonna be more, Oh, yes, there's gonna be more!

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

THE BIG FAT GYPSY GANGSTER'S BACK...AND HE'S BEING VERY NAUGHTY!!!

2011-09-27T22:37:00.008+01:00

Back in 2000, The 11 O'Clock Show - a UK late night satirical comedy show that launched the careers of people like Ricky Gervais (The Office, Extras), Charlie Brooker (Screen Burn, Co-writer of Chris Morris' Nathan Barley)and Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G, Borat)- brought another comedic character to our screens...the convicted, and slightly derranged, criminal: BULLA.

Funny stuff, eh???

Now Ricky Grover, star of the phenomenal Johnny Vaughan-scripted sitcom, 'Orrible, is back in a feature length film focusing on his Big Fat Gypsy Gangster creation. Here, he both stars as the titular character, co-writes the screenplay (along with his wife, Maria Grover) and makes his feature length directorial debut...and what a debut it is!

Bulla has just been released from HMP Broadmarsh after a 16 year stretch in the clink, after which he finds out that all his old haunts, including his Auntie's (Laila Morse) Pub, have been bought out by the bent, and now best-selling author ex-copper, Mason (Eddie Webber) - the very same bent ex-copper who put him inside in the first place!

Whilst being followed by an american documentarian (Joshua Lou Friedman), Bulla and his entourage, including his left and right hand men - Roland and Geoff (Roland Manookian, Geoff Bell), midget driver / bare-knuckle fighter - Major (Maxwell Laird) and his "Financial Advisor" Jik Jickels (Omid Djalili), Bulla goes on a rip-roaring ride through his old stomping ground trying to get the money to save his "Manor".

Right from the off, the film grabs you by the naughty bits and doesn't let go. If you've been looking for a Brit-com that mirrors the likes of Love Actually or Billy Elliot- look elsewhere. This is loud 'n' proud, brash, foul-mouthed, hyperactive craziness to the Nth degree...Just like Bulla himself!

The film uses a number of tried 'n' true elements, including the 'Mocumentary' style - used to good effect in things like the BBC2 series Operation Good Guysand the US comedy Dog Bites Man- and the modern British gangster feel encapsulated in things like Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelsand Snatch.

Fast paced, with trip-hammer editing - it never lets up. It's truly an assault on the senses. The little cut-aways to the stocking-wearing Bulla, talking to camera, are another nice touch that really gives it zing.

And if you're thinking of creating a drinking game where you have a shot of whisky every time a recognisable face makes an appearance - please don't, you'll die from alcohol poisoning! Everybody and their dog takes a turn: Celeb Psychic, Derek Acorah, stand up and panel show regular, Rufus Hound, N-Dubz' Tulisa, and the Beverly Hills Copbad guy himself - Steven Berkoff, are just a few of the familiar faces you'll spot.

In spite of the major star power involved - this is still Grover's show, he oozes charisma and likeability from every pore and is funny, scary (in a good way!) and captivating to watch.

Even though it's not strictly an action movie, and The Reantimator LOVES action movies, he had to give this a little 'Blog Time' 'cause he laughed until his curcuits bled and nearly blew his CPU! Now, after all that, this Action Movie Addict needs a nice cup o' tea...2 sugars!!!

Big Fat Gypsy Gangster is out now to rent or buy.

Bulla's official YouTube channel

12 HONG KONG KUNG FU MOVIES THAT KICK IT...HARD!!! (Part 3)

2011-09-24T22:13:00.089+01:00

Part 3 of reantimator's look at 12 prime examples of Hong Kong cinema at it's best continues...

THE ODD COUPLE

The Hong Kong legends that are Sammo Hung and Lau Kar Wing (brother of 'The Pops' - Shaw Brothers master director / choreographer Lau Kar Leung) team up through their company GarBo films for this Kung Fu Classic.

The story centres on two aging and argumentative Kung Fu masters, played by Sammo and Kar Wing, who challenge each other every year to see who's Kung Fu is the best - with each competition ending up in a stale-mate.

Because of this they decide to have a wager to see if they can train two young novices (also played by Sammo / Kar Wing) in their respective specialties - Sammo's Sword and Kar Wing's Spear - to see which is best.

This movie kicks so much ass it's untrue, and the use of the duel roles elevates it above much of the Asian Fu Flicks of the time. There are stand out sequences aplenty, both of the martial and comedy kind. The fight between Sammo and the prolific Lee Hoi San (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin), as well as the awesomely OTT cameo from Dean Shek (from Drunken Master,A Better Tomorrow 2) are two such memorable moments.

See this at as soon as possible, it's late 70's Hong Kong Cinema at it's peak...and not a Walter Matthau or Jack Lemon in sight!

SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW

After Jackie Chan was having a hard time under the auspices of Lo Wei, and had suffered numerous box office disappointments in the form of movies such as Shaolin Wooden Men / Shaolin Chamber of Death, New Fist of Fury and Magnificent Bodyguards, he was put on loan to Ng See Yuen's Seasonal Film Corporation...and then people stood up an took notice.

Snake In The Eagle's Shadow was the first of two collaboration's between Jackie and N.G (which is how many refer to Ng See Yuen as), the second being the phenomenally successful Drunken Master- both films, by the way, were directed by Kung Fu choreography master, Yuen Woo Ping - who's now known to the world through his work on Hollywood hits like The Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Kill Bill. As a side note, Alexander Fu Sheng was originally cast in Jackie's role, but Sir Run Run Shaw (head of Shaw Brothers) disallowed it, allowing Jackie his big break.

The film has the usual setup: Introduce bad guy with an action sequence (the bad guy in question? The AMAZING Korean super-kicker, Wang Jang Lee - or however else you want to spell his name!!!). Introduce our poor-boy - bullied-by-his peers - orphan and hero-in-waiting (Jackie). Introduce Kung Fu Master that helps him learn Kung Fu (Father of Woo Ping, Simon Yuen Siu Tin - who's later movies pretty much always featured a variation on the Beggar character he plays here). Then fill the movie with great Kung fu skirmishes / training sequences that culminate in an all out battle with multiple bad guys. THE END!

In all seriousness though, this movie is the mutts nuts. Everything about it screams class - the music, the characterization (Dean Shek and gweilo Roy Horan put in particularly standout performances), the pace...and, of course, the fantastic martial arts action that really fits the bill.

Definitely a Jackie Chan film - pre Golden Harvest - that's worth a look.

EIGHT DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER

Another Lau Kar Leung movie hits our list of twelve - and deservingly so!

This entry into the Shaw Brothers oeuvre really is awesome in every aspect, which is surprising seeing as it was considerably reworked after the untimely death of Alexander Fu Sheng (Chinatown Kid, Shaolin Temple) in a car accident.

Instead of Sheng taking out the Manchu's that killed the best part of his family, Gordon Liu (adopted brother of 'The Pops') steps up as one of the Yang Family brothers (which also includes Hsiao Ho, from My Young Auntie), loyal to the Sung Dynasty, who takes refuge at the Shaolin Temple to get away from his violent past.

That is until he learns that the Manchu's have kidnapped his sister (played by Kara Hui - one time Ex of Lau Kar Leung, and star of many Shaw's and Golden Harvest hits), whereupon he leaves Shaolin to get her back - with a little help from the monks.

This film is so darn good it makes reantimator wanna puke nuts 'n' bolts. It has it's weaknesses (especially if you watch the dubbed version!) - like over doing it on the acting front in a few places, but you will totally forgive it when you see some of the jaw-dropping fight scenes featuring people like Philip Ko (The Boxer's Omen, Shaolin Intruders) and Wang Lung Wei (Return To The 36th Chamber, Project A 2).

See it...SEE IT RIGHT NOW!

Part 1, Part 2, Part 4

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MORE SEQUELS HEADED YOUR WAY!

2011-09-19T16:36:00.102+01:00

That's right folks, Hollywood is back doing what it does best...sequels!

First up is Johnny English Reborn, the belated second outing (the first Johnny Englishwas released in 2003) for the bumbling, goofy British spy - played by Blackadderhimself, Rowan Atkinson, and directed by Brit film maker, and action newbie, Oliver Parker (Othello, St Trinian's and it's sequel).

Although Reantimator's a pessimistic beast, he's actually quite looking forward to it. Anything with Kung Fu, Dominic West (from the breathtakingly great HBO series The Wire), Shaolin lookin' monks - and general tomfoolery - and you just know that you can count the 'Action Movie Addict' in!

(Johnny English: Reborn is out in the UK on Oct' 7 and in the US on Oct' 28)

Next, and another sequel with a distinct British flavour, is Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The sequel to the 2009 hit Sherlock Holmes- starring Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role once more, again aided by Jude Law's 'Watson'.

Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) is back in the director's chair again, with Noomi Rapace (The Girl Who... Millennium Trilogy star) co-starring. The always excellent, Jared Harris (son of Richard, and from TV's Mad Menand Fringe- among many other productions), plays Holmes' arch-enemy: Professor Moriarty.

(Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows is out in both the UK and US on Dec' 16)

Lastly, we have the third sequel in the re-re-reduxed Mission: Impossible re-hash (Woah, that's a helluva lot of 'Re's' HaHa!).

One-man film making army, J.J. Abrams - who's acting as producer for this one - takes a backseat and let's Brad Bird take the helm to direct a script co-written by Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects). Interesting choice, as Bird is more known for the Uber-hit animated series The Simpsons, and CGI smashes The Incredibles and Ratatouille.

As usual, Tom Cruise takes centre stage as the face-swapping Ethan Hunt, and is joined again by Ving Rhames and the Hot Fuzz/ Shaun of The Deadactor, Simon Pegg (who's gone all 'action hero' in this outing), who returns as computer geek Benji Dunn.

Hopefully, this will see the franchise continue on it's upward trajectory.

(Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is out in the US on Dec' 21 and in the UK on Dec' 26)

12 HONG KONG KUNG FU MOVIES THAT KICK IT...HARD!!! (Part 2)

2011-09-17T03:33:00.033+01:00

Reantimator's back with 3 more AMAZING traditional-style Kung Fu films from Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Chang Cheh in his rundown of 12 quality examples of martial movie making...Enjoy!

FEARLESS HYENA

Here we have the first entry from Jackie Chan in our list of 12 and, as it happens, this was his first attempt at directing (assisted by Kenneth Tsang, the A Better Tomorrow actor, who would face Jackie later in his career as his nemesis in Police Story 3: Super Cop)...and what a first attempt it is!

This was Chan's last full movie whilst under contract to Lo Wei, director of Bruce Lee's The Big Boss
and Fist of Fury, as well as New Fist of Fury - the second of Jackie's 10 Lo Wei-associated productions. That list of 10 doesn't include the exploitative Fearless Hyena sequel - shambolically put together when Jackie left Lo Wei's company for the future behemoth: Golden Harvest - which used various doubles to replace Jackie, and assorted outtakes from the original movie.

Plot-wise, Fearless Hyena is standard fare. A young country bumpkin (Jackie) who lives and trains in Kung Fu with his grandfather (played brilliantly by James Tien) makes a nuisance of himself by getting in martial challenges with all 'n' sundry, even though he's been told to keep his martial arts prowess secret.

When news of this young tyke's exploits brings him to the attention of some old family enemies, it leads to tragedy...and to some great training sequences and fight scenes that REALLY put Jackie on the map.

Please get hold of this film - or Jackie will get 'Emotional'!!!

IMDB

DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN

It's Chang Cheh time, baby!!!

The legendary director and the late, great Alexander Fu Sheng (who worked together on more than 20 movies) come together again for this classic slice of Shaw Brothers pizza.

The story centres around a poor young man (Fu Sheng) who winds up getting work, through the help of one of his Kung Fu peers (Chi Kuan Chun - from the brilliant Men From The Monastery, another Cheh classic), at a textile mill. Instead of fabric-producing duties, he's more prized for his fighting skills than anything else and soon becomes the focus of a rival bosses attention. He eventually lets a new-found power and wealth go to his head, leaving all his friends behind, and the rival boss takes over the mill - to the detriment of everybody's lives.

This film doesn't actually "kick it" that hard in terms of fight scenes - although that doesn't stop it from featuring a couple of choice Lau Kar Leung-choreographed set pieces. The fights aren't the basis for my recommendation, it's the fantastic story that really kicks butt, and the well-developed characters.

Johnnie To - director of Election and Exiled - obviously thought so too, as he directed a fantastic remake in the form of The Bare Footed Kid,which is also worth a look-see.

Although it's not the best of Cheh's career, and it certainly won't sate the appetites of the more blood-thirsty viewers. It's a shining example of a good "all-round" movie. Definitely one for the 'To See' list.

IMDB

ENCOUNTERS OF THE SPOOKY KIND

Sammo Hung's back to his usual tricks - melding different genres together in one fantastical melting pot of filmic fury.

This time, he mixes Horror, Kung Fu and Comedy in this example of a 'Jiang Shi' ('Hopping Vampire / Ghost') movie. A style of HK film that, by the time the supremely popular Mr Vampire was released in the mid 80's, were ever-present, and often starred the late, great Lam Ching Ying (who also has a great little role in this film...what a small Hong Kong movie world it is!).

Encounters of the Spooky Kind centres around Bold Cheung (Sammo), a tough chauffeur for the local big shot (the AMAZING Huang Ha) who is thrust into situations involving: real ghosts, fake ghosts, vampires, good and bad wizards (played brilliantly by Chong Fat and Peter Chan Lung), double-crossing wives...and a shoe!

Quite simply, this is near-perfect on every level and ticks all the boxes: Comedy...tick, Horror...tick, Kung Fu...DOUBLE TICK...Film Making...tick...tick, tick, tick, tick, tickety-tick!

I implore you, dear reader, if any are out there in wibbly, wobbly, web-land, watch this piece of cinematic gold...or Sammo will repeatedly punch you in the stomach and throw you on a fire!

IMDB

That's it for now...Reantimator's going to lay down his tired, metal head until it's time to power-up once more for part 3!

Part 1, Part 3, Part 4

12 HONG KONG KUNG FU MOVIES THAT KICK IT...HARD!!! (Part 1)

2011-09-14T16:26:00.016+01:00

Right, this is were the fun begins!

Reantimator, being the 'Action Movie Addict' that he is (and, yes, he LOVES referring to him / itself in the third-person!), needs a constant injection of Kung Fu movie greats to keep his CPU running nice and smoothly. So he thought it'd be nice to take a trip down memory lane and dish out the skinny on twelve such movies that any discerning fan o' the Fu should seek out IMMEDIATELY.

I'm not going to waffle on about major plotage, subtext and all that boring stuff. I'm here to spit - and spit I will!

So, in no particular order, here's the first 3...

THE PRODIGAL SON

Now I know I said "in no particular order", and I kinda meant it. But this first entry is, and always will be, numero uno, number one, the tip-topest, bestest and most badass Kung Fu movie you will EVER see. In fact, it'll be one of the best films you will ever see - FULL STOP!

To cut a long story short, it's one of those 'Young upstart wants to learn Kung Fu (in this case Wing Chun) from a martial arts master who refuses to do so until this happens and that happens, and then he agrees to, and then there's...er...loads of fights, bad guys, comedy and that kinda stuff'...and breathe out...PHEW!

This is, by far, Sammo Hung's best movie out of a pretty big list of great Sammo movies. The performances by Lam Ching Ying, Yuen Biao, Frankie Chan and Sammo himself are top notch in every way. The story and screenplay zips along like 'Zippy Zipperton', the camera work and music fit like a snug-fitting glove. And the fight scenes - oh, those beautiful fight scenes - will, sure as heck-fire, wear out the rewind button on your DVD remote and have you coming back for more...and more...AND MORE!

See it...SEE IT NOW!

IMDB

36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN

'The Pops' / Lau Kar Leung's classic film about the legendary figure 'San Te' oozes that Shaw Brothers style and charm that we all know and love.

It centres around the young anti-manchu rebel San Te (here played to perfection by the 'Master Killer' himself - Gordon Liu) who, after being beaten up by Manchus following an attempted uprising, ends up at the Shaolin Temple where he endeavours to learn Kung Fu by going through the '35 Chambers'. (If you want to know what the '36th Chamber' is - watch the movie!)

Other than the fact that this film is great in every single way, the thing that really impresses are those AMAZING Shaw Brothers sets and the mood captured in all the temple scenes. Great performances from Liu, Lo Lieh, Wilson Tong and the uber-prolific Lee Hoi San also make this a must see.

IMDB

ENTER THE DRAGON

This was Bruce Lee's final film and released just days after his death in 1973 and does it kick ass? YES IT DOES!

Lee plays...er...Lee, a Shaolin Temple student who is sent to a martial arts competition to give it's frontman, Han (played with menace by Shek Kin) - a Shaolin betrayer - a piece of his mind. On top of this he's asked to go all 'James Bond' by British Intelligence to take down Han's drug-trafficking and prostitution business.

"Iconic" isn't even the word for this fantastic cross-over movie. Not only have you got Lee looking cool and charismatic as ever, but you've got fantastic support by guys like John Saxon, 'Black Belt Jones' Jim Kelly, Sammo Hung (who appears in a nice little duel with Lee at the beginning of the movie) and, last but by no means least, Bolo Yueng.

Also worthy of mention is the fact that a whole slew of HK Kung Fu fan favorites make brief appearances. These include: Jackie Chan, Billy Chan, Roy Chiao, Phillip Ko, Mars, Meng Hoi, Wilson Tong, Yuen Biao and Yuen Wah...to name but a few.

In all likelihood you've already seen this movie, but if you haven't...now's the time!

IMDB

Stay tuned for the next three in my twelve-strong list of Hong Kong Fu Flick greats...

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

MERANTAU PAIR - EVANS & UWAIS - REUNITE...TWICE!!!

2011-09-06T14:51:00.003+01:00

After the instant success of Merantau, back in 2009, and a phenomenal introduction into the martial arts action film arena by it's two principle forerunners: debutant star, 'Iko' Uwais Qorny, and welsh film director / editor, Gareth Huw Evans (who first met on a documentary titled 'Land of Moving Shadows: The Mystic Arts of Indonesia, Penchak Silat') - the pair are coming back...TWICE!

Trailer for Merantau

Initially, plans were underway for the prison / gangster flick 'Berandal' - who's premise sounds a little like an action version of the awesome french movie A Prophet - and those plans haven't changed, they've just changed the schedule a little.

Preview of Berandal

Possibly due to the over-whelming success of the aforementioned 'Merantau', they have apparently changed the scope for 'Berandal' and done a very sensible thing, the best thing you could do when faced with 'a break in production'...THEY MADE ANOTHER MOVIE!!!

In a very Robert Zemeckis - Cast Away / What Lies Beneath - stylee, they've shot what looks to be a cross between Assault on Precinct 13 and District 13 (Woah, the double use of the number 13's already freaking me out!) in the interim, called The Raid. And, although a "proper" trailer hasn't hit yet, the preview below still makes it look mighty good!

Preview of The Raid

The Indonesian release for the 'The Raid' is slated for the end of January 2012 and 'Berandal' for 2013.

More info on Berandal from Twitch
More info on The Raid from Twitch
The Raid on imdb

UPDATE!!! - 10th Sep

Redband trailer released! All the reantimator's got to say is: 'WOW!!!'

Trailer for The Raid

CINE ASIA RE-AWAKENS HONG KONG LEGENDS

2011-09-01T00:27:00.002+01:00

In 1999 the world changed for the better. Why, I hear you ask? Because Hong Kong Legends, possibly the greatest DVD label specializing in the release of Hong Kong movie goodness (along with it's sister label, Premier Asia, which focused on Japanese, Thai and South Korean favorites), came into existence.

Eastern Condors Trailer

The label was responsible for the most amazing quality releases of Asian classics, not only providing fans with great picture quality and sound, but enlisting the likes of Bey Logan, Mike Leeder (both longstanding film journalists / film makers), Jude Poyer (one of the few englishmen to cut it in the field of Hong Kong stunt work) - even the likes of movie wunderkinds like Donnie Yen (who guests on the awesome Iron Monkey DVD) and Gordon Chan (who appears on 2000 AD and Beast Cops), among others - to provide entertaining and informative commentaries on the vast percentage of HKL releases.

Clip from Bey's commentary on Project A

Unfortuanately, after the relocation of Bey Logan to the US between 2004/05 (upon HKL figurehead Brian White's departure) and joining the Weinstein's Dragon Dynasty label soon after - the label slowly wound down it's operation and came to an end in 2007.

Now though, as announced by Cine Asia in March - HONG KONG LEGENDS ARE BACK!

Cine Asia's trailer for the S Korean hit: 71 Into the Fire

After already having released Asian powerhouses such as Tai Chi Master 71 - Into the Fire and Invisible Target- it's well into it's HKL release schedule.

So far it has released the following titles from HKL's back-catalogue: The Prodigal Son Dragons Forever Police Story Police Story 2 Dragon Lord Heart of the Dragon Way of the Dragon Fist of Fury

As with the original HKL releases, you can expect fantastic quality prints / aspect ratio, as well as those stunning extras...and there's more to come. Good work Cine Asia!

LINKS:
Cine Asia
Info on Dragon Dynasty / List of releases here and here
Info on HKL / List of releases here, and here

FRIGHT NIGHT PREVIEW

2011-08-30T06:55:00.001+01:00

There maybe nay-sayers out there that think there shouldn't be a remake of Tom Holland's original horror-comedy classic, Fright Night, but I'm not one of 'em. We've got the original...it's still great...live and let live!

For this Fright Night, starring Colin Farrell (soon to be seen in the remake of Total Recall) as the neighbourhood Vamp, Jerry and Anton Yelchin (from another redux: JJ Abram's Star Trek) as Charley Brewster - the kid who finds out the neighbour's murderous secret - the premise stays pretty much intact from the original and, apparently, doesn't stray too far from the original's set up...Even "Evil Ed" remains, this time played by Christoper Mintz-Plasse (star of the comedy hit Superbad and more recently Kick Ass), instead of the gay-porn legend that is Stephen "Sam Ritter" Geophries!!!

So we still have (thank God!) Peter Vincent, played in the original by the sublime Roddy McDowell, and here replaced by Doctor Who himself - David Tennant. Only now he's a Las Vegas magician who purports to be a Vampire Slayer - instead of a washed up late night TV host.

As before, the young / old duos destinies become entwined when Charley seeks Vincent's help when nobody else believes him...even his mother (played by Toni Collette, here reunited with her United States of Tara director, Craig Gillespie).

With the exception of the odd choice of director, and the consistent nagging worry that there'll be too much 'CGI Blood' for horror junkies (like me! I'm not JUST addicted to action!), this looks like it might hit the spot...or do I mean 'go for the jugular'!

Fright Night is out now in the US, and September 2nd in the UK.
IMDB

COLOMBIANA PREVIEW

2011-08-29T18:26:00.001+01:00

From the movie making machine that is Luc Besson (and from another Besson / Robert Mark Kamen-penned script) comes the new action movie: Colombiana.

Colombiana Trailer

The film stars Zoe Saldana, who has recently been seen in such action-fare as Star Trek, The Losers and James Cameron's Avatar, and will soon be seen in the Star Trek sequel. Here she plays Cataleya, an orphaned hitman (or is that hitwoman?!) for hire who is searching for her parent's killer.

Besson, once again, has hired Oliver Megaton - director of Transporter 3, and owner of one of the coolest monikers in the history of the world! - to call the directing shots, and has enlisted a pretty decent cast: Michael Vartan (from the excellent Alias TV series), Jordi Molla (the Spanish actor, star of Jamon, Jamon, Blow and Bad Boys 2), Callum Blue (British actor, star of the awesome TV show Dead Like Me), and the ever-reliable Cliff Curtis (Three Kings, Training Day and Live Free or Die Hard / Die Hard 4.0).

As is usual for a Luc Besson production, it all seems very 'genre' and like familiar territory is being trodden on...repeatedly!...but from the evidence of the trailer, it's lookin' very nice. Very nice indeed!

Colombiana is out now in the US, and September 9th in the UK.
IMDB

(Re)Bootilicious Movies & Sequels

2011-08-27T22:35:00.006+01:00

Hollywood has been churning out more sequels and reboots than ever before, from re-energizing old franchises like 'Superman', 'Conan', 'Transformers', 'Batman' and The A-Team - to name but a few - to providing more and more sequels to modern hits.

Franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean, Scream, X-Men, the aforementioned Transformers, and The Fast and Furious, have all had sequels produced over the last couple of years (and no, I didn't forget Harry Potter!)...and it's not gonna end there - we're just about to be hit with Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (from Neveldine / Taylor - the team behind another franchise...Crank), followed by The Dark Knight Rises (another Christopher Nolan entry into the 'Batman' lexicon) and 'GI Joe 2'...the film we've all been waiting for!

Here's a list of a few sequels and reboots you can expect (and, in some cases, hope not to expect) in the coming months and years:

SEQUELS / PREQUELS:

'Ghostbusters 3', 'Alien 5', 'Paranormal Activity 3', 'Kick Ass 2', 'The Expendables 2', 'The Thing Prequel', 'Rush Hour 4', 'Bourne' movie: 'Bourne Legacy', 'Daredevil 2', 'Fantastic Four 3', 'Big Trouble in Little China 2' (I wish!), 'Avatar 2', 'Bill & Ted 3' (Non-Heinous!), 'Thor 2', 'Terminator 5', 'Wrath of the Titans' (sequel to the reboot: 'Clash of the Titans'...ooohh the irony!), 'The Ring: 3D' (sequel to the adaption of a Japanese franchise...originality has left the building!), 'Wolverine 2', 'X-Men: First Class 2'...I have to stop, I'm reaching for a sick bag as we speak!

REBOOTS:

'The Crow' (possibly with the original's director, Steven Norrington), 'Superman' ('Man of Steel', directed by Zach Snyder), 'Spiderman' ('The Amazing Spiderman'), 'Alien' (yes, not just a touted sequel - a reboot too, possibly directed by Ridley Scott!), 'Akira' (hubba-hubba!), 'Battle Royale' (hubba-hubba times ten!) 'Dune' (hubba-hubba times a hundred!..alright, I'll stop that 'hubba-hubba' stuff now!), 'Escape from New York', 'Child's Play', 'Cliffhanger' (?!), 'Death Wish', 'Flash Gordon', 'Fletch', ~~'Footloose'~~ (can't let that in - ZERO action content!), 'Flight of the Navigator' (another on the 'Reantimator Wish List').

Anyway, you get the idea - the sheer magnitude of sequel / reboot numbers is through the roof over in Hollywood-land.

And if you think other movie-making countries aren't guilty of it as well. Read on!

In Thailand, you have sequels to hits like Ong Bak, Tom Yum Goong / 'The Protector and Chocolate either out already or in the works....In Hong Kong, you have reboots to things like Ching Siu Tung's A Chinese Ghost Story (the new one is directed by Dragon Tiger Gate's' Wilson Yip), Wu Xia / Swordsmen, which is a remake of One Armed Swordsman, and Sex & Zen: Extreme Ecstasy (in glorious 3-D!!!).

On top of that, you have movies based on historical figures or popular novels: The Monkey King (partly based on 'Journey to the West'), The Lost Bladesman, based on Guan Zhou / the 'Three Kingdoms' Period, also cinematically retold in Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon - starring Andy Lau and Sammo Hung. You also have the the Ip Man movies - there's two so far, as well as Ip Man: A Legend is Born, sometimes known as 'Ip Man 3' - but it's a mere Wong Jing cash-in, methinks - which is appropriate as WJ has a history of doing franchises (eg Naked Killer and Young and Dangerous).

What do we make of this? Is it a case of Hollywood (and everyone else!) saying 'Let's give the public what they want...more of the same'? Or is it a case of lack of money (what us Brits call: Being Tight) for developing new ideas, purchasing decent screenplays and putting in the time to create wholly original material for it's audience?

Either way, for my penny, pound or buck, as long as we've got decent, action-filled movies that don't forget about plotting, characterisation and film technique...I'm happy!

US DVD ROUND UP -- AUGUST '11

2011-08-26T18:52:00.002+01:00

BLITZ

Jason Statham hunts down a serial killer in this London-based thriller.

Released on DVD in the US Aug' 23rd

PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN 4: ON STRANGER TIDES

The fourth entry into the 'PotC' series continues with this star-packed sequel. You have to wait a little while for this one.

Released on DVD in the US on Nov' 15th

LITTLE BIG SOLDIER

Jackie Chan is back in China for this traditional action adventure.

Released on DVD in the US Aug' 23rd

LION VERSUS LION

Classic Kung Fu action from the famed 'Shaw Brothers' studio.

Released in the US Aug 23rd

HONG KONG TRAILER ROUND UP -- AUGUST '11

2011-08-26T17:04:00.001+01:00

New movies from Hong Kong - check em' out!

NAKED SOLDIER

Link to imdb

WU XIA / SWORDSMEN

Link to imdb

THE GRANDMASTER

Link to imdb

THE SORCERER AND THE WHITE SNAKE

Link to imdb

US / ENGLISH TRAILER ROUND UP -- AUGUST '11

2011-08-26T16:52:00.001+01:00

Here's a few new trailers from Stateside.

GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE

Link to imdb

RED TAILS

Link to imdb

THE IMMORTALS

Link to imdb

TOWER HEIST

Link to imdb

JAPAN TRAILER ROUND UP -- AUGUST '11

2011-08-26T16:36:00.001+01:00

Here's some groovy lookin' Japanese movies for ya!

SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO

Link to imdb

GANTZ

Link to imdb

OUTRAGE

Link to imdb

S KOREA TRAILER ROUND UP -- AUGUST '11

2011-08-26T15:48:00.001+01:00

Here's a nice selection of previews from our friends, the South Koreans. Enjoy!

THE CAT

Link to imdb

BOW (ARROW): THE ULTIMATE WEAPON

Link to imdb

SECTOR 7

Link to imdb

Statham Returns! 'Killer Elite' and 'Safe' Previews!

2011-08-23T21:42:00.014+01:00

Having recently starred in the OTT 'Crank' sequel Crank 2: High Voltage, the Charles Bronson movie remake The Mechanic, and co-starring in the action-man heavy The Expendables - Jason Statham shows no signs of slowing down to a gentler pace.

On his 2012 slate already is 'Echelon' - based on the Andy "SAS" McNab novel - and the sequel to the aforementioned 'Expendables'. But before they hit your local multiplexes he has two more action movies about to reach your screens in the next couple of months.

The first of these is Killer Elite, based on the novel "The Feather Men" by the renowned explorer and frostbite victim Ranulph Fiennes, released on September 23rd.

Statham stars as an ex-SAS member who's mentor, played by Robert De Niro - in ass-kicking mode, is kidnapped by Clive Owen and his goons. His purpose? Get De Niro back!

In terms of plot it seems like your standard 'Man-of-action comes out of retirement to shoot some bad guys'-set-up, but boy does it look good!

After that, on October 28th, he has the Boaz Yakin-directed Safe, where he plays a security agent on a mission to save a little Chinese girl. Not a lot to go on, but based on Yakin's previous output (screenwriter of 'The Rookie' and writer-director of the amazing 'Fresh') - I'm exited!

You can see the 'Safe' movie poster here.

HK MOVIE MADNESS: Tsui Hark's 'Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate'

2011-08-22T22:05:00.006+01:00

The new offering from Jet Li and Tsui Hark is a remake of King Hu's Kung Fu Classic - Dragon Gate Inn- which previously was also remade, with Tsui Hark as producer, under the title New Dragon Gate Inn directed by Raymond Lee, et al (Ching Siu Tung and Hark himself were uncredited directors).

Well, all I can say is: Tsui must've been disappointed with those previous efforts as he's back at it again with Flying Swords of Dragon Gate.

Although it looks like a fairly beautiful looking film - wonderful desert locations, a good cast, budget etc. - the trailer doesn't give away too much about the ins and outs of it all and misses out on showing any decent Jet Li shots.

But it's fair to say, with the inclusion of people like the aforementioned Li and Tsui (as well as Terry Fan Siu Wong) it's sure to be a breakneck ride!

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING FIRST TRAILER!

2011-08-22T20:28:00.006+01:00

The leather-clad, vampiric, wolf lovin' 'Selene' (Kate Beckinsale) is back in another entry into the 'Underworld' franchise!

Since the first sequel - 'Underworld: Evolution' - both original director, Len Wiseman and the aforementioned Beckinsale (Wiseman's wife, BTW) were absent from the schlocky, but fun 'Rise of the Lycans' (Wiseman took a backseat to produce), and one got the feeling that it was gonna be a three film kinda deal...right? 

WRONG! 

The franchise has revealed it's new film - 'Underworld: Awakening' with a new trailer:

It seems as though they've stuck to the tried and true formula: 'Make it broody...Give it a nu-metal soundtrack - the kids'll love it...oh, and throw in some mixed martial arts', as well as having the usual darkened corridors, quick - music video - style editing and camera work.

This time round we have been given a new director pairing in the form of Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein - directors of the 2009 Julianne Moore starrer 'Shelter' - of whom it will be interesting to see whether or not they can pull off a full-blown action / special effects movie...time will tell.

Underworld: Awakening is set for release on Jan 20th 2012.