Combing Amazon’s latest releases for all the best new action-oriented releases in DVD and Blu-ray.
The biggest release of the week by far is Louis Letterier’s Now You See Me, the magic-themed heist flick starring Morgan Freeman, Common, Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Michael Caine, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco.
How is it possible that a movie featuring Dwayne Johnson, Liam Hemsworth and Emma Roberts didn’t get a wide theatrical release as was the case with Empire State? Maybe it’s because, cool as the movie looks, Johnson just doesn’t fit in with the 70s period piece aesthetic of the film.
We haven’t seen Mulan: Rise of a Warrior, but seeing this movie for sale on Amazon lead us to the above trailer and now it’s definitely on our to-watch list.
Hey, Jean-Claude Van Damme fans both Hard Target and Sudden Death now have fancy new Blu-ray versions. Note that both of these are all regions import discs that come with zero special features, so they might not actually be very fancy.
You guys like multi-packs? We here at Explosions Are Rad LOVE them. As you might expect we’re all over 4 Film Favorites: The Matrix Collection (BD) [Blu-ray] (basically the same thing as the DVD version that’s been out for a while) and the Dusk Till Dawn Blu-Ray/DVD Combo pack which features the three movies as well as Full Tilt Boogie, a documentary shot during filming of Robert Rodriguez’s initial film.
We’re also interested in multipacks with less well known films like Echo Bridge’s 8-Film Fast Action [Blu-ray] which includes People I Know, Ordinary Decent Criminal, Malevolent, Albino Alligator, David Cronenberg’s Existenz, B. Monkey, Dolph Lundgren’s Men Of War and Sean Bean’s Bravo Two Zero.
Finally, if you just can’t get enough Sharknado on Syfy, you can now buy your own copy for repeated watching.
In Blue Caprice, Isaiah Washington plays real life DC Betlway sniper John Allen Muhammad as he tries to pass on his craziness to Lee Boyd Malvo as played by Tequan Richmond. Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy, Dazed & Confused) also stars. The intense thriller is set to premiere on September 13.
Meanwhile, we also got our first look at Frank Darabont’s Mob City from TNT. The new series is set in 50s LA and chronicles the battle between well meaning cops and the mobsters who overran the city during WWII. Mob City, which has gone by a few different aliases by this point (say, what do you think they’re hiding?) premieres on December 4th.
Just last week we talked about a new film about legendary martial arts master Yip Man called Ip Man: The Final Fight and how popular the Wing Chung teacher has been in film lately. Now we’re seeing all kinds of commercials for another called The Grandmaster presented to U.S. audiences by none other than Martin Scorsese and The Weinstein Company.
Directed by Wong Kar Wai (Fallen Angels, My Blueberry Nights), The Grandmaster stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai as Yip Man. He’s joined by Ziyi Zhang, Hye-kyo Song, Cung Le and Chen Chang. Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Wong Kar Wai, THE GRANDMASTER is an epic action feature inspired by the life and times of the legendary kung fu master, Ip Man. The story spans the tumultuous Republican era that followed the fall of China’s last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war that was also the golden age of Chinese martial arts. Filmed in a range of stunning locations that include the snow-swept landscapes of Northeast China and the subtropical South, THE GRANDMASTER features virtuoso performances by some of the greatest stars of contemporary Asian cinema, including Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang.
“Wong Kar Wai has turned martial arts into a modern dance,” Scorsese said of the film which opened the Berlin Film Festival by way of Deadline. To get a brief look at said dance, check out the TV spot followed by a more extended international trailer.
That’s not all the Grandmaster-y goodness, though. Yahoo! Movies also showed off a series of new images along with the film’s poster and a Mondo-exclusive one created by artist Vania Zouravliov that’s going on sale the day of the film’s release.
When it comes to legendary real life heroes of martial arts, Bruce Lee is pretty high on everyones’ lists. But, what about the guy who trained him? Yip Man, a grandmaster of the Wing Chun branch of martial arts taught you budding superstar during his long career as a teach and has become a popular subject in the world of film, not quite surpassing his student, but getting there.
Ip Man: The Final Fight is not connected with the two Donnie Yen movies about the same person, to clarify. Fight features Anthony Wong Chau-Sang (Infernal Affairs) playing an older version of the characters as seen in the previous film, The Legend Is Born: Ip Man, both of which were directed by Herman Yau.
The trailer features the kinds of fight scenes you’d expect from a project of this sort complete with kung fu training school scenes and showdowns with bad guys.
In postwar Hong Kong, legendary Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man is reluctantly called into action once more. What began as simple challenges from rival kung fu schools soon finds him drawn into the dark and dangerous underworld of the Triads. Now, to defend life and honor, Ip Man has no choice but to fight – one last time.
Ip Man: The Final Fight hits VOD on August 20th and select theaters on September 20th. Click the Well Go link above to see if it’s playing anywhere nearby.
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