SHALL WE DANCE? Review: Masayuki Suo’s Masterclass In Self-Discovery
SHALL WE DANCE? is now playing in select theaters from Film Movement Classics.
film movement classics
I, THE EXECUTIONER (1968) Review: Tai Kato’s Unrelenting Profile Of A Murderer
I, The Executioner comes to VOD, Digital, and Film Movement Plus on January 31. TW: This movie review discusses sexual assault and battery. This is all in my head at the moment, but I’m really curious as to the influence of classic Japanese films on a certain Korean filmmaker favorite of mine whose latest completed film I’m yet to capture. For now though, I’m happy to continue my own growth in that direction as I get to examine a little bit of the post-war cinematic work of Tai Kato these days. This time, it’s I, The Executioner, also known as Requiem For A Massacre depending on the marketing. Chalk this one up as another masterpiece by one of the most revered filmmakers of his time – and ours – gathering a cast of characters who are as complex as they are compelling in their deconstruction. That’s really what pulls you […]
BY A MAN’S FACE SHALL YOU KNOW HIM (1966) Review: A Gangster’s Tale Of Unwavering Resolve
By A Man’s Face Shall You Know Him comes to VOD, Digital, and Film Movement Plus on January 31. Late filmmaker Tai Kato is the latest centerpiece of Film Movement Classics’ VOD and digital releases for the first month of 2024. First up among a pair of titles forthcoming is By A Man’s Face Shall You Know Him, Kato’s 1966 crime drama starring Noboru Ando as a post-WWII medic-turned-doctor who reflects on his life of turmoil, heartache, and violence when an old friend is admitted as his patient. Fans of Showa-era productions like these might be more than familiar with Kato’s work, or even that of Ando or the actor’s own history as a former gangster in his heyday. The same can likely be stated with respect to the distinguishable scar Ando bares on his left cheek, which certainly makes Ando’s performance here an inspired one, it not enhanced. Optically, […]
BY A MAN’S FACE SHALL YOU KNOW HIM, And I, THE EXECUTIONER: Film Movement Classics Debuts Japan Crime Classics In High-Def In January [Exclusive]
We gave famed director Tai Kato a brief mention in last month’s coverage of the streaming releases for Film Movement Classics’s Red Peony Gambler Trilogy. This week, Kato is now the latest in-focus subject of the label’s latest announcements of Japan crime classics, By A Man’s Face Shall You Know Him (1966), and I, The Executioner (1968). Both films, much like their fellow Showa Era cohorts under the Film Movement Classics banner, are getting replenished releases for viewers, debuting for the first time in high definition on VOD and Digital, and on Film Movement Plus, the label’s in-house streaming platform, on January 31. Film Combat Syndicate is sharing an exclusive look at the trailers for both titles which you can view below within the text. Take a look, and then head over to Film Movement for more! PRESENTED IN HIGH DEFINITION FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, BOTH FILMS PREMIERE ON […]
Streaming Sleepers: The RED PEONY GAMBLER Trilogy From Film Movement Classics Is A Sure Win
I’m really fond of where my interest in film has taken me since I started this journey. I credit festivals for helping me open my eyes a little more, and now I can’t get enough of seeing classic kung fu, crime, and action out of boutiques like Arrow Video and even Film Movement which has been brimming its library up these days with throwbacks out of Japan. Their latest addition comes by way of a franchise out of Toei, among which a trio is now available for streaming via digital and on-demand as the Red Peony Gambler trilogy. Actress Junko Fuji headlines the saga alongside a bevy of Toei’s talent roster – several with whom the actress shares a number of screen credits throughout her career, including Ken Takakura, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Bin Amatsu and others. Kosaku Yamashita directs the 1968 first installment of these “ninkyo eiga” titles from a script […]
WOLVES, PIGS AND MEN And VIOLENT PANIC: THE BIG CRASH: Two Exclusive Clips From The Upcoming Film Movement Classics Titles Arriving Friday
Film Movement Classics is readying the VOD and Digital releases of two classic titles – restored in 2K – from one of the most lauded filmographies in world cinema history. Kinji Fukasaku’s Wolves, Pigs and Men (1964), and Violent Panic: The Big Crash (1976) are set to stream on the SVOD network this Friday, and we have a pair of clips from both films which we can share exclusively. Japanese director and genre master Kinji Fukasaku is often remembered amongst cineastes for his final film, BATTLE ROYALE (2000), but in his home country, the prolific auteur – across a 40-year career, he directed over sixty movies, received three Japanese Academy Film Prizes for best director, and helped redefine many genres, most notably the Yakuza genre – was respected for a broad range of films that often used violence to make statements about social control, authority, and individual freedom. Of the […]
HEROES SHED NO TEARS: Eddy Ko Is Trapped Behind Enemy Lines In An Exclusive Clip
Making its streaming debut at Film Movement Plus on June 7 is John Woo’s 1986 war thriller, Heroes Shed No Tears. The film features Eddy Ko and Lam Ching-Ying in a film that once remained shelved until Woo’s subsequent A Better Tomorrow was released, making Woo a hit director and allowing the previous flick to get some screentime before audiences. In this explosive precursor to his breakout film A Better Tomorrow, director John Woo demonstrates the genesis of his trademark style of hyperkinetic action and violence in the thriller he identified as his “first real film”, breaking a string of low-budget slapstick farces, and building the foundation for his over-the-top genre films that would follow. Making its exclusive North American streaming premiere on Film Movement Plus, HEROES SHED NO TEARS sports a brilliant 2K digital restoration for an optimal viewing experience. Hong Kong action veteran Eddie Ko (The Mission, Lethal […]
HEROES SHED NO TEARS Review: Early John Woo At His Burgeoning Best
Heroes Shed No Tears has been restored in 2k and streams on Film Movement+ on June 7. The Hollywood appeal for a director like John Woo is something that never should have lapsed after Paycheck. Indeed it wasn’t his best, and still his work warrants longer consideration for industry progression. His most recent return with Silent Night was a blast, and 2024 is looking to keep the energy up some as Film Movement Classics antes up its streaming library with the 1986 war thriller, Heroes Shed No Tears. A cursory scan of the film’s Wikipedia page alludes to the film’s rough history, coupled with Woo’s apprehension to seeing the finished product. I don’t know if that’s still the case and I can’t blame him for moving on. Although, apart from some of the film’s perceived flaws, it’s worth noting Woo’s tactful handling of many areas of the story, including the […]
FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE Gets An Uncut 30th Anniversary 4K Redux In U.S. Cinemas In September
Film Movement Classics is proudly commemorating Chen Kaige’s high-acclaimed fifth film, Farewell My Concubine, with a debut theatrical release in the U.S. next month. The release will comprise a 4K restoration of the 1993 film, complete with the original and and uncut version featuring late cinema legend Leslie Cheung, beginning with screenings at New York’s Film Forum on September 22, with additional markets to follow. Read the announcement onward and do catch the newest trailer as well! One of the most important motion pictures ever made, FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE is a film of undeniable cultural and social relevance. An innovative, modern production set amidst the deep-seated traditions and vivid tapestry of the Peking Opera, it was selected as one of the “100 Best Films in Global History” by Time magazine and remains the only Chinese-language film to ever win the Palme d’Or. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Film Movement Classics […]
Home Media Roundup: FIST OF THE CONDOR, IN THE LINE OF DUTY, BRUCE LEE AT GOLDEN HARVEST And More!
As much as try to share news regarding physical media (some of which I get via e-mail), I rarely do so as often as I’d like due to lack of time and contributors mostly, so I’m trying something new here and thought I’d take off with another first for the site – a roundup of sorts which highlights a raft of upcoming releases between now and the next few months. The following are all disc releases in blu-ray or 4k blu-ray format from Well Go USA (Fist Of The Condor, Young Ip Man), Arrow Video (Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest, Hand Of Death), Film Movement Classics (Samurai Wolf, Samurai Wolf 2: Hell Cut, Violent Streets) and 88 Films (In The Line Of Duty Collection). I’ve lined everything up in the mosaic below, and all you need to do is tap the “i” icon on the bottom right and you can […]