HARD BOILED and A BETTER TOMORROW Trilogy Explode Onto 4K UHD And Blu-Ray In November
Four of some of the best Hong Kong action classics are coming in November from Shout!
john woo
Streaming Sleepers: John Woo’s HARD BOILED Reloads On 4K Digital And FAST Streaming!
Roll that beautiful Woo footage!
The Movies That Moved Me: John Woo’s HARD BOILED
Currently riding on some Chow/Woo momentum these days.š¤š
The Movies That Moved Me: Anton Fuqua’s THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS
Today we look at Chow Yun-Fat’s Hollywood debut role as another humble entry in this series!
Streaming Sleepers: In THE KILLER, John Woo’s Revival Delivers With An Acquired Taste
3 min. read John Woo’s latest iteration of The Killer is now streaming on Peacock. The film is Woo’s own reimagining of his 1989 Hong Kong action classic with Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee and Sally Yeh. I haven’t seen the OG film in ages to draw a comparison for this write-up, but I’m still drawn to speak on its behalf given some of the hate its gotten. Indeed, the film isn’t meant for everyone, like with most films of its kind, but there’s no question that Woo draws from his own strengths to dish out a fascinating take with a lead in Nathalie Emmanuel, who proves through and through here that she can take a lead action role to task. Emmanuel is a covert hitwoman named Zee, who works for shadowy handler Finn, played by Sam Worthington. When she’s assigned to take out a target, innocent bystander and songstress Jenn […]
THE KILLER Trailer: John Woo Tests The Waters With A Western Revamp Of His Hit Hong Kong Classic!
John Woo is back again. I enjoyed his most recent entry with Silent Night, and while I’m certain opinions will stir today as the official trailer for Woo’s The Killer makes the rounds, I’m optimistic. From the OscarĀ® winning producer of Oppenheimer, the kinetic action thriller stars Emmy nominee Nathalie Emmanuel (The Fast Saga, Game of Thrones) as Zee, a mysterious and infamous assassin known, and feared, in the Parisian underworld as the Queen of the Dead. But when, during an assignment from her shadowy mentor and handler (Avatarās Sam Worthington), Zee refuses to kill a blinded young woman (Diana Silvers; Ma, Booksmart) in a Paris nightclub, the decision will disintegrate Zeeās alliances, attract the attention of a savvy police investigator (Golden Globe nominee Omar Sy; Jurassic World franchise, Lupin), and plunge her into a sinister criminal conspiracy that will set her on a collision course with her own past. […]
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 āfirst real filmā, 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 […]
THE KILLER: John Woo’s Remake Of His 1989 Hong Kong Hit Has Already Wrapped Filming
Remakes and reboots are the center of Rebecca Leffler’s Cannes market coverage over the weekend at Screendaily. Buried in her editorial is the news that John Woo’s revival of The Killer has already wrapped production in Paris. Matthew Stuecken and Josh Campbell, and Eran Creevy adapted the script which centers on an assassin’s efforts to make amends by earning money to help restore the eyesight of a beautiful singer be blinded in a gunfight. Chow Yun-Fat starred in the 1989 original opposite Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, and Kenneth Tsang. Woo’s root flick shot to acclaim through his signature gritty allure and stylish action, becoming part of a staple of golden age Hong Kong films that continue to influence and inspire audiences and creatives to this day. Multiple hands and individuals tinkered with visions for a remake for more than two decades before Woo decided to stake his claim at the […]
A Case For Better Action Movies: SILENT NIGHT, A Bold, Stylish Experiment On The Revenge Thriller Genre, Without A Word
Silent Night is now available from Lionsgate wherever movies are sold. Moviegoers went nuts when celebrated filmmaker John Woo was getting back in the director’s chair. With a remake of The Killer still up in the air, the casting of actor Joel Kinnaman in the action thriller, Silent Night, was intended to hail a major welcome back for the Hard Boiled and A Better Tomorrow director by audiences long after leaving off his U.S. slate with Ben Affleck sci-fi, Paycheck. I was also keen on how the responses were before deciding if I would go see it. Nevermind that I’d been stuck at home with a family member hospitalized so going anywhere for fun wasn’t much of an option, but I was swayed a bit by a few of my mutuals who showed up to the theater only to leave their seats feeling disappointed. The film is now available on […]
SILENT NIGHT Trailer Makes Joel Kinnaman’s Mission Of Vengeance Loud And Clear
It’s been almost a decade since actor Joel Kinnaman upscaled his career into the mainstream from the Easy Money and Johan Falk films to titles like Safe House, 2014’s Robocop and with DC’s Suicide Squad movies to name a few. He’s really excelled as an actor with a keenness for action roles, something that comes at a crucial time according to one German distributor in a recent Variety article where the time for new action stars couldn’t be more better or advantageous than now. It certainly takes someone of Kinnaman’s caliber to pull a feat like this off, as he’s proven time and again, and on December 1 he’s back to make the point loud and clear with none other than John Woo at the helm for holiday revenge thriller, Silent Night, from Lionsgate. The studio announced its distribution rights for the flick in the last few weeks and now […]
Omar Sy To Tackle John Woo’s THE KILLER In New Reimagining For Peacock
The Takedown and Jurrasic World: Dominion actor Omar Sy will lead The Killer for John Woo’s newest directorial effort for Peacock, as reported by the trades on Thursday. Chow Yun-Fat starred in the original 1989 movie which centers on an assassin who accidentally damages the eyes of the singer during a shootout and decides to perform one last hit to pay for her operation. When he’s double-crossed, he teams up with a cop to get even. The film was posied for a remake twenty years ago and circled a number of screenwriters, potential stars and directors, the latest being actress Lupita Nyongāo who boarded the project in early 2019 and left it later that year. Matthew StueckenĀ andĀ Josh CampbellĀ (ā10 Cloverfield Laneā) penned the screenplay along with asĀ Eran CreevyĀ (āWelcome to the Punch,āĀ āCollideā) andĀ Brian HelgelandĀ (ā42,āĀ āLegend,āĀ āSpenser Confidentialā). A streaming date is expected for 2023 with a release date pending for Woo’s recently-completed actioner, Silent […]
SILENT NIGHT: First Look At Joel Kinnaman In John Woo’s New Revenge Thriller
Legendary action auteur John Woo (Hard Boiled, Face/Off, Manhunt) is bring back the action with new revenge thriller, Silent Night. Handling worldwide sales on the new film at the Cannes market this week is Capstone Global who are now providing a first look still featuring lead actor Joel Kinnaman (The Suicide Squad) which you can view above. Written by Robert Lynn (Adrenaline), Silent Night centers on Godlock, a father on a mission to avenge his young son who was tragically caught in the crossfire of gang violence on Christmas Eve. Shot and nearly killed while in pursuit of the murderers, Godlock vows to avenge his son by any means necessary. Silent Night also stars Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. The film has since wrapped principal photography in Mexico City and is currently in post-production with a release date pending. Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee […]
THE KILLER: John Woo’s Action Classic Heads For A Reimagining At Peacock Next Year
John Woo fans have more to celebrate following the auteur’s 75th birthday, specificially for folks who are subscribed to NBCUniversal streamer Peacock with the announcement of a remake of 1989 action hit, The Killer. Chow Yun-Fat starred in the original which centers on an assassin who accidentally damages the eyes of the singer during a shootout and decides to perform one last hit to pay for her operation. The film was posied for a remake twenty years ago and circled a number of screenwriters, potential stars and directors, the latest being actress Lupita Nyong’o who boarded the project in early 2019 and left it later that year. Having proliferated himself as an auteur of ‘bullet ballet’ action cinema with The Killer and other hits like A Better Tomorrow and Hard-Boiled, Woo went on to carry over his Hong Kong accolades to the Western world, working with stars like Jean-Claude Van […]
SILENT NIGHT: Mute Joel Kinnaman Action Thriller Signals John Woo’s Return To Hollywood
How’s this for ambitious? Legendary filmmaker John Woo is readying a Hollywood comeback with Silent Night, a literally dialogue-free action thriller starring Joel Kinnaman (The Suicide Squad). Deadline‘s AFM-attentive Mike Fleming Jr. broke the news and revealed the following: Sources tell Deadline the story is basic, as a normal father heads into the underworld to avenge his young sonās death. Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christian Mercuri and Lori Tilkin are reportedly producing with Capstoneās Ruzanna Kegeyan overseeing the project with Joe Gatta. As Fleming Jr. reports, Capstone is in negotiations to finance. This is a big move for Woo in the years since he transitioned from directing hits like Hard Boiled, The Killer And Once A Thief, to riding out his prolific successes on films like Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Antoine Fuqua’s The Replacement Killers, among other titles that fizzled out during his reign stateside ’til 2003. At […]
SEPTET: THE STORY OF HONG KONG Trailer Explores The Omnibus Project From Seven Legendary Directors
With the scaled-back 25th Busan International Film Festival set to launch next month, we now have a look at the long-awaited omnibus, Septet: The Story Of Hong Kong, formerly known as Eight And A Half by most outlets. The project is billed as the work of seven directors: Sammo Hung, Ann Hui, Patrick Tam, Yuen Wo Ping, Johnnie To, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark, each contributing a short film to pay tribute to the city’s “golden era” during which all the directors emerged. The project also marks the last piece of cinema from Lam, who sadly passed away in December of 2018. Formerly announced as part of the since-delayed Cannes 2020 festival, the film will now open Busan on October 21. Head over to the festival website for more info.
John Woo: ‘My Dream Is To Make A Western’
It’s almost surprising that acclaimed action auteur John Woo hasn’t found himself in the throes of a Western film production yet. It’s not for lack of trying either considering his willful transition in the early 1990s to work on Universal Pictures’ Hard Boiled and enduring through a great deal of bureaucracy to release his cut of the film; It’s imaginable that this could have been a stepping stone toward that goal at the time for Woo in his post-Hong Kong career, although relocating to China after several productions in the U.S. made it pretty clear that at least tentatively, it wasn’t meant to be. With any luck though, those long-awaited dreams of doing a Western may eventually come to pass. Woo revealed such an interest in an in-depth interview published at The Hollywood Reporter on Friday by Pete Keeley. The interview connotated the 25th anniversary of the release of Woo’s […]
Hong Kong Action Classic Redo, THE KILLER, Circles Lupita Nyong’o To Star
John Woo’s latest international thriller novel re-adaptation, Manhunt, opens in North America on Netflix this Friday. It’s a noteworthy mention considering the film is one of two that the celebrated director had been kicking around in the last several years – specifically at least one other title being his Hong Kong action classic, The Killer. The film opened in 1989 and became a heroic bloodshed hit with actor Chow Yun-Fat in the role of a hitman who accidentally blinds a club singer during a shootout. The romance that ensues finds itself endangered when the exit job he takes to pay for her corneal transplant lands him in a deadly double-cross, forcing him to protect her with the help of the cop already hunting him down. Chow, already a rising star following the John Woo/Tsui Hark-shepherded A Better Tomorrow, became synonymous with the bullet ballet genre for many a film thereafter. […]
Review: MANHUNT (2017) – John Woo Returns To The Heroic Bloodshed Genre!
Wanna feel old? Last year, the film Face/Off (John Woo’s last true heroic bloodshed epic) turned twenty years old. It’s been an interesting two decades for the man who helped redefine the action genre. He butted heads with Tom Cruise over the flawed yet entertaining Mission Impossible 2, dove into hard sci-fi in the ironically titled Paycheck (so many Affleck jokes) and torpedoed his Hollywood career with the expensive (and ultimately unsuccessful) war epic, Windtalkers. Then he entered the Chinese film market with a pair of grand, two-part epics in the form of Red Cliff and The Crossing. Finally, after all these years, the maestro has returned to the kind of dual wielding spectacle that made him famous. But does he have another symphony in him? A remake of the 1976 Japanese thriller starring Ken Takakura of Black Rain fame, this slick thriller follows Chinese lawyer Du Qiu (Hanyu Zhang) who […]
MANHUNT: Zhang Hanyu And Fukuyama Masaharu Double Team In The New Trailer
Film auteur John Woo’s latest return to the helm with action thriller, Manhunt, hasn’t been the most celebrated, critically. At best, the reviews are a mix and it’ll also be a neat viewing for loyal fans and completists still keen on his work or interested in seeing a multilingual thriller that promises something in some capacity. Zhang Hanyu and Fukuyama Masaharu star. Manhunt follows the journey of upstanding lawyer Du Qiu (Zhang Hanyu), who is unwittingly drawn into a murder case when all the evidence at the scene points to him being the perpetrator. Knowing that heās been framed, Du Qiu runs from the law to uncover the truth. The police launch a large-scale manhunt, but veteran detective Yamura (Masaharu Fukuyama) sees that this seemingly open-and-shut case is not that simple after all. During the intense pursuit, a bond begins to build between the fugitive and his pursuer, even though Yamura […]
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