Two big Pink Eiga releases on DVD in March. Both of them street on March 14.

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First up there’s the goofy WHORE ANGELS.

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Then there’s the aggressively anarchic ANARCHY IN (JA)PANTY!

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Comments (1) Mar 08 2011

Yes, American distributors still do release a tiny trickle of Asian movies on Region 1 DVD and Blu-Ray. Here’s what’s coming up for the rest of February and March, 2011.

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February 1

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A WOMAN A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP – Zhang Yimou’s remake of the Cohen Brother’s BLOOD SIMPLE, featuring hip hop acts and some broad comedy, as well as some eye-searing visuals. This seems to be the original, overseas, 95 minute cut, not the 90 minute cut released in the US. (read a review)

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February 8

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ONG BAK 3 – the third installment in the series that made Tony Jaa an international action star, and this time out, Jaa himself is directing. ONG BAK broke new ground and was a huge hit, ONG BAK 2 was still weird fun but a case of diminishing returns, and ONG BAK 3 has elicited mixed responses at best. (read the NY Times review) (read Wisekwai’s super-informed review filed on the ground in Bangkok)

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February 15

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SUMMER WARS – one of the best animated movies to come along in ages, this ode to the power of the internet to forge connections between people (also featuring some beautiful animation), SUMMER WARS is the movie that sees the crown of Japan’s King of Animators pass from the increasingly grumpy Hayao Miyazaki to Mamoru Hosoda, who directed this film. A celebration of giant family meals, summer in the country, first love and total sci fi warfare, it’s quite simply the best animated movie out of Japan last year.

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THE LADY HERMIT – Funimation releases a live action Shaw Brothers movie, the sword-slinging, lady assassin flick THE LADY HERMIT, featuring female lead Shih Szu and legendary lady warrior Cheng Pei Pei. (read a review)

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THE STORM WARRIORS – the sequel to 1998’s THE STORM RIDERS, it’s a big, empty sci fi spectacle. Teenaged angst raised to the level of heavy metal opera and an intense, non-stop barrage of special effects make this the best onscreen representation of Hong Kong comic books ever put onscreen. Here it is in a disc from Lion’s Gate. (read more)

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February 22

ALIEN VS NINJA – the surprise cult hit out of last year’s New York Asian Film Festival, this bloody flick is an alien fighting a ninja in a totally and completely ridiculous, blood-soaked, lo budget sci fi film. (read more)

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LAST TRAIN HOME – a Canadian-Chinese film about the massive train trip everyone in China takes during the Spring Festival as they swarm the train system to get home for the holiday. (read more)

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March 8

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NAUSICAA – the first movie that put Hayao Miyazaki on the map is NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WIND, and Disney is putting out a DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack today. This movie wasn’t seen much for years due to rights issues surrounding home video, so this is a great way to check out the first of Miyazaki’s amazing series of classic films that would have a huge impact on Pixar and affected animation around the world. (read a review)
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TALES FROM EARTHSEA – on the other hand you can avoid this Miyazaki adaptation of Ursula K. LeGuin’s Earthsea books that even the original author has disavowed. It’s directed by Miyazaki’s son.
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THE MAN FROM NOWHERE – Well Go, the folks behind the IP MAN movies, drop this intense Korean action movie on US audiences today, Blu-Ray and DVD. It’s got good action but gets sort of schmaltzy at the end. Won Bin gives a super-sexy performance as a Bourne-style badass, however. (read a review)

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HANSEL AND GRETEL – a DVD of a beautifully-shot Korean horror movie that is pretty boring. But it looks great! Did we mention it looks great?

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March 15

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YI YI – this is the big one. Criterion issues a DVD of Edward Yang’s masterpiece, YI YI. Yang has been ignored overseas almost entirely due to the lack of availability of his movies, so it’s a gift to movie fans that his movies are coming back out in great editions. Don’t miss this disc! (read a review) (and another) (and one more)

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March 22

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SILENT NARUSE – the Criterion Collection’s Eclipse line releases a collection of four of Mikio Naruse’s silent films. Read more about the set.

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MAO’S LAST DANCER -from American arthouses to your screen at home. Another movie about how lousy the Cultural Revolution was. (read reviews)

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EVANGELION: 2.22 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE – the reboot of the classic Evangelion anime, this second installment in the new films has gotten high praise. (read a review that doubles as an Evangelion primer)

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IRON BODYGUARD – Tokyo Shock puts out a Shaw Brothers movie and this time it’s the 1973 Chen Kuan-tai flick with choreography by the legendary Lau Kar-leung. (read a review)

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Comments (3) Feb 03 2011