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As I’m sure you wonderful gore-hounds know by now, we love every weird and wonderful sub genre the twisted world of horror has thrown our way over the years. Sit this particular horror fan down to watch the latest splatterfest, zombie massacre, creature feature or slasher flick, to name but a few, and I’d be happy as a pig in shit. Happier in fact. Folk horror and witchcraft is one subgenre that I’ve grown to increasingly appreciate over the years, and most recently the work of Robert Eggers, for example, has had me enthralled. It was his 2015 folk horror, The Witch, that first introduced me to his nuanced, macabre yet beautifully crafted movies, and everything he’s produced since has been a must see. The trailer for his take on Nosferatu has just dropped at the time of writing this video and it looks immense. However, with...

The London East Asia Film festival came to a close on Sunday night with the UK premiere of Concrete Utopia, Korea’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Oscars. After the event’s Best Film award went to Iron Mask, by Kim Sung Hwan, artistic director Hyejung Jeon presented its Rising Star award to Hong Xa-bin for his performance in Kim Chang-hoon’s Hopeless and its Best Actor award to Concrete Utopia’s Park Bo-young.

Actress Park later returned after the film for a Q&a with director, Um Tae-hwa, to discuss the film’s themes of survival, which suddenly seemed shockingly relevant after recent events in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza.

Starring Lee Byung-hun, Um’s film is a dystopian fable that recalls British writer J.G. Ballard in its depiction of a South Korean high-rise that is somehow left unscathed after a terrifying earthquake rips through the country.

Cannes titles and debut features make strong appearances throughout the programme.

Melbourne International Film Festival (Miff) has revealed the 11 titles in the running for its $93,400 competition prize, and will open with Shayda by Australian-Iranian director Noora Niasari.

The festival, which runs August 3-20, unveiled the titles at a programme launch this evening (July 11). Debut and second features are eligible for the Bright Horizons competition, which was introduced last year for the 70th edition, but debuts undoubtedly dominate this year.

Scroll down for full list of competition titles

In fact, the only undeniably second film is Mexican director Lila Avilés’ Tótem.

Bifan has established itself as one of the most significant festivals in Asia regarding the genre cinema of the region, with their program always being quite interesting through its focus on Korean cinema firstly and then of Japan and the rest of the region, along with a number of international titles. As such, the fact that the local industry is in trouble was more than evident this year, when genre movies in particular suffered, mostly due to issues with writing and also due to financial ones. It is true that Korea's top filmmakers are at the top of the world, but it has become obvious that below that level, the quality drops significantly.

Nevertheless, the aforementioned does not mean that the programs was without a number of gems. “Iron Mask” about a kendo athlete carrying a trauma, “Her Hobby” with its transition from a family drama to a horror and...

Malaysian Mission

Hong Kong icon Johnnie To will head the jury of the sixth edition of the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) next month. Other jurors include: Truong Ngoc Anh from Vietnam, Ryuichi Hiroki from Japan, Zizan Razak from Malaysia, and Eric Khoo from Singapore.

The event will open with the world premiere of “Eraser,” directed by Mark Lee See Teck. The Malaysian film features the final on-screen appearance of the late Adibah Noor, a beloved Malaysian gem known for her timeless charisma. MIFFest will play “See You at the Rally,” directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Kanny Chang as its closing title. The festival is set to take place at Lalaport Bbcc from July 23-29 and will play a total of 42 films from 15 countries.

The festival is building its impact through a series of collaborations with other events. It will screen a selection of genre titles from this month’s Bucheon...

Arnold Schwarzenegger has to get through just one more job before retirement in his upcoming series, Fubar, set to premiere on May 25 on Netflix.

The eight-episode show boasts a classic set-up, with Schwarzenegger starring as a CIA operative who’s so close to finally calling it quits when he uncovers a family secret and is forced back into the field for one last mission. A short teaser doesn’t give anything away in terms of plot, but it does find Schwarzenegger doing the thing where he up-cycles one of his...

It feels just like last month we were complimenting Hulu on its true crime offerings. Well, with its list of new releases for February 2023, Hulu is staying in the true crime lane. Suppose that’ll happen when you push back the release date of a series or two.

February sees the arrival of three notable true crime series on Hulu. Taiwan Crime Stories premieres on Feb. 1 and presents four true tales from Taiwan’s criminal “dark underbelly.” That will be followed by ABC News Studios’ Killing County on Feb. 3. That three-episode series ponders the question “what happens when police kill?” The most interesting true crime offering premieres on Feb. 9. That’s when Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence College shares its four-episode saga of Larry Ray and the young college students he victimized.

As far as non true crime offerings go, the third and final season of Hulu...

February can be a weird month. It’s too late to wish anyone “Happy New Year,” late enough to abandon resolutions, and too early to leave the house if you want to avoid getting caught in nasty weather (even in Los Angeles).

This month also marks the third and final season of Hulu’s widely acclaimed “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” which charts the rise of the Wu-Tang clan over time. Season 3 catches up with the Wu-Tang members after their first album, facing divergent paths in the years that follow. As with any group navigating the challenging lure of fame and money, it’s a treacherous road — but an indelible journey. “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” Season 3 premieres February 15 on Hulu.

Here’s everything coming to Hulu in February 2023.

February 1

“Taiwan Crime Stories” (Season 1)

“Impractical Jokers” (Seasons 1-3)

“Naruto Shippuden”

“Sherman’s Showcase” (Season 2B)

“2012” (2009)

“50/50” (2011)

“Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman” (2021)

“All...

The other two acquisitions are ‘Shattered’ and ‘The Fall’.

Signature has acquired UK-Ireland distribution rights to three new titles, including Abel Ferrara’s Zeros And Ones starring Ethan Hawke.

Zeros And Ones premiered in the international competition at Locarno Film Festival in August, with Ferrara winning the best director prize.

Set near Vatican City in Rome, Ferrara’s thriller follows a US soldier, played by Hawke, in the aftermath of an apocalyptic siege as he navigates a world of fear and paranoia. Signature plans to release the title in the first quarter of 2022.

The distributor has also boarded Luis Prieto’s Shattered,...

As is tradition, the Golden Raspberry Awards announced its winners on the eve of the Oscars. The Razzies, now in their 41st year, are a tongue-in-cheek ceremony that “honor” the worst films of the year. Scroll down for the full list of winners (and nominees) in all nine Razzie Awards categories ranging from Worst Picture to Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel.

Leading the 2021 Razzie Awards winners list is “Music,” Sia‘s ill-conceived film about the relationship between an autistic girl (Maddie Ziegler) and her newly sober half-sister (Kate Hudson). Sia won Worst Director while Ziegler, who is not autistic, and Hudson were singled out for acting dishonors.

“Music,” which was filmed in 2017, had been a surprise contender at the Golden Globes, earning bids for Best Musical/Comedy and for leading lady Hudson. Among those that Ziegler faced off against was Glenn Close for “Hillbilly Elegy,” who is also in contention at Sunday’s Oscars.

Gold Derby users are predicting the “winners” in all nine categories at the 2021 Razzie Awards, which go to the worst achievements in film and will be announced on Saturday, April 24, the day before the Oscars celebrate the industry’s best (though this year there’s some overlap). So who will win? Scroll down for our official racetrack odds, with our projected winners highlighted in gold.

It looks like bad news for “Music,” which is the front-runner to win Worst Picture, Worst Director (Sia), Worst Actress (Kate Hudson), and Worst Supporting Actress (Maddie Ziegler). The film was criticized early on when singer-songwriter Sia cast Ziegler in the title role as an autistic girl instead of an autistic actor. It found itself back in the media’s crosshairs after the Golden Globes surprisingly nominated it for Best Film Comedy/Musical and Best Actress (Hudson). Then reviewers panned the film for depicting autism in harmful,...

As we await the Academy Award nominations, the Golden Raspberry Awards have chimed in with their own set of nominees. The Razzies, as they’re known, supposedly celebrate the worst in cinema each year. Of course, they rarely actually cite anything more than the easy targets, so the 41st ceremony is going to be more of the same. Personally, I think things like this are wholly unnecessary, trafficking in negativity and snark. However, people get a kick out of them, so we’re sharing, nonetheless. So, take a look and then basically pay them no mind afterwards… Here are the Razzie nominees: Worst Picture 365 Days Absolute Proof Dolittle Fantasy Island Music Worst Actor Robert Downey Jr. – Dolittle Mike Lindell (The “My Pillow” Guy) – Absolute Proof Michele Morrone – 365 Days Adam Sandler – Hubie Halloween David Spade – The Wrong Missy Worst Actress Anne Hathaway – The Last Thing He Wanted & The Witches...

As is tradition, the Golden Raspberry Awards announced their contenders on the eve of the Oscar nominations. The Razzies, now in their 41st year, are a tongue-in-cheek ceremony that “honor” the worst films of the year. Scroll down for the full list of nominees in all nine Razzie Awards categories ranging from Worst Picture to Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel.

Leading the 2021 Razzie Awards nominations roster are two remakes: “Dolittle” and “365 Days.” Each of these ill-conceived movies reaped six bids, including Worst Picture. Joining them in that race are five-time nominee “Fantasy Island,” three-time contender “Music” and the documentary “Absolute Proof.”

“Music” was a surprise contender at the Golden Globes, earning bids for Best Musical/Comedy and for leading lady Kate Hudson. She is in contention here for Worst Actress and Maddie Ziegler is up for Worst Supporting Actress. Among those that Ziegler faces off against is Glenn Close for “Hillbilly Elegy,...

The Razzie Awards nominations for 2020 are here, recognizing the worst movies in a year that the Razzies acknowledge “sucked big time.” Robert Downey Jr. in “Dolittle” and Mike Lindell (aka the MyPillow guy) both landed Worst Actor nominations.

Downey Jr.’s “Dolittle” led all movies with six nominations, including Worst Picture. Lindell picked up a nod for his election conspiracy film “Absolute Proof,” which Oann aired — but only with a disclaimer that the details in the movie should be taken as opinions, not facts.

“Dolittle” was tied for the most nominations with the mafia film “365 Days,” which was also nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Michele Morrone) and Worst Actress (Anna-Maria Sieklucka).

Some other low lights of the Razzie nominations include perennial contender Adam Sandler, who was nominated for Worst Actor for “Hubie Halloween” and Worst Screen Combo for himself and “His Grating Simpleton Voice.”

Though Sia’s film...

The annual Golden Raspberry Awards, given to the year’s least best movies, unveiled their nominations Friday, with the Robert Downey Jr remake Dolittle, Sia’s Music, Mr Pillow Mike Lindell’s stolen-election documentary Absolute Proof and Rudy Giuliani’s cameo in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm the most panned by the group.

The Razzies also awarded a “Special Governors’ Trophy” to the year 2020 as “The Worst Calendar Year Ever.”

Other projects that drew Razzie attention were the reimagined Fantasy Island movie and the Netflix comedies Hubie Halloween and The Wrong Missy, as well as the Polish erotic drama 365 Days.

Cats was the runaway winner last year with six Razzies.

Here’s the full list of this year’s nominees:

Worst Picture

365 Days

Absolute Proof

Dolittle

Fantasy Island

Music

Worst Actor

Robert Downey, Jr.- Dolittle

Mike Lindell (The “My Pillow” Guy) – Absolute Proof

Michele Morrone,- 365 Days

Adam Sandler...

Hopefully March will bring respite from crippling snow storms and frigid temperatures for much of the globe. And if it doesn’t? Well, Hulu’s got some new streaming options at least!

Hulu’s list of new releases for March 2021 are relatively slight on Hulu originals. Thankfully, one beloved original of note is coming back this month. Solar Opposites will premiere all episodes of its second season on March 26. This sci-fi animated comedy from Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland is a breath of fresh alien air.

On the movie side of things, Hulu is premiering Boss Level on March 5. This actioner will star the delightful Frank Grillo and the decidedly less delightful Mel Gibson. Speaking of delightful though, the documentary Kid 90 will arrive on March 12. This comes from Punky Brewster star Soleil Moon Frye and features hours of footage she shot in the ’90s that will depict what...

The first week of December saw a lot of people watching holiday films at home. Makes sense; ’tis the season, even in this dreadful year. There’s also little in the way of new titles as competition — and the one major film to debut, timed to the awards season, failed to gain traction.

“Mank,” David Fincher’s Netflix biopic of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, is considered a leading Oscar contender but debuted to very little initial response. Available on Friday, it showed up at #10 Saturday (the first day it could chart), and has not reappeared since. The black-and-white film starring Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried didn’t gain the attention of other high-profile originals like “Da 5 Bloods,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” and “Hillbilly Elegy,” all of which debuted at first or second. Bumping “Mank” from 10th place was the 2000 Adam Sandler comedy “Little Nicky.”

On the four VOD charts we track,...

Two recent films shared top honors this week on leading VOD charts. Of top significance is the early success of “Let Him Go” (Focus), one of several current releases from Universal and its specialty unit that is available for $19.99 only three weeks after its theatrical debut. “The New Mutants” (Disney), which was released in August and has a lower $5.99 cost placed #1 on two charts.

“Let Him Go,” a contemporary Western starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, soared on FandangoNow and Apple TV, two charts that provide the most immediate response. The former ranks by dollars paid; the latter lists by number of transactions. Placing ahead of films with much lower prices suggests very strong interest and hints that the Universal/Focus strategy could be working. The film also placed #6 at Google Play. With an earlier deadline, Spectrum usually lags behind the others; expect it to show up next week.

Also scoring well this week,...

As is the case every week, a slew of new titles have hit the VOD market, and business has been booming over the last few months, as movie fans desperately seek out the newest releases with the theatrical industry remaining in the doldrums.

Admittedly, there are less than half as many films as there was last week, when we saw everything from comic book dud The New Mutants to Russell Crowe putting on a fat suit to play a psychopath in Unhinged, while braver viewers also could have tackled the bizarre Chinese fantasy blockbuster Iron Mask that had action icons Arnold Schawarzenegger and Jackie Chan share the screen for the very first time.

This week’s marquee release is Fatman, the R-rated alternative Christmas thriller that sees Mel Gibson as a disgruntled and disillusioned Santa Claus, forced to fight for his life after a 12 year-old kid gets a lump of...

Fresh from being carved up himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger looked ready to feast on a turkey for his Thanksgiving family dinner. The Terminator star posted a video on social media proudly displaying his plump, succulent bird, which had a humungous ornate knife sticking out of it that looks like it’d stop a Predator in its tracks. But Arnie wasn’t just showing off his “fantastic” turkey, he was calling on his fans to give to charity.

With the coronavirus pandemic still killing thousands of Americans every day and having wrought immense economic damage to the country, many are either choosing to stay safely away from their families for fear of infecting them or simply don’t have the money to mark the holiday after losing their jobs and homes. As such, the Hollywood star has donated 500 turkeys to the Hollenback Center in East Los Angeles to feed the hungry.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The erratic world of VOD consumption saw a lift this week with debuts of “The New Mutants” (Disney) and “Unhinged” (Solstice), films that were the first wide releases when theaters began to reopen in August. Ninety days later, normal windows dictate that it’s time for non-premium availability. (They each rent for $5.99.)

Disney’s Marvel spin-off took the top spot at Apple TV and FandangoNow, while Russell Crowe’s stalker thriller is #1 at Google Play. Two items of note: “Mutants” shows its strength by taking the top spot at Fandango, which ranks by revenue, not transactions; that’s impressive for a standard-price title. Unlike “Mutants,” “Unhinged” had a PVOD release and now sees a revival at its lower price.

These two titles were the only ones to place on three charts. (Spectrum’s weekly chart lags behind and will likely show them next week.) “Unhinged” placed #2 and #3 elsewhere, while “Mutants” was #5 on Google.

20 years ago, the idea of seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan co-starring in a movie would have been enough to send any self-respecting fan of the action genre into a state of total meltdown, but the legendary duo’s first collaboration isn’t exactly what longtime supporters of either icon would have had in mind.

Obviously, Schwarzenegger and Chan are 73 and 66 years old respectively, so it would be foolish to expect an action-packed blockbuster reminiscent of their heydays, but after seeing the trailer for Iron Mask, a lot of people would have been left to rue the fact that the Rush Hour star knocked back the chance to join the Expendables franchise.

The co-production between Russian and Chinese studios has arrived on VOD this weekend, although it remains to be seen what kind of audience would be willing to fork over some of their hard earned cash for a movie that looks pretty terrible.

After years spent on the shelf gathering dust, The New Mutants was finally released into theaters in August, a full 28 months after it was initially scheduled to hit the big screen. And given the X-Men spinoff’s tortured production that involved extensive reshoots and countless delays, it was almost fitting that it was sent out in the middle of a pandemic when most people were keeping a wide berth from their local multiplex.

Reviews weren’t particularly kind, with some labeling it the worst entry in the entire mutant franchise, and it finished up with a box office haul of just over $45 million. However, because of the year we’re having, that’s still good enough to make The New Mutants the fifteenth highest-grossing title of 2020 so far. To put things into perspective, the fifteenth biggest hit of 2019 was Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which raked in $491 million.

Of course, fans...

We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster! Oh wait, wrong cyborg.

Last month, we learned that Terminator star and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger had gone under the knife for yet another heart operation. This medical saga began back in 1997 when he had a pulmonary valve replacement to correct a congenital disorder. As planned, that valve wore out, so in 2018, he had a new one put in and just a few weeks ago, followed that up with a new aortic valve.

The 73-year-old action movie icon seemed confident before the surgery, saying his immortal catchphrase “I’ll be back” as he was rolled into the operating theater. The procedure was a complete success, too, and it was only days later that he was seen walking the streets of Cleveland.

Now, it seems that he’s almost back to his full strength.

"Where's the dragon?" Lionsgate has released one final US trailer for Iron Mask, the Russian-Chinese epic fantasy action movie originally known as Viy 2: Journey to China. It has also had many other different titles including Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, or The Mystery of the Dragon Seal in Malaysia, or any shortened version of those. This is actually a wacky Russian adventure fantasy film, co-produced by China, with a big budget, and featuring two major name-brand actors: Jackie Chan & Arnold Schwarzenegger. The plot involves English traveler / cartographer Jonathan Green journeying to China and falling into a fantastical adventure. The full cast also includes Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng, Xingtong Yao, Anna Churina, and Narupornkamol Chaisang. We've been posting trailers for this film for years, ever since it debuted in Russia years ago, and then in the UK earlier this year, and now in the US this fall.

The domestic box office might be struggling to return to any sort of normality, and matters aren’t helped by the fact that the studios are still pulling their major releases from the calendar and moving them into 2021, meaning that even if people wanted to head down to their local multiplex in huge numbers, there’s hardly any new titles worth seeing anyway.

Things are looking much better internationally, though, where Christopher Nolan’s Tenet has compensated for a poor domestic showing by bringing in almost $250 million from foreign markets. Mulan may have bombed in China due in part to the controversy and subsequent media blackout that followed, but local production The Eight Hundred recently passed Bad Boys For Life‘s $424 million tally to become the highest-grossing movie of 2020.

There are hardly any big blockbusters hitting theaters for the rest of the year, though, meaning there’s a chance for...

We first heard about the sequel to Oleg Stepchenko's Russian ghost story Viy many years ago -- actually, it was early 2016 when our own Todd Brown wrote about the director's plans, noting the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan to join returning star Jason Flemyng, who would be returning "as cartographer Jonathon Green, packed up by the King to map out the far east where he again encounters the supernatural." Now it's finally here, and we have visual proof in the new trailer for what is now called Iron Mask, which will be "premiering everywhere on Digital and On Demand November 20th and on Blu-ray and DVD November...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

In the Action-movie heyday of the 1980s, stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan lead the different sides of the world, producing blockbuster after blockbuster in America and Hong Kong respectively. While the prospects of a meet-up between them have been wondered about for years on the silver-screen after “Around the World in 80 Days,” regrettably director Oleg Stepchenko’s first-full-on tale featuring them is a slight misfire and disappointment

In the early 1700s, English traveler Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) receives an order from Peter the Great to map the Russian Far East. Once again, he sets out for a long journey full of incredible adventures that will eventually lead him to China. There, the cartographer will unexpectedly face a lot of breathtaking discoveries, encounter bizarre creatures, meet with Chinese Princesses, and confront deadly martial arts masters, and even the Dragon King. What could be more dangerous than meeting eye-to-eye with Viy,...

Stars: Jason Flemyng, Xingtong Yao, Anna Churina, Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Paul Allica, Chayanit Chansangavej, Christopher Fairbank | Written by Dmitry Paltsev, Alexey A. Petrukhin | Directed by Oleg Stepchenko

Billed as the movie that has the first fight ever between Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger might seem slightly odd but I will assume that it will help them sell a good chunk of downloads and physical media (chucking their faces on the front of DVDs probably helped too). But is there anything more to The Iron Mask?

Well I will start with the things are enjoyed about it. The Iron Mask looks fantastic. Epic is a word that is thrown around quite a lot now but it is perfectly apt for this. Everything about it (except the odd cheap-looking CGI) screams big budget epic movie. I absolutely loved pretty much all of the settings. Whether it be...

Set in 18th-century Russia, China and England, this bloated action-fantasy adventure features the bizarre sight of Arnold Schwarzenegger in a tricorn hat

Here is a mysteriously gigantic and interminable action-fantasy adventure – a colossal Chinese-Russian co-production that is in fact a sequel, also known as Viy 2: Journey to China. It’s a follow-up to another digitally bloated, genetically modified piece of entertainment from 2014 called – in various territories – The Forbidden Kingdom or Forbidden Empire.

The setting is 18th-century Russia, China and England, and in this last country we are treated to the admittedly enjoyable sight of Arnold Schwarzenegger, in what appears to be an English naval uniform and bizarre tricorn hat, playing James Hook, the jailer of the Tower of London. For a fraction of second, on seeing Arnie in his get-up, I hoped he would try a British accent, but his normal one works as well as any other.

Continue reading.

This is a film of many titles. The box may call it The Iron Mask, but the screener seen for review has it as The Mystery of the Dragon Seal and its original title is Viy 2. It’s a sequel to the 2014 remake of Viy, released in the UK as The Forbidden Kingdom.

The plot may make even less sense than that explanation of the title, but it’s honestly hard to tell what’s going on here. The basics are (I think) that a magical dragon enables healing tea to grow and there is a battle between good and evil wizards over control of the dragon. How that involves Jackie Chan as a prisoner in the Tower of London, Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Tower’s head guard (implying that he’s playing an Englishman) Jason Flemyng as a map maker and two ‘that boy’s a girl’ reveals...

Thai film maker Thanakorn Pongsuwan, best known for 2009 film “Fireball,” died on Friday. He was 46.

His death was not caused by the coronavirus outbreak, though his last rites will be affected. Rather he died following an unsuccessful battle with cancer of the blood (lymphoma.) The news was announced by his sister Manussanun Pongsuwan, who is also his producer.

Also known as “Un,” Pongsuwan was responsible for writing and directing five completed and released feature films. His “Fake” appeared at the 2003 edition of the Vancouver International Film Festival. Martial arts film “Fireball,” later released by Lionsgate in certain territories, played at the Far East Film Festival in Udine.

At the time of his death, he was close to completing “Suppose,” which was billed as “an ordinary love story” and stars Ananda Everingham and Chayanit Chansangavej (“The Iron Mask”).

In a posting on Facebook, Pongsuwan’s sister said that the current public...

Without a doubt, Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger are two of the biggest action heroes in the world and many have often asked the question of what would ever happen if the two powerhouses squared off in a movie? Well, luckily for us, the folks over at Signature Entertainment are now set to answer that with The Iron Mask, which will see the legendary superstars duking it out on the big screen.

The project has had a long, complicated road to release so far. In fact, The Iron Mask wasn’t even its original title. Throughout its development, it was called Journey To China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, Viy 2: Journey to China and Mystery of Dragon Seal. But it’s finally made it through production and is ready for us to lay eyes on, with the newly released clip up above teasing just a bit of the exciting...

The Covid-19 coronavirus has continued its inexorable spread across the world. Major sporting events have been cancelled, public buildings closed and strict quarantines have been established to limit contagion. With governments telling their citizens not to panic, disinformation has been all over the place. I’ve read that the virus is being “activated” by 5G, that it’s an out-of-control Chinese bioweapon and even that it’s of extraterrestrial origin. But there’s at least one specific piece of disinformation that we can conclusively disprove today: Jackie Chan is not in quarantine.

Over the past few days, there’ve been rumors that Chan was ill, potentially had coronavirus and had been placed in quarantine in Hong Kong. But now the actor himself has issued a statement via Weibo and Instagram, saying:

“Recently, my staff told be about the news that’s been circulating around the world, saying that I’ve...

Exclusive: Signature Entertainment has acquired UK & Irish rights to action-thriller Honest Thief, starring Liam Neeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan, Anthony Ramos and Robert Patrick.

Directed by Mark Williams, co-creator and producer of Netflix series Ozark and producer of Warner Bros’ The Accountant, Neeson stars as a bank robber who tries to turn himself in after falling for a woman (Walsh) who works at the storage facility where he’s stashed his money. Complications ensue when his case is turned over to a corrupt FBI agent (Courtney) and he must go underground to save both himself and the woman he loves.

The deal was negotiated by Lisa Wilson, partner and co-founder of The Solution Entertainment Group and Signature’s CEO Marc Goldberg. Briarcliff has U.S. rights to the well-sold film.

Signature’s director of acquisitions and development Elizabeth Williams said, “We are delighted to have acquired Honest Thief with Liam Neeson,...

There is a long list of epic fights in fiction, from Luke versus Vader, Rocky versus Apollo, Ip Man versus those 10 black belt dudes. Now, the trailer for the upcoming fantasy film “The Iron Mask” promises a similarly unexpected yet epic fight between action legends Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Read More: ‘Only’ Trailer: Freida Pinto And Leslie Odom Jr. Star In New Sci-Fi Thriller About A Mysterious Plague

Fine, the fight probably won’t be that long, and it doesn’t even seem to be a big part of the movie at all.

Continue reading ‘The Iron Mask’ Trailer Promises Epic Fight Between Jackie Chan And Arnold Schwarzenegger at The Playlist.

The action adventure feature "Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask' (aka "Viy 2") is directed by Oleg Stepchenko, starring Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng, Xingtong Yao and Anna Churina, available April 10, 2020:

"...in early 1700, a cartographer returns to map the 'Russian Far East'. 

"But he's forced on to China, where he confronts the 'Dragon Master'. 

"Then the iron masked 'Russian Tsar' escapes the 'Tower of London' to a Russian ship..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Journey To China: The Mystery of Iron Mask"...

There’s no question that Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger are two of cinema’s biggest action heroes, and many have wondered what would happen if these two powerhouses ever went toe-to-toe in a feature-length motion picture. Now, the folks over at Signature Entertainment will finally answer that question with their epic adventure movie The Iron Mask, where these legendary superstars will finally duke it out on the big screen.

For those wondering how they could have missed this ordeal, it probably has to do with a very long, complicated road to release. Not to mention the fact that The Iron Mask wasn’t the feature’s first title. The film went by several other names like Journey To China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, Viy 2: Journey to China and Mystery of Dragon Seal. Regardless of how it got here, one thing’s for sure, and that’s that...

What kind of movie could bring together the likes of action legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan? A movie in which they probably won’t appear much at all. The Iron Mask, originally released in China in 2019 under the title Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, is a Russian-Chinese production that managed to score […]

The post ‘The Iron Mask’ Trailer: It’s Jackie Chan vs. Arnold Schwarzenegger, But Only for Maybe 5 Minutes appeared first on /Film.

"When I have the seal of the dragon, I will rule the world!" Signature UK has unveiled an official trailer for a film they're calling The Iron Mask, which is yet another new title for the film originally known as Viy 2: Journey to China. It has also gone under different titles including Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, or The Mystery of the Dragon Seal in Malaysia, or any shortened version of those. This is actually a wacky Russian adventure fantasy film, co-produced by China, with a big budget, and featuring two major name-brand actors: Jackie Chan & Arnold Schwarzenegger. We posted a short teaser trailer for this back in 2017, now it's finally getting released in the UK this spring. The plot involves English traveler / cartographer Jonathan Green journeying to China and falling into a fantastical adventure. The strange cast also includes Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng,...

Dwayne Johnson and a score of Avengers, including Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans have topped Forbes’ annual list of the highest paid actors of 2019. The list is a big shake-up from last year, in which George Clooney placed at #1, only to now be absent from this year’s list. Check out the other actors who got big pay days this year.

10. Will Smith – Earnings: $35 million

Will Smith is having a good 2019, leading a $1 billion movie in Disney’s live action remake of “Aladdin” and also acting as his younger self in the upcoming “Gemini Man” from director Ang Lee.

9. Paul Rudd – Earnings: $41 million

See, it pays to be one of the nicest guys in Hollywood.

8. Chris Evans – Earnings: $43.5 million

Though his days as Captain America are done, Chris Evans is also starring with Rian Johnson this year in the eccentric murder mystery “Knives Out.”

6. Adam Sandler (tie) – Earnings: $57 million

According to Netflix,...

Joseph Baxter Jul 24, 2019

The inimitable Rutger Hauer has died at 75, leaving behind a prolific legacy in film and television.

“I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.”

Rutger Hauer passed away this past Friday, July 19, at the age of the age of 75, having succumbed to a short illness. The news was revealed today by the actor’s agent, Steve Kennis. However, unlike the unforgettable soliloquy – quoted above – that he delivered in 1982’s Blade Runner, his moments will not be lost in time.

Indeed, the ever-emotive and versatile Dutch actor, Hauer, whose funeral was held today, leaves behind a breadth of work in the realms of film and television, spanning back to his first onscreen role, in the 1969 medieval television series,...

Some of the biggest Kung Fu and Martial Art stars have movies being released in 2019, from Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen, Tony Jaa to Scott Adkins. Many fans are excited for the Donnie Yen remake of the Sammo Hung classic “Enter The Fat Dragon“, Jackie Chan and John Cena teaming up for “Project X – Traction“, the all out action movie “Triple Threat” and Ip Man 4.

Here are some of the upcoming Martial Art/Action Movies coming your way in 2019.

1. Enter The Fat Dragon

Remake of the Sammo Hung classic

Directed By: Wong Jing

Cast: Donnie Yen, Sandra Ng, Teresa Mo, Wong Jing

2. Blade Master Li Bai

Directed By: Li Boxun

Cast: Steven Zhang, Ma Muxuan, Steve Yoo, Li Dougguo

3. Altar Angel

Directed By: Wu Zhiguo

Cast: Timmy Hung, Chen Bingquiang, Cheung Tat Ming, Ouitsuka Ng

4. The Mystery of Dragon Seal: The Journey to China

Directed By: Oleg Stepchenko

Cast: Jason Flemyng,...

On Friday, we reported that Arnold Schwarzenegger had been rushed into emergency heart surgery after his experimental catheter valve replacement failed. Doctors at Cedars-Sinai were ready for this eventuality and were fully prepared to replace the valve at short notice. Mercifully, the operation went off without a hitch and Arnold’s spokesman, Daniel Ketchell, quickly reported that the star was in stable condition after surgery.

Now, we know what his first words were upon waking – and they’re suitably epic. After first opening his eyes and coming to, the star uttered “I’m back,” obviously a reference to his iconic catchphrase “I’ll be back,” which I’m guessing he said just before they anesthetized him and began the surgery. To be fair, if I was Arnie, I’d be saying this before every risky procedure. After all, it’d be a decent silver lining if you were to pop...

Heart surgeons at Cedars-Sinai sliced through Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s still impressive pecs after a catheter valve replacement procedure led to complications resulting in open heart surgery that lasted several hours.

The 70-year old star and former Governor of California was scheduled to undergo surgery to replace a pulmonic valve that was never intended to be permanent and, 21 years later, has outlasted its life expectancy. But while bits of his heart were on the verge of conking out, the rest of Arnie thankfully wasn’t, with his representative saying that he’s currently recovering from surgery and in stable condition.

Arnold first went under the knife in 1997, with the procedure causing some notoriety at the time because doctors opted to transplant a valve from a pig’s heart. The operation was also Arnold’s decision alone – his family has a history of congenital heart disease and he wanted to undergo surgery sooner rather than later,...

This looks very weird. A very short teaser trailer has debuted online for a film titled Journey to China, for short, though it goes by many names. This film is actually Viy 2, a sequel to Viy (from 2014), also known as Forbidden Empire - a fantasy adventure movie set in a cursed Romanian forest. This sequel goes by other titles including: Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, The Mystery of Dragon Seal: The Journey to China, or just simply Viy-2. The plot involves English traveler/cartographer Jonathan Green journeying to China and falling into a fantastical adventure. The film's peculiar cast features Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng, Yuri Kolokolnikov. Schwarzenegger is playing James Hook, but I don't even know what's going on. Maybe the full-length trailer will reveal more. Here's the first international trailer (+ poster) for Oleg Stepchenko's Journey to China, from...