Jackie Chan's NEW POLICE STORY; Sequel ONE MISSED CALL 2

Jackie Chan revived his POLICE STORY franchise by slapping NEW in front and making it more dramatic -- his squad is killed in front of his helpless eyes and he becomes an alcoholic until a young cop gets him back in the game.

If I were to rate the series, I'd put this fifth installment below II and above IV. III:SUPERCOP was the best, though the first was also excellent. NEW has a couple of very good stunts, the reliance on dramatics is not a bad idea, but overall it's a bit dry. Worth a rental.

The Lions' Gate Region 1 DVD is said to include original audio tracks plus English dubbed features.

Meanwhile, out of Japan comes the sequel ONE MISSED CALL 2. According to the Media Blasters web site: "The One Missed Call curse has become an urban legend in Tokyo. Your cell phone rings with a chilling tone. Your violent demise is heard on the other end. Moments later, you die a horrible death. However, the curse has mutated to fool a wiser public and reach a broader audience."

The two-disc edition probably includes a lot of neat stuff, but the Media Blasters site proved too challenging for me to surf effectively. It's also out today.

Yes, it is LATE SPRING

Dig deep into your pockets, folks, it's time to fork over two twenties for another Criterion release. Here's the sales pitch in their own words:

"One of the most powerful of Yasujiro Ozu’s family portraits, Late Spring tells the story of a widowed father who feels compelled to marry off his beloved only daughter. Eminent Ozu players Chishu Ryu and Setsuko Hara command this poignant tale of love and loss in postwar Japan, which remains as potent today as ever—almost alone justifying Ozu’s inclusion in the pantheon of cinema’s greatest directors."

LATE SPRING is the only Asian title out today in Region 1, but need there be more for the week?