BCI to release Asian action from Miramax vault

By Mark Pollard • August 7, 2008

BCI Eclipse has just completed a deal with Miramax Films to release 25 of their long-shelved Asian action titles including overseas hits like MY WIFE IS A GANGSTER, YES MADAM and WHEELS ON MEALS.

Some of the other titles to be released by BCI include DR. WAI IN THE SCRIPTURE WITH NO WORDS, PRISON ON FIRE 1 & 2, TIGER ON BEAT, DRAGONS FOREVER, THE TOUCH, and WING CHUN.

The scoop comes straight from BCI’s Director of Acquisitions Cliff MacMillan who states that titles will hit store shelves beginning in early 2009.

BCI’s latest announcement is further evidence that the distributor has been jockeying to become a major player in the arena of Asian action distribution since joining parent company Navarre Corporation.

Previously known as a distributor of low-grade public domain titles under their discarded Brentwood label, BCI has been rebuilding its reputation from the ground up by acquiring higher-quality, licensed genre films from Rarescope and Adness such as the Cliff Lok classic CHOI LEE FUT KUNG FU and the SISTER STREET FIGHTER series.

One of their most recent releases on DVD and Blu-ray was Thai fantasy actioner THE TIGER BLADE which came with bonus content including interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Although the Weinsteins brought some of their Asian acquisitions with them when they broke away from Miramax parent company Disney to form The Weinstein Company, many were left behind. This should come as welcome news to genre fans who have been waiting for ages to see many of Miramax’s discarded Asian action titles released in the U.S.