-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Newest Comments
on THE FURIOUS PART II? A sequel to ‘The Furious’ already in the works as producer promises a bigger follow upIn the mainland chinese cut, the villain who killed his wife in the lionsgate…
on Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Ka Fai return for Round 2! ‘The Shadow’s Edge II’ to begin filming in OctoberI liked the first movie until I hated it for being too overstuffed and that t…
on The Bodyguard (2024) ReviewGreat review, as ever, and really glad you're shining a light on these underr…
on James Lew, martial artist, actor and stuntman in films such as ‘Big Trouble in Little China’ and ‘Timecop’, passes away at 73He will be missed. It was awesome to watch almost any action film, and he’d a…
on WTF? Watch the blood-soaked U.S. Trailer for Joko Anwar’s Indonesian martial arts-horror-comedy ‘Ghost in the Cell’fun flick, tho.
on Heaven and Hell | aka Shaolin Hell Gate (1978) ReviewJust saw Heaven and Hell on youtube, and while it's pretty damn strange in so…
on HEAD’d your way! Jimmy Wang Yu’s kung fu classic ‘Master of the Flying Guillotine’ arrives newly restored on Blu-rayAbout freakin time!
on James Lew, martial artist, actor and stuntman in films such as ‘Big Trouble in Little China’ and ‘Timecop’, passes away at 73The Luke Cage guy paid tribute to him. https://www.instagram.com/p/DcbK2ZExau…
on James Lew, martial artist, actor and stuntman in films such as ‘Big Trouble in Little China’ and ‘Timecop’, passes away at 73James Lew was a very influential person in my life. I first discovered him wh…
on THE FURIOUS PART II? A sequel to ‘The Furious’ already in the works as producer promises a bigger follow upWell almost 4 decades ago, there was this little movie about a cop who fights…
on Anybody seen Richie? Okay, wrong movie. But Steven Seagal’s ‘Above the Law’ is coming to 4K Ultra HD this NovemberNoice. Happy Arrow/Toy Robot are releasing Warner Bros action classics. I'm c…
on THE FURIOUS PART II? A sequel to ‘The Furious’ already in the works as producer promises a bigger follow upWhat would even a part 2 be about, literally every bad guy in the first film…
on HEAD’d your way! Jimmy Wang Yu’s kung fu classic ‘Master of the Flying Guillotine’ arrives newly restored on Blu-rayFrank Djeng talks too fast, and with his accent I find him very hard to liste…
on The Fall of Ako Castle | Blu-ray (Eureka)Is this blu-ray available to purchase anywhere in the U.S. in Region A, Regio…
on FURIOUS director Kenji Tanigaki returns to work on Soi Cheang Pou Soi’s ‘Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In’ sequelRaymond Lam said that filming for the sequel has been officially completed (c…
on Second Life | aka Son of a Punch (2024) ReviewDefinitely a good idea! I'll leave the suggestion with our colleague Zack sin…
on The Bodyguard (2024) Reviewi enjoyed this film.
on Heaven and Hell | aka Shaolin Hell Gate (1978) Reviewi'm glad i'm not the only person that thought Chang Cheh (and possibly others…
Author Archives: JJ Bona
Avenging Eagle | aka Shaolin Hero (1978) Review
AKA: Shaolin Hero Director: Sun Chung Cast: Ti Lung, Alexander Fu Sheng, Guk Fung, Si Si, Yue Wing, Johnny Wang, Dick Wei, Eddy Ko Hung, Peter Chan Lung, Yuen Bun, Yeung Chi Hing, Bruce Tong Running Time: 100 min. By Joe909 Sun Chung isn’t as well known as fellow Shaw Brothers kung-fu directors Chang Cheh and Liu Chia-Liang, but his films are equal to their best. In some ways, he … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers
Tagged Alexander Fu Sheng, Dick Wei, Eddy Ko Hung, Johnny Wang (Wong Lung Wei), Ku Feng, Peter Chan Lung, Shih Szu, Sun Chung, Ti Lung, Yuen Bun
Memoirs of a Lady Ninja DVD (Tokyo Shock)
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2011 Ninja are assassins with remarkable abilities, and that remains true for their female subset, the kunoichi. When one particular blue-eyed lady ninja discovers a secret scroll of immortality, she finds herself succumbing to the tragic fate of all those who work from the shadows. Memoirs of a Lady Ninja (Onmitsu Kunoichi Retsuden Himerareta Onna Shinobi) is a Japanese original video release written and directed by … Continue reading
Malay Chronicles: Bloodlines DVD/Blu-ray (Image)
RELEASE DATE: August 9, 2011 Directed by Yusry Kru, The Malay Chronicles: Bloodlines (released in Malaysia as “Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa”) is an adventure feature film set against the backdrop of ancient Malay, Roman and Chinese civilizations. It tells the tale of the journey of Merong Mahawangsa escorting a Roman prince to wed a beautiful Chinese princess during the 2nd century. Featuring an international cast, The Malay Chronicles: Bloodlines combines elements … Continue reading
Pale Flower DVD/Blu-ray (Criterion)
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2011 In this cool, seductive jewel of the Japanese New Wave, a yakuza, fresh out of prison, becomes entangled with a beautiful yet enigmatic gambling addict; what at first seems a redemptive relationship ends up leading him further down the criminal path. Bewitchingly shot and edited and laced with a fever-dream-like score by Toru Takemitsu (Woman in the Dunes, Ran), this breakthrough gangster romance from Masahiro … Continue reading
Evolution of Collecting Kung Fu & Asian Film
With the infinite amount of websites, eBay, and other online retailers; Asian/kung fu movie fanatics have it really good these days. Especially for the crowd who take advantage of bootlegs, DVD-R swapping and those sneaky forms of file sharing. This wasn’t exactly the case in the 1980s and throughout most of the 1990s; back then, Asian movies were obtainable, but they weren’t a click away. The Early-Mid 1980s: Rent it. … Continue reading
Posted in Features
Prodigal Son, The (1982) Review
AKA: Pull No Punches Director: Sammo Hung Cast: Yuen Biao, Frankie Chan, Lam Ching-Ying, Sammo Hung, Wei Pei, Peter Chan, Dick Wei, Wei Pei, Wu Ma, James Tien, Pang Yun-Cheung, Yuen Miu Running Time: 100 min. By Joe909 In my “Invincible Shaolin” review, I wrote that I’d never seen a New Wave Hong Kong movie that could hold a candle to a Shaw Brothers film. Well, I finally have, and … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews
Tagged Dick Wei, James Tien, Lam Ching-ying, Lee Hoi-Sang, Peter Chan Lung, Sammo Hung, Wei Pei (Snake), Wu Ma, Yuen Biao
Righting Wrongs | aka Above the Law (1986) Review
Director: Corey Yuen Producer: Leonard Ho Cast: Yuen Biao, Cynthia Rothrock, Melvin Wong, Corey Yuen, Wu Ma, Fan Siu Wong, James Tien, Sandy Chan, Karen Sheperd, Lau Siu Ming, Baan Yun Sang, Stephen Chan, Cheng Siu Ping, Roy Chiao, Chin Yuet Sang, Peter Cunningham Running Time: 100 min. By Numskull I don’t know what to say. Did you know… DID, YOU, KNOW that the legal system protects the guilty, rather … Continue reading
Anonymous Heroes (1971) Review
Director: Chang Cheh Producer: Sir Run Run Shaw Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Cheng Li, Ku Feng, Wang Chung, Tong Dik, Yen Shi Kwan Running Time: 100 min. By Joe909 Most old school movies ask for a suspension of disbelief, but Anonymous Heroes asks you to abandon all concept of reality. If you buy into the film, you will be treated to a light-hearted (albeit violent) adventure, but if you … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers
Tagged Chang Cheh, Cheng Li, David Chiang, Ku Feng, Ti Lung, Wang Chung, Yen Shi Kwan
Game of Death (1978) Review
Director: Robert Clouse Cast: Bruce Lee, Kim Tai-chung, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Colleen Camp, Gig Young, Dean Jagger, Sammo Hung, Bob Wall, Mel Novak, Hugh O’Brian, James Tien, Roy Chiao, Hon Tsoi Chi, Casanova Wong, Billy McGill Running Time: 92 min. By Joseph Kuby At best, this is a quintessential example of a good/bad movie. Brandon Lee was said to have hated this film with a passion! It’s funny, because even with the original footage, … Continue reading
Secret of the Urn DVD (Animego)
RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2011 After losing both an eye and an arm to treachery while on a mission for his clan, Samanosuke (Kinnosuke NAKAMURA) becomes a ronin who calls himself TANGE Sazen. When a stolen urn that contains the secret to a treasure worth a million gold coins falls into his one remaining hand, all sorts of villains, including a high-ranking Shogunate minister, plot to relieve him of his … Continue reading
Jet Li 3-Pack Blu-ray (Dragon Dynasty)
RELEASE DATE: May 24, 2011 Dragon Dynasty is releasing a special 3-pack Jet Li Blu-ray set. No word on what the titles will be, but since it’s it’s specially priced set, it will probably be the previously released (individually) Blu-ray titles: Fist of Legend, Tai Chi Master and The Legend (aka Legend of Fong Sai Yuk).
Young Master, The (1980) Review
Director: Jackie Chan Cast: Jackie Chan, Wai Pak, Lily Li, Sek Kin, Yuen Biao, Tien Feng, Wang In Sik, Fung Hak On, Lee Hoi San, Chiang Kam, Fan Mei Sheng, Fung Fung, Ma Chao Running Time: 105 min. By Numskull Would it be considered heresey, sacrilege, blasphemy, etc., if I said that this movie is superior to Jackie’s most beloved ’70s kung fu comedy, Drunken Master? Well, it is, in … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews
Tagged Chiang Kam, Fan Mei Sheng, Fung Hak On, Jackie Chan, Lee Hoi-Sang, Lily Li Li-Li, Sham Chin Bo, Shih Kien, Tien Feng, To Siu Ming, Wang In Sik, Wei Pei (Snake), Yuen Biao
Five Deadly Venoms Blu-ray (Dragon Dynasty)
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2011 The Chang Cheh classic, as you’ve never seen in, in hi-def! The dying master of the powerful Poison Clan assigns his final martial arts student one last, epic quest find his 5 most mysterious and dangerous disciples, each trained in a different fighting style, and bring them together to root out a conspiracy that could divide and destroy the entire clan.
Fulltime Killer (2001) Review
AKA: Full Time Killer Director: Johnnie To Co-director: Wai Ka Fai Cast: Andy Lau, Takashi Sorimachi, Kelly Lin, Simon Yam, Cherrie Ying, Lam Suet, Teddy Lin Wai Kin, Rocky Lai Keung Kun, Liu Chun Hung Running Time: 96 min. By Alexander Johnnie To hasn’t had the international success of Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers); the critical acclaim of Wong Kar Wai (Chungking Express, In the Mood For Love); … Continue reading
Men Suddenly in Black (2003) Review
Director: Pang Ho Cheung Producer: Eric Tsang Cast: Eric Tsang, Jordan Chan, Chapman To, Gu Zong Chao, Teresa Mo, Candy Lo, Marsha Yuen, Tiffany Lee, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Maria Cordero Running Time: 99 min. By Equinox21 I’ve seen a number of parodies of Hong Kong crime movies, comedic plays on the ol’ cops vs. triad genre, but none so well done and funny as Men Suddenly In Black. This … Continue reading
1 Comment