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Author Archives: Ian Whittle
Ten Tigers from Kwangtung (1980) Review
Director: Chang Cheh Cast: Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Philip Kwok, Wei Pei, Dick Wei, Sun Chien, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, Lo Mang, Ku Feng, Chin Siu-ho, Wang Lung-wei Running Time: 91 min. By Ian Whittle Not exactly well liked, and suffering from a troubled history (this is what happens when you let MPs visit the shoot!), I’ll be annoying, buck the trend, and say I quite like this all-star mish-mash … Continue reading
Living Skeleton, The (1968) Review
Director: Hiroshi Matsuno Cast: Kikko Matsuoka, Yasunori Irikawa, Masumi Okada, Nobuo Kaneko, Kō Nishimura Running Time: 80 min. By Ian Whittle In October 1995, I was a young Monster Kid of 9, mainly due to my love of King Kong (1933). That month, I was at a jumble sale at a local church when my eyes fell upon Dennis Gifford’s classic tome A Pictorial History of Horror Movies (1973), which … Continue reading
Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965) Review
Director: Ishiro Honda Cast: Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Tadao Takashima, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Yoshifumi Tajima, Takashi Shimura, Susumu Fujita, Peter Mann, Koji Furuhata Running Time: 89 min. By Ian Whittle “A nomination for me means that Twilight of Honor will bring in another million dollars and supply funds for more Hollywood pictures. Next, it means I, as a Hollywood star, can make more films in Hollywood and stop this runaway production … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Ishiro Honda, Kumi Mizuno, Nick Adams, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Shaolin Boxers, The (1974) Review
Director: Huang Ta Cast: James Tin, Lee Tin-ying, Li Min-lang, Chu Mu, Leung Tin, Tien Mi, Hon Kwok-Choi, Chu Mu, Choi Sui-Cheng, Cheung Chok-Chow, Mars Running Time: 78 min. By Ian Whittle “The only problem with James Tien seems to be his weight. When we first saw him on screen he was slim and muscular but of late his girth seems to have increased somewhat. Perhaps his marriage early in … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, Golden Harvest, News, Reviews
Tagged James Tien, Mars (Cheung Wing Fat)
Raiders of Buddhist Kung Fu (1981) Review
Director: Godfrey Ho Cast: Gordon Liu, Wang Ryong, Kim Ki-Joo, Seol Ji-Yeon, Kwak Eun-Gyung, Baek Hwang-Gi, John Kelly, Choe Moo-Woong, Lung Ho-Yu, Park Hui-Jin, Lee Hwa-Jin Running Time: 90 min. By Ian Whittle So I picked up the DVD assuming from the cover still of Gordon Liu in his usual monk attire that this was going to be another “Gordon from Shaolin” by way of a Korea flick, but once … Continue reading
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) Review
Director: Rob Cohen Cast: Jason Scott Lee, Lauren Holly, Nancy Kwan, Michael Learned, Lim Kay-tong, Ric Young, Luoyong Wang, John Cheung, Van Williams, Shannon Lee Running Time: 120 min. By Ian Whittle This is a film I enjoy a lot more unreservedly now than I did as a teen. Back then, I knew all the ins and outs of Bruce’s life (or at least, I thought I did, Matthew Polly’s … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, Bruceploitation, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Jason Scott Lee, John Cheung, Nancy Kwan, Ric Young, Rob Cohen, Robert Wagner, Shannon Lee, Van Williams
Ninja in the Dragon’s Den (1982) Review
Director: Corey Yuen Cast: Conan Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada (Henry Sanada), Tanaka Hiroshi, Tai Bo, Hwang Jang Lee, Kaname Tsushima, Someno Yukio, Chin Lung, Tien Feng, Ma Chin-Ku, Best Kwon Yeong-Moon, Paul Wei Ping Ao Running Time: 95 min. By Ian Whittle In memory of Corey Yuen Kwai, whose death in 2022 was recently made public. The early 80s saw an explosion of ninja-mania, instigated by Eric Van Lustbader’s novel The … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Ninja, Reviews, Top 4 Featured
Tagged Conan Lee, Corey Yuen, Hiroyuki Sanada (Henry Sanada), Hwang Jang Lee, Paul Wei Ping Ao, Tien Feng
Big Boss Part II, The (1976) Review
Director: Chan Chue Cast: Lo Lieh, Wong Ping, Lee Kwan, Michael Chan Wai Man, Bruce Le (Huang Kin Long), Krung Srivilai, Preeya Rongernaug, Hung Wang, Shan Shan, Chiu Lik Running Time: 107 min. By Ian Whittle It’s weird that The Big Boss Part II is as obscure as it is. You’d think being a semi-official sequel to a Bruce Lee movie, it’d have been all over numerous VHS and DVD … Continue reading
Posted in All, Bruceploitation, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bruce Le (Huang Kin Long), Krung Srivilai, Lee Kwan, Lo Lieh, Michael Chan Wai Man, Wong Ping
King Kong Escapes (1967) Review
Director: Honda Ishiro Cast: Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Mie Hama, Akira Takarada, Hideyo Amamoto, Yoshifumi Tajima, Yoshifumi Tajima, Andrew Hughes, Shoichi Hirose, Ryuji Kita Running Time: 96/104 min. By Ian Whittle Following the colossal success of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Toho did not rush to bring back the giant ape in a hurry – the cost of licensing the character from RKO was high, and Toho had been left holding … Continue reading
Shatter | aka Call Him Mr. Shatter (1974) Review
Director: Michael Carreras Co-director: Monte Hellman Cast: Stuart Whitman, Ti Lung, Lily Li Li-Li, Peter Cushing, Anton Diffring, Ko Hung, Keung Hon, James Ma Chim-Si, Lau Nga-Ying, Lo Wei, Wong Pau Gei, Lau Kar Wing, Roy Chiao Hung, Fung Hak On Running Time: 89 min. By Ian Whittle It’s probably no surprise that Hammer ended up getting into cahoots with the Shaw Brothers – in 1974, tactical programming meant that … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, Chinese, News, Other Movies, Reviews, Shaw Brothers
Tagged Fung Hak On, Lau Kar Wing, Lee Hoi-Sang, Lily Li Li-Li, Lo Wei, Peter Cushing, Roy Chiao, Stuart Whitman, Ti Lung
Revenge of Dr. X, The (1967) Review
AKA: Body of the Prey Director: Norman Thomson Cast: James Craig, James Yagi, Atsuko Rome, Lawrence O’Neill, Al Ricketts, John Stanley Running Time: 94 min. By Ian Whittle Well, this is a head-scratcher. An Ed Wood written 50s monster movie script, Venus Fly-Trap, produced in 60s Japan as Body of the Prey by a former Orson Welles associate…with funds and possibly a monster suit likely supplied by Toei, who denies … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, Japanese, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Big Boss: Mandarin Cut, The (1971) Review
Director: Lo Wei Producer: Raymond Chow Cast: Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien Chun, Han Ying Chieh, Nora Miao, Lee Kwan, Anthony Lau, Lam Ching Ying, Billy Chan Wui Ngai, Peter Yang Kwan Running Time: 115 min. By Ian Whittle The Big Boss remains a rather intriguing oddity. Golden Harvest’s first contemporary martial arts movie, it was released the same month as Shaw’s also Thailand filmed Duel of Fists. But … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, Golden Harvest, News, Reviews
Tagged Billy Chan Wui Ngai, Bruce Lee, Han Ying Chieh, James Tien, Lam Ching-ying, Lee Kwan, Lo Wei, Maria Yi, Nora Miao, Peter Chan Lung, Tony Liu (Anthony Lau Wing)
Born Invincible (1978) Review
Director: Joseph Kuo Cast: Mark Long, Jack Long, Carter Wong, Lo Lieh, Nancy Yen, Corey Yuen, Yuen Shun Yee, Lung Fei, Alan Chui, Yuen Sam, Chen Chiu, Chu Siu Wa, Yuen Woo Ping Running Time: 83 min. By Ian Whittle My immediate reaction to Born Invincible is that someone must have put all the actor’s names in a hat before assigning roles… we’ve got regular villain Lung Fei playing the master … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Carter Wong, Corey Yuen, Jack Long, Joseph Kuo, Lung Fei, Mark Long, Nancy Yen Nan Hsi, Yuen Shun Yee, Yuen Woo-ping
Super Dragon | aka Bruce Lee Superstar (1975) Review
AKA: Chinese Chien Chuan Kung Fu Director: Lin Bing Cast: Bruce Li (aka Ho Chung Tao, James Ho), Shan Mao, Paul Wei Ping Ao, Got Siu Bo, Tse Ling Ling, Lung Fei, Tai Leung, Woo Chau Ping, Yeh Hsiao-Yee Running Time: 90 min. By Ian Whittle Bruce Li’s second attempt at a Bruce Lee bio-pic is a better kung fu movie than its predecessor, Bruce Lee: A Dragon Story, but … Continue reading
Posted in All, Bruceploitation, Chinese, Reviews
Tagged Bruce Li (Ho Chung Tao), Lung Fei, Paul Wei Ping Ao
Shaolin Martial Arts (1974) Review
Director: Chang Cheh Cast: Chi Kuan Chun, Alexander Fu Sheng, Fung Hak On, Feng Yi, Leung Kar Yan, Gordon Liu, Lau Kar Wing, Johnny Wang Lung Wei, Tino Wong Cheung, Irene Chan Yi Ling, Bruce Tong Yim Chaan, Simon Yuen Running Time: 107 min. By Ian Whittle “I go out and sweat blood to make a swell picture and then the critics and the exhibitors all say, ‘If this picture … Continue reading
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