Author Archives: Ian Whittle

King Kong Escapes (1967) Review

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Ian Whittle

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 →

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Shatter | aka Call Him Mr. Shatter (1974) Review

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Ian Whittle

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 , , , , , , , |

Revenge of Dr. X, The (1967) Review

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Ian Whittle

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

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Ian Whittle

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 , , , , , , , , , , |

Born Invincible (1978) Review

Posted on June 13, 2023 by Ian Whittle

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 , , , , , , , , |

Super Dragon | aka Bruce Lee Superstar (1975) Review

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Ian Whittle

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 , , |

Shaolin Martial Arts (1974) Review

Posted on November 12, 2022 by Ian Whittle

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 →

Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

Tattooed Dragon, The (1973) Review

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Ian Whittle

Director: Lo Wei Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu, Sylvia Chang Ai Chi, Sam Hui Koon Kit, James Tien Chun, Dorian Tan Tao Liang, Lee Kwan, Tong Tin Hei, Pipop Pupinyo, Nai Jia Running Time: 94 min. By Ian Whittle After two less than stellar features lensed in Japan, A Man Called Tiger and Seaman No.7, the Lo Wei/Jimmy Wang Yu/Golden Harvest team finally achieve some success with their third collaboration. In … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Chinese, Golden Harvest, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , |

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) Review

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Ian Whittle

Director: Kazuki Omori Cast: Kosuke Toyohara, Anna Nakagawa, Megumi Odaka, Katsuhiko Sasaki, Akiji Kobayashi, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Robert Scott Field, Richard Berger, Wataru Fukuda Running Time: 103 min. By Ian Whittle To paraphrase the great Professor Farnsworth: “Never take lessons in not-changing-history from a man who is his own grandpa!” Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is the third film in the Heisei series, following on from The Return of Godzilla (1984) and … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews |

Challenge of the Tiger (1982) Review

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Ian Whittle

AKA: Gymkata Killer Director: Bruce Le Starring: Bruce Le (Huang Kin Long), Richard Harrison, Nadiuska, Hwang Jang-lee, Kong Do, Bolo Yeung Sze, Brad Harris, Dick Randall, Pei Ju-Hua Running Time: 86 min. By Ian Whittle (Note: Every online source I’ve seen says this film is from 1980, which is contradicted by 1982 being mentioned in the dialogue, and a sequence taking place at an event that took place in that … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Bruceploitation, Chinese, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , |

Daggers 8 (1980) Review

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Ian Whittle

Director: Cheung Sam Co-director: Wilson Tong Starring: Meng Yuen-man, Wilson Tong, Lily Li, Peter Chan Lung, Alan Chui, Cheng Hong-yip, Chan Ming-Wai, Chen Yu-Wei, Billy Chan Wui-Ngai, Yeung Wah Running Time: 90 min.  By Ian Whittle What starts out as another kung fu comedy with slightly too irritating Dean Shek style tomfoolery suddenly turns into something much more complex and intelligent. Meng Yuen-man (The Master Strikes) plays an impulsive kung … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , |

Seaman No. 7 (1973) Review

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Ian Whittle

Director: Lo Wei Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu, Maria Yi, James Tien Chun, Tien Feng, Han Ying Chieh, Kelly Lee Hoi Lee, Gam Saan, Chin Yuet Sang, Lo Wei, Lam Ching Ying, Ma Man-Chun Running Time: 100 min.  By Ian Whittle I think we’ve found a winner for the Most Underwhelming Kung Fu Movie Title…no wonder the UK VHS was re-named Wang Yu’s Magnificent Fights. For some reason, after a winning … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Chinese, Golden Harvest, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , |

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) Review

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Ian Whittle

Director: Ishiro Honda Cast: Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yu Fujiki, Ichiro Arishima, Mie Hama, Shoichi Hirose, Haruo Nakajima, Jun Tazaki, Akiko Wakabayashi, Akihiko Hirata Running Time: 97 min. By Ian Whittle The great animator Willis O’Brien remains immortal for his legendary creation King Kong, introduced in 1933 in RKO’s mega-hit film. But that didn’t translate into lots of steady work. O’Brien walked off the rushed “serio-comic phantasy” sequel The Son … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Japanese, Reviews | Tagged |

Revenge of Drunken Master (1981) Review

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Ian Whittle

Director: Gang Beom-Gu Co-director: Godfrey Ho Cast: Johnny Chan (Wang Dae-wi), Bruce Cheung Mong, Kwon Sung-Young, Eagle Han Ying, Lee Mi-Ji, Han Myeong-Hwan, Kim Ki-Ju, Eom Ju-Hyeon Running Time: 82 min. By Ian Whittle As if all the many weird and wonderful Bruceploitation films weren’t enough, the Koreans (and consequently Asso Asia/Godfrey Ho and Tomas Tang) also tried their hand at JackieChansploitation. Following the cross-over with Dragon Lee; Golden Dragon, … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Chinese, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Green Slime, The (1968) Review

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Ian Whittle

Director: Kinji Fukasaku Cast: Robert Horton, Richard Jaeckel, Luciana Paluzzi, Bud Widom, Ted Gunther, Robert Dunham, David Yorston, William Ross, Gary Randolf, Eugene Vince Running Time: 90 min. By Ian Whittle The late Japanese New Wave director Fukasaku Kinji has a formidable reputation for his many Yakuza classics of the 1970s, his contributions to the Hollywood production Tora! Tora! Tora!, and his latter day masterpiece Battle Royale. He also directed … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged |
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2