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on ‘Godzilla Minus One’ filmmaker signs on for his first English-language film ‘Grandgear’ for Sony and J.J. AbramsAnd another one Asian going to Hollywood! I hope his Doreamon - Stand by me 3…
on Jackie Chan’s BEST Lo Wei flick just got better! Watch a video of what 88 Films’ ‘Dragon Fist’ 4K UHD will look like…Edited, thank you!
on Jackie Chan’s BEST Lo Wei flick just got better! Watch a video of what 88 Films’ ‘Dragon Fist’ 4K UHD will look like…The release date (as per 88 Films website) has been moved to 24.02.2025. Appa…
on No further questions your honor! Watch Well Go USA’s Trailer for Donnie Yen’s latest action thriller ‘The Prosecutor’Well, John Wick was mostly gunplay, jiujitsu and judo. The Prosecutor seems t…
on No further questions your honor! Watch Well Go USA’s Trailer for Donnie Yen’s latest action thriller ‘The Prosecutor’Looks OK. But...too much like Wick & Co, and of course like A bittersweet…
on No further questions your honor! Watch Well Go USA’s Trailer for Donnie Yen’s latest action thriller ‘The Prosecutor’i suspect i'll hate Yen's character just as much as i hated him in Raging Fir…
on Don’t call it a comeback! Watch the Trailer for ‘Last Dance’ starring Hong Kong legend Michael Hui and Dayo WongAlready more than HK$50 million in local box office earnings after only a wee…
on Tony Jaa will make America great again! Well Go USA is giving ‘Striking Rescue’ a U.S. theatrical release in DecemberGonna second this - surprised this site hasn't reviewed Aston Chen's Black St…
on A hunk, a hunk of ‘Burning Blood’! ‘Young and Dangerous’ stars Jordan Chan, Michael Tse and Jerry Lamb fire it up!oh another generic cgi mainland cop snorefest, great
on The final ‘Mission Impossible’ we reckon? Watch the action-packed Teaser for ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’Thanks for giving me some titles I haven't seen yet to check out (Once Upon A…
on Tony Jaa will make America great again! Well Go USA is giving ‘Striking Rescue’ a U.S. theatrical release in DecemberThis is actually a pretty good movie. The plot and the acting are all cinema-…
on High Forces (2024) Reviewi couldn't be more focused, i'm getting high right now.
on The final ‘Mission Impossible’ we reckon? Watch the action-packed Teaser for ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’I agree. They need to stick to their martial arts garbage, which all looks th…
Author Archives: Matija Makotoichi Tomic
COF PRESENTS: Interview with Kung Fu star Chang Shan
Meet one of kung fu cinema’s best loved stars, Mr. Chang Shan. Whether you know him as the white-haired villain from Ting Chung’s classics Of Cooks and Kung Fu (1979) and Seven Steps of Kung Fu (1979), or as the ferocious Golden Wheel Lama from Lee Tso-nam’s fan favorite Shaolin vs. Lama (1983), you know Chang Shan can play a menacing villain as well as throw some mean kicks around, … Continue reading
Posted in Features, Interviews, News
Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu (1978) Review
Director: Chen Wah Cast: Charles Heung Wah-Keung, Michael Chan Wai-Man, Chiang Tao, Fan Mei-Sheng, Betty Ting Pei, Gam Ming, Mang Hoi, Do Ping, Kong Do Running Time: 95 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic After starring in Eagle Claws Champion, James Heung realized he preferred working behind the scenes, so he founded Super Win Film with his brother Charles. Heung’s company produced only two films, Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu and Goose Boxer, both … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Betty Ting Pei, Charles Heung, Chen Wah, Fan Mei Sheng, Kong Do, Meng Hoi, Michael Chan Wai Man
Amsterdam Connection (1978) Review
AKA: Shaolin Connection Director: Fan Mei-Sheng Co-director: Law Kei Cast: Chan Sing, Mi Lan, Jason Pai Piao, Bolo Yeung Sze, Fan Mei-Sheng, Wong Yuen-San, Fan Siu-Wong, Law Kei, Lam Ching-Ying, Lau Kar-Yung, Wan Fat Running Time: 90 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic If you love watching movies, chances are you’ve seen at least one with the word ‘connection’ in its title. It might have been one of the greats, such … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bolo Yeung (Yang Sze), Chan Sing, Fan Mei Sheng, Fan Siu Wong, Jason Pai Piao, Lam Ching-ying, Lau Kar Yung
Kung Fu on Sale | aka King of Money and Fists (1979) Review
AKA: Drunken Master Dollar Fist Director: Su Chen-Ping Cast: Sze-Ma Lung, Su Chen-Ping, Man Lee-Pang, Tseng Chao, Dean Shek Tin, Tsung Hua, Cheng Fu-Hung, Hsu Pu-Liao, Su Chen-Ping, Lee Kwan Running time: 90 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic It’s safe to say, at least at this point, that Kung Fu on Sale is Su Chen-Ping’s best film, as it also appears to be his only one. Making a name for … Continue reading
212 Warrior | aka Wiro Sableng (2018) Review
Director: Angga Dwimas Sasongko Cast: Vino G. Bastian, Sherina Munaf, Marsha Timothy, Fariz Alfarizi, Happy Salma, Dwi Sasono, Yayan Ruhian, Cecep Arif Rahman, Lukman Sardi, Ruth Marini Running Time: 123 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic 212 Warrior could have been a step-up for Indonesian action cinema. Co-production with Fox International Pictures, first for any Southeast Asian movie, secured a substantial budget, and the award-winning director Angga Dwimas Sasongko was brought … Continue reading
Furie (2019) Review
Director: Le-Van Kiet Writer: Kay Nguyen Cast: Veronica Ngo Thanh Van, Cat Vy, Phan Thanh Nhien, Phạm Anh Khoa, Tran Thanh Hoa Running Time: 98 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic Veronica Ngo is back, and with her, so is the Vietnamese martial arts action. It’s been a while since we’ve last seen Vietnam delivering an action movie worth praising, but that changes with Furie, and the deadly art of Vovinam … Continue reading
Outrage Coda | aka Outrage: Final Chapter (2017) Review
Director: Takeshi Kitano Writer: Takeshi Kitano Cast: Beat Takeshi, Nao Ohmori, Ken Mitsuishi, Ren Osugi, Tatsuo Nadaka, Ikuji Nakamura, Toshiyuki Nishida, Hakuryu, Sansei Shiomi, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Pierre Taki Running Time: 104 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic Even before he would go on to direct his senior citizen “yakuza” comedy Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen, easily his least memorable effort, Kitano said that the producers wanted him to make another Outrage … Continue reading
Manhunt (2017) Review
Director: John Woo Cast: Zhang Hanyu, Tao Okamoto, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Ji-won Ha, Jun Kunimura, Naoto Takenaka, Masaharu Fukuyama, Yasuaki Kurata, Angeles Wo, Stephy Qi Running Time: 106 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic When a director of John Woo’s caliber announces his return to the genre that made his name, it’s always a cause for celebration, just as it is a reason to worry. After signing his name on some of … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged John Woo, Jun Kunimura, Yasuaki Kurata, Zhang Hanyu
Before We Vanish (2017) Review
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa Cast: Ryuhei Matsuda, Masami Nagasawa, Mahiro Takasugi, Yuri Tsunematsu, Hiroki Hasegawa, Atsuko Maeda, Masahiro Higashide, Takashi Sasano Running Time: 129 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic Following the premiere at 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Before We Vanish continued its festival circuit at this year’s 17th edition of Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival. With budget as the one thing that shouldn’t give the organizers any headache, NIFFF had the … Continue reading
Exclusive: Interview with the Cast and Crew of ‘Jailbreak’
This year’s 19th edition of Far East Film Festival offered a special treat for the fans of martial arts cinema. The long-awaited hit title Jailbreak, titled as Cambodia’s very first martial arts movie was scheduled for screening on the opening day of the festival. Coming to Udine to promote the movie was the Jailbreak team: director Jimmy Henderson and producer Loy Te, as well as the film’s stars Jean-Paul Ly … Continue reading
Posted in Interviews, News
Jailbreak (2017) Review
Director: Jimmy Henderson Cast: Jean-Paul Ly, Dara Our, Tharoth Sam, Céline Tran, Savin Phillip, Dara Phang, Sisowath Siriwudd, Laurent Plancel, Rous Mony, Sok Visal, Georgina Tan Running Time: 92 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic Following in the footsteps of Vietnam, Indonesia, and of course, Thailand before that, it was time for Cambodia to mark its place on the international martial arts movie map. Delivering the country’s first piece of full-fledged … Continue reading
Posted in All, Cambodian, News, Reviews
Tagged Céline Tran, Dara Our, Jean-Paul Ly, Jimmy Henderson, Laurent Plancel, Tharoth Sam
Terra Formars (2016) Review
Director: Takashi Miike Cast: Hideaki Ito, Takayuki Yamada, Kane Kosugi, Emi Takei, Shun Oguri, Masaya Kato, Rinko Kikuchi, Tomohisa Yamashita, Eiko Koike, Mariko Shinoda, Rila Fukushima, Kenichi Takito, Rina Ohta, Ken Aoki, Kiyohiko Shibukawa Running time: 108 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic Fans and those familiar with the work of Takashi Miike might be missing the “old” Miike; whoever enjoyed films such as Dead or Alive, Deadly Outlaw: Rekka, Ichi … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Hideaki Ito, Kane Kosugi, Takashi Miike
Net, The (2016) Review
Director: Kim Ki-Duk Producer: Kim Soon-Mo Cast: Ryoo Seung-bum, Young-Min Kim, Lee Won-Geun, Choi Gwi-Hwa, Jo Jae-Ryong, Ahn Ji-Hye Running Time: 114 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic Filmography of Kim Ki-Duk could be the subject of many theories and endless discussions. Personally, I see it divided into two major phases: pre and post-Arirang one. Arirang had that something I’ve been missing the whole time, and it had me admiring the … Continue reading
Undaunted Wudang, The | aka Wu Tang (1983) Review
AKA: The Wu Tang Director: Sun Sha Writer: Xie Wen-Li Cast: Lin Quan, Zhao Chang-Jun , Li Yu-Wen, Ma Zhen-Bang , Tang Ya-Li, Yang Yong, Zang Zhi-Guo, Mao Ying-Hai, Zhao Qiu-Rong, Sun Jian-Ming, Xu Chang-Wen Running time: 94 min By Matija Makotoichi Tomic The importance and the historical significance of Shaolin Temple and its monks is well known so it’s no wonder a lot of kung fu movies are Shaolin … Continue reading
Black Tavern, The (1972) Review
Director: Teddy Yip Producer: Run Run Shaw Cast: Shih Szu, Ku Feng, Dean Shek Tien, Tung Li, Wong Hap, Yue Fung, Kong Ling, Kwok Chuk Hing, Lee Ho, Barry Chan Wai Ji Wan, Chan Chan Kong, Unicorn Chan, Cheung Hei, Chiang Nan, Chu Gam, Ho Kei Cheong Running Time: 83 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic Seems it’s impossible to write a review about The Black Tavern without mentioning King Hu. … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews, Shaw Brothers
Tagged Barry Chan Wai Ji Wan, Dean Shek, Ku Feng, Shih Szu, Teddy Yip, Unicorn Chan, Wong Hap
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