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on It’s the FINAL Trailer for the Sly-penned Jason Statham actioner ‘A Working Man’ from director David AyerI watched A Working Man, and it scratched itch for me. The action is cool, bu…
on Richard Norton, ‘Gymkata’ and ‘City Hunter’ actor, martial artist, trainer and stunt performer, dies at 75Also, the other Richard, Chamberlain, from the original Shogun, passed away r…
on Looking for some spear-slicing action? Donnie Yen’s ‘The Lost Bladesman’ arrives on Blu-ray from ImprintVery underrated Donnie Yen gem. The movie, along with Sakra, has arguably the…
on Wild, The (2023) ReviewThis review does a great job of breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of…
on Don’t fight what you can’t see! Arrow announces Blu-ray for Yoshiyuki Kuroda’s 1970 actioner ‘The Invisible Swordsman’Dear Arrow... Let "old" Asian cinema to 88 Films, Eureka, BFI n' Co.
on Leopard Fist Ninja (1982) ReviewYeah, the little girl turning into the hero certainly threw me too.
on Kung Fu Rookie (2023) Review& just like that, Z Ravas reappeared after 5 years in the wilderness, the sam…
on Hong Kong’s Heaven’s Gate? Juno Mak’s anticipated thriller ‘Sons of the Neon Night’ to finally shine this yearThere was apparently a 15 minute preview screening at Hong Kong's FILMART con…
on The Kosugi ninja empire lives on! Watch the Trailer for Shane Kosugi’s ‘Seek’ starring Kansuke Asano and Kane KosugiHaters gonna hate, I suppose. 🥱 Oh well.
on Hong Kong’s Heaven’s Gate? Juno Mak’s anticipated thriller ‘Sons of the Neon Night’ to finally shine this yearWhen the film public screening ?
on Raiders of Buddhist Kung Fu (1981) ReviewMost, if not all, of Godfrey Ho's movies are on Tubi, including this. Imagine…
on The Kosugi ninja empire lives on! Watch the Trailer for Shane Kosugi’s ‘Seek’ starring Kansuke Asano and Kane KosugiPaul: Where is your source ? FCS: My source is that I made it the FUCK up ! x…
Author Archives: Paul Bramhall
Ninja in the Claws of the CIA | aka Kung Fu Emanuelle (1981) Review
AKA: Made in China Director: John Liu Cast: John Liu, Casanova Wong, Danny Lee, John Ladalski, Roger Paschy, Mirta Miller, Cheng Bik-Lin, Gam Biu, Raquel Evans, Jose Maria Blanco Running Time: 77 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s always interesting when kung fu stars decide to step into the director’s chair and helm their own starring vehicles, from the globe-trotting adventures of Bruce Le in the likes of Challenge of the Tiger … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Ninja, Reviews
Tagged Casanova Wong (Ka Sa Fa), Danny Lee Sau Yin, John Ladalski, John Liu, Roger Paschy
Schemes in Antiques (2021) Review
Director: Derek Kwok Cast: Lei Jiayin, Li Xian, Xin Zhilei, Ge You, Qin Yan, Qingxiang Wang, Yong Mei, Tao Guo Running Time: 123 min. By Paul Bramhall Movies about antiques may not necessarily sound like the most exciting proposition on paper, but if there’s one thing that 2003’s Ong Bak taught us, it’s that if the antique in question is a buddha’s head, then prepare for your expectations to be subverted. 18 years later, and China has released … Continue reading
Kung Fu Vs. Acrobatic (1990) Review
Director: Taylor Wong Tai Loy Cast: Andy Lau, Nat Chan Pak Cheung, Yuen Wah, Joey Wong, Cutie Mui Siu Wai, Lau Shun, Walter Tso Tat Wah, Chen Jing, San Kuai, Lee Hang, Mama Hung Running Time: 99 min. By Paul Bramhall Kung Fu Vs. Acrobatic is one of those movies that I remember constantly reading about back when I was first getting into the genre in the late 90’s and early … Continue reading
Posted in Chinese, Reviews
Tagged Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Cutie Mui Siu Wai, Joey Wong Cho-Yin, Taylor Wong Tai Loy, Yuen Wah
Ghost Hill, The (1971) Review
Director: Ding Sin Saai Cast: Tin Peng, Polly Shang-Kwan Ling Feng, Tong Wai, Go Ming, Chan Bo Leung, Shan Mao, Goo Liu Sek, Sit Hon, Man Chung San, Miu Tin, Lung Fei Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall In 1971 the wuxia genre was still very much steeped in the conventions of the previous decade, however it was also becoming apparent that certain directors were gradually starting to explore those … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Ding Sin Saai, Lung Fei, Polly Shang-Kwan, Tin Peng, Tong Wai
Journey to the West | aka Go West to Subdue Demons (1991) Review
Director: Chang Cheh Cast: Tung Chi Hwa, Ku Wing-Chuen, Mu Li-Xin, Du Yu-Ming, Yu Jia, Chen Ji-Ming, Zhang Ke-Peng, Yao Yu, Wang Xiang-Wei, Wang Bing-Qiang, Chen Bing Running Time: 86 min. By Paul Bramhall During the 2010’s the only character more popular than Ip Man was arguably the Monkey King. The iconic character got various big budget incarnations courtesy of Soi Cheang’s Monkey King trilogy, Stephen Chow’s pair of Journey … Continue reading
Castle Falls (2021) Review
Director: Dolph Lundgren Cast: Scott Adkins, Dolph Lundgren, Jim E. Chandler, Dave Halls, Kim DeLonghi, Kevin Wayne, Luke Hawx, Scott Hunter, Ida Lundgren, Bill Billions Running Time: 87 min. By Paul Bramhall There was a moment there when it seemed like 2021 was going to manifest the incomprehensible thought of not delivering a single Scott Adkins movie. However in the closing weeks of the year the British thespian of the … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins, Scott Hunter
Ninja Condors (1987) Review
Director: James Wu Cast: Alexander Lo Rei, Stuart Hugh, Richard Phillips, Mick Murray, Eugene Thomas, Lu Feng, Jack Long Shi-Chia, Li Hai-Hsing, Wang Te-Sheng Running Time: 89 min. By Paul Bramhall When it comes to 1980’s kung fu cinema, there were 2 areas that Taiwan excelled at – the kids kung fu flick, and ninjas! The latter became synonymous with the talented Alexander Lo Rei, who came to headline the … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Ninja, Reviews
Tagged Alexander Lo Rei, Eugene Thomas, Jack Long, James Wu, Lu Feng (Centipede)
Therapist: Fist of Tae-baek, The (2020) Review
Director: Choi Sang-Hun Cast: Oh Ji-Ho, Shin So-Yul, Jung Eui-Wook, Dong Zhang, Kim Kyeol, Bae Min-Jung, Park No-Kyeong, Jeon Hyun-Soo, No Young-Ju, Oh Kyung-Min Running Time: 104 min. By Paul Bramhall Look past the A-list productions that make it onto the cinema screens of Korea (and increasingly overseas). Look past the many B-grade productions that look to emulate the success of the bigger budgeted counterparts that inspired them. Look past … Continue reading
Cliff Walkers (2021) Review
Director: Zhang Yimou Cast: Zhang Yi, Qin Hailu, Ni Dahong, Zhu Yawen, Yu Hewei, Lei Jiayin, Liu Hao Cun, Yu Ailei Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall As one of China’s most highly regarded fifth generation filmmakers it seemed like Zhang Yimou was impervious to the increasingly strict censorship laws that the government has imposed on its cinematic offerings in recent years. However in 2019 we learnt that not even a … Continue reading
One Shot (2021) Review
Director: James Nunn Cast: Scott Adkins, Ashley Greene, Ryan Phillippe, Emmanuel Imani, Dino Kelly, Lee Charles, Jack Parr, Waleed Elgadi, Terence Maynard, Jess Liaudin, Dan Styles Running Time: 96 min. By Paul Bramhall As a fan of the action genre there’s something deeply admirable about the amount of effort that goes into creating a one-shot action scene. From the hospital shootout in John Woo’s Hard Boiled, to Tony Jaa’s restaurant … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Ashley Greene, James Nunn, Lee Charles, Ryan Phillippe, Scott Adkins
Writer’s Odyssey, A (2021) Review
AKA: Assassin in Red Director: Lu Yang Cast: Lei Jia-Yin, Yang Mi, Dong Zi-Jian, Yu He-Wei, Guo Jing-Fei, Tong Li-Ya, Dong Jie Running Time: 130 min. By Paul Bramhall Based on Shuang Xuetao’s novel of the same name and its sequel, A Writer’s Odyssey finally arrived on cinema screens for the 2021 Lunar New Year after spending more than 2 years in post-production to complete the special effects work. Directed … Continue reading
Red to Kill (1994) Review
Director: Billy Tang Cast: Lily Chung Suk Wai, Ben Ng Ngai Cheung, Money Lo Man Yee, Andy Dai Chi Wai, Bobby Yip Kin Sang, Baat Leung-Gam, Simon Cheung Yuk-San Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall During the early to mid-1990’s the Hong Kong film industry took to adapting a number of shocking true crime tales, the result of which produced the likes of The Untold Story and Dr. Lamb, … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Ben Ng, Billy Tang Hin Sing, Lily Chung Suk Wai
Black Cobra 3: The Manila Connection, The (1990) Review
Director: Edoardo Margheriti Cast: Fred Williamson, Forry Smith, Debra Ward, David Light, Kelly Wicker, Ned Hourani, Buddy Norton, Mike Monty, Edward Santana, Maria Isabel Lopez Running Time: 92 min. By Paul Bramhall In The Black Cobra 2 Fred ‘The Hammer’ Williamson finds himself involuntarily taking part in an Interpol exchange program, one that sees him sent off to Manila and partnered with a local agent played by Richard Hammond. Despite … Continue reading
Posted in All, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Edoardo Margheriti, Fred Williamson, Maria Isabel Lopez
Black Cobra 2, The (1989) Review
Director: Edoardo Margheriti Cast: Fred Williamson, Nicholas Hammond, Emma Hoagland, Najid Jadali, Ned Hourani, Kristine Erlandson, Oscar Daniels, Mike Monty, Leopoldo Salcedo Running Time: 94 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s questionable if anyone was clamouring to see more of Fred ‘The Hammer’ Williamson as tough New York cop Robert ‘Bob’ Malone after 1987’s lacklustre Italian action flick Black Cobra, but for anyone that was, a couple of years later their … Continue reading
Posted in All, Italian, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Edoardo Margheriti, Fred Williamson, Nicholas Hammond
Black Cobra, The (1987) Review
Director: Stelvio Massi Cast: Fred Williamson, Eva Grimaldi, Bruno Bilotta, Maurice Poli, Vassili Karis, Sabrina Siani, Aldo Mengolini, Sabina Gaddi, Laura Lancia, Gaetano Russo Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall The 1970’s blaxploitation genre gave us some of grindhouse cinemas most recognisable names – from Pam Grier to Richard Roundtree – but perhaps the most popular of all blaxploitation stars would be the man who’d become known as Fred … Continue reading
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