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on Feeling triggered? Future pressings of the ‘Bruceploitation Collection Vol. 1’ have you covered!This is the one that gets me today, this?! 😭
on STOP… Hammer time! 4K Ultra HD Limited Edition for the Hammer Film/Shaw Brothers classic ‘Shatter’ arriving in MayWhy? Giving Shatter this kind of 4K special treatment makes about as much sen…
on Karate and Kung Fu collide in the New Trailer for Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio’s upcoming ‘Karate Kid’ movieAm I the only one who thinks it's more of the same that you saw in the first…
on ‘Passenger 57’, move over! Andy Lau’s hijack thriller ‘High Forces’ is getting a U.S. release from China LionHigh Forces has been released on Blu-ray in the US - 25 March 2025 - by Bayvi…
on Richard Norton, ‘Gymkata’ and ‘City Hunter’ actor, martial artist, trainer and stunt performer, dies at 75My favorites with him are Twinkle Twinkle, and Magic Crystal. It’s interestin…
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.
Author Archives: Paul Bramhall
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
Posted in All, Italian, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Fred Williamson, Stelvio Massi
Hunt, The (2016) Review
Director: Lee Woo-Chul Cast: Ahn Sung-Ki, Cho Jin-Woong, Han Ye-Ri, Kwon Yool, Park Byung-Eun, Han Jae-Young, Kim Yoon-Sung, Jo Dae-Hee, Cha Soon-Bae, Shim Yi-Young Running Time: 93 min. By Paul Bramhall The Hunt opens with a scene of a frail elderly lady approaching a long-deserted mine entrance located up a secluded mountain, the torrential rain setting an ominous tone as she lays out a numbering of offerings to the dead. … Continue reading
Boss Level (2021) Review
Director: Joe Carnahan Cast: Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts, Annabelle Wallis, Ken Jeong, Will Sasso, Selina Lo, Meadow Williams, Michelle Yeoh, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson Running Time: 100 min. By Paul Bramhall Opening with a shot of Frank Grillo’s (Jiu Jitsu, Beyond Skyline) character literally being chosen from a Streetfighter II style character menu, Boss Level starts as it means to go on, with Grillo abruptly being woken up by … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Frank Grillo, Joe Carnahan, Ken Jeong, Mel Gibson, Michelle Yeoh, Naomi Watts, Quinton Jackson, Selina Lo
Monstrum (2018) Review
Director: Huh Jong-Ho Cast: Kim Myung-Min, Kim In-Kwon, Hyeri, Choi Woo-Sik, Lee Kyoung-Young, Park Hee-Soon, Park Sung-Woong, Lee Kyu-Bok, Kim Joong-Hee, Lee Seo-An Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall Ever since the success of Bong Joon-ho’s The Host in 2006, Korea’s had an on-again off-again relationship with the creature feature. Putting the social commentary aside that Joon-ho’s Han River dwelling monstrosity represented, subsequent efforts have seen the likes of … Continue reading
Night of the Undead, The (2019) Review
Director: Shin Jeong-Won Cast: Lee Jung-Hyun, Kim Sung-Oh, Seo Young-Hee, Yang Dong-Geun, Lee Mi-Do, Kim Seo-Won, Joo Bo-Bi, Lee Iyan, Woo Yeong-Taek, Woo Yeong-Taek, Shin Min-Jae Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall Based on the title The Night of the Undead it’s a fair assumption to expect another entry in the popular Korean zombie genre, however director Sin Jeong-won has something very different in mind. Opening to the suitably … Continue reading
Beasts Clawing at Straws (2020) Review
Director: Kim Young-Hoon Cast: Jeon Do-Yeon, Jung Woo-Sung, Bae Sung-Woo, Youn Yuh-Jung, Jeong Man-Sik, Shin Hyun-Bin, Jung Ga-Ram, Jin Kyung, Park Ji-Hwan, Kim Joon-Han Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall Adapted from a Japanese novel by Keisuke Sone, Beasts Clawing at Straws marks the directorial debut of Kim Yong-hoon, who also penned the script after being impressed by the novels intertwining story. Onscreen it’s easy to see why it … Continue reading
Kate (2021) Review
Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Martineau, Woody Harrelson, Jun Kunimura, Tadanobu Asano, Michiel Huisman, Miyavi, Gemma Brooke Allen Running Time: 106 min. By Paul Bramhall The Netflix action flick template is a fairly predictable one at this point – take one adult character with the ability to cause plentiful grievous bodily harm. Make them a tortured soul due to some generic trauma that happened in the past, … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Jun Kunimura, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Tadanobu Asano, Woody Harrelson
Satin Steel (1994) Review
Director: Tony Leung Siu-Hung Cast: Jade Leung Ching, Anita Lee Yuen Wah, Russell Wong, Kenneth Chan Kai Tai, Wong Kwan-Hong, Kong Miu-Deng, Wan Seung-Lam Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall After debuting as a Hong Kong version of La Femme Nikita in 1991’s Black Cat and its sequel the following year, model turned action actress Jade Leung would next star in 1994’s Satin Steel. Made at a time when … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Anita Lee Yuen Wah, Jade Leung Ching, Russell Wong, Tony Leung Siu Hung
Black Cat (1991) Review
Director: Stephen Shin Cast: Jade Leung Ching, Simon Yam Tat-Wah, Thomas Lam Cho Fai, Louis Roth, Gregory Charles Rivers, Lauro Chartrand, Lee Diy-Yue, Tam Kon-Chung Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall Luc Besson’s 1990 action thriller La Femme Nikita has remained one of the most enduringly influential movies throughout the years. The action thriller, which saw Anne Parillaud’s presumed dead felon become a trained assassin for a secret government … Continue reading
Jackie Chan & Stanley Tong: Giving the People What They Want – A Retrospective
It may come as a surprise, but the only director who’s worked with Jackie Chan more than Stanley Tong is Lo Wei. Of course the relationship between star and director is quite different. Chan cranked out 7 movies with Lo Wei at the helm in the 4 years spanning 1976 to 1979, starting with the intolerable New Fist of Fury and concluding with Dragon Fist, one of Chan’s best old-schoolers. … Continue reading
Sweet Girl (2021) Review
Director: Brian Andrew Mendoza Cast: Jason Momoa, Isabela Merced, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Raza Jaffrey, Justin Bartha, Lex Scott Davis, Michael Raymond-James, Amy Brenneman, Reggie Lee Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall For a long time it seemed like the musclebound hero was a thing of the past in Hollywood action cinema. The bombastic action movies that dominated the 1980’s filled with ripped six-packs and bulging biceps had long fallen out … Continue reading
Burning Ambition (1989) Review
Director: Frankie Chan Fan Kei Cast: Frankie Chan Fan Kei, Simon Yam, Yukari Oshima, O Chun Hung, Eddie Ko Hung, Michael Miu Kiu Wai, Seung Yee, Austin Wai Tin Chi, Lau Siu Ming, Kara Hui Running Time: 104 min. By Paul Bramhall The final year of the 1980’s represented a peak when it came to the elements that had come to define Hong Kong action cinema during the latter half … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Eddy Ko Hung, Frankie Chan Fan Kei, Kara Hui, Ko Chun Hsiung, Michael Miu Kiu Wai, Simon Yam, Yukari Oshima
Raging Fire (2021) Review
Director: Benny Chan Cast: Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse, Ray Lui, Qin Lan, Patrick Tam Yiu-Man, Kenny Wong Tak-Ban Running Time: 126 min. By Paul Bramhall Is there anything that gets fans of Hong Kong action cinema more hyped than the promise of a Donnie Yen angry cop movie!? Arguably not, and it’s easy to understand why after Yen put Hong Kong action back on the map during one of its … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Benny Chan Muk Sing, Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse, Patrick Tam, Ray Lui Leung Wai
Savage (2018) Review
Director: Siwei Cui Cast: Chang Chen, Ni Ni, Fan Liao, Jue Huang, Liu Hua, Li Guangjie, Taili Wang, Xiaojun Yue Running Time: 112 min. By Paul Bramhall The harshness of winter has always lent itself to the visual medium of cinema. From the iconic 1968 spaghetti western The Great Silence, to John Carpenter’s 1982 horror The Thing, and more recently thrillers such as Cold Pursuit. In 2018 China offered up … Continue reading
Escape from Mogadishu (2021) Review
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Kim Yun-seok, Jo In-sung, Heo Joon-ho, Koo Kyo-hwan, Jeong Man-Sik, Kim Jae-Hwa Running Time: 121 min. By Paul Bramhall Set during a rarely utilised part of Korean history in cinematic terms, Escape from Mogadishu is the latest blockbuster from director Ryoo Seung-wan. Taking place across 1990 and 1991, it was a point in time when South Korea was only a couple of years into being a … Continue reading
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