Author Archives: Paul Bramhall

Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, The (2018) Review

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Park Hoon-Jung Cast: Kim Da-Mi, Jo Min-Soo, Choi Woo-Sik, Go Min-Si, Park Hee-Soon, Da-Eun, Choi Jung-Woo, Oh Mi-Hee, Kim Byung-Ok, Lee Joo-Won, Kim Ha-Na Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall As 2018 draws close to an end, the appetite for female driven action movies doesn’t seem to be waning in the West or the East. Warner Brothers appear to know this, so for their latest foray into the … Continue reading →

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

Negotiation, The (2018) Review

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"The Negotiation" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Jong-Suk Writer: Choi Sung-Hyun Cast: Son Ye-Jin, Hyun-Bin, Kim Sang-Ho, Jang Young-Nam, Jang Gwang, Lee Moon-Sik Running Time: 114 min. By Paul Bramhall In the Korean film industry, Son Ye-jin is known as the Queen of Melodrama, and Hyun Bin the Rom-Com King. However the movie that’s brought them both together is (perhaps mercifully) neither a melodrama nor a romantic comedy, with The Negotiation instead being a thriller … Continue reading →

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

Rampant (2018) Review

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
Rampant | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Director: Kim Sung-Hoon Writer: Won Shin-yun Cast: Hyun-Bin, Jang Dong-Gun, Jo Woo-Jin, Kim Eui-Sung, Jeong Man-Sik, Lee Sun-Bin Running Time: 129 min. By Paul Bramhall Less than 3 years ago Korea spawned one of its most unlikely breakout hits, with the zombie action thriller Train to Busan. While personally I didn’t find the concept of zombies on a train to be executed as entertainingly as it could have been, there’s no … Continue reading →

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Resurrection of the Little Match Girl (2003) Review

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"Resurrection of the Little Match Girl" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Jang Sun-Woo Cast: Lim Eun-Kyung, Kim Hyun-Sung, Kim Jin-Pyo, Myung Gye-Nam, Myung Gye-Nam, Jung Doo-Hong, Kang Ta, Lee Chung-Ah, Seo Jae-Kyung, Park Sung-Woong Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall There are some movies out there that seem destined to only be appreciated in retrospect, such could be the case for Resurrection of the Little Match Girl. It was a title that I avoided since its release, as I … Continue reading →

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Eastern Cherries – First Experiences of Asian Cinema: Japan Edition Part I

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

While it was Jet Li’s breakthrough role in Shaolin Temple that provided me with my first real taste of Asian cinema, my curiosity was piqued enough that I soon found myself exploring the realms beyond the kung fu genre. As a result, after binge watching the Hong Kong cinema classics for over a year, I gradually began consuming cinema from countries like Japan and Korea. My exposure to Japanese cinema … Continue reading →

Posted in Features, News |

Trap: Lethal Temptation (2015) Review

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Bong Man-Dae Writer: Lee Chang-Yeol, Bong Man-Dae Cast: Yu Ha-Jun, Jung Min-Gyul, Na Sang-Gyu, Kang Yong-Gyu, Jo Soo-Jung, Lee Sang-Hwa Running Time: 107 min. By Paul Bramhall In Korea director Bong Man-dae is something of an anomaly. Even today he remains the only director to successfully transition from the world of erotic B-movies to mainstream cinema. After cranking out 12 titles in the 3 years spanning 1999 – 2002, … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Maximum Impact (2018) Review

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
Maximum Impact | Blu-ray & DVD (Sony)

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak Cast: Alexander Nevsky, Danny Trejo, Tom Arnold, Kelly Hu, Mark Dacascos, William Baldwin, Alphonso McAuley, Matthias Hues, Keith Powers, Bai Ling, Eric Roberts, Brian Kirchoff, Liliya May, Odin Lund Biron Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall Let me start by saying that I’m a guy who’s all for giving second chances. I mean if I wasn’t, then I’d never have bothered checking out a movie like … Continue reading →

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Keep Calm and Be a Superstar (2018) Review

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"Keep Calm and Be a Superstar" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Vincent Kok Cast: Eason Chan Yick-shun, Li Rong-Hao, Cui Zhi-Jia, Li Yi-Tong, Zheng Ji-Feng, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan, Wilfred Lau Ho-Lung, Hui Siu-Hung, Chris Collins, Vincent Kok Tak-chiu , Edward Ma, Lam Tze-Chung, Steven Fung Running Time: 98 min. By Paul Bramhall Most fans of Hong Kong cinema will be familiar with Jackie Chan and Wong Jing’s reported inability to get along while making City Hunter in 1993. As a … Continue reading →

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Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) Review

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Jung Bum-Sik Writer: Jung Bum-Sik, Park Sang-Min Cast: Wi Ha-Joon, Park Ji-Hyun, Oh Ah-Yeon, Moon Ye-Won, Park Sung-Hoon, Lee Seung-Wook Running Time: 94 min. By Paul Bramhall The found footage horror film could be said to have started with Italian filmmaker Ruggero Deodato’s notorious 1980 jungle nightmare Cannibal Holocaust, but for many viewers it will arguably be a movie that came almost 20 years later, in the form of … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Big Brother (2018) Review

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
Big Brother | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Director: Kam Ka-Wai Cast: Donnie Yen, Joe Chen, Yu Kang, Brahim Achabbakhe, Tom Caserto, Alfred Cheung, Ye Fan, Semiquaver Iafeta, Tin-Lung Koo, Gladys Li, Ka Wah Lam, Mike Leeder, Jess Liaudin, Billy Lau Nam-Kwong, Fung Lee, Brahim Chab Running Time: 101 min.  By Paul Bramhall In the last 3 years alone Donnie Yen has played a kung fu master, a wandering swordsman, a sci-fi version of Zatoichi, a kick ass … Continue reading →

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Meg, The (2018) Review

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"The Meg" international Trailer

Director: Jon Turteltaub Cast: Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, Cliff Curtis, Shuya Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Robert Taylor, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson Running Time: 113 min. By Paul Bramhall Let’s just get it out of the way upfront. Yes, The Meg is the movie which puts Jason Statham on equal footing with Jackie Chan. Is there another star out there who’s had the pleasure of starring alongside … Continue reading →

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Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (2018) Review

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Tsui Hark Writer: Chang Chia-lu Cast: Mark Chao, William Feng Shaofeng, Kenny Lin Gengxin, Carina Lau, Ethan Juan, Sandra Ma, Ma Sichun, Chien Sheng, Yang Yiwei Running Time: 132 min. By Paul Bramhall Before you express concern, don’t panic, the latest entry in the Detective Dee series has nothing to do with the wily sleuth investigating a crime spree instigated by Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, and Leon Lai. With that … Continue reading →

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Eastern Cherries – First Experiences of Asian Cinema: Hong Kong & China Edition Part I

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

Over the coming months, myself and other regular contributors here at cityonfire will be weighing in with what movie it was that first got us into Asian cinema. We’ll be breaking it down into 3 regions – Hong Kong/China, Japan, and Korea – in that order, with a month dedicated to each. First out of the gates, as expected, is Hong Kong and China. Most likely the gateway for many … Continue reading →

Posted in Features, News |

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) Review

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Christopher McQuarrie Writer: Christopher McQuarrie Cast: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, Liang Yang Running Time: 147 min. By Paul Bramhall In the closing of my review for Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, I’d mentioned how if Tom Cruise waited until 2020 to grace us with another instalment of the franchise, I’d still be first in line to … Continue reading →

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Super Powerful Man | aka The Story of Ricky 2: Dint King Inside King (2004) Review

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Muk Baak-Ji Producer: Chow Pei Hok Cast: Fan Siu Wong, Leung Kar-Yan, Carisa Yan Wing-San, Ricky Ng Kwok-Sing, Hoh Hung-Kwan Running Time: 93 min. By Paul Bramhall Director Lam Nai-Choi’s 1991 splatter fest, The Story of Ricky, is one of the movies that got me into the wilder side of Hong Kong cinema. An almost relentless barrage of eye ball popping, intestine strangling, stomach exploding goodness, it quickly achieved cult status in … Continue reading →

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