Author Archives: Paul Bramhall

Wonder Seven (1994) Review

"Wonder Seven" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Ching Siu-Tung Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Kent Cheng, Andy Hui Chi On, Hung Yan Yan, Vincent Lau Tak,  Kwan Shan, Elvis Tsui Kam Kong, Chin Ho, Hilary Tsui Ho Ying, Guan Shan Running Time: 88 min.  By Paul Bramhall By the mid-90’s Hong Kong audiences appetite for the new wave wuxia boom was starting to wane. The likes of the Swordsman trilogy (and, well, any early 90’s movie starring Brigitte Lin) had wowed audiences … Continue reading

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JCVD’s ‘Full Love’ follows ‘The Eagle Path’ to a 3-Disc Blu-ray

It may have taken a long time to get here, but this year, newly established U.S. distributor JVD Rewind will finally release Jean-Claude Van Damme’s long gesticulating sophomore feature as a director, Full Love, as a 3-disc Blu-ray special edition. Read the official press release sent exclusively to City on Fire from JVD Rewind: After a career reviving turn in 2008’s JCVD, the Muscles from Brussels returned to the director’s … Continue reading

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Is that a Threat? – An Interview with Jesse V. Johnson

There’s an old adage that goes ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’, and Jesse V. Johnson’s latest action extravaganza, Triple Threat, comes loaded to the brim with cooks, and ones that can fight at that. Thankfully though, Johnson runs a tight kitchen, and against the odds the British stuntman turned director has delivered a dish that gives a plethora of martial arts talent their own individual moments to shine – … Continue reading

Posted in Interviews, News |

Project Gutenberg (2018) Review

"Project Gutenberg" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Felix Chong Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Aaron Kwok, Zhang Jung-Chu, Joyce Feng, Catherine Chow, Alex Fong, Liu Kai-chi, Yao-Qing Wang, Alien Sun, Carl Ng, Leung Kin-Ping Running Time: 130 min. By Paul Bramhall When a trailer gets released for a movie, it has one job – to make people want to come and see it. Most trailers do that through editing together some of the key moments in order to grab the … Continue reading

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Triple Threat (2019) Review

"Triple Threat" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Jesse V. Johnson Cast: Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Tiger Hu Chen, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, Michael Bisping, Celina Jade, Jeeja Yanin, Ron Smoorenburg, Michael Wong, Dominique Vandenberg, Sile Zhang, Jennifer Qi Jun Yang Running Time: 96 min.  By Paul Bramhall There’s something undeniably daunting when you look at the cast list of Triple Threat. For many fans of martial arts cinema, it’s one that looks too good to be … Continue reading

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Witness, The (2018) Review

"The Witness" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Jo Kyu-Jang Cast: Lee Sung-Min, Kim Sang-Ho, Jin Kyung, Kwak Si-Yang, Park Bom, Kim Sung-Kyun, Bae Jung-Hwa, Shin Seung-Hwan, Jung Yoo-Min, Yeon Je-Wook Running Time: 111 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s fair to say that violence is as an integral a part of Korean cinema as kimchi is to its cuisine. Sure, you don’t need it with every dish, but when it’s there, it makes for a distinctly Korean … Continue reading

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Drug King, The (2018) Review

"The Drug King" Korean Teaser Poster

Director: Woo Min-Ho Cast: Song Kang-Ho, Cho Jung-Seok, Bae Doo-Na, Kim So-Jin, Kim Dae-Myung, Lee Sung-Min Running Time: 139 min. By Paul Bramhall I finished my review of director Woo Min-ho’s last movie, the excellent Inside Men, by stating my hope that “his next movie is at least on par with what he’s pulled off here.” 3 years later and that opportunity is now upon us, and it comes in … Continue reading

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Misbehavior (2017) Review

"Misbehavior" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Tae-Yong Writer: Kim Tae-Yong Cast: Kim Ha-Neul, Yu In-Young, Lee Won-Geun, Lee Hee-Joon, Lee Ki-Woo, Gi Ju-Bong, Jung Suk-Yong, Hong Ahn-Pyo, Lim Hwa-Young, Kwon Soo-Hyun Running Time: 96 min.  By Paul Bramhall There can be no more tried and tested plot device within the world of Korean drama’s than the love triangle. In a way it’s understandable, the kind of relationship dynamic it invokes provides a framework in … Continue reading

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Trough, The (2018) Review

"The Trough" Theatrical Poster

Director: Nick Cheung Cast: Nick Cheung, Xu Jing-Lei, He Jiong, Yu Nan, Michael Miu Kiu-Wai, Yuen Wah, Lam Suet, Louis Cheung, Maggie Cheung Hoh-Yee, Li Hai-Tao, Chris Collins Running Time: 112 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s been 3 years since Nick Cheung last sat in the director’s chair for his sophomore feature Keeper of Darkness, which saw him sticking to the horror tropes of his directorial debut. For his third … Continue reading

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Handsome Siblings (1992) Review

"Handsome Siblings" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Eric Tsang Producer: Stephen Shiu Cast: Andy Lau, Brigitte Lin, Sharla Cheung, Anita Yuen, Deannie Yip, Francis Ng, Michael Miu, Fung Hak On, Peter Chan, Timothy Zao, Chan Chi Fai, John Chang, Chang Kin Ming, Chow Hong Chiu, Lam Suet, Richard Ng Running Time: 102 min. By Paul Bramhall Back in the Shaw Brothers studios heyday, the writings of wuxia author Gu Long provided ample material for big screen adaptations. … Continue reading

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Golden Job (2018) Review

Golden Job | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Director: Chin Kar Lok Producer: Eric Tsang Cast: Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan Siu Chun, Chin Kar Lok, Jerry Lamb, Michael Tse, Eric Tsang, Kurata Yasuaki, Billy Chow, Alan Ng, Sergej Onopko, Phil Chang Running Time: 100 min.  By Paul Bramhall Hong Kong cinema has changed a lot since the 90’s, and it was during the opening of Golden Job that it hit me just how much. It was no big surprise … Continue reading

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COF Presents: The Top 15 Bathroom Fight Scenes

The bathroom – that one room where you should feel the most safe. Whether it be taking a hot shower at the end of the day, or relieving yourself from the mornings coffee intake, there’s an unwritten rule that we should feel safe in the bathroom. However, that rule doesn’t apply in the world of action movies. Bathrooms are the place where an assassin can sneak up when you least … Continue reading

Posted in Features, News |

Revenger (2018) Review

"Revenger" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Seung-won Writer: Bruce Khan Cast: Bruce Khan, Park Hee-soon, T.J. Storm, Yoon Jin-seo, Kim In-kwon, Park Chul-min Running Time: 101 min. By Paul Bramhall The Korean martial arts movie can more or less be said to have died out at some point in the 1990’s. Sure there’s been a few attempts to revive it, the likes of 2006’s City of Violence and 2013’s The Suspect were both sold … Continue reading

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To Be Number One (1991) Review

"To Be Number One" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Poon Man-Kit Writer: Johnny Mak Cast: Ray Lui, Cecilia Yip, Kent Cheng, Waise Lee, Amy Yip Chi May, Frankie Chin, Elvis Tsui, Tommy Wong, Kenneth Tsang, Lo Lieh, Paul Chu Kong, Mark Houghton Running Time: 136 min By Paul Bramhall The tale of real life gangster Ng Sik-Ho, more commonly known as Crippled Ho, has experienced a resurgence of late thanks to Donnie Yen’s take on the character in 2017’s Chasing … Continue reading

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Return, The (2018) Review

Director: Malene Choi Writer: Sissel Dalsgaard Thomsen Cast: Thomas Hwan, Karoline Sofie Lee Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall Out of all the many characters that frequent Korean cinema, the one which is arguably the most underrepresented is that of the international adoptee. So it came as quite a shock when I watched the recently released Champion, a mainstream production starring Ma Dong-seok as an adoptee raised in the … Continue reading

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