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on Jet Li goes MICRO! Here’s a look at the martial arts star’s upcoming action web series ‘Yan Yu Jiang Hu’Jet Li and Shang Chi. https://www.instagram.com/p/DYNBVKDD-gP/?utm_source=ig_…
on Ready for ultimate kung fu bliss? George Lazenby and Angela Mao’s ‘Stoner’ arriving on Blu-ray from 88 FilmsI remember all these Mao Ying films only available on VCD, still have a bunch…
on Time for a break! Watch the Trailer Reel for Arrow’s 4K Ultra HD ‘Jackie Chan’s Breakout Hits!’ collection arriving in JuneI don't have this anymore but if I remember correctly theres 2 women on the c…
on GET OVER HERE! Watch a fight clip from ‘Mortal Kombat II’ starring Karl Urban, Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki SanadaI caught the new Mortal Kombat II and I have extremely mixed feelings about i…
on Wanna see heads roll? Visual Vengeance announces Blu-ray for ‘Fatal Flying Guillotine’ starring Carter Wong and Chen SingI'm good with that. There's something charming about a kung fu movie that has…
on Wanna see heads roll? Visual Vengeance announces Blu-ray for ‘Fatal Flying Guillotine’ starring Carter Wong and Chen SingGood film but has one of the most strange and abrupt endings of all time.
on Bruce Lee is not the only Lee in town! Lee Byung-hun returns to action for the martial arts thriller ‘Nambeol’The promo artwork makes me want to see the upcoming movie already!
on Forbidden City, The (2025) Reviewi agree, but it's not the 80s anymore.
on Scott Adkins vs Lewis Tan? Martial arts star Scott Adkins stars in and makes his directorial debut with ‘Brawler’DTV Adkins trash😂
on 🦂 88 Films announces Blu-ray for ‘Operation Scorpio’ starring Chin Kar Lok, Lau Kar Leung and Won JinThis movie looks like a good time overall. 88 films keep them coming
Author Archives: Paul Bramhall
Negotiation, The (2018) Review
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
Rampant (2018) Review
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
Resurrection of the Little Match Girl (2003) Review
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
Eastern Cherries – First Experiences of Asian Cinema: Japan Edition Part I
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
Trap: Lethal Temptation (2015) Review
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
Maximum Impact (2018) Review
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
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Alexander Nevsky, Andrzej Bartkowiak, Bai Ling, Danny Trejo, Eric Roberts, Kelly Hu, Mark Dacascos, Matthias Hues, Tom Arnold
Keep Calm and Be a Superstar (2018) Review
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
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Chris Collins, Danny Chan, Eason Chan, Vincent Kok
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) Review
Director: Jung Bum-Sik 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 The Blair Witch Project, that … Continue reading
Big Brother (2018) Review
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
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Alfred Cheung Kin Ting, Donnie Yen, Joe Chien, Mike Leeder
Meg, The (2018) Review
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
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Jason Statham, Li Bing Bing, Vithaya Pansringarm, Winston Chao
Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (2018) Review
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
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Carina Lau, Ethan Juan, Mark Chao, Tsui Hark, William Feng
Eastern Cherries – First Experiences of Asian Cinema: Hong Kong & China Edition Part I
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
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) Review
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
Posted in All, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Christopher McQuarrie, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames
Super Powerful Man | aka The Story of Ricky 2: Dint King Inside King (2004) Review
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 Fan Siu Wong, Leung Kar-Yan (Beardy)
Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018) Review
Director: Kim Yong-Hwa Writer: Kim Yong-Hwa Cast: Ha Jung-Woo, Ju Ji-Hoon, Kim Hyang-Gi, Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Dong-Wook, Lee Jung-Jae, Jo Han-Chul, Kim Myung-Gon, Il-woo Nam Running Time: 141 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s been less than a year since Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds hit cinema screens, and already the second part of the consecutively filmed pair is upon us with Along With the Gods: The Last 49 … Continue reading
Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews
Tagged Ha Jung-Woo, Ju Ji-Hoon, Kim Yong-Hwa, Lee Jung-jae, Ma Dong-seok
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