Author Archives: Paul Bramhall

Final Score | aka Elegy of a Massacre (1986) Review

"Final Score" Theatrical Poster

Director: Arizal Writer: Deddy Armand Cast: Chris Mitchum, Mike Abbott, Ida Iasha, Dicky Zulkarnaen, Zainal Abidin, Siska Widowati, Nizar Zulmi, Ivonne Elisabeth, Andre Mathias, Gino Makasutji, Syarief Friant Running Time: 88 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s an age old dilemma – how does one carve out a successful career for one’s self in Hollywood, when one of your family members is an A-list star? It’s a question no doubt such … Continue reading

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Techno Warriors | aka Computer Hero (1997) Review

"Techno Warriors" Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: The Cyber Warrior Director: Philip Ko Fei Cast: Philip Ko Fei, Tamara Guo, Darren Shahlavi, Winston Ellis, Monsour del Rosario, James Ha Chim Si, Thorsten Nickel, Alan Chan Yiu Lun, Niño Muhlach Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall The career of Philip Ko Fei is an interesting one to say the least, and one which has made me an unabashed fan of his work. If you were to … Continue reading

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Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung (1992) Review

"Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung" VHS Cover

AKA: Great Hero from China Director: Lee Chiu Cast: Chin Kar Lok, Lam Ching Ying, Jacqueline Ng, Suen Kwok Ming, Kwan Hoi San, Chan Siu Pang Running Time: 93 min. By Paul Bramhall The name of Chin Kar Lok should be one that needs no introduction to anyone who considers themselves a fan of Hong Kong action cinema. The current president of the Hong Kong Stuntman Association and respected action … Continue reading

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Coin Locker Girl | aka Chinatown (2014) Review

"Coin Locker Girl" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Han Jun-Hee Cast: Kim Hye-Soo, Kim Go-Eun, Um Tae-Goo, Park Bo-Gum, Ko Gyung-Pyo, Lee Soo-Kyung, Cho Hyun-Chul, Jo Bok-Rae, Lee Dae-Yeon, Ki Joo-Bong Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall As anyone who’s seen any number of Korean gangster movies will know, rarely are they complete without a scene in a basement carpark, a setting which never fails to lend itself to knife wielding figures of the underworld partaking … Continue reading

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Clones of Bruce Lee, The (1980) Review

"The Clones of Bruce Lee" Theatrical Poster

AKA: Death Penalty on Three Robots Director: Joseph Kong Cast: Dragon Lee, Bruce Le, Bruce Lai, Bruce Thai, Jon Benn, Bolo Yeung, Alexander Grand, Kong Do, Cheng Kei-Ying, San Kuai, Mak Fei-Hung Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall I have a confession, and I’ll admit that it’s one that won’t be popular. Not only am I a Bruceploitaiton fan, but I usually find the Bruce Lee clone movies to … Continue reading

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Office (2014) Review

"Office" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Hong Won-Chan Cast: Ko Ah-Sung, Park Sung-Woong, Bae Sung-Woo, Kim Eui-Sung, Ryoo Hyoun-Kyoung, Lee Chae-Eun, Son Soo-Hyun, Park Jung-Min, Oh Dae-Hwan Running Time: 111 min. By Paul Bramhall The English language poster created for Office when it was invited to Cannes came with the slogan – ‘He murdered his family, and then came back to work.’ The line effectively sets up expectations for a straight forward worker-pushed-over-the-edge slasher movie, … Continue reading

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Emperor of the Underworld (1994) Review

"An Emperor of the Underworld" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Hwang Jang Lee Writer: Im Seung-su Cast: Dragon Lee (Mun Kyong-sok), Hwang Jang Lee, Lee Jin Young, Kim Mi Young, Hyeon Kil Su Running Time: 87 min. By Paul Bramhall If there was ever a genre that could be described as having little to no exposure outside of its native country, then it’s the 90’s Korean action movie. Compared to the likes of Hong Kong and Japan’s own action cinema … Continue reading

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How ‘Ip Man’ made Donnie Yen ‘The Man’

Donnie Yen’s career in the film industry has been one that’s certainly been more interesting than most. Discovered by Yuen Woo Ping, his debut as the lead in 1984’s Drunken Tai Chi for many represents the last movie of the old-school era. Yen’s performance left little doubt that there was a major new talent on the scene, and his ongoing collaborations with Woo Ping produced a steady stream of Hong … Continue reading

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Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014) Review

Director: Kang Hyeong-Cheol Writer: Jo Sang-Beom, Kang Hyeong-Cheol, Lee Ji-Gang Cast: Seung-Hyun Choi, Shin Se-Kyung, Kim Yun-Seok, Yu Hae-Jin, Lee Ha-Nui, Kwak Do-Won, Lee Kyoung-Young, Kim In-Kwon, Oh Jung-Se, Park Hyo-Joo Running Time: 147 min. By Paul Bramhall Director and screenwriter Choi Dong-hoon successfully found his niche in recent years with the hugely entertaining ensemble pieces The Thieves, and more recently, Assassination. While both movies clicked with audiences not just … Continue reading

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Veteran (2015) Review

"Veteran" Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Producer: Kang Hye-Jung Cast: Hwang Jeong-Min, Yu A-In, Yu Hae-Jin, Oh Dal-Su, Jang Yun-Joo, Oh Dae-Hwan, Kim Si-Hu, Jeong Woong-In, Jeong Man-Sik, Song Young-Chang Running Time: 123 min. By Paul Bramhall Director Ryoo Seung-wan is a familiar name to fans of Korean action cinema, ever since his debut Die Bad in 2000, he’s consistently delivered a series of movies which combine action with a strong narrative. Since … Continue reading

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Shameless, The (2014) Review

"The Shameless" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Oh Seung-uk Cast: Jeon Do-Yeon, Kim Nam-Gil, Park Sung-Woong, Kwak Do-Won, Kim Min-Jae, Park Ji-Hwan Running Time: 118 min. By Paul Bramhall Director Oh Seung-wook may not be a name that’s immediately familiar to many fans of Korean cinema, and that’s forgivable. Seung-wook directed and wrote the criminally overlooked 2000 gangster flick Kilimanjaro. The movie featured Park Shin-yang as a police officer returning to his hometown to scatter the … Continue reading

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Invincible Obsessed Fighter (1982) Review

"Invincible Obsessed Fighter" Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: Mu-rim Beggar Warriors Director: Kim Jung-yong Writer: Youn Suk-Hoon Producer: Godfrey Ho, Tomas Tang Cast: Elton Chong, Mike Wong Lung, Leung Ting, Chan Lau Lei, Fei Wan, Chu Gei Yuen, Gam Yung Yuen, Cheung Chit Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall This 1982 Korean production is right up there with Magnificent Wonderman from Shaolin when it comes to awesome movie titles. In fact, in an alternate reality I … Continue reading

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Unlucky Stars (2015) Review

"Unlucky Stars" Theatrical Poster

Director: Dennis Ruel Writer: Dennis Ruel Cast: Dennis Ruel, Ken Quitugua, Sari Sabella, Vlad Rimburg, Jose Montesinos, Steven Yu, Giovannie Espiritu, Sam Hargrave, Emmanuel Manzanares, Roy Chen, Shawn Bernal, George Crayton, Ed Kahana, Troy Carbonel Running Time: 100 min. By Paul Bramhall The journey of Unlucky Stars, from when it began filming in 2010, to its eventual release on VOD in 2016, is indicative of just how much effort it … Continue reading

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Golden Dragon, Silver Snake (1980) Review

"Golden Dragon, Silver Snake" Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: A Fight at Hong Kong Ranch Director: Kim Si-hyun, Co-director: Godfrey Ho Cast: Johnny Chan (Wang Dae-wi), Dragon Lee (Mun Kyong-sok), Kong Do, Baak Wong Gei, Chui Man Fooi, Lee Ye Min, Bruce Lai (Chang Il-do), Gam Kei Chu, Cheung Lik, Samuel Walls, Lee Ju-hyeon, Hong Sung-young Running Time: 84 min. By Paul Bramhall Sometimes a kung fu movie will sound great on paper, but somehow turn out to … Continue reading

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Jian Bing Man (2015) Review

AKA: Pancake Man Director: Da Peng Cast: Da Peng, Mabel Yuan, Liu Yan, Sandra Ng, Eric Tsang, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Yue Yunpeng, Yi Yunhe, Liang Chao, Pan Binlong, Cui Zhijia, Qiao Shan, Deng Chao, Amber Kuo, Song Xiaobao, Liu Xiaoguang Running Time: 113 min. By Paul Bramhall A Chinese comedy that features Jean-Claude Van Damme sounds like an unlikely combination, but that’s exactly what Jian Bing Man gives us. Much … Continue reading

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