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on The Joffrey Ballet meets John Wick!? Watch the Newest Trailer for Len Wiseman’s ‘Ballerina’ starring Ana de Armas"If this is a success, it’ll speed up Donnie Yen’s solo Caine film!" Couldn't…
on Leopard Fist Ninja (1982) ReviewYeah, the little girl turning into the hero certainly threw me too.
on Kung Fu Rookie (2023) ReviewInteresting observations. I kind of figured this would be like a YouTube movi…
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.
on Hong Kong’s Heaven’s Gate? Juno Mak’s anticipated thriller ‘Sons of the Neon Night’ to finally shine this yearWhen the film public screening ?
on Raiders of Buddhist Kung Fu (1981) ReviewMost, if not all, of Godfrey Ho's movies are on Tubi, including this. Imagine…
on The Kosugi ninja empire lives on! Watch the Trailer for Shane Kosugi’s ‘Seek’ starring Kansuke Asano and Kane KosugiPaul: Where is your source ? FCS: My source is that I made it the FUCK up ! x…
on 964 Pinocchio | Blu-ray (88 Films)Limited number of copies, too. https://www.instagram.com/p/DHWYAMKPbKK/?utm_s…
on Glitter, sex and violence! More on ‘Drive’ director Nicolas Winding Refn’s thriller ‘The Avenging Silence’Refn is such an amazing and unique director! I just love his is dark and gorg…
on Demon City (2025) ReviewReally expected you to like this one more because of the originality at play…
on Demon City (2025) Reviewi don't think there's any actual supernatural element: the story about the de…
on Demon City (2025) ReviewThe action was solid. But overall, the story was disappointing. I kept hoping…
Author Archives: Paul Bramhall
Thunderbird (2022) Review
Director: Lee Jae-Won Cast: Seo Hyun-Woo, Lee Myeong-Ro, Lee Seol, Kim Kyu-baek, Park Seung-tae, Choi Euna Running Time: 96 min. By Paul Bramhall I confess to being a fan of the “having a bad day” sub-genre, the kind which places a character (or characters) in an unenviable situation over the course of a short timeframe, and come with a narrative that’s usually built around the mantra of everything that can … Continue reading
Bursting Point (2023) Review
Director: Calvin Tong Co-director: Dante Lam Cast: Nick Cheung Ka-Fai, William Chan Wai-Ting, Isabella Leung Lok-Sze, Shaun Tam Chun-Yin, Philip Keung Hiu-Man, Chrissie Chau Sau-Na Running Time: 139 min. By Paul Bramhall Since helming 2016’s Operation Mekong Dante Lam has become China’s go-to man for bombastic big budget actioners that espouse the virtues of the country’s various military divisions, with the army, navy (2018’s Operation Red Sea) and Search & … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Dante Lam, Isabella Leung Lok Si, Ken Lo, Nick Cheung Ka Fai
River (2023) Review
Director: Junta Yamaguchi Cast: Riko Fujitani, Yuki Torigoe, Yoshimasa Kondo, Haruki Nakagawa, Masahi Suwa Running Time: 86 min. By Paul Bramhall Making a follow-up to a debut that relied heavily on a gimmick is always a tricky proposition, as several directors have found out over the years. In Japan the most obvious example is Shinichiro Ueda, who after his almost flawless debut with 2017’s One Cut of the Dead has struggled to … Continue reading
Roundup: Punishment, The (2024) Review
Director: Heo Myung-haeng Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Moo-Yul, Lee Dong-Hwi, Park Ji-Hwan, Lee Beom-Soo, Kim Min-Jae, Lee Ji-Hoon, Lee Joo-Bin, Park Bo-kyung, Derek Chouinard Running Time: 109 min. By Paul Bramhall In a world where it’s perfectly normal to wait a couple of years for a sequel to land, The Roundup rebranded follow-ups to 2017’s The Outlaws have looked to buck the trend. Audiences only had to wait 11 months … Continue reading
Virtual Recall (2010) Review
Director: Larry Cheung Cast: Stephen Fung, Cherrie Ying Choi Yi, Tang Yi Fei, Samuel Pang King Chi, Sammul Chan Kin Fung, Lemon Zhang Meng, Mandy Chiang Nga Man, Simon Lui Yue Yeung, Astrid Chan Chi Ching, Tin Kai Man, Li Hui Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall Back in the late 2000’s it kind of felt like director Roy Chow’s 2009 production Murderer placed an exclamation mark on the … Continue reading
Lethal Combat: Techno Warriors 2 | aka Digital Warriors (2000) Review
AKA: Digital Warriors Director: Philip Ko Fei Cast: Darren Shahlavi, Lee Kwang-su, Yukari Oshima, Zoren Legaspi, Jimmy Ko, Man-Kei Lin, James Jim-Si Ha, Philip Ko Fei, Winston Ellis, Thorsten Nickel Running Time: 93 min. By Paul Bramhall Let’s address the elephant in the room – I’m convinced nobody was clamouring for a sequel to the 1997 sci-fi action mashup Techno Warriors. Philip Ko Fei’s incomprehensible Philippines shot action flick gave … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, Filipino, News, Reviews
Tagged Darren Shahlavi, Philip Ko Fei, Yukari Oshima
Lama Avenger, The | aka The Three Avengers (1979) Review
Director: Wong Wa-Kei Cast: Bruce Li (Ho Chung Tao), Chin Yuet Sang, Michael Winston, Chui Fat, Lee Hoi San, Baan Yun Sang, Ching Chu, Sham Chin Bo, Austin Wai Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall Looking back at the careers of the Bruceploitation genres big three – Bruce Li, Bruce Le, and Dragon Lee – eventually all of them would step out of the Little Dragon’s shadow, admirably pushing … Continue reading
Posted in All, Bruceploitation, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bruce Li (Ho Chung Tao), Chui Fat, Lee Hoi-Sang, Sham Chin Bo, Wong Wa-Kei
Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, The (2023) Review
Director: Wong Ching-Po Cast: Ethan Juan, Li Li-Ren, Ben Yuen, Ivan Chen, Gingle Wang, Chen Yi-wen, Lee Lee-zen Running Time: 134 min. By Paul Bramhall One of the biggest tragedies of the increasingly restrictive policies Mainland China has placed on the film industry has been the fact that some of the newer creative talents from Hong Kong have simply disappeared off the radar. Filmmakers like Pang Ho-Cheung and Lee Ka-Wing, … Continue reading
Closet, The (2020) Review
Director: Kim Kwang-Bin Cast: Ha Jung-Woo, Kim Nam-Gil, Heo Yool, Kim Si-A, Park Sung-Woong, Shin Hyun-Bin Running Time: 95 min. By Paul Bramhall While the practice of shamanism has always been around in Korean cinema, it was arguably The Wailing that popularised it within the context of the horror genre for a 21st century audience, and 2020’s The Closet was one of many productions post its release in which shamanism … Continue reading
Dance of Death | aka Eternal Conflict (1980) Review
AKA: Eternal Conflict Director: Chan Chi Hwa Cast: Angela Mao, Wang Tai-Lang, Hsu Pu-Liao, Dean Shek Tien, Chia Kai, Paul Chun Pui, Ko Pao, Sun Jung-Chi, Lee Man Tai, Chan Chi Hwa, Chiu Ting Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall There are certain stars of the old-school kung-fu genre who faded from the spotlight before the fight choreography evolved into the more complex and dynamic style that began to … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Angela Mao, Chan Chi Hwa, Dean Shek, Paul Chun Pui
‘No Retreat, No Surrender’ to return to screens as a Limited Series!
While fans have been lamenting the upcoming 6th and final season of Cobra Kai, good news is on the way with the recent announcement from 365 Flix that another 80’s trilogy is going to receive the limited series treatment in the form of No Retreat, No Surrender. The 1986 original marked Seasonal Films venture into the English language market, and introduced the talents of director and choreographer Corey Yuen to … Continue reading
Baby Assassins 2 (2023) Review
AKA: Baby Assassins: 2 Babies Director: Yugo Sakamoto Cast: Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Joey Iwanaga, Tatsuomi Hamada, Atomu Mizuishi Running Time: 101 min. By Paul Bramhall I confess I wasn’t the biggest fan of Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins, concluding that the 2021 production “will likely only appeal to those action fans who are willing to wait (or perhaps skip forward) to see Masanori Mimoto unleash under the choreography of Kensuke … Continue reading
Wild, The (2023) Review
Director: Kim Bong-han Cast: Park Sung-woong, Oh Dae-hwan, Seo Ji-hye, Joo Suk-tae, Oh Dal-soo, Hwang Se-In Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall When Korean cinema broke out internationally in the early 2000’s it was the countries gangster genre that quickly gained a favourable reputation, defined by an aesthetic that never shone away from brutal violence, and populated by memorable characters who were usually lucky to make it to the … Continue reading
Exhuma (2024) Review
Director: Jang Jae-Hyon Cast: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Hae-jin, Kim Go-eun, Lee Do-hyun, Jeon Jin-Ki, Kim Jae-cheol, Hong Seo-jun Running Time: 134 min. By Paul Bramhall While many directors in the Korean film industry tend to gravitate between different genres, there’s something admirable about how director and writer Jang Jae-hyeon has carved out a niche for himself helming supernatural horror mysteries. After making his feature length debut with The Priests in … Continue reading
Polar Rescue (2022) Review
AKA: Come Back Home Director: Lo Chi-Leung Cast: Donnie Yen, Cecilia Han, Jia Bing, Yuan Jinhui, Hou Tianlai, Xu Guangyu, Lin Chenhan Running Time: 102 min. By Paul Bramhall Despite 2022 only being a couple of years ago, it feels like Donnie Yen’s first legitimate foray into headlining a production that relied purely on his acting chops has already been forgotten about. Having returned to the contemporary action thriller with … Continue reading
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