Fists, Kicks, & Kimchi: A History of the Korean Taekwon-Action Genre in the 1970’s – 1980’s
After going through a golden age in the 1960’s, Korean cinema went through one of its most challenging decades in the 70’s. Economic growth saw television sets make their way into most households and become the medium of choice, while the ushering in of the Yushin era saw president Park Chung-hee tighten his dictatorial grip on the country, imposing strict censorship on any creative work. | Continue reading →
Wu Jing: From Hong Kong Hopeful to Mainland Hero
It’s been over 25 years since Wu Jing debuted on Hong Kong cinema screens in 1996’s Tai Chi Boxer, a production which saw him billed as the next Jet Li in part thanks to their shared history of being on the Beijing Wushu Team. While it’s debatable exactly what criteria would need to be ticked off in order to fulfil the prediction of being the next Jet Li, what can’t be argued is that over the course of his career, Jing would come to re-invent himself almost every 10 years on the dot. | Continue reading →
Jackie Chan – Cameo Story: His Top 10 HK Cinema Cameos
Jackie Chan become a much sought-after commodity, and his presence (or even just involvement) in a production became a way to increase a movies box office appeal. As a result the star has made cameo appearances in a number of productions over the years, ranging from simply lending his presence by appearing in a single scene, to also being involved behind the scenes by assisting to choreograph the action. In this feature we chronologically count down 10 of his cameo appearances in Hong Kong productions! | Continue reading →
Yuen Biao: Once Upon a Time in the 90’s – A Retrospective of His Most Overlooked Decade
Many seem to write the 90’s off when it comes to discussing Biao’s best work, painting the decade with a broad brushstroke of low budget actioners, and some even saying he was past his physical prime. So were the 90’s really as bad to Biao as the decade’s reputation would have us believe, or is it just a misunderstood era in the youngest dragons filmography? In this feature, we’ll delve into the most overlooked decade of Biao’s career in a quest to find out. | Continue reading →
In Search of the Secret Rivals
With the recent release of John Liu’s failed magnum opus New York Ninja, Korean Film Expert Paul Bramhall looks back at the arduous odyssey he once undertook to visit the location where the final fight took place in the 1976 kung fu classic, The Secret Rivals, a Seasonal Films/Ng See Yuen production that starred John Liu, Hwang Jang Lee and Don Wong Tao. | Continue reading →
Case Number 1994: Warner’s ‘Drunken Master 2’ Blu-ray
Drunken Master 2 has finally received a worthy release on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Bros., with its Warner Archive Collection release, finally restoring the Cantonese version uncut. It now feels like the right time to examine this film in the cold light of day, as it has split opinion with Kung Fu and Jackie enthusiasts, ever since grainy versions were available on pirate VHS in the mid ‘90s. Is this the greatest modern Kung Fu film ever made or a complete mess that squandered its potential. I open this up to the opposing councils…. | Continue reading →
Jackie Chan & Stanley Tong: Giving the People What They Want – A Retrospective
It may come as a surprise, but the only director whose worked with Jackie Chan more than Stanley Tong is Lo Wei. Of course the relationship between star and director is quite different. Chan cranked out 7 movies with Lo Wei at the helm in the 4 years spanning 1976 to 1979, starting with the intolerable New Fist of Fury and concluding with Dragon Fist, one of Chan’s best old-schoolers. It’s well known that Chan wasn’t happy being under contract to the Lo Wei Motion Picture Co., which is the complete opposite to the star’s relationship with Stanley Tong. | Continue reading →
Hallyu in Hollywood: Koreans in America in the 1970’s – 1990’s
We take a look at 25 productions from the 70’s through to the 90’s (plus 4 honourable mentions as a bonus) that were either made by a Korean director or starred a Korean as the lead. So join us, as we delve into the unexplored world of Koreans doing their thing in the US of A during the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s! | Continue reading →
When West Meets East: 25 Hollywood Stars in Asian Cinema
We all know there have been plenty of Asian stars who have tried their hand at Hollywood, with the likes of Jackie Chan, Lee Byung-hun, Ken Watanabe, and even Tony Jaa all having varying degrees of success in Tinseltown. But what about those Hollywood stars who attempted their hand at the Asian film market? | Continue reading →
City on Fire presents The Scott Adkins Starter Pack
As many of us have spent a significant portion of 2020 in lockdown, there’s been no shortage of Starter Packs to provide inspiration of what we can do with all that extra time on our hands. Make Your Own Sourdough Starter Pack? Check! Grow Your Own Vegetables Starter Pack? Check! They’re all there, and at COF, we’ve decided to contribute to the cause as well, by unleashing The Scott Adkins Starter Pack. | Continue reading →
City on Fire ranks Bruce Lee’s movies (from Worst to Best)
Our choices of Bruce Lee’s “Worst to Best” are not based solely on writing, fight choreography, acting, budget, soundtrack or specific versions. We’re simply rating them based on re-watchability and entertainment value as a whole. That said, in a perfect world, the most polished, highest-grossing Bruce Lee movie with the best action would be the winner, but that definitely isn’t the case here. | Continue reading →
Casanova Wong’s Top 10 Fight Scenes
Out of all the old-school kung fu stars, arguably nobody lives up to their nickname more than Casanova Wong, the Human Tornado. A name bestowed upon him during his time in the Korean Army for his incredible spin kicks, it was a talent which saw him destined to be one of the legendary boot-masters to grace the silver screen. To celebrate his return to the screen, here at COF we’ve brought together 10 of his best fight scenes, listed in the movies they appear in from oldest to newest, as a timely reminder of the Human Tornado’s legendary bootwork. | Continue reading →
The Top 15 Kitchen Fight Scenes
Last year we compiled the Top 15 Bathroom Fight Scenes, so since we’ve now had time to fully digest, it feels only right to take a visit to that other room where the magic happens – the kitchen. Some might say a visit to the bathroom should come after the kitchen, but hey, at COF we don’t split hairs (or bills). The kitchen feels like the neglected cousin of the bathroom when it comes to being utilised as a space for cinematic action, therefore we felt obliged to serve (pardon the pun) up a feature highlighting the amount of bodily harm that can be inflicted in a food preparation area. | Continue reading →
The 40 Best Martial Arts Movies of 2010 – 2019 (& 10 of the Worst!)
What would the end of a decade be without a look back on the movies which came out of it? We may no longer be in the golden era of fight flicks, but one only needs to spend a few moments thinking of the past 10 years, to realise there’s still plenty of talent with the enthusiasm and skill to create a great martial arts movie. From new blood like Iko Uwais and Max Zhang, to members of the old guard like Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan, the 10’s was a decade which gave everyone their moment to shine. | Continue reading →
The Birth of the Modern Korean Gangster Movie: The General’s Son Trilogy
While today many would consider the Korean film industries output to be some of the best in the world, it wasn’t always this way. Just 30 years ago, Korean cinema was in crisis, going through what could easily be argued to be one of its darkest periods. To fully understand why, it’s important to consider the situation the country was in at the time. | Continue reading →
PM Entertainment’s Kickboxing Noir
PM Entertainment is a much-loved film production company from the height of the straight-to-video era. They began with tiny-budget crime and exploitation films but eventually rivaled Hollywood in terms of action spectacle. Their calling cards would become flipping cars, explosions and excessive violence on a large scale. They strived to outdo their DTV competitors by attempting the most daring action and stunt-work in American cinema. | Continue reading →
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 expect it, where shady deals go down, and bullets are calmly fired into each locked cubicle door. | Continue reading →
First Experiences of Korean Cinema
The irony isn’t lost on me that, considering I now devour more Korean cinema than any other countries output, unlike Hong Kong and Japan my first taste of it didn’t have me hook, line, and sinker. If anything, my introduction to the world of Korean cinema left me equal parts perplexed, but with an unshakable feeling that I wanted to see more. Looking back now I think I know why.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Steven Seagal is something of an enigma, as his behaviour becomes increasingly bizarre and his claims more outlandish, he has become a joke. His bloated appearance and penchant for long coats make him a figure of fun, but the many claims of sexual harassment laid against him, means the joke is starting to wear thin. We all laughed when he famously stated that he is a reincarnation of a Buddhist deity, then becoming Anderson Silva’s and Lyoto Machida’s special coach in the world of MMA. | Continue reading →
First Experiences of Japanese Cinema
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 in-particular had mainly been through the written word, with books I owned on Asian cinema inevitably raising names like Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu somewhere along the way.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
The Legend of the The Seven Little Fortunes
There are many defining moments in the history of cinema, in relation to martial arts, Bruce Lee is still seen as a pioneer and the most famous actor to emerge from Hong Kong. Amazingly influential as he was, especially off screen in relation to the world of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) – now a billion dollar business in the shape of the UFC, he only made 4 and a half kung fu movies (dying halfway through 1972’s Game of Death), sadly failing to produce a full body of work. | Continue reading →
First Experiences of Hong Kong & China Cinema
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 a COF reader to be exposed to the jade screen, the regions martial arts flicks of the 70’s flooded cinemas across the world, creating many a lifelong fan along the way.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Enter the Dragon: The Most Overrated Kung Fu Movie Ever?
I get it, Enter the Dragon is an iconic movie. Ever seen a t-shirt of Bruce Lee? Chances are the image on it is one of him poised in a kung fu stance, three bloody scratches adorning his chest, his face alive with intensity. It’s an image from the finale of said title, and even today, 45 years on, it’s one that endures. It’s also a landmark movie, for its casting of an Asian lead in a co-produced Hollywood production, made at a time when it was practically unheard of. However, is it a good movie? Hell no. | Continue reading →
How Korea Turned Suffering Into Art
Korea is obsessed with suffering. That is a strong statement but one that is justifiable if you are a fan of South Korean cinema. North Korean cinema could indeed be the subject of its own article with both Kim Jong-un and his father being huge cinephiles, but the films are hard to find and my knowledge of its intricacies is lacking, so I will just stick to the cinema of the South. Of course like any film producing nation South Korea releases a wide range of genres from romantic comedies to historical fiction, however what they have become famous for are hard hitting dramas, revenge pictures and horror. | Continue reading →
The Legend of the Unfinished Fu: The Lowdown on 25 Incomplete Martial Arts Flicks
As fans of kung fu cinema, we can certainly never be accused of having it easy when it comes to the movies we love. Deleted scenes that may or may not exist, alternate endings that are considered lost, and copious amounts of additional footage known to be destroyed are just some of the lamentable realities the genre comes with. For this feature, we’ll be looking at 25 martial arts movies that remain incomplete. | Continue reading →
Top 5 American Martial Arts Movies Ever Made
A large slice of every video shop was once dedicated to shirtless, blood-dripping men, striking clenched poses and displaying great fighting skills. Taking their key from Hong Kong cinema, the films of Jean-Claude Van Damme (perhaps the man who personifies video more than anyone) and the various sub-Van Dammes was a vibrant and varied industry of fighting tournaments programmers, bar room brawls and cops who knew chop-socky. They were born in a pre-CGI age, when audiences could trust the images as being true. At their best, these films were among America’s most cinematic, visually exciting and occasionally sublime. | Continue reading →
For various inexcusable reasons, last year I omitted posting a list of the best movies bore witness to in 2016. Thankfully 12 months on, looking back over my movie viewing habits of 2017, I can safely say there’s definitely been more good than bad. And when it was good, it was really good. So it seems apt to once more pull together a summary of titles I found myself categorizing as top drawer slices of cinema, for reasons as various as the genres represented. | Continue reading →
Life Before Atomic Blonde: Female Action Leads in Mainstream Hollywood
With the recent release of the Charlize Theron starring Atomic Blonde, a disproportionate amount of mainstream press coverage has revolved around how refreshing it is to finally see a Hollywood movie with a female action lead. Understandably, many Asian cinema fans have been quick to point out how Hong Kong has delivered more butt kicking female leads than you can shake a stick at, dating back to the beginnings of cinema itself. | Continue reading →
City on Fire’s List of Essential Japanese Horror Cinema
Asian Horror has become a popular sub-genre for horror fiends in recent years with the arrival of directors like Takashi Miike, Chan-wook Park, and the Pang Brothers. My goal in writing this piece is to share some of the best and most influential Japanese horror movies with the crowd. Your list of movies and your observations may be different from mine, and that’s cool. If I overlooked any horror classic, then please join in on the discussion by leaving a comment. | Continue reading →
They Call ‘Em Bruce: People who played Bruce Lee
The following feature is about the many actors who have portrayed Bruce Lee in movies, TV and advertisements. In an effort to put together the most comprehensive list, I’ve also included those who portrayed him in ways that I can’t explain. It should also be noted that the term “biopics” should be taken lightly, as ALL biopics listed are extremely sensationalized. Yes, even the ones endorsed, produced and blessed by The Bruce Lee Estate. Keep in mind this is NOT a Bruceploitation article. | Continue reading →
Back in the oughts, before Hollywood became bankrolled by superhero franchises and endless reboots, the industries former money maker came from a seemingly endless stream of Americanised remakes of Asian movies. From horror (especially horror!) to action flicks to comedies, the list quickly became exhaustive, with fans of the originals rarely having anything positive to say about the Hollywood versions. | Continue reading →
Jim Kelly: “Man, you come right out of a comic book!”
Jim Kelly was a singular individual… period. Although for some – particularly critic – he was just another standard action contractee of the Blaxploitation era recalled in idle conversations notably for his co-starring credit opposite the late Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon (1973), and a vernacular of deadpan, cynically delivered one-liners. Is this the only legacy Jim Kelly bequeathed to a united nation of grieving fans and ageing film Historians; nostalgically pining for the “grand old days” before the advent of CGI and a barrage of unnecessary re-makes: The answer is No. | Continue reading →
HBO: The New Home of Kung Fu?
When you think of the famous studios responsible for producing some of the most popular kung fu classics, some names that will likely spring to mind are Golden Harvest, Shaw Brothers, and Cathay, to name but a few. One name that certainly wouldn’t be near the top of anyone’s list, or even on it at all for that matter, is American cable channel HBO. However at the end of 2016, the networks Asian channel, suitably titled HBO Asia, announced they’d be airing a pair of new, exclusively made for HBO, kung fu movies. | Continue reading →
Top 5 Greatest Action Entrances in Asian Cinema
Throughout the years there’s been countless martial artists who have lit up the screens with their fists and kicks, and below we’ve picked out what we believe to be 5 of the greatest action entrances in Asian cinema. The criteria is simple – while the scene doesn’t necessarily have to be the first time they appear in the movie mentioned, it does have to be the first time they spring into action. Likewise, the scene in question also doesn’t have to be the first action scene in the movie, but it does need to be the first time we see the martial artist in question do their thing. | Continue reading →
The Kung fu Golden Era… had the Internet been around
As someone who got into the kung fu movie scene during the late 90’s, there’s always been a part of me which feels envious of those who got to experience the movies from the 70’s and 80’s golden era first hand, be it in a grindhouse cinema, or on an overly priced VHS tape. The sense of mystery, that came with movie watching back then, had essentially dissipated by the time the internet era was in full flow, as a wealth of websites and forums ensured you’d go into a movie most likely knowing a whole lot more than you wanted to, intentional or not. | Continue reading →
The History of Chinese Martial Arts Film: The 7 Essential Titles
List-making is an interesting but challenging exercise in distillation, especially when you’re whittling down the history of an entire genre to just a handful of movies. Obviously, the following is not a comprehensive “best of” list: it overlooks many directors and performers who have made significant contributions to the Chinese martial arts film. But each of these movies represents a milestone in the development of a genre which continues to evolve and still commands an enormous audience. | Continue reading →
Zombies, Giant Frogs & Hunchbacks: The Pinoy ‘Supergirl’
Living in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, always brings plenty of surprises, and so it was one evening in early November 2016, I received the following text message: “Hi everyone! 7pm tomorrow I am introducing a secret Makati screening of the super-rare, super-strange 1973 Pinoy SUPERGIRL! Interested? txt me for details!” | Continue reading →
The Real Hard Target: Martial Arts Cinema and Piracy
September 2016 saw the release of the Scott Adkins action vehicle Hard Target 2, a sequel to Hong Kong auteur John Woo’s 1993 Hollywood debut. Just like any fan of action cinema, I was eager to check it out, and as a writer for cityonfire.com, I was just as much looking forward to giving the British stars latest leading role the review treatment. Writing for a website has its perks, one of which is often distributors are happy to provide screeners. | Continue reading →
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 Kong classics. It’s no secret that in many of Yen’s early interviews, the person who had the biggest amount of faith in his abilities seemed to be himself. | Continue reading →
The Most Memorable Villains in Martial Arts Film: Part II
Every film genre – action, science fiction, horror, comedy and even animated – has had a series of memorable villains that have stuck with us for most of our lives. Whether it be a sadistic teenager portrayed by James Spader; an emotionless cyborg represented by Arnold Schwarzenegger; a suave, humorous terrorist leader played by Alan Rickman; or even a scarred lion voiced by Jeremy Irons – it’s the bad guys who make the classics so great! So what about villains in martial arts film? | Continue reading →
The ‘Universal Soldier’ Films: A Retrospective
The Universal Soldier films are unique in that they blend stories about cyborg-like killers with martial arts and several of action cinema’s greatest stars. Action icons like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Michael Jai White, and Scott Adkins all appear throughout the franchise and leave their stamp on the Universal Soldier name. Fans of both science fiction and martial arts cinema adore these films because they blend two separate sub-genres into one strangely rewarding franchise that has actually gotten better with time. | Continue reading →
Our Top 15 Watched Movies of 2015
Just like last year, this will be a collection of movies that I watched for the first time during 2015, not movies that were necessarily released in 2015. There’ll be some movies on this list that don’t have reviews on the site, such is the nature of occasionally watching a movie that you enjoy so much. While it’s easy to review 90 minutes of trash that can be easily torn to shreds, sometimes the best movies are the most difficult to review, and I confess to bailing out on having a crack at some of them. | Continue reading →
Top 10 Worst Hong Kong Movie DVD Covers
Hong Kong movies in particular have been subjected to some ‘interesting’ design choices since the inception of the DVD format, and while plenty of titles have been released with artwork that captures the essence of the movie perfectly, those aren’t what this article is about. Instead, we’re going to take a look at some of the worst cover designs that the movies we love have been stuck with, whether it be questionable design choices, completely misleading images, or the just plain bizarre. | Continue reading →
Van Damme is the most ‘remade’ action star in the world!
Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Jean-Claude Van Damme is a trendsetter when it comes to action and martial arts movies. He’s also a name that helped build franchises that gave birth to endless money-making sequels and prequels. In the late ’80s/early ’90s, films like Bloodsport and Kickboxer rejuvenated a genre that was practically in limbo during the final stages of the Chuck Norris and Ninja-craze era. Back then, it was Van Damme’s popularity that opened the Hollywood doors to names like Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Olivier Gruner, Dale ‘Apollo’ Cook and Loren Avedon. | Continue reading →
The Most Memorable Villains in Martial Arts Film: Part I
Every film genre – action, science fiction, horror, comedy and even animated – has had a series of memorable villains that have stuck with us for most of our lives. Whether it be a sadistic teenager portrayed by James Spader; an emotionless cyborg represented by Arnold Schwarzenegger; a suave, humorous terrorist leader played by Alan Rickman; or even a scarred lion voiced by Jeremy Irons – it’s the bad guys who make the classics so great! So what about villains in martial arts film? | Continue reading →
I Know Kung Fu: The Second Golden Era of Collecting Kung Fu
Many kung fu movie fans who have been around since the genre’s beginnings would arguably call the 70’s and 80’s the golden era. It was a time when the movies could be experienced first hand as they were released – whether it be going to check out Five Fingers of Death at a grindhouse movie theater on 42nd Street in New York, or heading down to the local video rental store to find the latest Cannon Films ninja movie – it was a good time to be alive. Then you have people like me, a product of the 80’s (all be it the very early 80’s). | Continue reading →
With 2014 coming to a close, it’s nice to look back and remember those moments that, especially for genre fans like ourselves, for every movie that made us bang our head against the nearest wall and accept that 2 hours of our lives have just been wasted, there’s also those movies that made us go, “Wow! What took me so long to watch this!?”, or if the movie is starring Shu Qi, perhaps just stare at the screen and smile. So, without further ado, below you can check out – listed in order of release – my top 15 watched movies of 2014. | Continue reading →
Korea & Kung Fu: A Retrospective on Fire!
In popular opinion, it seems to have become a common fact that it was Bruce Lee that led to the kung fu movie becoming a massive hit in the US, with his 1973 movie Enter the Dragon. While its influence can’t be doubted, what is often overlooked is that there was a movie released a full year before in 1972 which had already captured the publics’ imagination, filling out grind-house cinemas around the country, and that was King Boxer, or as it was re-titled for its US release, Five Fingers of Death. | Continue reading →
Evolution of Collecting Kung Fu & Asian Film
Asian/kung fu movie fanatics have it really good these days. Especially for the crowd who take advantage of bootlegs, DVD-R swapping and those sneaky forms of file sharing. This wasn’t exactly the case in the 1980s and throughout most of the 1990s; back then, Asian movies were obtainable, but they weren’t a click away. I’m not old enough to have experienced the Grindhouse movie houses of the 1970s, but I can only imagine how awesome it was watching Five Fingers of Death in an actual theater. My first taste of the dubbed kung fu movie actually started in the early 1980s, when I was introduced to one in the form of a VHS cassette tape. | Continue reading →
Having kept up with most of the Game of Death rumors and theories over the past 20 years, I just think it was time to settle the score. First, the book will take a look at the various rumors that have surrounded this project. Then it’ll have a recap of what Bruce’s story originally was to have been. Next we’ll compare the Japanese Artport presentation Bruce Lee in G.O.D. with the John Little-produced Warrior’s Journey. Finally we’ll top it all off with a healthy dose of Bruceploitation! | Continue reading →
