Korean cinema has come a long way since the beginning of the Korean Wave in the late 90’s and early 00’s, culminating in 2020 when Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite cleaned up at the Oscars. Of course Koreans have been present in Hollywood before Parasite gained global attention, with the likes of Lee Byung-hun (Terminator Genisys, The Magnificent Seven), Bae Doona (Cloud Atlas, Jupiter Ascending), and Choi Min-sik (Lucy) all taking on … Continue reading →

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? Those who have ventured to the East have done so for reasons as broad as the … Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →

We were going to start off this introduction with the typical “Although Bruce Lee only made 5 movies, the impact of each can still be felt to this day,” but we’re going to save you the trouble and get right to the good stuff. But before we do, please note: Our choices of Bruce Lee’s “Worst to Best” are not based solely on writing, fight choreography, acting, budget, soundtrack or … Continue reading →

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. Born in Korea as Kim Yong-ho, his kicks lit up the … Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →

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 (controlled … Continue reading →

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. South Korea finally achieved true democracy … Continue reading →

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. But apart from action, one … Continue reading →

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 →

It all comes back to Blockbuster Video. Sure, when you think of the former franchise’s early 2000’s heyday, you might resent them for ordering and taking up so much shelf space with 200 copies of Vin Diesel’s xXx that nobody wanted to rent. But in the midst of all the would-be Hollywood hits and Casper Van Dien Direct-to-DVD flicks, you would occasionally find a foreign film diamond in the rough. Such … Continue reading →

While I can definitively say that Jackie Chan introduced me to Hong Kong/Chinese cinema and that Godzilla opened the door for me to the world of Japanese cinema, it’s a little harder to remember where my appreciation for Korean film began. That’s interesting because I didn’t get into Korean movies until the last decade or so, whereas my interest in HK and Japanese film began much earlier. I think, unlike … Continue reading →

As a young kid of 18, I used to watch a British Television film review programme, then presented by Johnathan Ross. A major advocate of Eastern cinema, Ross is a larger than life character with an abundance of knowledge of especially Asian action movies. At the end of one programme there was a clip of the South Korean film Nowhere to Hide, featuring two characters fighting in the pouring rain, … Continue reading →