It was a particularly humid day in October when I found myself strolling through the streets of Makati in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, to meet with up and coming director Pedring Lopez at his post-production house located in Legaspi Village. It was a public holiday, so the normally bustling streets, filled with honking jeepneys and exhaust fumes, were eerily quiet for a Monday. It struck me that it … Continue reading →

Nobuhiko Obayashi’s film House is rightfully regarded as one of the craziest and most singular films ever made, and I would say no other movie comes close to its beyond-surreal vision. Obayashi’s debut, made in 1977, would kickstart a career of eccentric, hilarious and visually wild films. Obayashi was present at the Udine Far East Film Festival where they screened four of his films: House, Exchange Students, School in the Crosshairs … Continue reading →

If you were to ask me who I thought was the ultimate kung fu filmmaker, one name would instantly spring to my mind: Sammo Hung. During my childhood, his movies – such as Prodigal Son, Warriors Two, Magnificent Butcher and many others – stoked a fire in my imagination and helped me through some dark times. When I heard he was appearing at the Udine Far East Film Festival in … Continue reading →

I recently had the pleasure to conduct an interview with Tony Jaa (Ong Bak, Skin Trade), one of the stars of the upcoming Kill Zone 2 (also known as SPL II: A Time for Consequences), which in and of itself is a spiritual sequel to 2005’s modern martial arts classic, Kill Zone (SPL). As someone who has seen the film, I can’t say enough good things about it, as it … Continue reading →

I had the pleasure of participating in a round table interview amongst other journalists with the stars of Ip Man 3, Donnie Yen and Mike Tyson, at a press junket in Los Angeles, California. With only a limited amount of time at our disposal, me and the other journalists got to ask about two to three questions each to the actors. Along with myself, the other journalists present were Rachel … Continue reading →

Cityonfire.com presents an interview with Scott Adkins, the mega-talented star and martial artist from Undisputed 2-3, Assassination Games, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning and Wolf Warrior. In this exclusive interview, Adkins talks about his newest film, Close Range, as well as his upcoming projects, Boyka: Undisputed and Hard Target 2 – plus much, much more. Enjoy! ZACH NIX: You have worked with Isaac Florentine several times before and arguably helped establish the direct to … Continue reading →

Back in 2002 I could still be considered a relative newcomer to the world of kung fu cinema, having gotten into the genre only a few years earlier. Living in the UK, most of my kung fu movie watching came in the form of picking up the latest release from the Hong Kong Legends label, which at the time was going through its own golden era. This particular year saw … Continue reading →

Beginning his career as an assistant director, Masaharu Take has gone from strength to strength as a director with a singular and unique voice. His two most recent movies Unsung Hero (In the Hero) and 100 Yen Love have proven his ability to weave interesting stories, strong visuals and great characters into a cohesive whole. With a feeling of deja vu I was attempting to get an interview with Take, and … Continue reading →

In a man’s world, director Shin Su-won has created a distinct voice for herself within the Korean film industry, and by all accounts her latest movie, Madonna, should further establish her name as a considerable talent on a global level. Madonna was chosen to premiere in Australia as part of the 2015 Korean Film Festival, and Su-won, with producer Lim Chung-geun, flew in to attend the screening. This year isn’t … Continue reading →

In many ways 2003 could be considered as the pivotal year for the Korean film industry. With the advent of the DVD format, Korean movies had already begun filtering through to the western market, with titles such as Shiri, Nowhere to Hide, and Tell Me Something becoming a familiar sight on high street shelves. However in 2003 it seemed the country could do no wrong when it came to movies … Continue reading →

Beginning with 2008’s Love Exposure, actress Sakura Ando’s career trajectory has been mightily impressive. She has worked with two of the biggest contemporary Japanese directors, Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell?) and Takashi Miike (13 Assassins), and continues to develop as a great leading lady in Japanese cinema. I knew that Miss Ando was going to attend the Edinburgh Film Festival, and was in the process of attempting … Continue reading →

Anyone familiar with the Shaw Brothers studio will no doubt be aware of Alexander Fu Sheng. A charismatic performer known for his mischievous persona and physical dexterity, he quickly became a favorite of both Chang Cheh and Lau Kar Leung, starring in such classic slices of Hong Kong cinema ranging from kung fu epics like Five Shaolin Masters, to comedies such as Hong Kong Playboys. His life was tragically cut … Continue reading →

Four decades ago, Hwang Jang Lee burst onto kung fu movie screens with his thunderous kicks, and for the next 20 years he didn’t stop kicking. There’s not too many Hong Kong legends that haven’t been on the receiving end of his boot at one point or another, and he himself is rightly considered a legend in the world of kung fu cinema, dubbed the King of Leg Fighters. In … Continue reading →

Cityonfire.com presents an interview with Alain Moussi, the rising star of Stephen Fung’s upcoming Kickboxer remake! Moussi, who currently holds a 5th degree Black Belt in NX Jiu-Jitsu, also worked as a stuntman on X-Men: Days of Future Past, Pacific Rim, Brick Mansions and White House Down. In this exclusive interview, Moussi talks about Kickboxer, future projects (well, sorta!), and his favorite movies and filmmakers of all time. Enjoy! In your … Continue reading →