-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Newest Comments
on THE MASTER IS BACK! Yuen Woo-ping’s ‘Blades of the Guardians’ hits 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on October 6thpuede poner noticias de tony jaa y de bren foster y jet li
on Dragons Forever | aka Cyclone Z (1988) ReviewThanks Andrew. Funnily enough, I remember that exact quote - I think the pean…
on Before he became ‘Oldboy’, he met ‘Failan’… Choi Min-sik and Cecilia Cheung’s classic arrives on Blu-ray this NovemberThis movie was like… okay i guess? It needed to focus WAY more on Failan and…
on Medallion, The | aka Highbinders (2003) ReviewOh god, this movie pissed me off so much back then. If only I had known that…
on Dragons Forever | aka Cyclone Z (1988) ReviewIts all relative right. It might be the lesser than Project A and Wheels on M…
on Bad Lieutenant just got BADDER! Watch the Trailer for Takashi Miike’s ‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ arriving soon from Neonpuede poner noticias der tony jaa y scott adkins y jet li y el ultimo bren fo…
on PERFECT!!! Watch Blanka and Ryu FIGHT in a clip from Kitao Sakura’s star-studded ‘Street Fighter’ live-action filmE honda
on Dragons Forever | aka Cyclone Z (1988) ReviewThis movie made more money than project A and wheel on meal so I don’t know w…
on Old Woman with the Knife, The (2025) ReviewHow do you make a movie like ‘The Old Woman With the Knife’ even more of a sl…
Category Archives: All
Curbing Violence (2024) Review
Was 2024 the year the Chinese web movie discovered irony? For a production titled Curbing Violence there are more bottles smashed over heads than is possible to count, bodies are frequently thrown into inanimate objects, and faces regularly subjected to a barrage of punches. Not that I’m complaining. With a scene stealing villainous turn in Black Storm from the same year, here Bao Beier (Journey to the West: Demon Chapter) … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bao Beier, Qin Pengfei, Tse Miu (Xie Miao)
Black Storm (2024) Review
When China’s now ubiquitous web-movie scene first appeared in the mid-2010’s, it would be a hard sell to believe that such productions would eventually lead to a resurgence of the contemporary setting martial arts movie. Back then they mostly consisted of cheap looking wuxia movies and even cheaper monster flicks, however it was arguably 2021’s Fight Against Evil that made fans of HK style action sit up and take notice. … Continue reading
Exit 8 (2025) Review
The concept of liminal space horror has been all the rage in the 2020’s, one that can be traced back to a single photo posted on 4chan in 2019 that kick started The Backrooms phenomenon. Essentially about the feeling of dread and unease created through experiencing transitional spaces when stripped of their usual activity – think empty airports, hotel corridors, or stairwells – for many the COVID 19 pandemic made … Continue reading
Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy (2025) Review
When it comes to summer blockbusters, sometimes it’s worth leaving some space between the noise generated around the time of release, and actually watching the movie itself. That’s what happened with me and Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy, when I found myself willingly skipping a trip to the cinema when it was released in the summer of 2025. As a Korean cinema fan I confess I now feel slightly guilty, especially … Continue reading
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025) Review
Considering the elegance and beauty of ballet, in the world of cinema being a ballerina can often be a sign of danger. From Jeong Hye-gyeong’s taekwondo infused ballerina routine in 1977’s Secret Agents II, to Jennifer Lawrence’s seductive moves in 2018’s Red Sparrow, tutu’s have never seemed so lethal as when they appear on the big screen. In 2025 Ana De Armas would join their ranks in Ballerina, who after … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend (2026) Review
If the phrase beating a dead horse refers to still trying to milk a concept long after its expiry or relevance has diminished, then 2026’s Ip Man: Kung Fu Legend must be the web movie equivalent of nuking a dead horse. Ip Man was all the rage back in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s, and amongst the craze for wing chun chain punches and rain-soaked fight scenes, a new … Continue reading
Wings of Dread (2026) Review
Back when I was first getting into HK action cinema I watched the 1986 classic Royal Warriors (and still own the Universe DVD to this day!), a highlight of which sees Michelle Yeoh and Hiroyuki Sanada take on Chan Wai-Man and a bunch of hijackers on a plane. A masterpiece of close quarters choreography, I’d always thought what a cool idea it would be to set a whole kung-fu movie … Continue reading
Colony (2026) Review
While in recent years it’s 2019’s Parasite that most commonly gets referred to as Korean cinema’s international breakout hit, over the course of the 21st century there have of course been other examples along the way. In the early 2000’s it was 1999’s Shiri that made waves overseas and for many, including myself, acted as the first introduction to what Korean cinema had to offer. In 2003 I still remember … Continue reading
Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews
Tagged Jun Ji-Hyun (Gianna Jun), Shin Hyun-been, Yeon Sang-Ho
Operation Hadal (2025) Review
Director Dante Lam must possess one of the most varied filmographies in all of moviedom; just glancing at his body of work reveals the shifting commercial film trends in Hong Kong and China over the last 30 years. The great tragedy of his career might be that he wasn’t born a decade or so earlier, because you sense the man could have reliably turned out one epic pistol opera after … Continue reading
Broken Rhythm: Bruce Lee’s Game of Death (2026) Review
Some films end when the credits roll. Others continue long after the lights come up. Broken Rhythm belongs firmly in the latter category. Having attended both screenings at the New York City Independent Film Festival last week, it’s taken me some time to evaluate it—not because it’s obscure, but because it demands engagement from its audience. What makes Broken Rhythm so compelling is also what makes it challenging to write … Continue reading
Posted in All, Documentary, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Andre Morgan, Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto, Ji Han Jae
The Furious (2026) Review
It’s been a problem for at least a decade now that Hollywood doesn’t sincerely know how to market a stylish new action movie, particularly one out of Asia, without resorting to lazy comparisons like ‘It’s the next John Wick!’ or ‘It’s the next Raid!’ We’re seeing this same tactic play out now as Lionsgate tries to convince regular armchair Americans, the kind who don’t peruse websites like City on Fire … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Brian Le, Joe Taslim, Kenji Tanigaki, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Tse Miu (Xie Miao), Yang Enyou, Yanin Vismitananda, Yayan Ruhian
Mortal Kombat II (2026) Review
You just know New Line was like, “we gotta get this out on VOD before The Furious hits theaters on Friday!” Which is my cheeky way of saying the fights in Mortal Kombat II are not very good, a truth that is made all the more glaring by the knowledge that choreographer Kensuke Sonomura and director Kenji Tanigaki are likely about to reshape the genre this weekend with their latest … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Hiroyuki Sanada (Henry Sanada), Karl Urban, Lewis Tan, Ludi Lin, Max Huang, Tadanobu Asano
Battle Wizard (1977) Review
Director: Pao Hsueh Lieh Cast: Danny Lee Sau-Yin, Tien Ni, Lin Chen-Chi, Shih Chung-Tien, Chiang Tao, Keung Hon, Wai Wang, Si Wai, San Shu-Wa, Gam Lau, Teresa Ha Ping Running Time: 77 min. By Z Ravas In which the bad guy’s master plan is to feed the hero to a captive gorilla…because the hero has already drank the blood of the mythical snake creature known as the Red Python, granting … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews, Shaw Brothers
Tagged Danny Lee Sau Yin, Pao Hsueh Lieh, Tien Ni
Boss X File (2002) Review
Director: Kim Sung-duk Cast: Jeong Woon-Taek, Kim Bo-Sung, Lee Ji-Hyun, Ahn Moon-Sook, Sung Hyun-Ah, Ki Joo-Bong, Jo Sang-Geon, Lee Yoon-Sung, Park Geun-Hyung, Kim Kuk-Jin Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall I confess that Boss X File would have been one of the many comedies that Korea churned out during the early to mid-2000’s that would never have landed on my radar, had it not been for an interview that … Continue reading
Contour (2006) Review
Director: Eric Jacobus Cast: Eric Jacobus, Dennis Ruel, Ed Kahana, Andy Leung, Tyler Wang, Stephen Reedy, Donovan McKendrick, Vlad Rimburg, Tracy Butcher, Steven Yu Running Time: 100 min. By Z Ravas Contour is a 2006 independent martial arts comedy set in San Francisco, created by writer/director/producer/editor Eric Jacobus and his cohort of fellow martial artists and stunt performers who cheekily dub themselves The Stunt People. Prior to this recent rewatch, I … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Dennis Ruel, Eric Jacobus
13 Comments