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on STOP… Hammer time! 4K Ultra HD Limited Edition for the Hammer Film/Shaw Brothers classic ‘Shatter’ arriving in MayI will Support Hammer with this one hoping better is on it's way, also Becaus…
on Karate and Kung Fu collide in the New Trailer for Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio’s upcoming ‘Karate Kid’ movieShitty music trailer, by the way...
on You know, like Caine in ‘Kung Fu’? Martial arts star Donnie Yen to star and direct untitled ‘John Wick’ spin-offAccording to local HK media reports, Donnie plans to shoot this in Hong Kong…
on The court orders a physical release! Donnie Yen’s ‘The Prosecutor’ hits Blu-ray and DVD in May from Well Go USAOnce again, it’s that white background of doom that should have been eradicat…
on You know, like Caine in ‘Kung Fu’? Martial arts star Donnie Yen to star and direct untitled ‘John Wick’ spin-offPersonally I find Donnie's directing uneven - Legend of the wolf was a mess,…
on STOP… Hammer time! 4K Ultra HD Limited Edition for the Hammer Film/Shaw Brothers classic ‘Shatter’ arriving in MayHammer doesn't own that many of their own films - most are owned by whichever…
on Feeling triggered? Future pressings of the ‘Bruceploitation Collection Vol. 1’ have you covered!This is the one that gets me today, this?! 😭
on STOP… Hammer time! 4K Ultra HD Limited Edition for the Hammer Film/Shaw Brothers classic ‘Shatter’ arriving in MayWhy? Giving Shatter this kind of 4K special treatment makes about as much sen…
on Karate and Kung Fu collide in the New Trailer for Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio’s upcoming ‘Karate Kid’ movieAm I the only one who thinks it's more of the same that you saw in the first…
on ‘Passenger 57’, move over! Andy Lau’s hijack thriller ‘High Forces’ is getting a U.S. release from China LionHigh Forces has been released on Blu-ray in the US - 25 March 2025 - by Bayvi…
on Looking for some spear-slicing action? Donnie Yen’s ‘The Lost Bladesman’ arrives on Blu-ray from ImprintVery underrated Donnie Yen gem. The movie, along with Sakra, has arguably the…
on Wild, The (2023) ReviewThis review does a great job of breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of…
Category Archives: All
Third Murder, The (2017) Review
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda Cast: Masaharu Fukuyama, Koji Yakusho, Suzu Hirose, Yuki Saito, Kotaro Yoshida, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Mikako Ichikawa, Isao Hashizume, Izumi Matsuoka Running Time: 124 min. By Martin Sandison Director Hirokazu Koreeda has gone from strength to strength in the last ten years, with a strong following thanks to films such as Still Walking and Our Little Sister. His most recent, The Third Murder, swept the Japanese Academy Prize last week … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Hirokazu Koreeda
Outlaws, The (2017) Review
Director: Kang Yoon-Sung Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Yoon Kye-Sang, Jo Jae-Yun, Choi Gwi-Hwa, rk Ji-Hwan, Hong Ki-Joon Running Time: 121 min. By Z Ravas I walked away from 2016’s smash hit Train to Busan with a distinct impression that supporting actor Ma Dong-seok had stolen the movie – no small feat in a film about a train full of rabid zombies! Although I’d caught the actor in plenty of parts before, including Kundo: Age of … Continue reading
Battleship Island, The (2017) Review
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Cast: Hwang Jung-Min, So Ji-Sub, Song Joong-Ki, Lee Jung-Hyun, Kim Soo-Ahn, Kim In-Woo, Kim Joong-Hee, Lee Kyoung-Young, Shin Seung-Hwan, Ahn Se-Ho Running Time: 132 min. By Z Ravas Although director Ryoo Seung-wan has engaged in big-budget spectacle in the recent past – 2013’s The Berlin File felt like the filmmaker’s attempt to top the Bourne trilogy, and long before that he’d dabbled in the superhero (Arahan) and spoof (Dachimawa … Continue reading
Soul of Chiba | aka Soul of Bruce Lee (1977) Review
Director: Chan Tung-Man, Noda Yukio Cast: Sonny Chiba Shinichi, Luk Chuen, Shiomi Etsuko, Bolo Yeung Sze, Fong Yuen, Kong Chuen, Tadashi Yamashita, Lau Nga-Ying, Peter Chan Hoh-San, Krung Srivilai, Naowarat Yooktanun, Somjit Sapsamruey Running Time: 94 min. By Paul Bramhall At the risk of blacklisting myself from ever writing for an Asian cinema site again, I’ll admit I initially wasn’t very enamoured with Sonny Chiba. When I first got into … Continue reading
Posted in All, Bruceploitation, Chinese, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bolo Yeung (Yang Sze), Krung Srivilai, Noda Yukio, Peter Chan Ho Sun, Sonny Chiba, Tadashi Yamashita
Incorrigible, The | aka The Bastard (1963) Review
AKA: The Young Rebel Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Ken Yamauchi, Masako Izumi, Midori Tashiro, Chiharu Kuri, Emiko Azuma, Mieko Takamine Running Time: 95 min. By Kelly Warner The Taisho era, named after Emperor Taisho, was a period in Japan sandwiched between the rapid modernization of the Meiji period and the ultimate push to war of the Showa era. Director Seijun Suzuki was born in the final years of the Taisho period but … Continue reading
Swindlers, The (2017) Review
Director: Jang Chang-Won Cast: Hyun-Bin, Yoo Ji-Tae, Bae Sung-Woo, Park Sung-Woong, Nana, An Se-Ha, Choi Duk-Moon, Choi Il-Hwa, Heo Sung-Tae, Kim Tae-Hoon, Jung Jin-Young Running Time: 117 min. By Paul Bramhall Coming just a year after Jo Eui-seok’s Master, The Swindlers leans on the same true life story of a CEO who defrauded victims out of their savings, thanks to an elaborate pyramid scheme. Unlike Master though, here the crime … Continue reading
Junk Head (2017) Review
Director: Takahide Hori Writer: Takahide Hori Animator: Takahide Hori Running Time: 115 min. By Martin Sandison Dystopian Science Fiction has a prerequisite to be po-facedly serious in tone and downright depressing at times (see genre stalwarts Blade Runner and Brazil), and it’s about time a movie came along that alters this. Enter Takahide Hori’s Junk Head, a one-man show labour of love that manages to be an endlessly inventive, hilarious entrant … Continue reading
Brink, The (2017) Review
Director: Jonathan Li Producer: Soi Cheang Pou Cast: Max Zhang Jin, Shawn Yu Man-Lok, Gordon Lam Ka-Tung, Janice Man Wing-San, Wu Yue, Yasuaki Kurata, Tai Bo, Cecilia So, Derek Tsang, Kumer So Running Time: 100 min. By Paul Bramhall Martial artist Max Zhang may have been showing off his stuff since the early 00’s, however it’s only in recent years that he registered on the radar of many kung fu cinema fans. With scene stealing … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Gordon Lam, Janice Man, Jonathan Li, Max Zhang Jin, Shawn Yue, Wu Yue, Yasuaki Kurata
Gintama (2017) Review
Director: Yuichi Fukuda Cast: Shun Oguri, Masaki Suda, Kanna Hashimoto, Masaki Okada, Masami Nagasawa, Tsuyoshi Muro, Kankuro Nakamura, Yuya Yagira, Ryo Yoshizawa Running Time: 130 min. By Kelly Warner It’s the age of the comic book movie in Hollywood. And though you can argue that there is an oversaturation of such films at the theatres, I don’t really think there’s much debate that the filmmakers have gotten better at making … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Hirofumi Arai, Masaki Okada, Shun Oguri, Takayuki Yamada, Yuichi Fukuda, Yuya Yagira
Operation Red Sea (2018) Review
Director: Dante Lam Cast: Zhang Yi, Huang Jingyu, Hai Qing, Du Jiang, Zhang Hanyu, Henry Prince Mak, Michelle Bai, Wang Qiang, Simon Yam Tat-wah, Wang Ian, Guo Jiahao Running Time: 138 min. By Paul Bramhall A couple of years after the successful Operation Mekong, in 2018 Operation Red Sea finds Dante Lam, one of Hong Kong’s brightest directors, sticking to his action guns. He may be sticking with the Mainland … Continue reading
Teenage Yakuza (1962) Review
Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Tamio Kawaji, Noriko Matsumoto, Keiko Sugiyama, Kayo Matsuo, Asao Sano, Midori Tashiro, Kotoe Hatsui, Tatsuya Fuji, Toshio Sugiyama, Kaku Takashina Running Time: 72 min. By Kelly Warner Listen kids, I know that your teenage years can be rough. Your body is um, changing. You have, uh, urges. And sometimes your emotions are out of control. But you’re a good kid. You know the difference between right … Continue reading
Asura: City of Madness (2017) Review
Director: Kim Sung-Soo Cast: Jung Woo-Sung, Hwang Jung-Min, Ju Ji-Hoon, Kwak Do-Won, Jeong Man-Sik, Yoon Ji-Hye, Kim Hae-Gon, Kim Won-Hae, Oh Yeon-A, Kim Jong-Soo Running Time: 132 min. By Paul Bramhall The gangster genre has long been a much beloved staple of the Korean film industry, and if ever a movie knew it was a gangster flick, then it’s Asura: City of Madness. Going down like a cocktail made with half … Continue reading
Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews
Tagged Hwang Jung-min, Ju Ji-Hoon, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Sung-Soo, Kwak Do-Won
Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing (2006) Review
Director: Isaac Florentine Cast: Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins, Ben Cross, Eli Danker, Mark Ivanir, Ken Lerner, Daisy Lang, Silvio Simac, Ivaylo Geraskov, Valentin Ganev, Atanas Srebrev Running Time: 98 min. By Paul Bramhall I confess I’m late to the party with Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing, 12 years late to be precise. But in my defence, I have my reasons, the biggest one being I’m simply not a fan … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Isaac Florentine, Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins, Silvio Simac
Wind-of-Youth Group Crosses the Mountain Pass, The (1961) Review
Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Koji Wada, Mayumi Shimizu, Shin Morikawa, Arihiro Fujimura, Nobuo Kaneko, Kotoe Hatsui Running Time: 85 min. By Kelly Warner Charming and sweet aren’t phrases I’d usually use to describe a Seijun Suzuki film, but The Wind-of-Youth Group Crosses the Mountain Pass is not the typical Seijun Suzuki film. Occasionally reminiscent of the Yasujiro Ozu film Floating Weeds, The Wind-of-Youth Group Crosses the Mountain Pass (from here on … Continue reading
Cold Harvest (1999) Review
Director: Isaac Florentine Cast: Gary Daniels, Bryan Genesse, Barbara Crampton, David Sherwood, Isaac Mavimbela, Chris Buchanan, Greg Melvill-Smith, Rohan Coll, Ian Roussouw Running Time: 89 min. By Paul Bramhall Reviewing movies retrospectively is always an interesting exercise. Depending on how much time has passed, what was once considered cool may now be terribly dated, and what was once considered a train wreck may have aged like a fine wine. Just … Continue reading
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