Category Archives: All

Duel of the 7 Tigers | aka Shadow of the Tigers (1979) Review

"Duel of the 7 Tigers" Theatrical Poster

AKA: Return of Scorpion Director: Yeung Kuen Cast: Cliff Lok Kam Tung, Sharon Yeung Pan Pan, Philip Ko Fei, Charlie Chan Yiu Lam, Han Ying Chieh, Pomson Shi, Chu Chi Ling, Chan Sau Chung Running Time: 92 min. By Joseph Kuby A valiant effort to put a Chinese spin on Seven Samurai if not coming quite as close as Seven Swords. This film is the third remake of Kurosawa’s most … Continue reading

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Evil Dead Trap (1988) Review

"Evil Dead Trap" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Toshiharu Ikeda Cast: Miyuki Ono, Aya Katsuragi, Hitomi Kobayashi, Eriko Nakagawa, Masahiko Abe Running Time: 105 min. By Woody Ikeda’s “Evil Dead Trap” is a very entertaining mix of the giallo (slasher) films of Italy’s Dario Argento, that rushing camera trick from Raimi’s “Evil Dead” films, and the “body horror” of David Cronenberg. Stylistically, this is reminiscent of an Argento film…bright colors, creative murders, a never-still camera, the unseen … Continue reading

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Running Out of Time 2 (2001) Review

"Running Out of Time 2" DVD Cover

Director: Johnnie To Co-director: Law Wing Cheong Cast: Lau Ching-Wan, Ekin Cheng, Kelly Lin Hsi-Lei, Hui Siu-Hung, Lam Suet, Ruby Wong Running Time: 95 min. By Ben Poppel About ten minutes into this film you realize. Wait, a minute, I have witnessed this scenario before. Then you recognize you are watching the follow-up to the blockbuster film Running Out of Time. And what about the sequel? Does it live up … Continue reading

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Running Out of Time (1999) Review

"Running Out of Time" Theatrical Poster

Director: Johnnie To Cast: Andy Lau, Lau Ching Wan, Yoyo Mung, Waise Lee, Lam Suet, Ruby Wong, Shiu Hung Hui Running Time: 89 min. By Joe909 A very stylish, slick movie in which Andy Lau finds out that he’s soon to die from cancer, and decides to get even with the gangster who killed his dad (Waise Lee), while at the same time using Lau Ching-Wan as a guinea pig. … Continue reading

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Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) Review

"Godzilla vs. Megalon" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Jun Fukuda Producer: Tomoyuki Tanaka Cast: Katsuhiko Sasaki, Hiroyuki Kawase, Yutaka Hayashi, Robert Dunham, Kotaro Tomita Running Time: 81 min. By Woody My fondest memories of Palmdale, California are of visiting my Grandma Mary, eating TV dinners, and sitting in the guest room to watch the weekly Japanese monster movie on channel 5. It was the high point of my week. Living in Palmdale in the early nineties was … Continue reading

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In the Line of Duty | aka Royal Warriors (1986) Review

"In the Line of Duty" Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Police Assassins Director: David Chung Chi-Man Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Sanada Hiroyuki, Michael Wong, Pai Ying, Chan Wai Man, David Lam Wai, Gam Hing Yin, Kenneth Tsang, Ninna Reiko, Dennis Chan Running Time: 85 min. By Numksull Michelle Yeoh, with short hair, fights a bunch of people. Henry Sanada, with a big stuffed bunny rabbit, fights a bunch of people. Michael Wong, with a persistent hard-on for Michelle, makes a … Continue reading

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Moment of Romance, A (1990) Review

"Moment of Romance" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Benny Chan Cast: Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Wu Chien-Lien, Ng Man-Tat, Tommy Wong Kwong-Leung, Leung Shan, Lau Kong, Sandra Lang, Wong Sa-Lei, Wong Man-Wai, Yuen Bun Running Time: 88 min. By Mighty Peking Man “Good girls always go for the bad boys”… I can definitely understand why and Benny Chan’s Moment of Romance makes me understand the line better. What we have here is a modern day Romeo and Juliet meets … Continue reading

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Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) Review

"Godzilla: Final Wars" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryuhei Kitamura Cast: Masahiro Matsuoka, Rei Kikukawa, Akira Takarada, Kane Kosugi, Kazuki Kitamura, Maki Mizuno, Masami Nagasawa, Chihiro Otsuka, Don Frye Running Time: 125 min. By Ningen Note that the only previous film of Ryuhei Kitamura’s I’ve seen was Versus. I haven’t seen Azumi and didn’t even play that MGS remake for the GC in which he was involved. Anyway, while it was supposed to be a sequel to the … Continue reading

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Ninja Destroyer (1986) Review

"Ninja Destroyer" VHS Cover

Director: Godfrey Ho Producer: Joseph Lai Cast: Stuart Smith, Bruce Barron, Richard Berman, Timothy Nugent, Sorapong Chatri, Na Yen Na, Pedros Ernyes, Rick Jenkins, Roger Seller, Richard Chit, Peter Ramwa, Surian Suryoog, Luck Apichart Running Time: 80 min. By Joe909 Question: When is a Hong Kong action film not really a Hong Kong action film? Answer: When a pair of gwailo actors shoot an unrelated ninja movie and inject it … Continue reading

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Extreme Crisis (1998) Review

"Extreme Crisis" DVD Cover

Director: Bruce Law Cast: Julian Cheung, Theresa Lee, Shu Qi, Kenya Sawada, Wong Yat Fei, Spencer Lam Running Time: 95 min. By Tequila Imagine The Rock on acid…that is the only way I can describe this movie. I was expecting a clone of The Rock from the reviews and my expectations were pretty low – this film is pretty much just crap acting and a bunch of explosions on the … Continue reading

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Snake of June, A (2002) Review

"A Snake of June" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Shinya Tsukamoto Cast: Asuka Kurosawa, Yuji Kohtari, Shinya Tsukamoto, Masato Tsujioka, Susumu Terajima Running Time: 77 min. By Raging Gaijin It’s no secret that the Japanese people are repressed. And we all know that when a society represses its deepest, darkest urges, they don’t actually go away. No, they remain just below the surface and ready to break through at any moment. Or at the very least they’re filtered … Continue reading

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Merantau | aka Merantau Warrior (2009) Review

"Merantau" International Theatrical Poster

Director: Gareth Evans Producer: Ario Sagantoro Cast: Iko Uwais, Sisca Jessica, Christine Hakim, Donny Alamsyah, Yusuf Aulia, Laurent Buson, Alex Abbad, Mads Koudal, Yayan Ruhian, Rahyma Yanii Running Time: 135 min. By Mighty Peking Man Young Yuda (Iko Uwais) has reached the point in his life where he must leave his hometown, prove his manhood, and find success on his own. It’s his way of following a family tradition known … Continue reading

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Sanjuro (1962) Review

Director: Akira Kurosawa Writer: Ryuzo Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yuzo Kayama, Reiko Dan, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, Takako Irie, Masao Shimizu Running Time: 96 min. By Mairosu After Yojimbo proved to be a huge commercial hit, messrs Kurosawa and Mifune teamed up for another humorous caper about the wisecracking nameless ronin, and this time with equal success. Sanjuro is admittedly more light-hearted … Continue reading

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Born to Defend | aka Final Fight (1990) Review

"Born to Defend" Movie Poster

AKA: Born to Defense Director: Jet Li Cast: Jet Li, Paulo Tocha, Cho Wing, Dean Harrington, Mark King, Deon Lam Dik On, Dan Mintz Running Time: 90 min. By Numskull Jet Li’s directorial debut is better than some of his other films with more accomplished and recognized directors, but don’t be too quick to chalk that up to an abundance of talent on his part. When “some of his other … Continue reading

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Master, The | aka Wong Fei Hong ’92 (1989) Review

"The Master" DVD Cover

AKA: Wong Fei Hong ’92 Director: Tsui Hark Cast: Jet Li, Yuen Wah, Jerry Trimble, Crystal Kwok, Billy Blanks, Anne Rickets, To Wai Wo, Lam Ping Hong, Rueben Gonzales, Georges Kee Cheung, Stefanos Miltsakakis, Steven Ho, Mark Williams, Dale Jacoby Running Time: 88 min. By Numskull Ladies and gentlemen, a new standard in lameness has been set. The Master may just be the worst Jet Li movie I’ve seen to … Continue reading

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