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on John Woo’s action classic goes hard! Restored ‘Hard Boiled’ is coming to Cannes, Digital and Physical from Shout!Great news! I would like to see it here in the UK as well, maybe 88 Films or…
on Striking Rescue (2024) ReviewI rented this, and it was worth a watch. The action is nice and the showdown…
on Shout Studios announces New label spotlighting a treasure trove of Hong Kong’s most captivating masterpieces4K Hardboiled at Cannes! https://www.instagram.com/p/DJWzsK0OzA4/?utm_source=…
on Can Spike Lee take an Akira Kurosawa flick higher? Watch the Trailer for ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ starring Denzel WashingtonNick, cheers. Fixed =)
on Can Spike Lee take an Akira Kurosawa flick higher? Watch the Trailer for ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ starring Denzel WashingtonCorrection: Old Boy was remade in 2013, not 2023.
on Havoc (2025) ReviewA bit of a mixed bag this one. While I appreciate the effort to give this mov…
on Billy Zane, Zach Roerig and Scott Adkins’ ‘Day of Reckoning’ NOW on Digital! Watch a New Extended PreviewHow much screen time does confederate white supremacist supporter Trace Adkin…
on Get your kicks on Route 666! Scott Adkins attacks Marko Zaror in the New Trailer for Ernesto Díaz Espinoza’s ‘Diablo’the movie looks good, the trailer is awful. had to stop it midway to avoid be…
on Havoc (2025) ReviewThanks for continuing to visit COF Will! I felt the same way, the action kick…
on Get your kicks on Route 666! Scott Adkins attacks Marko Zaror in the New Trailer for Ernesto Díaz Espinoza’s ‘Diablo’This trailer has me pumped. Can't wait
on Havoc (2025) ReviewI've been reading this site for years. Really appreciate the reviews. I'd say…
on COF Presents: The Legend of the The Seven Little Fortunes[…] COF Presents: The Legend of the The Seven Little Fortunes | cityonf…
on Heroes of the East | aka Shaolin Challenges Ninja (1978) ReviewLiterally just finished watching this for the first time - catching up with m…
on Havoc (2025) ReviewThat anonymous guy is an idiot
on Someone call the 🔥 department! Ringo Lam’s seminal Hong Kong actioner ‘City on Fire’ arriving on 4K Ultra HD in JuneThis is absolutely beautiful. I use to dawg on shout factory artwork but damm…
Category Archives: All
Silent Night (2023) Review
Director: John Woo Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Yoko Hamamura, Vinny O’Brien, Anthony Giulietti, John Pollack, Angeles Woo Running Time: 104 min. By Will McGuire Silent Night represents John Woo’s return to Hollywood after a twenty year absence. Trailers breathlessly proclaim him to be “the Michelangelo of the Action Film”, and this film is clearly meant to re-introduce him to an American audience before his … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Joel Kinnaman, John Woo
Phantom Kung Fu (1979) Review
Director: Lee Tso-Nam Cast: Chang Yi, Don Wong Tao, Lee Kwan, Ma Cheung, Jimmy Lee Fong, Shih Ting Ken, Tommy Lee Gam Ming, Wang Tai Lang, Got Heung Ting, Miu Tin Running Time: 90 min. By Will McGuire Lee Tso-Nam is one of the most distinctive directors of independent kung fu films during the 70’s. A favorite of Tarantino, his energetic, workmanlike, style produced kung fu films that stood out … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Chang Yi, Don Wong Tao, Lee Kwan, Lee Tso Nam
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (2021) Review
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour Cast: Jeon Jong-seo, Kate Hudson, Ed Skrein, Evan Whitten, Craig Robinson, Cory Roberts Running Time: 106 min. By Paul Bramhall When it comes to the age-old question of which Asian actors should try their hand at Hollywood, my usual response is to ask why they’d need to in the first place, however even in the 2020’s Hollywood remains a kind of validation in the world of … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Jeon Jong-seo
The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell (2023) Review
Director: Herman Yau Cast: Louis Koo, Lau Ching-Wan, Aaron Kwok, Caiyu Yang, Gallen Lo, Tse Kwan-ho, Alex Fong Chung-sun, Power Chan, Timmy Hung, Lam Suet Running Time: 125 min. By Paul Bramhall Ten years after the release of 2013’s The White Storm, the late Benny Chan’s divisive homage to the heroic bloodshed genre, it’s a safe bet that no one was expecting it to become a trilogy. However in 2023 … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Aaron Kwok, Alex Fong Chung Sun, Herman Yau, Lam Suet, Lau Ching-Wan (Sean Lau), Louis Koo
Crocodile Island (2020) Review
Director: Simon Zhao Co-director: Xu Shixing Cast: Gallen Lo, Hu Xueer, Liao Yinyue, Wang BingXiang, He Qiwei, Dang Wei, Zhao Zuo Running Time: 86 min. By Will McGuire Crocodile Island is a bad film, but it is a film that’s worth talking about because the question of why it is bad is so instructive to problems in Chinese genre cinema right now. First of all, the film is a throwback … Continue reading
Expect No Mercy (1995) Review
Director: Zale Dalen Cast: Billy Blanks, Jalal Merhi, Wolf Larson, Laurie Holden, Anthony De Longis, Michael Blanks, Réal Andrews, Sam Moses, Jefferson Mappin, Géza Kovács, Richard Fitzpatrick, Brett Halsey, Scott Wickware, Lazar Rockwood Running Time: 91 min. By Will McGuire I adore the world of 80’s and 90’s western martial arts action films. If it stars Sho Kosugi, Jeff Speakman, Don Wilson, or Mark Dacascos it’s probably going to be … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Tagged Billy Blanks, Jalal Merhi
Believer 2 (2023) Review
Director: Baek Jong-Yeol Cast: Cho Jin-Woong, Cha Seung-Won, Han Hyo-Joo, Oh Seung-Hoon, Kim Dong-Young, Lee Joo-Young, Kang Seung-hyun, Jung Joon-won, Tzi Ma, Andreas Fronk Running Time: 114 min. By Paul Bramhall The decision to remake Hong Kong auteur Johnnie To’s 2013 crime thriller Drug War as a Korean production would prove to be a winning one when Believer was released in 2018. While the original was To’s first venture to … Continue reading
The War God | aka Calamity (1976) Review
Director: Chen Hung-Min Cast: Ku Ming-Lun, Tse Ling-Ling, Chen Yu-Hsin, Lung Fei, Cindy Tang Hsin, Tseng Chao Runnning Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall The chances are if someone was feeling in the mood for some kaiju action, the go-to country would be Japan. The likes of Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidora have practically come to define the genre, and of course the word ‘kaiju’ itself is Japanese, directly translating … Continue reading
Blood and Steel (1990) Review
Director: Mark Swetland Cast: David Male, Joanne Gagliardo, Elaine Arnone, Diane Zdarsky, John Raszeja, David Bobik, Rick Swetland, Ron Detrick, Scott Sehl, Jim Reeb Running Time: 87 min. By Paul Bramhall One side effect from the emergence of boutique Blu-ray labels over the last 10 years, is that we’ve seen a deluge of increasingly obscure and “lost” low budget productions being given the deluxe release treatment, some of them even … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, Bruceploitation, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Warhorse One (2023) Review
Director: William Kaufman Co-director: Johnny Strong Cast: Johnny Strong, Athena Durner, Raj Kala, James Sherrill, Siya, Todd Jenkins, Danny Augustus, Michael Sauers, Xander Gòmez, David Ibrahim Running Time: 125 min. By Henry McKeand Is the POW-MIA action film making a comeback? It’s been nearly four decades since John Rambo went back into the jungle to retroactively win Vietnam, but “The War Ends When I Say It Ends!” flicks seem to … Continue reading
Shaolin Kids, The (1975) Review
Director: Joseph Kuo Cast: Polly Shang-Kwan, Chang I Fei, Tin Peng, Carter Wong, Kam Kong, Yee Yuen, Chang Yi, Jimmy Lee Fong, Cliff Lok, Chen Chiu, Sham Chin Bo Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall Like every genre kung-fu cinema has continued to evolve throughout the years, and perhaps no decade was more transformative than the 70’s. While the swordsplay dominated wuxia genre still ruled the roost at the … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Carter Wong, Chang Yi, Cliff Lok, Joseph Kuo, Kam Kong, Polly Shang-Kwan, Sham Chin Bo, Tin Peng
Visible Secret (2001) Review
Director: Ann Hui Cast: Eason Chan, Shu Qi, Sam Lee, Wayne Lai, James Wong Jim, Kara Hui, Anthony Lau Wing, Lee Fung, Anthony Wong Chau Sang, Perry Chan Ping Chi, Samuel Yau Man Shing, Cheung Tat Ming Running Time: 98 min. By Will McGuire Visible Secret is not so much a horror film as it is a phantasmagoria. The aim of the picture is neither to inspire fear in the … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Anthony Wong, Eason Chan, Kara Hui, Sam Lee, Shu Qi, Tony Liu (Anthony Lau Wing)
Revenge of Dr. X, The (1967) Review
AKA: Body of the Prey Director: Norman Thomson Cast: James Craig, James Yagi, Atsuko Rome, Lawrence O’Neill, Al Ricketts, John Stanley Running Time: 94 min. By Ian Whittle Well, this is a head-scratcher. An Ed Wood written 50s monster movie script, Venus Fly-Trap, produced in 60s Japan as Body of the Prey by a former Orson Welles associate…with funds and possibly a monster suit likely supplied by Toei, who denies … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, Japanese, News, Other Movies, Reviews
Lion Girl (2023) Review
Director: Kurando Mitsutake Cast: Tori Griffiths, David Sakurai, Katarina Leigh Waters, Derek Mears, Stefanie Estes, Julie Burrise, Erin Marie Hogan, Shelby Lee Parks, Hidetoshi Imura, Kirk Geiger, Akihiro Kitamura, Wes Armstrong, Taishi Tamaki Running Time: 121 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s fair to say that for most of the 2020’s audiences have grown fatigued to the endless superhero fodder that’s dominated cinema screens for the past 15 years, with reboots, … Continue reading
Return of the 18 Bronzemen, The (1976) Review
Director: Joseph Kuo Cast: Carter Wong, Polly Shang-Kuan, Tien Peng, Ko Yu-Min, Yuen Sam, Wong Fei Lung, Lau Lap Cho, O Yau Man, Chiu Ting, Shaw Luo Hui, Chen Chiu Running Time: 96 min. By Paul Bramhall Following the success of the previous years 18 Bronzemen, director Joseph Kuo realised that he still had a few tubs of bronze paint leftover, so got the gang back together for a sequel, … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Carter Wong, Joseph Kuo, Polly Shang-Kwan, Tin Peng
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