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Paul Bramhall on Operation Scorpio | Blu-ray (88 Films)I am, however I've lived outside the UK since 2003 and the initial years were…
Paul Bramhall on A Good Man (2014) ReviewI can assure you the line was fully intentional. :-)
axel on *Van Damme NOT included! Albert Pyun’s cult martial arts classic ‘Kickboxer 2’ arriving on Blu-ray later this yeartony jaa esta rodando nueva pelicula y bren foster esta rodando
ShaOW!linDude on A Good Man (2014) Review"Of course the Russian mafia in question don’t take too kindly to Seagal scre…
Ska Martes on Operation Scorpio | Blu-ray (88 Films)You're a Scouser? did you tone down your accent for the commentary? sorry my…
chrichtonsworld on Bad Lieutenant just got BADDER! Watch the Trailer for Takashi Miike’s ‘Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo’ arriving soon from NeonWhat are you on about? I have known this site to bring the news when it's the…
Paul Bramhall on Operation Scorpio | Blu-ray (88 Films)Cheers Ska Martes! I only agreed to do it on the basis I be billed as the mys…
Ska Martes on Operation Scorpio | Blu-ray (88 Films)The menu says Audio Commentary by Expert Paul Bramhall!!! I enjoyed the comme…
Kontrovesial Keith on Bruce Lee Fights Back from the Grave | aka The Stranger (1976) Reviewdecently paced? you got to be kidding me. this movie knocked me out when i wa…
Laurine White on THE MASTER IS BACK! Yuen Woo-ping’s ‘Blades of the Guardians’ hits 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on October 6thIn the book series, Mr. Moto was a Japanese agent, working for the Japanese g…
Laurine White on TIME FOR SOME ACTION! Watch Jason Statham get ambushed in an explosive new action clip from ‘Mutiny’Cityonfire.com is “Asian & Martial Arts Film News”, not strictly Asian fi…
Andrew Hernandez on A Good Man (2014) ReviewThe movie where the title is a lie! It’s quite a thing how he saves his girlf…
Malik on Shanghai 13 | aka Heroic Ones from Shanghai (1984) ReviewI have to buy this !
Andrew Hernandez on Ready for a wild ride? Sammo Hung’s 1989 martial arts classic ‘Pedicab Driver’ arriving on 4K Ultra HD from ArrowThis is great news. For years, I’ve been stuck with the Tai Seng VHS. Even th…
Ska Martes on Ready for a wild ride? Sammo Hung’s 1989 martial arts classic ‘Pedicab Driver’ arriving on 4K Ultra HD from ArrowThis will be the biggest upgrade in my library. From a Mei Ah VCD in glorious…
Ska Martes on Beast Cops (1998) ReviewYeah not much to add to these reviews except to see say this movie is GOATED.…
Ska Martes on Thunderbolt | aka Dead Heat (1995) ReviewI guess the main takeaway here apart from Chan being doubled is everyone hate…
Paul Bramhall on Medallion, The | aka Highbinders (2003) ReviewWe have a wonderful collection of reviews for Gordon Chan's illustrious filmo…
Miku Martineau: Age, Biography, Career, and Heritage - Virepedia on Kate (2021) Review[…] Miku Martineau is best known for playing Ani, the orphaned daughter…
jose on TIME FOR SOME ACTION! Watch Jason Statham get ambushed in an explosive new action clip from ‘Mutiny’tony jaa tiene nuevo proyecto ya esa rodando y bre foster tiene nuevos proyec…
dakuan on Exclusive: Interview with Loren Avedonare you for real?
Adam on Stoner | Blu-ray (88 Films)You're bullshit.. it's grindhouse bliss
Ska Martes on Medallion, The | aka Highbinders (2003) ReviewGive it another 20 years and people might start re-evaluating Jackie's 2010 a…
Ska Martes on Medallion, The | aka Highbinders (2003) ReviewGordon Chan's biggest contribution to action cinema might be his insistence o…
Job on Exclusive: Interview with Loren AvedonLoren Avedon is in my opinion the best movie actor ever on this planet, even…
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Category Archives: Japanese
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
Dogora (1964) Review
Director: Ishiro Honda Cast: Yosuke Natsuki, Yoko Fujiyama, Hiroshi Koizumi, Nobuo Nakamura, Robert Dunham, Akiko Wakabayashi, Jun Tazaki, Seizaburo Kawazu Running Time: 83 min. By Z Ravas While watching those classic Godzilla movies where hundreds of civilians are fleeing the city due to an imminent kaiju attack, did you ever think about how there are detectives down on those streets who still have cases their bosses expect them to solve, … Continue reading
Blazing Fists | aka Blue Fight (2025) Review
Director: Miike Takashi Cast: Kinoshita Danhi, Yoshizawa Kamame, Mikuru Asakura, Gackt, Kuon Chikashi, Mariko Shinoda, Katsunori Takahashi, Susumu Terajima, Riki Sanada Running Time: 119 min. By Paul Bramhall Over the last year chances are that, if you spend enough time scrolling on social media, you’ll have come across clips of trash talking Japanese fighters yelling at each other and almost coming to blows, set in what appears to be some … Continue reading
Living Skeleton, The (1968) Review
Director: Hiroshi Matsuno Cast: Kikko Matsuoka, Yasunori Irikawa, Masumi Okada, Nobuo Kaneko, Kō Nishimura Running Time: 80 min. By Ian Whittle In October 1995, I was a young Monster Kid of 9, mainly due to my love of King Kong (1933). That month, I was at a jumble sale at a local church when my eyes fell upon Dennis Gifford’s classic tome A Pictorial History of Horror Movies (1973), which … Continue reading
Dear Stranger (2025) Review
Director: Tetsuya Mariko Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Gwei Lun-Mei, Christopher Mann, Everest Talde, Fiona Fu, Mia Reece, James Chu, Aitor Martin, Lanett Tachel, Matt Golden Running Time: 138 min. By Paul Bramhall The plot of a missing child is a staple of the thriller genre, however with 2025’s Dear Stranger director and writer Tetsuya Mariko eschews the thriller route, instead opting to use the scenario as a catalyst for framing the … Continue reading
Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965) Review
Director: Ishiro Honda Cast: Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Tadao Takashima, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Yoshifumi Tajima, Takashi Shimura, Susumu Fujita, Peter Mann, Koji Furuhata Running Time: 89 min. By Ian Whittle “A nomination for me means that Twilight of Honor will bring in another million dollars and supply funds for more Hollywood pictures. Next, it means I, as a Hollywood star, can make more films in Hollywood and stop this runaway production … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Ishiro Honda, Kumi Mizuno, Nick Adams, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Baby Assassins: Nice Days (2024) Review
Director: Yugo Sakamoto Cast: Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Sosuke Ikematsu, Atsuko Maeda, Atomu Mizuishi Running Time: 112 min. By Paul Bramhall Whatever your opinion of director and writer Yugo Sakamoto, what can’t be denied is that few filmmakers are keeping grounded martial arts movies alive quite like he is. In the 4 years spanning 2021 to 2024 his Baby Assassins trilogy has cemented a modern-day iron triangle of action goodness … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Yugo Sakamoto
Ghost Killer (2024) Review
Director: Kensuke Sonomura Cast: Akari Takaishi, Mario Kuroba, Masanori Mimoto, Sora Inoue, Akaka Higashino, Naohiro Kawamoto, Hidenobu Abera, Naoto Kuratomi, Satoshi Kibe Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall A lone figure in the darkness of a deserted marketplace alley faces off against 3 masked attackers, fending them off set to the rustle of their clothes, the shuffle of their footwork, and a flurry of quick, precise strikes. Within seconds … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akari Takaishi, Kensuke Sonomura, Masanori Mimoto
Demon City (2025) Review
Director: Seiji Tanaka Cast: Toma Ikuta, Masahiro Higashide, Miou Tanaka, Ami Touma, Taro Suruga, Mai Kiryu, Naoto Takenaka, Takuma Otoo, Masanobu Takashima, Matsuya Onoe Running Time: 107 min. By Paul Bramhall If I had to guess I’d say the audience for Demon City falls into 2 categories – the first being those who’ve been waiting for the sophomore feature from director Seiji Tanaka, and the second being fans of the … Continue reading
Village of Doom (1983) Review
Director: Noboru Tanaka Cast: Masato Furuoya, Misako Tanaka, Kumiko Oba, Isao Natsuyagi, Midori Satsuki Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall The Tsuyama massacre remains one of the most harrowing mass murders in Japan, taking place on the night of 21st May 1938 in the rural village of Kamocho Kurami. After cutting off the electricity to the village shortly before midnight, a 21-year-old man named Mutsuo Toi proceeded to arm … Continue reading
River (2023) Review
Director: Junta Yamaguchi Cast: Riko Fujitani, Yuki Torigoe, Yoshimasa Kondo, Haruki Nakagawa, Masahi Suwa Running Time: 86 min. By Paul Bramhall Making a follow-up to a debut that relied heavily on a gimmick is always a tricky proposition, as several directors have found out over the years. In Japan the most obvious example is Shinichiro Ueda, who after his almost flawless debut with 2017’s One Cut of the Dead has struggled to … Continue reading
King Kong Escapes (1967) Review
Director: Honda Ishiro Cast: Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Mie Hama, Akira Takarada, Hideyo Amamoto, Yoshifumi Tajima, Yoshifumi Tajima, Andrew Hughes, Shoichi Hirose, Ryuji Kita Running Time: 96/104 min. By Ian Whittle Following the colossal success of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Toho did not rush to bring back the giant ape in a hurry – the cost of licensing the character from RKO was high, and Toho had been left holding … Continue reading
Baby Assassins 2 (2023) Review
AKA: Baby Assassins: 2 Babies Director: Yugo Sakamoto Cast: Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Joey Iwanaga, Tatsuomi Hamada, Atomu Mizuishi Running Time: 101 min. By Paul Bramhall I confess I wasn’t the biggest fan of Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins, concluding that the 2021 production “will likely only appeal to those action fans who are willing to wait (or perhaps skip forward) to see Masanori Mimoto unleash under the choreography of Kensuke … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Akari Takaishi, Joey Iwanaga, Kensuke Sonomura, Saori Izawa, Yugo Sakamoto
One-Percent Warrior | aka One Percenter (2023) Review
AKA: 1%er Director: Yudai Yamaguchi Cast: Tak Sakaguchi, Kohei Fukuyama, Harumi Kanon, Taro Suruga, Togo Ishii, Sho Aoyagi, Itsuji Itao, Kenjiro Ishimaru, Keisuke Horibe, Ohji Hiroi Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall One-Percent Warrior offers up a welcome reunion of 3 of Japan’s most prominent names in action cinema, director Yudai Yamaguchi, star Tak Sakaguchi, and choreographer Kensuke Sonomura. The last time the trio crossed paths in the same … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Kensuke Sonomura, Tak Sakaguchi, Yudai Yamaguchi



























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