Category Archives: Reviews

Better Tomorrow 2018, A (2018) Review

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"A Better Tomorrow 2018" Theatrical Poster

Director: Ding Sheng Cast: Wang Kai, Ma Tian-Yu, Darren Wang Ta-Lu, Yu Ai-Lei, Lam Suet, Wu Yue, Vivien Li Meng, Zhang Yi-Shang, Jiang Pei-Yao, Mario Li Mincheng, Ning Hao Running Time: 140 min. By Paul Bramhall If you ask any fan of Hong Kong cinema what their opinion is on remaking the 1986 John Woo classic, A Better Tomorrow, then the likely answer will be that it’s a bad idea. Woo’s … Continue reading →

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Evil of Dracula (1974) Review

Posted on June 16, 2018 by Kelly Warner
"Evil of Dracula" Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Bloodsucking Rose Director: Michio Yamamoto Cast: Toshio Kurosawa, Mariko Mochizuki, Kunie Tanaka, Shin Kishida, Katsuhiko Sasaki, Mio Ota, Mika Katsuragi, Keiko Aramaki, Yunosuke Ito, Yasuko Agawa Running Time: 87 min. By Kelly Warner In Michio Yamamoto’s Bloodthirsty Trilogy, The Vampire Doll was like a fever dream of a vampire movie and Lake of Dracula was a social anxiety thriller disguised as a vampire movie, so where could the director … Continue reading →

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Lake of Dracula (1971) Review

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Kelly Warner
"Lake of Dracula" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Michio Yamamoto Writer: Ei Ogawa, Masaru Takesue Cast: Midori Fujita, Sanae Emi, Choei Takahashi, Shin Kishida, Tadao Futami, Mika Katsuragi, Setsuko Kawaguchi, Tatsuo Matsushita, Yasuzo Ogawa, Haruo Suzuki Running Time: 81 min. By Kyle Warner In Vampire Doll, the first film of Michio Yamamoto’s Bloodthirsty Trilogy, the director made a vampire movie that wasn’t much of a vampire movie. The Vampire Doll is this strange, dreamlike tale of devotion to … Continue reading →

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License to Steal (1990) Review

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Martin Sandison
"License to Steal" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Billy Chan Writer: Johnny Lee Cast: Joyce Godenzi, Collin Chou Siu Long, Richard Ng, Yuen Biao, Agnes Aurelio, Lam Chung, Billy Chow, Chui Jing Yat, Michael Dinga, Corey Yuen, Sammo Hung Running Time: 90 min. By Martin Sandison One of the most rare Hong Kong movies ever made, License to Steal was given a Laserdisc release back in the day, but never made it on VCD or DVD, even in … Continue reading →

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Golden Slumber (2018) Review

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"Golden Slumbers" Theatrical Poster

Director: No Dong-Seok Cast: Gang Dong-Won, Kim Eui-Sung, Han Hyo-Joo, Kim Sung-Kyun, im Dae-Myung, Yoo Jae-Myung, Yoon Kye-Sang, Kim You-Jung, Choi Woo-Sik Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall Reviewing a movie which is a remake of another is always a tricky job, especially with the current trend for doing so within the Asian region. In the past couple of years alone, purely looking at Korea, we’ve had Luck.Key (a remake … Continue reading →

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Believer (2018) Review

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"Believer" Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Hae-Young Cast: Cho Jin-Woong, Ryoo Joon-Yeol, Cha Seung-Won, Kim Ju-Hyeok, Jin Seo-Yeon, Park Hae-Joon, Kim Sung-Ryoung, Kim Dong-Young, Lee Joo-Young Running Time: 123 min. By Paul Bramhall Five years after Cold Eyes, a Korean remake of the Milkyway Image thriller Eye in the Sky, another of the Hong Kong production company’s titles receives the same treatment, this time in the form of Believer. The source material is Johnnie … Continue reading →

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Vampire Doll, The | aka Legacy of Dracula (1970) Review

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Kelly Warner
"The Vampire Doll" Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Night of the Vampire Director: Michio Yamamoto Writer: Ei Ogawa, Hiroshi Nagano Cast: Yukiko Kobayashi, Yoko Minazake, Atsuo Nakamura, Kayo Matsuo, Akira Nakao, Jun Usami Running Time: 71 min. By Kyle Warner Vampires don’t have a long history in Japanese cinema. Though Japan does import Dracula and vampire tales from overseas, the ol’ bloodsuckers just don’t have much of a connection to Japanese culture and have never secured that … Continue reading →

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Empty Hands, The (2017) Review

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"The Empty Hands" Theatrical Poster

Director: Chapman To Cast: Chapman To, Stephy Tang, Yasuaki Kurata, Stephen Au, Dada Chan, Ryan Lau, Michelle Loo, Juju Chan, Roy Szeto, Tanya Chan, Wiyona Yeung Running Time: 87 min. By Paul Bramhall While many may claim that Hong Kong cinema is dead, a case that’s hard to argue when compared to its unmatchable heyday of the 80’s, it’s unfair to completely write off the territory as being a lifeless … Continue reading →

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Stabilizer, The (1986) Review

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"The Stabilizer" VHS Cover

Director: Arizal Cast: Peter O’Brian, Craig Gavin, Gillie Beanz, Dana Christina, Harry Capry, Kaharudin Syah, Mark Sungkar, Yenny Farida, Linda Husein, Herman Pero Running Time: 93 min.  By Paul Bramhall Indonesian action maestro Arizal had a busy year in 1986. Not only did he set Chris Mitchum loose on the streets of Jakarta to raise hell in Final Score, but he also launched the career of walking growth hormone Peter O’Brian. Legend has it that … Continue reading →

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Debt Collector, The (2018) Review

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"The Debt Collector" Japanese DVD Cover

AKA: The Pay Up Director: Jesse V. Johnson Cast: Scott Adkins, Louis Mandylor, Vladimir Kulich, Tony Todd, Michael Paré, Rachel Brann, Selina Lo, Sean Crampton, Rachel Brann, Alexa Bondar Running Time: 96 min.  By Paul Bramhall There’s something undeniably satisfying about watching the collaborations of a director and star who you know work well together, and now 3 titles in (in less than 2 years), this seems to very much be the case for Jesse V. … Continue reading →

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Champion (2018) Review

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Paul Bramhall

Director: Kim Yong-Wan Producer: Han Dong-Hwan Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kwon Yool, Han Ye-Ri, Choi Seung-Hoon, Ok Ye-Rin, Yang Hyun-Min, Kang Shin-Hyo, Lee Kyoo-Ho, Bae Myung-Ho, Kim Dong-Hyun Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall In 1987 Sylvester Stallone famously headlined the arm wrestling movie Over the Top, having agreed to star in it believing that, in all likelihood, nobody would watch it. He was wrong, of course, as despite its … Continue reading →

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Man with a Shotgun, The (1961) Review

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Kelly Warner
"The Man with a Shotgun" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Hideaki Nitani, Izumi Ashikawa, Yuji Kodaka, Yoko Minamida, Akio Tanaka, Eiji Go, Keisuke Noro, Asao Sano, Jun Hamamura Running Time: 84 min.  By Kelly Warner Nikkatsu was always fond of mixing genre tropes from American movies into their films (sometimes they admitted it was less a case of influence and more a copy and paste job). Usually we think of American gangster films as the main … Continue reading →

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Tokyo Knights (1961) Review

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Kelly Warner
"Tokyo Knights" Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Koji Wada, Mayumi Shimizu, Yoko Minamida, Nobuo Kaneko, Yoshiko Nezu, Shoichi, Ozawa George, Luiker Naomi, Ozawa Moto, Matsuyama Hiroshi, Kamayatsu Yasuhiro, Kameyama Zenpei, Saga Hiroshi Running Time: 87 min. By Kelly Warner Seijun Suzuki was a contract studio director for Nikkatsu. That meant that he made the films they told him to, with little time for pre-production, rewrites, or creative decision making. 1961 alone saw the … Continue reading →

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Fighting Fist | aka Lady Cop in Fury (1992) Review

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Paul Bramhall
"Fighting Fist" Theatrical Poster

AKA: Lady Cop in Fury Director: Sonny Chiba Co-director: Casey Chan Cast: Sibelle Hu, Sonny Chiba, Chin Kar Lok, Song Lei, Ken Lo, Shogo Shiotani, Masashi Ishibashi, Masaru Matsuda, Gam Biu, James Ha, Lee Fat-Yuen Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall Let’s face it, 1992 was a great year for Asian action cinema. Jet Li and Donnie Yen faced off in Once Upon a Time in China II, John … Continue reading →

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Smashing the 0-Line (1960) Review

Posted on May 6, 2018 by Kelly Warner
"Smashing the 0-Line" Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Secret Zero Zone Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Hiroyuki Nagato, Yuji Kodaka,Sanae Nakahara, Mayumi Shimizu, Tomo’o Nagai, Kaku Takashina, Emiko Azuma, Shoichi Ozawa, Ryohei Uchida, Keisuke Noro Running Time: 83 min. By Kelly Warner One of my favorite film heroes is the investigative journalist. Seekers of truth armed only with pen and notepad, overturning stones to reveal the misdeeds of powerful men who thought justice couldn’t touch them. Films about … Continue reading →

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