Category Archives: Reviews

Closet, The (2020) Review

Director: Kim Kwang-Bin Cast: Ha Jung-Woo, Kim Nam-Gil, Heo Yool, Kim Si-A, Park Sung-Woong, Shin Hyun-Bin Running Time: 95 min.  By Paul Bramhall  While the practice of shamanism has always been around in Korean cinema, it was arguably The Wailing that popularised it within the context of the horror genre for a 21st century audience, and 2020’s The Closet was one of many productions post its release in which shamanism … Continue reading

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Swordsman of All Swordsmen, The (1968) Review

Director: Joseph Kuo Cast: Polly Shang-Kwan, Tin Peng, Miu Tin, Tin Yau, Sit Hon, Kong Nam, Cho Kin, Go Ming, Liu Chu, O Yau Man, Hung Fa Long, Lee Tso Nam, Ngai So Running Time: 85 min. By Will McGuire The Swordsman of All Swordsmen is a film in a unique position in 2024: despite being a little seen but highly regarded early film from one of the legendary directors … Continue reading

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Dance of Death | aka Eternal Conflict (1980) Review

AKA: Eternal Conflict Director: Chan Chi Hwa Cast: Angela Mao, Wang Tai-Lang, Hsu Pu-Liao, Dean Shek Tien, Chia Kai, Paul Chun Pui, Ko Pao, Sun Jung-Chi, Lee Man Tai, Chan Chi Hwa, Chiu Ting Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall There are certain stars of the old-school kung-fu genre who faded from the spotlight before the fight choreography evolved into the more complex and dynamic style that began to … Continue reading

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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

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Wild, The (2023) Review

Director: Kim Bong-han Cast: Park Sung-woong, Oh Dae-hwan, Seo Ji-hye, Joo Suk-tae, Oh Dal-soo, Hwang Se-In  Running Time: 110 min. By Paul Bramhall When Korean cinema broke out internationally in the early 2000’s it was the countries gangster genre that quickly gained a favourable reputation, defined by an aesthetic that never shone away from brutal violence, and populated by memorable characters who were usually lucky to make it to the … Continue reading

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Exhuma (2024) Review

Director: Jang Jae-Hyon Cast: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Hae-jin, Kim Go-eun, Lee Do-hyun, Jeon Jin-Ki, Kim Jae-cheol, Hong Seo-jun Running Time: 134 min. By Paul Bramhall While many directors in the Korean film industry tend to gravitate between different genres, there’s something admirable about how director and writer Jang Jae-hyeon has carved out a niche for himself helming supernatural horror mysteries. After making his feature length debut with The Priests in … Continue reading

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Polar Rescue (2022) Review

AKA: Come Back Home Director: Lo Chi-Leung Cast: Donnie Yen, Cecilia Han, Jia Bing, Yuan Jinhui, Hou Tianlai, Xu Guangyu, Lin Chenhan Running Time: 102 min. By Paul Bramhall Despite 2022 only being a couple of years ago, it feels like Donnie Yen’s first legitimate foray into headlining a production that relied purely on his acting chops has already been forgotten about. Having returned to the contemporary action thriller with … Continue reading

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Driven to Kill (2009) Review

Director: Jeff King Cast: Steven Seagal, Mike Dopud, Igor Zhizhikin, Robert Wisden, Inna Korobkina, Zak Santiago, Andrew Rasputin, Evgeniy Lazarev, Laura Mennell Running Time: 98 min. By Paul Bramhall Before Steven Seagal was awarded the Order of Friendship from Vladimir Putin in 2023. Before he became the Special Representative for Russia & U.S. cultural links in 2018. Even before he attained Russian citizenship in 2016. Before all of that, there … Continue reading

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To Sir, With Love | aka Bloody Reunion (2006) Review

Director: Im Dae-woong Cast: Oh Mi-Hee, Seo Young-Hee, Yeo Hyeon-Soo, Lee Ji-Hyun, Yoo Sul-Ah, Lee Dong-Kyu, Kim Eung-soo, Jang Sung-Won, Park Hyo-Joon, Lee Tae-Rim Running Time: 93 min. By Paul Bramhall Pick any Asian horror from the early to mid-2000’s, and there’s a high chance you’ll encounter a long black-haired ghost, inevitably showing up to terrorise the cast and seek revenge for a past wrong. A trend that was started … Continue reading

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Monstrous Corpse, A (1981) Review

Director: Kang Beomgu Cast: Chiang Ming, Yu Gwang-ok, Hong Yun-jeong, Kim Wang-guk, Baek Song, Pauline Wong Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall  As far as baffling remake choices go, the obscure Korean horror oddity A Monstrous Corpse from 1981 must surely be up there as one of the top contenders. A reimagining of the 1974 Italian and Spanish co-production Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, director Jorge Grau’s Lake District set … Continue reading

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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

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Deadly Kung Fu Factor (1975) Review

Director: Chui Dai-Chuen Cast: Michael Chan Wai Man, Charles Heung Wah-Keung, Susanna Au-Yeung Pui-San, Na Na, Chao Lei, Cheng Kei-Ying, Wu Chia-Hsiang, Chieh Yuan Running Time: 86 min.  By Will McGuire I recently reviewed the new Dark Forces release of Shadow Fist Hunter, and now it’s time for the second half of this label’s ultra rare kung fu boom double feature. Interestingly enough, Deadly Kung Fu Factor is as different a … Continue reading

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Sleep (2023) Review

Director: Jason Yu Cast: Jung Yu-mi, Lee Sun-kyun, Kim Keum-Soon, Kim Guk-Hee, Lee Kyung-Jin, Yoon Kyung-Ho, Lee Dong-Chan, Park Hyun-Jeong, Hong Ha-Naim Running Time: 94 min. By Paul Bramhall The best horror movies plug into the kind of primeval fear that everyone can relate to, and in that regard its hard to think of a more commonly binding part of being human than the need to sleep. For most of … Continue reading

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Lights Out (2024) Review

Director: Christian Sesma Cast: Frank Grillo, Scott Adkins, Dermot Mulroney, Jaime King, Mekhi Phifer, Kevin Gage, Amaury Nolasco, JuJu Chan, Erica Peeples, Jessica Medina Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall An opening scene that sees a soldier under heavy fire in Afghanistan, trying to survive against seemingly insurmountable odds. Nondescript enemies popping up everywhere as cannon fodder. A harrowing conclusion before we cut forward to present day, where we … Continue reading

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Shadow Fist Hunter | aka The Shadow Chaser (1973) Review

Director: Fei-chien Wu Cast: Yip Tai Kong, Yi Yuan, Liang Pin, Pearl Chang Ling, Wu Kuan, Kwan Hung, Chen Hui-Lou Running Time: 90 min. By Will McGuire On Black Friday of last year, the small press label Dark Forces released a pair of extremely rare classic kung fu films: Deadly Kung Fu Factor and this film, Shadow Fist Hunter. Remastered from newly discovered 35mm prints, the films represent a fascinating … Continue reading

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