Category Archives: Reviews

Emperor of the Underworld (1994) Review

"An Emperor of the Underworld" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Hwang Jang Lee Writer: Im Seung-su Cast: Dragon Lee (Mun Kyong-sok), Hwang Jang Lee, Lee Jin Young, Kim Mi Young, Hyeon Kil Su Running Time: 87 min. By Paul Bramhall If there was ever a genre that could be described as having little to no exposure outside of its native country, then it’s the 90’s Korean action movie. Compared to the likes of Hong Kong and Japan’s own action cinema … Continue reading

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Outlaw: Gangster VIP (1968) Review

Director: Toshio Masuda Writer: Kaneo Ikegami, Reiji Kubota Cast: Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Mitsuo Hamada, Tamio Kawaji, Kyosuke Machida, Kayo Matsuo Running Time: 93 min. By Kyle Warner There are a huge number of classic Japanese films that most the world hasn’t seen yet. So it’s always great when a home video distributor like Arrow, Criterion, Eureka, and others rediscover some forgotten gem and show it to the world. And … Continue reading

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Mercenaries from Hong Kong (1982) Review

"Mercenaries from Hong Kong" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Wong Jing Cast: Ti Lung, Chan Wai Man, Candice Yu On On, Nat Chan Pak Cheung, Lo Lieh, Ngaai Fei, Philip Ko Fei, Wong Yu, Johnny Wang, Yuen Wah, Lee Hoi San, Aai Dung Gwa, Cheng Miu, Cheung Gwok Wa, To Wai Wo Running Time: 90 min. By Matthew Le-feuvre Known for his affable personality as well as an eccentric reputation for having “fingers in many pies” pursuits, Wong … Continue reading

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Hardcore Henry (2015) Review

"Hardcore Henry" Theatrical Poster

Director: Ilya Naishuller Cast: Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, Tim Roth, Andrei Dementiev, Cyrus Arnold, Ilya Naishuller, Will Stewart, Dasha Charusha, Svetlana Ustinova Running Time: 96 min. By Zach Nix Hardcore Henry, written and directed by Russian musician/filmmaker, Ilya Naishuller, will go down in history as the first feature length first person point of view (POV) action film ever made. Naishuller previously experimented with the first person style in … Continue reading

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Friend 2 | aka Chingoo 2 (2013) Review

"Friend 2" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kwak Kyung-Taek Cast: Yoo Oh-Sung, Kim Woo-Bin, Joo Jin-Mo, Jung Ho-Bin, Lee Cheol-Min, Jang Young-Nam, Lee Joon-Hyuk, Gi Ju-Bong, Bae Sung-Jong, Jung Soo-Kyo Running Time: 124 min. By Kelly Warner Kwak Kyung-taek’s 2001 gangster drama Friend is widely considered to be a modern classic in South Korean cinema. I like the movie but you could probably say that I’m not one of Friend’s biggest fans. I rewatched it recently … Continue reading

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Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014) Review

Director: Kang Hyeong-Cheol Writer: Jo Sang-Beom, Kang Hyeong-Cheol, Lee Ji-Gang Cast: Seung-Hyun Choi, Shin Se-Kyung, Kim Yun-Seok, Yu Hae-Jin, Lee Ha-Nui, Kwak Do-Won, Lee Kyoung-Young, Kim In-Kwon, Oh Jung-Se, Park Hyo-Joo Running Time: 147 min. By Paul Bramhall Director and screenwriter Choi Dong-hoon successfully found his niche in recent years with the hugely entertaining ensemble pieces The Thieves, and more recently, Assassination. While both movies clicked with audiences not just … Continue reading

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Pilferer’s Progress, The | aka Money Crazy (1977) Review

"The Pilferer's Progress" International Theatrical Poster

Director: John Woo Producer: Raymond Chow Cast: Richard Ng, Ricky Hui, Lee Hoi San, Angie Chiu, Cheung Ying, Lam Ching Ying, Mars, Billy Chan, Tai San, Fung Hak On, Fung King Man, Gam Gwan, Helena Law Lan, Lin Ke Ming, Eric Tsang, Yu Ming, Dai Sai Aan, Kok Lee Yan, Lee Pang Fei Running Time: 98 min. By Martin Sandison John Woo is my favourite director. His run of movies … Continue reading

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Code of Silence (1985) Review

"Code of Silence" Blu-ray Cover

Director: Andrew Davis Cast: Chuck Norris, Henry Silva, Bert Remsen, Mike Genovese, Nathan Davis, Ralph Foody, Allen Hamilton, Ron Henriquez, Joe Gualdo, Molly Hagan, Ron Dean, Wilbert Bradley, Dennis Farina, Gene Barge, Mario Nieves Running Time: 101 min. By Zach Nix Code of Silence is widely regarded by critics and fans as Chuck Norris’ strongest film in his lengthy and varied filmography of martial arts actioners. Produced by Orion Pictures … Continue reading

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Great Hypnotist, The (2014) Review

Director: Leste Chen Writer: Endrix Ren, Leste Chen Cast: Xu Zheng, Karen Mok, Hu Jing, Li Fangcong, David Wang, Lu Zhong, Yang Kaidi, Guan Le, Dai Ming, Song Ci, Jiang Ditong, Jin Shunzi, Yin Hang, Song Yanzhou Running Time: 102 min. By Kyle Warner You know how sometimes you’re watching a film and think, ‘I bet so-and-so would really enjoy this movie’? Well, I’m willing to bet that M. Night … Continue reading

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Veteran (2015) Review

"Veteran" Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan Producer: Kang Hye-Jung Cast: Hwang Jeong-Min, Yu A-In, Yu Hae-Jin, Oh Dal-Su, Jang Yun-Joo, Oh Dae-Hwan, Kim Si-Hu, Jeong Woong-In, Jeong Man-Sik, Song Young-Chang Running Time: 123 min. By Paul Bramhall Director Ryoo Seung-wan is a familiar name to fans of Korean action cinema, ever since his debut Die Bad in 2000, he’s consistently delivered a series of movies which combine action with a strong narrative. Since … Continue reading

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Hard Corps, The (2006) Review

"The Hard Corps" Japanese DVD Cover

AKA: The Defender Director: Sheldon Lettich Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Razaaq Adoti, Vivica A. Fox, Peter Bryant, Ron Bottitta, Viv Leacock, Adrian Holmes, Mark Griffin, Aaron Au, Dexter Bell Running Time: 110 min. By Kelly Warner When a movie is a direct-to-DVD release, it comes with certain (usually lowered) expectations. We typically expect something low budget, often with subpar acting, and just enough of the right genre ingredients to appease … Continue reading

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Shameless, The (2014) Review

"The Shameless" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Oh Seung-uk Cast: Jeon Do-Yeon, Kim Nam-Gil, Park Sung-Woong, Kwak Do-Won, Kim Min-Jae, Park Ji-Hwan Running Time: 118 min. By Paul Bramhall Director Oh Seung-wook may not be a name that’s immediately familiar to many fans of Korean cinema, and that’s forgivable. Seung-wook directed and wrote the criminally overlooked 2000 gangster flick Kilimanjaro. The movie featured Park Shin-yang as a police officer returning to his hometown to scatter the … Continue reading

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Second in Command (2006) Review

"Second in Command" Japanese DVD Cover

Director: Simon Fellows Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julie Cox, Alan McKenna, William Tapley, Razaaq Adoti, Velibor Topic, Warren Derosa, Ian Virgo, Raffaello Degruttola Raffaello Degruttola, Serban Celea, Vlad Ivanov, Vlad Ivanov, Razvan Oprea, Mihai Bisericanu, Colin Stinton Running Time: 92 min. By Kyle Warner After reading the post by Jeff Bona on the influential career in action movies that Jean-Claude Van Damme has had (“The Most ‘Remade’ Action Star”), I … Continue reading

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Creepy (2016) Review

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa Novel: Yutaka Maekawa Writer: Chihiro Ikeda, Kiyoshi Kurosawa Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Yuko Takeuchi, Haruna Kawaguchi, Masahiro Higashide, Teruyuki Kagawa, Ryoko Fujino, Masahiro Toda, Toru Baba Misaki Saisho, Takashi Sasano Running Time: 130 min. By Martin Sandison An established Japanese film company called Shochiku, which celebrated its 120th anniversary last year, has left an enduring legacy. From Yasujiro Ozu masterpieces such as Tokyo Story to more recent output such … Continue reading

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Rambling Guitarist, The (1959) Review

Director: Buichi Saito Writer: Gan Yamazaki Cast: Akira Kobayashi, Ruriko Asaoka, Sanae Nakahara, Nobuo Kaneko, Jo Shishido, Misako Watanabe, Kyoji Aoyama, Mari Shiraki, Hiroshi Nihon’yanagi, Yuzo Kiura, San’emon Suzuki, Hyosuke Kanbe, Tsuneo Katagiri Running Time: 78 min. By Kyle Warner The Rambling Guitarist is a film that has very clearly taken some notes on what was popular at the time in Hollywood. What begins as an Elvis-inspired drama about a … Continue reading

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