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on OPERATION KAZAKHSTAN! First look at Jackie Chan in ‘Armour of God 4’ with his iconic Asian Hawk gearThat's messed up, given that LKL was one of Shaw's top directors. Sucks to he…
on ‘The Raid’ vs. ‘Versus’ star! ko Uwais to take on Tak Sakaguchi in the martial arts thriller ‘Pendekar: Warrior’TIMUR WAS A SHAKEY CAMERA NIGHTMARE
on Exit 8 (2025) ReviewI haven't! However in this case there's nothing to get - endless looping trai…
on Exit 8 (2025) ReviewI assume you've also seen Backrooms. Is Exit 8 as frustrating as a movie goin…
on Meta madness! Eddie Peng joins Jason Statham in ‘Jason Statham Stole My Bike’ from ‘John Wick’ creator David LeitchLoved Munich. I do have to disagree with SS calling quits after it, because h…
on OPERATION KAZAKHSTAN! First look at Jackie Chan in ‘Armour of God 4’ with his iconic Asian Hawk gearThe plural of anecdote is not data, but based on my experiences interacting w…
on Patrick Tse, Hong Kong actor of ‘Invincible Eight’, ‘The Comet Strikes’ and ‘Shaolin Soccer’, passes away at 89Jackie issued a statement on him, too. https://www.instagram.com/p/DbBY_2oyV_…
on OPERATION KAZAKHSTAN! First look at Jackie Chan in ‘Armour of God 4’ with his iconic Asian Hawk gearHmmm----I don't think it's a coincidence that the only person Jet Li has anyt…
on Move over, FURIOUS! New Trailer for Tony Jaa’s latest project co-starring Dan Chupong and Jeeja YaninWas this directed by Christopher Nolan? 😜
Category Archives: Reviews
Cops vs. Thugs (1975) Review
Director: Kinji Fukasaku Cast: Bunta Sugawara, Kunie Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko, Reiko Ike, Hiroki Matsukata, Toru Abe, Mikio Narita, Akira Shioji, Tatsuo Umemiya, Shotaro Hayashi, Hideo Murota, Masaharu Arikawa Running Time: 100 min. By Kelly Warner No one dies well in a Kinji Fukasaku gangster movie. A director who fuels nearly every scene with rage or panic, his characters always seem to either be screaming at each other or tripping over one another in an attempt to escape … Continue reading
Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews
Tagged Bunta Sugawara, Kinji Fukasaku, Kunie Tanaka, Nobuo Kaneko, Reiko Ike
Karate Kill (2016) Review
Director: Kurando Mitsutake Writer: Kurando Mitsutake Cast: Hayate, David Sakurai, Asami, Katarina Leigh Waters, Mana Sakura, Kirk Geiger, Noriaki Kamata, Kirk Geiger, Tomm Voss, Jeffrey James Lippold Running Time: 85 min By Paul Bramhall Japanese action cinema has a history of making movies that act as a showcase for the karate skills of the stars that headline them, from Ken Kazama in Karate from Shaolin Temple back in 1976, to Rina … Continue reading
I Am a Hero (2015) Review
Director: Shinsuke Sato Cast: Yo Oizumi, Kasumi Arimura, Masami Nagasawa, Hisashi Yoshizawa, Yoshinori Okada, Nana Katase, Jin Katagiri, Makita Sports, Muga Tsukaji, Yu Tokui Running Time: 126 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s rare for Asian movies to break out into the mainstream, and when they do, they’re normally of the martial arts variety. So in 2016, when the Korean zombie movie Train to Busan started getting global attention, thanks largely … Continue reading
Wolf Guy: Enraged Lycanthrope (1975) Review
Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi Cast: Sonny Chiba, Rikiya Yasuoka, Saburo Date, Koji Fujiyama, Tooru Hanada, Ryuji Hayami, Jiro Ibuki, Harukui Jo, Kenji Kawai, Hiroshi Kondo, Koji Miemachi, Etsuko Nami, Yoshio Neshima Running Time: 86 min. By Kelly Warner There are two types of film fans in the world; those who learn of Sonny Chiba’s 1975 werewolf action movie Wolf Guy with a “Huh?” and those who almost immediately plunk down $20 so that … Continue reading
Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit (1989) Review
AKA: Mad Mission 5 Director: Lau Kar-leung Cast: Samuel Hui Koon-kit , Karl Maka, Leslie Cheung, Nina Li Chi, Conan Lee, Billy Chong, Maria Cordero, Ha Chi Jan, Mark Houghton, Walter Tso Running Time: 102 min. By Paul Bramhall There’s a distinct feeling with the fifth instalment of the Aces Go Places series, that the producers were trying to aim for as broad an audience as possible. Of course fans of … Continue reading
Mad World (2016) Review
Director: Wong Chung Cast: Eric Tsang, Shawn Yue, Elaine Jin, Charmaine Fong, Yvan Chan Hok-Man, Ng Siu-Hin Running Time: 101 min. By Martin Sandison The name Eric Tsang conjures up images of Golden Harvest comedies like My Lucky Stars (I’ll never forget the button mushroom joke) or his magnificent turn as gang boss Hon Sam in Infernal Affairs and it sequel. A seasoned veteran of Hong Kong cinema, even directing martial arts movies (he helmed … Continue reading
City Ninja | aka Ninja Holocaust (1985) Review
AKA: Rocky’s Love Affairs Director: Choi Young-chul Cast: Michael Chan Wai-Man, Casanova Wong, Andy Chworowsky, Chae Eun-hui, Eagle Han Ying, Park Yun-geun, John Ladalski, Mabel Kwong Mei-Bo Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall Let’s just get it out of the way upfront – City Ninja is such a muddled production, the very prospect of reviewing it and providing some kind of background of how it came to be is an intimidating one. Almost every source … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Ninja, Reviews
Tagged Casanova Wong (Ka Sa Fa), Eagle Han Ying, John Ladalski, Michael Chan Wai Man
Universal Soldier (1971) Review
Director: Cy Enfield Cast: George Lazenby, Ben Caruthers, Robin Hunter, Edward Judd, Alan Barnes, Cy Enfield, Germaine Greer, Rudolph Walker, Chrissie Townson, Guy Deghy Running Time: 94 min. By Jeff Bona While promoting 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, model-turned-actor, George Lazenby, the film’s “New James Bond” star, was literally a signature away from playing Bond again, until his then-manager, Ronan O’Rahilly, convinced him not to take the deal: “Bond is [Sean] Connery’s gig,” O’Rahilly … Continue reading
Opium and the Kung Fu Master (1984) Review
AKA: Lightning Fists of Shaolin Director: Tong Gai (Tang Chia) Cast: Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, Robert Mak, Philip Ko Fei, Lee Hoi San, Tang Chia, Lau Leanne, Ku Kuan Chung, Alan Chan, Ma Chao, Yuen Wah, Yuen Bun Running Time: 86 min. By Chris Hatcher Knowing one could be blacklisted in many kung fu cinema circles for making the following statement, here goes nothing: I have always been somewhat … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews, Shaw Brothers
Tagged Chen Kuan-tai, Elvis Tsui, Lee Hoi-Sang, Philip Ko Fei, Robert Mak Tak-Law, Ti Lung, Tong Gaai, Yuen Bun, Yuen Wah
Dancing Warrior | aka Venom Warrior (1985) Review
AKA: Dancing King Director: Cheng Cheh Cast: Ricky Cheng Tien Chi, Yang Li-Su, Sun Jung Chi, Yang Guang-Yo, Chen Kuan-Tai, Got Heung Ting, Lui Fong, Dennis Brown, Anita Mui Yim Fong Running Time: 90 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s fair to say that legendary director Chang Cheh more than earned his moniker of the Godfather of Hong Kong action cinema, however while his crowning achievements are many, there can also be no doubt that the post-Shaw … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Anita Mui Yim Fong, Chang Cheh, Chen Kuan-tai, Ricky Cheng Tien Chi
Sleep Curse, The (2017) Review
Director: Herman Yau Writer: Erica Li, Lee Sing Cast: Anthony Wong, Jojo Goh, Gordon Lam Ka-Tung, Michelle Wai, Mak Kwai-Yuen, Chye Yang Running Time: 102 min. By Martin Sandison After this year’s Udine Far East Film Festival screening of The Sleep Curse – and before my scheduled interview with its prodigiously talented director, Herman Yau – I bumped into the great man outside the theatre. I told him that I’d never seen a film like the masterful Untold Story … Continue reading
Deadly Breaking Sword, The (1979) Review
Director: Sun Chung Writer: Ni Kuang Cast: Ti Lung, Alexander Fu Sheng, Shih Szu, Ku Feng, Chan Wai Man, Lily Li Li Li, Ngaai Fei, Chan Shen, Kara Hui, Ha Ping, Alan Chan, Cheung Gwok, Chow Kin Ping, Gam Tin Chue, Hung Ling Ling, Keung Hon, Eddie Ko Hung Running Time: 101 min. By JJ Hatfield An arrogant assassin and an unlucky gambler are brought together by pride, greed and a captivating courtesan … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews, Shaw Brothers
Tagged Alexander Fu Sheng, Eddy Ko Hung, Kara Hui, Ku Feng, Lily Li Li-Li, Michael Chan Wai Man, Ngaai Fei, Shih Szu, Sun Chung, Ti Lung
Jailbreak (2017) Review
Director: Jimmy Henderson Cast: Jean-Paul Ly, Dara Our, Tharoth Sam, Céline Tran, Savin Phillip, Dara Phang, Sisowath Siriwudd, Laurent Plancel, Rous Mony, Sok Visal, Georgina Tan Running Time: 92 min. By Matija Makotoichi Tomic Following in the footsteps of Vietnam, Indonesia, and of course, Thailand before that, it was time for Cambodia to mark its place on the international martial arts movie map. Delivering the country’s first piece of full-fledged … Continue reading
Posted in All, Cambodian, News, Reviews
Tagged Céline Tran, Dara Our, Jean-Paul Ly, Jimmy Henderson, Laurent Plancel, Tharoth Sam
Mrs K (2016) Review
Director: Ho Yuhang Cast: Kara Hui, Simon Yam, Wu Bai, Faizal Hussein, Kirk Wong, Fruit Chan, Li Xuan Siow Running Time: 90 min. By Martin Sandison For me, one of the big draws of this year’s Udine Far East Film Festival was the screening of Mrs K, and the appearance by its director Ho Yuhang. Ho is known for genre hopping and has a lot of successful films under his belt – all made in Malaysia. Martial … Continue reading
Posted in All, Chinese, News, Reviews
Tagged Faizal Hussein, Fruit Chan, Kara Hui, Kirk Wong, Simon Yam, Wu Bai
Mifune: The Last Samurai (2016) Review
Director: Steven Okazaki Cast: Keanu Reeves, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Koji Yakusho, Sadao Nakajima, Kyoko Kagawa Running Time: 80 min. By Kelly Warner “The ordinary Japanese actor might need ten feet of film to get across an impression; Mifune needed only three.” – Akira Kurosawa Like many others, I have Godzilla to thank for first introducing me to Japanese movies. But when the day finally came for me … Continue reading
Posted in All, Asian Related, Documentary, News, Reviews
Tagged Akira Kurosawa, Keanu Reeves, Koji Yakusho, Kyoko Kagawa, Martin Scorsese, Sadao Nakajima, Steven Spielberg, Toshiro Mifune, Yoshio Tsuchiya
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