Phantom (2023) Review

"Phantom" Theatrical Poster

“Phantom” Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Hae-Young
Cast: Sol Kyung-Gu, Lee Ha-Nee, Park So-Dam, Park Hae-Soo, Seo Hyun-Woo, Kim Jong-Soo, Bibi, Esom, Lee Joo-Young, Kim Dong-Hee, Kim Joong-Hee
Running Time: 133 min.

By Paul Bramhall

If someone asked if I could recall the name of that Korean movie which was set in 1933, and involves a group of independence fighters whose mission is to assassinate an official in the occupying Japanese government, chances are I’d confidently answer its director Choi Dong-hoon’s 2015 blockbuster Assassination. However as of 2023 I’d only have a 50% chance of being correct, as Phantom shares a plot which is practically identical.

Director Lee Hae-yeong’s (Foxy Festival, The Silenced) 4th solo outing in the director’s chair, Phantom marks his first production since 2018’s Believer (mercifully he didn’t return for the sequel), and marks a welcome return to the kind of period piece action thriller that’s been missing in action from Korean screens for far too long. Adapted from Chinese novelist Mai Jia’s The Message, Hae-yeong transfers the setting from Japan occupied China in 1941 to Japan Continue reading

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In the mood for Blood ‘n Cripps? Blu-ray for the 1979 cult Kung Fu oddity ‘Crippled Masters’ now available!

Now shipping from Goodie Emporium is Film Masters’ Special Edition Blu-ray (Region A) for The Crippled Masters (not to be confused with 1978’s Crippled Avengers), a 1979 martial arts/exploitation film from director Joe Law (The Lost Secrets of Kung Fu).

The Crippled Masters features two genuinely handicapped martial artists: Shun Chung-Chuen (Two Crippled Heroes) and Thomas Hong Continue reading

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Demon Pond | 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (Criterion)

Demon Pond | 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (Criterion)

Demon Pond | 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (Criterion)

RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2024

On October 15, 2024, Criterion is releasing 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray for Demon Pond, a 1979 film from  Japanese New Wave renegade Masahiro Shinoda (Ballad of Orin), who transforms a classic Kabuki tale with his own extravagant visual style in this dimension-shattering folk-horror fantasia.

When a lone traveler (Tsutomu Yamazaki) stumbles upon a remote, drought-stricken village, he finds himself engulfed in a whirlpool of myth, mystery, and magic: in a nearby pond reside spirits who hold the fate of the town’s inhabitants—including lovers Akira (Go Kato) and Yuri (Kabuki legend Tamasaburo Bando, who also plays the ethereal princess reigning over the water) — in their hands. Set to the swirling strains of electronic-music pioneer Isao Tomita’s synth score, Demon Pond blends theatrical artifice with cinematic Continue reading

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3 Movie Tropes That Keep Us Coming Back For More

When you watch a narrative unfold on the screen, you’re going to see some recurring tropes in action. It’s a fact of fiction – tropes make stories and stories need to use tropes to create tension, drama, and (hopefully) a satisfying ending! And sure, some tropes are overplayed and downright boring by now, but some are fun and enjoyable and keep us coming back for more. Indeed, we’ve listed three such tropes below; these story elements have stood the test of time and still pull in massive audiences to this day. 

Pexels Image – CC0 Licence

The Leads are Total Opposites

We’re often told in real life that ‘opposites attract’, but never is that more true than in fiction. Most commonly found in holiday movies and romantic comedies, when the lead characters are total opposites of each other but can’t help being drawn together, audiences eat the story up every single time! 

It’s a good way to fire up chemistry between the characters (and occasionally the lead actors), and it can be very entertaining to watch them clash over the course of the story as they come to understand each other. 

It’s a classic conflict that’s fun to see picked apart and unravelled as the narrative marches on, and seeing as human beings can have a thousand different problems with each other, there’s a chance for a fresh take on this trope every single time. 

Training Montage

A classic element of the standard martial art film you’ll see in every era of cinema, a training montage takes us from A to B in terms of a character’s progression from amateur to professional. 

Training montages are a great way to keep the story moving and maintain a good pace, without losing out on the context of a character’s actions. We get to see the effort involved, usually accompanied by an entertaining musical score, but we don’t have to sit through hours of back and forth to prove that the character has changed and grown.

Genius Detective

We all love a genius detective character, no matter what form they come in. Sherlock Holmes is the classic detective genius – the kind who helps to solve classic crime mysteries in the Victorian era – but characters like Beniot Blanc, who’s more of a modern take on this archetype, fit the bill perfectly as well. 

We all love to see puzzles being solved, if only for the satisfaction of having our own theories confirmed, but the intricacy involved in writing these stories has impressed audiences for centuries. It takes a clever writer to truly fool the audience, but when clues are hidden in plain sight from the moment the film began, the watcher gets to put themselves in the genius detective’s shoes. That’s always a nice feeling! 

Movie tropes can be fun to identify and pick apart, and they’re always going to be at the core of story writing. The next time you sit down to watch a movie, see if you can spot the tropes at play. 

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A train ride John Wick wouldn’t want to Raid! Peak at the 4K Ultra HD SteelBook for the Hindi-language actioner ‘Kill’

Kill 4K | 4K Ultra HD SteelBook (Lionsgate)

Kill 4K | 4K Ultra HD SteelBook (Lionsgate)

Lionsgate continues to pump out John Wick-like/The Raid-esque product with Kill, a Hindi-language martial arts actioner from director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat (Hurdang) that’s headlined by Lakshya (Haseena).

According to Korean Film Expert Paul Bramhall, some of the film’s action was choreographed by Oh Se-young, whose notable work includes Bollywood films such as Tiger 3 and War, as well as stunts for Snowpiercer and War of the Arrows.

When army commando Amrit (Lakshya) finds out his true love Tulika (Tanya Maniktala) is engaged against her will, he boards a New Delhi-bound train in a daring quest to derail the arranged marriage. But when a gang of knife-wielding thieves Continue reading

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Daiei Gothic: Japanese Ghost Stories | Blu-ray (Radiance)

RELEASE DATE: October 28, 2024

On October 28, 2024, Radiance Films is releasing the 3-Film Blu-ray (Region A/B) set for Daiei Gothic – Japanese Ghost Stories, which includes 1959’s The Ghost of Yotsuya, 1968’s The Snow Woman, and 1968’s The Bride from Hades.

A collection of three of Japan’s most famous ghost stories that have haunted people for centuries. Kenji Misumi (Lone Wolf and Cub) directs The Ghost of Yotsuya, in which a woman returns from the grave as a horribly disfigured phantom to torment her husband and his new bride. In The Snow Woman, directed by Tokuzo Tanaka (Zatoichi), a woodcutter must Continue reading

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Avenging Force | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

Avenging Force | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

Avenging Force | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

RELEASE DATE: September 10, 2024

On September 10, 2024, Kino Lorber will be re-releasing the Blu-ray for Avenging Force (aka Night Hunter), a 1986 Cannon Films’ actioner directed by Sam Firstenberg (Revenge of the Ninja) and starring Michael Dudikoff (American Ninja).

Dudikoff portrays Matt Hunter  – a character previously portrayed by Chuck Norris in 1985’s Invasion U.S.A. – an ex-secret service agent trying to protect his best friend from a super band of rightwing terrorists known as Pentangle. When the ruthless organization torches his ranch and kidnaps his little sister, Hunter is forced into Pentangle’s barbaric “manhunt”, played out in the remote swamplands of Louisiana. It’s the ultimate game of cat-and-mouse, as Hunter employs an awesome array of martial arts skills in his desperate Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! Maximum Conviction | Blu-ray | Only $11.48 – Expires soon!

Maximum Conviction | Blu-ray (Lionsgate)

Maximum Conviction | Blu-ray (Lionsgate)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Maximum Conviction, a 2012 thriller from action director Keoni Waxman (Contract to Kill, End of a Gun)

When former black ops operative Steele (Steven Seagal, Above the Law) and Manning (Steve Austin, Tactical Force) are assigned to decommission an old prison, they must oversee the arrival of two mysterious female prisoners. Before long, an elite force of mercenaries assault the prison in search of the new arrivals. Steven Seagal. Steve Austin. Together at last!

Maximum Conviction also stars Michael Paré (Streets of Fire), Steph Song (The Thaw), Michael Adamthwaite (Stargate SG-1), Dean Redman (The Hard Corps), Bren Foster (Force of Execution) and Continue reading

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Uncut Cat III Donnie Yen flick on Blu-ray? ‘Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead’ with Ken Lo and Sibelle Hu now available!

The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead | Blu-ray (88 Films)

The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead | Blu-ray (88 Films)

Now shipping from Goodie Emporium is 88 Films’ Blu-ray (All Region) for The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead, a 1991 action fantasy directed by Tony Lou Chun-Ku (Killer Angels, Holy Flame of the Martial World) that stars Donnie Yen (Raging Fire, Ip Man 4: The Finale, Big Brother).

Professor Shiang’s female students are chewed apart by the moon monster. At first, Shiang is a police suspect, but as the corpses mount, the cops realize that there are supernatural forces at work.

The Holy Virgin Versus the Evil Dead also stars Pauline Yeung Bo Ling (Dragons Forever), Ken Lo (Fighting Fist, Drunken Master 2), Ben Lam (Seven Warriors, Raging Fire), Kathy Chow (Operation Bangkok), and Sibelle Hu (My Lucky Stars).

The film is choreographed by Continue reading

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Handsome Guys (2024) Review

"Handsome Guys" Theatrical Poster

“Handsome Guys” Theatrical Poster

Director: Nam Dong-hyub
Cast: Lee Sung-min, Lee Hee-jun, Park Ji-hwan, Lee Kyu-hyung, Gong Seung-yeon, Woo Hyeon
Running Time: 100 min. 

By Paul Bramhall

The comedy genre has always been one which feels reluctant to be tackled head on in Korea, with even productions that bill themselves as comedies often making sharp U-turns into melodrama for their final reels. The likes of 2002’s Sex is Zero and 2017’s I Can Speak are classic examples of the uniquely Korean tendency to go for laughs and lightness in the first two thirds, then descend into heavy and heart-wrenching finales, a tonal whiplash that local audiences seem to except as the norm. To a degree it almost feels as if to helm an out and out comedy is a mark of shame for a filmmaker, hence the need to incorporate dramatic elements in an attempt to create a serious undertone, even if it means the audience exit the cinema shedding tears of sadness rather than laughter.

Like everything though, there are exceptions to the rule. Director Jang Gyu-sung’s Fun Movie from 2002 offered up a riotous parody of many popular movies of the era, while a director like Sin Jeong-won has stuck steadfastly to the comedy genre throughout his career, with titles like 2012’s Ghost Sweepers and 2020’s The Night of the Undead. While the rest of the 2020’s have largely been devoid of comedic outings on the Korean peninsula, thankfully in 2024 debut Continue reading

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They call him Bruce! ‘Revenger’ star Bruce Khan returns in martial arts prison flick ‘Purgatory: Zone of Murderers’

"Purgatory: Zone of Murderers" Theatrical Poster

“Purgatory: Zone of Murderers” Theatrical Poster

Looking to see a new martial arts classic as much as you’re looking to win some money off BetWinner CI?

Martial artist, actor and stuntman, Bruce Khan – who is perhaps best known for starring in 2018’s Revenger and co-starring in 2022’s The Killer – is currently prepping Purgatory: Zone of Murderers, an upcoming actioner he’s co-directing along with Jonathan Hyun Myoung Lee.

As Khan did with Revenger, he’s also choreographing the action for Purgatory: Zone of Murderers, which is essentially a prison flick with martial arts action.

Set in the near future, Purgatory: Zone of Murderers takes place at a detention centre known as Purgatory, where death-row inmates have been sent by the government. After the criminals take over the institution, an incarcerated former police officer is offered a deal to take down Continue reading

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What’s your ‘New Normal’? Watch the Trailer for the latest thriller from the director of ‘Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum’

"New Normal" Theatrical Poster

“New Normal” Theatrical Poster

Arriving on Digital on July 2, 2024 from Well Go USA is New Normal, the latest thriller from writer/director Jung Bum-Sik (Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum).

Six strangers in a world where loneliness breeds unimaginable horror. New Normal is a captured record of 4 days in Seoul, 2022, which is a time of chaos that all the mankind never have been experienced before in entire human history. It depicts the unexpected risks and identity of fears that are hidden in everyday life and common space.

The film stars Choi Ji-Woo (The Hole), Lee Yu-Mi (The Yellow Sea), Choi Min-Ho (Derailed), Pyo Ji-Hoon (Mouse) and Jeong Dong-Won (Mr. Trot: The Movie).

Watch Well Go USA’s New Trailer Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! 47 Ronin | Blu-ray | Only $8.98 – Expires soon!

"47 Ronin" Blu-ray Cover

“47 Ronin” Blu-ray Cover

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Carl Rinsch’s 47 Ronin, starring Keanu Reeves (John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum)

After a treacherous warlord kills their master and banishes their kind, 47 leaderless samurai vow to seek vengeance and reclaim their honor. This band of ronin must seek help from Kai (Reeves) — an enslaved half-breed they once rejected — in their ultimate fight for redemption in a savage world of mythic and wondrous terrors. Kai becomes their most deadly weapon and the heroic inspiration for these outnumbered warriors to confront their enemy and seize eternity.

47 Ronin also stars Tadanobu Asano (Ichi the Killer), Kou Shibasaki (Battle Royale), Hiroyuki Continue reading

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Happy 4th of July! 🇺🇸 👊💥

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Not looking for a quiet place? Then don’t miss the New Trailer for the South Korean disaster thriller ‘Project Silence’

“Project Silence” Theatrical Poster

“Project Silence” Theatrical Poster

2024’s answer to Train to Busan? Get ready for Project Silence, an upcoming South Korean disaster thriller from writer/director Kim Tae-Gon (Familyhood, Sunshine Boys), which will be hitting domestic theaters on July 12, 2024, with a soon-to-be-announced U.S. date.

The film stars the late Lee Sun-Kyun (Parasite, Kingmaker) and Ju Ji-Hoon (Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days).

Co-written by Kim Yong-Hwa of Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds and Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days, Project Silence follows an accident that occurs on a foggy bridge and, as a result, an unknown beast is unleashed.

Project Silence also stars Continue reading

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