Mickey 17 (2025) Review

“Mickey 17” Theatrical Poster

“Mickey 17” Theatrical Poster

Director: Bong Joon-Ho
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, Holliday Grainger, Anamaria Vartolomei, Thomas Turgoose, Cameron Britton
Running Time: 137 min.

By Paul Bramhall

When it comes to any artist following up whatever it was that gave them their breakthrough – be it a song, a movie, or any other form of creativity – it’s always a challenge. That challenge is exasperated when we’re talking about an international breakthrough for a work made in a foreign language. Koreas had a few examples over the years – K-pop star Psy followed up his massively popular 2012 hit Gangnam Style with the already forgotten Gentleman in 2013. In 2024 director and writer Hwang Dong-hyuk followed up his surprise 2021 Netflix hit Squid Game with, well, Squid Game 2, of which the jury may still be out. Then we have director Bong Joon-ho, whose 2019 movie Parasite not only became a box office hit, but also became the first non-English language production to win Best Picture at the 2019 Academy Awards (along with 3 more, including Best Director!).

In the case of everyone mentioned their international breakthrough was far from being their first work, with Joon-ho already an established name amongst cinephiles thanks to masterpieces like Memories of Murder and The Host. Perhaps the most ironic thing about a Korean language production being the one that made Bong Joon-ho a recognizable name Continue reading

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Half-mortal and half-god, cursed and compelled to violence? Justin Lin to direct Keanu Reeves in gritty actioner BRZRKR

"BRZRKR" Comic Book Cover

“BRZRKR” Comic Book Cover

Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6, Finishing the Game) will be directing BRZRKR, Netflix’ live-action film adaptation of Keanu Reeves’ BOOM! Studios-published comic book of the same name.

Additionally, Reeves (John Wick: Chapter 4) will also star in and produce the upcoming action thriller. The film, penned by The Batman 2’s Mattson Tomlin, will be followed by an anime spinoff series.

BRZRKR is about an immortal warrior’s 80,000-year fight through the ages. The man known only as “B” is half-mortal and half-god, cursed and compelled to violence… even at the sacrifice of his sanity. But after wandering the earth for centuries, B may have finally found a refuge – working for the U.S. government to fight the battles too violent Continue reading

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The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost | Blu-ray (Radiance)

RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2025

On June 23, 2025, Radiance is releasing a Blu-ray (Region A/B) for 1961’s The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost. Crime film specialist Tai Kato (I, the Executioner) brings the famous Ghost Story of Yotsuya to the screen as a gritty tale of murder and greed, with an intense lead performance by Tomisaburo Wakayama (Lone Wolf and Cub, New Battles Without Honor and Humanity).

When the daughter of an elite family takes a shine to poor samurai Iemon (Wakayama), he sees an opportunity to climb the social ladder. He just needs Continue reading

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Jade (2025) Review

"Jade" Theatrical Poster

“Jade” Theatrical Poster

Director: James Bamford
Cast: Shaina West, Mickey Rourke, Mark Dacascos, Katherine McNamara, Steven Michael Quezada, Keith Jardine, Chris Bruno, Mathew Yanagiya, Emily Eruraviel
Running Time: 88 min.

By Paul Bramhall

I get it. You want to make a martial arts movie but don’t have much of a budget, let alone any wiggle room for marketing, so what’s the best thing you can do? The answer is a simple one – you call Mickey Rourke. Tell him he’ll only need to be onscreen for less than 15 minutes, just needs to utter a few lines, and his character’s scenes consist of him walking around a little with minimal exertion. Sealed the deal? Now you can take the next logical step – you call Mark Dacascos. Tell him he’s required even less, 10 minutes will do, and he just needs to talk and take part in a 3 second action scene. Seems like he’s on the fence? Tell him its filming in the States, so he doesn’t have to worry about travelling to Thailand like he did for all those Wych Kaosayananda movies he starred in. With the talents of such 2020’s era classics like One Night in Bangkok, Take Back, Assault on VA-33, and Section 8 onboard, you’re already halfway there.

Stuntman turned director James Bamford knows the deal, and when it comes to directing, this guy goes for it. After cutting his teeth helming episodes of NCIS: Hawai’i and various DC Universe franchises (including a 17-episode run on Green Arrow), Bamford Continue reading

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Bow-wow-wow, yippie-yo, yippie-yay! Martial arts star Scott Adkins and Jesse V. Johnson teaming up for ‘Irish Dog’

Martial arts star Scott Adkins (John Wick 4, Ip Man 4, Triple Threat) is re-teaming with action director Jesse V. Johnson (Boudica: Queen of War) for FishCorb Films’ Irish Dog, an upcoming thriller that’s due for release next year.

In the film, a London nightclub bouncer reluctantly agrees to chaperone an old friend, now a suave but untrustworthy gangster, on a “legitimate” trip Continue reading

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Clarence Fok, director of ‘Iceman Cometh’, ‘Naked Killer’ and ‘Special ID’ dies at 68

Clarence Fok

Clarence Fok (aka Clarence Ford), director, producer and actor has passed away at the age of 68, due to heart disease and kidney cancer. Although news of his passing has just been made public, Hong Kong media is reporting Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! Redeemer | Blu-ray | Only $8.99 – Expires soon!

Redeemer | Blu-ray & DVD (MPI Entertainment)

Redeemer | Blu-ray & DVD (MPI Entertainment)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Redeemer (read our review), starring Chilean martial arts star Marko Zaror (Savage Dog, Machete Kills) and directed by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza (Kiltro).

In Redeemer, an ex-hitman (Zaror) seeks redemption for his sins by meting out violent justice to those who would prey on the innocent. Known on the streets as the Redeemer, Pardo is a vigilante desperate for redemption and earns it by offering criminals the chance to ask forgiveness for their crimes or pay the ultimate price.

When his bloody path crosses that of would-be drug lord Braddock (Noah Segan, Looper, Deadgirl), he must fight an entire underworld organization while keeping one step ahead of a vengeful assassin Continue reading

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All aboard for a remake!? Watch the Trailer for Shinji Higuch’s ‘Bullet Train’ remake streaming on Netflix in April

"Bullet Train Explosion" Netflix Poster

“Bullet Train Explosion” Netflix Poster

Shinji Higuch (Shin Ultraman), the co-director of 2016’s Shin Godzilla, is prepping Bullet Train Explosion, a remake of Junya Sato’s 1975 disaster thriller, Bullet Train (neither have no relation to David Leitch’s 2022 actioner of the same name).

The original starred Ken Takakura (Golgo 13) as a mad bomber who plants a device on a high-speed Japanese train, programmed to detonate if the train’s speed drops below 80 kilometres per hour. The trains conductor (Sonny Chiba, Soul of Chiba) must keep the train moving whilst the police track the madman down (via Eureka). The film was the inspiration for the 1994 Hollywood blockbuster, Speed.

The upcoming Bullet Train Explosion follows a group who straps bombs to a Japanese bullet train in an attempt to extort money from the Continue reading

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Kowloon Walled City, Jet Li, Shaw Brothers and more! Here’s what’s streaming on Hi-YAH for the month of March

Hi-YAH!, Well Go USA’s very own Asian/martial arts streaming channel has just announced their New Releases for the month of March!

If you want to give Hi-YAH! a go, visitors of this site can use the promo code “CITYONFIRE” for a FREE 30 Day trial!

Read on for the full list of New and Exclusive Continue reading

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How many erotic ghost stories can you handle in one night? ‘Erotic Ghost Story I-III Collection’ now shipping!

Goodie Emporium is now shipping 88 Films’ Blu-ray set for the Erotic Ghost Story: I-III Collection, which will include 1990’s Erotic Ghost Story, 1991’s Erotic Ghost Story and 1992’s Erotic Ghost Story III. 

This triple-bill of paranormal perversion delivers everything you’d want from a Category III movie, plus a bit more besides. In the first tale from Story of Ricki director Ngai Choi Lam, a trio of sexy spirits fall for the same hunk. The second movie, the directorial debut of Peter Ngor (Legendary Couple) has the God of Carnal Desire, God Wu Tung on a quest for revenge after his favourite conquest is zapped by other god like beings and in the third piece from Kai-Ming Lai (The Blue Jean Monstter), a man journeys into the afterlife only to be greeted Continue reading

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Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants (2025) Review

“Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants” Theatrical Poster

“Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants” Theatrical Poster

Director: Tsui Hark
Cast: Xiao Zhan, Zhuang Dafei, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Sabina Zhuang, Bayaertu, Alan Aruna, Ada Choi, Wu Hsing-kuo, Hu Jun, Zhang Wenxin, Zhao Shuai
Running Time: 146 min. 

By Paul Bramhall

Novelist Jin Yong’s Legend of the Condor Heroes has been adapted countless times for both the big and small screens since it was first serialised from 1957 – 1959, with each one having to grapple with how to best portray such a sprawling tale on film. Chang Cheh attempted to cram it across 4 movies with The Brave Archer series, while TVB’s classic adaptation in 1983 was spread across 59 episodes. Others chose to adapt parts of the tale, like Wong Kar-Wai’s 1994 wuxia deconstruction Ashes of Time, or take inspiration from it like Wong Jing did in 1993’s The Kung Fu Cult Master. In 2025 auteur Tsui Hark has opted to go for the same approach as Wong Kar-Wai with Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants, taking the rarely adapted latter part of the story where battlefield warfare breaks out between the Mongols, the villainous Jin, and the Song Empire.

It’s a bold move, considering most adaptations tend to focus on the martial arts mastery that the main characters seek, so by largely eschewing this onscreen staple Hark risks alienating those who come to an adaptation of Legend of the Condor Heroes with certain expectations. However it also shouldn’t be a surprise from a director like Tsui Hark, a filmmaker who’s Continue reading

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Getting More Into Games At Any Stage Of Your Life

If you are keen to try and get into gaming and games a little more, this is something you can do at any time, and it is always going to be a possibility that you can follow. Because of that, it’s the kind of thing that is going to be well worth thinking about, and you might find you want to approach it from a lot of different angles. All in all, this is the kind of thing that is going to be hugely important for you to consider, and it’s likely that you are going to want to think about how you can approach it best.

Pic Credit – CCO License

In this post, we are going to talk about some of the best ways to get into games, regardless of what stage of life you are in and how much experience you may or may not have with these already. Let’s take a look and see what you might want to think about here.

Finding Your Games

First of all, you will probably want to know how you can hope to find the right games for you, as this is part of the whole experience that can be a little trickier to get right. But as long as you do manage to find your games, this is going to make it a lot more likely that you will actually enjoy them and get into them, so it’s something that is certainly worth thinking about in this respect. With that in mind, you might want to consider some of the different game types there are out there to be tried out.

It might be that you want to try your hand at some of the classics like minesweeper and so on, or that you are keen on giving something new a go. Whatever it might be, as long as you manage to find your game and you are doing whatever you can to get hold of them, this should be a really important part of the whole process of getting into gaming, so it’s certainly something to think about.

Pic Credit – CCO License

Making Time For Gaming

A lot of modern games take up a lot of time, and you will therefore need to make sure you can make the time if you are going to get into them appropriately enough. There are several ways to do this and to help this along. You might, for instance, want to think about having shorter sessions, so that you are able to have quicker games that you can fit into a busy schedule. Or maybe you are considering setting up some kind of gaming routine. Whatever it might be, you need to make sure that you are thinking about it from a lot of different angles if you are going to really make a huge difference here.

There is also something to be said for social gaming – if you are short on time but you want to connect with other people, you could consider multiplayer games or co-op experiences instead. It’s up to you exactly how you approach this.

Building Skills & Confidence

Over time, you are gradually going to be building up your skills and your confidence with gaming, and you will find that this is going to be so much more likely to actually help you to enjoy it for what it is as well. So this is something that you should certainly think about if you are trying to get into gaming more. There are certain things which can help you to build confidence as you go as well. For instance, you might be able to start on easy mode and work your way up, which is a great way to ensure that you are going to get into gaming in a much better way. Or you might simply want to watch people playing on twitch and youtube and learn that way.

However you do it, gradually building up your skills is going to mean that you are much more likely to get into games properly and fully, and that you are going to really make a huge difference to how you feel about them as well.

Those are just some of the things to think about when it comes to getting into games at any stage in your life, so make sure that you have thought about those things and you should find it helps you out a lot.

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Deal on Fire! The Iron-Fisted Monk | Blu-ray | Only $18.99 – Expires soon!

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray (Region B) for The Iron-Fisted Monk, 1977 martial arts film directed by and starring Sammo Hung (Eastern Condors, Knockabout).

In the years following the passing of Bruce Lee, the flame of Hong Kong action cinema was being kept alive via the masterful choreography of Sammo Hung in a multitude of films, typically under the direction of Huang Feng (Stoner). However, in 1977, Hung would finally get his chance to fully take the directing reins, with his former director by his side as co-writer, paving Continue reading

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Where Do I Buy E-Cigarettes? Top Places to Get Quality Vapes Legally and Safely

You’re not the only one wondering, “Where do I buy e-cigarettes?” As vaping continues to grow in popularity, many people are looking for trustworthy and authorized places to buy e-cigarettes. Regardless of your experience level, you should know where to buy electronic cigarettes safely. This article will direct you to the top sources for quality vapes that will have you purchasing original products while keeping you within the bounds of the law.

Here are reliable places to get quality vapes legally and safely:

Online Retail Shops

Online retail stores are one of the most convenient places if you want to know where to buy e-cigarettes. Online retailers make finding exactly what you’re looking for a breeze by carrying a large selection of brands, flavours, and accessories.

If you search for “Where do I buy e-cigarettes?” you’ll find plenty of specialty vape stores or known online retailers. Making sure the seller is reputable is key, though. To ensure you’re purchasing from a reliable source, search for certifications, return policies, and customer reviews.

Manufacturers’ Websites

If you’re wondering, “Where do I buy e-cigarettes directly from the manufacturer?” Your best option is to visit the manufacturer’s website. Most reputable e-cigarette manufacturers have their own online stores with their newest products and promotions.

You don’t have to worry much asking yourself “Where can I buy an electronic cigarette?”  You can get them directly from the manufacturer, guaranteeing you an authentic product, and making you eligible for warranties and customer support. You can check out ePuffer for the best e-cigarettes at affordable prices.

Drugstores

Amazingly, some pharmacies also now carry vaping gear and e-cigarettes. Are you curious and asking yourself, “Where do I buy e-cigarettes?” Your local pharmacy may be a surprising but dependable source. Vaping hardware, especially that which is intended to aid smokers in switching from traditional cigarettes, is now carried at big-name chains like CVS and Walgreens. For those who value quality and safety, pharmacies are a great option. Because these shops are regulated, you can be sure that the products they sell are of high quality.

Local Vape Expos

Consider going to local vape expos for a more hands-on shopping experience. Anyone looking for where to buy an electronic cigarette while learning about the latest trends should attend one of these events. Vape expos provide a unique chance to try out new products, learn about vape technology, and network with other vapers. They consolidate manufacturers, vendors, and fans in a single location. Limited-edition merchandise and special deals can usually be found at the expos. It’s also a way to experience various devices firsthand and ask the experts some questions.

Authorized Vape Stores

You will not find a more reliable source of e-cigarette purchases than authorized vape stores. These specialty shops guarantee a large selection and have knowledgeable employees because they only sell vaping gear. If you’re asking, “Where can I buy e-cigarettes?”, a quick internet search should bring up several local options. For those who are new and need assistance with selecting the appropriate device or e-liquid, official vape stores are the way to go. The representatives can offer suggestions for options, discuss how items vary, and even show you how to use them.

Conclusion

Are you asking yourself, “Where do I buy e-cigarettes?”  The best place for you to get them depends on your preferences and requirements. There are plenty of legal and safe options, whether you prefer to shop online, visit a manufacturer’s website, visit a pharmacy, visit a vape expo, or visit a licensed vape shop. Authenticity, quality, and customer service should always be your top priority when considering where to buy electronic cigarettes.

 

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Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance (2024) Review

"Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance" Theatrical Poster

“Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance” Theatrical Poster

Director: Bingjia Yang
Cast: Xie Miao, Yang Enyou, Huang Tao, Kuishan Pei, Pema Jyad, Fengchao Liu, Jampa Tseten
Running Time: 90 min.

By Paul Bramhall

In my review for 2022’s Eye for an Eye: The Blind Swordsman I expressed the hope that we’d see a “continued collaboration between Yang, Qin, and Miao in the future”, referring to director Bingjia Yang, choreographer Pengfei Qin, and star Xie Miao. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait long, with an unexpected sequel arriving less than 2 years later in the form of Eye for an Eye 2: Blind Vengeance. The dynamics in the world of Chinese direct to streaming movies are fast moving, and while I predicted at the time of the original’s release that director Yang could be a talent to look out for in China’s DTV action scene, it’s actually choreographer Pengfei Qin who’s come to the fore.

Stepping into the role of co-director alongside Yang for the Xie Miao starring sequel Fight Against Evil 2 in 2023, its Qin who’s gone on to become the premier director when it comes to China’s straight to streaming action. The likes of 2024’s The Drunken Prodigy, Black Storm, Blade of Fury, and Bodyguard all offer up the kind of no frills mid-budget actioners that used to by synonymous with HK in the 1980’s and early 1990’s (and cranked out at a similar pace!), making Continue reading

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