Exploring the Continued Presence of Bruce Lee in Pop Culture

Bruce Lee will forever be remembered as one of the most influential movie stars of his time – even though he only made five films – as well as a master of martial arts who had a tremendous impact on popular culture. Still, it’s a rarity for someone who passed away nearly 50 years to still have a presence in the contemporary space of pop culture, especially given how much entertainment media has been transformed.

It just speaks to the profound force that Bruce Lee was at the time of his rise. Still an instantly recognizable figure, his work in film transformed the depiction of Asian characters in western media. He introduced a true style of real on-screen action, and his blend of styles is widely credited as paving the way for the mixed martial arts scene. So, perhaps it isn’t a surprise that modern creatives are still drawing from Lee’s work and legacy.

Lee is present in even the newest forms of entertainment

Most famed for his on-screen choreography and distinct martial arts style, it won’t come as a surprise that much of Bruce Lee’s influence in the world of video gaming is in the fighting genre. He is the inspiration behind Maxi in Soulcalibur, Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat, and Fei Long in Street Fighter. You can also find several character skins across gaming to create a Bruce Lee character, as is the case in the latest collaboration for skins in Naraka: Bladepoint.

Most distinctly, however, Marshall Law in Tekken is the character who is the complete embodiment of Bruce Lee in gaming. From fighting style to available outfits and vocals, Marshall Law is the most akin to Bruce Lee, until you get to the icon himself. Even in the new space of online casino gaming and free spins no deposit offers, there is a Bruce Lee slot game at the ready. Found on Casumo Casino, a highly rated platform offering 20 spins on Book of Dead, you can find the official Bruce Lee game, featuring signature weapons and the star himself.

Lee’s works continue in scripts for the screen as well

Two years before his death, Bruce Lee was shopping his concept for a series entitled Ah Sahm, which was rejected by major studios in 1971. In 2015, however, his daughter successfully revived the idea, with the result being the show Warrior. Shannon Lee is the show’s executive producer, with the showrunner being Jonathan Tropper, who crafted the superb Cinemax show Banshee.  

Having recently completed its second season, with a third on the way, it was billed as Cinemax’s primary show and now ranks highly on the streaming platform HBO Max. In fact, shortly after its arrival there in 2021, the two-season-old program quickly climbed into the upper echelons of the platform’s most-viewed shows. The series is certainly unique in American media, both in its focus, delivery, and representation, with the protagonist, played by Andrew Koji, taking on a distinctly Bruce Lee-esque persona and style.

In an age of entertainment media where audiences want to see stories from different communities to those who have dominated the screen for decades, Bruce Lee’s concept looked perfect on paper. Throw in a real dedication to his work by his daughter, and a showrunner who proved to be a nuanced supporter of representation and diversity in Banshee, and Warrior looks to be the perfect show for modern TV.

Bruce Lee wasn’t just an icon of his era, but clearly, he’s still a pop-culture favorite even 50 years later.

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Running Out of Time I and II | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Running Out of Time I and II | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Running Out of Time I and II | Blu-ray (Eureka)

RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2022

On August 1, 2022, Eureka is releasing the Blu-ray (Region B) for Johnnie To’s 1999 thriller, Running Out of Time, as well as its 2001 sequel, Running Out of Time 2.

Official details:

Johnnie To’s Running Out of Time 1 & 2; two slickly made cat-and-mouse thrillers, and starring Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs), Lan Ching-wan (A Hero Never Dies) and Ekin Cheng (The Storm Riders); scanned and restored in 2K and available for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK as part of The Masters of Cinema Series.

Acclaimed director Johnnie To helms this visually dazzling and nail-bitingly intense action thriller that became one of Hong Kong’s biggest box Continue reading

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Drive My Car (2021) Review

"Drive My Car" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Drive My Car” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toko Miura, Reika Kirishima, Park Yu-rim, Jin Dae-yeon, Sonia Yuan, Ahn Hwitae, Perry Dizon, Satoko Abe, Masaki Okada
Running Time: 179 min.

By Paul Bramhall

It’s perhaps a testament to how much inspiration Japanese author Haruki Murakami is capable of instilling in those who read his work, when you consider that Drive My Car is the second of his short stores in recent years to be adapted into an epic piece of cinema. Korean director Lee Chang-dong adapted the short story Barn Burning from The Elephant Vanishes omnibus into 2018’s Burning, clocking in at 2 & ½ hours, and in 2021 Japanese director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s adapted the short story Drive My Car from the omnibus Men Without Women. Despite the source material being less than 40 pages, transferred to screen Drive My Car transforms into a 3-hour meditation on loss, identity, and what it means to come to terms with a past that can never be fully understood.

Only the 2nd Japanese movie to win the Best International Picture Academy Award after Departures in 2008, Hamaguchi plays with the narrative structure of Murakami’s original work in a way which allows it to connect with audiences more coherently, and promises a richer experience on repeated viewings. Hidetoshi Nishijima (Casshern, Dolls) and Reika Kirishima (Heaven’s Door, Norwegian Wood) are a happily married couple involved in the arts, with Nishijima a successful stage actor and director, and Kirishima a script writer. Nishijima is invited to Vladivostok as a judge at a festival, however when his flight is delayed by a day due to bad weather he returns home, only to find his wife Continue reading

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Sony enlists Marvel’s ‘Hawkeye’ series director Rhys Thomas to helm live-action adaptation of ‘Robotech’

"The Super Dimension Fortress Macross" Japanese DVD Cover

“The Super Dimension Fortress Macross” Japanese DVD Cover

After years of development hell, Sony is moving forward – slowly but surely – with a big screen, live-action adaptation of Robotech, a popular animated TV show that aired in the United States in 1985.

Robotech will chronicle three generations of humans and the giant transformable robots they pilot as they defend earth from an alien invasion.

Previously, James Wan (The Conjuring, Furious 7), Nic Mathieu (Spectral) and Andy Muschietti (It, Mama) were attached to direct, but now Robotech is now in the hands of Rhys Thomas (Marvel’s Hawkeye).

According to Deadline: After helping steer the ship as the main director on Marvel’s Continue reading

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Breathing Fire (1991) Review

"Breathing Fire" Theatrical Poster

“Breathing Fire” Theatrical Poster

Director: Lou Kennedy
Co-director: Brandon De-Wilde
Cast: Ke Huy Quan, Eddie Saavedra, Ed Neil, Jerry Trimble, Bolo Yeung, Wendell C. Whitaker
Running Time: 85 min.

By Henry McKeand

How’s this for an early-90s time capsule? Breathing Fire is a film so dedicated to its Xtreme teenage aesthetic that the plot revolves around a group of kickboxing bank robbers searching for a slice of pizza. Just when you think it couldn’t get more radical, the two young heroes turn out to be martial arts prodigies who turn even boring chores into electro hip-hop dance competitions. These are Power Rangers characters filtered through a sun-soaked DTV action filter—Chuck Norris acolytes with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle personalities. 

These characters exist in a movie that belongs to the unofficial “evil henchman played by Bolo Yeung” subgenre of American action cinema. Everyone’s trying to kick like JCVD and the whole thing is shot like a Fat Boys music video. It’s a visual celebration of yuppie American excess, but it worships at the altar of HK action and uses a Taiwanese crew to craft bold, workmanlike fight sequences. It’s clearly shot in contemporary California, but there’s something alien about its world—dialogue delivered by native English speakers is stilted to the point of sounding dubbed. 

The plot revolves around Tony, played by Eddie Saavedra, and his adopted Vietnamese brother Charlie, played by Ke Huy Quan. Unbeknownst to them, their father Michael, played by Jerry Trimble, is a ruthless criminal who has stored the loot from a major gold heist in a vault that requires two keys to enter. Naturally, he and his gang encrust the keys into a plastic pizza and then cut the pizza into several slices, meaning they need each other to access the gold. Through a series of misadventures, Tony and Charlie are introduced to Annie (played by Laura Hamilton), the daughter Continue reading

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Clementine (2004) Review

"Clementine" Theatrical Poster

“Clementine” Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Doo-young
Cast: Lee Dong-jun, Steven Seagal, Kim Hye-Ri, Eun Seo-Woo, Ki Joo-Bong, Kim Jung-Tae, Lim Ho, Lim Hyeok-Pil, Simon Rhee, So-yeon Kim, Jun Won-Joo
Running Time: 100 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The likelihood is you’ve never found yourself asking if there’s a Korean version of Don ‘The Dragon’ Wilson, but just on the off chance that you have, then let me put forward the case for Lee Dong-jun. A three-time taekwondo world champion and regular member of the Korean national team in the 1980s, similar to Wilson he converted to acting once his competitive career had run its course, turning up in various tough guy roles to dispense precision timed kicks to the face. It would be 1996’s Charisma that arguably offered up the best opportunity for Dong-jun to show off his skills, one of many direct-to-video taekwondo gangster flicks that Korea cranked out throughout the 1990’s, and the directorial debut of Kim Doo-young.

Doo-young would only go on to direct 2 more movies after his debut, the first being 2003’s Dying or Live about a restaurant delivery driver who’s obsessed with Bruce Lee, and the second coming a year later in the form of Clementine. His final feature is noteworthy because it finally gave Dong-jun star billing in a taekwondo movie, and to top it all off, the selling point was that his main opponent would be Steven Seagal! The master of mumbling and Aikido had his final cinematic outing just a couple of years prior with 2002’s Half Past Dead, and in 2004 many were still dazed and confused as to what direction Seagal’s career was headed in (including me!). DTV seemed to be the order of the day, and while The Foreigner was unwatchable dreck, Belly of the Beast saw legendary Hong Kong director and choreographer Ching Siu-Tung at the helm. So, Steven Seagal Continue reading

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Drive My Car | Blu-ray (Criterion)

Drive My Car | Blu-ray (Criterion)

Drive My Car | Blu-ray (Criterion)

RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2022

On July 19, 2022, Criterion is releasing the Blu-ray and DVD for Drive My Car (read our review), a 2021 film from co-writer (with Takamasa Oe) and director Ryusuke Hamaguchi. This award-winning, critically acclaimed film stars Hidetoshi Nishijima (Mozu: The Movie), Masaki Okada (Rage) and Toko Miura (Silent Rain).

Official details:

Only Ryusuke Hamaguchi—with his extraordinary sensitivity to the mysterious resonances of human interactions—could sweep up international awards and galvanize audiences everywhere with a pensive, three-hour movie about an experimental staging of an Anton Chekhov play, presented in nine languages and adapted from Haruki Murakami stories. With Continue reading

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, News |

Okja | Blu-ray (Criterion)

Okja | Blu-ray (Criterion)

Okja | Blu-ray (Criterion)

RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2022

On July 5, 2022, Criterion is releasing the 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD for Okja, from Bong Joon-ho (The Snowpiercer), the acclaimed director of the 2006 Korean monster masterpiece The Host, as well as the 2019 sensation, Parasite.

Read the official details below:

Master genre exploder Bong Joon Ho swirls pathos, dark satire, action, and horror into an exhilarating twenty-first-century fairy tale. An all-star cast including Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, and Jake Gyllenhaal is led by An Seo Hyun as Mija, a South Korean girl growing up on an Edenic mountainside with her grandfather and best friend: Okja, a giant, empathetic “superpig” created as part of a secret GMO experiment. When Continue reading

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Deal on Fire! The Karate Kid Collection | 4K UHD + Blu-ray | Only $41.99 – Expires soon!

The Karate Kid Collection |

Today’s Deal on Fire is the 4K + Blu-ray + Digital set for The Karate Kid Collection, which includes The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid II and The Karate Kid III (The Next Karate Kid is absent from this collection).

Read on for the official Continue reading

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Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Review

"Everything Everywhere All At Once" Poster

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Poster

Director: Dan Kwan
Co-director: Daniel Scheinert
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., James Hong, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sunita Mani, Aaron Lazar, Audrey Wasilewski
Running Time: 139 min.

By Paul Bramhall

As an actress Michelle Yeoh has made an impact in every decade she’s been active. In the 80’s she kick-started the Girls with Guns genre in her first starring role with Yes, Madam!. In the 90’s she came out of retirement and proceeded to give both Jackie Chan and James Bond a run for their money, co-starring along side Chan in Police Story 3: Supercop, and being the first Asian Bond girl in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies. In the 2000’s she’d star in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and in doing so introduced the wuxia genre to the world in a way which no other film has before or since, and in the 2010’s she featured in the first Hollywood movie to have a leading cast consisting entirely of Asians with the (appropriately titled) Crazy Rich Asians. Now in 2022 Yeoh once again leaves her mark on the 2020’s by headlining Everything Everywhere All at Once.

The sophomore feature length production from the duo known as Daniels – consisting of Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All at Once follows 2016’s Swiss Army Man, and if anything shows their knack for the off-kilter and quirky certainly wasn’t a one off. The plot focuses on Yeoh’s laundromat owner who’s having a particularly stressful day. On top of needing to prepare for a tax audit by the IRS, her demanding father is flying in for a Chinese New Year party taking place later on the same day, her stubborn daughter wants to bring her girlfriend, and she’s Continue reading

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Mechanical Violator Hakaider (1995) Review

"Mechanical Violator Hakaider" Theatrical Poster

“Mechanical Violator Hakaider” Theatrical Poster

Director: Keita Amemiya
Cast: Yuji Kishimoto, Mai Hosho, Yasuaki Honda, Dai Matsumoto, Kazuhiko Inoue, Sumisu Andi
Running Time: 51/71 min.

By Henry McKeand

There’s cerebral, lore driven science fiction, and then there’s something like Mechanical Violator Hakaider: a lizard-brained action fantasy with little patience for traditional world-building or character development. Directed by Keita Amemiya (Zeiram, Kamen Rider ZO) and based on the 1972 tokusatsu series Android Kikaider, the film is a blissfully short piece of violent, industrial cyberpunk that prioritizes special effects and atmosphere over all else.

The original Kikaider series focused on the titular android, a superhero who regularly faced off against Hakaider, a villainous android. Like most tokusatsu shows, the series focused primarily on colorful spectacle, which was enough to warrant a manga adaptation and a follow-up series, Kikaider 01. These original shows were created by Shotaro Ishinomori, and they featured the same bright suits and high-concept heroics as other Ishinomori properties such as Kamen Rider and Super Sentai.

By the time the 90s rolled around, tastes had evolved, and what was once a failproof formula had started to feel tame. Kikaider still had loyal fans, but two decades of cultural changes meant that modernizing the franchise would be tricky. Luckily, Amemiya turned out to be the perfect director for the job, and the resulting Mechanical Violator Hakaider captures so much of what’s charming Continue reading

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The Sadness | Blu-ray (Raven Banner)

The Sadness | Blu-ray (Raven Banner)

The Sadness | Blu-ray (Raven Banner)

RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2022

On May 17, 2022, Raven Banner will be releasing a Blu-ray for The Sadness (read our review), the debut feature from writer/director Rob Jabbaz. The film will also making its streaming debut on the Shudder streaming platform on May 12, 2022.

Produced and filmed in Taiwan, critics are calling The Sadness “The most violent and depraed zombie movie ever made”.

The city of Taipei suddenly erupts into bloody chaos as ordinary people are compulsively driven to enact the most cruel and ghastly things they can imagine. Murder, torture, and mutilation are only the beginning… A young couple is pushed to the limits of sanity as they try to reunite amid the violence and depravity. The age Continue reading

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, News |

Midnight (2021) Review

"Midnight" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Midnight” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kwon Oh-Seung
Cast: Jin Ki-Joo, Wi Ha-Joon, Park Hoon, Gil Hae-Yeon, Kim Hye-Yoon, Na Eun-Saem, Kim Yoo-Ri, Kang Sang-Won, Lee Sang-Eun, Lim Seung-Min
Running Time: 100 min.

By Paul Bramhall

When looking at landmark movies that came to define Korean cinema in the 21st century, it shouldn’t take too long before Na Hong-jin’s 2008 serial killer thriller The Chaser is brought into the discussion. Sure there had been serial killer thrillers before, notably Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder from 2003, however it was The Chaser’s stripped down ticking clock narrative, pitting a former cop turned pimp versus a hammer wielding prostitute killer, that kick started a wave of similarly themed productions. Few were able to match the power and intensity of Hong-jin’s debut though, and by the time the 2020’s rolled around the Korean serial killer thriller as we’d come to know it had all but disappeared. That is until 2021, when another first-time director in the form of Kwon Oh-seung decided to go the serial killer route for his debut, Midnight. 

Midnight sees Wi Ha-joon (Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, Coin Locker Girl) as a suave psychopath with a penchant for killing women. This fact is established in the opening scene, wherein he does exactly that, luring a lady who’s just wrapped up working in a secluded part of town into his van by offering a lift to the main road. Of course, she never makes it. Things don’t go quite to plan for Ha-joon with his next victim though, a girl who he stabs in the stomach and dumps in a dark alley out of sight. She’s able to muster the strength to throw her shoes into the street in the hope of grabbing someone’s attention, and it proves enough to catch the eye of a passer-by played by Jin Ki-joo (Little Forest, The Land of Happiness). The twist on the standard genre tropes come in the form of Ki-joo’s character Continue reading

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Yaksha: Ruthless Operations (2022) Review

"Yaksha: Ruthless Operations" Netflix Poster

“Yaksha: Ruthless Operations” Netflix Poster

Director: Nah Hyeon
Cast: Sol Kyung-Gu, Park Hae-Soo, Yang Dong-Geun, Lee El, Song Jae-Rim, Jin Young, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi 
Running Time: 125 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Taking its title from a type of spirit that exists in Hindu and Buddhist culture responsible for looking after hidden treasures, Yaksha: Ruthless Operations is also the name of the latest Korean offering from Netflix. Far from being a supernatural outing, here the reference is made to Sol Kyung-gu’s (Idol, Memoir of a Murderer) crumpled secret operative, who we meet in the opening scene on the tail of a double agent in Hong Kong. Bolting straight out of the gates, we get a grenade in the shape of a Yaksha’s head (or at least, that’s what I think it was), a vehicular chase that leaves a trail of destruction in its wake, and an intense fight scene as Kyung-gu and the double agent face off. With the Hong Kong police on his tail, Kyung-gu makes a call to advise the receiver that he’s going to fold, and proceeds to drop off the map.

Skipping ahead 4 years later and we meet righteous prosecutor played by Park Hae-soo (Time to Hunt, Pirates), who finds himself demoted when his team make an error that sees a high-profile client slip through the net. Redemption may be on the cards through when he’s offered a chance at being reinstated, coming in the form of a trip to Shenyang in Mainland China. It’s explained the city has the highest number of spies in Asia, and is essentially one large black site where power struggles between North and South Korea, China, and Japan play out hidden from view to the naked eye. Korea’s Intelligence Agency has a team there who work off the radar, however it’s become clear that the reports being sent through for the last 6 months are fake, and it’s now gotten Continue reading

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7 Undeniable Benefits of Starting a Blog for Your Business

Did you know that around 92% of marketers incorporate blog posts into their marketing strategy? While there are nearly 32 million active bloggers in the US, blogging is still a great way to stay competitive.

Blogging is an effective way to establish your company as an authority figure while increasing your website’s organic traffic. No matter what industry you’re in, your company can benefit from a business blog.

This guide will discuss our top seven benefits of starting a blog for your company.

1. Increase Your Website’s Traffic

Every business wants to increase the traffic to their website. People can find your company’s website by typing your name into a search engine, but that usually only works for customers that know who you are. You want to get on the radar of those who aren’t aware of what you have to offer.

Writing blog posts is a cost-effective way to boost traffic to your website, especially if you optimize them for search engines. By including relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for throughout your blogs, you can drive traffic to your website.

2. Repurpose Your Blogs for Other Initiatives

Business blogs can help you get discovered on other platforms, such as LinkedIn or Twitter. Each time you write a blog post, you can share it on your personal and professional social media accounts. You’ll expose your company to other people who might not know you.

You can also use your blog content for your social media posts. Your social media manager doesn’t have to create new content to post. They can pull information and graphics from the blogs you’ve written.

3. Establish Your Company Blog as an Authority Figure

Your blogs should include relevant information and tie back to the products and services you offer. The content should answer questions that your target audience is asking. Creating valuable articles or content will establish your company as an authority and industry leader.

If you’re unsure what to write about, use a blog topic generator. You can input information about your target audience and what you’re trying to solve for them. The online tool will help you develop a topic that you can use as a jumping-off point.

You can also include educational blog posts as sales tools in an email funnel. Drop a link to an informative blog post in one of your email blasts, helping your lead through the sales funnel.

For example, your sales team might get a question from a customer that requires a documented answer or a lengthy explanation. They can pull the response from your previous blog posts. The blogs will help the sales process progress while positioning your sales team as a helpful resource.

4. Convert Your Website Traffic Into Leads

Once you start getting more organic traffic to your website, it’s time to convert those visitors into leads. When you create a blog, each post allows you to generate additional leads for your company.

You can turn a blog reader into a lead by including a call-to-action with every blog post. Some examples of common calls-to-action include:

  • Book a demo
  • Read another article
  • Schedule a phone call
  • Download a free whitepaper, trial, etc.

Any blog you write should include a call to action. Remember that not all visitors to your blog will turn into leads. It’s important just to get started blogging, and you’ll notice an increase in your lead conversion.

5. Drive Your Company’s Long Term Results 

You don’t have to do a ton of work once you post a blog to your website. Over time, your blog will get views and leads.

For example, some people might see your blog post on social media a few days after it goes live. Your email subscribers might read your newsletter and check out the blog.

You’ll continue to get traffic to your website for weeks or even years after the blog post goes live. Many people only look at the first day of traffic to measure the success of a blog post. Blogs generate traffic and leads for your company beyond that first day or even week.

6. Promote Your Services and Products

Providing your readers with information and answering their questions is a vital component of blog posts. However, you should use blog posts as an opportunity to promote what your company has to offer.

For example, say your company sells shoes. You can write a blog post on the top 10 shoes that are trending for summer. In your blog, you can link back to shoes that you sell on your website.

This also applies if you offer services. Imagine that your company sells logos and other graphic design items. You can draft a blog on how to design a logo, referring to your services throughout the blog to encourage them to work with a professional.

7. Share News About Your Company

No matter the size of your business, you can promote and share company information through blog posts. Some news you can share includes:

  • New hire for your team
  • Interview with an industry expert
  • A case study that highlights your services and products
  • Trade show or event that you’ll be present at

Sharing company information helps humanize your business. It also helps your target audience see that you’re not just about promoting and selling your products.

Start a Business Blog to Grow Your Audience and Sales 

A business blog is a great way to establish your company as an authority figure while promoting your products and services. Your business will benefit from incorporating blog posts into your marketing campaigns.

Did you find this article helpful? Explore our blog to see more articles on how to grow your business.

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