White Storm 2: Drug Lords, The (2019) Review

"The White Storm 2: Drug Lords" Theatrical Poster

“The White Storm 2: Drug Lords” Theatrical Poster

Director: Herman Yau
Cast: Andy Lau, Louis Koo, Michael Miu, Karena Lam, Kent Cheng, Gordon Lam, Chrissie Chau, Cherrie Ying, Michelle Wai, MC Jin (Jin Au-Yeung), Ben Yuen 
Running Time: 100 min.

By Paul Bramhall

In 2013 the late Benny Chan unleashed The White Storm, one of the most divisive Hong Kong action movies in recent memory. While some hailed it is a glorious throwback to the heroic bloodshed era, others called it an unwatchable mess. I fell squarely into the latter category, finding its mix of saccharine nostalgia, laughable character motivations, implausible back from the dead plot twists, and derivative action scenes to be a truly heinous concoction of awful cinema. So the announcement of a sequel shouldn’t have been something to be thrilled about, however the news that it would be a Tiger Cage style thematic follow-up, focusing on a completely new plot and set of characters, was enough to pique my interest.

For the follow-up, sub-titled Drug Lords, Benny Chan stepped away from the director’s chair (and indeed the production all together) and handed over the reins to Herman Yau. While Yau will likely remain most well-known for the infamous Cat III flicks he made with Anthony Wong in the 1990’s like The Untold Story and Ebola Syndrome, over the subsequent 25 years he’s proven to be as diverse as he is talented. In the late 00’s and early 10’s he dabbled in the kung-fu genre, helming the non-Donnie Yen Ip Man entries The Legend is Born – Ip Man and Ip Man: The Final Fight in 2010 and 2013 respectively, as well as the Qiu Jin biopic The Woman Knight of Mirror Lake in 2011. It would be 2017’s Shock Wave though that gave us our first taste of Herman Yau the big budget action Continue reading

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Tips on Forging a Career as a Police Officer

Many people want to get into a career that is respected, where the work is diverse and interesting, and the pay and other benefits are excellent. Well, if this sounds like you, a career as a police officer could be the ideal choice for you. If you want to get into the police force, there are certain steps that can help you to achieve your career goal. Of course, you need to be committed and dedicated, but the rewards you can enjoy in this type of career make it well worth the effort.

When you become a fully-fledged police officer, you can look forward to a career where you get to help others and serve your local community. This is a respected job, and it comes with many perks such as excellent pay, lots of progression opportunities, a great retirement scheme for your future, and much more. By creating a plan of action to work toward this type of career, you can boost your chances of success and look forward to a bright and exciting future. In this article, we will find out more about this.

What You Can Do to Increase Your Chances of Success

There are a few steps that you can take if you want to increase your chances of success when it comes to becoming a police offer. Some of these are:

Do a Relevant Degree

One thing to keep in mind is that the police force provides training to potential new recruits, and this involved intensive training and an entrance exam. It is important to be focused and dedicated so that you ace the exam and do well in the training if you want to make it as a police officer. However, you can also boost your chances further by doing a relevant degree such as law enforcement. This will expand your knowledge and give you an edge over the competition.  

Get Some Experience

Another thing that you can do is to try and get some experience, and one of the things you can do is to contact your local police department to see if they can help. Some departments will let interested candidates shadow a serving police officer every so often, or you could even spend a day at the station to see what goes on. Either way, the experience will give you an idea of what to expect, and it gives you something to put on your resume.

Create a Good Resume

Talking of resumes, it is important to create a solid and impressive one to boost your chances of success and demonstrate your suitability for the police force. You can find cover letter templates and resume examples to help you with this if you go online. You can then impress those who make important decisions regarding recruitment and selection.

These are some of the steps that can help you when it comes to getting into the police force and forging a successful career.

 

 

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Kiltro (2006) Review

"Kiltro" Theatrical Poster

“Kiltro” Theatrical Poster

Director: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza
Cast: Marko Zaror, Caterina Jadresic, Miguel Angel De Luca, Daniela Lhorente, Luis Alarcón, Alejandro Castillo, Man Soo Yoon, Roberto Avendano
Running Time: 93 min.

By Henry McKeand

At first glance, Marko Zaror is what you expect from an action star. A tall, intimidating martial artist from Chile with an intense screen presence, he was first introduced to most action fans as the villainous Dolor in the minor DTV classic Undisputed III. Zaror’s role as Dolor required him to ratchet up the scariness factor, as did later performances in films such as Machete Kills and Savage Dog, and it was immediately clear that he could have a career as a Hollywood heavy. Here was a man born to play the psycho and lose fights to more established names.

But there’s more to Zaror than meets the eye. That intense screen presence that made him an instant favorite in Undisputed III wasn’t just the result of a training regimen and unique bone structure—there’s a raw, vulnerable edge to his performances that lingers just under the surface. To this day, no American filmmakers have been able to harness Zaror’s leading man energy, but there’s one director from his native Chile who has always understood his star potential.

Ernesto Díaz Espinoza is a clear fan of bone-crunching genre cinema that pushes bodies to their limit. In Zaror, he found his muse—a rough yet magnetic actor capable of performing virtually any stunt a young screenwriter could dream of. But while Espinoza clearly relished at the opportunity to work with a physical performer of Zaror’s caliber, he wasn’t content simply creating a piece of mindless, macho spectacle. Instead, the films he ended up making with Zaror feel Continue reading

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A Force of One | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

A Force of One | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

A Force of One | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

RELEASE DATE: August 2, 2022

On August 2, 2022, Kino Lorber is releasing the Blu-ray for A Force of One, a 1979 actioner directed by Paul Aaron (Deadly Force) and starring martial arts legend, Chuck Norris (Slaughter in San Francisco, Code of Silence, Way of the Dragon).

From the writer of The French Connection comes a martial arts battle of vengeance and honor. He hears the silence. He sees the darkness. He’s the only one who can stop the killing. One by one, a squad of undercover narcotics agents is being eliminated by a mysterious assassin. Those felled are left virtually unmarked, except for one cruel death mark—the work of a lethal martial artist. To help discover the identity of the karate killer, the police enlist the aid of Matt Logan (Chuck Norris), who’s training to defend his title against Jerry Sparks (kickboxer Bill “Superfoot” Wallace). Amanda Rust (Jennifer O’Neill), a key member of the undercover team, is the first to put the pieces together. Can she warn Logan before he steps into Continue reading

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Good Guys Wear Black | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

Good Guys Wear Black | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

Good Guys Wear Black | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

RELEASE DATE: August 2, 2022

On August 2, 2022, Kino Lorber is releasing the Blu-ray for Good Guys Wear Black, a 1978 actioner directed by Ted Post (Magnum Force, Hang ‘Em High) and starring martial arts legend, Chuck Norris (Slaughter in San Francisco, Code of Silence, Way of the Dragon).

In Good Guys Wear Black, an ex-US Army commando (Norris) must find the reason why his comrades from his unit are being systematically murdered before he is next.

The film also stars Anne Archer (Fatal Attraction), James Franciscus (Longstreet), Lloyd Haynes (Dynasty), Dana Continue reading

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

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

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

RELEASE DATE: August 30, 2022

On August 30, 2022, Arrow is releasing the Blu-ray (Region A) for Johnnie To’s 1999 thriller, Running Out of Time, as well as its 2001 sequel, Running Out of Time 2.

Note: Eureka’s UK Blu-ray (Region B) release (details here) releases on July 25, 2022.

Johnnie To’s Running Out of Time 1 & 2 – collectively stars Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs), Lan Ching-wan (A Hero Never Dies) and Ekin Cheng (The Storm Riders) – hits Blu-ray for the first time in the U.S. from Arrow.

In Running Out of Time, police inspector and excellent hostage negotiator Ho Sheung-Sang (Lan Ching-wan) finds himself in over his head when Continue reading

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Police Story Trilogy | 4K UHD (Eureka)

Police Story Trilogy | 4K UHD (Eureka)

Police Story Trilogy | 4K UHD (Eureka)

RELEASE DATE: September 26, 2022

On September 26, 2022, UK label Eureka is releasing the Police Story Trilogy on 4K UHD (Region Free). In addition, they’re also releasing Police Story 3: Supercop on standalone Blu-ray.

Read the official details below:

The most action packed trilogy of all time comes to Ultra HD Blu-ray for the first time ever! Featuring some of the most dangerous stunts ever performed on camera, these three films represent the pinnacle of Jackie Chan’s unique style of Hong Kong action filmmaking. A dazzling blend of gritty action cop drama, impeccably choreographed martial-arts sequences, and bone-crunching stuntwork – this series of films revitalised the Hong Kong action genre and established Jackie Chan Continue reading

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Police Story 3: Supercop | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Police Story 3: Supercop | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Police Story 3: Supercop | Blu-ray (Eureka)

RELEASE DATE: September 26, 2022

On September 26, 2022, UK label Eureka is releasing the Blu-ray (Region B) for Police Story 3: Supercop.

Read the official details below:

Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh team up in this action masterpiece! Featuring some of the most dangerous stunts ever performed on camera, Police Story 3: Supercop represents the pinnacle of Jackie Chan’s unique style of Hong Kong action filmmaking. A dazzling blend of gritty action cop drama, impeccably choreographed martial-arts sequences, and bone-crunching stuntwork.

Action superstar Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) joins the series as Inspector Yang Chien-Hua, who teams up with Chan Ka-Kui to take down an international drug ring. With some of the most Continue reading

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The Octagon | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

The Octagon | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

The Octagon | Blu-ray (Kino Lorber)

RELEASE DATE: August 2, 2022

On August 2, 2022, Kino Lorber is releasing the Blu-ray for The Octagon, a 1980 actioner directed by Eric Karson (Black Eagle, Angel Town) and starring martial arts legend, Chuck Norris (Slaughter in San Francisco, Code of Silence, Way of the Dragon).

Plagued by painful memories as a fighter, Scott (Chuck Norris) has stayed away from the dark side of battle. But when a wealthy heiress seeking revenge hires him to infiltrate an international terrorist operation run by his adopted bother, Scott has no idea what he is coming up against. Drawn closer and Continue reading

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Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020) Review

"Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes" Theatrical Poster

“Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes” Theatrical Poster

Director: Junta Yamaguchi
Cast: Kazunari Tosa, Riko Fujitani, Gôta Ishida, Masashi Suwa, Yoshifumi Sakai, Haruki Nakagawa, Munenori Nagano, Takashi Sumita, Chikara Honda, Aki Asakura
Running Time: 70 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The concept of time travel is always an interesting one when it’s transferred to screen, and the Japanese film industry has flirted with it just as much as any other. From modern day military units transported to feudal Japan in the likes of G.I. Samurai, to the quirkiness of Summer Time Machine Blues, to of course the countless romantic spins on the genre. What all of them have in common is characters travelling back to the past, whether it be days or decades, and their need to adjust to a different time period or right a wrong. Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes also uses time travel as its key theme, however it does so in an arguably more minutiae way than any of its predecessors (and perhaps anything that’ll come after it), dealing with a café owner who realises the monitor in his room is capable of showing 2 minutes into the future.

Played by Kazunari Tosa (Prisoners of the Ghostland, Misono Universe), his character lives in the apartment directly upstairs from the café he runs, and this realisation comes about when he returns home one night and the monitor flickers on, his own face staring back at him from behind the screen. His 2 minutes into the future self is back in the café downstairs, and after explaining the strange phenomenon to his current self, his current self heads back downstairs – completing the loop and setting things in motion. Soon the café’s barista, played by Riko Fujitani (Beautiful Dreamer, Asahinagu), gets in on the action, who proceeds to call up 3 of the cafes regulars Continue reading

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Ip Man: The Awakening | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Ip Man: The Awakening | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Ip Man: The Awakening | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2022

On June 21, 2022, Well Go USA is releasing the Blu-ray for Li Xijie Adam and Zhang Zhulin’s martial arts actioner, Ip Man: The Awakening.

Ip Man: The Awakening stars Xie Miao (the little kid from Jet Li’s The New Legend of Shaolin and My Father is a Hero), who steps into the role made famous by Donnie Yen. Co-stars include Hou Tongjiang, Hua Qilong, Chen Guanying and Zhao Yuxuan.

While visiting Hong Kong, a young Master Ip (Xie Miao) intervenes in a kidnapping attempt, unintentionally igniting a turf war with a ruthless human trafficking ring. In retaliation, the gang kidnaps one of Ip Man’s close friends, leaving him with no choice but to challenge the group’s notoriously brutal boxing champion Continue reading

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Super Ninja, The | aka Killers Untouchable (1984) Review

"The Super Ninja" Theatrical Poster

“The Super Ninja” Theatrical Poster

Director: James Wu
Cast: Alexander Lo Rei, Eugene Thomas, Jack Long Shi-Chia, William Yen, Bruce Lai (Chang Il-do), Tong Lung, Yang Hsiung, Yu Kam-Po, Kim Gi-Jong, Lo Mei
Running Time: 91 min.

By Paul Bramhall 

Amongst the many ninja flicks that Taiwan cranked out in the 1980’s, perhaps none stand out more than director James Wu’s unintended ninja trilogy. Kicking off with his directorial debut in 1984 with The Super Ninja, and continuing with 1985’s Ninja in USA and 1987’s Ninja Condors, these movies were obviously connected through the pairing of Alexander Lo Rei and Eugene Thomas, but less obviously by their choice to be set in the USA. Of course, none of them were actually filmed in America, instead relying on stock footage of the New York skyline, and in the case of The Super Ninja, having a police station where each of the sparsely decorated rooms has a shoddy looking American flag pinned to the wall.

A surreal version of America full of shouty gweilos that somehow still feel like the foreigners, and ninjas running rampant through the streets, it’s hard not to be entertained by the bizarre world Wu creates onscreen. Lo Rei was quickly becoming the ninja poster boy when Wu debuted with The Super Ninja, having headlined the likes of Shaolin Vs. Ninja and Ninja Vs. Shaolin Guards, so to take his ninja shenanigans from the period setting and throw them into contemporary surroundings was a stroke of genius. The Super Ninja would also mark the screen debut of Eugene Thomas (amusingly listed in the credits as Yau Jin Thomas – which if you say loud enough in a high-pitched voice is exactly how some of the characters speak in the movie), an African American Continue reading

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Game of Death Redux (2022) Review

"Game of Death Redux" Theatrical Poster

“Game of Death Redux” Theatrical Poster

Director: Bruce Lee
Produced & adapted by: Alan Canvan
Cast: Bruce Lee, James Tien, Chieh Yuan, Dan Inosanto, Ji Han Jae, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Running Time: 34 min. 

By Jeff Bona

In 1972, Bruce Lee started filming Game of Death, a movie that would not only have been his 4th Hong Kong action feature, but also his sophomore directorial effort. During this time, Bruce filmed over 100 minutes of footage, most of which, was enough to make up film’s main action finale. But before Game of Death would go further into production, Bruce was offered a lucrative deal from Warner Bros to star in a major Hollywood film. Game of Death was ultimately put on the back burner; and Bruce put his undivided attention on Enter the Dragon, a 007-esque, martial arts actioner that would become one of Warner’s highest grossing films of the year. It also made Bruce Lee a true international action star.

Sadly, Bruce was just weeks away from the theatrical premiere of Enter the Dragon when he suddenly — and shockingly — died. His premature death only amplified his popularity, instantly placing him in the larger-than-life ranks of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.

Bruce Lee left behind a legacy of art, film, self-awareness, determination, and an overall body of work that one can enjoy and study for a lifetime. Most intriguing of all, he left behind Game of Death, a movie he started, but never completed. In fact, the mystique of Game of Death is probably the most talked about subject in Bruce’s life, only rivaling open discussions about his still-mysterious death. How can one ignore imagery of an abnormally tall, barefoot African fighter Continue reading

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Bruce Willis, Olga Kurylenko, Michael Rooker and John Malkovich die hard in the New Trailer for ‘White Elephant’

"White Elephant" Theatrical Poster

“White Elephant” Theatrical Poster

Jesse V. Johnson, the action filmmaker behind Triple Threat, Accident Man and Avengementis unleashing another actioner in the form of White Elephant, an upcoming thriller starring Bruce Willis (Die Hard), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace), Michael Rooker (The Replacement Killers) and John Malkovich (Con Air).

Rooker stars as Gabriel Tancredi, an ex-marine-turned-mob enforcer who must battle his conscience and code of honor when he is forced to help clean up a botched assassination job by his protégé, Carl. Willis plays Arnold, the top man in the mob. Kurylenko plays Vanessa, a cop that has been trying for years to bring down Arnold and his crime syndicate, and teams up with Gabriel to do so (via THR).

White Elephant also stars Continue reading

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Finding the Best Provider for Your THC Gummies

If you are looking for solutions that can help to aid your wellbeing, improve your quality of life, and have an overall positive impact on a day-to-day basis, you may have considered turning to CBD products. Well, there are lots of options that you can choose from when it comes to the CBD industry, and this includes products that contain THC.

With THC products such as THC gummies, you get something that contains all of the active ingredients of the plant, and this can prove beneficial in many ways. With this type of product, you can notice a real difference when it comes to your overall well-being and life quality, and it has become an increasingly popular choice among many people in today’s fast-paced and stressful world. Of course, you need to ensure you find the right gummies for you, and also the right provider. In this article, we will look at some tips on finding the best provider for your THC gummies.

What You Need to Consider

There are some important points that you need to consider if you want to ensure you find the right provider for your THC gummies. Some of the main ones that can help you to make a more informed decision are:

The Variety of Options Offered

One of the things that you need to look at when it comes to finding a suitable provider for your THC product is the variety of options available. When it comes to THC gummies, you can select from a range of variations such as different strengths, quantities, and flavors. In order to ensure that the provider you choose can accommodate your needs, you should take some time to look at the options that they offer. You can then find the ideal product for your specific needs and your budget.

The Pricing of the Products

You also need to ensure you do not end up paying over the odds for your THC gummies, and this means looking at the pricing from the provider you are considering using. The cost of the gummies can vary based on the strength and quantity you choose, among other things. In addition, different providers may charge different prices, so you need to look at the costs and ensure you can get affordable deals on these products. This will make it easier for you to stay within your budget.

Opinions of Other People

If you have never used the provider before and do not personally know someone who has, you basically have no idea what their products, service levels, and reliability are going to be like. The bests way to get around this problem is to look at the opinions of other people via online reviews. This can provide you with a wealth of information about both the provider and the products, which means that you can make a more informed decision.

These are some of the key things you should do if you want to make sure you find the best provider. 

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