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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Dr. Lamb | Blu-ray (Unearthed Films)

Dr. Lamb | Blu-ray (Unearthed Films)

Dr. Lamb | Blu-ray (Unearthed Films)

RELEASE DATE: August 9, 2022

On August 9, 2022, Unearthed Films is releasing the Blu-ray (Region A) for Dr. Lamb, a 1992 Hong Kong film starring Simon Yam (Final Run), and directed by both Danny Lee Sau Yin (The Killer) and Billy Tang Hin Sing (Run and Kill).

Official details:

The infamous and legendary CAT III atrocity in its full uncut form from the 2K master, Dr. Lamb is coming from Unearthed Films in 2022!

A mentally disturbed taxi driver lusts for blood every rainy night, and several young women are brutally murdered. He likes to take photos of the victims’ dismembered bodies as his special mementos after has sex Continue reading

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

Wind Blast (2010) Review

"Wind Blast" Theatrical Poster

“Wind Blast” Theatrical Poster

Director Gao Qun-Shu
Cast: Duan Yi-Hong, Ni Da-Hong, Jacky Wu Jing, Zhang Li, Francis Ng Chun-Yu, Yu Nan, Xia Yu, Charlie Yeung, He Tiehong, Wang Shuang-Bao, Chi Qiang
Running Time: 114 min. 

By Paul Bramhall 

If any movie is representative of Chinese mainstream cinema being at a crossroads, then the case for Wind Blast being it is a strong one. Made in 2010, it was a time when China’s rapid economic development saw hundreds of cinemas being opened around the country, and the likes of both Hong Kong and Hollywood came to realise the box office potential a population of over a billion could bring. At the same time, while censorship was a given in Mainland cinema, it was still a world away from the path that would be set in 2014, when President Xi Jinping famously urged the film industry to make “patriotism the main theme of literary and artistic creation”. It was a statement that ushered in the era of ‘main melody’ movies, kick started the following year with Wolf Warrior, the sophomore directorial feature of Beijing native Wu Jing, a production that unashamedly branded itself as jingoistic propaganda to the tune of box office success.

Wu Jing had spent the majority of the mid-1990’s to late-2000’s in Hong Kong being branded as the next big kung fu star. While he worked with some of the best, including Yuen Woo-Ping, Lau Kar-Leung, and Donnie Yen, he never really stuck as leading man material despite his best efforts. In 2010 he released a statement revealing that he was tired of the celebrity culture that working in Hong Kong came with, and wished to head back to his homeland. Wind Blast was the first movie he’d work on having returned to the Mainland, and giving little indication to the stardom that would await him just 5 years later, here he’s unceremoniously cast in a supporting role (which may explain Continue reading

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Kung Fu Stuntmen, Yuen Biao, Jet Li, Cynthia Rothrock and more! Here’s what’s on Hi-YAH for the month of April!


Hi-YAH!, Well Go USA’s very own Asian/martial arts streaming channel has just announced their New Release line up for the month of April, which includes a New title added to Hi-YAH! every Friday.

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 Continue reading

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Hard Hit (2021) Review

"Hard Hit" Theatrical Poster

“Hard Hit” Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Chang-Ju
Cast: Jo Woo-Jin, Lee Jae-In, Jin Kyung, Kim Ji-Ho, Jun Suk-Ho, Ji Chang-Wook, Haerry Kim
Running Time: 94 min.

By Henry McKeand

The best Korean thrillers are successful because they push traditional genre elements to new extremes, creating violent psychodramas that value intensity above all else. These films often have runtimes of at least two hours, but there’s almost zero room for Hollywood sentimentality or warmed-over narrative conventions. 

Not only does last year’s Hard Hit, written and directed by Kim Chang-ju, boast a relatively short runtime of 94 minutes, but it also embraces thriller cliches at an almost alarming rate. There are a few bold twists and an underlying message about class divides, but this is a stripped-down suspense film above all else. At best, Chang-ju’s efficient and unpretentious approach is a breath of fresh air. At worst, it feels like a two-dimensional riff on a now-familiar thriller setup: a claustrophobic game of cat and (trapped) mouse. 

The film tells the story of Seong-gyu (Jo Woo-jin), a successful bank manager who is taking his children to school when he receives a call from an unknown number. The man on the other line tells Seong-gyu that there are pressure-sensitive bombs under the seats that will blow if anyone tries to leave the car. The caller wants money, and it becomes clear that he’ll do whatever it takes to get it. This is all established within the first 15 minutes, and the rest of the film is essentially one long set piece that forces Seong-gyu to race through Busan trying to save his family. In the process, he must Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews |

Jimmy Wang Yu: March 28, 1943 – April 5, 2022

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Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell | Blu-ray (Visual Vengeance)

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell | Blu-ray (Visual Vengeance)

Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell | Blu-ray (Visual Vengeance)

RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2022

On July 19, 2022, Visual Vengeance (New sister label of Wild Eye Releasing) will be releasing a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release for 1995’s Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell, directed by and starring Shinichi Fukazawa (Violator), Masaaki Kai, Masahiro Kai, Aki Tama Mai and Asako Nosaka.

Official details:

Alternately known as The Japanese Evil Dead, this legendary, sought after Super 8 independent Japanese cult film will enjoy its first ever North American release in any format and features new bonus content.

Trapped inside a haunted Continue reading

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

Coffin Homes (2021) Review

"Coffin Homes" Theatrical Poster

“Coffin Homes” Theatrical Poster

Director: Fruit Chan
Cast: Siu Yam-Yam, Paul Che, Tai Bo, Rachel Lee Lai-Chun, Cheung Tat-Ming, Wong Yau-Nam, Peter Chan Charm-Man, Candy Wen Xue-Er, Ai Wai
Running Time: 91 min.

By Paul Bramhall

As a director, Fruit Chan has always had the ability to take what appears to be standard genre fare, and give it his own unique off-kilter twist. This was on display in efforts as early as 1993’s Finale in Blood, and has continued to serve him well – from his feature length segment Dumplings in the horror anthology Three…Extremes, to more recent productions like The Midnight After. However that same approach resulted in a catastrophic misfire in 2019 when Chan decided to dip his toes into the action genre with Invincible Dragon, an incomprehensible mix of kung fu and fantasy that pitted Max Zhang against UFC legend Anderson Silva. Invincible Dragon was the kind of movie that makes you question if the director behind it would ever work again or, if they did, how on earth would they follow-up such an outlandish piece of work?

Thankfully for Fruit Chan the question has already been answered, and it comes in the form of 2021’s Coffin Homes. The title is a reference to the slang term commonly used for the tiny, subdivided apartments that provide a home for those squeezed out of Hong Kong’s fiercely competitive and expensive property market. Usually consisting of tiny cubicles fashioned out of makeshift partitions, and with only one bathroom to go around, the standard of living in such conditions is far from enviable. Of course it’s not the first time for Hong Kong’s property market to provide cinematic inspiration – in 1992 Jacob Cheung’s Cageman cleaned up at the HK Film Awards, a drama focusing on the lives of those living in caged apartments, which were very much Continue reading

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Tattooed Dragon, The (1973) Review

"The Tattooed Dragon" Theatrical Poster

“The Tattooed Dragon” Theatrical Poster

Director: Lo Wei
Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu, Sylvia Chang Ai Chi, Sam Hui Koon Kit, James Tien Chun, Dorian Tan Tao Liang, Lee Kwan, Tong Tin Hei, Pipop Pupinyo, Nai Jia
Running Time: 94 min.

By Ian Whittle

After two less than stellar features lensed in Japan, A Man Called Tiger and Seaman No.7, the Lo Wei/Jimmy Wang Yu/Golden Harvest team finally achieve some success with their third collaboration.

In Thailand, a mysterious fighter known only as The Dragon discovers some crooks with stolen charity money. Beating the living daylights out of them, he flees injured with the loot and is taken in by a farmer (Sam Hui) and his fiancée (Sylvia Chang). Meanwhile, the crook’s boss (James Tien) hatches a scheme to get hold of mineral-rich land by opening a casino, and getting the land cheap by obtaining the local’s houses to settle their gambling debts. 

And there’s an adorable dog named Lassie…I mean Lanni, stealing scenes left right and centre!

There is a sense of the guard changing when you have Jimmy Wang Yu and Sam Hui sharing the screen. The former was on his way down from the days when he was a superstar in Shaw Brothers’ wu xia films, and as far as kung fu films went he was being eclipsed by Bruce Lee. One year on from this film, Sam Hui and his brothers would star in Golden Harvest’s box office Continue reading

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The Shaolin Plot | Blu-ray (Eureka)

The Shaolin Plot | Blu-ray (Eureka)

The Shaolin Plot | Blu-ray (Eureka)

RELEASE DATE: June 20, 2022

On June 20, 2022, Eureka will be releasing a Blu-ray (Region B) for the 1977 classic Golden Harvest kung fu film, The Shaolin Plot.

The film is directed by Huang Feng, who is perhaps best known for 1972’s Hapkido, 1972’s Lady Whirlwind, 1973’s When Taekwondo Strikes and 1974’s Stoner.

The Shaolin Plot features an all-star cast that includes Chan Sing (New Fist of Fury, Amsterdam Connection), James Tien (Hand of Death, Seaman No. 7), Casanova Wong (Ninja in the Claws of the CIA, The Iron-Fisted Monk) and Sammo Hung (The Skyhawk, King Swindler), who also serves as fight choreographer.

After his work directing the action Continue reading

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

A Touch of Sin (2013) Review

"A Touch of Sin" Theatrical Poster

“A Touch of Sin” Theatrical Poster

Director: Jia Zhang-Ke
Cast: Jiang Wu, Wang Bao-Qiang, Zhao Tao, Luo Lan-Shan, Zhang Jia-Yi, Vivien Li Meng
Running Time: 130 min.

By Henry McKeand

At its most extreme, cinematic violence can serve either as a satisfying catharsis or a stark reminder of real-world suffering. The bloodshed in Jia Zhangke’s A Touch of Sin accomplishes each, sometimes simultaneously. The film is both a seething commentary on exploitation in present-day China and an uncharacteristically bloody exercise in tension from a director who isn’t known for high body counts.

A Touch of Sin is one of Zhangke’s most acclaimed films in the West, and it was selected as one of the top 25 films of the decade according to The New York Times. It also happens to contain several “genre” elements, although it would be a mistake to brand it a thriller or action film. At its core, this is an honest piece of filmmaking from a director who has long been interested in stories of China’s current reality. 

The film is comprised of four loosely connected stories about everyday people pushed to acts of violence, each one inspired by true events. These are disaffected, lost characters struggling with the weight of modern life, and the market economy looms large over each narrative. Zhangke is particularly interested in how ideas and images from the past work their way into the present. This interest manifests itself visually throughout, such as a small moment when women dressed in traditional, bright attire walk past a group of people wearing dark modern clothing. Zhangke and cinematographer Lu Lik-wai also find incredible beauty in China’s natural countryside, and the majestic Continue reading

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Execution in Autumn | Blu-ray (Eureka)

Execution in Autumn | Blu-ray (88 Films)

Execution in Autumn | Blu-ray (88 Films)

RELEASE DATE: June 20, 2022

On June 20, 2022, Eureka Entertainment is releasing a Blu-ray (Region B) for Lee Hsing’s 1972 film, Execution in Autumn. The upcoming release stars Hui-Lou Chen (The Shaolin Avengers), Shao-Ching Chou (Purple Darts), Bi-Hui Fu (Royal Fist), Su Han (The Last Duel), Hsiang-Ting Ko (Deadly China Doll) and Hsiang Li (Men of the Hour).

Official details:

Referred to as “the godfather of Taiwanese cinema”, the films of director Lee Hsing (who passed away in 2021 at the age of 91) combined Western realism with the neo-Confucian ideals advocated by the nationalist government in Taiwan. Director of a number of masterpieces, presented here is the film he considered his personal favourite of all his films — and certainly his most Continue reading

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A True Ethereum Rival: The Rise of Solana

The crypto market is booming. What started with bitcoin back in 2009 has evolved into an entire market made up of thousands of different cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin is still king with the largest market cap. And in the number two slot is Ethereum.

The Ethereum network was built as the foundation on which other developers could come and build their decentralized applications. Unfortunately, Ethereum’s success in many areas has led to failures in others.

This has led to the rise of Ethereum rival Solana to soar in recent months. But what is this new cryptocurrency and how does it beat out the king of Defi? Keep reading below to find out now.

Problems With Ethereum

Ethereum is a popular cryptocurrency that saw massive gains in recent years. It’s a network that prioritizes security and decentralization. Unfortunately, the immense popularity of Ethereum has caused some major flaws.

Since so many people are using the network to make Ethereum-based transactions, the network is congested. This means that transactions take much longer to confirm. Often minutes (or even longer) just to make a transfer or NFT purchase.

But the biggest problem is the transaction fees. People complained about transaction fees back when they were $5 and $10. Today, it’s very normal to drop over $100 on a single transaction.

Moving funds around on Ethereum blockchain technology is too expensive for many users.

Ethereum Centralization

Ethereum on its own is decentralized in nature. No one controls it. It’s governed by the community. However, many people claim it’s centralized simply because it dominates a large share of the market.

The world of decentralized finance exists primarily on Ethereum. And the bulk of the NFT industry lives on Ethereum, in excess of 80%.

Because so much is happening on Solana, it feels like many of the users and funds in the crypto world are stuck in Ethereum. Supporters of Solana and other Ethereum killers claim that these rival networks are essential to a healthy crypto market as a whole.

The Rise of Ethereum Rival Solana

The Solana blockchain and network were created as a direct alternative to Ethereum. Built years later, Solana and SOL coin has some major upper hands as it develops its network.

The team behind Solana was able to learn what Ethereum did and what led to the major problems it’s experiencing today.

The result is a crypto network that is insanely fast, and able to handle thousands of transactions per second. And each transaction is incredibly cheap, often fractions of a penny.

The user experience on Solana is very positive. The only negative about it is that it’s still new. There’s not as much development on Solana yet, so options for using various apps are still limited.

But that is going to change as more and more developers move to the Solana ecosystem. And as that happens, you can expect the Solana price to soar.

Competition Makes Everything Better

Solana is still relatively new. But it’s clear that this Ethereum rival and many others like it are here to stay.

Ethereum will likely be king for a long time. But alternative networks like Solana and Avalanche are crucial to creating a truly decentralized, competitive marketplace that ultimately benefits users and investors.

Looking for more crypto tips and tricks? Head over to our blog now to keep reading.

Posted in News |

Real (2017) Review

"Real" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Real” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Sa-Rang
Cast: Kim Soo-Hyun, Sung Dong-Il, Sung-Min, Sulli, Jo Woo-Jin, Lee Kyoung-Young, Han Ji-Eun, Kim Hong-Fa, Jung In-Gyeom, Choi Kwon, IU, Ahn So-Hee
Running Time: 137 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Once in a while a production comes along whose reputation for being a complete train wreck precedes it. Who can forget Andy Lau apologising for appearing in the 007-inspired spy caper Switch, or Jackie Chan battling an Australian Borg rip-off on a spaceship in Bleeding Steel? In 2017 Korea unleashed Real onto the world, a movie that piled up so many negative reviews (only equalled by the number of memes it generated) even before it was officially released, that in some publications it was dubbed as the worst Korean movie ever made. Topped off by lead Kim Soo-hyun crying at one of the promotional events while he was introducing a screening (ok, so the incident was later explained that he was overwhelmed by remembering how hard it was to film, but the jury’s still out on that one), and it’s easy to see why Real rarely gets mentioned when discussing Korean cinema.

Looking back with the benefit of 5 years hindsight, Real remains just as mind boggling today as it did when it was initially released. A starring vehicle for Kim Soo-hyun (Secretly, Greatly, The Thieves), who at the time was still hot off the success of My Love from the Star – a 21-episode Korean drama that aired across 2013 and 2014 (notably its popularity in China resulted in Alibaba coming onboard to co-produce Real) – the production itself was just as rocky as its critical reception. Scripted by Lee Jung-sub (The Best Romance, Lost in Love), Real was also set to be his directorial debut, however for reasons which remain unknown to this day, he stepped down at some point after filming had started. He was replaced by Lee Sa-rang (which in English, literally translates to Love Lee), Soo-hyun’s cousin, and owner of the company in charge of the production. Real remains Sa-rang’s one and only film credit.

It’s difficult to describe Real with only the limits of language to play with – is it an Avant Garde psychological neo-noir, an overly stylish gangster flick, or a misguided character study into addiction and identity? I’d daresay it’s all of these things, and in the hands of a director with zero experience armed with a sizable budget, the end result is such a singularly unique experience that it’s highly unlikely something like Real will ever grace Korean cinema screens again. Dig out any of those reviews from the time of its release, and the one thing that’s immediately noticeable is that the plot description is inconsistent across all of them. It’s understandable, as attempting to fathom exactly what’s happening at any given time in Real’s epic 137-minute runtime is a daunting Continue reading

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