There’s something about an ensemble cast that can make a movie. We’re talking from the lead actor to the barely there scene-stealers, the right collection of actors can elevate even the dullest of tales while they can send a strong… Read More ›
martial arts
Takashi Miike’s sports drama “Blazing Fists” is ready to enter the ring at home.
Everything you have in this life is because of where you started. Some people have a leg up by being born into a wealthy family (and can afford to get bailed out time and again), while others struggle to afford… Read More ›
Yuen Woo-Ping’s comic adaptation “Blades of the Guardians” is a rich wuxia adventure that’ll thrill you from start to finish.
There are some filmmakers for whom audiences will show up simply by their name being attached to a project. Universal Pictures has turned the latest Christopher Nolan film, The Odyssey, into an event by selling tickets a year in advance… Read More ›
Martial arts thriller “The Old Woman with the Knife” possesses an engaging philosophical question under its blood-letting surface.
What makes a killer and what defines them as good or evil? One could argue that anyone can be a killer and that the taking of a life immediately diminishes one’s purity, but there is goodness is absorbing the malignant… Read More ›
Wilson Yip/Donnie Yen 2007 crime actioner “Flash Point” gets re-released on Blu-ray by Well Go USA.
Actor Donnie Yen has an extensive filmography of dramas, actioners, comedies, fantasy titles, and thrillers, often overlapping the genres in the same film and delivering solid martial arts entertainment in the process. From In the Line of Duty 4 (1989)… Read More ›
Martial arts dramedy “Ghost Killer,” Kensuke Sonomura’s third film, is ready to join up with your home collection.
Those keeping track of modern martial arts action know the name Kensuke Sonomura between his work as a stunt director and as a director. If it hits hard, looks badass, and helps move the narrative forward, you can almost guarantee… Read More ›
Underdog sports action drama “Blazing Fists” offers profound revelations to go along with bone-crunching action. [Fantasia]
Between the stories we tell ourselves and the ones we present to others, somewhere in the middle lies the truth of who we are, that part of ourselves that we either can’t bear to put into the light of day… Read More ›
Get ready to throw down in “The Forbidden City.” [Fantasia]
Since Cain slew Abel, it’s believed that humanity has continued to find ways to betray itself, regardless of the cost. As such, stories have found ways to exploit this element of the human condition as a means for narrative catalyst,… Read More ›
Kang Hyungchul’s superhero action thriller “Hi-Five” brings the laughs and the pain.
“With great power, comes great responsibility.” – Stan Lee, 1962 Amazing Fantasy #15 Despite it now being more than 17 years since the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Iron Man (2008), superhero stories remain in high demand from audiences in… Read More ›
Largely-forgotten low-budget experimental martial arts actioner “Furious” receives a collectible SD edition via Visual Vengeance.
While action has been a staple element of cinema since its creation, not all films which use action are viewed the same. For some reason, the bigger the budget, the larger the presumption that the film is good or “of… Read More ›
Genre-hybrid “Running on Karma” gets a 2K restoration as it’s added to Eureka Entertainment’s “Masters of Cinema” series.
“You can’t take anything with you when you die, except your deeds.” – Lee Fun Yee (Cecilla Cheung) in Running on Karma Established in 1996 by director Johnnie To and frequent collaborator Wai Ka-Fai, production house Milkyway Image Ltd. would… Read More ›
Both halves of Quentin Tarantino’s fourth film, “Kill Bill,” receive a first-time 4K UHD edition and special edition steelbook via Lionsgate Limited.
“The Bride: You and I have unfinished business. Bill: Baby, you ain’t kidding.” – Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (2004) It’s 2025 and filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is actively developing his 10th, and rumored final, film. Though incredibly divisive for the dialogue… Read More ›
Donnie Yen’s “The Prosecutor” receives verdicts of guilty for attempting too much and not guilty for the entertainment it provides in the process.
Like many in the Hong Kong scene, Donnie Yen has worn and continues to wear many hats. He’s been a member of a stunt team (The Miracle Fighters) and an actor (Tiger Cage; Blade II), sometimes on the same project;… Read More ›
Patrick Tam’s wuxia tale, “The Sword (名劍),” reaches new audiences with its 2K restoration from Eureka Entertainment.
In 2024, it’s quite easy for cinema-going audiences to identify the Chinese genre of fantastical martial arts tales known as wuxia thanks to films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Hero (2002), and, more recently, Śakra (2023). Though a popular… Read More ›
“The Shadow Strays” delivers on all aspects anticipated in filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto’s latest bloody crime action thriller. [TIFF]
If you’ve never heard of the name Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us; The Big 4) then there is something you need to fix, immediately. One of the most exciting directors to exist today, he never misses and continues… Read More ›
Set sail with 88 Film’s 4K UHD remaster of the Jackie Chan-created “Project A” Collection.
Stuntman-turned-Actor Jackie Chan has been the lead of some of martial arts cinema’s most beloved films, including Meals on Wheels (1984), Police Story (1985), and Rumble in the Bronx (1995), which don’t even include the films made after his crossover… Read More ›
Game on! Yuen Biao’s sports comedy “The Champions” gets an HD release from Eureka Entertainment.
Martial arts fans know Yuen Biao from turns in Bruce Lee vehicles like Enter the Dragon (1973) and Game of Death (1978), as well as various appearances in Jackie Chan projects like Project A (1983) or My Lucky Stars (1985),… Read More ›
Kensuke Sonomura returns to the director’s chair for a third time with supernatural action dramedy “Ghost Killer.” [Fantastic Fest]
In the world of martial arts action, there are few stunt directors like Kensuke Sonomura. Over the last 20 years, he’s worked on 12 prior projects as part of the stunt crew. Out of those, he was the editor for… Read More ›
Sonny Chiba films “Karate Bullfighter” and “Karate Bear Fighter” get a two-disc restoration release by Eureka Entertainment.
Born Sadaho Maeda, Japanese actor and martial artist Shin’ichi “Sonny” Chiba would be one of the more prolific action stars of his era. From early work on tokusatsu programs to English-language performances in Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Fast… Read More ›
Technically impressive, “100 Yards” pull audiences in with its thrilling conceit, but loses them with underdeveloped character investment. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Within the world of filmmakers Xu Haofeng (The Final Master) and first-time co-director Xu Junfeng’s new project, 100 Yards (门前宝地), there are many rules its characters must follow, but one acts as a guiding principle: no violence within 100 yards… Read More ›