Tak Sakaguchi was a street fighter when writer/director Ryûhei Kitamura hired him to play Prisoner KSC2-303 in Versus (2000). Since then, Sakaguchi developed quite the resume as a live actor, voice actor, and stunt coordinator in films large and small. Now… Read More ›
martial arts
The martial arts of “The Swordsman” cut through the narrative mire.
Consider the logline for Choi Jae-hoon’s feature film directorial debut The Swordsman (Geom-gaek) for a moment: a blinded swordsman comes out of hiding when his daughter is kidnapped by slave traders. With this type of description, one would presume a… Read More ›
“The Swordsman” Blu-ray Giveaway
Ahead of The Swordsman‘s home release on February 16th, EoM has partnered with Well Go USA to offer up a Blu-ray copy of the film to two lucky winners! If you’ve enjoyed their prior releases like The Villainess (2017), Furie (2019), or Shadow (2019),… Read More ›
Open Dialogue with “Mulan” actor Rosalind Chao.
Rosalind Chao has been working in the entertainment industry for decades. From stage, to TV, to film, Chao has given her all. With classic TV series and spin-offs connected to M*A*S*H and Star Trek, and films like The Joy Luck… Read More ›
Jackie Chan’s “Vanguard” offers the comedic martial arts spectacle you expect.
The simplest way to describe writer/director Stanley Tong’s (Rumble in the Bronx) latest film Vanguard is a mixture of the Fast & Furious, Mission: Impossible, and The Expendables series of films. You don’t even have to squint to see it… Read More ›
Crime drama “Invincible Dragon” proves to be vulnerable after all.
With turns in Ip Man 3 (2015), Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), and Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), Max Zhang is slowly becoming recognizable in the stateside martial arts community. His movements are fast, his skill precise, and his presence… Read More ›
Martial arts dramedy “The Paper Tigers” honors the heritage of the genre while exploring the cost of neglected bonds. [Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival]
The phrase “peaceful warrior” will always sound like an oxymoron to those who don’t understand it. The confusion lies in perceiving these terms as in opposition to one another — one can’t be peaceful if one is trained in the… Read More ›
A Conversation with director Bao Tran. [Fantasia Film Festival]
In this interview, Thomas Manning speaks with Bao Tran, the writer and director of the new kung fu comedy and Fantasia Film Festival selection, The Paper Tigers. Three Kung Fu prodigies have grown into washed-up, middle-aged men, now one kick… Read More ›
“Invincible Dragon” Blu-ray Giveaway
Elements of Madness is excited to announce we’ve partnered with Well Go USA on the upcoming home release of Invincible Dragon. In anticipation of the Blu-ray, DVD, and digital release on October 6th, we are giving away two (2) Blu-rays… Read More ›
“Crazy Samurai Musashi” eschews bombast in favor of quiet restraint. [Fantasia Film Festival]
Long takes have become the new major flex a filmmaker can make in their films these days, from Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), to Sam Mendes’s 1917, even making its way into video games like… Read More ›
Lionsgate’s “Legacy of Lies” is a solid showcase for Scott Adkins talents.
Scott Adkins is one of those multi-talented artists in the filmmaking industry who is known to work on upwards of five or more projects each year. Skilled as an actor, martial artist, and stuntman, Adkins enjoys staying busy year-round. His… Read More ›
Adaptation of Indonesian comic superhero “Gundala” kicks off the beginning of a grand adventure.
Take the brilliant stunt choreography of Indonesian action film The Night Comes for Us (2018), the intrigue of Indonesian thriller The Raid: Berandal (2014), and mix with superhero elements you know from various Marvel and DC storylines and you’ll get… Read More ›
Take a step back to the days of Brucesploitation with modern remake “Enter the Fat Dragon.”
Before digging into the ridiculousness that is Enter the Fat Dragon, a remake of a 1978 martial arts comedy, let us take a moment to marvel at the majesty that is Donnie Yen. This actor and highly trained marital artist… Read More ›
“Big Brother” delivers heart, kicks, and kicks to the heart.
Real life can be a crushing, soul-sucking experience. Even in the best of circumstances, hardships can come from anywhere, putting the best and worst of us all on equal footing in an uncertain word. As cynicism becomes status quo, reminders… Read More ›
How I Spent My Spring Break 2017: Recommendation List
With multitudes of films releasing every week, it’s hard to stay on top of them all. Last week provided the perfect opportunity to try and catch up a few of the films that have been recommended to me from 2016… Read More ›