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- Andrew Hernandez on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmAnd who can blame him if that happens? Lots of people would do the same if th…
- Paul Bramhall on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmI think it’s probably safe to say that if a Hollywood starring role (not to m…
- Kevin on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmHe still has Flashpoint 2 and Ipman 5 to do. Heard he is planning on directin…
- Andrew Hernandez on Kato who? Eureka’s Blu-ray for Jet Li’s sci-fi actioner ‘Black Mask’ now available from Eureka EntertainmentI know some people don’t like the film grain removal of newer home releases b…
- Andrew Hernandez on Death Stranding (2023) ReviewThis may have a different plot than the video game Death Stranding, but seems…
- Andrew Hernandez on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmThis makes the most sense. Wick’s story is concluded, (for now) and Caine’s w…
- Dave on The Last Kumite | 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (MPI Home Video)What the fuck!! is this Blu-ray release bullshit!! It's not the fucking 1980s…
- Ska Martes on Kato who? Eureka’s Blu-ray for Jet Li’s sci-fi actioner ‘Black Mask’ now available from Eureka EntertainmentI just picked this set up. The PQ on thre HK cut is the best copy so far BUT.…
- R.J. Amadeus on Chuck Norris IS BACK in the Trailer for ‘Agent Recon’ with Derek Ting and ‘Beastmaster’ star Marc SingerWow, Chuck at 83 and still kicking. This is a must watch for Norris, but take…
- Ska Martes on Adapted by Alan Canvan: A Conversation with ‘Game of Death Redux’ FilmmakerAt first i didn't think there was any point to this but after watching the ga…
- Jamesyboy on Adapted by Alan Canvan: A Conversation with ‘Game of Death Redux’ FilmmakerFrom what I understand, the reason for the delay is because its now going to…
- Ningen on Thor-ploitation? The action is on high gear in the New Trailer for George Miller’s ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’New featurette. https://youtu.be/xHTrvEnwfWY?si=ibHkw6f1fqq6gq2C
- Ningen on Thor-ploitation? The action is on high gear in the New Trailer for George Miller’s ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’And another clip. https://youtu.be/T8iHJ7kP0ZI?si=W_aYvktxRfCECQbB
- Ningen on Thor-ploitation? The action is on high gear in the New Trailer for George Miller’s ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’Clip. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C66pc2diatI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
- Typo on World Noir Vol 2 | Blu-ray (Radiance)I would have bought the Shishido 9ne if it was released alone. But not in tha…
- Gorf on Adapted by Alan Canvan: A Conversation with ‘Game of Death Redux’ FilmmakerSo, where is this? Has anyone seen it yet?
- Ska Martes on The Crow | 4K UHD (Paramount)thats the thing. the 4k blurays took so long to come out Cameron supervised t…
- Andrew Hernandez on The Crow | 4K UHD (Paramount)I have a couple of 4Ks, and that’s only because they’re special editions. I d…
- Ska Martes on The Crow | 4K UHD (Paramount)the ratio of good to bad is probably the same but as a kid in the 90s you cou…
- Kevin on Michelle Yeoh will attack with a different kind of blade for Amazon Prime’s sequel series ‘Blade Runner 2099’Were she supposed to shoot a film this summer with some French director?
- JJ Bona on Thor-ploitation? The action is on high gear in the New Trailer for George Miller’s ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’Thanks Ningen! =)
- Ningen on Thor-ploitation? The action is on high gear in the New Trailer for George Miller’s ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’New car porn featurette. https://youtu.be/0H9xeZLn_i0?si=bvPRVxe2H6rf6VQ7
- Ningen on Watch the Big Game Trailer for FX’s reboot of feudal Japan thriller ‘Shōgun’ starring Hiroyuki Sanada and Tadanobu AsanoLooks like there might be a season 2. https://deadline.com/2024/05/hiroyuki-s…
- Ningen on Sammo Hung controls the city walls in the Final railer for Soi Cheang’s actioner ‘Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In’Reminds me. SPL needs a 4k.
- Kiril Valkov on Sammo Hung controls the city walls in the Final railer for Soi Cheang’s actioner ‘Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In’At a glance it looks quite decent, Kenji knows his stuff, and it shows here f…
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Category Archives: Japanese
River (2023) Review
Director: Junta Yamaguchi Cast: Riko Fujitani, Yuki Torigoe, Yoshimasa Kondo, Haruki Nakagawa, Masahi Suwa Running Time: 86 min. By Paul Bramhall Making a follow-up to a debut that relied heavily on a gimmick is always a tricky proposition, as several directors have found out over the years. In Japan the most obvious example is Shinichiro Ueda, who after his almost flawless debut with 2017’s One Cut of the Dead has struggled to … Continue reading
King Kong Escapes (1967) Review
Director: Honda Ishiro Cast: Rhodes Reason, Linda Miller, Mie Hama, Akira Takarada, Hideyo Amamoto, Yoshifumi Tajima, Yoshifumi Tajima, Andrew Hughes, Shoichi Hirose, Ryuji Kita Running Time: 96/104 min. By Ian Whittle Following the colossal success of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Toho did not rush to bring back the giant ape in a hurry – the cost of licensing the character from RKO was high, and Toho had been left holding … Continue reading
Baby Assassins 2 (2023) Review
AKA: Baby Assassins: 2 Babies Director: Yugo Sakamoto Cast: Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Joey Iwanaga, Tatsuomi Hamada, Atomu Mizuishi Running Time: 101 min. By Paul Bramhall I confess I wasn’t the biggest fan of Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins, concluding that the 2021 production “will likely only appeal to those action fans who are willing to wait (or perhaps skip forward) to see Masanori Mimoto unleash under the choreography of Kensuke … Continue reading
One-Percent Warrior | aka One Percenter (2023) Review
AKA: 1%er Director: Yudai Yamaguchi Cast: Tak Sakaguchi, Kohei Fukuyama, Harumi Kanon, Taro Suruga, Togo Ishii, Sho Aoyagi, Itsuji Itao, Kenjiro Ishimaru, Keisuke Horibe, Ohji Hiroi Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall One-Percent Warrior offers up a welcome reunion of 3 of Japan’s most prominent names in action cinema, director Yudai Yamaguchi, star Tak Sakaguchi, and choreographer Kensuke Sonomura. The last time the trio crossed paths in the same … Continue reading
Pistol Opera (2001) Review
Director: Seijun Suzuki Cast: Makiko Esumi, Sayoko Yamaguchi, Kirin Kiki, Mikijiro Hira, Masatoshi Nagase, Kenji Sawada, Hanae Kan, Jan Woudstra, Haruko Kato, Kensaku Watanabe Running Time: 112 min. By Martin Sandison Seijun Suzuki’s 1967 art-yakuza classic Branded to Kill has a hallowed place in movie history. It was deemed too experimental by Nikkatsu, who produced the picture and for whom Suzuki had made many low budget formulaic efforts previously, and … Continue reading
Haunted Samurai (1970) Review
Director: Keiichi Ozawa Cast: Hideki Takahashi, Masako Izumi, Isao Natsuyagi, Seiichiro Kameishi, Shoki Fukae, Yûji Odaka, Eiji Go, Masaya Oka, Utako Shibusawa, Maya Kitajima Running Time: 83 min. By Will McGuire Haunted Samurai is the perfect companion to a Lone Wolf and Cub movie marathon. This 1970 saga of evil Yagyu ninjas and noble samurai straining between the rigors of their code and the needs of their conscience feels like … Continue reading
Lion Girl (2023) Review
Director: Kurando Mitsutake Cast: Tori Griffiths, David Sakurai, Katarina Leigh Waters, Derek Mears, Stefanie Estes, Julie Burrise, Erin Marie Hogan, Shelby Lee Parks, Hidetoshi Imura, Kirk Geiger, Akihiro Kitamura, Wes Armstrong, Taishi Tamaki Running Time: 121 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s fair to say that for most of the 2020’s audiences have grown fatigued to the endless superhero fodder that’s dominated cinema screens for the past 15 years, with reboots, … Continue reading
Maniac Driver (2020) Review
Director: Kurando Mitsutake Cast: Tomoki Kimura, Iori Kogawa, Yohta Kawase, Ayumi Kimito, Keisaku Kimura, Ai Sayama Running Time: 75 min. By Paul Bramhall As a director Kurando Mitsutake has proven to be a talent whose work consistently defies expectations. Not entirely dissimilar to Quentin Tarantino, his movies feel steeped in the influence of 70’s cinema, littered with homages and narratives that feel new yet familiar at the same time. The … Continue reading
Bad City (2022) Review
Director: Kensuke Sonomura Cast: Hitoshi Ozawa, Tak Sakaguchi, Masanori Mimoto, Rino Katase, Lily Franky, Katsuya, Akane Sakanoue, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Yasukaze Motomiya Running Time: 118 min. By Paul Bramhall On paper Bad City is one of those movies that has all the right ingredients to cook up the perfect yakuza action flick. The sophomore feature from stuntman and action choreographer turned director Kensuke Sonomura following 2019’s Hydra, just like with his debut … Continue reading
Sound of Summer, The (2022) Review
Director: Guy Cast: Kaori Hoshino, Shinya Hankawa, Keita Kusaka, Kiyomi Kametani, Kuromi Kirishima Running Time: 75 min. By Henry McKeand The Sound of Summer, the first full length effort from the Japan-based, British-born director known as “Guy,” opens with a transformation. A cicada sheds its skin in unsettling close-up; it’s akin to seeing an alien parasite burst forth from a suffering host. Against a black background, it looks uncanny, almost … Continue reading
Hell Dogs (2022) Review
Director: Masato Harada Cast: Junichi Okada, Kentaro Sakaguchi, Mayu Matsuoka, Miyavi, Kazuki Kitamura, Shinobu Otake, Satoshi Kanada, Mai Kiryu, Arisa Nakajima, Kyoko Running Time: 138 min. By Henry McKeand What happened to the good old-fashioned Yakuza flick? Japanese underworld tales were a dime a dozen pre-Y2K, but they’ve started to fade into the background along with gangster films the world over. Maybe meat-and-potatoes crime stories just don’t stand a chance … Continue reading
A Family (2020) Review
AKA: Yakuza and the Family Director: Michihito Fujii Cast: Go Ayano, Hiroshi Tachi, Machiko Ono, Yukiya Kitamura, Hayato Ichihara, Hayato Isomura, Shun Sugata, Suon Kan, Ryutaro Ninomiya, Taro Suruga Running Time: 135 min. By Henry McKeand “Lately, I’m getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over.” It’s been nearly twenty-five years since Tony Soprano, perhaps America’s last real mafia icon, said these words in … Continue reading
War of the God Monsters | aka The Flying Monster (1985) Review
AKA: The Flying Monster Director: Kim Jung-yong Cast: Kim Ki-ju, Nam Hye-gyeong, Kim Da-hye, Moon Tae-Seon, Kim Uk, Jang Cheol Running Time: 85 min. By Paul Bramhall Korean cinema was in a strange place during the mid-80’s. After military strongman Chun Doo-hwan essentially elected himself as the country’s president in September 1980 following months of martial law and the infamous Gwangju Massacre in May, filmmakers needed to be extra cautious not … Continue reading
Sex and Fury (1973) Review
Director: Norifumi Suzuki Cast: Reiko Ike, Akemi Negishi, Ryoko Ema, Yoko Hori, Naomi Oka, Katsumasa Uchida, Rena Ichinose, Tatsuo Endō, Yōko Mihara, Christina Lindberg Running Time: 88 min. By Henry McKeand While action cinema has long been criticized as pornographic in its depictions of bloodshed and weaponry, the ‘pinky violence’ films released in Japan during the 60s and 70s are early examples of filmmakers pushing that pornographic label past the … Continue reading
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