INVINCIBLE SWORDSMAN Review: Luo Yifei’s Crowded Wuxia Adaptation Still Delights
The film stars Tim Huang, Zhang Yuqi, Terrence Yin, and Sammo Hung.
Shaun Williams
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Posts by Shaun Williams:
INVINCIBLE SWORDSMAN: Don’t Miss The Official Trailer For The New Wuxia Adventure Thriller
Coming in August from WELL GO USA!
COBRA Arrow Video Review: Crime Is The Disease, And Arrow’s 4K UHD Is The Cure!
Coming to 4K UHD next week from Arrow Video!
A LEGEND Review: Jackie Chan’s Long-Awaited Sequel Is The Equivalent Of Lukewarm Coffee
A LEGEND is now available on Digital, Blu-Ray and DVD from Well Go USA
Shout! Factory Continue To Empty Wallets With Another Fantastic Shaw Brothers Box-Set
Shout! Factory continues to surprise martial arts cinema fans with their extensive catalog of Shaw Brothers titles as they deliver SHAW BROTHERS CLASSICS, VOL. 5 in early 2025. This time we get a slew of films spanning from 1967 to 1971, an era of Shaw Studios that some – including myself – may be somewhat unfamilar with. Mission Impossible, for example, has only ever been avaialble on the Zii Eagle (look it up!) prior to this release. This is a special one folks. From Shout!: TWELVE DEADLY COINS (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (2.35:1) / Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Dual Mono / 89 min.) A treacherous ambush on a cargo team, the theft of a fortune’s worth of gold, and the quest to retrieve it have roots in a twenty-year-old feud between two brothers, and the seemingly unstoppable martial arts technique known as “Twelve Deadly Coins.” VENGEANCE IS A GOLDEN BLADE […]
Arrow’s SHAWSCOPE VOL. 3 Lands With a Bang This November
For kung fu cinema fans, Christmas come early once again this year as Arrow Video release their much anticipated SHAWSCOPE VOL. 3 set on November 26th. If you’ve been living under a rock, the Shawscope sets have been considered the greatest martial arts cinema physical media releases for a few years running now. The quality is consistently top notch and the each set’s titles include a bevvy of absolute classics. Well worth breaking open your piggybank for. Check out the details below: LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY COLLECTION CONTENTS High Definition (1080p) presentations of all fourteen films, including thirteen new 2K restorations by Arrow Films Illustrated 60-page collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by David West, Jonathan Clements and Dylan Cheung, plus cast and crew listings and notes on each film by Ian Jane New artwork by Chris Malbon, “Kung Fu Bob” O’Brien, Tom Ralston, Ilan Sheady, Tony Stella and Jolyon Yates Hours […]
The Criterion Collections Picks Up A Slice Of Sammo Hung Military Madness This December!
Every now and again, the guys and gals at Criterion – who are mostly known for releasing some rather high-brow cinema on Blu-ray – give action fans something special. Whether it’s their Police Story and Once Upon a Time in China releases or John Woo’s Last Hurrah for Chivalry, they certainly know their Hong Kong cinema. And so it should come as no surprise that, yesterday, Criterion announced they’ll be releasing Sammo Hung’s military actioner, EASTERN CONDORS, on shiny Blu-ray in December. Region locked US residents have been waiting for this once, since the only decent releasee as of late has been the Region B Eureka! Entertainment disc, which saw the film in a three-movie set with The Magnficent Butcher and The Iron-Fisted Monk. Criterion’s release will be standalone and, per usual, is jampacked with special features. Per Criterion: Legendary actor-director Sammo Hung delivers a bazooka blast of pure adrenaline in this exemplar of Hong Kong action […]
In Memoriam: Lee Hoi-Sang (1941-2024)
It’s a sad day for kung fu cinema as news of Lee Hoi-sang’s death hit the internet this morning. Those that don’t know his name almost definitely know his face as he appeared in over 115 action films over the years, including an absolute wealth of classics. He featured in The 3th Chamber of Shaolin, The Magnificent Butcher, Warriors Two, Dynamo, Heroes of the East, Knockabout, Shaolin Prince, Project A, and Miracles, as well as many, many more. As a Wing Chun master (he was one of Yip Man’s disciples), he found his way into the film industry througfh being a Martial Arts Consultant. This graduated to performing in front of the camera and, eventually, getting meatier roles, mostly as a villain or Shaolin monk – and sometimes both! As well as his movie stardom, he worked a lot in television, and can be seen in TV series’ such as […]
88 Films Reveals Upcoming 4K/Blu-ray Release Of Two Jet Li Classics
I think it’s safe to say that 2024 has been the year of Jet Li for physical media enthusiasts. Boutique Blu-ray label, 88 Films, has, so far, released Fist of Legend and The Bodyguard from Beijing on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray, with Tai-Chi Master (aka Twin Warriors) set for an October release. We can now expect another Jet Li film to drop on November 25th. Artwork has appeared online revealing that 88 Films are planning to release a double-pack of FONG SAI YUK and FONG SAI YUK II. Once again, on 4K and Blu-ray disc. Ronin Flix released a double-pack of the same films last year, though their release is widely regarded as being rather poor. This will be a huge upgrade of two films that definitely deserve 88 Films’ dedicated time and attention. Sadly, due to Ronin Flix seemingly still having US rights, it looks like this release will be UK only. US fans will have […]
Andy On Brutally Punches His Way Onto Streaming With FURY 12 HOURS
Andy On? And On and On and On, more like! Forgive me horrendous pun, but Andy On (True Legend) seems to be working nonstop at the moment. In recent months, we’ve seen him in The Grey Man, Hunt the Wicked, Cruel War, and To Live Through Death. And according to IMDb, he currently has three more projects in post-production. Does the man sleep? While the quality of his output is a bit of a rollercoaster, with high highs and low lows, the brand new trailer for hip upcoming film, FURY 12 HOURS, has gotten the action cinema community abuzz. Andy On plays Lei Jun, an ex-special forces operative now displaced and living in a foreign country twelve years since the murder of his family, and intent on finding their killer. When an army of terrorists begins flooding his town, the incognito soldier is forced out of hiding to help stage a daring life […]
IFD Returns To The World Of Blu-rays (Hopefully) With THE INVINCIBLE ARMOUR
Exciting news for old school martial arts fans. One of the figureheads of the kung fu cinema community, Toby Russell, recently announced that legendary film distributor, IFD Films & Services, has obtained the rights to Ng See Yuen’s classic, THE INVINCIBLE ARMOUR. While a Blu-ray release has not yet officially been been announced, the general consensus is that one is on the horizon. Let’s hope it’s a remastered release, so we can throw out the ropey DVD’s of yesteryear. Per Toby’s Facebook: IFD Films & Services is proud to announce that it has acquired world rights (Excluding China, Hong Kong & Taiwan) for Ng See Yuen’s masterpiece, The Invincible Armour. Considered by many to be one of the finest Martial Arts movies ever made, featuring the talents of; John Liu, Hwang Jang Lee, Tino Wong and Phillip Ko. Action directed by Yuen Woo Ping and Hsu Hsia. Invincible Armour was […]
Vinegar Syndrome Brings Jet Li’s MY FATHER IS A HERO To US Shores
Boutique Blu-ray specialists, Vinegar Syndrome, anoounced their new slate of releases today and Corey Yuen’s 1995 wire-fu classic, My Father is a Hero, is amongst them. The film stars Jet Li, Anita Mui, and Xie Miao. While it was recently released as part of a Blu-ray three-pack by Eureka! Entertainment, this is the official US release. Previously, it was only available in the form of Miramax’s godawful rebrand , The Enforcer. Complete with horrific dub and horrific score. Vinegar Syndrome’s release will be freshly restored and a breath of fresh air in comparison. Gong Wei is an undercover cop living in mainland China. He is so deep undercover that his own wife and son don’t even know he’s a cop. After a mid-level gangster nicknamed Blackie is arrested, Wei is ordered by his superiors to help Blackie escape back to Hong Kong in an attempt to gain his trust and infiltrate his […]
The Shaws Keep Comin’! 88 Films Drops Two Classics On Blu-Ray, This October
If I can quote one of Mad Max: Fury Road’s War Boys for a second, “Oh, what a day! What a lovely day!” The Shaw Brothers Blu-rays continue to roll in as the wonderful folks at 88 Films recently announced their October slate. What are we getting this time around? Well, for kung fu cinema fans, they’re releasing the bonafide classic, The Kung Fu Instructor, as well as the quirky martial arts comedy, Kid from Kwangtung. You can find synopses for the films below: Kung Fu Instructor: In this bitterly divided town, there’s no middle ground; you’re either with one side or the other – cross the line and face dire consequences. One clan hires a kung fu master – played by the great Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow) – to break the stalemate, but he’s nobody’s servant and his loyalties can’t be bought so easily… Inspired by Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sergio Leone’s […]
Fantasia XXVIII Review: Yugo Sakamoto’s BABY ASSASSINS: NICE DAYS Delivers Excitement, Emotion and Evolution
8.5 min. read Since I run a semi-popular martial arts cinema Instagram page and YouTube channel, when middle-aged men saddle into my DM’s and, with sticky fingers, pound out the phrase, “I like Japanese girls,” I like to think they’re referring to Chisato Sugimoto and Mahiro Fukagawa, the titular characters in the Baby Assassins franchise. This way, I retain a modicum of innocence and my sanity remains fully intact. Which is to say, they should be talking about Baby Assassins. In fact, everyone should be talking about Baby Assassins because they’re bloody great. As part of FANTASIA 2024, I was treated to a screener of the third film in the series; the oddly titled BABY ASSASSINS: NICE DAYS. Those not the familiar with the franchise, imagine the cuteness of anime girls combined with the mind-blowing action of the underrated Hydra. It’s a somewhat unusual mix that works so much better […]
A Case For Better Action Movies: Bruceploitation, And The (Hopeful) Future Thereof
I spend 64 hours a day online like most people. Being permanently plugged into the Twitter-sphere (or whatever the hell it’s called these days), I’ve been lucky enough to see all types of reactions to Severin Films’ recent The Game of Clones box-set. This has led me to ask the inevitable question – “What’s the ideal audience for Bruceploitation?” Indulge me while I try to explain. Bruceploitation isn’t exactly widely beloved as a sub genre. I know die hard kung fu cinema fans who just can’t stomach the stuff. Why is this? Well, let me suggest something.You see, many people claim they hate the “clones” movies because they take a big, hefty dump on the legacy of Bruce Lee. And that’s fine. They are kind of inherently disrespectful. But then there are people that claim Bruceploitation films are just flat-out terrible. All of ’em. Weirdly, I think that, to an […]
THE CRIPPLED MASTERS Is A Kung Fu Classic For All The Right Reasons
These days, if a film were to heavily feature, say, someone in a wheelchair (besides, perhaps, Charles Xavier), it wouldn’t be long before it was bombarded with cries of “woke!” or “leftism gone mad!”. Back in 1980, this wasn’t the case. In fact, in 1980, exploitation cinema was still thriving. These films often toed the line, highlighting more taboo subjects, such as sex crimes, racism, homosexuality and, of course, extreme violence, as well as many more. Exploitation became its own genre, despite being comprised of several other genres. There’s action exploitation, horror exploitation, Blaxploitation, exploitation porn (which seems redundant, I suppose)… The list goes on. Kung fu cinema has always been mildly exploitational. Or at least it’s gently held hands with exploitation throughout its existence. Sammo Hung often liked to make his films gritty with the inclusion of a rape scene or two, many martial arts films feature animal cruelty, […]
Kino Lorber Brings Another Van Damme Gem to 4K UHD This August
Blu-ray distributor, Kino Lorber, is known to release an absolutely smorgasbord of titles. From Silence of the Lambs to Columbo box-sets. This means they occasionally dip their toes in martial arts actioners, having previously dropped a 4K UHD of the John Woo classic, Hard Target. Well, if your hankering for Jean-Claude Van Damme hasn’t quite been satiated, you’ll be happy to know they’re giving us another 4K UHD release from the Muscles from Brussels in the form of the underrated SUDDEN DEATH. Per Kino Lorber: Action superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme (Hard Target) teams with Powers Boothe (The Emerald Forest) in a tension-packed suspense thriller from Peter Hyams, the director of Running Scared, Narrow Margin and Timecop. Inside the Civic Arena, 17,000 rabid hockey fans gather for the Stanley Cup final game—including the Vice President of the United States. What they don’t know is that someone is planning to have the […]
Philip Ng Heads To The Small Screen, With Yuen Biao And Wu Yue By His Side, For ARMORED
Streaming giant iQiyi is the place to be these days for Chinese martial arts stars. Whether it’s Andy On, Xie Miao, Tiger Xu, or even Tiger Chen, making a medium-budgeted film for the streaming service, between bigger projects, seems to be the trend. The massive amount of output from iQiyi has led to mixed results but every now and then they give us a gem. Which leads me onto this story. Philip Ng (Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In) announced, via his Instagram page, yesterday, that he is working on a new film for iQiyi, ARMORED. And that will costar the lgend himself, Yuen Biao (The Iceman Cometh). Yuen Biao’s been a little quiet as of late, making lesser known straight-to-streaming films. With Ng by his side, this one certainly has potential. But it doesn’t end there. Also joining the cast is underrated martial arts maestro, Wu Yue (Ip Man […]
NOBODY 2 Finds A Director in THE NIGHT COMES FOR US filmmaker, Timo Tjahjanto
It seems you can’t dip your toe into the action film genre these days without hearing the name Timo Tjahjanto. And rightly so. He first caught the eye of horror fans with his V/H/S 2 segment, Safe Haven, where he teamed up with Gareth Evans (The Raid) to tell a terrifying tale of an evil Indonesian cult. He then rocketed onto the action scene with the Iko Uwais film, Headshot, cementing his name in the hearts of many with the Netflix production, The Night Comes For Us, also starring both Iko Uwais and bringing The Raid star, Joe Taslim, on board. After The Night Comes For Us, Hollywood jumped on Tjahjanto, with his name being tied to the upcoming Train to Busan remake, The Last Train to New York, and a possible Under Siege remake. While IMDb lists the former as being in post-production, the latter seems to have disappeared […]
Second Sight Tells Physical Media Fans YOU’RE NEXT This August
These days, Adam Wingard may best known for giving us giant CGI apes and lizards punching each other in the face, but long before Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire hit our big screens, he was dabbling in horror. In 2014 he delivered the excellent horror-thriller, The Guest, and in 2011 he burst onto the slasher scene with the superb YOU’RE NEXT. Well now we can all sit back and enjoy You’re Next in gorgeous 4K (or standard Blu-Ray, if that’s your preference) when UK-based distributor, Second Sight Films, releases the film with all the bells and whistles on August 19th. Second Sight are at the top of the Blu-Ray game at the moment. Their releases have physical media fans drooling the moment they’re announced, and rightly so. Check our the special features on this bad boy! Special Features New 4K restoration and HDR Dolby Vision grade approved by Director Adam Wingard Dual format […]
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