OPINIONS

2019, Thank You…

I have to say, trying to put thoughts together to best express myself in this piece has been pretty trying. There’ve been plenty of highs and an even greater deal of lows which I will discuss here, although I don’t wish to focus too much on the negatives. Indeed, I think I’ve been a just a little more lucky this year than originally felt – however, I’m mildly refraining from counting my eggs just yet. Going into my eighth year as the founder and editor of this site, the work I’ve enjoyed doing on here since February 2013 when I was an outstanding noob and learning the ropes about film reporting and engaging fandom therein, has produced an often fun, creative learning process. Things do take its toll, however, when you start beginning to invest in people, and I’ve had to thicken my skin just a little more over the […]

SHENMUE III: A Filmmaker’s Salute To A Beloved Video Game Franchise, And Its Creator’s Timeless Authenticity

Leroy Nguyen

As of this writing, Shenmue III holds a Metascore of 71 on Metacritic, with a User Score of 8.2. The general consensus among critics is that the game looks and plays like it should’ve come out 20 years ago…but fans of the series will love it. And they’re Goddamn right. Shemue III, released for PlayStation 4 and PC a few weeks ago on November 19, 2019, is a game that shouldn’t exist, but it does only because of its fans. And this game is only for its fans. To be clear: this isn’t a review or a rundown of the game series’ history. You can go search any clickbaity piece of shit article or video made by some YouTube douchebag right now trying to capitalize on the resurgence of the game’s popularity for a “history lesson”. No, this is about what Shenmue means to me and how its struggle for […]

Your Next Viewing: HARPOON (2019)

Christina Ortega

Have you ever looked at someone in your life and wondered why you were friends with them? Besides laughing out loud, this thought crossed my mind while I watched Richie, Jonah, and Sasha interact. In fact, the film opens with Aristotle’s explanation of types of friendship. Rob Grant’s Harpoon is labeled as a comedy/horror and it delivers on both. Well, if I’m being honest, I laughed more than anything and wondered why these three amusing jerks were still friends. So what is it about? Here is the summary from the press release: Rivalries, dark secrets, and sexual tension emerge when three best friends find themselves stranded on a yacht in the middle of the ocean desperate for survival. With plenty of alcohol and very little food and water, emotions run high and their delusions become a reality. As the days stretch on and death seems inevitable, their terrifying truths float […]

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Your A-To-Z Guide To Zombies

Christina Ortega

The month of October is synonymous with Halloween which is synonymous with hot cider, corn mazes, scary movies, and murder. You know, normal fall stuff. Often featured in these scary tales are the creatures known as zombies. But they’re not all the same. Don’t believe me? Keep reading. Let me present to you, your A to Z guide to zombies: Alice in Zombieland One of my favorite things to try is retellings, especially retellings of Alice in Wonderland. This series, White Rabbit Chronicles, is written by Gina Showalter and the first book is called Alice in Zombieland. This version shows Alice as she tries to avenge her family and becomes a zombie slayer. Badass Zombie Killers This is a great card game for two to six players. The game sounds simple enough: you put together a badass weapon to fight off the zombies. And I’m not talking about a chainsaw: […]

Trailer Breakdowns: A Look At Sophia Takal’s BLACK CHRISTMAS

Christina Ortega

So if you’re reading any articles on this website, I’m going to assume that you are a film fan. What degree of a film fan you are, I don’t know. You could spend every hour possible watching films, discussing them, or reading reviews about them. You could be really picky about what you watch. You could let the critics or overly hyped awards dictate what you watch. Or you could just watch whatever the hell you want and to hell with what others say. But you still read the occasional review. So why not a trailer review? Now, I know what you’re thinking: why are you reviewing a trailer rather than the movie itself? Isn’t judging a movie by its trailer the equivalent of judging a book by its cover? Well, to answer the latter question, no, it’s not. A trailer is meant to make you want to go to […]

Your Next Viewing: THE LINGERING On Blu-Ray

Christina Ortega

If you’re a horror fan and are looking for a new film to watch, you have got to check out The Lingering from directors Ho Pong Mak and Derrick Tao! I was lucky enough to have been able to view this film before it’s available for purchase. Young Dawa and his mother are waiting for his father to come home to celebrate New Year’s Eve with them. Instead, they spend the night locked in a basement hiding from a strange presence. Is the home haunted? Years later, Dawa must return to his childhood home and the presence is still there! Interested? Before I say anything else, let me start by saying that I enjoyed this film. There is no blood or gore; it is just a good old-fashioned ghost story. It was released in Hong Kong and the spoken language is Cantonese, so I had to watch it with the […]

The Top 5 Movies To Watch This Halloween That Aren’t HALLOWEEN

Christina Ortega

I know what you’re thinking, why wouldn’t you watch Halloween on the actual holiday of Halloween? Well, you could. I mean there are several in the franchise that you could choose from. But if you’re a fan, you’ve probably seen all 11 (yes, there are eleven which includes the two Rob Zombie versions and the newest Halloween film which came out in 2018) films more than once by now and may be wanting something different this year. So if this is the case, here are two lists for you… If you like horror movies, these are my top five movies to watch this Halloween: Saw This franchise is my second favorite horror movie series. In the first film, it starts off with two men locked in a room and they need to figure out why they are there and how to get out. They are both chained to the room […]

ARAHAN: URBAN MARTIAL ARTS ACTION (2004) – An Appreciation Of Promising Korean Action And Comedy That Still Holds Up

Lee B. Golden III

The niche already gained a hold of some of the earlier works of Korean director Ryoo Seung-wan with films like Die Bad and No Blood, No Tears at the time I broke into my own fandom in 2004. It wasn’t until after that year though, as my curiousity found its way into a Korean bookstore, that my first exposure to the director’s craft would be one of the most blistering martial arts comedies ever put before an audience. Enter Arahan: Urban Martial Arts Action, starring Ryoo’s own brother, actor Ryoo Seung-bum; Earlier on, I bought a copy of The Princess Blade from ADV and that disc also contained a trailer for Jo Geun-sik’s film, No Manners, which I haven’t got around to seeing provided it’s still available in a whole-in-a-wall outlet somewhere online. Ryoo plays Sang-hwan, a happless traffic cop who finds himself at the business end of an accidental […]

My Stupid Idea For A BLOODMOON Sequel

Lee B. Golden III

Tony Leung Siu-Hung’s 1998 DTV thriller, Bloomoon, was perhaps one of the biggest martial arts guilty pleasures of my fandom in the last thirty years. The first I heard of it was through the grapevine of a once beloved site called HKFlix.com prior to being defunct. That site was how I discovered a world of genre titles and Bloodmoon was no exception. It was also my second exposure to Darren Shahlavi after Tai Chi II; I was fond of his delivery as a versatile, unstoppable martial arts killer of martial artists opposite Gary Daniels’ stoic, battle-scarred detective on a mission to stop him. Despite being deeply-flawed and horribly acted at times, the film wasn’t without its plusses. It was suitably cheesy at times and the fight action was a popcorn riot. More than 20 years later, Daniels is still a favorite among the fans while Bloodmoon itself remains an action […]

STEAMING PILES: Profiling The World Of Steampunk In Media

Christina Ortega

Goggles, top hats, airships, and, of course, gears. These are the things that most often come to mind when someone hears the word “steampunk” but what is steampunk actually? Boiled down to the simplest explanation, steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that includes steam-powered technology. The technology can be current (like a computer) or based on older inventions, but is powered by steam. Most commonly, steampunk is set in the 19th century Victorian era. However, America’s Wild West is also a common setting. (Remember that Will Smith movie Wild Wild West?). That is just the basic concept, though. There’s much more to steampunk, a lot of which has found its way into literature, movies, video games, clothes, and music. Let’s take a look at each of these: What does steampunk read like? Many people associate the works of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne with steampunk. This is kind of […]

RUSTIC B. Cites A Toronto Stunt Pro On ‘How To Get Into Stunts’

Lee B. Golden III

Staving off narrative content for a bit, I’m just gonna leave this latest instructional here courtesy of stuntman and filmmaker Rustic B. whose latest video delves into the mechanics of the stunt industry and how to engage the field. Rustic takes his cues from Canadian stuntwoman and coordinator Alicia Turner who, in a recent ATP Online piece, elucidates a raft of intricate steps and methods on how to enter the stunt industry as well as maintain your craft, standing and good name within the community. As the author of the Hit List and someone who covers films with an angle toward stunt professionals, I found this sort of important to share given how I’ve been e-mailed by folks thinking I work in the industry (which I don’t, and mainly since I’ve never sold myself as a stuntman at all) asking how to get into the industry. I’ve even had people […]

Bruce Khan’s REVENGER Signals The Long-Awaited Arrival Of A ‘Legend’

Lee B. Golden III

As you’re reading this, I’m somewhere between wanting to let my memory breathe so I can suss my thoughts, and wanting to put on record what came to mind per the moment. That’s pretty much the common mindset for anyone driven to express themselves in someway or another, and all the while, I couldn’t be happier that a guy like Bruce Khan is channeling his creative fervor through martial arts and action cinema. His career is bookmarked with only a handful of film titles in several facets in stunts and set-extra, and even actor. I’m even more curious to see how well his role was in the KBS2 drama, The Bridal Mask, what with my own penchants toward Korean dramas every now and then. His 2005 film, Young Man Kang’s The Last Eve, remains an appreciated and beloved gem for the film festival crowds lucky to catch it on the […]

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A Case For Better KICKBOXER Movies: ENOUGH ALREADY! (Reprint)

Lee B. Golden III

What I will do is give it to you straight while the last few years of this franchise is painfully fresh in my head as we cheer on the career fruition of its star, Alain Moussi. I like the prospects of seeing him on screen, but fuck it. These Kickboxer movies suck. Enter the elusive John Stockwell who came aboard to helm the 2016 reboot based on the 1989 JCVD revenge thriller. The reboot, dubbed Vengeance, tries to build off of the original and, in essence, segues into a world-building affair brimming with martial arts and muscle as Kurt Sloan trains to defeat the man who murdered his brother in an illegal underground fight in Thailand. Fast forward through the cheddar and cheese of seeing Sloan coconut his way to vengeance with VD waxing strategic in between and we get to the latest, Retaliation. Dimitri Logothetis sits at the helm […]

REVENGER ROUNDTABLE: Bruce Khan Gets His Day On Netflix Today, So Get Your Kicks With These Titles As Well!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s Tuesday, January 15, and that means the rarity of watching Korean actor and martial artist Bruce Khan on screen is a rarity no more with the Netflix release of his latest, Revenger. Khan plays a man who infiltrates a remote island prison to partake in a deadly game in order to find his family’s murderer. Lee Seung-won makes his directing debut here with Khan returning to the spotlight since Young Man Kang’s The Last Eve and the 2012 KBS2 drama, The Bridal Mask. I haven’t read the reviews and so like most Westerners who can’t read any Korean reviews for feedback, I’m going into this film albeit blind aside from how impressive the trailers have been in my view. Khan’s return is one that I feel is wholly worth celebrating since The Last Eve which I still haven’t seen. He represents the kind of raw, electrifying action talent it […]

The Korean Roots of Hong Kong Kicking

Eric Jacobus

The fast and precise kicks of Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen, and other great Hong Kong action stars are staples of the Hong Kong style of action choreography, but if we look before Bruce’s 1971 breakout hit The Big Boss, there were almost no kicks to be found in any action cinema. Only Billy Jack, released in the same year in America, featured the same high-flying kicks courtesy of Korean Hapkido artist Bong Soo Han. The similarity between Billy Jack’s kicks and Bruce’s in The Big Boss is no mere coincidence: Bruce had picked up his cinematic kicking style by studying from Korean and Vietnam war vets who brought Korean kicks to the USA, Chuck Norris being a major player. In his backyard home videos, we see Bruce shooting spin kicks and stepping side kicks, experimenting with how to make these kicks cinematic. Bruce’s backyard filmmaking endeavors would become […]

Anime Roundtable: HI SCORE GIRL, BAKI, A.I.C.O. -INCARNATION-, And Other Choice Shows From The Past Year

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a really slow year for me in the realm of anime, though I did manage to wrap up a few shows this year. Point in fact, I managed to finally live out the adventure that was Yu Yu Hakusho that I’ve missed out on from my cartoon watching heydays. Alas, I long for a live-action treatment of some kind for that show. Yeah, it’s an unpopular opinion but I’m sitting it right next to my hopes for Kill La Kill all the same as it was one of my most favorite anime shows back in 2016. Fast forward anyhoo, while 2018 left little room to relax, I did squeeze in some time for myself, though I felt compelled to just put something together bearing anime in mind for the coming year. Thus, I’ve gathered a small handful of people, including writers from ScreenAnarchy, FilmSmash and Henshin Justice Unlimited […]

YEAR SIX: Growth & Gratitude

Lee B. Golden III

As I’m writing this (by which I hope to be done with at one point when this piece airs), I have two shortfilm reviews, a screener review and more articles to focus on before the year is out. Throughout all this, I’ve had my mind on what I wanted to post for my annual summation piece knowing I hadn’t gotten to enjoy or accomplish everything I wanted or intended to. Indeed, I’ve had some amazing times this year between birthdays and singing at Karaoke bars – at least twice this year. I definitely abstained from going to the movies a lot and for a number of reasons – one of which deals with my increasing position where I work and pondering how I’m going to be able to balance it all out so as to keep two ships running – this website being one of them. Next to this, I […]

SIFU SPEAKS: The Dynamic Power of Sound

sifukuttel

What makes a great fight scene, is it the incredible choreography? The story and emotion of the fight? Or perhaps the realness and brutality of technique? When it comes to fight scenes that transcend the simple level fantasy of moving at someone with choreography to a level that is believable and almost all too real, there is one component that connects us to the fighter’s emotions, that moves strikes at blinding speeds, and that sharpens the swords we see on screen. That component is sound, and it enhances the scene in many aspects, so let’s take a look at a few: Sound Adds Emotion. A fight is a story in itself, representing the struggle and chaos of the characters emotions on a physical level. We don’t need words to explain the stress and pain of the event, when we hear the shout, grunt, or heaving of a character, we instinctively […]

Rossatron Talks The BLADE Trilogy And Why It Deserves To Continue

Lee B. Golden III

August saw some stirring news with mention of a pair of Blade projects being cooked up at Marvel. Your guess is as good as mine as to where those projects end up but I will cosign at least one point here that essayist Rossatron makes in his dissemination about the future of the Blade franchise. After all said and done, there is still much to build on with the franchise since it took off in trailblazing form in 1998. For this, Wesley Snipes very much deserves another shot at the role, and essentially to help bring these films back on their feet after the atrocity that was David S. Goyer’s directorial vomitshake of franchise doom and gloom that was Blade: Trinity – I take issue with anyone that has a positive opinion about that film. It truly is garbage and I’ve said it for years. I wanted so badly to […]