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If you were waiting for The Crow film series reboot, then the wait is finally over. Directed by Rupert Sanders from a screenplay co-written by Zach Baylin and William Schneider, The Crow is based on a superhero comic book series created by James O’Barr, the gothic superhero film follows the story of Soulmates Eric Draven and Shelly Webster, and both are brutally murdered. Draven returns from the dead to seek revenge. The Crow stars Bill Skarsgård and FKA twigs in the lead roles with Danny Huston, Isabella Wei, Laura Birn, Jordan Bolger, Dukagjin Podrimaj, and Sami Bouajila starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the brutal action, intense characters, and gothic vibes of The Crow, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Crow Credit – Dimension Films

The Crow is a gothic action horror superhero film directed by Alex Proyas from a screenplay co-written by David J. Schow and John Shirley.

Filmed back-to-back with Hsu Hsia's “Crystal Hunt” (1991) with most of the cast returning except Sibelle Hu, right down to the similar thin plot and the Hong Kong and Thai locations. This time around, director Yip has everyone hunting for a computer chip instead of a golden crystal which starts off in Hong Kong and ends up in the tropical jungle of Thailand.

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In Hong Kong, arms dealer Tong Yeung (Shing Fui On) has a computer chip that contains the country's most advanced missile system. After his arrest, three American CIA agents, John (Mark Houghton), Peggy (Sharla Cheung Man) and Ann (Takajo Fujimi) arrive to take him back to the States. On their way to the airport, with the tag along of local Inspectors Sonny Ng (Carrie Ng) and Kwan (Eddie Kwan), Long Hair (Gordon Liu) and his ruthless gang ambush them.

One of the great thrills of old school kung fu flicks is the juxtaposition between the dance-like choreography and bone-crunching violence. Bright splashes of blood are made more shocking by the balletic quality of the fights themselves. This is the contradiction at the core of almost all classic martial arts films; the spirituality inherent in Shaolin Kung Fu coexists with its potential to cause serious bodily harm. Many of the best releases of the 70s and 80s golden age understood how to blend Zen-like philosophy with animalistic anger, and revenge storylines allowed for especially potent drama. Here are five of the most down-and-dirty payback plots from the heyday of Hong Kong action.

5. The Duel

Chang Cheh's Ti Lung and David Chiang team-up from the year before, “Vengeance,” might be the obvious choice, but “The Duel” is an underrated slice of Triad grittiness. Lung and Chiang are two of the coolest...

Shout! Factory’s Shaw Brothers Classics: Volume 3, covering the years 1976 to 1980, coincides with Shaw Brothers Studio’s creative zenith, when a decade’s worth of honed techniques and emergent competition at the Hong Kong box office propelled the studio to new artistic heights. That, though, means that this is the period that’s been most thoroughly mined by specialty home video labels looking to preserve the legacy of the studio’s work and Hong Kong genre movies in general. Most of the classics of these years, such as Lau Kar-leung’s The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Chang Cheh’s Shaolin Temple, have already been released on home video. Notably, Cheh’s work, the usual highlight of these Shout! collections, is somewhat underrepresented here due to a smaller selection pool of titles.

This collection, though, still represents a stellar opportunity to discover some of the less-heralded gems of the Shaw Brothers Studio’s golden era,...

Two decades ago, :a[Quentin Tarantino]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/quentin-tarantino-movies-ranked/' target='blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} unfolded an odyssey. In the six years since :a[Jackie Brown]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/jackie-brown-original-empire-feature/' target='blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} hit the screen, the filmmaker best known for his devotion to dialogue had been working on something completely different – a four-hour action epic, swirling his love of old kung fu movies, revenge westerns, anime flicks, and his ongoing fascination with pop cultural ephemera into his most experimental and adrenaline-pumping work. And it all came under a title that wasn’t just a neat name, but a directive – its own two-word narrative pitch: Kill Bill.

With his :a[Pulp Fiction]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pulp-fiction-review/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'} star Uma Thurman, Tarantino went big – so big that the studio demand his...

Back in 1974, Shaw Brothers director Chang Cheh together with a crew of around fifty people including his favorites David Chiang, Ti Lung and Fu Sheng, left Hong Kong and started producing films in Taiwan. His newfound team under the name of Long Bow Company would continue to produce films till 1976. Although Chang was making films independently, he was still related to Shaw Brothers which gave his full support.

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As it turns out, one of those Long Bow's early films “Five Shaolin Masters” was the one which eventually became their highest box office hit in Hong Kong, followed by “Heroes Two”, “Disciples of Shaolin”, “Shaolin Martial Arts”, “Marco Polo” and “Boxer Rebellion”. Among all of their Taiwanese productions, these six films made over one million dollars in Hong Kong but “The Fantastic Magic Boy” (1975) was their worst performer.

Set during the Great Qing,...

There are Kung Fu movies. Then there are Hong Kong Kung Fu movies. Starting in the ’70s, Hong Kong filmmakers dominated the martial arts genre with a unique brand of Hong Kong ballistic action, white-knuckle stunts, and exquisite fight choreography. Towering Hong Kong studios like Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest were the prolific grindhouses that brought us Bruce Lee and so many other action movie stars at an astonishingly bounteous rate.

If you’re already familiar with Bruce Lee’s work in Hong Kong cinema and aren’t sure where to go next on your martial arts movie journey, or which stars’ filmographies you should be checking out, here are five pivotal Hong Kong martial arts films worthy of your attention. Each of these movie either launched or are part of venerated Hong Kong franchises, so you’ll have plenty to watch once you dive in!

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin a.

There are few modern filmmakers with a voice as distinctive as Quentin Tarantino’s, a former video-store clerk who transformed his movie love into blockbuster, arthouse, genre-redefining masterpieces that kept grindhouse cinema alive while pushing nostalgia in bold directions.

With a career spanning 27 years and ten feature films (depending on how you count), Tarantino has made an indelible mark on cinema. And his hard-hitting, playful directorial style has, in all that time, made good films great, great films classics, and the faults in bad films sometimes harder to recognize.

Here, then, are Quentin Tarantino’s films from “Reservoir Dogs” to “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood,” ranked from the very worst to the very, very best:

10. “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood” (2019)

Sharon Tate is a meaningless footnote in her own life story in Quentin Tarantino’s baffling and insulting ode to 1960s Hollywood. Tate is played by Margot Robbie,...

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies are seen as some of the filmmaker’s best work. But Tarantino admitted to quickly getting tired of the project while in the midst of shooting it.

Quentin Tarantino ‘had it’ with filming ‘Kill Bill’ Quentin Tarantino | Michael Nagle/Getty Images

Tarantino confided that he lost it a couple of times while making his action flick. The Kill Bill movies took up much of Tarantino’s day-to-day life in the nine months the filmmaker spent working on them. And soon it took its toll.

“It really was a situation like I had it. I was just sick of making the f***ing movie, of getting up so f***ing early, working so damn hard, of not having a life, of answering questions. I was that f***ing grumpy asshole the whole day. It happened twice and eventually I come to my senses,” Tarantino once told Movies.

The story of Wong Fei Hung can best be summed up by the adage taken from John Ford's “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”. g”. For modern audiences this would apply to the seemingly endless variations on the life of Ip Man. Yet before him we had generations of audiences growing up to the feats of the master of the “No Shadow Kick” and member of the Ten Tigers of Canton, Wong Fei Hung. Over the years there have been numerous incarnations representing him at various aspects of his life. In addition, we have gained a supporting cast of familiar sidekicks, mentors, and comic relief. All alongside the familiar sound of the “General Marching Under Orders” theme that has become so associated with the character. It's not often we get to see a character grow up on screen and so here we present the life of Wong Fei Hung in several cinematic chapters.

Consider the chainsaw.

A piece of motorized machinery that moves sharp, metal teeth along a chain, rapidly cutting its way through just about anything you could reasonably want to cut. To many, the chainsaw is a piece of gardening equipment, perfectly suited to chop down trees. But to horror filmmakers, the chainsaw is a weapon of mass tissue destruction, a gory death-dealing device wielded by maniacs and, occasionally, maniacs heroically fighting those other maniacs.

The irony is that horror filmmakers are a little bit closer to the chainsaw's original intention. Invented in the 1780s by doctors John Aitken and James Jeffray, the device was originally intended to saw through human tissue. But in a well-intentioned, medical way. Not in a creepy "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" way.

And yet, by putting "Chainsaw" in the title (or "Chain Saw" if we're being specific), Tobe Hooper's incredible horror classic pretty much claimed chainsaws as part of its identity.

Quentin Tarantino has said his next film will be his last. Concerned about diminishing his legacy, the popular director plans to go out with a bang. His final movie is said to be called “The Movie Critic.” If you’d like to look back at his rapid-fire dialogue, unexpected gore, and iconic characters, The Streamable is tracking where you can see all his films.

Tarantino’s filmography is notoriously difficult to stream because he rarely works for major studios. You’ll often see his movies bounce from platform to platform. Be sure to bookmark this page and we’ll update each film, no matter where it goes.

Reservoir Dogs September 2, 1992

Tarantino’s breakout directing debut features many of his calling cards audiences would come to love. A group of highly opinionated criminals, a heist gone wrong, a classic soundtrack, and unexpected bloodshed. The film was once ranked #97 in Empire Magazine...

People have strong opinions, both good and bad, about films directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Regardless of your opinion on the filmmaker, though there’s no denying his new releases demand to be seen – if only in order in order to debate whether they rank up there with Pulp Fiction (1994) or way down with The Hateful Eight (2017).

Even if viewers don't like a particular Tarantino film, there'll probably be a small part they do like, thanks to his knack for creating fantastic characters – not to mention casting the perfect people in those roles.

It's no surprise that actors including Samuel L Jackson, Uma Thurman and Leonardo DiCaprio rush to be in his films – all three of whom have delivered some of their best performances in Tarantino films.

Following news of Tarantino’s next film, which is expected to be the last before his retirement, we have ranked the director’s 30 greatest characters.

Although "Volume 2" is the gentler, more thoughtful installment of the "Kill Bill" saga, you wouldn't know that from the fight scene between Beatrix (Uma Thurman) and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah). Although there is some begrudging respect between them, Beatrix and Elle hate each other more than perhaps any other two members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, and that's reflected in their final showdown in Budd's cramped trailer. It's a vicious, bloody fight: Beatrix shoves Elle's head in a toilet at one point, throws a tobacco spit jar in her face, and then she yanks out Elle's one remaining eye.

It's a stark contrast from Beatrix's battle against O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) in the first volume. There, O-Ren trash-talks her a little in the beginning, but as their fight goes on it gets increasingly respectful. "For ridiculing you earlier, I apologize," O-Ren says near the end of the fight,...

Quentin Tarantino has a knack for putting himself in his own movies in a creative fashion. Ranging from full-on roles to small cameos, he sometimes seems to have as much passion for acting as he does directing. Even before Tarantino made his directorial debut with "Reservoir Dogs," one of his first gigs in Hollywood was a cameo on "The Golden Girls," where he played an Elvis impersonator in a brief part of an episode. However, his first true role would come in "Reservoir Dogs," where he played the part of Mr. Brown and delivered that now-infamous monologue about Madonna's song "Like a Virgin." Mr. Brown would be killed off fairly early in the movie, but Tarantino's affinity for acting didn't stop there.

The director would go on to have minor roles in his other films, whether narrating or playing a background character of some kind. Tarantino was no stranger to acting,...

Did Michelle Yeoh ever tell you about the time she broke her back and some upstart director gave her encouragement to get back on the cinematic saddle?

If you know martial arts action movies, you know Yeoh. In her earliest works, she went as Michelle Khan, but as she racked up credits in Hong Kong action movies during the '90s and starred as James Bond ally Wai Lin in the '97 spy flick "Tomorrow Never Dies" she would be credited with her proper surname. From 1984 onward, including notable works like Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Supercop" (a.k.a. "Police Story 3"), Yeoh continued to play characters with a staunch spirit and meticulous discipline, whether the role was that of a geisha or a crazy-rich Asian.

It was during the filming of Ann Hui's 1996 action picture "The Stunt Woman" that Yeoh, understandably doing her own stunts,...

Passionately acknowledged for his traditional kung fu flicks, this was Lau Kar Leung’s Hong Kong’s version of the popular Hollywood buddy-cop action comedy genre of the 80s which borrowed heavily from Peter Hyams’s “Running Scared” (1986) to Richard Donner’s “Lethal Weapon” from 1987. Due to its success, a sequel soon followed in 1990 starring Danny Lee but only Conan Lee reprised his role. It was nominated for the Best Action Choreography at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1989 but “Police Story 2” was the winner.

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In a total contrast to his heroic character in “A Better Tomorrow” (1986), Chow Yun Fat portrays the womanizing and cowardly police Sergeant Francis Li mostly for laughs. Incidentally, this is the kind of clowning role his Asian audiences preferred and were fond of instead of the tough action hero type favored by the West.

Wong Fei-hung (1847-1925) was a real person, but through the many interpretations of him and his life, played by actors like Kwan Tak-hing, Jackie Chan (Drunken Master), Jet Li (Once Upon a Time in China and Last Hero in China) and, briefly, Sammo Hung (Around the World in 80 Days), he has become something of a mythic figure. Gordon Liu first played the role in Challenge of the Masters, and reprises it here.

Though he’s the central figure, Martial Club is more of an ensemble piece than one focused purely on Wong Fei-hung. Broadly, the film is about an outwardly friendly, but escalating, rivalry between three Kung Fu schools: Wu Guan, Jeng and Luk. Eventually Wong Fei-hung, his friend Yan-lam (Robert Mak) and Yan-lam‘s sister (Kara Hui) are put in a position where they have to fight back.

The first half of the film focuses almost entirely on...

Yuhang Ho was trained as an engineer but went into film-making due to his love for vintage films. He began his career by shooting commercials in the mid 1990’s. In 2000, he co-directed a Malaysian documentary “Semangat Insan: Masters of Tradition” highlighting the need to preserve Malaysia’s traditional art forms. He then made his feature film directorial debut in the 2003 film “Min”.He went to receive international recognition for his film “Rain Dogs”, won the New Talent Award at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2006 and also named best director at the Festival of the Three Continents in 2006.

His 2009 revenge drama “At The End of Daybreak” revived the career of the veteran actress Kara Hui, who was an action star of the Shaw Brothers era. “Daybreak” earned her seven best actress awards. She has since gone on to star in “Wu Xia,” “Rigor Mortis,” and “The Midnight After.”

On the...

Craig Lines Feb 9, 2017

Cynthia Rothrock, Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and more feature, as we salute the female stars of martial arts movies...

It’s arguably a rare sight when female characters lead a major genre film, and last year’s online Ghostbusters drama proves it’s still, depressingly, a controversial choice if they do. Too often, female characters are reduced to sidekicks, damsels, sex objects and caricatures. It sometimes feels like every day there’s a new statistic about women being under-represented in Hollywood and while, to some extent, things are looking brighter and more diverse by the day, it’s an uphill struggle. Still, as we wait for Hollywood to get its act together, I thought I’d celebrate a genre where awesome, strong, multi-faceted female characters have led casts as a regular occurrence for decades - martial arts!

See related Netflix's Stranger Things: Shawn Levy interview Netflix's...

Beyond Fest must have their check in the mail, because ol' Jack Burton himself is coming to the festival for a 30th anniversary screening of Big Trouble in Little China. Filmmaker James Gunn will be on hand to discuss the cult John Carpenter movie with the beloved actor, and that's only one of many events fans will want to mark on their fall calendars.

Taking place September 30th–October 11th at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, Beyond Fest 2016 will also feature screenings of Phantasm: Ravager, Phantasm: Remastered, George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead in 3-D, Martin, In a Valley of Violence, The Wolf Man (1941), The Bad Batch, Raw, and City of the Living Dead.

A 4K restoration screening of Romero's The Crazies will also take place, as well as a live performance by composer Fabio Frizzi and his orchestra during a showing of The Beyond: Composer's Cut.

Fantastic Fest has already revealed an amazing lineup over the past month, but their newly announced final wave of programming should cause even more fans to make room on their calendars between September 22nd–29th.

Fantastic Fest's final wave of programming has several big treats in store for horror comedy fans, as Bruce Campbell will be in attendance for screenings of the first two episodes of Ash vs Evil Dead Season 2 (ahead of the first season's October 2nd premiere on Starz).

Another WolfCop, the sequel to 2014's WolfCop, will make its world premiere, and a special screening of the first episode of HBO's Westworld series will also take place.

The creature feature Colossal will be shown as the festival's closing film, and A Monster Calls and The Autopsy of Jane Doe are also scheduled to screen. For full details, we have the official press release below. Which film are you...

The date to set the record button is January 15th, 2016 as Film 4 bring us some classic movies from Shaw Brothers, from the world of Kung Fu and Wu Xia.

It starts with a Classic

The season will kick off with a Gordon Liu classic “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin”, then will continue for a further 3 Friday nights which will include Shaw Brothers classics such as King Boxer (Lo Lieh), Come Drink With Me (Cheng Pei-Pei) and The One Armed Swordsman (Wang Yu).

I have to say, they have chosen some great movies and anyone who is a fan of Kung Fu and Wu Xia cinema need to watch these and record then watch again. The second season (Which stars in April) will include The Five Deadly Venoms and The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, so far.

Also every movie will play with original language and English Subtitles.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin...

When it comes to making features like this one, i love the idea of coming up with my own personal “100 Great Kung Fu Movies” of all time. It is tough choosing just 100 because you know there are many more great Kung Fu movies that are not on the list.

I understand everyone will have their own personal favorites and some may not agree with my list and that’s fine because it’s nice to have different opinions on this genre which keeps it fresh and alive when having good debates.

Anyway, thank you for taking time to have a look at my 100 Great Kung Fu movie list and feel free to add any movies in the comment box if they don’t make my list (I have probably forgotten many movies).

Number 1 is based on the choreography and overall movie which to me is a prime example of of...

When it comes to making features like this one, i love the idea of coming up with my own personal “100 Great Kung Fu Movies” of all time. It is tough choosing just 100 because you know there are many more great Kung Fu movies that are not on the list.

I have decided that to make the list, a movie must have a few hand to hand moments during fight scenes in the movies chosen. If for example its mainly sword play with one fight scene hand to hand it won’t make the list. Its old school “style” Kung Fu movies, not modern day settings.

I understand everyone will have their own personal favorites and some may not agree with my list and that’s fine because it’s nice to have different opinions on this genre which keeps it fresh and alive when having good debates.

Anyway, thank you...

When it comes to making features like this one, i love the idea of coming up with my own personal “100 Great Kung Fu Movies” of all time. It is tough choosing just 100 because you know there are many more great Kung Fu movies that are not on the list.

I have decided that to make the list, a movie must have a few hand to hand moments during fight scenes in the movies chosen. If for example its mainly sword play with one fight scene hand to hand it won’t make the list. Its old school “style” Kung Fu movies, not modern day settings.

I understand everyone will have their own personal favorites and some may not agree with my list and that’s fine because it’s nice to have different opinions on this genre which keeps it fresh and alive when having good debates.

Anyway, thank you...

When it comes to making features like this one, i love the idea of coming up with my own personal “100 Great Kung Fu Movies” of all time. It is tough choosing just 100 because you know there are many more great Kung Fu movies that are not on the list.

I have decided that to make the list, a movie must have a few hand to hand moments during fight scenes in the movies chosen. If for example its mainly sword play with one fight scene hand to hand it won’t make the list. Its old school “style” Kung Fu movies, not modern day settings.

I understand everyone will have their own personal favorites and some may not agree with my list and that’s fine because it’s nice to have different opinions on this genre which keeps it fresh and alive when having good debates.

Anyway, thank you...

When it comes to making features like this one, i love the idea of coming up with my own personal “100 Great Kung Fu Movies” of all time. It is tough choosing just 100 because you know there are many more great Kung Fu movies that are not on the list.

I have decided that to make the list, a movie must have a few hand to hand fight scenes in the movies chosen. If for example its mainly sword play with one fight scene hand to hand it won’t make the list. Its old school “style” Kung Fu movies, not modern day settings.

I understand everyone will have their own personal favorites and some may not agree with my list and that’s fine because it’s nice to have different opinions on this genre which keeps it fresh and alive when having good debates.

Anyway, thank you for taking...

What we lack more and more these days are epic fight scenes in the final part of kung Fu/Martial Art movies. We have seen less and less one on one fight scenes in the final battle over the past 15-20 years, which is a shame but we have seen recently a few flicks bringing that winning formula back.

I want to name a few of my favorite end fight scenes and please feel free to comment below, your favorite fight scenes and maybe they will be added to the future features.

Dragons Forever

1.Dragons Forever (1988)

Cast:Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Benny The Jet, Billy Chow, Philip Ko, Pauline Yeung , Deannie Yip

Fight Choreographer:Sammo Hung and Crew, Jackie Chan and Crew, Corey Yuen

Snake Deadly Act

2.Snake Deadly Act (1980)

Cast:Fung Hak On, Wilson Tong, Ng Kwan Lung, Chan Wai Man, Phillip Ko

Fight Choreographer:...

Like millions of you around the world, i love Kung Fu movies. It is the only real genre that keeps me going back for more and that is why i will always love Kung Fu movies.

I know many of you have probably seen many of the movies i will post about, but this is also for anyone new to the genre of Kung Fu and even Swordplay and looking for other movies to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the movies i have listed and please feel free to comment about any of the movies. Part 1-9 also on the website to check out.

1.Boxer From Shantung (1972)

Studio: Shaw Brothers

Director: Chang Cheh, Pao Hsueh Lieh

Cast: Chen Kuan Tai, David Chiang, Cheng Li, Cheng Hong Yip, Ku Feng

Fight Choreographer(s): Lau Kar Leung, Lau Kar Wing, Chan Chuen, Tong Gaai

 

2.Once Upon A Time In China II (1992)

Studio: Film Workshop,...

Uncharted is a film that's taken a surprisingly long time to make its way into production. Based on the smash hit Sony Playstation franchise, it has an action-packed story that lends itself perfectly to Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking. It follows treasure hunter Nathan Drake, his mentor "Sully," and a host of secondary characters, as they travel the world to uncover historical mysteries. The scripts for the games have a balance of humor, mystery, action, and intrigue as Drake tends to get into all kinds of trouble while on his assignments. The franchise could be a hit on the level of the National Treasure films or, in the right hands, could be this generation's Indiana Jones. 

At one point, David O. Russell- the director who's been nominated for five Academy Awards, was set to bring the franchise to the big screen. At the time, he had gotten a commitment from Mark Wahlberg to star as Drake.

Like millions of you around the world, i love Kung Fu movies. It is the only real genre that keeps me going back for more and that is why i will always love Kung Fu movies.

I know many of you have probably seen many of the movies i will post about, but this is also for anyone new to the genre of Kung Fu and even Swordplay and looking for other movies to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the movies i have listed and please feel free to comment about any of the movies.

 

Snuff-Bottle Connection (1977)

Studio: Fortuna Film Co

Director: Lau Lap Lap, Richard Tung Chin Hu

Cast: Hwang jang lee, Yip Fei Yang, John Liu, Philip Ko, Hsu Hsia, Yuen Biao

Action Director(s): Yuen Woo Ping

 

Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog (1978)

Studio: Gar Bo Motion Picture Company

Director: Karl maka

Cast: Sammo hung, lau Kar Wing,...

The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop empire built on a foundation of kung fu movies — and last night at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the RZA detailed some of the connections. First on the bill: a screening of the 1978 Shaw Brothers classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which had a resurgence of popularity in 1993 because of the Wu-Tang debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Then the Wu-Tang's producer/leader and Elvis Mitchell (curator of the presenting organization, Film Independent at Lacma) engaged in a half-hour conversation about...

On the heels of the 39th edition of the Toronto Int. Film Festival (Sept 4-14), Ifp’s Independent Film Week is where a plethora of fiction, non-fiction and new this year, web-based series from the likes of Desiree Akhavan and Calvin Reeder find future coin. Sectioned off as projects at the very beginning of financing to those that are nearing completion, there happens to be tons of Sundance alumni in the names below. Among those that caught our attention we have Medicine for Melancholy‘s Barry Jenkins’ sophomore feature, produced by Bad Milo!‘s Adele Romanski, Moonlight is about “two Miami boys navigate the temptations of the drug trade and their burgeoning sexuality in this triptych drama about black queer youth”. Concussion‘s Stacie Passon digs into the thriller genre with Strange Things Started Happening. Produced by vet Mary Jane Skalski (Mysterious Skin), this is about “a woman who has...

Los Angeles - RZA may be out and about promoting his film "Brick Mansions" co-starring the late Paul Walker, but it's clear that the rapper/director/actor/producer is also in full-promo mode for the couple of projects Wu-Tang Clan has in the hopper. Most recently, RZA announced that the hip-hop group had spent the last six years secretly recording the album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," of which only a single copy will be released, and to the highest bidder. The album will be encased in original silver-and-nickel box designed by artist Yahya and is intended -- in RZA's words -- as a work of art; whoever ends up purchasing it can do with it whatever he or she wants, whether hold it in a private collection or release it somehow for public consumption or otherwise. Curious fans will hopefully be able to listen to "Shaolin" like...

Like millions of you around the world, i love Kung Fu movies. It is the only real genre that keeps me going back for more and that is why i will always love Kung Fu movies.

I know many of you have probably seen many of the movies i will post about, but this is also for anyone new to the genre of Kung Fu and even Swordplay and looking for other movies to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the movies i have listed and please feel free to comment about any of the movies.

The Skyhawk (1974)

Studio: Golden Harvest

Director: Jeong Chang Hwa

Cast: Kwan Tak Hing, Sammo Hung, Carter Wong, Wang In Sik, Nora Miao

Action Director(s): Sammo Hung

 

Legendary Weapons of China (1982)

Studio: Shaw Brothers

Director: Lau Kar Leung

Cast: Hsiao Ho, Lau Kar Leung, Kara Hui, Gordon Liu, Lau Kar Wing, Fu Sheng

Action...

Like millions of you around the world, i love Kung Fu movies. It is the only real genre that keeps me going back for more and that is why i will always love Kung Fu movies.

I know many of you have probably seen many of the movies i will post about, but this is also for anyone new to the genre of Kung Fu and even Swordplay and looking for other movies to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the movies i have listed and please feel free to comment about any of the movies.

36th Chamber Of Shaolin (1978)

Studio: Shaw Brothers

Director: Lau Kar Leung

Cast: Gordon Liu, Lau Kar Wing, Lo Lieh, Wilson Tong, Lee Hoi San

Action Director(s): Lau Kar Leung

Invincible Armour (1977)

Studio: Lai Wah Film Company

Director: Ng See Yuen

Cast:John Liu, Hwang Jang Lee, Philip Ko, Tino Wong, Yuen Biao

Action Director(s): Corey Yuen,...

Like millions of you around the world, i love Kung Fu movies. It is the only real genre that keeps me going back for more and that is why i will always love Kung Fu movies.

I know many of you have probably seen many of the movies i will post about, but this is also for anyone new to the genre of Kung Fu and even Swordplay and looking for other movies to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the movies i have listed and please feel free to comment about any of the movies.

Crippled Avengers (1978)

Studio: Shaw Brothers

Director: Chang Cheh

Cast: The Vemons, Chen Kuan Tai, Johnny Wang, Dick Wei

Action Director(s): Lu Feng, Robert Tai, Chiang Sheng

Five Elements Ninjas (1982)

Studio: Shaw Brothers

Director: Chang Cheh

Cast: Ricky Cheng, Lo Meng, Chan Wai Man, Wong Wai Tong

Action Director(s): Ricky Cheng Tien Chi,...

Anita Mui 1963-2003

Anita Mui had a fantastic screen presence, an actress and a musician, she also did lots of work for charity. In the 80′s she became a household name within the music world and was dubbed the “Madonna of Asia”. She had a series of shows entitled the “Anita Classic Moment Live Concert” that consisted of eight shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum from 6 to 11 November and 14 to 15 November 2003, which were to be her last concerts before her death.

Anita made some great movies and was always surrounded by a great cast. Some movies you should check out are Behind the Yellow Line, Rouge, The Heroic Trio, Drunken Master 2, Miracles, Saviour of the Soul, Moon Warriors and many more.

Mui was originally cast in Zhang Yimou’s House of Flying Daggers (2004), but she resigned only two weeks before her death. Zhang had reserved her scenes to be shot...

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Don Jon) is nearing a deal to produce a big screen adaptation of Sandman and is rumored to be in talks to direct and star in the comic book adaptation as the character Morpheus. David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) is penning the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s classic graphic novel for Warner Bros. Gordon-Levitt can be seen next in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (out Aug. 22, 2014). [Deadline; BadassDigest]

• Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks), Judy Greer (The Descendants), and Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) have joined the cast of Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children. Adam Sandler and...

With the passing of Lau Kar-leung (the common Cantonese spelling, he was also often credited in Mandarin as Liu Chia-liang), one of the great chapters of Hong Kong cinema comes to a close. Justly famous as martial arts choreographer and action director for many kung fu and wu xia films—the last was Tsui Hark's Seven Swords (2005), in which he also acted—Lau was also one of the outstanding filmmakers of Hong Kong cinema. His most important period was during the final heyday of Shaw Brothers, Asia's biggest studio: In the late 70s and early 80s, before Shaw Bros. closed their doors, Lau proved himself the biggest proponent of the martial arts tradition in Hong Kong cinema, as well as its chief modernizing force, hiding sublime layers beneath ultra-robust exterior appearance. (Fittingly, in 2003 he also directed the studio's comeback movie, more or less coinciding with the inauguration of belated...

Lau Kar Leung (Liu Chia Liang), one of the most revered martial artists in Hong Kong Cinema, has lost a long battle with leukemia, local media is reporting this morning. In a career spanning more than 60 years, Lau starred in - and provided action choreography for - more than 70 films. In his early days he often collaborated with director Chang Cheh at legendary Shaw Brothers studios, and directed more than 25 feature films himself, culminating in 2003's Drunken Monkey.Many of Leung's most famous films, including The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Eight Diagram Pole Fighter, starred his "god-brother" Gordon Liu Chia Hui - who is also critically ill. Other highlights of his long and illustrious career include My Young Auntie, starring Kara Hui, Drunken...

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Stars: Johnny Messner, Ammara Siripong, Joe Lewis, Brahim Achabbakhe, Tim Man, Roongtawan Jindasing, Rashid Phoenix, Ice Chongko, Chia Hui Liu | Written by Ken Miller | Directed by Raimund Huber

Sometimes I love my “job,” especially when I get to tell all you folks reading Nerdly about those hidden gems sitting on the shelves of your local supermarket and DVD stores (although are there any of those left these days?). Kill ‘Em All is one such gem.

Essentially Saw meets Mortal Kombat, Kill ‘Em All sees a group of deadly international assassins captured and locked up inside a high-tech bunker known as the Killing Chamber – and the only way to break out of this concrete hell is to duel each other. If they survive this, they will have to confront Snakehead: the lethal, deranged top dog who will stop at nothing to kill them all.

Kill ‘Em All starts off as it means to go on,...

“Shaolin and Wu-Tang” & Wu-Tang Clan: 36 Styles of Danger by Dan Simolke“Shaolin shadowboxing, and the Wu-Tang sword style…”-- “Shaolin and Wu-Tang” sample from “Bring Da Ruckus”When the sequel to 1978’s “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin,” entitled “Return to the 36th Chamber,” was released as a comedy, star Gordon Liu decided he disagreed with that approach. Since Gordon Liu does what he wants, he subsequently directed what he determined would be a proper follow-up: 1983’s “Shaolin and Wu-Tang” (which is playing at NYC’s Anthology Film Archives in a 35mm print as a part of the Old School Kung-Fu Fest). You might recognize Liu from the “Kill Bill” films, where he played multiple roles...

"I'll see you in another life when we are both cats." –Tom Cruise, 'Vanilla Sky'

Greetings from the apocalypse! You might think that this particular Mad Max would enjoy watching Tom Cruise fight evil robots in a future nuclear-blasted wasteland, but Nope! "Oblivion" is a dud, though that doesn't mean we can't make it through the next few days as long as we stick together and don't cross the Dmz. Smoke 'em if ya got 'em, troops, we're goin' in …

Friday, April 19

Pow! In Theaters

Xenu's own Tom Cruise returns to comfortable sci-fi territory this week with "Oblivion," which I will henceforth refer to as "The Matrix Redressed." Cruise is the only living boy in post-apocalyptic New York, where he and a stuffy British chick (Andrea Riseborough, natch) maintain giant water vacuums when they're not having PG-13 swimming pool sex … that is, until the mysterious Olga Kurylenko arrives from outer space.

In August 2011, Gordon Liu, Hong Kong martial arts legend and star of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Kill Bill 1 & 2 plus numerous other classic films, suffered a major stroke that left him completely paralyzed on the right side of his body. It appears that his condition has deteriorated over time and now he is not talking or moving as well as he was six months ago. Since the stroke, he has lost almost 20kg in weight. The Hong Kong media has also reported that he has used up most of his savings on medical therapy, and is considering selling his only property (his old home) to cover the costs of ongoing treatment. Mr. Liu recently allowed a visit at the hospital by reporters from...

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Chicago – “The Man with the Iron Fists” is the most tedious picture in many a moon. How, you may ask, can wall-to-wall action possibly by tedious? Two reasons: 1.) The action is nonstop, and 2.) The characters are impossible to care about. The single take of Uma Thurman’s devastated outburst upon awakening from her coma is the emotional hook that keeps the audience engaged as she wreaks her path of vengeance through both volumes of “Kill Bill.”

RZA’s unfortunate directorial debut lacks that crucial moment designed to spur an audience’s emotional involvement. Instead, it hurls the viewer headfirst through an assortment of blood-spattered plot threads so needlessly complicated and breathlessly detailed that they are rendered quickly incoherent. The plot doesn’t matter anyway, since it serves solely as a clothesline for gratuitous action sequences recycled from older, vastly superior kung fu blockbusters—the kind that RZA and his pal...

Feature James Clayton Jan 18, 2013

As Django Unchained revives the spaghetti western, James salutes Quentin Tarantino's ability to reanimate forgotten actors and genres...

“Zed’s dead, baby. Zed’s dead.” But that’s okay, because Quentin Tarantino can probably bring him back to life. It’s one of his specialities, though it’s not as widely discussed as his amazing gabbiness, his knack for sharp, highly-quotable dialogue or his talent for painting stylish violence on screen. With Django Unchained now in cinemas, I reckon it’s an ideal time to reassess his dark artistry and raise his reputation as a necromancer.

Death is not a certain state in Tarantino’s world, and that’s not just because the director favours non-linear timelines - a storytelling structure that means murdered characters may reappear on screen again before the credits roll.

Qt is outstanding as a moviemaker in manipulating what was presumed extinct,...

Theatrical Trailer: the official theatrical piece, usually cut from the first (very long) cut of the picture or sometimes (if there is no first cut yet) from dailies (all the shot footage, including all the different takes and angles), maximum length of a trailer is two and a half minutes.

Teaser Trailer: A first, short theatrical preview piece (usually not longer than a minute and a half), cut from a few selected takes and scenes while the picture is still being shot.

For those of you who think it’s okay to show up to a film after the coming attractions – move along. No self-respecting movie geek would dare miss the previews. And don’t get us started on the individuals who arrive during the trailer you’ve been dying to see only to move through your line of sight during the all-important money shot.

In most cases, trailers are...

If Tarantino’s films of the 1990s announced the writer-director’s as a phenom for writing formidably snappy dialogue that enhanced characterization, his films of the 00s, while continuing to demonstrate the aforementioned writing prowess, suggest that he is equally adept at staging and filming wonderful action scenes, be they brawls, gun fights or contests of martial arts skills. Death Proof and Django Unchained have their share of impressive set pieces representing unique visions of what, in the case of the former, a cinematic car chase can be like, and, in the case of the latter, what a cinematic gun fight shoot out can be like. In essence, pretty darn sweet.

In both cases, even though Tarantino and his crack team definitely put their own spin on such action set pieces, the ingenuity that went into both was inspired by movies which made names for themselves in the annals of film history.