News

Jet Li’s 1994 film Fist Of Legend caught the attention of the Wachowskis as they were looking for someone prolific in Hong Kong action styles for The Matrix. They contacted Yuen Woo-ping, who had earlier worked with the legend Jackie Chan in Drunken Master. Yuen was initially hesitant but eventually brought his expertise into the film.

Keanu Reeves and Hugo Weaving in The Matrix | Warner Bros.

After The Matrix, Yuen returned to work on the classic Chinese film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. However, he was soon called back to Hollywood and it was Quentin Tarantino who needed his slick action choreography in his films, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2.

Martial Arts Legend Yuen Woo-ping Was Convinced To Do Stunt Choreography In The Matrix Yuen Woo-ping | Debbie Cerda, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Lana and Lilly Wachowski had a vision that most people couldn’t understand, when they were making...

Freevee provides access to a veritable multiverse of streaming channels and is available via Amazon Prime Video or as a standalone app.

If you've ever wished for an entire channel devoted to one of your favorite shows, check out the streamer's roster of live TV options, and you might find that this channel already exists.

Freevee has eclectic content for specialized interests, but its best feature is the choice of premium offshoot channels. Viewers can sample curated content from channels that usually require paid subscriptions.

This treasure trove of free television can be tricky to wade through, so here are some fantastic live TV channels on Freevee to get you started!

Ion

This channel plays a solid rotation of long-running law enforcement shows: Blue Bloods, Bones, and Law & Order Special Victims Unit, to name just a few.

You can even try out three different flavors of NCIS before chilling out with the Hawaii Five-0 reboot.

Usually, when people think of the greatest decade for action movies, the 80s are what they think of. After all, this is the era that gave us Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, the Rambo movies, and so many more. But, the nineties was just as important a decade, giving birth to just as many legends of the genre, and it was the last significant era for R-rated action flicks. But what are the best action movies of the 90s? It’s tough to say, but here are 10, plus an honourable mention, that we think we deserve a place in the pantheon.

Honourable Mention: Demolition Man:

When this came out in the fall of 1993, it wasn’t considered all that special. It apparently lost money at the box office, but within a few years, this Sylvester Stallone/ Wesley Snipes mashup became a major cult classic, and now it’s one of the...

For better or worse, the strength of your name can substantially affect your prospects as an actor in Hollywood. If a producer can’t imagine your name at the top of a movie poster, you’ll have a tough time getting a lead role in mainstream movies. Jet Li understands this reality as well as anybody.

The same martial arts skills that made him an action star in the 1990s were apparent before his greatest hits. However, he might have never got those opportunities had he not been convinced to change his birth name to something easier for worldwide audiences to say.

Jet Li was a martial arts prodigy under a different name (L to R) Director Tsui Hark and Jet Li at a conference for ‘The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate’ | Str/Afp via Getty Images

As explained on Britannica, Jet Li’s original name is Li Lianjie. He...

Jet Li may have become one of the most famous actors in the world. But the martial arts master has certainly seen his share of ups and downs, both in the industry and outside of it. In fact, one harrowing story helped him realize exactly how little all his fame would help him. Here’s what happened and how it had a profound effect on the course of Li’s life going forward.

Jet Li’s iconic movies include ‘Fearless,’ ‘Hero,’ and ‘The One’ Jet Li attends the premiere of Disney’s “Mulan” I Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Right from his 1982 film debut in Shaolin Temple, Li left a major impression on audiences. Before long, the actor made his directorial debut in 1986’s Born to Defence. In the 1990s, he established himself as a regular star of period epics such as the Once Upon a Time in China series, Fist of Legend,...

Jet Li is one of the most renowned martial arts stars of his generation. The actor has thrilled audiences for decades. And yet, even with a filmography as loaded with iconic films as is, there will always be a few that slip away. Such is the case with Li, who famously turned down a few big movies over the years. Here are some of the biggest movie roles he left behind.

Jet Li has appeared in countless beloved movies Jet Li attends the Premiere Of Disney’s “Mulan” I Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

Li made his Hollywood debut in 1998’s Lethal Weapon 4 opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. In that movie, he played the villain. And it led to many other major Hollywood productions for the star, including Romeo Must Die, The One, Kiss of the Dragon, all three entries in The Expendables franchise, and most recently, Disney’s live-action Mulan.

For decades, Jet Li wasone of the most beloved martial arts stars in the world. But the actor has largely stepped away from the business in recent years to focus on his health. Still, his daughters convinced him to return for one small but pivotal role. Li has previously turned down major movies before, but this one felt different. Here’s why he signed on for one 2020 release.

Jet Li is an action movie legend Jane Li, Jet Li, and Jada Li attend the World Premiere of”Mulan” I Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Li is the kind of movie star with a filmography so deep that he’s ultimately turned down bigger movies than most actors could ever dream of. He made his film debut in 1982’s Shaolin Temple and went on to build a reputation for starring in a string of popular martial arts period epics. These...

When editor Paul Rogers was first pitched “Everything Everywhere All at Once” by Daniels, he had no idea that he would be treated to a wild performance by the directing duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. And yet, from their energetic and funny acting out of the entire multiverse sci-fi adventure in their garage office, Rogers immediately understood and appreciated the method to their madness. Cracking the editorial code subsequently became a lot easier.

“I got very emotional just watching it,” said Rogers, who previously edited Scheinert’s solo movie, “The Death of Dick Long.” “I think a big part of why that made such an impact on me, I could see and feel their passion for the story, and how excited and passionate they were, laughing and cracking each other up. Having that weight when they performed the emotional scenes really sold me on the fact that they were...

Wtf Happened To This Celebrity? – The JoBlo series that examines the careers of stars and filmmakers who may have fallen out of the spotlight, and tells where they are now! Martial arts whirlwind Jet Li has kicked an incalculable amount of ass over his cinematic career, from his early Hong Kong hits like Once Upon a Time in China and Fist of Legend, through his Hollywood breakthrough in Lethal Weapon 4 and Romeo Must Die. His legendary status…...

There is a certain irony in how modern day productions can date faster than those set in an earlier period. Fashions and styles change like the seasons so that which was once deemed the height of sophistication looks quaint in retrospect. “The Angry Guest” (A title that does sound like a reality TV show) is a classic example. With shirts so loud you practically need to wear sunglasses, it is very much a product of its time. Whilst time may have dated its style, the question is, does it still entertain?

The sequel to “Duel of Fists” opens with a prologue catching up with the events of the first film. After the villain of the original escapes, Wen Lieh (Ti Lung) and Fang Ko (David Chiang) find themselves involved in a conflict with a Japanese criminal outfit that seek to recruit their talents. After rescuing Wen Lieh...

Eureka Entertainment has announced their July 2020 line up today: a trio of classic 1930s horror films starring the iconic Bela Lugosi; and a new 2K restoration of an influential and genre bending horror-comedy. The latter, Ricky Lau’s 1985 chit “Mr. Vampire,” is one of the most genre-defining horror-comedies imaginable. Since its original release, this sensational Hong Kong blockbuster hit spawned at least four sequels and countless spin-offs and imitations of jiang-shi (“hopping vampire”) movies. Limited edition O-Card and Booklet details for “Mr. Vampire” are available below.

Synopsis

One of the most genre-defining (not to mention genre-defying!) horror-comedies imaginable, and one of the key Hong Kong blockbuster hits of the 1980s, the popularity and influence of Mr. Vampirecannot be overstated. Spawning at least four sequels and countless spin-offs and imitations, this Hong Kong horror-comedy to end them all was an understandable crowd-pleasing sensation, and triggered a wave of jiangshi (“hopping vampire”) movies.

The gambling movie is something that seems to have become a genre of its own over the years in Hong Kong. From the Hui Brothers’ “Games Gamblers Play” to the numerous spin offs of Jing Wang’s 1989 classix “God of Gamblers”, nothing better represents Hk society’s aspiration for wealth. Indeed, “The Gambling Ghost” hedges its own bets by featuring three Sammo Hungs!

Fatty (Sammo Hung) is a failing gambler working as a valet, whilst continuing to disappoint his more straight laced father (Sammo Hung). An encounter with a car thief (Nina Li Chi) finds Fatty losing his job and one of his friends (of whom is captured by gangsters). His grandfather (Sammo Hung!) returns as a ghost to help, promising to make him wealthy if he takes revenge for his murder. Hijinks and flying fists ensue as the wayward Fatty finds himself unable to avoid a final confrontation.

After several years in television and the release of three romantic comedies including “Seven Years Itch” (1987), Johnnie To comes up with his first Action Movie “The Big Heat”. The extremely rare movie, famously known for its DVD release that falls short in terms of synchronization and subtitling, holds the blueprint of many later films of the director.

“The Big Heat” centers around the policemen John, played by Waise Lee also known as the bad guy from “A Better Tomorrow” (1986) and “Bullet in the Head” (1990), who has to solve the murder of his former partner before he can retire. Like many other of To’s heroes John has a disability. Due to a nerve damage, his hand is temporarily paralyzed.

Speaking of Johnnie To, one cannot dismiss the aspect of the auteur. Johnnie To is a prime example of a director that changed the nature of a genre...

By Manny Araneta

If you were to consult several lists on the internet and some film books on which Hong Kong action movies are the best, you would be presented with the usual suspects: John Woo films, Bruce Lee films, “Fist of Legend” (1994), Jackie Chan Films and a combination of old (“Tiger Cage” (1988) and new (“Ip Man” (2008) Donnie Yen films. This is due to the fact that these films, more or less, contributed to the engraving in the collective consciousness of the world of the special brand of action of Hong Kong: fearless, innovative, bone-crushing, and above all, executed with technical competence. It is a shame then that this twilight-era-made Shaw Brothers film (they would soon turn to TV ventures in 1987) is not often mentioned in those aforementioned lists, since all those adjectives describe this overlooked classic.

The premise is your basic Hong Kong gangster “Heroic Bloodshed...

The Matrix is seen as a ground-breaking science fiction action film. But many of the film’s most interesting aspects were actually influenced by other, earlier works of fiction and philosophy.

Which is better? Coming up with a new idea, or getting lots of people to like that new idea? Just as in most places, in film we see lots of new ideas all the time, but greater acceptance of these new ideas is relatively rare. As a form of art, film is a media full of new and interesting things. However, it is also a business, and in general it is difficult to sell things which people have not already experienced and had a positive response to. For this reason, innovation in mainstream cinema can seem to move forward at a snail’s pace. Big studios want to make what sells, and taking creative risks is not friendly to the bottom line.

Due to the strong impression left on the first film, the same creative crew returned for this brazen and highly-enjoyable follow-up that carries on the sensational adventures of detective Li Koryu. Rushed to theaters three months after the original, this wild and utterly frenzied sequel is now part of the complete Sister Street Fighter Collection released by Arrow Films on March 5 in a 2-disc Blu-Ray set.

After a detective is killed, detective Li Koryu is assigned to look into the case involving the diamond smuggler Kazushige Osone who lives in Japan. After arriving in Yokohama and meeting her sister Li Ban-lan (Tamayo Mitsukawa), Koryu immediately finds herself in the bosses’ crosshairs, as he carries out a scheme involving the smuggling of diamonds from Hong Kong to Japan inside the bodies of prostitutes and then being removed, of which her friend Birei (Hisako Tanaka) is included in. Forced...

With the release of The Raid: Redemption, I’ve asked Sound On Sight contributors Edgar Chaput and Michael Ryan to help me put together a list of 15 classic martial arts films that we consider essential viewing. Here are my five choices.

11- The Blade (Doa)

Directed by Hark Tsui

Inspired by the 1967 Shaw Brothers epic The One-Armed Swordsman, Tsui Hark’s The Blade reinforces that the director is a true innovator, a visionary, a remarkable stylist and a man who knows how to direct action. In a style often compared to Wong Kar Wai’s Ashes of Time, The Blade is a constant, steady blend of hand-held camera work, quick cuts, visual motifs, symbolic imagery and downright poetic juxtapositions. The fight scenes start out violent and blood-stained but gradually progress into grand artistic spectacles – some of the best you’ll ever see.

-

-

12- Jing wu ying xiong...