Jackie Chan
Blu-Ray Review – Police Story 3: Supercop
Before becoming the action-comedy sidekick of choice in Hollywood, Jackie Chan was arguably the leading light in Hong Kong martial arts cinema. Following Bruce Lee’s tragic death, producers tried to cast him in the same ilk, but it never really stuck. Instead, the ace choreographer almost singlehandedly created ‘comedic kung-fu’. Melding his ingenious stunt work …
Blu-Ray Review: Last Hurrah for Chivalry / Hand of Death: Two Films by John Woo
There have been very few film-makers who began their careers in Asian cinema and then made the successful transition to Hollywood. Whilst the language barrier is an obvious difficulty, it’s often cultural differences which provide the biggest hurdles. John Woo is a notable exception. He first came to prominence in the 1990s, with his films …
Blu-ray Review: Wheels on Meals
Sammo Hung, like Jackie Chan, starred in, choreographed and directed him own films. Both men have had impressive careers and were pivotal in opening up Hong Kong martial arts films-making to the Western world. They starred with Biao Yuen in Hung’s Wheels on Meals in 1984. Whilst Chan and Hung both went on to become …
Blu-Ray Review: Jackie Chan’s Police Story and Police Story 2
Whilst the recent footage of Tom Cruise’s accident on the set of Mission Impossible: Fallout may have left a few feeling queasy, he’s by no means the first actor to put himself on the line for his art. No one pushes the boundaries quite like Jackie Chan, who continues to risk life and limb (albeit, …
Blu-Ray Review: Drunken Master (Masters of Cinema)
Martial Arts films were a huge global phenomenon at the beginning of the 1970s. The market was flooded with hundreds of low budget, badly dubbed films from Hong Kong. The most iconic figure from this era was undoubtedly Bruce Lee, but after his tragic death the hunt was on for someone to fill his shoes. …
Film Review: Dragon Blade
For decades now the American market has dominated the film industry. Not only is it the home of the biggest studios, the largest investment and big-named stars, it also has the largest Box Office. With the ‘opening-up’ of China that looks likely to change over the coming years. The Middle Kingdom has already overtaken the …