Yakuza Apocalypse (2015)

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Yakuza Apocalypse (2015)

Where do you start in describing this rollicking, satirical, often brutal and downright weird movie? What begins as a Goodfellas-style Yakuza film about one man’s journey to the top of the criminal fraternity, quickly takes a left turn when the gang’s benevolent boss is revealed to be a bloodthirsty vampire. The Yakuza have become all-powerful in a poverty-stricken, post-apocalyptic town ravished by aftershocks and what looks to be the result of a nuclear fallout (this is clearly a reference the 2011 tsunami and the subsequent Fukushima disaster). But then an English-speaking Japanese Quaker with a giant stun gun and The …

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Stoner (1974)

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Stoner (1974)

Former Australian model and James Bond star George Lazenby had already signed a three picture deal with Golden Harvest to star alongside Hong Kong’s biggest action hero, Bruce Lee, when his future co-star was pronounced dead at 32. The first of these films was to be Game of Death, and Lazenby, Lee, Golden Harvest producer Raymond Chow and the actor Betty Ting Pei were all scheduled to discuss the project on the night of Lee’s passing. This film – originally titled The Shrine of Ultimate Bliss – was scheduled to be Lee and Lazenby’s next project together, salvaged by Golden Harvest …

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Bangkok Adrenaline (2009)

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Bangkok Adrenaline (2009)

Super low budget action comedy about four Bangkok backpackers of various annoyances who decide to kidnap and hold a millionaire’s daughter to ransom to pay back some gambling debts. The film struggles to create any genuine tension and is ultimately hampered by some troublesome acting. However, the film explodes into life during the Tony Jaa-influenced fight scenes, which showcase the extraordinary work of British head-kicker Daniel O’Neill, a stunning discovery from the Jackie Chan school of hard knocks (he dueled with Jackie in The Twins Effect). He’s quite spellbinding during a number of Ong-Bak–style free-running chase scenes through Thailand’s busy street …

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When Taekwondo Strikes (1973)

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When Taekwondo Strikes (1973)

Passionate pugilism from the talented team behind Hapkido, which shows director Huang Feng and his star choreographer Sammo Hung tackle another Korean discipline, taekwondo. The action in these early Golden Harvest flicks still looks glorious thanks to Sammo’s unique ability to create realistic, street-style combat rooted in both flair and authenticity. He is also masterful in adapting to his environment. A church-based brawl sees combatants flip and trip over church pews; another shows a sword-wielding group attack in a teahouse where the wooden furniture is used as both cover and punishment. These brawls are all based around Angela Mao (again), …

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Profile: Hwang In-shik

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Profile: Hwang In-shik

Date of birth: 13 September, 1940 (Sunchon, North Korea)

Other names: Whong In-sik, Whang In-sik, Wong In-sik, Whang Ing-sik, Hwang In-shik, Whong Inn-sik, Wang In-sik, Whang In-shik.

Occuption: Hapkido instructor, actor.

Style: Hapkido, Tang Soo Do.

Biography: Hwang In-shik is one of the world’s most prominent Hapkido instructors and a former star of Hong Kong kung fu films who has worked with the likes of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.

Hwang was born in Sunchon, north of Pyongyang, in present-day North Korea. His family moved to Seoul when Hwang was still young. It was in Seoul where Hwang first discovered his passion for …

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 02: Mike Fury

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 02: Mike Fury

“I had a lot of emails and tweets from people saying, ‘[the book Life of Action] has really helped me in my training… it has really motivated me and I want to move myself to the next level’. That’s amazing. I’m very glad it has had a positive effect on people.”

Mike Fury is an author, journalist, choreographer and action movie expert. He is also a great guest to have on the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. He is the author of Life of Action, a must-have publication for any fan of action movies, featuring interviews with key industry people like the …

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 01: Toby Russell

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 01: Toby Russell

“I’d still rather watch an old (kung fu) film I haven’t seen than a new one. I’d get more out of it.”

It was awesome to meet with the great Toby Russell for the very first episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, as Toby is pretty much the perfect guest to have on our debut show.

A writer, director, actor and producer, Toby is the son of legendary British film maker Ken Russell and is probably the most knowledgeable person in the world on the subject of kung fu movies. London-born Toby grew up on his father’s movie sets before …

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Profile: Cengiz Dervis

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Profile: Cengiz Dervis

Occupation: Actor, producer, writer, director, instructor.

Style: Shen Chi Do, kickboxing, MMA, boxing, Muay Thai, taekwondo, Hapkido, Wing Chun, Kuk Sool Won.

Biography: Cengiz Dervis was born in London to an Irish mother and a Turkish Cypriot father. He lived in Fulham until the age of six before moving to north Kensington. At the age of five, Cengiz learnt the style of Shen Chi Do from his uncle, Professor Grand Master Shen. The Korean hybrid style is a combination of Kuk Sool Won, Hapkido and taekwondo. He first started to compete in karate before moving into full-contact kickboxing.

Cengiz is a former three-time …

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Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)

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Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)

Boyka returns to break more bones in this super-charged sequel. He turns from zero to hero as he slowly recovers from his leg being snapped by Michael Jai White at the end of the previous movie. Reduced to a hermit-like existence in a Russian jail with no chance of parole, he steps back into the world of organised prison fighting (it’s a thing) and is marched off to Georgia at the behest of some rich fixers who run a high-stakes international fight tournament. Prisoners are recruited from all corners of the globe in shades of Van Damme‘s The Quest, with …

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Assassination Games (2011)

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Assassination Games (2011)

Competent double-header which pairs Van Damme with The Shepherd co-star Scott Adkins. The duo take equal billing as conflicted assassins who must unite to bring down a Ukrainian criminal. There are shades of The Bourne Identity in a subplot involving a secret division of Interpol (which equates to three dodgy blokes with assorted accents working out of a cupboard) wanting to silence Adkins’ hired hitman over a stash of money. Meanwhile, Van Damme walks sullenly around derelict buildings in eastern Europe in a slightly absent trance, opening his cold heart to a neighbouring prostitute who initially disrupts his violin practice. “I’ve …

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