She Shoots Straight and she kicks ass, but there is a lot more to Joyce Godenzi than being Mrs Sammo Hung. Hollywood could have learned a lesson or two from Hong Kong cinema in the late 80s and early 90s, and whilst it would slowly catch on towards the end […]
Eureka Classics
Lady Reporter (1989) A Showcase for Cynthia Rothrock’s Abilities (Review)
Yes Madam! (1985) Enjoyably inconsistent Hong Kong Action with Michelle Yeoh & Cynthia Rothrock (Review)
Michelle Yeoh is a badass. This is evident to anyone who has seen Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, her Oscar-nominated turn in Everything Everywhere All At Once, and even the misfortune that is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. What western audiences are perhaps less aware of […]
Royal Warriors (1986) – Fast-paced action with little regard for human life (Blu-Ray Review)
After the success of 1985’s Yes, Madame!, Hong Kong production company D & B Films spent the next decade releasing of series of thematically-linked features. Known by the series name In The Line of Duty, director David Chung reteamed with Michelle Yeoh for another entry into the girls-with-guns genre with […]
The Cat and the Canary & The Ghost Breakers (1939/1940) (Blu-Ray Review)
Maniacal Mayhem (1936/1940/1951) (Blu-Ray Review)
From the vaults of Universal Pictures comes Maniacal Mayhem, the Blu-Ray collection of three dark and moody tales of terror starring the iconic horror idol Boris Karloff. The Invisible Ray (1936) stars Boris Karloff as Doctor Janos Rukh, a scientist hellbent on the discovery and use of an element called […]
Universal Terror: A Collection of Comforting Karloff Cinema (1937/1944/1952)(Blu-ray Review)
It cannot be overstated how much Boris Karloff’s performance in Frankenstein deserves its iconic status. The physicality and emotional expressiveness he brings to the Monster still have emotional resonance and rightly made Karloff a star. However, he had already been acting for over a decade by this point and Frankenstein […]
Revolver (1973) Hard-edged, Pessimistic, Buddy Cop Crime Thriller (Review)
Knockabout (1979) Lame Comedy pathing the way to Action Greatness (Review)
Dreadnaught (1981) Dragon Dance Majesty from Yuen Woo-Ping (Review)
Even for the most ardent fans, martial arts cinema can get very samey. It’s not a criticism far from it; the same realisation happens with fans of other formally strict genres – like the western, slasher or fantasy movies. All-time classics are the DNA from which repetition and formulaic plotting […]