There was a time in the early to mid 00s where the only type of movie you would see coming out of Japan were absurdist comedies with strange yet alluring titles. At the forefront of this was Katsuhito Ishii. With films such as Funky Forest: The First Contact, The Taste […]
Ben Jones
Horror, Cult, Grindhouse & Psychotronic B-Movies. Celebrating the Trashy side of Cinema. Crowned “Trash King” by podhard & Official NWPPVIP of
The New World Pod
Samurai Wolf (1966) & Samurai Wolf II (1967) Isao Natsuyagi’s potential killer franchise (Review)
Having come up through the ranks at Fuji TV as both a producer and a director, Hideo Gosha still faced a huge divide between those that worked in the honoured tradition of cinema and those working in that new upstart fad called Television. In fact, this well regarded director would […]
When Taekwondo Strikes (1973) Luring Audiences back after the passing of a Universal Star (Review)
July 20th 1973. A date shrouded in mystery as it is tragedy. The world lost a hero, but created a legend, one that thrives to this day. However, as with most legends, the story varies greatly from storyteller to storyteller, each version getting more lurid and conspiratorial in nature, until […]
The Fall of Ako Castle (1978) Fukusaku gives Historical Epic the Yakuza Papers treatment (Review)
On January 31st 1703, 47 Ronin committed seppuku (ritualistic suicide) having enacted revenge for the death of their master. Their feats of bravery, honour, loyalty and resolve have become the stuff of legend. It is woven into the very fabric of Japanese society and is heralded as the ultimate display […]
Jet Li: Heroes and Villains (95/96/98) Even middling Jet Li is very entertaining (Review)
Born Li Lianjie in Beijing 1963, Jet Li was always going to be a star. Showing to have a natural talent for the traditional performance martial art Wushu, from as early as the age of 8, he would dominate the sport between 1974 and 1979, winning the Men’s All-Around National […]
The Royal Tramp Collection (1992) Stephen Chow delivering laughs whilst he finds his voice (Review)
The early 90s were huge for Stephen Chow. Having stepped out of the shadow of Chow Yun Fat in 1990’s All for the Winner, he would set his unique brand of mo lei tau and leave an indelible mark on the Hong Kong film industry with Gordon Chan’s Fight back […]
Beach of the War Gods (1973) A Seven Samurai retelling with epic intensions (Review)
Beach of the War Gods is an accumulation of a career, but before we get there it can never be overstated just how much of a star Jimmy Wang Yu was for Shaw Brothers in the late ’60s going into the early ’70s. With his boyish good looks and his […]
From Beijing with Love (1994) The Universal Language of Stephen Chow (Review)
Mo lei tau is a relatively new genre in terms of it’s history within Hong Kong pop culture. Born in the late 70’s and early 80’s through the comedy of the Hui Brothers (Michael, Samuel and Ricky Hui), and whilst their brand of humour was never officially called “Mo Lei […]
She Shoots Straight (1990) There’s more to Joyce Godenzi than being Mrs. Sammo (Review)
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 […]
Blood Flower (Harum Malam)(2022) More is Less in Shudder’s Malay Horror (Review)
Carnivorous plants aren’t the only thing lurking in the corners of Blood Flower, Shudder’s first foray into Malaysian horror. Poverty and superstition often go hand in hand – which can result in some surprisingly simple methods to deal with the supernatural. In China for example, many old buildings have a […]