[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B002ZPIBTU][/pullquote] Widely considered one of the best kung fu films ever made, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin arrived right in the middle of the genre's heyday, coming out the same year as Jackie Chan's groundbreaking Drunken Master. Starring Gordon Liu, who would … [Read more...]
Review: The Raid 2 (2014, Indonesian)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00IG9DESC][/pullquote] When The Raid was released in 2012 it catapulted director Gareth Evans and star Iko Uwais into the public consciousness. Original conceived as a prison drama with undercover elements, it proved to complex to film on a small budget and the film … [Read more...]
Review: The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)
A grindhouse-style martial arts film written by, directed by, and starring Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA, The Man with the Iron Fists tells the story of an ex-slave blacksmith (RZA) in 19th Century China who gets caught up in a conflict between the Lion Clan and their enemies over a huge shipment of gold. The action revolves around a brothel managed by Madam Blossom (Lucy Liu), not … [Read more...]
The Grandmaster (2013, Hong Kong) review by That Art House Guy
Wong Kar Wai is a legend of Hong Kong cinema, his reputation established by movies such as In The Mood For Love and Chungking Express. These films are remarkable for their unique visual aesthetic, all neon and rain, and for their atmosphere of melancholy and yearning. But Wong's last couple of films have been misfires “ the uneven sci fi of 2046 and the unsuccessful foray into … [Read more...]
Sukiyaki Western Django (2007, Japanese) review by That Film Dude
It's tough to know how to summarise Sukiyaki Western Django. It is, without question, one of the most singularly insane films going; it makes basically no sense and is wildly incoherent at the best of times, but it's so stylish and so entertaining in such a weird way that you can't help but really like it. … [Read more...]
The Raid (2012, Indonesia) review by That Art House Guy
The Raid is not just any action movie “ it's a rare and curious thing, being an Indonesian movie directed by a Welshman (Gareth Evans). Its premise is simple “ a SWAT team are sent to a derelict apartment building in Jakarta where a notorious drugs baron, Tama has set up his HQ. Seemingly untouchable by the police, the block has become a haven for all manner of undesirables, … [Read more...]
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, Taiwan) review by That Film Dude
Martial arts films had been big business in China for decades, but they never really caught on in a big way overseas until relatively recently. The Matrix drew a great deal of influence from the style of Hong Kong action cinema, and proved fairly conclusively that there was a market for these sorts of films in English speaking countries; and so a new wave of martial arts epics … [Read more...]
13 Assassins (2010, Japanese) review by That Film Dude
Takashi Miike has a well-deserved reputation as a purveyor of cinematic gore, largely because of Ichi the Killer, and 13 Assassins certainly won't disappoint on that score. While Miike isn't really known for historical works, this film is a pretty clear indication that he knows how to make a great samurai epic. It could do with being a little longer, and the international … [Read more...]
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) review by That Film Gal
In Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Quentin Taratino's bloody revenge saga comes to a less bloody conclusion, as The Bride (Uma Thurman) confronts her attackers with words as well as swords. Building on the short glimpse of the wedding day massacre in Vol. 1, Vol. 2 shows us the sequence in full. Leader of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad ˜Bill,' (David Carradine) visits The Bride during … [Read more...]
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) review by That Film Gal
With a total running time of over four hours, it was decided that Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino's eclectic homage to everything from the golden era of Hong Kong Kung-Fu cinema to Sergio Leone-style spaghetti westerns, was to be cut into two halves. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 focuses more on the martial art genre (the dusty, lazy vibes of the small-town south come to the fore in Part 2), … [Read more...]