By Éireann Mannino  |  16 July 2023

Despite the prevalent traces of Judo in modern martial arts action choreography, it remains sorely neglected as either a subject or primary martial art across the whole of cinema.Johnnie To’s ...

Johnnie To’s Throw Down Is the Love Letter Judo Always Deserved

By Éireann Mannino  |  25 May 2021

By all rights, Alber Pyun’s Nemesis (1992) should be a staple midnight movie, slated alongside the likes of Eraserhead, Mad Max, and Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill! At that rate, his ...

Nemesis is Midnight Movie Magic

By Éireann Mannino  |  1 April 2021

With a cast like Robert DeNiro (Sam), Stellan Skarsgård (Gregor), Sean Bean (Spence), Jean Reno (Vincent), and Natascha McElhone (Deirdre) to its credit alone, it hurts to know that the ...

Ronin has Class and Clout in Equal Measure

By Éireann Mannino  |  19 February 2021

It is difficult not to feel the perpetual sting of loss when looking back on the shortened life and career of Brandon Lee. Lost to us at the mere age ...

Rapid Fire is a Testament of Brandon Lee’s Greatness

By Éireann Mannino  |  5 February 2021

Legend has it that 666 portals to the netherworld are scattered throughout our universe. While human beings remain blissfully unaware of these dimensional gateways, the 444th is nestled deep in ...

Versus an Enduring Middle Finger to the Film World

By Éireann Mannino  |  27 December 2020

Three time World Boxing Council (WBC) World Bantamweight champion Jôichirô Tatsuyôshi, is the subject of Joe, Tomorrow: 20 years with Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (2015), directed by Junji Sakamoto and produced by ...

Joe, Tomorrow is about the Boxer, not Boxing

By Éireann Mannino  |  12 December 2020

For those who came of age in the early 90’s, there is a good chance one of your first encounters with the martial arts world was Saban’s Mighty Morphin’ Power ...

Ultraman, a Head Above the Rest

By Éireann Mannino  |  13 November 2020

With unmistakable kinship to his 2004 Judo film Throw Down (Yau doh lung fu bong) and more than a pinch of Fulltime Killer’s (2001) hyperactive swagger, Hong Kong cinema royalty ...

Johnnie To Enters the Octagon

By Éireann Mannino  |  9 October 2020

It seems peculiar to say, that with as impressive a frame as Bolo Yeung’s, he is somehow a transient figure. Even in his most iconic roles, Bolo has a tendency ...

Curious Case of Bolo Yeung

By Chris Davis  |  8 September 2019

The first African samurai to serve a Japanese warlord will soon have his life memorialized in the mainstream movie Yasuke. The film already has star power fueling its inception since Highlander ...

Yasuke: Historical Connection Between Africa and Asia

By Chris Davis  |  1 September 2019

Bruce Lee inspired an endless amount of clones. In the years following his death, movie producers seemingly booked nothing but Lee copycats. You had to pose like him, yell like ...

Why You Should Study Ip Man Movies Instead of Bruce Lee Movies

By Jordan Newmark  |  20 July 2019

This past April, one of cinema’s finest achievements marked its 30th anniversary- Bloodsport. In 1988, the world was introduced to the flexible-physique of Jean-Claude Van Damme, the term “Kumite”, slow-motion ...

The Cult Classic Bloodsport Turns 30

By Chris Davis  |  15 April 2019

Hundreds of great martial arts movies exist. Most made money, some didn’t. Some were blockbuster successes in other countries, while they flopped here.Real martial arts, the philosophy, and the elegance? ...

Top 7 Martial Arts Movies You Need To See (but didn’t know it)

By Jordan Newmark  |  2 January 2019

Let’s say, Bruce Lee was to martial arts what Elvis Presley was to rock n’ roll then the Johnny Cash of throwing fists and feet was, no doubt, Sonny Chiba.Since ...

Sonny Chiba and The Street Fighter Trilogy Still Kicking Butt

By Chris Davis  |  31 October 2018

The year was 1978, and a young Jackie Chan was taking the Hong Kong box office by storm. His hit movie Drunken Master, featuring his own fight choreography, opened the ...

Drunken Master Key to Jackie Chan’s Success

By Chris Davis  |  4 October 2018

Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) was 30 million dollars’ worth of ultraviolence, a star with no previous martial arts training, and a director with a flair for dramatics. Should martial ...

Kill Bill – Does it Exaggerate the Wrong Things?

By Adriaan Odendaal  |  23 September 2018

Filmed exclusively in Cape Town, South Africa, the first season of HBO Cinemax’s Warrior comes in April 2019, based on an original long-lost idea by Bruce Lee.Bruce Lee gave much to ...

Bruce Lee’s Long-Lost Kung Fu Series ‘Warrior’ Filmed in Cape Town

By Chris Davis  |  28 August 2018

Without a doubt, Jet Li is one of the most entertaining martial arts movie personalities of the current generation. In contrast to Jackie Chan, Li usually picks more serious fare ...

Jet Li Once Upon a Time in China – Politically Charged?

By Chris Davis  |  24 August 2018

How many people were compelled to step into a dojo for the first time after seeing The Karate Kid? Thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions?Martial arts movies make us want to ...

Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy – Cobra Kai a Must Watch!

By Chris Davis  |  7 June 2018

Jet Li's film, The One, is one of the most underrated martial arts flicks in recent history. This is for no lack of effort or star power from the cast. Source: ...

Jet Li’s film The One Gives Answers