All posts by James Mudge »
49 Days (2006) Movie Review
At first glance, “49 Days” has very little going for it, especially given that it features not one, but two pop stars as leading cast members. Mercifully, neither displays their questionable singing talents, and...
Read More »Sons of Good Earth (1964) Movie Review
“Sons of Good Earth” is a re-release of the 1964 Shaw Brothers film, notable for marking the debut of legendary director King Hu. Although he had previously worked on “The Story of Sue San”...
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Feed (2005) Movie Review
“Feed” marks somewhat of a change in direction for Brett Leonard, whose last outing was the ridiculous comic book adaptation “Man-Thing”. Although the director has dealt with the perils of technology before in the...
Read More »Skinned Deep (2004) Movie Review
“Skinned Deep” marks the directorial debut of special effects and make up artist Gabriel Bartalos, who has worked on the likes of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2″, the “Leprechaun” series, various Frank Hennenlotter films,...
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SARS Wars (2004) Movie Review
“SARS Wars” sees the ever expanding Thai film industry take a stab at the zombie subgenre which has been given somewhat of an action packed facelift in recent years. Thankfully, unlike a great many...
Read More »The Bloody Escape (1975) Movie Review
Although “The Bloody Escape”, a 1975 Shaw Brothers release, was officially directed by Sun Chung (“The Kung Fu Instructor”), some sources state that he was assisted by famed “Five Venoms” director Chang Cheh. To...
Read More »The Art of Fighting (2006) Movie Review
Although the DVD box art seems to suggest some kind of wacky martial arts comedy, “The Art of Fighting”, the directorial debut from Shin Han Sol, is actually a brutal, surprisingly bittersweet drama. This...
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The Golden Lion (1975) Movie Review
“The Golden Lion” is a re-release of the 1975 Shaw Brothers swordplay film directed by the prolific Ho Meng Hua, probably best known for “The Flying Guillotine”. As well as being responsible for a...
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The Heirloom (2005) Movie Review
“The Heirloom” marks the debut of Taiwanese director Leste Chen, who had previously worked on music videos for the likes of Joey Yung and Eason Chan, a fact which is probably enough to start...
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Running Wild (2006) Movie Review
“Running Wild” marks the debut of Korean director Kim Sung Soo, apparently the prot’g’ of ‘Mr. Vengeance’ himself, Park Chan Wook (director of “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” and “Old Boy”). Thankfully “Running Wild” is...
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Five Tough Guys (aka Kung Fu Hellcats, 1974) Movie Review
“Five Tough Guys” is a new release of the 1974 Shaw Brothers film directed by Pao Hsueh-li, best known for his work on “The Water Margin” and “Boxer from Shantung”, both of which he...
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Kung Fu Instructor (1979) Movie Review
“The Kung Fu Instructor” is a re-release of the 1979 Shaw Brothers film by director Sun Chung, probably best known for the action classic “City War” as well as the infamous “Human Skin Lanterns”....
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Fearless (2006) Movie Review
“Fearless” has been one of the most talked about martial arts films in years for a number of reasons, not least of which was the announcement by Jet Li that it would be his...
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The Hills Have Eyes (2006) Movie Review
French director Alexandre Aja divided genre fans with his breakout hit “Switchblade Romance” (a.k.a. “Haute Tension”), mainly due to the inclusion of an ending which could be politely termed ‘wacky’. Given this, the decision...
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The Cremator (1972) Movie Review
“The Cremator” is a re-release of Czech director Juraj Herz’s unsettling 1968 effort about a deeply macabre man who slowly becomes a monster. The film has been enjoying somewhat of a revival of late,...
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B420 (2005) Movie Review
“B420″ is written, produced and directed by first timer Mathew Tang, and gets off to a less than promising start by having a frankly hideous title. Mixing letters and numbers in such a lame...
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A Side, B Side, Seaside (2005) Movie Review
“A Side, B Side, Seaside “, directed by Chan Wing Chiu, was accepted into competition at the 2005 Hong Kong , Pusan and Tokyo festivals, though why is a complete mystery, as it barely...
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The 14 Amazons (1972) Movie Review
“The 14 Amazons” is a 1972 Shaw Brothers classic, directed by Cheng Gang, who also made the likes of “The Sword of Swords” and “Flying Guillotine 2″ for the famous studio. Although perhaps not...
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The Unforgiven (2005) Movie Review
“The Unforgiven” marks the debut of Korean director Yoon Jong-bin in impressive fashion, having won several awards at the 2005 Pusan Film Festival, including the FIPRESCI and NETPAC prizes. What is most remarkable about...
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