Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast
Exclusive, in-depth interviews with actors, stunt performers, directors, choreographers and writers discussing their careers and passion for martial arts cinema. Hosted by Ben Johnson, the creator of kungfumovieguide.com. Follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S8 E104 · Mon, March 10, 2025
Episode 104 - Andy Le / Brian Le
Self-made and self-taught, the story of Martial Club - a YouTube channel created in 2012 by Daniel Mah and the brothers Andy Le and Brian Le - is truly inspiring. As kids obsessed with kung fu movies, they would copy the moves, create their own short films and upload them to the internet, purely as a way of expressing their passion for the martial arts. As their filmmaking and on-screen talent progressed - Brian, Andy and Daniel are all incredible performers, combining their martial arts skills with tricking, breakdancing, gymnastics and more - as did their following, and pretty soon, Hollywood came calling. The last few years have been a whirlwind for the Le brothers, including work as fight choreographers on the multi award-winning 'Everything Everywhere All at Once', which involved going toe-to-toe on-screen with the queen of kung fu cinema, Michelle Yeoh; then there was a TV commercial with Jackie Chan, work on the Marvel blockbuster, 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings', plus TV work in 'Into the Badlands' (Brian doubled the actor Nick Frost) and 'The Brothers Sun' (again with Michelle Yeoh). Their success is built on over a decades' worth of hard work and dedication to the craft of martial arts filmmaking; they have quite literally put their blood, sweat, and tears into producing some of the most exciting kung fu action you will find on the internet. Their latest short film, 'Shaolin Avengers', is a love-letter to the genre they cherish and its their most ambitious project yet. It shows them at the top of their game - creative, comedic, and highly charged. With plans to turn it into a feature film, it seems the inspirational story of Martial Club is far from over. LINKS Martial Club on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/martialclub Martial Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martialclubofficial/ Andy Le on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyle_official/ Brian Le on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianle_official/ 'Shaolin Avengers' by Martial Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1K8OtHQuas 'Ip Man - The Intercepting Fist' by Martial Club: https://youtu.be/08akhqwjBwc?si=8KcRpZheGa-JWcfr 'Supreme Art of War' by Martial Club: https://youtu.be/-dzt7vski64?si=YKPt2dINl76qUhjO 'A Kung Fu Vampire Story' by Martial Club: https://youtu.be/y3PVTrVQvH0?si=mDFXfG8HDdfAgdUl 'Working with Jackie Chan' by Martial Club: https://youtu.be/JvV_Sa4Tnso?si=owF4jXmmfPsudzRf 'Luc Van Tien: Kung Fu Warrior' (2017) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/LucVanTien2017 'The Paper Tigers' (2020) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ThePaperTigersKFMG 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings' (2021) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ShangChiKFMG 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' (2022) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/EEAAO2022 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' fanny pack fight scene: https://y
S8 E103 · Mon, February 10, 2025
Episode 103 - Jude Poyer | Live in Oxford, 'The Heroic Trio' special
For the second of our four live podcasts - co-hosted by the 'Life of Action' author, Mike Fury - we welcome back the British stunt coordinator and former Hong Kong stuntman, Jude Poyer. Jude's first appearance was on Episode 48 back in 2019. Now, in 2025, he is the action director behind Xavier Gens' violent French brawler, 'Farang' (aka 'Mayhem!'), and Gareth Evans' lauded co-collaborator, having worked with 'The Raid' director on his landmark UK crime series, 'Gangs of London', and the eagerly-awaited Netflix production, 'Havoc', starring Tom Hardy. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jude unveils his secret to coordinating a great action sequence, what it feels like to be kicked in the face by Yuen Biao, the difference between working in Hong Kong and the UK, and why he thinks Gareth Evans might be one of the best action filmmakers working in the industry today. This episode was recorded live at the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford, UK, on 12 November 2024, following a screening of the crazy Hong Kong superhero film, 'The Heroic Trio' (1993), directed by Johnnie To, produced by Tony Ching Siu-tung, and starring Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui and Maggie Cheung. Screening as part of the British Film Institute's Art of Action season - in association with the Independent Cinema Office and Film Hub South East - we also discuss the film and its impact, as well as sharing our thoughts on the lasting legacy of the 'golden age' of Hong Kong action cinema. LINKS Jude Poyer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelpowerstunts/ Jude Poyer on X: https://twitter.com/ReelPowerStunts Jude Poyer on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReelPowerStunts Jude Poyer's website: http://www.reelpowerstunts.com/ Jude Poyer on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0694706/ Jude Poyer on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, Episode 48: http://kungfumovieguide.com/kfmg-podcast-s04-episode-48-jude-poyer/ Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury/ Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ 'The Heroic Trio' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/the-heroic-trio/ 'The Heroic Trio' trailer: https://youtu.be/zhrYrExHi2s Buy 'The Heroic Trio' on Blu-ray: https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/7155-the-heroic-trio-executioners Visit the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford: https://uppcinema.com/ Learn more about the BFI's Art of Action season: https://www.bfi.org.uk/art-action A huge thank you to Independent Cinema Office (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/) and Film Hub South East (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/film-hub-south-east/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S8 E102 · Mon, January 27, 2025
Episode 102 - Katrina Durden | Live in Lewes, 'Dragon Inn' special
For our first live episode - recorded at the wonderful Depot Cinema in Lewes, UK - we welcome back the actor and martial artist Katrina Durden, who first appeared on Episode 12 of the podcast back in 2017. From her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 'Doctor Strange' (2016) and Joey Ansah's fantastic 'Street Fighter' web series, to roles in TV's 'Strike Back', 'Heads of State' starring Idris Elba and John Cena, and the upcoming 'Red Sonja' reboot, Katrina has been kicking-ass in action movies for over a decade. In this special live episode, podcast host Ben Johnson is joined by friend of the show and author of 'Life of Action', Mike Fury, to discuss Katrina's journey from London to Hollywood, her inspirations both on-screen and off, and her experiences working in action movies. This conversation took place after a rare screening of the 1967 Taiwanese wuxia classic, 'Dragon Inn', directed by Chinese auteur King Hu, showing as part of the BFI's Art of Action season. Ben, Katrina and Mike discuss why the film is so important in the history of martial arts and 'wuxia' cinema, and how it continues to inspire generations of filmmakers. This conversation took place on 7 November 2024 and is the first of four live shows recorded as part of the BFI's Art of Action season, organised in association with the Independent Cinema Office and Film Hub South East. A huge thank you to everyone who came along to the show and the wonderful staff at the Depot Cinema in Lewes. LINKS Katrina Durden on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrinadurden/ Katrina Durden on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, Episode 12: http://kungfumovieguide.com/kfmg-podcast-s02-episode-12-yolanda-lynes-david-cheung-katrina-durden/ Katrina Durden profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/profile-katrina-durden/ Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury/ Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ 'Dragon Inn' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/dragon-gate-inn/ King Hu profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/profile-king-hu/ 'Dragon Inn' trailer, courtesy of Eureka Entertainment: https://youtu.be/ySSUsV_qGS8 Buy 'Dragon Inn' on Blu-ray: https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/dragon-inn/ Visit the Depot Cinema in Lewes: https://lewesdepot.org/ Learn more about the BFI's Art of Action season: https://www.bfi.org.uk/art-action A huge thank you to Independent Cinema Office (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/) and Film Hub South East (https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/film-hub-south-east/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S8 E101 · Tue, December 24, 2024
Episode 101 - End of Year Show 2024 with Mike Fury
It's that time of year again - the annual Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast End of Year Show returns for its eighth year! Featuring the author of Life of Action Vol. 1 and 2, Mike Fury, we unpack our martial arts movie highlights of the year, discuss the news that has been hitting the headlines, and - because it's the festive season - we also unwrap some martial arts-themed Christmas presents. 2024 has been a particularly strong year for fight-centric action films. We saw the return of many fan favourites - Po the panda returned in Kung Fu Panda 4, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine returned for Deadpool & Wolverine - and many of the legends of martial arts cinema released multiple films this year, from Jean-Claude Van Damme to Cynthia Rothrock, Jackie Chan to Scott Adkins. But which movies will make the cut in our personal top five of the year - and which film will be crowned the best of 2024? We also read out messages from you - the loyal Fu followers - who have been submitting your opinions on your favourite fight films from the year. And if you want to play along at home, we've put together a list of martial arts movies released in the UK this year (according to IMDb), available on our website. A huge thank you for your ongoing support in 2024, and wherever you are in the world, have a very happy new year! Read our not-very-comprehensive list of martial arts movies released in 2024: https://bit.ly/EOYShow2024 DONATE TO THE SHOW ON PAYPAL Your donation will go towards our continued efforts to share the latest martial arts movie news, reviews and podcasts. https://paypal.me/KungFuMovieGuide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E100 · Mon, May 20, 2024
Episode 100 - Best of Actors
Is Scott Adkins the natural successor to Jean-Claude Van Damme? Why did Andrew Koji almost quit acting only months before landing the lead role in the beloved kung fu series, Warrior? And can we expect a rematch between Indonesian action stars Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais? The answers to these questions and many more are revealed in Best of Actors, one of three compilation shows released simultaneously to celebrate the 100th episode of this podcast, which started life back in 2016. Over three episodes, I share some of my favourite conversations recorded over the last eight years of the show. On this episode, you will hear from: Cynthia Rothrock, the undisputed queen of martial arts movies, who discusses her feelings about being a role model for women in action cinema and the martial arts; Andrew Koji, the British actor whose career has gone from strength to strength after securing the lead role in the Warrior TV show, inspired by the writings of Bruce Lee; Scott Adkins, who has made five appearances on the show since its inception, who discusses his career highlights including receiving awards in China from Jackie Chan; Michiko Nishiwaki, the Japanese bodybuilder who became an action star during the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema in the 1980s and 90s; and Joe Taslim, Indonesian judo champion and one of the biggest names in modern martial arts cinema, whose films include The Raid, The Night Comes for Us, and Mortal Kombat. If you enjoyed this 'best of' compilation episode, remember to check out Best of Directors and Best of Stunts, which have also dropped at the same time as this episode. Listen to the full conversations with all my guests who have appeared on this show via the website, kungfumovieguide.com, and everywhere you get podcasts. LINKS 'Best of Directors': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfDirectors 'Best of Stunts': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfStunts Cynthia Rothrock on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodCynthiaRothrock Andrew Koji on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEpisode37 Scott Adkins on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodScottAdkins Michiko Nishiwaki on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodMichikoNishiwaki Joe Taslim on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodJoeTaslim Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E99 · Mon, May 20, 2024
Episode 99 - Best of Stunts
The life of a stunt performer is both exhilarating and dangerous, spectacular yet physically and mentally demanding. Stunt performers put their lives on the line every day for our viewing pleasure, yet are seemingly ostracised from the film world, especially in Hollywood where there is still no Academy Award for their service to the industry. Since this podcast was launched in 2016, I have had the pleasure of speaking to many of the leading voices in the stunt world, from stunt doubles and performers to fight trainers who work with huge movie stars to make them look awesome for the big screen, and stunt coordinators whose job it is to keep everybody safe. In this 'best of' episode - one of three compilation shows which have been released simultaneously - my guests include: Jonathan Eusebio, the legendary fight coordinator who helped to create the fighting styles for both Jason Bourne and John Wick, revolutionising Hollywood action cinema in the process; Jwaundace Candece, founder of stuntpoc.com, who is working tirelessly for better representation for stunt performers of colour in the industry; Olivia Jackson, whose life was transformed forever when a stunt went horribly wrong while doubling Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter; Rocky Taylor, Britian's oldest stunt performer, still going strong at nearly 80 years old; and Heidi Moneymaker, stunt coordinator and performer best known for doubling Scarlett Johansson as the Marvel superhero, Black Widow. If you enjoyed this 'best of' compilation episode, then remember to check out Best of Directors and Best of Actors, which have also dropped at the same time as this episode. Listen to the full conversations with all my guests who have appeared on this show over the last eight years via the website, kungfumovieguide.com, and everywhere you get podcasts. LINKS 'Best of Directors': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfDirectors 'Best of Actors': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfActors Jonathan Eusebio on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodJonathanEusebio Jwaundace Candece on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEpisode58 Olivia Jackson on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodOliviaJackson Rocky Taylor on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodRockyTaylor Heidi Moneymaker on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodHeidiMoneymaker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E98 · Mon, May 20, 2024
Episode 98 - Best of Directors
With financing and shooting schedules shrinking, how hard is it to make a decent action movie on a low budget? How can you make your lead actor look like an action hero if they refuse to train? And is there scope in the martial arts genre for tackling more challenging topics, like homophobia and racism? In 'Best of Directors' - one of three compilation shows available now - I share some of my favourite conversations with directors who have appeared on the podcast since its inception in 2016. This includes: Hollywood stunt legend J.J. Perry, who made his directorial debut in 2022 with the vampire action comedy, Day Shift, starring Jamie Foxx; the actor and filmmaker Diana Lee Inosanto, best known for playing Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth in The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, who discusses her 2008 martial arts indie, The Sensei; Jesse V. Johnson, known for his work with UK action star Scott Adkins in films including Triple Threat, Accident Man, and Avengement; Gareth Evans, visionary director of The Raid series; and Isaac Florentine, responsible for some of the best martial arts movies of the 2000s, including the Undisputed films and Ninja series. If you enjoyed this 'best of' compilation episode, then remember to check out Best of Stunts and Best of Actors, which have dropped simultaneously with this episode. Listen to the full conversations with all my guests who have appeared on this show over the last eight years via the website, kungfumovieguide.com, and everywhere you get podcasts. LINKS 'Best of Stunts': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfStunts 'Best of Actors': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfActors J.J. Perry on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodJJPerry Diana Lee Inosanto on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodDianaLeeInosanto Jesse V. Johnson on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodJesseVJohnson Gareth Evans on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/GarethEvansKFMGPod Isaac Florentine on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/Episode67KFMGPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E97 · Sun, December 24, 2023
Episode 97 - End of Year Show 2023 with Mike Fury: Part Two
In Part Two of our annual End of Year Show - featuring the author of 'Life of Action' Vol 1 and 2, the action movie expert Mike Fury - we discuss our favourite fight-centric action films of 2023. Which film will be crowned our favourite of the year? We also read out comments from Fu followers around the world who have been telling us their favourite martial arts movies of the year over email and social media. We also discuss some of the films that we disliked in 2023 and look ahead to the martial arts movies we are most looking forward to in 2024. A huge thank you to all the Fu followers around the world for all your support in 2023. See you in 2024! LISTEN TO PART ONE https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEOYShow2023PartOne LINKS Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFury Kung Fu Movie Guide website: https://bit.ly/KFMGhome Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: https://bit.ly/KFMGInstagram Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: https://bit.ly/KFMGFacebook Kung Fu Movie Guide on X (formerly Twitter): https://bit.ly/KFMGTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E96 · Mon, December 18, 2023
Episode 96 - End of Year Show 2023 with Mike Fury: Part One
Ho ho ho and happy Christmas to all the Fu followers around the world! Welcome to Part One of our annual End of Year Show, featuring the author of 'Life of Action' Vol. 1 and 2, Mike Fury. In Part One, we discuss the martial arts movie news that has been grabbing the headlines in 2023 - from Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan's many new projects, to Michelle Yeoh's success at the Oscars and the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee's death - and remember the famous people we lost this year. We also play clips from some of the many great guests who have appeared on the podcast in 2023, including action stars Marko Zaror and Vincent Lyn, kung fu movie expert Ric Meyers and stunt performer Alyma Dorsey. And, because it's Christmas time, we also unwrap some martial arts movie themed presents, and play messages from many of our friends on the action movie scene. A huge thank you to the following people for taking part in this episode: Frank Djeng, Janell-Vela Smith, Jesse V. Johnson, Joey Ansah, JuJu Chan Szeto, Kenji Tanigaki, Loren Avedon, Mark Strange, Marko Zaror, Matt Routledge, Matthias Hues, Max Huang, Mike Leeder, Philip Ng, Richard Norton, Ricky Baker, Samm Deighan, Sarah Chang, and Soo Cole. Thank you to all the Fu followers around the world for all your support in 2023. LISTEN TO PART TWO https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEOYShow2023PartTwo LINKS Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFury Kung Fu Movie Guide website: https://bit.ly/KFMGhome Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: https://bit.ly/KFMGInstagram Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: https://bit.ly/KFMGFacebook Kung Fu Movie Guide on X (formerly Twitter): https://bit.ly/KFMGTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E95 · Mon, December 11, 2023
Episode 95 - Marko Zaror
From Chile to Mexico to Hollywood - and back again - Marko Zaror's incredible rise in the action world reached a new crescendo in 2023. Known as the 'Latin Dragon', Marko's scene-stealing performance as the main heavy, Chidi, in Chad Stahelski's masterpiece, 'John Wick: Chapter 4', saw him duel on-screen with fight legends Hiroyuki Sanada, Donnie Yen and Keanu Reeves; meanwhile, back in his home country of Chile, he reunited with his childhood friend - the filmmaker Ernesto Díaz Espinoza - to produce and star in their fifth indie action film together, the deeply personal 'The Fist of the Condor'. Now capable of shifting between key roles in huge productions and making his own movies the way he wants them to be made, Zaror has reached a sweet-spot in his career - but it has not been an easy journey with plenty of bumps along the way. At one point, he even considered retiring from the film industry altogether, and training to become a professional MMA fighter, until a timely conversation with Robert Rodriguez convinced him otherwise. He has since gone on to work with Rodriguez in many film and TV projects, including 'Machete Kills', 'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series', and 'Alita: Battle Angel'. In this conversation, Marko explores his roots as a Bruce Lee-obsessed kid in Chile with a dream of making it in the movies, to eventually ripping up the screen in one of the biggest - and best - action franchises in Hollywood history. LINKS Marko Zaror on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1047252/ Marko Zaror on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markozaror/ Marko Zaror on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markozaroroficial Marko Zaror profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileMarkoZaror 'Fist of the Condor' trailer: https://youtu.be/x53EpE12AsY 'Fist of the Condor' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/FistOfTheCondor2023 'John Wick: Chapter 4' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/JohnWickChapter4KFMG 'Kiltro' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/Kiltro2006 Our not-so-comprehensive list of fight-centric action films released in 2023: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEOYShow2023PartOne SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by 'Five Deadly Rebels', a kung fu sci-fi scripted podcast from DimensionGate, available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and anywhere you get your podcasts. 'Five Deadly Rebels' is a modern day retelling of 'Five Deadly Venoms', the cult classic 1970s kung fu film produced by the Shaw Brothers. Its classic kung fu meets the gangster genre, meets science fiction, all set in present-day New York City. The soundtrack is from Wu-Tang Clan producer, Cilvaringz. The season finale drops Wednesday 13 December. 'Five Deadly Rebels' is narrated by Ian Tuason for DimensonGate - a fiction podcast production company. 'Five Deadly Rebels' website: https://www.fivedeadlyrebels.com/ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotif
S7 E94 · Mon, November 27, 2023
Episode 94 - Ric Meyers
It has been over a decade since we last spoke in-depth to the author and kung fu movie expert, Ric Meyers - the man responsible for introducing much of America to the classics of martial arts cinema over a writing career spanning five decades. His books - including 1985's 'Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to the Ninjas', 1995's 'The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies', 2001's 'Great Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and More', and 2011's 'Films of Fury' project, which involved both a book and a documentary - are essential resources for any serious fan of kung fu cinema. Now aged 70, Ric shows no signs of slowing down. He is still offering his honest, forthright opinion on modern action movies - particularly in his role as a regular reviewer on the 'That Phat Samurai Guy' YouTube channel - and as the long-standing compere of the annual Kung Fu Extravaganza event at San Diego Comic-Con, which just celebrated its 26th anniversary. On this episode, Ben catches up with Ric on the kung fu movies he has enjoyed in the last decade since they last spoke, the future of the genre, and how his own martial arts journey is progressing. As a kung fu practitioner, Ric has developed a keen eye on authenticity in kung fu cinema, something he feels is distinctly lacking from the genre today - although he does recognise and celebrate the filmmakers still trying to convey a more accurate portrayal of kung fu practice on-screen, acknowledging the works of Jackie Chan and the director, Xu Haofeng. LINKS Ric Meyers on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1838515/ Ric Meyers on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ric_Meyers Ric Meyers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ricmeyers Ric Meyers on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricmeyers Ric Meyers on 'That Phat Samurai Guy' YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=that+phat+samurai+guy+ric+meyers Buy 'From Bruce Lee to the Ninjas: Martial Arts Movies' by Bill Palmer, Karen Palmer, Amy Harlib and Ric Meyers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Lee-Ninjas-Martial-Movies/dp/0806510099/ Buy 'The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies' by Bill Palmer, Karen Palmer and Ric Meyers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Martial-Arts-Movies-ebook/dp/B00CG16G2W/ Buy 'Great Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and More' by Ric Meyers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Martial-Arts-Movies-Citadel/dp/0806520264/ Buy 'Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Book' by Ric Meyers on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Films-Fury-Kung-Movie-Book/dp/0979998948/ Buy 'They Shouldn't Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Ass-Kicking Oral History of John Wick, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action' by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/They-Shouldnt-Have-Killed-His/dp/1250278430/ 'Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/Iron
S7 E93 · Mon, November 13, 2023
Episode 93 - Vincent Lyn
Vincent Lyn's short career in Hong Kong action movies may only span a few years, but his good looks, martial arts abilities and acting skills saw him work with some of the biggest names in the industry, operating at the height of their powers. The list includes Donnie Yen, Yuen Woo-ping, Corey Yuen, Cynthia Rothrock, Cynthia Khan, Simon Yam, and Jackie Chan. He admits he had no idea that the films he was making would go on to become so influential and cherished by generations of action fans around the world. In fact, given the ad-hoc nature and breakneck speed of Hong Kong filmmaking, he sometimes had very little concept of which film he was working on at any given time, moving from set to set as part of a staple of dependable 'gweilo' fighters who always played the villain, and ultimately got their asses kicked by the lead. His final Hong Kong film role was as the main heavy in the Jackie Chan adventure, 'Armour of God II: Operation Condor' (1991), before he returned to the USA to pursue a multitude of other talents. He became a kung fu instructor (teaching his own family style, Ling Gar Kung Fu), a Grammy Award-nominated musician, a philanthropist and humanitarian. His charity, We Can Save Children, has seen him visit some of the poorest parts of the world in a bid to end the exploitation of children. He can often be found travelling the world, meeting with dignitaries and governments, and talking at the UN. When he's not focused on his charity work, he can be found behind the piano - something he learned from his musical mother at a very young age. Vincent's new immersive album, 'Elysian Eclipse', is available now. LINKS Vincent Lyn on IMDb: Vincent Lyn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincent.lyn.50/ Vincent Lyn on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vincent.lyn.50/ Vincent Lyn profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileVincentLyn We Can Save Children website: https://www.wecansavechildren.org/ Listen to 'Elysian Eclipse': https://exxeo.xyz/elysian-eclipse/ Robert Samuels on the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/RobertSamuelsKFMGPod 'Tiger Cage' (1988) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/KFMGTigerCage 'The Blonde Fury' (1989) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/TheBlondeFury1989 'Armour of God II: Operation Condor' (1991) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ArmourOfGod2 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E92 · Mon, October 30, 2023
Episode 92 - Vi-Dan Tran / Lorenz Hideyoshi
Over the last decade, Germany has become a hotbed of aspiring young martial arts talent who have seen their careers grow from DIY short films on YouTube to massive Hollywood productions. Cologne-born Vi-Dan Tran is a wushu practitioner and Hong Kong movie fan. His passions led to a career in stunts and eventually membership of the hallowed Jackie Chan Stunt Team, working with the man himself on movies like 'The Foreigner' and 'Bleeding Steel'. Nowadays, Vi-Dan Tran can be found behind-the-scenes working on the action design of some of Hollywood's biggest movies, from 'Shang-Chi' to 'Dune'. His latest film is 'Knights of the Zodiac', a live-action take on Japan's popular 'Saint Seiya' manga series. It's pretty clear that Vi-Dan Tran will be directing feature films soon enough, and he admits that he couldn't have achieved so much if it wasn't for the strong bonds he has made within the German martial arts filmmaking community. It was Vi-Dan Tran who helped to bring fellow German martial artist Lorenz Hideyoshi onto the set of 'Dune', where he worked as Timothée Chalamet's stunt double for both films in the series. Lorenz is equally puzzled as to why there are so many Germans of his generation working in the action film business; people like Andy Long, Max Huang, Mike Möller, Julia Schunevitsch, Can Aydin, Cha-Lee Yoon, Phong Giang, not to mention Lorenz's own brother, Felix Fukuyoshi. Despite their individual successes, they can all still be found jumping into each other's projects, as demonstrated by Lorenz with his stand-out appearances in great martial arts movies like 'Plan B' and 'Luc Van Tien'. A multitalented artist in his own right, Lorenz's new short film is called 'Daddy Issues', a fun kung fu throwback in which he stars, co-writes and co-directs. LINKS Lorenz Hideyoshi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzhideyoshi/ Lorenz Hideyoshi on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HideyoshiR Lorenz Hideyoshi on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3947656/ Lorenz's production company, Young Masters, on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@youngmasters 'Daddy Issues' short film: https://youtu.be/IXoAnSBrXgw 'Dark Jedi: A Star Wars Fan Film': https://youtu.be/Qh83vsRzgAY?si=N63y--lkLAiC8QqH 'Dune' stunt team fight scene - Vi-Dan Tran versus Lorenz Hideyoshi: https://youtu.be/B_dtwG8GG7g 'Dune: Part Two' trailer: https://youtu.be/_YUzQa_1RCE 'Amazon Taps Lucas Carter To Pen Remake Of German Actioner ‘Plan B’; Sylvester Stallone Among Producers', Variety.com: https://deadline.com/2022/07/amazon-studios-remaking-german-actioner-plan-b-penned-by-lucas-carter-1235080073/ 'Plan B' (2016) review: http://kungfumovieguide.com/plan-b-2016/ 'Luc Van Tien: Kung Fu Warrior' (2017) review: http://kungfumovieguide.com/luc-van-tien-kung-fu-warrior-2017/ 'Duty - Out of Line' short film: https://youtu.be/_Wa-cNx391g?si=GKN_xBD6mhK41Nc_ Vi-Dan Tran on IMDb: https
S7 E91 · Mon, October 16, 2023
Episode 91 - Froukje Tan / Areel Abu Bakar
We have a directors double bill on this episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, featuring conversations with two filmmakers who have both released independent martial arts movies in 2023. Froukje Tan is a Dutch filmmaker who specialises in telling family-orientated stories which are accessible to all. Her new film - her first in the directors' chair for over a decade - combines her knowledge of child development and the martial arts, herself being a long-time practitioner of southern style kung fu. Set in her home city of Rotterdam, 'Kung Fu Leeuw' - aka 'Kung Fu Lion' - tells the story of two troubled teenage boys who are brought together by their sifu (played by kung fu movie star Lau Kar-yung) to perform the traditional Chinese lion dance. The film received rave reviews following its release in February 2023 in the Netherlands, and it continues to be screened at film festivals around the world, including the Fighting Spirit Film Festival in London, where it received its UK premiere in September. It will also be screened as part of the International Kids Film Festival which runs from 14-30 November across India, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Another martial arts film screened at this year's Fighting Spirit Film Festival was 'Walid', a Malaysian action movie focusing on the horrific crime of human trafficking. It is the second directorial effort from filmmaker Areel Abu Bakar, who launched onto the Malaysian martial arts scene in 2019 with his great Silat film, 'The Deed of Death'. The title character of Walid (played by Megat Sharizal) is a kind teacher who transforms into all-out super-killer when one of his pupils - an illiterate immigrant girl - is kidnapped and sold into the child sex trade. Bakar - himself a Silat practitioner - once again calls upon his many training buddies to help deliver punishing, violent action scenes which have been stunning - and surprising - audiences around the world following its world premiere in New York in July 2023. The film is scheduled for a wider online release in December 2023. LINKS Froukje Tan on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1717961/ Froukje Tan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/froukjetan/ Froukje Tan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/froukjetan/ 'Kung Fu Lion' trailer: https://youtu.be/R4TYRYrvB1M 'Kung Fu Lion' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/kung-fu-lion-2023/ International Kids Film Festival, 14-30 November: https://www.ikff.in/ 'Steam' short film, directed by Pau Han-kho: https://youtu.be/uRLH8JTbqCs?si=T4xg_82noWilmlqS Areel Abu Bakar on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4702675/ 'Walid' trailer: https://youtu.be/U8DJQDOmhzU 'Walid' page on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filemwalid/ 'Walid' page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FilemWalid Layar Pictures YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@layarpict
S7 E90 · Mon, April 24, 2023
Episode 90 - Eric Lee
The martial artist, instructor, writer, actor, painter, fight choreographer, singer and all-round entertainer Eric Lee got his nickname - the 'King of Kata' - after winning a string of trophies throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s. He has over 100 world titles, and was the undefeated forms and weapons champion from 1970 to 1974. Over the years, his kung fu demonstrations escalated to include music, lighting, comedy, acting and sound effects, and his entertaining mix of martial arts and performance wowed audiences around the world. He would quickly become a regular fixture in the fight press, and a career in action movies followed. One of his earliest roles was with the director, Sam Peckinpah, on 'The Killer Elite' in 1975, but perhaps Lee's most famous role was in John Carpenter's cult classic, 'Big Trouble in Little China' (1986), playing a villain in Lo Pan's gang. As an actor and fight choreographer, he has appeared in over 80 movies and TV productions, and worked with many of the best martial artists in the action genre - including Jackie Chan, Cynthia Rothrock, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Bolo Yeung, Billy Blanks, and many more. Now in his mid-70s, Eric may have retired from competition, but he continues to pick up new interests and hobbies. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss his early years in China and his training in Hong Kong; the feedback he received when introducing kung fu to American audiences; his move from stunt performer to actor to working behind-the-scenes; and his love of all things music. Eric is also a published author; his instructional books include '3 Sectional Staff', 'The Broadsword', and 'Fight Back: Your Guide to Self-Defence'. His latest book, an autobiography called 'The Journey of an Artist', is out now. LINKS Eric Lee's website: https://ericlee.com/ Eric Lee on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0497224/ Eric Lee on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@grandmasterericlee4240 Eric Lee profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/EricLeeProfile Buy 'The Journey of an Artist' by Grandmaster Eric Lee on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Journey-Artist-Grandmaster-Eric-Lee-ebook/dp/B08L8T7WXY 'Big Trouble in Little China' (1986) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/BigTroubleInLittleChina Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E89 · Mon, April 10, 2023
Episode 89 - Stuntwomen special: Alyma Dorsey / April Wright
Women have been performing stunts in movies since the advent of cinema, but over the decades, their voice and influence in the industry has become marginalised. From fears of being overlooked, undermined or replaced, to the notion of "wigging" - male stunt performers doubling female characters - and concerns over sexual harassment, safety and security, April Wright's fascinating 2020 documentary, 'Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story', tells the shocking truth of how women - and other marginalised communities - have had to fight, quite literally, to be heard in a business predominantly run by white men. Using exclusive interviews with today's top female stunt performers and actors (including Michelle Rodriguez, Amy Johnston, Alyma Dorsey, and Heidi and Renae Moneymaker), and the pioneering women who paved the way for greater gender equity (including Jeannie Epper, Julie Ann Johnson and Jadie David), the documentary is a rip-roaring, high-kicking, full-throttle depiction of a stunt industry caught between the mistakes of the past and the need for progression. In this special stuntwomen-themed episode, listen to its director, April Wright, discuss what she learned during the making of the documentary, as she lifts the lid on some of Hollywood's darkest secrets. Plus, listen to versatile stunt performer Alyma Dorsey ('The Matrix Resurrections', 'Joker', 'Captain America: Civil War') explain her first-hand experience of working in the stunt industry as not only a woman, but also a Black woman, and the challenges she has had to face during her long and distinguished career. 'Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story' is available to buy and rent in the UK on Apple TV. April Wright's new documentary, 'Back to the Drive-In', is available to buy and rent on digital platforms in the USA courtesy of Uncork'd Entertainment. LINKS Watch 'Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story' on Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/stuntwomen-the-untold-hollywood-story/umc.cmc.1nlx2mlmowxo9eyaomocg3zz5 'Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story' trailer: https://youtu.be/Dt6fvbB9uXw 'Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/StuntwomenKFMGReview Buy the book, 'Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story' by Mollie Gregory, on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stuntwomen-Untold-Hollywood-Screen-Classics-ebook/dp/B00WNGD0OC/ April Wright on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2119697/ April Wright on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/april_wright_1999/ April Wright on Twitter: https://twitter.com/driveindoc Alyma Dorsey stuntreel: https://youtu.be/Mtr-wheImBs Alyma Dorsey on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5219486/ Alyma Dorsey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alymadorsey/ Alyma Dorsey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlymaDorsey1 Alyma Dorsey on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alymadorsey9799 Watch 'Back to the Drive-In': https://www.amaz
S7 E88 · Mon, March 27, 2023
Episode 88 - Keith Cooke
Keith Cooke is one of action cinema's all-time greatest kickers. From his explosive triple kicks as Muay Thai instructor Prang in the cult classic, The King of the Kickboxers , to his turns in costume as Reptile and Sub-Zero in the 1990s Mortal Kombat movies, Cooke's poise, energy and talent marked him out as one of the most engaging breakout martial arts stars of the 1990s. It was a phone call from none other than Enter the Dragon producer Fred Weintraub that transformed Cooke's fortunes in Hollywood. A karate world champion and three-time 'Competitor of the Year', not to mention an expert in a range of martial arts styles, Cooke's first forays into action movies were small-scale, until Weintraub cast him as Dakota, the high-kicking Native American sidekick to China O'Brien in Cynthia Rothrock's USA debut. Co-produced by Golden Harvest in Hong Kong, the film and its sequel became huge hits in the highly lucrative straight-to-video market. Although his fans may know him from his iconic film roles, Cooke's real passion is teaching. He taught generations of fighters from his Brentwood school for nearly 30 years, until he was forced to close its doors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now he is launching a new online training programme and product, called The Ring Workout, a system designed to help people maintain strength, definition and fitness by working on the most comprehensive muscle group - the core. Now aged 63, Keith seems as fit now as he ever was - so what's his secret? And given his extensive fight knowledge, what style does he think is the best? And how does the new Mortal Kombat movie stack up to the original films? LINKS The Ring Workout: https://keithcookefitness.com/ Keith Cooke on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0177455/ Keith Cooke on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithcookefit/ Keith Cooke on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keithcookestudio/ Keith Cooke profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileKeithCooke 'The King of the Kickboxers' (1991) review: http://bit.ly/KingOfTheKickboxers 'Mortal Kombat' (1995) review: http://bit.ly/MortalKombat1995 'Mortal Kombat: Annihilation' (1997) review: http://bit.ly/MortalKombatAnnihilation1997 Episode page on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/KeithCookeKFMGPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E87 · Mon, March 13, 2023
Episode 87 - Mike Leeder
When Asian action cinema expert, producer and casting director Mike Leeder left his job in a Croydon department store to go on holiday to Hong Kong, little did he know that - 32 years later - he would still be there. Before he fell in love with the city, he fell in love with its movies; a blossoming romance which started with a Jackie Chan double bill of Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master , and has led him to working on many of Hong Kong's biggest and best productions over the last three decades; from Fist of Legend to Fearless , True Legend to Once Upon a Time in China , Man of Tai Chi to the Ip Man series. On screen, he has been on the receiving end of a headlock from Jean-Claude Van Damme and refereed a kung fu battle with Jet Li, as well as working with the likes of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Scott Adkins, Mark Dacascos, Donnie Yen, Yuen Woo-ping, and many more. Over the years, his encyclopaedic knowledge and passion for Hong Kong movies has seen him contribute many articles and interviews to leading magazines and websites, as well as providing his voice to audio commentaries for Blu-ray labels across the UK, USA and Europe. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss his life in the UK before his journey east; that time he went to interview Jackie Chan, and what happened next; the lack of film preservation in Hong Kong; and how not to get noticed in the martial arts movie world. LINKS Mike Leeder on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0498566/ Mike Leeder on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigmikeleeder Mike Leeder on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigmikeleeder/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E86 · Sat, December 24, 2022
Episode 86 - End of Year Show 2022 with Mike Fury: Part Two
The wait is over! We can now finally reveal our favourite fight films of 2022 in Part Two of our annual End of Year Show, featuring Mike Fury, the action movie expert and author of Life of Action Vol. I-II. As is tradition with this show, neither Ben or Mike are aware of what the other person has selected for inclusion in their personal top five list; will there be consensus, or will it end in a bloody fight to the death? Top picks for 2022 include a strong roster of big-budget superhero carnage from the Marvel and D.C. cinematic universes; quirky, offbeat action comedies; DTV slugfests from giants of the genre (Michael Jai White, Gary Daniels, Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins and more); and international sleeper hits buried on streaming platforms, from countries including Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. They also select the worst martial arts movies of the year, read out comments from our listeners, and look ahead to the many high-kicking adventures coming our way in 2023. It's a festive, fun-packed show. So sit back, relax, make yourself another 'snowball', and enjoy! And if you want to play along at home, visit this link to find a not-very-comprehensive list of fight-centric action films released in 2022. https://bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2022Part2 LINKS Listen to Part One of our End of Year Show 2022: https://bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2022Part1 Donate to the Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://paypal.me/kungfumovieguide Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ Buy Life of Action Vol. I-II: https://www.mikefury.net/shop Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFury Mike Fury on Instagram: http://instagram.com/themikefury Mike Fury on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifeofactionbook Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Twitter: http://bit.ly/KFMGTwitter Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: http://bit.ly/KFMGInstagram Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: http://bit.ly/KFMGFacebook Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/KFMGPod Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodApplePodcasts Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/GooglePodcastsKFMGPod Mike's T-shirt, 'Invincible Armour' by 36 Styles: https://www.36styles.com/ Ben's T-shirt, 'Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2022' design by ShaolinJaa (https://www.instagram.com/shaolinjaa/) and Crike99Art (https://www.instagram.com/crike99art/), available via Art Martial Clothing: https://artmartialclothing.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E85 · Mon, December 19, 2022
Episode 85 - End of Year Show 2022 with Mike Fury: Part One
It's the most wonderful time of the year... that's right, the time when we release our special annual two-part End of Year Show, in which we look back over the best and worst that martial arts movies had to offer in 2022. Podcast host Ben Johnson is joined once again by Mike Fury, film expert and author of 'Life of Action Vol. I-II'. In Part One, Ben and Mike discuss the big stories that grabbed the martial arts movie headlines in 2022, play Christmas messages recorded especially for the show by some of the biggest names in martial arts movies - including the likes of Kenji Tanigaki, Philip Ng, Scott Adkins, JuJu Chan, Loren Avedon, Richard Norton and many more - and, because it's Christmas time, they also exchange a few presents. So sit back, relax, make yourself a 'snowball', and enjoy! LINKS Listen to Part Two of our End of Year Show 2022: https://bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2022Part2 Donate to the Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://paypal.me/kungfumovieguide Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ Buy Life of Action Vol. I-II: https://www.mikefury.net/shop Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFury Mike Fury on Instagram: http://instagram.com/themikefury Mike Fury on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifeofactionbook Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Twitter: http://bit.ly/KFMGTwitter Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: http://bit.ly/KFMGInstagram Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: http://bit.ly/KFMGFacebook Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/KFMGPod Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodApplePodcasts Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/GooglePodcastsKFMGPod Mike's T-shirt, 'Invincible Armour' by 36 Styles: https://www.36styles.com/ Ben's T-shirt, 'Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2022' design by ShaolinJaa (https://www.instagram.com/shaolinjaa/) and Crike99Art (https://www.instagram.com/crike99art/), available via Art Martial Clothing: https://artmartialclothing.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E84 · Mon, November 28, 2022
Episode 84 - Robert Samuels
It was a screening of 1972's 'Five Fingers of Death' (aka 'King Boxer') that would transform the life of Robert "Bobby" Samuels. At that time, he could not have foreseen that he would go on to become the first African American member of the Hong Kong Stuntman Association, a star of martial arts action cinema, a Hung Gar expert training under kung fu master and actor, Chiu Chi-ling, and a close personal friend of Sammo Hung - one of the biggest names in kung fu movies. Bobby's story is one of dogged determination and commitment to a singular vision; to break free from his humble beginnings in West Philadelphia, USA, and launch himself onto the silver screen in Hong Kong. All roads lead to a fateful meeting with Sammo Hung in the early 1990s, and prominent roles in his films 'The Gambling Ghost' (1991) and 'Don't Give a Damn' (1995) followed. The two developed a close personal friendship, one that continues to this day. On this episode, we discuss Bobby's experiences of living with Sammo and his family, collaborating on his films, and working with the best in the business at the height of their powers - people like Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-ying, Yuen Woo-ping, Collin Chou, and many more. Since returning to the USA, Bobby can increasingly be found behind the camera as a director and producer, helping to inspire and promote the next generation of action stars. In 2021, he made his feature film directorial debut with the action comedy, 'Made in Chinatown', starring members of the cast of 'The Sopranos', and co-directing with the Hollywood stunt legend, James Lew. The film is available now to rent and buy on digital platforms. LINKS Robert Samuels on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samuels_r Robert Samuels on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertbobbysamuels Robert Samuels on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0760512/ Robert Samuels profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/RobertSamuelsProfile 'Made in Chinatown' trailer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Q4n4U9a_qK8 'Made in Chinatown' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/MadeInChinatown2021 'Shadow Fist' short film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/v4tZdwssIBs 'Shadow Fist II' short film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9yNgHg4xK90 'Jugando Con Fuego' short film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gkURqr5fRLg 'The Gambling Ghost' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/TheGamblingGhost1991 'The Red Wolf' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/TheRedWolf1995 'Don't Give a Damn' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/DontGiveADamn95 TAKE PART IN OUR 2022 END OF YEAR SHOW Tell us your favourite fight films of the year - and why - and your comment could be read out on our annual End of Year Show, landing during the week of Christmas and featuring the action movie expert, Mike Fury. And if you're not sure what to choose, please consult this selected list of fight-centric action films relea
S7 E83 · Mon, November 14, 2022
Episode 83 - Scott Adkins
Scott Adkins is in a good mood. The response to his latest martial arts movie, 'Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday' - the sequel to his dream project, 2018's 'Accident Man', based on a cherished British comic book he loved as a kid - has been incredibly positive, with many fans claiming it to be one of his best movies. In a gruelling 22-day shoot, Adkins - as producer, story developer, fight choreographer and lead actor - has managed to turn around another action-packed and entertaining indie which delivers way beyond its limited schedule and budget, full to bursting with belly laughs and great fight scenes. As the assassin, Mike Fallon - a hitman who disguises all of his kills as accidents - we find Adkins in a role he clearly loves to play; self-deprecating, goofy, but with a lethal set of skills. During this conversation - Scott's fifth appearance on the show - we discuss the making of the 'Accident Man' sequel, and why he believes it betters the first; what it was like working with the film's directors, the Kirby brothers, making their feature film debut; and the preparation involved in delivering such incredible action, including sparring with the film's exhaustive list of awesome, battle-ready co-stars, including Sarah Chang, Beau Fowler, Faisal Mohammed and Andy Long. We also look ahead to his role in 'John Wick: Chapter 4', scheduled for release on 24 March 2023 - and we finally discover Scott Adkins' favourite martial arts film of all time. 'Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday' is available to rent on digital in the UK courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. LINKS Scott Adkins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScottAdkins Scott Adkins on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thescottadkins/ Scott Adkins on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialscottadkins Scott Adkins on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHO1XcwkJmTS0Hb1NkBks9A 'The Art of Action' web series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6TGfz7ZsXZ0nmlpNccSWr8Q_3xAr4Slj 'Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday' trailer: https://youtu.be/YwJ8AFMUrPo 'Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/AccidentManHitmansHoliday 'John Wick: Chapter 4' trailer: https://youtu.be/qEVUtrk8_B4 Variety article: 'Zoe Saldaña Held Her Breath Underwater for Five Minutes While Filming ‘Avatar 2,’ James Cameron Hired ’World’s Best Breath-Hold Specialists’: https://variety.com/2022/film/news/zoe-saldana-avatar-2-training-held-breathe-5-minutes-underwater-1235413876/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E82 · Mon, October 31, 2022
Episode 82 - Tribute to Jimmy Wang Yu
When Jimmy Wang Yu died on 5 April 2022 at the age of 79, Jackie Chan took to his social media accounts to pay his respects, stating that "the contributions you've made to kung fu movies and the support and wisdom you’ve given to the younger generations will always be remembered in the industry." But Wang Yu's legacy is a complicated one. Despite being a huge Hong Kong martial arts star in the 1960s and 70s, his international status has now been overshadowed by his contemporaries - especially Bruce Lee - and his infamous off-screen antics have, particularly in Asia, threatened to overwhelm his cinematic contributions. However, he unquestionably remains one of kung fu cinema's most influential figures; Shaw Brothers' first martial arts star whose break-out role in the wuxia classic, 'One-Armed Swordsman' (1967), helped it to become the first Hong Kong film to gross HK$1m at the box office. His pioneering directorial debut, 'The Chinese Boxer' (1970), is credited for being the first empty-hand kung fu movie - a runaway hit which saw the martial arts genre move away from the traditional swordplay films which had made Wang Yu a household name, and paving the way for the kung fu boom of the 1970s. The film was also the catalyst for the rebellious star to break his contract with Shaw Brothers, an unprecedented move which saw him work with the rival studio, Golden Harvest, and relocate to Taiwan where he was allocated the freedom to write, direct and star in many of his own productions, including the fan favourites 'One-Armed Boxer' (1971), 'Beach of the War Gods' (1973), and 'Master of the Flying Guillotine' (1975). Joining me to look back over the colourful life and career of the late Jimmy Wang Yu are the writer and film historian, Samm Deighan, and the Asian cinema expert, Frank Djeng. We dive into Wang Yu's early life and interests, his cinematic inspirations, his notorious private life and affiliations with criminal gangs, and we select our favourite Wang Yu movies. Samm Deighan is a Philadelphia-based writer and film historian, author of 'The Legacy of World War II in European Arthouse Cinema' and a presenter on the cult film podcast, 'Twitch of the Death Nerve'. Frank Djeng is an Asian cinema expert based in San Francisco. LINKS Jimmy Wang Yu profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/JimmyWangYu Tribute to Jimmy Wang Yu podcast page on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/TributeToJimmyWangYu 'One-Armed Swordsman' (1967) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/OneArmedSwordsman 'The Chinese Boxer' (1970) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/TheChineseBoxer1970 'One-Armed Boxer' (1971) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/OneArmedBoxer1971 'Master of the Flying Guillotine' (1975) review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/MasterOfFlyingGuillotine Follow Samm Deighan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammdeighan/ Follow Samm Deighan on Twitter: https://t
S7 E81 · Mon, October 17, 2022
Episode 81 - Michiko Nishiwaki
As a powerlifting champion, three-time ‘Miss Fitness’ winner in Japan and an action film star, Michiko Nishiwaki has been on quite a journey. When she left school to start working in human resources for the Mitsubishi bank in the 1970s, her life goals were similar to many other Japanese women in her position; to find a husband and have children. But for Michiko - obsessed with gymnastics, karate, fitness, singing and the arts from an early age - she decided to take a different path. Following her brother into the fitness industry, she became a gym owner in Japan and a pioneer in women’s bodybuilding. At the height of her fame in the 1980s, she used her celebrity to break taboos, confronting the traditional image of women as the ‘weaker’ sex in Japanese society, and using film and television to promote the health benefits of weight-training. Her fame caught the attention of Golden Harvest in Hong Kong, who invited her to make her big-screen debut in the 1985 action comedy, My Lucky Stars , alongside Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. A career as a Hong Kong martial arts star beckoned, mostly portraying evil Japanese gangsters in an array of wild, ‘girls with guns’ action movies. In the late 1990s, she relocated to Hollywood, becoming a stunt performer in films like Charlie's Angels , Rush Hour 2 and Kill Bill , and doubling for the likes of Lucy Liu, Kelly Hu and Zhang Ziyi. Now, aged 64, she is making a comeback after over a decade away from the industry, working as Michelle Yeoh’s stand-in for the bonkers 2021 smash hit, Everything Everywhere All at Once . As she approaches her film career with a renewed focus, what does the next chapter in Michiko's already incredible and multifaceted career look like? A huge thank you to Sally Hinata for arranging this conversation. LINKS Michiko Nishiwaki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michikodb/ Michiko Nishiwaki podcast page: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodMichikoNishiwaki Michiko Nishiwaki profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileMichikoNishiwaki Michiko Nishiwaki on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0632811/ 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' - Kung Fu Movie Guide review: https://bit.ly/EEAAO2022 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' trailer: https://youtu.be/wxN1T1uxQ2g 'My Lucky Stars' fight scene: https://youtu.be/IVJY2L4M54c 'God of Gamblers' dice scene: https://youtu.be/o2Y1Q8Go7Hs Momoe Yamaguchi sings 'Cosmos' on Japanese television in 1977: https://youtu.be/9P-ePLE4t3Y 'Devil Hunters' stunt goes wrong, featuring Moon Lee and Sibelle Hu: https://youtu.be/7m90uRyGDi4 Michiko interview on Japanese television in 1983: https://youtu.be/TxqmpkWvUuU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S7 E80 · Mon, October 03, 2022
Episode 80 - Jonathan Eusebio
There aren't many stunt coordinators and fight choreographers who can say they have helped to change the course of modern day action cinema like Jonathan Eusebio. His work on the 'Bourne' films alone sparked a movement in Hollywood into more realistic, grittier fight sequences, inspired by his background in Filipino martial arts. He took this style into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shaping the grappling movements of Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson), and adding his flair to films like 'Doctor Strange' and 'Black Panther'. However, it is his work on the 'John Wick' series for which he is most revered - an inspiring mix of Bourne's close-range efficiency and the wrestling and judo moves he pursued at Marvel, with more than a hint of 'gun-fu' inspired by one his favourite filmmakers, John Woo. His recent credits - the 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' TV show for Disney+ and 'The Matrix Resurrections' (2021) - show a stunt coordinator operating at the industry's highest levels, commanding the action in some of the world's most popular franchises. Now he is eager to follow his friends and mentors at 87eleven Action Design into directing - people like 87eleven co-founders, filmmakers and martial artists Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, and his stunt buddies J.J. Perry and Sam Hargrave. But after such a trendsetting career, where does he go from here? And how can he continually try to push new boundaries in on-screen action? It's a tall order, but if anyone is up for the challenge, it's Jonathan Eusebio. LINKS Jonathan Eusebio on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262389/ Jonathan Eusebio profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileJonathanEusebio 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' trailer: https://youtu.be/3Yh_6_zItPU 'The Matrix Resurrection' trailer: https://youtu.be/9ix7TUGVYIo 'The Bourne Identity' pen fight: https://youtu.be/h6cdNtvFGB0 'The Bourne Ultimatum' fight scene - Bourne vs. Desh (Joey Ansah): https://youtu.be/uLt7lXDCHQ0 87eleven Action Design website: https://www.87eleven.net/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S6 E79 · Fri, December 24, 2021
Episode 79 - End of Year Show 2021 with Mike Fury: Part Two
The wait is over! Find out our favourite - and least favourite - martial arts movies of 2021 in Part Two of our End of Year Show, featuring Life of Action author, Mike Fury. Join in the festivities as we take it in turns to reveal our top five fight films of the year over a few 'snowballs' - a cocktail of advocaat and lemonade. We also take the time to highlight some of the titles which narrowly missed out on a top five position, and look ahead to some of the big movies heading our way in 2022. Over the last few weeks, you have been sending us feedback on your favourite fight films of the year, and we read out some of those comments. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed. Please check out our full list of 2021 titles on our website, kungfumovieguide.com. If we missed out one of your faves, or if you would like to share your own list, let us know either via the comment section on our website, or via email. The email address is hello@kungfumovieguide.com. Thank you Fu followers for all your support in 2021, and we wish you all a healthy, happy holiday season. LINKS Listen to Part One of our End of Year Show 2021: bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2021 Our not-very-comprehensive list of fight-centric action movies released in 2021: bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2021 Donate to the Kung Fu Movie Guide: paypal.me/kungfumovieguide Mike Fury's website: www.mikefury.net/ Buy Life of Action Vol. I-II: www.mikefury.net/shop Mike Fury on Twitter: twitter.com/TheMikeFury Mike Fury on Instagram: instagram.com/themikefury Mike Fury on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifeofactionbook Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Twitter: bit.ly/KFMGTwitter Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: bit.ly/KFMGInstagram Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: bit.ly/KFMGFacebook Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Spotify: bit.ly/KFMGPod Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/KFMGPodApplePodcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S6 E78 · Mon, December 20, 2021
Episode 78 - End of Year Show 2021 with Mike Fury: Part One
Ho ho ho and happy holidays to all our listeners around the world. Welcome to the first part of our annual, end-of-year wrap-up podcast featuring the Life of Action author, Mike Fury. And, wow, what a year it has been for martial arts action movies! From manga to Marvel, Netflix to multiplex, low-budget indies to explosive Hong Kong thrillers, this year had it all. In Part One of our End of Year Show, we discuss the martial arts movie news which grabbed the headlines in 2021, and we pay our respects to the famous people we lost. We share some recorded messages from friends of the show, and - because it's the festive season - we also unwrap a few Christmas presents. It's a jolly old time! So settle in, sit back, and enjoy. In Part Two - landing Christmas Eve, 24 December - we will discuss our personal top five fight films of the year, enjoy a glass or two of advocaat, and read out some of your comments. We also look ahead to the big movies coming our way in 2022. Thank you Fu followers for all your support in 2021, and we wish you all a healthy, happy holiday season. Please reach out to the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast using the links below, or you can email, hello@kungfumovieguide.com. A huge thank you to the following people for contributing to this episode: Scott Adkins, Joey Ansah, Loren Avedon, Ricky Baker, Tran Quoc Bao, Sarah Chang, Soo Cole, Jesse V. Johnson, Mike Moh, Richard Norton, Cynthia Rothrock, Matt Routledge and JuJu Chan Szeto. LINKS Donate to the Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://paypal.me/kungfumovieguide Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ Buy Life of Action Vol. I-II: https://www.mikefury.net/shop Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFury Mike Fury on Instagram: http://instagram.com/themikefury Mike Fury on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifeofactionbook Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Twitter: http://bit.ly/KFMGTwitter Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: http://bit.ly/KFMGInstagram Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: http://bit.ly/KFMGFacebook Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/KFMGPod Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodApplePodcasts Our not-very-comprehensive list of fight-centric action movies released in 2021: https://bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2021 PART TWO COMING SOON! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S6 E77 · Mon, November 22, 2021
Episode 77 - Kenji Tanigaki
What a year it has been for the stunt coordinator, fight choreographer and second unit director, Kenji Tanigaki. Not only did he craft the action on two more 'Rurouni Kenshin' films - called 'Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning' and 'Rurouni Kenshin: The Final', both available now on Netflix - but he also worked as second unit director and fight choreographer on the Hollywood blockbuster, 'Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins', and helped out on the Hong Kong action hit, 'Raging Fire'. The latter saw Kenji work again with Donnie Yen, who he calls his "master". His work with Donnie stretches back to his days as a young stunt performer in Hong Kong in the 1990s. A student of martial arts screen legend, Yasuaki Kurata, Kenji made the bold decision as a young man to relocate from his home in Japan to Hong Kong in an attempt to make it in the film business. He learned Cantonese, took hits as a background actor, and was the first person from Japan to become a member of the Hong Kong Stuntman Association. His real passion, however, lay behind the camera. Spotted by Donnie Yen, Kenji became an active and vital member of Donnie's action team, and the two have been inseparable ever since, creating the action on some of Donnie's best fight films; from his early directorial efforts 'Legend of the Wolf' and 'Ballistic Kiss' to the hard-hitting, game-changing 'SPL' (2005) and 'Flash Point' (2007) - not to mention 'Legend of the Fist', 'Special ID', 'Dragon', and so many more. As Kenji increasingly works on his own projects around the world in markets including Japan, Hong Kong, China and Hollywood, we can't wait to see where his martial arts moviemaking talent will take him next. LINKS Kenji Tanigaki on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0849459/ Kenji Tanigaki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenjitanigaki/ Kenji Tanigaki profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileKenjiTanigaki 'Raging Fire' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/RagingFire2021 'Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/SnakeEyesGIJoeOrigins2021 Buy 'Raging Fire' Zavvi exclusive 4K Ultra HD Steelbook (includes Blu-ray), courtesy of CineAsia UK: https://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/raging-fire-zavvi-exclusive-4k-ultra-hd-steelbook-includes-blu-ray/13470245.html ''SPL II' director Soi Cheang grabs Louis Koo, Max Zhang and Richie Jen for live-action adaptation of 'Kowloon Walled City'': https://cityonfire.com/teaser-poster-for-donnie-yens-dragon-city/ 'The Castle of Cagliostro' car chase scene on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/39790868 COMPETITION This month we have teamed up with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in the UK to giveaway 'The Karate Kid 4K UHD Collection' - featuring 'The Karate Kid Parts I-III'. Sign-up to our newsletter at http://kungfumovieguide.com to take part. Competition closes 30 November. Buy 'The Karate Kid 4K UHD Collection', available from 6 December: https://www
S6 E76 · Mon, November 08, 2021
Episode 76 - Daniel Bernhardt
Daniel Bernhardt is a true renaissance man; a martial artist from Switzerland who went from being a professional model in Paris to a Hollywood action star. In the 1990s, he was a leading man in low-budget martial arts films - the star of slicker-than-your-average straight-to-video hits like the Bloodsport sequels, True Vengeance and Perfect Target , working alongside fellow martial artists and aspiring filmmakers like Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, Brad Martin, Jonathan Eusebio and J.J. Perry. When the video market crashed in the early 2000s, Daniel took a different route; moving into the stunt world to become what Chad Stahelski calls an "action actor", someone who can act, fight, perform the stunts, and train the actors. When Chad and David launched 87eleven Action Design, Daniel was right beside them, working on all their major hits, from The Matrix Reloaded to Parker , Logan , all three John Wick films, Atomic Blonde , Hobbs and Shaw , Birds of Prey , and Nobody . For the latter, Daniel also worked as the film's fight trainer, turning the fifty-something comedy writer Bob Odenkirk into a convincing action hero. He puts his multifaceted, hugely successful career down to "pure coincidence", but he is being modest. In hindsight, maybe becoming an action star was always his destiny? After all, his first fight scene was with Jean-Claude Van Damme during a fashion shoot in the early 1990s. It was Van Damme's encouragement which would provide Daniel with the confidence he needed to try his hand at acting and - as they say - the rest is history. Daniel Bernhardt's new film, Hell Hath No Fury - directed by Jesse V. Johnson - is out now in cinemas in North America and released on digital from 9 November, courtesy of Well Go USA. On 22 December, Daniel returns to The Matrix franchise, reprising his role as Agent Johnson in The Matrix Resurrections . LINKS Daniel Bernhardt on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0076780/ Daniel Bernhardt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdanielbernhardt/ Daniel Bernhardt profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileDanielBernhardt Hell Hath No Fury trailer: https://youtu.be/ztgpqImviOY Hell Hath No Fury website: https://www.wellgousa.com/films/hell-hath-no-fury The Matrix Resurrections trailer: https://youtu.be/9ix7TUGVYIo 'The Matrix Legacy' featurette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BZUMD85S7s Fetch short film, directed by Daniel Bernhardt: https://vimeo.com/246539996 Nobody fight scene breakdown by Fandango: https://youtu.be/7rEhxsHM0Ag Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S6 E75 · Mon, November 01, 2021
Episode 75 - Lee Charles / James Nunn
It has taken six years for director James Nunn to bring his one-take, real-time action movie to the screen. During that time, 'one-shot' movies like 'Birdman' and '1917' have not only dominated at the box office, but they have also been lauded by critics. In many ways, Nunn's intense, relentless thriller, 'One Shot' - which is released theatrically and on VOD services in the USA on 5 November 2021 courtesy of Screen Media Films - is an even more remarkable achievement, considering its comparatively low-budget and 20-day shooting schedule ('1917', by comparison, was made in 65 days). Nunn puts the success of the film down to a huge amount of preparation, and an incredibly hard-working cast and crew - especially its leading actor, Scott Adkins, who is intimately followed through every long-take, moving from dialogue scenes to gun battles, knife fights, explosions and punch-ups. As a technical feat, there's nothing quite like it in the DTV action world. In this conversation, James explores the film's many great performances - from Adkins to co-stars Ashley Greene Khoury, Ryan Phillippe, and the MMA fighter Jess Liaudin - and lifts the lid on how it was made. Lee Charles - "the Al Leong of British cinema", according to fight choreographer Tim Man - has fought on-screen with some of the world's biggest action stars. He took a clobbering from Dave Bautista in 'Final Score' (2018), and tired to take out Sope Dirisu as 'Lenn the Butcher' in an iconic, grisly battle scene in the TV show, 'Gangs of London', co-created by 'The Raid's Gareth Evans. His role as a French mercenary in 'One Shot' marks another opportunity for him to go toe-to-toe with Scott Adkins - the duo worked together on Nunn's previous Adkins flicks, 'Green Street 3: Never Back Down' (2013) and 'Eliminators' (2016), plus roles in 'Accident Man' (2018) and 'Avengement' (2019). Charles is the walking embodiment of his own life motto - that anything is achievable through hard work. He's currently working with his childhood hero, Sylvester Stallone, on the all-star action sequel, 'The Expendables 4'. We discuss his multifaceted life and career; from Everton FC to six-time World Kickboxing Champion, training with Benny "The Jet" Urquidez and making it in the movies. LINKS One Shot trailer: https://youtu.be/Et5Cgq1B2_g One Shot website: https://screenmediafilms.net/film/3352/One-Shot One Shot review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/OneShot2021 James Nunn on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2071556/ James Nunn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrjamesnunn James Nunn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjamesnunn/ James Nunn on Episode 14 of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodEpisode14 Lee Charles on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3124775/ Lee Charles on Twitter: https://twitter.com/leeacharles Lee Charles on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrleeacharles/ Lee Charles on Fac
S6 E74 · Mon, July 26, 2021
Episode 74 - Brad Martin
Brad Martin is one of Hollywood’s top stunt coordinators with a string of blockbusters to his name, including the 'Underworld' series, 'Live Free or Die Hard', 'Tropic Thunder', 'Gemini Man', plus the Emmy-nominated 2021 Marvel series, 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier', to name but a few. He has recently been in Northern Ireland shooting second unit and stunt coordinating on a big-screen adaptation of the long-running video game, 'Dungeons & Dragons', scheduled for release in 2023. That’s not bad for a martial artist from Sun Valley, Idaho, who followed his dreams of becoming a stunt performer to Los Angeles – even though he wasn’t particularly sure at the time what a stunt performer did. Luckily, he quickly made friends with fellow martial artists and aspiring action directors J.J. Perry, David Leitch and Chad Stahelski; together, on a diet of determination and Jackie Chan movies, they would go on to transform Hollywood action cinema, becoming technically gifted filmmakers in their own right. We discuss Brad’s journey from George Clooney’s regular stunt double to fighting Sammo Hung in 'Martial Law', Keanu Reeves in 'The Matrix' sequels, and leading the stunt departments on some of the biggest action films of all time. Brad is now bringing back Smashcut Action Design, a company he first created in the 1990s. Using his wealth of knowledge from over 30 years in the business, he will be looking to consult with some of Hollywood’s biggest producers to create and inspire action design from the early conception phase to completion. LINKS Visit the Smashcut Action Design website: https://smashcutaction.com/ (coming soon!) Brad Martin on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551997/ Brad Martin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradmartinaction/ Brad Martin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradmartinaction Brad Martin profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileBradMartin 'Live Free or Die Hard'/'Underworld: Evolution' stunt rehearsals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGTuSP7uXK0 'The Matrix Reloaded' - the making of the chateaux fight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWuNDcHfF0g 'Underworld: Awakening' behind the scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2rRW3v7zeY J.J. Perry on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodJJPerry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S6 E73 · Mon, July 12, 2021
Episode 73 - Max Huang
Max Huang's turn as Kung Lao - the deadly, hat-throwing, Shaolin-trained kung fu cousin of Liu Kang - in the 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat was a delightful surprise; a scene-stealing performance complete with comedy, drama, action, and an almighty 'fatality' which just about steals the movie. But the notion of Max being something of an 'overnight success' could not be further from the truth. The German wushu wunderkind has been planning this career from the moment his dad first introduced him to Bruce Lee movies on VHS as a child. His training took him to Asia and, eventually, the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, where his childhood hero would personally oversee his development from a young, eager stunt performer to an assistant stunt coordinator on films like The Foreigner (2017) and Bleeding Steel (2017). Max's short film, No Way Out (2020), is a masterful expression of his many talents: he acts, directs, writes, produces, handles the action and even sings the theme song. We now find Max at an interesting crossroads in his career; still very much in his prime, full of ideas, and with opportunities available in Europe, Asia and Hollywood. So what will he do next? LINKS Max Huang on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4518085/ Max Huang on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxhuangofficial/ Max Huang on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maxhuangofficial/ Max Huang on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/maxhuang Max Huang profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileMaxHuang 'Flawless Victory' music video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/on5tmh0Vdjg 'No Way Out' short film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3_4ucynHGTs Buy 'Mortal Kombat' on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and digital via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091GXR3RG/ 'Mortal Kombat' official red band trailer: https://youtu.be/NYH2sLid0Zc 'Mortal Kombat' cast trailer reaction video: https://youtu.be/PqdtUte-aBo 'Mortal Kombat' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/MortalKombatKFMG Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S6 E72 · Mon, June 28, 2021
Episode 72 - Cynthia Rothrock
Cynthia Rothrock - the undisputed 'Queen of martial arts movies' - never anticipated a career as an action film star. The Scranton-raised martial artist initially headed west in search of furthering her kung fu knowledge, often competing in men's divisions to become a national champion, and touring the world in the process. It was a portentous audition for the Hong Kong action director Corey Yuen which would bring her fame and fortune; an audition which would catch the attention of Sammo Hung, who cast Cynthia in her first breakout film, 'Police Assassins' (1985), alongside another relative newcomer, Michelle Yeoh - and the rest, as they say, is history. Although, not quite, because Cynthia's journey in the film business has been full of highs and lows; huge successes, and false starts. Her three years in Hong Kong would produce undoubtedly her best on-screen fight work - a westerner who became the headline act in a new sub-genre of high-energy, stunt-filled fight films predominantly led by women - before success in the English-language Hong Kong-produced 'China O'Brien' films would see her travel back to the USA and into the highly lucrative world of straight-to-video actioners. She is, quite simply, a trailblazer - a performer who became a bankable star in both the east and the west at a time when the industry, and the martial arts genre in particular, was dominated by men. As a forerunner to Hollywood's pursuit in achieving greater gender parity in the action film world, Cynthia's legacy cannot be underestimated. Even now, aged 64, she shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to train, travel the world, appear in movies and teach martial arts. LINKS Cynthia Rothrock on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/CynthiaRothrockChannel Cynthia Rothrock on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001686/ Cynthia Rothrock on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialcynthiarothrock/ Cynthia Rothrock on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CYNTHIAROTHROCK Cynthia Rothrock on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cynroth Cynthia Rothrock's website: https://www.cynthiarothrockofficial.com/ Cynthia Rothrock profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/CynthiaRothrockKFMG Cynthia Rothrock 2011 interview with Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/CynthiaRothrockInt KFC commercial (1983) starring Cynthia Rothrock: https://youtu.be/TkGYrkzkueo Final fight scene - Yes, Madam (1985) aka Police Assassins: https://youtu.be/Oh8KnmRvqd0 Cynthia Rothrock vs. Sammo Hung - Millionaire's Express (1986): https://youtu.be/3ztk99MPOzk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S6 E71 · Mon, June 14, 2021
Episode 71 - Philip Ng
When Philip Ng burst onto the scene in his 2014 leading-man debut, 'Once Upon a Time in Shanghai' - co-starring Sammo Hung and with fight choreography by Yuen Woo-ping - followed by his turn as Bruce Lee in the 2016 Hollywood biopic, 'Birth of the Dragon', the kung fu movie world was introduced to a wonderful new talent. In reality, of course, Philip's story of overnight success could not have been further from the truth. Since the early 2000s - when Philip decided to leave his home in Chicago to pursue a career in Hong Kong action cinema - he had been working tirelessly both in front and behind the camera, developing his skills as an action director and actor. He has become a leading light in a new generation of Hong Kong actors adept at sharing the screen with everyone from Donnie Yen to Simon Yam, Jackie Chan to Louis Koo, and working with directors as diverse as Ringo Lam, Stephen Fung, Benny Chan and Wong Jing. His 2019 martial arts film, 'Undercover Punch and Gun' - which is out now in North America courtesy of Well Go USA - is a love letter to the sort of Hong Kong action comedies he grew up watching in the 1980s and 90s. It sees him reunite with his long-time buddies and frequent collaborators, Andy On and Van Ness Wu. As well as being a fight-filled homage to the golden age of Hong Kong action movies, the film is equally dedicated to the three actors' friendship, which first started back in 2003 on the tournament movie, 'Star Runner'. Listen as Philip discusses his journey from an aspiring young martial artist into a fully fledged kung fu film star - and the ups and downs he has experienced along the way. LINKS Philip Ng on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1264535/ Philip Ng on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/straightblast5/ Philip Ng on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NgWanLung/ Philip Ng profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/ProfilePhilipNg 'Undercover Punch and Gun' website: https://www.wellgousa.com/films/undercover-punch-gun 'Undercover Punch and Gun' trailer: https://youtu.be/tNpZg_qzVjk Buy 'Undercover Punch and Gun' on Blu-ray, DVD and digital: https://www.amazon.com/Undercover-Punch-Gun-Blu-ray-Andy/dp/B091F2BJHQ 'Undercover Punch and Gun' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/UndercoverPunchAndGun 'Once Upon a Time in Shanghai' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/OnceUponATimeInShanghai Hi-YAH! website - start your free trial (USA only): https://www.hiyahtv.com/ Hi-YAH! on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HiYAHTV Hi-YAH! on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiyahtv/ Well Go USA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wellgousa Well Go USA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellgousa/ Ng Family Chinese Martial Arts Association: http://www.ngfamilymartialarts.com/ Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferr
S6 E70 · Mon, May 31, 2021
Episode 70 - Brahim Chab
Over the last 15 years, French stunt performer and martial artist Brahim Chab has jumped, kicked and punched his way into the upper echelons of the fight film business. In 2021, he wrapped on 'Monkey Man' - the directorial debut of actor, Dev Patel, which has been picked up by Netflix. The film, described as 'John Wick in Mumbai', sees Brahim provide fight choreography as well as acting in a supporting role. In 2020, he went toe-to-toe with his hero, Jackie Chan, in the globe-trotting actioner 'Vanguard'. It has been a career forged in blood, sweat, and determination; a career which has seen him relocate from Europe to Asia where he has worked consistently on productions across many countries, including Thailand, India, UK, China and the USA. He has worked with everyone: Tiger Chen in 'Man of Tai Chi'; Scott Adkins in 'Boyka: Undisputed'; Donnie Yen in 'Big Brother'; Mark Dacascos in 'The Driver'; Jean-Claude Van Damme in 'Pound of Flesh' and his still unreleased pet project, 'Frenchy'. Despite years of working in the industry, Brahim still remains hungry - pushing himself to achieve more, develop his craft, and work on bigger projects. We discuss what makes a good fight scene, the rudiments of 'tricking', learning on set with Tim Man, and how to make it in the action business. LINKS Brahim Chab on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brahimchab84/ Brahim Chab on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3100183/ Brahim Chab on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Bramtricks Brahim Chab action reel: https://youtu.be/MnPtJ9RqHvA Brahim Chab acting reel: https://youtu.be/iN8wbDto4eM Brahim Chab profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/ProfileBrahimChab 'Vanguard' trailer: https://youtu.be/Kw1u9PIbbt8 'Boyka: Undisputed' fight scene: https://youtu.be/_hnxMqr3ICk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S6 E69 · Mon, May 17, 2021
Episode 69 - Ron Van Clief
Martial arts legend Ron Van Clief never wanted to be a movie star. Known as the 'Black Dragon' - a name originally given to him by Bruce Lee and adopted as his screen persona in a series of Hong Kong kung fu movies in the 1970s - Ron was dismayed at the lack of genuine martial artists he met when working in action movies. For the Brooklyn-born former US Marine and New York City cop, Ron's passion for the fighting arts was formed from an early age in real-life combat situations - the trauma of which still remain with him to this day. He fought in the Vietnam War where he lost his younger brother; in the early 1960s, he narrowly survived a lynching at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. The attack inspired the name of his autobiography, 'The Hanged Man', which has been made into a documentary by the martial artist and filmmaker, Robert Parham. In spite of this - and his continuing battle with PTSD - Ron remains steadfastly dedicated to developing his skills in the martial arts, with accolades too numerous to mention - five-time world karate and kung fu champion, 15-time All American champion, a New York Times bestselling author, and the founder of his own combat system, Chinese Goju-Ryu Karate. Ron was the first Black action star to lead a Hong Kong film, and although he may not have enjoyed the fame, it has assured his reputation as one of the most iconic and important figures in martial arts cinema. Now, aged 78, it is encouraging to hear that he still shows no sign of slowing down. LINKS On 30 July 2021, Ron Van Clief will be one of 12 grandmasters judging the virtual Ultimate Warrior Cup Championship. For more information, email sifual@aol.com and ronvanclief@yahoo.com. Ron Van Clief's website: https://www.ronvanclief.com/ Ron Van Clief on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0885885/ Ron Van Clief on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaivanclief Ron Van Clief on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackdragon1974/ Ron Van Clief on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ron.vanclief Ron Van Clief profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/ProfileRonVanClief Buy 'The Hanged Man' on Amazon (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hanged-Man-Story-Ron-Clief/dp/1466374233 Robert Parham on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealrobertparham/ Robert Parham on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.parham COMPETITION We have teamed up with CineAsia (https://trinitycineasia.com/) in the UK to give away three copies of 'The Swordsman' on Blu-ray in this month's competition. Sign-up to our newsletter at kungfumovieguide.com before 31 May to be in with a chance of winning a copy. Good luck! Buy 'The Swordsman' on Blu-ray, DVD and digital in the UK via Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Swordsman-Blu-ray-Jang-Hyuk/dp/B08W7SNKTS 'The Swordsman' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/TheSwordsman2020 Hosted on Acas
S6 E68 · Mon, May 03, 2021
Episode 68 - Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins / Tran Quoc Bao
It has taken 10 years to get 'The Paper Tigers' onto our screens - a slow and at times painful process full of ups and downs for its director, writer and producer, Tran Quoc Bao. The film - which finally lands in cinemas and on digital platforms in North America on 7 May 2021, courtesy of Well Go USA - is a heart-warming and funny take on the kung fu genre, centring on three former childhood training buddies who reunite in middle age to investigate the sudden death of their old kung fu master. As Bao would soon discover, talent, passion and dedication to the cause will only get you so far in Hollywood. Finding the finance for independent productions is hard enough, but made all the more difficult for kung fu films with people of colour in the lead roles. Bao and his fellow producers refused to compromise or 'whitewash' their story, eventually turning to Kickstarter to raise the money themselves. Filming would eventually take place in his home town of Seattle over a number of years, featuring a cast of leading actors from minority backgrounds: 'Helstrom' and 'True Detective' star, Alain Uy; Ron Yuan - a veteran of martial arts cinema; and Mykel Shannon Jenkins, well-known in action circles for his role as Turbo in 'Undisputed III: Redemption'. Alain, Ron and Mykel speak of the sacrifices Bao and his fellow producers had to make to get the film over the line, and how they responded in kind; each bringing their own wealth of experience as filmmakers to support the project, and helping to realise a unique and personal story about friendship, responsibility, honour, and kung fu. LINKS Book your tickets now to watch 'The Paper Tigers' on the big screen in the USA and Canada: https://www.wellgousa.com/films/the-paper-tigers 'The Paper Tigers' trailer: https://youtu.be/uh4KU5Ep4ic 'The Paper Tigers' on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_thepapertigers 'The Paper Tigers' on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePaperTigersMovie/ 'The Paper Tigers' on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thepapertigers/ 'The Paper Tigers' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ThePaperTigersKFMG 'The Challenger' (2015) short film: https://youtu.be/gcLNdniNR2M Tran Quoc Bao's website: http://pov-films.com/ Tran Quoc Bao on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2041318/ Tran Quoc Bao on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/tranquocbao Tran Quoc Bao on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_tranquocbao Tran Quoc Bao on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tranquocbao Tran Quoc Bao on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_tranquocbao/ Alain Uy on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1751175/ Alain Uy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theAlainUy Alain Uy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alainuy/ Ron Yuan on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0950620/ Ron Yuan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronyuan Ron Yuan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronyuan/ Mykel Shannon
S6 E67 · Mon, April 19, 2021
Episode 67 - Isaac Florentine / Max Repossi
Isaac Florentine is one of those rare directors who possesses a style of filmmaking all of his own. Within a few minutes of watching one of his many great action movies, you will quickly realise you are in the world of Isaac Florentine. He wears his love for spaghetti westerns on his sleeve, almost as much as his passion for the martial arts. As an expert martial artist and karate instructor, he is keen to capture technique in his fight choreography. His combat sequences are often filmed in clean, complete movements, using close-ups and moving the camera in sync with the action. His style therefore demands the best physical performances from his actors, so it's no surprise that he has worked with some of the best in the business: Michael Jai White, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and, his main muse, Scott Adkins. The 2020 film 'Seized' marked his ninth collaboration with Scott, and the two are very much the Scorsese and De Niro of the martial arts movie world. As well as the popular 'Ninja' films, the two worked to transform the sequels to a little-known boxing movie called 'Undisputed' into modern martial arts classics, introducing Adkins as the iconic character of Russian MMA fighter, Yuri Boyka. We discuss Isaac's upbringing as a film-obsessed kid in Israel who followed his passion for martial arts and movies to Hollywood - and how a stint working on the amazingly successful 'Power Rangers' TV show helped to launch his career. Last week, we learned of the sad and sudden death of Italian martial artist and actor, Max Repossi, who has passed away at the age of 33. I first met Max at the 2018 Fighting Spirit Film Festival in London, and in 2019, we recorded a conversation which would appear on Episode 43 of the podcast. We continued to keep in touch, and he became a good friend and supporter of the show. In tribute to Max, I have added the full, unedited conversation we recorded in September 2019 at the end of this episode. Learn more about Max Repossi via the links below. LINKS Isaac Florentine on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0282708/ Isaac Florentine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isaac.florentine Isaac Florentine profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/IsaacFlorentineKFMG Max Repossi on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9846531/ Max Repossi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaxRepossiAction/ Episode 43 of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast at the 2019 Fighting Spirit Film Festival: http://bit.ly/FSFF2019KFMGPod Max Repossi Hung Kuen demonstration at 2019 Fighting Spirit Film Festival: https://youtu.be/LV0AVB6w5CA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S6 E66 · Mon, April 05, 2021
Episode 66 - Tzi Ma
Born in Hong Kong and raised in New York, Tzi Ma is a genre-spanning actor who has dedicated his career to documenting the Asian American experience. With every acting decision - whether it be on stage, screen or television - he has sought to portray fully rounded characters, working in an industry where accurate representation has not always been high on the agenda. He has turned down roles he has considered to be stereotypical, and instead, Tzi prefers to champion the voices of minority filmmakers often working with no money on projects which may never see the light of day. Sometimes, they break through - like Lulu Wang's critically acclaimed 2019 comedy drama, The Farewell. Even his mainstream roles challenge the preconceived notions of Asian characters in Hollywood movies: a compassionate father in Mulan; a geologist in Dante's Peak; a military commander in Arrival; Michael Caine's fixer in The Quiet American; 'the General' in the Coen brothers comedy The Ladykillers. When he has played roles in martial arts projects - like Rapid Fire, Rush Hour, or the Martial Law TV series - it was only ever to make the Asian leads look good, helping to promote the reputations of actors like Brandon Lee, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung in the USA. In his latest TV series, Kung Fu - a reboot of the classic 1970s show starring David Carradine, which premieres on The CW Network on 7 April 2021 - he plays another doting father, further cementing his role as Hollywood's 'go-to Asian dad', according to Variety. It's a primetime American show focusing on an Asian American family, and another step towards improving representation on television, telling new stories from different voices and cultures. So what's next for Tzi Ma? Tune into the first episode in our sixth season to find out. LINKS #StopAsianHate: Following a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the USA, we stand in support of Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and call for an end to hate, discrimination and racism. Tzi is a vocal supporter of the #StopAsianHate campaign and has taken part in an initiative - organised by AT&T, the parent company of WarnerMedia - to raise awareness and encourage donations to help AAPI small businesses. Read more at att.com/StopAsianHate and watch the campaign video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tM-5YtfK1NY The CW website: https://www.cwtv.com/ The CW 'Kung Fu' trailer: https://youtu.be/NvtMjNA9PJM Tzi Ma on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002245/ Tzi Ma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tzima8/ Tzi Ma on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tzima8 Tzi Ma on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Official.TziMa/ Tzi Ma profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/ProfileTziMa Variety article, 'How ‘Mulan’s’ Tzi Ma became Hollywood’s go-to Asian dad': https://variety.com/2020/film/news/tzi-ma-mulan-hollywood-career-1234758692/ Hosted on Acast. Se
S5 E65 · Mon, December 21, 2020
Episode 65 - End of Year Show 2020 with Mike Fury
Put on your face-mask, pour yourself a drink and settle into our annual end-of-year podcast from your friends at Kung Fu Movie Guide. 2020 has been a particularly strange and challenging year for many of us, but the show must go on! Join your host, Ben Johnson, and the author of Life of Action Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, Mike Fury, as they dissect the year's biggest stories from the world of martial arts movies, exchange a few Christmas presents, read out some of your comments, and share their personal top five films from the year. Did we miss one of your faves? If so, let us know in the comments on our website and via our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (links below). You can also email the show on hello@kungfumovieguide.com. Additional audio support on this episode provided by George Dennis. A huge thank you to all the Fu followers around the world for your support in 2020, and we wish you all a very merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a happy new year. LINKS Leave your comments at this link: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEndOfYearShow2020 Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ Buy 'Life of Action' Vol. I and Vol. II: https://www.mikefury.net/shop Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFury Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury/ 'Life of Action' on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifeofactionbook/ All music purchased from audiojungle.net featuring: 'Christmas Road' by Waderman (https://audiojungle.net/item/christmas-road/22796528) and 'Back to 70s' by Wavesound (https://audiojungle.net/item/back-to-70s/10145593) T-shirts by 36 Styles: https://www.36styles.com/ Listen to our previous End of Year Shows: 2017 (http://bit.ly/KFMGPodEndOfYearShow2017); 2018 (https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEOYShow2018); 2019 (http://bit.ly/KFMGPodEndOfYearShow2019) Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kungfumovieguide Kung Fu Movie Guide on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KFMovieGuide Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kungfumovieguide/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E64 · Mon, November 23, 2020
Episode 64 - Bruce Lee at 80: Legacy of the Dragon
On 27 November 2020, the martial arts superstar and pop culture icon Bruce Lee would have celebrated his 80th birthday. To commemorate the occasion, we have put together this bonus podcast featuring a range of voices from across our five seasons, exploring the legacy of the 'Little Dragon' and the impact he continues to have in society, media, and the world of martial arts. Bruce Lee was only 32 when he died in 1973, but in the 47 years since his death, his star has not waned. In fact, judging by the range of new films, TV shows, books and documentaries inspired by his life, Bruce Lee's fame is now more prevalent than ever. On this compilation show, you will hear from his daughter, Shannon Lee, on why she thinks her father's legacy continues to inspire and influence people from all over the world. You will hear from his good friend and co-star, Bob Wall, and his goddaughter, Diana Lee Inosanto, on Bruce Lee's impact on the fighting arts and, in particular, his role in the development of today's hugely popular sport of mixed martial arts. You will also hear from action stars including Scott Adkins, Loren Avedon, Jean-Paul Ly and Jerry Trimble who explain the impact Lee has had on their lives and careers. SHOW NOTES This episode features the song 'Theme from Enter the Dragon (Main title)' composed by Lalo Schifrin, copyright 1973 Warner Music Inc., available to buy now via Warner Music Group. Link to purchase: https://music.apple.com/us/album/enter-the-dragon-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/375639617 This episode includes an audio clip from 'Bruce Lee: The Lost Interview', recorded 9 December 1971 for 'The Pierre Berton Show'. Please find full interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uk1lzkH-e4U Shannon Lee's book, 'Be Water, My Friend: The True Teachings of Bruce Lee', published by Flatiron, is available now via Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Be-Water-My-Friend-Teachings/dp/1846046661 Follow the official Bruce Lee social media accounts on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/brucelee/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/brucelee) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BruceLee/) Bruce Lee profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/BruceLeeKFMG TAKE PART IN OUR 2020 END OF YEAR SHOW Let us know your favourite martial arts action films of the year and why and your comments could be read out on the show. Please find a list of films released in 2020 on our website: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEndOfYearShow2020. COMPETITION We have 3 x Blu-rays of the 1993 Hong Kong classic, The Bride with White Hair, and 3 x Blu-rays of the 2019 Chinese animated fantasy, White Snake, to give away in this month's competition. Full competition details will be announced in our next newsletter, released 30 November. Sign-up to our newsletter via our website (http://bit.ly/KFMGhome) to be in with a chance of winning. Good luck! Hosted on Acast. See <
S5 E63 · Mon, October 19, 2020
Episode 63 - Benny "The Jet" Urquidez
Martial arts legend Benny "The Jet" Urquidez was born into a fighting family. His father was a boxer; his mother, a professional wrestler. The second youngest of nine siblings, Benny had to fight to be heard, adapting quickly to the martial arts until, by the age of 14, he had received the first of many black belts across a number of different fighting styles. In the 1970s, he pioneered full-contact karate, which was later termed 'American kickboxing', paving the way for the sport in the USA. He remained undefeated throughout his 27-year professional martial arts career, and is the only fighter to have retained six world titles across five weight divisions. On top of all this, he has also enjoyed great success in the film world as an actor, fight choreographer and trainer, coaching huge stars like John Cusack, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Patrick Swayze. His groundbreaking work with Jackie Chan in the Hong Kong action comedies Wheels on Meals (1984) and Dragons Forever (1988) is considered by many as one of the best displays of hard-hitting, breathtaking fight choreography ever captured on celluloid. His intense, intimidating presence on-screen is in direct contrast to his humble, open, and spiritual persona in real life, as demonstrated in this conversation, recorded in April 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Benny has always seen sparring as an opportunity to learn and pass on new skills. His own style, Ukidokan, means 'way of life', accurately summing up his own philosophical approach to the martial arts. It's a road he continues to travel and, now aged 68, he still shows no sign of slowing down. This show is the last in the current season of podcasts. The podcast will return in December for our 2020 End of Year Show. LINKS Benny Urquidez's website: https://bennythejet.com/ Benny Urquidez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realbennythejet/ Benny Urquidez on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BennyTheJetUrquidez/ Benny Urquidez on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BennyTheJetUrquidez Fight scene with Jackie Chan from 'Wheels on Meals' (1984): https://youtu.be/MOjzADJxihA Fight scene with Jackie Chan from 'Dragon Forever' (1988): https://youtu.be/DsUclzcY8HE Benny Urquidez profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/ProfileBennyTheJetUrquidez COMPETITION We have 3 digital copies of 'Legacy of Lies' - starring Scott Adkins - and 3 DVDs of 'The Driver' - starring Mark Dacascos - to give away in this month's competition. Sign-up to our newsletter at http://kungfumovieguide.com/ to be in with a chance of winning. Full competition details will be announced in our next newsletter, released 31 October. Sign-up now and good luck! 'Legacy of Lies' is available now in the UK courtesy of Signature Entertainment. 'The Driver' is available now in the UK courtesy of Lionsgate. Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:
S5 E62 · Mon, October 05, 2020
Episode 62 - Joe Taslim
Joe Taslim always wanted to be an actor, even before he became a martial artist. Growing up poor in South Sumatra, Indonesia, his family only took him to judo lessons because they were free. With his dad as his coach, he would go on to become a national judo champion in a career spanning well over a decade. Ironically, it was his skills in the martial arts which would eventually lead him back to his true passion - acting - when his breakthrough role as the tough special forces sergeant Jaka in Gareth Evans' smash-hit film, 'The Raid: Redemption' (2011), saw him become an overnight sensation. Joe has since enjoyed success in multiple territories; in Indonesia, where he has worked consistently with the Uwais fight team on projects including the violent masterpiece, 'The Night Comes for Us' (2018), and the action comedy, 'Hit & Run' (2019); in Hollywood, where he has collaborated with the producer and director, Justin Lin, on 'Fast & Furious 6' (2013), 'Star Trek Beyond' (2016), and the TV series, 'Warrior', based on the writings of Bruce Lee; and now in South Korea, where he has made his acting debut in the period martial arts film, 'The Swordsman' (2020). In 2021, Joe will continue to make great strides into the Hollywood action mainstream with his turn as Sub-Zero in the new big-screen adaptation of the hit video game, 'Mortal Kombat'. It is his role as Li Yong in 'Warrior' which is currently bringing Joe the most joy, allowing him the freedom to express his full range of acting and action abilities, as well as providing the opportunity to truly develop his antihero character. He says he would jump at the chance to return to the show, should it be recommissioned for a third season. In the meantime, however, it seems the world is Joe's for the taking. 'Warrior' Season Two is screening now in the USA on the Cinemax network, with both seasons moving soon onto the streaming platform, HBO Max. LINKS Joe Taslim on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3029144/ Joe Taslim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe_taslim/ Joe Taslim on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joetaslim.page/ 'Warrior' theme by Reza Safinia and H. Scott Salinas. Download the soundtrack on Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Warrior-Cinemax-Original-Soundtrack-Clean/dp/B07TDSYY44 'Warrior' Season Two trailer: https://youtu.be/V_wSj_1fWtY 'The Raid: Redemption' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/TheRaidKFMG 'The Night Comes for Us' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/TheNightComesForUsKFMG Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E61 · Mon, September 21, 2020
Episode 61 - Larnell Stovall
When martial artist Larnell Stovall first saw the film Blade in 1998, it was a lightbulb moment. But it wasn't the actions of Wesley Snipes as the titular kick-ass vampire hunter which would spark a sudden interest in wanting to work in the movies; it was the actions of the people Wesley was beating up. Feeling inspired, Larnell took a bus from New Orleans to Hollywood armed only with his martial arts skills and the dream of making it in the stunt world. It wasn't long before he caught the attention of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch - owners of 87eleven Action Design - which would prove to be his ticket to the big-time, working as a fight choreographer and stunt coordinator on some of the biggest and best martial arts movies of recent times, including Undisputed 3: Redemption (2010), Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012), and work with fellow karate expert, Michael Jai White, including Falcon Rising (2014) and his Never Back Down sequels. He has worked in India - most notably as the award-winning action director on Sultan (2016), one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Larnell has also made in-roads into the mainstream, acting as stunt coordinator on films like Ride Along (2014) and Creed (2015). In recent years, he has worked on some of Netflix's biggest shows, including the first season of Altered Carbon (2018) and Titans - a gritty take on the Teen Titans comic book, now entering its third season. Titans has provided Larnell with the opportunity to move into directing, mirroring a similar career trajectory to his buddies at 87eleven. He has the skills, the experience, and the creativity; and we cannot wait to see what Larnell cooks up next. LINKS Larnell Stovall on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1277586/ Larnell Stovall on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stovallactiondesign/ Larnell Stovall on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LStovall123 Larnell Stovall on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larnell.stovall Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Undisputed 3: Redemption: http://bit.ly/UndisputedIII Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning: http://bit.ly/UniversalSoldierDayOfReckoning Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Falcon Rising: http://bit.ly/FalconRising Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown: http://bit.ly/NeverBackDown2 Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Never Back Down: No Surrender: http://bit.ly/NeverBackDownNoSurrender Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E60 · Mon, September 07, 2020
Episode 60 - Rocky Taylor
At 75, Rocky Taylor is known as Britain's oldest stunt performer. A day before this podcast was recorded, he was doing doughnut spins in his car and setting himself on fire. In the last year alone, his stunt credits include Spider-Man: Far from Home and Angel Has Fallen. Rocky has sustained his long career (six decades and counting) by being something of an all-rounder: high-falls, horses, cars, sword fights and punch-ups. He has doubled for some of the biggest names in British film and television, from Patrick Macnee in the hit 1960s TV show, The Avengers, to Sean Connery and Roger Moore. His credits include work in the Bond franchise, Titanic, Evita (as stunt coordinator), and the Harry Potter series. As a judo expert from a young age, it was the martial arts which would provide Rocky with his first big break in the movies: training the singer Cliff Richard for the 1961 musical film, The Young Ones. Performing at a time when safety on film sets was less rigorous than it is today, Rocky has narrowly avoided death on numerous occasions; the most serious of which being an accident on the set of Death Wish 3 in 1985. This life-changing event inspired the title of his memoir, Jump Rocky Jump, co-authored by Jon Auty, which is available now from Amazon. The injuries Rocky sustained has not deterred him and he continues to enjoy a prolific and varied career, including work as a second unit director and stunt coordinator. It's a career he says he, quite literally, fell into - which may well be true - but its one he has managed to sustain through skill, hard work, and a lot of hard knocks. Long may it continue. This episode of the podcast was recorded in person in March 2020 before a lockdown imposed by the UK government following the coronavirus outbreak. LINKS Buy 'Jump Rocky Jump' on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jump-Rocky-Taylor/dp/1910903248 Rocky Taylor on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0853092/ Rocky Taylor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stuntmanrocky Rocky Taylor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockytaylorstuntman/ Jon Auty on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stuntcentral Behind the Stunts on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/behindthestunts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E59 · Mon, August 24, 2020
Episode 59 - Ludi Lin
The career of multilingual Chinese Canadian star Ludi Lin has gone from strength-to-strength over the last few years, with Ludi enjoying success across a range of genres in both China and the USA. Landing the role of the Black Ranger in Saban’s 2017 'Power Rangers' origin story helped to turbo-charge his reputation in Hollywood, followed by his work in James Wan’s underwater comic-book adventure, 'Aquaman'. In 2021, Ludi will play Liu Kang, the central character in the hotly anticipated new 'Mortal Kombat' movie, which promises world-building R-rated martial arts action and a supporting cast of ass-kicking fighting talent. Ludi is committed to playing characters who are fully rounded and feel authentic, and no role is off the table. His work is a testament to this approach, and he has already donned many disguises; from a magician in a Chinese fantasy world (see 'Monster Hunt'), to a romantic lead (see Netflix series 'The Ghost Bride'), and a virtual reality avatar with a conscience (see 'Black Mirror'). On this episode - recorded over the internet during the coronavirus lockdown - Ludi and Ben discuss fighting in the movies, the pressures of being a Power Ranger, acting tips, worried mothers, and how to be a star in both the east and the west at the same time. LINKS Ludi Lin on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3485108/ Ludi Lin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ludilin/ Ludi Lin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ludi_lin Ludi Lin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LudiLinActor/ Wash the Hate campaign: https://www.washthehate.com/ Power Rangers review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/PowerRangersKFMG Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E58 · Mon, August 10, 2020
Episode 58 - Brett Chan / Jwaundace Candece
Martial artist Brett Chan has enjoyed a steady rise in the film and television industry since his first appearances fighting with the Ninja Turtles in the late 1990s. A veteran Hollywood stunt performer with over 150 credits to his name, Brett has worked as a fight choreographer, stunt coordinator and second unit director on a number of action-packed TV shows. He has brought his wealth of martial arts knowledge to fight-centric shows for Netflix, including Marco Polo, Iron Fist (part of Marvel's The Defenders series) and Snowpiercer, based on Bong Joon-ho's 2013 film of the same name. His most recent show, Warrior - based on the writings of Bruce Lee - will return for its second season in October 2020 on Cinemax in the USA. He is also working on a reboot of the classic 1970s TV show, Kung Fu, for The CW. Brett says he tries to bring his own unique flair to every new project, working closely with his actors and his Hitz International stunt team to make television which is visceral, authentic, and above all, exciting. Jwaundace Candece is also a veteran of the stunt world having first made the transition from professional wrestling to on-screen fighting and stunt doubling in the early 2000s. As well as doubling for some of the entertainment industry's biggest names - including Queen Latifah, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Hudson, Whoopi Goldberg and Viola Davis - she has now mostly moved away from combat scenes to become one of the industry's top stunt drivers. She is also an ambassador calling for greater diversity in the stunt world, having created the TV and film listing website, Stunt Performers of Color. The site was launched in direct response to a lack of representation across the stunt world, where instances such as "wigging" and "painting down" are still commonplace in an industry which is largely male, white, straight and cisgender. Jwaundace is on a mission to make the stunt world a fairer space, and one in which everyone - regardless of their sex, race, age or gender - can feel included. LINKS #SaveWarrior! With the future of the Warrior TV show now in doubt, an online petition has been launched to help save Warrior. Sign up now via this link: https://www.change.org/p/netflix-save-warrior-and-get-season-3-confirmed Warrior Season 2 trailer: https://youtu.be/SDqwcuDY4Dg Brett Chan's website: http://www.brettchanstunts.com/ Brett Chan on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0150812/ Brett Chan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bchanworld/ Brett Chan prod reel: https://vimeo.com/438352614 Hitz International website: https://www.hitzinternational.com/ Hitz International on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hitzinternationalstunts/ Hitz International on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hitzinternational/ Jwaundace Candece website: https://www.jwaundace.com/ Jwaundace Candece on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1330195/ Jwaundace Candece on YouTube: https:/
S5 E57 · Mon, July 27, 2020
Episode 57 - Loren Avedon
When Loren Avedon answered a call to the Jun Chong Martial Arts Academy on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles late one night in 1987, little did he know that the call would prove to be life-changing. With only a matter of days until filming was scheduled to start in Thailand on the sequel to the 1986 martial arts hit, 'No Retreat, No Surrender', both of the film's contracted stars - Kurt McKinney and Jean-Claude Van Damme - had pulled out, leaving producer Roy Horan with the desperate task of having to contact the city's top dojos to quickly find a replacement. Enter young taekwondo ace, Loren Avedon; black belt student of brothers Phillip and Simon Rhee, part-time instructor at Jun Chong's and a used car salesman. After impressing Roy Horan, Loren found himself jetting off to Thailand to start his new career as a leading actor in martial arts action movies. 'No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder' would prove to be the first of a three-picture deal with the Hong Kong production company, Seasonal Films - created by Roy Horan and Ng See-yuen - followed by 'No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers' (1990) and 'The King of the Kickboxers' (1991). This blistering trio of fight classics quickly saw Loren Avedon become hot property in an already booming video market for martial arts movies. Listen as Loren speaks candidly about his formative years in LA and London, his martial arts training, his inspirations, his movie career, and the lessons he has learned after over three decades of working in the entertainment industry. LINKS Loren Avedon's website: http://lorenavedon.com/index.php/home/ Loren Avedon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenavedonofficial/ Loren Avedon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lorenavedon Loren Avedon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorenavedon2 Warriorwear Clothing: https://warriorwear.clothing/ Loren Avedon profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/LorenAvedonProfile 'No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder' review: https://bit.ly/NRNS2 'No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers' review: https://bit.ly/NRNS3BloodBrothers 'The King of the Kickboxers' review: http://bit.ly/KingOfTheKickboxers JULY COMPETITION DETAILS We have two copies of the complete first season of 'Gangs of London' on Blu-ray and three copies of 'Mr. Vampire' on Blu-ray to give away in our July competition - courtesy of Dazzler Media and Eureka Entertainment respectively. Competition closes 31 July 2020. To be in with a chance of winning, sign up now to our newsletter at: http://bit.ly/KFMGhome. Good luck! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E56 · Mon, July 13, 2020
Episode 56 - Stu Bennett
Stu Bennett's transformational story from a shy, skinny kid growing up in the north of England to five-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and 'King of the Ring' - known by his pro-wrestling name, Wade Barrett - seems like a dream come true. The story belies years of hard work and even harder knocks; a steady climb from the amateur circuit in the UK to securing a contract with the biggest wrestling organisation in the world, only to have his mind and body tested to the limit. By the time he quit professional wrestling in 2016 - refusing to sign another lucrative deal with the WWE - he was out for the count, both mentally and physically, and determined to turn his back on the sport which he had loved and admired so much as a kid. Like so many WWE stars before him - The Rock, Dave Bautista and John Cena among them - the movies beckoned; specially, work in the UK with filmmakers including James Nunn (for 2016's Eliminators) and Ross Boyask (for 2018's I Am Vengeance). It is his role as the tough mercenary John Gold in the I Am Vengeance films which sees Stu play a good guy for the very first time - a far cry from the boos he would receive as an antagonist throughout his wrestling career. It is a role he would like to see continue as he progresses in the film and television industry. His new movie, I Am Vengeance: Retaliation, sees him square up to fellow British hard man, Vinnie Jones; it is released today in the UK on digital courtesy of Evolutionary Films. You can watch it now via the links below. LINKS Stu Bennett on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stubennettofficial/ Stu Bennett on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StuBennett Stu Bennett on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3808325/ Watch 'I am Vengeance: Retaliation' in the UK: iTunes (http://bit.ly/IAVRiTunes); Amazon (http://bit.ly/IAVRAmazon); Google Play (http://bit.ly/IAVRGooglePlay); Sky Store (http://bit.ly/IAVRSkyStore); Microsoft (http://bit.ly/IAVRMicrosoft) KFMG Podcast 'Vengeance' special: http://bit.ly/VengeanceSpecialKFMGPod 'Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks' by Mick Foley - Amazon link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Have-Nice-Day-Blood-Sweatsocks/dp/0061031011/ COMPETITION DETAILS Win a copy of 'Gangs of London' on Blu-ray in our July competition. Sign up to our newsletter via our homepage to take part: http://bit.ly/KFMGhome 'Gangs of London' is available to buy on Blu-ray, DVD and digital in the UK on 27 July courtesy of Dazzler Media. Amazon pre-order link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gangs-London-BLU-RAY-Sope-Dirisu/dp/B0876ZLMZX Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E55 · Mon, June 29, 2020
Episode 55 - Tara Macken
The key to success in the stunt world, says Hollywood action star Tara Macken, is to be an all-rounder. Tara's resume is testament to that philosophy. Raised in the jungles of Borneo, Tara's adventurous spirit started at a young age. It has remained with her throughout her professional career, where she has found work as a dancer, gymnast, model, actor and stunt performer with over 100 films and TV credits to her name. She is a leading name in the action community, known for her fighting and martial arts skills, and doubling huge movie stars like Tessa Thompson, Rosie Perez and Eva Longoria. An incredibly versatile performer, Tara moves between stunt work on hit TV shows like 'Westworld' and films including 'The Hunger Games', 'John Wick: Chapter 3', 'Birds of Prey' and the new 'Mortal Kombat' film, to playing Bugs Bunny in a sequel to 'Space Jam', and stepping behind the camera to work as a stunt coordinator, fight choreographer and trainer. She now has her eyes set on joining the rising number of female stunt coordinators operating in Hollywood, following a path set by her friends and colleagues Zoë Bell and Heidi Moneymaker, determined to redress the balance in the industry and eventually move into main unit directing. In an already long list of amazing achievements, we can't wait to see what Tara will accomplish next. This conversation was recorded in London prior to the UK government lockdown caused by the coronavirus. LINKS Tara Macken on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2706388/ Tara Macken on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taramacken/ Tara Macken on Twitter: https://twitter.com/taramacken Tara Macken on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tara.macken Tara Macken fight choreography reel: https://youtu.be/bYX9ofsJras Tara Macken fight reel: https://youtu.be/jjHaMBIjih0 'Intensive Care' trailer: https://youtu.be/tTJo_vfeGI8 'Intensive Care' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/intensive-care-2018/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E54 · Mon, June 15, 2020
Episode 54 - Richard Norton
In the late 1970s, Richard Norton - martial artist and bodyguard to the stars - faced a crossroads in his life. He could either stay in Melbourne, Australia, and continue with his nine-to-five job, teaching martial arts in the evenings - a life he very much enjoyed - or follow the advice of singer Linda Ronstadt and move with her to California. It was a decision which would prove life-changing. Once in America, Richard started to supplement his days touring with some of the world's biggest musical artists - including ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor and many more - with work in the movies, encouraged by his friendships with Hollywood action legends like Chuck Norris and Pat E. Johnson. It was Pat who first introduced Richard to kung fu superstar Jackie Chan, leading him to eventually work on some of the greatest Hong Kong action films of the period, including 'Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars' and 'Millionaire's Express' for Sammo Hung, and 'Magic Crystal' and 'City Hunter' for Wong Jing. He would work again with Jackie Chan in the 1997 film, 'Mr. Nice Guy', and continue his on-screen partnership with B-movie action queen, Cynthia Rothrock, appearing in 10 films together from Hong Kong to Hollywood. Nowadays, Richard can increasingly be found behind the camera, lending his extraordinary martial arts knowledge as a fight trainer and choreographer on some of the biggest action films of the last decade, including 'Mad Max: Fury Road', 'Ghost in the Shell', 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix', and 'Suicide Squad'. His next release, James Gunn's version of 'The Suicide Squad', is scheduled for release on August 2021. Recorded during the lockdown from his home in Melbourne, Australia, join us as we chat about his amazing journey and his many achievements, something that Richard - who turned 70 in 2020 - puts down to simply being a byproduct of his quest to become the best martial artist he could possibly be. Judging by his continued work-rate, training regime, and passion for the martial arts, it is clearly something he continues to pursue each and every day. LINKS Richard Norton on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjnorton64/ Richard Norton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rjbromleynorton Richard Norton on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0636280/ Richard Norton profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/ProfileRichardNorton Richard Norton interview from 2011 on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/RichardNorton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E53 · Mon, June 01, 2020
Episode 53 - Vincent Wang
When a stunt performer couldn't get the right shot needed during a 70ft fall on the set of Vietnamese superhero movie, Lôi Báo (2017), the film's action director, Vincent Wang, made a quick decision. With time running out, Vincent relieved the stunt performer of their duties, strapped himself to a harness and performed the stunt himself - much to the shock of the rest of the crew. He nailed it first time. No surprise, really, considering Vincent's over two-decade career as a stunt performer in Hollywood, working on some of the largest action films of all time, including the Bond franchise (Tomorrow Never Dies, Die Another Day, Skyfall), The Bourne Ultimatum, The Force Awakens and work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In more recent years, Vincent has pursued a career as a fight choreographer and action director, where his credits include Zhang Yimou's big-budget creature feature, The Great Wall (2016) - starring Matt Damon and Andy Lau - and work in Vietnam with the versatile director, Victor Vu. His most recent project is Cruella, a live-action prequel to 101 Dalmatians starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. During this face-to-face conversation - recorded in March 2020 just before lockdown restrictions were put in place by the UK government following the coronavirus pandemic - we discuss his upbringing in northwest China, where he was selected to train at a Chinese wushu school from the age of six. It was his move to the UK in 1991 to teach martial arts which would eventually lead him to work in the film industry; but martial arts remains his true passion, not just for self-defence purposes, but also as a way of building confidence and improving health. For more information about Vincent Wang, visit the links below. LINKS Vincent Wang on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911058/ Vincent Wang on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincentwang99/ Vincent Wang on Twitter: https://twitter.com/vincentwang99 Vincent Wang on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMTmJKQsH9sLGW6hd6Z2cmg Lôi Báo review - Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/LoiBao2017 The Great Wall review - Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/TheGreatWallKFMG Dragon Girls review - Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/DragonGirlsKFMG Debt Collectors review - Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/DebtCollectorsKFMG Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E52 · Mon, May 18, 2020
Episode 52 - Scott Adkins / Maria Tran
Tired of scrolling through streaming platforms trying to decide on the next thing to watch during lockdown? Then let the martial arts action star Scott Adkins help you, as he discusses his favourite fight films of all time on today's episode, including five bonafide classics and five lesser-appreciated head-kickers. During our chat - his fourth appearance on the show - we discover how he almost ended up in the 1997 Gary Daniels movie, Bloodmoon; what he learned from Donnie Yen and Yuen Woo-ping on the set of Ip Man 4; his thoughts about moving into directing; and the latest gossip on his many upcoming projects, including Dolph Lundgren's Castle Falls, spy thriller Legacy of Lies, sci-fi adventure film The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud, and Debt Collectors, the surprise sequel to 2018's The Debt Collector. Debt Collectors is released on digital in the USA on 29 May and DVD on 2 June, courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films. In the UK, the film is known under the title, Payback, and will be released on digital on 8 June and DVD on 9 July, courtesy of Dazzler Media. We are also joined by Australian indie action filmmaker Maria Tran, who has spent her lockdown working on a new comedy short, Tiger Cop: Toilet Paper Hero; an homage to the 1980s Hong Kong action films she watched as a child, only with a topical pandemic twist. Maria is an actor, director, producer, writer, fight choreographer and mentor to up-and-coming filmmakers in Australia, who works hard to support people particularly from minority backgrounds in helping them to share their stories through film. She is also a kick-ass action star who has worked with Jackie Chan (for Bleeding Steel) and Roger Corman (for Fist of the Dragon), fought on-screen in China and Vietnam, and enjoyed success with her own independent shorts and features. Her first feature film, Echo 8, will see her in the lead role as well as directing, and will be completed in 2020. LINKS Scott Adkins on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thescottadkins/ Debt Collectors trailer: https://youtu.be/lPDs-BU7y7c 'Tiger Cop: Toilet Paper Hero' on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yTepmGqoueM Maria Tran's website: https://www.mariatran.com/ Maria Tran on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariatran85 Maria Tran on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariatranactress/ Maria Tran on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariatran85/ 'We need to embrace conflict': TEDxYouth@Sydney talk by Maria Tran: https://youtu.be/KVehRy-V07k Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S5 E51 · Mon, May 04, 2020
Episode 51 - Sarah Chang / Vincent Soberano
You could say it was Jackie Chan that first brought together the Manila-based martial arts power couple, Sarah Chang and Vincent Soberano. They first met at the Jackie Chan Stuntman Training Centre; a huge complex in Tianjin, used by people from all over the world to train in the martial arts and make it in the movies. Vincent - a former professional fighter and pioneer of mixed martial arts in China, who helped to train the country's first UFC fighters - helped to design the facility; and in 2016, in walked Sarah Chang - actor, producer, fight choreographer, and five-time USA national wushu team member - training for a role in a movie. While she was there, she befriended the stunt coordinator, Sam Hargrave, who ended up using her to double Celina Jade in Wu Jing's action blockbuster, Wolf Warrior II. Vincent and Sarah connected over their passion for martial arts, and their drive to portray authentic fighting styles in the movies. But it wasn't until their work on the action horror, Blood Hunters - filmed in the Philippines - that the two decided to leave Beijing and move to Manila full-time, where they have since started a family, set up their own production company, and produced a string of films together, as well as working on their own projects. Their other films together include the tournament movie, The Trigonal, and the soon-to-be-released, Circle of Bones. Vincent and Sarah discuss the challenges they face making martial arts films in the Philippines, which is still an uphill struggle despite the international success of similarly 'hyper-local' fight films made elsewhere in Asia. They also share tips on how they are remaining busy (and sane) during the coronavirus lockdown. Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids is out now on digital platforms including Amazon, Vimeo on Demand, FlixFling, Vudu and Fandango, courtesy of DarkCoast. LINKS Sarah Chang on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starringsarahchang/ Sarah Chang on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starringsarahchang/ Sarah Chang on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahchangwushu Sarah Chang's website: https://starringsarahchang.com/ Vincent Soberano on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VincentSoberanoFilms/ Vincent Soberano on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincentsoberano/ Vincent Soberano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/VinceSoberano Vincent Soberano's website: http://vincentsoberano.com/ 'Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids' on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloodhuntersthemovie/ 'Circle of Bones' on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cobmovie/ 'Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/BloodHunters2019 'The Trigonal: Fight for Justice' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/TheTrigonal Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast
S5 E50 · Mon, April 20, 2020
Episode 50 - Gareth Evans
Through his trio of martial arts films - Merantau (2009), The Raid (2011) and The Raid 2 (2014) - filmmaker Gareth Evans helped to put Indonesian action cinema on the map, launched the careers of a new generation of fight stars (including Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman), and created some of the most exhilarating, inventive, and game-changing fight sequences of modern times. Not bad for a young filmmaker from South Wales, who grew up watching Jackie Chan films with his dad, who chose to invest in a video camera when he turned 17 instead of learning to drive. Following his adventures in Indonesia, Evans has since returned to Wales where he has been developing a range of projects exploring new mediums and genres, including the British gothic horror, Apostle (2018) - available on Netflix - and the nine-part TV series, Gangs of London, which lands on Sky Atlantic in the UK on 23 April 2020. The show, based on a computer game, sees Evans return to a contemporary action setting, working alongside his frequent collaborator, UK stunt coordinator Jude Poyer (featured in Episode 48), with a story focusing on the fall-out following the death of a gang leader. Listen as Evans explains how he believes Gangs of London contains some of his finest action work, as well as exploring the steps that led to him creating The Raid films, often regarded by critics and fans alike as two of the best modern-day martial arts films of all time. We also investigate the possibility of a reunion with Iko Uwais, the secrets to his visceral style, and what other genres he would still like to explore. This conversation was recorded in London in early March 2020 before a UK government lockdown following the coronavirus outbreak. LINKS Gareth Evans on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ghuwevans/ Gangs of London trailer - https://youtu.be/VoJ_yZqhmAg Gangs of London on Sky Atlantic - https://www.sky.com/watch/gangs-of-london The Raid review on Kung Fu Movie Guide - http://kungfumovieguide.com/the-raid-redemption/ The Raid 2 review on Kung Fu Movie Guide - http://kungfumovieguide.com/the-raid-2/ Gareth Evans profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide - http://kungfumovieguide.com/profile-gareth-evans/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E49 · Mon, December 23, 2019
Episode 49 - End of Year Show 2019 with Mike Fury
Welcome to our annual, festive End of Year Show for 2019, featuring the Life of Action author and fight movie expert, Mike Fury. It has been another action-packed and diverse year for martial arts movies, from off-beat indie comedies (The Art of Self-Defense) to big Hollywood franchise-based actioners (Hobbs and Shaw, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum), not to mention the return of the traditional Hong Kong kung fu movie (Master Z, Ip Man 4). Scott Adkins went ballistic in Avengement; the world's biggest martial arts stars squared off in Triple Threat; and Veronica Ngo turned in a star-making performance as a kick-ass mother hellbent on finding her daughter in Furie; but which film will come out on top? Join us as we count down our personal top five martial arts films from the year, as well as reading out comments submitted by our listeners. We also talk about the worst martial arts films of the year, discuss the stories which hit the headlines, and highlight the movies we are most looking forward to in 2020. And - because it's the festive season - we exchange a few film-related Christmas presents, and raise a toast to all the Fu followers around the world who have supported us over the years. This is the last in the current season of podcasts. Thank you for your continued support in 2019 and we wish you a very enjoyable, relaxing and happy holiday season. Mike Fury's new book, 'Life of Action Volume II', will be released in February 2020, and you can pre-order it now via the link below. LINKS Pre-order Life of Action Volume II: https://www.mikefury.net/shop/life-of-action-book-ii Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/themikefury Life of Action on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifeofactionbook/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E48 · Mon, December 02, 2019
Episode 48 - Jude Poyer
On his very first day working on a Hong Kong action film set, Jude Poyer saw someone rushed to hospital when a stunt went badly wrong. Instead of seeing this as a bad omen, Jude - who had relocated to Hong Kong at the age of 18 to follow his dreams of working in martial arts movies - stayed in Hong Kong, where he would be based for the next eight years, working with some of the biggest names in kung fu cinema: people like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Jet Li, Corey Yuen, Tony Ching, Stephen Tung Wei and Vincent Zhao. The decline of Hong Kong cinema saw Jude return home to the United Kingdom, where his credits as a stunt coordinator, action director, fight choreographer and stunt performer now number in the hundreds; from Free Fire to Final Score, Star Wars to Transformers. In more recent years, it has been his work with the Welsh-born director of The Raid, Gareth Evans, which has seen him operate in an entirely new and refreshing context, particularly for UK independent cinema; from the twisted gothic horror of Apostle (2018) to the upcoming HBO series, Gangs of London. Their new film together, Havoc, is currently in pre-production and will see Evans return to the type of action which made him an international name. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the enduring legacy and power of classic Hong Kong action films, how to sustain a career in the stunt industry, the ups and downs of working in the UK, and just how the heck they made that relentless gun-fu church fight in Kingsman. LINKS Jude Poyer's website: http://www.reelpowerstunts.com/ Jude Poyer's IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0694706/ Jude Poyer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelpowerstunts/ Jude Poyer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reelpowerstunts Jude Poyer on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReelPowerStunts/ 'Drug Den Master', directed by Jude Poyer: https://youtu.be/b1v4g0imWuU 'Kingsman' church fight scene (explicit!): https://youtu.be/t1WWDBTda2Y Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E47 · Mon, November 18, 2019
Episode 47 - Chris Collins
When ex-US Marine and martial arts instructor Chris Collins took his Wing Chun pupils to see the film Ip Man 3 in 2015, he joked that he would be appearing in the next film in the Ip Man series - if another sequel was ever made. Fast-forward several months and Chris is sitting in front of director Wilson Yip, who is offering him a role in the fourth and final instalment of the hit kung fu movie series starring Donnie Yen. Chris, who plays one of the villains in the film, says his rapid rise in the Hong Kong film industry is because of his intense focus and determination to achieve his goals, honed after serving nine years in the US Marine Corps. As a combat specialist, Chris toured the globe learning the fighting arts from some of the world's toughest martial artists, using this knowledge to inform the marine training programme. He still teaches martial arts to this day from his base in Hong Kong and his satellite schools around the world, instructing in mostly boxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Filipino weapons systems and Wing Chun. It was his role as a fight trainer, stunt performer and choreographer which eventually saw him befriend and work with some of the Hong Kong film industry's top talent. On this episode, listen to Chris share his fascinating life story; from being the bullied son of Chinese-American parents growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood in Ohio and Florida, to joining the army and fighting in some of the US military's most intense conflicts. We also discuss his love of Hong Kong, and how the movies saved him after he stepped away from the competitive fighting circuit; a career decision which has seen him work with the likes of Tony Jaa and Sammo Hung in 2017's Paradox, and Donnie Yen and Scott Adkins in 2019's Ip Man 4. We also highlight his many upcoming projects, one of which is Benny Chan's Raging Fire, which also stars Donnie Yen. Ip Man 4 will be released on 20 December in China and 25 December in the USA, courtesy of Well Go USA. Find out more about Chris Collins via the links below. LINKS Chris Collins' website: http://www.chriscollinsaction.com/ Introduction to Chris Collins on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Yvv7IldGw6I Chris Collins on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriscollinsaction/ Chris Collins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisCollinsWT/ Chris Collins on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SifuChrisCollins Ip Man 4 Chinese trailer: https://youtu.be/W6kENxxxLVI Ip Man 4 USA release information: https://www.wellgousa.com/films/ip-man-4-the-finale UPDATE - 20 JANUARY 2021 Some of the details discussed in this conversation have since been revealed to contain falsehoods. The details in question relate to Chris Collins' time in the military. Chris has further clarified the details relating to his military record in two Instagram posts, both dated 23 December 2020. You can read the posts in full on Chris Collins’ Instagram page, @chriscolli
S4 E46 · Mon, November 04, 2019
Episode 46 - Jason Tobin
As a lifelong fan of Bruce Lee, the chance to play a starring role in HBO's Warrior TV series - based on a story by the late kung fu movie star and executive produced by his daughter, Shannon Lee - was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And he relishes every scene in his role as Young Jun; the entitled, violent, and arrogant heir to Chinatown's Hop Wei gang, a criminal syndicate operating in late 1870s San Francisco at the height of the Tong Wars. Jason Tobin adds heart, nuance and depth to the character through his brotherly friendship with new Hop Wei recruit, Ah Sahm (played by fellow British actor, Andrew Koji). A sexy, heady mix of political drama, racial tension and great fight scenes, the series has been heralded as one of the best TV shows of 2019 by Rolling Stone and has found a devoted audience since first airing on Cinemax in April 2019. Season two is now in post-production with a third season in development, while the first season is available right now on Blu-ray in the USA. Born in Hong Kong, educated in the UK, and living in Los Angeles from the age of 18, Jason sees acting as the perfect way to 'honestly express oneself' - to paraphrase the words of his hero, Bruce Lee - and tell the kinds of stories he wants to tell. He does this not just through his own work as an actor, but also as a writer and director. In this episode, we discuss his theories on acting, his long-standing friendship with the filmmaker Justin Lin (who gave Jason his first breakout role in 2002's Better Luck Tomorrow), his appearances in many Hong Kong and American action movies - from Beverly Hills Ninja to The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift - to his excellent performance in Warrior. Keep up-to-date with all the latest Jason Tobin news by following him on Twitter and Instagram. LINKS Jason Tobin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jsntbn/ Jason Tobin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jsntbn Buy Warrior on Blu-ray via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VJWW5G8/ This episode's podcast page: http://bit.ly/JasonTobinKFMGPod Shannon Lee and Andrew Koji on the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodShannonLee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E45 · Mon, October 21, 2019
Episode 45 - Tribute to Alexander Fu Sheng
Alexander Fu Sheng would have celebrated his 65th birthday on 20 October 2019. A poster-boy for Shaw Brothers' unique brand of high-octane martial arts action films throughout the 1970s and early 80s, Fu Sheng died tragically young at the age of 28 in a car crash on his way to a night-shoot. Like Bruce Lee before him, his young death immortalised him as another tragic martial arts film star, taken too young at the height of his powers. However, unlike Lee, Fu Sheng is largely unknown outside of his native Hong Kong, with many subsequence kung fu stars taking his place and becoming household names; people like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen and so on. This is partly due to the limited international distribution of many of his films. However, through the excellent work of Chinese distributor, Celestial Pictures, Fu Sheng's movies can now be enjoyed in pristine quality through DVD and streaming services - particularly Netflix and Amazon Prime, where the glory of his many classic kung fu pictures can be enjoyed by a whole new generation of fans. In this special commemorative episode, we talk to Fu Sheng's biographer, Terrence J. Brady, about the life and career of the much-loved film star. He made 43 complete films in only 11 years as a hard-working contract actor at the Shaw Brothers studio, quickly rising in the ranks to become one of its highest paid stars. We speak about his many iconic film roles, to working with Shaw Brothers legends like Chang Cheh and Lau Kar-leung, to his marriage to the superstar singer, Jenny Tseng, as well as detailing the events leading up to that fateful night on 7 July 1983. Terrence's book is the first English-language biography of Alexander Fu Sheng and a must-read for any Shaw Brothers movie fan. LINKS Buy the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alexander-Fu-Sheng-Biography-Chinatown/dp/1717363679/ More information: http://www.teako170.com/fushengbio.html Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1203346679706951 Jenny Tseng and Alexander Fu Sheng singing 'You Don't Have to Be a Star To Be in My Show' live on TVB: https://youtu.be/t51dhR6CRKg Alexander Fu Sheng profile: http://bit.ly/ProfileAlexanderFuSheng Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E44 · Mon, October 07, 2019
Episode 44 - Heidi Moneymaker
When Hollywood stunt performer Heidi Moneymaker was asked to flip a car three times in mid-air while doubling for the actor Saoirse Ronan in the 2013 film, The Host, she approached the job in much the same way she approaches all other aspects of her work: fearlessly. Heidi is the real deal. Operating in the shadows, she is a genuine action hero who has entertained millions around the world in some of Hollywood's most successful films (from the Fast and Furious franchise to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, John Wick, The Hunger Games and too many more to mention). She has doubled the likes of Drew Barrymore, Michelle Rodriguez, Ruby Rose and Julianne Moore, but it is her decade-long partnership with Scarlett Johansson which propelled the former gymnast into the limelight, following her work in helping to shape the movements of Marvel's high-kicking super-spy, Black Widow. As she explains in this episode, she feels intrinsically attached to the character, having brought Black Widow to life in (so far) seven films; from Iron Man 2 (2010) to Avengers: Endgame (2019). In recent years, Heidi can increasingly be found behind the camera. She spent six months training the Oscar-winning actor Halle Berry for her action-heavy role as an assassin in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) - continuing her long-running association with the Los Angeles-based stunt collective and production company, 87eleven - and she has successfully moved into stunt coordinating with the ambition to eventually direct. But what would be her dream project? Listen to our chat to find out, as well as discovering many more revelations, from fitness and nutrition tips to advice on how to survive - and thrive - in the Hollywood film industry. LINKS Heidi Moneymaker on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidimoneymaker/ Heidi Moneymaker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/heidimoney Find out more about Heidi Moneymaker's fitness business, Fierce Lotus, via the website, https://fiercelotus.com/, and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/fiercelotus/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/fierce_lotus) Visit this episode's page on the Kung Fu Movie Guide website: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodHeidiMoneymaker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E43 · Mon, September 23, 2019
Episode 43 - Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2019
We have been reporting from the Fighting Spirit Film Festival since it started back in 2016. Now in its fourth year, the event has grown to become the UK's largest martial arts movie festival; a two-day celebration which welcomes some of the genre's biggest names and best talent. As well as screening some of the hottest new feature films from around the world, the festival also provides an opportunity for up-and-coming, independent filmmakers to have their movies shown on the big screen. This spirit of collaboration and inclusivity strikes at the heart of what makes the festival such an inspiring event. This episode - recorded live at the 2019 Fighting Spirit Film Festival - features conversations with a number of key people involved in the independent martial arts movie scene, from established stars to talented young actors and filmmakers destined to become the next big thing. On this show, you will hear from the creator of the Fighting Spirit Film Festival, Soo Cole; actor and wushu expert, Leslie Kunz; the filmmaker and martial artist, Beau Fowler; the writers, directors and stars of the short action comedy '10 Minutes for a Pound', Linda Louise Duan and Jadey Duffield; the Hong Kong film expert and head of Eastern Heroes, Ricky Baker; the Italian martial arts actor, Max Repossi; one of the producers behind the 'Dead End' series, Daniella Dahoui; and the team behind zombie action Brit-flick, 'Tribal', the director Matt Routledge and star Zara Phythian. Listen as they describe what the Fighting Spirit Film Festival means to them, as well as answering a series of quick-fire questions stolen from the rather brilliant Artists Behind the Action podcast, produced by 87eleven Action Design. A huge thank you to Soo Cole, the Fighting Spirit team and all of the staff at Stratford Picturehouse for their help with this episode. Visit fightingspritfilmfestival.com for more information, and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. LINKS Fighting Spirit Film Festival website: https://www.fightingspiritfilmfestival.com/ Fighting Spirit Film Festival on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FightingSpiritFilmFestival/ Fighting Spirit Film Festival on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fightingspiritfilmfestival/ Fighting Spirit Film Festival on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FSFilmFestival Kung Fu Movie Guide Episode 43: http://kungfumovieguide.com/kfmg-podcast-s04-episode-43-fighting-spirit-film-festival-2019/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E42 · Mon, July 08, 2019
Episode 42 - Mindy Kelly / Janell Smith
From the age of four, Mindy Kelly has dedicated her life to the martial arts. Since moving to Hollywood, she has made her name as both a stunt performer and coordinator, working on music videos for the likes of Lady Gaga, Childish Gambino, Skrillex and Metallica, to performing for major action movies like Alita: Battle Angel, The Dark Knight Rises and Transformers: Age of Extinction. Now Mindy has now made her feature film debut as a stunt coordinator - not to mention fight choreographer, martial arts trainer and action designer - on the new dark indie comedy from the writer and director of 2014's Faults, Riley Stearns. The Art of Self-Defense - which stars Jesse Eisenberg, Imogen Poots and Alessandro Nivola - is released in theatres in the USA from 12 July via Bleecker Street, and it's really worth checking out. The film is a funny - and at times shocking - look at toxic masculinity which also displays Mindy's knack for creating cool action. Her star is on the rise and it was awesome to be able to spend time talking to her about working on the film, as well as discussing the lack of female stunt coordinators and fight choreographers in the industry, and what can be done about it. Also appearing on this action-packed double bill is the always-inspiring producer, entrepreneur and martial arts instructor, Janell Smith. As CEO of Iron Dragon Productions and its distribution channel, Iron Dragon TV, she is leading the charge in supporting indie martial arts and action filmmaking from her base in Austin, Texas. Iron Dragon TV streams everything from classic kung fu to original content - produced via Janell's own production company - and is available now in 4K and HD via UltraFlix, Roku and a new Android app, which is available to download now via Amazon and Google Play. Janell also runs the Iron Dragon TV Action Fest, an annual celebration of indie martial arts shorts and feature films from around the world, which this year takes place on 9-10 August. Visit idtvactionfest.com for more information. It was great to chat with the awesome Janell Smith who works so tirelessly in supporting up-and-coming filmmakers, as well as anyone looking to get into the martial arts. LINKS Mindy Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindytheninja/ Mindy Kelly on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindytheninja/ Mindy Kelly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MindyKelly Mindy Kelly's official site: https://www.mindy-kelly.com/ The Art of Self-Defense official website: https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/theartofselfdefense The Art of Self-Defense trailer: https://youtu.be/Td0oBCWO_I4 Janell Smith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janell001/ Janell Smith on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janellvelasmith/ Janell Smith on Twitter: https://twitter.com/janellvelasmith Janell Smith's official site: http://www.janellsmith.com/ Iron Dragon TV website: http://irondragontv.com/ <p
S4 E41 · Mon, June 24, 2019
Episode 41 - Scott Adkins / Mark Strange
Today we welcome back the martial arts movie star, Scott Adkins, who makes his third appearance on our show. Scott and the director, Jesse V. Johnson, have been responsible for some very impressive work over the last few years, including Savage Dog, Accident Man, The Debt Collector, Triple Threat and their latest, Avengement, which sees Scott provide one of his most intense acting performances. It's a partnership which allows Scott to take on more challenging, character-driven work, and one which shows no signs in slowing down. In this quick catch-up, Scott talks about how his new-found creative freedom in front of and behind the camera has sparked an interest in directing his own films. He discusses the types of movies he would like to make as a director, as well as giving us an update on some of his upcoming movies; one of which is Ip Man 4, which sees Scott working with kung fu movie legends Yuen Woo-ping and Donnie Yen. A huge thank you to Soo Cole and the whole team at the Fighting Spirit Film Festival for organising this conversation. The UK martial arts actor and filmmaker Mark Strange shares a connection with Scott that dates back to 2003, when Mark also worked on the Jackie Chan film, The Medallion, which featured a young Scott Adkins. Flash-forward to 2019 and Mark can now be seen going toe-to-toe with Scott in tough new UK actioner, Avengement, which is out now in the USA and available on digital in the UK courtesy of Dazzler Media. The film will be available on Blu-ray and DVD from 1 July and you can pre-order it now from Amazon. Mark will also be making an appearance in Ip Man 4. On this episode, he discusses his experiences working in Hong Kong as well as the challenges of getting his own action movies off the ground in the UK, where he has predominantly worked with the director Chee Keong-cheung. Their latest film - the zombie action flick, Redcon-1 - took a mammoth seven years to complete, and is available to watch now on Netflix. Keep up-to-date with all the latest Scott Adkins news by following him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and for all the latest Mark Strange news, follow him on Instagram and Facebook, and also check out the website, markstrange.com. LINKS Pre-order Avengement on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avengement-DVD/dp/B07QFF8C5T Redcon-1 on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81097713 Fighting Spirit Film Festival website: https://www.fightingspiritfilmfestival.com/ Scott Adkins on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialscottadkins/ Scott Adkins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thescottadkins Scott Adkins on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thescottadkins/ Mark Strange on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markstrangeofficial/ Mark Strange on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markstrange1/ Mark Strange's website: http://www.markstrange.com/ Hosted on Acast. See <a
S4 E40 · Mon, June 10, 2019
Episode 40 - Olivia Jackson
It was while doubling for Milla Jovovich on the set of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter in 2015 that Olivia Jackson's life would transform forever. A promising young stunt performer, model and Muay Thai kickboxer from South Africa - whose film credits included Mad Max: Fury Road, Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Olivia narrowly escaped certain death when a motorcycle stunt went horribly wrong during filming in Johannesburg. Following a head-on collision at high-speed with a mechanical mobile film camera, Olivia spent 17 days in a coma. Her injuries were severe and life-threatening; brain swelling, broken bones, a punctured lung and severed crown. Part of her face was 'degloved' in the incident and needed to be completely rebuilt. Damage to the vertebrae in her spine has left her with permanent paralysis on the left side of her face and body, resulting in the need for her left arm to be amputated. In this candid, detailed and at times graphic conversation, Olivia explains how the stunt community has rallied together to support her since the accident took place four years ago, the results of which she continues to feel every day. It has been a slow and steady road to recovery, but Olivia has shown great courage, determination and optimism since the event, refusing to let her injuries get the better of her. She has returned to her training in the martial arts - she is on her way to gaining a black belt despite only having one arm - and she says her Buddhism has helped in dealing with the effects the crash has had on her mental health. Olivia's story is a poignant one, and acts as a stark reminder of the very real dangers that stunt performers put themselves through for the benefit of our viewing pleasure. It was an absolute privilege to be able to visit Olivia's home in the UK and spend time with her to record this episode of the show. LINKS Follow Olivia Jackson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviathebandit/ Olivia's story will also be told in a new biography, written by New York-based writer Shannon Nixon, coming soon in 2019. More details can be found via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviabiography Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E39 · Mon, May 20, 2019
Episode 39 - Sonny Sison
After watching Thailand's Ong-Bak and Indonesia's The Raid, the producer, stunt coordinator and fight choreographer Sonny Sison had an epiphany. Where were the Filipino action films promoting their indigenous martial arts styles, like Ong-Bak did with Muay Thai, and The Raid with silat? Determined to do the same for his home country, Sonny left Hollywood and boarded the next plane to Manila, taking over 25 years' worth of industry experience with him to a country still developing as a global player in the movie market. Since relocating, he has been on a self-made mission to promote the Filipino martial arts through his fight choreography. In 2018, he worked with director Erik Matti on the non-stop fight fest, BuyBust, and this year sees the arrival of Maria, a Filipino action film directed by Pedring A. Lopez and starring Cristine Reyes, which is available now on Netflix. In this episode, we discuss his upbringing in the Philippines and Hawaii, where he first discovered his love of martial arts through the movies, before his relocation to Hollywood and his work in the entertainment industry. He befriended fellow Hawaiian, Mark Dacascos, and the two started out on their show-business journeys together, with Sonny eventually ploughing his own furrow via Power Rangers, producing, dancing with Michael Jackson and stunt performing on huge Hollywood films like The Rundown, The Green Hornet, Olympus Has Fallen and Godzilla. Sonny worked as the second unit director on Mark Dacascos' directorial debut, Showdown in Manila, and as Sonny explains, he has plans to work with his old friend again. We discuss the rich heritage and cinematic appeal of Filipino martial arts, the challenges of working in the country's film industry, and how you go about training someone with no martial arts background to look like an absolute bad-ass on screen. LINKS Follow Sonny on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sonny-Sison-Producer-Action-Director-1720324101578654/ Follow Sonny on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonny.808pride/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E38 · Mon, May 06, 2019
Episode 38 - Don "The Dragon" Wilson
When Chuck Norris convinced his martial arts buddy - the 11-time world kickboxing champion, Don "The Dragon" Wilson - to consider a career in the movies, he could never have dreamed how quickly his life would transform. A winning audition for the king of exploitation cinema, Roger Corman, led to a multi-picture deal which would see "The Dragon" become the leading martial arts movie star in the highly lucrative direct-to-video market of the late 1980s and 90s, headlining movies such as the Bloodfist series, Ring of Fire, Red Sun Rising and many others. His closest brush with mainstream stardom arrived in 1995, playing a gang leader in Batman Forever. He's still busier than ever in front of the camera. His latest movie - the action comedy Paying Mr McGetty - sees him play a hitman, and it is available now on DVD. Considered one of the best competitive kickboxers of his generation, Don - now in his mid-60s - may have hung up his competitive gloves long ago, but he can still be found training, teaching and passing on his martial arts wisdom at exhibitions around the world. He still believes passionately in the martial arts as a force for good, helping as a tool to teach confidence, respect and self-discipline to kids, as well as a way to stamp out bullying. It's something he knows only too well. As the son of Japanese and American parents who grew up in 1950s America shortly after the second world war, bullying was a word he knew only too well. In this conversation, Don explains how he turned a negative situation into a positive, becoming one of the greatest and most famous martial artists in the world. LINKS Don "The Dragon" Wilson on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Don-the-Dragon-Wilson-105915392771397/ Don "The Dragon" Wilson profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/DonTheDragonWilson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S4 E37 · Mon, April 22, 2019
Episode 37 - Shannon Lee / Andrew Koji
Shannon Lee was only four years old when she lost her father, the international martial arts superstar, Bruce Lee - but her father has continued to have a lasting impact on her life. As the CEO of the Bruce Lee Family Companies and Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Bruce Lee Foundation - a not-for-profit social enterprise - Shannon has been responsible for upholding the legacy of her father through numerous channels, including podcasts, retail, social media, books, documentaries and TV shows, educating future generations on Bruce Lee's work and philosophy. Alongside Jonathan Tropper (Banshee) and Justin Lin (Fast and Furious), Shannon is an executive producer on the new 10-episode martial arts drama series, Warrior, which has debuted on Cinemax. The show, set during the brutal Tong wars of San Francisco's Chinatown in the latter half of the 19th century, is based on an original concept by Bruce Lee. On this episode - the first in our fourth season - Shannon explains how Bruce Lee's original treatment evolved, and how a talented and diverse cast helped to bring it to life. Andrew Koji was on the brink of giving up acting when he landed the lead role of Ah Sahm in the show. Following roles in TV and theatre in the UK, it was a chance audition for Warrior which would turn his life around. He explains what its like being a British-Asian actor working in the UK, and how he managed to tap into his training in the styles of karate and Shaolin kung fu to play the role of Ah Sahm. Warrior is on Fridays at 10pm on Cinemax. A big thank you to Alyssa Michnevitz at HBO and Cinemax for arranging interviews with Shannon Lee and Andrew Koji. LINKS Visit the Cinemax website for more information: https://www.cinemax.com/warrior For the latest Bruce Lee news, visit brucelee.com Follow Bruce Lee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/brucelee Follow Bruce Lee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BruceLee/ Follow Bruce Lee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brucelee/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E36 · Mon, December 24, 2018
Episode 36 - End Of Year Show 2018 with Mike Fury
Celebrating the best (and worst) that martial arts movies had to offer in 2018, join us for our festive round-up of the year with the action movie expert and author of 'Life of Action', Mike Fury. As well as counting down our top five favourite martial arts movies of the year, we discuss the stories that grabbed the headlines in 2018, read out some listener's comments compiled from across our social media channels, and look ahead to the titles we are most excited about in 2019. We also play clips from some of the awesome guests we have had on the show this year - including Scott Adkins, Cung Le, Amy Johnston, Bob Wall, Diana Lee Inosanto and Jesse V. Johnson - and we play a few outtakes from our blooper reel. And, because it's the holidays, Mike and I exchange a few martial arts-related presents. Thank you Fu followers around the world for all your support in 2018 - we wish you a very merry kung fu Christmas and a happy new year! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E35 · Mon, October 22, 2018
Episode 35 - Matthew Polly
When Bruce Lee died 45 years ago at the age of 32, his death was shrouded in mystery. To this day, theories still abound as to the circumstances surrounding his passing and the events leading up to it. Writer Matthew Polly has his own theories, along with many other revelations about Lee’s short but incredible life which he has published in a new biography, called 'Bruce Lee: A Life', which is available now wherever you get books. Matthew’s fully comprehensive biography expands on Lee’s privileged upbringing as a child star in Hong Kong, to his formative years in America as a martial arts instructor, and then later as an actor in movies and television. Throughout the book, Lee’s enthusiasm, creativity and determination jumps off the page, rendered in amazing and insightful anecdotes sourced from years of research and over a hundred interviews with Lee’s friends, family and business partners. Matthew Polly’s book is a revealing portrait of one of the 20th century’s most important and iconic figures – not just in the world of martial arts and big-screen entertainment, but also as a self-made man who crossed the cultural divide between east and west. In this interview recorded during a promotional visit to the UK, Polly expands on Lee’s cinematic legacy, his reputation in Hollywood as a “guru to the stars”, the rumours and scandals which continue to haunt his life story, and his enduring status as one of the world's most famous individuals. Matthew Polly’s other books include 'American Shaolin' and 'Tapped Out'. His book, 'Bruce Lee: A Life', is out now. This is the last in the current season of podcasts. LNIKS Buy 'Bruce Lee: A Life' on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bruce-Lee-Life-Matthew-Polly/dp/1471175693 Follow Matthew Polly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewEPolly Bruce Lee profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/BruceLeeKFMG Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E34 · Mon, October 08, 2018
Episode 34 - Sophia Crawford
Buffy's stunt double and former Power Ranger, Sophia Crawford, earned her spurs as a stunt performer working in Hong Kong's raw and relentless action movie industry in the early 1990s. She found herself part of an era of exceptional, female-fronted martial arts films, working with the likes of Moon Lee, Sibelle Hui and Yukari Oshima, performing all of her own stunts in conditions that were sometimes less than perfect. It was in Hong Kong where she discovered her love for the martial arts, acting and stunt performing, following her troubled years as a teenager growing up in London as a directionless, rebellious punk rocker, expelled from five schools and eager for adventure. Her journey is one of dogged determination, perseverance, blood, sweat and tears - from Hammersmith to Hong Kong to Hollywood, doubling for the likes of Madonna, Sienna Miller and Renée Zellweger. Now she has accepted a new challenge away from the movie business, having moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband - the stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt - to run her own business, a coffee shop called The Federal Coffee House. In this conversation, we discuss her approach to stunt performance, the challenges of working in an unfamiliar country, and her time on two of the biggest martial arts TV shows of all time: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E33 · Mon, September 24, 2018
Episode 33 - Jean-Paul Ly
When Jean-Paul Ly moved from Cambodia to London to make it in the movie business, he predicted that within three years, he would be the lead in a martial arts action film. It only took two and a half years until he completed work on Jailbreak (out now on Netflix) – Cambodia’s first martial arts film and a runaway international success. Despite being made on a shoestring budget and facing a number of on-set challenges, Jean-Paul Ly’s hard work as the lead actor as well as one of its main fight directors helped the film to receive rave reviews from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, and win international awards from film festivals including Fantasia, where it beat competition from huge Hollywood productions like Atomic Blonde. Since then, Jean-Paul Ly has been working on a number of exciting new projects, from the UK action comedy Nightshooters (which gets its world premiere at the Raindance Film Festival in London on 6-7 October, and lands on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download from 26 December), to 14 Fists (directed by the Nightshooters' Bart Ruspoli), The Prey (a new action film from the team behind Jailbreak), Vengeance 2, and The Division, a short film which also marks Jean-Paul Ly’s directorial debut. Jean-Paul Ly will also be appearing in Disney’s Artemis Fowl, directed by Kenneth Branagh, which will be released in August 2019. Find out more about Jean-Paul Ly by visiting his website, lyjeanpaul.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E32 · Mon, September 10, 2018
Episode 32 - Jesse V. Johnson
Having now worked with UK martial arts star Scott Adkins a total of six times – including on the films Savage Dog, Accident Man, The Debt Collector, and the soon to be released martial arts movie event of the year, Triple Threat, which also stars Iko Uwais, Michael Jai White, Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen and Michael Bisping – the writer, director and former stunt performer Jesse V. Johnson is right to feel proud of what they have accomplished in a reasonably short space of time. Jesse and Scott continue to produce exceptionally accomplished martial arts action features in an increasingly unsettled world for low-budget filmmaking. But it’s a world Jesse knows only too well. Born in the UK – the nephew of stunt legend Vic Armstrong – Jesse used his earnings as a teenage stunt performer for the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, Total Recall, to relocate to Hollywood, where he balanced stunt work on major studio pictures with directing and writing his own feature films. It hasn’t always been easy, as Jesse explains in this frank and often revealing conversation, and he has had to learn some important lessons along the way; about ambition, integrity, and the craft of filmmaking. He is most proud of his new film, The Debt Collector, an enveloping crime comedy starring Scott Adkins and Louis Mandylor (Martial Law, My Big Fat Greek Wedding), available to watch now on Netflix. It will get its UK big screen premiere at the Fighting Spirit Film Festival in London on 14 September. We also spend time discussing his all-star action extravaganza, Triple Threat. Jesse’s next project with Scott will be called Avengement, which has just wrapped filming in the UK. LINKS Jesse V. Johnson on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actionjessevjohnson/ Jesse V. Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actionjessevjohnson/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E31 · Mon, August 27, 2018
Episode 31 - Bryan Larkin / Ross Boyask, John Adams
Today is an 'I Am Vengeance' movie special. WWE star Stu Bennett (aka Wade Barrett) and martial arts movie legend Gary Daniels star in 'I Am Vengeance' (aka 'Vengeance'), which is out now in theatres and on digital download in the US. The film tells the story of ex-serviceman turned mercenary, John Gold, and his quest for revenge following the death of his former army buddy. The UK-made action film is the brainchild of writer and director Ross Boyask and producer John Adams, who both work at Evolutionary Films, an independent production house and distributor which specialises in genre films. On this Vengeance movie special, we discuss the challenges of running a film company in the digital age, and learn more about the making of the movie, and their plans to turn the John Gold story into a franchise. I also sit down with one of the film’s stars, Bryan Larkin, whose psychotic henchman character is one of the highlights of the movie. The Scottish actor and filmmaker discusses his life and career, from directing his own short films to appearing opposite Gerard Butler in London Has Fallen (2016), and working in Hong Kong with Donnie Yen and Andy Lau in the gangster thriller, Chasing the Dragon (2017). 'I Am Vengeance' will get its UK premiere at the Fighting Spirit Film Festival in London on 15 September, and will be released via Evolutionary Films on 28 September. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E30 · Mon, August 13, 2018
Episode 30 - Bob Wall / Timon Singh
Although Bob Wall had no desire to become a film star, he somehow ended up appearing in some of the highest grossing martial arts films of all time. As Chuck Norris’ business partner and Bruce Lee’s training buddy and friend for over a decade, Bob – a world professional karate champion – found himself cast as one of the baddies in Lee's 1972 film, The Way of the Dragon. Bob provided a similar foil to Lee’s on-screen attacks the following year when he was cast as the treacherous villain, O’harra, in the 1973 martial arts classic, Enter the Dragon. In this candid interview, Bob Wall – now aged 78 and speaking to me from his home in California – recalls a young and charismatic Bruce Lee who ruffled feathers amongst the martial arts community and revolutionised the action film genre. Despite a few film appearances since Enter the Dragon (including Robert Clouse’s Game of Death and supporting roles in Chuck Norris films), Bob – who describes himself as a “foul-mouthed Irishman” – mostly retired from the movie business following Lee’s untimely death. But the Bob Wall story doesn’t end there. Listen as he recalls training with Gene LeBell, Mike Stone and Joe Lewis, and teaching superstars like Steve McQueen, Freddie Prinze and Elvis Presley. He is still active on the martial arts scene as the founder of World Black Belt, and through his many appearances at seminars around the world. For the latest Bob Wall information, head to bobwallworldblackbelt.com. Also on the show, I talk to the action film expert and writer Timon Singh, who drops by to talk about his new book, 'Born to Be Bad – Talking to the Greatest Villains in Action Cinema', which features interviews with some of the best big screen baddies, including Bob Wall. 'Born to Be Bad' is available now in hardback, paperback and on Kindle via Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Be-Bad-greatest-villains/dp/162933345X/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E29 · Mon, July 30, 2018
Episode 29 - Joey Ansah
UK actor and filmmaker Joey Ansah’s imagination was sparked at an early age through the power of the classic Hong Kong action movie, Dragons Forever, and the Street Fighter video game. The son of a famous Ghanaian fashion designer father and a UK mother, Joey grew up immersed in both British and African culture. His passion was, and still is, the martial arts, becoming a famous online ‘tricker’ and skilled in Capoeira, Taekwondo, Ninjitsu and many other styles. Working as a fight choreographer, extra, stuntman and actor, his big break arrived in what Rolling Stone called “the best fight scene ever filmed”, duking it out with Matt Damon in The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). Since 2010, Joey has been working tirelessly towards bringing his beloved Street Fighter story to TV screens, following a short film (2010’s Street Fighter: Legacy), an epic web series (2015’s exemplary Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist), and an online follow-up (2016’s Street Fighter: Resurrection). In 2018, shortly after this conversation was recorded at his London home, it was announced that eOne and the Mark Gordon Company had given the green light to a new Street Fighter TV show with Joey Ansah acting as one of its executive producers. His latest acting project is Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth in the Mission: Impossible film franchise starring Tom Cruise. Next year, Joey will be appearing in Joe Cornish’s The Kid Who Would Be King and Guy Ritchie’s live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin. LINKS Follow Joey Ansah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoeyAnsahOfficial Follow Joey Ansah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoeyansah/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E28 · Mon, April 30, 2018
Episode 28 - Alain Moussi / Dimitri Logothetis
Alain Moussi has enjoyed a rapid rise from stuntman to starring roles to leading his own martial arts movie franchise. As Kurt Sloane, he is the poster-boy at the heart of the rebooted Kickboxer franchise – a role made famous by his childhood hero, Jean-Claude Van Damme – which was launched in 2016 with the film Kickboxer: Vengeance. The second instalment, Kickboxer: Retaliation, received rave reviews upon its release in 2018, with The Hollywood Reporter calling it “stylish and enjoyable”, and Forbes calling it an “absolute must-see”. The film is available now on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK from Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment. The man behind the franchise is the producer and director, Dimitri Logothetis, and halfway through this chat with Alain, Dimitri unexpectedly joins the conversation to tell us more about the challenges of remaking such a beloved franchise, and his plans to bring back authenticity to martial arts movies in the age of computer-generated superheroes. Alain is a chatty, engaging guest who is also a martial arts instructor based in Ottawa, Canada. We discuss his approach to teaching as well as his road to stardom, from doubling the likes of Channing Tatum, Hugh Jackman and Henry Cavill, to taking his first steps as a leading man. Alain and Dimitri are also collaborating on more movies together, including a new sci-fi franchise called Jiu Jitsu, which we also get to discuss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E27 · Mon, April 16, 2018
Episode 27 - Amy Johnston / Scott Adkins
To celebrate the UK DVD and digital download release of Accident Man – a British action comedy based on a comic book by the creator of Judge Dredd – we have two of the world’s biggest martial arts movie stars on today’s show. Listen to my in-depth conversation with one of the most popular female action stars on the planet right now, Amy Johnston, who has gone from being Scarlett Johannsson’s stunt double to leading her own fight flicks with top performances in movies like Lady Bloodfight and Female Fight Squad. Make sure you subscribe to Amy’s YouTube channel to never miss an episode of her new show, called Hero Training. We discuss everything from early inspirations to female fighters, the #MeToo campaign and her excellent performance as the sword-wielding assassin Jane the Ripper in Accident Man. Accident Man is co-written, produced by and stars the hardest working man in martial arts movies, Scott Adkins, and we were very fortune to be able to catch up with Scott ahead of the UK big-screen premiere of his dream project, which took place at the Fighting Spirit Film Festival in his home city of Birmingham in April 2018. In this short interview, we discuss the film and I also get to ask Scott some quick-fire questions. If you’re looking for a more detailed chat with Scott Adkins, then I would suggest listening to Episode 18 of the show in which we discuss his life and career in more detail. Accident Man is available now in the UK via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. It is directed by Jesse V. Johnson and co-stars Ashley Greene, Ray Stevenson and David Paymer, as well as top martial arts stars Michael Jai White and Ray Park, with fight choreography by long-time Adkins collaborator and former podcast guest, Tim Man. This show has it all! Get your copy of Accident Man now from all good DVD retailers. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Accident-Man-DVD-Scott-Adkins/dp/B0771JJMNV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E26 · Mon, April 02, 2018
Episode 26 - Cung Le
Having retired from the world of mixed martial arts, Cung Le is channelling the same grit and determination which made him a champion fighter into his career as an actor in Hollywood and Asia. Over the past decade, the former UFC fighter, Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and highly decorated martial artist has balanced his professional fighting career with appearances in some superb martial arts movies, including Fighting, The Man with the Iron Fists, Bodyguards and Assassins, The Grandmaster and True Legend. Last year, he took on Antonio Banderas in Security and Scott Adkins in Savage Dog. And the movie roles keep rolling in; he will next be seen in Europe Raiders, the third in the Raiders trilogy, alongside Tony Leung and Kris Wu. Cung’s story is an inspiring one. He fled war-torn Vietnam as a child to settle in California, and overcame prejudice at high-school to become a medal-winning wrestling champ. He explains his journey as a multi-disciplined martial artist, culminating in his many appearances for the UFC, before his acrimonious split from the organisation amid accusations of doping. He continues to fight for the fair representation of fighters contracted to the organisation, and is very vocal about his opposition to how the company is run. We discuss this topic as well as geeking out about working with visionary director Wong Kar-wai, saving the world in Pandorum, and how to make that difficult leap from the cage to the screen. LINKS Follow Cung Le on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CungLe185 Follow Cung Le on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cungle185/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E25 · Mon, March 19, 2018
Episode 25 - Diana Lee Inosanto
Actor, stunt performer, filmmaker, teacher, activist - there's a lot more to Diana Lee Inosanto than just being the daughter of legendary Filipino-American martial artist Dan Inosanto, not to mention the goddaughter of the iconic Bruce Lee. Despite being only seven when the martial arts superstar passed away in 1973, she still has fond memories of "Uncle Bruce" and growing up with the Lee family, with whom she is still very close. She has continued to teach the philosophy and martial arts of her father, and is currently working on bringing his life story to the big screen. She is collaborating with the veteran Hollywood producer Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan) to tell the story of Dan Inosanto's secret martial arts training regime with the Dallas Cowboys, regarded as the catalyst for the team winning the Super Bowl in 1978. In this candid conversation, Diana speaks of her interest and appreciation of the martial arts, as well as her journey as an actor and stunt performer. Her credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Face/Off, Blade and Wild Wild West; she has also worked as a fight trainer for actors including Aaron Eckhart and Melissa McCarthy. We also talk about the sexual abuse claims which have rocked Hollywood, highlighted by the Me Too movement. Diana speaks of her own experiences of sexual harassment and how the industry can use this breakthrough moment to make positive changes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S3 E24 · Mon, March 05, 2018
Episode 24 - Taimak / Daniel Lue
Star of the 1985 Motown-produced cult classic, The Last Dragon, we welcome Taimak to our first podcast of 2018. Taimak Guarriello was only 19 when he made his starring-role debut as the wise kung fu kid 'Bruce' Leroy Green in Berry Gordy's weird and wonderful action fantasy. It's a fun mix of martial arts and music, but the shoot wasn't always smooth, and Taimak explains some of the on-set disputes, rivalries and relationships which fuelled the production. He discusses working with legendary music mogul, Berry Gordy, and his co-stars Julius Carry and Vanity. But we also talk about his tough upbringing in New York and London, where his bohemian parents introduced him to many of the major celebrities of the time, including the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Andy Warhol and David Bowie. He was inspired by Bruce Lee and Shaw Brothers films, and even trained under the legendary 'Black Dragon' himself, Ron Van Clief. Taimak has remained true to the martial arts ever since, and he continues to train all the time as well as make his own movies, including a pseudo-sequel to The Last Dragon, called Master. You can read more about Master on the film's Indiegogo page. You can also keep up-to-date with all of Taimak's activities by following him on Instagram and Twitter. Also on this episode, I spend a bit of time chatting to the actor, fitness trainer and filmmaker, Daniel Lue, who has just made his own kung fu movie, called Kung Fu Theatre. Its a zero-budget tribute to the old-school kung fu movies he loved in his youth, and you can watch it for free on Amazon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E23 · Tue, December 19, 2017
Episode 23 - End of Year Show 2017 with Mike Fury
Welcome to the Kung Fu Movie Guide's End of Year Show 2017, featuring the action movie expert and ‘Life of Action’ author Mike Fury. Listen as we reveal our Top 5 martial arts films of the year - and also share our thoughts on the worst film of the year. We also discuss the top martial arts movie news from 2017, and take a moment to remember some of the people who have died this year. We look back at some of the great guests who have appeared on the show, play some never-before-heard outtakes and - because it's a Christmas special - we also exchange a few Christmas presents. It's an action-packed episode and we hope you enjoy it! For more information on Mike Fury, visit mikefury.net. You can also follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you Fu followers around the world for your continued support in 2017. Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E22 · Tue, October 24, 2017
Episode 22 - Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2017
This episode comes to you live from Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2017, an all-day celebration of martial arts movies which took place in London, UK, on 16 September 2017. You will hear from up-and-coming UK filmmakers whose short films were shown at the event, including: multi-award-winning writer, director, producer, actor, stuntman and martial artist, Beau Fowler, whose short film Express Delivery picked up the award for Best Action Choreography at the festival; Doctor Strange actor Linda Louise Duan, who features in the short films I Am Not the Devil, Shadow Warriors and the Chinese animation, Foxy; the 'kung fu couple', David Cheung and Yolanda Lynes, who discuss their crowdfunded action comedy, The Real Target; the team behind the excellent Hong Kong action movie homage, Kowloon Killers, that's assistant director, Jonah Werth, and director, Leif Johnson, who took home the Audience Choice award at the event; plus the multi-talented Jon Xue Zhang, who is the subject of a mini-documentary called Portrait of a Martial Artist, and the event organiser, Soo Cole. I last spoke to Soo at the first Fighting Spirit Film Festival in July 2016, which was recorded for Episode 05 of the show. A full run-down of all the short films shown at this year's festival can be found at fightingspiritfilmfestival.com. LINKS Fighting Spirit Film Festival website: https://www.fightingspiritfilmfestival.com/ Fighting Spirit Film Festival on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FightingSpiritFilmFestival/ Fighting Spirit Film Festival on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fsfilmfestival Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E21 · Mon, September 11, 2017
Episode 21 - Matthias Hues
Today we welcome one of martial art cinema's all-time greatest villains to the show. The giant, musclebound German fighter Matthias Hues has spent a career taking on the likes of Dolph Lundgren, Cynthia Rothrock, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Bolo Yeung, Billy Blanks, Lorenzo Lamas and Mark Dacascos. But despite his on-screen persona, Matthias is actually a very sweet-natured person, as revealed in this wide-reaching, in-depth conversation. His story is fascinating. He became a highly successful owner of health clubs in Germany before spontaneously moving to Hollywood at the height of the action movie boom in the 1980s. He worked out at the famous Gold's Gym and was eventually spotted, landing an early breakthrough role replacing Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 1988 sequel, No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder. He then landed the main villain role in the cult Dolph Lundgren movie, Dark Angel (1990 - also known as I Come in Peace).Throughout the video boom of the 1990s, Matthias Hues became the poster-boy for a special brand of low-budget American action film, and featured in fight flicks like Mission of Justice (1992), TC 2000 (1993), Bounty Tracker (1993), and Fists of Iron (1995). In more recent times, Matthias can be seen working with Mark Dacascos on a number of exciting new film projects, including Showdown in Manila (2016), Maximum Impact (2017), and Ultimate Justice (2017), which is available to buy on DVD from 3 October. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E20 · Mon, August 28, 2017
Episode 20 - Michael Worth
Today we celebrate the weird and wonderful world of Bruceploitation cinema with the martial arts action star, director, writer and fellow podcaster, Michael Worth. When he's not making his own movies, Michael has been following his passion for kung fu movies with a number of exciting projects. I catch up with him during the filming of his own Bruceploitation documentary, which looks into the strange sub-genre of films which followed in the wake of Bruce Lee's untimely death in 1973. The 'clones' films made cult stars out of a number of Bruce Lee imitators including Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Bruce Leung, and Dragon Lee. Many of these names feature in Michael's documentary, as well as legendary kung fu movie actors, directors and producers like Angela Mao Ying, Godfrey Ho, Lee Tso-nam, Mars, David Chiang, Yasuaki Kurata, and the late Phillip Ko.Michael has also penned an accompanying book, The Bruceploitation Bible: The Film Clones of Bruce Lee; both the book and the film will be released later in 2017. He is also helping with the digital restoration of a number of classic Bruceploitation titles for Blu-ray release, working alongside the distributor, Severin Films. Michael is also the co-host of The Clones Cast, a great podcast which looks at a different Bruceploitation title on every episode. In the 1990s, Michael Worth became a prominent star of martial arts action films with movies like Final Impact (1991), To Be the Best (1993) and Fists of Iron (1995). In more recent times, Michael has moved behind the camera to write and direct his own projects, which include Killing Cupid (2005), God's Ears (2008) and the upcoming MMA drama, The Butterfly Guard (2017). We discuss Michael's earliest memories of Bruceploitation cinema, the reasons behind its continuing cult appeal, and some of his favourite titles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E19 · Mon, August 07, 2017
Episode 19 - Tim Man
Fresh from his award-winning fight choreography duties on a string of Scott Adkins hits - including Boyka: Undisputed, Eliminators, Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, and the upcoming Accident Man and Triple Threat - it was a great pleasure to spend time with the Swedish martial arts maestro, Tim Man. A former taekwondo champion, Tim Man learned the hard way by getting knocked around as a stuntman in Thailand, working with the likes of Tony Jaa, Jeeja Yanin, Joe Lewis and Gordon Liu. Although he hates being interviewed, we still enjoy a wide-ranging chat about his life and career; from being an obsessed martial arts movie fan growing up in Malmö, Sweden, to his first leap into the action movie industry following the international success of Ong-Bak. We discuss why he continues to work with the British action star, Scott Adkins, and also his plans going forward in the movie business. This interview was recorded before Tim's success at the 2017 Shanghai International Film Festival, where he picked up the award for Best Fight Scene for his work in Boyka: Undisputed. Tim Man is a name to look out for and it was a pleasure talking to him for this episode of the podcast. LINKS Tim Man's website: extremestunts.se Tim Man action reel: https://youtu.be/omEBtqU-YFg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E18 · Mon, July 24, 2017
Episode 18 - Scott Adkins
Scott Adkins is one of the world's biggest martial arts movie stars. From humble beginnings as a Van Damme and Bruce Lee obsessed taekwondo practitioner growing up in Birmingham, UK, to starring in some of the best fight movies of the last decade, Scott Adkins has consistently brought a unique charm, athleticism and authenticity to his own special brand of high-kicking action films. His latest film, Boyka: Undisputed 4, sees Scott reprise his most famous role as the Russian ex-con' and MMA expert, Yuri Boyka. You can order the Universal Studios Home Entertainment Blu-ray and DVD release of Boyka: Undisputed 4 right now from Amazon. As well as leading roles in the Undisputed and Ninja franchises, Scott's many other martial arts action films include Hard Target 2, Eliminators, Assassination Games, Wolf Warrior and Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. He has worked on huge Hollywood blockbusters like Doctor Strange, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Expendables 2, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Zero Dark Thirty, and worked with everyone including Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and Jacky Wu Jing. Scott has most recently completed back-to-back projects with the stuntman-turned-director Jesse V. Johnson, including Savage Dog, Accident Man - in which Scott also worked as scriptwriter and producer - and Triple Threat. The latter is an all-star fight flick featuring Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Tiger Chen, Celina Jade, Jeeja Yanin, Michael Bisping and Michael Jai White. In this exclusive, wide-ranging interview, Scott talks about working with the Jackie Chan Stunt Team in Hong Kong, the trials and tribulations of Hollywood, his trademark style of fight choreography, and the increasing scourge of online piracy. Scott is the hardest working man in martial arts right now and it was a pleasure to sit with him and record this fascinating conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E17 · Mon, July 10, 2017
Episode 17 - Céline Tran
Céline Tran continues to enjoy a remarkably diverse career. She has gone from adult film star to action hero following the release of her first martial arts feature film, Jailbreak - Cambodia's first martial arts film. It was a hit when it was released locally in January 2017, and has now been picked up by The Raid distributors XYZ Films for international release. The film showcases Céline's awesome martial arts skills, which can also be seen in a number of great short films including 2014's Burst - choreographed by France's Cinemaction Stunts, the fight team behind Luc Besson’s Lucy (2014), Spectre (2015) and Jason Bourne (2016) - and 2016’s Bladed Minds, which displays Céline's skills with the Katana sword. We discuss her past as a professional adult film star under the name, Katsuni. She appeared in around 350 films in a career spanning 13 years. We discuss her former career as well as her many other interests. As well as being an actor, she is also a writer of comic books, a DJ, a contortionist, and a presenter and producer of self-defence videos, where she explores the Indonesian discipline of Pencak Silat. She also holds a black belt in karate. LINKS Céline Tran's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MaVieDeNinja Céline Tran's website: https://www.maviedeninja.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E16 · Mon, June 26, 2017
Episode 16 - Steve Kerridge
Bruce Lee historian and author Steve Kerridge is my guest on this special episode of the show, which is very much a celebration of Bruce Lee's life and work. Steve is the author of the fabulously detailed book, Bruce Lee: Legends of the Dragon, which outlines the making of the film The Way of the Dragon (1972). Along with fellow Bruce Lee expert David Tadman, Steve also produces the regular Bruce Lee Forever poster magazines (available to buy from the Eastern Heroes website). Steve's new book, Bruce Lee: The Authorized Visual History, is an official account of the life of the martial arts star, featuring rare photography and a foreward by Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee. It will be released later in 2017. Steve has also compiled books on Bruce Lee's many appearances in Hong Kong film and celebrity magazines, including the titles, Bruce Lee: Golden Movie News Annual, and Bruce Lee: Four Seas Weekly.As well as knowing pretty much everything there is to know about the late, great kung fu star, Steve is also a distinguished martial arts instructor who runs his own school, the Essex Kickboxing Academy. He has dedicated his life to studying martial arts ever since he first became obsessed with Bruce Lee in the early 1970s. Steve is part of the original, first-wave of Bruce Lee fans who remembers sneaking into cinemas in the UK to catch a glimpse of their hero, who passed away at the young age of 32 in 1973 after only starring in four complete films. Visit the podcast section on kungfumovieguide.com to find links to the books we discuss on this episode. Many of the proceeds Steve makes from his books go towards the Bruce Lee Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation who do great work in funding social and educational initiatives. Go to bruceleefoundation.org to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mon, May 29, 2017
Episode 15 - Zara Phythian
What a pleasure it was to chat with world-champion martial artist, actor and instructor Zara Phythian, who has been kicking ass ever since her first karate lesson at the age of seven. Now, she is a role model and inspiration to hundreds of young martial artists, who flock to her Personal Best Academy in the UK to learn self-defence. Her varied film credits include work with top UK martial artists like Joey Ansah and Mark Strange in Underground (2007), thrillers like The Hike (2011), and fighting Van Damme in Alien Uprising (2012). In 2015, she was cast as the Brunette Zealot in the Marvel superhero film Doctor Strange (2016), alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton and Mads Mikkelsen, and fellow British martial arts stars Scott Adkins and Katrina Durden. Her new films include Knights of the Damned and Cannibals and Carpet Fitters.In this episode, you will hear about how the 13-time World Sports Martial Art Champion discovered her passion for martial arts, acquiring her first black belt at the age of 12, running her own classes at 16, and being the first British person to be inducted into the International Karate and Kickboxing Hall of Fame at the age of 21. We discuss the time Van Damme had to jump start her car, what it's like being a female martial arts instructor in a male-dominated industry, and her top-secret Wing Chun film project with Grandmaster Samuel Kwok. All of which is presented from the MCM Comic Con event, which took place at ExCeL London between 26-28 May 2017. Enjoy!
S2 E14 · Mon, May 15, 2017
Episode 14 - James Nunn / Matthias Hoene
Aspiring filmmakers should definitely tune into this episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, as I talk to two up-and-coming, talented, London-based directors Matthias Hoene and James Nunn, who are both making waves internationally with their own action films. Firstly, I talk to the director Matthias Hoene about his new film, Enter the Warrior's Gate (aka Warrior's Gate), a Chinese-European co-production written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. The time-traveling wuxia fantasy stars Dave Bautista, Uriah Shelton, and the Chinese actors Ni Ni, Mark Chao, Francis Ng and Kara Hui. If you are reading this in the States, you can watch the film right now exclusively on DirecTV. My second guest is James Nunn, who has become a highly sought-after director after being launched onto the UK indie scene with his first directorial effort, the acclaimed thriller Tower Block (2012), co-directed with Ronnie Thompson. He has since collaborated with top UK fighting star Scott Adkins on two films: Green Street 3: Never Back Down (2013), and Eliminators (2016), which was James' first film under contract with WWE Studios. His most recent movie, The Marine 5: Battleground (2017), featured a number of WWE wrestlers and is available to watch right now on digital and Blu-ray. We discuss his earliest film memories, working with Scott Adkins, how to make a convincing action movie in London, and the impact piracy is having on the film industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E13 · Mon, May 01, 2017
Episode 13 - JuJu Chan
It was a pleasure talking to the rising Asian-American movie star JuJu Chan on the latest podcast. JuJu was born in Hong Kong and raised in America where she has enjoyed prominent roles in films like the Netflix-produced Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016) - directed by kung fu movie legend Yuen Woo-ping and starring Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh - and her new film, Jesse Johnson's Savage Dog (2017), starring Scott Adkins, Cung Le and Marko Zaror. JuJu continues to work across the American and Chinese film markets. She has just completed work on Fruit Chan's The Invincible Dragon, which co-stars Max Zhang and the UFC fighter Anderson Silva. We discuss JuJu's multifaceted career, which has seen her graduate from film school in New York to winning beauty pageants around the world, followed by a star-making turn in a popular Hong Kong reality TV show which made her a household name. She has written books, released an album, and continues to train in the martial arts. She has recently become a spokesperson for a smartphone fitness app called Move It. If you want to purchase the app, you can get a 10 per cent discount when you enter this offer code: juju2017. Listen to us chat about many topics including Asian actresses in Hollywood, beauty pageants, how to keep fit, and doing karaoke with Michelle Yeoh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E12 · Mon, April 17, 2017
Episode 12 - Katrina Durden / Yolanda Lynes, David Cheung
This is an action-packed show with not one, not two, but three up-and-coming UK martial arts stars. Firstly, I catch up with the directors, writers and stars of the new martial arts action flick The Real Target: David Cheung and Yolanda Lynes. After raising funds through their Indiegogo campaign, David and Yolanda are now in production with The Real Target alongside a cast of great UK fighting talent. They took time out of their busy schedule to talk to me about how the film is taking shape, and what they are learning about the production process. Then I have a chat with the great Katrina Durden, the London-born martial arts star who is making waves in the action movie industry following her performance as the Blonde Zealot in 2016's Marvel superhero blockbuster, Doctor Strange. We chat about her experiences making the film alongside some of the UK's premier action talent. She looks set to be working on some exciting projects over the next few years and we look forward to charting her progress in the industry. This episode features an excerpt from the Doctor Strange theme, which is called The Master of the Mystic End Credits by Michael Giacchino. Buy on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/1440809984. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 E11 · Mon, April 03, 2017
Episode 11 - J.J. Perry
What better way to launch the second season of podcasts than with a chat to one of Hollywood's most beloved and prolific stunt co-ordinators, J.J. Perry. Jordan Andrew 'J.J.' Perry has been involved in some of the best action movies of the last 25 years, including Avatar, Iron Man, Star Trek Into Darkness, Django Unchained, Transformers: Age of Extinction and the John Wick films. He trained Gina Carano for Haywire, Tom Hardy for Warrior, Gerard Butler for 300, Milla Jovovich for Ultraviolet and Hugh Jackman for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. His most recent films include work as stunt co-ordinator on Ang Lee's Billy Lynn’s Half Time Walk, The Fate of the Furious - the eighth film in the Fast and Furious franchise - and the Stephen King adaptation, The Dark Tower. In this episode, we talk about J.J.'s ongoing work with Chad Stahelski and David Leitch at the 87eleven stunt team, including his most recent contributions to the extraordinary John Wick series. We also discuss his upbringing in Texas where he first discovered his love of taekwondo, becoming a highly decorated competitive fighter and instructor before pursuing a career in the army. We discuss his early work as a stuntman, before he landed key positions in TV shows like Walker: Texas Ranger and the Mortal Kombat franchise which helped him to cement his name in Hollywood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E10 · Mon, November 14, 2016
Episode 10 - Hwang In-shik / Ricky Baker
Here's a kung fu movie double bill for the final episode in the first season of Kung Fu Movie Guide podcasts. Join me as I have a quick chat with the legendary Korean-born Hapkido master and former action star Hwang In-shik, famous for his role in the 1972 Bruce Lee classic The Way of the Dragon, and his work with Jackie Chan in The Young Master and Dragon Lord. The person I have to thank for organising the interview is my second guest on the show, Ricky Baker.'Kung Fu Ricky' has dedicated his life to the promotion of Hong Kong and kung fu cinema. His work as part of the Eastern Heroes label alongside film expert Toby Russell has seen him publish books, magazines and documentaries on kung fu cinema, as well as provide Hong Kong movie stars with their first taste of western exposure, hosting events with the likes of Chow Yun-fat, Donnie Yen, Jet Li and Gordon Liu. His work in championing the golden age of Hong Kong cinema continues to this day with the Eastern Heroes shop and website where fans can purchase rare memorabilia and new material, like his array of Bruce Lee titles written by the highly knowledgeable historian, Steve Kerridge. Ricky shares his memories of working in the promotions industry as well as meeting his heroes like John Woo and Quentin Tarantino. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E9 · Mon, October 31, 2016
Episode 09 - Jerry Trimble
Here's a real treat for fans of competitive kickboxing and martial arts movies, as I have a conversation with former world champion Jerry "Golden Boy" Trimble. Kentucky-born Trimble took the kickboxing world by storm in the 1980s by winning four consecutive world championships before embarking on a highly successful film career. His debut feature was alongside Jet Li in Tsui Hark's The Master, before taking starring roles in a number of action films produced by the king of exploitation cinema, Roger Corman. In 1995, his acting career took a different turn when he landed a key supporting role as a detective alongside Al Pacino in Michael Mann's classic crime film, Heat.On this podcast, you will hear from Jerry about his time on the set of Heat where he received first-hand acting advice from Al Pacino. Jerry also discusses the origins of his 'Golden Boy' nickname, the pitfalls of fame, the time he fought on screen with Tom Cruise and Drew Barrymore, and also the wisdom he has learnt from a life in the limelight. Jerry Trimble lives in Vancouver, Canada, where he continues to work in TV and film. Find out more about Jerry by visiting his website, jerrytrimble.com. Thank you again to George Dennis for his technical support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E8 · Mon, October 17, 2016
Episode 08 - Cengiz Dervis
British actor and former world kickboxing champion Cengiz Dervis is my guest on this episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. This interview took place in the same week Cengiz discovered that he had landed a large role in a new 10-part TV series produced by Marvel's Avengers star Jeremy Renner and The History Channel called Knightfall. Since retiring from the ring, Cengiz has worked behind-the-scenes as a fighting coach, training the likes of Natalie Imbruglia and Rowan Atkinson for the Johnny English films, and also Rosamund Pike for the James Bond film, Die Another Day. He also runs his own production company, Fight Me Productions, for which he writes, directs and produces his own projects.Cengiz was taught martial arts by his uncle from the age of five. He continues to train six times a week, even mastering the legendary Iron Palm (or 'dim mak') technique. Cengiz discusses how a troublesome upbringing in a rough part of London forced him to develop his self-defense skills, and how he channels the same commitment he displayed in the ring into his acting work. Cengiz has worked with Scott Adkins and Joey Ansah on Green Street 3: Never Back Down, and Ansah's subsequent work with Alain Moussi in the Street Fighter: Resurrection TV mini-series. We are predicting great things for Cengiz, so be sure to keep up to date with all his latest news via his website, cengizdervis.com. Big thanks to George Dennis for his continuing technical support. Also, a quick warning: there is a bit of bad language on this one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E7 · Mon, October 03, 2016
Episode 07 - Don Niam
We have one of action cinema's most beloved baddies on the show today: it's the one and only Stingray from the low-budget 1994 Godfrey Ho head-kicker Undefeatable, played by all-round super nice guy Don Niam. Don talks about his experience making the film which has now become a cult classic, not to mention a viral YouTube sensation. The final fight scene between Don and John Miller has been viewed over 11 million times. On this podcast, he talks about what it was like working with the film's co-star, Cynthia Rothrock, and the prolific Hong Kong exploitation filmmaker Godfrey Ho, as well as living with future Mortal Kombat star Robin Shou. He is also still trying to figure out why so many people like the film, and even stop him in the street to tell him.We discuss the highs and lows of Don's journey from teaching kung fu in Akron, Ohio, to relocating to Hollywood in a bid to make it as an actor. Don has led a colourful life and worked in numerous professions including owning a strip club and working as a bodyguard for a Saudi princess. Now 62, he lives in Las Vegas where he works as a personal trainer. He is also teaching kung fu again and working on a treatment for a new film project, so we may see Don Niam on our screens again. Keep up to date with Don Niam by visiting his website, donniam.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E6 · Mon, September 05, 2016
Episode 06 - Richard Geddes
We are discussing Asian cinema with film expert Richard Geddes on this episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. Richard works for the independent UK DVD label Terracotta Distribution, which was borne out of the Terracotta Far East Film Festival, launched in 2008. Through the film festival and its associated on-demand and DVD service, Terracotta aims to promote and distribute the latest titles from the various territories across the Far East, including countries like China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and more. In 2014, Richard helped to launch a dedicated 'old school' martial arts imprint, called the Classic Kung Fu Collection. Five titles have now been released on the label, including the Chang Cheh films Shanghai 13 (1984) and The Nine Demons (1984), Godfrey Ho's The Dragon's Snake Fist (1981), Chen Ming-hua's The King of Fists and Dollars (1979), and William Cheung Kei's Hero of Shaolin (1984).During our chat, we talk about the difficulties facing independent DVD labels in the modern age, where online streaming services and torrent sites have had a huge effect on the sales of physical media. We also share our mutual respect and affection for the Eastern Heroes video label, run by kung fu film enthusiasts Ricky Baker and Toby Russell (who was our guest on the first episode of the KFMG Podcast). We also discuss the rise of the Chinese film industry, which is set to overtake the US as the world's largest movie market by 2017. Terracotta Distribution also run a number of imprints including an indie label called Sharp Teeth Films and the Asian horror label, Terror Cotta. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E5 · Mon, August 22, 2016
Episode 05 - Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2016
Here's something a little bit different from our usual podcast format, as I sit and talk to some of the best emerging talent on the UK martial arts movie scene, courtesy of the first Fighting Spirit Film Festival. The inaugural event took place on 16 July 2016 at The O2 Cineworld, London, and included a selection of UK martial arts shorts and mini-documentaries highlighting some of the country's best up-and-coming talent.On this podcast, you will hear from the co-founder of the Fighting Spirit Film Festival, Soo Cole, who discusses her passion for martial arts movies (which started after watching The Karate Kid) and also her motivation in launching the festival. I then have a few quick conversations with the following people: Chris Chung, the director of the award-winning short film Handuken; the stars of the short film The Real Target, Yolanda Lynes and David Cheung; the director of the visually stunning Tengu – Birdmen of the Mountains, Samuel Smith; and the UK action star Daniel O'Neill. Daniel has just returned to the UK after working for 17 years in Hong Kong and Thailand, where he has worked with the likes of Scott Adkins, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa. If you like what you hear, then be sure to go online and check out their work. Many of these great filmmakers and actors will be working on feature-length projects over the coming months, and we will make sure to keep you posted on all of their progress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E4 · Mon, August 08, 2016
Episode 04 - Leo Au Yeung
We have Ip Man fight choreographer and kung fu expert Leo Au Yeung on the show today. Leo is a Hong Kong-born Wing Chun expert who teaches in London. From an early age, he was taught the close-combat Wing Chun style by Ip Chun - the son of legendary kung fu master, Ip Man, who would go on to teach a young Bruce Lee. We talk about Ip Chun's teaching methods as well as his now iconic father. In 2008, Leo was asked to be involved in a film which would depict the early life of Ip Man. The subsequent movie, Ip Man, starred Donnie Yen in the lead role with action supervised by Sammo Hung and was a huge international hit.In 2010, Leo was asked to be involved in another Ip Man movie, The Legend is Born: Ip Man, a prequel to the original 2008 film. Ip Chun appears in the film as Leung Bik - Ip Man's master - and features in a Wing Chun sequence choreographed by Leo. Leo also choreographed and appeared in the 2013 film, Ip Man: The Final Fight, with Anthony Wong in the title role. With so many Ip Man movies, Leo and I have a discussion about how he feels the films portray not just the man, but also the style he practiced. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E3 · Mon, July 25, 2016
Episode 03 - Meredith Lewis
For episode three of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, I have a nice chat with the Australian blogger Meredith Lewis, who runs the rather excellent kung fu movie blog, Dangerous Meredith's Fu Thoughts. I spent time with Meredith over Google Hangouts just before a talk she was doing at a Melbourne festival on the topic of Monkey - the popular Japanese TV show from the 1970s, known to international audiences as Monkey Magic. She afforded me a bit of time during her research to talk about the show's origins, which is based on a 16th century Chinese novel, Journey to the West, and tells the story of the mythological figure Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King.There are many films, animations and stories featuring the Monkey King, and countless variations on the Journey to the West story, and we discuss some of our favourite adaptions in this podcast. Meredith is also an ex-dancer and choreographer, so we discuss our favourite action directors and performers - people like Yuen Woo-ping and Lau Kar-leung, who as well as being martial arts masters, were also able to capture great sequences of intricate movement, much like a musical or dance number. We also discuss the role of women in martial arts films, particularly in wuxia literature and cinema, and we look at why we have both turned to blogging as a way of sharing our mutual passion for the genre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E2 · Mon, July 11, 2016
Episode 02 - Mike Fury
Mike Fury is an author, journalist, choreographer and action movie expert. He is also a great guest to have on the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. He is the author of Life of Action, a must-have publication for any fan of action movies, featuring interviews with key industry people like the actors Dolph Lundgren, Donnie Yen, Andy Lau and Cynthia Rothrock, and filmmakers like Tsui Hark, J.J. Perry, and the team behind John Wick, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. It's a really good book and you should get a copy right now from Mike's website, www.mikefury.net.Mike talks to us about the possibility of turning Life of Action into a documentary, something which sounds incredibly exciting. We also discuss his key influences growing up, from Van Damme to Mortal Kombat. We learn about the tricks of the trade in the world of fight choreography following Mike's experiences working on a number of productions, and also delve into his reluctant acting experiences, our mutual love for Scott Adkins, our mutual confusion over the Street Fighter film, and his all-time favourite fight scenes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 E1 · Mon, June 27, 2016
Episode 01 - Toby Russell
It was awesome to meet with the great Toby Russell for the very first episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, as Toby is pretty much the perfect guest to have on our debut show. A writer, director, actor and producer, Toby is the son of legendary British film maker Ken Russell and is probably the most knowledgeable person in the world on the subject of kung fu movies.We talk to Toby about his first experiences on a movie set - working with The Who on his father's film, Tommy - and discuss Ken Russell's attempts to make his own kung fu movie. We discuss his youth in London, during which he convinced Sebastian Faulks to take his class to watch Snuff Bottle Connection, being told off by Tsui Hark, hanging out with Jackie Chan, and why ninja star Alexander Lo thinks kung fu movies are stupid. We also try and work out whether his new film, White Tiger, will ever be released. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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