Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

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

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 leadi

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. 

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!LINKSListen to Part Two of our End of Year Show 2022: https://bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2022Part2 Donate to the Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://paypal.me/kungfumovieguideMike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/Buy Life of A

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, co

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 K

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 movi

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

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 th

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 20

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

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, howev

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

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

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 discus

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

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 suc

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 cou

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 worki

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