Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

King Hu is one of China’s most influential filmmakers, famous for his historical martial arts films which helped to popularise the wuxia (‘martial chivalry’) genre in the 1960s and 70s with classic films like 'Come Drink with Me' (1966), 'Dragon Inn' (1967), and 'A Touch of Zen' (1971) - the latter of which he received the Technical Grand Prize at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival. His work has inspired directors ranging from Tsui Hark to Ang Lee, Zhang Yimou to Quentin Tarantino, and since his death in 1997 at the age of 64, organisations like the King Hu Foundation have continued to promote and champion his work. As a result, much of his exquisite output is now readily available around the world in lovingly restored digital formats. To discuss the life and work of this extraordinary filmmaker, we welcome two King Hu Foundation board members: Michael Berry, Director of the Center for Chinese Studies at UCLA, who is also a Professor of Contemporary Chinese Cultural Studies; and the filmmaker, Céline Zen, a C

In the pantheon of great Van Damme action flicks from the 1980s and 90s, 'Hard Target' (1993) undoubtedly stands out as one of his best. As hunky Cajun ex-Marine, Chance Boudreaux, the mullet-wearing 'Muscles from Brussels' struts his more sensitive side while also exhibiting the sort of superhero antics that would put Schwarzenegger to shame, like firing a pistol while standing on a moving motorbike and - famously - punching a snake. He has his director to thank for one of his most iconic roles: John Woo, the 'heroic bloodshed' maestro fresh from his ballistic Hong Kong masterpiece, 'Hard Boiled' (1992), and determined to make an impact in his American directorial debut. The resulting concoction is pure Woo - a slow-motion bullet ballet of epic proportions which cemented his position as one of cinema's greatest directors of action. Joining me and 'Life of Action' author Mike Fury to discuss this milestone in movie mayhem is Christina Newland, lead film critic at the i Paper and a contribu

Parkour pioneer Sébastien Foucan can be credited for bringing Parkour to the masses. His seminal UK documentary, 'Jump London' (2003) - and its follow up, 'Jump Britain' (2005) - sparked a cultural phenomenon which would see youngsters take to the streets in wild, acrobatic, hair-raising abandon; running, climbing and leaping across their urban environment in scenes we still see on our streets today. For Sébastien, a movie career followed, with stand-out roles in action films including 'Casino Royale' (2006) and 'The Tournament' (2009). Those perceptive enough to see the inspiration behind his incredible physical abilities and derring-do would be quick to reference the work of Jackie Chan, whose stunt-filled films would prove to be one of the early catalysts for Sébastien and his friends to take to the streets of Paris, recreating what they saw in his movies. Today, Sébastien is an inspirational speaker and CEO of the Foucan Academy, teaching kids the art of movement and self-expression. His mo

Bren Foster is a man on a mission. Fresh from the positive reactions to his blistering 2024 martial arts revenge drama, 'Life After Fighting' - which also marked his directorial debut - Bren is now keen to show the world a new kind of action hero. The former soap star, who made his name on shows like 'Days of Our Lives' and 'Home and Away', is now capitalising on his incredible martial arts abilities to star in more fight films. His next will be an MMA actioner with Russell Crowe and Luke Hemsworth, called 'Beast in Me', in which he also provides fight choreography. This will be music to the ears of many martial arts movie fans who, before 'Life After Fighting', could only glimpse at Foster's extraordinary physical abilities in small bursts - like on the documentary series, 'Fight Science', or his roles in two Steven Seagal films, 'Maximum Conviction' and 'Force of Execution', or on the small screen in the series, 'The Last Ship'. If anything, 'Life After Fighting' saw Bren making up for lost time, throw

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

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

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 th

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

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 s

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

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

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 ONEhttps://bit.ly/KFMGPodEOYShow2023PartOneLINKSMike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/ Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefuryMike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFuryKung Fu Movie Guide website: https://bit.ly/KFMGhomeKung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: https://bit.ly/KFMGInstagramKung Fu Movie Guide on Faceb

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 Taniga

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 R

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 m

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

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 o

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

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 arti

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 betwe