Nam Nai-choi's Shaw Brothers actioner MEN FROM THE GUTTER is coming soon from Vinegar Syndrome. He wasn't just goo and gore in the vein Story Of Ricky. He knew genres, and this demonstrates it well. vinegarsyndrome.com/collections/...

Good option for US customers while Europeans should wait for Arrow to announce theirs. That’s the beauty of the Cinema City/Golden Princess deal going global.

Goo and gore in Volume 4!

Actually two commentaries on the go, at the same time. We sure can multitask.

What if there was a Dean Shek movie where you didn’t want to throttle him, where you actually rooted for him as a battle-scarred hero? That’s The Raid (1991), from Tsui Hark & Ching Siu-tung. Hear why Shek is the right fit as Uncle Choi in the latest episode of Podcast On Fire.

🎧 New Podcast On Fire! Tsui Hark & Ching Siu-tung bring comic book chaos to 1930s Manchuria in THE RAID (1991), an adaptation of the Uncle Choi manhua. With Kenny B @sogoodreviews.bsky.social & Michael Scott @a4epodcast.bsky.social. Listen: podcastonfire.com | Apple | Spotify etc🔥

NEW Podcast On Fire! 🔥 Back to the early days of John Woo, with a triple bill! First up, quick takes on his comedies MONEY CRAZY and FOLLOW THE STAR. Then we dive into the centerpiece: LAST HURRAH FOR CHIVALRY. 🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get podcasts.

It starts... again.

A veteran of dramas & huangmei operas, Yueh Feng brings fresh eyes to wuxia’s revenge cycle in The Bells of Death (1968). Primal, bloody, and raw and proof that even in the twilight of his career he could match, even outdo, the new wave of wuxia films.

Shout! Studios have announced the full specs for their Hard Boiled 4K UHD + Blu-ray, out November 4, 2025. Full details in the pics.

May I just say, Podcast on Fire is one of the best podcasts out there, maybe the best podcast about Hong Kong film. Comfort food for the soul. Sometimes I skip episodes because I want to see the movie first, but I am eternally grateful for Kenny and the crew of contributors. Get it in your ears.

🎧 Podcast On Fire Network is now on Spotify! Until now, only our individual shows were there (Podcast on Fire, What’s Korean Cinema?, This Week in Sleaze). Now you can follow the main feed, one place to get all our shows in one stream. 👉 open.spotify.com/show/5msIxBW...

A swift sequel to Temple of the Red Lotus, The Twin Swords expands Shaw’s new wuxia vision with faster swordplay, grisly violence, and the Red Lotus Temple’s ingenious trap-lair. Operatic melodrama dates it, but the mix of spectacle and gore keeps the trilogy’s momentum.

✅ Playback issues fixed! Podcast On Fire Network is fully playable again on Apple Podcasts iOS, Spotify, Podbay, Audible & more. Catch our latest ep: a John Woo triple bill (Money Crazy, Follow the Star, Last Hurrah for Chivalry). 🎧 podcastonfire.com

Shaw Brothers’ first color wuxia, TEMPLE OF THE RED LOTUS (1965), blends high production values, family-centered conflict, and gory swordplay staged by an uncredited Lau Kar-leung & Tang Chia. A mature launch that feels fresh even after thousands of wuxia films followed.

NEW Podcast On Fire! 🎙️ Part 2 of our Lee Rock deep dive, with Lee Rock II. The rise is over. The reckoning begins. Aaron Kwok joins the fray, with politics, family drama, and Andy Lau’s aged turn. Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

NEW Podcast On Fire! 🔥 Back to the early days of John Woo, with a triple bill! First up, quick takes on his comedies MONEY CRAZY and FOLLOW THE STAR. Then we dive into the centerpiece: LAST HURRAH FOR CHIVALRY. 🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get podcasts.

Three John Woo-movies. One podcast (on fire). Tomorrow. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find podcasts.

Chang Cheh’s first surviving wuxia, THE MAGNIFICENT TRIO (1966), doesn’t go for the jugular, but the Chang Cheh we know starts here: bloody brotherhood alongside a still female-centric story. Largely a remake of Three Outlaw Samurai.

From the pen of Chang Cheh comes THE FEMALE PRINCE (1964). After an early stabbing, it shifts into lighthearted Huangmei opera mode. Songs, disguises, and Ivy Ling Po excelling in male guise, her comic panic peaking when the Emperor orders “him” to wed a princess.

DOCTOR VAMPIRE (1990, dir. Jamie Luk) Hong Kong horror-comedy as East meets West: jiangshi lore collides with Dracula tropes, AIDS gags and all. Low-brow but inventive, with sharp visual jokes and a manic finale that shows just how fast and loose HK cinema of the era could play.

Eureka catchup. All rewatches except the Shaw revenge double pack. Looking forward to revisiting Doctor Vampire.

NEW Podcast On Fire! 🎙️ Part 2 of our Lee Rock deep dive, with Lee Rock II. The rise is over. The reckoning begins. Aaron Kwok joins the fray, with politics, family drama, and Andy Lau’s aged turn. Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.

This weekend, Podcast On Fire is back, blasting our way into your ears, with the continuation and conclusion of the Lee Rock saga, with our discussion of Lee Rock II. Part 1 is already in your feeds so give that a spin too. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find podcasts.

And if you want to go back to the original episode covering Il Mare, you can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify etc under "What's Korean Cinema? 60 – Il Mare" podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

LEGEND OF THE MOUNTAIN (1979) – Now at full 190 minutes, we see King Hu’s intentions in full, spectral force. Elegant and unsettling, it drifts from serene landscapes to supernatural dread, turning a simple ghost tale into an atmospheric battle of spirits, beauty, and terror.

Too Many Ways To Be No.1 splits into two timelines: one frantic, one tense, where triads spiral toward ruin. With upside-down shots, long takes, and zero respect for genre rules, it’s Milkyway’s mission statement realized. Twisted, darkly funny, and razor-sharp.

Revisiting Wai Ka-fai’s Too Many Ways To Be No.1. No, the picture’s not upside down by accident. If you know, you know.

MAD MONKEY KUNG FU (1979) - Lau Kar-Leung would be the right person to respond to the kung fu comedy-trend and make a Master-pupil story. We've got incredible choreography, Hsiao Ho is wonderful but less so when goofing off on his own. 115 minutes tests your patience as well.

THE HOUSE OF 72 TENANTS (1973, dir. Chor Yuen) Still a tough nut to fully crack for a non-Cantonese speaker, but as a landmark film, the starter pistol for the Cantonese revival, its cultural weight makes it essential viewing. Despite that local specificity.

Woah!

Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get podcasts: Podcast On Fire Network Bonus Episode 61: The Lake House Previously web exclusive, now public. Korea’s Il Mare gets the Hollywood remake treatment as The Lake House. Kenny B and Paul Quinn compare the two. See ya after our summer break!

A TIME FOR LOVE (1970, dir. Kuei Chih-Hung) Musical fantasy, robot chaos, split-screen comedy, and a touch of class tension. Kuei Chih-Hung may be playing by studio rules here, but he’s already bending tone and style with a grin. You can feel the leash loosening, and he’s having fun with it.

Director Taylor Wong has reportedly passed away. A former TV director who transitioned into film, Wong leaves behind a significant mark on Hong Kong cinema. His credits include Buddha’s Palm, Rich and Famous, Tragic Hero, Triads: The Inside Story, Sentenced to Hang.

At @podcastonfire.bsky.social, @sogoodreviews.bsky.social and Phil G. watch Tiger On The Beat (Hong Kong, 1988)! culturalgutter.com/2025/07/12/p...

THE VALIANT ONES (1975) Mostly business as usual coming from King Hu and friends. Grand scenery and costumes but Sammo Hung elevates and gets King Hu’s style up to an equivalent of modern times. Swordplay and kung-fu has never looked as powerful in a King Hu film as it does here.

BOXER REBELLION (1976) blends patriotic spectacle with martial arts drama. But despite its scale and Chang Cheh’s restored full cut, it buckles under the weight. Ambitious in scope, but not affecting enough to land. Chi Kuan-Chun leads with quiet strength. Fu Sheng struggles.

Part 1 of our Lee Rock special is out now! Hong Kong’s most iconic corruption saga starring Andy Lau. This is our last show before the summer break, but we’ve got a bonus episode coming soon. 🎧 Listen on podcastonfire.com, Apple, Spotify & more.

Soy in hand, snacks at the ready? Because you'd want to be as cool as Andy. Settle in for part 1 of our deep dive into the life and films of Lee Rock. Now streaming at podcastonfire.com, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

FOUR RIDERS (1972, dir. Chang Cheh) leans into a post–Korean War story and bloody brotherhood but fumbles its Four Horsemen metaphor. The gymnasium brawl is visceral, the scalp-ripping is special, but it’s ultimately just another watchable product from the team and the Shaw Brothers film factory.

NEW EPISODE! He rose. He ruled. He blurred the line between law and power. This is part 1 of our two-part deep dive into Lee Rock and Lee Rock II, a four-hour crime saga starring Andy Lau. podcastonfire.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find podcasts.

Shaw Brothers go full tilt in The Boxer’s Omen. Black magic, a regurgitation relay race, vomiting of snakes, and unlikely lead Phillip Ko holding it all together. It won’t enlighten you, but it’ll punch you in the face, puke on your shoes, and ask if you want more. Viva Kuei Chih-hung!

BLACK MAGIC, PART II (1976) doubles down on the gross-out. Lo Lieh drinks breast milk, spells and rituals involve pubic hair, we get deformed babies, relentless pace, and softcore sleaze. Aall delivered with Shaw Brothers studio gloss. Or studio grime. Director Ho Meng-Hua gets it.

Chor Yuen’s THE KILLER (aka Sacred Knives of Vengeance) is now streaming with English subs on the Shaw Brothers Cinema YouTube channel! Never released in Hong Kong or with English options on disc, it’s an early ’70s martial arts blast, raw and direct. youtu.be/jJDpUUyGkQ8?...

Ho Meng-Hua blends sleaze, grime, and studio polish in BLACK MAGIC (1975), delivering nasty spells, wild sound design, and crude opticals with gusto. Never scary, but often gross and weirdly fun, one of those Shaw horror outings where style, tone, and guts just click.

NEW EPISODE! He rose. He ruled. He blurred the line between law and power. This is part 1 of our two-part deep dive into Lee Rock and Lee Rock II, a four-hour crime saga starring Andy Lau. podcastonfire.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find podcasts.

Finally did this one for the podcast! One of the first HK tapes I ever bought, and it's still a wild ride. Me and @easternfilmfans.bsky.social dig into Lau Kar-Leung’s jump from Shaw to shotguns on a string, how that chainsaw duel actually worked, and yep, there’s a Conan Lee chapter.

THE MAD MONK (1993, Johnnie To) Mildly amusing only, despite the ambition. Chow and Ng Man-Tat still click, but To’s direction is flat. Heavy on rapid-fire dialogue, light on physical gags. The celestial stakes are big, but the spark’s missing. One for the faithful, maybe not for the rest of us.

RUNNING ON KARMA is absurd, sincere, and full of tonal chaos. Andy Lau hides pain in muscle padding while karma drags him through slapstick, gore, and spiritual reckoning. It shouldn’t work. It mostly does.

Surprisingly reserved in how it links to the original, but the bruiser energy of Lo Lieh, Yuen Cheung-yan’s solid choreography, and late-game weirdness (black magic, Bond theme, grave gold) give this lost sequel just enough edge to stay on its feet.