News

The 18th Asian Film Awards ceremony will be held on Friday, March 16, 2025, at the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District. This year, The Awards are honoured to have the legendary Hong Kong filmmaker Sammo Hung as the Jury President. Known as a trailblazer in action cinema, Hung has spent over five decades creating countless iconic works for both Hong Kong and global cinema. Having received the Best Supporting Actor award for Ip Man 2 at the 5th Asian Film Awards and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 16th Asian Film Awards, Hung expressed his heartfelt gratitude for returning to the Afa stage, sharing his excitement to reconnect with filmmakers and audiences across Asia.

Hung began his artistic journey at the age of 10 under the supervision of Yu Jim-yuen, a renowned Peking opera master. Through intensive training, he honed his skills in Peking opera and martial arts, building...

It can’t be denied that as far as martial arts movies go, the best ones come from Asia, particularly Hong Kong during their action heyday, which was arguably the 70s, 80s and first half of the ’90s. It’s tough to compete with the likes of the Shaw Brothers and the drunken master known as Jackie Chan. That said, martial arts movies were also making a foothold in the States decades ago, thanks mainly to Bruce Lee-mania following the release of Enter the Dragon. Before that movie, very few actors in Hollywood seemed like they were credible martial artists, except maybe James Coburn, a student of Lee’s, who pulled off some pretty good-looking moves in the otherwise silly Our Man Flint movies. Steve McQueen also had training but didn’t use martial arts on screen. Up to then, though, the most notable uses of martial arts in movies usually revolved around Judo,...

In many walks of life, a combination of recency bias and genuine progress makes it easy to think that the latest thing is also the greatest thing. However, this thought process doesn't apply to the martial arts movie genre, where a man who died in 1973 continues to be the yardstick all other stars are measured with -- and generally fall short.

Bruce Lee's death at the age of 32 cut short his life but not his legend. It can be easy to forget that his "Bruce Lee era" was just the final, star-making phase of his career. Before breaking through with his English name on "Green Hornet," Lee appeared in 20 Hong Kong movies, often using his Chinese name Lee Jun Fan and stage names like Lee Siu Lung ("Lee Little Dragon"). This means that a true Lee aficionado has plenty of comparatively obscure material to wade through -- from the 1941 film "Golden Gate Girl,...

Considering the iconic status of Enter the Dragon, it's not easy to find a suitable follow-up that doesn't involve Bruce Lee, but Heroes of the East is one film that can fill that void. Easily the most famous of the five movies that Bruce Lee starred in, Enter the Dragon is credited with helping shape the martial arts genre into what it is today. Its decision to follow three fighters of different backgrounds helped provide the setup for one of the greatest martial arts tournament movies ever made, if not the best kung fu film of all time.

Another film that explores that particular martial arts subgenre is Heroes of the East, a lesser-known release from 1978. Heroes of the East was made by Shaw Brothers, the biggest kung fu movie studio in Hong Kong as well as the main rival of Golden Harvest, the company behind all of Bruce Lee's movies.

With most martial arts movies, it's hard to avoid a predictable ending, but Five Shaolin Masters pulls that off perfectly. Most films in the genre, whether it's an old school kung fu movie or something a bit more modern, follow the same basic formula, even if they're stories differ widely. Typically, they culminate in the hero triumphing over the villain in a hotly contested showdown in the closing minutes of the film.

Many of the greatest martial arts movies end in this manner, including Enter the Dragon, Way of the Dragon, Drunken Master, and The Karate Kid. These fights can be intense, well-choreographed, and entertaining even after multiple viewings. But, that's not to say that they keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, wondering who's going to win. In most scenarios, there's no secret who will emerge the victor, even if the hero takes a beating early on.

The "Ip Man" movies represent some of the most fun you can have with the martial arts genre. The franchise is loosely based on the life of the actual Ip Man (or Yip Man), a Chinese martial arts grandmaster who specialized in the art of Wing Chun, and whose most famous student was Bruce Lee, the star of the incredible martial arts action film "Enter the Dragon." The main movies in the property are directed by Wilson Yip and star Donnie Yen as the titular character. Yen played Ip Man for more than a decade in-between giving us one of the best "Star Wars" characters ever in Chirrut Îmwe from "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," as well as one of the best fights in the "John Wick" films.

So far as martial arts cinema goes, it rarely gets better than the "Ip Man" movies, which manage to actually create...

These stars died before their latest projects were releasedMEGAAdam WestAdam West was set to release his animated Batman film before he died.Mega

On June 9, 2017, Batman star Adam West died at the age of 88 following a short battle with leukemia. Four months later, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released his post-humous animated film Batman vs. Two-Face, in which he voiced Bruce Wayne/Batman's character.

Alan RickmanRickman is best known for playing Professor Severus Snape in the 'Harry Potter' franchise.Mega

Alan Rickman marked his final performance in the 2016 film Alice Through the Looking Glass. The famed Harry Potter actor, who portrayed Professor Severus Snape in the film franchise, died on January 14, 2016, after suffering from cancer. He was 69.

Anton YelchinAnton Yelchin died following a freak car accident.Mega

Anton Yelchin died on June 19, 2016. The then-27-year-old actor, who starred in Star Trek Beyond, was killed in a freak car accident in Studio...

From Alan Rickman to Chadwick Boseman, these celebrated actors tragically passed away before the release of what would become their final films.MEGAAdam WestMEGA

On June 9, 2017, Batman star Adam West died at the age of 88 following a short battle with leukemia. Four months later, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released his post-humous animated film Batman vs. Two-Face, in which he voiced Bruce Wayne/Batman's character.

Alan RickmanMEGA

Alan Rickman marked his final performance in the 2016 film Alice Through the Looking Glass. The famed Harry Potter actor, who portrayed Professor Severus Snape in the film franchise, died on January 14, 2016, after suffering from cancer. He was 69.

Anton YelchinMEGA

Anton Yelchin died on June 19, 2016. The then-27-year-old actor, who starred in Star Trek Beyond, was killed in a freak car accident in Studio City while he was on his way to meet his friends, his publicist, Jennifer Allen, confirmed at the time.

"It appears...

Martial arts movies have a way of delivering some of the most inspiring stories in cinema. These films, famously and sometimes very obviously, aren’t just about epic fight scenes; they’re about personal growth, overcoming adversity, and finding strength in the most difficult moments. The characters almost always face obstacles, but it's the journey of rising above them that makes the story so compelling.

From House of Flying Daggers to The Karate Kid, some of the greatest martial arts classics show us the power of determination and self-discipline in the most profound way, without sacrificing their often breathtaking visuals. Beyond their entertainment factor, martial arts films teach us that, with perseverance, we can push through tough times. It's the mix of struggle, heart, and eventual success that makes them so inspirational and unforgettable, no matter how much time has passed.

The Protector (2005) Directed by Prachya Pinkaew

Your changes have...

From Grease in a brawler to Kindergarten Cop in a classic survival horror, movies had a habit of unexpectedly popping up in 80s and 90s videogames.

There’s long been a link between movies and videogames. There were the earliest licenced games, such as Atari’s groundbreaking Star Wars cabinet or the same company’s slightly less successful E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial console tie-in.

Then there are games that take inspiration from the themes, production design or plot points of movies; Technos coin-op Renegade, when reworked for its western release, drew on the urban malaise of Walter Hill’s 1979 movie The Warriors, for example. Then there are all the games that have borrowed from the look of the Alien franchise, which are too numerous to mention.

Every so often, though, films used to make unexpected cameos in 1980s and 90s videogames. In some instances, their appearance was so brief,...

The 1970s were a great decade for film, and some classics gripped their audience from the very first scene. Directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Dario Argento and Steven Spielberg all produced some iconic moments before their stories really got going. There have been great opening scenes in hundreds of movies, but the 1970s may have produced more than the average decade.

Opening scenes can set the atmosphere for a movie from the very first minute, as well as grabbing the audience's attention. Some directors use this opportunity to introduce their main characters in interesting ways, like how The Godfather focuses on Vito Corleone, or how Enter the Dragon gives Bruce Lee a chance to show off his martial arts skills early on. A good opening scene can get an audience on board with a movie in an instant.

The Exorcist (1973) Father Merrin's Expedition Doesn't Fit With The Rest Of...

Bruce Lee was a famed martial arts expert who completed only a handful of films before his untimely death in 1973 at the age of 32. Let’s take a look back at all 6 of his films, ranked worst to best.

Born in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco, CA, in 1940, Lee was raised with his family in Kowloon, Hong Kong. He began appearing in several films as a child, often in small bit roles, but abandoned acting to pursue a career in martial arts.

His hiatus from the screen didn’t last long. In 1966, Lee was cast as Kato in the short-lived television adventure “The Green Hornet,” later making appearances as the character on “Batman.” He played a small role in the mystery film “Marlowe” (1969) as a kung fu fighter who destroys private eye James Garner‘s office before suffering a tragic demise.

Lee became a leading man after returning to...

Kung fu movies are famous for their dazzling fight scenes in which characters show off their mastery of the martial arts. Considering the majority of onscreen combat is largely choreographed, most of the moves portrayed in these films wouldn't be effective in an actual fight. With that said, some cinematic kung fu techniques are central to the fighting style and have been practiced and perfected by experts in the trade.

Actors like Jackie Chan who still has upcoming movies, showcased many of these moves to the world and gave the genre widespread popularity. Films like Kung Fu Panda 4 took these techniques to another level, adding fictional power elements. In kung fu films, characters frequently use moves that look relatively simple to perform. It's easy to think that the technique might be straightforward to replicate, but it takes years of practice to successfully apply. The fact that these characters can...

Martial arts movies have been a staple genre of Western culture since the 1970s. Pioneers like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan set the standard for epic, fast-paced fight scenes and brought them to the silver screen. Films like Robert Clouse's Enter The Dragon and Yuen Woo-Ping's Drunken Master helped create the world of martial arts cinema that is famous today.

The genre hasn't slowed down since its creation, with many upcoming projects like the long-awaited Karate Kid reboot set to hit screens in 2025. However, certain martial arts movies take themselves more seriously than others. While some plots are centered around character development and realistic fighting applications, other films go the extra mile and focus on downright absurd scenarios. These campy martial arts movies set aside realism and include fighting that is truly ridiculous, but altogether extremely fun to watch.

Dragon Tiger Gate (2006) Clash Of Brothers

Wilson Yip's...

In the world of martial arts cinema, there is certainly a wide range of fighting styles. Stars of the genre typically have common techniques, methods, and manners of combat that are consistent across their movies. In some cases, actors have an especially ruthless take on martial arts. Bruce Lee set the standard for this approach in his classic 1973 film Enter The Dragon.

Someone like Jackie Chan would be a good exception to this category. Although he is a master martial artist, he usually relies on more technical and non-lethal combat styles. Nevertheless, he remains an icon, and Jackie Chan still has upcoming martial arts movies. Beyond the household names, there are still a number of actors in the genre with an extremely brutal style of fighting.

Michael Jai White Known For: Blood and Bone (2009), Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)

Although Michael Jai White holds black belts across seven different areas of martial arts,...

Legendary Hong Kong martial arts star and filmmaker Sammo Hung gave a masterclass at the Tokyo International Film Festival, where at age 72 he demonstrated that while he now uses a cane, his charismatic abilities and innovative spirit remain. Hung held an engaging talk where he shared lessons from over 60 years in the industry developing martial arts cinema.

Born into a performing family, Hung’s journey began with training at Hong Kong’s prestigious Peking Opera school. “The training was very rigorous,” Hung recalled. “We learned fundamental movements so by graduation you could perform nearly any move.” This training laid the groundwork for his future success in martial arts films.

Hung’s film career started early, with his debut at age 9 in the 1960s. A pivotal moment came in 1973’s “Enter the Dragon” where Hung fought Bruce Lee in the opening scene. After Lee’s tragic death, Hung took on choreographing...

In a career that has spanned seven decades, Hong Kong action movie legend Sammo Hung has seen a lot, and moreover, his body has been through a lot. So it wasn’t a surprise to see the 72-year-old use a cane as he took the stage for a masterclass session at the Tokyo International Film Festival. But as he captivated an appreciative audience, the confidence and humor that have seen Hung through his illustrious career in martial arts movies shone bright.

Born into a showbiz family, Hung’s career began as a child actor while at the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera school in Hong Kong. He made his film debut in the early 1960s, aged nine. A slightly grainy, black and white clip of the film showed a fresh-faced boy Hung, to coos from his assembled admirers. “Training at the school was very severe. We learned all the fundamental movements.

Nicolas Cage is one of our most impressive living actors, and a big part of that is because of his intense love of cinema. He's a true student of the craft, with an obsession for older films that has led him to an extensive knowledge of all the medium has to offer. Cage's passion for his projects has led to him becoming the subject of many memes, mostly using his most over-the-top performances, but the man really knows his stuff. So, when Rotten Tomatoes asked Cage for his five favorite films of all time, he came a little over-prepared, offering his top 13 favorite films instead. He said that he simply couldn't narrow it down to five because "there's different movies for different reasons in different lifetimes," which is the most Nicolas Cage thing he could have said.

The actor often looks back to older cinema for inspiration and compares...

The legacy of Bruce Lee remains one of the most enduring tales of all time with his global reputation being built on the back of his dedication toward and expertise in martial arts. The film industry that accepted him and elevated him to a pedestal happened to posthumously deify the legend in the audience’s eye just enough to make him immortal.

Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury [Credit: Orange Sky Golden Harvest]

The tragedy that permeated the atmosphere upon the news of the actor’s death was insurmountable. It was not natural for the entire world to mourn a martial arts figurehead who mostly worked in Hong Kong action films, making a brief but transcendent transition to Hollywood. The global cult-like following of Bruce Lee remains a matter of fascination and much study.

The Curious Case of Martial Arts Legend, Bruce Lee Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury [Credit: Orange Sky Golden Harvest]

In a shocking turn of events,...

In 1985, Jackie Chan grabbed an umbrella and ran towards a moving bus. Here’s how Police Story changed action cinema forever.

There had never been an action scene quite like the one that appeared in the first few minutes of 1985’s Police Story. Jackie Chan’s plucky cop, in dogged pursuit of crime boss Chu Tao (Chor Yuen) engages in a wildly destructive car chase through a hillside shanty town, demolishing rickety buildings and detonating gas bottles in his wake. When Tao and his goons then make their escape on a stolen bus, Chan’s Sergeant Kevin hooks onto the back with the help of an umbrella, his body flung to and fro as the vehicle lumbers through traffic.

The scene is brilliant not just because Chan’s risking his neck by doing his own stunts. It’s not just brilliant on a technical level (the planning that went into...

A stunt choreographer tries to recapture his 80s and 90s youth in a movie that pays tribute to Hong Kong action cinema. Our Stuntman review:

Exploring similar territory to this summer’s The Fall Guy, but made with less noisy bombast, Stuntman is a heartfelt ode to the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema. It opens with what looks strikingly like the climactic set-piece in Jackie Chan’s 1985 masterpiece, Police Story – a bruising fight in a shopping mall, with hoodlums being side-kicked down escalators and sent crashing into glass display cases. This, we later learn, is the set of mid-90s martial arts crime movie Operation Vulture, on which Sam (Stephen Tung) was at the height of his powers as a stunt choreographer.

During the making of that film, however, a high-wire stunt involving a leap from a bridge and a moving truck went catastrophically wrong, almost fatally injuring...

Warning: contains spoilers for Avengers Assemble #1!

Marvel is setting the stage for one MCU star to be the next leader of the Avengers. For Shang-Chi, his journey from cult hero to MCU icon has been a long one, but now it has culminated with a spot alongside Earths Mightiest Heroes. In Avengers Assemble #1, Shang-Chi joins Captain Americas new Avengers Emergency Response Squad, and quickly makes a case to be the teams leader.

Avengers Assemble #1 was written by Steve Orlando and drawn by Cory Smith. Shang-Chi arrives at the Avengers Mansion, joined by Photon and the Wasp. No sooner than they arrive, trouble rears its head. Sin, the daughter of the Red Skull, has returned, and Captain America needs Avengers on the ground. As the four head into battle, Shang-Chi yells the trademark Avengers Assemble! Yet Shang-Chi proves his worthiness when he uses his powers to neutralize Sins emotional powers, which had overpowered his teammates.

Over 50 years since it was released, Enter the Dragon still packs a punch, with some of the most iconic fight scenes in film history. Bruce Lee's masterpiece follows a Shaolin martial artist as he infiltrates an island compound run by a violent drug kingpin. It combines elements of martial arts cinema with western cultural influences, leading to a unique synthesis that draws from James Bond as much as Hong Kong cinema.

Enter the Dragon has defined the martial arts genre for decades. Its immense box office success kick-started a new wave of martial arts mania in American cinema, and the rest of the 1970s produced a number of genre classics following the same playbook. Bruce Lee sadly died just a few days before Enter the Dragon was released, but the movie's unforgettable fight scenes have cemented his status as a martial arts icon.

Related Why Bruce Lee Almost Gave...

There can only be one Jackie Chan. The legendary actor/filmmaker/martial artist is known for his unique style of fight choreography that blended action with comedy. Choreographing his own fights, performing them, and directing them, Chan became a global star when he conquered Hollywood in the ‘90s.

Before he broke into English-language films with Rumble in the Bronx, Jackie Chan attempted to expand his horizons in Hollywood with The Big Brawl. Laying the foundations for his now-iconic style of choreography, the actor demonstrated how he threw realistic punches in an interview. The realistic fake-outs seem straight out of WWE’s playbook.

Jackie Chan Demonstrated How To Throw Realistic Punches Without Hurting The Opponent Jackie Chan in The Big Brawl | Credits: Warner Bros.

Jackie Chan is known for his perfect blend of comedy and martial arts. Straying away from his predecessors like Bruce Lee, who depicted a serious and disciplined approach to martial arts,...

Once Upon a Time is an audience favorite TV show that ran between 2011 and 2018. The premise of the show was that every fairytale character we know and love was trapped in our world, where all their happy endings were stolen by a dark curse cast by The Evil Queen. The show featured hundreds of characters from fairytales and mythology over its seven-year run, giving characters new backstories and character connections to help expand their stories in the Once Upon a Time universe. However, one character that the show really wasted was Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

Maleficent first appeared in the season one episode "The Thing You Love The Most" where it's revealed that The Evil Queen stole the dark curse from Maleficent. The character then had two minor appearances until she became a reoccurring guest character in the fourth season, where she joined the iconic 'Queens of Darkness', an evil trio made up of Ursula,...

Stars: Sahajak Boonthanakit, Nicholas Hammond, Ludi Lin, Vithaya Pansringarm, Suradet Dongthaisong | Written by H. Daniel Gross, Ryan C. Jaeger, Louis Spiegler | Directed by Robert Grasmere

No, Art of Eight Limbs isn’t about an octopus that can paint portraits. It’s the latest knockoff of Enter the Dragon, a film that came out fifty-one years ago and still hasn’t been equalled despite a near-endless stream of films utilizing its mix of international espionage, crime, and martial arts tournaments.

Somewhere in Myanmar, a pair of Russian agents arrive at the encampment of General Thiha looking to buy some Vx Nerve Gas. They show they have the cash, and Thiha’s men show them the gas is the real thing by killing the town drunk as they watch. The CIA are quite familiar with The General and aren’t surprised to find out he’s involved. They alert Nick Buckley, one...

Somehow, ‘Lil Cinephile has returned.

The book series, a spin-off of the wildly successful Cinephile: A Card Game, returns with a new volume of books designed to make your baby the coolest kid at day care. “My Fist Sci-Fi Movie,” “My First Kung Fu Movie” and “My First Midnight Movie,” represents the next chapter of the book series, with installments that “take readers on a cinematic journey of filmmaking styles from around the world,” according to the official synopsis.

These new books were written by Cory Everett and illustrated by Julie Olivi and cover everything from “2001: A Space Odyssey” to “Enter the Dragon” to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” This might be the greatest set of ‘Lil Cinephile books yet. Expect your budding to cineaste to have some new favorites.

Independently made and produced, “My First Sci-Fi Movie,” “My First Kung Fu Movie,” and “My First Midnight Movie,” will be available from lilcinephile.

Tiger Style Media is partnering with Paramount‘s Republic Pictures for old-school-style martial arts double feature releases. The first two of the four films released this month are Art of Eight Limbs and The Lockdown. Art of Eight Limbs stars Ludi Lin, who plays Liu Kang in 2021’s Mortal Kombat and the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2. The trailer will likely give viewers some déjà vu as the plot of infiltrating a martial arts tournament led by a criminal comes straight from Bruce Lee’s famous film Enter the Dragon. However, mix it in with some Muay Thai action and it’s a cocktail for some martial arts mayhem.

The official synopsis reads,

“In this action-packed thriller from a producer of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, Ludi Lin stars as a CIA data analyst and part-time kickboxer. Sent on a mission to Myanmar, he must infiltrate a martial arts tournament...

Asian cinema has gifted the world with a plethora of iconic fighting movies that blend intense action with rich storytelling and cultural depth. Together, these films represent the diverse and dynamic world of Asian fighting movies, captivating audiences with their artistry and action. A few favorites include:

Enter the Dragon (1973) – Bruce Lee

A classic with Bruce Lee’s,”Enter the Dragon” sets the stage for martial arts films with groundbreaking choreography and charismatic performances.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) – Directed by Ang Lee

This movie was extremely popular across the globe and introduced audiences to the poetic beauty and elegance of wuxia cinema.

Ip Man (2008)

This movie is a biographical martial arts film that tells the story of the legendary Wing Chun master Ip Man, who later became the mentor of Bruce Lee, and his resistance against Japanese occupation in China during the 1930s.

The Raid: Redemption (2011)

“The Raid: Redemption” showcases...

Bruce Lee almost gave up martial arts in frustration with Wing Chun. Disappointment in his skills led to creation of Jeet Kune Do. Lee's belief in flexibility and overcoming limitations shaped his legacy.

Years before becoming a kung fu movie superstar, Bruce Lee considered dropping martial arts altogether. In addition to his starring roles in classics like Enter the Dragon and Way of the Dragon, Lee's highly disciplined approach to martial arts is an important part of his legacy and image.

Even in his youth, Lee was deeply interested in martial arts. The actor's teenage years saw him as a student of Ip Man, a well-respected Wing Chun grandmaster and the focus of Donnie Yen's four Ip Man movies. While living in Hong Kong, Lee spent much time training diligently under Ip Man and his students, and eventually used the experience he gained to open his own martial arts schools.

It’s the second and final day of Amazon’s annual Prime Day, with hundreds of products discounted — including prices slashed on horror movies!

Many of yesterday’s sales are still active, plus a bunch of new deals below…

4K Ultra HD Collections:

Scream / Scream 5 – $22.99 The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection Vol. 3 – $36.99 Jurassic World: 6-Film Ultimate Collection – $42.99 Resident Evil Collection [Steelbook] – $109.16

Individual 4K UHDs:

The Suicide Squad – $9.99 Parasite – $10.39 Batman – $10.99 300 – $10.99 Edge of Tomorrow – $10.99 V for Vendetta – $10.99 A Clockwork Orange – $10.99 M3GAN – $11.99 Pan’s Labyrinth – $11.99 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World -$11.99 Beetlejuice – $12.99 Battlestar Galactica – $12.99 Brightburn – $13.95 The Shallows – $13.95 Monster Hunter – $13.95 Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City – $13.95 Leon The Professional – $13.95 Blade – $14.99 The Nun II – $14.99 Evil Dead Rise – $14.99 Sleepy Hollow – $15.99 The Witch – $15.99 Event Horizon – $16.49 Crimes of the Future – $17.29 Scream 2 – $18.39 Scream 3 – $17.94 Enter the Dragon [Steelbook] – $19.99 Night of the Living Dead – $24.99

Blu-ray Collections:

Dirty Harry: 4-Film Collection – $11.99 Cloverfield: 3-Movie Collection – $12.99 Hammer Horror: 8-Film Collection – $16.99 Memento / Insomnia / Batman Begins / The Dark Knight...

"Cowboy Bebop" is a masterpiece, lightning in a bottle, one of a kind, and every other superlative compliment you can throw its way. The series, produced by anime studio Sunrise as a spaceship toy cash grab and elevated by its creative team (from director Shinichirō Watanabe to composer Yoko Kanno), earns all the fond memories it has created.

The most talked about strengths of the series include Kanno's jazzy musical score, the heartbreaking loneliness of its characters, the impeccable title sequence "Tank!" and the way different episodes dance across different genres. ("Cowboy Bebop" is a title that evokes the series' vibe.) The many American "Cowboy Bebop" fans also fondly recall the show's English dub, which set a new bar for international anime dubbing.

The quiet moments of "Cowboy Bebop" are often the most effective. (The 2021 live-action version from Netflix failed to realize that dialogue is not the show's engine or beating heart.

The sudden death of martial arts superstar Bruce Lee in 1973 shocked the world. Fans everywhere mourned the loss of an icon who had left us far too soon. Lee had accomplished so much in his short but brilliant career, popularizing martial arts cinema globally with smash hits like Enter the Dragon. Yet when that fateful day arrived, Lee had just begun to make his mark. Four iconic films were not enough; the world wanted more.

In Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea, filmmakers saw an opportunity. If they couldn’t deliver more from the master himself, they would find men to carry on his legacy in spirit, if not in fact. Lookalikes with pseudonyms like Bruce Li and Dragon Lee stepped into the role. Movies copied or faked Lee’s titles and style, often featuring these “clones” in leading roles. An entire genre sprung up to feed the worldwide thirst for all things Lee,...

Left to right: Everything Everywhere All At Once (A24), Starship Troopers (TriStar Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images), Enter The Dragon ((Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images), The Matrix (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)Graphic: The A.V. Club

The recent release of Thelma, a film that subverts the conventions of action films,...

Plot: A deep dive into the Bruce Lee exploitation film craze that dominated grindhouse cinema after the iconic martial artist’s death.

Review: Flashback to the year 1994. On my 13th birthday, while cruising the video store for a movie to watch with my friends at my birthday sleepover, on a whim, I decided to rent Enter the Dragon. I was never the same. After watching it, I enrolled in Karate classes and tried to learn as much about Bruce Lee as possible. While cruising those same video store aisles, I was very confused by how many kung-fu movies had his name and image on the cover, given that, even back then, I knew there were only four Bruce Lee movies, plus Game of Death. And why were they constantly misspelling his name? Who was Bruce Le? Or Bruce Li? Or Bruce Liang?

This, of course, was my introduction to the...

"Enter The Dragon" may be one of the best martial arts films of all time, but the Bruce Lee-led project didn't exactly come together easily. Over 50 years after its release, the lore surrounding the movie's fraught creation is by now stacked higher than a pile of guys taken down by super-skilled fighter Lee (played by the late actor with the same last name). Among the anecdotes surrounding its production? Behind-the-scenes fights, recasts, a minuscule budget, script problems, and more.

"The whole budget was $450,000," associate producer Andre Morgan told the BBC last year, paring down the already shockingly small $850,000 number that's commonly cited. Morgan was confident in his number, saying, "Remember, you heard it from somebody that was there. I prepared the budget; I signed the budget." The shoestring budget didn't get in the way of the movie's success; in theaters, it earned over $100 million worldwide according to the BBC piece,...

Put on any action movie made between 1903’s The Great Train Robbery and 2017’s John Wick, pay attention to the risks playing out before you, and you’ll never stop asking why the hell aren’t stunt performers lauded for their efforts by the Academy Awards. In the 1970s, one of the greatest and most underrated decades for action movies, you could still see every danger to life and limb on screen. CGI wasn’t around yet, and the law was barely paying attention.

The result is an era where bloody martial arts imports and Blaxploitation commentary blended with tight-wire action and terrifyingly real stunts. The very best remain iconic, from the Dirty Harrys to 1979’s global phenomenon, Mad Max. But with the passage of time comes forgetting, and the ‘70s hide some of the best, wildest, and sometimes even edgiest movies waiting for fans to rediscover.

Get Carter (1971)

Once upon a time,...

When Bruce Lee died under mysterious circumstances in 1973 at age 32, the actor and martial artist left a hole in the action star firmament that seemed irreplaceable. That did not stop the Hong Kong film industry — and the rest of the world, for that matter — from trying anyway.

As Lee’s final (complete) film “Enter the Dragon,” released just six days after his death, became a worldwide box office phenomenon, “Bruceploitation” was born, enlisting look-alike performers to replace and imitate the trailblazing martial artist on screen. Decades after these copycat films deceived viewers — while still delivering some genuinely thrilling fight sequences — Severin Films is releasing “The Game of Clones: Bruceploitation Collection Vol. 1,” a compilation of 14 titles starring Bruce “impostors” like Ho Chung Tao, who went by the name Bruce Li, Ryong Keo (Dragon Lee), Chang Yi-tao (Bruce Lai) and Wong Kin-lung, who to this day goes by the name Bruce Le.

The John Wick franchise is a love letter to classic movies with nods to Die Hard, Enter the Dragon, and The Matrix. From music cues to iconic scenes, John Wick movies reference cinematic history. With influences from Lawrence of Arabia to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, John Wick is a masterful homage to film classics.

From Enter the Dragon to Lawrence of Arabia, the John Wick franchise is jam-packed with references to classic movies. John Wick was conceived as a mishmash of the visual style of neo-noir, the fight choreography of martial arts movies, and the operatic violence of spaghetti westerns, so it makes sense that the franchise has drawn from a deep well of cinematic influences. From a nightclub named after a French heist film to a criminal underworld radio station named after a kung fu subgenre, the John Wick series has more movie homages and inside...

It can feel that Robert Clouse must have made a faustian pact back when he helmed “Enter the Dragon”. For all of that film's iconic success, he seemed doomed to be forever searching to recapture it to slowly diminishing returns. From “Game of Death” to “The Battle Creek Brawl”, Golden Harvest would return to him frequently when co-producing stateside. So it was no surprise in 1990 that they would hire him one last time. Eureka Entertainment brings those final features to blu ray and once again Cynthia Rothrock throws down in “China O'Brien”.

on Terracotta by clicking on the image below

China (Cynthia Rothrock), city cop and martial arts teacher saves a student but unwittingly shoots a kid dead. Leaving the Force, she returns home to Beaver Creek where her Sheriff father John (David Blackwell) is finding law and order hard to maintain as local crime boss Sommers...

Real-life tough guy actors don't just excel in action films - they come from various backgrounds and genres. Bruce Lee's martial arts prowess influenced Mma; his legacy lives on through Jeet Kune Do. James Caan, Chuck Norris, Steven McQueen - tough guys onscreen and off, with military or fighting backgrounds.

From the time that the big theatrical action movies began to gain popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, filmmakers set out to find actors who not only looked the part but were also real-life tough guy actors. From names like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee, who came into Hollywood as legitimate tough guys, to actors who developed real-world fighting skills after getting their start, many tough guy personas on screen are so endearing to watch because they're authentic.

Real-life tough actors don't just appear in action movies, either. There are faces who have been involved in science fiction movies and TV shows,...

Akira Toriyama is the one who revolutionized the manga and anime industry. The Dragon Ball franchise set up the path for the Big Three to gain worldwide popularity and become a pillar of the business. Every hardcore anime fan knows that Dragon Ball was inspired by Kung Fu. Akira Toriyama even based one of the characters on Jackie Chan.

The mangaka was a massive fan of Kung-Fu. His magnum opus is a big proof of him being a martial arts fan. Apart from Jackie Chan, there is another famous martial artist who inspired Toriyama sensei.

His paralyzing gaze was shown through Goku while he was on planet Namek. The mentioned martial artist is none other than Bruce Lee. The Kung-Fu star was always with Akira Toriyama in his thoughts and soul.

Akira Toriyama Used A Bruce Lee Reference In His Magnum Opus Bruce Lee from Enter the Dragon (Credit: Warner Bros....

Bruce Timm has influenced an entire generation of DC fans with his take on popular superheroes by bringing them to the animation medium. Timm’s work on Batman: The Animated Series remains iconic and the writer-director continues to contribute to projects based on DC properties to this day.

A still from Batman: The Animated Series

One of Timm’s more recent projects in the DC sandpit is the animated film Batman: Soul of the Dragon. During an interview, Timm was asked about what made him return to his Batman roots and why the film was a departure from his previous take on the character. Here is why Bruce Timm made Batman: Soul of the Dragon, explained in his own words.

Bruce Timm Reveals the Real Reason He Worked on Batman: Soul of the Dragon.

Directed by Sam Liu, Batman: Soul of the Dragon is a 2021 animated film, which sees Bruce...

2024 promises to reignite audiences' love for martial arts movies, with a variety of high-octane offerings set to captivate fans worldwide. From realistic martial arts tournament dramas to fantastical revenge stories, the genre continues to evolve and captivate audiences with diverse themes. A mix of veteran stars and rising talent ensures that the martial arts movie landscape in 2024 will be a thrilling and action-packed adventure for fans.

2024 is looking to be a great year for martial arts movies, with some solid action-packed offerings set to break ground in Summer, Winter, and beyond. The martial arts genre is sometimes thought to be a relic of the past, with many of the greatest Kung Fu films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Enter the Dragon having left their mark on pop culture over twenty years ago. But recent years have proven that, if anything, audiences love for hand-to-hand combat is more alive than ever,...

This article contains massive spoilers for "Monkey Man."

The medium of cinema is brilliantly, endlessly malleable. It's an art form able to communicate so many perspectives, stories, emotions and the like, yet there are some genres that feel especially inherent to the medium. Action is undeniably one of these; even the most basic, average action movie combines elements of sound, cinematography, actors giving performances that are equal parts physical and vocal, music, choreography and more. In other words, it takes every element available to the filmmaker to construct a convincing, engaging action sequence, something that can't be exactly replicated in, say, a song, picture, or painting.

Perhaps this is one reason why so many action films dabble in myth: the very construction of an action film requires the establishment of a hyper-reality, so it follows that larger-than-life themes, tropes, and traditions would fit inside such a world. This is a...

The Chinese Boxer shifted martial arts focus to hand-to-hand combat, laying the groundwork for contemporary movies. Five Fingers of Death was the first international martial arts success, fueled the Kung Fu craze of the 1970s. Enter the Dragon ignited the Kung Fu craze in the 1970s, influencing martial arts cinema's move into the mainstream.

Martial arts movies have captivated audiences for decades through expertly choreographed fight sequences, powerful stories of good versus evil, and shockingly effective action sequences, with a select few being responsible for where the genre stands today. From the United States Kung Fu craze in the 1970s right up until modern times, martial arts movies have stood as some of the most exciting and over-the-top releases seen on the big screen. With massive stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan leaving their mark on martial arts movies, the genre has gone through countless changes over the decades.

Dev Patel in Monkey ManImage: Universal Pictures

Dev Patel did his homework. In front of an eager, humming South By Southwest crowd on Monday night, Patel nervously took the stage at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas, where he thoughtfully laid out the many, many influences that went into his directorial debut,...

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

What can you say about a month of entertainment that opens with a TV series about a charming sociopath and closes with a movie about tennis players in love? It’s tempting to say there’s something for everyone to watch but, more accurately, April offers a lot of choices for those with specific tastes. From the theater to streaming services like Prime Video and Max, the best...

Chuck Norris is known for his roundhouse kicks and his action star persona in the ‘80s and the ‘90s. He starred in films such as Good Guys Wear Black, Breaker! Breaker!, and The Octagon. Though he did not reach the level of other action stars of the era such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, he still held his ground. The actor was known for being proficient in martial arts and was also known to have trained many celebrities in martial arts before he became an actor.

Norris made his big screen debut with Bruce Lee’s The Way of The Dragon. The action star has a minor role as Colt, who is recruited by the antagonist to fight against Lee’s Tang Lung. Norris and Lee reportedly developed a friendship when they met at the All-American-Karate Championship tournament, where the Silent Rage star was a two-time world champion.

Chuck Norris Began His...

Bruce Lee's impact in bringing Kung Fu to the West and influencing subsequent movies cannot be overstated. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow set the stage for Jackie Chan's signature comedy Kung Fu style. King Boxer and Crippled Avengers were international successes that showcased the best of Kung Fu cinema.

The 1970s was an incredible time for Kung Fu movies, as it was the heyday of the world’s biggest martial arts stars and there were so many great films to check out. From incredible historical epics to slapstick comedy movies, Kung Fu cinema during the 1970s was vast and varied as some truly unique films were being made, and the genre was being discovered by an international audience. With fast-paced fight sequences, expertly choreographed battles, and intense martial arts showdowns, Kung Fu movies were truly at their peak during this decade.

The success of Kung Fu movies during...