Spoiler Alert: The following essay discusses key plot points, including the ending.
Last weekend, I took in “Le Samouraï” for what must have been the sixth or seventh time, relishing the new 4K restoration of Jean-Pierre Melville’s masterpiece (now playing at Laemmle theaters in Los Angeles). As I exited the screening, I discreetly eavesdropped on my fellow audience members. Most seemed impressed. A few were still processing what they’d seen: an existential study of a lone killer, told with radically little dialogue. “That wasn’t at all what I expected,” one woman told her friend. “I thought we were going to see some kind of samurai movie.”
It’s a reasonable assumption, given the film’s title, although the 1967 crime classic takes place half a world away, in Paris, almost exactly a century after Japan’s samurai era came to an end. I first saw “Le Samouraï” in the late ’90s,...
Last weekend, I took in “Le Samouraï” for what must have been the sixth or seventh time, relishing the new 4K restoration of Jean-Pierre Melville’s masterpiece (now playing at Laemmle theaters in Los Angeles). As I exited the screening, I discreetly eavesdropped on my fellow audience members. Most seemed impressed. A few were still processing what they’d seen: an existential study of a lone killer, told with radically little dialogue. “That wasn’t at all what I expected,” one woman told her friend. “I thought we were going to see some kind of samurai movie.”
It’s a reasonable assumption, given the film’s title, although the 1967 crime classic takes place half a world away, in Paris, almost exactly a century after Japan’s samurai era came to an end. I first saw “Le Samouraï” in the late ’90s,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
In the game Stellar Blade, Eve is a big deal, known for her power and charm that hooks players around the world. Yet, did you realize her look is really based on a real person? That’s right, it is a Korean model named Shin Jae-eun. She has this enthralling energy and a killer figure, which got transformed into Eve through a detailed 3D scan.
Stellar Blade (credit: via push square)
Now, as the 32-year-old’s popularity soars, she’s on the verge of worldwide fame. Her allure is crossing borders, prepared to wow gamers all over. It’s like she’s venturing into the spotlight of Stellar Blade’s digital world, making her mark on a global scale.
Eve’s Body In Stellar Blade Mirrors Korean Model Shin Jae-Eun’s 3D Scan
Stellar Blade, once known as Project Eve, was an action RPG underway by the Korean studio Shift Up.
Stellar Blade (credit: via push square)
Now, as the 32-year-old’s popularity soars, she’s on the verge of worldwide fame. Her allure is crossing borders, prepared to wow gamers all over. It’s like she’s venturing into the spotlight of Stellar Blade’s digital world, making her mark on a global scale.
Eve’s Body In Stellar Blade Mirrors Korean Model Shin Jae-Eun’s 3D Scan
Stellar Blade, once known as Project Eve, was an action RPG underway by the Korean studio Shift Up.
- 3/26/2024
- by Muskan Chaudhary
- FandomWire
If curating the Best Action Movies of All Time felt borderline impossible, then ranking just the top entries from this century is Mission Barely Manageable.
Most franchise IP blockbusters released to big box office hauls in recent years could qualify as “action movies” in one way or another. That’s particularly true when it comes to the omnipresent cultural phenomenon we call superhero films. It can be tempting to write off the entire action genre when all you see is the over-pixelated epics about super-somethings stopping intergalactic injustice that make up an increasingly large chunk of modern Hollywood. However, the action movies that depend less on fetishized source material have yielded some of the most personal higher-budget workaround. When done well, action movies can tell great character-driven stories through movement. Action — acted or animated — is simply drama made dynamic.
That principle is what separates so many of the movies on...
Most franchise IP blockbusters released to big box office hauls in recent years could qualify as “action movies” in one way or another. That’s particularly true when it comes to the omnipresent cultural phenomenon we call superhero films. It can be tempting to write off the entire action genre when all you see is the over-pixelated epics about super-somethings stopping intergalactic injustice that make up an increasingly large chunk of modern Hollywood. However, the action movies that depend less on fetishized source material have yielded some of the most personal higher-budget workaround. When done well, action movies can tell great character-driven stories through movement. Action — acted or animated — is simply drama made dynamic.
That principle is what separates so many of the movies on...
- 3/22/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
The Story: A college kid (Brandon Lee) witnesses a gangland hit. Betrayed by witness protection, he’s recruited by a task force headed by a no-nonsense cop (Powers Boothe) as a pawn, but little do they know he’s more than able to handle himself against any of his foes.
The Players: Starring: Brandon Lee, Powers Boothe, Tzi Ma & Nick Mancuso. Directed by Dwight H. Little.
The History: The early nineties were the heyday of the martial arts movie star. Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme were consistently churning out hits, so if they could become icons, why not a guy like Brandon Lee? He was movie star handsome, could move, was charismatic and could act. Oh yeah – he also happened to be the son of the greatest Kung-Fu movie star of all time, Bruce Lee.
“I wouldn’t want to refer to them as stepping stones. That seems to demean them.
The Players: Starring: Brandon Lee, Powers Boothe, Tzi Ma & Nick Mancuso. Directed by Dwight H. Little.
The History: The early nineties were the heyday of the martial arts movie star. Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme were consistently churning out hits, so if they could become icons, why not a guy like Brandon Lee? He was movie star handsome, could move, was charismatic and could act. Oh yeah – he also happened to be the son of the greatest Kung-Fu movie star of all time, Bruce Lee.
“I wouldn’t want to refer to them as stepping stones. That seems to demean them.
- 3/9/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Central City Media is proud to release the hard-hitting drama In Broad Daylight, inspired by shocking real events, in UK cinemas.
In Broad Daylight reveals a little-known truth about residential care homes for the disabled that hides beneath the headlines. Written and directed by Lawrence Kwan Chun Kan, the film recalls the likes of Spotlight and The Post, where dogged and fearless journalists uncover alarming levels of rampant abuse and corruption.
Jennifer Yu (Sisterhood) stars as Kay, a young journalist who is told by a jaded veteran colleague that their work doesn’t make any difference – and sets out to prove him wrong. The cast also includes Bowie Lam (Hard Boiled) and Rachel Leung (A Light Never Goes Out).
Nominated for Best Film and Best Director at the Shanghai International Film Festival, as well as receiving five nominations at the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan, In Broad Daylight is...
In Broad Daylight reveals a little-known truth about residential care homes for the disabled that hides beneath the headlines. Written and directed by Lawrence Kwan Chun Kan, the film recalls the likes of Spotlight and The Post, where dogged and fearless journalists uncover alarming levels of rampant abuse and corruption.
Jennifer Yu (Sisterhood) stars as Kay, a young journalist who is told by a jaded veteran colleague that their work doesn’t make any difference – and sets out to prove him wrong. The cast also includes Bowie Lam (Hard Boiled) and Rachel Leung (A Light Never Goes Out).
Nominated for Best Film and Best Director at the Shanghai International Film Festival, as well as receiving five nominations at the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan, In Broad Daylight is...
- 1/25/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
2023 was a surprisingly great year for several movie genres, but action fans in particular had a bounty of terrific options to choose from. When it came time for a few of the /Film writers and editors to get together and rank our favorites, our individual lists were overflowing with great titles. But in accordance with the unwritten laws/demands of the Internet, we were forced to make some tough decisions, whittle our choices down to a collective ten films, and rank them accordingly.
As is often the case, the movies that didn't make this list could easily comprise an impressive list of their own. When the inventive and propulsive "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," the energetic and comedic "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," the brutal and pulpy "Sisu," the touching and hilarious "Polite Society," and the moody and subversive "The Killer" get relegated to honorable mentions, it becomes clear how...
As is often the case, the movies that didn't make this list could easily comprise an impressive list of their own. When the inventive and propulsive "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," the energetic and comedic "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," the brutal and pulpy "Sisu," the touching and hilarious "Polite Society," and the moody and subversive "The Killer" get relegated to honorable mentions, it becomes clear how...
- 12/12/2023
- by SlashFilm Staff
- Slash Film
When we think of the great director-actor pairings throughout Asian cinema history, at the top is Kurosawa and Mifune. But we can’t forget Kenji Mizoguchi and Kinuyo Tanaka or Wong Kar-wai and Tony Leung. But for many of us, we were straight up introduced to international action movies through the teamings of John Woo and Chow Yun-fat, chiefly The Killer and Hard Boiled. But the pair hasn’t worked together in more than 30 years – unfortunately, that may have been the last time.
Despite their place as one of the best director-actor duos in all of action, we only ever got five movies directed by John Woo and starring Chow Yun-fat, two of the most recognizable figures of Hong Kong cinema. As the 77-year-old Woo recently told HK01 (via Yahoo!), “We are getting older and it would be hard to find the right script…[But] I still want to be like...
Despite their place as one of the best director-actor duos in all of action, we only ever got five movies directed by John Woo and starring Chow Yun-fat, two of the most recognizable figures of Hong Kong cinema. As the 77-year-old Woo recently told HK01 (via Yahoo!), “We are getting older and it would be hard to find the right script…[But] I still want to be like...
- 12/9/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Silent Night Movie Review Rating:
Star Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno
Director: John Woo
Silent Night Movie Review(Photo Credit –IMDb)
What’s Good: It is fantastic to see John Woo back doing films in the West. His experience in making action scenes still shows under all the gimmicks.
What’s Bad: The movie relies too much on a strange narrative gimmick that only hinders its enjoyment and makes the entire experience quite strange and boring.
Loo Break: Sadly, there are several. The movie’s gimmick makes certain scenes feel completely unnecessary.
Watch or Not?: There are better John Woo films out there to watch. Sadly, Silent Night doesn’t make the cut as an easy recommendation.
Language: English
Available On: Cinemas
Runtime: 104 Minutes
User Rating:
Silent Night is a film directed by John Woo and written by Robert Archer Lynn. The film...
Star Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Kid Cudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno
Director: John Woo
Silent Night Movie Review(Photo Credit –IMDb)
What’s Good: It is fantastic to see John Woo back doing films in the West. His experience in making action scenes still shows under all the gimmicks.
What’s Bad: The movie relies too much on a strange narrative gimmick that only hinders its enjoyment and makes the entire experience quite strange and boring.
Loo Break: Sadly, there are several. The movie’s gimmick makes certain scenes feel completely unnecessary.
Watch or Not?: There are better John Woo films out there to watch. Sadly, Silent Night doesn’t make the cut as an easy recommendation.
Language: English
Available On: Cinemas
Runtime: 104 Minutes
User Rating:
Silent Night is a film directed by John Woo and written by Robert Archer Lynn. The film...
- 12/7/2023
- by Nelson Acosta
- KoiMoi
Let's be blunt: The current state of action cinema worldwide would not be what it is today without the work of director John Woo. While Woo is hardly the only influential filmmaker when it comes to action movies, he's undeniably one of the biggest figures in shaping the genre. Like any great auteur, Woo's style was developed film by film, working his way through his kung-fu features at Golden Harvest in Hong Kong and adding in more experimental techniques (gleaned from the likes of prior filmmakers such as Sam Peckinpah) until he ended up at his signature magnum opus, 1986's "A Better Tomorrow" and its style, which was dubbed "heroic bloodshed."
Over the next several years in Hong Kong and then through to his transition into Hollywood, Woo expanded his "heroic bloodshed" style, peppering in other influences along the way from some of his other favorite filmmakers like Jean-Pierre Melville and Alfred Hitchcock.
Over the next several years in Hong Kong and then through to his transition into Hollywood, Woo expanded his "heroic bloodshed" style, peppering in other influences along the way from some of his other favorite filmmakers like Jean-Pierre Melville and Alfred Hitchcock.
- 12/2/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
John Woo couldn’t miss.
The godfather of gun fu, who helmed a number of balletic, bullet-riddled Chinese actions hits — A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled among them — before taking his talents to the States, was coming off four consecutive Hollywood smashes. First came the Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle Hard Target, a play on The Most Dangerous Game; then, John Travolta-starrer Broken Arrow, about a rogue terrorist armed with a nuclear bomb; the face-swapping flick Face/Off, pairing a very game Travolta with an even more game Nicolas...
The godfather of gun fu, who helmed a number of balletic, bullet-riddled Chinese actions hits — A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled among them — before taking his talents to the States, was coming off four consecutive Hollywood smashes. First came the Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle Hard Target, a play on The Most Dangerous Game; then, John Travolta-starrer Broken Arrow, about a rogue terrorist armed with a nuclear bomb; the face-swapping flick Face/Off, pairing a very game Travolta with an even more game Nicolas...
- 12/1/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
For action fans who came of age in the 1980s and 1990s, the arrival of a new John Woo movie was not just a cinematic event but a spiritual catharsis. No one was making films the way he was, creating exquisitely orchestrated ballets of melodrama and violence influenced in equal amounts by Sam Peckinpah and Douglas Sirk but not beholden to either. Hong Kong imports like “A Better Tomorrow,” “The Killer,” and “Hard Boiled” set a new bar for what audiences could demand in terms of kinetic thrills, and when Woo moved to America, fans wondered if his voice would survive the trip. Luckily, he changed Hollywood more than Hollywood changed him, as he infused “Face/Off,” “Mission Impossible 2,” and other studio assignments with his signature dynamism and influenced a generation of action filmmakers from Quentin Tarantino to Robert Rodriguez.
Then, in 2003, it all stopped. Woo directed Ben Affleck in “Paycheck,...
Then, in 2003, it all stopped. Woo directed Ben Affleck in “Paycheck,...
- 12/1/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
He's back.
John Woo, one of the true maestros of action cinema, has returned to U.S. shores after 20 years to make another Hollywood movie. He left to make movies in Asia after the 2003 dud "Paycheck," but two decades later, he's at the helm of the Christmas-set thriller "Silent Night," starring "For All Mankind" actor Joel Kinnaman. "Those who have been missing Woo's masterful touch on action will likely find plenty to embrace here," /Film's review states, and even if the film never reaches the highs of his previous work, it's exciting to have him back in this mode again at 77 years old.
After all, we're talking about one of the most influential directors of the 20th century, here.
Starting with 1986's "A Better Tomorrow," which catapulted Chow Yun-fat to international superstardom, Woo established himself as one of the most exciting voices in action cinema by blending his unique style...
John Woo, one of the true maestros of action cinema, has returned to U.S. shores after 20 years to make another Hollywood movie. He left to make movies in Asia after the 2003 dud "Paycheck," but two decades later, he's at the helm of the Christmas-set thriller "Silent Night," starring "For All Mankind" actor Joel Kinnaman. "Those who have been missing Woo's masterful touch on action will likely find plenty to embrace here," /Film's review states, and even if the film never reaches the highs of his previous work, it's exciting to have him back in this mode again at 77 years old.
After all, we're talking about one of the most influential directors of the 20th century, here.
Starting with 1986's "A Better Tomorrow," which catapulted Chow Yun-fat to international superstardom, Woo established himself as one of the most exciting voices in action cinema by blending his unique style...
- 11/30/2023
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
This weekend sees an iconic figure of entertainment return to grace our movie theaters with the presence of their sheer awesomeness. But enough about John Woo returning to American theaters with his Christmas themed revenge tale Silent Night, we are also getting the Beyoncé concert film/ documentary Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé.
Coming off the success of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which has amassed a domestic record (for a concert film) $178.2 million comes the second concert film to be released directly by AMC Theaters, bypassing a major studio for its release.
Unlike The Eras Tour Movie, which was a straight up concert film, Renaissance is more of a hybrid concert film/ documentary, in the vein of Michael Jackson’s This Is It, that weaves together background footage of the tour with the actual concert. Obviously the two closest comps for this title are Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour which...
Coming off the success of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which has amassed a domestic record (for a concert film) $178.2 million comes the second concert film to be released directly by AMC Theaters, bypassing a major studio for its release.
Unlike The Eras Tour Movie, which was a straight up concert film, Renaissance is more of a hybrid concert film/ documentary, in the vein of Michael Jackson’s This Is It, that weaves together background footage of the tour with the actual concert. Obviously the two closest comps for this title are Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour which...
- 11/30/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
If action has a name, it must be John Woo. The Hong Kong director has been making grandiose, pulse-pounding, operatic action epics since he began making films in his native country during the early 1970s. Coming off triumphs like "The Killer," the "A Better Tomorrow" duology, and "Hard Boiled," Woo arrived in America with the Jean Claude Van Damme banger "Hard Target" and reshaped the Hollywood action film for a solid ten years. Although he chose to step away from the Hollywood grind after 2003's "Paycheck," he's never stopped making movies, and in fact has expanded and further developed his trademark style with each successive feature.
Two decades after "Paycheck," Woo is finally making his return to Hollywood and the English-language action film by making *checks notes* a drama-heavy action movie where barely any dialogue of any language is spoken. That's right, John Woo isn't done experimenting with cinema. "Silent...
Two decades after "Paycheck," Woo is finally making his return to Hollywood and the English-language action film by making *checks notes* a drama-heavy action movie where barely any dialogue of any language is spoken. That's right, John Woo isn't done experimenting with cinema. "Silent...
- 11/30/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
The opening minutes of Silent Night promise something fun. There’s Joel Kinnaman, dressed in a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer sweater, sprinting in super-slow-motion through his neighborhood’s back alleys. There are the warring Mexican gang members he’s chasing, spraying bullets at each other as they rampage through residential streets. There’s the glittery soundtrack of a music box filtering out the distant sirens and tire-screeching. And then there’s a red balloon, floating above the chaos, doing its best Fritz Lang impression. It’s gloriously, ludicrously over-the-top.
But who are we kidding? Nobody does melodrama better than John Woo, returning to Hollywood after a 20-year hiatus (his last American movie was 2003’s Paycheck) to deliver some of his signature thrills and recapture the theatrical style that made him one of the world’s most influential directors. A few decades ago, thanks in part to Hard Boiled, The Killer,...
But who are we kidding? Nobody does melodrama better than John Woo, returning to Hollywood after a 20-year hiatus (his last American movie was 2003’s Paycheck) to deliver some of his signature thrills and recapture the theatrical style that made him one of the world’s most influential directors. A few decades ago, thanks in part to Hard Boiled, The Killer,...
- 11/30/2023
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
John Woo’s Silent Night is skipping cinemas in the UK and will instead premiere on Sky Cinema on Christmas Eve.
Though John Woo is one of the most revered action directors in history due to his astonishing ‘heroic bloodshed’ sequences in films like A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled and The Killer, his Hollywood filmography is an eclectic mix. There are huge hits like Mission: Impossible II and Face/Off, and underrated films like Hard Target and Broken Arrow. Then there’s Paycheck, which was reviled by audiences and critics, even if some people don’t mind if that much.
Silent Night, meanwhile, looks set to be a return to form, as a wordless protagonist goes on a mission of vengeance. We’ve been following the progress of the film for a while, and we’re excited to see it. It’s just we’re not going to be able to see it,...
Though John Woo is one of the most revered action directors in history due to his astonishing ‘heroic bloodshed’ sequences in films like A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled and The Killer, his Hollywood filmography is an eclectic mix. There are huge hits like Mission: Impossible II and Face/Off, and underrated films like Hard Target and Broken Arrow. Then there’s Paycheck, which was reviled by audiences and critics, even if some people don’t mind if that much.
Silent Night, meanwhile, looks set to be a return to form, as a wordless protagonist goes on a mission of vengeance. We’ve been following the progress of the film for a while, and we’re excited to see it. It’s just we’re not going to be able to see it,...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a film as unrelentingly mean and ugly as Silent Night. Action maestro John Woo’s return to Hollywood filmmaking after twenty years away is one of the year’s most stunning disappointments, a cruel slog with plenty of bullets and blood but none of the soul for which Woo was once famous.
Joel Kinnaman is Brian Godlock, a man whose young son was struck and killed by a stray bullet from a gang fight on Christmas Day in the front yard of their California home. In the film’s opening sequence, Godlock chases the gang members down but is shot in the throat and left for dead. He doesn’t die, but his voice is stolen from him. Over the course of the year, the formerly mild-mannered electrician bulks up and turns himself into a lethal weapon, ready to go...
Joel Kinnaman is Brian Godlock, a man whose young son was struck and killed by a stray bullet from a gang fight on Christmas Day in the front yard of their California home. In the film’s opening sequence, Godlock chases the gang members down but is shot in the throat and left for dead. He doesn’t die, but his voice is stolen from him. Over the course of the year, the formerly mild-mannered electrician bulks up and turns himself into a lethal weapon, ready to go...
- 11/27/2023
- by Chris Williams
- CinemaNerdz
“Silent Night” marks John Woo’s first American action film since 2003’s all-too-fittingly titled “Paycheck,” and the legendary Hong Kong auteur seems eager to make up for lost time. There are at least two decades’ worth of John Woo-ness crammed into the opening minutes of this hyper-florid yuletide “Taken” riff, which starts with Joel Kinnaman — dressed in a Rudolph sweater, complete with a poofy 3D nose — sprinting after some Mexican gang members in slow-motion while a computer-generated red balloon drifts skyward in the distance and a music box twinkles over the soundtrack.
Despite the absence of flying doves, the sheer degree of a melodrama that’s infused into this otherwise unremarkable chase sequence leaves no doubt as to who must have directed it. And while the rest of “Silent Night” is so abysmal that its prologue might as well be the last hour of “Hard Boiled” by comparison, it’s...
Despite the absence of flying doves, the sheer degree of a melodrama that’s infused into this otherwise unremarkable chase sequence leaves no doubt as to who must have directed it. And while the rest of “Silent Night” is so abysmal that its prologue might as well be the last hour of “Hard Boiled” by comparison, it’s...
- 11/27/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Usually, when people think of the greatest decade for action movies, the 80s are what they think of. After all, this is the era that gave us Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, the Rambo movies, and so many more. But, the nineties was just as important a decade, giving birth to just as many legends of the genre, and it was the last significant era for R-rated action flicks. But what are the best action movies of the 90s? It’s tough to say, but here are 10, plus an honourable mention, that we think we deserve a place in the pantheon.
Honourable Mention: Demolition Man:
When this came out in the fall of 1993, it wasn’t considered all that special. It apparently lost money at the box office, but within a few years, this Sylvester Stallone/ Wesley Snipes mashup became a major cult classic, and now it’s one of the...
Honourable Mention: Demolition Man:
When this came out in the fall of 1993, it wasn’t considered all that special. It apparently lost money at the box office, but within a few years, this Sylvester Stallone/ Wesley Snipes mashup became a major cult classic, and now it’s one of the...
- 11/23/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
John Woo, the legendary director of The Killer, Hard Boiled and Face/Off has rightly professed his love for David Mackenzie’s 2016 thriller, Hell Or High Water. What impeccable taste.
As is customary these days, a respected outlet has published a fascinating, in-depth interview with a respected filmmaker, and the rest of the internet has zeroed in on the bit where they glancingly talk about Marvel films.
Such is the case with the legendary John Woo, who changed action movies forever with such Hong Kong thrillers as The Killer and Hard Boiled, before moving to Hollywood with the likes of Hard Target, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2.
The New Yorker caught up with Mr Woo just as he unleashes his latest film, the great-sounding Christmas thriller Silent Night, in which Joel Kinnaman plays a grieving father on a festive revenge mission. Incredibly, it’s Woo’s first in 20 years. To mark the occasion,...
As is customary these days, a respected outlet has published a fascinating, in-depth interview with a respected filmmaker, and the rest of the internet has zeroed in on the bit where they glancingly talk about Marvel films.
Such is the case with the legendary John Woo, who changed action movies forever with such Hong Kong thrillers as The Killer and Hard Boiled, before moving to Hollywood with the likes of Hard Target, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2.
The New Yorker caught up with Mr Woo just as he unleashes his latest film, the great-sounding Christmas thriller Silent Night, in which Joel Kinnaman plays a grieving father on a festive revenge mission. Incredibly, it’s Woo’s first in 20 years. To mark the occasion,...
- 11/21/2023
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
Action movie icon John Woo is not watching superhero movies, he recently told The New York Times in an interview ahead of the release of “Silent Night.” Woo, the Hong Kong director acclaimed for films such as “The Killer” (1989), “Hard Boiled” (1992) and “Face/Off” (1997), said he much prefers “real cinema” like Martin Scorsese movies.
“I’ve never liked watching movies with big special effects, or anything based on comic books,” Woo told the publication. “I prefer Martin Scorsese’s movies, that kind of cinema. I can’t wait to watch ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ I like old-fashioned movies, you know? Real cinema. There aren’t many movies like that lately.”
Scorsese has shared his own criticisms of superhero movies over the years and garnered significant media attention in October 2019 when he told Empire magazine that Marvel movies were damaging the exhibition space. He argued that the comic book genre had...
“I’ve never liked watching movies with big special effects, or anything based on comic books,” Woo told the publication. “I prefer Martin Scorsese’s movies, that kind of cinema. I can’t wait to watch ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ I like old-fashioned movies, you know? Real cinema. There aren’t many movies like that lately.”
Scorsese has shared his own criticisms of superhero movies over the years and garnered significant media attention in October 2019 when he told Empire magazine that Marvel movies were damaging the exhibition space. He argued that the comic book genre had...
- 11/21/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
The Hong Kong star was named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at Busan International Film Festival.
Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun-fat has reflected on the struggles of filmmakers under Chinese censorship and how it contrasts with the creative freedom in Korean cinema.
Speaking at Busan International Film Festival, where he received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award last night, the star of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was asked by Screen for his take on the state of Hong Kong cinema.
“We have a lot of censorship requirements in mainland China so our scripts must go through a lot of...
Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun-fat has reflected on the struggles of filmmakers under Chinese censorship and how it contrasts with the creative freedom in Korean cinema.
Speaking at Busan International Film Festival, where he received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award last night, the star of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was asked by Screen for his take on the state of Hong Kong cinema.
“We have a lot of censorship requirements in mainland China so our scripts must go through a lot of...
- 10/5/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
John Woo is back.
The filmmaker behind such seminal action classics as “The Killer,” “Hard Boiled” and “Face/Off” is back with “Silent Night,” which stars Joel Kinnaman as a man who vows revenge after he is badly wounded and his son is killed on Christmas Eve. Watch the trailer above but be warned: it’s not for the faint of heart.
In the film, Kinnaman plays a man who goes after the murderers who destroyed his family. One of the most memorable shots in the trailer is when he writes “Kill Them All” on his calendar. The title “Silent Night” refers not only to the classic Christmas carol, but also to the fact that Kinnaman’s character lost his ability to speak in the attack. Now he’s silent… but deadly. Scott Mescudi and Catalina Sandino Moreno also star.
“Silent Night,” marks Woo’s first American movie in 20 years. His last U.
The filmmaker behind such seminal action classics as “The Killer,” “Hard Boiled” and “Face/Off” is back with “Silent Night,” which stars Joel Kinnaman as a man who vows revenge after he is badly wounded and his son is killed on Christmas Eve. Watch the trailer above but be warned: it’s not for the faint of heart.
In the film, Kinnaman plays a man who goes after the murderers who destroyed his family. One of the most memorable shots in the trailer is when he writes “Kill Them All” on his calendar. The title “Silent Night” refers not only to the classic Christmas carol, but also to the fact that Kinnaman’s character lost his ability to speak in the attack. Now he’s silent… but deadly. Scott Mescudi and Catalina Sandino Moreno also star.
“Silent Night,” marks Woo’s first American movie in 20 years. His last U.
- 10/3/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Lionsgate will release John Woo’s “Silent Night” on Dec. 1, 2023, the studio announced on Friday.
The film is Woo’s first American theatrical film since 2003’s “Paycheck,” and Woo directed the project without a single word of dialogue.
The film stars Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno.
The official synopsis is as follows: From legendary director John Woo and the producer of “John Wick” comes the gritty revenge tale of a tormented father (Kinnaman) who witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang’s crossfire on Christmas Eve. While recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, Kinnaman makes vengeance his life’s mission and embarks on a punishing training regimen in order to avenge his son’s death. Full of Woo’s signature style, “Silent Night” redefines the action genre with visceral thrill-a-minute storytelling.
Woo directed the film from a script by Robert Archer Lynn.
The film is Woo’s first American theatrical film since 2003’s “Paycheck,” and Woo directed the project without a single word of dialogue.
The film stars Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno.
The official synopsis is as follows: From legendary director John Woo and the producer of “John Wick” comes the gritty revenge tale of a tormented father (Kinnaman) who witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang’s crossfire on Christmas Eve. While recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, Kinnaman makes vengeance his life’s mission and embarks on a punishing training regimen in order to avenge his son’s death. Full of Woo’s signature style, “Silent Night” redefines the action genre with visceral thrill-a-minute storytelling.
Woo directed the film from a script by Robert Archer Lynn.
- 9/22/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Tony Leung Chiu Wai is one of the most recognizable Asian actors in the world, chiefly through his collaborations with a number of master filmmakers, including Ang Lee, Hou Hsiao Hsien, John Woo and Wong Kar Wai. Leung, who also has a career as a pop singer, has been praised by audiences and critics for his ability to wonderfully portray a plethora of different roles, a skill stressed by the fact that he can fluently speak Cantonese, English and Spanish.
His career reached its apogee from the end of the 80s, and Leung never actually deteriorated, with the astonishing parts coming one of the other. It is by no surprise then, that this year, he was presented with the Venice Film Festival lifetime achievement award
1. A City of Sadness
The script depicts the experiences of the Lin family during the upheaval that occurred after 1945, when Japanese forces withdrew from Taiwan after 51 years,...
His career reached its apogee from the end of the 80s, and Leung never actually deteriorated, with the astonishing parts coming one of the other. It is by no surprise then, that this year, he was presented with the Venice Film Festival lifetime achievement award
1. A City of Sadness
The script depicts the experiences of the Lin family during the upheaval that occurred after 1945, when Japanese forces withdrew from Taiwan after 51 years,...
- 9/10/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Tony Leung Chiu-wai has starred in three movies that have scooped the top prize Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and today he is receiving his very own Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
The 61-year-old Hong Kong actor and singer is one of Asia’s most successful and internationally recognized stars. Among his major global credits are Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 romantic drama In the Mood for Love, for which he won the Best Actor prize in Cannes. His other collaborations with Wong include Chungking Express, Happy Together and The Grandmaster.
Leung also starred in the Academy Award-nominated film Hero by Zhang Yimou, and the box office hits Hard Boiled by John Woo and Infernal Affairs by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. The latter trilogy formed the basis for Martin Scorsese’s Oscar winning The Departed.
Talking with the press today, Leung beamed of the Lifetime Achievement Lion, “Finally I can have it for myself,...
The 61-year-old Hong Kong actor and singer is one of Asia’s most successful and internationally recognized stars. Among his major global credits are Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 romantic drama In the Mood for Love, for which he won the Best Actor prize in Cannes. His other collaborations with Wong include Chungking Express, Happy Together and The Grandmaster.
Leung also starred in the Academy Award-nominated film Hero by Zhang Yimou, and the box office hits Hard Boiled by John Woo and Infernal Affairs by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. The latter trilogy formed the basis for Martin Scorsese’s Oscar winning The Departed.
Talking with the press today, Leung beamed of the Lifetime Achievement Lion, “Finally I can have it for myself,...
- 9/2/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
August isn't especially famous for its great movies. As months go, the eighth one on the calendar has often been a bit of a wasteland for Hollywood, as blockbusters peter off, kids have a lot less free time and money, and studio executives need to find somewhere to dump their proverbial dead bodies.
If you want a good example, you can pretty much throw a dart at any year after "Jaws" popularized the concept of summer blockbuster season. For example, let's take a look at 1993. 30 years ago, August was a month for dreck comedies like "Son of the Pink Panther," family film misfires like "Father Hood" and "Surf Ninjas," and the weird-ass "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday."
But then again, there are exceptions to every rule. There were also a few excellent motion pictures in August 1993. The increasingly timeless classic "The Fugitive" came out that month, along with...
If you want a good example, you can pretty much throw a dart at any year after "Jaws" popularized the concept of summer blockbuster season. For example, let's take a look at 1993. 30 years ago, August was a month for dreck comedies like "Son of the Pink Panther," family film misfires like "Father Hood" and "Surf Ninjas," and the weird-ass "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday."
But then again, there are exceptions to every rule. There were also a few excellent motion pictures in August 1993. The increasingly timeless classic "The Fugitive" came out that month, along with...
- 8/20/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
The early nineties were arguably the heyday of brawny action. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the world’s biggest star, thanks to Total Recall and Terminator 2. Sylvester Stallone was just a little behind him with Cliffhanger and Demolition Man, but the lower-tier action stars were starting to catch up. Steven Seagal had a string of hits and was briefly about to hit the big time with Under Siege. At the same time, the Muscles from Brussels was finding his way into bigger studio fare and teamed up with arguably the greatest action director of all time for one of his best movies – Hard Target, which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its release.
Jump back to 1991, when Jean-Claude Van Damme had two movies that broke through at the North American box office. First up, in January of that year, was Lionheart, which carried a low budget but made $22 million for Universal.
Jump back to 1991, when Jean-Claude Van Damme had two movies that broke through at the North American box office. First up, in January of that year, was Lionheart, which carried a low budget but made $22 million for Universal.
- 8/13/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
In the pantheon of the best action films ever, many of the same worthwhile titles come up: Die Hard, Speed, Aliens…And of course there’s Predator, The Killer, Runaway Train – well, not according to Variety, at least, who made some glaring omissions and curious inclusions on their list of “The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time”.
This ranking of the best action movies has, expectedly, come under scrutiny, with many readers wondering, Where’s this movie? and Where’s that movie? Of course, even with the prestige of Variety, this list of “The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time” is still just opinion. Still, we can’t help but notice a few things here…
The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time https://t.co/NWrrY0jfzE
— Variety (@Variety) July 14, 2023
Where are movies like Predator and True Lies? Predator stands as a fan favorite with some terrific action sequences and...
This ranking of the best action movies has, expectedly, come under scrutiny, with many readers wondering, Where’s this movie? and Where’s that movie? Of course, even with the prestige of Variety, this list of “The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time” is still just opinion. Still, we can’t help but notice a few things here…
The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time https://t.co/NWrrY0jfzE
— Variety (@Variety) July 14, 2023
Where are movies like Predator and True Lies? Predator stands as a fan favorite with some terrific action sequences and...
- 7/15/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
It’s not clear when it happened — sometime in the past 27 years — but the Mission: Impossible movies gradually evolved into Hollywood’s best modern action franchise. Figuring out how this happened is far easier: Star Tom Cruise’s legendary willingness to do anything and everything to make each film a blockbuster while — as the franchise’s most powerful producer — savvily finding creative partners that bring out his best. In fact, Cruise is much like his Imf agent Ethan Hunt: When the man’s on a mission, he’s an unstoppable force who’ll never stop running until he saves the day — or, the summer box office. Below, The Hollywood Reporter ranks every Mission: Impossible film, including the newly released Dead Reckoning Part One, from the very worst to the definite best.
7. Mission: Impossible II (2000) Mission: Impossible II
To the surprise of no one. John Woo, the acclaimed director of Hard Boiled and Face/Off,...
7. Mission: Impossible II (2000) Mission: Impossible II
To the surprise of no one. John Woo, the acclaimed director of Hard Boiled and Face/Off,...
- 7/13/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
(Welcome to Movies Are Gay, a Pride Month series where we explore the intentional, or accidental, ways Lgbtqia+ themes, characters, and creatives have shaped cinema.)
I try not to be one of those people that operate as if any instance of two men showing care and compassion for one another is inherently homoerotic because it's that line of thinking that makes it difficult for straight men to actually express genuine emotions and allows the patriarchy to continue to destroy us all. That said, Tequila (Chow Yun-fat) and Alan (Tony Leung) of John Woo's brilliant "Hard Boiled" are so in love they have to shoot guns about it. The final film Woo would make before he went to Hollywood, this pinnacle of Gun-Fu tells the story of one cop reeling from the loss of his partner and another working deep undercover that join forces to take down a corrupt group...
I try not to be one of those people that operate as if any instance of two men showing care and compassion for one another is inherently homoerotic because it's that line of thinking that makes it difficult for straight men to actually express genuine emotions and allows the patriarchy to continue to destroy us all. That said, Tequila (Chow Yun-fat) and Alan (Tony Leung) of John Woo's brilliant "Hard Boiled" are so in love they have to shoot guns about it. The final film Woo would make before he went to Hollywood, this pinnacle of Gun-Fu tells the story of one cop reeling from the loss of his partner and another working deep undercover that join forces to take down a corrupt group...
- 6/4/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
(Welcome to Best Action Scene Ever, a column dedicated to breaking down the best, most effective action sequences throughout the genre. In this edition, John Woo blows minds — literally — with the 1992 classic "Hard Boiled.")
Long before a character named John Wick burst onto the scene, changing the entire landscape of action for years to come, a different John W. did very much the same, with even greater challenges to conquer. Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo might be most well-known in the West for his contributions to Hollywood, including the likes of "The Killer," "Face/Off," and "Mission Impossible: II." But true students of the genre know that his work in Hong Kong cinema influenced much of American action filmmaking for decades to come.
1992's "Hard Boiled" marked a huge turning point in Woo's career, representing the last Hong Kong film he made (the movie is mostly spoken in Cantonese) before going...
Long before a character named John Wick burst onto the scene, changing the entire landscape of action for years to come, a different John W. did very much the same, with even greater challenges to conquer. Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo might be most well-known in the West for his contributions to Hollywood, including the likes of "The Killer," "Face/Off," and "Mission Impossible: II." But true students of the genre know that his work in Hong Kong cinema influenced much of American action filmmaking for decades to come.
1992's "Hard Boiled" marked a huge turning point in Woo's career, representing the last Hong Kong film he made (the movie is mostly spoken in Cantonese) before going...
- 4/3/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
When "John Wick" dropkicked its way into theaters in 2014, it raised the bar on U.S. action films but didn't quite feel like a total game changer at the time. Keanu Reeves as the sympathetic rogue assassin was undeniably cool and relatable without reaching instant icon status. The gun-fu interplay felt fresh and exciting with clear influences from Hong Kong cinema that most audiences were already at least somewhat familiar with. Director John Woo, for example, imported his unique blend of action and artistry with the shoot 'em up classics "The Killer" and "Hardboiled," introducing international audiences to a rebirth of cool in hitman movies that also had a soul.
Fast forward to "John Wick: Chapter 4." Reeves, director Chad Stahelski and the entire creative and technical teams have taken all of their influences from some of the greatest choreographers and martial artists to truly transcend the action genre. At nearly three hours long,...
Fast forward to "John Wick: Chapter 4." Reeves, director Chad Stahelski and the entire creative and technical teams have taken all of their influences from some of the greatest choreographers and martial artists to truly transcend the action genre. At nearly three hours long,...
- 3/21/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
A lot has happened since May of last year, so you'd be forgiven for letting it slip from your mind that director John Woo's classic 1989 action film "The Killer" is due for its own straight-to-streaming remake ... and it's also being directed by, you guessed it, John Woo. The unexpected news was first covered by /Film here and, honestly, we're still not entirely sure what to make of it. But it's definitely happening and today we've received our most significant update on the project yet.
Deadline was the first to report that the "reimagining" of the original action film, which follows an assassin (played by Chow Yun-Fat) who inadvertently blinds an innocent bystander during a shootout and sets off on one last contract gig to get the money to pay for her eyesight-saving surgery, has found its two main leads. Omar Sy, who most recently appeared in "Jurassic World Dominion...
Deadline was the first to report that the "reimagining" of the original action film, which follows an assassin (played by Chow Yun-Fat) who inadvertently blinds an innocent bystander during a shootout and sets off on one last contract gig to get the money to pay for her eyesight-saving surgery, has found its two main leads. Omar Sy, who most recently appeared in "Jurassic World Dominion...
- 3/14/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
The "John Wick" movies have gone from cult favorites to legitimate blockbusters over the past decade, bolstered by a thrilling form of action design practiced by Keanu Reeves. The term gun-fu is often used to describe the fight scenes in the John Wick saga, but the style itself didn't start with Baba Yaga.
Legendary Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo pioneered gun-fu in the '80s by taking movie gun fights from sequences of static shots to highly-choreographed, kinetic experiences. Perhaps the best example came with 1992's "Hard Boiled," which contains an epic three-minute-long gunfight that, for many, represents the apex of the director's unique style.
Gun-fu would predictably make its way to Hollywood in the ensuing years, and started showing up in movies like "Bulletproof Monk," "Kick-Ass," "Equilibrium," and "The Matrix." This westernized form of the style would add an element of accuracy and precision that imbued the frenzied shots...
Legendary Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo pioneered gun-fu in the '80s by taking movie gun fights from sequences of static shots to highly-choreographed, kinetic experiences. Perhaps the best example came with 1992's "Hard Boiled," which contains an epic three-minute-long gunfight that, for many, represents the apex of the director's unique style.
Gun-fu would predictably make its way to Hollywood in the ensuing years, and started showing up in movies like "Bulletproof Monk," "Kick-Ass," "Equilibrium," and "The Matrix." This westernized form of the style would add an element of accuracy and precision that imbued the frenzied shots...
- 2/17/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Director / Producer / Showrunner Greg Yaitanes discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, The Atomo-Vision Of Joe Dante At The American Cinematheque
The Ipcress File (1965) – Howard Rodman’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
On The Border (1998)
Hard Justice (1995)
Rorschach (1993)
Hard Target (1993)
Hard Boiled (1992)
Risky Business (1983)
Assault Platoon (1990)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Star Wars (1977)
All That Jazz (1979) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Star 80 (1983)
Lenny (1974) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)
Southern Comfort (1981)
The Trial (1962) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
Babylon (2022)
Hitman’s Run (1999)
Birdy (1984)
The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)
The Paper House (1986)
A History Of Violence (2005)
The Passion Of The Christ (2004)
Hail Mary (1985)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
Double Tap (1997)
Conspiracy Theory (1997)
Die Hard (1988)
Heat (1995)
Manhunter (1986) – Josh Olson’s...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, The Atomo-Vision Of Joe Dante At The American Cinematheque
The Ipcress File (1965) – Howard Rodman’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
On The Border (1998)
Hard Justice (1995)
Rorschach (1993)
Hard Target (1993)
Hard Boiled (1992)
Risky Business (1983)
Assault Platoon (1990)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Star Wars (1977)
All That Jazz (1979) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Star 80 (1983)
Lenny (1974) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)
Southern Comfort (1981)
The Trial (1962) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
Babylon (2022)
Hitman’s Run (1999)
Birdy (1984)
The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)
The Paper House (1986)
A History Of Violence (2005)
The Passion Of The Christ (2004)
Hail Mary (1985)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
Double Tap (1997)
Conspiracy Theory (1997)
Die Hard (1988)
Heat (1995)
Manhunter (1986) – Josh Olson’s...
- 1/31/2023
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
No matter how action films evolve over the years, John Woo remains one of the most influential directors of his generation. The genre wouldn't be what it is today without Woo's elegiac, balletic action sequences, his inventive (not to mention bombastic) use of gunplay, and of course his penchant for slow motion. But Woo's signature style wasn't born in a vacuum. The director has always worn his influences enthusiastically on his sleeve — and endearingly, Woo takes influence from anything he can. When recording commentary for his 1992 hit "Hard-Boiled," Woo admitted that he tries "to get something from everything" he sees. It could be a classical movement from a composer like Richard Wagner, a painting by Van Gogh, or a Bugs Bunny cartoon — in some way, they'll end up informing his work.
Woo also draws steady inspiration from two classic genres: the musicals of Hollywood's Golden Age, and the pulpy Westerns that dominated the '60s.
Woo also draws steady inspiration from two classic genres: the musicals of Hollywood's Golden Age, and the pulpy Westerns that dominated the '60s.
- 8/22/2022
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
Stuntman J.J. Perry, director of Day Shift, joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss his favorite action flicks.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
You Only Live Twice (1967) – Dana Gould’s trailer commentary
From Russia With Love (1963) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Day Shift (2022)
Big Trouble In Little China (1986) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary
The Lost Boys (1987) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Fright Night (1986) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
The Evil Dead (1983) – Fede Alvarez’s trailer commentary
Zombieland (2009)
Traffic (2000)
Spectral (2016)
Spectre (2015)
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Peli’s trailer commentary
Enter The Dragon (1973) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
The Way of the Dragon a.k.a. Return of the Dragon (1972) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Rocky (1976)
Rocky II (1979)
Rocky III (1982)
Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky V (1990)
Creed (2015)
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
The Tournament (2009)
The Shepherd: Border Patrol (2008)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
F9: The Fast Saga (2021)
Samaritan (2022)
Safe (2012)
Warrior...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
You Only Live Twice (1967) – Dana Gould’s trailer commentary
From Russia With Love (1963) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Day Shift (2022)
Big Trouble In Little China (1986) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary
The Lost Boys (1987) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Fright Night (1986) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
The Evil Dead (1983) – Fede Alvarez’s trailer commentary
Zombieland (2009)
Traffic (2000)
Spectral (2016)
Spectre (2015)
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Peli’s trailer commentary
Enter The Dragon (1973) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
The Way of the Dragon a.k.a. Return of the Dragon (1972) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Rocky (1976)
Rocky II (1979)
Rocky III (1982)
Rocky IV (1985)
Rocky V (1990)
Creed (2015)
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
The Tournament (2009)
The Shepherd: Border Patrol (2008)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
F9: The Fast Saga (2021)
Samaritan (2022)
Safe (2012)
Warrior...
- 8/9/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
As Brad Pitt’s new thriller Bullet Train arrives in cinemas, Guardian writers have picked their most exciting action films of all time
When John Woo’s 1989 breakthrough The Killer started slipping into repertory houses and cult video stores, it was the beginning of a revolution, like an adrenalized marriage between the cool of Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï and the operatic bloodletting of Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. But The Killer turned out to be a mere throat-clearing for Woo’s follow-up, Hard Boiled, which kicks off with a shootout in a teahouse filled with birdcages (bullets and feathers go flying) and builds to 40 minutes of pyrotechnics at a hospital that swings unforgettably through the nursery.
When John Woo’s 1989 breakthrough The Killer started slipping into repertory houses and cult video stores, it was the beginning of a revolution, like an adrenalized marriage between the cool of Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï and the operatic bloodletting of Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. But The Killer turned out to be a mere throat-clearing for Woo’s follow-up, Hard Boiled, which kicks off with a shootout in a teahouse filled with birdcages (bullets and feathers go flying) and builds to 40 minutes of pyrotechnics at a hospital that swings unforgettably through the nursery.
- 8/2/2022
- by Scott Tobias, Charles Bramesco, Jesse Hassenger, Adrian Horton, Veronica Esposito, Andrew Pulver, Benjamin Lee, Radheyan Simonpillai, Lisa Wong Macabasco, AA Dowd and Andrew Lawrence
- The Guardian - Film News
“Face Off” helmer John Woo will receive a Career Achievement Award during Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, about to celebrate its 26th edition. The Hong Kong filmmaker is currently working on “Silent Night,” starring Joel Kinnaman and Kid Cudi.
“I defy anyone to watch ‘Bullet in the Head,’ ‘Hard Boiled’ or ‘The Killer’ and not walk away wanting to break down the shots and make a movie. His use of camera movement, close-ups, the ways he would block and choreograph, it’s astonishing to look at,” Fantasia’s artistic director Mitch Davis told Variety, noting the “unexpected poetry” of Woo’s work.
“They are such unconventionally soulful films. I wish we could somehow unleash a flock of doves in the cinema when he steps onto the stage. Backlit.”
The festival, which will unspool July 14 – Aug. 3, has also unveiled its first wave of titles, starting with a selection of world...
“I defy anyone to watch ‘Bullet in the Head,’ ‘Hard Boiled’ or ‘The Killer’ and not walk away wanting to break down the shots and make a movie. His use of camera movement, close-ups, the ways he would block and choreograph, it’s astonishing to look at,” Fantasia’s artistic director Mitch Davis told Variety, noting the “unexpected poetry” of Woo’s work.
“They are such unconventionally soulful films. I wish we could somehow unleash a flock of doves in the cinema when he steps onto the stage. Backlit.”
The festival, which will unspool July 14 – Aug. 3, has also unveiled its first wave of titles, starting with a selection of world...
- 5/12/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Genre festival to run in Montreal from July 14-August 3.
Fantasia International Film Festival will host first wave world premieres for the likes of Rebekah McKendry’s Glorious and Satoshi Miki’s Convenience Story and a career achievement award for John Woo at the upcoming in-person summer edition.
Set to run in Montreal from July 14-August 3, the event will include workshops, and launch events. Screenings and select events will take place in Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at Cinémathèque Québécoise, Cinéma du Musée and McCord Museum. The full line-up will be unveiled in June.
Woo, whose credits include Hard Boiled,...
Fantasia International Film Festival will host first wave world premieres for the likes of Rebekah McKendry’s Glorious and Satoshi Miki’s Convenience Story and a career achievement award for John Woo at the upcoming in-person summer edition.
Set to run in Montreal from July 14-August 3, the event will include workshops, and launch events. Screenings and select events will take place in Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at Cinémathèque Québécoise, Cinéma du Musée and McCord Museum. The full line-up will be unveiled in June.
Woo, whose credits include Hard Boiled,...
- 5/6/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
This was just casually thrown in at the bottom of a general announcement from Peacock today. One of the 'Oh by way' variety, but it's massive news for fans of the golden age of Hk cinema, more specifically the Heroic Bloodshed sub genre. The holy trinity of Hk Herooic Bloodshed/action cinema is Woo's A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Hard Boiled. And if you were ever lucky enough to see the Taiwanese cut of The Killer you felt like you achieved some kind of Boss Level stuff. His hitman with a conscious actioner is simply an amazing rush of gun battle after gun battle, culminating in an all out gun fight in a church. It's fucking amazing. A disillusioned assassin accepts one last...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 5/2/2022
- Screen Anarchy
Monday mornings are always a good time to wake ourselves up with some strange-but-true news, and it's hard to imagine anything else today topping this one. Director John Woo, the Chinese filmmaker behind so many classics such as 1992's "Hard Boiled," the gloriously campy Nicolas Cage and John Travolta two-hander "Face/Off," and several acclaimed Hong Kong action movies, is answering the prayers of many a movie fan and coming back with his latest feature. And get this -- he's remaking his own movie for a straight-to-streaming project for Peacock.
1989's "The Killer" earned a high reputation among Woo advocates and helped pave his way...
The post John Woo to Remake The Killer for Peacock's Original Film Slate in Collaboration with Universal appeared first on /Film.
1989's "The Killer" earned a high reputation among Woo advocates and helped pave his way...
The post John Woo to Remake The Killer for Peacock's Original Film Slate in Collaboration with Universal appeared first on /Film.
- 5/2/2022
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Another week, another episode of the Pop Addled podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly!
Pop Addled is a pop culture podcast with nerd tendencies. Join Keenan, Sam and Timmy as they discuss movies, music, video games, sports, TV, comics, and any intersection thereof. Their brains have been thoroughly addled by pop culture and they’re here to share their twisted thoughts with you!
If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out old episode on Libsyn and iTunes; and we’ll be bringing you the latest episodes each and every week.
Pop Addled – Episode 429: Doom Addled – John Woo’s Hard Boiled
Mike and Harrison are back to watch some of John Woo’s best films. We finish our look at his Hong Kong films with Hard Boiled. Give a listen and if you like what you hear, then be sure to Like,...
Pop Addled is a pop culture podcast with nerd tendencies. Join Keenan, Sam and Timmy as they discuss movies, music, video games, sports, TV, comics, and any intersection thereof. Their brains have been thoroughly addled by pop culture and they’re here to share their twisted thoughts with you!
If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out old episode on Libsyn and iTunes; and we’ll be bringing you the latest episodes each and every week.
Pop Addled – Episode 429: Doom Addled – John Woo’s Hard Boiled
Mike and Harrison are back to watch some of John Woo’s best films. We finish our look at his Hong Kong films with Hard Boiled. Give a listen and if you like what you hear, then be sure to Like,...
- 4/6/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Grammy-winner Kid Cudi is continuing his on-screen hot streak following "X" and "Don't Look Up." According to a press release, the musician and actor will next be seen in John Woo's latest movie, "Silent Night."
"Silent Night" is an upcoming action thriller from the filmmaker behind classics like "Face/Off" and "Hard Boiled." The movie seems to be taking a classic revenge film route, following a father avenging the death of his son after he's caught in gang crossfire on Christmas Eve. Joel Kinnaman will play the father in question, while Kid Cudi, also credited as Scott Mescudi, will play Detective Dennis Vassel.
Mescudi initially...
The post John Woo's New Action Movie Silent Night Adds Kid Cudi appeared first on /Film.
"Silent Night" is an upcoming action thriller from the filmmaker behind classics like "Face/Off" and "Hard Boiled." The movie seems to be taking a classic revenge film route, following a father avenging the death of his son after he's caught in gang crossfire on Christmas Eve. Joel Kinnaman will play the father in question, while Kid Cudi, also credited as Scott Mescudi, will play Detective Dennis Vassel.
Mescudi initially...
The post John Woo's New Action Movie Silent Night Adds Kid Cudi appeared first on /Film.
- 4/4/2022
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi is joining the cast of “Silent Night,” the next film from action movie auteur John Woo — a film entirely free of dialogue.
“Silent Night” stars Joel Kinnaman (“The Suicide Squad”) and is currently filming in Mexico City. In the film, Kinnaman plays Godlock, a father on a mission to avenge his young son who was tragically caught in the crossfire of gang violence on Christmas Eve. Shot and nearly killed while in pursuit of the murderers, Godlock vows to avenge his son by any means necessary.
Mescudi, who most recently appeared in “Don’t Look Up” and in the horror movie “X,” will play Detective Dennis Vassel in the film. “Silent Night” also stars Harold Torres and Catalina Sandino Moreno. Robert Lynn wrote the original screenplay.
“Silent Night” comes from Thunder Road Films and Capstone Studios. The film’s producers are Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee for Thunder Road,...
“Silent Night” stars Joel Kinnaman (“The Suicide Squad”) and is currently filming in Mexico City. In the film, Kinnaman plays Godlock, a father on a mission to avenge his young son who was tragically caught in the crossfire of gang violence on Christmas Eve. Shot and nearly killed while in pursuit of the murderers, Godlock vows to avenge his son by any means necessary.
Mescudi, who most recently appeared in “Don’t Look Up” and in the horror movie “X,” will play Detective Dennis Vassel in the film. “Silent Night” also stars Harold Torres and Catalina Sandino Moreno. Robert Lynn wrote the original screenplay.
“Silent Night” comes from Thunder Road Films and Capstone Studios. The film’s producers are Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee for Thunder Road,...
- 4/4/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
We were a film couple. David Chute was writing film reviews for the Boston Phoenix when I met him in New York. He’d come down for a George Romero party, where we talked for hours. He had written two pieces for Film Comment, where I was the new Associate Editor. And even though I had landed my dream job, when he moved to Los Angeles to join Peter Rainer at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, he convinced me to ditch my Upper West Side rent-controlled apartment and move in with him in Koreatown. I had never been to California and had to learn how to drive. We were married in October 1983, and six years later, Nora arrived.
Sadly, we both said goodbye to David last week; he died at age 71 on November 8 of esophageal cancer. He had just moved back after eight years taking care of his father in Poland,...
Sadly, we both said goodbye to David last week; he died at age 71 on November 8 of esophageal cancer. He had just moved back after eight years taking care of his father in Poland,...
- 11/20/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
We were a film couple. David Chute was writing film reviews for the Boston Phoenix when I met him in New York. He’d come down for a George Romero party, where we talked for hours. He had written two pieces for Film Comment, where I was the new Associate Editor. And even though I had landed my dream job, when he moved to Los Angeles to join Peter Rainer at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, he convinced me to ditch my Upper West Side rent-controlled apartment and move in with him in Koreatown. I had never been to California and had to learn how to drive. We were married in October 1983, and six years later, Nora arrived.
Sadly, we both said goodbye to David last week; he died at age 71 on November 8 of esophageal cancer. He had just moved back after eight years taking care of his father in Poland,...
Sadly, we both said goodbye to David last week; he died at age 71 on November 8 of esophageal cancer. He had just moved back after eight years taking care of his father in Poland,...
- 11/20/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
David Chute, a longtime film critic and writer who tirelessly championed Hong Kong films in the U.S., died Nov. 8 in Los Angeles.
His daughter, Nora Chute, confirmed that he died of esophageal cancer.
Chute wrote for publications including the Boston Phoenix, Film Comment, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Vanity Fair, the Los Angeles Times and Variety, often advocating for genre films and international filmmakers to get the recognition they deserved.
Chute grew up in Maine with his father, Robert, a poet and biology professor at Bates College, his mother, Vicki, a novelist. He launched his career in the 70s as a film critic at the Kennebec Journal and The Maine Times, where he discovered Stephen King, who he also profiled for Take One. In 1979, King inscribed a copy of “The Shining” to David Chute, “the best film critic in America.”
In 1978, Chute joined the staff of The Boston Phoenix,...
His daughter, Nora Chute, confirmed that he died of esophageal cancer.
Chute wrote for publications including the Boston Phoenix, Film Comment, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Vanity Fair, the Los Angeles Times and Variety, often advocating for genre films and international filmmakers to get the recognition they deserved.
Chute grew up in Maine with his father, Robert, a poet and biology professor at Bates College, his mother, Vicki, a novelist. He launched his career in the 70s as a film critic at the Kennebec Journal and The Maine Times, where he discovered Stephen King, who he also profiled for Take One. In 1979, King inscribed a copy of “The Shining” to David Chute, “the best film critic in America.”
In 1978, Chute joined the staff of The Boston Phoenix,...
- 11/19/2021
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: A bountiful American Film Market just got even better. Buyers are buzzing about Silent Night, the first U.S. action film in decades to be directed by the iconic Chinese filmmaker John Woo. Joel Kinnaman will star in an film that will tell a loud action tale, without a word of dialogue.
Sources tell Deadline the story is basic, as a normal father heads into the underworld to avenge his young son’s death. The film is in negotiations to be financed by Capstone. John Wick’s Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christian Mercuri and Lori Tilkin are producing and Capstone’s Ruzanna Kegeyan is overseeing with Joe Gatta. Other casting is underway.
The prospect of a Woo return is as intriguing as his intention to make has buyers sparked up. After directing the stylistic Hong Kong action classics from A Better Tomorrow and The Killer to Bullet in the Head and Hard Boiled,...
Sources tell Deadline the story is basic, as a normal father heads into the underworld to avenge his young son’s death. The film is in negotiations to be financed by Capstone. John Wick’s Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christian Mercuri and Lori Tilkin are producing and Capstone’s Ruzanna Kegeyan is overseeing with Joe Gatta. Other casting is underway.
The prospect of a Woo return is as intriguing as his intention to make has buyers sparked up. After directing the stylistic Hong Kong action classics from A Better Tomorrow and The Killer to Bullet in the Head and Hard Boiled,...
- 10/29/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
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