James Mudge

2 weeks ago | easternkicks.com | James Mudge

An all-star cast boost Eric Tsang’s 1980 kung fu comedy…Originally released back in 1980, The Loot (which also went by Bloody Tattoo in the west) was the sophomore directorial outing for Eric Tsang, who would go on to become one of the most prolific figures in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, perhaps best known to international audiences for his comic and Triad boss roles, most notably in the blockbuster Infernal Affairs.

3 weeks ago | easternkicks.com | James Mudge

Contestants in a reality TV show realise their director has sinister intentions in this 2009 Korean thriller…Taking its inspiration from the reality television survival shows that continue to be popular across the world, A Million notches things up by putting its characters in real danger as they compete for the titular sum.

1 month ago | easternkicks.com | James Mudge

A hitman finds himself up against his employers after he falls in love in this violent but predictable 2012 Korean thriller…That ever-popular darling of Korean genre cinema, the strong, silent and stylishly dressed hitman returned again in 2012 in the thriller A Company Man, which marked the debut of writer director Lim Sang-yoon, and his only film since.

1 month ago | easternkicks.com | James Mudge

A man who can’t feel pain tries to look after a frail young woman in this 2011 Korean melodrama…Korean blockbuster director Kwak Kyung-taek, responsible for hits such as Friend and Typhoon tried something a little different in in 2011 with Pained. While far more of a melodrama than his previous outings, the film still saw Kwak working in his usual theme of tormented masculinity through the rather odd romantic pairing of a man who can’t feel pain and a fragile haemophiliac woman.

1 month ago | easternkicks.com | James Mudge

An old school late 70s kung fu film which marked the directorial debut of Eric Tsang…Originally released back in 1979, The Challenger marked the directorial debut of Eric Tsang. Although better known for his motor-mouth TV personality and for his triad boss role in Infernal Affairs, the prolific actor is actually also an accomplished director, with 25 credits to his name, including a good number of martial arts films and hits in the Aces Go Places series.