China – Stream On Demand

‘Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy’ on Peacock

!Featured, Action, Blu-ray, DVD, Free, historical, Hoopla, International Cinema, Kanopy, martial arts, Peacock, SVOD 08/30/2023 Sean Axmaker

Max Zhang takes the lead as a martial arts master in 1960s Hong Kong in this spin-off from the “Ip Man” films, costarring Tony Jaa and Dave Bautista.

‘2046’ – Wong Kar-wai’s pulp sci-fi romance on Criterion Channel and MUBI

!Featured, Blu-ray, Criterion, Criterion Channel, DVD, International Cinema, movies about literature, MUBI, Romance, Science Fiction, SVOD 08/11/2023 Sean Axmaker

Tony Leung Chiu-wai is a pulp fiction writer by day and lounge lizard by night and Zhang Ziyi his showgirl lover in this lush mix of romantic meloncholy and futuristic fantasy.

‘Suzhou River’ – lost in Shanghai on Criterion Channel

!Featured, Blu-ray, Crime, Criterion Channel, DVD, International Cinema, international noir, Romance, SVOD, thriller 08/04/2023 Sean Axmaker

Ye Lou directs this enigmatic thriller set in the diseased, crime ridden world of the Shanghai underworld, a meloncholy story of memory and loss and storytelling.

Wong Kar-Wai’s ‘The Grandmaster’ on Prime Video and MUBI

!Featured, Academy Award nominee, Action, Amazon Prime Video, biographical, Blu-ray, DVD, International Cinema, martial arts, MUBI, SVOD 07/26/2023 Sean Axmaker

Tony Leung stars as the real-life martial arts master Ip Man in this lush, romantic take on the martial arts action genre.

Donnie Yen is legendary martial artist ‘Ip Man’ on Peacock

!Featured, Action, based on a true story, biographical, Blu-ray, Cult Movies, drama, DVD, Free, historical, International Cinema, Kanopy, Peacock, SVOD 07/08/2023 Sean Axmaker 2 Comments

Hong Kong martial arts star Donnie Yen landed the role of his career as the legendary teacher and grandmaster of Wing Chun in this rousing biographical drama.

Shu Qi in Hou Hsiou-Hsien's rapturous wuxia 'The Assassin'

Hou Hsiou-Hsien’s ‘The Assassin’ on MUBI and free on Kanopy and Hoopla

!Featured, Action, Blu-ray, Cannes winner, DVD, Free, historical, Hoopla, International Cinema, Kanopy, martial arts, MUBI, SVOD 11/05/2022 Sean Axmaker 1 Comment

This gracerful martial drama as cinematic poem stars Shu Qi as professional assasin ordered to murder her cousin.

‘Black Coal, Thin Ice’ – Chinese noir on MUBI

!Featured, Blu-ray, Crime, DVD, International Cinema, MUBI, neo-noir, VOD 07/31/2022 Sean Axmaker

Diao Yinan’s dark crime drama, set in China’s northern coal country in the depths of winter, takes an atmospheric approach to the shadowy murder mystery.

Sun Honglei and Louis Koo headline 'Drug War' from Hong Kong action maestro Johnnie To

Johnnie To’s ‘Drug War’ on Prime Video and free on Kanopy

!Featured, Action, Amazon Prime Video, Blu-ray, Crime, DVD, Free, Have You Seen...?, International Cinema, Kanopy, SVOD, thriller 07/25/2022 Sean Axmaker

Hong Kong crime master Johnnie To takes his brand of sleek, stark action cinema to the Chinese mainland for a story of driven cops and brutal drug smugglers.

‘The Wild Goose Lake’ – Chinese noir on MUBI and free on Kanopy and Hoopla

!Featured, Blu-ray, Crime, DVD, Free, Hoopla, International Cinema, Kanopy, MUBI, neo-noir, SVOD, thriller 07/05/2022 Sean Axmaker

This slow burn crime thriller favors mood and atmosphere over plot and momentum, creating a sense of desperation over a humid, overheated summer night.

Jackie Chan stars in the World War II action comedy from China

Jackie Chan leads the ‘Railroad Tigers’ on Peacock

!Featured, Action, Blu-ray, DVD, International Cinema, martial arts, Peacock, SVOD, war 08/07/2021 Sean Axmaker

Jackie Chan stars in Railroad Tigers (China, 2016) as the leader of a scruffy band of rural railroad porters who stage raids on Japanese trains running through occupied China in World War II. They drop into moving trains, steal food for the villagers, and leave their mark by drawing flying tigers on the bodies of […]