Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast Ben Johnson

Is Scott Adkins the natural successor to Jean-Claude Van Damme? Why did Andrew Koji almost quit acting only months before landing the lead role in the beloved kung fu series, Warrior? And can we expect a rematch between Indonesian action stars Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais? The answers to these questions and many more are revealed in Best of Actors, one of three compilation shows released simultaneously to celebrate the 100th episode of this podcast, which started life back in 2016. Over three episodes, I share some of my favourite conversations recorded over the last eight years of the show. On this episode, you will hear from: Cynthia Rothrock, the undisputed queen of martial arts movies, who discusses her feelings about being a role model for women in action cinema and the martial arts; Andrew Koji, the British actor whose career has gone from strength to strength after securing the lead role in the Warrior TV show, inspired by the writings of Bruce Lee; Scott Adkins, who has made five appearances on the show since its inception, who discusses his career highlights including receiving awards in China from Jackie Chan; Michiko Nishiwaki, the Japanese bodybuilder who became an action star during the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema in the 1980s and 90s; and Joe Taslim, Indonesian judo champion and one of the biggest names in modern martial arts cinema, whose films include The Raid, The Night Comes for Us, and Mortal Kombat.
If you enjoyed this 'best of' compilation episode, remember to check out Best of Directors and Best of Stunts, which have also dropped at the same time as this episode. Listen to the full conversations with all my guests who have appeared on this show via the website, kungfumovieguide.com, and everywhere you get podcasts.
LINKS
'Best of Directors': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfDirectors
'Best of Stunts': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfStunts
Cynthia Rothrock on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodCynthiaRothrock
Andrew Koji on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEpisode37
Scott Adkins on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodScottAdkins
Michiko Nishiwaki on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodMichikoNishiwaki
Joe Taslim on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodJoeTaslim

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The life of a stunt performer is both exhilarating and dangerous, spectacular yet physically and mentally demanding. Stunt performers put their lives on the line every day for our viewing pleasure, yet are seemingly ostracised from the film world, especially in Hollywood where there is still no Academy Award for their service to the industry. Since this podcast was launched in 2016, I have had the pleasure of speaking to many of the leading voices in the stunt world, from stunt doubles and performers to fight trainers who work with huge movie stars to make them look awesome for the big screen, and stunt coordinators whose job it is to keep everybody safe. In this 'best of' episode - one of three compilation shows which have been released simultaneously - my guests include: Jonathan Eusebio, the legendary fight coordinator who helped to create the fighting styles for both Jason Bourne and John Wick, revolutionising Hollywood action cinema in the process; Jwaundace Candece, founder of stuntpoc.com, who is working tirelessly for better representation for stunt performers of colour in the industry; Olivia Jackson, whose life was transformed forever when a stunt went horribly wrong while doubling Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter; Rocky Taylor, Britian's oldest stunt performer, still going strong at nearly 80 years old; and Heidi Moneymaker, stunt coordinator and performer best known for doubling Scarlett Johansson as the Marvel superhero, Black Widow.
If you enjoyed this 'best of' compilation episode, then remember to check out Best of Directors and Best of Actors, which have also dropped at the same time as this episode. Listen to the full conversations with all my guests who have appeared on this show over the last eight years via the website, kungfumovieguide.com, and everywhere you get podcasts.
LINKS
'Best of Directors': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfDirectors
'Best of Actors': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfActors
Jonathan Eusebio on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodJonathanEusebio
Jwaundace Candece on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEpisode58
Olivia Jackson on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodOliviaJackson
Rocky Taylor on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodRockyTaylor
Heidi Moneymaker on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodHeidiMoneymaker

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With financing and shooting schedules shrinking, how hard is it to make a decent action movie on a low budget? How can you make your lead actor look like an action hero if they refuse to train? And is there scope in the martial arts genre for tackling more challenging topics, like homophobia and racism? In 'Best of Directors' - one of three compilation shows available now - I share some of my favourite conversations with directors who have appeared on the podcast since its inception in 2016. This includes: Hollywood stunt legend J.J. Perry, who made his directorial debut in 2022 with the vampire action comedy, Day Shift, starring Jamie Foxx; the actor and filmmaker Diana Lee Inosanto, best known for playing Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth in The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, who discusses her 2008 martial arts indie, The Sensei; Jesse V. Johnson, known for his work with UK action star Scott Adkins in films including Triple Threat, Accident Man, and Avengement; Gareth Evans, visionary director of The Raid series; and Isaac Florentine, responsible for some of the best martial arts movies of the 2000s, including the Undisputed films and Ninja series.
If you enjoyed this 'best of' compilation episode, then remember to check out Best of Stunts and Best of Actors, which have dropped simultaneously with this episode. Listen to the full conversations with all my guests who have appeared on this show over the last eight years via the website, kungfumovieguide.com, and everywhere you get podcasts.
LINKS
'Best of Stunts': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfStunts
'Best of Actors': https://bit.ly/KFMGPodBestOfActors
J.J. Perry on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodJJPerry
Diana Lee Inosanto on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodDianaLeeInosanto
Jesse V. Johnson on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodJesseVJohnson
Gareth Evans on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/GarethEvansKFMGPod
Isaac Florentine on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: https://bit.ly/Episode67KFMGPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part Two of our annual End of Year Show - featuring the author of 'Life of Action' Vol 1 and 2, the action movie expert Mike Fury - we discuss our favourite fight-centric action films of 2023. Which film will be crowned our favourite of the year? We also read out comments from Fu followers around the world who have been telling us their favourite martial arts movies of the year over email and social media. We also discuss some of the films that we disliked in 2023 and look ahead to the martial arts movies we are most looking forward to in 2024. A huge thank you to all the Fu followers around the world for all your support in 2023. See you in 2024!
LISTEN TO PART ONE
https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEOYShow2023PartOne
LINKS
Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/
Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury
Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFury
Kung Fu Movie Guide website: https://bit.ly/KFMGhome
Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: https://bit.ly/KFMGInstagram
Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: https://bit.ly/KFMGFacebook
Kung Fu Movie Guide on X (formerly Twitter): https://bit.ly/KFMGTwitter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ho ho ho and happy Christmas to all the Fu followers around the world! Welcome to Part One of our annual End of Year Show, featuring the author of 'Life of Action' Vol. 1 and 2, Mike Fury. In Part One, we discuss the martial arts movie news that has been grabbing the headlines in 2023 - from Donnie Yen and Jackie Chan's many new projects, to Michelle Yeoh's success at the Oscars and the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee's death - and remember the famous people we lost this year. We also play clips from some of the many great guests who have appeared on the podcast in 2023, including action stars Marko Zaror and Vincent Lyn, kung fu movie expert Ric Meyers and stunt performer Alyma Dorsey. And, because it's Christmas time, we also unwrap some martial arts movie themed presents, and play messages from many of our friends on the action movie scene. A huge thank you to the following people for taking part in this episode: Frank Djeng, Janell-Vela Smith, Jesse V. Johnson, Joey Ansah, JuJu Chan Szeto, Kenji Tanigaki, Loren Avedon, Mark Strange, Marko Zaror, Matt Routledge, Matthias Hues, Max Huang, Mike Leeder, Philip Ng, Richard Norton, Ricky Baker, Samm Deighan, Sarah Chang, and Soo Cole. Thank you to all the Fu followers around the world for all your support in 2023.
LISTEN TO PART TWO
https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEOYShow2023PartTwo
LINKS
Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/
Mike Fury on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themikefury
Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFury
Kung Fu Movie Guide website: https://bit.ly/KFMGhome
Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: https://bit.ly/KFMGInstagram
Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: https://bit.ly/KFMGFacebook
Kung Fu Movie Guide on X (formerly Twitter): https://bit.ly/KFMGTwitter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Chile to Mexico to Hollywood - and back again - Marko Zaror's incredible rise in the action world reached a new crescendo in 2023. Known as the 'Latin Dragon', Marko's scene-stealing performance as the main heavy, Chidi, in Chad Stahelski's masterpiece, 'John Wick: Chapter 4', saw him duel on-screen with fight legends Hiroyuki Sanada, Donnie Yen and Keanu Reeves; meanwhile, back in his home country of Chile, he reunited with his childhood friend - the filmmaker Ernesto Díaz Espinoza - to produce and star in their fifth indie action film together, the deeply personal 'The Fist of the Condor'. Now capable of shifting between key roles in huge productions and making his own movies the way he wants them to be made, Zaror has reached a sweet-spot in his career - but it has not been an easy journey with plenty of bumps along the way. At one point, he even considered retiring from the film industry altogether, and training to become a professional MMA fighter, until a timely conversation with Robert Rodriguez convinced him otherwise. He has since gone on to work with Rodriguez in many film and TV projects, including 'Machete Kills', 'From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series', and 'Alita: Battle Angel'. In this conversation, Marko explores his roots as a Bruce Lee-obsessed kid in Chile with a dream of making it in the movies, to eventually ripping up the screen in one of the biggest - and best - action franchises in Hollywood history.
LINKS
Marko Zaror on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1047252/
Marko Zaror on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markozaror/
Marko Zaror on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markozaroroficial
Marko Zaror profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileMarkoZaror
'Fist of the Condor' trailer: https://youtu.be/x53EpE12AsY
'Fist of the Condor' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/FistOfTheCondor2023
'John Wick: Chapter 4' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/JohnWickChapter4KFMG
'Kiltro' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/Kiltro2006
Our not-so-comprehensive list of fight-centric action films released in 2023: https://bit.ly/KFMGPodEOYShow2023PartOne
SPONSOR
This episode is sponsored by 'Five Deadly Rebels', a kung fu sci-fi scripted podcast from DimensionGate, available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and anywhere you get your podcasts. 'Five Deadly Rebels' is a modern day retelling of 'Five Deadly Venoms', the cult classic 1970s kung fu film produced by the Shaw Brothers. Its classic kung fu meets the gangster genre, meets science fiction, all set in present-day New York City. The soundtrack is from Wu-Tang Clan producer, Cilvaringz. The season finale drops Wednesday 13 December. 'Five Deadly Rebels' is narrated by Ian Tuason for DimensonGate - a fiction podcast production company.
'Five Deadly Rebels' website: https://www.fivedeadlyrebels.com/
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SpeVIDiKxISPC1am0d9Ta
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3sbe40O
Listen to a sample of the show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n_MXpCvK4MQ?si=bmJQ6tiS5OnitlvI
Listen to the trailer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MotN_D8Jfs0?si=hPBq0YJegir-vCnR
DimensionGate website: https://www.dimensiongate.com/
DimensionGate YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DimensionGateInc

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.