Cynthia Rothrock - the undisputed 'Queen of martial arts movies' - never anticipated a career as an action film star. The Scranton-raised martial artist initially headed west in search of furthering her kung fu knowledge, often competing in men's divisions to become a national champion, and touring the world in the process. It was a portentous audition for the Hong Kong action director Corey Yuen which would bring her fame and fortune; an audition which would catch the attention of Sammo Hung, who cast Cynthia in her first breakout film, 'Police Assassins' (1985), alongside another relative newcomer, Michelle Yeoh - and the rest, as they say, is history. Although, not quite, because Cynthia's journey in the film business has been full of highs and lows; huge successes, and false starts. Her three years in Hong Kong would produce undoubtedly her best on-screen fight work - a westerner who became the headline act in a new sub-genre of high-energy, stunt-filled fight films predominantly led by women - before success in the English-language Hong Kong-produced 'China O'Brien' films would see her travel back to the USA and into the highly lucrative world of straight-to-video actioners. She is, quite simply, a trailblazer - a performer who became a bankable star in both the east and the west at a time when the industry, and the martial arts genre in particular, was dominated by men. As a forerunner to Hollywood's pursuit in achieving greater gender parity in the action film world, Cynthia's legacy cannot be underestimated. Even now, aged 64, she shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to train, travel the world, appear in movies and teach martial arts.

LINKS
Cynthia Rothrock on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/CynthiaRothrockChannel
Cynthia Rothrock on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001686/ 
Cynthia Rothrock on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialcynthiarothrock/
Cynthia Rothrock on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CYNTHIAROTHROCK
Cynthia Rothrock on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cynroth
Cynthia Rothrock's website: https://www.cynthiarothrockofficial.com/
Cynthia Rothrock profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/CynthiaRothrockKFMG
Cynthia Rothrock 2011 interview with Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/CynthiaRothrockInt 
KFC commercial (1983) starring Cynthia Rothrock: https://youtu.be/TkGYrkzkueo
Final fight scene - Yes, Madam (1985) aka Police Assassins: https://youtu.be/Oh8KnmRvqd0 
Cynthia Rothrock vs. Sammo Hung - Millionaire's Express (1986): https://youtu.be/3ztk99MPOzk

KFMG Podcast

Episode 72 - Cynthia Rothrock

Max Huang's turn as Kung Lao - the deadly, hat-throwing, Shaolin-trained kung fu cousin of Liu Kang - in the 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat was a delightful surprise; a scene-stealing performance complete with comedy, drama, action, and an almighty 'fatality' which just about steals the movie. But the notion of Max being something of an 'overnight success' could not be further from the truth. The German wushu wunderkind has been planning this career from the moment his dad first introduced him to Bruce Lee movies on VHS as a child. His training took him to Asia and, eventually, the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, where his childhood hero would personally oversee his development from a young, eager stunt performer to an assistant stunt coordinator on films like The Foreigner (2017) and Bleeding Steel (2017). Max's short film, No Way Out (2020), is a masterful expression of his many talents: he acts, directs, writes, produces, handles the action and even sings the theme song. We now find Max at an interesting crossroads in his career; still very much in his prime, full of ideas, and with opportunities available in Europe, Asia and Hollywood. So what will he do next?

LINKS
Max Huang on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4518085/
Max Huang on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maxhuangofficial/
Max Huang on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maxhuangofficial/
Max Huang on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/maxhuang
Max Huang profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileMaxHuang
'Flawless Victory' music video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/on5tmh0Vdjg
'No Way Out' short film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3_4ucynHGTs
Buy 'Mortal Kombat' on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and digital via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091GXR3RG/
'Mortal Kombat' official red band trailer: https://youtu.be/NYH2sLid0Zc
'Mortal Kombat' cast trailer reaction video: https://youtu.be/PqdtUte-aBo
'Mortal Kombat' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/MortalKombatKFMG

Episode 73 - Max Huang

Brad Martin is one of Hollywood’s top stunt coordinators with a string of blockbusters to his name, including the 'Underworld' series, 'Live Free or Die Hard', 'Tropic Thunder', 'Gemini Man', plus the Emmy-nominated 2021 Marvel series, 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier', to name but a few. He has recently been in Northern Ireland shooting second unit and stunt coordinating on a big-screen adaptation of the long-running video game, 'Dungeons & Dragons', scheduled for release in 2023. That’s not bad for a martial artist from Sun Valley, Idaho, who followed his dreams of becoming a stunt performer to Los Angeles – even though he wasn’t particularly sure at the time what a stunt performer did. Luckily, he quickly made friends with fellow martial artists and aspiring action directors J.J. Perry, David Leitch and Chad Stahelski; together, on a diet of determination and Jackie Chan movies, they would go on to transform Hollywood action cinema, becoming technically gifted filmmakers in their own right. We discuss Brad’s journey from George Clooney’s regular stunt double to fighting Sammo Hung in 'Martial Law', Keanu Reeves in 'The Matrix' sequels, and leading the stunt departments on some of the biggest action films of all time. Brad is now bringing back Smashcut Action Design, a company he first created in the 1990s. Using his wealth of knowledge from over 30 years in the business, he will be looking to consult with some of Hollywood’s biggest producers to create and inspire action design from the early conception phase to completion.

LINKS
Visit the Smashcut Action Design website: https://smashcutaction.com/ (coming soon!)
Brad Martin on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0551997/
Brad Martin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradmartinaction/
Brad Martin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradmartinaction
Brad Martin profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileBradMartin
'Live Free or Die Hard'/'Underworld: Evolution' stunt rehearsals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGTuSP7uXK0
'The Matrix Reloaded' - the making of the chateaux fight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWuNDcHfF0g
'Underworld: Awakening' behind the scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2rRW3v7zeY
J.J. Perry on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodJJPerry

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

Episode 74 - Brad Martin

It has taken six years for director James Nunn to bring his one-take, real-time action movie to the screen. During that time, 'one-shot' movies like 'Birdman' and '1917' have not only dominated at the box office, but they have also been lauded by critics. In many ways, Nunn's intense, relentless thriller, 'One Shot' - which is released theatrically and on VOD services in the USA on 5 November 2021 courtesy of Screen Media Films - is an even more remarkable achievement, considering its comparatively low-budget and 20-day shooting schedule ('1917', by comparison, was made in 65 days). Nunn puts the success of the film down to a huge amount of preparation, and an incredibly hard-working cast and crew - especially its leading actor, Scott Adkins, who is intimately followed through every long-take, moving from dialogue scenes to gun battles, knife fights, explosions and punch-ups. As a technical feat, there's nothing quite like it in the DTV action world. In this conversation, James explores the film's many great performances - from Adkins to co-stars Ashley Greene Khoury, Ryan Phillippe, and the MMA fighter Jess Liaudin - and lifts the lid on how it was made.

Lee Charles - "the Al Leong of British cinema", according to fight choreographer Tim Man - has fought on-screen with some of the world's biggest action stars. He took a clobbering from Dave Bautista in 'Final Score' (2018), and tired to take out Sope Dirisu as 'Lenn the Butcher' in an iconic, grisly battle scene in the TV show, 'Gangs of London', co-created by 'The Raid's Gareth Evans. His role as a French mercenary in 'One Shot' marks another opportunity for him to go toe-to-toe with Scott Adkins - the duo worked together on Nunn's previous Adkins flicks, 'Green Street 3: Never Back Down' (2013) and 'Eliminators' (2016), plus roles in 'Accident Man' (2018) and 'Avengement' (2019). Charles is the walking embodiment of his own life motto - that anything is achievable through hard work. He's currently working with his childhood hero, Sylvester Stallone, on the all-star action sequel, 'The Expendables 4'. We discuss his multifaceted life and career; from Everton FC to six-time World Kickboxing Champion, training with Benny "The Jet" Urquidez and making it in the movies.

LINKS
One Shot trailer: https://youtu.be/Et5Cgq1B2_g
One Shot website: https://screenmediafilms.net/film/3352/One-Shot
One Shot review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/OneShot2021
James Nunn on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2071556/
James Nunn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrjamesnunn
James Nunn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjamesnunn/
James Nunn on Episode 14 of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodEpisode14
Lee Charles on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3124775/
Lee Charles on Twitter: https://twitter.com/leeacharles
Lee Charles on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrleeacharles/
Lee Charles on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leecharlesactor/

Episode 75 - Lee Charles / James Nunn

Daniel Bernhardt is a true renaissance man; a martial artist from Switzerland who went from being a professional model in Paris to a Hollywood action star. In the 1990s, he was a leading man in low-budget martial arts films - the star of slicker-than-your-average straight-to-video hits like the 'Bloodsport' sequels, 'True Vengeance' and 'Perfect Target', working alongside fellow martial artists and aspiring filmmakers like Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, Brad Martin, Jonathan Eusebio and J.J. Perry. When the video market crashed in the early 2000s, Daniel took a different route; moving into the stunt world to become what Chad Stahelski calls an "action actor", someone who can act, fight, perform the stunts, and train the actors. When Chad and David launched 87eleven Action Design, Daniel was right beside them, working on all their major hits, from 'The Matrix Reloaded' to 'Parker', 'Logan', all three 'John Wick' films, 'Atomic Blonde', 'Hobbs and Shaw', 'Birds of Prey', and 'Nobody'. For the latter, Daniel also worked as the film's fight trainer, turning the fifty-something comedy writer Bob Odenkirk into a convincing action hero. He puts his multifaceted, hugely successful career down to "pure coincidence", but he is being modest. In hindsight, maybe becoming an action star was always his destiny? After all, his first fight scene was with Jean-Claude Van Damme during a fashion shoot in the early 1990s. It was Van Damme's encouragement which would provide Daniel with the confidence he needed to try his hand at acting and - as they say - the rest is history. Daniel Bernhardt's new film, 'Hell Hath No Fury' - directed by Jesse V. Johnson - is out now in cinemas in North America and released on digital from 9 November, courtesy of Well Go USA. On 22 December, Daniel returns to 'The Matrix' franchise, reprising his role as Agent Johnson in 'The Matrix Resurrections'.

LINKS
Daniel Bernhardt on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0076780/
Daniel Bernhardt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdanielbernhardt/
Daniel Bernhardt profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileDanielBernhardt
'Hell Hath No Fury' trailer: https://youtu.be/ztgpqImviOY
'Hell Hath No Fury' website: https://www.wellgousa.com/films/hell-hath-no-fury
'The Matrix Resurrections' trailer: https://youtu.be/9ix7TUGVYIo
'The Matrix Legacy' featurette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BZUMD85S7s
'Fetch' short film, directed by Daniel Bernhardt: https://vimeo.com/246539996
'Nobody' fight scene breakdown by Fandango: https://youtu.be/7rEhxsHM0Ag

Episode 76 - Daniel Bernhardt

What a year it has been for the stunt coordinator, fight choreographer and second unit director, Kenji Tanigaki. Not only did he craft the action on two more 'Rurouni Kenshin' films - called 'Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning' and 'Rurouni Kenshin: The Final', both available now on Netflix - but he also worked as second unit director and fight choreographer on the Hollywood blockbuster, 'Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins', and helped out on the Hong Kong action hit, 'Raging Fire'. The latter saw Kenji work again with Donnie Yen, who he calls his "master". His work with Donnie stretches back to his days as a young stunt performer in Hong Kong in the 1990s. A student of martial arts screen legend, Yasuaki Kurata, Kenji made the bold decision as a young man to relocate from his home in Japan to Hong Kong in an attempt to make it in the film business. He learned Cantonese, took hits as a background actor, and was the first person from Japan to become a member of the Hong Kong Stuntman Association. His real passion, however, lay behind the camera. Spotted by Donnie Yen, Kenji became an active and vital member of Donnie's action team, and the two have been inseparable ever since, creating the action on some of Donnie's best fight films; from his early directorial efforts 'Legend of the Wolf' and 'Ballistic Kiss' to the hard-hitting, game-changing 'SPL' (2005) and 'Flash Point' (2007) - not to mention 'Legend of the Fist', 'Special ID', 'Dragon', and so many more. As Kenji increasingly works on his own projects around the world in markets including Japan, Hong Kong, China and Hollywood, we can't wait to see where his martial arts moviemaking talent will take him next.

LINKS
Kenji Tanigaki on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0849459/
Kenji Tanigaki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenjitanigaki/
Kenji Tanigaki profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileKenjiTanigaki
'Raging Fire' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/RagingFire2021
'Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/SnakeEyesGIJoeOrigins2021
Buy 'Raging Fire' Zavvi exclusive 4K Ultra HD Steelbook (includes Blu-ray), courtesy of CineAsia UK: https://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/raging-fire-zavvi-exclusive-4k-ultra-hd-steelbook-includes-blu-ray/13470245.html
''SPL II' director Soi Cheang grabs Louis Koo, Max Zhang and Richie Jen for live-action adaptation of 'Kowloon Walled City'': https://cityonfire.com/teaser-poster-for-donnie-yens-dragon-city/
'The Castle of Cagliostro' car chase scene on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/39790868

COMPETITION
This month we have teamed up with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in the UK to giveaway 'The Karate Kid 4K UHD Collection' - featuring 'The Karate Kid Parts I-III'. Sign-up to our newsletter at http://kungfumovieguide.com to take part. Competition closes 30 November.
Buy 'The Karate Kid 4K UHD Collection', available from 6 December: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Karate-Kid-UHD-Collection-Blu-ray/dp/B09HRHGYHD/

Episode 77 - Kenji Tanigaki

Ho ho ho and happy holidays to all our listeners around the world. Welcome to the first part of our annual, end-of-year wrap-up podcast featuring the Life of Action author, Mike Fury. And, wow, what a year it has been for martial arts action movies! From manga to Marvel, Netflix to multiplex, low-budget indies to explosive Hong Kong thrillers, this year had it all. In Part One of our End of Year Show, we discuss the martial arts movie news which grabbed the headlines in 2021, and we pay our respects to the famous people we lost. We share some recorded messages from friends of the show, and - because it's the festive season - we also unwrap a few Christmas presents. It's a jolly old time! So settle in, sit back, and enjoy. In Part Two - landing Christmas Eve, 24 December - we will discuss our personal top five fight films of the year, enjoy a glass or two of advocaat, and read out some of your comments. We also look ahead to the big movies coming our way in 2022. Thank you Fu followers for all your support in 2021, and we wish you all a healthy, happy holiday season. Please reach out to the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast using the links below, or you can email, hello@kungfumovieguide.com.

A huge thank you to the following people for contributing to this episode: Scott Adkins, Joey Ansah, Loren Avedon, Ricky Baker, Tran Quoc Bao, Sarah Chang, Soo Cole, Jesse V. Johnson, Mike Moh, Richard Norton, Zara Phythian, Cynthia Rothrock, Matt Routledge and JuJu Chan Szeto.

LINKS
Donate to the Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://paypal.me/kungfumovieguide
Mike Fury's website: https://www.mikefury.net/
Buy Life of Action Vol. I-II: https://www.mikefury.net/shop
Mike Fury on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMikeFury
Mike Fury on Instagram: http://instagram.com/themikefury
Mike Fury on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifeofactionbook
Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Twitter: http://bit.ly/KFMGTwitter
Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: http://bit.ly/KFMGInstagram
Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: http://bit.ly/KFMGFacebook
Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Spotify: http://bit.ly/KFMGPod
Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/KFMGPodApplePodcasts
Our not-very-comprehensive list of fight-centric action movies released in 2021: https://bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2021

PART TWO COMING SOON!

Episode 78 - End of Year Show 2021 with Mike Fury: Part One

The wait is over! Find out our favourite - and least favourite - martial arts movies of 2021 in Part Two of our End of Year Show, featuring Life of Action author, Mike Fury. Join in the festivities as we take it in turns to reveal our top five fight films of the year over a few 'snowballs' - a cocktail of advocaat and lemonade. We also take the time to highlight some of the titles which narrowly missed out on a top five position, and look ahead to some of the big movies heading our way in 2022. Over the last few weeks, you have been sending us feedback on your favourite fight films of the year, and we read out some of those comments. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed. Please check out our full list of 2021 titles on our website, kungfumovieguide.com. If we missed out one of your faves, or if you would like to share your own list, let us know either via the comment section on our website, or via email. The email address is hello@kungfumovieguide.com. Thank you Fu followers for all your support in 2021, and we wish you all a healthy, happy holiday season.

LINKS
Listen to Part One of our End of Year Show 2021: bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2021
Our not-very-comprehensive list of fight-centric action movies released in 2021: bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2021
Donate to the Kung Fu Movie Guide: paypal.me/kungfumovieguide
Mike Fury's website: www.mikefury.net/
Buy Life of Action Vol. I-II: www.mikefury.net/shop
Mike Fury on Twitter: twitter.com/TheMikeFury
Mike Fury on Instagram: instagram.com/themikefury
Mike Fury on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifeofactionbook
Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Twitter: bit.ly/KFMGTwitter
Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Instagram: bit.ly/KFMGInstagram
Follow Kung Fu Movie Guide on Facebook: bit.ly/KFMGFacebook
Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Spotify: bit.ly/KFMGPod
Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/KFMGPodApplePodcasts

Episode 79 - End of Year Show 2021 with Mike Fury: Part Two

Welcome to the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. Listen to exclusive, in-depth interviews with actors, stunt performers, directors, choreographers and writers discussing their careers and their passion for martial arts cinema. Hosted by Ben Johnson, the creator of kungfumovieguide.com. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Episode 75 - Lee Charles / James Nunn

Kung Fu Movie Guide

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