Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

Ben Johnson

Exclusive, in-depth interviews with actors, stunt performers, directors, choreographers and writers discussing their careers and passion for martial arts cinema. Hosted by Ben Johnson, the creator of kungfumovieguide.com. Follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

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Top 10 Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Episode 11 - J.J. Perry

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

04/03/17 • 67 min

What better way to launch the second season of podcasts than with a chat to one of Hollywood's most beloved and prolific stunt co-ordinators, J.J. Perry. Jordan Andrew 'J.J.' Perry has been involved in some of the best action movies of the last 25 years, including Avatar, Iron Man, Star Trek Into Darkness, Django Unchained, Transformers: Age of Extinction and the John Wick films. He trained Gina Carano for Haywire, Tom Hardy for Warrior, Gerard Butler for 300, Milla Jovovich for Ultraviolet and Hugh Jackman for X-Men Origins: Wolverine. His most recent films include work as stunt co-ordinator on Ang Lee's Billy Lynn’s Half Time Walk, The Fate of the Furious - the eighth film in the Fast and Furious franchise - and the Stephen King adaptation, The Dark Tower. In this episode, we talk about J.J.'s ongoing work with Chad Stahelski and David Leitch at the 87eleven stunt team, including his most recent contributions to the extraordinary John Wick series. We also discuss his upbringing in Texas where he first discovered his love of taekwondo, becoming a highly decorated competitive fighter and instructor before pursuing a career in the army. We discuss his early work as a stuntman, before he landed key positions in TV shows like Walker: Texas Ranger and the Mortal Kombat franchise which helped him to cement his name in Hollywood.

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Episode 18 - Scott Adkins

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

07/24/17 • 79 min

Scott Adkins is one of the world's biggest martial arts movie stars. From humble beginnings as a Van Damme and Bruce Lee obsessed taekwondo practitioner growing up in Birmingham, UK, to starring in some of the best fight movies of the last decade, Scott Adkins has consistently brought a unique charm, athleticism and authenticity to his own special brand of high-kicking action films. His latest film, Boyka: Undisputed 4, sees Scott reprise his most famous role as the Russian ex-con' and MMA expert, Yuri Boyka. You can order the Universal Studios Home Entertainment Blu-ray and DVD release of Boyka: Undisputed 4 right now from Amazon. As well as leading roles in the Undisputed and Ninja franchises, Scott's many other martial arts action films include Hard Target 2, Eliminators, Assassination Games, Wolf Warrior and Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. He has worked on huge Hollywood blockbusters like Doctor Strange, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Expendables 2, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Zero Dark Thirty, and worked with everyone including Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and Jacky Wu Jing. Scott has most recently completed back-to-back projects with the stuntman-turned-director Jesse V. Johnson, including Savage Dog, Accident Man - in which Scott also worked as scriptwriter and producer - and Triple Threat. The latter is an all-star fight flick featuring Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Tiger Chen, Celina Jade, Jeeja Yanin, Michael Bisping and Michael Jai White. In this exclusive, wide-ranging interview, Scott talks about working with the Jackie Chan Stunt Team in Hong Kong, the trials and tribulations of Hollywood, his trademark style of fight choreography, and the increasing scourge of online piracy. Scott is the hardest working man in martial arts right now and it was a pleasure to sit with him and record this fascinating conversation.

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Episode 30 - Bob Wall / Timon Singh

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

08/13/18 • 74 min

Although Bob Wall had no desire to become a film star, he somehow ended up appearing in some of the highest grossing martial arts films of all time. As Chuck Norris’ business partner and Bruce Lee’s training buddy and friend for over a decade, Bob – a world professional karate champion – found himself cast as one of the baddies in Lee's 1972 film, The Way of the Dragon. Bob provided a similar foil to Lee’s on-screen attacks the following year when he was cast as the treacherous villain, O’harra, in the 1973 martial arts classic, Enter the Dragon. In this candid interview, Bob Wall – now aged 78 and speaking to me from his home in California – recalls a young and charismatic Bruce Lee who ruffled feathers amongst the martial arts community and revolutionised the action film genre. Despite a few film appearances since Enter the Dragon (including Robert Clouse’s Game of Death and supporting roles in Chuck Norris films), Bob – who describes himself as a “foul-mouthed Irishman” – mostly retired from the movie business following Lee’s untimely death. But the Bob Wall story doesn’t end there. Listen as he recalls training with Gene LeBell, Mike Stone and Joe Lewis, and teaching superstars like Steve McQueen, Freddie Prinze and Elvis Presley. He is still active on the martial arts scene as the founder of World Black Belt, and through his many appearances at seminars around the world. For the latest Bob Wall information, head to bobwallworldblackbelt.com.

Also on the show, I talk to the action film expert and writer Timon Singh, who drops by to talk about his new book, 'Born to Be Bad – Talking to the Greatest Villains in Action Cinema', which features interviews with some of the best big screen baddies, including Bob Wall. 'Born to Be Bad' is available now in hardback, paperback and on Kindle via Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Be-Bad-greatest-villains/dp/162933345X/.

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Episode 29 - Joey Ansah

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

07/30/18 • 75 min

UK actor and filmmaker Joey Ansah’s imagination was sparked at an early age through the power of the classic Hong Kong action movie, Dragons Forever, and the Street Fighter video game. The son of a famous Ghanaian fashion designer father and a UK mother, Joey grew up immersed in both British and African culture. His passion was, and still is, the martial arts, becoming a famous online ‘tricker’ and skilled in Capoeira, Taekwondo, Ninjitsu and many other styles. Working as a fight choreographer, extra, stuntman and actor, his big break arrived in what Rolling Stone called “the best fight scene ever filmed”, duking it out with Matt Damon in The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). Since 2010, Joey has been working tirelessly towards bringing his beloved Street Fighter story to TV screens, following a short film (2010’s Street Fighter: Legacy), an epic web series (2015’s exemplary Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist), and an online follow-up (2016’s Street Fighter: Resurrection). In 2018, shortly after this conversation was recorded at his London home, it was announced that eOne and the Mark Gordon Company had given the green light to a new Street Fighter TV show with Joey Ansah acting as one of its executive producers. His latest acting project is Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the sixth in the Mission: Impossible film franchise starring Tom Cruise. Next year, Joey will be appearing in Joe Cornish’s The Kid Who Would Be King and Guy Ritchie’s live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin.

LINKS

Follow Joey Ansah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoeyAnsahOfficial

Follow Joey Ansah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoeyansah/

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Episode 50 - Gareth Evans

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

04/20/20 • 77 min

Through his trio of martial arts films - Merantau (2009), The Raid (2011) and The Raid 2 (2014) - filmmaker Gareth Evans helped to put Indonesian action cinema on the map, launched the careers of a new generation of fight stars (including Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman), and created some of the most exhilarating, inventive, and game-changing fight sequences of modern times. Not bad for a young filmmaker from South Wales, who grew up watching Jackie Chan films with his dad, who chose to invest in a video camera when he turned 17 instead of learning to drive. Following his adventures in Indonesia, Evans has since returned to Wales where he has been developing a range of projects exploring new mediums and genres, including the British gothic horror, Apostle (2018) - available on Netflix - and the nine-part TV series, Gangs of London, which lands on Sky Atlantic in the UK on 23 April 2020. The show, based on a computer game, sees Evans return to a contemporary action setting, working alongside his frequent collaborator, UK stunt coordinator Jude Poyer (featured in Episode 48), with a story focusing on the fall-out following the death of a gang leader. Listen as Evans explains how he believes Gangs of London contains some of his finest action work, as well as exploring the steps that led to him creating The Raid films, often regarded by critics and fans alike as two of the best modern-day martial arts films of all time. We also investigate the possibility of a reunion with Iko Uwais, the secrets to his visceral style, and what other genres he would still like to explore. This conversation was recorded in London in early March 2020 before a UK government lockdown following the coronavirus outbreak.

LINKS

Gareth Evans on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ghuwevans/

Gangs of London trailer - https://youtu.be/VoJ_yZqhmAg

Gangs of London on Sky Atlantic - https://www.sky.com/watch/gangs-of-london

The Raid review on Kung Fu Movie Guide - http://kungfumovieguide.com/the-raid-redemption/

The Raid 2 review on Kung Fu Movie Guide - http://kungfumovieguide.com/the-raid-2/

Gareth Evans profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide - http://kungfumovieguide.com/profile-gareth-evans/

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Episode 61 - Larnell Stovall

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

09/21/20 • 77 min

When martial artist Larnell Stovall first saw the film Blade in 1998, it was a lightbulb moment. But it wasn't the actions of Wesley Snipes as the titular kick-ass vampire hunter which would spark a sudden interest in wanting to work in the movies; it was the actions of the people Wesley was beating up. Feeling inspired, Larnell took a bus from New Orleans to Hollywood armed only with his martial arts skills and the dream of making it in the stunt world. It wasn't long before he caught the attention of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch - owners of 87eleven Action Design - which would prove to be his ticket to the big-time, working as a fight choreographer and stunt coordinator on some of the biggest and best martial arts movies of recent times, including Undisputed 3: Redemption (2010), Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012), and work with fellow karate expert, Michael Jai White, including Falcon Rising (2014) and his Never Back Down sequels. He has worked in India - most notably as the award-winning action director on Sultan (2016), one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Larnell has also made in-roads into the mainstream, acting as stunt coordinator on films like Ride Along (2014) and Creed (2015). In recent years, he has worked on some of Netflix's biggest shows, including the first season of Altered Carbon (2018) and Titans - a gritty take on the Teen Titans comic book, now entering its third season. Titans has provided Larnell with the opportunity to move into directing, mirroring a similar career trajectory to his buddies at 87eleven. He has the skills, the experience, and the creativity; and we cannot wait to see what Larnell cooks up next.

LINKS

Larnell Stovall on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1277586/

Larnell Stovall on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stovallactiondesign/

Larnell Stovall on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LStovall123

Larnell Stovall on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larnell.stovall

Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Undisputed 3: Redemption: http://bit.ly/UndisputedIII

Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning: http://bit.ly/UniversalSoldierDayOfReckoning

Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Falcon Rising: http://bit.ly/FalconRising

Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown: http://bit.ly/NeverBackDown2

Kung Fu Movie Guide review - Never Back Down: No Surrender: http://bit.ly/NeverBackDownNoSurrender

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Episode 86 - End of Year Show 2022 with Mike Fury: Part Two

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

12/24/22 • 72 min

The wait is over! We can now finally reveal our favourite fight films of 2022 in Part Two of our annual End of Year Show, featuring Mike Fury, the action movie expert and author of Life of Action Vol. I-II. As is tradition with this show, neither Ben or Mike are aware of what the other person has selected for inclusion in their personal top five list; will there be consensus, or will it end in a bloody fight to the death? Top picks for 2022 include a strong roster of big-budget superhero carnage from the Marvel and D.C. cinematic universes; quirky, offbeat action comedies; DTV slugfests from giants of the genre (Michael Jai White, Gary Daniels, Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins and more); and international sleeper hits buried on streaming platforms, from countries including Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. They also select the worst martial arts movies of the year, read out comments from our listeners, and look ahead to the many high-kicking adventures coming our way in 2023. It's a festive, fun-packed show. So sit back, relax, make yourself another 'snowball', and enjoy! And if you want to play along at home, visit this link to find a not-very-comprehensive list of fight-centric action films released in 2022. https://bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2022Part2

LINKS

Listen to Part One of our End of Year Show 2022: https://bit.ly/EndOfYearShow2022Part1

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

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast on Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/GooglePodcastsKFMGPod

Mike's T-shirt, 'Invincible Armour' by 36 Styles: https://www.36styles.com/

Ben's T-shirt, 'Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2022' design by ShaolinJaa (https://www.instagram.com/shaolinjaa/) and Crike99Art (https://www.instagram.com/crike99art/), available via Art Martial Clothing: https://artmartialclothing.com/

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Episode 01 - Toby Russell

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

06/27/16 • 71 min

It was awesome to meet with the great Toby Russell for the very first episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast, as Toby is pretty much the perfect guest to have on our debut show. A writer, director, actor and producer, Toby is the son of legendary British film maker Ken Russell and is probably the most knowledgeable person in the world on the subject of kung fu movies.We talk to Toby about his first experiences on a movie set - working with The Who on his father's film, Tommy - and discuss Ken Russell's attempts to make his own kung fu movie. We discuss his youth in London, during which he convinced Sebastian Faulks to take his class to watch Snuff Bottle Connection, being told off by Tsui Hark, hanging out with Jackie Chan, and why ninja star Alexander Lo thinks kung fu movies are stupid. We also try and work out whether his new film, White Tiger, will ever be released.

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Episode 88 - Keith Cooke

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

03/27/23 • 66 min

Keith Cooke is one of action cinema's all-time greatest kickers. From his explosive triple kicks as Muay Thai instructor Prang in the cult classic, The King of the Kickboxers, to his turns in costume as Reptile and Sub-Zero in the 1990s Mortal Kombat movies, Cooke's poise, energy and talent marked him out as one of the most engaging breakout martial arts stars of the 1990s. It was a phone call from none other than Enter the Dragon producer Fred Weintraub that transformed Cooke's fortunes in Hollywood. A karate world champion and three-time 'Competitor of the Year', not to mention an expert in a range of martial arts styles, Cooke's first forays into action movies were small-scale, until Weintraub cast him as Dakota, the high-kicking Native American sidekick to China O'Brien in Cynthia Rothrock's USA debut. Co-produced by Golden Harvest in Hong Kong, the film and its sequel became huge hits in the highly lucrative straight-to-video market. Although his fans may know him from his iconic film roles, Cooke's real passion is teaching. He taught generations of fighters from his Brentwood school for nearly 30 years, until he was forced to close its doors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now he is launching a new online training programme and product, called The Ring Workout, a system designed to help people maintain strength, definition and fitness by working on the most comprehensive muscle group - the core. Now aged 63, Keith seems as fit now as he ever was - so what's his secret? And given his extensive fight knowledge, what style does he think is the best? And how does the new Mortal Kombat movie stack up to the original films?

LINKS

The Ring Workout: https://keithcookefitness.com/

Keith Cooke on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0177455/

Keith Cooke on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithcookefit/

Keith Cooke on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keithcookestudio/

Keith Cooke profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/ProfileKeithCooke

'The King of the Kickboxers' (1991) review: http://bit.ly/KingOfTheKickboxers

'Mortal Kombat' (1995) review: http://bit.ly/MortalKombat1995

'Mortal Kombat: Annihilation' (1997) review: http://bit.ly/MortalKombatAnnihilation1997

Episode page on Kung Fu Movie Guide: https://bit.ly/KeithCookeKFMGPod

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Episode 95 - Marko Zaror

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

12/11/23 • 67 min

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

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FAQ

How many episodes does Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast have?

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast currently has 99 episodes available.

What topics does Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Netflix, Action, Marvel, Film, Martial Arts, Comic Books, Television, Fitness, Podcasts, Superhero, Movies, Arts, Tv & Film, Cinema and Performing Arts.

What is the most popular episode on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast?

The episode title 'Episode 85 - End of Year Show 2022 with Mike Fury: Part One' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast?

The average episode length on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast is 71 minutes.

How often are episodes of Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast released?

Episodes of Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast are typically released every 14 days.

When was the first episode of Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast?

The first episode of Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast was released on Jun 27, 2016.

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Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast

Ben Johnson

Top 10 Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast have?

What topics does Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast cover?

What is the most popular episode on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast?

What is the average episode length on Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast?

How often are episodes of Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast released?

When was the first episode of Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast?

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