Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema: Recent Episodes
Kaleb Bryant
Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema is a bi-weekly podcast where your host Kaleb (a true martial arts fanatic) covers all of your favorite martial arts movies. He’s here to analyze every bone-crunching fight scene and take a closer look at the many classic characters and tropes this genre gave us. Join us every other Saturday for the martial arts madness!
It is the end of an era! Welcome to episode 75, the final episode of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema! After nearly 4 years, Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius have decided to call it a night. In this final episode, our 3 hosts discuss their favorite and least favorite moments of the podcast, you hear Kaleb sneeze for the very first time (you also hear his Arnold Schwarzenegger impression), and you hear some exciting news about the future of the Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema YouTube channel! Thanks to everyone who has listened to and supported us over the years! We love you all! Oh and by the way, never say never…
It’s March! Spring is here, but so is episode 74 of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema! Today, Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius pay tribute to the late Akira Toriyama. They also give their thoughts on the new trailer for The Crow remake, as well as the new trailer for The Last Kumite. And to cap it off, your 3 hosts discuss one of the greatest martial arts films ever made: Fist of Legend!
Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema returns to form in episode 73! Montelrius is back in the studio, and your hosts tackle the best action movie of 2023 with John Wick: Chapter 4!
It’s the first episode of the year! Episode 72 of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema sees the return of special guest Chase Ward! Today, we discuss the cult hit No Retreat, No Surrender! The guys also give their thoughts on the recently announced new Karate Kid movie!
It’s that time! Episode 71 of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema, or Amber’s birthday special! Montelrius was unfortunately absent, but Kaleb and Amber band together to celebrate and discuss (possibly) Scott Adkins’ best movie in Avengement! This also marks the last episode of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema in 2023! We hope everyone has a safe and happy new year! See you in 2024!
We made it to episode 70! Today, Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius talk all things Chuck Norris! Yes, the guy who can cut a hot knife with butter. The main topic for this episode is a discussion of the classic only known as Sidekicks! This movie is very special to Kaleb. Do Amber and Montelrius see why? Let’s find out!
Welcome to episode 69 of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema (aka the 4th annual Halloween special)! Montelrius is absent today, but Kaleb and Amber are here to cover all the news and talk about a gem of a movie! Today, they cover the 1981 slasher action comedy known as Dreadnaught!
It’s episode 68 and it is once again Shawtember! Celebrate with Kaleb and Montelrius as they discuss an essential installment in the Venom Mob’s filmography, Invincible Shaolin! The guys also cover all the latest news in martial arts physical media, and Kaleb gives his thoughts on season 3 of Warrior!
It’s Kaleb’s birthday special episode! For episode 67, Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius discuss one of Jackie Chan’s best films. It was a turning point in his career and the first step to becoming the Jackie Chan we all know and love. Big stunts! Prop Kung Fu! It’s The Young Master!
Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema is back in July! For episode 66, Amber returns and the 3 hosts talk more about Mortal Kombat 1, and then they dive into the 2006 action banger (and kinda melodramatic) film, Fatal Contact!
In episode 65 of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema, Amber is absent. So instead, Kaleb and Montelrius tag team against the master of the Five Elements, the Ghost Face Killer! That’s right, they’re covering one of the greats. It’s Joseph Kuo’s The Mystery of Chess Boxing! The guys also give their thoughts on The Expendables 4, Mortal Kombat 1, and much more!
It’s gonna be May (or it already is)! This month, for episode 64, Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema celebrates Montelrius’ birthday! Montelrius got to pick this month’s movie for the occasion. What did he choose? Well it’s Blood and Bone! Or is it Blood and Boon? According to Amber, it is.
Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema is back for the month of April! In episode 63, Kaleb and Amber celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary and discuss one of Kaleb’s favorites, Master of the Flying Guillotine! They also talk John Wick 4 and a recently announced Bruce Lee box set!
Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius return from their respective vacations in episode 62! Today, they cover all of the recent Blu-Ray announcements and then dive into one of Jet Li’s best films (at least in Kaleb’s opinion), Unleashed! Kaleb also reveals some of his celebrity crushes!
Welcome to episode 61 of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema! Kaleb starts the episode with an important announcement regarding the podcast’s schedule. After that, Kaleb and Amber are joined (via satellite) by Jason from the Martial Arts Theater 3000 YouTube channel and they discuss Bruce Lee’s would-be final film Game of Death!
Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema celebrates 60 episodes! Today, Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius discuss the best entry in the Ip Man series: Ip Man 2! They also share their favorite Chuck Norris facts!
HADOUKEN! It’s confetti cannons and opened mouth kisses for episode 59! After nearly 2 years, Chase Ward (lead singer of Straight Shot Home) returns to the show and he and Kaleb hilariously try to discuss the 1994 cult hit Street Fighter! Chase also offers some touching insight to his band’s new song “Borrowed Time”.
Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius are back with the first episode of 2023! In episode 58, our hosts close out the John Wick series (for now) with a discussion of Chapter 3!
Happy holidays! In episode 57, Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema wraps up on 2022 with a discussion of John Wick: Chapter 2!
It’s that time again! In episode 56, Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius celebrate Amber’s birthday by covering one of her favorite movies. This year, it’s Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear! Our hosts also discuss the recently announced Bruce Lee biopic and Rush Hour 4!
Episode 55 of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema is dedicated to the late Jason David Frank, the greatest Power Ranger of all time.Today, Kaleb and Amber continue to digest Thanksgiving dinner while discussing one of the most important (and frankly overrated) martial arts films of all time, Enter the Dragon!
Welcome to episode 54! Montelrius is back after missing the Halloween special and our hosts talk about one of the all-time classics in Kung Fu cinema, Executioners from Shaolin! Amber and Montelrius had some pretty interesting thoughts on this one. They also discuss the new John Wick: Chapter 4 trailer!
It’s episode 53! Or should we say the Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema 3rd annual Halloween special?! Join Kaleb and Amber while they talk one of the greatest cult films of all time, Big Trouble in Little China! That’s right, it’s the supernatural Kung Fu spectacle that made John Carpenter quit the big Hollywood studios! They also discuss they’re favorite (and least favorite) horror films, cover the ongoing Blu-Ray Wars, and you get to hear Kaleb’s Lo Pan impression!
Episode 52 sees Kaleb and Amber finally have a disagreement over a movie, and Montelrius is there to witness it! Today, our 3 hosts look at one of the great Kung Fu comedies, Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle! They also talk about Blade of the 47 Ronin, people who object at weddings, and Kaleb’s allergies!
In episode 51, Kaleb and Amber venture back into Wing Chun territory and talk about one of Golden Harvest’s best films, Warriors Two! They also pick their favorite villain moments while answering listener questions, Kaleb talks about people who yell “dog pile”, and Amber proclaims that Donnie Yen is “daddy”!
Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema has reached its golden episodes! In episode 50, Kaleb and Amber celebrate Shawtember and discuss Kaleb’s favorite Venom Mob film Shaolin Rescuers! We also get some Shaw Bros. themed listener questions!
HOLY SHINTO! Delayed by one day, Kaleb and Amber push on with episode 49! They even shake things up by having dinner while recording! Today, they share lots of laughs while discussing one of Chris Farley’s final films. It’s the outrageous martial arts comedy known as Beverly Hills Ninja!
Welcome to episode 48! Or should we say Kaleb’s birthday special?! Today, Kaleb and Amber talk all the big news coming from the Kung Fu movie world (from Cobra Kai to Jackie Chan), and for the main topic, they take a look at the blistering South Korean action thriller, The Man from Nowhere! Closing out, they talk bread eating habits and more while answering listener questions!
In an action-packed 47th episode, Kaleb and Amber discuss one of the best Kung Fu films of the last decade, Once Upon a Time in Shanghai! Kaleb and Amber also give their thoughts on the recent John Wick 4 teaser trailer. Then finally, they list their top 3 most overrated Kung Fu films and more while answering listener questions!
Episode 46 of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema sees the return of Kidd Kong! Today, our 3 hosts take a trip across the multiverse and discuss one of Jet Li’s most popular movies, The One! Kaleb and Amber also make their excitement for Tekken: Bloodline known and we get the return of listener questions!
In episode 45, Kaleb and Amber embark on a journey to challenge the 7 Grandmasters! They talk about what is arguably Joseph Kuo’s best film and they explain why The 7 Grandmasters is perhaps the most essential Kung Fu film that you have to see! You’ll also hear Kaleb and Amber’s quick thoughts on Reacher!
In episode 44, Kaleb and Amber dive into the career of the legendary Yuen Biao and discuss his first leading role with Knockabout!
In episode 43, Kidd Kong returns to the studio and the guys dive into Jackie Chan’s second attempt at breaking into Hollywood, The Protector! The Protector is notorious for the many disagreements between Jackie and the film’s director, James Glickenhaus. The disagreements were so strong that Jackie even re-shot and re-edited the film for the Hong Kong release. How did all of this happen? Let’s find out!
In episode 42 of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema, Montelrius returns to the studio and our 3 hosts discuss the underrated 2007 action extravaganza Invisible Target! They also discuss the new recently announced Police Story Blu-Rays.
In episode 41, Kaleb and Amber take a look at Kaleb’s favorite Donnie Yen film, Wu Xia (aka Dragon), which happens to be one of the final films of the late, great Jimmy Wang Yu. Kaleb and Amber also discuss the upcoming season 5 of Cobra Kai and the upcoming Tiger Cage box set.
Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema is over the hill! In episode 40, Kaleb and Amber dive into Jet Li’s final martial arts epic, Fearless! This is Kaleb’s favorite Jet Li movie and you’re gonna find out why!
It was The Karate Kid before The Karate Kid was cool. Episode 39 sees Kaleb and Amber discuss one of the films that made Jackie Chan a star (and it just so happens to be Kaleb’s favorite), Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow! NOTE: At 4:20, I said “Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow was shelved for several months…” but I meant to say Spiritual Kung Fu. My mistake!
In episode 38, Kaleb and Amber give a history lesson on Bashers and then tell the story of one of the greatest Kung Fu films ever made, One Armed Boxer!
Kaleb and Amber get back to the classics in episode 37! Today, we have one of the most popular movies of the 70s Kung Fu Craze, The Flying Guillotine!
In episode 36, Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius sit down for a SPOILER-FILLED discussion of the brand new Netflix film, Fistful of Vengeance. Is it better or worse than its 2019 predecessor Wu Assassins? Let’s find out!
Kaleb and Amber return to form in episode 35 when they discuss the 2014 action masterpiece, The Raid 2! They also debate which Raid film is superior!
Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema has outdone themselves for episode 34. For the first time ever, the podcast has 4 hosts! Kaleb, Amber, Kal the Kaiju Guy, and Kidd Kong discuss the entertainingly bad, the delightfully awful, Showdown in Little Tokyo!
We’re thinking he’s back! In episode 33, Kaleb is joined once again by Kal the Kaiju Guy and Kidd Kong to discuss what may be the best action film of the last decade… John Wick! Kaleb and Amber also discuss what hosting the podcast has done for their relationship.
Kaleb and Amber blast into the new year with a discussion of Donnie Yen’s latest outing and the final film of the late, great director Benny Chan: Raging Fire! You’ll also hear their thoughts on Cobra Kai season 4, the return of listener questions, and what to expect from Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema throughout 2022!
In episode 31 (the last episode of 2021), Kaleb and Amber reflect on the past year (it was something else) and bookend it with a trip to the Shaolin temple to talk about one of the most iconic Kung Fu movies of all time: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin! Kaleb also reveals some exciting plans for the future of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema!
Today, we celebrate 30 episodes of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema! Kaleb and Amber dive into the career of the B-level action movie king himself, Scott Adkins, with a discussion of his 2009 film Ninja! This film was released under the radar the very same year as the much anticipated Ninja Assassin. Is it better or worse? Let’s find out!
Happy 81st birthday to the legendary Bruce Lee! In episode 29, Kaleb is joined by Kal the Kaiju Guy (from Kaiju Karnage) and they discuss what is considered by many to be Bruce Lee’s best film… The Way of the Dragon!
In episode 28, Kaleb and Amber introduce you guys to the legendary filmmaker Joseph Kuo and his very underrated Kung Fu spectacle Born Invincible! Kaleb also reminisces on his childhood experiences with this film.
Happy Halloween from Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema and welcome to episode 27, the 2nd annual Halloween special! Today, Kaleb and Amber discuss the 2011 martial arts/survival horror masterpiece The Raid!
It’s the one year anniversary of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema! Kaleb is joined by Chris from Kidd Kong at the Movies, as well as Kal the Kaiju Guy from Kaiju Karnage! The guys head to the Kumite and talk Bloodsport!
In episode 25, Kaleb has a story for you guys. The story of the One-Armed Swordsman. Join us now to hear the legend of the trailblazing wuxia flick.
For episode 24, Kaleb, Amber, and Montelrius saw Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. So they have to talk about it, right? Right you are! SPOILER ALERT!
For Cinema Quick Kick #7, Kaleb throws down with one of the best video games to come out in years: Ghost of Tsushima!
It’s officially September. Or should we say SHAWTEMBER?! That means it’s time for Kaleb and Amber to introduce you all to their five secret pupils: the Centipede, the Snake, the Scorpion, the Lizard, and the Toad. It’s the Five Deadly Venoms! Let’s start Shawtember with a bang and look at one of the most influential martial arts films and one of the greatest cult films of all time!
Kaleb and Amber take a trip down the rabbit hole in episode 22 to find the answer to the question: What is the Matrix? Join us now and hear more about one of the greatest sci-fi action films ever made!
KAMEHAMEHA! Today, Kaleb delivers a Quick Kick to the original Dragon Ball anime! More specifically, the World Martial Arts Tournament sagas!
In episode 21, Kaleb and Amber dive into the new Snake Eyes film. They had an awful lot to say about this one, so SPOILER ALERT! Kaleb also contemplates giving up on Hollywood action films.
In this very special bonus episode, Kaleb’s brother Seth returns to the studio and they are joined by none other than their own father! Kaleb wouldn’t be everyone’s favorite Kung Fu fanatic if it wasn’t for this man. In this potentially once in a lifetime event, hear the guys laugh to death over the 2002 cult classic parody Kung Pow!
Kaleb flies solo in episode 19 so that he can teach you all the deadly Iron Fist technique. We’re talking the movie that started the North American Kung Fu Craze, 1972’s King Boxer (aka Five Fingers of Death)!
Episode 18 keeps the ball rolling with a discussion of Kill Bill vol. 2! We finally get answers for everything we saw in vol. 1, including the Bride’s real name! However, Kaleb just can’t seem to stop calling her the Bride!
Cinema Quick Kick #5 has arrived! Today, Kaleb takes a look at what may be the greatest live action video game adaptation ever. It’s Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist! This 2014 web series was acclaimed by fans and critics and had a very bright future. But sadly, SFAF did not get the happy ending it very much deserved.
Episode 17 features a discussion of one of the greatest revenge tales ever told: Kill Bill! Starting with volume 1, Kaleb and Amber dive into this true love letter to martial arts films.
In episode 16, Kaleb and Amber brutalize the Cinema with a discussion of the BRUTAL 2016 Indonesian action film Headshot! The first action movie to be helmed by the pair of directors known as the Mo Brothers, Headshot is one of Iko Uwais’ more underrated films and it certainly deserves our attention!
Cinema Quick Kicks is back! In our 4th installment, Kaleb goes back to 2003 to look at the Xbox exclusive fighting video game known as Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus! Developed by John Tobias’ Studio Gigante after he left Midway, Tao Feng has been described as one of the most brutal and realistic fighting games ever created.
The Cinema returns with a discussion of one of the greatest martial arts films of the modern era: it’s Ong-Bak! Released in 2003, Ong-Bak proved to be Tony Jaa’s breakout film and catapulted him to stardom. So much so that critics and audiences even called him the next Bruce Lee. Join Kaleb and Amber today to find out what makes Ong-Bak such an amazing standout movie!
The Cinema is back for the third week in a row with episode 14! Today, Kaleb and Amber take a trip to Hong Kong with Chief Inspector Lee and Detective James Carter and they discuss Rush Hour 2! Apologies in advance for the mic buzzing. We ran into a technical issue!
It’s finally here! Mortal Kombat has begun! After nearly 25 years, we have a new live action adaptation of the iconic video game series. CEO of Destination Sports Montelrius Lafears returns to the studio and we discuss the new Mortal Kombat movie in depth (SPOILER ALERT) in this special bonus Cinema episode!
In episode 13 of the Cinema, Chris returns to the studio! Due to the new Mortal Kombat film being delayed by one week, the guys decide to fill the spot with one of the worst films ever made, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation! Before it all begins again for the MK movie universe, we gotta go back to 1997 where it all ended.
It’s a double Cinema birthday celebration! Today, we celebrate the birthdays of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, two of the most iconic names in the Kung Fu movie industry. And there’s no better way to celebrate than by looking at their first and only collaboration ever: The Forbidden Kingdom! This wuxia flick was a big deal when it was released in 2008. Does it still hold up today? Let’s find out! NOTE: Kaleb made a mistake with Jackie Chan’s age. Just to clarify, Mr. Chan turned 67 this year.
In episode 11 of the Cinema, Kaleb sits down with Chase Ward (vocalist of Straight Shot Home & Mortal Kombat fanatic), who is with us “via satellite”. The hype for the new Mortal Kombat film continues to build, so Kaleb and Chase go back in time to discuss where it all began. It’s the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie! Arguably the best video game movie out there, the ‘95 Mortal Kombat holds a special place in all our hearts!
The new Mortal Kombat film is upon us ladies and gentlemen! So today, Kaleb throws a Quick Kick at the 1996 cartoon series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm!
The Cinema has made it to 10 episodes! Today, Kaleb and Amber catch up on all the news in the world of martial arts action and finally discuss one of the greatest films ever made. It’s the 2000 wuxia spectacle known as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon! This movie made Amber cry!
In the aftermath of the 2021 snowstorm, Kaleb rises to deliver a Quick Kick to the ice apocalypse and the 2012 video game gem known as Sleeping Dogs! The show must go on!
It’s another Cinema birthday celebration! Today we remember the legendary Brandon Lee on what would’ve been his 56th birthday. Kaleb and Amber look at Brandon’s highly underrated and perhaps best action film: Rapid Fire!
Welcome to the first episode of a new mini-series called Cinema Quick Kicks! Today, Kaleb tackles his favorite manga series: Fist of the North Star!
In episode 8 of the Cinema, Chris returns to the studio and the guys finally discuss Jet Li! We’re looking at Romeo Must Die! This 2000 retelling of Romeo & Juliet was the breakout role for Jet Li in America and Aaliyah’s acting debut. The guys believe this is a very underrated film. Find out why! Kaleb and Chris also give their thoughts on the Mortal Kombat remake images and more!
Happy New Year! 2020 showed no mercy, but now it’s our turn to strike back! Welcome to the Cinema’s first ever crossover episode! It’s Kung Fu vs Kaiju! We’re joined by Kal the Kaiju Guy (host of Kaiju Karnage) and we look at a TV show that has taken the world by storm: Cobra Kai!
We’re back after a long holiday weekend! Today, the Kung Fu Cinema becomes the Karate Cinema when Kaleb and his brother Seth look at one of the greatest movies ever made: The Karate Kid! This 1984 flick popularized Karate in the U.S. and has inspired multiple generations of people, including our two hosts. Find out what Kaleb and Seth love about this movie now in the Cinema’s last episode of 2020!
In episode 5 of the Cinema, Kaleb’s wife Amber is back in the studio and we celebrate her 26th birthday! For the main topic, Kaleb and Amber take a look at the 2009 live action Tekken movie. Tekken happens to be Kaleb and Amber’s favorite fighting game franchise. Does the movie do the games justice? We’ll find out today!
The Cinema celebrates the Dragon’s 80th birthday! We’re talking all things Bruce Lee and taking a look at his very first film: The Big Boss! The guys also give their thoughts on the Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr. exhibition match.
In episode 3 of the Cinema, Kaleb and Chris are joined by a very special guest in Montelrius Lafears. Montelrius is one of Kaleb’s oldest friends and the current CEO of the Destination Sports Brand clothing line (also known as DSB). This episode features predictions on the upcoming UFC 255 and much more. For the main topic, the guys take a look at the classic buddy cop martial arts film: Rush Hour!
Happy Halloween from the Cinema! Today, the Cinema receives a makeover and Kaleb is joined by guest host Chris. Chris is a close friend of Kaleb’s and a former high school wrestler. In this very special episode, Kaleb and Chris trade Halloween stories; Chris reminisces about his wrestling days; and the two give their thoughts on last weekend’s UFC 254, as well as predictions on the upcoming UFC Fight Night: Hall vs Silva, Naoya Inoue vs Jason Moloney, and much more. This episode also marks the first ever mailbag segment! For the main topic, Kaleb and Chris take a look at a classic Jackie Chan film: Spiritual Kung Fu! It has ghosts, so why not? Also we want to put a huge “ALLEGEDLY” on a statement at the end of the episode!
In the debut episode of Kaleb’s Kung Fu Cinema, Kaleb gives some background on himself and why he is such a huge fan of martial arts movies, starting with a breakdown of the first movie he ever saw: Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury. You’ll also hear what to expect from the Cinema in future episodes.