Fu for Thought

No Cyrus this week, but Devan and I sit down and discuss Patrick Tam's wuxia tragedy, THE SWORD. We get into the randomness of the first few scenes, Devan has qualms about sword lore and fight scene length, and I try (and probably fail) to dig deep for metaphor and symbolism. Tangents include our new adventures with the ol' marijuana. Later we discuss the joys of Christmas when you're a kid and kung fu cinema's finest swordsmen! Enjoy!

I have to apologize in advance for this episode. It's the first ever solo episode. Go easy on me! On this week's episode I get into 1974's Sonny Chiba classic, THE STREET FIGHTER. I ask, "What makes a karate man?", compare its choreography style to early 70's Bashers, and ask you guys to give me your favourite year in martial arts cinema. After a technical blip, I jump into listener questions. Including an impromptu rant about CGI. Enjoy!

This week we delve into the underworld of Indonesian crime with Timo Tjahanto's latest action epic, THE SHADOW STRAYS. We kick the show off with some important Fu for Thought news and then jump into the review. Varied opinions on this one from the old Fu for Thought crew!   We talk about the juxtaposition between 13 and Umbra, the film's graphic violence, and how gimp masks add an extra layer to a villain. As well as loads more.   Later, we get into listener questions and discuss the feminine qualities of Lord of the Rings orcs, Devan makes a difficult decision between Thor and Black Panther, and we ask, "Are jump scares actually good?"   Enjoy!

It's spooky season so we decided to get a bit ominous and eerie with the 2024 Korean horror, EXHUMA. A bit of a wild ride, this one. It seems one of the things I like about the film, Devan and Cyrus don't (the whole "severe left turn" thing), both Devan and Cyrus ask, "Why's it so big!?" and one of us (and trust me, it's not who you think) wants MORE jump scares. As well as film banter, Cyrus makes Devan spit out her drink...twice. Cyrus tells the story of when he saw people in his closet and I divulge why I'm scared of haunted houses (spoiler: it's racism).   Enjoy!

I decided to take it easy on Devan and Cyrus this week and allow them to watch a movie they already love, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. It's me who had his mind changed this episode. We discuss the now infamous British censorship of this film (and the cartoon), whether or not Judith Hoag is a "timless beauty", and whether it's filled with enough Asian stereotypes to make it racist. Devan brings up her TMNT sleeping bag, while I bring up my very weird childhood duvet cover. Cyrus kicks things off with a health update. We, of course, answer the classic questions: who is your favorite turtle? But along the way, I tell about half a dozen embarrassing stories from my teenage years and we talk about how we would be able to kill wolves. Enjoy!