It's that time of year again - the annual Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast End of Year Show returns for its eighth year!

Featuring the author of Life of Action Vol. 1 and 2, Mike Fury, we unpack our martial arts movie highlights of the year, discuss the news that has been hitting the headlines, and - because it's the festive season - we also unwrap some martial arts-themed Christmas presents.

2024 has been a particularly strong year for fight-centric action films. We saw the return of many fan favourites - Po the panda returned in Kung Fu Panda 4, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine returned for Deadpool & Wolverine - and many of the legends of martial arts cinema released multiple films this year, from Jean-Claude Van Damme to Cynthia Rothrock, Jackie Chan to Scott Adkins. But which movies will make the cut in our personal top five of the year - and which film will be crowned the best of 2024?

We also read out messages from you - the loyal Fu followers - who have been submitting your opinions on your favourite fight films from the year. And if you want to play along at home, we've put together a list of martial arts movies released in the UK this year (according to IMDb), available on our website. A huge thank you for your ongoing support in 2024, and wherever you are in the world, have a very happy new year!

Read our not-very-comprehensive list of martial arts movies released in 2024: https://bit.ly/EOYShow2024

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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.