After The Last Kumite (2024) producer Sean Lowe is ready to strike again. Single-handedly fighting to bring back 80s Martial Arts flicks his new film- LION FIST again stars the German action star Mathis Landwehr and a bevy of old- school Martial Arts stars like Keith Cooke, Gary Daniels, Kurt McKinney and “Bolo Jr” David Yeung.
And most interestingly he brought back the veteran writer Keith W. Strandberg (No Retreat No Surrender 1-4, King of Kickboxers, American Shaolin) to help him write the movie, for the first time in 25 years! Like the last time movie owns a lot to the 80s and 90s filmography of Jean Claude Van Damme, influenced by films like the Kickboxer, Bloodsport and Lionheart too.
The villain is Bodybuilder and Martial Artist Brice Akkerson, a big upgrade from The Last Kumite in my eyes. Akkerson already had his acting debut in French Action- Comedy Brawl (2026) and this will be his first main villain role.
Iespecially like the addition of the underrated British ass-kicker Gary Danies who Standberg already worked with on Bloodmoon (1997)- also starring the late great Darren Shahlavi.
If you follow us on WM, one thing is for sure, we love our B- horror movies, especially if they are Halloween themed (see HauntedWeen (1991)). Produced by the B- movie veteran Fred Olen RayJack-O (1995) was directed by Steve Latshaw (Return of the Killer Shrews, Command Performance) Jack-O starred everyone from scream queens like Linea Quiqley & Brink Stevens to Cameron Mitchell and Horror legend John Caradine in one of his final appearances.
Now, more than 30 years later the Scarecrow killer is back with Olen Ray on both producing and directing duties. Trailer had it’s premiere this May 29 on Monsterpalooza and now it’s finally available for everyone (via JoBlo Horror):
Movie is starring genre legendSybil Danning with Richard Gabai and again John Carradine (via archive footage).
After losing the legendaryAussieMartial Artist, Actor & ChoreographerRichard Nortonlast year we thought we would never see our favorite in a movie again. Seemingly his last appearance turned up to be a villain role in Cynthia RothrockWestern/ Action hybrid Black Creek (2025) but to quote the Master Yoda himself “there’s another one…”.
Richard Norton & Stephen DeGenaro
Passionate Filmmaker and Martial Artist Stephen DeGanaro filmed some scenes for his upcoming project RAGING JAKE in the late 2024 and he had none other than Norton play his (step)father. Considering Norton was the O.G. of Australian Martial Art Actors (since the days of Octagon and Force Five ) it was a fitting tribute. I actually knew about this and even just recently commented that it was too bad we’ll never get to see it.
Jake uncovers a conspiracy tied to his past, his missing brother, and a violent criminal underworld. Every step closer to the truth pulls him deeper into danger.
The original concept trailer shot in 2024
Well, it’s a bit of a miracle because it turns out that over the two days of filming they got the main scenes with Norton done and there’s enough filmed for him to show up in a finished movie. And even if his role might be relatively small in the end it’s fitting that his last movie is a full on Martial Arts Fest filmed in his native country.
Now, for DeGanaro, this story is something he is deeply passionate about, including writing a whole book before he ever got the film going and he promises visceral (almost Ong Bak level?) brutal Martial Arts with no wires or CGI. Considering he is a dedicated Jeet Kune Do practitioner under Richardo Vargas (also the movie’s fight choreographer) we’ll hold him to his word.
With a fellow Aussie- Bran Foster putting out a non- stop banger like Life After Fighting (2024) recently it’s on DeGanaro to keep the momentum going and maybe, just maybe Australia can become a new Hong Kong, Thailand or Indonesia of action films.
For those of us who want to support the movie, it’s expected to go live on Indiegogo, right here any day now (so by the time you’re reading this link should up and running).
As it was tradition for the longest time (up until sometime in 2010s) the new Deathstalker movie has a Music Video!Chuck Cirino, the veteran composer who wrote the original (and the most memorable) theme for Deathstalker II is back with the new franchise composer Bear McCreary (Battlestar Galactica, Walking Dead OST), his brother vocalist Brandon McCreary, drummer Gene Hoglan (Death, Dark Angel, Testament, Metalocalypse), bassist Pete Griffin (Steve Vai), guitarist Omer Ben-Zvi and of course the movie’s co- producer Slash of Guns N’ Roses fame on lead guitar.
I knew the theme would kick-ass but a heavy rocked up version w/ vocals is an awesome surprise!
Song is also a part of the upcoming EP paired up with a Radio Version of the theme and also a songWalking Alone by the actress/ singer Nina Bergman, and it can be pre- ordered right here. For those in the US and Canada Deathstalker (2025) is playing in select theaters startingtoday and hopefully for us across the pond Europe release won’t be far behind.
Around the year 2000 masked virtuoso guitarist Buckethead was a part of revamped line-up of Guns N’ Roses that recorded what’s considered one of the most expensive albums in history of Rock music- Chinese Democracy. After various studios, producers and even band members album was finally released by Geffen (via Best Buy deal) in 2008 when Buckethead was already long gone– although a lot of his contributions still survive.
Buckethead at Rock in Rio ’01
Now, almost everyone has heard about Chinese Democracy at this point- but did you know that around the same time Buckethead was involved in another project just as crazy and that one has yet to come out.
It all starts in ’86 with Cannon produced Texas Chainsaw Massacre II. Hopper’s long awaited sequel was too comical to some expecting more of the same but still, metal- plated Vietnam veteran Chop-Top (played by Bill Mosley) was a bit of a breakout character. Mosley even hoped to flesh out the character in a sequel and wrote a pitch but nothing ever come out of it. Well, at least until he befriended a young guitar prodigy Buckethead (who turned out to be a giant fan) in the ’90s and he appeared in character on one of his records. They even ended up forming a band up forming the band Cornbugs together (with addition of drummer Pinchface and keybordist Travis Dickerson). Cornbugs would release their first album in ’99 just as movie revival would for Chop-Top finally became a reality.
All American Nightmare (2000), an unofficial (?) sequel to the ‘Chainsaw Massacre II was originally developed as a short by Moseley and Toby Hopper’s son William “Tony” Hopper. Shot on HD digital it was supposed to be a 15 minute film but it evolved into a 60 minute feature by the end.
And to circle back, the most famous Sawyer brother was played by none other than Buckethead, trading one mask for another. He would also go on to provide the music for the film. Similarly to the Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 movie would consist of a journalist interviewing the imprisoned Chop-Top who would talk about his past but end up getting free and starting a new massacre by the end. Formula that absolutely can work.
Unfortunately due to a lack of funds movie was never released and all we have is this trailer and couple short clips.
But shockingly a VHS with a number of unedited scenes just showed up on Ebay! Turns out the seller got the tape and the accompanying 40 promo slides when the locker of Nightmare’s actor and producer Stephen Lokotsch was sold off. Despite the hefty 8500 dollar price tape is already bought and the new owner promised to upload the long- lost movie to youtube.
Yes, it’s not a full movie, and in all reality when edited it will probably amount to 20ish minutes but still, after 25 years All American Nightmare will finally see a light of day. And hopefully renowned interest leads to the full movie someday soon. I know they tried Kickstarter in the past but with this momentum with the fans another one would for sure be a slam dunk.
In case the recent teaser posterwasn’t enough for you, Shout! Studios just put out the first trailer for the new Deathstalker and it doesn’t disappoint. For those of us missing the 80s cheeseBarbarian flicks in our lives this is a breath of fresh air.
In Deathstalker, the Kingdom of Abraxeon is under siege by the Dreadites, heralds of the long-dead sorcerer Nekromemnon. When Deathstalker recovers a cursed amulet from a corpse-strewn battlefield, he’s marked by dark magick and hunted by monstrous assassins. To survive, he must break the curse and face the rising evil. Death is just the beginning… of great adventure!
Also, notice the Albert Pyun‘s Sword and the Sorcerereaster egg at the end there- wasn’t expecting that one!
After the recent news that Shout! Studios bought the U.S. rights for the new Deathstalker movie staring Daniel Bernhardt just before it’s premiere on Locarno Festival (Switzerland) we finally have the release date for the movie too! North American release date is October 10 with Shout! handling U.S. and Raven Banner handling it’s native Canada.
Japanese and German- speaking territories rights were also sold at the Locarno Festival with more to follow.
With this and the long gestatingRed Sonja reboot (coming out today!!!) this is shaping up to be a fun year for Sword and Sorcery fans. (And that’s not even counting the comicbook side with the titular Deathstalker from Vault Comics, Titan’s Conan and Savage Sword of Conan and Dynamite’s Fire and Ice.)
Just ahead of the official premiere at the 89 Locarno Film Festival Shout! Studios has closed the deal and acquired the English- speaking territory rights for the new Deathstalker movie, directed by Steven Kostanski (Psycho Goreman, Frankie Freako). That’s great news for us Sword and Sorcery fans- it’s been decades since the last sequel (Deathstalker IV) of the classicCorman series was in cinemas and now we can actually expect a new one later this year.
Daniel Bernhardt (Bloodsport 2, Matrix 2, John Wick) Martial Art movie veteran stars as a Deathstalker a forth actor to carry a titular role. He is joined by comedian Patton Oswald who voices the minuscule wizard Doodad as well as well Nina Bergman, Paul Lazenby and Christina Orjalo.
Deathstalker and the wizard Doodad
Movies follows the Deathstalker comicbook series by Vault, Deathstalker: The Damned Blood by Seeley ,Terry and Russelpresented by legendary guitarist Slash (Guns N’ Roses) who is also the executive producer of the movie- as well as a co-composer of the Deathstalker (2025) theme (w/ Bear McCreary and Chuck Cirino).
6 years after his unlikely comeback with Color Out of Space (staring none other than the legendary Nic Cage) Richard Stanley is back at it again. In his first UK production since his debut Hardware (1990) Stanley is preparing to shoot a Rock Festival meets Lovecraftian Horror film called Iron Donkey.
And if that isn’t enough he is casting a number of Rockstars and at least one Martial Arts star, because the first casting is surprisingly a Hong Kong action movie veteran Cynthia Rothrock (Yes, Madam, China O’Brian & Black Creek).
“The stars have aligned to conjure this dream into manifestation, a perfect storm of metal, martial arts and cosmic horror, precision calibrated to burn its way into the brains of a whole new generation of metal fans. It makes me hugely happy to be back in the UK and to be returning to my cultural roots with this supernaturally charged psychedelic hand grenade, freely inspired by a real-life misadventure from my younger years. Given the current state of the nation, I firmly believe Steel Donkeys is exactly what Britain both needs and deserves…”
Movie is to be shoot during a Bloodstock Open Air festival (in Derbyshire) in August with additional filming in KK’S Steel Mill, owned of course by none other than K.K. Downings (ex- Judas Priest). Doesn’t get much more Metal than that.
Heavy Metal meets Horror ( ala Trick or Treat) has always been one of the sub-genres we had crazy fun with, so we can’t wait to see more of this project– hopefully we won’t be waiting long.
A sheriff’s sister seeks revenge against the terrifying leader of a group of outlaws after discovering he brutally murdered her brother, his wife, and other family members in a gritty southwestern town.
For fans of 80s and 90s Martial Art flicks, movie is significant as a reunion of China O’ Brian (1990) team of Rothrock, Keith Cooke and the late, great Richard Norton almost 35years after their last film together. And the rest of the cast is also rounded out with who’s who ofold school Martial Art movies with names like Don “Dragon” Wilson, Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, Keith Vitali and Ninjutsu pioneer Stephen Hayes all there.
Worsemovies 