Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast

In the latest episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason spice up their man-feelings for A Better Tomorrow, discussing John Woo's 1986 film that sparked the heroic bloodshed genre. Enjoy! Website: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2026/06/s6e7-better-tomorrow-1986.html Follow the show on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/heroicpurgatory.bsky.social Follow Jason: https://bs...

In the latest episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason move to the countryside for a friendly chat with magical owls and bus-sized orange cats. That's right, we are covering My Neighbor Totoro, the 1988 Hayao Miyazaki film who's titular character became the logo for the newly minted Studio Ghibli. Though often viewed as a "children" film, Totoro is not all abo...

In the latest episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason get sassy in South Korea with the 2001 romantic comedy, My Sassy Girl. A critical darling of the early 21st century, the film has been somewhat forgotten or relegated as a curio of a different era in Korean cinema . Does it still hold up? We discuss how the film's comedy and romance may or may not have aged, and whe...

In this episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason talk about arguably the best Taiwanese film ever made, Edward Yang's Yi Yi. While tackling existential alienation of in the face of modernity, the film explores the complex dynamics of a 21st century family, their screw ups, past regrets, and above all, their need for connection. Website: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/...

In this episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason revisit the heroic bloodshed genre with arguably the second (and far less melodramatic) entry into the category: Ringo Lam's City on Fire (1987). While male friendship is central to the film, Lam injects a fair amount of social criticism into his film, making him a unique and often underappreciate voice among the the acti...

In this episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason talk about Park Chan-wook's first(ish) feature film, Joint Security Area. In the midst of our discussion, a daring proposition emerges: is this the director's best film. Listen to our thoughts about the films themes of Korean separation, isolation, male friendship, and the role of gender in military society. We hope you e...

A new season, and old theme. For season 6, the Heroic Purgatory team revisits the topic of gateway films, i.e. popular or accessible works of cinema that serve is a gateway to the wider world of asian cinema. In the first episode of the season, John and Jason discuss Akira Kurosawa's 1954 classic, Seven Samurai. Heralded as one of the best movies ever made, Seven Samurai is not only an action mast...

With another year behind us, it's time for John and Jason to once again reflect on what's passed and list their favorite movies of 2025. Enjoy the discussion! Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2026/02/best-films-of-2025.html Follow the show on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/heroicpurgatory.bsky.social Follow Jason: https://bsky.app/profile/filmnohito.bsky.socia Follow John: https:/...

In preparation for the upcoming award season, we are covering the highly regarded 2025 gem of filmmaker Park Chan-wook, No Other Choice. Enjoy the discussion! Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2026/01/award-special-no-other-choice-2025.html Follow the show on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/heroicpurgatory.bsky.social Follow Jason: https://bsky.app/profile/filmnohito.bsky.socia Foll...

It's that time of the year again, and the Heroic Purgatory crew has decided to celebrate the festive season by revisiting John Carpenter's They Live (1988). John and Jason discuss the symbolism, the politics, the style, as well as the balls to the wall action of this 80s classic. Enjoy the discussion! Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2025/12/xmas-special-they-live-1988.html Follow th...

After a longer than usual break, the Heroic Purgatory podcast is back with a Halloween special, covering none other than John Carpenter's Halloween (1978). John and Jason discuss this horror classic's aesthetics, historical significance, and its metaphorical representation of patriarchal norms. We also talk about the sequels. Enjoy the discussion! Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/202...

In this episode of Heroic Purgatory, we tackle a classic, Jackie Chan's Project A. We hope you enjoy our discussion. Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2025/07/s5e8-project-1983.html Follow the show on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/heroicpurgatory.bsky.social Follow Jason: https://bsky.app/profile/filmnohito.bsky.socia

In this episode of Heroic Purgatory, John and Jason travel to the Kingdom of Joseon to witness the Qing invasion of Korea in the War of the Arrows (2011). Both hosts characterized this film as a fairly straightforward historical action flick, albeit one with excellent action scenes, pacing, and historical accuracy. We hope you enjoy our discussion. Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/20...

In this episode of Heroic Purgatory, John, Jason, and invited guest Jack (Optimism Vaccine) discuss Hideo Gosha's 1965 chanbara film, The Sword of the Beast. Far from a simple minded samurai flick, the film reflects the anxieties, tensions, and complex politics of the time by deconstructing the faux nobility of a past era. We hope you enjoy our discussion. Website link: https://www.heroic-purgator...

In this episode of Heroic Purgatory we put on our wuxia hats and EastmanColor glasses for King Hu's 1967 iconic piece, Dragon Inn. It is a film of many influences coalesced into a Ming dynasty tale of brave warriors standing up to an evil eunuch's army, with beautiful action pieces and big emotional swings. We discuss how the film holds up today and how it compares with the more recent Tsui Hark p...

This week in the Heroic Purgatory podcast, we talk about Zhang Yimou's 2002 wuxia film, Hero, staring Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, and Tony Leung. A film as beautiful as it is controversial, Hero is one of the director's best known works, toping both Chinese and international box offices and catapulting the filmmaker into the world of commercial mainstream filmmaking. We hope you enjoy our discussion. W...

This week, the Heroic Purgatory team travel to Edo period Japan to witness the bravery of 13 warriors against a tyrannical and sadistic lord. That's right, in this double whammy of an episode we discuss 13 Assassins, both the 1963 version directed by Eiichi Kudo and the 2010 version directed by Takashi Miike (with a light sprinkling of the 1990 version also thrown into the mix). Listen to the heat...

The year is 1978. The place: a high school in Seoul, South Korea. The film: Once Upon a Time in High School. The Heroic Purgatory Asian Cinema Podcast is excited to bring you one of the most celebrated films of New Korean Cinema, Yoo Ha's 2004 coming of age story in an increasingly militaristic nation. John and Jason are joined by long time South Korean film reviewer Paul Quinn ( http://www.hangul...

The Heroic Purgatory Podcast returns with a brand new season, this time focusing in historical martial arts. We kickstart the fifth season with the 1972 Bruce Lee film, Fist of Fury. We discuss the film's historical context, action choreography, it's impact on Lee's career as well as its legacy in Hong Kong and Asian cinema. We hope you enjoy our discussion. Website link: https://www.heroic-purgat...

In this episode of Heroic Purgatory, we celebrate the life and works of the recently passed David Lynch (1946 - 2025). We discuss Lynch's career and the films that left the biggest impression on our lives. Enjoy! Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2025/02/special-remembering-david-lynch.html Follow the show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/heroicpurgatory.bsky.social Follow Jason o...

Yet another year is behind us, so John and Jason get back behind the mics on this special episode of Heroic Purgatory to discuss their favorite films of 2024. Enjoy! Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2025/02/special-best-of-2024.html Follow the show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/heroicpurgatory.bsky.social Follow Jason on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/filmnohito.bsky.social...

In another special episode of Heroic Purgatory, we take a right turn towards Texas to visit John Sayles' Lone Star, a film about history and identity. We discuss the film's authenticity, brilliant performances, and which version of history is right or moral. We hope you enjoy our discussion. Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2024/12/special-lone-star-1996.html Follow the show on Blues...

Halloween is here, and Heroic Purgatory is celebrating the spooky season with a spoonful of Roger Corman, Vincent Price, and Edgar Allan Poe. That's right, in this special episode we discuss Roger Corman's Poe cycle. Though we focus mostly on The Raven and The Pit and The Pendulum, we touch on all 8 films as well as other Corman and Price films in the scary category. We hope you enjoy our discussi...

In a season of female action heroes for the Heroic Purgatory podcast, we tackle what may be perhaps the first female action hero in the history of cinema: the iconic Ripley in Ridley Scott's 1979 seminal science-fiction horror film, Alien. From the special effects to the production design to the paradigm-shifting female-led action franchise, we can't help but admire every detail of this masterpiec...

In this episode of Heroic Purgatory, we discuss Zhang Yimou's 2004 wuxia love story, House of Flying Daggers, staring Zhang Ziyi, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Andy Lau. We discuss the film's impressive visuals, anti-authoritarian themes, and its place in Yimou's expansive filmography. We hope you enjoy our discussion. Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2024/08/s4e12-house-of-flying-daggers.h...