Combat Chronicles

Amazing news.

Jeeeezus

Kazuchika Okada quietly and confidently the most compelling of clan Callis, colliding with the sublime Mascara Dorada this past Wednesday in Boston #aew #cmll #wrestlesky #AEWCollision

A ★★★½ review of Black Phone 2 (2025) Now I didn’t love The Black Phone as it was somewhat weak and derivative despite its somewhat interesting premise, aesthetic, and having the coup of an actor like Ethan Hawke playing its villain.  But...

The scariest part was after the film! Read the review to the end to find out why. boxd.it/bMyDl1

Matty Matsuda with a since outlawed version of an ippon seoi nage, demonstrating the skills which won him light and welterweight championships in the 1920s, the first Japanese pro wrestling champion walking the long road from Kumamoto to Battle Creek. #njpw #ajpw #wrestlesky

Takanosho needed some luck was having a pitiful basho so far

None of these are @combatchronicles.bsky.social, so this list can go to hell!

Lmao hopefully you enjoy the new episode…you inspired it!

A ½ review of Predator: Badlands (2025) Whether Dan Trachtenberg has been forced into this by execs and group think at a company that has seen this formula work before (and box-office suggests it has worked again) or whether he’s using the ...

Pathetic. My ½★ review of Predator: Badlands on @letterboxd: boxd.it/bLbuEt

A ★★★½ review of The Running Man (2025) A proper 7/10. Good fun, some fun enough action, but certainly not Fury Road in that respect. Lots of pointed satire, but nowhere near Robocop. It’s an idiot plot from the get-go, and more and more id...

A decent night at the flicks. Shame there was barely anyone else there to enjoy it! boxd.it/bKFvm7

Yeah I’ve never watched it either. Sure it’ll still be somewhat interesting!

Fucking beautiful

A ★★★★½ review of Zero Day (2002) I’ve wanted to watch Zero Day for a while, and after reading Dave Cullen’s book on the Columbine massacre, I felt it the perfect time to put it on. It’s a fascinating found-footage film as the real-li...

It’s so good. boxd.it/6Em3TZ

YouTube video by Kim Justice's Wrestling Road 5 of Puroresu's Strangest Championship Title Reigns

New video! Today we're looking at some strange Puroresu title reigns. There's Ryota Hama's shock TC win, the New Japan Soviet invasion, and plenty of Inokism with Tadao Yasuda and Bob Sapp. Enjoy and please share :) youtu.be/L92-Lkf2Zzc

I think people just realized that being a bit of a creep wasn’t a crime. Although based on how bad his film looked he should’ve remained cancelled forever.

Titan.

A little "Ice Cold" Igor Vovchanchyn for you all.

That’s all for the last couple of weeks of physical media!

In last but not least please is one of my MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASES EVER. I’ve loved Alex Winter’s ‘Freaked’ since I was a little boy. Incredible practical effects, endlessly inventive and laugh out loud funny. This set from @umbrellaent.bsky.social is beyond my wildest dreams!

I also grabbed the A24 4K of Aronofsky’s ‘Pi’. I’m not always a big fan of his and his ambition far outweighs his intelligence but it’s an interesting film and I like A24’s physical releases. I also grabbed Weapons in 4K—not out yet in the U.K so happy to grab it early!

Then a quartet of boutique 4K discs: Kino Lorbers releases of Eternal Sunshine and Dogtooth. Eureka’s Paths of Glory (I have Eyes Wide Shut on preorder and Lolita due from Criterion next year: after that I’ll have every Kubrick feature on 4K!) and Arrow’s release of Carpenter’s ITMOM

Then two blind buys that are related to the Safdie brothers: I picked up their constant collaborator Ronald Bronstein’s ‘Frownland’ and I also picked up an early Safdies effort ‘Daddy Longlegs’. This is their only narrative feature I’ve yet to see.

Then Criterion Blu-Rays: Claire Denis’ brilliant Beau Travail which has stayed with me since I saw it and only appreciated in value in my mind, and I can’t wait to watch it again.

Then let’s go to all my 4K Criterion pick-ups! After Hours / A History of Violence / Punch Drunk Love / Uncut Gems/ Ugetsu / No Country For Old Men / Mean Streets / Winchester ‘73 / High And Low / Mishima / Scarface (1932) / The Umbrellas of Cherbourg / A Hard Day’s Night

Two weeks worth of physical media pick-ups coming up (some were ordered many months ago too!)

So let’s start with the one I ordered longest ago! The 4K UHD steelbook Nightmare on Elm Street set. These films have long needed some extra TLC as the existing masters were old!

Merchant-Ivory?

Frank Sinatra’s first draft

Once Were Warriors is a masterpiece.

This might be his best soundbite ever

A ★★★★★ review of Bugonia (2025) In which Yorgos Lanthimos applies his cinematic ideals to Jang Joon-hwan‘s Save The Green Planet! And elevates an interesting and quirky—but deeply flawed—original film to a masterpiece. Whereas STGP!...

boxd.it/bAvd3L