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.

Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2025/05/s5e4-hero-2002.html

Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeroicPurgatory

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/filmnohito

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 heated debate between John and Jason about which version is the better film.

We hope you enjoy our discussion.

Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2025/05/s5e3-13-assassins.html

Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeroicPurgatory

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/filmnohito

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.hangulcelluloid.com/) to discuss the film themes, historical significance, and various references to Bruce Lee.

We hope you enjoy our discussion.

Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2025/04/s5e2-once-upon-time-in-high-school.html

Follow the show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeroicPurgatory

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/filmnohito