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Michael Jai White has been in a lot of film and TV projects over the last 35 years or so. But probably most beloved amongst his fans is “Black Dynamite,” the 2009 sendup of 1970s blaxploitation movies he conceived, co-wrote and starred in. That it remains a favorite for him too is made obvious by “Trouble Man,” which isn’t a spoof but a relatively straight-faced replay of that vintage genre’s conventions, with White (also directing now) as the supercool hero constantly besting bad guys via martial arts and gunplay, while simultaneously fending off the attentions of various beautiful women.

Bearing no formal relation to the actual 1972 blaxploitation feature of the same title, which is best remembered for its Marvin Gaye score, White’s “Trouble Man” is full of such winking references to vintage African-American pop culture. But referentiality is as far as this semi-tongue-in-cheek endeavor goes; it does a lot...

While everyone was still dissecting the first Mortal Kombat 2 trailer last week, a different kind of Mk fight scene jumped in to steal the spotlight. Sure, the upcoming Warner Bros. sequel to the 2021 reboot delivers on fan-favorite elements, like more fatalities, game-accurate costumes, and Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) finally making an entrance. But fans noticed something else. Those quick-cut fight scenes weren’t fooling anyone. Urban (53) clearly isn’t pulling off his own stunts, and for a franchise built on brutal hand-to-hand combat, that stings a bit. Enter Noah Fleder, swooping in like, well, a ninja out of a portal. The director has quietly dropped a new Mortal Kombat short series on Instagram, and this time, you’re watching actual martial artists tear into each other. No body doubles. No face-hiding edits. Just raw, clean, beautifully choreographed carnage. Image Credit: noah_fleder The first short, simply titled EP 1, is a fight fan’s dream.

Here are some potential actors to play Ryu in a Street Fighter movie: Andrew Koji: With experience in multiple big franchises and a mixed background in Shaolin kung fu and taekwondo, Koji could be a strong choice for Ryu. His Japanese heritage and real-life experience as a well-traveled individual could also match Ryu's character. Noah Fleder: A martial artist, director, and cosplayer, Fleder has a unique mix of experience that could make him perfect for the role. He has experience in various fighting styles and has done motion capture work for the Mortal Kombat fighting game series.

The upcoming Street Fighter movie will have to cast an actor as the series' most famous character, Ryu, with several promising options available in the modern cinema landscape. Taking inspiration from the long-running series that began the popularity of fighting games, Legendary's Street FIghter has been sparse with details, having no...