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 masterpiece, but also an astute work of social and existential commentary.

Enjoy the discussion!

Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2026/03/s6e1-seven-samurai-1954.html

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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.

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Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2026/02/best-films-of-2025.html

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In preparation for the upcoming award season, we are covering the highly regarded 2025 gem of filmmaker Park Chan-wook, No Other Choice.

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Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2026/01/award-special-no-other-choice-2025.html

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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.

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Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2025/12/xmas-special-they-live-1988.html

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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.

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Website link: https://www.heroic-purgatory.com/2025/10/special-halloween-1978.html

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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

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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/2025/07/s5e7-war-of-arrows.html

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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-purgatory.com/2025/07/s5e6-sword-of-beast-with-guest-jack.htmIn

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