Episode 34 - Sophia Crawford

Episode 34 - Sophia Crawford

Author: Ben Johnson October 8, 2018 Duration: 1:09:14
Buffy's stunt double and former Power Ranger, Sophia Crawford, earned her spurs as a stunt performer working in Hong Kong's raw and relentless action movie industry in the early 1990s. She found herself part of an era of exceptional, female-fronted martial arts films, working with the likes of Moon Lee, Sibelle Hui and Yukari Oshima, performing all of her own stunts in conditions that were sometimes less than perfect. It was in Hong Kong where she discovered her love for the martial arts, acting and stunt performing, following her troubled years as a teenager growing up in London as a directionless, rebellious punk rocker, expelled from five schools and eager for adventure. Her journey is one of dogged determination, perseverance, blood, sweat and tears - from Hammersmith to Hong Kong to Hollywood, doubling for the likes of Madonna, Sienna Miller and Renée Zellweger. Now she has accepted a new challenge away from the movie business, having moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband - the stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt - to run her own business, a coffee shop called The Federal Coffee House. In this conversation, we discuss her approach to stunt performance, the challenges of working in an unfamiliar country, and her time on two of the biggest martial arts TV shows of all time: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

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There's a particular magic in the stories behind the fights, the philosophy woven into the choreography, and the sheer dedication it takes to create martial arts cinema. The Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast is built on those stories, offering a backstage pass to the world of Hong Kong action, classic Shaw Brothers epics, and modern martial arts filmmaking. Host Ben Johnson, who created the extensive kungfumovieguide.com resource, sits down for detailed conversations with the very people who bring these films to life. Each episode features an unscripted, in-depth interview with actors who threw the punches, stunt performers who designed the falls, directors who framed the shots, and choreographers who turned violence into poetry. You'll hear about their career paths, the challenges on set, and the deep, personal passion that fuels their work. This isn't just a surface-level recap of famous movies; it's about the craft, the history, and the human effort behind every iconic scene. For anyone who has ever wondered about the artistry behind a perfectly executed fight sequence or the legacy of a genre that spans decades, this podcast provides a rich, engaging listen. Tune in for genuine insights from the heart of martial arts cinema.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Episode 27 - Amy Johnston / Scott Adkins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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To celebrate the UK DVD and digital download release of Accident Man – a British action comedy based on a comic book by the creator of Judge Dredd – we have two of the world’s biggest martial arts movie stars on today’s…
Episode 26 - Cung Le [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Episode 25 - Diana Lee Inosanto [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:19
Actor, stunt performer, filmmaker, teacher, activist - there's a lot more to Diana Lee Inosanto than just being the daughter of legendary Filipino-American martial artist Dan Inosanto, not to mention the goddaughter of t…
Episode 24 - Taimak / Daniel Lue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:58
Star of the 1985 Motown-produced cult classic, The Last Dragon, we welcome Taimak to our first podcast of 2018. Taimak Guarriello was only 19 when he made his starring-role debut as the wise kung fu kid 'Bruce' Leroy Gre…
Episode 23 - End of Year Show 2017 with Mike Fury [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:14
Welcome to the Kung Fu Movie Guide's End of Year Show 2017, featuring the action movie expert and ‘Life of Action’ author Mike Fury. Listen as we reveal our Top 5 martial arts films of the year - and also share our thoug…
Episode 22 - Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2017 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:49
This episode comes to you live from Fighting Spirit Film Festival 2017, an all-day celebration of martial arts movies which took place in London, UK, on 16 September 2017. You will hear from up-and-coming UK filmmakers w…
Episode 21 - Matthias Hues [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:49
Today we welcome one of martial art cinema's all-time greatest villains to the show. The giant, musclebound German fighter Matthias Hues has spent a career taking on the likes of Dolph Lundgren, Cynthia Rothrock, Don "Th…
Episode 20 - Michael Worth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:41
Today we celebrate the weird and wonderful world of Bruceploitation cinema with the martial arts action star, director, writer and fellow podcaster, Michael Worth. When he's not making his own movies, Michael has been fo…
Episode 19 - Tim Man [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:43
Fresh from his award-winning fight choreography duties on a string of Scott Adkins hits - including Boyka: Undisputed, Eliminators, Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, and the upcoming Accident Man and Triple Threat - it was a grea…
Episode 18 - Scott Adkins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:34
Scott Adkins is one of the world's biggest martial arts movie stars. From humble beginnings as a Van Damme and Bruce Lee obsessed taekwondo practitioner growing up in Birmingham, UK, to starring in some of the best fight…