An underdog wrestling tale steps into the spotlight as Little Lucha and The Big Deal begins streaming online. Blending 80s ring theatrics with heartfelt indie storytelling, the short celebrates creative struggle, partnership, and the fight to keep a dream alive.
Filmmakers Scarlet Moreno and Josh Stifter are stepping back into the ring as their short film, Little Lucha and the Big Deal, is finally available online. My review can be read here, and it’s a fun nostalgic romp to acknowledge the years when wrestling was more than an escape. It’s a way to recognize what goes on behind the ring. This short film that has lots of hear is now streaming exclusively on GeekTyrant.com (and Vimeo). We also have it linked to watch from the comfort of this post too.
Co-directed by and starring this duo, the short is a larger-than-life love letter to 80s era professional wrestling. The story follows aspiring superstar Little Lucha and his partner The Big Deal, two underdog performers chasing glory inside the ring while wrestling with the realities of life beyond the ropes. It’s a tale built on body slams, big dreams, and the emotional toll that comes with refusing to quit.
“Little Lucha and The Big Deal is one of the most heartfelt films I’ve been a part of creating,” said Moreno. “It’s got an ‘art mirrors life’ aspect for me as it’s a story of two people, nearly at the end of their ropes, doing everything in their power to make a dream come true. And what artist or creative doesn’t know that feeling?”
Yuen Woo-ping’s Blades of the Guardians arrives this Chinese New Year, adapting Xu Xianzhe’s acclaimed manhua Biao Ren. Here’s what viewers need to know about its historical setting, escort mission, and live-action potential before release.
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Yuen Woo-ping’s Blades of the Guardians is ready to strike this Chinese New Year, and it’s worth examining why this adaptation carries so much anticipation. Originally titled Biao Ren (鏢人), the series was created by Xu Xianzhe and began serialization in 2015. The story remains ongoing.
The series quickly distinguished itself through its painterly art style and its grounding in historical context. Set during the waning years of the Sui Dynasty, the narrative unfolds against a backdrop of famine, rebellion, and a government losing its grip on authority. As of 2024, twelve collected volumes have been published. English editions have been slow to materialize, but for viewers curious about an on-screen interpretation, a donghua adaptation is already available.
The story centres on Dao Ma (Jing Wu), a hardened warrior hired to protect travellers from the ruthlessness of feudal China. Banditry is widespread, and that danger is likely where the film will place much of its early focus. He accepts a contract to escort a living piece of cargo, a child who must be delivered safely to the city of Chang’an. The simplicity of that mission quickly erodes. Assassins, political agents, and rival forces converge on the convoy, each carrying their own agenda regarding the child’s fate. What begins as paid protection gradually reveals itself to be entangled in imperial succession, prophecy, and the unstable future of the empire itself.
In the manhua, the opening volumes establish these stakes carefully. No one fully understands why the child is important, but as the caravan pushes through the Western Regions, survival becomes as much environmental as political. Dao Ma’s commitment to completing the job is repeatedly tested. With his own son, Xiao Qi, travelling alongside him, the mission also becomes a lesson in honour, reputation, and perhaps fatherhood too.
To abandon the contract would not only risk the child’s life, it would tarnish his reputation.
Whether the film concludes with the convoy reaching Chang’an remains uncertain, and may depend on whether the production is designed as a self-contained story or the foundation of a larger series. The child actors in this work have yet to be identified, and if more films are indeed planned, keeping those actors around will require planning.
Also, according to the source material, the journey does not end upon delivery. Ma’s attachment will no doubt keep him around, especially after the child is destined for greater things. Both he and the audience will have to wonder why a lot of magistrates are interested in “the welfare” of the child. Could he be The Golden Child?
Another thought concerns how similar this narrative is to Lone Wolf and Cub. Both works follow lethal warriors guiding children through a world where violence is everywhere. To keep them safe is tough. Blades of the Guardians appears ready to translate that same intensity to the screen, with an emphasis on grounded combat and physical realism rather than spectacle-driven CGI. What’s emphasized is to show true grit over everything else.
With Yuen Woo-ping directing, expectations for the action are understandably high. The cast includes superstars such as Jet Li (Hero), Wu Jing (The Wandering Earth), Nicholas Tse (Raging Fire), and Max Zhang (The Grandmaster). Veteran performers Tony Leung Ka-fai (Election) and Kara Wai (My Young Auntie) also appear.
As this work is slated for simultaneous release in both China and America, fans of wuxia will no doubt be excited. Not only do we have a stellar cast, but we also have the following to marvel at:
Fan Expo Vancouver is bringing four Twilight co-stars together for a one-night screening event at The Rio Theatre on February 16, 2026, complete with a big-screen showing and a live Q&A.
Fan Expo Vancouver has a bonus show for fans of the film Twilight. They announced this week that co-stars Ashley Greene (“Alice”), Jackson Rathbone (“Jasper”), Kellan Lutz (“Emmett”), and Peter Facinelli (“Carlisle”) will reunite for a special one-night-only cinematic event, Twilight Special Screening: A Night with the Cullens, on Monday, February 16, 2026. Doors open at 5:30 PM, and the event starts at 6:30 PM at The Rio Theatre.
Presented in partnership with FAN EXPO Vancouver (February 14–16), the evening will feature a big-screen showing of Twilight (2008) and a live audience Q&A with the cast. This marks the first time these four actors have appeared together in Vancouver for a screening event, making it a must-attend night for franchise fans. And for those already attending the expo, there’s also a chance to meet them through individual signings or group photo sessions.
Long-out-of-print #Anime titles from the 90s are returning thanks to Discotek Deep Dives, offering collectors a chance to skip inflated resale prices.
As older North American anime DVD releases from the 90s become harder to find for collectors and fans of this era, nobody really wants to pay the higher prices listed on eBay. Thankfully, DISCOTEK DEEP DIVES aims to correct that. MediaOCD has now partnered up with this company to offer their home media catalog for direct purchase. These releases are transfers rather than full remasters, and the current list shows they won’t be limited to AnimEigo titles. Additional releases will also come from defunct distributors such as Manga Corps.
There’s a new animation in the works (or is finished), which pitches Halloween vs Day of the Dead and both sides need your help to hit theatres.
At long last, people curious about the differences between the last two calender holidays will them will get a family friendly film to explore the differences! That’s assuming Celso García and Studio 100’s gets the financing required to go forward to make Halloween vs Day of the Dead. And just whether this idea is borrowing from The Nightmare Before Christmas, we will have to wait.
The idea sounds promising, and here’s what we know so far: In what’s key to go forward is securing global partners so it will have distribution. This film isn’t just a holiday crossover for novelty’s sake; the studio went to the 2025 American Film Market to pitch this product is to show that what they got has international appeal.
Fan Expo Vancouver is pulling double duty for fandom this year, bringing together Hobbits from The Lord of the Rings, the original TMNT movie cast, and a possible Smallville reunion that could make this guest lineup unforgettable.
Beginning with Fan Expo Portland (Jan 16-18, 2026), attendees can meet the Hobbits from The Lord of the Rings and our favourite live-action Heroes in a Half Shell (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) all at once. Over the month of November, the event brand announced a celebration tour that will bring Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan together for a ticketed experience, An Evening with the Hobbits: In Celebration of 25 Years. This special event will appear at all Fan Expos across North America. Space is limited due to venue constraints, and a few additional rows may be added closer to the event date for latecomers.
Filmmakers Scarlet Moreno and Josh Stifter are stepping back into the ring as their short film, Little Lucha and the Big Deal, is finally available online. My review can be read here, and it’s a fun nostalgic romp to acknowledge the years when wrestling was more than an escape. It’s a way to recognize what goes on behind the ring. This short film that has lots of hear is now streaming exclusively on GeekTyrant.com (and Vimeo). We also have it linked to watch from the comfort of this post too.
Well GO USA
As older North American 
At long last, people curious about the differences between the last two calender holidays will them will get a family friendly film to explore the differences! That’s assuming 
Beginning with Fan Expo 