Today’s Deal on Fire is for Shout! Factory’s Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection. The set includes both Blu-ray and DVD copies for 1971’s The Big Boss (aka Fists of Fury), 1972’s Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection), 1972’s Way of the Dragon (aka Return of the Dragon) and 1978’s Game of Death.
Also included are three full-length documentaries: 1983’s Bruce Lee: The Legend, 1973’s Bruce Lee: The Man, The Legend and 2012’s I Am Bruce Lee, plus a bonus disc featuring two hours of exclusive content. The Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection also comes packaged in a full color, bookcase-style packaging.
Director: Tom Laughlin Writer: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor Cast: Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Clark Howat, Victor Izay, Julie Webb, Debbie Schock, Teresa Kelly, Lynn Baker, Stan Rice, David Roya, John McClure Running Time: 114 min.
By Zach Nix
Steven Seagal is one of the most interesting action stars to ever grace the screen and achieve a significant amount of success. He’s always been a personal obsession of mine, especially because his output ranges from the highest of highs (i.e. Above the Law, Hard to Kill) to the lowest of lows (Attack Force, Kill Switch). The greatest compliment that I can pay Seagal, and the reason why he finds himself towards the top of my list of the greatest action stars of all time, is because he has always remained true to himself, no matter the quality of his films. Sure, he’s gotten lazy and resorted to body doubles and voice dubbing, almost not even caring whether or not the action in his films looks goods. However, his moral and political values have remained just about the same across all of his films and characters, with some slight adjustments here and there. That’s something you definitely cannot say about every action star out there. Therefore, Seagal will always hold a special place within my heart for being the uniquely political, ecological, philosophical, and physical force that he is.
After haven seen many of his films and read numerous articles and essays on them, I discovered several comparisons of Seagal’s work to that of Tom Laughlin, the actor and director of the infamous Billy Jack series. Lately, nothing interests me more than discovering the lesser known or underappreciated origins of a more successful entertainer and/or piece of cinema. Therefore, I finally decided to watch the most famous and notable film in the series, 1971’s Billy Jack, in order to see how similar the property and its creator was to Seagal’s own persona and body of work. As someone who has seen many of Seagal’s films, I can attest that the comparisons are blinding, as Laughlin’s message infused genre cinema essentially laid the groundwork for Seagal’s own brand of bone crunching entertainment with a heart. Although the narrative and directorial quality of Billy Jack is far from perfect, the historical and artistic significance that surrounds the film is not to be ignored, as Laughlin proved himself a true originator and activist of independent cinema, martial arts, and Native American injustices.
Billy Jack is technically the second film in a four-part saga about Billy Jack, a quasi-Native American martial artist who stands up for what he believes in and challenges the corruption that surrounds him. The first film in the series, 1967’s Born Losers, was the first true introduction of the character. However, much like the Mad Max franchise, the second entry in the series stands as the one that most people seem to remember, with some even going so far as to mistake it as the first entry in the series. In Billy Jack, the titular protagonist finds himself clashing head to head with the police and citizens of a nearby town in regards to an ongoing ordeal concerning a hippie-themed school run on Native American land. When the troubled daughter of the town’s corrupt sheriff finds solace at the school, he and the county’s political boss make it their goal to shut down the school and rid the land of Native Americans. However, they’ll have to go through Billy in order to get the sheriff’s daughter back.
As far as titular heroes come, Laughlin’s Billy Jack is the ultimate mythic American hero. He’s a larger than life figure whom fights for what’s right, ultimately putting his own self being on the line in order to stand up for what he believes in. He has little patience for authority, especially corrupt figures within power, such as the town’s corrupt sheriff and political figure. Much like Seagal’s characters in his own movies, Billy eventually takes the law into his hands, going after those whom believe themselves to be above the law. He also practices martial arts, specifically hapkido, and uses it to dispatch those he disagrees with. From Billy’s innate frustration with the system that surrounds him, to his whispered performance, to even his awesome brutal fist fights, there’s no doubt that Billy, and Laughlin in general as an artist, were the seeds for how Seagal would mold himself as a performer.
Another unique aspect of Billy is that he is part Native American, specifically of the Navajo tribe. Throughout the film, he tries to shed light on the injustices done to Native Americans by cruel racists, while also enlightening others to the ways of the Native American, through both his uniform and cultural practices. It’s interesting that Laughlin was enamored with the Native Americans, especially the spiritual aspect of them, just as Seagal showed interest in them within his own directorial debut, 1994’s On Deadly Ground. (Note: It’s quite ironic that both Billy Jack and On Deadly Ground feature oodles of ADR, essentially proving just how artistically linked the two performers were). While I cannot confirm that the practices or garb demonstrated within the film are culturally accurate, Laughlin’s ambitions are to be commended, as just about no one else in American cinema was making an effort to demonstrate the woes of the Native Americans, especially within a contemporary setting, a specific element that was all but absent from First Cinema representations of Native Americans.
At the time of its release, Billy Jack failed to drum up commendable box office dollars or word of mouth. After all, it was just a small independent feature made outside of the system. However, once Laughlin himself obtained ownership of the film and distributed his own way, it became a box office smash hit and essentially established the blockbuster format of theatrical distribution. After Laughlin obtained over one thousand copies of his own film, he released them across the nation in several theaters upon the same day, which was unheard of at the time. Therefore, he essentially established the now traditional format of Hollywood’s theatrical distribution. By the end of its theatrical run, Billy Jack drummed up a whopping $35 million off of a $800,000 budget. If one were to take inflation into account, then Billy Jack’s numbers would soar even more, proving how hugely successful it was at the time. The franchise’s second sequel, The Trial of Billy Jack, would also employ this distribution method, scoring huge box office numbers as well. Whenever someone says that Jaws was the first blockbuster for the umpteenth time, remember to pull the Billy Jack card on them, and break the foundation of their argument thanks to Laughlin’s hugely influential release strategy.
If all of those accomplishments weren’t enough, then also remember that Laughlin more or less introduced American audiences to martial arts. Although in no way a straight action film, Billy Jack features a few scenes of hapkido action, including a stand out set piece where Billy goes to town on a group of men in the center of a park. This sequence alone will get martial arts fans’ blood pumping, as it features some rather brutal take downs and good cinematography, choreography (by Hapkido Grand Master Bong Soo Han) and editing. While martial arts cinema had already been on the rise in the early 70s, especially with the arrival of Bruce Lee, Laughlin helped introduce the art form and sub-genre to American audiences all within his message infused drama.
All compliments and praise aside, Billy Jack is not immune to criticism, as the independent film unfortunately features some notable flaws. Although Laughlin made great stride from a historical stand point, his immediate direction is far from great. For starters, the story of his film is fairly unfocused and sort of bounces around from sub-plot to sub-plot with little of a through line, in case you classify theme as a through line. Some sub-plots, such as Billy’s ever increasing struggle with the town’s racist citizens, provide the best highlights of the film. However, all of the scenes involving the freedom school students and their efforts to bond with the townspeople come out the weakest. It’s clear that these scenes were fairly improvised, as the younger actors feel amateur and their conversations loose. A major problem with these scenes is that they run for far too long and feel entirely unfocused. Laughlin could have chopped a whopping 30 minutes from his two-hour film if he were to shorten these far more.
Speaking of time, Billy himself has very little screen time, even to the point where he’s not much of a protagonist. He vanishes from the film for long stretches of time, even to the point where I had trouble remembering what occurred in his most recent scene. My theory as to Laughlin’s extended absences are as follows: 1) Laughlin’s dedication to directing from behind the camera probably swallowed up a lot of his time and prevented him from being in as many of the film’s scenes as possible, and 2) those dang freedom school improv scenes that run for far too long and swallow up whole chunks of time fill in the gaps where Billy vanishes altogether. In all honesty, I believe that the towns people, the freedom school students, and the police have more screen time than Billy. While it’s too late to change anything now, I bet that a far more polished script, as well as more time and money (as it was an independent production after all), could have resulted in a far better film with a stronger focus.
Nowadays, cinematic franchises that dominate the public’s interest due to their marketable intellectual property bore me. The Star Wars, Marvel, and Transformers films of recent don’t excite me the way they do everyone else. It’s mostly because they all feel stale and take zero risks, as they reek of board room meddling. Therefore, I tend to find my excitement in the bygone films of yesteryear, or even daring contemporary ones, especially the obscure risk takers. Case in point: Billy Jack. Laughlin’s martial arts infused message movie utterly captivates me, as it tackles many subjects and comes out a mixed blender of ideas and entertainment that is unlike much else before or after it, save for Seagal’s cinema. It’s astounding how historically significant the film and its creator was, as blockbuster distribution, Native American activism, and martial arts cinema owes a huge debt to Laughlin and his Billy Jack, even though his film was far from perfect. With the recent announcement of Shout Factory’s Complete Billy Jack Blu-ray Collection, which will finally replace the long out of print DVD set, it seems that it’s Billy Jack’s time to shine in the light again, and for cinema buffs to rediscover the pleasures of Laughlin’s fascinating cinema.
Kino Lorber has announced the Blu-ray for 1968’s Hell in the Pacific, a survival/thriller by director by John Boorman (Deliverance) that stars Lee Marvin (Point Blank) and Toshiro Mifune (Incident at Blood Pass).
During World War II, an American pilot (Marvin) and a marooned Japanese navy captain (Mifune) are deserted on a small uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. There, they must cease their hostility and cooperate if they want to survive, but will they?
Hell in the Pacific is one of three films that share a common theme. The others being Frank Sinatra’s None but the Brave (1965) and Wolfgang Petersen’s Enemy Mine (1985).
Director: Dante Lam Cast: Zhang Hanyu, Eddie Peng, Joyce Feng, Sun Chun, Sean Wu, Chen Baoguo, Johnathan Wu, Ken Lo, Carl Ng, Mandy Wei, Yu Dong, Liu Xianda Running Time: 124 min.
By Paul Bramhall
While Hollywood has long moved on from the flag waving macho heroics that dominated its action cinema in the 80’s, China appears to be going through its own period of nationalistic world saving. In a 12 month period such Rambo-esque adventures as Wu Jing’s Wolf Warriors 2, Tan Bing’s China Salesman, and Dante Lam’s Operation Mekong, all serve their part to show the Chinese military displaying their heroism on foreign shores. Out of the three, there’s little doubt that its Dante Lam’s latest foray into the world of globe-trotting machismo which generated the most excitement, since he already proved capable of handling a similar sprawling action adventure with 2012’s The Viral Factor.
Lam’s return to the loud and boisterous action movie is a welcome one, and arguably a safe zone for the director after the misfire that was his last production, the 2015 cycling drama To the Fore. However despite only being 4 years apart, there’s a significant difference between The Viral Factor and Operation Mekong, in that the former was a Hong Kong production, while Lam’s latest effort is produced by Mainland China. Such differences may seem trivial, but for anyone that’s familiar with the regions output, such trivialities can be significant. Hong Kong productions, aside from the language difference, still tend to do their utmost to skirt around the need to pander to Mainland sensibilities. A Mainland production on the other hand, is essentially guaranteed to embrace the China drum beating that, for many foreign audiences at least, can often come across as overbearing.
Still, with Lam at the helm, there are plenty of reasons to be confident. Lam has been behind many of the productions that critics cite as showing a return to form for Hong Kong action cinema, such as 2008’s Beast Stalker and 2010’s Fire of Conscience. Here he takes on a story that’s based on true events that took place in 2011, when the crew aboard two Chinese cargo ships making their way down the Mekong River were ruthlessly massacred at point blank range. The location of the massacre fell within the area infamously known as the Golden Triangle, so called because of the drug trade that originates there, and itself the setting for numerous Hong Kong action movies (Iron Angels and Black Spot immediately spring to mind). Operation Mekong soon has a military officer, played by Mainland actor Zhang Han-Yu, assigned to the case and sent off to South East Asia, where he rendezvous’ with an undercover operative, played by frequent Lam collaborator Eddie Peng.
Operation Mekong may be based on real events, however its plot feels wafer thin at best, and all too busy to cram in as much location trotting around South East Asia as possible. It’s the kind of movie that has onscreen text appear literally every 5 minutes to tell us which location and country we’re in, an element which clearly had more time spent on it than any attempt at characterization. Both Han-Yu and Peng are given very little to work with, however thankfully Han-Yu, who previously anchored such movies as Assembly and The Taking of Tiger Mountain, has charisma to spare, exuding a Chow Yun Fat kind of cool in every scene he’s in. Peng doesn’t fare so well, and has yet to convince me in regards to being a legitimate actor, following painfully self-aware performances in the likes of Rise of the Legend and Call of Heroes. Here his role doesn’t require much dramatic stretching, so his stoic performance is at least passable.
Nobody is coming to Operation Mekong for the drama though, and as the title suggests, it’s all about the action. Said action comes courtesy of action director Stephen Tung Wai, and stunt choreographer Jack Wong Wai-Leung. Wai-Leung is a protégé of Tung Wai, having assisted on the likes of Extreme Challenge and Bulletproof Monk (and perhaps most randomly, Scooby Doo), developing into an action director in his own right, most recently going solo on the likes of Gangster Payday and Z Storm. Tung Wai should need no introduction for Hong Kong action fans. Having established himself as an action director since his first solo gig on 1981’s Revenge in Hong Kong, he’s also sat in the director’s chair on more than one occasion, including the previously mentioned Extreme Challenge, and the Jet Li vehicle Hitman.
The action style stays largely within the military setting, with brief but effective hand-to-hand combat, plenty of shootouts, and some impressively staged vehicle stunt work. The main issue is that while there’s an (some would likely argue over) abundance of these scenes, there’s no one set piece that particularly stands out. Once Han-Yu and Peng have the authority to go into the South East Asia and do their thing, the pair and their team (which includes a stuttering explosives specialist, a knowing nod to Lau Chau-Sang’s character in Eastern Condors) for the most part roam around like a Chinese version of Team America, causing destruction wherever they go in the name of justice. As an audience, we simply have to accept it, along with the largely stereotypical South East Asian villains, who are villainous because they have tattoos and take drugs.
It’s worth noting that the actor who plays the lead villain, a Thai drug lord, is Pavarit Mongkolpisit, who was the lead in the Pang Brothers 2000 debut, Bangkok Dangerous, in which he played a deaf mute assassin. Mongkolpisit has largely stuck to acting parts in local Thai productions since the movie that put both Danny and Oxide Pang on the map, so it’s nice to see him turn up in a big budget production such as this. Like the other South East Asian characters though, his villain only registers as a cardboard cut-out. For the 2nd time in 2016 (the 1st belonging to Louis Koo in Call of Heroes) we have a villain with a golden gun, and the environment Mongkolpisit operates in is given largely the same treatment. Scenes of child soldiers taking drugs and playing Russian roulette are inserted as filler, usually between his villainous speeches of how he’s not afraid of the Chinese, when it’s easy to feel that such a controversial subject matter should have been given much more weight.
By the finale the same child soldiers are treated largely as bullet fodder with the rest of the nameless drug dealers that operate out of Mongkolpisit’s jungle base, but hey, they’re drug addicts, so it’s ok. If Operation Mekong had been made in the Philippines, it’d likely be a promotional commercial for President Duterte. Arguably the best action scene takes place around an hour in, when an undercover meeting between the Chinese and the drug dealers in a shopping mall sees everyone’s identities being revealed mid-way through their talks. To some degree the scene re-creates the shopping mall shootout from the finale of Tung Wai’s Fox Hunter 20 years prior. What follows involves projectile babies, a sports car on the loose, a few obvious nods to Police Story, and Han-Yu’s heroic dog Bingo throwing down against the bad guys.
It should be noted that Bingo is a highlight of Operation Mekong. The German Shepherd performs Tony Jaa like slides under a bus, leaps into a moving car to attack the driver, and even gets a scene that recreates Owen Wilson’s run through a field of trip wired landmines from Behind Enemy Lines. For dog lovers, forget about that Hollywood A Dog’s Purpose trash, Operation Mekong has all the dog love you need. Like I mentioned, the action just keeps on coming, but like so many recent Chinese productions, CGI rears its ugly head on more than one occasion, rendering some scenes that would be showstoppers in the pre-CGI era as throwaway time fillers here. One scene has Han-Yu and Peng dangling one of the bad guys from a helicopter via some awful green screen work, which lasts a few mere seconds and is over. The same act made up half of the finale for Police Story 3: Supercop, when Jackie Chan famously dangled from a helicopter, here it’s treated as nothing.
All in all Operation Mekong is constructed much like its title, the clinical efficiency with which the Chinese military carry out their duties, also carrying over into the way the movie plays out. This is never more obvious than when a scene is inserted for Han-Yu and Peng to ‘bond’, as they sit alone on a boat discussing ex-wives and dead girlfriends, set to a cheesy rock track of a female voice declaring “We could be heroes.” The only saving grace of the scene is that the song doesn’t appear to be a David Bowie cover. Operation Mekong’s end credits include photos taken from the actual event the story is based on, including the drug lords being arrested and sentenced to death. However considering the bombastic nature of the way it’s been converted for the big screen, something about the inclusion of these shots somehow felt a little off. Saving Mr Wu did the same thing, but the serious nature of Ding Shengs movie made it feel earned, here it doesn’t.
On a lighter note though, no review of Operation Mekong could be considered complete without mentioning Peng’s facial hair. Introduced with a beard and moustache, at one point he tears them off Mission Impossible style, revealing that he wears them in order to keep his real identity hidden. His actual appearance is that of a clean shaven, cropped hair military man. So when he suddenly appears in the finale, which involves no need for any disguise, with a moustache straight from a 70’s adult movie, it’s both bewildering and laugh inducing. Did he grow it especially for the shootout, or felt that a fake moustache would be the perfect accompaniment to an action finale? It’s a question that’ll never be answered, and really it doesn’t need to be. Operation Mekong is undemanding big budget entertainment, and that’s all it wants to be, but from Dante Lam, we can be forgiven for wanting more.
On June 20, 2017, FilmRise will be releasing Tag on Blu-ray & DVD. This 2015 film, based Yusuke Yamada’s novel Real Onigokko, is a perceptive, gore-filled exploration of youth and femininity in a nightmarish world.
Cityonfire.com and Mill Creek Entertainment are giving away 3 DVD copies of Kung Fu Zombiesto three lucky City on Fire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment to this post and describe, in your own words, the video below.
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Kung Fu Zombies will officially be released on May 16th, 2017. We will announce the 3 winners on May 17th.
CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by May 16th, 2017 to qualify. U.S. residents only please. We sincerely apologize to our non-U.S. visitors. Winners must respond with their mailing address within 48 hours, otherwise you will automatically be disqualified. No exceptions. Contest is subject to change without notice.
Well Go USA is set to release The Mayor (aka Special Citizen), a South Korean political thriller directed by Park In-je (Moby Dick), and starring Choi Min-Sik (The Admiral, Lucy). The film hits theaters on April 28th, 2017.
In the world of politics, everyone’s hands get dirty, and it’s no different for the beloved two-time Mayor of Seoul, Byeon Jong-gu (Choi Min-sik). Seeking a third term that will set him up for a run at the presidency, Byeon will stop at nothing to keep his darkest secrets hidden from his adoring public. Wiretapping, corruption, murder… everything is on the table and no one is safe in this hard-charging thriller whose twists will keep you guessing long after the credits roll.
Operation Mekong, a new actioner from director Dante Lam (Unbeatable), is exploding on Blu-ray & DVD, courtesy of Well Go USA.
Operation Mekong (read our review) stars Lam’s frequent collaborator Eddie Peng (Rise of the Legend), Zhang Han Yu (Special ID) and Joyce Feng. Louis Koo (SPL II) was previously attached, but was replace by Peng, due to scheduling conflicts.
After two Chinese commercial vessels are ambushed while traveling down the Mekong River in the waters of the Golden Triangle, the Chinese government immediately sends a band of elite narcotics officers led by Captain Gao Gang (Han Yu) to uncover the truth. An intelligence officer Fang Xinwu (Peng) joins the investigation. After it is discovered that the drugs seized on the Chinese ships had been planted, the governments of Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and China launch a joint task force to apprehend the criminal.
Director: Wong Jing Producer: Wong Jing Cast: Andy Lau, Huang Xiaoming, Michelle Hu, Shen Teng, Wong Cho-lam, Michelle Hu, Nana Ouyang, Fung Bo Bo, Wu Yue, Xie Yilin, Mao Junjie, Xu Dongdong, Shen Teng, Zhao Yingjun, Qi Wei, Ken Lo, Philippe Joly Running Time: 103 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Remember the big fuss that was made when Jackie Chan made his 100th movie? Well, that same fuss isn’t being applied to Hong Kong auteur Wong Jing’s 100th movie sitting in the director’s chair, but nevertheless it’s here in the form of Mission Milano. While some may likely shake their heads and find it entirely incomprehensible that a filmmaker like Jing could make 100 movies, it’s easy to forget that he has been responsible for some of the territories classics, despite how often he resorts to the lowest common denominator. In the 35 years since he debuted at the Shaw Brothers studio with Challenge of the Gamesters in 1981, his name does also belong to such classics as Casino Raiders and God of Gamblers.
Throughout his career, one of his most frequent collaborators has been the seemingly ageless Andy Lau. They worked together on both of the movies mentioned, and have also collaborated on plenty of Jing’s less than stellar efforts, such as 1993’s Future Cops, and even as recently as 2010’s Future X-Cops (it’s worth noting the movies are not related to each other). Lately Jing has been coasting on the nostalgia and good will of his Lunar New Year comedy series From Vegas to Macau, of which the most recent 3rd instalment reunited both Lau and Chow Yun Fat in the roles they played in the original God of Gamblers. While audience’s patience levels have varied for these movies, the general consensus on From Vegas to Macau 3 was that it was an intolerable mess (I turned it off after 20 minutes). Perhaps sensing that a 4th instalment so soon after wouldn’t be such a wise decision, instead Jing has decided to give us secret agent Andy Lau for Mission Milano.
What’s immediately noticeable in Mission Milano is that it shares exactly the same aesthetic as the From Vegas to Macau series. Everything is a little too clean and crisp, bringing a certain detachment from reality to proceedings, one which could arguably be intentional. While introducing Lau as a suave Chinese 007 style character may be a departure from his From Vegas to Macau shenanigans, perhaps an aspect that Jing didn’t bank on is that he has, intentionally or not, essentially made Switch 2. A sequel being made to that movie is about as likely as Sammo Hung fitting into a 30 waist, and for good reason, with even Lau himself publicly apologising for his appearance in such a disastrous effort. While Jay Sun’s 2013 celluloid car crash was actually a serious effort at giving the world a Chinese James Bond, Mission Milano knows it’s nothing more than a silly piece of Wong Jing throw away entertainment.
Jing himself admits that he makes movies which plug into what’s popular at the time, a factor which no doubt has contributed to him reaching his 100th movie in just 35 years (Chang Cheh still couldn’t hit 100 even in 44 years), and Mission Milano is a perfect example of disposable filmmaking. It’s colourful, features handsome stars being handsome, regular doses of action, comedy that’s both preposterous and protracted, and a bevy of well-endowed females. It’s a formula that Jing has stuck to time and time again when he doesn’t really want to try (lest we forget that sometimes he does), dating all the way back to the likes of 1993’s City Hunter. Strip away Jackie Chan’s amazing fight and stunt-work, and you’d be left with what could perhaps best be described as an early 90’s version of Mission Milano.
While Hong Kong cinema has long since lost the level of action talent that peaked in the 80’s through to the early 90’s, Jing seems to have at least a basic understanding of what audiences require from an action movie. Here he takes a break from teaming up with his current regular action choreographer, Lee Tat-Chiu, and has instead teamed up with Dion Lam. Lam has been busy as of late, choreographing the likes of both the fantasy adventure League of Gods and Shaw Brothers remake Sword Master. Lam was actually part of the choreography team that worked on Future Cops 23 years prior, and has worked with Jing and Lau on separate projects on numerous occasions since then. Here he gets to choreograph a number of scuffles, and at least has the talents of Lau, and martial artists like Wu Yue and Ken Lo, to work with.
The plot, like most of Jing’s action comedies, is entirely nonsensical, and frequently doesn’t play much of a part in anything happening onscreen. But for those that are interested, suave agent Andy Lau is assigned to look into a super-rich heir played by Huang Xiaoming, who’s created a revolutionary technology called the Seed of God. Basically, put one of these Seeds of God down anywhere, add a few drops of water, and out sprouts a fully grown, ridiculous looking CGI tree. World hunger problems – sorted. However the evil Japanese Crescent Gang, led by Wu Yue, want to steal it and sell it on to an even more evil crime syndicate, who have an evil plan to use the same technology to produce untold amounts of cocaine. Clearly, these guys must be stopped.
After an initial confrontation, that takes the form of an extended comedy sequence in which Lau gets beaten up by Xiaoming’s dementia ridden mother, and a ridiculous car chase which makes no sense, Lau and Xiaoming become friends. Lau even confesses to Xiaoming that he got divorced 2 years ago and still misses his ex-wife, however by the end of the movie the script has changed so that Lau is still married, and reunites with his separated spouse (a cameo appearance to provide fan service for HK film buffs). Details like this are clearly not supposed to be paid much attention to, but they’re so incongruous to the plot that they stick out like a sore thumb, drawing attention to the incredible laziness and lack of attention that has been paid to the script.
As the title suggests, Lau, Xiaoming (and his siblings played by Wong Cho-Lam and Nana Ou-Yang) end up packing their bags and heading to Milan to try and intercept the Crescent Gang, who have stolen the technology. It’s worth noting that the scene in which they steal it involves the use of some completely ridiculous sonic guns, but then considering later Lau is using his mobile phone as a lightsaber, perhaps I should retract that statement. You’d think Milan would be a great opportunity for some local flavoured action, but that many of the scenes take place indoors I’d pose the question if any location shooting was actually done at all, or if it was all green screen.
Speaking of green screen, the finale is basically recycled from From Vegas to Macau 2, with everyone converging on a cargo plane to duke it out and ensure good prevails. Considering all the flashy visuals which have been onscreen until this point, I can only surmise that the budget must have run out during the finale. Some scenes of Lau speeding down the runway on his motorbike, trying to catch the plane before it’s airborne, look like a 1990 computer game cut scene. With limited parachutes to go around, the final moments when Jing tries to suddenly make us connect with our doomed heroes is hilariously misguided, but what’s even sadder is that such a scene isn’t all together unexpected.
Perhaps the best compliment that I can give Mission Milano is that I watched it to the end, which is more than I could say for From Vegas to Macau 3. However it’s also a perfect example of how Wong Jing has never learnt that less is more, and now with the latest CGI technology at his disposal, he simply doesn’t seem to have an ability to pace the tone of his movies. But then this is nothing new, the technology may be, but the bombardment of crass jokes, frantic action, and incoherent storytelling are as much a Wong Jing trademark as they are a sign of incompetent filmmaking. Mission Milano delivers exactly what you expect it to, and doesn’t dwell in the memory for more than a few minutes after the credits roll. So if you have 100 minutes to spare, proceed with caution, but for everyone else, this is one mission that’s perhaps best not accepted.
AKA: The Kung Fu Master Director: Joe Cheung Tung Cho Cast: Stephen Tung Wei, Sammo Hung, Philip Ko, Lee Hoi San, Peter Chan, Chung Fat, Dai Sai Aan, Huang Ha, Cecilia Wong, Meng Hoi, Austin Wai, Billy Chan, Lam Ching Ying, Mars, To Wai Wo, Ho Pak Kwong, Wu Ma Running Time: 92 min.
By Martin Sandison
In 1979, Sammo Hung was at the peak of his powers as an onscreen fighter, choreographer and director. He was dividing his time between numerous projects, not least classics like Magnificent Butcher and Odd Couple. One of his lesser known movies from this year was The Kung Fu Master (aka The Incredible Kung Fu Master), a gem of “kung fu comedy” notable for many things including a starring role for Stephen Tung Wai, better known as the kid Bruce Lee teaches at the beginning of Enter the Dragon. Tung Wai actually carved out a great career subsequently as a choreographer, with credits such as Donnie Yen’s Bodyguards and Assassins, Hou Hsiao Hsien’s The Assassin and the upcoming Max Zhang-starrer Invincible Dragon.
The plot of The Kung Fu Master is formulaic, and just a platform for the “shapes” action (Note: The use of the word “shapes,” in the context of kung fu cinema, relates to the highly intricate choreography style that reached its peak in the early 80s. Before “shapes”, the choreography style was referred to as a “basher”, i.e. more straight forward, simple punch and block).
Tung Wai stars as Kung Fu Ching, a lowly servant at a kung fu school run by one of two brothers (played by Billy Chan and Huang Hua) who are involved in challenges with other schools. Ching isn’t allowed to learn from them, so he encounters Fei Jai (Hung), a master of various styles, whom he learns from. Soon the situations escalate into many martial encounters.
Never ending “shapes” of the highest order are delivered with such ferocity, intricacy and impact that it blows you away. While a hair’s breadth away from the top Sammo “shapes,” it’s still ridonculous. The credits are a few for action: Sammo Hung’s Stuntman Association, Yuen Baio, Leung Kar Yan, Lam Ching Ying and Billy Chan – with these guys in control, you’re never far away from a fight that hits the sweet spot.
Tung Wai’s versatility as a martial artist is given a great showcase, especially his acrobatics and handwork. We also get a rematch between Sammo and Lee Hoi San (The Magnificent Butcher’send fight barely topping this one). Lee was one of the go-to guys for villainous “shapes” and here we are treated to another: The late, great Phillip Ko*, who has a cameo, but again proves his skills during a fight with Billy Chan and Huang Hua.
*I was so sad to hear of Phillip Ko’s recent passing; this guy was featured in so many of my favourites from the 70s to the 90s. His film credits rival even Sammo’s. Two little known films of his I would recommend are: for old-school, Choy Lee Fut Kung Fu (not the dreadful Sammy Hung/Kane Kosugi movie from 2011) and Killer’s Romance, a self-directed movie adaptation of the Manga Crying Freeman, starring Simon Yam. Ko also directed a film that has one of the funniest titles ever: Royal Sperm. His memory shall live on through his undoubted presence and mastery of screen fighting.
There is a veritable smorgasbord of martial arts and comedic talent that appear in The Kung Fu Master. Chung Fat has a role as an affluent student whose ineptitude betrays how good a fighter he is (check him out at the end of Yes Madam!fighting Michelle Yeoh). Meng Hoi has a small part as a student (amongst his many film credits, he also dated/doubled for blonde fury herself, Cynthia Rothrock).
The funny elements of The Kung Fu Master are at times a little grating, but mostly on point. There’s the usual Three Stooges-style we are accustomed to in films of this type, with exaggerated sound effects and plenty of undercranking. A novel use of an oiled up patch of concrete for training and fight scenes is refreshing, and reflects Sammo and the team’s creativity.
The Kung Fu Master just misses out absolute classic status due to the simplicity and silliness of the plotline, not to mention the pedestrian direction by Joe Cheung, who also was responsible for the disappointing Chow Yun Fat heroic bloodshed movie, Flaming Brothers. If you’re looking for a “shapes” fest outside the box, look no further.
Indican Pictures presents Jasmine, the full length film feature debut of writer/director Dax Phelan. This suspenseful thriller stars Jason Tobin (Pound of Flesh), Byron Mann (The Corruptor), Sarah Lian (XIII: The Series), Eugenia Yuan (Revenge of the Green Dragons) and Glen Chin (Knock-Off, Natural Born Killers).
Jasmine stars Tobin as successful Hong Kong businessman. One year after his wife’s murder, he becomes obsessed with a mysterious stranger he thinks killed his wife. Now he travels the world trying to find this stranger, and people keep dying everywhere he goes.
Jasmine hits theaters on May 12. Until then, don’t miss the film’s New Trailer below:
AKA: Suddenly in Dark Night Director: Go Yeong-nam Producer: Suh Byung-gi Cast: Kim Young-ae, Yoon Il-bong, Lee Gi-seon Running Time: 100 min.
By Paul Bramhall
While just like Shiri put Korean action movies on the map in 1999, a year prior the high school ghost tale Whispering Corridors did the same for the Korean horror movie. However both genres had been around for long before the titles that gained them international recognition, with horror in particular having been present in Korean cinema since the 1960’s. While sadly many of these early genre efforts are no longer around, a few did survive (with some of them even receiving English subtitled DVD releases, such as 1961’s A Devilish Homicide, and 1967’s A Public Cemetery of Wolha), although the availability of such titles by enlarge remains extremely limited.
One such example of the genre is 1981’s Suddenly in the Dark, the only horror movie to be helmed by prolific director Go Yeong-nam. Working within the Korean studio system of the era, from his debut in 1964 Yeong-nam would go on to direct over 160 movies up to his final feature, Picture Diary, in 2000. His remarkable span of work over such a long period makes it all the more surprising that Suddenly in the Dark was the one and only time he ventured into horror territory, with the bulk of his work consisting mainly of dramas. Notably however, he did direct a handful of 70’s Bobby Kim starring martial arts movies, including The Deadly Kick.
Suddenly in the Dark, on paper at least, owes a lot to Kim Ki-young’s 1960 classic The Housemaid (which was itself remade in 2010 by Im Sang-soo). The plot focuses on a wife and husband in a well-to-do middle class house set in the countryside. The husband is a butterfly collector who lectures at university, and is frequently away for days at a time on trips to collect and photograph rare species, which he then shows off to his university associates upon his return. On one trip, he arrives home with a young girl in tow. He explains that he found her wandering around, and since both her parents are dead, he thought they could take her on as a housemaid. The wife, delighted to have a helping hand, happily agrees. However, soon a strange doll that the girl carries around, and the revelation that she’s the daughter of a shaman, have the wife questioning what her true intentions are, as she begins to believe more and more that her husband is being seduced.
The wife is played by Kim Young-ae, an actress who has been active in the industry since 1971. Sadly, Young-ae passed away in April 2017, however remained acting until her final days. More recently she can be seen in the likes of 2012’s Confession of Murder, and her final appearance on the big screen can be seen in 2016’s Operation Chromite. Her husband is played by Yoon Il-bong, an actor with over 180 movies to his name, in a career which spanned from the early 50’s and continued for over 40 years. Il-bong can be found in many of the classics of 60’s and 70’s Korean cinema, from 1961’s Aimless Bullet to the likes of Lee Jang-ho’s 1974 debut Heavenly Homecoming to Stars, and 1975’s The March of Fools. The maid herself is played by Lee Gi-seon, an actress who made just 4 movies, all between 1980 – 1982, and all of which appear to have her typecast as a sultry seductress.
Traditional Korean shamanism has never been fully taken advantage of as a practice to incorporate into the countries horror genre, which is a pity, since it’s so unique. Korean shaman’s are usually women, and are able to communicate with the Gods via dancing themselves into a trance like frenzy adorned in colourful garbs. In 2013 Park Chan-kyong (the brother of director Park Chan-wook) made an insightful documentary on one of the most famous Korean shamans, with Manshin: Ten Thousand Spirits, which itself came about thanks to the pair making the 2011 short film Night Fishing together, which involved shamanistic practices. While more recently scenes with shamans can also be found in the likes of Possessed and The Priests, it was director Na Hong-jin who perhaps most effectively utilised shamanism for a modern audience, with 2016’s The Wailing.
In Suddenly in the Dark, the element of Gi-seon being a shamans daughter is played upon in a psychological way, which really plays to the benefit of the horror which begins to unfold, as Young-ae slowly begins to question her sanity. One of the biggest strengths of the plot is that it’s never implicitly stated whether or not Gi-seon is trying to seduce Il-bong, or if everything is a case of Young-ae becoming more and more paranoid. The fact that almost the whole movie plays out from the perspective of Young-ae keeps us on her side for the most part, so it’s only when her husband and friend begin to question her for further details, that we as the audience also question why we’re believing Gi-seon is out to break up their happy home.
Indeed the look and feel of Suddenly in the Dark is more reminiscent of Italian director Dario Agento’s work of the era than any Korean production, with even the pulsating synthesiser score recalling Goblin’s trademark soundtracks. Almost the entire movie is spent in and around Young-ae and Il-bong’s house, making it feel as much of a character as the trio that reside in it. Its garish red carpets and plethora of stuffed animals, which often prominently frame the foreground of many shots, add a sense of foreboding dread to many of the scenes. A variety of different shots are also used to portray Young-ae’s torment, from filming as a kaleidoscope of images, to lensing through what appears to be an empty glass bottle, the methods may be simple but they convey the desired effect of a disorientated frame of mind. Another noteworthy and unique touch that I enjoyed, is that many scenes fade out through the lighting of the scene being dimmed until it’s completely dark.
Despite film censorship still being prominent in Korea during the early 80’s (Park Chung-hee, who notoriously run the country as a dictator during his term in office, had only been assassinated in October of 1979), Suddenly in the Dark has a surprising amount of nudity. Upon Gi-seon’s arrival in the household, Young-ae bathes her and comments on what a perfect body she has, and as the plot moves forward, it almost seems as if Young-ae is more obsessed with Gi-seon’s sexuality than she believes her husband to be. In many ways Gi-seon represents everything that modern Korea was attempting to move on from at the time, with Park Chung-hee actively arresting and burning down the shrines of traditional shamans during the 70’s, labelling them as an embarrassing remnant of Korea’s past. Gi-seon’s presence in Young-ae and Il-bong’s western style home represents the ghosts of a past Korea wanted to move on from, but in fact never really went away.
Events eventually culminate in a finale that sees Young-ae alone in the house one night as a storm rages outside, and the madness that’s been threatening to take over on slow burn up until this point fully takes hold. Again the question is wisely never addressed of what’s real and what’s not, however regardless of the answer, it doesn’t take away any of the impact of what’s happening on screen. Young-ae struggles through the terror in a sequence which encompasses slow motion, more butterflies than you can shake a stick at, and the omnipresent wooden doll makes itself known as only a doll in a horror movie could. It would be a spoiler to go into any more details regarding the ending, but again, for those that familiarise themselves with Korean shamanism, the final shot has a lasting impact, and goes a long way to explaining all that’s come before.
I don’t usually mention specific releases during a review, purely because there can be that many, spread across countless different territories (just ask any Bruce Lee fan), that discussing any one version can quickly become a moot point. However for Suddenly in the Dark I’ll make an exception, which received a US Blu-ray release in February 2017 (after an initial numbered limited edition run of 500 in 2016) on the Mondo Macabro label. The release is significant, considering pre-1995 Korean cinema has been all but ignored when it comes to western releases (with the exception of the previously mentioned Housemaid, which was included in Vol. 1 of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project on the Criterion label), which is bafflingly inexplicable. While titles are more readily available on the Korean Film Archive domestic releases (all of which come with English subtitles), hopefully this will open the door for more titles to receive western releases.
The tale of Suddenly in the Dark differs depending on how you look at it – is it a psycho-sexual thriller? A tale of supernatural revenge? A metaphor for Korea’s rapid rise to modernisation and the cost it brought? I’d argue that it’s all of these, but first and foremost, it’s an effective slice of horror, and if you’ve spent the last 20 years binge watching long black haired ghosts, then you’re in for a breath of fresh air.
On June 27th, 2017, Arrow Video is releasing Kinji Fukasaku’s Doberman Cop (read our review) on Blu-ray & DVD. Never before released on video outside of Japan, this 1977 thriller stars Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba as a Dirty Harry-type character. Read the official details below:
Released just as the popularity of yakuza movies was waning in Japan, and as the country’s film industry was undergoing some fundamental shifts, Doberman Cop is a unique entry in the career of director Kinji Fukasaku (Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Cops vs Thugs), and reunited him with star Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba (Battles Without Honor and Humanity Vol. 2: Hiroshima Death Match) in an American-style crime movie that mixes gunplay and pulp fiction with martial arts and lowbrow comedy to create one of their most entertaining films.
Based on a popular manga by “Buronson” (creator of Fist of the North Star), Doberman Cop follows the fish-out-of-water adventures of Joji Kano (Chiba), a tough-as-nails police officer from Okinawa who arrives in Tokyo’s Kabuki-cho nightlife district to investigate the savage murder and mutilation of an island girl who had been working as a prostitute. Initially dismissed as a country bumpkin (complete with straw hat and live pig in tow!), Kano soon proves himself a more savvy detective than the local cops, and a tougher customer than anyone expected. As he probes deeper into the sleazy world of flesh-peddling, talent agency corruption and mob influence, Kano uncovers the shocking truth about the girl, her connection to a yakuza-turned-music manager (Hiroki Matsukata), and a savage serial killer who is burning women alive.
Made to appeal both to the youth market with its biker gangs and popular music, as well as to old-time yakuza movie fans, Doberman Cop is an surprising oddity in Fukasaku’s career, his sole film adapted directly from a manga and never before released on video outside of Japan. Featuring Chiba at his charismatic best — channeling a Japanese Dirty Harry while doing all his own stunts — and Fukasaku at his most fun, deftly showcasing the combined talents of his “Piranha Army” stock company of actors and other regular players — Doberman Cop is a classic action comedy and a missing link in 1970’s Japanese cinema deserving of rediscovery.
Special Features:
High Definition digital transfer
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original uncompressed mono audio
Optional English subtitles
Beyond the Film: Doberman Cop, a new video appreciation by Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane
New video interview with actor Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba
New video interview with screenwriter Koji Takada
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon
First Pressing Only: Illustrated collector’s book featuring new writing on the films by Patrick Macias
Director: Nah Hyeon Cast: Kim Rae-won, Han Seok-kyu, Han Suk-Kyu, Kim Rae-Won, Jung Woong-In, Kim Sung-Kyun, Shin Sung-Rok, Han Sung-Yong, Lee Geung-young, Cha Yup Running Time: 125 min.
By Paul Bramhall
In years to come, when people look back on the 2015 – 2016 era of the Korean film industry, it may well look like all it took for a movie to get green lit is for it be about figures in authority abusing their powers. The list is expansive – Inside Men, Veteran, A Violent Prosecutor, Master, The King, and there are likely more that have gone under the radar. However despite the recurring theme, all of the productions mentioned have been entertaining slices of cinema, whether they choose to wrap their tales of corruption in the guise of a thriller, action movie, or crime caper. On paper, The Prison would also seem to fall into the same category, with its name inevitably likely to draw immediate comparisons with Korea’s other 2016 prison-set production, A Violent Prosecutor.
Thankfully onscreen though, it turns out to be quite a different beast. Helmed by experienced scriptwriter Nah Hyeon, whose pen has been behind the likes of Spin Kick and My Way, here he makes his debut as a director, and as expected works from his own script. The 1995 setting serves as a breath of fresh air compared to other recent productions, and while the year never plays a particularly important role in the story (it’s never specifically mentioned apart from onscreen text at the beginning), the absence of smartphones and presence of 90’s style beer bottles provide subtle but welcome differentiators.
Hyeon also chooses to go with a mostly veteran cast, with Kim Rae-won, last seen on the big screen in 2014’s Gangnam Blues, playing a new inmate who is introduced as a former cop. Quick tempered, he’s barely a few steps out of the prison bus and is already trying to kick the daylights out of an inmate that was staring him down, despite being bound by rope. Rae-won’s introduction to inmate life sees The Prison heading down familiar territory, as just like Hwang Jeong-min’s character in A Violent Prosecutor, Rae-won quickly finds himself on the receiving end of savage beatings from those he was responsible for putting away in his former life. However unlike in A Violent Prosecutor, Hyeon keeps his cards close to his chest during the opening act of The Prison, taking a gamble with feeding the audience little to no information as to exactly why Rae-won is serving time.
Rae-won eventually ends up crossing paths with the most powerful prisoner inside, a character who the other inmates explain even has the prison warden in his pocket. The prisoner is played by Han Seok-kyu, an actor who featured in many of the 90’s Korean movies that are today considered early classics of the Korean new wave – from Lee Chang-dong’s 1997 debut with the gangster drama Green Fish, to Jang Yoon-hyeon’s blood drenched murder thriller Tell Me Something in 1999. Seok-kyu was also the star of the movie that can essentially be considered as the one that put Korea on the map for international audiences, Shiri. After being laden with some cringe worthy English dialogue in Ryoon Sung-wan’s 2013 action thriller The Berlin File, The Prison finds Seok-kyu on top form once more, and he provides an intimidating presence as the top dog.
Rae-won eventually ends up under the wing of Seok-kyu, and learns that not only is he the most powerful prisoner, but he’s also a criminal mastermind behind several unexplained murders that have taken place on the outside. Taking a page from Erik Matti’s On the Job, Seok-kyu has developed a well-oiled machine, that has the warden meeting up with a former inmate on the outside who provides the target, which is then relayed back to Seok-kyu and his associates on the inside. Groups of inmates are then sent out to perform the assassinations, before returning to prison, leaving in their wake a murder and a lack of any suspects to point at.
As Rae-won’s involvement with Seok-kyu and his prison gang develops, Hyeon begins to work in several flashback scenes (which it would be a spoiler to provide any details on) of Rae-won’s life on the outside, as a clear picture begins to emerge of both how and why he’s behind bars. While neither the prisoners-on-a-mission, and Rae-won’s eventual reveal, are particularly ground breaking, The Prison proves to be successful in its no nonsense approach to the tale it wants to tell. Indeed in many ways Hyeon’s debut feels like it could also belong to the era that it’s set in. Despite it being likely to be painted with the same brush as other recent productions, The Prison feels like it would sit more comfortably next to the likes of gangster movies like Oh Seung-uk’s Kilimanjaro from 2000, and Yoo Ha’s A Dirty Carnival from 2006.
Eschewing the subtle (or not so subtle for that matter) swipes at those in positions of authority that similar recent productions have gone for, Hyeon’s narrative is more focused on cramming in as many brawls and beat downs as possible. Despite mostly being set within the walls of the prison, the setting never feels confining, and there’s a surprising amount of action contained within the 125 minute runtime. From Rae-won’s fist fights with other prisoners, to a heist that throws in some unexpected MMA takedowns, to the chaotic group brawls with steel bars and choppers. The return of a movie that embraces the down and dirty style of Korean brawling, that appeared so frequently in movies throughout the 00’s, is a most welcome one, and the fact that the production had a dedicated martial arts team on-board is clearly evident.
Outside of the fists and feet, Hyeon doesn’t skimp on the violence either. An early remark that the last gang leader to try and topple Seok-kyu from his position had his eye ball carved out and devoured in front of his face is given credence, when another gang leader attempts a coup against him mid-way through the movie. It’s a credit to Hyeon that, much like the chainsaw-in-the-shower scene in Brian De Palma’s Scarface, it was only after the movie finished that I realised nothing particularly graphic was actually shown onscreen. However thanks to some smart editing and grizzly sound effects, the scene certainly leaves a lasting impression.
Rae-won and Seok-kyu are ably backed up by a fantastic supporting cast. Like Inside Men, The Prison doesn’t feature a single female cast member (with the exception of the opening 5 minutes, when one appears onscreen for less than 60 seconds), making it a very testosterone fuelled affair. Lee Kyeong-yeong, who played the presidential candidate in Inside Men, here plays the head of the Korean prison system, and is given a fantastically tense scene when he recognizes Seok-kyu from a prison he used to run, and begins taunting him to bow his head to the ground. Jung Woong-in, last seen in Veteran, also puts in an effective performance as the prison warden, who’s conflicts with Seok-kyu soon finds him in over his head. Sin Seong-rok, who also appeared in 2016’s Age of Shadows, also deserves a mention as the leader of a rival gang that wants to topple Seok-kyu.
At the time of writing The Prison is still very much hot off the press, and I feel there’s a risk it may be overlooked due to its similarities with A Violent Prosecutor. However these exist only on the surface thanks to their setting, with one being a crime caper, and the other a violent gangster movie. Hopefully The Prison finds it audience, and they enjoy it for the entertaining slice of revenge that it is. Hyeon has a refreshingly unpretentious directorial style, and if he decides to step into the director’s chair for a second time, I’ll certainly be watching. It’s been said many times before, but movies like The Prison prove it’s still as applicable in 2016 as it was in the early 00’s – nobody does the revenge movie quite like the Koreans do.
Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Donnie Yen’s Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, directed by Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs).
In Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (read our review), Donnie Yen plays Chen Zhen, a role made famous by Bruce Lee in the 1972 filmFist of Fury. It’s set in Shanghai International Settlement, seven years after the events of the Bruce Lee classic.
Legend of the Fist also stars Shu Qi (Storm Riders), Anthony Wong (Punished) and Shawn Yue (Motorway).
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