Charles Bronson DVD Set: 10 to Midnight, The Mechanic, Death Wish 2, Death Wish 3, Death Wish 4 (Image)

Charles Bronson DVD Set: 10 to Midnight, The Mechanic, Death Wish 2, Death Wish 3, Death Wish 4 (Image)

Charles Bronson DVD Set: 10 to Midnight, The Mechanic, Death Wish 2, Death Wish 3, Death Wish 4 (Image)

RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2011

This 5 feature set includes: 10 to Midnight, The Mechanic, Death Wish 2, Death Wish 3 and Death Wish 4. There’s nothing like seeing Charles Bronson – sporting a Members’ Only Jacket – killing the bad guys to synth music!

Trailers: 10 to Midnight | The Mechanic | Death Wish 2 | Death Wish 3 | Death Wish 4

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Double Feature: The Delta Force/The Delta Force 2 DVD (Image)

The Delta Force/The Delta Force 2 DVD Set (Image)

The Delta Force/The Delta Force 2 DVD Set (Image)

RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2011

The Delta Force: An elite team of commandos led by Major Macoy (Chuck Norris) are called to eliminate Lebanese hijackers and rescue the hostages; and Delta Force 2: When DEA agents are taken captive by a ruthless South American kingpin, the Delta Force is reunited to rescue them.

Trailers: Delta Force | Delta Force 2

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

New York Asian Film Festival 2011: You wanna be a part of it?

New York Asian Film Festival 2011

New York Asian Film Festival 2011

At Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater (July 1 – 14) and Japan Society (July 7 – 10).

The New York Asian Film Festival is ten years old! So this year’s festival is a no-holds-barred anniversary celebration of Asian pop cultural masterpieces, erupting out of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Japan Society like two raging volcanoes of molten fun.

In 2001, the NYAFF held the first major retrospective of Hong Kong’s greatest director, Tsui Hark, and so it’s with great pride that we bring Tsui Hark himself to the festival ten years later to headline our special focus, “Wu Xia: Hong Kong’s Flying Swordsmen.” Presented with the support of the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office New York, we’ll be screening new and old classics of the wu xia genre. Wu xia movies are swordplay films with a touch of fantasy and they’re all visual marvels, teeming with flying swordsmen, magical blades and glowering female steel-slingers. Our line-up includes Tsui Hark’s mega-hit, DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME, and several retrospective titles like Tsui’s astonishing, feral masterpiece, THE BLADE.

Na Hong-Jin's "The Yellow Sea"

Na Hong-Jin's "The Yellow Sea"

From Korea comes “Sea of Revenge: New Korean Thrillers,” presented in association with the Korean Cultural Service New York. The series will feature the new school of hardcore action movies that have been setting the Korean box office, and Cannes, on fire. Special guest, director Ryoo Seung-wan (CITY OF VIOLENCE), will be here to present his film, THE UNJUST, a sprawling corruption saga. and also screening will be THE YELLOW SEA from director Na Hong-Jin whose previous thriller, THE CHASER, was Korea’s word-of-mouth box office smash of 2008. THE YELLOW SEA will be screening at the NYAFF fresh from its Cannes screening as part of Un Certain Regard

From Japan, there’s Takahisa Zeze’s HEAVEN’S STORY. Zeze is known as one of Japan’s “Kings of Pink,” and he’s one of the most famous directors of pink films, Japan’s unique softcore porn genre that gave directors like Kiyoshi Kurosawa (TOKYO SONATA) their start. But HEAVEN’S STORY is no skin flick. Instead it’s a four-and-a-half-hour epic that follows the grief, pain and redemption that spill out over the decades from two random acts of violence. Tak Sakaguchi, Japan’s number one stuntman/actor/director and all-around two-fisted renaissance man will be here in person with his new film, YAKUZA WEAPON, and we’ll also be screening Noboru Iguchi’s biggest-budgeted movie to date, KARATE-ROBO ZABORGAR, a tongue-in-cheek feature film based on a popular 70’s series about a robot that can turn into a motorcycleŠand it knows karate!

Edward Murphy's "Raw Force"

Edward Murphy's "Raw Force"

Exploitation cinema from the Philippines will get its due with a screening of the festival fave documentary MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED, which will be paired with the jaw-dropping 1980’s Filipino exploitation mind-blower, RAW FORCE.

There’ll be a special focus on Taiwan’s great genre director, writer and producer, Su Chao-pin, presented with the support of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York. We’ll be screening his new movie, the wu xia blockbuster, REIGN OF ASSASSINS, starring Michelle Yeoh and Korean star Jung Woo-Sung, and co-directed by John Woo. We’ll also be screening some of Su’s classic films like BETTER THAN SEX an adrenaline-propelled comedy about first love, hand amputations and porn.

From movies about punk rock Buddhist monks (Yuji Sadai’s ABRAXAS) to bone-breaking, stuntman-destroying Thai action extravaganzas (Panna Rittikrai’s BANGKOK KNOCKOUT), to brain-frying Japanese whatzits (Yoshimasa shibashi’s MILOCRORZE: A LOVE STORY), this tenth anniversary edition of the New York Asian Film Festival has enough marvels to turn your mind into a blazing inferno of fun.

Update: The full line-up!

Update 2: Festival Trailer (Great clips in here!)

Posted in News |

Tiger Blade, The (2005) Review

"The Tiger Blade" International Theatrical Poster

"The Tiger Blade" International Theatrical Poster

Director: Theeratorn Siriphunvaraporn
Producer: Jirun Ratthanaviriyachai
Cast: Atsadawut Luengsuntorn, Phimonrat Phisarayabud, Pongpat Wachirabunjong, Srungsuda Lawanprasert, Amornrit Sriphung, Chalad Na Songkhla, Annan Bunnak
Running Time: 91 min.

By HKFanatic

Some guys have all the luck. At least that’s how I felt after watching this Thai action movie. I mean, not only does our hero carry the bad-ass codename of “Tiger Blade” but he’s a secret agent who answers to no one, has a way with women, and is a crack shot who can hit a motorcyclist from several yards away. Yup, Tiger Blade is the pretty boy hero who saves the world without fussing his perfectly gelled hair; also known as the kind of poser a lot of action fans can’t stand.

It’s clear from this film’s premise and ending that the producers were hoping to launch Tiger Blade into his own James Bond-style franchise. But here we are six years later and I haven’t heard a peep about a “Tiger Blade 2.” It’s probably because this movie is something of a mess; I doubt I would have understood the story any less if I’d turned the subtitles off.

The plot, so far as I can tell, deals with Tiger Blade trying to round up a dangerous group of thugs, one of whom has tattoos on his body that make him bullet-proof (I’m not making this up). This same band of baddies breaks a rebel leader out of prison, forming an uneasy alliance in order to do…something. It’s not clear what their motive is until the very end of the movie and I won’t spoil it here. Suffice to say, our hero chases them all around Thailand in various action set-pieces as he tries to unravel the murky plot himself.

“Tiger Blade” suffers from that same shoddy editing style you see in many Thai films where scenes seem to transition from one scene to the next without rhyme or reason. I’m not knocking the Thai movie industry because I do love their work but it’s clearly a business that’s still trying to work the technical kinks out. They know how to make a glossy-looking picture that appeals to Western markets; however, the actual mechanics of telling a coherent story sometimes eludes their action filmmakers.

That’s not to say “Tiger Blade” is without its moments. The film’s saving grace is probably its sense of humor, which is in full effect most of the time. During the opening scene, Tiger Blade fends off a group of shotgun-toting attackers wearing nothing but a bath towel (something I thought only Jackie could do!). Later on, he returns to his apartment to find a harem of Thai ladies in lingerie ready to cook him a spicy meal – until his sister shows up to spoil the fun. Add in a clever joke about J-horror and some outrageous stunts and you have a flick that had me laughing more often than not.

The action scenes are plentiful and over-the-top but the fight choreography is way more staged and transparent than in “Ong Bak.” An over-abundance of slow motion must be meant to hide the fact that the cast isn’t really trained in martial arts. There are a few stand-out scenes: I found out what happens when you trap a grenade in someone’s motorcycle helmet and the ending features a bravado highway chase on go-karts(!!). Somehow I feel my life is better now that I’ve seen a Thai stuntman drive a go-kart under a moving semi-truck.

“The Tiger Blade” is worth a rental if, like me, you’re on a mission to watch every single Thai action movie that has been released in the West. Anyone else probably won’t lose sleep if they never find out whether or not this super, super secret agent with a faux-hawk haircut saves Thailand.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 5.5/10

Posted in Reviews, Thai | Tagged |

Final Exam DVD (Scorpion)

Final Exam DVD (Scorpion)

Final Exam DVD (Scorpion)

At Lanier College, the semester is almost over. Exam week is coming to a close when some upper classmen play a prank by staging a phony terrorist attack. But the next excitement in the school won’t be a prank. It’s something a lot more fitnal than an exam. Students are falling prey to the knife-wielding maniac hell bent on making sure that school is out… forever! Now watch the slasher classic in an all new HiDef master from the original camera negatives! FINAL EXAM is back, with a vengeance! Hosted by former WWE Diva Katarina Leigh Waters (aka Katie Lea Burchill). Check out the trailer here.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Devil Within Her aka I Don’t Want to be Born DVD (Scorpion)

Devil Within Her aka I Don't Want to be Born DVD (Scorpion)

Devil Within Her aka I Don't Want to be Born DVD (Scorpion)

RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2011

Hollywood legend JOAN COLLINS teams up with cult stars DONALD PLEASENCE and CAROLINE MUNRO in this 1976 terrifying tale of a demonic baby! Lucy (Joan Collins) is a former dancer, having moved up in the world via marriage to the wealthy Gino Carlesi, and now comfortably settled down. Lucy is expecting and when the time comes, she goes to the hospital to give birth to the baby. The new-born infant is no ordinary baby, either, as it slashes Lucy upon leaving the womb. Hosted by former WWE diva Katie Lea Burchill / Katarina Leigh Waters. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Halloween II: 30th Anniversary Edition aka Halloween 2 Blu-ray (Universal)

Halloween II: 30th Anniversary Edition aka Halloween 2 Blu-ray (Universal)

Halloween II: 30th Anniversary Edition aka Halloween 2 Blu-ray (Universal)

RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2011

Literally starting right off from the original classic “Halloween”, Dr. Loomis and Sheriff Brackett are again searching the dark streets for Micheal Myers but meanwhile Laurie Strode is taken to the Haddenfield Hospital where she is still not safe. Totally underrated in my opinion. This is the 1981 film, which is not to be confused with Rob Zombie’s sequel. Check out the trailer here.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Jurassic Park Ultimate Blu-ray/DVD Trilogy and Limited Edition Blu-ray Set (Universal)

Jurassic Park Ultimate Blu-ray Trilogy (above)/Limited Edition (Below) Blu-ray Set

Jurassic Park Ultimate Blu-ray Trilogy (above)/Limited Edition (Below) Blu-ray Set

RELEASE DATE: October 25, 2011

Universal Studios Home Entertainment presents the Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy. Based on Michael Crichton’s best-selling novel, director Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park created a world where science brought the dinosaurs back to life, a world further explored in its popular sequels The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III. Universal is also offering the Jurassic Park Trilogy in a special “Limited Edition” Blu-ray gift set.

Remastered for 1080p, 1.85:1, DTS-HD Master Audio, loaded with bonus content.

Check out the trailer.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Rebel, The (2007) Review

"The Rebel" Vietnamese Theatrical Poster

“The Rebel” Vietnamese Theatrical Poster

Director: Charlie Nguyen
Cast: Johnny Tri Nguyen, Veronica Ngo, Dustin Nguyen, Chanh Tin Nguyen, Nguyen Thang
Running Time: 103 min.

By HKFanatic

If you’ve heard of “The Rebel,” it’s probably for one of two reasons. (1.) Upon the time of its release in 2007, it was the most expensive Vietnamese production of all time, with a budget somewhere between 1.5 and 3 million US dollars. (2.) It stars Dustin Nguyen of “21 Jump Street” fame.

Now I knew that this was a martial arts movie but avoided it precisely because I figured: “It’s got the guy from ’21 Jump Street’ in it. How good could it be?” I wish Dustin Nguyen could deliver a spin-kick to my former, ignorant self’s head because I now know that 1.) this movie is bad-ass and (2.) Dustin Nguyen is a bad-ass. Don’t believe me? Watch “The Rebel” and learn.

I finally decided to give this film a shot when I found out it starred Johnny Tri Nguyen, who was in “Tom Yum Goom.” If you recall, he was the guy in fancy snakeskin pants who fought Tony Jaa with some serious kicks at the climax of the famous restaurant scene. Here he breaks out into his own headlining role and he proves to be a compelling lead, though he still most impressive during the film’s many fight scenes.

“The Rebel” is set in 1920’s Vietnam, back when the country was exploited and generally treated like crap by the French. Similar to “Ip Man,” here we have a story about an oppressed people and the heroes amongst them who rise up to take a stand. The French are uniformly portrayed as loathsome, violent individuals who feel forced to shoulder the “white man’s burden” of helping Asian people ‘improve’ their countries. Though one main character admits “the French aren’t all bad,” the portrayal is pretty one-sided. For better or worse, that’s fairly typical of martial arts movies these days.

To its credit, the film’s plot kept me interested more than your average kung fu flick. “The Rebel” is beautifully photographed and, though the twists may be predictable, the story is bolstered by some solid performances. Dustin Nguyen is a real standout as the villain; he actually gets to show a decent range of emotion and isn’t just your usual mustache-twirling bad guy. Thanh Van Ngo really impressed me as the main heroine of the film; she may be a famous pop star and model in Vietnam but you would never know it from how much ass she kicks in this movie. Her martial arts moves seem totally legit. She does these full-body takedowns with her legs wrapped around guys’ necks, the kind of thing I’ve only really seen Donnie Yen do. I was almost ready to peg her as the next Michelle Yeoh after just one flick!

The amazing fight scenes were choreographed by Johnny Tri Nguyen himself and they’re rather plentiful during the film’s 103 minute runtime. The characters appear to fight with a mix of Vietnamese martial arts and other styles like Muay Thai and Tae Kwon Do, all of which Johnny Nguyen is trained in. I promise you’ll do plenty of “Holy crap, did they really just kick that stuntman across the face?!” double takes throughout the movie. I know it’s getting old to compare everything to “Ong Bak,” but “The Rebel” truly does specialize in a similar style of contact-heavy fight scenes. It’s just damn good fight choreography – no wires, no CG bullshit.

My only complaint with “The Rebel”? During the first half of the film, Dustin Nguyen’s character seems to have almost supernatural abilities. Knives can’t penetrate his skin and he can punch straight through a concrete wall without his knuckles bleeding. I kept waiting for some kind of explanation – a mystical amulet of sorts? It stuck out as the one fantastical element in an otherwise very reality-based film. But Dustin is rendered mortal during the final battle and the subject is never brought up again. It’s the one real nitpick I have against an otherwise excellent flick. Regardless, “The Rebel” is well worth watching for fans of no-nonsense action movies.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 8.5/10

Posted in Reviews, Vietnamese | Tagged , , , |

Fireball: Muay Thai Dunk | aka Fire Ball (2009) Review

"Fireball" Korean Theatrical Poster

"Fireball" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Thanakorn Pongsuwan
Writer: Thanakorn Pongsuwan, Kiat Sansanandana, Taweewat Wantha, Adirek Wattaleela
Cast: Preeti Barameeanat, Khanutra Chuchuaysuwan, Kumpanat Oungsoongnern, Phutharit Prombandal, 9 Million Sam, Arucha Tosawat
Running Time: 97 min.

By HKFanatic

You just got out of prison only to find out that your twin brother is a coma, beaten half-to-death by the same thugs he borrowed money from to ensure your release. So what do you do? If it’s the 80’s and you’re Jean Claude Van Damme, you join an underground fighting ring to get revenge. If it’s 2009 and you’re in Thailand, apparently you join a full-contact basketball team dubbed Fireball.

I should mention that Fireball bears little to no resemblance to actual basketball. There’s a hoop and there’s a ball, but it’s not so much about lay-ups and free-throws as it is “everyone beats the crap out of each other and then, if they feel like it, whoever’s left standing might throw the ball in the net.” Which is an admittedly ridiculous premise but it makes for a decent guilty pleasure flick, especially when you toss brutal Muay Thai fighting into the mix.

The only problem with “Fireball” is that it suffers from an overabundance of that quick-cut, shakycam filmmaking style, which renders the action on the court nearly incomprehensible at times. This is the kind of movie that switches from digital video to filmstock mid-fight scene, just because the director thinks it looks cool. Visually, it’s a mess. I mean, it kinda moots the point of full contact sports when the “contact” part has been captured by a spastic, whirling camera and then sliced to bits by your editor. Perhaps it’s an attempt to cover up the lack of fighting experience on the part of much of the cast.

But for better or worse, “Fireball” stays on my good side thanks to the pure novelty of the “sport” itself and the few shots that do actually convey some bone-crunching brutality. In what other sports movie are you gonna see the rival team’s manager gleefully toss lead pipes into the middle of the court so his players can bash the good guys’ heads in – and nobody does anything about it, because technically it’s not against the rules? This is the unique charm of “Fireball,” my friends.

HKFanatic’s Rating: 6.5/10

Posted in Reviews, Thai | Tagged |

Yojimbo (1961) Review

"Yojimbo" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Yojimbo” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writer: Ryuzo Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Kat, Seizabur Kawazu, Takashi Shimura, Hiroshi Tachikawa, Yosuke Natsuki
Running Time: 110 min.

By Mairosu

One day I’ll stop frenetically rewatching Kurosawa, but I’ve got to make the most of it right now. After Ikiru, Stray Dog and Throne of Blood (which I’ll review somewhere later), I got to this little story about a down on his luck ronin (Mifune, who else) who stumbles upon a little town divided by two gangs. Seeing that the settlement is rife with corruption and evil men, our hero manages to cunningly make two sides slaughter each other before he himself finishes the job and purges the city of malcontent.

Sanjuro Kuwabatake (“Sanjuro” means “thirty years old”, “kuwabatake” “mullberry field”, put together, his name has as much meaning as, oh say, Clint Eastwood’s “man with no name”), the name Mifune’s character goes by, is a witty deconstruction of a samurai myth. The story takes part somewhere between the two key events in 19th century for the Japanese – the arrival of commodore Perry and ceasing of the Japanese isolation, and the restauration of the emperor and fall of the Tokugawa shogunate. So, judging by this timeline, times must be tough for samurai who are about to get out of business altogether. Sanjuro himself is probably a good example of someone who is about to hang his sword – he is dressed in rags, unshaven, and of relatively bad manners. He does sacrosanct things which real samurai who abides by bushido would never do : he openly offers his services for money, and later on in his film he even loses posession of his sword, which was apparently a very gross blunder for any bushido follower in medieval Japan. Just to further show how Sanjuro is clueless in those days of changing, there is a shot near the beginning in which he throws a stick high into the air on the crossroads and walks further down the path in which the sharper end of the stick pointed after the fall. Busy living, eh.

Once in town, Sanjuro quickly realises the climate when he spots a merry looking dog who is running down the street with someone’s severe hand in his mouth. He befriends the local innkeeper who gives him a lowdown of the situation – it’s basically two goons battling for supremacy over the local silk trade (or something along those lines), and the only one profiting from it right now is the local undertaker. Sanjuro tells him of his idea to purge the city himself – he is dubbed “mad” rather quick, but that of course won’t stop him.

So, he first goes and offers his services to Seibei, one of the goon leaders. To prove his salt, he hacks up a couple of Ushi-Tora (the other goon, obviously) henchmen, after a hilarious exchange with some of the thugs. (“You can kill me if you can !” screams a thug hotshot, “It’ll hurt” casually replies Sanjuro). That does it for Seibei who after mucho haggling strikes a deal with Sanjuro, but later his evil wife (again, an evil wife) tells him how he’s grossly overpaying and how they’d better kill him and get all their money back after Ushi-Tora is vanquished. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Sanjuro who was eavesdropping, so when the encounter is about to happen, he just decides to call it quits – in the middle of battlefield before the encounter. So he casually walks to the other side, and just yells, “I rejected your enemy !”, climbs on an old watchtower and decides to kick back and enjoy the show.

But alas, alas. Just as they’re ready to beat the living daylights out of each other, both sides are informed that an important inspector arrived into town (a familiar face, that of Takashi Shimura) and that all fighting must cease while he’s there. Sanjuro’s plan thus backfired, but he’s got more plotting in him left. He offers his services to Ushi-Tora now, who is soon accompanied by his returning brother Unosuke, a very slimy looking fellow who wields a revolver (clear sign of a dishonourable cad between the “noble warriors”, wielding a firearm). Unosuke doesn’t trust Sanjuro, and after Sanjuro concocts a little plot to free Ushi-Tora’s prize hostage, he pays him a visit and, following a brief altercation we don’t see, takes him prisoner.

Now Sanjuro is a captive at Ushi-Tora’s place, and he’s also beaten quite badly. But, our hero escapes in a cunning manner (I won’t give this away), and then retreats to an old hut to restore his powers. Meanwhile, Unosuke and Ushi-Tora, temporarily relieved of Sanjuro’s presence and with inspector out of town (they rigged a murder in the next city so the inspector could go there on a short note), just go ahead and massacre Seibei’s clan – which clears the stage for Sanjuro’s comeback and a final showdown, in which he of course slashes the bad guys in few quick swings of a sword and releases the old innkeeper who was held hostage by the remaining thugs. His work done, he casually walks away from the fray, ready to purge more cities and earn more money elsewhere.

Yojimbo, albeit dubbed often as an action film, is not exactly action packed and the action scenes themselves are nothing completely special – what really irked me was that there was no sound effects when Sanjuro wielded his sword – no “swissshhh” and “kapwinggg” to be heard, man, that’s annoying innit. As such, this film is more of a social satire in samurai garments, and its construction, narrative and the plot served as a blueprint for the action movie industry of the future. Itself a (uncredited) reworking of a Dashiel Hammett story “Red Harvest” (the bloke who wrote Maltese Falcon), Yojimbo was later copied shot-by-shot more less (again, uncredited) by Sergio Leone for his Fistfull of Dollars, and more recently by Walter Hill (this time with proper mention of Akira Kurosawa and co.) for Last Man Standing with Bruce Willis. Still, Yojimbo retains much of its charm even 40 years after, thanks to a towering performance by Mifune who is a complete package – a fighter, a joker, a schemer, a glutton, a philosopher, and whatnot. And tell me one thing – haven’t you all immediately thunk of that scene in which Ben Kenobi slices off a thug’s hand in the sleazy spaceport cantina after he boasted to him that he’s a dangerous convict criminal when Sanjuro gives the same treatment of one of Ushi-Tora’s men ?

But eh, I enjoyed it. On to the sequel I guess.

Mairosu’s Rating: 7.5/10

Posted in All, Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

The Exterminator: Unrated Director’s Cut Blu-ray/DVD Combo (Synapse)

The Exterminator: Unrated Director's Cut Blu-ray/DVD (Synapse)

The Exterminator: Unrated Director's Cut Blu-ray/DVD (Synapse)

RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2011

First time on Blu-ray! The Exterminator is a 1980 action film written, produced and directed by James Glickenhaus (“The Protector”) and starring Robert Ginty as Vietnam veteran vigilante “The Exterminator”, who takes out the street punks and those involved in organized crime when the law fails to do justice. Also starring Steve James (“American Ninja”). Check out the trailer here.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Cat vs. Rat (1982) Review

"Cat vs. Rat" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Cat vs. Rat” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Cat Versus Rat
Director: Lau Kar Leung
Cast: Alexander Fu Sheng, Adam Cheng, Hsiao Ho, Kara Hui Ying Hung, Lau Kar Wing, Gordon Liu, Lydia Shum, Lam Fai Wong, Johnny Wang, Lung Tien Hsiang
Running TIme: 92 min.

By JJ Hatfield

This is an unusual Shaw Brothers movie, especially considering the director was Lui Chia-Liang. The company apparently was looking at more comedy boosting the kung fu and old school films.

Cat vs. Rat is all comedy. No, it is an attempt to be a comedy. There is a shred of a plot with Alexander Fu Sheng being obsessed with proving he is the best swordsman around and his school mate and equally skilled school brother (Adam Cheng) feeling much the same (Every now and then Adam Cheng reminded me of a young David Chiang).

With a cast including Hsiao Ho (Hou), Kara Hui, Gordon Liu Chia Hui, Alexander Fu Sheng – this should have been a better movie. The Master repeatedly tells them they are exactly equally skilled, but both sides tend to engage in ridiculous lame tests/tournaments. Their entire family, the whole neighborhood is in an uproar because of their activities.

But Fu Sheng is particularly annoying. There is a talented cast ready and waiting and they should have received decent roles or better yet just not made this movie. I was going to try to look for something good to mention, but I don’t want to have to watch it again. This movie sucks.

By JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 2.5/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , |

Mandingo (1975) Review

"Mandingo" American Theatrical Poster

"Mandingo" American Theatrical Poster

Director: Richard Fleischer
Writer: Kyle Onstott, Norman Wexler
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis
Cast: James Mason, Susan George, Perry King, Lillian Hayman, Richard Ward, Brenda Sykes, Ken Norton
Running Time: 127 min.

By JJ Hatfield

“Mandingo” is one of the most misunderstood movies in U.S. cinema.

The first thing the viewer needs to know is that this is not an xploitation flick, at least not in the common usage. It is not a wild group sex romp between slaves and the people that own them. It sure as hell is not camp! If you genuinely think there is one single thing that is amusing in this film you have a problem. Most viewers literally did not know what they were about to see and nervous hesitant giggles resulted. Once people realize this is a whole different world they are going to they tend to be stunned and dazed.

James Mason plays Warren Maxwell, the Master of the plantation in the deep south. Warren is getting older and wants his son Hammond to settle down and run the plantation. The estate is beginning to look a little shabby however his son, Hammond Mawell (Perry King) has ideas about how to make things better. His father is more concerned about him getting married and having grandsons. At times he expresses doubt that his son Hammond has what it takes to run the plantation and that he is too soft.

Hammond and his father travel to a big slave auction in New Orleans to look for a “Mandingo” a direct offspring of a slave who was known for producing strong, healthy children. Finally Hammond has bought himself a certified “Mandingo”. It’s a big day for him, a real “Mandingo”! Never do any of the characters, including slaves being sold in front of huge crowds act as if there is anything wrong or abnormal about their activities. Typical behavior in the 1840‘s. Most of the slaves were showing off their strengths or prettiness enough for hopefully a decent master that won’t hurt them too much. Hammond intends to start a fight enterprise with the slaves being pitted against one another.

Hammond returns with quite a bit he didn’t have when he left home, including a couple of slaves and a wife. Hammonds new bride Blanche (Susan George) has a few secrets and he expects her to accept his “bed wenches”. Blanche doesn’t have much screen time but she goes all out when the camera is fixed on her. There is sex involved as part of the story with several different pairings and brief nudity but the focus is not on sex scenes but rather the changes that one man goes through and how his feelings and behavior deteriorate as the situation becomes more complex. As the story progresses it narrows the focus to the primary characters creating the feeling of claustrophobia as complications and repercussions begin to mount. There will be no happy ending tacked onto such a serious film, nor should there be.

Many slave owners espoused the belief that treatment of blacks was like treatment of an animal. They truly believed they were not human, but a kind of sub-class of humans with no souls. Most masters forbid any reading including the Bible and prohibited education as well. However I have never been able to believe that self serving excuse! Everyone involved with the slave trade knew exactly what happens. No matter what is status quo everyone knows right and wrong. I think it was simply a way of avoiding the hard facts that they bought a human being to be purposely treated like livestock. Probably made them sleep a little better. What am I saying? I’m sure they slept well every night.

The director Richard Fleischer does not shy away from the reality of slavery nor does he have the cast bemoaning how awful it is to live as a slave and does not become preachy. The film very subtly pulls the viewer into the story. It’s all there and too insistent to ignore. Slavery (and all that goes with it) was a despicable, disgusting, shameful part of history. It was also a very good way to cut expenses and increase revenue but that’s a different topic. Unfortunately we still have criminals trafficking in humans all over the planet, however the specifics have changed a lot. The entire cast did an excellent and believable performance, full of the little things that can mean so much. Perry King was truly exceptional in his role. I hesitate to give out any more specifics as they can become spoilers.

Ken Norton as the slave“Mede” was just okay but then he didn’t have a lot of exposition. There are still people who believe a number of the slaves in the U.S. were treated well. That was not the case. Besides I think people didn’t want to believe they were condoning something bad. Yes it is/was something very bad! Robbing someone of their freedom is up there with killing them. Considering the subject there is no way to avoid the various acts of violence from taking young infants from their mother to raping slave virgins to selling off slaves relatives. There is vicious savagery near the end of the film that surprised even me. The degree of sadistic barbarism suddenly takes a really nasty turn. Enough to turn your stomach as well. Kyle Onstott wrote the novel that was the basis for “Mandingo”.

The movie was filmed in Geismer, Louisiana.

JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 8/10 (A Must See For Everyone!)

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Rashomon (1950) Review

"Rashomon" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"Rashomon" Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: In the Wood
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Producer: Jingo Minoura
Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Minoru Chiaki, Kichijiro Ueda, Fumiko Honma
Running Time: 88 min.

By Alexander

The Good: I’ve never been as captivated by the cinematography of a black and white film as I was with this one. There are only three locales in the entire movie, yet each (particularly the rain-ravaged temple ruins) are perfectly lit and shot. The rain and dust and wind and the rare rays of the sun practically leap from the screen, no small feat considering the director’s/cinematographer’s palatte was “limited” to blacks, whites and various shades of gray. Also good: Kurosawa’s adaptation of a tale of murder and rape and the conflicting stories that follow is brilliant. Rashomon’s plot has been imitated countless times, yet never expressed as deftly and passionately.

The Bad: I know I’m supposed to like Rashomon. I mean, it’s directed by KUROSAWA. It has WEIGHTY themes, it’s BEAUTIFULLY shot and it has spawned dozens (if not hundreds) of imitators. Hell, it’s one of the best reviewed films OF ALL TIME. But so is Godfather, which bored me. Ditto for Citizen Kane. Despite the 88 minute running time Rashomon seemed a good half hour to an hour longer because of some unecessarily lengthy scenes (notably the frenzied and seemingly improvised-on-the-spot sword fight). At 60 to 70 minutes, this would have been taut and far more enjoyable, but I found myself growing bored — and then agitated — at the lingering shots of character faces and needlessly drawn-out duels.

The Ugly: The medium. Jesus, she’s hideous. I was expecting passion and drama, not HORROR. She’s like the precursor and inspiration for all those fucked-up, herky-jerky, blank-faced and pale “ghosts” or whatever they are in films like The Grudge and Ju-On. Also ugly: I took a course on the art and architecture of Japan in college, but I didn’t realize that the eyebrow-less women in Japanese art reflected an actual eyebrows plucked-bare look. Disconcerting. A mild bias, but it was jarring seeing the women characters with smudges of black on their foreheads instead of… well, eyebrows.

Alexander’s Rating: 7.5/10


By Shaolin Lord

Alfred Hitchcock once said that the perfection of his cinematic achievement in terms of reducing all that is unimportant and emphasizing on suspense would be a movie taking place in a phone booth with only two protagonists inside. This one here comes quite close.

If you start watching Akira Kurosawa’s movies, this is the one to begin with. It’s like nothing you have ever seen – not concentrating on fights like the majority of pre-80s Asian cinema, for example. This movie is totally psychological – forcing the viewer to speculate – due to the lack of proven facts. Having only a handful of characters to concentrate on, Kurosawa achieves the maximum amount of story development you could possibly have imagined.

The movie shows three main sceneries: the abandoned and ruined temple Rashomon, the woods nearby which bear the tale of the gruesome murder and the courthouse, where the witnesses are testified. You get the story told by the woodcutter (one of the three who seek refuge from the bad weather), the Samurai that has been killed (using a medium to let his soul speak), the killed man’s wife and the bandit Tajomaru, who is accused of the murder. The point of view changes in every story, thus letting lies enter each tale, making the development of the movie the more interesting to the viewer. The only clear fact seems to be the Samurai being dead. Apart from that, everything differs in the told stories, and it’s up the audience to decide which one is true.

Kurosawa does not need more than that to get his story moving. Plus, with Mifune as the bandit, what could ever go wrong? It is a poem, a very visual film with not much of a dialogue. His 1950-style special effects are completely delivered through camera-work, the visual effects showing the rain (which, by the way, looks like the definition of rain!!), the dashing trough the woods and the scenes being half covered by leafs are just superb. What makes this film so special are the multiple plot twists in the 4 told stories, the reception of the audience being the 5th tale, trying to filter the facts from the lies. In the end, the truth is not revealed, or at least seems to be hidden still, the message maybe the fact that to lie is human, or that every perception is different from person to person, or that people involved in an uncomfortable matter tend to try to alter the opinions of others.

It’s up to you to decide – if anything, it makes this movie even more of an outstanding one. Rashomon will get nothing but love from me, scoring a perfect ten.

Shaolin Lord’s Rating: 10/10

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