The Superman Motion Picture Anthology Blu-ray (Warner)

Posted on April 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
The Superman Motion Picture Anthology Blu-ray (Warner)

The Superman Motion Picture Anthology Blu-ray (Warner)

RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2011

The 8-disc collection features all five Superman movies (Superman: The Movie, Superman II (also includes Richard Donner’s cut), Superman III, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (Christopher Reeve), and Superman Returns (Brandon Routh) with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound (Stereo for Superman IV).

It’s also Packed with over 20 hours of bonus features. Includes: Deleted scenes, The Cinematic Saga of Superman, Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman, Superman and the Mole-Men, the complete Fleischer/Famous Studios 1940’s cartoons and much more.

Click here for more details.

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

Encounter of the Spooky Kind (1980) Review

Posted on April 3, 2011 by JJ Hatfield
"Encounter of the Spooky Kind" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Encounter of the Spooky Kind” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Sammo Hung
Producer: Raymond Chow
Cast: Sammo Hung, Chung Fat, Peter Chan, Huang Ha, Lam Ching Ying, Wu Ma, Tai Bo, Billy Chan, Chin Lung, Cheung Ging Boh, Fung King Man, Fung Lee
Running Time: 98 min.

By JJ Hatfield

The first time I saw this movie it was in the form of a very ancient and quite heavy dusty old VHS tape. The story was immensely confusing because there were no subtitles and the audio was streaming crackles in Mandarin. But I saw enough to know this was a better than average action flick with plenty of Sammo style humor. Sammo has the ability to be very funny and to write and direct comedy. There are times however when he just takes a topic and wrings it out until it loses any capacity for humor. It still is a bit heavy on the hokey side but a definite all around entertaining flick for Sammo fans and those who appreciate “old school” martial arts and comedy.

Sammo plays a character who is called “Courageous” (in some versions “Courage” or “Bold” in the dub) but his real character is almost completely the opposite. Despite his fear of nearly everything for enough money he agrees to stay in a house that is supposedly haunted. In the mean time his wife has been cheating on him with a wealthy lover who decides “Courageous” should be killed to simplify matters and leave his wife open to marriage. Her lover pays an evil Tao priest to kill Courageous by magic.

Fortunately the priest’s brother discovers the sinister plan and helps “Courageous” to stay alive in an environment with all kinds of evil, zombies, ghosts, mummies, more spirits…

Does “Courageous” survive the onslaught of evil unleashed upon him? Well long enough to pull out all the stops in the big fight scene! And what a fight! Sammo looks good and makes his opponent, corporeal or not look good too! Dick Wei gets some well deserved screen time as a Master.

As often with movies, especially Sammo movies the end finale/fight is well worth the wait. And this is very much a Sammo movie – directed, screenplay, lead actor, action choreography. Yuen Biao assisted with choreography and even has a cameo as a vampire but Sammo owns the movie.

He cannot rely on his own skills to survive and is able with the help of the evil priest to take on the aura of the “Monkey God”. (This is a little confusing because it is not the Monkey God *himself* but the spirit/fighting form.) It’s a Sammo style finish to a basic entertaining film.

JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 6.5/10

By Numskull

After hearing this movie favorably compared to Mr. Vampire – one of my top five favorite HK flicks of all time – my expectations were pretty high. Sammo Hung being at the helm only made them higher.

Well, now I’ve seen it, and though it was certainly enjoyable, it did leave me a little disappointed. Why? There was more chop-socky here than I anticipated; that, in and of itself, is not a detriment, but the supernatural element is kind of downplayed. Some more humor would have been nice, too, since the little that IS here ain’t half bad for the most part.

Things start off kind of slow, but I knew Sammo would eventually deliver the goods. The action kicks in when “Courageous” Cheung spends the night in a temple while the sorcerer hired to killl him manipulates a corpse from afar. Sorta like the old Warner Bros. cartoons where Daffy Duck is tormented by an unseen animator. I was hoping the whole movie would play out in similar fashion. No such luck. Sammo defies the odds, escapes the temple shaken but unharmed, and then gets accused of murdering his bitchy, unfaithful wife.

Subsequently, Sammo does some mighty fine fighting but the two magicians just chant their gibberish and control peoples’ bodies. The focus is almost as much on the duel of wizardry as it is on Sammo trying not to get killed. The scene where a corpse mimics his movements may be funny to some, but I thought it was rather pointless. The evil sorcerer enchanting one of Sammo’s arms so it attacks people against his will is splendid, though (and it also proves that the guys who wrote Evil Dead 2 have seen this movie at least once).

A slick and lengthy martial arts battle polishes off the main plot and is followed by a one-two surprise punch. For the first one, my reaction was, “Well, shit, that kinda sucks.” But the final few moments of the entire film had me clapping my hands and squealing with delight. Am I a sick bastard? That’s debatable, but you don’t have to be a warped person to get a charge out of the ending.

I suppose this and Mr. Vampire would make a pretty cool double feature, though folks who have seen both films will no doubt have noticed that the latter owes a debt of gratitude to Sammo’s movie for the “substitute rice” bit. I definitely prefer Mr. Vampire over this, but credit must be given where it’s due.

Not a bad film, not by a longshot…but not quite what I was hoping for. Also, when the chicken gets decapitated…is that for real? Hong Kong, 1980? My gut says yes. Tsui Hark maimed a dog for The Blade 16 years later, so it seems safe to assume that Sammo could’ve gotten away with killing a chicken for this movie without creating too much of a fuss. Oh well, life goes on. Except for the chicken.

Numskull’s Rating: 7/10

By Vic Nguyen

The film that was thought to have revolutionized the Hong Kong horror genre, this Sammo Hung film evenly blends fantastic, acrobatic action, light hearted comedy, and some genuine scares. Hung stars as Courageous Cheung, a coward whose reputation proves otherwise. When he discovers a secret that might destroy the career of a politician, he becomes the target of a taoist priest whom the politician has assigned to kill him. A wonderful all around martial arts/horror piece that is yet another superb film by Sammo Hung.

Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 9/10

By Perkele

This is one of the very best martial arts/fantasy movies there is, and the film that made me a serious HK-movie fanatic. Amazing masterpiece that upstages all Jackie Chan movies in existence and shows us once again the masterful talent of Sammo Hung.

Comedy is funny [but I still can’t figure out the scene where the mirror eats the guy; what’s the point?], special effects are cool and the fighting is Sammo’s best work [this time as a fighter, Yuen Biao did the choreography].

The film has few of the most memorable fight scenes in movie history [for me at least]: the tea-house fight (where Sammo’s arm is possessed and he has to fight with Lam Ching-Yin and his henchmen), the gyonshi fight (where Sammo duels the immortal zombie in the temple; most hilarious fight ever!) and ultimately the final showdown, where the two taoist wizards call spirits and gods to take over their assistans.

Rent it or buy it, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.

Perkele’s Rating: 10/10

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , |

War | aka Rogue Assassin (2007) Review

Posted on April 3, 2011 by JJ Hatfield
"War" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“War” Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Rogue
Director: Philip Atwell
Writer: Lee Anthony Smith, Gregory J. Bradley
Cast: Jet Li, Jason Statham, Terry Chen, John Lone, Devon Aoki, Sung Kang, Ryo Ishibashi
Running Time: 103 min.

By JJ Hatfield

War, uhhh yeah, what is it good for absolutely nothin’… sorry. The song is good. This movie is not. What comes across is rather two dimensional. I felt at times the characters were made of cardboard. I swear they were doing stop animation filming scattered through the movie. This reviewer found it difficult to care about any of the characters. One of the few aspects that is interesting is that viewers seem to have extreme feelings about it’s rating – really like it or hated it. Comments overheard seemed to validate the same response.

One of the complaints heard often was Jet did not do his usual balls to the wall kick ass kung fu action. Folks, Jet said a few years back he was not going to be doing non stop no holds barred kung fu. In a way it is a disappointment. We love to see Jet do his stuff, meaning kicking the living daylights out of bad people. Fans have grown to expect high quality fighting all the time, in every movie. But the only thing that is certain is things will change.

Jet is tired of the same old routine. He has given us so many wonderful films that have stood the test of time and will continue to do so. He has repeatedly stated there would be no more movies like “Fearless”. So while a disappointment upon reflection he is only following through with his plans. Time stops for no one and that includes Jet. He has had numerous injuries and he is, like us all, getting older. Even he can’t defeat the passing of time and the accumulated injuries. We know Jet can act. That being said he didn’t seem to be very interested in his performance. Perhaps that was supposed to be just his character but he seemed …bored? distracted? Whatever the reason we know Jet can act but he doesn’t display it often here.

Jason Statham on the other hand excelled at manic over-acting! It seems he is capable of two facial/body expressions both over the top hyperactive and that is about all. He does have his ardent fans. A little of him is okay but someone please get him some downers! He also needs to have a set “voice” in one movie and stop yelling so much. Motion is not necessarily action. I found it difficult to believe his responses which seemed to escalate every ten minutes. The plot twist at the end was a cheap trick. I suspected something to change but it took the easy way out. I had a difficult time deciding upon a rating. Most of the supporting cast did well but there was a sub plot that seemed unresolved.

If you want Jet kicking ass watch “Fist of Legend”, “Danny the Dog” “Fearless” and many many more. Try to think more along the lines of “Crime Story” starring Jackie Chan. (Jet was actually considered for the role but he passed and it proved Jackie could really act and still entertain.) There is also a logistical difficulty with using kung fu in modern times. People involved with Triads/Gangs/Yakuza/Mafia etc. are usually well armed with guns. Big guns and lots of bullets. Using martial arts against any kind of gun successfully is not likely to happen often. We have to bite the bullet (no pun intended) and accept a different kind of action film with Jet. Different does not necessarily mean bad, but this movie is.

JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 4.5/10

Posted in Asian Related, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , |

Winners & Sinners | aka 5 Lucky Stars (1983) Review

Posted on April 3, 2011 by JJ Hatfield
"Winners & Sinners" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Winners & Sinners” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Sammo Hung
Cast: Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Richard Ng, Ching Shung Lin, John Sham, Stanley Fung, James Tien, Lam Ching-Ying, Cecilia Yip Tung, Fung Hak-On
Running Time: 95/106 min.

By Numskull

This is generally considered to be the first Lucky Stars film. It isn’t.

It’s a blueprint; a not-quite-ripe-yet predecessor. Director/star Sammo Hung would later use many elements and cast members from this movie in “My Lucky Stars” and “Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars”…and some viewers will no doubt point to the name of the ex-cons’ cleaning service, “Five Stars Cleaning”, and shriek “I told you so, I told you so”…but Winners & Sinners does not fit into the true Lucky Stars continuity. The most obvious differences are the absence of Eric Tsang’s character (“Roundhead”) and the fact that Sammo’s character (“Teapot”) here meets the gung-ho cop played by Jackie Chan for the first time; in the other Lucky Stars films, they’ve known each other since childhood. Charlie Chin (“Vaseline”) is still a womanizing jewel thief and Richard Ng (“Windpipe”) is still nuttier than a Snickers bar, and Stanley Fung (“Ranks”) is here too, but he’s not the same as in the other films. By the way, these are the nicknames given on the Universe DVD; in other versions, they’re a little different (Ranks = Rookie, Windpipe = Exhaust Pipe, etc.).

So, anyway. Our party of five (including “Curly”, played by John Shum Kin-Fun, who appeared in a different capacity in Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars) get out of prison on the same day, crash at Curly’s place, drool over his sister (Cherie Chung), and try to go legit. The plot, such as it is, mostly consists of a series of Sammo-ish comedic situations leading up to the protagonists’ unwitting acquisition of a Triad leader’s briefcase and the ensuing struggle over it. Outstanding among the bits of childish humor are an enormous vehicular pile-up and a scene in which Richard Ng believes himself to be invisible and struts around naked (although you can tell he’s wearing shorts when he peeks at the chick in the bathtub). Action is sparse, but that’s to be expected. Brief appearances are made by Mars, Lam Ching-Ying (R.I.P.), and Yuen Biao (who has a brief fight with Jackie; if this were a real Lucky Stars film, they probably would have recognized each other as cops, even if they weren’t partners yet).

This isn’t what I would call a great film, but the chemistry amongst the actors is certainly there, and it’s a good sign of things to come in MLS and TTLS.

By the way…did I miss something, or did Sammo just immediately guess the briefcase combination?

Numskull’s Rating: 6/10

By Shaol!nDrunkMonk

Sammo’s first in a short series of successful films, Winners and Sinners has energy by the bucket-load, so much so that there was nothing left for the sequel! Anyways, whenever you put a group of convicts together in a Sammo film, good things are bound to happen…

Watching the dubbed version adds to the off-beat energy, and the concept of a bunch of losers getting together and trying to go straight while total chaos erupts around them like Grandpa after a big meal adds to the comedy. This film doesn’t take itself the least bit seriously, and you won’t either. The purpose of the story itself is to tie the comedy scenes in with all the action into a concise and funny approximately 90 minutes of Jackie on roller-blades, Sammo fighting baddies in the fast-food joint, Sammo eating porkchops, and a gang of criminals hitting on the only female lead…

Oh yeah, and Yuen Biao shows up to teach Jackie some manners as the whole group of convicts, cops, and cameo appearances cater to the short-attention-spanned kids in the audience and the action and humor crazed adults waiting for a good laugh and a painful stunt. You have to be in a certain mood to really enjoy this film…It’s full of great stuff that you might miss the first time ’round. Winners and Sinners delivers. And that rhyme is the best thing I’ve come up with to describe this film.

Shaol!nDrunkMonk’s Rating: 10/10

By The Great Hendu

When you’ve got characters named Teapot, Vaseline, Exhaust Pipe, Curly and Rookie, you know it must be a comedy. I certainly laughed a lot during this movie. It really cracked me up. Richard Ng was especially funny. His little scene about trying to be invisible was great.

Having seen the other Lucky Stars movie first, I was a bit lost. Now I understand what is going on. The main stars are all sent to prison for different, individual crimes. They form a friendship while there and are all released on the same day. Jackie is a cop who knows Teapot (Sammo).

Somehow, the group of newly released criminals get accidentally invloved with some counterfeit plates and the fun begins.

Jackie and Sammo collaborate in a small fight scene in a restaurant that turns out to be pretty good, and Yuen Biao makes a cameo very quick fight scene with Jackie. Jackie has a cool rollerskate chase scene in the middle of the film which is classic J.C. and Sammo does a fine job fighting the bad guys at the end. Overall it’s a decent film, but it’s not a Jackie film. He only makes a few appearances.

However, I am rating this film as a whole, not just on Jackie’s part. It’s definately worth the money.

The Great Hendu’s Rating: 8.5/10

By Aloho

I’d like to give this a 0/10. It was a brainless stupid slapstick waste of time. However, There are some cool things:

1) The red cars – the tops come off. I want one.
2) Under the truck rollerskating stunt and 50 car pile up.
3) The “I’m invisible so I’m gonna walk around naked” scene.
4) This one is hard to explain. It’s the scene at the main villian’s house where one of the guys is about to take on two guys. Then another good guy comes with another opponent. And all this stuff happened. I blinked, so I missed a little.

Aloho’s Rating: 4/10

By Eirias

I don’t think Jackie Chan’s ever given a performance I enjoyed more. It lampoons his own image, (though it was made before that image was established). He plays his usual daredevil cop, but he’s incompetent — risking his neck to catch two thieves only to cause a 50 car pile-up, beating up innocents, and generally getting himself swiftly demoted through the ranks. His story barely intersects with the main one, concerning Sammo Hung, Richard Ng, and a whole slew of other character actors you’ve seen before (if you’ve watched enough of these movies), all of whom are good, and all of whom are funny. This comedy part, for once, is very funny, containing several elaborate set pieces, and leaves room for some real sweet character development of Sammo.

Sammo’s character knows kung-fu too, so when the plot appears, to everyone’s surprise, he kicks everyone’s ass until the cop’s get their, and it’s all great fun. Chan gets to fight Yuen Biao (in a cameo), and does the single most amazing stunt I’ve ever seen him do, involving a semi and some roller-skates, followed immediately by a bit with a mini-van. A lengthy set-piece featuring a naked man who thinks he’s invisible goes in my book as one of the funniest of all time. The flaws that bothered me in other Sammo action/comedies don’t bother me at all here, because this film hangs together, works as a whole, and doesn’t belittle any of its characters, even as it makes fun of their quirks. At the end, it’s rousing, and a triumph for the underdogs.

Eirias’ Rating: 8/10

By Andrew

And the oscar goes to… Richard Ng for his portrayal of an idiot who thinks he is invisible in a supporting role. No, this flick couldn’t win too many awards, although it’s slightly better than “My Lucky Stars”. Jackie really didn’t do much in this film. That would be OK with me if the movie was better, but his character was a moron too. Try taking Kevin Chan of the Police Story series and dividing his I.Q. by 3. Then give him the manners of a 2nd grade kid and the voice of a post pubescent chain smoker and you get the Jackie character of this film. It sounds like Eric Cartman did the voice of Jackie in this one.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s decent fighting and a few good sight gags, but this film was just not what it could have been. Some things are truly amazing, like the massive car wreck (you can actually see people inside some of those cars when they crash) and Jackie kicking that stuntman out the window and over a retaining wall. That doesn’t make up for poor acting in general and the plot discontinuity. Watch for Yuen Biao’s cameo.

Andrew’s Rating: 5.5/10

 

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Invincible Eight, The (1971) Review

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Jeff Bona
"Invincible Eight" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Invincible Eight” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Lo Wei
Writer: Ni Kuang
Producer: Raymond Chow
Cast: Nora Miao, Billy Chan, Paul Chang Chung, Han Ying Chieh, Sammo Hung, Lam Ching Ying, Lee Kwan, Bruce Leung Siu Lung, Angela Mao Ying, Pai Ying, Lydia Shum, Tang Ching, James Tien, Patrick Tse, Lee Ka Ting
Running Time: 95 min.

By Jeff Bona

A group of eight warriors (Nora Miao, Lee Kwan, Angela Mao, Lydia Shum, James Tien, Tang Ching, Patrick Tse and Paul Chang Chung) band together to assassinate General Hsiao (Han Ying Chieh), a ruthless leader who is responsible for murdering their various family members. It won’t be an easy task, as their target is heavily guarded not only by a standard army, but also by a special group of whip-wielding guards.

1971’s Invincible Eight was the first movie released by the then-newly-formed Golden Harvest Studios. Founded in 1970 by former Shaw Brothers managers Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho, Golden Harvest was the first company to give the Shaw Brothers solid competition. The studio gained ultimate momentum with The Big Boss, Bruce Lee’s first action movie, released the same year.

Invincible Eight is directed by Lo Wei, who most likely switched from Shaw Brothers to Golden Harvest, probably due to greener pastures and more creative control. After all, it was no secret that the Shaws were notorious for having a strict guidelines over their actors, actresses and filmmakers; not to mention paying them measly salaries.

Whatever methods the Shaws had over their filmmakers, worked to their advantage; all you have to do is compare Lo Wei’s Invincible Eight to Vengeance of Snow, his last film for Shaw Brothers — it’s easy to see which film looks better, quality-wise. That’s not to say it was a better film.

This brings us to the main problem with Invincible Eight: The sets are there. The talent is there. The plot is there. But compared to the standard Shaw Brothers swordplay movie, it feels rushed, cheap and the choreography is very loose and dodgy. Even the way it’s filmed and crafted, you can see that it was a step back, with no evidence of any innovative style, whatsoever.

Problems aside, Invincible Eight is very entertaining, which explains why it was well-received by the public. The story is interesting, the characters are memorable and the pacing is decent. The cast is good reason enough to check the film out – most notably the beautiful Nora Miao, in her first role role ever. All the others have been around the block, again, in mostly Shaw Brothers movies.

As long as you’re not in it to see inventive action to top-notch filmmaking, you’ll be pleased. The real treat is the climax, which measures up to a big, bloody battle which can almost be compared to the ultra-violence of a Chang Cheh flick — and that’s a good thing.

Jeff Bona‘s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Lolita Blu-ray (Warner)

Posted on April 2, 2011 by JJ Bona
Lolita Blu-ray (Warner)

Lolita Blu-ray (Warner)

RELEASE DATE: May 31, 2011

First time on Blu-ray and an Amazon exclusive. Lolita is a 1962 comedy-drama film by Stanley Kubrick based on the classic novel of the same title by Vladimir Nabokov. The film stars James Mason as Humbert Humbert, Sue Lyon as Dolores Haze (Lolita) and Shelley Winters as Charlotte Haze with Peter Sellers as Clare Quilty.

Due to the MPAA’s restrictions at the time, the film toned down the more perverse aspects of the novel, sometimes leaving much to the audience’s imagination. The actress who played Lolita, Sue Lyon, was fourteen at the time of filming. This title will also be included in the upcoming Blu-ray/DVD set.

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

American: The Bill Hicks Story Blu-ray/DVD (Warner)

Posted on April 2, 2011 by JJ Bona
American: The Bill Hicks Story Blu-ray/DVD (Warner)

American: The Bill Hicks Story Blu-ray/DVD (Warner)

RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2011

American: The Bill Hicks Story is a documentary on the life of comedian Bill Hicks. It features archival footage and interviews with family and friends, including Kevin Booth. The filmmakers used a cut-and-paste animation technique to add movement to a large collection of still pictures used to document events in Hicks’ life.

Nominated for 2010 Grierson British Documentary Award for the “Most Entertaining Documentary” category. It was also nominated for Best Graphics and Animation category in the 2011 Cinema Eye Awards. Awards won include The Dallas Film Festivals Texas Filmmaker Award, at Little Rock The Oxford American’s Best Southern Film Award, and Best Documentary at the Downtown LA Film Festival.

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

Barry Lyndon Blu-ray (Warner)

Posted on April 2, 2011 by JJ Bona
Barry Lyndon Blu-ray (Warner)

Barry Lyndon Blu-ray (Warner)

RELEASE DATE: May 31, 2011

First time on Blu-ray and an Amazon exclusive. Barry Lyndon is a 1975 period film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray which recounts the exploits of an 18th century Irish adventurer. Ryan O’Neal stars as Barry Lyndon. This title will also be included in the upcoming Blu-ray/DVD set.

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

King Kong (1933) Review

Posted on April 1, 2011 by JJ Hatfield
"King Kong" American Theatrical Poster

“King Kong” American Theatrical Poster

Director: Merian C. Cooper
Co-director: Ernest B. Schoedsack
Cast: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher, Sam Hardy, Noble Johnson
Running Time: 105 min.

Review by JJ Hatfield

The one thing that makes the original version fantastic is the special effects. That may sound a bit absurd considering the state of the art and ever evolving fx we have today however that just adds relevance to my comment.

Willis O’brien created the special effects he pioneered in the 1925 film “The Lost World”. Lost World was about pre – historic times/science fiction/thriller filled with numerous never seen before dinosaurs. Willis brought all of his experience and new ideas to the Kong project. Without his enormous experience in stop motion animation King Kong would never have been made.

Obviously the primary technique involved was stop motion animation. Many men must have spent many hours hunched over a table working as fast as they could to do that tedious and pain staking work but the result was something never ever seen before! An ENORMOUS gorilla moving, vocalizing, and doing pretty much whatever he wanted to do. There has always been a somewhat more frightening aspect to Kong because of the somewhat jerkiness resulting from stop motion animation.

Everyone should see this film even if you are not required in film school. It takes a bit to get into the movie because it is so different. All the bucks, allegedly around $700,000. went to creating Kong and his world. The village, the natives, the dinosaurs that were trying to interfere with Kong and his woman. Interestingly enough the native scenes really weren’t that bad. I think the B&W somehow helped in that regard.

Fortunately the story allows little time for characters to “act”. In this film that is a good thing. The main players Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and Carl (Bruce Cabot) are one dimensional characters. But Damn! Wray screams well but it gets to be too much after awhile. The dialogue is terrible and one dimensional as well, like cardboard, just flat.

Denham is a famous director who insists on lensing all the footage after a camera man was frightened by a charging animal and missed the shot years ago. He recruits his “cast” as well. The audiences have indicated they wanted more females in the movies so he sets out to find a female actress in one night. He checks out the missions, etc. and finds his girl on the street after she steals some food and he feeds her a meal and a line about being the perfect actress. Ann doesn’t seem to be very rational in her thinking – she never met this man and he wants her to go on a cargo ship with a bunch of strange guys for an extended trip to who knows where. But a girl’s got to grab the moment I guess so she agrees and they are off!

As soon as they are underway the men begin to make negative comments about having women around, and how much trouble they are in general. Ann seems to think this is flirting. Of course one of the crew, Carl is falling in love and so is she. Finally Denham tells the skipper where they are really headed – Skull Island! When they near the island fog envelopes all. They can hear the sounds of drums..drums and something else, it sounds like the natives are chanting “Kong”. The fog finally lifts and they can see the island and a huge wall with a gate. They go ashore in a small boat to check things out. The natives do notice them and take a special interest in the blonde and want to trade six of their women for her. Naturally they say no, but the villagers are pissed off and the crew hastily retreats to their ship. During the night you hear Ann scream as she is abducted by the natives to be a sacrifice for King Kong!

Kong is 35 feet or so of a giant ape that walks on his hind legs, roars and beats his chest to declare himself the baddest ass on the island. But after he kidnaps Ann the crew has to get her back even though Denham still wants to capture Kong and now the crew knows it.

They finally arrive in New York and everyone thinks their troubles are over and the money is rolling in like the tide. It’s time to show off King Kong! In another amazing effect Kong is chained to a huge wall behind the actors. Pretty cool stuff for 1933! Unfortunately when Ann comes onstage the flashbulbs start popping and Kong goes ape! (sorry, I just couldn’t help myself) Denham tries to get them to stop because Kong believes they are hurting his beloved. That launches his smashing most of downtown New York and his Empire State Building climb. When things look bad Kong puts Ann by his feet so he can swipe at the biplanes. After Ann screams, Kong cries out in at first anger and then in pain. After quite an arsenal has been thrown at him Kong finally succumbs. In a completely poor summation Denham says that it “was beauty that killed the beast.”

This review is for the Korean release of King Kong. This version contains scenes edited out of other versions including Ann getting “stripped” when she is asleep as Kong tries to pick her up. And numerous scenes are included showing close ups of Kong munching on a native or a New Yorker.

I do recommend this film for everyone. You will most likely be viewing it more than once or twice. The detail is incredible however do not expect ‘picture perfect’ quality. There are a few scenes with black areas, scratches, and audio crackles but it doesn’t hurt the story. Another reminder of just how incredible it is the film even exists after so long. This is an amazing film in many ways. Do not watch the latest hi tech action movie and then King Kong. I would advise against watching the “colorized’ (reviewer spits) version simply because it was not made that way. The greedy bastards are only looking for more money squeezed out of an old film. Don’t buy it, literally.

Considering all of the movies I have viewed and reviewed “King Kong” stands in a class all it’s own for the special effects.

Two interesting notes from the IMDb:

1) The laserdisc edition of the film includes the first ever audio commentary.

2) This film was successfully reissued worldwide numerous times; some claim it was the first ever re-released film. In the 1938 reissue, several scenes of excessive violence and sex were cut to comply with the Production Code enforced in 1934. Though many of the censored scenes were restored by Janus Films in 1971 (including the censored sequence in which Kong peels off Fay Wray’s clothes), one deleted scene has never been found, shown publicly only once during a preview screening in San Bernardino, California in January 1933. It was a graphic scene following Kong shaking four sailors off the log bridge, causing them to fall into a ravine where they were eaten alive by giant spiders. At the preview screening, audience members screamed and either left the theatre or talked about the grisly sequence throughout the subsequent scenes, disrupting the film. Said the film’s producer, Merian C. Cooper, “It stopped the picture cold, so the next day back at the studio, I took it out myself.”

JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 9.5/10 Highly Recommended

Posted in Other Movies, Reviews |

Super (2010) Review

Posted on April 1, 2011 by ningen31
"Super" American Theatrical Poster

“Super” American Theatrical Poster

Director: James Gunn
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon, Nathan Fillion, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Andre Royo, Sean Gunn, Stephen Blackehart, Don Mac
Running Time: 96 min.

By Ningen

Rainn Wilson plays a perpetual loser named Frank whose wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) gets taken in by a drug-lord named Jacques(Kevin Bacon), causing him to don a superhero persona and costume to match. As The Crimson Bolt, he takes out local criminals, a-holes, and finally the Boss Man himself. Accompanying him is an admirer and fan-girl Libby(Ellen Page) who also suits up as Boltie, his side-kick.

Unfortunately, I’m only familiar with James Gunn’s work through Tromeo and Juliet. I haven’t seen his other superhero spoof, The Specials, nor have I caught his more mainstream stuff like the Scooby-Doo movies, the Dawn of the Dead remake[He worked on the scripts for the first S-D and Dawn.], or even Slither. And I was kind of wary of Super after being burned by Kick-Ass. The (legal) chicks were average-looking, the fights were already done better in the Punisher movies, and there was no reason for that thing to be two hours, other than for unnecessary exposition which did not enhance the story.

But a certain comic book adaptation hater seemed to have a soft spot for Super, so I gave it a whirl. And I’m glad I did. Super is basically what Kick-Ass should’ve been: an actual look at an amateur vigilante meant to be a sendup of the superhero genre and its fanbase. And it’s all there: The endless conversations about tropes and powers; the fetishizations of the costumes and weapons and the inability to distinguish fantasy from reality; and the fascist “might makes right” mentality behind crime-fighting.

But the best part is that, even though it still caters to that same audience it’s mocking, it does it in a way which makes sense. Boltman doesn’t get it right the first time, nor does his experience automatically give him an edge. He’s clumsy, messy, and thoughtless. And his partner is basically everything you hate about comic book side-kicks: talky, rash, and mostly ineffective. But Gunn still somehow manages to deliver on cool and gory action scenes which, unlike Kick-Ass, don’t require me to suspend any sense of disbelief. And while the duo make Bacon’s character look like the “normal” one of the bunch, the pair manage to come off endearing, anyway. The comedy itself is very absurd [Picture a Christian-themed comic book hero lecturing to “teens” about pre-marital sex on tv.] and yet very appropriate for the theme of the film. And while you don’t get (non-animated) nude scenes[Sorry, Page fans.], there’s some great use of sexual tension between characters.

So while Super isn’t going to win any major awards, it’s definitely a great superhero film you can enjoy on different levels-and for once, not just the self-serving kind.

Ningen’s Rating: Action 8/10 Story 7/10 Girls in hot outfits 9/10 Total: 8.5/10

Posted in Asian Related, Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , |

Skinny Tiger & Fatty Dragon (1991) Review

Posted on April 1, 2011 by JJ Hatfield
"Skinny Tiger & Fatty Dragon" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Skinny Tiger & Fatty Dragon” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Nutty Kickbox Cops
Director: Lau Kar Wing
Cast: Sammo Hung, Karl Maka, Carrie Ng, Wanda Yung, Lau Kar Wing, Lung Ming Yan, Wu Fung, Cutie Mui Siu Wai, Ni Kuang, Mark Houghton, Brad Kerner
Running Time: 105 min.

By JJ Hatfield

The running time for this movie is 105 minutes, and you will feel each and every one, when fighting is not on the screen. Yes, Sammo is in the film and does the basic kick ass everyone expects. He also does the cool Bruce Lee impersonation, which is always entertaining as he does it so well! He is also in a disco wearing a white suit, well never mind about that. Karl Maka does the usual comic routine. There were a couple of funny moments I just kept having the feeling I had been there before. I felt I could turn the sound off and it was really not much different. This isn’t a terrible movie, it’s just not very good. Skinny Tiger and Fatty Dragon is yet one more in a long list of buddy with Sammo movies.

Unfortunately, we have seen it all before, and it’s not getting better with each movie. This was near the end of the movies based along the same lines and the subject was stale. And what is Sammo doing always including transvestites, cross dressers and bad guys who make ugly women? Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it gets old very quickly. Is this supposed to be funny? Is the audience supposed to be surprised they are not women, which is more than obvious. Even then Sammo was capable of much better acting and kicking ass. He has been in so many damn good movies save this one to view later. Or just skip it.

For some reason even the IMDb lists this movie at 100 minutes. I realize due to copies, PAL/NTSC and other differences RT may be two or three minutes different, but five seems excessive. When I find out something like that I always wonder, did they cut something? Damn right, I don’t trust companies or corporation to leave a great thing alone! However, considering the quality of the film perhaps if it was censored it may have been a blessing.

JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 6/10 (A reluctant 6. Not really recommended however if you have no other good films it is passable entertainment.)

Posted in Chinese, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

Kingdom of War Part I & II aka King Naresuan (Magnolia)

Posted on March 31, 2011 by JJ Bona
Kingdom of War Part I & II aka King Naresuan (Magnolia)

Kingdom of War Part I & II aka King Naresuan (Magnolia)

RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2011

Kingdom of War (aka The Legend of King Naresuan) is a two-part 2007 Thai biographical historical drama film about King Naresuan the Great, who ruled Siam from 1590 until his death in 1605. The Nation calls Part I “a beautiful movie, planned to meticulous detail with the exotic designs and colors of the royal dresses, golden palaces and exotic temples.”

Part II was the #1 film at the Thailand box office for several weeks, earning US$7 million. Bangkok Post said: “Surprise, surprise: Naresuan II is good fun. The pacing crisp, the acting passionate, the warfare intense.”

The films are directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol, a prolific director since the 1970s, among his films is the 2001 historical epic, The Legend of Suriyothai. A member of the Thai royal family. He is theoretically 19th in line for the Thai throne.

Part I trailer. Part II trailer. Part III is due to hit theaters March 13, 2011 in Thailand.

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

Operation Scorpio | aka Scorpion King (1992) Review

Posted on March 31, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Operation Scorpio" French DVD Cover

“Operation Scorpio” French DVD Cover

Director: David Lai
Cast: Chin Kar Lok, Lau Kar Leung, Kim Won Jin, Frankie Chin, May Lo, Wu Fung, Victor Hon Kwan, David Lo, Yuen Shun Yee, Yuen Tak, Fruit Chan Gor, Ricky Cheung, Lau Sek Yin, Tiffany Lau, Sai Gwa Paau, Sin Ho Ying
Running Time: 96 min.

By Yi-Long

Life is unfair! Why, easy! In a fair world, Kim Won Jin would have been a household name around the world by now, starring in movies with Jet Li, Jackie Chan and in movies like Crouching Tiger and The Matrix and Star Wars. In a perfect world, this guy would have been a millionaire, a legend, an idol…

Why!? Just watch him in this movie! After sending in a demo-tape showcasing his amazing abilities, he was asked to appear in this movie and what an appearance it is! Without this guy, this movie would have been BAD! It’s just another lackluster kung story about a young guy, played by Chin Kar Lok, who wants to learn kung fu to protect those who can’t protect themselves from evil.Nothing original there, just the typical boy-hood fantasy; become strong to defeat the bullies and make the world a happy happy joy joy place. Too bad for Chin Kar Lok then, but I was rooting for the bad guy in this one.

The kicking and athletic stuff Kim Won Jin shows here is simply incredible. This guy kicks like he’s in a computer game or something and jumps all over the place. Sure, some of it is wire-assisted, but a lot of it ISN’T! Forget about Ken Lo in Drunken Master 2 and forget about Whang Jan Lee; This is the new ‘Boot-master!’. It has to be seen to believe.

This movie shows why a talented guy like Chin kar Lok is totally unsuitable to play a leading man. He lacks the screen-presence, the comedy, the charisma, the ‘WHOOMP-THERE IT IS!’ other stars like Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Sammo DO have. I think his brother, Chin Siu Ho would have made a better leading man in this movie (considering his acting ability and charisma he showcased in Fist of Legend among some other movies). The supporting cast is also a mixed bag. The girl is non-impressive, the bodybuilder IS impressive, because although he’s amazingly muscular, he comes across as a confident, smart and bright guy. Lau Kar Leung plays his usual sifu-role with no surprises anywhere, although the fight he has at the end is pretty good against multiple assailants using a 3-sectional staff and a normal staff(especially considering his age; over 50 years old I guess).

The story, as I said before, is quite poor and you also shouldn’t expect any great cinematography. It’s pretty old-fashioned in style actually which is a shame because although Kim Won Jin is extremely talented and it certainly shines through big-time in this movie, the fight scenes could have been even better with some better camera-work. Another downpoint to the fight-scenes is that none of his opponents really look powerful, not even the lead Chin Kar Lok. In Fact, CKL looks like a wimp all the way through this movie, right till the ridiculous ending where he uses some weird crawling Eel-Fu (…yeah… the fish(!)…) to try and defeat Sunny.

I like Chin Kar Lok and have a huge respect for the guy and all the stuff he has done, action and stunt-wise, but he doesn’t make a good leading man.

So what we have here is a mediocre kung fu movie brightened up by the amazing kicking talents of Kim Won Jin. It’s a shame about the lack of charisma from the leading man, and a lackluster story, supporting cast and old fashioned cinematography, but it’s still enjoyable stuff nonetheless. Could have been much better though and ‘Sunny’ should have been a major star by now.

Yi-Long’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

Heroes Shed No Tears (1983) Review

Posted on March 31, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Heroes Shed No Tears" Spanish DVD Cover

“Heroes Shed No Tears” Spanish DVD Cover

Director: John Woo
Writer: John Woo
Producer: Peter Chan Ho Sun
Cast: Eddie Ko Hung, Lam Ching Ying, Chin Yuet Sang, Fung Lee, Lee Hoi Suk, Cécile Le Bailly, Philippe Loffredo, Tsang Choh Lam, Pang Yun Cheung, Bruce Cheung Mong, Chow Gam Kong, Lam Fai Wong
Running Time: 84 min.

By Numskull

Hard to believe that John Woo had been a director for about a decade before this was produced. Heroes Shed No Tears is reasonably entertaining and certainly not without some merit, but it’s also uneven, questionably paced, and, sorry to say, kind of sloppy.

The biggest problem is that the premise is so thin that scenes that fit into the story like square pegs in round holes had to be inserted to bring the film up to an acceptable length (and it’s still short). This issue is really exacerbated by the fact that there is almost no introductory footage whatsoever…things kick off with the team of mercenaries smack dab in the middle of enemy territory. A poor decision, narrative-wise, but at least the movie can’t be accused of not starting off with a bang.

Like I said, there’s some stuff in here that really bogs the movie down and doesn’t belong. The whole dice-throwing bit just sucks, and there’s an embarrassingly gratuitous sex scene. John Woo seems to treat his female characters with a bit more reverence than certain other folks we could name, but that’s not the case here. The women are disposable whores…the white guy bangs ’em and then…BANGS ’em.

Also, there are a couple of spots where logic (even action movie logic) goes straight out the window. A big huge circle of fire in the middle of a field just burns itself out without touching the surrounding grass. Did Smokey the Bear come and dowse it when nobody was looking or what? And, when Eddy Ko gets tagged in a heated firefight, the armed-to-the-teeth enemies, standing about 20 feet away, politely cease firing so he can say goodbye to his buddy in dramatic fashion.

Lam Ching-Ying is the best thespian here, giving us a memorable villain despite his few lines and lack of significant screen time. In one of the most wince-inducing scenes you’re likely to ever witness, he sews the good guy’s eyes open and strings him up beneath the merciless sun with a wooden stake planted firmly in his back. Owie.

There’s action aplenty with lotsa shooting, a big-ass body count, and a bare-knuckle duel to the death to finish things off, but the heart and soul of Woo’s later work is muted or absent most of the time.

HSNT is the last film Woo did before A Better Tomorrow, and it’s not hard to see why that film rather than this one put him on the map. Still, though, don’t dismiss this just because it’s pre-ABT. It may not be a classic but it is worth a look.

Numskull’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , , |

Bare-Footed Kid, The | aka Young Hero (1993) Review

Posted on March 31, 2011 by JJ Hatfield
"The Bare-Footed Kid" American DVD Cover

"The Bare-Footed Kid" American DVD Cover

Director: Johnnie To Kei Fung
Cast: Aaron Kwok Fu Sing, Ti Lung, Maggie Cheung Man Yuk, Paul Chun Pui, Jacqueline Wu Chien Lien, Kenneth Tsang Kon, Eddie Cheung Siu Fai, Wong Yat Fei, Tin Ching, Chu Tiet Wo, Cheng Ka Sang, Johnny Cheung Yiu Wah, Hau Woon Ling, Benny Lai Keung Kuen, Leung Kai Chi, Ng Wui, Wong Sun, Yuen Ling To
Running Time: 90 min.

By JJ Hatfield

If you experience deja vu while reading it is likely because this is a re-make of The Disciples of Shaoli made by the Shaw Brothers in the mid – seventies.

After his father dies, a destitute young man sets out to find an old friend of his father’s and hopes of a better life. He manages to find the man (Ti Lung) who is foreman at a dye factory and gives him a bed and a job. Perhaps even more important – he gives him a pair of shoes. There are those in the village who do not want the factory to succeed and will stop at nothing to obtain the secrets that have made the business so profitable. Several attempts are made to buy the factory, but the owner (Maggie Cheung) isn’t interested despite hints of threats. She is a strong determined and decisive character in the film. If not for her talent the movie would not have been nearly as palatable.

When something does go wrong, the Kid administers his own kind of retribution, which unfortunately doesn’t work out so well. Before long, he is caught up in multiple schemes and must decide what is really important to him. His transformation in act and deeds is fueled by the lure of things to possess. To forget his near treachery he drowns his sorrows in alcohol.

There is really only one thing wrong with The Bare Footed Kid: the Bare Footed Kid, as played by Aaron Kwok. The only reason I rated The Bare Footed Kid a 6.5 was because of the fine efforts delivered by Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow series, Drunken Master 2) and Maggie Cheung (Hero, with Jet Li, The Iceman Cometh), both veteran actors in a range of films including period pieces. They deliver excellent performances. However, they needed a “kid fighter” and there was no one to be found, apparently, besides Aaron Kwok. Enter Liu Chia Liang/Lau Kar Leung who some how managed to create the illusion that Kwok could fight, and fight fairly well, definitely not an enviable or simple task.

It was surprising and a bit disappointing to see the use of so much wire-fu, but apparently that was the only way Lau Kar Leung could make it appear Kwok had a clue about martial arts, and was in good enough shape to carry it out. Fortunately it was enough to pass off Kwok without changing the plot.

I also didn’t like the serious use of wires with a fight with Ti Lung. Granted he wanted to show the Kid a whole lotta fighting skills in a very short period of time but it was just too much. Ti Lung was only around 46 when he was in this movie–plenty young enough to do almost all of his fighting without the wires.

Nevertheless, his role as foreman and friendship with the owner adds some interest to the film. He also has a *solo* fight with about a hundred henchmen who are there to stop his interfering with the crime business. Ti Lung is an excellent actor and a damn good fighter and it’s always a thrill to watch him fight.

The ending is worth waiting for, courtesy of Lau Kar Leung. His reputation for amazing fight choreography and long fight sequences does not disappoint! Two nearly back-to-back fights is typical as is his use of unusual but deadly weapons. Without giving away the ending, I was disappointed in one aspect of the Kid’s choices. Viewers will just have to watch the movie to understand my reference.

JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 6.5/10 (almost 7/10)

Posted in Chinese, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , |
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