1 comments about B13 - Banlieue 13 Bienvenue En Enfer! (Aka Suburbs 13) French Language with English Subtitles.

1. I saw this movie when I was in France a few months ago and wacthed it all the way through in French! I found it
   a lot of fun if you like action adventure shoot em ups with a little sci-fi and comedy thrown in.It's worth owning
   but am having a lot of trouble finding it in the U.S. You can catch a lot of it on U Tube to get an idea.There is also
   the new urban jumping from building to building French thing in it, I don't know what its called but it adds to
   the overall excitement of the movie. A fun flick!

2 comments about Nightmaster.

1. Ok for huge fans of the Kidman - but nevertheless rather an attempt to make late money with a no name movie who's one cast member luckily became a star than a must seen!



2. Nightmaster (Mark Joffe, 1987)
   
   Wow. Poor Nicole Kidman. Just two years away from the role (in Dead Calm) that would make her a star, she was still taking stuff like this. It's really, truly awful, in the sense that most unplotted, cardboard-charactered, martial arts-laden action flicks are. But when you think about guilty-pleasure films like Kill and Kill Again or Gymkata, there's a quality to these things that transcends any empirical measure of goodness. Nightmaster has a bit of that; not enough to put it on the rewatchability level of the aforementioned films, but enough to make it not the worst way to pass ninety minutes.
   
   Steve Beck (Cast Away's Vince Martin) is an ex-soldier (completing the phrase with "of fortune" is understood) and school gymnastics teacher who works on martial arts training with a group of students in the mornings before school begins, making them overtired for their classes-- or so thinks Sonia Spane (Mad Max's Joanne Samuel), the kids' science teacher. Unbeknownst to either Spane or Beck, however, the gang are getting together late at night in an abandoned warehouse to practice in gauntlets designed by one of their pals. All of which seems to have some bearing on the plot, but you can't really tell until almost an hour into the movie, when the plot is actually revealed. Previous to that it's all martial arts and bad music. (I'm sure Paul Kelly would have disowned the soundtrack, had he not actually been in the film singing it.) Oh, and trying to figure out whether hunky lead Robby (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome's Tom Jennings) is going to get together with Spane or classmate Amy Gabriel (Kidman). Once we do get a plot, however, you'll almost wish you hadn't. (Ignore the All-Movie Guide summary, by the way, which is about as wrong as it's possible to be and still be discussing the same movie.)
   
   This was Joffe's first feature film, and it shows. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that he did go on to become a creditable director (Spotswood, known in America as The Efficiency Expert, was his third flick), but you'd never know it from here. Nor that Kidman would go on to become an A-list actress. This is probably best considered an amusing speed bump on each's road to success. **

No comments about Monkey With 72 Magic/Ninja Untouchables.

1 comments about Dennis Hooker Zanshin and Ma-ai in Aikido.

1. I produced this DVD of Dennis Hooker Sensei, and I hope you like it. There is a correction to be made - the principal uke (or receiver of throws) on the DVD is Mr. Tim Magill. The spelling on the DVD credits is Tim Magee. That is incorrect, and I extend my sincere apologies to Mr. Magill for the error.
   
   Hooker Sensei does a wonderful job in the DVD of explaining, clearly and in depth, the concepts of ma-ai (correct distance) and zanshin (continuous mind) in Aikido. For those of you in Aikido who think you are completely familiar with these concepts, please take a second look. You won't regret it. For everyone else in the martial arts and in general, I think you will find this DVD will surprise and interest you.
   
   Shari Dyer
   Keigan Productions

No comments about Classic Judo Competition Techniques.

5 comments about Kung Fu Hustle [UMD for PSP].

1. What a great film,this was one of the suprise imports in the movie theaters,very funny stuff indeed,a very funny kung fu flick with a great story line too,The evil cigarette smoking landlady is very funny and memorable,as well as all the other great elements of this ultra cool film!!! I've had it twice on DVD (the original Widescreen and Axe Kicking Edition),but this Blu Ray Disc takes it even a step further witn great visuals,sound,and pretty much the same extras that were on the original Widescreen DVD release!!! A very recommdended Blu-Ray release!!! Two thumbs up!!! A+



2. I've heard a number of glowing reviews of this movie. I'm in a martial arts movie phase right now. In my opinion, this movie is just "not good." It had a few rather funny moments (few being the operative word). Other than that it was pretty much just an unredeemed bloodbath and not especially funny.
   
   I really didn't care much for this one, sadly. I'll stick with some of the better actual martial arts movies and keep an eye open for a GOOD martial arts spoof. The White Dragon just didn't do it for me either. I'm hoping that Kung Pow - Enter The Fist, Kung Phooey! or Where Is Mama's Boy will be better send-ups of the genre.
   
   Again, Kung Fu Hustle was pretty much an abominable, bloody mess of a movie (both literally and figuratively), in my opinion (having recently watched MUCH better fare like Hero, Fearless, Curse of the Golden Flower, Legend of the Black Scorpion, Tai Chi Master, The Warrior, The Forbidden Kingdom, The Myth, etc).



3. This movie is fantastic. I could watch it once a week... maybe even more. The visuals, the story line (if you're a kung-fu enthusiast) the characters... everything is so fun.



4. 
   
   Stephen Chow outdid himself in "Kung Fu Hustle", a movie he wrote, directed and stars in. The humor is slapstick and off the wall, reminiscent of Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote in some scenes.
   
   The plot is as follows: Chow and his chubby sidekick want to become members of the Axe Gang. The two commit a few petty crimes to prove they are worthy criminals. When they enter the tacky slum run by a chainsmoking landlady and her womanizing landlord husband and try to intimidate the slum dwellers, the real hilarity begins. The scenes with the knives and snakes are beyond funny! ("Hey! Who's throwing handles!" the landlady squawks.) The leader of the Axe Gang sends Chow on an assignment to release the most fierce criminal of all time. If Chow accomplishes this feat, he will be accepted into the gang. In the final scene, the "world's greatest criminal" and Chow face off and Chow's chi is ultimately realized.
   
   Along the way, the viewer is introduced to a cast of interesting characters including the "coolie," the tailor, the noodles and congee maker, the buck-toothed siren, the gay hair-cutter, and the deaf/mute vending girl who has a special tie with Chow's character that he has forgotten, but she never has.
   
   Kung Fu Hustle is an odd mixture of violence and comedy and it works. There are so many comedic surprises in this movie it's easy to watch it numerous times. I own it and it is one of my children and my all time favorites.



5. Version: U.S.A / Region A, B, C
   MPEG-2 BD-25
   Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
   Average video bit rate: 16.22 Mbps
   Running time: 1:38:55 (cut)
   Running time: 1:39:25 (uncut version - overseas)
   Movie size: 17,62 GB
   Disc size: 23,16 GB
   LPCM 5.1 4608Kbps Chinese
   DD 5.1 640Kbps English / French
   
   Subtitles: English / English SDH / Latin / French / Chinese / Korean / Thai / Portuguese
   
   #Audio commentary (in Cantonese with English subtitles)
   #Behind the Scenes (41m:55s)
   #3 Deleted Scenes
   #Ric Meyers Interview with Stephen Chow (27m:55s)
   #Outtakes and Bloopers (4m:46s)
   #HD trailers

No comments about Green Hornet 3 DVD Set Volumes 4,5 and 6.

No comments about The Martial Art of Muay Thai-D.

No comments about Full-Contact Competition-D.

1 comments about Sonny Chiba Collection.

1. Thanks to Quentin Tarantino Sonny Chiba has had a bit of a career revival. Since Tarantino featured a Chiba fanatic main character in his screenplay for True Romance Chiba's been brought back to public attention in the U.S.
   
   Over the last few years many different Sonny Chiba collections have been released on DVD. Some of them are good, some not so good. This one, The Sonny Chiba Collection, is one of the better releases. BCI has again teamed up with Adness to release anamorphic widescreen versions of some of Sonny Chiba's best movies....along with a couple titles that don't really belong in a "Sonny Chiba Collection."
   
   First, the classic Japanese hijacking/extortion film (and the basis for the movie Speed), Bullet Train is included in both the international edit (English dub, 115 minutes) and the original Japanese version (152 minutes). The sound on the international version is pretty thin and tinny, and English dubs of Asian movies is usually mediocre at best - although this one isn't too bad. The Japanese version, however, is very good. The picture quality is excellent for a non-restored print of a 35 year old movie, and the sound is more than acceptable for a film of that vintage. The only downside to this movie (as part of this set)? Not a lot of Chiba. He has a major supporting role, but is not the main character (that role went to the great Ken Takakura). Still, this is a classic thriller (and I would have paid $[...] for an anamorphic widescreen release of the Japanese version by itself).
   
   Golgo 13 is a top notch Chiba movie, where he plays an international hit man. While this one has more action that Bullet Train, it has less action than many of Chiba's samurai or karate movies, and it plays as more of an action thriller than your typical kick ass Sonny Chiba action movie. Don't take that as a negative, however, as the script is actually one of the best Chiba got to work with in a leading role during the 70's. The Japanese audio is again noticeably stronger than the English dub.
   
   Karate Warriors is more of what many Chiba fans go for - out and out action. This time it's a variation on Kurosawa's Yojimbo. Kurosawa this is not - but Kurosawa never got to work with Sonny Chiba, either. Chiba's got IT, and this is one of those movies that really shows his charisma and screen presence. This is one of the stronger movies that Chiba headlined (again, the difference is a decent script), and it is another highlight of the set. English dub only on this one, and while the sound is again a little thin (and sometimes just a tad muddy), it is adequate. The picture quality is uneven, but it is anamorphic widescreen, and it looks much better than most public domain releases.
   
   The Bodyguard has some of that cheese that many people associate with 70's martial artus/karate movies, but it also has a fairly complex plot and a decent script (although, this is one of the 4 movies in the set that do not have the original Japanese audio, so it's hard to tell what the original script was like - it could have been significantly better than the English dub script). There are several good action sequences, and some genuine suspense in this movie. Good to very good picture quality, and the sound is again adequate to good.
   
   Then we get to the two titles that probably shouldn't have been included in this set - Dragon Princess and Sister Street Fighter. Neither one features Sonny Chiba in anything more than a glorified cameo role, and neither one is as good as the other movies in this set. Sure, there is lots of action, and some good fight scenes, but weaker scripts hurt these films. As for the audio? English dubs only, but the sound quality is decent for both. The picture quality is noticeably poorer for Dragon princess (lots of very fine vertical emulsion layer scratches from time to time, and the color level shifts dramatically - whether that's intentional or not I'm not sure). Sister Street fighter fares a little better, but not a lot.
   
   Two of the discs in this set are from BCI's "Grindhouse" series, and that probably explains the inclusion of Dragon Princess and Sister Street Fighter (as they were paired up with legit Sonny Chiba movies as double feature discs, and BCI just used their previously mastered and pressed discs).
   
   Overall, this set (at around $[...]) is a great value and a must have for any fan of Sonny Chiba - or for anyone interested in (or just curious about) Chiba's movies. Considering the [...] this set is Highly Recommended.