3 comments about Pride Fighting Championships: Cold Fury 3.

1. This night of Pride Fighting begins with Pride veteran Guy Mezger going up against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, twin brother of heavyweight champion Rodrigo. These two skilled fighers all but cancel each other out in the first round. There's not all that much happening here, but the fight gets a bit more exciting in the 2nd round. The fight is not too entertaining and it goes to a decision.
   
   Old-time UFC veteran Ron Waterman makes a quick statement with his fight against Valentijn Overeem.
   
   Rodrigo Gracie then takes on Yuki Sasaki. After getting through a very uninteresting first round, we are treated to the same thing in rounds two and three. This one goes to a decision.
   
   Alistair Overeem v. Volk Ataev-
   Ataev lands one of the most beautiful spinning heel kicks I've ever seen in MMA competition. Upon replay, you see that it doesn't land as flushly as everyone first thinks, but it was enough to drop Overeem to the mat, at least temporarily. This fight ends quickly and unexpectedly, with two highly charged combatants. There is good action in this fight.
   
   Murilo Ninja Rua v. Kevin Randleman-
   Pride rising star Murilo Ninja takes on the ever-irritating Kevin Randleman. I was, however, excited for a very good fight. Randleman quickly takes Rua down and attempts to make it another fight in his usual unamusing style of a takedown followed by Randleman lying on top of his opponent until the end of the round... This fight is a good back and forth battle, as Rua is too good to be held down by Randleman. This one is stopped in the 3rd due to a bad cut. Another good fight.
   
   Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira v. Dan Henderson-
   Everyone expected Nogueira to walk through Henderson in this bout. Henderson had actually beaten Nogueira years back, but Nogueira is a different fighter by this point. Everyone was surprised by the way this fight actually played out. Henderson escapes numerous submission attempts by one of the best submission artists in the game. This fight is very exciting and we see technical skill and precision against pure heart... Great fight.
   
   This is a decent event. It starts out very slowly, with little action and it picks up as it progresses. The main event was certainly the highlight of this event.



2. Of the modern Pride era this is possibly one of the most lackluster events I have seen. All but two of the fights on the card are dull affairs. Little action and results that have no consequence as far as the future of the fighters concerned characterize 6 of the 8 fights. However, two fights stand out as quality fights. Randleman vs Ninja features "the Monster" turning Rua's right eye into roast beef. A pleasant sight to watch. The main event of Nogueira vs Henderson is a highly technical affair with great suspense as Henderson amazingly escapes submission after submission. Overall, however, a poor card that leaves one asking, "Is that it?"



3. PRIDE FC
   COLD FURY 3
   
   This was a pretty good event, though it was not the best held by Pride.
   
   1.GUY MEZGER VS ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA-this fight was between two pretty big names in this sport, though at the time this was only Nogueira's 6th fight or something. Pretty good first round as Mezger ground and pounds, and Rogerio hits some submissions like a knee bar. But for the most part they feel each other out. Round two looked a lot like round one with the addition of a low blow to Guy. The final round mimicked the first two rounds with some punching, take downs, and a lot chess playing. Nogueira ends up taking the split decision, but this was really a technical chess game.4/5
   
   2.RON EATERMAN VS VALENTIJN OVEREEM-this ended up being the opposite of the last fight. Waterman comes out and takes down Overeem and immediately locks in a key lock. This was a quick and entertaining fight, good fight and really quick.5/5
   
   3.RODRIGO GRACIE VS YUKI SASAKI-the legendary Gracie name is on the line again in this fight, would Rodrigo take this fight with this being his second MMA bout ever. The first round was a battle on the ground, as they traded back and forth offensively. Round two was another round spent on the ground, as both were waiting for the other to make a mistake. I would say that round three was the best of all three, and following the final round Gracie was awarded the fight. All that Deathrow Records music he was listing to like "Natural Born Killers" did him good.4.5/5
   
   4.BAZIGIT ATAJEV VS ALISTAIR OVEREEM-very exciting opening round between these two titans, both tried to end this fight every time they could. Reversals, punches, take downs, submissions, and a nice spinning heel kick. The second round is just as good, ending with a nice knee to the body that stops Atajev. Very entertaining fight.5/5
   
   5.KEVIN RANDLEMAN VS MURILO "NINJA" RUA-two more big names in this sport collide in this bout. Kevin came into this fight with a new training attitude, and Ninja came into this listing to Lionel Richie. Excellent first round, it was really explosive and well paced. Both tried to end the fight numerous times, great first round. The second round was another well paced round, with Kevin slamming Ninja. The end comes early in the third due to a doctor stoppage, when Ninja gets cut open bad on his right eye. This was a very good fight.5/5
   
   6.ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA VS DAN HENDERSON-this was the big rematch between the two and Nogueira was looking to avenge his only loss against Dan Henderson. What's funny is that even though Henderson won the last fight between the two he was still the underdog. Very good first round between these two, both give it all they got in the first round alone. Submission after submission, and Henderson finds a way out of all of them. The second round was just as good as the first with Henderson displaying a never say die attitude, excellent round. The fight ends in the third when Dan gets hooked in an arm bar, the heavyweight champ Nogueira avenges his loss.5/5
   
   7.BONUS FIGHT-YOSHIHISA YAMAMOTO VS ALEXANDER OTSUKA-this fight in my opinion is a lot like the Mezger fight, a good chess match between two warriors. The first round is good with some decent knees, and some good ground game. The fight ends in the second when Otsuka is unable to continue, and unable to even stand up. Good fight over all.4.5/5
   
   Over all this is a much better event then people want you to believe, for every MMA fan out there this is a worthy addition to your collection.

No comments about The Legend of Hero.

5 comments about Shadow: Dead Riot: Unrated Collector's Edition.

1. One would think that Fangoria editor Michael Gingold would have seen enough crappy horror movies to know when he was contributing to the problem, but Shadow: Dead Riot stands as testament to the opposite. It's a good thing that a healthy fraction of the horror fan population seems to relish any movie with bare breasts, gore, and heavy metal tunes, because those are the only people who will give this picture's investors a return on their money.
   
   Skip this flick and go with one of the half-dozen GOOD zombie movies released in the last ten years: 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, something else besides this.



2. How could director Derek Wan have possibly screwed this one up?
   
   I mean, yes, it was almost certainly going to be campy, mixing in zombies with pretty girls behind bars, but campy is supposed to be fun, isn't it? This movie is NOT fun. It's stupid and uninteresting.
   
   Margaret Baker was very well cast as a predatory lesbian guard who sets her sights on pretty female inmates like Misty Mundae and Ruby Larocca. But aside from some brief conversation, nothing ever happens! There's not one halfway decent girls-molesting-other-girls scene in this entire film! Obviously the decision was made to get right to the stupid zombies instead.
   
   What a disappointing dud!



3. I really think that this was made INTENTIONALLY bad! It must fall under the category of "so bad its good." A title bestowed upon classic B movie cheesey ragu sauce like "Plan 9 From Outer Space." Ok so this is no Plan 9 but anything with zombies and Tony todd in the same sentence should be at least DECENT?? NOT SO! Despite having the usually good Tony Todd (Candyman, Night of the living dead remake ) and Tony Leung ( martial arts stunman to Bruce Lee and expert martial arts master hissdamnself ) this is pretty terrible. It is more of an exploitation horror flick, a very cheesy one at that, that has plenty of girl on girl sex and gore. The acting is terrible, and even the stunts are pretty low rate. This is surprising since Tony Leung is a master of the form. The budget they had making this must have been next to nothing. Besides some cool lesbian soft core and a few deent kicks and punches, this is the worst horror movie I've seen in awhile! It incorporates zombies into the already really corny mix of occult and soft core porn. I think this had zombies solely because of Tony Todd, a "zombie flick" alumnus. Better than "Day of the Dead 2" but will this go down in the annals of a "Candyman" or "Night of the Living Dead?" Uhhhh, no! the placement of zombies is just a ploy to get Romero fans and general fans of horror to watch this. It comes off more as reason to touch oneself with ya frat buddies! Really bad and only if you MUST go so low at least absorb the cheese factor for all its worth.



4. The movie starts with a guy called the Shadow Killer (played by The Candyman) being executed, except something goes wrong and blood starts coming out of a bible and the guards end up having to kill all of the prisoners after they are posessed. 20 years later we meet a woman entering the jail. She likes to be called Solitaire because she doesn't play well with others. The prison is now a womens prison. Solitaire finds out that this demon Shadow is still around. We are shown some flashbacks to help explain Shadow and what happened on that day he was executed. It turns out that Shadow is Solitaire's father and Shadow killed her mother. When Shadow gets resurrected, it is on. All of the former inmates also come back to life and the women have to work together to stop them.
   
   There is tons of fun stuff in this movie. Martial arts, a killer baby, and tons of gore, but the movie just didn't work for me. It is a way to kill 90 minutes I guess. I like scary movies, but this didn't do anything for me. It is just mindless gore.
   
   As far as the action goes, there is some good stunt work, but a lot of the stunt doubling is horrible, especially Solitaire's double.
   
   For a low budget movie I guess this is decent.
   
   1.5/5



5. I bought it only because (Candy Man) was in it and I thought it would be a great movie. Boy was I wrong. There is plenty of pretty women in it, but the acting......I could have been in this movie and won an oscar. Even when the "heads" was rolling off the bodies it looked really fake. WWE does a better way of acting then these people. Don't waste you money and wait until it comes on the SciFi channel, then change the channel to the something else.

5 comments about New Legend of Shaolin.

1. offers enough novel action and cute humor to satisfy. For us guys, the female thief is cute, sexy, funny. Standout scene for me is when Jet, as a bodyguard, is courted by her when she tries to measure him up for some badly needed new clothing. The kid also deserves mention: evidently this kid is the real deal and his fight with other kids is a somewhat rare sight. Fight scenes are more stylised than actual but they are choreographed with style. Toward the end there is a big surprise when the vile baddie shows up. He is really different and nasty as hell. You won't believe what he has and Jet has a real challenge to beat him. Overall, should please anyone who likes the feudal period.



2. This is not a bad flick and there are 2 or 3 fight scenes worth watching again - but Jet Li's stoic performance is overshadowed by unrealistic wire stunts and silly gimics. Surprisingly, I was not annoyed by the young kung fu kid in this one (I'm almost always annoyed by these "cutsey" kid kung fu interludes)... it was actually rather amusing - but (yes another but), the villian just wasn't good enough, and that's always a downer. The villian rides around in some metalic shiney future mobile that is so dumb it surpasses absurd insanity and falls into the "what the hell was this movie about anyways."? Still can't figure out what the director was thinking.



3. The only collaberation between Jing Wong and Jet Li that I thought was great was 'Claws of Steel' AKA 'Last Hero In China'. The other 3 movies were not a complete waste though. The only 3 reasons I can think of why he would ever work with Jing is Woo Ping, Corey Yuen, and Sammo Hung. And Corey Yuen really goes over the top with this one but there are a few fights worth seeing. Jet Li plays a stone-faced character and he does it so well. He looks as serious as he can be and it definately goes hand in hand with the way that he can do such a quick action movement and then just be so still afterwords. His awesome performance is so out of place in a Jing Wong movie it is sad to see but still worth a watch.
   
   Now when watching a Jing Wong movie expect a lot of things to not make sense, expect not to see any action for a couple of long periods of time, but expect it to have energy and that drive it needs to keep going. Right away comes a scene played out from 'Lone Wolf and Cub' with Jet being serious like Ogami Ito and Jet's infant son decides to pick the sword and live on the run rather than pick the ball and go to heaven. Even in a scene like this that should be great he has to change it from LW&C and make it so Jet guides the boy to the ball. The first action sequence of the movie is by far the best. In a Jing Wong movie you know that you will have a super low budget and filming will last 2 weeks max(seriously), so that means Corey Yuen has to do as much as he can with limited everything. Luckily he has Jet and his son in the movie Xie Mao who you can also see with Jet in 'My Father Is a Hero'. Xie Mao has AWESOME skills, or at least did and since there are not a lot of great kid screen fighters, he gives the film a bit of a unique feeling.
   
   So the movie starts out with Jet's Shaolin brother(Gai Chun-wa) betraying him and the best fight of the movie comes first sadly. Gai Chun-wa from Jet Li's Shaolin Temple movies and 'Fong Sai Yuk 2' is as good of a villian you will ever find. His Wolverine claws are freaking sweet and even when Jing Wong puts a bunch of stupid makeup on him and makes him a monster, you still can't cover up his intensity. Now again, since this is a Jing Wong movie and you get a bunch of mindless plots that come and go. The mother and daughter as thieves work best only because Chingmy Yau is good in her role and Deannie Yip is such a wonderful actress. I wouldn't recommend this if you are not a Jing Wong fan but if you are then you will love all butt in the face jokes and such.
   
   There is actually a recent commentary on this disc so Tai Seng must have re-released it again since I just recently bought this movie. I hadn't seen it in a long time and last time I saw it was the Sony Pictures version which is cut and English dubbed. Tai Seng has the original audio on here though they didn't put on an English track and it is in it's original 16:9 screen format. The commentary is from Ric Myers, Frank Jane, and some guy who I think they said is the presodent of Marvel Comic movies. The commentary is not bad but they should have at least talked more about what is going on with martial arts movies today. I haven't heard many Tai Seng commentaries in the past few years and it just could have been much better. Frank Jane of course gives you the most info just like all the commentaries but he only says a few words here and there as Ric rambles on throughout. I don't like to rate commentaries but this was slightly above average.



4. This is a fun film and one of the few from the period where Jet just seems to have some fun and go off. But this is a pretty sorry release for it. So Tai Seng is releasing widescreen laser disc masters again? Niiicccee. Wait for a better release. At least that one might not have a Ric Meyers commentary on there. If there's a sure sign of a lack of care from a company releasing kung fu films, it's Meyers' name anywhere on the product.



5. The customer review currently featured first here urges us to buy the New Legend of Shaolin DVD, but many will actually prefer the Legend of the Red Dragon DVD. (For those not aware, these are different releases of the same movie, and the reviews are mixed together here. The Shaolin release is from Tai Seng, a company with a mixed reputation for importing Hong Kong movies; the Red Dragon release is from Sony/Columbia Tristar. What appears to be essentially the same Tai Seng DVD is also here.)
   
   There are two main differences between the two versions.
   
   1. The Red Dragon version is edited so that it's 12 minutes shorter than the Tai Seng Shaolin version. I don't think that necessarily makes it worse. This isn't Citizen Kane, or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. After the misleadingly grave beginning, this is mainly a low-budget, wacky martial-arts comedy, with over-the-top fights and characters, humorous throughout. Judging from comparisons at Hong Kong movie websites, the cuts don't change anything of great importance.
   
   And the 95-minute Tai Seng Shaolin release isn't really the fullest version anyway. Amazon also lists a 100-minute version. I'd happily watch a longer version, but I didn't feel any great gaps that interfered with anything all that important in Legend of the Red Dragon, or find myself wishing it was longer.
   
   2. The other main difference is that Red Dragon offers the English dub only, while Shaolin offers Chinese with optional English subtitles only, with no option for an English dub.
   
   As it happens, the English dubbing on the Red Dragon version is hilarious; it's hard to imagine that the original Chinese is any funnier, especially to those who don't speak Cantonese, or that the subtitles bring out some subtle humor missed in the dub.
   
   So, if you're taking this movie the way it appears to be intended, that is, not so seriously, and you don't speak Chinese, you might prefer the Red Dragon version with the English dubbing. It's currently very cheap used.
   
   If you're not familiar with Jet Li, he's a great martial artist with a long career in Hong Kong and some American movies, capped by the recent Fearless (which is the kind of film that's better in its longer version). If you like Jackie Chan's cheaper outings, or want to see some impressively choreographed martial arts action in a mainly comedic setting, try out whichever version of this movie and you'll have a good time.
   
   Both versions are in non-anamorphic widescreen. The image quality is good.
   
   ("Red Dragon" is a key place name in the move, by the way, so perhaps not entirely gratuitously chosen for the title. Not that it really matters. A final note: don't confuse this with the movie called simply Red Dragon--that's a completely different animal, and not half as much fun, in my view.)

5 comments about The Ultimate Fighting Championship Showdown XIV (Volume 14).

1. well, if you're a mark kerr fan - this is the video. kerr explodes into action, virtually un-challenged, making it look pretty easy. the man has serious ground and pound skills. also, a stunning upset as markcoleman gets beat buy maurice smith in a classic grappler vs. striker matchup. 3 1/2 stars.



2. In the ever evolving UFC, fighting styles have been the most interseting evolution. In the beginning there was Jiu-Jitsu and it's various ground submissions. Then there were the world-class wrestlers who brought unbelievable lightning shoots and overpowering techniques. Fighters at that time were classified as either grapplers(jiu-jitsu & wrestling) or strikers(boxing,kickboxing). But leading up to this event (and the last few) cross-training and appreciation for the a complete style was evident. Grapplers would exchange a bit on their feet, before finishing their foe on the ground. This event would show the world(UFC) that a kickboxer with ground skills could take out a once invinsible champion.

   UFC XIV. was yet another 2 tournament + superfight package. The middleweight(under 200lb) tourney would see the debut of Olympic Gold Medalist Kevin Jackson. Jackson would compete against a weak field, and show his superior skills.

   The heavyweight tournament would usher in another great wreslter. The debut of Mark Kerr in the UFC would turn heads and impress all. Kerr,(already known for his tournament victory in Brazil) had competition coming from UFC vet Brian Johnston and 300 pounder Daniel Bobish.

   The Superfight would see the return of the dominating champ Mark Coleman. Coleman was at the point invinsible. His proclamation as the best fighter in the world was hard to argue against. His toughest opponent, Don Frye would fall in about or around 10 minutes. His ego was sky high leading up to his match-up against kickboxing legend Maurice Smith. Smith was already experienced in MMA and was eager to shut Coleman out. The match-up was intriguing and fight itself was an absolute classic. Still regarded as one of the greatest fights, this Superfight was just that:SUPER!




3. You have to watch the video several times and let time pass and see that the main event was okay, it was not the best. Mark Coleman's performance was not that spectacular as compared when he met Don Frye in part number 10; now part 10 was a hit between Coleman and Frye. In part 14 Maurice Smith the kickboxer-World class athelete challenges Mark Coleman for the belt, but you have to expect more from these two. Mr. Smith and Mr. Coleman had spectacular past events, and they were good, check out the past videos, but for this tournament it was so so it was actually a long distance race in where the end mark coleman just ran out of gas and then maurice smith just whacked him with his kickboxing skills on his legs and chopped him down. Dont get me wrong this fight made news, but like i said. see the fight, and you will think the following, "both guys would have had a brawl if both stood up and fought each other with their fists....just like in part ten." it seems everyones moment arrives in one of the parts and then they just have okay fights from then on or not spectacular fights. But i recommend part three AND four of EFC-EXTREME FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP Where Maurice smith shines like a star, and in part 10 mark coleman flourishes with his destruction of Don frye-it is really a great combat fight with out a doubt. it be nice if the ufc went to the old format-forget the weight classes and place all in the same category, but i guess change has to occur, and with that change i feel it has brought down the excitement of the fights. part 14 review of this video-no good at all not recommended "The Showdown"...............



4. I thought UFC 14 was great. Maurice Smith whipped Mark Coleman, who always finds a way to tire himself out. Mark Kerr was great that night. The other matches were OK.



5. July 27, 1997
   Boutwell Auditorium
   Birmingham, Alabama
   
   This UFC event consisted of middleweight and heavyweight tournaments, plus a Super Fight main event. We see the UFC debut of fighters Mark "The Smashing Machine" Kerr and Kevin Jackson who would take part in the tournament at their respective weights.
   
   The first fight is between Yuri Vaulin and Joe Moreira. This fight is not much more than a stalemate. Moreira gets Vaulin to the ground and rides the round out, without much action. The fight goes to overtime, where we see the same result. This very dull bout goes to a decision.
   
   Next, Todd Butler faces Kevin Jackson, a highly decorated wrestler. Fans of the UFC are excited to see Jackson try his hand at mixed martial arts - and the time had come. This fight doesn't last long. Jackson makes a solid octagon debut.
   
   Mark Kerr, in his UFC debut, takes on Moti Horenstein. Horenstein is coming off of a loss to Mark "The Hammer" Coleman in the last UFC tournament - and this one isn't much different. Kerr is simply too strong for him. Kerr takes him down immediately and imposes his will, quickly stopping the fight with ground & pound. Kerr appears to have a bright future in the UFC.
   
   Dan Bobish vs. Brian Johnston: Bobish is a monster of a man, weighing in at over 300 lbs. This fight has an exciting opening, with both fighters coming out swinging for the fences. The flurry from both fighters eventually slows down and the tactical wrestling of Bobish takes effect.
   
   As Joe Moreira is unable to compete in the finals, alternate Tony Fryklund steps in to face Kevin Jackson. Fryklund is absolutely dominated and choked out promptly. Jackson is making an impressive first appearance in this UFC tournament.
   
   With Bobish and Kerr meeting in the heavyweight finals, we have two huge wrestlers set to face off. It doesn't turn out to be the battle I was hoping for, as Kerr takes it to Bobish and gets a submission.
   
   The Super Fight between Maurice Smith and Mark Coleman is up next. Smith does some trash-talking about Coleman's fighting style, belittling the striking ability of the champ. In this fight, we would see a kickboxer vs. a wrestler - both at the top of their game. Coleman is dominant in the opening minutes. He controls Smith and drops down punches on him from the top and mount positions. Coleman even attempts a few chokes, but Smith survives. When the fight finally comes back up to the feet after 9 minutes, Coleman appears to be severely gassed. The fight goes into overtime. Coleman gets another takedown in this round, but Smith finds his way to his feet again and stalks Coleman around the ring, landing leg kicks and carefully chosen strikes. Coleman looks half-dead, to be honest, with nothing left in the tank. He continuously checks the clock and avoids Smith. I'm sure this is not how Coleman wanted to "go out", but that's how it plays out. Mo Smith is the new champion.
   
   This is a decent UFC event. The main event is solid and makes up for some lackluster fights that had taken place earlier on the fight card.

1 comments about ADCC: Best of ADCC Vol. #2.

1. This DVD has pretty good action, and is entertaining for those with some background or understanding of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, submission wrestling, etc.
   
   The quality of competitors is high, and the Royler and Machado matches were impressive.
   
   It's too bad the DVD didn't have more matches, as some of the matches ended fairly quickly, but due to excellent technical skills, mind you.

No comments about Shaolin Three-section Staff.

1 comments about Image of Bruce Lee (1978).

1. The infamous Bruce Li stars in this Bruceploitation mess as an undercover cop searching for international forgers. Li begins to investigate in bars, hotels etc. the issue with this movie is not the story itself it's how it was developed. It's just to damn confusing and boring, and like most of these B- Kung fu movies they tend to have incoherency and randomness. such as the beginning which made very little sense; it involves a man attempting suicide when out of nowhere Li comes into save him like Spiderman (seriously) he climbs up the wall wearing the infamous yellow track suit from Game Of Death.
   
   Besides this the movie does offer some good moments which are usually the fight scenes. One awesome fight scene involves Li and a whole karate school; it is actually decent and well choreographed. The director even manages to put some nice angles to improve the fights. the movie also has some reoccurring actors famous for appearing in other real Bruce Lee classics. Such as Yin- Chieh Han who played the main villain in the big boss (AKA: Fists of Fury) and Bolo Yeung from Enter the Dragon.
   
   As for the picture quality, this and many other Kung fu films come in poor picture and sound quality. This DVD is average; it comes in Full screen 1:33:1 and stereo sound.
   
   MY PERSONAL RATING: 2 OUT OF 5

4 comments about Contour.

1. I cannot even begin to express how awesome this movie is. If you're a fan of Hong Kong cinema's glory days (commonly referred to as the 80s) then this movie is worth every penny.
   
   The fight scenes and stunts are amazing and it's hard to believe that these guys aren't industry professionals. The action builds until the films 20 MINUTE FINALE which features four fights going at the same time.
   
   The acting isn't exactly oscar worthy but the performances get the message across. Contour has a generally fun loving tone to it and the comedy ensures that the movie never gets too heavy. It's kinda like a good Jackie Chan movie in that it's exciting but still light and entertaining. There's even an outtake reel that plays after the movie, showing just how much effort went into making this small masterpiece of an actioner.
   
   [...]



2. Does you like soup????? Does you like fight?????
   
   Over the past few years, a category of filmmaking has come about referred to often as 'zero budget filmmaking.' I don't know if there are rules to how much (or little) you can spend and still make this category. I have seen them called 'zero budget' up to about $15k. Drama films have been easy to come by in this category, as they don't have to cost too much to make. And with the introduction of the great movie, Primer (done for $7k), sci fi film had its voice. But no one had tried the action film at a high level.....
   
   Enter the Stunt People. A group of stunt persons and fight choreographers located in California that make short films in their spare time and post them online. Contour represents their first broad release full length movie attempt. And what an attempt it is!!!!
   
   The acting is bad, but has its own charm. The director wrote in part for the actors based on things they do/say in real life. And it comes off funny. There are good laughs, both intentional, and not so intentional. I personally like fighters who can't act, but don't try to hard either. Nothing ruins a film more than to have the lead role who is a great action star look into the camera and say 'we have to save the president!' and not have a clue how he is supposed to act. It ruins it for me.
   
   But the fights..... wow the fights.... largely Hapkido, with some Wushu and Escrima mixed in, the fights are amazing. They are literally beating the crap out of each other. I think they said their philosophy was 'hit at 50%, react to the hit at 200%.' There is a lot of chop shot, but with excellent editing, and three respectable long shots during the film. It's really hard to pick a favorite fight amongst them. It has probably the best fight scene with two guys in suits I have ever seen.
   
   The plot is fairly conventional, and serves to really just connect the fights. Then there's the ending..... well, it's an ending.... the director said he was paying homage to Pink Panther movie endings, and I guess on that level, it works.
   
   In short, even though now this is a little pricier under re-release, it's hard to go wrong. It's an incredible representation of what can be done for little to no money. It puts the blockbusters of the same genre to shame. See if you can't find the original release (blue cover), because it was cheaper. If you like this kind of stuff, check out stuntpeople.com for their shorts, and Kwoon as well. Although, of all I have seen so far, Contour is the pinnacle.
   
   (This review was adapted from my review of the original release).



3. The fighting in Contour is truly amazing. Real contact and blazingly fast choreography. What it lacks in story it more than makes up for in fights. The movie is almost nonstop fighting, and all of the fights are so good it's really hard to choose a favorite. If you are a fan of fight choreography and have not seen this, you need to get it today. No excuses.
   
   4/5
   
   Special features on the Indican DVD are plentiful. There's a 30 minute making of, blooper reel, deleted scene, Tae Pho instructional video, practice videos for the movie, a stunt demo and trailers.



4. Wow! What a cool little flick this is. To call this movie "low-budget" is an understatement, yet it's far more entertaining than most of the billion dollar action epics that come out of Hollywood, and maybe even Hong Kong. This was made by a group of amateurs (not for long) known as the Stunt People, out of San Francisco. Not only is the martial arts fast, fluid, and incredible, but the film has a silly, undeniable charm to it. No, the acting is not that good, but you never get the feeling that they're just "going through the motions". It's got sincerity.
   
   Director Eric Jacobus plays Law, a petty criminal whose failed heist brings him back to his day job as a tour guide. One of the people on his tour is the visiting Prince of Uruvia (Ed Kahana Jr.), who has lost posession of a videotape that has the potential to bring down the monarchy back home. If Law can somehow get it, he can score 2 million smackers. There's a lot more to the plot, but the less you know, the more you'll enjoy it.
   
   Honestly, I think I would've liked this even if it didn't have any fight scenes. I don't remember too many "laugh out loud" scenes, but I also don't remember any point during the film where I wasn't grinning from ear to ear, either. Any movie that makes up a style (Tae Pho) that teaches you self-defense while eating soup can't possibly be bad, or at least not bad in a bad way. The acting is actually better than I expected. Ed Kahana's prince is the most annoying, but he stays in character, and grows on you as the film develops.
   
   The DVD from Indican is loaded with special features, including a Tae Pho instructional video, several interviews and "making of" segments. If you are a fan of fight films, this needs to be seen. This movie is to action films what "Clerks" was to comedies. Highly Recommended.
   
   2006

5 comments about For Your Height Only.

1. If you watch the academy awards...chances are this won't be your cup of tea. If you like watching mini super agents blast their way through any action packed obstacle they face...chances are this film will leave you in a comatose of excitement. I laughed so hard through this that I couldn't move my jaw for a day. Prepare to be rocked!



2. For your height only is an entertaining movie filmed in Philippines. The main actor Weng Weng ( very tiny in size ) is the Agent 00 that clashes with the mysterious terrorist Mr. Giant, who wants to conquer the world. Little Weng uses sophisticated gadgets like James Bond and of course nice women feel attracted to him, besides he is skilful, agile and versatile and never gets his hair messed up in the fights. At times he seems Rambo attacking the enemy lines or as actor Terence Hill he slaps the opponent and claps at the same time. Small Weng is a torero, a bullfighter, when he points his sword at his rival before killing him, he becomes a parachutist only with the help of a big umbrella. Near the end, he flies as Superman with a small rocket machine on his back and reaches an island, the hideout of Mr. Giant, the evil boss of drug dealers and kidnappers, but the surprise is: Mr. Giant is a dwarf too!!.
   If you like karate or boxing films do not miss this one because is unique.
   
   Challenge of the tiger is a karate action film, played by known actors as Bruce Le, Nadiuska ( Spanish exotic actress ), Richard Harrison and Brad Harris, two old stars of sword&sandle. The last one a bodybuilder.
   A gang of criminals have killed a doctor, the inventor of a secret formula and have stolen it, so the CIA authorities call the secret agents, Bruce and Richard to track the murderers and get the formula back.
   So karate, kung fu and boxing combats are everywhere, first in Spain later in Hong Kong. Scenes of love with sexy women and agent Richard, who is the film Casanova here. His colleague Bruce Le, producer and director of the movie, hits the bad guys as a machine gun. A lot of fun. All these films thanks to "mondomacabrodvd".



3. This is an incredible double feature. The first and more entertaining film is "For Your Height Only," a Bond imitation starring a Filipino midget named Weng Weng as Agent 00. Weng Weng dresses like a cross between Tattoo from "Fantasy Island" and John Travolta from "Saturday Night Fever." He's smooth with the ladies, has lots of ludicrous gadgets (a ring that detects all poisons, a belt buckle that slices steel bars, x-ray glasses allowing him to gawk at shapely secretaries, etc.,) and is a karate impresario.
   
   The film starts with an American scientist being kidnapped for his "N-bomb" formula. Who could be responsible, you may ask? Mr. Giant (of course...) who is contacted via an illuminated two way mirror. There is abundant midget karate sprinkled throughout, and the implausibility factor is very, very high. Weng Weng has some very deft fight moves you probably wouldn't come up with on your own, such as running between opponents legs and hiding out on a moving Ferris wheel during a shootout. Mr. Giant is hiding a drug smuggling operation in a bakery ("there's a lot of dough in this dough.") The clever Weng Weng pits the mobsters against each other in a food fight and gets teamed up with the lovely spy, Irma. Weng Weng, who is described as "petite like a potato" (don't ask me) at one point actually stops in the middle of a fight for love before using his remote control hat for destruction and parachuting via umbrella back to his beloved Irma. (He is even brazen enough to introduce himself by saying "I'm Secret Agent Double Zero," and the women swoon.) Irma gets kidnapped at the disco and has her communication pendant used against her (as previously seen in "The Wild, Wild World of Batwoman") and is threatened by Mr. Giant with death in his shark tank along with the American scientist (remember him?) but fortunately Weng Weng uses his rocket backpack to fly to "Hidden Island," Mr.' Giant's home, which has the ugliest decor ever filmed.
   
   Once on Hidden Island, mayhem reigns and another karate midget challenges Weng Weng's skills. Not to fear: an entirely new group of good guys arrive by helicopter to assist the hostage situation. The ensuing gunplay seems to last years: the only casualty is Irma who dies on the beach in Weng Weng's arms. She salutes him and says "mission accomplished" then croaks in a performance that is totally out of Shatner's league, even at his hammiest.
   
   This film is utterly perfect for a lover of cinematic badness: it is ridiculous and poorly executed in every possible dimension, thus enshrining it in the B-movie hall of fame. Be sure to catch the extra features including "Weng Weng: An Appreciation."
   
   The second film stars Bruce Le (no, not Bruce Lee) in a ludicrous kung fu extravaganza about Le (and fellow CIA operative Richard Harrison) using their fists of fury to defeat both the mob and Viet Cong for possession of a formula for a new spermicide (I am not joking) that terrorists have seized from two scientists in a bloody laboratory coup. This movie is fairly painful and frequently features a lot of karate and kung fu involving multiple parties making it very difficult to figure out what is going on, and even harder to care. The film has subplots that vary all over the map: morally questionable tennis matches; bullfighting; motorcycle duels on a temple's steps (especially silly); and admittance to the communist party for stealing maps: without question my favorite scene in the film is when Le does kung fu on a bull.
   You will be pleased to know that there's a special guest appearance by "Miss Spain of 1982," a somewhat chunky and unattractive enemy agent with no acting skills of any sort. In general the film features more padding than a Posturepedic mattress, and is relentless in it's boringness. After a big diversion at a convention celebrating Macau with Sousa marches and horse racing the finale erupts in a three way kung fu battle and car chase, which concludes with the spermicide formula being incinerated in an automotive inferno.
   
   "Challenge of the Tiger" is a vaguely amusing, multifaceted rip-off, but really could use a little Weng Weng.



4. There are three Secret Agent 00 movies starring Weng Weng, so you'd think any double feature package that contained the first, FOR YOUR HEIGHT ONLY, would be sure to include either the sequel, THE IMPOSSIBLE KID, or the final entry in the series, WILD WILD WENG, wouldn't you? Of course you would, and you'd be absolutely right to expect it -- it's a no-brainer! But not so with *this* DVD set, which inexplicably adds a throwaway martial arts film that has nothing to do with Weng Weng or FOR YOUR HEIGHT ONLY, for that matter. An unfortunate example of careless, thoughtless product development that is extra disappointing because it could have been SO AWESOME if all three films had been collected on one sourcem or AT LEAST if the double feature had been back-to-back Weng Weng, as it so obviously should have been. Tsk, tsk. Two-star demerit for annoying me no end.
   
   Hey, Mondo Macabre! Release this as it SHOULD Be released, and my rating jumps up to 5+ lickety-split!



5. FOR YOUR HEIGHT ONLY (1981)-
   
   3-foot tall Filipino action star Weng Weng is back as Agent 00. The evil Mr Giant has plans to take over the world, and there's only one man that can stop him.
   
   To be honest, this movie is nothing special, but Weng Weng's fight scenes and the hilarious dubbing make it worth watching. Once you've seen Weng Weng in action, you will have the urge to see more of him. trust me.
   
   Now if you like this, then you have to see The Impossible Kid, which can be found in the martial arts 50-pack. I found it to be much better than For Your Height Only. Long live Weng Weng, my hero.
   
   2.5/5
   
   Picture quality is kinda faded, but still pretty good. Full screen and English dubbed.
   
   
   
   
   CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER (1980)-
   
   Man oh man, this really had the potential to be great. The movie starts off with Richard Harrison playing tennis with topless women. And there's plenty of other nudity scattered throughout the rest of the movie. And for the kung fu fans, there's Hwang Jang Lee, Bolo Yeung, Kong Do and Bruce "Le". So how did this movie fail to achieve greatness? Well, that's an easy question to answer. It all has to do with Bruce Le. I swear that every single one of his fights has the exact same choreography. He is just a terrible kung fu actor. Bad fighting skills, and really bad acting skills. It's not that Le is a bad martial artist, it's that he doesn't look good on screen. I actually like Dragon Lee moer than Bruce Le. A lot more. Luckily, Hwang and Bolo get to show their stuff properly. Bolo gets shorted, but looks good in his limited action, and to me Hwang Jang Lee is the star of the movie. I could watch this guy kick all day.
   
   So all in all, this is a decent movie, but it could have been so much better. Only worth watching for about 3 or 4 fight scenes.
   
   2/5
   
   I was amazed at the picture quality. Widescreen and the print is in very good condition. English dubbed.
   
   
   
   
   Special features include excellent biographies on Richard Harrison, Bruce Le and Weng Weng. Sad story Weng Weng. He is greatly missed.