2 comments about The Method - Meditation Through Movement.

1. This is a beautifully set, good production DVD of a combo of tai chi, qi gong & yoga. She is alone & her form is of the movements is well done.
   The dvd is taught with her narrating in a voice over. This is what bothered me about the dvd, many of the instructions were given a full 2-3 seconds before the video showed her doing it. While repeating some exercises, instead of her reminding you when to inhale/exhale (very important in these arts) she instead gives only general benefits of the exercises for those who don't exercise much, those who do would find this information rudimentary. This made following her harder though she DOES cue YOUR left & right.
   The only yoga I could really see what some nice circular side bends & modified warrior 1. Most of this was easy tai chi & Qi gong movements.
   This is not a dvd to break a sweat or really stretch out, this is very easy movements that senior citizens can & should do.
   In some parts I did feel more calm, though I didn't feel an increase of energy like a solid Qi Gong video would give.
   The other thing I didn't like was that if you take away the 20 min seated meditation & the 3 min intro, you're only left with 16 min of exercises maybe minus another minute of standing & breathing before beginning.
   
   Overall, she does have a great presence & energy, she is not boring & she has beautiful form. Better repeated breathing instruction, more in sync instruction with video & more content would have made this a 5 star for those lookign for VERY EASY movements to relax by. This is not for anyone looking for decent stretching or anything that is considered a workout by anyone even if they almost never exercise unless they have disabilities or for, as I said senior citizens. I do hope she makes more videos of martial arts nature.
   This DVD has helped me to see she is a great martial artist & great energy/form, better then 80% of the mainstream/popular kick boxing dvds out there. I ordered her G.I. Jabb videos because of it & the short clips on her site at KatalinUSA com
   
   You can see a clip on totalfitnessdvds com or youtube



2. Overall I gave it four stars for the main reason that left means left and right means right. In the video she tells you to go to your left and she goes to her right. The movements in this video are great. Beginners like me will have no problem doing the moves. Also she talks in a pleasant voice that will not lose your concentration when she's mediate.

1 comments about The Wandering Swordsman.

1. David Chiang stars as the Wandering Swordsman and robs from the rich and gives to the poor. He comes across Lily Li and saves her from possible death. Her brother runs an escort service and Chiang gets tricked into heisting the treasure they are carrying. Now he has to fight all of the guards of the escort service and retrieve the treasure from the thieves to prove his innocence.
   
   While David Chiang is likeable, the first half of the movie just isn't very good. The jokes are not funny, and the story seems like minimal effort was put into it. It's not bad, but not as good as most of Chang Cheh's movies he did in the late 60's and early 70's.
   
   The action is VERY good for it's time except for David Chiang flying around like Peter Pan. The blood spilling gets pretty graphic and the movie really heats up in the last 30 minutes.
   
   Since this was made nearly 40 years ago, there are a ton of young stars that have cameos. Wu Ma plays one of the thieves and uses a wicked whip, Cliff Lok, Wang Chung, Yuen Shun Yi and Yuen Chung Yeung play guards, and Bolo Yeung and Chen Sing play 2 of the thieves.
   
   Rating-3.5/5
   
   
   
   SPOILER ALERT
   DO NOT READ THIS!
   I SAID DO NOT READ THIS![While I don't think this is a great movie, I love the ending where I kept wishing a certain someone would have woken up.]END OF SPOILER
   
   
   
   
   The DVD from Image Entertainment has nearly perfect picture quality, though there does seem to be some shakiness at times when the camera moves. It's only a minor DVD defect. Sound quality is good and hiss free and the subtitles are well written.

5 comments about Los Angeles de Charlie (Charlie's Angels).

1. I did not expect much when i put this DVD in the player and found myself surprised. No, this was not a great film by any means, but it was it silly, sexy fun. If you don't take it serious you are in for an ok 90 minutes.
   
   Once again, Cameron Diaz shows why she is one of the hottest females in film. Her charecter is silly and comes off as a "dumb blonde", but she is oh so easy on the eyes.



2. Having been a Charlie's Angels fan from years ago, I do miss seeing Farrah from then, but, Drew, Lucy and Cameron are a very good update from the original. They are awesome in both features. You need to see it if you like the original Charlie's Angels tv show.



3. The lack of credibility in the plot and the offensive story line brings into light just how stupid the original TV show was. Had that show been promoted initially as a comedy it would have put the issue to bed very early on in the piece. However, the undiscerning will actually take this incredulous drivel seriously and that fact is really a joke. I have done various forms of martial arts myself in mixed groups and I know from experience that the women cannot compete with the men in serious contests. Not that the women I trained with weren't competent. But there are certain psychological and physiological factors that make inter-gender contests inappropriate- and indecent. [Not that decency has ever been a consideration for the entertainment media.]



4. Charlie's Angels is one of the few movies next to the MI series that is a good adaption of the tv show on which it is based. All of the angels are perfectly cast and the action sequences directed by MCG are tight. Bill Murray is very funny as Bosely and it's a shame he wasn't be in the sequel. All in all good fun.



5. This movie is nice. It's fun and interesting. those 3 characters are best fit on this movie. I was laughing a lot. I like this movie. This movie is not boring. This movie was starting good.

5 comments about Bullets of Love.

1. Bullets of Love is a Hong Kong action movie that has many very tender moments and even a few funny moments. Hong Kong action star/singer Leon Lai plays a Hong Kong detective who, along with his prosecutor fiance (Asaka Seto), fights a nasty Hong Kong gang. When the gang has Leon's fiance killed, he retires from the police force and tries to live a quiet life with his family in a fishing village. One day Leon spots a woman who is a dead ringer for his dead fiance, and he falls in love with deadly consequences (that's three "deads" in one sentence--not bad, eh?--Hey, it's a Hong Kong film. You gotta expect this kind of violence in a review). Bullets of Love has the action and tongue-in-cheek humor you'd expect from a movie of this genre, but Japanese TV actress Asaka Seto is so effective at being both brutal and tender she is able to play different characters with the same face. The result is startling. She fully adds an extra dimension to this very effective film. This DVD version is in Cantonese and English with English subtitles, and includes a "making of" documentary.



2. An excellent film with considerably more plot and character development than some Hong Kong productions. Asaka Seto steals the show. Her performance has depth and subtlety, and if you don't care much about such things just enjoy the fact that she's totally hot! There is plenty of action, bullets, blood and even a few quick martial arts sequences, but in addition, this flick also features a suspenseful, well written and well directed story. Very few flaws overall and very much worth the price. Plenty of websites have good plot summaries if you need more, but fans of H.K. Cinema will not be disappointed, and if you're not a fan yet this one's a great way to get acquainted!



3. Wow.

   Typical Hong Kong fare transplanted from overseas onto American soil is generally virtuoso gunplay punctuated by splashes of blood, mayhem, and explosions. This is not to say that these films are bad; rather, it is only to say that -- after several releases -- most films tend to blend together in plot, substance, acting, and theme.

   In my opinion, BULLETS OF LOVE has only a single shortcoming: it is poorly titled. Certainly, the title is symbolic, and the meaning will be known by the end of the film ... but couldn't they come up with something better?

   Leon Lai plays Sam, a detective in self exile from the police force after the assassination of his fiance, Ann (Asaka Seto in a wonderful breakthrough-style performance). However, after the assassin she-beast guns down Ann in cold blood, she realizes her attraction to Sam. Two years and several plastic surgeries later, she slithers her way into Sam's life in the personae of You, a freelance photographer. The two of them find redemption from their past lives and past mistakes. However, once the assassin's boss is released from prison, both Sam and You are forced to revisit their pasts, discover You's secret, and set their respective worlds right again.

   While the packaging boasts that BULLETS is an action thriller, the film spends a tremendous amount of time and energy exploring these two characters and the people who populate their mutual existence. More than many other Hong Kong thrillers, BULLETS takes ample time for the leads to find one another and to surrender to their feelings of love. This relationship -- despite the forced dramatic situation -- is given a strong backbone of realism, and much credit should be given to Lai and Seto's performances. Together, they create a chemistry that is palpable; come the film's bloody conclusion, the viewer has grown to care deeply for them.

   A truly great find and a welcome surprise, BULLETS starts slow -- setting up a relatively elaborate situation -- but it paces nicely to a bullseye up through the climax.




4. I had high hopes for this film but it just wasn't there. Thought the fil moved a little slow for what I was hoping to see, mainly action.



5. Leon Lai stars as a cop who's wife is assassinated by thugs looking for revenge on him. Lai then finds a new girlfriend who is a mirror image of his dead wife. After trying to let this girl take his wife's place, he realizes that there is just something not right about her. It is all too obvious what is going on, and when they finally reveal it, I didn't even care about any of the characters anymore.
   
   It was great to see Chan Wai Man as good guy, but that is about the only thing I enjoyed about this movie. The action is poorly done and there is very little of it. The acting is not bad, but almost every single scene is completely meaningless and filled with mindless talking.
   
   Andrew Lau is a very good director, but this movie doesn't support that statement. 'Best of the Best' and 'The Storm Riders' are much better examples of why he is a good director.
   
   2/5
   
   The DVD from Tai Seng is awesome. Picture quality is good. There are minor scratches throughout. Subtitles are well written and sound is very good. Special features include a 20 minute promotional documentary on the making of the film and a commentary with Frank Jane. I don't know how to spell his name, but he is the one who writes the subtitles for Tai Seng and he knows a ton about Hong Kong cinema. Usually Frank just corrects Ric Myers the whole time, so it is nice to hear a solo commentary from him.

5 comments about Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (Dub).

1. Jackie Chan who was in this movie very good with is Kung Fu Skills in the action seens.



2. This movie is a classic Jackie Chan movie. I was extremely disappointed to find out it was a pirated copy! Shame on Amazon for selling it!



3. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow 1978 - 5/5
   Cast: Jackie Chan, Simon Yuen Sui Tin, Hwang Jang Lee, Roy Horan
   Director: Yuen Woo Ping
   Producer: Chen Chuan
   Writer: Ng See-Yuen (producer of Drunken Master)
   
   Everyone smokes Opium-(a brownish gummy extract from the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy that contains several highly addictive narcotic alkaloid substances, for example, morphine and codeine.) The Beggar so(Simon Yuen Sui Tin) Which is Yuen Woo Ping Father smokes it. Jackie Chans Master at his schools smokes it, as well as People on the street. Well the script written was based on the story created by Jackie Chan is good. It's so good in facts it's probable, in my opinion ,better than the other famous collaboration between Yuen Woo Ping and Jackie Chan(Drunken Master). The movie starts with Jackie Chan knowing nothing about kung Fu. He was the clean up boy in his master school of martial arts. One day he's walking and helps in old man escape from a fight. This old man is the legendary Simon Yuen Sui Tin who is the last surviving expert of the Snake Fist Style of Kung Fu. The master of the other style ,Eagles Claw, wants to kill all the remaining members of Snake Fist style. After stating that he has all ready killed 3,000 members he kills another, until there's only one left. Simon Yuen Sui Tin teaches the style to Jackie. This is a quote from Jackie Chan about his favorite lines in the movie "My favorite lines in the movie comes when I am using my newly learned snake fist against my opponent : my character shouts "I'm a poisonous snake" then gives him a quick punch to the groin and says :"That's called finding the snake."
   
   Well Jackie figures out how to combine a fighting style beggar so taught him and a style he witness his cat using. In which he sees his cat fighting a cobra. It was a real cat fighting a real cobra! He names it Snake fist in Cats paw. The old master doesn't like it so they change it to Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. Hence the Title.



4. I've purchase and received this movie twice and when i insert the movie in my dvd it's not the right movie that's playing. It's some person having a concert. Is anyone else having this problem, shame on Amazon for distributing illegal dvd copies and selling it to customers.



5. NOTE - THIS IS NOT A REVIEW OF THE MOVIE BUT A WARNING THAT WHAT AMAZON IS SHIPPING IS AN INCREDIBLY CHEAP AND OBVIOUS BOOTLEG.
   
   Seriously. I figured the few people who had reported this were kooks, but they're not - this *is* a bootleg, and a terrible one at that. You can find better bootlegs on streetcorners in NY. The cover is obviously photocopied, and the disc itself is a DVD-R that comes conveniently pre-scratched. Worse than that, though, is the fact that this is *obviously* a rip of a VHS tape that was poorly transferred and completely uncropped. I'll be filing a complaint with Amazon.

5 comments about Minbo.

1. OK, here's the film that so burned the yakuza like the hottest piece of tempura that they slashed director Juzo Itami's face. It's also been suggested that Itami didn't commit suicide in 1998 but was actually murdered by the yakuza. With this film, I'm not surprised if they did.

   For those unfamiliar with the title term, Minbo is a Japanese acronym for MINji Kainyu BOryoku, or "criminal acts disguised as civil actions." It is a form of extortion that doesn't break criminal laws, and it gives the yakuza a strangehold over institutions too scared and unable to fight them. And the police cannot interfere in civil cases, so that gives the yakuza another advantage. Suzuki, accountant of the Hotel Europa explains that payments to the yakuza are listed as "unaccountables" and not expenses, because the yakuza don't give receipts. He thinks that people should refuse to pay, because paying them "makes the yakuza cockier. The staff pay them off because it's not their money."

   Hotel Europa wants to fight them, because the yakuza have descnded upon their hotel like a swarm of locusts, blowing the hotel's chance of hosting the upcoming international summit. The reception manager tells the staff, "We want people of the highest calibre. They must be courageous, skilled negotiators, familiar with the law, quick-minded, tenacious, and decisive. I doubt we employ anyone like that [here]."

   Management appoints the aforementioned Suzuki as Chief of Security against the Yakuza, making him a Special Aide To The Manager. However, the milquetoast Suzuki, assisted by go-getter bellboy Wakasugi (also promoted) is given firsthand education against the rough yakuza, who artfully yell at him till he ends up hiding under a table. He learns the hard way that the customers are too scared and keep to themselves rather than incur the yakuza's wrath.

   Enter Mahiru Inoue, an attorney who is hired as a specialist and she turns things around as she trains Suzuki and Wakasugi. Don't be scared of the yakuza, don't call the manager, and never fight the yakuza on their home turf are a few lessons she teaches them. Her establishment of a VIP room to deal with the yakuza is a masterful step. Although a consultant, she's more of a nice big sister to her trainees, with a killer smile but with more than enough guts to hang on a barbwire fence.

   The yakuza are indeed formidable villains. A boss named Ibagi sets up the hotel restaurant by pulling a variation on the Julie Andrews restaurant trick in Victor/Victoria: "I'm not an expert in Italian cuisine...is this a typical ingredient?" And when they appear to be conciliatory, they are actually setting up the next stage of their plan. A letter of apology written by Suzuki is delivered to the health department as "proof" of the restaurant incident. The thuggish underlings do shouting so intimidating even Sam Kinison would've soiled his pants. Meantime, the boss calms them down and offers the solution, i.e. payment amount. If the victim agrees, they go away happy, but if not, the boss becomes just as belligerent. But the one thing to remember is that the yakuzi act thuggish to the weak, but yield to the strong. And if one is strong, then they'll give.

   What also made the yakuza attack Itami was the way they were cariacatured. Despite their tactics, he portrays them as oafs and overacting buffoons. Ridicule them and they seem like a joke.

   Nobuko Miyamoto was Itami's wife and starred in all his films. Since his death, she appears to be inactive. Here, she gives the role of a lifetime as Mahiru Inoue. And Takehiro Murata (Wakasugi) would later play Shinoda in Godzilla 2000.

   Minbo also gives the viewer a look at the teamwork concept that made Japan so successful. This outstanding film is also about confronting one's fears, finding out about and skillfully negotiating with one's enemies, but also, knowing oneself.




2. One of the best movies out there.



3. What a great movie! I only wish I understood Japanese. I've heard the director was actually stabbed by a Yakuza wanna be who supposedly was taken care of by the real Yakuza.



4. Itami touched some serious nerves in Japan, when he filmed "Minbo: The Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion" (Japanese title "Minbo Onna" - "Extortion Woman.") His choice to show the Yakuza as intimidating jerks, rather than the usual portrayal of the stylish, Robin Hood-like last remnants of the Samurai tradition, earned him a famously slashed face and possibly a murder. I admit that its history was the reason I sought the movie out.

   In addition to its political bent and rather movie-like repercussions, however, "Minbo" remains an excellent film, showcasing Itami's biting wit and stinging satire of modern Japanese society. The same sharp eye he brought to Japanese family life in "The Funeral" is used to mercilessly let the air out of the yakuza's puffed shirts and throw back the curtain of the Great and Powerful Oz, revealing the scared little men for all to see.

   Itami's skillful blend of comedy and drama is on strong display, and characters wax and wane between pathetic, noble, scared and ridiculous. His wife, Nobuko Miyamato is at her most beautiful and powerful in this film. Playing a lawyer who will not bow to the yakuza tactics, she is a lady full in command, it is hard to believe that this is the same scared woman behind the counter in "Tampopo."

   Anyone who lives in Japan is familiar with the black trucks and their annoying, relentless loudspeakers, can appreciate the frustration felt by the characters in "Minbo." I for one am glad Itami made this film.




5. this movie works on so many levels. first of all, its engaging from the first minute to the last. its shows an empowered smart woman besting the criminals by her wits and inspiring the weak men around her to rise to greater heights - and should help dispel the concept that Japanese women are weak, and that a woman can be strong with finesse and brains, rather than antagonistic male bashing or kung fu kicks. The main actress is such a rare mixture of charm, quiet strength, intelligence, ande guts ... but with an unbelievabley great smile.
   
   it shows the layers of gangsters and their tricks - much better than the typical one dimensional cardboard cutouts you see in Black Rain or Yakuza or others. it gives you a taste for their methods and interaction. then there is the interaction of the innocent good Japanese and how they are intimidated and interact. its interesting to see how it all unfolds, and how characters is built.
   
   the movie is clever interesting, has emotional highs and lows, and educational. i just wish they would make a DVD version. I also highly recommend the Tax Woman movie - in particular the first one but not the second. I also didn't think that much of the Funeral movie. But Minbo and the Tax Woman are great!

No comments about International Vale Tudo Championships "9: The Revenge".

5 comments about Kiss of the Dragon [UMD for PSP].

1. After seeying the for me quite dissapointing "Romeo Must Die", I saw this film: Kiss of the Dragon. This film I found way better than "Romeo must Die" and it was very entertaining. It is a very serious and dark film with an energetic Li who shows what he's got!
   
   The story follows a Chinese Agent (Jet Li) who is sent to Paris, France to help the local cops there with an ivestigation. When on the mission he finds out that he is in a web of traitors who will try to kill him at any costs. Now, with the prove of a crime on a cassettetape, he has to run for his life!
   
   Kiss of the Draghon features 5 energetic and well choreographed action sequences that gets the adrenaline pumping. Li is absolutely fantastic and kicks and punches his way through the movie with great speed. There is one scene where Li has to fight with about 25 men, which is a may it be short but spectacular scene to see. Next to being good in the fighting, he also succeeds in giving his caracther some dramatic depth. He acts good and gives a satisfying performance.
   Bridget Fonda stars next to Li as the hooker with the golden heart. She acts good as well. She manages to stay on her feet and knows how to play the dramatic scenes well.
   As the bad guy there is Tchéky Karyo, who plays his character with such evil and anger that you just can't wait till Li gets the chance to kick his butt good!
   
   So overall, Kiss of the Dragon is a good film with good acting performances and great action. Action fans will not be dissapointed and Jet Li fans will love this film. So, an absolute must for Jet Li fans and a good film to see for action fans.



2. This is has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen . It ranks up there with Godzilla 2000 ...



3. The crew that has something to do with Luc Besson seem to rotate jobs as films are made. From Besson there comes a line-up of action films created by Cory Yuen, Louis Leterrier, Pierre Morel, and more, all taking turns at direction, cinematography, or choreography.
   
   These movies have always been fun and easy to watch, with charming moments of clever action and a smart twist on the normal plate. "The Transporter," "Unleashed," "District B13," "Wasabi," the upcoming "War," and, of course, "Kiss of the Dragon" are among this collection.
   
   I give my review of "Kiss of the Dragon" by pointing to the contributions of Cory Yuen, the director and fight choreographer, and actors Jet Li, who co-wrote, and Cyril Raffaelli.
   
   Of the actors, this latter one is the silent blonde martial artist Jet Li fights in the climax of the film. Though examples of him are not prolific, he is swift become my favorite martial artist of the day, due partially to his enthusiasm for le parkour.
   
   "Kiss of the Dragon" features very fine action from Jet Li at the hands of Cory Yuen, highlighted with Jet Li's defeat of a room full of karate students, a brutal fight in a noodel shop with a much larger gentleman, and the seminal moment, the fight against Cyril Raffaelli. The acrobatics and speed on display in especially this final conflict are a pleasure to watch.
   
   Of course, it is the action which shines, more than making up for decent connections. One staple of the films produced by this crew is an unusually intelligent script or, instead of plot, a unique and refreshing take on the action scenes themselves. The action was great, but the plot seemed to rely too heavily on crutch of the female protagonist's status as a prostitute. Dealing with her destructive personal life in a serious way was an admirable attempt for an action film, but not enough to justify calling the script intelligent, making this an anomaly among the collection of films I've mentioned.
   
   It's a fun movie, especially in a nostalgic way- it's one of the earliest movies put out by this group of filmmakers, and for an early attempt it does well for itself. They've certainly polished themselves up with time, sort of leaving "Kiss of the Dragon" behind. But it's still fun to watch, and fun to see the early stages of some of my favorite industry names.



4. The moive itself is your standard low-budget, over the top action film. It has the usual plot and the usual action. I am not here to talk about the film, but the BD quality.
   
   The BD quality is very good and pristine - for a single layer BD with DTS-HD MA! I see the specs on Amazon do not mention that! DTS-HD Master Audio is THE reason to get this disc! It is also the reason the price is so high.
   
   The film is not bad, but if you were looking for a true martial arts film or a believable action film, this is not it. Jet Li had great promise, but most of his movies do not compare to his scenes in Lethal Weapon 4. It is something to watch, but not something to keep.



5. This movie makes me want to kill myself.
   
   F*** Bridget Fonda. Shes terrible.

No comments about Three Sectional Staff.

1 comments about "Dirty Street Fighting" Self Defense Volume 1, Engaging The Enemy Fundamental Techniques.

1. For a long time I have been searching for a good solid self-defense home study program and with Adam "Pitt Bull" Hutchins Mixed Martial Arts "Dirty Street Fighting" Self-Defense System I feel I have finally found it. I purchased all 5 DVDs in the series and have been very impressed with the information presented. Hutchins is a very skilled and articulate fighter who covers all the techniques needed for surviving a street fight no matter what situation you may encounter. In an easy to understand presentation he covers conditioning, striking and kicking techniques, defensive blocks, takedowns, grappling, groundfighting submission holds including leg locks, arm locks and chokes, fighting from a clinch, in-fighting strikes including knees and elbows, plus numerous stiking and groundfighting submission combinations. After training at home for only a short period of time I already was able to put the techniques I learned to good use by taking out a guy at work who tried to push me around. The stuff works and I highly recommend Instructor Hutchins "Dirty Street Fighting" program to anyone looking for the advantage in a self-defense situation.