No comments about Faulty Fads in the Church DVD.

1 comments about Vengeance Is a Golden Blade.

1. Vengeance Is A Golden Blade is an early swordfighting/Wuxia film from the legendary Shaw Brothers Studio, and though it's far from required viewing, it does showcase some of the magic the studio possessed in it's glory years. An excellent cast, lavish sets and costumes, and absurd yet fantastic dramatic beats (like the revealing of the legendary "Golden Blade," as well as a rival sword that takes 18 years to create!) that would even make most American Soap Opera writers blush, all make this a fast and loose watch that never let's the viewer get bored with the proceedings. The story centers around a pair of rival security firm owners, of course one is a good man while the other is the eldest of the "Vicious Long Brothers" (you'd think it would be hard to get security work with that name but...), and the deceitful wife of the honorable security owner who is in cahoots with Mr. Long in an attempt to overtake his firm and control of the powerful sword known as "The Golden Blade" (which makes entire hordes of men tremble... pretty funny really). From here on things aren't always as they seem and like I mentioned earlier, the plot throws all sorts of good stuff at you so I don't want to go much further into it in fear of ruining some of the fun revelations later in the story (besides, one really long run-on sentence is enough for this review right?). Director Meng Hua Ho is in relatively tame form here, though there are some nice gory blood spurts (for 1969 at least) this is nothing like his more outrageous work with Shaw Studios (which actually may let some viewers down) like Cave Of The Silken Web, The Flying Guillotine, Black Magic, The Oily Maniac, and of course, The Mighty Peking Man. In fact the only misstep that really sticks out is a few scenes that seem to jump from day to night (and back again) within a matter of seconds? Was it done to illustrate the changing mood of the characters or is it just sloppy editing? Who knows, but either way it doesn't detract much from the movie, maybe even giving it a little more of it's own personality. The swordfighting isn't spectacular either, in fact a lot of the action comes off like the local High School's production of Hamlet (maybe not THAT bad); it has it's moments though. Vengeance Is A Golden Blade isn't a great movie, in fact, if you are unfamiliar with the Shaw Brothers stable of films then this would be a pretty weak jumping on point even... however; if you're like me and feel the studio could do little wrong, then there's no reason not to add this to your collection (the 3 star rating I gave it is more a reflection of it in comparison to the truly great Shaw offerings, rather than it actually being a mediocre film itself). The DVD release from Image looks and sounds great but is lacking any special features (I don't count a trailer as a special feature) and has no English dub track either (for those that hate to read).

3 comments about Bushido- Mastering japanese Swordsmanship.

1. This set of DVD's on Japanese Swordsmanship, Bushido is a great value. Not only will you learn Samuarai history, code of ethics but real techniques handed down from the samurai era. This set has it all!



2. The five volume set is a great deal. I enjoy the history of Japanese swordsmanship. This video is full of information. Great set!



3. You really get your money's worth with this set. I have learned so much! I highly recommend this set.

1 comments about Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout.

1. I have been a FIRM user for almost 10 years. After my pregnancy- my FIRM cardio workouts were not producing results like they used to and I was losing motivation. My sister suggested TurboJam and I'm happy that I did!
   I wanted a high-energy cardio workout that kept me moving. I also wanted it to be mostly low-impact since my knees can't handle the jumping around like they used to. Turbo Jam does both. I did the Learn-and-Burn for a week and then moved on to the 20-minute workout. In two weeks, I've lost 1/2 inch on my waist! It took me 3 months with the FIRM to do that! I am still an avid fan of the FIRM- they are FABULOUS for toning and strengthening - but now Turbo Jam is a permanent part of my library!!

No comments about Karate Advanced Fighting by Takayuki Kubota Volume 2.

3 comments about The 18 Bronzemen.

1. Oh, if only Carter Wong acted in movies today and thereby completely shutting down the over hyped over stlylized psuedo-hip pile out these days! Unmatched intensity and inexahaustible passion was Ka Tat (carter Wong) stlye. He truly delivers in this, the first of an unofficial trilogy ending with "The Blazing Temple", directed all by Joseph Kuo, who had an interest in James Bond films as well. The bronzemen are an invention after the gold-dipped girl in "Goldfinger". Here though, they are given life by some hard hitting action packed Shaolin kung fu. The dvd also does justice to the original film's presentation and the back story of the young exiles seeking training and eventual revenge on the conniving enemy of Manchu. There are the sub-plots that bring life to the action and round out the film well, setting up for the classic great climax. The only problem with the feature is the subtitles, that at times are unclear and poorly translated. Though it is an old kung fu flick, so, many of us have gotten used to witnessing the injustice done to the chinese cinema: awful english dubbed dialogue, terrible american editing, and skewed up subtitles (to name a few). Of course, we sit through this patiently and truly enjoy a good exiciting original action film.



2. Oh, if only Carter Wong acted in movies today and thereby completely shutting down the over hyped over stlylized psuedo-hip crappile out these days! Unmatched intensity and inexahaustible passion was Ka Tat (carter Wong) stlye. He truly delivers in this, the first of an unofficial trilogy ending with a stunning "The Blazing Temple", directed all by Joseph Kuo, who had an interest in James Bond films as well. The bronzemen are an invention after the gold-dipped girl in "Goldfinger". Here though, they are given life by some hard hitting action packed Shaolin kung fu. The dvd also does justice to the original film's presentation and the back story of the young exiles seeking training and eventual revenge on the conniving enemy of Manchu. There are the sub-plots that bring life to the action and round out the film well, setting up for the classic great climax. The only problem with the feature is the subtitles, that at times are unclear and poorly translated. Though it is an old kung fu flick, so, many of us have gotten used to witnessing the injustice done to the chinese cinema: awful english dubbed dialogue, terrible american editing, and skewed up subtitles (to name a few). Of course, we sit through this patiently and truly enjoy a good exiciting original action film.



3. The first part of the movie is awesome real action and brilliance with carter wong outshining the hero everytime. Its bad luck for the dud playing the lead role , but carter wong cannot be put second . The first part shows the maze and the training , the second is full of suprises , some that are cheesy and not needed. I felt the second part , where they leave the temple is where it starts to go a bit down .....
   
   but buy this movie the action is worth your money...

5 comments about The Circuit.

1. Dirk Longstreet (Olivier Gruner) is the former champion of The Circuit, an underground fighting society. He is the only man to ever make it out alive. Dirk is now a University coach with a great reputation. However, he now finds that he must return after his brother, Jeremy, gets in trouble after placing some high bets at The Circuit. Dirk then must step into the ring once again against the newer, younger, "Unbeatable Kwan" (James & Simon Kim).

   The wait is over, Olivier Gruner is finally back after nearly a 3-year hiatus as playing the lead in his movies. The fighting scenes were very well done, coordinated by both Olivier Gruner and Jalal Merhi. All of the fighters were seemingly professionals, giving the fight scenes a very polished look. The movie is not without its flaws though, most noticeable is that in the the first 15 minutes the music and background noise drains out the dialogue making it hard to understand what characters are saying at times. The plot overall is nothing special for the movies genre, but who wants to reinvent the wheel? Just stick with the tried and true formula and that is what they did.

   Another aspect of the movie is that it has romantic-comedy sub-plot. I am sure some of the female Olivier Gruner fans will enjoy this as a change from some of his other roles. Lastly, you will see Olivier's dog Murphy play a role in the movie, he was also seen in TNT and Savage.

   Overall, I am very happy with the release of the movie. Hopefully this is a taste of things to come from Olivier Gruner. If you pick-up the DVD version, the Trailer for the movie comes along with a very nice menu screen with a very cool graphic and some nice music. The only disappointment that I have is that the last fight is sort of a let down.

   Score : 4/5




2. Dirk Longstreet (Olivier Gruner) is the former champion of The Circuit, an underground fighting society. He is the only man to ever make it out unscathed. Dirk is now a University coach with a great reputation. However, he now finds that he must return after his brother, Jeremy, gets in trouble after placing some high bets at The Circuit. Dirk then must step into the ring once again against the newer, younger, "Unbeatable Kwan" (James & Simon Kim).

   The wait is over, Olivier Gruner is finally back after nearly a 3-year hiatus as playing the lead in his movies. The fighting scenes were very well done, coordinated by both Olivier Gruner and Jalal Merhi. All of the fighters were seemingly professionals, giving the fight scenes a very polished look. The movie is not without its flaws though, most noticeable is that in the the first 15 minutes the music and background noise drains out the dialogue making it hard to understand what characters are saying at times. The plot overall is nothing special for the movies genre, but who wants to reinvent the wheel? Just stick with the tried and true formula and that is what they did.

   Another aspect of the movie is that it has romantic-comedy sub-plot. I am sure some of the female Olivier Gruner fans will enjoy this as a change from some of his other roles. Lastly, you will see Olivier's dog Murphy play a role in the movie, he was also seen in TNT and Savage.

   Overall, I am very happy with the release of the movie. Hopefully this is a taste of things to come from Olivier Gruner. If you pick-up the DVD version, the Trailer for the movie comes along with a very nice menu screen with a very cool graphic and some nice music. The only disappointing part in my oppinion is the final fight scene, it doesn't really show that Gruner is that great of a fighter.

   Score: 4/5




3. this ,ovie sucks. really... it is so bad that it is funny to whatch. the fighting is bad (it looks like olivier is stressed when he fights.) the dorector is weak (how come every movie that jalal make is worse then the last?) dont buy this, dont rent it, make sure u have second thoughts if it goes on cable



4. The era of "B-grade American-made martial arts movies" ended around the mid to late 90's. Since then its hard to find any of these films, especially any of somewhat decent quality. Fortunately, the genre has not gone completely extinct and here is a fine example of one of the best still to survive - The Circuit, which thankfully, also produced a decent sequal.
   
   One of the best things I like about The Circuit is the overall quailty of the film. Oliver Grunner adds a freshness to martial arts films as the main character. His acting and fighting skills are up there with the best of them for this kind of movie. The other actors, including the villain (or should I say villains, played by "The Tiger Twins") are decent too. The film quailty, directing, sound and music is all above par. The fights are great too. I like the arena where the illegal tournaments take place - somewhat of an outdoors Medieval Times looking arena, but it works.
   
   Lots of fights throughout the film to please, mostly between a group of various opponents in the arena. The final fight was really cool and original. I won't say exactly what happens, but it involves the Tiger Twins. I loved it.
   
   The Circuit is just wonderful, an above average B-grade movie for sure. Check out its sequal too, not quite as good but still delivers high quailty action. I hope more movies are made like this in the future to come.



5. Now first of all I was realy stuck between a 2 and a 3 but the movie just gets too freaking stupid.
   
   So Jalal Merhi directs this movie. The same guy you may remember as the little Iranian guy who started acting in B-action movies in the early 90's. So Oliver Gruner stars as a gym teacher for track stars at a college, I think so at least, they don't exactly dwell on that. So he has a student(his brother) and it just so happens that these guys who are sitting in a car looking for fighters are scoping him out and notice Oliver. Just so happens that they all recognize him and whadda ya know, he was an undefeated fighter in a kumite type thing they call "The Circuit". Not the most original name and it isn't like they try to say they are inventing something. This movie really doesn't have a beginning, it just sort of happens. So basically Oliver's brother is forced to fight in the circuit and then Oliver has to go fight and save him. Now the fights are pretty fun to watch. Billy's Blanks's brother Michael gets in some great kicks and the villian is pretty good. Of course though Oliver is the man. He is usually a really flashy kicker but doesn't really get to display much of that in this movie. With this film being made around 2001 they incorporated a lot of MMA type of fighting. I thought it was a great touch to have training sequences for Oliver though they could have been a lot better.
   
   Now the movie was a bit below average but the fight scenes really make it. Unfortunately with Merhi directing this the end involves people hitting Oliver over and over and then before he is about to be hit for the 12th time, he makes his move and defeats his opponent. This goes on for like 3 fights and just gets a bit boring to say the least. The final fight is outrageously stupid and I won't spoil it for you but I hope that you at least have a good laugh about it like it did.
   
   The DVD release it outstanding. Extended interviews with cast and crew and a commentary with the director, composer, and the editor. Unfortunately I found it really boring. Odd to see this amount of good special features but still nice to see. 5.1 sound is also decent.

2 comments about 99 Cycling Swords.

1. This is a pretty good kung fu mystery, centering around a mysterious killer clad in white who is terrorizing the countryside. Good guys eventually band together (after battling each other, because THEY all wear white at one time or another), and try to identify the murderer. The killer has amazing kung fu skill, and it takes all of the good guys to bring him down.

   One clever factor is that the bad guy wears a hat to hide his face, so that it is never to be seen (of course, we see it anyway quite clearly in at least one of the fights). I don't want to give anything away, but I will tell you that the make-up they used is pretty dumb. You'll see what I mean when the truth about the killer is revealed at the end, and they show how the killer could be in several places at once.

   The end of the movie gets kind of dopey, with a ridiculous trick to trap the killer using colored, magnetic statues to drain his life force energy (or something like that).

   Still, there is an interesting romance going on with two of the heroes. One of the main characters is a girl disguised as a man, in a secret identity just one step above Clark Kent donning glasses to hide the fact that he's Superman. Of course, this is a standard, almost classic, character in many kung fu films, and as usual, only the audience can tell she's a girl until the story closes with the truth being revealed.

   There are some good fights in this one. There's also a lot of fun banter between the good guys, who always seem ready to challenge each other to a fight as much as the bad guy.

   The ubiquitous Lo Leih pops up again, and offers perhaps the biggest surprise of all in the movie by playing a good guy instead of a villan! If you know anything about these movies, then you know that scores were made at a time, which explains why Lo's character is missing for most of the movie (off making another movie, no doubt, in the middle of making this one).

   It's fun, doesn't cost much, and there's a cool weapon at the end. Despite the dumb magnetic rock thing, I think you'll enjoy this kung fu caper.




2. What can I say about this flick? Some of the fighting scenes were great and even in the beginning it had begun with a strong plot (to find this mysterious guy dressed in all white who terrorizes and kills along the countryside). Pretty soon, well not long after - around 15 minutes or so into the movie, you're wondering, okay now, what was that plot again!!! This flick will completely lose you.
   
   The woman, who is "so-called" disguised as a man, was not thought out very well. Why do I say this? You don't have to look too hard to tell or have a Ph.D in Biology to she that she's really a woman - a 3 year old can clearly see that! Who was the genious behind putting that in this movie? But, she's really good at kung fu and shows her skill very early on.
   
   Some of the kung fu stunts you know were totally unbelievable - that's why it was chopped up so badly and still failed to look real. The overdubs weren't bad at all. The crappy ending is something to be desired though.
   
   If you think that this movie has anything to actually do with the title "99 Cycling Swords", you will be totally disappointed. 99 Cycling Swords - what swords? You barely see a few swords at any given time - and cycling? Don't make me laugh! Cycling what? Again, who was the genious that decided to give this movie this title? I bought the DVD because of the title and half-way through it, you will learn that you are watching a DVD that has nothing to do with the title at all. The "Mysterious Man in White" would have been a better title for this.
   
   I gave it only a three because it fails to stick to the real plot as it goes along, you will get totally lost towards the end (more stuff keeps getting added to the already flawed plot), and the ending was totally "crappy" at best. If you want a good laugh, watch totally crummy acting and love plots that will soon become invisible as the movie goes along - then this is the flick for you. If you want to see some real kung fu stunts that's not chopped up and made to look real and a visible plot from beginning to end, then get some of the early Shaw Brothers action featuring the Venom Mob. Those guys are skillful and really know their kung fu.

1 comments about Kung Fu's Hero.

1. Cheung Lik (the lead actor from 10 Magnificent Killers and 36 Deadly Styles) stars in this 1973 basher. It also stars Bolo Yeung and San Kuai (the co-star from 10 Magnificent Killers). San Kuai plays the main villain, and this is definitely one of the biggest roles of his career. He'a been in uncountable movies, usually playing one of the villain's main henchmen, but never the main villain. His kung fu skills aren't the best, but not bad either. His crazy facial expressions are where he makes you believe he could be a main villain. Bolo does a great acting job, but his main fight scene is a disappointment. He has one little part where he throws a few punches and then a kick all in one combination, but other than that his fight is pretty bad. But I wasn't really expecting anything from Bolo anyway. He didn't come into his own as a screen fighter until about 1975-76. So the main villain is not a top notch guy like Hwang Jang Lee or Phillip Ko, and Bolo's fight is barely worth watching. What are we left with? Cheung Lik, and his double nunchucks. Ohhhhh yeah. He doesn't seem to be highly skilled using them, but he's good enough. He only uses the double nunchuks in the opening fight, but does break out the single nunchuck later on. Cheung Lik is very good with his fists, but where he really shines is in his kicking abilities. He would actually improve quite a bit over the years, but his kicks were still pretty good in 1973. He has a few scenes where he does a hopping kicking style somewhat similiar to Dorian Tan, and in one take he's on one leg hopping and kicking for about 15 kicks in a row.
   
   Like I said above, there's no plot, and it's all action. When trouble arises (over and over again), be assured that the hero will show up and an extremely long fight scene will begin.
   
   3/5
   
   The Tai Seng DVD is full screen and the picture quality is a bit above average.

5 comments about Tiger & Crane Fist.

1. I RECOMEND KUNG POW BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY HILARIOUS.ESPECIALLY THE BAD GUY(BETTY) AND MASTER TANG AND LING AND THE CHOSEN ONE. IF YOU SEE THIS MOVIE YOU'LL LIKE IT BECAUSE IT CONTAINS PHYSICAL HUMOR AND IF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY SAY IT WOULD BE VERY FUNNY. I LIKE IT SO MUCH I SEE IT EVERY DAY. I EVEN KNOW THE LINES ALREADY. AND TIGER AND CRANE FISTS I'VE NEVER SEEN IT BUT I ALREADY ORDERED IT HERE IN THIS WEB SITE. I RECOMEND YOU SEE BOTH OF THEM.



2. I RECOMEND KUNG POW BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY HILARIOUS.ESPECIALLY THE BAD GUY(BETTY) AND MASTER TANG AND LING AND THE CHOSEN ONE. IF YOU SEE THIS MOVIE YOU'LL LIKE IT BECAUSE IT CONTAINS PHYSICAL HUMOR AND IF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY SAY IT WOULD BE VERY FUNNY. I LIKE IT SO MUCH I SEE IT EVERY DAY. I EVEN KNOW THE LINES ALREADY. AND TIGER AND CRANE FISTS I'VE NEVER SEEN IT BUT I ALREADY ORDERED IT HERE IN THIS WEB SITE. I RECOMEND YOU SEE BOTH OF THEM.



3. This is a good movie that inspired the greatest movie...Kung Pow. I would recommend this to all people.



4. Not a particularly memorable Martial Arts film by any stretch of the imagination, this feature has nevertheless gained a certain amount of cult status due almost entirely to *Kung Pow: Enter the Fist* and garners an additional star for it.
   
   One would find it hard not to recall lines from Kung Pow; thusly, it would be hard to take *Tiger & Crane Fist* seriously as it was meant. You will notice that scenes do not follow the exact same order, and sorry, no ''infernal'' tonguey or a need to ''avoid the meadow.'' Some things will surprise however as there were several scenes and extended takes that were not used, and others that you may have thought were unique to Kung Pow.
   
   Don't expect extensive remastering on this VHS title, as only cleverly selected (though numerous) portions of the original master were used, and only those were remastered in picture and sound uniquely for the 2002 Steve Oedekerk film.
   
   It would do some good to have this film remastered in its entirety, but the owners likely fear that numbers interested would be too few. This VHS edition (printed in 1999 and in EP speed) is a full-screen presentation that is from the original source without the benefit of remastered picture and sound. The opening and ending are abrupt - there are no closing credits for some unknown reason. The far more rare and better quality SP-speed version has the full closing, which is simply the leads walking away from the camera and then a black-screen 'The End' in dual-language format.
   
   Note: This film is AKA: *Savage Killers*, of which a repro poster is available here in Amazon.com.



5. This is not one of Jimmy Wang Yu's best movies, but it's quite good at times. The training scenes are simple yet very well done. The fights are above average and even funny man Chan Wai Lau (the Crane master) looks great in his limited action. The story is kind of boring. Jimmy wang Yu's master has always wanted to combine the Tiger and Crane Fist, but the Crane master was always against it. The movie tries to be serious, but it ends up being really cheesy. Lau Kar Wing has a nice role, and Lung Fei is great as the villain.
   
   3/5
   
   The Ground Zero VHS has decent picture quality and is full screen. English dubbed.