1 comments about Rarescope: Amazons and Supermen.

1. Rarescope: Amazons and Supermen
   
   The film is good, but there is much to be said for the quality of the DVD, which is to say pretty poor. Because of the quality of the DVD, it pushes the rating down to 3 stars out of 5

5 comments about Enter the Dragon [UMD for PSP].

1. If there's one thing I personally hate with every ounce of my body, it's a mediocre film that gets propped up on an undeserving pedestal for nostalgic reasons. Why? Because frequently the film's proponents will mask their nostalgia by magically transforming mediocrity into greatness with their rose-colored glasses. Meanwhile, these fanatics will demean other movies that are objectively better than their beloved film for no valid reason. Yes, I know that the enjoyability of a movie is subjective to each viewer, but the most superlative claims made by these fanatics venture dangerously into assertions of objective fact.
   
   Bruce Lee fans are a perfect example. While reading comments for "Enter the Dragon", I hear endless put downs for every martial arts movie that doesn't star Bruce Lee. Considering the fact that none of his movies ever succeeded to crack the ceiling of mediocrity, a non-nostalgic observer (absent of brainwashing) can only conclude that these are certifiable lunatics trying to convince themselves that "Enter the Dragon" is a great movie, either due to nostalgic reasons or coersive pressuring from media (and fanboys) to jump on a bandwagon with square wheels.
   
   As a fan of martial arts cinema, I can ignore a mediocre script, wooden acting, and an inept storyline if the film gives me what I want in terms of action. "Enter the Dragon" fails to provide what it so desperately attempts to accomplish: well-choreographed, entertaining fight scenes.
   
   Some Bruce Lee lunatics start their reviews by saying that the opening fight is a "brilliant sequence of moves." I can only respond to this as I would someone who says that the sun is black - shake my head in disbelief and slowly walk away in fear of being assaulted. When one watches this scene (as with most of Bruce's fights), there is a noticeable lack of two things: combinations and countermoves. Bruce will typically engage in a series of one-hit exchanges with his opponents while mixing in a few three-move combos. Meanwhile, his opponents act like sparring dummies to be owned as necessary. While this has the potential to work in a one-vs-many scene, it simply doesn't work in a one-on-one scene. If you think that the beginning fight in "Enter the Dragon" is "brilliant", then you need to watch the Wu Jing/Andy On exchange in "Fatal Contact" (2006) for an example of a truly scintillating martial arts fight with combinations and countermoves executed with great speed and precision. If you still think the Bruce Lee/Sammo Hung fight is better, please seek psychological counseling immediately.
   
   Afterward the viewer is treated to some lame fights with John Saxon, Jim Kelly, and a Chinese lady, none of which look convincing on screen. After some incredibly bloated and overly long shots of boats on water (as well as some partying) we finally get to see Bruce do something again. This time, he goes stealth and takes out a few guards using nothing more than a few incredibly basic punches and chops. Mediocrity at its finest.
   
   Later on, Bruce goes stealth again but must now deal with a few dozen baddies in what many lunatics claim to be a spectacular one-against-many scene. In all honesty, I thought it was good and entertaining, with a bit of welcomed variety in terms of weaponry and moves. However, at least 70% of the baddies were dispatched with a simple fist to the face, which undermines this scene from being anything more than "good." If you think this one-against-many fight was "spectacular", then you need to watch the Tony Jaa finale in "Tom Yum Goong" (2005), where he dispatches over 40 guys using over 30 different strikes, holds, and take-downs. The sheer variety of that scene easily overpowers anything Bruce Lee ever did. If you still think the Bruce Lee scene was better, please look under "Psychiatrist" in your Yellow Pages.
   
   We finally come to an overrated finale where Bruce takes out 90% of his opponents using the same exact kick and punch. Virtually no effort was put into the fight choreography, and it's obvious to anyone without a platinum membership to Rose Colored Glasses, Inc. It gets a little better when Bruce spars with the main villain, but the all-too-common shortcomings of Bruce Lee fights - the lack of combos and counterattacks - rears its ugly head even here. Sure, there are a few good exchanges, but for the most part it's incredibly bland (Bruce's slow-mo jump kick being a case in point) and the actor playing the villain is just too slow and unconvincing. Unlike Bruce's other films (e.g., "Way of the Dragon"), they had other credible stuntmen and martial artists in this movie. Why not choose a more athletic lead antagonist (Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, etc.) to provide for some sparks? As is, it's a decent but disappointing scene that's very drawn out with lots of unnecessary slow motion.
   
   Now, I'm familiar with the dangers of expressing an unpopular viewpoint in the realm of movies, and I am convinced that Bruce Lee fanatics have unknowingly established an organized religion of sorts that will stop at nothing to insult and demean anyone who doesn't like Bruce's movies - one may as well call it the "Cinematic Inquisition." Don't misunderstand me though. I have a great deal of respect for Bruce Lee as an intelligent person and an exceptional martial artist, but whether or not his movies are entertaining is a completely different issue altogether. The fact still remains that we have an incredible martial artist in middling action films.



2. Bruce lee's creative and outstanding performance is highlighted in this extraordinary movie. This is his finest quality performance exhibiting his Legendary skills which were ahead of his time and even to this day still inspiring and engaging. The beginning of the film where he spars Sammo Hung is an awesome setting for what is to come in the movie. What sets Bruce a part from all of the rest is his character energy and his extraordinary power and speed from such a small framed man. Now that Enter the Dragon is in Blueray, it is sheer pleasure and excitement as on the big screen! What a legendary Martial Artist, actor and human being!!!



3. I finally saw Bruce Lee's acting!!!
   That's what impressed me the most with this movie. Bruce Lee was not just the martial arts pro in this one. I saw a quality ACTOR. Kudos!!!



4. My Dad is going to love this when he comes back to visit in Dec. 2008. He took us to the movies to see this film in 1973 or 1974 can't pin point it I was about 7 or 8yrs old. My kids say whose better Bruce Lee or Jet Lee? My son said Bruce of course, so I said lets have a history lesson. Classic good digital color and sound. Must have in your library.



5. To reviewer anticlamagus: YOu think wire-fu is better. Thats all you have to say, theres no need to write an entire page to express that,and call people who doesnt share the same view lunatics.
   Bruce written,directed,and choreagraph most of his movies. Which means
   all his movies are will be influenced by his own personal beliefs and philosophy.One would probally be his ideal of the ultimate
   warrior(very obvious in the game of death, when he had to overcome various and very different styles to reach the top) and most importantly
   JKD, which literally translates to method of the straight fist( because the straight line is the most direct and quickest route from point a to point b). So his movies does not really contain longish types of choeagraph action. If thats what you want, you need to look elsewhere.

2 comments about KANAZAWA MASTERING KARATE: KIHON IDO.

1. Great teaching tool for anyone in the martial arts. These DVD is so simple and very easy to learn that anyone can pick it up, and do it.



2. I can't give any oppinion about this iten couse i didn't receive it yet.I already receive another order that i made after that one and cant imagine why this dvd hdn't arrived yet.

No comments about The Dragon Princess.

1 comments about The Art of the Ninja, Volume 1.

1. ok this guy is a f****ing moron i dont know how in the world hatsumi ever decided to permit him to teach in his name but its pathetic ok maby he was good at his paper work but the guy has know idea how to actualy teach any real ANYTHING he might know techniques and postures but combat is something he just cant relate so please dont waste your money on this guy if you want hatsumi quality then buy hatsumi stuff he is no substitute for the real thing or even close to the real thing

5 comments about The Legend of Bruce Lee.

1. ... THE MAN YOU SEE IN THIS MOVIE IS NOT BRUCE LEE, BUT BRUCE LE, A BRUCE LEE WANNABE... A YOUNG BRUCE LEE WHO WANTS REVENGE FOR HIS FRIEND WHO WAS MURDERED, LEARNS THE SNAKE FIST STYLE. BRUCE LE IS PROBABLY THE BEST OF THE BRUCE LEE WANNABES. THIS IS A GREAT KUNG FU MOVIE, EVEN THOUGH THIS STORY IS 100% FICTIONAL. EVERYTHING BOUT THIS MOVIE IS COOL, FROM THE FIGHTS TO THE SCRIPT. DON'T WATCH THIS FOR THE PLOT, CAUSE THERE'S VERY LITTLE PLOT. WATCH IT FOR ITS FIGHTS AND YOU'LL ENJOY IT. GREAT MOVIE FOR SUCH A CHEAP PRICE.



2. It must be stated at the outset that this film has nothing whatsoever to do with Bruce Lee. The star of the movie is actually Bruce Le, one of several Bruce Lee wannabe martial arts actors who followed in the wake of the true legend's shocking death. Furthermore, this is by no means a biographical account of any part of Bruce Lee's life, despite the title and the blurb on the box cover which says "Bruce Le portrays his tragic namesake." The only tie of any kind with the real Bruce Lee comes in the opening scene, wherein an astrologer sees a meteor and makes a prediction concerning the young baby of the couple sitting beside him, after which a shot of the real Bruce Lee appears. The fact that the film is not in truth about Bruce Lee at all comes very soon after the opening credits, though.

   In and of itself, putting aside its misleading title and description, The Legend of Bruce Lee does have legs to stand on, albeit sometimes rather shaky ones. Bruce comes across as something of a juvenile delinquent who is constantly getting into fights (not always with good results). In an effort to improve his skills, he begins taking instruction in the art of Wing Chun kung fu, which includes some training in the art of blindfolded boxing (this comes after Bruce gets kicked around pretty convincingly by a blind man on the streets). After a time, he sort of abandons this type of fighting and begins training in the snake fist style. All of this training comes in handy because he can't walk a block without being attacked by a gang of kung fu thuds. The plot, what there is of it, is actually rather annoying, not to mention loosely tied together. The only real plot point comes when one of Bruce's friends is murdered and Bruce decides to avenge his friend's death.

   There are some comical elements to this film, most of which revolve around a young man whom I would characterize as the Curly Howard of the Far East; he is little more than a buffoon whose antics become less funny as the movie progresses. The remainder of the storyline needs no description because it is only a means to an end. This film is really all about the fight scenes, and there are plenty of them. While these fights can be rather fun to watch, they definitely look choreographed (whereas the fights of the real Bruce Lee were quite realistic). One nice surprise comes in the form of Kien Shih's role in the film; Bruce Lee fans will recognize him instantly as the man who played the evil Han (the villain with the claw) in Enter the Dragon. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of this film, though, is the big snake scene. After his snake fist kung fu master tells Bruce to study the actual movements of a snake, he wastes no time assembling a trio of impressively dangerous-looking serpents upon which to practice his moves in concert with their reactions to his extremely annoying feints and pseudo-attacks against them.

   Fans of the legendary Bruce Lee really have no reason to watch The Legend of Bruce Lee. Martial arts fans, though, may well get some enjoyment out of watching it for the simple reason that it features a very significant amount of fighting.




3. First of all, lets get one thing straight. Some goons who have written reviews for this movie below seem to think Bruce Lee is in it. Bruce Lee is not the star of this movie. The star is Bruce Le - king of Bruceploitation. Very and I mean very loosley based on the early years of Bruce Lee, this movie shows Bruce Le as a college student who is constantly getting into fights. He learns martial arts and quickly becomes a master. The final confrontation in the film sees Le taking on the villain with the claw from Enter The Dragon. Le defeats him and the two seem to make friends. While this is certainly not as good as some of Le's later movies, it's still very good and a must for collectors.



4. This is yet another Bruceploitation flick that I choose not to give a whole paragraph to, HOWEVER, while the film has little or nothing to do with Bruce's SHORT but TRAGIC life as suggested by the cover, Bruce Le does prove himself to be quite a martial arts entertainer...and I'm convinced that between him and Bruce Li, he bares the strongest resemblance to Bruce Lee in appearance, physical conditioning, and speed. However, while the movie is fast-paced and features everyone from Bolo to Hahn from Enter the Dragon...there's a little too much fiction and THIS AINT NO BRUCE LEE STORY...it pretty much attempts to dramatize his urban youth in Hong Kong. But again, it's a keeper for the action alone.



5. One of my good friends showed me this as a joke but the fighting is good in it. It is nothing like the real life of Bruce Lee but who cares it's very entertaining. Some of the crappy elements of this make it very funny if you like bad movies. My friends and I quote this movie often especially the reference to 'college'
   'Bruce, thanks, thanks for saving me but I'm late for college'
   'You're always getting into trouble and you're still only at college'
   You'd have to hear it to get the joke anyways this is a very fun movie with some good martial arts but don't take it too seriously.

1 comments about Jaguar Lives.

1. JAGUAR LIVES! is a 1978 James Bond wannabe film.
   
   This drug lord (a young white guy who knows karate) unites drug lords from around the world (who look like aging United Nations types) to form a cartel. What follows is a highly disjointed non-story in which the hero (a martial arts guy named "Jaguar") goes from the Mideast, to Latin America, to Hong Kong, to Spain, to Macao, to Paris, to Africa, to Spain.
   
   But don't be fooled by that itinerary. Everything in JAGUAR LIVES! is ultra low-budget and second rate. The sexpot sirens are not so sexy, the cars not so slick, the villains not so menacing. Much of the film appears to be shot outside Los Angeles, with stock footage of various foreign locals before each scene.
   
   And don't be fooled by the all-star cast (Christopher Lee, Donald Pleasance, Barbara Bach, John Huston). Pleasance and Lee seemed to have shot their scenes in one day. Bach and Huston over two days.
   
   NONE of this A-List cast interacts with Jaguar as an equal. Bach is a spy boss who admires Jaguar and gives him his instructions, but he doesn't get to sleep with Bach, only with the no-name actresses. Lee is a villain who menaces Jaguar, but mainly by sending others to do dirty work. Jaguar doesn't get to fight or destroy Lee, he only kills the no-name actor playing the drug lord.
   
   This is a very 1970s film. One evil rich guy dresses in a brown polyester suit with wide lapels and tie. Jaguar dresses in "cool" polyester windbreaker with turtleneck. And despite his jet-setting, he never shows signs of jet lag. His blow-dried, blond-dyed tresses are always fully puffed.
   
   And in stereotypical 1970s fashion, we know Jaguar is a good guy because he has a Black Friend who is attacked for no reason by racist rednecks, and Jaguar helps his Black Friend beat them up in a karate fight. (I guess this film was also trying to rip off BILLY JACK in addition to the James Bond and martial arts films of the day.)
   
   In the end a police raid easily nabs all the drug cartel bosses (where are their bodyguards?) at a deserted Spanish castle. Meanwhile, the top drug lord has a karate fight with Jaguar. The outcome will determine whether all the young people in the world will do drugs. Pretty high stakes, no? Good thing Jaguar wins the karate fight.
   
   Bach is easy on the eyes, although Leonard Maltin was right when he said of one of her films, "Bach does her usual walk through."
   
   This film is only for Bach, Lee, or Pleasance completists, or for fans of crappy low-budget karate/thriller movies from the 1970s.

No comments about Everyone Is Kung Fu Fighting Again.

No comments about Ming Ming.

4 comments about Jeet Kune Do.

1. This DVD, authorized by the Bruce Lee estate, claims to be a training film on Jeet Kune Do. It shows old footage of Bruce Lee, in rare home movies and his films, and tries to use these clips to discuss his art Jeet Kune Do. The very serious person, who wants to either learn or research this art, will move on to much better things. This DVD, only scartches the service, and one is better off reading books by Bruce (Toa of Jeet Kune Do) or Jerry Beasley, if he or she cannot take lessons.

   Danny Inosanto is interviewed and demonstrates some concepts, but the direction and production lacks any real coherence as it shoots between Bruce Lee footage and Inosanto. It mixes Bruce's voice with another voice which sounds similar to Bruce's (sounds very close, but speaks of Bruce in the third person) and this interaction is a little distracting.

   It should probably be only two stars, but sentimentally, I gave it three, because Bruce Lee fans will probably want to collect rare footage not seen anywhere else.




2. This DVD will NOT teach you JKD. If you are already Familiar with it, then it is VERY helpful. I have been studying Jeet Kune Do for about 2 years now, only under Bruce Lee's original style and schooling. You must understand what JKD revolves around. Tao. The way. It doesn't matter how strong your axe kick is, because if I truely know the Tao about any martial art, my effectivity will be much better. Watching Bruce Lee's form is very helpful to realize how JKD looks in fluid movements and in combat situations. However, if you want to learn a martial art, I defenietly suggest buying the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, and after that move on to books on form, then finally go to perfecting motion, etc.



3. Given that the footage of Bruce Lee is so limited, as it seems is the budget of this production, I found this disc pretty enjoyable. The footage is very raw, but Bruce Lee's incredible energy still comes through. As a training video, it is good at teaching the concepts and philosophy behind Jeet Kune Do. A few basics are taught. There is footage of Lee teaching James Coburn with Lee analyzing the film. This to me is new, so I found it pretty interesting. The footage of his interview with Pierre Barton is amazing as always, though the picture quality is not as good as found on the Enter The Dragon bonus side
   
   I believe the one reviewer is wrong in saying part of the narration is done by a Bruce Lee soundalike. Lee is reading from an article written about him. That is why he refers to himself in third person. The same audio is found on the Enter The Dragon bonus, but here there is more of it.
   
   Overall I enjoyed it as I love to listen to Bruce Lee's philosophies as much as seeing his action in movies.



4. If you want some footage of Mr. Lee, go ahead & buy this. Otherwise, I can't recommend it.