5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) - Ultimate Knockouts 3.

1. I liked the knockouts on this dvd, but having to listen to the female narrate in between knockouts and set up the segments was beyond annoying. She would be better suited for the Home Shopping Network or QVC or something, but I have no interest in hearing her opinions on fighting and it took much of the impact out of this dvd. Just my personal opinion.



2. it just seems like there wasn't enough content to justify that high of a rating. The fights are great to see, and despite some of the complaints about the narrator, I really liked the job that she did. And let's face it... she is hot as hell. I would rather have her as the narrator than some sweaty muscle head (so if you are bitching about her narrating you just might indeed be gay). The extra features with the UFC fighters talking about the magic of the KO was extremely well done. Almost worth the price of admission as far as I am concerned. Buy this DVD, it kicks ass!



3. Love the UFC! I really like watching some of the old clips of these guys just brawling and swinging for the fences. Gotta love the knock out. Nothing says, "What's UP!" like a skull shaking blow to the head! Put it on next time you have a party and watch the crowd form around your TV. Some of these shots make you cringe and jump up and down. Enjoy!



4. The item was delivered on time and in good condition, the item itself is awesome and good quality.



5. This is a good compilation, a little too short for my taste but it is good for collectors.
   
   The main and best difference between this and the previous 2 is the Host Presenter... Watch all 3 and you'll understand what I mean

3 comments about Beyond the Ring.

1. was invited to pre-screening. In short, falls well below my already low expectations for an action/ martial arts film. In my opinion this was like watching Kickboxer if it were a made for T.V. movie for the womens entertainment channel. you have to sit through seventy minutes of soap opera story and laughably horrible "acting" thorugh emotions of a man who can't act. Lets just say Gary Busy is the most SERIOUS actor in this film. that should say enough. Until finally, in minutes 110-115 there is a really badly corriographed fight scene. Think if your students tried to stage a fight for film. You can obviously see in this film there is no contact in punches/ kicks, and the jui jitsu is really planned out looking and un-natural. I warned you not to watch this! Dont waste your time. I recommend sitting in front of your favourite Bruce Lee film you havent seen for 14 months instead, or atleast something in the B category like Bloodsport. But if that is the case, I rate Beyond the ring a letter C or D, and will honestly say it is Beyond the worst film I have seen in 2007. May be great as a Mystery science theatre 3OOO flick?



2. Sorry..... this film lacks everything that it claims! The acting is sooooooo bad and the lead can't even speak english correctly!!! He should go back to Brazil! Maybe he can get some parts down there in portugese. Anyways, the only thing that saves it from a no star is the action scene at the end. If you want a real good martial arts movie, go buy Bruce Lee's collection that includes Enter the Dragon. This is a true Martial Artist in action. Master Bruce Lee will always be the best Martial Arts film director, choreographer, actor, and stunt man!



3. This movie is "OK" to watch. The theme and storyline are alright and pretty realistic; however, the acting wasn't the best i've seen. There wasn't as many fight scenes as I wanted. If I could do it all over agian. I'd rather rent the movie instead of buying it.

1 comments about Creating Flexibility through Qigong.

1. This DVD definitely offers the real stuff. Master Hu's approach to Wild Goose QiGong is somewhat gentler and softer than some other teachers' practice of the Wild goose forms, and word has it from a friend who attended one of his seminars that Hu relies on standing meditation practice (Yi Chuan) to supply much of the internal power which is channeled and refined in forms like this. But there is no mistaking the man's skill and focus.

5 comments about House of Fury.

1. House Of Fury is almost superb and that is the most disappointing thing about this film. Teddy Yu (Anthony Wong) leads a double life as a chiropractor and secret agent. His teenaged children, Nicky (Stephen Fung, who also directed the film) and Natalie (Gillian Chung from the pop group Twins) think his 007 stories are all nonsense. When Teddy is kidnapped by assasins who work for a man named Rocco (Michael Wong from Beast Cops),the kung fu kids search for the baddies. Rocco is after Teddy's longtime friend Chiu (Ma Wu) and his killers are tough. Rocco, on the other hand is the weakest character in the movie. On the disc cover, he's in a fighting stance with Wolverine-like claws. In the movie, he's a wheelchair bound crybaby who is paralyzed from the neck down. Rocco's young son, Nelson (newcomer Jake Strickland) is the baddest ass on the evil team. This kid is awesome and is one of the main reasons to buy this dvd. Daniel Wu (Cop On A Mission, One Nite In Mongkok) and Charlene Choi (the other Twin) are entertaining, but they don't do too much here. Overall, House Of Fury is a nice reminder of the way kung fu movies used to be in the 70's and 80's. With Yuen Woo Ping, Jackie Chan's production team, Stephen Fung, and the great cast involved, it should have been a classic.



2. `House of Fury' is a quite entertaining kung-fu action film that does not take itself seriously. It nicely re-uses the basic story of Robert Rodriguez's joyful `Spy Kids' series, and adds lots of well-choreographed kung-fu actions (advisor Yuen Woo Ping).
   
   Anthony Wong (`Infernal Affair') is Yue Siu Bo, a middle-aged doctor who runs his own health clinic in Hong Kong. He is a good-natured person and a family man, but his habitual tales about his old days as martial arts master and top spy agent are very embarrassing for his children, Nicky (Stephen Fung, also director of the film) and Natalie (Gillian Chung, `The Twins Effect' and one of the popular duo Twins). Nicky and Natalie do not believe a single word of his father's braggadocio until one day he is really kidnapped by a baddie in wheelchair, Rocco (Michael Wong) who showed up before him to settle the score with the guy who inflicted a severe injury to him many years ago.
   
   The story is thus simple, but it works in this kind of action-packed film. Though helped by stunts, smooth editing, and some wires, all the martial arts actions are above average, generating enough excitement and fun with the characters' super-fast, gravity-defying movements. I will not be surprised to find the good action from Josie Ho who plays a deadly assassin, but it is surprising that Gillian Chung can show good skills as kung-fu fighter, who has obviously trained so much since `The Twins Effect.'
   
   Charlene Choi (the other Twin) also appears, but sadly her role is just an extended cameo. Daniel Wu also appears, but his fans would be disappointed with his role which does not play a significant role until one moment. On the other hand, veteran Wu Ma steals the scenes with some good (and you might say unbelievable) actions, and Jake Strickland as the baddie's son (who is always playing Nintendo) also shines in two scenes where he shows his true colors as capable fighter.
   
   Of course this is not `Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' or `Kung-hu Hustle.' Stephen Fung as directo knows what he is doing, with his approach which is very orthodox, and even simple in letting his co-stars show what they can do on the screen. No grace and beauty of bamboo trees, no gimmicks and parodies. Only good martial arts actions, and they are very entertaining. Recommended for the fans of martial arts actions, or the sweet and lovely Twins.



3. A good family martial arts movie for the kids to watch. Also in english.



4. This was an enjoyable movie with a nice balance of action, comedy and plot. It was done in the true fashion of 'Shaolin Soccer' and has very nice special effects blended into the fight scenes. I wish the 'last fight scene' was done better, but overall still a great movie to add to your collection, if only for the jokes alone. =P



5. I'll start by saying that House of Fury is a very fun movie with some really great action. If you like kung fu movies with good fights and a decent plot, you should enjoy this movie greatly. I rented this movie when it first came out on DVD a while back. It must have not made a very good first impression on me because I didn't buy it. But recently I decided to go ahead and pick it up, and I must say I am very happy I did. This movie was a lot better than I remember it being the first time I watched it. For some reason I remembered the story being a little slow and short on action. WRONG! This flick totally kicks butt! I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. The main villain is a little lame, but the kid playing his son is awesome with a bo staff, so I can overlook a little wooden acting. All-in-all I give this one two thumbs up!!! Check it out, you won't be sorry.

5 comments about Duelist (Standard Edition) DVD.

1. This was a beautiful movie. I think a lot of people who dislike this film miss a lot of points as many things are left unsaid. Kang Dong-Won plays beautifully in this movie and Ha Ji won is perfect in this film as well(I loved the faces she made, they were adorable!). In no way are their gender reversals perverted nor do they overpower the film. These are two opposite characters with one definite similarity and that is they solve things through action. Detective Nam Sun (Ha Ji won) solves her problems through fighting and Sad eyes seemed to be brought up simply as a killing machine. Their fighting scenes with each other--especially one in particular-have a lot of emotion to them like a couple arguing. They are also on opposite sides of the law which creates another problem.
   
   I enjoyed the plot line and felt the movie held a complete story. Although, it seemed there were a few times when the movie raced over certain details leaving you to fill in the blanks yourself. Great movie. Great soundtrack. Great actors.



2. I should say first that before I saw The Duelist, I gathered from reviews that the visuals were the most important thing about the movie. This is very true and if you go into this movie expecting a deep plot or a character-driven story, you will be sadly disappointed. If you go in expecting some kind of spiritual allegory, I suppose you can squeeze something out but, really, this movie is all about feasting your eyes. The movie has deep flaws but it also has formidable strengths.
   
   The sum of my opinion:
   
   The first twenty minutes were the most dreadful thing I have ever seen in my life.
   
   The last twenty minutes was the most sublime movie time I have enjoyed in a long while.
   
   At first, the movie seems like it is straining for effect, it doesn't know what it wants to be. Once our lady detective heroine begins her pursuit of assassin Sad Eyes, the movie picks up considerably.
   
   The relationship between the leads is almost wordless. We have a pretty man and a macho woman who consider mortal combat to be the ultimate expression of love. Would this work in real life? Of course not! This is a sword fantasy. Remember, we are here for the visuals! If gorgeously choreographed battles between beautiful people are not your cup of tea, do yourself a favor and watch something else. Watching the movie and complaining that the love story is unrealistic is like seeing Transformers and complaining that giant robots do not exist. If you want a realistic love story, a sword-fighting movie probably isn't the place to find it anyway, LOL!
   
   Would I recommend The Duelist? With reservations. As I said, I hated the opening with a passion and almost stopped watching. I don't know if I am alone in this but it is something to keep in mind. I think I would recommend it to chambara geeks, K-culture fans and people who just enjoy a beautiful movie. If you have a problem with very strong female leads (admittedly hammy in this case), find something else. If you have a problem with untraditional romances, find something else.
   
   Keep in mind, you will not find a more visually stunning movie. Just park your inhibitions at the door and don't try to make sense of the plot and characters. View it as a string of unrelated drances and you will enjoy it all much more. Have fun and give your eyes a treat!
   
   So here is the breakdown:
   
   Movie 4/5
   Visuals 5/5
   Music 5/5
   Plot 2/5



3. Honestly, the male lead looks like a woman in drag.
   
   I found it quite perplexing, enjoying the growth of the romance between the two lead characters and wondering if it was going to turn out to be a Lesbian relationship - which, in my opinion, would have been a twist that actually would have improved the movie.
   
   Its visually stunning if a little improbable. People just aren't able to earnestly fight each other for that long without someone getting cut up. Not that that's something one thinks of with most chambara-esque type movies - but the female cop here is so obviously outclassed in the fight that you wonder if the male (?) lead is in fact just playing with her. And its only that thought which makes you suspect he'd rather dance with her than kill her.



4. Set during the Lee dynasty, The Duelist tells the tale of detectives Namsoon and Ahn. The former a hot-headed young woman who is just as willing to stick a knife in the gut of an adversary as look at him and the latter a calm, pleasant man who tries, often in vain, to keep his protégé's temper in check. One day, while working undercover, Namsoon notices a skilled swordsman sporting a white wig and a mask amazing onlookers with his impeccable skill. However, things soon become chaotic when a struggle between two groups breaks out and a wagon containing a huge amount of money is spilt. In order to keep the peace, Namsoon and Ahn pursue a couple of thieves: one a bald man with an eye patch and the other the masked man who swiped a gold statue. Namsoon is able to catch up with the masked man and they cross weapons. Although she is able to split his mask, the man is able to get away.
   
   After this incident, trouble begins the spread because the money was counterfeit. The huge amounts of counterfeit money make prices inflate and cause distress throughout the kingdom. Wanting to get to the bottom of the problem, Namsoon and Ahn search out the only engraver, who just happens to have been released from prison recently after a mysterious person bailed him out, who is capable of making molds that could press near perfect coins. The artist sketches a picture for the detectives of the man who bailed him out: a young man with shoulder length hair and sad eyes. Namsoon recognizes him as the swordsman she pursued earlier.
   
   Namsoon and Ahn soon learn that Sad Eyes works for the minister of defense and Namsoon dolls herself up as a simpering court woman in order to get close to the man. The two battle a couple of times and through the clashing metal and enhanced sensations, Namsoon begins to fall in love with the beautiful swordsman.
   
   The most common criticism that I have heard and read about The Duelist is that the plot is paper-thin. Honestly, this is the case. The plot can easily be summed up in one sentence and it is a plot that has been done numerous times before with better execution. However, The Duelist is a beautiful film. The costumes are magnificent, especially those of Namsoon and Sad Eyes, and architecture is extraordinary. The fight scenes, especially those between the heroine and her enemy/beloved are gorgeous and they give off equal sensations of danger and beauty. Also the soundtrack is quite wonderful with equal parts rock and traditional music. At one point there was a thunderous rock track being played with a soft piano. The trio of bass, drums, and guitar did not drown out the piano, and it gave the supple movements of Sad Eyes, Kang Dong-won, even more beauty and grace. A decent film; just don't go looking for an intricate plot.



5. It's one of the bad Korean Fantasy movies. The fighting is worthless. The plot is incoherent and nonsense.
   
   I prefer the Warrior, and Shadowless Sword.

5 comments about Heart of Dragon.

1. This is in response to the Feb. 5th review titled "ORIGINAL IS BETTER~!"
   
   While I agree with the message, it was put the wrong place. While in most cases the R1 releases of Hong Kong films are heavily cut and dubbed, these releases by Fox, are actually done by the fantastic HK company Fortune Star, and only released under Fox. They contain the UNCUT film in the original Cantonese language (DTS too!), as well as the English dub. As usual the picture quality is more than fantastic. The only downpoints are the usual Fortune Star downpoints: Hardly-to-no extras, and slightly edited sound fx,(but in this case no original mono sound). Also the subtitles are actually dubtitles, but are not terrible. In all, this is still one of the better versions of this film on DVD, especially for under $10.
   
   PS. As for the argument that "no other countries have their own cuts, like France," maybe you should look into Luc Besson's distribution of Asian (especially Thai) films.



2. So this movie is a Golden Harvest production where they pulled ALL the old school kung fu stars to star in a movie with not that much action. yeah, I don't get it either, but the movie is pretty good. It is about Jackie and his mentally retarded brother, Sammo. He pulls it off quite nicely and most of his scenes are evry funny. So whether you are a kugn fu fan or not, this is at least worth a peek.
   
   But let me name you all the stars. Again they all don't fight, btu it is nice to see them. But then again, most of them do end up fighing in the 2 bonus fights on the disk, so it's all good. Here we go-Jackie, Samo, Lam Ching Ying(nice eyebrows), phillip ko(really nice mustache), hoi san lee(36th chamber), wah yuen and hoi meng(hellz windstaff) star and do the stunts, james tien, Hark on-fung(warriors two), Blacky Ko(boxer's adventure), Roy chiao(a touch of zen), corey yuen, Dick Wei(avenging eagle), Wu Ma, Kar lok chin(operation scoprpio), and conan lee's friend in Ninja in the dragon's den. I left some people out so play name that old school star while watching this, it is quite fun.
   
   I only gave the movie a 3 becasue the movie was a bit cheesy, the haircuts were extra cheesy, and the music had me reaching for the remote a few times.
   
   The fox/fortune star release is VERY well done with dual languages and you need the original langualge for this. In kung fu, dubbing is ok, but in a more serious movie like this, you can't listen to those same, stupid voices. It is presented in a widescreen format and the pictuer is pretty good. bonus feature is 2 extra fight scenes. Which reminds me, I forgot that Chi Ling Chu(kugn fu hustle, snake in eagle's shadow) fights in one of the stupidest fights ever. ALso check out Lee Hoi San's funky hair do.



3. Jackie Chan is a cop who lives with his developmentally disabled brother. He is his caretaker and protector. Chan's character's dream since he was a child was to be a sailor and the chance arrives in the mail. A job offer. To do so, he must leave his brother in the care of questionable others. The brother gets in trouble often and before Chan leaves, he gets into a doozy of a jam.
   
   Okay, it's a hokey B movie with cheesy music but it was fun to watch. Lots of Jackie Chan action and a decent plot. Relax, don't think too much, grab a pop and munchies and enjoy the show.



4. Jackie is at his best in acting and action here. He has a brother to love and care for and does a very good job in protecting him.Check it out, you might like it.



5. Jackie Chan proves he is not only an action star in this movie. I loved it, but as a true Jackie Chan fan, it would be hard not to. For the first time Jackie and Sammo show a range of emotion that American audiences have never seen before. The intense scenes between the two of them leave a Jackie fan in tears. The two things I didn't like are the fact that Jackie doesn't dub his own voice and the dubber doesn't show the range of emotion that fits the scenes. Also the ending is a little vague, you're not really sure of the ending. Any way, for the true Jackie fan, a roller coaster ride and I enjoyed every minute of it!

3 comments about The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies.

1. Presented by Samuel L. Jackson, THE ART OF ACTION is an enjoyable and entertaining look at the history of matial arts films from its origins in Peking Opera in China, which was performed by men in women's clothing. Strangely, the first kung fu features were made with the WOMEN doing all the fighting as film was then considered a lower medium in China, and it was "dishonorable" for men to stoop to that level!
   Of course, no film about martial arts could be made without Bruce Lee, "The James Bond Of Martial Arts". Here viewers are treated to footage from RETURN OF THE DRAGON where Lee beats the bejesus out of a young Chuck Norris, as well as hearing Lee's philosophies on kung fu, which remain intriguing and inspiring no matter how many times you hear them.
   THE ART OF ACTION also features appearances from Jackie Chan, recounting his experiences as part of a Peking Opera troupe at age 7, as well as ruminations by John Woo, Ang Lee and Steven Seagal. There's plenty here to educate and entertain viewers, though stranglely Hammer's martial arts/ horror film LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES is overlooked here... but Cynthia Rothrock's cruddy movies get some attention! I just don't get it! That remains my only quibble. Also features clips from more recent films like RUSH HOUR 2 and CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON.
   If you like this, you may want to check out the similar documentary CINEMA OF VENGEANCE which is about the history of martial arts and Hong Kong action films, though personally I found THE ART OF ACTION to be more entertaining. Both movies are highly recommended.



2. This in-depth documentary gives a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the martial arts films. It shows what the early pioneers of martial arts had to do to pass on the skills when the then rulers wanted to forbid the practice. The journey is one of rebellious beginnings to high flying stunts in movies today. It also features the work of Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan,Sammo Hung and others. This is a great documentary to watch if you want to learn more about the world of martial arts in films.



3. This movie does not show like many great clips but is a pretty good documentary. It starts out talking about the the first shaw movies and lau kar-leung, and also the origins of kung fu(briefly), women in the 20's making these movies, and of course kwan tak-hing. The only thing that I really had a problem with is that they just passed over the jimmy wang yu, lo lieh, chen kwan tai, hwang jang lee, etc. I don;t think it even mentions the venoms!! They show some good clips from one armed swordsman, but even though they show their dramatic scene, they don't even mention jimmy or lie's name. So it goes way to quickly into the new school stuff like crouching tiger but does not capitilize on the golden age of kung fu.

5 comments about Fighting Elegy - Criterion Collection.

1. This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.
   
   "Fighting Elegy" known in Japan as "Kenka erejii" is about a young Japanese man living with a Roman Catholic family in prewar Japan. He begins to have fellings for the daughter but cannot be sure whether his felings are true love or the lust of adolescent hormones. The daughter tries to reform him into not having lustful thoughts.
   
   This film is unique in its depiction a Japanese family that is Catholic while a vast majority of Japan is Buddhist or Shinto. I though the film to be impressively made.
   
   The only special feature is a theatrical trailer which is very unusual for a Criterion release.



2. One of the classics themes of Japanese literature is the way of Koha, the "Hard School." A path of absolute masculinity, Koha requires absolute repression of sexual desires and avoidance of "weak" women, who are distractions from what make a man a man. Men are forged through intense, focused martial arts training and constant fighting to harden the warrior's soul. The way of Koha can be found is such seminal Japanese works as Mishima's "The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea." Seijun Suzuki thinks this is pretty funny.
   
   "Fighting Elegy" ("Kenka Erejii") is a sharp parody of Koha, taking a cynical look at the culture of boys in Japan, where the slogan "Boys be Ambitious!" can be heard shouted by mothers to their male children. All of the standards of a Koha flick are here; Kiroku Nanbu, the young upcoming tough with more spunk than ability. Turtle, an upper-student who becomes Kiroku's mentor in the ways of fighting. Michiko, a beautiful Catholic school girl who seeks to reveal Kiroku's soft side and lead him into love and marriage. Kiroku's inner battle between his lust for Michiko and his loyalty to Turtle is captured in the climatic line "I don't masturbate, I fight!"
   
   Under Suzuki's directorial hand, this mockery of Koha is both hilarious and insightful. The military culture of WW II is one of the legacies of Koha, and "Fighting Elegy" takes place in a Japan on the brink of the Martial Law of 1935. Suzuki takes the fangs out of this ultimately destructive philosophy. One of his two non-Yakuza films (the other being "Story of a Prostitute"), it is nice to see Suzuki tackle this politically-charged topic so capably.
   
   The Criterion Collection DVD for "Fighting Elegy" is fairly bare-bones, with no extra features other than two helpful essays, one on the film itself and one on Ikki Kita, founder of the militarization movement. Being a satire, it is impossible to truly appreciated "Fighting Elegy" without the necessary historical and political background that it dastardly mirrors and these essays go a long way towards filling in these missing pieces.



3. 
   Kiroku Nanbu seems to be a decent enough fellow. A Catholic, he attends church regularly with the family with whom he boards. He is respectful to his father, his elders, including older schoolmates, and adores Michiko a young girl who is the pinnacle of purity and innocence. However, Kiroku has another side as well. Beneath his kind ways, which are definitely genuine, lurks the heart and soul of a fighter. Constantly throughout the films eighty-six minutes Kiroku fights his way through upperclassmen and students at rival schools. Kiroku is the embodiment of "Koha" or the "hard school." Like Miyamoto Musashi, members of the hard school were supposed to hone their fighting skills to perfection and be the quintessence of masculinity, however, in order to reach this peak of manliness, the men were supposed to be indifferent to women. Yet, Kiroku cannot get the image of his beloved Michiko out of his head.
   
   Not wanting to sully the perfect image of Michiko that resides in his mind, Kiroku avoids taking "matters" into his own hands Therefore he gets into fights to use up his energy. However, Michiko also seems to like our young hero because of his manliness and desires to teach him such things as English and the piano. However, this of course causes Kiroku more anguish because he cannot get images such as Michiko's "white hands" out of his mind.
   
   Taking place in Okayama in the year 1935, Suzuki sets the film during Japan's expansionist period. The hard school image along with the power of the Japanese spirit was promulgated by the heads of the Imperial Japanese Army, and later Mishima Yukio, and this mentality led to the needless deaths of thousands of Japanese soldiers who charged into battles, in later years, with the superior forces of the Soviet Union. As he criticized the American occupation of Japan in Gate of Flesh, Suzuki in Fighting Elegy makes a farce out of the hard school.
   
   Fighting Elegy is an incredibly fun film by one of Japan's most individualistic directors. With its tongue-in-cheek look at Japan during the 1930s and, to a lesser extent, the Japanese military, Suzuki allows the audience to view young men so caught up in the ideals of manliness that they struggle to become full individuals. However, being that this is a Suzuki Seijun film, a director who states that there are no deeper meanings to his films than their entertainment value, my above statements might mean little more than ashes in water. Yet, it is definitely a fun ride!



4. with rigid, stiff and unnatural 'acting' by those japanese young men. a very simple-minded screenplay. the directing was also not so good due to a weak storyline. if violence or toughness became the major theme, those fighting scenes were just looked too staged phony. why japanese men in the movies always so tough to each other but once met a girl or woman would suddenly become a wimp and a whiner, looked more feminine than their opposite sex. this is quite boring film with very bad acting by those youngsters. a hollow and moronic playing-tough deadbeat. although it has been tagged as a 'classic', but not that really great.



5. Director Seijun Suzuki has crafted a satire of the ultra-masculine, nationalistic mentality that made Japan's entry into WWII possible. Kiroku Nanbu (Hideki Takahashi), a city boy transplanted to the countryside, devotes himself to attaining the ideal pinnacle of manliness, which requires him to forsake relations with women. He struggles with his tender feelings for Michiko (Junko Asano), a pure hearted Catholic girl who is attracted to him as well. Sharply critical of the militaristic mindset, this film is a very entertaining blend of absurdity and realism.

5 comments about The Secret Rivals (Enter The Silver Fox).

1. Secret Rivals & Secret Rivals 2 may be the two best independant kung fu films ever made. Starring two great martial artists, Wang Tao and John Liu, in the hero roles and one of the greatest kickers on screen kickers, Hwang Jang Lee, in the villian role. The fights in both films are excellent with the second film having even more action then the first! Also Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fight director, Yuen Woo Ping, directed the fights in the second film. The DVD's look very good as they are both widescreen. If you're a martial arts film fan, these two films are musts for your collection!



2. This movie was okay, nothing special about it. I'd watch it again if I was bored.



3. (...)
   In this movie Ng-see yuen wanted to make a movie that was unique. And that he did. There is a lot of focus in this movie in concentrating on leg fighting. There is also a very large emphasis on HARD HITTING. Don Wong Tao is the best he has ever been in this one.



4. DEFINATELY TOO AMAZING,,,,THEN AGAIN I'M A JOHN LIU FAN SO NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES,,,,HIS PERFORMACE TO ME IS USUALLY GOLD!!
   
   Be that as it may,,this flick is a classic, the performace of an absolute lifetime,,,,check him out in Invincible Armour,,,now that is off the charts!!



5. this is a collectors item
   the silver fox makes this movie worthwhile to watch over
   and over again

4 comments about Pride Fighting Championships: Pride Fighting Legacy, Vol. 5.

1. Pride Fighting Legacy Volume 5 is a five-DVD set containing 5 seperate Pride FC events. Each DVD contains a "special-features" menu selection that contains such items as: Fighter's Bios, Pride FC Rules, Photo Gallary, etc.
   
   Pride 24 - Cold Fury 3 (12/23/02):
   Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Guy Mezger
   Ron "H20" Waterman vs. Valentijn Overeem
   Rodrigo Gracie vs. Yuki Sasaki
   Bayzigit Atajev vs. Alistair Overeem
   Kevin Randleman vs. Murilo "Ninja" Rua
   Antonia Rodrigo Noguerira vs. Dan Henderson
   Yoshihisa Yamamoto vs. Alexander Otsuka
   
   Pride 25 - Body Blow (3/16/03):
   Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
   Anderson Silva vs. Carlos Newton
   Dan Henderson vs. Shungo Oyama
   Antonio Nino Schembri vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
   Quiton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Kevin Randleman
   Alexander Otsuka vs. Kenichi Yamamoto
   
   Pride 26 - Bad to the Bone (6/08/03):
   Kazuhiro Haranaka vs. Antonio "Nino" Schembri
   Daiju Takase vs. Anderson Silva
   Alistair Overeem vs. Mike Bencic
   Quiton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Aikhail Illoukhine
   Fedor Emelianenko vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
   Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Heath Herring
   Mark Coleman vs. Don Frye
   
   Pride 27 - Inferno (2/01/04):
   Igor Vovchanchyn vs. Dan "The Bull" Bobish
   Sergei Kharitonov vs. "L.A. Giant" Peterson
   Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Alexander Otsuka
   Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Dos Cara Jr.
   Mark Kerr vs. Yoshihisa Yamamoto
   Heath Herring vs. Gan McGee
   Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Ron "H20" Waterman
   
   Pride 28 - High Octane (10/31/04):
   Heath Herring vs. Hirotaka Yokoi
   Ricardo Arona vs. Sergey Ignatov
   Alekander Emelianenko vs. James Thompson
   Alistair Overeem vs. Hiromitsu Kanehara
   Mark Hunt vs. Daniel Bobish
   Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Josh Barnett
   Wanderlei Silva vs Quiton "Rampage" Jackson
   Choi Mu Brei vs. Sor Palalei
   
   As expected of Pride a lot of great action along with a few explosive knockouts, such as Randleman/Jackson. A few vets show their wear & tear. Most notably Mark Kerr. His physique has really changed, and for the worst. Cro Cop is quite a force. All in all a great set to compliment your Pride DVD collection.



2. after watching all the ufc fights i decided to give pride fighting a try. and it does not even compare to ufc. so if you are a ufc fan dont waste your time on any pride fights. the rules are more strict, the fighters pretty much suck and it is pretty boring. whats the deal with wearing pads and no kicks to the head? or no knees to the head? no thank you i will stick with ufc.



3. I have ordered Pride videos in the past, including the one above. Any true MMA fan will appreciate the high quality and stunning level of competition formerly available in the Pride Organization. All one really has to ponder is the FACT that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Anderson "The Spider" Silva and Antonio Minataro Nogueira are three former Pride fighters who are current UFC champions! Pride Fighting Legacy Volume 5 demonstrates why. Pride was far better then than the UFC is today.



4. If you like mixed martial arts you will like these box sets. Even if you don't like half of the fights, for the money you're paying for these sets its still worth it.
   
   Why wouldn't you want to see Anderson Silva in his pre-UFC days? Rampage Jackson vs. Kevin Randleman? Come on, who wouldn't want to see that fight? Don't forget about Dan Henderson, Mirko Cro Cop, and Heath Herring, just to name a few of the fighters featured in this set. And you get to see Fedor fight the current UFC Heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Pride 25). That's probably worth the $25 bucks, alone.
   
   Pride FC is no more. Unfortunately, its unique rules went with it. These disks are the last remnant of knees, soccer kicks, and stomps to the head of a downed opponent in MMA. The ring isn't as good as the cage for MMA, and not being able to elbow your opponent in the face sometimes makes for slow ground matches, but for the most part its refreshing to see MMA fights with slightly different rules than the current universally adopted UFC rules.
   
   These collections might be a little too much for the casual MMA fan, but if you want to research current fighters, learn more about MMA, or simply want to see a lot of good fights, buy these disks.