5 comments about Ninja Wars.

1. I rented this movie from a video store back in the late 80's and I have never forgotten it. Projectile vomiting and some of the cheesiest dialog ever!



2. One of the more interesting Ninja Wars films, NOT - But YES. I am happy to present this review of this "special" addition to the Ninja "genre."
   There are several films with the name "Ninja Wars." I found that I had, not just one but, two copies of THIS Gem. A "kind of" accidental enrichment. Take note.
   This film has it all: Good Japanese film dubbed into English and subsequently the dialogue is ruined? Flying Ninjas. "Sinister" Plots to overthrow rival Ninja Clans. Tears of raped virgins used to make an aphrodisiac? Vomiting Devil-Monks? Heads cut off and replaced on other bodies? "Naked" fat and "naked" thin japanese women in a Japanese film? Hoards of rival Temple Mongers attacking another Temple? Burning Buddha Temples?
   My God. I loved this film. Lots of surprises.
   Whip out that credit card NOW. Buy this film, without delay, from ME, and be sure to pay top dollar for a good copy (mine).
   If you do NOT have this film in your collection and you have ANY interest in Martial Arts Films, shame on you. This film is now THE most cherished and important film in my collection - at least in my Martial Arts Collection.
   P.S.: I AM one of the Devil-Monks. Really. But, I do not Vomit? Really.



3. I like this film becuase it is one of the most crazed films I have seen with Sonny Chiba in it. Come on a fat chick on aphrodisiacs!! crazed henchmen with hilarious powers!! Some weird looking bum!! Man life couldnt be any better. But the ending is why I gave it four stars it made no sense it gave me no closure. The film is still good though, if your not a very serious person about these types of films.



4. This movie is just weird. I think that they were looking for 2 knives in this. I'm sure the plot had a little more to it, bu tthis was just god-awful. The only thing I loved in this movie was the nudity, and there is a lot of it. WARNING- there is a fat chick and she has THE BIGGEST FLOPPERS I HAVE EVER SEEN.
   
   So it stars sonny chiba and his favorite protoge, but the action sucks. maybe this movie was just a huge letdown bacause I had just watched shogun's ninja. I didn't think shogun's ninja was all that good, certainly not a classic, but it was a hell of a lot better than ninja wars. And if you wanna see a really great MOVIE, check out shogun's samurai.



5. Ninja Wars is a freakishly entertaining story about a wicked magician who exchanges the heads two beautiful young women, so that a lustful baron can have his cake and eat it too, so to speak. A spooky collective of deranged monks and demonic killers are in the employ of said magician, who use poisonous projectile vomiting, image multiplication, spells, spears and resurrection techniques to thwart the infernal meddlings of Henry Sanada, our hero. If you love films like Shogun's Ninja, Lone Wolf and Cub, Sex & Fury, Kill Bill and The Killing Machine, you won't regret buying this!

3 comments about The Super Ninja.

1. This movie was pretty good and had some pretty decent action scenes. I gave it a 4 because the movie was kind of brainless action movie, but it still had strong character. I reccomend it for anyone that just wants to leave their brain off and watch a movie for an andrenelin rush.



2. Director Chang Cheh made over a hundred films many of which are hailed, by those who know this stuff, as kung fu classics. Famed action director John Woo was quoted as naming him as a major influence and when you see this classic it's easy to see why; When the action starts, it's breathless, over the top and doesn't stop.

   A SPOILER FREE SYNOPSIS: Some nasty ninja have killed our hero's martial arts teacher. With the aide of a new teacher and some new fighting buddies our hero takes on the "Five Element Ninjas" (Gold, Fire, Water, Wood & Land).

   Bottom Line: It's exciting, it's violent and if you like kung fu it's impossible to only watch this movie once. For more Chang Cheh brilliance try 'The Kid with the Golden Arms' or '5 Deadly Venoms'.




3. So Alexander Lo Rei plays an American cop with his normal on screen partner, Eugene Thomas. The Five Element Ninja has set him up and now he has to become the super ninja. Having tons of training before as a ninja and with the great Jack Long as his master, he is more than ready to take on all comers.
   
   This movie was so freaking weird, but HIGHLY enjoyable. Name me the last time you you saw a guy breakout of the poice station in a great ninja flick. Alexander plows through a ton of cops and faces plenty of ninjas in this classic. Directed by the same guy who did 'Ninja Hunter', Wu Kuo Jen, we get all the areas of 80's exploitation. The ninja could not have been much better. Jack Long is sadly in his weakest role I have seen but it is still nice to see him none the less. One thing in this movie surprised me beyond belief. Doris Lung, a fighting beauty from 'Master of the Flying Guillotine' and 'Along Comes A Tiger' stars as Lo Rei's boyfriend. Her dad ends up becoming the main point of the plot but the plot is not what we are worried about, right? Doris Lung has a 5 minute sex scene that actually is a notch over soft core. I had always dreamed of seeing my favorite female stars like Li-Li-Li and Brigitte Lin in a scene like this but now I am not so sure. You will get all of Doris that you wanted and maybe a bit more but it really just seemed wrong to me. Also this is her last listed credit. It is very interesting that in Hong Kong cinema, an actress will NEVER expose herself except maybe a little but of the booty. Let's just say that if she worked again after a movie like this, she would have been the first. Alright, now the sex scene actually helps set the tone for the rest of the movie. Pretty grim and real(except the ninjas of course). William Yen is one of the 5 ninjas and gets in a bit of comedy at the end but other than that this movie is all about the desperation and the blood and guts of Lo Rei. And of course the major cheese plays a major factor.
   
   The final fight is basically just a ton of super human flying kicks. Only thing is is that these guys are really doing it. Think of that super kick that Hwang put on Jackie's throat in 'Drunken Master'. Too bad Hwang isn't in this but Lo Rei does pull out possibly the greatest scissor kick ever to appear on screen. Way better than the one he does into the water in 'Shaolin Vs. Lama'. The finale still could have been better but is very fun just like the rest of this movie.
   
   Picture quality is full screened of course and while the print isn't really scratched up at all, it is very faded. Another crappy picture for a good movie. Also the dubbing is really bad. Eugene Thomas has a horrible voice-over just like all of his movies.

5 comments about Kickboxer 2.

1. KICKBOXER 2 has great fighting and action, with a good story. This continues with Sasha Mitchell (Step By Step), as Jean Claude Van Damme's younger brother. Instead of returning, Van Damme went to make the movie 'Double Impact.' Peter Boyle (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Dennis Chan (Kickboxer) are great additions to THE ROAD BACK. The KICKBOXER stories are really raw for the action movies of that time period. Sasha Mitchell probably does his best performance of his career. After enjoying this, continue with KICKBOXER 3 & 4!



2. Kickboxer 2 followed up the first successful Kickboxer, but minus Van Damme. David Sloan (played by Sasha Mitchell) is now the focus, the apparent 3rd brother of Kurt and Eric Sloan from the 1st movie. Sasha Mitchell may not be anywhere as close to Van Damme in the athletic department, but that doesn't hurt Kickboxer 2 at all. Sasha Mitchell is a better actor and as a whole, Kickboxer 2 does a better job than the 1st movie in that department. The story is pretty decent too - this time both characters (good and evil) are out for revenge. The evil is Tong Po, who returns from the 1st Kickboxer, played by Michel Qissi. He only has one line in the movie and doesn't appear until much later on, but it is a grand appearance. Matthias Hues (Death Match, Blackbelt, No Retreat No Surrender 2) also has a role in the movie, fighting David early on in the ring, the 1st of 3 fights in the movie. Vince Murdocco (Ring of Fire, To Be The Best) is also one of the main characters, who fights Tong Po, the 2nd fight in the movie. This match is all in slow-motion, but it is the only slow motion fight I have ever enjoyed, creating a sense of suspense that supports a main element in the story. The final fight of course is between David and Tong Po, which is about 5-1/2 minutes in length. It is mostly slow-motion once again, but is still quite entertaining and bloody, with broken glass glued and taped to the fists (same used in the 1st Kickboxer).
   
   Kickboxer 1 is definetly a Van Damme classic. Kickboxer 2 began a different path, but in no way did it succeed in being a bad martial-arts film. I highly recommend this if you want to see some good fights backed by a decent story.



3. Ok, here is the story. Cody from the television show Step by Step plays Van Damme's brother, David Sloane. Apparently Van Damme's character was shot by Tong Po because Tong Po couldn't accept losing. David doesn't want to fight because both of his brothers died from fighting. But I thought his other brother was just crippled? Anyways, David's school is going to close down because he can't pay the rent. So he decides to fight. He wins and then says that the kickboxing organization that Peter Boyle is running is crooked. So Peter Boyle's character is obviously mad, and has David beat up. Then Van Damme's teacher from the first movie comes back. Why? Because. Seriously, "because" is the only reason I can come up with. So all of a sudden Tong Po shows up and kills David's friend. Maybe Van Damme's teacher from the first Kickboxer is a psychic and knew Tong Po was going to show up and that is why he came to train David? But why did he look surprised when Tong Po showed up?
   
   Sound cheesy? Ding ding ding! You are right, it is very cheesy. I was a big fan of Step by Step so maybe that is why enjoyed this movie, I dunno. It is kind of boring, and the fights aren't very good, but there are so many good actors and they all do a good job. The actors are really the only thing that saves this movie. cody is the man. Well, his kicks are kind of weak, but he is still the man in my eyes, and nobody can convince me that he isn't!
   
   2.5/5



4. "Better than Kickboxer" raves the L.A. Times! Well now you know how much stock you can put into a movie review from the L.A. times.
   Anyhow, what do you do when you can't lure Van Damme back to do your sequel? Well, duh! Naturally you go and get Sasha Mitchell. You also conveniently kill off Van Damme's character(Tong Po was a sore loser and killed him and apparently his brother and Dennis Chan's niece). In this film, Sasha Mitchell plays the younger brother of Van Damme. This doesn't make too much sense considering in the first film, Van Damme stated that his older brother(played by Dennis Alexio) was all the family he had. Anyway, Mitchell runs a martial arts gym that's just on the verge of going under. Seems that in Thailand they haven't been able to shake off the dishonor of having their best fighter losing to Van Damme, and want to regain it by having villain Tong Po come to America and fight with Mitchell. By burning down his gym and other scare tactics, they finally get them both in the ring. Dennis Chan, who trained Van Damme in the first film, is also lured to America to train Mitchell. My God, who will win?? It's not without it's entertainment value, but it's not terribly good, and some of the scenarios are hard to swallow, even for a cheap action film. Mitchell doesn't do too bad of a job and actually is a likable guy. Peter Boyle has a constant look of, "what the hell am I doing in this movie?". And Dennis Chan is just going through the motions, but isn't quite as charming this time around. Once again, Tong Po is played by white guy in Asian makeup, Michel Quissi, and he seems to have lost some of his menace. The movie was directed by schlockmeister, Albert Pyun, and that name speaks volumes if you're familiar with it. The fight scenes are decent, but Pyun has this thing about playing them out almost entirely in slow motion. Padding out running time perhaps? All in all the movie painlessly passed the time while I did laundry. Watch for the King Diamond shirt!



5. There seems to be a lot of contention about the superiority between Kickboxer 1 and 2. I have come to like Kickboxer 2 more than Kickboxer 1. I think the scripting of part 2 is better, however the climatic fight scene in Kickboxer 1 is superior to Kickboxer 2. But, the journey to the final fight is more entertaining in 2 than in 1.

3 comments about Knockout!.

1. "Knockout"
   
   Into the Ring
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   Joe Oppedisano is a hyper erotic photographer in the tradition of Tom of Finland and Colt. He is internationally known and internationally praised for his aggressive masculine style of photography. Now we have him on DVD from Greenwood Cooper. "Knockout" takes us inside the ring with seven uninhibited fighters and we don't just go to the ring but to the locker room as well. The men are gorgeous and they bar no holds.
   "Knockout" was filmed at New York's world famous Gleason's Gym and shot by Tony Sellari in the Oppedisano style. The raw and masculine men are seven brawlers who are backed by the electric music supervised by Bill Coleman. The movie combines still shots with wrestling scenes. Oppedisano says that the movie shows us "something you can't get in a book or a calendar or any still two-dimensional photograph--the movement, the visceral feeling, the idea behind the `narrative', the moment-to-moment inspirations, the give-and-take with the models. Seeing the guys sweating and showing off in this film undoubtedly provides an extra dimension to the photographs". It also gives us a peek into the life of the amazingly talented photographer.
   The music is wonderful as it rocks and strengthens the imagery of the film; it is easy to see how Oppedisano is one of the most talked about photographer working today. The combination of beautiful men, great music and fantastic photography makes this a film that you do not want to miss.



2. HUGE Disappointment! This DVD did not deliver what was expected. Painfully slow moving. Tremendously boring. Nothing at all what the review discription indicated. A true waste of money and a gigantic waste of time. I strongly urge reconsideration before a decision to purchase this DVD is made. You'll be sorry. Honest!



3. I know homoerotic when I see it and this is it. "Knockout" is one of the best examples I've seen since "Playroom" - "Father & Son" - and the last 20 minutes of "Descent" - to name a few. If you're looking for waxed Abercrombie twinks you will not like this. But if you appreciate rough and tough looking - street smart men that workout at Gleason's in Brooklyn, NY then you'll enjoy this hour in your life. The filming of Joe Oppedisano's photo shoot oozes with testosterone. One of my favorite scenes is with the two Peterson brothers from Florida. Tyler, 30 and Luke, 22. Luke is giving his big bro a buzz cut that is remarkable. His large hands gently touching Tyler's neck shows the brotherly bond between them. I also recognized "Bruno" from his Colt Studio days. He has aged v-e-r-y well. Joe has put together a piece of art that does exactly what he intended it to do. I'm satisfied.

5 comments about Forbidden Warrior.

1. This looked like a good idea at the time when I rented it. The story looked good replete with Asian actors and not animation. The proof of the pudding lies in the eating however, and in this case gave me some indigestion.
   
   Clearly of asian origin this is low budget hollywood at it's worst. Trying to mimic Martian Arts movies on the cheap is not the best idea anybody ever had and coming up with a lame storyline does not help either. The characters are mere cardboard replicas of their former selves and I found it infuriating that the wise sorcerer kept refering to the grown woman as my child.
   
   I found the movie to be over the top moralising painting dilemmas with spray paint rather than calligraphy brushes. While the output of Hong Kong can beat the world in silliness and stunts they do have the edge on the delicate treatment of their myths. This ham fisted treatment shot in the Hollywood foothills as as much finesse as a Terminator movie. It is too long, boring and predictable with such a lame ending, not to mention the silly boat which looks so fake.
   
   It was worth a try but I think the producers should have quit whilst they were still behind.



2. i rented this movie with the expectation of a great asian film: well-choreographed martial arts, beautifully shot scenes, and a good storyline
   boy, was i ever disappointed, maybe i was expecting too much, considering its a low budget independent film but nothing about the movie was good except for the summary in the back of dvd case!
   the acting was terrible! not one of the actors could act, which made the whole film laughable and the martial arts was slow, with a few (let me stress *few*) added wire scenes obviously trying to copy from other great asian films to try to make it look authentic
   halfway through the movie (after much discussion between my boyfriend and i to try to return the movie to the rental place but deciding it was too late), i put on the director's commentary, just to see why the directors actually thought their movie was even worth making; i was amazed to hear them actually saying good things about the movie!
   i watched a little bit of the "making of" in curiousity; when i got to the part of the main character, seiki, saying how she loved her character b/c it provided range for her acting, i finally turned off the movie in amusement, amazement, and yes, even pity, that she would even think that



3. 1. Bad acting
   2. Thin Plot
   3. Poor Scripts
   
   and the list goes on. Buy or rent it at your own peril.



4. Anytime the urge rises to be entertained with an escapist film the top of the list becomes one of the Asian martial arts films, films of stunning beauty, breathtaking choreography, handsome actors, and enough legend to make the storyline fascinating, e.g. 'The House of Flying Daggers'. This pathetic film is packaged like those wonder movies and so deludes the public into thinking it is in an equal category. Not even close!
   
   A child is born to a couple informed that their progeny will be a male warrior who has the secrets to read the codebook that contains the key to the power of the universe. The pregnant mother is stabbed by the evil adversaries but the baby lives, 'disappointingly' a girl! The girl Seki is transported via a leaf boat to a blind wise magician who cares for her and teaches her Taiji and Kung Fu, raising her to return to the world and discover life along with her gifts. A family who wants to maintain dominion over China sends two sons (one evil and the other kind) to capture the girl and steal the code to the sacred book. The evil son is accompanied by warriors: the kind son is accompanied by Caucasian Marx brothers. The rest of the story is too simple-minded to discuss.
   
   There are so many errors of judgment in the making of this film, not the least of which is a nebulous and silly script, that disrupt what might have been an honest attempt for Hollywood to make a martial arts film. But the acting is poor, combining Asian actors with non-Asian actors makes both look ridiculous, the special effects are clumsy, and the mood of ancient China is completely destroyed by the computer generated graphics superimposed on the real location of Griffith Park in Los Angeles! The three stooges added to the good warrior's team are so silly that they pass funny into absurd. There is no ending to the movie: instead it feels like the producers just ran out of money. A must miss. Grady Harp, August 06



5. it's beautifully shot.. the production design was great for the budget... but the film didn't hold my attention..

5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Vol. 43 - Meltdown.

1. Just terrible and not worth the money. The fights are horrible and the fighters have very little skill. Puchase PRIDE instead where the best fighters in the WORLD come to fight.



2. UFC 43 is, in my opinion, one of the best UFC's to date. Usually, there'll be at least one or so fights that aren't worth watching, but here, every fight is great. Vernon White vs. Ian Freeman, Tra Telligman vs. Pedro Rizzo, and of course the main event Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell, are all huge, epic battles. The "David and Goliath" matchup of Frank Mir and the 6'10" Wes Sims is exciting as well. There are some short fights here, such as Kimo Leopoldo quickly submitting Tank Abbott, and the amazingly quick-handed Vitor Belfort destroying Marvin Eastman with his lightning-fast punches. Still good fights though, because for one thing, Tank Abbott is such a braggart, and it's always gratifying to see him get owned by superior fighters, and second, Belfort is just awesome.
   
   Anyway, back to the main event. Randy Couture was an underdog for this fight, as Liddell was thought to be a much better kickboxer, and with his good takedown defense, Couture's wrestling background would put him at a disadvantage. However, Couture shocked all by dominating throughout all 3 rounds, even outclassing Liddell in the striking department. That, combined with the fact that he was pushing 40 at the time made for a hell of a surprising and impressive victory.
   
   Oh, and in regards to the 1-star reviews below from Pride FC fans: while I agree with you that Pride has surpassed the UFC, and has better fighters overall, the fact remains that the UFC started it all, and regardless of which one you prefer, you have to give them credit. And no skill? Come on! How anyone could watch fighters like Belfort and Couture, and honestly say they have no skill is definitely beyond me.
   
   Anyway, this was a great event, and highly recommended to all UFC fans.



3. Here is a list of the matches:
   
   PEDRO RIZZO VS TRE TELLIGMAN-great battle, too bad it had to be stopped.
   
   BELFORT VS. MARVIN EASTMEN-You will see what I am talking about when you watch it, but Belfort can hit freaking hard!
   
   FALANIKO VITALE VS. MATT LINDLAND-very funny match(but very painful too).
   
   IAN FREEMAN VS. VERNON WHITE-great match, enough said.
   
   YVES EDWARDS VS. EDDIE RUIZ-you have to feel a bit sorry for Eddie Ruiz but this match was hilarious.
   
   WES SIMS VS. FRANK MIR-great match, too bad it had to end like it did.
   
   TANK VS. KIMO-I hate Kimo but Tank needs to retire. This was one fo the saddest UFC fights I have ever seen.
   
   COUTURE VS. LIDELL-I certainly did not expect this. Great Match.



4. There were 3 Liddell vs. Couture fights. This is where it started. If you've seen all 3, you know they were all excellent matches, and NONE of them went all 5 rounds. So without giving anything away, this is #1. This is the first match-up between these two warriors. Randy's thought was simply, "Chuck's been waiting for a title shot for a long time." Chuck Liddell, on the other hand was direct. "Titles aren't the main thing for me. I'm gonna try and tear his head off." What would happen with this high-caliber main event? They both wanted it! I believe if Dana White, and some of the others with UFC knew the outcome of the fights on this evening, it could've been nicknamed, "to Be Continued..." There are a few fights in this that are just the beginning. This doesn't make for a boring event. All these fights are great! Here's a list of what's on the DVD. Read below:
   
   Pedro Rizzo vs. Tra Telligman: Both men are swinging for the knockout! Both men get cut. This is a great slugfest until the fight has to be stopped due to cuts. Great heart by both fighters!
   
   Matt Lindland vs. Falaniko Vitale: Ok, you wanna talk about a screwball way to end a fight?! Matt Lindland does it. I didn't know whether to laugh, or to feel kind of sorry for Matt after this fight. It doesn't help for somebody to explain what happened in this fight. You simply have to see it. Needless to say, there is a rematch! To be continued in UFC 45!
   
   Yves Edwards vs. Eddie Ruiz: Great fight all around. Yves Edwards is an amazing fighter with great skills! Eddie Ruiz shows amazing heart the whole time. It goes to a unanimous decision.
   
   Frank Mir vs. Wes Sims: This was a great fight until... Somebody needs to think straight and use their head a little bit more before just acting out! There is a disqualification. To be continued in UFC 46!
   
   Ian Freeman vs. Vernon White: Freeman's a veteran fighter. White's no slouch. In King of the Cage, Vernon White fought Jeremy Horn for the title. THAT fight went all 5 rounds, and White lost a controversial split decision that many think he should have won. This fight goes to a well deserved draw. Both of these guys fought well!
   
   Vitor Belfort vs. Marvin Eastman: A word to Marvin Eastman. You can look as tough as you want when fighting, but you actually have to fight. This ends with one nasty gash over the eye!
   
   Tank Abbott vs. Kimo: Amazingly enough, this is probably the most boring fight of the night. It ends pretty quickly without a punch landing.
   
   Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture: This is amazing! To say the least, it is amazing. This is what starts off a great rivalry, and takes us to UFC 52!! As goes the theme for the night... TO BE CONTINUED!!!
   
   This is a great night of fights. Don't miss it.



5. UFC 43
   MELTDOWN
   
   There was a lot of controversy surrounding this event when it first went down because of Tito Ortiz. The story was Tito refused to fight Chuck Liddell and defend his title so he was stripped of the belt and the belt was put up for Chuck and Randy Couture. The winner of the fight would be the new champ at 205, and is probably what started a lot of the bad blood between the UFC and Tito.
   
   1.PEDRO RIZZO VS TRA TELLIGMAN-I really can not believe that this was a prelim fight, this was a rematch between the two from UFC 20 I believe. The first round was great with some good striking and at one point Rizzo gets dropped and starts to bleed. The second round starts out explosive with a few exchanges that almost end the fight, including a vicious leg kick. Pedro Rizzo ends up winning the fight when the doctors stop the fight due to cuts on Tra.5/5
   
   2.MATT LINDLAND VS FALANIKO VITALE-this is the famous fight that saw Matt Lindland try to take Vitale down and knocks himself out in the process. Very weird yet exciting ending that makes this a very memorable fight.5/5
   
   3.YVES EDWARDS VS EDDIE RUIZ-excellent first round that saw some great ground work, Edwards had a good body triangle on Ruiz for most of the round. The second round starts out great with a beautiful kick onto Ruiz that was crazy. From there we gat some more great ground work from both, and the round ends with a near miss high kick from Yves. In the third round Ruiz escapes a deep triangle from Yves that is unbelievable. Yves ends up getting the decision but Eddie Ruiz showed a ton of heart in this fight.5/5
   
   4.FRANK MIR VS WES SIMS-two very well known names go at each other during this fight and go all out. Wes Sims gets a little to head of him self during the first round and ends up on the ground in a rear naked choke. And after an arm bar attempt by Mir Sims slams him down and proceeds to illegally kick a downed opponent to the head. It is here that Wes Sims is disqualified and the fight is awarded to Frank Mir. I'll give it a classic score because it was a very exciting fight.5/5
   
   5.IAN FREEMAN VS VERNON WHITE-the legendary KEN SHAMROCK was supposed to take this fight but due to an injury Vernon stepped in for him. This fight starts out nice and ends up on the ground for most round one, but leading into the second round they stand up. The second round is a mirror image of round one, start standing then go to the ground for most of the round, and then end up standing back up. The third round ends up being were these two warriors give it every last thing they got and go to a judge's decision. And rightfully so this contest is declared a draw, I agree with this decision, good fight.5/5
   
   6.VITOR BELFORT VS MARVIN EASTMAN-another fight between two well known fighters, both have very big wins in their careers and needed this win to move up in contention. And Vitor came to get that victory, he destroys Marvin with a deadly knee from the clinch and unloads with furious punches till the reff steps in. Marvin gets a sick looking cut on his face, it looks like a hatchet went into him.5/5
   
   7.DAVID "TANK" ABBOT VS KIMO-this was one of the most anticipated fights of all time in my opinion. Two of the biggest legends in the history of the sport. Most people will tell you that this fight was a let down, in my opinion this fight completely lived up to the hype. Like JOE ROGAN says during the fight, people boo this fight because they Didn't understand what was going on. Kimo came well prepared and executed a solid game plan. He took Tank down and work a submission on him and was the better man that day. Kimo really impressed me with this fight, excellent fight.5/5
   
   8.CHUCK LIDDELL VS RANDY COUTURE-since TITO ORTIZ could not [depending on who you believe] fight that night Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell had to get it on for title that night. And while Randy Couture was a 2 time heavyweight champion he was the under dog in this fight, oh how they were wrong. All I can say about this fight is WOW. This is one of the greatest fights in the history of the UFC. Randy Couture really gives it to Chuck Liddell in this fight and exposes his weaknesses. He takes Chuck down the whole fight and even beats him on the stand up game as well. Randy is the new champion after he beats Chuck into a bloody pulp by the third round. Since I really don't like Chuck I love watching this fight all the time.5/5
   
   Excellent event, in fact one of the UFC's best in my opinion.

5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship, Vol. 59.

1. UFC 59: Reality Check
   04/15/2006
   Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, CA
   
   I was really looking forward to this UFC event. Reality Check would pit Forrest Griffin against Tito Ortiz in his UFC return. Andrei Arlovski fighting Tim Sylvia was also a highly anticipated bout, but I knew it wouldn't have the excitement factor that a Griffin/Ortiz battle would produce. Arlovski and Sylvia are knockout fighters, so I knew that fight would end in the first. In any event, here is how it broke down:
   
   Jeff "The Snowman" Monson v. Marcio "Pe De Pano" Cruz:
   Marcio Cruz had just beaten Frank Mir, which brought some attention to his place in the heavyweight division. Monson had come back in UFC 57 to defeat Brandon Lee Hinkle, his first fight in the UFC since losing to Ricco Rodriguezs in UFC 35. This is a decent fight. The fighters almost seem to cancel each other out. They're both so good, that they can't really do anything to each other. Either one explodes and either one really does much damage. They both look unharmed afterwards. This one goes to a split decision.
   
   Evan Tanner v. Justin Levens:
   Tanner was supposed to fight Jeremy Horn, but Justin Levens steps up in his place to take this fight on short notice. This one is not all that exciting and it ends with a submission.
   
   Forrest Griffin v. Tito Ortiz:
   Forrest Griffin has been quickly gaining popularity since his win over Stephan Bonner in the Ultimate Fighter season 1 finale. After wins over 2 less-than-stellar opponents, he is thrown into the mix with a UFC icon, albeit somewhat past his prime. We would see if Forrest deserves to be in there with the top dogs, which most of us were hoping he would... He's just such a likeable character and his fighting style and personality make for some extremely entertaining fights.
   Tito dominates the first round and things are not looking good for Forrest. He gets grounded and pounded for most of the 1st round. The 2nd round, however, is a different story. Forrest stuffs all of Tito's takedown attempts and starts landing some good shots of his own. After this round, Forrest's intensity triples and the crowd feeds off of it and gets fired up for the 3rd. He continues stuffing Tito's takedown attempts until the end of the 3rd. They trade shots, Ortiz finally gets a takedown, Forrest escapes and lands some final shots... and it is all left in the hands of the judges. After the fight, Forrest says he wishes it was a 5 round fight and the crowd goes crazy. This fight had me pumped, I have to be honest. Hopefully these two can fight again after Ortiz gets his grudge match with Ken Shamrock out of the way.
   
   Sean Sherk v. Nick Diaz:
   Coming off of the high that was the Ortiz/Griffin fight, this one seemed tame in comparison. Sherk looks strong in the 1st round, the 2nd and 3rd are close - and this one also goes to a decision.
   
   Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski v. Tim "The Maine-Iac" Sylvia:
   With 2 of 3 fights ending with decisions, the crowd was ready for a knockout. The main event would cap the night with 2 of the heaviest hitters in the UFC throwing leather in the octagon. WITHOUT SPOILING the outcome, I will say that each fighter lands a huge punch in the first round before it is stopped. It came down to whose punch was more precisely placed and who was more well-prepared to recover from a crushing blow that determined the winner in this bout. These 2 heavyweights will have their rubber match at UFC 61: Bitter Rivals, where Tito Ortiz will have his grudge match with Ken Shamrock (in what is hopefully his retirement fight).
   
   Royce Gracie and Matt Hughes are interviewed in the ring after the main event to hype the coming of UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie.
   
   This was another great UFC event. I can't wait to see more from Forrest Griffin and I am also excited for the rubber match between Sylvia and Arlovski. Both Arlovski/Sylvia fights have ended quickly... hopefully the 3rd will be more of a slugfest.



2. Just terrible and not worth the money. The fights are horrible and the fighters have very little skill. Puchase PRIDE instead where the best fighters in the WORLD come to fight.



3. This was the best card that the UFC has had in quite awhile and I have seen the last 20 or so cards. The first reviewer was a little harsh in his review. Sure, Pride is a better org. with a lot more talented fighters than the UFC. That is a no brainer. The talent level is not even close. Pride is vastly superior. However, there are a lot of talented fighters on this card so it is definitely worth purchasing. A REAL mma fan will enjoy this dvd. UFC 60 & 61 is another matter. Two real weak shows.



4. I think a few weak fights bring this event down. You have a few knockouts, and a bunch of nice submissions. But a few fights just drag. Overall though, there is enough to keep you interested. As with the latest UFC event dvd's, they have cut out everything but the meat of the event. Basically it is the fights only with no interviews save for the double main event fights. A plus is the extras which show the weigh ins and the fighters cutting weight. Certainly not the best UFC event, but it is not a bad one either.



5. One of the best UFC events that I have seen in a log time! Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffen was by far the best fight on the card. At first I thought Tito was going to make short work of Griffen. However Griffen came back and was able to sprawl and make it one great fight. The card as some other good fights that make this dvd worth the 15 bucks.

No comments about Drive (Special Collectors Edition).

4 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship, Vol. 78: Validation.

1. This event got a lot of crap, but in the end it was a decent card. If I had the option of giving it 3 1/2 stars I would, I don't think it deserves to be as low as 3 or as high as 4. This event took place in November of 2007, which was an odd month for the UFC. A lot of the big fighters were either saved for the December card, already fought within the past couple cards, or were injured. This created probably one of the weakest main events as far as "big" fighters goes. That is really the only problem with the card though. On paper, the other matchups had "fight of the night" written all over it.
   
   Preliminary Card
   * Welterweight bout: Akihiro Gono vs. Tamdan McCrory
   This is a great fight. Gono is making his UFC debut here against a much taller opponent. If you don't know Akihiro Gono, he is a tough veteran who formely fought in Pride. He was always a tough fight for anyone at any weight class. The fight goes into the second round and ends by submission.
   
   * Welterweight bout: Chris Lytle vs. Thiago Alves
   This is the best fight on the card hands down. Too bad this wasn't on the undercard because it probably had some of the best fireworks in any UFC event that came out this year. I don't want to give away the ending but neither fighter really loses this fight.
   
   * Lightweight bout: Joe Lauzon vs. Jason Reinhardt
   Lauzon is a rising star in the UFC and Reinhardt looks like a tough little pitbull. This one ends quick but is exciting.
   
   * Lightweight bout: Marcus Aurelio vs. Luke Caudillo
   Aurelio is another former "Pride" fighter who sadly lost his UFC debut. He's looking for redemption in this fight.
   
   Main Card
   * Middleweight bout: Ed Herman vs. Joe Doerkson
   This is a competitive fight and actually a rematch from the past. Doerkson hasn't done to well in the UFC and Herman was labelled as one of the best fighters ever on the Ultimate Fighter show but he hasn't fully delivered yet. Either way, both these guys are tough, and this is the only true KO of the night.
   
   * Lightweight bout: Spencer Fisher vs. Frank Edgar
   On paper this looks like one of the best fights in the UFC lightweight division that always delivers. Fisher has awesome boxing skills and decent submissions, while Edgar is more known for his great wrestling, but he too has great hands and delivers a fast pace fight. This fight isn't horrible by any means, but it doesn't deliver as hoped. It is a pretty dominant win for one fighter.
   
   * Light heavyweight bout: Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva
   Houston Alexander is a UFC newcomer who has just blasted through the competition. He has brutally KO'd all his opponents in the first couple minutes of his past 2 fights. He looks to be the next big LHW star, but his toughest test ever is in front of him in the form of Chute Boxe fighter Thiago Silva. Silva has looked good in the UFC so far as well and is probably the better technical striker and ground fighter. I think people were let down by this fight because of how it ended, but I think it was great. It shows strength and power isn't everything, technique and being versatile in ground and standup is crucial to success in MMA.
   
   * Welterweight bout: Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan
   I was really looking forward to this fight. Parisyan has been in some of the best fights in UFC history and Chonan was making his UFC and welterweight debut. If you don't know anything about Chonan, he was another tough Pride veteran and actually has an amazing jumping leg scissor submission over the UFC's pound for pound best fighter Anderson Silva. This was another one of those fights that on paper looked like a classic in the making. Sadly it didn't truely deliver because both fighters were so tough that its hard to finish, or do anything for that matter to either guy. It goes to a decision.
   
   * Light heavyweight bout: Rashad Evans vs. Michael Bisping
   This is the only true letdown of the card IMO. As far as star power goes, this is a horrible main event. But as far as results go, it isn't nearly one of the worst main events (worse ones are Arlovski vs Buentello/ Couture vs. Belfort 2/Franklin vs. Okami/etc). It is actually a pretty competitive fight. Both are a little smaller than most LHWs and the loser will most likely drop down to MW. This fight goes to a decision, but IMO isn't as clear cut who is the winner because it was actually a good competitive fight.
   
   In the end I think this is worth your money, I'm just not rushing to go get it. I think this card was mostly to showcase the Ultimate Fighter talent, but we get a good mix of veterans and foreign fighters in there.



2. This has been criticized, and probably for good reason. One thing for me was the referees. Who the heck are Dan Miragliotta and Kevin Mulhall? They're certainly not refs that I want to see in the UFC again! But this event is in Newark, New Jersey, so they don't want Big John or Herb Dean, they want these Bozos! Let 'em have the night, they won't get another chance to be on pay-per-view! They weren't that great, but there's nothing to be done about it now.
   
   When you think of main events, as well as co-main events, I guess the featured aren't as obvious as you'd like them to be. The headliner features winners of TUF 2 and TUF 3, Rashad Evans and Michael Bisping. But with both of these guys, they both have something to prove due to previous performances. Rashad Evans, quite frankly, should've lost to Tito Ortiz in UFC 73. If it weren't for a point being taken away from Tito in round 2, despite a great round 3 for Rashad, it still would've been a loss for Rashad Evans. So Rashad had to settle with a draw, and a loss never occured. Plus Rashad Evans is known for some split decision victories in the past. He beat Sam Hoger by split decision. In the TUF 2 Finale, his fight against Brad Imes was a split decision, and for good reason. A hard fought war between two guys who wanted a contract. And speaking of split decisions, Michael Bisping's last performance wasn't what we've seen in Michael Bisping. In UFC 75, Matt Hamil meant business, taking it to Bisping during most of the fight. The judges in that fight would give the split decision to Michael Bisping. Bisping would still defend himself and his victory over Matt Hamil. Make no mistake about it, Bisping believes he dominated in UFC 75. So, Rashad and Michael both have something to prove. They both bring undefeated records with them. And in the co-main event, some may not be aware of one or the other. That fight would be Houston Alexander against Thiago Silva. The big difference is that one is well known, the other is not so well known. NOBODY expected Keith Jardine to get smeared in UFC 71, especially to a no-namer. Houston Alexander couldn't wait, and he smeared Jardine in 48 seconds. To prove he was no joke, he took care of Alessio Sakara in UFC 75 in only 1:01, and walked away with KO of the night in that one. Thiago Silva, on the other hand, has been on 2 undercards, UFC 71 & 75 as well, but on the undercard. His first fight was a strange way to win a fight, but an injury to James Irvin after hitting the mat gave Silva an automatic TKO. When he fought Tomasz Drwal in UFC 75, it was obvious that a brawl was no problem for Silva, and he eventually got the TKO in Round 2. So Alexander and Silva get gladiator openings in the beginning as well as Bisping and Evans.
   
   Ok, crappy referees, as well as questionable headliners, right? What about the rest of the night? Well...there are 9 fights, and they weren't too bad. I'll list them below.
   
   Akihiro Gono vs. Tamdan McCrory: A scrappy, young "barn cat" from Rochester, New York is ready for a battle with a Japanese sensation. Great scrap, ends in round 2.
   
   Marcus Aurelio vs. Luke Caudillo: Marcus is back after a split decision loss to Clay Guida. Is he ready to step it up? All I can say is that it ends in the first round.
   
   Joe Lauzon vs. Jason Reinhardt: When you knock out Jens Pulver in UFC 63 like Joe Lauzon did, then YOU get to welcome Jason Reinhardt to the UFC and see if his undefeated record means squat. This doesn't last too long, just a little over a minute.
   
   Thiago Alves vs. Chris Lytle: Joe Rogan's words were, "This is ridiculous!!" I agreed, and Lytle and Alves agreed. I wanna see these 2 go at it again, because it was a great war. Should've gone further.
   
   Spencer Fisher vs. Frankie Edgar: This was kind of a surprise, with "the answer" always floating about. Unanimous decision.
   
   Ed Herman vs. Joe Doerksen: This was a great war, somewhat screwed up with referee Kevin Mulhall, just one minor example. But the surprise is the 3rd round KO, and if you haven't seen it, I'm not saying anymore!!
   
   Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan: Chonan has submitted Anderson Silva! Does Karo have his hands full for once? It goes to a unanimous decision.
   
   Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva: Well, it doesn't go a round before somebody gets TKO'd. I will say that the winner shows immense class in victory, and earns some incredible respect from myself.
   
   Michael Bisping vs. Rashad Evans: All I can say is that the result is a split decision. One person has to walk away defeated. You could give the argument that the victory was unanimous, but in my mind, the right man won the fight.
   
   In the end, it is possible that the UFC has seen better days, and will see better in events to come. But I wouldn't say it is all-out horrific. It just wasn't the greatest either.



3. After seeing Fight Night 13, which features 5 fighters from this event(Alexander, Alves, Parisyan, Lauzon, Edgar), which 4/5 of them lost their fights at FN 13, I decided to re-watch this event. Even though the main event wasn't anything special to look forward too, that didnt mean the fights had to be bad. Still, some of them turned out really disappointing.
   
   Akihiro Gono vs. Tamdan McCrory
   -Akihiro Gono, a Pride veteran with a record of 27-12 makes his UFC debut with Tamdan McCory (10-1). The fight opens with a exciting first round with some good action and strikes by McCory. The pace lowed down in the second but it ends with a very impressive submission.
   
   Chris Lytle vs. Thiago Alves
   UFC veteran Chris Lytle(25-14) takes on the dangerous muay tai kicking machine Thiago Alves(13-3, and who just recently KO'd Karo Parisyan at FN 13). This was definately fight of the night. Both fighters came and showed the heart and skills to make a great fight and an exciting one for the fans. The fight doesnt make it 3 rounds, with a rather disappointing end but other then that, a great fight.
   
   Joe Lauzon vs. Jason Reinhardt
   Joe Lauzon(16-4) takes on 38 year old Jason Reinhardt in a reletively short but exciting fight.
   
   Marcus Aurelio vs. Luke Caudillo
   Marcus Aurelio (16-5) coming off a loss to Clay Guida takes on Luke Caudillo making his UFC debut. This is a good fight while it lasts and doesnt make it to the second round.
   
   Spencer Fisher vs. Frank Edgar
   8 and 1 Frank Edgar takes on Spencer the King Fisher (20-4) in a lightweight battle. What could have been a great fight turned out to be a really boring wrestling match with one guy dominating the entire 3 rounds. Worst fight of the night.
   
   Ed Herman vs. Joe Doerksen
   Ultimate Fighter 3 fighter Ed Herman(14-4) fights Joe Doerksen(38-10). This was a good fight and Herman really showed impressive boxing skills. Doesnt make it past the second round and a exciting finish.
   
   Karo Parisyan vs. Ryo Chonan
   One of the few guys to beat Anderson Silva, Ryo Chonan(14-8) takes on judo master Karo The Heat Parisyan(18-5). If there is one guy I thought deserved a shot at the welterweight title, it is Karo Parisyan, but after this fight, idk if I really want to see him as a champion. Very uneventful bout coming from two guys who put on a bad show. Parisyan would go on to lose his next fight against Thiago Alves at Fight Night 13.
   
   Houston Alexander vs. Thiago Silva
   After Houston Alexander 48 second knockout of Keith Jardine and 2 minute knockout of Alessio Sakara, everyone thought he was possibly top 2-3 LHW. Man i was disappointed with this fight watching it live, afterwards I didnt even want to watch the rest of the event. After seeing Houston Alexander get Ko'd in 8 seconds at FN13, rewatching this wasnt as bad. I'm starting to like Thiago Silva and hope he does well in his next fight.
   
   Rashad Evans vs. Michael Bisping
   Wow, a very disappointing main event. Evans(16-0-1) comes off a lacluster performance that resulted in a draw to Tito Ortiz at UFC 73 to take on Michael Bisping(15-1) who came off a controversial win to Matt Hamill who many believe(including myself) that he should of lost the fight. With fights like those behind them, youd think they would both come out wanting to prove that they deserved the win or whatever but they didnt. Evans and Bisping need to go back and learn how to finish fights again because this was just a bad fight. I can't stand how Rashad talks a bunch of crap before a fight and comes out doing the complete opposite. I hope Evans enjoyed his performance in this fight because Liddell is gonna show him how to finish a fight. I hope to never see either of these two hold a belt.
   
   Overall a relatively good event with some bad matches but with some really good ones too. The production of the UFC dvd's are really improving which is always a good thing.



4. Chris "lights out" Lytle and Thiago Alves had a great controversial fight that won the fight of the night.The main event of Bisping vs Evans lived up to the hype as well.The co-main event of Alexander vs Silva was "surprising" in the way it went down!

5 comments about Bruce Lee - A Warrior's Journey.

1. I'll keep it simple: If you're a fan, this is an absolute must to own. The recovered footage from Game of Death is so complete that I felt I was watching a Bruce Lee movie that I didn't know existed until now. The other parts of the DVD may be old hat for true fans, but the Game of Death footage will blow you away.



2. I bought this movie as a gift for my husband. He said it was awesome! Except for his ipod, it's the best gift I ever bought him. Considering some of the gifts I've bought, that's high praise.



3. Besides containing some really interesting points on Bruce Lee's personal philosophies, it also contains a lot of footage from his Game of Death movie. This footage is not only exciting action-wise, but contains the subtle humor that I've come to love in all Bruce Lee movies. The first half of the documentary is about his philosophies and how they came to change throughout his life. This half contains footage from interviews and his earlier movies, which interesting narration. As said earlier, the second half contains his Game of Death footage.
   
   Overall, a great documentary that you can watch over and over. Get this movie!!



4. 
   I own this DVD and I really enjoyed it. If you are a Bruce Lee fan you should buy this DVD.



5. Fifty bucks? Are these sellers kidding?
   
   Don't get me wrong. Of all the documentaries made about Bruce Lee over the past 30+ years, this one is by far the most essential. Not only is it an insightful look into Lee's life, it also (rather famously) offers rare footage of the scenes HE HIMSELF filmed for Game Of Death. All things considered, this documentary is every bit as essential as his four REAL films.
   
   That said, the reason this DVD went out of print is because it's now obsolete. It can be found in it's entirety on the Enter The Dragon 2-disc SE along with a few other documentaries. Pretty handy.