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 American Samurai.

1. AMERICAN SAMURAI is one of those martial arts films that follow the formula of two brothers raised amidst jealousy and disharmony with one telling the other: 'Someday,I must kill you.' This plot has been done a tiresome number of times and is further muddied by odious comparisons to death duels announced by a slimy emcee, most recently in BEST OF THE BEST 2. Directer Sam Firstenberg updates this tale of sibling rivalry with David Bradley and Mark Dacascos as the two brothers who spend most of the movie preparing for their climactic meeting in the Arena of Death. The most pressing problem was the choice of Dacascos as the Japanese brother. Dacascos is not Japanese, yet he is supposed to be a full-blooded Japanese. Dacascos, as Kenjiro, has the requisite fighting skills, but his motivation to kill his brother based solely on jealousy has only the flimsiest basis for justification. One would think that a lifetime of illwill ought to be more clearly defined other than from not receiving the family sword. David Bradley as the adopted American son can fight but can't act. His ability to radiate emotion exceeds only that of Steven Seagal's. Another weak point is Bradley's relation with a female American photographer who accompanies him to Turkey to investigate the sword murder of a Saudi prince. They balk at each other's presence but predictably wind up in bed quickly enough. The real selling point of this movie is the fight sequences. Imagine the Ultimate Fighting Championship with bladed weapons and no referees. Very few viewers probably have seen or have participated in such edged encounters but it seems likely that such duels can not possibly be the ballet-like pirouetted gymnastic slug fests that marked each performance. Still, they are remarkable for their visual audacity. Rex Bryon, as the hulking bearded American competitor, is the good old country boy entrant with a Bowie knife. The movie points toward the final meeting between Bradley and Dacascos, which exits as overly brief and far less interesting than the preliminaries. As a martial arts sword movie, AMERICAN SAMURAI is interesting enough to hold your attention even if you withhold that willing suspension of disbelief at the cutting up of an otherwise honorable history of blade edged fighting.



2. Since Cannon films pretty much ran the Ninja craze into the ground (especially after the rather dismal American Ninja 5), they decided to exploit another Asian icon, the Samurai. Here we get David Bradley (American Ninja 3-5) playing, oh my gosh, an American Samurai! When he was a baby his parents plane crashlands somewhere in Asia where he is found and raised by a Samurai and in turn is taught the Samurai fighting style. Sounds like American Ninja you say? You betcha! His 'addoptive' father is even the same actor that played Michael Dudikoff's 'addoptive' father in American Ninja! While growing up, his 'step-brother' gets jealous because his father gains more of a liking for Bradley and a blood feud occurs. Sounds like The Octagon you say? You betcha! When Bradley grows up and moves to L.A., a string of bizarre murders in Turkey garner his attention as they feature his brother's signature cut. He travels to turkey with an annoying "photographer" (who his very attractive) to hunt him down. He gets caught and is forced to join in a "fight to the death" tournament. Sounds like Bloodsport you say? You betcha!
   
   As you can tell there isn't much originality in this movie but you shouldn't expect there to be. The story rips off countless other Cannon and Martial Arts pictures. Bradley gives his usual stiff performance and the love scene between him and the women photographer has to be one of the most "awkward" love scenes ever filmed with body doubles. Though the film is silly and cliche, director Sam Firstenberg (American Ninja 1 & 2) makes this an enjoyable Cannon outing that will sure to please fans of such films as American Ninja and Bloodsport.
   
   The DVD, just like the other recent Cannon film releases by Warner Brothers, is as slim as they come. This means NO special features what-so-ever! Not even a chapter selection! The picture is full frame and rather grainy which makes this film hardly worth the $14 price tag. But us fans of cheesy action films such as this are happy to finally see get released!



3. David Bradley (American Ninja series) stars in this film as Drew Collins, an American raised in the art of the Samurai. Drew heads to Turkey with a reporter, to uncover a murder mystery presumed to be done by a Samurai. Drew is caught and forced to fight in a tournament where he finds his step brother (Mark Dacascos) participating.
   
   The first half of the movie is a bit slow, but fortunately picks up once the tournament action begins. The best thing about American Samurai is you won't find many martial art movies with a weapon filled tournament (Shootfighter 1 & 2 are the only others I know of). Although not quite as intense as Shootfighter, the tournament in American Samurai is fairly brutal, with lots of blood, deaths, and the occasional loss of a arm. There is not a large variety of fighters, but most are enjoyable to watch, varying in sizes and styles. The arena is actually a pretty decent looking locale too.
   
   This is the first movie Mark Dacascos has starred in. He plays a good, convincing villain during the tournament, but overacts terribly throughout the beginning of the movie. David Bradley does an ok job, but nothing spectacular. As for the rest of the cast, everyone is pretty bland.
   
   If you love martial art films with tournaments, this movie pleases. The best thing going for it is that it is rare to find a tournament movie with focus on weapons, American Samurai delivers there.



4. When a plane crashes, a young boy is the only survivor and is raised by a samurai master. Marc Dacascos plays the samurai's real son and grows up always being jealous because his brother (David Bradley) trains harder and passes him in samurai skill. Dacascos becomes a crazy Yakuza gangster who holds death matches and forces his brother to fight.
   
   While cheesy and not exactly a deep story, it's tolerable, but just barely. The overacting by Marc Dacoscas could not be laid on any more thick at the beginning, but the acting really does get a lot better for everyone after the opening scene. David Bradley is not too bad. He is OK at acting but above average in fighting. All of the fights are good and the tournament scenes are very fun. The extreme graphic violence was my favorite part of the movie. There is a guy that makes Mike Tyson look normal! All of the fights are really weird. One guy dresses like Conan, David Bradley fights a guy dressed as a viking or something, and in one match there is a pirate vs. a hillbilly. Seriously though, the fights are really good for the most part. The final fight is a bit of a letdown, but not bad. The story is really pointless and the ending couldn't have come any sooner, but this is a good movie to just fast forward through to see the fights.
   
   2.5/5
   
   The DVD from Cannon Video/Warner Brothers is full screen with good picture quality.



5. This movie is amazing,I've considered it a classic for a long time.
   We need more movies like Rambo, Kill Bill And American Samurai.

5 comments about 2009 Lost Memories.

1. Shortly after seeing Vincenzo Natali's CYPHER, I became aware of two other films that appeared to have been cut from a Philip K. Dick cloth; Min Byung-chun's NATURAL CITY and Lee Si-myung's 2009: LOST MEMORIES. Where CYPHER felt close to Dick's "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" and NATURAL CITY his Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, 2009 was under threat of falling through the cracks as it smacked of a Dick novel that has yet to have an "official" adaptation, The Man in the High Castle.
   
   What if the Axis powers had won WWII? That's been a question long posed in alternative versions of history. 2009: LOST MEMORIES goes back further to the 1909 assassination of Chosun Governor Ito by Choong-Kum Ahn, proposing that this event could have sparked a flurry of dramatic shifts in history. No longer enemies, the United States and Japan would have fought as allies in World War II, atomic bombs would have been dropped on Britain, and "The Great East Asian Union" would serve as the second largest superpower in the world.
   
   The majority of the movie takes place in Seoul--third largest city in the Japanese Empire. When the Korean Republican Army (also known as the Hureisenjin) take over Ito Hall, Japanese Bureau of Investigation agents Sakamoto Masayuki (Jang Dong-gun) and Saigo Shojiro (Toru Nakamura) are called in to diffuse the situation. Like their American counterparts, the JBI tends to shoot first and never ask questions later. The sole exception to this is Sakamoto who insists on digging into the KRA's activities.
   
   Sakamoto uses his Japanese moniker despite being a Korean. In this brave new world, Korea is merely an extension of the East Asian Union's territory. Korea's cultural history and language have long ago been officially dissolved and its citizens are second class at best. When Sakamoto's investigation into the KRA threatens to rock the foundation of the illustrious and mysterious Inoue Foundation, he's framed for murder and told by his superiors, "You'll find lots of friends in jail since most of them are Korean."
   
   While Dick's use of an alternative future is far from wholly original, The Man in the High Castle is a highly satisfactory science fiction tale. Dick's novel lacks an organized rebellion to the alternate timeline but has The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, an underground novel which paints a much more familiar world in which the Axis powers fell. 2009: LOST MEMORIES also owes a debt to Chris Marker's LA JETTEE in Sakamoto's future/past dream.
   
   Moreover, director Lee Si-myung appears to be aping the style of John Woo just as Jang Dong-gun shares quite a few facial expressions with Chow Yun Fat. Additionally, the relationship between Sakamoto and Saigo recalls the tempestuous alliance between many of Woo's characters. It's ironic, then, that the disassociative plot of 2009: LOST MEMORIES should so strongly recall the work of Philip K. Dick when Woo would later helm the adaptation of Dick's "Paycheck."
   
   Rather than tracking down the overlong 2009: LOST MEMORIES, I recommend sticking with Peter Hyams' TIMECOP for a much better time travel adventure film.



2. The course of Korean history has been damaged through time travel! That is the secret of the whole film. I would have put up a spoiler warning, but if your read the back of the box, watch the opening credits, or read the product discription, you already know the BIG SECRET. The movie wants to be a very high minded affair, but you don't feel enough of the time changes (most of the over the top action gets in the way) so that you have a lot of sympathy for what is going on. The movie is also hurt by the fact it falls into every Asian movie cliche that doesn't involve a sword and martial arts.
   
   Hero sees person they care for killed and becomes so overcome with grief they must kill 100 people. Check. Best friends end up opposing each other. Check. Symetry scene between best friends going through similar experiences at different locations. Check. Flashback to unimportant person who now give film emotional meaning. Check. Slow action to a crawl to add emotional drama. Check. Two characters pointing pistols at the others head. Check.
   
   Not a bad flick, but not worth $20+ either.



3. First of all, either you will like the film "2009 Lost Memories" or you will not. The film reminded me a lot of Philip K. Dick's "THE MAN IN A HIGH CASTLE." Only from an Asian perspective. As for myself, I found the film very entertaining--not the best time travel film, but entertaining enough to rent the film at least. [I own it] The film centers around two main characters: A Korean policeman and Japanese policeman from a special anti-terrorist police unit. Both are assigned to the JBI. (Japanese Bureau Of Investigation) based in Seoul. They are combating a terrorist group trying to gain independence from Japan: As Japan in this alternate future allied itself with the USA, and helped to defeat the Axis powers. Moreover, because the future has been altered with Japan as an ally; the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been erased from the past, and therefore, Berlin, Germany was the recipient of the first atomic bombing.
   
   Enter two JBI agents, Sakamoto Masayuki (Jan Dong-gun) and Saigo Shojiro (Toru Nakamura). After the agents are assigned to investigate the Korean terrorist organization responsible for the latest attack on the corporation which sponsored the event; one of the agents, Sakamoto, begins his own internal research on the corporation. Sakamoto discovers that the attack which took so many of the terrorists lives centers on an ancient artifact, and the terrorists were all willing to die for it. But what is so significant about this artifact? Furthermore, Sakamoto is of Korean descent, and during his investigation of the the Mega-corporation, which is Japanese run, he finds himself in hot water as this corporation begins to go after him. This is a powerful corporation, and their reach is very far and wide. Also, since Japan was never defeated in this alternate reality, then Korea never became independent, and is still occupied by Japan.
   
   As events unfold in the film, it become apparent to Sakamoto that the artifact holds the key to events that occurred in the year 1909, which affected the future: The foiled assassination of one man which has altered the future and changed history. The film shifts to events in 1909, which show how history was altered. When Sakamoto discovers what really happened, it is up to him to go back in time and put the past in its proper place--as he has discovered that Korea is an independent nation [Divided] in the true reality. However, there is trouble for him within his own agency. His best friend is the Japanese JBI agent Saigo Shojiro--who has been told what really happened in time. Therefore, Saigo must stop his good friend from attempting to return history to its rightful place, lest his own Japan suffer defeat. Will Sakamoto succeed? Or will he be thwarted by his good friend Saigo? And will history be altered for the better if Sakamoto succeeds? This is a very good film, not great, but definitely worth a watch. Rent it first. [Stars: 3.5]



4. I'll make it short and sweet. This was a really good movie. The english track was a plus. It was put together good and the plot kept me on my seat and the end was a twist. I can't wait till more Asian/futuristic action packed movies are re-released into english tracks. I own a couple of movies like this one that has the english track and they are great. The american market is flooded with the same plots.. Movies like this one give you a different outlook on the way it is made...which makes it an all around good movie.. A must get.



5. I like these stories but I confess that this one is I thought weak. It is one of these what-if stories of how history would have been different if a Japanese governor in Korea in 1909 had not been assassinated. In the story it changed much of history. The Japanese empire survived and Korean become a second-class in Japanese society although democratic, rich and prosperous they are only fully accepted if they became Japanese. To correct this a Korean terrorist group tries to change history to make it what it was in our time.
   
   While watching it, I was thinking considering what Korea when though in our time. Since 1909 they went though a tough Japanese occupation, a bloody civil war, have had two terrible communist dictators in the North, many military leaders in the South and a threat of major war with nukes now. Maybe this alternate future was better for Korea which is something this film should have tried to analysis.
   
   Still it is a story. I did not find any characters interesting.
   
   The acting was okay.
   
   Some of the action scenes were good.
   
   The filming reasonable.

No comments about The Chinese Connection.

No comments about Fighting With Anger.

5 comments about Ninja Checkmate.

1. this movie stars the kung fu brother duo of jack & mark long, their great friend li yi min, the legendary simon yuen, jeannie chiang (a protege of jospeh kuo who really cant fight unless trained), the great wong brothers wong wing san & wong chi sang and ricky chi tien chee all 3 of them serving as fight choreographers. the story starts as the ghostface killer (mark long) killing off honorable elderly men but yet it is hard for him to search for the chess king (jack long). he kills one man in particular who happens to be a young man's father that young man being li yi min who swears revenge and in order to seek revenge he has to seek out a master. so he eventually finds one in a old kung fu cook old yuen (simon yuen) but he later learns all he can learn from old yuen and then seeks out the the chess king and later old yuen is killed by the ghostface killer which we dont see. the highlights of the film is the the flexibilty and magnificent kicking of mark long doing roundhouses and the splits so effortlessly. hands down he must be the greatest kicker from taiwan tying between him, alexander lo rei and chia kai, and he might be one of the best kickers of the genre. the acrobatics by jack long, li yi min and ricky chi tien chee are off the meatrack son. but there are 2 flaws the choppy editing and the switched scene near the end. this movie ran for 2 years just like 7 grandmasters another jospeh kuo gem. the fight scenes are mark long vs. li yi min's father, mark long vs. wong wing san as the pole fighter (one of the best fight scenes youll ever see), mark long vs. the martial arts teacher, and of course final fight between the long brothers then li yi min jumps in. overall this a top 20 if not top 10 pick it up you wont be disappointed.



2. I bought this movie, based on hype, and from loving the 7 Grandmasters, which is high art among old school martial arts movies. The transfer and audio of Mystery of Chess Boxing are not good, but you forget about that after a few minutes into watching this movie. This is a bit campier than most of the era (and that's saying something). But the fight scenes are plenty, although not all are of the same quality. A bit slow in parts, but builds to a great ending.
   
   It's worth the money for entertainment. Would probably rate it 3.5 stars, rounded down. If you are a purist, you may want to hold out for a better transfer with original language audio (if such a thing exists). Or, buy the remastered 7 Grandmasters, which is excellent on all levels above this one.



3. Its an Ol Skool flick, its not like these new kungfu movies today is worth buying and watching some pretty good fighting scene throughout the whole movie, so i recommend to buy it.



4. One of the problems with a good rating on an old-school classic is that people who haven't seen it tend to view the enthusiasm without the benefit of a grain of salt. If you can lace the reviews with a little skepticism, you'll find a pretty sweet movie behind it. It's not without its problems: It's full-screen, not remastered (though considering that, the picture quality is very good), and the fights that don't include the Ghost-Faced Killer (Mark Long) tend to suck. Luckily there are very few fights without Ghost-Faced Killer.
   
   This movie starts with two good fights and then wallows in unpleasant humor and molasses kung fu for about 20 minutes or so. If you can get past the 20 minutes, the rest is pretty smooth sailing. Li Yi Min stars as a young man in search of a good kung fu teacher so that he can take revenge on the Ghost-Faced Killer, who offed his father. He carries with him a pendant that the GFK left after killing the old man. He enrolls in a school where he is bullied by the other students. Then the master kicks him out when he finds the pendant, not allowing the young man to explain why he has it. The master is also an enemy of GFK. The time he spends at the school is where the movie sucks as Simon Yuen has a cameo. He later becomes the student of Jack Long (also GFK's nemesis), who teaches him how to defend against the GFK's 5-Element Fist with some methods of Chess Boxing.
   
   This version from Red Sun is pretty good and will have to suffice until a better one comes along. Hopefully it'll be in widescreen and actually be titled "The Mystery of Chess Boxing", as this movie has NO NINJAS at all. It features the director and cast from "7 Grand Masters", but lacks that movie's consistency, though I think some of the fights in this are a little better. With an improved, uncut version including the real title, this is a 4-star flick. How can you not love a movie with such a memorable villain?
   
   1979. aka: The Mystery of Chess Boxing



5. First of all, ignore the name Ninja Checkmate. There are no ninjas in this flick. It's called The Mystery of Chess Boxing and this film has my favorite villian in fu flicks. And he is The Ghost Face Killer.
   
   The movie begins with The Ghost Face Killer seeking revenge against a group of guys who tried to kill him. He hunts them one by one and engages in battle with them. One of the victims leaves behind a son who eventually seeks revenge himself. This leads him to search for a kung fu master.
   
   The best parts of the movie is the battles featuring GFK only. The battles are very exciting despite some editing. Most of the battles aren't short and you get a chance to enjoy them. Especially the final battle which is not one sided, has a good music score, and delivers a really good finish.
   
   The only problem that I have with this movie is the comedy. The scenes are just too dragged out for my taste. And these also contain the worst fight scenes which of course, are meant to be funny. But I was a little more annoyed then entertained. Still this is an excellent movie that gets several watches and never feels dull to me.

No comments about Bas Rutten MMA System Workout.

3 comments about Osamu Inoe's Taekwondo- Basic Training.

1. I have limited opportunity to get to my dojang because of my work schedule. Because of this I rely heavily on books and tapes for home study and practice. Master Osamu's works have been enormously helpful in this respect at a very affordable price.



2. I have bought this DVD in hope to help me in my Taekwondo learning, but i becaume very dissapointing.
   No names in Corean, it doesn't bellong to WTF - World Taekowndo Fedaration.
   Amazon must update the information, not 10 dvd's but only 1.



3. this is a great dvd even if your not practicing the forms on this dvd it is still good for learning drills kicks strikes warm ups and basic stretching and it's really surprising how cheap this is i had a couple of Sang H. Kim's dvds and these are in comparison to all the others

2 comments about Twin Daggers.

1. Words cannot describe the masterpiece that is Twin Daggers, Action, Inrigue, Romance, this movie has it all. From the beginning my breath was taken away by Rhett Giles stellar performance. From the cinematography to the choreography, to the editing, everything is top notch. this is one Gem you wont soon forget, i promise you that.



2. The special effects are horrible and the eighties look is outdated. The stunts are horrible. The makeup effects are horrible. All those I just mentioned are just typical of the generation age. There's tackiness in the negative points mentioned. The dancing and the workout scene was cool because I wanted to be there. I loved how the character of Body had knife points that would pop out of her black thigh high boots. The Chinese vases scene was funny with the breaking and the Frenchman hanging on to all his precious artifacts. The Mime/ghost was really cool with his miming ghostliness. Compared to the other Martial Arts movies I wouldn't recommend this one to see ever.
   
   The artwork on the front of the DVD cover is rather fake and misleading as it doesn't fit the content of the movie. The back of the DVD cover is the same.

5 comments about Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

1. Simply awful. An atrocious film.
   
   Jacques Brel is a relatively recent discovery of mine. After listening to the new off-Broadway CD, I sought out the old CD and DVD. Well, the movie version is a morass of amateurish, ham-handed attempts at symbolism and avante garde film making. The "acting" is like something out of a sub-par community theater production.
   
   I can't imagine ever watching this painful film again.



2. I have seriously been searching for this DVD for years (many, many). I remembered seeing the orig. showing on t.v., I believe. I think PBS or something. It's been haunting me for years and when I finally actually came up with it on Amazon... well... it was a moment to behold. It really is a treasure for me and anyone influenced by the passionate music of Jacques Brel MUST have this for their collection.



3. I bought the CD because Gay Marshall was in the revival of the show in New York. And I loved the CD. I bought the DVD with Elly Stone and company because I was curious to see the show in action. I don't think the original was as good as the revival this past year. Maybe it was the way it was filmed, you know too movie-ish, rather than filming a live production of the show. And it didn't seem the cast on the DVD was having any fun. Its okay, but I'd like to see the recent NY company filmed on stage. I think they were having a good time making the CD! Also, I would like to see a company in Las Vegas produce this show. Teri



4. Jacques Brel was a genius singer-songwriter-troubador. The Englished off-Broadway adaptation of his work that opened in 1968 was brilliant; it's combination of poetry, music and movement -- all hung on a kind of loose thematic narrative -- had a very broad appeal: It ran for over 7 years. I saw a local semi-professional revival a few years ago that was terrific.
   
   That said, a funny thing happened to this production on the way to the movies in 1974. Even with two of the original stars (and adapters), it couldn't avoid the temptation to become some mediocre hybrid of 70s counterculture sensibility and Broadway musical comedy.
   
   Counterculture doesn't mean bad. In places the film achieves what it TRIES hard to achieve throughout: a poetic video rendition of the songs. The setting of "Marieke" with a lone singer and a little girl in a cemetery is particularly moving. The director wisely had the three soloists stand stll (against a backdrop of stars) for the grandiose finale of "If We Only Have Love"
   
   Adding a clip of Brel himself performing "Ne Me Quitte Pas" was also a master stroke -- but one that exposes the mediocrity of the film production. When I ordered this DVD, I also bought "Infiniment," a great two-CD compilation of Brel singing Brel released in 2003. It's so much more powerful--even if, like me, you have to rely on the supplied translations from the French.
   
   Four stars anyway, because the original stage production was so good that it shined through.



5. This video is an insult to the work of Jacques Brel. The production is a dated and poorly produced representation of his poetry. I would much rather have seen the actual stage performance filmed than the collage of stage and second rate images presented in this DVD. I realize that the production reflects the thinking of the late 1960's and early 1970's of Hair and Godspell and this DVD is simply a reproduction of that period productioin, but as much as I like Brel's work, I doubt I will watch it again.