5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship Classics, Vol. 4.

1. Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1994..
   
   Royce Gracie is back after not being able to complete the competition at UFC 3, where he won a fight against Kimo, but became dehydrated and could not continue on to the next fight. 51-year-old Ron Van Clief takes on Royce in the first round. Royce takes him down and imposes his will on him, softening him up with elbows and punches until Van Clief opens himself up for the choke... it's a standard Royce Gracie fight.
   
   Joe Son v. Keith Hackney. Son is freakishly religious.. almost scary. This fight is a true callback and testament to when there really were "no rules" in the UFC. While on the ground, Hackney punches Joe Son directly in the nuggets maybe 3-5 times... and it's completely legal.
   
   At this UFC event, we get our first look at Dan Severn, who would later come to be nicknamed "The Beast". You can see that he is a wrestler, through and through. In his fights, he manhandles his opponents, but only thinks to strike them occasionally. His fight with Royce in the finals is a 16-minute cuddling session. He lies on top of Royce for what feels like an eternity until Royce is finally able to submit him from the bottom. Gracie is patient and composed, as always, and again it pays great dividends to his legacy in the UFC.
   
   Before the final fight, however, there is an exhibition/qualifying match to determine which of 2 ponytailed fighters will be able to fight in the coming UFC 5. It's Guy Metzger v. Jason Fairn. All I can recall about this fight is two ponytails flailing about for a few minutes, until the fight ends with Metzger winning, although not looking all that impressive in victory. It looked like the lead singers from Poison and Warrant got together and fought inside the octagon... Pretty funny, but entertaining.
   
   This UFC marks the beginning of the emergence of stars other than Royce Gracie in mixed martial arts. This is a fine piece of MMA history to add to your collection.
   
   Bonus features include: A Dan Severn hall of fame interview and a UFC 4 retrospective given by a MMA journalist.



2. The Gracie-Severn bout may not be the most explosive bout ever, but it shows what a true Martial Artist Royce Gracie is. After watching these two go at it, with Severn seemingly having the upper hand throughout, the ending is pure Gracie: calm, quiet and effective. Royce is so methodical through this entire bout it is a blast to watch. While many of the other bouts may feature more explosive punches & kicks, this one shows that perseverance is just as important as any other element. In my opinion, this is what truly solidified Royce Gracie as a legend.
   
   If you like the UFC and you haven't seen this one, get it!



3. UFC 4
   REVENGE OF THE WARRIORS
   
   I was so happy when I learned that they were releasing the original UFC events, this one in particular because this was when Dan "The Beast" Severn debuted in the UFC. Dan is one of my all time favorite mixed martial arts fighters, and this one in particular was amazing.
   
   1.ROYCE GRACIE VS RON VAN CLIEF-this fight was the typical Gracie fight in that it was a quick dominant fight. As soon as they went at each other Royce had him on the ground and tore into him until making Ron tap to a rear naked choke hold. Over all exactly what you would think happen back during the reign of the Gracie's.5/5
   
   2.JOE SON VS KEITH HACKNEY-this has to be one of the dirtiest, but funniest fights ever recorded on video. And I have to say that Hackney is a cold messed up dude. Joe Son basically controlled the entire bout, so Keith decided to punch Joe in the crotch repeatedly until Joe Son taped to a choke. This fight was definitely messed up on Hackney's part.5/5
   
   3.MELTON BOWEN VS STEVE JENNUM-this was am interesting fight, simply because Steve and Melton trade some nice blows. Even though Steve controls most of the fight at the beginning Melton still found his way back to his feet. But it seemed as soon as he got up, he was slammed right back down. And at about the five minute mark Melton tapped out to a killer arm bar.5/5
   
   4.DAN SEVERN VS ANTHONY MACIAS-finally we come to the last of the first round fights, and it happens to be the debut of the Beast. You can't really call this one a fight because it was over at one minute and forty five seconds. But even though it was a short bout it was still exciting, after to vicious belly to back suplexes to Anthony from Severn, Anthony tapped to a rear naked choke.5/5
   
   5.ROYCE GRACIE VS KEITH HACKNEY-Gracie had a harder time this time around in the second round against Hackney. In fact Hackney tore up Royce's face a little with some nice strikes. But Gracie still took the fight after applying a killer arm bar to Hackney.5/5
   
   6.MARCUS BOSSETT VS DAN SEVERN-apparently Steve Jennum could not continue that night so Bossett won a toss to face Severn. This was another quick fight, soon after Severn took him down Bossett tapped out.5/5
   
   7.JASON FAIRN VS GUY MEZGER-that's right a young Guy Mezger fought at UFC 4 in a fight before the main event of the evening. This was a great fight to view because Mezger dominated this fight, he beat this guy so bad that they threw in the towel for Fairn.5/5
   
   8.ROYCE GRACIE VS DAN SEVERN-this fight is definitely a classic in my mind, this was 16 minutes of two greats going at it. Sure this fight took place on the ground for most of the fight, but this was still an excellent bout. Gracie would end up winning the tournament that night but Severn proved he belonged in there with a legend.5/5
   
   Over all this was an excellent event, and is worth your money. Plus there is a great interview with Severn in the special features.



4. This was the debut of Dan Severn. The man who saved the UFC.
   
   Royce Gracie, the enormously skilled superstar who'd become the face of UFC, was growing disillusioned and wanted out. Which was very bad news, since Ken Shamrock had becoming an absolute enigma (one withdrawal and two no-shows between 2-4) and no one else was even close to taking the mantle.
   
   They took a big gamble on Severn, a pure amateur wrestler already well into his 30's, who had only a few days notice to get ready for UFC 4. The deal reportedly was that he would be allowed to compete again only if he made it to the final. If he didn't, Gracie's departure would leave UFC with no marketable stars and eventually turn it into a footnote in MMA history.
   
   Severn's first match (which alone makes this worth watching) pitted him against a somewhat erratic yet relentless striker. Severn takes the initiative in spectacular highlight-reel fashion and never looks back. In the semifinal, Severn exchanges flash for cold-blooded efficiency, crushing the unprepared alternate in less than half a minute. With his future secured, he turns his attention to the indominatble legend, Royce Gracie, producing at least one of the three best tournament finals of all time.
   
   In between are a strange back-and-forth battle between Keith Hackney and Joe Son, Gracie against inarguably the easiest opponent of his life, Steve Jennum's (who?) unusually difficult victory over boxer Melton Bowen, and Hackney's valiant but ultimately doomed attempt to take down Gracie. Also included is a fast and furious exhibition match (the precursor to the Superfight) between Jason Fairn and Guy Mezger.
   
   A somewhat uneven tournament, but in the end, the sport has made its mark, and that's what matters.



5. I know it... I LOVE the early UFC...
   
   I was one of the crazy ones back in the day that really dug this stuff... now everyone loves it.
   
   My buddies got together for this pay-per-view and were treated to some of the greatest early UFC fights. Joe Son vs. Hackney is very memorable for the overt low blows, Hackney vs. Gracie is excellent, but the Dan Severn vs. Anthony Macias fight is outstanding. A heavyweight wrestler vs. a lightweight kickboxer. That is every heavyweight wrestlers dream, and my dream to see an actual German Suplex done for real to a guy. I only saw it on video games and pro-wrestling. I never realized it could be done legitimately TWICE!!! The German Suplexes are worth the disk alone.
   
   Another historic early DVD from the UFC...

3 comments about Kung Fu Mahjong.

1. Spin-off from Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer genre, cheerily contrived and hammed up. Sad love story of mistaken identity whit the Mahjong prodigy hero and the casino boss's daughter... Loved it. Funny acting and great showdown ending. Features the "Ten Commandments of Mahjong" sequence, perfect for students and masters alike. Special features includes Mahjong for Dummies primer menu. I'm happy to own it.



2. The husband and wife of Kung Fu Hustle star alongside a hilarious cast in this entertaining film. This is actually one of my all-time favorite movies! The actors are all really funny, the storyline is great, and you will be surprised that there are some sad moments in the film as well. The storyline is a wacky gambler tries to outrun people he owes money to and accidentally stumbles upon a waitor in a restaurant who is a young man with a superhuman memory. He can remember any order anyone throws at him once and repeat them all perfectly. For example, " I want egg omelet, with tabasco sauce on one side but not the other, three coffees, one with brown sugar and cream, one with the sugar and no cream, and one with only milk, 4 hashbrowns, 2 of them cooked halfway only..." those aren't actual lines from movie but you get idea. The waitor has several people throwing outrageous orders at him that are long and complicated and he doesn't write them down, he remembers every word as soon as he hears. He can even read the phonebook just once and memorize each word perfectly in it. So the gambler sees him as opportunity and tries to teach the young man how to gamble and play mahjong so they can play tournaments and make big money. Unfortunately they are up against some pretty bad mob bosses and also the young man's aunt (the lady from kungfu hustle) who is dead set against him gambling and playing mahjong. Plus, the young man falls in love with a girl but it has deadly consequences. If you guys watch the film, you will laugh all the way through and fall in love with these memorable characters and constantly be surprised at each new twist.



3. Billed as a light comedy - it is just dreck. Save your money and your time and skip this one.

5 comments about Onmyoji.

1. There's an evil prince and a good prince, aided and abetted by evil and good wizards. Butterflies turn into beautiful maidens. Beautiful maidens either live forever young (forget it - got to eat merman sushi to qualify), turn into delicate paper dolls, or, if the wizard is prankish, turn back into butterflies.
   
   Our hero, Hiromasa, is a young, junior grade wizard, a wise man in waiting, an onmyoji in ONMYOJI. Spends most of his time playing flute solos in front of closed carriage of a mopishly beautiful, eternally youthful maiden. Falls in love with her, apparently by osmosis - how do you fall in love with a sigh machine, anyway? Hiromasa's boss is Seimei, a yin-yang master of the complex spells with a strange sense of humor who may, or may not, help the Mikado when his newborn son is threatened by the evil machinations of boss bad wizard Doson.
   
   With plenty of supernatural elements, the plot is both busy and superficial. The characters are pretty shallow, and production values are campishly low. There's a supernatural bird and a sick animatronic baby that look like they were purchased at a dollar store. ONMYOJI recalls the spirit, if not the particulars, of the old Gene Autry and Roy Rogers programmers of my Saturday morning television youth. No central love story, or much graphic violence. Target audience, adolescents. With its indifferent acting, stylized and unambitious action it seems more or less the same as those bygone cookie cutter westerns. Some of the special effects are laughably bad.
   
   ONMYOJI was comfortably interesting, an unusual flight of fantasy. Good Saturday morning fare, safe for the whole family.



2. This is obviously not a movie for everyone. If you go into this movie expecting it to be like a western fantasy movie then you'll be disappointed.
   
   As a number of other reviewers have pointed out. This movie is meant to be stylized, there are many references to traditional Japanese dramatic styles (including both Kyogen and Noh) particularly in the manner in which the characters act.
   
   Translating classical genres into modern contexts such as the monster movie is always a bit fraught. On balance I liked what director Takita Yojiro did with this movie despite it's clunkiness for the modern viewer.
   
   The stand out for me was the acting. Nomura Mansai was particularly good as Abe no Seimei. I thought his "foxy" persona was spot on. I also liked Ito Hideaki's flute-playing nobleman sidekick. The two of them have great rapport together.
   
   For people interested in Japanese culture there are several other really interesting aspects to the movie (as pointed out to me by my colleague Alex Golub of Golublog and Savage Minds fame):
   
   Firstly, the whole issue of where demons come from and how to destroy them. This revolves around the issue of social harmony. When harmony in relationships is upset through anger, envy, jealousy or whatever, the negative emotions create the demonic aspect of the person which then takes on a life of its own. Exorcising the demon primarily involves the restoration of harmonious relationships (and not the intervention of "good" as is the case in Christian understandings of exorcism).
   
   The other interesting aspect of the movie to me was the way in which magic is a function of words and movement performed properly. For me, the climatic fight scene was great because it was so clearly NOT about weapons skills or direct combat at all, but rather the use of spiritual skill and intelligence. Seimei's laying out of the pentagram was a marvellous peice of film-making and captured the spirit of East Asian martial arts philosophy beautifully.
   
   The last example of something thought-provoking in the movie I'll give (though by no means the last thing in the movie) was the way in which the director forced you to confront the boundaries between the real and the "unreal": the use of paper dolls and butterflies as the "real" forms of Seimei's women servants (and at one point, himself) was a great example of this, and added layers of meaning to other instances of this motif in other Japanese films. For novices to Japanese cinema like myself, a good example would be the paper birds that attack Haku the dragon in Miyazaki's "Spirited Away".
   
   Overall, I liked this movie a great deal. It's worth seeing in its own right but as a way to learn more about traditional Japanese culture, it's worth even more stars.



3. I am a HUGE fan of Japanese historical-period films, and I absolutely LOVE this movie.
   
   I think it is so much better than the sequel, Onmyoji II, and do not understand why it received an inferior rating. This film has a touch of the fantasy seen in "Crouching Tiger", but this movie has a happy ending! (and is Japanese).
   
   The cinematography is excellent, the costumes are phenomenal, the story line is heart-rending with multiple love stories intertwined, mixed with power struggles and the supernatural. What more could one ask for?
   
   I love this film a little more each time I see it, and whole heartedly recommend it to anyone.



4. Gave it away as a gift; the one who received it, said it was a good movie, good story line, and wonderfully done. I rated it according to her response, she wants to get one for a relative.



5. Abe no Seimei is sort of the Japanese equivalent of Merlin. He lived a thousand years ago, was an onmyodo pecialist, and was supposed to have been the offspring of a man and a fox demon.
   
   So it's not exactly surprising that "Onmyoji" is soaked in fantasy, with shapeshifting butterflies, ghosts, immortals, evil sorcerers, demons and armies of ogres. It has some distinctly hokey special effects (is that a feathered Muppet?), but the complex plot is kept afloat by solid direction, and some truly brilliant acting from Mansai Nomura as the foxy lead character.
   
   Heian-era Japan is infested with demons, monsters and spirits, which are regularly dealt with by the Onmyoji (sort of astrologer/sorcerers). The greatest of these: Abe no Seimei, whose magical heritage gives him a distinct advantage over his fellows.
   
   Hiromasa no Minomoto (Hideaki Ito) is initially nervous when he's sent to fetch Seimei, for some friend who is being haunted by an angry ghost. But the earnest young nobleman is impressed by Seimei's power, insight and deft handling of delicate cases. So when the emperor's newborn son is suddenly possessed by a demon, Hiromasa immediately comes to Seimei for help.
   
   With the help of a strange immortal woman, Seimei saves the day. But his archrival Doman (Hiroyuki Sanada) is still working behind the scenes, using spells and demons in assassination attempts, and even trying to have Seimei arrested for treason. And despite his immense power, even Seimei does not suspect the malignant magics that Doman is going to use....
   
   Though it has a lot of the trappings of cliche fantasy -- evil sorcerers, vengeful ghosts, a plucky young hero -- "Onmyoji" is a pretty unique experience. It's soaked in Japanese folklore, costumes and history, but at its heart it's really just about the growing friendship between two very different men, and the ways that Hiromasa's innocent outlook affects the jaded, languid Seimei.
   
   Obviously for that, you need some excellent actors, and Nomura gives a mischievous, lazily sly performance as the vaguely vulpine Seimei. But he can handle more dramatic scenes, such as Seimei's childlike panic when Hiromasa is shot. And Ito plays the naive Hiromasa as a young, romantic, idealistic nobleman (also loosely based on a real person), whose bright personality is enough to endear him to Seimei. By the climax, their odd friendship feels real and solid.
   
   And director Yojiro Takita does an excellent job bringing this slow-moving storyline to life. Juggling fantasy, horror, romance and political intrigue at a slow pace isn't an easy task, but Takita manages it quite well. He unwinds the plot slowly, peppering it with lots of supernatural plots and nasty little ghoulies and ghosties. But about three-thirds of the way through the plot, things suddenly pick up -- and we're in for battle scenes and magical duels.
   
   And Takita has an eye for bringing medieval Japan alive -- he weaves in scenes of pure beauty (Hiromasa playing his flute for his melancholy "lady of the moon") in with the horror. And that horror is pretty diverse -- we have everything from a lady ghost cuddling her ex to the exorcism of a veiny many-headed scarlet demon in Seimei's garden. Even odder, all this is handled in a matter-of-fact way, as if there's nothing too unusual about hauntings and demons.
   
   Problems? Well, some of the special effects are terribly hokey, such as Doman's feathered familiar (hello, animatronics!) and the corkscrew ogre fangs. When one character started chewing on Hiromasa with those funky teeth, it was hard not to laugh.
   
   "Onmyoji" suffers from some distinctly silly special effects, but the bulk of this solid fantasy movie is all good -- lots of Japanese folklore, a touch of horror, and a very foxy anti-hero.

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 Baby Bach.

1. Baby Einstein is a wonderful line of videos to help aid in your child's development. Get them off to a very good start with these videos, and this special one, Baby Bach - Musical Adventure. Get them well on the way to a successful future now! Don't wait!



2. I watched this dvd with my 11 month old. It was ok, but she didn't seem as interested in it as the other Baby Einstein movies that we have. It just didn't grab her attention like some of the others.



3. I just love the music and colors. My son just stares and i get house chores done while he is mesmorized.



4. My 10 month old daughter loves this video and Amazon got it to me in two days! Excellent.



5. This is a wonderful gift for a new baby -- the music lulls them to sleep, and by the time they reach the ripe old age of 3 months, they will be watching the TV as the shapes go with the music! I wish these had been around when my kids were babies!

5 comments about Zatoichi 24 - Zatoichi in Desperation.

1. I have about 20 Zatoichi movies, and this one is quite a departure.
   It's far darker and grittier than the others. Less humor, but more drama and trauma. But, fear not, the expected carnage; red geysers, flying body parts.

   Starting with Ichi accidently contributing to a grandmother's death, going through torture and deaths (beatings, sex abuse, suicide) of children, vividly abused prostitutes, to Ichi's torture and subsequent violent revenge, it stands apart.

   Even the music and editing seem experimental. Very 70's. I suspect actor/director/producer Katsu Shintaro was trying to be Michelangelo Antonioni (BLOW UP) or Richard Lester (HELP!).

   For Z-collectors, this may be a must. For newcomers, maybe it's a bit harsh.
   I knocked off a star because although it was a noble departure/experiment, it
   often went a bit too far. I look forward to reading others' opinion on this one.




2. I still give this one five stars , because it is part of What they are outlining as Zatoichi's life and the fact is that he can't see what is going on around him but we can , so with that in mind you can only imagine the reallness that this movie in particular adds to the saga. I will say that I was surprised, as was the friend I watched it with . It is quite a depressing story by itself and I would not reccomend it being the first Zato you veiw but if you choose to don't say I did not warn you. This story in general touchs on the very essence of others and mainly Zatoichi because he is caught up in this huge mess and can't see, so you kind of sit there and feel for him but are helpless, It's really quite ironic , I mean, these are some bad people he's dealing with . I think this one outlines the really really really bad side of human nature that we seldom deal with or see in such an emotional way that is why this movie in particular comes off as quite intrusive to the viewer, it left me scratching my head and kind of quiet like. I will say that the picture sound and overall look of the dvd is outstanding as are all of the Animeigo labeled ones. Perfect.



3. This Zatoichi movie is not THAT good!!!
   because:
   * No awesome moves by Shintaro Kaysu (Zatoichi).
   * No action until the ending.
   * Zatoichi fight with his hands tied to the swordcane all the time except in the beach scene.
   * The ONLY good thing is the BEAUTIFUL colors of the movie!!!
   
   Thank you for lisen.



4. Many of my friends have commented that this is one of their least liked episodes of Zatoichi. It definetly departs significantly from any of Shintaro Katsu's previous Zatoichi episodes. This entry, which was directed by Shintaro Katsu, is very, very dark and a bit disturbing. Especially when contrasting this episode with Shintaro Katsu's earlier episodes. Missing is much of the humor that one finds with the previous Zatoichi episodes.
   
   For those new to Zatoichi, I would recommend watching his earlier episodes; and in fact, by starting from Shintaro Katsu's first episodes in chronological order. In this way one can see how the character Zatoichi progressed throughout the years the series ran. Many of the episodes are great, if not greater than many of the so-called Samurai Masterpieces of cinema. Just look at "Festival of Fire" to name just one episode.
   
   In this entry, Zatoichi accidently causes the death of an old woman on a bridge. She was on the way to see her daughter. Feeling responsible for the death of this woman, Zatoichi attempts to locate the womans daughter. He finds out that the daughter works in a brothel as a prostitute. Her name is Nishikigi [Kiwako Taichi]. Zatoichi attempts to buy her freedom, but things get a little strange from here. This is the dark part of the film. Things do not go very well for Zatoichi.
   
   Zatoichi is beaten up and tortured in a very horrible way. [I will not give this part away] Also, unlike past episodes, Ichi is OVER-ABUSED in a very rough manner: as the evil men he is up against are much darker and vile as in his previous episodes. Never fear however, Zatoichi does exact vengeance on those who cross him. The cinemantography is great as usual. However, this episode may not be to the liking of many viewers, other than die hard Ichi fans. Recommended. [3.5 STARS]



5. Sometimes, we all would like an advanced NOTICE or WARNING before certain films are considered, produced and then sold for public consumption, this my friends is one of those films. Seeing more than 20 or so Katsu films has spoiled me, There I was, taking those journeys along with Zatoichi Ichi while making me feel like one of the family and at times one of his trusted friends, visiting the villages, getting to know the local bosses and their underlings or as Ichi would call them 'minions' and known to us as Yakuza there was a connection or perhaps a bond between me and that cast of characters. I had an emotional tie to all involved. This film abandoned all of those safe,secure and nurturing qualities. This film told thru the eyes of Shintaro Katsu is brutal, savage and relentless in it's attack on humanity, I wish Katsu had warned me that he would stray from utilizing the films previous Directors, Akira Ifukube music score and various other writing contributors that made all of his other films so successful and leaving you with a good feeling as oppossed to the hopeless dread that I felt after watching this film. I did enjoy this film which portrayed sighted people as barbaric and unsympathetic infact this film made all of his other films seem like a piece of cotton candy. Thank you Zatoichi, rest in piece.

5 comments about The Young Master.

1. I though this particular jackie Chan's flick was a little different from the rest, since his choreography/ comedy are usually the same. Simply, you see one Chan's flick, and you see them all. This one however was different, and interesting from the word "GO"!!
   I though he performed beautifully,,and not the same old same old. The villain was equally impressive, with his amazing foot works. He captured the audience's attention from the moment he escapped incarceration, and was set free by his buddies,,definately a fight scene to be remembered!!!
   
   If you're a true Chan's fan, rest assured,,,you will not be dissapointed. Truly one of chan's best earlier flicks,,,,would make a great addittion to the collection!!



2. Early Jackie Chan, some good kung-fu, not much plot, and what there is, is kind of confusing. oh you can follow it, but why bother? the dragon fight at the begining is quite good.



3. Jackie Chan had already established himself in Hong Kong as a box office champion with 1978's Drunken Master and 1979's Fearless Hyena, but he was not getting his fiscal due from Lo Wei Productions. So he opted out of his contract with Lo Wei and was hired by Golden Harvest. The Young Master was his first picture under that studio. The film was interrupted several times because of the contract dispute with Lo and a Triad that wanted a stake in Jackie's fortune. This was eventually settled with help by Jimmy Wang Yu whom Jackie would owe (along many other actors) several favors. Even with all this chaos, Jackie was still able to create a memorable and must-have film, though the movie is marked by continuity problems.
   
   Jackie stars as Ah Lung a mediocre student (funny he doesn't seem so in the film and that point is soon forgotten) who loses in a beautifully choreographed lion dance competition because his fellow adopted brother Jing Keung (Wei Pei), faked an injury and competed incognito for the Wei Yee school. Lung and Keung's sifu Master Tien soon finds out of this deception and this betrayal leads to Keung leaving the school. After an impassioned plea from Lung, Tien gives Lung his blessing to find his brother. Jackie takes his big white fan (important plot point.) Jing looks for work at the Wei Yee school, but is turned down when he is found to have helped the Wei Yee school win the Lion Dance competition. He is then recruited with two others, including Fung Hark-On (aka Fung Ke-An who was the martial arts consultant with Jackie) who has a large mole on his face - reminiscent of Jackie's mole in Police Woman, to free Master Kim (Hapkido expert Whang In Shik.) Jing uses his big white fan to help Kim escape. So Ah would later be mistaken for his brother and sought after by the local police inspector and his son (played by Hong Kong regulars Shih Kien and Yuen Biao.) This would lead up to an awesome fight scene between two of the Seven Little Fortunes, Yuen and Jackie. Yuen would expertly use a bench and you get to see Jackie use a pole again.
   
   Even with the continuity problems (even admitted by Jackie, including one scene where Jackie is fettered and the next he is not) and the overuse of sped-up footage and zoom shots (including one that is parodied in Kung Pow), this is a fun film to watch.. The high points of this movie are the Cantonese comedy and the sublime martial art scenes. In those fight scenes you get to see him use many props such as sword, pole, bench and even a skirt, a skill he learns from his encounter with the Police Chief's daughter played by Lily Li. The high point of the film is a showdown that involves an 18-minute plus scene between Jackie and Whang (Jackie in his autobiography "I Am Jackie Chan" considers this his ninth best fight scene.) I do not want to describe this sagacious scene too much, because it has to be seen. I will say that I have never seen Jackie get beat up so much in any other movie and most of it is shot with wide-angle lenses with few cuts. Even his solution to winning is unique.
   
   This movie is a must buy for Jackie Chan or Hong Kong film fans. The most important decision in buying this film on DVD is what label/version you purchase. There are many shorter versions out there, even several that are widescreen, but the scenes that are taken out are mostly from the action scenes! But, Fortune Star puts out a 106 minute version that is digitally remastered and has the Cantonese (along with dubbed version) audio. Though there is one caveat, many of the cheaper versions have a huge benefit that the Fortune Star DVD does not - Jackie Chan singing in English at the end of the film. Even without that benefit the Fortune Star release is by far the best version of an excellent Jackie Chan film.



4. Isn't it strange? I love old-school kung fu movies. I love Jackie Chan movies (at least before he started making films in America). Yet old-school Jackie Chan films can really be tough to take. Even some of his "classics". This movie is definitely a notch above "Drunken Master" in both fights and humor. It's just wildly inconsistent. Though it does have the Korean born Hapkido Grandmaster Ing-Sik Whang. He rocks. Everything else is a little off. Some of the humor is actually quite funny and there are some cool scenes. The lion dance, for example. It's not bad, and it is enjoyable to watch, but not on the level I was expecting for a kung fu movie. Though expectations will often turn a potentially good movie sour.
   
   The film is digitally remastered and in widescreen, so the presentation is nothing to complain about, but... having Wei Pai and Yuen Biao in your movie and hardly having them do anything IS. What a waste. Usually in Jackie's films of this period the final fight helps make up for the lack of substance that preceded it, but here it doesn't work. The choreography is very good, and ahead of its time, but the premise of the fight is too absurd for them to be able to pull it off. This does have an option for English dubbing. I was taking a chance thinking that it was subtitled only. 2.5, if that helps.



5. Young Master
   Cast: Jackie Chan, Hih Tien (aka Shek kin),Yuen Biao, Chiang Kam ,lily le ,Wang Inn-Sik
   Director: Jackie Chan (also stunt coordinator)
   Writer: Lau Tin Chee, Tung Lio, Edward Tang King-sang
   
   Compared to a list of about 75 other films, this one holds up pretty well, surprisingly. This movie continues in the tradition of the movies he made with Yuen Woo Ping (Snake in the Eagles Shadow, and the masterpiece Drunken Master). This is one of my favorite kung fu comedy ,and one of the best Jackie Chan movies ever. Being one of nine movies he actually directs in the decades he`s been making movies, it really make you wonder. Why only 9? When he is really good at it. This is one of the first films after Golden Harvest bought out his contract with Lo Wei (The Police Commissioner in Chinese Connection).
   
   The end fight is excellent. I know a lot about the martial arts and from a martial artist aspect this is one of the best. However this is a kung fu comedy as I stated, well, In that department it does not fail. It's actually quite hilarious. This is Jackie Chan at the top of his forum.

4 comments about Aikido Self Defense for the Modern Warrior Vol. I.

1. Wow.. The kotegaeshi techniques here are great. Dye has an amazingly powerful aikido approach. The effective Yoshinkan style is clearly the foundation of his system. I think the late Gozo Shioda would smile looking at this. Now, you can do these throws smooth and soft and feel all spiritual, or you can slam the attacker hard to the ground/mat. This DVD-series is about self-defense in the real world. It takes a lot of practice though. Keep up the good work Sensei Dye! :)



2. The instructions and quality of the Video are outstanding.The Kotogaeshi is showed from different attacks. I'm working to get the other 2 videos.For me Quality in instructions and Video is a plus, this DVD passed it with Flying Colors.
   Nihon Goshing aikido Purple Belt.



3. 
   The quality of the Video is outstanding, I really learned alot.
   The techniques here are awesome for self-defense for today.



4. This is a great instructional video. It's like having the instructor in your house, but nothing like going to the mat yourself and learning hands on. It has a ten minutes introduction with basic instruction of break falls and rolls. Be warn though, these ten minutes of introduction is also repeated in the other two volumes. Overall you get less than 30 minutes of instruction. AND then you get ten minutes of advertisement. I was really hoping to get different advertisements per volume, but no luck. All in all good instructional, but you should go to your dojo. The 30 minutes of instruction may not be worth the price of $30. = T

2 comments about Chair Strength & Stretch with Scott Cole.

1. Really like this DVD...didn't think there were so many moves you can make and I know I'll get in better shape. Scott is very likeable and knowledgeable too so I feel I'm learning from someone who knows not like some of the instructors who put out stuff. Nice DVD.



2. i've been workingout for almost two years, lost 50 lbs. practicing different forms of excersices, including scott cole's tai chi and now his later dvds. i love them all, try them and you'll be surprise. he is great, a professional, a great human being, you can figure it out as soon as you do his workouts.

5 comments about Universal Soldier.

1. I know, Goldy got another movie later,
   but here we see why he ISN'T THE next
   'Rock'. Supoorting cast is pretty bad
   and belgian kickboxing Champ Van Dam
   just isn't Schwarzenegger (that says
   a lot!) and movie night filming doesn't
   help! Props and fake US army set up
   looks like something out of a Return
   of the Living Dead set! Not really any-
   thing to right home about unless you're
   into Bill Goldberg, "Next stop, intensive
   care...", just like Van Dam and B.G.'s
   careers after this movie. Can you beleive
   Van Dam did (another) sequel?!



2. Universal Soldier is one of the best action films from Jean Claude Van Damme. The film was released in 1993. The movie is based on an awfully chilly idea of a secret government project to use the reanimated corpses of dead soldiers as Universal Soldiers. These soldiers are really killer combat zombies that are programmed to receive commands remotely. They are extremely efficient killer machines that are impervious to pain, are quick to heal, and pretty much unstoppable although they tend to overheat if they stay active for too long.
   
   In this movie, Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a man who was supposedly killed in the war in Vietnam. He is revived in a secret biochemical, regenerative experiment as a cyborg that is controlled by the people who made him. The project initially proceeds according to plan. However, Van Damme starts recalling memories in a series of flashes from his past, and he eventually remembers the bloodthirsty, psychotic and vindictive Sergeant (Dolph Lundgren), who is also now turned into a cyborg, and is evil to the core. The fight between them resumes from where they left when they were alive. The action really gets hot when van Damme regains his memory and eventually leads to his freedom from being controlled by his creators. But the creators are not prepared to let Van Damme go free without them doing everything they can to get him back and under their control once again.
   
   Both Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren play their respective roles exceptionally well. The pretty and sexy Alley Walker, who plays the reporter who joins Van Damme on his fight against the Universal Soldier, also gives a good performance.
   
   Those who love action movies will be thrilled by the fierce fist fights, unforgettable stunts and kickboxing action that will compel you to watch it again and again. I recommend anybody who likes Van Damme movies or good action movies to get "Universal Soldier." It does not have the best storyline or the best plot, but it is entertaining and exciting all the same.



3. Two soldiers kill each other in the Vietnam war. Their bodies are packed in ice and later regenerated to become cyborg-like soldiers for special missions. Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren play the roles of soldiers very convincingly. Van Damme is the good guy and Lundgren is the bad guy. There is also a beautiful journalist lady, which hangs out with Van Damme.
   
   There is a lot of military action and shooting in this movie. The universal soldiers take part in resolving hostage situations. The first site is a spectacular-looking water dam at a hydro power station. There is also a futuristic-looking huge armoured truck in which the universal soldiers (unisols) live. Their bodies are kept at low temperature and they have to get medical injections in order to stay alive.
   
   There is a large element of fiction in this movie, because dead people cannot be brought back to life in the way that the movie suggests. However, if you suspend disbelief, I'm sure that you will enjoy this high-gear non-stop action flick. I don't give it a full 5 star rating, because there are too many shootings, gruesome bloody scenes and the restaurants, hotels and gas station in the movie look very run-down. But it made me think that we are all universal soldiers who have a special mission in our own lives. Do you agree?



4. When I got Universal Soldier it came as a two movies for the price of one deal. It was packaged with Resident Evil: Extinction, so I assumed since Extinction was quite successful in theaters and in DVD sales that Universal Soldier never paid off costs and now Sony Pictures is still trying to pay it off. The story is about a dude who is in the military and goes through day to day life until the artificial intelligence Seth goes apes*** and starts making the other soldiers kill everyone. So he must save the day and his kidnapped daughter... yawn. Now to talk about the bad. To start off the actors are terrible and sound really cheesy. The action is incredibly dumb as well, and you will laugh at it for how bad it is. The story is bland for a science-fiction film, and well, just about everything is stupid. So why a 7 rating? It reminds me of cheesy old films that I still enjoy watching that were made decades ago. I got a kick out of this movie because of how hilariously stupid it is.



5. Don't you hate it when the person you're trying to choose a movie with, insists you watch a movie because they haven't seen it for x amount of years, and you simply must watch it? Mind you, I have that idea most of the time myself, only to realise the film wasn't as good as I remembered it.
   
   Universal Soldier was chosen mainly because I've only seen two Jean-Claude Van Damme movies - Sudden Death, and Streetfighter when I was going through my Kylie Minogue phase. (I was very young, give me a break, and I remember nothing about it.)
   
   Two soldiers are serving in Vietnam. Van Damme plays Luc Deveraux, under the command of Sergeant Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren). When Scott completely loses it, and starts chopping off ears and wearing them as necklaces (bleurgh), Deveraux has an attack of conscience, and the two soldiers kill each other. After being listed as MIA, the soldiers are complicatedly regenerated, into lean, mean, killing machines, who's memories have been wiped. Now known as GR-44 (Van Damme) and GR-13 (Lundgren), everything is kept top secret.
   
   That is until reporter Veronica Roberts (Ally Walker), with a nose for trouble, stumbles upon the top secretness, when her cameraman (?) is killed. Deveraux has flashbacks, and rescues her before she's killed.
   
   Enter the cross country chase, with both soldiers stripping off, and lying in baths of ice (cold!), but gives the female viewers some nice shots of some very fit men. Did I just drool? It did feel a bit Terminator-esque at points, but thankfully, it managed to get past that, and turn into an actually alright movie. (I say alright, and I've given it four stars. Duh.)
   
   For me, the great thing about this movie was Ally Walker, she was absolutely amazing, and she had lots of great lines. I was bugged continuously throughout the movie that I knew her from somewhere, but the only thing I recognised was a very small role in While You Were Sleeping. There was a great rapport between her and Deveraux, and although the plot is a bit iffy at points (not all the way through), it was made all the better by some great leading characters.
   
   Universal Soldier is completely entertaining, a little gem of a movie, and yes, it does have an iffy plot, but what the hell? It's brilliant.