3 comments about The Empress Dowager.

1. This director made two movies of this title (in English translation). This is the 1989 "Xi tai hou" with actors Lui Xiao Qing, Gong Li (in a supporting role), Chen Dao Ming, and Li Yan. It has Mandarin and Cantonese soundtracks, with subtitles in English (though with lots of typos and literal translations).
   
   I am not Chinese, only a newer student of China culture and history. The DVD is not as high quality as I am used to, some scratches on the film in parts. But I am happy to have bought it and to have seen it. The story is well told, I think, in a more Chinese way -- which I appreciate. This applies to the writing and directing. The acting is quite good, from any perspective. The film is short at 94 minutes but packs a lot of content, with beautiful traditional costume, decor, achitecture, storytelling, song, allusions to BeiJing Opera, and history and cultural practices of many sorts. I was familiar with Gong Li, from better known films she has done, Chinese and United States. Here her role is a supporting role, but still a significant one.
   
   The relationships between the Empress Dowagers (mothers of the emperor), and the young Emperor and his new wife, as well as the court intrigue among the others in the royal court were intriguing and held my interest.
   
   I felt it was a beautiful film, though somewhat foreign to me in its style and culture. I appreciate it for teaching me much in a short time, in an enjoyable way, with such beauty and poetry.



2. This is an interesting movie if you want to understand the cruelty the Empress Dowager served to the people in her court. The broken romance of the Emperor and a servant of the Empress was good. However, some of the scenes in the movie didn't make sense, and the subtitles didn't either. So unless you can speak Mandarin, there are some parts of the movie that definitely leave you saying, "huh?" Also, the movie, and the history books don't seem to agree on some a few points, so I am assuming the director took liberties to base the movie loosely on the life of the Empress Dowager. The movie only covered about seven or so years of her life, so if you really want to know about her life, consult a history book - not this movie.



3. This movie is the second part of a three part series of DVDs and VCDs. The first part of the story, Chui Lian Ting Zheng, tells the early part of the story, the death of the Xian Feng Emperor and the struggle for the two Dowager Empresses to take power.
   
   The second part of the story, this DVD, Xi Tai Hou, tells the story of the death of Tong Zhi, the son of Ci Xi, the Western Dowager Empress.
   
   The third part of the story, Yi Dai Yao Hou, is the remainder of the story of CiXi, her murder of the Eastern Dowager Empress and the adoption of GuangXu and her own death.
   
   This movie was shot in the Chinese palaces and gives a better tour of the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the hunting lodge in Chengde and the Sea Palaces, than any documentary usually does.

3 comments about Rage and Honor.

1. Cynthia Rothrock is a terriffic sport Tae-kwon do champion. she does know how to fight. but she refuses to show any of her skill in her movies where every move thrown is slow and impractical. The plot of this movie is unforgivingly slow. Rothrock still tries to depend on her good looks for sales dispite that her ravishing model body has aged her into a 40 year old average woman who thows attacks the same way as would an amature. I think her name would mean a lot more if she stuck to sport competitions and stoped hurting herself making awful movies.



2. Richard Norton and Cynthia Rothrock co-starred in movies before
   "Rage and Honor", such as Samo Hung's "Millionaire's Express",
   but "Rage" established the charismatic pair as the Bogie and Bacall of martial arts movies. The chemistry of the two leads is
   undeniable in this swiftly entertaining actioner about an Australian (Norton) set up falsely for a murder charge in L.A.
   Norton's pursuit for exoneration pairs him with Rothrock in a battle against their criminal couterparts, played by Catherine Bach and Brian Thompson. Eccentric characters from the L.A. underground assist the leads in their mission, and the movie shrewdly punctuates the action-charged pace with light moments.
   An actor of integrity, Norton delivers a performance with integrity as the unfairly accused Aussie. Thanks to the appeal
   of both stars, "Rage and Honor" remains a rarely equaled martial
   arts movie, even ten years after its initial release.



3. Rage & Honor is one of those martial arts films that keeps you guessing throughout the movie - is this good or does this stink. I felt this way every other 5 minutes, convinced it was a decently made film, only to be disspointed at some point with mostly slow pacing or really low-average fight action that stars like Cythina Rothrock and Richard Norotn could do better with. But then again, the camera angles, directing, and editing wouldn't be able to show off a good fight if one was achieved. Overall, this is an average film at best, with several little disspointments thrown in.
   
   Perhaps the best thing about Rage & Honor is the story, which is not saying a whole lot. Richard Norton plays a cop named Preston, who is wanted for a drug deal shooting that went sour, involving other cops and the girlfriend of the movie's villain - Conrad Drago played by Brian Thompson (Lionheart, The Order, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation) A boy catches the whole act on tape, proving Preston's innocence, but the bad guys are desperate to get the tape into their hands. Kris Fairfield (Rothrock) comes to the aid of Preston, and eventually revealing her relation to Drago - which was a nice touch of originality. Unfortunately, pacing is very slow at times, and after an hour I was begging to see a good final fight already to save the movie.
   
   There is an average amount of fight action in the film, but everything is just an average bang-em-up fight without a whoe lot of style. Brian Thomson makes a formiddable villain, but in the end I thought he was just average too. The final fight of the film begins with Rothrock against Thomson in what is a highly unenjoyable fight due to the camera zooming way in on some shots, then way out on others. The editing is bad too, making it look like pieces of kicks and punches were thrown together. Cythina has 2 decent moves, but its not enough to call this a worthy fight. Fortunately, Richard Norton gets a chance against Thompson too, but this time everyhthing is in close & slow motion, followed by a very poorly executed finish to the fight.
   
   If not for Rothrock & Norton, this movie would bomb. They do have somewhat of a chemistry between them, which is why they have managed to appear together in other films such as the sequal to this one. Rage & Honor isn't a bad movie, its just not an exciting one. Its not overly cheesy either, except for maybe elements of the final fight. I'd watch it to see for yourself what you think, but I highly doubt a 2nd viewing would happen any time soon.

5 comments about The Chinese Feast.

1. Chinese Feast is an improbable but amusing comedy about the high pressure world of professional cooking. When mob enforcer Cheung, decides to escape the business and become a chef he proves to be a miserable failure. Finding a job at a local Chinese restaurant, he does all kinds of miserable jobs, until he befriends the owner and his daughter. When the owner is challenged to a food duel, Cheung must find the perfect chef to cook the meal. Unfortunately, the man they need has become an alcoholic grocery clerk...Can the Cheung rehabilitate the master Chef in time?

   I found Chinese Feast to be a fun and amusing comedy. But, the plot was somewhat disjointed. I also felt the beginning was a bit slow, and the subtitles were very tiny and hard to read. Finally some of the dishes, made my stomach turn (bear paws), and (monkey brains), err... Can anyone say SARS?

   Overall, a cute film, which could benefit from a tad more editing.




2. The young man is determined to become a skilled practitioner in this Chinese film, but he must first learn from a master, an older man who has sunk low. Yet the master still retains his abilities. The question: Can the master bring himself back up, train the young man and lead a team of courageous followers to final victory in an explosive show-down against a team of arrogant professionals?
   
   Well, sure. But be sure you've eaten before you see this movie because it's about cooking, not kung fu. If you like Chinese food, your stomach will be rumbling half-way through the film. The movie is part slapstick, part screwball comedy, part Iron Chef..and it's all about Chinese cookery. You might not think elephant trunk sounds appetizing, but, I'll tell you, it's looks good on a plate.
   
   Chui Kong Sun (Leslie Cheung) is determined to become a chef. He's something of a wise guy, brash but basically well-intentioned. He gets a job in a restaurant under false pretenses and almost immediately finds himself in a wrestling match with a 200 pound live fish. He and the fish go thrashing from the kitchen into the dining room, and along the way he encounters the restaurant owner's daughter, Au Ka Wai (Anita Yuen), who looks a little like Cyndi Lauper. You can spot her in a crowd by her bright red hair and green lipstick.
   
   After several adventures in cooking, Sun and Wai find themselves in a desperate search to find Liu Kit (Kenny Bee), a disgraced master chef. Only Kit can rescue Wai's father from a challenge made by a notorious master chef backed up by an unscrupulous group of gangsters. The challenge is simple: The two chefs will compete in preparing the Qing Han Imperial Feast, comprising of a different main course a day over three days together with 15 other dishes. The first day will be bear palm; the second day, elephant trunk; and the third day, monkey brains. Whoever wins, wins everything. I'll let you try to decide if the good guys win, but I'll tell you that Leslie Cheung and Anita Yuen make an attractive and funny couple, and that Kenny Bee is a confident master chef once his taste buds and sense of smell are whipped back into shape.
   
   And what dishes to watch being prepared: Fried noodles with beef, sweet and sour pork (not at all like the chewy pork chunks with fluorescent red candy sauce most of us are familiar with), fish stuffed with soup and pearl-stuffed dumplings. And then there are the main courses for the Qing Han Feast: Polar bear palm, deboned and steamed with caviar in golden sturgeon soup, then served chilled with pears carved into flowers; Northern Chinese bear palm braised with honey and swallows' livers; Thai elephant trunk steamed, braised and then stewed with wild birds; boiled elephant trunk frozen, covered with yogurt and aged for half a month, then cut into soft slices and simmered with ginseng and chicken; shark fin threads fried with shark teeth power with monkey brains gently tossed in briefly so that they stay soft, moist and whole.
   
   If you like other first-rate food movies such as Big Night, Tampopo, Babette's Feast and Eat, Drink, Man, Woman, you should enjoy this one. Be prepared for two things: The English subtitles were written by someone who may not have had the greatest command of the English language, and the subtitles are white with no dark edging; they can't be read when the background is light. The DVD is bare bones. All the instructions are in Chinese but the film is set up to start playing with the subtitles. Don't be discouraged. The movie really is a great deal of fun.



3. "The Chinese Feast" is like a 12-course banquet dinner, which serves up a little something for every taste. Director Tsui Hark, best known for crafting elaborate wire-fu epics throughout the 1990's, blends together slapstick comedy, martial arts, sports flick conventions, and even the "Iron Chef" TV series into one tasty fusion cuisine.
   
   Leslie Cheung, a popular Hong Kong singer and accomplished actor (his credits include the very different "A Chinese Ghost Story," "Farewell, My Concubine," and "Happy Together") plays Chui, a small-time gangster who wants to become a chef so he can travel to Canada, where his girlfriend has gone. After being disqualified from the cooking exam of a Canadian hotel chain, he takes a job at the Qing Han, the oldest local restaurant. The much put-upon owner of the restaurant, Au (Kar-Ying Law), makes Chui perform a variety of ridiculous tasks for the amusement of the kitchen staff. But the last laugh is on him, as romantic sparks begin to fly between Chui and V.V. (Anita Yuen, behaving outlandishly), the owner's rebellious daughter.
   
   Wacky hi-jinks involving a giant fish, followed by a Mexican standoff between Triad gangs precipitated by a gun hidden inside a straw basket, give way to a slightly more dramatic central plot: Wong Wing (stuntman/actor Xin Xin Xiong), leader of an upstart restaurant company called the Super Group, challenges the owner of the Qing Han to a battle between master chefs. The duel will take place within 30 days, as part of the third annual Qing Han Imperial Feast. While the winner will earn a sum of $60 million HK, the loser must shutter his restaurant. As an added injury, in the tradition of the martial arts flick, the losing chef must call his opponent Master.
   
   The Qing Han's staff convinces their boss to accept the Super Group's challenge. Unfortunately, it turns out they have been bribed by their master's enemies, and their subsequent betrayal causes the old man to have a heart attack. At this point, V.V., like Cordelia in Shakespeare's King Lear, proves to be a loyal daughter after all. She pledges to prepare the Qing Han Imperial Feast, thus saving her father's restaurant.
   
   Unfortunately, neither she nor Chui, who wants to help her win the upcoming contest, can so much as boil water, much less prepare a complicated series of dishes featuring truly exotic ingredients. Enter Lung (Man Cheuk Chiu), a kind-hearted local chef. He relates the history behind the event, but admits he cannot help with the actual preparing. However, he knows someone who can: Kit (Kenny Bee), a onetime culinary prodigy turned lost soul.
   
   Kit had been a contender for Hong Kong's greatest chef until personal tragedy struck. Since then, he has retreated into a cocoon of alcohol and regret. He works a menial job at a supermarket, and ruins his once-formidible taste buds with drink. The character of Kit is in the tradition of countless movie athletes who fall from grace, and must pull themselves up again in time for the requisite happy ending. Naturally, his newfound friends put him through that familiar staple: the training montage. Only in "The Chinese Feast," relocating one's Eye of the Tiger means engaging in some pretty over-the-top activities, such as being forcefed a funnel full of ice cubes, acupuncture, and even a smoke-filled "death chamber."
   
   Can two fledgling cooking assistants, a recovering alcohol abuser with rusty kitchen skills, and a master chef confined to a wheelchair manage to upset the supremely-confident and technologically-advanced Super Group? If you've ever seen a sports movie, you don't need me to tell you the answer. However, even if you're familiar with every gridiron inspirational or "Karate Kid"-knock-off made to-date, you probably haven't seen their conventions presented in Tsui Hark's particularly active style.
   
   Also, even if you've already watched Ang Lee's "Eat Drink Man Woman" or Juzo Itami's "Tampopo," "The Chinese Feast" gives the food movie a wholly different look and feel. The camera still lingers on the texture and color of prepared dishes, but Hark places particular emphasis on how his chefs do their thing. From the very beginning, they seem to possess superhuman cooking ability, the same way Jet Li and Man Cheuk Chiu had elemental agility and speed in "Once Upon a Time in China" and "The Blade," respectively. True, Kit and Wong Wing are culinary artists, not martial artists. But the director frames them in the same bold fashion, angling the camera upwards toward their faces. It's a point of view that flatters them, even when the angle is slightly canted. And Hark uses slow and fast-motion to make their proficiency with fire and kitchen tools akin to a master's skill with weapons.
   
   (Speaking of weapons, more than one signature dish is punctuated with a shot of a trembling knife. If you decide to watch this movie, keep a tally of how many times one of the chefs completes a masterpiece, then flings his knife into the cutting board, where it vibrates with exhausted power. Talk about showmanship.)
   
   Like "Eat Drink Man Woman" and "Tampopo," this movie celebrates food and the way it brings people together. Food serves as the link in a variety of relationships: between burgeoning romantic partners (Chui and V.V.), former lovers (Kit and the woman he is estranged from), parent and child (Au and V.V.), and ultimately, a large group of friends (everyone who teams up against the Super Group). The cast is uniformly great, and the director juggles them well enough that everyone gets at least one good scene.
   
   It probably helps that all the central characters are motivated by redemption. Chui must learn the chef trade honestly to make up for his early cheating. V.V. must save her father's establishment to make up for her poor behavior in the past. And Kit must win the Qin Han Imperial Feast in order to prove to his girlfriend that he can feel again. But at the same time, the film has enough off-beat humor-the aforementioned giant fish scene, a screaming contest at a karaoke bar, a car-and-motorcycle chase set to Italian opera, and some business involving particular organs belonging to a monkey-that it never veers into schmaltz.
   
   On the contrary, "The Chinese Feast" manages to balance itself between crowd-pleasing and whimsical. Among its possible audience are fans of Asian movie stars Leslie Cheung and Anita Yuen, not to mention martial arts aficionados (Those familiar with Hark's even better 1995 feature, "The Blade," might get a kick out of seeing Man Cheuk Chiu and Xin Xin Xiong in showy supporting roles). In turn, those with an appetite for MTV-style, rapid-fire filmmaking (only done right) are also in for a treat. So are those parties with a taste for the exotic. Meanwhile, the film's universal themes of love and friendship may coax the not-so-brave into giving it a try.
   
   Finally, foodies should be happy with this one. The highest compliment I can pay "The Chinese Feast" is to say that, after being amused, stimulated, and very much impressed by it, I also found myself hungry. A lot of the food cinematography is excellent, but the most tantalizing image occurs towards the end: a juicy piece of roasted meat, slowly dripping with honey. Despite the big meal of Thanksgiving leftovers I had just eaten two hours before, it suddenly felt like my only choices were "Feast" or famine, and I barely stopped myself from taking a bite out of the TV screen.



4. The transfer is poor, with lots of noise and blemishes. It is "wide screen" but not anamorphic, rather it is letterboxed.
   
   The subtitles, in Chinese and English, are not the normal DVD style but are hard-coded in the image. They are hard to read, being low-resolution and coming with the video transfer, rather than being fit for the digital format. Worse, they are always white with no shadow, regardless of the image background, so sometimes they cannot be seen against the picture. Also, they are poorly translated and unproofed, so even when I can read them they often don't make any sense.



5. THIS IS ALL REGIONS DVD BUT IT DOESNT PLAY ON MY ALL REGIONS. A LITTLE THAT I COULD WATCHT DIDNT MAKE SENCE. POOR ACTING.

5 comments about The Prodigal Son.

1. The first time i watched this flick i thought it was sorry and gave it 1 star but after seeing all the good reviews i decided to check it again and it looked like a different movie. The fight scenes are awesome. I wish they had a lasted a little longer. This is a great movie and a collectors item maybe a little overrated but still worth buying. I guess i didn't really watch it the first time



2. "Prodigal Son" has the absolute best authentic Wing Chun fight scenes I have ever seen in a movie. The movie starts off kinda slow and the Cantonese Opera scenes will probably turn off many viewers, however, if you can get past the first half of the movie it gets much better. Basically, when Sammo Hung appears in the movie and the training starts - that's when it gets worth watching. Overall, I would say the movie has some good fight scenes and some decent comedy, but Kung Fu students, particularly Wing Chun practitioners, will probably enjoy this movie more than others.



3. A definite must for any kung-fu flik afficianado. One of the few movies that display Wing Chun in action, and hilarious to boot. If you're not up for buying the DVD, Amazon also has the option to download the movie for $4.



4. Someone owes me an apology because I didn't see this sooner. Probably the white man. I've been in to kung fu for years and had never seen this until yesterday. What up with that? Out of all of Sammo's ground-breaking films, I've never even seen this in a store. I've seen "Iron-Fisted Monk" and "Warriors Two" in the store, but not "The Prodigal Son"? That makes no sense at all. While I like the other two, this one blows them away. It's by no means perfect, but what is?
   
   This movie wastes little time. Yuen Biao is the self-proclaimed town champion, not knowing that all his opponents are bought off by his old man. After getting his tail kicked by a cross-dressing, eyebrowless opera star (Lam Ching Ying, who's excellent), he begs the man to teach him real Wing Chun. The man declines, of course, so Biao joins the opera for the sake of persistence. After the opera troupe is wiped out by hired goons, Lam takes Biao home to teach him, with the aid of Lam's brother (Sammo Hung, who directed and is pretty amazing himself).
   
   The story is really nothing great, but the fight scenes totally are. Absolutely magnificent. You feel every hit, even every block. And talk about fast. The widescreen digital remastering job and optional English dub only makes it that much better. Some things did bother me; like how the slaughter of about 20 dudes seems like no big deal; and how Sammo isn't in this long enough, and doesn't really fight anybody. Those complaints aside, this flick rocks and is a crucial addition to any kung fu collection.
   
   1982. aka: Pull No Punches



5. Sammo Hung Kam-Bo's first film on Wing Chun and one of its important experts Leung Jan was the exquisite treatise named Warriors Two (1978). His second movie, The Prodigal Son (1981), would be a much more box-office successful and less didactic prequel to that film and would be his biggest hit until his next movie Carry on Pickpocket (1982). It should be noted that Sammo's importance to the action and martial art genre cannot be overstated and his 1980s directed efforts are still some of the supreme examples of Hong Kong entertainment. This movie is one of his best and among several of the Golden Harvest produced action classics that I have seen many, many times.
   
   In Warriors Two, the important Wing Chun practitioner Leung Jan was an elder gentleman brilliantly played by Leung Kar-Yan. He is now portrayed by Yuen Biao (Knockabout, Project A) as a protected somewhat spoilt kid whose hubris is directly related to the fact that he has won all his fights, unbeknownst to him though they were thrown. He keeps on his fraudulent winning ways until he tries to fight the brilliant and effeminate Peking opera female impersonator star Leung Yee-Tai (Lam Ching Ying: Mr. Vampire (1985), Painted Faces (1988)) who stars as Lotus Poon, is a master in Wing Chun and unwilling to take a bribe. This defeat along with the realization that all his wins were faked (and the help of another defeat by two "mole" people) leads him to seek a sifu in Leung Yee-Tai. He refuses and Leung Jan has his dad buy the opera so he can take a job there and hopefully get Yee-Tai to acquiesce.
   
   Meanwhile, Ngai Fei (played by the composer Frankie Chan Fan-Kei in his second acting performance) the son of royalty sees Yee-Tai fight and feels he must challenge him to a battle. This is analogous to the earlier story of Leung Jan; both are prodigal sons, except that Ngai Fei can actually fight. This leads to an awesome fight on a junk between Ngai and Yee-Tai that is interrupted by Yee-Tai's asthma attack. Ngai being honorable will not take advantage of his sick opponent. However, his two of his cronies employed by Ngai's father are not so exemplary. They see Yee-Tai as a threat and later try to off him in an overly violent attack by hired ninja-like assassins. This is one of the few scenes in the film where compared to the tone of the film was a bit excessive (though still quite cool).
   
   To escape from these assassins and to allow Yee-Tai to heal, they go to Yee-Tai's Wing Chun brother Wong Wah Bo's (director Sammo Hung) house where he is not teaching his overweight daughter Twiggy (Ho Wai-Han) how to fight he is doing calligraphy (one of the funniest and impossible to describe scenes; also shows his interest in this art form analogous to the calligraphy fighting scene in The Magnificent Butcher (1979)). He is a master of the long distance form (masculine) of Wing Chun while his comrade Yee-Tai knows only close fighting. Leung Jan must get both of these masters to teach him so he can become a stalwart in martial arts and take part in the ubiquitous training scenes.
   
   As normal in biographic cinema, Sammo Hung takes some dramatic license in its portrayal of these real-life characters (which he also did in Warriors Two). Leung Yee-Tai and Wong Wah Bo did in fact teach Leung Jan. Leung Yee Tai was in fact in an opera troupe "Red Junk" (also known as the King Fa Wui Goon troupe) and was known for his "Six-and-a-half point Long Pole" technique which was not addressed in this film. Leung Yee-Tai was known for playing a female lead (female players were illegal at this time) which his portrayer Lam Ching Ying also did under the tutelage of sifu Fan Fok-Fa. This helps in his authentic display and wonderful performance. Possibly his best, though he will always be known for being the thick eye-browed priest in Mr. Vampire and he has mentioned his favorite is in Painted Faces. While the history of Wing Chun is somewhat sketchy and anecdotal, the time period for this movie takes place around the 1850s.
   
   Hong Kong action film expert Bey Logan has named this as his favorite martial art film and it is hard to disagree. While there are a few moments of brutality that seem out-of-place and many of the fights make you wish they were longer, it is a thoroughly satisfying film. Two of the fights: with Lam Ching Ying fighting Frankie Chan and Yuen Biao fighting Frankie Chan are worth watching several times. The finale is quite brutal and fits the Wing Chun mantra of "If an opponent is hurt, go for his wounds" quite well. The action is brilliant, fast paced and fits the theme of the movie quite well with gorgeous displays of Wing Chun and other styles. The plot actually helps the film instead of being inconsequential or a distraction. It is also an exquisite looking film with cinematographer Ricky Lau Koon-Wai (director of Mr. Vampire and many more kyonsi films) doing a superb job. There are also the descriptive backstage Peking opera scenes and the Cantonese comedy which works almost seamless with the action helps make this movie a most enjoyable experience. In fact it is one of my favorite martial art movies (cannot choose one though) and one I would recommend to convert others on to this genre.
   
   I have the Fortune Star/Fox release which is uncut, has a good transfer but no extras except trailers. The biggest plus is that there are no dubtitles. However, the spelling and grammar can be atrocious at times (or quite hilarious) like "5There aren't" and "he's fate as a pig". It does not include the original mono release and the remix can sound quite bad at times. Here is another example of an R1 release Hong Kong release that does not match the Hong Kong Legends R2 release for extras. The HKL version has a Bey Logan commentary and other extras (I cannot comment on them since I do not own it).

5 comments about Excessive Force.

1. Good action movie. I actually saw this in the theater(yes, it did have a theatrical release!) back in the day. This was about the time when cheap action and horror films were starting to disappear from theaters. Excessive Force would be straight to video if released today. Pity, coz it's pretty fun. Thomas Ian Griffth never became the next Seagal or VanDamme-something the producers were obviously trying to do with him-but he really does the action tough guy thing wonderfully. He even had a hand in the script. He's got the look and the moves, he's even a decent actor. He went on to do some direct to video action pics, and played the lead vampire in John Carpenter's Vampires. You may also remember him as one of the villians from Karate Kid III(the guy who teaches Daniel how to break noses). Other than that, the guy is virtually unknown. The plot doesn't offer anything groundbreaking in terms of cops/robbers action, but it's a cliched film done well. It's got a better than average supporting cast of James Earl Jones, Lance Henriksen, Tony Todd(the Candyman himself!), and Burt Young(Paulie from the Rocky movies). These guys must have also seen potential of the script to want to appear in it. Good supporting actors, a good script, and a good performance from the lead raise this otherwise by-the-numbers action movie up a few notches to something quite entertaining.



2. Action superstar Thomas Ian Griffith takes on evil Italians and corrupt cops in this edge-of-your seat thriller. In perhaps his best role of all time, Griffith crafts a fascinating character unlike any ever seen before: a cop frustrated with his work and alienated from his wife. When Griffith uses excessive force to get a confession, a web of intruige and sinister alliances is slowly revealed to him. The film also features a supporting cast of seasoned veterans such as James Earl Jones and Lance Henriksen who both deliver solid performances. With plot twists you will never see coming, touching moments which will leave you in tears and the one of best guitar-solo and saxophone soundtracks ever written - not to mention explosive, glass-breaking karate action, "Excessive Force" is a 90 minute visual feast of pure adrenaline! A must-see film for any fan of good cinema.



3. It's rare in some of these action films for the lead actor to have also written the script, and it's even rarer when it comes out this well. Thomas Ian Griffith who plays the lead role of Terry McCain also wrote the script and served as the film's producer. He plays a sort of loose cannon cop who uses "excessive force" in trying to get the goods on mafia leader Burt Young (Rocky). When his partners Dylan (Tom Hodges) and Frankie (Candyman's Tony Todd) are killed in retribution, McCain finds himself a target. There's the usual dirty cop syndrome, but Griffith's script is tight and has some pretty good surprises along the way. Lance Henriksen plays soon to be police chief and Griffith's boss, and gives his usual sturdy performance. Charlotte Lewis appears as Anna, Griffith's estranged love interest, and James Earl Jones (Great White Hope) steps out of his Darth Vader shoes to play quite nicely Griffith's mentor and buddy. Director Jon Hess keeps the action moving nicely and there are some good kickboxing/fight sequences. All in all, a well done actioner, and probably should have been more noticed during its theatrical release.



4. You have the right to remain silent... PERMANENTLY. A hard-hitting action thriller about a renegade cop who'll do whatever it takes to get the job done. When $3 Million disappears during a drug bust, undercover cop Terry McCain is pitted against a sadistic mob boss. After McCain's partner is brutally murdered and his ex-wife is threatened, he strikes back the only way he knows how... with force!!!! This is an awesome action film. This film is packed with NO- HOLDS- BARRED- ACTION!!!!! If you like martial-arts and are a Thomas Ian Griffith fan (like me). This film won't dissapoint you. This is his best flim since The Karate Kid part 3. KK3 is the best KK film.



5. At first I thought this was a generic 90's Segal/Van Damme wannabe production and only looked at it because Charlotte Lewis graces the screen. She's of Irish/Iraqui/Chilean heritage and is quite the exotic looking hottie. So I thought I'd spend some time fast forwarding through a lame actioner looking for a little Carlotte Lewis sugar. But something surprising happened, the movie was actually good. It has several strong points not he least of which is that in addition to setting the movie in Chicago, the creators actually shot in in Chicago, as opposed to Toronto. I love playing the "Guess where they shot that" game. EXCESSIVE FORCE shows off the Windy City in its best and worst lights. You get the beauty and the warts. I think viewers get a feel for the city.
   Charlotte Lewis is of course beautiful, exotic sultry and just about anything you could want in an action star's girlfriend. She even gets to use an Uzi and that scene will get your heart rate up.
   Thomas Ian Griffith turns in a more intelligent script and performance than I thought him possible. Really pleasantly surprised. he also seems to know the city a little more than the usual Hollywood writer and that's always good. His script even has a little texture to it.
   You've got a great supporting cast too what with James Earle Jones, Lance Henricksen and Burt Young all turning in their usual solid performances in whatever roll it is they were playing. Ian Gomez, who was pretty funny in The Drew Carey Show has a bit role too.
   What you have here is a surprisingly good movie that has plenty of bone crushing action and is just good looking enough and just smart enough to raise it above the howling pack. I wish Griffith would have kept making movies because he could have turned into a really solid lower budget action movie creator. So too paraphrase old Tymie British poet Robert Herrick, "Gather ye Thomas Ian Griffith movies while ye may".

3 comments about Baguazhang - 8 Trigrams Palm (YMAA).

1. Make no mistake, this killer DVD is the source for comprehensive info on the art of Pau Kua. It contains the complete 3-volume video series done by the two masters, with easy navigation. Includes everything from Qigong, solo and partner conditioning training demonstrated by Yang and Laing, solo and partner forms, to the martial applications, and weapons. Amazing. To get into the esoteric depths of the subject, pick up the companion book to this DVD and read the ancient texts. Awesome.



2. Definetely presents a lot of material with excellent application footage. A bit misleading, however, in that the majority of forms are presented by people other than Master Liang Shou-yu. Master Liang, whose skill is clearly very high, is shown demonstrating applications and single movements of the form but it's difficult to piece together the energy of his movements into a connected whole as the flavor is quite different from the young lady demonstrating the continuous sequence.
   The DVD, is however, definetely worth the price provided you are willing to watch it in slow motion several hundred times as the movements are quite complex.
   I would recommend it to anyone with a background in internal martial arts or access to a teacher of this particular style. I would not recommend it to someone without experience in any of the internal styles or at least some basic Qi Gong under a qualified teacher as unfamiliarity with relaxation and correct joint alignment could lead to some serious discomfort and possible injury in attempting these forms.



3. First let me say that I have years of experience in various martial arts, mostly both Chinese & Japanese.
   My focus & forte is self-defense with joint locks & Dim-Mak/Kyusho-Jitsu that is effective with efficient movements.
   This DVD & the companion book are very good & someone with experience & focus can get a lot out of them both.
   I find the Qi Gong very useful & well done.
   My main complaint is about the woman that demonstrates the first long sequence. She dances well, but I can't see why she was chosen to demonstrate the form. Maybe her ballet like movements would translate better into combat than I give her credit for, but I am doubtful(sorry).
   And, truth be told, I am probably too critical of her movements.
   Other than that, you can always learn so much from great masters such as Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming & Master Shou-Yu Liang.

5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 47 - It's On!.

1. UFC 47 "Tt's On!" Has to be one of the most exciting and anticipated events in UFC history. April 2, 2004 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas with a sold out crowd of 11,413 that included celebrities like George Clooney, Shaq, and many more..
   
   In spite of all the pre fight predictions promising that Tito would prevail...surpise! surprise! surprise! Chuck Lid dell got busy and unleashed a massive blitz of power punches that put Tito Ortiz down on the canvas..and out for the night. It was the first time that the cocky and always animated former UFC light heavyweight champion had been knocked out. Down for the count and unable to defend himself, Tito was saved by the ref for the event, Big John McCarthy. The official cause of death..technical knockout.
   
   Once again Joe Rogan, better known to most television addicts as the host of fear factor, is in charge of describing all the blow by blow action for this event. And he delivers on the goods. I love Joe Rogan hosting UFC..he is an interviewer that knows the MMA! As a former 4x Kick boxing champ from mass, he has been in the ring and can comment with intelligence..unlike some of the yahoos that stumble into the octagon to do the post fight wrap up lately. Get Joe Rogan...acept no substitutes.
   
   This DVD features video stories chronicling the rise to fame for both Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz and how they came to be the most anticipated match up in UFC history.
   
   Other mini clips include:
   Randy Couture Back in Training
   Wes Sims and Mike Kyle Post-Fight Controversy
   Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz Prepare for Battle
   Nick Diaz Post-Fight
   Yves Edwards Breaks Down His Win With Coach Lewis Wood
   The Ultimate Grudge Match: Ortiz Vs. Liddell
   Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz Post-Fight
   
   Fights include:
   Mike Brown vs Genki Sudo (Prelim) [2:44]
   (Prelim) Wade Shipp vs Jonathan Wiezorek [3:22]
   Wes Sims vs Mike Kyle [6:52]
   Robbie Lawler vs Nick Diaz [4:43]
   On the Mat With Mark Laimon (Demonstration) [3:29]
   Cabbage vs Andrei Arlovski [6:26]
   Yves Edwards vs Hermes Franca [6:19]
   Chris Lytle vs Tiki [:36]
   Tito Ortiz vs Chuck Liddell [7:29] Main Event!
   
   The UFC started in 1993 as a fighting tournament that featured no rules other than you tap out or get knocked out. You progressed from fight to fight until there was 1 ultimate winner left standing.
   
   The best analogy for UFC is to say..It's like if someone said I wonder what who would win if you put bruce lee, mike tyson and hulk hogan in a ring together and told them to go for it..and that the last man standing get's all the marbles!
   
   This quote from espn summs it all up:
   
   As a budding major sport, UFC works for me because it combines many of my favorite boxing-wrestling traits- mayhem, theatrics, unintentional comedy, ring girls, championship belts, and especially the "I don't know what the hell might happen next" factor. Maybe eight out of ten times, a Pay-Per-View boxing card lets you down. Not the UFC. Throw a UFC party and invite 10 friends some time...I guarantee that nobody budges for three hours.
   
   A great DVD for a guys night in!



2. UFC 47
   
   Great video for martial artists to watch not just for entertainment but also to learn about what is effective and what is not in a fight. Analyze how some fighters successfully used basic principles to emerge victorious while others suffered severely for neglecting those principles. Compare and contrast similarities and differences between the fighters and their styles of fighting.
   
   Genki Sudo took a beating from Mike Brown but was surprising able force a submission onto Mike Brown by staying calm and waiting for the opportunity to present itself. It is very difficult to stay calm and focused while taking a beating and for an opportunity. Genki Sudo's victory was a small suprise.
   
   Jonathan Wiezorek demonstrated how a rare person can do everything wrong and disregard all principles of common sense and still emerge victorious by using brute strength to wear the opponent out. He offered almost no effective offense or defense until the very end while constantly absorbing strikes by Wade Shipp. Wade Shipp appeared to simply run out of energy after punishing Jonathan Wiezorek for having no other means than to charge forward and use his heavier weight to try and trap his opponent against the cage. Wade Shipp should not have entered any fight with so little stamina and endurance.
   
   To me the two most exciting fights of the event were the match between Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz and the match between Cabbage and Andrei Arlovski.
   
   Robbie Lawler has awsome speed, energy and knock out power. Nick Diaz said that Robbie Lawler looked a little sloppy in a prefight comment. But, it was Nick Diaz who displayed intentional extreme sloppiness of his own to lure Robbie Lawler repeatedly by dropping his guard and opening himself up to offer himself as an easy target for Robbie Lawler again and again. The big surprise was that it worked. The next big surprise was Robbie Lawler's defeat suddenly at the moment that he appeared to be taking control of the fight. I thought that Robbie Lawler was about to put Nick Diaz to sleep on the mat. Then, Nick Diaz displayed use of his very good sense of timing to catch Robbie Lawler with a strike to his face as Robbie was moving forward. Robbie Lawler took another blow as he landed forward on his face and lost all sense of direction as he struggled to recover himself. Nick Diaz won by good timing in applying the martial art principle of using the opponent's strength and energy against the opponent himself though his means of creating a distraction by dropping his guard to tempt a fighter as good as Robbie Lawler to take the bait was foolishly hazardous. Never the less, it worked for Nick Diaz in this fight.
   
   The fight between Cabbage and Andrei Arlovski again pits a very skilled kick boxer, Andrei, against an indestructible brute, Cabbage. Andrei was demonstrating to anyone who was paying attention how to stay out of the assailant's direction of attack and to counter strike at the instant that the opponent's attack passes by or loses momentum. This is what Bruce Lee was talking about when he said, "Be like water" and "harmonize with the opponent's movements." It paid off for Andrei as Cabbage could not touch him. The indestructible Cabbage fell like a tree from the blows of a lumber jack's axe.
   
   The match between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz was actually somewhat disappointing to anyone who knows anything about skillfull fighting. Chuck did not win due to superior skill, tactics or strategy but rather due to dumb mistakes by Tito Ortiz. Tito Ortiz's own comments afterwards reveals that he let his ego be his guide while engaging the fight in ignorant manner. Chuck was not all that quick. Tito's first serious mistake was projecting that he was hurt by wiping his face where Chuck landed his first stinging blow and grimacing with a painful expression after breaking out of an initial confrontation with Chuck in the second round. Seeing Tito hurt was the signal for Chuck to close in on him again before he could recover. Tito successfully blocked the first couple of punches which were not that fast. I thought Tito had enough time to maybe either apply a reverse arm bar on Chuck, since it seemed as though Chuck left his arm extended too long after throwing the first couple of punches, or escape to one side or the other so as not to have the cage at his back while trying to avoid Chuck's strikes. Instead he stays in the same space with the cage at his back and then regresses in unprofessional manner to trying to avoid Chuck's blows by covering his face with his arms instead of continuing to block or to try to trap Chucks arms or to escape. I slowed the DVD down. It took 12 strikes by Chuck to send Tito down to the mat. It might not have happened at all if Tito had been thinking about what he might been able to do. Tito Should have been paying attention to how Andrei Arlovski was able to deal with the same situation successfully again and again without being touched by his opponent.



3. Date: April 2, 2004
   Location: Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas
   
   The first fight truly worth watching is between Ruthless Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz. These are two of the youngest stars of the UFC. Diaz is a better technical fighter, but Lawler is far more powerful, bringing straight heat and rage. Lawler seems to have more immediate "fight-stopping" ability. On this night, however, we see Diaz taunting Lawler throughout the fight. Lawler grows increasingly angry and reckless - leading to the startling ending to the fight.
   
   Cabbage then faces off against Andrei Arlovski (a personal favorite to watch). Arlovski strikes accurately and effectively, as usual, but Cabbage has a seemingly inhuman ability to take punishment, which keeps him in this fight for a while. Pretty exciting.
   
   Chris Lytle takes on Tiki in a decent fight. Lytle is impressive, as always.
   
   The main event of the evening: the bout between Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. There was a great deal of hype behind this fight. It should have happened before they both lost to "The Natural" Randy Couture. Tito originally didn't take the fight, but after losing to Couture, he has to save some face and finally face the Iceman. Chuck Liddell is always ferocious, but he is particularly frenzied during this fight. He barely gives Ortiz a chance to breathe. Tito strangely allows the fight to stay on the feet, which is obviously a poor choice against Liddell. This was a superfight a long time in the making - and the finish to the fight is equally dramatic.
   
   As always, there are some good behind-the-scenes bonus features that provide insight into the fighers' preparation for their fights, as well as post-fight footage. Great stuff.
   
   Highly recommended.



4. Yeah, what else is new right? SO Tito has to be acting like a little baby sayign that "oh me and Chuck said we would never fight". Well when you are in line to be the champ, you may want to fight the person and make some money. Here are the matches on this disc.
   
   Genkei Sudo vs. M. Brown-very good match and if you have not seen the ninja Sudo, then this is a must see.
   
   Wade Shipp vs. Jonathan Wiezorek-I think I actually had the best time watching this match. The ending is hilarious! You really have to see it to believe it.
   
   Mike Kyle vs. Wes Sims-pretty good heavyweight match.
   
   Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler-Lawler again proves to be the most reckless fighter in the UFC.
   
   Cabbage vs. Arlovski-now that is a heavyweight matchup, unfortanately this fight is a little too short.
   
   Yves Edwards vs. Hermes Franca-how can you not love Yves and his Thugjitsu?
   
   Chris Lytle vs. Tiki-I wish this fight could have gone a little longer but it was a great fight.
   
   Ortiz vs. Liddell-if I gave anything away people would probably be mad at me. I will just say that I was dissapointed.



5. This what people had been waiting for. Always the question, what if? What if Tito Ortiz ever took on Chuck Liddell? Tito said, "We were really good friends, and we were never going to fight." Yet in reply, Chuck simply stated, "There was NEVER any agreement NOT to fight." It was time for somebody to put up and shut up, and stay out of the other guy's path. This is UFC 47, and it wasn't too bad. Here is what took place, as well as the main event. Read below.
   
   Jonathan Weizorek vs. Wade Shipp: In my opinion, if Shipp would have focused on teeing off early on, the fight would've ended sooner than it did. Tough ending, but better preparation on both parts would've made this a little more entertaining.
   
   Genki Sudo vs. Mike Brown: Brown wanted to knock off Sudo's horseplay. Genki is always an entertaining match up, and you never know what to expect from him. Can Brown withstand the crazy crap?
   
   Mike Kyle vs. Wes Simms: This was pretty intense on both parts, but you have to be ready, and not get gassed. Somewhat of a surprise ending, but good fight to say the least.
   
   Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler: Diaz chooses to strike with a striker! Is he crazy, or is he a fist to be reckoned with as well? Good match, good action, not disappointing in the least!
   
   Andrei Arlovski vs. Cabbage Correira: Ok, Arlovski is a world class striker, and Cabbage has one of the toughest heads in the MMA. Mind over matter, or is this gonna get ugly? Good stuff, once again!
   
   Yves Edwards vs. Hermes Franca: This goes to a split decision, for good reason. Yves Edwards is impressive to say the least, and he's one of my favorites. This could've gone either way. Both fighters were hungry.
   
   Chris Lytle vs. Tiki: I think both of these guys came prepared, but only one of them really wanted this. The win was by submission, but it wasn't my favorite match of the night.
   
   Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz: Could've been an easy chess match, but somebody decided to throw some quick, cold fists! The victory was well earned, and the defeat was accepted, yet not so humbling.
   
   With one or 2 fights that I really didn't care for, this didn't make for too boring of an event. I'm glad I picked it up, and hope to see some more of these fighters in the future!

1 comments about Chinese Ghost Story (Collector's Remastered Edition) trilogy boxset.

1. #1-
   
   Joey Wong plays a ghost who kills men for her master Old Evil. Her newest victim is Leslie Cheung who plays a scholar and he comes to town to collect money for his job, but him and Joey Wong end up falling in love. But Joey Wong is supposed to be marrying Lord Black. Luckily Leslie Cheung made friends with a Taoist swordsman played by Wu Ma and he tries his best to help the couple stay together.
   
   I went into this expecting nothing so maybe that is why I was so blown away. The relationship between Leslie Cheung and Joey Wong is actually believable. Leslie Cheung comes across as such a caring person and Joey Wong can't kill him even though she has to or else she will be killed. Even when Leslie Cheung finds out he is in love with a ghost he can't change his mind about someone he has already fallen in love with.
   
   Wu Ma also gives a great performance. This is the best role I have ever seen from him, and he has been around forever.
   
   The action is good but that is not what this movie is about. This is a love story, not a fighting movie, so don't go into this expecting any hardcore action.
   
   4/5
   
   
   #2-
   
   The story continues, but Joey Wong plays a different character. Somehow she was reincarnated and this is the main problem with the movie for me. I wanted to see Joey Wong and Leslie Cheung continue their relationship, but instead Leslie Cheung comes to the realization that she is not the ghost he fell in love with in the first movie. Joey Wong plays a mortal and she and others are trying to rescue Ku feng from being executed. The cast is a lot stronger than the first movie but the story isn't nearly as good.
   
   2.5/5
   
   
   #3-
   
   After being disappointed by part 2, I was very happy to see Joey Wong return as a ghost in part 3. I don't know what they were thinking with part 2 but part 3 is the sequel I was looking for. Once again her job as a ghost is to seduce men so that her evil master can eat their spirits.
   
   Tong Leung (from Hard Boiled) plays a Buddhist monk who is on a journey with his master to deliver a golden Buddha. They get attacked by Joey Wong's evil master and Joey Wong tries to save Tony Leung from the demon. Even though Tony is a Buddhist he can't hide his love for the ghost.
   
   Jacky Cheung makes a welcome return after starring in part 2, and he helps Tony Leung retrieve his golden Buddha after it was stolen. Tony Leung's master has been captured by the demon and Tony is supposed to repair the golden Buddha and then come back to save his master. Instead he gets it stolen and it ends up getting melted into a blob instead of a Buddha. He doesn't know if the Buddha will still have its magical powers but he has to go and save his master. Luckily Jacky Cheung comes along to help him for a very exciting ending.
   
   The relationship between Tony Leung and Joey wong is just as beautiful as the relationship that Joey Wong had with Leslie Cheung. There is a lot more comedy than parts 1 and 2 and also a lot of great one-liners. The biggest difference is that this movie is completely insane. Tongues go into peoples stomachs, the evil demon is some sort of crazy tree monster, and there are some epic magic battles. Fun doesn't even begin to describe it. This is my favorite movie in the 3 part series.
   
   4/5

2 comments about Donnie Yen Collection.

1. Donnie Yen has an impressive body of work.
   Some of his films are good,some not.
   This collection is not his very best but they all are decent films.
   High Voltage is probably the best of the bunch and Satan Returns has the least action.It's more of a horror/thriller but it shows Donnie Yen can act in a non martial arts films.
   Circus Kids is old school action with Yuen Biao in the lead.
   Donnie has a fight scene with Bey Logan from Dragon Dynasty so any of you who even wanted to see him get his butt beat get the chance to do so.
   Cinema of Vengeance is a documentary which is the best made on the genre.
   It's all action with some great interviews including Donnie.Some great clips of him from his Tiger Cage films too.
   Quality on all prints is very good.
   All are english except for Satan Returns which is subtitles.



2. Wow first off High voltage not in English (like listed) or have any subtitle, whats with that? Second crappy dvd transfer on all. Man I was expecting alittle more from this. What a sad sad movie pack!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   
   Moviemakerrr

No comments about Robin-B-Hood.