Showing posts with label action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action. Show all posts

5/15/2012

Moulin Rouge (D-VHS) (2001) Review

Moulin Rouge (D-VHS) (2001)
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I must admit that when I first went to see Mouln Rouge in the theaters, I was most reluctant. It looked cheesy to me, but I kept hearing good things about it. So finally I went, and was blown away. This movie, from a writing aspect, breaks no new ground, but visually,it is astonishing. The beautiful thing about film is that the same story can be told over and over in different styles. And Baz Luhrman's style is most definitely unique. The movie pulls you in from it's opening moments, and rarely lets go. I did find the movie slightly over-indulgent at times, as though Baz was throwing certain visual effects in for the sake of throwing them in. But the acting all around is incredible, and the music is absolutely genius. Many may have a problem with what could be describe as a 2 hour music video, but I loved it. It is definitely geared towards the MTV generation, but I think it can be enjoyed by all. All in all, it is the best movie I have seen in a long time.

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Digital VHS (D-VHS) is the first high-definition home video format. These tapes deliver more than double the lines of resolution and 10 times the capacity of DVDs. When played in a D-VHS player attached to an HDTV set, these movies will sound and look better than ever. D-VHS tapes can be played only on D-VHS players.

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4/08/2012

Titanic (Descriptive Theatre Edition) (1997) Review

Titanic (Descriptive Theatre Edition)  (1997)
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Finally, the most successful film in the film history gets the dvd treatment it deserves, bringing much respite to the fans all the over the world. Previously available barebones edition dvd has been replaced with a 3disc collector's edition dvd set, loaded with all those great never before seen stuff.
Here's what one can look forward to in this edition: New high definition digital transfer with the main feature spread over two discs to get the highest possible picture and sound quality...and thankfully it does include DTS6.1 ES track!!!
Never before seen footage (approximately 58 minutes, alongwith the main film but it will be available through branching option on the disc unlike LOTR EXTENDED editions!!)
All-new making-of featurettes which will include time lapse footage of the massive set and studio construction.
Incredible Alternate Ending - "Brock's Epiphany"
29 Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary which include romantic moments between jack and rose and historical and action shots as well!!
Commentary by Academy Award-Winning Director James Cameron
Cast and Crew Commentaries by Stars Kate Winslet and Gloria Stuart and Oscar-Winning Producer Jon Landau and Executive Producer Rae Sanchini
Historical Commentary
Visual Effects Breakdown of the Unforgettable Stunts
Music Video "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion
...and much more!! Titanic collector's edition is a dream come true not just for all those titanic fans out there but it will be a jewel in any dvd collection!!
AND LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT THE LEAST.......if you own a multi-region dvd player or watch dvds from all regions on your DVD ROM, then you have an option of buying from amazon UK where you can choose between the two disc and the four disc set!!


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This "Descriptive Theatre Vision" 2-video set was produced for the blind & visually challenged. The film is described by director James Cameron & actress Angie Dickinson.

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3/29/2012

Black Belt Theatre: Flaming Swords Review

Black Belt Theatre: Flaming Swords
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Not sure what the problem is but if you want it all you need to do is visit Spinning Disc Direct dot com and you will see this title there as well as many others. Thanks!

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3/24/2012

Ninth Gate (D Theater High Definition Video) (2000) Review

Ninth Gate (D Theater High Definition Video)  (2000)
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I approached this DVD with caution, never having seen the film before and noting its three-star review here, but I came away incredibly satisfied.

I partially blame the trailers for this film for the disappointment expressed in some of these reviews (the rest of the blame rests simply on the closed minds of today's moviegoers). When I first saw the trailer I expected a terrifying occult film filled with demons and supernatural happenings. That would've been an easier film to make. What I saw, however, was so much better.

This is a slow-paced film, which moves along quietly, gracefully, and keeps you glued to the screen for its entirety. Cast performances are all wonderful, especially Depp, of course, who continues to choose the most interesting projects in film today. There are no grotesque demons and very few special effects. Polanski's subtle touch creates images that etch themselves in your mind nonetheless. One example is the wheelchair-bound Baroness careening across the room to burst into her office (don't want to spoil any more). Suffice it to say that certain images in this film are as terrifyingly memorable as Kubrick's twins in THE SHINING, for example.

Although this film is not a "horror" film by any standards, I found myself genuinely scared throughout. Evil is always just around the corner. You never doubt its existence and you're terrified of the moment when it may reveal itself.

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2/26/2012

Black Belt Theatre: Choy Lay Fut/Tiger's Claw Review

Black Belt Theatre: Choy Lay Fut/Tiger's Claw
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Now first the picture quality. Choy Lee Fat is somewhat widescreened with bad picture. I have seen worse and have to say that personally, I had no problem with it. It is somewhat widescreened and dubbed in English so I don't have to squint to read the subtitles. Tiger's Claw is full screened and picture isn't as bad as CLF. Though I have to say the dubbign is much worse on Tiger's Claw.
CHOY LEE FUT KUNG FU- I will review be reviewing the Rarescope version here since it is much better than the Groundzero version. It is a bit longer on top of other things that make it much better.
Cliff Lok stars as a young man who is taken on secretly by a teacher of Choi Lee Fut. Some practicioners have told me that Cliff Lok was not suited for this role and while he is not quite as fluid as some of the greats his form is still terrific and his acrobatics are very good. The movie starts out showing Philip Ko as the evil warlord who takes down a group of rebels and 2 teachers of kung fu survive, one being a monk. Cliff Lok goes to learn from the monk after he has learned all he can from the first teacher. The movie is just above average all the way through with some good comedy. You will recognize the cross eyed officer form Jackie Chan's 'Young Master'. "Your sword!". He is funny just looking at him. I was rolling on the floor he had his shirt off and asked Cliff to wipe his sweat off for him.
The best part of the movie is when one of the greatest female fighters ever shows up. Yang Pan Pan just starts tearing up everybody. While the movie is pretty good all the way through, it is not great. Luckily the final fight gets is outstanding. It starts off with the girl vs.Phillip Ko and then CLiff Lok. Total of about 10 minutes and some great action going on. The end of the fight is billiant. They shows the various techniques that Lok is doing subtitled on screen and it is slow mo for about three minutes. Truly awesome stuff. 4.5/5
Rarescope has given us this movie fully letterboxed and though the picture is faded and there is noticeable damage on the film print it still looks about twice as good as the Groudzero version. The subtitles can be read pretty easily most of the time. The original Mandarin track is the way to go and has GREAT sound quality. The Engish dubbing is fine though the sound quality doesn't compare a lick to the Mandarin.
Special feature included is a Cliff Lok interview and also he is being intervied form the late great director of the movie- Chan Siu-pang. Lok looks amazing even at being at least 50 and gives a very good interview. Rarescope does a good thing in my opinion and has us waiting for part 2 of the interview when they release Lok's 'Best of Shaolin Kung Fu'. I would be lieing if I said I was not ecstatic about that future release.
There is also a small photo gallery form the movie with some black and white pics. There is also the same Rarescope trailers we saw on their first release. I am waiting anyday now to preorder '3 Famous Constables'(which I heard will come out under another name), 'Ninjas in Ancient China', 'and 'Sword of Justice'. Rarescope(BCI) has proven to be one of the best martial arts DVD companies and I eagerly await more and more.
TIGER'S CLAW-this is your run of the mill kung fu flick. Cliff Lok starts out the movie beating down everyone and then he goes home to rest with his wife. He then hears about this guy who always used to win his fights, he breaks the Tiger-actor Shih Kien(guy with the claw in Enter the Dragon) out of jail and tells him he did so so that they could fight. While I know you are yawning right now, shih kien puts on a very good acting performance that I wasn't really expecting. The kung fu is pretty sloppy but does get pretty good in the final fight. I was told by a kung fu friend of mine that shih kien is using 7 mantis style. I have studied shaolin kung fu and maybe that is why I thought 'Choy Lee Fat'(the movie) was so good, but while the mantis style is used well in this, it is just too sloppily choreographed. But my mantis friend thinks it is great, and I have neevr really tried mantis, so defintely pick it up for his opinion! The end in Tiger's Claw is a little too standard but I enjoyed the fact they actually put real emotions in to it and made it an almost enjoyable story. I give it a 2.5.
So I got this double pack for $4.99 at the used store. I cannot recommend this though becasue rarescope has released this now, but get it for Tiger's Claw if you want, a very good double feature.

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2/21/2012

42nd Street Forever, Vol. 5: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (2009) Review

42nd Street Forever, Vol. 5: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (2009)
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4.6 stars
The first review here makes me realize how good we have it with the Alamo (actually Alamos; there's a bunch in town now). We've been watching random collections of clips just like this before most every showing of any movie since the original Alamo on 4th was crankin' in the 90s, and I've just always taken it for granted and assumed that every town has a rep theatre that does stuff like this.
I guess not! For that we can say thanks to the Alamo founders, Tim and Carrie League, and all the film freaks who put these things together. They done good, and continue to do it.
This collection really shows off the endless amount of cinematic cheese that has surfaced from the primoridal b-movie auteur muck and then disappeared over the decades. And believe it, there's lots more stuff like this in the Alamo vaults! I've seen some reeeeally obscure stuff in the previews, and with luck there'll be another Alamo dvd (or three) in this series.
Sex! Murder!! Mayhem!!! Coming soon to a drive-in near you...

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2/12/2012

The Amateur (1982) Review

The Amateur (1982)
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Though this movie is now nearly 20 years old, it is still extremely watchable. It does not rely on special effects. It, rather, relies on the development of Hitchcock-like suspense.
In the movie, the magazine reporter fiance of a CIA computer specialist is executed by terrorists via random drawing while she is on assignment in europe. This infuriates the main protagonist of the movie -- the CIA employee. He collects enough information on CIA sensitive activities to blackmail the agency into allowing him to go into eastern europe so he can locate and eliminate the terrorists that killed his fiance himself.
He is the amateur in a professional's game. The plot is believable, the suspense is tangeable, and the story line not predictable.
I promise that if you like suspense movies, you will love this one! The acting, from main and supporting characters, is good. I particularly enjoyed the character who played the father of the murdered fiance. CIA officers and execs also play their roles (though perhaps a bit stereotyped) quite well.
5 stars.

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2/05/2012

Danger: Diabolik (1968) Review

Danger: Diabolik (1968)
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Once upon a time films were made with low budgets and heaps of imagination, and this is one of them. Though given a whopping $3M by the ego-maniac Dino de Laurentis (King Kong the atrocious remake) the genius Mario Bava brought this 60s beauty in at $400K. Even converted into today's hard currency it would be hard to conceive of a modern day director either struggling out of bed for such a miniscule sum, or ever bringing a film in under budget. Instead Bava treats the eye and the mind to a dazzling psychedelic modernist fantasy.
There seems to be a common notion that many directors of the past were somehow more stupid than the giant intellects of the cinema of today and that they had no comprehension of what they were doing. Bava knew exactly what he was making with this movie version of a popular European comic and that was to make a film that was fun.
Pitted against a world of old stilted politics, bumbling police and chalk-stripe-suited Mafia villains Diabolik, a cool ultra-thief with an underground lair to be envied by Dr No and every other evil genius, outwits his pursuers time and time again with a manic laugh, a delicious girl-friend and his 'n' hers Jaguar E-Types.
This film is a two-hour trip; the score is superb and the images have a vivid organic feel unachievable with today's over-processed CGI FX. If you love the visuals of Barbarella you'll love this. Bava, though, has a more cynical view of the world and in one scene presents us with a nightclub where villains ply the "innocent" hippies with drugs making them dance in hysterically funny ways that is just as an incisive critique of that era as it would be of some rave scenes today. Some things just don't change.
Sure if you want to adopt the brave stance of the post-modernist and assume the sophisticated position of The One Who Laughs At Bad Old Films then you'll get some kind of kick out of this. But you won't get anything like the kick you will by just relaxing into the brilliantly-lit mad world of Mario Bava where nothing is quite what it appears and baddies win - almost.

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The suave, psychedelic-era thief called Diabolik (Law) can't get enough of life's good - or glittery - things. Not when there are currency shipments to steal from under the noses of snooty government officials and priceless jewels to lift from the boudoirs of the superrich. The elusive scoundrel finds plenty of ways to live up to his name in this tongue-in-cheek, live-action caper inspired by Europe's popular Diabolic comics. He clambers up walls, zaps a press conference with Exhilaration Gas, smacks a confession out of a crime lord while freefalling with him from an airplane, and pulls off the heist of a twenty-ton gold ingot.

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1/14/2012

Porn Theater (2002) Review

Porn Theater (2002)
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'La Chatte à deux têtes' (PORN THEATER) is a somber study of a sector of life few know, an aspect of human sexuality that didn't make it into the Kinsey Report, a part of the underbelly of city life most would rather not accept existed. Does that mean it should not be examined, should not provide the impetus for an art film? Writer/director and actor Jacques Nolot thinks otherwise. In this dark little film we are invited into the inner sanctum of a dirty old movie house in Paris that shows only straight pornography for a clientele of men of various types: military men, straight men look for gay sex, married men in need of exploration of their senses, transvestites, old men for whom such places provide the only sexual outlet, and the regulars who spend their evenings in the dingy darkened atmosphere for anonymous sex.
The theater is a theater of life for these people, and the 'stage manager' is the sole female Italian ticket cashier (Vittoria Scognamiglio) who has seen every aspect of sexuality, embraced it, and therefore is wholly non-judgmental. She converses with her straight projectionist (Sébastien Viala) who is attracted to her on several levels, and with one of her regulars (Jacques Nolot), a man of fifty who is living with AIDS in a responsible way, but finds his only sexual outlet to be this theater scene. During the course of the film the cashier manages to discuss her open views of sexuality with these two men and the three of them seem headed for a communal experience.
This open view of human behavior is set with the background of the various acts within the theater. We watch transsexuals ply their wares, group encounters in bathrooms, and various odd approaches and rejections for gratification that in the end represent a group of men who find connection to each other as human beings far more difficult (?impossible?) than quick satisfaction in the dark. There is considerable frank acting out of encounters that are usually not seen on film and that may be more than the regular viewer can tolerate. But at least one director has the courage of Genet and Gide and Burroughs et al to tackle this subject matter in a wholly realistic way. The result is a film of social significance, even though it may not be for everyone. It is an art film, very well made, with a brave cast and an even braver writer and director. To not see it is to miss some important messages about human sexuality and about human needs too frequently dismissed as non-existent. In French with English subtitles. Grady Harp, February 06

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Item Name: Porn Theatre; Studio:Strand Releasing

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12/14/2011

Riot on 42nd Street Review

Riot on 42nd Street
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Well it took long enough. After many problems and release date changes Riot on 42nd Street is finally available, but was it worth the wait?
The film centers around a Grindhouse type theater located on "the deuce," the theater's owner returns from a stint in prison after a run in with a drug pusher went wrong. After deciding to re-open the theater he ends up butting heads with a rival club owner. Eventually all hell breaks loose..
I'll be honest here, the film isn't that great. You've got Jeff Fahey playing a cop who pretty much just stands around doing nothing and the various gang members in the film seem more like Broadway dancers than violent criminals. To top it off the film moves at a snails pace.
Among all the bad there is some good. The movie offers an honest look at the 42nd St. of the 80's, smoke filled porn theaters, prostitution, strippers with no hope and saggy breasts, you get the idea. The location where the movie is shot really shines and if you're a fan of exploitation films you'll have a fun time reading some of the marquee signs. For fans of the red stuff there is plenty of it here including a few slow motion execution shots.
DVD Transfer: The transfer isn't going to blow you away or anything but this is probably the best this film has ever looked. Shriek Show and Code Red did a great job cleaning the print up.
DVD Audio: 2.1 track. Nothing too spectacular.
Extras: Not a whole lot here two "okay" featurettes and a really awesome selection of trailers, I counted about 23 total. The packaging is simple, no booklet or anything, but the cover art is great.
Overall the film just sort of falls flat. The sleazy scenery, blood, and squibs couldn't save it. The disc does have some nice extras, I absolutely loved the selection of trailers included. Even with the inclusion of awesome trailers I don't imagine I'll be revisiting this DVD any time soon. View at your own risk!

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12/05/2011

Black Belt Theatre, Vol. 9: Snuff Bottle Connection Review

Black Belt Theatre, Vol. 9: Snuff Bottle Connection
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Snuff bottle connection , aka Secret Rivals 3 in South Africa was always one of my favourite karate movies of the late 70's.However the DVD transfer does no justice to this movie.Who ever did the transfer to DVD needs to see an optician as almost half the movie is out of frame and this really spoils everything.Well if you prepared to watch it like that,I feel the company should drop the price to about $4.99 maximum.Do yourself a favour buy Invincible Armour instead.A classic in its true form.

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11/16/2011

Dillinger (1945) Review

Dillinger (1945)
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This review is for the 2005 Warner Brothers DVD.
This film is about the real life bank robber John Dillinger who is arguably the most notorious robber in the history of American and earned the nickname "Public Enemy #1". From my brief research on the internet, the movie appears to be relatively true to form. From the early `30s until his death in 1934, Dillinger wreaked havoc across America with his brutal bank robberies and daring prison escapes.
The film itself moves fast, but is only 70 minutes long. There is little character development and the action is continuous and rarely dull. Lawrence Tierney stars as John Dillinger. This was his screen acting debut and he does little to set the acting world on fire. Even in scenes of major confrontation, Tierney seems expressionless and lacks emotional body language. Perhaps this was by design by the director. But if you are fan of vintage gangster films, I'm confident that you will be entertained and pleased with action and drama.
The DVD was remastered but not restored and unfortunately there was a significant amount of film damage. There were five or six scenes with at least 3 or 4 seconds of severely damaged footage. The remastering helped make the picture look sharp but tiny specs of deterioration were still prevalent throughout the film, but that wasn't a major deal compared to the noticeably larger scratches. Warner has historically been one of the better studios for film restoration and they obviously decided to not fix up this film. Due to the limited market of a DVD like this, I'm sure the payoff wasn't there to restore an entire movie, but if they would have at least fixed the severely damaged frames, that would have been sufficient for me.
PLEASE NOTE: Before buying this DVD, consider buying the Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 2 which contains this movie plus four other highly recommended movies at a very reasonable price.Movie: B-
DVD Quality: C

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Willie Sutton robbed banks during the Depression because, he explained, "That's where the money is." Former Indiana farmboy John Dillinger also knew where the money was. And his string of early-1930s heists, murders and daring jailbreaks were so bold and notorious he became Public Enemy #1. Dillinger, Oscar-nominated* for its screenplay, is the bullet-paced story of the man whose crimes captivated and terrified the nation. Lawrence Tierney plays the title role, breaking free of screen anonymity and moving into a 50-year tough-guy career that would include 1947's Born to Kill and 1992's Reservoir Dogs. Perhaps it was a brutal early prison stretch that turned Dillinger from kid to killer. Perhaps he was a murderous thug to his core. Either way, Dillinger presents his story with film-noir style and lets you decide.

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11/12/2011

Kung Fu Theater Review

Kung Fu Theater
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Wang Yu was never one of the best kung fu stars. He could handle it but wasn't up to par with any of the real martial arts stars from back in the day.
FAST FISTS-Wang Yu is very likeable as always and though this movie doesn't have great kung fu and isn't real exciting, it is a well done story. Wang Yu is the leader of the Red Lantern gang. They rob from the rich and give to the poor. They come across a lady who is travelling to perform in a show and instead of robbing them the lady's wit gets her by. Jimmy escorts the lady to the show and insists on watching her dnace. From here it becomes pretty standard Wang Yu. He is wanted and people are after him. When the girl runs away with him they send out men looking for him.
I have to say that all of the fights were pretty good for 1972 or 1973. The final fight is a bit of a stinker but still fun throughout.
The movie is presented in a 16:9 format and has a very watchable picture quality. 3/5
18 SHAOLIN RIDERS-Wow oh wow what a boring movie. I figured this would be the exciting one but I was way wrong. The back of the DVD says that the movie has Wong Tao, Nick Cheung, Judy Lee, Lo Lieh, Fong Yeh, and Bruce Liang is in it and does the choreography. Well Judy Lee doesn't fight, and I didn't see Bruce Liang and Fong Yeh in this movie. To top it off, it's not the Nick Cheung from 'Karado'(aka Super Kung Fu Kid), but the Nick Cheung who played Fong Sai-Yuk in Donnie Yen's 'Kung Fu Master' TV show. So the movie is as boring as can be but I guarantee any fan of the genre will enjoy the last 25 minutes. The very end is like a cross between Chen Sing's 'Shaolin Monk' and Zimou's 'House of Flying Daggers'. It is pretty freaking cool.
There are some sound issues but overall the movie is more than watchable. Presented in a 16:9 format which is about 100 times better than full screen. 2.5/5.
THE BIG RASCAL-Again, the back of the DVD is incorrect and says that Chi Kuan-Chun's brother is Jimmy Lee from 'Rebellious Reign'. I don't know who his brother is but it is not Jimmy Lee. So the movie is about his brother getting picked on, he teaches him kung fu. They rise up from being workers at a crappy job and become gangsters. They start out helping out the owner of a brothel and then they end up protecting it, then they take out the competition. It is a very badly done story. There is this one guy who we see at the start of the movie and it ends up being pretty funny how he just keeps sending more of his brothers to take out Kuan-Chun. The first guy I swear is Yuen Biao. The fights don't get any better than this one though. Kuan-Chun looks very good but no one else stands out AT ALL. The fights are sadly below average but are still watchable and got me through the movie.
Full screened with a watchable picture though pretty scratched up. 2/5.
THE HERO OF THE TIME-Now this is a weird flick. It starts out looking real cool with Lung Fei beign the master of the Golden Skin technique. Then it ends up being a lot like 18 Shaolin Riders. Not quite as boring, but the kung fu isn't as good. Unfortunately it doesn't have a spectacular ending but the fu is watchable overall.
16:9 format. Decent picture. 1.5/5.
I figured this set ould be a better deal than those 2 packs Brentwood has like 'Attack of The Venoms'/'Men on the Hour' but I was wrong.

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11/05/2011

Five Deadly Venoms (1999) Review

Five Deadly Venoms (1999)
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Shaw Brothers Movie Studios director, Chang Cheh's 1978 tour-de-force Kung Fu extravaganza. This film set the stage for nearly 20+ more movies starring the 'Venoms' to follow in an attempt to quench the world-wide thirst of fans of this, the first 'Venoms' movie. Long out of print and only found in the possession of private Kung-Fu film collectors, the current commercially available VHS of 'The 5 Deadly Venoms' by EPI, is struck from a good quality master print, and is uncut and formatted in LBX (letterbox), which is a real treat to Kung Fu movie fans. The story centers around the last student of the dying master of 'The Poison Clan', who is sent out to find the last 5 secret members of the clan, all of whom have trained in a special 'Poison' technique. Some of the clan members have gone bad, and the student must locate and destroy them with the help of good members, if he can find them! The script, acting, choreography, costumes, and sets are fantastic. This film combines bare-chested Kung-Fu supermen back-flipping through the air while weilding exotic Chinese weapons and performing unbelievable feats of physical strength, skill, and speed, with a twisting plot of deceit, revenge, and corruption; all against a fantastic & deadly 14th century backround. The 5 Deadly Venoms stars Kuo Chui (Lizard), Sun Chien (Scorpion), Lo Meng (Toad), Wei Pai (Snake), Lu Feng (Centipede), and Chiang Sheng as 'Yan Tieh', the last disciple of the Poison Clan master. A 'Must Have' for any Kung Fu movie fan as The 5 Deadly Venoms is truely an all time classic.

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The dying master of the powerful Poison Clan dispatches his last pupil on a crucial mission. Worried that the skills he has taught are being used to evil ends, he orders the Yan Tieh to trace a retired colleague and warn him that the fortune he amassed from the clan activities is under threat from five of his former pupils. Each an expert in his own lethal combat style, the five comprise a truly invincible force. Yan must discover the whereabouts and true identities of these deadly masked warriors and decide which, if any, can be trusted.

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9/09/2011

Home Theater Demo Featuring Mannheim Steamroller Review

Home Theater Demo Featuring Mannheim Steamroller
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It plays more like a "Coming Attractions" trailer for American Gramaphone's video offerings. There's some interesting stuff here, like the "Visualizer", an on-screen real-time, six channel spectral analysis of the program audio, or the fact that this disk has both Dolby Digital _and_ DTS audio tracks. (It clued me that the default settings for my DVD player disabled DTS, and [eventually] allowed me to hear the difference between these competing formats.)
Now for the bad news.
Navigation is a mess, some features don't work as advertised, and other things that I'd expect are strangely missing from this presentation. Examples include:
- Some menu selections don't appear to do anything
- Unusually difficult to see what current selection is
- Cursoring past one of the icons launches a special effect sequence without pressing Enter/Select. This disaster is repeated on several screens.
- I stumbled across a Photo Gallery behind the one of the musical selections, but have been unable to return there, only the "Visualizer" display is available. The standard for the medium would be a selection made on the Features Screen and/or the "Angle" alternative video selection on most DVD players, but it doesn't work that way here.
- Audio level on DTS tracks appear about 4-6 dB lower than corresponding Dolby Digital level, making A-B comparisons difficult.
- On-disc documentation indicates that one side is DVD-Video and the other is DVD-Audio, though disk has but one recorded side.
- Visualizer shows LFE channel information is centered at 20 Hz with nothing above about 40Hz, which seems unlikely
For a true demo product, I'd expect some other calibration/setup aids on the disk such as test tones, color bars and reference sheets, and items that may illustrate the capabilities of the DVD player itself (alternate Video/angle/aspect ratios, additional audio material or languages, subtitles) would be nice. It shouldn't involve an Easter Egg hunt to find the material that is present.
In summary, I feel like I paid for a product to demonstrate the capabilities of my system, but got a flawed "test of concept" that is little more than an advertisement for American Gramaphone's revamped catalog. There's also an "ain't we something!" attitude that became annoying as frustration set in over getting even the simple stuff to work right. It's the first AG product that I regret purchasing.

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9/06/2011

Jonah Hex (2010) Review

Jonah Hex (2010)
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To begin, please understand two things about me:
1: I Love Westerns.
2: I`ve been a fan of the character 'Jonah Hex' for over 30 years.
In the comics, Jonah Hex caught my interest because of the gritty, hard-edged stories that featured a tough ex-Confederate soldier turned hard-case Bounty Hunter roaming the old West. I won`t belabor the details, but if you want a good idea of the tone of Jonah Hex; most fans liken Clint Eastwood`s "The Outlaw Josie Wales" to practically be a Jonah Hex movie. Jonah Hex would indeed ask the immortal question "You Gonna Pull Those Pistols, Or Whistle Dixie?"
The movie "Jonah Hex", while somewhat capturing the charaacter`s 'Attitude', unfortunately sees fit to muck it up with supernatural underpinnings and the sort of gimmickry that James West would laugh at ( ...I mean...c`mon...twin Gatling Guns mounted on a saddle? ...a gun that shoots lit sticks of dynamite ?? )
Jonah Hex --the character -- was NEVER about gadgets and gimmicks, or Bringing The Dead Back To Life for Q&A sessions.
It`s painfully obvious that the makers of this movie were too timid to risk a straight, hard-edged WESTERN, so they basically threw in everything they could think of to please a teen-age audience ...and created A MESS.
Now, I do enjoy so-called 'Steampunk' --The afformentioned 'The Wild Wild West' tv series is a good example--but the storyline of Jonah Hex The Character just was never about Steampunk.
Neither does the character require supernatural powers to be interesting.
This film has been compared to Sonnenfeld`s 1999 "Wild Wild West", which managed to take a successful tv series and ruin virtually every aspect that made it a hit. It`s a common trend in Hollywood: "Let`s make a movie of a fan-favorite tv series and change things"....The changes of course are "To make it more appealing to a broader audience" ... So the logic is that you want to cash in on a pop classic and yet alter it so that the very people who enjoyed it enough to make it a pop classic will be disgusted ?
Hey--Hollywood knows best what people will like...right?
The real tragedy here is that, like James West; Jonah Hex has now been ruined for The Big Screen and likely will never get another shot at that venue.
Of course, film-makers in Hollywood these days have long since lost all faith in the Western genre. It`s too bad...Great characters create fans by being appealing, by being...great. The movie "Jonah Hex" was a twisted take on a great character; twisted to suit the perceived tastes of teenagers who supposedly would not like a solid Western character.
Well....I was a teenager when I became a Jonah Hex fan.

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Out of the pages of the legendary comics and graphic novels steps Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin), a scarred drifter and bounty hunter of last resort who can track anyone... and anything. Having survived death, Jonah's violent history is steeped in myth and legend and has left him with one foot in the natural world and one on the "other side." His one human connection is with Lilah (Megan Fox), whose life in a brothel has left her with scars of her own. But Jonah's past catches up with him when the U.S. military makes him an offer he can't refuse: to wipe out the warrants on his head, he must hunt and stop dangerous terrorist Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). But Turnbull, now gathering an army and preparing to unleash Hell, is also Jonah's oldest enemy and will stop at nothing until Jonah is dead.

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8/19/2011

The Karate Kid (1984) Review

The Karate Kid (1984)
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Karate Kid is not what you may think it is. The premise of a young fatherless boy trying to survive a completely new environment is how this movie gets its humanity. For anyone who has ever had to move to a new town, be raised by only one parent, or face overwhelming odds, and almost everyone has done at least one of these, this movie can be related to on many levels. Ralph Macchio plays Daniel, a teenager from New Jersey who is forced to move across the country with his mother and start a new life in a foreign place, California. Setting aside the differences between East & West coast alone, there is plenty for him to realize. When faced with bullies that he doesn't understand, he finds a friend in an unlikely place; Mr. Miagi, a Japanese handyman, played by Pat Morita, who's hides many talents. To say Karate Kid is a story about over coming your fear is to say that life is just a thing we do everyday. This movie mixes a friendship, a romance, a coming of age story, gaining self confidence and learning to appreciate that which you may not understand right away. After getting sufficiently beat up by the bullies more than once, Daniel enlists the help of Miagi and soon finds himself training for a tournament. This may seem outrageous, but Miagi knows it is a much safer place and a more controlled environment for Daniel to defend himself and gain respect. Miagi's training techniques are unique to say the least, and just as Daniel begins to question what is going on, he realizes that Migai really does know what he is doing. The story is good and solid and allows sympathy for both sides of the characters. They fill a void for each other, an obvious father/son, mentor/student relationship. The chemistry between them is very solid. Elizabeth Shue is good in her first major role, playing the sweet rich girl who sees Daniel for the person he is and not for his social status. Although sounding clichéd on the surface, this movie is well done and not superficial. The characters are very real, the emotions are deep and the fear of growing up with bullies hits home for many of us. The ending will have you cheering as Daniel moves his way through the tournament to the final climatic ending. Highly recommended and highly entertaining.

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