Kid With Golden Arm Review

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(More customer reviews)I have to say that the Venoms really dominated and made the genre of the "Kung-Fu" films. While I prefer to call them "Martial Arts/Hong Kong Cinema", this is one of the finest and most complete movies of that famous era.
Kuo Chui, Wei Pai, Lo Meng, Lu Feng, The late Chiang Sheng(The Five Deadly Venoms) are all in this movie, and they are joined by many of our favorite supporting cast members from their other films including the great Johnny Wang(still a very tough guy at 50+).
This one has everything you want to see in a movie from this type or genre. It has some of the finest choreographed fighting sequences thanks to its very talented cast members. Phil Kwok(aka Kuo Chui) is now considered one of the greatest action directors in the film business in Hong Kong or Europe, and from me to him, you have a lot of fans in the US including me !
The story has some unexpected twists from the Venoms.
First Off, Ms.Lee, a female guest star, is unusual for Venoms films due to the strong feelings of producer Mona Fong, who felt that strong women characters in ancient China would be unrealistic. She was right, of course, however, modern trends all want to show us women with heroic characteristics and Ms.Lee's character is very likable and important in the movie.
Secondly, we have a likable HERO in Lu Feng, who is cast very surprisingly as the evil leader of the Chee Saw gang. However, for all of his fans, he makes even a bad guy a hero in the end.
Lo Meng reprises his undercover bad guy role as the Silver Spear who tries to turn Kuo Chui(Agent High-Toe) into a bad guy. Lo Meng a true master, not only was he a great fighter, but his characters made you feel he could convince others to follow him through low key, friendly persuasion.
Chiang Sheng as "Short Axe" was just classic for him, and to be honest his death scene brought tears to my eyes knowing that he is gone from us in real life now too. Short Axe is a jovial, fun loving fighter, and Chiang was well known to be a man with a big heart. RIP brother Chiang.
We also get to see Wei Pai in a role as the Swordsman. This is important because he did not star in as many movies with the other Venoms as they did with each other. Wei Pai, a gentleman in most of his roles always gives us an air of honor, and higher standards. It would be interesting to know if Wei Pai did come from a upper class background prior to acting.
Veteran Shaw Brothes actor and now director Johnny Wang gives another great "bad guy" appearance as the evil Iron Robe. For those in the know, he was the judge in 5 Deadly Venoms, and he also starred as a bad guy in the Ti Lung classic Avenging Eagle.
A very important movie for Shaw Brothers and Martial Arts fans, this one is a classic by which others may be measured.

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Kung Fu Beyond The Grave / Chinese Vampire Story Review

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(More customer reviews)KUNF FU FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE-Billy Chong stars in another supernatural movie after making the classic 'Kung Fu Zombie'. Sai Aan Dai(Bai Sai Ngai) from '10 Magnificent Killers' and 'Buddhist Fist' is a black magician who is stirring up all sorts of trouble and using human hearts to make his master invincible. The master played by the great Lo Lieh has trouble of his own because Billy Chong is here to kill him after receiving a message from his father that he must take revenge for him and Lo Lieh is the one who killed him. Alan Chui(Rebellious Reign) shows up as what seems a comedic role at first and some of the fights in this movie are definitely worth watching. Chui and Chong taking on Sai Aan Dai is the highlight of the film, with an appearance by Dracula as a close second. And don't be fooled by Sai Aan Dai's somewhat deformed eye. He is one bad mother AND he can call on Dracula whenever he needs help.
The final fight between Lieh and Chong is nice only to see these 2 go at it on screen together but overall it is dissapointing. 2.5/5 though if I had to choose I would go with a 3.
Picture quality is horrible and English dubbed
CHINESE VAMPIRE STORY-groundzero loves to rename movies and this movie is actually called 'Mr. Vampire #5' or 'Mr. Vampire 1992'. This is the first movie I have seen in the series and I defintely should not have started with the last entry. Lam Ching Ying starred in a lot of these movies where he played a Taoist priest and this is only the 3rd I have seen. While he gives a good performance, the movie is not a good vehicle for him. There is just not a lot going on. Chin Siu-hou(Fist of Legend) stars as one of Lam's assistants or pupils but doesn't really get to do much action. Maybe a punch or two and one brawl with some vampires but not nearly enough. Now if the story was good this would all be fine but it just drags along when there is no action and the only thing worth seeing is the general hopping around like a Chinese vampire. The finale is very unspectacular and you have to wonder if they just filmed this movie for a couple of days while shooting another project and added the special effects later. 1.5/5
Picture quality is horri-awful, has small black bars at the top and bottom, in is Chinese with burnt in imbedded subtitles. But you can actually read the subtitles! That is if you feel like it.

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Black Belt Theatre: Flaming Swords Review

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(More customer reviews)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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Black Belt Theatre: Choy Lay Fut/Tiger's Claw Review

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(More customer reviews)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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Dance Of The Drunk Mantis / From China With Death Review

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(More customer reviews)... Despite
the fact that the DVD is from a VHS source (almost all the
old school movies are, esp. those released by Ground Zero),
this double feature offers the chance to see two of Woo Ping's
excellent early efforts. Dance of the Drunken Mantis stars Whang Jang Li and Simon Yuen (Sam the Seed), and is a classic old schooler. It easily carries its weight. From China with Death (aka Wits to Wits)is a'modern day' action flick set in the 70's and is a kung-fu comedy starring the prolific Wu Ma, Henry Yu Yung and Corey Yuen (who is also in Dance of th DM). Corey Yuen directed flicks like Savior of the Soul, Letter to my Father (Jet li), Fong Sai Yuk 1 & 2 (also Jet Li) and many other of Hong Kong's best action movies. In short, these are well worth it for any fan of hong kong/action cinema.

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

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(More customer reviews)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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Kung Fu Theater Review

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(More customer reviews)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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Five Deadly Venoms (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)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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Kung Fu 20 Movie Pack Review

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(More customer reviews)The KUNG FU 20 MOVIE PACK offers just a sampling of the hundreds of martial arts movies that have been created around the globe for the past few decades. The performers are skilled, the action intense, and the dialogue somewhat superfluous. This set offers high kicking excitement at an incredibly low price!
Users of a cinematic database graded these titles at an average (on a 1 to 10 scale) of 4.7.
Program list includes individual ratings, year and country of origin, and lead actors.
(5.0) The Big Fight (Taiwan/Hong Kong-1972) - Roc Tien/Cheung Chin Chin
(4.0) Black Cobra (Italy-1987) - Fred Williamson/Eva Grimaldi
(2.7) Chase Step By Step (China-1982) - Chee Fung/Wong Gwan Sheong
(6.6) The Deadly Duo (Hong Kong-1971) - David Chiang/Chuen Chan
(2.2) Death Machines (1976) - Ronald L. Marchini/Michael Chong
(6.1) Four Robbers (Hong Kong-1987) - Charlie Cho/Feng Ku
(3.9) Hands Of Death (Hong Kong-1987) - Richard Harrison/Roc Tien
(4.3) Image Of Bruce Lee (1978) - Bruce Li/Chang Leih
(5.5) Infernal Street (Taiwan/Hong Kong-1973) - Feng Chang/Wan Hsi Chin
(2.9) Ninja Champion (Hong Kong-1985) - Bruce Baron/Pierre Tremblay
(5.1) Ninja Death I (1987) - Alexander Lou/Fei Meng
(2.3) Ninja Empire (Hong Kong-1990) - Mike Abbott/Marko Ritchie
(3.2) Ninja The Protector (Canada/Hong Kong-1986) - Richard Harrison/Jackie Chan
(4.9) Return Of The Kung Fu Dragon (Hong Kong-1976) - Sing Chen/Tao Chen
(6.7) Shadow Ninja (Hong Kong-1983) - Roy Chiao/Wei Tung
(5.7) Shaolin Deadly Kicks ("Flash Legs") (Hong Kong-1977) - Tao-liang Tan/Lieh Lo
(7.3) Shaolin Temple (Hong Kong-1976) - Sheng Fu/Kuan-Chun Chi
(???) The Snake, The Tiger, The Crane (Hong Kong-1975) - Carter Wong/Nan Hsi Yen
(6.9) The Street Fighter (Japan-1974) - Sonny Chiba/Waichi Yamada
(3.3) The Weapons Of Death (1982) - Eric Lee/Bob Ramos

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For movie buffs and collectors alike! This star-filled movie pack has been carefully remastered on DVD for hours of home entertainment.

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Kung Fu: The Complete Series Collection (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)There are lots of reviews which already talk (extensively) about why Kung Fu was such a great show, and worth owning on DVD. Instead I just wanted to make sure people know what they are getting with this set...
I hesitated to buy this set at first because it had all 3 seasons packaged together, but didn't mention anything about special features, etc. I wanted to make sure I had the commentaries & featurettes that the individual seasons boasted. Eventually, I bought this version because the price difference won me over (just before the holidays it was $35 + super saver shipping!) and I was pleased to find out that the set contained all 3 seasons as they appear individually, as well as a nice little slip cover to store them all together. The individual seasons & this package are the same, except that this one costs far less.

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Kung Fu Theater: Ninja Thunderbolt/Invincible Hero Review

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(More customer reviews)I quite like movies that are so bad, they're good. This isn't one of them. It's just bad. Don't waste your time.

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Kung Fu Theater Collection: 10 Movie Set, Vol. 1 Review

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(More customer reviews)I am only comparing this set to a poor-quality 50-movie set that I got as a gift. The movies in the 50-pack were poorly transferred. It appeared that they just cropped a 4:3 portion of the original screen, so the action often occurred off screen or partially off-screen. Also, the movies weren't that great.
The Kung-Fu Theater set is much better. The transfer is better. You can see all of the action and the picture quality is better (keep in mind these are transfers from film, so you see film artifacts as you watch). The movies themselves are better too. Better fighting, better plots (if you even care), and better actors. I actually recognized a few of them as character actors from other films. For the price, I am pretty happy.

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