Mountain Of The Cannibal God / Cannibal Man [DOUBLE FEATURE] (product link) Horror / Thriller "Mountain of the Cannibal God" is a pretty good, if not terribly original, jungle/cannibal film. A handful of choice gore shots, Ursula Andress fully nude, and some surprisingly good acting from a clearly "slumming it" Stacy Keach.
"Cannibal Man" is a pretty slow moving Spanish film about a butcher who accidentally murders a taxi driver, and then has to keep on killing to keep it under wraps. Not bad, but the pace is sluggish and the title is kinda misleading.
Shaolin Master Killer (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Classic, must-own, essential, etc. Gordon Liu's journey through the 36 Chambers of Shaolin is a brilliant example of Shaw Brothers filmmaking and is jam-packed with awesome kung fu. Almost half of the film is devoted to training sequences devised by Lau Kar Leung, 'nuff said.
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AUTHOR
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Heeeelllllz yeah! This movie IS the 36th Chamber Of Shaolin!!
The Secret Rivals 2 (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A decent sequel to the original "Secret Rivals", even if it is pretty much the same plot. Hwang Jang Lee returns as the twin brother of the Silver Fox killed in the first film, and our heroes must team up again to defeat him.
The Secret Rivals (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Old school kung fu movie that (as far as I can tell) pioneered the idea of two fighters teaming up to defeat a villain that neither could defeat alone. Northern Leg and Southern Fist join forces to take on the sinister Silver Fox. Some awesome leg fighting in this one from John Liu and the King of Kickers Hwang Jang Lee.
Rashomon (product link) Drama / Mystery This Kurosawa-Mifune collaboration is right up there with the best of their more action-oriented samurai films. It's a meditation on the subjective nature of truth, as the events of a vicious crime are recounted by four characters, each telling a slightly different version of the tale. The brilliant and original multi-flashback structure of this film has been "borrowed" by countless other films and TV shows. Essential Kurosawa (isn't it all?).
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AUTHOR
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Another landmark film by Kurosawa. You're so right- they are all essential.
Master Of The Flying Guillotine (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure AKA "One Armed Boxer 2", this is Wang Yu's best movie, featuring a fantastic tournament (including lots of gimmicky fighters and weapons) and some inventive kung fu traps! Wang Yu was never the best screen fighter, but this flick does a great job of hiding his weaknesses and playing to his strengths.
Bloodsucking Freaks (product link) Horror / Comedy Pure camp and schlock. Sardu runs an S&M show where he kills people and convinces the audience it's fake. Basically it's an excuse to torture and kill a naked woman every few minutes and have Sardu (or his evil dwarf assistant Ralphus) make some witty joke about it. Some funny one-liners, but the blood all looks like orange paint, and the sets are practically non existent. Two words of warning for more sensitive viewers: penis sandwich. Enjoy!
Street Trash (product link) Horror / Comedy A pretty funny flick about bums who drink a funky liquor that makes them melt into multi-colored piles of goo. The gore is novel, but the characters are universally sleazy and one-note. Also features genital mutilation and necrophilia. "Trashy" is probably the best word to describe it, but hey, that's right up some peoples' alley.
The Story Of Ricky (product link) Horror / Action/Adventure Super low budget kung fu/gore/comedy based on the manga. This is what "Dead Alive" would've been like if Peter Jackson were from Hong Kong. Exceptionally bloody finale with an unreal volume of splatter.
Maniac [Anchor Bay] (product link) Horror / Thriller A dark and disturbing look inside the mind of a serial killer. Joe Spinnell gives a career performance as the mild mannered schlub who likes to slice up ladies in the evenings. The story is excellent and full of little details, but the ending is straight up horror schlock. Despite the silly ending, the film has incredible nervy atmosphere and murder set-pieces.
In The Line Of Duty 4 (product link) Martial Arts / Girls With Guns Non-stop spinning kicks to the face. The very best of Donnie Yen's early work (better than "Tiger Cage" and "Drunken Tai Chi" IMO), the action is absolutely relentless. Cynthia Khan is no slouch either, she and Donnie both kick an insane amount of ass in this flick.
For the price HKFlix is selling this DVD, it's a no brainer, pick it up.
Ichi The Killer (product link) Crime / Action/Adventure Probably my favorite Takashi Miike flick. It's sick, sadistic, and dangerously violent and perverse, but it's also a wacky kind of art film. It's definitely not for everyone. Tadanobu Asano is riveting as the psychotic and masochistic yakuza Kakihara.
The Host (product link) Horror / Thriller Way more fun than "Godzilla". The smaller monster gives you a better sense of scale than a guy in a rubber suit smashing models. Some of the later scenes with the family get a little melodramatic, but the monster and its attacks (especially at the beginning) are fantastic.
Five Fingers Of Death (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Classic kung fu action with a rare chance for Lo Lieh to play the hero. The choreography isn't as flashy as the stuff Shaw Brothers would be cranking out soon after this flick was released, but it's still a lot of fun. Also features an excellent tournament sequence.
Gozu (product link) Crime / Drama One of the very few Takashi Miike films I've seen that didn't "click" with me. Maybe I've just overdosed on Miike recently, but this one really seems like more of the same, but not as good. *shrugs*
Kiss Of The Dragon (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts A pretty average movie with a very, very lame ending. It pretty much lacks a "final fight", a big no-no for kung fu movies. For Jet Li completists only.
Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer [SE 2-Disc Set] (product link) Horror / Thriller Michael Rooker is fanstastic as the serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, both vulnerable and terrifying in equal doses. The camera dispassionately records the acts of intense violence in the same way it records Henry eating dinner. Not a ton of gore, this flick succeeds in scaring the audience with atmosphere and the casual amorality of the main characters.
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Wholeheartedly agree, Rooker did a great acting job. Very disturbing movie!
Goyokin (product link) Action/Adventure / Drama A melancholy samurai tale which uses extensive flashbacks as part of the storytelling structure. Tatsuya Nakadai is incredible as the bug-eyed samurai haunted by his past failings. His weary performance is the best reason to watch this film.
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AUTHOR
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I love Hideo Gosha's stuff.I probably dig this flick a little more than you but you are totally right about that performance.
Sword Of The Beast (product link) Drama / Swordplay/Sword(s) My favorite Hideo Gosha flick, this jidaigeki avoids extensive dissection of Bushido or samurai responsibility. Instead, it presents us with a clear view of a man in desperation, trapped by circumstance and forced into action. It is man's nature to be a beast.
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