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REVENGE OF THE KUNG FU MAO
 
CRASH MASTERS VINTAGE BUNDLE (1968-1972) [4-DISC S...
 
7/8/2008 9:00:00 PM
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AH1706's Profile:
Avg. Rating: 
 3.87 / 5

Agreement: 43% of 16 voters agree with AH1706's reviews
Gender: Male
Location: Reading, Pa
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AH1706's Ratings & Reviews (20 Max.):
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Golden Swallow [1968] (see film details)
Martial Arts / Action/Adventure

"Golden Swallow" is the follow-up to King Hu's classic film, "Come Drink With Me" with legendary director Chang Cheh at the helm and Cheng Pei Pei back for another round. Golden Swallow (Cheng Pei Pei) is living a peaceful life in a secluded valley with friend/protector Han Tao (Lo Lieh). Her world turns upside down when a mysterious swordman named Silver Roc (Jimmy Wang Yu) begins killing evil gangs in her name. Golden Swallow then begins to suspect that Silver Roc is a former classmate/love interest that disappeared years ago. Silver Roc reveals that he is conducting the massacres to lure out Golden Swallow in hopes of a reunion but conducts his business with no mercy, almost as if he is enjoying the slaughter. Golden Swallow goes off to clear her name and find the truth about Silver Roc's identity while Han Tao departs on his own mission to find out more information and protect her from harm. Silver Roc describes himself as an invincible swordsman with no home, although he often lives in a brothel with a sympathetic prostitute (Chao Hsin Yen). All of this builds up to a final climatic moment that is sure to alter everyone's living arrangements forever.

Very good preformances all around as Jimmy Wang Yu particularly shines coming off his 1967 classic, One Armed Swordsman. The action choreography of the great Lau Kar Leung is fast and furious as the viewer often needs to rewind and pause to see how Silver Roc cut down so many men with one stroke.

Director Chang Cheh also puts more emphasis on the characters' relationships and feelings (the love triangle) than many of his other films as it becomes the central plot instead of evil gang lords coming for revenge. Also notable is the beautiful scenery (mountains, waterfalls, sunsets) that is often seen throughout the film, which seems to go beyond the typical Shaw Bros. sets.

This is a great film that is a more than worthy addition to the King Hu/"Come Drink With Me" legacy.


 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
Yhonest review, your points were all right about this one.JV47842



The One Armed Swordsman (see film details)
Martial Arts / Action/Adventure

This is one of the best martial arts films ever made, equally as important to the genre as "A Better Tomorrow" was to heroic bloodshed in Hong Kong, paving the way for Bruce Lee and many others. Wang Yu was excellent in the starring role and has good chemistry with the adorable peasant girl (Chiao Chiao) that tried to free him from the martial arts world that never has a happy ending. Great film on every level, although some may view it as outdated.
 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
YThis film is greatJV47842



Running Out Of Time 2 (see film details)
Action/Adventure / Crime

Sadly, this sequel is nowhere near as sharp as the original, with Ekin Cheng replacing Andy Lau and Lau Ching Wan returning to his previous role. I'm normally not a fan of Ekin Cheng, but he does a decent job here, although he is still no Andy Lau. There is more comedy in this one, mainly provided by a sad gambling-addicted character played by Johnnie To regular, Lam Suet.

This film tries to be stylish but often comes up empty. It really has no resemblence to the original except for some of the charcters, a charity donation, and Lau Ching Wan enjoying a bucket of chicken after failing to capture his suspect. The previous ultra catchy theme song was also brought back and given a French sounding remix. There were some good scenes, such as the bike ride on a rainy night, but I thought the ending was a complete letdown and never fully understood the use of the bald eagle.

This is still a decent film, as Johnnie To appears to be incapable of making a total stinker. It can be recommended but never compared with the original.


 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
Ntoo nice of a review for this film even for Johnnie To fan. sadly this movie just falls flat.KungfuManiac
NRunning out of time 2 is a awful film, it shouldn't have been made.JV47842



The Machine Girl (see film details)
Action/Adventure / Girls With Guns

If you're looking for a strong detailed story with good acting then stay away; but if you want insanity, gore, cool weapons, and most importantly a fun time then watch this. The plot could be summed up in two sentences but that's not what people are here for. Who needs that when you have ninjas, machine guns, chainsaws, flying guillotines, drill bras, and a fine meal of tempura Ami (Minase Yashiro)?

A great thing about this film is that it never takes itself seriously and people are slaughtered in comical fashion. I'm pretty sure that even unlimited machine gun rounds would not turn someone into a bloody skeleton. Adding to its over-the-top nature is the famous Japanese blood fountain which operated in overdrive in this one. The gore and makeup team did a great job in this as many of the kills were well made (especially the gangster that got shot in the back of the head).

This is a very fun film, but probably not recommended for the squeamish or people who ask questions. Turn off your brain and enjoy the ride as the cult classic hall of fame should be rolling out the red carpet for this one while Quentin Tarantino wishes he could make a film this cool.


 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
Nseriously it's really not all thatKungfuManiac
Ygood review- this pic is over-the-top but somehow it's funJV47842



The Boxer's Omen (see film details)
Horror / Thriller

Crazy Shaw Bros. film that involves kickboxing, revenge and sorcery. This film is far out there with two plots that involve Chen Hsiung (Phillip Ko) pursuing revenge on a Thai kickboxer (Bolo) who paralyzed his brother in a match and Chen getting involved in a ancient battle between Buddist monks and black magic sorcerers.

This is a strange film that offers a naked zombie chick that is born from a dead crocodile stomach, an army of crocodile skulls, a character inserted in the film to further reach the T&A quota, an odd green head that looks to be either made of green slime or otherworldly that drips wax, bats that look like evil Beanie Babies, a decapitated wizard's head that spawns tenacles, regurgitation for consumption by your friends, and much, much more--a little something for everyone!

Highly recommended for anyone wanting to spend a wacky 1 1/2 hours or people curious about some of the darker Shaw Bros. films.


 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
Nnot that amazing- could of been a classic.KungfuManiac



Ebola Syndrome (see film details)
Horror / Thriller

A low level gangster (Wong) kills his boss (Shing Fui On) and his wife after he is caught sleeping with her, causing him to flee to South Africa where he works in a Chinese restuarant. His new boss (Lo Meng) hired him to work cheap and his wife always bullies him, prompting him to kill them too and return to Hong Kong with the dreaded Ebola Virus he received after raping a Zulu woman. It turns out he is one of a small percentage that is immune and is able to carry and spread the disease. Wong takes it upon himself to return and spread the virus in response to a lifetime of being bullied.

This film is another collaboration between director Herman Yau and Anthony Wong as they clearly tried to push the envelope even farther than the cult classic, "Untold Story". This is a very sleazy and dark film, with Anthony Wong rising to his repulsive peak. Like "Untold Story", Wong perfectly portrays a vile human being that alone makes the film worthwhile for viewers with a strong stomach.

Also included are several comedic quotes from sleazeball Wong that add lighter moments before and after the mayhem. Some of these lines are very amusing but probably not suitable to repeat. Director Herman Yau is an expert at setting the mood for these kind of films with many intense and repulsive moments. One great scene was when a mouse was run over by the cab Wong was riding in, showing that death follows this man no matter what type of breathing creature or the circumstances. Not even children were spared in this one.

Despite its many disgusting moments, "Ebola Syndrome" is a well made film with another great preformance from Anthony Wong in a role he seems all too comfortable in. This may also be the most unsanitary film ever made as blood, sweat, semen, and saliva were flying all over the place throughout the 98-minute runtime. I like that Herman Yau brought back the human beef buns from "Untold Story" (Africa Buns in this film) and also added a nifty spit cam that gives the audience an extra disgusting close up view. The moral of the story, if it has one, is to watch who you bully.

Highly recommended but not for the squeamish.


 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
NThe movie was all right but nothing really impressiveKungfuManiac
YYep this film is on the disgusting level but it's actually worth watchingJV47842



Police Story (see film details)
Martial Arts / Comedy

What can be said about "Police Story" that hasn't been said already? This film is just that damn good. Plot, script, acting, comedy, flow of film, action and of course the stunts are all incredible. The lengthy beginning and end action sequences are phenominal and the middle ones are very good too.

The fact Jackie Chan used his own money, house, car, health insurance even adds to how great this is in his already impressive legacy.

My favorite Jackie Chan film hands down!
 

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Death Trance (see film details)
Action/Adventure / Thriller

"Death Trance" was a film made by the star and action coordinator of the wildly popular film, "Versus". It seems that Tak Sakaguchi and Yuji Shimomura tried to capitalize off the previous film's success by creating the same style of action in the same never ending forest. What we have here is another stylized film that somehow managed to have less of a sensible plot than versus that disguises itself as a period piece from an unknown time and place. Unfortunately for "Death Trance", this time the mayhem and style couldn't make up for the lazy script unlike the incredibly entertaining film, "Versus".

I do really like Tak Sakaguchi's screen presense and action sequences showing great promise when he figures out a believable story is important. The action scenes were intense and very believable since he would really hit people with his padded hands that were covered by his costume sleeves.

This film also included fun but very over the top action such as bazookas with homing missiles, zombies?, and strange pale people similar to the ones in "Seven Swords".

Still this film is fun but it comes back to questions like who are these people, what's the purpose of those girls, where did that weapon come from, etc...

Many people who like mindless violence and mayhem like I do will have a great time if they are able to put their mind on stop and "Death Trance" on play, but to people who ask questions during movies--beware


 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
NToo goofy to be worth 3 starsBlack Belt Ninja
N3 stars that's too nice for a film like this.KungfuManiac



Five Fingers Of Death (see film details)
Martial Arts / Action/Adventure

This film is phenomenal and will always stand the test of time as a true classic with an iconic reputation. I would recommend this as the first kung fu film to watch for anyone interested in this genre. "King Boxer" had many distinctions in film history, which it deserves considering it excelled in every catagory.

Lo Lieh did a fantastic job and even at times showed glimpses of his future villianous talents towards the end of the movie.

This film left me with only one question: why didn't Korean-born director Cheng Chang Ho have a more successful career?

There may be films of the golden age of kung fu that get higher ratings, but few match "Five Fingers Of Death's" importance, entertainment value, and cult following.
 

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Spooky Encounters [3-Movie Set] (see film details)
Ghost / Martial Arts

Pretty good preformance from Sammo Hung that includes stellar action, humor, and now a new twist with vampires and zombies. It's not hard to see why this was such a hit and spawned a whole genre in the 80's. It was also great to see Lam Ching Ying warm up for the future classic, "Mr. Vampire". For me the two funniest parts were when the zombie hit him twice with a brick after he was copying Sammo's actions, and when he finally got his hands on his dastardly wife who caused all his troubles. Only Sammo Hung can make domestic violence hilarious.
 
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The Magic Blade (see film details)
Martial Arts / Action/Adventure

This is one of Chor Yuen's masterpieces based on a Ku Lung novel. This is a very dark and serious film (except devil grandma) that maintains a strict agenda of action and top notch storytelling. The cast also are on top of their game, especially Ti Lung who adds yet another weapon to his repertoire with his saw tooth blade. It was also great to see Ti Lung and Lo Lieh destroy everything in sight until Lo Lieh returned to the dark side. The action sequences were blindingly in your face and creative, which alone will lead to several viewings. "Magic Blade" also boasts one of the best supporting casts in the era who all showed why Shaw Bros. was the best around. Another great touch was the very lavish and detailed set pieces that added to the mood and the overall beauty and grace of the film.

"Magic Blade" is a undeniable champion of kung fu cinema with an always welcome twist ending that should not be missed.


 
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The Deadly Duo (see film details)
Martial Arts / Action/Adventure

I think most people can agree that "Deadly Duo" was not one of Chang Cheh, Ti Lung, or David Chiang's finest achievements. Even still, this film has some excitement with a very basic plot. It all centers around a group of heroes trying to access a fort which houses a prince kidnapped by the Mongols and the traitorous conspirers.

"Deadly Duo" does have several free for all fighting sequences packed within a short run time of 77 minutes. It can also be said that the choreography is not up to the standards of Tong Gaai or Lau Kar Leung, although there are some really cool moments with the trademark Chang Cheh bloodiness. The film also had some mistakes such as men jumping from a river somehow remaining dry and how the heroes had such an easy access to the fort as they made their escape. Then a plot was drawn up to get close to the Mongol leader which had no chance of success and raised the question why did they sacrifice their friend and just fight from the river which would of had a better result.

All of these issues with the film and the short run time makes me think that the people were short on time as Chang Cheh, Ti Lung, and David Chiang made six films together that year. It might not be up to the standards of the participants but still has entertainment value.


 
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Black Angel 2 (see film details)
Girls With Guns / Action/Adventure

Another solid yakuza film from Takashi Ishii. This time Ishii adds a femme fatale aspect to his normal dark and brutal yakuza type film. Once again Ishii supplies ample skin and realistic violence without a feeling of overkill, as each violent scene has an impact that contributes to the story. The plot is easy to follow but sometimes seems too simple to fill 107 minutes, as some scenes seem to unnecessarily drag on. Like most yakuza films, this is based on honor and revenge but stands out due to Ishii's ability to create a realistic and intense setting with strong characters.

Well worth a look.
 

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Fist Of The White Lotus (see film details)
Martial Arts / Action/Adventure

Excellent kung fu flick based on revenge. Lo Lieh is once again great as legendary baddie, Pai Mai. This is a remake of the classic "Executioners Of Shaolin", but I believe surpasses it for mainly one reason: Gordon Liu, who was killed early in the original. Although it may not be one of Liu's finest performances, it is still worth mentioning among kung fu classics
 
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Hot Rod (see film details)
Crime

Crime drama about a group of friends who get caught up in the glamour and treachery of gang life. One night they celebrate a birthday at a club when they manage to piss a off a gangster, which leads to a confrontation in the alley in back of the disco. The four friends are greatly outnumbered but stand their ground which impresses the boss (Wai), who shows up just before the fight breaks out. Now the boys join the gang and actually run the disco and achieve success within the gang but still have to deal with Wai's underboss Kei who refuses to forget his grudge. One night the boys are set up while collecting a debt from a rival boss and everything spirals downhill from there.

It is obvious from the opening scene that this is an extremely low budget Hong Kong flick. It is largely plagued with very amatuerish acting and awful action scenes. The action always seems to involve machetes and are annoyingly in your face and slowed down and sped up to mask the lack of training of the actors. The only person involved with this film with any name recognition is the director, Ivan Lai (of cat 3 fame). Although slow at times, it maintains a solid story and level of interest that could have been much more with more seasoned actors and a larger budget to work with...still not too bad.


 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
Nlow-budget and very bad.KungfuManiac



Carry On Pickpocket (see film details)
Crime / Comedy

Interesting film that was directed by and starred Sammo Hung and combines comedy, slapstick, and of course solid action. It is centered around three friends--Rice Barrel (Sammo Hung), Chimney (Frankie Chan), and Anne--who work for Anne's father as pickpocketers. The old man basically rips them off on the spoils, which leads to dangerous money schemes with gangsters and an alleged policewoman. Adding to the film's charm is Richard Ng, who plays a cop hot on Rice Barrel's tail who can never make the arrest due to being a bumbling fool. Just like the movie "Winners And Sinners" (also starring Hung), Richard Ng nearly steals the show with his knack of comedic timing and goofy faces. "Carry On Pickpocket" also features several other great scenes, such as the dancing bread on forks, the hilarious picture of Sammo and Chan in a wallet, and several top-notch fight sequences. Many of the great fight scenes tend to be towards the end and feature legendary baddie Dick Wei.

Another great thing about this film is that it does have a replay value, even if it is to review or slow down the action sequences and the creative methods of pickpocketing.

One thing the viewer might notice is the film's age (1982) and how things have changed since that time. The fact that this film reflects its age (eg. nightclub) actually may add some more comedy and interest in the current or future viewer.


 
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Marco Polo (see film details)
Martial Arts / Action/Adventure

"Four Assassins"/"Marco Polo" is a quality old school kung fu flick that further proves Chang Cheh to be one of the most reliable and consistent filmmakers of the era. It is unique because it features a westerner (Richard Harrison) in a pivotal role and also includes the character of Kublai Khan. It is common knowledge that the film is not historically accurate, but it's nice to see the foreigner portrayed in a positive way. After those facts it is a pretty good and typical film of the genre including themes such as large armies, training sequences, and masters with long eye brows (liked the odd spitting problem though). I liked the way the four men were thrust into jobs that helped each man with a unique skill which was matched up with one of the evil badasses that included legends such as Leung Kar Yan and the always thrilling Gordon Liu in a villainous role. The heroes included accomplished actors of the time such as Chi Kuan Chun, Fu Sheng, and Phillip Kwok as they trained to battle the occupiers and eventually won the respect of Marco Polo.

Good film, but I think they could have cast a better westerner than Richard Harrison, who looked like he wandered off the set of a "Planet of the Apes" film.


 
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Tokyo Rampage (see film details)
Crime / Action/Adventure

"Tokyo Rampage" is a very intense film from up and coming director Toshiaki Toyoda. It is centered around Arano (Koji Chihara), who is a psycho with few emotions or words. His only concern seems to be eliminating all yakuza and other undesirable people, which are described by him as "not needed". This is not only his catchphrase but a large portion of his dialogue. But he still manages to shed some charisma and shows acts of mercy in his bloody quest of destruction. Arano gets involved with an independent gang of pimps after he defiantly kills a yakuza solider outside the door of the yakuza boss. Kamijo (Onimaru) is immediately impressed with Arano's bold emotionless audacity and tries to recruit him. Kamijo then finds he may have gotten more than he bargained for with this cold calculated killer that could self destruct at any second taking everyone with him.

This film moves very fast as it tackles some problems facing the youth within Japanese society today. This movie only has a few violent scenes that are not ridiculously violent but instead focuses on their intensity. They can also be described as very realistic except for the always popular blood spray that seems to hit every corner of the room and the excessive blood puddles on the floor.

My main gripe is a lack of background information and character development of some of the interesting people such as Arano, Kamijo, and the very cool and sexy female grunge assassin. Oh, and the two westerners terrible acting.

Overall this is a very intense thriller that sucks you in and spits you out 98 min later leaving the viewer wandering if they took a single breath.


 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
Nnot a 4 star movie- it has it's moments but nothing really lives up to it.KungfuManiac
Ydef. agreeJV47842



Shaolin Challenges Ninja (see film details)
Martial Arts / Action/Adventure

Lau Kar Leung produced another classic with "Shaolin Challenges Ninja" (AKA "Heroes Of The East"). Leung really got the most out of the sensible but simple plot that involved a Chinese man being married to a Japanese girl for the families' business interests. Soon after the couple's cultures begin to clash as both are out to prove their native form of martial arts is superior. After the husband (Liu) defeats his wife several times, she flees back to Japan. He sends a letter challenging her again but falls into the hands of a local school that wants to prove they are supreme. Eight "masters" show up in China to fight Ah To (Liu) over a period of eight days. Of course Liu defeats most of them fairly easily, proving that Chinese kung fu is far superior; and his wife suddenly shuts up and they live happily ever after.

This film is very biased against Japanese martial arts, but well made and fun to watch. The film is also informative as it introduces several forms of Japanese martial arts although the director doesn't seem to be fond of any of them (especially ninjitsu which is basically called an ambush and dishonorable). Gordon Liu does a great job playing with several great Chinese weapons which easily trump anything the Japanese have to offer. It did seem that Leung doubled for Liu in the twirling 3 part staff scene which was almost identical to the motion Leung used in "Operation Scorpio", which he acted in and is an expert with that very challenging weapon.

Other than the fact that it's obviously biased, I can't find much to complain about. It's well worth a look.


 
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AGREE?READER COMMENTSAUTHOR
YJV47842



SPL: Sha Po Lang (see film details)
Crime / Drama

Probably one of the finest Hong Kong films in a couple years that mixes good acting, superb action sequences, and a quality director. I felt Sammo Hung excelled in an unfamiliar role as a gang boss, and I would love to see him on screen more, especially since he still moves amazingly well for his age and size. The plot could have been a bit stronger, but still didn't vastly decrease the overall quality due to the realistic action sequences from two of the all time greats that never fought before. Simon Yam also did a typical good job in a role he's mastered for so long.

My favorite part was the creative ending that showcased Sammo's acting ability after his undeniable physical skills. These types of surprise endings should be used more especially in the growingly predictable Hollywood "action" flick. This movie had it all with an underlining message that crime may have an unexpected consequence no matter how far you think you are on top.

I only wish they had a larger budget to add more fight scenes in the first half of the movie like Donnie Yen wanted...oh well still good.


 
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  • Golden Swallow
     
  • The One Armed Swordsman
     
  • Running Out Of Time 2
     
  • The Machine Girl
     
  • The Boxer's Omen
     
  • Ebola Syndrome
     
  • Police Story
     
  • Death Trance
     
  • Five Fingers Of Death
     
  • Spooky Encounters
     
  • The Magic Blade
     
  • The Deadly Duo
     
  • Black Angel 2
     
  • Fist Of The White Lotus
     
  • Hot Rod
     
  • Carry On Pickpocket
     
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  • SPL: Sha Po Lang
     
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