Opium And The Kung-Fu Master (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure We can look past the simplistic preachy anti-drug tone of the move since it is a fairly good story. It's always good to see Chen Kuan-Tai have a chance to chew scenery as a villain. The real problem with the film is the overuse of sped-up photography [undercranking] for the fight scenes. These actors can all pull off a well-choreographed brawl, so there is no reason for it.
Ninja Fantasy [DOUBLE FEATURE] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I have watched literally hundreds of martial arts movies and am very tolerant of things like plot, acting, production values, etc. This, however, was the bottom of the barrel. The worst martial arts flick in the history of mankind. The plot made no sense, the special effects were beyond laughable, and the fighting ludicrous. It looked liked a high school Super 8 film project!
Men From The Monastery (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This movie is virtually identical to "Shaolin Avengers", also a notable Shaw epic. Though both movies are great, the fight scenes in "Men From The Monastery" are a little tighter and there is better direction. Even more important is the presence of Chen Kuantai, the Shaw stable's top fighter. The movie is three short stories that are all well known parts of the "Burning of Shaolin" canon. It is a worthy addition to any Shaw library!
Erotic Fantasies And Female Phone Fantasies (product link) Erotica / Fantasy This highly edited version of a hardcore movie is watchable, but only just. Since there was almost no plot to begin with, hardly unusual with the genre, reducing it to softcore has made it rather silly. On the plus side, it stars the legendary Asia Carrera, who is drop dead gorgeous and always worth tuning in for.
Master Fighters Of Classic Kung Fu [3-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This three disc set is a mixed bag, but still worth a look!
"Green Dragon Inn" has surprisingly good fight scenes for a non-Shaw Brothers film of its time. Usually the swordplay is very general and secondary to the plot, but this one had some surprisingly subtle choreography as well as some quite pretty brutal violence!
"Buddha Assassinator" is a good meat-and-potatoes kung fu flick. The fight choreography is above average and the plot is watchable, even with the limp attempts at comedy.
The only reason I didn't give the set 5 stars is the "Bloody Mill Fight", which was high on plot, but low on fight scenes. The scenes are okay, but wading through the storyline to get to them is trying on the patience.
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