Nine Demons (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Here's a film that disappointed me when it started out promising. The first 15 minutes is a great film. Then it turns to a supernatural mystic mess. Looks like the director didn't know what he wanted, a kung fu film or a supernatural film. I for one stopped it in mid viewing. couldn't understand why it went to another direction. It had great kung fu fights. Then it spiraled to mystic powers and supernatural wonders. WTF? The first 15 minutes is all you need to see. Those 15 minutes you get a storyline, a climax and an ending. Then it somehow wanders into a stupid mess. Kung fu films are cheesy, but this is beyond.
Picture this: "Enter The Dragon" starts out great, but when they get to the tournament, the film turns into "Krull The Destroyer" (that's an old adventure film). Get the idea now?
The Magnificent Ruffians (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Not one of the best Venoms films, but it ranks better than other Shaw Bros. films. The Venoms take a lackluster storyline and turn it into a decent film. I like it.
They are not going to have classics all the time. Still, the hard work here is shown and it's just amazing to watch them. If you are a Venoms fan, then pick this up. All others who just discovered the Venoms, get "Return Of The Five Deadly Venoms", then come to this. You'll appreciate this film more.
Invincible Shaolin (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Another Venoms hit! This is my second favorite Venoms film, "The Return Of The Five Deadly Venoms" being my first.
The story is well put out. It keeps you interested in the plot, as many kung fu films rely on the martial arts more and the story second. So not only did it have great action, it had a very good story. It made me care about the characters. The training sequences are a highlight, as each training Venom is at his best. The Venoms really work well together and this film is proof. A must-have in the collection. Better than "The Five Deadly Venoms".
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Probably my second most favorite Venom film of all time! Great review!
Snake Deadly Act (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Not a bad kung fu movie. The action was good but the story could have been better. The concept was good. The execution was bad. You can't really expect a lot from kungfu flix in terms of story. That is just secondary to the action.
Audition (product link) Horror / Art One of the best thrillers/horror movies ever made. Original story and well directed. The climax lives up to its legendary status as a disturbing piece of Asian cinema. Enjoyed it so much I bought it again because my first copy was bought years ago and it was letterboxed. I needed this movie in anamorphic widescreen. So I purchased it again. A must in the collection. So that right there should tell you that this film is a keeper--only if you're not the type that cringes at disturbing acts, that is.
Cannibal Holocaust (product link) Horror / Thriller A classic Cannibal film. This is what cannibal films are all about. Still disturbing after all these years. A must-have in the collection if you love gory horror. Be warned: real live animal killings (like that poor turtle) are gross. Every time I see that I cringe. Not for everyone though.
One Armed Swordsmen Double Fury Pack [2-Movie Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This box set is tough to rate. The only film in this box worth your time is "One Armed Swordsmen". So with that I tell you my 5-star rating is only for that film. The other film, "The One Armed Swordsmen Vs. 9 Killers" gets ZERO stars, for it is truly a terrible film and a waste of your time. So if you want to get this for 1 film, I guess it's worth it.
Are you kidding me? This movie is Wang Yu's worst! And I'm a huge fan of Wang Yu. This is a poor version of the One-Armed Swordsman made by Wang Yu himself. It's not a Shaw Bros. film, it's a film made outside the Shaw Studios by another company. Don't get me wrong, I loved the other film made by Wang Yu, "The One Armed Swordsmen" (guest starring David Chang), that was a film made outside the Shaw studios as well. However that film surpasses this film in every level. This film is just a stupid revenge flick that doesn't make sense. The film has nothing to do with the One Armed Swordsman character. It's a character made by Wang Yu. The title is only to capitalize on the success of the Wang Yu Shaw Bros. films. The real name of the film? Heck I don't know, but it's not "One Armed Swordsman". I'm a kung fu buff, and if you see my other reviews of film you can tell I know a classic when I see one. Beleave me when I say I threw this right into the trash. A waste of money.
Get other Wang Yu classic instead, like "Zatoichi Meets The One Armed Swordsman", "The One Armed Swordsmen" (with David Chang), or the masterpiece, the original "One Armed Swordsman" (the Shaw Bros. classic).
One Armed Swordsmen (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure One of the best "One Armed Swordsman" films. A great film with lots of action. Wang Yu at his best versus the New One Armed Swordsman. If you don't have this, you are surely missing out.
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Good teamup between the two one armed swordsmen with lots of plot twists. Hopefully we will be able to get better copies, because video asia copies are crap!
Noriko's Dinner Table (product link) Horror / Thriller Better than the first in my book. More on the storytelling than gore, but really great performances, a great sequel.
Godzilla: Final Wars (product link) Science Fiction / Thriller This is one of the worst Godzilla films ever. What happened here? They try to make it an action flick with the martial arts and--ugh! The battles with Godzilla and his enemies were godawful. All his fights took one minute or less with each individual monster he fought in previous films. This film had no Godzilla feel like in all his previous films. This film was bombarded with many CG effects that just were so tasteless. My opinion is: stick with classics like "Godzilla vs. Mothra" or "Godzilla vs. Megalon" ("Megalon" was a campy bad Godzilla flick, but it was wayyy better than "Final Wars"). Any true Godzilla fan from Gfest will tell you this film is just an overated mess. The soundtrack is rock music? God, I long for the good old days. Well, I'm gonna watch another classic like "King Kong Escapes". I've got to try and forget this "Final Wars". "King Kong Escapes" will do fine.
Koma (product link) Horror / Thriller I enjoyed this thriller. Very good. The ending was quite surprising. Sort of reminds me of "Fatal Attraction" in some ways and "Single White Female". However it's an original story. This is why I love Asian cinema. They always come up with very good thrillers. This is one of 'em.
In The Mood For Love (product link) Romance / Art Very good romantic movie. Not in the class as the classic "Shall We Dance", because that was indeed a fantastic romantic movie (not the Jennifer Lopez movie), but this film is in a class by itself. The mood, the music, the story is just classy. I enjoyed it. Not for everyone though. Action and kung fu buffs keep away.
Zombie 2 (product link) Horror / Thriller One of the best Italian zombie movies ever. Overshadowed by "Dawn of the Dead", but still a great film on its own.
Guinea Pig Box Set [6-Movie Set] (product link) Horror / Thriller It's a gorefest dream. "Mermaid in a Manhole", "The Devil's Experiment" and "Flowers" are the best out of the bunch. The others are lame. The gore is vividly realistic. Very creepy realistic effects. WOW!
Return Of The 5 Deadly Venoms (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A classic. Wayyyy better than "The 5 Deadly Venoms". This one exceeds expectations on all bases. Can't recommend it enough. Just get this.
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The original title of this venom's masterpiece is The Crippled Avengers! This is not a sequel but some shabby marketing ploy re-titled this film. This is an awsome Venoms movie and my third all time favorite Venoms film!
The Suicide Manual (product link) Horror / Thriller Slow at times but very intresting. Filmed with a digital video camera not a movie camera. Sometimes it would feel like I'm watching a Japanese TV drama. It's not gory but weird. Feels like an episode of "Tales From The Crypt" or, better yet, a light version of those gory Guinea Pig films. It feels like that. It would've been better if it was made into a movie with a bigger budget. There is no replay value. However the story is so forgettable that you will forget it soon and then watch the movie all over again to refresh your memory.
Zatoichi: The Television Series Collection 2 [6-Disc Set] (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Martial Arts Zatoichi films are always solid and have great stories. This box is no exception. I've seen these films and they are great. The fact that this was shown on Japanese TV assures me the fact that the Japanese Televison was way ahead of its time.
10 Brothers Of Shaolin (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This is one of the worst kung fu films I've seen. It has one of my faves, Wong Tao, but this is a very bad film. The effects were horrible. Sounded like a rolled up newspaper smacking repeatedly against the wall for the fighting sounds. Ugh. The story is just terrible. My dad once told me if I have nothing good to say about someone or something, I shouldn't say anything at all. Well I'm not saying one word.
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I totally agree with you, my friend on this one. I actually bought this movie because of Crash Cinema's boxcover, and inside was this movie...
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