What asian film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

I'd say New One-Armed Swordsman is Chang Cheh's greatest, and probably his peak too. Everything he made afterward feels like he is a spent force, yet still with moments of greatness.

As much as I like it, I do not know if I would put it over Golden Swallow (critic/author Stephen Teo's favorite), Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (been wanting to do a full length review of this for some time), Crippled Avengers and The Delightful Forest (I know he did not direct all of this or even most of it, he even stated this in his autobiography, but still love the film.)

For me his big decline was in the 1980s (even the early 80s has some good material like The Flag of Iron.)

[grim_tales]

Crippled Avengers sounds good but I doubt it would be made today as it appears so politically incorrect from the trailer I saw

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Crippled Avengers sounds good but I doubt it would be made today as it appears so politically incorrect from the trailer I saw

Then there is the Taiwanese The Crippled Masters ...

But back to the Crippled Avengers: seeing it several times already I would not care for a remake, but I do wonder what Tarantino would do with it (what other director would try -- Robert Rodriguez?) Any interest in watching it?

[grim_tales]

I'm sure at the time Chang Cheh didnt mean any offence, I guess it can be argued the Venoms triumph (obviously) in spite of their handicaps and Chen Kuan Tai is the bad guy, but its the way some are presented like one is an "idiot" (ie mentally disabled) in the trailer, you'd never get away with that now

[HungFist]

Abashiri Prison: Duel in the Blizzard (Japan, 1967) [DVD] - 2/5
The 10th and last Abashiri Prison film directed by Teruo Ishii (8 more New Abashiri Prison films were made by other directors). This is another one with a winter setting, which is an instant plus. There are a few other interesting things as well, such as Takakura escaping the prison hiding in a coffin, and an elderly foreign prisoner. Unfortunately the rest of the film is no great shakes. The film mostly composed of loosely linked set pieces: there's the compulsory quarrel with other prisoners, there's the escape, there are the encounters with other gangsters outside of the slammer, and finally there's a bit of something resembling a plot when Takakura runs into a man who had his father killed long ago. The last half an hour features some strong western influences, but it all comes out a bit less stylish than one might wish.

Lady Battle Cop (Japan, 1990) [DVD] - 2.5/5
Toei's semi-entertaining V-Cinema cash-in on the popularity of Robocop. Here we have a lethally wounded tennis champ (who can't play tennis) turned into battle cop in a metal suit with high heels to fight an evil multinational syndicate. Enter the good old karate villain Masashi Ishibashi (in not one of his best roles) and a CIA developed evil wrestler with psychic powers. The film borrows its theme and dystopia from the Verhoeven classic; otherwise it's more in line with Japan's own tradition of tokusatsu entertainment, which no doubt inspired Robocop as well. Too bad the film tends to be a bit mediocre for the most part, and pretty lame in the violence department as well. Cool theme song (which steals half of its melody from Sukeban Deka III) combined with metal hero on a motorbike footage provides some great moments, though, and the film is amusingly nonsensical.

[Killer Meteor]

Crippled Avengers sounds good but I doubt it would be made today as it appears so politically incorrect from the trailer I saw

It's not P-inC really. Watch the damn movie first.

[saltysam]

Crippled Avengers sounds good but I doubt it would be made today as it appears so politically incorrect from the trailer I saw

It's not P-inC really. Watch the damn movie first.

Don't think Grim watches movies anymore.He just buys them to look pretty on his shelf

[Ray_Rogers]

Crippled Avengers sounds good but I doubt it would be made today as it appears so politically incorrect from the trailer I saw

It's not P-inC really. Watch the damn movie first.

Don't think Grim watches movies anymore.He just buys them to look pretty on his shelf

I think it's the same now with me with Blu-rays, especially with what I import and buy in-stores. But what I do more often is I have marathons of what I own.

Have been rewatching my DVDs of ZATOICHI, not the Criterion ones since I'm waiting for that boxset to be Blu-ray only, and they look a bit naff on my 23" ASUS IPS 1080p self-calibrated monitor. Even with both SimHD On and Off through ArcSoft TotalMediaTheatre 6. Still using headphones. Andrea Anti-Noise NC-185VM USB with microphone. Haven't watched my HK import DVDs in a very long time.

Great to be back!

[Markgway]

Great to be back!

...and you thought we were dead!!

[Ray_Rogers]

Great to be back!

...and you thought we were dead!!

Apparently not!

[saltysam]

The Black Dragon 2/5 Though marketed as though Ron Van Clief is the star,the reality is he's just a supporting character in this Jason Pai Piao starrer who heads to the Phillipines to make his fortune only to end up working on the docks for an opium smuggling ring.Watchable but let down by a stinker of an end fight.

The Black Dragon's Revenge 2/5 Ron Van Clief is hired to find out who caused the death of Bruce Lee.Hilariously every time Bruce Lee is mentioned the audio plays static to overdub the "LEE" reference.Much of the same cast as the first movie though roles are reversed here.Van Clef is the star and Pai Po is the support.ok in a trashy kind of way.

Way Of The Black Dragon 2/5 This one adds Carter Wong to the mix and has by far the best action sequences of the series,with a cracking climax.Sadly absolutely NOTHING happens for the first part of the movie as we see young girls kidnapped from Thailand and forced into prostitution in Hong Kong. Van Clief finally appears 42 minutes in and things liven up.

[saltysam]

Snuff Bottle Connection 2.5/5 Decent independent kung fu actioner featuring stalwarts Hwang Jang Lee,John Liu and the great Roy Horan after noticing one of the russian bodyguards was played by a westerner i also spotted in Bruce Lee's Secret i looked up IMDB,his name is Robert Kerver and he died in 1977 must only have been in his 20's

[HungFist]

Hot Springs Geisha (Onsen anma geisha) (Japan, 1968) [DVD] - 1/5
This is one of those films that in some ways doesn't deserve the low rating I'm giving it - after all, it's a technically well made film with some good looking cinematography, a solid cast (Yoko Mihara, Masumi Tachibana, Teruo Yoshida etc), and Teruo Ishii as the director. But then again, how do you survive a 90 minute a dated sex comedy with no laughs and no nudity other than in one amusing pool fight scene? You don't. Norifumi Suzuki helmed much better instalments in the same series a few years later, partly thanks to the new era allowing him much cruder jokes and sexier content.

Bohachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight (Japan, 1973) [DVD] - 4.5/5
A stunning exploitation chambra based on super violent comics by the Lone Wolf & Cub author Kazuo Koike. Tetsuro Tamba plays nihilistic swordsman who joins a depraved yakuza gang whose life consists of nothing but sex, torture and prostitution business. He is hired to wipe out their competition by killing the other clan's customers and shaming their women. This initiates a counter-attack and Tamba becomes target for ninja assassins. An incredibly colourful, stylish, and often surreal film with exciting action scenes and terrific performances. Tamba is a real stand out, as are the deadly (and frequently naked) Bohachi clan female bodyguards. The screenplay must have been exceptional as the film comes with terrific pacing, entertaining cut-to-the-bone plot, and badass dialogue. This was exactly the kind of material director Teruo Ishii excelled with.

[Killer Meteor]

Snuff Bottle Connection 2.5/5 Decent independent kung fu actioner featuring stalwarts Hwang Jang Lee,John Liu and the great Roy Horan after noticing one of the russian bodyguards was played by a westerner i also spotted in Bruce Lee's Secret i looked up IMDB,his name is Robert Kerver and he died in 1977 must only have been in his 20's

Robert Kerver is also in Fists of Bruce Lee.

[saltysam]

The Secret Rivals 3/5 Ng See Yuen's kung fu bonanza takes time to get going but hey the sight of John Liu & Wong Tao going two on one with Hwang Jang Lee elevates this somewhat

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

The Secret Rivals 3/5 Ng See Yuen's kung fu bonanza takes time to get going but hey the sight of John Liu & Wong Tao going two on one with Hwang Jang Lee elevates this somewhat

Fun film that I saw for the first time a couple off months ago. The reputation it has from KFC/KFF is quite high, but I think a little overstated. I liked the action, but I do not even remember much from the plot.

[saltysam]

The Secret Rivals 3/5 Ng See Yuen's kung fu bonanza takes time to get going but hey the sight of John Liu & Wong Tao going two on one with Hwang Jang Lee elevates this somewhat

Fun film that I saw for the first time a couple off months ago. The reputation it has from KFC/KFF is quite high, but I think a little overstated. I liked the action, but I do not even remember much from the plot.

From what i recall Part 2 is possibly better.Going to watch that maybe tomorrow. These movies always have something going for them though even if the plot's are normally rubbish.

[Killer Meteor]

I've never felt that the male bonding in these Chang Cheh/John Woo films was homosexual... but I guess people see what they want to see. We frequently hear the term 'bromance' used to describe straight guys with close friendships, but if you put it in a kung fu or gangster movie then obviously they're flaming queens in denial. The one exception I can think of is in one of Chang's later works - Slaughter in Xian, I think? - in which the two buddies do act very gay. But on the whole I think far too much is made of it.

Slaughter In Xian looks interesting...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fK1a-LP0JA

[saltysam]

The Secret Rivals 2 3/5 Solid sequel loses Wang Tao but Hwang Jang Lee & John Liu return.plenty of excellent action...this got me thinking...kung fu is a genre that didn't seem to spawn too many direct sequels

[HungFist]

Roman Porno treasure hunt: part 31

Zoom Up: Sexual Crime Report (Japan, 1981) [DVD] - 1/5
The 4th film in the loosely linked series was directed by Nikkatsu's worst filmmaker, Katsuhiko Fujii. Rape queen Yuki Kazamatsuri stars as radio DJ who has married a rich businessman. One night on her way to work she's gang raped by a motorcycle gang. It turns out her innocent looking maid planned everything, and soon the gang pays her another visit. Despite the film's title, there is no crime report or investigation aspect, nor is the film much of a thriller. It's simply a badly written excuse for sex scenes, some consensual, some not. Those viewer expecting something in line with the first two films in the series need not bother... nor does anyone else.

Waiting Wet Woman (Japan, 1987) [DVD] - 3/5
An interesting late Roman Porno scripted by top writer Haruhiko Arai (Distant Thunder, Vibrator, It's Only Talk). The film takes place in a small town during a typhoon. A woman living alone is visited by her ex-husband. At the same time a young couple who are about to break up get trapped in the town as public transport is cut off. Director Yasuaki Uegaki is best known for the over-rated Pink Curtain films. He does much here, paying a lot of attention to characters, visual details, and nature. The first sex scene doesn't come until around the 30 minute mark. The film feels more like the work of Kichitaro Negishi or Shinji Somai than your typical Roman Porno product. Unfortunately the film doesn't quite hold till the end. The last 20 minutes is the weakest, with a long dull sex scene, and quite an underwhelming finish for the storyline.

[Killer Meteor]

The Secret Rivals 2 3/5 Solid sequel loses Wang Tao but Hwang Jang Lee & John Liu return.plenty of excellent action...this got me thinking...kung fu is a genre that didn't seem to spawn too many direct sequels

Often you tend to get a re-teaming of actors, but start from scratch plot-wise. The only official sequels I can think of from the old school days are

Golden Swallow (which basically ignores Come Drink With Me)
Return of the One Armed Swordsman
The Angry Guest
Men From the Monastary (this is more a co-film to Heroes Two than a sequel)
All Men Are Brothers
New Fist of Fury
Secret Rivals 2
Dance of the Drunken Mantis

Even Return to the 36th Chamber is more of a reboot - Gordon Liu plays a San Te lookalike. And I don't count Fist of Fury 2 & 3, or Big Boss 2, as offiical sequels!

[HungFist]

Roman Porno treasure hunt: part 32

Naked Resume: True Story of Kazuko Shirakawa (Japan, 1973) [DVD] - 2/5
Nikkatsu's first pink queen Kazuko Shirakawa stars in this entirely fictional true account supposedly based on her life. It was her farewell role before retiring and marrying a Nikkatsu executive. Chusei Sone helmed the film. Despite making up events at every turn, and featuring such exotic ideas as sex with clowns, the film feels oddly ruotine effort by director Sone. It's a shame the film barely touches her film career at Nikkatsu. Indeed, the filmmaking parts, and especially the ending which features many cameos and film clips from her movies, is the film's best part.

Woman of the Afternoon: Incite (Japan, 1979) [VoD] - 4/5
A fresh, colourful and fast paced gem that is absolutely best experienced without any expectations. But if you're not convinced just yet, allow me to go to the spoiler territory. The film opens as a breezy romantic road movie with Natsuko Yashiro running from her jerk husband, heading for a road trip, making friends with sympathetic young gay guy, and even getting herself into a car chase. Then, without any warning, the film completely changes direction as she runs into redneck psycho rapist killers in a God forsaken small town. And then there is the pitch black humour. In one scene the rednecks are gang raping women and one of them cracks such as good joke that his friend has to take a break from raping. He even says "I'm laughing so hard I can't do it". Hilarious. Screenwriter Chiho Katsura also wrote Assault! Jack the Ripper, Zoom In: Rape Apartments, House, and many other classics.

[Killer Meteor]

Master of the Flying Guillotine is set at least 100 years before the first film, yet is supposed to follow on from events in it.

[HungFist]

Roman Porno treasure hunt: part 33

Cabaret Diary (Japan, 1982) [DVD] - 2/5
Kichitaro Negishi returned to Nikkatsu for one final movie after his successful Art Theatre Guild production Distant Thunder (1981). Unfortunately it is not one of his best efforts, despite a screenplay by top scripter Haruhiko Arai. It's a corporate satire and a sex biz overview in equal proportions, following a guy working at a pink salon as a waiter. He constantly gets slapped, hit, and shouted at by his yakuza-like, power-abusing and patriotic superiors who are somewhat exaggerated versions of traditional Japanese company bosses. The film initially seems to have some bite, but the satire wears off, there's too much sex, and the characters aren't all that interesting. Negishi did much better with the superb, misleadingly titled Rape Ceremony (1980), also written by Arai.

Female Teacher Hunting (Japan, 1982) [DVD] - 2.5/5
A surprisingly decent storyline that suffers from a boring main character and Nikkatsu's usual minimum sex scene quota. A delinquent schoolboy is accused of raping a female classmate. He didn't do it, in fact no one did, but he decides rape her since he's being accused of it anyway. He then quits school, gets into further trouble, and is taken in by a yakuza couple who run a bar in the seaside. His teacher goes looking for him while also having an affair with a married man - a side plot that no one could care less about. Rape queen Yuki Kazamatsuri is the film's official star as the female teacher; however, the real interest lies in the youngsters who thankfully get at least as much screen time as she does. There's is cruel irony as well as slight psychological and existential tones to the film, quite well handled by director Junichi Suzuki, who also helmed the terrible Women in Heat Behind Bars. If it wasn't for the main character and boring sex, this could even be called "good".

[saltysam]

Goodbye Bruce Lee:His Last Game Of Death 1.5/5 Early Bruce Li GOD rip off i remember getting a huge cinema release in this country back in the day,even had a magazine special. it's pretty bad,Li's skills weren't as good as they became and he comes over as rather bland. The tower itself looks like it's made of paper mache has a seriously catchy theme tune as well so it's not all bad.

Enter The Game Of Death 1.5/5 This Bruce Le effort has some semblance of a plot (he needs to retrieve a stolen document vital to national security) but has some lame brain editing-near the beginning Le is fighting Bolo in a forest (he spends a lot of time in this forest) next scene is a ring where Bolo is battering opponent after opponent until Le appears. The pagoda scenes here are better than Li's effort and actually take place in the middle section of the movie.Like the Li effort Robert Kerver is listed as being in this, i never noticed him,was there two Robert Kervers

Invincible Armour 3/5 Good old school kung fu flick,Hwang Jang Lee,John Liu, fast paced, good fights, needs a blu ray release