recent purchases

[jethro]

Dr. Katz ran on Comedy Central from about 1995-2000. Most people probably remember it for its odd squiggly animation. Dr Katz is a therapist who treats different patients (but all the patients are actually real life comedians). It was basically just a stand up comedy performance from the patient with Dr. Katz adding to the comedy. It was on for 5 or 6 seasons, so I guess it made a decent run.

One show I really want to get on DVD is The Wonder Years. But I don't think it's on DVD How is that possible!!!??

[Jimbo]

I'm actually surprised that The Wonder Years isn't on DVD.

I see so much stuff out on DVD that makes me wonder, "How the he!! did that ever make it on DVD?" And some stuff I've been trying to find 'til blue in the face and it does not seem to exist on disc. I'm still waiting for the original Fantastic Four cartoon series from Hanna-Barbera (1967) on DVD. Should be easy enough, I think they only made one season. IMO, it was a great adaptation from the original comic books, better than the original Spiderman series, and I loved it when I was 4 to 5 years old and still do. I'd have thought they'd release it when the first FF movie or its sequel came out, but all I see out there are new cartoon versions, which I do not want.

I also want Hammer Films' The Abominable Snowman (1957). It was released by Anchor Bay some years ago but is now OOP and no longer available. But it's a really good horror movie that relies on a creepy atmosphere; no mean feat for a movie that old. I do own another old B&W 1957 film, Night of the Demon/Curse of the Demon. It's another British film, and back then they were better at horror films than American companies, IMO. The only flaw on NOTD is the American main man, who comes off like the dumbest, most boring a-hole on the planet. In a surprising turn, I actually find myself rooting (albeit hopelessly) for the villain, an evil practitioner or black magic who conjures up a huge demon to destroy his enemies. Good atmosphere here as well, and the bad guy comes off as a lot more interesting and likable a character than the "hero".

[puma]

Shinobi-The complete seris
Goyokin
Red shadow
Heroes of the east
Heroes two
Intimate confessions of a chinese courtesan
Human lanterns
Royal tramp 2 disc set(hilarious) ;o]

[Jimbo]

puma:
You've got quite a few good ones there...good haul!

Well, I got That '70s Show, 5th Season for $19.99 (about 50% off!).

[jethro]

I just got Brothers Five from Well Go USA. Picture quality is perfect, but the sound doesn't have the original Chinese mono. It has that stupid 5.1 track. I rented it from netlfix since it doesn't sound like a great movie. smart move because I didn't see it at Best Buy. That' sad because I didn't see it at Suncoast either. It looks like they will have to be ordered online.

[jethro]

I just got some DVDs I've been wanting to get for awhile. Superfights directed by Bloodmoon director Tony Leung Siu Hung, and most importanly, I got 2 of my favorite shows from when I was a kid, season 1 of Alf, and seasons 1 and 2 of The Adventures of Pete and Pete.

[puma]

Thanks Jimbo...I try to go to BB every other week to see what they have new .
I can't wait untill I get my hands on....
Cat v.s.Rat
House of traps
Legend of a fox
5 Vevoms...which I believe may have an alternate ending

[jethro]

I have never heard of an alternate ending for 5 Venoms. That would be cool to see. House of Traps is coming out in the US September 9th. I didn't think it was anything special. The fights are too short and a bunch of excellents performers are wasted. Guys like Sun Chien, Chiang Sheng, Ricky Cheng Tien Chi and Chu Ko.

[Jimbo]

Cat vs. Rat was okay, IMO, but not a great film, either for Fu Sheng or director Lau Kar-Leung. Sometimes, Lau takes the comedy in his (later) films a bit too much/too long. I do like House of Traps, but agree with many talented performers being wasted; but then again, in many Shaw productions, esp. ensemble films, many excellent performers were often not used to their potential.

I personally liked Legend of the Fox; not my favorite Chang Cheh film, but interesting in its own way. Many people, though, either seem to like it or hate it. As I remember it, it did not have as much actual action in it as many other venoms films. Actually, it's more of a transition film, one of the earliest films starring Chien Hsiao-Hao (Cantonese pronunciation: Chin Siu-Ho).

Jethro:
So I guess Well Go USA will only be available online?? Darn. What the market needs is MORE legitimate Shaw releases!! There can't be too much of a good thing.

Well, I've been acting like a true 'spaver' (spending to save). Yesterday I picked up That '70s Show, 6th Season, also for $19.99. Now, if only they (Target) can have seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 at half-price, I'll be in '70s heaven.

[jethro]

Cat vs. Rat was okay, IMO, but not a great film, either for Fu Sheng or director Lau Kar-Leung. Sometimes, Lau takes the comedy in his (later) films a bit too much/too long. I do like House of Traps, but agree with many talented performers being wasted; but then again, in many Shaw productions, esp. ensemble films, many excellent performers were often not used to their potential.

I personally liked Legend of the Fox; not my favorite Chang Cheh film, but interesting in its own way. Many people, though, either seem to like it or hate it. As I remember it, it did not have as much actual action in it as many other venoms films. Actually, it's more of a transition film, one of the earliest films starring Chien Hsiao-Hao (Cantonese pronunciation: Chin Siu-Ho).

Jethro:
So I guess Well Go USA will only be available online?? Darn. What the market needs is MORE legitimate Shaw releases!! There can't be too much of a good thing.

Well, I've been acting like a true 'spaver' (spending to save). Yesterday I picked up That '70s Show, 6th Season, also for $19.99. Now, if only they (Target) can have seasons 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 at half-price, I'll be in '70s heaven.

IMO wasting those 4 guys I listed (and more) is unacceptable. Chu Ko was already well known from a few movies, mainly MAsked Avengers, Ricky Cheng was known from independent movies like 7 Steps of Kung Fu and was the lead actor in Chinese Super Ninjas which was made the same year as House of Traps. and obviously Sun Chien and Chiang Sheng were at least semi popular at the time. The Shaw Brothers were known for holding people back, and that's why you often see big stars in minor/extra type roles. But once someone made a name for themselves at Shaw Brothers, they didn't have to worry about being just an extra anymore. That's what's sad about House of Traps. All of those guys were already stars, but unfortuantely they do little to no fighting. If it was an awesome movie like Human Lanterns and Sun Chien didn't get to fight, then I'd be alright with it. Sorry to rant, but House of Traps is a movie that really makes me mad. I heard about it for years as being a great movie, but I think that was just because Celestial took so long to remaster it and it was always known as a rare movie.

[puma]

I heard that the alternate ending was Chiaang Shiang and Kuo Chui going after the corrupt judge Wang Lung Wei...don't know how true it is though because I heard this on the net

[jethro]

Wang Lung Wei doesn't fight in 5 Venoms, which is a bit of a shocker. It makes sense that he would have a fight if there is an alternate ending (or more likely additional footage). I want to see it really badly now!

[kungpowmaster]

OK, I got this yesterday in the mail.

First off, I am a big fan of the Filmark and IFD Ninja movies, so any release is good to me. The four movies in this set are all Filmark Tomas Tang productions. I haven't fully watched them all here yet, but I did do a sample of the discs.

Bionic Ninja is really good, but this has the weakest transfer... like an slp speed VHS mode, which may have been their source. This movie was also released on DVD on the dollar label EastWest retitled as Ninja Assassins in fullscreen. And I'm not sure, and didn't do a compare, but I wonder if BCI's Rarescope Bionic Ninja is a horizontally cropped fullscreen, not sure but it looked like it to me. Also, no Ninjas in this are bionic.

Ninja In the Killing Fields is also a great Ninja classic, and I'm glad to say this is an upgrade from the other DVD with this title in fullscreen, from that Canadian label Kung Fu Classics, as well as BCI's own fullscreen retitle of this as Ninja Connection. While not great, the transfer looks rather decent, clear and fairly strong, as do the other 2 remaining titles as well, which is good.

Death Code Ninja is the title here that I had not seen before. While I am glad this set does make these titles more available and they are upgrades in quality, I also was wishing it had more titles that I don't have, or haven't seen, and would like to see on DVD, like Ninja The Magnificence... but maybe BCI can do an IFD Ninja set as well, I just hope if they do, they will get titles that have not been yet released.

Ninja American Warrior ends the set, and it's a great one too. I like the war related Ninja movies. This here is a big upgrade from the other DVD out of this, I can't recall the company's name, but it's Canadian, and they all say Kung Fu Classics on the top of the case. Their DVD is out of synch, just enough to be annoying, and glad to say this one is not, and also has a better picture.

Overall, this set gets a good thumbs up. It's not perfect, and I wish, but I doubt, anyone will track down and make high quality transfers of these types of films, as I suspect their fanbase is limited, so I have to be grateful for what I can get.

As a side note, it's way past time for a quality US DVD release of Franco Nero's Enter the Ninja in uncut form.

Chosen One

[Jimbo]

kungpowmaster:
I saw Enter the Ninja only once, but remember it wasn't a bad film, considering. I do remember it was originally supposed to star(?) Mike Stone, a 1960s-era karate champion and contemporary of Chuck Norris and Joe Lewis. I remember reading before it was released that Stone had, I believe, written the original story, but for some reason he was eventually removed from production (or at least he was not to star in it). When I went to see it, I was expecting to see Stone, but I do not remember even seeing him in it. As a side note, Stone, Norris, and Lewis all made their first movie appearance in 1968's The Wrecking Crew, starring Dean Martin and Sharon Tate, with admittedly lame fight choreography by Bruce Lee himself.

Jethro:
The local BB finally got Bat Without Wings (BWW). It wasn't bad, IMO, but I do agree that having Ku Feng as the main fighting villain is a lame choice. I think Lo Lieh would've been far better. Though neither Lo nor Ku were accomplished in real martial arts, at least Lo could look convincing with the right choreography. Ku did play a good villain in The Kung Fu Instructor, but after all these years, I forgot how much of that might have been due to stunt doubling.

BWW is a typical Chu Yuan-directed wuxia pian of that time. As such, I would not expect outstanding fight choreography, even by Tang Chia and Huang Pei-Chi. The fights in these films were, more or less, like sword dances, more dancey than even typical old-school kf movies were, and often filmed from a distance shot as much as up close. Most, if not all of Chu Yuan's sword epics were based on novels by Ku Lung, so I'd imagine the concentration was on the story and intrigue more than m.a. fighting. But the sets and colors are beautifully shot, and I did enjoy BWW's story. You're right, though, that Ku Feng's makeup is an exact copy of KISS's; so much so that it's distractingly weird.

On a side note, Chu Yuan also acted, usually as a villain, and as you probably know, was the crime boss who ends up getting the bejeezus punched out of him by Jackie Chan in the original Police Story, and also shoots Lau Kar-Leung in another movie long-forgotten.

[Jimbo]

Fearless Hyena and Dragon Fist, Columbia/Tri-Star releases.