Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
I Love My Noodles!
Vifon Phu Gia Mien Cua
I have some good news and I have some bad news. The good news is this; this instant noodle was a tremendously pleasant surprise. It’s a crab flavored soup, with vermicelli noodles, and some dehydrated vegetable product, but I wasn’t expecting much really.
The broth is excellent, one of the best I’ve had in a very long time. It really does taste of the sea and I was really surprised to see that among the ingredient list were such things as crab, shrimp, and fish. Yes, the real stuff, not artificial crab flavor, and other things of that such.
Now for the bad news, I really don’t like the vermicelli, they’re mung bean noodles, and boy are they ever tough and chewy. The directions say to let the noodles sit covered in the boiling hot water for three minutes, but this does not appear to be long enough for the noodles to properly cook, so let it sit longer, and you might find the finished product a bit more satisfying.
I must say, I’ve been finding that a lot of the best instant noodles on the market are the ones made by Vifon, and I plan on trying even more of their products in the future.
Sick, Disturbing, and Shocking...
Dr. Lamb (1992)
In the early to mid-nineties, a series of ultra gory, very disturbing, and downright gross movies came out of Hong Kong. They were generally referred to as category three true crime movies. The most infamous and perhaps earliest example of these movies was Dr. Lamb. Some might argue that the Untold Story was the most infamous of these films, but Dr. Lamb was certainly the first, and it had a major impact on the entire Hong Kong film industry. Like many other countries, Hong Kong’s film community rewards any successful film with a ton of rip-offs, and in the case of this movie, the public was rewarded with a great flood of gross, ugly, and very inhumane horror movies featuring very depraved killers engaging in some really sick behavior.
In fact, by comparison, some of the stuff that followed Dr. Lamb makes this movie seem downright tame in retrospect. That said; this film is still shocking nearly twenty years later.
Dr. Lamb features Simon Yam as a cab-driving killer that hunts women. He kills them, photographs their dead bodies in various poses, and eventually starts having sex with the dead bodies. He gets caught when he goes to get the photos developed, which I must say is the dumbest move I’ve ever heard of, the fact that supposedly that is how the actual case got cracked in reality, earns the real life killer a place in the hall of fame of the world’s dumbest criminals.
Simon Yam’s performance coupled with the co-direction of both Danny Lee and Billy Tang is what makes this movie work. Simon Yam is absolutely over-the-top in this movie; his performance takes the term maniacal to a brand new level. When he started howling in a certain scene, I knew he’d gotten way too much into character. But, I say that as a compliment to the thespian, not as a knock on his acting skills.
Once he is caught, the film turns into a series of torture sequences that are shocking to say the least, not just the torture that Yam performed against his victims, but the torture that the cops perform on Yam to get him to confess to his crimes. This is something that seems okay in Hong Kong films, the crowd tends to cheer when a villain is getting beaten to a pulp, with his hands tied, and totally lacking in the ability to defend himself. It’s hard to properly describe these scenes, they are the kind of thing you’d never see in an American movie, and they are sort of unique to this sub-genre.
I hate to give a negative review to this movie, not only because it is kind of a classic of this bizarre sub-genre, but also because it seems very apparent to me that the filmmakers were trying very hard to make something worthy of praise. I also feel a bit hypocritical because I could easily turn around and give a good review to a million equally repulsive movies, but in this case, it didn’t work for me.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Mystery Fire...
Island of Fire (1990)
Despite the low opinion that Jackie Chan himself holds of this film, I still recommend it, and I’ve actually enjoyed multiple viewings of this movie. First off, let me say what this film is not, it is not a Jackie Chan movie. Yes, Jackie is in it, but nothing about it resembles a typical Chan film, and it’s best to watch it as an all-out action movie, with a star-studded cast, and a few interesting plot twists.
Island of Fire is a prison drama, the real star of the movie is Tony Leung Ka Fai, he plays a cop that uncovers a plot involving prisoners that have been executed re-emerging as very much alive, and committing assassinations. To get to the bottom of the mystery, Tony gets himself arrested, and thrown into prison. While behind bars, Tony finds that nothing is as it seems, and the closer he gets to the solution of the mystery, the more puzzling things become.
Amongst the prisoners are Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Jimmy Wang Yu, and Andy Lau. Each of them do fine in their roles, but only Sammo, and Wang Yu have anything resembling something more than an extended cameo.
Director Chu Yen-Ping has been attached to some fairly loopy movies over the years, compared to some of his other work, Island of Fire will seem fairly tame, and straightforward.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Yep, You Guessed it, More Noodles...
Indomie Meat Ball Flavor Instant Noodles
Okay, this isn’t bad really, I mean it tastes okay, but this ranks fairly low for me on the flavor-meter. The noodles are pretty standard ramen; the broth is pretty light, although it does contain chili powder, and a heavy dose of MSG. I’m not entirely certain what they meant by Meat Ball Flavor, but the ingredients did include artificial beef flavor, so that should tell you something.
Indomie is an Indonesian company and I just wanted to add that I didn’t feel all that great when I did a web search on them and the term ‘Indomie recall’ suddenly came up. I mean, I just finished a bowl of this stuff, and I don’t want it coming back to haunt me.
Enter the Zone...
SPL: Sha Po Lang AKA Kill Zone (2005)
Director Wilson Yip has emerged as the new champion of Hong Kong action cinema. Much of his success has come from a fruitful partnership with martial arts actor Donnie Yen and this particular movie was the project that first brought these two men together.
The story centers around a group of detectives who are attempting to bring down a powerful crime lord. The leader of the detectives is played by Simon Yam and the crime boss is portrayed by Sammo Hung. Yam has been diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor and is stepping down from the police force. His replacement comes in the form of Donnie Yen who finds that not only does he have Hung to worry about, but corruption within his own ranks as well.
The film works on many different levels, both action oriented, and dramatic. In essence, the movie is actually more of a morality tale, and the martial arts action was an afterthought.
But, it is the action that really sells the movie, and I’m glad to say that the film delivers on that front. Donnie Yen shines, Sammo Hung proves that even after a career that has stretched over five decades, he still has it, and Wu Jing is a real scene stealer in at least one fight.
Check it out and see for yourself.
When Hammer meets Shaw…
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
This is one crazy, but highly entertaining hybrid of a movie, and I can’t recommend it enough. Consider this, a vampire horror movie, mixed with a traditional kung fu action flick. The final product is this; the Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires.
This was actually a co-production between Britain’s Hammer Studios and Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers film company. It was co-directed by Roy Ward Baker and Chang Cheh, so you can expect it to work on both the horror level, and the action front.
Dracula travels to China, joins forces with a group of Chinese vampires, and terrorizes the country side. This leads to Peter Cushing (as Professor Van Helsing) teaming up with David Chiang and doing all that they can to eliminate the bloodsucking terrors.
Fun on a multitude of levels and highly imaginative, the movie is well-worth seeking out.
Fists and Philosophy...
Circle of Iron (1978)
I’ve often wondered how this film would have turned out if it had been made as originally intended. The story was written by the team of Bruce Lee, Stirling Silliphant, and James Coburn. The original intention was to make the movie in 1969, with Coburn, and Lee in the starring roles. This would have been interesting, but it never happened, and by chance, David Carradine got ahold of a copy of the script nearly a decade later, and went about the process of getting the film made with the roles that were originally intended for Bruce Lee played by Carradine himself. Anyone familiar with the history of the Kung Fu TV series; should find this little fact rather ironic, and perhaps even a bit humorous.
Carradine actually portrays four characters, the Blind Man, the Monkey Man, Death, and Changsa, but he is technically not the main character, or the star for that matter. The star is actually Jeff Cooper in the role of Cord the Seeker. Cord is a warrior on a quest to find a mythical book that contains all of the knowledge in the world. As he finds his way to the book, he is challenged by the Monkey Man, Death, and Changsa. He also gains wisdom from the Blind Man, who teaches his lessons in the form of riddles, and the kind of dialogue that one would expect from Confucius, Yoda, or the Buddha.
Although hardly a classic, or even a particularly good movie. Circle of Iron works as a sort of philosophical adventure movie. If you’re able to get on its wavelength, you will find that it has a certain charm to it, but for the most part, it is lacking on almost every other level.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Adventure Never Continued...
Remo Williams: the Adventure Begins (1985)
Yep, the adventure began, unfortunately it never continued, and to me that was a real shame. Yes, this is another guilty pleasure. But, then again, one could say this entire blog is made up of nothing but guilty pleasures, and to me those are the best kind.
This was an attempt by executive producer Dick Clark (yes, that Dick Clark) to create an American answer to James Bond, by adapting Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir’s popular series of Destroyer novels for the screen, this was merely the first in what would have been an ongoing series of movies, and since this did so poorly at the box office, the rest never followed. Which is unfortunate really; because despite most of the negative reviews that this film received, this was actually a really fun movie, and I would have loved to see the series continue on.
Since this was the first movie in the proposed franchise, it’s basically the origin story, and as such it works very well. A rather large chunk of the flick is comprised of rather brilliant, hair-raising, and in many cases funny training sequences.
In fact, it is the humor that makes the movie work, and this film does contain a considerable amount of it. Most of that humor is delivered in the form of the rather witty banter between the two leads and their odd sort of love/hate relationship.
Fred Ward is Remo Williams, a former cop who has his death faked, and is given a new face. All of this is done without his permission by a shadowy organization, supposedly only answerable to the President of the United States, and it is made abundantly clear to the man that is now known as Remo Williams that if he doesn’t accept his fate, he can be permanently eliminated.
That said; Remo is placed under the tutelage of Chiun the Korean master of a deadly martial arts style known as sinanju, Chiun is wonderfully played by Joel Grey in what could only be called yellow-face, and despite the politically incorrect nature of the casting, Grey is the real heart, and soul of the movie.
Sinanju is the art of assassination, more to the point, assassination that is made to look like natural causes. The training sequences are quite imaginative and in some cases absolutely insane.
Chiun and Remo don’t exactly like each other and their relationship is the most entertaining aspect of the movie. Both Joel Grey and Fred Ward are quite enjoyable in their performances. Plus, they are ably supported by the pleasing presence of Wilford Brimley as the head of the organization, and Kate Mulgrew as an army major that has been asking the wrong questions, and making the wrong enemies. Speaking of enemies, Charles Cioffi does a fine job in the villainous role of George Grove.
Although the film was not a hit, wasn’t exactly embraced by the critics, and is mostly forgotten. I liked it and if you allow yourself to be taken in by its charms, you might like it too.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Dumb Fun...
The Perfect Weapon (1991)
Okay, I’ll admit it; this is what I’d call a guilty pleasure. It’s not a great movie by any standard, but it entertained me, and I’ve actually watched it a number of times. So, it’s worthy of multiple viewings.
Jeff Speakman stars as a kenpo expert that comes to the aid of an old friend played by the late Mako. Mako is Kim, Kim is being threatened by the local Korean crime-lords, and Jeff steps in to put an end to the situation. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse, and Kim ends up murdered. Convinced that he needs to take justice into his own hands, Speakman seeks to find Kim’s killer, and exact his revenge. But, Jeff’s estranged brother is a cop, and he’s been assigned to the case. This only makes Jeff’s plans more difficult to execute.
In reality, Speakman is a very accomplished practitioner of kenpo, and it shows on screen. His skills are quite impressive and this was one of the first movies to highlight the kenpo style of martial arts.
In all honesty, this is fairly mindless entertainment, and the filmmaking is no-frills at best. Then again, nobody watches a movie like this expecting anything more than action, and in that sense the film delivers. Nothing spectacular, but still lots of fun; the Perfect Weapon is a perfect time killer.
The Perfect Movie for a Party...
The Deadliest Art: the Best of the Martial Arts Films (1990)
This documentary is really nothing more than a compilation of scenes from various martial arts movies, most of which are Golden Harvest productions, and the bulk of it is quite excellent. It features profiles on all of the usual suspects, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, and Jean-Claude Van Damme to name but a few.
It is hosted by John Saxon; his involvement seems to be due to his supporting role in Enter the Dragon, and little else. He does a pretty good job, but almost anyone could have fit the bill, and a true martial arts film expert would have been a better choice. But, I will admit, that is really just a minor complaint, and there are plenty reasons to watch this movie otherwise.
Along with footage from such movies as the Big Boss, Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain, Dragons Forever, Project A, Shanghai Express, and of course Enter the Dragon. It also has interviews with Jackie Chan, Cynthia Rothrock, Robert Clouse, and Sammo Hung among many others.
Since there is no plot, it works only on the strength of the footage used, and most of it is quite good. This is a great movie for parties, because you really do not need to pay close attention to it, and it will grab your eyes when it really matters.
Woo Goes Hollywood...
Hard Target (1993)
After the Killer and Hard Boiled enjoyed some success in America, director John Woo found himself being approached by Hollywood to turn his attention from Hong Kong cinema, to American action movies. Unfortunately, his entry point into Hollywood filmmaking meant that he would have to work with Jean-Claude Van Damme as his star, and the creative stumbling block of the Motion Picture Association of America, who forced Woo to make several cuts to the finished product so he could secure an R rating. What we were left with in the end is a mildly entertaining, but hollow, and fairly lifeless movie.
Hard Target features Van Damme as a homeless man with exceptional martial arts skills, who is hired by Yancy Butler to help her uncover the facts behind her father’s murder, and hopefully bring the killers to justice. The film opens with the aforementioned murder and shows us a game of human hunting. All of this is arranged by Lance Henriksen and Arnold Vosloo who hire homeless men to play the hunted, while wealthy men pay for the privilege of being the hunter. If the hunted can escape they earn $10,000, if they don’t, they die.
The movie works very well on one level, it’s a stylish, and action-packed thriller. But, it is also vastly inferior to the average John Woo film, and his talents are wasted here. For a Van Damme flick, it’s one of his best, but there are not many other decent Van Damme vehicles to compare it to, and as such that’s not saying much.
Dramatic Dragon...
Heart of the Dragon (1985)
A flawed, but touching drama, Heart of the Dragon is an interesting change of pace for Jackie Chan, and Sammo Hung. Although far from one of the better films to come out of the team Jackie and Sammo, it did earn some prestige for both of them, as Chan was nominated for best actor, and Hung for best director at that year’s Hong Kong Film Awards.
Jackie plays a cop who is faced with the challenge of having to care for his mentally handicapped older brother who is portrayed by Sammo Hung. The action doesn’t really kick in until Sammo is kidnapped by gangsters and Chan is forced go into hero mode. The bulk of the movie is dramatic in nature and the film actually works best with those elements, not the action, which seems tacked on, and slightly forced too.
Heart of the Dragon is not necessarily a bad movie, but it is not exactly a great one either, and it probably will not appeal to most of Jackie Chan’s fans. That said, it is rather worthy of a look though, if for no other reason than to see a surprising turn from the two stars.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Stylish Filmmaking at its Best...
Full Contact (1992)
If the idea of watching Chow Yun Fat playing a hardcore biker sounds a bit odd, trust me, it works, and he further proves why he is one of the coolest actors in the world. He exudes toughness, charm, and swagger throughout, and if for no other reason than that, all Chow fans must see this movie. That said; Full Contact is an absolutely wonderful revenge drama, loaded with awesome action sequences, and plenty of enjoyable moments.
The story is sinfully simple, Chow enters into a shaky partnership with a psychopath played by Simon Yam, they are to pull off a heist, and Chow is only getting involved to help out his buddy (Anthony Wong) who is in debt. But, as the heist comes to an end, Chow is double crossed, and left for dead. Chow survives though and after being nursed back to health, he seeks his vengeance.
This could easily have been a forgettable film. But, Ringo Lam’s direction is top-notch, visually stunning, and very stylish. Plus, at the heart of the film, there are a couple of great performances, the aforementioned Chow Yun Fat, and a bizarre twist from Simon Yam as a flamboyantly gay villain. Yam oozes evil, psychosis, and a general sense of danger. The role may now be considered politically incorrect, but it works, and in many ways it’s a powerhouse performance.
In essence, this is a simple movie, but it is dressed up to look, and feel great. Part of the effect comes from a sort MTV style of direction, in other words it’s all style over substance, but I love it anyway.
Every Good Legend Deserves a Spoof...
Once Upon a Time a Hero in China (1992)
A comedic spoof of the immensely popular Once Upon a Time in China films, this movie actually works, and unlike many other films of this type, you will laugh, and you will enjoy it. Well, at least I laughed, and I enjoyed it.
Alan Tam plays a bungling Huang Fei-Hong who is far more interested in perfecting his cooking skills, than he is interested in becoming the martial arts master that he is remembered for being. His helpers, most notably Eric Tsang as Porky Wing, and Simon Yam as Leung Foon do their best to cover-up Huang’s lack of real kung fu prowess, but Tony Leung Ka Fai as Bad Egg Ken Shek is not going to allow the young would-be-master to go unchallenged.
Not the kind of movie that would usually receive much in the way of praise, it’s as entertaining as can be, and well-worth checking out. But, it’s mostly a forgotten movie now, and is probably not too easy to come by any more. If you find a copy, watch it, and if you don’t like it, send it to me, I no longer have a copy of it.
The funniest, most memorable, and best scene involves a hilarious competition that can only be described as a kung fu pissing contest.
An Early Movie for a Number of Legends...
Hand of Death (1976)
How does this sound? A movie, directed by John Woo, with Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, James Tien, and Dorian Tan Tao-Liang. Sound interesting? Well good, because it is an interesting, exciting, and incredibly entertaining kung fu movie. Maybe not the kind of film you’d expect from John Woo, it is a fairly straightforward kung fu movie, but it is more than above average for the era. It is also not what most people would expect from Jackie Chan, because it is not a comedy, and his role is very serious, but he’s not the star, and he does a pretty good job with what is nothing more than a supporting role. The real star is Dorian Tan and he does a fine job carrying the picture, plus Tan is a great martial artist, and he is one of the best leg fighters ever to be captured on film.
The story opens with the brutal slaughter of a group of Shaolin monks, initiated by a traitor played by James Tien, and aided by a cold-blooded Manchu played by Sammo Hung. Flash Legs Tan Tao-Liang is sent to exact revenge against Tien, along the way, Jackie Chan joins him, and they team up to help a scholar escape from James Tien’s wrath (the scholar is actually played by John Woo himself).
Action packed, fight filled, and loaded with the kind of little touches that one might expect from Mr. Woo. Not to mention a rousing musical score by Joseph Koo that will get stuck in your head. Hand of Death is a fine example of a great kung fu movie.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Attack of the Noodles…
Kung-Fu Instant Noodles Vietnam Flavor
Okay, so when I last stopped by the Asian grocer they were out of my favorite instant pho noodles, so I gave this a try because it said Vietnam flavor, and beef flavor on the package. Taking all of that into consideration, I assumed this would be some sort of pho type instant noodle. Boy; was I ever wrong, and boy am I ever sorry.
First off, nowhere on the package does it mention the word spicy, and this is very spicy. I’m beginning to notice a trend here, of all of the noodles I have tried that happened to be spicy, all of the ones that never bothered to mention this fact on the package were all made in Vietnam, and this is no exception. But, unlike the other ones, this was very spicy.
I also find it funny that they were honest enough to put on the label, in fairly large print I might add; that this is an artificial beef flavored instant noodle. That’s a nice touch, no seriously, it is. Why hide the fact? Just flaunt it, embrace it, and say what you are upfront. It’s as if they are saying, ‘I’m artificial, and proud.’
If you like your noodles spicy, this is for you. If you’re more like me, this is not for you.
The Return of the Noodles…
Hao Hao Mi Sate Hanh
This is a sate onion flavored ramen noodle, it isn’t overbearingly onion flavored, and the broth has a slight spiciness to it. It’s made by a company called Vina Acecook, manufactured in Vietnam, and it was the cheapest instant noodle package in the entire Asian grocery. In fact, that is the very reason I gave it a try, because it was the cheapest, not because I was particularly interested in buying an onion flavored ramen, just because it was so cheap, and I was curious.
The noodles are fairly standard ramen, the broth is very light, and the flavored oil adds a bit of a spicy aftertaste to the soup. Not great, not bad, but when you take into account that it was the cheapest in the store, my expectations were low, and it exceeded my expectations. So, in the end, it’s good, and for the price it’s awesome.
This is nothing that will set the world on fire, but boy does it taste better than anything from Nissin.
Cyborg Ninjutsu...
Cyber Ninja (1988)
Keita Amemiya is a director that has fascinated me for years, yet, during the bulk of this fascination, I was blissfully unaware of his name, and just being sucked into the visuals of the handful of his films that I just happened to see. The first Amemiya movie I ever saw was Kamen Rider Zo and it riveted me. Oddly enough, I was leant a copy of it by a Japanese friend, and it was in the original language, with no subtitles, and I was still sucked into it, and I loved it.
Sometime later, I saw some of the scenes from Kamen Rider Zo edited into the first couple of episodes of Saban’s Masked Rider, and despite the fact that the show generally sucked, I still found myself stopping, and staring at the TV screen to see the stolen Kamen Rider Zo footage again. Yet, at the time, I had no idea who the director of that footage was, and I didn’t really care, because it was brilliant, it was cool looking, and it made a heck of an impression on me.
Many years later, I caught Moon Over Tao: Makaraga on cable, and I really enjoyed it. But, I still wasn’t aware of whom Keita Amemiya was, and I didn’t start to seek out more from this talented director until I saw the movie Mechanical Violator Hakaider. Hakaider blew me away, it was like a dark take on Kamen Rider, and it was excellent. Suddenly, I wanted to know everything about this director, and I started to search for more of his work.
Cyber Ninja was the first theatrical piece that Amemiya ever did, before this film he was working only on television productions; and mostly superhero related stuff at that. You can easily see the influence of superhero programs on this movie, as well as the influence of anime, and any number of different science fiction films too.
The title character was once a human, he was a warrior involved in a war that pitted humanity against a demonic force that lead an army of robotic ninjas. The hero was horribly wounded on the battlefield, left within inches of death, but the demons saved him. They erased his memory, used cybernetic robotics to repair his body, improve it even, and turned him into the Cyber Ninja. The Cyber Ninja is used to fight the war against the humans, but once his memories begin to return to him, he switches sides, and begins fighting the robots. He also joins forces with the humans to help them save a princess who has been captured by the demons.
Wonderfully imaginative, incredibly fun, Cyber Ninja is a real gem of a movie. Watching this made me wish that I still had that copy of Kamen Rider Zo. Keita Amemiya makes excellent use of an obviously low budget and he’s a man of immense talent. Check this movie out, you won’t regret it.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
A Magical Ninja Adventure...
Torawakamaru, the Koga Ninja (1957)
I recently bought a cheap collection of ninja movies, in all honesty I didn’t expect much, but to my pleasant surprise, the first movie I watched, turned out to be pretty good. It’s a late-fifties ninja fantasy from Japan, one could even call it a family movie, and it was actually quite wonderful.
Torawakamaru, the Koga Ninja should appeal to fans of classic samurai movies. It has a similar look to the old Akira Kurosawa masterpieces like Seven Samurai, the Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo. In essence it’s the samurai/ninja equivalent to old Hollywood b-westerns of the Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry variety. I say that, because it plays into a lot of the same clichés, with the distinction of interchanging the kid-friendly cowboy with a handsome magical ninja with a heart of gold.
The story revolves around a feud between two samurai clans, both clans turn to ninjas for help, and where one side is employing what are essentially evil ninjas, the other side is utilizing the aid of the film’s hero. As the title character, hero, and all around nice guy, it should come as no surprise that Torawakamaru is the good guy, and that said, the bad guy position is handled in the character of Goemon.
Playing into one of the more reliable clichés, Goemon kidnaps the daughter of the leader of the good clan, and Torawakamaru sets out to rescue her. But, our hero has some unexpected help in the form of Goemon’s son, who has befriended the little girl, and who eventually learns that his father is not quite the heroic individual that he has always looked up to.
The movie is filled with fantasy elements. Ninjas seemingly teleport from one location to another, shape-shift into animals, change the weather, and create illusions that baffle the mind.
Not exactly a masterpiece, but certainly a worthwhile viewing experience, and a good movie for the whole family.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Brandon Lee’s First Starring Role…
Legacy of Rage (1986)
Brandon Lee was tasked with a hard legacy to live up to, his father Bruce was a legend, and trying to follow in that man’s footsteps would have been nearly impossible for anyone. In the end, Brandon left a legacy of his own, and it’s one that perhaps seems a bit more tragic than that of his father. Brandon’s life came to an end on the set of the movie the Crow in 1993, due to an accident involving a prop-gun. All of his movies were action oriented, but he depended more on his dramatic skills than he did on his martial arts prowess, and in that sense, he will be remembered very differently than Bruce.
Legacy of Rage was Brandon’s first starring role and the only Hong Kong movie that he ever made. Although there are some martial arts in it, it is mostly a crime drama, and a revenge movie. So, due to the nature of the story, most of the action relies on gunplay, and not kung fu. Although, there is one very memorable fight scene between Brandon, and Bolo Yeung, and that should serve as a minor treat to the multitude of fans that still worship his father.
The storyline revolves around a young man that is betrayed by his drug-dealing best friend and finds himself thrown into prison. While behind bars, Lee is comforted by the false impression that the friend that betrayed him (Michael Wong) will somehow find a way to get him out, and solve our hero’s problem. No such luck though, Wong uses the opportunity to put the moves on Lee’s girlfriend, and build his criminal empire. Once Brandon is released back into the civilian world, he seeks out Wong, and sets about on exacting his revenge.
Although thoroughly enjoyable, the movie is far from a classic, and it suffers from weak plotting. It also has several strikes against it in that the story is incredibly cliché ridden and the acting isn’t particularly very strong. All of that said, it’s still worth watching, and the movie is never anything less than fun to watch.
Saturday Morning Silliness Part Two...
The neat thing about Thundarr is that among the designers of the show were Jack Kirby (co-creator of Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and the Silver Surfer) and Steve Gerber (creator of Howard the Duck).
Friday, January 14, 2011
Even More Spider-Man…
Spider-Man (1978)
This oddity premiered the exact same year as the Nicholas Hammond series, but this was a Japanese TV series, and inside of the web-slinger’s suit was Hirofumi Koga who’d also appeared in a couple of Sonny Chiba movies. I’d love to comment on the show, but I’ve never actually seen it, and I really want to.
From the descriptions that I’ve read of the series, it appears to have been more in the vein of stuff like Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and Space Giants than what most people have to come to expect from a Spidey show. In fact, if you look at the pictures, you may notice that Spider-Man even entered into a team-up with Kamen Rider V3, now that is awesome.
The Spider-Man that Stan Lee wants you to forget about...
The Amazing Spider-Man (1978-1979)
I remember watching this as a little kid, at the time I thought it was pretty good, and now I know better. I actually bought a few episodes of the show on VHS recently and transferred them to DVD-R for the sake of preservation. Nicholas Hammond, the actor that played Peter Parker, and Spidey, wasn’t really that bad of an actor, just not the right actor for the role.
It’s still fun to watch for nostalgia sake, or if you are too young to have seen it when it was new; and you find yourself being curious.
The Noodles Strike Again...
Gomex 3 Mien Mi Tom Hum
This is a lobster flavored instant noodle soup and it’s not half bad. It’s not anywhere near as good as the pho noodles that I mentioned earlier, but it’s still well worth checking out.
The packaging is mostly in Vietnamese, the little bit of English that was present on the package were the tiny blurb on the front identifying the flavor (which I might have added the word spicy to), and the directions on the back. The preparation couldn’t be any simpler, or stress free.
I don’t think that lobster is the right word for the flavor; it’s more like spicy seafood flavor, or at least something along those lines. The only seafood listed in the ingredients is shrimp powder. It also contains dehydrated carrots, spring onions, and soy beans.
I picked this up on a whim. On my last visit to the Asian grocer, I grabbed a few varieties of noodles that I had yet to try, and this was one of them. Not bad for an impulse buy.
A Second Helping of More than Noodles...
Vifon Pho Bo
One of my favorite foods on the planet is Vietnamese beef noodle soup, also known as Pho. This is not the real thing, but it’s a pretty good facsimile, and it’s pretty cheap too.
It’s not ramen, because its rice noodle based, and it’s even easier to prepare than a package of ramen noodles. Just boil some water, place the noodle, and the flavoring packets in a bowl, pour the proper measurement of boiling water into the bowl, cover, and wait a few minutes.
What you end up with is a tasty snack and like I already said, it’s cheap too. You should be able to find it at your local Asian grocer. Unfortunately, my Asian grocer never seems to have it in stock, and this leads to much aggravation for me.
Childhood Giants!
Space Giants (1967)
The joys of childhood, the memories, the innocence, the sheer pleasure of immature entertainment, and the glory that was Space Giants:
Kung-Fu Comic Books...
Jademan comics were a Hong Kong based comic book company that for a short period of time used to publish their titles in English. Unfortunately, finding these books today is surprisingly difficult, and if you're lucky enough to come by any of them, do yourself a favor, and pick them up.
One of my favorite books in the line was the Blood Sword, it was later made into a movie, and the movie is easier to find then the book. Just in case you were wondering, the movie is called A Man Called Hero.
Another favorite of mine, was Oriental Heroes, which was actually the flagship comic for the company. Oddly enough, that was also turned into a movie, and it's an excellent movie called Dragon Tiger Gate.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Space Ninja!
Space Ninja: Sword of the Space Ark (1981)
After Message from Space played in theaters in 1978, it was followed by a TV series called Message from Space: Galactic Battle, which ran on Japanese television in 1979. The series was later dubbed into English, condensed into a seventy minute movie, and released on American audiences in 1981.
I used to own a VHS copy of it, unfortunately, I no longer have it, and boy do I miss it. How good is it? Well, not very good; but definitely silly fun, and well worth checking out. I’d certainly recommend it to anyone who grew up watching the Power Rangers, because this is the sort of thing that certainly informed that series, and I have to admit it, I’ve always been a bit perturbed by the fact that most of the people who grew up watching that show never knew exactly what they were actually looking at. But, I digress.
Like the movie, the TV series starred Hiroyuki ‘Duke’ Sanada, and also featured appearances by numerous members of the Japanese Action Club.
The Martial Spirit...
Budokan: the Martial Spirit (1989)
Talk about forgotten video games, particularly forgotten video games of the fighting variety, Budokan certainly fits that profile. I first discovered this game in the early nineties, because a friend of mine had it for his PC, and once I started playing it, I continued for the rest of the night, and walked around the next day like an exhausted zombie.
The graphics are by today’s standard, crude to say the least, heck; they were probably crude for the late eighties. But, that’s beside the point; the game play seemed more realistic, because the bulk of the game consisted of training, and mastering of martial arts skills.
The player would train with the sword, the long staff, the nunchacku, and work on their karate skills as well. You could train for hours, go to visit the master of the school, and he’d still tell you weren’t ready to enter the competition.
The competition was another story, once you entered it; you really needed to hold your own. Because, it took very few loses to be sent back to school, and continue your training.
I haven’t played the game for nearly twenty years and I would seriously like to get my hands on a copy of it again, because it was seriously addictive. Although, I am sure, like many other things, it probably hasn’t aged very well. But, nostalgia is what is, and that’s the point.
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