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6/10
very manly Jimmy Wang Yu adds distinction to chopsocky soap
29 March 2007
Set in early 20th century (gonna say 1930s maybe?), another classically styled kung fu drama with a well rounded sense of humor and nice 'spy' felt music (by Chow Leung) that enhances the lovely, dreary cinematography.

It is well paced but this off beat espionage tale, involving the Red Lantern Bandits, feels like an extended chapter from an ongoing epic. The setting of a traveling opera (Beijing opera?) as the backdrop lends an air of mystery and suspense and this film really is pretty to look at depending on which video label you catch. Note to collectors: the video label is 'Facing All Death' (seems more like a series of titles than an actual distributor and the packaging resembles the old 'Saturn' titles) and the running time was 87 minutes.
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Kaiketsu Raion Maru (1972–1973)
6/10
Edited from the 'Lion Man Maru' serial
29 March 2007
Suitably filmed martial arts fantasy set during the Feudal wars in medieval Japan and concerning a shapeshifting sword fighter. This amusing 'mini feature' seems patterned after comic book fluff and resembles a cross between a kung fu flick and the fun Japanese cult series 'Ultra Man'.

I got this old video tape for Christmas back in the 1980s from my parents and was surprised to find it was an episode of a t.v. series from the early 70s. Despite really rank dubbing, this has a few things going for it: marauding skull ninjas (looking like they stepped out of 'He Man & The Masters Of The Universe'), sword swinging villain that looks like a poor cousin of 'The Thing' (from 'Fantastic Four') here called 'Mole Man', three likable nomadic war orphans (one of which is the lycanthropic 'Lion Maru') and a running time of 22 minutes. I can't find enough info on this series to tell what episode this might be but judging from the narration and the story, it's possible that this is the first one.
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Yan jing she (1982)
6/10
Lei acceptable but second rate Lee
29 March 2007
Contemporary (1970s) setting doesn't improve standard melodrama involving smuggling circle. Film does have twist conclusion and some good kung fu action but also funky discotheque muzak (elevator versions of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and 'C.H.I.P.S.' Theme!!!) and a trite 'Death Wish' plot.

Dashes of Lee's 'Chinese Connection' & 'Fists Of Fury' with the classic style of the first ten minutes are the best thing about this bland actioner. Note to collectors: the tape had no video label distributor listed and the film had a running time of 92 minutes. Also the tape listed 1978 as the year of release.
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6/10
A 'should be' excellent martial arts actioner..
29 March 2007
Standard, though involving, plot dealing with the usual political intrigue (China's occupation by French and Japanese forces), double crossing and smuggling. If that isn't heavy enough take two families involved with the Chinese underworld and pit them against each other and set them against the backdrop of Shanghai's casino arenas. whew!

Contemporary yet atmospheric kung fu drama has a nice, classic air about itself but is just too slow moving to achieve the success it probably deserves. Amidst all of the intrigue, Yasuaka Kurata and Chen Sing are running around. Note to collectors: this version is from the old 'Paragon' label and runs 93 minutes.
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6/10
Not in the same class as 'Seven Blows Of The Dragon' but still good..
29 March 2007
Choppy but classic styled adventure mixing the Ming/Ching conflict with an espionage plot involving Shaolin and the eventual control of the Chinese mainland. Good, fantasy inclined kung fu actioner captures the chivalry of the period it portrays. There is a wrenching incest-rape ploy and a totally surprising, macabre conclusion complete with double crossing and an ounce of chicanery that elevates this martial arts tale up a notch.

Watched this mainly for Lo Lieh and Carter Wong. Note For collectors: this version was from the old 'Hollywood Films' label (a Canadian company) with a running time of 76 minutes.
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TCM Underground (2006– )
9/10
Classy station's attempt at a Cult & Horror hosted show?
18 November 2006
Hope so! I've loved TCM ever since it's early days (when AMC ruled as THE classic film station (SANS commercials) and was only followed by the now defunct Nostalgia Channel and an early incarnation of TNT in showing the cult films of yester-year) so it's pretty damn neat that a distinguished station (now THE place to see classic & off beat flicks) has developed their own series devoted to the left-of-center in celluloid. Is TCM Underground like Movie Macabre? No. Or Maybe MST3K? Nope. Off Beat Cinema? No way. Not even Creature Feature Or Shock Theater but it fits in with all of these great horror hosted programs and Rob Zombie's poker faced approach is all meat and no filler. I see that IMDb's listing of this show with a first season may mean a following season. Hope so. And as far as the choice of films: no complaints, perfect. Since Turner Classic has shown that they're not afraid to venture into a more alternate venue maybe films by the late Andy Milligan or Charles Pierce or Del Tenney (to name but a very few) will get mainstream due. Now if I could only find my old VHS tapes of Quentin Tarantino hosting German horror films from the sadly gone TRIO channel or if IFC would stop slapping adverts on the end credits of their films (that's not marketing that's disrespect!) my world would be near perfect..
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Deadly Lessons (1983 TV Movie)
9/10
Still have this one on tape....
5 November 2006
It's great to see at least a few posts on this good little t.v. slasher. I still pull out my old VHS of the NBC premiere just to see what television was like especially considering the current, sad state of the tube now where commercial blurbs are at the bottom, top and sides of squashed, mashed and castrated film & program credits and huge bylines slapped across the screen to remind you of what you are watching! Well, I can't really add to what's been said about this film except that it got some great play time on TBS in the late '80s and in an interview shortly before she died, Donna Reed lambasted the film as 'very cheap and on the sleazy side'! Nothing of the sort, I actually double featured this with Wes Craven's Scream for a couple of friends of mine and they really got into it. When will tele-flicks like this get their due?
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Covenant (1985 TV Movie)
7/10
I used to have this on tape
5 November 2006
It's hard to believe that no one has commented on this. Jane Badler (fresh off of 'V') was great in this somewhat dark tale of an affluent family involved in the occult. It's been years since I've seen this but as I've stated in other postings: I lost nearly 100% of my VHS tapes in a flood and everyday I regret never making duplicates of these TV treasures...But the thing I do remember about the film is that it aired on broadcast at 90 minutes (with commercials), was completely open-ended as to leave room for the proposed series and it looked like that warped made for video slasher flick from 1987 'Epitaph' (about the sick Elizabeth Taylor look-a-like stepmother). Anyhow, maybe a fan copy will surface one day as it beats the hell out of a lot of stuff coming down the pike now.
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Fantasies (1982 TV Movie)
8/10
Another missing piece of TV
5 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Man, just to see this again..Suzanne Pleshette was great as the producer of a typically trashy soap that gets beset by a series of murders that begin to decimate the cast of her bread and butter show. The shadowy freak that stalks the cast has an unnerving sort of broken hum after each dispatch and there is a nice scare or two within the proceedings. If you pay VERY close attention you can spot the killer early on but since I suck at guessing who the maniac is, I lucked out by looking at the T.v. guide ad: shadowy lunatic standing in a doorway over a terrified female victim (The killer's hair only matched ONE of the actors in the film so I was able to pay attention to that one's motives). Anyhow, this is good stuff and is definitely T.v.'s entry into the stalk & slash subgenre of terror flicks. Very hard to come by and almost no-one knows of it or its whereabouts. It would be very cool if someone out there comes across this and starts to circulate it. also..VERY VERY HUGE MOMENTOUS SPOILER ALERT..STOP READING RIGHT HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN OR KNOW NOTHING OF THIS FILM: the standout ending will either alienate or please those who have seen 'April Fool's Day' in the fact that when all is said and done it turns out to be a staged ploy (in this film though, it was the wrapping up of principal filming of the proceeding events)..At the time of its broadcast, I thought 'Fantasies' was a great stalker flick with a fantastic ending..
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The House That Mary Bought (1995 TV Movie)
Where is this film?
3 November 2006
A few years back (circa the mid 1990s), this got major play on Showtime and now anyone I talk to has never heard of it. And to add insult to injury, anytime I had set the vcr (pre dvr/tivo days for me) to record the film something always happened (i.e. power outtage, unruly guest decides to change channel without asking, crummy OVERUSED videotape, etc, etc!). I have only seen the first 40 minutes or so and can say that the film had a strangely cold atmosphere that clashed nicely with the sunny Euro location (Luxemborg, Belgium Or Brittany, France, I believe..it's been a good decade since I've seen this portion of the film). The only other thing I can add is that the film, for some reason, reminded me of the 70's creeper 'W' (with Twiggy). Here's hoping that someone with knowledge of the film can post a better, more elaborate review so that I can decide if it's worth searching out. From time to time an Ebayer does sell this sans video box, cover or description but I'll wait for an official release (I dig Benji Cross & Susan George and want a video case with their mugs on it.)
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