recent purchases

[Jimbo]

I just ordered from HKflix......Fist of the White Lotus, Shaolin VS Lama and Dirty Ho.

Egg Fu young: All three of those are great films! Enjoy.

Also, thanks for the info, Jethro. Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch youtube anytime soon at work anymore; their computer system got a virus from people checking their emails at work. > So no more internet allowed for now. Guess I have to upgrade to a better home computer.

Might have to check Sam Goody's again for Challenge of the Masters. Does Suncoast sell Challenge full-price or at $14.99? There's only one Sam Goody left around here and no more Suncoasts, but they're the same owners, I think. Some of the MediaBlasters releases are cheaper at Sam Goody's (Heroes Two) and some are cheaper at Best Buy (The Master). Odd.

I saw The Tai Chi Master available at BB today but not interested right now; I never cared that much for it, but may someday get it for the extra feature on Taiji in Chen Village.

[jethro]

Yeah I don't think Tai Chi MAster is anything great either. Fist of LEgend is where it's at. Challenge of the MAsters is probably 12 or 14.99 at Suncoast. And sorry to hear no more computer at work. I know how you feel.

[Egg fu young]

Hey guys. I only do a drive by posting every once in a while but I want you to know most of the DVD's I buy are movies you've wrote about so............you keep writing and I'll keep reading. Thank's

P.S. HKFlix has SB movies $2 off until the end of the month

[jethro]

Hey good to hear Egg Fu. I'm glad you are enjoying our geeky discussions.

[Zenshiite]

This isn't a movie, but I bought a 4 volume unabridged translation of Outlaws of the March for 40 bucks last week.

[SimonM]

I think I read that edition. Sagacious Lu kicks so much ass.

[Zenshiite]

I'm trying to get my hands on all types of wuxia lit. I read Gu Long's The Eleventh Son not too long ago. Pretty darn good.

[Jimbo]

During the period I was living in Taiwan, I had bought a copy of, I think, The Water Margin (in Chinese, of course). At the time, I was able to read a decent amount of Chinese; not every word, but enough to get by with. I only made it a few pages, and it took me a long time on each page. An anabridged translation of Outlaws of the Marsh would be very cool.

Finally picked up the Tokyo Shock release of Challenge of the Masters...almost didn't find it, because someone had put it (hidden it?) way out of place on the shelves. Excellent quality, of course. It was surprising to hear Chen Kuan-Tai, in his interview, saying that he's involved in making movies again. He will probably be behind the camera more now, and I doubt his new work will ever come close to his old-school stuff, but it's good to hear he's at least giving it a shot.

*on a side-note:
It was Chen Kuan-Tai who supposedly discovered Billy Chong working in Indonesian films while there in 1977 making a monkey kung-fu film, and arranged for him to work for Hong Kong filmmakers. So at least in that case, he's shown he has an eye for finding great new talent.

[puma]

Bat without wings and Brothers 5

[Jimbo]

Versus.

I've seen this on DVD shelves for years now, and finally got it. It's a Japanese film, and a good one...if you like weird movies peopled with bizarre characters, you'll be in movie heaven.

It's basically a supernatural tale that combines aspects of various genres: Zombies, samurai, gangsters, martial arts, magic, etc. It's a definite spoof. The weirdos are about 98% of the film's characters, particularly several psycho gangsters and two goofball homicidal cops.

Versus can be kind of hard to follow; just keep in mind it deals with reincarnation and dimension/time-jumping in a place called Resurrection Forest. If nothing else, it should provide some really good laughs. The fight scenes are actually pretty good. The people that fight (which are most of the film's characters) are actually martial arts-trained. Besides the movie-style samurai sword fighting, other apparently identifiable styles include modern Taekwondo and a woman who fights with something that looks like Tong Bei ( or maybe the modern wushu version of it??).

This film does have a good arch-villain. He is a demonic character who is supposedly invincible and cannot be killed.

Versus is different from, but runs along similar lines to Machine Girl. They are both recent Japanese films that cater to those who like bizarre entertainment that are as far from the typical Hollywood fare as you can get.

[jethro]

I got a couple of Pride events today to tide me over until I can get Fist of Legend on Thursday or Friday. I can't wait to see what the picture and sound is like, and I really can't wait to see the special features. It has new interviews with Gordon Chan, Kurata and Chin Siu Ho, and some other cool stuf like a "screen fighting seminar at the celebrated Kurata Action School". I also heard it will have that Hong Kong Legend's Billy Chow interview, though its not listed on DD's site.

[Jimbo]

Jethro, so DD's Fist of Legend is coming out this week?!?

I've also got a bunch of the Price FC's. I like them, but stopped buying them, and any other MMA DVDs, because I find I enjoy watching them only once and can't get into watching them a second time...

[jethro]

I know what you mean about those Pride DVDs. I can watch it once, but it takes about a year for me to get the urge to watch it again. And Fist of Legend is supposed to come out on the 9th, next Tuesday. It had better be out by then!

[Li Kao]

Yeah I don't think Tai Chi MAster is anything great either. Fist of LEgend is where it's at.

Jethro and Jimbo -- I'll agree with you in that Fist of Legend is by far the superior movie -- unless you happen to be a Michelle Yeoh fanboy, which I most certainly am!

[Li Kao]

And since you're talking MMA DvD's -- I have to add that I miss the good 'old Pride days -- I think the ring is much better than the Octogon, they had a much better roster in their heyday, and even though the commentating was in Japanese, I think they were the best MMA organization.