Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Because Ninja's Rock! Chinese Super Ninja's Available For Sale

Enjoy the awesomeness of the Ninja from Cheng Cheh and the new official UNCUT and RESTORED DVD from IVL. Remember every purchase you make allows us to get my DVDs and review them.
http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.542225/aid.85597/qx/details.htm

Morgoth Takes on Undefatable aka The Eyeball Clip on Youtube



Yes, this is THE Undefeatable, one of the best cheesy movies ever made. Godfrey Ho's modern day masterpiece. The acting is beyond horrible, and the way the actors deliver their lines is bound to cause laughter.

The movie starts off with a woman talking to her psychiatrist about her abusive husband Paul. She says Paul used to be a mechanic but has changed since he became a fighter. He fights in death matches and thinks he is undefeatable. Paul is nicknamed Stingray. He gets home one day and sexually abuses his wife. She finally leaves him and Stingray goes crazy. He starts kidnapping any woman that has a flower dress and red hair like his wife. The cops start to take notice after finding the women dead. There are a lot of clues, but these cops are not the brightest people. Ray Niam, an unknown actor to me, plays the cop that is investigating the murders.

Cynthia Rothrock is a gang member who fights on the street to earn money. She has a job as a waitress but needs the extra money to pay for her sister's college tuition. Her sister just so happens to have red hair and wears a flower dress. She is kidnapped and killed, and Rothrock teams up with the cop to take down the killer.

The fight scenes are not too bad. Stingray is hilarious. He is very muscular, kind of looks like Michael Douglas, and has a crazy mullet fro thing going on. His acting is so bad that he comes across as being mentally handicapped. He is not believable at being scary, but he is still a lot of fun to watch. His movements are very akward and his facial expressions had me bursting out with laughter.

The first fight scene introduces Ray Niam as the cop. This guy is a horrible actor. He never shows any emotion, and his acting performance is actually funny because you can tell he is trying his hardest, yet he does everything wrong. So the first fight has him taking out 2 goons who are robbing a convenience store. This fight is pretty good, but only about 10 seconds long. Ray Niam does some good handwork and takes out both guys quickly.

Next fight has Rothrock fighting a rival gang member. The fight itself is decent, but what is going on around the fight is much more interesting. The audience starts clapping and stomping a concrete wall in a rhythmic beat. Godfrey Ho really knows how to set the mood.
Next fight has Stingray killing some guy and kidnapping his girlfriend. Nothing special about this fight. It's too short, and the actor who plays Stingray doesn't seem to know what choreography is. He does his own thing. There is an nice stunt at the end of the fight, but that's it.

Then Rothrock has another planned fight. She goes up against a big guy who wears football pads and charges at her like a football player. Rothrock kicks him a few times and beats him easily. Somehow Stingray spots the football player and his girlfriend going home from the fight with Rothrock. The girl is wearing a flower dress and has red hair so Stingray goes over to their trailer and beats the guy up. But he doesn't take the girl. I think Godfrey Ho just forgot. This fight is over quickly. The football player is so bad he actually makes Stingray look good with a few of his punches.

In the next scene Stingray sees Rothrock's sister with her red hair and flower dress. This is one of the better fights of the movie, but too short only lasting about 30 seconds. Stingray looks tough and there is a good stunt.

Now that her sister is dead, Rothrock tries to find the killer by challenging gangs to fights. She goes up against an eagle claw performer. I like the idea of having the eagle claw guy wear actual claws, but the choreography is only average.

The next guy Rothrock challenges is not bad. They have a good fight but it is cut too short and turns into a bad group fight. There are a couple good stunts but the choreography is slow.
The final fight is Stingray vs the cop. This is as bad as fight choreography gets. These guys do not work well together. There is no chemistry and none of their attacks look believable. The cop is always putting his hand up to block kicks and punches before Stingray even attacks. Midway through they decide to take off their shirts for some reason. I guess Godfrey Ho was hoping the audience would look at the guys chests instead of the terrible fight that is going on. So the fight is bad, but very funny.

If you are a hardcore fighting fan, then this will disappoint. If you like really cheesy movies then you will love this. The final scene may just be the best scene in the movie. Rothrock decides to enroll all of her gang member friends into college. So is Rothrock going to college? She says no, but the cop already enrolled her. That sneaky dog.
2/5

A New Member Joins HKCFN!

Ron aka Morgoth will be a new staff reviewer here at HK and CULT FILM NEWS. You may know Morgoth from his posts at Kung Fu Cinema's Kung Fu Fandom Forum or from his more than 900 plus reviews at Amazon (and no that is not a exaggeration in the least). Ron, brings a passion for old school kung fu coupled with a knowledge of its cast and crew that will help HK and CULT FILM NEWS evolve even more in its goal to be one of the top HK sites around.

Betcha you thought this was never dubbed in English: Have Sword, Will Travel! Plus the Rare of the Day!

Needless to say the Flashlegs Clan never ceases to surprise me everyday! FLK's Forum is the link at the top of the page. Give it a look!



They also help contribute the Rare of the Day with the bizarre Abbot White 2.

If your in San Fransico 11/4, you need to go get your copy of "Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monster" signed by August Ragone!

This coming Sunday, November 4th, author August Ragone will be appearing at an in-store signing for the release of his first book, EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTER, from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm at Border's Books in the Stonestown Galleria (233 Winston Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132). Former "Creature Features" host, author John Stanley, will be joining him to sign copies of his latest book, "I Was a TV Horror Host."

EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTER is marching into better retailers near you as you read this from the world-renown Chronicle Books. "Who is Eiji Tsuburaya," you might ask? Tsuburaya (1901-1970) was one of the technical pioneers of Japanese Cinema in the Silent Era, who went on to create the visual effects for GODZILLA and ULTRAMAN. This official 208-page, heavily-illustrated (200 images), coffeetable hardcover, is the first fully-authorized book of its kind published outside of Japan, and is the first biography of this important figure of Japanese Cinema ever written in any language other than Japanese!

Already available in Canada, EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS, is receiving positive reviews: "The difference between this book and other coffee table volumes that have covered daikaiju before, though, is the staggeringly researched detail that Ragone has put into the text itself. This is not just a picture book to flip through, nod approvingly at and stick on the shelf; this is a record easily in scale with the monsters Tsuburaya created—a critical and historical look at the creation and output of an industry that spanned (and has continued to span) the decades." - Tooth & Dagger.com

Tim Lucas, publisher and editor of the award-winning Video Watchdog magazine had this to say about the author, "There is so much writing in English on Japanese cinema that can't be accepted at face value--not because the writers are careless, but because the differences in culture and language are just too intricate. When I see August Ragone's name on a piece of writing, it gives me permission to place my faith in it completely. Among Japanese fantasy film historians, he's the best working in English."

More signings to be announced in the near future -- stay tuned! If you live outside of the San Francisco Bay Area and can't make it, you can also pre-order your own copy today from Amazon.com!

Monday, October 29, 2007

Sonny Chiba and Yasuaki Kurata team up to kick ass on DVD in November: Legend of Seven Monks

Get Legend of the Seven Monks at HK FLIX and help support HK AND CULT FILM NEWS! http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.544291/aid.85597/qx/details.htm

Two of The Biggest Names in Japanese Martial Arts Appear Together on
Screen For The First Time:
Yasuaki Kurata and J.J. Sonny Chiba

LEGEND OF SEVEN MONKS

Available November 13, 2007

Woodland Hills, CA – Martial-arts fans unite! For the first time ever on screen, two legendary martial-arts heroes battle it out! Westlake is proud to debut Legend of Seven Monks available on DVD November 13, 2007. Over the years, action film stars Yasuaki Kurata, who has
appeared in more than 60 Japanese martial arts films, and J.J. Sonny Chiba, who has starred in hit films including Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2 have built up a friendship and rivalry, but they have never appeared on screen together. Now, in the tradition
of Japanese honor – each man must fight to survive or live life as a loser!

Legend of Seven Monks is priced at $19.98, and is in Japanese with English subtitles. The film is directed by Kenji Tanigaki. It tells the story of two monks who must defend their home. Kikyo Temple is said to have been home of warriors engaged in countless battles who became known
as the “Seven Blue Dragons.” For 1400 years, guardians have watched over and defeated the evil spirits located in the mountains. Now only two survivors of the ongoing conflict remain, the monks Santoku and Genryu. Can they really save Santoku and accomplish the Demon Seal
Ritual? What destiny awaits them?

LEGEND OF SEVEN MONKS
Street Date: November 13, 2007
Item Number: WLV3525
UPC: 798622352521
SRP: $19.98
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: Approximately 92 Minutes
Genre: Action/Asian Martial Arts
Format: Full Frame
Language Japanese with English Subtitles

The Original Trailer to Chinese Super Ninja's

Remember, the more hits I get, the more content you get! :) Next up is Eric Tsang as RAMBO. No, I'm not kidding. I swear, I think Sly watched some of Fatal Vacation for his new Rambo.

Note: I just uploaded the trailer, so it may take some time to appear.

An Update of the DVD Rights to The Beyond.

Big thanks to Grindhouse for kindly answering our question on the rights to Lucio Fulci's The Beyond.

Hi Ian,
Grindhouse Releasing has all rights to the movie. It was sublicensed to Anchor Bay as part of our deal with Rolling Thunder, but with the expiration of that deal, all rights have returned to us. We will be re-releasing THE BEYOND on dvd sometime soon.
Thanks!
Bob Murawski
Grindhouse Releasing

Thursday, October 25, 2007

We Return On Monday!

Hey guys, I just need to spend this weekend on studying and such. We will be back with a lot of coverage this Monday. Kicking off with Dog Eat Dog Screencaps and review and a LOT more too.

Enjoy the weekend!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Balls of Fury Coming to DVD!

Hey, its got James Hong in it, nuff said!

A HUGE COMEDY WITH TINY BALLS

BALLS OF FURY

STREET DATE: 12/18/07

OVERVIEW: From the creators of Night at The Museum and Reno 911 comes Balls of Fury, the outrageous new comedy starring Christopher Walken and George Lopez. The high stakes world of underground **PING-PONG® is infiltrated in this hilarious spoof that combines comedy and action for one explosive ending. With a hysterical alternative ending not shown in theaters, experience the ultimate battle for the **PING-PONG® paddle on DVD this holiday season!


PRELIMINARY BONUS FEATURES:

  • DELETED SCENES

  • ALTERNATE ENDING

Rodriguez offers Randy a new assignment

  • BALLS OUT: THE MAKING OF BALLS OF FURY

This “making of” features filmmakers Ben Garant and Tom Lennon discussing their rise from television to the big screen, as well as the training that went into making this film.

  • UNDER THE BALLS: THE LIFE OF A BALL WRANGLER

This tongue-in-cheek “mockumentary” explores a day in the life for the film’s ball wrangler.

SYNOPSIS: In a secret society, the competition is brutal and the stakes are high. It is the unsanctioned, underground, and utterly unhinged world of clandestine **PING-PONG® tournaments. Down-and-out former professional **PING-PONG® phenom Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) is sucked into this world when FBI Agent Rodriguez (George Lopez) recruits him for a secret mission. Randy is determined to bounce back and win and to smoke out his father’s killer – arch-fiend Feng (Christopher Walken).

TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

Street Date: December 18, 2007
Price: $29.98 SRP
Running Time: 1 hour and 31 minutes
Layers: Dual Layers
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Rating: PG-13
Languages/Subtitles: English, French
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

HKCFN Podcast 2: Godzilla Final Wars!

Derek and I take a look at the most controversial Godzilla film ever.

We also take a peak at:
-The Awesomeness of Don Frye
-Why Mike Schlesinger is pretty darn cool too.
-What were people expected with Kitamura and his post-modern Godzilla film.
-Fanboys (young and old).

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Friday, October 19, 2007

Scarecrows Screenshots from Fox's DVD

A review will be up tonight. Now what will post 300 be?

Buy Scarecrows at Amazon.com and help support HK and CULT FILM NEWS.











































The Burning Screencaps from MGM

A Review should be up by mid-afternoon.

Buy The Burning at Amazon.com and help support HK and CULT FILM NEWS.