Dragon Dynasty 36th Chamber of Shaolin Caps!

Not Bad Hugo, Not Bad. Megatron Speaks!

http://transformerslive.blogspot.com/2007/06/movie-clip-megatron-speaks.html

RINGSIDE RECALL-June 30, 2007

(Author's Note: I have been invited to be one of the kayfabe-era wrestling (typically meaning professional wrestling up until 1989, although that will not be a hard and fast rule) correspondents on this fine blog. It is my hope that this piece will serve to introduce me to you, the readers, and explain, for those of you too young to live through the time period discussed, why you should care about the personalities, programs, angles, and matches that I'm sure to touch on in the weeks and months ahead. It is my hope that you will enjoy reading about these events as much as I enjoyed experiencing them as a small child obsessed with professional wrestling).

Allow me to take you back, to a time and place that may seem unfamiliar to the younger readers reading this. The time was circa 1985. A time that I fondly term BCABIR (Before Cable and Before Information Revolution); a time when people got their news and entertainment from either the “big three” broadcast television networks or an “unaffiliated” station, which were television stations on the UHF band that now typically show UPN or CW programs showed whatever program they could get cheap. The place was Baltimore, Maryland, where a little seven-year-old boy would sit with his grandfather, or his great-uncle, or his favorite uncle, or a combination thereof, watching television on a weekend afternoon, transfixed, as the little boy had since the age of three. While the family members mentioned above are no longer with us, the little boy has since grown into a man pushing thirty years of age, and his little shadow stares at me when I look in the mirror, and the memories of what transfixed him remain with me to this day.

What was it that so transfixed me, you may ask? Professional wrestling. On or around that time, Baltimore got Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association (AWA), Bill Watt’s Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), three of Jim Crockett Promotions’ shows, and two World Wrestling Federation shows airing in one weekend. I watched them all. The larger-than-life characters: men named Hayes, Gordy, Roberts, Slaughter, Hogan, Koloff, Kernodle, Junkyard, Williams, and the greatest of them all, a man named Flair. I watched their wild deeds from strange-sounding places: The Irish-McNeil Boy’s Club, the Tulsa Fairgrounds, the Cobo Arena, the Forum, Madison Square Garden, Charlotte, Raleigh, Spartanburg. And what did they do to transfix me? What was it that I liked so much about it?

Done well, in any era, professional wrestling is the highest form of performance art. Wrestling, in it’s basic form, is a morality play. Good versus Evil. One man wronged another, now the man who did the wrong must pay. Or one man wants what another has (typically a big gold belt, but also including money and women, which have all been put up for grabs in a wrestling match, in every era, at one time or another). I was transfixed by this ever-evolving tale of good and evil, the men who performed it well, and even the men that described it. For those of you who weren’t old enough to know, I can’t tell you what it felt like to see two thousand people making enough noise for one hundred thousand, as Steve Williams won the UWF championship on television against the One Man Gang. And I also can’t begin to describe how the announcer, whose face looked like a hoot owl and voice sounded like a hick, made the action in the ring seem more important than anything. The hoot-owl face and hick voice belong to a man named Jim Ross. Or how David Crockett would announce matches like his grasp of the English language was tenuous at best: “Magnum TA…Blanchard’s face in the fence…Git’em now, Magnum, Git’em.” Great stuff! And it seemed like the most important thing in the world to me. Or the voice of a man called Gorilla and a man called the Brain, the most underrated comedy duo of all time! This is what pro wrestling of that era meant to me, and millions of others. And, if I had the time, I could be here all night typing of my experiences going to matches, where people could still light up a cigarette inside of an arena, and security was more a suggestion than a force!

Now that you have been introduced to me, my experiences, and the tip of the iceberg of my memories of a time and place, I hope you will continue to enjoy the musings of a man whimsically remembering a time and place long ago passed. And I hope that you will not only be informed and entertained but inspired, the same way these events inspired me so long ago.

Scott Joins the Blog!

Despite being a wrestling nerd, with a freakishly long memory, Scott managed to get his BA cum laude from a prestigious institution of higher learning in his hometown of Baltimore. His other hobbies, apart from wrestling, include NASCAR, action films, video games, and following current events. And, so no one feels the need to ask, his favorite wrestler of all-time is “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

Jim Cornette is Awesome!

The Nine Rings of Sandra Lee's Inferno: Cool Kids' Cooking

“Move over, Mom and Dad. In the kitchen, kids rule!”

So begins the terrifying journey into the pits of Hell that is Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cool Kids’ Cooking (note the bizarrely placed apostrophe…nice!). I seriously cannot imagine someone purchasing this overly colorful cookbook for children, but God help them if they do. Sandra is condescending and patronizing on every single page. Her “hip lingo” that the “cool kids” will apparently dig includes such gems as “awesomest” (way to encourage improper superlatives, Sandy!), “bodalicious,” “mad movie munchies” (does her nephew smoke a lot of weed or something?) “school the peeps” and “wazup” to name a few. Apparently homework is “easier to swallow” when you have snacks, her PB Smoothie will go down “slooow good” and when you want something “wet and wicked” her Tropical Cooler is “chill” the one…why does her writing sound like really bad porn? Wow…this truly is the depth of human stupidity. Come join me on my adventure thorough the alcohol-addled mind of a blonde bimbo disguised as a reputable chef, won’t you?

Oh…by the way, the entire book is illustrated with this bizarre cartoon of “adult” Sandra (oh please…maybe it was realistic when she was 15, but not her current 40-something self) who wears this lame necklace that says “Sandy.” Also, the kids who surround her in the various depictions of food preparation that pepper the book are (of course) a wide assortment of races and hair colors who have come together to celebrate the joy of cooking via their culinary savior, Miss Sandy Lee! Thank God she came to show us the light, shout the young “We are the World” children. If anyone ever saw the television show The Weekenders that used to be on Saturday mornings, you will recognize the eerie resemblance between characters like Tish and the girl who adorns the cover of this fantabulous cookbook.

What I plan to do for the next few weeks is to go chapter by chapter through this horrifying collection of Sandy’s most inedible concoctions, as that’s the most I can stomach at one time. There are nine chapters, so I will devote myself to reviewing a chapter a week so that the poor and huddled masses yearning to breath free can partake vicariously in the mind-numbing idiocy of Sandra’s attempt to crack the tween cookbook market. Hmm…nine chapters, nine rings of Hell in Dante’s Inferno. Coincidence?

CHAPTER ONE: LIMBO

Today, I will begin with Chapter One, entitled “Bright Breakfasts.”

Obviously, Sandy knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and assumes eating her crap will help make children “bright.” We shall soon see if her hypothesis pans out or, more than likely, crashes as quickly as her fluffy soufflés.

This chapter features 10, count ‘em 10, fabulous recipes for the children to help make and eat. Anyone who has watched Sandy’s show (whether for entertainment purposes or not) realizes Sandy deeply cares about the health of kids. Well…not her kids, as she doesn’t have any, but other kids, like her nieces and nephews, she definitely cares about. Except when it’s Cocktail Time! Whether condemning the abundance of ketchup use or telling her audience that it is soooo hard to get food into kids these days, Sandy is constantly letting us know that she worries about children’s health. As such, she devotes this chapter to giving the kids in her life (as pictured by freaky anime-like cartoon characters in the cookbook) the bountiful breakfast goodies she has accumulated through her many, many years “cooking and entertaining” the way her grandma taught her. Only now, Sandy notes in the introduction to this chapter, “when mornings are warp speed, Grammy’s Granola keeps it caz.” I assume “caz” here signifies casual, but I really cannot say for sure, except it must be what those cool kids say nowadays. I guess I’m too old at 24 for these young hipsters and their crazy slang!

Sandra’s recipes in this first “eggscellent” chapter (her words, not mine) are “Egg Nests,” “Scrambled Egg Burritos,” “Mini Breakfast Pizzas,” “BTC Quiche” (the C is for Cheddar, not crap…though you yourself will have to be the judge of that), “Apple Spice Pancake Roll-Ups,” “Fruity French Toast,” “Nutty Banana Cakes,” “Waffle Wheels,” “Good Morning Parfait,” and finally the previously mentioned “Grammy’s Granola.” Aside from the fact that half of Sandra’s culinary treats sound like the creations of stoned college students (dude…we could totally make a pizza with eggs on top, man!), one will also immediately note the silliness of Sandy’s recipe names. Sandy never saw an alliterative title she didn’t like, and her cookbooks are stuffed to the gills with cutesy girly names for EVERYTHING, especially those ubiquitous cocktails she loves so much. One example that I will focus on for the rest of this review is the frightening “Waffle Wheels” recipe that is both alliterative and incredibly stupid at the same time. Way to go, Snads!

"Waffle Wheels” begins with, you guessed it, FROZEN WAFFLES. Now, I am a lazy, lazy person. I think the fact I got this book over a month ago and am just writing a review now demonstrates my love of procrastination. However, if I am taking the time to make a nice, healthful breakfast, I sure as hell don’t toast up some Eggo waffles. I mean, I eat those at night when I need to satisfy my sweet tooth by consuming bread covered in syrup. It’s a serious condition I have; don’t make fun. Anyway, Eggo waffles would never, ever be designated as “healthy” eating by any sane person, yet Sandra goes out of her way to profess the benefits of waffle “sandwiches” for those darn kids that won’t eat anything!

She notes under “food you’ll need” that the ingredients are bananas, Eggo waffles (always making sure to let even her youngest readers know the importance of brand loyalty in the world of Semi-Homemade), crunchy peanut butter (Laura Scudder’s, wtf is that?) and Sun-Maid raisins. And here’s the entirety of this great kiddy recipe:

“Using a table knife, cut each banana into 10 slices of equal size (for a total of 20 slices); set aside. Toast waffles in toaster. Carefully remove waffles from toaster.

Using a table knife, spread 2 tablespoons peanut butter on 1 waffle. Top peanut butter with 5 banana slices and 1 tablespoon raisins. Place second waffle on top and sandwich together. Repeat to make a total of 4 sandwiches. Serve on dinner plates.”

Okay. To start with, I find it a tad ridiculous that this incredibly simplistic recipe is in her cookbook. I feel like when I was a child I could have come up with the same thing. Does that make me a fabulous chef like Sandra Lee? Hell no…I don’t drink enough to match her awe-inspiring greatness.

Next, why does she have to give exact measurements for peanut butter and raisins? Wouldn’t children be able to put whatever amount they like on their crappy waffles without following her exact dictations of “2 tablespoons?” I know that when I put peanut butter on anything, I just glop it on without thinking of how many tablespoons I am spreading onto to my food. I think, in this case, she should have just said “spread as much peanut butter as desired.” Same with the raisins. These directions do not need to be so specific for the little kids supposedly using the cookbook.

Finally, why does she recommend that this culinary delight be served “on dinner plates?” Are paper plates too low-class for Sandy, or is she actually being cautious about the environment? My guess is she wanted to put in a specific brand for the plate, but the deal fell through so they left it in the cookbook sans recommendation. Darn…what a missed opportunity to brainwash the young’uns into buying her crap.

I find these early recipes within this first chapter bode much trouble for the rest of the Sandra’s culinary masterpiece. It’s like this cookbook is a weird amalgam of simplistic recipes by stoners with directions written by ruler-bearing schoolmarms who flinch at imprecise measurements. Plus, it’s supposed to be for KIDS. However, Sandra’s overtly condescending tone gives one the impression that this is marketed towards young adults, hip lingo and all, but that no kid would actually want to read it (the language is so uncool it’s painful to look at) and use it the way Sandra intended. Seriously, unless your child gets that this is a joke, do not give them this cookbook. It’s a disaster in the making that will leave your appliances, and your souls, deeply scarred.

Next week, the second chapter “Lazy Day Lunches” as we head into the second ring of the Inferno. As Sandra writes as her salutation in the introduction, Dish Delish!

Music (well sound fx) to my ears.

Listen carefully at around 1:06 in the clip.

K1 Grand Prix Holland Play by Play

Melvin Manhoef vs. Ruslan Karaev - K1 Rules Bout

Round One

Manhoef bullies Karaev to the canvas after catching a kick. Ref steps in and restarts the match. Manhoef throws a beautiful hooking left right left combo and absolutely cleans Karaev’s clock. Karaev is on the canvas for several minutes and looks like he has no idea what happened.

Winner Melvin Manhoef by KO RD 1

Bjorn Bregy vs. Brencht Wallis - K1 Rules Bout (Quarter Final Tournament Fight)

Round One

Both fighters come out with aggression. Wallis gets caught by a Bregy right hand and sits down. Wallis is back up and both fighters are trading leather. Round ends with both fighters slugging away. 10 - 8 Bregy.

Round Two

Both fighter come out firing, Wallis is the more aggressive of the two and lands some good shots. It is clear both fighters are worn out. Both fighters take turns pushing the pace of the bout but it is Bregy who steals the round in the last few seconds. 10 - 9 Bregy. Wallis needs a KO to win.

Round Three

Wallis comes out with fire in his eyes knowing he has to get the KO to win. Bregy seems happy to fight backing up and landing some sloppy leg kicks. Wallis is pushing the pace but it is not enough to get to the chin of Bregy. Wallis takes the round but loses the fight. 10-9 Wallis

Winner Bjorn Bregy Unanimous Decision 29 - 27

Maksym Melevda vs. Magomed Magomedov - K1 Rules Bout (Quarter Final Tournament Fight)

Round One

Round starts out like a feeling out process. Magomedov lands some nice leg kicks and glancing punches. Melevda turns it on in the second half of the round and steals the round with accurate punches and knees to the body. 10 - 9 Melevda.

Round Two

Magomedov looks a lot better this round and is almost landing at will in the first half of the round. Melevda turns up the heat in the second half of the round but catches a straight kick to the face for his trouble. Magomedov lands some great body shots and take the round. 10 - 9 Magomedov.

Round Three

The fight is to be won or lost in this round and both fighters know it. They exchange in the corner and it appears that Melevda is cut over his left eye. The doctor is called in to take a look at the gash. Action is restarted. Magomedov lands a text book high kick and lands straight kicks to the face of Melevda at will. Round and fight goes to Magomedov. 10 - 9 Magomedov.

Winner Magomedov Unanimous Decision 29 -28

Paul Slowinski - Hiromi Amada - K1 Rules Bout (Quarter Final Tournament Fight)

Round One

Slowinski comes out firing some brutal leg kicks which go totally unchecked by Amada. Amada is wobbled by a hard leg kick and given a standing eight count. Slowinski attacks with some more hard leg kicks and stops Amada dead in his tracks.

Winner Paul Slowinski RD 1 TKO

James Phillips vs. Zabit Samedov - K1 Rules Bout (Quarter Final Tournament Fight)

Round One

Both fighters throw some hard leg kicks. Samedov is landing some brutal body shots and following up with leg kicks. Phillips is cut and the doctor is called in to check it out. After the break Phillips starts landing some hard accurate leg kicks. 10 - 9 Samedov.

Round Two

Phillips comes out firing more of his hard low kicks. It is clear that Samedov is feeling those kicks and he is getting winded. Samedov is throwing one punch at a time and lands a Superman punch at the end of the round. Phillips takes the round with combos and low kicks. 10 - 9 Phillips.

Round Three

Samedov comes out throwing some vicious body punches. Phillips is not doing much and eats not one but two Superman punches from Samedov. Round ends with Samedov landing the cleaner shots. 10 - 9 Samedov. I scored the fight 29 - 28 for Samedov.

Winner Samedov Unanimous Decision 30 - 27 x 2 & 29 - 28

Roy Tan vs. Hiroya - K1 Special Rules Match 3 rds 2mins

Round One

These young warriors came to fight. Tan (18) and Hiroya (15) are throwing fast hard combinations. This round is a real “see-saw” battle. Hiroya finishes the round with a flurry of punches and kicks. 10 - 9 Hiroya.

Round Two

Hiroya is throwing accurate combinations in the first half of this round. He stalks Tan around the ring and doesn’t give him much room to breath. This kid can fight. 10 - 9 Hiroya.

Round Three

Sharp combos and hard kicks from Hiroya open the round. Tan looks desperate and is getting beat to the punch every time by Hiroya. Hiroya finishes the fight throwing bombs at Tan. 10 - 9 Hiroya

Winner Hiroya Winner Unanimous Decision 30 - 27

Bjorn Bregy vs. Magomed Magomedov - K1 Rules Bout (Tournament Semi - Finals Bout)

Round One

Magomedov is looking to keep his distance from the much larger Bregy. Magomedov is leaping in to the bigger opponent and is now looking to engage in a slugfest. Bregy catches Magomedov with a knee and the slugfest plan is left in the dust as the smaller man keeps the distance. 10 - 9 Bregy.

Round Two

Bregy is looking to bully the smaller man and he is successful as he catches Magomedov with a wild hook and floors him. The action is restarted with Magomedov looking shaky and tired. Bregy pounces on his injured counterpart and bludgeons him in the corner until the ref stops the action. Bregy wins but he looks gassed and will be at a stamina disadvantage during the final bout.

Winner Bjorn Bregy RD 2 TKO

Paul Slowinski vs. Zabit Samedov K1 Rules Bout (Tournament Semi - Finals Bout)

Round One

Slowinski sticks to his strategy of throwing hard low kicks but he is eating some big over hand rights. Samedov lands a huge over hand right and puts Slowinski on the mat. Slowinski is back up and he keeps throwing the low kicks, this time he puts Samedov on the canvas, not once but twice. Two knock downs in one round and the ref stops the fight. The crowd is not pleased with the stoppage. Paul Slowinski will be the fresher man coming into the final bout.

Winner Paul Slowinski RD 1 TKO

Nicolas Vermont vs. Junichi Sawayashiki - K1 Rules Bout

Round One

Both fighters throw some viscous leg kicks with Sawayashiki getting the better of the two. Vermont is keeping up with his opponent but Sawayashiki is landing crisper combos and harder shots. 10 - 9 Sawayashiki.

Round Two

Vermont is fading fast and he is getting hammered with hard leg kicks. Sawayashiki takes advantage of the situation and knocks Vermont down three times, fight is over.

Winner Junichi Sawayashiki RD 2 TKO

Bob Sapp vs. Peter Aerts - K1 Rules Bout

Round One

Sapp charges out of his corner and takes Aerts to the ground. Aerts is back on his feet and he blasts Sapp with a body kick and knee that looks like it half landed at best. Sapp goes down like he was shot; Sapp is done…what a joke this guy has become.

Winner Peter Aerts RD 1 KO

Paul Slowinski vs. Bjorn Bregy - K1 Rules Bout (Tournament Finals)

Round One

Slowinski loves the leg kicks and he is using them again. Bregy is doing a good job of checking the kicks and countering with punches. Bregy takes control of the round and lands some good shots. Bregy lands a flying knee at the end of the round. 10 - 9 Bregy.

Round Two

Slowinski comes out with some hard leg kicks. Bregy is caught with a huge over hand right and is walking around the ring like he has no idea where he is, he drops to the canvas but gets back to his feet. Slowinski jumps on Bregy and knocks him out with a flurry of shots.

Winner & K1 Grand Prix Holland Winner Paul Slowinski RD 2 KO

Semmy Schilt vs. Mighty Mo - K1 Super Heavyweight Title Bout

Round One

Schilt is trying to keep his distance by throwing low kicks and front kicks. Mo gets in with a big overhand right and makes Schilt take a big step back. Semmy continues with the low kicks. 10 - 9 Schilt.

Round Two

Schilt is still keeping his distance and fighting a safe fight. Mo is getting hurt by the leg kicks and front kicks to the body. Mo is deducted a point for holding. Mo is hurt by another body kick at the end of the round. 10 - 8 Schilt.

Round Three

Schilt starts to open up with high kicks and low kicks. Mo has no game plan and looks very bad out there. Mo is deducted another point for lack of aggression and holding. Mo is getting beaten up and the fight really is not is questions at this point. Schilt wins the round 10 - 8.

Winner and K1 Super Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt Unanimous Decision 30 - 26

Updates Coming! Really, we're not dead. :)

Sorry, for the lack of updates over the last couple of days as things have really hectic. However, the next couple of days will be showcasing some great updates.

1. A play by play look at the latest K-1 event in Holland from Mike.
2. The amazing 9 part in-depth look at the terrifying Sandra Lee's Children Cookbook by Jessica that will make you laugh yourself silly begins.
3. A look at the final two DVDs from Dragon Dynasty Shaw DVDs (One Armed Swordsman and My Young Auntie).
4. A review of the 20th Anniversary Edition of Transformers the Movie in celebration of the upcoming live-action film, along with other Transformers related material.


PLUS MORE!

King Boxer and 36th Chamber of Shaolin Dragon Dynasty Reviews.

King Boxer and 36^th Chamber of Shaolin DVD Review

King Boxer and 36th Chamber of Shaolin Video: King Boxer and 36^th Chamber of Shaolin both boast restored picture quality that has been seen previously on releases on DVD by IVL in Hong Kong. However, there is something with these Region 1 releases from Dragon Dynasty that make them superior to most, if not all, of the other DVD releases of these films. They have been properly converted to NTSC from PAL. Previous releases of the Shaws in Hong Kong and America have often featured blurry pans, ghosting, improper speeds (often appearing too slow or sometimes too fast) in the video transfer. Thankfully, none of these appear on these Dragon Dynasty releases and thus allow those who had previously seen these restored versions to experience these films anew. The color s are vivid and strong on King Boxer. This is also the case for 36^th Chamber of Shaolin most of the time. There are brief instances of minor frame instability lasting less than one second in 36^th Chamber of Shaolin. This is a result of frames not being cut from 36^th Chamber of Shaolin as Celestial would later do to their other films during the restoration process.

King Boxer Audio: King Boxer features both Mandarin and English Mono. Both tracks are actually mono and feature no audio additions. This is important as a number of fans have expressed a dislike for many of the poor 5.1 remixes that Celestial has released to distributors. The audio is clean and clear and sounds as if it has been given an audio restoration to remove any imperfections. The one minor exception to this is a 3-5 second instance during the English dub of King Boxer when the audio momentarily warbles. This is quite short however and most likely due to the elements used. Otherwise the audio is in excellent condition.

36^th Chamber of Shaolin Audio: 36^th Chamber of Shaolin features Mandarin, Cantonese, and English Mono. The condition is just as good. I think I can state with confidence that I have never heard the English language versions of these films sound this good.

King Boxer Extras: King Boxer comes with some excellent extras. First off, it has interviews with the director Chang-Hwa Jeong, who talks about what separated King Boxer (in his opinion) from other Chinese directors at the time; this interview lasts about five minutes. We also have a nearly twenty-minute interview with Lar-Kar Wing, who served as action director on the film and talks about the process of setting up the fights. There are short interviews with David Chute and Andy Klein about some of the themes in the film. The disc contains (as can be seen in our screenshots) numerous trailers, including an alternate credit sequence which used the title Five Fingers of Death. There is also a commentary track featuring David Chute, Elvis Mitchell, and Quentin Tarantino. This commentary is interesting and talks about the structure and style of the Kung Fu film.

36^th Chamber of Shaolin Extras: The disc comes once again with some nice interviews including an around fifteen minute-long interview with the Master Killer himself, Gordon Liu. The disc also contains a very interesting interview with the RZA in which he talks about his first experience with these films (and in a screenshot of the famous 42^nd street in New York, you can actually see a marquee advertising Shaolin vs. Manchu). There is also a Celestial-produced feature on Shaolin itself and it is fairly interesting (it is one that has appeared on Celestial products, so some may have seen it before). David Chute and Andy Klein once again appear in an interview segment talking about the film. There are also a bevy of trailers for the film (as seen in our 36^th Chamber screenshots which will be up later tonight) and a TV ad for 36^th Chamber of Shaolin which uses the Master Killer name. Rounding up the extras is an audio commentary featuring Andy Klein and RZA. The RZA shows his skills commenting on the film’s influence on him, cameos, martial art styles, and the cast and crew. Andy Klein seemingly did not prepare for this commentary as much and at times stating his lack of knowledge about the period of Chinese history covered (which easily could have been researched), missing the first appearance of Lo Lieh, among other things. It just seems that Andy Klein should have prepared a little more for this DVD, especially since the RZA obviously took the time to make sure he knew his stuff. This is a minor complaint though, as these DVD have some really nice extras.

Final Thoughts: These are the versions fans have been asking for and Dragon Dynasty delivers, with versions that are both a treat to look at and listen to, with some excellent extras too. I can easily say that both items are must buys.

Mercenaries 2 - Debut Trailer

Boom goes the dynamite!

Seriously loved the first game, can't wait to get the second one.

Simon Yam and Connan Lee awww!

Simon Yam and Connan Lee awww!

MMA Rankings as of 6/13/07 by Keith Shillan

Before I give my predictions, please know my philosophy with rankings. I believe you are only as good as your last fight. So drumroll please!

Heavyweight:

1. Fedor Emelianenko
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria
3. Josh Barnett
4. Randy Couture
5. Gabriel Gonzaga
6. Mirko Filipovic
7. Tim Sylvia
8. Andrei Arlovski
9. Mark Hunt
10. Fabrico Werdum

Light Heavyweights:

1. Maurico Rua
2. Dan Henderson
3. Wanderlei Silva
4. Quinton Jackson
5. Chuck Liddell
6. Rameau Thierry Sokodjou
7. Ricardo Arona
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueria
9. Tito Ortiz
10. Rashad Evans

Middleweights:

1. Dan Henderson
2. Matt Lindland
3. Paulo Filho
4. Anderson Silva
5. Rich Franklin
6. Denis Kang
7. Nathan Marquardt
8. Kazuo Misaki
9. Ryo Chonan
10. Murilo Bustamante

Welterweights:

1. Matt Serra
2. Georges St. Pierre
3. Matt Hughes
4. BJ Penn
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Diego Sanchez
7. Karo Parisyan
8. Jon Fitch
9. Jake Shields
10. Akira Kikuchi

Lightweights: (By far the hardest to rank)

1. Takanori Gomi
2. Hayato Sakurai
3. Sean Sherk (yes, I do count his wins at welterweight)
4. Nick Diaz (also count his wins at welterweight, and still count his win over Gomi as legit)
5. Gilbert Melendez
6. Shinya Aoki
7. Tatsuyo Kawajiri
8. Vitor Riberio
9. Joe Stevenson
10. Joaquim Hansen


Please send all your questions, comments, and hate mail to ShilltheThrill2000@yahoo.com

K1 Heavyweights Invade the Amsterdam Arena!

On June 23, 2007 The K1 World Grand Prix comes to the Amsterdam Arena with some of the biggest names in the sport. Topping the card will be current K1 Grand Prix Champ Semmy Schilt, Mighty Mo, Peter Aerts and the colossal Bob Sapp.

The card will feature K1 super fights, a three fight MMA card and an eight man tournament. The MMA card will feature former Pride contenders Allistair Overeem and Gilbert Yvel.

As of right now there is no televised North American coverage of this event but we will have the results from this show shortly after the show.


K1 Super Fights

Peter Aerts vs Bob Sapp
Semmy Schilt vs Mighty Mo
Melvin Manhoef vs Ruslan Karaev
Gokhan Saki vs Mourad Bouzidi
Joerie Mes vs Murat Direkci
Tarik el Iddrisi vs Pajonsuk

MMA Rules

Allistair overeem vs Micheal Knaap
Vincent Latoel vs Sahin”Kaas” Yakut
Gilbert Yvel vs Hakim Gouram

K1 Tournament

Bjorn Bregy vs Maxim Neledva
Cyril Abidi vs Brecht Wallis
Muhammad Magomedov vs James Philips
Zabit Samedov vs TBA

EBOLA EBOLA EBOLA!!!!!

The specs for the "greatest movie ever" have been announced along with a pic of the cover. Thanks to Arif Khan.
Region 1
Original Cantonese Language
Optional English Subtitles
Dolby Digital audio
16 x 9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
Theatrical Trailer
Photo Gallery
Audio commentary with Anthony Wong and Herman Yau
Interview with the director Herman Yau
Never before seen deleted scenes!

KING BOXER SCREENCAPS.

Review to follow in a day, but enjoy these screencaps for the moment.

Dragon Dynasty Shaws Arrive!

Expect reviews starting tonight. We will have some King Boxer caps up in a little while.

Blockbuster EMBRACES Red Sun DVDs!

Blockbuster EMBRACES Red Sun DVDs!

Another HK and Cult Film News exclusive. Click the link above for all the details .

Robinson Crusoe on Mars DVD Features

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (soon from Criterion)

Thanks to CapnDunsel

The link above has the text of an email from Criterion about their forthcoming DVD release of Robinson Crusoe on Mars.

PWND!

Just for the record, Paris was in some really bad films. So this isn't OT.

GODFREY HO SPEAKS!

Did Godfrey Ho know he was a bad film maker?

Well, check out this interview with one of the most infamous directors of all time.

Thanks to theportlykicker

HKCinemagic has an interview with the man (and the myth) himself.

Check it out: www.hkcinemagic.com/en/page.asp?aid=230

Midnite Movies starting to be announced

Midnite Movies starting to be announced

Thanks to Jameson281

On DVD Drive-In George Reis has posted the first two new Midnite Movies to be announced: THE CONQUEROR WORM (WITCHFINDER GENERAL) and FOOD OF THE GODS. (These are two separate releases, not a double feature.) Price is $14.98; release date is September 11. The double features will follow--hopefully soon.

Join the discussion at Classic Horror Film Board.

KING KONG 1933 Playing Tonight in the Philadelphia AREA!!

KING KONG 1933 Playing Tonight in the Philadelphia AREA!!

Link to CHFB to discuss or use our talk-back feature.

HOLLYWOOD SUMMER NIGHTS
KING KONG
(1933) 1 hr, 44 min

Free for Students
SHOW TIME
Wednesday, June 6 at 7:00

www.brynmawrfilm.org/

Located in the Bryn Mawr, PA right near Philadelphia. Easy access by SEPTA Regional Rails (the station is a block away)

I can give directions if anyone needs them.

Jess and I are going, can I count on any other readers to be there?

Be like John Woo and win some cash!

Jess pointed out this link to a contest that is being done in conjunction with the release of the Stranglehold video game coming out soon. Contestants must submit a John Woo-esque short film (2-2 1/2 min). The winner will receive 25,000 dollars in cash prizes. Enter today and do HK and Cult Film DVD News proud!

Full details at:
http://www.myspace.com/strangleholdgame

Holy Crap! A Commando Special Edition Directors Cut is on the Way!!!

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From DVD Active

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/commando.html

Further Details:
Fox has announced a director's cut of Commando which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. The disc will be available to own from the 18th September, and should retail at around $19.98. As well as the original theatrical cut (90 minutes), the set will include an all-new seamlessly branched unrated version (95 minutes) as envisioned by director Mark L. Lester. Each version of the film will be presented in 1.85:1 anamoprhic widescreen, along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track. Extras will include an audio commentary on the theatrical cut by director Mark Lester, deleted scenes, a Pure Action featurette, a Let Off Some Steam featurette, and 4 photo galleries with over 150 images (Creating Commando, Domestic Bliss with John and Jenny, Kill Arnold, Kill!, and Trashing the Galleria).

Postscript to GAMERA SUPER MONSTER Review

I just wanted to release the following statement about GAMERA SUPER MONSTER, which I reviewed a couple days ago.

I think this movie gave me a viral infection of the bowels.


Fear not, dear readers, if you exist. The worst is over. But as I can't think of any way how I got the infection, I might as well blame this movie. Sorry to share too much information, but I think it sums up my feelings of the movie very well.

Why I loved the 80s (Action Movie Youtube Edition)!

Till I discovered Hong Kong action movies, these flicks were the kings (granted I didn't see most of them till the 1990s as I was born in 1983)! Hell, they still rock.

The Octagon Directed byEric Karson (1980)



Lone Wolf McQuade Directed by Steve Carver (1983)



Commando Directed by Mark Lester (1985)



Invasion USA Directed by Joesph Zito (1985)




Rambo: First Blood Part II Directed by George P. Cosmatos (1985)



Delta Force Directed by ....I'm not taking the time to look up his entire name, more importantly it stars Chuck Norris (1986)



Predator Directed by John McTiernan (1987)



Die Hard Directed by John McTiernan (1988)



Bloodsport Directed by Newt Arnold (1988)



The Punisher Directed by Mark Goldblatt (1989) (Sorry, sound is out of sync)

D-WAR Finally Gets US Release

D-WAR Finally Gets US Release

Dear lord, I never thought this would happen. Heck, I never thought this was getting made or even more than a DTV release.


Thanks to Sci-Fi Japan

Last Hurrah For Chivalry - Dragon Dynasty Special Features

Last Hurrah For Chivalry - Dragon Dynasty Special Features

Thanks to Shaolin Patriot

Slated for a 7/24 release date. Special features to include:
* Audio commentary with Bey Logan
* Pray For Death: interview with Fung Hak-On
* Deliver Us From Evil: interview with Lee Hoi-San
* Legendary Weapons of China featurette (not to be confused with the Shaw Brothers title)
* Original theatrical trailer
* U.S. promotional trailer

Hard Boiled - Dragon Dynasty Special Features

Hard Boiled - Dragon Dynasty Special Features

Thanks to Shaolin Patriot

* Audio commentary with Bey Logan
* A Baptism of Fire featurette
* John Woo: Partner In Crime featurette
* Terence Chang: Art Imitates Life featurette
* Mad Dog Bites Again featurette
* Location guide
* Hong Kong theatrical trailer
* U.S. promotional trailer

Gamera Super Monster

Back in the halcyon days of 1999, when girls were girls and men were men, quite a few kaiju eiga were shrouded in legend. Few had seen movies such as SAYONARA JUPITER or HALF HUMAN or YOG. You could mail cash to some store in New Jersey for the movies, but there were movies like THE MYSTERIANS that were higher on the priority list. Personally, I gave $25 to a store in Miami that had a terrifyingly large catalogue of rape porn for a crappy VHS of SAYONARA JUPITER. Oh, those were the days. Ian, by the way, apparently has stories about that place that he needs to share with all of us, and we should all urge him to do so. Anyway, with the rise of the Internet and DVD, the world has become a smaller, more easily accessible place. Kinda like Lindsay Lohan. GAMERA SUPER MONSTER had the mystique of being Daiei's last ditch effort to get out of bankruptcy. With most of these films, the chocolate covering of obscurity hid only the bitter nougat of mediocrity. GAMERA SUPER MONSTER is no exception. And if I had the NFL Films guy reading that, that line would come off less bombastic. And this entire paragraph was a long-winded way of saying, "DUDE! YouTube is freakin' amazing! Look at what I just found!"

After the narrator attempts to make us feel puny and insignificant compared to the infinite reaches of the vastness of the thousands of galaxies that stretch out across space like an endless ocean of time and space that is neverending, he warns that the hand of war is reaching for our galaxy in the form of the pirate ship Zanon. The fact that Zanon is at first represented as a few cel paintings of an Imperial Star Destroyer seems to indicate that this film was originally intended as a Teddy Ruxpin story. (Fear not, there is an actual model, and they go as far as to reproduce the opening shot of STAR WARS.) Despite being a pirate ship, Zanon has orders to attack Earth. Meanwhile on Earth, a pet shop owner, a car saleswoman, and a teacher get stricken with tinnitus and change into caped costumes and fly off to meet each other. The pet shop owner is apparently the leader of the group because she has a boyish haircut and drives a van with a keyboard installed in the dashboard. When she plays said keyboard, the van turns into an orange blob using the cheapest video technology of the early 80's in the middle of midday traffic, which supposedly no one notices or cares about. Did I mention they're all hot? I think that bares mentioning. And they're hot too. Anyway, they meet each other in some parallel universe encapsulated within the van when the Zanon ship contacts them to trash talk. Then these supposed Superwomen realize they're screwed because they have no weapons. Yes, that's right. The movie immediately tells you that even when women have superpowers, men will easily overpower them. Shortly thereafter, a semen then flies down to Earth that turns out to be female agent of Zanon, Maura Tierney. And she's immediately hit on by two creepy Japanese dudes, one of whom she electrocutes. Aren't Japanese attitudes towards women fascinating?

The next day, Keiichi and his friends, 8-year-old boys dubbed by 5-year-old girls, plug a manga (Shonen Jump apparently) and harass a policeman who owns a turtle like in said manga. The policeman jokingly threatens to arrest them and throw them in jail where they'll be raped by 350-pound guys named Bubba, shanked with sharpened toothbrushes, then garotted with dental floss. The two plot threads then merge as Keiichi comes across the pet shop owned by the superwoman. He claims that one of the turtles can talk to him. He goes on to say it is possessed by a demon and tells him to spill the blood of the innocent. He writes a march for the turtle, and his mother ends the madness by telling him to set him free for the turtle's happiness. The turtle jumps at the opportunity to escape the shrill-voiced child. And Keiichi sets him free. Zanon calls the pet shop owner to tell her that Earth will suffer many disasters, which consist solely of stock footage of volcanic eruptions. It turns out that it's Mt. Fuji. The government goes to find out the cause of this "strange happening," only to find that it's their happening and it freaks them out, baby!!... They also find out they have a bad case of Gyaos stock footage. The space women assemble to deal with this matter, but the car saleswoman gets stuck in a traffic jam. The tension slowly builds as the others wait for her to talk about how they are powerless to do anything. She then decides to teleport her car, and this time someone actually notices! Action! Oh, wait, he just thinks he's hallucinating. Haha. Sigh... The car saleswoman nearly gets killed as the space women discover that they can be tracked when they transform. Thus, they are stuck in their Earth forms and are even more powerless than before. Drama! TNT is knocking down the door to acquire the rights! JUST GET TO THE DAMN TURTLE ALREADY!

Keiichi goes back to the pet shop where all three of the space women are having tea and chatting. He apologizes for setting the turtle free, and it was at about this time I realized he borrowed Lindsay Lohan's lower half including disturbingly tight shorts. He sings the damn Gamera march again and says that if the turtle he set free can transform into Gamera, then the Earth can be saved. This somehow makes the women unafraid to die and transform back into Spacewomen. Then they pussy out when the Star Destroyer instantly tracks them and almost lasers them to death. Then Gamera appears! And Keiichi moans like a woman in the middle of love-making and spills the beans to the Zanon woman, who, by the way, has a bit of a puffy face and is therefore evil. They go for "a walk." Remember those days when your young child could just walk around the big city alone and not worry about murderers, thieves, sexual predators, or evil space women? Where has our society gone?

[Stock footage of Gamera fighting Gyaos]

The Zanon woman appears outside of Keiichi's school to tell him Gamera will lose for no reason. And, no, stalking children outside of their schools isn't suspicious at all. At this point, I'm wishing this were GRINDHOUSE, and a "Missing Reel" logo would flash on the screen.

[Stock footage of Gamera defeating Gyaos]

The Zanons plan to capture the boy. No one cares or believes that two giant monsters beat each other up except the space and Zanon people. And suddenly, it turns into a Satoshi Kon movie, or at least, I wish it would. The Zanon woman takes him out for a "hamburger lunch" and gets more intel. The Zanon woman takes the boy to the beach, and I really am getting uneasy about this woman's intentions. Will they or will they not start some torrid love affair?

[Stock footage of Gamera fighting Zigra]

Keiichi wants to go home, but the Zanon woman wants him to stay. It then dawns on him that she's a "bad space woman." A very naughty space woman in a red leather skirt that needs a spanking. Or not. At this point, I'm considering a vasectomy, especially if I marry a Japanese girl. Anyway, the pet shop owner plays a bar on her keyboard and transports Keiichi back to the shop. The pet shop owner then reveals that all three of them are space women and sleep together in the car. And the film dangerously tows the line of wanting to become a cheesy, softcore porn movie that shows up on Cinemax at 3 AM. Frankly, I wish it would. The pet shop owner takes the little boy to the back of her van and tells him to open a small box. And the episode veers into "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" territory. She becomes tiny and teleports and I have no idea what's going on.

[Stock footage of Gamera fighting Viras]

Keiichi goes home. The pet shop owner tells him not to tell his mom about them. Wink wink. As Keiichi dreams, Gamera is flying through space on his way to attack the Zanon in a seamless integration of 2-D animation and rubber suit live action. Keiichi wakes up and realizes the last 10 seconds were a dream. Yet the teleporting space women are apparently still real. Keiichi finds the pet shop closed and the van incinerated. But the space women are alive and sleeping in their handbag. As long as they're in the purse, they're protected apparently. By the way, have either of the other two space women shown up to their jobs within the last week? Are they on a missing persons list? And now the kid's carrying what could be classified as a man purse at best. The Zanon woman thinks the space women have died.

[Stock footage of Gamera fighting Jiger]

Hey, I didn't realize Jiger was just a cheap imitation of Barugon! How bout that? So the space pirates decide they can actually just put a control device on Gamera's neck and tell him to destroy the Earth instead. Wow, that was simple. They couldn't think of that 20 minutes ago!?

[B&W stock footage of Gamera and color stock footage from Gamera vs Barugon]

The space women figure out why Gamera's gone crazy, and the pet shop owner decides to sacrifice her life to blow up the control metal. They are not allowed to use any weapons to fight evil, which seems like a prerequisite for fighting evil. Tepidity follows as the pet shop owner gets the Zanon to destroy the metal without killing herself. The Zanon woman then pulls a gun on all of them. JUST AIM FOR THE BOY!!! AIM FOR THE BOY!!! Oh, hey! Catfight! Yes! Judo catfight! Evil woman strips down to her leather skirt! Finally, some action!

....*ahem* Excuse me. So the petshop owner kicks her ass, and they all become allies upon sparing her life.

[Stock footage of Gamera fighting Guiron]

Gamera then flies off to meet up with the Galaxy Express 999... Heh... Yeah... No, seriously! Oh, the Zanon woman ended up in bed with Keiichi! And his mother's completely okay with that! Apparently, a minor leg injury is enough reason to take convalescence in a young boy's bed. NAMBLA will be pleased to know that. Keiichi wants her to be his sister apparently. I'm expecting Mariska Hargitay to come knocking at any moment.

[Stock footage of Gamera fighting Barugon]

Keiichi goes to meet Gamera in the park. Zanon goes to attack Earth, and the Zanon woman pretends to be the space women so she can get blasted to death by the ship. Finally, Gamera flies off for a kamikaze attack on the Zanon. Both disappear in a blinding flash. I guess I'd kill myself too if I had to deal with Keiichi. Too bad the puffy-faced woman killed herself for nothing. The space women change into their cameltoe-inducing costumes and fly Keiichi around the city ala Superman and Lois Lane as the credits roll. Hey, spacewomen, can you read my mind!? Mmmm-hmmm...

There are a few ways I could go on with this review in terms of the horrible plot, shrill child, and just the overall complete lack of rhyme and reason. But if you take anything from my review, I want it to be that this movie had really disturbing sexual undertones. I am surprised that the movie is not more well known for that, but I guess it gets lost in the "last Gamera movie for 15 years"/studio-killing aspect. At an interminable hour and a half, all the cameltoe in the world couldn't save this movie. It couldn't hurt, though. [/lecherous]

Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster DVD Review

Video: Since there are two different versions of the film on this DVD, it would follow that we should review the merits of each version on its own. Starting first with the Japanese version, the Japanese version is pretty good, but not perfect as there is still some moderate to light print damage on various parts of the film. This is understandable considering that this film while stored and kept in good condition has never been fully digitally restored. It is not horrible by any means (it seems present during the credits mostly). The colors are strong and vibrant. The scenes in the mountains are excellent examples of how rich and colorful director Ishiro Honda made this picture.

The American version is an interesting beast in terms of video. It seems that Classic Media took a page from the release of Shogun Assassin where the US version was re-created from the ground up using the US version as a guide and the Japanese master as the materials to re-build the US version. It should be noted that the original US credits are here and proper widescreen, which is something I have never seen before in my life (so I am obviously happy about it), even if it is a little rough in terms of print quality. It should be mentioned that the Continental logo does not appear or "THE END" which does appear on certain VHS release (it's a shame since the US version of Invasion of Astro-Monster, has everything present). It does seem that this version correctly follows the US version and is NOT the early work-print that appeared on Canada's CBC earlier in the year. However, we're having someone check just to make sure, but at the moment it seems to follow the US version correctly and that the audio has been re-dubbed correctly. The video quality is the same as the Japanese version and does not seem to suffer from any heavy compression, although the picture is a little soft at times (that could be a choice of the director, but I think it may be due so many features being on one dual layer disc). Still its not a horrible problem and should not dissuade anyone from getting the film. Both versions are also in the correct aspect ratio for the entire film and are properly anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs.

Audio: Both films come with Japanese and English mono tracks and both sound clear and free of hiss or damage (with the exception of some small section of the US version, but thankfully it does not last for too long; it is the sequence during the hypnosis). The US version really sounds clean and maybe has had some restoration work done to it. Either way I can say I'm very happy with the presentation of the audio options. The US version is a lot cleaner that any version of it I have ever heard before and a lot of dialogue that I could never hear clearly (such as the hecklers asking if the Princess is a boy or a girl), can now be understand clearly.

Extra: The DVD is pretty nice in regard to the extras. First you get the US version, but I really don't consider it to be any extra as much as the important bookend to the Japanese version, but hey thats just me. First off, for the US version you get an amazing commentary from David Kalat author of A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series among many other books coupled also with his work for ALL DAY ENTERTAINMENT (which has put out some great trailer compilations and other DVDs). This is a commentary which is fact-filled (talking about the overlapping of productions at the time and an important look at screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa) and filled with a deep analytical look at the genre. This track is a great listen helped by the fact that David Kalat really loves this movie and is blessed with an amazing enthusiasm that only a handful of commentators have. While you may not like his opinions on dubbing (I do, so I guess I'm lucky) you'll be hardpressed to name a commentary filled with as much love or enthusiasm as this one. David never stops once he starts and you'll be happy for that after listening to this commentary track (which is accessible and synced to the US version). A nice surprise was that Guy Tucker, who recently passed away, is mentioned and quoted from on this and also the Astro-Monster commentary. It is a nice touch and tribute to one of the most unsung heroes of Godzilla and giant Japanese monster research, and who without the knowledge about the genre, we would still be lacking. It is only hoped that more people will discover his work Age of the Gods from this track.

While not an extra it should be mentioned that the full motion menus are amazing and worthy of praise, with excellent use of posters to help create a vibrant and wonderful menu setup.

There is also a nice audio biography (accompanied by pictures) of Eiji Tsuburaya which was written, produced, and narrated by Ed Godziszewski and as can be expected by anyone who has read the works of Ed, it is in-depth (and loaded with rare and unseen photos). This makes one even more excited for the upcoming official English langauge biography of Eiji Tsburaya that August Ragone has coming out from Chronicle Books in November. The extra lasts roughly seven minutes.

There is also a brief poster slideshow which is also nicely annotated explaining each of the posters. This is also the case with the image gallery which is filled with information on the films and accompanies each pictures.

There is also the subbed original Japanese trailer (which can be found under the Japanese versions extra menu). Hopefully in the future, Classic Media can add some of the US trailers for these films. One for this film is actually available on the All Monsters Attack DVD, which is actually from ALL DAY ENTERTAINMENT.

Final Thought: Although the picture could have been cleaned up a little more (a minor complaint), this DVD edition from Classic Media is the best edition out there and pretty much a must buy for anyone who has even the slightest interest in these films.

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE GODZILLA..... REVIEWS ARE COMING!

We got our review copies for Classic Media's Invasion of Astro-Monster (aka Godzilla vs Monster Zero) and Ghidorah-The Three Headed Monster and we hope to have our reviews up soon, at the very least Ghidorah by tonight.

K1 Dynamite! MMA Card Breakdown

After much drama and a revolving door of replacement fighters the first K1 Dynamite USA card has been finalized. I have taken a closer look at each fighter and offered my picks. Please feel to email your picks or flame me for the ones you don’t agree with (mike.squier@gmail.com).

Undercard Bouts
JZ Calvan (11 – 1 – 1) vs. Nam Phan (12 – 3 – 0)

On paper this is a fairly even match up but as most of us know records don’t count for much in MMA. JZ has faced the harder competition and recently won the K1 Hero’s Welterweight Tournament in 2006. The American Top Team fighter took out Rani Yahya and veteran Caol Uno on his way to the tournament win. Calvan is currently on a ten fight unbeaten streak with his last loss coming to PrideFC 160lb contender and Shooto champion Joachim Hansen.

Nam Phan has mainly fought in the smaller organizations across the United States. The K1 Dynamite card will indubitably be the largest stage Phan has fought on at this point in his career. Nam is coming off of a decision loss to Josh Thomson at the December Strike Force event and seems to come up short when he faces upper level opponents. Pham has also picked up losses against “Razor” Rob McCullough and Nick Ertl, with wins coming against nondescript competition.

JZ Calvan by Submission RD 2

Hideo Tokoro (17 – 11 – 1) vs. Brad “One Punch” Pickett (10 – 3 – 0)

Hideo Tokoro is a veteran of Rings, Shooto, ZST and K1, just to name a few. The 31 year old Tokoro is one of those Japanese fighters who has a less then stellar record but is very competitive and always puts on a great show. Hideo is a true test to any fighter with wins over Royler Gracie, Pequeno Nogueira and a draw against Royce Gracie. Tokoro has been defeated by the likes of Ivan Menjivar and Caol Uno among others. Hideo is very tricky on the ground and has a fairly decent stand up game that has given opponents trouble in the past.

Brad Pickett can be described in one word, “explosive”. He can win by KO or by submission and he can do it at any time, although most of his victories have come against lower level opposition. The UK native is a fan favorite in the Cage Rage organization and is looking to come off a disappointing decision loss to Alex Owen at Cage Rage 21. Pickett will be in tough against the Japanese MMA veteran and will have to use a quick pace and bring the fight to Tokoro if he hopes to get back on the winning track.

Tokoro by Unanimous Decision


Jake Shields (17 – 4 – 1) vs. Ido Parientes (4 – 2 – 0)

Jake Shields is ranked 9th in the world out of all 170lb fighters and has victories over Carlos Condit, Yushin Okami and the current number one lightweight in the world Hayato Sakurai. Shields has been very impressive since his last loss in 2004 at the hands of world class fighter Akira Kikuchi. Jake has gone 6 – 0 since that loss and he has not looked back. The only knock on Shields is that he is not a fighter that looks for a chance to finish the fight, most of his wins have come by decision with only two wins coming by the way of the knockout.

Ido Parientes is a Rumble on the Rock veteran with a limited experience when compared to his opponent. If Parientes can survive to take this fight the distance it will be an accomplishment unto itself.

Shields by Submission RD 1

Tim Persey (8 – 1 – 0 – 1 NC) vs. Jonathan Wiezorek (10 – 1 – 0)

Tim “Big Perm” Persey has been quietly building a promising career as a heavyweight in smaller MMA organizations and is coming off of two huge KO wins. Perm has been very active over the past year and will use this to his advantage as he tries to extent his KO win streak, which has reached five in a row. Persey has a ton of power but he could afford to come into his fights in better shape. If this fight goes past the first round look for Tim to gas out and leave himself open for a submission.

Jonathan Wiezorek has an impressive record and holds a win over MMA legend Dan Severn and has fought in the UFC where he viciously stopped Wade Shipp via strikes at UFC 47.His only loss came to IFL heavyweight king Ben Rothwell via TKO in 2004. Since then Jonathan is on a four fight win streak but has not fought in almost a year. I don’t think Persey will give Wiezorek time to shake off the ring rust when they lock horn on June 2nd.

Big Perm by KO RD 1

Johnnie Morton (0 – 0 – 0) vs. Bernard Ackah (1 – 0 – 0)

Johnnie Morton is better known as a star receiver for the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. Since the end of his football career Morton has periodically trained in boxing and jiu jitsu. For the last ten months Morton has been training full time in anticipation of making his MMA debut and judging from his comments leading up to the fight he feels fit and ready. Being that this is Johnnie’s MMA debut it is hard to say how he will look in this fight and if he is cut out to be a fighter at all. The one intangible when it comes to Morton is his athletic ability. He has competed at a high level of athletics all his life and may be a natural when he steps in the ring.

Bernard Ackah is making his second appearance in the K1 ring on the June 2nd card. Ackah’s debut came on the March 2007 K1 Hero’s show against Shin Hyun Pyo in which he stopped his opponent in the first round via TKO. Ackah is extremely fit and will not likely give Morton much respect or space in their fight. If he has continued his training since his last fight I can see Bernard being successful against the debuting Morton

Ackah by TKO RD 2

Mighty Mo Siliga (1- 0 - 0) vs. Rubin “Warpath” Villareal (11 - 12 - 3)

Mighty Mo Siliga has one of the most powerful right hands in all of K1 and he has showcases this time and time again. Mo’s dynamite over hand right has knocked out Scott Lighty, François Botha and Hong Man-Choi just to name a few, but in his only MMA bout he showed some ground skills a picked up a win via armbar in the first round. Mo has a definite advantage in power which will only be enhanced with the use of 4oz MMA gloves.

Do you need a replacement fighter? Do you need someone to fight on ultra short notice? If sounds like you then you need to call Ruben “Warpath” Villareal. This perennial replacement will once again take up the call as he fills in for Korean Olympic medalist Choi Mu-Bae. Villareal is a tough fighter who has fought the best of the best, mostly on very short notice. Some of his opponents include Bas Rutten, Ricco Rodriguez and Antonio Silva. I really don’t see Warpath being prepared enough to even put up a serious challenge to Mighty Mo in this fight and will, more then likely, be stopped very early into the fight.

Mighty Mo by KO RD 1

Melvin Manhoef (16 – 3 – 1) vs. Dong Sik Yoon (0 – 4 – 0)

Melvin Manhoef is one of those guys you really want to see fight top competition but unfortunately he never does. He has racked up wins against Ian Freeman, Crosley Gracie and Cyborg Santos to name some of the more noteworthy. A veteran of Cage Rage and K1 Hero’s, Manhoef will look to make a big impact with the American fans by adding to his 15 KO stoppages. Melvin will have a decided advantage in the striking department and should look to keep this fight off the mat as much as possible.

Dong Sik Yoon is a world class judokas and is a veteran of well over fifty international judo competitions. Unfortunately Yoon has not been very successful in his new found career as an MMA fighter. Since taking up the sport he has had four fights and he has had four losses. Granted all of his losses have come against the likes of Sakuraba, Rampage Jackson and Murilo Bustamante which shows he has only stepped into the ring with the best in the game. Yoon will look to stay out of Manhoef’s line of fire and take this fight to the ground where he can search for a submission.

Manhoef by KO RD 2

Brock Lesnar (0 – 0 – 0) vs. Min Soo Kim (2 – 5 – 0)

What can we say about Brock Lesnar that has not already been said? The man is a former WWE Champion and a NCAA Division One Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. This will be Lesnar’s first appearance in the MMA ring and he is hoping to make it a successful one. Brock began his MMA journey with Pat Miletich, but since then has been training out of Sean Sherk’s gym in Minnesota. Trainer Greg Nelson will have Brock in top shape when he enters the ring and, with this change of opponent, he has to be a favored to emerge with his first MMA victory.

Moo Soo Kim is a veteran on the K1 Hero’s organization have fought all seven of his fights under the FEG banner. Kim has fought some very big names in his short career and, as his record shows, he has lost a majority of those fights. The only strength that Kim brings into this fight is that he has a win over Sean O’Haire who is also a former WWE star. Kim will look to become the “pro wrestler hunter” but will probably emerge with the sixth loss of his career.

Lesnar by Submission RD 1

Kazushi Sakuraba (21 – 9 – 1 – 2 NC) vs. Royce Gracie (13 – 3 – 3)

After a great deal of speculation the Sakuraba vs. Royce Gracie bout is on! Earlier in the week Sakuraba received two abnormal EKG tests and was called back for extensive testing this past Wednesday. After receiving a battery of tests the California State Athletic Commission cleared him to fight and gave North American MMA fans a chance to see this Japanese MMA legend fight on US soil.

Sakuraba and Gracie will look to repeat the legendary battle they had in the opening round of the PrideFC 2000 Grand Prix. In that fight this duo did battle for 90 minutes leaving Royce broken, beaten and forced to throw in the towel giving the victory to Sakuraba. Gracie left the sport for three years and Sakuraba went on to face some of the sports best, taking many one-sided beatings and further elevating himself to the status of national hero. Royce returned to the ring in 2003 and has gone 1 – 1 – 2 with his most recent fight being a very embarrassing beating at the hands of former 170lb king Matt Hughes.

These two legends are far past their prime but I have a feeling we will see a little bit of MMA magic in the ring on Saturday night. Both fighters have nothing to prove to the fan and everything to prove to themselves. Sakuraba has to prove that he still has enough left in him to beat the best known of all the Gracie family and Royce has to prove that Gracie Jiu Jitsu is still relevant in the next generation of MMA.

Royce is definitely the fresher of the two men but he has a style that is very one dimensional which made him very vulnerable to strikes in his fight with Matt Hughes. Sakuraba is not know for his striking ability but he could use this strategy to break down the 41 year old Gracie and make him quit once again or catch the BJJ master in a submission of his own. Royce on the other hand has one magic bullet to end this fight and that is by submission. All of Royce’s 13 wins have come by the way of tap out and I am sure we won’t see a spectacular KO win coming from the hands of this submission expert. When all is said and done this shadow of the original Kazushi Sakuraba has far too many tools for the one dimensional Royce Gracie to deal with. Sakuraba will come out of this fight with his 22nd victory and then, I hope and pray, will announce his retirement from MMA. These two proud warriors and true legends and North American fans should feel lucky to see these two men do battle for one final time.

Sakuraba by Split Decision

Dragon Dynasty Above the Law DVD Review

Note: The A/V portion of this review is similar to the review of Above the Law as I feel the quality is pretty much the same (except for the aspect ratio) of Shaghai Express (which is a good thing).

Video: Brian White and the team at Dragon Dynasty have delivered an excellent transfer of this Fortune Star re-mastered print. The colours are extremely strong and vibrant, and yet at the same time do not suffer from any form of over-saturation (ie no heavy pink tones, although they pop up during the interview clip montages, maybe from an earlier transfer, but not in the main picture). The detail and clarity of the print are excellent (just take a look at the detail you can see on some ones face or the uniform of a police officer) and allow for a great ease in picking up a lot of the cameos in this film. The transfer is 1:85:1 and of course enhanced for 16X9 televisions.

Audio: The primary track we listened to was the Cantonese mono track (which I can confirm is just that mono, thankfully Dragon Dynasty has never suffered the problem of receiving fake mono mixes). It sounds a tiny bit harsh, but that has more to do with the recording techniques in Hong Kong at the time, more so than anything else.The classic sound effects are present and make the film all the more enjoyable. The are also English and Cantonese 5.1 mixes available and both sound fine nothing having any dropout or sound problems. There is also a audio commentary track with Bey Logan.

Extras: Once again Dragon Dynasty delivers and produces a nearly perfect disc for Above the Law. First, off is a lengthy (16:26 ) interview with star Yuen Biao, which at one point he even pays great tribute to Cynthia Rothrock calling her "irreplaceable" and discussing among other things the parachute scenes in the film. Next is an interview with Cynthia Rothrock lasting 12:39, which is also excellent and talks about working with the Hong Kong crews and also earning their respect. We also have a very nice interview with Peter Cunningham which lasts 18:42 and talks about his kickboxing career and humorously how it nearly cost him the ability to be in the film. Peter is clearly a fan of Hong Kong action cinema as he freely admits and has a fan his interview has a fun quality to it that makes it very enjoyable to listen too. Finally, we have the entire alternate ending which last roughly 23 minutes and contains the original English credit sequence from the international versions (an extra bonus in itself)! It's not as re-mastered as the main feature, but nowhere near the quality of the Shanghai Express deleted scenes. Now, as Above the Law was shot in two versions (as Bey Logan points out many of the differences in another excellent audio commentary), the only extra footage is the alternate ending, it's a shame that Dragon Dynasty could not put either both versions on it or a feature similar to the Police Story 1 extra feature section. Oh well, its a shame, but thankfully only a small complaint. The original HK trailer is present only with a US promotional one.

Final Thought: While not perfect (it comes pretty darn close), Dragon Dynasty delivers another excellent release with Above the Law. I can say fans cannot wait to see what the Shaw Brothers DVDs are going to be like.