![Review Gaiam Limited / Tai Chi Beginning Practice [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411CBHYSNGL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2007-07-30
Run time: 70 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.72
Review Tai Chi Beginning Practice [2005] / Gaiam Limited:
Actors & Directors
- Akiko Koyama
- Hideo Murota
- Tatsuo Umemiya
- Yataka Kodaira
- Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
- Yutaka Kohira
- Isao Natsuyagi
- Akane Kawasaki
Run time: 179 min.
Price: £3.91
Review Welcome to the Grindhouse: Dragon Princess/Karate Warriors (REGION 1) (NTSC) / BCI, a Navarre Corporation Company:
Actors & Directors
- Cheng Lui
- Lo Lieh
- Chin Ping
- Jimmy Wang Yu
- Chang Cheh
Run time: 104 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £5.94
Review The Shaw Brothers Collection - Magnificent Trio / Momentum Pictures:
Release date: 2004-01-06
Run time: 265 min.
Price: £24.48
Review Masters of Shaolin (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Vintage Home Ent.:
Release date: 2004-10-21
Run time: 60 min.
RRP: £18.99
Price: £9.99
Review Competition Judo / I-Prod:
![Review Mill Creek / Martial Arts [2008] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51-V-nZSDEL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2008-07-22
Price: £12.48
Review Martial Arts [2008] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Mill Creek:
![Review Mia Video Entertainment Ltd / The Silent Flute [1978]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FD0XHVE0L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Roddy McDowall
- Eli Wallach
- Christopher Lee
- Jeff Cooper
- David Carradine
- Richard Moore (IV)
Run time: 91 min.
RRP: £10.99
Price: £35.99
Review The Silent Flute [1978] / Mia Video Entertainment Ltd:
![Review Contender Entertainment Group / Island Of Fire [1990]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5116RCAHK2L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Sammo Hung Kam-Bo
- Barry Wong
- Andy Lau
- Jackie Chan
- Yin-Ping Chu
- Tony Leung Ka Fai
Run time: 92 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £11.60
Review Island Of Fire [1990] / Contender Entertainment Group:Island on Fire is, as the trailer says, "five films in one!". Despite the packaging headlining Jackie Chan this violent modern-day prison drama is an ensemble piece with Chan, a pool-player in prison for accidentally stabbing a man to death, on screen for no more than a quarter of the 92 minutes. Anyone buying this as a Chan movie may be seriously disappointed, for apart from the brevity of his role there is no trademark Chan humour. Also in the brutal and corrupt prison is Andy Lau, an undercover cop searching for the murderer of his professor, and Sammo Hung offering comedy and pathos as an inmate who keeps escaping to visit his son. There are many more characters, together with one subplot involving a mouse which anticipates The Green Mile (1999) and another concerning an assassination conspiracy which parallels Nikita, also released in 1990. Island of Fire is an uneven, always entertaining, sometimes moving film which packs an incredible amount of incident into its running time. However, it should be noted that it is an imitation of, rather than an official entry in, Ringo Lam's Fire series, which includes Prison on Fire (1987) and City on Fire (1987). On the DVD: The anamorphically enhanced 1. 77-1 picture is a very good transfer of a rather grainy print, though given the many darkly lit scenes, this grain is probably part of the original film. The mono sound is fine. [+]The film can be watched with the original Mandarin soundtrack and English subtitles, or with a much better than average English dub. The packaging claims there are over 60 minutes of extras. In fact there are nine deleted/extended scenes of variable quality, the best of which give more emotional depth to Sammo Hung's character, together with video interviews with Sammo Hung, Jimmy Wong Yu and director Chu Yen Ping. These total around 20 minutes and are interesting but not specific to the film. Also included is the theatrical trailer, Hong Kong Legends' own "music promo" trailer and eight trailers for further releases. There is also a six-page "animated" biography of Jackie Chan. -Gary S Dalkin.
Actors & Directors
- Kimiyoshi Yasuda
- Shintarô Katsu
- Koji Nambara
- Watako Hamaki
- Michie Terada
- Yu Wang
Run time: 94 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £1.98
Review Zatoichi Meets The One Armed Swordsman / Warrior:
Release date: 2006-06-19
RRP: £5.99
Price: £2.95
Review 18 Jade Claws Of Shaolin / Showbox Home Entertainment:
Release date: 2004-06-15
Run time: 180 min.
Price: £4.94
Review Foul Hero/Super Kung Fu Fighter (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Shaw Bros.:
![Review New Line Home Video / First Strike [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51G5E3YNQRL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Annie Wu
- Stanley Tong
- Yuri Petrov
- Bill Tung
- Jackie Chan
- Jackson Liu
Run time: 85 min.
Price: £2.57
Review First Strike [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / New Line Home Video:Action-god Jackie Chan does his best James Bond impression with First Strike, an ecstatic sequel to the classic Supercop. The bare-bones plot has Chan in pursuit of international terrorists, but the narrative quickly gives way to an unceasing barrage of insane stunt work (including a nitro-fuelled ski chase and a grandiose fight scene set inside a functioning shark tank). As with most of the ageing star's recent films, there is more of an emphasis placed on big, impersonal (albeit impressive) stunts rather than the close-up combat that made him famous; but the end result is still a must-see rush for longtime fans and a great introduction for newcomers eager to see what all the well-deserved fuss is about. The scene where Jackie takes on multiple goons while armed only with a ladder is one of his most jaw-dropping set pieces ever-and that's saying quite a lot. Be sure to stick around for the closing credits of gags gone awry, which graphically prove that Chan is truly the hardest working man in show business. -Andrew Wright.
Release date: 2007-08-28
Run time: 1560 min.
Price: £10.26
Review Samurai Masters: Ultimate Collection / ST Clair Vision:
![Review Hyon K. Choi / Tae Kwon Do Defense for Kids [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510Dc4si8sL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2005-09-01
Run time: 60 min.
Price: £19.56
Review Tae Kwon Do Defense for Kids [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Hyon K. Choi:
Release date: 2006-08-07
Run time: 90 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £0.01
Review One Step Closer / Unipix Entertainment:
Actors & Directors
- Fei Lung
- Tan Tao Liang
- Wu Ma
- Wang Hop
- Lo Lieh
Run time: 88 min.
RRP: £7.99
Price: £3.99
Review The Flash Legs / Prism Leisure:
![Review Mia Video Entertainment Ltd / The Triple Cross [1992]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51S0EPXB2QL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Kinji Fukasaku
- Kenichi Hagiwara
- Kazuya Kimura
- Sonny Chiba
Run time: 103 min.
RRP: £14.99
Price: £2.32
Review The Triple Cross [1992] / Mia Video Entertainment Ltd:The Triple Cross is a Japanese crime thriller that follows the bloody aftermath of a heist. Three robbers are double-crossed by new accomplice, Kazuya Kimura, and Kenichi Hagiwara takes the Lee Marvin Point Blank road, tracking him down amid escalating carnage and spectacular car chases. The film is littered with homages to crime classics, from the outlaw lovers of A Bout de Souffle to Hagiwara sporting a nose plaster in recognition of Jack Nicholson's Chinatown. Sonny Chiba is wasted in a supporting role but, given that the movie is being promoted as Reservoir Dogs-meets-John Woo, it's worth noting that Chiba is among Quentin Tarantino's favourite actors and stars in his forthcoming Kill Bill (2003). The Triple Cross (the American title Double Cross is far more accurate) is a well-crafted collection of gangster clichés, but suffers from a very uncertain tone, being pitched uneasily between serious crime drama and tongue-in-cheek comic-book action. Released following the success of director Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale (2000) this film from 1992 nonetheless anticipates many of the themes and attitudes of post-Tarantino crime cinema with remarkable prescience. Those who prefer their cinema to recognise civilised values or any sense of morality best look elsewhere. On the DVD: The Triple Cross disc has a 1. 78:1 anamorphically enhanced transfer that is slightly soft in many shots, while the night-time scenes, filmed with very high contrast, are overly dark and lack detail in the shadows. The film was released theatrically in Dolby Stereo and though the packaging states 2. [+]0 Dolby Digital the reality is very flat and dull Dolby Prologic mono. Explosions are squibs and gunshots lifeless. For a 1992 action movie the result is lamentable, but at least the subtitles are clear and free of the howlers that plague many comparable Hong Kong films. The DVD also features the original Japanese trailer and eight additional trailers for films on the Tokyo Bullet label. There is a gallery reproducing the original promotional stills, and well-written and reasonably extensive biographies and/or filmographies for five of the cast. -Gary S Dalkin.
![Review Summersdale Productions / Iain Abernethy - The Ultimate Karate Seminars - Vol. 1 [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BQGARQC5L._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2005-10-24
Run time: 120 min.
RRP: £24.99
Price: £15.99
Review Iain Abernethy - The Ultimate Karate Seminars - Vol. 1 [2005] / Summersdale Productions:
Release date: 2004-06-21
Run time: 85 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £1.05
Review Shaolin Drunk Master / Instant Vision Ltd:
![Review Columbia TriStar / Silent Rage [1982] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CLbNaieuL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Ron Silver
- Michael Miller
- Toni Kalem
- William Finley
- Steven Keats
- Chuck Norris
Run time: 100 min.
Price: £3.05
Review Silent Rage [1982] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Columbia TriStar:
| Models & Brands:
Tai Chi Beginning Practice [2005], Welcome to the Grindhouse: Dragon Princess/Karate Warriors (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Shaw Brothers Collection - Magnificent Trio, Masters of Shaolin (REGION 1) (NTSC), Competition Judo, Martial Arts [2008] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Silent Flute [1978], Island Of Fire [1990], Zatoichi Meets The One Armed Swordsman, 18 Jade Claws Of Shaolin, Foul Hero/Super Kung Fu Fighter (REGION 1) (NTSC), First Strike [1997] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Samurai Masters: Ultimate Collection, Tae Kwon Do Defense for Kids [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC), One Step Closer, The Flash Legs, The Triple Cross [1992], Iain Abernethy - The Ultimate Karate Seminars - Vol. 1 [2005], Shaolin Drunk Master, Silent Rage [1982] (REGION 1) (NTSC) |
