097.- RIGHTING WRONGS: HONG KONG CUT (1986, VINEGAR SYNDROME 3-DISC BLU-RAY SET)
After the murder of his mentor overseas and the wiping out of the entire family of a key witness in the case he was prosecuting (by a hitman that returns later to show off his fighting skills), idealist Hong Kong lawman Jason Ha Ling-Ching (Yuen Biao) decides to become a vigilante and punish the guilty that the inadequate penal system can't touch. He succeeds the first time, which pushes police Superintendent Wong Ching-Wai (Melvin Wong) to bring in Senior Inspector Cindy Si (Cynthia Rothrock) to track down and apprehend the vigilante. With loser cop 'Bad Egg' (director Corey Yuen, source of way too many silly/bad jokes about his bad eating habits and inexperience) tagging along, Si comes close to nabbing Jason. But external forces conspire to eventually force the cop and the vigilante to work together to fight an even bigger bad. Now, if any of these badasses could target the movie's music composer for unleashing such a weird, nonsensical and often silly score (harmonica and xylophone?) upon humanity. Yikes! ๐จ๐ฑ
Jokes and 'bad engrish' dub aside ('Burgary'), "Righting Wrongs" is a Hong Kong action beast. There are lengthy lulls between the fights and explosions, but they're worth the wait. Insane displays of fight choreography/stunt work (cars flipping, garage crashes, bungee jumping, penthouse smashing, airplane hangar demolishing, etc.) by both action leads and their stunt teams. Yes, the men doubling for Cynthia are too obvious and sometimes aren't even wearing color-appropriate wigs. ๐ฅต After you see the one-on-one fight between Cynthia and assassin Karen Sheperd (so good they replay it during the closing credits) you won't care. The last 15 minutes go to crazy places many fans will not like (I was pissed!), but for my money "Righting Wrongs" earns the right to end any way it pleases. 4.75 BULLET-RIDDLED BOOKS (out of five).
BONUS: 098 and 099.- RIGHTING WRONGS: INTERNATIONAL MANDARIN CUT (100 min.) & U.S. 'ABOVE THE LAW' CUT (92 min., 1986, VINEGAR SYNDROME 3-DISC BLU-RAY SET)
I'm combining both cuts into one review because they suffer from the same almost-fatal flaw: a new 'upbeat' ending that undoes the 'hit you like a ton of bricks' downbeat ending on the HK Cut. Besides that noticeable downgrade (YMMV), both alternate cuts (housed on the same separate Blu-ray disc) have pacing problems of their own. The Chinese cut indulges a bit more in the comedy nonsense like the police squad all eating like pigs (except the one female officer besides Ins. Si) and cultural stuff that went over my head. The 92 min. Weinstein Corp. "Above The Law" U.S. version gets rid of many of the dumb scenes, but not all of them. Music is also the same hatchet job of alternate tracks Weinstein did with the reissued-in-English Jackie Chan films that came out in the late 90's/early aughts. These alternate versions are there if you want them (plus this disc has its share of VS bonus features) and look/sound as good as the OG. I know I'll be sticking with the HK cut when I want me some "Righting Wrong" stunt mayhem. 3.95 HEAD-SNAPPING ANGRY CYNTHIAS SHOOTING TIRE OF ANNOYING CIVILIAN'S CAR (out of five) FOR BOTH CUTS.
BONUS: 100.- THE BEST OF MARTIAL ARTS FILMS (1990, RIGHTING WRONGS VINEGAR SYNDROME 3-DISC BLU-RAY SET)
Included in a third Blu-ray of the "Righting Wrongs" VS 3-disc BD set is this 1990 documentary by Sandra Weintraub about the state of martial arts action movies up until around 1989. John Saxon ("Enter the Dragon") hosts, and gets to talk about his experiences with Bruce Lee (shown via archival interviews you've seen in other home video releases) and other work he did. Some archival interviews (Shรด Kosugi, Angela Mao, the three principals in "Righting Wrongs") are more interesting than others (Richard Norton, Robert Clouse, etc.), and some talking heads (Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung) are better served by clips of their movie work. It's dated, but a neat time capsule of where martial arts action was 37 years ago. Christ, I'm old. ๐ฐ๐ 3.20 'WHO IS SIBELLE HU?' SNIDE REMARKS (out of five).
I think the VS 3-disc BD is OOP at the online store. Amazon has it and it isn't expensive. 88 Films also released "Righting Wrongs" with a 4th combined ending, deleted scenes and 'randomizer' ending. I'm fine with the VS since the HK cut is my preferred version anyway. ๐
101.- THE KING OF ROBBERY, aka HONG KONG THUG LIFE (1996, AMAZON PRIME). Also streaming on TUBI, FAWESOME.
Made the mistake of watching this one after my "Righting Wrongs" marathon. Not that watching it first would have helped, as it becomes clear early on it's a low-budget ripoff of Michael Mann's "Heat" with the balance tilted toward the criminal side. After escaping from prison with the help of his loyal crew, Boss Chan Sing (Simon Yam) plans and executes a series of jewelry store heists that bring in police attention and reward money temptation. It also turns on the waitress of the fish restaurant next door (Anita Lee), who becomes Sing's girlfriend and annoys the rest of his men. As long as the money from the stolen jewels keeps flowing everything's cool, but eventually paranoia and the 'heat' from police raids test the group's loyalties. Very little action besides shootouts and car explosions, all done handheld and often with artsy visual touches (screen freezing and turning sepia-tone). With no Vincent Hanna equivalent on the police side to Simon Yan's McCauley, "The King of Robbery" goes through its predictable downward spiral motions until its inevitable conclusion. Yawn. 2.15 REFERENCES TO VEGETARIANISM BEING PROOF OF HOMOSEXUALITY (out of five).
BONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 17! 102.- MISTERJAW: FLYING FOOL (1976, YOUTUBE)
Of course DePatie-Freleng would jump on the "Jaws" ripoff bandwagon (just like Hanna-Barbera did with "Jabberjaw"). Made for the animated "Pink Panther" Saturday morning cartoon show on NBC, the first "Misterjaw" episode premiered in 1976 (without individual creator credits, a first for the company). After the titular character (voiced by Arte Johnson) is talked into learning how to fly his sidekick Catfish (voiced by "Top Cat's" Arnold Stang) and a willing-to-teach seagull, Misterjaw goes through the usual tropes (balloon, catapult, feathers) until he actually learns how to fly. Suck on that, Pixar's "Hoppers," Misterjaw beat you to the whole 'flying shark' thing by 50 years! ๐๐ค Of course the army doesn't take it lightly when a flying shark is spotted by its missile command. This is the only other series of non-'PP' shorts besides 'The Inspector' that got 34 episodes. ¯\_(ใ)_/¯ 3.5 ELECTRIC EELS TO THE RESCUE OF DEFENSELESS FISH (out of five).
103.- THE PINK PANTHER: THERAPEUTIC PINK (4/1/1977, DVD). Streaming on YOUTUBE.
The end of an era (ERA!) as the final 'Pink Panther' cartoon for theatrical distribution (one that'd been sitting on the shelf since 1975, per copyright date) is released. Future 'PP' cartoons would feature new music and premiere first on U.S. television, then move on to theatrical repeats. A starving-for-food Panther gets bitten by a tiny dog that won't let go of his tail, forcing a hospital visit with The Little Man doctor and his hulking nurses. Nothing stands out about this being good or bad, although the 'TV set inside the X-ray machine' gag had me laughing. ๐ฅฒ An unremarkable finale to a consistently entertaining, often LOL-worthy series of theatrical shorts. 3.35 'EAT MORE BEEF' OUTDOOR BILLBOARDS (out of five).
If you’re expecting the poetic, trench-coat-wearing, dual-pistol-sliding grace of John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow or The Killer when you see Chon Yun-fat’s name on the poster, check your expectations at the door. We’ve seen the mismatched partner trope a million times, but Tiger On the Beat pushes the dynamic to its absolute breaking point.
On one side, you have the legendary Chow Yun-fat as Francis Li. Instead of playing the ultra-cool gun-god he usually plays, he shows up as a Hawaiian-shirt-wearing womanizer who would rather scam a suspicious husband or down a glass of raw eggs for a hangover than do actual police work. Within the first twenty minutes, he literally pisses his pants because a crook sticks a gun in his mouth. It is wild to see the coolest actor in the world work so hard to be a goofy buffoon.
On the other side, you have Conan Lee as Michael Tso, a muscle-bound rookie who looks like a bodybuilding Jackie Chan and wants to fight everyone in sight. The real-life bickering between these two on set apparently leaked into the film because they have zero traditional buddy-cop chemistry, which actually makes their constant screaming matches and petty fighting hilariously entertaining.
What makes this movie such a fascinating piece of celluloid history is the man behind the camera: Lau Kar-leung. He directed Disciples of the 36th Chamber and choreographed some of the greatest traditional, old-school kung-fu films ever to come out of the Shaw Brothers studio. But by 1988, the audience wanted modern urban violence. They wanted guns, cars, and explosions. Seeing an old-school master try to navigate the gritty, neon-soaked era of heroic bloodshed is like watching a classical orchestra conductor suddenly forced to lead a hardcore punk band.
For the first hour, the tone is all over the place. The comedy is pure, low-brow, 80s HK slapstick. Plus, the movie drops a heavy, uncomfortable dose of period-typical misogyny onto Nina Li Chi’s character, Marydonna, which halts the fun dead in its tracks. You’ll scratch your head, wondering what movie you’re actually watching.
But then… the final twenty minutes happen.
Lau Kar-leung decides that if he has to make a modern action movie, he’s going to make the most dangerous, jaw-dropping finale possible. First, you get Chow Yun-fat dropping the comedy act, picking up a shotgun, rigging it to a rope and throwing it around corners like a deadly, buckshot-blasting yo-yo to waste bad guys. It’s beautiful, chaotic genius.
And then, the piece de rรฉsistance: Conan Lee vs. Gordon Liu in a chainsaw duel.
Yes, that Gordon Liu. The star of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Johnny Mo from Kill Bill shows up here with a full head of hair playing a psychotic villain. He and Lee spark up two massive, roaring chainsaws and start acrobatically fencing with them. They are hacking through wooden floors, grinding sparks off steel railings, and flipping through the air with live, spinning blades. It borrows the pure, raw energy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and fuses it with high-flying Hong Kong stunt work.
Tiger On the Beat isn’t a flawless masterpiece. The tonal shifts will give you whiplash, the humor is an acquired taste, and the plot is standard-issue drug-bust filler. But as an ’80s time capsule of anything goes Hong Kong filmmaking, it’s pretty fun.
Nice writeup on Tiger on Beat. I watched it recently. That chainsaw fight is well worth the price of admission. I watched Tiger on the Beat 2 (1990) today.
Minor Spoiler Alert:
Conan Lee experiences the most frightening stunt-gone-wrong I've ever seen in a movie in this. He miraculously survived and eventually recovered which is why it is still in the movie. Shocking stuff that overshadows anything else in the film.
For those unaware, there is a youtube channel named The Bad Movie Bible that produces realllllllllllly good documentaries focusing on movie/genre knock offs. I highly suggest checking it out...its sort of tailor made for the Junesploitation crowd. In this case they just dropped the first of a 3 part docuseries on Bruce Lee exploitation flicks. Its so good for those who are interested! Amazing interviews, research, clips, and comments on a truly weird exploitation genre. It also interweaves a nice look at Bruce and his films. I cant wait to see the other episodes in this series. (Note: i very much like the Enter the Clones of Bruce doc but i think this one will dive even deeper!)
The guy who runs the Bad Movie Bible YT channel does movie commentary tracks with Oliver Harper on the latter's YT channel. Fun times with those two Brits. ๐ค๐
The angry May in the men’s locker room scene was the best part of this incredible Jackie Chan action comedy. No, the playground fight is the best part. No, the surveillance team following the bomber through the subway is the best part. No, the broken glasses bits are the best parts. Great, but… too many notes.
WOMEN ON THE RUN (1993, dir. Corey Yuen and David Lai)
These women face one long string of betrayal and abuse in this crazy piece of Hong Kong action. One is a Hong Kong cop, and the other is a Mainland illegal migrant trying survive and lay low. When they are sent on an undercover operation to Mainland China to expose a Chinese drug trafficker, a whiplash of plot twists leads them to Canada. Things do not get better there for the pair. Can the women on the run get back to Hong Kong to avenge their betrayers?
Women on the Run feels like a film being put together as its being made. According to an interview on the VSA release with co-director David Lai, Thelma and Louise was the main inspiration for the story. Despite all of the confusion, the barrage of action scenes does keep the film lively. It is a fun watch. And it is a very Junesploitation watch, with a few of the fight scenes involving the ladies in a state of undress.
LADY PIRAHNA (1982) Six female prisoners escape from a jungle prison camp and then join the local rebels to return for megaviolent revenge. It’s not really a women in prison flick, because the explosive escape is right at the start. It’s not really a revenge flick either, because the attack on the camp is more a secret mission involving diamonds, secret documents, and scuba diving. In this case, “escape” is less about the prison and more about longing for a better life. But the important thing is that this movie is freakin’ action packed! The many gun fights and knife fights and high kicks might lack polish, but I say the low budget roughness just adds to the excitement. Huge fun!
30 days of fan films, day 17: BORN OF HOPE (2009) Today we’re in Tolkien territory with the tale of Arathorn, father of Aragorn. This is what the young people call a “romantasy,” in that it’s concerned less with epic battles and more with passionate kisses and/or emotional longing. Director and co-writer Kate Madison does an admirable job of recreating the look of the Peter Jackson films, especially in the costumes. I can’t predict what the hardcore LOTR purists might think of this, but I thought it was… okay.
Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui and Maggie Cheung are back as a trio of badass women with superpowered martial skills. This time they find themselves in a post-apocalyptic quagmire of political assassinations, and military coups, and conspiracies to deprive the people of clean water. Released mere months after The Heroic Trio, this sequel feels very rushed, both in its convoluted story and in (ahem) execution. It's not as colorful or as fun as the first movie, and the trio aren't on screen together nearly as often as I'd like (they do share a bathtub at the beginning, which is worth a lot of bonus points). But they still deliver a decent amount of wire-fu asskicking, including a pretty awesome final showdown - too bad it's against such a weakly defined villain.
I don’t do drugs. No judgment on my stoner pals and acquaintances, they’ve just never been my jam or held any interest for me. Just because I’ve never been high doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t know what it must feel like, though, because now I have seen this movie, and holy shit. I may have to put on a Cheech & Chong record.
To call it hallucinatory doesn’t begin to cover it, but it’s gonna have to do because I don’t know what else to call this batshittery. Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui, and Michelle Yeoh are a group of super powered women involved on various sides in a scheme to kidnap a bunch of babies in order to resurrect a demon. That’s as normal a sentence I can use to describe the basic story, but trust me when I tell you the things that happen here would make Henry from Eraserhead ask what the hell is going on. The three leads are amazing as always, and maybe one of these days I’ll understand what I just saw. In all honesty it doesn’t matter because I had a blast anyway. Bonus points for using my favorite special effect, blue cartoon lightning.
Feel like i'm cheating a bit, since I consder this more of an Ozploitation! classic. But it does star Jimmy Wang Fu as the titular Man from Hong Kong. And does have about a 10 minute opening credits scene of some urban hang gliding above HK.
I think this is my first re-watch for the Junesploitation! (but only second viewing).
I love this film. Has a cold open of a fight on top of Ayers Rock, which I am pretty sure is illegal today/never approved to film. You have Hugh Keays-Byrne as a scene munching policeman (of all things) with a lot of hair, lengthy fight scene with Grant Page, and George Lazenby as the villian kicking people in the face, JWF finding some time for the ladies, and some Fulci-esque rapid face zooms. If was doing a J.M. scale I would go with 4.75 overly protracted hang-gliding scenes out of 5.
And I really, really need an emerald green corduroy suit. Especially for when you need to kick someone in the face at a dinner party.
The best thing about Hong Kong action—the category is so vast, because Hong Kong movies kick ass! This one’s directed by the man behind RIKI-OH, THE SEVENTH CURSE, and my REVENGE! flick from last year, HER VENGEANCE (which was also one of my 2025 faves). Catsh!t crazy flick with elements of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, and of course, plenty of ACTION, including a TERMINATOR-style machine gun shooting spree and one of the best fight scenes ever—CAT VS DOG in a junkyard rumble! Manic multi-genre fun as only Hong Kong can do!
I thought I put a post up about MAGIC COP (1990), but I do not see it here now. The film involves Hong Kong cops dealing the supernatural when they investigate an usual case. The weird and whimsical supernatural elements entertained me, with the action being both intense and comical. Magic Cop is one of the most enjoyable watches of the month so far.
5/5 masterpiece if not for the weird subplot where our protagonist starts treating sweet buns girl like shit for no reason. I coached U8 soccer this year and the rest is pretty much how it works.
Surprising in many ways. First of all it flew by like a 2h15m movie hasn't done for me in a while. Some scenes way more brutal than I was expecting! Emotional gut punches! The editing starts everything in high gear, and boy does the movie start from super light and just escalate the events to the moon like a rocket.
This was my other choice for today, and in a time crunch, I went for the option with the shorter runtime. Sounds like I couldn't have gone wrong either way. Gotta try to get back to this one on a Free Space! day.
Cops hunt drug guys. One of the drug guys is caught and coerced into helping the cops to save himself. Can the cops trust him? Can he trust them?
There's a cool back-to-back sequence where the cops pre-empt a drug guy meet-up and they pretend to be Drug Guy A while meeting with Drug Guy B. Drug Guy A and Drug Guy B have very different vibes, so it's fun to see the masquerading cop swing from one impersonation to the other.
It moves like Jason Voorhees, where it's not running, but it's somehow steadily gaining on you, propulsive without hurrying. It feels no-nonsense on the surface, but kind of quietly explodes at the end, and sneakily seems to have something on its mind about how mixed up everybody starts to feel the longer they keep chasing and running from each other.
This movie rules. Why does the motorcycle explode when shot at? Because its cool! Why are there sparks and smoke everywhere? Because its cool! I don't need real physics and counting bullets! I need movies to be cool sometimes!
Watched this yesterday but forgot to post my review. Oops.
The Iron Dragon Strikes Back a.k.a. The Gold Connection (1979, dir. Kuei Chih-hung)
Hong Kong kung fu instructor Ah Wei (Ho Tsung-Tao a.k.a. Bruce Li) and his friends land in hot water when one of them steals gold from a Vietnamese criminal gang. Cue 90 minutes of kung fu fights.
The fight scenes are plentiful, the performers are skilled and they're quite well shot, but they can feel a bit repetitive at times. Thankfully, there's always a fight that goes in and out of a slowly moving bus or an inexplicable chaotic brawl at a movie set around the corner to break the monotony. And how the final fight ends is one for the ages. The English dub is pretty goofy.
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097.- RIGHTING WRONGS: HONG KONG CUT (1986, VINEGAR SYNDROME 3-DISC BLU-RAY SET)
ReplyDeleteAfter the murder of his mentor overseas and the wiping out of the entire family of a key witness in the case he was prosecuting (by a hitman that returns later to show off his fighting skills), idealist Hong Kong lawman Jason Ha Ling-Ching (Yuen Biao) decides to become a vigilante and punish the guilty that the inadequate penal system can't touch. He succeeds the first time, which pushes police Superintendent Wong Ching-Wai (Melvin Wong) to bring in Senior Inspector Cindy Si (Cynthia Rothrock) to track down and apprehend the vigilante. With loser cop 'Bad Egg' (director Corey Yuen, source of way too many silly/bad jokes about his bad eating habits and inexperience) tagging along, Si comes close to nabbing Jason. But external forces conspire to eventually force the cop and the vigilante to work together to fight an even bigger bad. Now, if any of these badasses could target the movie's music composer for unleashing such a weird, nonsensical and often silly score (harmonica and xylophone?) upon humanity. Yikes! ๐จ๐ฑ
Jokes and 'bad engrish' dub aside ('Burgary'), "Righting Wrongs" is a Hong Kong action beast. There are lengthy lulls between the fights and explosions, but they're worth the wait. Insane displays of fight choreography/stunt work (cars flipping, garage crashes, bungee jumping, penthouse smashing, airplane hangar demolishing, etc.) by both action leads and their stunt teams. Yes, the men doubling for Cynthia are too obvious and sometimes aren't even wearing color-appropriate wigs. ๐ฅต After you see the one-on-one fight between Cynthia and assassin Karen Sheperd (so good they replay it during the closing credits) you won't care. The last 15 minutes go to crazy places many fans will not like (I was pissed!), but for my money "Righting Wrongs" earns the right to end any way it pleases. 4.75 BULLET-RIDDLED BOOKS (out of five).
BONUS: 098 and 099.- RIGHTING WRONGS: INTERNATIONAL MANDARIN CUT (100 min.) & U.S. 'ABOVE THE LAW' CUT (92 min., 1986, VINEGAR SYNDROME 3-DISC BLU-RAY SET)
DeleteI'm combining both cuts into one review because they suffer from the same almost-fatal flaw: a new 'upbeat' ending that undoes the 'hit you like a ton of bricks' downbeat ending on the HK Cut. Besides that noticeable downgrade (YMMV), both alternate cuts (housed on the same separate Blu-ray disc) have pacing problems of their own. The Chinese cut indulges a bit more in the comedy nonsense like the police squad all eating like pigs (except the one female officer besides Ins. Si) and cultural stuff that went over my head. The 92 min. Weinstein Corp. "Above The Law" U.S. version gets rid of many of the dumb scenes, but not all of them. Music is also the same hatchet job of alternate tracks Weinstein did with the reissued-in-English Jackie Chan films that came out in the late 90's/early aughts. These alternate versions are there if you want them (plus this disc has its share of VS bonus features) and look/sound as good as the OG. I know I'll be sticking with the HK cut when I want me some "Righting Wrong" stunt mayhem. 3.95 HEAD-SNAPPING ANGRY CYNTHIAS SHOOTING TIRE OF ANNOYING CIVILIAN'S CAR (out of five) FOR BOTH CUTS.
BONUS: 100.- THE BEST OF MARTIAL ARTS FILMS (1990, RIGHTING WRONGS VINEGAR SYNDROME 3-DISC BLU-RAY SET)
DeleteIncluded in a third Blu-ray of the "Righting Wrongs" VS 3-disc BD set is this 1990 documentary by Sandra Weintraub about the state of martial arts action movies up until around 1989. John Saxon ("Enter the Dragon") hosts, and gets to talk about his experiences with Bruce Lee (shown via archival interviews you've seen in other home video releases) and other work he did. Some archival interviews (Shรด Kosugi, Angela Mao, the three principals in "Righting Wrongs") are more interesting than others (Richard Norton, Robert Clouse, etc.), and some talking heads (Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung) are better served by clips of their movie work. It's dated, but a neat time capsule of where martial arts action was 37 years ago. Christ, I'm old. ๐ฐ๐ 3.20 'WHO IS SIBELLE HU?' SNIDE REMARKS (out of five).
Thanks for the hot tip on RIGHTING WRONGS. I've have it on my watchlist and just looked-- I have the Hong Kong cut!
DeleteThe HK cut is all you need. ๐
DeleteI will get this once VS reopen its store after the current sale
DeleteI think the VS 3-disc BD is OOP at the online store. Amazon has it and it isn't expensive. 88 Films also released "Righting Wrongs" with a 4th combined ending, deleted scenes and 'randomizer' ending. I'm fine with the VS since the HK cut is my preferred version anyway. ๐
Delete101.- THE KING OF ROBBERY, aka HONG KONG THUG LIFE (1996, AMAZON PRIME). Also streaming on TUBI, FAWESOME.
ReplyDeleteMade the mistake of watching this one after my "Righting Wrongs" marathon. Not that watching it first would have helped, as it becomes clear early on it's a low-budget ripoff of Michael Mann's "Heat" with the balance tilted toward the criminal side. After escaping from prison with the help of his loyal crew, Boss Chan Sing (Simon Yam) plans and executes a series of jewelry store heists that bring in police attention and reward money temptation. It also turns on the waitress of the fish restaurant next door (Anita Lee), who becomes Sing's girlfriend and annoys the rest of his men. As long as the money from the stolen jewels keeps flowing everything's cool, but eventually paranoia and the 'heat' from police raids test the group's loyalties. Very little action besides shootouts and car explosions, all done handheld and often with artsy visual touches (screen freezing and turning sepia-tone). With no Vincent Hanna equivalent on the police side to Simon Yan's McCauley, "The King of Robbery" goes through its predictable downward spiral motions until its inevitable conclusion. Yawn. 2.15 REFERENCES TO VEGETARIANISM BEING PROOF OF HOMOSEXUALITY (out of five).
BONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 17!
ReplyDelete102.- MISTERJAW: FLYING FOOL (1976, YOUTUBE)
Of course DePatie-Freleng would jump on the "Jaws" ripoff bandwagon (just like Hanna-Barbera did with "Jabberjaw"). Made for the animated "Pink Panther" Saturday morning cartoon show on NBC, the first "Misterjaw" episode premiered in 1976 (without individual creator credits, a first for the company). After the titular character (voiced by Arte Johnson) is talked into learning how to fly his sidekick Catfish (voiced by "Top Cat's" Arnold Stang) and a willing-to-teach seagull, Misterjaw goes through the usual tropes (balloon, catapult, feathers) until he actually learns how to fly. Suck on that, Pixar's "Hoppers," Misterjaw beat you to the whole 'flying shark' thing by 50 years! ๐๐ค Of course the army doesn't take it lightly when a flying shark is spotted by its missile command. This is the only other series of non-'PP' shorts besides 'The Inspector' that got 34 episodes. ¯\_(ใ)_/¯ 3.5 ELECTRIC EELS TO THE RESCUE OF DEFENSELESS FISH (out of five).
103.- THE PINK PANTHER: THERAPEUTIC PINK (4/1/1977, DVD). Streaming on YOUTUBE.
DeleteThe end of an era (ERA!) as the final 'Pink Panther' cartoon for theatrical distribution (one that'd been sitting on the shelf since 1975, per copyright date) is released. Future 'PP' cartoons would feature new music and premiere first on U.S. television, then move on to theatrical repeats. A starving-for-food Panther gets bitten by a tiny dog that won't let go of his tail, forcing a hospital visit with The Little Man doctor and his hulking nurses. Nothing stands out about this being good or bad, although the 'TV set inside the X-ray machine' gag had me laughing. ๐ฅฒ An unremarkable finale to a consistently entertaining, often LOL-worthy series of theatrical shorts. 3.35 'EAT MORE BEEF' OUTDOOR BILLBOARDS (out of five).
Tiger On the Beat (1988)
ReplyDeleteIf you’re expecting the poetic, trench-coat-wearing, dual-pistol-sliding grace of John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow or The Killer when you see Chon Yun-fat’s name on the poster, check your expectations at the door. We’ve seen the mismatched partner trope a million times, but Tiger On the Beat pushes the dynamic to its absolute breaking point.
On one side, you have the legendary Chow Yun-fat as Francis Li. Instead of playing the ultra-cool gun-god he usually plays, he shows up as a Hawaiian-shirt-wearing womanizer who would rather scam a suspicious husband or down a glass of raw eggs for a hangover than do actual police work. Within the first twenty minutes, he literally pisses his pants because a crook sticks a gun in his mouth. It is wild to see the coolest actor in the world work so hard to be a goofy buffoon.
On the other side, you have Conan Lee as Michael Tso, a muscle-bound rookie who looks like a bodybuilding Jackie Chan and wants to fight everyone in sight. The real-life bickering between these two on set apparently leaked into the film because they have zero traditional buddy-cop chemistry, which actually makes their constant screaming matches and petty fighting hilariously entertaining.
What makes this movie such a fascinating piece of celluloid history is the man behind the camera: Lau Kar-leung. He directed Disciples of the 36th Chamber and choreographed some of the greatest traditional, old-school kung-fu films ever to come out of the Shaw Brothers studio. But by 1988, the audience wanted modern urban violence. They wanted guns, cars, and explosions. Seeing an old-school master try to navigate the gritty, neon-soaked era of heroic bloodshed is like watching a classical orchestra conductor suddenly forced to lead a hardcore punk band.
For the first hour, the tone is all over the place. The comedy is pure, low-brow, 80s HK slapstick. Plus, the movie drops a heavy, uncomfortable dose of period-typical misogyny onto Nina Li Chi’s character, Marydonna, which halts the fun dead in its tracks. You’ll scratch your head, wondering what movie you’re actually watching.
But then… the final twenty minutes happen.
Lau Kar-leung decides that if he has to make a modern action movie, he’s going to make the most dangerous, jaw-dropping finale possible. First, you get Chow Yun-fat dropping the comedy act, picking up a shotgun, rigging it to a rope and throwing it around corners like a deadly, buckshot-blasting yo-yo to waste bad guys. It’s beautiful, chaotic genius.
And then, the piece de rรฉsistance: Conan Lee vs. Gordon Liu in a chainsaw duel.
Yes, that Gordon Liu. The star of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Johnny Mo from Kill Bill shows up here with a full head of hair playing a psychotic villain. He and Lee spark up two massive, roaring chainsaws and start acrobatically fencing with them. They are hacking through wooden floors, grinding sparks off steel railings, and flipping through the air with live, spinning blades. It borrows the pure, raw energy of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and fuses it with high-flying Hong Kong stunt work.
Tiger On the Beat isn’t a flawless masterpiece. The tonal shifts will give you whiplash, the humor is an acquired taste, and the plot is standard-issue drug-bust filler. But as an ’80s time capsule of anything goes Hong Kong filmmaking, it’s pretty fun.
Nice writeup on Tiger on Beat. I watched it recently. That chainsaw fight is well worth the price of admission. I watched Tiger on the Beat 2 (1990) today.
DeleteMinor Spoiler Alert:
Conan Lee experiences the most frightening stunt-gone-wrong I've ever seen in a movie in this. He miraculously survived and eventually recovered which is why it is still in the movie. Shocking stuff that overshadows anything else in the film.
Borrowing Blockbusters: Brucesploitation pt 1 (2026)
ReplyDeleteFor those unaware, there is a youtube channel named The Bad Movie Bible that produces realllllllllllly good documentaries focusing on movie/genre knock offs. I highly suggest checking it out...its sort of tailor made for the Junesploitation crowd. In this case they just dropped the first of a 3 part docuseries on Bruce Lee exploitation flicks. Its so good for those who are interested! Amazing interviews, research, clips, and comments on a truly weird exploitation genre. It also interweaves a nice look at Bruce and his films. I cant wait to see the other episodes in this series. (Note: i very much like the Enter the Clones of Bruce doc but i think this one will dive even deeper!)
The guy who runs the Bad Movie Bible YT channel does movie commentary tracks with Oliver Harper on the latter's YT channel. Fun times with those two Brits. ๐ค๐
DeleteNice! Im very familiar with Oliver Harpers work as well. Thanks JM!
DeletePOLICE STORY 2 (1982)
ReplyDeleteThe angry May in the men’s locker room scene was the best part of this incredible Jackie Chan action comedy. No, the playground fight is the best part. No, the surveillance team following the bomber through the subway is the best part. No, the broken glasses bits are the best parts. Great, but… too many notes.
WOMEN ON THE RUN (1993, dir. Corey Yuen and David Lai)
ReplyDeleteThese women face one long string of betrayal and abuse in this crazy piece of Hong Kong action. One is a Hong Kong cop, and the other is a Mainland illegal migrant trying survive and lay low. When they are sent on an undercover operation to Mainland China to expose a Chinese drug trafficker, a whiplash of plot twists leads them to Canada. Things do not get better there for the pair. Can the women on the run get back to Hong Kong to avenge their betrayers?
Women on the Run feels like a film being put together as its being made. According to an interview on the VSA release with co-director David Lai, Thelma and Louise was the main inspiration for the story. Despite all of the confusion, the barrage of action scenes does keep the film lively. It is a fun watch. And it is a very Junesploitation watch, with a few of the fight scenes involving the ladies in a state of undress.
While I state that Women on the Run is a fun watch, it does go into some dark territory. If you want a lighthearted action experience, this is not it.
DeleteLADY PIRAHNA (1982)
ReplyDeleteSix female prisoners escape from a jungle prison camp and then join the local rebels to return for megaviolent revenge. It’s not really a women in prison flick, because the explosive escape is right at the start. It’s not really a revenge flick either, because the attack on the camp is more a secret mission involving diamonds, secret documents, and scuba diving. In this case, “escape” is less about the prison and more about longing for a better life. But the important thing is that this movie is freakin’ action packed! The many gun fights and knife fights and high kicks might lack polish, but I say the low budget roughness just adds to the excitement. Huge fun!
30 days of fan films, day 17: BORN OF HOPE (2009)
Today we’re in Tolkien territory with the tale of Arathorn, father of Aragorn. This is what the young people call a “romantasy,” in that it’s concerned less with epic battles and more with passionate kisses and/or emotional longing. Director and co-writer Kate Madison does an admirable job of recreating the look of the Peter Jackson films, especially in the costumes. I can’t predict what the hardcore LOTR purists might think of this, but I thought it was… okay.
I forget, from what movie is today's picture from?
ReplyDeleteCity on Fire!
DeleteWell, time for a rewatch, even if i already saw it a few weeks ago
DeleteExecutioners (1993)
ReplyDeleteMichelle Yeoh, Anita Mui and Maggie Cheung are back as a trio of badass women with superpowered martial skills. This time they find themselves in a post-apocalyptic quagmire of political assassinations, and military coups, and conspiracies to deprive the people of clean water. Released mere months after The Heroic Trio, this sequel feels very rushed, both in its convoluted story and in (ahem) execution. It's not as colorful or as fun as the first movie, and the trio aren't on screen together nearly as often as I'd like (they do share a bathtub at the beginning, which is worth a lot of bonus points). But they still deliver a decent amount of wire-fu asskicking, including a pretty awesome final showdown - too bad it's against such a weakly defined villain.
The Heroic Trio
ReplyDeleteI don’t do drugs. No judgment on my stoner pals and acquaintances, they’ve just never been my jam or held any interest for me. Just because I’ve never been high doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t know what it must feel like, though, because now I have seen this movie, and holy shit. I may have to put on a Cheech & Chong record.
To call it hallucinatory doesn’t begin to cover it, but it’s gonna have to do because I don’t know what else to call this batshittery. Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui, and Michelle Yeoh are a group of super powered women involved on various sides in a scheme to kidnap a bunch of babies in order to resurrect a demon. That’s as normal a sentence I can use to describe the basic story, but trust me when I tell you the things that happen here would make Henry from Eraserhead ask what the hell is going on. The three leads are amazing as always, and maybe one of these days I’ll understand what I just saw. In all honesty it doesn’t matter because I had a blast anyway. Bonus points for using my favorite special effect, blue cartoon lightning.
This movie is truly one of a kind. The sequel is a bit of a disappointment, though.
Delete*Hastily adds to watch list!*
Delete*Hastily buys it*
DeleteThe Man from Hong Kong (1975, dir. BTS)
ReplyDeleteFeel like i'm cheating a bit, since I consder this more of an Ozploitation! classic. But it does star Jimmy Wang Fu as the titular Man from Hong Kong. And does have about a 10 minute opening credits scene of some urban hang gliding above HK.
I think this is my first re-watch for the Junesploitation! (but only second viewing).
I love this film. Has a cold open of a fight on top of Ayers Rock, which I am pretty sure is illegal today/never approved to film. You have Hugh Keays-Byrne as a scene munching policeman (of all things) with a lot of hair, lengthy fight scene with Grant Page, and George Lazenby as the villian kicking people in the face, JWF finding some time for the ladies, and some Fulci-esque rapid face zooms. If was doing a J.M. scale I would go with 4.75 overly protracted hang-gliding scenes out of 5.
And I really, really need an emerald green corduroy suit. Especially for when you need to kick someone in the face at a dinner party.
A fave!
DeleteI discovered this one during a previous Junesploitation and it checked SO many boxes for me. Great pick!
DeleteOne of my all-time favorite discoveries from a Junesploitation a few years ago. It rules!
DeleteTHE CAT (1992, Lam Nai-Choi)
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about Hong Kong action—the category is so vast, because Hong Kong movies kick ass! This one’s directed by the man behind RIKI-OH, THE SEVENTH CURSE, and my REVENGE! flick from last year, HER VENGEANCE (which was also one of my 2025 faves). Catsh!t crazy flick with elements of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, and of course, plenty of ACTION, including a TERMINATOR-style machine gun shooting spree and one of the best fight scenes ever—CAT VS DOG in a junkyard rumble! Manic multi-genre fun as only Hong Kong can do!
I thought I put a post up about MAGIC COP (1990), but I do not see it here now. The film involves Hong Kong cops dealing the supernatural when they investigate an usual case. The weird and whimsical supernatural elements entertained me, with the action being both intense and comical. Magic Cop is one of the most enjoyable watches of the month so far.
ReplyDeleteRumble in the Bronx (1995)
ReplyDeleteIt cannot be overstated what a nuisance splatter punks were in the 90s.
A Better Tomorrow(1986 Dir John Woo)
ReplyDeleteNo Epic slow motion doves(that came later with The Killer) but it does have a yakuza tickle fight. Who needs more?
Shaolin Soccer (2001)
ReplyDelete5/5 masterpiece if not for the weird subplot where our protagonist starts treating sweet buns girl like shit for no reason. I coached U8 soccer this year and the rest is pretty much how it works.
Bullet in the Head (1990, dir. John Woo)
ReplyDeleteSurprising in many ways. First of all it flew by like a 2h15m movie hasn't done for me in a while. Some scenes way more brutal than I was expecting! Emotional gut punches! The editing starts everything in high gear, and boy does the movie start from super light and just escalate the events to the moon like a rocket.
Oh John Woo, no one can do it like you.
This was my other choice for today, and in a time crunch, I went for the option with the shorter runtime. Sounds like I couldn't have gone wrong either way. Gotta try to get back to this one on a Free Space! day.
DeleteDrug War (2012)
ReplyDeleteCops hunt drug guys. One of the drug guys is caught and coerced into helping the cops to save himself. Can the cops trust him? Can he trust them?
There's a cool back-to-back sequence where the cops pre-empt a drug guy meet-up and they pretend to be Drug Guy A while meeting with Drug Guy B. Drug Guy A and Drug Guy B have very different vibes, so it's fun to see the masquerading cop swing from one impersonation to the other.
It moves like Jason Voorhees, where it's not running, but it's somehow steadily gaining on you, propulsive without hurrying. It feels no-nonsense on the surface, but kind of quietly explodes at the end, and sneakily seems to have something on its mind about how mixed up everybody starts to feel the longer they keep chasing and running from each other.
It's good!
Hard Boiled (1992)
ReplyDeleteAn "explosive Hong Kong action thriller!"
This movie rules. Why does the motorcycle explode when shot at? Because its cool! Why are there sparks and smoke everywhere? Because its cool! I don't need real physics and counting bullets! I need movies to be cool sometimes!
Can't wait to listen to the podcast.
Watched this yesterday but forgot to post my review. Oops.
ReplyDeleteThe Iron Dragon Strikes Back a.k.a. The Gold Connection (1979, dir. Kuei Chih-hung)
Hong Kong kung fu instructor Ah Wei (Ho Tsung-Tao a.k.a. Bruce Li) and his friends land in hot water when one of them steals gold from a Vietnamese criminal gang. Cue 90 minutes of kung fu fights.
The fight scenes are plentiful, the performers are skilled and they're quite well shot, but they can feel a bit repetitive at times. Thankfully, there's always a fight that goes in and out of a slowly moving bus or an inexplicable chaotic brawl at a movie set around the corner to break the monotony. And how the final fight ends is one for the ages. The English dub is pretty goofy.