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Reviews
Simon Sez (1999)
A Funny Action Sequel...Sort of....
Simon Sez stars the controversial Dennis Rodman as an arms dealer/operative who gets caught up in a rather strange kidnapping affair that turns into a rather odd game of espionage with global consequences. The film itself is a sort-of-pseudo-unofficial-sequel-spinoff of the film "Double Team" where he played the same character (though named Yaz...we all know that spies have over a dozen aliases) and helped Jean Claude VanDamme fight against an international terrorist (Mickey Rourke). If you didn't see Double Team, then a good portion of the in-jokes in the film won't make a lot of sense, especially the monks. Honestly, while the film is fun and the character is interesting, they would have been better off maintaining more of the elements from Double Team and working within that framework. In short, if you haven't seen Double Team, see it then watch Simon Sez again. It will improve your attitude about the movie.
Tie zhang xuan feng tui (1972)
A good film for Angela Mao Ying, though she's not the star...
As this is an old film, there should be no harm in discussing what the film is about. Despite the film being advertised with Angela Mao Ying as the star, she plays a more subdued part in the film.
Mao (Miss Tien) plays a woman who is searching to take revenge on a man who abandoned her younger sister and because of the abandonment, eventually resulted in the girl's death. The poor doomed fellow has problems of his own because of a vendetta against gangsters. Mao, deciding that she would not be cheated of her vengeance, helps him against them, so that she would have the pleasure of killing him, herself. Furthermore, he has fallen in love with another girl who tags along with him. So, every so often, the two end up begging Tien to wait a bit longer before killing the pathetic guy.
The fellow starts the film as a lousy fighter, but eventually learns Tai Chi Ch'uan from an old herbalist. This stands him well to help him later in the film.
So, what happens next? Does he escape from the gangsters? Does Miss Tien get her revenge? Is this a pretty good movie?
Well, I can answer the third one. I found it enjoyable. The fight scenes were pretty realistic as this belongs to the "gritty" style of Martial Arts films. As for Mao Ying...she's always a pleasure to watch.
I paladini - Storia d'armi e d'amori (1983)
An Interesting mix of period romance and fantasy action.
I enjoyed this film for several reasons. The characters were quite alive and it was very easy for you to feel sympathy for them. The fight scenes were enjoyable and the costuming, while not quite accurate, was very eye-catching.
I would like to see this film in the original Italian with subtitles, to see what the translators missed (they almost always miss something).
Just because a film doesn't quite mesh with American attitudes or ideals, foreign films often catch a lot of heat and disdain from people who aren't open to such things.
This film can easily stand on its own merits and be enjoyed by both fans of fantasy romance and sword action.
BTW, why is it that whenever a foreign film is released into the American market, it is deemed either bad or a "B" movie, if it isn't an "art house" type of movie? I do own a copy of this film and have given it as a gift to friends and they too, have thanked me many times for the movie. I'm not out to damn anyone for their opinion, but as a fan international film, I sometimes find that my fellow Americans can be a bit too harsh on cinematic works from other cultures.
This film should be given a chance by any fan of medieval fantasy.
Atomic Rulers (1965)
A return to yesteryear....
I remember this series of films from my childhood. The Saturday afternoon cinema on local(Chicago) television ran this and other films of this genre on a regular basis. That's something that is sorely missed by the author.
This particular film, along with the other films in the "Starman" series, was fun in several ways. As a child, the fight scenes were action-filled, yet not very brutal or vicious. He threw folks around and occasionally struck them, but nothing graphically harmful. The bad guys were evil, yet not frighteningly so. The film also made sure that you knew they would get theirs in the end. When I found a copy of this film about 5 years ago, I snatched it up at once. However, this is a film for a genre fan. I would not suggest this in any way to be a mainstream hit. Do not come to view this film with any typical American or modern stereotypes in your head about what a film of this type should be. Leave your preconceptions at the door and enter a black and white world where the forces of good have a very visible and stalwart champion...Starman!