JULY 2007

This month your questions will be answered by : Mike "Don't Give A Damn" Banner

Q.  Hi guys i really need your help. Is there a list of DVDs you can give me which gradually introduces my girlfriend to the Martial Art genre. Starting off soft with a little bit of Kung Fu but ends with bone crunching fists and kicks of fury. All the best yours hopefully - Lee.

P.S. if you could slip a Bruce Lee film in there that would be superb

A.  The Karate Kid - This is a soft, mainstream way to get a bit of martial arts into someone's viewing habits. A plucky underdog hero, the wise master, a scenery chewing baddie, cackling henchman, it certainly sports many of the staples of genre.

Project A - An action comedy with a few healthy doses of kung fu. Not only does it give you some Jackie Chan but you also get a taste of the talents of Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung. 

The Big Boss - I chose this because it's my favourite Bruce Lee movie. It's obvious from the start the man is a star. He's broody, handsome, charismatic, highly skilled and he stands up for the little man. It's not hard to see why people love him.

Secret Service Of The Imperial Court - I chose this for a number of reasons.... 
1. It's a Shaw Brothers film
2. Leung Kar Yan - one of the most versatile actors in the genre
3. Ku Feng - Possibly the best kung fu actor of all time
4. Weapons
5. Beautiful cinematography and stagey sets
6. A crazy 'wuxia' ending
7. Evil eunuch

Drunken Master 2 - Probably Jackie's best film. The quality of action throughout is astonishingly high. Kung fu genius.

Ong Bak - Not strictly kung fu but you did say the list should "end with bone crunching fists and kicks of fury". Job done.

Q.  Just a reminder that your site rules and your review of Mismatched Couples drove me to want it even more so. Although I get disappointed at some, its personal opinion and you have reviewed a lot of HK cinema. Anyway keep the brill work and I look forward to future reviews. Peace. JOI GIN. - Ian

A.  Yeah, you're right, we do rule. Now if only a millionaire benefactor felt the same way as you and decided to pay us to run the site full time. Sigh.

Q.  I was wondering if you could put me in the right direction. I've been looking to purchase Dragon Squad the film for the last year... is there anywhere in the UK I could buy this from?... kind regards - Matt

A.  Put you in the right direction eh? Ok, DO NOT BUY DRAGON SQUAD! It sucks more than Maggie Simpson in a dummy factory.

Q.  Hello, I am from Spain. Very nice web page... this is my website about Fight Choreography: www.kungfugrupo.com  See you later - Andrew 

A.  My Spanish is a touch limited (uno cervasa por favor), so I don't fully comprehend what your site is all about but I'm sure our Spanish readership will have a blast on there.

Q.  I had a question for Phil Mills. I wanted to know if Ninja in the USA has any strong sexual content or not. I love Alexander Lo Rei, but I'm not a fan of sleaze, so I'm just curious about that. Thanks. - Blake

A.  Phil Mills ONLY watches films with strong sexual content. Any film reviews on the site that bare his name that don't feature strong sexual content (e.g. nips and that) haven't actually been watched by him. He gets someone to give him the gist of the plot and then he sits on his chaise longue, chain eating chocolates, dictating his 'review' to his assistant. He's kind of like a hairy Barbara Cartland.

(Probably closer to the truth than anyone can possibly imagine! In the case of 'Ninja In The USA' though, no sexual content that I recall - Phil)

Q.  Hi, I thought you might be the website to ask about this unusual series I saw when I was younger. It was a comedy about martial arts, and while I remember very little, some of the scenes that stuck out the most were scenes of the 'flying foot' where the camera showed only the foot and leg of the actor flying down halls, kicking in doors, etc. I believe it was a television series, but I could be mistaken. I also believe it was from the 80's or earlier. If you could help me figure out the name of this movie it would be greatly appreciated, I cannot find any information anywhere. - Jason

A.  You've stumped me with this one, Jason. So much so that I haven't even got one of my hilarious glib comments to make. The best I can do is point you towards the original black and white version of 'Buddha's Palm'. It might be what you're looking for.

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