Actors & Directors
- Chisato Naruse
- Miho Nomoto
- Tetsuo Kurata
- Yuka Ohnishi
- Masara Tsushima
- Rina Kitahara
Run time: 90 min.
Price: $19.98
Review Lady Ninja: Reflections of Darkness (Ws Dub) / Manga Video:A butt-kicking quartet of female ninja assassins are hired by a ruthless magistrate to silence his past conquests. Three former courtesans could ruin his chaste reputation and discredit his bid for political glory, so he puts a contract out on them. A hearty hedonist who despises the sanctimonious hypocrite sends his own supernaturally powered thugs to capture the women, and they battle in an erotic series of superhero skirmishes that mix martial arts and magic spells, where the sexy ninja warriors repeatedly sacrifice their clothes for the greater glory of duty. They meet their equal in a feisty blonde Mata Hari who creates Japan's first blue movie when she displays the magistrate's sexual shenanigans across the sky like a heavenly drive-in film. The film straddles the line between spirited spoof and misguided action adventure, which the tongue-in-cheek English dubbing ably undercuts with painful puns and innuendo, but it never loses its outrageous sense of low-budget spectacle. Full of audacious violence and gratuitous nudity and logic-bending twists, it's wacky and weird and nearly incomprehensible, but it's never dull. -Sean Axmaker.
Actors & Directors
- Sami Bouajila
- Bruce Willis
- Annette Bening
- Tony Shalhoub
- Edward Zwick
- Denzel Washington
Run time: 125 min.
List Price: $9.98
Price: $39.98
Review Siege (Spanish) (Sub Rpkg) / 20th Century Fox:A high-profile action/exploitation thriller set in the present, The Siege is really a fantasy that extrapolates from major terrorist attacks. Denzel Washington is FBI special agent Hubbard, "Hub" to his friends, whose anti-terrorist task force must track down the terrorist cells responsible for a spate of bombings in New York. His partner is an FBI agent of Arabian extraction (played convincingly by Tony Shalhoub), proving not all Arabs are bad guys-a point the film should be lauded for making again and again. Thrown into the mix is a CIA spy (played almost kittenish at times by Annette Bening), whose ties to the terrorists appear to be at the center of the conflicts. When the bombings escalate out of control, the President institutes martial law, sending in General Devereaux (played with impenetrable countenance by Bruce Willis) with tanks and troops to ferret out the terrorists. Echoes of Japanese-Americans in internment camps ring out as Arabs, including the son of the Arab-American FBI agent, are herded into a stadium. Periodic audio-montages of "man in the street" sentiments anchor the material in the present and show how serious and relevant the material is. But finally what we have is a taut and entertaining popcorn movie, giving itself the humanistic nod when it can. -Jim Gay When a crowded city bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign of terror begins to make it's bloody mark on the streets of New York, it's up to FBI special agent Anthony "Hub" Hubbard (Washington) and U. S. [+]Army General William Devereaux (Willis) to find out who's responsible and put an end to the destruction. Together, they face explosive danger at every turn when they team up towage an all-out war against a ruthless band of terrorists.
Actors & Directors
- Brigitte Bako
- Rez Cortez
- Chris Sarandon
- Adriana Agcaoili
- Luca Bercovici
- Richard Tyson
Run time: 92 min.
List Price: $12.99
Price: $39.95
Review Dark Tide (Rated) / Vidmark / Trimark:
Actors & Directors
- James Sikking
- Marvin J. Chomsky
- Robert Mitchum
- Peter Strauss
- David Morse
- Connie Sellecca
Run time: 103 min.
List Price: $5.99
Price: $52.00
Review Brotherhood of the Rose / Starz / Anchor Bay:
Actors & Directors
- David Healy
- Desmond Davis
- Terence Rigby
- Joe Melia
- Richard Heffer
- Ian Richardson
Run time: 97 min.
Price: $59.95
Review Sign of Four (1983) / Paramount:
Actors & Directors
- Samuel Fuller
- Gene Barry
- Angie Dickinson
- Paul Dubov
- Lee Van Cleef
- Nat 'King' Cole
Run time: 95 min.
List Price: $19.98
Price: $77.77
Review China Gate / Republic Pictures:Director Sam Fuller's 1951 The Steel Helmet was probably the first movie to deal with the Korean War; undoubtedly China Gate was one of the first to discuss Vietnam. In the early days of the Vietnam War, a motley crew of mercenaries and French Legionnaires set out to destroy a Communist ammunition dump and hobble the war effort of the Vietcong. An element of melodrama is added when the tough sergeant Brock is confronted by his ex-wife (Angie Dickinson-as a Eurasian?); he doesn't want anything to do with their son simply because the boy is of Asian descent. What would be a fairly routine war film is livened by its setting and the familiar fixations that Sam Fuller often addresses in his movies. Antihero Brock refuses to face his son and by doing so refuses to admit his own racism. As in The Steel Helmet, one of the supporting roles is held down by a black actor-Nat "King" Cole, in this case. The interplay and conflicts between characters lives up to Fuller's quote of "film is like a battlefield," with emotions running the show and setting the entire tone of the movie. It may not be one of Sam Fuller's greatest movies, but it's certainly interesting, if for no other reason than its early look at the dynamics of the Vietnam War. -Jerry Renshaw.
Actors & Directors
- Catherine Oxenberg
- Andreas Apergis
- Sidney J. Furie
- Pierre Bénard
- Casper Van Dien
- Rick Fox
Run time: 90 min.
List Price: $104.98
Price: $79.50
Review Collectors (Spanish) / Studio / Sterling:
Actors & Directors
- Heino Ferch
- Christian Duguay
- Rupert Graves
- Bridgette Wilson
- Devon Sawa
- Rufus Sewell
Run time: 93 min.
Price: $12.95
Review Extreme Ops (Spanish) (Sub) / Paramount:When an extreme-sports filmmaking team sets out to make a commercial featuring a gold-medal skier outrunning an avalanche, they run afoul of a Serbian war criminal hiding out in a mountain resort. So it's snowboards vs. bullets on steep slopes of snow-and if that's your thing, Extreme Ops is for you. There are also subplots about the high-class skier (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, House on Haunted Hill) trying to prove herself with the rough-and-tumble snowboard scamps, and various romantic sparks flying, but the only real point to this movie is lengthy shots of stuntpeople zipping down the mountainsides. Though it could stand to have less plot and more action, there's a good dose of spectacle nonetheless. Rufus Sewell (Dark City), Devon Sawa (Final Destination), and the cast do a serviceable job, but poor Brit Rupert Graves (excellent in Mrs. Dalloway) was forced to act through a terrible American accent. -Bret Fetzer.
Actors & Directors
- Christopher Murphy
- Eiji Funakoshi
- Noriaki Yuasa
- Yuko Hamada
- Miyuki Akiyama
- Nobuhiro Kajima
List Price: $19.98
Price: $59.99
Review Gamera Vs Guillon (1969) / Ventura Distribution:This fourth entry in the Gamera series found the titanic turtle paralleling the cuddly direction of his competitor Godzilla. When two young, star-gazing children investigate a spaceship that has practically landed in their backyard, they are whisked away to Terra, our undiscovered tenth planet whose two "groovy spacegirls" are all that remain of a once-superior alien civilization. But the boys soon discover that their seemingly friendly hosts have sinister plans in mind for them. Never fear, for Gamera comes to save them, flying through space to battle the spacegirls' guardian Guiron, a giant, rhino-like beast possessing a razor-sharp steel blade for a snout. This movie is truly suited for young children, for older kids, and especially for adults will chortle at the unintentional humor arising from the cheesy effects, underplayed roles, and possibly the worst dubbing job in Japanese monster history. Taken as comedy, adults will find this a real camp gem-when the two boys witness Guiron slice 'n' dice a laser-spewing Gaos, one of them proclaims: "What a monster!" -Bryan Reesman.
Actors & Directors
- Frank Jaquet
- Lorna Gray
- Jack Ingram
- Spencer Gordon Bennet
- Wallace Grissell
- Maurice Cass
- Kernan Cripps
Run time: 169 min.
Price: $19.98
Review Federal Operator 99 / Republic Pictures:
Actors & Directors
- Raymond Pellegrin
- Marco Guglielmi
- Jean Delannoy
- Nando Tamberlani
- Giuseppe Addobbati
- Pino Ferrara
Run time: 120 min.
Price: $9.99
Review Imperial Venus / United Home:
Actors & Directors
- Sam Horrigan
- Robin Riker
- Patrick Levis
- Erik von Detten
- Greg Beeman
- Christina Vidal
Run time: 90 min.
List Price: $9.99
Price: $69.98
Review Brink / Walt Disney Video:If you're an inline skating buff, you're in good company with Disney's made-for-television movie Brink. The story takes a backseat to some radical skating scenes that provide enough airs, grinds, and spins to satisfy the most bodacious bladers. The film's namesake is a Southern California high school teen, a. k. a. Andy Brinker (Erik von Detten of Leave It to Beaver and Escape to Witch Mountain), who lives for the love of skating. Hanging out at beachfront skate parks, Brink and his "soul skater" buddies are riding the perfect wave of summer until they collide with a group of hot wheelers led by smart-mouthed Val (Sam Horrigan). Nationally ranked champion Val and his cohorts are X-Bladz-sponsored skaters with paychecks and egos riding higher than their 540 flips. Animosity and adolescent cheap shots run deep between these rival groups until an accident lands one of the X-Bladz skaters on the sidelines. Now it's Brink's turn to try out for the open spot on the sponsored team. [+]Yet when he joins the X-Bladz, his betrayed friends accuse him of selling out. Eventually, Brink learns the price of winning at any cost. Horrigan plays a deliciously wicked Val, and von Detten delivers a solid performance as the good son/good friend, Andy. Families will appreciate the earnest script, void of profanity and sexual innuendo. The deeper questions of loyalty and friendship are handled by way of some well-meaning platitudes, but what we've really come to see won't disappoint-impressive, edge-of-your-seat skating. -Lynn Gibson.
Actors & Directors
- George Fawcett
- Montagu Love
- Vilma Bánky
- George Fitzmaurice
- Rudolph Valentino
- Karl Dane
Run time: 68 min.
List Price: $24.95
Price: $49.95
Review Son of the Sheik / Kino Video:
Actors & Directors
- Ivo Garrani
- Valérie Lagrange
- Giulio Bosetti
- André De Toth
- Steve Reeves
- Primo Zeglio
- Lidia Alfonsi
Price: $19.98
Review Morgan the Pirate / Sony Pictures:
Actors & Directors
- Keith David
- Sydney Macartney
- Jeffrey Wright
- Jay Underwood
- Harrison Ford
- Peter MacDonald
- Sean Patrick Flanery
Run time: 82 min.
List Price: $14.95
Price: $39.98
Review Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Chapter 20 - Mystery of the Blues / Paramount:
Actors & Directors
- Angel Fisher
- Jeff Gardner
- Charles Campbell (II)
- Kazuyoshi Katayama
- Matt Greenfield
- Tiffany Grant
Run time: 120 min.
List Price: $29.95
Price: $31.00
Review Super Atragon: The Motion Picture (Sub) / Adv Films:
Release date: 2000-11-14
Run time: 90 min.
Price: $39.98
Review Playboy / House of Love (Unrated) / Playboy Home Video:
Actors & Directors
- Kevin Elston
- Clint Howard
- Arye Gross
- Diane Hill (II)
- Zach Galligan
Run time: 92 min.
Price: $9.98
Review Arthur's Quest / Unapix / a-Pix Ent.:
Actors & Directors
- Brian Bosworth
- Bruce Weitz
- Fred Olen Ray
- Cliff Robertson
- Shannon Whirry
- Lance Guest
Run time: 94 min.
List Price: $60.99
Price: $39.99
Review Mach 2 / Paramount:
Actors & Directors
- Annabel Leventon
- Ian Richardson
- Barbara Sukowa
- Jeremy Irons
- David Cronenberg
- John Lone
Run time: 101 min.
Price: $14.98
Review M Butterfly (M Mariposa) (Version En Espanol, Subtitulada) / Warner Home Video:Jeremy Irons gives another superb and underrated performance in M Butterfly, an elegant adaptation of the Broadway hit by playwright David Henry Hwang. Irons plays a French diplomat in China in 1964 who falls in love with a star of the Beijing Opera, not realizing that the entrancing performer holds secrets that will ruin his life-that the singer is a spy for the Communist government is only the beginning of the diplomat's troubles. Though M Butterfly may seem like a departure for director David Cronenberg (best known for horror and science fiction flicks like The Fly and Scanners), the themes of desire and self-deception fit comfortably into his oeuvre, alongside his adaptations of difficult novels like Naked Lunch and Crash. M Butterfly, like the more popular movie The Crying Game, is a cunning examination of love and denial. Also featuring John Lone (The Last Emperor). -Bret Fetzer.
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Lady Ninja: Reflections of Darkness (Ws Dub), Siege (Spanish) (Sub Rpkg), Dark Tide (Rated), Brotherhood of the Rose, Sign of Four (1983), China Gate, Collectors (Spanish), Extreme Ops (Spanish) (Sub), Gamera Vs Guillon (1969), Federal Operator 99, Imperial Venus, Brink, Son of the Sheik, Morgan the Pirate, Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Chapter 20 - Mystery of the Blues, Super Atragon: The Motion Picture (Sub), Playboy / House of Love (Unrated), Arthur's Quest, Mach 2, M Butterfly (M Mariposa) (Version En Espanol, Subtitulada)Top headlines: Burmese Battle Spiritual and Economic Ills: Businesses are struggling, prices are rising and residents are facing a spiritual crisis. An on-scene report from post-protest Rangoon. ›18:10 11 Oct, Thu Interview: Susan Faludi on 9/11 Myths: In her new book, Susan Faludi examines the cultural impact of the 9/11 terror attacks. 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