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Middle-aged Zhao is determined to marry. Since skinny women aren’t interested in him, he’s turned his sights on plump women in hopes that he will find someone to keep him warm and satisfied. “Big Mom” agrees to marry him though she wants a 50,000 yuan/$7400 wedding to which Zhao agrees. The problem being he is stone cold broke. Friends he has borrowed money from previously are sympathetic, even though this is his 18th attempt at marriage, but don’t have the cash to loan. Big Mom has a blind stepdaughter she treats as a servant and asks Zhao to put her to work at his Happy Times Hotel. The hotel is actually an abandoned bus he and a friend cleaned up in the park to rent out to couples needing privacy. When that financial venture goes awry, he’s forced to manufacture a job for Wu Ying to keep up the illusion he has money so that he can marry her stepmother.
The first thirty minutes were a bit of a slog for me, but picked up when Zhao and Wu Ying ended up forced together. I was afraid they’d go for an inappropriate geezer romance. Thankfully, the duo took on more of a wholesome father-daughter vibe. Though someone needed to buy that girl a robe. Zhao was a good man at heart who bent the truth often in order to try and get ahead. His friends who were also financially challenged and a little peculiar accepted him as he was. The group of lovable losers came to like Wu Ying and did what they could to help her knowing their scam setup would be short lived at best. Big Mama, an expert in consumption, and her overly entitled son, were the annoying villains in this farce. Her selfishness and greed only highlighted Zhao’s desperation for a companion.
This odd, offbeat comedy had its humorous moments and others that fell flat. What was revealed as the story progressed were people capable of genuine kindness and friendship. Zhao and Wu Ying desired the best for each other even if they knew that their lives would be filled with hardship. Happy Times came all too briefly and usually occurred in the presence of loving friends, the gift that requires no wealth. Not one of Zhang Yi Mou’s stronger films, but still enjoyable.
9 May 2026
Housekeeping Note: My 1400th film
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"Meeting someone is never a coincidence"
Dead End Run was a bizarre art house film. Disturbing, with dizzying shaky camera work, and yet also intriguing. Three different protagonists in three different stories, running for their lives, find themselves in curious dead ends.Last Song
This was the strangest and my least favorite as it lapsed into a “zombie” song and dance. Surreal. 6.5
Shadows
Two hit men find themselves at a dead end and what appeared to be an existential crisis for both. Unhinged bordering on comical. 7.0
Fly
A criminal is cornered on a rooftop holding a silent girl hostage. Both are at different kinds of dead ends. 8.0
I was not a fan of the nausea inducing shaky cam, especially when it was sped up and combined with other special effects. I could appreciate it, but did not enjoy it. The music also sounded like it came straight out of the 1970s. Much like the camera work, you’ll either love it or hate it.
The moon and mist played a strong role in the first two fantastical stories while the sun made an appearance in the third one. Pay attention to the jewelry shown in the initial hallucinogenic run with psychedelic effects and colors flowing like a kaleidoscope on a bad mushroom trip. They show up later. Honestly, much of the film had the look of someone who had partaken of something that led to a distortion of time and space. The runners were in amazing shape. One ran through the night, day, and night again. I’m sure it had some higher meaning my literal brain could not discern. All three couples ended up in similar positions for different reasons.
Dead End Run is one those films where the beauty/meaning is in the eye of the beholder. It’s not a film I could say I truly liked, but I did find it interesting and worth a watch just to once again experience director Ishii Gakuryu’s creativity and imagination.
6 May 2026
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Officer Chan Chi Kit has gone undercover and become hooked on drugs in the process. When a kidnapping he’s supposed to be conducting goes awry, he ends up being the kidnapped party. Held in a Thai prison, Kit is at the mercy of the crooked warden, Ko Chun. His uncle, Detective Chan Kwok Wah, will stop at nothing to rescue his nephew, even defying the police department to do so. Working at the Thai prison as a guard is Chai. Paid to look the other way at some of the unsavory dealings, he stays there to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatment as he searches for a bone marrow donor for her. The Big Bad, Hung Mun Gong, also has health concerns. He is in desperate need of a heart transplant with the only donor available to him…his brother. What to do? What to do?
The story for the film was straightforward yet the director/writers decided to make it a nausea inducing tilt-o-whirl of flashbacks with no warning. The past events weren’t that complex that they needed parsing out to make the film more suspenseful. Nor were the events over a significant span of time. Aside from the flashbacks they added coincidence upon coincidence upon coincidence. Given the human organ trafficking, there was a vague, brief conversation over which lives were more valued. Chai had to decide the line of sacrifice he could not cross for his daughter. Chan had to weigh his boss’ orders against the life of his nephew. And Hung was far less conflicted over his brother’s heart.
The acting was sufficient for the story line. Simon Yam and Wu Jing were both resurrected from SPL 1, though not the actual characters. Zhang Jin was largely called upon to look menacing with his cheekbones sharp enough to cut diamonds. Tony Jaa is usually a stronger fighter than actor, but he managed to pull off the concerned and conflicted father role. At nearly 60 years of age, old-time kung fu fighter Ken Lo, was a nice partner for Tony to work with.
Now for the fights, the main reason to watch this film. The first fight between Wu and Jaa was disappointing as the two threw numerous windmill punches. As the film progressed, the fights improved. When the final battle took place, the long-awaited fast fists, flying kicks and knees, of Wu, Zhang, and Jaa arrived full force. Though Tony’s normally bone crunching elbows and knees felt a little subdued. In his films he usually hits his opponents to incapacitate them, where here, they often bounced back up. Wu Jing is delightfully fast, yet it wasn’t until much later in the film when Kit finally got his bitch on and remembered he could fight. The concluding scene was absolutely ridiculous, hilariously so, but also weirdly fun in a sadistic way. If you are a fan of any or all three martial artists, SPL 2 is worth giving a try.
28 April 2026
Trigger warnings: There were a few slicey scenes with body parts cut off.
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Mission Obvious
Mission Cross had a strong cast saddled with flatly drawn characters and action. It lacked what a sexy thriller that blatantly copied some Mr. and Mrs. Smith moments requires, at least a modicum of chemistry between the leads. I like both actors but it was hard to understand how they ever ended up--or stayed--married.Detective Kang Mi Seon, aka The Crocodile, is less than thrilled with her school bus driver and house husband, Park Gang Mu. They’ve been married for a few years and her kindest compliment is that she could have done worse. She leads a team tracking down drug dealers and a missing CEO, and stumbles upon a secret government cover-up. Park Gang Mu works hard to make Kang’s day easier any way he can in the new life he has chosen. He is contacted by an old spy friend whose husband has gone missing. Though Park had given up his undercover life he is willing to come out of retirement to help old friends. The spouses unknowingly begin working on the same investigation from different angles.
The first hour of the film dragged for me as Kang’s team thought that her “wifey” was having an affair. Park’s instincts had definitely rusted as he never realized he and Jang Hui Ju were being followed and photographed by the bumbling detectives. He also never questioned anything. I kept hoping he and another spy were playing a con on the Big Bad, but nope. They were the ones being played by a patently obvious fake out. Made me lose all respect for them. The writing was painfully bland with no surprises. At least Kang was a competent police officer which was a nice change of pace.
The film didn’t become more engaging until the last 30 minutes and even then, the fights were badly staged. The Big Bad overacted. The fire fights weren’t shot very well. The cinematography and direction lacked a professional, polished look to them. Basically, given the cast, I was disappointed. This paint by numbers script had no depth or originality, no spark. Hwang Jung Min and Yeom Jung Ah deserved better.
19 April 2026
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"Killing is like smoking...only the first time is hard"
Decision to Leave was another provocative Park Chan Wook film combining murder and obsession. At times it felt like he was being provocative for provocative’s sake, but it was a hauntingly beautiful, if disturbing film to watch.Detective Jang Hae Jun and his partner are investigating what appears to be an accidental death of a mountain climber. But they become immediately suspicious of his gorgeous Chinese wife because she’s not grief stricken enough. A chronic insomniac, Hae Jun stakes out the widow Song Seo Rae’s apartment and place of work. To his surprise, he sleeps on the stakeouts. And he also begins to question whether Seo Rae is guilty. As he falls deeper into her spell, she becomes not only the cure for his insomnia but its cause as well.
This never seemed like a murder mystery to me. It was not, “Did she?” or “Didn’t she?” More like, “Does she?” or “Doesn’t she”? Hae Jun appeared to be happily married to his weekend wife in Ipo, yet Seo Rae spoke to a deeper place inside. The song “Mist” was played often and Ipo’s fog was mentioned repeatedly. Just as the fog of war can obscure thinking and action so can the fog of lust. The mist of miscommunication (mistcommunication?) clouded conversations as Seo Rae’s Korean wasn’t strong. Translation apps and mistranslations of words hampered understanding in an already twisted and stressful environment.
If you have more problems with infidelity than bug covered dead bodies, this will be a film to skip. Aside from a scene with Hae Jun and his wife, the most intimate moments involved lip balm and hand lotion which were quite sensual. Much was made of the mountains and the sea, at times touching but never truly together. The film started on a mountain and ended at the sea, both beautiful and deadly. I had a few issues with the film, but like Hae Jun, I was willing to suffer to watch Tang Wei.
28 March 2026
Trigger warning: Bugs, dead bodies, creepy bugs. Mostly emotional infidelity. Suicide
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Sengoku Gunto Den Dai Nibu: Akatsuki no Zenshin
3 people found this review helpful
"A thief is still a thief"
Saga of the Vagabonds, Part 2: Forward at Dawn took place one year after the virtuous Taro was betrayed by his family and being hunted by the magistrate. He joined Rokuro’s bandits as their leader, changing all of their lives.Taro’s leadership of the bandits has changed their entire operating procedure. They now only rob from the rich and give to the poor. There’s no raping or murdering of the peasants. Most of the bandits are strangely okay with this. Everyone, that is, except for Bonten and Jibu who have their eyes on the farm girl who had saved Taro in the first film. Their betrayal devastates the gang. Betrayals also hit close to Taro’s home when the evil retainer Hyoe’s plans are revealed.
Taro and Rokuro guided the band of merry thieves and fought side by side. I was shocked at how easily the bandits accepted Taro as their leader and was then reminded of a line from Ragnarok by Loki, "Well, it seems that you are in desperate need of leadership". Korg, “Well, thank you.” These bandits were not very bright and were also in desperate need of leadership.
This time the body count rose as Taro dealt with the fallout of Hyoe’s deadly actions. Part 2 was shortened in the version I watched and I wondered if they cut out the romance between Taro and the farm girl Tazu and any extended scenes between Taro and his love Koyuki. There seemed to be implied scenes that weren’t shown.
Whereas Part 1 was lighter and livelier, Part 2 was much darker as the deep betrayals burned away any ties that Taro had with his past. Not quite as engaging as Part 1, Part 2 was still enjoyable. The screen always sizzled more when Rokuro was engaged. Taro, bless his heart, could be a bit stiff. The message in the films was that the powerful and wealthy abused those beneath them in both social and economic status in order to prosper themselves. And when in doubt as the body count rose---the butler did it.
20 March 2026
Housekeeping note: In the version I watched, Parts 1 & 2 were combined. Part 1 was missing around 14 minutes and Part 2 over 20. If anyone finds the two in their entirety, please let me know.
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Sengoku Gunto Den Dai Ichibu: Toraokami
3 people found this review helpful
"Promise to not get angry"
Legend of the Vagabonds, Part 1: Tiger and Wolf began in a rather lighthearted manner. But as so often happens, as the story went on, the shadows descended.Toki Taro Tarao chastises his young brother Jiro when Jiro’s men devastated the suffering peasants in order to gather a larger tribute to the Hojo clan. Taro accompanies the small fortune only to be besieged by bandits. Taro is injured and saved by a small farm family. Kahi Rokuro, a new member of the band of thieves, made off with the money, much to the chagrin of his gang. Rokuro becomes distressed when wanted posters for Taro appear as he knows Taro to be the best of men and not deserving of such derision.
The most compelling character in this film was not the upright and uptight Taro, it was the flamboyant and strangely ethical Rokuro. Once Rokuro realized who he had stolen from, he did whatever he could to make things right for his old childhood friend, Taro. Taro, on the other hand, had to learn the hard way that his family and villainous retainer were willing to sacrifice him for their own evil ambition.
Part One ends with Taro making a fateful decision that will change his life and the lives of the bandits. This was an entertaining film with several limited fights. Nakamura Kanemon III’s rousing performance as Rokuro lifted the story when rigid Taro’s presence often let it down. The vile Hyoe and immoral Jiro may have caused problems for the virtuous Taro in this film but they had more in store in Part 2.
20 March 2026
Housekeeping note: The only available version of this film I could find had Parts 1 and 2 combined. It appeared that Part 1 was shortened by 14 minutes and Part 2 was shortened by over 20 minutes which would have included credits as well.
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"Meowonderful!"
I was in the mood for something soft and cuddly. Samurai Cat curled up on my lap and brought a warm smile to my face. Kitamura Kazuki has never been more handsome and masculine looking than when holding a white kitty in one hand and a katana in the other.Madarame Kyutaro was fired as the Kaga family’s sword instructor and now makes ends meet by creating umbrellas. He faithfully holds out hope for finding a samurai job yet can’t even land an interview. His wife and daughter wait dutifully back home for him. One day, members of the Yonezawa family ask him to murder their rival’s cat. The town has been split in two ever since an incident 30 years ago between the cat loving Aikawa clan and the dog loving Yonezawa clan. Down to his last coins, he accepts the job. When she turns her sparkling green eyes on him, Madara is unable to kill the beautiful white cat and takes her home instead. Before long, the situation explodes and the loner ends up not only playing referee, but giving refuge to a maid who cares for the cat and a young samurai bent on vengeance.
Samurai Cat the drama was one of my first Jdramas. I found it to be thoroughly charming. Though not as strong, once Madara gave in and picked up the kitty, it was hard to begrudge the film anything. This character is my favorite of Kitamura’s. I was pleased he still had his own theme song he sang. “Slash ‘em, slash ‘em, slash ‘em! My mother once told me I was born holding a sword. Invincible, never lose a battle. That’s the only road for Madara...”
The story started out slow and was simplistic and a little silly. I suppose having a cat clan vs a dog clan made as much sense as a lot of other reasons samurai hated each other and wanted to fight. An old wives’ tale stated that white cats brought money and people. This sweet kitty and a gruff ronin actually did combine to bring people together and peace to Edo. So, if you are needing a heartwarming film that can put a smile on your face, Neko Zamurai/Samurai Cat would be a good place to start.
“As a ring of a cat’s collar bell
Tells me that I’m not alone
Going on the trackless path
I am Neko Zamurai.”
ஐ
18 March 2026
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Uncle Chan and his sister own and perform in their stage show. The local gangster and patron, Duan Shiang Yuan offers them a dinner celebration on their last night. Tsuei Hung begs her brother to not drink too much which he of course ignores when his kung fu is called into question. A series of bad decisions later and Chan is accused of assaulting Duan’s wife. Tsuei Hung agrees to be Duan’s mistress in exchange for her brother’s life which Duan magnanimously agrees to…after he’s crippled Chan’s hands. Chan becomes a street performer and makes the acquaintance of a small-time thief. Both run afoul of the extortion gang with Chan eventually agreeing to teach “Little Monkey” Monkey style kung fu.
First my biggest complaint. Why does the woman have to pay for the man’s idiotic behavior? And why does everyone get over that sacrifice so easily? Okay, my other complaint, the movie was too darn long for a kung fu flick. There wasn’t enough story for 110 minutes, it dragged in places.
Now, for what did work. Lau Kar Leung is my favorite old school martial arts director and I loved that he was allowed to star in this film. He started out honing his craft in Kwan Tak Hing’s Wong Fei Hung films going back to 1953. At 41, he stayed up with the 19-year-old Hsiao Hou. His choreography for this film was exciting. Hsiao was extraordinarily acrobatic, limber, and fast making him the perfect Monkey style artist. Lo Lieh, as the villain, snarled and sneered his way through providing more than enough menace for two. A grand Shaw Brothers’ set for the extravagant brothel where most of the big fights took place gave plenty of stairs to fight up and down and balconies to fall off of. A teenage Kara Hui had the small, but important role, of Chan’s sister. Scriptwriter Ni Kuang did her wrong but at least she had a good fight against Lo to give her character a smidge of meaning and heroics, even if the student squandered her sacrifice much like his mentor.
If you enjoy Monkey style kung fu and not one, but two training montages, this is a film to check out. There was a great deal of acrobatic “no wires on me!” kung fu displaying a wide range of agility, strength, and quickness. I would have preferred several scenes to have been either cut or shortened, as the movie ran long for me. The final fights were entertaining, though sometimes with monkeys, they take the long way to get there. Rated on a curve.
13 March 2026
Housekeeping note: 400th entry in my Everybody's Kung Fu Fighting List!
https://kisskh.at/list/LOPBNbe3
Trigger warnings: While there was a lot of fighting there were only two deaths and they weren’t too gruesome. If smoking bothers you there was quite a bit of that and drinking.
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When the Qing Emperor outlaws martial arts and martial artists a bounty is set on the practitioners. General Fire Wind and his villainous crew hunt down martial artists and their families killing every man, woman, and child. The last bastion of fighters and source of wealth for them is Martial Village. While Fire Wind negotiates his price for eradicating the village, Fu Qing Zhu and two young people from the village travel to Mt Heaven to meet with Master Shadow Glow. The Master wakes up four swordsmen and gives the two villagers swords as well. Now there are seven swordspeople to save the village. Hooray!
I’m not sure what the original plan was, Leon Lai appeared to have top billing, but his character didn’t have much to do. Of the swordsmen, Lau Kar Leung and Donnie Yen had the most development and interesting storylines. Charlie Yeung’s novice swordswoman had the most growth going from crybaby to gaining a sword that nearly killed her to a willingness to take on the bad guys while badly outnumbered. Too bad they tried to insert her into a romance with Lai’s loner who wanted to be alone character. It was sad to me that more time was spent building sympathy for a horse than most of the human characters. Without proper character building, there were only three characters I vaguely cared about living. But given the genre, I didn’t expect many if any to walk away/ride away. Then there were characters who seemed important, even finding a 1000-year-old sword that was important, but who appeared and disappeared within minutes. Poof! Two of the 7 had very little coverage except when fighting as a group. There simply wasn’t time to build rapport and interest as much as the story moved around.
Aside from narrative issues I had with the film, one of my primary concerns was the visual. Shot in the golden-brown pallet of LOTR, only dusty like a western, the lack of clarity and the camera jumping around from character to character as if the dollies got loose, made it difficult keeping up with the large cast and trying to emotionally bond with any of them. Tsui Hark seemed to be reaching for grandiose storytelling with the essential shots of mountains and horse riders galloping toward sunrises, yet the giant villain sets couldn’t elevate themselves above Styrofoam molded pillars and buildings. I grew up watching shows with these kinds of sets, so that’s not a knock, just an observation.
Lau Kar Leung is my favorite old school martial arts director which made it a treat to see him in front of the camera as well. At 69 he still had solid choreography and moves left to share. One fight between two walls has been done before but was still skillfully accomplished. There was a segment of kung fu fandom that maligned Donnie, but I’ve always enjoyed watching his moves. Along with Lau, old schoolers Jason Pai and Chi Kuan Chun were along for the ride as prominent villagers.
Seven Swords had its entertaining moments, but it was obvious bits and pieces were missing. The villains were wildly over the top like they’d all been to a KISS fan club in the 1970s, minus the platform shoes. Yes, that was an outrageously dated pop culture reference, but look ‘em up. Lol. Seven Swords is worth a look if you are a fan of the actors or genre, if you keep your expectations low.
12 March 2026
Uncredited star sighting-an updated version of 1975’s Guillotine!
Trigger warnings: Sexual assault. Attempted sexual assault. Lots of beheadings, and arms and legs lopped off. Various and sundry gruesome deaths.
SPOILERY COMMENT BELOW:
The heroes spent so much time rescuing each other that they abandoned the village which had been the point of their mission which I found disappointing.
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"We're family"
The title Swordswomen Three was false advertising as there were rarely 3 women on the screen at the same time. Director Shen Chiang preferred to focus on the male characters. Lo Lieh and Essie Lin Chia carried this film on their backs.Ambitious Chu Tien Hsing repeatedly challenges the master of the Xiude Martial Arts Academy to a duel. Chu is upset that the school is named #1 after winning a contest held every decade. The son, Hsu Chin Wu, finally agrees to fight Chu and then defeats him. Chu decides if he can’t win with his sword skills, he’ll steal the famous Mighty Steel Sword from his fiancée’s family.
First things first. If you are going to title a film, Swordswomen Three, then the swordswomen should be featured. Shen Yi as Ruo Lan was engaged to Chu and spent most of her time fretting what to do. Sister Hsiao Lien (Pan Ying Zi) had almost nothing to do. Neither was the sharpest knife in the drawer. Pan’s character was sidelined with an injury for much of the film which wasn’t a bad thing because she was a drip. Later, wishy washy Ruo Lan was injured and mostly off screen. The eldest sister, Ju Mei, was fierce and intelligent. Essie did a great job with the role she was given. Sadly, she was undercover wearing a hood for part of the film (or her stunt double). If the other heroes had listened to her the evil Chu would have been defeated earlier.
Shen Chiang’s direction and writing were sorely lacking, with too many scenes feeling redundant and also changing pertinent info about the sisters’ connection to the Xiude Academy midway. He also had the sisters make some of the dumbest and most illogical decisions to try and push the story along or gum it up.
Another dull knife was Chang Yi’s Hsu Chin Wu. Watching him play this dull good guy was like watching paint dry, grass grow, or any other tedious task you could think of. After Ju Mei survived all sorts of tortures with her wits and fighting skills, she actually asked Hsu to come up with a plan to defeat Chu. Seriously? She was the sharpest sword. I would have had qualms about asking Hsu for directions to the best restaurant nearby. Essie’s only equal in this film was Lo Lieh’s Chu. Chu acknowledged he wasn’t the best fighter, but with the Mighty Steel Sword he felt he would be invincible. One side could cut through anything. The other side was magnetic and could disarm opponents. Enticing and able to pour on the sexy charm when needed, I could see why Ruo Lan was conflicted. However, the villain shouldn’t be the most, if not only, captivating character on screen. Lo, like Essie had to do some heavy lifting to elevate their characters above the script. And the good guys shouldn’t be utterly inept, with the exclusion of Ju Mei. And mild spoiler alert, it was not Ju Mei or the three sisters who were given the final assault on Chu, it was of course, Hsu.
Most of the fight choreography was competent as it should have been with Tang Chia and my personal fave, Lau Kar Leung, as the martial arts directors. Although there was a hilarious moment in a scene where older actor Lee Wan Chung had an oopsie with the wire work. The final fight in a bamboo forest was bloody and violent as expected, yet disappointing without the SWORDSWOMEN THREE taking part in it. I would love to have had a movie with Lo Lieh and Essie Lin Chia locking swords together in a one of these old films. They both had a spark that came through the screen. Unfortunately, they were surrounded by wet blankets (have I used up all my boring idioms?) that dragged the film down. Not the worst film, but disappointing all the same. Rated on a curve.
6 March 2026
Trigger warning: One of the other interesting characters was Master Mei, the hooded thief and assassin. She blinded a maid with daggers upon seeing her face. Ick. Several impalements.
Musical Note: The James Bond riff was used several times.
Life Lesson Note: Beware of any boss who says, “We’re all family here.” They are the likeliest to overwork you and stab you in the back. In this film, that was literally.
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"Why are you trying to kill me?"
Legend of the Bat teamed up Ti Lung, director Chor Yuen, and Gu Long’s source material once again. Typical of these films, there was a huge cast list, betrayals, and hidden identities galore. The fights took place on the ancient version of yachts, dungeons, and of course, a villain’s lair fit for a drama queen.Famous swordsmen Chu Liu Hsiang and Yi Tien Hung come across a massacre of heroes on their trip. One thing leads to another and Chu is headed to Bat Island to help out a couple who tried to murder him. Yi ends up on the boat to Bat Island for his own professional reasons. They are joined by others who have their own incentives for going to a place where anything is for sale. On their journey, they face death repeatedly with some not escaping the Grim Reaper’s scythe.
Legend of the Bat was a sequel to Clans of Intrigue. If there is one thing to be sure of in these loosely related films, the cast will be bloated and the bodies will stack high. You know to brace yourself for numerous characters when the actors' names pop up on the screen as everyone is introduced. Characters revealed their courage and integrity, while others revealed their nefarious motives. There were actually a couple of touching moments of personal sacrifice, even if the reasons stretched the boundaries of believability. Like a good soap opera, several characters came back from the dead.
Ti Lung was back as the fan carrying hero. Ling Yun yet again donned his big hat and moral ambiguity. Yueh Hua and Ching Li played a devoted married couple. Ching Miao took on two completely different characters who were unrelated hoping the audience wouldn’t notice. This time Yuen Wah had a fairly significant role as a loyal bodyguard which I was happy to see. Many of the same actors and stuntmen from previous films were in this film as well though as different characters.
Tang Chia and Huang Pei Chih designed fast, creative fight scenes for the time. Whether on floating houses, yachts, or in the villain’s lair, the swords flashed and the blood flowed. The heroes had to make their way through caves filled with deadly traps with only each other to rely on…and their trusty secret weapons.
Legend of the Bat was wonderfully convoluted with betrayals, family secrets, revenge, unusual characters, and elaborate traps. Billionaires would envy the floating palaces where murder and mayhem took place, minus the murder and mayhem, I guess. Who knows what happens on those yachts. In the previous film in this collection, there were daddy issues. This time around grown-ass children had mommy issues. Instead of murder and crime, couldn’t these people go in together and ask for a discount on group therapy? As always, rated on a curve.
5 March 2026
Mammal note: No bats in the film
Trigger warnings: A rather long scene of four nude “dead” women. Suicide and a person suicided.
Tiny spoilerish comment: The lightbulb gimmick near the end was hilarious!
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"We're heading to Ghostly Village, not hell!"
Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman was not actually a sequel to the previous two Sentimental Swordsmen despite Chor Yuen and Ti Lung teaming up for it again. Similar to the last film there was a huge cast and numerous flyby guest appearances.General Chu Liu Hsiang attempts to murder the 8th Prince and escapes to the Ghostly Village with the help of an old man who had just murdered much of his extended family. The mist hidden village run by Old Hawk is filled with criminals who would be hunted down and executed if they ever left. Chu befriends an inveterate gambler who is terrified of ghosts. In the village there are people who hold grudges against Chu and others testing his loyalty. It was hard to invest in any of the characters as they swooped in and either swooped back out or were carried feet first out. Ti Lung’s sentimental swordsman wasn’t that sentimental. Fortunately, he was not nearly as gloomy as the other two films. Lo Lieh gave the film a boost of humor with his strip dice gambling and gravitas when it was called for. Aside from vets Ku Feng and Yang Chi Ching, the rest of the main cast was underwhelming.
The sword and wild weapon fights were solid for the most part. It was funny watching the guys in gold costumes in the back looking like they were line dancing by themselves to give the big fights depth. Interspersed with fast action there was also kung fu dancing almost bordering on kung fu posing. The wire work and trampolines while primitive carved out creative moments. The fights might not be memorable, but Yuen Wah, Yuen Bun, and Huang Pei Chih acquitted themselves well as the martial arts choreographers.
The Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman kept the action and double-crosses coming along with hidden identities---even a “who’s your daddy moment?”! I didn’t enjoy it as much as the last two but it was still entertaining in that convoluted manner that only old kung fu flicks can offer. As always, rated on a curve.
4 March 2026
Trigger warnings: Violence though considering the genre, nothing too gorey.
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"If men are human, then women are, too!"
The last place I was expecting to find such a delightfully feminist film was a 1949 Mizoguchi film titled Flame of My Love. Set during the late 1800s as the Liberal Party sought to expand human rights, our heroine Hirayama Eiko fought for women to be included in those equal rights. The patriarchy doesn’t fold that easy, even with “progressive” males supposedly working for those rights.Hirayama Eiko is sad to see her boyfriend, Hayase Ryuzo, leave for Tokyo to more fully immerse himself in the Liberal Party. Eiko desperately wants to join him but he dissuades her. The maid she grew up with, Chiyo, is also leaving for Tokyo, having sold herself to help her family financially. After fighting with her father and her school being closed down, Eiko packs her bags and lands on Hayase’s doorstep, something he is not too happy about. Fortunately, his boss, Omoi Kentaro, finds her a place to live and a job at their newspaper. Betrayal, good times, hard times, and more betrayals await Eiko as she fights the good fight for women’s rights.
(I won’t be going into the historical setting much because all I know of this time period and the people involved are what I gleaned from a cursory glance at Wikipedia. Several characters represented real people from the Meiji government and Liberal Party though their names were changed.)
Tanaka Kinuyo seemed a little long in the tooth at 40 to be playing Eiko, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s to either mentally age or de-age actresses. Eiko was a female character to be proud of. She worked tirelessly and fearlessly for the party’s cause and for women. Along the way she learned that subjugation and exploitation ran deeper than she’d thought. She also discovered that women were brainwashed from birth to accept their secondary role and to believe that they absolutely needed a man in their life. Attempting to change the status quo would be daunting. She, however, had the heroic Omoi on her side and by her side. Together they would set the world aright. ***(spoilery comment below)
Eiko was one of the strongest, most committed female characters from this time period that I’ve seen. She didn’t let men completely limit her, despite society’s cage around women. And for sure she didn’t let anyone tell her that she or other women were less than, regardless of economic class. No one could convince her that her self worth was tied to being a wife and mother. She refused to capitulate no matter the dire circumstances. I seriously loved this character. She may not have been able to conquer the world, but she worked to improve the lives and minds of women around her. While women have made great strides in the last nearly 80 years, there are always those people who want to revert to the “good old days” and strip women of the rights and progress we’ve made. While I can never forgive Mizoguchi for betraying Tanaka in real life, I can grudgingly respect this film he created.
“It will be a hard journey and we may not reach our goal. But if no one makes the first step, women will never know freedom!”
23 February 2026
Trigger Warnings: Rape and attempted rape-several times. The film didn’t shy away from women’s vulnerability at work, in prison, in private situations with men they should have been able to trust, or being “filial” by selling themselves into prostitution. Infidelity: “Whether I have one woman or two doesn’t change anything.” That’s what you think buddy. Does it work both ways?
Spoilery comment below:
***Omoi was all about women’s equal rights and using Eiko’s gifts. That is, until he Stepford Wifed her in a moment of utter betrayal. To her credit, Eiko refused to be cowed or gaslighted. Good woman. If everyone isn’t free and equal, no one is. You preach, girl!
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"We are connected. I'll be seeing you in hell!"
Sword of the Beast was one of Gosha Hideo’s earliest directorial efforts. While it could feel clunky at times, there was enough action, betrayal, revenge, and double-dealings to fuel a film twice as long.Yuuki Gennosuke is on the run after he killed his clan’s counselor. Hot on his trail are the man’s daughter, her fiancé, and a gaggle of samurai. A petty criminal he helps joins him as they head toward the mountain where gold has been found. The only trouble? Aside from the posse on his trail, panning for gold is a crime punishable by execution. Along with the shogunate’s patrols, there are bandits and also a samurai guarding a pile of gold like a dragon. Gennosuke has his hands full, sometimes literally, as nearly every woman throws herself at him.
“I’m a cornered and wounded beast. I can’t afford to live by my conscience.” The funny thing is, aside from the initial murder, Gennosuke was the conscience of the film. Set during the twilight of the samurai era, Beast highlighted the corruption running rampant through the clans, and how poorly some of the samurai were treated. Gennosuke had hoped to see reforms implemented in his clan that would have provided men like himself with a path toward promotion and a livable wage. He and the other low-level samurai discovered that their superiors demanded unquestioning loyalty and honor from them, while those in charge had zero qualms about lying, betrayal, and being utterly duplicitous. Low ranking men and women were expendable, especially if it meant promotion or gold for the more nobly born.
The sword fighting was average for 1965 with poor Gennusuke being outnumbered most of the time. The hunting party told him to die like a samurai, but he told his friend in the deadly group that they weren’t planning a death befitting a samurai---they were planning butchery. Much of the film was shot in a beautiful mountainous and forested region, a stunning backdrop for betrayal and revenge. Gosha knew how to get the most out of each frame. The story flowed well for the most part, but felt underbaked at times. I will never understand the male movie fantasy of women meeting a man and instantly start trying to take their clothes off. Because that's just what women do. Really should have been a clue Gennosuke was being set up whenever it happened.
Sword of the Beast was fun and Hira Mikijiro did a fine job as the least beastly of the characters. I enjoyed Gosha’s first film, Three Outlaw Samurai more, but this film kept my attention with each new person Gennosuke saved or threatened. Numerous characters discovered the hard way that the wealthy get that way and stay that way by not sharing the wealth. If you enjoy these old samurai films, this is certainly one worth trying.
14 February 2026
Trigger warnings: Sexual assault and attempted sexual assault. Nothing overtly graphic, just disturbing.
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