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"We like to do our own thing"
I Love Filipino was a charming and informative show covering Filipino food, art, music, and architecture. The production values were not slick but that just added to the homey feel of Filipinos sharing their love for their culture, country, and people.
One-Pinoy Altanghap
Different dishes are explained and their origins. Also, how geography and history have transformed indigenous ingredients along with imports into tasty food that pleases the Filipino palate. Filipinos who left for work outside the country have also become more interested in learning traditional cooking and have brought back new takes on old recipes. As much as anything food nourishes not only the body but relationships and is a form of affection for guests and family.
Two-Himig
This episode focused on music. Foreign occupations in the past by Spain, Japan, and the United States caused musicians to express their feelings and love of country subversively. Foreigners and the diaspora still influence Filipino music but the country’s artists make everything their own. Whether its songs about love, gratefulness, or the coconut, composers stay true to their roots as they sing from their hearts and life experiences in versatile and creative ways.
Three-Juan with Art
Painting, sculpting, comic books, and making toys out of trash were highlighted. Many of the artists wish to express creatively the Filipino way of life including religion and family. Others stress sustainability with their artistic expressions. While one artist has made a name for himself with Marvel comic books, he and others in the field are working to revive and expand Filipino comic books.
Four-Sawsaw Juan
Filipinos love affair with sauces and dips was explored in this episode. Many of the sauces originated from resourceful mothers and grandmothers. In order to customize each bite and enjoy a diversity of flavors different sauces are available and the flavor combinations are constantly expanding.
Five-Bahay Kubo
The ancient and also imminently practical Bahay Kubo architecture was discussed. The basic style connects people to other people and nature. The style was described as resilient and spiritual. As one person said about sustainability in buildings and furniture, Filipinos didn’t have to relearn how to as they’ve nearly always used bamboo and local materials that are recyclable and biodegradable.
As I mentioned, the production values weren’t extremely high, but the love of the people for their country and skills shown through brightly. I enjoyed learning more about Filipino food, history, music, art, and architecture. Their devotion to preserving traditions and building on them all while trying to protect the environment was inspiring. Whether making delectable food, or creating toys from used flip-flops, or singing heartfelt music, creative artists shared their talent and affection for the place they call home. I for one, am happy I was able to briefly visit through I Love Filipino.
16 June 2025
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"It doesn't take much for friends to become foes"
The Wild trotted out every trope and plot element used in a dozen other gangster movies, offering nothing new or exciting. It’s only saving grace was that Park Sung Woong can always bring an intimidating presence to any role, even when playing an overaged boxer.Song Woo Cheol is picked up by his old friend and boss, Jang Do Shik, when he is released after 7 years in prison for accidentally killing another boxer in the ring during an illegal fight. Do Shik is ready to put Woo Cheol back to work, but the fighter wants, “to live quietly.” It takes no time for Woo Cheol to become entangled with a hooker who has a drug problem and one of her violent johns, Jo Jeong Gon, who is a detective and entangled with Do Shik and his North Korean drug supplier Ri Gak Soo. With a huge drug supply coming in, nearly everyone is double-crossing or murdering someone in order to either get hold of the drugs, the money, or both.
While I’m sure the writers thought the twists and turns would be surprising, I was calling them out before they came. It helps to have someone to be invested in, but for a solid hour, I really didn’t care about any of them. There were hints that Song Cheol regretted his part in the other fighter’s death and going to prison for Do Shik, but he didn’t exactly do anything to break away from Do Shik. I have no problem with age gaps, but a romance with someone half his age, felt more like male wish fulfillment than organic to the story.
The Wild was a wildly pessimistic and cynical gangster movie. I was deeply disappointed that Woo Cheol didn’t turn out to be as smart as I hoped he was. If you’ve never seen a Korean gangster movie or any gangster movie, The Wild might provide some twists and turns, otherwise, it was a “connect the dots” of familiar crooked games of deceit and betrayal all at the end of a knife.
26 January 2025
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"Who am I?"
Director Kim Ki Duk took the viewer to dark places with One on One. Though he highlighted how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the poor were shown to be just as culpable in society’s ills as those in positions of power.After a school girl was murdered, seven vigilantes stalked the killers and the ones who ordered the hit. One by one, the murderers were captured and tortured to find out all they knew about the killing. Each time they captured someone, the vigilantes changed costumes. The group began to fracture when some of the vigilantes begin to ask, when is too much violence, too much?
The contract killers were all shown to live comfortable lives with significant others. While they ate ramen as a snack, many of the vigilantes were reduced to eating it as their main meals. Most of the vigilantes were suffering social injustices from different corners. The curious thing was that Kim Young Min not only played one of the killers, but also several different characters callously interacting with the vigilantes in their daily lives. Perhaps it meant that abusive jerks are similar regardless of their station in life?
After every prisoner was captured, they all asked, “Don’t you know who I am?” Director Kim seemed to be asking the audience to ask that question of themselves as well. “I was just following orders” or even “I was doing it for the greater good” were the common answers given during the torture sessions. How many of the world’s evils have been built on those two concepts? What danger could a school girl be to society that she was brutally murdered?
The film was shot in two weeks and it looked flat and gray at times. The sound could be abysmally bad. Having seen Kim's 3-Iron which had almost no dialogue, the heavy-handed and stilted dialogue in this film was a disappointment. For those who would be bothered, there was a long sexual encounter that started with violence. Each “victim's” torture session was different, some of the methods were more gruesome than others. There were annoying lapses in logic on several occasions. Why would the school girl keep running down dark, empty alleys when there was a well-lit street with shops to dart into? Why didn’t the vigilantes have any security around their building? Despite their dangerous activities, they didn’t even lock the doors to their hideout. They were constantly followed and observed through windows yet never knew it.
Director Kim had plenty to say about human nature and its depravity. Good guys did bad things. A few of the bad guys regretted their actions. People were cruel and driven to be greedily selfish at all social levels. The utter lack of compassion for their fellow human beings went from the top to the bottom of the economic structure. Kim asked the question, “Who am I?” Perhaps more importantly, “What am I?" One on One was frustratingly inconclusive regarding answers and had an overtly pessimistic view of humanity.
11 July 2024
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Dr Storks protect and assist the miracles
Dr Storks followed the trials, joys, and frustrations of the medical personnel in the labor and delivery portion of a hospital as well as those in the NICU. Dr. Konotori worked to help mothers share the gift of life during the miracle of birth. Pregnancy is not an illness but as the drama showed, it is not without risks. The doctors and midwives fought alongside the parents and newborn infants as they dug deep to find their courage to succeed and survive.The main OB/Gyns were Drs. Konotori and Shinomiya, both devoted to their patients but as different as night and day. Friendly and talkative Konotori was willing to risk a mother’s life to save her uterus while harsh speaking and quiet Dr. Shinomiya was ready to perform a hysterectomy at the drop of a hat. Made for an interesting balance. For anyone wanting to watch the drama for Hoshino Gen, he was only in each episode for a few minutes. This was Ayano Go’s starring role and he made the most of it. I thoroughly enjoyed his piano performances in disguise as the pianist "Baby". Some doctors had character growth and others broke down. In my country the majority of OB/Gyns are women so it was odd seeing the majority of doctors as male. The female doctors weren’t very well represented. One female doctor was easily excitable and distracted while the other was a walking burnout. Both came across as fragile. The doctor I would want in my corner was the older NICU doc. He saw the big picture and was steady emotionally.
Each episode had different medical crises and subjects---teen pregnancy, adoption, abortion, Rubella, birth defects, maternal and infant deaths, IVF, smoking, preservation of the uterus, midwives, pregnancy and sexual discrimination, as well as discrimination against single parents and working women with children, postpartum depression, and more—whew! A few of the topics came across as strange to me. Adoption seemed to be a new concept and there were misconceptions about the availability of pregnancy care in Hawaii. Members of the staff also had very callous attitudes toward certain patients which seemed the opposite of how they should have approached patient care. The gut-wrenching stories involved parents and spouses faced with traumatic decisions that no one would ever want to make. Some parents handled bad news better than others. As in real life, there were parents who would do whatever was needed for their baby and others who wouldn’t visit a child fighting for its life. A few of the topics were handled with the subtlety of an afternoon school special while others were quite well done. I hate to admit that I became teary during two or three of the stories. It wasn't all tears, there were lovely heartwarming stories as well.
The cinematography and lighting were rudimentary and could be distracting. At times the music blared over the dialogue which was also distracting. What Dr. Storks had going for it were the compelling stories of life, death, and the medical personnel who fought for happy healthy outcomes for everyone even when it wasn’t possible. The doctors realized they were often powerless and that “things don’t always go as planned,” but that didn’t stop them from giving their all to the women and tiny lives entrusted to them.
4 Jan 2024
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This review may contain spoilers
"Pleased to eat you!"
If you decide to watch The Meg because of the tagline, "Pleased to eat you!" you probably already know to check your brain at the door because you are about to be swamped with clichéd characters and plot and ridiculous pseudo-science. Most of the CGI and cinematography were quality which helped when the dialogue tried to drown the fun of a massive Megalodon or two set loose from the Mariana Trench!Starring Jason Statham, you know he's going to have to go mano y pectoral fin with the giant 90ft/27m shark at some point in time. Jonas is the lone diver who can attempt a rescue at over 11,000ft/3300m depth and he's off in Thailand drinking his sorrows away. He'd attempted a rescue five years earlier of a sub trapped in the Trench and had to abandon some of his men when the sub was attacked by a giant creature. Even though he saved numerous lives he was branded as having had a psychological breakdown for the story he told. When his ex-wife and crew become stranded at the bottom of the Trench, an old teammate comes calling to talk him into rescuing her.
The characters were stock characters, shallow with little personality. Li Bing Bing was weighed down in the Stereotypical Headstrong Female Scientist role who thought Statham's Jonas was crazy and treated him as such until she was rescued by him numerous times as he snatched her out of the jaws of death. She had a Wise Beyond Her Years Daughter who helped to lead the two divorced people to a romance. The rest of the crew included the Egotistical Billionaire, Tough Chick, Black Guy Who Can't Swim (really?!?), Scientist Bestie, Jerk Doctor, Dad With a Target On His Back, and a couple of other scientists. Honestly, with the exception of a couple of characters, none of them were developed enough to make me care whether they lived or became chum. One of the early deaths was actually emotional and done well, after that it was bring on the shark!
The science was particularly awful without any conception of the forces at work on submersibles and the people in them at the deepest depths of the ocean. And one scene that was supposed to be frightening had me laughing until I could barely breathe. Seriously, that little boat they used was tough if they could lasso a megalodon using it! Also, every time the script called for Statham to have to dive into the water to face the big fish to show his courage was hilarious.
If you watch this movie, you need to know that there aren't any award-winning performances, in fact, some are particularly bad. The science is dreadful. The dialogue can be cringe-worthy. When numerous people are threatened the stakes don't feel very high because we don't know anyone, even the people from the main crew who fall into the water every five minutes. If you can set all that aside, it is a fun movie with the ginormous sharks seeking to turn back the clock about 10 million years when they ruled the oceans.
9/13/23
Edit--I bumped the score up .5 because I enjoyed it more than the sequel although the sequel had better acting. This one had me laughing more.
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This was almost non-stop Kaiju battles as monsters from the previous 50 years showed up to do battle with Godzilla, including the abomination from the US Godzilla (1998). A who’s who of monsters from the Godzillaverse---Hedorah, Rodan, Kamacuras, King Ghidorah, Manda, the aforementioned Zilla and many others. Mothra even showed up to bat clean-up with Gigan.
There was a lot to love in this movie. The humans were the most interesting of any of the Godzilla movies I’ve watched. It had aliens and mutant humans and futuristic weapons. Kitamura Kazuki as a bad alien with even badder guyliner was over the top. He looked like he was having as much fun making the movie as I had watching it. Don’t expect Oscar worthy performances, it’s not that kind of movie.
How could I not love a Godzilla movie that included my second favorite niche genre-kung fu in it?
Yes, the story could be a bit of a mess, but was easy to follow. The director unashamedly included a lot of the science fiction fads from previous years, the Matrix, Star Wars, Independence Day, Alien, and Jules Verne, among others. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. No doubt there were moments of pure cheese. They also must have spent most of their money on the monsters, sets, and CGI because the music sounded like some guy hitting random notes on a synthesizer. The non-stop action from beginning to end could be draining and there were times when Godzilla was absent during a lot of the action with other monsters and the aliens. However, when Godzilla did appear, he showed why he was a force to be reckoned with.
Godzilla: Final Wars features guys in rubber suits and miniaturized cities and vehicles, just as the Godzilla Genie intended them to be from this era. On Godzilla’s 50th anniversary and retirement, it was appropriate. Final Wars was a monster mash that was fun and entertaining from beginning to end.
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Famously known as the film Alexander Fu Sheng died while filming, in a car accident off set. The script had to be re-worked leaving him out of the final fight scenes.
The themes of loyalty, family, honor and betrayal are woven throughout the movie. Out of seven sons, only two survived a betrayal by a family friend and ambush. One was driven mad and the other hid in a Buddhist temple and refined his pole fighting skills. The mood is bleak and dark throughout the film as the surviving family members seek justice and revenge.
I look forward to movies directed and choreographed by Lau Kar Leung. His fights are always fast and creative. Brutal, too. Gordon Liu is a gifted fighter and with every film of his I see I am more and more impressed. The pole sparring session between Liu and Phillip Ko Fei is not to be missed. Not to be outdone, Kara Hui shines as the sister who has to fight through her own ambushes and entrapment on her way to find her brother. The final fight is a bit gruesome as the monks practice their non-lethal moves that extract an opponent’s teeth. The action is almost non-stop from the opening credits to the end.
The story didn’t move me as much as I hoped it would. The fight scenes were, however, spectacular and worth watching this movie for.
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"Everyone has a trigger"
What is the trigger for a person that will cause them to throw away their future for a moment of vengeance wrapped in the cloak of justice? What is the tipping point for a society lured into self-destruction? Trigger challenges the angel on a person’s shoulder to do the hard thing even as the devil on their other whispers for them to do the thing that will feel good in the moment.Due to his violent military past, Officer Lee Do has given up on guns and only carries a taser when on patrol. He seeks to show compassion to victims and enforce the law with criminals. South Korea’s stringent gun and ammo laws are suddenly being flouted by everyday citizens as well as criminals leading to numerous deaths and causing panic to incur in society. Do is determined to discover the source of the weapons and the plans of the dealers before Korea falls headlong into gun culture.
Trigger asked pertinent questions and addressed timely problems. While there were criminal elements getting their hands on guns, the more sinister elements involved the stressed-out citizenry clandestinely led down the path to their own annihilation. Bullied children and adults, the daily slings and arrows of casual cruelty, mental illness, and corporate greed and corruption drove people to their trigger points. When there was no recompense, no justice, no recourse for the downtrodden, desperate people with little to lose turned to vigilante justice with a gun. Trigger asked the audience to contemplate whether guns made people safer or less safe.
The production values were high and the story kept a stringent pace. That’s not to say you won’t have to suspend disbelief on occasion. I was relieved a drama finally showed the drawback to the first bullet in an officer’s gun being a blank. Most of the acting was excellent. Kim Nam Gil can always be counted on for a strong performance. I prefer him with facial hair and a devil-may-care grin, but we all have to suffer for his art at times. Kim Won Hae gave a nicely balanced performance as Do’s supervisor and father figure. He was utterly heartbreaking in one scene. Kil Hae Yeon played another distraught and vengeful mother, knowing how to hit all the emotional beats. I quite liked the music as it was neither intrusive nor overly wrought. My biggest complaint was the lighting and makeup that showed every pore on people’s faces and often the theatrical makeup itself.
Lessons I learned: 1) Always check your horoscope. 2) When holding a gun on a person, never stand too close. 3) Never bring a boxcutter to a gun fight. 4) It pays to know who your employees are. 5) A sincere apology could save your life. 6) “You can’t justify your actions with some sort of grade school philosophy.” You can, but it might not work out so well.
Guns are like cockroaches. Once a home is infested you are never going to get rid of them even if you burn the place to the ground. When trust is lost and people live in a state of fear, they are capable of abhorrent actions. And at least in Dramaland, if reminded of their humanity and shown compassion, people in a broken and suffering world can choose a path to a brighter future. I found Trigger entertaining, though it did bog down near the end. I only hope these forms of entertainment can help societies make choices that result in their children never having to practice active shooter drills at school.
25 July 2025
Trigger warnings: Numerous shooting deaths even of children. Because when guns are plentiful, the most vulnerable all too often fall victim.
Several comely nekkid buns at a gangster sauna.
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Sengoku Gunto Den Dai Nibu: Akatsuki no Zenshin
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"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
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"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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Tange Sazen Kenfu! Hyakuman Ryo no Tsubo
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"See you never!"
Tange Sazen: The Million Pot Ryo is a famous tale. My first encounter with it was from the 1935 film with a similar title. While the 1935 film took a lighthearted approach, 1982’s was much grittier. Not an unexpected turn from director Gosha Hideo and star Nakadai Tatsuya.The “Shadow Shogun,” Gurako, convinces the shogun to have the Yagyu clan pay for the temple’s restoration. A sum of money designed to bankrupt them. Not to worry, the oldest Yagyu member of the clan knows of a treasure kept secret for emergencies, hidden within a vessel in the family vault. What he doesn’t know is that the walls have ears and now more than one interested party heads to find the vessel. When an orphan boy becomes embroiled in the mad chase, a one-eyed, one-armed ronin becomes involved…a problem for everyone seeking the fortune.
Tange Sazen had been unbeatable before the loss of his limb and eye. Even now, no one truly stands a chance against him. As cunning as he is skilled, Sazen manages to resolve the myriad of problems the treasure creates, though not how everyone else might want them solved. At 50-years-old, Nakadai still made for a compelling and fierce warrior. This Sazen was cynical, having been betrayed and maimed by people he trusted. Despite his missing arm and eye driving him back to his samurai life, he was still comfortable among thieves and prostitutes. The thieves Yokichi and Ofuji went from being adversaries to allies.
This made for television movie may not have been the highest quality project either Gosha or Nakadai worked on, but it was above average in entertainment as the different factions killed each other off in search for the treasure with Sazen always one step ahead or into his cups. Whatever he was up to, Nakadai’s Tange Sazen was fascinating to watch and worth a look at this older tv film.
17 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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"One man alone can't fight injustice"
Don Wong, John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee all harbor secrets and are deadly Secret Rivals. This was a Hong Kong movie filmed in the RoK and used a number of Korean stuntmen and actors. The scenery was all in Korea as well.John and Don wander into the Prince’s city with different reasons for being there. The Prince is having a contest to hire the best fighter for his bodyguard. The fights are to the death. What the fighters don’t know is that the Prince and the Silver Fox stole a shipment of gold three years ago from the Chinese. They hope to pin the theft and a murder on the new bodyguard. Both John and Don fall for the lovely Ching Chin Chin who is the daughter of the inn’s owner.
The story was thin and the camera work not so great. What was good? If Hwang Jang Lee, Don Wong and John Liu are in a film there will be plenty of high-flying kicks which rarely used wires or undercranking. The Silver Fox had two of the best legs in the business. I didn’t really care much about the story, HJL flying without the use of wires, kicking high, hooking, and twisting, is always fun to watch. Of course, the stuntmen were called upon to do a few flips and somersaults here and there but the fights were largely au naturale.
The film was badly faded with white pock marks and green streaks. The only copy I could find was dubbed in English with grainy tin can sound. It’s the same guy who does all the male voice with a female actor doing all the women’s voices. No subtitles available. I tried to not let any of these things affect my review…too much.
If you like old kung fu flicks with creative kicks, this is one to try. Graded on a curve. Really missed HJL’s mom hair and 70’s stache.
8 March 2026
Trigger warnings: Lots of bodies, but no spewing blood
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"It was a mad flood of frustration storming toward an outlet"
Watching “A Legend or Was It?” aka “Legend of a Duel to the Death” was the emotional equivalent of being dragged over railroad ties by a runaway train. Only eighty-three minutes long, every second rumbled with the pain of injustice, corruption, and mindless mob mentality. A thinly veiled criticism of Japan’s wartime atrocities and the mindset that led to it, this film was not for the faint of heart.The Sonobe family from Tokyo has been evacuated to a small northern village during the summer of 1945. The father and one son are MIA. The eldest, Hideyuki, has been medically released from military service. His sister Kieko is engaged to the mayor’s son, Goichi. When Hideyuki sees Goichi he recognizes him as the soldier he saw killing and raping Chinese women. No way was he going to let his sister marry the monster. Offended at the rejection, Goichi and his father begin framing the Sonobes for stealing and vandalism. The villagers already resent the outsiders and find it easy to blame them for any crime, indeed the failure of the military to succeed as well! When Goichi determines to re-enact his military crimes, the resulting actions cause the simmering village to explode.
The opening prologue was filmed in color displaying a beautiful mountainous area with friendly people laughing and helping each other out. In minutes, the color drained away and the narrator foretold, “Not a single person talks about what happened…these mountains still glow red under sunset clouds…Their souls feel quiet over the nightmares of bygone days.” Tragedy was creeping toward the Sonome family for no other reason than they were outsiders. That and the Takamori family ruled over the village like dictatorial medieval samurai lords. One did not tell them “no.” As events spiraled out of control, a gun wielding mob was enflamed by Takamori who burned down the rule of law and all reason.
The villagers had not had access to true war news and were fed what the government decided so when they heard how close Japan was to losing the war they were devastated. All the sacrifices in money, food, and sons, had been for nothing. Frustration, fear, and deep-rooted anger needed an outlet and more importantly…someone to blame. The alien Sonobe family was the perfect scapegoat for their hopelessness. “…the Japanese people woke up from the nightmare…They swore silence to their souls and would not speak of it.” Rather than justice or introspection, the villagers’ peace had been built on the blood of the innocent. All they had to do was shove the harsh truths down and pretend nothing happened. “One day, it will be told as a legend of a mountain demon.” After all, they were incapable of rape and murder and senseless actions. I’d say the film overexaggerated the mob mentality, but I’ve lived too long and know how it can crop up anywhere when sacrificial offerings are needed to calm the demons of fear and greed. Don’t think, don’t ask questions, just grab your weapon and kill the other. “A Legend or Was It?” was 83 tension filled minutes that were about as comfortable as a hair shirt, but also an important lesson. The loss of justice, reason, and compassion can cause people to carry out heinous actions against not only ‘the other’ but their own neighbors as well.
26 February 2026
Trigger warnings: Sexual assault, though nothing too graphic was shown.
Musical note: The film made use of a mouth harp during especially tense moments and it was quite effective.
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