At Foggy Mountain, All Roads Lead to Martial Arts Mayhem

@wellgousa release of Foggy Mountain #FoggyMountain might go unnoticed by some, but if you’re looking for a #martialarts film from Vietnam, this one has some good action. One just has to wait for the end.

Foggy Mountain Movie PosterAvailable to stream on Hi-Yah

In the ring, Phi (Peter Pham) is a tough as nails MMA fighter, and he needs money. There’s a procedure that can correct his wife’s vision (she’s going blind) and it doesn’t come cheap. At first I thought Foggy Mountain might be a metaphor for her problems, but instead, it’s something else. In this film’s case, it means that this fighter must either making a deal with the devil, Ba Rau (Kim Long Thach), a rather nasty crime lord, or seek help elsewhere. Thankfully he’s smart in not to accept, but it comes at a price, and thus begins a story of revenge as he searches for his lair located out in the boondoggles.

The concept is fairly standard, and after the setup to motivate Pham to search the rural countryside of Vietnam to hunt down this piece of work and his minions. The bits of action fans want to see are good. However, to get to that point means wading through a story that suffers from pacing issues.

I was not all that invested until the hero finds that this criminal is also running a slave trafficking operation. I wasn’t quite as initially invested at first, but once when directors Phan Anh and Ken Dinh up the ante, by involving the loss of innocence with the kids getting run over, shot at, and et cetera, the viewer in me wants to see these bad guys go down.

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Look, Up in the Air, It’s a Flying Swordsman Coming to Home Video This Week!

Ultimately, The Flying Swordsman plays out like a video game on steroids, and those familiar with Bushido Blade may see similarities.

The Flying Swordsman DVD
Available to pre-order on Amazon USA

Well GO USA
Release Date: Jan 9, 2024

Hidden in some secret valley are untold riches, and for The Flying Swordsman (雪山飞狐之塞北宝藏 / The Hidden Fox) to find it, he will have to defeat other treasure seekers for it! They’re all after this pirate’s bounty, as I like to call it, but for Hu Yidao (Ben Ngai-Cheung Ng) who is the sacred guardian of an iron box that contains the key to finding this place, he won’t give up those secrets easily!

Emperor Tian Guinong (Gang Wang) wants it and even tries to trick this master into giving it up. However, the people he sends die, and time passes where its legend only grows. This setup is rather mighty, because without a knowledge of this history, this film feels like every other wuxia style motion picture I’ve seen. What’s different about this work is a storytelling technique rarely used. Lots of flashbacks reveal what was, as Tao Baisui (Ray Lui) embarks on the same quest. As for what’s presented, it’s a very stylish martial arts film where the heroes and villains are very much involved in a game of hunting each other down!

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It’s all Hi-Yah High Stakes Action with Unboxing Shaw Brothers Classics Volume 4!

There’s lots to unpack and unravel in this latest release from Shout! Studios for fans of Wuxia style cinema. We look at what’s included in Shaw Brothers Classics Volume 4!

Shaw Brothers Classics Volume 4 Box
Available to order through Amazon USA

Over winter break, I received a lot of packages from the PR firms representing of various studios, and a few direct from the distributors themselves. As the past unboxing videos have revealed, there was a lot for me to go through! Over Boxing Day, I did the opposite and posted my unboxing video of Shaw Brothers Classics Volume 4 from Shout! Studios (formerly Shout! Factory).

There will be a follow-up written piece to go into greater detail on the new featurettes that’s been made exclusively for this set. There’s certainly a lot to unpack, and to give this set its fair diligence, I’d rather not speed through the content since it goes into academic detail. Also, there’s a lot of reflection from those folks who worked for this studio to digest too!

For those curious in what the past volumes are like, my review can be here by following through with this link.

When Owning Megasets Are A Must; Presenting Our 2023 Holiday Home Video Gift Guide

Sometimes, gifting that pop culture enthusiast in the family is tough, and we got our top new release picks (from this year) on what to give that person!

Godzilla Christmas Tree and Holiday Home Video Gift GuideAnyone searching for a holiday home video gift guide of the godzilla sized home box sets of beloved franchises released this year are in luck! In this year’s edition on what to give that nerd in the family, what I offer is a list of works which I think are must own over others. Most of these major releases are available to purchase now.

There’s only two which will be out very soon, so they should arrive in time for the holiday. What’s offered looks amazing for genre fans and although a few of them are repackaged material, that’s okay since I’m considering anniversary releases too.

To note, each entry is separated out into its own page (please scroll further down to find the next page markers). Presented in alphabetical order are:

ALF- The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition)
Available to order on Amazon

ALF: The Complete Series (Deluxe Edition) + Bundle

Love him or hate him, Alf was part of 80s pop culture!

Everyone’s favourite wise-cracking alien from Melmac, Gordon Shumway — better known to Earthlings as ALF crash-lands onto DVD in this definitive 24-disc collection. The collection includes every episode of this interstellar hit series, restored to their original broadcast length for the first time in 30 years. It also includes the 1996 film Project: ALF starring Martin Sheen, and all 47 episodes of Saturday morning’s ALF: The Animated Series and ALF Tales! Never has a collection been so out of this world!

This ShoutFactory.com Exclusive includes the NEW DVD release of ALF, an exclusive 18” x 24” rolled poster featuring new artwork, a retro prism sticker, a 7″ vinyl, an enamel pin set, a lunch box, and an authentic Melmac rock.

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When Sniper: G.R.I.T., Global Response and Intelligence Team is About Fighting for Freedom Over Land and Air…

Only fans of G.I. Jooe need to apply here, to become a member of Sniper: G.R.I.T., Global Response and Intelligence Team.

Sniper G.R.I.T. Global Response and Intelligence Team
Available to purchase or stream on Amazon USA

An introduction is needed to welcome newcomers to the Sniper franchise and who Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger) is. He is a Master Gunnery Sergeant and throughout the many films released since the 1993 original, he’s rising up the ranks. In Sniper: G.R.I.T., Global Response and Intelligence Team, he’s ready to join a new team to take on terrorists all over the world, and that also includes a religious zealot who kind of reminds me of a certain someone in a cartoon.

To be fair, I had to catch up to find out what has happened since the first film. After the one theatrical release, I didn’t realise there were many more direct to video releases. Thankfully to play catchup is easy; they are now available to stream online on platforms like Google Play, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

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Jackie Chan’s Ride On, Back in the Saddle Again

For anyone who missed this gem in the theatres, Jackie Chan’s Ride On is now available on home video!

Ride On Blu Ray with Jackie ChanWell GO USA
Available to order on Amazon

Out of all the films Jackie Chan has appeared in this decade, Ride On is simply the best! It’s a very heartwarming family style film that will certainly tug at the heartstrings, and for horse lovers, to learn about everything that went on during production to keep Red Hare safe will have many smiling.

Usually those disclaimers regarding animal handling are added at the end credits without some added thought. And to observe what was done to ensure safety will have some admire this film even more. Some of that discourse from this movie regarding safety versus getting in harm’s way is discussed, and to see how it’s handled is simply amazing. The credit really goes to the CGI experts who remove the trainers in green screen tights during filming. Sometimes, the cinematic background gets very busy, so to find the balance between editing and digitally removing requires careful syncing so nothing is hidden with motion blur.

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