Review Rage and Honor II: Hostile Takeover (1993): I expected better, but it was still decent!

genre: action, martial arts, crime

Films like these usually know what they are and don't waste time with character development and plot. Like right within the first few minutes we are thrown into an action sequence where Cynthia Rothrock is kicking ass. Then not long after, we get to see Richard Norton doing the same, and I was overjoyed.

Then the plot kicks in and it because all levels of convoluted where the action takes a backseat. I don't want to be mean, Norton can have range, but Rothrock certainly doesn't and frankly that is not why we watch them. We want the duo to kick ass and nothing more. It's also a mystery why it takes the film almost an hour to put the leads together. You can clearly see an improvement when they are. Rothrock needs someone like Norton to create some friendly banter which is fun for the audience.

Then there is another important actor who I found a bit annoying and wasn't really sure of what this character was doing. Then that gets revealed and it makes more sense. I have to admit that I didn't see it coming. But not because it was so clever. More because I wasn't really invested in the story. The main villain, played by Frans Tumbuan as Buntao doesn't get that much to do, but I wished they allowed him, because he is one of the few who seems to understand how to ham it up.

In the last twenty minutes, we get some decent fights that definitely made it worth it while for me. Overall, I expected a little more, but I did have a decent viewing experience!

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Review Street Knight (1993): Awful!

genre: action, martial arts, crime

The Perfect Weapon is a martial arts classic. It introduced us to a new action hero, named Jeff Speakman. Naturally, I was curious about the other films he has made. Unfortunately, none of them have the same quality as The Perfect Weapon. I had hope Street Knight would be close. But no, maybe one fight was cool. Everything else sucked!

Street Knight is a film that tries to be dead serious. But it fails to do so because of the way it is executed. In essence, the film is about a certain group of criminals who want to start a war between two gangs. So that the police will be distracted, and they can go their merry way and rob the banks they want. The gang leaders are portrayed as idiots. And while I gladly want to believe that this is truth, of course that is not the case. Enter Jake Barret, played by Jeff Speakman, an ex-cop, who gets called upon to take action. He gets into the middle of this and finds out who is behind it all and is determined to put a stop to them. 

While the above might sound exciting, it really is the opposite. Jake Barett, doesn't come into action as much as I would have liked to. There are like 2 or 3 times, when the action is exciting. But for the rest, it's highly generic and boring. In the beginning, I even got exposed to Speakman's butt. I wasn't ready for that and was wondering why this was even a thing. It was so random. 

Overall, Street Knight fails to deliver on the goods. I didn't ask for much, but didn't even get what I wanted. And that is top-notch, kick-ass action.

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Review Invasion U.S.A. (1985): Ridiculous but awesome!

genre: action, adventure, thriller

I could have sworn I had written a review for this film already. Apparently, this is not the case! This title, is considered one of the best Chuck Norris titles ever made. And while it is heavily flawed, I have to agree with this notion.

It does take a bit for Invasion U.S.A. to properly kick into high gear. I guess the intention was to build up the tension, but in a film as ridiculous which you possibly can't take seriously, that is a foolish errand. Although, I am pretty sure, you are supposed to take the film seriously as this is one to scare the bejeezus out of you concerning Russians in the Cold War. Invasion U.S.A. is about a group of military Russians invading the U.S.A. and put the fear in god of the citizens and everybody in charge of the country. Naturally, they way it's done is highly unlikely and ridiculous, but there are some examples where one could think otherwise.

That being said, a country as large as the U.S.A. can't be conquered as depicted in the film. Why bother deploying soldiers when you can simply drop bombs? Sure, the US military would be able to counter that then again, by the time, fighter jets would have arrived, the damage would have already been done. I am pretty sure that enemy forces wouldn't be able to get far after targeting innocents. 

In any case, all of this is a setup for Chuck Norris to get into action and to kick Russian ass. It does take him a while to do that, but once he is up for it, he never lets down! And that is the biggest reason why this film is awesome! So do stick with the film, it does get better. I mean spectacle and action wise. Don't expect a good story and good performances. This is camp through and through!

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Review The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025): It's really good!

genre: comic book adaptation, science fiction, superhero, adventure, action

We finally got to watch this latest Marvel entry in the MCU. Not going to lie, my interest in the MCU has diminished a little. None of the films after Avengers: Endgame have been able to truly excite me. Maybe with the introduction of The Fantastic Four and the X-Men that will improve. We will have to see, won't we.

Please watch / listen to our thoughts in the videoreview!

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Review Nobody 2: Worth your time?

genre: action, comedy, crime, gunfu

The sequel to Nobody, featuring an unlikely hero, who kicked proper ass. Bob Odenkirk and co return to do even more so. While we had bigger expectations, we still had a lot of fun. And these days, that is very important!

This sequel is directed by Timo Tjahjanto. He has mostly done horror films but also some solid action flicks a la The Raid. Like The Shadow Strays, The Night Comes for Us. But let me point you towards his segments in the following films: V/H/S 2 and V/H/S/94. These segments are Safe Haven and The Subject. They are awesome!

Please watch / listen to our thoughts in the videoreview!

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Review V/H/S/94 (2021): Gives you all kinds of horror elements!

genre: found footage, horror

When you watch as many films as I do, it is very possible to have seen a film and not recall you had. This was definitely the case here. I remembered most of it, but for whatever reason, I never had written a review for this, which is strange, since I think it's superior to V/H/S Viral and on par with V/H/S 2. 

It does have some issues though. It starts with the main story and keeps jumping to new ones, but not without getting back to the main story. And one could argue whether that is done in a clever way. At times, it was, but sometimes it felt very random. Every time it happened, it took some effort on my part to adjust to it. The main story was too messy and chaotic for my taste. The SWAT team consists of members who aren't that likeable, yet it is asked of you to root for them since they have been thrown into an adventure of a lifetime. They are surrounded by death and bizarre things, yet rarely stop to think and discuss what to do about it. There is an explanation for it, but I thought it was lame!

The saving grace are the other segments / stories. I think this time all of them had some solid horror goodness to offer. And again the best is The Subject, from director Timo Tjahjanto, famous for Safe Haven in V/H/S 2 (Nobody 2, May the Devil Take You). It features almost all the horror tropes you can think of and then adds to it. This time, with less dread but more body horror. And that is fine. But like I said, all the segments offered something cool. But if I have to mention, something negative, pacing. The pacing for some of the segments are off. They do help generate tension and dread, but certain scenes could have been shorter without sacrificing the creepiness. 

Overall, this anthology film does a good job of giving you all kinds of horror elements, even if for the most part it consists of body horror. Definitely, one I can recommend for coming Halloween.

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Review Shaitaan (2024) and Maa (2025): Shaitaan is very good! Maa is decent but not scary!

genre: horror, thriller, devotional

Shaitaan is an adaptation of the 2023 Gujarati film Vash which also starred Bodiwala who reprises her role in this Hindi version. I read that they have changed the ending. While in general I am against it, in this case I think this was a good decision.

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Set in the same universe as Shaitaan, this part goes a different route. It's not bad, but it kind of demonstrates that Indian cinema has trouble going full horror. The few titles that have, always were good, so the talent and quality is there, obviously. But it's probably the film studios not understanding horror.

While I do appreciate the attempt of a shared universe, they do have to follow the line set in Shaitaan. And then I will completely be on board.

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Review Iron Angels 1-3 / Vinegar Syndrome Archive Collection / Standard Edition: The best it ever has looked!

genre: girls with guns, heroic bloodshed, gun fu, action, martial arts

Here are my thoughts on the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray release of Iron Angels 1-3. For the actual reviews, I would like to refer to my reviews on the films.

Review Iron Angels 1

Review Iron Angels 2

Review Iron Angels 3

When it comes to action, Hong Kong cinema is the best. Even today! But a lot of masterpieces haven't been preserved well. Thankfully, some titles have been able to get the proper releases they deserve. I am very happy to report, that the Iron Angels trilogy is one of them.

Disclaimer: The screenshots provided are pictures I have taken of my TV when playing the film on my 4K Blu-ray player. I still have to purchase one for my PC. But trust me when I say that the image quality is superb. The grain in the pictures is not that visible. Besides, I prefer grain over DNR.

It's a real joy to watch these films in this high quality. I will never understand why the filmmakers involved don't do their best to preserve films, especially if they are gems like these. What can I say about the sound? I think it's decent enough. But I am sure the audiophiles among us will have some complaints. Sometimes the soundtrack sounds muffled. Then again, for the most part, it sounds good enough. While I can appreciate the extras. I don't particularly care for them. Although, I do think they aren't nearly as much of them as there could have been. The trailer for Iron Angels for me is one of the most memorable. Why not include it?

Overall, since there has never been an official release of these films on Blu-ray, it's a no-brainer to buy this trilogy. While watching the first two films in the franchise, I found myself enjoying the quality so much, I fully rewatched them all. Mind you, I would watch all of these in the worst qualities, since I truly love this franchise. But, honestly, this is the best quality you can get at the moment. 

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Review V/H/S Viral (2014): Not that bad, just not scary!

genre: found footage, horror

The first two films in the franchise played around with conventions in a good way. This third part, went into the wrong direction.

Idea wise, there was enough there to deliver the horror goodness. Execution wise, it fails miserably. There is zero dread and zero tension. For most horror films, this is a basic requirement. How anybody could think that it's not necessary is beyond me. There is no coherency in this anthology.  While I understand, that this is a hard thing to push through, it is what made the first two films in the franchise succeed. Now, it's just a bunch of video clips tied together in an immensely faulty narrative.

I personally wouldn't have any problems with the coherency if the parts themselves would be creepy and scary. And they simply aren't. I found the whole viewing experience to be boring. I even paused to watch something on YouTube to distract myself. Then going back, didn't do anything for me.

Overall, a major downgrade from the previous two films in the franchise, although technically still sound.

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TOP 10 RECOMMENDATIONS FOUND FOOTAGE FILMS

Somebody on YouTube wasn't happy with the fact that I only had one good recommendation after I shared my opinion on House on Eden, which is one of the worst found footage films in existence. This inspired me to make this TOP 10. In the video, I explain why I think this is the case. You can also read the reviews for each film except Searching. I still have to do a review for that one!

Top 10:

1. One Cut of The Dead

2. Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum

3. The Visit

4. V/H/S

5. V/H/S/ 2

6. [Rec] (2007)

7. [Rec]² (2009)

8. As Above, So Below

9. Noroi a.k.a. Noroi The Curse

10. Searching

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