Videoasia Martial Arts Essentials vol 4

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I saw this at Best Buy today, looked at the titles listed on the back, and The Close Encounter of Vampire is on there. I have always wanted to see this, so I picked it up right away. The picture quality is bad but watchable. It's not really bad, just full screen and faded, and the subtitles run off the edges of the screen, though not enough so that I couldn't follow the movie. Just as the movie introduces Yuen Shun Yi's character, the VHS they used to record it on DVD dies. But then the movie starts over again:o Luckily there's no problems this time and it plays fine all the way through. I had a lot of fun watching this. I don't think it can be considered a great movie by any means, but I always enjoy seeing little kids fight, and one kid is smoking a joint!?! And the vampire stuff is good. Funny and kind of scary at the same time. And nice to see Chris Yen among the cast, along with Leung Kar Yan, Yuen Cheung Yan and Yuen Yat Cho (just a cameo from him). Not much fighting in this movie, just good old Chinese vampire fun.

[Drunken Monk]

What other movies are included?

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Not much of interest, at least to me since I already have all of these-

Bloody fists- full screen

Shaolin Drunkard- full

From China With Death- full

Dynamo- full

Snuff Bottle Connecion- wide, pretty good pic quality. a million times better than the GZ version.

[Iron Palm]

Worth buying if I haven't seen those titles?

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Definitely. Shaolin Drunkard is TONS of fun. Worth getting for that alone. I'm not a big fan of Snuff Bottle (though that snake hawk style is sweet), but it's nice to have a good version. Dynamo I don't like much, but I think that most people consider it a good movie. Bloody Fists is good old basher action, but if you like the movie then the Crash version is the one to get. And I haven't seen From China with Death in years, but I remember it being horrible.

[Iron Palm]

Thanks Morgoth! I just realized you're the same Morgoth on Amazon. Great job on reviews...even before I joined this site the Amazon reviews helped me out.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Thanks. I'm glad you like them

[inframan]

That's funny I was just on Amazon yesterday and I noticed these DVD's were out but I was dissapointed to see there was no Morgoth review yet. Always happy to have your input:)

They actully released the DVD whith the VHS tape starting over? that is sad, but kind of funny too.

[shukocarl]

From China With Death is NOT horrible, it's a cracking little basher (Yu Young, Wu Ma & Shek Kin as the villain) with a clever plot some nice comedic moments and some great basher-fu. I've championed this film for years now....try it..you'll like it!

[ironfistedmonk]

Yep From China With Death aka Wits to Wits is a great basher, one of my favourites, and Snuff Bottle is a great film too, don't listen to Morgoth, he doesn't know what he's talking about ;)

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Oh come on, Wu Ma as a lead actor in a fighting role and it's good? I guess I will have to revisit it.