Dragon Video Advertisements [Archive]

mpm74

01-13-2009, 07:54 AM

Does anyone remember this video company that used to advertise in various Kung Fu/Karate Magazines in 80s?

They were a bootleg VHS mail order place that sold then-obscure Jackie Chan movies (as well as other martial arts films) for about $40 a pop.

To make a long story short, I'm looking for someone to scan some of their ads for me. I know it's a hassle, but I would REALLY appreciate it. Since I know one will have to go out of their way, I'll even be happy to put a few dollars in your pay pal account for your time.

I need them for an upcoming feature I'll be doing, and it won't be the same without these visuals.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff
cityonfire.com

venoms5

01-13-2009, 11:39 AM

Are you talking about the two page ads in Black Belt Magazine? If so, I have stacks of these. I can just send you a magazine with the ads in them. I just need to get to them as they are boxed up.

mpm74

01-13-2009, 05:53 PM

Yes, that is what I'm talking about. =)

venoms5

01-13-2009, 06:24 PM

Excellent. If you want, I can just send you a magazine with the ad. I think it would benefit you better than it would for me to scan it myself. I don't need any payment. I have enough of those magazines that missing one will not be a big deal, at least not for that sort of thing. I will try and dig one out tonight. I will PM you later if you're interested in taking the magazine.

V5

Chinatown Kid

01-13-2009, 09:11 PM

Yes I used to order tapes from this business run by George Tan which advertised in Black Belt and Karate International, I still have some Ocean shores originals I bought from him such as A Hard Way to Die and Kung Fu Excutioner. The OS's he sold were originals but everything else he sold were bootlegs. This was back before the internet when Kung fu movies were hard to find so i was willing to pay for way overpriced tapes. No way would I buy anything from his Video Asia company he owns these days(poor quality/bad pixilation) with the exception of Death By Misadventure, which I thought was a good doc on Lee's death.

mpm74

01-13-2009, 11:56 PM

Chinatown Kid, exactly. So, it's true, that was George Tan's company. I used to call those guys, and they were sorta A-holes!

venoms5, can you drop me an email at: fifbeat@hotmail.com

Thanks, man! I appreciate you help!

Chinatown Kid

01-14-2009, 12:01 AM

Yeah I know what you mean man, when I would call him on the phone to place an order Tan would act like he was doing you a favor by selling you his overpriced tapes instead of the other way around lol. He didn't have much of a personality.

dionbrother

01-14-2009, 12:37 AM

Here's all I remember George "Salavatore" Tan saying:

"Diamond clear quality. Sorry the tape was blank."

They sent out a lot of blank tapes.

venoms5

01-14-2009, 12:59 AM

I bought about a dozen of his Shaw tapes back then. I only ever heard from him twice. I called him once and he answered the phone. I asked about whether the films were uncut. Of course, he says yes, despite jumps in music when violence is onscreen and despite the colored backgrounds popping amazingly at the same exact moment where the "Edited for Television by Larry Bensky" title would appear.

The second time I heard from him was when I asked a question about FIVE MASTERS OF DEATH but never got a reply back about it. When I did some weeks later I wasn't interested any longer. I found another place that actually had the uncut Shaw movies (most of them).

mpm74, got your email. I'm digging through my magazine boxes now.

mpm74

01-14-2009, 08:33 AM

"Yeah I know what you mean man, when I would call him on the phone to place an order Tan would act like he was doing you a favor by selling you his overpriced tapes instead of the other way around lol. He didn't have much of a personality."

EXACTLY the way I felt. And from what I remember, he had a really heavy NY accent, right?

It's almost safe to assume that he would answer the phone like this: "Dragon Video. WTF do you want?" lol

venoms5: Thank you very much. Please don't go out of your way too much. Please email me as soon as you make word. I'll be more than happy to pay you for shipping. Let me know.

Tigerstyles

01-14-2009, 12:38 PM

i have met him and he is an arogant cockstink,

jiujitsu77

01-14-2009, 03:24 PM

cockstink!

hahaha. im using that one!

yeah tan seems kinda like a noodle armed choir boy if you ask me

mpm74

01-14-2009, 08:10 PM

Wonder how got all that rare bruce lee stuff. That guy has a collection of rare photographs you wouldn't believe.

What the hell is he doing now? Is he still working on his book "Tracking The Dragon"?

venoms5

01-14-2009, 08:36 PM

venoms5: Thank you very much. Please don't go out of your way too much. Please email me as soon as you make word. I'll be more than happy to pay you for shipping. Let me know.

I'm not going out of my way. I just needed to find the magazines. I have so many boxes of magazines they are not all at my home. I got a bit distressed last night thinking I had thrown them all away, but I have found them and I will go through them later and get back with you tomorrow for your address to send one of them to you. I don't need any money for shipping. A few dollars isn't important.;)

dionbrother

01-14-2009, 11:50 PM

He approached, purchased from, and possibly ripped off a number of people that nobody ever bothered to deal with before. Karate magazines always interviewed, Linda Lee, Dan Inosanto and the usual suspects, but Tanny actually went to Hong Kong and hung out with Chaplin Chang, film crew guys, rumored mistresses, etc. Rumor has it Concord Moon Productions (repping the Bruce estate and copyright) has prevented TRACKING THE DRAGON from being published. But I think Tan is just a disorganized twit.

Jesse Smooth

01-15-2009, 01:02 AM

Only now, Black Belt Magazine sells VideoAsia DVDs.

Chinatown Kid

01-15-2009, 01:11 AM

I think George wants people to think he is Chinese for some reason(which he is not). He changed his last name to Tan, he is a strange cat lol.

mpm74

01-15-2009, 07:02 AM

venoms5, thanks. =)

BTW, have you guys seen this before: http://www.cityonfire.com/unknown/interviews/gt/index.htm

jiujitsu77

01-15-2009, 07:33 PM

im listening to his commentary with ron van clief for the black dragon

i kinda get the impression that Tan has alot of disgust for the way martial arts have evolved. he made some references to some modern day practices that i found a little "biased" to say the least. i think he should just stick to critiquing film

RVC however....bad dude...all the way...and a class act

dionbrother

01-15-2009, 10:02 PM

I highly enjoy the Tan/RVC commentaries. Mainly because Ron is so damn honest.

jiujitsu77

01-16-2009, 03:02 AM

what are his other commentaries? are they on any region 1 discs?

dionbrother

01-16-2009, 05:04 PM

There's a Ron Van Clief double feature from BCI/EClipse with two fantastic Tan/Vam Clief commentaries. I rented the Vidasia BRUCE LEE THE MAN, THE MYTH and it had an interesting George Tan commentary with Joe Lewis and somebody else I can't recall. When it comes to Bruce Lee, Tan does know his stuff. But I wouldn't trust him with your wooden nickel.

mpm74

01-16-2009, 06:04 PM

Does George Tan's videoasia have a website?

dionbrother

01-16-2009, 11:11 PM

They did have a Myspace, oddly.

jiujitsu77

01-17-2009, 04:50 AM

yes a myspace that never seemed to add any new info despite all the "teaser" advertisements. when the hell are these books coming out?

yeah i know the dude knows his stuff, especially bout bruce. however with "the man the myth" commentary, it was very hard to hear with all the phone in conversations

shaolin drunkard

01-17-2009, 04:59 AM

hehe I remember seeing these in black belt..they at least advertised secret rivals and I was drooling how they hell I can see that(no multi-vhs shit and poor family).took me actually loooooooooooong time to see it.those were adds with 2 pages.

mpm74

01-17-2009, 08:20 AM

shaolin drunkard

01-17-2009, 08:34 AM

Eh, seems everything George Tan is involved in is sketchy. Too bad, because with his knowledge, he could pump out some good stuff.

Seems like all these "Bruce Lee experts" are a bunch of pricks. None of them are normal.
some eastern heroes mag has article its editor visited george tans home and said tan has waxprint(sorry dunno correct english word and now too lazy to dig out mag,will do later)of bruces face..sick stuff...XD
if some bruce lee expert really owns full lenght version of big boss he should share it.

mpm74

01-17-2009, 07:43 PM

Hmm... a wax print? Did he steal it from Dean Jagger? =)

Wax!

Chinatown Kid

01-17-2009, 11:19 PM

I think the word SD is looking for is wax "bust". I was reading in that link you posted mpm74 with Tan and he was talking about training in boxing, from that pic of him at the top of the page he sure doesn't look like he's been anywhere near a boxing ring and looks to weigh about 90 pounds but who knows he may be one bad little mofo, he also claims on the web page to have trained in TKD and also JKD with guys like Poteet and John Ladaski.

GungFu

01-17-2009, 11:55 PM

Anyone have a link to the web pages and pictures you guy are talking about?

mpm74

01-19-2009, 05:42 AM

Link to what pictures? Dragon Video or various George Tan photos?

GungFu

01-19-2009, 10:34 AM

I meant url to that myspace (if it still exists) and the picture of tan that Chinatown Kid mentioned.

Chinatown Kid

01-19-2009, 11:42 AM

venoms5, thanks. =)

BTW, have you guys seen this before: http://www.cityonfire.com/unknown/interviews/gt/index.htm

Click on the above link in blue writing to see the pic of Tan and him discussing his MA training and Bruce Lee.

dionbrother

01-19-2009, 04:06 PM

Just because you train in various arts, doesn't mean you are actually any good. I've met people who claimed to have trained in Jeet Kune Do, and believe me, they looked like they'd be winded jogging their memory.

Chinatown Kid

01-19-2009, 04:36 PM

jiujitsu77

01-19-2009, 04:42 PM

im tending to agree with dion.....and i don't think this fellow has a firm grasp on "reality"based arts either

Markgway

01-20-2009, 04:59 AM

I think George wants people to think he is Chinese for some reason(which he is not). He changed his last name to Tan, he is a strange cat lol.

Lol, that's sad. :p

BTW: I'm changing my name to Mark McChan.

Markgway

01-20-2009, 05:02 AM

Hmm... a wax print? Did he steal it from Dean Jagger? =)

Wax!

Lol... the funniest bit in GOD (and that's saying something).

mpm74

01-20-2009, 08:18 AM

I was always wondering about that! Why does this latin-lookin dude have TAN as a last name? Like most Bruce Lee maniacs, this guy HAS problems.

(I'm a bruce maniac myself, but thankfully, I'm 1/2 normal!)

dionbrother

01-20-2009, 02:28 PM

Tan is not his real name. It's an abbreviation of his real greek or italian name, I believe.

KUNG FU BOB

01-20-2009, 03:48 PM

[QUOTE=Chinatown Kid;79753]I think the word SD is looking for is wax "bust". QUOTE]

I actually bought one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BRUCE-LEE-Life-Mask-RARE-KATO-TEST-CAST_W0QQitemZ190256709829QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

I wouldn't consider myself "freakishly obsessed" with Bruce or anything, but I'm a big fan. And I thought this was cool. It's from a really old cast though, so it's low on detail. But still a neat little collector's item.

teako170

01-20-2009, 04:02 PM

Lol, that's sad. :p

BTW: I'm changing my name to Mark McChan.

Reminds me of ...

2YuilLVEULA

KUNG FU BOB

01-20-2009, 04:28 PM

"Did you think I was Chinese?" XD Classic!

Chinatown Kid

01-20-2009, 04:58 PM

hee hee I guess I could change my name to charles chang and you could be bob bangkok......:D

KUNG FU BOB

01-20-2009, 05:06 PM

hee hee I guess I could change my name to charles chang and you could be bob bangkok......:D

:o (In a whiny voice) But I don't want to be Bob Bangkok...

How about Bobby Hung? That works for me! XD

Chinatown Kid

01-20-2009, 05:43 PM

lol I hear ya porn star

Li Ho

01-22-2009, 08:16 PM

DAMN! I remember Dragon Video.I bought about 5 or 6 tapes in late '80s early '90s.As I remember correctly, it took (no joke) around 6 months to get my movies.We're only talking about 2 movies at a time.You would think the mailman was walking from NY, I remember calling the company to ask about my order and every damn time it was the answering machine.I told my son about this company the other day and he just gawked at me when I told him how long it took and how much they were.I told him now its soooooo easy to get your favorite movies and at about half the price.(Sigh)the things I did for my love of KungFu movies.

mpm74

01-23-2009, 07:16 AM

Hmm. For me, it would only take about a week for 1 tape (sometimes I ordered 2nd Day UPS Air). But I never had to wait too long.

venoms5

01-23-2009, 06:19 PM

I always did COD and it only took two days.

mpm74

01-23-2009, 07:32 PM

Does COD even exist these days?

newgen2005

01-25-2009, 06:27 PM

Was this guy George Tan involved with Chris Alexis of Shaolin Video? does anyone have any pictures of Chris Alexis? spoken to him a few times on the phone but never went to any of his conventions!!! he had an odd accent!!

Jesse Smooth

01-25-2009, 07:46 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNDQvc0S-hA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNdQ4iVnZmc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ4ZRNdIPjA

Sorry, the YouTube links wouldn't display.

newgen2005

01-25-2009, 08:41 PM

Thanks, is Chris in this video?

mpm74

01-25-2009, 09:11 PM

Jessse.... GREAT link. Is that George Tan's youtube account?

Jesse Smooth

01-25-2009, 11:02 PM

No prob. Tan has a huge hard-on for Bruce. I don't think so...being Tan's account on YouTube. As far as Chris Alexis in the vid, I couldn't tell you.