Home Video: ‘The Rebel,’ ‘Corpse Mania,’ ‘Deadly Duo’

Just in time for Halloween, Image delivers SB’s gruesome horror classic CORPSE MANIA. Media Blasters counters with SB’s DEADLY DUO and a two-disc reissue of other SB titles. Vietnam’s first martial arts flick, THE REBEL, arrives from Dragon Dynasty. The unstoppable Steven Seagal cranks out his second action movie of the year. Meanwhile, Criterion provides a “Second Wind” for France’s noir crime genre in the U.S. while the U.K. is inundated with recent genre flicks on Blu-ray. Hong Kong receives seven more Golden Harvest classics on DVD and VCD including Tsui Hark’s live-action mecha actioner I LOVE MARIA, Jackie Chan’s HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU and Yuen Woo-ping’s b-boy-kung fu comedy MISMATCHED COUPLES, starring Donnie Yen.

U.S. Releases

THE REBEL (DVD – Dragon Dynasty) – Hands down, the top release of the last two weeks is THE REBEL, a very polished period actioner starring Johnny Nguyen (THE PROTECTOR) as one-time French colonial lackey who switches sides to help his fellow Vietnamese fight for their independence. It’s bristling with top-grade martial arts action and features fine fighting and acting performances from Johnny, Veronica Ngo and Dustin Nguyen, of 21 JUMPSTREET fame. This film is being credited with single-handedly raising Vietnam’s film industry to world-class standards. As usual, DD packs their release with killer bonus content, making this a must-have for collectors and genre fans.

CORPSE MANIA (DVD – Image Entertainment) – Kwei Chih-hung, the director of THE KILLER SNAKERS and THE BOXER’S OMEN, will forever be remembered as the filmmaker who made Shaw Brothers’ most sensational horror films and this is one of the craziest of the bunch. A maniac is on the loose, and he’s working his way through the shapely employees at an upscale brothel. The stern madam is none too pleased, and soon the crafty Inspector Chang sets traps to uncover this devious defiler of female corpses. A recently-released asylum inmate accused of a similar crime looks like the number one suspect, but there’s much more to this twisted tale of macabre desires than meets the eye.

CYBORG SOLDIER (DVD – First Look Pictures – trailer) – This new action/sci-fi B-movie is a clear throwback to the glory days of American movie action when Terminators, Robocops and Universal Soldiers were tearing up the screen. UFC veteran Rich Franklin makes his acting debut in yet another attempt by Hollywood producers to milk MMA for more money. So far, attempts to bring UFC stars into the filmmaking arena hasn’t resulted in any success comparable to the initial popularity of previous martial arts stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal or Chuck Norris. You can’t fault them for trying. Eventually, one of these mixed martial arts fighters is going to surprise us and prove he, or she, can act or at least has enough presence to carry a movie.

DAREDEVIL [Director's Cut] (Blu-ray – 20th Century Fox) – Just a Blu-ray re-release of the director’s cut of DAREDEVIL on Blu-ray. It still doesn’t change the fact that Ben Affleck is starring.

DEADLY DUO (DVD – Media Blasters) – Chang Cheh directs Ti Lung and David Chiang in a gusty, all-male period actioner in keeping with the bloody martial heroics seen in HEROES TWO and THE HEROIC ONES. Although its not quite as good overall as those two, it’s still great fun for any Chang Cheh fans, especially the ones who enjoy his latter Venoms period.

LE DEUXIEME SOUFFLE (DVD – Criterion – trailer) – Also known as SECOND WIND, this stylish crime drama from French director Alain Corneau is the second screen adaptation of a novel by French crime writer Jose Giovanni. It’s a film that taps into the once vibrant crime genre in France that led to classics like ONCE A THIEF and LE SAMOURAI, both starring Alain Delon. The genre had a huge influence on John Woo and Corneau appears to have returned the favor with elements of Woo’s two-fisted bullet ballet action on display in his film.

HEROES TWO / THE MASTER (DVD – Media Blasters) – Media Blasters only released these two SB kung fu classics six months ago and they’re already out in a new two-pack that puts them at a price point that’s closer to Dragon Dynasty’s SB releases. They’re both great films and well worth picking up.

KILL SWITCH (DVD – First Look Pictures – trailer) – Steven Seagal releases his second feature this year after PISTOL WHIPPED. Insert generic plot outline for a Seagal flick here. I long ago conceded defeat in my attempts to keep up with his relentless schedule of releasing on DVD two to four movies a year since HALF PAST DEAD flopped in theaters. That hasn’t stopped his fans who never seem to get enough of his increasing mumbling, sloppy fight choreography and devolving production standards.

LEGEND OF THE WOLF (DVD – Tai Seng) – One of Donnie Yen’s few directorial efforts, loved by some and hated by others. In an effort to challenge himself and push the martial arts genre in a new direction, he took a melancholy story set in a dystopian future and cranked up his evolving fight choreography to extremes. It’s raw and stylish. Definitely worth seeing at least once to help in understanding one of martial arts cinema’s leading players.

Japanese Releases

CASSHERN (DVD – Happinet Pictures – trailer) – This future sci-fi actioner pitting a bionic warrior against an army of mutants in an alternate world ravaged by war has already been released on DVD in Japan and the U.S., but this is a new Japanese version with an DTS track and English subtitles.

U.K. Releases

Brits get a lot of re-issues on Blu-ray or first-time releases of titles previously available in the States. There’s nothing too exciting here.

• THE ART OF WAR (DVD – Optimum Releasing)
• DISTRICT B13 (Blu-ray – Momentum Pictures)
• DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE (DVD – UCA)
• HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS (Blu-ray – Pathe Distribution)
• MERCENARY FOR JUSTICE (Blu-ray – Momentum Pictures)
• UNTIL DEATH (Blu-ray – Momentum Pictures)

Hong Kong Releases

CARRY ON PICKPOCKET (DVD – Joy Sales) – Comedy was king in Hong Kong during the 1980s and Golden Harvest was pumping out lots of it, mixed with the action mastery of Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. This is the first in a series that gradually morphed into the “Lucky Stars” films featuring the Seven Little Fortunes trio along with comedy actor Richard Ng. A high tolerance for Canto-comedy is recommended.

HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU (VCD – Joy Sales) – Finally, a fully licensed release of this early Jackie Chan kung fu comedy arrives. Too bad it’s on VCD. Based on Joy Sales’ track record, I’d say wait. A DVD version probably won’t to far away.

I LOVE MARIA (DVD – Joy Sales) – I love this film. Tsui Hark co-writes, co-directs and co-stars in this sci-fi action comedy where terrorists, using manga-influenced robots to menace Hong Kong, have the tables turned on them when their female “Robocop” (Sally Yeh) is reprogrammed. This is vintage Tsui Hark in all his creative, outrageous glory.

MISMATCHED COUPLES (DVD – Joy Sales) – Today, Yuen Woo-ping is known around the world as the genius behind the fighting in films like CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, THE MATRIX and THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. But in the 1980s he and his Yuen Clan were known for making screwball kung fu comedies and this is one of them. Donnie Yen, in only his second starring role combines break dancing with kung fu. This one is definitely an ’80s cult classic.

MR. BOO MEETS POM POM (DVD – Joy Sales) – The zany antics of Richard Ng and John Sham continue in this comedy caper directed by former Chang Cheh protege Wu Ma. Sammo Hung produces.

ROSA (DVD – Joy Sales) – Action comedy gem sees Yuen Biao teamed with Lowell Lo as bumbling police officers. It’s Yuen Biao, the most physically talented member of the Seven Little Fortunes starring and performing kung fu. What more do you need?

THE UNMATCHABLE MATCH (DVD – Joy Sales) – Before Stephen Chow completely gave in to being a comedy superstar he headlined this action thriller that co-stars Vivian Chow and producer Danny Lee.

Next Week

• ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD: COMPLETE SECOND SEASON (DVD – Mill Creek)
• AEON FLUX [UK] (Blu-ray – Paramount)
• THE MATRIX COLLECTION (DVD – Warner)
• MONGOL: THE RISE OF GENGHIS KHAN (DVD – New Line)
• SHOGUN ASSASSIN: 5-FILM COLLECTOR’S SET (DVD – Animeigo)
• TOKYO ZOMBIE (DVD – Manga Entertainment)
• THE ULTIMATE MATRIX COLLECTION (Blu-ray – Warner)
• THE WARRIORS [UK] (Blu-ray – Paramount)