Shout Factory's The Angela Mao Ying Collection DVD

[KUNG FU BOB]

Here is a close-up detail from my Angela Mao Ying painting. It was still in progress at the time, hence the unfinished background.

For more info and to pre-order Shout! Factory's THE ANGELA MAO YING COLLECTION DVD set: http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/angela-mao-ying-collection

To see more of my art and purchase prints, please visit eBay or my Blog: http://kungfubob.blogspot.com/

[mpm74]

Dude, wow. They look like actual clipped out photos.

[Secret Executioner]

That art is great KFB. Thought it was a photograph.

[teako170]

Very realistic indeed. If just that pic was 14X11, what did the whole collage measure in at?

[KUNG FU BOB]

Thanks guys.

Very realistic indeed. If just that pic was 14X11, what did the whole collage measure in at?

It's 60x45". If I don't make it really big then I can't get it as finely detailed.

[KyFi]

Wow, that's really fantastic, Bob!

[MonkeyFu]

Here is a close-up detail from my Angela Mao Ying painting. It was still in progress at the time, hence the unfinished background.

Seriously man, your talent is ridiculous! In the same way that I enjoy watching a Venoms film multiple times to see something different in their talent for timing and well executed moves; I enjoy looking at your artwork, seeing something new to appreciate each time and marveling at the way you can capture an image that's in your head and translate it to a piece of paper so well.

I've always been very jealous of anyone with such an artistic talent! I know it takes hard work too, but there is no denying that some people simply possess something that others do not. Please keep sharing these with us.

[The Dragon]

Here is a close-up detail from my Angela Mao Ying painting. It was still in progress at the time, hence the unfinished background.

For more info and to pre-order Shout! Factory's THE ANGELA MAO YING COLLECTION DVD set: http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/angela-mao-ying-collection

To see more of my art and purchase prints, please visit eBay or my Blog: http://kungfubob.blogspot.com/

KFB, I have a question, one artist to another...?

Do you create in pencil or ink, prior to painting? Or, do you initiate your projects with the brush? Your detailing is quite outstanding-photo realistic.

[KUNG FU BOB]

Wow, that's really fantastic, Bob!

Seriously man, your talent is ridiculous! In the same way that I enjoy watching a Venoms film multiple times to see something different in their talent for timing and well executed moves; I enjoy looking at your artwork, seeing something new to appreciate each time and marveling at the way you can capture an image that's in your head and translate it to a piece of paper so well.

I've always been very jealous of anyone with such an artistic talent! I know it takes hard work too, but there is no denying that some people simply possess something that others do not. Please keep sharing these with us.

That's one of the coolest things anyone has ever said to me about my art. Thank you!

KFB, I have a question, one artist to another...?

Do you create in pencil or ink, prior to painting? Or, do you initiate your projects with the brush? Your detailing is quite outstanding-photo realistic.

Typically, and quite foolishly , I don't usually sketch first and go straight to paints or ink/marker. But when I'm doing something with a very complicated composition like my Hwang Jang-Lee piece I have to at least do a very rough "blocking in" type sketch first.

For the DVD/Blu-ray and book covers I have to do a sketch first, as the client must have something to approve before I can start painting.

Here are the sketches I did for this cover.

Each element of the sketch is drawn on a separate piece of paper and I scan them into my computer. Then I can digitally move them around or change an individual elements size as I finalize the composition.

With the main image of her in these two sketches I had one with a "softer" look, and one with a "harsher" look. I decided I liked the "softer" expression and hair style (much more typical of Angela's usual look), but preferred the body position of the "harsher" sketch. So I combined those into a final sketch and sent them for approval.

Once I get the "go ahead" I usually do a very light blocking and start painting. But this time was different. I've always wanted to do an Angela Mao Ying painting, representing her in some of her best films. But the piece I created for this cover only includes stuff from the films included in this collection from Shout! Factory. There's no way I could put a poster of Angela out there for fans (or that I'd want to hang up) that doesn't include HAPKIDO and ENTER THE DRAGON! So I decided to paint each of the pieces for this separately- just like I had done for the sketches. Once all of them were finished I scanned them. This allowed me to piece them back together in the computer like a puzzle. Doing it like this meant that I could create several more small paintings of her (from HAPKIDO and ENTER THE DRAGON) and add them to the finished piece. So after the DVD collection comes out, I will put art prints/posters up for sale that will include more art than what you see on the DVD cover.

[gorhama]

Meh....it's ok artwork that's for sure.

I'm contiually amazed by your artwork my friend. Thanks for posting the sketches with your ideas of the cover art. I for one am extremly interested in this stage of the artwork.

Again great work and you keep paiting them we'll keep buying them!!!

[kungfusamurai]

A great sounding set, I wish they'd just go straight to Blu Ray. I take it they don't have good quality high definition masters to work from?

[Asmo]

A great sounding set, I wish they'd just go straight to Blu Ray. I take it they don't have good quality high definition masters to work from?

If Fortune Star has HD masters they're most likely upscaled.

[KUNG FU BOB]

Sadly these will not be released on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory. Just on DVD.

[Neil Koch]

After what happened with the Bruce Lee box set, I'm not surprised. I got a screener for the Angela Mao double feature (separate release with Hapikdo and Lady Whirlwind). Hapikdo looks good but Lady Whirlwind is rough in parts. I would suspect to do a full HD remaster would cost too much especially for 6 movies at once.

BTW I have screen caps from the double feature DVD here:

http://hkfilm.net/dvdrevs/madouble.htm

[Killer Meteor]

Does Hapkido have genuine Mandarin mono?

[Drunken Monk]

I got the double feature and "Hapkido" was really nice. It helped that I actually hadn't seen it before.

I haven't put in "Lady Whirlwind" yet though.

[Neil Koch]

I got a review screener and have been going through the movies. Most of them look and sound good, but When Taekwondo Strikes has kind of a weird flickering effect. Is this on the Hong Kong version as well? I made a clip of the first 5 minutes and put it on YouTube:

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[Neil Koch]

Also, the cover says all of the movies are supposed to be in 2.35:1, but it looks like The Himalayan is in 1.78:1. Is this how the HK version is as well?

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[Neil Koch]

Here are clips from the other movies:

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[masterofoneinchpunch]

I was just comparing the Joy Sales R0 Stoner release with the one in the set. The subtitles are a definite improvement as well as the image. There definitely seems to be some pal-to-ntsc transfer issues though, which I noted on The Tournament (I wrote about a couple of these in the latest classical watched thread).

[Neil Koch]

I don't know how to check PAL to NTSC, sorry.

Fortune Star took down my Broken Oath clip from YouTube. Here is the MPEG:

http://hkfilm.net/multi/brokenoath.mp4

[masterofoneinchpunch]

I don't know how to check PAL to NTSC, sorry.

Fortune Star took down my Broken Oath clip from YouTube. Here is the MPEG:

http://hkfilm.net/multi/brokenoath.mp4

A big giveaway is the blur that is associated with fast to faster movement (especially fight scenes). You can see this most notably on the R1 of Shaolin Hand Lock. Running time (if you know the original and there are no difference in scenes) can also be a clue as well. Here's an interesting DVDBeaver article on this. It gets a little too detailed oriented with software but he has the pertinent points of a bad transfer.

Quick note on Stoner: no trailer with the new release though it is on the Legendary R0 release (along with their mediocre picture gallery.) I'll recheck my copy at home tonight.

Now, I am happy with these releases especially with the improved subtitles and picture.

For people new to Angela Mao get the Hapkido/Lady Whirlwind set first before this one though.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Stoner (1974: Huang Feng)

This is a rather incompetent movie that gets worse the more you watch it with plot holes, bad acting, some really cheesy scenes and messy action. This stars a former one-time Bond George Lazenby as an Australian cop named Stoner looking for the source of a new highly addictive drug called “The Happy Pill.”. Meanwhile a Taiwanese cop (Angela Mao) is assigned to figure out why a retired ship that should only be useful for scrap metal is overpaid for (everyone knows it is used for smuggling) by Mr. Chin played by Takagi Jogi as another evil Japanese has to be one of the more stupid bad bosses as he appears to be using corporate money in Taiwan. He also fronts a Taoist healing facility that is actually getting everyone hooked on its medicine. Lazenby is a basher not an experienced fighter using flailing arms, giant windups and novice kicks. He was learning on the job and he takes a lot of falls and punishment though he still looks a bit awkward. I still like his backfist though. Angela Mao is underused here, but luckily the finale fight scene between her and Whang In-shik is pretty good. If this movie did not have that I would probably think it is best to avoid this altogether. There are many rumors about this film at one point starring both Bruce Lee and Sonny Chiba but I have found no primary sources stating that this is true.

Shout! Factory’s The Angela Mao Ying Collection: It looks that this print might suffer from some pal-to-ntsc conversion issue as the fight scenes have a bit too much blur. It comes with both the Mandarin and English dub (sounds original.) The back of the case lists these both as 2.0 (NOTE I need to double check this as I forgot to bring the set in.) The English subtitles are not dubtitles. It does not come with a trailer (the Joy Sales R0/NTSC release does have a trailer.)

Some notes (which will find themselves in a review if I write one):

[i’m thinking with all the information below it might be easier to get off a full review on this]

That’s a big mole on Sammo’s nose. I think Sammo and Jackie traded it for a few films in the early 70s.

Angela Mao has long and short hair here just like in The Tournament.

The script here is weird as it really does not explain certain issues it should: what is the relationship of Melanie to Stoner? Is Mao Ying’s character at one point supposed to be thought of as a boy? Would anyone in a cage be thinking of Betty Ting Pei when Mao Ying is right there? OK, that one was more of a joke, but still seriously?

The English dub has him as Australian but the subtitles state he is American. Does the Mandarin dub actually state that?

Joy Sales Legendary Collection (1:49:24): does not have English dub does have Photo Gallery and Trailer (3:57m) The subtitles are improved on this new release.

Youtube has movie as 1:45:18 (it does not look good, thank goodness; can Shout! go after youtube to shut that down since it is a different print?)

City on Fire Review: Seriously 8 out of 10?

HK Cinemagic: no idea if the hair issue is true or much else in this article.

George Lazenby Interview with Bey Logan (KFC link of Impact Magazine issue 97 January 2000): An interesting part is where he tackles one canard (which wikipedia repeats) “George Lazenby: There never was any three picture deal! After Bruce died. I thought that was that, then I got a call form Raymond Chow saying “Look, you’ve got $10,000 of my money (paid as a deposit for Lazenby participation in Game Of Death). He wanted me to make three films for Golden Harvest.”

The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s (Dr. Craig D. Reid): this has a capsule review in this book (a lot of Angela Mao films from this era are not described with capsule reviews though they are listed in the back) but there are several problems with errors in this section including repeating the canard I mentioned above though he states it was a four-picture contract. He also bizarrely states that Lazenby was dropped only to be brought back because of the success of several co-productions that just happened to be filmed and released after Stoner (since this is impossible he is obviously wrong.) He also writes that Lazenby got the role of Bond because of his fighting ability which is weird because Lazenby has stated he had no fighting ability and was expecting Bruce Lee to train him for Game of Death. After a little research on that point it seems it is even weirder: Lazenby during a screen audition accidently punched a stunt coordinator (Wikipedia has this, its source is from Inside On Her Majesty's Secret Service DVD extra.) Clearly Reid is wrong. He also repeats the oft told tale that Bruce Lee was going to star in this which I have read many places but have not found a primary source on this.

(youtube): Now what is interesting about this is that Chiba talks about going to Hong Kong for two days to meet with Bruce Lee but Bruce Lee had died (so this is true), but says nothing about a potential movie but about interesting conversations. I’m getting the feeling that the rumor about Chiba initially being in Stoner is false.

Should I move the other mini-reviews here?

Talk about inconsistencies and the annoyance of trying to find the truth:

Hong Kong Action Cinema by Bey Logan:

George Lazenby [on The Man from Hong Kong]: "I'd seen The Big Boss and flew to Hong Kong because I realized that that was where the action was. I was meant to do Game of Death and two other films with Bruce Lee. When he died, Raymond sent his hatchet men in. The original contract had specified co-leads in these films, but I ended up laying a bad guy."

This goes against what he says later in the interview I posted also from Logan. Now I'm not sure where Logan gets this info in the book.

I do wish Logan would do an update to his book.

[Secret Executioner]

Guess (based on this review) Stoner could be considered a fun movie, just based on its cheer stupidity - plus, it seems to have a bunch of surrounding "urban legends", which I always enjoy (even if they are usually false). The idea of "Bruce vs Bond" should definitely have been used for a Bruceploitation.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Guess (based on this review) Stoner could be considered a fun movie, just based on its cheer stupidity - plus, it seems to have a bunch of surrounding "urban legends", which I always enjoy (even if they are usually false). The idea of "Bruce vs Bond" should definitely have been used for a Bruceploitation.

What is interesting is how often these stories are repeated on web sites, books etc... but then you find some contradictory information from primary sources. Of course this is nothing new, but it can be aggravating trying to find the best possible sources.

I'm probably being a little hard on it, but I now have seen the film two and a half times. It is always fun to see early Sammo as well with once again a bad hairdo. But the film takes a while to get going, is not logical in the sense of making sense and does not have enough Mao Ying .

But yeah it is fun to see films with "urban legends" aka canards even if it is to get better information.