Shout Factory's The Angela Mao Ying Collection DVD

[Neil Koch]

My Queen's Ransom clip got taken down by WMG claiming copyright to the song " With A Hundred Pipers". Kind of odd that a 5 minute clip that I put up to support a review of a legit release is taken down but there are several versions of the full movie up.

Anyway, I'll upload the mpeg file to my site tomorrow and link it here.

[mpm74]

City on Fire Review: Seriously 8 out of 10?

Hell yeah! I stand behind that score 100%. The thing is, you have to put it into context. I'm totally aware that it's a bad film. It's not the Godfather. It's not Man from Hong Kong. It's not even Slaughter in San Francisco!

It's a sex-filled, psychedelic Golden Harvest flick starring a has-been, one-time Bond as its star! It's grind house madness at its shlockiest! Drugs, boobies, asses, a porn stache and bell bottom fury! It's Golden Harvest having NO DIRECTION whatsoever after their main star passed away!

It's not "so bad, it's good".... it's "so bad, it's great!"

It's like any other cult film. There's no in-between. You love it or hate. If you think it's "ok" then you're just BS-ing yourself (i'm guilty of doing that many times)...

One film I didn't care for was Queen's Ransom. A little off pace for me. But still thought it was interesting just to watch it as a Golden Harvest "history" lesson. The main problem is the high expectations, considering the cast and the plot.

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.

Welcome to 60% of Golden Harvest's early 70's output.

[One Armed Boxer]

The idea of "Bruce vs Bond" should definitely have been used for a Bruceploitation.

So you've never seen 'The Dragon Lives Again' I take it?

[masterofoneinchpunch]

...One film I didn't care for was Queen's Ransom. A little off pace for me. But still thought it was interesting just to watch it as a Golden Harvest "history" lesson. The main problem is the high expectations, considering the cast and the plot.

Welcome to 60% of Golden Harvest's early 70's output.

Hee hee, had to pick on you a little. I've seen Stoner a few times now and I just cannot like it. Sometimes I like a little (or a lot) cheese etc... but depends on a whole variety of factors. But because of the other 40% of GH (or maybe it is 20%) I just cannot give it a higher score .

I just started Queen's Ransom and so far not so good as it appears to be veering towards incompetence (especially given the cast, as you say higher expectations, I'm trying to going into via the Mad TV skit Lowered Expectations.) That deadly Lazenby headlock was pretty hilarious though.

[The Dragon]

Hell yeah! I stand behind that score 100%. The thing is, you have to put it into context. I'm totally aware that it's a bad film. It's not the Godfather. It's not Man from Hong Kong. It's not even Slaughter in San Francisco!

It's a sex-filled, psychedelic Golden Harvest flick starring a has-been, one-time Bond as its star! It's grind house madness at its shlockiest! Drugs, boobies, asses, a porn stache and bell bottom fury! It's Golden Harvest having NO DIRECTION whatsoever after their main star passed away!

It's not "so bad, it's good".... it's "so bad, it's great!"

It's like any other cult film. There's no in-between. You love it or hate. If you think it's "ok" then you're just BS-ing yourself (i'm guilty of doing that many times)...

One film I didn't care for was Queen's Ransom. A little off pace for me. But still thought it was interesting just to watch it as a Golden Harvest "history" lesson. The main problem is the high expectations, considering the cast and the plot.

Welcome to 60% of Golden Harvest's early 70's output.

"So I see!!! .. and you believed what you had seen!!!.. I must find out the truth!!!"

[wongfeihung62]

I have the box set on order, should I get rid of my FS releases of TOURNAMENT, BROKEN OATH and HIMALAYAN?

[masterofoneinchpunch]

I have the box set on order, should I get rid of my FS releases of TOURNAMENT, BROKEN OATH and HIMALAYAN?

Those all three have photo galleries correct (I only have the FS of Stoner which I will keep)? That and the new set is missing a few of the trailers (has The Tournament one, I have not check Broken Oath yet.) Other than that I think all the positives go toward the new set: better picture (on at least a few, possibly all), better subtitles though you see some of the same pal-to-ntsc issues.

Of course, when in doubt hold on to those until you check the new set.

[mpm74]

Hee hee, had to pick on you a little. I've seen Stoner a few times now and I just cannot like it. Sometimes I like a little (or a lot) cheese etc... but depends on a whole variety of factors. But because of the other 40% of GH (or maybe it is 20%) I just cannot give it a higher score .

I just started Queen's Ransom and so far not so good as it appears to be veering towards incompetence (especially given the cast, as you say higher expectations, I'm trying to going into via the Mad TV skit Lowered Expectations.) That deadly Lazenby headlock was pretty hilarious though.

I totally don't mind at all. Any press is good press. I'm actually thankful someone out there is reading my STONER review lol That makes a total of one person. =D

[Secret Executioner]

So you've never seen 'The Dragon Lives Again' I take it?

Heard of it, but it's not really a Bruce vs Bond per se. It's more of a "Bruce meets Clint Eastwood, Laurel and Hardy, Popeye, Dracula, Emmanuelle (!)..." thing.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

I totally don't mind at all. Any press is good press. I'm actually thankful someone out there is reading my STONER review lol That makes a total of one person. =D

I do try to read most of your reviews. Though I tend to check it after I watched or rewatched a film I think you might have written about (there is a bevy of writers I do check; mainstream critics like the late Roger Ebert have only a small tiny amount of HK reviews -- heck I do have all of his links to HK movies if anyone is interested .)

Back to this set: it's a lot cheaper getting this then tracking down the JS versions now. I do find it weird that they miss several trailers though. I also wish there were some interviews, but alas.

[Neil Koch]

Yeah, I noticed The Himalayan doesn't have a trailer. It is pretty bare bones for extras, but 6 films (that are in good quality for the most part) for $30 is a nice deal.

Heard of it, but it's not really a Bruce vs Bond per se. It's more of a "Bruce meets Clint Eastwood, Laurel and Hardy, Popeye, Dracula, Emmanuelle (!)..." thing.

It has Harold Sakata basically playing Oddjob and the James Bond theme plays every time he's onscreen.

[Neil Koch]

I just started Queen's Ransom and so far not so good as it appears to be veering towards incompetence (especially given the cast, as you say higher expectations, I'm trying to going into via the Mad TV skit Lowered Expectations.) That deadly Lazenby headlock was pretty hilarious though.

Queen's Ransom is the only dud on the set IMO. Boring exposition and sloppy action scenes. Plus who can believe Dean Shek would be able to romance Angela Mao?

[thelastweaponmaster]

I just wonder if the version included in this collection has the complete version of 'Broken Oath' or is the edited down version. Edited out scenes include the mother of Mao Ying's character seducing the prison warden in order to get impregnated. I suspect it is the edited version.

Can anyone confirm this?

[Neil Koch]

That scene wasn't on there. The movie runs 1:37:51.

[Neil Koch]

Here's my review of the set:

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

[massa_yoda]

Here's my review of the set:

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

Neil, great review. These breakdowns are very helpful. I have a question with what you said here:

Also, the Mandarin soundtrack for Stoner still uses English when western (white) characters speak

Are the English parts in sync at all? In an interview with Lazenby, it sounded like they just told him to move his mouth and not actually say anything, so I'm curious if it looks like he's saying the dialogue or not. Also, is it his voice on the dub? Probably not, but I had to ask.

[Neil Koch]

Thanks! It's not Lazenby's voice. The accent on the dubbing doesn't stay the same, sometimes it sounds more British, other times more Austrailian, other times just American. It isn't in sync with either the Mandarin or English soundtrack

[reason108]

Another myth busted! Well, a myth for me. I always wondered where the "Nepal"** footage that showed up in the doc Bruce Lee : The Legend came from. This is the footage that starts off the GOD section; right before the "outdoor" sequence. I had always wondered if that was part of the "outdoor footage" that Bruce shot or was footage that Bruce shot when he went off with James Coburn location scouting for The Silent Flute. But, its from The Himalayan.

**or wherever that footage was filmed at

[Keung]

Okay, just to clarify before I order this - all the films contain original English dubs, yes?

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Okay, just to clarify before I order this - all the films contain original English dubs, yes?

Yes, they all have English dubs.

[Keung]

Excellent! Thanks, mate.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Excellent! Thanks, mate.

As I was rewatching most of Queen's Ransom switching back and forth between the dubs I noticed that it like Stoner (and I possibly the others, I normally just watch the original dubs) there are scenes where the English dub is missing so the original Mandarin dub gets put in those missing areas.

[Secret Executioner]

As I was rewatching most of Queen's Ransom switching back and forth between the dubs I noticed that it like Stoner (and I possibly the others, I normally just watch the original dubs) there are scenes where the English dub is missing so the original Mandarin dub gets put in those missing areas.

I may be thinking of other movies, but aren't those restored deleted scenes ? I think I read of scenes that were initially cut for the overseas release.

On a sidenote, such a shame about the dub thing with Lazenby being overdubbed rather than speaking his own lines. But still I'd be into that set, these films look really nice (great reiews from our friends AlbertV).

[masterofoneinchpunch]

I may be thinking of other movies, but aren't those restored deleted scenes ? I think I read of scenes that were initially cut for the overseas release.

On a sidenote, such a shame about the dub thing with Lazenby being overdubbed rather than speaking his own lines. But still I'd be into that set, these films look really nice (great reiews from our friends AlbertV).

RE: Queen's Ransom

I know this was released by World Northal under the title International Assassin here in the States, but I do not know the initial time of the film. That is generally the case when you have a shorter dub, such as this English one, that it came from a shorter master that was screened for the theater and/or tv. Now when were the scenes cut, I am not sure nor do I know if there was a more complete English dub originally (all depends on when the English dub was made.) If anyone has more information on this movie's release in non-HK countries please elucidate us.

These movies do look better than the Joy Sales releases, but they do suffer from some conversion issues (PAL-to-NTSC) -- some worse than others.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

"Last year, I went to prison three times. And instead was put in prison." -- Jenny

A Queen’s Ransom (1976: Ting Shan-hsi)

This movie makes Stoner seem competent. Sometimes it takes another film to realize how bad a movie can be made. (NOTE: I am going to have to modify a few of my past mini-reviews before I put them all together.) This is the worst film in the set with unfortunately very little Angela Mao and very little fighting or gun action or plausible sequences. While the setup is fine (even the twist is logical) and the backdrop is an important event in Hong Kong’s history (the movie even uses real footage of the event) it makes one hope for some team variation on The Day of the Jackal, but it is more like a less entertaining Fantasy Mission Force. There is a group of terrorists who are out to assassinate the Queen led by George Lazenby. Meanwhile there is an exiled princess/queen (Angela Mao) who has brought a large amount of gold along with her constituents. Hmmmm. While the plot structure sounds good, the execution is inept. For example there is one scene where Bolo Yeung is in a fight with a cop where he loses it by falling down a semi-steep embankment where he looks like he is literally forcing himself to fall backwards. Does he swim away, is he caught by the cops? No. He appears in a later scene with no explanation of what happened. The shooting “attempt” is pretty bad where it is the most obvious gun placement I have ever seen (there is a possible explanation for this, but it could have been a little more subtle.) This is full of atrocious editing, bad acting, waste of actors like Jimmy Wang Yu and Angela Mao and scenes like these. Make it a fun day and watch this with Iron Monkey 2 (full screen version) and Fearless Hyena 2 (I have not seen Badges of Fury -- yet).

Shout! Factory’s The Angela Mao Ying Collection: It comes with both the Mandarin and English dub (sounds original and in some scenes it is replaced by the Mandarin dub.) The back of the case lists these both as 2.0. The English subtitles are not dubtitles. While the print is good, though with some obvious damage to the print still intact, it does seem to suffer a little from the pal-to-ntsc transfer causing a bit of blur with action scenes. It comes with a trailer.

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

The English dub states her as Cambodian while the subtitles states her as Burmese. Cambodian makes more sense because of the year (1975) and the fact that the Lol Non government surrendered April 17 (less than a month before this story takes place) and I would suspect that government was friendlier to “princesses/queens” than the Khmer Rouge. Does the Mandarin dub indeed say Burmese?

KFC Review (Albert): A couple of mistakes here. Queen Elizabeth visited Hong Kong May 4 to 7 in 1975 not 1976. “doesn’t even speak in her role of Maria” Angela Mao does indeed speak in several scenes – though it is not much.

City on Fire Review

List of Commonwealth visits made by Queen Elizabeth II

HKMDB: I do question that one review gives it an 8/10 (don’t read the review until you have watched the film, it gives away at least one spoiler.)

Question: when did Dean Shek become more known for his comedy roles?