Not a lot for us this week, but first is the Chow Yun-fat starring Hong Kong 1941. Set during the Japanese occupation of China, it’s about a love triangle involving three Hong Kong residents living during the occupancy. There is a female character and two males wanting to leave, but also wanting a better life in China while dealing with the Japanese. Their lives all change almost overnight as jobs, societal standing and everything else is thrown for a loop. It’s a beautifully directed film with all three leads holding your attention throughout. Chow Yun-fat is an underrated actor here in the States and although he doesn’t do a ton of action in this, he is a fantastic dramatic actor. The story is easy to follow even if you know nothing about the time period and history involved. Using this love triangle makes it a drama and not just the standard political/war period piece. It humanizes what was going on and doesn’t beat you over the head with a message. Here is what happened, here is how people responded/reacted. The production value is great and it’s a well made drama. It comes with commentary, interviews and more.
Next we have Exact Revenge, a double header of Shaw Brothers films. Those films are The Eunuch and The Deadly Knives. I’ve been watching a lot of Shaw Brothers films this year through various releases and these 100% fit the bill. The Eunuch is about a eunuch who survives an assassination attempt, gets his revenge, but has a prince escape. The prince is raised to get his revenge and it’s a pretty classic tale we see in lots of Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest films of the era. The Deadly Knives was a modern story about two lovers from opposing families forced to separate because of politics and money. The man’s father is killed because he won’t sign over over forest land and the other side lies and says he did sign over the deed before his death. The son wants revenge and to honor his father, but the girlfriend is the daughter of the opposing family. Pretty solid story and easy to follow along. If you’ve been enjoying the recent Shaw Brothers collections you’ll like this doubleheader. I liked that one is more period and one is more modern so it’s a fresher watch and not just two similar movies.
Last we have a new Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of Rad from Mill Creek Entertainment. Rad is a cult classic from the 1980s that is everything you want in a 1980s film. The lead character is named Cru and he wants to ride in a BMX competition called Helltrack. Gymnast Bart Conner leads the team competing against him. Lori Loughlin and Bill Allen’s BMX dance is still widely known decades later. The clothing, the music, the story of a small town guy wanting to compete again professionals, it’s all very 1980s. It’s definitely a cult classic for a reason. This new Collector’s Edition comes with a bonus feature-length documentary as well.
The Nerds Templar 