Collection ID 876
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth
Genre: Action
Studio: Paramount Pictures   Release date: 1984   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, French (USA)
Summary: In India, Indiana Jones agrees to look for a village's lost magic stone and in doing so, stumbles on to a secret massive Thuggee cult.
My Rating:
My Review: The second film in the George Lucas (Writting) / Steven Spielberg (Directing) Indiana Jones Trilogy. Harrison Ford reprises his role as Indiana Jones. Unfortunately, he takes two annoying co-stars along for the ride. Kate Capshaw as the annoying songbird, and Jonathan Ke Quan as the sidekick Short Round. In this sequel, Indiana rescues an Indian village and their children from slavery under the thumb of a cult of Kali worshipping thugs. Some of the best acting came from Amrish Puri playing Mola Ram the evil high priest. The music and costumes are great, and it makes for a fantastic action flick. Unfortunately, the limited story and over-acting drag the rating down to a 3 out of 5.

Collection ID 163
Director: Peter Yates
Starring: Tom Selleck, F. Murray Abraham, Laila Robins, David Rasche, Richard Young
Genre: Crime
Studio: Interscope Communications   Release date: 1989   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: Jimmie Rainwood was minding his own business when two corrupt police officers (getting an address wrong) burst into his house, expecting to find a major drug dealer. Rainwood is shot, and the officers frame him as a drug dealer. Rainwood is convicted of drug dealing, based on the perjured evidence of a police informant. Thrown into a seedy jail, fighting to prove his innocence is diffucult when he has to deal with the realities of prison life, where everyone claims they were framed.
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Collection ID 772
Director: Peter Yates
Starring: Tom Selleck, F. Murray Abraham, Laila Robins, David Rasche, Richard Young
Genre: Crime
Studio: Interscope Communications   Release date: 1989   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: Jimmie Rainwood was minding his own business when two corrupt police officers (getting an address wrong) burst into his house, expecting to find a major drug dealer. Rainwood is shot, and the officers frame him as a drug dealer. Rainwood is convicted of drug dealing, based on the perjured evidence of a police informant. Thrown into a seedy jail, fighting to prove his innocence is diffucult when he has to deal with the realities of prison life, where everyone claims they were framed.
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Collection ID 1600
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Matthew McConaughey, Mackenzie Foy, John Lithgow, Timothée Chalamet
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Studio: Paramount Pictures   Release date: 2014   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English (USA, UK)
Summary: Earth's future has been riddled by disasters, famines, and droughts. There is only one way to ensure mankind's survival: Interstellar travel. A newly discovered wormhole in the far reaches of our solar system allows a team of astronauts to go where no man has gone before, a planet that may have the right environment to sustain human life.
My Rating:
My Review: Screenplay by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan. Directed by Christopher Nolan (Following, Memento, The Prestige, Inception). Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and others. I'm a sucker for Time Travel movies, and this one not only scratches that itch but it also explores the deeper recesses of that topic. Alternate realities, other dimensions, multiple universes, black holes, paradoxes and more. If you're familiar with my 'No such thing as Time or Motion' theory: <https://www.robsworld.org/notime.html> you might guess that this movie is right up my alley. If you guessed that, you were right. In this movie, a near future Earth is suffering through a series of cataclysmic disasters - The survival of mankind is threatened by environmental uncertainty, overpopulation, and various socio-economic challenges. Where can mankind emigrate to? Nothing is nearby, and traversing the vast expanse of Interstellar space would take several generations. Unless… Unless we can find a way through by daring to blaze a trail where no man has gone before - Through a wormhole to a new star system where life can begin again. It's speculative science fiction unlike any others. We've been down this path before, but we've never gone this far before. While there are clearly questions regarding the validity and accuracy of the science involved, one must respect that fact that this is Fiction. Brave and bold, The Nolan brothers manage to keep humanity at the forefront of this fiction. Reminding us that ultimately, technology exists only to serve the human race, not the other way around. The CGI, visuals effects and editing were amazing. The acting was excellent, and the story astonishing. Breathtaking and expansive exploration of mankind on a journey unlike any other. I give this movie a 5 out of 5. Yes, of course I own a copy.

Collection ID 747
Director: Denis Sanders
Starring: William Smith, Anitra Ford, Victoria Vetri, Cliff Osmond, Wright King
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Studio: Sequoia Pictures   Release date: 1973   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: In the small town of Peckham, California, many men die for excessive effort during sexual intercourse. When a scientist from the Brandt research laboratory is found dead in a motel, the government sends Agent Neil Agar (William Smith) to investigate the mysterious deaths. He suspects that the deaths may be related to some experiments of Dr. Susan Harris (Anitra Ford), who is researching bees in the Brandt facility.
My Rating:
My Review: Another cheesy sci-fi thriller from a recent compilation purchase (Night of Horror - Do not watch Alone!): Some of the movies on this 15 film compilation are late night gems, this one… Not so much. Here is classic 70s sci-fi schlock with plenty of T&A to keep your interest 'up'. Direction by Denis Sanders was terrible, as was the acting; with one small exception. William Smith plays Neil Agar, a government investigator called in to investigate a series of mysterious murders at a government research lab. Apparently his isn't the only death be 'Sexual Exhaustion'. What is mutating earth's finest women into bug-eyed 'Bee' girls? That's all you really need to know about the plot. To keep you interested there's a lot of T&A action with a bevy of girls disrobing throughout the movie. The special effects of 'Bee-Vision' and the droning hum of attacking 'Bee' girls was ridiculous. The dialogue, premise (what was the premise again?), plot, acting and production value were horrid. So bad that it occasionally made me laugh/strike that, 'Groan' would be a more appropriate term for what this movie made me do. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Collection ID 1433
Director: Denis Sanders
Starring: William Smith, Anitra Ford, Victoria Vetri, Cliff Osmond, Wright King
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Studio: Sequoia Pictures   Release date: 1973   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: In the small town of Peckham, California, many men die for excessive effort during sexual intercourse. When a scientist from the Brandt research laboratory is found dead in a motel, the government sends Agent Neil Agar (William Smith) to investigate the mysterious deaths. He suspects that the deaths may be related to some experiments of Dr. Susan Harris (Anitra Ford), who is researching bees in the Brandt facility.
My Rating:
My Review: Another cheesy sci-fi thriller from a recent compilation purchase (Night of Horror - Do not watch Alone!): Some of the movies on this 15 film compilation are late night gems, this one… Not so much. Here is classic 70s sci-fi schlock with plenty of T&A to keep your interest 'up'. Direction by Denis Sanders was terrible, as was the acting; with one small exception. William Smith plays Neil Agar, a government investigator called in to investigate a series of mysterious murders at a government research lab. Apparently his isn't the only death be 'Sexual Exhaustion'. What is mutating earth's finest women into bug-eyed 'Bee' girls? That's all you really need to know about the plot. To keep you interested there's a lot of T&A action with a bevy of girls disrobing throughout the movie. The special effects of 'Bee-Vision' and the droning hum of attacking 'Bee' girls was ridiculous. The dialogue, premise (what was the premise again?), plot, acting and production value were horrid. So bad that it occasionally made me laugh/strike that, 'Groan' would be a more appropriate term for what this movie made me do. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Collection ID 1601
Director: Wilson Yip
Starring: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Ka Tung Lam
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Studio: Beijing ShengShi HuaRei Film Investment & Management Co.   Release date: 2008   Rated: R   
Language (Country): Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese (Hong Kong, China)
Summary: In 1935 in Foshan, south China, there are martial arts schools on every street corner. Ip Man is the undisputed martial arts champion, yet he has not devoted himself to teaching. Despite this, it seems that all the kung fu masters of the city are eager to fight him to improve their reputation.
My Rating:
My Review: A romanticized tale of Wing-Chun kung-fu, a bio-pic about Ip Man/Yip Man. Ip man (the main character of the film) is a humble and peaceful martial arts master living in Fushan, China. He doesn't have a school, but trains some students in the town of Foshan, which has become renowned for it's Kung-Fu schools. After the events depicted in this film, Ip man moved to Hong-Kong, set up a Kung-Fu school and taught the Wing-Chun style to many students, including Bruce Lee. This Chinese movie is a brilliant production with outstanding costumes, set design, props and authentic period work. The casting, acting and direction are flawless. As an action/kung-fu flick it was fantastic. Unfortunately, the story also contained overt stereotypes and racial bigotry. Set during the second Sino-Japanese war (1937 - 1945). Japan has invaded China and a repressive regime is put in place. The residents of Foshan struggle to survive under occupation and they're mercilessly persecuted by uniformed Japanese soldiers and officers. While the historical facts of Japanese occupation are unquestioned (by this viewer), the depiction of Japanese soldiers in a highly stereotyped caricature was somewhat offensive. It was quite evident that there is some pent up ethnic tensions being expressed in this film, and that left a poor taste in my mouth. Ip man is portrayed as a saintly character who defends the weak, oppressed and defenseless Chinese citizens against the arrogant, violent and dishonorable Japanese invaders. The focus on Kung-Fu is briefly considered, but the spirit of an indomitable spirit is clearly highlighted in this movie about the Chinese struggle against oppression.

Collection ID 1602
Director: Wilson Yip
Starring: Donnie Yen, Xiaoming Huang, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Lynn Hung, Kent Cheng
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, History, Sport
Studio: Henan Film & TV Production Group Henan Film Studio   Release date: 2010   Rated: R   
Language (Country): Cantonese, Mandarin, English (Hong Kong, China)
Summary: Ip Man 2 is a 2010 Hong Kong biographical martial arts film loosely based on the life of Ip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun. A sequel to the 2008 film Ip Man, the film was directed by Wilson Yip, and stars Donnie Yen, who reprises the leading role. Continuing after the events of the earlier film, the sequel centers on Ip's movements in Hong Kong, which is under British colonial rule. He attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun, but faces rivalry from other practitioners, including the local master of Hung Ga martial arts.
My Rating:
My Review: The second part to a dramatized bio-pic about Wing Chun (also known as 'Ip Man'), a grandmaster of martial arts. This sequel follows Ip Man and his family as he escapes the racist Japanese and flees to Hong Kong (appx 1949). Once he arrives, he begins teaching the Wing Chun fighting style. He soon encounters the ensconced mafia of organized crime - extortionist policies threaten his livelihood and challenge his right to teach Kung Fu. Overcoming the ensconced hierarchy involves some awesome Kung Fu fighting. The first half of the movie was pretty good. The wire work could have been a little better. The best acting is easily that of Donnie Yen as Ip Man. As a matter of fact the acting by most of the 'Chinese' cast was quite good. While the acting by the 'British' cast was terrible... The second half of the story devolved into an extremely racist (in my opinion) condemnation of all 'westerners' (aka White Men). Filled with strong stereotypes, it's amazing to see this level of racism in film. Both films managed to blame all of China's problems on the Japanese or White men. While the first movie actually depicted some of the historical context for the characters actions. This movie made no such efforts to establish setting or historical context. The British colonials are all depicted as culturally insensitive slobs who can't imagine that the Chinese residents of Hong Kong are nothing more than slave labor or amusing insects to be squashed at their pleasure. Given the precedents set in the first half; where Ip Man easily defeats groups of ten or more opponents and three martial arts masters; the boxing adversary is a preposterous match. Kung Fu vs Boxing is just another stereotype in this racist (in my opinion) story. The story is quite limited, catering to nationalistic fervor and anti-western attitudes. It's an excellent propaganda film. I'm sure it roused/resonated with the intended audience. I'm sure that the Chinese government is quite happy with this film franchise; which points all internal problems at external foreign 'devils'. If they'd (the writers) meant it to be a serious discussion/illustration of how Westerners were poisoning China (re: the Opium trade in the late 40s/early 50s), they could have included some historical context and references to actual western corruption. Instead they resort to simple and stereotypical typecasting without any character development (some limited development in the motivation of the police commissioner) or historical context. The dialog itself seems to serve no purpose whatsoever, and one could easily follow the plot without it. Despite the fact that the first half was quite good, the stereotypical typecasting in the second half left me stunned, and ultimately disappointed. I cannot recommend this film.

Collection ID 1603
Director: Wilson Yip
Starring: Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung, Jin Zhang, Mike Tyson, Patrick Tam
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, History
Studio: Dreams Salon Entertainment Culture   Release date: 2015   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): Cantonese, English (China, Hong Kong)
Summary: The year is 1959, where Ip Man lives in Hong Kong with his wife and his younger son. Trouble arises when a corrupt property developer and his thugs terrorize the school where Ip Man's son goes to. Ip Man and his disciples have to help the police guard the school day and night. On the other hand, Ip Man has to deal with his wife's terminal sickness, and at the same time faces a challenge from another Wing Chun fighter who ambitiously seeks to claim the Wing Chun Grandmaster title.
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Collection ID 719
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow
Genre: Action & Adventure
Studio: Paramount   Release date: 2008   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French, Spanish (USA)
Summary: Suit up for action with Robert Downey Jr. in the ultimate adventure movie you’ve been waiting for, "Iron Man"! When jet-setting genius-industrialist Tony Stark is captured in enemy territory, he builds a high-tech suit of armor to escape. Now, he’s on a mission to save the world as a hero who’s built, not born, to be unlike any other. Co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges, it’s a fantastic, high-flying journey that is "hugely entertaining" (Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal).
My Rating:
My Review: Another comic book adaptation. Thankfully, this one is done right. Directed by Jon Favreau (Swingers, The Replacements, Elf) and starring Robert Downey Jr. (as Tony Stark/Iron Man), Terrence Howard (as Rhodey/The General), Jeff Bridges (as Obadiah Stane), Gwyneth Paltrow (as Pepper Potts) and others. Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Bridges were excellent. Utterly convincing in their roles. The character portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. was fantastic. I really enjoyed the slightly annoying, imperfect, self-absorbed anti-hero aspects of Tony Stark, and Robert Downey Jr. was a casting coup in that regard. Given Downey's personality, I got the feeling that he was Tony Stark. Terrence Howard was unbelievable in his military role, and Gwyneth Paltrow was so-so. The story - Capitalist, billionaire, playboy, inventor, self-made man - Tony Stark is kidnapped after demonstrating the 'Jericho' to an audience of U.S. military procurement personnel in Afghanistan. During the violent abduction, Stark is wounded but survives. Forced to build the 'Jericho' for his abductors, Stark deceives the dimwitted terrorists and builds a suit of powered armor instead. After affecting his escape, he learns the truth behind his kidnapping and the sales of weapons in Afghanistan. He then builds a new suit and sets off on a career of crime fighting, starting with those who sought to use and assassinate him. Excellent movie. Great sound track, and a level of visual detail beyond anything I've seen in a long time. The cgi/screen effects were superbly executed - utterly convincing. A great summer blockbuster escape. The only let down was the soundtrack. It was good, but the trailers left me anticipating something better. Be sure to sit through the credits for the extra scene. 5 out of 5.