The Man With The Iron Fists

Are you in the mood for checking out an old school King-Fu flick? How about one with an update that includes hip-hop music and stylish visuals? I was, as I went to check out the latest movie release at the local cinema The Man With The Iron Fists. Was this movie a trip down memory lane to the martial arts movies that I loved to watch as a kid over the weekend, or should I have left well enough alone? Here are my thoughts.

With an international cast that features iconic actors and actresses featuring Lucy Liu, Russell Crowe, Gordon Liu and introducing Hip Hop Producer extraordinaire, the RZA who also wrote and directed. The Man With The Iron Fists is a return to the epic Kung-Fu stories of back in the day that features an action packed struggle between warriors, assassins and the lone hero that's caught in the middle.

Set in China during the nineteenth century in a small community called Jungle Village, an african american blacksmith makes his living providing weapons of death to the various clans that inhabit the village often under threat of violence.

Unrest soon develops after a routine delivery of a gold shipment is seized by one of the clans during a pit stop in Jungle Village, therefore bringing out all of the other clans who want a piece of the action. As you can expect all hell breaks loose culminating in some wild Kung-Fu action and drama. The battles that ensue threaten to destroy the village and the blacksmith must now help to defend his adopted home.

If you happen to look unfavorably at these types of movies as silly exploitation mess with extreme levels of violence and tongue in cheek dialogue that often makes no sense, this movie won't change your opinion at all. However, myself and fans all over used to get a kick out of these movies and so did all the talent that's involved including the director as you can tell that the RZA is a strong fan of this genre and it shows all throughout the film.

The direction is fast paced with very good martial arts sequences with a running tine of about an hour and a half that's over fairly quickly. Don't expect any real story as most of what happens is just a setup for the fast action and campy dialogue with a little sexuality thrown in for good measure.

While it may not win over serious movie goers, this is a treat for hardcore martial arts fans and I enjoyed it so much all the while noticing its flaws especially in the story and acting department. However Lucy Liu and Russell Crowe bring in some good acting gravitas in their scenes with Crowe stealing the show as an intelligence officer with a sharp knife to go along with his sharp personality.

In Summary: The Man With The Iron Fists is a nice little martial arts movie throwback with a little hip-hop thrown in and while it won't appeal to everyone, it seems to be OK with that.

The Man With The Iron Fists B. Rated R for strong violence, nudity and some offensive language. Providing useful articles, reviews and writings on movies and films online.

Movie Review: "Page Eight"

Rating: PG, Length: 99 minutes, Release Date: June 18, 2011, Directed by: David Hare, Genre: Drama/Mystery.

"Page Eight" is a political drama produced by the BBC as a made-for-television film. David Hare, well known as a British television writer, is the writer and director of "Page Eight." The primary cast members include Judy Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Tom Hughes, Bill Nighy, and Rachel Weisz. "Page Eight" debuted at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. It was later broadcast on BBC Two, BBC HD, and PBS.

Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) is an officer in MI5, the British intelligence service. His boss is Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon), the Director General of MI5. Baron is married to Johnny's ex-wife and is raising Johnny's daughter as his own. Baron, just before he dies of a heart attack, passes over a report to Johnny. Johnny notices a potentially explosive passage on page eight. This passage mentions that Americans are torturing prisoners in overseas prisons with the knowledge of the British government.

Johnny infers that Baron wanted him to make the report public, but MI5 officer Jill Tankard (Judy Davis) disagrees with this course of action. Tankard is working directly for the Prime Minister, who wants the report buried. The Prime Minister also promotes the Home Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister in order to buy her silence about the report. Johnny later discovers that Tankard has been using her son to keep tabs on Johnny.

Meanwhile, Johnny gets to know his neighbor Nancy Pierpan (Rachel Weisz), whose brother was killed by the Israeli Army with the help of an MI5 agent. The audience is left guessing about the exact nature of the relationship between them, although it seems as if it is staged. Furthermore, it is clear that MI5 is monitoring their conversations.

Johnny is eventually forced to leave his job in order discover the truth about the report. He disappears, leaving a painting with Nancy. She later hears a news broadcast announcing that the British government knew about the circumstances of her brother's death. She knows that Johnny has leaked the information to the press and realizes that the painting Johnny left her is a clue to his whereabouts.

"Page Eight" explores the distrust that typically exists between the public and politicians. It does this by looking past the headlines on torture and prisons that were especially common when the film was made. Most films in this genre include car chases, explosions, shoot-outs, and assassinations. Hare keeps this film firmly grounded in the real world, so the characters only resort to violence when all else fails.

Hare does not fill the script with light banter or use any lines containing real warmth. The carefully stylized nature of the film means that it carries little emotional content. This is most apparent when Johnny critiques his daughter's painting. Many directors would use this scene to illustrate the bond between father and daughter, but Johnny describes the painting as if he were a professional art critic.

The acting in "Page Eight" is consistently excellent, especially that of Fiennes as the despicable Prime Minister. The ideas in the film are complex, and do not underestimate the viewer's intelligence. The cast members clearly enjoy the subtle dialogue and direction of the film, although many moviegoers will be accustomed to films with faster pacing.

This film has two primary story lines that mingle together as the film moves forward. Two of the subplots revolve around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Nancy's brother. The first main story line is about Johnny's personal life, which is almost nonexistent due to his inability to trust anyone. For example, he is extremely suspicious when Nancy shows an interest in him. This prevents the relationship from developing into a romance, and instead restricts it to a mutual friendship.

Johnny's inability to express himself with any emotion ensures that he is unlikely ever to fall in love. His relationship with Nancy is primarily based on a fondness for arts and culture. Johnny's least serious relationship is with Baron, who teases him affectionately.

The other story line in "Page Eight" follows Johnny's professional life as he deals with the possibility of the Americans extracting information through torture. This part of the film shows that the torture itself is not as alarming as the fact that it has been officially acknowledged. "Page Eight" shows a government plunging into moral bankruptcy, as Johnny tries not to fall in line with this thinking. Johnny must remain grounded while resisting the pressure of the bureaucracy around him.

Watch the trailer for "Page Eight" here. Rating: 4 out of 5. Providing useful articles, reviews and writings on movies and films online.

Reviews of Famous Martial Arts Movies, The Brothers Five

Out of all Cheng Pei-Pei movies, "The Brothers Five" which was released in 1970 was probably the most queer as the main female lead in the movie was not the center of the story at any time. Still, with the help of an excellent cast which included the beautiful Pei-Pei, director Lo-Wei pulled off an amazing movie.

Like all other wuxia movies during that period, the movie has nothing new on offer as far as the script is concerned. The movie begins with Yueh Hua helping a man who was being roughed up by the driver of a coach while going to the Flying Dragon Villa, a mansion that is usually not spoken of by the villagers.

Yueh Hua beats the driver who runs away leaving behind a driver-less carriage. Yueh Hua finds Yan Loi (Cheng Pei-Pei) sitting inside the carriage. Yan was herself going to the Flying Dragon Villa. So Yueh offers to driver her coach and together they head for the Villa.

Gao Wei (Yueh Hua) wards of a few more bad guys on the way and then Yan Loi tells her story. Gao Wei was going to meet Yan's father who is dead and the evil Long Zhen Feng is responsible. We are then introduced another revenge story that unfolds gradually. "The Brothers Five" have the usual wuxia style of plot which is set in a world filled with martial arts exponents.

The action sequences are well thought and executed. We are introduced to the Flying Dragon Villa almost half an hour after the movie starts. The first fight scene at the Villa featuring a blacksmith (Chin Han) and a group of baddies is a feast and the original location adds to the thrill. Devoid of any background music, the scene is filled with wide shots plus loads of mouth-watering action.

The film might seem predictable at times with the brothers arriving one after another, but most of the time the movie is exciting and well planned. All the five brothers are eventually drawn towards the Flying Dragon Villa in a series of well thought and executed events.

The timing for the release of "The Brothers Five" was perfect. It does not have the usual super-male quotient as other Cheh movies, nor does it have the stodgy factor as in the earlier Shaw movies during the 60s. Male chauvinism is, for once, is never the highlight of the movie. The usage of real locations to show the Flying Dragon Villa is a welcome relief and it is in fact exciting to watch the brilliant actions scenes against the backdrop of blue sky as well as greenery.

"The Brothers Five" is definitely lengthy when compared to other movies by Cheh. But you can't really complain when you have a 15 minutes long climax which is filled with heart-stopping sword fights and feisty hammer fights. This is the movie to choose if you are a fan of such thrilling and well-crafted action. Providing useful articles, reviews and writings on movies and films online.

Where To Sell Those VHS Titles

The last thing I want to do is to put you off any of your own ideas about where to sell those VHS Titles that you have accumulated over the years. Or maybe you are an enthusiastic collector who wants to free up some space in what was once a 3 bedroom house and is now a 2 bedroom house with a large shed upstairs.

But seriously, there are many places you could try to sell your VHS Tapes. There are plenty of online outlets including eBay, Craigslist.com and Amazon, etc. You can sell domestically from garage sales, car boots and the classified ads in your local newspaper.

The thing to remember is this; you want to get as targeted a buying audience as possible and that being the case - you also want that audience to be as big as possible.

Selling VHS Titles is very much a niche enterprise and that niche is split into smaller niches. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to try to get your VHS Titles in front of all the people who might be interested.

Some buyers may only be interested in documentaries, others in trains or travel. Still others may collect comedy or live band performances etc.

But if all these people are looking in the same place, then there is a good chance that they will see some of your video titles - if they are there to be seen.

The largest marketplaces are of course eBay and Amazon.

I am only going to recommend Amazon - WHY?

For one very good reason. Amazon has a real advantage over eBay because it actually has a category called "VHS" and eBay does not.

Instead, eBay has a category called, "DVD's, Films & TV".

Yes, it's true that if you type 'VHS tapes' into the eBay search bar, then look under the categories heading, you will see, "Videos: VHS" mentioned.

But here is the real difference.....

The last time I looked, eBay was showing 2,337 listings under that heading, but at the same time, Amazon had over 83,000.

Amazon is by far the most popular place for selling and is the obvious marketplace for a niche selling enterprise.

Whether you are a collector or simply selling redundant VHS Tapes which are lying around the house - something you should definitely consider obtaining is an up-to-date and proper;y researched list of VHS Titles. A list that shows you which tapes have a value. There are many, many VHS Tapes being advertised on Amazon.co.uk for 1 penny. This is ridiculous and it will be a total waste of your time to try selling some of your VHS Titles when clearly there may be a saturated market for certain titles.

So you either need a researched list or else you will have to research each one of your titles individually. This isn't such a big deal if you only have a few, but if you have a shed-load or you are actually sourcing VHS Titles as a means of providing a second income, then having a list which tells you which VHS Titles have value, is something which will save you enormous amounts of time and also prevent you wasting money buying tapes that have little or no value.

Anyway, I hope I have given you some ideas. It only remains for me to wish you good luck in selling your tapes. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Is Television Positive or Negative for Our Society?

In society, television can be positive or negative depending on the different views. I will consider various aspects of television, like watching for leisure, for news and generating jobs, in addition to becoming addicted, and trash TV ads. I am going to analyse the arguments for and against television.

Many people believe that television is a good way to relax because they can sit with friends and watch it together. My friends and I are hooked on an American series called 'Awkward', a romantic comedy, and I usually talk about it with them. It's a good way to share our interests. In addition, TV helps me stay in touch with world news. When I want to know something important or spend time, I usually turn on the small screen and watch the news. It is often very interesting and it is inevitable that you will learn something new. I think that the television industry is very special. This industry generates jobs and income for the economy. Television has existed for less than 150 years, so I think it's very inspiring that the industry is so large and includes many different people in the work. It is an industry through which thousands of people have jobs that otherwise would not be available.

Furthermore, there are many disadvantages of television also. First, there is too much junk on the TV. Every time I turn on the idiot box, the first thing I see is a contest to win money. Today it seems that all channels have only gossip programs and competitions stupid. It's a shame that art well done program dies. We live in a materialistic society that likes to watch TV is useless because an escape from their own lives. In addition, television ads are very annoying in my opinion. Interrupt programs too, especially in Spain and in America, because they are very long. Also affect children and parents have no control over the types of ads that their children watch.

There is another problem with television when parents do not block the channels that show inappropriate content. Increasingly, there are violent or sexual movies during the day, so if parents do not censor those channels and care for their children they may have their children becoming addicted to the wrong type of programs. Despite this, I do not think censoring is effective because people can search for what they want on the net. Parents would also have to censor certain websites to make this ban on television effective. Finally I think it is horrible that in England it is imperative that people have to buy the public channels if they want to watch them.

My conclusion is that the key problem is today's society. The popularity of these programs depends on the viewers and it is shown that all programs inappropriate content or people who make bad decisions. I suggest that if people watch less TV in general and focus on socializing, then everyone would be healthier mentally and would watch less trash on the boob tube. I do not like television because it has a negative and addictive impact on society. Providing useful articles, reviews and writings on movies and films online.

Things to Do In Orlando Harry Potter Theme Park

First came the thick books, then the blockbuster movies, now Harry Potter fans can experience the world of magic through the Harry Potter theme Park in Orlando, Florida. With almost six years in the making and a cost of roughly about $200 million, Universal Island of Adventure was opened to the public in June of 2010. Since day 1, countless of Harry Potter fans around the world visited the place for its magical scenery and exciting Wizarding activities. It didn't take a long time for the park to become a legit tourist attraction in Orlando.

This 20-acre Wizarding World is an area inside the Island of Adventure Theme Park. Right from its entrance gate, visitors are welcomed with a stone arch of the Hogsmeade village by a steam-blowing train of Hogwarts Express. In front of it is a stretch taken straight from the movies: crooked-chimneyed old English shops along its winding road while snow-capped roofs are gleaming in the Florida sunshine.

Because of the popularity of the park, it's normal to see the park very crowded, everyday. So if you're planning to take your kids and the whole family to see the magical Harry Potter universe come to life, make sure you follow these tips:

1. Get there Early

Avoiding peak hours is your best option for a hassle-free visit. If you don't want to spend long minutes waiting in the long line just to get in the rides, make sure you arrive early. Also, the park usually closes during peak hours later in the day.

2. Take full advantage of Bypass Line-Ups

Universal Studio Theme Park helps guests who can't be at the park early through their alternative routes. There are three ways to bypass line-ups;

a. Staying at the Universal Orlando Resort and getting free "Universal Express" access.

b. Buying the Universal Express ticket.

c. Getting a VIP tour at a premium price.

3. Avoid crowded areas, such as shops.

As much as you want to purchase souvenirs, don't waste your time in buying items in crowded shops. There are tons of souvenir shops inside the theme park where you can get merchandise items. If you're thinking of going shopping inside the park, then you better avoid shopping in small shops. Those in the lower area of the Hogwarts Castle are better options for shopping.

4. Purchase wand at the Owl Post shop rather than in Olivanders.

Getting your own wand is a part of the whole Harry Potter theme park experience; however lines can be quite long in the Olivander wand shop, as it can only accommodate so much people at once. Owl Post shop on the other hand, is quite accessible in the connecting Banges and Dervish shops. Also, this shop is far more spacious.

5. Wait for the Lights

Though it can be quite tiring to walk around the park for hours, staying inside until night will allow you to see more magical ambiance of the park, completing your whole Harry Potter Theme Park experience. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.