Reviews written by Gary
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The Flowers Of War (2011) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
The Flowers Of War (2011) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(2)Our Price: US$17.99Usually ships within 7 to 14 daysRelated promotions:1 people found this review helpful
December 12, 2014 Far-fetched, poor...and plagiarised?Yes beautifully shot in many ways, but mostly pretty poor.
Sorry James Mudge, BUT...
The story-line of Christian Bale being an American mortician roaming seemingly unconcerned around 1937 war-torn Nanking looking for a priest's corpse to bury while the city is being engulfed, raped and destroyed all around him with 200,000 other corpses strewn around that also need burying I found quite absurd. Christian Bale's acting was miserable and mediocre at best. The scene with him hiding in a steel boiler with 2 terrified schoolgirls and him babbling in English, laughing and making stupid jokes with the Japanese all around and searching for them was ridiculous. His lines are lame and he looks like he's acting half-heartedly in a bad school play. From a greedy, drunken idiot unwashed mortician he becomes a scrubbed priest, a saint and a hero in one instant. Hallelujah! Last, using his profound mortician skills he makeovers a bunch of hookers into 14 year old schoolgirls who easily fool the Japanese, making idiots of the Japanese High command who never pursue him: Ezy-pezy, Japanezy! Please!! And why did we need an unbelievable Christian Bale at all in this unbelievable movie? For the American audience, of course.
If all this nonsense is not enough, the story itself seems to be plagiarised from Pearl S. Buck's book, "Dragon Seed, China at War" written about 1942. Quote:"In one chapter, Buck describes Chinese girls - students and prostitutes - hiding in a missionary controlled school. When Japanese soldiers demand girls, the prostitutes offer themselves to save the young student girls."... Did you acknowledge Pearl Buck, Zhang Yimou? One star for this alone!
Two far better films on the subject is the mostly factual 'Escape From Huang Shi', aka 'The Children of Huang Shi', and the amazing TRUE story 'QIXIA TEMPLE 1937', if you can find it. No need for American morticians in this one.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Dae Jang Geum (2003) (End) (DVD) (English Subtitled) (MBC TV Drama) (Singapore Version)
Dae Jang Geum (2003) (End) (DVD) (English Subtitled) (MBC TV Drama) (Singapore Version) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$51.99Related promotions:July 11, 2014 Another Poor Singapore VersionMost of the reviewers are commenting on the US version by YA Entertainment that unfortunately is no longer available. I do have both the US and also the Singapore version by Poh Kim. The Singapore version leaves much to be desired. The picture quality is compressed from the 18 D5 discs in the bright, clear US version, to either 14 D5 or 7 D9 discs in the Singapore versions, resulting in a picture lacking in definition. Worse, Poh Kim have decided to chop certain scenes entirely from their version, leaving the viewer wondering why the sudden and unexplained cut from one scene to another. Why couldn't they have left it alone? Money and cheap-ass Singapore production considerations I guess. (See my review of Poh Kim's edition of 9 Times Time Travel DVD). I would advise to avoid Poh Kim, but there is not much alternative now that we can't obtain the US DJG editions anymore, so it is better than nothing. Even in it's butchered Singapore version, this is a superb, unique drama that must be seen. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Iris (DVD) (9-Disc) (English Subtitled) (End) (KBS TV Drama) (Korea Version)
Iris (DVD) (9-Disc) (English Subtitled) (End) (KBS TV Drama) (Korea Version) DVD Region 3, 4, 5, 6
(1)Our Price: US$74.99List: US$97.99Save: US$23.00 (23%)Related promotions:July 10, 2014 hello BillyDoes anyone know if the 6 disc Singapore version is complete, or has it been cut? The Korean version is 9 discs. I know they should both be 20 episodes, but I'm wondering if some scenes have been cut from the Singapore edition. The Singapore distributors have been known to do this with some of their titles. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Iceman (2014) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Iceman (2014) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$10.99Usually ships within 7 to 14 daysRelated promotions:2 people found this review helpful
July 10, 2014 poor donniePoor old Donnie must have done this to pay off the tax man - or his cosmetic surgeon. After such greats as Ip Man and Wuxia, to have to grovel to make a CGI nonsense movie fit for 5 year olds, with no plot and no dialogue and pathetic martial arts sequences...and poor Donnie was the so-called "action" director! Along with the tired old Simon Yam playing the usual corrupt HK cop role that we've seen a hundred times before, it's really sad. I hope poor Donnie can either do something worthy of himself next time - or otherwise retire for good. Don't bother. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Firestorm (2013) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Firestorm (2013) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$10.99Usually ships within 7 to 14 daysRelated promotions:July 10, 2014 the real killer is Andy Lau's hairstyle!Fast, action-packed intense drama with a few good twists and turns in the plot, tight acting but with far too many explosions, cars, buses and cops flying through the air in the centre of HK in true Hollywood style. The Hong Kong swat police must be the most incompetent and poorest shots in the world. Hundreds of swat police outgunned and out-manoeuvred by a few baddies who nail dozens of HK's finest and can't be killed except by Andy who gets every one of them. Thank god the Hongkers police have Andy on their side. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Nine: 9 Times Time Travel (DVD) (End) (Multi-audio) (English Subtitled) (tvN TV Drama) (Malaysia Version)
Nine: 9 Times Time Travel (DVD) (End) (Multi-audio) (English Subtitled) (tvN TV Drama) (Malaysia Version) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$48.99Related promotions:1 people found this review helpful
June 27, 2014 Nine Times Time Travel English Subtitled MALAYSIA VersionNine: Nine Times Time Travel (DVD) (End) (Multi-audio) (English Subtitled) MALAYSIA Version.
See my previous review of the Singapore Poh Kim version for comparison: I have now received and watched the first half hour of the MALAYSIA version by PMP Entertainment. The English subtitles are all PERFECT and in the right place - no long gaps with no subtitles at all as in the Poh Kim / Ocean Rainbow Singapore version - no out of sync subtitles, no subtitles which have no relation to the scene being viewed. This Malaysia version is the one to buy for those who want English subtitles. This is not the first title that Poh Kim have butchered. Of all things to mess with, the Poh Kim Singapore version of Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in the Palace) has entire episodes missing. I will be avoiding Poh Kim titles in future.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Nine: Nine Times Time Travel (DVD) (End) (Multi-audio) (English Subtitled) (tvN TV Drama) (Singapore Version)
Nine: Nine Times Time Travel (DVD) (End) (Multi-audio) (English Subtitled) (tvN TV Drama) (Singapore Version) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$40.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:2 people found this review helpful
May 30, 2014 Nine: Nine Times Time TravelNine: Nine Times Time Travel (DVD) (End) (Multi-audio) (English Subtitled Singapore Version)
If you want English subtitles, do not buy this Singapore version! I have returned mine to YesAsia for a credit, as the DVD was unwatchable. There are long conversations where there are no English subtitles at all; there are scenes which have no relation at all to the subtitles displayed, and there are scenes where the subtitles are referring to scenes already past or still yet to be shown. I put up with it for about half an hour, and turned it off. Ocean Rainbow/Poh Kim need to completely re-do the English subtitles!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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