"Don't judge a book by its cover." We've all heard that phrase before, and if ever that tried and true proverb needs uttering it's when discussing Gareth Rhys Jones' 1999 directorial debut, Bodywork. I don't know if it was Lions Gate or Avalanche Video who picked the horrendous cover art for this disc, but whoever it was should be taken out back and poked repeatedly with a sharp stick Bodywork has more in common with the quirky storytelling of Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels than anything, and I'm not even sure who those people are on the cover. It looks like the two stars, but there is not a scene anywhere in the film that remotely resembles that shot.

Rhys Jones, who also wrote the screenplay, does a fine job of keeping the quirkiness factor pretty high without becoming too over the top. Much of the plot centres around some genuinely comic sequences, and as such doesn't necessarily come across as particularly true to life. However, like Ritchie, Rhys Jones can present a series of tragic and comic events together in such a way as to make it entertaining, and that works for me. An unexpected murder caused by Q-tips occurs near the film's conclusion, and that is a good representation of some of the typically left-of-centre elements Rhys Jones puts out there. To add to the general tone of strangeness, there are brief moments inter-cut throughout the story where the characters, seated in some antiseptic all-white room, are discussing their relationship with Virgil, and we're not sure until the end (and maybe even then) where they are, or if he is dead or alive. Not as gritty or violent as Ritchie's work, Bodywork does still have a nice mix of eccentric secondary characters that make this film a lot of fun. The late Charlotte Coleman (Four Weddings And A Funeral) is the elfishly cute car thief Tiffany Shades, who is partnered with the wiry crook Legal (Simon Gregor). Peter Moreton, as the son of the unscrupulous car dealer, is one of those comically violent types that always seem on the verge of exploding into a rage. The two investigators, exasperated Scot Sgt. Billy Hunch (Clive Russell) and gun happy Det. Danny Sparks (Grahame Fox) are a couple of extremely funny characters, and I wish these two would have had more screen time.


Another weak and contrived Brit' crime drama with comedy aspirations as a group of characters sit in a white room and recall the incidents that led to them coming together starting with the sale of a dodgy motor...

No performance on earth can save what is basically a poorly developed script.

Distinctly unsatisfying.


What we have here is yet another undercooked look at criminals in the UK. There is plenty of killing but, hey, it's all okay because just about everyone with a gun is really a good person with a nifty sense of humor. I was especially appalled by the gratuitous murder of a carefree young Buddhist woman. Real nice.

Hans Matheson plays our hero Virgil Guppy. He's pretty bland in the role and his transformation into a confident and cunning crook didn't convince me for a moment. Anyway, the story goes something like this. Virgil buys a Jaguar from a used car dealer. The car breaks down after only 4 miles and he wants his money back. The guy who owns the dealership actually obtains his cars from an auto theft ring and he doesn't like people trying to tell him what to do.

Next thing you know, our hero has been framed for the murder of a prostitute and he now needs to find out who the real killer is before he's locked away.

Virgil ends up getting hit by a car which is driven by Tiffany, played by the marvelous Charlotte Coleman. Surprise of surprises, she steals cars for a living and often deals with the guy who owns the aforementioned dealership. Well, that guy is soon murdered and the bodies keep piling up.

I guess if you're into the whole humorous British petty (or not so petty) criminal genre then you won't be offended by anything you see here. It's all rather tame and except for the Buddhist's murder there is nothing shocking. The humor is, of course, quite dry and draws the occasional laugh. Charlotte Coleman is the stand out performance here. She is at once strong, charming, determined, touching and beautiful. Her character is the only one the viewer actually cares about and she showed what a stunning actress she truly was.

When the true murderer is revealed, it is disappointing to say the least when their motive is given. "Because I can." That should give you an idea of just how much thought went into this screenplay. I was mildly entertained but nothing more. 3/10


I always regarded Hallmark as "the TV channel that I can skip over". That is until I saw this movie. I was lucky enough to flip past it just at the begining while I was waiting for my friend to get ready for a party we were supposed to go to. We didn't go. We watched this instead.

After having seen as many movies as I (who hardly does anything else) this was a very welcome break from the monotony of the standard portrayal of the native americans. I am not a native american (or even american, I'm european) but still it was very nice to get to see "the other side of the story". Next to the story I need to applaud the many outstanding performances by the actors and actresses, of which regretably none so far is well known. Also to be noted is some exceptional cinematography combined with great special effects (for a TV movie).

Great story, which has something to say. Great acting/directing. Great cinematic craftsmanship. What else could be asked from a movie?

Had it been produced by a movie theater production company it would have become a huge hit, but unfortunately it will now probably be lost among the TV movie onslaught.

If you have a chance to see this: take it.


Yesterday i bought the movie the Dreamkeeper because the little scenes i saw on TV during a commercial interested me a lot. I must say that this story was for sure not a disappointment because it is really a beautiful story which is a mix of fantasy, legends and old stories. In this story a boy from the Lakota Sioux tribe has problems because he has a quilt with an Indian gang. His grandfather wants to visit the powwow, which is a meeting between all kinds of tribes from the USA, in which the dances and traditions will be shared. The grandfather wants that his grandson takes him to the powwow and as reward he will receive a car from his grandfather. In the beginning he don't want that but when he realizes that he also has 1 day to pay the money back to the gang than it maybe could be a good alternative to escape. During the trip his grandfather starts to tell him stories which form the base of the movie. During the stories you enter a time of legends and fantasies but with every story the grandfather is teaching the grandson a lesson in life. The maker of this movie also made Arabian nights and you can see it a little back in this movie because the setup is the same because in Arabian nights a woman tells a movie to the sultan she wants to marry. This story really impressed me and i enjoyed it a lot, also because i am very interested in Indian tribes. This movie deserves a 9 out of 10 because i kept my attention for the full 3 hours it took, in one word beautiful and well done.


In South Dakota, in an Indian reservation, an old storyteller Indian (August Schellenberger) asks his grandson Shane (Eddie Spears), who is in trouble owing money to some bad guys, to take his old pony and him to Albuquerque to the great powwow, an Indian meeting. While traveling, Grandpa tells mysterious Indian tales of love, friendship and magic.

What a great surprise was watching "Dreamkeeper"! Released on VHS in Brazil, with 167 minutes running time, it is composed by several wonderful mystical Indian tales, with gods, spirits, enchanted horse, evil serpent in a lake, all of them connected through the narrative of the Grandpa to his son and with the support of excellent cast and special effects. This feel-good film is a must-see entertainment for the whole family. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Guardião dos Sonhos" ("The Dreamkeeeper")


As a Native American I hate movies that play out the old "cowboys and Indians" theme, which severely limited the "indian" movies I would watch. I am SO GLAD to FINALLY see a movie that shows Native Americans as we are in real life rather than the traditional depiction as scalp-seeking-savages, tells our stories, and shows how life on the reservation truly is today. This movie (to me,) breaks down a lot of the negative stereotypes made on our people, which are generally fueled by movies. I think it is very important to have movies like this to help dissolve a lot of racial stereotypes, and share our legends with the newer generation. I was amazed when I saw the depictions of stories I had actually heard as a child, growing up in Tahlequah Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation Capitol. I wish all movies could be like this... as a matter of fact, I think i am going to watch it again right now!!!


I was frankly shocked to see something this good on commercial TV. A great story, great acting, great cinematography, and so true in every detail. How it ever got by the ABC execs I'll never know, since it's just miles ahead of the usual garbage they present. Of course it tanked in the ratings, but I don't think it was promoted too well. The one gripe I had was the constant and lengthy commercial breaks that thoroughly broke up the flow (well, I guess that's how they paid for it...). How about PBS picking up the actors, crew, consultants and writers for a series? Yoohoo, Ken Burns where are you??


DreamKeeper is one of the movies that will accompany you forever. It contains today and yesterday and helps the understanding of the true history of the American Indian. The situation of many Indians today living in reservations and being in a cycle of vandalism, alcohol and drug problems does not go unmentioned. But there is hope for many because the roots of them and the old stories are still there. So you melt into wonderful pictures and stories given from the grandfather to his grandson being on their way to a meeting of all nations. The intertwining of the genres(road movie, drama, tales) is very well made and John Fusco did another great job with the creation of the script. The actors have been well chosen and you feel that they are not just acting in a movie they are truly concerned and giving you their story. Behind all is a message not only for the Indians to again respect more their ancestry and live it but to the 'white people' as well. The commitment of all the people who made this movie possible is very much appreciated.


On the whole it was a very well done production. I can't wait for it to be available on DVD so I can enjoy it without all the commercials.

I was familiar with some of the legends but not all of them. It was good to hear them and see them come "to life". I was overjoyed to see so many Native Americans and Native Canadians (isn't Canada part of North America?) portray the cast in an honest and proud way.


Deeply moving . The power of myth brought to life . Creative use of modern film editing to bring the supernatural to realistic visions.The importance of passing on the ancient Native American stories from one generation to the next.


I saw a special 2 hour version of Dreamkeeper at a screening at UCLA film school (there's another 45 minutes that will be in the televised version, I think it's being shown for two nights, end of December.) This is an incredible piece of filmmaking and storytelling, better and more authentic in many ways that Dances with Wolves (Dances is hyper-hokie in many places.) The last film about Native Americans that was this good was the Canadian production Black Robe.

Dreamkeeper is brilliantly directed, written, acted, executed. I'm pretty jaded watching films, but yes, I laughed and cried (okay, tears didn't actually fall, but moistened my eyes were.) The visuals are staggering. Buffalo stampedes, fights, dream sequences all believable. What's really cool is that the intertwining of the stories works so well, a current story of a grandpa telling his bored grandson Indian legends that become real flashbacks. Superbly written and shot, the director (Steve Barron, an award-winning video director) pulls all elements together and lets the legends tell themselves (okay, I'm really biased against video directors making features, all show and no tell. Dreamkeeper, however, is show and tell done well, ain't that swell?) The two lead actors, Eddie Spears and August Schellenberg don't appear to be acting, they inhabit their contemporary rolls. Each legend has it's own feel and rhythm, and are beatifully directed and edited. And it's all politically correct to boot (apparently each legend had consultants and advisers from the specific tribes.)

Hats off to Hallmark Entertainment for taking the great risk to make this staggeringly good production. It should be released as a feature, because it played incredibly well on the big screen at UCLA. Dreamkeeper is a better and more important film than anything in the theaters today. Grab a beer, fry some bread, and sit down at your own home and watch this wonderful miniseries.


every time i see the movie..tears come into my eyes..... goosebumps allover.... I really respect the native, i wish i was one of them. respect human and animals....

I must write 10 line at least, but i think my comment is enough right now! ! ! ! ! !;) :) make more of these movies! show ignorant people how to live right show them to have respect for the older show them to have respect for all the animals, big and small show them to have respect for nature!!!!!!!!!!!! when do we finally realize , the world is dying??!! help others to survive this terrible world..it can be so beautiful!


Finally a movie about Native-Americans by Native-Americans. Okay, so some of them are Canadian, so perhaps we should add "Aboriginal." Many of the actors have appeared in other U.S. as well as Canadian films of and about Aboriginal peoples but I'm sure I have never seen a film so dominated by them. And one of them has the courage to say it is not the current generations of "white eyes" who stole their lands, but our forefathers, Gen. Custer, President Grant, John Wayne, etc. This should be required showing in every U.S. and Canadian history class but of course the fundies would most certainly object because of the mysticism.


I really liked this one since there was an all star cast. I loved how there were different legends told from all over Turtle Island. Most of the stories took place in the Plains however the one from the West Coast as well as the one Haudenasaunee story were real cool! Of course, I love Native women and the ones in this one were sexy! Kimberly Guererro is hot as well as Alex Rice. Those were just 2 examples of the gorgeous women.

But I'm surprised that this was only a made-for-TV film and not one to go into the mainstream theatres. Were they worried that it wouldn't make it well enough on the big screen or something? Regardless of how much it would make in the box office, I think it should have gone there anyway! It's stupid just to worry about how much money something is going to make without at least giving it a chance first.

But... ANYWAYS... excellent one nonetheless. That's why I gave it a perfect 10.


I stumbled across this on YouTube and started watching, it had me completely hooked. The story of the Thunder Spirit had me openly weeping, the sadness was so profound. I have since bought this film and on a bigger-than-computer screen it was truly wonderful. This film is such a welcome antidote to the saccharine, formulaic 'opium for the people' tripe that makes up the majority of what is churned out by Hollywood every year. Something with real depth, resonance and poignancy. I am a European and white and feel that this story / these stories, while Native American in origin and tradition, have something of enormous value to teach all of us. I couldn't agree more with the comments of the first reviewer.


I would certainly recommend this film to anyone and everyone, especially as i've just watched this film and as soon as i'd seen it once, I immediately wanted to start watching it again, it was fantastic. I didn't even realise how much time had past between me starting to watch it and finish watching it. It certainly made me laugh, as well as cry, especially the end after Shane arrives at the Pow-Wow in Alberqueque & sees in the people there, some of the elements of the people in the stories that he was told by his grandfather before he died on the way, then watching him beat the drum to start the storytelling and remembering what he was like at the beginning rebelling against everyone & everything.


Dreamkeeper shocked me with wonder when I saw it on regular ABC TV a few years ago... many moons ago... how time has flown. I caught only a part of it. I just finally requested it at local video / DVD shop and they have it. I viewed it entirely tonight on DVD. I am so thrilled with Dreamkeeper that I shared in with a project that I am member of --- The Mankind Project New Mexico. I love Native American culture and philosophy. DREAMKEEPER has really done the job of giving the Native American USA message. Dreamkeeper is extremely different and powerful. I may buy copies to give as gifts. How wonderful that Red brothers and sisters have shared this vision with us. How great that an international group of artists have given me this wonderful gift of joy and power.

I love that Native Americans have commented on the film and were depicted in such a wonderful manner.


I have to comment on Galloway Grumblefield's reply because I'm another white person (20-something male) who share's his/her sentiments and then some. The movie speaks for itself and I'd definitely recommend the miniseries "Into the West" as well which stars some of the same characters from Dreamkeeper. There are no words to describe the emotion that fills within me when thinking about the lives of American Indians. To me they should be regarded as the "super-race" for the sheer fact that they, along with the Buffalo, after being not only marginalized, tokenized, robbed, and yes, decimated almost to literal extinction (remember, even the kids and babies were shot by the U.S. army), they, into the new millennium are still here and their numbers have increased (as of the year 2000 there are about 2 and 1/2 million Native Americans alive today). Of course they're the poorest demographic in the country, worse than that of other minorities, comparatively speaking, and still are facing repression and other forms of harassment and forced relocation by the U.S. government (now empire). The good note is that films such as these shed light on the true nature of the Indigenous American as well as expose the inhumane and inhuman treatment (which exists TO THIS DAY) that they have endured on soil that belonged and by human rights still belongs to them. A progressive people's movement, which already exists, although pathetically fragmented since 9/11, needs to come together and at the center of it needs to be the will of the Native American, even spearheaded and centered around them. Justice needs to finally take its course. There are hundreds of activist websites dedicated to progressing the Indian cause, all a google search away.


Totally gripping; the story weaves between ancient myths and legends and present day reality.

The characters are engaging, the acting is great, and the special effects are phenomenal.

I was reminded what special effects are really for - used right, they really bring a story to life, enhance it, engage your imagination and convey more than could be done any other way.

This film stayed with me for days. Full of depth, wisdom, action and adventure. a must see.

(I also recommend the "making of" that accompanies the movie).


Excellent movie. I loved it so much I searched until I was able to find a place to pre-order it, & I'm glad I did. I have watched it many times, & everyone I've shown it to has loved it also. It's an incredible story portraying Native American legends, and also shows the struggle that modern day Native American teens go through when trying to find their identity. Anyone with an interest in history or Native American culture should watch this movie!! I do agree with the previous comment that when it aired it was annoying that it was constantly interrupted with commercials. Much better to have the DVD & watch it commercial-free!


I am very interested in the history of the Native American Indian and I found this DVD to be a profound and moving record. The acting was superb throughout but especially by Eddie Spears, August Schellenberg and an actor I particularly admire Michael Greyeyes. The accompanying music was fantastic. I found the Directors comments about each scene fascinating, especially the information regarding Edward Curtis the well known photographer. I am a photographer myself and could relate to the methods used in the film to create a sepia effect and short depth of field. I know I will Play this film over and over again and each time will find something new.


Excellent story, scenery, characters and acting. Our whole family watched it including my 5 yr. old grandson. It really opened my eyes to different Native American people and customs. Years ago I read and enjoyed the fiction, series books about Native Americans by Paul Joseph Lederer. Dreamkeeper helped me visualize Native American life. When this movie is available for sale I want to buy and put in our DVD library.


STELLAR lineup of first nations talent, AWESOME animation, FASTIDIOUS attention to detail on part of the Director, truly FINE content which speaks from the HEART of all first nations peoples. Dreamkeepers is a coup, it speaks to everyone who cares to listen about the resilience and gentle spirit of Native American Peoples. We have waited a long time for the message of human compassion that this kind of pow-wow brings! And the closing pow-wow scene is worth every minute of the 4 hour wait...Mitake Oyasin!


This production is outstanding. The cgi is feature-film quality and totally imaginative.

The off-hand humor mixed with profound myth and storytelling is an astounding narrative device -- totally compelling!

Excellent acting by the cast to boot.

An overall Emmy-deserving piece of art.

Must see -- WOW !!!


My husband and I have been waiting and watching for this film for three-four years now. It was OUTSTANDING. My husband was contacted by some film people who knew someone who knew someone who knew him. He lent them a Cheyenne-style war shirt for the film, and other small items and gave some suggestions - we never heard back from the film people after they returned the shirt, so we always wondered what had happened to it. Now we know, and are we EVER impressed. Unfortunately, we didn't hear about the film until Monday, so we missed the first part, and can't wait to get our own copy so we can see part one to see if his shirt made it into the film (would have been the beginning we guess!)

I agree whole-heartedly with they viewer who saw it at UCLA. It's about time. My husband portrays the historical lifestyle of the Potowatomi in Illinois, which is where his research and study took him, so he couldn't speak to the film guys' questions about more western nations, but we were thrilled to see so many people on film sharing the stories, and teaching. This is just so very good. Done so well. The other viewer was right - this was meant for the big screen. I guess it's a step in the right direction, but walk boldly, man! "Smoke Signals" was another really good one - it was a "sleeper" to me - I found it in the video store and took a chance, but it's one of my favorite all-time movies. I laughed, I cried - I really liked the characters in the movie, just like this one - good storytelling.

DreamKeeper needs to be followed by more strong film! Totally awesome!


I considered this a great film !! I would hope the Native American youngsters and everyone of all races to see this film and learn a little of the Native American life. I would like to see this film in video stores. My children and parents watched this movie with me and we all enjoyed the old time stories.


I've not read or taken any mythology classes since college (a long time ago) but remembered many of the stories/myths from my undergraduate days. What an excellent and powerful film (mini, if you want to be particular--but, hey... if you remove the commercials)... I'm slightly saddened that I didn't keep the tapes of both nights and erased over the mini. Excellent acting. Excellent effects. And quite emotional. A superb miniseries with messages that appeal, hopefully, to all persons who watch it--not just the Native American population. (And if I'm being politically incorrect, I apologize... labels are such a nuisance, honestly).


I loved this movie. It tells about a boy-turning into a man and a journey to a powwow with his grandpa who is getting ready to die. Along the way, the grandpa, who is a story keeper, uses the stories of a few different tribes to teach his grandson and encourage him to choose the right path in life. The stories come to life in this movie... I almost believed them myself. This also teaches some really good lessons, besides the ones in the stories. This movie teaches about racism, whites vs. indians, indians vs. indians, and that we should look at the heart. It also shows some current problems today with the native American culture. About alcoholism, the "angry" Indian, dysfunctional families, gangs, the importance of our ancestors, and our importance to them. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in learning more about the native American culture and about oral history.


The story was very well written and entertaining. The tales from many nations were told, and were the focus of the movie. A perfect family movie that keeps everyone entertained. The messages behind the stories have deep social significance and seem chosen with care. The next best thing to hearing these stories yourself from the dreamkeeper would be to see this movie. The first 10 minutes of the movie seems awkward, but the story gets better. The acting varies from competent to fantastic, but some just seem out of place and stiff. The cinematography is very good and there's many breathtaking aerial sweeps. There were two camera passes right through vehicles from headlight to tailpipe that seemed quite out of place. The Coyote and spider characters enthralled the kids.


I first started watching Jess Franco movies because I noticed on the IMDb lists that Klaus Kinski was in many of them. The I heard that legendary Fritz Lang (Metropolis, M) considered Succubus a good movie and I was even more intrigued as to who this Franco guy is. And then I found out that he worked with Orson Welles as assistant director for Chimes at Midnight and Don Quixote being also responsible for the butchered 1992 DVD release of the latter film. And I said that no matter what I have to see some of his movies even though their titles gave me quite a clear idea what they were all about and the total of 187 and growing number of movies meant that they were a very sloppy job.

La Fille de Dracula certainly feels sloppy and unable to keep itself focused on one genre, as the IMDb lists it as horror, mystery and even romance, though I failed to notice either of these genres on screen. What you see, instead is a poor attempt at drawing the viewer's attention. The initial use of voyeurism that wants to engage the viewer in the forbidden acts that are explored is dropped for no reason and replaced with a meaningless plot "built" around a mystery that you don't really care to solve. The actors are given no substantial identity and the "leading lady" vampire although is admirable for her physical qualities lacks any skill to draw you into drama. It appears that she is just a sweet cuddly girl who sometimes likes to suck blood. There is also some gratuitous nudity that makes absolutely no sense the "story" but which is also not enough to make this a proper soft-core movie.

Why a four then? Because the movie looks very good, apart from the annoying zooms and pulls. As with other Franco movies that I have recently seen I am surprised that he could work so well on limited budgets and that he found those beautiful locations to shoot his movies in. The man obviously had some taste, and I think many directors of erotica could learn some tricks from him in terms of set design and also the use of music and extreme closeups.


A women is murdered in her bath by a sinister individual dressed in black. In a manor-house near the scene of the crime, Baroness Karlstein wakes up with a start. She is gravely ill and is only awaiting the arrival of her granddaughter Luisa before dying. When Luisa arrives, her grandmother tells her of the curse that has haunted the family for generations, revealing that the first Baron Karlstein was a vampire, and gives her the key to the chapel. Luisa decides to move into the manor with her uncle Baron Max Karlstein and her cousin, Karine. The only fly in the ointment is the presence of the highly intelligent caretaker, Cyril Jefferson...

This movie was more improvised than well done. It is a very curious film and also very boring. Howard Vernon, as a sort of count Dracula, is only here to justify the title of the film. His scenes are too short, just lying in his coffin, eyes open are showing off his teeth.. Fun in a way...

Britt Nichols is very beautiful as always, and her lesbian scenes with Anne Libert are the best you can get from LA FILLE DE Dracula. But, there are too many tight close-ups to really enjoy it! Some captivating unreal atmosphere kept me watching from beginning to end... But, as always with most of Jess Franco films, you must be a bit of a masochist to enjoy these piece of...cinema!


I watched Dracula's Daughter somtime ago and i found it to be a very good film. The film is directed by Jess Franco, who has made many films with sex and female nudity in them. The story is about a young woman(Britt Nichols) goes to visit her very ill grandmother. whilst on her death bed at her family estate, she tells her granddaughter a horrible curse that all the rest of her family are all vampires. The granddaughter decidses to move into the house with her cousin and her uncle.

Not long after moving in some of the local village people fall victims to her, the film includes quite a bit of female nudity, lesbianisam, and lesbian sex. I think that it is a very good made film that also features some good actors including (Howard Vernon) who plays Count Karstien. Also Jess Franco plays a part in the film. This film is a very rarely shown much. A very good film though..


I yesterday finished visionary the film of Frank Jess called ' the Fille De Dráculá. He was peculiar, because the film was in subtitled French and in English. But these things are the normal thing in the case of Jess, in that the important thing is the franquiana atmosphere, and where knowing all the references and symbolic apparatus the coarse film director to understand it everything. This film of 1972 takes the labels of Lesbian Sex, Female Nudity, Lesbianism, Beautiful Woman and Female Vampire, of which we take control an idea of its content. Once again it conjugates several of his significant elements: the woman vampire, the views of the beach, and of course, the essential number of the night club in which she appears a winding sensually at sight interesting dancer, and the kind eyes of watching onlookers. I believe that a film of Jess without this scene of the night club and the onlookers does not exist, because if she does not appear us we can imagine easily. In fact this mitotic scene to the Great Voyeur that all we took inside, at least the followers of Jess, that forces to us to enjoy the naked bodies and erotics rites in the dark. The original argument relates the history of a young person, Luisa Karlstein, that visits its aunt in the deathbed, which between death moans reveals to the young person the curse of the family: the first count was a vampire. Then he appears in scene incredible Count Howar Vernon, in the paper of Count Karlstein, who in the filmografía of Jess is just like to say Count Drácula. In fact he is not appraised or if it is really Howar or a mask of characterized Howar of Drácula, that yes, incredible the characterization... is had to do, and I would bet that he is the best one of all the Dráculas that I have seen, pity that Howar not between in action, surely rolled the planes a weekend in its house so that Jess inserted them in the film. Also its appearance like one of the personages is characteristic of Jess, in this case like Cyril Jefferson, that it represents a species of occultism with the syndrome of Casandra. The feminine protagonists who delight with their lesbians scenes son to us Britt Nichols and Anne Libert, of which good reference in others becomes blogs. As she is natural Jess relates a history to us in which the important thing is not the argument, in fact the personages are immersed in a mystery, but they are not worried in solving it, and Jess either, because what really it wants it is to show a dance to us of erotics images that, without arriving at the soft-porn, they do not wake up our libido and they soil our glance. The permanent tribute that makes Jess to the feminine body, from the respect and the admiration, is one of the characteristics of the cinema of Frank Jess that not yet has been valued sufficiently. Spirit of sexual revolution has not valued itself either in east Jess that woke up in years 70 and 80 of the last century, and that at the moment continues being of the rigorous present time. I do not say any triviality if I describe the work of Frank Jess like an Eternal and Universal being that represents the Junguianos Archetypes of the Humanity.


Hard to believe that Thirty-something Tom "Magnum" Selleck will soon be 60 years old. While Magnum was an entertaining series and a great post-Vietnam twist on the disillusioned P.I. of post World War II America, Selleck's best P.I. role, for my money, actually came as the anti-Jim Rockford, Lance White, on The Rockford Files. THAT should have been a series--in fact, I think it was originally intended to be one. Still, a decade long run as Magnum is hard to beat. Magnum was quality TV--far and above the likes of the A-Team, an unfortunate comparison I've seen made by other viewers in this commentary. Needless to say, today's dreck on TV can't touch Magnum.


Magnum P.I. was the best series of the early eighties. Sometimes the stories were weak (too often, especially in the 2nd season), and the acting hokey, and in the first season the production values were laughable.

However, if it had even an ok storyline, the performances of TC, Rick, Higgins and especially Tom Selleck would emanate with charm, humor, and often believable action.

However, what was most memorable (especially for me, stuck on a horrifyingly dreary school routine), were the open seas, the open skies and general tropical landscape. And of course most importantly, every week a crime or mystery would be solved.


I think everyone wanted to be Magnum!! Tom Selleck was hilarious as Magnum PI!! He drove around the coolest car, all the women loved him, and he was a master of dodging in and out of precarious criminal situations in an effortless and likable way! Picturesque Hawaii was another positive aspect to this series!! I visited Hawaii when I was a senior in high school!! In my opinion, it is the most beautiful state in the union!!! Tom Selleck is a fabulously famous movie star now, but I always associated him with being "Magnum" the totally cool detective!! "Magnum" is one of my favorite shows in all of television!! Tom Selleck is a friendly type of actor who has a huge following!! "Magnum P.I." was so popular because your average guy had a definite identifiability with Magnum!! The helicopter scenes were classic, and the athletic interludes of Magnum being the ultimate man, left a very favorable impression on the television audience!! Let's face it, Tom Selleck was the best part of "Magnum P.I." without question... beyond a shadow of a doubt!! I give this show an extremely high rating!! 10 out of 10 is the least of it!


It's happened over the years at least a few times. Something becomes so popular that I decide it just can't be anything worthwhile, and then I find myself doing a complete 180. This guy Selleck was too good looking in an old Hollywood way (Clark Gable), his voice seemed an octave too high for a man of his size and looks, so damn many women were positively orgasmic when they talked about him and women are notorious for going after some really shallow males, and the few times I caught a scene or two flipping through channels, he seemed smug, or at least that's how I perceived him. And then one Thursday evening there was nothing on the network channels and nothing on any cable channel and I flipped on CBS just as Magnum P.I. started. It was the first two hour episode that introduced Michelle and had a spectacular gunfight at the end on the streets of Little Saigon. My two favorite movies have always been Rio Bravo and Casablanca, and this episode seemed to be an updated melding of the two. Like Duke in Rio Bravo, Magnum had loyal friends to back his play as he tries to set things right when no one else will help him, and like Bogie in Casablanca, Magnum has an ill-fated love affair he is going to have to give up to a higher duty. And then there was the gunfight at the end. After years and years of so-called do-gooders trying to get violence off the TV, and somewhat succeeding, there was a real hero like Duke or Bogie, who wasn't going to apologize for putting a few well deserved .45 slugs into a few bad guys. Women liked Magnum because he was so charming and good looking and mischievous like a little boy. I liked him because, like Duke and Bogie and Gable, for all of his faults, he was a man!

The show seemed too good to be true, a good looking old Hollywood sort of guy who carried my favorite pistol and wasn't adverse to using it, a show at times filled with humor, sometimes filled with drama, and Magnum, like Selleck, was just the sort of guy you always wanted for a friend in good times and bad. And then the next season or so there was the two hour episode that introduced Magnum's and T.C.'s old Soviet torturer and nemesis from Vietnam, Ivan, who just happened to be on the islands for a long weekend to "look up some old friends" and assassinate a world leader. Magnum and friends have to relive their haunted unresolved past in Vietnam, prevent an assassination, not only in Hawaii but also in other areas of the world, and seek justice and retribution when the powers that be can not put Ivan in jail. In the final 30 seconds of the show, Magnum with his .45 became as powerful an image on screen as Clint and his big .44, even it was only a curved 23" TV set!

I remember reading an article that discussed the types of TV shows popular during certain Presidential administrations. There was the straight forward, safe, family values sort of programs that reflected Eisenhower's quiet dignity in the '50s. In the early '60s during the Kennedy administration, Jack and Bobby's determination to right wrongs over missiles in Cuba or in mob-controlled unions gave us The F.B.I. and Robert Stack as Eliot Ness in The Untouchables. Later, having shamefully abandoned Vietnam for purely political reasons, our Presidents like Nixon and Ford and Carter seemed rather impotent, like the always wimpy Alan Alda (Hawkeye) in M.A.S.H., and the always intimidated and beat up James Garner in The Rockford Files. Reagan got into the White House and suddenly his no nonsense, straight shooting philosophies, his search for right and wrong and black and white, and his jovial sense of humor was reflected in Thomas Sullivan Magnum or Magnum P.I. And just as suddenly TV had, in Selleck and Magnum, as good a character, if not better, as anything Hollywood had come up with for the larger screen in the previous 20 years.

Today I have four seasons of Magnum P.I. on DVD, and whenever I want something to watch and can not decide on something from my library, I pull out the private investigator in Hawaii and go back to a time not all that long ago, when life seemed somewhat more clear and safe, and certainly younger, and a tall man in a Tiger baseball hat and Hawaiian shirt, with a red Ferrari and a Colt .45 auto, went out to do the decent thing and right the wrongs of the day.

George Clooney or Vince Vaughn as Magnum P.I.??? You've got to be kidding!


I admit it: I didn't watch this show when it first aired. I was an 80's kid, so I was far more concerned with shows like Ducktails and Tailspin than any dumb show about a P.I.

But, luckily, reruns have managed to re-introduce me to the world of the 80's shows. I've since become rather obsessed with my "three 80's M's" -- Matlock, M*A*S*H and Magnum.

All I can say is, this ain't no Macguyver. Tom Magnum is NOT a PC guy left-wing activist who makes speeches at the end of the episode on the environment, or who can build a nuclear reactor from a piece of gum and a shoestring. Magnum is, as his name suggests, the kind of guy who shoots first and asks questions later. He always manages to get himself in trouble, and sort of mooches off his friends. He doesn't always know who is the bad guy, and he has been known to kill a few people in cold blood. He doesn't always say or do the right thing. He has some serious baggage, from his wife and daughter being killed (or were they??) and Vietnam. Some times-- well, quite often, he screwed up. His closest friends are usually in danger-- or killed-- because of him.

This makes it sound bad, I know, but you know, these are the things I love about Magnum. He's got baggage, he's not all together, he's a bit messed up. Not seriously psychotic, you understand, but not all together. I love Magnum: the play between him and Higgins is just delightful, and his poor mooched off friends just can't say no to him, hard as they try. And, you know he's like that, but you love him anyway. Silly loud Hawaiian shirts and all. You can almost always count on at least one bar fight or car chase, He's sort of a gun-slinger of the 1980's America.

Magnum is first and foremost, Fun. Tom Selleck and cast are utterly delightful, and I think this show is quite underrated, because when you take away the car chases there are still first and foremost good story lines and good writing.

They have serious episodes, and they have silly ones. I tended not to like the sillier episodes: those episodes usually ranked as the best in the series stand up very well. They had good episodes and better episodes, I can only think of one or two eps in the entire series I just didn't like, but they aren't horrible, just not my taste. If you get a chance to see Did You See the SunRise parts 1 and 2, Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts (I don't know if that's the real title) or any of them, really, you watch about 3 of them and you'll be hooked. Especially Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts, I think it's one of the best episodes ever. And the series finale was brilliant, really most of them were just fun but they had some utterly brilliant episodes. You really feel like you know Magnum, and I think it's because he's just a little messed up that makes him feel real to you. That and he talks to you: often he says things like, "I know what you're thinking, and you're right, I shouldn't have..." or "I know what you're thinking, but this time, you're wrong. Higgins is the one who..." I really wish I'd gotten into this series when it was on, and that I appreciated it for what it was, but alas, I did not. I'm just glad I had a second chance to appreciate what a brilliant and fun show this was. I hope someone else out there has the chance to watch this show and enjoy it-- or re-enjoy it, for the great show it was.


Everyone loved Tom Selleck as the mischief making private investigator Thomas Magnum... This cavalier Casanova who always had teenage boy intuitions via his tiny little voice was the ideal guy, he got to drive a Ferrari, the women thought he was so good looking and athletic, and the male T.V Viewers had an overt admiration of Thomas Magnum's innocent chicanery! Always thwarting Higgins, he was the type of guy everyone wanted to be just like!! This was Tom Selleck's big break, he was a soap opera star before "Magnum" and even a contestant on "The Dating Game" ... "Magnum" is what put Tom Selleck on the superstar map, and since "Magnum" he has been tremendously successful as a big box office movie star!! People identify "Magnum" with Tom Selleck, and love the show because of him!! So did I!!


I don't generally think very much of television shows for many reasons. Although I can't correlate the two events, when Magnum went off air in 1988 I stopped watching network television and haven't watched it since. I was never a big TV fan so when Magnum went off air it was just the reason I needed to turn off the tube.

Magnum was a great show because it offered fine actors usually giving excellent performances, great production values, always great music, and almost always interesting, and, frequently very moving, story lines that were typically believable. Magnum was never a super hero just a regular guy trying to make some money and have fun doing it. I can't compare Magnum to anything more recent but it does compare favorable to the Rockford Files. I can't recall the names of the great episodes but the last few involving Magnum's Vietnamese girlfriend were very good.


John Hillerman & Tom Selleck are a perfect balance to each other to anchor this series. They play off each other very well & even though Sellick used this as a springboard for his entire career, Hillerman is most often remembered for this show. The island setting for this show & the photography are top notch.

Glen Larsen & Donald Bellisario both have done great work in many series with varying degrees of success. Both have had hit shows besides this one, & sometimes not so successful. You don't think of Ba Ba Black Sheep & Battlestar Gallactica when you think of Bellsario/ Larsen, but of Quantum Leap, Knight Rider, Qunicy & Jag among others. Both men were born in the mid 1930's which puts them in the same class.

They have nothing to be shamed of in their work on this series which ran a very successful 164 episodes in the 1980's. The shows hold up pretty well even after all these years. This show was no small part of a successful CBS group in the 1980's. Catch it when you can, as I recently caught the pilot 2 hour premiere on a rerun.

The first show introduces Hillerman & Sellecks characters & the motivation behind the feud they always have during the series run. There is always plenty of eye candy for the guys, to go with the other natural great scenery. Always plenty of action for the detective fan in this show too.


*may contain spoilers*

I vaguely remember watching Magnum as a child and liking it then.

Recently I bought all four available season sets and fell in love with it all over again. What is there not to like? The cast gel together so well Larry Manneti (Orville "rick" wright) is brilliant. Roger E Mosley is TC and John Hillerman is Higgins. Higgins always pretends to be irritated to death by Our Thomas but he does care (honestly) The stories are engaging and I just love tom Sellecks narration. I like the dark overtones of the fact that these Vietnam Vets are still coming to terms with their experiences.

Favourite episode? the season 4 opener "Home from the sea " Magnum is thrown off his surf ski in an accident and forced to endure hours in the water. Cue heartbreaking childhood flashbacks. Will Higgins, TC and Rick get to him in time?. speaking of which all three are getting a funny feeling that something has happened to Magnum.How long can a person tread water for?

"I've got to do this for Dad"

This show had action, Tragedy, Romance, one hunky guy, beautiful scenery,a great cast , humour and a lot of touching moments. One of my favourite shows ever.


I actually happened into the first airing of the pilot episode by pure chance of changing the channels. I was in 10th grade at the time. I faithfully watched Magnum P.I. through its eight season run, and completely enjoyed everything about the program. When a teacher at High School couldn't get his door unlocked, we used to say to him "work the lock, Magnum. Don't look at the dogs" and he would throw the whole class out to "the bullpen" as he called "study hall". Anyway, I remember at one time CBS had "Wednesday's Heroes" Mike Hammer at 8pm, MAGNUM P.I. at 9pm and The Equalizer at 10pm. Anyway, after Magnum P.I. ended after season eight, I did not faithfully follow any TV show every week until "The Shield" premiered on FX! I have purchased Magnum P.I. DVD Sets for season's 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8. I enjoy watching the show as much now as I did when it originally aired. It is something to see that there were no cell phones and no internet information superhighway while the show was on. This is an excellent TV show from the 1980's that has aged fairly gracefully.


It happened I was in front of the screen watching an episode, not even from the titles... If I remember well it was a summer day, or night, some twenty years ago! when by chance I saw an episode I now recognize as a third season one; I was puzzled then since I realized I was missing something from the life's stories of these intriguing characters: it was like intruding in someone else's life, more than a pi standard TV-movie... That's it: I believe you're hooked by the believable interaction of the main characters, their likes and dislikes; some episodes are quite 'poor' and unbelievable, but never awful; other episodes are more complex and well shot; but almost always you'll have some fun with them; and finally Magnum's off screen voice is capturing your attention, and make you another close friend worth of his confidence... After so many years, one day I just missed that feeling and I discovered the two first seasons were published on DVD, so now, after watching them, I feel reassured of not being a 'stranger' in Magnum's world anymore....


In the mid 1970's until the mid 1980's, television offered a vast assortment of action-adventure-mystery thrillers, such as Charlie's Angels, Simon & Simon, and the Rockford Files. And in the middle of the pack was Magnum P.I. Funny how in some ways it doesn't seem that long ago but Magnum P.I. was from another age. All those shows had a certain stylized "look" that is very identifiable and different from today. And at the time, Ronald Reagan was in the White House, the World Wide Web was just a germ of an idea in Switzerland, IBM's new PC had only two floppy drives (no hardisk), and only rich people had answering machines. Most televisions were color but the sound was only mono. Can you believe it was almost 30 years ago at this writing that Magnum P.I. first aired which seemed so fresh and original at the time?

If you were a young American in the early 1980's (I was in Junior High at the time), you were probably familiar with the electric guitar riff that accompanied the slick red Ferrari streaking through the back streets of Oahu in Hawii at 8:00pm on Thursday nights. Magnum was the coolest of the cool. In addition to the Ferrari, he has the best job in the world: he provides security at the estate of a wealthy and faceless mystery-romance writer named Robin Masters who is never seen throughout the run of the show, a bit like Charlie of Charlie's Angels. Although, we never hear him either. His wishes are relayed through his most loyal British right-hand man, Jonathan Higgins, played to the hilt by the incomparable Tony Hillerman. Higgins seems a cross between General Montgomery (of WWII fame) and Prime Minister Gordon Brown. So Magnum has free lodgings which allows him to be a private investigator. His only hindrance is Higgins. And of course Magnum's voice-over adds a bit of the noir investigator flair of the 1940's.

Except for a few episodes dealing with Vietnam (which are some of the best), Magnum rarely rose above the straight-forward pure entertainment TV action sequence. Aside from a couple of excellent actors like Tony Hillerman as Higgins and Jeff McKay as Mac Reynolds, it's entertainment that rarely transcends itself. In the wake of more recent drama series like Law and Order and The West Wing, Magnum's plots seem rather linear and predictable. He is always hired by gorgeous women who probably just finished their stint with Vogue Magazine. And then Magnum drafts his two best friends, Rick and TC, to help him with the case. Unfortunately, both the acting and the writing of Magnum's friends were marginal at best and down-right poor at worst. Sometime during the episode, the woman who hired Magnum might be a potential love interest.

Of course, you always knew who the bad guys were from beginning until the end. They were always in sport coat and polyester shirt without a tie. You know the look, with the shirt collar pulled over the plaid lapels. I guess they never wear ties in Hawii. And there were usually five or six of them working for the head guy, often a drug ring or some kind of political corruption. And of course the bad guys got it in the end, usually being run over by garbage cans in some god-forsaken hideout in the last few minutes of the show.

If you look closely at the show today, in some ways the real talent is Tony Hillerman. Hillerman, a bona fide Texan, plays Higgins with just the right amount of upper-lip (but not too much) to convince you that he is a Brit formerly of the English aristocracy. He has two Doberman Pinschers, Zeus and Apollo, whom Hillerman is always sicking at Magnum, again some of the best moments of the show. The writing for Hillerman along with his acting are some of the most memorable of Magnum, rather than the throw-away characters Rick and TC who seem more like caricatures than people. Strangely, a weird chemistry evolved between Hillerman and Selleck which saves the show from being a total cliché. Somehow the fact they are nearly opposite in every way made for an interesting dynamism which kept the show together. Which holds to my theory that some of the best actors are in fact of the supporting variety rather than the "stars", who are there more for charisma and presence than character-acting ability. Hillerman, in my judgment, is the real star of the show.

All things considered Magnum P.I. is not a bad show, but it is not a great show either. Aside from the Higgins/Hillerman character, it is very much entrenched with the style and vogue of the era which still relied on the tried-and-true formula of good versus bad in a singular storyline, unlike the West Wing and other shows whose writers recognized the need for overlapping non-linear stories which may or may not be resolved by the end. Maybe if Magnum had had a little bit less resolution it would stand up better today. Or maybe the bad guys should have won a few times. To the show's credit, Selleck didn't always get the girl. But she still wanted him regardless, and maybe that's why the show is a little bit dated today.


Sometimes I review lists of the greatest 10, 20, or 25 American TV shows in history, and when I don't find (Magnum P.I) in one, I say maybe the makers of this list are : so poor to not watch it, or so pathetically dumb and fool to forget it, or watched it and refused to include it (folks I don't want to know at all!)

(Magnum P.I) is the best of its kind. Simply the action, the comedy, and the drama. It had completely what made it the standard to measure any other similar work : good characters, fresh atmosphere, touching moments, big production, great writing, sensitive cinematography, genius music, top notch acting, cinematic direction, and memorable 164 episodes that were never bad and just perfect all the way.. (Maybe one concerning Higgins's twin, and few else but HEY, they're humans after all).

(Magnum) for me means 2 eras in my life. The first when I was a kid at the 1980s and (Magnum) was the assured ride of fun. The second one was after I've studied cinema and writing scripts, that when I discovered how this show had it all, so every episode of the reruns was such a lesson about how to make a classic work and a great amount of entertainment too. The thing about it is that it embodied cleverly what I believe the ultimate formula : some fun + some seriousness. It's not wholly a show about nice detective in Hawaii who punches the bad guys, kisses the fine babies, and plays the saxophone badly in between; actually he is that yet with more.

It was a lovely book of wisdom with catchy thoughtful lines, instruction about friendship, manifesto about deformed generation that could overstep its tribulation anyway (in fact the show was against the Vietnam war mostly, and with it scarcely to please all I think), a chance to be a down to earth hero, learning that life is invaluable, despite anything you must solemnize it, and how living careless and well is the best revenge out of anything ! See, whether it shows a rainy night or shinny day, it can represent the beauty of both with contemplating also.

I liked the main formula of the characters : a brain (Higgins), a muscles (TC), a heart (Rick), and one got all of that temperately (Magnum). Not to mention the distinct relationship between (Higgins) and (Magnum), it develops from English gentleman vs. straight American, to severe father and rebel son, to friends, very different friends yet resemble each other and learn from each other, with keeping all the previous symptoms runs on and under the surface. That was unique and creative as nearly the whole thing.

(Tom Selleck) was like the show itself : funny but can masterly be serious, for instance I'll never forget his performance at (Memories Are Forever)'s 2 parts where he assured how strong actor he is, and how deep Magnum can be as a character and as a show.

Here is a show that can feed my eyes, my heart, and my brain superbly just about every time. It marked an era. And at the advertisement for it as DVD, you would hear a voice saying "it's the 1980s", I think it can define not only the era, but the best of it. That's a work wanted to present something better with every step ahead, and didn't satisfy with only being a funny pastime. In one word ..I love Magnum. As a child's memory, and as a grown-up's mania. I've always believed that heaven is that place where "Magnum" is being played continually and without commercials too ! So, when I made a list of my own for the best 10 TV shows ever, I found no competitor on the first rank but the greatest "Magnum, P.I.". It's an immortal moment of ecstasy which gets a certain mode to put you in the mood. It equals a "Magnum opus" for me. If only every show has something from it, we would have better ones that can last after watching in our sentiment as well as our brain.

P.S : I wrote elaborately a review about this show's magical elements through one of its most important episodes (4 # 1 : Home From The Sea), which you can find at its own page.


Magnum P.I. is about the closest thing I have in connection with Hawaii. I recall a couple who left New Jersey in 1995 with a dream to live in Honolulu, Hawaii. I'm sure Hawaii is a paradise to visit but they have problems just like everywhere else. It is an expensive place to live so is where I live, New Jersey. This show is escapism and a combination of intelligence and brotherhood. Tom Magnum played wonderfully by Tom Selleck who has since moved back to Southern California and created his own paradise by having a ranch with wife and daughter beside him. Besides the rumors of his sexual orientation are just that unproven rumors. ANyway, he's a gun-toting Republican so everybody's off base. Had Magnum P.I. settled down with any woman in particular, I think it would have spoiled the dynamic of the show. There was a great sense of brotherhood among the cast members who are all male, John Hillerman who played the butler or owner whatever you want to believe about this true identity was always a great joy to watch. Funny, he's not British but from Texas. Larry Manetti and Roger E. Mosley played the bar owner and helicopter pilot and friend to Magnum. They knew each other from Vietnam which deepens their relationship with each other in a platonic way. Yes, there were girls and only British resident Agatha was a regular but that was the point. If Tom had settled down during the show, the show would have been over. Anyway, this series was a great and I despise when Hollywood takes a good series and recasts with them anybody less than the original. Tom can still play Magnum and the rest of the cast can still come back. DUring the final season of the show, Tom threw the best wrap parties, gave raises to the cast and crew, and expensive gifts from his bonus for staying one year.


This episode does have it's annoyances, the Galileo's mission seems poorly-timed (the Enterprise is delivering medical supplies to a planet that needs them and this side trip is questionable to me), it's something that just could have waited. The commissioner is a serious P.I.T.A. but what redeems him is that he IS right.

What bothers me most is how everyone is coming down on Spock, calling him a machine, calling him unfeeling. Some of Spock's decisions ARE questionable but HE'S TRYING TO SAVE EVERYONE'S LIFE AND THEY'RE BUSTING HIS CHOPS. The scene that REALLY irritates me is when Boma pops his head in and says that they're ready for services for Latimer (a crewman who was speared in the back). Spock responds that they're working against the clock. I was like "Really! Are funeral services REALLY the priority at the moment?". Let's take a week off and sit shiva for our fallen comrade. If you're in a burning house, this isn't the time to go around and hang sheets over all the mirrors.

Boma takes the same stance when they need to leave Gaetano's body behind. "Not without a burial...". If I were Spock, I would say "We're taking off Mr. Boma. You snooze, you lose".


This one will always be known as spotlighting one of the shuttlecrafts that the starship has at its disposal. The downside of exploration is showcased in this episode, a case study of survival techniques and examining the group dynamics among several crew members stuck on a hostile planet. Rare for a first season episode, this focuses on Spock rather than Kirk, who remained on the Enterprise this time around. Spock's in command of the 7-member landing party of the shuttlecraft, though this landing was unplanned. Besides needing to figure out a way to lift off without fuel, they're besieged by some 10-foot-tall natives who like to throw huge spears at starfleet officers. Some of these scenes were actually pretty scary to me as an 8-year-old viewer; all that planetary fog or mist and those lumbering beast-men made me re-think my plans to become an astronaut. Kirk, meanwhile, fends off an annoying bureaucrat, a 'high commissioner,' on his bridge while attempting to locate his missing crew members without the usual instrumentation (ion storms, you know).

Spock takes logic to faulty extremes during this crisis - all problems are addressed like a simple mathematical equation and this doesn't work with huge, hairy, unpredictable savages. Nor does his robotic attitude sit well with human beings who sometimes need words of encouragement and re-assurance in such times of great stress. He comes across as downright callous in some scenes - you'd think he'd know by now that you should at least give the appearance of giving a damn about a fallen comrade. I believe he overcompensates during this mission; despite his usual statements of not using emotion, he obviously feels the pressures of this command and his way of dealing with it is to go out of his way in alienating the rest of the party. Mostly, he sends the message that he's the smartest and half of them are expendable - not the best way to provide a positive spin on a mission gone wrong. McCoy & Scotty, along for this joyride, will back up Spock in the end even as they disagree with his methods, but a couple of the other crew members are pretty much insubordinate here. I'd be surprised if Spock didn't bring up charges back on the Enterprise - after he explained his lapse into illogic towards the end of the mission (cue: bridge crew laughing away all the built-up tension during this episode; above all, Starfleet needs happy bridge crews). McCoy does seem to win this round in his and Spock's ever-growing debate on the emotion over pure logic question.


"The Galileo Seven" has always been one of my favorite Star Trek episodes. I know "City on the Edge of Forever" is the one show often cited as the best Star Trek episode, but I think "Galileo Seven" is almost as good. It is an interesting show because it reverses the series' formula in an interesting manner. In most Star Trek adventures, Spock serves as a harsh critic of human behavior. But in this episode, we get a chance to examine Spock's logic and see how effective (and practical) the Vulcan's ideology really is under pressure. I did think the story goes a little overboard in demonstrating the differences between the emotional humans and the cold Vulcan. However, the episode does make more than a few interesting observations on how leaders must use their intellect and heart in order to make sensible decisions. I have no doubts that this is indeed one of the show's best offerings. Highly recommended.


Intense episode in which a shuttle craft mission lead by Spock crash lands on a most unpleasant world. Indeed, the dangers posed by it's hostile environment leads to a hostile crew as Spock finds his leadership abilities called into question. Hal and Bog in their reviews have already done a fine job of exploring how the Vulcan's logical approach to the crisis proves ineffective in dealing with the stressed-out humans under his command. The only thing to add might be that Spock, at times, displays an almost human surliness that seems very un-Vulcan. But, since this was a first season episode, it may have been filmed before Leonard Nimoy had fully come to understand his character and the proper way to play him, (for example, he was still speaking with that put-on British accent like when he pronounces the word command as "commond"). Clearly, this is not the more controlled Mr. Spock we would see in later episodes like "The Doomsday Machine", but it's still a good performance and the script provides an interesting set of problems to watch the usually unflappable character try and overcome.

As if crash landing wasn't bad enough, the primates that live on the planet were a neat addition to further complicate Spock's bad day. Glimpsed more than they are seen (and a wise move, too as the only creature shown up close looks like it's wearing a fur dress), these hairy monsters prowl about in the fog making hissing noises and echoing roars. They attack with huge spears, and in one scene maul a comparatively puny human to death. Thoroughly nasty, their presence in the story leads to a neat scene on the Enterprise bridge as Kirk hears the report of returning search party leader. Appearing on a viewer screen bruised and bedraggled in a torn-up uniform, Lt. Commander Kelowitz relates how his team was attacked by "creatures similar to ones discovered on Hanson's Planet, only much, much bigger. Ten- maybe twelve feet in height." Clearly exhausted and maybe a touch traumatized, Kelowitz cautions Kirk that if the missing shuttle craft crew are on that planet...well, he doesn't have to finish the sentence for Kirk to get his meaning. It's an effective little touch that casts a shadow of dread on the possible fate of Kirk's missing crew members. In fact they should have used this seldom seen character of Kelowitz more often as he would have made a great running feature. Like Scotty's dire warnings about the condition of the ship's engines, or those red shirted security men who were always first to bite the dust, you'd know the situation was dire if Kelowitz showed up with a new batch of bruises and another alarming report for Kirk.


Stand out to me in this episode was always Phyllis Douglas as Yeoman Mears.

Why was she on the shuttle? A quick check to see what else she had done, surprise, surprise, she is in Gone With the Wind as baby Bonnie Blue Butler.

Scarlett and Rhett's prized baby girl. It is to laugh.

Near 30 years on, she is tangling with a Vulcan.

This episode should also be noted as not following thru with the incorrect notion that all the guys in the red shirts are killed (both victims of the planet's monsters wore yellow shirts) and likewise the equally inexplicable idea that all the black guys were killed (the minority in this case survived).

In truth, this episode watches like a strange predecessor to the disaster movie; who will survive, who will die? The three cast members will survive, the woman should survive so there won't be any calls of unfairness to women and Don Marshall should survive, which he did.

Not a bad episode, actually.

Wish there had been more episodes with Phyllis Douglas in them tho.


A shuttle craft crew gets stranded on a hostile planet, and they must find a way to lift off again while dangerous creatures lay siege. Meanwhile, Kirk races desperately against the clock to find them before he is forced to abandon the search to pursue a priority mission.

On the plus side, "The Galileo Seven" is a superbly tense, suspenseful episode, including excellent character development of coolly logical, emotionally remote Mr. Spock. His conflict with his human shipmates is solid, thought-provoking drama. The secondary guest characters of Boma, Gaetano, and Farris all work very well: they are good examples of efficient characterization with little screen time. The creatures are genuinely menacing and scary, all the more so because the filmmakers wisely keep the viewer from seeing too much of them. And the death of Mr. Latimer is an excellent stakes-raising jolt.

On the downside, the exposition and denouement just stink. The exposition is plain awkward: there is a plague to go deal with on some planet but coincidentally they stop to send a shuttle craft to look at a space anomaly, and the shuttle crew just happens to include the doctor, engineer, and some expendable secondary characters? Too contrived. But the denouement is even worse: after a tension-filled, engrossing near-hour of drama, they wrap it up with a lame humor scene where the ship's captain publicly embarrasses the guy who just pulled his comrades through a horrible experience. A quiet, introspective scene where Spock acknowledges to his friends that command is harder than he thought would have been so much more satisfying. And why was there no wrap-up of the development of the interesting Boma character? So the episode was worthwhile and I liked it, but somebody should have spent more time polishing the script.


'The Galileo Seven', like most in the first season, is an above-average episode that shows Star Trek's creators coming up with imaginative and clever twists in the show's format almost every week. And, like most episodes, the budgetary restraints of the series prevent some ideas from being fully realized. But there are some problems with the script as well, particularly in the crew's interaction with one another. This is the first episode to 'star' one of the shuttlecraft (though one figured prominently in ''The Menagerie'). These smaller craft are nifty little show elements that came in handy from time to time. 'The Galileo Seven' amounts to an early starring role as well for Mr. Spock, as commander of the shuttlecraft. The Enterprise is in route to deliver emergency medical supplies to a plague-decimated planet and passes near a quasar-like planetary system. Since the starship cannot stop to investigate, Kirk sends Spock and six others in the shuttlecraft Galileo to do so. Soon after, the small ship is pulled off course and forced to land on a rocky, barren world inhabited by giant, aggressive humanoids. The rest of the episode concerns the shuttle crew's attempts to survive and repair the ship's ability to lift off, and the Enterprise's search for them. 'Interference,' as always, prevents sensors and communicators from functioning. Mr. Spock is given merciless hell by the others any time he makes a decision, particularly from Dr. McCoy and a specialist, Lt. Boma. A certain degree of tension is understandable, given their situation, but 'The Galileo Seven' really goes overboard with it, to the point where a de facto mutiny takes place and Spock is forced to reverse a decision. At another point, it appears they might leave Spock behind on the planet. Nearly all of this stems from Spock's lack of emotions, which one would think the rest of the crew would have accepted and gotten used to by now. In the end, the Galileo is able to lift off, just barely, but the Enterprise has been ordered to give up the search. As one last (desperate?) attempt at attracting the starship's attention, Spock ignites and dumps what remaining fuel they have, the effect being, as Scotty says, of sending up a flare. It seems pointless, and hopeless, but the Enterprise does indeed detect it and beams the Galileo's crew safely aboard.


In dire need of a more serious tone after the humorous but somewhat inconsistent Shore Leave, Star Trek returns to its tradition of tackling deeper themes from a sci-fi point of view, focusing in particular on Spock's interactions with the rest of the Enterprise crew.

This time, Kirk's mission is to bring medical supplies to the inhabitants of Markus III as quickly as possible, and his superiors keep reminding him of that priority. However, his priorities change when the smaller vessel Galileo, containing Spock and six other men (hence the episode's title), lands on a hostile planet and requires immediate assistance. With Kirk torn between duties, it's up to Spock to come up with a solution, but his adherence to logic doesn't sit well with some, most notably Boma (Don Marshall), whose behavior comes close to bigotry.

Racism and the implications of being in charge: those are the two key topics of this suspenseful Trek tale, and both are handled admirably thanks to the writers' focus on the tense relationship between the half-alien Spock and the entirely "human" crew under his command, while William Shatner is elegantly sidelined as far as the drama is concerned. Then again, Spock has always been the more interesting of the two leads, and Nimoy relishes every opportunity he gets to show a little of the Vulcan scientist's complex, enthralling (and, a rarity for science-fiction shows, Emmy-nominated) personality. In addition, no need to worry about excessive darkness: the deft humor returns in the final scene, which contains one of the absolute best exchanges between Kirk and Spock. Sci-fi doesn't get much more fun than this.


Pretty Peaches is difficult if not impossible to find in a British video shop. New video censorship legislation in the mid-80s saw to that. It goes further than most adult films of the period in pushing out the boundaries. After 1984 it was beyond the boundary.

You don't often hear of a film featuring explicit treatment of enemas. Pretty Peaches did. Every other scene in the film, mandatory orgy included, fades from the memory long before that particular episode dims. The plot is of course secondary to the main action, but the story of the girl who suffers amnesia following a road accident is novel and also helps to make this a cut above the ordinary. See it if you get the chance.


Most XXX rated movies bore me or disgust me. Which is a shame, because one of the first ones I ever witnessed was Pretty Peaches I... this movie has it all. Granted, it's been over 10 years since I've seen it (though I'm downloading it right now... found it on Sharaza, hence my urge to look it up here), but it quickly became the standard all other XXX movies had to live up to, since (most don't hold my interest for more than ten minutes. Some would say that's long enough ;)).

The beginning was enough to hook me; I knew this wasn't going to be your typical hard-core movie (though the uncut version is very hard-core).

I remember the accident scene clearly... I watched it with my new wife (our first 'dirty movie' together) and we were both laughing our asses off at the absurdity of it all, but it was good laughter... suffice to say I believe our son was conceived that night.

Desiree Cousteau, wherever you are, I'm available now... MARRY ME!!!


This adult classic is late filmmaker Alex De Renzy's own personal favorite among a body of work that includes the likes of BABYFACE, FEMMES DE SADE and WILD THINGS. Many fans agree. Personally, I think that while some of his other movies might be more impressive on a purely sexual scale (the now extremely hard to locate FEMMES DE SADE in particular) this one surely stands as his best combination of hardcore sex with a honest to goodness light 'n' breezy bit o'plot.

Said plot actually derives from Voltaire's literary classic "Candide" about a naive young thing being manipulated by all and sundry. This story is better known to most people from the saucy reworking it received by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg for their '60s bestseller "Candy", itself subjected to a heavily compromised film version with Ewa Aulin essaying the title role with an all star cast including Richard Burton and, er, Ringo Starr ?

The adult industry has adapted this timeless tale on (at least) three major occasions, De Renzy's attempt here being both the best as well as best known. Former Playmate Gail Palmer allegedly helmed (in actuality, she was always ably supported by the likes of Bob Chinn and Jeffrey Fairbanks) THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF CANDY the same year PEACHES came out with former GONG SHOW bimbette Carol Connors (mother of mainstream actress Thora Birch !) who would also star in the slightly lesser sequel CANDY GOES TO Hollywood. Gerard (DEEP THROAT) Damiano revived the character (sort of) for his late '80s CANDY'S LITTLE SISTER SUGAR with the adorable Ariel Knight. Late prince of carnal comedy Chuck Vincent finally brought the tale to the screen in his own inimitable manner with DIRTY LILLY, putting saucy squaw Beth Anna (the Hyaptia Lee of the '70s) through her paces, emphasizing as per usual fun over, er, frolicking.

It's interesting to compare the CANDY series to PEACHES and its sequels. Where Palmer and Damiano were quite content to leave their much abused heroine a blissful bimbo unaware of the injustice heaped upon her, making her come across as if she'd been kicked in the head as a kid, De Renzy took a decidedly different route. Desirée Cousteau may be very much the ultimate ditz with a head full of air and a body built for bump 'n' grind but the character was rethought fairly radically for subsequent decades. The mid-'80s PRETTY PEACHES II had underrated Siobhan Hunter (a treat and a half in Ron Sullivan's very funny THE ODDEST COUPLE) elevating the part from brain-dead to naive. Still a decade later Latina love goddess Keisha (THE SEDUCTION OF JENNIFER) would portray Peaches as merely inexperienced and therefore vulnerable to those predators around her in the wonderful PRETTY PEACHES III : THE QUEST. The difference in approach may strike some as superficial window dressing but makes for a fascinating growth in the character as De Renzy rather than continue the story chose to retell the tale for new times and sensibilities.


The best line of the movie is when Joey Silvera hands a joint to two Girl Scouts and says"Here little girl, smoke some dope!" Latter on this mad professor gives Peaches the hose up her butt and gets a twenty foot long shot straight out of her bunghole and laps it up with true delight! I have seen other scat films and rain women, but this was the wildest I have ever seen! There was a french performer "Le Petomane" in the 1880s who used to do the same act in Paris. He would sit in a bowl of water and inhale it up his rectum and fire at a target! "Le Petomane" means "He who breaks wind", he could fart like a chicken"Kikerrekee" or do La Marsellise. He made more money than Sarah Bernhart!


"Peaches" is a naive li'l sexpot who attends her father's wedding, who is getting hitched to another, although somewhat more rouée, li'l sexpot. After the wedding Peaches drives off, gets knocked unconscious in a car accident, and consequently raped by two drifters. When she comes to she suffers from retrograde amnesia and can't remember who she is. Her two friendly rapists take her in but stipulate that she has to get a job. Trying to remember who she is she sees a doctor, who turns out to be a freak and gives her an enema to her anguished pleas and some skiffle music. Meanwhile, her father is worried about her but has to attend to his nuptial duties first, and when his maid complains he includes her in the wedding night proceedings. And so on.

I saw Pretty Peaches about two months ago and already can't remember a thing about it. I guess this is some kind of "the mind protecting itself"-mechanism because Pretty Peaches is god-awful. For one, call me a square, but I don't find rape and forced enemas sexy. The plot is nonexistent and just rambles on. Desiree Cousteau in the title role is sexy, but she can't act for toffee. Everyone else isn't nearly as comely, but can't act either. It's not funny, it's not sexy, it's not entertaining, it's boring and quite often plain sick and disgusting. Not really what I hope to get out of a porn movie. I mean, BDSM isn't my cup either but at least it's between consenting adults. If you're into enemas and scat, have it your way. But rape and forced enemas are just beyond the pale.

This is all the more disappointing as I have seen incomparably better stuff from director Alex de Renzy. I don't usually give the lowest ranking of 1 out of 10 points, but I'll make an exception here because of the rape scene. Let's keep our scud movies clean, folks!


For a porn film to rise above being just another entry in the genre, it really needs more than just wall to wall sex; and it is with that in mind that I name Pretty Peaches as one of the best porn films ever made. Alex De Renzy's masterpiece has so much more than just sex and actually manages to hold the audience's interest throughout with a combination of good humour, some interesting characters and a suitably wacky plot line that leaves plenty of room orgies, enemas and accidental incestuous relations. The 'Peaches' of the title refers to our heroine; a young and very naive girl who drives a jeep. She's off to see her father get married and after doing so, sets off on her own way; much to the dismay of her father. She ends up roaring across a field in a jeep and has a crash resulting in her being knocked out. A couple of guys find the girl and decide to help her, by raping her while unconscious. She wakes up with amnesia and the two guys agree to let her stay with them; on the condition she gets a job. Peaches then sets off to find who she 'really' is.

The lead role is taken by prolific porn star Desiree Cousteau, and she's just great! Films such as The Devil in Miss Jones have made me not expect much in the looks department from the lead actresses, but Cousteau bucks that trend nicely. The curvaceous buxom beauty is a delight to watch, even if her acting is not always the greatest! There's plenty of sex in the movie; but the sex scenes themselves don't go on and on as is the case with some other porn movies and they serve their purpose really well. The fact that they don't go on and on means that there's plenty of time for the film to move along quickly which ensures it doesn't get boring. Director Alex de Renzy obviously has a sense of humour too and parts of the movie (such as the build up to the rape scene towards the start of film) are very funny. As the film draws to a close; there's less focus on characters and story and more on sex and the film culminates in one great big orgy scene with a rather shocking sting in its tail! Overall, Pretty Peaches is without doubt one of the best porn films of the seventies and for that reason is highly recommended viewing!


When porn first went "mainstream," it did so with a series of big screen feature films like this one from 1978. Unlike the adult films of today, movies back then aspired to be "real" entertainment. While this movie has all the depth of a Keystone Kops movie, the effort at storytelling and real movie making is clearly there. From wacky characters suitable for a hardcore sex-romp, it also features real sets, locations, and even costumes. In general, the sex scenes, while explicit, are very short. Yes, all the action is clearly shown, including porn's infamous "money shots," but gone are most of the super close-ups of body parts connecting. One gets the sense that the movie makers were more interested in showing their actors having real sex in near real time. Also absent are the implants and finely honed bodies so popular today. Additionally, as is true with most seventies erotica, the women are presented ala natural. It's main character, as portrayed by Desiree Cousteau started her movie-making career as a mainstream actress in B movies. Unable to achieve any real success, she transitioned into adult films and remained popular for many years.


Despite having a thin plot, silly dubbing, disturbing brutality, and unnecessary humour, this film stands as an excellent showcase of Yuen Biao's talents. The plot deals with a lawyer becoming a vigilante while running afoul of Cynthia Rothrock. The action scenes are incredible. Yuen Biao and Cynthia Rothrock are placed in some set pieces that are among HK's finest. My favourite was Yuen Biao facing off against Melvin Wong. It's the kind of fight that makes one wonder why he wasn't as popular as Jackie Chan.


I just got that new Dragon Dynasty version of the film, though I'd never seen it before last night. Haven't watched any of the extras yet, though from what I've read here this is the "downbeat" Cantonese cut of the film. I must admit I'm disappointed in the film, though can still justify a decent score. I really liked Yuen Biao as well as the lead villain. I just realized that Bad Egg was played by the director, haha. The film had some big laughs, perhaps occasionally unintentional, but also some great action.

There were a lot of problems with the editing and stunt-work though. I know they make these movies fast and for not much money, but this one seemed cut together more carelessly than most. Also, despite how talented all the stunt people and the leads are in the film's action scenes, there were way too many moments where I saw wires or could clearly see the faces of stunt-doubles. Especially for Rothrock. Sometimes they'd put makeup on the guy. And one of the doubles for her looked like Biao himself. I know you can never be perfect with such things, but it was just much more obvious than in many other films of the genre that I've seen.

On sort of a side note, you ever notice the ramp effect with vehicles in action movies? The most common example would be of a speedboat hitting the low end of another boat and rocketing through the air. You occasionally see this with cars too. Here in Above the Law a.k.a. Righting Wrongs, you see it with a car chasing down Yuen Biao going off of a parked car. Of course the car is in front of a railing up high on a multi-level parking garage. And I don't know my models but it's probably a Mitsubishi since they made it into EVERY Hong Kong action movie in the 80s. But the parked car wasn't particularly low to the ground. The moving car didn't hit any objects to lift it's front end up. It just jumps the other like a ramp. I don't know if this is really a complaint. It was odd, but hysterical.

If we're talking recommendations and I have to exclude anything with Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, or Jet Li, I'd recommend any of the first four In the Line of Duty movies over this. But it's still a decent action movie and any fan of Yuen Biao in particular really needs to see it.


"Righting Wrongs" is a great showcase for all involved, with solid martial arts action throughout. Yuen Biao shines, and I've never seen Cynthia Rothrock, and Richard Norton do better. But, I have to point out that there are 2 quite different versions available.

The original HK version is available subtitled as "Righting Wrongs". but, there is an English-dubbed UK version, known as "Above The Law". This is not just the usual re-dubbing. Most of the film remains extremely similar, but the conclusion has been extensively restructured, and ends quite differently from the original! either film is just amazing, an early showcase for Corey Yuen's skill, exploited so well by Hollywood, now.


Famed martial arts choreographer Cory Yuen (THE TRANSPORTER 1 & 2, X-MEN and ROMEO MUST DIE) directed a Hong Kong film, loaded with bone-crushing stunts and masterful fight scenes with an assembled cast of martial arts masters from the East and West to cross paths.

ABOVE THE LAW (aka RIGHTING WRONGS) obtained a vigilante story with dark toned aspects that relies on police corruption and the righteous bending the law to seek their own justice. The stunning martial arts choreography by Cory Yuen kicks into high gear to help make this underrated cop-fu classic a fan favorite.

Acrobatic kung-fu genius Yuen Biao (ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, SHANGHAI EXPRESS (aka MILLIONAIRE'S EXPRESS), THE PRODIGAL SON) plays a court prosecutor whose relentless determination to do away with an untouchable gangster (James Tien- Bruce Lee's THE BIG BOSS, FIST OF FURY) has led him to employ a series of unethical tactics. His investigation becomes complicated by the arrival of a female inspector (played by 5-Time World Karate champion and weapons expert Cynthia Rothrock).

Out of all the '80s era fight flicks I have seen Yuen Biao perform in, ABOVE THE LAW was one of his better efforts as an actor and screen fight performer. He exchanges blows with undefeated kickboxing legend Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham in a (POLICE STORY-style) glass-shattering fight, he also battles Cynthia Rothrock in an engagement of traditional kung-fu, acrobatic fight moves and handcuffs. He has a Jackie Chan stunt moment where he uses his speed and flexibility to dodge speeding cars.

Cory Yuen staged these sequences wonderfully and the legendary fight between Cynthia and Biao shows their similarities in timing and skill, which makes their battle an all-time favorite. Karen Shepard, who is another skilled fighter from America and an expert in the mixed art form of Wun Hop Kuen Do kung fu, faces off against Cynthia with the lethal chain whip. Actor Melvin Wong (EASTERN CONDORS and DESCENDANT OF WING CHUN- the film referred in BULLETPROOF MONK-) also gets screen time to execute some martial arts against Yuen Biao. The results of the screen fights earned the film a nomination for Best Action Choreography at the 1987 Hong Kong Film Awards.

Of course, fans already know that Cynthia Rothrock is kung-fu's queen of action and a master in various forms of combat like Tae Kwon Do, Wushu, Northern Shaolin kung-fu and Tang Soo Do. Her skills made her a celebrated icon in the sport but unfortunately, she remains highly underrated and overshadowed by the mainstream success of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Her roles in countless American movies suffer from bad plots and choreography but her presence in Hong Kong films shine like Jackie Chan, and Jet Li does internationally. Her capabilities give her the advantage over many of today's mainstream martial art stars and it is disappointing that her films in the East do not get the proper recognition.

For a film made in the '80s, ABOVE THE LAW was a great actioner in martial arts cinema, and all the skilled experts did a great job with their performance.

I hope the overshadowing of this classic in the West will end with the new Dragon Dynasty release and capture a wider audience to gain her the type of recognition she deserves as a star.

This film was also one of Cynthia and Biao's best performances in screen combat during that era but the praise goes to Cory Yuen because of his skillful direction and casting of martial arts action figures from both worlds to pull the strings. This film will remain a classic in the cinema of martial arts and an unforgettable clashing of two legends in martial arts that deserve the proper recognition.


Cynthia Rothrock turned down a part opposite Jackie Chan to play a larger role in this Yuen Biao action thriller. Biao plays a lawyer who takes the law into his own hands when the bad guys shoot a good friend of his outside the courthouse (hence the UK title 'Above The Law'). Rothrock plays an almost identical role to that of the earlier genre classic 'Yes, Madam'. Corey Yuen Kwai takes the action a step further than that in 'Yes, Madam', making Biao and Rothrock look better than ever in a number of impressive action sequences.

Biao's acrobatic talents are showcased magnificently as he flips, kicks, abseils and uses all available weapons (vases, axes and dead bodies!) in an attempt to punish the crimes of others.

This is the definitive Hong Kong action flick of the 80's, easily on a par with 'Police Story' and should take pride of place in any fan's collection.

Also, if possible, get the 'Universe' DVD as this contains both versions of the film and the original language.


This is a great HK action flick and like most of them, it's all about the action. Essentially the whole industry in HK is more or less like the American B-movie action market, starring the likes of Dolph Lundgren, Van Damme and of course Cynthia Rothrock. The main difference though is the high level of quality in the action of the HK movies. They feature the inane plots and hokey acting of DTV American movies but my god can those guys do good action.

This film is virtually plot free but of course that isn't important. What it does have is action legend Yuen Biao (Best known as one of the three dragons, with Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung). In the 80's Biao was one of the three favourite sons of the genre. Arguably Biao was also the better fighter than Chan, but of course Chan did the most amazing stunts of the three legends. Also at the time perhaps the most popular female action star in HK was Cynthia Rothrock. She was big box office fodder and drew in the punters even before Michelle Yeoh became the number one bad ass beaatch! I have to say I like Rothrock. She is one mean lady and kicks buttock like the best of them. The high kicking carnage dished out by Cynthia, particularly in her HK movies is just hot, really darn hot! Rothrock moved away from those movies in the early 90's and had a brief slew of theatrical films in the US before dropping into the DTV market where she remains a popular draw. The problem is that American cinema doesn't spend the time and energy on the fight sequences like they do in HK. Nowadays the average Rothrock fight scene looks very conventional, while of course still remaining sexy by the sheer fact she is kicking booty. Righting Wrong of course is full to the brim of high octane and imaginative fights and the film never drags. Rothrock is superb in the action department and has some great fights, amongst others a great fight with Biao, while Biao is also superb, showcasing some amazing moves and great stunts. This is simplistic entertainment and a lesson to American movies on how it's done. ***


1st watched 2/2/2010  7 out of 10 (Dir-Corey Yuen): Well done action movie with incredibly well crafted action sequences. The story is about a prosecutor, played by Yuen Biao, who likes to take the law into his own hands whenever he gets the chance. If the court ruling is in favor of the guilty party, he goes after them individually. Cynthia Rothrock plays a cop who's after him for the murder of one of the guilty parties that was let go by the courts. This is an interesting twist on the otherwise formulaic story because you really don't know who to route for. Both parties are just trying to do their jobs but both do add a little persuasion with their fighting skills. A bad cop ends up being the real guilty party and the two stars eventually team up to bring him down but not before many deaths. The fighting sequences are extremely well choreographed and you also feel the passion within the main characters and I think that's what makes the difference in this movie. There is a little humor thrown in as well coming from side characters but mostly the movie is about the action. I'm not usually much for these type of movies but this was so well executed it really surprised me and I couldn't stop watching. Bravo Corey Yuen!!  you took a simple 80's action-revenge movie and made it special despite it's simplicity.


I've been a fan of YB for as long as I have JC, it's hard to believe he's never quite "made it" in the same way as JC & SH. In my opinion he's as good at fighting , acrobatics and stunts as JC & SH put together and that's saying something. I'm a huge fan of JC & SH. This movie is perfect for Yuen. He's able to shine in his own right with some unbelievable moments of genius! SEE IT NOW!


For anyone who's seen "An Inconvenient Truth", you'll recognize the same theories, evidence and message in this much earlier work. But there is sooooo much more. This program manages to include the entire environmental history of the world, but, coming from a future perspective, takes a good look at where we are now from a somewhat impersonal view.

Entertaining, enjoyable and packed FULL of information that's not dumbed down, but remains accessible. James Burke, as always, has a knack for making formidably complex issues understandable without talking down at you. Although an admirer of Al Gore's goals as an environmentalist, this is a far more intelligently organized and comprehensive piece of work.

If I was an earth science teacher, I'd require this for my classes.