I struggled with her Hong Kong movies but this was just amazing. Be good to hear your thoughts
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SMB Film Thread 2025
- Thread starter Fletch73
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Doogie Hauser
Midfield
I quite liked Righting Wrongs, but that’s because I like Yuen Biao and Corey Yuen.
Drifter
Winger
Happy Gilmore 2 - chuckled away at various points, mostly at the throwbacks to the first one. Obviously daft but enjoyable nonetheless. Didn’t need the clips from HG1 to reference the returning characters.
Not the disaster I was expecting.
Pleasantly surprised 6.75/10.
Go back to your shanty’s.
Not the disaster I was expecting.
Pleasantly surprised 6.75/10.
Go back to your shanty’s.
Doogie Hauser
Midfield
If you’re watching her films on Prime, I actually really enjoyed Undefeatable. It’s a serial killer flick but it feels like two entirely different films splice together in the middle
Shit me.
I’ve just started this. When you said it was like two different films spliced together, I thought, hmm… sounds a little bit like the practises of a certain Godfrey Ho in HK in the 70s/80s. Where he’d buy the back catalogues of Korean and Taiwanese companies, then insert newly-filmed scenes featuring western actors into the footage. Then he’d overdub them with dialogue that attempted to justify the new scenes, often changing the story entirely. And then retitle them for the worldwide video rental market. Most of the time, the ‘new’ film had butchered the original to the point where it made no sense at all.
Lo and behold, this film starts off with A GODFREY HALL FILM. It couldn’t be! Could it?
Harry Gates
Winger
Ringo and the "remote" camera makes me wet myself every time.
Doogie Hauser
Midfield
Undefeatable (1993)
Cynthia Rothrock is a bit of a street punk in trouble with the law. Meanwhile, a mad-eyed freak with a Peter Venkman on crack haircut loses the plot after his wife walks out on him. He kidnaps vaguely similar looking women and gouges their eyes out. Cynthia’s sister is on his victims list.
Insane. In all kinds of ways. The whole thing has a terrible cheap 80s soap atmosphere, in terms of aesthetics, sound, acting and presentation. The film stock quality is pure Star Trek TNG season one, in terms of fuzziness. The direction isn’t actually too bad, but my God, the acting is offensive. Rothrock isn’t too bad, and the psychiatrist woman is ok, but the two lead cops are dire. The villain is cartoonishly awful. The dialogue is cringeworthy and risable. The haircuts make my eyes want to be sick. The grim noodling 80s synth beat and sporadic electro howling is ghastly. The story development is clumsy and stupid. The baddie phases in and out of an Oedipus complex in such a hamfisted way, it’s laughable. Pretty much everything about the film screams 2/10. It’s just so poor.
But films are meant to be entertaining. And did I laugh my arse off at certain points? Did I enjoy the fights? Did I wince at the gory bits? Did it hold my attention throughout? Yes, to all of the above! It’s a bloody awful piece of filmmaking, but as a film, it’s watchable. The pure and sincere rubbishness of it really adds to its likability and enjoyment. I mean, that bad guy’s eyes and psychotic demeanour is absolutely hilarious, and I really don’t think it’s meant to be. It’s a remarkable performance, for it’s memorable and amusing, yet such a rotten cliche of a cinema unhinged madman.
There’s a real battle in my mind between what constitutes quality cinema, and how much to judge a film on its entertainment value. The action scenes aren’t half bad, and this is what the film is all about really.
I’ll give it like 6/10 based purely on how much it entertained me. It’s almost hypnotically awful, yet ideal for laughing at and laughing with. The ending is great.
Cynthia Rothrock is a bit of a street punk in trouble with the law. Meanwhile, a mad-eyed freak with a Peter Venkman on crack haircut loses the plot after his wife walks out on him. He kidnaps vaguely similar looking women and gouges their eyes out. Cynthia’s sister is on his victims list.
Insane. In all kinds of ways. The whole thing has a terrible cheap 80s soap atmosphere, in terms of aesthetics, sound, acting and presentation. The film stock quality is pure Star Trek TNG season one, in terms of fuzziness. The direction isn’t actually too bad, but my God, the acting is offensive. Rothrock isn’t too bad, and the psychiatrist woman is ok, but the two lead cops are dire. The villain is cartoonishly awful. The dialogue is cringeworthy and risable. The haircuts make my eyes want to be sick. The grim noodling 80s synth beat and sporadic electro howling is ghastly. The story development is clumsy and stupid. The baddie phases in and out of an Oedipus complex in such a hamfisted way, it’s laughable. Pretty much everything about the film screams 2/10. It’s just so poor.
But films are meant to be entertaining. And did I laugh my arse off at certain points? Did I enjoy the fights? Did I wince at the gory bits? Did it hold my attention throughout? Yes, to all of the above! It’s a bloody awful piece of filmmaking, but as a film, it’s watchable. The pure and sincere rubbishness of it really adds to its likability and enjoyment. I mean, that bad guy’s eyes and psychotic demeanour is absolutely hilarious, and I really don’t think it’s meant to be. It’s a remarkable performance, for it’s memorable and amusing, yet such a rotten cliche of a cinema unhinged madman.
There’s a real battle in my mind between what constitutes quality cinema, and how much to judge a film on its entertainment value. The action scenes aren’t half bad, and this is what the film is all about really.
I’ll give it like 6/10 based purely on how much it entertained me. It’s almost hypnotically awful, yet ideal for laughing at and laughing with. The ending is great.
Mr Redknapp
Striker
The resident SMB Barry Normans register their opinions on this thread...and why not? 
soap opera hits the nail on the head.Rothrock doesn’t even appear for more than 5 minutes for what feels like the first half. It’s just so random.
As for the killer. Never has a serial killers entire M.O. just changed just for a story to be drawn out
I especially loved the fact a gun suddenly appeared!And as for the karate gangs!
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Doogie Hauser
Midfield
Rothrock doesn’t even appear for more than 5 minutes for what feels like the first half. It’s just so random.
As for the killer. Never has a serial killers entire M.O. just changed just for a story to be drawn out
And as for the karate gangs!
The whole thing is just so stupid. That’s Godfrey Ho all over. It’s probably more coherent than his work at IFD where he just shoehorned in scenes of brightly dressed ninjas wearing headbands (saying ‘Ninja’), but his style of filmmaking definitely has the Midas touch. It’s unbelievable that he worked under the legendary Chang Cheh at Shaw Brothers.
An early favourite bit was ‘if your hand touches the floor, you’re out’. What? Cynthia’s enemy then reaches down to touch the floor as part of his fighting stance.
I’m now tempted to open my (still wrapped) Shawscope collection vol.1 just to cleanse myself
Bet you can’t name many films where a character that basically equates to a rapist is just there for light comic relief!
Doogie Hauser
Midfield
I’m now tempted to open my (still wrapped) Shawscope collection vol.1 just to cleanse myself
Bet you can’t name many films where a character that basically equates to a rapist is just there for light comic relief!
None roll off the top of my head! The Shawscope sets are great. I think there’s a volume 4 in the works. Some Arrow nerds reckon it’ll be more horror/fantasy orientated.
Vaguely relevant fact: IFD, the company that Godfrey ago churned out dozens of cut and paste splice ups for in the 80s, is now owned by the son of Ken Russell.
I’ve just put Death Warrant on.
Needless to say, as always, Van Dammes trousers steal the show.
Shack
Striker
Mickey 17 (2025) - 6/10 - Robert Pattinson plays a good part (well, many parts in reality) as the self titled Mickey, an expendable human who is regenerated multiple times after going on certain missions in an attempt to colonize a new planet. It was a nice quirky idea but unfortunately the actual plot was a bit empty and clichéd. It also tried to be a sort of hammy comedy, especially with the Mark Ruffalo (almost Trumpesque) and Toni Collete characters but I don't think that really worked well. It also went on a bit longer than it needed to and could have done with some tighter editing I think.
Monty Pigeon
Striker
Materialists (2025) 9/10
The latest from Celine Song (director of the brilliant Past Lives) is getting a kicking on Letterboxd, probably because it's being promoted as a romcom (see trailer), when in fact it's a smart deconstruction of romcom tropes.
The 39 Steps (1935) 10/10
Classic Hitchcock, though you have to get past the fact that Robert Donat sounds uncannily like Harry Enfield's Mr Cholmondley Warner sketches.
The Winslow Boy (1948) 9/10
The original adaptation for Terence Rattigan's play is much more cinematic than David Mamet's 1999 remake. Robert Donat again, with a supporting cast of great character actors.
The latest from Celine Song (director of the brilliant Past Lives) is getting a kicking on Letterboxd, probably because it's being promoted as a romcom (see trailer), when in fact it's a smart deconstruction of romcom tropes.
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The 39 Steps (1935) 10/10
Classic Hitchcock, though you have to get past the fact that Robert Donat sounds uncannily like Harry Enfield's Mr Cholmondley Warner sketches.
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The Winslow Boy (1948) 9/10
The original adaptation for Terence Rattigan's play is much more cinematic than David Mamet's 1999 remake. Robert Donat again, with a supporting cast of great character actors.
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Doogie Hauser
Midfield
Haven’t seen that for years! I loved the laundry room fight. Always good to see Al Leong.
According to IFD producer Joseph Lai, Van Damme wanted to work for them, but they refused. Imagine that mashup. In a parallel universe, there’s a formidable set of films out there.
Fletch73
Midfield
I didn't like the trailer at all but I might give this a watch now.
I really need to rewatch a lot of Hitch's earlier stuff. I think I last saw this, The Lady Vanishes, Shadow of a Doubt etc. when I was a teenager (30 years ago). Whereas I watch Rear Window, Dial M, N by NW every year.
Monty Pigeon
Striker
I wasn't going to watch Materialists at all after the trailer - then I realised who the director is. A trailer can make a move into something it's not.
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I've upgraded my Hitchcock collection from DVD to Blu-ray/4K, so steadily working my way through. My last Hitchcock binge was c 2005, so it's been 20 years since I've seen most of them.
Doogie Hauser
Midfield
China O’Brien 2 (1991)
More of the same, really. Rothrock still won’t use guns (but will kill someone with a bow and arrow), Norton is fine - though underused - backup, and Cooke does the best he can. Good screenfighter, that man. I remember Reptile being the best fight in the Mortal Kombat film, with him and Robin Shou duking it out.
The main bad guy is pretty great, to be fair. A bit of a throwback to wiry moustached bastards with a massive group of cannon fodder doing his bidding. It’s eye opening how much more sophisticated this is as a film after watching Undefeatable. It’s still cheesy brainless crap, but it hangs together more coherently in terms of pacing and script.
The action scenes aren’t bad - but I’ve no idea why so many former crack soldiers are as weak as piss and couldn’t hit a barndoor.
Critically, it’s 3/10. I’ll give it 6/10 because it’s short, amusing and entertaining.
More of the same, really. Rothrock still won’t use guns (but will kill someone with a bow and arrow), Norton is fine - though underused - backup, and Cooke does the best he can. Good screenfighter, that man. I remember Reptile being the best fight in the Mortal Kombat film, with him and Robin Shou duking it out.
The main bad guy is pretty great, to be fair. A bit of a throwback to wiry moustached bastards with a massive group of cannon fodder doing his bidding. It’s eye opening how much more sophisticated this is as a film after watching Undefeatable. It’s still cheesy brainless crap, but it hangs together more coherently in terms of pacing and script.
The action scenes aren’t bad - but I’ve no idea why so many former crack soldiers are as weak as piss and couldn’t hit a barndoor.
Critically, it’s 3/10. I’ll give it 6/10 because it’s short, amusing and entertaining.
Harry Gates
Winger
The 80's/90's limited release/straight to video films were such good fun because everyone at every stage of the enterprise was completely off their tits.
OOOSH YEAH
Striker
Action Jackson is an absolute classic pile of shite. Watched it recently and loved it.The 80's/90's limited release/straight to video films were such good fun because everyone at every stage of the enterprise was completely off their tits.
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