Perfect Blue

Starring:Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji, Masaaki Ã”kura, Barry Stigler, Bambi Darro, Jamieson Price, George C. Cole, Syd Fontana, Carol Stanzione, Lia Sargent, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Steven Jay Blum, Matt K. Miller, Dari MacKenie, Steve Bulen, Jimmy Theodore, Michael Lindsay (II), Wendee Lee, Bob Buchholz
Director: Satoshi Kon
Studio: Manga Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

This very welcome box set turns up the heat on one of detective films' cold cases. Created by Brett Halliday, Michael Shayne appeared in 31 books between the 1940s and '70s. He is not as popularly known as other screen shamuses, but he's good company. As portrayed by Lloyd Nolan (best known as curmudgeonly Dr. Chegley on the groundbreaking sitcom Julia), Shayne is not as hard-boiled as Sam Spade or as sage as Charlie Chan. But, as one shady character observes to someone whom Shayne has just pasted, "You know better than to mix with Shayne." He's a working-class mug ("His office is in his hat, his home is in his car," he remarks), usually "down on his luck" and short on cash. As Michael Shayne, Private Detective (1940) opens, the furniture from his office is being repossessed. Still, Shayne has ethics enough to turn down $5,000 for a suspicious-sounding case. ("$5,000 will buy a lot of ethics," he's told). He's got some odd habits, from twirling his keychain to singing the odd Irish ditty. In each film, Shayne manages to get himself into some "screwy scrapes." In Private Detective, a "gag" backfires when an attempt to scare a gambling heiress straight results in a murder with Shayne's gun at the scene of the crime. In The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942), Shayne pretends to be a wealthy woman's husband to get the lowdown on a body that won't stay buried. In Sleepers West (1941), he's on the right track when he accompanies a murder witness by train to San Francisco. Blue, White and Perfect (1942) is a real gem that finds Shayne embroiled in wartime espionage, smuggled diamonds and dodging his jealous, matrimonial-minded girlfriend.

These lively B-films each clock in at less than 80 minutes. What they lack in budget they more than make up for in shadow-drenched, dark, and stormy atmosphere, Shayne's moxie and inestimable support from some great character actors, such as Clarence Kolb (the crooked mayor in His Girl Friday) and Douglass Dumbrille (the nasty racetrack owner in A Day at the Races), who appear in Private Detective. For a collection of obscure films, this box set has all the trimmings, with three original featurettes that provide efficient primers on Halliday, Shayne, and Robert McGinnis, the artist who created luscious and lurid covers for the Shayne paperbacks. There is also an interactive trivia guide that makes the six-degrees connections between cast members and the film-noir world. This is volume 1, to which we can only say, "Come back, Shayne." --Donald Liebenson

Description

Disc 1 Side A: MICHAEL SHAYNE, PRIVATE DETECTIVE (1942) Disc 1 Side B: THE MAN WHO WOULDN'T DIE (1942) Disc 2 Side A: SLEEPERS WEST (1941) Disc 2 Side B: BLUE, WHITE, & PERFECT (1942)

**Plus Featurettes **Packaging designed by Michael Shayne and artist Robert McGinnis

Customer Reviews:

Review of Michael Shayne Vol 1.......2007-06-28

I think these movies made in the 1940's were fun to watch. I particularly enjoyed LLoyd Nolan playing the lead role. I also enjoyed seeing old glamorous movie stars like Lynn Bari and Mary Beth Hughes in action again.

Classic B-Movies.......2007-06-12

I am a fan of Lloyd Nolan. He has always shined in B-movies. And his signature role as Michael Shayne is no different. His wit and timing are nothing short of outstanding. I hope that another boxed set of these films are released soon.

I would even like to see the one's with Hugh Beaumont. It would be nice to see Beaumont play a character besides Ward Cleaver on Leave It To Beaver. But, Lloyd Nolan is still the best to play this character.

Michael Shayne.......2007-06-08

The Michael Shayne mysteries are not only clever, but very funny. Lloyd
Nolan is great and the best Michael Shayne there ever was. Can't wait
till Volume 2 comes out.

action thriller.......2007-05-16

this dvd box set of michael shayne is very good and well worth buying for any film buff who likes lloyd Nolan. he plays the part very good and is comical also. the rest of the cast also are well worth watching, I do hope 20th centry Fox turn out more of Mike Shayne in the near future, I have been waiting for this series to come on dvd and now they are out Im more than pleased I purchased them. I realy do say this that Mike shayne is excellent and well worth the price of this set. and Lloyd Nolan takes the part well and I highly recommend it. well worth buying if you Like Nolan

Good film noir.......2007-05-13

Had not heard of these before, but ordered them and they were very good.

Average customer rating:

Far from perfect and made my day blue
Against the norm in a good way
Perfect Blue - Amazing thriller!
Excuse me... who are you?
Just bought it....

Perfect Blue
Starring: Junko Iwao , Rica Matsumoto , Shinpachi Tsuji , Masaaki Ôkura , and Mattie Rando
Director: Satoshi Kon
Manufacturer: Manga Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000JL42
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Amazon.com

One of the most ambitious animated films to come out of Japan (or anywhere, for that matter), Perfect Blue is an adult psycho-thriller that uses the freedom of the animated image to create the subjective reality of a young actress haunted by the ghost of her past identity. Mima is a singer who leaves her teeny-bop trio to become an actress in a violent television series, a career move that angers her fans, who prefer to see her as the pert, squeaky-clean pop idol. Plagued by self-doubt and tormented by humiliating compromises, she begins to be stalked, in her waking and sleeping moments, by an accusing alter ego who claims to be "the real Mima," until she collapses into madness as her coworkers are brutally slain around her. Director Satoshi Kon, adapting the novel by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, shows us the world from her schizophrenic perspective: days blur, dreams cross over into the waking world, the TV show blends into her real life, until her life merges with her part and she can't separate the ghosts from the real-life stalkers. Though the pat ending sweeps the psychosis and anxiety away with nary an emotional scar, it remains a smart, stylish thriller and one of the most intelligent and compelling uses of animation in recent years. Though tame by the extreme standards of "adult anime," there is nudity and a few sexually provocative scenes, and the animation is detailed and stylized (if somewhat stiff and jerky by Disney standards). --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Far from perfect and made my day blue.......2007-06-14

This anime got lost somewhere in my anime collection. I haven't watched it in 2 years until today. I wanted to know the reason why this was still apart of my collection. And honestly... I dont know why. For every 10 anime fans that hop out the woodwork, about 9 reviews come out extremely overhyped. Neon Genesis Evangelion is just one of those unsolved mysteries of an underserved anime with high praise. Perfect Blue joins that overhyped roster.

Perfect Blue really has nothing going for it all in my opinion. First the story. The main character Mima has established herself as a pop artist together with her group. Due to some "backstage politics" she was forced to break away and begin her new career as an actress. Unfortunetley she begins to receive life threatening gifts and emails from what appears to be disgruntled fans. The plot could have turned out to be something special. But several flashbacks and hallucinations cause the story to actually drag out. Soon you the viewer will begin to ask yourself, whats real or not real? It seemed kind of cool at first until some things didn't add up to me at all. Given the time the main character had between her movie filming, real life situations and just the development of the anime itself. The hallucinations just really didn't seem to make sense or was believeable to the point where anyone could have gone insane. Soon the writers of the script for the main character start to turn up brutally murdered which begins the who dunnit thing. Also to mention even though it was apart of the movie filming. There is a pretty disturbing rape scene. But I've seen much worse.

The animation is alright and the soundtrack is ok. I feel that this movie was wasted potential. Due to very weak character development. Very slow and non captivating plot. I honestly believe the only people who truly enjoy this anime are those that are new to the genre. Those who like everything and those that just like to give high ratings to anime that trys to make you think with minimum hack and slash. If you want something dark and WILL make you think. Then check out Boogiepop Phantom way before this. Perfect Blue is worth a rental at best. This anime is not for kids or the weak of heart, due to strong language, gore, and sexual situations.

Against the norm in a good way.......2007-06-14

Perfect Blue, directed by Satoshi Kon who would later do Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers and the upcoming Paprika, takes a stab (no pun intended) at a more mature offering. Instead of having things such as mechs or special abilities or fighters who can fly 60 feet in the air, this is more like a traditional movie only done in animation. With some interesting, surrealistic visuals, an ever-shifting storyline and lots of twists Lost would be proud to have, this is a film for those looking for that little extra something in their anime movies.

Mima Kirogue is a pop singer for the band CHAM! Like all pop singers who dream of being known for something else as well as the brevity of most careers, she quits and pursues an acting career. Some fans are not happy with this decision and one in particular is quite obsessed with Mima returning to her old career, even going as far as to follow her and impersonate her online as well as going to extremes involving people working with Mima. But is it the stalker or is something else entirely going on?

What's really great ultimately about the story is its comfortable sense of pacing. Anyone who's a fan of film noir or the often used comparison to Hitchcock films knows pacing is very deliberate. Rather than have the slam-bang pace of a lot of anime films, here thinks start out quietly and strangely calm but soon things escalate and more and more things start to happen around Mima. It's a film that can probably work in live action but animation just gives it that extra surreal quality, especially the constant presence of someone in the mirror and their manner of moving which would look silly filmed.

The other is the story. The film very sneakily has so many elements and layers on it that you'll find yourself constantly figuring out the mystery only to have it not be the case. While at times it's incredibly hard to keep track of everything and what's in the mind and what's for real constantly shifts making you lose an understanding of what's going on only to be shown the answer later. You got to walk into this film prepared to challenge everything although the fun of it is seeing it unfold with you confused in a good way. Kon's style of animation at times can be somewhat distracting. While there's a lot of more cinematic elements used such as blurring or rotating camera movement, the characters look slightly ugly at times.

It may not be the most loved anime by most people with some calling it overrated or just plain weird for anything but I quite enjoyed it and you should check it out.

Perfect Blue - Amazing thriller!.......2007-06-08

I loved this movie so much I've watched it over and over.
Highly recommened...great psychological thriller.

Excuse me... who are you?.......2007-06-02

This movie is different for all you anime lovers. This is a great movie. It's a thriller. I really love this movie. The Japanese version is good. I enjoy watching movies with Japanese. Perfect Blue is a great movie.

Just bought it...........2007-04-01

and I love it!!! This movie is one of the weirdest, tripiest movies I have ever seen. If your into suspense, violence, drama and action, then get this movie.

Average customer rating:

Good collection
Blue Seed, one of the best out there!
Great Series!!!!
BEST EVER
Blue Seed rules!

Blue Seed - Perfect Collection
Starring: Jason Lee , Rob Mungle , Tiffany Grant , Marcy Rae , and Kurt Stoll
Director: Shinya Sadamitsu , Kenji Takemura , and Jun Kamiya
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000067IVS
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Amazon.com

Momiji Fujimiya believes she's just an ordinary Japanese teenager--until she learns that she's actually the hereditary princess Kushinada and her blood is mankind's most powerful weapon against the shape-shifting monsters the Aragami. As the centuries-old war between humanity and the Aragami is heating up, Momiji goes to Tokyo to work with the government agency fighting the monsters. She's joined by the roguish Mamoru Kusanagi: as a child he was kidnapped by a powerful Aragami and given seven souls, or mitama (symbolized by the "Blue Seed" of the title). In battle Kusanagi transforms into a werewolfish version of himself with sword blades in his forearms. He's challenged by the Jim Morrison-esque Murakomo, a servant of the Aragami lords who possesses eight mitama. The plot takes an unsettling turn with the rebirth of the god of darkness, Susano-Oh, whom Murakomo tends with Momiji's twin sister, Kaede--who died in the first episode. The adventures and romance are played against an ecological message that's wrapped in right-wing rhetoric reminiscent of the ultraconservative cabal in Gasaraki: contemporary Japanese culture is damned as "barren," "dead," and "cannibalistic". Although she tends to dither, Momiji never indulges in the whining and tantrums that make many other magical girls so annoying; the dashing Kusanagi assumes the role of protector-lover without losing his outlaw élan as Tamahome does in Fushigi Yugi. Unrated; suitable for ages 12 and up: Violence, minor profanity and sexual humor. --Charles Solomon

Description

The countdown to extinction begins when the evil shape-shifting monsters known as the Aragami make their grand play to gain control of the earth. Humanity's only chance for survival rests on the shoulders of Momiji, a young girl carrying an unborn Aragami in her chest and Kusanagi, a servant of the Aragami rebelling against his masters in order to ensure mankind's survival. Watch the battle for earth's survival unfold in the groundbreaking anime series, Blue Seed!

Customer Reviews:

Good collection.......2007-07-02

I never mind humor in a serious anime but there are just some things in this movie that are so cheesy that make you wonder "WTF?!". An example is a guy creating a program to guess what underwear the main character was wearing and being able to use this program to help defeat a monster.....

Other than too many cheesy moments, there was plenty of action, a good (though somewhat complicated) plot, and good character development.

Blue Seed, one of the best out there!.......2004-08-06

A couple of years ago, I never thought about buying this series, but having the chance to buy the perfect collection seemed to good to pass up. I gave this series a shot, and what can I say about it? FANTASTIC!

This series has almost everything in it, action, adventure, some mystery, comedy, and even romance. Blue Seed shouldn't be underestimated for being an older anime, since it came out in 1995, and was later released by ADV Films in 1997. I really enjoyed going through the 26 evenly passed episodes, the characters were wonderful and memorable, and the ending fits the series well. There isn't alot left hanging, which means this series comes to a satisfying conclusion. The characters are really likable, especially the relationship between Momiji(The heroine), and Kusanagi(...). Momiji is the clumsy but brave girl(Unlike other magical girls), while Kusanagi is the hero who comes to save the day,(...). One cannot help but laugh when he peeps at Momiji's pantys under her skirt, one can get a good kick out of that.

If you are an anime fan who has good taste, then get Blue Seed when you can, you won't regret it.

Great Series!!!!.......2003-12-11

This is a must see anime i bought the boxset and it was really good... Other good animes are Sailor Moon, SuperGals, Tenchi,Sakura Wars, Cardcaptor Sakura, Mao-Chan,Inuyasha, Ranma1/2 and others lol.... But this is a must seee...

BEST EVER.......2003-08-19

I think that Blue Seed is 1 of the best japanese anime i ever saw. i think it has the whole package for a perfect anime. it has romance,comedy,and action packed and many other emotions or something like that. i'm also glad that this anime stays on 1 topic, not like the other ones i've seen that skip from 1 topic to another. My favorite character would have to be Momoru Kusanagi. For 1 thing hes very funny but serios at the same time. And another hes very strong and cute. i think the people who havent watched Blue Seed before, should because its very interesting and very easy to understand at first.

Blue Seed rules!.......2003-07-10

Blue Seed is an AMAZING series in many ways. I bought the first vhs volume 3 years ago and since then have enjoyed it. Although the art is usually far from perfect, that doesn't stop it from being on the list of my favorite anime ever! There are some amazing action sequences, but along with that, it will make you laugh, cry, and give you some shocking plot twists (which I will NOT spoil). The concept is X- Files meets Aliens meets your favorite sitcom (in most parts).

Parents be warned; the violence is not all that keeps this title out of the reach of young children. There are a few near-sexual situations and some panty humor. As for the better language, steer clear of the dub if you can't stand squealing heroines. I'd probably go for the sub even if that wasn't the case.

I won't reveal the plot for you, but I will tell you a few things. The leading character (no names mentioned; find out yourself) is done by a massively popular voice actress: Megumi Hayashibara. The humor fades later, and speaking of the humor, NO STUPID COMEDY CLICHES(thank GOD!).
And although the whole monster thing is a bit of a cliche, the monsters themselves are pretty original. If you want more humor later check out the 13 omake theaters.

Overall, I'd put it in the no. 2 spot on my favorite anime t.v. series list (putting it below the amazing Neon Genesis Evangelion and above the hilarious Slayers). My father even came to enjoy it, and if you LOVE anime or are a beginner, you'll adore it.

Bear in the Big Blue House - Practice Makes Perfect

Average customer rating:

We LOVE Bear! But this DVD was a dud.
Bear is great!

Bear in the Big Blue House - Practice Makes Perfect
Starring: Noel McNeal , Peter Linz , Vicki Eibner , James J. Kroupa , and Tyler Bunch
Director: Hugh Martin (III) , Mitchell Kriegman , Jim Martin , and Richard A. Fernandes
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Bear In the Big Blue House: Tidy Time With Bear!
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ASIN: B0000DGKI2
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Customer Reviews:

We LOVE Bear! But this DVD was a dud........2004-09-16

My 16 month old son and I love Bear in the Big Blue house. We have many of his shows and love most of them. But, this one was a flop. Not sure if it is the new format and music or the new, more mature themes, but it didn't work. My son pays no attention to this DVD, but loves the others.

Opt for "Dance Party", "Bear for all Seasons", and the nighttime ones and skip this one...

Bear is great!.......2003-12-13

Here I am a 24 year old married woman who loves Bear in the Big Blue House! Oh and yes my 13 month old son does too. He has been enjoying Bear since he was 8 months old and he is almost 14 months old now and every time he hears this video come on, he runs into the living room and plops his butt down and can't take his eyes off it.

Average customer rating:

La Blue Girl Perfect Blue Box

Manufacturer: Kitty Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
ASIN: B000NKP0Y8

Average customer rating:

High Crime in Rio worth a look
Haunting Moods

Grand Slam
Starring: Janet Leigh , Robert Hoffmann , Klaus Kinski , Riccardo Cucciolla , and George Rigaud
Director: Giuliano Montaldo
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000096IA2
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Customer Reviews:

High Crime in Rio worth a look.......2003-06-10

This film is a solid sixties style tour in every aspect. It is a model of a "Mission Impossible' adventure and resembles an early James Bond flick *(Thunderball) in the carnival scenes and LARGO (minus the eye patch and Spectre ring) is even in THIS picture! A professor (Edward G. Robinson) plans a jewel heist and has four experts handle the theft. All of this takes place in Rio during 'Carnival' and we are shown how professionals work together to obtain the goal. A Playboy, A Safecracker, An Electronics Expert and A Military Enforcer work as the team. There is tension and struggle here that will keep you interested and the melody of the Carnival will remain with you long after the picture is over. A neat little plot twist is included in the ending scene in Rome. Well worth the viewing, not the greatest epic ever made but certainly entertaining.

Haunting Moods.......2003-05-02

Without re-hashing the synopsis of this classic heist thriller shown above, let me say I really loved two things about this DVD: being in Rio De Janeiro in the mid 60's, and the incredible haunting music by Ennio Morricone. His soundtrack is as good or better than any other movie he scored. There is some great, haunting bossa nova music in this caper. This movie was virtually impossible to find on video. Now you can view in the clarity of DVD. This movie is worth having if you love Brazil, and want to hear some classic moody 60's music.

Average customer rating:

Worth seeing
I have no idea what the other reviewer is complaining about!
Try again, Manga.

Perfect Blue (UMD Mini for PSP)
Director: Satoshi Kon
Manufacturer: Manga Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

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Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex Season 1 - Volume 1 (UMD Mini For PSP)

Accessories:

Sony PSP PlayGear Amp
Sony PSP Comfort Grips Black
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ASIN: B000BCE9DQ
Release Date: 2005-12-06

Description

Winner - Best Animation Film at Fantasporto 1998 (Portugal) Winner - Public Prize for Best Asian Film at Fant-Asia (Canada) IN THE WORLD OF MAKE BELIEVE - THE PRICE OF FAME - MAY NOT BE WORTH THE COST OF IDENTITY Pop idol singer Mima Kirigoe looks forward to a bright new career after she quits her chart-topping trio to become an actress. But when she accepts a role in a sexually charged murder mystery TV series, someone is not happy with her decision. Mima's life begins to change as she is threatened with disturbing phone calls, faxes and e-mails from a mysterious source. She also discovers alarming web sites describing intimate details and pictures of her new public persona. As she descends into a dangerous state of paranoia, helpless and afraid, some of her associates are now murdered by the enigmatic stalker. Reality and delusion merge into a terrifying world as Mima's innocence is lost and her dreams become nightmares. Will she be next? In the tradition of great suspense masters, director Satoshi Kon (Memories/Millenium Actress), special advisor Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) and Madhouse Studios (Ninja Scroll), bring Yoshikazu Takeuchi's thrilling suspense novel to the screen, in a tour de force that brings animation to a bold new level. A brilliant psychological thriller which breaks the mold of anime films, Perfect Blue was conceived in 1993 when Yoshikazu Takeuchi (Author) and Koichi Okamoto (Original Producer) approached Rex Entertainment with a 90-minute live-action video project based on Takeuchi's novel. Production was delayed during early 1994 due to the Kobe earthquake and the decision to animate the film was made. However, given the unique nature of the project it was agreed to employ the best names currently working in the industry. Okamoto and Takeuchi employed Hiroaki Inoue as line producer, who in turn approached Madhouse Studios with the project. Although skeptical of what he initially described as "no more than a reckless idea", Masao Maruyama (Mad House, CEO) was inspired by the passion of both producer and author and decided to back the project. Word of the forthcoming production reached Katsuhiro Otomo who had previously illustrated Takeuchi's work. Otomo read the script and suggested that Satoshi Kon (Jojo's Bizarre Adventures, Roujin Z); a supervisor on his latest project (Memories) should direct the feature. Perfect Blue premiered at the `Fant-Asia Film Festival' where it proved an instant hit. Its initial screening sold out within 30 minutes and two further shows were scheduled in order to meet public demand. As a result, Perfect Blue was awarded the Public prize for `Best Asian Film'. The impressive imagery within the film found it's way into both Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Madonna's 2001 Drowned World concert tour.

Customer Reviews:

Worth seeing.......2006-03-04

A dark story with psychological twist in it. Well done for an anime, but not for children. Adult themes and violence. Enjoyed the movie, it constantly makes you evaluate if the main character is in reality or fantasy.

I have no idea what the other reviewer is complaining about!.......2006-02-24

I have no idea what you are complaining about! This movie is perfect, and the voice dubbing is wonderful. Remember, the dubbing of Japanese voice-over is terrible, and Americans are the 'movie-makers' not the other way around. Leave the Japanese Videogames to the Japanese, and American movies and production to us Americans.

I thought the overall production of this movie was fantastic! 4 stars only because no special features. But overall, very good!

Try again, Manga........2006-01-06

This is the UMD version of Perfect Blue (I have no idea why Amazon has it listed in such an oblique fashion.) Anyway--look, Manga, I appreciate you releasing stuff like this in the UMD format. But it's absolutely unforgivable to release a prominent anime film with an English dub only. There's no technical reason to do it this way. We know from your Perfect Blue DVD release that you have access to both tracks. Even the copy of freaking Godzilla: Final Wars I have on UMD has both Japanese and English tracks. Why do it this way? I don't get it. Anyway, avoid unless you're unbothered by sterile English dubs.

Average customer rating:

Perfect Lives
Starring: Robert Ashley; Jill Kroesen; David van Tieghem; "Blue" Gene Tyranny
Director: John Sanborn
Manufacturer: Lovely Music, Ltd.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BZ8MY0
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Average customer rating:

Blue Underground delivers
Do not attempt to watch without the help of MST3K
Richly Historical
For MST3K fans with an IMDB rating of 3.3
Unbearably Awful

The Castle of Fu Manchu
Starring: Werner Abrolat , Tsai Chin , Herbert Fux , Osvaldo Genazzani , and Richard Greene
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000096I9S
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Customer Reviews:

Blue Underground delivers.......2006-12-12

I am very impressed by Blue Underground's presentation of Blood of Fu Manchu and Castle of Fu Manchu. The prints are vastly superior to other versions I've seen and the DVD extras are AWESOME. There are cool menus, a delectable "easter egg", fun domestic and international trailers, poster galleries, still galleries, press material galleries, informative bios, and excellent inteviews with the stars, the director, and the producer. There is also "The Facts of Dr. Fu Manchu" which provides great insight into the evil Fu Manchu and his creator Sax Rohmer. "Facts" is very well done and highly informative. Blue Underground's Fu Manchu DVDs are exquisite.

Do not attempt to watch without the help of MST3K.......2006-08-30

Fu Manchu's evil plan? Control the world's oceans by making . . . ice! I think that was the plot anyway. It's hard to tell since not a darn thing in the movie makes any sense. Fu seems to need some scientist's help, but the man has a bad heart. So Fu kidnaps a heart surgeon and has him replace the man's heart with one from a perfectly healthy young man. So the scientists is still alive, but we never find out why that is so important. He never actually does anything. The British eventually find Fu and foil his plans, but again, how did they find him? The movie is so incoherent. Things happen and get edited in with other scenes of things happening and voila, we have a movie. This had to be Christopher Lee's easiest movie to make. He delivers his lines in a monotone and his face never shows any emotion no matter what happens. The acting is pretty bad from everyone involved but only to keep up with the inexplicably weird direction.

If you feel you must watch this movie, you're taking a college film course or you've made a pact with the devil, then by all means get the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version and at least get some laughs out of the experience.

Richly Historical.......2006-06-13

The evil villain, Fu Manchu is said to be evil incarnate. Check this out: "Imagine a person, tall, lean and feline, high-shouldered, with a brow like Shakespeare and a face like Satan, a close-shaven skull, and long, magnetic eyes of the true cat-green. Invest him with all the cruel cunning of an entire Eastern race, accumulated in one giant intellect, with all the resources of science past and present, with all the resources, if you will, of a wealthy government--which, however, already has denied all knowledge of his existence. Imagine that awful being, and you have a mental picture of Dr. Fu-Manchu, the yellow peril incarnate in one man." -- Nayland Smith to Dr. Petrie in "The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu": Chapter 2. In this movie, he does not disappoint. Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee) returns with a sinister plan to freeze the oceans of the world. Nayland Smith (Richard Greene) seems to be the only person who can stop the madman from achieving his ultimate goal. Despite the insidious nature of the role, sadly, this is the last performance of Fu Manchu by Christopher Lee. Lee brings a quiet elegance to the Fu Manchu genre like no other. Assisted by Tsai Chin who played his daughter Lin Tang, Fu Manchu is merciless in his attempt at world domination. With regards to this DVD, Blue Underground does a good job of taking us back into Fu Manchu lore. You get the poster, the gallery, the trailer for the film. There are interviews with Jess Franco, Harry Alan Towers, Christopher Lee and Tsai Chin that are worth the DVDs price. In addition to that there are Talent Bios, The Facts of Dr. Fu Manchu and very well written liner notes by Video Watchdog creator Tim Lucas - great stuff! What a wonderful way to get into the history of the villainous Fu Manchu.

Miguel Llora

For MST3K fans with an IMDB rating of 3.3.......2006-04-06

That about says it all put the name Jess Franco and you'll know your in for either a dull time or a weird time. His exploitation films like Ilsa the Wicked Warden and others are fun to watch because he at least is able to work around some plot and action with shameless nudity to keep the viewer interested.

This movie has none of it!!!! Also don't get fooled by the other reviews praising this mess, it's a badly acted, badly directed movie that puts the talents of Christopher Lee to shame. This is one of those type of movies that good actors tend to forget about because they stand as a bad stain (See Al Pacino in "Cruising"). There is nothing historical here except another log entry into the bad movie cinema with Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Some trademarks of Franco's ahem "filmmaking" skills are leaving the camera in one place while the action happens outside of it, bad editing, horrible lighting skills, and basically the inability to deliver one effective scene after another. That is about obvious in this nightmare called "The Castle of Fu-Manchu". Some scenes are poorly
lit or just plain dark (when they're not supposed to be!!!"

The plot about Fu controlling the oceans to rule the world is just plain stupid and idiotic and should have been shot down in the film meetings. Idiotically enough Franco thought they we're good ideas and made the movie anyways. The one part that was fun was seeing Fu's Henchman storm a castle and kill of the guards of a wealthy european.

The other parts in the movie were less interesting, although the actress who plays his Asian daughter is really hot. There is nothing to write home about here though. The acting is laughable even by Mr. Christopher Lee himself, and some
of his goons with the Shriner hats just look like idiots.

This is a bad movie that only MST3K lovers will see. This isn't a "cult film" because to be classified as that it would have to have some value and this movie does not have any value. Franco will be remembered as one of the most mediocre European directors ever. His venture to direct horror movies seems more like an exercise into comedy and he can't even begin to be in the same league as Ruggero Deodata or Lucio Fulci.

Unbearably Awful.......2005-11-09

Even lovers of bad movies will hate this one because it's not even fun to laugh at -- unless you count the scene in which you're inadvertently looking up someone's nose while they deliver some long diatribe that's supposed to be important. (I don't remember what the guy was saying, because I couldn't get the insides of his nostril out of my head.)

Even MST3K, which showcases baddies in all their glory and delight, couldn't endure this one. The robots could barely even crack jokes about it, other than "get me out of this" kinds of comments.

If I remember correctly (I saw it 10 years ago, and the stench is still with me), the film was introduced as a "cinematic suppository from our video repository" or something like that. I agree, except that this description might suggest that there's some fun to be had in watching it. No such luck. I'd get more pleasure from cleaning out a septic tank than I had from this horrible waste of celluloid.

Don't buy this, unless you're planning to use it as evidence against the director at his trial for crimes against humanity.

Average customer rating:

Biding My Time, Waiting for the Real Thing.
loved this film
Mediocre
Get a region-free player and check out the first three
Beast movie eber made I agree!

The Blood of Fu Manchu
Starring: Christopher Lee , Götz George , Richard Greene , Maria Rohm , and Tsai Chin
Director: Jesus Franco
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Castle of Fu Manchu
The Brides of Fu Manchu [Region 2]
The Bloody Judge
The Face of Fu Manchu [Region 2]
The Girl From Rio

ASIN: B000096I9R
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Customer Reviews:

Biding My Time, Waiting for the Real Thing........2005-09-14

I finally broke down and purchased this as there are still no Fu Manchu DVDs on the near horizon. I knew what to expect beforehand and got what I paid for. Still there's no Fu like an old Fu.

This movie can be viewed on two levels. As a movie it has the same components as other movies but the screenplay lacks humour and the plot is witless. Christopher Lee hams his way throughout with a brooding performance although his voice sounds different to normal without his recognisable timbre. He clearly did not need to exert himself in any way and his authoritative stature as Fu gives one the only reason to buy this movie. As a movie it is not very successful with a plot full of holes and a seeming lack of available acting skills. The budget looks to have been lower than that of a spaghetti western and a choppiness to the editing which suggests that no-one's heart was really in it.

Having said that I think that there is something to this movie which is overlooked. It seems to me that the film itself resembles the pulp fiction upon which it is based. I do not suggest that it belongs to the so bad it is good school but I think that the direction is intentional. In that it resembles the fictional base of Fu Manchu. If one is looking for the books to be realised on film then clearly this is more in the true spirit of the books in one sense. Sadly I believe that it is cheapened by the overt use of nakedness and semi-nakedness in parts not because there is anything wrong with those things if there is a context but in this movie they really detract from what it is about.

On the whole this is a valuable addition to anyone's Fu Manchu collection on DVD inasmuch as you can have a region 1 xollextion until the earlier, much better movies are released to us. One does wonder if they are too politically incorrect for a US release?

Not the best Fu Manchu movie available but at least it is available and hopefully the rest will be soon. For completeists only.

loved this film.......2004-12-15

Jess Franco and Christopher Lee united with Harry Alan Towers to bring us this film featuring Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu. This is a very entertaining low budget affair that is certainly unique if nothing else. Blood of Fu Manchu isn't for everybody but I've enjoyed it for years on VHS. I'm glad it's now on DVD. One of my favorite guilty pleasures.

Mediocre.......2004-12-09

Christopher Lee's career in films spans some four or five decades by now. Filmgoers, especially fans of Hammer horror, widely consider him to be one of the acting greats. Lee's appearance in the Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy certainly hasn't hurt his reputation any. I can't recall seeing him turn in a poor performance in any film, no matter how low the budget, how bad the script, or how incompetent the filmmaker. Jess Franco's "The Blood of Fu Manchu" serves as an excellent example of a pitiful film made better by the presence of the immensely talented Christopher Lee. Sadly, the words "pitiful" and "Jess Franco" often go together like ice cream and cones. He's made a few good films over the decades, "Faceless" and "Vampyros Lesbos" among them, but far too often he churns out the worst sort of schlocky dreck. Not that I care, actually, since I'll watch almost any bad film at least once, but it's extremely difficult to stomach the idea of Christopher Lee appearing in a Jess Franco film. The only reason I can think of why Lee agreed to do the picture is that he desperately needed the paycheck. He apparently needed more than one since he also did another Fu Manchu film with Franco.

Fu Manchu, it turns out, is a master criminal operating on a global scale. He's always coming up with some wacky plot to topple a government, kill world leaders, or do battle with his archnemesis Nayland Smith (Richard Greene). Sometimes he combines all three into one foolproof plan for world domination. In "The Blood of Fu Manchu," our villain figures out a way to turn a bevy of beautiful women into carriers of a deadly ancient poison. Fu Manchu, with the help of his ruthless daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin), then plans on sending these girls to every leader in the western world so that a single kiss will deliver the venomous payload. Oddly, we don't see any western leaders topple over dead. The only person to suffer the detrimental effects of Manchu's plot is Nayland Smith who, even more oddly, doesn't die immediately but instead goes blind. So much for the effectiveness of the poison, eh? Nayland's aide de camp Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion) offers up an explanation: in a few rare cases, a person poisoned with this venom goes blind first and then dies later. Whew! Thank goodness for small favors! Now we know that Nayland Smith has a narrow window of time to track down Fu Manchu and find the antidote.

Happily, Nayland Smith hasn't been sitting around doing nothing while Fu Manchu plotted to kill him. He knows an archeologist named Carl (Gotz George) who stumbled over the location of the cave where Manchu is hiding. An ambush in the jungle nearly claims Carl's life, but he escapes in time to hook up with a local village doctor named Ursula Wagner (Maria Rohm) and thus launch a vendetta against Manchu. As Nayland Smith begins the arduous journey to the jungle and his rendezvous with Fu Manchu, Carl and Ursula run into a few problems. The primary obstacle is a bandit chieftain named Sancho Lopez (Ricardo Palacios) and his band of merry misfits. These thugs terrorize the countryside in search of plunder, killing and maiming anyone who gets in their way. Lopez tries to terrorize Wagner's daughter, but she convinces him to join in the hunt for Fu Manchu. Problem is, Manchu's minions capture Lopez and turn him to the dark side of the force with the help of torture. The obligatory battle between good and evil at the conclusion is hardly a surprise. I could go on but there really isn't any point in doing so. "The Blood of Fu Manchu" is an incredibly cheesy picture suffering under a plethora of problems.

The only reason to watch this film is to see Lee disappear into the role of Fu Manchu. Well, that and the good effort Tsai Chin puts into playing Manchu's icy daughter. The primary problem I had with the film revolves around the Sancho Lopez character. He seems superfluous, there only to help pad out the run time. Moreover, he's one of the most irritating secondary characters in the history of B budget cinema. The character is grossly overweight, which seems strange for a bandit leader who must move quickly through the countryside if he wishes to stay one step ahead of the authorities. Also, how can he defend his position as gang leader when someone fights him for it? What's he gonna do, fall on them? It gets worse. He's decked out in this ridiculous ensemble that includes a supercheesy hat and what looks like cap pistols for side arms. He looks like an evil Chris Farley. And that laugh! Oh brother! I could fill whole pages about this guy's massively annoying laugh. I suspect it's supposed to sound rather evil and threatening, but since he seems to laugh nearly every second of his screen time it comes off as grating--like fingernails on a chalkboard grating. With so much attention focused on the antics of Sancho Lopez, it's easy to forget that nothing really happens in the film, or that when it does happen it occurs amidst very cheap set pieces. Look at those flimsy cell bars!

There are more extras on the disc than you would think. The DVD version offers trailers, stills, an easter egg, and a text article about the original Fu Manchu stories penned by author Sax Rohmer (which definitely sound more interesting than this film). Surprisingly, the disc also contains short interviews with Jess Franco, Tsai Chin, and Christopher Lee. The excellent picture transfer and care taken with the extras makes me think this film has a cult following. If so, I apologize to the fans, but I don't see the magic here. I'll stick with Lee's better gigs and Franco's better pictures.

Get a region-free player and check out the first three.......2004-12-04

The first three Fu Manchu movies are the best of the Christopher Lee series and are also available as a box set from Amazon UK. So, if you haven't already entered the world of Region-less DVD watching then here is yet another reason to do so.

The Blood of Fu Manchu is good, silly fun but nowhere near as good as THE FACE OF FU MANCHU, THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU or THE VENGEANCE OF FUN MANCHU. All three are available on DVD in region 2. A sidenote is that the last two Fu Manchu movies (BLOOD OF...and CASTLE OF...) are available in a 2-disc box set in Region 2 for about the same equivalent price as one of the DVDs here in Region 1.

I'm so happy to have the complete Christopher Lee Fu Manchu movies in my DVD collection.

Beast movie eber made I agree!.......2004-04-14

I aagree with teh peopl who say this is the greatess mobie from HAMMER studio ever made. SO I think it should be shown in teatres acros the countrie of american and canadas and also oversea and all of the world. Maybi they say, in 200 years from the movie creation he will arise from teh pot of carmalloop. So i tink everyone chould see tihs one it has my granpop in it the grate FU Manchu, I love amazon for selling this amasing products, tank you amason, you make my dream come true. Keep reeching for teh skies!

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