Mandarin Mystery

Starring:Quillan, Henry
Studio: Alpha Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Singapore's "Taxi Driver"...
A Better Life

Perth
Starring: Kay Tong Lim , Qiu Lian Liu , A. Panneeirchelvam , Stefanie Budiman , and Sunny Pang
Director: Djinn
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

Bloody Ties
Arang
Divergence
Bloody Reunion
The Ghost

ASIN: B000JJRYD8
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Description

Harry Lee, a part-time security guard and taxi driver wants nothing to do with the fast-paced, status-driven society that has left him behind and he sets off for his idea of paradise, the Western Australian city of Perth. His attempt to migrate is complicated when he takes on a job ferrying prostitutes. When he takes an interest in trying to protect and save one Vietnamese prostitute, it awakens a dark and dangerous attempt at personal redemption.

Customer Reviews:

Singapore's "Taxi Driver"..........2007-07-04

"Perth" is being released under the Tartan Asia Extreme label, comes from Singapore, a rather unlikely place for such a film to be made because it is not known for violent and controversial cinema. Written/directed in 2004 by Djinn, the director of the awful horror outing "Return to Pontianak", turns his hand to gritty urban drama with more success. Djinn offers a bleak insight into the seedier side of his native homeland. For many good reasons, "Perth" has been described as an equivalent to Martin Scorsese's "Taxidriver".

The story is very similar, following Harry lee(Lim Kay Tong) a 51 yr. Old man fired from his job as a security guard who ends up becoming a taxi driver. He is quite driven to save money to immigrate to the supposedly "utopian" city of Perth, Australia. After taking a job of driving hookers to their clients, he becomes enamored/obsessed by one of the girls. Inevitably, his growing sickness at the moral degeneracy he sees everywhere would erupt into violence.

Harry is portrayed as an eccentric but likeable man, whose occasional violent fantasies and delusions gives a hint of his growing psychosis. He is a human character, being socially capable, has friends and a wife and less of an enigmatic loner. Although the use of his voiceover narration gives the film an introspective feel, Harry is an open book with most of his character coming out through his conversations w/ others. The film shows Harry in lengthy scenes hanging around w/ his buddies, drinking beer and complaining about hypocrisy in life, whereas, Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver" roams the streets in loneliness and disgust or in exercising in his room.

As a result, the film is a bit funny in the 1st act. Djinn allows the sense of frustration to subtly build in the background before finally unleashing Harry's fury during a shockingly brutal scene when he beats his wife which shatters illusions of his calm/harmless disposition. From here on, the proceedings descend into nihilism and violence, made more effective by its earlier emotional grounding, the climactic orgy of death is suitably shocking with its intensity.
Djinn directs in a way not overly flashy but stylish. He refrains from too much visual trickery that gives the film a believably seedy feel. I saw a good eye for detail, the characters and the dark underside of the city is brought to life in an increasingly claustrophobic fashion. The film was low-budget, but Djinn's talent shines through.
I saw this DVD before it hit stores(thanks to a friend who works in a film studio)
PICTURE/AUDIO: Anamorphic Widescreen. Not good, the film was shot on DV, so I thought it was a tad ugly. It was lacking in contrast, colors were muddy and sharpness veers from scene to scene. It gets the DTS treatment but it didn't help much. Multi-Language track from English/Hokkien/Mandarin/Vietnamese, the characters freely veer through them. Subtitles are in English.
EXTRAS: Deleted scenes, commentary, design featurette, trailers.
In Closing: "Perth" is works on a few levels, both as a gripping, visceral, disturbing piece of film making and a surprisingly thoughtful character study. It slowly draws the viewer into the protagonist's crumbling world that shows an emotional aspect, in some ways it may be rewarding and tragic. I certainly DON'T think it is superior to "Taxi Driver", moreover, I didn't feel any sympathy or empathy for Harry's character; he constructed his own delusionment and descent into madness. ( 3 ½ stars)

A Better Life.......2007-03-06

Singapore director Djinn's 2nd feature after "Return to Pontianek" or "Voodoo Nightmare" as it was titled on the U.S. DVD is billed as the Asian "Taxi Driver." Kay Tong Lim who has over 30 film & TV credits including "Shanghai Surprise" plays Harry Lee, a driver who is divorced after he badly beats his wife. Actually, Harry's a nice guy, as long as he's not drinking. When he gets drunk, he loses control. As he discusses life with his Indian friend, he longs for a fresh start to move from Singapore to the western Australian city of Perth. Sunny Pang plays Lee's buddy Angry Boy who gets him a job ferrying ladies of the evening to & from dates. Pang does an excellent job of playing this wild card that always seems to be on the edge between violence and underworld business. Harry becomes emotionally attached to a young Vietnamese girl Mai played by Ivy Cheng. She has a mysterious quality about her, kind of an Asian Mona Lisa smile. She explains that her family is very poor and owes money due to gambling; so she has come to Singapore to earn money to send back to her family. Lee gets Angry Boy to promise that he can buy Mai's freedom. When the stocky mob boss denies the request and Lee has been plowing down numerous glasses of liquor, the violent rampage that concludes the film is unleashed. Within the film are issues of poor uneducated people who have a dream of a better life. This crosscuts with the evils of drink, domestic violence and selling the girls. In its U.S. DVD release, "Perth" is a bit slow to start, but becomes interesting as we see both the good and the bad churning within Harry Lee. Djinn was nominated for an award at the Cinemanila International Film Festival for this. Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

Over before it starts
A comedy disguised as an Ellery Queen murder mystery

Mandarin Mystery
Starring: Wade Boteler , Charlotte Henry , Kay Hughes , George Irving , and Rita La Roy
Director: Ralph Staub
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Criminals | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Horror | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Horror | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Hat Box Mystery/Hollywood Mystery:Dou
Murder at Glen Athol
Crooked Circle
The Lady in Scarlet
Wayne Murder Case

ASIN: B0009HLCNI
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Customer Reviews:

Over before it starts.......2006-02-10

There is a news announcement that soon Josephine Temple (Charlotte Henry) will be coming to this country to sell an extremely valuable stamp called the Mandarin (bet you thought it was an orange). At the dock Josephine shows off her stamp to anyone that asks to see it. The stamp is just loose in her purse and everyone knows it. Ellery (Eddie Quillan) accidentally introduces himself to her. She gets a counter offer from another collector but turns it down due to ethics. So a sneaky third party plans to pilfer the stamp. He ends up dead with his cote on backwards. Ellery points out the obvious; the stamp has a mandarin on it with his coat on backwards. Is this a clue?

As with most mysteries everyone had access to the body and no one could have retreated through a locked sound proof door. Will the most obvious suspect die before spilling the beans? Will Ellery get a date with the stamp owner or go to jail himself?

This is a fast paces story with only 52 minutes it has to pose the problem and hopefully the solution all while Ellery woos Josephine and out guesses his detective father Inspector Queen (Wade Boteler.) Can we keep up?

A comedy disguised as an Ellery Queen murder mystery.......2005-12-21

There's just something about a locked-room murder mystery that appeals to me, and that is exactly what lies at the heart of the 1936 Republic film Mandarin Mystery. Well, not exactly, as the "impenetrably locked room" has two doors, one of which is clearly unlocked (although no one in the film seems to notice this obvious fact). That's not the only odd thing about the film. It's adapted from Ellery Queen's "The Chinese Orange Mystery," but the story here is much different from the book. Mandarin Mystery is as much a comedy as it is a mystery. It's just one quip after another from most of the central characters, especially the character of Ellery Queen himself, who's basically just trying to make time with Josephine Temple (Charlotte Henry), the "dame" who has the stamp stolen and becomes the prime suspect for the murder of a counterfeiter in the aforementioned locked room. All kinds of evidence point suspiciously at Temple, but young Ellery keeps covering up the young lady's suspicious activities from his father, Inspector Queen (Wade Boteler), and the two Queens basically engage in a battle of wits until the mystery is finally solved - which only takes place after a second murder.

The Chinese Mandarin is the world's most valuable postage stamp. In what must have been an extremely slow news week, members of the New York press descend on Miss Temple and her unique stamp as soon as she arrives in town. She's on her way to meet a buyer, Dr. Kirk (George Irving), but Ellery Queen latches on to her after accidentally hitting her in the face with a bouquet of flowers. Now maybe it's just me, but if I were a woman, I don't think I would be carrying the world's most valuable stamp around in my purse. It should really come as no surprise that the precious stamp is soon stolen. Miss Temple runs up to see Dr. Kirk, but we see her turn around and go back downstairs - with the stamp - after entering the room adjacent to Dr. Kirk's Stamp Room. When a dead body is then discovered in that locked room, it's only natural that Miss Temple would fall under a cloud of suspicion. The fast-talking, love-smitten Ellery Queen has absolute faith in her innocence, however, and he makes haste to insinuate himself into his father's investigation.

The whole story is really just played for laughs. It's impossible to take Eddie Quillan seriously as Ellery Queen, and the dialogue of the film gets more comedic with every passing moment. The somewhat complicated solution to the whole mystery works, but it doesn't generate a whole lot of suspense along the way. The real mystery here is the missing 9 minutes of what was originally a 63-minute film, as the only copies available top out at only 54 minutes.

Mandarin Mystery, despite its oddball comedic casting of Ellery Queen, does manage to be entertaining and quite witty in spots, and the mystery itself isn't all that bad, but serious Ellery Queen fans will no doubt come away from this flighty film shaking their heads and telling anyone who will listen that this movie tells quite a different story than the novel it was based on.

Average customer rating:

Heroic Duo
Starring: Leon Lai Ming , Francis Ng Chun-yu , Francis Ng , and Ekin Cheng
Director: Benny Chan
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000FZEQGY
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Average customer rating:

Just A 3 Star Movie
Spelbinding

Heroic Duo
Starring: Leon Lai Ming , Francis Ng Chun-yu , Francis Ng , and Ekin Cheng
Director: Benny Chan
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Asian Horror | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

H
Oldboy
Koma
Wishing Stairs
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

ASIN: B0007R4TLW
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Description

Tough cop Ken Li (Cheng) is at the top of his game, but he's going to need some help to solve a grisly crime that the offender, a respected police officer, doesn't even remember committing. He seeks out Jack Lai (Lai), a former psychologist now in disgrace and behind bars, who has an uncanny ability to bend people to his will. Making an uneasy truce, this unconventional pair set out on a mission to find the man responsible, a master of hypnotism who will stop at nothing to get his revenge!

Customer Reviews:

Just A 3 Star Movie.......2007-05-05

Heroic Duo begins with a very interesting scene that sets high expectations for the rest of the film. A man and his crew of goons are holding a cop and his family hostage in their own home. The man is looking for someone and tells the cop that if he tells him where the man is he will do no harm to his family. Well the cop told him but of course the man was lying to the cop and well you can imagine what happens next. The man was looking for is named Jack Lai and is a hypnotist who can of course hypnotize people but he doesn't use a swinging watch and doesn't even snap his fingers. He uses, well I don't know how he does it but he just says some things and your hypnotized.

The police need Jack to assist them in catching another hypnotist named the Mindhunter who just happens to be Jack's old teacher. The Heroic Duo starts up when Jack teams up with Ken the head officer on the case and try to track down the Mindhunter. As the movie goes on you find out a lot of things like why Jack was in prison and if he even did the crimes he was accused of. I saw Heroic Duo in the video store just sitting there with a ton of dust on it like it had been in that same exact spot since it came to the store. I was going to pass up on it after reading the synopsis but changed my mind when I saw "Tartan Asia Extreme" written on the front. I thought that it might surprise me because all the other films from T.A.E are great.

To my surprise it wasn't as good as I'd thought. There are some twists that give the film some spice to it but nothing unexpected or too exciting. Action wise this film could have been way better and Ekin Cheng who plays officer Ken could have been used a lot better than this. He could've had way better fight scenes and more of them. This movie is really forgettable and so are the actors. I found myself fast forwarding through the last scene, which was way too prolonged just to get to the end to see what the outcome was. I think that overall when you put everything in this film together it's just a 3 star movie.

Spelbinding.......2005-02-19

The movie's basically about a cop (Ekin) trying to catch a mob boss. This cop find the mobster's partner, who use to be a cop, gets him out of jail so he can help with catching the mobster. The ex-cop was taught by the mobster how to hyponize people just by using their weakness and the person would do whatever they were told to do. I was expecting to see a martial arts movie with little acting. I just picked the movie up because I am a fan of Ekin Cheung. But when I started watching the movie it completely exceeded my expectations. It's not as good as "The One", Jet Li's movie, but you care about the characters, where Ekin and Leon had real good chemistry working together . Although it was a typical action cop movie the director did a great job with what he had. The movie could have had a better ending but it is worth buying if you are a big martial arts fan.

Mystery Movie Marathon Volume 2: 8 Movie Pack

Average customer rating:

Mystery Movie Marathon Volume 2: 8 Movie Pack

Manufacturer: RightNow Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

BONUS: Each movie comes with a portable-media friendly version that can be downloaded to your Apple iPod!
Eight feature films on four DVDs
Bulldog Drummond Escapes;Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome;Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon;Impact;Algiers;Kansas City Confidential;The Mandarin Mystery;The Green Glove

ASIN: B000GW1RTA

Product Description

The legends of Mystery are gathered here for you in this definitive DVD collection of some of the greatest Mystery classics to ever come out of Hollywood. This 8 DVD collection is sure to provide you with countless hours of entertainment. Mystery Movie Marathon Volume 2: 8 Movie Pack includes: Bulldog Drummond Escapes directed by James Hogan and starring Ray Milland; Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome directed by John Rawlins and starring Boris Karloff; Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon directed by Roy William Neill and starring Basil Rathbone; Impact directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Brian Donlevy; Algiers directed by John Cromwell and starring Charles Boyer; Kansas City Confidential directed by Phil Karlson and starring John Payne; The Mandarin Mystery directed by Ralph Staub and starring Eddie Quillan; The Green Glove directed by Rudolph Mate and starring Glenn Ford

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Bug Buster

Monarch Of The Glen - Series 2

Legend of Cryin' Ryan (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Leprechaun 2

Die Kelten 2