The Crippled Masters Film Masters Blu Ray

 

TITLE-The Crippled Masters

SOURCE-Film Masters Blu ray

2010 or 2011 I first saw this insane late 70s martial arts film. My trust dvd player that  could also play DIVX/XVID files had died. I made a trip to the nearest Best Buy, over an hour away. Had 300 bucks. Dropped 150 on another player then the rest was spent on DVDs. Got a Grindhouse Experience set from Video Asia. And since buying that set that was all VHS rips put on DVD I have bought 2 of the films again on Blu Ray. 

Now yea I know Crippled Masters is easy to find cheap on DVD or streaming. And seeing that VHS rip that is easy to find is enough to catch your attention. How many martial arts films have your two heroes being one dude with no arms and the other dude has no legs? I just loved this movie so much I wanted a good copy. And this Blu ray from Film Masters is a great copy.

Film Masters is basically the new Film Detective. In that they take Public Domain films or stuff that has never really gotten a release and put it out. Load the disc up with extras and if you are a fan of stuff like Frankenstein's Daughter or Redneck Miller these two companies are your best bet.

Fully remastered from 35mm archival elements the front cover proclaims. And this looks better than I have ever seen this movie look. 

Look at those extras. Got a info filled commentary, with some digs at the owner of Video Search of Miami. A fun documentary on the history of Martial arts films in the US. The original 1982 US trailer and a newer re cut one. Almost 20 minutes worth of classic Martial Arts trailers from Something Weird. Then you see a booklet mentioned.

16 pages of info about the film. Love when companies do this now. Use to be every dvd had a card listing the chapters. Now we get nothing from the big studios. Which is why I try to pick up smaller label releases like this one.

So what about the film? Simple we got one dude with no arms and his brother who gets acid poured on his legs. But they get trained and can put the no leg brother on the other brother's shoulders and we got a supreme fighting machine.

You don't go into older martial arts films like this for the plot. You watch them for the fights. And these fights are great. I for years just assumed this was made by one of the big studios that made martial art films. Nope this was made by some small company in Taiwan.

If like me you grew up with Kung Fu theater airing right after cartoons on Saturdays and miss those days this is worth grabbing.

The Crippled Masters Blu Ray from Film Masters gets a B+

The Amazing Mr No Legs

TITLE-The Amazing Mr No Legs

SOURCE-Massacre Video Blu ray

This is one I thought would never escape VHS hell. Back in the mid 70s you would have all kinds of films hitting theaters. After finding a martial arts expert with no Legs a script was written and we got this classic.

Mr NO Legs is a film I would have rented if any of the video stores had had a copy. I never saw it mentioned in genre mags or books. Wasn't until 2004 or 2005 on the late Tracker 3 I found a VHS rip. Grabbed it and that beat up vhs rip got watched so many times. 

Mr No Legs is a mob enforcer. He not only has a wheelchair packed with weapons, throwing stars on the spokes and shotguns,he is a KUNG FU MASTER.

Ya this is a gimmick movie. The scenes with Mr No Legs fighting are great and why this film is remembered. The rest of the film is slow and forgettable.  With the car chase at the end being one of the few none no leg kung fu fight scenes that sticks in my memory

Now this film ain't from some big studio. So Massacre had to use a French Print,that was slightly edited. So for a few scenes they had to use a lesser master. And the print quality drops for those scenes. Still this looks and sounds so much better than the VHS rip we all have seen over these years.

No real extras on here. We got the trailer,then some other trailers for other films. Just never thought this film would hit DVD much less Blu ray.

The Amazing Mr No Legs gets a C-.

Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This DVD

 

TITLE-Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This

SOURCE-Vivandi DVD

So almost 20 years ago now the classic stoner comedy duo reunited and put out a new film. Now  this isn't like their old films. Nope this is them on a stage in Texas doing a mixture of their old bits and some new stuff.

Growing up I got introduced to Cheech & Chong cause of my older cousins. Yep I was the 8 year old renting Up in Smoke from the video store. 

When I hit my mid teens I started hearing their old records. Which means all the bits on this from those I knew. Thankfully they update them some. 

We get the classic hitchhiker bit. Which they did in Up in Smoke. The bit with Tommy and Cheech as dogs,with Tommy's wife playing Fifi the poodle.

Loved the solo stuff from both in this. Chong does a long bit about getting arrested and going to jail for selling bongs. 

Cheech shows his musical chops two times. First as Alice Bowie,doing  Earache my Eye. Then as Red doing a new song.

Yea if you aren't a fan of them already this won't make you one  I bet. Still if you are a fan this is worth seeing.

Cheech & Chong's Hey Watch This gets a B.

Weapon X Hardcover

TITLE-Weapon X

SOURCE-Marvel Hardcover

Months ago a buddy gave this to me. He was heading off to start his wrestling training and gave it to me right before he left. Sure I had read Weapon X forever ago when it was coming out in MCP.

That night I sat at the bar listened to a podcast and read the first half. Realizing I hadn't read this story in a long time. Then not that long ago had to get the main car's oil so grabbed this hardcover and a few TPB. Knowing sometimes you are there 2 hours.

So back when this was coming out,every 2 weeks in Marvel Comics Presents,it was touted as Wolverine's origin. And it is and isn't. 

Yes we learn how and where Wolverine got the adamantium bonded to his bones. Saw it happen. 

But the thing is since this we have been told Logan has memory implants. Was this just another of those? Is so oh well this is still a great story. 

Barry Windor Smith handles the story and art. Some of his best in my eyes since his Conan run. The colors really make this stand out.

Reading it every 2 weeks in 8 page chunks and now reading it all in one big book I saw not really any changes in how I digested the story.

Now yea I do wonder who the Professor was answering to. Heard back then it was suppose to be Apocolypse. I have no clue if this has been revealed.

Looked and this Hardcover is out of print and a more expensive version is the current in print version. I prefer the cover on this one.

Weapon X is not perfect but still worth reading if you have any interest in X-men at their peak.

Weapon X gets a A.