VideoHound's Dragon: Asian Action & Cult Flicks

Customer Reviews:

Essential.......2006-11-26

Simply put, if you're a fan of Asian films, or are interested in delving into the wild world of Eartern cinema, this book is a must-own.

To make things clear, this was originally intended solely as a guide to Hong Kong action films. But then the editors made a last-minute decision to include films from all East Asian countries. However, most of the capsules are for HK and Japanese films. There are some Korean, a few Taiwanese and maybe one or two Indian films covered here. The problem with a book like this is that it is virtually impossible to create a comprehensive guide. The world of Asian cinema (especially Hong Kong cinema) is as vast as that of America, meaning, there are tons and tons of titles that aren't covered here, even if they were on DVD at the time this book was written. I can name at least five to ten titles off the top of my head that should be in this book but aren't.

That said, what makes this book invaluable are the capsule reviews themselves. Besides putting to light some of the rarer titles (including some ultra hard-to-find kung fu movies from Taiwan that are nearly impossible to locate on the internet) the writers also provide incredibly detailed plot descriptions. This comes in handy, especially if you're the type of movie-watcher (like myself) who will go to the video store and pick out random titles off the shelf just because the artwork is cool. A lot of times the older kung fu movies are almost impossible to follow plot-wise, and I've spent many times in front of a film with this book on my lap, following along with the description as the actual film played out (this was especially helpful when I accidentally rented PEKING OPERA BLUES without English subtitles!).

So, overall, I'd say this is a great book. It's the only true movie guide to Asian films, and while I would have liked to have seen more Bollywood titles, I really can't complain.

Interesting for it's length..........2006-11-04

but quite often the asides in the book appear to be what is found on the internet.Many of the entries for director and sometimes actors are incorrect. This makes the cross referencing mentioned above useless.

How else could you ever know!.......2005-04-13

This amazing book is bursting at the seams with information both insightful and witty about the vast unknown world of asian cinema.
It is great to be able to find a film to fit any wacky mood.
The way you can search so many different criteria and be entertained by informed trivia make this guide indispensible to anyone looking expand their film horizons.
There is a genuine affection for the subject that clearly comes thru in the writing and in the reviews.
I highly recommend this resource.

Strangely lacking.......2003-10-08

Though I find the usual Videohound a good referance guide, that cannot be said of this book. Their selection process of what to include seems at best enigmatic and the reviews are often confusing and some down right misleading. I find the book oddly lacking as a guide to Asian cinema purhaps more so given the self-imposed limitation of scope.

Finally!.......2003-09-25

VideoHound has outdone itself. After giving us great books on Cult movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, and Foreign Films, they've finally given fans of Asian movies a smart, thorough, and utterly indispensable guide. The conceivable problems of cataloging Asian movies are handled with the utmost respect to the reader's intelligence. Asia, being the largest continent, presents it's own unique problems for the people at VideoHound in terms of content. For example, Russia, for the purpose of this book, is considered a European country, and will be included in the European guide to Action & Cult films. India is hardly represented, although VideoHound states that this is due to the fact that few Indian movies are available in North America with subtitles.

One potential problem is categorizing films as cult movies. This guide is silent on the criteria used to give cult status to movies, yet almost every movie I could possibly think of is included. Nearly every conceivable giant monster film from Japan is covered, as well as tons of horror movies from all over the continent. If a film is not included, it is usually because the movie is hard to find, and VideoHound wants to stick to reviewing movies that are attainable to people in English speaking countries.

As with any film guide, the amount you agree or disagree with the reviewer makes all the difference. VideoHound's reviews are done by people who are fans of these movies, so alongside obvious four bone movies such as Tampopo and Seven Samurai, movies like Gamera 3: The Revenge of Irys and Mr. Vampire are given top honors. (VideoHound rates on a bone scale to keep with the dog theme. Four bones is the best, and a "Woof!" is the worst.) There are tons of martial arts movies listed. They comprise the majority of the films reviewed in the book. I am not a big fan of martial arts movies, but I still do not feel cheated by the book's content. There is a good mixture of impossible to categorize movies to keep it interesting. Besides, the essays on martial arts stars and histories behind the films are enough to compel people who hate kung fu movies to check out a few titles.

VideoHound's indexes are what put this book far beyond the grasp of any other book on Asian movies. You can search by cast members, directors, writers, cinematographers, alternate titles (which is essential considering how many of these movies have different titles based on when and where they were released), and categories. The categories range from every film made in Hong Kong to hopping vampires, and of course your standard categories like horror movies, action/comedies and so on. The only drawback to the indexes is that they are too thorough. For example, under the Sumo wrestling category, the film Happiness of the Katakuris is listed. Having seen this movie, I can tell you that the sumo wrestler is a very small part of the movie, and someone searching for movies about Sumo wrestling would be disappointed if they took the information at face value. Also, a video distributor index would have been helpful. There is, however, an index called Dragon Connections in which books, websites, and a few online stores are listed. There is even a glossary at the front of the book, defining terms like Kowloon, Shaolin, kaiju, and so on, for the uninitiated.

The sidebars are amazing. There's a "Who's Who of Kung Fu movies", biographies on Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and others, essays on Godzilla, Gamera, hopping vampires, yakuza, subtitles vs. dubbing, and just about any other conceivable subject.

Anime fans be forewarned, very few animated movies are covered. The movies covered tend to fit either into the cult category (Barefoot Gen and the Vampire Hunter D movies), or are considered classics, (Akira, Spirited Away). The introduction of the book hints at a VideoHound Anime guide, so keep your fingers crossed.

In the past, I've bought so many other guides to Asian movies. They are now all worthless thanks to VideoHound's Dragon: Asian Action & Cult Flicks.

Book Description

nyone can put out a CD. Its easy and affordable to do, but to support the product, entrepreneurs need great distribution, effective promotion, and a bit of business savvy. Label Launch is the tool that will guide young record impresarios and fledgling bands who want to distribute their own product. Kalmars information comes from the best sourcesuccessful indie label owners, including those that almost went belly up while mastering the intricacies of the music industry. Readers will learn all aspects of running an indie label, such as: Maneuvering the legal maze Funding a label Picking and signing bands Touring Promoting and publicizing bands Selling product off and online Avoiding the most common pitfalls of a new label. Best of all, Kalmar writes in the language of her readeryoung, smart, fast, and fun. Label Launch is a must-have reference tool for anyone in a band, making music, or navigating the record industry scene.

Customer Reviews:

A good basic overview.......2007-09-11

This book is a good basic overview of the industry from the journalist's perspective. Covers such issues as licenses and trademarks, business plan and contracts, releases and promotion. The intro seems a little long-winded, but one could skip over that. Roni does answer one question clearly, though: "For most indies, BMI proves the preferable performing rights organization since it monitors college and public radio stations which are more apt to play indie records." Read the book, but don't buy it - check it out from the library.

it helps.......2006-09-14

its ok it help with so things any things you read on this biz can help

Medium Good.......2006-05-14

Them music industry is a complicate and harsh environment and it is easy to fail at starting your own business. Fortunately there are books around that can help you reach your goal faster and with much more ease, and this is one of them. It covers a lot of the aspects, twists and turns in the music industry but it misses out on some very crucial points which are presented in "Ty Cohen's Secrets to Making Money in the Music Industry (3-Piece Mega Audio CD Set)" by Ty Cohen " , a better and more detailed book about the subject, and an easier one too.

Close to medium!.......2006-04-21

Could have been much better but ill get it some credit that i did learn a pionter or two. I highly recommend books purchased from Musicbrains.net entitled the Indie label Kit on Amazon, Music business 101, Future of music and Guide to releasing an independent record by Tim Sweeney.

Superficial.......2004-01-13

Let me start out by pointing out the good things about the book. It is well written and covers every aspect critical to the successful launch of a record label.

Unfortunately, the book is not very thorough. In fact, the book is barely more than just a superficial laundry list just listing all the things that you need to be aware of. But at all times, the author completely fails to provide a well-researched, indepth treatment of any subject that it covers.

For example, it mentions that you need a music attorney to make sure nobody steals your copyright and negotiates your contracts. Well, that's common sense, I don't need to spend money on a book to tell me such basic things. I wanted to find out how to go about launching a label. Well, the authors recommends that I incorporate and think about the difference of LLC. and C-Corporation. She wastes 2 pages (= 1% of this very thin book) on basic knowledge that many other brilliantly written books about business law cover at much greater depth. Why did she even bother? She wastes another 20 pages on such generalities and topics that are mostly common sense.

Customer Reviews:

A unique reference which deserves a second edition........1999-01-11

"Rock Record" retains a spot on my music reference shelf after 16 years, because no one has duplicated or improved upon Hounsome's approach. The editor uses the standard alphabetical format for listing artists with their album chronologies, but adds a comprehensive list of musicians -- both band members and session players. Each individual is coded according to which record(s) he/she appeared on. A musician index in the rear of the volume makes it a unique cross-reference for tracking career progressions, too.

There are two shortcomings. 1)It was not a high-cost production. Its pages look as though they were typewritten at home and, as one would expect, it needs to be proofread. 2)Its usefulness is limited to fans and/or collectors of pre-1983 records. That fact is fine by me, but this volume truly deserves to be updated.

Great Reference Book.......1997-12-12

This Book is a great reference/cross reference of Rock music groups, Albums they produced listed by year released, with actual musicians listed by which album they played on. Cross reference lists which groups musicians played with. Good for determining which albums must be added to your collection to fill in gaps and to trace the migration of specific musicians between music groups. No reviews of actual album contents/quality. Very comprehensive for years covered. I wish it was available with current data.

Average customer rating:

Rock Record by Terry Hounsome
Rock Record now in 7th edition

New Rock Record 3rd Edition Ff
Terry Hounsome
Manufacturer: Facts on File Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0816017557

Customer Reviews:

Rock Record by Terry Hounsome.......2005-12-08

My Rock Record book which was purchased in the 80's is worn, torn, kept in a ziplock bag and still used on a regular basis.
Time for a new, old copy.

Great book, thanks Terry.

Rock Record now in 7th edition.......2001-09-30

I am the author of these books and they are still being published.
These books on the amazon site are all from the 80's and i have had 3 out during the 90's
terry hounsome

New rock record: A collectors' directory of rock albums and musicians

Average customer rating:

I am Terry Hounsome
Rock database is cross-referenced: artist, band, album

New rock record: A collectors' directory of rock albums and musicians
Terry Hounsome
Manufacturer: Blanford Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

I am Terry Hounsome.......2002-07-04

Rock Record: I had these books published in the 1980's and have been publishing them myself since 1990. The latest versions are available from my web sit. I also have all the data on a cd rom called RockRom. You can find me on the web by searching for Terry hounsome. I also have old copies of some of these books if you want a signed copy

Rock database is cross-referenced: artist, band, album.......1999-08-02

When I saw the first edition of this, 1983, it looked like a miniature UNIX spreadsheet: tractor-fed 132 column wide paper, shot down and printed sideways in a paperback, COOL! The list went by band, but the index was by artist, ie: Paul McCartney, B4, W12, where B4 and W12 are Beatles and Wings. Very easy to follow, the band code is printed in the main listing right next to the name. A very simple and elegant approach to a large amount of information, very obscure detail (good). Needed updated at the time I saw it, so keeping it new will give this guy a career. Good for him, one of the first with a well-needed database of music.

Average customer rating:

got me through middle school
He's the one who started it all

The New Trouser Press Record Guide

Manufacturer: Crowell-Collier Pr (Macmi)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Trouser Press Guide to 90's Rock (Trouser Press Record Guide)

ASIN: 0020363702

Customer Reviews:

got me through middle school.......2004-06-09

I was in middle school from late '95 to 98. it was a weird time as i was getting sick of all the modern rock music on the radio and the changing format. so i bought a Sonic Youth record on a whim, loved it, and looked at the sleeves to see all these band posters. i had no idea who most were, so i went to the Orange County Library in Florida seeking education and found this book, this edition...

the writing on it was very well done with great reviews (especially from Ira Robbins and Jack Rabid). and i got into so many incredible, obscure bands that captured the era (and since then, not often mentioned) like Saccharine Trust, Volcano Suns, Squirrel Bait, Die Kreuzen, Contortions, etc. as well as all the important bands on SST, Dischord, Alternative Tentacles, etc.

i haven't seen it in the library lately, but it has been digitized at www.trouserpress.com for great nostalgia. even though allmusic has pretty much taken the lead when it comes to music review devices, Trouser Press is still filled with great reviews.

He's the one who started it all.......1999-05-26

Seminal work capturing the less main stream of music before Spin could even think that it would have a 17 year in heart underwear on their cover.

Robbins provides susinct reviews, useful info, discographies and band "family" trees.

I relied on Ira to make me smart more than a few times, even won the complete RHINO collection of New wave hits because I knew the name of Mitch Easter's bass player on some album. Thanks IRA.

Average customer rating:
Precious M
Henry Wojturski
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Songwriting | Theory, Composition & Performance | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Entertainment | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1412045975
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Book Description

Precious M is a rock-n-roll romance with a twist. A look into the hard, wild world of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll.

This Day in Rock: Day by Day Record of Rock's Biggest News Stories

Average customer rating:

This Day in Rock: Day by Day Record of Rock's Biggest News Stories
John Tobler
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0881848603

Adamsite-(Y): Triclinic. (Abstracts of new mineral descriptions).(Brief Article): An article from: The Mineralogical Record

Average customer rating:

Adamsite-(Y): Triclinic. (Abstracts of new mineral descriptions).(Brief Article): An article from: The Mineralogical Record
J.A. Mandarino , and Curator Emeritus
Manufacturer: The Mineralogical, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Mineralogical Record, published by The Mineralogical, Inc. on November 1, 2001. The length of the article is 618 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Adamsite-(Y): Triclinic. (Abstracts of new mineral descriptions).(Brief Article)
Author: J.A. Mandarino
Publication: The Mineralogical Record (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2001
Publisher: The Mineralogical, Inc.
Volume: 32 Issue: 6 Page: 499(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Craving epiphany: U2's new album Pop.: An article from: Presbyterian Record

Average customer rating:

Craving epiphany: U2's new album Pop.: An article from: Presbyterian Record
Ryk Brown
Manufacturer: Presbyterian Record
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Presbyterian Record, published by Presbyterian Record on May 1, 1997. The length of the article is 965 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Craving epiphany: U2's new album Pop.
Author: Ryk Brown
Publication: Presbyterian Record (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 1997
Publisher: Presbyterian Record
Volume: 121 Issue: 5 Page: 31

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

this is a beginner's book

Book needs more practice and less theory

Good theory poker book

Great Read for Serious Players Only

pick one up

No Limit Hold 'em: Theory and Practice
David Sklansky , and Ed Miller
Manufacturer: Two Plus Two Publishing LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Poker | Card Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Gambling | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Harrington on Hold 'em: Expert Strategies for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. III--The Workbook (Harrington on Hold'em)

Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 2: Endgame

Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play

Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em

Phil Hellmuth Presents Read 'Em and Reap: A Career FBI Agent's Guide to Decoding Poker Tells

ASIN: 188068537X

Customer Reviews:

this is a beginner's book.......2007-08-01

See Wookborm's review for a more complete discussion of what is wrong here. I don't mind beginner's books, but they should be marketed as such. I think you'll be hard pressed to find anything new in this book, if you have spent any time reading up on no-limit on any of the popular online forums. Mastery of the material in this book does not look sufficient to beat the 25 cent big blind game online. I could only recommend it if you have no other no-limit book at all; but then, why not buy Harrington volume 1 or something else? This book is superfluous. I felt ripped off.

Book needs more practice and less theory.......2007-05-31

This book gets a three star rating because it does some things very well whilst omitting some critical details. The first portion of the book talks about bet sizing. It gives some very practical advice about how much to bet to encourage your opponents to make mistakes, how much to bet when bluffing, how to size your "blocking bets", how much to bet preflop and so forth. This section is excellent.

Some of the other topics are covered in a rather haphazard manner. In the check raising chapter, he covers the very specific case of check raising heads up on the river. For other situations, the book says "Only expert players recognize the best opportunities for the play...A book really can't do the subject justice". Sometimes the calculations are based on figures that in real life are simply prohibitively difficult to obtain. One example begins "So if you have one chance in three of stacking your opponent if you catch a straight...". How exactly one deduces the probability of stacking an opponent when you river your straight is never quite explained, perhaps because it falls into the "A book can't really do the subject justice" category. The second section of the book is titled "Concepts and Weapons" and it does provide useful and practical tips that should improve anyone's game.

The main shortcomings of the book revolve around the topics it doesn't cover. The book does not mention concepts such as pot equity and hand ranges, two ingredients that I believe are critical to today's game. Sure it's important to know how to price your opponent out of a flush draw if you're sure that is his exact holding. However, real life scenarios are rarely that simple. What happens if there is a flush draw on the board and an opponent bets into you and you suspect he's holding a flush draw half the time but will be holding top pair top kicker the other half of the time? This book does not provide the tools for dealing with this type of problem and others like it that no limit players face repeatedly on a daily basis.

To wrap up my review I will use a medieval analogy. If you're already well equipped to deal with the battle that is no limit hold em, this book will certain give you some extra weapons and patch up some holes in your defence. However, if you're looking for your sword, shield, helmet and body armour I would recommend starting with other resources.

Good theory poker book.......2007-05-13

A very good book on poker. Be prepared to learn!

Great Read for Serious Players Only.......2007-05-02

Read this book only if you are serious about improving your game. Sklansky did a good job in capturing into words the intuitive nuances that I have come to recognize after so many hands of playings, and take them even further to horizons I have yet to explore (and can't wait to try). It is not a book for beginner and you are expected to be somewhat a good player already to even start reading this. A "fish" would most certainly get lost within a few pages. A lot of the math in the book is probably not going to be too applicable while you're at the table, but rather just as his way of showing that the decisions are mathematically correct. There is a list of tips at the end of the book that sums up everything quite nicely. To me, the Sklansky-Chubukov rating is unheard of before and it will take me a while to digest its significance and importance in improving my play.

pick one up.......2007-04-14

i've bought plenty of poker books and by far this is my favorite one. Beginners can read it and develope their game, while intermediate to advance players can learn these concepts and apply them to their game. If you read this book over and over and fully realize the concepts and the insight sklansky has on no limit play, you should be able to sit down at a poker table whether it be at the casino or at home game and become a confident solid player.

Book Description

The genesis and development of homegrown television drama in New Zealand are the subjects of this in-depth analysis. Spanning from the 1960s, when television itself was in its infancy, to modern times—an era of fragmented audiences, hundreds of channels, and declining public service ideals and funding—the study illustrates how television drama has reflected changes in ideas about cultural identity and New Zealand society.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books