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OLD SCHOOL VIDEO PICK OF THE MONTH

Title: MAHOGANY
Year Released: 1975
Running Time: 109
Production Company: Paramount Pictures
Director: Berry Gordy, Tony Richardson and Jack Wormser
Director of Photography: David Watkin
Screenwriter: John Byrum and Toni Amber
Author: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

REVIEW: DIANA ROSS AND BILLY DEE WILLIAMS DAZZLE IN "MAHOGANY"

Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to?
Do you know? Do you get what you're hoping for? When you look behind you, there's no open doors. What are you hoping for? Do you know? "Theme from Mahogany...

NEW ON DVD

POLAR RESCUE Title: POLAR RESCUE
Year Released: 2023
Running Time: 102
Production Company: Well Go USA Entertainment
Director: Chi-Leung Law and Donnie Yen
Review By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

"POLAR RESCUE"

Set against the sprawling beauty of Northeast China’s snow-covered mountains, the icy thriller, "Polar Rescue"--a.k.a. "Come Back Home" (Sou jiu) --stars martial arts master Donnie Yen ("John Wick: Chapter 4") who finds his life quickly torn apart when a family outing turns tragic.

De, portrayed by Yen, has a seemingly picture-perfect family. He has a lovely wife named Xuan (Cecilia Han, "Flashover" and "The Golden Doll"). His daughter is sweet and adorable. His young son Lele (Yuan Jinhui) not so much.

In fact, this kid is a spoiled brat. De and Lele have had their share of spats, but on this trip, Lele is completely out of control and refuses to listen to his father. Lele and De have a huge argument about not being able to get to Lake Tian--an area Lele likes-- due to road closures.

Honestly, this kid needs more than a time out. I can't imagine any of my childhood friends calling their dad a Bastard and living to talk about it. Plus, Lele even pushes his mother down.

When they pull over, De decides he's going to finally teach Lele a lesson. So, he drives off with his wife and daughter to find a nearby restroom and leaves Lele. In less than 10 minutes they return to the area looking for him and Lele is nowhere to be found.

At first, De thinks the kid is just hiding out and messing with him because of their argument. But, after nearly an hour with no sign of Lele, De and Xuan are scared to death. How could this happen? And why would De be so foolish to do such a thing? Hours pass and now everyone is freaking out.

Even when De calls the police to report his missing son, their first question is “How did you lose him?” The Chief of Police, (Hou Tianlai, "Only the River Flows") is especially skeptical and surprised by De's actions. He organizes a huge search team to find Lele. As the weather worsens, it's looking grim that Lele is alive. The rescue is truly a race against time.

The anger and hostility between De and Xuan grow and things get worse when an avalanche strikes and nearly takes out half the first responders.

A major plot twist shifts the narrative, propelling “Polar Rescue” into an intense nailbiter.

The film’s breathtaking set pieces, from the treacherous frozen lake to the perilous mountain slopes, are a testament to the visionary direction of Chi-Leung Law ("Double Tap"/"The Bullet Vanishes") and Donnie Yen.

“Polar Rescue” is one of Yen's best movies and the ending is downright bone chilling.
(Highly Recommended).

"Polar Rescue” is in Mandarin with English subtitles. It debuts March 26 on Blu-ray and Digital.

Check Out This Trailer For "POLAR RESCUE"

BORN TO FLY Title: BORN TO FLY
Year Released: 2023
Running Time: 128
Production Company: Well Go USA Entertainment
Director: Liu Xiaoshi
Review By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

"BORN TO FLY"

The only thing missing from this "Top Gun: Maverick" knockoff, "Born to Fly" is Tom Cruise.

The Chinese drama from director Liu Xiaoshi and co-writer Guan Gui ("Silence of Smoke") debuts March 26 on DVD.

In “Born to Fly” Lei Yu (played by Wang Yibo) plays a young, hotshot air force pilot. His exceptional skills catch the attention of commanding officer Zhang Ting (portrayed by Jun Hu), who selects him for China’s air force stealth fighters test pilot program.

The movie follows Lei’s journey as he faces physical and emotional challenges.
Although it's a pretty basic film, there is a bit of drama that develops between rivals Lei and Deng Fang (Yosh Yu, "Creations of the Gods: Kingdom of Storms") and a mild, blossoming romance with Lei and base doctor, Dongyu Zhou ("Under the Light").

While the story occasionally sputters, the aerial action in "Born to Fly" soars. The CGI looks realistic, and the dogfights are stylishly choreographed. "Born to Fly" isn't as exciting as "Top Gun: Maverick," but it's still a solid, high-flying adventure.
(Recommended).

"Born to Fly” will be released March 26 on Blu-ray and Digital.

RIDE ON Title: RIDE ON
Year Released: 2023
Running Time: 90
Production Company: Well Go USA Entertainment
Director: Larry Yang
Review By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

"RIDE ON"

Look who is back. It's Jackie Chan. It's been a minute since we've seen the affable actor on screen.

I’m still waiting for the "official" word on "Rush Hour 4." Both Chan and Chris Tucker have said in recent interviews they are on board and want to make it happen. Hopefully soon.

Until then, you can check out Chan in "Ride On," a comical, sappy and heartwarming movie from director/writer Larry Yang ("Another Shot" and "Mountain Cry").

"Ride On" is really a sentimental ode to stuntmen and animal performers.

In "Ride On," Chan plays Lao Luo, a washed-up stuntman who used to be all the rage in the movie industry. No one could even think about doing some of the amazing stunts that Lao would perform on his trusted horse, Red Hare. They were quite a pair back in the day.

Now, he makes a meager living posing for tourists at the movie studio with Red Hare.

Lao still has that adventurous streak in him and Red Hare isn't ready to ride off into the sunset either. Here's the thing. The movie industry has changed, and Lao's financial situation is dire. He's deep in debt and the collectors want to seize Red Hare. Lao can't let that happen.

He's so embarrassed, but reaches out to his estranged daughter Luo Xiaobao (Haocun Liu, "One Second") to help him. She's still working her way through college and is tapped out for money, but her law school graduate boyfriend Lu Naihua (Kevin Guo, TV's "My Heroic Husband") is loaded and comes from a wealthy family. She suggests Lu can tell Lao what his options are.

Lao isn't too worried about his safety because he can easily handle all the goons that are foolish to try and fight him.

Chan may have lost a step, but he's still got some moves and is quite funny during the fights scenes and makes the baddies pay for trying to steal Red Hare. When Lao's brawl goes viral, everyone wants to know who this guy is.

That leads to him getting back in the game and doing some movies with Red Hare. It also allows his daughter to come around and appreciate what a legend her father was and really still is.

The daddy/daughter moments in "Ride On" are earned and touching. Chan is just so likeable in everything he does and "Ride On" further showcases his talents as a martial arts legend, comedian and all-around actor.

Not to be overlooked is the horse, Red Hare. He's always ready for his close-up and is a real scene-stealer. "Ride On" is a genuinely charming and feel-good, family movie.
(Highly Recommended).

Editor's Note: "Ride On" debuts on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD Oct. 24. The bonus content includes two featurettes and an English dub.

Check Out This Trailer For "RIDE ON"

GANGNAM ZOMBIE Title: GANGNAM ZOMBIE
Year Released: 2023
Running Time: 82
Production Company: Well Go USA Entertainment
Director: Soo-sung Lee
Review By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

"GANGNAM ZOMBIE"

Full disclosure. I love zombie movies. So, naturally when asked to screen "Gangnam Zombie," I couldn't resist. The title alone piqued my interest.

Directed by Soo-sung Lee ("Memories" and "House With A View"), "Gangnam Zombie," is a low budget, fun and funny horror/comedy with just enough jump scares. It's currently available on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD.

"Gangnam Zombie" stars Il-Joo Ji ("Blades of Blood"), Park Ji-yeon ("Death Bell 2: Bloody Camp"), from the chart-topping girl group T-ara, and Cho Kyung-hoon ("North Korean Guys").

The movie centers around the recent COVID-19 outbreak. Despite it being Christmas Eve, many of the residents of Seoul Korea's Gangnam district are still nervous and on edge since other COVID variants are on the rise. That's certainly reason to be alarmed, but what is really taking shape in the area is even more frightening.

What starts off as a typical workday, turns into much more when several people start exhibiting odd symptoms and quickly get sick.

No one quite knows why, but it appears this sickness can be traced to a theif who was bitten by an infected cat. Suddenly this guy is aimlessly walking the streets and has developed an insatiable desire for raw meat and human flesh.

A group of young people have gathered to watch him stumble along. They aren't willing to try and help him and it's easy to see why. He's a bloody, scary-looking mess. Besides, they'd rather record all his shocking behavior on their cell phones and post it on social media.

Meanwhile, Hyeon-Seok (Il-Joo Ji) is a taekwondo champion struggling to make ends meet and pay the rent from his lame vlog job. That's because his silly boss has run out of ideas for their YouTube channel. So, they all have to lie when the mall's landlord (Jung Yi-joo) comes to collect.

That's the least of their problems because zombies have descended on the mall. Now it's up to Hyeon-Seok to put his martial arts skills to use and protect his love interest Min-jeong (Park Ji-yeon) and others while trying to escape from these vicious zombies.

The special effects in "Gangnam Zombie" are rather limited, but still pretty effective particularly the closeup, bloody shots of all the zombies.

This is one of those movies, that doesn't reinvent the genre in any way, but you'll have a good time watching it with a group of your closest horror film friends.
(Recommended).

Editor's Note: Take a look at the trailer for "Gangnam Zombie" which is currently available on Digital, Blu Ray, and DVD.
"GANGNAM ZOMBIE"