The BETA format is (well.... was) the best video tape format ever to be marketed. Sony ceased manufacturing consumer BETA recorder-players for the American market in 1993 My ancient SLHF-900 finally crapped out in early 2000 -- which is really messed up because I liked my betamax!. Reluctantly, I've decided to say bon voyage to my Beta collection. So, if you are a Beta-phile and are looking for pre-recorded video tapes in this format -- READ ON! |
Page: 1A Titles beginning with A-F Features and Made for TV Movies |
Page 1B Titles beginning with G-N Features and Made for TV Movies |
Page 1C Titles beginning with O-S Features and Made for TV Movies |
Page 1D Titles beginning with S-Z Features and Made for TV Movies |
| PAGE
2 Beta MUSIC VIDEOS |
PAGE 3 Beta CARTOONS, COMEDY, TV SHOWS, SPECIAL INTEREST |
This Page PAGE 4 Beta MARTIAL ARTS KUNG FU MOVIES |
| IF AN ITEM GETS SOLD: | A
RED
LABEL WILL INDICATE "SOLD" THAT ITEM WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE ANY MORE. |
| IF AN ITEM IS PENDING SALE: | A
GREEN LABEL "SALE
PENDING" WILL ACCOMPANY THE DESCRIPTION. |
![]() THE ASSASSIN 1979 (Japan) Sonny Chiba (dubbed in English) The great Shinichi Chiba takes on all gangsters with guns and fists. They don't stand a chance. |
![]() THE BIG BRAWL 1980 (U.S.) Jackie Chan Mako Christine Debell Jose Ferrer Rosalind Chao Jackie Chan's first attempt at breaking into the American movie market. Not a bad film, really. The best scenes are those with his trainer-Uncle, Mako, and the fights are decent, but "Brawl" lacks the energy of the over-the-top Hong Kong fighting sequences more typical of a "Jackie Chan Film." Brawl is set in the 1930s, depression era Chicago. |
![]() BLOOD ON THE SUN 1975 (H.K.) Chang Ching Ching Tieng Peng Yu Yuan Yang Hsiao Ping Dir: ? (dubbed in English) (To be updated. No listing.) It is 1936 China. The Japanese have invaded a small coastal village. Two martial warriors, one a woman who runs a fighting academy and the other a wandering Master, lead the underground resistance. The Japanese, with the help of Chinese collaborators, hire a trio of brutal enemy champions to wage a tournament. As you would expect, this leads to a series of fights to bring out the underground champions. This Retitled film is not listed in any reference I own. But fans of Chinese American actor James Hong will enjoy the English language dubbing. Hong's voice is unmistakable. He also produced the "English language version". SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() THE BODYGUARD 1976 (Japan) Sonny Chiba Aaron Banks Judy Lee (dubbed in English) New York's Mafia and Japan's Yakusa face off. If the Judy Lee listed is the same Judy Lee that's in the book Asian Cult Cinema, she's great! |
![]() BRONSON LEE, CHAMPION 1978 (U.S. - Japan) Tadashi Yamashita (dubbed in English) Real-life Karate Master Yamashita performs the fist ti cuffs in this fu-er that follows Bronson from the American Southwest to Japan to engage in a martial tournament that could well lead to his death. |
![]() CIRCLE OF IRON 1978 (aka "Silent Flute") (U.S. - Israel) Jeff Cooper David Carradine Roddy McDowall Eli Wallach Christopher Lee Warrior Cooper is on a quest to find ultimate knowledge. Based on a script originally co-written by Bruce Lee. Lee's co-writers were the legendary actor, James Coburn, and the equally legendary writer, Sterling Silliphant. A cut above, for this genre. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() DEADLY SHAOLIN LONGFIST 197?-1980 (H.K.) Mike Wong Elton Chong Bruce Cheung Natassa Chan Chan Fung Dir: Phillip Chan Prod: Thomas Tang (dubbed in English) Ink stamp print kung fu! Look at the picture! I'm not kidding! Story follows young Chan Leng, Chan Ta's son, who gets trained by a disguised master Yau (he's disguised as a beggar) in the "deadly shaolin longfist" so that he can take revenge. Played broadly for comedy. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() DRAGON PRINCESS 1980 (Japan) Sonny Chiba Etsuko "Sue" Shiomi (dubbed in English) Gutsy protege and graduate of Sonny Chiba's Action School, Etsuko Shiomi, gets to shine as a karate girl out for revenge. |
![]() DUEL OF THE MASTERS 1981 (H.K.) Tsiu Siu Keung Sonny Yue Dir: Wilson Tong (Tong Ky Ming) (dubbed in English) Kung fu movie "intended as a parody" if I am to believe "Asian Cult Cinema." Young Liu, an orphan, leaves the monastary trained in martial arts but sworn never to fight (you can see this one coming a mile away). He gets caught up in the intrigues of a village that is being terrorized by a vicious gang. As one might expect, he has to break his vow, otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a movie if he didn't. (original box in pieces; brown storage bookend box) |
![]() DYNAMO 1980 (H.K.) Bruce Li (dubbed in English) Bruce Li, a Bruce Lee clone, makes faces and swings fists. |
![]() EDGE OF FURY 1981 (H.K.) Bruce Li Dir: Lee Tso Nan (dubbed in English) Another Bruce Li corker. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() ENTER THE DRAGON 1973 (U.S.-H.K.) Bruce Lee John Saxon Angela Mao THE classic kung fu movie, though Hong Kong has made some pretty damn good martial arts movies since this one. Lee and his team of fighters invade an island fortress to bring down a drug kingpin. This story line has been used at least a million times since then but fans of Lee and Mao will appreciate this film for generations to come. |
![]() ENTER THE NINJA 1981 (U.S. - Philippines) Sho Kosugi Franco Nero Christopher George Susan George Dir: Yoram Globus Prod: Menacham Golan Bruce
Lee's death
caused a
crisis in the kung fu movie industry. In desperation, producers the
world over tried to find "the next Bruce Lee". They really should have
known better.
Even
the Hong Kong movie kings were floundering about
looking for something to keep the genre going. A struggling stunt
worker and actor named Jackie Chan would break away with one angle,
kung fu
comedy.
Meanwhile, the "kung fu craze" had more or less died out in the US. It revived (somewhat) with the arrival of consumer video recorder-players and a ton of old kung fu movies were released to the rental and sales market. However, a few thinking producers were looking around at the martial world and noticed that no one was paying any attention to ninjas, or ninjutsu, the martial art of stealth. Action exploitation producers Cannon Films, and real life martial artist Mike Stone put together a story about ninjas thinking "it's the next big thing" (producers say this a lot!). Stone was fired and replaced by Franco Nero, though Stone stayed on as stunt choreographer and double. But it was Japanese actor Sho Kosugi who would stamp his face into American audiences as the ninja star. Enter the Ninja was the first of many films by Sho. See: "Revenge of the Ninja." |
![]() EXIT THE DRAGON, ENTER THE TIGER 1976 (H.K.) Bruce Li Lung Fei Ma Chi Chiang San Moo An Ping Dir: ? (dubbed in English) (To be updated. No listing.) Bruce Lee clone, Bruce Li, strikes again in this silly Fu-er about Bruce Lee's alleged successor. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() FANTASY MISSION FORCE 1984 (H.K.) Bridget Lin Ching Hsia Chang Ling Wang Yu Jackie Chan (cameo) Dir: Chu Yin Ping (dubbed in English) Comedy and lunacy abound as a team of bungling bad guys get conscripted into doing a dangerous job for the army. A younger and luscious Bridget Lin gets to strut her stuff, there's a haunted house, a bunch of Mad Max rejects, and a balls-to-the-wall finale. Don't even try to figure it out. This is Hong Kong action movie lunacy at its best. All Seasons stuck Chan's face and name on the box to get sales. Chan's appearance is a cameo. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() FISTS OF FURY (AKA "The Big Boss") 1973 (H.K.) Bruce Lee (dubbed in English) This was the Hong Kong movie that put Bruce Lee's star on the map. Classic revenge story made all the more compelling by Lee's barely restrained rage. It was box office gold in Hong Kong. |
![]() FISTS OF FURY 2 1976 (H.K.) Bruce Li (dubbed in English) Another horrendous fu film starring the Bruce Lee clone trying to ride the coat tails of a classic. |
![]() FORCE FIVE 1981 (U.S.) Joe Lewis Pam Huntington Bong Soo Han Benny Urquidez A puerile "Enter the Dragon" clone with a team of mostly American karatekas. Producer Director team of Fred Weintraub and Robert Clouse were forever trying to repeat the success of Enter the Dragon. Come on, guys. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() GYMKATA 1985 (U.S. - Europe) Kurt Thomas Tetchie Agbayani Richard Norton Conan Lee Dir: Robert Clouse Ranks among the worst of the latter day karate films. Ex-Olympian, Thomas, plays a gymnast who gets recruited into a CIA-type organization, trained in martial arts, and sent to a middle eastern country to negotiate for a radar base. He has to compete in a deadly marathon. Clouse directed the classic "Enter the Dragon," but this one stinks. Not even the all too brief scenes with cute babe Agbayani make this watchable. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() KILL THE GOLDEN GOOSE 1979 (U.S.) Ed Parker Bong Soo Han Parker plays the baddie; Han the "I gotta track him down" good guy. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() KUNG FU COMMANDOS (aka "Incredible Kung Fu Mission") 1979 (H.K.) John Lin (Liu) Robert Tai Chen Lung Dir: Chang Hsin Yi. (dubbed in English) Lots of humor and broken bones in this one. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() LIGHTNING KUNG FU (aka "Killer Constable") (aka "Karate Exterminator") 1980 (H.K.) Chen Kuan Tai Ku Feng Jason Pai Piao Chaing Tao (dubbed in English) Constable Liang (Chen) searches for thieves and stolen gold. Along the way he gets into lots of fights. Did I say this was a kung fu movie? SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() MAD MISSION 3 Original HK Title "Aces Go Places 3" 1984 (H.K.) Sam Hui Karl Maka Sylvia Chang Peter Graves Richard Kiel Jean Mersant Tsunehara Sogiyama Dir: Tsui Hark (dubbed in English) The "Aces Go Places" movies (there are five of them) are an insane series of caper comedies that made lots of money in Hong Kong but are practically unknown here in the U.S. Think of them as parodies of Pink Panther or James Bond action films. Director Hark ignited the Hong Kong New Wave with his release, a year earlier, of "Zu Warriors From Magic Mountain." |
![]() MOONLIGHT SWORD AND JADE LION 1981 (H.K.) Angela Mao Yin Wong Tao Dir: Kwong Lam (dubbed in English) Female karate dragon princess (Mao) struts her stuff in this costume epic set in ancient China. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() NINE DEATHS OF THE NINJA 1985 (U.S.) Sho Kosugi Japanese Ninja expert Kosugi fights for justice! SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() NINJA TURF 1986 (U.S.) Jun Chong Bill Wallace Rosanna King James Lew Philip Rhee When some teenage kick boxers rip off a Hollywood drug dealer, they suddenly find themselves being chased by ninja hitmen. Hollywood has been dealing with this kind of trouble for years; they're called producers. SALE PENDING |
![]() NINJA WARS 1984 (Japan) Sonny Chiba Henry "Duke" Sanada (Dubbed in English) Japanese feature film with ninjas and samurai and Sonny Chiba! SALE PENDING |
![]() PAY OR DIE 1983(?) (Philippines) Dick Adair Johnny Wilson Dir: Bobby Suarez Intro by Sybil Danning (Dubbed in English) The daughter of a crime boss is kidnapped by some of his own men. This makes him very upset; kung fu ensues. Sexy starlet Sybil Danning does the introductions. Hundreds of very poorly made kung fu and horror movies have escaped from the Philippines starting back in the 70s. Sadly I watched some of them. SOLD -- No Longer Available |
![]() PRAY FOR DEATH 1985 (U.S.) Sho Kosugi James Booth Robert Ito Shane Kosugi Kane Kosugi Donna Kai Benz A Japanese family is victimized by a crime syndicate. Unfortunately for that syndicate, the head of that family is ninja master. Kosugi. Kosugi steps up and makes an accounting. SALE PENDING |
![]() THE PROTECTOR 1985 (U.S. - H.K.) Jackie Chan Danny Aiello Moon Lee Roy Chiao Bill Wallace Dir: James Glickenhaus (dubbed in English) Jackie Chan's less-than-steller second attempt to breach the American film market, though rumor has it that Chan tried desperately to fix it. The end result is that there are two versions of this movie, an American version (this one) and a Hong Kong version that contains over 30 minutes of additional footage shot by Chan. |
![]() THE REAL BRUCE LEE 1979 (H.K.) Documentary (dubbed in English) Footage from Chinese film archives of early Bruce Lee films. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() RETURN OF THE DRAGON (AKA Way of the Dragon) 1973 (H.K. - Italy) Bruce Lee Chuck Norris (dubbed in English) Now THIS is the real Bruce Lee. Breaking free from being assigned a director, Lee turned filmmaker. "Return" was shot in Rome and Hong Kong and Lee did virtually everything He starred, wrote, produced, directed and probably set a few lights and ended up crafting a fine little film. |
![]() RETURN OF THE STREET FIGHTER 1976 (Japan) Sonny Chiba (Dubbed in English) The great Sonny Chiba breaks lots of bones and teeth and causes lots of severe medical trauma. |
![]() RETURN OF THE TIGER 1977 (H.K.) Bruce Li Angela Mao Paul Smith (dubbed in English) Only saving grace of this film is the presence of Angela Mao. |
![]() REVENGE OF THE NINJA 1983 (U.S.) Sho Kosugi Sequel to "Enter the Ninja," and this was followed up by a really bad sequel ("Ninja 3, the Domination" -- don't waste your time or money) Earnest, stoic but deadly ninja good-guy Kosugi has to plow his way though a lot of mobsters to finally have it out with another really bad ninja. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() RIVALS OF THE DRAGON 197? - 1980 (H.K. - U.S.) Jeffrey Chan Yuen Tak Chan Wah Lung Dir: ? (Dubbed in English - duh) (To be updated. No listing.) Contemporary fu-er with some locations in Los Angeles. Students of Crane Style kung fu find themselves between gangs and renegade instructors. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() SHOGUN ASSASSIN 1980 (Japan) ("Baby Cart" feature) Tomisaburo Wakayama (Dubbed in English) Americanized version of several "Baby Cart" (aka "Samurai and Son") movies strung together with an American soundtrack -- voices and music -- added. Although a big hit here, it pales in comparison if you ever watch the originals in the original language. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() SHOGUN'S NINJA 1983 (Japan) Sonny Chiba Henry Sanada Etsuko "Sue" Shiomi (Dubbed in English) Chiba and his Action Team stir up things in ancient Japan. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() STORY IN TEMPLE RED LILY 1976 (H.K.) (aka "Story in the Temple of the Red Lily") Judy Lee (Chia Ling) Tan Tao Liang (Dubbed in English) Based on a famous Chinese tale. The current dynasty in ancient China is falling. Rebels have captured the sacred temple. Intrigues abound. Along the way, various people fight and kill each other. Judy Lee was one of the early kung fu queens of Hong Kong (well... Taiwan actually) and this is one of her lesser films. Try to find "Queen Boxer" -- THAT is her best film! SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() STRANGER AND THE GUNFIGHTER 1976 (H.K., Spain, Italy) Lo Lieh Lee Van Cleef (Dubbed in English) Brilliant -- funny -- entertaining combination of a kung fu movie and Italian western! Lieh and Van Cleef are perfect as partners tracking down some missing treasure. I saw this in a drive-in movie and liked it so much I sat through it twice. Lo Lieh has made a lifelong career playing bad guys with long white hair in the Hong Kong movie circuit. It's fun to see him playing a good guy in this kick ass western. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() SWORD OF HEAVEN 198? (U.S.) Tadashi Yamashita Mel Novak Gerry Gibson Bill Wallace Low budget American production about a super powered sword forged from a meteor 400 years ago in Japan. The secret of this sword has been handed down through the generations within the same samurai family, until the present day. It has been stolen and Toshiro (Yamashita) is searching for it. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() TEN MAGNIFICENT KILLERS 197?-1980 (H.K.) Chang Li Liu Yung Chu Chih Ming Yang Szu Dir. Fong Yeh (dubbed in English) (To be updated. No listing.) Kung fu film that follows the misadventures of a young man who nearly kills his own father. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() TIGERS AT THE TOP 197?-1980 (H.K.) (aka "Tigers at Top") Li Hung Gaw Shiu Pau Hung Wing Wa Dir. But Fu <-- I'm not making this up (dubbed in English) (To be updated. No listing.) Chin is asked by the owner of a stack of gold bars to deliver his bounty. The original owner however plans to double cross Chin. He will probably wish he hadn't thought of that as Chin is a raging martial artist. Can you guess what will happen? |
![]() TWO WONDEROUS TIGERS 1979 (H.K.) John Chang Yeung Pan Pan dir. Wilson Tong (dubbed in English) Better-than-average classic Hong Kong kung fu movie -- especially with the presence of the incredible Yeung Pan Pan. Hurts so good. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() WEAPONS OF DEATH 1983 (U.S.) Eric Lee Real life martial arts master, Eric Lee, shows his stuff and kicks ass on a truckload of baddies. SOLD No Longer Available |
![]() WHEN TAE KWONDO STRIKES 1973 (H.K. - Korea) Jhoon Rhee Angela Mao Yin Samo Hung Carter Wong (Huang) Dir: Huang Feng (dubbed in English) Karate Queen Angela Mao goes to Korea to help real life martial arts master Jhoon Rhee take out the trash. |
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Page: 1A Titles beginning with A-F Features and Made for TV Movies |
Page 1B Titles beginning with G-N Features and Made for TV Movies |
Page 1C Titles beginning with N-S Features and Made for TV Movies |
Page 1D Titles beginning with S-Z Features and Made for TV Movies |
| PAGE
2 Beta MUSIC VIDEOS |
PAGE 3 Beta CARTOONS, COMEDY, TV SHOWS, SPECIAL INTEREST |
This Page PAGE 4 Beta MARTIAL ARTS KUNG FU MOVIES |
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