Videohound's Dragon: Asian Action & Cult Flicks

by Brian Thomas, Cynthia Rothrock (Foreword)

As timely as Matrix mania, VideoHound's Dragon is the bible for fans of Hong Kong action movies and other adrenaline-rich Asian fare. Brain Thomas, the sensai of Asian cinema, pens the worthy successor to last year's VideoHound's Cult Flicks & Trash Pics. With 900 pages and more than 125 photos, VideoHound's Dragon exhaustively explores the hottest film genre that has had loyal fans drooling for years--and, lately, has Hollywood (John) Woo-Hooing! Asian film buffs and average American Joes (who like sock-y in their cinema) will, treasure VideoHound's latest tribute to a film genre lesser publishers ignore. From blockbusters like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, to cult faves like Mothra to classics like the Seven Samurai, readers will be treated to insights and highlights of the movies, casts, directors, and influences. VideoHound's Dragon reviews three types of films: Asian Films (duh!); Anime (cartoons to those of you going, "Huh?"); and American films with Asian stars (thank Buddha!). Sidebars entertain and inform on the stars and legends that give Asian films their kick. Magnificent indexes and resource lists, including fan Web sites, magazines, and clubs and lots and lots of photos (minus the lipsynching) round out this VideoHound tome. The foreword is by Cynthia Rothrock, the undisputed "Queen of Martial Arts Films," and one of the greatest martial arts/action film stars in the world.

Genres: Film, Reference, Nonfiction, Japan

900 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Tim Chmielewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am biased since my own site is mentioned in this book, it does list the old URL from before I had my own domain name but the site is pretty much the same since then.

If you are into older Asian cinema and like to hunt around for things I would recommend this book.

Even though you are not meant to read these sort of books from front to back I did over a period of several months and have since seen a lot of the movies listed.

If you are just coming into Asian cinema and want to find out more about it, this in an indispensable guide.

I no longer have my copy but will hopefully get it again one day.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, by far, the most comprehensive Asian cult film movie guide that I have found. It's a shame that it hasn't been updated for a while. Since a lot more good stuff has been made available in the US over the past 5 years or so. Availability of the Shaw Bros library has more than tripled. All those crappy old public domain versions have been replaced by remastered and released at a good price point. It would be great if an updated version of this book was released to tell fans like what is good and what is not.

[Mia Searles (The Muses Circle) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I obviously haven't read every single page of this book, but it is really handy. If you are a fan of Asian martial arts films of any kind, old, obscure, or you are just bored and want to watch something different, this is your kind of movie guide. This is also a great guide for when you are watching an Asian action flick, like an actor or directer and want to see what else they are in/have made.

Mia @ The Muses Circle

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely indespensible listing of Asian films by top expert Brian Thomas. I helped on this one, but my contribution (which I'm not rating), is a drop in the bucket compared to the simply amazing work Brian did on this volume. If you are looking for Asian films, this book is a must-have.