Film Review: Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy

 Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy

Having been defeated behind closed doors by Ip Man, Cheung Tin Chi (Jin Zhang) leaves the martial arts world behind for a simpler life. He ekes out a living in his small grocery and takes care of his son Fung (Henry Zhang). Fate throws him into the path of two young women in trouble. Nana (Chrissie Chau) is a drug addict who is trying to quit but owes her dealer, and Julia (Yan Liu) is her best friend, who is also engaged to her brother.  When the dealer has Nana beat up for non-payment, Julia defends her, but they are badly outnumbered until they literally run into Cheung, who comes to the rescue. The drug dealer, Tso Sai Kit (Kevin Cheng) is very upset at what has happened, and he has his men set fire to Cheung's store, intending to kill him. But Cheung manages to escape with his son.

They run into Julia, who offers to take them in, and takes them to her brother Chiu Kam Fu (Xing Yu), 

who owns the Gold Bar. Julia gives them a place to live and Fu gives him a job. When Tin Chi earns some money, he treats his new friends to a birthday dinner for Fung at a local steakhouse owned by American businessman Davidson (Dave Bautista). Meanwhile, Kit's sister Tso Ngan Kwan (Michelle Yeoh) as head of her family business, decides they need to go legitimate. Kit is none too pleased at this news. And he is also determined to kill Cheung.

Going straight is not as easy as it sounds. Hong Kong is still under British rule, and the local police are corrupt, working hand in hand with the drug dealers. Innocent people don't stand a chance.  But there comes a time when you can't pretend you don't see, and you have to stand up for what is right.

Master Z is part of the Ip Man series, continuing from the third movie, after Cheung's defeat by Ip Man.  However, as all good movies do, Cheung's character grows from his adversities, and is a very fitting protagonist for this film. Dave Bautista is great as the villain, and I have to say I think he was a good choice for this, a better choice than Mike Tyson was. There is a lot of action and fighting in this film, and everything is beautifully choreographed, including Michelle Yeoh's scenes. She was a great character, caught between her love for her wayward brother and her desire to run a business untainted by illegalities. 

I enjoyed this film very much, and found it to be a fitting entry in the Ip Man series. I read there may be a sequel. I would love to see that. I'll give this film 4 Stars

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #68 (14.3)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Well, that was unexpected! The policemen aren't real policemen at all but... See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. J Ray Lamb is back this week, give him a proper welcome! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #68 (14.3)

Caroline St. Clair—for it was indeed none other than the Wicked Witch of Hollywood herself—was grinning broadly, like the proverbial feline who had just consumed an avian snack. She took another gracious bow for her imaginary audience and then began to throw out kisses. No doubt she was visualizing the invisible members of the Academy as they conferred upon her an equally imaginary Oscar.

Seriously, what was wrong with that woman?

“I had you going, didn’t I?” the actress chortled. “You never knew it was me, did you? It’s been me this whole time.”

Whole time…what?

Troy had reached her by that time and demanded the surrender of the handcuff key, although in far nicer tones than I would have used. She didn’t even argue or fuss, as though all of that meant nothing to her any more. He wasted no time in releasing Ethan, who rubbed his wrists as he quickly strode to my side.

“I’m fine, Vinnie,” he reassured me as he hugged me, before I even had a chance to ask. Told you, he knows me very well.

“Carrie, why are you even here? What’s going on?” Troy sounded both sad and exasperated. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. She was his friend, even if she was utterly cuckoo.

Sarah edged up to us, little Alex on her hip. Even he seemed speechless, as he tried to absorb what was happening around him. “Is that who I think it is?” she asked in an incredulous voice.

“I’m afraid so,” Ethan replied.

Ethan’s parents quickly joined us. Maureen’s “Are you okay, Ethan?” was echoed by the minister’s query of “Are you all right, son?” He reassured them he was fine.

In the meantime, the other agents were looking to us for some sort of explanation.

“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Carlos asked.

 I pointed toward St. Clair with one hand and drew a circle by my head with the other. “She’s nuts,” I replied, although that wasn’t really an adequate explanation, was it? I turned my attention back to the curious tableau before us. The other person in the scenario, the one she’d addressed as Helen, had taken a protective stance by her side.

“What do you mean, audition?” Troy was saying.

The actress giggled, suddenly distracted by Brendan’s presence at Troy’s side.  “Hi Brendan!” She waved at him, and he managed a wave back. It occurred to me that perhaps he’d accompanied Troy to visit her, so she was undoubtedly aware of who he was.

“Carrie,” Troy attempted to get her to focus on his words. “Please tell me why you’re even here. And why did Marlene take your place in rehab?” He took one of her hands in his, as if to ground her.

“You know how this business is,” she said in a chipper voice. “Out of sight, out of mind. People forget you exist, and try getting any good roles then! I didn’t want to become a has-been, did I? And I was just languishing there, doing nothing, when I needed to be out there, working…”

Her voice trailed away as she glanced around her. Everyone was staring at her, for obvious reasons. Her glance lighted on me and she began to smile, even as she waved.

“Vinnie! I got you good, didn’t it? Admit it! You thought that Mangler guy was after you again, didn’t you? I scared the bejesus out of you, and you never knew it was me.”

I never wanted to hit someone as badly as I wanted to deck her, but my mother didn’t raise me to hit women. But my mouth sometimes worked faster than my brain, as I spat out, “You bitch!”

I was starting to believe she was indeed responsible for our ills, at least some of them. But her explanation was just not making sense.

 to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!~

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb

 

Saturday is Horror Day #107 - Final Destination

 Final Destination

Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) is going to Paris with a group of classmates, including his best friend Tod (Chad Donella). As they settle themselves onto the plane, Alex has a vision that unfolds before him, which ends in an explosion which destroys the plane and kills everyone. A panic-stricken Alex tries to warn everyone to get off the plane, but only ends up getting himself and a few of the students ejected from the plane, and one of the teachers accompanying them. The students are upset with Alex, watching the plane they were meant to be on take off without them...until it suddenly explodes before their very eyes, killing everyone on board. Now the question is, how did he know?

People are upset with Alex for what they perceive as his foreknowledge of the fatal event. The FBI are 

even called in, and they question everyone, especially Alex. He insists he wasn't on drugs, he just saw a vision, but the agents are skeptical.  Tod's father doesn't want his son around Alex, to Alex's dismay. But he gets a warning in the form of a piece of paper with Tod's name, rather than a vision, and he hurries to his friend's home, but he is too late.

Everyone is giving Alex a wide berth now, except for Clear (Ali Larter). She shows up to Tod's house the same night as Alex, having felt something through him, as if they are connected somehow. One of the surviving students, Carter (Kerr Smith) has never been a friend, but he is openly combative now and tries to fight Alex at every turn. But Alex only wants to figure out what's going on and save everybody. Is death pre-ordained? Or is there a pattern, and if you figure it out, you can change it and avoid death?

I found this to be an interesting watch, even if Alex's theories didn't always make sense, and some of the accidents seemed really farfetched. But even so, it was entertaining, although if you are looking for answers, you won't find them here. Luckily, this is just the first film in the series. It remains to be seen how good the others are. But I did like this, so I'll give it 4 Stars and look forward to the next one.

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband, Vol 9 by Kousuke Oono

 

The Way of the Househusband, Vol 9     

Author: Kousuke Oono 

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: February 21, 2023

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Comedy/168 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Tatsu is in the neighborhood and decides to drop by Masa’s place for a surprise inspection! Deciding that the apartment smells like death, Tatsu decides to educate Masa about herbs and what they can do for you.

Tatsu becomes interested in needle felting and goes to the craft store, where he runs into Ms. Torii, who has developed the same interest. They both decide to make the same cute cat. Ms.Torii taunts Tatsu in to teaching her what to do, so now it’s on. Who can make the best-looking cat?

With temperatures spiking, the local patrol find themselves sweltering in their suits. But what can they do, they have an image to maintain! Luckily, they run into Tatsu and he has some great tips for staying cool!

Tatsu, Miku, and Masa are sitting around, telling ghost stories. Whose story will be the scariest?

 Tatsu has a new assignment – to get the five-year-old daughter of a friend to eat her vegetables! But the usual hiding tricks won’t work on this girl, she’s far too smart for that. Has Tatsu met his match?

When Tatsu finds his landlord struggling to get rid of some troublesome weeds that have popped up, he calls in some back-up to help him tackle the unwanted invaders!

Two young boys are arguing over the respective merits of a stag beetle vs a rhinoceros beetle in a fight. Tatsu and Torajiro step in, each championing his favorite. The fight is on!

Shopping malls are taking customers who used to go to small stores, who are suffering as a result. Tatsu to the rescue! He has some suggestions to get the crowds to come back! But will his ideas work?

Tatsu and his boss spend some time at a café in order to see what young people are in to these days. Can they apply the same methods to their café?

Another great volume of Tatsu. I think I recognized some of the stories from the anime, which is great! I love them both. The bonus stories are great too. I hope Kousuke Oono keeps writing this series for a long time to come. Looking forward to the next volume!

 

Virtual Book Tour: I Dream of Demigods (The Law of Love Book 1) by Alexa Sullivan

 Good morning everyone! Please welcome author Alexa Sullivan to Full Moon Dreaming! She is here to tell us about her release I Dream of Demigods! Alexa will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on her tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

 

I Dream of Demigods

(The Law of Love Book 1)

by Alexa Sullivan

 

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GENRE: Paranormal Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Ro Baird can't cast a spell without setting her own pants on fire—until she kisses her hot new boss, Alex. Suddenly, she's able to access her magic…sort of…and she now has a familiar, who may be more trouble than she is helpful.

 

Alex Kouris happens to be a soul-stealing demigod of the Underworld. He claims he's trying to leave the life, but can she really trust a man whose magical talents are manipulation and charm? When Alex enlists a shady ex to help him, Ro must risk her heart and her life to save him and humanity from Hades’s evil scheme.

 

Can she harness her true power to set Alex and herself free?

 

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EXCERPT:

 

I kicked off my Monday by setting my pants on fire.

 

Again.

 

Honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking when I tried the spell. I’d just gotten to work, and instead of doing what I was paid to do—work—I stood at my window, staring down at the brick-and-steel towers of various offices stacked like dominoes along the tidy grid of downtown Portland’s streets.

 

Warm September sun glinted off windows and shone across the small city park a block from the Ainsley Barfield office.

 

I stood there daydreaming for several minutes before stuffing my long, wavy, brown hair into a messy bun. Reluctantly, I sat and tugged at the fraying cuff of my thin cardigan before logging in.

 

Maybe my lack of coffee led to my poor judgment. After all, I’d only had a few sips  when I searched the website for the National Association of Witches, NAW for short, and located a basic email organization spell. That really was the title. Basic Email Organization Spell.

 

I opened the PDF, mouthed the words a few times, and frowned at the diagrams before moving my right hand across my computer screen three times.

 

As I uttered the last line of the spell, heat seared my right leg. I gasped and shoved my chair back. A neon-blue flame danced on my shin, licking at the black rayon fabric of my pants—the ones I’d bought on sale only yesterday.

 

I yanked open the bottom drawer of my desk. Grabbing my spray bottle of holy water, I squirted my leg three times.

 

With a small hiss and a puff of noxious smoke, the flame winked out.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

Alexa Sullivan writes humorous, contemporary paranormal romance. She imagines a world where the mundane meets magic -- and where vampires, werewolves and witches have normal jobs. Oh, and there are cats, too. She sets all her books in the beautiful state of Oregon. When not writing, she can be found walking her cat on a leash, hanging out with her husband, and watching far too much Bravo reality TV.

 

Socials

 

Website: https://www.alexasullivan.com/

 

Sign up for Alexa’s Newsletter: https://www.alexasullivan.com/subscribe

 

Instagram: @alexasullivanromance

 

Twitter: @alexa_s_writes

 

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Demigods-Law-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B0BKRCTPDB/ref=sr_1_1

 

 

BN Buy Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-dream-of-demigods-alexa-sullivan/1142600185

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #67 (14.2)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Things have just gone from bad to worse! Why did that police officer just handcuff Ethan? See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to check on the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #67 (14.2)

If this suspicious excuse for an officer of the law thought this was going to fly, he had another think coming! What the hell was going on here? This had to end and it had to end now. Troy grabbed for me just as I was about to launch myself at Jenkins. He wrapped both arms around my chest to hold me in place. Breathing heavily, I glanced around. The others seemed as shocked and perturbed as I was. Even Joey seemed perplexed at these unexpected developments, his mouth wide open and gaping.

The minister was striding toward his son and his son’s captor, his voice booming with ministerial authority. “Please explain what you’re doing with my son, Officer.” I half expected the second officer to hold him back, or at least tell him not to interfere in police business,  but he seemed less than inclined to do anything other than stand in the background, as if striving for invisibility. Which, by the way, was a less than successful endeavor. Only then did I noticed he had his phone out and was clearly recording everything that went down. I didn’t know whether to feel more reassured at this or less.

Carlos and his fellow agents looked just as confused as we were, which further served to confirm that these two were not part of any game plan devised by Anderson.

“Troy, something’s not right here,” I muttered to my “captor”. “What reason do they have for arresting Ethan? I’ve got to do something.” I tried to reach for my weapon. Just as a last resort, naturally. I just wanted to be ready… in case.

“Hang on, Vinny.” Troy didn’t sound concerned at all. As if he had some inkling about what was going on and was more exasperated than anything.

Jenkins opened the back door of the vehicle. I wanted for him to motion Ethan inside. I braced myself to break out of Troy’s grip, if necessary, so I could put the kibosh on this lunacy. But just then Jenkins did something that took me completely by surprise. He turned toward us, and away from Ethan, and took a bow… then another… and another. Almost as if he were accepting some kind of award for doing his duty…

Alarms began to ring inside my head as things began to fall into place. What I was thinking wasn’t possible, was it? I mean, the very idea was crazy. But then, if I was correct in my assumptions, so was the person who was responsible for all this.

“Dammit,” Troy swore, even as he released me. I hurried toward Ethan and the bowing policeman.

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” I began. “But you need to release him right this—”

Anything else I’d been about to say flew from my brain as Jenkins pulled his cap off and waves of bleach blonde hair tumbled out, falling to his shoulders. “Get all that, Helen?”

Everybody glanced at the second officer, who gave a quick thumbs up. I was still confused, but first things first.

Before I could insist again that he release Ethan, Troy came barreling up to us, Brandon hot on his heels.

“Carrie, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” he said.

What. The. Actual. Fuck?

 to be continued

Go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

Saturday is Horror Day #106 - One Missed Call

 One Missed Call

People begin to received mysterious missed calls that leaves messages containing the person's date and time of their deaths. Nobody will listen to Beth (Shannyn Sossamon) who is explaining about the phone calls and how they tie in to the deaths. But Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) believes her, because of the death of his sister. Together, they are going to get to the bottom of this!

That may sound like an oversimplification of the plot, but it's not. In fact, it makes it sound more interesting than it is. The story goes from person to person, one missed call after another, followed by two days of hallucinations - centipedes and ghostly figures - before death ensures. Even that is more interesting than this film. This is a remake of a Japanese film of the same name, and even that wasn't particularly well received. This version is so bad it received a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Far from being frightening, I found this film boring and couldn't wait for it to end - and it's only an hour and a half long! The writing isn't good, neither is the direction, the acting is so-so, and the characters are forgettable. Would I recommend watching this? Hell no! I'll give this film 1 Star and that's all I have to say on that.