Year of the Dragon

Amazon.com

Redemption for director Michael Cimino and burgeoning stardom for actor Mickey Rourke were on the agenda when Year of the Dragon was released in 1985, and even if those things didn't quite come to pass, the result was nevertheless an entertaining, at times even compelling film. Cimino, seven years removed from his Oscar triumph The Deer Hunter and five years past the debacle that was (and still is) Heaven's Gate, made a move back into the mainstream with this violent tale about New York's Chinatown, where gangs and heroin-dealing Chinese "triads" hold sway--at least until police captain Stanley White comes on the scene, fiercely determined to put the bad guys out of business. As portrayed by Rourke, White is arrogant, boorish, and bullheaded, a thoughtless jerk who puts anyone who cares about him in mortal danger, all of which we're supposed to forgive because he served in Vietnam and is so righteously intent on doing his job. Problem is, White is almost completely unlikable, rendering his relationships with his long-suffering wife (Caroline Kava) and his TV reporter girlfriend (a wooden Ariane) implausible in the extreme. Add to that a script (by Cimino and Oliver Stone) filled with stilted, macho dialogue and a level of facile racism and sexism that would be unacceptable by new millennium standards, and you've got a tough sell. Still, Cimino knows how to direct the action sequences, and he's able to sustain a good level of tension as the story builds toward its inevitable confrontation between White and young crime lord Joey Tai (John Lone, channeling Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part II). And the aftermath? Cimino made only four movies in the ensuing twenty years, none of them exactly blockbusters, while Rourke sank into a self-inflicted oblivion from which he has yet to recover. Not exactly the hoped-for outcome, but neither of them should be ashamed to have Year of the Dragon on his resume. --Sam Graham

Description

A Vietnam vet turned New York City cop vows to bring down a Chinatown crime lord.

Customer Reviews:

A Cinematic Treasure!.......2007-04-03

The sets of 'Chinatown' were constructed and photographed at Dino de Laurentiis' film studio in North Carolina. I know because I saw them while visiting the set. The real Chinatown has streets so narrow you could not possibly film on them. However, that's where the 'pretend' ends and the gritty reality of life on Canal Street begins.

While this movie was made over 20 years ago, it not only holds up over time, it gets better with age. It's like the best Dim Sum you ever had. You want it again and again. I am delighted it is now out on DVD. I just wish they would re-release 'Year Of The Dragon' in theaters so a new generation of filmgoers could see the genius involved.

John Lone, as always, is quiet elegance. A wonderful actor with one of the best faces in the business. Mickey Rourke was Mickey Rourke. The guy we fell in love with. Not the Mickey Rourke of today who has had so much plastic surgery we can't recognize him anymore. He is brash, crass, electric. A real spitfire of an actor. Ariane, poor soul, was badly miscast. The material was way over her head.

You see small parts in the film played by actors who were just getting started in the business. Eddie Jones, the great character actor who played my daughter's grandfather in a Harry Kondolian play in NYC, is the tough Cop on horseback in the first part of the film. He is still around playing great roles. John Lone and Ariane have long since left the screen. I really miss Lone. A wonderful actor.

The film is not a small film. It's big in grandure and in scope. Lone travels to Thailand, Hong Kong. This film sneaks up on you when you least expect it and makes you think. The writing is superb. Cinematography incredible. Music, acting, you name it. The very best film has to offer.

As someone who photographed Chinatown for many years here in NYC, it is very special to me. I love this film. I just wish millions of people could see it now in DVD and be as thrilled by it.

Year of the Drinking Game.......2006-10-14

Okay, line up as many shot glasses as you can find, play the movie, and you drink:
-every time Mickey Rourke's character says something racist
-every time Mickey Rourke's character mentions spare ribs
-every time Ariane has a gratuitous nude scene
Even if all you've got is lite beer, you'll be hammered by the time Capt. Stanley White gets his transfer orders in the third act.

Did Mickey Rourke write the rest of the reviews here?.......2006-07-25

What's the difference between this movie and a Schwarzenneger movie? Answer: A Schwarzenneger movie has better dialogues, a better plot, and better acting.
How could the guy who made Deer Hunter come up with this dud? More intriguing still, how can anybody say anything nice about this colossal disappointment.

One of MY TOP 10 movies of all-time.......2005-11-04

SERIUOSLY. this film is that good. a film in its time(1985), truly that was misunderstood. look at by critcs as too racist and violent, but really wasnt. basically, yotd portrayed how life was and is in NY Chinatown(underworld). mickey rourke(Captain White) was 'my idol' after seeing yotd for the 1st time back in 86-87(only 13), a great performance as the straight ahead, no-nonsense, ex-Vietnam vet, but loving to the ladies, NYPD Captain in Chinatown. as Cap, he vows to bring order back to Chinatown. Great performances everywhere. breathe-taking settings through-out movie, especially the scene between Rourke and Arianne(reporter having affair w/ rourke) overlooking Manhattan(priceless). I also pre-order the yotd DVD in July, not knowing the DVD format was just release in May. SWEET! also, as far as picture quality, yotd is one of the finer quality DVDs on market. (play it on your laptop..WOW)

Whatever Happened to John Lone?.......2005-06-06

"Year of the Dragon" though consistently engaging is a highly uneven film. While it purports to be about the Chinese underworld I don't think I knew any more on the topic than before I watched this film. I attribute this to the script by director Michael Cimino and Oliver Stone which has more than it's share of bloated rhetoric. Mickey Rourke, not helped by the silver dye job, does the best he can with the dialogue he's forced to spew as Stanley White, returning Vietnam vet turned police captain who has a personal vendetta in cleaning up Chinatown that remains vague to me. Arianne, who plays the TV reporter whom Rourke beds, has to be one of the worst actresses this side of "Showgirls". The film is elevated by the performance of John Lone as Joey Tai, ruthlessly ambitious crimelord. Lone is so coolly suave that you wish that more of the film had dedicated itself to his character instead of Rourke's. I do admire Cimino as a director, however. He's from the old school of seventies filmmakers whose most flawed work is as interesting as more successfully commercial product. As a screenwriter that's another story.

Vamos a Jugar (Let's Play): Spanish for Beginners

Average customer rating:

Packed with more quality learning than many other Spanish language kids programs!
Whistlefritz is a big hit. My 22-month old son LOVES it!
A Welcome Addition
Even better than their other DVD, Los Animales!

Vamos a Jugar (Let's Play): Spanish for Beginners
Starring: Sara Jerez; Alex Ballestero; Rockzana Flores; Sabrina Flores; Nicolas Romero et. al
Director: Oglesby; Stock
Manufacturer: Whistlefritz LLC
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

3-6 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Product Features:

Beginning Spanish DVD for kids ages 2-6 years old
No prior language knowledge needed
Easy-to-follow translation guide for parents
Immersion method of teaching endorsed by language experts

ASIN: B000TESUIG
Release Date: 2007-07-09

Product Description

In Vamos a Jugar, children explore the world of the body and play. Accompanied by young friends and puppet pals, children will learn the parts of the body, clothing, numbers, and more! Your kids won't be able to resist dancing and singing along to this Spanish DVD's toe-tapping, hand-clapping, maraca-slapping new songs, including the favorite Spanish folksong "Los Ninos Cuando Bailan", new twists on favorite children's songs "Cabeza, Hombros" and "Ojos, Orejas" and the irresistable new toe-tapper "Los Deditos." This Spanish DVD builds children's Spanish vocabulary, through skits, dance, Spanish songs, and play. Children learn the Spanish words for the parts of the body, clothing, and numbers. The program continues to reinforce Spanish words learned in Whistlefritz's first DVD, Los Animales, as well. The Translation Guide provides an easy reference for parents who are first-time learners of Spanish. The guide lists words as they appear for the first time in the program. Designed for ages 2-6, Vamos a Jugar is perfect for the whole family!

Customer Reviews:

Packed with more quality learning than many other Spanish language kids programs!.......2007-09-10

I've been purchasing Spanish educational DVD's for my 3 year old since she was born. Most of them are extremely boring and repetitive. My daughter would watch but with little to no interaction. I recently brought home Whistlefritz: Vamos a Jugar and was astounded when she started answering questions and singing songs after the first viewing. This is a full immersion DVD and my daughter is not bilingual. Whistlefritz arranged the program in such a way that my daughter truly understands what they are saying. She has now been viewing this DVD on and off for about 3 weeks and is actually using the words throughout her day! I would highly recommend this DVD over titles such as Boca Beth, Brainy Baby or Plaza Sesamo. The Spanish to English translations used by Boca Beth only confused my daughter. Brainy Baby won't hold your child's interest much past 12 months and Plaza Sesamo uses far too many slang words and is not a good language learning tool. My only complaint with Whistlefritz is that the play time is too short. It is only about 23 minutes long and I felt that once my child was really getting in-to the program it ended. I think 30 to 40 minutes would be a better running time. Regardless, those 23 minutes are packed with more quality learning than many other programs that run much longer.

Whistlefritz is a big hit. My 22-month old son LOVES it!.......2007-07-30

My wife and I were always impressed with how my cousin's children had excelled with picking up Spanish as a second language at such a young age. We were eager to get our son started but did not know where to begin. My cousin gave us copies of "Los Animales" and "Vamos a Jugar". He was immediately captivated. My wife and I were amazed at how quickly he seemed to be picking up Spanish while singing along and having fun. It even helped us to remember what we had learned years back in school. As soon as the DVD ends he claps, yells Yeah! and then asks for "Mo Whitlefrit".

A Welcome Addition.......2007-07-29

"Vamos a Jugar" is an extremely welcome addition to the set of (suprisingly limited) tools available for parents who wish to teach their kids Spanish. While efforts by shows like "Dora" and "Dragon Tales" to include Spanish language content are positive, the occasional word or phrase does little beyond letting kids know that other languages exist. The immersion philosophy behind the Whistlefritz videos is a quantum leap forward. The genius is in the simplicity of the concept -- take characters, skits, games and songs largely familiar to kids and present them purely in Spanish rather than English, guessing (correctly) that kids will be able to follow the storylines and pick up the vocabulary quickly. Perhaps just as importantly, the entertainment, novelty and challenge levels are more than high enough to keep our 3 and 5 years olds fully engaged. "Los Animales" (the first video) has been part of the permanent rotation in our DVD player for months with no signs of displacement anytime soon; very happy to see a second video added to the mix and looking forward to more. Highly recommend this great new product.

Even better than their other DVD, Los Animales!.......2007-07-16

Vamos a Jugar (Let's Play):Beginning Spanish for Kids is the second DVD in this series and I believe it is even better than the first one, Los Animales (Animals): Spanish for Beginners as there is more interaction with the kids. You really can't tell from the cover however it is all done with real people and not animation (and the kids are all cute and very entertaining). This DVD covers the parts of the body (head, face, hands, knees....) and they even do the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" (in Spanish of course). It is a wonderful alternative to Dora, Diego or Dragon Tails. It comes with a guide to help with translations.

The Year of the Dragon (Broadway Theatre Archive)

Average customer rating:

Frank Chin's work recorded

The Year of the Dragon (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Starring: George Takei , and Pat Suzuki
Director: Portman Paget
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( Y ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0000DI87D
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Description

Frank Chin's play attacks the comfortable stereotypes of the Asian Amerian. Stars George Takei, Pat Suzuki.

Customer Reviews:

Frank Chin's work recorded.......2005-03-18

This is not the racist-sexist movie starring Mickey Rourke from the early 1980s. This is a play recorded for television from the 1970s.

Speaking of the 1970s, this is very much a representative of its time. The filming reminded me of old Muppets episodes. The stage has an armchair as the focal point, very symbolic of Archie Bunker's armchair. In fact, the setting looked a lot like the set in "Sanford and Son."

So "The Joy Luck Club" is not the first artistic work to talk about generational divides among Chinese Americans; and it doesn't just exist as a problem for women. This play was hard to watch because some of the characters babble and talk a mile a minute. Other characters constantly speak at the same time. I think the uneven flow of the dialogue is meant to illustrate the rocky relationships between the family members. Still, it was difficult to tolerate as a viewer.

I'm glad that Frank Chin's work is being preserved in various formats. Yes, he is sexist, homophobic, and totally from the phallocentric, heteropatriarchal old school. Still, he is a father of Asian-American letters.

Like Spike Lee, you can tell that Chin is concerned how artists fare. George Takei bitterly explains how his father looks down upon him for being a writer, rather than an engineer. Just as the 1970s had many dark movies, such as "Taxi Driver," I'm guessing that plays from that time may have been equally noir.

This work is certainly only for people that want to see it for historic purposes.

Vintage Chinese Culture Films DVD: The History & People of China w/ Historic New Year Dragon Footage

Average customer rating:

Vintage Chinese Culture Films DVD: The History & People of China w/ Historic New Year Dragon Footage

Manufacturer: Quality Information Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000K1J5QO

Product Description

This DVD is a compilation of various rare and preserved films and footage collections revolving around Chinese people and culture, including Chinese-Americans. You can't find this special DVD anywhere else, as we compiled it ourselves. With a selection from 1912, 1925, 1940 and 1964, you also get to see a sense of cultural change from one film to the next. Running time is 50 minutes. TABLE OF CONTENTS: (1) Red Chinese Battle Plan (1964) - This American propaganda film shows the rise of the communist party in China starting around 1920 and has a lot of material, footage and information about Mao Tse-Tsung. Despite the negative light it casts on the Chinese communist powers, this film has wonderfully valuable documentary of China and its citizens in the early 20th century. Length: 26 minutes (2) Parade Celebrating Chinese Republic (1912) - This is a short collection of footage from 1912 San Francisco, where some were celebrating the new Chinese Republic. Length: 3 minutes (3) People of Western China (1940) - This film is centered around the life and work of a community in Western China, and shows how advancements in technology and science are both changing and intermixing with many of the ancient ways of China. Length: 11 minutes (4) Chinese Lion Dance: Marysville, California (1925) - This is awesome footage from a Chinese New Year Bok Kai festival, with lots of shots of the parade dragon and fireworks. An interesting slice of immigrant life in early 20th century California. Length: 10 minutes Total Running Time Is Approximately 50 Minutes

Average customer rating:

A Cinematic Treasure!
Year of the Drinking Game
Did Mickey Rourke write the rest of the reviews here?
One of MY TOP 10 movies of all-time
Whatever Happened to John Lone?

Year of the Dragon [Region 2]
Starring: Mickey Rourke , John Lone , Ariane , Leonard Termo , and Raymond J. Barry
Director: Michael Cimino
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( Y ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0000AISLQ

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

A Cinematic Treasure!.......2007-04-03

Year of the Drinking Game.......2006-10-14

Did Mickey Rourke write the rest of the reviews here?.......2006-07-25

One of MY TOP 10 movies of all-time.......2005-11-04

Whatever Happened to John Lone?.......2005-06-06

DVD:

DVD

DVD