Verdict
Summary
Shot in seven days and featuring early film roles for the brothers Rhee, Furious is a lost curiosity that has been all but forgotten. It’s a “bad” movie, but it’s a really “good” one, and Visual Vengeance has pulled out all the stops (as they always do) with loading their wacky movies with tons of fun bonus material.
Plot:
A reclusive hero battles a wizard for a magic talisman.
Review:
An introspective fighter named Simon (Simon Rhee) lives in the wilderness with a band of children, whom he trains (silently) in Kung Fu. His mate is killed by a mountain man who is after a piece of an amulet which, when connected with two other pieces, forms a magic talisman. Simon leaves the comfort of his haven of rest and embarks on a spiritual journey, which leads him to the city, where a cunning Spiritual Master (Phillip Rhee) lives and is surrounded by followers. Spiritual Master (his character’s name) gives Simon plenty of advice and wisdom, but it’s all to fool him into relinquishing his piece of the amulet. When Spiritual Master reveals himself to be evil, Simon follows him to the end of the world where they have a fantastical battle over the magic talisman.
Shot in seven days and featuring early film roles for the brothers Rhee, Furious is a lost curiosity that has been all but forgotten. It has the feel of a student film, with abstract, odd touches like having one mystical character shooting chickens from his fingertips, and other characters behaving strangely (like, why does Simon live with a bunch of children in the wilderness?). Religious and mystical elements abound. It’s interesting to see the Rhee’s in the early stages of their careers. It appeared to be that Simon was being groomed to be the action star, and Phillip was relegated to be a second-tier supporter, but as things turned out Phillip became the star with his Best of the Best series and Simon became his support. Look fast for future action star Loren Avedon (King of the Kickboxers) as a martial arts fighter. This was released theatrically in the U.S. for a week. A VHS release happened, and then it faded into obscurity. Directed by Tim Everitt.
Lo and behold: Furious is back from the dead … again. Ten years back, MVD put the movie on disc, and now it’s back in print on a fully loaded Blu-ray with a gutload of bonus features that more than anyone deserves. A new SD master from the original tape elements looks as good as it possibly can, and in addition to the archival commentary by Everitt, more content has been produced, including a couple of kickass pieces of artwork, video essays, short films, and just oodles of goodies that should tickle the itch for fans (if there are any) of the film. It’s a “bad” movie, but it’s a really “good” one, and Visual Vengeance has pulled out all the stops (as they always do) with loading their wacky movies with tons of fun bonus material.