The Secret Weapons Of Kung Fu, Various Artists
DVD is a format that is making big waves at the moment. It is taking over from VHS as the medium of choice for film fans everywhere. It comes as little surprise then that we are seeing the first wave of DVD samplers, showcasing videos by a particular label’s roster. Having already had an effort by Fat this year, Kung Fu are now stepping into the DVD sampler arena. ‘The Secret Weapons Of Kung Fu’ features eighteen videos by a host of bands, as well as boasting a plethora of special features, including artist commentaries, commercials and trailers.
If you are a fan of the The Vandals or The Ataris then you will be particularly pleased with this release because they both have four videos on the DVD. The Vandals showcase two different versions of ‘My Girlfriend’s Dead’. The first is a goofy live action video, and the second is a very cool animated effort. Fans of the band are also treated to a live version of ‘Behind The Music’ and the colourful video for ‘It’s A Fact. The Ataris first featured video is ‘Teenage Riot’. Shot in a small record shop, the director makes good use of the limited space available, with some good shots of the band doing their thing. ‘Summer Wind Was Always Our Song’ sees Kris Roe revealing a secret passion for Alf, whereas ‘San Dimas…’ is just a standard video of the band playing and ‘Make It Last’ is a compilation of tour footage.
The DVD is not just about these two heavyweights though, as there are videos by a whole range of bands. Pick of the bunch is an unreleased song by No Use For A Name. ‘This Ain’t No Way To Live’ is from the forthcoming Kung Fu film, ‘Selwyn’s Nuts’. It happens to be a fine song, and the video is high quality. Rising stars, Audio Karate, also feature with a video for ‘Nintendo 89’. The video isn’t the most interesting in the world but song is top notch.
The viewer is also treated to videos by Antifreeze (who look way too happy!), Mi6, Assorted Jellybeans, Useless I.D. and Ozma. It is Ozma who have perhaps the best video of the bunch. The video to ‘Korobeiniki’ features an animated space fight set during the Cold War. This cool video, which also sees an appearance by little green men, is played out to the sound of what is basically a punked up version of the Tetris soundtrack!
‘The Secret Weapons Of Kung Fu’ is a very good use of the DVD format. Most of the videos aren’t the best in the world, but the songs are all good. The extras are also a worthwhile addition to the disc, especially the band commentaries. To be honest, for most people this is the only way to see the majority of these videos, particularly for fans in the UK. You don’t see that many Kung Fu videos on MTV do you? Obviously the DVD will appeal most to fans of The Vandals and The Ataris, but there is something here for most punk fans. With a selling point of around $7 you are getting eighteen rare videos for a very cheap price.
Mark
