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hseiken posted:I'm a sucker for: I don't know the musical cues but I want to pitch in with my two cents. This film is one of the best pieces of Bruceploitation eber created. A Korean, who looks nothing like Bruce Lee, fights a Village People-esque gang of henchman (a Mexican, a Cowboy, a Chinese, a Japanese swordsman and a tall black dude) while investigating his friend's death. Truly a product of the mid-70's!
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Aug 28, 2013 04:55
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I've been a big fan of the Zatoichi series, which follows the travels of a blind masseur named Ichi in 19th century Japan. Ichi also happens to be a legendary swordsman and ex-gangster. Ichi is portrayed in 26 films, mostly over the 60's and early 70's, by Shintaro Katsu who consistently delivered an iconic performance of a complex and contradictory character. The action is usually quick, thrilling and oddly contemplative. The series' use of color and sound is groundbreaking and highly influential, a recent standout example being Kill Bill. In addition, what has always touched me about the films are the undercurrents of acceptance and gender eqaulity. Most of them are available on Hulu, free of charge. I also highly recommend the 2003 homage/conclusion Zatoichi directed by and starring Takeshi Kitano (Sonatine, Takeshi's Castle or MXC to watchers of the Spike Network.
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Aug 28, 2013 22:07
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There seem to be a number of Shaw Brothers collections available, but (and I guess it's because it's been a hell of a long time since the Kung Fu Theatre days when I used to watch kick flicks on a regular basis) I don't recognize any of the titles. Are any of the collections worth buying?
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Aug 28, 2013 22:32
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Folderol posted:There seem to be a number of Shaw Brothers collections available, but (and I guess it's because it's been a hell of a long time since the Kung Fu Theatre days when I used to watch kick flicks on a regular basis) I don't recognize any of the titles. Are any of the collections worth buying? The ones released by Dragon Dynasty are definitely worth a look. When it comes to Shaw Brothers films the only distributors worth a drat are Dragon Dynasty/Celestial
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Aug 29, 2013 03:27
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Starscream posted:The ones released by Dragon Dynasty are definitely worth a look. When it comes to Shaw Brothers films the only distributors worth a drat are Dragon Dynasty/Celestial Looks like they have two 4-movie sets on Amazon, one of which is dirt cheap. I may just have to give it a try. Many thanks!
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Aug 29, 2013 05:16
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As I've watched more of these movies, I've noticed a common thread emerging: most, if not all, Shaw Bros. films portray the state negatively. This shows up in particular in Venom Mob movies. 5 Deadly Venoms reveals the chief constable as the most ruthless and manipulative of the venoms. Several times—in particular, in Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms and Invincible Shaolin—the Venom Mob's resident heavy Lu Feng plays the main antagonist, who works for the government in some capacity. In the former, he ruins the protagonists' lives, setting them on their course. In the latter, he tries to destroy Shaolin by fanning sectarian flames. Shaolin & Wu-Tang, although not a Venom Mob film, uses a similar plot device. When the government doesn't serve as the heavies, they either serve as ineffectual buffoons—as in Knockabout—or they don't show up at all. Interestingly, in their absence, they make dynastic China look like a lawless frontier, a Far Eastern Wild West. Considering Shaw Bros. operate out of Hong Kong and Macau, with distribution in Singapore, and their movies have seen particular success in Hong Kong and Taiwan, one gets the feeling that in this trend we get an idea of how Chinese-speaking peoples outside the PRC (at the time) regarded their government. Although Communist China's government has little in common at the surface with the dynasties who ruled for most of its history, the films' recurrent distrust of the state seems redolent of contempt for Mao Zedong and his legacy.
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Sep 1, 2013 22:14
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What's that one where they're transporting taels of silver across famine stricken land, Masked Avengers? That's got some nasty anti-government stuff in it from what I recall.
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Sep 1, 2013 22:26
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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:What's that one where they're transporting taels of silver across famine stricken land, Masked Avengers? That's got some nasty anti-government stuff in it from what I recall.
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Sep 1, 2013 23:00
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The finale from Thundering Mantis (also called Mantis Fist Fighter for some reason) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynsuaBPDFvo One of the zanniest final battles in any movie I've ever seen. Basically, the evil grandmaster of an eagle claw school tortures and murders the main dude's best friend. What happens afterwards? Why, the protagonist loving loses his godamned mind and absolutely murders the poo poo out of everyone until he finally has a showdown with his nemesis, beats the gently caress out of him, kills him, and EATS HIM
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Sep 2, 2013 01:01
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I've really been enjoying all the recommendations of old kung fu flicks. It's been weird to see the genre move from stop-go choreography to wire-fu to what we have today. It's really interesting. That reminds me, I need to rewatch crouching tiger, hidden dragon again.
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Sep 2, 2013 03:24
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I thought some people would find this interesting: the back cover copy for Clan of the White Lotus…
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Sep 14, 2013 01:47
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Starscream posted:I don't know the musical cues but I want to pitch in with my two cents. This film is one of the best pieces of Bruceploitation eber created. A Korean, who looks nothing like Bruce Lee, fights a Village People-esque gang of henchman (a Mexican, a Cowboy, a Chinese, a Japanese swordsman and a tall black dude) while investigating his friend's death. Truly a product of the mid-70's! Many of these would get taken from PSAs and like those surreal 70s educational short films you often see spoofed by Rifftrax. Not everyone was as bold as Godfrey Ho or Robert Tai where the entire soundtrack would just straight up the theme songs from Miami Vice, The Warriors, Rambo etc. 
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Sep 14, 2013 01:59
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CloseFriend posted:I thought some people would find this interesting: the back cover copy for Clan of the White Lotus… Wasn't this what Executioners from Shaolin was like too? The bad guy had some ridiculous power where his one weak point migrated all over his body and to simulate this, they had to build some ridiculous practice dummy with balls constantly rolling through it. I'm not sure if they were actual migrating testicles but they might have been. The best kung fu gonad action is still the ending scene of 7 Grandmasters though. Incidentally I assume any old Shaw Brothers films available on Youtube aren't really legal; does anyone happen to know otherwise? (If they were I'd put up some links.)
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Sep 14, 2013 04:26
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CloseFriend posted:As I've watched more of these movies, I've noticed a common thread emerging: most, if not all, Shaw Bros. films portray the state negatively. Well a lot of the movies are set during the Qing/Ching dynasty, no? In that case, there was some resentment from ethnic Han Chinese to their Manchurian neighbors sitting on the imperial throne. Also whenever I read about dynastic China it seems that no mid-level politicians ever died of natural causes or managed to live long enough to step down - they always seem to get betrayed and murdered/made to kill themselves. Backstabbing and political corruption are probably familiar elements to fiction over there. But I don't think you're wrong to suggest that Hong Kong (and Taiwan in King Hu's case) had reasons to resent the mainland Chinese government.
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Sep 14, 2013 06:46
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Wheels on Meals is probably my favorite over all, but when I think of a fight scene, I think Project A2. Jackie is an named an Admiral in the Navy after killing some pirates in the prequel. Now the pirates are out for his blood, but Jackie's compassion shows them, he was only doing his job. This fight scene scene in particular, is a 10 minute tea house brawl with Jackie and a few colleagues trying to apprehend some local gangsters. After a fantastic fight, the men are arrested, but Jackie offers two of them a bargain: leave the room, and you're free: http://youtu.be/8UMAmLaWe2o?t=3m38s It's a quick and dirty fight that really highlight Jackie's talents.
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Sep 14, 2013 19:32
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Lucasar posted:Well a lot of the movies are set during the Qing/Ching dynasty, no? In that case, there was some resentment from ethnic Han Chinese to their Manchurian neighbors sitting on the imperial throne. Speaking of Golden Harvest, I got another film to recommend… The Angry River/鬼怒川 (1971)  YouTube This film marks Golden Harvest's debut. Much of the people involved behind the scenes defected from Shaw Bros.—particularly Huang Feng, an already-experienced director who took the Chang-Cheh-esque triple duty of writing, producing, and directing. This also marks Angela Mao Ying's first leading role, and the script gives her a surprising kind of agency; her protagonist gets kidnapped twice, yet she ends up playing the most important role of all in the film. The storytelling uses subtle elements of magical realism and mythology; the resulting film actually does feel more like a folktale than anything. McNerd posted:Wasn't this what Executioners from Shaolin was like too? The bad guy had some ridiculous power where his one weak point migrated all over his body and to simulate this, they had to build some ridiculous practice dummy with balls constantly rolling through it. I'm not sure if they were actual migrating testicles but they might have been. You can post links to films on YouTube, under the theory that if they pose a problem they'll get taken down anyway. Shaw Bros. seems more litigious than Golden Harvest, though; Shaw Bros. movies that show up on YouTube seldom stay there long. (Shaw Bros. still produces a tiny trickle of films, while Golden Harvest gave up production altogether for financing and distribution a decade ago. Also Shaw Bros. had a famously prolific output. Golden Harvest didn't, although it did have Bruce Lee.) CloseFriend fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Oct 14, 2013 |
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Oct 14, 2013 06:59
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CloseFriend posted:Now that I've seen Executioners From Shaolin I can comment: I'd say that film implies the testicle-movement but doesn't actually say it (as weird as that feels to even type). Actually, both films feature the same Pai Mei as the main antagonist. Each film treats Pai Mei as though he only appears in that film; he seems like a really odd choice for a recurring character. Pai Mei is a classic character from kung fu history (although possibly mythical, I wouldn't know), so that's not so surprising. Similar to Wong Fei-Hung and, I'm sure, several others. Compare to a character like Batman; people just like to make movies about them, continuity not expected. A quick google shows that the master in Kill Bill 2 was also named this, so that gives an idea how iconic this character is.
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Nov 2, 2013 02:24
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Yay! I was looking for a thread like this. Surprised to see the legendary Jet Li's Shaolin Temple (1982) hasn't yet been mentioned (links to it are all over YouTube in various dubs/subs, watch it). This was a movie so seminal it made kids run away from home and turn up at the site of the old Shaolin Temple in China when it was released. (and still has this effect: I showed my own six year old son it, got shushed violently halfway through the movie, and as the end credits rolled he turned to me, dead-serious, and said 'Mom, I'm going to have to quit school and move to China.') Its supposedly part of the Shaolin Trilogy, which includes Shaolin Temple 2: Kids from Shaolin (1984), an inexplicably sweet movie that has a very Judy Garland/Andy Rooney 'I've got some costumes down in the barn let's put on a show!' backstory to it in that it was completely written, choreographed and acted by Jet Li and fellow members of his Wushu academy, including the woman who would become his first wife and seriously old school, genuine, 'wires? We couldn't even afford to eat' traditional kung fu styles. Also, Jet Li sings. Really not to be missed if you love hokey old kung fu movies (and actual traditional kung fu styles, including lion dancing), and the setting is really gorgeous. It too is all over YouTube in surprisingly good quality with subs and available through Netflix via DVD only. The third entry in the 'trilogy' (I use the term loosely because there's really no overarching unifying theme other than 'Jet Li and co do Shaolin kung fu among every other conceivable animal style on the planet') is 'Return to Shaolin Temple 3: Martials Arts of Shaolin' (1986). Released on DVD as Dragon Dynasty. The first two movies were primarily mainlander written and acted/directed. This one brought in bigshot Hong Kong director Lau Ka-leung which explains the much better quality. If you ever wanted to see Jet Li crossdress, this is your chance. Excellent fight scenes (and more lion dancing), ending is surprisingly bloody IIRC. Oracle fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Jan 13, 2014 |
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Jan 13, 2014 19:07
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bushisms.txt posted:Wheels on Meals is probably my favorite over all, but when I think of a fight scene, I think Project A2. Jackie is an named an Admiral in the Navy after killing some pirates in the prequel. Now the pirates are out for his blood, but Jackie's compassion shows them, he was only doing his job. Holy poo poo, that fall over the railing from the second floor  It looks like the vase was supposed to cushion his fault and/or slow his descent but it barely does anything due to the angle he hit it.HELP, GOONS! I'm trying to find a Jet Li film, once I saw once and never again. The only details I remember are these: 1) It revolved around him and his best friend, who he grew up with as child to adult 2) He eventually joined up with the rebellion faction of the village/city while his friend joined the army and eventually became a high rank (clad in all black I believe) 3) The final act, or the film's plot resolution, is the rebellion launching a attack on the army. The rebellion includes a close female lead of Jet Li, and a big guy who wields a stone hammer/big stone tied to a wooden pole. 4) The big guy is surrounded by soldiers with spears, who he fends off with huge swings of his stone hammer. Alas, he is killed by a simultaneous unified attack where the soldiers spear him at once. This is the scene that really hit me, I really felt bad for that guy  Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. I've been wondering about this film for years.
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Jan 14, 2014 01:08
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Tai Chi Master, AKA the Twin Warriors has most of what you mentioned. Then again that plot is kind of stock standard.
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Jan 14, 2014 03:19
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Snowman_McK posted:Tai Chi Master, AKA the Twin Warriors has most of what you mentioned. Then again that plot is kind of stock standard. Thank you! This is indeed the film I was thinking of.
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Jan 14, 2014 08:50
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While doing some late-night wikipedia'ing I came across some sad news. One week ago Sir Run Run Shaw passed away at the tender age of 106. Everyone reading this thread, whether they know it or not, owes a lot to him. If it wasn't for Shaw Brothers Studios, this thread would not exist. This week, in honor of him, I will rewatch all my favourites and post reviews in this thread when and where I can. Kung Fu Cinema will never die and, with luck, it's influence will be felt for years to come.
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Jan 14, 2014 09:12
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I wanted to post something to this effect, but I actually thought this thread was archived. For people who don't fully realize just how much Run Run Shaw had to do with this entire genre of film, read this handy obituary.
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Jan 14, 2014 11:19
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Run Run Shaw lived through the invention of cinema and the fall and rise and fall and rise and fall (and rise again) of China... jesus, the history that man saw. And he was apparently still lucid til near the end (retiring at 104).quote:Dragons Forever also features a fight between Jackie and Benny, but the fight isn't as great as in Wheels on Meals. Benny also has some hilarious make-up, designed to look "intimidating", that is anything but. Dragons Forever is currently my favorite Jackie Chan movie, because it has all his old kung fu school brothers in it together and everyone in the drat movie is a kung fu master. Like, everyone. Seriously. Old lady walking her dog? Kung fu master. Screaming seemingly helpless damsel in distress? Kung-fu master. White guy with way too much eyeliner? Kung-fu master. Cigar-chomping skinny old bad guy? KUNG FU loving MASTER. It is awesome and insane and watching Jackie Chan pretend to be a lawyer is hilarious, as is the incredibly rampant over the top sexism and 80's hairstyles/clothing. Another fascinating little tidbit of kung-fu movies: Lau Kar-leung is a director/actor/stuntman who is a direct descendant, kung-fu family-wise, of Wong Fei-Hung. Lau was the third child of Lau Cham (Lau Jaam, 劉湛), a martial arts master who studied Hung Gar under Lam Sai-wing, a student of Wong Fei-hung. So when he's fighting Jackie Chan (who is playing the actual Wong fei-Hung) under that train in Drunken Master II, you are witnessing the son of a student of a student of the actual physical man the star is playing. You just don't get that in Western film, and its one of the reasons I love the genre. Relatedly, if you want to know a little of what it was really like at that Chinese opera school, see if you can find Painted Faces with Sammo Hung (again, its a rental on DVD only through Netflix, I believe, and very hard to find. If I could get hold of a laserdisc of this I would be a very happy person. There's a very poor copy available on youtube). Its a thinly-veiled biography of their time growing up in the opera school, only the abuse has been toned down because they didn't think modern audiences would believe it. That poo poo was barbaric. Western opera is nothing like Chinese opera. There's a story in Jackie Chan's biography My Life about how Yuen Biao, one of the more naturally physically gifted students, fell asleep in a handstand after having to hold it for several hours. They would regularly be beaten with a shattered rattan/bamboo stick, which was called 'getting a serving of spicy noodles.' So if you've ever wondered why they put up with so much physical abuse and dangerous situations in his movies, its because that was pretty much all he knew since the age of five.
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Jan 14, 2014 15:52
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Drunkboxer posted:This would be true if The Legend of Drunken Master (Drunken Master II) didn't exist. It's the pinnacle of Chan's physical humor (I don't think he could abuse himself like that when he got a little older) and the fight scenes are really just masterpieces. It has the Axe Gang fight to top all Axe Gang fights (arguably I guess) and the final sequence is just flat out amazing. My memory's not totally clear on this but I think the last bad guy was portrayed by Chan's real life bodyguard, and the scene resulted in some actual serious injury to both parties. I wish I was better at describing films so I could do more than just rave about how great this movie is, but you work with what you got I guess. I'd say the best <fight> choreography in a Jackie Chan movie is actually in Who Am I. Which is -also- with Jackie Chan and Ken Lo (the kick-y leader of his stunt team you're referring to). Drunken Master 2 probably has the best collection of fight + stunt choreography in a martial arts film, but Who Am I has his best actual fighting scene. edit: Linked for links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ5oaBWYzPk Darko fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Jan 14, 2014 |
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Jan 14, 2014 17:21
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Who Am I is so loving good. When it came out it was so funny just to make fun of Jackie saying "Who Am I??!?!" but in retrospect it's clearly the best late 90's Jackie Chan movie.
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Jan 14, 2014 17:48
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The fight at the gang's hangout in Rumble in the Bronx is probably my most memorable moment in a Jackie Chan film. Then again, I've probably seen that film more times than any of his other films.
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Jan 14, 2014 18:39
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I'm a little disappointed to see that Snake And Crane Arts Of Shaolin (1978) hasn't been mentioned yet. Not the grandest story (men with evil ambitions seek a scroll detailing a powerful technique), but the personalities of many of the characters are incredibly charming, from the rudeness of the side-kick who basically invites herself along on the quest of the protagonist (played by Jackie Chan), to the wizened, laughing old man who fights with a tobacco pipe, and the sheer dedication to villainy displayed by the antagonists. It has a lot of near-clichés, but manages to spin them all together in a very fun way. Also, Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu (1980) is pretty enjoyable for Jackie Chan starting to let the comedy dominate the kung fu a little more; I can't remember specific characters or fighting gimmicks, but I do remember quite a few lines that caught me by surprise with just how abruptly absurd they were (not necessarily due to odd dubbing, though that did play a part).
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Jan 14, 2014 22:41
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So it turns out Jackie Chan's dad was a secret loving agent in nationalist China and he only just found this out in 2003. Also he has two older brothers and two older sisters. So of course he promptly made a documentary about it. Its on Netflix right now, called Traces of Dragon: Jackie Chan & Lost Family and it is fascinating (of course his dad knows kung fu too, he was one of Jackie's first teachers).
Oracle fucked around with this message at 04:38 on Mar 15, 2014 |
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Mar 15, 2014 04:34
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Someone had mentioned that Dragon Dynasty releases are good. I have to disagree. I have issues with Dragon Dynasty because they're willing to release movies with sub-standard dubs, missing audio tracks or pointless cuts with no justification to why they are doing this at all.
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Mar 15, 2014 12:54
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I just saw Lady Snowblood and it's amazing. The colors just POP. Close Friend, do you have a website? Your analysis is awesome. I like watching old Shaw Brothers movies. Anything that's Technicolor and a bit fantastic.
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Mar 17, 2014 02:42
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CloseFriend posted:As I've watched more of these movies, I've noticed a common thread emerging: most, if not all, Shaw Bros. films portray the state negatively. I remember reading a Bruce Lee interview where he basically says outright that this is the reason the villain in Enter the Dragon is Chinese and that the other good guys in it are western dudes. It was also to differentiate it from how the villains in a lot of mainland Chinese movies prior were outsiders in some way.
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Mar 17, 2014 02:58
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One of my favorite kung-fu films is Bastard Swordsman (1983)  It's a Shaw Brothers wuxia film with all of the trademark crazy weaponplay and mystical powers you'd expect. It doesn't appear to be available online anywhere, but I recommend hunting it down if you have the chance! Here's a trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYykcbuJkBU
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Mar 17, 2014 22:19
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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:Who Am I is so loving good. When it came out it was so funny just to make fun of Jackie saying "Who Am I??!?!" but in retrospect it's clearly the best late 90's Jackie Chan movie. Just want to quote this, because it's so goddamn true. The 2v1 rooftop fight scene is one my favorites ever. [edit] This one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ5oaBWYzPk teagone fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Mar 17, 2014 |
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Mar 17, 2014 23:21
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DarkSol posted:Someone had mentioned that Dragon Dynasty releases are good. I have to disagree. I have issues with Dragon Dynasty because they're willing to release movies with sub-standard dubs, missing audio tracks or pointless cuts with no justification to why they are doing this at all. I think the more precise thing to say is that Bey Logan is almost literally one of the only people on the planet who's on the production side of things that has ever given a poo poo about releasing these movies uncut and unedited whenever possible. He was basically the key architect behind those UK Region 2 Hong Kong Legends DVD releases, then the initial Dragon Dynasty releases up until five years ago, so whatever they've released since is probably just typical Weinstein hatchet jobs. Last I heard he's involved with a new UK Region 2 label named Cine Asia, but I haven't seen any of their stuff. These days, Well Go USA is probably the only "good" label for Asian cinema. The releases that the anime companies like FUNimation or Media Blasters do are usually also fine (fans of anime get way more pissed over edits than martial arts cinema fans do), though the films themselves are usually less good. And speaking of which: smashthedean posted:One of my favorite kung-fu films is Bastard Swordsman (1983) I don't know if I could call that a GOOD movie, but it's definitely something bizarre. One of the most dangerous of men (and I don't just say this because of his penchant for decorating his place with vintage James Bond movie furnishings), Keith Allison over at Teleport City, did fascinating writeups of both Bastard Swordsman and its sequel Return of the Bastard Swordsman which effectively cover the rise and fall of Shaw Brothers. In true Keith Allison fashion, he compares their path to Hammer Studios AND Elvis.
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Mar 21, 2014 15:35
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teagone posted:Just want to quote this, because it's so goddamn true. The 2v1 rooftop fight scene is one my favorites ever. I love how Harold Lloyd it gets in the middle. Daryl Surat posted:I don't know if I could call that a GOOD movie, but it's definitely something bizarre. One of the most dangerous of men (and I don't just say this because of his penchant for decorating his place with vintage James Bond movie furnishings), Keith Allison over at Teleport City, did fascinating writeups of both Bastard Swordsman and its sequel Return of the Bastard Swordsman which effectively cover the rise and fall of Shaw Brothers. In true Keith Allison fashion, he compares their path to Hammer Studios AND Elvis. This thread, man. Phenomenal stuff.
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Mar 21, 2014 18:46
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I saw a clip of a seventies martial arts flick that had an awesome fight scene in and around a cable car in Hong Kong, with the actors hanging out of it and everything while brawling with each other, anyone remember? I know there's a help us remember thread, but I could have sworn I saw the clip via the previous martial arts thread on this board, supplied by a fellow goon.
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Apr 9, 2014 23:36
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Neo Rasa posted:I saw a clip of a seventies martial arts flick that had an awesome fight scene in and around a cable car in Hong Kong, with the actors hanging out of it and everything while brawling with each other, anyone remember? I know there's a help us remember thread, but I could have sworn I saw the clip via the previous martial arts thread on this board, supplied by a fellow goon. A Man Called Tiger (1973) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jZ1c7hy3fE&t=308s
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Apr 10, 2014 16:17
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Wing Chun (1994) Just saw this on Netflix streaming. What a wonderful surprise this movie was! (FYI: The poster image in Netflix is for the wrong film.) Technically a little late for the period outlined in the OP, but of the same spirit. Michelle Yeoh in her prime, just dominating the screen with astonishing poise and high-quality beatdowns. Donnie Yen just starting out as a eager, young goofball. Yuen Woo Ping directing in his 90's heydey (same year as Fist of Legend). A really funny supporting role from Kingdom Yuen. A lot of the broad comedy in HK films tends to leave me pretty cold, but something about the performances, editing, and writing really sold the humor for me. This movie is also gently sexy and queer as helllll. Not as totally transgressive as it could be, but pretty amazing for its time. The ending fight in has a great thematic action beat/gender double entendre that literally had me clapping. I'm sure I'm overselling this (it is a pretty silly film), but I found it utterly charming. P.S:. Someone wrote a scholarly monograph about the film: http://books.google.com/books?id=Ur61t2MgqAAC My library has eBook access and I am reading it right now! It's pretty good!
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Apr 11, 2014 02:37
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Man Dancer posted:Wing Chun (1994) Nah, you're not overselling anything. Wing Chun is seriously one of the best wuxia films ever made.
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Apr 11, 2014 15:33
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