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Chinese Opera DVD special features


xianzai

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I thought one or two of you might be interested. If a movie doesn't have any special features listed, I don't think it has any (beyond the usual cast bios/stills/etc). Let me know if I missed any.

If you're looking to try one, start with Lady General Hua Mu-Lan. It's short, and has fighting/comedy/romance.

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Three Sinners



The Three Smiles

	Interviews

		Dr. Lo Wai-luk

		Ivy Ling Po

		Michael Lai


Beyond the Great Wall

	The Savant - Li Han-hsiang

	The Huangmeixi Romances: scroll four ~ Stories


The Bride Napping


The Butterfly Chalice


The Crimson Palm


Farewell to a Warior


The Female Prince


Forever and Ever


Inside the Forbidden City


The Kingdom and the Beauty

	Commentary by Paul Fonoroff and Ho Chei Yee (Josie Ho)

	Music Video

	Interviews

		Josie Ho

		Paul Fonoroff


Lady General Hua Mu-Lan

	The Huangmeixi Romances: scroll five ~ Epilogue

	Ivy Ling Po Music Video

	Storyboard in Chinese

	Storyboard in English


The Lotus Lamp

	Storyboard

	Original Score

	The Huangmeixi Romances: scroll four ~ Stories

	Elegant Trails: Linda Lin Dai


The Love Eterne (2-discs)

	Shaw Showcase: The Love Eterne

	Ivy Ling Po Music Video

	The Savant - Li Han-hsiang

	The Huangmeixi Romances: scroll one ~ Histor	


Madame White Snake

	The Huangmeixi Romances: scroll three ~ The Heat

	The Huangmeixi Romances: scroll four ~ Stories

	Storyboard


The Magnificent Concubine

	The Savant - Li Han-hsiang

	The beauty of Concubine Yang in Chinese poetry

	The fashion trend in Tong Dynasty


The Mermaid

	The Huangmeixi Romances: scroll three ~ The Heat	


The Mirror and the Lichee


The Pearl Phoenix

	The Huangmeixi Romances: scroll two ~ Notation

	The Huangmeixi Romances: scroll three ~ The Heat


The Perfumed Arrow


Songfest

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Fang Shih-yu

What are those movies like, in general? About how how many did you see before you knew you were hooked? I've only come close to that stuff via "Vengeance!":smile:

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What are those movies like, in general?
In general, they are the best-looking SB films; the sets and costumes are fantastic. They tend to be slow-moving (the singing really slows things down) though there are exceptions (such as Lady General Hua Mu-Lan). Certain stars, such as Ivy Ling Po and Li Ching, really shine in these movies.

Take my advice and try Lady General Hua Mu-Lan; if you like it, try one with Li Ching in it.

About how how many did you see before you knew you were hooked?
I'm not hooked; I've only seen about 40% of those on the list. It can still be an endurance test to watch one. But I'm almost always glad to have watched the opera after it's over.
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i bought the vcd of Diau Charn (1956) that includes also another vcd about Linda Lin (60min)... excellent edition (there was also the dvd but it was more expensive).

i still have to watch the movie, but i think u should include this on ur list

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I bought The Grand Substitution to start exploring the operas, though I haven't watched it yet. I'm sure I'll enjoy a few of these titles, given the great Shaw actors, sets, costumes, music, etc.

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Fang Shih-yu

Ivy Ling Po was great in "The 14 Amazons"; that may be reason enough to try one or more of those OTHER Shaw titles!:wink: Thanks for your opinion, xianzai!

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Ivy Ling Po was great in "The 14 Amazons"; that may be reason enough to try one or more of those OTHER Shaw titles!:wink: Thanks for your opinion, xianzai!
Sure; she's great in Lady General Hua Mu-Lan.

I don't expect people to love Chinese Opera (I don't) but it's worth watching a few of them to see what they're about. IIRC from his autobiography, Chang Cheh was a big Chinese Opera fan; elements of it inspired parts of his films. The SB operas also beat out Chu Yuan's films on sets and costumes.

If listening to the leads "screech at each other" (as someone memorably put it) gets to be too much, you can always turn down the sound or fast forward.

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I almost forgot that one is VINTAGE Chang Cheh!:bigsmile: Have you seen that one, xianzai?:smile:
Yes; IIRC it's a fairly standard Chinese Opera except for a bloody fight scene. I can't recall the specific movie, but I think he had an amazing military opera sequence in another one of his films.
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Yes; IIRC it's a fairly standard Chinese Opera except for a bloody fight scene. I can't recall the specific movie, but I think he had an amazing military opera sequence in another one of his films.

You're referring to The Butterfly Chalice (1964). Good scene, and a good film.

It was co-directed by Yuan Qiefeng (aka Yuen Chau-Fung) and Chang Cheh,

with a script by Chang Cheh.

The other Shaw Brothers Huangmei Operas scripted by Chang Cheh are:

The Amorous Lotus Pan (1963)

The Female Prince (1964)

The Mermaid (1965) -- great film

Inside the Forbidden City (1965) -- very good film

The Perfumed Arrow (1966)

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