8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER--Dragon Dynasty

[gorhama]

I can easily live without the extras - though that BTS footage was a nice find - but exclusion of original language is totally unforgiveable.

I don't understand this post then....

Does lack of Cantonese not count as a PRETTY BIG mess up...?

I guess I thought Madarian was the original language. I have the IVL but I wanted to keep my DD collection going and get a good quality english dub.

So yeah for me it wasn't a big mess up...but after reading what everyeone else wrote I understand being let down for not including both original language versions as it was something that could easily be done.

[peringaten]

Late LKL Shaws NEED to be Canto; exclusion of this is a proper sloppy fuck up.

[Guest Markgway]

You lose Gordon Liu's voice for starters.

I'll be keeping my IVL.

[gorhama]

Cool, now I know what the correct original language is.

Just curious do we know what language the actors were speaking on the set? Was it totally Cantonese or a mix of both?

[gorhama]

You lose Gordon Liu's voice for starters.

I'll be keeping my IVL.

Did he dub his own voice? If so I'm glad I have my IVL as well.

[chen lung]

Having Gordon's voice doesn't mean Cantonese is the correct language - think of Jet's real voice appearing on the Mandarin soundtrack of some or all of the 'OUATIC' movies he did.

However, for this film (and at least the majority of Shaw films post-1978), we believe Cantonese is correct.

[gorhama]

Having Gordon's voice doesn't mean Cantonese is the correct language - think of Jet's real voice appearing on the Mandarin soundtrack of some or all of the 'OUATIC' movies he did.

However, for this film (and at least the majority of Shaw films post-1978), we believe Cantonese is correct.

Cool, thanks Chen....I appreciate the information.

I love learning more about stuff like this.

[David Rees]

You lose Gordon Liu's voice for starters.

I'll be keeping my IVL.

Did Gordon Liu do his own dubbing??

[Asmo]

Did he dub his own voice? If so I'm glad I have my IVL as well.

Did Gordon Liu do his own dubbing??

I believe he did.

[Asmo]

ust on the subject, there was an Australian TV broadcast that reportedly re-translated the film.

Yep, most if not all of the subtitles were retranslated.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Didn't even bother with the English dubbed, stuck with the original Mandarin and the movie was awesome, first time seeing it...

[Guest Markgway]

Didn't even bother with the English dubbed, stuck with the original Mandarin and the movie was awesome, first time seeing it...

I do wonder if some people ever actually bother reading posts others make.

[vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

I do wonder if some people ever actually bother reading posts others make.

I just made a similar comment earlier today.

[mistertpitydafoo]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before about this movie, and I never noticed it the past few times I watched it but this time I did. At about 9:04-05 range, when general yang is fighting off the mongols with the golden kwan dao, you can see it getting broken off during blocks if you do it in slow motion seconds before, then at the 9:05 range when he cuts forward the golden blade goes flying off into the crowd of oncoming mongols.

I had to rewind and slow motion it to confirm what I saw but you can see the blade is either fake or was damaged during weapon contact and just goes flying towards the ground near the feet of the stuntmen but none of them seem to panic and ruin the shot. It's funny in that they did not reshoot the scene. Guess there were budget and time constraints with the Shaw films. (I did not rewind back chapters to confirm but I think the jade pendant on the dragon staff changes either once or twice throughout the film)

Also I had a question, has anyone ever interviewed Sifu Lau about the making of this movie or gotten a hold of the original script? I know it might be a touchy subject with him which is why I would say the script would be easiest to answer this question. Is what was Alexander's part supposed to be through the rest of the film and how it was originally supposed to end etc. I don't know if Sifu Lau would be willing to speak about it after all these years or if it would still be a touchy subject with him since they all were hurt by Alexander's sudden death. It's sad to see someone so playful that enjoyed life taken in their prime.

[Guest Markgway]

Fu Sheng was apparently supposed to share heroic duties with Gordon Liu.

When he died Fu's role was re-written for Kara Hui.

That's what I read anyways...

[Alexandra]

Fu Sheng was apparently supposed to share heroic duties with Gordon Liu.

When he died Fu's role was re-written for Kara Hui.

That's what I read anyways...

Sudden death of Fu Sheng in the middle of the shooting, was a nightmare for the writers. He was the main character, all the movie spinned around him since the conception of the film (directors, writers, screenplayers, etc) With the dramatic change, all the crew must rethink the whole movie. The main character was for the sixth Yang general, Gordon Liu, and the few takes of Fu Sheng inside the Yang Mansion, were set in profit to simulate a "vanishing" of the "insane" fifth Yang General (Fu Sheng) in the shadows of his own madness, and the audience -suposedly- understand that this person remains in the Mansion, prisoner of his insanity.

That was, I guess, the only way that the writers thought about "how to make dissapear the Fu Sheng's character without troubles".

Gordon Liu impersonates the main character after this event (the reclusion into the Mansion of the fifth General) and so.

And that is a resume of all I read here and there.

[Eastern Evil]

....I appreciate the information.

I love learning more about stuff like this.

Indeed, I second this comment.

Happy 4th/July to anyone that cares about this holiday. <- What the hell is this smilie/thing? ...I like a few of these even though the oldschool ones are better.

[Kung Foolery]

Indeed, I second this comment.

Happy 4th/July to anyone that cares about this holiday. <- What the hell is this smilie/thing? ...I like a few of these even though the oldschool ones are better.

Well I certainly hope every US citizen cares about this holiday.

[Karlos]

This info on 8DPF is interesting, as I have read a different take on Fu Sheng's role in the film.

The story I read was that Gordon Liu was always the star of the film and Fu was very much in a supporting role, with his scenes set for the opening and closing of the film.

The finale was to have had Fu and Liu team-up, as Fu's character "broke out" of his madness and came back for revenge with his brother.

Fu's untimely death meant that Kara Hui was cast and she effectively filled the gap Fu left.

Not sure which story is true and not trying to contradict anyone!

[Iron Boat]

Sudden death of Fu Sheng in the middle of the shooting, was a nightmare for the writers. He was the main character, all the movie spinned around him since the conception of the film (directors, writers, screenplayers, etc) With the dramatic change, all the crew must rethink the whole movie. The main character was for the sixth Yang general, Gordon Liu, and the few takes of Fu Sheng inside the Yang Mansion, were set in profit to simulate a "vanishing" of the "insane" fifth Yang General (Fu Sheng) in the shadows of his own madness, and the audience -suposedly- understand that this person remains in the Mansion, prisoner of his insanity.

That was, I guess, the only way that the writers thought about "how to make dissapear the Fu Sheng's character without troubles".

Gordon Liu impersonates the main character after this event (the reclusion into the Mansion of the fifth General) and so.

And that is a resume of all I read here and there.

I sometimes wonder if the belief that Fu Sheng was to be the main character is true. The film is called 8 Diagram Pole Fighter and I am not aware of any film or footage of Fu Sheng demonstrating skills with pole fighting. It only seem's logical to me that Gordon Liu and his obvious Pole skills was always the "main" character. I do believe Fu Sheng likely was to rejoin his brother at the end but that still feels more like a sidestory rather than main story. As it stands it is actually more emotionally resonant, imo, that Liu would leave Shaolin to save a sister rather than a warrior trained brother. Not that brothers aren't important, especially in a kung fu film, but the thought of your sister being kidnapped by the Mongols is not a happy thought. As much as I like Fu Sheng, I do feel he was a bit out of place in such a dark and brooding film like pole fighter. Dare I say it but the film actually improves when his "insanity" scenes are concluded.

[clfnole]

This was always to be Lau Kar Fai as the 5th Yang. I recall the Wai Ying Hung role was changed to fill in for Fu Sheng's role becuase he passed. Fu Sheng's weapon skills were not on par with Lau Kar Fai and for him to be featured primarily using a staff would be odd. Don't get me wrong I love Fu Sheng but his he was far better in non-weapon roles as his best weapon role was Avenging Eagle and that is really more of a hand style role to begin with.

[Alexandra]

This was always to be Lau Kar Fai as the 5th Yang. I recall the Wai Ying Hung role was changed to fill in for Fu Sheng's role becuase he passed. Fu Sheng's weapon skills were not on par with Lau Kar Fai and for him to be featured primarily using a staff would be odd. Don't get me wrong I love Fu Sheng but his he was far better in non-weapon roles as his best weapon role was Avenging Eagle and that is really more of a hand style role to begin with.

A polemic subject indeed. Different point of view. All respectables.

[Fanboy1991]

I don't know where people are getting this Fu Sheng was the original main character it's pretty obvious Gordon Liu was always the main. The story is called Yang Family 5th brother eight diagram pole. Wu Lang/Yang Family 5th was a legendary monk that created the Pole style used in real life martial arts. It's in many Styles including Liu Chia Liang's own style HUNG GAR KUEN... It's a famous story. The monk trained on Mount Wu Tai (not Wu Tang) the monks in the film were a different temple than Shaolin. The Temple they come from was lost but the style made it to Shaolin where it was absorbed in many Martial Art styles. There were many temples in china that had warrior monks but the only ones that survived today are Shaolin(Buddhist) and Wu Dang(Taoist). Yang the 6th who FU sheng had his own side story but it has nothing to do with the pole style.

[David Rees]

I don't know where people are getting this Fu Sheng was the original main character it's pretty obvious Gordon Liu was always the main. The story is called Yang Family 5th brother eight diagram pole. Wu Lang/Yang Family 5th was a legendary monk that created the Pole style used in real life martial arts. It's in many Styles including Liu Chia Liang's own style HUNG GAR KUEN... It's a famous story. The monk trained on Mount Wu Tai (not Wu Tang) the monks in the film were a different temple than Shaolin. The Temple they come from was lost but the style made it to Shaolin where it was absorbed in many Martial Art styles. There were many temples in china that had warrior monks but the only ones that survived today are Shaolin(Buddhist) and Wu Dang(Taoist). Yang the 6th who FU sheng had his own side story but it has nothing to do with the pole style.

Thanks for the interesting info Fanboy.

[Alexandra]

The main character was for the sixth Yang general, Gordon Liu, and the few takes of Fu Sheng inside the Yang Mansion, were set in profit to simulate a "vanishing" of the "insane" fifth Yang General (Fu Sheng) in the shadows of his own madness

Gordon Liu impersonates the main character after this event (the reclusion into the Mansion of the fifth General) and so.

ERRATUM

When I posted sixth should read fifth, and fifth should read sixth. It was my fault the troubles with the numbers, not the understanding of the charaters played by the actors. Fu Sheng was the sixth, and Gordon Liu was the fifth. Excuse me.