What was the last classic martial-arts film you watched?

[GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG]

canceling this post

[kevenz]

I watched two Hwang Jang Lee movies. Yesterday Buddha Killer and today Hitman in the Hand of Buddha.

I saw the remastered german print by megamax movies and they're certainly the best dvd version on the planet, too bad they're out of print and they comes in those hartbox cases.

Buddha Killer:

Hitman in the Hand of Budda:

[AlbertV]

Just literally finished watching Lady Whirlwind. This is only the third time I've watched the film as I made it a mission this year to start re-visiting some of the classics again...will be reviewing the film as I just checked the site and didn't see a review for this Angela Mao classic.

[Killer Meteor]

SECRET OF SHAOLIN KUNG FU - bizarre Lee Yi-Min film with a REALLY STUPID scene where the Beggar Clan debates that since their chief has been missing for 18 YEARS, they might need to hold an election for a new chief, or if not now, then in 3 months, because by then they'll REALLY need a new chief.

WHAT??????

[hkpyanfar]

I just finished watching Secret of Shaolin Kung Fu too. It does have its share of "what the..." moments. At the beginning, when guys would suicide at the sight of the crippled man, I thought "Gonna be a lot of short fights..."

Fine action sequences mixed into a plot that telegraphs its surprises so that all the shocking "reveals" are just "right...I already figured that out...a long time ago...next plot point please..."

I had the feeling that they were trying to clone Jackie Chan in Lee Yi-Min.

[Killer Meteor]

I just finished watching Secret of Shaolin Kung Fu too. It does have its share of "what the..." moments. At the beginning, when guys would suicide at the sight of the crippled man, I thought "Gonna be a lot of short fights..."

Fine action sequences mixed into a plot that telegraphs its surprises so that all the shocking "reveals" are just "right...I already figured that out...a long time ago...next plot point please..."

I had the feeling that they were trying to clone Jackie Chan in Lee Yi-Min.

I quite like Lee Yi-min, but I think his films mostly got too bogged down in trying to be FUNNY. I swear 7 Commandments of Kung Fu has five laxative scenes!

[Secret Executioner]

Marvelous Stunts Of Kung Fu

Rewatched this one last night. Clearly a bad film, but I love the "Rooster style" and the use of chicken pictures and sound effects as the characters using it are fighting.

There's also a fight scene based on Snake fist and one of the characters asks the other what type of snake he is imitating (rattlesnake, cobra...) - kinda silly, but funny.

[Chinatown Kid]

LOL, there's another one of those deceiving covers , Ti Lung isn't really in the movie is he?

[Secret Executioner]

LOL, there's another one of those deceiving covers , Ti Lung isn't really in the movie is he?

Nope, and neither the title nor the summary reflect what the movie is like.

[Chinatown Kid]

Nope, and neither the title nor the summary reflect what the movie is like.

Yeah we both been in this genre long enough to know you can't go by what's on the packaging a lot of times for sure

[ShawAngela]

I just watched the 2 hours subbed Taiwan version of this one and really enjoyed it. Though the story isn't so funny, there are a lot of funny scenes, mostly with Chin Siu Ho, and when the skulls were complaining at the end of the movie, I couldn't help but laugh and laugh again!!!

[Tex Killer]

I did not like this a lot. Most of comedy is bad and what little fighting there is, average standard, not bad but nothing to praise about either. Wei Pai is not capable of handling kung-fu comedy as leading actor so well although some low budget fu`s have featured lot more irrating grinning and giggling..In the end however there was good fu when cheeky chap fought golden sword. Can`t help to think with that decent material it would have deserved better movie than rest of flick was...

Legendary collection disc has quite good picture quality. Maybe not finest I have seen but far from worst and subtitles seemed to be error-free.

For ending which has some surprise factor in it I`d say it`s worth few €/$ and 90mins of time.

[kevenz]

The Thundering Mantis (1980) with Leung Kar Yan

Not the most original movie but it was pretty entertaining, some similarity with drunken master. The best part is the last 10minutes battle, probably one of the goriest i've seen, LKR is completely crazy !

[masterofoneinchpunch]

The Thundering Mantis (1980) with Leung Kar Yan

Not the most original movie but it was pretty entertaining, some similarity with drunken master. The best part is the last 10minutes battle, probably one of the goriest i've seen, LKR is completely crazy !

That is an awesome ending. This is fun to watch after Sleeping Fist (some write that Thundering Mantis is a sequel, it is not it is almost a remake) especially if you are a fan of Beardy. Out of coincidence, I happened to watch this in the same week as We're Going to Eat You.

[ShaOW!linDude]

Boy, that sure sounds like something I could enjoy.

It's yours if you want it, bro.

[Secret Executioner]

It's yours if you want it, bro.

Check out your PMs.

[Secret Executioner]

Back on topic, I recently re-watched that Godfrey Ho classic called Secret Executioners. The first kung fu flick I ever saw (actually bought it out of curiosity, that tells you where curiosity may lead...). Still as fun and as enjoyable as it was the first time I watched it.

[Black.Dragon]

The Dragon, The Lizard, The Boxer 70's Modern action no guns. A pretty good film staring Tan Tao Liang and Meng Fei . Not a ton of action scenes, but a very good story line, with several interesting characters.

[zeus]

The gold hunters

Golden dragon ,silver snake.

[KUNG FU BOB]

The Thundering Mantis (1980) with Leung Kar Yan

Not the most original movie but it was pretty entertaining, some similarity with drunken master. The best part is the last 10minutes battle, probably one of the goriest i've seen, LKR is completely crazy !

I love this film! When it was first recommended to me by my friend Don, he told me "It seems like the same old, same old at first. But all the stars are really good at kung fu. There's an acrobatic little kid that's amazing, and even does Drunken Mantis Boxing. Beardy's Mantis Fist looks killer. And you will never forget the ending." You put it perfectly Don (R.I.P. my friend). I love sharing this movie with people, and I usually watch it once a year.

This is fun to watch after Sleeping Fist (some write that Thundering Mantis is a sequel, it is not it is almost a remake) especially if you are a fan of Beardy.

Good pointing that out. I've heard that so many times from different people. It's easy to understand how people started thinking they were connected- same director (Teddy Yip Wing-Cho), star ("Beardy" Leung Kar-Yan), same kid (Wong Yat-Lung), and several other shared cast members too. Plus, they both came out about 6 months from one another.

But as those of us that have watched them both know- they share nothing as far as storyline or characters.

I enjoy SLEEPING FIST a lot, but it doesn't hold a special place in my heart like THUNDERING MANTIS.

That is an awesome ending. Out of coincidence, I happened to watch this in the same week as We're Going to Eat You.

THAT'S FUNNY!

Did you enjoy WE'RE GOING TO EAT YOU? I thought it was a wild, good time.

Two Toothless Tigers (1980)

I got a bootleg copy of the 35mm widescreen transfer and it looks pretty good overall.

Pretty funny movie with crazy choregraphy by Yuen Biao, produced by Sammo Hung and one of my favorite Yuen Shun Yee. I don't know why I like this guy that much but he was just great in Dreadnaught.

EDIT: There's the Shaw Brothers logo playing at the begining, that's pretty weird since I'm sure Sammo Hung never worked for the Shaw...

I could not get into this at all. I have to give it another try.

Yuen Shun-Yee as White Tiger is classic villainy!

I wondered the same thing about the Shaw Brothers logo at the beginning. Anybody know what gives with that?

The gold hunters

Golden dragon ,silver snake.

What did you think of these? Good or bad?

I haven't seen either one, and I'm curious about them both.

[Coliseum1972]

Chinese kung fu vs Godfather 4/6

More of a travel comedy than straight up kf but decent for what it is. Lee Kun as a womanizer who helps the hero out.

Dragon dies hard 2/6

Ring of Death 3/6 , too much "comedy" and only WJL fight is decent (at least DM was funnier than this).......nice to see Shih Kien though.

[iron flag]

Watched a double feature. Two of the best: Shanghai 13 and Legend of a Fighter. Does anyone have that Japanese Shanghai13 DVD? I think its widescreeen. Price is a little high though!

[Tex Killer]

Does anyone have that Japanese Shanghai13 DVD? I think its widescreeen. Price is a little high though!

I guess many in this forum(not me tho...) have custom version of japanese release with english subtitles. I`m sure you can find someone who can help you:27:

[iron flag]

Thanks! I've been out of the loop for a while..

[masterofoneinchpunch]

...Did you enjoy WE'RE GOING TO EAT YOU? I thought it was a wild, good time.

...

Yes I liked it which is not always guaranteed with Tsui Hark films to me. I almost have a love-hate relationship with his movies. Mini-review below which gives some of my opinions on it which I wrote right after watching it last October. Ah the memories of the cross dressing molester.

We’re Going to Eat You (1980: Tsui Hark: Hong Kong)

Luckily this ended up being more of a horror film than Witch From Nepal and luckily it was more interesting as well even if the result is mixed. The English title takes its name from the tagline of Zombi 2 (aka Zombie). This is Tsui Hark’s second film and this self-professed movie brat and graduate of film school (Southern Methodist University) is inspired by a plethora of genres and what results in his early films is pastiche. You have martial arts, horror, comedy, satire and even a Roger Corman influence. *

Detective 999 (Norman Chu: Bastard Swordsman) is chasing after a pickpocket Rolex (Melvin Wong) who is hiding on a remote island. The detective does not know that Rolex wants to leave that island because everyone there is insane and humans are considered a delicacy, especially outsiders who are easier to digest than family. The villagers are led by the chief (Eddy Ko: Sleeping Fist) who feigns sanity while trying to lead the Detective literally to the slaughterhouse.** Ko is an excellent martial artist and a supreme bad guy so I would watch this film just because of him.

While the film is schizophrenic in tone and script it does have a certain charm. Hark does not look highly on the film and critics such as Stephen Teo do not like it, but it has its violent charms. The fight scenes are fun (I am a Chu and Ko fan), though the gore is what I remember the most with one exception. I probably could have done without the giant cross-dressing male molester.

The ending is heartbreaking.

... (took out paragraph talking about DVD issues I had)

* The Italian horror references are pretty easy to notice as well as the Tobe Hooper leatherface wearing antagonists (masks though also serve the very practical purpose of reusing your stuntmen). I just read an interview in Hong Kong Babylon by Fredrick Dannen and Barry Long where Tsui stated that Corman was also a big influence on this.

** For fun watch what happens to Ko at the end of Thundering Mantis. It is an interesting bit of coincidence. Too bad Leung Kar-yan (Beardy) was not in this film. On a side note Ko does not seem to live much in the films he is in.