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

[Yihetuan]

19 hours ago, saltysam said:

Kung Fu The Invisible Fist

70's basher classic notable for it's near 25 minute end fight between baddie Kurata and the undercover agent Chen Sing. Widescreen english dubbed but the print is full of green splashes and lines. The world will be a better place once these Chen Sing epics are restored in 4k.

That reminds me, any update on the German Blu ray of Tough Guy? Did it get canceled?

[saltysam]

1 hour ago, Yihetuan said:

That reminds me, any update on the German Blu ray of Tough Guy? Did it get canceled?

The 19th July date is still holding,maybe Spannick has an update?

[sadisgate]

10 Brother's of Shaolin (1977)

Fairly standard affair about a Shaolin disciple who must escort a Ming General to safety from an evil Ching commander. Theres some solid fighting from Chia Ling and Ka Yan Leung is fun as one of the villians (even if he is killed pretty anti-climaticly). Weirdly theres a scene after the main villians son is killed where he mourns him and it's like are we on the villains side now? Overall pretty enjoyable.

 

[Killer Meteor]

On 2/10/2024 at 7:54 PM, saltysam said:

Slaughter In San Francisco

Don Wong Tao is a cop who's partner is also his best pal. After accidentally killing a thug early on while rescuing his partner Don ends up in jail and losing his job.When he's released he ends up as a waiter in a chinese restaurant. Meanwhile his partner,who's still a cop ends up dead, Don wants revenge!

Plenty enjoy in this early 70's actioner, the actor who plays corrupt cop Newman is fun to watch,what an asshole, and of course big boss baddie Chuck Norris enters the fray over an hour in, chomping on cigars and attempting to rape his brothers girlfriend amongst other misdemanours. I watched The Yellow Faced Tiger version on the lovely new Eureka blu ray, 106 minutes in Mandarin, with a fantastic opening theme song. Very much of it's time (Don's black cop buddy is named Blackie and Chuck nonchantly throws out racial slurs towards the chinese) .

Highly recomended

The Chinese version was interesting - Chuck Norris isn't introduced until fairly near the end compared to the International version, and there's some rather affecting additional scenes when Don Wong faces prejudice from the black cop's widow (as his killers were Chinese), and then from the Chinese community leaders as Wong would rather the US police solve the lawyer's murder than he get revenge.

 

And thanks to finally seeing the film in its OAR, I can see Chuck Norris' gangster has a wife and little girl, going from the pictures on the wall...which explains the tacky pink rape room with its porcelain animals and baby paintings! Plus it seems Norris rents out his garden as a public park, with public toilets!

[Killer Meteor]

 

[ShawAngela]

I watched my French rip of Dragon Blows 1973 two days ago. This movie has a special place in my heart, since it's the first martial arts movie I saw as a teenager on the big screen.

I thinks that I already said this in this forum, but I had the luck to find the original vcd years ago, and the first scene where Chiao Chiao fights at the beginning of the movie in order to save a women about to be raped by someone doesn't appear in the Mandarin version.

I don't remember if it appears in the English version, but I remember that it was in the movie I saw at 14.

I love this movie. I didn't know who were Chiao Chiao nor Hu Chin at that time, but they made me dive in the female fighters movies at once.

[MobFu1972]

The Odd Couple

Sammo Hung and Lau Kar Wing Classic! I haven't watched this since the Chinese DVD. The comedy was a tad rough in certain spots but the Choreography and Chemistry between the performers makes it a win! Easily the top 3 weapons films of all time👊🐲🥋👍🐉💪🔥‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

[sadisgate]

7 Men of Kung Fu (1978)

Despite featuring Leigh Lo and Sing Chen this was a bit of a dud for me. There were some good fights, and the main villians bright red hair and eagle screech stands out, but it's the definition of directionless. The main hero sets out to recruit patriots to the Ming cause against the Manchus but it's so meandering about it and frequently just feels like they were making it up on the fly. The ending suddenly includes a zombie mime and a witch because why not I guess.

[saltysam]

Bloody Fists

a gold standard for 70's bashers, Chen Sing is the hero who while on the run comes across a village who are being bullied by the japanese for their valuable dragon herb.great cast, Sun Lan,Fang Yeh,Henry Yue, Kwok Choi and Chen Kuan Tai as the baddie.thesev Chen Sing 70's bashers are great.

[DrNgor]

38 minutes ago, saltysam said:

thesev Chen Sing 70's bashers are great.

Tough Guy is probably my favorite of those so far.

[ShawAngela]

I just watched Spiritual Kung Fu 1978, the 88 release with @KUNG FU BOB"s art on it.

I must admit that I had this many many years ago in a French language VHS, and that I hadn't liked it very much. I then got it on dvd, and maybe that I also have another 88 version, and I still wasn't very interested in the movie, but this evening, well, I enjoyed it a lot. I think that what I didn't like earlier was the scenes with the ghosts and the urine scene, but I finally got into this movie and I liked the action. 

I also watched the extras, and was surprised to discover that there also was a Korean version of this movie, with another girl involved in the plot. First, I thought that it was a Korean actress playing Miss Shi, but when I saw the two of them fighting, I saw that I was wrong. It would have been so great to also get the Korean version. I wonder what are the other differences between the two versions. Did any of you saw it or got it when it was released?

[teako170]

Adventure for Imperial Treasure 鬼搭手 (1979) which has also been labeled Disciple of the Shaolin Master by some bootleg outfit. I may have watched this one "ages ago," but dropped it in the player last weekend, as I was prepping the evening meal. I really enjoy Don Wong Tao, but yeah, not the best he's done. Wife passes by the TV and asks, "So, how's the kung fu?" I'm like "meh..." Typical low-budget indie with choppy dialogue, clichéd plot, and a street peddler who happens to be skilled in Chuckle-Fu. The ending was solid enough though. Lengthy with multiple fights. Here's a two-page spread from Cinemart, June 1979.

[KUNG FU BOB]

"Chuckle-Fu"

Cool Cinemart spread though. Thanks for sharing it.

[sadisgate]

Kung Fu From Beyond The Grave (1982)

Pretty cool kung fu horror flick starring Billy Chong and Leigh Lo as the main villain. The fights are top notch and there is plenty of weird stuff as well such as Count Dracula showning up and an evil wizard beiing defeated by moist towels. I wish Leigh Lo had a bit more to do other than the final fight, but this was a pretty enjoyable first watch.

[ShawAngela]

I just watched The magnificent 1978 for the first time, English dubbed, which means for me that it was not very easy to follow due to the accents of the dubbers. 

There were some incoherence at times, such as Casanova Wong being killed and thrown into the water, and then, he reappears at the end of the movie.

Doris Lung has some good fights here, and I noticed that she uses the snake style in this movie. Which lead me to think that among all the numerous martial arts movies I watched, it's the first time I see a woman using the snake style, unless I'm mistaken.

Does any of you remember any other actresses using the snake style and in which movie? Oh, yes, maybe Angela Mao in Snake Deadly Act, but I'm not sure, it seems to me that she used a sword in this movie.

[Chu Liu Hsiang]

THE SHAOLIN INVINCIBLES - I like the movie, and will just pretend the weird costume decisions have never happened. Chen Hung Lieh as evil grinning emperor is just perfect.

 

[DrNgor]

20 hours ago, ShawAngela said:

Does any of you remember any other actresses using the snake style and in which movie? Oh, yes, maybe Angela Mao in Snake Deadly Act, but I'm not sure, it seems to me that she used a sword in this movie.

Sharon Yeung Pan Pan uses it in Story of the Drunken Master. Angela uses it in Proud Horse in Flying Sand.

[ShawAngela]

John Woo's festival this evening. 

First, I watched The dragon tamers 1975. What a superb movie! I bought the HKVideo French subbed release many years ago, but I had never watched it. The more I watch movies with James Tien as the lead, the more I wonder why he didn't have more leading roles. Does anyone know if he had a martial arts background?

For those who haven't watched this movie, I recommend it. Three great actors who are among my favorite ones are here : James Tien, Carter Huang and Yang Wei, who plays a fierce baddie, here, with great fights.

 

And then, I watched The young dragons 1973. I first watched it when I bought the Joysales release in the 2010's, but I had totally forgotten the plot and how good were the fights. Once again, some great and favorite actors here : Yu Yung, Cheng Lei, Fung Hark On, Chiang Nan (the old one) in his usual villains role, the always beautiful Hu Chin, Wu Ming Cai with his good acrobatic kung fu... Great plot, great fights, I recommend!

[DrNgor]

6 hours ago, ShawAngela said:

The more I watch movies with James Tien as the lead, the more I wonder why he didn't have more leading roles. Does anyone know if he had a martial arts background?

Apparently he studied at the Fu Sheng Opera School in Taiwan, along with Angela Mao and the Venoms.

[DrNgor]

Sharp Fists in Kung Fu (Hong Kong, 1974: Chang Ching-Po) - aka The Swift Fist - Interesting basher set in the late 20s/early 30s. Father Yang (Fang Mian of Five Fingers of Death) is sick and dying. He's a highly successful (and rich) farmer and is bequeathing his estate to his son, Yang Hu (Paul Chun Pui). Yang Hu has spent a number of years in the city, possibly as a criminal, and returns to the family homestead with his "students", his Yes Man (Lee Man-Tai, of Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin), and his bitchy mistress (Lily Chen, of Adultery Chinese Style and Illicit Desire) in tow. Naturally, he sets out to undo everything his father spent his life building. 

One thing he wants is to build summer cottages for other rich folk to visit. But the property he wants belongs to Tam Shen (Tam Sing, whose other credit is The Paris Killers), his cousin and martial brother. When Tam refuses to sell the land, which includes a large pond he uses as a fishery, Yang Hu starts resorting to devious methods to force him to sign over. He sends his men to beat up Tam's assistant (Ng Ming-Choi, of Butcher Wing and Raining in the Mountain). He has his men threaten the local merchants to not buy Tam's fish. He even poisons all the fish in his pond. All this leads to murder, which forces Tam to face his childhood friend once and for all.

It takes a little while to get going, but there is a lot of action in the second half. The fights were staged by Lam Ching-Ying (prior to his joining forces with Sammo Hung, I presume) and they are suprisingly uneven. It's pretty clear that neither him nor director Chang Ching-Po really know what to do with their lead actor. Sometimes it looks like they want him to do a Bruce Lee minimalist style of fighting. Sometimes, he goes in a manic brawling mode closer to Jimmy Wang Yu. Frankly, he sells the latter more than the former. Tam Sing lacks Bruce Lee's physicality to be convincing in taking out stuntmen with simpler techniques and minimum body movement. Joining our hero for the action are a pair of girls, played by Chung Cheng and Chung Pooi. The former (I think) steals the show with her flexible footwork, which makes me think of Drunken Master's Linda Lin Ying. It's a pity this actress didn't do other films. There are also a pair of black actors (Addie Hodges and Dave Henry) who fight our hero at the end; their fighting style is to hold hands and run at their opponent, trying to clothesline him.

I hoped throughout the film that the two female protagonists would team up at the end to kick the hell out of the mistress. And for a moment, that was going to happen. The two run toward her and she tries to flee. But then she trips, falls on a knife, and dies. DisaPPOINTING!!!

[DrNgor]

Superior Youngster (Hong Kong, 1973: Joseph Kong) - aka: Karado, the Hong Kong Cat; Karado, the Hand of Death; Super Kung Fu Kid - Pre-Enter the Dragon basher with a very similar cast to Tough Guy, which I liked a lot. There's Nick Cheung Lik, Fong Yau, San Kuan, Anna Ho, plus a bevy of stuntmen who went on to bigger things: Alan Chui, Tony Ching Siu-Tung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Bun, Billy Chan, and Mars. I was very impressed with Nick Cheung Lik and I need to watch more of his films.

Cheung Lik plays Ah Lung, a super-talented kung fu fighter who has an overdeveloped sense of justice, not unlike Alexander Fu Sheng's character in New Shaolin Boxers. After getting in a bunch of fights at home, he and his mother take a boat down the river to a village where his brother, Man Ho (James Nan), is  supposed to be staying. He finds out that his brother works for the local crime boss, Tiger (Bolo Yeung). Man Ho offers to get him a job with Tiger--who we learn is associated with the one of the local warlords--but Ah Lung turns him down. Some of the Warlords officers (Fong Yau and San Kuai) show up and it's basically non-stop fighting from there on out.

The action was staged by Wong Chi-Ming and Pao Jia. The latter had no real credit besides this. Wong Chi-Ming did stuntwork in close to 200 films during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He was also a member of Yuen Bun's Stunt Team, contributing to the action in films like City War and Blood Stained Tradewind, in addition to some late-period Shaw films. Cheung Lik steals the show with his fast kicks and nunchaku skills. The final fight between him and Bolo Yeung on a ship goes on forever, with the two throwing down with fisticuffs, nunchaku, knives, bamboo poles and even anchors. In fact, the last 17 minutes can be characterized as extended fight at a quarry->prolonged fight on the beach->protracted fight on a ship. The film is worth it to watch Cheung Lik kick so much butt, even if the acting and dubbing are often laughably bad. That said, it isn't a film for newbies. 

[Killer Meteor]

8 hours ago, DrNgor said:

Superior Youngster (Hong Kong, 1973: Joseph Kong) - aka: Karado, the Hong Kong Cat; Karado, the Hand of Death; Super Kung Fu Kid - Pre-Enter the Dragon basher with a very similar cast to Tough Guy, which I liked a lot. There's Nick Cheung Lik, Fong Yau, San Kuan, Anna Ho, plus a bevy of stuntmen who went on to bigger things: Alan Chui, Tony Ching Siu-Tung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Bun, Billy Chan, and Mars. I was very impressed with Nick Cheung Lik and I need to watch more of his films.

Cheung Lik plays Ah Lung, a super-talented kung fu fighter who has an overdeveloped sense of justice, not unlike Alexander Fu Sheng's character in New Shaolin Boxers. After getting in a bunch of fights at home, he and his mother take a boat down the river to a village where his brother, Man Ho (James Nan), is  supposed to be staying. He finds out that his brother works for the local crime boss, Tiger (Bolo Yeung). Man Ho offers to get him a job with Tiger--who we learn is associated with the one of the local warlords--but Ah Lung turns him down. Some of the Warlords officers (Fong Yau and San Kuai) show up and it's basically non-stop fighting from there on out.

The action was staged by Wong Chi-Ming and Pao Jia. The latter had no real credit besides this. Wong Chi-Ming did stuntwork in close to 200 films during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He was also a member of Yuen Bun's Stunt Team, contributing to the action in films like City War and Blood Stained Tradewind, in addition to some late-period Shaw films. Cheung Lik steals the show with his fast kicks and nunchaku skills. The final fight between him and Bolo Yeung on a ship goes on forever, with the two throwing down with fisticuffs, nunchaku, knives, bamboo poles and even anchors. In fact, the last 17 minutes can be characterized as extended fight at a quarry->prolonged fight on the beach->protracted fight on a ship. The film is worth it to watch Cheung Lik kick so much butt, even if the acting and dubbing are often laughably bad. That said, it isn't a film for newbies. 

The only English dub I can find for this is the Ocean Shores re-dub from the 80s. Has anyone seen the Karado version that was released in the US in the early 70s?

[ShawAngela]

1 hour ago, Killer Meteor said:

The only English dub I can find for this is the Ocean Shores re-dub from the 80s. Has anyone seen the Karado version that was released in the US in the early 70s?

It has been released as a German bluray, if I'm not mistaken (or at least, dvd).

Chang Li is one of my favorite actors, he is as fierce as Yu Tien Lung when he fights in his movies.

Still if I'm not mistaken, I read somewhere that Superior youngster was the sequel to another movie which title escape to me at thsi moment (or vice versa).

[kuenfist]

Think it is a sequel for ' A Tooth for a Tooth'.

[Yihetuan]

17 hours ago, ShawAngela said:

It has been released as a German bluray, if I'm not mistaken (or at least, dvd).

Chang Li is one of my favorite actors, he is as fierce as Yu Tien Lung when he fights in his movies.

Still if I'm not mistaken, I read somewhere that Superior youngster was the sequel to another movie which title escape to me at thsi moment (or vice versa).

You're correct it was only DVD. It was part of the Asia Line before they stopped releasing any future titles. The bonus film was Billy Chong's Super Power.

Edited March 5 by Yihetuan