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

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

Different than Shaolin Kung Fu and Triangular Duel. Kuo made at least 3 different movies with Man as a rickshaw driver. Who knows, maybe simultaneously. Kuo worked at Shaws for a bit, and he probably picked up some tricks to make the most of his time. I consider him the poor man's Wu Ma. From what I can tell, he cranked out 5 in a row with Man Kong Lung and Yee Yuen in most of them, so who knows? It's a decent basher if you aren't in a choosey mood but I think there are better flicks out there.

I usually watch by myself, and so, I don't watch 2 or 3 in a row like when I was single. My wife is Chinese but she likes US broadcast tv shows, mostly mysteries and my son likes American action and comedy. They both don't like Kung Fu movies, unless it is something with Ching Li, as my wife bears a resemblance when she was young (so she will sit through New One Armed Swordsman, etc). My son can't stand them. Oh well. At least he gets good grades and plays some sports, what more can you ask?

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Ok now it makes sense. Your description seemed off, but that's because it is a different movie. But Shaolin Kung Fu is all about rickshaw drivers. Very confusing.

I usually watch kung fu alone. It seems like whenever I get somebody over that actually likes these movies it turns into a clip show. No time to show a full movie.

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

I find that happens with my old friends that are martial arts buffs. One of them just couldn't stand Wheels on Meals, especially where Jackie turns the finale into a "sparring match". He'd rather watch Hot Cool and Vicious. Also, some of them can tell Jackie and others are undercranking and they find that cheesy as well. The thing is, people can go pretty fast, but then you get hurt.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I have a lot of friends who do martial arts. But none of them are kung fu movie fans. It sucks. I need to start hanging out with kung fu guys I guess. I've shown so many clips and movies and it's always the most random stuff that lands. I showed Black Dynamite a long time ago, and that was the movie that went over the best. And at some point everyone has asked me if I've seen Ip Man. Yes I've seen Ip Man you idiot!

[AlbertV]

In the ongoing effort of breaking my son into kung fu films, I showed him Hitman in the Hand of Buddha. He loved the film and even went crazy when he saw Hwang Jang-Lee's opening fight scene and was yelling, "Holy Cow!" once those legs were unleashed!

[paimeifist]

AlbertV, that is truly awesome that your son is getting into it with you.

Man, I have yet to see Hitman in the Hand of Budda.

[iron flag]

Good movie. Just watched Duel of the 7 Tigers. Phillip Ko opens up lots of cans of whup ass in this one! And fixes his hair while doing it

[QueMuchita]

Snuff Bottle Connection probably offers more in terms of action but I still prefer Secret Rivals but neither can touch Invincible Armour!

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

Bold Three 1972

Sat up and watched this. A little hard to understand what is going on at times, basically it's a Romeo and Juliet story, except that at one point Chen Hung Lieh's Romeo slaps the s@#t out of gorgeous Doris Lung multiple times. I don't know what it is with Taiwanese movies and tv shows, but they sure seem to slap women around in these soap opera situations. And her character knows no martial arts, so it is really unmanly.

Anyway, if you ignore that, and liked The Killer/Sacred Knives of Vengeance, you might like this one. It has a certain frenetic energy and when Chen isn't slapping Lung Chun Erh, he has a decent swagger. Very hard to get used to him playing the good guy, though I realize he has in more than a few movies. He just oozes sleaze at times. Who knows, he might have been a really nice guy, right?

Yi Yuen does a decent job at the fight scenes, and at one point it looks like he is unstoppable, until he gets used as a pin cushion by about a dozen Samurai. This is one of those hire the local samurai gang, who just hang around Shanghai waiting to get into trouble. Of course, it's set in the 1920's, so it would have more likely been Yakuza, not Samurai.

Finally, this is very similar to the Killer in that the heroic Chinese go after the Samurai with short knives, even in planned attacks!? You would think they would go out and get some Kwan do's (actually one guy does) and nine ring broadswords, but I feel that there is deliberate symbolism going on, as I have seen it in so many kung fu movies. Basically, my little Chinese knife can beat your large samurai sword, etc.

Jamal produced the disc with the usual hilarious subtitles (not enough) from Toby Russell who spreads around his Aussie profanity to lighten things up a little, but the movie takes itself pretty seriously. I got my copy from Bigrogie over at Ioffer. if you liked the Killer, you'll probably like this- Check it out!

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I wonder why this thread isn't stickied yet. I was wondering if there were new kung fu reviews and it took me a while to find it:neutral:

[paimeifist]

I recently watched Flash Legs, and loved it. Great indie with a lot of good actors in it, and one of the better short Lo Lieh appearances, lol. It was weird, it actually had a decent plot, ok acting, very good fighting, but than it had scenes like the guy trying to "run over" Dorian Tan with a push cart, and a midget was in it. It's like it couldn't decide whether to try to be a decent film, or just go the camp route. Either way, it is one of the best movies from those 50 packs for me. Good cast including Fei Lung, Kam Kong, Doris Lung and obviously Lo Lieh, and Dorian Tan. Seeing Lo Lieh with the "Betty" chain and claw is great.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I hated Flash Legs when I first saw it. But over the years it's grown on me with a couple more viewings. Like you said some good fights and great cast. I watched Horror Holiday and General Stone soon after and those horrible movies made me realize that Flash Legs is a pretty decent flick.

[paimeifist]

I attempted to watch General Stone the same night and didn't finish it, lol. I'll have to check out Fists of Bruce Lee, Li is the man!

Iron Dragon Strikes Back is great and Dynamo is good.

[DrNgor]

I hated Flash Legs when I first saw it. But over the years it's grown on me with a couple more viewings. Like you said some good fights and great cast. I watched Horror Holiday and General Stone soon after and those horrible movies made me realize that Flash Legs is a pretty decent flick.

I went into Flash Legs with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The action came at good intervals and Tan got ample opportunities to show off his skills, even if the last fight disappointed me.

The Streetfighter's Last Revenge - Man, that was pretty bad. I mean, yes it was entertaining and fun and occasionally humorous in that unintentional way that only bad movies can be, but it was a pretty shoddy film. Character motivations don't make sense. There are no real transitions between any two scenes. The plot on the whole lost me about halfway through. Sister Streetfighter had the same problems, but had a huge dose of martial arts and a truckful of gorillas...er...colorful and quirky opponents. This movie only has a laser-shooting mariachi (granted, a laser-shooting mariachi is far more entertaining than the upteenth 300 rip-off battle sequence). The movie is also far less graphically violent than the original Streetfighter, but has more sex and nudity to make up for it. The choreography was solid for a Japanese film of that era, nonetheless. Good for a riffing.

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

Scorching Sun, fierce Winds-

One of those flicks you are pretty sure they made up as they went along. Great cast, and they look like they made the film in a linear form, so, it probably went like this- "Tien Peng's in town, bring him on down! Tan Tao Leung and Lo Lieh are making a movie down the way? See if they have some time, those guys are pros!" Some really good fights even though the plot wanders all over the place, as well as a nice house of traps towards the end. Obligatory skank as the two timing Ho'. The copy floating about is in good shape, and you can get it on Netflix, so, check it out!

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Yeah this felt like a rush job or someone's side project. I remember Chang Yi shines so it's worth a watch.

[stills]

Flaming swords

Invincible super chan

Two great cavaliers

[stills]

Ninja wars.

Had this recorded on the tail end of a VHS as a kid. Didn't have room for the whole film. I literally waited @ 25 years to see all of this fine film.

[stills]

Fast Sword

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

Bandits from Shantung, one of Chang Yi's last starring Wu Xia roles, though he did do "Filial Son" a few years later. Lots of fights, as a matter of fact, wall to wall fights, gore, etc. Sammo plays a thug who get literally stomped into the ground. Still, a pretty fun ripoff of Fistful of Dollars mixed with typical Wu Xia revenge. Check it out if you can find a copy! There's an ok copy on youtube.

[stills]

Survival of the dragon aka thunder kick aka dragon from shaolin aka once enough

Once is deffinitly enough...

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Dirty Ho was one of the first kung fu films I remember. I do really enjoy that movie.

What I have seen this month all for the first time:

Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain (1983: Tsui Hark)

Ninja in the Dragon’s Den (1982: Corey Yuen) HKL

Iron Dragon Strikes Back (1979: Kuei Chih-hung)

Yes, Madam! (1985: Corey Yuen)

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Shaka ninja! I'm curious did you listen to the English dub? Also the scene where the ear gets cut off and he speaks into the ear. I'm wondering is there any other movies where this happens? I'm thinking Ninja in DD is where Tarantino got the idea for the speaking in the cut off ear in Reservoir Dogs.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Shaka ninja! I'm curious did you listen to the English dub? Also the scene where the ear gets cut off and he speaks into the ear. I'm wondering is there any other movies where this happens? I'm thinking Ninja in DD is where Tarantino got the idea for the speaking in the cut off ear in Reservoir Dogs.

No I listened to the Cantonese dub. I tend to not listen to English dubs when the main language (or secondary) is available.

Now I cannot think of other movies, other than what you mentioned, where a character speaks into a severed ear.

I am thinking the cut-off ear scene is probably a combination of Blue Velvet (severed ear) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly torture scene. Now according to Tarantino (Quentin Tarantino Inteviews) quite a bit was improvised. He notes that he did not know Mr.Blonde (Michael Madsen) had a straight razor, so I believe he added that part of the scene with the ear later with the inital torture scene being influnced by TGTBTU (which is one of Tarantino's favorite three westerns.) But you might be right where the speaking into the ear was part of Ninja in the Dragon’s Den or else it is just a coincidence (don't you always want to speak into a cut off ear?).

Now back to cut plain removed ears: Zatoichi cuts it off at least once (Zatoichi Meets The One-Armed Swordsman) and do not forget the legend of Hoichi the Earless portrayed in Kwaidan (available on Criterion and MOC which is the uncut and better release.)

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

The Comet Strikes- Nora Miao in a wu xia role, where she kicks a lot of ass, including the "hero". Sek Kin in a rare good guy role and Director Lo Wei inserts his gigantic ass in as the main villain. Lot's of fights, it was my second viewing, so I dozed ( I was tired and staying up to make sure my 14 year old got to bed when he was cramming for a test). Definitely worth catching if you can find a copy- bigrogie has one for sale at Ioffer.

Interesting to see one of the few movies where she was a badass, along with The Blade Spares None and a few others. Once Bruce got a hold of her, she was just a damsel in distress. she was a hot piece back in the day. I understand she never married and had a radio show in Canada. She was a fox, though, all of 19 when she made this flick.