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

[paimeifist]

I need to watch it again to see if I can catch where you can see his missing tooth! Lol.

Fatal Flying Guillotines

I revisited this after reading that it featured some of the most pure Tiger style in DrNgor's book.

The first time I watched it, I came out thinking it was a rather middling affair.. After watching it again, I think it is definitely above average at the least. The plot is decent, and there is even some good acting from Carter Wong, Chen Sing, and Wong's "mom.". But the main reason I liked it is because of the fighting..

This movie is a great example that you don't need 7 Grandmaster style shapes to have entertaining fights! (Although Mark Long does have a short cameo ) Carter Wong and Chen Sing both give some of their best performances, with plenty of brutal and fast paced fighting to go around. I definitely see what Ngor was talking about as Chen Sing rips, tears, and kicks the shit out of people!

This is just a cool movie. The guillotines are admittedly ridiculous, but its hilarious to see these clunky things fly through the air as Carter Wong runs for life from them. There are some really cool forest locations used too. I liked the soundtrack a lot, a lot of horror sounding tracks were used, and hey added to Chen Sings character, and really made him feel like an evil bastard.

Fun fast paced movie, glad I gave it another shot. From what I have seen, this is probably my favorite performance from Carter Wong. It is a great performance from Chen Sing, but it may be outdone by Hero's of Shaolin for me, another movie I need to revisit soon.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Love the fights between Carter Wong and Chan Siu Pang in FFG. Chen Sing is pretty badass. But what's up with his clothes having pizza slices on them?

I couldn't think of anything to say about Leg Fighters and Woman Avenger, you nailed it paimeifist. If Peng Kong has any performances that can match those 2 movies I need to see it.

[paimeifist]

Agreed, when I said it was one of Carter Wongs best performances, I had his fights between Chan Siu Pang in mind moreso than his fights with Chen Sing! Pizza slice clothes, rofl. Chan Siu Pang definitely deserves note for this movie as he was good in front of an behind the camera as the action director.

Yeah, thanks for putting me on the Peng Kong flicks, great stuff!

[DragonClaws]

I intended to watch 7 Steps Of Kung Fu over the weekend but just discovered my girlfriends DVD player wont play the Iron Fist Frenzy set. This just means I need to go pick my multi-region player up from my parents house. Odd that the other 50-moive pack set was region free yet the Iron Fist Frenzy set isn't. The only old school film Ive got on DVD to watch now is Master Of Death by John Liu released by Pegasus.

[paimeifist]

I've said this multiple times - but 7 Steps has to be the most watched movie on the forum! Lol, at the very least, in this thread!

Nothing wrong with that though, it is a great movie, although not a personal favorite. There is something about Ricky Cheng Tien Chi that I just don't like :-/. I respect him though, mad skill.

[Secret Executioner]

Master Of The Flying Guillotine (HK, 1976)

Clearly the best Jimmy Wang Yu film I've seen so far - not that I've seen that much of his films to begin with, I only had Return Of The One Armed Swordsman on DVD (while I liked it, it's now towards the bottom of my Shaws list) and I've only watched the underwhelming Man Called Tiger off the Jimmy Wang Yu Collection 2-DVD set.

MOTFG (in its uncut 93 minutes glory here) is really wonderful: great action (loved the tournament part with very cool action - I loved all the styles used and very well choreographed and filmed, and I couldn't help but think of Shaolin Martial Arts at a point when a contestant is defeated in the same way Beardy is in this Chang Cheh film), a very badass villain (Kam Kong nailed the part), colorful characters (the foreigners are pretty fun to watch) and a likeable (though not very active for the first two thirds or so) lead.

I still have some more Wang Yu films to check out on the Jimmy Wang Yu Collection 2-DVD set, and I hope those will be on par with this - One-armed Boxer is widely seen as a classic so I guess it shouldn't be a bad one, The Tattooed Dragon doesn't seem too popular among people but I'll give it a chance, and based on the trailer, I'd say Beach Of The War Gods seems like an epic picture (for the manly you !!!).

[paimeifist]

Glad you finally saw this one.. Great movie, surprised you didn't mention the music! The menacing track that plays whenever Kam Kong appears fits his character perfectly. He's such a crazy bastard, he kills a bird and blows up his own house the first time you see him! :tongue:This movie is really just the perfect amount of crazy. MOTFG is one of my favorite movies, and it's the first classic kung fu flick I ever saw. I would say it's my favorite post Shaw Jimmy Wang Yu movie, if not my favorite JWY film overall, which it may be.. But Sword of Swords and Golden Swallow (Shaw movies) are pretty damn good! I also liked the first one armed swordsman a lot, but i don't remember it well enough to consider it.

I am in the minority in that I actually liked Tattooed Dragon more than A Man Called Tiger.. So I'm interested to hear your thoughts on that. Beach of the War Gods is a very cool movie, with some hilarious Jimmy Wang Yu over the top moments that we've come to expect, especially at the beginning. It drags a little In the middle, but the beginning and end are pretty sweet.

[Secret Executioner]

Yeah, the soundtrack is pretty cool too. That theme playing whenever the bad guy is around is damn cool too, and I loved that OTT opening sequence - makes it clear the dude is nuts.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Yeah, the soundtrack is pretty cool too. That theme playing whenever the bad guy is around is damn cool too, and I loved that OTT opening sequence - makes it clear the dude is nuts.

Here is some of the music in the film (if you did not know.)

" has his own lifted musical theme of "Super 16" by the German group Neu! (they also use "Super" by Neu! in the opening theme and "Mitternacht", "Morgensparziergang" and "Kometenmelodie 2" by Kraftwerk in the film)..."

I'm actually a big fan of Return of the One-Armed Swordsman. I think you should return to it at a later date. It is one of Chang Cheh's more thought out in dealing with compositions and how it looks like (plus plenty of hidden Chang Cheh like images .)

I'm not that big of a fan of either Tattooed Dragon or A Man Called Tiger and prefer by far the other two films in the set.

[Secret Executioner]

Thanks for the info on the soundtrack - I always like knowing where the soundtrack to my Fu comes from, seeing it's usually "borrowed" stuff.

Concerning ROTOAS, I enjoyed it but it's just one of the least good Shaws I've seen. I can't say "worst" cause except for one or two titles (like Have Sword, Will Travel or Wandering Swordsman), no Shaw Bros movie I've seen could qualify as bad.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Thanks for the info on the soundtrack - I always like knowing where the soundtrack to my Fu comes from, seeing it's usually "borrowed" stuff.

Concerning ROTOAS, I enjoyed it but it's just one of the least good Shaws I've seen. I can't say "worst" cause except for one or two titles (like Have Sword, Will Travel or Wandering Swordsman), no Shaw Bros movie I've seen could qualify as bad.

Journey of the Doomed is the least favorite Shaw Brothers film I have seen. I would rather see Have Sword, Will Travel or Wandering Swordsman ten times or more than seeing that film again.

On Master of the Flying Guillotine: I have two different versions with two different commentaries on it. Both are OK (same people mostly on both from Pathfinder, they put out a two-disc version later as well), but I could see a better one being done.

But seriously one of my favorite films from Taiwan. Some consider this a HK movie (HKMDB) because some of the money involved, but it was filmed in Taiwan with a lot of Taiwan actors with I believe Taiwanese money too.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Chinese Kung Fu Against Godather- one of Lee Tso Nan's first movies. It seems like an enjoyable movie. Good story and good acting. Unfortunately the Videoasia DVD sucks. It skips scenes. So I wasn't able to watch the movie because of that stupid insta action thing, but the insta action did let me watch the fights. And the fights are damn good. Easily one of Cliff Lok's best performances fighting and acting. The final villain is a big stupid looking white guy. But to my surprise it is a really exciting final fight. Big Stupid has skills. I'm gonna have to get a better version of this. Goddamn Videoasia.

[KenHashibe]

Daggers 8 (1980)

I had started to watch more Meng Yuen Man films after seeing him in Hell's Wind Staff and The Fighting Fool, and I enjoy his Jackie Chan-like enthusiasm. I think I could easily call Daggers 8 my favorite of his. Despite a bad English dub and even worse video quality, I wasn't really bothered by it. The training scenes and the fight scenes were all terrific. Meng Yuen Man and Wilson Tong both stole the show. The ending is a bit abrupt (which is typical for a Wilson Tong film), but for me, this could get on my list of the most effortlessly watchable kung fu movies that I could watch at any time.

[paimeifist]

Sounds interesting Morgoth. Lee Tso Nam is definitely one of my favorite directors, and probably my favorite indie director. I haven't seen much of Cliff Lok, but he's at least a solid screen fighter. You will have to let me know if you find a better version, I'll keep an eye out too. Id love to see some of Lee Tso Nams early work.

I haven't seen Daggers 8 in a very long time, but I remember enjoying it quite a bit. I like your description of effortlessly watchable kung fu movies! That's a good way to describe my movie for tonight too!

I revisited Dynamite Shaolin Heroesthis evening, expecting not to enjoy it as much as I did before..

I was wrong! I began to write my thoughts, and it started getting long winded so I'll post it in the review section.

[KenHashibe]

I haven't seen Daggers 8 in a very long time, but I remember enjoying it quite a bit. I like your description of effortlessly watchable kung fu movies! That's a good way to describe my movie for tonight too!

I love effortlessly watchable kung fu movies! Crystal Fist is another one of my personal favorite rewatches. There are many other films too. They're not necessarily the best, but they're the first ones that I'll think of watching when I have nothing to do.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Definitely agree Daggers 8 has some of the most mouth watering fights ever filmed. Love the English dub on that one.

[KenHashibe]

Definitely agree Daggers 8 has some of the most mouth watering fights ever filmed. Love the English dub on that one.

Certainly a great film! I wouldn't consider the English dub "genuinely" good, but I'd definitely consider it one of the better ones. It's another one of those fun English dubs that I like for some reason. I can't really explain why I like some of the old dubs. I just do. I forgot to mention this, but I also like this movie's funky soundtrack.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

If you like it then it's good:smile:

[KenHashibe]

If you like it then it's good:smile:

Fair enough. There are certain movies that I like dubbed more than subbed, but that's rare. Films like Five Element Ninjas.

"What a waste to pick the flowers. Poor flowers."

[Morgoth Bauglir]

OK I kind of see your point now about a dub not being genuinely good but still enjoying it... The dub for 5EN is pretty bad but I love it. So many memorable lines.

"Don't worry I'll avenge your death."

"But I'm not dead yet."

[DrNgor]

Definitely agree Daggers 8 has some of the most mouth watering fights ever filmed. Love the English dub on that one.

I had the bad fortune to watch this when I was getting burned out on films following the "Seasonal formula" for kung fu comedies, so it didn't make much of an impact on me. Alan Chuí and Lily Li were wonderful, though.

[DragonClaws]

I had the bad fortune to watch this when I was getting burned out on films following the "Seasonal formula" for kung fu comedies, so it didn't make much of an impact on me. Alan Chuí and Lily Li were wonderful, though.

In my early twenties I got burned out a bit with the genre too. Some films I just didn't rate highly at that time. Only to re-watch them years later and enjoy them a lot more.

[Secret Executioner]

With everyone mentionning it, I watched 7 Steps Of Kung Fu as well.

My copy is on the Flying Fists Of Kung Fu 12-movie set. It began with a German card and the opening credits are cut, there's some tape damage early in the film and the movie briefly switches from English to Mandarin Chinese around the hour mark.

Nice film, the main character is likeable and delivers some funny comedy in the first third, while the last one has lots of nice action. The training scenes are pretty fun to watch and the white haired villain sets the bar really high for a great finale. Didn't catch the part with a guy doubling for a girl that paimeifist mentionned though.

Still another nice little film from a set that I like more and more each time I see one of the films on it.

Revisited this nice little 1979 film today. I liked the comedy early on and I enjoyed the performance by Ricky Cheng. It was funny realizing I spotted a few faces after so much Fu watching - spotted Lung Fei and Tommy Lee as members of the Five Hands Gang.

While I actually enjoyed most of the performances, the character that disappointed me the most was the main baddie, played by Chen Shan - he is barely in this movie, except for the last 10 or so minutes. I was revisting this for him as I realized it's pretty much the only film with him that I have, and I would have been into getting one of the 36 Styles shirts featuring him.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Tiger’s Claw (1974: Ng Tan)

Kung Fu Genius (1979: Wilson Tong)

This is an interesting duo of Hong Kong independent films to watch back-to-back. First because they both star Cliff Lok but there are several things to compare against. The older one is a basher and the second one is a shapes film. When I watched Tiger’s Claw I was wondering if this is the same Cliff Lok I had seen in other films as the fighting is very sloppy and he comes off looking like he has the fighting ability of Jimmy Wang Yu (this is not a compliment.) * But when you watch the later film Kung Fu Genius you notice that his abilities are there and intact. Lok can be a little sloppy with form but he can do a lot (usually only doubled for difficult moves.)

It is also interesting to see Lok being used as almost a clone of someone more popular in both movies. In Tiger’s Claw he seems like a Jimmy Wang Yu character (except for the ending which I do not think Wang Yu would allow at that point in his career) and in Kung Fu Genius you can easily tell the Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung influence (which you would also see in several other Cliff Lok movies.) Both are good examples of their time period and how fast the martial art movies was to change in Hong Kong. You have a serious morality play of the first film with a too cocky protagonist and you have a very silly comedy kung fu film with a too cocky protagonist in the later.

Tiger’s Claw has the more straightforward storyline. But it is somewhat unique because it is not based on a revenge plot, but it has more of a wuxia plot in a kung fu film of a martial artist (Cliff Lok) looking to be number one in a fighting world (really one of his own creation though.) He mows people down until he hears of a great martial artist named Tiger (Sek Kin: Enter the Dragon) who is imprisoned. What does he do, yes he gets himself jailed so he can break him out. Now there is a twist to the film as well as some moral didacticism. The ending reminded me of Samurai Assassin (kudos to who have seen this) as it went along though that conclusion was by far more grim.

Kung Fu Genius is literally about a very skilled martial arts practitioner (Cliff Lok) who is a kung fu genius and sets up his own school and proceeds to make enemies with his personality and looks (just looking at Lok makes me want to hit someone.) The difference here is that the plot is much more jumbled, the kung fu much better and comedy is added. I liked this one more because of the massive amount of fighting with a variety of real and made-up styles (already very common to do with kung fu comedies.) Some of the highlights include an iron ring (Hsiao Ho) versus long staff and fan vs. fan with the director and fight choreographer Wilson Tong. So, of course, I like this film more.

In Kung Fu Genius when you have a sidekick/student like Cheng Kang-yeh you pretty much know what is going to happen to him in the film. Like Dean Shek he is typecast and audiences expect a not-so-good martial artist as comic relief who is going to come to some type of bad end. However his descent into madness has to be one of the great “that’s all it took” moments. This is not a steady decline like King Lear but more reminds of the suicide of the lover in Milk which was hilariously capricious though based on a real-life incident. But that leads to a later meeting of two mentally challenged martial artists which is the nadir of the film. Of course it does make one wonder how good of a teacher could Cliff Lok’s character actually be (this scenario seems to come up a lot) when your student is that untalented.

Note: I saw the full screen version of Tiger’s Claw on the Brooklyn Zu Vol. 1 9 pack of films. It is full-screen and if you compare it to the widescreen prints available on youtube you notice about half the film is missing. It’s that bad and I easily recommend it watching on youtube. This would be a bigger crime if the film was better and the choreography had more to it. The Kung Fu Genius copy on the The Great Impersonators set release is widescreen and looks great (I had bought this set for this movie and what Morgoth had said about that film.)

* I am not the only one to state this. In The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s Dr. Reid states: “Though the fights are fast and furious, the kung fu looks sloppy, which is surprising for someone of Cliff Lok’s abilities.” Unfortunately the book does not have a capsule review for Kung Fu Genius which is by far the better film in terms of fighting choreography and should be of more interest to people here. Of course this is very reminiscent of bashers. You could mix a variety of people into the film, often with no martial art background, combine with a slapping type of fighting (not like Joe Calzaghe who would actually hurt someone with that style -- yes I was a big fan of his), put it in the Republic era of China and bam you have a movie.

Dr. Reid also notes a hilarious dubbing mistake in the film. I caught it as I kept wondering how that person could be his dad when it was only 10 years ago he was sent to prison. They later changed the time period to 20 years in the dubbing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlG3XPHwceQ: notice the aka Shaolin Tiger’s Claw. You will see some more scenes on this that are not in the full screen version.

[DrNgor]

Great stuff, Masterofoneinchpunch. I haven't seen the entire film, but the final fight for Roaring Lion with Cliff Lok and Shek Kin is a minor masterpiece for early 1970s choreography.