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

[Lone Wolf]

Ive noticed Dragon Claws gets a lot of negative comments but I just cant recall much about the film. When M.I.A released this & Born Invincible I rented them both out one weekend. I need to re-watch these two at some point.

You would think that would be one of your favorites due to your screen name ...but I guess dragon claws themselves are pretty bad ass!

[the moose]

Had to re watch the invincible armor from 1977 yesterday. Hwang Jang-Lee was a total bad ass in that film...but when isn't he.

This is my favourite Old Skool movie ever that was not produced by shaws or golden harvest. The only let down is that Hwangs trademark kicking was not on display. But I guess the director felt that had all been done before with the secret rivals movies.

[Lone Wolf]

This is my favourite Old Skool movie ever that was not produced by shaws or golden harvest. The only let down is that Hwangs trademark kicking was not on display. But I guess the director felt that had all been done before with the secret rivals movies.

Funny you mention Secret Rivals since I just re watched that one today. You're 100% right about the kicking show that was put by hwang jang lee, don wong and john liu. I like the fighting scenes a lot in that film but something is missing for me....I don't know what it is. Perhaps I feel that there was a lack of character development...I really can't put my finger on it.

[Secret Executioner]

Super Dragon (AKA Shaolin Super Dragon) (Taiwan, 1982)

More in the appropriate thread: http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23720&page=2

[DragonClaws]

You would think that would be one of your favorites due to your screen name ...but I guess dragon claws themselves are pretty bad ass!

lol I an see why people might think that. The user names I picked first had already been taken. There's also a Marvel comic of the same name. I just went through various film titles until i found one that hadn't been used already.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Yeah I know how a bad copy of a film will affect my opinion about it. If you look at my sig you can find an awesome copy of Dragon's Claws there. I enjoyed the movie myself!

Yeah Dragon's Claws is the shit. Better than Fearless Duo IMO.

[Secret Executioner]

Beach Of The War Gods (HK, 1973)

The trailer didn't lie: it's a huge one. Starting out the way a Western would (a lonely stranger drops in a town with wind blowing and dust flying), it quickly cuts to action when Japanese drop in and the stranger battles them and make the remaining few run away. He later goes to recruit experts to train the population and so they can fight the Japanese on the nearby beach.

While the plot of Chinese resistance against Japanese oppressors may seem done to death, this film has a twist in that it's not just a bunch of MA-trained fighters that we see, but entire armies. And being a Wang Yu flick, we get our lot of colorful characters: a guy fighting with a pair of short spears, another one who uses a pair of shields (Captain China ?) and a knife-throwing mercenary who looks like some of those mexican dudes in Spaghetti Westerns for the good guys, a bunch of guys wearing strange masks beating drums during the battles in the Japanese army.

I couldn't believe that LITERALLY half the film was a giant battle in the little town, but it happened and it was very well-executed. The various weapons and some techniques (Reflecting technique, really ?!), the costumes and the planning of the battle are nice and creative, and the gore is pretty nice though a bit gruesome at time.

The only nitpick I'd have is that the sound seems of average - if not bad at times - quality on the Jimmy Wang Yu Collection set. Not sure if it's an issue with the copy or the film itself, but the sound seemed low and distorted at points, especially in some outdoors scenes.

[paimeifist]

I love Beach of the War Gods as well. I agree with everything you said about it. One thing I'd like to add though, I think the finale of this movie is a good example of how to make a fight exciting without great choreography..

Good use of setting, and Jimmy Wang Yu and Lung Fei are SUPER intense.

[Ramji]

Yeah, I enjoyed this one, too.

It also gave us Hwang Jang Lee using the F-Bomb: "Those f***ing students..." and one of my favorite dubbed lines: "I shall teach you a kung fu punch, using your fists."

Yeah you're right! Classic lines!

It's not bad for a low budget Asso-Asia production. The dubbings pretty funny from what I can recall. This was the first Korean film I saw and I liked the style of choreography on display.

I've got a few of them that I haven't watched for years but might have to after this one. Magnificent Natural Fists, The Dragon, The Hero, Mission for the Dragon, maybe some others lurking at the bottom somewhere haha...

[DrNgor]

I love Beach of the War Gods as well. I agree with everything you said about it. One thing I'd like to add though, I think the finale of this movie is a good example of how to make a fight exciting without great choreography..

Good use of setting, and Jimmy Wang Yu and Lung Fei are SUPER intense.

I REALLY need to see this. Perhaps this month, now that I've gotten my Roundtable Reviews out of the way.

[Killer Meteor]

Beach Of The War Gods (HK, 1973)

The only nitpick I'd have is that the sound seems of average - if not bad at times - quality on the Jimmy Wang Yu Collection set. Not sure if it's an issue with the copy or the film itself, but the sound seemed low and distorted at points, especially in some outdoors scenes.

I think a fair few of the old Golden Harvest titles were subjected to massive noice reduction when those transfers were made (and I think they are fairly old), hence the boxy audio.

[Hasimir Fenring]

Currently watching John Woo's heroic bloodshed precursor, Last Hurrah For Chivalry, featuring Damian Lau, Lee Hoi San and a post-Venoms Wei Pai.

[Secret Executioner]

I think a fair few of the old Golden Harvest titles were subjected to massive noice reduction when those transfers were made (and I think they are fairly old), hence the boxy audio.

Oh, I see. Too bad, kinda ruins the movie.

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Take a look at a 1960 Japanese film by Nobuo Nakagawa naked Jigoku (on Criterion.) The hell scenes in that movie look like an influence on Heaven and Hell.

Thank you for the tip. I enjoy seeing Chinese/Asian mythology in films so I will see if its available for rent.

Odd Couple - I love this movie. The humor is just right, the weapons work is drool worthy and Lau Kar Wing and Sammo Hung are fantastic as the old masters (I would have loved a sequel with those two characters. They are just so much fun.)

And the Jackal? I love him. My favorite Leung Kar Yan villain. He sold me on Halberds. I still cannot believe the man had no formal training. I also felt his comedic moments here are on point. Sammo really taught the man well.

My only quibbles was the scene in the wine bar with the fellow whose limbs were all broken (that bit of comedy was forced) and some of the night shots are really dark.

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Ninja in the Deadly Trap. Well, yay! Lu survived. The more Venoms material I watch, the more I am fascinated by Lu Feng. I enjoy watching him act as much as fight/flip/kill...

Hats off to Philip for wearing so many hats in this...I was able to call all the Ninjas though (I suppose that was the point no?)

[DrNgor]

Ninja in the Deadly Trap. Well, yay! Lu survived. The more Venoms material I watch, the more I am fascinated by Lu Feng. I enjoy watching him act as much as fight/flip/kill...

Hats off to Philip for wearing so many hats in this...I was able to call all the Ninjas though (I suppose that was the point no?)

This sort of has a special place in my life, since it was the third old school kung fu movie I saw that didn't star Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee. It was lent to me by my friend Bobbe, a Laotian kid who my French teacher in high school had sit next to me. She told me that if he gave me any problems, she'd move him. We became close friends instead. He lent me Ninja vs. the Shaolin Guard; The Samurai (a Taiwanese wuxia film) and this all at once. I'll never forget that.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Thank you for the tip. I enjoy seeing Chinese/Asian mythology in films so I will see if its available for rent.

Odd Couple - I love this movie. The humor is just right, the weapons work is drool worthy and Lau Kar Wing and Sammo Hung are fantastic as the old masters (I would have loved a sequel with those two characters. They are just so much fun.)

And the Jackal? I love him. My favorite Leung Kar Yan villain. He sold me on Halberds. I still cannot believe the man had no formal training. I also felt his comedic moments here are on point. Sammo really taught the man well.

My only quibbles was the scene in the wine bar with the fellow whose limbs were all broken (that bit of comedy was forced) and some of the night shots are really dark.

I believe it [Jigoku] is also on Hulu as well since most of Criterion is on there. It is quite violent considering the year it came out in Japan (later it would not be considered so violent .)

Sammo has stated and I agree with him is that one of the reasons Leung Kar-yan could play so many different styles well because he was athletic and yet not mired into one style while growing up. He was more flexible in his approach because of this kind of like an empty pail waiting to be filled.

Fun film and one of Lau Kar-wing's better ones of the five or six I have seen of his.

[Shaolivevil]

Ninja in the Deadly Trap. Well, yay! Lu survived. The more Venoms material I watch, the more I am fascinated by Lu Feng. I enjoy watching him act as much as fight/flip/kill...

Hats off to Philip for wearing so many hats in this...I was able to call all the Ninjas though (I suppose that was the point no?)

Another movie I fondly remember my dad renting on VHS back in the late 80's. This badly needs a proper release in widescreen with English subtitles to go along with the dub...

[Secret Executioner]

18 Swirling Riders (Taiwan, 1980) - or 18 Shaolin Riders, a 1977 movie (according to the Kickin' It Shaolin Style set I watched this from)

OMG, that was BAD. Dragged like crazy (the trailer promised an endless climax and it is indeed endless - in that you think it will never fucking end), confused as hell (the awkward editing that seems to skip bits or replay some all the time doesn't help - but I assume the copy used on the set was just very crappy) and it's completely unentertaining with uninteresting characters (you're not even sure who you're supposed to root for anyway), lackluster action... Hell, I nearly fell asleep and it runs only 75 minutes.

Lo Lieh is in this, not sure what he's doing here - but his character isn't that great and only has a couple of scenes. For sure he isn't even a reason to watch this.

Easily the worst film from the Kickin' It Shaolin Style set, and far worse than anything I've seen on the Flying Fists one.

[paimeifist]

Lol, GHW you must have missed my thoughts on this movie in this very same thread. This movie is straight boring garbage. Lo Lieh jst speaks at a metting table for like 35 seconds if I remember properly, lol.

I actually think its the worst classic kung fu movie I have ever seen.. Usually even the bad ones are entertaining in one way or another.

[Secret Executioner]

Lol, GHW you must have missed my thoughts on this movie in this very same thread. This movie is straight boring garbage. Lo Lieh jst speaks at a metting table for like 35 seconds if I remember properly, lol.

I actually think its the worst classic kung fu movie I have ever seen.. Usually even the bad ones are entertaining in one way or another.

Yeah, I knew someone had mentionned it in a bad way, but I didn't expect something that awful.

Lo Lieh also has a fight towards the end, though it's nothing to write home about.

[DragonClaws]

Yeah, I knew someone had mentionned it in a bad way, but I didn't expect something that awful.

Lo Lieh also has a fight towards the end, though it's nothing to write home about.

18 Swirling Riders sounds as bad as Tiger Love & Kung Fu Arts.

[DrNgor]

18 Swirling Riders sounds as bad as Tiger Love & Kung Fu Arts.

I challenge you all to watch Kung Fu Rebels.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Kung Fu Rebels is fun. 18 Riders is a bore but the last couple scenes are exciting.

[QueMuchita]

I don't think I've seen Kung Fu Rebels, does it go by a different name?