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

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Jumping Ash (1976) as per the recommendation of @Yakuza954  This was a nice bookend to revisiting The Heroin Busters this morning as it also features a dogged cop trying to thwart a Hong Kong drug ring, and too, corruption in his own precinct. It's a slow burner but very good and the brawling like kung fu is welcome when it shows up - why hello Chan Wai Man. 

 

Chan Wai Man's first turn as a killer, and holy crap he was menacingly on point. Such presence and sometimes quite unsettling.   His character's demise immediately brought flashbacks of Dario Argento's insanely nasty end for the Deep Red killer, though CWM's passing here was more implied not really shown. 

[DragonClaws]

Jumping Ash (1976) as per the recommendation of @Yakuza954  This was a nice bookend to revisiting The Heroin Busters this morning as it also features a dogged cop trying to thwart a Hong Kong drug ring, and too, corruption in his own precinct. It's a slow burner but very good and the brawling like kung fu is welcome when it shows up - why hello Chan Wai Man. 

 

Chan Wai Man's first turn as a killer, and holy crap he was menacingly on point. Such presence and sometimes quite unsettling.   His character's demise immediately brought flashbacks of Dario Argento's insanely nasty end for the Deep Red killer, though CWM's passing here was more implied not really shown. 

 

I prefer him playing a villain Lady Jin Szu Yi, never watched Jumping Ash or The Heroin Busters.

Edited October 25, 2015 by DragonClaws

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Yes, Dragon I also prefer Chan as a bad guy. 

 

CWM is definitely a villain in Jumping Ash (his first apparently.)  He did a good job here, I couldn't wait for him to start wasting people because he was that intense. That sounds so  wrong...but...it's true.  

 

The Heroin Busters is an Italian crime film which I still adore a dozen years after my first viewing. I don't know if that made director Enzo Castellari happy or worried when I told him how much I love that movie. 

 

and I just finished watching the Iron Triangle knife fest, The Duel, for the second time. I love David Chiang. 

Edited October 25, 2015 by Lady Jin Szu-Yi

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Dragonclaws thanks for the info.  I thought it looked like a VHS but the "remastered subtitles" through me off.  

 

I'll have to check Heroin Busters. Is it as good as Keoma? I've only seen Castelarri's westerns.  

[ShawAngela]

Is Jumping ash the movie directed by Josephine Siao Fong Fong, or am I mistaken ?

 

Glad to see another crazy fan of David Chiang here !!

[KenHashibe]

I rewatched Five Fighters From Shaolin yesterday and I think I loved it more than the first time I saw it. It's a really stupid movie, but, holy crap, it's so fun, exciting, and fast-paced! The 18-minute finale is extraordinary. Not a "great" movie per se, but it's still pretty amazing.

[paimeifist]

No Ken, 5 Fighters is a damn great movie. A beautiful story of brotherhood.

 

But really, I love 5 Fighters, haha.

[DrNgor]

No Ken, 5 Fighters is a damn great movie. A beautiful story of brotherhood.

 

But really, I love 5 Fighters, haha.

Yeah, it's great. Only a great film could introduce its heroes with five separate fight scenes, show their plights through five separate fights, have an interval for our heroes to train, and then have a finale consisting of five separate fight scenes.

[The Taiji Pirate]

Finally got a copy on Invincible Armor, that is most recently viewed classic. Great movie.

[KenHashibe]

No Ken, 5 Fighters is a damn great movie. A beautiful story of brotherhood.

 

But really, I love 5 Fighters, haha.

Yeah, it's great. Only a great film could introduce its heroes with five separate fight scenes, show their plights through five separate fights, have an interval for our heroes to train, and then have a finale consisting of five separate fight scenes.

Yeah, you're right. This movie is great. Any movie where the main villain spontaneously combusts is bound to be a masterpiece.

[paimeifist]

Lets not forget the opening where Jack Long does crazy voodoo s*** complete with sped up erratic hand movements. Also Doc, you fail to acknowledge the beauty of 5 strangers, who all start as enemies fighting among each other, only to become "brothers" banding together for a common cause.

 

Invincible Armor is also great, but in a more "normal" way, at least for kung fu movies..

Edited October 26, 2015 by paimeifist

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Is Jumping ash the movie directed by Josephine Siao Fong Fong, or am I mistaken ?

 

Glad to see another crazy fan of David Chiang here !!

Yes ShawAngela, she co-directed Jumping Ash.   And right here with you re: David Chiang.

 

Morgoth: Castellari's police / crime films swayed between being very realistic / brutal (The Big Racket) to lighter action packed films with a little drama (The Heroin Busters). They are completely different animals from his westerns, but some of the same slow motion and interesting stunt choreography is there. And fun characters too. 

Edited October 26, 2015 by Lady Jin Szu-Yi

[DrNgor]

Okay, I confused FIVE FIGHTERS FROM SHAOLIN with FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS.  Oops.

[paimeifist]

Okay, I confused FIVE FIGHTERS FROM SHAOLIN with FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS.  Oops.

Now I am confused... Are you sure, because your initial description actually fits both films!

 

Edit: Although I am sure Ken and my own comments make them easily separable, lul.

Edited October 26, 2015 by paimeifist

[DrNgor]

Good gosh! Really? I'll have to watch FIVE FIGHTERS FROM SHAOLIN now. I saw the end, which I remember something about Jack Long making Alan Chui's head explode.

[paimeifist]

I shit you not my good friend. Lol, I was only HALF joking about it being a "beautiful story of brotherhood"!

 

 

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I'm not really comfortable using the word beautiful but it is a pretty good story of brotherhood.  Have you guys seen Ninja Hunter?  Five Fighters is aka Ninja Hunter 2. It's not a sequel, but they are similar in a lot of ways.  Jack Long plays the main villain, Mark Long is his rival and plays the heroes teacher, and Chang Shan plays a good guy.  And both movies are completely cracked out.  In the category of crazy kung fu they rank near the top.  I think Five Fighters is the better movie, but it's a tough call.  What do you think?

Edited October 26, 2015 by Morgoth Bauglir

[paimeifist]

I haven't seen Ninja Hunter, but it sounds pretty darn awesome. 5 Fighters IS a surprisingly decent story of brotherhood.....all things considered.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

"Wait till I master the yin yang style, then we'll see what Shaolin's worth!" 

 

Yes Ninja Hunter is definitely darn awesome. 

[Morgoth Bauglir]

When Tae Kwon Do Strikes

Could this be the first "kicking" movie?

 

I haven't seen it in awhile , but I don't remember it being a kick fighting movie as much as something like Death Duel of Kung Fu and The Leg Fighters.  But if you are asking if it is the first movie where there is a lot of good kicking, then I would say it's possible.  But you may have to put Hapkido 1972 first.  There's a lot of kicking in Hapkido, but I don't know if it's a "kicking" movie.  Let me know what you think. 

Edited October 26, 2015 by Morgoth Bauglir

[kokuryuha]

The last classic that I recently watched has a sequel to it and I watched that one too.It's an instant classic and definitely one of the prolific director Joseph Kuo's best.The 18 Bronzemen part 1& 2. Starring Carter Wong,Tien Peng and the Vivacious and scrappy Polly Shang Kuan Ling Fong.

 

This movie features training sequences in the Shaolin mythos that created a heavy cult following because of the titular "Bronzemen" featured in the movie.Men wearing  armor and Men painted Bronze that tested both your skills and worth within the chambers of Shaolin temple.Never before seen and copied in movies afterwards was this new trend of training and opponents that you faced risking your life for freedom and mastery.

 

Carter Wong looks stern with a "baldie" but it suits his already serious countenance and he plays as an diligent but imposing monk.Tien Peng plays as his younger classmate but does not have his head shaved for reasons that I will not reveal for those who may be new to experience this great movie.Rest assured,his skills are good enough to become a person of interest and he's the token "pretty boy" which all kung-fu flicks seem to have.Polly Shang Kuan is her usual cross dressing self but still cute as hell and tough as nails.All three stand and deliver in this flick which should be seen at least once if it doesn't already have a place in your MA collection.

 

The 18 Bronzemen part 2 is the official sequel starring the same cast but in different roles and play on opposing sides.It should be noted however that the training sequences are more intense in this endeavor and the fighting more fierce.The best fight in the movie however is between Carter and Polly.I believe this is when I started to have a fondness and a bit of a crush on Polly (sigh?) Ahem! Anyways...You got two good movies for the price of one if you buy them from the right distributor and it's not often in asian cinema that you have a sequel that's equally good or better than it's predecessor. 

Kokuryuha's seal of approval...?

Edited October 26, 2015 by kokuryuha

[paimeifist]

 

I haven't seen it in awhile , but I don't remember it being a kick fighting movie as much as something like Death Duel of Kung Fu and The Leg Fighters.  But if you are asking if it is the first movie where there is a lot of good kicking, then I would say it's possible.  But you may have to put Hapkido 1972 first.  There's a lot of kicking in Hapkido, but I don't know if it's a "kicking" movie.  Let me know what you think. 

I'd agree that it isn't a kick fighting movie in the same way DDoKF or Leg Fighters are. I haven't seen Hapkido, but it sounds like it should go first as the prototype for kick movies!

[DragonClaws]

Dragonclaws thanks for the info.  I thought it looked like a VHS but the "remastered subtitles" through me off.  

 

I'll have to check Heroin Busters. Is it as good as Keoma? I've only seen Castelarri's westerns.  

No problem, I agree with your opinion of Ninja Hunter but I haven't watched the sequel yet. Jack Long's character is very over the top spending most of his time with the ladies in his cave from what I can remember?.

 

 

[ShawAngela]

Though I'm a crazy fan of Shan Kuan Ling Fung, I was disappointed by 18 bronzemen part 2 because from what I remember of what I saw years ago, the movie seemed to be cut and I didn't clearly understood her role in it and it seems to me that the movie ended in a strange way without letting us kow what happened to Polly...But as I said, I watched it years ago and maybe I did't get a uncut dvd...

[SeventhVenom]

I just finished up Golden Cane Warrior that I was sent for review. I actually quite enjoyed it. I know it has been receiving some mixed reviews overall, but it's a fun combination of the seriousness of Yimou Zhang and basic narrative structure of The Sword of Swords. Nothing all that original, but it's a fun and ambitious little wuxia flick. I comes with a recommendation for sure.

When I finish up my review tomorrow I'll post it in the forum for you folks.