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

[bearpower]

Just watch Cantonen Iron Kung Fu

Edited November 29, 2015 by bearpower

[panku]

The Handcuff (1979)  I don't how I found any faults with this the first time around, but seeing the copy Jamal made makes me want a wide screen print BAD. This is hands down, my favorite non-wuxia role of CWM's and the more I watch it, the more I find great little details (such as things an assassin would do. Katana down your pants so you look like you're limping - check. A David and Goliath way to discreetly kill a target - check. Sword cane, well of course, I mean, check.)

 

Chan Wai Man's Ah Keung (a.k.a. The Green Dragon)  wants to get out of the assassination business after a hit gone wrong turns many of his brothers against him. But not Ah Keung's god father whom Ah continues to work with until ... well I won't say. And there's the added complication of Ah Keung's childhood friend turned cop tracking the Green Dragon. Will these two clash? 

 

Some down and dirty fighting here, I love the fight between CWM and Lo Lieh. (SPOILER - if you haven't seen the film and don't want to know the outcome, don't watch this fight.) Chan does some insane stuff in this film including the notorious jumping off the high suspension bridge. He seems to really up his acting game too, but I knew he was good once I saw him play vulnerable in The Deadly Breaking Sword.   It's said that Chan had a part in writing this and was the action director (I can clearly see the latter and hats off if he wrote too. It's an excellent story.)

 

I would love it if Terracotta releases this in widescreen... I would buy several copies despite my all region player drama, because dang it this is a really great movie that holds your interest and ups the stakes just a little bit.

 

And those clothes! As much of a brilliant and wonderful fashion plate as David Chiang was back in the 1970s, good lord, CWM rocks bellbottoms like no one else. 

 

I love this film. Great story, very good acting, some particularly brutal fights and crazy stunts and CWM being a boss (sort of) all the way through.

---

 

 

Great film, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Wu Ma is one of my favorite directors, so, for me, a pairing with Chan Wai Man is gold!

[panku]

Definitely give Wooden Men a second watch, and a third.

Shaolin Wooden Men is a great film, it's my favorite of the Jackie / Lo Wei pairings, followed by Dragon Fist.

[DrNgor]

HAPKIDO (1972) - I had actually never seen this until now. I found to be solid and altogether satisfying companion piece to FIST OF FURY. The fights are especially good by 1972 standards, especially those with Angela Mao and Whang In Sik. Her fight with Pai Ying was a bit disappointing, as she had to use a trick to get the upper hand. Sammo was good and Carter Wong was solid, even if he wasn't an actual hapkido stylist. Look fast for Jackie Chan standing at the door in the big dojo fight and Lam Ching Ying as one of Leung Siu Lung's cronies during the marketplace sequence.

[DragonClaws]

HAPKIDO (1972) - I had actually never seen this until now. I found to be solid and altogether satisfying companion piece to FIST OF FURY. The fights are especially good by 1972 standards, especially those with Angela Mao and Whang In Sik. Her fight with Pai Ying was a bit disappointing, as she had to use a trick to get the upper hand. Sammo was good and Carter Wong was solid, even if he wasn't an actual hapkido stylist. Look fast for Jackie Chan standing at the door in the big dojo fight and Lam Ching Ying as one of Leung Siu Lung's cronies during the marketplace sequence.

 

Another favorite of mine, Angela Mao puts in a great performance in this one. Real life Hap Ki Do expert Ji Han Jae also appears in this film as a teacher. Bruce Lee filmed some footage with him for G.O.D and he also appears in the independent film Unicorn Fist. He was not the best on screen fighter but he was one of highest ranked Hap Ki Do instructors at the time and still is.

 

I think Jackie Chan also takes a fall off a high balcony in one fight too, unless I'm mixing it up with another early Golden Harvest film?. Seem to recall this being mentioned in the Chan documentary My Story.

Edited November 22, 2015 by DragonClaws

[weier78]

Musashi Miyamoto (1954)

 

 

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Black Society (1978) Triad fu-laced hijinks with Wilson Tong (who is action director too) and Chan Wai Man.  Tong and Chan start as  Triad brothers, but split apart before the end fight. Considering how great both of these men are with their legs, Tong's choreography is a slight letdown as I was expecting a far more vicious end fight. It gets a little dirty, but not as much as a match between these men would promise.   This is really Wilson's movie, as his character is more in the forefront. Fine by me, I just wish I knew what was going on (the copy I have was very light on English subtitles (about three or four lines of dialog translated every 20 minutes or so.)) Regardless, Chan looks swell rocking the mustache and lounging around like a boss (which I presume he is, since everyone answers to him) when he isn't busting people up. 

 

In spite of me being clueless to the storyline, I liked the film anyway. 

 

Spirits of Bruce Lee - nice, early CWM show with him as a good guy as he stands up to the town ruffians. 

 

and

 

Brave Archer 3 (1981)  Looks like my admiration for this series has fizzled again but there are some good performances and great fu involved. 

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Great film, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Wu Ma is one of my favorite directors, so, for me, a pairing with Chan Wai Man is gold!

The two films of theirs, I've seen, I agree.

 

I'm pretty new to Wu Ma's output (may he rest in peace), but as I love The Hand Cuff (1979) and really like The Heroes (1980)  I'd love proper copies of both (widescreen etc.)

[masterofoneinchpunch]

[on Hapkido]

I think Jackie Chan also takes a fall off a high balcony in one fight too, unless I'm mixing it up with another early Golden Harvest film?. Seem to recall this being mentioned in the Chan documentary My Story.

Just looked at my copy of My Story (about 12:48 into the English version) and you are correct.

Edited November 24, 2015 by masterofoneinchpunch

[DragonClaws]

Just looked at my copy of My Story (about 12:48 into the English version) and you are correct.

Thanks MOTOIP, they show the clip in slow motion in the documentary don't they?. In the film I'm sure its shown at normal speed making it harder to spot him.

[panku]

 

The two films of theirs, I've seen, I agree.

 

I'm pretty new to Wu Ma's output (may he rest in peace), but as I love The Hand Cuff (1979) and really like The Heroes (1980)  I'd love proper copies of both (widescreen etc.)

If you would like to check out some more of Wu Ma's films that he directed outside of Shaw Brothers I could recommend starting with any of these:
Deaf and Mute Heroine (1971)
Wits to Wits (1974)

The Manchu Boxer (1974)
Along Comes a Tiger (1977)
Snake Crane Secret (1978)

[masterofoneinchpunch]

If you would like to check out some more of Wu Ma's films that he directed outside of Shaw Brothers I could recommend starting with any of these:
... Along Comes a Tiger (1977)...

Have you heard the Rarescope commentary with Don Wong Tao?  Wong does not have that nice things to say about Wu Ma's direction.  Toby Russell leads the commentary.

[DrNgor]

I think he did a solid job with Shaolin Deadly Kicks and I've heard good things about Showdown at Cotton Mill.

[Tex Killer]

I've heard good things about Showdown at Cotton Mill.

showdown is great. I have not seen much chi kuan chun flicks which he made outside shaws but I should check them out, tan tao liang is bad(in positive meaning) in cotton mill. Unfortunately quality of rarescope disc is only fair, have seen lot worse tho but subtitles at times were hard to read. I believe there is better version floating around in torrent sites...

 

[ShaOW!linDude]

The Master Strikes (1980) --- Stars Casanova Wong, Eddie Ko Hung, and Tony Ching Siu-Tung (who also served as choreographer). Full of asinine comedy that you'll think never ends and a recycled plot. The best thing about the movie is Casanova Wong, who plays a guy who's been screwed over, bankrupted, and looses his mind. He isn't on screen a lot actually, but when he is, look out! The guy is a fantastic boot man, and the end fight is great. This movie is really only worth ff'ing to the fight scenes. A shame the script couldn't match those standard. 

[KenHashibe]

 

The Master Strikes (1980) --- Stars Casanova Wong, Eddie Ko Hung, and Tony Ching Siu-Tung (who also served as choreographer). Full of asinine comedy that you'll think never ends and a recycled plot. The best thing about the movie is Casanova Wong, who plays a guy who's been screwed over, bankrupted, and looses his mind. He isn't on screen a lot actually, but when he is, look out! The guy is a fantastic boot man, and the end fight is great. This movie is really only worth ff'ing to the fight scenes. A shame the script couldn't match those standard. 

I mostly agree, but I thought the comedy was too annoying for me to recommend it. The fights are phenomenal, but still, I've been having trouble trying to rewatch it. I'd be willing to revisit the fights any day though.

[Secret Executioner]

Since the youtube channel wutangcollection uploaded it recently, I wanted to watch The Thundering Mantis (HK, 1979). Couldn't make it past the opening titles, because that sequence was just too awesome (and because watching movies on youtube is really not my thing) - Beardy goes NUTS while practicing his Mantis Style, and the other characters seen in that sequence also seem pretty cool.

 

So I didn't watch the whole thing, but it has one of if not the greatest opening credits ever. And the theme song is really cool, I like that funky tune.   

[Tex Killer]

Thundering mantis is one of best oldskool flicks, end fight is amazing display of rage when beardy goes insane There is OK quality dvd release in germany, widescreen and english dub.

 

 

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

The Avenging Eagle and Broken Oath.  Always great to revisit. 

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

Shanghai 13 (1984) I needed the fun, comfort and bugnuts fights of this film to help deal with real life bs this week. It's like Linus' blue blanket for me (albeit with 2 of my 3 favorite fu people included.)

[Secret Executioner]

Shanghai 13 (1984) I needed the fun, comfort and bugnuts fights of this film to help deal with real life bs this week. It's like Linus' blue blanket for me (albeit with 2 of my 3 favorite fu people included.)

Have you been watching and/or reading some Peanuts lately, you blockhead ?!   

[Lady Jin Szu-Yi]

 

Have you been watching and/or reading some Peanuts lately, you blockhead ?!  

Why yes...yes I have...

 

 

 

You know you're a nerd when...

Edited November 29, 2015 by Lady Jin Szu-Yi

[Sheng]

MUSASHI MIYAMOTO (1954)

DUEL AT ICHIJOJI TEMPLE (1955)

DUEL AT GANRYU ISLAND (1956)

Watched Hiroshi Inagaki's entire Musashi Miyamoto saga over the weekend, the SAMURAI TRILOGY. These are still involving films, pre- wide screen but masterfully enacted, and interesting especially in regards to the then standardized style of swordfight choreo. In the Criterion disc liners Steven Prince uses the term "kosher" for the fight scenes, his way of  describing what are actually pretty bloodless and almost soundless fights with actors falling left, right and center without being visibly hit. Oftentimes they just fall into the frame, the death-blows presumably being administered off-screen. Nonetheless Inagaki’s direction of the duelling rituals and the sword posing inside wide angle frames is poetry in motion and especially the final bout at the beach at daybreak between Mifune and Tsuruta is ravishingly beautiful.

What begins to annoy more and more though, especially in the second and third instalment, is the slushy love story (forced on ya through an  overbearing score!) that Inagaki and his co-scripters wrote into the films - according to William Scott Wilson, historian and translator of the film’s subtitles, Otsu (Kaoru Yachigusa) and Akemi (Mariko Okada), the two femmes fighting for Musashi’s heart, never existed. It gets pretty embarrassing in the third act where the two distressed damsels scamper like headless hens through a village fight scene, spouting laughable (and in relation to what you saw on the screen until this point also grotesquely illogical) platitudes, with Akemi lashing out with an axe at Otsu first and then saving her life and sacrificing herself. Oh well, lest we forget, we’re in the 50’s…  

Still groundbreaking films though and Mifune in Technicolor is a sight to behold!

 

Edited December 2, 2015 by Sheng

[DragonClaws]

MUSASHI MIYAMOTO (1954)

DUEL AT ICHIJOJI TEMPLE (1955)

DUEL AT GANRYU ISLAND (1956)

Watched Hiroshi Inagaki's entire Musashi Miyamoto saga over the weekend, the SAMURAI TRILOGY. These are still involving films, pre- wide screen but masterfully enacted, and interesting especially in regards to the then standardized style of swordfight choreo. In the Criterion disc liners Steven Prince uses the term "kosher" for the fight scenes, his way of  describing what are actually pretty bloodless and almost soundless fights with actors falling left, right and center without being visibly hit. Oftentimes they just fall into the frame, the death-blows presumably being administered off-screen. Nonetheless Inagaki’s direction of the duelling rituals and the sword posing inside wide angle frames is poetry in motion and especially the final bout at the beach at daybreak between Mifune and Tsuruta is ravishingly beautiful.

What begins to annoy more and more though, especially in the second and third instalment, is the slushy love story (forced on ya through an  overbearing score!) that Inagaki and his co-scripters wrote into the films - according to William Scott Wilson, historian and translator of the film’s subtitles, Otsu (Kaoru Yachigusa) and Akemi (Mariko Okada), the two femmes fighting for Musashi’s heart, never existed. It gets pretty embarrassing in the third act where the two distressed damsels scamper like headless hens through a village fight scene, spouting laughable (and in relation to what you saw on the screen until this point also grotesquely illogical) platitudes, with Akemi lashing out with an axe at Otsu first and then saving her life and sacrificing herself. Oh well, lest we forget, we’re in the 50’s…  

Still groundbreaking films though and Mifune in Technicolor is a sight to behold!

 

You are right about the love story, it does distract and appear out place in these films. Picked up a  box set of these movies cheap and I had no knowledge of the films at all.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

MUSASHI MIYAMOTO (1954)

DUEL AT ICHIJOJI TEMPLE (1955)

DUEL AT GANRYU ISLAND (1956)

...

It has been awhile since I last saw these films (the OOP Criterion, so I should pick up the new Criterion at some point since the older ones are really just laserdisc transfers and were among the worst looking Criterion DVDs.)  I've seen them twice but they never quite stick with me as much as other Japanese films from the period from Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi or even Yasujiro Ozu. I remember being annoyed at love story (unfortunately my writing on the film is gone when a previous criterion site went out of existence).

If you have not read Musashi Miyamoto's The Book of Five Rings I do recommend it.