Member peringaten Posted January 23, 2008 Member Share Posted January 23, 2008 So, Chang Cheh's '63 Shaw debut, The Butterfly Chalice; who's dealt with this?... My take; decent flick, looks sumptuous, bit stagey, but some nice outdoor settings and shots lift it. CC scripting/crafting a nicely deft-enough tale (quite impressive despite a couple of flights of disbelief needed towards relationship stakes in part) frequently unravelled through Huangmei opera styled ditties that fit pretty seamlessly into the whole... lilt the film along in a mesmerising enough manner to take as part and parcel. All fits; works in scheme. Nothing takes you out of the flick, or deeper in, etc., you think.. Besides script duties, nothing to really denote it as Chang Cheh's work either, makes you wonder how much he's coasting on co-director Yuan Chiu-Feng's coatails... drama/huangmei and early, so of course a lack of violence... despite an extremely brief, extremely crude ruck (30 seconds flailing or something) that gives the film it's chief story premise at the beginning. And then like a bolt from nowhere some 50 odd minutes in... And then it's gone... back to the '60s dramatic stagey Shaw/Huangmei acting stylings. But for that moment (Lo Lieh is only in the film for about two seconds on a boat before this scene; literally blink and miss, just turns up a bit proper here), you can see the upturn that was about to happen with the herald of Chang Cheh. Good flick, worth it for the curiosity factor, sure. Nothing else like that scene in it though... '63 and ready to unleash if only for a moment; as much as I was wondering which bits he directed prior, there's no doubt here, the man was ready for action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member greenfan Posted January 23, 2008 Member Share Posted January 23, 2008 Ahh the old boulder in the face move. Much under-used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tosh Posted January 24, 2008 Member Share Posted January 24, 2008 What are the more Huangmei operas like, is it more like a musical? Sweet clip, the boulder in the face was awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted September 30, 2015 Member Share Posted September 30, 2015 Another Shaw Brothers not known to me.Your thoughts on this please. GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShawAngela Posted September 30, 2015 Member Share Posted September 30, 2015 It's a Huangmei opera. I watched it a long while ago, but from what I remember, I had enjoyed it a lot. It all depends on what you like regarding movies genre and I'm unable to remember if there was a little bit of fights in it or not, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted September 30, 2015 Member Share Posted September 30, 2015 It's a Huangmei opera. I watched it a long while ago, but from what I remember, I had enjoyed it a lot. It all depends on what you like regarding movies genre and I'm unable to remember if there was a little bit of fights in it or not, sorry.Thanks.GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Stephe Posted October 10, 2015 Member Share Posted October 10, 2015 One of my favorite Chang Cheh films, believe it or not. Very good story, and there is a bloodyfight scene that was sort of a tryout for Tiger Boy. Cheh Cheh wrote six Huangmei operasfor Shaw Brothers, but this is the only one that he (co-)directed. The others are: The Amorous Lotus Pan (1963)The Female Prince (1964)The Mermaid (1965)Inside (the) Forbidden City (1965)The Perfumed Arrow (1966) For specifics on the above five films, visit http://changcheh.0catch.com/chchfilm.htm#wrote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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