What is the most recent Shaw Brothers film you've seen?

[morpheus]

The Bloody Escape (1975)

The film opens in the bed of a covered truck on what appears to be a delivery of migrants who have  paid the “ferryman” for a passage to Da Town. A nervous passenger asks if the broken down truck is able to make the distance, to which the driver replies in a reassuring voice to not worry as his only concern is to not transport wanted criminals -specifically Gu Hui -a member of the Wolf Head Gang.  Unbeknownst to anyone, Gu Hui (Chen Kuan Tai) is silently aboard the transport as fellow riders speak openly about him in his presence.  Raised by thieves, Gu has recently gone AWOL; some believe that he stole a large sum of valuables, as well as a favorite woman from the gang’s chief. Talk among the passengers continues as we are informed of the 5,000 dollar reward for Gu’s capture.  As the two-toned credits flash on the screen, we see Gu on foot, being chased no doubt by 5 horse riders from his former group.

The slow-mo scene of Gu is dissolved, positioning the viewer in a flashback at the Wolf Head Gang HQ where Mr. Jin (Wong Ching) visits and issues a challenge to gang leader Du Dian Qiang (Wu Chi Chin).  Instead of the chief, however, Gu Hui is pegged to fight the challenger. The match is quite even as both fighter’s skills are on par with each other.  After some exhaustion, Chief Du decides the fight is now his and replaces Gu Hui; much to the chagrin of the latter.  A fresh Du Dian Qiang manages to slow Jin, bringing the battle to the ground.  Seeing the chief in trouble, 4th Master (Kong Do) strikes the challenger with a sharp rock to the back then repeatedly to the abdomen till death.  Gu meanwhile is insufferable to the unfairness of the fight and is rewarded with a challenge from the insecure, narcissist of a leader.

As the scene briefly flashes to Gu on the truck, we are made aware of the circumstances of his traitorous act -namely the changes in the gang codes that  Du Dian Qiang has made since the passing of  the former leader -his respected father.  Power, greed and intimidation are now the primary concerns of the Wolf Head Gang.  While Chief Du has the support of most members, Gu Hui appears to present a possible obstacle.

The final straw comes on an assignment to rob a caravan of traveling commoners.  Gang rules are that no one is killed and only one-half the money taken.  These former rules are now null and void by Chief Du as an old man is brutally killed for no other reason than claiming to head the caravan.  Realizing the Wolf Head Gang will no longer respect the principles of  their founding leader, Gu Hui refuses to participate in the group’s exploits.  Meanwhile the succeeding group of wealthy travelers produce a young, pretty treasure in Tang Li (Shih Szu) at the priceless disposal of her elderly parents.  Seeing Tang as a future “toy” for Du Dian Qiang’, Gu Hui releases her from bondage and both manage to escape the filthy grasp of the gang members.  A steep price is paid for the chivalrous act, in the form of a 5,000 dollar bounty. As Gu attempts to blend in with the people in Da Town, he is taken in by Old Zhong (Tang Chi Ching) a former bandit turned shoemaker. It is here that Gu learns a trade and begins to understand right from wrong.  However, as his life begins anew, Gu is spotted by a member of his former gang who in turn kills Old Zhong for interfering.  With both the police and the Wolf Head Gang on his trail, Gu Hui must now look inward to truly gain his freedom.

In a world that often lenses the immoral behaviors of people, The Bloody Escape attempts to set boundaries between right and wrong.  And while upbringing and personal experience play a factor in the development of morality, there exists no excuse for its absence.  A bandit is a bandit, a thief is a thief.  Robin Hood is as guilty as Bernie Madoff. Whether a vault at a bank is heisted, or an office is relieved of a paper towel roll, both are wrong and considered theft.  The film serves not only the consequences of the offender, but also the chain effect it has on succeeding victims.  As Gu Hui becomes entangled in a personal war against his old gang, he is forced to look inward and understand the wrong he has done, and learns that making a living requires hard work.  Taking what does not belong -however small- is preying upon the efforts and accomplishments of others. The personal struggles he faces represents a “war” that everyone endures; be it lying, theft, self-centeredness, or materialism, there exists a weakness in all of us.  And the only way to stop this is to face the problem head on; running away will only allow it to chase. 

Many key elements, facets, plots, and themes of The Bloody Escape will be echoed in Avenging Eagle (1978) some three years later.  Sun Chung shares directorial credit with Chang Cheh in this feature.  I often wonder if Avenging Eagle was the feature that The Bloody Escape was supposed to be in the mind of Sun Chung.  The 84 minute run time is rather abbreviated. However, this reel manages to allocate sufficient time to allow for: reflection, thought, and a call to action while never losing focus on the central story.  Hung Pei-Chi and Lau Kar Wing had a field day choreographing Chen Kuan Tai’s fight scenes -many of which are shot outdoors rather than on a set.  Wu Chi Chin, Kong Do, Chan Shen and Li Min Lang were great casting choices for a neurotic quartet. Look for cameos by Fung Hak On, Bruce Tong Yim Chaan and (the often seen with Chen Kuan Tai) Cheng Kang Yeh. The Bloody Escape is a gem of a film and one of my favorites featuring Chen Kuan Tai.

Summer is ending, it's back to work in a week. This will be my last film entry for the season.....I could not end this with Murder Plot.

 

Edited August 7 by morpheus

[ChillyChong]

14 amazons.

In short, head of Yang clan is killed by mongols and he must be avenged.

Budget must have been massive, movie plays almost 2 hours and cast is huge. Most of important wu xia stars from early 70s are featured except ku feng, david chiang, ti lung and cheng pei pei and some others..strangely Lily Ho plays role of surviving Yang male. She may not be the most femine of Shaw Starlets but still not convincing as boy. It starts bit slow but there will be loads of action ahead. Excellent movie, for some reason it was just 2nd viewing for me.

[Whoishe]

On 7/23/2024 at 6:39 PM, ChillyChong said:

14 amazons.

In short, head of Yang clan is killed by mongols and he must be avenged.

Budget must have been massive, movie plays almost 2 hours and cast is huge. Most of important wu xia stars from early 70s are featured except ku feng, david chiang, ti lung and cheng pei pei and some others..strangely Lily Ho plays role of surviving Yang male. She may not be the most femine of Shaw Starlets but still not convincing as boy. It starts bit slow but there will be loads of action ahead. Excellent movie, for some reason it was just 2nd viewing for me.

 

I don't know the reasoning for it, but the 1981 Drama "Female Yang Generals" also had an actress (Fung Bo Bo - https://baike.baidu.hk/item/馮寶寶/6721028) playing the Yang Wenkuan, the same role Lili Ho performed in the above movie.

Edited August 2 by Whoishe

[nectarsis]

 

1st Shaw watched in a LOOOONG time....wifeys hyped this up for its brutality for years

 

[ChillyChong]

^masterpiece.

 

Sentimental Swordsman. Last of those discs I plan to get rid of to make way for Shawscope3 and it was really good one. Typical Chu Yuan elements are featured like great sets, poison, lots characters etc...cast is impressive with Ti Lung, Li Ching, Derek Yee. I am not really liking usually of Fan Mai San, characters he often plays are too loud and arrogant but here his role is good one as servant of Ti Lung. I started to like movie in first minute, snowy locations are rare in Shaws. should not wait years before view sequels. Sentimental is not quite up to Jade Tiger or Magic Blade but rare are. Really recommendable it however is

[ShawAngela]

42 minutes ago, ChillyChong said:

Last of those discs I plan to get rid of to make way for Shawscope3

I also had plan to get rid of some of my IVL discs because of the recent Shaws' bluray releases, but I think that I'll keep the most important ones to me, because they have Mandarin language, while some of the blurays don't have, and because of the bonuses there are in the IVL discs that aren't in the blurays. Maybe it's stupid, but I have a kind of reluctance to get rid of these IVL dvds...

[ChillyChong]

23 hours ago, ShawAngela said:

I also had plan to get rid of some of my IVL discs because of the recent Shaws' bluray releases, but I think that I'll keep the most important ones to me, because they have Mandarin language, while some of the blurays don't have, and because of the bonuses there are in the IVL discs that aren't in the blurays. Maybe it's stupid, but I have a kind of reluctance to get rid of these IVL dvds...

I got rid of most which were released BR by Arrow/Koch/88 but saved some. Rebel Intruders, Magnificent Ruffians, Masked Avengers at least likely some more. Used at first to keep all IVLs but soon found out I have no reason to keep them. They were just eating shelfspace. Not even do  much good as a decorations as you know they don`t have original poster art in cover sleeves unlike many thai United discs do. Sort of glad don`t have region free br player would have been too much hassle with various Shout! releases to start terminating dvds from collection. Task would not be glad to do, there is too many movies which were hard to get back then.

[ChillyChong]

Great movie about evil Crimson Charm gang and heroes who fight them. No Lo Lieh, Yueh Hua or Cheng Pei Pei around which is rare for swordplay movie of this era but Shih Szu, Ivy Ling Po and Chang Yi do well. 

[Chu Liu Hsiang]

I enjoyed every single minute.

 

[PandaPawPaw]

Opium and the Kung Fu Master (1984) - "A Kung Fu master finds out that an opium den is destroying the lives of the town he lives in, and vows to put an end to the den, but first he must try to defeat the strongest enemy he has ever faced: his addiction to the drug itself."

I thoroughly enjoyed this and loved the story of the opium not just being a throwaway aspect of the movie and actually showing how it takes over and destroys peoples lives. Usually you'd expect to see the MC be immune to it but nope, not here! Even he gets hooked which I found really refreshing.

The fights were great and I love Ti Lung who was awesome in this! I was really surprised when -

Spoiler

The character Lo Kwa-sei died and the same goes for the girl! I found those deaths pretty sad!

So when Ti Lung gets revenge it's really satisfying! I thought it was really nicely filmed and it was cool seeing a more modern SB movie.

Also seeing Chen Kuan-tai in a villainess role was cool as the movies I've seen him in, he's played good guys.

[ChillyChong]

Great Shaw brothers taiwan production is about coal mine, bad blood between two brothers and there is other players too in the game. And Shih Szu. Action is plenty and well done. Dare to say it rivals and even beats some SB HK bashers

[Hasimir Fenring]

Lady is the Boss. Sadly a lesser Lau Kar-leung/Kara Hui collaboration. The big end battle is great, but too much of the rest is weak comedy. My Young Auntie is a better watch.

[PandaPawPaw]

Shaolin Prince (1983) - "Two princes are seperated by birth; one is raised by the Prime Minister, the other by three mad Shaolin Monks. They both learn kung-fu. 23 years later, they meet and combine forces to defeat the tyrannical 9th Prince."

I enjoyed this and again Ti Lung is awesome as are some of the other actors who I am not familiar with. Cool fights and the story was good. One scene near the end which made me laugh was when the bad guy has his head smashed into his body. It looked rather comical!

[ChillyChong]

Vengeance!

Ti Lung is opera performer and he has to die because someone wants his lady. Trap is success on a scene with bit similar to end of boxer from shantung. Action briefly loops to moments to stage plays he recalls at dying moments before curtain is closed.after that it is david chiang to have vengeance. 

It is not often when can say movie is perfect but vengeance! Is. Crime drama with martial arts I tried years ago to find is there any flaw, just even one little thing I don't like. Nope

[ChillyChong]

To kill a mastermind

There is rat or mole in 8 leaders among of criminal clan and some false accusations and kills occur before truth is revealed.

Imo movie is masterpiece. Not biggest stars around but action is good and at times even great.has imo bit similar feel to masked avengers.fights are inferior but rare can rival venoms and wang lung wei gets a solid lead role.88 br highly recommended.

[Killer Meteor]

TO KILL A MASTERMIND (1979)

A Shaw Brothers film that wasn't part of the original Celestial DVD releases back in the day, this wu xia mystery feels at times like Sun Chung's attempt to cash in on FIVE VENOMS, with masked characters and a bunch of leading men plucked from the stuntmen ranks (though only Yuen Wah had much of a career afterwards, and here he wears an alarmingly phallic baldcap!) The plot isn't much, but the production design is very impressive (far better than the increasingly stagebound Chang Cheh movies) and the action intricate and exhilirating. Wang Lung-wei is probably at his career best here.

7/10

[Chu Liu Hsiang]

FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS. Not among my fave Shaw movies but I like it a bit more every time I watch it.

[Hasimir Fenring]

Legendary Weapons of China. Currently on my fourth viewing in a row, listening to all the commentary tracks on the Blu-ray. Will officially be legendary weaponsed out after this. Absolutely magnificent film though. I seem to recall Fu Sheng choosing to do the comedic spot in a film rather than the lead role he was offered, and I believe it was this film. If it is, I think he made the right choice, basically making a splash (literally at one point) in the middle of the film.

 

Man, what could have been. Like Brandon Lee, gone at 28.

[morpheus]

Shaolin Temple (1976)

Nestled within a mountain range in Henan Province lies the Shaolin Temple.  Built in 495 AD, this monastery became a leading center for Buddhist studies as well as the development and refinement of Kung Fu.  The temple received much support and enjoyed a period of growth in both architecture and stature over the next eight and a half centuries until the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.  It was during this era of discord that Shaolin faced its first real threat.  Left unprotected and often viewed as a governing obstacle, the Shaolin Temple would periodically face attacks and forced shutdowns until 2007 when the Chinese government would at long last recognize the redeeming values it promotes in education and humane culture. In 2010 it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The feature opens abruptly with a group of apprentice monks practicing forms in the temple courtyard. Familiar faces grace the front row including a bald Lo Mang, and the reluctant Venom -Wei Pai. Untranslated characters quickly scroll upward in the foreground amidst a backdrop of buddhist statues that grace the walls of the interior temple.  As the night closes in, we are informed of three men -Fong Sai Yuk (Fu Sheng), Hu Hui Chen (Chi Kuan Chun), and Hung Xi Kuan (Wai Wong)- who have thus far unsuccessfully gained acceptance into the Shaolin Temple and await at the entrance for a fifth day.  The discussion among the elders revolves around a dilemma: while the rule is to not teach outsiders, the art and practice of kung fu must reach beyond the temple walls to stay alive.  The group decides to wait upon the decision of the Great Master (Goo Man Chung) who is in a separate, meditative chamber from fellow female monk - Wu Mei.  Fearing a loss of the Shaolin martial arts through government intimidation, Great Master decides to admit the three young men awaiting entrance -amidst a bit of opposition from Master Hei Xin (Shan Mao). Each of the students is given different daily tasks based on their abilities, focus, and discipline.

In a separate but intertwining story, a group of soldiers sent to the Shaolin Temple by Lord Zhen Cheng Gong in hopes of restoring the Ming Dynasty, wash ashore.  Kai DeZhong (Ti Lung), Hu Dedi (David Chiang); Li Se Kai (Yueh Hua), Fang Da Hung (Wong Chung), Ma Kao Xin (Tony Lau Wing) and Ma Fu Yi (Wang Lung Wei) manage to reach the shoreline from an escape, row boat. They immediately gain entrance to the temple, much to the annoyance of others awaiting acceptance. Eventually, amidst a test of food and drink offerings from the temple monks, three additional members are admitted for their endurance and dedication: Huang Song Han (Li Yi Min), Lin Guang Yao (Kuo Chui), and Zhu Dao (Bruce Tong Yim Chaan).  The training is long, arduous, almost senseless at times; and unbeknownst to the prospects, shall form a base skill that proves vital to the particular style of martial arts each will be taught. 

As the film develops, we are shown the progress and applied skills that each newcomer was taught as well as personal conflicts and secret alliances -all while the Manchu soldiers slowly encroach the Shaolin Temple.

Aside from the personal clashes inside the temple walls, the storyline of the Shaolin Temple is simple.  To some degree, it attempts to interweave a bit of history and drama, while at the same time acknowledging that the film is simply an embellishment.  Chang Cheh does not spend much time on character development -no doubt due to a  combination of reel time and the number of stars given screen time.  As a result, we are left with a film cast of heavy extras that are either Pro-Shaolin or Pro-Manchu.  Much like Invincible Shaolin which would follow in 1978, Shaolin Temple has well-spent efforts on fight choreography.  However, it is the training routines the pupils endure that make this film special.  From metal leg plates to stirring congee; and stoking fires to turning book pages, Shaolin Temple manages to inject some needed creativity into what would normally be a cyclic routine. By no means a boring two hours, this Chang Cheh entry  is well-paced, well thought out, and performs admirably for an “epic” martial arts film.  Keep an eye out for Chiang Sheng and Lu Feng who also make appearances -rounding out the entire Venom Mob. 

Edited October 9 by morpheus

[ChillyChong]

Would benefit if someone else than Wong Yu as lead perhaps but he is not bad at all here. And Chen Kuan Tai is cool as almost always. Impressive sets and action, somewhat  underrated Sun Chung movie.