Member DragonClaws Posted December 27, 2021 Member Share Posted December 27, 2021 Quote The fact remains that the Shaw’s changed the business completely and what they achieved within the industry pathed the way for everyone that followed. They were the originators and that is why they deserve the most respect when any discussion on the history of Kung Fu happens. But, having said all that, I prefer the movies that were released under the Golden Harvest umbrella. A History of Kung Fu Part 3: Golden Harvest - by Neil Gray. Link- https://25yearslatersite.com/2021/02/12/a-history-of-kung-fu-part-3-golden-harvest/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden arm Posted January 13, 2022 Share Posted January 13, 2022 nice article. I too love GH flicks just wish more of their lesser known works were accessible in North America 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Django Posted February 3, 2022 Member Share Posted February 3, 2022 Interesting article, and I kind of agree with the opinions expressed in it. Shaw Brothers had more films simply because they were prioritizing quantity over quality. How I feel, with one good S.B title you get eight or nine so-so ones and once they had a hit they just cracked the shit out of that concept, like the Shaolin films or the Venoms, it's as if G.H would have made Fist of Fury with the same cast during different constellations 10 times.. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted February 3, 2022 Member Share Posted February 3, 2022 36 minutes ago, Django said: it's as if G.H would have made Fist of Fury with the same cast during different constellations 10 times.. Yeah, cuz it's not like they rode that Japan-bashing express till it ran out of steam with Lady Whirlwind, Hapkido, One Armed Boxer, None but the Brave, When Taekwondo Strikes, A Man Called Tiger, Seaman No. 7, Beach of the War Gods. Also Bruceploitation, 4 Mr. Vampire flicks plus spinoffs and copycats, 4 Police Story films, 4 Lucky Stars entries and so on. But yes, Shaws was a film factory and GH was like the cool, boutiqe studio, but I think that had GH enjoyed the same opportunities as Shaws, they would have cranked out as many films as SB. Of course they were formed by former disgruntled employees and had a different vision, but in the end it's all business. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Django Posted February 3, 2022 Member Share Posted February 3, 2022 1 hour ago, TibetanWhiteCrane said: Yeah, cuz it's not like they rode that Japan-bashing express till it ran out of steam with Lady Whirlwind, Hapkido, One Armed Boxer, None but the Brave, When Taekwondo Strikes, A Man Called Tiger, Seaman No. 7, Beach of the War Gods Those films are much more unique to them selves then The Venoms aren't they? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted February 3, 2022 Member Share Posted February 3, 2022 1 hour ago, Django said: Those films are much more unique to them selves then The Venoms aren't they? I'll grant you that GH perhaps had more variety in their filmography than certain aspects of Shaws with similar genres, but I don't know if the likes of Hapkido, When Taekwondo and None but the Brave are more unique from FOF or from each other than Five Venoms is from Daredevils or Shaolin Rescuers is from Sword Stained with Royal Blood. Often what makes the Shaw films feel so homogenized and blend together in ones' memory is that Shaw house style and look. Sometimes you can barely tell a 1975 SB movie from a 1982 one just on the surface. They were resistant to change and ran that formula into the ground. Though once you start to explore the various genres they had on offer, dig into different directors and starts to really appreciate and savor each movie on its own terms, you'll see that they were actually just as diverse, if not more, than GH. But if you only stick to the MA output, then yes, it can start to run together after you've watched more than 20-30 titles. Especially from the same time period. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Killer Meteor Posted February 5, 2022 Member Share Posted February 5, 2022 I feel Shaws sacrificed quantity over quality in many areas. GH would take the trouble to have Joseph Koo and Frankie Chan compose new music to go with the library cues, but even the large scale latter Shaws just have the same old De Wolfe cues layered all over. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted February 5, 2022 Member Share Posted February 5, 2022 31 minutes ago, Killer Meteor said: I feel Shaws sacrificed quantity over quality in many areas. GH would take the trouble to have Joseph Koo and Frankie Chan compose new music to go with the library cues, but even the large scale latter Shaws just have the same old De Wolfe cues layered all over. Not sure how much actual music Frankie composed, though I know he did some. But if anyone can point me to a piece he with a 100% certainty did all by himself, I will gladly take a listen. I love his score for Daggers 8 and often play it, but some bits seem strangely familiar so I'm never sure how much of it is actually him. Soundtracks and scores is probably the part about HK cinema that irks me the most. I just wish it had a grander tradition of original compositions to it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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