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1990s Period Films - Inspirations


DrNgor

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There were almost 100 period pieces (kung fu and wuxia) made from 1990 to 1997. The general rule seemed to be that the film had to be a) based on a Chinese folk hero; b) based on a novel (usually Gu Long or Jin Yong); and/or a remake of a Shaw Brothers movie (or previously adapted by the Shaw Brothers). Here's a list of movies from that era with their inspirations. Can you all help me fill in the blanks (or make corrections), as needed?

Film Year Folk Hero Based on a Novel? Shaw Brothers remake
Swordsman  1990   Jin Yong The Proud Youth
Legend of the Drunken Tiger 1991      
Once Upon a Time in China 1991 Wong Fei-Hung    
Deadend of Besiegers 1992      
Handsome Siblings 1992   Gu Long Proud Twins
Justice, My Foot! 1992      
King of Beggars 1992 Beggar So    
Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung 1992 Wong Fei-Hung    
New Dragon Inn 1992     (Dragon Inn)
Once Upon a Time in China 2 1992 Wong Fei-Hung    
Operation Scorpio 1992      
Royal Tramp 1992   Jin Yong Tales of a Eunuch
Royal Tramp 2 1992   Jin Yong Tales of a Eunuch
Swordsman 2 1992   Jin Yong The Proud Youth
Swordswoman in White 1992      
The Moon Warriors 1992      
13 Cold-Blooded Eagles 1993     The Avenging Eagle
A Warrior's Tragedy 1993   Gu Long Pursuit of Vengeance
All Men are Brothers: Blood of the Leopard 1993   (Water Margin) All Men are Brothers
Blade of Fury 1993 Big Blade Wang Wu   Iron Bodyguard
Butterfly and Sword 1993   Gu Long Killer Clans
Clans of Intrigue 1993   Gu Long Clans of Intrigue
Eagle Shooting Heroes 1993   Jin Yong Brave Archer films
Flirting Scholar 1993      
Flying Dagger 1993 Li Bai    
Fong Sai Yuk 1993 Fong Sai Yuk    
Fong Sai Yuk II 1993 Fong Sai Yuk    
Heroes Among Heroes 1993 Wong Fei-Hung, Beggar So    
Holy Weapon 1993      
Iron Monkey 1993 Wong Kei-Ying, Wong Fei-Hung    
Kickboxer 1993 Ghostfoot 7    
Kung Fu Cult Master 1993 Zhang Sanfeng Jin Yong Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, Part 1
Last Hero in China 1993 Wong Fei-Hung    
Legend of the Liquid Sword 1993      
Magic Sword 1993      
Ninja in Ancient China 1993      
Once Upon a Time in China 3 1993 Wong Fei-Hung    
Once Upon a Time in China 4 1993 Wong Fei-Hung    
One-Armed Hero 1993 Iron Bridge Sam    
Rendez-vous of Japanese Kanto 1993      
Sam the Iron Bridge 1993 Iron Bridge Sam    
Slave of the Sword 1993     Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan
Sword of Many Loves 1993   Jin Yong New Tales of Flying Fox
Sword Stained with Royal Blood 1993   Jin Yong Sword Stained with Royal Blood
Tale of a Heroine 1993      
The Assassin 1993      
The Bare-Footed Kid 1993     Disciples of Shaolin
The Bride with White Hair 1993     (Wolf Devil Woman)
The Bride with White Hair 2 1993      
The East is Red 1993   Jin Yong The Proud Youth
The Mad Monk 1993      
The Magic Crane 1993      
The South Shaolin Master II 1993      
The Tai Chi Master 1993 Zhang Sanfeng    
White Lotus Cult 1993 Iron Bridge Sam    
Burning Paradise 1994 Hung Hey-Kwun, Fong Sai Yuk    
Deadful Melody 1994      
Drunken Master 2 1994 Wong Fei-Hung    
Drunken Master 3 1994 Wong Fei-Hung    
Fire Dragon 1994      
Fist of Legend 1994     (Fist of Fury)
King of the Sea 1994 Cheung Bo-Chi   The Pirate
Kung Fu Scholar 1994      
Master of Zen 1994 Bodidharma    
New Legend of Shaolin 1994 Hung Hey-Kwun    
Once Upon a Time in China 5 1994 Wong Fei-Hung    
Shaolin Avengers 1994 Hung Hey-Kwun, Fong Sai Yuk    
Three Swordsmen 1994      
What Price Survival 1994     One-Armed Swordsman
Wing Chun 1994 Yim Wing-Chun    
A Chinese Odyssey Part 1: Pandora's Box 1995   (Jouney to the West)  
A Chinese Odyssey Part 2: Cinderella 1995   (Jouney to the West)  
Little Hero on the Run 1995      
The Blade 1995     One-Armed Swordsman
Hero of Swallow 1996 Li San    
Tai Chi 2 1996      
Once Upon a Time in China and America 1997 Wong Fei-Hung    

 

Dragon Maidens                                          1994                                                   Jin Yong                     (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils)

Edited by DrNgor
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Iron_Leopard

Don't think I can help but just wanted to say thank you for posting this list. I can use this as a checklist of what I've seen and still need to see.

Edit: What about "The Three Swordsman" & "The Maidens of Heavenly Mountain"?

Edited by Iron_Leopard
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36 minutes ago, Iron_Leopard said:

Edit: What about "The Three Swordsman" & "The Maidens of Heavenly Mountain"?

The former was already on the list. I added the latter right now. Thanks!

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Fait of legend : folk hero Chen Zhen, Isn't it ?

 

Flying Dagger : folk hero : swordsman Li Bai (ATV series Poetic sword Li Pai, other series, Legend of Dagger Li)

Clans of intrigue and Butterfly sword come both from a novel (if I'm not mistaken) called Meteor Butterfly Sword, and I don' t remember the author.

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7 minutes ago, ShawAngela said:

Clans of intrigue and Butterfly sword come both from a novel (if I'm not mistaken) called Meteor Butterfly Sword, and I don' t remember the author.

Actually, I believe it was Killer Clans, not Clans of Intrigue

Chen Zhen is an odd case. I don't think he was a real person; I think he was a composite of a couple of students of Huo Yuanjia. But he's basically become a folk hero in the past 50 years. Almost like this generation's equivalent to Fong Sai-Yuk or something similar.

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25 minutes ago, DrNgor said:

Actually, I believe it was Killer Clans, not Clans of Intrigue

Chen Zhen is an odd case. I don't think he was a real person; I think he was a composite of a couple of students of Huo Yuanjia. But he's basically become a folk hero in the past 50 years. Almost like this generation's equivalent to Fong Sai-Yuk or something similar.

Sorry for the mistake, you are right. Clans of intrigue might be some aventures if Chu Liu Xiang, then.

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Chu Liu Hsiang

King Hu's PAINTED SKIN (1993) and CHINESE GHOST STORY III (1991) are based on stories from Pu Songling's 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'. 

DEADFUL MELODY is based on a novel by Ni Kuang. 

THE MAGIC CRANE is based on a novel by Wolong Sheng. 

GREEN SNAKE (1993) is based on the novel by Lillian Lee, who also co-wrote the script together with Tsui Hark (a lot of her novels were adapted into movies, for example, 'Rouge' and 'Farewell my Concubine').

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