Guest The Amazing Psychoper Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 I was wondering if anyone had seen this movie. Why is it that it's never mentionned as a Venom movie? Is it because it's largely unseen? Is it any good? The Amazing Psycho Per :evil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Its certainly a V-film but perhaps not mentioned as much as some of the others because it was one of those 5 rare Venoms that only the die-hards would have. Come August, this club will be no more as Celestial releases this one and Traps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member magicpoe Posted May 2, 2007 Member Share Posted May 2, 2007 Has anyone seen this movie? Yes. There are 2 versions out there apparrently. The version that I have is widescreen english dubbed but missing some footage at the beginning. How much footage you ask? I don't know but I would guess 5 to 10 minutes. The other version, that I've never seen, is fullscreen english dubbed and I don't know how much, if any, footage is missing. Why is it never mentioned as a Venoms movie? That would depend on who your talking to I'd say. In my opinion, it's as much of a Venoms movie as say Heaven and Hell. By that I mean the Venoms are in it but not the main stars as they are in Crippled Avengers, Five Venoms, etc. Is it because it's largely unseen? I would say by now most fans have a copy of one of the versions I wrote about above. I can tell you that I've traded the widescreen version I have with untold numbers of forum members here. Is it any good? It's in my top 10 of SB films so I think it's good. Why do I like it you ask? Nice plot twists and the action delivers. Others will probably have a differing opinion. But I've been looking forward to the release of this film, and House of Traps, for the last 5 years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 MP: Haven't watched my tape in a few years but is the one that starts out wide and then goes to full (or am I thinking of another film)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member magicpoe Posted May 2, 2007 Member Share Posted May 2, 2007 The widescreen copy I have stays wide the entire time. The Ground Zero version of Two Champions of Shaolin starts out wide in the credits but then you actually see it slowly zoom into fullscreen after the credits end. If someone who has the fullscreen version could comment on what footage is available in it and the condition that would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmungus Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 i wasnt too impressed with it but i will refrain from any verdict until i see the celestial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Stays wide? Hmm, now I'm intrigued. Will have to check out these tapes when I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BKarza Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Movie starts with Kuo Chui and Chiang Sheng. It starts wide but about 3/4ths through, there is a projector snafu during the gambling scene. After the image settles, Dick Wei has been done in, but that is not seen. At this time, the screen begins to fill out. It never goes completely FS. The print is very washed out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Brigadier Chow Posted May 2, 2007 Member Share Posted May 2, 2007 Yeah, it almost looks like a black and white film.8o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member magicpoe Posted May 2, 2007 Member Share Posted May 2, 2007 When I get home I'll post clips of the copy I have. Close to the end the picture gets rough, no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 I popped her in and now I remember why I haven't watched this in such a long time. What a WASHED OUT print this sucker is. Is that Lo Mang with them long locks? Is that Kara Hui? Whoa, that looks like it might be Johnny Wang. Man this stuff is soooooo bad that I'm lovin' it. Crank up the TV to max volume. Squint at the screen. Let your imagination fill in the blanks. Now, this is what watching kung fu is all about. 8o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member bobo Posted May 2, 2007 Member Share Posted May 2, 2007 i,m waiting for the dragondynasty english dub remastered version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 A few scans to get us through until August.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Feng Gang Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Wow nice screens. :smokin Here are a few of my crap screens... ...I had to fool with the brightness, color, and contrast, every few minutes for it to even be watchable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BleuVenom Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 It's been so long since I seen this film. But because of the quality of picture - it being almost black and white with a little colorization tossed in and then at times is washed out, I couldn't stand having to squint so much to figure out who's who. It's almost like I never really seen the movie at all. I know for a fact that I look forward to it and remembered that it was indeed pretty good. It has a very good story line, plot, twists and tone. It's more IMO like Five Venoms with more character study than fights. Don't get me wrong, there were fights just not lots of them. It is definately a Venoms movie with the styling of the Brave Archer movies thrown in. Lu, Kuo, Lo and Chiang plus Wang Lung Wei were in it. But the roster got better as I remember Li I Min, Dick Wei, Hui Ying Hung, Fu Sheng, Ku Feng and a host of other familiar faces. The tape I have has to be missing several minutes in that I saw no credits whatsoever. I'd venture a guess of atleast 5 or so minutes. Lo (with long hair and short bangs) was the first Venom to appear according to my copy. It began in widescreen with the b & W look for about a half an hour, then it begins to look washed out for several minutes then goes back. Almost an hour in, there's a scramble in the picture for several seconds then suddenly it's a fuller widescreen that gradually grows to the point of almost becoming fullscreen but doesn't quite. But it certainly started going washed out again for most of the end. I think this film deserves to join the rest of our collections. I believe it's a forgotten gem in that most people simply couldn't enjoy it like they truly wanted to so they may not have spoken so enthusiastically about it like the other ones. Most of us at the time who were seriously collecting any Venoms we could get our hands on, did so because it was so rare and was willing to take the gamble. It is also English dubbed. So that definately worked in our favor for those who couldn't appreciate it visually. I hope great care is taken to remaster it. I can not wait to snap this one up along with another one I've been waiting to enjoy for a long time: House Of Traps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member magicpoe Posted May 3, 2007 Member Share Posted May 3, 2007 www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdMM1KN9IEw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vengeanceofhumanlanterns Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Nice pics teako. I personally loved Life Gamble as beat up as my copy is and cannot wait till the remastered version is released by IVL. This movie just spills over with attitude. Typical VENOMS style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tosh Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Thanks for the pics, I haven't seen this one yet, can't wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Amazing Psychoper Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Teako, you mentionned 5 rare venoms movies. Beside Life gamble and House of traps what are the other 3? The Amazing Psycho Per :evil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Shaolin Patriot Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I don't see Sun Chien in any of the photos. It's been so long since I've seen the film. Is he in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Feng Gang Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 If I remember correct... no he's not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TheManInWhite Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Sun Chien is in House of Traps but not in Life Gamble. It does seem odd why he's not in that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BKarza Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Life Gamble was done around the time when Chang Cheh was using Fu Sheng to get the Venoms over. He was transitioning to the "new team". The early Brave Archer movies, Heaven and Hell, this and Chinatown Kid were around the same time. Li Yi Min was gone by '77-'78. Pre 5V, so that is one of the biggest indicators of when done. It also contains Robert Tai's camera and opera rhythmn cadence influences that he used at that time. Sun Chien was not seen until the Brave Archer stuff. The whole team wasn't even picked yet. Wei Pai came along for 5V. House of Traps was released in '82 along with the multi year shot, Ode to Gallantry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member magicpoe Posted May 4, 2007 Member Share Posted May 4, 2007 www.youtube.com/watch?v=o85OAL5P4Z4 I don't want to post to much because I don't want to spoil the movie so this will be all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CLFNole Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 What year did Life Gamble come out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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