Moderator Asmo Posted October 4, 2011 Moderator Share Posted October 4, 2011 I am determined to find out what stopped the movie's production, also like to know why they changed the original English title-the Chinese characters still read Ng Long Baht Kwa Gwun-but I quite like the title Heroic Family. It's possible they changed the title, after Fu died as the film focused more on Lau Gar Fai, who was playing Yeung Ng Long. Combine that with his pole training scenes, and the elder monk saying something like 'you've matched your spear skills to the pole'. Hence Ng Long Baat Gwa Gwun - Fifth Brother's Eight Diagram Pole. The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter was probably easier to market as an English title. Though, I like Heroic Family too. That title would have made sense if they kept to the original plan of Fu filling Hui Ying Hung's role in the final fight etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Alexandra Posted November 14, 2011 Member Share Posted November 14, 2011 Though, I like Heroic Family too. That title would have made sense if they kept to the original plan of Fu filling Hui Ying Hung's role in the final fight etc. Agree, is the quid of the storyline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 This film desperately needs a detailed and well-researched audio commentary. I had no idea that filming started in 1981 and if wasn't for old movie mags no one else would either. If the filmmakers die the facts of these classics die with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member popsjnr Posted November 14, 2011 Member Share Posted November 14, 2011 I only found it by accident, of all the 10 or so copies Jude had, I just picked those 2 issues at random, to look at and got a big shock when I saw the shots of Eight Diagram. Of course many Shaws were filmed simultaneously, especially those with the more or less the same cast/crew etc, you only have to look at the awesome Citizen Shaw docu to see that, though Pops was still directing Return to 36th Chamber (1980), there are some scenes from Martial Club (1981) already being edited. My only question is what stopped the filming, even though I doubt the movie could be improved, it's always been my no1, by Fu Sheng battling alongside Santa instead of Auntie, as it was Pops's original ending I would have liked to see it. If I get the opportunity to meet Pops in 2013 (fingers and toes crossed) I will find out!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member RogueWarrior Posted November 15, 2011 Member Share Posted November 15, 2011 Fu Sheng battling alongside Santa! ho ho ho! San Te RANKS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member BaronK Posted November 15, 2011 Member Share Posted November 15, 2011 What is a pops and a santa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Fist Of Boss Posted November 16, 2011 Member Share Posted November 16, 2011 Did any1 else notice gordon liu character caused lau kar leung characters bucket kicking:crossedlips:?Movie is great but only hui ying hung and lily li`s characters are sympathic..hell, even wang lung wei is more OK than gordon liu or let alone fu sheng:xd: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Alexandra Posted December 2, 2011 Member Share Posted December 2, 2011 hell, even wang lung wei is more OK than gordon liu or let alone fu sheng:xd: Whoaaa! Good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted December 2, 2011 Administrator Share Posted December 2, 2011 What is a pops and a santa? "Pops" is a commonly used nickname for Lau Kar-Leung (Liu Chia-Liang), and indicates that he's a bit of a father figure amongst the kung fu crew. "Santa" is a nickname for Gordon Liu (Lau Kar-Fai, Liu Chia-Hui), and comes from him playing the Monk San-te in the film 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN (perhaps his most famous role until KILL BILL brought him to a new mainstream generation). Did any1 else notice gordon liu character caused lau kar leung characters bucket kicking:crossedlips:?Movie is great but only hui ying hung and lily li`s characters are sympathic..hell, even wang lung wei is more OK than gordon liu or let alone fu sheng:xd: Gordon's character was an impetuous young warrior, fueled by ego, rage, and his soldier's mindset. Due to his emotion-driven actions the trapper/former General had to sacrifice himself to save the foolish youth. This was another significant event in the reshaping of the character's personality and priorities. One that eventually took him down a more righteous and less self-centered path as he attempted to save his sister. It's easy to look on from the sidelines and say "This guy is a selfish jerk", but who among us has had to watch all of our brothers and our father come to violently bloody ends at the hands of a two-faced traitor? These circumstances would be sufficient (I would venture to guess) to drive most people to (at the very least) some extreme behavior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Xample Posted December 4, 2011 Member Share Posted December 4, 2011 8 Diagram Pole Fighter has been, in my estimation, the best kung fu movie ever made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted January 7, 2012 Member Share Posted January 7, 2012 After years of hype, I've finally seen this film. Here are my thoughts... During the first 30 minutes, I have to say I was a little worried. Over the top acting (basically just a lot of yelling) and unintentional humor abounded in the first third of this film. I've got nothing but respect for Alexander Fu Sheng, but his performance was just not good here. It wasn't his fault, sometimes good actors need good directors to tone them down a bit. I know someone will ask, "do you know what it's like to have your family murdered in front of you by someone you trusted?" No I don't, but if something like that did happen to me, I would probably become very internal, not external like Fu Sheng did, swinging his spear around at his remaining family (!) when he came home. I could only imagine how awesome that scene would have been if it was made today with a modern director. It's still good, but it could have been great. Also, I understand the whole legend about how heroes die standing up, but when so many people do it in the same scene, it almost becomes parody. Just my opinion. Fortunately, everything changed for me once Gordon Liu arrived at the temple. Just look at his tear-filled eyes as he shaves his head. WOW. THIS is acting. Of course all his acting in the second half was probably fueled by Fu Sheng's tragic death, making every moment that much more powerful. The whole rest of the movie packed a huge emotional punch, hitting all the right notes. Perfect ending too. Though I thought it was weird that the monks had to bring the Wolf dummy with them to the hotel. I wonder if there was any point when they were rolling that thing from the temple to the hotel where someone asked, 'Is this really gonna be worth it?' and a reply, 'Of course! We have to make a great entrance!' Anyway, I liked this film a lot. I was judging it on a pretty high bar since everyone calls it a masterpiece. I think it mostly lives up to the masterpiece hype, the first 30 minutes were just a little underwhelming for me. Also, a masterpiece should at least tie up loose ends....was the captured brother rescued??? Oh well. I have a question for you all. I understand this is a prequel to 14 Amazons. I was wondering, how is 14A? Do the two movies flow well despite the time difference in the production? How many years later does 14A take place and are there any returning characters? Also, is the FUNimation release unwatchable? I've heard bad things about it. Thanks for any info you can provide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Asmo Posted January 7, 2012 Moderator Share Posted January 7, 2012 Anyway, I liked this film a lot. I was judging it on a pretty high bar since everyone calls it a masterpiece. I think it mostly lives up to the masterpiece hype, the first 30 minutes were just a little underwhelming for me. Also, a masterpiece should at least tie up loose ends....was the captured brother rescued??? Oh well. In the source story (not sure about the history) he marries a Liao princess. No idea beyond that though. Here's a bit of background on the folk tales: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Jia_Jiang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted January 7, 2012 Administrator Share Posted January 7, 2012 After years of hype, I've finally seen this film. Here are my thoughts... During the first 30 minutes, I have to say I was a little worried. Over the top acting (basically just a lot of yelling) and unintentional humor abounded in the first third of this film. I've got nothing but respect for Alexander Fu Sheng, but his performance was just not good here. It wasn't his fault, sometimes good actors need good directors to tone them down a bit. I know someone will ask, "do you know what it's like to have your family murdered in front of you by someone you trusted?" No I don't, but if something like that did happen to me, I would probably become very internal, not external like Fu Sheng did, swinging his spear around at his remaining family (!) when he came home. I could only imagine how awesome that scene would have been if it was made today with a modern director. It's still good, but it could have been great. Hey Bro, glad to hear your thoughts on this. When I first saw the film I definitely was turned off by Fu Sheng's role. It was also especially grating to me in the dubbed version (which is how I watched the film for 20 odd years before IVL released their subbed DVD). I thought his performance was way over the top and annoying. After a while it grew on me though, and there are some absolutely amazing moments in there. The look on his face when he is sitting (spear perched across shoulder) looking at the death tablets speaks volumes! When I decided to finally do a piece of art based on the film i knew that I HAD to include that image of him. Over all, I agree and would have peferred that this whole thing was handled differently. I remember raving about this film and lending it to a friend. When he gave it back I asked him if he loved it. He said "I only watched about 20 minutes of it. It was boring. There was no decent kung fu, and that guy kept screaming and acting like an ass!". I assured him that he needed to watch the rest. He called later "Holy shit dude! That was unfreakinbelievable!!!!!!! They should have cut the first half hour out. Without that, it's a masterpiece!". Also, I understand the whole legend about how heroes die standing up, but when so many people do it in the same scene, it almost becomes parody. Just my opinion. it. LOL I hear ya. I was turned off by the whole stagey/theaterish quality of this scene at first. But after a few viewings I came to love it. I can see what you mean though. Fortunately, everything changed for me once Gordon Liu arrived at the temple. Just look at his tear-filled eyes as he shaves his head. WOW. THIS is acting. Of course all his acting in the second half was probably fueled by Fu Sheng's tragic death, making every moment that much more powerful. The whole rest of the movie packed a huge emotional punch, hitting all the right notes. Perfect ending too. Couldn't agree more. After countless viewings of the film, I still feel my emotions get all stirred up during many scenes. When he cries in front of Buddha in the temple... I get the chills. Though I thought it was weird that the monks had to bring the Wolf dummy with them to the hotel. I wonder if there was any point when they were rolling that thing from the temple to the hotel where someone asked, 'Is this really gonna be worth it?' and a reply, 'Of course! We have to make a great entrance!' Hillarious! I have a question for you all. I understand this is a prequel to 14 Amazons. I was wondering, how is 14A? Do the two movies flow well despite the time difference in the production? How many years later does 14A take place and are there any returning characters? Also, is the FUNimation release unwatchable? I've heard bad things about it. Thanks for any info you can provide. I wouldn't really call it a "prequel"... though the events in EDPF do precede those depicted in 14A. No, they don't really flow together at all. Their styles couldn't be further from one another. Still, I found 14A to be a very entertaining film, and was interested in finding out what the Yang family ladies were up to after the events of EDPF. I can't recall the time span that supposed to have occured between the two stories. As for the DVDs- I watched the IVL when it came out. I bought the Funmation version hoping it would have an scene uncut that was trimmed in the IVL version. It didn't. But I simply skipped to that scene to check. I never watched the Funmation one. Looked okay though based on that scene. Hey, a little side note: Sammo's film SHE SHOOTS STRAIGHT is a modern day version of the tale of the Yang family women. Cool film with amazing action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted January 7, 2012 Member Share Posted January 7, 2012 Hey Bro, glad to hear your thoughts on this. When I first saw the film I definitely was turned off by Fu Sheng's role. It was also especially grating to me in the dubbed version (which is how I watched the film for 20 odd years before IVL released their subbed DVD). I thought his performance was way over the top and annoying. After a while it grew on me though, and there are some absolutely amazing moments in there. The look on his face when he is sitting (spear perched across shoulder) looking at the death tablets speaks volumes! Yeah, that moment you mention was actually good. His last filmed moment was also good, when the monk visited them and mentioned his brother. It looked like he was starting to turn the corner in that scene and I thought it was his best moment. I am so glad they finished that scene before his tragic death. I wouldn't really call it a "prequel"... though the events in EDPF do precede those depicted in 14A. No, they don't really flow together at all. Their styles couldn't be further from one another. Still, I found 14A to be a very entertaining film, and was interested in finding out what the Yang family ladies were up to after the events of EDPF. I can't recall the time span that supposed to have occured between the two stories. Hey, a little side note: Sammo's film SHE SHOOTS STRAIGHT is a modern day version of the tale of the Yang family women. Cool film with amazing action. Good info, thanks. I'll try to check this out some time. Also, I never realized this about the very good SHE SHOOTS STRAIGHT. Very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Dragon Posted January 7, 2012 Member Share Posted January 7, 2012 What is a pops and a santa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted January 7, 2012 Member Share Posted January 7, 2012 In the source story (not sure about the history) he marries a Liao princess. No idea beyond that though. Here's a bit of background on the folk tales: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Jia_Jiang Wow, after reading all that, now I'm very interested in 14 Amazons. What a rich epic story. Has anyone seen the new Legendary Amazons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Alexandra Posted May 15, 2012 Member Share Posted May 15, 2012 Wow, after reading all that, now I'm very interested in 14 Amazons. What a rich epic story. Has anyone seen the new Legendary Amazons? Saving General Yang (2012) is the recent revival of this epic story. Directed by Ronnie Yu and starred by Adam Cheng. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member popsjnr Posted May 15, 2012 Member Share Posted May 15, 2012 Just watched a behind the scenes preview of Saving General Yang, looks pretty good too, the fights look much better than Legendary Amazons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member waywardsage Posted May 16, 2012 Member Share Posted May 16, 2012 I almost watched 8 Diagram tonight. But I find myself sliding back into a Samurai film phase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member waywardsage Posted May 19, 2012 Member Share Posted May 19, 2012 Okay, I finally got around to watching it! Amazing fight scenes! I think the story of the film sorta wandered around a bit. It also never truly resolved the Yang families plight! Gordon Liu's character sort of just wanders off at the end for no reason. Again, prove's my theory that most Shaw's don't have very complete endings. So often they just decide to not wrap things up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted May 19, 2012 Member Share Posted May 19, 2012 Okay, I finally got around to watching it! Amazing fight scenes! I think the story of the film sorta wandered around a bit. It also never truly resolved the Yang families plight! Gordon Liu's character sort of just wanders off at the end for no reason. Again, prove's my theory that most Shaw's don't have very complete endings. So often they just decide to not wrap things up. I actually didn't mind the ending. First of all, they couldn't wrap up Fu Sheng's arc, cause he was gone. And if I have my Yang history correct, I think that was exactly what happened to Liu's character. He was a devoted monk, so he couldn't go home. But he broke his code, so he couldn't go back to the temple. There wasn't much else to show, sadly. Except maybe showing the captured brother's fate. Apparently in the stories, he marries a Liao princess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member popsjnr Posted May 23, 2012 Member Share Posted May 23, 2012 Fifth brother must have arrived at another Temple later, just so his pole technique passed into the training regimen to end up being taught to Hung Hei Goon si-jo by Gee Sim. No one has ever wondered how his pole art got from Wu Tai San to Shaolin if he finalised it as he left the temple (as shown in the movie)?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Alexandra Posted May 25, 2012 Member Share Posted May 25, 2012 No one has ever wondered how his pole art got from Wu Tai San to Shaolin if he finalised it as he left the temple (as shown in the movie)?? It is the "magic" of cinema world... and show always Gordon Liu in the same rôle once again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Alexandra Posted October 6, 2012 Member Share Posted October 6, 2012 How many storyline writers the movie had? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.