Guest Hermeskungfu Posted November 6, 2007 Share Posted November 6, 2007 Okay I know this is like comparing Cheese and Onion to Salt n' Vinegar crisps. Both are great when you are in the mood. But I was thinking about the top films I love and they are all period pieces - even if that period is only as far back as the say the 30's. Perhaps I can just treat a film better as a fantasy when it is set in the past ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Sifu Posted November 8, 2007 Member Share Posted November 8, 2007 I don't know whether this is what your looking for, but I tend to enjoy Period Kung Fu flicks much more so than modern. That's why I'm such a big Yuen Woo Ping and Shaw Bros. fan! I just like the adventurous, looser feel of period flicks! The way they just challenge and fight without boundary of rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hermeskungfu Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Thank you, that sums up my feeling exactly. I'm not a great lover of modern gun fu films, and period films ... well you said it so well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest silver hermit Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 as far as between 85-present period films haven't been as good as older period films. most are unwatchable to me. blade of fury was good so was fist of legend but not much else as far as period classic. if this was posted in the classic section i would go with period films, but since you posted your question here i'll have to go with modern. you can't deney the talent the GWG genre had but it still can't compare to the old school. saying that i would rather watch beauty investigator than hero among heroes. but thats just me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest will91XingYu Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 I would have said period, but with films like Ong Bak and all the modren day films from Sammo and Jackie in the 80's i'm not sure, i suppose period but only just! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Sifu Posted November 8, 2007 Member Share Posted November 8, 2007 I would have said period, but with films like Ong Bak and all the modren day films from Sammo and Jackie in the 80's i'm not sure, i suppose period but only just! What's interesting is that I've always thought about whether or not Jackie coming out with Police Story, which is one of the reasons the 80s turned to modern day Kung Fu films, was a good thing. I think it's one of th greatest of it's genre and was an amazing balance of comedy and action, but what would've happened if we'd stayed with the Shaw Bros. style of perdiod flicks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest will91XingYu Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 I guess it would have happened sooner or later, as the later day shaws were turning a bit more kickboxing style, like Young Vagabond i think is pretty much kickboxing, or did that come out after Police Story, but it's interesting what you said becuase i'm not sure, but i'm glad the modern days came along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Sifu Posted November 8, 2007 Member Share Posted November 8, 2007 I guess it would have happened sooner or later, as the later day shaws were turning a bit more kickboxing style, like Young Vagabond i think is pretty much kickboxing, or did that come out after Police Story, but it's interesting what you said becuase i'm not sure, but i'm glad the modern days came along. I'm not, we'll never see period flicks quite as good as the classics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest will91XingYu Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 The classics may never be made like that again which sucks, but it gave a chance for new styles to come through, and now finally hong kong action cinema is finally getting much better. It is sad that we'll never see anything like Prodigal Son or Drunken Master:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Sifu Posted November 8, 2007 Member Share Posted November 8, 2007 The classics may never be made like that again which sucks, but it gave a chance for new styles to come through, and now finally hong kong action cinema is finally getting much better. It is sad that we'll never see anything like Prodigal Son or Drunken Master:( I like more recent period films like Crouching Tiger, Fearless, and Hero. It's just that they feel to serious for some moods I'm in. That's why I also like Stephen Chow flicks, to tell you the truth, he's one of the only Directors to me who still makes old-style films. They may have state of the art effects, but they have that loose and funny feel of the old comedies of the 70s! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest will91XingYu Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 I agree about Stephen Chow his films are great because they capture the old style and his comedy is great! But i have to say i hate films like Hero and House of flying Daggers. While films like Falshpoint are very seriouse it's great to watch for me i love that style of coreography. Youv'e probably seen them but i find the Yeun comedies are a bit similar to Stephen Chows comedy but there's is way wierder, if you haven't seen Shaolin Drunkard or Drunken Dragon (it's got Chiang Sheng, Ko Fei and William Yen in it) you might like those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Sifu Posted November 9, 2007 Member Share Posted November 9, 2007 I agree about Stephen Chow his films are great because they capture the old style and his comedy is great! But i have to say i hate films like Hero and House of flying Daggers. While films like Falshpoint are very seriouse it's great to watch for me i love that style of coreography. Youv'e probably seen them but i find the Yeun comedies are a bit similar to Stephen Chows comedy but there's is way wierder, if you haven't seen Shaolin Drunkard or Drunken Dragon (it's got Chiang Sheng, Ko Fei and William Yen in it) you might like those. Yeah, I've seen both. I also have Drunken Dragon from those RARESCOPE releases, that was a little too weird but had some very impressive action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rederror Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Well i like both but the films i like best are the films like Knockabout, Drunken master, magnificent Butcher etc whenever that was set. The Kung Fu genre is crying out for films set in those times to make a return. We need some new old school!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest will91XingYu Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 I agree films like Knockabout and the Victim i love that coreography the most i think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Iron_Jinon Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 period was much better...I like of course todays too but you never see these days films made where 2 different styles opponents match.action looks more flashy and editing better but I guess there never comes time where you see someone skilled like ti lung with pole or fu sheng with tiger claw tearing opponents onscreen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Sifu Posted November 16, 2007 Member Share Posted November 16, 2007 I think the reason that Kung Fu films appeal to me is because of the kid in me, in other words the suits, old style weapons, no rules, and adventurous spirit oozes from the movies. It make them fun. Modern flicks don't have that, and in alot of ways more recent films like SPL and Flashpoint feel kind of pretentious to me! They take everything so seriously, so dramatic. I understand it's artistic, and that there's now a huge crowd for that. Even recent period films are like that (eg. Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Seven Swords). It's just not my cup of tea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Morgoth Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I don't care whether I am watching period or a modern. I like em both. Sometimes a 70's kung fu flick will be set in modern times and sometimes new movies will be a period piece. Doesn't matter to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Milkyway Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I myself prefer modern day because the choreography style (power, execution, flow, pace etc) is much more appealable to me. not much into old school (not familiar with traditional kung fu nor fascinates me) but I like some of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CrazyFrog Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 I think that modern martial art movies are suffering a lull right now, with some exceptions. There are no major studios dedicated to pumping out this style (kung fu or fighting art-specific) of action as it is a much more variable market right now for audience tastes (worldwide). Some modern 'classics' like Ong-Bak or the Bourne trilogy are not Hong Kong or mainland China films, although definitely influenced by them. Modern HK cinema is trying to catch up to a world cinema scene that started leaving them in the dust sometime in the 80's and 90's. Plus modern movies tend to gravitate towards modern themes and technology, which often de-emphasizes hand-to-hand combat and uses other framing devices, such as cop thrillers or espionage, to depict the story. Period pieces that some of you have mentioned are more 'pure' in the way that plot and action are unencumbered by modern day tropes. I think the resurgence of independent moviemakers will bring back an era of quality action/martial arts movies. And the magnitude of period piece kung-fu movies might have been the result of temporary Chinese nolstalgia for a portion of history in which they were truly on top of the world. Just a theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Sifu Posted November 16, 2007 Member Share Posted November 16, 2007 When you look at it, period classics like Shaw Bros. and classic Jackies/Bruces are doing better in american markets than recent flicks. IVL/Celestial is selling by the millions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Iron_Jinon Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 actually when gave more though I like period still more but modern has it`s sides...gun fu gives more variations into storyline than just destruction of shaolin temple or student discoverers new style to beat killers of his sifu...+sometimes it`s good fight about equal opponents ends in minute instead of 5 to 10 mins of "dancing" with henchman of main villain. burning ambition and dragon family are two modern films I rate very high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hkpyanfar Posted November 18, 2007 Share Posted November 18, 2007 Modern era films, like Supercop and the Moon Lee-Yukari Oshima team ups, got me hooked on the kung fu genre. And I think, in the coming years, SPL will be seen as a true classic of the genre. ...but my favorite setting for these movies is definitely Period. The exotic backgrounds and costumes take me away to a fantasy world where heros fly and women wield swords. The betrayals and the tangled romances add to the movie experience. And then they "dance for 5 or 10 minutes" when they fight! This is what I look forward to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Sifu Posted November 18, 2007 Member Share Posted November 18, 2007 When I'm in the mood, instead of going online to buy something from my Wishlist on HKFlix, I'll actually go to Suncoast just to see what period classics they have on sale or newly released from Dragon Dynasty. Or even something that Columbia/Tristar picked up and released low key, like they did with White Dragon! I never go in looking for modern-day flicks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member SimonMW Posted December 30, 2007 Member Share Posted December 30, 2007 What's interesting is that I've always thought about whether or not Jackie coming out with Police Story, which is one of the reasons the 80s turned to modern day Kung Fu films, was a good thing. I think it's one of th greatest of it's genre and was an amazing balance of comedy and action, but what would've happened if we'd stayed with the Shaw Bros. style of perdiod flicks! I'd argue that it was Sammo who made the transition with films like Carry On Pickpocket (a film with one of the most underrated end fights ever. It's just BRUTAL!) I think that it was a good thing that it happened. I love the old films. 70's style choreography, especially that seen in the latter part of the periods films such as Prodigal Son are much harder to perform than many modern styles. I doubt we'll ever see a film with that quality of precision and crispness ever again. I love Donnies new stuff, although I can foresee it becoming old if he keeps doing the new 'real' style. Mainly because 'real' doesn't afford as many opportunities for 'cool'. It's the utter OTT'ness of HK films that I love. When the 'new wave' style films came out in the 90's I absolutely hated the wirework and under-cranking with a passion. But I learnt to make a seperation and judge them in their old right. Ie start to compare Iron monkey with OUATIC rather than Police Story etc. Now I love iron Monkey, Fong Sai Yuk etc. I despised Blade of Fury when I first saw it. Now I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member rdenn Posted December 31, 2007 Member Share Posted December 31, 2007 i love my moderns but when it comes to trad i never get bored of them, i could watch victim now and still see moves in that end fight that i missed before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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