Member massa_yoda Posted February 20, 2012 Member Share Posted February 20, 2012 Something about ROAS I never liked, could be the watered down story (in comparison to the original) or that the choreography and pacing seem's to be caught in between an old and new style of cinematography?? I always preferred NOAS as it totally embraces a quicker more flowing style of combat. Or maybe its just that David Chaing Ti Lung thing that made all the difference?! Though its strange to prefer a disconnected sequel over an original, NOAS works for me due to its somber story (like the original) but better action! Also, Ku Feng and those irons was Badazz!! Yes, this is very true. Especially about the David Chaing/Ti Lung combo. I think Return is my least favorite, but that's not saying it's bad, just least good. Cheh did some things in the original that I really liked, and sometimes simpler is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member popsjnr Posted February 20, 2012 Member Share Posted February 20, 2012 Watched Sword Stained with Royal Blood again today, that movie just gets better with every watch...think it's moving into the number 2 spot in my favourite Shaws...when Chu Ko splits the spear...heavy duty weaponsplay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Rascue Posted February 21, 2012 Member Share Posted February 21, 2012 Just watched 'The Boxer From Shantung' for the first time (United - Thai DVD) Holy Hannah! That last 10 minutes was some of the most brutal and goriest fighting I've seen yet in a Shaw Brothers movie! Damn good film though..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted February 21, 2012 Administrator Share Posted February 21, 2012 Just watched 'The Boxer From Shantung' for the first time (United - Thai DVD) Holy Hannah! That last 10 minutes was some of the most brutal and goriest fighting I've seen yet in a Shaw Brothers movie! Damn good film though..... Welcome. Yup, good one! If you want to see crazy-ass bloody finales, check out VENGEANCE, KILLER CONSTABLE, MASKED AVENGERS, and DELIGHTFUL FOREST. DF literally has blood splatering all over the walls! Great Ti Lung movie too. One of my favorites of his. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Rascue Posted February 21, 2012 Member Share Posted February 21, 2012 Welcome. Yup, good one! If you want to see crazy-ass bloody finales, check out VENGEANCE, KILLER CONSTABLE, MASKED AVENGERS, and DELIGHTFUL FOREST. DF literally has blood splatering all over the walls! Great Ti Lung movie too. One of my favorites of his. Cheers for the tips. Just making my way slowly through the Shaw universe so any tips / recommendations are duly noted.... Already had my mind blown watching 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin', 'The Magnificent Trio', 'Crippled Avengers' & 'Return To The 36th Chamber' all for the first time over the last couple of weeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Dragon Posted February 21, 2012 Member Share Posted February 21, 2012 Well I can assure you, just getting wind of the Shaws' Universe? You'll have no mind left-prepare for it to be blown... gone forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member nectarsis Posted February 21, 2012 Member Share Posted February 21, 2012 Just finished Demon of the Lute. I was a bit let down...what bits I saw of it may have over-hyped it in my mind (frankly it's no Holy Flame of the Martial World). Still a fun flick, with some great scenes...def worth checking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member toraRTC Posted February 22, 2012 Member Share Posted February 22, 2012 Watched Gang Master (1982) yesterday on the train, and it's one of the best kung fu movies I've ever seen. The plot is great, the acting is splendid, there are a lot of twists and the ending is very surprising. And the fights are FLAWLESS! If you haven't seen it, watch it immediately. I was almost feeling like I had seen all of the great Shaw Brothers movies until tonight. Based off of your post here, I watched Gang Master tonight and wow. You weren't kidding, the fights in this film are great, the story is very engaging, and the characters are very interesting. Thank you for recommending this film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted February 22, 2012 Administrator Share Posted February 22, 2012 Cheers for the tips. Glad to help! Well I can assure you, just getting wind of the Shaws' Universe? You'll have no mind left-prepare for it to be blown... gone forever. The Dragon doesn't kid! Just making my way slowly through the Shaw universe so any tips / recommendations are duly noted.... Already had my mind blown watching 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin', 'The Magnificent Trio', 'Crippled Avengers' & 'Return To The 36th Chamber' all for the first time over the last couple of weeks! Coolio. Here's some faves of mine brother (or sister): AVENGING EAGLE (1978, aka. Cold Blooded Eagles; Shaolin Hero; The Twelve Deadly Assassins) An epic feel, a cool story, two great screen heroes (Alexander Fu Sheng and Ti Lung), and awesome weapons- golden metallic eagle claw gloves, wrist blades, and three-piece staff. CHALLENGE OF THE MASTERS (1976) Gordon Liu (star of 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN) plays the young Wong Fei-Hung, learns Hung Gar and pole fighting from SB star Chen Kuan-Tai, and fights the director (Lau Kar Leung, aka. "Pops") who plays the villain. I love the training, fighting, and cool moral code of honor and compassion. CHINESE SUPER NINJAS (1982, aka. Super Ninjas; Five Element Ninjas) Never insult ninja masters! They will send wave after wave of eclectic warriors to cream your ass! Way, way over the top, almost super heroes style action. Outrageous, colorful, action-packed, bloody, and damn good. CRIPPLED AVENGERS (1978, aka. Mortal Combat; Return of the Five Deadly Venoms; Avengers Handicapped) A mad man Tiger style expert fits his mutilated son with iron arms and starts maiming others. His victims overcome their injuries to seek revenge. Similar to the above title in terms of it's heightened reality, and starring the "Five Venoms" or "Venoms Mob". Lots of incredible acrobatics mixed in with the plentiful kung fu fights. DELIGHTFUL FOREST (1972, aka. Outlaw of the Forest; Happy Forest; 7 Blows of the Dragon 3) As mentioned before... An imprisoned heroic fighter is manipulated one time too many. Everybody will pay! EIGHT DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER (1984, aka. Invincible Pole Fighter; Magnificent Pole Fighter) A dark, unforgettable classic (again starring Gordon Liu). This features one of the greatest pole fighting scenes ever filmed, plus a moving story and incredible performance from Liu. EXECUTIONERS OF DEATH (1977, aka. Executioners of Shaolin; Shaolin Executioner) It begins with the heroes escaping the destroyed Shaolin Temple and tells the tale of one of it's survivors, his family, and his plan to get revenge against Pai Mei The White Eyebrow Monk. Cool training scenes, cast, and fantastic tiger, crane, and other styles of kung fu. FIVE DEADLY VENOMS (1978, aka. The Five Venoms; The Deadly Venoms; Shaolin Deadly Venoms) A classic. The first five minutes is among my favorite kung fu film sequences ever. Not a ton of fighting, but a good solid mystery/thriller. All trained in the deadly arts of the poison clan, who are the good guys and who are the bad ones? FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH (1972, aka. 5 Fingers of Death; Iron Palm; Hand of Death; Invincible Boxer; King Boxer) One of the earlier kung fu films that ignited world interest, this film is Lo Lieh at his best. I never get tired of it. A fighter must learn techniques to vanquish the evil and murderous Japanese that are attacking his school. LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF KUNG FU (1982, aka. Legendary Weapons of China; New Legendary Weapons of Kung Fu) When a kung fu master refuses to send his students to die against the guns of invading foreigners, the other teachers aim to wipe him out. The director and his brother play brothers in this weapons bonanza. Awesome cast, and the final duel using swords, steel whips, daggers, three-piece staff, hook swords, and more is jaw-dropping. MAD MONKEY KUNG FU (1979, aka. Mad Monkey) Pops again in a kung fu comedy with mind blowing monkey kung fu. ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967) If you haven't seen a Jimmy Wang Yu film, this is a cool intro. Super serious, well structured story with a Japanese flavor and some stunning moments. A true classic. There are so many others that I love, but these are can't-go-wrong titles for you. (frankly it's no Holy Flame of the Martial World). Hah! What is?! Love HFotMW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member popsjnr Posted February 23, 2012 Member Share Posted February 23, 2012 On a Venoms tip at moment..... Watched Masked Avengers yesterday, always surprises me how good it is.....havent seen it in ages, how wicked is that fight between Chin Siu Ho and Lu Feng, Wang Li and Chu Ko...Chin really wields an awesome Gim...shame Chang Cheh never gave him a full-on starring role in anything..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member make believe Posted February 24, 2012 Member Share Posted February 24, 2012 Just finished Demon of the Lute. I was a bit let down...what bits I saw of it may have over-hyped it in my mind (frankly it's no Holy Flame of the Martial World). Still a fun flick, with some great scenes...def worth checking out. The trailer is a bit misleading I think. I liked it a little more the second time around but parts of it is so childish and silly it can be a bit unbearable but then the movie does have that 'dedicated to children' disclaimer at the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member nectarsis Posted February 24, 2012 Member Share Posted February 24, 2012 The trailer is a bit misleading I think. I liked it a little more the second time around but parts of it is so childish and silly it can be a bit unbearable but then the movie does have that 'dedicated to children' disclaimer at the beginning. Oh I def feel the "aimed at kids" vibe, That didn't bother me...I guess I just built it up as another Holy Flame in my mind a bit to much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted February 25, 2012 Member Share Posted February 25, 2012 Just watched Avenging Eagle for the first time. Wow, what a great story! I may need to pick up the DD version just for the better pic quality. This film deserves it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Rascue Posted February 27, 2012 Member Share Posted February 27, 2012 Coolio. Here's some faves of mine brother (or sister) Brother This is exactly the type of mini reviews that I wanted from this site, so thanks for that! Got all your picks already with Mad Monkey & Executioners en-route to me via that 4 pack Dragon Dynasty Ultimate Kung Fu pack. So all i need is 'Avenging Eagle', 'Delightful Forest' & '8 Diagram Pole Fighter' (Definite must-have for me if it's a Liu film!) ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967) If you haven't seen a Jimmy Wang Yu film, this is a cool intro. Super serious, well structured story with a Japanese flavor and some stunning moments. A true classic. This has been sitting unwatched in my collection for several months (shame on me!) I've got 'The One Armed Boxer Vs The Flying Guillotine' and the Aussie 'The Man From Hong Kong' on DVD, so I'm familiar with Wang Yu (that 'Flying Guillotine' IS a classic!!) And by the way, thanks for that post you made in the latest DVD/Blu-ray purchases thread as I'm always on the hunt for Sonny Chiba movies as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted February 27, 2012 Administrator Share Posted February 27, 2012 Brother This is exactly the type of mini reviews that I wanted from this site, so thanks for that! Got all your picks already with Mad Monkey & Executioners en-route to me via that 4 pack Dragon Dynasty Ultimate Kung Fu pack. So all i need is 'Avenging Eagle', 'Delightful Forest' & '8 Diagram Pole Fighter' (Definite must-have for me if it's a Liu film!) Good, I'm glad my post was helpful. Please give us your thoughts on these as you see them. What is your favorite film by Pops so far? This has been sitting unwatched in my collection for several months (shame on me!) Ha! Don't be ashamed of that. I've watched some classic films recently that I've had on my shelves for... years. I've got 'The One Armed Boxer Vs The Flying Guillotine' and the Aussie 'The Man From Hong Kong' on DVD, so I'm familiar with Wang Yu (that 'Flying Guillotine' IS a classic!!) MAN FROM HONG KONG is a lot of fun, but MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE is one of the most entertaining, indisputable kung fu/B-Movie classics of all time! If you had to start somewhere with Jimmy's films, these two were a great start! Another really cool (personal fave of his) Shaw film that he's in is GOLDEN SWALLOW. And by the way, thanks for that post you made in the latest DVD/Blu-ray purchases thread as I'm always on the hunt for Sonny Chiba movies as well! Right on man. You're most welcome. I'm a certified Chiba-san fanatic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Rascue Posted February 27, 2012 Member Share Posted February 27, 2012 Good, I'm glad my post was helpful. Please give us your thoughts on these as you see them. What is your favorite film by Pops so far? I've still got a few Gordon Liu films stockpiled to watch, but after watching the first 2 '36th Chamber' movies in a row, not only was I blown away by his fighting skills but by the way he switches so easily (acting wise) from being the intense San Te in the 1st film to pure comic relief in the 2nd! That impressed no end and made me an instant fan.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted February 27, 2012 Administrator Share Posted February 27, 2012 I've still got a few Gordon Liu films stockpiled to watch, but after watching the first 2 '36th Chamber' movies in a row, not only was I blown away by his fighting skills but by the way he switches so easily (acting wise) from being the intense San Te in the 1st film to pure comic relief in the 2nd! That impressed no end and made me an instant fan.... Yeah, he's awesome! Great guy in real life too. One of my most prized posessions in my whole collection is the print of my drawing that he signed for me. BTW- I was shocked when I just realized that I didn't mention HEROES OF THE EAST to you! This is not only a must-see Shaw Brothers film. It is one of my favorite films of all time in any genre, and I think my fave of Gordon's and Pops' films. HEROES OF THE EAST (1978, aka. Challenge of the Ninja; Shaolin Challenges Ninja)- This is a fantastic film. Great story about a Chinese man marrying a Japanese woman, the strife that develops between them over whose martial arts are better, and a misunderstanding that causes Japan's most dangerous warriors to challenge our hero. It's touching, funny, and filled with incredible action. So many different styles and weapons. Drunken boxing, Judo, swords, nunchaku, three-piece staffs, ninjas... it's amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Rascue Posted February 27, 2012 Member Share Posted February 27, 2012 Actually 'Heroes Of The East' was one of the easier SB movies to get as it's surprisingly quite common over here in New Zealand! It's currently in my "I Know It's A Classic So I'll Savor It Later" DVD pile! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted February 28, 2012 Member Share Posted February 28, 2012 Just finished up Heroes Two. Good stuff for 1974. Different then I was expecting, but good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Rascue Posted February 29, 2012 Member Share Posted February 29, 2012 Okay, just watched 'Five Element Ninjas' for the 1st time and it's obvious why it's deserving of being labelled a classic! Sure, it's the usual School Vs School / Revenge formula, but the Ninjas make it a lot more interesting plus they're practically unstoppable in that first hour and fight so dirty! Loved the over the top deaths and the way the 'romance' never comes to anything but a bloody end.... Damn good one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted February 29, 2012 Administrator Share Posted February 29, 2012 Actually 'Heroes Of The East' was one of the easier SB movies to get as it's surprisingly quite common over here in New Zealand! It's currently in my "I Know It's A Classic So I'll Savor It Later" DVD pile! Ah, glad you have it. And good to know you've filed it properly. Just finished up Heroes Two. Good stuff for 1974. Different then I was expecting, but good. Cool flick! If you have the Tokyo Shock version I highly recommend you give a listen to (our very own dearly departed forum brother) Linn's audio commentary. It's exceptional. Okay, just watched 'Five Element Ninjas' for the 1st time and it's obvious why it's deserving of being labelled a classic! Sure, it's the usual School Vs School / Revenge formula, but the Ninjas make it a lot more interesting plus they're practically unstoppable in that first hour and fight so dirty! Loved the over the top deaths and the way the 'romance' never comes to anything but a bloody end.... Damn good one! Right on! Yeah, this one is full of unforgettable scenes. The ground ninjas stabbing the hero from below (over and over ) still makes me cringe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted March 1, 2012 Member Share Posted March 1, 2012 Cool flick! If you have the Tokyo Shock version I highly recommend you give a listen to (our very own dearly departed forum brother) Linn's audio commentary. It's exceptional. Yep, I gave it a listen and you are right, it's exceptional. I'm glad that we have at least this from Linn. It's painful when he says, 'but i'll discuss that on a different commentary' The ground ninjas stabbing the hero from below (over and over ) still makes me cringe Yeah, me too. 5EN is the definition of wall to wall action. Gotta love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Monk Posted March 1, 2012 Member Share Posted March 1, 2012 I popped "Mad Monkey Kung Fu" in last night. Though I sing its praises, I think I underrate it a little too much. I'd forgotten just how incredible the Monkey Style on display is. And I've still got the final fight to go home and watch tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Dragon Posted March 1, 2012 Member Share Posted March 1, 2012 Golden Swallow. Just revisited this last night. Wang Yu will cut your ass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted March 8, 2012 Member Share Posted March 8, 2012 Come Drink with Me Now this is a quality flick. Cheng Pei-Pei is great. I think what really did it for me was that final outdoor battle when she takes down multiple foes in one swoosh of her blade. The fights, camera angles, editing, everything came together perfectly in this scene. The actual climactic one-on-one battle at night wasn't as strong in my opinion. I'm continually impressed the further I go back into the Shaw catalogue. I half expect the older films to be boring, but this is far from the case here. Beautiful cinematography (including one breathtaking sunrise), good, flowing fight scenes, enjoyable characters...what more do you need? Great stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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