Member Skeleton Claw Posted August 11, 2014 Member Share Posted August 11, 2014 I had to go take a look, but it is a Jin Yong story. Not as crazy as The Brave Archer. (which I love) It is a pretty straight forward story. Nice sets. Beautiful looking film. I believe it's the same source story as Tsui Hark's Swordsman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Eastern Evil Posted September 15, 2014 Member Share Posted September 15, 2014 I believe it's the same source story as Tsui Hark's Swordsman. That is good to know, I read the synopsis, it seems there are different aspects of the original story in it. The Shaw Brothers version is wacky & leaves a lot of stuff out, but it is well shot & I like the acting and the sets. I think most Shaw actors were really good at what they did. They just did it over & over... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted September 15, 2014 Member Share Posted September 15, 2014 Watched two very different Shaws over the weekend.. Invincible Fist - An early Chang Cheh film, and maybe the only one headed by Lo Lieh. Very adventurous, with plenty of Chang Cheh type of stuff, buckets of blood, crazy secret weapons, and storybook characters. Simple yet effective choreography. I really enjoyed this movie. Lo Lieh did a good job as a hero that would later be reserved for Ti Lung. The rest of the (all star) cast was good too. Especially Ching Li as a blind girl. Rendezvous with Death - Also very good. I thought Wong Yu did a good job in a rare (as far as I know) leading role. Well plotted, and the mystery of the chest was intriguing enough to keep it all going..although the contents of it were a little rushed and probably could have been lead on to and explained better. Good performances by Wong Yu, Lo Lieh, CKT... CKT was such a badass with a pole, I think it's the first one I've seen him with one. Are there any other movies that he uses one in? Sun Chung is a G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tex Killer Posted September 16, 2014 Member Share Posted September 16, 2014 Rendezvous with Death - Also very good. I thought Wong Yu did a good job in a rare (as far as I know) leading role. I think he is leading role at least in spiritual boxer and kid with a tattoo also. Has been long since I watched them not sure and too lazy to check. I like rendezvous too, great flick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Arts Posted September 16, 2014 Member Share Posted September 16, 2014 About Wang Yu, I watched Kid With A Tattoo a couple days ago and did not like it, [as matter of fact, i stuck it straight on ebay..] But yeah he was the main lead in it. I have still been on my Shaw Brothers films and found quite a few average films [like the mentioned The Kid With A Tattoo], if i were to pick my fave 2 out of a poss 6/7 or so; id go for; Murder Plot - Found it quite strange at first having Chiang play a character in a Chor Yuen film, It did start to lose my attention a little bit towards the middle but the second half [inc that Domino game] was ace and quickly perked me up. Battle Wizard - Lol what a strange [and at times abit silly] film but at the same time hugely enjoyable and fun. Theres not much more to say. Crazy. Not to go against the grain of the thread, but If anyone is curious about the others i found merely Ok or Average; The Kid With A Tattoo - It wasnt for me. I felt it was extremely average. New Shaolin Boxers - Certainly not a bad film, but quite a "Typical" Kung Fu movie. Usurpers Of the Emperors Power - see below Gang Master - I was so looking forward to This and Usurpers, they are not bad films, but i read alot of good write ups and reviews on these, so maybe the hype/expectaion hurt these for me. I Will give them a 2nd shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cloud Hands Posted September 21, 2014 Member Share Posted September 21, 2014 Shame you didn't like Gang Master.. I think it's a superb film myself. As is Proud Youth. Rendezvous with Death is another excellent film. I watched Anonymous Heroes for the first time this weekend. The Shaw sets and costumes look good, the plot has it's holes and it's stilted moments, but this doesn't matter too much as this film has healthy doses of Shaw vibe, an ever increasing body count, and the inevitable heroic bloodshed ending. Our heroes seem positively delighted to be sacrificing their lives this time. We then get the typical closing credit shots of them riding horses in slow motion - it's all very Chang Cheh. As well as gun and basher fights, this film features some nice bayonetted rifle work. While not on the level of top tier Iron Triangle films like The Duel, it's well worth watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tex Killer Posted September 22, 2014 Member Share Posted September 22, 2014 The battle wizard is crap film in bad way. I sold it immediately after viewing and later picked back for 1€ because collecting purpose. Most memorable scene was humans fighting ape. Fighting fool was not as good as memory told me it is. Last 10 mins are great and there are some ok bits here and there but not recommended, Even as shaw kung-fu comedy standard(which is not very high in my opinion) this is about average. However if that kind of thing is your cup of tea one could make lot worse pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Yang Wu Liang Posted September 22, 2014 Member Share Posted September 22, 2014 Battle Wizard is a crap film in a good way! These sorts of films are my some of my favourite Shaws, it's not quite as good as Holy Flame of the Martial World, Demon of the Lute or Buddha's Palm though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Drunken Arts Posted September 22, 2014 Member Share Posted September 22, 2014 Incidently i watched Battle Wizard thinking it would be full on grade-A crap, So maybe that helped the film with my opinion, and thought it was alot of fun, Yeah that Gorilla lol Like i say i will watch both Gang Master & Usurpers again, maybe it was my mood i was in. In fact i didnt think much of the 5 Venoms first time round, but after a few more viewings i love that film now. I too liked Anonymous Heroes, enjoyed the Ti Lung & Chang house wrecking fight lol I still have not seen The Proud Youth nor Fighting Fool. I have not been able to watch as many Shaws as i want at the moment, busy in life, but on my list to do i have Dragon Swamp, Seeding Of A Ghost, That Man From Chang-An, Boxer from Shangtung & Duel for Gold being high on the list i want to watch as soon as i get some spare time.. Also can someone help me, what film is it, when [i think it was] some multi colored ninja-like [maybe masked] bad guys attack a father and daughter in a fishing shack near a river, and the hero arrives to fight them off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member MonkeyFu Posted September 22, 2014 Member Share Posted September 22, 2014 Also can someone help me, what film is it, when [i think it was] some multi colored ninja-like [maybe masked] bad guys attack a father and daughter in a fishing shack near a river, and the hero arrives to fight them off? I think you are thinking of Five Element Ninja, but it's been a while since I've seen it and I'm not positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member the moose Posted September 22, 2014 Member Share Posted September 22, 2014 Treasure Hunters a couple of weeks ago. I last watched it before then on VHS in the late 90's. Damn I forgot just how kick ass this is. A great cast with wang lung wei, gordon liu, fu sheng, lau kar wing and wilson tong. The action is fantastic and there is plenty of it. The way Wang Lung Wei and that women intertwine and fight those 4 monks near the end is so creative. The story aint all that, but hey - with action and a cast like this, who cares. The comedy is pretty good in it too. Gonna give this a rewatch soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member NoKUNGFUforYU Posted September 22, 2014 Member Share Posted September 22, 2014 Black Magic 2. Not a Kung Fu movie, per se, though there is a deliberately sloppy fight scene at the end, I think to make sure that people DIDN'T think the characters were suddenly kung fu experts, etc.Lots of gross out horror scenes, boobs galore, body doubles, and icky goo all over everything. It's amazing how much influence Hammer had on Shaw's horror, and they were very similar in how they cranked out movies with much the same cast members over the years. Definitely fun watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted September 23, 2014 Member Share Posted September 23, 2014 I need to see Treasure Hunters! NoKF, arent you supposed to hit me with some Fu Sheng recommendations!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted September 28, 2014 Member Share Posted September 28, 2014 Okay not the best Shaw Bros I've seen, but still a pretty good one. The Wandering Swordsman (1969) What to say ? While the movie is not the greatest Shaw Bros movie ever (I wouldn't even put it in my top 5), it definitely has merits: - David Chiang. I wasn't sold on the guy, as I found him a bit weak as the lead in The Water Margin (I found other characters to be more interesting - the Black Whirlwind for instance is WAY more memorable). Here however, David Chiang is way more likeable. I found his character complex and interesting (unlike his "Mr. Perfect" character from TWM) and he's fun to watch - I find he has a bit of that "kind but trouble-making young guy" character that would later be Fu Sheng's character in the Shaolin Cycle. - the villain. Hadn't heard of Cheung Pooi San before, but that guy is GREAT in this film. Villains in these films are usually one-dimensional (greedy assholes with lots of fighting skills but next to no character outside OTT laughter), but not here. We could have had some greedy guy seeking to steal a treasure, but instead we're given a much more developed character - he's a great fighter, but he's also cunning as a fox and he knows how to trick people with the right words. The guys surrounding him (his five "brothers") are great fighters and deliver some action, but they seem too one-dimensional (though the gambling house owner has a great and very dramatic entrance). The action is great, though the heavy use of cable kinda bugged me (kinda like it did with the more recent Tsui Hark film Young Detective Dee, but these aren't in the same league). You get the usual clichee of henchmen dying after being slashed when a big character fights in spite of being impaled a couple of times (and there's a lot of blood too). On a side-note: the sets seemed familiar at points. Guess either I'm starting to become too familiar with the Shaw Bros movies and their clichees or Chang Cheh re-used some from previous movies like Return Of The One-Armed Swordsman. TBH, I was hesitating between watching this and watching Have Sword, Will Travel this afternoon. I don't regret picking up this one as it's great and David Chiang grew on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tex Killer Posted September 28, 2014 Member Share Posted September 28, 2014 TBH, I was hesitating between watching this and watching Have Sword, Will Travel this afternoon. I don't regret picking up this one as it's great and David Chiang grew on me. Have sword will travel is slightly better but star of this compilaition is "golden blade"... You have good moments awaiting, bro.,.,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted September 28, 2014 Member Share Posted September 28, 2014 Have sword will travel is slightly better but star of this compilaition is "golden blade"... You have good moments awaiting, bro.,.,, Off the four films on the set, I think Have Sword, Will Travel is the one that (from what I've seen) receives the most praise around here. On a sidenote, I REALLY should start watching SB movies by others than Chang Cheh. Looking at my ranking of Shaws, you may understand why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cloud Hands Posted September 28, 2014 Member Share Posted September 28, 2014 I tend to confuse Have Sword Will Travel and Wandering Swordsman in my head. I think Wandering Swordsman is the one with Chiang trampolining in the tall grass? (trampoline not visible, of course). While I found neither film outstanding, they are both decent films. My most recent shaw seen is Duel of Fists, which I thought was an excellent film. With a most splendid wardrobe selection for David Chiang.You won't want to miss this if you are in to Ti Lung and David Chiang on screen together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tex Killer Posted September 28, 2014 Member Share Posted September 28, 2014 My most recent shaw seen is Duel of Fists, which I thought was an excellent film. I love that film. Terrific thaI boxing scene with ti lung, 1st time I saw it I was not able to sit on chair when TL starts giving heavy blows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted September 28, 2014 Member Share Posted September 28, 2014 Revisited a couple of my favorites over the weekend.. Shaolin Temple, man the last half an hour of that movie is some of the best stuff to come out of Shaws. The movie overall is just good though, a good buildup and development, and an epic ending. Remains one of my favorites. All star cast. The other one is probably my favorite venoms film, Flag of Iron.. Just bad ass fighting, and all of Chang Chehs trademarks, costumes, brotherhood, blood, weapons, and comic book-like characters with the 10 Assassins. Its hard to judge the story as a Shaw fan, because you know damn well who the bad guy is going to be in a venom's movie from the start. Well plotted though, Kwok Choi steals the show as he often does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Eastern Evil Posted September 29, 2014 Member Share Posted September 29, 2014 I tend to confuse Have Sword Will Travel and Wandering Swordsman in my head. I think Wandering Swordsman is the one with Chiang trampolining in the tall grass? (trampoline not visible, of course). While I found neither film outstanding, they are both decent films. My most recent shaw seen is Duel of Fists, which I thought was an excellent film. With a most splendid wardrobe selection for David Chiang.You won't want to miss this if you are in to Ti Lung and David Chiang on screen together. My favorite fight of theirs is at the end of 'The Pirate'. That is one awesome beach they're on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted November 26, 2014 Member Share Posted November 26, 2014 The 14 Amazons (1972) Only the THIRD Shaw Brothers film I've seen that was not directed by Chang Cheh. And it's a damn good one. I'd put it in my top 5 SB movies, though I guess a "top 5" becomes hard to draw with all these great films. Except for one (I'll get to that later), I loved that cast: Fan Mei Sheng returns as another bumbling strongman with skills in the use of the axe. Except here, unlike in The Water Margin where he was a bandit with a happy ending, he's a general with a tragic fate. Wasn't the actor playing old man who came along and led the scheme to steal the grain also in The Water Margin ? I'm pretty sure he was one of the 108 bandits(maybe the guy who was with The Black Whirlwind when they got the rich guy in trouble ?). I could be confusing two actors, but I liked this character too. Where were all these cute ladies ?! There were more female characters here than in all the other SB movies I had previously seen . And unlike in previous SB movies where the female characters were for the most part weak and fragile, I found these characters really badass, especially the elderly lady who led the army and the wife of the general (a new addition to my "cute lady that can be badass to the extreme" list: Ivy Ling Po) The villains are freaking bastards, their look alone tells you that. The story also is really enjoyable, with all the twists and many creative ways to get out of situations. And at least you get a happy ending. I was so used to the down-beat endings from Chang Cheh's movies that I sorta expected the "Amazons" to be defeated (though I should have feared the wrath of the Great-Grandmother had she known about me looking down on her army - damn, this lady is freaking badass !!!) The battle scenes were great. This movie looks almost as big if not bigger than The Water Margin, but I guess having ALL characters do something (there aren't as many, but they're quite numerous - you get introduction credits for 10-15 minutes here) instead of focusing on a few can help (though it can be harder to pull off). The issues now, since I have a couple: - I had a problem with the young boy (the son of the general dying at the beginning). Couldn't they get an actual young boy or at least a less cute/more masculine actress for this part ? I don't remember her name, but that actress sure was a cute little woman and she seemed more like a teenage tomboy than an actual young boy. Some of her "aunts" look more masculine, and while I have no problem with a movie having a girl dressed up as a boy surrounded by more masculine ladies, it works better when it's a female character cross-dressing in a comedy than an actress you must believe is a boy in a serious movie (especially when her bust is obvious in some scenes). Good thing the hairdo was different, I could at least say "okay, this one is supposed to be a boy". Anyway, the actress was cute and that character was adorable (in spite of being quite a cry-baby at times, but for some reason, I found it even more adorable), so let's say it was just a suspension of disbelief issue. And IIRC, it seems to be part of the Shaw Brothers universe rules - like the average soldier dying from a single sword hit or arrow in the chest when a major character still fights off enemies before dying with a dozen arrows and a bunch of spears in his body. - While Chang Cheh is often mentionned as directing violent films and heroic bloodshed material, this movie has some disturbing violence and lots of blood. The bad guys are pretty ruthless, I'd even say twisted. Torture, drinking/licking blood... You can tell by their looks they don't seem to have much of honor and respect for their opponents, but still... Anyway, this made the final battle and seeing them slaughtered (go Ivy Long Po !! Slay that bastard emperor !!!) even more satisfying. While my criticism may seem harsh, I actually really liked the film. I wouldn't put it on par with Disciples Of Shaolin or Marco Polo, but it's superior to most of the Shaw Brothers movies I've seen so far - yup, even to The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cold Bishop Posted November 26, 2014 Member Share Posted November 26, 2014 Here goes my obligatory plug for Twelve Gold Medallions as the better film (and one of the best). I agree I'm still not sure about Lily Ho in child drag, although you kind of have to accept it's a cultural thing. With that said, doing this, The Casino, Lady with a Sword and Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan in the span of one year or so shows what a range she had. If not for her early retirement, she may have been the greatest actress at the studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member MonkeyFu Posted November 26, 2014 Member Share Posted November 26, 2014 Here goes my obligatory plug for Twelve Gold Medallions as the better film (and one of the best). And I will happily agree with you. Twelve Gold Medallions is a great film and one that is overlooked far too often! . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted November 26, 2014 Member Share Posted November 26, 2014 Here goes my obligatory plug for Twelve Gold Medallions as the better film (and one of the best). From what I saw on hkcinemagic, it seems more generic in its story (traitors selling secret plans to the enemy for an invasion of China), but it was also directed by Ching Gong, a lot of actors from TGM would return in The 14 Amazons (Fan Mei Sheng, Poo Oi Lun and Yueh Hua notably) and it's choreographed by Sammo Hung (!!) so I guess there could be more than meets the eye. I agree I'm still not sure about Lily Ho in child drag, although you kind of have to accept it's a cultural thing. With that said, doing this, The Casino, Lady with a Sword and Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan in the span of one year or so shows what a range she had. If not for her early retirement, she may have been the greatest actress at the studio. So, these 3 are recommended for more Lily Ho ? Wouldn't mind seeing more of her - especially if she is a "normal" woman and not a little boy in those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Eastern Evil Posted November 26, 2014 Member Share Posted November 26, 2014 Yueh Hua is good in anything! (like Gold Medallions! ) I'd suggest 'Trapeze Girl' because his acting is really good (It isn't a fighting flick). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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