Member ShawAngela Posted November 26, 2014 Member Share Posted November 26, 2014 Yueh Hua is excellent in both 12 Gold Medallions and Trapeze girl, and he is even more excellent in Payment in blood. If you haven't seen it, you must get it !! Lily Ho is also very good in Angel with the iron fists, The lady professional and Angel strikes again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cold Bishop Posted November 27, 2014 Member Share Posted November 27, 2014 Twelve Gold Medallions is a masterpiece. It finds the perfect sweet spot between the more artsy, high-minded wuxias (like King Hu), the traditional, pulpy, serial-adventure "old old-school" style (perhaps best personified by the Shaw work of Hsu Tseng-Hung or Lo Wei), and the violent and pessimistic schtick of the late 60s (post-Chang Cheh and One-Armed Swordsman). Cheng Kang was a highly respected novelist and was a very exacting perfectionist on set. And perhaps most shocking, Run Run Shaw and Mona Fong respected his work enough that they let him get away with it. In fact, the main thing holding up the potential Bruce Lee-Shaw film was that the studio felt that such a prestigious project could only be trusted with Cheng, while Bruce had other ideas (his old friend Chor Yuen). Had he spent more time doing wuxia pian and less time doing Gambling Films, he could have been one of the all-time greats, because he kills it in all his outings (The Sword of Swords, Killers Five and Pursuit are all great if not quite as amazing as the two epics). And I recommend all three films, to varying degrees. Intimate Confessions is of course now one of the most famous and critically favored films of the studio - perhaps a little too favored in my opinion, as Chor's directed better films. It's a little too stuck on the typical "revenge film" narrative, but Chor Yuen directs the hell out of the film. and it's never less than stylish, perverse fun, like a modern day Josef Von Sternberg-Marlene Dietrich film with swordplay and spraying arteries. The Casino is part of what I call the "Class of '72", alongside The Killer, Boxer from Shantung and King Boxer: a series of film which came out in the first half of the year which really solidified the Shaw's house style and which also perhaps brought it to its apex; almost immediately after, most of these Republican Era bashers start to get tiring and repetitive. This isn't quite as good as the three other films, but it has at least two things going for it: 1) The first half is pretty damn solid, surprising considering it's more about gambling than kung-fu. But Chang Tseng-Chai directs the hell out of the gambling scenes, filming them with all the care and tension of a fight scene. 2) Lily Ho, who gets a nothing-thanks weak and fragile role that every actress gets in the genre, and acts the hell out of it, draining it for all the pathos and sensitivity you can. Beef up Lily's role, and the film goes from good to great, and its too bad the filmmakers didn't notice this obvious fact. Lady with a Sword is another of my favorite unknown classics. Most people look at the non-descript title and see a female lead, and they write it off as another corny, '60s style swordplay. No, no, no. This movie is one dark, uncompromising, emotionally complex film of near Shakespearean proportions. Most surprisingly, its directed by a WOMAN, and I really want to track down more of Kao Pao-Shu's work, because this shows a lot of promise for a first-time director. Lily Ho is fierce in this films, and unusual for the genre, its her very womanly virtues - her emotions and nurturing instincts - that make her a bad-ass. Great, great film which feels almost more like an Indie than a studio work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted November 27, 2014 Member Share Posted November 27, 2014 Got King Boxer on DVD, guess it's even more of a must-watch for me. Intimate Confessions looks like a (very) rough one, but doesn't sound too bad nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Eastern Evil Posted November 27, 2014 Member Share Posted November 27, 2014 Got King Boxer on DVD, guess it's even more of a must-watch for me. Intimate Confessions looks like a (very) rough one, but doesn't sound too bad nonetheless. Lily Ho is good in 'Confessions...',, but Betty Pei Ti makes that a must watch for me. She moves so beautifully throughout the movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Eastern Evil Posted November 27, 2014 Member Share Posted November 27, 2014 Yueh Hua is excellent in both 12 Gold Medallions and Trapeze girl, and he is even more excellent in Payment in blood. If you haven't seen it, you must get it !! Lily Ho is also very good in Angel with the iron fists, The lady professional and Angel strikes again. I think I have Payment in Blood but haven't seen it yet., Maybe tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Treacherous Mastermind Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 I watched The Deadly Mantis today, the plot and choreography were beyond amazing. The only let down was the ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 Got King Boxer on DVD, guess it's even more of a must-watch for me. Intimate Confessions looks like a (very) rough one, but doesn't sound too bad nonetheless. King Boxer is one of my favorite movies ever.. PERIOD. Yes you must watch it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Morgoth Bauglir Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 I watched The Deadly Mantis today, the plot and choreography were beyond amazing. The only let down was the ending. Hell yeah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 Lily Ho is good in 'Confessions...',, but Betty Pei Ti makes that a must watch for me. She moves so beautifully throughout the movie. Her character doesn't seem that likeable or sympathetic though... But still, she's quite pretty in this (though I admit, from what I've seen, I find Lily Ho prettier). King Boxer is one of my favorite movies ever.. PERIOD. Yes you must watch it. Sheesh, another addition to my must-watch list... Why do I have so much great stuff to check out but so little time for it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Morgoth Bauglir Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 When I first watched Intimate Confessions I was in such awe of Betty Tei Pei's beauty that I couldn't concentrate on the movie. And her acting performance. One of the single greatest performances I've ever seen. And her beauty. Oh man. I need to go to bed and think about stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cold Bishop Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 Betty Pei Ti certainly cuts a memorable figure, but I'm still not sure if she was that great an actress. It seems to me that Chor Yuen just really knew how to play to her strength, and I don't think its any surprise that she really didn't do anything significant outside of those two films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Morgoth Bauglir Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 Its always an interesting topic when you think about an actor who plays one type of role well, and an actor who can play a variety of roles. It seems like an easy choice on the surface. The actor who can play different roles is the better actor. But sometimes the actor who can only play one role plays it so well that I think that person can be considered a great actor/actress. And you're right Chor Yuen gives top notch direction. The plot didn't hold my interest, but the movie did. I'll admit I don't remember Betty Pei Ti in anything else. I remember seeing her name a few times in the credits and taking notice, but I don't remember her performances. What is the second movie you are talking about Cold Bishop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Eastern Evil Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 She had a part in 'Clans of Intrigue' and she had a small part in 'The Delinquent' - Beautiful in that and in a modern setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cold Bishop Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 The ending of Clans of Intrigue is almost a mini-Intimate Confessions remake. I understand Betty Pei Ti was primarily a Taiwanese actress, and perhaps she's done brilliant work there, but the other work I've seen makes it seem she was just good at looking gorgeous. I'm sure if the studio had it's way, she would have been one of their softcore stars. She's memorable, iconic even in ICoaCC, but I also think it was the easier showier role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Morgoth Bauglir Posted November 29, 2014 Member Share Posted November 29, 2014 I need to watch Intimate Confessions again before speaking any further on Betty. It's been a little while. I've only seen it once or twice but it is so memorable. A beautiful movie. I'm pretty sure I've seen Clans of Intrique but I don't remember it. I made the mistake once of watching a bunch of Chor Yuen wuxias in a row and I got confused and lost interest. I'll have to watch it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Killer Meteor Posted November 30, 2014 Member Share Posted November 30, 2014 Duel of the Iron Fist (1971) 1971 seemed to be when Chang Cheh peaked. Very good story, lovely cinematography, great roles for Ti Lung and David Chiang, possibly far too many similar (if well choreographed) fights (I'm sure Chen Kuan-Tai dies in two of them!) but still...very high class. It's alarming how Chang deteriorated so much not long after this, but I blame the Shaws for turning him into a conveyer belt. His later remake of this, Flag of Iron, was fun but minor. Note: The English dub is pretty funny, with some of the supporting cast inexplicably given Deep South accents, and at one point Ti Lung jumps from regular dubber Ted Thomas to someone else mid-sentence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Dragon Posted December 1, 2014 Member Share Posted December 1, 2014 King Boxer is one of my favorite movies ever.. PERIOD. Yes you must watch it. Absolutely agreed. The very first Kung Fu Movie I saw back when WE was distributing this, The Killer, and 7 Blows of The Dragon! I own several copies on different media VHS, DVD, BLU RAY... I love this film equally as I do any of the Bruce Lee classics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted December 1, 2014 Member Share Posted December 1, 2014 Absolutely agreed. The very first Kung Fu Movie I saw back when WE was distributing this, The Killer, and 7 Blows of The Dragon! I own several copies on different media VHS, DVD, BLU RAY... I love this film equally as I do any of the Bruce Lee classics! Looks like people are HIGHLY recommending this one. I'll try and watch it ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted December 2, 2014 Member Share Posted December 2, 2014 Betty Pei Ti Filmography (1972-1982) Actor (33 films) Legends of Lust (1972) ... Jin Bao/ex-Mrs Deng Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972) ... Lady Chun I Am Exciting (1972) Love in the Spring (1972) Walking in the Rain (1973) Police Woman (1973) ... Sao Mei The Iron Bodyguard (1973) ... Camomile The Delinquent (1973) ... Fanny The House of 72 Tenants (1973) ... Lady boss of brothel The Sugar Daddies (1973) ... Irene The Villains (1973) ... Prostitute [Guest star] Tales of Larceny (1973) ... 1) Sister at festival The Furious Monk from Shaolin (1974) Niu Spacious Yard (1974) The Colorful Ripples (1974) The Suicide Murder (1974) Conspiracy of Thieves (1975) Evergreen Tree (1975) Five Pretty Young Ladies (1975) Heroes Behind the Enemy Lines (1975) The Last Kiss (1975) Love Competition (1976) Orthodox Chinese Kung Fu (1977) Men of the Hour (1977) Princess and the Toxicant (1977) Clans of Intrigue (1977) ... Princess Yin Chi The Super Kung-Fu Fighter (1978) The Unique Lama (1978) Middle Kingdom's Mark-of-Blood (1979) The Phoenix (1980) Tu Bao Zi Da Tong Guan (1980) A Centennial of Railways of ROC (1981) One Stripe Two Stars (1982) GD Y-Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tex Killer Posted December 5, 2014 Member Share Posted December 5, 2014 Looks like people are HIGHLY recommending this one. I'll try and watch it ASAP. I prefer thunderbolt fist and chinese boxer over that. Small gaps tho, king boxer is entertaining too. Similarities are all feature japs. As evil guys of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted December 5, 2014 Member Share Posted December 5, 2014 I prefer thunderbolt fist and chinese boxer over that. Small gaps tho, king boxer is entertaining too. Similarities are all feature japs. As evil guys of course. Having neither Thunderbolt Fist nor Chinese Boxer, I'm stuck with King Boxer I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Cold Bishop Posted December 5, 2014 Member Share Posted December 5, 2014 King Boxer is one of the classics that truly lives up to the hype (whereas The Duel does not IMO). Above all else, Cheng Chang-Ho shows an usual talent for characterization, juggling a good dozen characters and giving each a well-defined arch. The Chinese Boxer is a very good film that suffers only because both King Boxer and One-Armed Boxer jacked its steez and did the same scenario better. But despite his questionable merits as a martial-arts performer, Wang Yu knew how to direct, with a crisp and curt style that I find very Japanese influenced. I remain sceptical on Thunderbolt Fist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Killer Meteor Posted December 5, 2014 Member Share Posted December 5, 2014 Thunderbolt Fist grew on me. It has an oddly cast male lead and it's one of those films where the children grow into adults, but everything else stays the same. But damn, the gore is awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted December 5, 2014 Member Share Posted December 5, 2014 Thunderbolt Fist grew on me. It has an oddly cast male lead and it's one of those films where the children grow into adults, but everything else stays the same. But damn, the gore is awesome! Haha, I see what you mean. It's a rule that applies even outside the Shaw Brothers Universe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted December 7, 2014 Member Share Posted December 7, 2014 King Boxer is one of the classics that truly lives up to the hype (whereas The Duel does not IMO). Above all else, Cheng Chang-Ho shows an usual talent for characterization, juggling a good dozen characters and giving each a well-defined arch. The Chinese Boxer is a very good film that suffers only because both King Boxer and One-Armed Boxer jacked its steez and did the same scenario better. But despite his questionable merits as a martial-arts performer, Wang Yu knew how to direct, with a crisp and curt style that I find very Japanese influenced. I remain sceptical on Thunderbolt Fist. I agree with what you say about King Boxer (especially what is in bold print) and Chinese Boxer. I have not seen Thunderbolt Fist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.