Member Secret Executioner Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 It is two movies. Much like Heaven and Hell it was an abandoned production restarted with a new cast, trying to tie all the footage together (almost a proto-cut and paste in that regards). I know the missing fight scenes are as legendary to some fans as the Bruce Lee saw-murder. Search the forum. So Ten Tigers Of kwang Tung and Heaven And Hell (hope it has some Black Sabbath music in it if it was made after 1980... ) are cut-and-splice stuff ? Geez, won't feel much different than watching some good ol' Godfrey Ho movies (except maybe with better acting, a better story and better action haha). Re: LKL – Heroes of the East starts slow? To me the marital sparring, literal and figurative, between husband and wife is some of the most charming and dazzling in Pops' career, and a perfect encapsulation of his chief theme: the meeting ground between the biological and martial-arts (and filmmaking) family. If the film has one flaw – and otherwise it's very well LKL's masterpiece – it's that he never really ties the two storylines together the way he could have. A scene showing his reconcilation with his wife and his acceptance by her martial-arts "family" as being one and the same would have really tied the whole thing beautifully. I also love Shaolin Mantis which, while not a wuxia, feels like a companion to Twelve Gold Medallions or Avenging Eagle as a dark study of the toll of familial obligations in the martial-world. I also love that even by the end you still don't have a handle on David Chiang's true motivations for doing what he did. A truly ambiguous character the like you don't often find in the genre. Though I agree with you wholeheartedly, and this is probably my favorite Shaw Brothers film of all, I've often hear people say that it starts slow. I've lent this film, and shown it to more people than any other film, and many people say stuff like "It was kind of dialogue heavy in the beginning, and there wasn't any real fighting for a while. But then it got really good." I get what they are saying, but feel completely different about it personally. I enjoy the couple clashing over both culture and arts as much as anything else in the film. I think it's just fantastic. This is one of the first films I showed my wife when we first met, right after she said "I don't think I've ever seen a kung fu movie. At least not all the way through. Maybe I saw some Bruce Lee movies when I was little." I took her gently by the hand and led her to the TV. LOL She loved the film too, and it's one of the few she's wanted to see for a second time. I recently got this and a few other classic kung fu films as gifts for my 12 year old niece and 10 year old nephew. They practice martial arts (Pencak Silat) and I thought they might dig it. They were not impressed by Bruce Lee! But they loved HEROES OF THE EAST and DRUNKEN MASTER. My niece found the couple's story much more interesting than the duels, and said that she wanted to see more of those two working it out, but was still stunned by the choreography and skills throughout. My nephew said "I would've wanted both the Japanese weapons and the Chinese weapons. That would be the greatest collection!" [...] Kung fu cinema would've benefitted from more films with that mood as far as I'm concerned. TWELVE GOLD MEDALLIONS is my kind of wuxia-pan. SHAOLIN MANTIS' plot has a cloud of tragedy over almost everyone involved. Without spoiling anything for those that haven't seen it, I've always felt that Chiang's character was sort of apolitical, and mostly just focused on his martial arts training before the film's events. Therefore he never thought any deeper than the obvious as far as what he should do once put in the situation he finds himself in. This is another favorite of mine, and if I could only keep 10 SB films for the rest of my life, it would definitely be one of them. Sounds like Heroes Of The East and Shaolin Mantis - already got Twelve Gold Medallions and Avenging Eagle on the list - are worth getting. What Price Honesty is definitely a great film. It's unfortunate that such a powerful film isn't as well known as some other SB classics. My guess is how dark it is. Actually, this movie's just as dark as it is engrossing. It's like if Ringo Lam made a movie for SB. Boy, that sounds quite interesting. Shaolin Rescuers Great venoms movie. The story is simple but not terrible. The 5 "true" venoms are in the movie, but you won't see much of Lu Feng and Chiang Sheng until the final act. Pai Piao also has a pretty sizable role here, and does alright. There is some unnecessary use of the "red screen" Chang Cheh liked to experiment with, it feels awkward and doesn't really work. So, none of that sounds "great" at all does it? On to the great stuff, this movie has the best fighting I have seen in any Venoms film. There is a lot of playful slapstick fighting between the hero's early on, and it is pretty funny, but also well executed and great action. The fights get more serious as the movie goes on, but remain great. This probably has more comedy than most Venoms movies as well, but it is mostly in the choreography, and works well. Anyway, great fighting from bowls, benchs, and chopsticks to fists, legs, and weapons. Phillip Kwok and Lo Mang are the main stars here, and are also the stand outs for the most part, for both fighting and comedy. Lo Mang has plenty of screen time in this one, which is very refreshing. Phillip Kwok is always good, but the fighting in this movie really is exceptional. They carry the movie before the story really gets going, and that isn't a complaint. Sun Chien is great when he gets a shot, but is underused as usual. Chiang Sheng and Lu Feng don't do much til late, but both do what they're best at in the end(acrobatics/comedy, and weapons). There is one fight involving a minor cast member that I'd like to give special mention, Lu Feng fights a guy with two swords early on in the film..it is one of the best fights in the movie, and I have no idea who the guy he is fighting is. Every fight in this movie is class though, and I only give this one special mention because it involves a minor character. One thing that stood out to me was that this film is missing a few Venoms trademarks.. You won't find many extravagant costumes, or crazy characters. Of all of the Venoms film's I have seen, this one most resembles a film from Changs "Shaolin Cycle." It is also less dark than most Venoms movies, for the most part. I am not sure whether these things work in its favor or against it, but they make it stand out. With that said, I watched a bootleg with poor PQ, so it may have been more colorful than I thought, haha. I am not sure where I would "rank" this among the venoms films. After watching this, I think I am about done trying to rank them! One thing is for sure - this is a great movie, and I can't wait to see a good version of it. Sorry for another long winded post! No problem with the long post, it was an interesting read man - plus, unlike picture or youtube vid heavy messages, it didn't crash my browser. I liked what you said on this film and the description you make of this film sounds like something I could enjoy,. Dude, I for one love your long posts. Don't apologize. We kung fu fans come here to read what others think, and you are definitely providing that. Agreed, Brother Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 I'm not a big fan of kung fu comedies, and a lot of the SB ones don't do it for me. So I'm not surprised that I don't remember them. Good description of WHAT PRICE HONESTY. Yeah, if you're going to watch some good kung fu comedies, SB is not the way to go. A lot of them have some good comedy, but terrible stories and characters. One of the few exceptions is Dirty Ho, which is another one of my favorites. Okay, how did this "SB film" starring my man Ti Lung completely escape my attention? Geez Ken, I have VHS tapes older than you, but I'm still learning good stuff from you! Kudos little brother. Thanks for putting it on my radar. I'm definitely going to get this film and check it out. Don't expect a movie as good as either Rocky or The Karate Kid, because it's far from as good as either. It's just a very unimportant little 80's flick. The back cover of the Celestial VCD describes it as "fascinating and involving." Yeah, it's neither of those things, but it is fun. And it's kind of funny to see Ti Lung sporting the Burgess Meredith look. Sounds like Heroes Of The East and Shaolin Mantis - already got Twelve Gold Medallions and Avenging Eagle on the list - are worth getting. Heroes of the East is a great fight fest. There's great action, great characters, and a great story. It's one of the few SB movies that I would call fascinating, but it's not really in my Top 5. Still definitely worth a watch. The Avenging Eagle though is one of my favorite SB movies, if not my favorite. It's an excellent movie with a terrific story. Don't read the summary on IMDb if you don't want the movie spoiled for you. Easily one of my favorites with an interesting twist and a bittersweet ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Killer Meteor Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 Shaolin Rescuers Great venoms movie. The story is simple but not terrible. The 5 "true" venoms are in the movie, but you won't see much of Lu Feng and Chiang Sheng until the final act. Pai Piao also has a pretty sizable role here, and does alright. There is some unnecessary use of the "red screen" Chang Cheh liked to experiment with, it feels awkward and doesn't really work. So, none of that sounds "great" at all does it? On to the great stuff, this movie has the best fighting I have seen in any Venoms film. There is a lot of playful slapstick fighting between the hero's early on, and it is pretty funny, but also well executed and great action. The fights get more serious as the movie goes on, but remain great. This probably has more comedy than most Venoms movies as well, but it is mostly in the choreography, and works well. Anyway, great fighting from bowls, benchs, and chopsticks to fists, legs, and weapons. Phillip Kwok and Lo Mang are the main stars here, and are also the stand outs for the most part, for both fighting and comedy. Lo Mang has plenty of screen time in this one, which is very refreshing. Phillip Kwok is always good, but the fighting in this movie really is exceptional. They carry the movie before the story really gets going, and that isn't a complaint. Sun Chien is great when he gets a shot, but is underused as usual. Chiang Sheng and Lu Feng don't do much til late, but both do what they're best at in the end(acrobatics/comedy, and weapons). There is one fight involving a minor cast member that I'd like to give special mention, Lu Feng fights a guy with two swords early on in the film..it is one of the best fights in the movie, and I have no idea who the guy he is fighting is. Every fight in this movie is class though, and I only give this one special mention because it involves a minor character. One thing that stood out to me was that this film is missing a few Venoms trademarks.. You won't find many extravagant costumes, or crazy characters. Of all of the Venoms film's I have seen, this one most resembles a film from Changs "Shaolin Cycle." It is also less dark than most Venoms movies, for the most part. I am not sure whether these things work in its favor or against it, but they make it stand out. With that said, I watched a bootleg with poor PQ, so it may have been more colorful than I thought, haha. I am not sure where I would "rank" this among the venoms films. After watching this, I think I am about done trying to rank them! One thing is for sure - this is a great movie, and I can't wait to see a good version of it. Sorry for another long winded post! Lu Feng won an award at the HK Film Awards for this movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 That's an interesting bit of info, what did he win it for? Choreography? Heroes of the East is a must-see, just a fantastic film all around. This is one of the movie's you show your friends who assume all classic kung fu films are chop socky non-sense. Avenging Eagle is a movie I consider one of my top 3 favorite SB movies. Shaolin Mantis, I have seen it once, and I don't remember much of it. I know I enjoyed it, and I remember Lau Kar Wing looked masterful as always at the end. I may rewatch today, actually. What Price Honesty? Is one of those movies I seem to hear about kind of often, but also seems hard to find... May give up and head to the ADC for that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 Yeah, if you're going to watch some good kung fu comedies, SB is not the way to go. A lot of them have some good comedy, but terrible stories and characters. One of the few exceptions is Dirty Ho, which is another one of my favorites. The title alone is worth it - or is it, since I still do NOT have this one. More seriously, I often read of this one, but I'm still wondering whether I should get this or not. Heroes of the East is a great fight fest. There's great action, great characters, and a great story. It's one of the few SB movies that I would call fascinating, but it's not really in my Top 5. Still definitely worth a watch. The Avenging Eagle though is one of my favorite SB movies, if not my favorite. It's an excellent movie with a terrific story. Don't read the summary on IMDb if you don't want the movie spoiled for you. Easily one of my favorites with an interesting twist and a bittersweet ending. All I know about Avenging Eagle is that there's some guy (the villain I suppose) wearing cool gloves with eagle-like claws. And there are some familair faces in this (Fu Sheng notably). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Killer Meteor Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 That's an interesting bit of info, what did he win it for? Choreography? . From Celestial "Lu's performance in Shaolin Rescuers had won him the Outstanding Supporting Actor award at the 25th Asian Film Festival in 1979" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 The title alone is worth it - or is it, since I still do NOT have this one. More seriously, I often read of this one, but I'm still wondering whether I should get this or not. All I know about Avenging Eagle is that there's some guy (the villain I suppose) wearing cool gloves with eagle-like claws. And there are some familair faces in this (Fu Sheng notably). Dirty Ho is great. Pretty funny, adventurous, and some interesting subtle-fighting (youll get it when you see it) + a fantastic end fight with Wong Yue and Gordon Liu vs Lo Lieh. The less you know about Avenging Eagle going in, the greater it will be. Everything about it is pretty solid, acting, story, fighting, sets.....you get it. Haha! I am not a big fan of Fu Sheng generally, but he is also fantastic in this. Thanks Killer Meteor. I could see that, but I guess after seeing so many Venoms films, it just seemed like Lu Feng was being the character he usually was! (which he is great at.) But I suppose it was probably more his fighting than his acting that won him the award anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 Dirty Ho is great. Pretty funny, adventurous, and some interesting subtle-fighting (youll get it when you see it) + a fantastic end fight with Wong Yue and Gordon Liu vs Lo Lieh. The less you know about Avenging Eagle going in, the greater it will be. Everything about it is pretty solid, acting, story, fighting, sets.....you get it. Haha! I am not a big fan of Fu Sheng generally, but he is also fantastic in this. Avenging Eagle seems like the Holy Grail of the SB movies - everybody seems to like this one. As far as Dirty Ho is concerned... Nice to get more Gordon Liu, but there's that bastard Lo Lieh AGAIN. J/K, nothing personal against him, it's just that he seems to be in everything I get into right now (and usually as a bad guy) - The 14 Amazons, a Bruce Le movie, Human Lanterns (which I wanted to watch this week-end), King Boxer (he actually seems to be the hero in this one - strange)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 Avenging Eagle seems like the Holy Grail of the SB movies - everybody seems to like this one. As far as Dirty Ho is concerned... Nice to get more Gordon Liu, but there's that bastard Lo Lieh AGAIN. J/K, nothing personal against him, it's just that he seems to be in everything I get into right now (and usually as a bad guy) - The 14 Amazons, a Bruce Le movie, Human Lanterns (which I wanted to watch this week-end), King Boxer (he actually seems to be the hero in this one - strange)... It's hard for me to pick a number 1 favorite, but I'd probably say either Avenging Eagle or King Boxer if I had to choose. Lo Lieh is my favorite actor, mainly because he's always such a badass, and a convincing actor. If you tink he is a bastard in those movies, wait til you see him in Mad Monkey Kung Fu! (Great acting performance from him, but sub-par fighting, decent movie though.) What Bruce Le movie did you watch with him? Let me guess, he was present for 5 minutes at the end?! BTW that's not really a recommendation, just saying! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 It's hard for me to pick a number 1 favorite, but I'd probably say either Avenging Eagle or King Boxer if I had to choose. Lo Lieh is my favorite actor, mainly because he's always such a badass, and a convincing actor. If you tink he is a bastard in those movies, wait til you see him in Mad Monkey Kung Fu! (Great acting performance from him, but sub-par fighting, decent movie though.) Gotta admit he's pretty mean in The 14 Amazons. About King Boxer, I'm surprised he plays the hero - he is usually a villain, and I (for some reason) thought it starred Jimmy Wang Yu - maybe I got it mixed up with another film. And [insult foul language here], yet ANOTHER movie I'm advised to watch... Will this ever end ? What Bruce Le movie did you watch with him? Let me guess, he was present for 5 minutes at the end?! BTW that's not really a recommendation, just saying! Lol Return Of Bruce. And yup, he shows up for a end fight haha - has to be him, he's too recognizable for a mistake to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted January 3, 2015 Member Share Posted January 3, 2015 The Chinese Boxer is similar to King Boxer in many ways, Jimmy Wang Yu is the hero, and Lo Lieh is the villain in that one. It's been a while since I watched it, but it was a solid film from what I remember...but it ain't got nothin' on King Boxer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted January 3, 2015 Administrator Share Posted January 3, 2015 Sounds like Heroes Of The East and Shaolin Mantis - already got Twelve Gold Medallions and Avenging Eagle on the list - are worth getting. YES!!! They are shining examples of not just Shaw Brothers films, but kung fu cinema in general. These films are to the kung fu genre what Godzilla is to giant monsters, Marylin Monroe is to sex symbols, and Superman is to comics. Yeah, if you're going to watch some good kung fu comedies, SB is not the way to go. A lot of them have some good comedy, but terrible stories and characters. One of the few exceptions is Dirty Ho, which is another one of my favorites. I'm definitely on board with that one! But even the comedy in Lau Kar-Leung's films can grind my gears. I find most of CAT VS RAT nearly unwatchable. Don't expect a movie as good as either Rocky or The Karate Kid, because it's far from as good as either. It's just a very unimportant little 80's flick. The back cover of the Celestial VCD describes it as "fascinating and involving." Yeah, it's neither of those things, but it is fun. And it's kind of funny to see Ti Lung sporting the Burgess Meredith look. I like those kind of movies, so I'm looking forward to it. A lot of the descriptions on the IVL/Celestial DVD/VCDs are terrible nonsense. Heroes of the East is a great fight fest. There's great action, great characters, and a great story. It's one of the few SB movies that I would call fascinating, but it's not really in my Top 5. Still definitely worth a watch. No kidding? Off the top of your head, what would your 5 (or more) be? The Avenging Eagle though is one of my favorite SB movies, if not my favorite. It's an excellent movie with a terrific story. Don't read the summary on IMDb if you don't want the movie spoiled for you. Easily one of my favorites with an interesting twist and a bittersweet ending. I love this one too. Heroes of the East is a must-see, just a fantastic film all around. This is one of the movie's you show your friends who assume all classic kung fu films are chop socky non-sense. Avenging Eagle is a movie I consider one of my top 3 favorite SB movies. Excellent point. Yes, it's a good film to include in an "intro package". Shaolin Mantis, I have seen it once, and I don't remember much of it. I know I enjoyed it, and I remember Lau Kar Wing looked masterful as always at the end. I may rewatch today, actually. I hope you do. LKW gives new meaning to the phrase "hitting the pipe"! As I mentioned earlier, this film gets better upon each viewing. The title alone is worth it - or is it, since I still do NOT have this one. More seriously, I often read of this one, but I'm still wondering whether I should get this or not. The first time I saw DIRTY HO I was disappointed because I wanted big, obvious kung fighting like in Lau Sifu's films CHALLENGE OF THE MASTER and HEROES OF THE EAST. It took a second viewing for me to appreciate the elaborate, clever choreography and atypical plot-line in this one. I just revisited it the other week, and would definitely recommend you see it. All I know about Avenging Eagle is that there's some guy (the villain I suppose) wearing cool gloves with eagle-like claws. And there are some familair faces in this (Fu Sheng notably). Just because someone has steel-taloned claw hands doesn't mean they're a villain. Hell, I have a pair and I'm sweet and cuddly. Or am I?! Bwaha ha ha ha... ] ] ] Dirty Ho is great. Pretty funny, adventurous, and some interesting subtle-fighting (youll get it when you see it) + a fantastic end fight with Wong Yue and Gordon Liu vs Lo Lieh. The "wine tasting scene" is my favorite from the film. But yes, that ending is one that may not get talked about a lot, but it delivers the goods... big time! The less you know about Avenging Eagle going in, the greater it will be. Everything about it is pretty solid, acting, story, fighting, sets.....you get it. Haha! I am not a big fan of Fu Sheng generally, but he is also fantastic in this. I second this. AVENGING EAGLE has enough of a good story that it's a shame to go in knowing everything already. At the risk of insulting any of his fans, or earning their wrath, after first seeing Fu Sheng in LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF KUNG FU I thought of him as "the bad part of that film" (especially his annoying English dubbed voice). AVENGING EAGLE, HEROES TWO, and DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN soon turned my initial impression of him upside down though. Avenging Eagle seems like the Holy Grail of the SB movies - everybody seems to like this one. I don't think I've ever met someone that didn't like this movie. As far as Dirty Ho is concerned... Nice to get more Gordon Liu, but there's that bastard Lo Lieh AGAIN. J/K, nothing personal against him, it's just that he seems to be in everything I get into right now (and usually as a bad guy) - The 14 Amazons, a Bruce Le movie, Human Lanterns (which I wanted to watch this week-end), King Boxer (he actually seems to be the hero in this one - strange)... Ha ha ha... his characters do seem like they could have been the impetus for the phrase "You bastard!" Lo Lieh is my favorite actor, mainly because he's always such a badass, and a convincing actor. If you tink he is a bastard in those movies, wait til you see him in Mad Monkey Kung Fu! (Great acting performance from him, but sub-par fighting, decent movie though.) Oh he's a hateful prick in that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KenHashibe Posted January 4, 2015 Member Share Posted January 4, 2015 The title alone is worth it - or is it, since I still do NOT have this one. More seriously, I often read of this one, but I'm still wondering whether I should get this or not. I, along with many others, would recommend that you get this movie. Definitely one of my favorites. Some fantastic choreography and I actually think this movie's really funny. Easily in my Top 10. Avenging Eagle seems like the Holy Grail of the SB movies - everybody seems to like this one. I wouldn't say the Holy Grail (Holy Grail's are typically very hard to attain), but I haven't heard of anyone who hasn't liked this one. I need to show this movie to my friends. As far as Dirty Ho is concerned... Nice to get more Gordon Liu, but there's that bastard Lo Lieh AGAIN. Lo Lieh has that "villain look." He's one of those guys that I love to hate. It's like he was born to play a villain, but I tend to see him everywhere. I cannot watch five movies without seeing him in one of them. It's hard for me to pick a number 1 favorite, but I'd probably say either Avenging Eagle or King Boxer if I had to choose. Yay, I'm not the only one! I actually haven't seen King Boxer yet and I don't know why. I've only heard good things about it. I'll have to give it a watch. I'm definitely on board with that one! But even the comedy in Lau Kar-Leung's films can grind my gears. I find most of CAT VS RAT nearly unwatchable. I haven't heard a whole lot of good stuff about Cat Vs. Rat, but I've always wanted to see it. I'm quite curious about it. Also, I have a Fu Sheng bias. I'll watch literally every movie he's in. No kidding? Off the top of your head, what would your 5 (or more) be? Honestly, I've only seen 26 SB movies (I know, shame on me). Half of them are some of the classics and the other half are the movies that no one really talks about (Destiny's Champion, Fast Fingers, The Fighting Fool, HK Playboys). I don't feel like I'm the most qualified to make a Top 5/10 list but out of all the SB movies I've seen, I'd probably say... 1. The Avenging Eagle 2. Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (the fight towards the end between Gordon Liu and Phillip Ko is one of my favorite moments in any kung fu movie ever) 3. 36th Chamber of Shaolin 4. Dirty Ho (don't know why I love this one so much) 5. Five Venoms 6. House of 72 Tenants (odd choice, but this one had great characters, great comedy, and has a nice ending) 7. Heroes of the East (there you go, just missed the Top 5) 8. Five Element Ninjas 9. The Brave Archer 10. Five Shaolin Masters If I had more time to think about it, this list would probably look different. Also, I've only seen Heroes of the East in fullscreen, dubbed. If I had a better viewing of the film, it would easily be ranked higher. Also I have a bias towards the movie because it has a good representation of Japanese culture which I like because...I'm Japanese. Definitely deserves a rewatch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted January 4, 2015 Member Share Posted January 4, 2015 A lot of the descriptions on the IVL/Celestial DVD/VCDs are terrible nonsense. Yeah, kinda noticed that. AJust because someone has steel-taloned claw hands doesn't mean they're a villain. Hell, I have a pair and I'm sweet and cuddly. Or am I?! Bwaha ha ha ha... Yeah, cause everybody knows Freddy Krueger is actually a social worker helping kids in trouble. Anyway, if I got a wrong idea on this badass looking old guy, it's for the best I imagine. AI don't think I've ever met someone that didn't like this movie. Haven't read any negative comment out here on this film so far. AHa ha ha... his characters do seem like they could have been the impetus for the phrase "You bastard!" Lo Lieh has that "villain look." He's one of those guys that I love to hate. It's like he was born to play a villain, but I tend to see him everywhere. I cannot watch five movies without seeing him in one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Killer Meteor Posted January 4, 2015 Member Share Posted January 4, 2015 Rumour has it that Ric Meyers wrote the Celestial blurbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted January 4, 2015 Member Share Posted January 4, 2015 Rumour has it that Ric Meyers wrote the Celestial blurbs. The guy who once said Robert Baker's Petrov from Fist Of Fury was an American ? Great pick guys... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted January 4, 2015 Member Share Posted January 4, 2015 Honestly, I've only seen 26 SB movies (I know, shame on me). Half of them are some of the classics and the other half are the movies that no one really talks about (Destiny's Champion, Fast Fingers, The Fighting Fool, HK Playboys). I don't feel like I'm the most qualified to make a Top 5/10 list but out of all the SB movies I've seen, I'd probably say... 1. The Avenging Eagle 2. Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (the fight towards the end between Gordon Liu and Phillip Ko is one of my favorite moments in any kung fu movie ever) 3. 36th Chamber of Shaolin 4. Dirty Ho (don't know why I love this one so much) 5. Five Venoms 6. House of 72 Tenants (odd choice, but this one had great characters, great comedy, and has a nice ending) 7. Heroes of the East (there you go, just missed the Top 5) 8. Five Element Ninjas 9. The Brave Archer 10. Five Shaolin Masters If I had more time to think about it, this list would probably look different. Also, I've only seen Heroes of the East in fullscreen, dubbed. If I had a better viewing of the film, it would easily be ranked higher. Also I have a bias towards the movie because it has a good representation of Japanese culture which I like because...I'm Japanese. Definitely deserves a rewatch. Solid top 10, I'd say 5 of those could be in my own ever changing top 10. You have to see King Boxer. It doesn't have much in common with Avenging Eagle, but one thing it does, is that it is also a great movie all around. KFB, my feelings on Dirty Ho were the same as yours. The first time I watched it I liked it, but the second time I watched it (with my lady friend), I loved it. Edit: I rewatched Shaolin Mantis this morning. Great movie. I remember the first time I watched it, I felt the ending kind of sprung on and didn't make sense. This time around, I felt it was a great ending. It basically made David Chiang out to just be an innocent guy doing his job and what he thinks is right for his family, and unknowingly being caught in the middle of a Ming/Qing fued. I really enjoyed the downsizing of the scale of the Ming/Qing fued this movie did, good change on an oft used plot. Great acting throughout, but no surprise as there are many solid actors involved. The chemistry between Chiang and Cecilia Wong was great. The fights throughout were even better than I remembered, particularly when David Chiang fought Wilson Tong, and obviously Lau Kar Wing. Easily David Chiangs best fighting performance from what I have seen. There was some great use of shadows, and I loved one of the gut-wrenching deaths.. While it probably isn't a top 10 favorite of mine or anything, its great. I can't really think of any thing bad to say about it. One gripe is that I wish they would have had more action from Lily Li as opposed to the lesser lady-fighter in Cecilia Wong. The "Mantis style" wasn't really a big part of the story, but it was a huge part of the fighting after it was introduced(which was a ways through the movie). The ending was a little jarring, especially the first time I watched it, but the second time, I didn't mind it at all; and felt it fleshed out David Chiangs character more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted January 4, 2015 Member Share Posted January 4, 2015 Human Lanterns (1982) Where do I start with this ? It's AWESOME !!! You get mystery, gore, some comedy (bickering is more like it as it essentially involves the two rich guys), kung fu, sword fighting... There's stuff for pretty much everyone. The best part IMO was Lo Lieh's performance. As opposed to his usual plain bastard persona you love hating, he is delightfully twisted and disturbing. His costume is a bit silly when he uses it in the day, but it's kinda creepy at night. And boy can he throw a fight - the final brawl where he takes on pretty much everybody else is incredible, it feels sorta like some of those epic fight scenes where you have entire armies fighting a few guys (like in some Chang Cheh's movies) - a Shaw Bros trademark brilliantly used. I don't know if I'm alone (or if I'm just some twisted sick f**k like the killer), but I find Lo Lieh's character actually kinda sympathetic - he's driven by revenge, but the guy he wants revenge on is such a prick that I couldn't feel sorry for him. Yeah, Anthony Lau Wing is supposed to be the lead and all, but all I liked about him was his great sword skills - that guy has an ego that makes him obnoxious at points. Chen Kuan Tai makes a good job as Anthony Lau Wing's comedic foil. His character is more interesting (also less obnoxious) and he displays some nice fighting skills as well - his bout with the hitman is very nice. I kept wondering where I had seen the main cop before as his face (especially with that kind of hat) looked awfully familiar - no wonder, this guy was simply... Sun Chien AKA the Scorpion from The Five Venoms. It's just too bad he didn't have more action here. Concerning the cinematography, I found the movie looked strange - the lighter colors seem a bit too bright and it seemed at times that this movie was rather a late 1960s/early 1970s output than a 1982 film (must be a bad restoration job or a bad source)... The music is nothing memorable, but suits the mood. The gore looks a bit strange at times (the fake heads, the overly bright blood in Lo Lieh's lair) but it's also pretty nice at others (the blood dripping in two occurences). Overall: I'd rank this one fairly high in my SB list (not sure where since I'm not sure of my own ranking after the top 3), it was definitely worth watching - and I'll be revisiting this one for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member paimeifist Posted January 4, 2015 Member Share Posted January 4, 2015 Yessssss! One of my top 5 favorites for sure, love this film. I agree with you on Los character, the "heros" are all such assholes, you end up kind of rooting for him.. Although I'd say the ending gave me what I wanted with no one exactly "winning" (except for Chun Fang(Lo Lieh), depending on how you look at it). Glad you got around to this one and liked it man! Just noticed: If you were wondering where my strange avatar was from, now you know! Hahaha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted January 4, 2015 Member Share Posted January 4, 2015 Yessssss! One of my top 5 favorites for sure, love this film. I agree with you on Los character, the "heros" are all such assholes, you end up kind of rooting for him.. Although I'd say the ending gave me what I wanted with no one exactly "winning" (except for Chun Fang(Lo Lieh), depending on how you look at it). Glad you got around to this one and liked it man! I've been rooting for him very early on. I actually liked the other hero (Chen Kuan Tai), but I found the ending very satisfying - I'd say Lo Lieh's character kind of wins, but I'll say no more to avoid spoilers. (and BTW: I didn't like it... I LOVED it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member flashkicks Posted January 4, 2015 Member Share Posted January 4, 2015 Watched 3 Shaws past couple of days: 1) Return of the One Armed Swordsman 2) Avenging Eagle 3) Martial Arts of Shaolin Can't tell you which I preferred out of ROOAS or Avenging Eagle, very close call At this moment in time I agree with paimaifist, Avenging Eagle is excellent and probably edges it But could change next time I watch both Martial Arts of Shaolin was good for a bit of fun Will have to watch Human Lanterns next, if I can find it in my boxes Had that one lurking for a good while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted January 5, 2015 Administrator Share Posted January 5, 2015 Yay, I'm not the only one! I actually haven't seen King Boxer yet and I don't know why. I've only heard good things about it. I'll have to give it a watch. KING BOXER, or FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH as the director prefers it to be called (which is surprising since that's the re-titling it was given upon release in the US), is the very definition of a kung fu classic. It has all the familiar genre conventions done right (training, the "secret skill", great villains, rousing moments of heroism, betrayal, honor), awesome music, a simple, but memorable FX, and wince-inducing fights and falls. Plus, it features Lo Lieh as a good guy, and he's terrific! The actor's skill in "dark performance" does show up here in moments when he's getting revenge. When Lo Lieh gives you that hard stare, you'd most likely almost welcome a quick demise! FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH is one of the earliest SB films I saw, and it still thrills me to this day. Seeing in in 35mm at the New York Asian Film Festival in 2012 (with director Chung Chang-Hwa in attendance) was one of the best movie-going experiences I've had. I cannot recommend it highly enough! Here's the painting I did for Director Chung's Lifetime Achievement award as he receives it. ] ] I haven't heard a whole lot of good stuff about Cat Vs. Rat, but I've always wanted to see it. I'm quite curious about it. Also, I have a Fu Sheng bias. I'll watch literally every movie he's in. I desperately wanted to like it. Hopefully as you are more open to comedy in your kung fu films, you will enjoy it. Honestly, I've only seen 26 SB movies (I know, shame on me). Half of them are some of the classics and the other half are the movies that no one really talks about (Destiny's Champion, Fast Fingers, The Fighting Fool, HK Playboys). I don't feel like I'm the most qualified to make a Top 5/10 list but out of all the SB movies I've seen, I'd probably say... 1. The Avenging Eagle 2. Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (the fight towards the end between Gordon Liu and Phillip Ko is one of my favorite moments in any kung fu movie ever) 3. 36th Chamber of Shaolin 4. Dirty Ho (don't know why I love this one so much) 5. Five Venoms 6. House of 72 Tenants (odd choice, but this one had great characters, great comedy, and has a nice ending) 7. Heroes of the East (there you go, just missed the Top 5) 8. Five Element Ninjas 9. The Brave Archer 10. Five Shaolin Masters Still, that's a great list. The EIGHT DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER fight you mentioned is in my top 10 fights of all time. Love it! I still haven't watched HOUSE OF 72 TENANTS yet, but have always heard that it's a good one. The only one I don't like that made your list is THE BRAVE ARCHER. It bored me to tears. If I had more time to think about it, this list would probably look different. Also, I've only seen Heroes of the East in fullscreen, dubbed. If I had a better viewing of the film, it would easily be ranked higher. Oh no... ouch! Even though I first saw it in the same manner (dozens of times), now that I've seen it widescreen so often it pains me to think of it in a cropped format. Also I have a bias towards the movie because it has a good representation of Japanese culture which I like because...I'm Japanese. Definitely deserves a rewatch. That aspect of it always appealed to me too. Though I love to see the red stuff fly, I found this film's lack of killing and fair(er) treatment of the Japanese people refreshing. Lo Lieh has that "villain look." He's one of those guys that I love to hate. It's like he was born to play a villain, but I tend to see him everywhere. I cannot watch five movies without seeing him in one of them. Yeah, I wouldn't trust a guy with a mug like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Morgoth Bauglir Posted January 5, 2015 Member Share Posted January 5, 2015 Human Lanterns (1982) Where do I start with this ? It's AWESOME !!! You get mystery, gore, some comedy (bickering is more like it as it essentially involves the two rich guys), kung fu, sword fighting... There's stuff for pretty much everyone. The best part IMO was Lo Lieh's performance. As opposed to his usual plain bastard persona you love hating, he is delightfully twisted and disturbing. His costume is a bit silly when he uses it in the day, but it's kinda creepy at night. And boy can he throw a fight - the final brawl where he takes on pretty much everybody else is incredible, it feels sorta like some of those epic fight scenes where you have entire armies fighting a few guys (like in some Chang Cheh's movies) - a Shaw Bros trademark brilliantly used. I don't know if I'm alone (or if I'm just some twisted sick f**k like the killer), but I find Lo Lieh's character actually kinda sympathetic - he's driven by revenge, but the guy he wants revenge on is such a prick that I couldn't feel sorry for him. Yeah, Anthony Lau Wing is supposed to be the lead and all, but all I liked about him was his great sword skills - that guy has an ego that makes him obnoxious at points. Chen Kuan Tai makes a good job as Anthony Lau Wing's comedic foil. His character is more interesting (also less obnoxious) and he displays some nice fighting skills as well - his bout with the hitman is very nice. I kept wondering where I had seen the main cop before as his face (especially with that kind of hat) looked awfully familiar - no wonder, this guy was simply... Sun Chien AKA the Scorpion from The Five Venoms. It's just too bad he didn't have more action here. Concerning the cinematography, I found the movie looked strange - the lighter colors seem a bit too bright and it seemed at times that this movie was rather a late 1960s/early 1970s output than a 1982 film (must be a bad restoration job or a bad source)... The music is nothing memorable, but suits the mood. The gore looks a bit strange at times (the fake heads, the overly bright blood in Lo Lieh's lair) but it's also pretty nice at others (the blood dripping in two occurences). Overall: I'd rank this one fairly high in my SB list (not sure where since I'm not sure of my own ranking after the top 3), it was definitely worth watching - and I'll be revisiting this one for sure. You got me thinking here. Maybe Lo Lieh was actually a nicer guy than Lau Wing and CKT. We don't get much of a backstory. Maybe he was a great guy before he plotted his revenge. He's obviously a villain, but next time I watch I'm gonna think of Lo Lieh as the good guy and see how it plays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted January 5, 2015 Member Share Posted January 5, 2015 KING BOXER, or FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH as the director prefers it to be called (which is surprising since that's the re-titling it was given upon release in the US), is the very definition of a kung fu classic. It has all the familiar genre conventions done right (training, the "secret skill", great villains, rousing moments of heroism, betrayal, honor), awesome music, a simple, but memorable FX, and wince-inducing fights and falls. Plus, it features Lo Lieh as a good guy, and he's terrific! The actor's skill in "dark performance" does show up here in moments when he's getting revenge. When Lo Lieh gives you that hard stare, you'd most likely almost welcome a quick demise! FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH is one of the earliest SB films I saw, and it still thrills me to this day. Seeing in in 35mm at the New York Asian Film Festival in 2012 (with director Chung Chang-Hwa in attendance) was one of the best movie-going experiences I've had. I cannot recommend it highly enough! Here's the painting I did for Director Chung's Lifetime Achievement award as he receives it. ] ] Great artwork, man. And it's terrific the star of the picture could have a copy. And now I know I HAVE to watch this one. Great, as though I hadn't watched enough SB lately... Yeah man! HUMAN LANTERNS (and it's more descriptive aka. HUMAN SKIN LANTERNS) is where it's at. Yup, and if Human Lanterns is a sample of what horror movies from SB are like (though it actually seems to be the finest piece in that department), I guess I know what direction to take - I'll just have to clone everything in my life (myself, the money, the equipment to watch movies) so that I can ALSO enjoy their period pieces and their MA stuff. I get it. Though the guy was going about his "self therapy" in a waaaaay wrong manner, I did feel sympathetic to his character's plight. Well, he didn't sound that bad - unless his old lamps were also made of human skin. Where did all that blood and those corpses come from anyway ? I feel that way almost every time I see him in a movie. Like, is that it? That's all he gets to do? That sure was disappointing. And... are you implying there are other films where he is way underused ?! It has sort of a Mario Bava look to it, don't you think? I have the IVL/Celestial release, and I did notice the things you mentioned. I didn't feel the Mario Bava vibe (in spite of being a big fan of that director), but HL certainly has at times a kinda strange eerie atmosphere that you also get from some of Bava's films. A custom I've seen, that uses the French release of the film as it's main source, seemed to look better in this regard. The fan custom version is great- "UNCUT COMPOSITE version of Sun Chung's Shaw Brothers horror classic! Sourced from French PAL DVD (16x9 anamorphic progressive) and HK DVD for the missing scene (converted to proper progressive PAL 16x9). All versions are missing either the beginning or the ending of the skin peeling shot but this version puts them together into a complete shot (notice a colour-shift when the new footage starts), making this the most complete version you will get anywhere as of this writing. About the re-encoding, the video is only re-encoded for the re-inserted scene. Rest is original. Subtitles are ripped from the UK DVD and re-timed to fit. - Knetan" That bootleg/custom version sound nice. Is the missing scene in the official IVL version ? I don't have the French release of the film, only the IVL one - but we sure see a lot of Lo Lieh's work on the skin of his victims. You got me thinking here. Maybe Lo Lieh was actually a nicer guy than Lau Wing and CKT. We don't get much of a backstory. Maybe he was a great guy before he plotted his revenge. He's obviously a villain, but next time I watch I'm gonna think of Lo Lieh as the good guy and see how it plays. Well, ALW has that OTT villain laughter that randomly comes up, even at strange times. And he took away his love and his pride when defeating Lo Lieh in combat... From the little we get on him, I feel kinda sorry for Lo Lieh's character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member flashkicks Posted January 5, 2015 Member Share Posted January 5, 2015 Wow dude, you are watching one classic after another! You're going to get spoiled. I think I am already spoiled Today im going to try to watch the 36th Chamber films, including Disciples of Shaolin About Human Lanterns Apparently my UK DVD is cut of 24 seconds of "skin peeling" God only knows what this means but sounds horrible Though im normally averse to watching cut horror films, I doubt 24s of it will detract from the overall experience of Human Lanterns too much. Im guessing theres more to it than a bit of skin peeling! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.