Member HAZ Posted December 15, 2007 Member Share Posted December 15, 2007 Thought this was a charming swordplay film. Severed heads didn't figure as much into things as the title would suggest, but I still liked it. The plot was easy enough to follow. The sets were nice. So much of it was filmed outdoors. I've seen Chiao Chiao in a bunch of films. I think I've never given her enough due. There was one plot point that had me confused: Why does Luo Hongxun turn down Billian's proposal of marriage? Here is a link to a good review: http://www.beyondhollywood.com/heads-for-sale-1970-movie-review/ I won't say this is essential, but it's by no means a crappy film. What do other people have to say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 This was quite a disappointment for me. I couldn't recommend it I'm afraid. Not that it's crap or anything... Severed heads didn't figure as much into things as the title would suggest I only counted two, I think. Chiao does yell "heads for sale" at one point though... lol I've seen Chiao Chiao in a bunch of films. I think I've never given her enough due. Recently watched her in The Eunuch, but that film wasn't much good either. There was one plot point that had me confused: Why does Luo Hongxun turn down Billian's proposal of marriage? It's never made clear. I think it's suggested it's because of her father, who was a notorious robber. I thought she was cute, I would've said 'yes'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Mark Pollard Posted July 11, 2008 Member Share Posted July 11, 2008 How can you not like this movie? Simon Hsu's choreography is incredible. I'll have a review up shortly. For now, check out this exclusive trailer. The action speaks for itself. Enjoy. PoPYxfJgvmI A high-resolution version is available on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoPYxfJgvmI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted July 11, 2008 Administrator Share Posted July 11, 2008 Mark, that trailer sold me. I'll buy it tomorrow! Did you put that together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Mark Pollard Posted July 11, 2008 Member Share Posted July 11, 2008 Yes I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted July 11, 2008 Administrator Share Posted July 11, 2008 Sweet. I'm really looking forward to seeing the film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Morgoth Bauglir Posted July 11, 2008 Member Share Posted July 11, 2008 Yeah it looks sweet. Is there a US release of this coming out, or is it just overseas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Mark Pollard Posted July 11, 2008 Member Share Posted July 11, 2008 No U.S. release as far as I know. A smart distrib should pick it up. I honestly was not expecting anything special out of this release and was very pleasantly surprised. The action choreography makes it worth while. HKFlix, Yesasia, etc. carry IVL's region 3 version. Review: http://www.kungfucinema.com/?p=2504 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member bobo Posted July 11, 2008 Member Share Posted July 11, 2008 hi--just thought i would throw this in. i've never seen this movie either and i have to admit it looks pretty good. once again i have to ask--as this movie is always on the lost dubbed shaws list has anyone ever seen the dub version or can prove that it ever existed? just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member SamuraiDana Posted July 11, 2008 Member Share Posted July 11, 2008 The highlights of this for me were Simon Hsu's fight choreography and Chiao Chiao's chance to shine as a swordswoman lead herself after years of taking on the loyal girlfriend part in Jimmy Wang Yu movies. She seems to really be having a good time. There's a big fight at the end at the bad guys' fortress with lots of combatants. It's no classic, but so what? It's fast-paced throwaway entertainment of the type that Shaw excelled at and there's never a dull moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member peringaten Posted July 11, 2008 Member Share Posted July 11, 2008 Um, thought it was alright. Didn't really rise above the standard Shaw swordplays of the time exceptionally (not really a great criticism; early Shaw swordplays are tooooo nice). Thought Cheng Chang Ho's other swordplays of the era stood out a little to much better. Swift Knight was ok, Six Assassins was lovely (nice photography for sure). Valley Of The Fangs was fricken awesome - classic that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member shaolin swords Posted January 25, 2011 Member Share Posted January 25, 2011 i just saw i clip of heads for sale on youtube and it looked like a really good movie.just wanted to know how was the whole movie start from end those that saw it let me know.thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shawoholic Posted January 25, 2011 Member Share Posted January 25, 2011 hmm...it`s typical shaw wu xia movie,there is nothing worth special mention....Flicks about similar quality have been made dozens at late 60`s and early 70`s...if you are into swordplay stuff it`s worth getting definitely:angel: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member bobo Posted January 25, 2011 Member Share Posted January 25, 2011 it was a good movie---as it always appears on the lost dub shaw list i would really like to the dubbed version some day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member vengeanceofhumanlanterns Posted January 26, 2011 Member Share Posted January 26, 2011 If you like shaws late sixties wuxia it's definitely worth getting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member 无名无行 Posted January 27, 2011 Member Share Posted January 27, 2011 hmm...it`s typical shaw wu xia movie,there is nothing worth special mention....Flicks about similar quality have been made dozens at late 60`s and early 70`s...if you are into swordplay stuff it`s worth getting definitely:angel: All true. Not a bad flick at all, but not anything really standout either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WuxiaFan Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 hmm...it`s typical shaw wu xia movie,there is nothing worth special mention....Flicks about similar quality have been made dozens at late 60`s and early 70`s...if you are into swordplay stuff it`s worth getting definitely:angel: All true. Not a bad flick at all' date=' but not anything really standout either.[/quote'] Couldn't disagree more. HEADS FOR SALE, IMO, is one of the best SBs wuxia classics in their libary. This is not that well known, but definitely a classic swordplay film. Highly recommended. Please read Mark Pollard's review here: http://www.kungfucinema.com/heads-for-sale-1970-2504 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member shaolin swords Posted January 28, 2011 Member Share Posted January 28, 2011 thanks for the info on the movie to every body........but from what i saw on the movie it looked really good im definitly going to buy heads for sale.and the clip i saw on youtube was crazy.she was fighting a whole bunch of guys and starts chopping heads off with her sword she was fighting with holding a head in her hand and her sword in the other.that was just crazy im definitly going to buy this.thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Shawoholic Posted January 28, 2011 Member Share Posted January 28, 2011 Couldn't disagree more. HEADS FOR SALE, IMO, is one of the best SBs wuxia classics in their libary. This is not that well known, but definitely a classic swordplay film. Highly recommended. Please read Mark Pollard's review here: http://www.kungfucinema.com/heads-for-sale-1970-2504 I check it again in very near future.I watched it in wuxia marathon with very hard hitting company (trilogy of swordmanship,duel for gold,knight of knights,heroic ones&the assassin) and while I liked it then it did not give any special excitement.Maybe I was bit numb of so many wu xias in one evening? I`ll post updated opinion after finish 24#8 and have time to see HFS again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted May 11, 2012 Member Share Posted May 11, 2012 After reading Mark Pollard's review (below) I was more than anxious to see this movie. My friend gave me a gift of it a few day's ago. I watched it and was blown away. One of the best Wuxia I have seen in awhile. The movie had me doing many a uuuuu, aahhhhhh, and wow's..This rarely happens to me anymore. For those who have not seen Heads for Sale give yourself a treat and get a copy and enjoy. GD Y-Y REVIEW w/ SPOILER ALERTS. By Mark Pollard Classic wuxia action doesn’t get much better than HEADS FOR SALE, a deliriously entertaining swordplay adventure from Shaw Brothers and Korean director Jeong Chang-hwa (KING BOXER). Chiao Chiao is a headstrong swordswoman and Korean actor Chen Liang is her would-be lover, both of whom are drawn into conflict with a murderous gang and a corrupt official. Plentiful martial arts with limited live effects and ridiculously long takes from action director Simon Hsu provides some of the finest and most proficient fight work to ever come off of the Shaw lot. Yeh I Fang’s script features a conventional plot enhanced by a few twists and a lot of extremely good action sequences. Jeong, an experienced director who largely worked outside of the martial arts genre proves to have an unusually sophisticated grasp on how to shoot a wuxia film, particularly during the transitional period when the genre’s display of swordplay was evolving rapidly from stiff Chinese opera routines to more artful and bloody exchanges tailored for widescreen feature film. Jeong went on to even greater success with the kung fu genre when he helmed the international smash hit KING BOXER, aka FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH, the first Chinese kung fu movie to be distributed in the U.S. Two things set HEADS FOR SALE apart from the multitude of swordplay movies coming out of Hong Kong and Taiwan at the time. The macabre title refers to an unusual sequence where Chiao Chiao cuts off the heads of two hired thugs and uses them to get a doctor and herself thrown in jail where Chen Liang lies wounded after being framed for a crime he didn’t commit and beaten. This involves parading one of the heads around town to gain the attention of the local official. It’s a grisly business for a knight errant, especially a female but fitting for the tone of the film’s violent action. The title and the hook it refers to may be a little misleading to prospective viewers hoping to see a lot of gory grindhouse excess. Unlike HUMAN LANTERNS where director Sun Chung intentionally combined horror with wuxia convention, HEADS FOR SALE is strictly swordplay action with a touch of campy, extreme violence. Apart from two beheadings, an arm is removed and a couple chambara-style arterial blood sprays erupt. The other element of distinction is the action itself. This is one of the first films choreographed by Simon Hsu, an action director I continually gain respect for every time I see more of his work. He first came to my attention for an outstanding sequence in Chor Yuen’s erotic wuxia masterpiece INTIMATE CONFESSIONS OF A CHINESE COURTESAN. In the scene, one of the leading ladies engages in a long panning sequence of sword attacks against many opponents. I first saw this on the big screen at a festival screening and it blew me away. It seems that this trick is Hsu’s calling card for HEADS FOR SALE contains even longer and more complex fight arrangements that, in relative terms, make most post-production dependent martial arts action produced today look like child’s play. Any pudknocker with a free video editor can paste a series of two-second action and reaction shots together. Stringing together a series of 10-second action clips with a dozen or more synchronized stunt actors running around in front of the screen is another story. For a great action sequence that does not rely on trick editing there is a symbiotic relationship that must exist between the camera, the stunt performers and the action director and never have I seen such a cohesive bond between the three. It says something that a Korean director, a Japanese cinematographer (Tadashi Mishimoto) and a Chinese action director can together produce action so flawlessly. The secret to their success is simple. They’re all uniquely gifted individuals as their other work proves. Mishimoto was photo point man on King Hu’s COME DRINK WITH ME and applies much of the same visual finesse here. Chiao Chiao and Chen Liang both give excellent performances for not being trained martial artists but again, it’s the crew behind the camera that make the action special. There are several fights that are up there with the best of any swordplay action choreographed by Lau Kar-leung or Tong Gaai. In each case, the sequence employs 10 to 15 movements in a group setting, often with the perfectly-placed camera smoothly swooping in or sideways while effortlessly shifting to track different individuals in a single take. Exceptional use of foreground objects is also shown, both with stationary objects and extras. It’s not often we get to see such stylized and sophisticated camera operation in a Hong Kong movie from this era and it shows why Mishimoto was in such high demand. Japanese DPs were the masters of creating and making the most of perspective and depth, a skill no doubt not lost on the Shaw Brothers. Wires are used occasionally and even can be seen at one point but Hsu never abuses them. As far as wirework goes for the time, it’s all quite impressively staged. Trampolines and some live-action effects work is also employed to add flavor. All the effects are complimentary and only serve to enliven the stunt work, not dominate it like some of the more fantasy-oriented wuxia films. As for martial arts techniques, some fanciful qigong is shown with iron head and iron skin tricks. Most of the action is dominated by straight sword handling with direct mortal strikes versus a lot of sparring as more often seen in later films. As with many of the wuxia films of the era, it shows the strong influence of Japanese chambara movies and Japanese sword techniques. Quite a lot of kicking is thrown in as well, more so than usually seen in wuxia film. I want to add mention of Wang Hsieh, a stock character actor for SB who is usually cast as a simple villain. He fairs better this time by portraying a veteran sword hero torn between honor-bound duty to the corrupt official for a past favor and friendship to Ching Miao who plays Chiao Chiao’s father. This provides an added layer of depth to the story by telling us the young heroes exist in a larger world made up of people with their own interests. What’s nice though is that it’s done without resorting to the parade of characters so common in Chor Yuen’s big screen adaptations of Gu Long novels. It is amazing how much content is packed into 80 minutes. HEADS FOR SALE barrels along at a fast clip but is so finely directed and edited that it feels like you’re getting more entertainment value than you really are. The pacing is almost perfect. I say almost because the moderate undercranking of the action sequences occasionally changes speed. There’s just a touch of humor, romance and drama and an agreeably disproportionate amount of action. In broader context, the movie could be considered flawed in its simplistic character development and its rather plain production design. Likewise, Chiao Chiao’s willingness to murder just to get a doctor to her ailing lover is morally suspect but this isn’t a character study. This is a true action-oriented wuxia movie that puts first-rate swordplay and pure genre fun at the top of the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member teako170 Posted May 12, 2012 Member Share Posted May 12, 2012 Watched this last December. I thought it was above-average for the era; nothing great but still decent enough. The title is a bit misleading as not a whole lot of "head selling" occurred. Once or twice, maybe? But I have to admit, that title is certainly a grabber. Certainly worthy of a re-watch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShawAngela Posted June 25, 2015 Member Share Posted June 25, 2015 I just rewatched this one and enjoyed it maybe more than when I had watched it a few years ago. Chiao Chiao is excellent, and Wang Hsieh's brief appearance is worth for his good fights. The fights are very good as well as the choreography. Worth watching !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member bobo Posted June 26, 2015 Member Share Posted June 26, 2015 i have seen the sub titled version and really liked it. the English version played on tv in Africa and celestial told me that the dubbed version will be available in north America but so far still waiting. I thought for sure it would have been on el rey by now. just have to be patient I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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