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Shaw Brothers Movies based on 'The Water Margin' Novel


Shaw Scope Guy

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Shaw Scope Guy

Can anyone confirm the exact number in this series (7 Blows of the Dragon). I seem to think there are 4 in this series, but I am not sure. Also, could you provide the a.k.a. for each. Many thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Shaw Scope Guy

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I only know of 3

The Water Margin aka 7 Blows of the Dragon

All Men are Brothers aka 7 Blows of the Dragon 2 aka & Soldiers of Kung Fu

Outlaw of the Forest aka Delightful Forest aka 7 Blows of the Dragon 3

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If you want to get techincal about it, the story in the Trilogy of Swordsmanship is based on one of the Water Margin legends...

and I believe Tiger Killer. I may be wrong about TK, though.

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Ti Lung plays Wu Song in four of the films being discussed here. TIGER KILLER (1982) is actually a prequel to DELIGHTFUL FOREST (1972) and details the events that led to Wu Song being arrested and taken prisoner in DELIGHTFUL FOREST. So, ideally, you should watch TIGER KILLER first and then DELIGHTFUL FOREST. Both WATER MARGIN (1972) and ALL MEN ARE BROTHERS (1973) take place well after the other films, after Wu Song has joined the 108 Outlaws.

All kung fu fans should read the book which forms the basis for these movies. My copy is a two-volume edition called "Outlaws of the Marsh," published by Indiana University Press in 1981 and translated by Stanley Shapiro. For those of us who've seen so many kung fu films, visualizing the events and settings of the book will come quite easy. You'll immediately recognize so many things that are familiar to you from the movies you've seen over the years.

I should also point out that SEVEN BLOWS OF THE DRAGON is about 40 minutes shorter than THE WATER MARGIN. THE WATER MARGIN is now out on R1 DVD (from Image, I believe). So there's no reason not to see the original version.

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gravedigger666

I should also point out that SEVEN BLOWS OF THE DRAGON is about 40 minutes shorter than THE WATER MARGIN. THE WATER MARGIN is now out on R1 DVD (from Image, I believe). So there's no reason not to see the original version.

Seven Blows is less boring than Water Margin.

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Shaw Scope Guy
Ti Lung plays Wu Song in four of the films being discussed here. TIGER KILLER (1982) is actually a prequel to DELIGHTFUL FOREST (1972) and details the events that led to Wu Song being arrested and taken prisoner in DELIGHTFUL FOREST. So, ideally, you should watch TIGER KILLER first and then DELIGHTFUL FOREST. Both WATER MARGIN (1972) and ALL MEN ARE BROTHERS (1973) take place well after the other films, after Wu Song has joined the 108 Outlaws.

All kung fu fans should read the book which forms the basis for these movies. My copy is a two-volume edition called "Outlaws of the Marsh," published by Indiana University Press in 1981 and translated by Stanley Shapiro. For those of us who've seen so many kung fu films, visualizing the events and settings of the book will come quite easy. You'll immediately recognize so many things that are familiar to you from the movies you've seen over the years.

I should also point out that SEVEN BLOWS OF THE DRAGON is about 40 minutes shorter than THE WATER MARGIN. THE WATER MARGIN is now out on R1 DVD (from Image, I believe). So there's no reason not to see the original version.

A very informative replySamuraiDana, thank you so much. You guys here on this board do know your kung fu genre. I knew there were more movies in this series, but I just couldn't put them together. It is a bit confusing if you watch these movies out of order like I have through the years. Many thanks to all for all the great info!

Cheers,

Shaw Scope Guys

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These films are all very good. I was surprised the first time I saw All Men Are Brothers how many of the main characters ended up.

:l

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Necroposting here, but wanted to share these images... IIRC, tho Roger Corman's cut was shorter than the original, wasn't footage shot specifically for the U.S. version?

7Blows1.thumb.jpg.38c11c0d3b211558ca429d913b401012.jpg7Blows2.thumb.jpg.8e2f0713eb6a983713e429b5766fef1c.jpg7Blows3.thumb.jpg.4af8c7872622b5217aff00c934fbeeb6.jpg

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On 2/21/2017 at 6:08 AM, ThunderScore said:

Necroposting here, but wanted to share these images... IIRC, tho Roger Corman's cut was shorter than the original, wasn't footage shot specifically for the U.S. version?

7Blows1.thumb.jpg.38c11c0d3b211558ca429d913b401012.jpg7Blows2.thumb.jpg.8e2f0713eb6a983713e429b5766fef1c.jpg7Blows3.thumb.jpg.4af8c7872622b5217aff00c934fbeeb6.jpg

 

I think it was either some nudity or sex scenes, if I remember correctly. I have the VHS somewhere. 

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On 2/21/2017 at 8:08 AM, ThunderScore said:

wasn't footage shot specifically for the U.S. version?

7 Blows of the Dragon has an extended sex scene with Tin Ching that was cut in the Hong Kong version. I have no idea if it was cut for Hong Kong, or if it was never intended to be in that version, but it was definitely shot at the same time as the film. Flashbacks of that scene are used later in the film when Lu Chun I is getting flogged. But other than that the US cut just dispenses with extended talking scenes etc. The cut scene starts at 14:34 and goes to 15:05 on this upload of the 7 Blows version:

 

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Killer Meteor

The HK version of Shaw's The Water Margin makes use of Uriah Heap's prog-rock classic Salisbury - not excatly the music one would pick for a film of a Chinese classic, but damn, it's good music!

 

The film also has more capture/escape/recapture then a Doctor Who serial!

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On 2/23/2017 at 10:55 AM, panku said:

7 Blows of the Dragon has an extended sex scene with Tin Ching that was cut in the Hong Kong version. I have no idea if it was cut for Hong Kong, or if it was never intended to be in that version, but it was definitely shot at the same time as the film. Flashbacks of that scene are used later in the film when Lu Chun I is getting flogged. But other than that the US cut just dispenses with extended talking scenes etc. The cut scene starts at 14:34 and goes to 15:05 on this upload of the 7 Blows version:

 

 

 

I would assume we have a "stunt" double for the girl since it does not show her face in the same shot as showing her naked? :smile

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I noticed that one of the bandits is called nicknamed Winged Tiger. Could it be that it his story that is told in the Shaws' The winged tiger with Chen Hung Lieh ? I remember that there was a story of stolen book or something like that...

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