US films

[falkor]

I wanted to ask you experienced fans of proper Kung Fu films shot in the Far East whether you can come up with a comprehensive list of martial arts films produced in the USA? Obviously, Enter The Dragon is where it all started for both HK and USA films, but then HK has it's Big Boss, From The Highway and even B&W Cantonese Swordsplays as well as Wong Fei Hung. USA has its Blood On The Sun, Billy Jack and even You Only Live Twice. Everything changed when Bloodsport was released featuring Bolo and Roy Chiao among other HK actors. What other classics were there between Enter The Dragon (1973) and Bloodsport (1987)? What good B movies are there from the 90s?

Does anyone have access to IMDB Pro? Is it possible to query the following:

Country = USA

Genre = Martial Arts

Order By Year.

[SamuraiDana]

You might want to check out Cynthia Rothrock's films. She left Hong Kong around 1990 and came to the U.S. to make low-budget martial arts films, the first two being CHINA O'BRIEN and CHINA O'BRIEN 2, both directed by Robert Clouse, of ENTER THE DRAGON fame and made in, I believe, 1990-91. I remember thinking they weren't bad. Her co-star is Richard Norton and they're both pretty good, even if the action is a far cry from the stuff Rothrock and Norton did in their HK films. (Check them out in SHANGHAI EXPRESS.)

As for the later U.S.-made Rothrock films, I can't think of any titles offhand I'd recommend, even if I have seen a few.

Then there's Don "The Dragon" Wilson, a martial arts champ, like Rothrock, who found a career in low-budget films. He made the BLOODFIST series for Roger Corman in the 1990s, with BLOODFIST III set in prison being the best of the ones I've seen. Also he made one called RED SUN RISING some time in the mid-1990s that I remember enjoying a great deal.

[falkor]

I think Richard Norton, Keith Cook and Cynthia are pretty good martial artists, though I really don't like the China O'Briens very much.

I met Don Wilson, but I don't like him (he's got too much of an ego). The Bloodfists seem poor rip-offs of Bloodsport. However, Billy Blanks is pretty good I reckon...

[HyperDrive]

Good question... Rough list though:l

The Octagon - 1980

An Eye for an Eye - 1981

Enter the Ninja - 1981

The Challenge - 1982

Forced Vengence - 1982

Silent Rage - 1982

Revenge of the Ninja - 1983

Ninja III:The Domination - 1984

Karate Kid - 1984 (Part II - 1986, Part III - 1989)

American Ninja - 1985

Nine Deaths of the Ninja - 1985

Pray for Death - 1985

Barry Gordy's The Last Dragon - 1985

No Retreat, No Surrender - 1986

[Morgoth Bauglir]

One b movie must see is The Killing Man with Jeff Wincott.

[Guest Markgway]

There were LOADS of martial arts films produced in the USA between 1973-1987.

Norris, Kosugi, Dudikoff, etc... A good start would be to note down their filmographies and pull out the MA titles.

Of course a lot of these films starred less famous people... and then there's more mainstream stuff like The Yakuza and The Killer Elite.

If you want to get technical China O'Brien and No Retreat No Surrender were shot in the USA but aren't really USA productions.

EDIT: COB might be a US co-production.

[falkor]

Good question... Rough list though:l

Enter the Ninja - 1981

Revenge of the Ninja - 1983

Nine Deaths of the Ninja - 1985

Pray for Death - 1985

I don't remember these being any good, so not sure what to make of the rest of your list. As US productions do any of these 4 appeal to anyone else?

[falkor]

Norris, Kosugi, Dudikoff, etc... A good start would be to note down their filmographies and pull out the MA titles.

What's the best thing Norris ever appeared in on his home turf? Has Kasugi done anything half decent atleast?

[AlbertV]

COB is actually a US-HK production and they actually shot the films back-to-back in 1988 & 1989, but released them in 1991 and 1992. If you see the very end of the credits for COB1, it says ©1988 and COB2 © 1989, but they opted to release them in 1991 to capitalize on Rothrock's impending fame in the B-movie circuit. The fight choreographer for both films actually wasn't from Hong Kong, but actually a British martial artist named Nijel, who appeared in the 1st film as China's assistant in the opening and helps her in that street fight against those thugs, where she thinks she is teaching that one kid..

[falkor]

This is the best I can do, though I cannot get it to sort in chronological order:

http://www.imdb.com/List?keywords=martial-arts&&tv=on&&heading=8%3Bmartial-arts%3BUSA/&&countries=USA&&nav=/Sections/Countries/USA/include-commongenres&&skip=0#more

[falkor]

I found a way of getting old martial arts films from any country:

http://www.imdb.com/keyword/martial-arts/?start=1851&sort=date

[bruceleeclones]

I tried doing a search on IMDB for american martial arts movies from 1970 to 1990, this is the list it come back with, dont know if its any help

"Master, The" (1984) TV Series

...aka "Master Ninja" (1984) (USA: video title)

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1987/I) TV Series

...aka "Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles" (1987) (UK)

...aka "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Series" (1987) (USA)

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1987/II) TV Series

24 Hours to Midnight (1985)

3 Little Ninjas and the Lost Treasure (1990)

...aka Little Ninjas (1990) (USA: video title)

Above the Law (1988)

...aka Nico (1988) (UK: cable TV title)

...aka Nico: Above the Law (1988) (Australia)

Action Jackson (1988)

Alley Cat (1984)

American Ninja (1985)

American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987)

American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt (1989)

American Ninja 4: The Annihilation (1990)

Angel Town (1990)

Any Which Way You Can (1980)

Avenging Force (1986)

Bamboo Gods and Iron Men (1974)

...aka Black Kung Fu (1974) (USA: video title)

Batman (1989)

Best of the Best (1989)

Big Brawl, The (1980)

...aka Battle Creek (1980)

...aka Battle Creek Brawl (1980)

...aka Sha shou hao (1980)

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

...aka John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China (1986) (USA: complete title)

Billy Jack (1971)

Bimini Code (1984)

...aka Raiders of the Lost Code (1984) (UK: video title)

Black Belt Jones (1974)

Black Eagle (1988)

Black Rain (1989/I)

Black Samson (1974)

Black Samurai (1977)

...aka Black Terminator (1977)

...aka Freeze Bomb, The (1977) (Europe: English title)

Blade Runner (1982)

Blind Fury (1989)

Bloodfist (1989)

Bloodfist II (1990)

Bloodsport (1988)

Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988)

Breaker! Breaker! (1977)

...aka Breaker, Breaker (1977)

...aka Cindy Jo & the Texas Turnaround (1977)

Cage (1989)

...aka Sgt. Billy Thomas: Cage (1989) (Philippines: English title)

Cannonball! (1976)

...aka Carquake (1976) (UK)

Challenge, The (1982)

...aka Equals (1982)

...aka Sword of the Ninja (1982)

China O'Brien (1990)

Circle of Iron (1978)

...aka Silent Flute, The (1978)

Cleopatra Jones (1973)

Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975)

...aka Nu jin gang dou kuang long nu (1975) (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

Club Life (1986)

...aka King of the City (1986)

Coffy (1973)

College Kickboxers (1990)

...aka Trained to Fight (1990)

Commando (1985)

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Covert Action (1988)

Crazies, The (1973)

...aka Code Name: Trixie (1973)

...aka Mad People, The (1973)

Dead Pool, The (1988)

...aka Dirty Harry in The Dead Pool (1988) (USA: poster title)

Deadly Art of Survival, The (1979)

Death Dimension (1978)

...aka Black Eliminator (1978)

...aka Dead Dimension (1978)

...aka Death Dimensions (1978)

...aka Freeze Bomb (1978)

...aka Icy Death (1978)

...aka Kill Factor, The (1978)

Death Promise (1977)

...aka Enter the White Dragon (1978) (Philippines: English title)

...aka Pay-Off Time (1977) (UK: video title)

...aka Slumfighter (1977) (USA)

Death Warrant (1990)

Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection (1990)

...aka Delta Force 2 (1990) (USA: short title)

...aka Delta Force 2: Operation Stranglehold (1990)

Delta Force, The (1986)

...aka Mahatz Ha-Delta (1986) (Israel: Hebrew title)

Disco Godfather (1979)

...aka Avenging Disco Godfather (1979)

...aka Avenging Godfather (1979)

Double Dragon (1988) (VG)

Double Dragon II: The Revenge (1989/II) (VG)

Dynamite Brothers (1974)

...aka Dynamite Brown (1974)

...aka Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1974) (Australia)

...aka Stud Brown (1974)

Eliminators (1986)

Enter the Ninja (1981)

...aka Ninja I (1981)

Every Which Way But Loose (1978)

Eye for an Eye, An (1981)

Fighter, The (1987)

...aka Kick Fighter, The (1987)

Fighting Black Kings (1976)

Fire in the Night (1986)

Firecracker (1981)

...aka Naked Fist (1981)

Fist Fighter (1989)

...aka A puño libro (1989) (Spain)

...aka A puño limpio (1989) (Spain)

...aka Peleador a puño libro (1989) (Mexico)

Fist of Fear, Touch of Death (1980)

...aka Dragon and the Cobra, The (1991) (USA: video title)

...aka Fist of Fear (1980) (USA: video box title)

Fly Me (1973)

Force of One, A (1979)

Forced Vengeance (1982)

Foxy Brown (1974)

Gang Wars (1976)

...aka Death Express (1976) (UK)

...aka Devil's Express (1976)

Golden Child, The (1986)

Good Guys Wear Black (1978)

Green Hornet, The (1974)

Gymkata (1985)

Highlander (1986)

Hit List (1989)

Hot Potato (1976)

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Instructor, The (1983)

Invasion U.S.A. (1985)

...aka Invasion USA (1985) (UK)

Jaguar Lives! (1979)

...aka Felino, El (1980) (Spain)

Karate Kiba (1976)

...aka Bodyguard, The (1978) (USA: recut version)

...aka Viva Chiba the Bodyguard (1976)

Karate Kid, Part II, The (1986)

Karate Kid, Part III, The (1989)

Kick or Die (1987)

...aka No Hard Feelings (1987)

Kickboxer (1989)

Kill and Kill Again (1981)

Kill or Be Killed (1980)

...aka Karate Killer (1980) (USA)

...aka Karate Olympia (1980) (South Africa: English title)

Kill Squad (1982)

...aka Code of Honor (1982)

Kill the Golden Goose (1979)

...aka Kill the Golden Ninja (1979)

Kindergarten Cop (1990)

King of the Kickboxers, The (1990)

...aka Karate Tiger 4 (1990) (Europe: English title)

...aka No Retreat, No Surrender 4 (1990)

Kung Fu (1972) (TV)

Kung Fu: The Movie (1986) (TV)

Kárate, el Colt y el impostor, El (1974)

...aka Blood Money (1974/I)

...aka Long hu zou tian ya (1974) (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

...aka Là dove non batte il sole (1975) (Italy)

...aka Stranger and the Gunfighter, The (1974)

Last Dragon, The (1985)

...aka Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon (1985)

Last Ninja, The (1983) (TV)

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Licence to Kill (1989)

Lionheart (1990)

...aka A.W.O.L.: Absent Without Leave (1990) (UK)

Living Daylights, The (1987)

Lone Wolf McQuade (1983)

...aka Man Without Fear, A (1985) (Philippines: English title)

Long zheng hu dou jing wu hun (1975)

...aka Black Dragon Revenges the Death of Bruce Lee, The (1975) (UK: video title)

...aka Black Dragon's Revenge (1975)

...aka Death of Bruce Lee (1975) (International: English title)

...aka Lung chang foo dau cheng miu wan (1975) (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

...aka Revenge of the Black Dragon (1975)

Los Angeles Streetfighter (1985)

...aka Chinatown (1985)

...aka L.A. Streetfighter (1985)

...aka Ninja Turf (1985)

Low Blow (1986)

...aka Last Fight to Win: The Bloody End, The (1988) (Philippines: English title)

...aka Savage Sunday (1986)

Marked for Death (1990)

Men of the Dragon (1974) (TV)

Miami Connection (1986)

...aka American Streetfighters (1986)

Missing in Action (1984)

Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985)

...aka Battle Rage (1985) (Australia)

Nine Deaths of the Ninja (1985)

...aka 9 Deaths of the Ninja (1985) (UK: video title)

Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

...aka Ninja 3: The Domination (1984) (Europe: English title: video title)

Ninja the Protector (1986)

...aka Ninja Protector (1986) (International: English title)

...aka Project Ninja Daredevils (1986) (USA)

No Retreat, No Surrender (1986)

...aka Karate Tiger (1986) (Europe: English title)

No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder (1988)

...aka Karate Tiger 2 (1988) (Europe: English title)

...aka No Retreat, No Surrender 2 (1989) (USA)

...aka Raging Thunder (1988)

Octagon, The (1980)

...aka Man Without Mercy, The (1985) (Philippines: English title)

Octopussy (1983)

One Down, Two to Go (1982)

Pit-Fighter (1990) (VG)

Policewomen (1974)

...aka Insiders, The (1974) (USA)

Pray for Death (1985)

Protector, The (1985)

...aka Wai lung maang taam (1985) (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

...aka Wei lung meng tan (1985) (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

Punisher, The (1989)

Rage of Honor (1987)

...aka Contacto ninja en la Argentina (1987) (Argentina)

Raising Arizona (1987)

Raw Force (1982)

...aka Kung Fu Cannibals (1982) (USA)

...aka Shogun Island (1982)

Remo Williams (1988) (TV)

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)

...aka Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins... (1985) (USA: alternative title)

...aka Remo: The Adventure Begins... (1985) (USA: poster title)

...aka Remo: The First Adventure (1985) (USA: poster title)

...aka Remo: Unarmed and Dangerous (1986) (UK)

Retrievers, The (1982)

...aka Hot and Deadly (1984) (USA: alternative title)

Revenge of the Ninja (1983)

...aka Ninja II (1983)

...aka Way of the Ninja (1984) (Philippines: English title)

Ride the Hot Wind (1971)

Road House (1989)

Running Man, The (1987)

Sakura Killers (1987)

Samurai Cop (1989)

Scorpion (1986)

She Devils in Chains (1976)

...aka American Beauty Hostages (1976)

...aka Ebony, Ivory, and Jade (1976)

...aka Foxfire (1976)

...aka Foxforce (1976)

Silent Assassins (1988)

Silent Rage (1982)

Slaughter in San Francisco (1974)

...aka Chuck Norris vs. the Karate Cop (1974)

...aka Huang mian lao hu (1974)

...aka Karate Cop (1974)

...aka Yellow Faced Tiger (1974)

Star Wars (1977)

...aka Guerra de las estrellas, La (1977) (USA: Spanish title)

...aka Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1997) (USA: video box title)

...aka Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1981) (USA: reissue title) (new title)

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

...aka Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (1997) (USA: video box title)

Steele Justice (1987)

Stryker's War (1985)

...aka Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except (1987) (USA: video title)

Sword of Heaven (1985)

Target Risk (1975) (TV)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989) (VG)

...aka Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (1989) (VG) (Europe: English title)

...aka Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (1992) (VG) (USA: new title)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

...aka Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (1990) (USA: long title)

...aka Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Original Movie (1990) (USA: DVD box title)

They Call Me Bruce? (1982)

...aka Fistful of Chopsticks, A (1982)

Three the Hard Way (1974)

Tie jin gang da po zi yang guan (1974)

...aka Hong Kong Hitman (1974)

...aka Man Called Stoner, A (1974)

...aka Shrine of Ultimate Bliss, The (1974) (Hong Kong: English title)

...aka Stoner (1974) (USA)

...aka Tit gam gong daai poh chi yeung goon (1974) (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)

Tigershark (1987)

Total Recall (1990)

...aka Vengador del futuro, El (1990) (USA: Spanish title)

Transformers: The Movie, The (1986)

...aka Transformers: Matrix yo eien ni (1989) (Japan)

Vampire Is Still Alive, The (1989)

...aka Counter Destroyer (1989) (International: English title: video title)

View to a Kill, A (1985)

Warrior and the Sorceress, The (1984)

...aka Kain del planeta oscura (1984) (Argentina)

Warrior Within, The (1976)

...aka Chuck Norris Work Out (1976) (Europe: English title)

Weapons of Death, The (1982)

[Guest Markgway]

What's the best thing Norris ever appeared in on his home turf? Has Kasugi done anything half decent atleast?

I'd say his best is INVASION USA but it's not really a martial arts film per se.

His best martial arts film is THE OCTAGON.

The MISSING IN ACTION trilogy are worthy of mention too for Norris fans.

[Guest Markgway]

COB is actually a US-HK production

Right. Fred Weintraub Productions wasn't it?

[HyperDrive]

That list is good but it has a lot of non martial art films in it.

Falkor, if you want something that's fun to watch, you can't go wrong with Barry Gordy's The Last Dragon or Gymkata (1985).

On another note, Los Angeles Streetfighter is a S. Korea/ USA coproduction with Jun Chong and Phillip Rhee. It's nowhere near the above titles in terms of watchability but better than stuff like Death Machines (1976).

[Chinatown Kid]

Chuck's best overall film imo is Code of Silence. A favorite line in the film I like is when Chuck says "If I want your opinion I'll beat it out of you".

[Guest Markgway]

I always liked the line in Braddock: "I don't step on toes... I step on necks!"

[Chinatown Kid]

Ha ha, that is a nice line too. The 80's were full of one liners like that, for instance Arnold threw a machete all the way through a guy and impaled him to a tree after which he said "stick around" or the time he shot Sharon Stone and said "Consider that a divorce".

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Another good one, I think from Forced Vengeance- "never let your girl handle your piece". Gotta love the cheese:D

[KUNG FU BOB]

Anyone who hasn't seen it, should check out THE CHALLENGE (1982) which HyperDrive also mentioned. Scott Glenn is a stone faced actor, but there’s still something cool about him (despite the haircut he’s sporting in this), and he and director John (BLACK SUNDAY) Frankenheimer teamed up to make this ass-kicking little action flick. Oh yeah, they didn’t want this to have silly, 80’s ninja movie- style fighting, so they hired a guy that was teaching out there in L.A. to do the choreography… Steven Seagal.

And of the ninja flicks mentioned, I thought REVENGE OF THE NINJA had the best action and was the most entertaining of that group.

Chuck's best movie was CODE OF SILENCE, but he doesn't do a lot of fighting in it. Chinatown Kid- that's one of my favorite lines too.

Hey Falkor, don't forget the early US film KARATE- HAND OF DEATH. Oh wait... on second thought... maybe it is best left forgotten. XD

[The Dragon]

Abbreviated...

Good question... Rough list though:l

The Octagon - 1980

Enter the Ninja - 1981

Silent Rage - 1982

Revenge of the Ninja - 1983

American Ninja - 1985

Barry Gordy's The Last Dragon - 1985

Silent Rage - 1982- This is one film that begged for a sequel. Very under-rated, cross-over film.

Personally, I feel the original The Karate Kid was one special film.

[AlbertV]

Almost a year to the last post on this thread, but this may come of good use

There is a book called The American Martial Arts Film by M. Ray Lott.

We have it here in the library I work at...checked it out twice...pretty interesting read yet they did mention Kill or be Killed and Kill and Kill Again, which weren't American films, but South African martial arts films. Nevertheless, not a bad read IMO.