Member falkor Posted November 8, 2008 Member Share Posted November 8, 2008 It takes somebody very open minded to discover the best form of art and entertainment known to man--kung fu movies. Everyone whose seen a kung fu film and made it as far as the Fandom message board can pat themselves on the back; respect to each and every one of you! No seriously, when you see people enjoying commercial shows like: *Strictly Come Dancing or other dance shows. *Ballet or Gymnastics or Olympics. *Talent shows. *Fireworks displays. *General action movies with martial arts. *Art exhibitions. Don't you feel that kung is just a superior form of everything else, and therefore, the best form of art and entertainment in the world? Do you feel sorry for people who refuse to watch kung because of their ego, ignorance or "violence and funny noises"? What could possibly be better than kung?? If only Barack Obama put aside people's expectations of him and in the process discovered kung; imagine the possibilities? He might pay out Celestial to release To Kill A Mastermind or something. If only... Should kung fu posters and lobby cards be exhibited in art galleries? The truth is: kung remains something very specialised and known only to a few, regardless of what people might tell you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 I like Strictly Come Dancing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Way of the Dragon Posted November 8, 2008 Member Share Posted November 8, 2008 I think kung fu deffinately a true art form, superior to anything else. I do JKD and its the best. It expresses the human form and if you do martial arts you will know about using a spiritual energy within, which shows how beautiful it all is. Film is a great art form too which i love. Kung fu in movies is an amazing art form, im always amazed by it all. and kung fu artwork should be in art galleries because its amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Amazing Psycho Per Posted November 8, 2008 Member Share Posted November 8, 2008 Should kung fu posters and lobby cards be exhibited in art galleries? Well there was one during Fantasia in Montreal this year... I agree 100% with you, but the contrary is alson true. Do you go to dancing shows or Ballet? You know like me that if kung fu movies became hugely mainstream, you'd be sad... No more rares!!! They would loose all their cachet. Communities like this one would loose their purpose. By the way, that is a very nice poster. What movie is this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member teako170 Posted November 8, 2008 Member Share Posted November 8, 2008 Don't you feel that kung is just a superior form of everything else, and therefore, the best form of art and entertainment in the world? Heh-heh. I love the kung (and my answer might shock some) but no, its not. ...oh, oh. Do I hear murmurs of sedition..? traitor..? hang that naysayer..? Seriously, we all have our passions. And when we are immersed or engaged by such we seem to enjoy life a little more. When we find others who share said passion, then we feel even more at ease in the world. Man is a social animal and when we can come together for a common interest (be it cinema, literature, sports or even those clowns who cram Nathan hot dogs down their throats for some tin trophy), then we find a small slice of heaven on Earth. Sorry, I'd say more but Dancing w/ the Stars is about to come on....... NOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted November 8, 2008 Share Posted November 8, 2008 Why does it have to be either or? Can't you enjoy Kung Fu movies AND other forms of entertainment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ironfistedmonk Posted November 9, 2008 Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 The Kung is a wonderful form of entertainment, one which is overlooked due to the terrible full screen prints and chop socky dubs knocking about but I wouldn't say it was the ultimate form of entertainment. For me watching the Venoms at play is one of the greatest things on Earth but my mom would rather see Patrick Swayze prancing about in Dirty Dancing so in her opinion that is much more entertaining. I would say it's a much maligned genre which doesn't get the credit it deserves and for every Charlies Angels that gets produced I would love it if fans of those movies knew the history behind the action in them. My ultimate entertainment would be to see me beloved babbies beat the Tesco carrier bags 10 nil, that mean absolutely nothing to virtually every one of you (I think there may be one from the crem on here somewhere ) but if I had to pick my ultimate entertaining experience that would be it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member falkor Posted November 9, 2008 Author Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 Heh-heh. I love the kung (and my answer might shock some) but no, its not. STRING HIM UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man is a social animal and when we can come together for a common interest (be it cinema, literature, sports or even those clowns who cram Nathan hot dogs down their throats for some tin trophy), then we find a small slice of heaven on Earth. This is where people start behaving in strange ways, but I'll save that for another topic at a psychology forum. I would class spectators sports as art/entertainment, but if its the social element you enjoy then that is something else. Can't you enjoy Kung Fu movies AND other forms of entertainment? Its not about whether you can enjoy both; its all about what's the best... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member falkor Posted November 9, 2008 Author Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 For me watching the Venoms at play is one of the greatest things on Earth but my mom would rather see Patrick Swayze prancing about in Dirty Dancing so in her opinion that is much more entertaining. Has you Mom actually spared 2 minutes of her life to sit down and the watch the mid-fight to Bastard Swordsman or has she perhaps spared 90 minutes to watch all of 7 Grandmasters? My ultimate entertainment would be to see me beloved babbies beat the Tesco carrier bags 10 nil, that mean absolutely nothing to virtually every one of you (I think there may be one from the crem on here somewhere ) but if I had to pick my ultimate entertaining experience that would be it. Maybe you are referring to some kind of fetish or something? This topic is solely concerned with the best form of art/entertainment, and what it is we all experience when we sit down and watch a kung fu movie. It's not just about the actors in a movie and everything else we discuss here on Fandom; something magical is happening when we watch KFs, which is never discussed. We can talk about punches, kicks and styles or we can go deeper and talk about shapes, patterns, arrays and formations. But what are we really talking about here? We are talking about a very specialised form of art and entertainment that is beyond most of society's comprehension. This is not just a gathering of fans on a forum; we are unique in that we have discovered something so high level. Welcome to Kung Fu Fandom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ironfistedmonk Posted November 9, 2008 Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 Has you Mom actually spared 2 minutes of her life to sit down and the watch the mid-fight to Bastard Swordsman or has she perhaps spared 90 minutes to watch all of 7 Grandmasters? Maybe you are referring to some kind of fetish or something? This topic is solely concerned with the best form of art/entertainment, and what it is we all experience when we sit down and watch a kung fu movie. It's not just about the actors in a movie and everything else we discuss here on Fandom; something magical is happening when we watch KFs, which is never discussed. We can talk about punches, kicks and styles or we can go deeper and talk about shapes, patterns, arrays and formations. But what are we really talking about here? We are talking about a very specialised form of art and entertainment that is beyond most of society's comprehension. This is not just a gathering of fans on a forum; we are unique in that we have discovered something so high level. Welcome to Kung Fu Fandom! LOL, I have watched some kung in front of family but they don't feel it like we do, my Dad does like Bruce Lee but he's from that era when Bruce was everywhere and the be all and end all of kung fu, he doesn't like anyone else though. I've got a few friends to sit through some kung, infact on my birthday a couple of years ago I had a kung fu boozy marathon from 10 in the morning, we starting drinking at 10 AM (yes I'm a hardcore drinker ) and we saw Magnificent Butcher, In the Line of Duty 4, Legend of a Fighter before hitting the pubs and bars, great birthday. No fetish fella, just footie mate XD which can be equally as absorbing as kung. I'm feeling ya with all the talk about shapes and styles, the formations and beat downs but whether it's the ultimate entertainment is all in the eye of the beholder. When you talk about magical moments I can remember seeing films like Heroes of the East and The Loot when I was blown away by the shapes and there is a definite moment when you are so absorbed in the film it's like an epiphany, you can't believe your eyes and it's the greatest thing you've ever seen, your jumping about in your seat and so excited by what you are seeing. But I have been equally as thrilled watching my beloved Wolves in action, I can remember an Iwan Roberts hat trick at the poorthorns to beat our main rivals the baggies, when Bully scored for England whilst we were still in the third division, against Scotland (fantastic!). When your in the moment with something you love or feel passionately about it really is the best entertainment imaginable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Chinatown Kid Posted November 9, 2008 Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 As much as I enjoy the Martial Arts genre I don't view it as the be all and end all of entertainment. I enjoy watching a variety of movies from all kind of genres as well as finding joy in alot of other things in life. I think it's best not to become too obssessed with one thing and instead mix it up, that way you don't get burned out and get more excitement out of life. It's all about finding the right balance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 I enjoy Kung Fu movies but don't think I'm obsessive about it. At least I hope not. I don't care if anyone else appreciates them as long as I get something out of it. If you think you can persuade someone chances are you're wasting your time. My Dad finds the very idea of Kung Fu movies boring and my Mum likes Jackie Chan but that's about it. It's not about what's better because there is no absolute best. All a matter of personal preference and that's how it should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member falkor Posted November 9, 2008 Author Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 Kung is worth obsessing about IMO! I went to a fireworks display last night, but was bored out of my brains. I could have been at home watching kung, and fortunately managed to fit in a kung before bed, but still... why waste time mixing up your life with inferior forms of art and entertainment when we've got kung? I guess I have a different philosophy to you guys. Its the same with food... why go for a sauage and onion sandwich when you can have a chicken dhansak? I no longer eat out in cafes because I'm beyond that. I can cook that shit at home anytime... And is football really up there with kung? Just take any 5 minute segment from a football match and kung fight scene on a split-screen and you'll soon figure what the best is... Eric Cantona's Kung Fu kick would win everytime! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member peringaten Posted November 9, 2008 Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 Kung flicks are greeaaat, but some crazy hyperbole going on in this thread, man! You think all forms of human artistic creative & cultural expression are inferior to Chinese screen fighting? Every single perception sees inspiration in a different source to their own benefit, of their own deriving, obsessively driven, lazily or otherwise; to claim your own compulsive anomaly as superior, even stating that its your own open-mindedness towards it that blinkers you to the beauty of all other artforms as even comparable on their own terms... that's pretty wonky. Funky thread, cool that you feel that way, but there's inspiration in every endeavour to degrees we'll never understand every perception of individually. Which fireworks you see? Blackheath? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member SamuraiDana Posted November 9, 2008 Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 That poster is a work of art, of course, Falkor. What film is it from? Regarding your overall point, I'd like to compare kung fu films with musicals and other classic film genres. The way a great fight scene is choreographed is comparable to the way a great dance number is choreographed in a Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly musical. Or a great swordfight in an Errol Flynn swashbuckler. Or a great shootout in a Sam Peckinpah or John Sturges western. Or a great sword duel in a Japanese samurai film. All are high points of the cinematic art. And, yes, I would love it if more kung fu films were recognized in the same way that some of the examples I gave are. One of the problems in attaining that recognition, of course, is the lack of artistry in other aspects of kung fu films' production. These films tended to be churned out at a rapid rate and there wasn't a lot of attention paid to the formula storylines or background details. In the old-school days, Lau Kar Leung was something of an exception in that he really took the time to craft several films that are superb pieces of filmmaking and not just kung fu films (e.g. 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, DIRTY HO, LEGENDARY WEAPONS..., 8-DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER, etc.). But most kung fu films were churned out too quickly and too cheaply to aspire to art. Even the works of such top-ranked Shaw filmmakers as Chang Cheh and Chor Yuen suffered from simply being too quickly made and lacked the depth that would have enabled them to be recognized in the same breath as, say, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, YOJIMBO, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, or THE WILD BUNCH. The fact that 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN has finally gotten good critical recognition since its release here, including at least two highly favorable mentions in The New York Times, is satisfying, though. For other more "artistic" triumphs in kung fu cinema, one has to go to the HK New Wave and a filmmaker like Tsui Hark and such productions as PEKING OPERA BLUES, CHINESE GHOST STORY, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA 1 & 2, SWORDSMAN II, and SWORDSMAN III: THE EAST IS RED. But then, these are films that old-school fans might quibble with. But, it was thanks to these films that my interest in old-school got revived. Just some thoughts. But there is nothing like watching Chia Ling kick ass in her big fight scene in the tavern in QUEEN BOXER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Killer Meteor Posted November 9, 2008 Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 To be brutally honest, I find many kung fu films hastily made, badly scripted and unimaginatvely filmed - the exceptions being the works of King Hu, and the odd moment when Chang Cheh was actually trying. Chinese martials arts in themselves are a superb artform but they're not enough to prop up a poor film Still love em though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member falkor Posted November 9, 2008 Author Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 All valid points. I guess we all have our own take on this... Kung flicks are greeaaat, but some crazy hyperbole going on in this thread, man! You think all forms of human artistic creative & cultural expression are inferior to Chinese screen fighting? Kung Fu flicks as in, not just Chinese, but martial arts films produced worldwide, particularly Chinese, Korean, Indonesian etc. Yeah mate, I went Blackheath! The streets were crowded.... everything came to a stand still. Edit: the film is a Korean flick called Dragon From Shaolin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member peringaten Posted November 9, 2008 Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 Yeah, I was being a bit narrow with just the term Chinese, but consider the implication there... I went Blackheath... they were alright, better than the last couple of years'. They need to quit all that cheesy setting them off in time to stuff like R.Kelly's Flying tune though. Agreed, that matches no classic kung I've ever seen... if they just blasted the whole lot of fireworks off in one single go though... now that might be decent! We're all just there for the big bangs anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Markgway Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 I liked fireworks displays when I was a kid but don't really bother now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member HAZ Posted November 9, 2008 Member Share Posted November 9, 2008 I don't see any difference between KF Movies & ancient Greek plays of Euripides or the works of Shakespeare. They feature timeless & classical themes - betrayal, passion, death. The fighting is secondary to me, but I like it. Everytime I watch a KF movie, I'm reminded of Hemingway & Isaac Babel, writers who understood the drama of violence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tosh Posted November 10, 2008 Member Share Posted November 10, 2008 I love the old hand painted posters and hope at some point they'll go back to that form, I'd much rather have an artist like KFBob doing the Shaw remaster covers then the novice they had that just got his copy of Photoshop, I especially hate the PS floating heads. I'd love to see an art gallery on oldschool KF posters. As far as the best entertainment known to man? Maybe in film though I'd tend more towards the Samurai films as far as overall quality(production values -acting ect), but don't think you compare entertainment such as music and art with film, I pull much inspiration from all of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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