Member Stanley Posted May 23, 2009 Member Share Posted May 23, 2009 I repeat a post below which I posted in an inactive thread elsewhere: I wonder if these movies dvd are available in your area ? I don't find them mentioned in most of the members' Top 50 Shaws actions. "Come Drink With Me"(60s)(Dir: King Hu, Actors: Chang Pei Pei & Yueh Hua) Isn't this available in the US ? It's the first wuxia movie released by Celestial. This should go into anyone's All-time TOP 10 !! "Golden Swallow"(60s)(dir Chang Cheh, Actors: Jimmy Wang Yu, Chang Pei Pei, only movie with both of them; and Lo Lieh) should reach Top 20 easily, and easily Chang Cheh's best 10. Also released very early. "Magic Blade"(70s)(dir Chua Yuan, actor: Ti Lung, Ching Li, Lo Lieh, Tien Ni). Follow up to Killer Clans & White Jade Tiger, full of mystery, suspense, action & surprises. These 3 are easily Chu Yuan TOP 5(with Clans of Intrigue(below) & Confessions of Courtesan ? with Lily Ho & Yueh Hua) !! "Clans of Intrigue"(70s)(dir: Chu Yuan, actors: Ti Lung, Yueh Hua, Li Ching, Nora Miao). Also full of suspense & action, beautiful settings & colours, interesting characters and a some BIG surprising shocks at the end. "Heavely Sword & Dragon Sabre" Part 1 & II(70s)(Dir: Chu Yuan, actors: Derek Yee, Ching Li, Yu On On) A very well summarised and quick paced movie based on the famous novel. Must-see if you have not read that famous novel, availabe in English soon. "5 Shaolin Masters"(70s)(kung fu, not wuxia)(Dir Chang Cheh, actors: Ti Lung, David Chiang, Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun & Meng Fei(1st box-office hit actor that played The Prodigal Son(Fong Sai Yuk) and his only movie with Shaw) The climatic 1 to 1 fight at the end is like watching 5 movies(someone even got his genitals ripped off) !! Why haven't you guys include these 4/5 movies ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member hkpyanfar Posted May 23, 2009 Member Share Posted May 23, 2009 The first four movies I have seen and hold them in high regard. I especially like Magic Blade and Clans of Intrigue. Ti Lung and the beautiful fantasy sets captivate me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tosh Posted May 23, 2009 Member Share Posted May 23, 2009 From what I've noticed(on this forum over the years) a lot of people don't like Wuxia and go for the strait up bashers or shape movies, Come Drink with Me is a classic that most people at least like and can appreciate, Magic Blade is one of those movies it's hard to not like but stuff like Heaven sword and Dragon Sabre is probably to soap operish for some people. It's really a case of these movies breaking off into sub-genres and everyone has their tastes, for myself I like all of it, a Shaw fantasy swordplay one night, oldshool low budget indy basher the next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member wuxiawuxia Posted May 23, 2009 Member Share Posted May 23, 2009 I've noticed most people on KungfuCinema forum tend to watch these movies for the martial arts, they go for the hardcore kungfu scenes (LKK) or blood spilling heroic deaths (CC). Most people tend to also like more hand-to-hand, straight forward weapon-to-weapon and less wiring and less fantasy element. Only a niche group here like wuxia pian, it all depends. Wuxia films with gore/martial arts movie like Human Lanterns or wuxia films with more good pacing/story and grounded martial arts like Avenging Eagle tend to have more followers. Those with more superhuman feats, fantasy elements, or adaptations from famous Chinese novels tend to get unfavorable reviews because, well perhaps cultural, not knowing what wuxia is, not accepting martial arts films can become too fantasy-like, too much non-emphasis on the kungfu itself, while actually kungfu is not the emphasis of wuxia, it's just part of it, though an important part. It also doesn't help when the novels being adapted were just all too long for a 90 minute film. Hence, these films are not as favorable by Western viewers today when watched again because they just too choppy, confusing, too many characters come and go without good character development. Chinese viewers at the time and even today have known these stories like the back of their hands, as the old Chinese saying goes, "Wuxia goes where Chinese goes." The phenomenon of wuxia literature goes back for hundreds of years, wuxia is the cultural soul of Chinese common people. Moreover, the rest of East/South East Asia is also well immersed with wuxia since God knows when, they always contributed to the success of these wuxia pian. Heck! Sir Run Run Shaws owes his wealth and success to the people outside Hong Kong, countries like Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc., they were the majority fans of these Shaw Brothers films. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member tdb Posted May 23, 2009 Member Share Posted May 23, 2009 I own Come Drink With Me, Magic Blade, 5 Shaolin Masters (I haven't watched this, but I question it's wu xia credentials). I don't own the Shaw DS&HS, but I do own the TVB 80's version. I'd say at least half my collection of Shaw movies are wu xia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member wuxiawuxia Posted May 23, 2009 Member Share Posted May 23, 2009 Come Drink with Me is definitely wuxia. Magic Blade is adapted from a famous wuxia novel by Gu Long (Ku Lung). 5 Shaolin Masters is definitely NOT wuxia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member littlefuzzy Posted May 23, 2009 Member Share Posted May 23, 2009 While I haven't seen many wuxia (or any?? - I am slowly working my way through a backlog of Asian films) I feel that they will probably be right up my alley. I like western fantasy films, and superhero stuff as well. I am not a martial artist myself, so story, etc., is just as important as the martial arts scenes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member kaleyboy Posted May 23, 2009 Member Share Posted May 23, 2009 I have all these movies and thought the outstanding ones were Come Drink With Me, Clans Of Intrigue & 5 Shaolin Masters. Though I don't think 5 Shaolin Masters is wuxia, thought it was more kung fu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted May 23, 2009 Administrator Share Posted May 23, 2009 Same here, I'm own all of these and think they're all great. Except HEAVENLY SWORD AND DRAGON SABER 1 and 2 which I haven't watched yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member hkpyanfar Posted May 23, 2009 Member Share Posted May 23, 2009 I agree with wusiawusia that these movies are more of niche genre in the west. I love the complicated plots that often require more than one viewing to understand and the, by today's CG standards, cheezy special effects. I find that the fantasy settings of these Shaw beauties create a world of beauty filled with human good and evil. But these very elements are often what put people off from the genre. By watching these types of films, I think that you are entering into Chinese culture to a depth that is perhaps not necessary in more straight martial arts films where viewers can connect with the fighting in a more universal, cross-international-boundaries way. Anyone from any culture can appreciate a good fight, but fantasy plays with a culture's ideals in a way that doesn't always appear in kung-fu films. As wusiawusia says, this genre goes back hundreds of years in China. In a way, the complex plots and myriad characters are better suited to a tv series. Some movies I appreciate more because I have seen the more fleshed out versions in the tv series. The emergence of subtitled tv series has been a boon to wusia fans, in my opinion. Certainly my bank account has seen heavy use just to get the more expensive dvd sets. LittleFuzzy, if you like western fantasy and superhero films, then probably you will like this genre. Although it is a different type of movie from its western counterparts, it fills the same niche in a uniquely Chinese way. Try it; I hope you find a new joy for your life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member peringaten Posted May 24, 2009 Member Share Posted May 24, 2009 Those films are alright. '80s Shaw wuxia is more my thing, I like my wuxia manic & ott - Long Road to Gallantry, Supreme Swordsman, Hidden Power Of Dragon Sabre, Lady Assassin, Clan Feuds, Usurpers Of Emperor's Power, Bastard Swordsman, Holy Flame, Buddha's Palm, Deadly Secret, Shaolin Prince, Rendezvous With Death, Ambitious Kung Fu Girl, etc... That stuff kicks ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Stanley Posted May 24, 2009 Author Member Share Posted May 24, 2009 O sorry, one of them is not wuxia, thanks for the reminder. I will edit it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Tosh Posted May 24, 2009 Member Share Posted May 24, 2009 I would call Human Lanterns more of a Horror/Wuxia mix. I really want to see Usurpers of Emperors Power, the name alone is awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Iron_Leopard Posted March 25, 2022 Member Share Posted March 25, 2022 I'm a rare case where I originally got into Kung fu films and didn't really want to try Wuxia. But once I did I've had trouble going back to Kung fu. The asthetics of Wuxia (especially the 60s) is so mesmerizing to me that it makes up for the hard hitting fight scenes you get from Kung fu films. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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