Member teako170 Posted June 21, 2009 Member Share Posted June 21, 2009 Monday will mark the seven-year death anniversary of Chang Cheh. I recall first hearing the news of his passing by a small blurb on the bottom runner of a CNN Headline News telecast. Reports on the web were slim to none at first. I eventually gathered some info and posted this article on my site. CC's passing and this forum have always been tied together for me. Its was because of his death that summer that I began to venture onto the various forums for these films. I eventually came across "Fandom" (the name some of the old timers still refer to this place as) and have been a member since. I now have over 80 of CC's films and he is certainly one of my favorite directors. Sure, he made a mix of masterpieces to average flix to some real clunkers. But that's the story of life. You sometimes have to take the good with the bad (and the ugly). Here's some photos I dug up to honor the man's memory on this seventh anniversary of his passing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Chinatown Kid Posted June 21, 2009 Member Share Posted June 21, 2009 Thanks for the pics T, the man made some truely great Martial Arts masterpieces that I will always appreciate.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member kungfusamurai Posted June 22, 2009 Member Share Posted June 22, 2009 That last picture always gets me. Not that I would expect people to be smiling at a funeral. David Chiang's face just looks like the whole world ended for him. Chen Kwan Tai looks like he's mentally in another universe. I recognize few faces from his funeral besides those two mentioned. Lo Mang is there, Danny Lee, and I think that's Robert Tai on the back right. Maybe that's Chi Kuan Chun in the back left with his eyes closed and most of his face covered by the short guy with glasses. Did John Woo or Pops make it to the ceremony? Or any other venoms or Ti Lung? RIP CC. KFS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Asmo Posted June 22, 2009 Moderator Share Posted June 22, 2009 That does look like CKC. R.I.P. Chang Cheh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted June 22, 2009 Member Share Posted June 22, 2009 Yeah, that looks like Chi Kuan Chun in the back! I see Jamie Luk Kim Ming and Cheng Hong Yip as well, If im not much mistaken! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member BaronK Posted June 22, 2009 Member Share Posted June 22, 2009 If I recall correctly, Kuo Chui was in France working on something and Woo was working on something at the time and neither was able to make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Iron Boat Posted June 22, 2009 Member Share Posted June 22, 2009 Much respect to CC, I only started collecting Shaws and learning of Cheh in 2000, a year later he passed away. I remember thinking here's the man responsible for all the great films I watched as a kid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member kaleyboy Posted June 22, 2009 Member Share Posted June 22, 2009 Well, I'm a 33 year old man with a wife and two kids, I've seen lots of bad things happen and not much gets to me, but when I see the expression of total grief on David Chiang's face, I well-up every time. I'd like to add my deepest respect and admiration for this great man's memory. I think it's not unfair to say that without him, MA cinema of the past 30 years would probably not exist. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member MarsHarmony Posted June 22, 2009 Member Share Posted June 22, 2009 Thank god for Chang Cheh! He will always be remembered thanks to the great legacy of films and stars he brought to the screen. Thanks Chang Cheh! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ching li Posted June 23, 2009 Member Share Posted June 23, 2009 Chang Cheh was my favorite director at shaw bros, because his movies was so western like and I had a better understanding of his movies. I heard ti lung's son went in his place at the funeral, I think this may have had something to do with ti lung's beef with david chiang, I think. I remember seeing a picture of Jimmy Wang Yu being there, but oddly enough I didn't recall seeing the female actresses that worked with chang cheh there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member TibetanWhiteCrane Posted June 23, 2009 Member Share Posted June 23, 2009 but oddly enough I didn't recall seeing the female actresses that worked with chang cheh there. All two of them:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member teako170 Posted June 16, 2012 Author Member Share Posted June 16, 2012 This Friday, June 22nd, will be the tenth anniversary of Chang Cheh's passing. To mark this event, I had done extensive research for a planned article for Impact magazine. Not your standard reiteration of his filmography but more on his personal life, his childhood, marriage, the topical events that influenced some of his films, behind-the-scenes tales, etc. Unfortunately, after twenty odd years of sporadic freelance writing, I had to hang up my "quill-n-ink" as we now have two wee ones (wife gave birth last month) running around the Teako household and my free time is less-than-zero. I hope someday/year I'll get back to writing but for now, this is about the best I can do. Chang is one of my favorite directors (East and West) and to date, I've managed to acquire 88 of his 94 directorial efforts. When we traveled to Hong Kong two years ago, it was my hope to visit his final resting place. Seemed like it was the least I could do for this man whom I've "known" for over thirty years. As expected, it was a daunting task being in a strange and foreign land and we ran into our share of dead-ends. Fortunately though, luck did shine upon us and we were able to finally pay our respects to the man. If you're new to the forum (in the last two years), you can read further about our HK exploits in the HONG KONG 2010 trip thread. Below are a couple videos and a variety of pix we snapped. The first video is a compilation of raw footage shot by our party in 2010. The gentleman you see at the very end of this clip is the one who told us about Ti Lung leaving the flowers at Chang's site. When I showed him the Seven Man Army cast photo, he not only recognized him but Chen Kuan Tai and Fu Sheng as well. Its a shame we didn't have a translator with us because I have a hunch that guy might have had some interesting tales to share. The second video is Chang's funeral coverage and footage of his Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony. (Sorry about the poor quality - the best I could find). Xti93Ah8KhA Qk9zAhwif_0 ...................Avenue of the Stars ................................ Chang Cheh RIP ....................... Tseung Kwan O Permanent Cemetery .....Tseung Kwan O Permanent Cemetery ...... Monica & Teako paying their respects .............Long hike up to the Columbarium ........... Magicpoe taking some pix .......................... Photos we left behind ........................... JesseSmooth recording footage ..........Outside the Columbarium .......................... Flowers left by Ti Lung.......................... Junk Bay, NT. Magnificent views! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Eastern Evil Posted June 16, 2012 Member Share Posted June 16, 2012 Nice job! Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member daisho2004 Posted June 16, 2012 Member Share Posted June 16, 2012 Very Nice! He was a legend in the SB M.A. world, and for discovering talent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member BaronK Posted June 17, 2012 Member Share Posted June 17, 2012 Thanks for sharing. CC was my man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GOLDEN DRAGON YIN-YANG Posted June 17, 2012 Member Share Posted June 17, 2012 teako170, congrats on your little ones and of course a Happy Fathers Day to you sir! Its quite remarkable your efforts to chronicle the life and times of the; "One and Only" Chang Cheh. Plus, the fact, you are a "(westerner)", which takes this to another dimension. Perhaps, sometime down the road, when your hand regains your quill, we may be blessed to gain your insights into this, (for us ALL here), legend of Kung Fu Cinema! Blessings, GD Y-Y 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member peringaten Posted June 17, 2012 Member Share Posted June 17, 2012 Great thing you did travelling out & paying respects. CC was the main man. What are the 6 flicks you're missing T? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Omni Dragon Posted June 17, 2012 Member Share Posted June 17, 2012 got to watch a CC film on the 22nd as a tribute but there are too many to chose from what films do you guys think are best to watch of his? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KyFi Posted June 18, 2012 Member Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thanks for sharing that, Teako. got to watch a CC film on the 22nd as a tribute but there are too many to chose from what films do you guys think are best to watch of his? Not saying it's his best movie, but Anonymous Heroes is kind of an archetypal CC movie for me---one that really captures his vibe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member teako170 Posted June 18, 2012 Author Member Share Posted June 18, 2012 teako170, congrats on your little ones Thanks mate! What are the 6 flicks you're missing T? Happenings in Ali Shan (1949) Wild Fire (1957) The Butterfly Chalice (1965) Tiger Boy (1966) The Singing Thief (1969) Dancing Warrior (1985) I had Attack of the Joyful Goddess (1983) at one point but think its lost now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member peringaten Posted June 18, 2012 Member Share Posted June 18, 2012 I wonder if those pre-Shaws are any available, though doubt they're very much like any of his other stuff. Butterfly Chalice is a funny one, all the way through a huangmei opera melodrama without action but with one exception, the film's one crazed fight scene half way through the movie - CC's 1st Shaw fight on screen. Know he shared director's credit on that, the only bit that bears CC's mark, like a mini movie within a movie, only bit worth checking for a CC fanatic imo, the one bit of the movie where Lo Lieh turns up. hYa2jJ_dw48 About all you necessarily HAVE to see of that one... Weirdly out of place, like sticking a minute of ultra-violence in the middle of a Merchant Ivory piece for want of a better of better analogy. CC was a sick puppy at times. What a dude. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member panku Posted June 19, 2012 Member Share Posted June 19, 2012 Thanks for the pics of your trip. Here is a short compilation of clips from Wind and Storm over Alishan / Happenings in Ali Shan. In his memoir, Chang Cheh admits it is an immature work, but is mostly positive about this film: Happenings in Ali Shan This is what he had to say in his memoir about his second film, Wild Fire: The Storm Surrounding Wild Fire "When a man suffers from setbacks in his career, the most common way out is romance. I went to Taiwan at the age of twenty six and wasn't yet in my thirties when I got to know the MP & GI star, Helen Li Mei. Li wanted to become an independent producer and asked me to be her director. That's how Wild Fire (1958) came about, and in fact how the rumour about us came about! Hong Kong people hadn't heard about me at that time so the rumour went that Li had hired a "young pretty face" from Taiwan to be her director. Of course the rumour was a blow to both Li and I, especially since I had no friends in Hong Kong. In their unanimity, the directors at MP & GI persuaded Li to give up on me as the director of Wild Fire. MP & GI had three big name directors: Evan Yang, Wang Tianlin and Tang Huang. One evening, Evan Yang's deputy director Wu Jaxiang dropped by at Li's place. I was inside and Wu didn't come in, preferring to talk to Li on the doorsteps. He said the three directors were waiting for Li to join them for coffee and would like to have a word with her about me and the film. They left soon. Even though I didn't know the content of their conversation, I could certainly guess! I also believed that if the situation went on, it wouldn't do Li or I any good! I withdrew from the film halfway through and Li found an assistant to finish the few remaining scenes. Wild Fire was completed in such a difficult circumstance and the quality suffered. Still, I was glad to steer myself away from this predicament. Such was the experience I went through between Alishan and Wild Fire. In Taiwan there was no such thing as a good or bad start in filmmaking but as my debut in Hong Kong, Wild Fire was the only setback in my career." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member teako170 Posted June 19, 2012 Author Member Share Posted June 19, 2012 I wonder if those pre-Shaws are any available, though doubt they're very much like any of his other stuff. I haven't actively sought them out but as I had less and less of his films to watch, I've begun looking for his non-SB stuff. I recently acquired his mainland flix (I enjoyed Great Shanghai 1937 but not so much Across the River) and it would be interesting if anyone had these earlier films. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jesse Smooth Posted June 20, 2012 Member Share Posted June 20, 2012 Thanks mate! Happenings in Ali Shan (1949) Wild Fire (1957) The Butterfly Chalice (1965) Tiger Boy (1966) The Singing Thief (1969) Dancing Warrior (1985) I had Attack of the Joyful Goddess (1983) at one point but think its lost now. Released on DVD as VENOM WARRIOR. I've seen the old Ocean Shores version titled THE WARRIOR. Kinda like an 80s CHINATOWN KID with scenes shot in NY. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member magicpoe Posted June 20, 2012 Member Share Posted June 20, 2012 Thanks for the reminder on both of these teako170. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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