TRUE UNCUT Soul Brothers of Kung Fu Comparison!

[OldPangYau]

EDIT: Added the name of the music originally playing during the "birthday scene"

Stating the obvious here, but SPOILERS AHEAD!

I finally managed to obtain a copy of the uncensored version of Soul Brothers of Kung Fu! It is indeed present on the US Prism VHS release under the title Kung Fu Avengers. Despite the alternate title, this is the original US release print as "JODI PRODUCTIONS" is mentioned before the opening title, and the Cinema Shares logo is present before the film starts as well. While most of us knew that the Xenon/PanMedia releases were missing the extended death scene of Ku Feng's character, little did I realize that a LOT was actually cut. This would range anywhere from someone being stomped while on the ground to someone getting stabbed in the throat with someone's bare fingers. Fact of the matter is, whle Xenon wanted to use a widescreen print, they managed to use a cut to shreds German print.

Now, in schnittberichte.com style, I'll be showing a full photo comparison between the Xenon/PanMedia version that most of us have seen, with the uncensored US print! Now, sit back, and enjoy!

NOTE: Due to the 20 image limit, the comparison will spread across several replies.

1. Opening footage of sea missing. Xenon video starts on shot of Bruce Li (Approx 5 seconds)

2. Opening credits: US Cut replaces Bill Conti's "The Final Bell" with alternate music (photos shown for reference: above - US cut; below - Xenon cut)

3. Approx 18 minutes in: Shot of Carl Scott grabbing henchman by jaw and beating him multiple times in the face has been cut (Approx 4 seconds)

4. Approx 22 minutes in: Shot of Lo Meng kneeing and stomping on a henchman has been cut (Approx 5 seconds)

5. Approx 22 minutes in: Shot of Lo Meng punching henchman (Hsiu Hsia) four times has been trimmed to one punch (Approx 2 seconds)

6. Approx 29 minutes in: Shot of Lo Meng getting hit with a pipe has been cut (approx 2 seconds)

7. Approx 30 minutes in: Shot of Lo Meng punching Fung King Man and subsequent "pained face" have been cut (approx 5 seconds)

8. During the birthday scene, Van McCoy's "Hey Girl, Come and Get It" has been replaced with alternate music (photo for reference)

9. Music playing during Li's arrival to the airport has been switched once again from "The Final Bell" to alternate music

10. Approx 42 minutes in: ABC reporter's discussion about the fight has been trimmed down (approx 20 seconds)

11. Once again, "The Final Bell" has been replaced with the same alternate music cue when Li returns home.

[OldPangYau]

12. Approx 51 minutes in: Shot of Li's face in agony from Lee Hoi San's shoulder breaking move (and subsequent shocked look from Au-Yeung Pooi San) has been cut (Approx 5 seconds)

13. Approx 51 minutes in: Shots of Hoi San, Peter Chan, and Alexander Grand stomping on Li and Au-Yeung Pooi San falling on Li have been cut (Approx 5 seconds)

14. Approx 52 minutes in: Shots of Peter Chan holding down Au-Yeung Pooi San as Alexander Grand prepares to rape her have been cut (approx 18 seconds)

15. Approx 52 minutes in: Shot of Peter Chan and Lee Hoi San kicking Bruce Li while he's down have been cut (approx 7 seconds)

16. During Lo Meng's "bar moping" scene, Silver Convention's "There Is Always Another Girl" is replaced with alternate music in the US cut (photo shown for reference)

17. Approx 78 minutes in: Shot of Peter Chan spitting up blood from Bruce Li's chest kick has been cut (approx 5 seconds)

[OldPangYau]

18. Approx 79 minutes in: Shot of Bruce Li countering Lee Hoi San's attack by stabbing his wrist with his finger, then an x-ray shot showing Li breaking Hoi San's arm, then finally a finger stab to Hoi San's throat have been cut. (Approx 15 seconds)

19. Approx 79 minutes in: Shot of Lee Hoi San dying is trimmed (approx 7 seconds)

[OldPangYau]

20. Approx 80 minutes in: Shots of Bruce Li punching Alexander Grand in the groin repeatedly, following with a finger stab (and flashback to training) have been cut (approx 15 seconds)

21. Approx 83 minutes in: Shot of Carl Scott being held down and kicked is cut (approx 4 seconds)

22. Approx 84 minutes in: Shots of Carl Scott beating a remaining henchman and slamming his head repeatedly into a rock have been cut (approx 20 seconds)

23. Approx 84 minutes in: Shot of Bruce Li crashing his car into the side of the henchmen's car and crushing one of them has been cut (approx 3 seconds)

[OldPangYau]

24. Approx 85 minutes in: Entire fight between Carl Scott and Ku Feng has been cut (Approx 2 minutes and 22 seconds)

[OldPangYau]

25. Approx 89 minutes in: Shot of beaten Lo Meng has been shortened (approx 2 seconds)

[OldPangYau]

26. Approx 90 minutes in: ALTERNATE FOOTAGE: In the US cut, Li arrives back at the villa and sees Carl Scott tied to a tree, runs, and unties him. In the Xenon cut, Li arrives to find Carl Scott hanging by his wrists

US Cut

Xenon/PanMedia Cut

27. Approx 90 minutes in:Xenon version has a wide shot showing Li, Ku Feng, and Carl Scott's dangling legs. This follows into a brief dialogue between Li and Feng. (Approx 14 seconds)

[OldPangYau]

28. Approx 93 minutes in: Shots of Li stabbing Ku Feng in the heart and throat have been cut (Approx 16 seconds)

29. Approx 94 minutes in: ALTERNATE FOOTAGE: In the US cut, Carl Scott runs up to Li, and they have a "victorious pose", looking off into the distance as "THE END" appears on screen. In the Xenon cut, Li looks over at Scott's dead dangling body, cuts him down, and holds his dead body as "The End" appears on screen.

US Cut

Xenon/PanMedia Cut

There you have it... after waiting quite a while to see this cut of the film, it was quite a difference! Now, if only someone could pick up the DVD rights for this here in the US and release an uncut AND widescreen print!

Hmm, Media Blasters?

[KUNG FU BOB]

Thanks for that comparison man, awesome!

[OldPangYau]

No problem. Had some free time, got the shots, all that was left was to organize it all on here!

[Fan Mei Sheng]

Hello OldPangYau !

Congratulations for Your Very Good Work! Perfect.

Greetings!

Fan Mei Sheng

[OldPangYau]

Hello OldPangYau !

Congratulations for Your Very Good Work! Perfect.

Greetings!

Fan Mei Sheng

Thanks! PanMedia has pissed all of us off on these forums, but I figured this comparison could help people out who got stuck with their "uncut" release of Soul Brothers of Kung Fu.

[The Dragon]

...so which version is The One to get? I saw this film like 20+years ago, and don't remember anything about it.

[OldPangYau]

...so which version is The One to get? I saw this film like 20+years ago, and don't remember anything about it.

Well, if you can find a copy of the US Prism VHS release under the Kung Fu Avengers title, go for it! Unfortunately, the Xenon version is the easiest one to find on eBay.

So, to narrow the choices:

Xenon Video:

PROS: Decent quality widescreen (almost 2.35) print; Features "downbeat" ending

CONS: CUT!

Prism Video:

PROS: Uncut print; Features "upbeat" ending

CONS: Full screen only

Seriously, why can't we have a transfer that's widescreen AND uncut?

And for that matter, where the hell is the uncut version of Dynamo? That would make for a damn good double feature. You read that Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock? Your Shaw Bros DVDs kick ass, time to start work on a Bruceploitation collection!!!

[Guest Markgway]

One would presume that the Chinese print has all of the violent footage intact as well as the original 'Carl dies' ending.

[OldPangYau]

One would presume that the Chinese print has all of the violent footage intact as well as the original 'Carl dies' ending.

True, the Chinese characters for "The End" seem to imply that at least. Supposedly Eternal Film Company, or whoever still owns the rights to their films, wanted Fortune Star to remaster the Bruce Li films. I doubt that would happen, but that would be pretty impressive. Hell, if Celestial could restore/remaster New Game of Death and Bruce Lee and I. somebody should take the effort to work on this film and Dynamo.

[Yakuza954]

Great comparison! This was always one of the films that, after I saw, I immediately thought "this movie definitely has a lot of stuff cut that's hurting the overall quality of the film." Bruce Li's Iron Dragon Strikes Back is another one of his like that, but as far as I know, no uncut version of that exists.

One question: How do you feel about the Non-Rocky soundtrack? Is it superior? Worse? The use of the Rocky Music annoyed me in this movie at first, but I got used to it after a while. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow is actually an example of a kung fu film where the music used in the alternative soundtrack is just as good as the original's.

[bolofan]

Bruce Li's Iron Dragon Strikes Back is another one of his like that, but as far as I know, no uncut version exists.

Is the vengeance DVD, under the title "gold connection" cut then?

[Yakuza954]

Yeah, same version. Just subbed.

[OldPangYau]

One question: How do you feel about the Non-Rocky soundtrack? Is it superior? Worse? The use of the Rocky Music annoyed me in this movie at first, but I got used to it after a while. Snake in the Eagle's Shadow is actually an example of a kung fu film where the music used in the alternative soundtrack is just as good as the original's.

Eh, I dunno... I got so used to Bill Conti's "Final Bell" playing that it was admittedly jarring when the replacement cue came up. Ironically, and I forgot to mention it, but the last segment of "The Final Bell" still plays in the very last shot of the US cut. Oops

[bolofan]

After I have finished my current batch of projects I'm going to work on this one. Make a nice looking composite.

Oldpangyau have you checked that it is only violence cuts? When I made a fist of fury 2 composite from a german tape, they not only cut violence, but also a lot of conversation between actors. I assume they did this to speed up the running time.

[GoldenFist]

Dude, freakin amazing!

[OldPangYau]

After I have finished my current batch of projects I'm going to work on this one. Make a nice looking composite.

Oldpangyau have you checked that it is only violence cuts? When I made a fist of fury 2 composite from a german tape, they not only cut violence, but also a lot of conversation between actors. I assume they did this to speed up the running time.

I watched both "side to side" (not "back to back"), which was a chore since one was PAL speed and the other NTSC speed. The only dialogue footage missing in the Xenon version was when the "ABC" reporter was rambling on about Li's big fight. Everything else was pretty much violence cuts.

[bolofan]

Cool, saves me looking for it lol.

[Guest kungfub1]

PLEASE, please, please, tell me where i can get a hold of the uncut version! i beg you! i've been looking around for the TRUE uncut version and found it almost hopeless! now, you have the answer!

ANY info on where i can get it would end my quest or if you could PLEASE send me a copy and i will fairly compensate you for it that would also be great as well.

email response to: alphab_01@yahoo.com