[url]http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/542/bwu.png/[/url] [size=12pt]ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN[/size] (Dubei Dao - 1967, Chang Cheh)
In 1967, when the spaghetti western was at its zenith, a Hong Kong director called Chang Cheh made this movie. It was almost as influential as anything the Italians produced the same year.
[size=12pt]One-Armed Swordsman (Dubei dao) | Filmrecensies.net
Mahjong Heroes - I thought it was going to be one of them Gambling Syndicate style crime films, turned out to be a comedy, and not a very good one at that.
The New One-Armed Swordsman - Not watched it for a few years. Still just as enjoyable, the Blu Ray transfer is pretty good too. Out of the three of them Iâd say the second one looks the best on Blu though.
Sensual Pleasures - Watched this this afternoon, one of them short story films that the Shawâs made so well, After an intro in heaven with loads of familiar Shaw faces we then move on to three short stories, One where a man who died gets told it wasnât his turn and returns to earth, one with a secret sexual chamber, and one (my favourite) where Ku Feng has a secret ingredient in the wine everyone loves, all held together with a bit of sleaze.
Mr. Funnybone Strikes Again - More tomfoolery from the Old Master, itâs had to explain how I feel about it, pretty bad but at the same time quite entertaining. I would watch it again.
Winner Takes All - Action Comedy directed by Wong Jing, it was alright for a watch but with many H.K. films some of the comedy scenes left something to be desired, made up for by some good fight scenes sprinkled here and there.
Dreams Of Eroticism - Several short stories based in and around subjects of the royal court. Pretty sleazy this one and extremely misogynistic, not for feminists. Ripped off clothes, beatings, rape, sadistic torture! All good fun ;D
Yesterday, I had a free day and revisited three Shaw classics:
Masked Avengers (1981)
Legend of the Fox (1980)
The Spiritual Boxer (1975)
The first and last time I saw Spiritual Boxer was in a Chinese-language theater over 30 years ago. It was director Lau Kar-Leungâs first solo directorial effort, and a good one at that. Itâs puzzling that this movie doesn not get much mention compared to most of Lauâs other works. Lauâs inferior Spiritual Boxer 2, which came out a few years later, is even lesser-mentioned. But the first Spiritual Boxer definitely deserves special mention. It was the beginning of cinematic âkung fu comedyâ and the precursor of later, more famous films like Snake in the Eagleâs Shadow and Drunken Master three years later, which really set the kung fu comedy ball rolling.
Spiritual Boxer stars the late Wang Yue (Huang Yu) as a young conman who charges to conduct blessing ceremonies with his âspiritual boxingâ (shen da), in which he pretends to be possessed by the spirits of Chinese gods such as Sun Wu Kong (the monkey king), etc. Many kung fu movie fans seem to find Wang Yue annoying; he was usually typecast as similarly-portrayed conmen. He is not my favorite Shaw Brothers actor, but IMO, a number of the movies he starred or co-starred in were quite good. He also had the acting ability to portray his character type well, and could display fair to good kung fu movements, although one can get the impression he wasnât always given the opportunity to display his best physicality. But he was chosen by Lau Kar-Leung to play the lead in Lauâs first solo effort, and being a director of high standard, he obviously saw Wang Yue as capable enough. And it works. Regardless, Spiritual Boxer holds a place in cinematic history, and deserves a viewing by any fan of Shaw Brothers movies in general, and kung fu films in particular.
The Black Tavern (1972)
Starring:
Ku Feng, Shih Szu, Dean Shek, Barry Chan, Tung Li, Wang Hsieh, Wu Ma, Unicorn Chan, Yuen Wah, etc.
Directed by: Teddy Yip
IMO, this is definitely one of the best of the early Shaw Brothers wuxia films. For a pre-1974 Shaw film, the action, the acting (especially from veteran actor Ku Feng) and story are well above the norm. Itâs relatively short, even for a Shaw of that era (at about 83 minutes), but there is plenty of good suspense, plot twists and interesting characters. If you havenât seen it and are a Shaw Bros movie fan, I would highly recommend it.
Good film, I enjoyed it more on my second viewing as it got a bit too hyped up from someone before I watched it the first time. Ku Feng is my favourite Shaw character actor, followed by âThe Old Manâ (I can never remember his name, heâs the old dude in Heaven & Hell whoâs fingers keep getting chopped off).
Another short one that is really good is The Fugitive.
[quote=âYodlaf Peterson, post:425, topic:2162â]Curse of Evil - Really enjoyed this one, great twist in the tale. Kuei Chih-Hung certainly knows his stuff when it comes to making films like this.
[/quote]I just watched this today. Iâd almost forgotten Iâd seen it back in the early '80s in a Chinese-language theatre. Iâd certainly forgotten the twist. I find it, along with Boxerâs Omen and Corpse Mania, to be among the better of the Shaw Brothers horror movies. I donât find the Chinese horror movies to be particularly scary, but they can often be over-the-top entertaining. I would recommend this one for those who are Shaw Brothers movie fans or not.
Recently been buying lots of Shaws and so far have watched:
Ode to Gallantry
Seeding of a Ghost
The Kung Fu Instructor
Ambitious Kung Fu Girl
Swordsman and Enchantress
The Fake Ghost Catchers
Overall not that good movie but final is one of my favs when it comes to venoms. Really excellent stuff.
Agreed. The end fight is very good, but the rest is so-so.
The Kung Fu Instructor is my favorite Sun Chung film, even more than To Kill a Mastermind. Itâs funny how my opinions have changed over the years. 30+ years ago, I liked The Kung Fu Instructor, but now I like it a lot more, and can appreciate it way more than I did in the past. In fact, I appreciate the Shaw Brothers movies more overall now.
OTOH, there are some other KF movies, mainly a few independents, that I once thought were the best movies ever, that now I think are only okay or meh.
shadow whip was okay, plot was quite usual stuff about stolen treasure and revenge. However nice snowy locations gave good feeling and cheng pei pei&ku feng delivered decent performances.
Recommended if you are shaw freak ( like me ), not among finest shaws but above average (in shaw standards).
Monkey Kung Fu (a.k.a., Stroke of Death)
This film is NOT to be confused with Monkey Fist, Floating Snake, which also carries the alternate title of Monkey Kung Fu. Directed by Lo Mar, this kung fu comedy has the look and feel of a non-Shaw independent film. Starring Ching Siu-Tung (now known more for his choreography/directing than his onscreen work), Hau Chiu-Sing, and Kuan Feng. Ching also co-choreographed the action, and it carries his early signature; fast-paced, manic, acrobatic kung fu, similar to his work in The Master Strikes. This was before his choreography abandoned good physical action in favor of fanciful wire work.
Villain Kuan Feng rarely got to showcase his skills, and this movie, along with The Five Superfighters, is a rare treat to his true potential. His staff play here is among the best ever committed to film. I consider Kuan Feng the most underrated performer in kung fu cinema; why he was so underused and wasted in so many films is a real mystery to me.
New Shaolin Boxers (a.k.a., The Choy Lee Fut Kid)
Directed by Chang Cheh and starring the late Alexander Fu Sheng, Jenny (his real-life wife), Chen Hui-Lou, Shan Mao, Wang Lung-Wei, Lin Hui-Huang, Leung Kar-Yan, etc. Made when Fu Sheng was still at the height of his physical powers, before the serious injuries a couple years later, after which his kung fu performances were never quite the same for the rest of his career. About an impulsive youth who cannot stand idly by while a criminal gang wreaks havoc in his town. One of the few movies that showcases the Choy Lee Fut style of kung fu (the style I practice), I would have preferred the movie set during the Ching Dynasty instead of the early Chinese Republic, but this still remains the best cinematic treatment of the CLF style. Though I would have also liked to have seen more to the training sequences. The action is very well-done, and the cowardice of the ordinary townspeople is appropriately frustrating, which makes you root even more for the young hero they vilify.
[quote=âFilmlovr1, post:456, topic:2162â]Monkey Kung Fu (a.k.a., Stroke of Death)
This film is NOT to be confused with Monkey Fist, Floating Snake, which also carries the alternate title of Monkey Kung Fu. Directed by Lo Mar, this kung fu comedy has the look and feel of a non-Shaw independent film. Starring Ching Siu-Tung (now known more for his choreography/directing than his onscreen work), Hau Chiu-Sing, and Kuan Feng. Ching also co-choreographed the action, and it carries his early signature; fast-paced, manic, acrobatic kung fu, similar to his work in The Master Strikes. This was before his choreography abandoned good physical action in favor of fanciful wire work.
Villain Kuan Feng rarely got to showcase his skills, and this movie, along with The Five Superfighters, is a rare treat to his true potential. His staff play here is among the best ever committed to film. I consider Kuan Feng the most underrated performer in kung fu cinema; why he was so underused and wasted in so many films is a real mystery to me. [/quote]
Thereâs another Monkey Fist starring the monkey style master Chan Sau Chung and legendary bad guy Sek Kin. But it stinks. Iâd rather watch Monkey Fist Floating Snake. I enjoyed Stroke of Death. Fun movie. Kuan Feng is definitely underrated. On my top 100 fighters list I have to admit that I completely forgot about him. I think Iâd put him around 90th because like you said he didnât have enough good roles. But he made the most of his small roles in movies like Flag of Iron, Supreme Swordsman and Ten Tigers where he gets his head kicked off. Iâll never forget his non fighting role in 5 Element Ninjas. Weâve talked about it at least a couple times before. His acting, every scene, is what puts 5EN into âsuper awesome cheesy but still classyâ status.
Yeah, Monkey Fist was really bad; I barely got through it sometime back. I saw Chan Sau-Chung in person at a Chinese martial arts tournament in Sacremento about 12 years ago. He was a guest of honor, and gave a demonstration. Though obviously he was much older than in his film appearances, his real kung fu looks a lot better in person than it does onscreen. Heâs also really short, definitely 4-foot something. Thatâs how it is; some martial artists who are really good canât translate it well onto film. Not to mention Chan Sau-Chung wasnât an actor, so he lacked onscreen charisma as well.
When at his best as an onscreen arch-villain, Kuan Feng is, IMO, every bit the equal of a Hwang Jang Lee, Wang Lung-Wei, or Yen Si-Kwan at their very best. Too bad he never got to play a leading man in at least one film. Back in the day, almost everyone seemed to have their turn at headlining a movie, even Mars. He was also good in Boxer from the Temple.
I don`t think monkey fist was that bad. Not great movie but easy to watch once, even for seeing sek kin doing better fighting than in enter the dragon. He wields quite badass 3-section staff in mf.
I watched today âenchanting ghostâ from zoke culture dvd. Quite enjoyable flick. It has always amazed me how someone could possibly think hui ying hung or shih szu look like a boy when they dress like that but in this one man looks like a girl :
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