CROUCHING TIGER MEETS SHERLOCK HOMES!
Also I think there is a sequence where a deer gets flying kicked.
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Saturday, 23 July 2011 14:17 (twelve years ago) link
can anybody recommend some Shaw Brothers movies not previously named itt. there's so many of them...
― Neanderthal, Saturday, 23 July 2011 22:37 (twelve years ago) link
not sure if it is your cup of tea but i enjoyed a bunch of chu yuan's wuxia stuff, e.g. the sentimental swordsman, which stars di long as alcoholic guy who wanders the country and is chased around by people trying to do away with him for some mysterious reason
also some of the later ones have some really entertainingly bizarre sequences-- bloody parrot, portrait in crystal, demon of the lute
also remember soul of the sword being good...one of those ones that presents an ambivalent take on the whole chasing glories in the martial world thing
― dell (del), Sunday, 24 July 2011 01:29 (twelve years ago) link
Can anyone ID this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc99HcPgKmk
― pass the duchy pon the left hand side (musical duke) (Hurting 2), Sunday, 13 November 2011 07:22 (twelve years ago) link
duel to the death.
― ☆, Sunday, 13 November 2011 22:14 (twelve years ago) link
I wonder if The Raid series and Merantau are going to have any influence on the industry? I'd prefer there was some stylistic variety if there was a renaissance.
I had a phase that lasted maybe a year but I haven't returned much to the genre...
Zu Warriors From The Magic Mountain KnockoutSpooky Encounters (the sequel has some great moments too)Boxers OmenIceman Cometh (hilarious and underrated)Drunken Master 2 (for fight scenes only)Snake In The Eagles ShadowBuddha's Palm (Shaw version)Chinese Ghost Story 1-2-3MerantauThe RaidRumble In The BronxMaster Of The Flying Guillotine
I wouldn't recommend it as a whole but Ip Man has some great fights. But even most of my recommended films have significant flaws.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 19 April 2014 19:37 (ten years ago) link
Raid 2 was badass too
― getting strange ass all around the globe (Neanderthal), Saturday, 19 April 2014 20:45 (ten years ago) link
raid 2 had soooo much 'crime movie' stuff that I really did not find very compelling. but whenever the action started up, man, all was forgiven.
― original bgm, Saturday, 19 April 2014 21:32 (ten years ago) link
pretty strange contrast since raid 1 is notable for having next to no plot at all. but the director has said the script for raid 2 predated the first one. it's an awkward movie but I basically ended up loving it anyway since it still delivered 100% on what I was watching it for (extremely violent martial arts action)
― original bgm, Saturday, 19 April 2014 21:38 (ten years ago) link
yeah watching it go linear was strange at first but it worked IMO.
the sheer scope of the action in the 1st was tough to beat though.
― getting strange ass all around the globe (Neanderthal), Saturday, 19 April 2014 21:39 (ten years ago) link
Not seen it yet.
Kindle spell correct must have changed Knockabout to knockout in my previous post.
It seems like virtually every semi famous HK martial arts film is on YouTube. Maybe that's why recent martial arts DVD selections have been so poor. A lot of films are getting rare and expensive so I'm unlikely to get back into these films in a big way unless I get a streaming service with a large selection. Though the quality of some DVDs are horrendous. I bought Green Snake last year and made sure to avoid one edition that was said to be missing a huge chunk of the film, seemingly not from editing or censorship but just a major fuckup. But the other available version had a very small screen size and poor quality picture. I didn't like it that much but I guess it wasn't really a martial arts film.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 19 April 2014 21:40 (ten years ago) link
I also have to say that the fandom for martial arts films seems to have seriously dwindled, there should be tv channels devoted to them.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 19 April 2014 21:42 (ten years ago) link
rented a johnnie to dvd from netflix the other weekend (the mission) and the quality was totally laughable. there was text burned into the print that was visible the whole time! and the aspect ratio was totally weird. but I just rolled with it, and tbh, the shoddiness kinda made me nostalgic for when I initially got into hk films and was getting any weird bootleg I could get my hands on.
― original bgm, Saturday, 19 April 2014 21:49 (ten years ago) link
Can't recall the name of the film but there was a DVD of a 70s film I have with English subtitles, English dubbing and some East Asian subtitles (don't know which language) and it was hilarious how different the English dubbing and subtitles were. Sometimes it was like translations of two different films.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 19 April 2014 22:05 (ten years ago) link
Zu Warriors From The Magic Mountain
I went on a big wuxia kick last year and this was my favourite of the bunch. Such a great mix of schlock and epic.
― jmm, Sunday, 20 April 2014 23:58 (ten years ago) link
Yes, I wish there was more like it. I bought quite a few films in search of something similar. There was a film called Maidens Of The Heavenly Mountains that I couldn't make head nor tail of and it wasn't that exciting, but quite pretty. I'd strongly recommend Buddha's Palm (make sure you get the Shaw film and not the modern tv series), it is kinda similar in style and has a funny character who shouts his own name whenever he enters a scene.
I wouldn't know where to start if I got back into these films. I find a lot of the older ones a bit of a slog (sounds like blasphemy but I found some Bruce Lee films quite boring), I'm not terribly fond of the adventure style films that Jackie Chan often did and a lot of newer films are blandly slick. I guess I should probably go for the King Hu, Tsui Hark and Jackie Chan classics I haven't seen. I'm very fond of Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung so maybe getting more of their highlights would be the best way.
Imdb is really good for going to each martial artist's forums and usually there is a thread for ranking the best films for that actor. Maybe I should look over this thread again.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 21 April 2014 02:26 (ten years ago) link
Just came back from Raid 2 and it probably surpassed my expectations. What surprised me was how much more cartoony this film was with videogame style characters and less realism in general.
I assume there is no further sequel to come?
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 23 April 2014 20:56 (ten years ago) link
Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars. This is part of a series (I've always been confused by so many Hong Kong series with similar titles but no numbering, or even lots of unrelated films with similar titles. This film is like two in one, a crime film but also a beach holiday comedy about a lecherous group of guys. Chan and Biao don't even show up until 30 minutes in. Some of its quite funny, a bit too little fighting but a few scenes are really good but could have done with less camera cuts.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 17 May 2014 21:24 (nine years ago) link
― Nhex, Sunday, 18 May 2014 03:10 (nine years ago) link
Raid 2 is amazing. No less than a half-dozen amazing fight sequences plus one absolutely stellar car chase. Plot totally unnecessary but frankly anyone who gives a shit about that probably shouldn't be trusted.
― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Monday, 12 January 2015 16:55 (nine years ago) link
Often I would agree that the plot should be thrown out but in this film it takes up a lot of space (yes maybe a bit too long) and even creates some real suspense.
If you were talking about Drunken Master 2 I'd totally agree. One of the best martial arts films despite the terrible weakness of the non-fight scenes.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 12 January 2015 23:31 (nine years ago) link
I actually thought the plot was pretty good too and the acting was serviceable (for the most part) but even they were both total garbage when there are this many great pieces, I am deeply suspicious of anyone complaining about either one.
― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Monday, 12 January 2015 23:38 (nine years ago) link
Hoping to see Righting Wrongs soon. Supposed to be one of the better Yuen Biao films.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GUmBHVK9cQ
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 26 April 2015 17:18 (nine years ago) link
She Shoots Straight trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm2V7r0FKjY
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 22 May 2015 20:16 (eight years ago) link
Interesting when it looks like they're not even fightinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv-O_530Kp8
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 22 May 2015 20:18 (eight years ago) link
two words: dirty. ho.
― he quipped with heat (amateurist), Friday, 22 May 2015 21:41 (eight years ago) link
Gonna watch The Raid 2 tonight. I watched the first last night and loved it.
― jmm, Friday, 22 May 2015 21:43 (eight years ago) link
liked that video
― Nhex, Saturday, 23 May 2015 00:03 (eight years ago) link
Raid 2 is great but it falls into more traditional movie format this time. just a word of forewarning
― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Saturday, 23 May 2015 16:15 (eight years ago) link
the best part of seeing The Raid in a theatre was the not knowing it was an MA flick going in and just thinking it would be a foreign gritty cop flick and then seeing the martial arts show up 30 mins in and feeling like I just got a surprise xmas gift
― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Saturday, 23 May 2015 16:17 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, the plot wasn't as gripping this time, the spacing between action setpieces more predictable. I like the kind of contained setting that the first movie has. But, you can't have a car chase in a building and that was an amazing scene. Yayan Ruhian steals the show in both.
Now to check out Merantau? It looks like there are some other silat films out there - not sure if they're anything like these ones. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silat#Film
Some of the main guys in the Raid movies are going to be in Star Wars too.
― jmm, Saturday, 23 May 2015 16:43 (eight years ago) link
I have seen the raid 2 but not the raid 1
I thought it was really impressive but the brutality was a little much for me, lol @ me
― So You've Been Pubically Shaved (wins), Saturday, 23 May 2015 16:53 (eight years ago) link
Yayan was so great in boh film, though it was kind of bizarre to have him play basically the same character
― Nhex, Saturday, 23 May 2015 17:20 (eight years ago) link
The bad guy in Merantau is the biggest scumbag of a villain I can remember in quite some time.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 23 May 2015 19:58 (eight years ago) link
the raid 2 was... way... too... long. eventually i got kind of numbed.
― he quipped with heat (amateurist), Tuesday, 26 May 2015 12:50 (eight years ago) link
Yes, but it takes a while to single-handedly kill all the gangsters, and that's really the only way to solve complex undercover anti-corruption cases.
― jmm, Tuesday, 26 May 2015 15:36 (eight years ago) link
worked for Crockett/Tubbs iirc
― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Tuesday, 26 May 2015 15:40 (eight years ago) link
xpost
yes, and settled law says you have to take them on one and a time.
― he quipped with heat (amateurist), Tuesday, 26 May 2015 15:43 (eight years ago) link
one AT a time
tbf there's still a shitload of gangsters alive at the end who are probably ready to take over the city in The Raid 3but yes I love this movie's attitude that you have to kill EVERYONE to tackle this level of systemic corruption
― Nhex, Tuesday, 26 May 2015 22:26 (eight years ago) link
for an old-school head who used to have to hunt this stuff down in sketchy video stores, the YouTube/download era really is a revelation.
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 2 June 2015 05:51 (eight years ago) link
also every time this thread gets bumped I read it as "marital arts movies" and chuckle.
but that's just me, right?
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 2 June 2015 05:52 (eight years ago) link
been pretty impressed lately watching these remastered digital HD films put out by Shaw Brothers/Celestial on iTunes. just watched Challenge of the Masters the other day, good stuff
also every time this thread gets bumped I read it as "marital arts movies" and chuckle
― Nhex, Tuesday, 2 June 2015 06:14 (eight years ago) link
EASTERN CONDORS
Despite the acclaim, I resisted this one for a while because I wasn't interested in the guns and grenades/military/war stuff, but there is actually a lot of proper martial arts in here too.
Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Joyce Godenzi, Yuen Wah and Lam Ching-Ying (who unfortunately has no fight scenes in this film).
It's all over the place in terms of seriousness/humour, so it was difficult for me to tell what was supposed to be taken seriously, but it never drags the film down because it's pretty fun. Sammo Hung lost loads of weight because he thought his usual fatness was too funny for this film but that doesn't really make sense because even the death scenes are loaded with jokes.
I found the plot very hard to follow, the whole thing seems extremely unconvincing but even that doesn't really bother me too much because they clearly put so much effort into the action. This is a really ambitious production for Hung, with quite a few things I'm not used to seeing in Hong Kong action films.
The original trailer reveals lots of scenes that were cut from the final film. I really wish they had kept them in because they looked good. But apparently they're gone forever.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 6 June 2015 15:53 (eight years ago) link
see: Heroes of the East― Nhex, Monday, June 1, 2015
lol touché
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Saturday, 6 June 2015 17:39 (eight years ago) link
omg, Killer Clans was so dope. I mean the last 25 minutes are so clumsy with the 3 million plot twists, but as a pseudo-wuxia it actually works (good dialogue too!). wish the fight sequences lasted longer, but they are fairly bloody which is cool.
also enjoyed Flying Guillotine (not to be confused with "Master of the Flying Guillotine") and "The Avenging Eagle".
― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Friday, 8 January 2016 03:32 (eight years ago) link
Not sure if a lot of the titles are similar on purpose, on the Chinese end or English translation or English re-titling.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 8 January 2016 13:37 (eight years ago) link
Heads up to UK readers who own a television, starting tonight in 2 hours
http://www.film4.com/whats-on/martial-arts-gold-on-film4
From Friday 15th January Film4 brings you Martial Arts gold, a season dedicated to kung fu classics from Hong Kong’s legendary Shaw Brothers studio.
Our season begins with The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and continues for the next three Friday nights, with King Boxer (featuring superstar Lieh Lo), Come Drink with Me (directed by martial arts maestro King Hu) and the original One-Armed Swordsman, from director Cheh Chang. A second season – including Five Deadly Venoms and The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter – will follow in March and April. All films are in their original aspect ratio, and original language with English subtitles.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 15 January 2016 21:42 (eight years ago) link
nice
― Nhex, Saturday, 16 January 2016 00:05 (eight years ago) link
I missed 36th Chamber but King Boxer was very good. A standard plot, two dimensional characters thoroughly manipulating your emotions through horrible injustice and revenge.
New film The Assassin probably doesn't have enough fighting to be a martial arts film but has anyone seen it? First Chinese wuxia film getting a proper western release in ages, but I doubt it'll do much business. I'm intrigued because it looks lovely, and without the overly artificial gloss I've become used to from 00s onward wuxia.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 23 January 2016 16:36 (eight years ago) link