never watched a martial arts film ever

[Blumf]

...there's a (I think) Taiwanese actor whose name escapes me, but he's been in a few martial arts/action films that were big domestic hits.  Prior to those he was a breakfast TV presenter.

Eamonn Holmes none stop Shin-kicking action in Punch of Death.

[Replies From View]

Never seen a martian arse film, also I have never watched a western



I've seen enough photos to get the gist

[Joe Oakes]

For something slightly different, I'd really recommend Lone Wolf and Cub. It's a kind of lurid Japanese take on 70s Hong Kong chop-socky and it's spectacular. It's about an exiled executioner in pursuit of revenge, except he also has to look after his baby son. Cue some A-Team shit with the kid's pram and sunburst red spraying all over the shop. Do you like your limbs, buddy? Well, pick em up and take em with you!

I'd suggest the abridged dubbed English version - Shogun Assassin - because of the brilliant Liquid Swords album samples.

My favs; Drunken Master, Snake and Crane, One-Armed Boxer 1 & 2, Five Deadly Venoms, Magnificent Bodyguards etc. Hwang Jung Lee was usually the villain. Can't really enjoy modern Kung-fu flicks with their accurate subtitles or distractingly well-dubbed and uncomedic culturally sensitive voice-overs.

[A Hat Like That]

The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud looks... interesting?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMchbW8WWQI

That's at least intriguing. Like how he's done the martial arts moves like Streetfighter II.

[Famous Mortimer]

Five Deadly Venoms

Can't really enjoy modern Kung-fu flicks with their accurate subtitles or distractingly well-dubbed and uncomedic culturally sensitive voice-overs.

Five Deadly Venoms is a banger, no doubt. And I think we all agree with your second point.

Another recommendation: "Ninja In The Dragon's Den", Corey Yuen's first movie. One line from the dub always tickled me - "what is this, kung fu? Who taught you this shit?"

[Chedney Honks]

Great post, Joe Oakes.

Drunken Master 1&2 are fucking banging. The best of Jacqueline Chan, for me.

[kalowski]

Five Deadly Venoms is a banger, no doubt. And I think we all agree with your second point.

Good job no one mentioned Five Deadly Venoms last weekend.

[Famous Mortimer]

Good job no one mentioned Five Deadly Venoms last weekend.

But...you mentioned it! Don't you remember? Man, I bet you'll feel embarrassed when you check page 1 again.

Chang Cheh also made "Five Elements Ninjas", which I also love. And probably loads more classics which I've not seen yet.

[kalowski]

But...you mentioned it! Don't you remember? Man, I bet you'll feel embarrassed when you check page 1 again.

Ha. By the way, this is worth a listen...

[Chedney Honks]

Just watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and while it's a gorgeous period drama, as well, that first fight scene gave me goosebumps. Not felt like that from a fight since I had an actual fight. Beautiful film. I never liked the wirework stuff way back when but it was exhilarating and uplifting. A little touch of the fantastical.

[magval]

Last bit of Police Story 1 is the most exciting section of a film I've ever seen.

[touchingcloth]

Just watched The Martian. It was great and so funny, so I can see the appeal of these sorts of films now.

[Small Man Big Horse]

The Thai stuff from the '00s is a mixed bag but with some absolute gems in there. The original Ong-Bak and my personal fave Chocolate being the two I'd recommend. They both have some jaw-dropping scenes but the closing fight in Chocolate is really something else, felt like I was watching stuntmen competing to see who was most likely to kill themselves. Thai martial arts movies almost universally have incredible stunts but be advised some of them can be punishingly bad as far as pacing goes. Those two are pretty solid though.

Thanks for the recommendation of Chocolate, just watched it now and enjoyed it a great deal. It perhaps takes a little too long to get going and 10 minutes could be trimmed from the opening 30, but after that it's a huge amount of fun, and like you say that last fight is bloody amazing stuff.

[Chedney Honks]

Last bit of Police Story 1 is the most exciting section of a film I've ever seen.

It just turned up through my letterbox, with Police Story 2. Never seen them but looking forward to giving them a good go.

Rewatched the Drunken Master restoration recently, as well, and it's a masterpiece. A lot funnier than I remembered, but the actual fight choreography is unimaginable to me. Pure talent.

[zomgmouse]

Got a few martial arts films queued up to watch in the next couple of weeks. Just watched Five Deadly Venoms. It's got a terrific setup and some wallopers of fight scenes, but there's not nearly as much of it for my liking sadly, and the plot was a bit too tepid.

[Chedney Honks]

Not seen Five Deadly Venoms yet, but I am really looking forward to checking out more Shaw Brothers. I understand that Arrow Video have picked up the licences and that big plans are afoot.

More generally, I am absolutely loving the martial arts films at the moment. There's something culturally unique and so atmospheric. Not quite the genre but I've been watching A Chinese Ghost Story trilogy recently and it's just so good. Terribly sad that the CCP have passed some bullshit laws which will screw HK cinema forever. What a wonderfully imaginative and prolific period of human creativity, gone forever.

[kalowski]

What's the one with the Ghost Faced Killer? Mysteries of Chess Boxing. That's great fun with brilliant fight scenes. Clearly the Wu Tang Clan enjoyed it.

[Shit Good Nose]

Got a few martial arts films queued up to watch in the next couple of weeks. Just watched Five Deadly Venoms. It's got a terrific setup and some wallopers of fight scenes, but there's not nearly as much of it for my liking sadly, and the plot was a bit too tepid.

You've now seen every Chang Cheh Venoms film.  I've saved you about 35-odd hours there.

[chveik]

Terribly sad that the CCP have passed some bullshit laws which will screw HK cinema forever. What a wonderfully imaginative and prolific period of human creativity, gone forever.

agreed. thankfully they were very prolific during that period

[zomgmouse]

You've now seen every Chang Cheh Venoms film.  I've saved you about 35-odd hours there.

I don't think I was going to see any more of those, but Chang Cheh also directed Crippled Avengers which is on my upcoming watchlist.

What's the one with the Ghost Faced Killer? Mysteries of Chess Boxing. That's great fun with brilliant fight scenes. Clearly the Wu Tang Clan enjoyed it.

Their debut album is called "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" (had to double-check this) so definitely no strangers

[chveik]

have you watched a martial arts film then madhair you lazy git

[kalowski]

I don't think I was going to see any more of those, but Chang Cheh also directed Crippled Avengers which is on my upcoming watchlist.

Their debut album is called "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" (had to double-check this) so definitely no strangers

Crippled Avengers is ludicrously enjoyable.

[Chedney Honks]

have you watched a martial arts film then madhair you lazy git

The guy is a putz

[Shit Good Nose]

I don't think I was going to see any more of those, but Chang Cheh also directed Crippled Avengers which is on my upcoming watchlist.

That is another Venoms film.  The Venoms was the name given to the group of actors who appeared in all those Cheh films.  They took it in turns playing heroes and villains, but they're really the same film over and over again with the only real difference being the costumes get increasingly garish. (Caveat - I'm not much of a Cheh fan, so there is some negative bias)

[zomgmouse]

That is another Venoms film.  The Venoms was the name given to the group of actors who appeared in all those Cheh films.  They took it in turns playing heroes and villains, but they're really the same film over and over again with the only real difference being the costumes get increasingly garish. (Caveat - I'm not much of a Cheh fan, so there is some negative bias)

Oh right! I thought it was just the name of a series.

Crippled Avengers is ludicrously enjoyable.

This one was next on my list - ludicrously enjoyable is a great way to put it. I think where Five Deadly Venoms has too much meandering, this gets right to business and never lets up. Plenty of bish-bosh, plenty of training sequences, specialised moves, all the good stuff. Really enjoyed this.

[zomgmouse]

Warriors Two today. Early Sammo Hung-directed - barebones plot but incredibly in-depth training sequence and thorough fighting plus some very funny choreography. Hung is pretty undervalued as a director of quality light fare I think.

[zomgmouse]

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow - supposedly launched Jackie Chan's career proper, alongside Drunken Master - though the latter really distils the essence of what works in this one - in particular the bits with Chan and the old man, which are terrific, or in general Chan's sleekness and charm. But in general this is really quite good with some wonderful choreography and a sweet ending.

[Chedney Honks]

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow - supposedly launched Jackie Chan's career proper, alongside Drunken Master.

I've struggled to get through this one, strangely for me. Might just not be in the mood but I keep trying and bouncing off it. I do love the old fella from DM and his early fight with the bowl and chopsticks is great but I can't remember anything else about the first half hour. Gonna have another go at it!

[Shit Good Nose]

I've struggled to get through this one, strangely for me. Might just not be in the mood but I keep trying and bouncing off it. I do love the old fella from DM and his early fight with the bowl and chopsticks is great but I can't remember anything else about the first half hour. Gonna have another go at it!

I've always thought SITES as very overrated.


Shaw Brothers fans take note - Arrow have today announced volume 1 of a SB box set, containing 12 films, priced at £125 or £110 as an early bird special.  They've secured licenses for either 24 or 26 SB films depending on who you ask, so volume 2 will complete the release when it's announced presumably next month. 

As it is, I can't justify £110 on the two or three films I actually want, so I'm hoping for individual releases further down the line.

[Crabwalk]

The Night Comes For Us, mate. I've watched it three times. Obscene levels of violence.

This.