THE GRANDMASTER OF KUNG FU (2022) Trailer

 Check out the trailer for The Grandmaster Of Kung Fu, starring Dennis To as the legendary real life martial artist Huo Yuanjia. You may know of Huo Yuanjia as the master of the Chin Woo Athletic Association, the character Chen Zhen (played by Bruce Lee in Fist Of Fury / The Chinese Connection and Jet Li played in Fist Of Legend) attended when Huo died under mysterious circumstances. Jet Li went on to play Huo Yuanjia in... Huo Yuanjia (2006), also known as Fearless. This time Dennis To is playing him, and it looks like (based on what's seen in the trailer), he's doing him justice. Here's the synopsis:

Near the end of the Qing Dynasty, a renowned Chinese martial artist engages in a life-or-death battle with a feared Japanese military commander in order to prevent Japan’s ultimate goal of seizing martial arts stronghold Tianjin.

The Grandmaster Of Kung Fu is streaming now (as of November 4, 2022) on the HI-YAH! streaming service! Hopefully this gets a Blu-Ray release as well, because I really want to watch this one!

 

The Shaolin Drunken Monk (1981) - A Review

 

The Shaolin Drunken Monk (also known as Drunken Martial Arts, Drunk 8 Blows, Crazy 8 Blows, or The 36th Chamber:The Final Encounter) is a Hong Kong/South Korean martial arts movie released in 1981. It stars Gordon Liu, Eagle Han Ying, Chang Mi-hee, Kim Jae Woo, Hyun Kil Soo, and Chin Yuet-Sang . The Shaolin Drunken Monk was directed by  Ulysses Au-Yeung Jun, with fight choreography by Chin Yuet-Sang.

The man himself, Gordon Liu.

In The Shaolin Drunken Monk, Gordon Liu plays Lau Chung, a young man who has had a pretty tragic life (as we find out through flashbacks) who kidnaps Ying Ying (played by Chang Mi-hee), the daughter of martial arts master Wong Kin Chung (played by Eagle Han Ying). He does this to lure Wong Kin Chung out, in order to get revenge for the things Wong and his henchmen have done to his family. We see Lau Chung's training in kung fu by a drunken master (played by Hyun Kil Soo) and we see another, unique form of training he goes through. Lau Chung fights through Wong's men, dealing with a ninja-like assassin (played by Chin Yuet-Sang) and a one-handed fighter (played by Kim Jae Woo) whose side he isn't sure of, before finally getting to Wong Kin Chung. Can he succeed and get revenge?

The bad guys in this movie are bastards.

First of all, I love The Shaolin Drunken Monk. I first found out about this movie from the documentary film, Top Fighter. This movie had some of the best action scenes in the documentary, and my brother and I really wanted to watch it after that. I finally found it at a specialty video store, and thankfully, it lived up to our expectations. Unfortunately, the VHS and DVD available in America was not in the correct aspect ratio and is only dubbed in English. So, this might not be the best representation of the movie available. 

The plot of the movie is the basic 'hero seeks revenge against those who have wronged him/her'. This is okay because the fight scenes are so good in this. Gordon Liu plays the stoic, driven hero who wants revenge, but has a moral compass. Because of the dubbing, you would think Gordon Liu is the villain of the movie at the start. His voice softens as the movie goes on, though. There is a bit of romance in this film as well, but I feel it's a bit unrealistic due to the situation (though, according to social media, women are very into what Ying Ying goes through in this movie...) Anyways... Eagle Han Ying plays a great villain. He plays a cool, collected bad guy determined to find the two fighters killing his men. The dubbing fails his performance, though. There is also a bit of comedy in this movie. During the flashback scenes of Lau Chung training with his master, there is some silly comedy. It may feel out of place in such a serious movie, but I appreciated it.

Eagle Han Ying plays a great villain. He also looks like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson when he smiles.

I will admit, the low budget of this movie is very apparent. Gordon Liu's hair length changes quite a bit throughout the movie. The cinematography is basic (which is not a bad thing). There's even a scene where the camera's film is running out (there are red flashes on the screen). Still, it doesn't detract from the experience of the movie...unless you're not into low budget movies. There is great music in The Shaolin Drunken Monk. There is a piece of music from Jackie Chan's Drunken Master used in this...during a flashback with the drunken master in this movie! I thought that was cool (it's also my favorite piece of music from the Drunken Master soundtrack). The final fight takes place in a cool, picturesque location as well.

The fight scenes are so good in this movie!

The fight scenes in The Shaolin Drunken Monk are so good. Gordon Liu's fist forms are excellent, and they are put to good use in this movie. His drunken style is also very cool; it's a bit more rigid and powerful (when compared to Jackie Chan's more fluid drunken style). Eagle Han Ying is pretty incredible in this! He has powerful strikes and awesome kicks. A worthy final villain for sure. Kim Jae Woo as the one-handed fighter is really good. He show you can still kick butt despite any handicaps. Chin Yuet-Sang was the fight choreographer for this movie, and he really outdid himself in this one! All of the fights are fast, intricate, and hard-hitting. He also plays the ninja assassin in this movie, and of course his fights with Gordon Liu rock. There is not one weak fight in this movie!

In conclusion, The Shaolin Drunk Monk is a decently good martial arts movie. It's not the best kung fu movie in the world, but it is thoroughly entertaining. The fight scenes are top notch, and are the main reason to watch this movie. I mean, it stars Shaw Brothers superstar Gordon Liu! He never lets us down in a movie! Watch it, and hope a remastered version of it comes out some day.

The cover of the DVD I watched for this review. I really need this movie remastered on Blu-ray! I think it would look amazing remastered (and in the correct aspect ratio). The bottom scene on the cover is not in the movie, by the way.

The back cover. This DVD has audio commentary by Ric Myers. It is...not good. He makes fun of the low budget and gives rather dubious information about the movie, the actors, and Hong Kong cinema in general...

The DVD disc. Nice, simple design by Tai Seng.

Reviewed by David Williams

Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog (1978) - A Review

 

Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog is a very silly movie!

Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog is a martial arts comedy movie released in Hong Kong in 1978, and stars Sammo Hung, Lau Kar-wing, Dean Shek, Meg Lam Kin-Ming, Lee Hoi-Sang, Mars, and Karl Maka. The movie was directed by Karl Maka, with martial arts directed by Sammo Hung and Lau Kar-wing.

Sammo Hung (left) as Crazy Frog, and Lau Kar-wing (right) as Dirty Tiger.

In Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog, Dirty Tiger (played by Lau-Kar-wing) is hired to find Crazy Frog (played by Sammo Hung), who has gone missing. Dirty Tiger finds him, and finds out that Crazy Frog is in possession of the Invincible Armor, a chain-link vest that makes the wearer impervious to weapon and physical strikes. Dirty Tiger then decides to try to trick Crazy Frog into giving him the Invincible Armor. They team up to scam people into giving them money for the Invincible Armor, but soon Crazy Frog loses possession of it, and eventually all the shady martial artists in the town want it! The Invincible Armor changes hands multiple times, and Dirty Tiger and Crazy Frog have to track it down (fighting everyone they face) and assert their ownership over it... 

Dean Shek (left) and Meg Lam Kin-Ming (right) are just two of the shady people who want the Invincible Armor.

Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog is mainly a zany comedy (slapstick, if you want to get technical). There is a lot of silly comedy in this! From what I have learned over the years, Hong Kong film goers enjoy broad comedy and clever wordplay. This movie is full of that! I like the movie, and enjoy the comedy for the most part, but others really dislike the comedy in this. Just remember, comedy is subjective. You may think it is funny, you may not. To me, Sammo Hung is hilarious in Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog. He is a bit dimwitted, so he keeps getting put in bad situations that he comedically has to deal with. Sammo's facial expressions are the best part of the movie (besides the fight scenes). He makes such funny faces in this, even his ears will make you laugh!

The plot is basic, really. It's all the twists and turns of who has the Invincible Armor, and all the tricks used to get it that make the movie interesting. Even though Dirty Tiger and Crazy Frog are not really pure good guys (they are con men, basically), you really root for them to get the Invincible Armor back. Well, I hoped Crazy Frog got the armor back, Dirty Tiger not so much.

The fight scenes get real good at the end!

The fight scenes in Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog are a mixed bag. In the early parts of the movie, or more accurately, the whole movie until the final two or three fights, the fights are kind of basic. This is not a bad thing, as there is still some awesome choreography and martial arts displayed. Sammo Hung has an especially awe-inspiring fight scene early on. The way it's shot, you think it is a stunt double until he turns around and shows his face. This scene will be a surprise if you've never seen Sammo Hung in action before. There is a lot of comedy in the fights, there isn't really any bloodthirsty violence in this movie. The best fights are at the end (of course). These fights have more of that intricate and hard-hitting choreography that we've come to expect from a Sammo Hung movie. Lau Kar-wing (who is the brother of legendary Shaw Brothers movie director Lau Kar-leung) also shows his expert martial arts skills in this. He is so good, and I feel he is underrated as a martial arts movie actor. He and Sammo choreographed Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog together, and they did a great job, I feel. It is also cool to see where Sammo's choreography was at this point in his career.

This movie has a bunch of martial arts movie stars playing the henchmen in this. Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-ying, Chin Yuet-sang, Chung Fat, Fung Hak-on, Hsiao Ho, Mang Hoi, and Peter Chan Lung, among many more appear in this movie!

In conclusion, Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog is a very silly movie with some nice fight scenes. You can tell this is a Karl Maka film, as it feels totally different from the movies Sammo Hung has starred in either directed by himself or by Yuen Woo-ping or Jackie Chan. Some might find it too silly, or not funny at all. Just check it out for yourself! I found the movie very entertaining, with Sammo's performance and the final fight scenes as the standouts. Once again, it is interesting to see Sammo Hung's work before he became one of Hong Kong's top actors/directors.

Reviewed by David Williams

Snake In The Eagle's Shadow (1978) - A Review

 

The beginning a of a legacy...

Snake In The Eagles Shadow (usually shortened to SITES online) is a martial arts comedy movie released in Hong Kong in 1978 and stars Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-tien, Hwang Jang-Lee, Dean Shek, Paul Chan, and Roy Horan. The movie was directed by Yuen Woo-ping, with Yuen Woo-ping and Hsu Hsia serving as Martial Arts directors (Brandy Yuen Jan-Yeung, Yuen Shun-Yi, and Corey Yuen Kwai serve as Assistant Martial Arts directors). Snake In The Eagle's Shadow was the movie, along with Drunken Master later that year, that shot Jackie Chan up to superstardom in Hong Kong.

In Snake In The Eagle's Shadow, Jackie Chan plays Chien Fu, an orphan taken in by a kung fu school who does nothing but menial jobs there and is used as a punching bag by the assistant instructors (played by Dean Shek and Paul Chan) demonstrating kung fu moves for their students. The only friend Chien has at the school is the cook. One day, Chien finds an old beggar (played by Yuen Siu-tien) getting beat up by a rival kung fu school. He decides to help out, despite having no fighting skills. The old beggar guides Chien's movement in order to help him defeat the mob of attackers. A Christian missionary (played by Roy Horan) comes upon the scene and breaks the fight up.

Jackie Chan plays the ultimate underdog in this movie.

Chien takes the old beggar to his kung fu school to recover. They begin a friendship, and eventually the beggar teaches Chien how to avoid getting hit and how to defend himself. The old beggar teaches Chien snake style kung fu. When the assistant kung fu instructors use him to let a new student beat him up, Chien finally defends himself. Later, a champion from the rival kung fu school comes to Chien's school and demands respect from the assistant instructors. The champion beats them up and takes all of the school's students. The master of Chien's school returns to find the place deserted, with only Chien there cleaning. Chien tells him what happened, and the master confronts the champion martial artist. The master can't beat him, so Chien defeats him, to the shock of everyone.

Unfortunately, Sheng Kuan (played by Hwang Jang-Lee), an Eagle Claw master in search of a master of snake style kung fu named Pai Cheng-tien, sees Chien's skill and is intrigued. Sheng Kuan is on a mission to kill  Pai Cheng-tien, the last surviving master of snake style kung fu, and any other practitioners of the style. Sheng Kuan asks Chien who was his kung fu teacher, and Chien describes him, not knowing Sheng Kuan is a really bad guy (or the old beggar's true identity). This all leads to a final battle between the old beggar, Chien Fu, and Sheng Kuan. There are a lot of deaths, fights and betrayal on the way there!

The master and student relationship/friendship is portrayed so well!

Snake In The Eagle's Shadow was the movie that finally put Jackie Chan on the map in Hong Kong. Prior to this movie, Jackie was stuck in a film contract with Lo Wei's production company, with all of the movies made with Lo being complete failures. Jackie Chan was considered box office poison at this time! Lo, who directed The Big Boss and Fist Of Fury (Bruce Lee's break out hits) was trying to make Jackie into the next Bruce Lee. Ng See-Yuen, owner of Seasonal Films, wanted to use Jackie Chan for a two-picture deal. Lo, tired of losing money, agreed. Finally, Jackie Chan was able to work with people who wanted to try something new and different. This was also Yuen Woo-ping's directorial debut, and what do you know, Jackie Chan and Yuen Woo-ping were a match made in heaven!

This is the movie that set the template for Jackie Chan's next few movies, and also most all martial arts comedies from then on. So many movies have the same type of format; from Magnificent Butcher to No Retreat, No Surrender. In this movie, the relationship between Chien Fu and the old beggar is warm and caring. You believe that they care about each other. The movie is funny, but it is not over the top like later Jackie Chan movies (not saying either is a bad thing). Jackie Chan plays the underdog so well in this movie! You root for him one hundred percent!

For some reason, I avoided this movie back in the day. It looked like a weaker version of Drunken Master to me. Yes, I believe Drunken Master blows this movie out of the water, but Snake In The Eagle's Shadow is still a really good movie. This movie is the genesis of the Jackie Chan we all know and love.

Jackie Chan and Hwang Jang-Lee kick butt in this!

With Yuen Woo-ping directing and choreographing the fight scenes, you know the fights are good in this. The intricate choreography Yuen Woo-ping is known for is there, but it is a bit more subdued. Hwang Jang-Lee gets to show his powerful kicks in his scenes, and even knocks out one of Jackie's teeth for real in the final fight. Yuen Siu-tien, as the old beggar, has quite a few fight scenes; and despite his advanced age, he shows he can still move with grace. Yuen Woo-ping choreographed around his father's limitations, I'm sure. Jackie Chan fights with such energy and enthusiasm in this. He gets to show off his acrobatic, martial arts, and comedic skills in his fights. Even when he's fighting 'untrained', it's great to see how awkward he is trying to fight a mob of bad guys. The style Chien Fu invents to defeat Sheng Kuan is interesting as well, very unique movements! The fights are fun, and there are plenty of them in this movie!

So, should you watch Snake In The Eagle's Shadow? I would say, yes! It's a fun movie with great action and comedy. It is cool to see Jackie Chan and Yuen Woo-ping begin to develop their styles in this movie. You even see Jackie Chan with his front tooth knocked out! This movie even has some weird space-age type of musical soundtrack! Watch it and appreciate where Jackie Chan came from and where he has gone since then!

Reviewed by David Williams

Dreadnaught (Eureka Classics) Trailer

 Check out this new trailer for Eureka's upcoming Blu-Ray release of Dreadnaught, a classic martial arts movie! The movie is directed and choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping, and stars Yuen Biao, Leung Kar-yan, Kwan Tak-hing, and Yuen Shun-yee. The movie is about a serial killer hiding among a Peking Opera troupe, and a cowardly laundry boy who gets the guts to stop him. The most famous scene in this movie, Yuen Biao drying wet clothes with martial arts techniques, was copied by Batman Forever! Me and my brother looked at each other in disbelief when we saw that scene in the movie theater. In that theater, only me and my brother knew where that Batman Forever scene originally came from. It's been years, more than a decade actually, since I've seen this movie! I really hope I am able to buy this release, and if not, that I can at least watch it in some way!

Odd Couple Trailer for the Eureka! Blu-Ray release!

 Eureka! will be releasing Odd Couple remastered on Blu-Ray in March 2022! Lau Kar-wing directs and stars in this movie, along with Sammo Hung! I have never been able to watch this movie, so it's very exciting that it is getting released on Blu-Ray! As far as I know, it may be a Region B disc, so if you have a multi-region player you are in luck! Here is the trailer Eureka! put out for their release:

The Old Master Trailer, starring Jackie Chan's Real Life Master

 Here is the trailer for The Old Master, a film recently released as part of the Eureka's Cinematic Vengeance Blu-Ray box set! This film is notable for being the only movie Yu Jim-yuen starred in. Yu Jim-yuen was the Head Master at China Drama Academy, the Peking Opera School where Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Corey Yuen, Yuen Wah, Yuen Qiu, etc. trained at! I have been in search of this movie for years, and it's great it's finally getting a Blu-Ray release! Some way, some how, I have to get this movie.

It is so cool to see Yu Jim-yuen in action in this trailer!

Chinese Boxer - 88 Films Blu-Ray Review By Hong Kong Cinema Appreciation Society

 Here is a review for the new Chinese Boxer Blu-Ray release by 88 Films. This is a Region A and B release, so those in North America without multi-region players will be able to watch it on their player with no problems! This is definitely on my list of Blu-Rays to buy! (I also have never seen this movie before, so I really need to get this!)

(I had nothing to do with the creation of this video!)

 

 

 Hong Kong Cinema Appreciation Society

 

Thoughts on 'The Big Boss' (A.K.A Fists Of Fury)

 

The Hong Kong Movie Poster. So cool!

 

'The Big Boss' (formerly known as 'Fists Of Fury' in America) is Bruce Lee's first major movie where he has the lead role, and it catapulted him into super stardom. The movie had quite the effect on the Hong Kong film industry! In his autobiography 'I Am Jackie Chan', Jackie talks about his experience first watching the movie with Sammo Hung and his fellow friends/stuntmen, and how Sammo said about the fight scenes, "That is real! That is how it should be done." (paraphrased by me, of course). This movie made Bruce Lee a superstar, but his next movie made him a hero in Hong Kong...

'The Big Boss' is about Cheng Chao-an (played by Bruce Lee), a young man from China who has moved to Thailand to work at an ice factory. He has made a promise to his mother to never fight again, with a jade necklace worn around his neck to remind him of this. He ends up living with his cousins and experiences some of the negative parts of life in Thailand. This all eventually leads to Cheng getting involved in fighting against the Big Boss's son and henchmen and the drug smuggling racket the Big Boss is running. Cheng faces the Big Boss, and justice prevails, though it is not exactly a happy ending.

For a long time, 'The Big Boss' was my favorite Bruce Lee movie. That has changed over the years, but I still really like this movie. The fight scenes are a bit 'primitive' compared to current Hong Kong movies, or to even Bruce Lee's next movie, but they are still enjoyable. It's always great to see Bruce use his Wing Chun skills in the final fight scene. The fights are violent, bloody, but not gruesome. I do wonder how the handsaw scene looked in action, though. My favorite fight scenes are Cheng vs. the henchmen then the Big Boss's son at the ice factory and  the final fight scene against the Big Boss himself.

Growing up, I watched the Fox VHS version of 'The Big Boss' called 'Fists of Fury'. This version had an incredible English dub and soundtrack. The music in this version was composed by Peter Thomas, a German music composer. All I can say is, the music he composed for this movie is genius, incredible, and fitting. The soundtrack, besides Bruce Lee himself, is what I love the most about this movie. The music helps drive the anticipation of the fight scenes coming up, and helps heighten the emotion in more serious scenes. Peter Thomas should have won an Oscar and the Nobel Prize for this soundtrack!

I mean, listen to that opening theme song! How could you not be pumped to watch The Big Boss?

(I eventually got the Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra soundtrack for the Big Boss, but it was missing the song I loved the most: the song when Bruce defeats the Big Boss's son. That song actually makes me all emotional. It's so awesome and fits the scene so well. I NEED THIS SONG!)

Since this was Bruce Lee's first major movie, his influence over his character or the movie itself was minimal. We don't see his philosophy so much in this movie. Even so, Bruce Lee plays Cheng Chao-on with understated humility and grace, but is totally a hero you can believe in. He is a conflicted hero, but he rises to the challenge. The other great performance belongs to Li Kun, who plays Ah Kun. He plays his character with such enthusiasm and believability. When his character turns on Cheng Chao-on, he makes you feel anger and resentment toward how he is treating Cheng. He has a few comedic scenes, too!

The version I watched for this blog post.

 

Later on, I got 'The Big Boss' on DVD in the Bruce Lee Ultimate Collection. The picture quality is great! The sound is great on very version except the English dub. It has the dub I grew up with (with and extended scene that uses the more stereotypical 'kung fu movie dub-type voice for Cheng Chao-an), but the soundtrack and sound effects are ruined! It has the Peter Thomas Orchestra soundtrack, but it has added music that doesn't go with the movie at all! There is no quiet anticipation anymore. There is a scene where Bruce Lee is running, and they added go-go dancing type music to it, so it seems like Bruce is dance running to his destination. Just terrible! They also added those horrible American sound effects that sound like a guy hitting a thawed turkey with a bat. So crappy. (If you've seen the Hong Kong martial arts movies ruined by Miramax/Dimension/New Line Cinema, then you know how those sound effects sound). 

Criterion Collection has released a Bruce Lee box set containing 'The Big Boss'. It apparently has the English dub with the Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra soundtrack, but without the added terrible music. I NEED to get this box set! I will write my thoughts about it when I get it, for sure!

A star was born in 'The Big Boss', and that star rose into mega stardom with each movie he made. Bruce Lee's influence began here and has lasted ever since then!