Breakout From Oppression (1973, HK)

Starring: Liu Chia Hui (Gordon Liu),Paul Chun, Dean Shek, Fung Hak-On, Li Lin-Lin. Directed by: Liu Chia Hui (Gordon Liu), Liu Chia-Liang, Yang Fan

This is one of Gordon Liu's earliest movies, and one that was directed by Gordon, his brother Liu Chia-Liang, and Yang Fan.

In "Breakout...", Gordon plays Tsao Chan, a postman who, at the beginning of the movie, is captured by several (presumably) Japanese policemen and is rounded up with some other people for execution. Without blinking an eye he kills all 3-4 of these policemen and escapes with all the other captives.

He then makes his way to East Village, where he has to break the bad news to the villagers that their mail is lost due to his capture. He makes his way to a local house where a murder of several family members has just taken place and the "killers" are fleeing the scene.

Tsao Chan takes the task of tracking these killers down and bringing them to justice all by himself. He traces them to a neighboring village, where they are working for a local packing/shipping company that's managed by a heavy-handed boss and his son. During their spare time the workers all practice kung fu and are very efficient fighters. Tsao must infiltrate the company by becoming the boss's top enforcer while gradually exposing the killers and waiting for the right moment to enforce justice on them. However, are they the true killers? Furthermore, is Tsao Chan's kung fu a match for the workers at this factory?

This movie was obviously shot on an extremely low budget and suffers from some horrible film quality in places, as well as a storyline that can be confusing at times. Also, did the Liu brothers have permission to use the themes from "The Big Boss" and Sergio Leone's "Man With No Name" trilogy in this movie??

Despite these flaws, "Breakout From Oppression" is a notch above most other low-budget kung fu movies from the '70s. The storyline seems to be inspired by, but does not directly use the "Yojimbo" storyline. The fight scenes are excellent, particularly the scene where Gordon Liu covers himself in oil and proceeds to whip the factory's fighters. Also, there are some creative uses of dynamite in two of the movie's big fight scenes! This movie also has the main characters thinking aloud to themselves at times, a couple of creative camera angles, and flashbacks with red camera filters used to enhance the flashback. These are somewhat unusual for martial arts movies of that time.

If you're a fan of Gordon Liu or want to see some of his early stuff, be sure to check this movie out! Also, if you just want to see a good old kung fu movie or one that runs under 80 minutes, you might want to give this one a watch!

Also known as: 最佳搏殺/Sha chu chong wei (Original Mandarin title-HK)

New Feed Address

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The Lost Swordship (1977, Taiwan)

Starring: Tien Peng (Roc Tien), Tang Bao-yun, Bai Ying, Wang Ping. Directed by: Chia Li

"The Lost Swordship" is the movie version of a novel by famous wuxia novelist Ku Lung and was adapted for the big screen by Shaw Bros. screenwriter Kuang Ni and director Chia Li.

In this movie, a mysterious martial arts clan known as Tien Cheng Chiao is headed by an even more mysterious masked figure known simply as The Bishop. The organization has some of the best fighters in the land among its ranks and is out for full-fledged supremacy. Roc Tien plays Lu Nan-jen, a swordfighter who opposes Tien Cheng Chiao. His wife Hsueh Jo-pi (Tang) is kidnapped by Tien Cheng Chiao and his best friend and fellow swordfighter Ling Pei-hsiu (Bai) defects to them.

In the midst of fighting with some of their fighters, Nan-jen is badly wounded by one of the fighter's Iron Palm technique.

In order to defeat The Bishop. Nan-jen will have to go to a secret location known only by his family, heal up from his Iron Palm injuries, spend five years learning his family's famous Fragrant Sword technique, and become master of the Fragrant Sword. However, The Bishop is also interested in learning the Fragrant Sword technique.....

Can Lu Nan-jen defeat The Bishop and rescue his beloved Jo-pi?

Also in this movie is a mysterious female fighter known as Lady Hsiao aka the Flaming Beauty who is also opposed to Tien Cheng Chiao. She gives Nan-jen some much-needed assistance in bringing down the organization. However, she is also in love with Nan-jen and makes it clear she wants to be the object of his affections and not Jo-pi.

This is a very good swordplay movie, except for a few flaws. The subtitles are horrible and make the storyline a little confusing. In addition, there are a few small gaps in the storyline, particularly when Nan-jen is shown teaching at a school after his Iron Palm injury. Is it safe to assume that he disguised himself as a village schoolteacher? Also, the romantic drama in the movie might be annoying for some, but at least Lady Hsiao more than makes up for it by becoming a kick-butt heroine in the movie!

If you're a fan of swordplay movies, wuxia, or costume epics, you'll probably like this movie. So much so you might want to watch it one or two more times!

Also known as: Yu jian piao xiang (original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Lost Samurai Sword (international English VHS title), The Lost Swordship (subtitled English version-HK)

Kung Fu: The Invincible Fist (1972, HK)

Starring: Chen Sing, Yasuaki Kurata, Irene Ryder, Wong Yuen-San (as Huang Yuan-sheng), Hon Kwok-Choi. Directed by: Ng See-Yuen

"In Japan, they call me the 'Hungry Tiger'. Oh really? Is that so? Well in China, they call me the 'Crazy Dragon'." With a quote like that, you know the movie has to be good! This one is a martial arts classic.

"Kung Fu: The Invincible Fist" stars early kung fu star Chen Sing in one of his best and most memorable movies as Chinese soldier/policeman Cpt. Li Chang, who is sent to Shanghai to infiltrate a smuggling ring in the days prior to Japan's invasion of China in 1933. Accompaning him is his lieutenant Su Tung (Wong). Yasuaki Kurata plays Cpt. Jai Tai, a Japanese military officer who is sent as Japan's liaison to the "shipping company" to help smuggle the cargo (which includes drugs and women). Unofficially he is in China to rendezvous with some spies to pass on secret information about Chinese military installations to Tokyo. Information that will be extremely vital to Japan's imminent invasion of China.

Unfortunately for Jai Tai, a shoeshine man/pickpocket (Hon) just happens to steal the wallet of one of the spies containing one of the maps of the Chinese military installations. He passes this info on to Li Chang and Su Tung. Can they stop the two Japanese agents before they return to Japan with the vital information? Furthermore, can they stop the smuggling syndicate?

This movie is worth watching for the final fight scene alone, which is an electrifying half-hour duel between Chen Sing and Yasuaki Kurata, or the Japanese Tiger vs. the Chinese Dragon. This fight scene is just plain amazing!

There are also some recognizable faces from other old-school kung fu movies in "Kung Fu...", including Chan Wai-Man as one of the syndicate boss's subordinates. Chiang Nan played the boss himself, and Bruce Leung played a soldier who is defeated by Li in a demonstration fight at the beginning of the movie. Irene Ryder, who was a pop star in Hong Kong at the time this movie was made, played a Russian orphan who is trying to dodge the syndicate and falls for Su Tung. Hon Kwok-Choi (the shoeshine man) went on to play in a few more kung fu movies besides this one, including "Master With Cracked Fingers" starring Jackie Chan.

The only low points of this movie are the film and sound quality, which seem to have greatly deteriorated over time.

In the duel between the Tiger and the Dragon, kung fu vs. karate, and China vs. Japan, who will win? Watch and find out!

Also known as: E hu kuang long (original Mandarin title-HK), Ngo fu wong lung (original Cantonese title-HK), Tiger vs. Dragon (original English title-HK), The Good and the Bad (alternate HK English title), Kung Fu: The Invisible Fist (unknown English title), Dragon and Tiger Ways (Phillippines English title), Der Schlaghammer aus Shanghai (West Germany)

Supernatural Kung Fu Movie Articles

Three weeks ago, an excellent article was written by Jacob Walker for the Den of Geek website and a week ago, a follow-up article was written by Ryan Lambie for the same website about the movie that sparked the whole genre in the '80s: "Encounter of the Spooky Kind".

Both of these articles make for some very interesting reading and I thought I'd share those with you for your reading pleasure:

Celebrating the world of supernatural kung fu
Looking back at Encounters Of The Spooky Kind


Enjoy!

The Water Margin (1972, HK)

Starring: David Chiang, Tamba Tetsuro, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, Toshio Kurosawa. Directed by: Chang Cheh

"The Water Margin" is another big hit from Shaw Bros. in the early days of the kung fu movie craze, as well as a fine entry in the wuxia genre. Largely based on the classical Chinese novel of the same name by Shi Naian, the movie has become a wuxia classic and its official release on DVD in the US by Image Entertainment in 2006 was much anticipated.

In "The Water Margin", a group of 108 men and women living during the Song Dynasty in 11th century China banded together and became a group of anti-government bandits.

When Master Lu (Tetsuro) is falsely imprisoned on charges arranged by a government official having an affair with his wife, the 108 bandits set out to free him and avenge the injustice. They free him from the government prison and are pursued by Song forces, led by Master Lu's former classmate Golden Spear (Toshio).

The action is non-stop and relentless as the bandits fight the government forces pursuing them, and there are a wide variety of weapons and plenty of fight scenes. Also, 40 minutes or so that were cut from the US version of this movie were restored in the American DVD issue and this contributes much more to the viewing of this movie!

If you're a wuxia fan or just want to see something a little different from the usual kung fu movie, you might want to check this out!

Also known as: Shui hu zhuan (original Mandarin title-HK), Sui woo juen (original Cantonese title-HK), Seven Blows of the Dragon (USA title), Die sieben Schläge des gelben Drachen (West Germany), Piedi d'acciaio (Italy), Los siete impactos del dragón (Argentina), Water Margin (English subtitled version-HK), Waterside Story (unknown English title)

The Crippled Masters (1979, Taiwan)

Starring: Chen Mu Chuan, Jackie Conn (Thomas Hong Chiu-Ming), Frankie Shum (Sam Chung-Chuen). Directed by: Joe Law (Kei Law)

If there was ever a kung fu movie that could be called inspirational, it would have to be this one. This is a movie that can give you inspiration to overcome your odds, no matter what problems you may be facing.

In "The Crippled Masters", Jackie Conn plays Lee Ho, a bodyguard/escort for the Pulaichi organization who is punished by the sadistic boss Lin Chang Cao for "betrayal". Lin's number 2 Tang orders the henchmen to cut off Lee's arms as a punishment. Instead of killing him, Tang lets him live. Lee Ho has a very difficult life ahead of him without arms, but nevertheless he leaves town, heads into the countryside, and makes a living by helping a farmer.

Meanwhile, Lin decides Tang knows too much about his organization and orders acid poured all over Tang's legs. As a result, Tang's legs are badly deformed and he cannot use them anymore. As was the case for Lee Ho, Lin's men leave Tang in the countryside.

Not long afterwards, Lee Ho and Tang cross paths again and Lee starts to kill Tang. However, just before Lee finishes him off, an old kung fu master intervenes and saves Tang's life. He drives the point home that the two are brothers now and must work together as a whole to defeat Lin Chang Cao and the Pulaichi organization.

Together they overcome their odds and learn kung fu. But can they defeat Lin Chang Cao, who is a kung fu master himself? Also, can they bring down the entire Pulaichi organization?

If you're looking for a kung fu movie to inspire you or give you motivation, this is the one for you. Both of the leading stars do an excellent job in this movie and of course the kung fu is very good. Also, look for some veterans from other old-school kung fu movies in this one, who are not credited in the New Line Cinema version of this movie that's available in the US.

Also known as: 天殘地缺/Tian can di que(original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Can que shuang xiong (alternate Mandarin title?), Crippled Heroes (international English title), Two Crippled Heroes (HK VHS title). Released in the USA by New Line Cinema in 1982.

Have Sword, Will Travel (1969, HK)

Starring: Lee Ching, Ti Lung, David Chiang. Directed by: Chang Cheh

This is an excellent very entertaining costume piece/swordplay fu movie from Chang Cheh and Shaw Bros.

In this movie, Ying Ke-Fing, a swordsman, is in charge of an escort business that escorts 200,000 taels of silver to the capital every year. Unfortunately, he has come down with an arm afffliction that will force him to take a little time off. Since he doesn't want to close shop, he finds two knights named Yun Piao-Piao and Hsiang Ting (Lee Ching and David Chiang) who are expert swordsmen/women and who he can trust that can do the job for him. As it so happens, these two knights are male and female, and deeply in love.

Their swordfighting skills will be much needed as a group of bandits known as the Flying Tigers is desperate to get their hands on the silver. Also, a lone swordsman named Le I comes along for the journey. But is he helping the bandits? Furthermore, will he steal Piao-Piao's heart?

HSWT is an excellent swordplay and kung fu movie that doesn't use the romance as an unnecessary plot distraction and is one of those rare martial arts movies where the male and female characters are actually sidekicks. Also, there's plenty of action for everyone and a well-written storyline played well by some of Shaw Bros' biggest stars! A must see if you are a fan of martial arts movies, swordplay movies, or Shaw Bros. movies in general.

Also known as: Bao biao (original Mandarin title-HK), Bo biu (original Cantonese title-HK), and others.

Snake in the Monkey's Shadow (1980, HK)

Starring: John Cheung, Wilson Tong Wai-shing, Charlie Chan Yiu-lam. Directed by: Cheung Sum

Simply put, this one of the most amazing kung fu movies ever made. In this movie, you have two of the most unique forms of kung-fu go head to head: The Monkey kung-fu style and the Snake style of kung fu.

In "Snake...", John Cheung plays Lung, a boy in a small village in China who delivers fish for a living. One day after a late delivery to the wealthy Yan famil, he gets beaten up pretty badly by the family's two sons. Afterwards Lung goes to Teacher Ho, the local kung fu master, to learn Drunken kung fu. Ho insists there is no room in the school for him. Lung begs Ho to teach him, but he decides he's had enough of Lung. One night Ho decides to get Lung drunk and leaves him in the countryside.

When Lung comes to the next morning he finds himself face-to-face with a cobra. A man passing by named Koo Ting-sang (who also happens to be an expert in Monkey kung fu) takes care of the snake and saves Lung's life. Lung then returns to the village and, after a bad run-in with some of his students, finally convinces Master Ho to take him as a student.

After Lung masters the Drunken kung fu techniques, he takes his revenge on the Yan brothers. The outraged Yan family do some scouting around and figure out that Master Ho has been teaching Lung kung fu and both are to be held responsible for the beating the two brothers suffered at the hands of Lung.

They hire two assassins trained in the Snake style to kill Lung and Master Ho. From there on the movie becomes a colossal showdown between drunken kung fu, snake kung fu, and Koo Ting-sang's Monkey kung fu. Who will win?

The explosive fight scene at the beginning of the movie between a snake fighter and a monkey fighter in some treetops is possibly one of the most memorable ever made in kung fu cinema. Also, there is a scene in the original version of this movie of a real-life fight between a monkey and a snake. This scene was left intact in the VHS versions of this movie, but has been cut in some Western DVD versions.

"Snake in the Monkey's Shadow" is a great kung fu movie you won't want to miss!

Also known as: Hou hsing kou shou (original title-HK), Snake Fist vs. the Dragon (unknown English title), La serpiente a la sombra del mono/La serpiente en la sombra del mono (Spain), Cuore di leone, palma d'acciaio (Italy), and others.

Showdown at the Cotton Mill (1978, Taiwan/HK)

Starring: Chi Kuan-Chun, Tan Tao-liang, Peng Chang, Ching Kuo Chung. Directed by: Wu Ma

This movie is the sequel to the Shaw Bros. classic "Shaolin Avengers" and was believed to be long lost, until it was found by Rarescope in a Taiwanese movie vault sometime in the mid-2000s.

In "Showdown...", Chi Kuan-Chun reprises his role as Shaolin hero and anti-Qing rebel Hu Hui-Chien. At the beginning we see Hu wipe out the entire local affiliate of the Wu Tang school in Canton (modern-day Guangzhou, China) over the death of his father. This prompts a manhunt from the Qing authorities and Wu Tang. The first place they look is the Shaolin monastery but no luck there. They also harass and keep Hu's family under guard, as well as deploy a network of informers throughout the city and at the Shaolin monastery to report Hu's whereabouts and the latest info about Shaolin.

In the meantime, Hu gradually takes out the Wu Tang fighters and Qing authorities searching for him. He enjoys support from Shaolin (as always) and hides out at secret locations in Canton.

After suffering numerous casualties at the hands of Hu, Wu Tang deploys their most feared fighter from Fukien (modern-day Fujian province), Master Kao Chin Chung. But who exactly is Kao? And is his Northern Kick style as good as Hu's Southern Fist?

This movie has a very interesting history behind it. It was directed by famous martial arts director/actor Wu Ma and produced by legendary Shaw Bros. director Chang Cheh, who also directed the first "Shaolin Avengers" movie. However, Chang was contracted to Shaw Bros. at the time and was forced to remain uncredited. The movie itself was outsourced by Shaw Bros. to Long Year Film Company Production, which was a Shaw Bros. subsidary based in Taiwan and run by Chang Cheh and Wu Ma.

Since this movie was long lost for decades, the film has faded in places and the quality is not so great. Also, it is in Mandarin, but has English subtitles that are iffy in places but mostly accurate.

All in all this is an excellent kung fu movie and a worthy sequel to "Shaolin Avengers"!

Also known as: Hu Hui Chien xue zhan xi dan si (original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Woo Wai Kin huet jung sai dan ji/Woo wai gon huet chin sai chi (HK Cantonese titles), Cold Face, Heart and Blood (original English title-HK)

Iron Monkey (1977, HK/Taiwan)

Starring: Chen Kuan Tai, Chen Hui Lou, Chen Mu Chuan. Directed by: Chen Kuan Tai

Not to be confused with the 1993 HK blockbuster with the same name, this movie is officially known in English as "Bloody Monkey Master", but it's much better known in the West as "Iron Monkey" and is widely regarded to be one of the greatest kung fu movies ever made. It was both directed by and stars Shaw Bros. "Flying Guillotine" star Chen Kuan Tai, who pulls his role off very well.

Iron Monkey

In "Iron Monkey", Chen plays Iron, the son of an anti-Manchurian rebel leader who has no idea what his father does. He prefers to live as any normal young man would: Gambling, fighting, getting into trouble, etc.

One day the authorities round up Iron's whole family and executes them all except for Iron, who manages to escape. The authorities hunt him down but fail.

Meanwhile, Iron goes into survival-mode and stays in the wilderness for a long period of time. While there, develops monkey-like agility and uses this agility to break into a nearby Shaolin temple. The monks hide him there, take him as a student, and give him the pseudonym of Iron Monkey. They can't help but notice the pure raw hatred Iron feels toward the Manchus and hope that an Iron proficient in kung fu won't be a problem in the future.

Iron masters both Shaolin kung-fu and the Monkey Fist technique and eventually leaves the temple to take his revenge. However in order to do this, he must join the ranks of the Manchus and get as close to the Manchu general as he can. But can he accomplish his mission? Furthermore, can he set the deep animosity he feels for the Manchus aside while he infiltrates their ranks?

This is one powerful kung fu movie that you'll definitely want to see if you are a fan of fu....and if you are lucky enough to find a good quality copy. Sadly enough the DVD and VHS copies of this movie have been limited over the years and the prints shown are very bad. We can only hope that a good quality version of this movie will come out at some point.

Also known as: Tie hou zi (original Mandarin title-HK), Tie ma liu (alternate Mandarin title), Tit ma lau (original Cantonese title-HK), The Iron Monkey (original English title-HK), Bloody Monkey Master (USA), School of Shaolin (US DVD title), Die Schule der Shaolin (West Germany), Shaolin - Die tödliche Vergeltung (West German VHS title). Released in 1977 in HK, Portugal in 1981, and in the US in 1983.

Five Deadly Venoms (1978, HK)

Starring: Chiang Sheng, Sun Chien, Phillip Kwok, Lo Mang, Wei Pei, Lu Feng, Wang Lung-wei, Ku Feng. Directed by: Chang Cheh

This is one of the most famous kung fu movies of all time, and one that has appeared in countless all-time favorite kung fu and cult classic movie lists. It is also one of Shaw Bros' most successful films and one that has been referenced many times in the media since it came out.

In "Five Deadly Venoms", the master of the Poison Clan is worried that five of his students (otherwise known as the "Five Deadly Venoms") are using the skills he taught them for sinister purposes. He dispatches his last remaining student Yan Tieh (Chiang) to warn a retired clan member that the clan's fortune is under threat, to locate and identify each of the five warriors, and asses which of the warriors he can trust.

Each one of the 5 Venoms has his own lethal venom style. The 5 Venoms are: Centipede (Lu), Snake (Wei), Scorpion (Sun), Lizard (Kwok), and Toad (Lo). Yan knows a little of each style and can fight them, but can he defeat each one of the 5 Deadly Venoms?

If you are a fan of Shaw Bros. movies, cult classics, or martial arts movies in general, this is one movie you must see. Truly one of the great kung fu classics!

Also known as: 五毒/Ng duk (original Cantonese title-HK), Wu du (original Mandarin title-HK), 五毒 (simplified characters), Five Venoms (international English title), The Five Venoms (original English title-HK, Finland), Die unbesiegbaren Fünf (West Germany), Cinq venins mortels (France), Le furie umane del kung fu (Italy), Los cinco venenos mortales (Argentina), and others.

Blind Fist of Bruce (1979, HK/USA)

Starring: Bruce Li (as Bruce Ho Tsung Tao), Yuen Siu Tien (Simon Yuen), Tiger Yang, Lau Chan. Directed by: Kam Bo

Of all the movies Bruce Li did in the 1970s and early '80s, this is one of his best. It has good acting, plenty of chop socky comedy, some good fight scenes, and it features several stars from the '70s kung fu movies.

In "Blind Fist of Bruce", Bruce Li plays a Yeh Chen Lung, a banker in a small Chinese town who thinks he's being taught good kung fu animal styles (i.e. the "dog style", "cat style", "elephant's trunk") by two guys who don't know a thing at all about kung fu.

When a group of robbers come to town and take over the bank, Bruce puts his skills to the test...and gets beaten up and loses his bank. He must turn to a blind elderly man (Yuen, of "Drunken Master" fame) in town to teach him kung fu so he can take back what's his.

Both Bruce Li and Simon Yuen make a good team and play their parts well. Likewise, Tiger Yang plays the part of the leader of the gang very well and has some awesome kung fu moves. Chan Lau and Pak Sha-Lik do some very good performances as the "kung fu masters" teaching Chen Lung and when he learns some real kung fu, their reactions are pretty funny! It's good to see him get his come-uppance against these two!

If you're a fan of Bruce Li or Simon Yuen or just like early Jackie Chan-style comedy fu, you'll want to see this movie! All in all a very good kung fu movie.

Also known as: Mang kuen gwai sau (original Cantonese title-HK), Wir sind die größten Knochenbrecher (West Germany), Blind Fists of Bruce (alternate English title)

Cantonen Iron Kung Fu (1979, HK)

Starring: Leung Kar Yan (Liang Chia Ren), Kuo Ching Ching, Han Chang Hu, Kao Fei (Phillip Ko). Directed by: Lee Chiu

This movie is interesting in that one the one hand, it's a good old-fashioned hokey kung fu movie. On the other hand, it is featured in a pristine 35mm print and in widescreen. This is very unusual for most kung-fu movies that weren't made by the big production companies. It also stars the "bearded kung fu master" Leung Kar Yan (also known as Liang Chia Ren), who was a very impressive kung fu star of the '70s-early '80s.

"Cantonen Iron Kung Fu" is the story of a group of warehouse workers living in a village in Guangdong (Kwantung) province. They know a fair amount of kung fu, which was taught to them by the local kung fu master Lin (Kao), but they mostly use it in contests against each other.

One day some merchants from out of town decide to take over the local business due to it's strategic importance on the north-south trading routes. They hire a group of kung fu masters to hold a match or two in town and kill off the local fighters.

They manage to kill one of the warehouse workers who challenges the fighters, and start tracking the others down one by one. In particular they start looking for Liang Kun (Leung), who has seemingly disappeared but is in fact receiving further training from Master Lin.

Can Liang put his newly acquired skills to use against the fighters? Also, can the surviving warehouse workers unite and defeat the rival company?

This movie features some excellent training and fight scenes, some of which were shot using some very unsual camera angles for the time. The training scenes involve balancing from skinny little bamboo limbs, carrying sets of brass rings on the arms, breaking out of ropes tightly ties around the body, and of course, the obligatory fancy kick and punch moves.

At the beginning of this movie, the story is told of the Ten Tigers of Kwangtung, who were a band of famous kung fu fighters in Guangdong Province in the 19th century and who later became the subject of a famous '70s Shaw Bros. movie. However, they are not mentioned in the movie at all.

While some of the acting in this movie can be a bit below par (and downright annoying at times) and the storyline a little confusing, it more than makes up for it in the fight and training scenes. Leung Kar Yan and Phillip Ko in particular pull off some very good fight scenes and play their parts well. This is a film you might want to check out if you're in the mood for a good old hokey kung fu movie!

Also known as: Gong dung tit kiu saam (original Cantonese title-HK), Guang Dong tie qiao san (original Mandarin title-HK), Canton Iron Kung Fu/Iron Fist of Kwangtung/Cantonese Iron Kung Fu (unknown English titles), Iron Kung Fu (Canadian DVD title), Die blutigen Krallen des Leoparden (West Germany)

Encounter of the Spooky Kind (1980, HK)

Starring: Sammo Hung, Wong Ha (Ha Huang), Dick Wei, Lan Ching-ying, Wu Ma, Yuen Biao. Directed by: Sammo Hung.

This movie is one of the most innovative kung fu movies of all time, and one that set the stage for the highly popular "supernatural/zombie kung fu movie" genre of the 1980s and early 1990s in HK, which was essentially a nice mix of horror movie, kung fu movie, and Chinese ghost stories.

In "Encounter of the Spooky Kind", Sammo plays Bold Cheung, a man living in a Chinese village during the 1900s. He works as a rickshaw driver for Master Tam (Wong) who, unbeknownst to Cheung, is sleeping with his wife.

One day Cheung catches his friends peeping through his front door at his wife and Tam making a little time together and naturally goes ballistic. Master Tam flees before Cheung finds out who has been sleeping with his wife and hires the evil priest Chin Hoi to kill him using a little sorcery and voodoo.

Can Bold Cheung survive Chin Hoi's onslaught of black magic spells and hopping zombies? Also, does he get a little help along the way?

This movie is a kung fu classic you won't want to miss, and certainly one of Sammo Hung's greatest movie roles! The supporting cast also play their parts very well in this movie. There are plenty of laughs and kung fu action to go around for everyone. Also, this movie is worth a watch because it gives some fascinating insights (albeit fictional) into Chinese mysticism and black magic.

If you haven't seen this movie, find it and watch it now! Definitely a kung fu movie you've gotta see!

Also known as: 鬼打鬼/Gwai ckui gwai (original Cantonese title-HK), Gui da gui (original Mandarin title-HK), Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind/Spooky Encounters/Ghost Against Ghost (unknown English titles), Encounters of the Spooky Kind (Australian TV title), L'exorciste chinois (France), Encuentros en el más allá (Spain)

New Entries

Ok folks....this marks the end of the entries from the old Squidoo lens (except for the first two entries at the beginning of this blog, which I had lined up when I decided to move the listing here) and from here on out, all blog posts are new and were never featured on the lens.

Thanks for bearing with me and enjoy these new movie reviews!

The Kid With the Golden Arm (1979, HK)

Starring: Kuo Chui, Chiang Sheng, Lu Feng, Lo Mang, Sun Chien, Wei Pei. Directed by: Chang Cheh

This movie is one of the best Shaw Bros. martial arts movies and one of a small few to star "Snake Venom" Wei Pei. "The Kid With the Golden Arm" is also one of the "Venom Mob" movies to star the 5 Deadly Venoms from the Shaw Bros. classic with the same name.

In this movie, government agent Yang Yu Heng (Sun Chien, or Venom "Scorpion") is assigned to escort a shipment of gold to an area that has been stricken by a deadly famine. However, he must defend the shipment of gold from the vicious Chi Sah Gang, who have some of the deadliest kung fu fighters ever known among their ranks. Since Yang cannot fight this gang alone, he must bring a party of soldiers and kung fu fighters of his own along with him. These include his sword-fighting girlfriend (Pan-Pin Chang), Short Axe and Long Axe (Chiang Sheng and "Disciple" Yan Tien from "5 Deadly Venoms"), swordsman Li Chin Ming (Wei Pei, or Venom "Snake"), and the drunken master Hai To (Venom "Lizard/Gecko" Kuo Chui).

Together these government fighters must take on the fighters in the Chi Sah Gang. These fighters include Silver Spear (Venom "Centipede" Lu Feng), iron war fan fighter Iron Robe (the judge from "5 Deadly Venoms"), Brass Head (Yang Hsiung), and their leader Golden Arm (Venom "Toad" Lo Mang). Their martial arts abilities should be obvious from their names alone!

Can this band of government agents and fighters take on the Chi Sah gang and get the gold to the people who need it the most?

There's a wide variety of martial arts used in this movie. You'll get to see swordfighting, kung fu, daggers, head-butting, spear-fighting, war fans, and even poison gas and needles being used in this movie! All in all, this is a classic you won't want to miss!

Also known as: Gam bei tung (original Cantonese title-HK), Jin bei tong (original Mandarin title-HK), Die fünf Kampfmaschinen der Shaolin (West Germany-VHS title), Kid With the Golden Arms (unknown English title)

Master With Cracked Fingers (1971, 1979, HK; 1981, USA)

Starring: Jackie Chan, Simon Yuen, Dean Shek, Kwan Young Moon. Directed by: Mu Chu.

This movie is a movie that was spliced together from three different sources in 1979 or so after Jackie Chan made it big in Asia. First and foremost, a little-known movie Jackie made as a teenager in 1971 called "Little Tiger of Canton" was used for the majority of the movie. A Jackie Chan double was used for some of the action scenes (particularly in the blindfolded fighting scenes) and scenes from some of Jackie and Simon Yuen's movies such as "Drunken Master" were interspersed in mix. This spliced-together movie was then released as an entirely different Jackie Chan film altogether.

In 1981, Dick Randall in the US came across this movie, dubbed it into English, and released it as "Master With Cracked Fingers".

In "Master...", Jackie Chan plays himself as a young boy living with his foster dad and sister in a Chinese village in the days of old. He wants to learn kung-fu, but his dad doesn't want him to fight and won't enroll him at the local kung fu school. An old beggar (Yuen) who is simply called "The Man Who Isn't There" sees the young boy and decides to teach him, putting him through very rigorous training for about 10 years.

Fast forward 10 years and Jackie is working at a local restaurant for a local man. He gets into fights with a group of local extortionists who are pressuring the restaurant owner to pay rent he can't afford and their boss (Kwan) obviously doesn't like it. They decide to retaliate against Jackie and retaliate hard. Can Jackie fight back?

This is a pretty good early Jackie Chan movie and naturally, the kung fu is very decent and despite the fact that this is a spliced movie, the storyline is very well seamed together. If you want to see him as a teenager, you definitely won't want to miss this! It's also part of a long collaboration of movies Jackie would have with Yuen Siu Tien (Simon Yuen) before he died in 1979 and the two perform very well together as sifu (master) and student.

Also directed by: Jackie Chan (as Chan Yuan Lung), Se Fu Yai

Also known as: 廣東小老虎/Guang dong xiao lao hu (original Mandarin title-HK), 广东小老虎 (Simplified characters), Little Tiger of Canton (original 1971 English title-HK), Snake Fist Fighter (alternate US title), Snake Fist Ninja (alternate US VHS title), Ten Fingers of Death (alternate US DVD title), Stranger in Hong Kong (unknown), 'The Master' mit den gebrochenen Händen (West Germany), La furia de Jackie (Spain), and others.

Kung Fu Ace (1979, HK)

Starring: John Liu, Kwan Young Moon, Chung-erh Lung, Chao Tseng, Man Chuen Wang. Directed by: Chih-chao Chang

This movie is the shining definition of a classic kung-fu movie, and one that was well-written, well-produced, well-choreographed, has some excellent fight scenes, and even a bit of Jackie Chan-style kung fu comedy!

In "Kung Fu Ace," John Liu plays Che Kao, a 20 year old man who is out to avenge the murder of his parents by a kung-fu master. He and the house servant who saved him are seeking out kung fu masters wherever they can to teach him the skills he needs to know in order to defeat this man. Che Kao and his companion end up working as servants at the house of a rich man who has hired a kung fu master named Yen (Kwan) to teach his idiotic, lazy son kung fu. Master Yen ends up teaching Kao instead and Kao and the servant are fired (and given good beatings beforehand).

Che Kao and the servant go on their way and are joined by another servant from the house named Sheng (who not only provides the comic relief in this movie, but also becomes a key character and even learns kung fu with Che) and Master Yen's daughter Shao Lun (Chung). They run into three other kung fu masters along the way who teach Che Kao, which gradually cause a conflict of interest....and loyalty.

Does Che Kao develop the high level of proficiency he needs to defeat the man who killed his parents? Watch, find out, and be entertained while finding out!

Also known as: Hiu siu ji dik gwong yat chiu (original Cantonese title-HK), Fighting Ace (international/HK English title), Hao xiao zi di xia yi zhao (original Mandarin title-HK), Kid's Ace in the Hole (international English title)

Shaolin Deadly Kicks (1982, HK)

Starring: Tan Tao-liang, Lo Lieh, Wang Hsieh. Directed by: Wu Ma

For those of you wanting to see some awesome kick action, this is the movie for you! "Shaolin Deadly Kicks" stars none other than "Flash Legs" Tan Tao-liang himself and is directed by HK actor/director Wu Ma!

In this movie, a group of eight robbers known as the "Eight Dragons" steal a map to a secret treasure location and squabble among themselves about when to go after the treasure. The leader of the gang splits the map up into eight pieces among the members and they agree to meet in another three year's time to collect the treasure.

Three years later, the time has come for them to meet again and get the treasure...and Constable Hsiao Hung-yi (Tan) is hot on their trail. He goes after each member individually and collects the map pieces himself. And of course, he unleashes some deadly foot and leg power on the bad guys!

This is a pretty good kung-fu movie to watch if you are a fan of Tan Tao-liang. Or just want to see some awesome foot action in your kung fu. Or just looking for an excellent kung fu movie to watch period!

Also known as: Tai ji ba jiao (original Mandarin title-HK), The Flash Legs (English title-HK), Shaolin contre les 8 serpents/Karate King/Le trésor maudit (French titles), Deadly Kick (unknown)

Rickshaw Driver (1974, HK; Taiwan?)

Starring: Chiang-lung Wen, Yan-yung Tso, Ping Lu. Directed by: Joseph Kuo

This movie was obviously shot on an extremely low budget and as such it suffers from all the shortfalls of a low-budget kung fu film. That is, horrible film quality, the occasional recycled shot, "mountains" in the background behind the actor that fall over during filming, and so on. Despite all this, "Rickshaw Driver" is a very dark kung-fu movie that explores the themes of grief and vengeance and it has a storyline that's very straight-forward and easy to understand.

In "Rickshaw Driver," a young man (Chiang) in his late teens named Ah Fung is working in a Chinese town as a rickshaw driver and making an honest living for himself and his mom. He has a girlfriend, loves to put his fairly average kung fu skills to use in fights, and loves to read kung fu comic books. Ah Fung's world is turned upside-down when he overhears a local man in an argument with a brutal Japanese gang known as the "Deadly Four" and some Chinese Quislings to basically take over the village and use it for Japanese purposes. The man is killed and they discover Ah Fung listening in. They chase him down and try to kill him, but fail. He makes it back town and the gang proceeds to tear the town apart and kill anyone hiding him. They wipe out the local kung fu school and, eventually, his entire family.

After losing almost everyone he has ever known, Ah Fung sets out on a quest for vengeance. He is nearly killed several times by the Deadly Four and his kung fu skills are obviously not enough to take these guys down. Can he learn some new techniques to take on the Deadly Four?

Chiang-lung Wen does an excellent job playing the part of Ah Fung and you can see all the grief and anger in his face. If this movie were ever released in the original Mandarin or Cantonese version(s), his performance would probably be even more powerful to watch.

POSSIBLE SPOILER:
While you may have a hard time watching this movie due to the film quality and the first half might be a bit iffy, the movie really takes off when Ah Fung sets off to get his revenge. Also, his kung fu gets bloodier as the movie progresses. That is, lots of tearing through ribcages, skull-crushing, and more. END SPOILER

All in all this is a powerful kung fu flick that you might want to see if you like the more low-budgeted movies. Also, be prepared for a fairly emotional tear-jerker of an ending!

Cameo: Bruce Li?

Also known as: Rikisha kuri (original title), Da che fu (Mandarin title-Taiwan), Kung Fu - Zwei Handkanten aus Granit (West Germany), Rickshaw Man (English DVD title)

The Guy With Secret Kung Fu (1981, HK)

Starring: Meng Fei, Li Chung Chien, Nancy Yen. Directed by: Kei Law (Joe Law)

This movie is the shining definition of a "moldy kung fu movie." It was obviously filmed on a shoestring budget, scenes tend to freeze and jump to the next scene, the soundtrack consists of 1-2 funky '70s synth songs used over and over again, typical "kung-fu dubbing," and one or two kung fu scenes are very poorly choreographed. But that's what makes this movie worth watching. It's the perfect fu flick to watch when you're in the mood for a good, cheezy kung fu movie.

Despite all the above, this movie does have its redeeming qualities. It has an interesting, easy to follow storyline, the main characters pull their roles off well, and there is some kung fu humor in the movie.

In "The Guy With Secret Kung Fu," Meng Fei and Li Chung Chien play Hung Wen-ting and Hu Ah-piao, two revolutionaries fighting the Qing dynasty. At the beginning of the movie, they rescue two ladies in distress - and are both captured by the Qing authorities. The authorities release the two if they agree to track down and take out the Dragon Gang, which has been terrorizing the countryside.

They do so and end up facing the seductive but deadly woman heading the group, her sorcerer henchman and his "Kung Fu Frankenstein," and a whole slew of bad guys. They are also in for a surprise about what the Dragon Gang's actual intentions are.

While this isn't necessarily a "have to have" movie, it's worth watching if you are a Meng Fei fan or just like to watch cheezy old kung fu clicks!

Also known as: Cai yang nu bang zhu (original Mandarin title-HK), Le Kid face au Lama (French title)

Shaolin and Wu Tang (1985, HK)

Starring: Gordon Liu, Adam Cheng, Idy Chan. Directed by: Gordon Liu

Those of you who are fans of the band The Wu-Tang Clan have no doubt heard sound clips from this movie in their debut CD, "Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers)."

The movie starts out with one of the most amazing kung-fu fight scenes you'll ever see when a lone Wu Tang monk takes on an entire squad of Shaolin monks. This fight scene alone is reason enough to track this movie down!

Now to the storyline. In "Shaolin and Wu Tang," Gordon Liu plays Shaolin fighter Hung Jun-kit and Adam Cheng plays Wu Tang fighter Chao Fung-wu. Both are students in the same town, and both are friends despite the rivalry between the two schools. Jun-kit's sister Yan-ling happens to have a crush on Fung-wu.

When the local Qing lord finds out that both students are experts at Shaolin kung-fu and Wu Tang sword styles, he decides that they are a threat and he must learn their respective styles. He also kills the abbot of the Wu Tang school, as well as Yan-ling.

Does the Qing lord turn these two friends against each other, and can he stir up the traditional rivalry between the two schools for his own benefit? Also, can he master the Shaolin Chin Kang Fist technique and the Wu Tang Sword style? Watch and see!

This movie is a true kung-fu classic and is one you'll most certainly want to watch again and again!

Also known as: 少林與武當/Shao Lin yu Wu Dang (Mandarin-original HK title), 少林与武当 (simplified Chinese characters), Shaolin Temple, Part II (unknown), Shaolin contre Wu Tong (France)

The Postman Fights Back (1982, HK)

Starring: Chow Yun Fat, Leung Kar-Yan, Cherie Chung, Fan Mei-Sheng, Eddy Ko. Directed by: Ronny Yu

This movie is one of "Freddy vs. Jason" director Ronny Yu's earliest movies, as well as an early film for Chow Yun Fat. While the kung-fu in this movie may not be as flashy or up to par with any of the movies above and the storyline may be a little on the iffy side, it's worth watching simply because it's a very good movie that never fails to keep your interest and there's an awesome ninja who has a whole bag of "ninja tricks" up his sleeve!

In "The Postman Fights Back," a group of couriers are hired by a local government official loyal to Sun Yat-Sen to deliver some cases of cargo to a government camp at a strategic mountain pass. They are not allowed to open the cases or to know what cargo they are carrying under any circumstances. When they do, their journey becomes a total nightmare.

Leung Kar-Yan does an excellent job as postman Ma and Eddy Ko's performance as the ninja is excellent. Of course, Chow Yun Fat pulls his role as conman Fu Jun off very well and it's interesting to watch him do kung-fu fighting with a scarf! This movie was filmed in Korea and the Korean scenery during the wintertime is breathtakingly beautiful and will give you the shivers just watching it!

There is also a fight scene filmed on a frozen lake which was excellently choreographed and one of the hightlights of the film.

If you want something a little different from the typical fu flick, are a fan of Chow Yun Fat or Ronny Yu's movies, or just looking for something good to watch and stumble upon this movie, be sure to check it out!

Also known as: 巡城馬/Xun cheng ma (original Mandarin title-HK), Chun shing ma (original Cantonese title-HK), Patrol Horse (unknown)

Shaolin Wooden Men (1976, HK)

Starring: Jackie Chan, Chiang Kam, Hwang Jang Lee, Kam Kong, Yuen Biao. Directed by: Chen Chi-Hwa

This is one of the better movies from Jackie Chan's period with Lo Wei Productions, and one directed by his mentor Chen Chi-Hwa.

In "Shaolin Wooden Men", Jackie plays Little Mute, a Shaolin student who was traumatized into silence by his father's murder. He does all the menial chores at the temple, but never gets to learn kung-fu like the other students.

At the monastery, Little Mute meets and befriends an imprisoned kung-fu master who teaches him his Lion's Roar technique and a nun who teaches him her Gliding Snake technique. Naturally Little Mute becomes the best student in the monastery and gets to take the ultimate challenge: He has to make his way through the Shaolin Wooden Chamber and defeat the 108 wooden men.

Can he accomplish this task? Also, what Little Mute do with his kung-fu skills? That's what you'll have to watch and find out, but be ready for a few shocks and surprises!

Please note that the US DVD release of this movie by Columbia in 2002 is digitally re-mastered and includes the original Mandarin and Cantonese soundtracks, but has the first 10 minutes of the movie cut, including the fight scene in the opening credits! However, there are a very small handful of obscure pre-2002 VHS and (possibly) DVD copies still floating around at places such as flea markets that have the intact version of the movie, but with only one language dub. There have been plans by Dragon Dynasty to re-release this movie on DVD since 2008, but those plans seem to be on hold.

If you're a fan of Jackie Chan's early movies, this is one you've gotta see!

Also known as: 少林木人巷/Shao Lin mu ren xiang (HK, original Mandarin title), 36 Wooden Men (unknown), Shôrinji Mokujin Ken (Japan, dubbed version), Wooden Men (West Germany), Shaolin Wooden Men: Young Tiger's Revenge (USA alternate title), El despiadado (Spain), L'impitoyable (France), Shaolin Chamber of Death (UK initial releases), To heri pou tsakizei kokkala (Greece VHS title)

The Hand of Death (1976, HK)

Starring: Tan Tao-liang, James Tien, Paul Chang, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao. Directed by: John Woo

This is one of John Woo and Jackie Chan's earliest movies, and probably Woo's best kung-fu movie entry. It's also a noteworthy entry for Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Tan Tao-liang, and all of the movies stars do an excellent job pulling the movie off.

In "Hand of Death," a powerful warrior, tyrant, and renegade Shaolin monk named Shih Shao-feng has decided to track down and eliminate the Shaolin monks. One of Shaolin's best students named Yun Fei is given the assignment to contact some rebels fighting Shih and eliminate him.

During the course of his mission, he meets up with several anti-Shih kung-fu fighters, including a swordsman (Chang) who vowed to never draw his sword again after he accidentally killed a prostitute he loved during a raid by Shih's henchmen and a blacksmith/spear-fighter (Chan) whose brother was killed by Shih.

Together these five warriors make a vow to take down Shih and never stop until they succed. But can they take on Shih's vastly superior forces and succeed at their mission?

Also in this movie is Sammo Hung as Shih's arrogant and loyal lieutenant Du and cameos by Yuen Biao as a rebel assasin and John Woo as the scholar Cheng.

This kung-fu movie is not only an excellent one, but bears some of the trademarks that would later make John Woo famous in the HK action movie genre. That is, you have a Shih who is tyrannical, paranoid (at times), and demands absolute loyalty from his men and a small group of fiercely dedicated fighters who make a pact together and put up a fight against overwhelming odds. Of course, there's also the trademark John Woo fight scenes, which are excellently choreographed. If you can find this movie and are a John Woo or Jackie Chan fan, you'll probably want to see this!

Also known as: 少林門/Shao Lin men (HK, original Mandarin title), 少林门 (Simplified Chinese characters), Hand of Death (France/Germany/UK DVD title), The Hand of Death (HK English DVD/International/USA DVD title), Countdown in Kung Fu (HK English title/English DVD title), Dragon Forever (West Germany), Strike of Death (USA VHS title), Shing le fantastique Mandchou (French title).

The Flying Guillotine (1975, HK)

Starring: Chen Kuan Tai, Ku Feng, Wei Hung. Directed by: Ho Meng-hua

There is only one word to describe this movie: awesome! This is the first of the movies the Shaw Brothers made about the infamous flying guillotine, and one that is atypical of the usual Shaw Bros. flick.

In "The Flying Guillotine," the tyrannical Emperor Yung Cheng orders a new weapon devised to excruciatingly kill his enemies and install fear in the heart of his allies. One of his advisors creates the Flying Guillotine: a weapon sort of like a Frisbee on a chain that can be thrown over the head of a person and rip it right off. The Emperor orders his advisor to select a small group of his most elite, trusted soldiers to be trained in the use of the Flying Guillotine and sends them to work.

After several assasinations, some of the soldiers have an attack of conscience over what they're doing and who they're killing for. They decide to flee, but only Chen Kuan Tai makes it out of the Emperor's palace alive. After that, he must do whatever he can to stay alive since the Emperor's armies and assasins will not stop looking for him, and eventually he must also do whatever he can to keep his new family alive. But can he take on all of his former comrades by himself? Also, can he use the Flying Guillotine again to protect himself and his family?

There is a lot of roof-crawling and jumping (a la "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Iron Monkey") in this movie and a bit of regular kung-fu thrown into the mix. This makes the movie a sort of combination of kung-fu and action movie.

All in all this movie is a fairly darker movie than most fu flicks, but it's an excellent one! If you happen to stumble across this one, be sure to check it out!

Also known as: Xue di zi (Mandarin-original title), A Guilhotina Voadora (Brazil), La ghigliottina volante (Italy). Also released in the US in Oct. 1981 and in Germany in Nov. 2009 at the Munich Asia Filmfest.

Return of the Scorpion (1979, HK)

Starring: Cliff Lok, Casanova Wong, Pomson Shi, Yin-Chieh Han. Directed by: Chuan Yang

This kung-fu movie is a remake of "Seven Samurai"...done kung-fu style.

In "Return of the Scorpion," a Japanese karate master is going around the Chinese countyside challenging - and completely obliterating - all the kung-fu schools and masters. It's up to seven remaining kung-fu masters to challenge this karate master and take him down. Each master is an expert of Monkey Fist, Wing Chun, Hung Gar, Choy Lay Fut, Five Fists, and other techniques.

This movie contains all the key elements of a good kung-fu movie. That is, excellent fight scenes, a unique storyline, and comradeship between the characters. As always, Cliff Lok and Casanova Wong's fight scenes in particular are excellent to watch and it's amazing to see all of the martial arts techniques used in this movie. There's also a good amount of humor (including one of the main characters having an "embarrassing accident" while fighting Casanova) and some trademark funny characters including an annoying "tea-boy" who thinks he's a kung-fu master and a ferryman who turns out to be more than what our heroes think he is.

This movie is pure delight for the kung-fu movie lover and a must-have, must-watch movie!

Also known as: Liu he qian shou (original title), Duel of the Seven Tigers (unknown), Return of Scorpion (unknown), Shadow of the Tigers. Also released in Spain in 1982 as "La furia de los siete tigres."

Champ Against Champ (1983, HK)

Starring: Dragon Lee, Hwang Jang Lee, Gene Chan. Directed by: Godfrey Ho

This is one of the best movies to be directed by Godfrey Ho before he started his infamous "Ninja" series during the 1980s, and one of Dragon Lee's best movies as well.

In "Champ Against Champ," Dragon Lee plays Lee Wong, a young kung-fu master who has gone back to his home village with his master Wai after being away for a long time to marry a local girl. Not long after they get there, Lee runs afoul of the local strongman Kai when his new father-in-law is captured and tortured over a very old dispute. Lee sets off to take on Kai and ends up losing a leg, which causes him considerable torment, especially since he is now a married man and understandably has a lot of worries on his mind.

Thanks to his wife he gets a new leg of steel and learns the "Steel Leg" technique mastered by her uncle many years ago. He sets off to settle the score with Kai, and pure kung-fu action follows!

While containing some hilarious dubbing and scenes (some intentional, others not), this movie is a true kung-fu classic.

The Prodigal Boxer (1974, HK)

Starring: Meng Fei, Yasuaki Kurata, Lee Lam Lam. Directed by: Chai Yang-Min

If you are a fan of any of the Fong Sai Yuk movies, you'll want to see this. Even though this movie wasn't made by Shaw Bros. or stars Jet Li, it's a very good entry into the FSY sub-genre.

In "Prodigal Boxer," Fong Sai Yuk (or as he's called in the dubbed English version of the movie, Fong Su Yi) kills a man in a brawl over a cricket fight. Little does he know that the man comes from the powerful Tan kung-fu clan and the clan decides to avenge their brother. They come to the Fong house looking for him and end up killing his father.

Fong Su Yi, his mother, and his girlfriend hide out in the countryside to avoid the Tan clan. Fong returns to town on more than one occasion to fight the Tan brothers, but only gets beaten up pretty badly instead.

Can Fong Su Yi develop the skills he needs to defeat Iron Fist and Iron Legs Tan? That's what you'll have to watch and find out!

This movie is interesting not only for the kung-fu and the Fong Sai Yuk storyline, but also for the fight choreography, the unusual camera shots and angles, and the accuracy in detail on the sets, clothing, and so on.

If you're a fan of Fong Sai Yuk, you'll probably want this for your collection!

Also known as: Fang Shi Yu (Mandarin, original title), Fong Sai Yuk (HK Cantonese title), Kung Fu: The Punch of Death (USA dubbed version title), The Prodigal Boxer (HK English title)

The Screaming Tiger (1973, Taiwan/HK)

Starring: Wang Yu, Chang Ching Ching, Lung Fei. Directed by: Lung Chien(?)

This is an excellent kung-fu movie from Wang Yu and co. It was beautifully filmed in the Japanese countryside, features some decent acting and excellent kung-fu, and a complex storyline.

In "The Screaming Tiger," Wang Yu plays a Chinese kung-fu fighter who goes to Japan to avenge the massacre of his village at the hands of some Japanese "pirates" (aka a karate school). He seeks out this particular karate school and along the way meets some friends: a Chinese girl (Chang) who was brought to Japan and raised as a Japanese, a Korean man who is himself out for vengeance, and a man wearing a basket who he encounters from time to time and whom advises him not to continue on his campaign for vengeance.

This film contains many hidden subtleties you have to watch for carefully. That is, the subject of human emotions such as love, hate, and the desire for revenge.

If you are a Wang Yu fan or just like an old-school kung-fu movie that features a little more than just fighting, you might want to check this one out.

Also known as: Tang ren piao ke (Taiwan, original title), Tong yan piu haak (HK Cantonese title), Screaming Ninja (international title), Wang Yu, King of Boxers (unknown), Ten Fingers of Steel (international title)

The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe (1973, Italy)

Starring: Chen Lee, Klaus Kinski. Directed by: Mario Caiano

Ok, so this isn't a kung-fu flick per se. It's more of a combination of kung-fu/spaghetti Western movie that seems to be inspired by the "Kung Fu" TV series in the US starring David Carradine. No matter whether you look at it as a kung-fu movie or a spaghetti Western, it's a movie worth checking out!

In this movie, Chen Lee plays Chin How aka "Shanghai Joe", a Chinese immigrant who comes to America and does what virtually no other Chinese immigrants at the time would dare to do: head out to Texas to make a living as a cowboy. Naturally he is given a pretty hard time of it by all the racist American cowboys, but they soon realize that he's not an easy pushover. These cowboys get to experience Shanghai Joe's fists of fury and he doesn't waste anytime making mincemeat of them!

After pulverizing a group of cowboys, Shanghai Joe lands a job with a cattle baron in Texas. After learning about the baron's dirty little secrets, Shanghai Joe has to use his kung-fu skills to save his life. This is where the action begins!

All in all this is a very unsual movie with a lot of fairly bloody action and plenty of kung-fu. If you're trying to decide between a kung-fu movie or a spaghetti Western to watch on a Fri. night and can't decide which, you might want to check this movie out!

Also known as: Il mio nome e Shanghai Joe (Italy-Original Title), My Name is Shanghai Joe (International), To Kill Or Die (US, alternate title), The Dragon Strikes Back (US, alternate title), Mi nombre es Shanghai Joe (Spain), others

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978, HK)

Starring: Jackie Chan, Simon Yuen, Hwang Jang Lee. Directed by: Yuen Woo Ping

This has to be one of the best early movies in Jackie Chan's career. It is a change from most of the movies he did with Lo Wei and this movie marks the beginning of the collaborations he would do with Yuen Woo-ping that culminated in "Drunken Master."

In this movie, Jackie is a bumbling student at a kung-fu school who gets bullied and tortured everyday by the teachers and used as a human punching bag by the students. Behind the school he meets an old "beggar" (played by Yuen Woo-ping's real-life father Yuen Siu Tien, or Simon Yuen) and gives him some food and shelter for a night. Little does Jackie know that this old man is an expert in the Snake and Crane Fist Technique! Besides this, a rival master (played by "Thunderleg" Hwang Jang Lee) is searching for the old man so they can have a duel to the death.

Witnessing one of the bullying incidents inflicted upon Jackie by the school's teacher, the old man leaves a manual about the techniques for him and basic footstep outlines before he leaves. From here on out Jackie gradually learns the Snake and Crane Fist and will be a human punching bag no longer!

Jackie then decides to search for the old man, and gradually find out who he really is.

If you are a fan of old-school Jackie Chan, or Jackie Chan movies in general, be sure to check this movie out! You'll most likely want it for your collection!

Also known as: Se Ying Diu Sau (HK Cantonese), She Xing Diao Shou (Mandarin), or "Snake Form Trick Hand", "Snake and the Eagle's Shadow" (Philippines), Eagle's Shadow " (USA re-issue title), Bruce vs. Snake in Eagle's Shadow (unknown), "Snaky Monkey" (unknown)

Renegade Monk (1978, Taiwan; 1986, USA)

Starring: John Liu, Alan Hsu. Directed by: Alan Hsu

This was a pretty decent kung-fu flick...or at least in this author's opinion. In this movie, John Liu plays Chu Fei Lin, a mysterious stranger who shows up in a Chinese town one day and saves a teenage boy from being beaten to death for sleeping with the local bigshot's daughter. The people in town are very suspicious of Chu and as it turns out, he's a man on a mission: to track down a deadly renegade Shaolin monk.

The comic relief in this movie is provided by the teenage boy. While most people won't find him all that funny and may even find his humor to be a little too much in the style of Jackie Chan in his early movies, it is interesting to see him being taught kung fu by Chu Fei Lin and watch him become an awesome kung fu fighter!

The fight scenes between John Liu and Alan Hsu are awesome in this movie.

If you ever get the chance to see "Renegade Monk," you might want to give it a watch! It's a very good old-school kung fu flick!

Also known as: Shaolin Ex Monk

Chinese Hercules (1973, HK)

Starring: Bolo Yeung, Chan Wai-Man, Yeh Fang, Lee Hsi. Directed by: Ta Huang

This is the movie that propelled Bolo Yeung into the '70s kung-fu movie scene and solidified his reputation as a sort of "muscles from HK."

In this movie, Chan Wai-Man plays Shen Wai Ta, a fighter who accidentally kills his girlfriend's brother in a fight and flees his home city. He takes refuge in a dismal little coastal village where the villagers are forced to work for a local mob syndicate. When the upstream syndicate wants to use the pier for shipping and importing illegal merchandise, the villagers object and end up paying dearly at the hands of the mob boss's fighters and specifically Bolo, aka the "Chinese Hercules."

In the end, it's up to Shen to save the village and the villager's lives. But can he?

This movie suffers from all the pitfalls that virtually all other '70s kung-fu movies suffer from (i.e. bad dubbing, poor cinematography, faded prints), but it more than makes up for it in the movie itself. The movie is gritty and pretty violent, but it's a very good kung-fu flick.This movie also features fight choreography from Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. Look for cameos by Jackie and Corey Yuen as two of the thugs in this movie!

Also known as: Ma Tou Da Jue Dou (original title), Lut Tau Daai Kuet Dau (HK Cantonese title), Freedom Strikes a Blow (international title), Gozakko - Seine Fäuste trommeln das Todeslied (West Germany), Black Guide (Philippines), Ma Tou Shao Zi (Taiwan title #1), The Kid From Pier (Taiwan English title)

Tiger's Claw (1974, HK)

Starring: Cliff Lok, Shih Kien. Directed by: Tin Chi Ng

Many kung-fu movies were filmed on a shoestring budget, but made up for the shoestring budget with a creative storyline, intense action, and scenic filming location. This film is a very good example of this. In this one, Cliff Lok plays Chen Yi-Hu, a very cocky and arrogant 19 or 20 year old kung-fu fighter who wants to do nothing with his life except be the best fighter around. At the beginning of the movie, he challenges all the best-known fighters and beats the snot out of them.

He then finds out about Tiger (Shih Kien, who played the villain in "Enter the Dragon"), who happens to have spent the past 20 years serving a prison sentence. Chen gets himself sent to prison, seeks out Tiger, and breaks him out so they can have their duel. Once Tiger is outside, his past quickly catches up with him and Chen has to watch out for him so noone else can defeat him except himself.

All in all "Tiger's Claw" is a very good and intense kung-fu movie. Both Cliff Lok and Shih Kien play their parts very well and this makes the movie very intense. This movie is worth at least one watch, especially if you're in the mood for a simple, quick, 85-minute time-killer of a movie!

Also known as: Er Long Zheng Zhu (original title)

Blood On the Sun/The Big Fight (1972, Taiwan/HK)

Starring: Chang Ching Ching, Peng Tien, Yuen Yi. Directed by: Ting Mei Sung, Shing Yuan Sun

This is a very interesting kung fu flick! It was obviously made on a shoestring budget (not a bad thing at all as far as kung fu movies go) and as such it suffers from all the flaws of a typical kung fu movie. That is, an abrupt ending, stereotypical Japanese/Chinese collaborators, etc. However, it makes up for this with an interesting storyline, some fairly accurate details of the Japanese soldiers (right down to the uniforms, field equipment, and weapons), and plenty of fight scenes!

In this movie, an anti-Japanese Chinese guerrilla living in occupied China during WWII is being pursued by Japanese troops and has become something of a legend in the Chinese countryside. He is contacted by Miss Liao (Chang Ching Ching), and some other agents of the Kuomintang government who need his help in fighting the Japanese troops. To make a long story short, he agrees to help and gives a serious whuppin' to the Japanese.

Later on in the movie comes the big event: the tournament, aka The Big Fight (hence the name of the movie). We get to see plenty of fights between Chinese kung fu fighters and Japanese karate, judo, and sumo fighters!

This movie is not bad at all and is worth a watch or two if you are in the mood for some serious fu!

Also known as: Lei Tai (original title)

Blood of the Dragon (1973, HK; 1978, USA. Also 1971, Taiwan?)

Starring: Wang Yu, Chiao Chiao. Directed by: Ko Pao-Shu

This is one of Wang Yu's best movies and an all-around good - and bloody - wuxia movie. In this movie, two rebels (one of whom is played by the director herself) are killed. Before dying, one makes his way to the nearest town and gives a list containing the names of virtually all the rebels resisting Mongol rule to a young orphan. The orphan must take this list to the rebel prince, but with the Mongols combing the countryside and desperate to get their hands on the list, he is going to need help! He gets this help from White Dragon (Wang Yu), a wushu/kung fu expert who also finds his true calling along the way.

This movie was put together very well and the fight scenes are awesome and well-choreographed! The American version of this movie features a soundtrack by a '70s rock band from Atlanta called Flood, which makes the movie even more intense.

It's also worth mentioning that the 1978 American version had two bloody dismemberment and impalement scenes cut, but it would seem that in recent years, the original uncut version with those two scenes intact has been resurfacing on DVD.

All in all, this is definitely a movie worth checking out!

Also known as: Zhui Ming Qiang (original title)

Iron Fist Adventure (1972,Taiwan; 1975, HK?)

Starring: Wang Yu. Directed by: Lee Siu
This is a very rare Wang Yu movie and one that isn't too bad! It is also one of the few kung fu movies to take place in China's Northeast (Dongbei) region duiring the early 20th Century and one of a small number of movies besides "Joe Kidd" (a Clint Eastwood western) to feature the Mauser C-96 10-round automatic pistol. In fact, there are quite a few of those are used in the movie!

In "Iron Fist Adventure," Wang Yu plays T.S. Kwang, a man out for revenge after his master and members of his family were murdered some 10 years previously. Little does he know who was responsible...

This movie features a very complex (and honestly, sometimes confusing) storyline that is easier to understand if you know a little bit about the history of northeast China/Manchuria. However, if you're only watching this movie just to see Wang Yu's fight scenes, you won't be disappointed because they are pretty impressive!

If you are a fan of Wang Yu or just like rare kung fu movies, you'll probably want this one for your collection!

Also known as: The Iron Fist Adventures

Killer Constable (1981, HK)

Starring: Chen Kuan-Tai, Jason Pai Piao, Ku Feng. Directed by Chih-Hung Kwei.

Not to be confused with another movie titled "Lightning Kung Fu" starring and directed by Sammo Hung, this movie is a very dark and atmospheric swordplay movie from Shaw Bros. This movie stars Chen Kuan-Tai as Ling Tien Ying, a constable of the Dowager Empress. When two million taels of gold are stolen from the royal vaults, the Empress dispatches Ling to track down the gold and the culprits who stole it. He assembles a team of deputies to accompany him...and together they walk into a trap in which they must use their kung fu and sword-fighting skills to survive.

All in all an excellent movie worth checking out if you like swordplay movies, the Shaw Bros. genre, or kung fu movies in general!

Also known as: Lightning Kung Fu, Karate Exterminators, 萬人斬/Wan Ren Zan (original Mandarin title-HK)

The Big Boss/Fists of Fury (1971, HK)

Starring: Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien. Directed by Lo Wei.
This is the film that spawned a legend. It is also noteworthy because Bruce Lee directed some of the action scenes in this movie.

In this movie, Bruce Lee plays Cheng Chao-an, a Chinese man from Guangdong province who goes to Thailand to work with his uncle and cousins at an ice factory. When two of Cheng's cousins discover a mysterious white powder spilling out of a broken block of ice, they are called into a meeting with the boss and never seen again. When more of his family disappears, Cheng sets out to solve the mystery. Can Cheng find his missing family and get down to the heart of the matter? Also, can Cheng break the promise he made to his mother never to fight again? That's what you'll have to watch and find out!

If you want to see the movie that made Bruce Lee a big hit in Hong Kong and in all of Asia, this is it!

Also known as: Fists of Fury (USA/International), 唐山大兄/Tang Shan Da Xiong (original Mandarin title-HK), Big Brother of Tongshan (literal title used in HK), Fists of Glory (a title used in Europe )

The Original Listing

Well here it is: the original listing of movies as they were on the old Squidoo lens before I started moving the titles around a week or so ago. For those of you who were accustomed to the old lens layout (and would have preferred me to keep it that way), you'll find these movies back in that same exact order.

I'll gradually add these movies to the new blog over the course of the week, so stay tuned!

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From China With Death (1974, HK)

Starring: Henry Yu Yung, Wu Ma, Li Meng. Directed by: Wu Ma
This is an entertaining little kung fu movie from director/actor Wu Ma! It's mostly a comedy film, but it contains the obligatory kung fu, which is choreographed by famed Matrix/Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon choreographer Yuen Woo Ping.

In this movie, Henry Yu Yung plays a smooth, well-dressed con-man who is an expert at swindling just about anything and can play a good game of dice. Wu Ma plays a petty thief and a beggar who loves women...despite the objections of his girlfriend Mimi. Together they set out to steal a shipment of gold from a local banker...and under the noses of the local crime lord and the police.

If you want a little humor to go with your fu, this is the movie for you!

Also known as: Lang bei wei jian (original Mandarin title-HK), Long boi wai gan (Cantonese title-HK), Un coup de boule dans les valseuses (France), From China with Death (USA)

Way of the Dragon (1972, HK)

Starring: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, Chuck Norris, Wei Ping-Ao, Wang Chung Hsin, Robert Wall, Whang Ing-Sik. Directed by: Bruce Lee

This is the only movie Bruce Lee had the chance to both act in and direct before he died in 1973. It was also the movie that gave Chuck Norris's career as a martial arts and action star a huge boost.

In "Way of the Dragon", Bruce plays Tang Lung, a Chinese martial artist who is sent from Hong Kong to Rome to help his friend's niece Chen Ching Hua (Miao), her dad, and co-workers fend off a local Mafia syndicate who want the restaurant for themselves. The mobsters are well-armed and well trained in the martial arts, but can they defeat Tang Lung. Also, can Tang Lung defeat the world-famous martial artists they send to defeat and kill him?

Chuck Norris plays the karate expert Colt, who is the only one of the fighters able to communicate with Tang Lung, who does not speak Italian. Despite the duel the two fight, they are also still able to recognize each other as fellow martial artists.

This movie is one of the most well-known kung fu movies in the world and stars the most famous martial artist and kung fu star of them all. Also, to see Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris fight is simply amazing. This is one you must see and see now if you already haven't!

Also known as: 猛龍過江/Meng long guo jiang (original Mandarin title-HK), Mang lung goh kong (Cantonese title-HK), Return of the Dragon (US dubbed version), Bruce Lee - Die Faust des Drachen/Die Faust des Drachen/Die Todeskralle schlägt wieder zu (West Germany), Fury of the Dragon (European English title), and others.

Welcome to the new home for "Old Kung Fu Movies..."!

Welcome to the new home for "Old Kung Fu Movies You've Gotta See!". If you've been following the Squidoo version of this blog and have wondered where the lens went, you've found it! It was time to pack up this lens and move it to greener, bigger pastures since it was outgrowing the Squidoo format.

Anyway, you'll find all the movie entries, reviews, and more that were on the Squidoo lens here on this blog. Be sure to update your bookmarks and as always, enjoy!