Starring: Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-ying, Sammo Hung, Frankie Chan. Directed by: Sammo Hung
This movie is one of Sammo Hung's most popular films, and one that scooped up the awards for Best Director, Picture, and Action Choreography at the 1983 Hong Kong Film Awards. It's also largely based on some real-life Chinese historical figures of the same names as the main characters of this movie.
"The Prodigal Son" is about a spoiled young man in the city of Fatshan (Foshan, located in central Guangdong province, China) named Leung Chan (Yuen). He thinks he is a kung fu master, but he is unaware that his powerful rich father is paying fighters to lose fights to him in order to keep him from being hurt.
One day the Lok Fung Lin opera troupe starring the beautiful Leung Yee-tai (Lam) arrives in town and Leung attends the performance. He sees Yee-tai perform and is immediately lovestruck. When he goes backstage to get to know her better, he finds out that Yee-tai is a man....and a true master of the Wing Chun style to boot. Yee-tai then proceeds to beat up Chan and all his friends, and only when Chan's servant tries to bribe Yee-tai into losing the fight that Chan learn the harsh truth about his so-called martial arts skills.
Chan then begs Yee-tai to teach him kung fu, but he refuses. The opera troupe packs up and moves on to their next performance in Canton (Guangzhou), but Chan is determined to learn kung fu no matter what the cost. He manages to convince his dad to buy out Lok Fung Lin and make himself Yee-tai's personal assistant!
When a local lord named Ngai Fai (Chan) finds out about Yee-tai's martial arts skills, he challenges him to a fight, and doesn't give Yee-tai a chance to say no. However, he doesn't know that Lord Ngai Fai is the "prodigal son" of a powerful Manchu lord and one who is determined to protect him from any threat, including Yee-tai.
What happens next is something you'll have to watch and find out!
Sammo Hung plays Yee-tai's Wing Chun brother and "scholar" Wong Wah-bo who tries to learn a little something everyday, including calligraphy and the art of using kung fu to relieve constipation!
This movie is a true Hong Kong classic and the stars of the movie have some very memorable performances! Of course, the fight scenes will blow you away and the usage of the Wing Chun style in this movie is breathtaking.This truly is one of Sammo Hung's best movies and one that you won't want to miss!
Also known as: 敗家仔/Bai ga jai (Original Cantonese title-HK), Bai jia zi (original Mandarin title-HK), Son Ruining the Family (literal title-HK), Pull No Punches (unknown English title), El hijo prodigo (Spain)
Showing posts with label yuen biao. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yuen biao. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
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)
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)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
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)
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).
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).
Monday, May 16, 2011
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)
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)
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