J.T. Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 (edited) One day I will have to cue up the sleazy double feature of Firecracker and TNT Jackson on Tubi. Edited May 29, 2020 by J.T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSJ Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 One day you will need to watch the greatness that is The Silver Hermit of Shao-lin. The sub-genre of kung fu/vampire flicks really needs more love here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 37 minutes ago, OSJ said: One day you will need to watch the greatness that is The Silver Hermit of Shao-lin. The sub-genre of kung fu/vampire flicks really needs more love here. You really do need to come up with a Chinese hopping vampire story for your next collection. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 (edited) Film: Master of the Flying Guillotine Picked by: Curt McGirt "This might've been the first full-on kung fu film I saw unless you count Rumble in the Bronx. I remember renting it after hearing Tarantino sing its praises (back when there were still video stores) and remembered, well, nothing of it. It came to mind thinking of this project again so I went back and watched it, and IT RULES. Since then I've grown to love the trope of the various disciplines and weapons styles put against each other and this is a prime example, with some of the wildest work you'll see. Jimmy Wang Yu is great as the stoic One Armed Boxer trying to lead his kung fu school until a tournament attracts both his attention and that of a blind assassin disguised as a monk armed with the deadliest weapon ever. You might be able to find this elsewhere better as this comes from a poor print and the subtitles start to lag in the last 20 minutes, but free is always the best price, no? " Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976) First Films(H.K.) & Cheng Ming (H.K.) Film Co. Directed and written by: Jimmy Wang Yu Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu, Kang Chin, Lau Kar-wing, Lung Chun-Erh Reviewed by: RIPPA Umm…. Okay… how the fuck am I supposed to review one of the all-time classic Kung Fu movies? The movie that Quentin Tarantino said was his all-time favorite. Well, for the one person reading this (considering the project it might not even be one) who isn’t familiar with the movie, this is the sequel to the One Armed Boxer (in fact it was called One Armed Boxer II in the UK because of course it was. Mind you – the English language version of the title was Hong Kong was The One Armed Boxer vs. the Flying Guillotine and man that so gives me an idea to write about. Put a pin in that.) General gist is that said One Armed Boxer is now being stalked by an Assassin (the Master of the Flying Guillotine duh!) because the OAB (yeah we are shortening shit now) killed two of The Master’s students in the first film. The Flying Guillotine is basically a helmet??? (yeah let’s go with helmet) with retractable razor blades attached to a chain. The Master throws it over some poor fools head and then yanks the chain and then the magic… err… decapitation happens. One isn’t going to really watch the movie now for the plot. Nor is one really going to nitpick the actual film making (at least they shouldn’t). You are here for the various fights and the soundtrack. This might be the first movie that I saw the majority of in GIF form before actually seeing the movie. On some levels it was 40 years ahead of its time. It is folly to think that any thought I have or anything I am going to say about this movie hasn’t been written/stated at some point in time by someone. And that heavy burden is part of the reason it took me forever to put keystrokes to keyboard (instead of motivating me COVID-19 has quadrupled my writer’s block on… well these 19 reviews I have sitting on this computer) However, between the alternate film title (see above), the original trailer (see below) and the WWE’s desire to do more cinematic type “matches” that no one has pitched either a WWE film reboot or, fuck it, an entire PPV based on the movie That trailer alone would be converted into a WWE hype video for a PPV that we used to get and would be better than anything wrestling related I have watched in 2020. And somewhere in an alternate universe, Vince is yelling for someone to find the Punjabi Prison because I mean there is a bamboo circle in the film and that is good enough for Vince. I am loathe to fantasy book the entire cast for a variety of reasons but clearly Triple H would end up as The Master and the rest of the casting would be just as terrible and probably racist. Edited May 30, 2020 by Execproducer 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 7 hours ago, J.T. said: You really do need to come up with a Chinese hopping vampire story for your next collection. I second this as I've never seen one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 Shit. Now I feel bad that I picked Master of the Flying Guillotine. I had a hard time thinking of anything kung-fu wise because I really am a novice aside from what I've seen on El Rey, so I picked that... and drew the dice on Rippa. To explain how bad it was, my other choice was gonna be either Five Deadly Venoms or Executioners from Shaolin. I figured "hey at least if they've seen it they'll like it". *walks away with Incredible Hulk music in background* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 12 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said: Shit. Now I feel bad that I picked Master of the Flying Guillotine. Don't feel bad. Who doesn't love Master of the Flying Guillotine? I read that as a positive review. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Koch Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 (edited) On 5/29/2020 at 10:36 PM, Curt McGirt said: I second this as I've never seen one Anyone who hasn't needs to watch Mr. Vampire NOW. Or pretty much anything with Lam Ching Ying as the lead. He was the Bill Murray "ghostbuster"/popular/quirky actor in Hong Kong for many years. This is another favorite of mine - East vs West Vampires http://www.hkfilm.net/movrevs/drvamp.htm This is also fun - Hammer and Shaw Bros http://www.hkfilm.net/movrevs4/goldenvampires.htm Best "worst" movie ever http://hkfilm.net/movrevs5/robovampire.htm Edited June 1, 2020 by Neil Koch 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 Film: The Big Boss AKA Fists of Fury Picked by:AxB "Now, I know a lot of people like to plunge into the depths of esoterica in these things, and that's a very valid thing. What's the point in knowing things that most people don't know, if you can't show off about it? But there's also something to be said for also taking a fresh look at the more obvious classics. Something to be said for looking at how all this got started, how we got to where we are. To look back at what made you love the kung fu genre, and to see if you still love it. So for that reason, I'm going with a movie that everyone not only in this review, but on this board should have seen more than once. I'm going with a true Kung Fu classic. I'm going with Fist of Fury!" The Big Boss (1971) Golden Harvest Directed by: Lo Wei Cast: Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien, Reviewed by: J.H. I was so geared up and excited for this project this year. I was wondering what movie I’d get to write about. Something obscure? Something not Shaw Bros? Perhaps something from the Philippines? No, the movie I get is The Big Boss. My reaction was not of elation but of dread. “How can I write about The Big Boss?”, I asked myself. How? How do I write about THAT movie? The movie that gave the world Bruce Lee. The Big Boss is so many things all at once that picking just one facet of it to write about would be silly. To write about all of those things would be impossible. How it is the movie that launched Bruce Lee to stardom. How it is a typical Shaw Brothers revenge flick for the period but wrapped in so much raw emotional content because Bruce Lee put so much emotion into his performance that it seemed almost like real event to my child like mind when I first saw it. How everything builds so the movie all builds to its amazing climax and final fight. I’m not going to sit here and wax poetic, as I have in the past, nor shall I sit here and type up a synopsis of it. If you’re a fan of HK cinema, chop-sokey flicks in general or a Bruce Lee fan then you’ve seen The Big Boss. If you fall into none of the categories listed then you don’t need me to tell you everything, just go watch it. Watch how a story of how a man can be pushed to far until he explodes with raw anger all over the movie screen. Watch and see, from the moment he first shows up on the screen, why Bruce Lee was going to be the biggest star in the 70s if not for the issue of his death. What Bruce Lee said in Enter the Dragon about emotional content in a fight, how every punch or kick thrown has to have something behind it, that applies to the final fight scene in The Big Boss. Literally all of it is Bruce Lee letting all his emotions and frustration just be there on full blast for the world to see. Its all that rage and emotion spilling out, after repressing it for the whole movie, that sticks with you. It is the final revenge he gets to exact, that made me as 10-year-old sit back in awe. After his death, why do you think so many knock-off Bruce Lee’s failed to really catch-on? It is simple, you can have a passing resemblance to Bruce Lee all you want but you will never have his emotional explosiveness as a performer. You will never duplicate his charm, which was genuine to fans and still is to this day. Bruce Lee was more than just the star of The Big Boss, Bruce Lee became The Big Boss martial arts cinema because of his performance. The Big Boss made Bruce Lee KING of Kung-fu and from that he paved the path for him to be called “The Master” 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 My apologies to @AxB. He gave me Fist of Fury and in my laziness I gave it to J.H. as Fists of Fury. Anyone familiar with the history of the U.S. releases knows where I fucked up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 My laptop ate my review of Last Hurrah so hopefully this drags out long enough for me (or someone else) to review the Bruce Lee 30 For 30, Be Water, when it debuts this weekend. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 2 minutes ago, J.T. said: My laptop ate my review of Last Hurrah so hopefully this drags out long enough for me (or someone else) to review the Bruce Lee 30 For 30, Be Water, when it debuts this weekend. I expect to drag this out a couple of more weeks. And since everyone will probably grow tired of bonus reviews if I'm the only one doing them, I'll happily take anything you've got! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 If you drag this out to Mid-July someone can review this 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted June 5, 2020 Author Share Posted June 5, 2020 I could re-watch and review the 1978 Sammo Hung version as a stalling tactic. It shouldn't surprise anyone that Sammo actually does one of the better Bruce Lee imitations. But then there is the thorny issue of the blackface character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setsuna Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 I had no idea they were remaking Enter The Fat Dragon but that looks like it's going to be a ton of fun. I've got another review I want to do but I've just been so burnt out with my job that I can't muster the energy. Thinking tonight might be the night though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Koch Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 (edited) The Hong Kong DVD/Blu Ray has been out for a while. https://www.yesasia.com/us/search/enter-the-fat-dragon/0-0-0-q.enter+the+fat+dragon_bpt.48-en/list.html I have heard it's not very good. The release date got pushed back several times and finally it just went to streaming/DVD. Edited June 7, 2020 by Neil Koch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 I am DVRing Be Water since I have to be into the office early tomorrow morning to continue this software upgrade and can't stay up too late. For those of you that are "working from home" and can make it, 30 for 30 comes on at 9PM EDT and runs until 11PM EDT. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted June 8, 2020 Author Share Posted June 8, 2020 I have been extremely busy getting back to work....turns out I didn't lose my job after all.....so I will probably pick this back up on Wednesday. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, Execproducer said: I have been extremely busy getting back to work....turns out I didn't lose my job after all..... EXCELLENT NEWS~! My daughter was let go from her job at Zaxby's and she also thought she was done for good. Turns out when RVA went to Phase I, her boss called and was like, "So. You want to come back to work?" and of course she jumped at the chance to get out of the house and put cash in her pocket. Edited June 8, 2020 by J.T. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 (edited) Film: The Heroic Trio Picked by: J.H. "I'm in for Wong Fei Hung II: Hung Harder I'm making Heroic Trio my pick" James The Heroic Trio (1993) China Entertainment Films Productions, Paka Hills Productions Directed by: Johnnie To Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui, Damian Lau, Anthony Wong Reviewed by: Setsuna Oi, so first off, I’m probably not the person to review this movie. I’ve never been a fan of wuxia films and always prefer my HK movies to have stars capable of doing their own action scenes. Once I received this pick, I knew straight-off that this movie wasn’t going to be for me. I’d watched the sequel (The Executioners) probably 15 years ago, and that was enough to make me give Heroic Trio a hard pass at that time. Now, did that cloud my judgement watching this movie? I don’t know. I really tried to watch this with an open mind, but man, this was a slog for me to get through. Even at the short 80 minute run-time, it took me three rounds. I don’t fault anyone for liking this because to each their own and I can totally see what people enjoy from the movie. The cheese and camp were through the roof, there were some really great moments, and I get the love for the 3 mains. It just wasn’t for me though, and I’d have to rate it pretty low. I didn’t really know how to go about this one so here’s my good and bad : The Good: Michelle Yeoh is a boss. I could watch her water plants and contemplate her life as a demon’s henchwoman all day. Unfortunately, and most definitely selfishly, to me this was the definite end to her as a bad-ass martial artist/stunt woman on screen. I can’t fault her for that because the demands the HK scene put on their performers in those days were insane. Still wish she’d had more of a chance here to show what she’s capable of as an onscreen fighter. The Ninth Chan – that opening exchange with Yeoh and the shot where he lost his finger was my favourite bit of the whole film. He loses his fingers again later on, has a flying guillotine, and growls a lot. Solid number two villain. The finale – the final ten minutes were a lot of fun and kind of contradict a lot of what is going to come up in my ‘bad’ section. It was over-the-top, constantly stunt-doubled, over-cranked to the max, wired as all hell, but that finale was fun to watch. Still would have preferred a straight one-on-one between Yeoh and either the master or the Ninth Chan, but whatever this was, it was pretty fun. The Bad: Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui as leads in this movie. When you put non-action stars in an HK movie, it always leads to a tendency to have dark settings to film the action scenes because they need to be doubled for pretty much everything. The wuxia style of fighting just isn’t for me. I always find the wushu-style weapon choreography glaring in any ‘modern’ HK film. Maybe I’m weird like that. I love a lot of old-school weapon flicks but once it’s put in a modern setting, it loses me. The over the top wirework. I might be contradicting myself in this whole review because I chose Spoiler Operation Scorpio as my pick, which is definitely a worse movie overall and has a worse use of wires. To me though, the physical displays by all of the mains trumped that. Here, aside from Yeoh who looked fantastic in very brief moments, this movie just couldn’t deliver in the action department. Edited June 13, 2020 by Execproducer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 I had this as my backup last year. Would have picked it but deferred to someone else choosing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Execproducer Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Execproducer said: Michelle Yeoh is a boss. I could watch her water plants and contemplate her life as a demon’s henchwoman all day. Unfortunately, and most definitely selfishly, to me this was the definite end to her as a bad-ass martial artist/stunt woman on screen. @SetsunaI disagree with this just a bit. Perhaps making up for lost time, or just because of the crazy HK production schedules that you mentioned, she had a slew of films from '93 and I'm a fan of most of them. I probably love Super Cop 2 more than most. She also followed with Wing Chun (1994) and Ah Kam (1996) which are two of my favorites. And even though she was past her prime and dealing with a knee injury, I think she is still the best thing about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Edited June 13, 2020 by Execproducer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setsuna Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, Execproducer said: @SetsunaI disagree with this just a bit. Perhaps making up for lost time, or just because of the crazy HK production schedules that you mentioned, she had a slew of films from '93 and I'm a fan of most of them. I probably love Super Cop 2 more than most. She also followed with Wing Chun (1994) and Ah Kam (1996) which are two of my favorites. And even though she was past her prime and dealing with a knee injury, I think she is still the best thing about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I probably should have looked closer because you're right, my timeline there is off. I completely forgot how much time she had taken off between Yes Madam and the Royal Warriors series until she turned up again in Supercop. That really is a shame. In my mind, they flowed together until she drifted into Heroic Trio - Tai Chi Master and mid-90s OTT wirework and choreo. I also really enjoyed Super Cop 2 as well. Wing Chun I'll have to revisit at some point. Just looking at her imdb page now and it really is surprising how few straight action movies she made. I could have sworn there were a lot more movies, but maybe that's just because she made such a big impression on me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 (edited) I can see sorta where Setsuna is coming from. CTHD definitely feels like a turning point in Yeoh's career where she transitions from badass nubile asskicker to no-bullshit elder stateswoman of martial arts. The fight between her and Zhang Ziyi has the feel of a passing of the torch between the two actresses. Heroic Trio / Wing Chun wasn't the end of Yeoh's career as a head cracker but she was an artist in mid-transformation. Has Maggie Cheung been in a movie where she wasn't completely adorable? Edited June 14, 2020 by J.T. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H. Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 40 minutes ago, J.T. said: Has Maggie Cheung been in a movie where she wasn't completely adorable? Hero and Irma Vepp? James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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