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General Invincible[good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Cheng Peng Yi][Stars: Pearl Cheung, Adam Cheng, Wang Hsia, Tien Feng]•
Ghostly Face [good quality][lbx, Mandarin w/ English subs][Dir:/1980][Stars: Polly Shang Kuan Ling Feng]•
Great Chase [good+ quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Lo Lieh, Ivy Ling Po]•
Great General [excellent quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Meng Fei, Fan Mei Sheng][Ocean Shores]•
Great Massacre [AKA: Shaolin Hero][(1)good quality, (2)excellent quality][(1)P&S, Cantonese w/ English subs, (2)P&S, English dub][(1), (2)79 min][Dir: Lo Yuen][Stars: Phillip Ko, Leung Kar Yan, Meng Fei]•Some lady's father wants her to marry Leung Kar Yan. She does so at the displeasure of Rocky (Meng Fei). Everybody is out to kill Rocky for crimes he didn't commit. When all the attempts on Rocky's life don't work, some killers enlist Leung Kar Yan to help. Leung Kar Yan gladly helps due to some rumors going on that his wife is still having feelings for Rocky. While the two are about to duel, they find out that Philip Ko has been the person behind all the trouble that is swirling between the two. It seems that Phillip Ko has revenge on his mind and wants Leung Kar-Yan killed. For your info, #1 is known as Great Massacre, while #2 is known as Shaolin Hero (Ocean Shores).
Gold Hunters[OK+ quality][P&S, Cantonese w/ English subs][Dir: Fung Hark-On/1981][Stars: Liu Chia Yung, Chan Lung]•
Golden Mask [OK+- quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Ting Chung/1980][Stars: Stephen Tung Wei, Chi Kuan Chun, Wang Kuan Hsiung, Lung Chun Erh, Li Chien Min, Wang Chi Sang, Chai Kai, Chen Chiu]•
Great Hunter[very good quality][P&S, English dub][90 min][Dir: Larry C.H. Tu][Stars: Jimmy Wang Yu, Hsu Feng, Chang Yi, Chia Ling, Sum Yueh, Chen Hung Lieh, Hsieh Han]•
The leader of a local town militia is killed just before his militia is about to
be adopted into the government force. It's up to Captain Wu (Jimmy Wang Yu) AKA "great hunter" to investigate matters and bring all bad guys to justice.
Green Dragon Inn[AKA: Bruce is Loose][very good quality][P&S, English dub][Stars: Lo Lieh, Yueh Hua, Polly Shang Kuan Ling Feng]• The son of an evil official commits murder. The government wants this guy brought to justice. He is captured and then the evil official sends his army to get his son back. Little does he know that he has to go against "the Silent Tracker" (Lo Lieh) and "Bold Dragon" (Yueh Hua).
Green Jade Statuette[AKA: Killers' Game][good+ quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Lee Tso Nan/1980][Stars: Chi Kuan Chun, Meng Fei, Wang Kuan Hung, Tommy Lee, Lung Fei, Leung Kar Yan, Shan Mao, Hu Chin, Jimmy Lee (Lung Fung), Kitty Meng Chiu]•
Heroes Behind the Enemy Lines [very good quality][P&S, Mandarin w/ NO ENGLISH SUBS][Dir: James Liu/1975][Stars: Polly Shang Kuan Ling Feng, Chia Ling, Charlie Ching]•
Heroine of Tribulation[OK quality][Mandarin w/ English subs][Dir:][Stars: Tan Tao Liang, Fong Mien, Polly Shang Kuan Ling Feng]•
Holy Robe of Shaolin Temple[AKA: Monk from Wutang][very good quality][P&S, Cantonese w/ English subs][Stars: Yu Rong-Guang]•
Hurricane Sword[good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: ]•
Imperial Sword [AKA: Kung Fu Shadow, AKA: The Brave in Kung Fu Shadow][(1)very good quality,(2)Excellent quality][(1)P&S, Mandarin w/ English subs, (2)P&S, English dub][Dir: Chan Chi Hwa/1977][Stars: Tien Peng, Chia Ling, Chang Yi, Lung Fei, Miao Tien]•
Invincible Killer [very good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Michael Chan Wai Wan, To Siu Ming, Tang Ching][Tai Seng/Ocean Shores]•
Invincible Super Chan [good- quality][lbx, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Su Chen Ping]•
Invincible Sword [good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Hsu Tseng Hung/1971][Stars: Jimmy Wang Yu, Hsu Feng, Cheng Hung Lieh, Chang Yi]•
Invisible Terrorist [excellent quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Chan Siu Ping][Stars: Carter Wong, Wang Hsia, Lo Lieh, Kam Kong, Cliff Lok, Lung Fei, Lung Chung Erh]•
Iron Neck Li [AKA: Kung Fu is Forever][good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Chi Kuan Chun]•
Jade Fox [good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Lo Lieh, Tien Peng, Lung Chung Erh]•
Jaws of the Dragon [good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: James Nam][Stars: James Nam]•
Killer of Snake, Fox of Shaolin [good+ quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Carter Wong]•
King Boxer [excellent quality][lbx, English dub][90 min][Dir: Kung Min][Stars: Meng Fei, Yusuaki Kurata, Wang Ching, Hsu Hsia, Liu Chia Yung, Pawana Chanajit, Nat Poornai, Taksin Jampon]•This flick takes place in exotic Thailand. There are beautiful shots of the Thai temples, scenery, and elephants. Yes! You'll see nothing but elephants in the first 10+ minutes of the flick. This flick was Meng Fei's first flick which is basically a Thai-Hong Kong cast with a couple of Thai folks (Pawana Chanajit and Nat Poornai) getting a lot of camera time as well. What about the plot? It's your basic revenge flick. The King Boxer (Meng Fei) dies at the hands of some thugs (led by Yusuaki Kurata). The King Boxer's friend (Nat Poornai) goes for revenge. The fights in this flick were unconvincing. Before anybody was hit with a punch, they would go flying. The Thai fighter, Nat Poornai, had no skills whatsoever. I guess he tried to do some Muay Thai. Meng Fei was OK, but stiff. Yusuaki Kurata looked good, but of course, he is a martial artist. Liu Chia Yung, Hsu Hsia, and Wang Ching have a few minor scenes as thugs in different parts of the flick.
Kung Fu Attraction[good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Li Yi Min, Tsai Hung]•
Kung Fu for Sale [good quality][P&S, English dub][95 min][Dir:][Stars: Chong Hua]•
Kung Fu Genius [good quality][slight lbx, English dub][Dir: Wilson Tong][Stars: Cliff Lok, Wilson Tong, Hsiao Ho, Lee Hoi San]•
Kung Fu Strongman[AKA: Dumb Ox][good+ quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Wu Ma/1974][Stars: Kam Kong, Nancy Yen Nan Hsi, Lung Fei]•
Lady Constables [Excellent quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Chang Hsin Yi/1978][Stars: Chia Ling, Angela Mao, Chang Yi, Wang Kuan Hsiung][Ocean Shores]•
Last Battle of Yang Chao [OK+ quality][P&S, English dub w/ Dutch subs][Dir: Wu Man Sheung/1978][Stars: Polly Shang Kuan Ling Feng, Steven Tung Wei, Wei Ping Ao, Han Ying Chieh]•
Last Challenge of the Dragon [AKA: Big Family][good+ quality][P&S, English dub][95 min][Dir: Steve Chan/1976][Stars: Shih Kien, Oyang Sha Fei, Yen Shi Kwan, Tino Wang, Lau Kong, Fong Kin Man, Bolo Yeung, Cheung Nick, San Kuai, Sum Nam, Eddie Ko, Ho Pai Kuang, Chan Lau, Chan Li Li][Video Gems/Goldig Films]•Shih Kien is a wealthy patriarch of a gung fu family called the Lungs. Papa Lung is disappointed in his children who have taken up other non-martial arts activities such as drugs, guns, stealing, and other types of sins. Papa Lung is also a man with strong values and a strong will. He wants and expects the best from all his sons and family members. Nevertheless, one of Papa Lung's boys "shows up" a rival of the family at a fight publicly. The rival, Wong Tin San, is pissed off and retaliates by almost killing one of Papa Lung's sons. Papa Lung, being the even-keeled man that he is, orders his sons not to retaliate against Wong and his folks. Papa Lung's sons fail to listen and retaliate against Wong by injuring some of his men. Soon. Wong retaliates with violence only to be countered by Lung's children again. Finally, Wong brings in a Japanese fighter to challenge the Papa Lung to end all the fighting. Papa Lung meets the challenge but you'll be surprised which son really gets down and dirty in the end.
Legend of the Tiger [very good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Lo Lieh, Hu Chin, Steven Tung Wei][Ocean Shores]•
Legendary Strike [AKA: Fist Too Fast][Excellent quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Hwang Feng/1976][Stars: Carter Wong, Angela Mao, Paul Chu, Chen Sing, Casanova Wong][Ocean Shores]•
Little Mad Guy [good- quality][P&S, English dub][90 min][Dir: Singloy Wang][Stars: Simon Yuen, Fan Mei Sheng, Ng Ming Choi, Tiger Yang, Liu Yi Fan, Ho Pai Kuang]• This flick is one of my least favorites. It stars Ng Ming Choi as Fatty. All fat guys are named Fatty in Chinese movie, aren't they? This Fatty ain't no ordinary fatty because this fatty can move. Anyways, the story is about how Fatty, who in his quest to become a hero, gets on the bad side of a killer bandit (played by Tiger Yang). To beat the bandit, Fatty must seek training from the wily Marshal Ma (Fan Mei Sheng). The final fight ending is decent, but in no way, makes up for the crappy movie. The movie also has a brief cameo appearance by the "old drunken master" himself, Simon Yuen. Also starring as the bandit is Tiger Yang, who was once Muhammad Ali's martial arts trainer.
Lost Kung fu Secret [Excellent quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Garth Lo (David Chiang)/1982[Stars: David Chiang, Hsu Feng, Tsai Hung, Hu Chin, Chiang Chung, Paul Chun, Wang Hsia][Ocean Shores]•
The Magnificent [good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Chan Siu Pang][Stars: Chen Sing, Carter Wong, Casanova Wong, Bruce Lai, Lung Chun Erh]•
Ma Su Chen [AKA: Rebel Boxer][very good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Ting Shan Si/1972][Stars: Jimmy Wang Yu, Shan Mao, Nancy Yen Nan Hsi]•
Manchu Boxer [OK- quality][lbx, Mandarin w/ English subs][Dir: Wu Ma/1974][Action: Sammo Hung][Stars: Lau Ming, Sammo Hung, Wilson Tong, Tao Min Ming]•
Mantis Fist and Tiger Claws of Shaolin [poor quality][P&S, Cantonese w/ English subs][Dir:][Stars: Hwang Jang Lee, John Chang, San Kuai]•
Master Strikes [Excellent quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Kao Bo Shu/1979][Stars: Casanova Wong, Meng Yuan Man, Ching Siu Tung, Yen Shi-Kwan][Ocean Shores]•
Murder Masters of Kung Fu [good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Tyrone Hsu/1977][Stars: Nancy Yen, Tien Peng, Lung Fei]•
New Name Game of Death [very good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Ho Chung Tao, Hwang Jang Lee]•
Ninja Fist of Fire [good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars:]•
Ninja Massacre[AKA: Secret Message][good quality][P&S, English dub][87 min][Dir: Lo Shan][Stars: Lung Chun Erh, Chen Sing, Pai Ying, Wen Chiang Long, Shih Chung Tien, Hsia Kwan Li, Phillip Ko, Hsieh Han]•The title of this flick is misleading as there are no ninjas in this flick. I'm not sure what the real name of this flick is, but I hope to find out soon. I believe the flick has to have been made before 1980. Chen Sing isn't fat and Phillip Ko still looks young. The story is about a highly coveted secret gung fu manual owned by the leader of the Beggar clan that is wanted by all the clans in China. The leader of the Beggar clan and his entire clan are slaughtered by the white-eyed browed priest (Phillip Ko) and his men who want the gung fu manual. The leader of the Poison Clan, Chi Fung (Lung Chun Erh), who is also looking for the gung fu manual, arrives on the scene a little late, but manages to fight with the white-eyed browed priest. She is blinded, but for some odd reason, she grabs the Beggar Clan leader's newborn son, and flees the scene. Chi Fung later finds out that the secret gung fu manual that everybody covets is tattooed on the baby's back. Chi Fung raises the kid as her own, and for a long time the twosome live a happy and peaceful existence in a beautiful valley nearby a stream. Chi Feng teaches her son gung fu and she learns the gung fu of the secret manual. Everything is all fine and dandy until she is discovered accidentally. A friend from the past, Len Chung (Pai Ying), appears in the valley to reacquaint himself with Chi Fung, and that's when all the bloodshed in the valley ensues. Happy life in the valley for Chi Fung and the kid is over, as the two must take on Len Chung and his deadly whip. I kind of liked this flick. Lung Chun Erh was in the mold of the Japanese blind swordsman flicks. She was holding her own. Chen Sing was a good guy for once. I also found that the use of a dog, strapped with some explosives, used to blow up some enemy's house was outrageous.
Ninja Strikes Back[good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Bruce Le, Hwang Jang Lee]•
Ninja Supremo [good+ quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Li Chao][Stars: Cliff Lok, Lo Lieh, Tsai Hung, Yueh Hua, Sum Yuen]•
The Heroes [AKA: Story of Chivalry][very good- quality][P&S, English dub][98 min][Dir: Wu Ma/1980][Stars: Ti Lung, Tan Tao Liang, Michael Chan Wai Man, Shih Szu, Danny Lee, Wang Chung, Wang Ching, Wu Ma, Tsai Hung][Ocean Shores]•Ching Dynasty rule of China has brought peace and prosperity to China but certain groups of people are using kung fu and joining revolutionaries bent on making trouble for the Chings. The emperor then issued a proclamation to protect law-abiding citizens by banning kung fu and those who disobey will be put to death. Ti Lung, sensing that there might be trouble at Shaolin, joins the Chings and is deemed a traitor by all his Shaolin brothers. Watch the movie to find out what was Ti Lung's motive for doing this.
Heroes in the Ming Dynasty [good quality][P&S, English dub][98 min][Dir:Wu Man Leung/1979][Stars: Tien Peng, Carter Wong, Polly Shang Kwan Ling Feng, Bai Ying, Wei Ping-Ao, Han Ying Chieh, Shan Mao, Wei Tze Yung][Dachin Film Co.]•The flick takes place in late 1566, during the later part of the Ming Dynasty. The Manchus are invading Chinese borders and overtaking their cities. Somebody has to take the blame for this, so the Ming Emperor, Wei Shun Chen (Carter Wong), sends out an imperial order to arrest the Ming General, Shung Ti Pei (Bai Ying) and bring him back to the Capital to be court marshaled. Luckily for the General, his right hand man, General Wu (Tien Peng) and his daughter (Polly Shang) follow along to uncover the Ming Emperor's traitorous plan to sell out the country to the Manchus. Decent movie with nice set pieces, Polly Shang, and a typical end fight scene with the bad guy as the flick seems to have some historical background.
Hitman in the Hand of Buddha[excellent quality][(P&S, English dub][91 min][Dir: Hwang Jang Lee/1980][Stars: Hwang Jang Lee, Fan Mei Sheng, Eddie Ko, Tino Wong, To Siu-Ming, Yang Wei, Yuen Kwai][Ocean Shores]• Tired of being a bad guy all the time, Hwang Jang Lee put himself in a good guy's role. Wang Chen (Hwang Jang Lee) comes to town looking for his sister and her husband (To Siu-Ming). He later gets a job at a rice shop but soon runs into trouble after beating up some men from a competitor's rice shop. The owner of the competitor's shop then hires a killer named Shen Hao (Tino Wong) to kill Wang Chen. Mr. Shen gets his assed whooped badly so he runs to his boss named "The Tiger" or Uncle 33(Eddie Ko) to avenge his beating. Uncle 33 comes down from his perch and then manhandles Wang Chen but stops short of killing him as a favor to a dirty Beggar named Fanny Mei (Fan Mei Sheng). Short on gung fu and nowhere to go, Fanny Mei has Wang Chen off to Shaolin to learn gung fu. After paying his dues, Wang Chen comes back to take on the Tiger and his lackeys. Great movie! The final fight scene is one of the best there is. Hwang Jang Lee unleashes his patented tricycle kick and flying-3-kicks-to-3-different-baddies before landing kick. This flick is excellent for the Hwang Jang Lee fans.
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DVD info:
I also have the Eastern Heroes DVD featuring the rare Korean version of this movie. It clocks in around 81 minutes, is full screened, and dubbed in Korean but yet has remastered subs. Supposedly, this Korean version was found in a film vault in Seoul. It is a rough cut and has been said to have been edited by Hwang Jang Lee himself. So what is the difference? I noticed the Korean version has a few extra scenes added to the beginning of the movie. Also, the Korean version seems to have edited out some non-action scenes, but it appears that all the fight scenes are intact, in some cases, the more footage is added.
Hurricane [OK quality][P&S, Mandarin w/ English subs][Dir: Lo Wei][Stars: Hsieh Hsien, Nora Miao]•
Killer from Above [good- quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Lo Chi][Stars: Lo Lieh, Chang Yi, Lung Fei, Wang Ping, Carter Wong, Wilson Tong, Robert Tai, Cliff Lok (Ku Long), Cheng Fu-Hung, Su Chen-Ping][Ocean Shores]•This is an interesting movie, which has Lo Lieh, usually a bad guy, cast as a good guy in this one. Well, at first you think he is bad, but you will find out he is good. A member of the King Blade Brotherhood, Chen Wu-Hai (Lo Lieh) is out killing people. He is also a pupil of Ko Wei-Hee who is brother of Ko Shu(Carter Wong). There are four heads of a town: a shaolin abbot (Su Chen-Ping), a beggar king, etc. Apparently these heads oppose the Chings. It seems that Shu has conspired with some other guys to kill these heads at the annual kung fu showdown. Shu's brother, Ko Wei-Hee overheard the whole meeting and pleaded for his brother to not go along with his plans. The two brothers fight and eventually Shu wins by a sneak attack. Shu jails his brother in a water-filled dungeon. Luckily, since Wei-Hee was the designer of the dungeon, he manages to escape through a secret exit and send off a box containing info on his brother's scheme along with a gung fu manual, and info on the dungeon in a box by floating it through the dungeon's waterways. Chen finds the box and practices the gung fu, kills off all the conspirators, and gets himself thrown in the dungeon on purpose so he can find the secret exit and find his Sifu. Chen finds the exit and his Sifu, but sadly, he is dead. The only thing left for Chen to do is to warn everybody that the ring where the contest is held, will explode. Once everybody is safe and out of danger, Chen takes on Shu in a battle to the death.
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DVD info:
This disk was released by Crash Cinema (Central Park Media), VTCC 004D. It is letterboxed at 2.35 to 1. There is only an English audio track. The transfer is pretty good even though the film itself is old and worn.
King of Fists and Dollars [OK- quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Cheng Kang Yeh/1981][Stars: David Chiang, Danny Lee]•
Knife of Devil's Roaring and Sould Missing[OK quality][P&S, Vietnamese dub only][Dir:][Stars: Tan Tao Liang, Lung Chun Erh]•
Kung Fu Arts: Horse, Monkey, and Tiger [AKA: Raging Tiger vs. Monkey King][good quality][P&S, English dub][88 min][Dir: Lee Geo Shu, Lee Shi Chieh][Stars: Carter Wong, Chen Sing, Sida the French Monkey Star][Ocean Shores]•King Chi (Carter Wong), one of the Emperor's followers and soon to be son-in-law, overhears a conversation by the Emperor's right hand man, Pai Yeh Hu (Chen Sing). The topic of the conversation is that Pai Yeh Hu plans to kill the Emperor so he can be one himself. King Chi stops the assassination, but the cunning Pai Yeh Hu turns the tables and implicates King Chi as the assassinator. King Chi, failing to prove himself innocent of the assassination attempt, flees the palace and goes into hiding for ten long years. In hiding, King Chi, practices gung fu with an eye towards one thing-killing that bastard, Pai Yeh Hu.
The Last Duel[very good+ quality][P&S, English dub][90 min][Dir: Ling Yun/][Stars: Ling Yun, Wei Tze Yung, Nora Miao]•
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DVD info:
This disk is an Ocean Shores release by Tai Seng.
Last Hurrah for Chivalry[(1)excellent quality, (2)very good- quality][(1)lbx, Can/Man/Eng w/ 3 optional subs, incl. Eng, (2)lbx, Cantonese w/ English subs][(1)101 min, (2)107 min][Dir: John Woo/1978][Stars: Damian Lau, Lau Kong, Wei Chiu Hua, Wei Pai, Lee Hoi San, Hsu Hsia, Chien Yueh Sheng, Lin Tsung, Fung Hark On, Cheng Lei][Tai Seng/Golden Harvest]•This is a Ho Hap (meaning chivalrous people) movie which was Wei Pai's first movie with Golden Harvest. As for John Woo, this film is the last time that he would dabble into the sword fighting and gung fu genre. Kao (Lau Kong) is attacked by one of his father's enemies, Pak Chung Tong (Lee Hoi San), during his wedding. Pak Chung Tong reclaims the villa that Kao's father took from him, while Kao barely escapes with his life. Kao looking to avenge his loss seeks out Chang (Wei Pei), the Magnificent Swordsman, to help him kill Pak Chung Tong. Chang has given up his sword and really has no intentions of killing again so Kao plots to get Chang involved in his affairs by doing some dirty deeds. Chang, being the honorable and loyal friend he is, decides to help his 'friend' kill off Pak Chung Tong. Little does Chang know that Kao has plans involving his friend, Tsing Yi (Damian Lau), to kill him for a sum of money. Actually, Tsing Yi drops a hint what might happen, but Chang interprets it differently. As for Kao, he gets to find out first hand what the meaning of true friendship, trust, and brotherhood is as the two swordsman take on Kao at the end. This is a great movie and I recommend it.
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DVD info:
#1. The disk was released by Mega Star. It is letterboxed at 2.35 to1. There are three audio tracks: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. There are three optional subtitles, including English. The disk also includes its own trailer, along with trailers for Duel to the Death, Naked Killer, Magnificent Butcher, and Heroes Shed No Tears . There is also a brief synopsis of the movie along with cast info. Compared with the LD released by Tai Seng, the running time for this disk is shorter due to mastering from a PAL source. Also the theme song to end the movie stops playing while the song on the LD plays on for about a minute or so.
LD info:
#2. The disk I have is put out by Tai Seng. It is letterboxed (2.35 to 1) w/ remastered English subtitles in the black bars. The audio is Cantonese. The disk includes a couple of trailers for Last Hurrah for Chivalry, not to mention trailers for Duel to the Death and Young Master .
Leg Fighters[AKA: Invincible Leg Fighters][good quality][P&S, English dub][91 min][Dir: Lee Tso Nam/1980][Stars: Tan Tao Liang, Hsia Kwan Li, Pang Kang, Sun Chung-Chi, Wang Hsia, Tsai Hung, Chin Lung, Shih Ting Ken][Ocean Shores]•Peng Pak (Peng Kang), king of the ground kicking technique, is out to avenge the death of his brother (also played by Peng) to Tan Hai Chi (Tan Tao Liang), master of the "Tan Kick". Meanwhile, Tan Hai Chi is out trying to train a snooty student named Phoenix (Hsia Kwan Li) for his best friend, Mo (Sun Ching Chi). With Phoenix's training almost complete coinciding with Peng Pak's arrival, Tan Hai Chi sets out to take on Peng Pak's challenge. If you like to see excellent leg fighting, this movie is for you!
Legend of the Owl [(1)excellent quality, (2)good quality][(1)lbx, Mandarin w/ 2 optional subs, incl. Eng, (2)P&S, Cantonese w/ English subs][(1)89 min, (2)][Dir: David Chiang/1981][Stars: David Chiang, Eric Tsang, Wei Tze Yung, Yasuaki Kurata, Tsai Hung, Li Kun, Lu Ti, Wang Hsia, Jamie Luk, Chen Sing, Norman Chu, Chiang Tao, Paul Chun, Ko Siao Pao][Zenith Films]•This is flick is a hidden gem. I'm surprised nobody talks about this flick. This flick is a costume comedy directed by David Chiang. David Chiang doing comedy? Yes! David Chiang put some funny stuff in the movie that would give Wong Jing a run for his money. If you ever watched any gung fu movies, sometimes you'll get to catch a fight with chopsticks or teacups. Nothing is spilled. David Chiang brings his interpretation of this kind of fighting to this movie. Anyways, lots of good stuff in this movie, so watch it!. What's the plot you say? It's about three opportunists (played by David Chiang, Wei Tze Yung, and Eric Tsang) who are trying to find the Emperor's favorite concubine for a reward. Enjoyable movie-its something you've never seen in your life.
Magnificent Fist[(1)very good+ quality, (2)good quality][(1)P&S, English dub, (2)lbx, Mandarin w/ English subs][(1)86 min, (2)[Dir: Kan Aug/1978][Stars: Carter Wong, Chin Chi Chu, Irene Tam]•What? A movie dealing with ginseng? Chinese vs. Japanese, yes, that too. Yat Long (Carter Wong) finds some rare 200-300 years old ginseng and plans on giving it, mixed with other herbs, to his father because he is ill. Yat Long goes to his local herbalist to get the required herbs and tells about his great find. The local herbalist in turn tells a local RICH Japanese Lord (Chin Chi Chu) about the rare ginseng, and as you may have guessed it, the Lord wants it himself. Yat Long fends off all the Japanese advances to get the ginseng, but in turn, the Japanese play it dirty and kill his father. Yat Long beats up all the Japanese and turns into a Robin Hood character called the "Swallow" as he takes money from his beaten Japanese enemies and gives it to the poor. Eventually, his cover is blown and now he must do battle against the head Japanese baddie. This movie is basically boring and the cast is filled with basically nobody. Besides Carter Wong, the only guy I know was Chin Chi Chu (the guy that loved to head but in Five Fingers of Death.)
Magnificent Kick [good quality][P&S, English dub][85 min][Dir: Daniel Lau][Stars: Kwan Tak-Hing, Hang Ying Chieh, Fong King Man, Cheung Nik, Jason Pai Piao, Wong Hsing Hsiu, Lin Ho-Nien, Chiang Tao]•Like the title of the flick says, Magnificent Kick, refers to Wong Fei Hung's famous kick, the 'no shadow kick'. Kwan Tak Hing reprises his role as Wong Fei Hung. The only bad thing is that he's only in the movie a short time. The flick is mostly about his two famous students, Ah Wing and Ah So (Pai Piao). Wong Fei Hung sends his two students on a trip to buy some herbs. While in town, the two reunite with some folks who earlier wanted to become students of Wong Fei Hung. Fei Hung turned away the two sisters, Shu Hao (Wong Hsing Hsiu) and Shu Ling, and their brother, Ma Li (Cheung Nik) because they wanted to be thought his 'no shadow kick' to avenge their father's death. Fei Hung, being a peaceful man, doesn't teach gung fu for killing, only for strengthening the mind and body. Nevertheless, the three siblings head out to seek revenge against the killer of their father, General Ter (Han Ying Chieh). Ma Li is seriously hurt and later dies. The two girls, especially Shu Hao, concoct an elaborate plan to get Ah Wing and Ah So to help them kill General Ter by getting them to teach them the Wong School of gung fu, which is the 'no shadow kick'. Initially, Ah Wing and Ah So are hesitant to help out, but in the end, they do. This is a decent flick and would've been better if Kwan Tak Hing was used more. Chiang Tao, one of my favorite bad guys, has a brief appearance as Magic Fist Mok Yuen who dies a fast death.
Mantis Combat[very good quality][P&S, English dub][91 min][Dir: Shang Lang][Star: Chen Sing, Chan Yan Yan, Wei Tze Young, Chan Lau, Chan Yi Tao][Spring Film Co.]•
Mar's Villa [AKA: Rocky Lee, AKA: Wu Tang Magic Kick][(1)good- quality, (2)very good quality][(1)lbx, English dub, (2)lbx, Eng/Ger dub][(1), (2)88 min][Dir: Ting Chun/1979][Stars: John Liu, Phillip Ko, Stephen Tung Wei, Chai Kai, Wang Chi Sang, Sun Yueh]•John Liu plays the title character, Mar Tien Liang, who is the master of the "magic kick". The villain, Fang Kang (Phillip Ko), attacks and breaks up Mar's villa causing Mar to search him out and kill him. That easy huh? No! Fang Kang's brother, Yu Tang (also played by Phillip Ko), and his nephew (played by Steven Tung Wei) set out to make life miserable for Mar. First they kidnap Mar's wife, they kill his wife's brother, they sack Mar's business', and then finally, they capture Mar and torture him until he is insane. After they finish with Mar, they toss him on the streets to let him live like a bum until Mar's faithful servant (Chai Kai) finds him on the street. Mar's servant then helps Mar recover his sanity and then re-trains Mar for the final showdown with Yu Tang.
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VHS info:
#1 is the UK version under the title, Mar's Villa .
DVD info:
#2 is the UK disk release by Eastern Heroes under the title, Wu Tang Magic Kick . It's basically the same print as the video. You can even see Mar's Villa appear briefly in the intro before disappearing. The disk is letterboxed at 2:1. The transfer is average and shows a lot of wear and tear. There are only two audio tracks: English and German. There are no trailers and as for extras, there is an interview with Phillip Ko along with info on John Liu, Phillip Ko, Tung Wei, and director Ting Chun. Despite what the box says, there is no John Liu extra fight scene. If there is, I wish someone would tell me.
Martial Monks of Shaolin [good+ quality][lbx, English dub][Dir: Godfrey Ho][Stars: Hwang Jang Lee, Dragon Lee]•
Master Killers [AKA: Master Avengers][good+ quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Wang Hong Chiang][Stars: Blackie Ko, Phillip Ko, Casanova Wong, Chan Lau]•
Matching Escort[AKA: Venus the Ninja][(1)good quality, (2)][(1)P&S, English dub, (2)P&S, English dub][Dir:][Stars: Pearl Chang, Meng Fei, Wang Hsia, Peng Kang]•
Ming Patriots [AKA: Revenge of the Patriots][good quality][P&S, Mandarin w/ English subs][Dir: Au Yueng Chun/1976][Stars: Carter Wong, Chang Yi, Ho Chung Tao]•
Miraculous Flower [good quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Fung Hao/1981][Stars: Pearl Chang, Tsung Hua, Gua Ah Leh, Wang Hsia, Peng Kang, Tien Yeh, Ko Saio Pao]•
Moonlight Sword and Jade Lion [AKA: Ten Fingers and Flying Sword][(1)Excellent quality, (2)excellent quality][(1)P&S, English dub, (2)lbx, English dub][(1)93 min, (2)94 min][Dir: New Kwong Lam/1981][Stars: Angela Mao, Wang Tao, Wen Chiang-Long, Lung Chung Erh, Tung Li, So Chan Ping, Ho Kong, Kwong Ming, Ng Ka Yan, Cheung Fong Ha, Show Lo Fa, Man Cheung Sun, Jo Pu Lam, New Mei Mei, Lau Yee Yeung, Yiu Cheung-Fai, Ha Hau Chin, Mao Tak-San][Ocean Shores]•Chu Sau-Yin (Angela Mao) is off to find her teacher's brother who can identify her parent's killers. While Sau-Yin is snooping around, it seems like all her questions go unanswered and her informants end up dead. Meanwhile, some guy with a jade lion wants to become master of the kung fu world. The only thing hindering him is that he needs the other half of the jade lion. Turns out Angela has this. Story can get confusing so you'll need to pay attention. #1 is the Ocean Shores VHS release. #2 is the DVD version.
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DVD info:
This flick was put out by Central Park Media (VTCC-003D). It is letterboxed. It is dubbed in English. The transfer is decent, but on the soft side.
Mysterious Footworks of Kung Fu[excellent quality][P&S, English dub][93 min][Dir: Chen Hua/1978][Stars: Charles Heung, Michael Chan Wai-Man, Chiang Tao, Fan Mei Sheng, Betty Ting Pei, Tommy Lee][Ocean Shores]•There are still followers of the Ching Dynasty collaborating with local bullies in the new Republic of China dealing with the opium trade. Three-Eyed Liu (Charles Heung) is hired to stop these guys with assistance from the Beggar King (Fan Mei Sheng). Good kung fu in this one with the Shrimp and Crab kung fu showcased by Chiang Tao and Tommy Lee.
Ninja in a Deadly Trap[AKA: Heroes defeating Japs][excellent quality][91 min][P&S, English dub][Dir: Kuo Chui/1984][Stars: Kuo Chui, Chiang Sheng, Lu Feng, Ti Lung, Yasuaki Kurata][Ocean Shores]•
The evil Japanese pirates are attacking the Chinese towns along the coast. I guess another plan of the Japanese is to assassinate General Chi (Ti Lung). After a fruitless attack by a bunch of ninjas, Ti Lung sends his son to find an old master to help him give him a hand in fending off those bad Japanese guys. The master helps Ti Lung and company by offering his three students: Chiang Sheng, Phillip Kwok, and Lu Feng. These three, Ti Lung and his son, battle and take on the ninjas led by Yusuaki Kurata.
Ninja Pirates [good+ quality][P&S, English dub][Dir: Wang Chung][Stars: Carter Wong, Lo Lieh, Nancy Yen, Lung Fei, Hsieh Han]•
Northern Kicks and Southern Fists [AKA: Challenge of the Masters (UK))[good quality-][P&S, English dub][90 min][Dir: Chang Hsin Yi/1981][Stars: John Liu, Chin Lung, Alexander Lo, Robert Tai, Chu Ker]•Shao Yu Pai (John Lui) is out to find his brother's killer. At first all the evidence points to Lu Tung Chung (Alexander Lo), but with the help of a wood carver, Lee Erh (Chin Lung), Shao Yu Pai comes to realize that his brother's killer is not Lu, the Southern Fist. After some bloody showdowns with assassins in which the murderer's name of Shao Yu Pai's brother is dropped, the threesome (Lu Tung Chung, Shao Yu Pai, and Lee Erh) go to challenge the villain (Robert Tai) in a duel to the death.
Of Cooks and Kung Fu [AKA: Fists of Vengeance][(1)good quality, (2)good quality][(1)P&S, English dub, (2)P&S, Cantonese w/ English subs][(1), (2)91 min][Dir: Ting Chung/1979][Stars: Jacky S. Chan, Li Kun, Wu Ma, Chai Kai, Chang Shan, Li Chien Min, Sun Yueh]•You've heard of the Shaolin and Wu Tang gung fu styles, but I guess one style that was lost in the pages of gung fu history is the "cooking gung fu" style. A Master Chef (Chai Kai), who personally became the Emperess Dowager's favorite chef, created the cooking style of gung fu. Another guy, who was working as one of the Master Chef's hands, became jealous, because he felt he was better. So what did he do? He slyly put a piece of lead in the Empress Dowager's favorite scallop dish, thus causing her to break one of her teeth. The pissed off Empress Dowager sentences the Master Chef to death, but later she changes her mind and banishes him and his crew from the palace. The Master Chef goes home to the countryside, opens the door, and finds out that his whole family has been killed-all except his grandson (to be played by Jacky Chen). Fearing that the killer may come back again, the Master Chef takes his grandson and travels far away so he cannot be found, and then teaches his grandson his unique style of cooking gung fu. Time passes, and the Master Chef has been teaching his grandson the cooking gung fu-the flying shark fin style, sweet and sour pork style-until one day, he gets word that all former members of his cooking crew are being killed off by some unknown assailant. The Master then tells his grandson, Tang Tan, the devastating story of his parent's death. Tang Tan gets really fired up and vows to get even with the killer who killed his parents-revenge will be so sweet. This is a decent flick with a lot of fights. You'll be intrigued to find out who the killer is. You never get to see his face until the end because he wears his hat so damn low. Wu Ma, Sun Yueh, Li Chien Min, and Li Kun make brief guest appearances.
