What asian film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

If you are interested (Notes I took on the extras:)

Shout Factory’s Hapkido/Lady Whirlwind R1

Interview with Angela Mao (16:56m) Mandarin with subs, English without
[appears to take place in restaurant; no idea of date of interview]
Got third degree black belt in Hapkido.
Learning Hong Quan and Yong Quan in HK (she wasn’t as serious with this as Hapkido)
In Korea would film during day and “three of us” would train with master at night.
Never got in “real fight”. Apparently was living at Golden Harvest. Talks about disrupting potential robber (got reported on TV).
Some Bruce Lee talk. She liked him and says he was good and polite to people.
On Dramas: made film with Polly Shang-kwan and Sam Hsu (Back Alley Princess)
On leaving GH: She signed five-year contract went back to Taiwan to develop career.
On The Himalayan: went to Nepal to film. One of her favorites.
Broken Oath: filmed during end of 1975 into 1976.
Filming Thunderstruck had to flip on long table dislocated waist into side of table.
Dance of Death: JC was martial arts choreographer for the important parts including ending. Known JC for 20 years [this might give a date on the interview]
HK vs. Taiwan movies: [waffling here]
Favourite Films: Hapkido, The Fate of Lee Khan, The Himalayan.
Shaw Brothers once talked to her about being in their films, but was in contract with GH.
Likes Peking Opera better than movies (her participation I believe.)
60 guys and 40 girls in her Peking Opera class.
Student at Fuhsing Academy admired Ivy Ling.
Golden Harvest gave her English name. GH was doing auditions in Taiwan.

Interview with Carter Wong (16:59m) English without subs
[also appears to take place in restaurant; no idea of date of interview]
Started MA 8 or 9 in Macao
Open schools of MA, taught Boy Scouts, taught police before movies.
[gets year wrong he actually starts movies in 1972]
When young friends with Bruce Lee’s brother.
18 Bronzemen (1976) talk (helps with choreography in film; he is uncredited) also Joseph Kuo talk.
Move to New York in 1984 and teach state police.
Talks about Hollywood casting. Almost did Year of the Dragon except could not because of being newly arrived visa issue. Then his part in Big Trouble in Little China.
Talks about potential new movie in Hollywood, but since he does not name it I can’t date this interview.
Rambo III talk.
Interview conducted by Rainer Czech

Interview with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao (9:19m) Sammo is English, Yuen does some English but is subtitled for the rest.
[date?; Sammo has pony tail and YB has front chipped tooth]
SH: rambunctious kid who ended up in Peking Opera
YB: also hated school ended up in Peking Opera
YB: talks about fight between JC, SH and himself over 20 cents. Sammo won fight.
YB: Yuen Hwa was best at somersaults. My specialty was any kind of movement ins mall spaces.
YB: likes himself in The Prodigal Son and especially Kid From Tibet which is his favorite.
Interview by Rick Baker and Toby Russell

Lady Whirlwind Trailers (4:29m) [Deep Thrust – seriously]
LadyWhirlwind: English Opening Titles (1:32m)
Also From Shout Factory (trailers): The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon, Game of Death, Police Story, Police Story 2, Crime Story, The Protector
Hapkido TV Spots and Trailers (7:46m) [the English trailers are hilarious]
Hapkido: English Opening Titles (1:44m)
Audio (2.0 Dolby Digital Mandarin and English Stereo) on both (cover says 5.1 for both on Hapkido)
Anamorphic Widescreen 2:35:1

[RetroRobot]

"Broken Oath: filmed during end of 1975 into 1976."

I would very much take issue with this for several reason.

[Killer Meteor]

Are the mono tracks genuine for both films, and are the English dubs the 70s ones?

Also, check this out, the UK dub for Hapkido - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jquLkusb4qg

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

"Broken Oath: filmed during end of 1975 into 1976."

I would very much take issue with this for several reason.

I just note what is being said and I later go back and review (with [] comments.) Since the movie came out in December of 77 that does seem quite a bit off even if it was held for awhile. Not unless it was a translation error which is always possible.

[Killer Meteor]

"Broken Oath: filmed during end of 1975 into 1976."

I would very much take issue with this for several reason.

Sometimes there is a big lag between the films being finished and being shown in Hong Kong. For example, All Men Are Brothers was finished in 1973 and was available to be covered in a 1974 British book, but wasn't released in Hong Kong until 1975.

[RetroRobot]

I think the choreo is pretty telling. I can buy late 76-77, no earlier... or I would be very surprised. Also, like we talked about, these people can't remember shit, so I wouldn't put too much stock in their faded recollections. If I saw a shooting schedule with 75-76 on it, then I would believe her.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Are the mono tracks genuine for both films, and are the English dubs the 70s ones?

Also, check this out, the UK dub for Hapkido - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jquLkusb4qg

They do not sound like a bad 5.1 track for either Mandarin as they both sound mono in my headphones right now, but don't quote me on it. When I was playing it on my TV earlier it sounded mono as well. The English one on Hapkido sounds old (still has some fuzz) so I'm suspecting it is the original one; I can't quite tell on the Lady Whirlwind (it sounds crisper).

This is an easy purchase is someone does not have either film. The transfers look good (thank goodness progressive ; that I can tell).

[Markgway]

1975 does seem a bit early for Broken Oath.

It was Chung Chang-Hwa's last film for Golden Harvest.

Some scenes were shot in Korea; perhaps those were done in 1976?

Guesswork, really, as there's too little concrete info on most of these movies.

[Killer Meteor]

I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys think of Chung's The Association, a film with the dullest finale ever, and the funniest abortion scene ever.

[Markgway]

The Association is mad as a bag of spiders.

I still think Chung was taking the piss.

[Killer Meteor]

Tai Chi Shadow Boxing (1980)

Jackie Chen Siu Lung...so a Jackie Clone AND a Bruce Clone? Sigh...

Formulaic movie mostly concentrating on long training scenes, corny melodramatic scenes of grown men crying, and severely under uses it's villains, especially Lung Fei, who probably filmed this during a lunch break from another movie. Awesome Spaghetti Western tune though, and you've probably seen much worse kung fu comedies.

5/10

[RetroRobot]

Chen Shao Lung is hardly a Jackie clone.... well, no more than any of the other guys making the rounds at this time. Though I always thought he was better as a badguy and action director than leading man.

[Killer Meteor]

Yeah, he is more of a badguy. A fair few leads were miscast when the genre shifted to comedy.

[RetroRobot]

True. Hell, even villain extraordinaires like Ko Fei and Hwang Jang Lee had their hero stints, though those flicks were pretty cool. Never liked John Cheung as a lead, his features are just so mean. Same with Yuen Shun Yee. Goes the other way too... Chow Yun Fat as the meanest motherfucker in Scared Stiff just doesn't work for me. I appreciate versatility, but sometimes they should just stick to what they know.

[Killer Meteor]

John Cheung was really scary in Dragon the Bruce Lee Story!

[Markgway]

John Cheung was really scary in Dragon the Bruce Lee Story!

Bastard kicked Bruce Lee in the back!

It's telling that the one film in which Hwang Jeong-Ri played a good guy was the one he directed himself (Hitman in the Hand of Buddha). I guess no one else saw him that way.

[RetroRobot]

True, you gotta make it happen for yourself. Although I think he was a good guy in Hard Bastard too. And maybe Buddha Fist and Tiger Claw, though im blanking a bit on that one.

[Killer Meteor]

It's telling that the one film in which Hwang Jeong-Ri played a good guy was the one he directed himself (Hitman in the Hand of Buddha). I guess no one else saw him that way.

Well removing the mustache helped!

[Markgway]

True, you gotta make it happen for yourself. Although I think he was a good guy in Hard Bastard too. And maybe Buddha Fist and Tiger Claw, though im blanking a bit on that one.

I haven't seen any of his Korean films.

[Killer Meteor]

True, you gotta make it happen for yourself. Although I think he was a good guy in Hard Bastard too. And maybe Buddha Fist and Tiger Claw, though im blanking a bit on that one.

I haven't seen any of his Korean films.

I've seen him in Shaolin The Blood Mission. He didn't come across very well in it, but then it was a dull movie.

[saltysam]

Yojimbo 4.5/5 Kurosawa classic is given superb treatment on blu-ray from Criterion.Remade a short while later as the equally great Fistful Of Dollars,Toshiro Mifune gives a superb performance as the masterless samurai who strolls into a town being torn apart by two rival clans.

Sanjuro 3/5 Quick follow up to Yojimbo isn't as good,at times it feels like Mifune's character has been shoehorned into the script at a late stage.Still entertaining though with a more comedic tone and less action than the first one.though given what's gone before,the geyser of blood accompanying the death of the enemy at the climax is a surprise

[Killer Meteor]

You're on the ball about Sanjuro. If I recall correctly, the hero of the novel is reduced to a brief cameo?

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

I like both Yojimbo and Sanjuro with the first being considered a classic and one of my favorite Kurosawa films (probably goes Yojimbo -> Ikiru -> Seven Samurai ...; I have seen all of Kurosawa's available films). The filming of Yojimbo is superb, but it is Mifune's titular character that I find so fascinating.

What really hurts A Fistful of Dollars for me is watching it after seeing Yojimbo. It just feels like too much of a remake and not enough originality with several scenes lifted directly from Yojimbo.

I find these comments from Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto (author of Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema)* "The most conspicuous difference is that unlike Yojimbo, Sanjuro does not have a close relation with either the Western or hard-boiled fiction." "Among Kurosawa's films, Sanjuro is the one that comes closest to a conventional jidaigeki film."

* My favorite book on Kurosawa is still Donald Richie's The Films of Akira Kurosawa. The Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto book is good on supplemental studies and contrarian thought, though not my first pick for delving into Kurosawa. Don't forget about Kurosawa's autobiography Something Like an Autobiography which is also a recommended read.

[Markgway]

Of the few Kurosawa films I've seen, Sanjuro was the one I liked most.

That's from the perspective of a non-fan, if that means anything...

[HungFist]

Neither Yojimbo nor Sanjuro have ever been among my favorite Kurosawa films. My top 3 would be
1. Seven Samurai
2. High and Low
3. Ran

What really hurts A Fistful of Dollars for me is watching it after seeing Yojimbo. It just feels like too much of a remake and not enough originality with several scenes lifted directly from Yojimbo.

Completely agreed, although I saw A Fistful of Dollars first, which may be the reason why I never became such a huge fan of Yojimbo... It's been ages since I last saw it, though.