The Random Shaw Brothers Viewing Thread

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

OK, been on a semi-consistent Shaw Bros. kick over the last few months and figured a thread was in order just to sort of jot down some points as I make my way through whatever discs land at the door.

Last night?

Virgins Of The 7 Seas, aka The Bod Squad.

A full review is in the works but for the sake of breivity, this one is a blast. 5 women, only three of whom are virgins, are kidnapped by Chinese pirates and sold into white slavery. Thankfully a pretty Chinese lady and her brother (who looks like Wang Yu from One Armed Swordsman, only with both arms) are on hand to help them out. After the obligatory training sequence, the girls are ready to fit and proceed to run around with their boobs out spitting olive pits into the faces and asses of would be rapists, some of whom are dressed like ninjas.

Co-directed by Ernst Hofbrauer of the Schoolgirl Report movies and Kuei Chih-Hung of Bamboo House Of Dolls, this is a trash film of the highest order.

This movie also includes:
-ass smothering
-ass through the wall acrobatics
-bizarre training in the ways of the Chinese sexual arts
-lots of sideburns
-random oceanside frolicing in the nude
-Morricone esque soundtrack

And more!

Good stuff.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

I watched Mercenaries from Hong Kong the other day. It's an early Wong Jing flick, and thereby isn't bad (but I like Wong Jing, so saying that was moot). Ti Lung, Michael Chan, Nat Chan, Wong Yue and Johnny Wang team up to sneak into Cambodia to catch a crim (Phillip Ko) who's double-crossed billionairess Candice Yu. It's okay, but it's obvious it's been done on a budget -- but there's action, blood and some boobs, so it's modest B-movie filler. More on the website in a couple of days! :)

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Bastard Swordsman - fairly typical one school vs. another school storyline with all the backstabbing and betrayal's you would expect made interesting and completely watchable thanks to some really good action direction, colorful characters, and strong fight choreography. Not the best Shaw swordplay film I've seen but a fine addition nevertheless.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Here you go, read some Shaw reviews! :)

http://hongkongrewind.com/category/shaw-brothers/

I'll get on to doing more once I've figured out Windows 7 :p

[Alison Jane Girl Boss Jane Find all posts View Profile Close Alison Jane]

I've seen a ton of Shaw stuff but it makes me sad that a lot of it blends together in my head and if asked what my favorite Shaw films are I'd have a hard time coming up with titles.

I feel like such a phony. :(

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

I feel like such a phony. :(

Don't feel phony! It could be worse -- you could have just restarted your own Hong Kong movie review blog and, having stepped away from the industry for over two years, realised that you're going to have do a TON of research to catch back up as well as put in some extra hard yards to make your work stand out from the rest (like it used to). :o

[Alison Jane Girl Boss Jane Find all posts View Profile Close Alison Jane]

You can do it!

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Alison. Much appreciated! ^_^

Anyway...here's a bit of interesting trivia that I noticed whilst watching Warriors Two (a Golden Harvest production) that will become seriously annoying to Ian and all you old-school kung fu fans once I have imparted it, as you won't be able to avoid seeing it...

Bryan Leung, or Leung Kar Yan/Liang Jia Ren (as he's often creditted, but "Bryan Leung" is what's on his business card), who played Leung Jan in WT, as well as countless martial arts characters in the Shaw films, was interviewed many years back for Toby Russell's Top Fighter doco. Therein, he openly stated that he was not a martial artist or indeed had ever learned any martial arts -- his best respected ability in the industry was being able to mimic exactly what the martial arts choreographers taught him on set for his parts.

This holds out as, while I was watching Warriors Two, in the majority of fight scenes involving Bryan you can see him counting out the moves! If anyone has any doubts, watch a film with Bryan in it -- though the soundtrack usually fetaures the usual post-dubbed kung fu war-cries while he's fighting, you can actually see his mouth movements match him counting out each step... ;)

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Which reminds me, as this is a Shaw thread, Shaw Blu-rays start releasing in Hong Kong on February 1st! First releases are two classic Huangmei Operas, The Kingdom and the Beauty and all-time classic The Love Eterne...

Kingdom: http://www.dddhouse.com/v3/product_d...roductID=11560

Love Eterne: http://www.dddhouse.com/v3/product_d...roductID=11559

I can vouch for both, but I am a more general Hong Kong movie buff, so my word might have to be taken with a pinch of salt for all you non-traditional musical fans. I would have upgraded both of these in a heartbeat, if it weren't for the fact they're advertised as Region A locked -- which puts little old Region B me out of the picture. *Sniff* :(

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Interesting about Leung. And you know, as much as I can appreciate the beauty and talent behind some of the operatic stuff, I just can't get into it. I was flipping through the massive Shaw Moviepedia thing I snagged at CES which catalogues something like 600 releases and some of the operatic stuff was in there - I can see why it would appeal to some. I'm just not one of them. It's not an aversion to musicals either, as my love for Fiddler on the Roof knows no bounds.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Huangmei Operas, or other popular musicals, from the Shaws are an acquired taste -- that few Western folk gel with.
But mind you, if I ever put one on at home here my wife (who is Chinese) complains no end...as she hates them! Haha!

[Alison Jane Girl Boss Jane Find all posts View Profile Close Alison Jane]

There are Shaw musicals??

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Yep! Chinese operas...and regular musicals, as well as teen-oriented pop musicals!
They're all a lot of fun, esp. the teen musicals from the sixties! :thomason:

Ooh...I love that smiley! That has cheered me up no end! :)

[Alison Jane Girl Boss Jane Find all posts View Profile Close Alison Jane]

THOMASON DO THE FUNKY NINJA!!!

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

I love it! Thank you to the Rock! Shock! Pop! gods for that one!
I've never had my own smiley before. I feel special now... :thomason: