My Fave Kung Fu Flicks

[dannyt]

I was just responding to an email someone sent in and I figured I'd post this for all to see and peeps can chime in and I'm sure I'll remember something else and this way I will be able to add it:

Thanks for the email Glen,

Shaw Brothers:
Master of the Flying Guillotine
36 Chambers
5 deadly venoms
(my personal fave) Chinese Super Ninjas, aka 5 element ninjas
Young Master (jackie chan's best from this era)

Fantasy/Wire Fu/Jet Li:
Tai Chi Master (Twin Warriors)
Kung Fu Cult Master
Legend of Zu Mountain
Once Upon a Time in China 1 and 2
Bride With White Hair
Burning Paradise
My Father the Hero

Jackie Chan:
Police Story 1 and 2
Project A
Armour of God 1 and 2 (2 is Operation Condor)
Dragons Forever
Wheels on Meals
Rumble in the Bronx
First Strike


AND also from my fave director Tsui Hark (who did OUTIC) Time and Tide; and Blade

ENJOY!

-dan/TRS

[bredrenisedp]

Good selection sir... good selection indeed!

Although where is the love for New Police Story, Hero and the Hustle of kung fu variety?

[peety]

Thanks danny!

really wanted to get some good films to get from netflix. really love jet li and jackie chan but i really havent wondered from them. Which would you recommend for a kung fu (gung fu?) noobie.

[scoobydiesel]

I think im going to have to netflix some movies on this list

[nextgenxbox]

Sweet. I'll be sure to check some of those out!

[heyseuss]

The Prodigal Son people !!!! Epic.


Good call on Jackie Chan's Young Master Dan, don't forget Project A 2, as well. A good really, -really- old Jackie is, Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu.

If you really like the fantasy fu, A Chinese Ghost Story, the series, gets better as you go through them, III being the best I think.

[dannyt]

The Prodigal Son has the most Wing Chun used-- which is the kung fu steve, alex and I all trained...

[heyseuss]

The Prodigal Son has the most Wing Chun used-- which is the kung fu steve, alex and I all trained...

I know, know, know and know. I've kept up with the Joneses. We talked about that before at Jeffs show, still makes me wonder about your crane stance though...... you look like you're being 'flown' on wire. If there was a green screen plate of trees passing by in the background with you stuck in there, it would look like a 'crouching tiger' screen test.

Also, you and alex, past tense, steve, present tense. Get yer gi on daniel, c'mon, it's been too long.

[MaxTheSilent]

Good call on BURNING PARADISE, Danny. It's kick-ass movie that's still totally under-rated in the realms of classic HK action from that period. Maybe because it has no stars in it, and it's Ringo Lam's only (as far as I know) entry into the 'wu xia' genre. It was also a major bomb, which a hell of a lot of great HK movies were at the time.

Imagine a period martial arts TEMPLE OF DOOM, but waaaay more violent and disturbing.



And if we're talking kung-fu, I'd like to know if anyone else is as thrilled as I am that Wong Kar-Wai's long-discussed redux of ASHES OF TIME will finally screen at Cannes.

I think it's fair to say that ASHES OF TIME is Wong's most challenging movie. It has probably the greatest cast ever assembled for a HK movie, breathtaking cinematography by Christopher Doyle and ground-breaking action choreography by Sammo Hung. But the film itself is utterly incomprehensible.

I can't wait for the reports to come out and find out how Wong has altered his difficult masterpiece.

[diane]

Thanks Dan!

[dannyt]

Good call on BURNING PARADISE, Danny. It's kick-ass movie that's still totally under-rated in the realms of classic HK action from that period. Maybe because it has no stars in it, and it's Ringo Lam's only (as far as I know) entry into the 'wu xia' genre. It was also a major bomb, which a hell of a lot of great HK movies were at the time.

Imagine a period martial arts TEMPLE OF DOOM, but waaaay more violent and disturbing.



And if we're talking kung-fu, I'd like to know if anyone else is as thrilled as I am that Wong Kar-Wai's long-discussed redux of ASHES OF TIME will finally screen at Cannes.

I think it's fair to say that ASHES OF TIME is Wong's most challenging movie. It has probably the greatest cast ever assembled for a HK movie, breathtaking cinematography by Christopher Doyle and ground-breaking action choreography by Sammo Hung. But the film itself is utterly incomprehensible.

I can't wait for the reports to come out and find out how Wong has altered his difficult masterpiece.

I was very close to putting ashes on the list but I really only love the cinematography...it's a hard one to actually get through...

[rabidbadger]

I know you are talkin movies here, but maybe you are too young to remember the main reason kung fu (http://www.kungfu-guide.com/) became known in the US at all..


and it's later "fad" repercussions...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJQu97_Xwiw

http://www.johnrozum.com/images/hongkongphooey.jpg

[njshadow]

-The Game of Death (Bruce Lee)
-Kung-Fu Hustle
-The Protector
-Oldboy
-Kung Pow - Enter The Fist
-Kiss of The Dragon

I've yet to see "Hero" but I've heard REALLY good things about it.

[heyseuss]

I've yet to see "Hero" but I've heard REALLY good things about it.

You're lucky, you're in for a treat. Have you seen, House Of Flying Daggers ?

[decepticon]

A kick ass list danny! Added a lot of those to my Netflix queue to check out.

[MaxTheSilent]

Another great under-rated movie is WHAT PRICE SURVIVAL? (NEW ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN '94)

Despite it's a clunky title it's a fantastic modern wu xia that did kick off my life-long crush on Charlie Yeung.

[bruce-leroy]

(my personal fave) Chinese Super Ninjas, aka 5 element ninjas


My brother from another mother....! Also my (sentimental) favorite HK flick.

[scootman]

-The Game of Death (Bruce Lee)
-Kung-Fu Hustle
-The Protector
-Oldboy
-Kung Pow - Enter The Fist
-Kiss of The Dragon

I've yet to see "Hero" but I've heard REALLY good things about it.

hey your the first person outside my friends who liked that movie lol. all those titles were great. some of my faves are basically jackie chan movies and other ones. anyone here ever seen Dragon Tiger Gate?

[bruce-leroy]

I'll represent the new school, since the old school has been taken care of.

Here's a trailer for Arahan, which is totally rad. It's got a geeky, super-hero vibe. Really feels like it was adapted from a comic book. And it's really funny:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Qp0k4928wE

Recent movie with a similar comic-book vibe from HK, Dragon Tiger Gate. Trailer, ho:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=elFWfKy0zug

For general badassery, the best HK movie in years is SPL, aka Killzone. Trailerage:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lvpXsqLxwjM

And a similar movie from Korea, City of Violence.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ukd01o59bLU

[jasonpoon]

You're lucky, you're in for a treat. Have you seen, House Of Flying Daggers ?

I won't say House of Flying Daggers is a Kung Fu movie...though it's a beautiful movie.

anyone here ever seen Dragon Tiger Gate?

Great fighting scene (love the fight in the restaurant), stupid plot...and the hair style of comic character didn't work for a real live action movie...


There's a new Thai kung fu movie named Chocolate, Jeeja is the female version of Tony Jaa. I haven't seen such a great female action film for a long time. She maybe the most kickass female action star on earth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axf_EXzF_qM

[bruce-leroy]

Chocolate looks awesome! Did you see it at the movies or is it out on DVD already?

[jasonpoon]

Chocolate looks awesome! Did you see it at the movies or is it out on DVD already?

It's in Hong Kong theatre now (Thai release date: 2008 February), I don't think you guys can get it on DVD in these few months...

[giggleloop]

Hey Dan - have you seen the Heroic Trio, and its sequel Executioners? Those were two movies that I fell in love with back when I lived in Florida and had the video store nearby that rented porn and bootlegged Asian movies. :) Also, I freaking love Michelle Yeoh, she kicks ass. :)

Oh, and what about Tony Jaa's movies (whose names escape me at the moment)? What's your opinion of him? (Sorry if this is all old news, but I'm new to TRS)

[dannyt]

I have seen Heroic Trio but wasn't into it-- a bit too much wires for me...

[MaxTheSilent]

HEROIC TRIO is great only for the three iconic lead actresses. But the movie (and especially its sequel) is so violent and vicious, I couldn't recommend it to kids.

And for Danny, check this out. Its the teaser for Tsui Hark's new film MISSING: http://video.sina.com.cn/ent/m/c/2008-04-23/040614316.shtml

Looks pretty creepy. He's clearly in 'commercial film' mode, but it's cool to see him do a contemporary thriller. And it's nice to see a modern HK movie that isn't about Triads or toilet humour.

And as a Tsui Hark fan what did you think of SEVEN SWORDS? I could barely get through it, it's that incoherent. You can absolutely tell it's had about 90 minutes chopped out of it.

Maybe he'll get to restore it some day.

[bruce-leroy]

Heroic Trio had too many wires for me and I like wire-fu.

I did not make it through Seven Swords. Took the DVD out after about 45 minutes.

[puddlefish]

Didn't think much of Hero myself...

But I LOVE Bride With White Hair (and the sequels not bad either).

What about Encounters of the Spooky Kind?
That hoping vampire cracks me up every time!

[MaxTheSilent]

Speaking for the general disdain for wire-fu (or perhaps just its over-use) I have to say that my favourite martial arts director has always been Sammo Hung.

No martial artist will ever look better than when they're directed by Sammo. His choreography is fast and brutal, and his camera-work (penchant for cheesy slow-mo notwithstanding) is always dynamic and innovative.

Not to take anything away from Yuen Woo Ping, Ching Siu-Tung, Yuen Kwai or even Jackie Chan. But for sheer martial arts fighting I'll take EASTERN CONDORS, SHANGHAI EXPRESS and DRAGONS FOREVER over almost anything the others have done.

[bruce-leroy]

That Monkey Staff kung fu at the end of Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind was badass, but the rest of the movie I could have done without. Those Old School movies always put you through an endurance test before the super awesome end fight.

[MaxTheSilent]

Yeah, Sammo's movie tend to be over-long and have a recurring theme of blatant misogyny, but when it comes to the fighting nobody can touch him.

Just watch the simultaneous multiple fights at the end of EASTERN CONDORS to witness Sammo the director and the martial artist at the very top of his game. He's never looked better or moved faster than in that movie.