“King Kong vs Godzilla” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Now that Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Kong: Skull Island (reboot of the King Kong franchise) and Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla have done their damage at the box office, Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. are in full swing with Godzilla vs. Kong, a mash-up of the two aforementioned titles.
According to THR, Adam Wingard (director of Netflix’ upcoming Death Note), who made a name for himself with low-budget horror thrillers such as You’re Next and The Guest, has closed a deal to helm Godzilla vs. Kong.
Godzilla vs. Kong is scheduled to be released May 22, 2020. We’ll keep you posted on its developments. Until then, we leave you with the trailer for 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla.
“Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit” Chinese DVD Cover
AKA: Mad Mission 5 Director: Lau Kar-leung Cast: Samuel Hui Koon-kit , Karl Maka, Leslie Cheung, Nina Li Chi, Conan Lee, Billy Chong, Maria Cordero, Ha Chi Jan, Mark Houghton, Walter Tso Running Time: 102 min.
By Paul Bramhall
There’s a distinct feeling with the fifth instalment of the Aces Go Places series, that the producers were trying to aim for as broad an audience as possible. Of course fans of the series would welcome another entry, especially after Eric Tsang, the director of the original and its sequel, unsuccessfully attempted a crossover with the Lucky Stars series in 1986’s Lucky Stars Go Places. While that movie did give us Sammo Hung, it came minus the main star of Aces Go Places, with the notable absence of Sam Hui. For the fifth entry (technically sixth), Hui is back, however this time you also have Lau Kar Leung in the director’s chair, guaranteed to bring in the kung fu movie fan base, and Hong Kong megastar Leslie Cheung thrown into the mix as well, here at the height of his popularity.
The decision to put Kar Leung in the director’s chair was an interesting one, as all of the previous entries in the series had been sold upon the promise of comedy and increasingly elaborate stunts. The third and fourth instalments were directed by Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam respectively, made at a time when both directors were coming into their own. Kar Leung on the other hand was quite the opposite, being an established Shaw Brothers director, now trying to find his way without the studio. What it certainly did mean though, is that we could expect less of the stunt work, and a shift in focus to an increase in fight scenes.
For anyone not familiar, the Aces Go Places series focuses on the comedic exploits of Sam Hui, who plays a kung fu expert master thief, and Karl Maka, who plays his bumbling detective sidekick. Billed as parodies of the James Bond series, the third instalment even featured Richard Kiel, who played Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, and Sean Connery lookalike Jean Mersant in the role of 007 himself. The first Aces Go Places was released in 1982, with sequels released in ’83, ’84, and ’86. The Terracotta Hit marked the longest period that fans had to wait for a new helping of Hui and Maka’s shenanigans. However despite Hui’s return, cast regular Sylvia Chang, who played Maka’s long suffering wife, is missing, explained in the movie as having immigrated to Canada with their son. It’s worth mentioning that The Terracotta Hit would be the last in the series, notwithstanding a poorly received reboot, with Chin Ka Lok’s 97 Aces Go Places, that attempted to replace Hui and Maka with Alan Tam and Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
After directing Jet Li in the Mainland wushu epic Martial Arts of Shaolin in 1986, Lau Kar Leung would try several attempts at directing modern day action, first of all with Tiger on the Beat in 1988, and The Terracotta Hit would follow a year later. Several cast members from Tiger on the Beat return here, notably Nina Li Chi and Conan Lee. After the treatment Li Chi suffers in Tiger on the Beat, senselessly beaten at the hands of Chow Yun Fat, it’s a surprise that she agreed to star in another Lau Kar Leung movie just a year later. However perhaps it has something to do with the fact that she met her husband to be, the previously mentioned Jet Li, on the set of Dragon Fight during the same year. I like to think that Li told her he’d beat seven bells out of Kar Leung if she had to suffer such a scene again. He probably didn’t though.
The inclusion of Conan Lee is also a curious one (his character is hilariously called ‘Chinese Rambo’), as despite his reputation of being extremely arrogant and difficult to work with, Kar Leung worked with him more than any other director. The two would team up again the following year, for a sequel to Tiger on the Beat, in which he famously falls from the top of a streetlight in a stunt gone wrong. For the kung fu fans out there, the cast also includes Billy Chong as a nameless thug in his last Hong Kong movie appearance (a whole 6 years after A Fistful of Talons, so his appearance is random to say the least), Melvin Wong as a villainous thief, wushu champion Lu Yan (she was one of the Beijing Wushu Team that performed on the White House lawns for Nixon, along with Jet Li), and a who’s who of gweilos, including Mark Houghton, Bruce Fontaine, and Wayne Archer.
The plot itself sees Hui and Maka down on their luck, disowned by the police and living separate lives. Leslie Cheung and Nina Li Chi, playing sibling burglars, partially intercept a villainous groups attempt to steal the terracotta warriors, and to ensure the cops are thrown off the trail, they disguise themselves to look like Hui and Maka, framing them for a crime they didn’t commit. Ending up in possession of the Chinese Excalibur (seriously), events culminate in both the ‘old Aces’ (Hui and Maka) and the ‘new Aces’ (Cheung and Li Chi) being hired by the Chinese government to retrieve the stolen warriors, and return them to China.
The tone of The Terracotta Hit tends to veer a little all over the place. At times it goes for out and out comedy, particularly with the introduction of the main villain – a foreign devil played by Brad Kerner who is constantly seen stroking a white cat, until it’s revealed to actually be a hand puppet (which he never takes off!) However when our four Aces see themselves thrown into a prison on the Mainland, which is basically a death camp, the comedy simply doesn’t work in such oppressive surroundings, which includes Danny Lee in a bizarre cameo as a prisoner about to fulfil his death sentence. When it does work though, it’s on point, such as Sam’s office/living area, which contains a wrestling ring as a bed and a phone made out of Lego, oh, and of course – Chinese Rambo.
As expected, the vehicular stunt mayhem that was so prevalent in the earlier instalments is missing from the Aces Go Places swansong, instead relying on the physical talents of its cast. For the most part, the action delivers, and comes frequently enough to remain entertained. When Conan Lee initially visits Hui in his office, believing him to be behind the theft of the warriors, the two engage in a Jackie Chan style sequence of Hui attempting to weave in and out the various nooks and crannies of the area, with Lee in hot pursuit. There’s some nice falls involved, with Hui being sent crashing through every table available, and the whole place ending up completely trashed. In another, Lu Yan challenges the four Aces in a restaurant that, if they can beat her using western fencing against her Chinese sword, they don’t have to help the Chinese authorities, which leads into a playful but well-choreographed four-on-one east vs west sword dual.
The action is choreographed by Kar Leung’s brother, Lau Kar Wing, well known for his roles and action choreography alongside Sammo Hung in such classics as Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog and The Odd Couple, and while none of the leads are real martial artists, he does a fantastic job. Of course in saying that, just about all of the villains who have been cast are martial artists, or are at least well known for their screen fighting prowess, so when events build up to a finale that sees everyone converge in a warehouse storing the stolen warriors, Kar Wing delivers. The scene unfolds as a large group melee, with the added comedy of numerous warriors actually being villains in disguise.
Amongst the chaos, it’s Hui that looks the most legit, going toe-to-toe with both Billy Chong and Mark Houghton, before ending up armed with a Wing Chun Butterfly Sword in one hand, and a pair of nunchucks in the other. His performance could almost be considered a warm up for his role in The Dragon from Russia made the following year. There’s also a certain influence of the finale from Dragons Forever, released a year earlier, with stuntmen delivering some painful falls from elevated platforms to the ground below. Maka, Cheung, and Li Chi also get their licks in, with Li Chi’s retrieval of the sword resulting in one of the laugh out loud moments of the movie.
Despite the strength of the fight action, by the end it’s understandable why it would become the last in the series. The chemistry from the earlier movies isn’t quite there, Cheung and Li Chi are welcome additions, but again don’t really feel like they belong in an Aces Go Places movie, and Lau Kar Leung proves once more that he wasn’t best suited to modern day action comedies. As a time capsule of 1989 Hong Kong though, it has undeniable nostalgia value, back in the days when the Mainland was treated as one large mass of country bumpkins. Ironically, scenes that are played for comedy here, such as Conan Lee accidentally revealing a full back tattoo declaring his love for China, would have comparatively similar scenes played completely poker faced 25 years later in the likes of Wolf Warrior. A sign of changing times, but if you’re after a slice of unpretentious 80’s HK action comedy hijinks, you can certainly do a lot worse than The Terracotta Hit.
Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray Double Feature for 1980′s Battle Creek Brawl (aka The Big Brawl) & 1993′s City Hunter.
Battle Creek Brawl is noteworthy for not only being directed by Robert Clouse (Enter the Dragon), but for also being Jackie Chan’s first English-language attempt at making a name for himself in America. Based on the famous Manga of the same name,
Wong Jing’s City Hunter is practically a campy “Die Hard on a Cruise Ship,” which also contains the famous Street Fighter parody.
Director: Wong Chung Cast: Eric Tsang, Shawn Yue, Elaine Jin, Charmaine Fong, Yvan Chan Hok-Man, Ng Siu-Hin Running Time: 101 min.
By Martin Sandison
The name Eric Tsang conjures up images of Golden Harvest comedies like My Lucky Stars (I’ll never forget the button mushroom joke) or his magnificent turn as gang boss Hon Sam in Infernal Affairs and it sequel. A seasoned veteran of Hong Kong cinema, even directing martial arts movies (he helmed two of the very best, The Loot and the Challenger), Mad World sees him tackle a very different character, and a very different style of movie. This heart-wrenching drama, which has experienced great success commercially and critically (it won best film at the Osaka Film Festival this year), pushes all the right buttons. It manages to shed light on the taboo subject of mental illness in a very human way, while maintaining a platform for superb performances by the two leads.
Tung (Shawn Yue), a stockbroker diagnosed with bipolar disorder, has been discharged from hospital and goes to stay with his estranged father (Eric Tsang), a truck driver who lives very frugally. The movie flashes back at times to Tung, looking after his mother (Elaine Jin), who was also bipolar; Additionally, Tung has to deal with the reconciliation with his ex-wife (Charmaine Fong). The main thrust of the narrative is the relationship between father and son, not to mention the challenges and stigmas they encounter along the way.
Mad World is the feature film debut of Wong Chung, who had directed a segment of the Tsang-produced Streets of Macau anthology. This film is an anomaly of a Hong Kong film; a very heavy drama that doesn’t rely on action or CGI, but the weight of its subject matter, as well as the three magnificent performances from Tsang, Yue and Jin. Everyone involved in making the film, especially Tsang, were worried about its production. For Tsang, to take on such a heavy project was risky business, and the same goes for Yu, who is known for his genre film roles.
Mad World’s script, which was written by Wong and Florence Chan, was what convinced all the actors to work on the film. They both researched the project meticulously, talking to families who had experienced bipolar disorder and even truck drivers. The screenplay is very lean screenplay with no superfluous scenes; it’s near-perfect for the subject matter. Both Wong and Chan are influenced by the Hong Kong new wave films, which addressed social issues and subverted genre in a game-changing way – Jacob Cheung’s 1992 Hong Kong film, Cageman, was also a reference point. The knowledge and reverence these two young talents have for the history and relevance of Hong Kong cinema shines when watching the film.
Tsang knew the movie would lend itself to critical appraisal and come award season, he has been proven right: Tsang ended up winning Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Horse and Hong Kong Film Awards, as did Elaine Jin. Yue has been nominated for numerous awards, and Wong Chun won a Golden Horse for Best Director and the award for Best New Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
What makes this film so successful is its approach; one that is so sensitive to the depiction of mental illness and poverty that you can’t come away and not be affected by it. Most people in their lives will experience mental illness, be it themselves, or family and friends. This movie stands tall and proclaims that these people need to be treated with care and respect, and not dismissed as merely “crazy.” Director Wong has indicated that in a culture, such as Hong Kong’s, which is so fast and at times impersonal the general public don’t take the time to understand this. Personally, I feel lucky to live in a society like the UK wherein the treatment and understanding of mental illness is recognised as important, and there are numerous charities that do unbelievable work for those who are vulnerable.
Some of the scenes between Tsang and Yue are so powerful that I was moved to tears. One of them, near the beginning of the film – with Tsang owning up to his weakness as a fathe – is incredibly emotionally honest. The character arc of both is magnificently drawn, with Tsang coming to understand bipolar disorder and experiencing both positivity and negativity from the people around him. Yue depicts the manic phases and extreme emotions of Tung brilliantly, as he so desperately wants to reintegrate in to society but is crippled by the illness. One scene shows him appearing at a friends wedding and very bravely making a speech wherein he talks about it, something that can empower sufferers to come forward. It’s the kind of scene that makes you remember the power of cinema.
While the low budget of the production hinders aspects of the film, such as style (Mad World was shot for $2 million HK dollars in 16 days), its depth of themes and characters means it will stay long in the hearts and minds of viewers. I, for one, am very glad Tsang decided to make the film, and kudos to the bravery of all the filmmakers, as they have captured modern societal problems in a truthful and beautifully sad way. Mad World will be released in the West soon, and I will watch it again.
On July 4, 2017, Well Go USA will be releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for Bitcoin Heist (aka Sieu Trom), a Vietnamese action film directed by Ham Tran (Hollow), who is perhaps best known for his editing work on the martial arts gems, The Rebel and Clash.
In Bitcoin Heist, hackers have become the bank robbers in the new world of crypto-currency. In order to catch the most wanted hacker, The Ghost , an Interpol special agent assembles a team of thieves to plan the ultimate heist. But as any good criminal knows, there is no honor among thieves.
Bitcoin Heist stars Kate Nhung (Sut), Thanh Pham (She’s the Boss), Petey Majik Nguyen (The Lost Dragon), Suboi, Jayvee Mai The Hiep (Sword of the Assassin), Lam Thanh My (How to Fight in Six Inch Heels), Veronica Ngo (House in the Alley) and Teo Yoo (Codename: Jackal).
AKA: Rocky’s Love Affairs Director: Choi Young-chul Cast: Michael Chan Wai-Man, Casanova Wong, Andy Chworowsky, Chae Eun-hui, Eagle Han Ying, Park Yun-geun, John Ladalski, Mabel Kwong Mei-Bo Running Time: 90 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Let’s just get it out of the way upfront – City Ninja is such a muddled production, the very prospect of reviewing it and providing some kind of background of how it came to be is an intimidating one. Almost every source available presents small variances on the backstory, however having now watched it, the one that seems to make the most sense goes like this – in 1983 director Choi Young-chul make a Korean action movie by the name of Hwa-ya, that featured Casanova Wong and imported Hong Kong star Chan Wai-Man. In this version, Wai-Man is the bad guy and ultimately dies in the finale.
This is where it gets confusing. A couple of years later, a source that was most likely Godfrey Ho decided to re-jig it, notably not for an overseas audience as he did with so many Korean productions, but for a local HK audience. The reason I say Godfrey Ho is that, despite his name not being directly mentioned on the likes of either the Hong Kong or Korean Movie Database, the editing style has his name all over it, and although not a significant detail in the movie itself, the inclusion of gweilo actor Andy Chworowsky. Chwowosky featured in 3 movies in 1985, and the only one that doesn’t implicitly state Ho’s name as the director is this one. I’d assumed the co-director listed on hkmdb, one Yeung Chun-Bong, must for sure be one of Ho’s many aliases, however Chun-Bong does have one other movie to his name as a director called Searching for Love, which was released in 1986. So, is he the real deal or not? I have a feeling we’ll never know.
There is of course, one other major factor that indicate the involvement of Godfrey Ho, and that comes in the form of ninjas. City Ninja, despite not quite being geographically accurate, does at least half deliver on its promise in the form of ninjas aplenty. One source states that Casanova Wong filmed additional scenes once Hwa-ya was picked up for HK distribution, and there certainly seems to be some truth in this. There are moments when he appears bulkier than in his initial scenes, in which he cuts a slimmer figure, but again how much truth there is in this we’ll likely never know. Whatever the case, Hwa-ya was eventually re-jigged and released in Hong Kong under the new title of Rocky’s Love Affairs in 1985, and even made a profit, leading it to be dubbed into English and released to western audiences either under the alias of City Ninja or Ninja Holocaust.
All of the above elements of course usually add up to a horrendous unwatchable mess, but not the case for City Ninja (this is the title I watched it under, hence the review referring to this version), which somehow manages to be 90 minutes of pure entertainment from start to finish. A pre-credits sequence takes place in Hong Kong during World War II, in which a gweilo soldier is hunted down by ninjas that want to get their hands on a necklace in his possession. It turns out the necklace has a Swiss bank account access code carved into it, so those pesky Japanese want to get rich. Skip forward to modern day Hong Kong, and it’s revealed that half of the necklace is in HK, with the other half in Korea. Both Casanova Wong and Chan Wai Man, who play kickboxers, end up hired by gangsters in each of their countries to find the other half of the necklace. Oh, and there’s ninjas.
The logic of the plot falls apart the moment you give it more than 2 seconds thought, so the recommendation is not to. Instead, sit back and enjoy Casanova Wong and Chan Wai Man kicking ass and having sex for 90 minutes. Indeed, it seems City Ninja at least in part wants to be a saucy softcore romp, to the point that when it ended, I had a hard time remembering if either of them did anything apart from interchange between fight scenes and sex scenes for most of the duration. The excuse for all this is as illogical as everything else. Wai Man has a fiancé, but his sexually frustrated manager wants to use him to fulfil her desires, which he never objects to. At its most bizarre, the pair end up doing it against one of the padded corners of a boxing ring, to which they then smoothly transition to a rowing machine. Such imagination, and a whole 6 years before Sex and Zen!
Casanova Wong on the other hand ends up falling for the moll that was hired by the gangster he’s working for to basically seduce and make sure he agrees to do the job. Naturally, to complicate things, she also falls for him as well. Hilariously, these parallel plot lines unfolding in Hong Kong and Korea respectively, at one point result in both Wong and Wai Man being involved in sex scenes within 5 minutes of each other (note: I said ‘of each other’, not ‘with each other’). With that being said, the main actresses tend to keep their modesty through strategically placed limbs or camera angles, with only an overzealous Caucasian lady at a bar willing to expose everything, which she does via ripping all her clothes off once a victorious Chai Man enters with his entourage. Bizarre.
But let’s face it, nobody is checking into a title like City Ninja to see how good Wong and Wai Man are in bed (at least I assume they’re not), we’re here for the action, and in that regard, it delivers in spades. Despite the presence of Wai Man, the majority of the action beats fall to Casanova Wong, and to see him letting loose in that rare contemporary setting is a joy to behold. The audience doesn’t have to wait long to see him in action, when at just over 10 minutes he’s facing off against a man mountain of a Thai kickboxer in the ring, and from then opportunities for him to unleash come thick and fast. A standout is his assault on a pool bar, that puts Steven Seagal’s rampage in Out for Justice to shame, as he takes out a room full of thugs with lightning fast kicks, all the while having to avoid pool balls being shot at him by a kabuki makeup wearing Japanese villain. To top it off, the scene ends with him in a mud wrestling ring, what more could you ask for?
He also gets a rooftop fight scene against an imposing African American sniper, which predates the Donnie Yen versus Michael Woods scene in In the Line of Duty 4 by 4 (possibly 6) years, and I’d daresay with the way the fight concludes was possibly an influence on it. One point that Yen certainly has over Wong though, is that he didn’t perform the fight with the seam of his pants between the legs completely ripped, exposing bright red underwear underneath. Surprisingly it’s not the only fight scene involving underwear exposure, as when Wong and his girl (played by Chae Eun-hui) are confronted by numerous thugs, the pair engage in some nicely choreographed tandem fighting. Wong manipulates Eun-hui’s body to kick the living daylights out of the thugs, resulting in some gratuitous underwear flashing on Eun-hui’s part. While all of this may seem out of place in a kung fu flick, it’s important to remember how popular erotic cinema became in Korea during the 80’s, once the heavy censorship of the earlier decade has been removed.
The final 25 minutes of City Ninja are essentially one long action sequence, which have the wonderfully welcome surprise of Eagle Han Ying showing up as the main villain. Well, kind of main villain. Thanks again to the editing, Wai Man goes from good guy to bad guy with wafer thin explanation. When he finally boards a plane to Korea, he and Wong meet for the first time at the 1 hour mark, however with Wong’s girlfriend already kidnapped, the Korean is more preoccupied with getting her back (especially since she’s being tortured via being spun around on a big red platform, the horror!) than any necklace nonsense. What follows is Wong going on a 10 minute rampage against a small army of ninjas in a cemetery, before it segues into a two-on-one as he takes on both an empty handed Eagle Han Ying and katana wielding Park Yun-geun, which makes for a ferociously satisfying fight in a warehouse. Han Ying in particular looks as fast and sharp as he ever has here.
Then, like that, we have a randomly inserted sex scene with the gangster who hired Wai Man and his moll. In retrospect though, this scene appears to have been inserted in order to bridge the scene of Wong’s fight against Han Ying and Yun-geun, and the ultimate final fight against Wai Man, so in that regard, it’s forgivable. Why? Simply because watching Wong and Wai Man go at each other is worth the price of admission alone, as they launch a barrage of kicks against the other with an almost animal like ferocity. I wasn’t entirely convinced that they didn’t in fact want to kill each other. It’s a fantastically intense fight, from two of the most legitimate fighters to ever grace the screen, and it doesn’t disappoint. Except for, that is, one of the most infuriating freeze frame finishes to a fight I’ve ever seen. Actually I’m sure the fight was over, however the editing cuts it off at the worst place possible, which almost made me throw the remote at the screen. Again, this most likely is connected to the new ending the HK version was given, which doesn’t involve Wai Man dying.
Despite the above qualm, the sheer quality of the action (both in and out of the bedroom) makes it easy to recommend. Both Casanova Wong and Chan Wai Man look legitimately dangerous when they’re called on to fight, and that’s no easy feat when you’re in a kung fu movie and people can get hurt. The bizarreness of everything in-between only adds to its incoherent charm, from the Japanese villain balancing upside down with one hand on a pool table, while preparing to take a shot with the other, to the elaborate acrobatic displays the ninjas perform just to create a human seat for their master. City Ninja may have a generic title, but trust me when I say it’s not a term you could apply to any other aspect of it.
Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Ringo Lam’sSky on Fire(read our review) to three lucky City on Fire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment to this post and describe, in your own words, the video below.
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Sky on Firewill officially be released June 6th, 2017. We will announce the 3 winners on June 7th.
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When you think of the famous studios responsible for producing some of the most popular kung fu classics, some names that will likely spring to mind are Golden Harvest, Shaw Brothers, and Cathay, to name but a few. One name that certainly wouldn’t be near the top of anyone’s list, or even on it at all for that matter, is American cable channel HBO. However at the end of 2016, the networks Asian channel, suitably titled HBO Asia, announced they’d be airing a pair of new, exclusively made for HBO, kung fu movies. Both would focus on famous characters from Chinese history, ones that should need no introduction for fans of kung fu cinema. Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying tells a tale of Wong Fei-Hung’s father, and his battles to rid China of opium, while Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So, tells the origin story of the legendary Drunken Master.
“Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying” Promotional Poster
While neither tales are likely to break any new ground when it comes to kung fu movie storytelling, the decision for HBO Asia to make these movies at all most definitely is a ground breaking one. Naturally, the biggest question of all is – why? It’s no secret that China’s burgeoning middle class has boomed over the last 10 years, and with it, going to the cinema has come to be one of the countries favourite past times (often regardless of the movie in questions quality). In 2015 alone, China saw 22 new cinema screens opening daily. Daily! While the US continues to wrestle with rampant piracy of new movies, the willingness of Chinese audiences to visit the cinema, combined with a potential box office from a population of over 1 billion, has seen the Hollywood studios keen to ensure their productions have China-appeal.
However as much of a no-brainer as it is, making a movie that can be shown in China isn’t quite as simple as it sounds, with production companies using an increasing number of workarounds to ensure distribution. The most obvious one – China’s quota for foreign productions which can be shown, has largely been circumnavigated by Hollywood making its movies as Chinese co-productions. Throw in some China-specific content, and you’re good to be screened. Now you know why China saved the day in The Martian, and the reason behind the jaunt to Hong Kong in Transformers: Age of Extinction. Remember at the beginning of Looper how Joseph Gordon-Levitt is determined to move to Paris, but then the script simply drops it and has him re-locate to Shanghai instead? That’s because the productions Hollywood budget didn’t stretch to a shoot in France, so the Chinese co-producer stepped in and offered to pay for location shooting in Shanghai. A few script adjustments later, and China saves the day.
“Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So” Promotional Poster
Then you have the culturally (or more specifically, politically) sensitive issues to be mindful of. There were mass accusations of white-washing, when the Tibetan mystic from the Doctor Strange comics was changed to a Celtic woman (played by Tilda Swinton), for the movie. But really, look closer, and it’s easy to see that there was no way a production with a main character that’s both Tibetan, and a practitioner of the supernatural, would be shown on Chinese shores. With that much box office at stake, again, the decision to change things was a no-brainer. However, with a president that’s implemented a renewed push to make the Communist Party relevant again, Hollywood’s rush to please China could be about to come undone. In 2016 alone, in addition to the existing bans on such themes as the supernatural, now time travel, one-night stands, and even cleavage have been given the chop from being shown. Had Looper been made now, I guess there’d be no Chinese producers to step in.
In August of the same year, the national media regulator warned local news programs not to “express overt admiration for Western lifestyles”, and authorities have been actively discouraging broadcasters from adopting imported TV formats, such as The Voice of China. Throw in the governments closing down of both Walt Disney Co.’s movie streaming service and Apple’s, and it seems that the noose is tightening on Hollywood’s attempts to drink from China’s cash coated well. This background of course, makes it all the more interesting for HBO Asia to dip its toes into Chinese waters at such a time. While this may be the first time for the channel to deal specifically with the Chinese market, it’s not the first time they’ve dabbled in the Asian market, with their 2012 production Dead Mine aiming to capitalise on appealing to a pan-Asian demographic.
The movie, which starred Japanese actress Miki Mizuno, well known for her roles in the likes of the Hard Revenge Milly series and Sono Sion’s Guilty of Romance, and a fresh from starring in The Raid: Redemption Joe Taslim, was a complete bomb. Shot in English, the Indonesian productions attempt to throw Japanese, Indonesian, and Western actors together, for a tale of undead Samurai warriors in an abandoned Japanese bunker from World War II, simply didn’t mesh together. Undeterred however, HBO continued on with the Australia-Singapore co-produced TV series Serangoon Road, a 1960’s noir detective series set in Singapore and starring Joan Chen. Again, the series was shot entirely in English, and again, it bombed.
After a double-whammy of flops, HBO Asia Chief Executive Jonathan Spink readily acknowledged that, co-productions made with the intent of pleasing two completely different markets, simply don’t work. So it was time for a change of tactics, if it wasn’t possible to gain viewership by appealing to several different countries with one product, what country was capable of providing a high level of viewership as a single entity? Of course, the answer was simple – China. While HBO Asia is not widely heard of in China, let alone available (it’s mostly limited to high end hotels), the network revealed an ace up its sleeve by partnering with the China Movie Channel, which is, most significantly, a division of state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV). What that means for the average Chinese TV viewer is that they don’t need HBO Asia, as CCTV will handle local distribution, while HBO Asia can concentrate on marketing both movies across the rest of Asia.
The greater advantage for HBO Asia is that, by partnering with a state-run TV channel, anything they make has essentially already been given the stamp of approval for being shown before the cameras even start rolling. It’s a smart move for both HBO Asia and CCTV, and not the first time the pair have worked together. In the past CCTV has licensed and aired HBO TV movies, such as The Gathering Storm, however this is the first time that they’ve come together to co-produce content. With CCTV’s domestic audience of more than 1 billion, and HBO Asia’s presence across Asia, their partnership has the potential to be a powerful one. For HBO Asia specifically, the fact that CCTV is a state-run entity puts them in a strong position to stay on the good side of the Chinese authorities, and position themselves as distributors of Chinese culture to the world.
The impact of Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Tei-Ying and Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So has already exceeded the expectations of both HBO Asia and CCTV. Speaking in August 2016, senior vice president of new business at HBO Asia, Beibei Fan, had stated there were no plans to show the movies outside of HBO Asia, indicating that the Chinese audience figures alone were enough to justify making them. However as of January 2017, both became available in the US via iTunes and the usual platforms, thanks mainly to a small but dedicated western fan base of kung fu movies who had gotten wind of the productions, and began increasingly asking how they could be seen. Ironically, most of the interest from western shores focused on the involvement of veteran choreographer Corey Yuen, the director of the likes of Ninja in the Dragon’s Den and Yes, Madam! However Yuen’s involvement was only limited to that of executive producer.
Of course like any good marketing department knows, that didn’t stop the promotional posters made for a US audience plastering on top of them – ‘Executive Producer Corey Yuen (X-Men, Lethal Weapon 4 and The Expendables)’ – in a bid to draw in more viewers. Indeed the choice of movies from Yuen’s extensive filmography are indicative of just that, with HBO clearly aiming to draw in not only kung fu fans, but also more casual viewers with references to big budget Hollywood action movies and superhero flicks. Amusingly, it is perhaps the first time a production has referenced Lethal Weapon 4 as a selling point since the 2001 Billy Zane vehicle Invincible, which was, ironically, also a TV movie. Fifteen years prior, the long forgotten cash-in on The Matrix came with the proud tagline of – ‘Executive Produced by Mel Gibson And Jet Li’ – which, if I’m not mistaken, is not even grammatically correct.
The actual man in the director’s chair for both productions is Guo Jian-Yong, a former stuntman and action director in his own right. Yuen and Jian-Yong are well acquainted, with Jian-Yong playing a part in Yuen’s Mahjong Dragon as far back as 1997, as well as action directing on Yuen’s post-millennium efforts such as So Close and DOA: Dead or Alive. Jian-Yong seems well aware of his role as the man responsible for ensuring the movies deliver, with plans already announced that if they’re well received, HBO and CCTV would consider making further instalments. Beibei Fan explained that the approach for both productions was to look at them “almost like pilots”, with Spink further elaborating that the plan is not to be another US studio or network trying to fit into China, but rather the goal “is about taking great content out of China.”
Jian-Yong echoes Spink’s words in particular, explaining that “We have the endorsement of the HBO brand, but it has to be authentic Chinese if it’s going to work, it can’t be half-Western and half-Chinese or audiences will be confused.” True to his word, Jian-Yong has filled both movies with genuine martial artists and stunt performers, with likely the most recognizable face for most kung fu fans coming in the form of Chen Zhi-Hui. The only actor to be given prominent roles in both movies, Zhi-Hui can be recognized for his roles in the likes of Fearless, Ip Man, and Rise of the Legend, usually playing authoritative older figures or masters. This should come as good news to kung fu fans, as while most genres would frown upon made for TV fare, the kung fu genre has had as much action unfold on the small screen as it has the big, with the likes of channels such as TVB producing a large number of martial arts themed serials.
With both productions weighing in at a lean 90 minutes, I decided to watched them back to back, which after the flip of a coin saw Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So being viewed first, and Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying second. It’s the latter movie that caught my attention the most though, as while the plot of ridding China of opium has been covered countless times before, Wong Fei-Hung’s father Wong Kei-Ying has had surprisingly few screen appearances as a main character. Usually taking a back seat to his sons adventures, Kei-Ying has been notably played by Kong Yeung (Challenge of the Masters), Lam Kau (Drunken Master), Ti Lung (Drunken Master 2), and even Adam Cheng (Drunken Master 3). However as far as headlining a movie, the only time that springs to mind is when Donnie Yen stepped into his shoes for Yuen Woo-Ping’s 1993 classic Iron Monkey.
This time around, he’s played by newcomer Sun Hao-Ran. Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying is, as expected, far from ground-breaking, however what it does do is deliver a solid little kung fu movie, regardless of if it’ll likely be forgotten soon after watching. Hao-Ran is a capable lead, and in much the same way as when Jet Li played Wong Fei-Hung in the Once Upon a Time in China series, all he’s really called upon to do is to act suitably stoic and upstanding. What counts is that he does it well, and clearly has the moves to back it up. It’s easy to recall Fan’s words of how the productions should be treated as pilots when watching, however Jian-Yong looks to have made the most of the limited budget he was given to work with.
While the fights come frequently, there’s also a surprisingly high level of violence on display, including a decapitated arm, and a throat being cut with a Chang Cheh level of blood splatter. These, and several other instances of bloodletting, play their part to ensure proceedings never feel too much like, well, a HBO TV movie. Jian-Yong also seems to be a fan of old school kung fu movies himself, with the villains Peking opera mask an obvious nod to The Five Venoms, and the revelation that an old master has stitched a secret kung fu manual under his skin (and the subsequent gory procedure to remove it) recalling a similar scene in Shaolin: The Blood Mission.
The fights themselves are well paced, and flow at a nice speed with no signs of undercranking, although purists will no doubt bawk at some of the wire assisted moves. The finale in particular sees inspiration being drawn from Fearless, as Hao-ran has to face off against a Muay Thai fighter, a fencer, and the villain himself. What makes the fights work so well is what’s at stake, with Hao-ran’s acquaintance, aunt, and son (Wong Fei-Hung himself, who does nothing but whine incessantly for the whole movie) all captured by the villains. During the round with the Muay Thai fighter, for each of Hao-ran’s limbs that touches the ground, the corresponding limb of his tied up acquaintance is broken. During the round with the fencer, for every part of Hao-ran’s clothing that gets sliced, the corresponding piece is ripped off from his aunt, resulting in a kind of bizarre game of strip kung fu.
The setup results in a welcome sense of immediacy, and perhaps thanks to the grittier and more bloody version of Wong Fei-Hung that was recently presented in 2014’s Rise of the Legend, the fights finish on a suitably brutal note. It surprises me that I actually enjoyed Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying more than I did Rise of the Legend, despite, in terms of production values at least, Roy Chow’s movie being superior in every way. In an attempt to make Wong Fei-Hung relevant for a modern audience though, for me Rise of the Legend sacrificed too much of what makes Wong Fei-Hung the enduring character that he is, and perhaps more specifically, what he stands for. Here there’s a balance, with Wong Kei-Ying still being the impeccably upright character we know Wong Fei-Hung will become, but when it comes to facing off against the bad guys, he also knows when it’s time to show no mercy.
It’s interesting then, that the elements that make Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying work, are somehow almost entirely absent from Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So. As a movie, it seems to be aware of how easily it could stand in the shadow of 2010’s True Legend, however does nothing to differentiate itself from such inevitable comparisons. The titular character of Beggar So, a character played by everyone from Simon Yuen to Donnie Yen to Vincent Zhao, here has his shoes (or should that be bottle of wine?) filled by another newcomer in the form of Jun Cao. However Jian-Yong seems to struggle to do anything beyond creating a simpler, less ambitious, retelling of Beggar So’s origins, compared to what audiences have already seen in True Legend.
The long hair and spinning on your back breakdancing move are both present and accounted for, however instead of battling Gordon Liu and Jay Chou on a mountain in an alcohol fuelled dream, Cao has an outer-body experience (after being hit by lightning), and drunkenly staggers around with CGI water drops. It all seems very derivative of what we’ve seen before, only on a smaller budget and with more pedestrian direction. Short of simply writing off Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So as a poor man’s version of True Legend, the production also has plenty of its own issues to contend with. While the TV format sees a much less devastating event than his family’s death lead to Cao’s inebriated state, the aftermath, and lack of any interesting supporting characters, sees a disproportionate amount of the run time dedicated to watching him wallow in his own misery.
This is likely due more to the script and direction than Cao’s performance, who at times resembles the spitting image of a Story of Ricky era Fan Siu-Wong, however that doesn’t make it any more tolerable to sit through. The training sequences also feel like a miss, as despite being surrounded by several props, apart from a brief scene of balancing on bamboo poles, Cao’s entire regime seems to consist of staggering around in an open space performing drunken boxing. Training scenes are a grand tradition in any old school kung fu movie, and allow the action directors to get creative regardless of how little the budget they’re working with is. So to see none of the props in plain sight get utilised, in favour of endless scenes of drunken forms, seems like a missed opportunity.
While Cao does eventually get to use his drunken boxing skills against an evil eunuch, it all comes a little too late, and ultimately feels underwhelming. The fight scenes in Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying may not be a significant improvement, however they come at frequent intervals, which allows proceedings to maintain a steady pace and keep the viewers interest. That sense of pacing isn’t there with Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So, with far too much time spent with a character, who most will already be family with, feeling sorry for himself, and not enough on the business of people beating each other up.
The contrast in both movies, despite them being unmistakably made for TV, is a noticeable one – with Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying being an example of how to keep a TV movie interesting, despite an unremarkable story and archetypal characters, and Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So suffering all the pit falls that one would expect from such a production. For western audiences in particular, it’s difficult to imagine coughing up the money for both features if Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So is the one chosen to be watched first. Back over in Asia however, as Beibei Fan pointed out, the viewers in China alone, who can watch them for free, are more than enough to justify the cost of making them, so the western market is really just an afterthought.
Most likely HBO Asia’s decision to appeal specifically to the Chinese market is something we’ll be seeing more and more of in future. When Jackie Chan picked up his honorary Oscar in November 2016, he recalled that when he first went to Hollywood to make Battlecreek Brawl, nobody cared for his opinions or wanted to listen to his ideas. But he went on to explain that “Today, they ask me what Chinese people like to see. They need to consider every aspect of China because China has gotten strong, and China’s film industry has gotten strong.” While not everyone may agree, it’s arguably true, and if that means that HBO get to make more kung fu movies on a higher budget and with more time to film, then it’s definitely not a bad thing. Maybe a few years from now we’ll have Master of the Chain Punch: Ip Man and Master of the Iron Skin Technique: Fong Sai-Yuk.
Time will tell, but until then, it’ll be interesting to see if other networks decide to follow the same route of abandoning appeal-to-all co-productions, and instead choose to focus specifically on the Chinese audience. Netflix already abandoned its attempts to launch in China at the end of 2016, due to the government regulations over foreign digital content simply being too strict to overcome, so it seems like a very real possibility. However not every filmmaker is as enthusiastic about working under such restrictive conditions, a sentiment reflected in comments made by Troma Entertainment President Lloyd Kaufman, during a panel discussion held during the Chinese American Film Festival last year. “How are you going to learn from American producers if we have to conform to a system controlled by bureaucrats from the top down?” said Kaufman, indicating that we’re likely not going to get a Chinese version of The Toxic Avenger anytime soon.
Whatever the future may hold, HBO will be remembered as the first network to boldly branch out into Chinese territories, and there are certainly far worse ways to do so than with a couple of kung fu movies. Jian-Yong himself seems to understand the universal appeal of the genre, insisting that he wanted all of the action and stunts to be performed by the actors with no CGI or special effects, adding that “audiences across all cultures can appreciate that.” Indeed, I doubt there’ll be many people reading this article who’d disagree.
Updates: Making good on their promise to produce more kung fu, it’s been reported that the vice president of the China Movie Channel, Zhang Ling, has confirmed they’ll be making 2 more movies with HBO.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter shortly before the China Night Party took place as part of the Cannes Film Festival, Ling had this to say – “We were very pleased with how our first collaboration turned out, so we are very happy to be partnering with HBO on two more high-quality TV movies that celebrate Chinese culture and history.” While no further details were provided, based on Beibei Fan’s comments from 2016, expectations are that once again each movie will be a stand-alone story of a martial arts hero from Chinese history.
As we hear more, we’ll be sure to keep you updated!
Director: Cy Enfield Cast: George Lazenby, Ben Caruthers, Robin Hunter, Edward Judd, Alan Barnes, Cy Enfield, Germaine Greer, Rudolph Walker, Chrissie Townson, Guy Deghy Running Time: 94 min.
By Jeff Bona
While promoting 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, model-turned-actor, George Lazenby, the film’s “New James Bond” star, was literally a signature away from playing Bond again, until his then-manager, Ronan O’Rahilly, convinced him not to take the deal: “Bond is [Sean] Connery’s gig,” O’Rahilly told Lazenby. “Make one and get out.” Lazenby listened, only to admit later that he had taken bad advice: “Yes, I turned down doing another [Bond] film… It was hippie time and getting laid in a suit was difficult. You had to have long hair and bell bottoms. It was the time of Easy Rider. Bond was part of the establishment.” (*)
Ultimately, Lazenby turned down a six picture/$1 million upfront deal to return as 007 (Connery ended up coming back for 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever) and instead decided to downgrade his newfound acting career by taking a lead role in Universal Soldier, a low budget, art-house drama directed by Cy Enfield (Zulu).
Universal Soldier was everything a Bond production wasn’t: Low on action, slow-paced and contrary to the cutting edge camera work of a Bond flick, it was shot guerilla-style, using the fly-on-the-wall approach – an unconventional method similar to what was applied to Easy Rider, which was the type of film Lazenby desired to be a part of.
Additionally, Lazenby’s clean cut, tailored-suit appearance was replaced with shaggy long hair, an extreme pornstache, bell-bottoms, and a black leather trench coat; also gone was the cool cigarette dangling from his mouth, which was swapped with wacky tobacky (one scene shows him inhaling smoke through an actual gun; a “golden gun” no less – see alternative VHS artwork).
In the film, Lazenby is Ryker, a mercenary soldier/weapons expert who takes part in a scheme to overthrow an African dictator. To do the job, he reunites with some former associates – Jesse (Ben Carruthers), Freddy (Robin Hunter) and Temple (Alan Barnes) – and together they plan their strategy, which mostly involves the testing and shipment of military-grade firearms. In the process, Ryker, who suffers from a slight case of shell shock, has a change of heart and begins to question his morality, which intensifies even more when he falls for a young woman (Chrissie Townson, who would later become Lazenby’s real-life, first wife).
Despite the film being incoherent with no real sense of direction or solid plot line, Universal Soldier is an interesting viewing, but for all the wrong reasons. To put it simply, it’s Lazenby’s post-Bond involvement that gives the movie a certain appeal, especially in the context of these points: Lazenby became Bond by luck; Lazenby was an exceptional Bond; Lazenby was Bond in a great Bond movie; Lastly, Lazenby voluntarily gave up playing Bond ever again so he can sport long hair, smoke grass, partake in hippie sex orgies and star in an Easy Rider-wannabe that most-likely paid chunk change compared to the goldmine he would have received from the Bond franchise. Definitely not Lazenby’s wisest choice, but you have to respect the guy’s honorable decision. Obviously, the Age of Aquarius was more important to him than money.
In spite of what you’d expect from the film’s title, there is hardly any action going on, other than some weapon testing scenes, a brief car chase and a short fight sequence. The lack of action didn’t stop the producers from marketing it as an “action movie” (see poster), which may have played a part to why it bombed at the box office. Let’s get real here: If a film is titled Universal Soldier and it stars a former Bond, then who wouldn’t expect a decent amount of violence? Even today, the film has been completely overshadowed by the 1992 Van Damme/Dolph Lundgren all-out actioner of the same name, which, as you may have already guessed, is 100% unrelated to the former.
What stands out the most about Universal Soldier is its catchy soundtrack, which features a handful of melodic songs by Phillip Goodhand-Tait. In fact, if you have a decent imagination, you can pretend the film, along with its accompanying music, is an unofficial sequel to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service(just think: Bond resigns from the British Secret Service to become a hippie, but takes odd mercenary jobs to make ends meet), not to mention a metaphor for Lazenby’s actual life and career choices. The following is an excerpt from the prophetic lyrics to Goodhand-Tait’s song, “One Road,” which plays during the film’s opening credit sequence:
One road leads to sadness One road leads to pain One road shows you life is a game One road leads to darkness One road leads to light One road leads you right to love
I wouldn’t be surprised if some film connoisseurs out there consider Universal Soldier Lazenby’s masterpiece, which isn’t totally unrealistic. As epic and innovative as On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was, it was still a Bond film, i.e. a blockbuster extravaganza, one that was first and foremost designed to make lots of money. And as entertaining as Lazenby’s exploitative Italian/Hong Kong/Hollywood films that followed – 1972’s Who Saw Her Die, Stoner, 1974’s Stoner, 1975’s The Man from Hong Kong, 1976’s A Queen’s Ransomand 1978’s Death Dimension – they all lacked any real artistic merit, when judged from a film snob’s point of view.
With its artsy, unorthodox approach, Universal Soldier is somewhat of a hidden gem. And considering its anti-war/pacifist overtones, together with Lazenby’s natural acting abilities, it passes as a well-crafted film with a message. As long as you’re a fully caffeinated Lazenby fan, it’s well worth checking out.
For the last few years, Legend of Conan (aka King Conan or Conan the Conqueror) – the proposed ‘true’ sequel to 1982’s Conan the Barbarian – has been in an off again/on again status by Universal. The film was most likely pushed aside, numerous times, due to “higher priority” projects (i.e. Terminator Genisys) that involve the series’ returning star, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Over the years, City on Fire has collected news updates regarding the development Legend of Conan. Here’s what we learned in the process:
1. Schwarzenegger will return to the title role and the movie is “100% happening,” says Frederik Malmberg, Paradox Entertainment’s President and CEO.
2. Legend of Conan will ignore both 1984’s Conan the Destroyer and 2011’s Conan reboot that starred Jason Momoa. It will pick up exactly where John Milius’ 1982 movie ended, focusing on an older Conan who has survived countless wars and bedded even more women as he searches for his life’s final battle.
3. Chris Morgan will serve as both producer and screenwriter for Legend of Conan. His credits include Wanted and Fast Five: “We think this is a worthy successor to the original film. Think of this as Conan’s Unforgiven,” says Morgan. Andrea Berloff (World Trade Center) is also one of the writers.
4. During a Q&A screening of 2013’s The Last Stand, Arnie explained that Universal admitted ‘the previous regime has missed the boat’ and they wanted to produce a serious action movie with a top director and top writers: “[Universal] finally came forward and said, ‘You’re absolutely right. The previous regime has missed the boat here. We want to pick it up. We’re going to buy the rights and we’re going to be serious about it and make a quality film with an A-director and with A-writers and so on. And we want you to participate in this. We want you to star and you to play Conan. We’re going to take a story where Conan is at that age so it’s totally believable and you’re not looking like a 30-year old action guy.”
5. Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Total Recall) has expressed his love for 1982’s Conan and he has openly stated that he’s interested in directing Legend of Conan if given the chance.
6. Fredrik Malmberg, one of Legend of Conan’s producers, had this to say: “We want to polish up the script, specifically about the characters…” He adds: “A lot of directors have come fourth and expressed interest… we have been in touch with old great names and new fresh faces. We’re excited about finding the right guy for that.”
7. Schwarzenegger has supposedly invited Shankar (Anniyan, I) to direct Legend of Conan. Shankar is known for directing high budget Tamil films (he’s considered the pioneer of vigilante movies in Tamil).
8. Chris Morgan, Legend of Conan’s producer/co-writer told TAF: “We plan nothing more than to immerse ourselves in the world Milius envisioned from Robert E. Howard’s unforgettable stories and Frank Frazetta’s stunning artwork. I can’t give specifics (nobody likes a spoiler!), but know we are honoring the locales, the religions and the traditions of the ’82 film.” He also mentioned that three characters are returning from the first Conan movie.
9. “…I’m sitting on the throne for years and years – decades, and then all of the sudden, the time comes when they want to overthrow me. So that story WILL be told and that movie WILL be done,” said Arnold.
10. After all these years, Legend of Conan is moving forward. Just recently, Schwarzenegger (via The Arnold Fans) mentioned that he will be soon meeting Shane Black (the director of the upcoming Predator movie) to discuss a possible role (as Dutch?). And he also said this: “There’s also a meeting coming up soon about Conan, about the project moving forward.”
11. On April 7th, 2017, the 3rd Conan film was looking like it was dead in the water. Here’s what Chris Morgan, the film’s would-be producer, recently had to say: “At the end of the day, the studio decided that they weren’t gonna make that,” Morgan told EW. “I gotta say, it’s honestly a heartbreak. I love that first movie so much, so much, it’s one of my favorite movies… ultimately, the budget was big, the studio was not really sure of the title, and the relevance in the marketplace.”
Updates: In a recent chat with SD, here’s what Arnie said about the Conan film: “It’s being rewritten…the idea is to do it.” We’re crossing our fingers…
In the tradition of Nah Hyeon’s recent film, The Prison, comes The Merciless (aka Hoodlum), an upcoming crime thriller by writer/director Byun Sung-Hyun (Whatcha Wearin’?).
The Merciless (read our review) involves a couple of prisoners (Sol Kyung-Gu of Another Public Enemy and Siwan of The Attorney) and their search for higher power in the criminal world.
Well Go USA is finally releasing Haofeng Xu’s highly-anticipated, award-winning martial arts film The Final Master(read our review) on DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand on July 25, 2017.
Xu made a name for himself by penning the screenplay for Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmaster. But it was 2011’s The Sword Identity, his directorial debut, which showed Xu’s true talent. Then came his acclaimed second film, 2012’s Judge Archer (aka Arrow Arbitration).
Xu’s trend in both films was presenting the martial arts in a less stylized and more realistic manner, perhaps not unlike the 2007 Japanese film Black Belt or David Mamet’s 2008 MA-themed Redbelt.
Xu’s knack for realistic hand-to-hand combat in The Final Master is sure to please. The upcoming movie stars Liao Fan (Black Coal, Thin Ice, Chinese Zodiac), Song Yang (The Sword Identity), Jia Song (On His Majesty’s Secret Service), Li Xia (The White Dragon), Huang Jue (Founding of the Party) and Chin Shih-Chieh (The Brotherhood of Blades).
Now, another never-before-filmed Kurosawa screenplay, Silvering Spear, has been acquired by Jinke Entertainment from Kurosawa Production Co. for a big screen adaptation. The film will be the first of nine, un-filmed screenplays purchased by Jinke.
According to THR,“Silvering Spear tells the story of a samurai named Ishigaki Jyube who demonstrates remarkable marksmanship while living during the Warring States period, a turbulent time in Japan’s history. Ishigaki Jyube searches for a way to utilize his special talents, while not exploiting them for personal gain.”
Silvering Spear is scheduled to shoot next year. Stay tuned for details.
“Opium and the Kung Fu Master” Chinese Theatrical Poster
AKA: Lightning Fists of Shaolin Director: Tong Gai (Tang Chia) Cast: Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, Robert Mak, Philip Ko Fei, Lee Hoi San, Tang Chia, Lau Leanne, Ku Kuan Chung, Alan Chan, Ma Chao, Yuen Wah, Yuen Bun Running Time: 86 min.
By Chris Hatcher
Knowing one could be blacklisted in many kung fu cinema circles for making the following statement, here goes nothing: I have always been somewhat underwhelmed by the great Ti Lung.
Now before you reach for the torches and pitchforks, hear me out: I’m aware of Lung’s prowess for dramatic acting… he won the 1986 Golden Horse Best Actor Award for John Woo’s exceptional A Better Tomorrow and the 1999 Hong Kong Film Best Supporting Actor Award for The Kid; I know about his roles as a street-tough brawler in blood baths like Vengeance and The Duel, both of which have merit for fans of director Chang Cheh’s early hack-n-stab formula; and I know his leads in The Delightful Forest and The Blood Brothers exemplify his commanding on-screen presence. So what exactly is my issue with Ti Lung, you might ask?
Let me answer that question with a follow-up question: Where is Ti Lung’s signature film that showcases the best fight choreography of his career while also delivering on the other qualities that made Lung great in the eyes of his fans?
Whether it’s mundane action in an otherwise high-quality film like Avenging Eagle or all-around misfire like Cheh’s Ten Tigers of Kwangtung, many of Ti Lung’s films failed to hone in on his technical skill as a martial arts superstar. The Heroes (aka Story of Chivalry) had some decent action and highlighted Lung’s skill fairly well, but the fights fell a bit on the slow side; The Kung Fu Instructor practically put me to sleep with its humdrum stick fighting scenes; and Shaolin Prince, though outrageously entertaining, focused more on Lung pulling off wire work feats than impressing with his fighting style. In short, Lung has been involved in WAY too many generic battles for a star of his stature.
Well, I’m happy to say I finally found the answer to my question with a recent first-time viewing of Opium and the Kung Fu Master, an excellent film by Tang Chia that highlights all of Lung’s best traits – dramatic thespian, rugged fighter, good screen presence – and tops them off with a truck load of the technically-driven fight choreography I’ve always wanted for him. Opium gives us more of the brilliance of Lung’s brief but fantastic hand-to-hand fighting in Shaolin Temple (aka Death Chamber); more of the speed he demonstrated in the fierce weapons play of The Deadly Breaking Sword; and more of a reason to become a Ti Lung fan some 33 years after his heyday. Better late than never I always say.
My initial thought while viewing Opium was, “How did I miss this one after all these years?!” The likely reason spawns from once hearing it was a sequel to Ten Tigers of Kwangtung and immediately dismissing it without further research. That was my mistake because Opium is not a sequel to that snoozer, but merely a telling of how the leader of the Ten Tigers overcame an opium addiction to rescue the town he had sworn to protect. Lung portrays the Ten Tigers leader in both films (though differently named in each).
In this particular story, Lung’s Tieh Chiao San is a kung fu master and militia adviser who garners the utmost respect from his students and local townspeople. His presence strikes fear in the hearts of criminals as witnessed in an opening skirmish with Golden Cat (played by the excellent Philip Ko). The brief encounter puts Lung in a light I’ve rarely seen as every strike and block is delivered with a ferocity that signals greater things to come in the fight department. (Finally… signs of the Ti Lung the old school kung fu world needs AND deserves!)
Of course, Golden Cat escapes and reports the trouble with Tieh to his master, Yung Feng (Chen Kuan Tai). Cat wants to deal with Tieh, but Yung quickly reminds him why they’re here… for opium. More specially, to open a local opium den and earn bank while ruining the lives of people they hook on the drug. Throw in a couple of business partners played by Ku Kuan Chung and Lee Hoi San and the foursome make for a pretty damn good troop of villains.
Screenwriter Ying Wong could have kept his story as simple as local hero takes on drug gang, but instead throws in the interesting twist of depicting Tieh as one of the town’s opium addicts. Tieh tries to convince his blind instructor (played by choreographer/director Chia) and head student (Robert Mak) that he only hits the pipe every now and then, but it eventually becomes clear that his skills are eroding. A brief pole fighting sequence with Master Yi (Chia) and a lesson with Gua Su (Mak) lead to questions of whether Tieh’s habit is slowing him down (which is somewhat amusing considering Lung looks fantastic in both encounters!).
The big reveal, however, comes when Yung challenges Tieh to a public showdown after Su sets fire to the opium den in an act of retribution. Yung’s dual spears versus Tieh’s Tie Sin Fist is lightning fast and extraordinary to watch. But as the fight wears on, with Yung goading Tieh as his skills begin to wane, we see the full effects of opium abuse in a weak man who’s unable to steady his sword due to the shakes. And those shakes bring tragic consequences, delivering one of Opium’s best all-around scenes and giving the film a quasi-Rocky complex in the sense of portraying a fallen hero who must find a way to climb back to the mountain top (because we all know redemption is coming).
All in all, Opium and the Kung Fu Master is a powerhouse of action with strong contributions from everyone starting with Lung. I can’t stress enough how exceptional he looks, especially in the frenetic rice house scene where he swoops in to take on Philip Ko and a band of thugs. It’s one of my favorite bits of action complete with Robert Mak challenging Ko’s cool tiger claw in an acrobatically rousing clash. From speed to timing to power, Lung’s every move looks sharp and deliberate and I couldn’t have been more pleased. The legendary Chen Kuan Tai is also very much on point each time he takes up his spears.
Speaking of Mak, he really gets to show off his talents in this one via some great encounters with Ko and Lee Hoi San. And, he demos another nifty lion dance to boot (just like in Martial Club). I liked Mak in Martial Club, but I really loved his overall performance in Opium.
Hands down, Lung’s weapons and hand-to-hand technique are faster and more dynamic in Opium than in any other film of his career. But as powerful as his fight scenes are to the action, it’s Lung’s immensely intense portrayal of a man coming to grips with his addiction that proves equally powerful. From sacrificial deaths to woeful suicides, characters die unexpectedly at every turn with opium the root cause, and Lung takes these occurrences to heart in wonderfully dramatic fashion. You can see the conviction in his eyes each time a cautionary warning about Tieh’s opium habit leads to tragedy; it’s truly heartbreaking.
By the time Tieh begins the long journey to kicking his habit, regaining his superior kung fu (there’s an excellent pole training sequence with Master Yi), and restoring his stature, Lung is in full-on drama mode. There are some familiar episodes of melodrama that come with the old school territory, but most of the dramatic moments are genuine and effective. And though Lung has played high-stature characters many times over, I would go as far as to say none come close to resonating as strongly as Tieh Chiao San due to the levels of tragedy and high drama taking place throughout the story. It’s part of what admirably separates Opium from other kung fu tales.
I suppose the man to thank for the wonderful balance of action and drama is Chia, whose credits as a director include the aforementioned Shaolin Prince and the magnificent Shaolin Intruders. Opium was his third and final film in the director’s seat, and it was fitting (though unexpected) for Chia to choose a historical subject like opium abuse in China as his directorial swan song. Watch all three of his films back-to-back-to-back and you’ll quickly understand why Opium is considered the tame one; the action scenes in his other two films are insanely death-defying! It’s truly a shame Chia didn’t helm more projects over the course of his long choreography career.
My only real complaint about Opium and the Kung Fu Master (and it’s somewhat of a big one considering I was ready to give this film a 9.5 rating out of 10) is that the film’s finale felt rushed and serves as little more than an exercise in proficiency. And that’s really all I can say about it; it’s proficient.
For some, this might be good enough. But after Chia spends an hour and twenty minutes establishing Lung’s character as larger-than-life, breaking him down in dramatic fashion, building him up better than ever for the final showdown, and delivering some really excellent kung fu along the way, I expected a balls to the wall finale! I expected a drawn out confrontation considering Lung had to contend with Ko, San, and Chen! I even got giddy imagining what was to come as Lung made his walk to the center of town.
And then it was over in what felt like the blink of an eye. Proficiently executed and skillfully crafted, but short and workmanlike, nonetheless. All weapons, no hand-to-hand, and not everything I was hoping for in light of all the great fights leading up to this point. My minor issues with Mak and Lau Leanne’s throw-away love story and the continuous hints at Lung’s decline only manifesting in one fight scene were long forgotten. I found myself wishing I could turn back time, reshoot the finale, and set Opium back on its path to near-perfection.
Then I was snapped out of my fantasy stupor by my wife’s calls to take out the trash and quickly found myself back in the real world. After all, we’re talking about old school kung fu cinema here, not ending world hunger. And as far as finding the ultimate Ti Lung showcase was concerned… mission accomplished. So add Opium and the Kung Fu Master to your must-watch list and know you’ll be seeing Lung at his absolute finest!
Two months ago, we reported that Warner Bros. was courting Jordan Peele (director of the sleeper hit, Get Out) to direct the live-action, big screen adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, which has been in development hell for over 5 years. Turns out, Peele, who is a fan of Akira, wants to concentrate on original content.
Here’s what he told BH.com: “I think [I could do it] if the story justifies it,” Peele said. “Akira is one of my favorite movies, and I think obviously the story justifies as big a budget as you can possibly dream of. But the real question for me is: Do I want to do pre-existing material, or do I want to do original content? At the end of the day, I want to do original stuff.”
Instead, Peele is currently developing Lovecraft Country, a new Horror TV project with producer J.J. Abrams for HBO. Based on a novel written by Matt Ruff, the series, which will take places in the 1950s, “reclaims genre storytelling from the African-American perspective.”
In addition to Peele, a handful of directors, including Albert Hughes (The Book of Eli), Jaume Collet-Serra (Run All Night) and Justin Lin (Star Trek Beyond) have been tied to Akira, but exited due to creative differences (or other unexplainable reasons).
One of the last filmmakers connected to Akira was Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), who was supposedly involved (along with Nolan’s brother, Jonathan, who at one point was hired to re-write the script). Marco J. Ramirez, the scribe who co-showran the second season of Netflix’s Daredevil, was/is also attached as one of the writers. At one point, Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), Jennifer Davisson Killoran (Orphan) and Andrew Lazar (Jonah Hex) were on board as producers.
As far as actors and actresses, many names such as Keanu Reeves, James Franco, Garrett Hedlund, Robert Pattinson, James McAvoy, Andrew Garfield, Chris Pine, Michael Fassbender, Justin Timerlake, Joaquin Phoenix, Keira Knightley, Kristen Stewart, Ezra Miller, Alden Eherenreich, D.J. Cotrona, Logan Marshal Green, Toby Kebbell, Richard Madden, Rami Malek, Michael Pitt, Paul Dano, Alden Ehrenreich and Ken Watanabe (we’ll stop here) have all been considered for roles. Some have dropped out, others are still loosely attached.
The story of Akira involves a secret military project that endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.
We’ll keep you updated on this story as we hear more.
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