Duel of Fists (Quan Ji, 1971)

The great Chang Cheh and Shaw Brothers gives us the next film up for review, 'Duel of Fists', starring Shaw icons David Chiang and Ti Lung as long-lost brothers. The film opens on a huge crowd in Bangkok, Thailand as they celebrate Songkran, the New Year's Festival with lots of water being thrown about. We then cut to Hong Kong and see Fan Ke(Chiang) hard at work on a construction site as lead engineer. He gets summoned back to his home, also a martial arts school and is ambushed by a student. Fan Ke takes him out, while his father watches. His father has him meet a business partner from Bangkok. We then cut ahead to Fan Ke being in the office and getting word that his father's gravely ill. He rushes to the hospital, and before he dies, his father tells him that he has a brother, Wenlie(Lung) in Bangkok who he must find. And so Fan Ke is off to find his Wenlie, and both men get embroiled in a situation involving murder and corruption in the world of Muay Thai boxing that threatens their lives.

'Duel Of Fists' caught my attention for many reasons. The first being that it's a Chang Cheh flick just as he was approaching the apex of his storied directing career. His calling-card themes of fraternal love, honor and brutal violence and fighting are in full display here. And with regards to love interests, they are present and not so much in the background as they would be in other films by Cheh. Ching Li, a veteran actress plays Wenlie's girlfriend from the same slums they grew up in. And Fan Ke's lady is played by Pawana Chanajit, a Thai actress who was known as 'The Pearl Of Asia'. She caught my attention real quick in the film, let me tell you. Another thing to note with 'Duel of Fists' is, there's going to be a couple of things that make you scratch your head. The first being when Fan Ke gets to see a framed photo his dad has of Wenlie when he was 10. Why does the lil homie in the picture have an anchor tattoo on him in the picture and it never faded or changed size as he grew older?!! Another thing is, the fashions. Bear in mind that this is a real '70's flick, so you are going to see some wild-ass clothes on David Chiang and others. Here's a little bit of fun you can have: count how many people are rocking daishikis in the film. Also, note how Fan Ke meets Mei Dai(Pawana) and gets a ride and gets to DRIVE HER CAR with no problem. You know that wouldn't fly today, if ever.

All that aside, 'Duel of Fists' is a great flick despite the choppy continuity. You get to see Chiang and Lung really deliver some quality beatdowns here. Also, this was a milestone for Shaw Brothers and action movies in general in the fact that it was the first depiction of Muay Thai anywhere. You can tell that Chang Cheh and Lau Kar Leung, the fight choreographer took great pains to recreate the feel of a Muay Thai stadium. It also led to more films incorporating Thai boxing into their plots. (I'll be writing more on this in later posts.)'Duel of Fists' was so well received that it even had a sequel, 'The Angry Guest' a couple of years later. Definitely worth a watch.

It's 3 P.M. Saturday Afternoon...Where Were You Then?

(image courtesy of DVDDrivein.com)

Like many of you out there, 3 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon meant one thing and one thing only: you were probably parked in front of your TV set, anxiously anticipating when the Saturday Afternoon movie was about to start. for me and many others in NYC, it was on WNYW, Channel 5. It would be years later before I realized this was nationwide. But it was a treasured part of my childhood, as important as G.I.Joes and coloring books. It was EVERYTHING to catch that next flick, almost a religious experience if you will that began with this...

How could you NOT be amped with something like that? It got you keyed up for whatever flicks were to come on. Wasn't until later that I found out the music cue was actually from 'Grease'. That theme will forever be linked to 3 P.M. on a Saturday for me. And I'm glad other websites like DVDDriveIn and folks on Youtube feel the same way. Even the GZA had the theme music as a lead in to a track on his 'Pro Tools' album. Ah, memories...

Hapkido (He Qi Dao,1972)

Angela Mao takes center stage in another box office smash for Golden Harvest, 'Hapkido'! If someone asked me which of her films they should watch off the bat, this would be in the top three without question. The film also stars Carter Wong(his debut film as an actor) and Sammo Hung, with Whang In Sik, Pai Ying as standout supporting roles. You even have Wei Ping Ao, famous for getting his ass whooped in two Bruce Lee films in a role as a sniveling supplicant. And in what would be a regular thing, Jackie Chan appears here as a stuntman and takes some harsh blows. Corey Yuen and Yuen Biao also have cameos here, but they're quick.

The film opens on a pastoral setting in a Korea occupied by the Japanese, circa 1934. Yu Ying(Angela), Fan Wei(Sammo), and Kao Chung(Carter) are having a picnic as another group has fun nearby. The fun stops as three Japanese men enter and start degrading the revelers. The main bespectacled Japanese guy goes and hits on Yu Ying, who is in Korean hanbok(traditional dress). She lets him know that she is Chinese, and his reply is that Japan will soon rule China as well. Which then leads to Fan Wei snuffing him, resulting in a brawl that leads into the opening credits. Nice action segway. We find out that all three went to Korea to study Hapkido from their teacher, played by famed Korean Hapkido expert Ji Han Jae. After an appraisal of all of their skills, he bids them farewell and they return to Guangzhou, China to set up the Eagle School, teaching hapkido and providing free medical care to the community. But, they run afoul of the Japanese Black Bear school due to a mishap and Fan Wei's run-ins with their students. Things soon come to a head and Yu Ying must lead the way to end the Japanese tyranny.

Hapkido is a thrilling action set piece. Granted, there are a few things with the movie that aren't the best. First, this would be one of those movies that relied on anti-Japanese sentiment that was first displayed in 'Fist of Fury'. While it's not rabid, you can't miss the depictions of Japanese being lecherous or the slurs. Also, Carter Wong makes his debut here, but seems real wooden with his dialogue. But he shows that fighting skill that led him to a long career. (And if you check the trailer, note that Golden Harvest may have gotten carried away with describing his skills.)The fight scenes are magnetic, with Angela delivering some serious beatdowns. There's one in particular where she breaks out that iron rod you see in the picture above. That will make you wince. And the last fight scene is especially bloody, grindhouse style. Even Sammo's scenes are no joke, giving hope to pudgy cats across the globe, feel me? In short, Hapkido is a great flick with repeat value and worth you hitting up the Web to get a DVD copy.

Thunderbolt (1973)

The legendary Angela Mao gets top billing here in this Golden Harvest film from 1973. Also starring regulars James Tien and Pai Ying, it's a classic wuxia film of betrayal and vengeance.

The film starts out with Lung Chu (Mao) practicing her skills as her clan brothers, Cheng Yen Chieh(Tien) included look on. Chieh and the chief discuss the recent attempt to grab a treasure map tattooed on skin, broken up among four people. At that moment, Hung Wei (Ying)shows up and gets into the good graces of the Dragon Clan, only to demolish them. See, Pai's a member of the Black Tiger clan, and very fearsome with his spinning wheel technique. After all of this, he manages to turn the remaining clans against Chieh and Lung Chu. Both swear revenge and Lung works hard to master the deadly Thunderbolt palm to fight Hung Wei.

Now, I'll tell you flat out that this is one of those Angela Mao films that doesn't show a whole lot of her, even though she got top billing. But she makes up for that with her fighting scenes, especially her swordplay. The film can drag here and there plotwise. It's worth noting that not only has this been reputed to be the most physically demanding role with regards to wire work for Angela, she did this film right after being in 'Enter The Dragon' and she wound up suffering an injury during filming that left her in the hospital for two weeks. Also, Chen Kuan Tai, the famous Shaw Brothers actor did all of the fight choreography for this film. Another Shaw Brothers alum, Jason Piao Piao has a significant role here as the henchman to Hung Wei. Finally, you may recognize some of the theme music throughout; it's lifted from the score to the James Bond flick that premiered that same year, 'Diamonds Are Forever.' All in all, a decent watch for Angela Mao fans.

Angela Mao, 'The Lady Whirlwind'

Being that it is Women's History Month here in the US, it seemed like the perfect time to honor arguably the greatest kung fu actress ever, Angela Mao, the 'Lady Whirlwind'!! Most of the world first got to know her as Su Lin, the doomed sister of Bruce Lee in "Enter The Dragon"(1973). But that was part of a busy career for the Taiwanese-born star, a career which includes many memorable fight scenes that will have your jaw drop.

She started training as an actress from the age of 5 in an opera school, normal for that time. Her classmates included notable stars like Judy Lee and James Tien. At the age of 19, she was discovered by director Huang Feng and was then signed to a deal with Raymond Chow's Golden Harvest Studios. Her first film was The Angry River, and this began a slew of notable films such as Lady Whirlwind, Hapkido, Broken Oath, The Tournament and others. Angela's beauty was as striking as her fighting prowess; she learned hapkido and taekwondo under her trainer/co-star Whang In Sik as well as being proficient in wushu and other forms. But, as much as she gained great fame, she wasn't immune to the pitfalls an actress would encounter. For example, you know what she got for her prominent but brief role in 'Enter The Dragon'? A whopping 100 US dollars. Probably far less than her male counterpart would get. Also, some of the films she appeared in never really let her display the full range of her skills, a fate that also befell stars like Chang Pei Pei and Lily Ho before her.

Make no mistake, even the most casual of fans should get a chance to catch her films. Her skills are extraordinary. In The Tournament, she not only manages to kick ass using traditional Chinese boxing, but also competes in the Muay Thai ring in Bangkok!! Her acrobatic prowess is also a sight to behold. Check out one fight clip below to see what I mean:

Angela retired at age 30 to focus on her family, and has only made a few cameos since 1980. But due to her appeal, a good deal of her films are now available to the general public on DVD and online as well. Keep checking back here for more posts on Angela and her films!

Flag of Iron aka Spearmen of Death (1980)

Flag of Iron is one of those Shaw Brothers films
that starred 'The Venoms', which in this film would
be three of the five actors that rose to great fame
due to the kung-fu classic "The Five Deadly Venoms."
(Kuo Chui, Lu Feng and Chiang Sheng). In the director's
chair would be the legendary Chang Cheh whose films
were always full of action, brotherly solidarity and
blood. And this flick is no different.



The film begins with a tense situation between two
major clans, the Iron Flag clan and the Eagles. Kuo's
character, Lo along with Iron Monkey(Sheng) have
found out that the Eagles have been running the local
brothel with kidnapped women. They bust up the joint,
which prompts a sitdown between the two clans. Before
this takes place, Chow(Feng) tells the Iron Flag brothers
that he's suspicious and has hired a mercenary fighter,
Spearman Yen Tsu(Lung Teng Hsiang)to help them in case
trouble occurs. And of course, at the dinner, the two
clans battle, and both chiefs are killed. The bigger
mystery is the death of the Iron Flag chief, in which
Yen Tsu is implicated and leaves questions as to who
will succeed him.

Back at the Iron Flag mansion, Chow is made the chief
after some dispute by Iron Monkey. A police investigation
is underway, and Lo decides to take the rap. He goes off
into exile, winding up as a servant at an inn. Time goes
by and there's no word from the clan - or any of the
money Chow promised. All of a sudden, a stranger comes
to the inn and upon seeing Lo, attacks him. Lo is of
course too good to be taken out like that and kills the
assassin. Afterward, Iron Monkey visits him and not
only tells him that he suspects Chow's gone mad with
power, but that he's been kicked out of the clan. Soon
after, it turns out Chow has not only taken over the Eagles
and all of their activities, but has also hired the "10
Killers of The Underworld" to get Lo out of the way.
Lo and Iron Monkey wind up being aided by Yen Tsu, who
admits to being used by Chow to kill the chief, to get
revenge.

Flag of Iron is a bit slow in the beginning, but picks
up with non-stop action and plot twists. Kuo Chui displays
his insane skills here, especially with the flag. I'll
never look at one the same way, especially after the last
battle between him and Lu Feng. A word of advice...if
you can, get the Mandarin version with English subtitles
to watch instead of the English dubbed version. The
dialogue breaks are flat-out ridiculous. Lu Feng makes
a good villain, although his stone-face freaks me the
hell out at times. Also, Yen Tsu's sideburns are worthy
of Travolta's in 'Saturday Night Fever'!!! Definitely
a movie with repeat value.

been away too long..but i'm BACK with a vengeance!!!

okay.

i SEVERELY slacked off on this blog. but i have
returned!!!

expect some goodies this week!!!

(and i hope you like this scene from 'Return
of The Dragon'...always a classic.)