Dem chop-socky flicks

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Booyakasha
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Dem chop-socky flicks

#1

Post by Booyakasha » Mon Nov 26, 2012 4:14 pm

Man, I tell you what I like is a good dumb kung-fu movie. Like, there's just something perfect about them. Doesn't matter if it's some ancient barely-coherent wu-tang treasure or an equally stupid Van Damme/Seagal vehicle, an overdone wuxia period piece or a crazy-ass Jackie Chan 'holy crap!'-a-thon, I love it all.

Personal faves? Well, 'Enter the Dragon' is almost required viewing. 'Master of the Flying Guillotine' is almost too crazy not to love. On the homefront, I'll never not love 'Bloodsport' and 'Marked for Death'--that said, they are easily outmatched by Jackie Chan's 'Who Am I?" and Tony Jaa's 'Ong Bak'. It might take a damaged brain to at once appreciate 'Shaolin Soccer', 'Hero' and muggamuggin 'Mortal Kombat', but that's where I'm at.

So, like, what do you guys like? I'm curious---like all amateurs, I"m at least as keen to learn about and fill my own gaps as I am to spread the gospel of 'Moon Over Tao' and that old Sammo Hung 'Odd Couple'. Please please share!
boo--------------a real american weirdo

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#2

Post by Bomby » Mon Nov 26, 2012 8:19 pm

Oh boy.

I was thinking of doing genre introduction threads, and you know I would've started with this one. I consider myself to be a connoisseur of fine kung fu movies. I've seen well over 100 of them and have dozens more in my possession that I have yet to watch.

I feel like a lot of my favorites do tend to be more "obvious" choices, though what's considered obvious to me might not be considered "obvious" to others, so yeah...

FAVORITE WUXIA:
A Chinese Ghost Story I & II
Swordsman II
Duel to the Death
Zu Warriors From the Magic Mountain
Come Drink With Me
A Touch of Zen
The Magic Blade
Hero
New One-Armed Swordsman
The Blade
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
Green Snake
and of course, the movie that made me want to make movies: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

WIRE FU:
Once Upon a Time in China I & II (III isn't bad either, but not one of my favorites)
Fong Sai Yuk (aka The Legend)
Iron Monkey
Wing Chun
Tai Chi Master
The Heroic Trio

GROUND FIGHTING:
36th Chamber of Shaolin
Return to the 36th Chamber
8 Diagram Pole Fighter
Fist of Legend
Fist of Fury
Crippled Avengers
Shaolin & Wu-Tang
Heroes of the East
Ip Man
Clan of the White Lotus
Legendary Weapons of Shaolin
Dirty Ho
The Prodigal Son
Yes, Madam!
The Secret Rivals

JACKIE CHAN (yes, he is a subgenre unto himself):
Project A
Police Story 1-3
Drunken Master I & II
Fearless Hyena
Wheels on Meals
Dragons Forever
Miracles

OFF-KILTER:
Ashes of Time (ostensibly a wuxia but only has brief bouts of action, more of an art house film)
The Butterfly Murders (similar to Ashes of Time)
The Twins Effect (a silly guilty pleasure pop star vehicle with decent wire-fu action)
Peking Opera Blues (my favorite action movie, period, but is more gun-based than kung fu-based. It's shot like with the mastery of a great kung fu movie, though)
Kill Bill (Uhh... yeah)

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