Kung Fu Fighting...

[von Boom]

I watched The Legend of Drunken Master over the weekend and got to thinking about how much time I've wasted watching Kung Fu films. I have a real weakness for these films, especially the ones with the bad dubbing and over the top stories and action.

To those of you that have a similar proclivity for these types of films (martial arts) what are some of your favourites, both good and bad?

[Professor Bear]

So many I have lost count: Heroic Trio, Project A, Project A part 2, Armor of God, the Line of Duty movies, Ninja Terminator, Sakura Warriors, Mr Vampire, American Shaolin... if it was made between 1980 and 1995, chances are I've watched the shit out of it - after 1995 I was watching the shit out of them while drunk.
There's a ton of them on Youtube, practically the only place you can get some of it with the way English dubs have been phased out over the years in favor of subtitles.

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

On the western front, anything pre-millennial from Jeff Wincott or Mark Dacoscos is usually worth a punt - Crying Freeman, American Samurai, Martial Outlaw and Mission of Justice are pretty good, and the American Ninja movies are both pretty boss but bear in mind THERE ARE ONLY TWO AMERICAN NINJA MOVIES.  Watch anything beyond that and I shan't be held accountable.

[Mardroid]

Mr Vampire,

That's a film I've never seen all the way through, but the little bit I saw I found really weird and intriguing. In a good way. A very different take on the ol' bloodsuckers than what we're used to in the west. Stopped by bits of sticky paper with caliography. Brilliant!

I think I'll try and hunt that down. I've a friend I think will get a kick out of it too.

[Professor Bear]

36th Chamber of Shaolin is also well worth checking out - not only did it give us this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxxLy2kvNN8
but it has now all come back around and given us the RZA's directing debut: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7l3okIqnCg which stars wrestling thug Batista and what looks like the man who ate Russel Crowe.

[von Boom]

Yeah, youtube is fantastic for these films (which I only recently discovered). If you haven't watched it yet, check out God of Cookery, an early offering of Stephen Chow.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness

(Sweet!)

[Sapperjack91]

i still love Jackie Chan's 'Who am i?', it was the first martial arts film i can remember but i also remember an old school TV show called Martial Law.... all i can remember of that is a larger oriental man, kicking the shit outta people!

[Emperor]

Oh crumbs, where to start? I'll need to have a nose back through what I've recently watched as I've been on a bit of a major kung-fu film re-watch - Hong Kong Legends going down the pan before I'd grabbed everything I wanted slowed me down but LoveFilm seem to have most of their catalogue (along with other more recent good quality releases of the Shaw Brothers back catalogue), so I've been getting back up to speed there. Most recently I watched Eastern Condors from them, great to see Sammo Hung playing Rambo, and threw in Fantasy Mission Force (which I have on a crappy double Jackie Chan DVD which also has Master with Cracked Fingers), which is quite mad. Other decent recent rentals worth a watch: Showdown at Cotton Mill, The Silver Spear, Ninja in Ancient China, Spiritual Boxer, Wheels on Meals, Odd Couple, Magnificent Butcher, Heroes Two, etc. (although the quality varies - the later ones in the list seem superior), but that is a bit random. Not seen recently, although I've got the DVD, but there is also Prodigal Son and Crippled Avengers (one of the best of Venoms films). I also seem to have 4 flying guillotine films on my shelves, although Master of the Flying Guillotine is obviously the best

Also keep an eye of SyFy as they often throw on an early Jackie Chan film late at night - I watched Armour of God again the other night, it is a pity it slacks off in the middle because Jackie selfishly went and smashed himself up and needed time to recover but I don't think I can ever watch the final fight with the black, kung-fu women too many times. I think Who Am I was also on and that is worth a watch if it comes around again. They also have some Bruce Lee films on there occasionally.

Are you looking for good recent kung fu (or martial arts) films in general too?

Mr Vampire,

That's a film I've never seen all the way through, but the little bit I saw I found really weird and intriguing. In a good way. A very different take on the ol' bloodsuckers than what we're used to in the west. Stopped by bits of sticky paper with caliography. Brilliant!

I think I'll try and hunt that down. I've a friend I think will get a kick out of it too.

Make sure you do, it is a superb film. I have all the Mr Vampire films (quality varies, a lot). I'm currently finishing off my Chinese hopping vampire collection but once I've got the final ones available on DVD it gets trickier but I haven't exhausted all my resources yet (even for those not available as torrents), although it is a good example of diminishing returns, as there is a finite limit on the number of Cute Vampire Kids films you can watch (and it is below 2).

i still love Jackie Chan's 'Who am i?', it was the first martial arts film i can remember but i also remember an old school TV show called Martial Law.... all i can remember of that is a larger oriental man, kicking the shit outta people!

Sammo Hung!! I'll watch just about anything with him in (and Martial Law isn't really up there in his greatest roles, even if it is the one he seems to be best know by in the West), the big mystery is how someone as athletic as him, who works in an energetic industry manages to keep the weight on - he must have a largely cake and lard (and Greggs)-based diet.

[Greg M.]

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky. Officially the most ridiculous, over-the-top, stupidly-and-utterly-unrealistically violent film ever. Totally wonderful and pure loopy enoyment from start to finish - unless you're not the type who goes for films where one man uses his own disembowelled intenstines to try and strangle another.

[Emperor]

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky. Officially the most ridiculous, over-the-top, stupidly-and-utterly-unrealistically violent film ever.

I love it and treasure my HKL Ricky DVD. However, I did watch Adam Chaplin recently and that might be challenging it, especially on the ridiculous, stupid and unrealistic fronts. I will be buying the DVD when there is a sale on, because, as time passes, I might not believe what I saw and will need to watch it again.

[Greg M.]

I did watch Adam Chaplin recently and that might be challenging it, especially on the ridiculous, stupid and unrealistic fronts.

That sounds like a recommendation to me, and I don't recall you ever giving me a bum steer in the past, Mr. Emperor sir. Italian and ludicrously violent? I'm there. Seven quid on Amazon... well, it'd be rude of me not to. 

[Sapperjack91]

the big mystery is how someone as athletic as him, who works in an energetic industry manages to keep the weight on

is he still that size now? because i remember that from the 90's and he was fantastic then... also could you recommend some of the stuff he's been in, i'd quite like to watch one of his movies!
oh i just have to add, you can't have a martial art conversation without Bruce Lee...

[Mardroid]

Make sure you do, it is a superb film. I have all the Mr Vampire films (quality varies, a lot).

I didn't even know there was more than one!

Chinese hopping vampire

It was the way they move that struck me the most (that and the paper spells thing). Both comical and creepily grotesque at the same time.

[Emperor]

I did watch Adam Chaplin recently and that might be challenging it, especially on the ridiculous, stupid and unrealistic fronts.

That sounds like a recommendation to me, and I don't recall you ever giving me a bum steer in the past, Mr. Emperor sir. Italian and ludicrously violent? I'm there. Seven quid on Amazon... well, it'd be rude of me not to. 

If you liked the Story of Ricky, then you should like this, it really is as mad and over-the-top as those reviews suggest. It isn't what your man/woman on the street would call a "good film" but if you have an appreciation for that type of film then it is a must-watch, there really aren't that many similar films out there (not ones that don't suck giant balls).

[Emperor]

Make sure you do, it is a superb film. I have all the Mr Vampire films (quality varies, a lot).

I didn't even know there was more than one!

There are 4 in the series and Magic Cop is often considered #5 despite the lack of any CHVs, but if you like Lam Ching-Ying in this then you'll want to see this too. There are also two New Mr Vampires, neither of which is really a sequel to the Mr Vampire films or, in the case of New Mr Vampire 2, a sequel to each other Mr Vampire 1992 is worth a look as it is the leads and director of Mr Vampire getting the band back together.

The quality also varies wildly, Mr Vampire 2 is probably the worst of the lot, for example and it is worth shopping around.

You will want to catch Spooky Encounters (or Close Encounters of the Spooky Kind) as this really kicked the CHV films up a notch and set the stage for Mr Vampire.

Chinese hopping vampire

It was the way they move that struck me the most (that and the paper spells thing). Both comical and creepily grotesque at the same time.

Yes, it is a tricky balance, but when it works it is an effective combination.