The Peking Opera stage feel meets Chang Cheh’s film action, with Red Boy taking on the Monkey King in an acrobatic, weapons-heavy fantasy. Then the film wraps after an hour and gives you the real thing. Speficially, abridged opera performances. A strange but fascinating showcase.

Am not 100% sure though. If not now, then later.

I might be on one of the announcements. Just delivered ear stuff last month

A Better Tomorrow trilogy stuffs on obsolete media made a 4K fren.

Disciples of Shaolin sees Chang Cheh’s dramatic instincts firing again, with a sadder impact to its violence and story. For anyone who struggles with Alexander Fu Sheng’s antics, this is the perfect Fu Sheng performance: playful, ferocious and ultimately tragic.

Once again I join @sogoodreviews.bsky.social to talk Tsui Hark because Kenny's brilliance always makes me sound smarter than I am. OUATIC 2 is a proper masterpiece from a director that has more than one. Everything that's great about the first movie is still present, but bigger and better

The venture to get money out of Taiwan finally arrives in Taiwan, with impressive fight-heavy burning-of-Shaolin-Temple and Han rebels vs. the Manchu Qing stuff. Chang Cheh does let Five Shaolin Masters run about 20 minutes too long though.

Latest commentary done, signed, sealed and delivered. The last few months have taken us through torture, exploitation and now psychosexual territory. We never said our expertise was limited to one field. Watch this space for announcements. These things need to bake for a while 😄

From Italy to Hong Kong, Richard Harrison left behind both an impressive legacy and an unwilling one as part of IFD’s wild run of ninja movies. RIP.

Shaolin Martial Arts has a patience and love for the kung fu film structure, making its extensive training dramatically compelling rather than simply preparation for the payoff. A premium effort and one of Chang Cheh’s strongest films of the first half of the 70s.

Hong Kong cinema with a healthy dose of Japanese tokusatsu is better than the things you like. Inframan is really not getting a head in this battle. (The Super Inframan, 1975, dir. Hua Shan)

Friends assemble! But by 1974, it was really time to disassemble Chang Cheh’s notion of the contemporary youth drama. Dead End had made it work five years earlier, but forced bonding, awkward drama and a flashback structure that kills all tension sink Friends.

Men From The Monastery spreads its Shaolin heroes across brisk little chapters before bringing them together for a ferocious finale. More basic and disposable Chang Cheh, but Fu Sheng’s confident Fong Sai Yuk works well and the solid kung fu carries it.

Cracking open the Jackie Chan Breakout Hits box set. I’ve seen the Hong Kong version of Rumble in the Bronx via a custom SD version, so I’ve got a feel for how it plays. The 4K upgrade should be very welcome.

All Men Are Brothers takes a more active route than The Water Margin, turning the novel’s closing campaign into mass brawls and heroic, gory deaths. Released years after the cycle began, it benefits from some restored bloodshed in the Celestial remaster.

According to Dylan Cheung, martial arts actor Chen Kuan-tai has died. There was no better embodiment of bruising power as Chen rose through Shaw Brothers, before moving into character roles and eventually appearing in the Best Picture winner Gallants. Rest in peace.

Refreshingly straightforward and short, Chang Cheh co-directed Iron Bodyguard turns real history into heroic bloodshed, brotherhood and loud, powerful kung fu. Chen Kuan-Tai brings striking presence and admirable fluidity to its gritty brawls.

Currently building the audio commentary for an upcoming Vinegar Syndrome recording. Yes, building the commentary. No looseness here, but I have a structure, themes and plenty of content in mind for you listeners. For a rather unpleasant film.