Joy Sales Legendary Collection - "Hate" Recommendations!

[One Armed Boxer]

Hi guys

I really enjoyed Morgoth's "Hate" thread (http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10645) recently, and it reminded me just how much I love the insanely paced 80's modern day action kickboxing movies from so long ago!

I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like so many of these movies are unavailable on DVD, and indeed there are many forgotten about gems within the genre...which is a shame considering what a great part of martial arts cinema it is.

That being said, I'm aware that the Joy Sales Legendary Collection has put so many movies out, even if not in the best condition, over the last few years...so I decided to check out the catalog to see what may be worth picking up.

Unfortunately though, my knowledge is not as good as I'd like it to be, and I'm sure many people on here would know much more than I do. So what I wanted to ask was, what movies from this collection fit into the category of what I'm looking for and are worth going for?

Any help would definitely be very much appreciated!

[David Rees]

I dont have many but i would recommend Broken Oath , Skyhawk, Beach Of The War Gods and Himalayan..All anamorphic widescreen, not remastered but worth the cost...Gonna buy Tournament soon....Sorry just realised it was 80's cinema you wanted..but these are good 70's ones...:-)



Shaw Brothers Official All Region DVDs Here (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574630925&toolid=10001&campid=5335817596&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fstores.ebay.com%2FMood-in-Asia_Shaw-Brothers_W0QQ_fsubZ513983010QQ_sidZ168257000QQ_trk sidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322)

[Manozen]

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=92&pictureid=2405

So what I wanted to ask was, what movies from this collection fit into the category of what I'm looking for and are worth going for?

Killer's Nocturne is a heavyweight contender!

Alex Man, Chin Siu Ho, and Chris Lee delivering both wicked action & emotive, respectively.


cheers
Manozen

[One Armed Boxer]

Killer's Nocturne is a heavyweight contender!

Manozen....bingo! This is exactly the type of thing I'm looking for!

Ok...it's the first one in the shopping cart, any other recommendations would be great!

[Manozen]

any other recommendations would be great!

A Bloody Fight
Tsui Siu Keung, Gordon Liu, Lau Kar Leung.

A Fiery Family
Tsui Siu Keung, Gordon Liu.


cheers
Manozen

[One Armed Boxer]

Manozen, thanks again....have you seen any of the following?

'Angry Ranger'
'The Big Heat'
'Fatal Vacation'
'Fury'
'Touch & Go'

[Fist Of Boss]

'The Big Heat'

That is highly recommended,one of best modern day hk movies I` ve seen.Very solid action flick I prefer this over numerous works of John Woo or Ringo Lam.

[Manozen]

Angry Ranger - Fury - The Big Heat - Fatal Vacation - Touch & Go

All five are great movies IMO, an excellent selection thus far!


cheers
Manozen

[chilly bong]

Angry Ranger is a must if you like 80s style kickboxing.

The others don't have much in the way of hand to hand fighting but they're all worth seeing, especially The Big Heat.

Forbidden Arsenal, In the Line of Duty 3, and Sea Wolves are all available from Joy Sales.

Edit: Touch and Go does have 'great but short' Sammo Vs Billy Chow fight near the end.

[One Armed Boxer]

Wow thanks guys...they're all going in the cart for a purchase when next pay day rolls around!

Actually yesasia has 77 pages worth of Joy Sales DVD's, most of which are from the Legendary Collection...so I really need to scroll the whole thing one day and ask about any other titles that catch my eye on there.

Just to elabortate a little further about what I'm looking for, similar types of movie where discussed in this thread - http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6449.

I have been wanting to get my hands on 'Mirage', 'Naughty Boys', & 'Retreat of the Godfather' ever since I saw the clips that got posted there...intense!

Keep them coming if there are any further recommendations!

[kungfusamurai]

What is this 'hate' term? I'm still getting used to 'shapes' 'bashers' and 'glass'. I think they should be called 'AIDS Jokers' because there's usually at least one AIDS joke in these films. :)

Does 'Those Merry Souls' count as a 'hate' film? That's a good one. I have the VCD, but I'm thinking of getting the DVD.

Are you just looking for Joy Sales discs only, or the genre in general? I searched out by actor or actress like Billy Chow, Ken Lo, Yukari Oshima, Moon Lee, etc... to find out titles I'd be interested. Before youtube, it was hit and miss, but now you can preview them there. Here's one movie you should add to your collection, even though it's not Joy Sales - Godfathers Daughter Mafia Blues

lodwRhcyn0g

KFS

[One Armed Boxer]

Kungfusamurai...as far as I'm aware, the term 'hate' isn't actually the name of a certain type of kung-fu movie...Morgoth just titled his thread that way to describe the intensity of the fights on display in the clips.

The reason why I asked about the Joy Sales Legendary Collection specifically is because, for the most part, they seem to be readily available and are very reasonably priced. Plus the fact that they're all packaged in the silver sleeve makes them look good together on the shelf!:wink:

But if you have any movie which you think definitely fits the bill but isn't in the collection, please mention it!

I took a look on youtube at the 'Those Merry Souls' trailer...it looks to be one of the countless Mr Vampire inspired supernatural action comedies that came out in Hong Kong around the same time, with liberal doses of Cantonese comedy...I was looking more for action minus the comedy.

[kungfusamurai]

Cool. That Godfathers Daughter Mafia Blues movie is still available through dddhouse. If you search by names like Moon Lee, you're going to come up with some nice flicks. Same with Yukari Oshima.

KFS

[niro]

I bought a Joysales legendary DVD the other week and it just reeked of some strong chemical/packaging like smell...is that common?
or was it jus probably the storage space of seller i bought from

[JustinB]

I bought a Joysales legendary DVD the other week and it just reeked of some strong chemical/packaging like smell...is that common?
or was it jus probably the storage space of seller i bought from

They all seem to have that smell.

[kungfusamurai]

I bought a Joysales legendary DVD the other week and it just reeked of some strong chemical/packaging like smell...is that common?
or was it jus probably the storage space of seller i bought from

You don't like that 'new car' smell on your DVDs? :)

KFS

[niro]

You don't like that 'new car' smell on your DVDs? :)

KFS

Yea I dont mind them, but for some reason the smell of JoySales DVDs is just evil lol

[rdenn]

.as far as I'm aware, the term 'hate' isn't actually the name of a certain type of kung-fu movie...Morgoth just titled his thread that way to describe the intensity of the fights on display in the clips.
.

morgoth knows where that term hate comes from :wink:

[LeRolls]

Very helpful thread! Just placed an order at Yesasia for the following titles:

Angry Ranger
Fury
In the Line of Duty III
A Bloody Fight
The Big Heat

Now I just need to find the time to actually watch them.

[One Armed Boxer]

Very helpful thread!

Agreed! Thanks for all the replies! I finally took the time to trawl through the 77 pages of Joy Sales titles over at yesasia, and 10 titles got my interest...if anyone could offer any opinions on them before I decide weather to part with my money or not it would be greatly appreciated:

Sworn Brothers
Road Warriors
Who Holds The Golden Key?
Taking Manhattan
Sting of the Scorpion
The Hellfire Angel
A Heroic Fight
Fingers on Triggers

& I know these 2 don't technically fall into the description of what I was after, but they got my curiosity anyway! -

Her Vengeance
Evil Cat

The best find of scrolling though the pages was discovering that 'Naughty Boys' is actually available on DVD! That's great news, and probably shows how long it has been since I last checked for it's availability, if only I could have found 'Mirage' as well!

[Morgoth Bauglir]

morgoth knows where that term hate comes from :wink:

Yep, I got it from you rdenn, king of the hate clips.

One Armed Boxer, I haven't seen any of those movies you listed in your last post:eek:

Here's some other movies that have some good hate-

Ninja Holocaust (mainly for the final fight and Cassanova Wong's kicking)
Code of Honor aka Brotherhood
Tiger on the Beat
Angel aka Midnight Angels

[blue_skies]

I am unfamiliar with a lot of the titles in this thread but I will second Morgoth's selection of Tiger on the Beat, assuming it's the one with Chow Yun Fat and Conan Lee.

I would also say I didn't think much of In the line of duty part 3.

[bengs]

ill be interested to see these myself, i've got a few of these joy sales DVDs/VCDs in my collection but always looking for more because i enjoy these type/era of films, no matter how many times it has been overdone, violent triad/police/vigilante films..

[bengs]

EDIT: see above

[One Armed Boxer]

Here's some other movies that have some good hate-

Ninja Holocaust (mainly for the final fight and Cassanova Wong's kicking)
Code of Honor aka Brotherhood
Tiger on the Beat
Angel aka Midnight Angels

Thanks for the recommendations Morgoth...out of the movies listed I`ve only seen `Tiger on the Beat` & have the HKL DVD.

Good movie, & worth it for the chainsaw fight...but I didn`t particularly enjoy the fact that many scenes seemed to be dedicated to Nina Li, who essentially played an innocent, being smacked around by Chow Yun Fat...it all seemed a bit excessive.

I checked around on the net for reviews of the other 10 movies I listed, and for what I`m looking for at least, most don`t seem to fit the bill...although I couldn`t find any reviews of `Who Has The Golden Key?` & `Fingers On Triggers`!

However `A Heroic Fight`, `Her Vengeance`, & `Evil Cat` have all definitely been added to the cart...they all look like they`re worth a purchase!

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Sworn Brothers is a decent triad flick with some real gritty violence!



Wrote this short review on HKflix a while ago....


SWORN BROTHERS 1987

Another triad tale with two brothers on opposite sides of the law, complete with gritty violence, a romantic subplot and its fair share of a shirtless Andy Lau. Yes folks, we’ve seen it all before. But that doesn’t necessarily make this a bad movie. Actually, Sworn Brothers is a solid 80’s triad flick, that delivers everything you’d expect from such an effort. And it does so with a convincing sense of style, pathos and emotion.

Now, this is an 80’s HK movie, so it is of course very broad and melodramatic, but I love that. One of the great things about HK actors, is that they are not afraid of going all out. And this was particularly true back in the day. Sure, sometimes they go overboard, but even that is, for the most part, pretty entertaining in its own way.

Andy Lau gives one of the better of his early performances here, as another down on his luck- triad, who is basically good at heart. While Cheung Kwok Keung as the righteous cop, and Hsiao Hung Mei as the love interest, doesn’t come across quite as strong. Special mention goes to Peter Yang as a truly despicable villain. The kind you only find in HK triad movies.

The film is not shy about borrowing stuff from other sources. Such as an entire sequence lifted directly from Scarface, but used to great effect. And once again, you can compare all of these triad flicks to A Better Tomorrow, till you’re blue in the face, but that’s not always fair. They operate within a world of similar themes and characters, and while the majority of them, may stick a little too close to the same set of genre conventions, I think a lot of them are very much their own movies, and has gotten a bum wrap as rip-off flicks, because it is an easy label.

Sworn Brothers certainly has enough to offer, if you’re willing to give it a chance. It’s not the most original, but it gets the job done.

[One Armed Boxer]

TibetanWhiteCrane....so you are the Jay Lee of hkflix! Thanks for the link...I remember I always enjoy your reviews over there, and thanks for your opinions on `Road Warriors` as well, it helped confirm that I won`t be parting with my cash for that one!

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

That would be me, and you're welcome!

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I watched Naughty Boys recently after seeing it mentioned in this thread. The story and characters are pretty bad, but the amount of stunts and fights is enormous. It's going to be awhile before this leaves my DVD player.

[blue_skies]

any updates to this thread guys?

[One Armed Boxer]

Hey blue_skies.....my advice would remain the same, if you haven't seen 'Naughty Boys', 'Angry Ranger', and 'Hong Kong Godfather' (ok admittedly this one isn't part of the Joy Sales collection) yet....move them to the top of your priority list!

[blue_skies]

Hey blue_skies.....my advice would remain the same, if you haven't seen 'Naughty Boys', 'Angry Ranger', and 'Hong Kong Godfather' (ok admittedly this one isn't part of the Joy Sales collection) yet....move them to the top of your priority list!

OAB, I have finally taken your advice and gone with 'Naughty Boys' & 'Angry Ranger'. :bigsmile: I couldn't find the Hong Kong Godfather but I really didn't have that much cash to spend any way.

[One Armed Boxer]

OAB, I have finally taken your advice and gone with 'Naughty Boys' & 'Angry Ranger'. I couldn't find the Hong Kong Godfather but I really didn't have that much cash to spend any way.

Great! Look forward to hearing your opinions on them! I certainly hope I haven't hyped them up too much, they're not going to win any awards....but both of them have that balls to the wall feel that I love so much about 80's HK movies, with plenty of fights and stunts along the way...yes there's the usual dose of Canto comedy, particularly in 'Naughty Boys', but it's not overbearing and can definitely be enjoyed for what it is.

If you ever decide to go for 'Hong Kong Godfather', this is the copy that you want -

http://100pr00f.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/hong-kong-godfather.jpg

[Flashlegstan2009]

Hong Kong Godfather is a Must !

I cannot recommend that film to anyone else that is up there with one of my alltime classics violence in the last 30 minutes is great

Other than that i can only recommend Angry Ranger, Nightlife Hero , Her Vengeance

[blue_skies]

Great! Look forward to hearing your opinions on them! I certainly hope I haven't hyped them up too much, they're not going to win any awards....but both of them have that balls to the wall feel that I love so much about 80's HK movies, with plenty of fights and stunts along the way...yes there's the usual dose of Canto comedy, particularly in 'Naughty Boys', but it's not overbearing and can definitely be enjoyed for what it is.

If you ever decide to go for 'Hong Kong Godfather', this is the copy that you want -

http://100pr00f.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/hong-kong-godfather.jpg

I'll try to keep my expectations from being too high then I'll hopefully enjoy them more.:bigsmile: Are they anamorphic widescreen by the way?

Is Hong Kong Godfather a region one DVD?

[One Armed Boxer]

I'll try to keep my expectations from being too high then I'll hopefully enjoy them more. Are they anamorphic widescreen by the way?

Thanks to not having a TV, I only watch movies on my laptop computer...so unfortunately I have absolutely no idea, sorry!

Is Hong Kong Godfather a region one DVD?

It certainly is.

[The Amazing Psycho Per]

I don't know, I'd keep my expectation low on Hong Kong Father. Appart from the last 10 minutes wich are most definately excellent and brutal, the rest of the movie is pretty stale crime drama with very little going on.

If you absolutely need someting that's avalaible on DVD, and that is also anamorphic and Region one, there is not much more availble I'm affraid, at least that I can think of.

[Tigerstyles]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHfhKsLPQ8g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[One Armed Boxer]

Hong Kong Godfather is a Must !

I cannot recommend that film to anyone else that is up there with one of my alltime classics violence in the last 30 minutes is great


Seconded!

I don't know, I'd keep my expectation low on Hong Kong Father. Appart from the last 10 minutes wich are most definately excellent and brutal, the rest of the movie is pretty stale crime drama with very little going on.

It all comes down to personal taste, but you could make this statement about countless 80's kickboxing / crime movies....from 'Angry Ranger' to 'Killers Nocturne'...personally I feel there is enought action and story in 'Hong Kong Godfather' to keep it moving along at an enjoyable pace, and seeing Beardy in a modern day environment is always good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHfhKsLPQ8g&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Oh man....how could you post the finale of the movie for someone that's never seen it!? blue_skies, stay away from this clip! If you ever purchase the movie and don't enjoy it, I'll reimburse you myself! I know there's a tendency since the age of youtube to simply watch the final fight of a movie, or in this case, 10 minutes of blood soaked knife swinging action....but without the rest of the movie, that's all it is, 10 minutes of guys running around with knives. If you watch the rest of the movie, you have a lot more invested in this scene because you know what's at stake and know who the characters are.

[blue_skies]

Seconded!



It all comes down to personal taste, but you could make this statement about countless 80's kickboxing / crime movies....from 'Angry Ranger' to 'Killers Nocturne'...personally I feel there is enought action and story in 'Hong Kong Godfather' to keep it moving along at an enjoyable pace, and seeing Beardy in a modern day environment is always good.

that is something I was thinking about the other day, wondering what good modern-day set films Beardy has appeared in?

Oh man....how could you post the finale of the movie for someone that's never seen it!? blue_skies, stay away from this clip! If you ever purchase the movie and don't enjoy it, I'll reimburse you myself! I know there's a tendency since the age of youtube to simply watch the final fight of a movie, or in this case, 10 minutes of blood soaked knife swinging action....but without the rest of the movie, that's all it is, 10 minutes of guys running around with knives. If you watch the rest of the movie, you have a lot more invested in this scene because you know what's at stake and know who the characters are

I took the plunge yesterday with the Hong Kong Godfather after finding it not too expensive:bigsmile:

... so I might take you up on that offer.:tongue:

[ShaOW!linDude]

Oh man....how could you post the finale of the movie for someone that's never seen it!?

I've never seen this and I watched the clip. Wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Glad I did. No harm, no foul for me.

I was cracking up. That has got to be the pinkest blood I've ever seen. Are all these gangsters anemic?:tongue:

Love Beardy, man, truly do. I will pass on this one though. The action just seems more 'basher' style to me and that's really not my thing. But I can understand the love folks have for it.

(Did Beardy do any modern set MA films? Seems like every one I catch him in is just typical action or he's only a supporting character.)

[Tigerstyles]

PURE HATE from Beardy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U3rlamdzpM&lc=4kWzmh1qbCWEwvfDDoW5OAGJ5FDDIzL55WK5Hqm-oVI&feature=inbox)

[ShaOW!linDude]

PURE HATE from Beardy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U3rlamdzpM&lc=4kWzmh1qbCWEwvfDDoW5OAGJ5FDDIzL55WK5Hqm-oVI&feature=inbox)

That was pretty cool. What film is that from? If it's "Hong Kong Godfather" I may have to rethink my previous statement.

(I see where Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got his famous 'Corporate Elbow' wrestling maneuver at the 1:37 mark.:tongue:)

[blue_skies]

That was pretty cool. What film is that from? If it's "Hong Kong Godfather" I may have to rethink my previous statement.


Too right that was pretty cool!:bigsmile: If that isn't from "Hong Kong Godfather" what was it from? That's going on my wish-list!

[Tigerstyles]

Too right that was pretty cool!:bigsmile: If that isn't from "Hong Kong Godfather" what was it from? That's going on my wish-list!


Profile In Anger

[ShaOW!linDude]

Profile In Anger

Is that more of a modern setting MA film with Beardy throughout?

Never mind. Found the thread.

[blue_skies]

Profile In Anger

Cheers TS. trailer looks awesome for this. :xd: I wish I could just buy it now!



YVk1Oq8ayYE

[One Armed Boxer]

Is that more of a modern setting MA film with Beardy throughout?

Yeah, 'Hong Kong Godfather' & 'Profile in Anger' are probably the only 2 modern day movies that feature Beardy as the main character.

I actually watched 'Profile in Anger' straight after watching 'Hong Kong Godfather', you can check out my comments in the thread I made -

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13176

Cheers TS. trailer looks awesome for this.

That's a fan made trailer from the guys at FLK, and is the perfect example of showing too much, whoever made it really needs to learn that less is more. For a start they've made it look like a relentless action movie, which is completely mis-representative, and secondly they have literally, apart from the final pull of the trigger, shown every action highlight from the movie, including the ending, which I think is worth pointing out contains zero martial arts action.

[ShaOW!linDude]

That's a fan made trailer from the guys at FLK, and is the perfect example of showing too much, whoever made it really needs to learn that less is more. For a start they've made it look like a relentless action movie, which is completely mis-representative, and secondly they have literally, apart from the final pull of the trigger, shown every action highlight from the movie, including the ending, which I think is worth pointing out contains zero martial arts action.

Aw, man! I was sort of getting psyched for that. Well, better to learn now than through a disappointing viewing experience. Thanks for the heads up.

[blue_skies]

Aw, man! I was sort of getting psyched for that. Well, better to learn now than through a disappointing viewing experience. Thanks for the heads up.

I know how you feel I was really excited to see this film as well.:frown: I think I might still try to get it sometime in the future when I can afford it.

By the way OAB how was Killers Nocturne?

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Yeah, 'Hong Kong Godfather' & 'Profile in Anger' are probably the only 2 modern day movies that feature Beardy as the main character.

Eeeh... not really true, unless you mean the only watchable ones, and ones where he does martial arts action. He was pretty good in Danger Has Two Faces, but the film as a whole was not that great. He was also a good sidekick in The Last Blood and Red Shield!

[blue_skies]

Eeeh... not really true, unless you mean the only watchable ones, and ones where he does martial arts action. He was pretty good in Danger Has Two Faces, but the film as a whole was not that great. He was also a good sidekick in The Last Blood and Red Shield!

TWC has Beardy made any good period martial-arts action movies that would fit in to this thread as "hate"?

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Im not really a 100% sure what the term 'hate' covers in this respect. But if it means anger driven, bloody action, then I seem to remember that Secret service Of The Imperial Court had some pretty angry and bloody stuff in it. Of course, you can never go wrong with the Thundering Mantis end fight. That is some angry/insane action, right there.

But I think the 'hate' term is mostly used to describe modern day action. Correct me if im wrong.

[One Armed Boxer]

Eeeh... not really true, unless you mean the only watchable ones, and ones where he does martial arts action.

Hey TWC, yeah, the movies I mentioned where in relation to ShaOW!linDude`s question earlier in the thread -

Did Beardy do any modern set MA films? Seems like every one I catch him in is just typical action or he's only a supporting character.

I think in that regard `Hong Kong Godfather` & `Profile in Anger` are the only 2 movies that could be considered to fit the bill. The other movies you mentioned, while good, kind of fall into the second sentence.

By the way OAB how was Killers Nocturne?

Ha ha....I`m embarrassed to say I`m only half way through it...I promise to finish it off this week & I`ll post my thoughts. So far so good though.

Im not really a 100% sure what the term 'hate' covers in this respect. But if it means anger driven, bloody action...But I think the 'hate' term is mostly used to describe modern day action. Correct me if im wrong.

I think that pretty much covers it, as far as I`m aware the phrase was coined by forum member rdenn. I don`t think it`s necessarily just restriced to modern day action movies, I believe it`s just more the case that it tends to be modern day setting movies that contain that kind of intense violent action.

TWC has Beardy made any good period martial-arts action movies that would fit in to this thread as "hate"?

I`d second `Secret Service of the Imperial Court` (as a sidenote, this was loosely remade recently as the Donnie Yen movie `14 Blades`), it`s a great all round movie which contains some great fights and is pretty bloody thoughout.

As most of the period movies Beardy did where done during the peak of the comedy kung-fu boom, it`s difficult to find one of them that doesn`t have a large comedic aspect to it, which is by no means a bad thing. But with Beardy you can almost always guarantee to get a hate filled final fight, he was just one of those actors in my opinion who could convey rage and anger, while performing intricate choreography, really well.

As mentioned `Thundering Mantis` is the obvious one, although the rest of the movie is wildly different in tone than the insane final 10 minutes....I`d also go with his Sammo choreographed movies, particularly `The Victim`, but also `The Odd Couple` where he gives a great performance as the villain.

[Sheng]

Originally Posted by One Armed Boxer
I`d second `Secret Service of the Imperial Court` (as a sidenote, this was loosely remade recently as the Donnie Yen movie `14 Blades`), it`s a great all round movie which contains some great fights and is pretty bloody thoughout.

Couldn’t agree more, OAB ! Totally gripping and super-dark late Shaw flick, well scripted and with an awesome performance by Beardy – or rather Brigadier, as I (and my Jamaican bredrin) prefer to call him. The crazy undercranking of the fight scenes was a stylistic device, granted, but sometimes I wish that director Lu Chin Ku could have restrained himself a bit though…

[blue_skies]

Thanks to not having a TV, I only watch movies on my laptop computer...so unfortunately I have absolutely no idea, sorry!



.

naughty boys and angry ranger are anamorphic... or at least it says so on the back of the cases!:bigsmile:

[One Armed Boxer]

naughty boys and angry ranger are anamorphic... or at least it says so on the back of the cases!

I'll take it that means you got them!? Now watch!

By the way OAB how was Killers Nocturne?

I finally got through watching this one just moments ago....such a dissapointment!

Actually first and foremost in this movie, before plot, fight scenes, characterization, or anything else.....is mahjong! So many scenes of mahjong, which tend to outstay their welcome by a least 2 minutes everytime, not knowing the rules makes these scenes even more arduous to watch, as the slow hand reveals and narrowing of the eyes just don't hold any meaning!

It does have it's moments, and yes the final 5 minutes features a really gritty throwdown with some very desperate, brutal, and very minimally stylized action...bottles are plunged into peoples faces, other peoples heads are (literally) smashed though solid walls, and even biting is featured, giving it an element of realism which was very refreshing.

However, it is in fact the only real fight scene to speak of in the whole movie. Yes Chin Siu Ho faces off agains Bolo very briefly, but it is completely unspectacular and hardly worth mentioning, and of course there is the infamous fight against the kangaroo, which if the movie didn't have such a serious tone would be laughable in it's level or ridiculousness.

However all in all I simply didn't find the story engaging enough to keep me from constantly looking at how long I had to go until the movie would finish, which is never a good sign. Still, I understand why the finale frequently makes it into peoples 'hate' lists and is a great example of a brutal throwdown, but sitting through the 85 minutes before it simply didn't warrant it as falling into the category of a worthwhile watch in my opinion.

[blue_skies]

I watched Angry Ranger the other night and found it a good entertaining action film. It's not the greatest movie but I will definitely watch it again in the future I have to say I really liked the look of modern set Hong Kong action movies from this era, with the British influence of the former territory (especially seeing the old cars) mixed with the bright neon night life. I would have liked to have seen some more choreographed empty handed battles like the one against the character Macau Hua. But all in all a good movie. Has Ben Lam starred in any other good MA films?

Unfortunately naughty boys didn't work for me mainly down to the large amount of comedy used throughout. Like angry ranger the subtitles weren't great but I suspect with a better translation I would have found the humour more amusing. However that's speculation on my part. Most of the action takes place at the timber yard or the warehouse sequence at the end, most of which I had seen on you tube videos. It does feature some good action but I didn't find enough of it and with the translation extremely poor I kept getting distracted during the non action scenes. I actually paused the DVD to do washing up. I might watch the action sequences again in the future but never the whole movie.


By the way what's up with the art work on these DVDs? I don't recall seeing either cover art actually in the film? Or did I miss it?

[One Armed Boxer]

I watched Angry Ranger the other night and found it a good entertaining action film.
Unfortunately naughty boys didn't work for me mainly down to the large amount of comedy used throughout.

Glad to hear you enjoyed 'Angry Ranger', and sorry 'Naughty Boys' didn't work so well for you, I feel some kind of personal responsability considering they where my recommendations! I'll have a transfer of funds ready to go once you've got through with 'Hong Kong Godfather' (although the fact you enjoyed 'Angry Ranger' is a good sign, both movies are directed by Johnny Wang Lung Wei!).

I would still say they're a worthy double bill, purely based on the fact that they where both choreographed by the Jackie Chan Stunt Team (both movies where also produced by Chan), and it was so unheard of at that period of time for Chan's Stunt Team to work on any other movies except his own.

From that point of view, for me it was a real thrill, and a very rare one, to see the Chan style of fast paced choreography applied with a gritty and violent tone in the case of 'Angry Ranger', and regarding 'Naughty Boys', it was also a treat to see Kara Hui performing in a modern day setting, with an equally rare main lead performance from Mars, one of Chan's stunt teams main members at that time.

On top of that, over the 2 movies you get Ko Fei, Carina Lau, opera school members like Tai Bo, a blink and you'll miss it cameo from Jackie himself, and members of the Venoms clan Lo Meng & Sun Chien...perhaps that's why I enjoyed them so much!

About 'Naughty Boys', fair enough about the comedy, although I definitely wouldn't say it contained anymore hijinks than the average Jackie movie of the same era, 'Wheels On Meals', 'My Lucky Stars', 'Police Story', and 'Armour of God' all have a liberal amount of their running time devoted to comedy, but people still consider them classics.

Most of the action takes place at the timber yard or the warehouse sequence at the end, most of which I had seen on you tube videos.

From your comments I feel even further inclined to rail against the watching of movie finales on youtube. Yes perhaps it gives you a taste of what to expect, but personally I did the same thing with a few movies a couple of years ago, and when I actually watched the whole movie after purchasing them on DVD, once it got to the finale...the part you should gain the most entertainment from...it kind of felt like a hollow enjoyment. I realized it was because I'd already seen it on youtube, I basically spoiled the catharatic experience of watching the bad guys get their come uppance for myself. When I saw the clips of 'Naughty Boys' and 'Angry Ranger' in the hate thread, I turned them off after a minute or so, I knew I'd seen enough to make me want to watch them!

By the way what's up with the art work on these DVDs? I don't recall seeing either cover art actually in the film? Or did I miss it?

I don't actually have the DVD's in my possesion at the moment, but the Joy Sales DVD's usually recreate 2 of the HK movie posters from the time of release for both sides of the DVD. The cover of 'Naughty Boys' with Kara Hui & Carina Lau jumping in gym wear is definitely a publicity still for the movie, likewise the image of Ben Lam on the motorbike riding away from the fire for 'Angry Ranger'. As I recall though the other images from the covers are all in the movies.

Has Ben Lam starred in any other good MA films?

So many! But always as a supporting actor, as far as I'm aware 'Angry Ranger' was his only outing as the lead. But you can check him out in supporting roles in anything from stuff like 'Eastern Condors' and 'Police Story 2', all the way up to recent movies like 'So Close' and 'Flash Point'.

[bratty]

I thought Killer's Nocturne was awesome.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

@One Armed Boxer

Just to clarify, Sing Ga Ban is the cantonese name for the JC stunt team, not the name of an actual member.

[One Armed Boxer]

Damn....how embarrassing, let me do some quick editing to my post so I don't look like such an ameteur..:Ayociexp118:

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

We all have our 'Ric Meyer' moments, but atleast we own up to them:wink:

I thought, for the longest time, that Wai Pai was in Hard Boiled, untill I was corrected.

[blue_skies]

I finally got around to watching this mid-80s triad movie and really, really enjoyed it. Even though I was forced to watch it over two nights I found this a terrific drama. I really found myself getting caught up in the story and the characters, especially liking the themes of brotherhood, honour, loyalty and revenge. The movie was pretty violent and bloody and even though the blood kind of looked off. I thought it was tenfold better than the CGI crap we see these days. Actors getting completely covered in blood rather than huge gushing CGI blood that never hits anybody in the slightest.

As far as "hate" goes this film had it in bucket loads as the heroes got their revenge. With the majority of it in the final throes of the film. From a martial arts point of view the film didn't rock my world but the way the film came together as a whole, as a truly well told revenge story, bloody, violent and a downright gritty triad movie. It's definitely worth watching.:xd:

The US region 1 remastered edition picture quality was very good, the subtitles were clear and easy to read and while there is no extras to speak of. I really thought that the quality of the image brought out the beauty of 80s Hong Kong, helping me enjoy the movie so much more. I also really liked that the subtitles included subtitling signs, which you don't always see translated. It's an excellent example of how an Asian movie should be remastered and released , in my humble opinion.

By the way did anyone else notice that shortly after being introduced to Beardy's dog Stallone when he's reading the newspaper features a picture of Stallone as Rambo ? I'm sure you all did but I thought it was a nice touch. It was also nice to see a little female nudity for a change but what was more surprising than seeing the girls completely nude, was such hairy bushes!:tongue:

[One Armed Boxer]

The movie was pretty violent and bloody and even though the blood kind of looked off.

Ha ha...it's Shaw Brothers blood, the slightly off look is part of it's charm!

As far as "hate" goes this film had it in bucket loads as the heroes got their revenge. With the majority of it in the final throes of the film.

Agreed....the movies final freeze frame finish is just pure hate, I loved it!

By the way did anyone else notice that shortly after being introduced to Beardy's dog Stallone when he's reading the newspaper features a picture of Stallone as Rambo ?

I missed it! Going to have to go back and check that out, nice touch.

It was also nice to see a little female nudity for a change but what was more surprising than seeing the girls completely nude, was such hairy bushes!

Ha ha....what a note to end on! Well, it's Asia, welcome to my world:tongue:....the idea of trimming yourself down there is as alien to girls here as just leaving things as nature intended is to most Western females.

[blue_skies]

I missed it! Going to have to go back and check that out, nice touch.


.


you can find it at chapter 6, 22 min and 10 seconds.:smile:


Ha ha....what a note to end on! Well, it's Asia, welcome to my world:tongue:....the idea of trimming yourself down there is as alien to girls here as just leaving things as nature intended is to most Western females

I don't think it was just Asian thing it was the 1980s and you were just as likely to see the same pubic growth in an American movie of the period. I really don't get the whole culture of plastic surgery, I mean some of the breast augmentation just looks absolutely ridiculous.:squigglemouth:


Agreed....the movies final freeze frame finish is just pure hate, I loved it!

Yeah it put a smile on my face.:bigsmile:

Ha ha...it's Shaw Brothers blood, the slightly off look is part of it's charm!

Absolutely, it's so much better seeing the actors getting bloody even if the colouring is off but it's also the interaction with the walls, floor, the weapons and the whole environment… As it should be blood everywhere stop

[One Armed Boxer]

Absolutely, it's so much better seeing the actors getting bloody even if the colouring is off but it's also the interaction with the walls, floor, the weapons and the whole environment… As it should be blood everywhere stop

Agreed....on a sidenote, if you want to see Beardy unleashing some equally blood splattered hate on people, all be it in a period setting as opposed to a modern one, 'Secret Service of the Imperial Court' is another Shaw Brothers movie well worth tracking down.

[blue_skies]

Agreed....on a sidenote, if you want to see Beardy unleashing some equally blood splattered hate on people, all be it in a period setting as opposed to a modern one, 'Secret Service of the Imperial Court' is another Shaw Brothers movie well worth tracking down.

I'll definitely try to see that one sometime.:tongue:

By the way did you see the Rambo picture on the newspaper in Hong Kong Godfather like I mentioned in my other post?

[One Armed Boxer]

By the way did you see the Rambo picture on the newspaper in Hong Kong Godfather like I mentioned in my other post?

Ha ha....yeah, I saw it....good one!