Holy Sh*t Play have killed off HKL's website! ;-)

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Jun 2008, 16:43

Markgway wrote:Yeah, but Bruce wasn't the writer or director.

Even so it's still definitely Bruce's film.

Markgway wrote:And ENTER wasn't the appropriate place for a long-winded discussion on martial arts philosphy.

It's as good a place as any. It's not as if Game of Death (the cut footage) is a masterpiece but we can see it would've illustrated Bruce's thinkings well.

Markgway wrote:It's a chop-socky remake of Dr. No! I love the movie... but it's hardly deep.

Except for the bad guy it's nothing like Dr. No at all.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 05 Jun 2008, 17:12

Even so it's still definitely Bruce's film.

Sure, Bruce "owns" the movie every inch, but it's not HIS film. He was a hired actor. That's like saying Bruce Willis could've added what he liked to Die Hard because it's his film. It's not. He's a contributor.

It's as good a place as any. It's not as if Game of Death (the cut footage) is a masterpiece but we can see it would've illustrated Bruce's thinkings well.

Not as good a place as any at all. GOD - as evidenced by the restored cut - is a different case. Bruce intended that film to portray various aspects of Jeet Kune Do. That would have been HIS film had it ever been completed. As is (40 mins) we have the closest Bruce ever came to representing his art on screen. You can't confuse this with Enter. Warners were right to cut the Monk scene which kills the film stone dead BEFORE the credits have even run.

Except for the bad guy it's nothing like Dr. No at all.

A lone agent infiltrates an island the authorities can't reach.

A traditionally Chinese-dressed villain with metal hand and white cat.

Hero imprisoned in a cavern.

OK. Not a remake... but there are strong similarities.

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 05 Jun 2008, 18:07

Dr. No at least has a Dragon!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Jun 2008, 20:25

Markgway wrote:Sure, Bruce "owns" the movie every inch, but it's not HIS film. He was a hired actor. That's like saying Bruce Willis could've added what he liked to Die Hard because it's his film. It's not. He's a contributor.

Maybe, maybe not. Bruce Lee was just an artistic force to be reckoned with (unlike Bruce Willis) I'd happily take his say over some director no one barely remembers any more.

Markgway wrote:You can't confuse this with Enter. Warners were right to cut the Monk scene which kills the film stone dead BEFORE the credits have even run.

Like you say it's just a chop-socky martial arts film, personally I don't take it as seriously as you are. I've never thought it cuts the film dead, at all. Fair enough you do though.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 06 Jun 2008, 00:36

bradavon wrote:Bruce Lee was just an artistic force to be reckoned with (unlike Bruce Willis)

Bruce couldn't even get the lead in "Kung Fu" because he was Chinese. You really think Warners considered him "in charge"? For all they knew this film could've went tits up; they weren't concerned about Bruce's expression of Jeet Kune Do. They wanted a Kung Fu thriller. Something nice and simple to attract a mass market audience. You can't review the situation in retrospect and argue about how important Bruce was... because at that time he wasn't. Not to Americans.

Like you say it's just a chop-socky martial arts film, personally I don't take it as seriously as you are.

I don't even know what that's supposed to mean?

I've never thought it cuts the film dead, at all. Fair enough you do though.

Never said you had to agree with me. Just explaining where I'm coming from.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Jun 2008, 00:44

Markgway wrote:Bruce couldn't even get the lead in "Kung Fu" because he was Chinese. You really think Warners considered him "in charge"?

Not then, but now we all consider him to be in charge

.

Markgway wrote:they weren't concerned about Bruce's expression of Jeet Kune Do. They wanted a Kung Fu thriller.

They weren't concerned but Bruce was and I go with Bruce on this one

. I don't care what the director wanted, he's not exactly important in cinema history.

Markgway wrote:You can't review the situation in retrospect and argue about how important Bruce was... because at that time he wasn't.

Yes of course you can. If Bruce wanted the scenes in the film, I'm with Bruce.

Markgway wrote:I don't even know what that's supposed to mean?

I'll explain then, you can be very anal about the importance of how films are structed at times 8).

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 06 Jun 2008, 14:20

In some ways ETD seems very like "Dr. No" to me, this is even mentioned in one of the trailers for the film!

Mr Han = Blofeld, yeah

jimmyscab · Post by **jimmyscab** » 12 Oct 2008, 12:51

Are HKL titles now out of print?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 12 Oct 2008, 13:34

CD WOW still sell some. Are you having trouble getting hold of them?

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 12 Oct 2008, 16:01

Some are OOP. Curiously more recent ones. Dreadnaught is going For £45 at Amazon marketplace!

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 12 Oct 2008, 19:50

Dreadnaught's the only one I'm after!!

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 12 Oct 2008, 21:11

£18 in HMV fo Dreadnaught, £21 for Hong Kong 1941 - a pound and a penny above the original RRP

Dreadnaughts one I'm after too, but since HKL is cut, no more than a tenner for it - and frankly, I've got better dvds to spend a tenner on, so it can wait

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 12 Oct 2008, 22:33

I don't care about the cut since it's a horrible bit to watch (I currently have the Mega Star). I wouldn't pay as much as a tenner for it. I'd go up to £7 probably.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 13 Oct 2008, 13:58

£10 seems good for an OOP DVD that is possibly one of the worlds best versions of it. Agreed it should be less but sometimes you just have to lump it, if you want it.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Oct 2008, 22:27

Why is Dreadnaught cut?

chenlung · Post by **chenlung** » 13 Oct 2008, 22:42

grim_tales wrote:Why is Dreadnaught cut?

BBFC = Yuen Shun Yi ripping off a chicken's head (4 seconds).

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 13 Oct 2008, 23:19

Thanks

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 14 Oct 2008, 03:49

I think if I'd have been on set I would've nutted him.

Seriously it's a horrible bit and I've no problem with it being cut.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 14 Oct 2008, 18:32

What are the motives for him doing that? It seems a pretty pointless and sick thing to do.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 14 Oct 2008, 22:25

Hey,
I just noticed this on Play.com (slow I know)

Play a lot of HKL's cheap.

HKL released an "Ultra Bit Edition" of Dragon Fist, specs claim Cantonese, 2.35/1 and 92 minutes long.
Is that uncut?

http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3304987/ ... oduct.html

chenlung · Post by **chenlung** » 15 Oct 2008, 00:13

It is uncut and will have real subtitles, although mono isn't confirmed and there's not one for the English dub.

The original language is Mandarin however.

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 15 Oct 2008, 03:13

Mono is downmix

Killer Meteor · Post by **Killer Meteor** » 15 Oct 2008, 03:15

Had a look through Play and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to which titles are OOP, and which are still avaliable. Dreadnaught doesn't even have a listing

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 15 Oct 2008, 03:20

bradavon wrote:What are the motives for him doing that?

To show Yuen Biao how "crazy" his character is.

It seems a pretty pointless and sick thing to do.

It is.

jimmyscab · Post by **jimmyscab** » 15 Oct 2008, 07:21

bradavon wrote:CD WOW still sell some. Are you having trouble getting hold of them?

Yeah, still deciding whether to get iceman cometh. Looks cheesy, but yuen biao is always good.

But cant find it!