Shaw Bros. recommendations

[Markgway]

The main difference between the Mandarin and Japanese versions is that the hero is played by a different actor. All scenes in which the lead actor is featured were shot twice. Once with Wang Yu and then again with an actor who's name I can't quite recall. Sorry. I found this film to be very lame so maybe the JP edit plays better? Who knows?

[HungFist]

Since Asia-Pol was so awesomely good, I also watched two other spy films. Unfortunately, I can no longer remember anything about them. The first one was The Balck Falcon. I don't seem to have taken any screencaps of it before I sold the dvd, but I do have my comments saved.



The Black Falcon (Hong Kong, 1967) – 3/5
”James Bond’s sworn brother” is after a mysterious villain organization in a Shaw Brothers spy film. While not one of the most impressive efforts in the genre, it does come with a good mixture of colours, camp, and plot turns that make little to no sense at all. Surveillance cameras are everywhere (even in the middle of a lake) and the armed bad guys compete for the 'lousiest aim on the planet' -medal. Some of the music was also used in The One-Armed Swordsman (1967), in remixed form.

In other words, recommended viewing, but not necessarily a keeper. It was hard decision, though, but I decided to keep only one of the two similar and almost equal quality films. The one I kept was:

Interpol (Hong Kong, 1967) – 3/5
Rica director Ko Nakahira’s medium cool spy adventure. Two interpol agents are murdered and 009 is given a mission to find out who’s behind the hits. The undercover mission requires teaming up with a comic sidekick and seducing practically every female that walks across. The pic holds up quite well but is no match for the super stylish Wang Yu vehicle Asia-Pol (1966).

Lazy me has not taken caps, but I will take a few right now.










Both IVL dvds feature the original mono

[HungFist]

Not a secret agent film, but The Golden Buddha (1966) also features a lot of spy movie influences. It's about an innocent man who gets in the middle of a murder mystery by chance (similarly to many Hitchcock films) in Thailand. Too long running time but still a good enough amount of fun with femme fatales and fight sequences where every punch misses the target by 15 cm. There’s also a tattoo scene that reveals a pair of breasts, not something you'd necessarily expect from a 1966 Shaw film.

The IVL dvd does not feature original mono














Does anyone have more recommendations on Shaw Brothers spy / modern action movies from the 60's?

[Markgway]

You could try Angel with the Iron Fists and Angel Strikes Again with Lily Ho.

[HungFist]

Thanks.

[HungFist]

ok, if someone can think of more Shaw spy/action recommendations please let me know, meanwhile I'll move on and finish what I started.

The first film I wanted to give more attention was Asia-Pol, and the second is Men From the Gutter (1983), which is one of the best crime/action films Hong Kong produced in the 80's. Everything from cast to soundtract, cinematography and action work brilliantly in this film. The storyline follows two cops, one assassin, and a group of small time criminals, all on a fatal crash course.

As an interesting note Run Run Shaw was one of the producers in Blade Runner (1982). Some scenes (mainly visuals) in Men From the Gutter seem heavily influenced by Blade Runner, although there's of course no scifi elements in Men From the Gutter.

IVL's dvd features the original mono.

[saltysam]

Just got the new Media Blasters Release Flag Of Iron-Mandarin Mono. here's some caps

[Killer Meteor]

media Blasters has announced 10 more Shaw films for release

Kid With The Golden Arm
Iron Bodyguard
Lion Vs. Lion
Magnificent Ruffians
Brave Archer 2
Rebel Intruders
Brave Archer 3
The Lady Is The Boss
Masked Avengers
Chinatown Kid

[saltysam]

Hopefully Chinatown Kid will be the longer version.

[oldeschool17]

Did yours come with a slipcover?

Just got the new Media Blasters Release Flag Of Iron-Mandarin Mono. here's some caps

[romerojpg]

I thought all Shaws stopped having slip cases a long time back? I have had no slipcase for a very long time now may depend on where you get them I guess.

[oldeschool17]

I thought all Shaws stopped having slip cases a long time back? I have had no slipcase for a very long time now may depend on where you get them I guess.

You are thinking of the IVL releases. All of the MB releases have slipcases(however, I am not sure on Flag of Iron). I think even the Well Go releases have slipcases, but since I dont buy those releases I wouldn't know. Anyways, I ask because I noticed at 2 of the Best Buys that I went to that Flag of Iron did not have any slipcases. Obviously, it's immaterial in affecting one's viewing but was curious.

[romerojpg]

Ahhh yes I am on about them darned HK releases I was indeed mixed up there. As soon as I hear the word Shaw, I instantly think of the Hong Kong release.

[Markgway]

Slipcases are the most pointless waste of manufacturer money.

[romerojpg]

Yup, unless they have totally different artwork on them.
Which makes all my HK Shaws slipcases bin worthy, but sadly many people will not buy them if you dont have that amazing magic crappy slipcase so I cannot even bin them all in case I need to sell em.

[Markgway]

I binned all of mine.

[romerojpg]

I can only imagine what weight many hundreds of dvd slipcases come to! more pointless waste of weight and space.

But I have found no way I can bin them, as no way you can sell some titles without them, unless you reduce the price a lot. I have had sales stopped in their tracks when I have said certain titles had no slip case

[Markgway]

IVL stopped producing slipcases along the line so it doesn't really matter. No set will ever be complete with slipcases.

[oldeschool17]

Id think it would only be common sense and cost effective to stop doing slipcases, especially in this worldly economy. It really serves no purpose other than potentially jacking up the cost of the dvd for the manufacturer and the customer.

[saltysam]

Flag Of Iron has a slipcase.

[oldeschool17]

Flag Of Iron has a slipcase.

I figured so. Thanks for confirming.

[HungFist]

First, Asia-Pol (1966), a Shaw Brothers - Nikkatsu co-production directed by Akinori Matsuo and starring Jimmy Wang Yu as a secret agent. The sunsets, casinos, gadgets and femme fatales are all included, and plenty of influences are taken from the James Bond movies as well as Nikkatsu's 1960's action films. The cast is mostly Japanese, and in fact Wang Yu also plays a Japanese character for once (instead of beating them to death as usual). Nikkatsu legend Jo Shishido plays the villain. One of Wang Yu's coolest films.

The main difference between the Mandarin and Japanese versions is that the hero is played by a different actor. All scenes in which the lead actor is featured were shot twice. Once with Wang Yu and then again with an actor who's name I can't quite recall. Sorry. I found this film to be very lame so maybe the JP edit plays better? Who knows?

I caught the Japanese version on 35 mm in Tokyo last weekend. Wrote more about it in the JP thread:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3840&p=169252#p169252

[Markgway]

Despite the partly misleading "Shaw Brothers reputation" Asia-Pol is mainly a Nikkatsu product. It's very much in the vein of the hundreds of modern, ultra cool action film Nikkatsu was churning out in the 50's and 60's, a features some of the studio's biggest stars of all time: Hideaki Nitani, Ruriko Asaoka, and Joe Shishido.

The style also fits in with the campy spy thrillers that Shaws were churning out in the mid sixties. Fluff like The Black Falcon and Angel with the Iron Fists, etc. (some of which were directed by Japanese imports). Shaw may have been influenced by the Nikkatsu style, but make no mistake this was very much a co-production. It's a shame that the Chinese print doesn't credit Nikkatsu (for some reason acknowledgments of inter-Asian co-productions - mostly Korean - were hidden rather than celebrated). I assume the Japanese print does likewise.

[HungFist]

Despite the partly misleading "Shaw Brothers reputation" Asia-Pol is mainly a Nikkatsu product. It's very much in the vein of the hundreds of modern, ultra cool action film Nikkatsu was churning out in the 50's and 60's, a features some of the studio's biggest stars of all time: Hideaki Nitani, Ruriko Asaoka, and Joe Shishido.

The style also fits in with the campy spy thrillers that Shaws were churning out in the mid sixties. Fluff like The Black Falcon and Angel with the Iron Fists, etc. (some of which were directed by Japanese imports). Shaw may have been influenced by the Nikkatsu style, but make no mistake this was very much a co-production. It's a shame that the Chinese print doesn't credit Nikkatsu (for some reason acknowledgments of inter-Asian co-productions - mostly Korean - were hidden rather than celebrated). I assume the Japanese print does likewise.

I didn't spot any mention of Shaw Bros. in the Nikkatsu print. If it was there, it was rather hidden indeed. I suppose neither country wanted to risk angering some of the more nationalistic audiences.

I would still argue it's mainly a Nikkatsu product (content wise), even though half of the money may have come from Shaw Bros.

First of all, Shaw Bros. may have released a bunch of stylish modern action films similar to Asia-Pol in the late 60's, but I think that was only because they were trying to imitate Nikkatsu action films in the first place. Nikkatsu was a major producer of stylished modern action films in the 1950's and 1960's, and some have even given them credit for anticipating the James Bond films with their similar early 60's films (made before Dr. No). Shaw Bros. was also well known for sending their filmmakers to Japan to learn, and using Japanese directors and cinematographers (with "fake" Chinese names").

Secondly, the creative power behind Asia-Pol seems overwhelmingly Japanese. Director Akinori Matsuo had directed more than 30 films for Nikkatsu, screenwriter Gan Yamazaki had written almost 80 screenplays for Nikkatsu before (including for Seijun Suzuki), cinematographer Kazumi Iwasa was a veteran of more than 80 films (mostly for Nikkatsu), composer Toshirô Mayuzumi had worked in 150 films for various Japanese studios, and so on.

In financing sense it is of course very much a co-production and the film benefitted majorly from it. The filmmakers could have access to information and locations in several countries and the film could have bigger scale than the usual Nikkatsu action films. But as far as filmmaking style went, I would argue Asia-Pol was much more of a Nikkatsu film than a Shaw Bros. film, and if Shaw had made similar films, it was because those films were influenced by Nikkatsu films in the first place.

(that being said, I'm no expert on early Shaw films, so I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt)

A few Nikkatsu action film posters and stills to give you an idea what they were doing in the 1960's






1. Kenju burai-cho (1960)
2. Ryuji the Gun Slinger (1960)
3. A Killer Without A Grave (1961)
4. Detective Bureau 2-3: The Man with a Weakness for Money & Women (1963)
5. Cruel Gun Story (1964)

6. Black Gambler: Dice de korose (1965)
7. Kenju burai-cho: nagare-sha no mure (1965)
8. Yaro ni kokkyo ha nai (1965)
9. Yoru no bara kese (1966)
10. Black Tight Killers (1966)

11. The Dirty Seven (1967)
12. Velvet Hustler (1967)
13. A Colt is My Passport (1967)
14. Three Seconds Before Explosion (1967)
15. The Dirty Seven: Chi no sengen (1967)

[Markgway]

I agree with most of what you say... I was just making the point that Shaws were very much into the making of this film.