Ambush

1973

Director: Ho Meng Hua

Starring: Chiao Hsiung, Ching Lee,Yang Chi Ching,Wang Hsieh, Dean Shek, Chiang Ling

Prolific director/auteur Ho Meng Hua (who has fashioned everything from the Monkey King/Journey to the West films of the '60s, to the influential cult fave 'The Flying Guillotine', to the King Kong knockoff 'Mighty Peking Man' to the outrageous dark horrors of the 'Black Magic' series) lenses a supreme wuxia/basher/crime thriller hybrid that manages to do justice to each genre.

The setting is the Tang Dynasty. A high ranking constable is framed for the theft of a shipment of jewels. Finding himself on the run, our hero must evade capture while attempting to find out who framed him as well as discover where the stolen jewels are located. He also finds himself in a tenuous relationship with a mysterious swordsman who's been trailing him; his motive unclear...

'Ambush' is one of those films that I simply stumbled upon while researching Shaw Bros. releases from this time period and turned out to be quite a buried treasure of entertainment. Ho Meng Hua keeps the complicated yet linear plot moving at an increasingly swift pace and loads the widescreen picture with some particularly dazzling and sumptuous visuals (at one point there is a striking faux horror element that anticipates the director's notorious later work for the studio). But the real selling point for me was the plentiful action. Initially appearing to be a strictly wuxia picture, the battles eventually give way to some eye opening (for a Shaw production of this vintage) hand to hand duels. These are all filmed with an edgy gusto that I found particularly thrilling. The highlight is undoubtedly the intense finale which takes place in and around a giant windmill that may have been specially constructed for the film. Ho shoots the sequence masterfully, milking every bit of tension and utilizing every interior and exterior section of the prop. It is an amazing sequence  and alone makes the pic a must-see.

In a surprising cast move, Chiao Hsiung assumes the lead protagonist role. Chiao had by this point made a career out of playing notably nasty villains (most of us westerners will recognize him from 'The Chinese Boxer' and 'King Boxer/5 Fingers of Death') and though initially questioning the move myself, I was pretty quickly won over. He doesn't have the typical 'heroic' look, but his quiet charisma suggests that he could indeed have made a career out of this type of role. Regular Shaw starlet, Ching Lee has little to do other than be rescued by Chiao though their final exchange is quite touching (after all she's been through, she entertains the idea of living with him in seclusion). Yang Chi Ching is another surprise as the main villain. Unlike most white haired baddies in kung fu films that are usually played by much younger fighters in wigs, Yang is well into his fifties, yet is quite imposing in the role, lending realism and respectability to his final battle with Chiao at the previously mentioned mill. Dean Shek is primarily known for some wince inducing, over the top comedic roles in later kung fu comedies, but delivers a fine, low key dramatic perf as the mysterious (and ultimately untrustworthy) swordsman. Chiang Ling threatens to steal every scene she's in as the amoral seductress who though morally irredeemable, still manages to gain a small measure of audience sympathy (O.K. a very small measure).

 'Ambush' is a top notch Shaw Brothers effort and a most curious and unusual one. I'll admit that there are still many Shaw releases from this early period that I've not seen but this film alone is cause enough for me to keep vigorously digging around for more. Hugely entertaining and highly recommended. 

Rating: 8/10

Live Hard

                                                               1989
                                             Director: Yeun Cheung Yan
Starring: Simon Yam, Hwang Jang Lee, Lau Ching Wan, Kim Maree Penn, Elaine Liu, Eddie Ko

             
Despite the title, this ultra rarity is not a tongue in cheek spoof of 'Die Hard'. Rather, it is a fairly solid entry from the waning years of Hong Kong's modern day action cycle.

Hong Kong cop, Hui (Simon Yam) is investigating a band of terrorists who killed the son of a high ranking official, but finds his progress constantly impeded by his superior. Meanwhile, a top undercover unit is maneuvering to quickly find out exactly who the next target is before it's too late. Hui manages to capture the perceived ringleader named Ironman (Eddie Ko), but he is promptly released and Hui finds himself suspended (Ironman as it turns out, was a member of the special unit working undercover). Undaunted, he carries on his investigation, befriending an American reporter (Kim Maree Penn) for info, not realizing she is in fact the head of the terrorist organization...

The story is pretty generic and the script is a purely going by the numbers affair with little character development and somewhat of a laxed buildup to the action scenes. What makes 'Live Hard such a treat is the high quality of the action itself and it's large cast of notable actors and fighters. In an early role, Simon Yam already has charisma to spare, even if his role is so underdeveloped. As the head of the undercover unit, Hwang Jang Lee (in one of his last roles) gets to show off his supreme kicks in several fight scenes, showing no signs of aging. This is a good role for the Korean superkicker, one that should make his fans mucho happy. Genre fave Elaine Liu plays a member of Hwang's squad and unfortunately does not have a whole lot to do until the finale. I for one would have liked to have seen her role expanded a bit. Making her debut, Austrailain Karate expert Kim Marie Penn definately leaves an impression. Her acting was nothing to write home about, but she really lets it rip when the fists and feet start flying. Her final reel smackdown vs Hwang is a real eye opener. In fact the entire special unit vs terrorists finale is filled to the brim with some outstanding fights and stuntwork. US Karate champion Farley Ruth Kordica is memorable for her considerable skills and freakishly scary looks. The only other role she appeared in was 'The Witness' (aka In the Line of Duty 4) where she gets an intense one on one with Cynthia Khan. Ever reliable Mark Houghton  has a brief early appearance in the dubbed export version only as a target of the terrorists.

While it is lacking in character buildup (it plays almost as if it's first reel is missing), 'Live Hard' with it's hard hitting action and rewindable finale makes for good fun for the 80's action enthusiast.


                                                                         Rating: 6/10

El Ultimo Kamikaze

                                                               1984
                                                   Director: Paul Naschy
                                Starring: Paul Naschy, Iran Eory, Manuel Tejada

                                                               
Been meaning to review a Paul Naschy film for some time. Ever since I caught 'Frankenstein's Bloody Terror' (aka Mark of the Wolfman) on T.V. as a youngin', I always had a curiosity about Mr. Naschy. His werewolf portrayal was and is in my opinion, the most brutal and most frightening lycanthrope ever commited to film. For the longest time, it was the only one of his films I ever caught. Not until the late '80s did I begin to hunt down his other horror films on old beat up vhs bootlegs. But despite my efforts this one, 'El Ultimo Kamikaze' remained aloof. So rare was this one back then that I couldn't even find a plot description. Judging by the title, I had assumed it was a WW2 action flick. When I finally got my hands on a semi-decent (and sadly untranslated) print, I discovered that it was nothing of the kind...

Striking me as a sort of low rent Jean Pierre Melville homage, 'El Ultimo Kamikaze' features a pair pf rival hitmen on a collision course. One of them (Naschy) is haunted by memories of his father, an SS enforcer.

Naschy uses this premise as a means to stage as many 'hits' as possible. All obviously carefully planeed, yet somewhat hampered by poor editing and lack of buildup. Still, it is worth checking out for the many oddball disguises that our writer/director/star dons. These include what can be described as a homeless version of Gandalf from Lord of the Rings (and the sight of him speeding away on a motorcycle, still in this getup is one you will not soon forget), a plummer (his victim is appropriately sitting on the toilet at the moment of his demise) and most memorably (though not in a good way) as a woman (making the likes of Dame Edna look attractive by comparison). All of these are shot without even the slightest hint of tongue in cheek parody. Of course, he also dons the titled Japanese warrior outfit for his climatic showdown but due to the lack of an English translation, I'm not exactly sure why.

Though it should have been livelier and more exciting than it was, 'El Ultimo Kamikaze' is worth seeing as a Naschy oddity. As one of two Japanese co-productions (the other being the admittedly far superior 'Beast and the Magic Sword' which posits Naschy's werewolf in feudal Japan - now why the hell didn't I review that film?!), it's worth catching for fans of this unique character who are in the mood for something a little different.

... and those disguises...

                                                              
                                                                     Rating: 5/10

Za Karate 2 (The Karate 2)

                                                              1975
                                                  Director: Yukio Noda
                   Starring: Tadashi Yamashita, Shingo Yamashiro, Yoko Horikashi

                                                         
Way back in the '80s, I had first seen 'The Karate' under it's ridiculous U.S. retitling, 'Bronson Lee, Champion'. Little did I realize at the time that it was merely the first of an increasingly bizarre trilogy of straight faced action satires, the kind that only Japan could have produced.

In the trilogy, star Tadashi Yamashita plays a fighter named... Tadashi Yamashita (He is never referred to as Bronson Lee at any point in the dubbed version, but nevermind). In the first entry, he loses his sight through the treachery of his rivals, yet still enters a high stakes tournament in order to help his ailing grandmother.

For the sequel, director Yukio Noda amps up both the action and ridiculousness considerably. The film opens with Yamashita being challenged by the 'Guillotine Brothers' of New Guinea. He defeats the pair only to be forbidden from fighting by his karate instructor (Masafumi Suzuki, best known for his appearances in Sonny Chiba's 'Streetfighter' films). Regardless, once word of the Guillotine Brothers' defeat spreads, fighters from all over the world are dispatched to kill Yamashita as well as steal the prized 'Orikirimaru Sword'.

With the unwanted melodrama of the first film out of the way, Yukio Noda runs wild here, using up much of the film's running time on Yamashita's increasingly bizarre array of opponents/assassins. They are Korean Hap Ki Do master Kim Jin Pai (also going under his real name as well as martial arts style; and star of Hong Kong films like 'The Madarin (Godfathers of Hong Kong) and 'Valley of the Double Dragon' (Kung Fu of Tai Kwan Do), reviewed elsewhere in this blog), West Germany's 'Blue Geller' (who supports what may be the worst hairdo in the history of cinema), Sweden's 'Dr. One', U.S.A.'s completely crazed (naturally) 'Killer Samson' (who's uniquely designed Sai helps Yamashita I.D. the main villain) and the most dreaded of all, Dracula Jack (Bolo Yang Sze in a particularly imposing cameo).Yamashita himself is in top form (squeaky faux Bruce Lee wails and all) and the nearly constant duels between he and his goon squad of nemesis' build properly and impressively, leading to a dual climax (first an Enter the Dragon style free for all, followed by one last smackdown on a sandy beach) that's as good as any you'll see in the genre.

It isn't all fun and fury, however. The film does settle down in it's middle section as Yamashita befriends a bullied child and teaches him some basic karate moves. Luckily, these scenes don't last very long and are not as sappy as they may have been. Then there's Yamashita's goofy sidekick. His typical antics are of the 'look how great I am, oof I hurt myself' variety. Not as embarrassingly bad as some similar characters I've endured in like films from Hong Kong and Italy and I at least found him to be mildly amusing in spots, but really could have done without this guy, altogether.

These minor complaints aside, 'The Karate 2' adds up to mucho high octane fun for the undemanding, thrill seeking Karate film fan (and really, is there any other kind?).


                                                                   Rating: 6/10

The Third Generation Ureme 6

                                                                1989
                                                 Director: Kim Cheong Gi
                                        Starring: Han Jeong Ho, Kim Jong A
                               
                                                         
I initially came upon this super obscure film series in the mid nineties. Ureme (which stands for Thunderhawk in English) was a series of eight ultra low budget children's sci fi action comedies that began in 1986. I had first read about these in Damon Foster's 'Oriental Cinema' magazine (come to think of it, it's still the ONLY place I've ever read about them) and was able to obtain the first and sixth entries from a grey marketeer who charged far too much (as was always the case back then).

Ureme was apparently Korea's local answer to the beloved Japanese anime and live action shows of the '70s as it combined a Henshin Hero known as 'Beperman' with an animated transformer robot. For a fan like myself, this sounds ideal and for the most part it is. The thing that nearly ruins the whole deal for me is star Shim Hyung Rae. As far as I know, Shim was a very popular comedian among children and since that was the series' targeted audience, I'm sure he went over well with the young locals. That's fine but for a much older (and at least slightly more mature) 'foreign devil' like myself, he comes off as an extremely unfunny, borderline mentally challenged doofus. Throughout the initial entry, I found myself hitting the fast forward button frequently as his comedy (cough!) took precedence over the super hero sci fi material. Afterwards, I couldn't help but feel that maybe this wasn't really my thing afterall. But I did remember that Damon's reviews got more positive as the series progressed, so I gave it another go. Which brings us to our featured review, 'The Third Generation Ureme 6'.

Right off the bat I knew that this was going to be a much more enjoyable experience as for this one entry, Shin Hyung Rae was replaced by the more subdued Han Jeong Ho. Han though still playing the same goofball main character, did not generally resort to unbearable facial contortions and actually came off as semi-superheroic in human form. Ironically the very things that made him more bearable to me likely disappointed the Korean kiddies who must have badly missed their 'beloved' regular star. The comedy itself was kept to a relative minimum this time, which allowed for it's sci fi story and no budget, yet oddly compelling special effects to take center stage.

The story (as near as I can figure out since these films are in raw Korean language only) features our heroic Beperman and his sexy female sidekick, Dae Illie (I THINK that's the character's name) getting caught in a war between good and evil alien civilizations who want to use Korea's forest backdrop as their battlefield. The battle eventually moves itself to one of the aliens' home planets.

The entire film sports an unapologetic toy-like (literally) visual style. The alien landscape that dominates the second half appears to be a two dimensional drawing or painting that the live actors share, George Melies style. The transformer robot is (as it is in every episode) a cartoon. Most incredible (in every aspect of the word) of all are the dino robots that the bad aliens use to dispatch our heroes. They are literally store bought wind up toys! I realize this all sounds intolerably junky, but somehow these 'effects' appealed to me on a child-like level that I found utterly irresistible. Perhaps this coincides with my either overly simplistic or overly complicated brain function (I'd prefer to think it's the latter) but either way, I found myself rewinding these climatic scenes many times. Hey, that has to be worth something...

'The Third Generation Ureme 6' can be a very entertaining experience, provided you know what you're getting into in advance. Sit back late one night (the later, the better) and revel in it's creative, childlike charms.

                                                             Rating: 7/10

Click on the link to watch a highlight clip:  http://pann.nate.com/video/216944872

Dreaming the Reality

                                                               1991
                                              Director: Simon Yun Ching
           Starring: Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, Sibelle Hu, Ben Lam, Eddie Ko Hung

                                                     
This sadly neglected masterpiece is in my opinion not only the best of the many Moon Lee/Yukari Oshima pairings, but the finest Girls With Guns/Battling Babes film ever made.

The plot consists of two parallel and seemingly disparate story archs. The main story involves two women, Silver Fox (Moon Lee) and her 'sister', Kat (Yukari Oshima) who have been raised as orphans since childhood to be assassins by their 'Foster Father', Fok (Eddie Ko). They are contract killers without emotion, working completely independently outside the law. After accidentally killing a busload of children (a tough scene to watch) during an ambush, Silver Fox begins to have feelings of guilt. Later, a mission in Thailand goes awry and the two sisters are forced to separate. During a police chase Silver Fox hits her head, falls into a lake and wakes up an amnesiac. The second story concerns an ex HK cop named Lan (Sibelle Hu) who runs a bar while attempting to deal with her drinking and gambling habits. Her brother, Rocky (Ben Lam) is a (wait for it) boxer (Thai Boxer, actually) who runs afoul of a local gangster who wishes to manage him.

For first time viewers, this parallel story arch may cause them to feel initially that they're watching a notorious Godfrey Ho cut and paste job (the edits between scenes are admittedly choppy), but stay with it as the two stories do merge just past the mid way point as Silver Fox stumbles into Lan's bar, still not knowing who she is. She's put to work there as she attempts to sort things out. It isn't long however, until "Foster Father', Fok sends Kat and a 'brother', Scorpion to find (and terminate) their missing 'sister'. Fox having recovered her memory, now finds her two worlds colliding.

The film's director, Simon Yun Ching has been really tough for me to pinpoint as he's gone under so many different names (including this film, where he's dubbed Tony Liu), but near as I can tell, he is the same man responsible for this, 'Angel Terminators 2' 'That's Money' (which I reviewed just a few films ago) and the way over the top comedy "The Big Deal'. Assuming my info is correct (which I'm not 100% sure it is) then Yun is THE unsung hero of the Girls With Guns movement. He more than any other seems to have been able to channel the talents of his fighting femmes and extracted every ounce of charisma that each possesed.

Both Moon and Yukari look absolutely incredible in their sleek uniforms and dark shades and each give wonderfully subtle perfs. The relationship between these two unrelated 'sisters' leads to some wonderfully subtle moments, all of which are merely (and mysteriously) hinted upon. When Yukari notices Moon giving a longing glance to a happy couple, she mumbles, "This game doesn't suit us". As Moon attempts to drink her Bloody Mary, she hears the screams of the dying school bus children (again, very powerful stuff). Yukari notices her hesitation and without fliching swaps drinks with her. When Moon asks Yukari, "What would you do if I were to die?", Yukari without showing an ounce of outwardly emotion, simply responds "I'd die with you". In a film filled with such gory, hard hitting action (including a WOW of a finale), it is these brief exchanges which prove the most breathtaking. Most mysterious of all is a brief dream sequence where Moon envisions Yuakari as a policewoman who begins firing upon her. This is never explained and it is all the richer for it. Moon and Osh are matched here by Sibelle Hu in by far the most memorable role of her career as the wise cracking ex-cop (Hu apparently to some degree, channeling Karen Allen in Raiders of the Lost Ark). Her wonderfully quirky, over the top comedic perf proves to be a perfect foil for the dark somberness of her two co-stars (her lone shared sequence with Yukari is especially memorable). Eddie Ko portrays the loathsomely evil Fok to perfection. An absolutely hissable character, the 'Foster Father' proves to be one of the great villains in HK cinema history and Ko is more than up to the task.

Despite the admittedly too long and too numerous Thai Boxing sequences, 'Dreaming the Reality' emerges as one of my all time favorites. It's mixture of blistering action set pieces, powerful, subtle drama, potently memorable characters, top notch acting chops from all involved and strong production values make this absolutely essential for any fan of the genre.

                                                                Rating: 9/10

The Club

                                                              1981
                                                  Director: Kirk Wong
        Starring: Chan Wai Man, Tsui Siu Keung, Kent Cheng, Kao Fei , Kwan Yung Moon

                                                      
"Without a doubt, the best Gangster film to come out of Hong Kong is The Club"

When you see a quote like this from the film's star, it may initially come off as the rantings of an egomaniac. But in the case of one Michael Chan Wai Man, there is much foundation for such a bold statement. One of Hong Kong cinema's true tough guys, Chan not only starred in this pivitol gangster saga but as an apparent triad member himself lived it to a degree as well, lending this film an uncomfortable air of autobiographical realism that must have sent viewers reeling.

In the film, Chan plays an honorable gang member who helps open and run a new glitzy nightclub (The 'Club' of the title though there could well be multiple meanings behind the film's naming). It doesn't take long for opposition to rear it's ugly head and Chan finds himself slowly under siege not only from a rival gang, but from within his own network as well.

No two ways about it, 'The Club' is one of the toughest and most uncompromising films ever made. It is the very antithesis of the later John Woo/Heroic Bloodshed type of filmmaking and much credit should go to director Kirk Wong. There are no loving Leone style closeups nor the beautiful slow mo Peckinpah shootouts that populated Woo's films. Wong's camera is simple, direct and unforgiving. The air of sleeze and grunge is so thick, you could slice it with a katana. It is about as unromantic an atmosphere as could be asked for. Wong also fills his film with some disarming imagery; from the nude female club dancers (complete with rubber monster masks) who dance to the tune of Fleetwood Mac's 'Tusk' (!) to the disturbing slaying of Chan's friend in a hotel (uncomfortably juxtaposed with a vigorous sex scene between Chan and his Japanese squeeze), the sound of the slaughter ultimately being drowned out by outside construction workers.

The characters likewise are treated matter of factly, as if everyone is resolved to their situation. As Chan's character looses everything he holds dear, his reaction (hotheaded though he may be) is not one of sympathetic emotion but rather of steely resolve. In the finale as he attempts to single handedly confront his gang rivals in the very nightclub he had helped establish, he is suddenly joined by his closest confiidant (suavely portrayed by Tsui Siu Keung) who had previously refused to get involved. Wong does not allow this moment to be romanticized. Their exchange is a brief, wordless one that more than gets it's point across as the two casually and robotically storm the club, swords and knives in hand. The final effect is as chilling as it is gripping.

It's really a shame that a film as important as 'The Club' has yet to surface uncut and remastered in any format. It is an important and seminal film in the development of the modern Heroic Bloodshed genre and deserves far more attention than it has so far received.

                                                           Rating: 7/10