The Mongols have taken over China but White Dragon (Jimmy Wang Yu) and his huge spear stand in their way. Two rebels die to give a young thief named Kenny a tube with a secret message and White Dragon agrees to protect him as they journey to deliver that information to the Prince, who hates White Dragon as he once defeated his father in a duel and ruined the man’s life.
That tube contains a secret list of rebel leaders that the Prince can use to save China, even if he hates White Dragon, who is selfless and still wants to return it to him, even if the Prince had no honor and stabbed him with a secret dagger hidden inside his Magic Sword.
This all leads up to a twenty-minute long final battle that seems like a contest between White Dragon and the Prince to see how many soldiers they can kill. The final boss, General Tai (Yi Yuan) has one of those amazing martial arts movie weapons, a sword that turns into a whip. I have no idea how a weapon like that would work in real life, but who cares? This is the world of unreal weapons and even more fantastic warriors using them to unleash their fighting skill.
It’s intriguing that this was directed and written by a female filmmaker, Kao Pao Shu, which doesn’t happen too often in martial arts cinema. She would direct herself in The Female Fugitive and also make The Master Strikes.
Filmmaker Oscar Harding grew up near farmer Charles Carson. Carson would give the family his homemade video tapes, which seem like he was hosting a TV program but he was all by himself. Or he was surrounded by cows giving birth. Or puppeteering his stuffed cats. Or wheeling his dead mother around so she could see the farm one more time before she went into the ground.
Carson was…well, the jury is out. Was he an outside artist? An early adopter of posting videos online before there was the internet? Or maybe someone with some deep mental issues?
Beyond getting to see the actual videos, the film also speaks to Karen Kilgariff (My Favorite Murder), Derrick Beckles (TV Carnage), Everything Is Terrible and Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher from The Found Footage Festival to learn why the videos are artistically important while also, yes, just odd.
“There we are, that’s life on a farm.” Carson says this several times and it makes me think about how he came from a world that is a constant circle of life and also so removed from the city that he may as well be an alien. He would keep giving these tapes, stories about life on the farm to his friends and neighbors. Were they entertained? Shocked? Upset?
Yet this movie never laughs at the man. It points out that he may have had issues, but he also saw death in a different way than we do. Perhaps by looking at it with a sense of humor, he was ahead of us, people who might look down on him and think him uneducated. I see him as a man with no guile, one with a sense of humor that could be surreal but he may have never encountered that art himself. He was, in a sense, a unique island of a man whose video output lived beyond him, made its way to people who could keep it alive and now, miles and decades away from a man long dead, we can appreciate what he left behind, even if it’s a video of him holding up a huge piece of afterbirth.
If you’re attending Fantastic Fest in person, Life On the Farm will play at the following times:
Severin Films, who released the original Birdemic, wants to move past Birdemic 2: The Resurrection and introduce a new and better take on the birds. Or so they said, but after a decade, not much has changed.
Gerontologist Evan (Ryan Lord) and marine biologist Kim (Julia Culbert) have learned from her collecting ocean water samples that the water has become too acidic due to global warming. That means that the birds, always those CGI birds, are mad. But first, there’s romance.
Director and writer James Nguyen did it all himself this time and man, it’s certainly a movie. There’s nearly an hour about climate change where every conversation and even the artwork references it. If you think the media isn’t spending enough time on this issue, this movie is out to make up for it.
It also has a lot to say about how good Vertigo is.
There’s also a lot about how Mr. Green, an Elon Musk-esque billionaire is our only hope.
And then twenty minutes in, this movie remembers that it needs bird attacks and gives you bird attacks.
To get there, there’s a long karaoke slow dance scene, a space elevator and lots of making out.
I think this movie has a brand name now that guarantees that lots of people are going to want to watch it. I can’t believe that there was one of these movies much less three. There are long stretches without dialogue or even music. There’s no real story until it’s almost over. And by this point, either James Nguyen is in on the joke or so far into himself that he doesn’t realize what he’s making or probably both.
In case you want to know where your money went when you bought all of those Al Adamson and Dennis Steckler box sets, you can see it on the screen here.
If you’re attending Fantastic Fest in person, Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle will play at the following times:
It Came From Hollywood! is ready to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of one of cult cinema’s greatest pulp science-fiction/horror shockers with their brand-new novelization of The Brain That Wouldn’t Die! It dares to go further than the screen ever allowed!
Robert Freese delivers The Brain That Wouldn’t Die like you have never before experienced it! Includes a brief history of the film’s production by movie marketing archivist Paul Mcvay, along with a reproduction of the original 13-page press book and eight lobby cards.
You can get the book by itself or in a Brain Bundle. Each copy is numbered and signed by the writer, Robert Freese. The Brain Bundle also includes a set of 8 post cards reproducing the original Lobby Card set as well as a full reproduction of the A.I.P. Pressbook for Brain and it’s original co-feature Invasion of the Star Creatures. (The pressbook also includes a reproduction of Star Creature‘s original 8 Lobby Card set!) The standalone Pressbook reproduction is recreated in the original colors it was originally printed in. And of course, a button so you can wear your fandom and show your support for re-animated heads everywhere! The Brain Bundle is limited to 25 copies and is only $30.
Mostly edited from the Korean movie Muin (The Warrior), this movie has no one named Konan. It does have Eagle, the hero of this story, and it is not afraid at all to rip off from Lone Wolf and Cub.
Directed by Ki-pung Choi but also remixed into maniacal unclarity by IFD, this has their white man ninjas who wear headbands that just say ninja in case you wonder, “Are they ninjas?”
Anyways, Eagle — he’s also called You-seong — takes a bloody journey to Mongolia in search of General Yong Tae-san, the man who destroyed his family and kidnapped his fiancee Su-ruin. There’s also a Mexican comedy relief character who is doing a Cheech impersonation which seems to not match the world or the time that this movie takes place in, but neither do screenprinted ninja headbands, so really any complaints that I have are moot.
Actually, I have no complaints. This is like an hour of violence and a dude’s hand gets chopped off. That’s all I need.
The SSSP kaiju defense taskforce, led by Kimio Tamura (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is dealing with tons of monsters that have made their way to Earth. Luckily, they are soon joined by Ultraman, perhaps the greatest enemy of giant monsters ever.
I spent much of my childhood making Ultraman’s beam hand motion and watching and rewatching every single episode of the show. Every time I met a Japanese person as a kid, I wanted to know more about Ultraman and imagine my surprise when I learned how many more shows there were that — in the pre-internet times — we never got here.
I got that same childhood wonder and joy from this movie, which was made by the same team that created Shin Godzilla — there will also be a Shin Evangelion Theatrical Edition and Shin Kamen Rider — director Shinji Higuchi and writer, editor and motion capture performer Hideaki Anno.
Shinji Kaminaga (Takumi Saitoh) is killed in the line of duty as Ultraman battles Neronga. The robot feels badly so he takes the man’s place and soon learns that he feels plenty of love for the human race, despite the fact that some of them don’t trust him. There are a lot of interplanetary political machinations in this story yet it never gets slow or boring. If anything, it feels like an entire season of Ultraman jammed into one movie.
There’s Zarab, the evil Ultraman, as well as Mefilias, the world-destroying Zetton, Gomess (a modified Godzilla from Shin Godzilla, just like how the original was a Godzilla suit when he was on Ultra Q), a Mammoth Flower, Larugeus, the Ultra Q monster Peguila, Kaigel, Pagos and Gabora (who along with Neronga were all made up of the Toho Baragon suit on the original Ultraman and Ultra Q), as well as cameo appearances from vehicles — often in the background or as models on desks — of Gohten from The War In Space, Alpha and Black Shark from Lattitude Zero; the Mole, FAB 1, Fireflash and the five Thunderbirds from Thunderbirds; and the Enterprise from Star Trek.
This is also the first Ultraman movie to be made by Toho. Does that mean we’ll ever see Godzilla versus Ultraman for real? One can hope.
The best part of this movie? It’s so episodic that there’s a new monster or crisis nearly every thirty minutes. Man, this is great. If you love kaiju, Ultraman or just want to have some fun at the theater, make sure you see this when it comes out in American theaters this fall.
You can watch ShinUltraman with a Fantastic Fest virtual badge here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jennifer Upton is an American (non-werewolf) writer/editor in London. She currently works as a freelance ghostwriter of personal memoirs and writes for several blogs on topics as diverse as film history, punk rock, women’s issues, and international politics. For links to her work, please visit https://www.jennuptonwriter.com or send her a Tweet @Jennxldn
Inheritor of Kung Fu has almost as many titles as release dates. Possible alternate titles include: Avenging Dragon,Hero at the Border Region, Two Graves to Kung Fu, and Soul Collector. The film was produced in Taiwan and very little information is available.It is listed in several sources as having been released in 1977, ’78, 1983 and ’84. It almost certainly was not produced in the 1980s as by then, the Wuxia genre has all but died out replaced by high octane police stories and bullet ballets.
The version I saw from Martial Arts Theater was of poor quality. Even if it was restored and complete, Inheritor of Kung Fu probably wouldn’t make much sense, anyway. At least not in its present form. Rumors abound that the film was originally set to be two films shot simultaneously to take advantage of Ti Lung’s star power, but I haven’t been able to corroborate this with a primary source in Asia.
Ti Lung is the handsome hero who befriends a Princess (Chang Ling a.k.a Pearl Cheung) and her servant while on the road. Ti tries to help them battle off some masked bandits but ends up being rescued by the Princess who possesses Kung Fu skills superior to his own. Fans of Kung Fu cinema will easily predict things won’t stay that way for long.
Ti perfects his fighting skills while somehow getting in the middle of a few clans who are all at odds over a special Kung Fu manuscript. From there the movie takes a somewhat mythical turn. Supporting characters come and go doing strange things that have nothing to do with the plot while the lead villain disappears for 60 minutes of the running time leaving viewers to wonder if a more complete cut exists. The Wu Tang Collection’s YouTube channel is a slightly better print (link below.)
The fight choreography is good but a lot of the wirework is poorly hidden. The sets are bad and there are some serious continuity and technical issues. I won’t even mention the white guy who comes flying out of the lake during the last act with no prior mention of a reason such a thing should happen. You know it’s springtime when the white guys come shooting up out of the water.
Everyone involved with it should disown Inheritor of Kung Fu except for Ti Lung. What a trooper. Ti saves the film. He kicks serious ass and plays second banana to no one as was common in his Shaw Brothers films with David Chiang. He really has time to showcase his Kung Fu and rises to the occasion as a charming leading man. [Full disclosure: I’d watch Ti read from the 1977 phone book, so I’m biased.]
The Martial Arts Theater DVD release has a running commentary track with HK movie expert and author Rick Meyers and African American HK stuntman Bobby Samuels. The two don’t seem to pick apart the film’s plot either and Meyers failed to identify Pearl Cheung even though there are resources available that showcase her. They also refer to the main bad guy as “The Mad Korean” but upon checking another print of the film, there are no Korean names listed in the credits. Despite these inconsistencies, Meyers and Samuels offer some interesting information on Ti Lung, Hong Kong and Taiwan Kung Fu cinema and are overall very pleasant to listen to. If anyone out there has more info on this title or its production, I’d love to read it!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jennifer Upton is an American (non-werewolf) writer/editor in London. She currently works as a freelance ghostwriter of personal memoirs and writes for several blogs on topics as diverse as film history, punk rock, women’s issues, and international politics. For links to her work, please visit https://www.jennuptonwriter.com or send her a Tweet @Jennxldn
Much has been written about the achievements of Shaw’s star director Chang Cheh. Here, I will give some love to their equally talented Chor Yuen who passed away in February of 2022. The Magic Blade is among his finest work, filled with plenty of wonderfully framed shots, expertly choreographed fight scenes and great acting.
A Wuxia tale starring Ti Lung and Lo Lieh who must find a powerful weapon called the peacock dart before an evil swordsman can claim it for himself to to rule the underworld.
Fu Hung Hsueh (Ti Lung) is a stoic and extremely skilled wandering swordsman. The story (based on the novel by Gu Lung) opens with Fu engaged in a showdown with Yen Nan-Fei (Lo Lieh) over a previously unresolved duel. Soon, their rivalry is put aside as the warriors of an unseen evil sorcerer named Yu attack Yen. Fu saves Yen’s life and the two join forces against Master Yu in a race to find the ultimate weapon…the exploding peacock dart!
After fighting more killers in a wonderful scene set up like a cinematic game of chess, Fu and Yen procure the peacock dart from its keeper. Along with the beautiful pure-hearted Chiu Yu-Cheng (Cheng Lee) the two men set off to find the elusive Yu. Eventually Fu and Chiu are separated from Yen, leaving Fu to carry the rest of the film on his deliciously broad shoulders.
Fu and Chiu fall in love and meet many people along the way who all want the dart. Their journey is filled with as many plot twists, traps and poisoning as wire-flips and Fu gets through it all by his wits as much as his skill as a swordsman. No one played intelligent like Ti Lung. Well… maybe Tony Leung.
The end battle with the as-yet-unseen Yu in Tien Wai mansion is a real showstopper. Ti Lung proves once and for all that he didn’t need David Chiang as a co-lead. His physicality and acting are in top form here.
Compared to other Shaw Bros. classics, The Magic Blade contains more splatter and nudity. There’s even a quick lesbian scene at Yu’s mansion. Director Chor Yuen very wisely made sure there was something for everyone and it’s a very enjoyable movie overall.
The production isn’t as grand as some of the older Shaw Bros. pictures, but it does appear to have had a significant budget with the sets, costumes, choreography and supporting actors all being top notch. As was often the case, the music contains cues from the original Planet of the Apes edited together with original themes and to great effect. The weapons are some of the most creative in the genre with the best being Ti Lung’s sword. It’s a very effective combination of a nightstick and spinning machete. In the hero’s hands (and director Chor Yuen’s) it is definitely a Magic Blade.
A Chinese series based on the same novel came out in 2012 and in 2015 and 2018 reports surfaced that Celestial Pictures was slated to partner with Tencent Pictures to produce a remake titled Moonlight Blade, but it doesn’t appear to have happened. In 2019 director Xu Haofeng, creator of several modern Kung Fu classics, announced he would be directing, but as of 2022 there’s no breaking news on that front.
It’s perhaps for the best, as The Magic Blade is one of my favorite of the Shaw classics and more than worthy of repeated screenings. Best of all, it’s available for rent in pristine form on YouTube!
Deadly Duo has Ti Lung and David Chiang as Bao Ting Tien and Little Bat and they must fight the Five Elements Great Fighters, who are River Dragon (Bolo Yeung), Golden Demon, Fire Demon Lui (Yeung Chak-lam), Leopard (Wong Pau-gei) and Mole (Lau Kar-wing) to rescue Sung Prince Kang.
Directed by Chang Cheh — with Godfrey Ho as the first assistant director (!) and Lau Kar-leung (!) directing the action scenes — this is a movie based as much around the heroics of its leads as it is a series of astounding weapons, including the typical swords and spears, as well as cymbals and a weapon that literally spits fire.
Chang Cheh made six movies in 1971 (King Eagle, The New One-Armed Swordsman, Duel of the Iron Fist, The Anonymous Heroes, Duel of Fists and this movie) and man, how did he do it? He’s throwing in underwater action here too! I mean, it’s not like he slowed down in 1972, a year in which he made eight movies, including The Boxer from Shantung.
These Shaw Brothers epics just keep me alive. I may not always be able to follow every beat of the story but they’re just so relentlessly entertaining that I can’t stop watching.
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