Film to Film

Back to Chile via France for Costa-Gavras State of Siege from 1972. https://letterboxd.com/film/state-of-siege/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

This episode we review the cult classic Shaw brothers film, Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan. https://letterboxd.com/film/intimate-confessions-of-a-chinese-courtesan/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

This episode is about an underseen film by an underseen director, Chor Yuen's Death Duel. Chor's filmography has some of the most beautiful cinematography of the era and is drenched in atmosphere. The story is adapted from Gu Long who is known for labyrinth plots, lots of deception, and plenty of characters. Stars: Derek Yee, Ti Lung, David Chiang, Lo Lieh, Ling Yun https://letterboxd.com/film/death-duel/

This episode we review one of the most talked about horror films of the year, When Evil Lurks! https://letterboxd.com/film/when-evil-lurks/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

Bonus review of the two Kara Hui vehicles, Lau directed. Lighter and easier to watch, it is too bad Lau did not get to direct more of these. Stars: Kara Hui, Lau Kar Leung, Hsiao Ho, Gordon Liu https://letterboxd.com/film/my-young-auntie/ https://letterboxd.com/film/the-lady-is-the-boss/ https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

Bonus episode review covering Lau's Mad Monkey Kung Fu. This one moves away from Gordon Liu and features the super athletic Hsiao Ho. Stars: Hsiao Ho, Lau Kar Leung, Kara Hui, Lo Lieh https://letterboxd.com/film/mad-monkey-kung-fu/ https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

This episode we review the semi-classic Dutch slasher/giallo, Amsterdamned! Film stars: Huub Stapel, Monique van de Ven https://letterboxd.com/film/amsterdamned/

We finally wrap our Lau Kar Leung project, with a summary of where he sits in the historical canon and how he helped to change the martial arts genre forever. I then put his work into rough tiers, include a few non Lau recommended directed efforts to watch.

Easily the heaviest film we've covered in the Lau Kar Leung project and very much an atypical Lau Kar Leung film and can be seen as an elegy towards the Shaw Brothers studio, which would shut down the following year. This film is based off of Chinese folklore in the Song dynasty and features great performances and perhaps my favorite fight in the entire Lau Kar Leung filmography. Stars: Gordon Liu, Alexander Fu Sheng, Kara Hui, Lily Li, Philip Ko https://letterboxd.com/film/the-8-diagram-pole-fighter/ https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

One of Lau Kar Leung's favorite films and easily one of hist underrated, Martial Club is a great martial arts film that and has one of the greatest fights of all time between Wang Lung Wai and Gordon Liu. Stars: Gordon Liu, Wang Lung Wai, Kara Hui, Hsiao Ho https://letterboxd.com/film/martial-club/ https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

This episode we review one of the most impressively choreographed films of all time, Dirty He. Dirty He has a much different performance from Gordon Liu and shows the director's range and ability to create incredibly elegant, wonderful fights with very simple devices and tricks. Stars: Gordon Liu, Wong Yue, Lo Lieh, Wang Lung Wei, Hsiao Ho, Kara Hui https://letterboxd.com/film/dirty-ho/ https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

With around 170 Martial Arts choreography credits, Lau Kar Leung is arguably the most influential and greatest martial arts choreographer of all time. Due to his martial arts background, the amount of details and intricacies he brought a unique and varied choreography to nearly every film he directed. In this episode I discuss his choreography in his directorial body of work and some of my favorite fights. https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

After the hit that was Executioners from Shaolin, Lau Kar Leung followed it up with an even greater success, and perhaps his most iconic film, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. Featuring likely the greatest training and second act in martial arts film history, this is a must watch for everyone. Film stars: Gordon Liu and Lo Lieh. https://letterboxd.com/film/the-36th-chamber-of-shaolin/ https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

This episode we review the fantastic Exorcist sequel, Exorcist III. It is both a successful sequel and an early version of the 1990s prestige horror thriller. Film stars: George C. Scott, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller https://letterboxd.com/film/the-exorcist-iii/

In this episode we cover the key themes Lau Kar Leung would return to throughout his career. Due to his background as a martial artist, he was much more interested in the passing of Martial Arts knowledge down and different cultural aspects than his contemporaries inside the Shaw Brothers. While many of these aspects became genre tropes, his work still stands out for more than just the choreography. https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

This episode I review the first film in our series, Executioners from Shaolin. Released in 1977, starring Chen Kuan Tai this is Lau's 3rd film and features a Chinese folk hero, Hong Xiguan that is in Lau's Martial Arts lineage. It also serves an important bridge between Lau's choreography work in Chang Cheh's Shaolin cycle and his own directorial output. Featuring an all time great villain performance from Lo Lieh. Stars: Chen Kuan Tai, Lo Lieh, Wong Yue, Lily Li https://letterboxd.com/film/executioners-from-shaolin/ https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

In the second episode of the Lau Kar Leung Project, I discuss Shaw Brothers and many of the other key collaborators to Lau's career. This includes Chang Cheh, Gordon Liu, Kara Hui, Hsiao Ho, Lo Lieh and others. https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

This week we start a series on, the directorial work of Lau Kar Leung, or in Mandarin Liu Chia-liang. We cover background information on Lau's biography, his appeal, and his career during the Shaw brother's era and afterwards. https://letterboxd.com/director/lau-kar-leung-2/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

This episode Jemes reviews one of the tier 2 Venoms Mob Movies, Masked Avengers! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082153/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ !

This episode we review one of the most well known and regarded Venoms movies, Crippled Avengers! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077292/ Send us an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zafilm2film⁠⁠⁠⁠ !