shaw brothers
IN MEMORIAM: Raymond Chow (1927-2018)
Hong Kong producer Raymond Chow poses backstage after winning the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 5th Asia Film Awards ceremony at the Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 21, 2011 in Hong Kong, China. (Source: Victor Fraile/Getty Images AsiaPac)
AGFA, Shaw Bros. To Re-Release Old School Kung Fu Titles Theatrically In 2018
Some of us haven’t had the experience of enjoying old school kung fu in a theatrical setting. I’m an 80s baby myself and my own fandom didn’t take shape until I was old enough to go to video stores or bear witness Dimension’s crossover releases in the 90s.
Fast forward to present day America and with what’s reportedly set to commence this year courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive in its latest partnership with Hong Kong-based Shaw Brothers Studios for the theatrical rollout of thrity 35mm restorations this year. Variety reported the exclusive last week listing titles such as:
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
The Avenging Eagle
Bastard Swordsman
Black Magic 2
Blood Brothers
The Boxer’s Omen
The Brave Archer
Buddha’s Palm
Come Drink With Me
Crippled Avengers
Dirty Ho
The Duel
The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter
The Five Venoms
Golden Swallow
The Heroic Ones
Holy Flame of the Martial World
Human Lanterns
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan
King Boxer
Legendary Weapons of China
Mad Monkey Kung Fu
Masked Avengers
Martial Arts of Shaolin
The Mighty Peking Man
One-Armed Swordsman
Shaolin Temple
The Super Inframan
Vengeance
The Water Margin
Release details remain pending for each title while its reasonable to believe these will likely be limited to select theaters. Apart from certain event and festival bookings one can only imagine what it would be like to live these releases on within today’s filmgoing demo.
Check back for further updates!
El Rey Network And Celestial Pictures Ltd Announce New Deal Extension!
Austin, TX and Hong Kong – July 28, 2014 – El Rey Network (El Rey), maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s new genre-busting cable network, and Celestial Pictures Limited (Celestial Pictures) announced today a long-term programming partnership. The new five-year deal begins October 1, 2014, extending and expanding on an existing program licensing agreement. The new deal will provide the network with access to 255 iconic martial arts titles from the Shaw Brothers vault – the world’s leading martial arts collection, many on an exclusive basis. Financial terms were not disclosed. The parties are also in discussion on new original programming concepts.
Indiegogo Alert: Help Fund The New American Kung Fu Feature SHAOLIN WING CHUN: A NEW BEGINNING
Artists from virtually all walks of life continue to thrive on social media to gain a foothold of potential online fans to garner an audience. And with Indiegogo being one of the most useful and beneficial means to do so, this movement continues to remain prolific for filmmakers, especially those fond of martial arts action cinema.
THE SWORD MASTER Director Responds To Fans About Casting
Following up on the previous report regarding the latest concept image for director Derek Yee‘s new film, The Sword Master, Yee recently took to social media to set the record straight regarding some reported backlash over the casting of his new film. The film was finally announced last year with film auteur Tsui Hark attached as producer for a 3D rendering of the Shaw Brothers remake based on a classic novel that inspired the 1977 film, Death Duel.
“If a collaboration between Tsui Hark and I still need big stars to get you to waste your time and spend your money on a ticket, then we might as well pack up, go home, drink whiskey and shoot the breeze,” Yee posted on his Sina Weibo account. “It doesn’t matter who’s acting in the film. Tsui Hark and I are the top stars of the film!”.
Written by Yee and Hark with co-scribe Chun Tin-Nam, The Sword Master just began principal photography with 26-year old actor Kenny Lin (a.k.a. Lin Gengxin pictured left) as Third Master Ah Chi, the role that launched Yee‘s career as an actor at the time; Lin also had a small role in Hark‘s late 2013 flick, Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon. Also joining the cast are The Monkey King co-star Peter Ho reviving actor Yun Ling’s former role as Ah Chi’s nemesis, Yan Shisan; Actresses Jiang Yiyan and Jiang Mengjie round out the cast so far listed.
Personally, I never saw Young Detective Dee, but I certainly know who Hark and Yee are, and in that sense, I can certainly respect what Yee is saying with regard to his casting choices for this film. However, it is arguable that casting, in fact, does matter. Recent events that best exemplify this is the upcoming remake of The Raid under The Expendables 3 helmer Patrick Hughes, who is keeping names tightly under wraps but has already announced a six-month training regimen for a handful of actors involved. And people are extremely curious as to who is going to be cast to do that particular film justice.
However, curiousity may not be too much of an issue here for The Sword Master as we now know who will be cast. So while some speculation can be put to rest, what also matters is how Lin will deliver the iconic character from its 1977 predecessor for a modern day audience. Nonetheless, Yee‘s been after this remake for well over a decade now. That’s how much he loves this project, so I look forward to seeing how he applies his vision for the film when it comes out next year.
Lin will also be appearing in Hark‘s new film, The Taking Of Tiger Mountain later this year, as well as Tsai Yueh-Hsun’s upcoming action thriller sequel, Black & White 2: The Dawn Of Justice.
Stay tuned for more info.
QUESTION: What do you think of Yee’s statements? Leave a comment below or post to us on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #SwordMaster3D.
H/T: FilmBizAsia, IGN
Robert Rodriguez's El Rey To Include Shaw Classics + New Images From SIN CITY 2
Reports are saying plans are now underway for the network to begin airing Shaw Brothers martial arts titles, following a multi-year deal with Hong Kong-based distribution company, Celestial Pictures. The films, to be varied between English-subs and dubbed tracks and as per El Rey’s monthly Saturday Kung Fu marathon, namely include The 36th Chamber Chamber Of Shaolin, The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter and Executioners From Shaolin – three popular collaborations between legendary film actors Gordon Liu and the late Lau Kar-Leung, along with the 1975 Chen Kuen-Tai actioner, The Flying Guillotine and the 1968 flick, The Sword Of Swords starring Jimmy Wang Yu.
WELL GO USA – Sword Masters Collection Adds Four New Shaw Titles This Year!
The news also comes in light of the latest film to be reintroduced back into cinemas with producer Derek Yee’s work on Third Master’s Sword which begins production this year.
THIRD MASTER'S SWORD Starts Production Next Year
Following Bona Film Group’s RMB $1B film fund launch reported in August, Kevin Ma over at FilmBiz.Asia shared some updates on a two-part list of scripts newly approved by China’s state censorship board, SAPPRFT, including Lo-Chi Leung’s The Killer Vanishes, and Derek Yee‘s long-awaited production of Third Master’s Sword; The latter film is based on the writings of late Hong Kong author Gu Long whose work inspired Yee’s lead actor credit in director Chor Yuen’s 1977 Shaw Brothers film Death Duel which starred then-actor Yee in a story centered around a swordsman whose past catches up to him after faking his own death to escape the underworld.
The film has taken a while to get things rolling since its initial announcement back in 2000 with Tsui Hark set to direct with a cast that namely included actress Zhang Ziyi and actor Leslie Cheung before his death three years later, in addition to other legal setbacks there after. Fortunately, the film’s 3D production is now set to begin in January with Hark and Yee producing the film – no word yet on who will star or direct. Bona’s new film fund also included the five-month production of the big screen 3D martial arts war thriller, Tracks In The Snowy Mountains, an adaptation of late author Qu Bo’s 1957 publication of the same name which Hark is also directing.
Stay tuned for more info.
H/T: Filmbiz.Asia
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