Remake Lament....

[mickey]

Greetings,

There were a lot of good martial arts movies that made its way to Western audiences that deserve a remake. Blood of the Dragon, for example, is one of them.

The problem is that it is a mad difficult task when considering the skill level of the actors of the present generation. Very few could pull them off.

I guess that is what makes the classics the classics.


mickey

[Jimbo]

I agree with the difficulty factor of trying to remake old-school kf movies. A new-school version would have beautiful scenery, lots of CGI and a high budget, but most of the actors today would not be able to perform high-difficulty movements in long takes. Also, nowadays, actors are usually chosen from pop idols or for their looks, and a lot of them all look the same. Back in the '70s, they were chosen more for their talent, and there was a deep talent pool to pick from.

BTW, by Blood of the Dragon, are you referring to the old Jimmy Wang Yu film, I think the original title was Beach of the War Gods(?).

Also, IMO, there was a certain fun factor in a lot of the old-school films that is often lacking in current movies.

[mickey]

Hi Jimbo,

Yes I was referring to the old Jimmy Wong Yu movie. Beach of the Wa Gods was a different, yet similarly spirited, movie.

I agree about the fun factor.

I remember seeing the flick The Incredible Super Chan: Forced to Fight. The audience just roared with laughter when the guy was sliced vertically in half. At the same time I remember the serious energy of shock and anger coming from the audience when Ti Lung got cut in half in Triple Irons (The New One Armd Swordsman). I was worked up, too!

mickey

[Jimbo]

mickey,

Back in the day, I remember certain KF films got especially big responses from the theater crowd as well. Some of the ones that stand out to me are: Heroes of the East, 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Fearless Young Boxer, Seven Steps of Kung Fu, Mystery of Chess Boxing, Revenge of the Patriots, Invincible Shaolin, Death Duel of Kung Fu, The Victim, and Thundering Mantis. But the biggest response I remember was during a showing of Knockabout; it seemed like everything got a laugh or a huge response on that one.

I suppose it was the time period. Those kinds of responses from movie audiences are very rare nowadays. Audiences now often seem either jaded or more self-conscious in general. Not to mention that the old grindhouse scene, which tended to breed those loud responses, is long gone, at least around here.

On those occasions when you got to experience those types of films and responses to them, my friends and I would leave the theater feeling a bit hyped.

[Shaolinlueb]

get gene, doug, and I in this and we can remake anything. true story.

[doug maverick]

anything can be remade, as long as you remake it right. not everything has or has to have cgi...and trust me when i say there are tons of undiscovered martial artist who can act....

[mickey]

Hi doug maverick,

What you just posted has the makings of a fantastic periodic article that brings focus to those undiscovered practitioners. It could be a "Martial Arts Camera Focus" that features a few practitioners with the skills and the abilities. It would help them gain exposure, recognition and, possibly, employment opportinities within the movie industry.

What do you think?

mickey

[Jimbo]

This would be a great project.

It would be good to see young up-and-comers who can both act and do M.A. It would also be a bonus if they come from a variety of systems not often seen onscreen. It would inject some much-needed new blood in the genre.

[YouKnowWho]

Just saw these 2 movie last night. Strongly recommand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPIw3cv8Zls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yi4jTxxsKo

[mickey]

YouKnowWho,

I saw those. They were fun movies. I really enjoyed them.


mickey