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Thread: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (a.k.a. Master Killer)

  1. #31
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    made the NYT

    THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN
    Gordon Liu in “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin”
    (1978).

    A frequent candidate for the finest martial arts movie ever made, “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” has at last been rescued from the video bargain bins (where it has long languished under the title “Shaolin Master Killer”) and given a first-class release by the Weinstein Company’s new Asian action label, Dragon Dynasty.

    Produced by the storied Shaw Brothers studio, “36th Chamber” (1978) belongs to the second wave of the golden age of Hong Kong action filmmaking. It was released when the ground rules laid down in the mid-1960s by the genre’s pioneers, King Hu and Chang Cheh, were giving way to the harsher vision of a younger generation of directors, much as the epic westerns of John Ford and Howard Hawks led to the tighter, nervier work of Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher.

    But the western analogy goes only so far: structurally, the Hollywood genre the martial arts films most resemble is the musical. The trick in both genres is to find a plausible, unobtrusive and emotionally satisfying way to arrange a series of disconnected performance pieces, and “36th Chamber,” written by the prolific Ni Kuang and directed by Liu Chia-liang, finds an elegant solution.

    Loosely based on the traditional story of San Te, the Shaolin monk who introduced the secrets of kung fu to the Chinese masses oppressed by Manchurian rule, “36th Chamber” follows San Te’s training at the legendary Shaolin temple, as he progresses from a spoiled merchant’s son to a grand master. His training takes him through a series of chambers in which he confronts different tactical and physical challenges, ranging from balancing on floating logs to head-butting his way through a corridor blocked by low-hanging sandbags.

    This is, of course, the structure of practically every video game ever designed, but it makes for a beautifully paced and consistently surprising movie. Mr. Liu, directing his brother Gordon Liu as San Te, brings different styles and rhythms to each chamber, ranging from horror-movie intensity to slapstick comic relief.

    Mr. Liu, who also directs and does action choreography (most recently for Tsui Hark’s ill-fated “Seven Swords”) under the Cantonese transcription of his name, Lau Kar-leung, possesses an impeccable sense of how action is amplified and energized by editing, and there are passages here that approach the purity of dance. (Gordon Liu, with his unsmiling, classical poise and clarity of line, would not seem out of place in a ballet company.)The Dragon Dynasty transfer actually improves on the Hong Kong DVD release, with a brighter, sharper image and a heap of supplementary material. The extras include an interview with Gordon Liu (recently seen in two roles in the “Kill Bill” films) and a commentary track by the musician RZA of Wu-Tang Clan (a Shaolin scholar of some standing) and the Los Angeles film critic Andy Klein. (The Weinstein Company, $19.95, R)
    "a Shaolin scholar of some standing"? Good ol' RZA...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  2. #32
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    I'm looking forward to buying the new remastered 36th Chamber of Shaolin and My Young Auntie. I went to Target to see if they were available there and the only one of the 4 the had was The One-Armed Swordsman (the 4th being Lo Lieh' King Boxer).

    One of the things about Lau Kar-Leung's (Liu Chia-liang) self-directed movies is his infectious enthusiasm for kung fu. It's very obvious that Lau actually loves kung fu in real life; completely unlike the impression I get from, say, Jackie Chan, for example. Yes, Lau exaggerates and "movie-izes" the kung fu, but his movies and the Chang Cheh Shaolin series choreographed by him are the finest examples of movie KF, period. And when you see him personally performing in films such as:
    Challenge of the Masters
    Mad Monkey Kung Fu
    My Young Auntie
    Legendary Weapons of China
    The Lady is the Boss
    8-Diagram Pole Fighter
    New Kids in Town
    Drunken Master II
    Seven Swords
    etc., etc. -- it's great to see his physical precision, hand speed, and performance technique. Lau was the one who pioneered the complex use of traditional KF styles in a movie setting, as well as clear shots of very close-knit short-hand movements and 'horse positioning' cinematically.

    Another thing about Lau Kar-Leung, he's directed a few films in which nobody dies; My Young Auntie, Heroes of the East, Martial Club, Lady is the Boss are good examples. Challenge of the Masters has one death, approx. half-way through the movie.

    Back in '81, when I first saw Heroes of the East (Shaolin Challenges Ninja) at one of the old grindhouses, it's the first movie I sat in where the audience actually stood up and applauded at the end, and I'm talking about the rough type of audience that went to those theaters. That didn't even happen when I earlier saw the Bruce Lee films, which got loud cheers but not the standing ovation at the end. When I later saw it again in an original-language Vietnamese/Chinese theater, the same thing happened at the end of the film. So there's something to be said about a message of mutual respect and worth between individuals/cultures.

  3. #33
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    DOn't forget about Operation Scorpio. I don't know how much he choreographed, but he is brilliant in that movie. Also Master of disaster he has a great fight. And i remember him using a baseball bat in a great scene in some gangster movie. I remember it was the only fight of the movie. Lau Kar Leung is tops.

    And I just watched My Young Auntie. He has an awesome short fight with Lung Wei at the end. I got a couple shivers watching that.
    "For someone who's a Shaolin monk, your kung fu's really lousy!"
    "What, you're dead? You die easy!"
    "Hold on now. I said I would forget your doings, but I didn't promise to spare your life. Take his head."
    “I don’t usually smoke this brand, but I’ll do it for you.”
    "When all this is over, Tan Hai Chi, I will kick your head off and put it on my brother's grave!
    "I regard hardships as part of my training. I don't need to relax."

  4. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    I'm looking forward to buying the new remastered 36th Chamber of Shaolin and My Young Auntie. I went to Target to see if they were available there and the only one of the 4 the had was The One-Armed Swordsman (the 4th being Lo Lieh' King Boxer).

    One of the things about Lau Kar-Leung's (Liu Chia-liang) self-directed movies is his infectious enthusiasm for kung fu. It's very obvious that Lau actually loves kung fu in real life; completely unlike the impression I get from, say, Jackie Chan, for example. Yes, Lau exaggerates and "movie-izes" the kung fu, but his movies and the Chang Cheh Shaolin series choreographed by him are the finest examples of movie KF, period. And when you see him personally performing in films such as:
    Challenge of the Masters
    Mad Monkey Kung Fu
    My Young Auntie
    Legendary Weapons of China
    The Lady is the Boss
    8-Diagram Pole Fighter
    New Kids in Town
    Drunken Master II
    Seven Swords
    etc., etc. -- it's great to see his physical precision, hand speed, and performance technique. Lau was the one who pioneered the complex use of traditional KF styles in a movie setting, as well as clear shots of very close-knit short-hand movements and 'horse positioning' cinematically.

    Another thing about Lau Kar-Leung, he's directed a few films in which nobody dies; My Young Auntie, Heroes of the East, Martial Club, Lady is the Boss are good examples. Challenge of the Masters has one death, approx. half-way through the movie.

    Back in '81, when I first saw Heroes of the East (Shaolin Challenges Ninja) at one of the old grindhouses, it's the first movie I sat in where the audience actually stood up and applauded at the end, and I'm talking about the rough type of audience that went to those theaters. That didn't even happen when I earlier saw the Bruce Lee films, which got loud cheers but not the standing ovation at the end. When I later saw it again in an original-language Vietnamese/Chinese theater, the same thing happened at the end of the film. So there's something to be said about a message of mutual respect and worth between individuals/cultures.


    well said !
    everytime I see him its like seeing kung fu pure..even when sitting in a restaurant with him he cant stop doing some movements..its really true,in the restaurant if you go to the restroom u had to open a double swing door.. he didnt just push them open ..nah he used butterfly palms... (no joke)

  5. #35
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    "That's a stupid kung fu!"

    Enter to win RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER on DVD. Contest ends 6:00 p.m. PST on 05/13/2010. Good luck everyone!
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  6. #36
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    Congrats to last weeks winners!

    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  7. #37
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    Shaolin Chamber 36 is Back!

    I just wanted to let everyone know who may be interested, that my website dedicated to classic Kung Fu films is back up after being down for a few months for renovations.

    Shaolin Chamber 36 - Asian Cinematic Treasures Revisited

    If you check it out, please let me know what you think.


    Buddha Bless You.

  8. #38

    movie trivia question

    the movie,( master killer 36th chamber of shaolin) came out in 1978 or 1979? i know there are two movies with the same actor,both where he plays a monk in the Shaolin temple. the one i'm looking for is the one where he jump over the floating logs to get into the dinning hall,as the first step of his training.

  9. #39
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    that would be 36th chamber...

  10. #40

  11. #41
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    yes thats the one... great movie

  12. #42
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    It's the same movie. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, also known as Master Killer and Shaolin Master Killer. It's definitely my favorite period Kung Fu flick.

  13. #43
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    Tonight on El Rey!

    RZA Reflects on ‘The 36th Chamber of Shaolin’ and Wu-Tang Clan at LACMA

    Amanda Edwards/WireImage
    September 24, 2014 | 03:39PM PT
    Andrew Barker
    Senior Features Writer @barkerrant

    Welcoming producer, rapper, director and Wu-Tang Clan founder the RZA to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Tuesday night, the Film Independent at LACMA series scored an excellent 35mm print of Liu Chia-Liang’s 1978 kung-fu classic “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin,” presented in its original Mandarin language. In fact, it might have even been too pristine for the occasion.

    As he explained in a Q&A with Elvis Mitchell, the RZA’s formative experiences with the Gordon Liu-starrer came in its dubbed, heavily expurgated form. Yet the film not only provided the Wu-Tang with its debut album title and a plethora of memorable (English language) dialogue samples, it also influenced the group’s guiding philosophy.

    “I saw it when I was nine years old on Channel 5, and then again when I was 13 or 14 on 42nd St.,” RZA said, noting that the film’s story of the struggle between oppressed Chinese villagers and repressive Manchu authorities resonated particularly strongly. “Beyond the kung-fu, it was the reality of the situation that hit me. Growing up as a black kid in America, I didn’t know that that kind of story had existed anywhere else.”

    Inspired by the film, RZA would eventually conceive an elaborate mythology for his own environs, recasting his Staten Island neighborhood as Shaolin, modeling his persona on that of the film’s sage Abbot (Tung-Kua Ai), finding musical parallels between the five-note Chinese scale and the minor pentatonic, and recruiting a cadre of fellow travelers with kung-fu-inspired stage-names to form Wu-Tang.

    (On a less philosophical note, RZA also noted that he imported the word “chamber” into the everyday slang of his neighborhood. “Everything became a ‘chamber.’ Instead of saying a girl had big tits, we would say she was in the big titty chamber,” he recalled as Mitchell pretended to storm off the stage.)

    When asked to name his favorite fight scene from the film, RZA – who had endured a failed solo rap career and legal trouble before recording “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” – curiously picked protagonist San Te’s battle with an antagonistic monk (Hoi Sang Lee), which he loses. “San Te had a plan to beat him, but he countered every move. A lot of times in our lives, we don’t really invest in loss, but San Te meditates on his defeat, and finds a solution.”

    Asked by Mitchell if he had ever met Liu, RZA reminded him that the actor filmed a brief part in his own 2012 Shaw Brothers homage, “The Man With the Iron Fists.”

    “Gordon didn’t want to do my film at first, because my budget was not really on the level of ‘Kill Bill,’ you know,” he related. “So I met with him, and said, ‘You know that scene in “36th Chamber” where you meet with the Abbot? That scene changed my life. And now you’re the Abbot, and you can bring that character to a new generation.’ Then I showed him his lines, which I just had on my Blackberry, they weren’t in the script. So he agreed… He’s a true Buddhist.”

    (Pictured: RZA and Elvis Mitchell at Film Independent at LACMA’s screening of “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin”)
    This is showing tonight on El Rey's Flying Five Finger One Armed Eight Pole Shaolin Exploding Death Touch Thursdays. I've been looking forward to seeing this again all week.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

  14. #44
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    The first time I saw 36th Chamber of Shaolin was at a drive-in in 1979, a year after its original release. Of course, it went by its retitle, Master Killer. I still remember the tagline in the newspaper ad: 'He was the best; he killed the rest.' It was double-featured with Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, which was retitled The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula.

    The reason I remember the year, the place, and even the month, is because to me it was a watershed moment in terms of MA movies. Prior to that, all of the KF movies I had seen had been old-style 'bashers' from the early '70s, which still played a lot in the grindhouse circuit back then. 36th Chamber was the first MA movie I'd ever seen that exceeded all expectations; it had 'style', awesome set pieces, memorable characters, a solid story and training sequences, etc. It was like those moments when people say, "Do you remember where you were when...?"
    Last edited by Jimbo; 09-25-2014 at 09:10 AM.

  15. #45
    Greetings,

    I saw the 36 Chamber in NYC Chinatown at the Music Palace. The year was 1978 and it was not the first time it played. I connected to the San Te character when I saw him using the long weighted pole to ring the bell, with while strengthening his grip and forearms. My jaw was on the floor when I saw that because I had taught myself how to hold a broom from one end and turn it from one side to another to strengthen my forearms.

    mickey

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