10-19-2014, 10:51 AM
The precursor to 36 Chambers (<!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://brotherhoodofdoom.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3277">viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3277</a><!-- l -->), not a Shaw Bros flick, and not a Flying Five Finger One Armed Eight Pole Shaolin Exploding Death Touch Thursday feature on EL REY. This was one of the earlier films to depict the legend of Dashanmen (big mountain gate) where Shaolin acolytes must fight there way out of the temple to graduate, enduring a series of tests, and earning their arm brands by lifting a hot brazier. It's funky and low-budget, in contrast to the mighty Shaw Bros productions. Directed by Joseph Kuo, it features the 18 Bronzemen as monks in gold body paint (surely as toxic as what was in Goldfinger) and it is never quite clear what that's about as the sound of any strikes against them sound like metal clanging. There are also Shaolin Kung Fu robots that looks faintly similar to Goldar from Giant Robot, but with sillier faces and no antennae. There's more bad cross-dressing, a classic split jade amulet of matrimonial destiny, and lots of single shot fights but the choreography is mediocre, just long. Sword fights - check. It's a great showcase for Carter Wong, who starred in dozens of Kung Fu flicks but is best remembered as Thunder in Big Trouble in Little China. Seen on Hulu+
Shadow boxing the apocalypse