Favorite movie fight scenes

[The Mastiff]

I'm a big Zatoichi fan. Thanks for digging that one up Jim.

I just watched one the other day that had a bunch of assassins try to get an advantage on him by posing as monks and chanting to hide the sounds they were making while attacking. I do like Zatoichi's reverse grip quick draw lethality though he can do it all with swords, even using two swords Musashi style. There have to be at least 50 Zatoichi movies.

[James Y]

I'm a big Zatoichi fan. Thanks for digging that one up Jim.

I just watched one the other day that had a bunch of assassins try to get an advantage on him by posing as monks and chanting to hide the sounds they were making while attacking. I do like Zatoichi's reverse grip quick draw lethality though he can do it all with swords, even using two swords Musashi style. There have to be at least 50 Zatoichi movies.

My pleasure, Mastiff.

Zatoichi is actually my favorite movie character of all time. Shintaro Katsu played Zatoichi so many times (26 movies and a TV series), and was able to portray him with all of the emotions and subtle personality quirks that a real person has. I can’t think of another movie character played by any other actor or actress who has merged to inhabit a character to quite the same degree.

In 2003, there was a Zatoichi remake starring Takeshi Kitano as Zatoichi, and IMO it sucked. There was only one Zatoichi, and that was Shintaro Katsu, who died in 1997.

Jim

[James Y]

Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964, Japan). Director: Kazuo Ikehiro.

The Zatoichi movie series was very influential on many of the later Chinese (Hong Kong and Taiwan) kung fu movies. Zatoichi was not only extremely popular in Japan, but also in Hong Kong, Taiwan and many other Asian countries. Even Bruce Lee had been a fan of the Zatoichi movies. And this opening title sequence inspired the opening title sequences of many later kung fu movies, which were shot in a studio with either a darkened or a lighted, single-colored background, showcasing the special skills of the lead character(s).

Opening title sequence, featuring Shintaro Katsu:

https://youtu.be/nSd_-t-JWTs

Jim

[James Y]

Shaolin Martial Arts (1974, Hong Kong and Taiwan). Director: Chang Cheh.

Shaolin Martial Arts was one of the very first kung fu films which placed a heavy emphasis on training sequences. The two protagonists must train completely different techniques to defeat two different villains with “iron shirt” qigong which makes them *almost* invulnerable. This movie was highly influential on later kung fu movies, that also began presenting cinematic versions of traditional styles.

On a side note, the training sequences were clearly one of Quentin Tarantino’s influences for Uma Thurman’s training scenes in Kill Bill Vol. 2.

Training sequences: featuring Alexander Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan-Chun. The soundtrack music was “borrowed” from the 1961 Japanese movie Akai Koya (Red Wilderness):

https://youtu.be/O8TPMU-u8tg

Final fight: Chi Kuan-Chun vs Wang Lung-Wei; Alexander Fu Sheng vs Leung Kar-Yan. Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan-Chun vs Fung Hark-On and Chiang Tao:

https://youtu.be/AeUsvAl7UYk

Jim

[shunsui]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3YXxmWzZgg

[shunsui]

Mickey Rourke vs Frodo in Sin City

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC6x4xEpl2Y

[James Y]

Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985, Hong Kong). Director: Lau Kar-Leung.

Final fight: featuring Hsiao Hou, Gordon Liu, Lily Li, Jason Pai-Piao, Lau Kar-Leung, etc.

https://youtu.be/9LoEfCLmEnw

Jim

[James Y]

Karate for Life (1977, Japan). Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi.

Intro scene: Sonny Chiba vs Masashi Ishibashi (and entire dojo):

https://youtu.be/wkw7b5TYNT4

Jim

[James Y]

Hapkido (1972, Hong Kong). Director: Huang Feng. Action director: Sammo Hung.

At 0:04, a very young Jackie Chan can be spotted wearing black, standing on the left hand side of the screen behind Angela Mao. He spent many years as a stuntman, then as a supporting player, then as a minor star before finally achieving stardom in 1978.

Angela Mao (Mao Ying) was mostly known in the West for playing Bruce Lee’s sister in Enter the Dragon, but she had a great career of her own. She is still considered by many to be the queen of female action film stars.

Dojo fight: Angela Mao vs Lee Ka-Ting and karate students:

https://youtu.be/8ZOwUOyDfZM

Jim

[James Y]

The Shaolin Plot (1977; Hong Kong and South Korea). Director: Huang Feng. Action director: Sammo Hung.

Final fight: James Tien, Casanova Wong, and Kwon Yung-Moon vs Chan Sing:

https://youtu.be/gBV504gUcdY

Jim

[James Y]

Eastern Condors (1987, Hong Kong). Director: Sammo Hung.

*see also the final fight on page 3 of this thread.

The last move in this short clip was one of the most brutal kicks ever delivered in a movie fight scene. It’s Yuen Biao delivering a full-force spinning heel kick, with boots on, to the side of a stuntman’s face as he’s moving into the kick. I’ve often wondered if the stuntman knew the kick was going to be full-force. It’s clear that the stuntman was lifted up by the force of the kick, and did NOT jump for dramatic effect:

https://youtu.be/5bNA3iWZov0

Jim

[James Y]

A Force of One (1979, US). Director: Paul Aaron.

Chuck Norris’s 3rd starring role. Bill “Superfoot” Wallace’s first-ever movie appearance.

Final fight: Chuck Norris vs Bill Wallace:

https://youtu.be/Ca65C8jCE6I

Jim

[James Y]

No Retreat No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990; Hong Kong, USA). Director: Lucas Lo. Action director: Tony Leung Siu-Hung.

Keith Vitali (the brother with the cast on his hand) was a well-known American tournament karate champion in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. He made a few movies, as did his co-star Loren Avedon, but it’s obvious that neither one of them was an actor. They were chosen strictly for their martial arts (Tae Kwon Do) abilities. In fact, the acting throughout the movie is so bad it’s unintentionally funny, which is sometimes the best kind of comedy.

The fight itself is highly unusual in that it’s choreographed in a late ‘80s/early ‘90s Hong Kong style, but filmed in the US with all American(?) actors. Although there is some doubling for him, IMO, Rion Hunter (the white-haired baddie) looks the most impressive in this fight scene.

Final fight: Keith Vitali & Loren Avedon vs Rion Hunter & Mark Russo:

https://youtu.be/jikrEQ32cb8

Jim

[The Mastiff]

Jim, I've never met anyone as knowledgeable about this as you. It's like having a historian give a tour. Thanks man!

Joe

[RustyIron]

Without a doubt: Timmy and Jimmy in "Cripplefight."

https://southpark.cc.com/clips/104200/cripple-fight

[James Y]

Jim, I've never met anyone as knowledgeable about this as you. It's like having a historian give a tour. Thanks man!

Joe

My pleasure, Mastiff! I’ve been enjoying writing this stuff out, even though I wasn’t sure anybody was even reading it. . Glad to know you’re enjoying it!

These kinds of movies have been a passion of mine since 1978. In the early ‘80s, there were two Asian movie theaters in my area (one Chinese and one Vietnamese-owned) that showed subtitled kung fu films...one of them featured four new ones every week. There was also the old grindhouse theater district, where theaters often had English-dubbed versions of kung fu triple features. Then when I moved to Taiwan in the mid-‘80s, I saw more over there. I also started collecting them, first on VHS and then on DVD. It added up to seeing literally hundreds of these movies.

While I lived in Taiwan, I also got to meet several of the kung fu movie actors at various times, and even got to know a couple of them. I also visited the Chinese Culture and Movie Center in Taipei a couple of times, where the replica period town and outdoor and indoor sets seen in all of the old-school Taiwanese period kung fu films were located. It was Taiwan’s equivalent of Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers Studios. Some of the Shaw Brothers productions were also filmed in Taiwan and used the Movie Center’s sets as well.

However, there are fans out there who are more knowledgeable about this stuff than I am. Some far more knowledgeable. A guy named Toby Russell, for one. Dr. Craig Reid is another. There are others, too. These films have quite a cult following in North America, Europe, and elsewhere outside of Asia. Unfortunately, there are also some fans out there who put out wrong information online, including at least one person who has been considered an ‘authority’ on the subject for decades.

Jim

[James Y]

Jim, I've never met anyone as knowledgeable about this as you. It's like having a historian give a tour. Thanks man!

Joe

My pleasure, Mastiff! I’ve been enjoying writing this stuff out, even though I wasn’t sure anybody was even reading it. . Glad to know you’re enjoying it!

These kinds of movies have been a passion of mine since 1978. By the early ‘80s, there were two Asian movie theaters in my area (one Chinese and one Vietnamese-owned) that showed subtitled kung fu films...one of them featured four new ones every week. This was in addition to the old grindhouse theater district, where theaters often ran kung fu triple features of English-dubbed versions. Then when I moved to Taiwan in the mid-‘80s and stayed for nearly a decade, I saw more over there. I also started collecting them, first on VHS and then on DVD. It added up to seeing literally hundreds of these movies.

While I lived in Taiwan, I also got to meet several of the kung fu movie actors at various times, and even got to know a couple of them. I also visited the Chinese Culture and Movie Center in Taipei a couple of times, where the replica period town and outdoor and indoor sets seen in all of the old-school Taiwanese period kung fu films were located. It was Taiwan’s equivalent of Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers Studios. Some of the Shaw Brothers productions were also filmed in Taiwan and used the Movie Center’s sets as well.

However, there are fans out there who are more knowledgeable about this stuff than I am. Some far more knowledgeable. A guy named Toby Russell, for one. Dr. Craig Reid is another. There are others, too. These films have quite a cult following in North America, Europe, and elsewhere outside of Asia. There is a particularly enthusiastic fan base in the eastern US, especially in NYC. Unfortunately, there are also some fans out there who put out wrong information, including at least one author who has been considered an ‘authority’ on the subject for decades.

But IMO, more important than that is the simple enjoyment the genre has provided over the years.

Jim

[James Y]

Another clip from No Retreat No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers. This time it’s the intro.

I debated including this, because the action isn’t great, but IMO this scene is grade-C movie unintentional comic gold. I honestly believe that the scene (as it was written) was intended to inspire pride and patriotism. But the script sounds like it was written by an 11-year-old boy. The acting is wonderfully horrendous. And when the machine gun is fired, there is zero collateral damage to objects except for a cheesy sign that says, “Invest in your future: invest in America;” the budget was clearly too low to afford that expense. And the “flirtatious” look that Keith Vitali gives the girl at the end of the scene is Peeping Tom creepy.

https://youtu.be/ROpjDbD5CwA

Jim

[James Y]

Marco Polo (AKA, The Four Assassins; 1975, Taiwan). Director: Chang Cheh.

In the first clip, Kuo Chui has developed “body lightness” (extreme agility) kung fu to deal with the Mongolian wrestler, and Alexander Fu Sheng has developed “iron palm” to overcome the strength advantage of his opponent.

Final fight, part 1: Kuo Chui vs Wang Lung-Wei; Alexander Fu Sheng vs Leung Kar-Yan:

https://youtu.be/ooOZvP3Sk0g

In the second clip, Chi Kuan-Chun’s character has developed iron shirt/iron cloth “invincibility” kung fu. It’s one of the comparatively few times that a protagonist is featured with that skill, as it’s usually reserved for villains. Unfortunately, this clip does not go completely to the end of the entire scene.

Final fight, part 2: Chi Kuan-Chun vs Gordon Liu & Mongol hordes. With Richard Harrison as Marco Polo:

https://youtu.be/R7XngnOvBNk

Note: There is another main character whose final battle against the Mongol hordes that for some reason is not on YouTube.

Jim

[James Y]

Warriors Two (1978, Hong Kong/filmed in South Korea). Director: Sammo Hung.

*Note: This movie has NO connection to the American movie The Warriors that came out a year later in 1979.

The person who posted this on YouTube has cut out some parts of the final fight (and some entire fights), but IMO, this is the best video of the final fight available on YouTube.

Final fight: Casanova Wong vs Tiger Yang; Sammo Hung vs Chin Yuen-Sang & Meng Hoi; Casanova Wong & Sammo Hung vs Fung Hark-On:

https://youtu.be/YyAqW3vpmFQ

Jim