cityonfire.com | Movie News & Developments

Halloween Top 5: Bloodiest Shaw Brothers ‘Venoms’ Films
Trailer for Steven Seagal and Russell Wong’s ‘Contract to Kill’
Corey Yuen’s ‘No Retreat, No Surrender’ to hit Blu-ray in 2017

Halloween Top 5: Bloodiest Shaw Brothers ‘Venoms’ Films

Posted: 19 Oct 2016 12:00 AM PDT

“Masked Avengers” Chinese Theatrical Poster

With their ornate costumes, eclectic masks and sinister weaponry – not to mention some of the most blood-drenching flicks ever put on celluloid – we consider The Venoms (aka Philip Kwok, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, Lo Meng, Sun Chien and Wei Pai) to be the ultimate link between kung fu and Halloween. For this reason, City on Fire proudly presents the Top 5 Bloodiest Venoms Films:

Masked Avengers (1981)

If you've ever watched a Shaw Brothers kung fu film and found yourself thinking: "This flick is good and all, but what it REALLY needs is a bunch of blood-drinking, Satan-worshiping, mask-wearing villains and a whole lot more violence," then Masked Avengers is the movie for you.

This is a dark, dark flick, and those who require comedic antics with their kung fu need not apply. It has hardcore violence equal to Five Element Ninja. Some disturbing imagery, from masked cultists drinking human blood to intestines dangling from tridents. Then there are the traps in the cultists’ lair, which gouge, crush, and eviscerate. It’s almost as if this flick was made for Halloween.

“Flag of Iron” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Flag of Iron (1980)

With its intricate choreography, colorful villains, fantastic sets, and of course, excessive violence – Flag of Iron is one of the better Venoms movies. It’s similar to Masked Avengers, in that both are heavy on plot, both lack main Venoms Lo Meng and Sun Chien, and both are impressively brutal.

In its uncut state, Flag of Iron is not only more fleshed out, but also more violent. In addition to blood sprays, hackings, and unusual deaths, there’s also a flag thrown all the way through a victim (it flies through the dude and embeds itself in a wooden beam, drenched in blood).

Don’t let the film’s non-threatening title fool you. There’s a reason it’s titled The Spearmen of Death in other territories.

“House of Traps” Chinese Theatrical Poster

House of Traps (1981)

Not much carnage via weaponry. Instead, most of the violence in House of Traps comes from the traps themselves. The bottom level has spikes that come out of the floor, and a steel staircase that will clamp shut (in other words, feet get cut in half and men are impaled and torn asunder). Spear-tipped nets ensnare those who make it high enough, trapping them while guys on the bottom floor come out and shoot up at them with arrows.

The ending of House of Traps is especially bizarre, with one of the heroes hacking open a corpse, to root out the contents of its stomach. PETA beware: A live chicken buys it in a moment of pure exploitation!

“Two Champions of Shaolin” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Two Champions of Shaolin (1980)

In Two Champions of Shaolin, Lo Meng llsically vomits blood in the best display of “spitting out blood when injured” since Fu Sheng in Heroes Two. In addition, Chiang Sheng rips some guy’s balls off, and later bashes someone’s brains out. Look close, you’ll see them.

Two Champions of Shaolin is drenched with acrobatic displays of martial fortitude and blood-drenched violence. The best part of the movie arrives with a tournament between the top Wu-Tang fighters and Chiang Sheng and Lo Meng. Squaring off in one-on-one combat, this segment puts Mortal Kombat to shame.

I’ve done the math: Two Champions of Shaolin = total carnage.

“The Kid with the Golden Arm” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Kid with the Golden Arm (1979)

The Kid with the Golden Arm opens bloodily with an escort service member crawling into their headquarters, "Chi Sah gang" etched onto his bare back by a sword. There’s a memorable scene in which someone off-screen is stabbed, and his blood literally jets across the set.

The violence level is pleasantly high – we’re talking Lone Wolf and Cub-level bloodshed, with multiple hackings, slicings, and cleavings. Blood erupts from sword gashes, people get hacked apart, and those beaten by fists bleed profusely from the mouth

Despite its comic book-like title, Kid with the Golden Arm is certainly one of the more violent Venoms movies.

Thanks to Joe Kenney for his bloody contribution. If you’re interested in any of these films, please visit DDDHouse.com, Amazon.com or Shawbrothersuniverse.com for availability. For some of the greatest Venoms prints and T-shirts money can buy, visit Shaolinchamber36.com. Looking for dog clothes? Visit Frank and Beanz Doggie Apparel. How’s that for some plugs?

Trailer for Steven Seagal and Russell Wong’s ‘Contract to Kill’

Posted: 18 Oct 2016 07:00 AM PDT

“Contract to Kill” Theatrical Poster

If there’s one filmmaker who knows how to gel with Steven Seagal (Above the Law), it’s Keoni Waxman (End of a Gun). The writer/director/producer – responsible for having done several movies with Seagal – has recently stated that he’s getting ready to shoot a “different” kind of action film with Seagal, opposite Russell Wong (Romeo Must Die).

“It’s set in Mexico and Istanbul and at the moment it’s called Contract to Kill. Getting excited about it – Steven’s co-star is Russell Wong and we are working with Ron Balicki again, so look for some cool knife fights. We’ve also made a few changes in our approach to the films, so I think it’ll look very different than End of a Gun (as well as Killing Salazar). All a good thing,” said Waxman (via ss.net).

In this international action-thriller, Seagal stars as Harmon, a CIA/DEA enforcer investigating Arab terrorists captured in Mexico. With his team—seductive FBI agent Zara and spy-drone pilot Sharp—he flies to Istanbul and uncovers a brutal plot: Islamic extremists plan to use Sonora drug-smuggling routes to bring deadly weapons, and leaders, into the U.S. To prevent an attack on America, Harmon must turn these two savage forces against one another before his time—and his luck—run out.

In addition to Contract to Kill, Seagal has a handful of films that he may or may not be working on that include Attrition, China Salesman, Cypher, Gunfighter, Under Siege 3, Four Towers and Above the Law 2. Seagal’s latest released film, End of Gun, was recently reviewed by COF’s Zach Nix. His next film, Perfect Weapon, will be hitting Blu-ray on December 6th, 2016.

Updates: Watch the trailer for Contract to Kill below, which hits select theaters and On Demand on December 9th (if trailer is broken, watch it on iTunes), courtesy of Lionsgate.

Coolest dog fashions are here at Frank and Beanz Doggie Apparel.

Corey Yuen’s ‘No Retreat, No Surrender’ to hit Blu-ray in 2017

Posted: 18 Oct 2016 12:00 AM PDT

“No Retreat, No Surrender” American Theatrical Poster

Old school martial arts fans, rejoice! We’ve just gotten word that Kino Lorber will be releasing No Retreat, No Surrender on Blu-ray in 2017. The upcoming Blu-ray will include the International cut (with extra scenes and alternate music) and the rarely seen “New World” U.S. cut (alternate opening sequence and soundtrack), as well an interview with the film’s lead, Kurt McKenney.

This 1986 cult martial arts classic is noted for being one of the first U.S. productions by Hong Kong action director, Corey Yuen (Yes, Madam), who would later find bigger fame in America choreographing Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) and Kiss of the Dragon (2001).

No Retreat, No Surrender is perhaps best known for giving Jean-Claude Van Damme (The Hard Corps) his first starring role. The film also features an all-star martial arts cast, including Peter Cunningham (Righting Wrongs), Timothy D. Baker (Bloodfist II) and the late Kim Tai-chung (Tower of Death), once again, as “Bruce Lee”.

We’ll post more details about No Retreat, No Surrender as we hear more. Until then, here’s the film’s classic trailer.

Pages

Movie Release :

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

cityonfire.com | Movie News & Developments

cityonfire.com | Movie News & Developments

No comments:

Post a Comment