Great Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and More

Rating:
Summary: INFORMATIVE BUT TIRESOME
Review: Definately one of the more imformative books out there on Hong Kong Cinema from the late 60's to the present. Provides solid information on the HK film industry, which is a relief from what one often finds when seeking knowledge on what really goes on behind the facade put up by film companies. My only complaint is that it's just a little too opinionated and the lame attempts at humor and the blanket statements made by the author are tiresome and presumptious. People can decide for themelves what they think are the "best" marital arts scenes of all time.

Rating:
Summary: Please be patient...the book will be out Fall '99!
Review: Howdy fans. I've got good news and bad news. Bad news; the publisher has missed two publication dates. Good news; they now promise that the book will be out, better than ever, Fall '99 (one year late!). I'm busy updating the update even as you read this, so please be patient...and look for the latest news in my INSIDE KUNG-FU and ASIAN CULT CINEMA magazine columns...! Good things come to those who wait!?!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Incredible!
Review: I am a fan of Shaw Brothers Kung Fu films from the 70's and early 80's, and after reading through such books as "Hollywood East" among others, I was beginning to believe I would never find a reference book that would help me find out more about the movies and actors I personally love. All the books I found seemed to focus on the glitzy wirework films in the 90's and only briefly mentioned raw, realistic kung fu flicks that came from the era I was most interested in.I found out about "Great Martial Arts Movies" when I purchased a DVD (Shaolin Drunken Monk) that featured audio commentary by this book's author, Richard Meyers. I was incredibly impressed with the immense knowledge he displayed in the course of the commentary, and since he mentioned this book, I decided to take a chance. Lo and behold, upon receiving it, I flipped it open and came right upon a picture of one of my all time favorite Shaw films "Five Masters of Death", flipped a few pages and saw something else that made my heart stop, huge, detailed photos from all of my favorite Venoms films, and photos of Wang Yu, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, David Chiang... but it doesn't stop at pictures. The majority of this book is filled with the author's insights & opinions on all these films. My only real complaint about this book is that the Venoms/Shaw Brothers section is mainly just opinion and gives no real information about the stars. For example, I was a bit disappointed that heralded actors such as Chi Kuan Chun and Meng Fei received only the slightest mention (ie: Chi Kuan Chun is described as having a "ferret face" and Meng Fei is called "a cute looking fellow" and that is the extent of their mention). Also I noticed some of the information that WAS given is a bit off. However, I must clarify that this was ONLY in the Venoms/Shaw section, as the rest of the book is filled with extensive, personal, in-depth descriptions, facts and trivia. This author's passion goes far beyond just casual movie-watching, he has truly absorbed the nuances and details of these wonderful films and the people that make them work both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Incredible!
Review: I am a fan of Shaw Brothers Kung Fu films from the 70's and early 80's, and after reading through such books as "Hollywood East" among others, I was beginning to believe I would never find a reference book that would help me find out more about the movies and actors I personally love. All the books I found seemed to focus on the glitzy wirework films in the 90's and only briefly mentioned raw, realistic kung fu flicks that came from the era I was most interested in.I found out about "Great Martial Arts Movies" when I purchased a DVD (Shaolin Drunken Monk) that featured audio commentary by this book's author, Richard Meyers. I was incredibly impressed with the immense knowledge he displayed in the course of the commentary, and since he mentioned this book, I decided to take a chance. Lo and behold, upon receiving it, I flipped it open and came right upon a picture of one of my all time favorite Shaw films "Five Masters of Death", flipped a few pages and saw something else that made my heart stop, huge, detailed photos from all of my favorite Venoms films, and photos of Wang Yu, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, David Chiang... but it doesn't stop at pictures. The majority of this book is filled with the author's insights & opinions on all these films. My only real complaint about this book is that the Venoms/Shaw Brothers section is mainly just opinion and gives no real information about the stars. For example, I was a bit disappointed that heralded actors such as Chi Kuan Chun and Meng Fei received only the slightest mention (ie: Chi Kuan Chun is described as having a "ferret face" and Meng Fei is called "a cute looking fellow" and that is the extent of their mention). Also I noticed some of the information that WAS given is a bit off. However, I must clarify that this was ONLY in the Venoms/Shaw section, as the rest of the book is filled with extensive, personal, in-depth descriptions, facts and trivia. This author's passion goes far beyond just casual movie-watching, he has truly absorbed the nuances and details of these wonderful films and the people that make them work both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Rating:
Summary: From Bankruptcy to Buyout
Review: Well, after the original publisher going under and a new one taking up the slack, the long-promised book is finally out with the full story from China, Hong Kong, Japan, and America. As promised, the new book takes the tale full circle, from its auspicious Wong Fei Hong beginnings to the worldwide triumph of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Not just one actor, one director, and one era, but a whirlwind tour of them all, through the Venoms, Master Killer, and women warriors to Sammo, Jet, Yuen, and all the rest. There's even a color photo section with some incredibly rare images. Perfect? Well, no. I wish there had been more from the HK independant producers, the lesser known Shaw Brothers directors, an index, and a "worst of" list (to go along with the "best of" one). But considering what the book went through on the long road to publication, it held up remarkably well. Enjoy!