Enter The Dragon may have been my introduction to martial arts movies but The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin was my gateway drug into the genre. To me it's the greatest martial arts movie ever made.
@Slov Can't agree with U re: Disciples.... Fang Shi Yu (Fong Sai Yuk) iz a real historical figure, & haz been played by legends such az Alexander Fu Sheng & Jet Li. But NO1 played him better than Hsiao Hou (Ho). aka Xiao Hou, Siu Hau, born Hou Yao-Chung, but best known az Monkey of "Mad Monkey Kung Fu" fame!! The reasons 4 his mischievous nature & picking fights wuz hiz axtual character. He wuz EXTREMELY cocky after winning a nationwide tournament at 17 yearz old!! The purpose in the movie wuz 2 show that hiz arrogance wuz a danger 2 himself & those around him. He WUZ a show off. To call their purpose in the movie boring & purposeless iz doing a GRAVE disservice 2 Director Liang/Leung, who U so graciously praised! He took the story telling portion of historical figures & timez very seriously. Itz the reason he did not finish Legend of the Drunken Master with Jackie Chan. He did not like the comedic nature with which Jackie wanted 2 portray historical peole (namely Wong Fei-hung & his father) who he had a direct Kung Fu teacher/student lineage with! He wuz 4th generation student of Wong Fei-hung! His father wuz taughr by Fei-hungs student!! Director Liang (az he wuz alwayz called in my house by my Brother & i) treated history less loosely than most in the industry & wuz more authentic than most. it's 1 of the reasons he wuz my favorite Martial Arts Director. & Y Hiz moviez top my list az favorites. What is Kung Fu Really? Director Lau Kar Leung (Liu Chia Liang, knows & shows it). ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IFun3PnC6TU.htmlsi=VIfpZ-TlnXQ6uDf7 Gorden Liu wuz hiz adopted brother!! So hiz growth in Kung Fu wuz apparent in hiz moviez. & Director Liang felt that Monkey (Hsiao Hou) wuz the most promising of all the Shaw Brothers Kung Fu actors at the time!! & Thatz saying something!! Also...wut U call "bench fu" iz an actual discipline. It saddens me that Ur ignorance regarding the history & disciplines practiced suffers those watching Ur review.
I saw Return to the 36th Chamber in the 1990s and thought it was hilarious. I set out to find it again after RU-vid popped up in the 2000s and I figured out it was a 36th Chamber film, but I wasn't sure which one. I ordered the first film and I was disappointed because it was so straight laced. Hard to believe they are even in the same series.
