Sunday, January 24, 2010

Shaw Brothers Cinema: Rare LADY EXTERMINATOR (1977) Pics


Here's something for Shaw Brothers fans out there. Here is a two page spread of the 1977 release of the rare sequel to Sun Chung's 1976 Hong Kong remake of Jack Hill's blaxploitation classic, COFFY (1973). THE SEXY KILLER aka THE DRUG CONNECTION wasn't very successful in Hong Kong, but if you enjoyed the Pam Grier classic, the Shaw's version piles on the sex and sleaze quotient. This sequel, (which I haven't watched yet), looks to be more of the same. These two scans are from the September 1976 issue of one of the Shaw Brothers own promotional monthly movie magazines, Southern Screen.

CLICK A PIC TO SEE THEM IN LARGER SIZE AS WELL AS READ THE ENGLISH EXCERPT IN SECOND PICTURE...

Top of the pic shows director, Sun Chung instructing actress Shirley Yu in a supposed revealing scene. At bottom, it's a pic of then newcomer, the future award winning director, Erh Tung Sheng (aka Derek Yee).

There's been a small degree of controversy among fans as to whether or not the film exists because of its rarity. It is possible though, that this is one of the films damaged beyond repair from the Shaw vaults. However, there is a very bad quality English dubbed bootleg of the film that is out there amongst collectors circles. It was not on Celestial's list of films to be remastered (at least I didn't see it), but it is listed on some of the released DVD cast and crew credits. What's interesting about this film (and most puzzling that it didn't get a release) is that it was the first screen appearance of popular actor and future award winning director, Erh Tung Sheng. Derek Erh (or Derek Yee) was the brother of superstar actor, David Chiang and although he gets his first start here in a modern exploitation movie, he achieved instant notoriety the same year in a Chu Yuan Wuxia favorite entitled DEATH DUEL. His career snowballed from there and he was most predominantly associated with swordplay adventures, but did return to seedy exploitation fare with the nasty Shaw horror flick, HELL HAS NO BOUNDARY (1982) which also featured Yueh Hua in a prominent role.

Here, it's various scenes of action and undress. The bald character is Yueh Hua in his first antagonist role. Chen Ping and Shirley Yu feature in the other pics

Also of note, aforementioned famed Shaw star, Yueh Hua plays a villain for the first time in his long career with the company. Sporting a bald head, Hua was also working on Chu Yuan's fan favorite Wuxia film, CLANS OF INTRIGUE (1977) in which he also played a bald headed character. Yueh Hua first came to fame in some of the classic Shaw fantasy MONKEY GOES WEST series of films, but really took off with the supreme Shaw swordswoman classic, COME DRINK WITH ME in 1966. Hua then was undertaking some five film assignments at once appearing in all manner of swordplay actioners. Chang Cheh used him to great effect as a cocky scholar, martial artist in the underrated historical action drama, THE IRON BODYGUARD (1973). Hua's forte was undoubtedly Wuxia spectaculars such as two tremendously strong entries from classy director, Cheng Kang with PURSUIT and THE 14 AMAZONS (both 1972). Other notable Hua movies are VENGEANCE IS A GOLDEN BLADE (1968) and THE 12 GOLD MEDALLIONS, the number two biggest hit of 1970. Hua also got down with some gory basher violence with the over the top antics seen in the violent THE CASINO (1972).
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