Killer Darts (1968) review

 

 

KILLER DARTS 1968

 

Chin Ping (Jin Yu Sien), Yueh Hua (Liu Yu Long), Fang Mian (Liu Wen Lung), Shen Yi (Lin Heung Kam), Peng Peng (Ah Fu), Chang Pei Shan (Hu Chi Feng), Ma Hong Sin (Chu Chao)

 

Directed by Ho Meng Hua

 

The Short Version: KILLER DARTS is one of Ho Meng Hua's lesser known films outside of Asia; a surprisingly dramatic, and character-varied swordplay-romantic-thriller. Occasionally bloody, it doesn't drench its cast in crimson as many others did at that time. Instead, screenwriter Du Yun Zhi (Tu Yun Chih) creates a wild world of swordsmen and swordswomen with unique abilities and a variety of projectile weapons including the "Soul-Chasing Darts" of the film's Chinese title. It's an engaging Swordplay feature with occasionally stunning photography and a healthy dose of tracking shots that pull the viewer into the scene. However, the complex plot woven around a typical revenge narrative is far too big for its 87 minute duration; and may not appeal to those seeking an emphasis on Chang Cheh-levels of violence.

 

 

Swordsman Liu Wen Lung returns home to find his village being razed by bandit chief Chu Chao and his gang. Liu's wife is killed in the fray--leaving Liu to raise their son along with his faithful servant Ah Fu. Not long afterward, Liu's student, Hu Chi Feng, rapes and murders a young mother using his teachers secret dart weapon. Before dying, the woman tells her little daughter, Jin Yu Sien, that her killer used a lethal projectile and to find her murderer. Master Liu takes the girl and raises her as a foster child. Ten years later, love blooms between Liu's son and Jin but their vendettas take a fateful turn once the bandit chief Chu Chao returns to settle a score with Liu Wen Lung.

 

Director Ho Meng Hua was riding high in 1968 with one accomplishment after the other. He'd received recognition for his imaginative and innovative quartet of JOURNEY TO THE WEST fantasy movies; following those with the surprising critical acclaim for his drama, SUSANNA (1967)--that film winning Best Picture among a reported total of 12 awards at the 14th Annual Asian Film Festival held in Japan in October of 1967. Chang Cheh's ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN won high praise but it was Ho Meng Hua's shining moment. 

 

After the success of SUSANNA, director Ho then moved into doing Wuxia adventures. His swordplay pictures were different from Chang Cheh's in that they often dealt with familial tragedy or a clan dispute as opposed to the travails of devout swordsmen and blood brotherhood. Director Ho did nine swordplays between 1967-1971, one of them--THE GOLDEN LION--wasn't completed and released till 1975. If you're looking for something more violent and bloody, then Ho's  AMBUSH (filming began in 1971 but it wasn't released till 1973) would be more in that vein.

 

The year 1968 was a huge year for Swordplay pictures, and KILLER DARTS was Ho Meng Hua's next movie--followed by THE JADE RAKSHA and VENGEANCE IS A GOLDEN BLADE. Since ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN grossed over HK$1.2 million (some Chinese sources list the gross at HK$1.5 million), the then new wave of sword-swinging heroes and heroines rejuvenated the genre style. The Shaw Brothers compensated by adding a Swordplay division to their Nanguo Experimental Theater Troupe; this was an actor training course that was greatly expanded upon when the Shaw's founded their Actor's Training Academy for Film and Television in 1971.

 

Filming on KILLER DARTS began in September of 1967. Ho's take on Wuxia would be very different from Chang Cheh, who had redefined the genre. To compare the styles with American filmmakers, you could say Ho was more John Ford than Chang's Sam Peckinpah.

Screenwriter Du Yun Zhi fashions a typically complex story with diametrically opposing moods. You have a love triangle between Chin Ping, Yueh Hua and Shen Yi; and familial clashes between Chin Ping, her adoptive father played by Fang Mian and his treacherous pupil played by Chang Pei Shan (at left in insert)--one of the great villain character actors who also was Chen Kuan Tai's dubber during his first few years at the studio. 

 

 

Originally, Du's script went deeper into Chin Ping's loneliness--having her uncover her dead father's martial arts manual that detailed a devastating palm technique. This part of the script was either dropped or cut from the release version. What remains is Fang Mian discussing her Inner Strength training; and a scene where an angry Chin Ping knocks down a few trees with a single palm strike.

 

The action scenes aren't as varied as the weapons the myriad number of characters possess. The title projectile is more than just a weapon--it's an important plot point that is the main focus of the movie. It is certainly a "Soul-chasing Dart" as the film's Chinese title specifies. Once the skin is pierced by the weapon, your exit from Earth is only seconds away.

 

 

There are other dart-like weapons scattered about the script, including one that is fired from a metallic appendage worn by the main villain after his arm is cut off near the beginning. There are even mystical powers where one character uses inner force to control objects in mid-air. 

 

Going back to the action, there's not a credited martial arts director. The reasoning is unknown; although one could surmise that since the Shaw's would produce a staggering 45 movies in 1968, there weren't enough action designers on the payroll to go around--leaving the work to the actors and background players.

 

 

The action design is largely standard but enhanced by periodic optical effects, wires, and in-camera trickery. One such scene is a wide-angle shot where Chin Ping practices with the title death darts using cups as targets. 

 

Actress Chin Ping was one of the biggest names in HK at that time. She would regularly switch between dramas and action pictures during her brief seven-year acting career. She'd just finished Lo Chen's drama THE RAINBOW (1968) when she began working on two swordplay pictures, THE BELLS OF DEATH for director Griffin Yueh Feng and KILLER DARTS--both films not only have two opposing atmospheres but Chin's roles are totally different between them. She's a meek and delicate young lady in the former and an emotionally-torn martial artist seeking revenge in the latter.

Miss Chin gets the chance to both act and do action here. It's a different sort of role than normally written for these movies. She's raised to avenge her family then deceived into believing her master is the killer she seeks. It's one of a few sword-opera styled twists in Ho Meng Hua's movie.

 

To gauge her popularity, Chin Ping was voted the #2 most popular swordswoman in a newspaper contest in 1969. She would retire from the industry in December of that year to get married. Her last action picture was the top 10 hit THE TWELVE GOLD MEDALLIONS (1970). She was also working on Ho Meng Hua's THE BLACK ENFORCER in 1969. Due to her retirement, all her footage had to be re-shot with a new leading lady; that turned out to be newcomer, the gorgeous Wang Ping. Chin was also the co-star in Ho's 'The Golden Mace'--a movie that was never finished, but may have morphed into Ho's VENGEANCE IS A GOLDEN BLADE (1969); another swordplay featuring Chin and Yueh Hua again. 

 

Possibly due to her short run, Chin Ping seldom gets mentioned these days among fans but she was certainly an important actress in 1960s Hong Kong cinema. Sadly, she died from cancer on September 6th, 2017 at the age of 68.

Yueh Hua is one of the genres finest actors; and a mainstay of the industry's Golden Age. Along with classmate Chin Ping, Yueh Hua was a graduate of the Nanguo Experimental Theater Troupe alongside Swordswoman Supreme Cheng Pei Pei. Arguably his most celebrated role was as the Drunken Knight in King Hu's COME DRINK WITH ME (1966). He'd actually been tapped to reprise the role in the second attempt at a loose sequel titled 'The Drinking Knight' under the direction of Pao Hsueh Li in 1971. The film was never completed.

 

 

The character he plays in KILLER DARTS is the object of two women's affections; those being Chin Ping and Shen Yi. The latter lady was one of Shaw's sexy actresses--frequently playing concubines and other aggressive, or alluring personality types. The love triangle involving her, Yueh and Chin's characters isn't as interesting as the other angle dealing with Chin Ping's private vendetta, although both plots are woven together by the end.

 

Miss Shen would request her release from her contract in 1970 presumably due to a long stretch where she wasn't working. She was said to have been a consummate actress who never complained and did everything asked of her. She ended her career in 1976 after two final appearances in back-to-back 'Women In Prison' pictures, GIRLS IN THE TIGER CAGE and REVENGE IN THE TIGER CAGE, both released to theaters simultaneously.

 

The sword pictures made by director Ho are quite good and have long been overshadowed by his more globally well-known works THE FLYING GUILLOTINE (1975), BLACK MAGIC (1975), and THE MIGHTY PEKING MAN (1977). The first ten years of his career entails his best directing work. THE FLYING GUILLOTINE was his last truly great motion picture. The final five years of his career is dominated by exploitation movies and low-grade martial arts films. THE MIGHTY PEKING MAN is a unique title on his resume in that it was one of the most expensive Shaw Brothers productions, if not the most expensive. It's a great film, but mostly from an entertainment perspective. 

 

As for KILLER DARTS (the English title on the poster as 'KILLER DART' is in an unusually large font while the onscreen title adds an 's'), the film's script is quite good, but also the area where the movie falters to a degree. There's so many vendettas and dramatic arcs that the most important one isn't explored enough; that being where Chin Ping's character is deceived into believing the man that raised her is her mother's killer.

 

Another area is Chu Chao's return, bringing a slew of cutthroats back with him. The menagerie of malcontents appear to be loosely based on characters from Shi Nai'an's famous novel, 'Outlaws of the Marsh'. Among them are actors Ku Feng, Dean Shek, Liu Kang, Han Ying Chieh and Wei Ping Ao. None of them figure heavily in the final fight at all; whether due to time or footage was edited out for pacing.

The film has so much going for it you may not even notice the minor shortcomings. One thing you will notice is how the colors pop off the screen in this blu-ray presentation, part of an 11-film set in Shout's Shaw Brothers Collection Volume 1. The picture quality is nothing short of amazing.

 

The late filmmaker's earlier works like KILLER DARTS need more exposure and hopefully greater appreciation from martial arts film fans. They're surprisingly classy pictures next to what the director would be doing in the last half of the 1970s. If you enjoy 1940s swashbucklers with the likes of Errol Flynn, you'll possibly find enjoyment in these Chinese-language variants, but with more blood and melodrama.

This review is representative of the Shout! Factory blu-ray, part of their 11-film set, Shaw Brothers Collection Volume 1. Specs and extras: 1080p anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1; commentary with Eastern Kicks James Mudge; Celestial trailer; running time: 01:27:50.

Shaw Brothers Cinema Presents: Raymond Chow Talks Shaw Brothers Productions

 

 

In June of 1969, then Deputy General Manager of Shaw Brothers Studio, Raymond Chow gave an interview for TVB's Radio Hong Kong (now RTHK) about how films were made at Movie Town--the magic factory where the Shaw Brothers produced dozens of films a year for an entertainment-starved populace. Reporters and members of the audience asked Mr. Chow detailed and thorough questions about the inner workings of the company, its stars, how the films were made, and the HK film industry itself. This vintage discussion offers a unique look into HK film production at the time, and from the perspective of Run Run Shaw's then right-hand man, the future president of Golden Harvest, Raymond Chow. (Top: Raymond Chow answering questions on Radio Hong Kong)

This interview contains a dozen images, many of which are rare, from when Chow was at Shaw Brothers Studio and various times at Golden Harvest from 1970-1973.

 

RAYMOND CHOW OPENING STATEMENT: Hong Kong is a small place with a large population that's limited by its surroundings. Forms of entertainment are limited for its 4 million residents. The cinema has become one of the most important forms of entertainment for us here in the last ten to twenty years. According to statistics from the UN, Hong Kong residents accounted for the largest number of moviegoers in the world. There are 115 movie theaters in Hong Kong--24 of which show first-run Western films. Ten years ago there were only four theaters in Hong Kong showing Mandarin films. In ten years the audience has increased twenty-fold in comparison. In HK, Taiwan, and Singapore and Malaysia, Chinese films continue to win over foreign viewers. In the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam trends are moving in a similar direction. This is one of the great rewards of HK filmmakers. (Insert: Run Run Shaw and his protege Raymond Chow study films in a screening room in 1966)

 

Our film industry has made a significant contribution to its development in foreign markets. If we hire foreign directors and actors to work in HK, the Immigration Bureau will try its best to give us conveniences. However, compared with other industries, the assistance we receive is still not ideal. For example, it is necessary to relax film censorship. We know their responsibility is to uphold the law and morality, but if it is too strict, and although we have the opportunity to appeal, it is far too time-consuming and troublesome. This can have an impact on the box office. This is especially true in regard to how scenes involving exposure of the human body are handled. We don't see this doing much harm to society. On the contrary, there are pornographic books and periodicals with far more revealing pictures and obscene words that can be purchased at anytime out on the street. The bad influence of such material is many times worse than what little we show on-screen. Film has a cultural and educational responsibility, so we all try our best to find good themes. The film industry hopes that the government can provide more support to help Hong Kong's economy and prosperity. (Insert: Raymond Chow, Leonard Ho, Angela Mao, Nora Miao and others at Golden Harvest's first New Year's Party in February of 1971; the company had 70 employees at launch)

QUESTIONER: What are the qualifications to become an actor, and how can one become a successful actor?

RAYMOND CHOW: The most basic requirement for an actor is fate. What makes an actor pleasing to viewers isn't necessarily their appearance or how pretty they are. It is mainly due to their acting abilities. Unfortunately, there is no special training school for this in Hong Kong. We often hear about the miracle of becoming famous overnight, but for every young person who is interested in joining our industry, we point out quite frankly that success in the movies can only be achieved through continuous hard work; which is by no means as easy as ordinary people might think it is.

 

QUESTIONER: We want to know what is the basis for trends in Mandarin movies made in HK? Can Mr. Chow predict the next trend in Hong Kong?

 

RAYMOND CHOW: Here in HK, action films are currently the most trendy. In a narrow sense, martial arts films are quite popular today. The birth of a trend, such as something like clothing styles or automobiles, is difficult to analyze. According to our opinion, at certain periods of time, there were two or three films from a particular genre that were especially well-shot and became very popular and successful due to word-of-mouth. When this happens others will follow suit and the trend is created. The same is true for the rise of James Bond and other spy pictures in the United States. Chinese martial arts films are booming and for a reason. Further analysis shows that action movies are more welcomed by audiences because there are plentiful action sequences and fewer dialog scenes; there's less for the viewer to think about and just be entertained by the maneuvers on-screen. In foreign countries, for example, the tide has turned to films with a heavier emphasis on sex. But Hong Kong's Chinese people have different tastes and our inherent morality is also different. Even with the exposure to more Western films, our martial art productions should continue to maintain their current popularity. (Insert: Bruce Lee, Raymond Chow, Jimmy Wang Yu at Chinese New Year Party in 1973)

QUESTIONER: If the world trends towards more sex on-screen, will Shaw Brothers also make sex films to cater to the audience tastes?

RAYMOND CHOW: As I said moments ago, movies with heavier doses of sexual content may not be accepted by Chinese audiences. It is currently impossible for us to make such movies.

QUESTIONER: As for revealing scenes in motion pictures, the government's Film Censorship Office often prohibits showing anything too revealing, which may seem unfair to you or some viewers. In the US, producers have their own organization that rates their films into four categories. Mr. Chow, do you think this system could work in Hong Kong?

RAYMOND CHOW: This is not only the case in America but in Japan as well. There is no government film inspection agency in Japan. The five major film companies there set up their own organizations to review their own works. This system may not be very ideal in Hong Kong. The government here is different from other places so we cannot generalize it. We hope that our industry can have its own committee to receive certain issues in a consultative manner with the governments prosecutorial office. For political review, the government's inspection office can take care of itself. That is, what we want is a self-regulating body, but we are not advocating to completely replace government censorship. 

(Insert: Raymond Chow, Leonard Ho and Wang Yu off-camera on the set of BEACH OF THE WAR GODS in 1971)

QUESTIONER: In addition to local films, there are many Mandarin films made in Taiwan. Can Mr. Chow explain the difference between the two markets?

RAYMOND CHOW: Most of the Chinese films made outside HK are produced in Taiwan. Generally speaking, Hong Kong is better than Taiwan in terms of technology. Taiwan has the advantage in terms of location because of their geographical environment. Taiwan also puts more emphasis on literature and art because it publishes more books and novels, and the movies are mostly adapted from them. Hong Kong has a majority of action films; by that I mean there are more action movies shot in HK. Taiwan's literary productions are much better than ours due to the lack of locations here. We often have to go to Korea and Japan and Taiwan.

QUESTIONER: There seems to be a shortage of film directing talent in HK. Many of our films rely heavily on foreign talent as directors. What is the reason for this?

RAYMOND CHOW: Film is a comprehensive art that requires talents from various fields to make your company more successful. Take Hollywood for example, the most developed film industry in the world. Its success is due to to its eclectic ability to recruit talents from all over the world. Many famous directors are not American, but British and Italian. Many famous stars are Swedish are European. The distinction between national borders should be discarded and there should be no mentality of rejecting foreigners in our industry. By integrating talent from various countries, we can exchange experience and absorb more knowledge from different countries. We often hire Japanese directors and technicians to collaborate on our productions. At the same time, we also send our staff to Japan and Europe to study. Recently, we have sent five university graduates to Japan to specialize in five-year university film courses because we lack these facilities in HK to train talents. We hope that they can apply what they have learned to our industry upon their return. (Insert: Raymond Chow with Bruce Lee at the Golden Harvest New Year's Party in 1972)

QUESTIONER: We hire Japanese filmmakers, but what about foreign actors like Brigitte Bardot participating in our domestic pictures?

RAYMOND CHOW: If there is a suitable script and production costs are possible, we are of course very willing to invite Brigitte Bardot or other equally famous foreign stars to perform in HK. What matters is the issue of money. At present, our market is still narrow and cannot be distributed worldwide like American or European films. However, if stars like Brigitte Bardot were to come to HK to make movies, the remuneration would be extremely high and we may not be able to afford it.

QUESTIONER, HO DE CHONG: I feel that female movie stars are favored in HK over male stars. What is the reason for this?

RAYMOND CHOW: I think this isn't accurate. Perhaps Mr. Ho is biased towards female stars so he feels they are more valued. In our company, there are 75 male actors and 73 female stars. I think most male audience members welcome female stars. Women viewers mostly love the male stars though they may be reluctant to express this feeling due to their conservative values. The industry has evolved beyond female stars being more popular than the men. This is my personal observation.

QUESTIONER: Although I like some female stars, I agree with Mr. Ho's statement that the women are more valued in HK. I wonder if Shaw Brothers promotion of female actors is more obvious? Take the Asian Film Festival as an example; it is always a woman that wins Best Actor. I have never heard of a man winning for Best Actor. I am wondering if the acting skills of male actors seen as inferior to the women?

RAYMOND CHOW: This is also an inaccurate statement. For film companies, promoting the women is just as important as promoting the men. And our publicity is mostly based on the film itself as opposed to a particular star headlining it. As for the Asian Film Festival's methods of selecting stars for their awards, the judging committee of the festival is composed of two well-known locals who have knowledge of the film industries within the seven participating regions. The selection meeting is made up of a 14-member committee that is held two weeks prior to the festival. The judging process is not influenced by any one person. In fact, representatives from the various countries do not gather for the local meeting at the festival. They rate the pictures after watching each film individually. Therefore, it is impossible for Shaw Brothers or the Hong Kong Producers Association to deliberately promote a certain actor or actress as the Best Actor. The real power of selection lies with the committee. Then it's in the hands of the four judges. (Insert: Raymond Chow signing Joseph Kuo Nan Hung at Shaw Brothers in 1968)

 

QUESTIONER: How many Shaw Brothers movies are made each year?

 

RAYMOND CHOW: Based on our current production numbers, it is about 40-45 films per year. Last year we produced 41.

 

QUESTIONER: What is the scope of your company's distribution?

 

 

RAYMOND CHOW: Our main markets are Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan; and other Southeast Asian regions such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, Indonesia, etc, are all important markets. We also have a reach as far as North and South America, but those are markets are comparatively smaller at the moment. Recently we have enacted a plan to open up the market in South America by dubbing some of our films in English to be released there. ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN (1967) is to be the first to see release in Brazil.  (Top: Chang Cheh, Raymond Chow, Kao Pao Shu at Shaw's New Year's Party in 1970)

 

QUESTIONER: Is the Hong Kong market more important in comparison to the foreign market?

 

RAYMOND CHOW: In terms of the current domestic film market, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia are all equally important. The number of viewers is difficult to estimate accurately. In our experience, in HK alone, the number of viewers for a popular movie ranges anywhere between 600,000 to 1,000,000 viewers. 

QUESTIONER: In terms of taste, is there a preference for one type of film with audiences in different regions?

RAYMOND CHOW: There's not much difference between regions. What Chinese and foreign viewers want are good movies. Currently martial arts films are the most popular. The level of excitement and the styles and movements is attractive to men, women and children. Literary films are quite popular with audiences too.

QUESTIONER: Are local producers creating their own trends or just following what's fashionable overseas?

RAYMOND CHOW: At present, the production of domestic films is undoubtedly more prosperous than in previous years, and more popular. The market is also expanding but not yet stable. As a result, many producers aren't comfortable taking chances with doing something different, and almost always make films to cater to the interest of the audience. Our film industry is different from foreign countries like the United States and India and other places. The distribution in their own countries can more easily recover their costs. (Insert: Raymond Chow seeing Lo Wei and his crew off at the airport on their way to America to shoot YELLOW FACED TIGER, aka SLAUGHTER IN SAN FRANCISCO)

 

QUESTIONER: How many stages do you have inside the studio and how many workers are there?

 

RAYMOND CHOW: Shaw Brothers currently has ten indoor film studios and five permanent outdoor sets with a staff of 1,700 people.

QUESTIONER: Do you always use the same outdoor sets?

RAYMOND CHOW: Before shooting we often change the scenery slightly. It's not easy to notice in the film. Like one of the street sets, if you change the color or replace the signboards on the shops and rearrange interior furnishings, the same set will take on an all new look.

 

QUESTIONER: Of the 1,700 staff members, how many are actors and how many are other personnel?

 

RAYMOND CHOW: Of all the male and female actors who have signed contracts with the company account for 160 to 170 people; and we still recruit other performers and extras at any given time. These are temporarily hired from outside the company. The rest are workers--most of which are carpenters, then electricians, painters and masons. Shaw Brothers has many departments so the number of people employed for each department is quite large.

 

QUESTIONER: Mr. Chow, please take us through the entire filmmaking process--from the pre-production to the film's release.

 

RAYMOND CHOW: The first step of course is writing the script. We currently have 18 screenwriters. Everyone selects stories from famous works and novels and submits them for review. A screenwriter then compiles an outline and then passes it along to prospective directors. Once a director is appointed and goes over the outline with the writer, then the script can be written. After it has been reviewed and has been deemed satisfactory, it is handed over to the production department for planning and preparation for shooting. The next step is to make decisions on the staff and the actors. The producer then assembles the personnel and the sets, costumes and props are ordered. The leading protagonist is decided upon first, followed by supporting players. After the actors are finalized, a formal meeting is held to discuss the roles with the actors. A few days before the start of shooting, the actors participate in wardrobe tests and the director and producer study over them to ascertain if the costuming meets the needs of the plot. If there are no major problems then shooting can officially begin. (Insert: Runme Shaw in Hong Kong discussing the business with Raymond Chow)

QUESTIONER: How long does it take to get the actual stage of filming?

RAYMOND CHOW: From the moment we begin pre-production, if the script doesn't encounter any problems, filming can officially begin within six weeks time.

QUESTIONER: How long does it take from the start of shooting to completion?

RAYMOND CHOW: Generally speaking, the working days for a film range between 40 and 60 days. The so-called working days are not continuous. The impact of weather conditions, for example, are unpredictable. As per our past experiences, it takes about 3 to 4 months to complete the shooting portion of a film.

QUESTIONER: Can you tell us about the shooting process itself?

 

RAYMOND CHOW: A film usually runs for one and a half to two hours, but the shooting process can last up to 60 days. The movie you watch may look very beautiful and move at a fast pace, but the actual shooting of those scenes is arduous for the performers in ways viewers can't understand. Before we shoot a scene, the staff has to get the set ready for filming; this includes the background of the stage and the lighting of the set. The luminosity alone is very hot. Especially in summer months when actors may be wearing heavy clothing, beards and hoods as seen in period costume films. You can't be seen sweating even though the heat from the lamps can feel like the equivalent of five thousand electric stoves. This is extremely uncomfortable for the actors and unimaginable for viewers who haven't experienced it for themselves. Moreover, the working hours on any given day are 8-10 hours. In some cases when filming on exterior locations, the actors must leave for the set before the sun rises. Depending on where they are, actors may be filming out in the scorching sun or in heavy rain or snowfall. The suffering of the staff lasts for days to capture what the audience sees on-screen for only a few minutes.(Top: Raymond Chow and Shintaro Katsu on February 12th, 1971 celebrating a joint production company between them)

QUESTIONER: After filming wraps, what other work is there to do?

RAYMOND CHOW: After we finish shooting, we go into post-production and that takes between one to two months to complete. Normally, we shoot 40,000-50,000 feet of film, but we only need to use 9,000 feet of what was shot for the official screening. So, we discard the unsatisfactory and damaged parts and edit the rest together. We then dub in the dialog, the sound effects, and the music. Fortunately, we have our own color printing equipment in HK which saves a lot of time instead of printing abroad.

QUESTIONER: The production process of a Mandarin film is so complicated with so much manpower used, how much is the average cost of a production?

RAYMOND CHOW: It depends on each film company. The cost of an ordinary independent production company is relatively low. According to our estimation, it is about HK$500,000. For Shaw Brothers, the production costs required can range between HK$800,000 to HK$1.5 million. For some large-scale pictures, if they need to go to foreign countries to shoot location filming, the cost can reach HK$2 million. (Insert: Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho at court in 1971 over the lawsuit involving similarities between ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN and ZATOICHI MEETS THE ONE ARMED SWORDSMAN)