Dragons Never Die (1974) review

DRAGONS NEVER DIE 1974 aka KUNG FU 10TH DAN

Alex Lung (Li Tin Ming), Hon Kwok Choi (Hsiao San), Hong Ying Kit (Master Kang Lung), Yukio Someno (Kojima), Eva Linda (Miss Wong), Yuen Wah, Yuen Bun

Directed by Chen Chi Hwa (as Charlie Chen)

***WARNING! This review contains some nudity***

"From the day we started, you've beaten seven schools, five gang leaders and nine bastards...and those you defeated didn't know why you fought with them. It seems your purpose in life is one continuous fight."


Li Tin Ming and his side kick, Hsiao San travel the countryside going from one martial arts school to the next challenging and defeating teacher and student alike to test his kung fu. The duo soon find themselves in Hung An Town where a thug called 'The Leopard' rules over the people. Killing him, Li carries on his excursion to fight against all boxers. Along the way, he learns a lot about humility and the consequences of his actions. Giving up fighting forever, a new gang sets up camp in Hung An Town and Li Tin Ming is forced into a duel against Kang Lung, the revenge seeking father of 'The Leopard'. Now he must face his most dangerous adversary and free the oppressed town once more.


Chen Chi Hwa (as Charlie Chen) directs this sometimes thoughtful, but occasionally off the wall basher flick. As obscure and rare as they come (in its widescreen format as presented here), DRAGONS NEVER DIE (1974) is definitely going to please fist and kick fans. However, considering the year in which it was made, it has an unusually high amount of comedic moments that didn't really take hold of the kung fu genre until 1978. The humorous bits are all courtesy of Hon Kwok Choi and by the time the film is half over, the funny stuff has halted leaving only brutal altercations.


There's a lot of overt sexual references in this movie, at least during the first 30 minutes. This is especially pronounced while the two men work in a blacksmith shop. It's handled in a rather bizarre fashion. A woman happens by and watches Li sweating profusely as he works licking her lips in desire for his body. We see shots of him pounding away on the metal as she looks on and the camera zooms in on the raging fire. Then, Hsiao San, himself, gets aroused once he gets a peek at the lady's chest after she opens up her shirt. He begins thrusting the flue faster and faster until Li manages to get his attention and calm him down.


This all adds up to nothing except to pad out the running time and comes off as an attempt by the director to be creative albeit in a sleazy way. There's even a bath scene wherein Miss Wong, touching herself, expects Li to enter and enjoy a sexual encounter with her. What she gets is a visit by his sidekick. Hsiao San gets a rise in his pants once more and tries to get a gander of Miss Wong's groceries whilst she bathes. The actress playing Miss Wong, Eva Linda, is rather endowed and possesses a nice figure.


Since establishing Hsiao San as a perpetually horny fellow, he is also shown to be a dreamer as well. Imagining himself the "Kung Fu 11th Dan", he sees himself as a top class fighter, at least in his minds eye. As played by Hon Kwok Choi, he overplays the typical good guy lackey that later became commonplace in hundreds of indy productions. He exaggerates it to the point that it quickly becomes annoying. But that is most often the case in these cheaper pictures. In addition to all the peculiar comedy and dream sequences, the director employs some Chang Cheh style flashbacks represented by color filters. There are also some brief moments that entertain some oddball camera movements utilizing different lenses lending a distorted effect to the image.


Alex Lung did relatively few movies, but he definitely has presence and displays some power in his movements. I'd be interested to know just what happened to him shortly after he dropped off the movie map in 1974. This was one of his last roles before his disappearance from the film world. He tackles his character with little to no change in emotional expression. Yet, as you learn more about his character, his singular expression suits him just fine. There are also some story comparisons between this film and the 1953 American western, SHANE.


In that film, Shane, the gunfighter, attempts to start a new life leaving the way of the gun behind, but outside forces prevent that from happening. In DRAGONS NEVER DIE, Li pursues a life of constant fighting testing out his 'Kung Fu 10th Dan' until one day, after a couple life altering incidents, Li wants to hang up his fists and feet forever. But, as in SHANE, outside forces keep him from doing so. This is where the story finally becomes interesting and belies what must have been an extremely low budget production. There are also some topics discussed that mirror similar themes in SHANE, such as the nature of violence and killing.


Li Tin Ming is brought back to Hung An Town by a young girl named Shi Lan so that her father can thank him for ridding their town of the wily 'Leopard'. Over dinner, Mr. Tao has a conversation with Li asking him why he enjoys fighting so much. He replies, "I want to fight all boxers." Shocked, Mr. Tao responds, "To defeat others is not kung fu...it's violence." This doesn't stop Li from participating in a martial arts tournament. Being a late entry, he is forced to fight several consecutive battles. Injuring a man severely, Li see the mans son crying with a look of anger on his face. This pricks something in his conscience from when he was a little boy.


The next day, he fights yet again. Beating the man, the defeated, but respected fighter states he doesn't recognize Li's Kung Fu of 10th Dan. At this point, Li Tin Ming soon begins to dislike his wandering journey battling various martial arts experts to test his skills.


He vows to give up fighting and leaves Hung An Town. Some time passes and he's lured back by Shi Lan. She says that not long after he slew 'The Leopard', another more ferocious gang took over the town. It is later discovered during the concluding fight scene that this new gang is led by the father of 'The Leopard'. Much of the underlying meanings in some of the more meaningful passages are eventually lost amongst the numerous kung fu fights. At times, the film seems to have been directed by at least three different people.


Corey Yuen and Brandy Yuen handle the choreography and it's as good as any basher fight designs of the time. Faster and more brutal than some others, it's all grounded action with little fantasy moments as seen in countless swordplay movies. Even the kung fu films would eventually feature lots of high leaps and jumps among the lack of reality based fights. DRAGONS NEVER DIE avoids a lot of that overly stylized choreography.


And like all other bashers of the time since the release of THE CHINESE BOXER (1969) (and, most famously in America, KING BOXER 1972), all these basher films featured Japanese villains and Chen Chi Hwa's movie is no different. Yukio Someno (BOXER REBELLION) plays the Nipponese bad guy, but he's not the main villain as it's revealed at the end.


That role is reserved for Hong Ying Kit (Han Yang Chieh). Appearing in a plethora of swordplay movies spanning over two decades, he appeared and choreographed various martial arts pictures for Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest and various other smaller outfits. He also did some kung fu movies such as the one reviewed here as well as some modern day style action films like ANGEL WITH THE IRON FISTS and its sequel ANGEL STRIKES AGAIN (both 1966). Some of his swordplay pictures are KILLER DARTS (1968), DRAGON SWAMP (1969), the King Hu classic, A TOUCH OF ZEN (1971), BROKEN OATH (1977) and THE JADE HAIRPIN ALLIANCE (1980).

Yuen Wah (middle) and co. about to get beat up

There's also early appearances by two future Shaw Brothers stuntmen/actors, Yuen Wah and Yuen Bun. Yuen Wah was noted as performing the more acrobatic stunts in Bruce Lee's movies such as ENTER THE DRAGON (1973). Yuen would later work in dozens of Shaw Brothers productions most predominantly in Wuxia productions directed by Chu Yuan. Occasionally Yuen Wah would partake in action choreography and got a rare co-starring role as a hero in the Kuei Chi Hung curio, COWARD BASTARD (1980).


When Shaws shut down, Yuen made the transition to Golden Harvest where he essayed one of his most memorable roles as the cigar smoking, lithe and wiry bad guy in Sammo Hung's phenomenal EASTERN CONDORS (1986). Wah's career got a renewed popularity when he featured in the 2004 box office sensation, KUNG FU HUSTLE.


Yuen Bun (like Yuen Wah) plays a fighter whom is beaten senseless by Alex Lung in DRAGONS NEVER DIE (1974). Yuen played a lot of bad guy roles in Shaw Brothers pictures like AVENGING EAGLE (1978) in which he played one of the 13 Eagles. He can be seen as the first wave of bad guys that accost Ti Lung during the opening. Yuen Bun also featured as villains in THE DEADLY BREAKING SWORD and TO KILL A MASTERMIND (both 1979). From the mid 80's up to now, Bun has been enjoying performing action design with an occasional onscreen part here and there.


Aside from a good story and good fights, some incredibly bizarre moments threaten to derail the whole thing. Luckily, the good elements outweigh the bad in this flawed, yet enjoyable kung fu movie. It no doubt will be of interest to martial arts fans as, before now, was a rare title to obtain in its original widescreen format.

This review is representative of the Fourth Strike DVD. It can be purchased here...

http://www.fareastflix.com/p-FSDVD001.html

You can visit the Fourth Strike website here...

http://www.fourthstrike.com/

Spartacus & the Ten Gladiators (1964) review

SPARTACUS & THE TEN GLADIATORS 1964 aka GLI INVINCIBILI DIECI GLADIATORI (THE INVINCIBLE TEN GLADIATORS)

Dan Vadis (Roccia), Ivano Staccioli (as John Heston;Spartacus), Helga Line (Dania), Ursula Davis (Livia), Sal Borgese (Menos), Milton Reid (Chimbro), Gianni Rizzo (Julius Varo), Aldo Canti, Jeff Cameron

Varo to his former slave, Chimbro: "If you fail me once again, you'll return to being a slave. Even worse...I'll have your tongue cut out. I'll tear out your eyes and I'll send you into the mines where you will be whipped! And I'll have your wounds, all of them, rubbed with salt! Excuse me, my friends, but this big brutal man has to be encouraged at times and reminded of his duties."


After overhearing a son feel shame and sorrow for having to battle his father in the bloody gladiatorial coliseum, the ten gladiators speak out on the boys behalf. Having ruined his day of gruesome games, Publius Teraxus banishes the ten warriors from the city of Capua and guarantees they will never fight in another arena again. They become vagabonds and aid the helpless or needy wherever they find oppression. A member of the Senate, Julius Varo, employs them to seek out a rebel slave named Spartacus and bring him back alive.


However, when the ten warriors find Spartacus, they quickly discover that Varo is corrupt and an evil man using slaves to build a massive acquaduct to ingratiate himself within the Senate. Wishing to no longer be a gladiator, Spartacus plans to return to his home in Thrace and take his people with him. Betrayed and enslaved by the devious Varo, Roccia and his compatriots escape and join up with the rebel slave and lead a revolt against the cruel senator and his insidious plans take control of Rome.


The second entry in the popular TEN GLADIATORS trilogy is a non-stop barrage of action mixed with a smattering of light comedy. There's quite a few major set pieces scattered throughout the films 98 minute running time. The opening gladiatorial combat scene starts things off on a rather serious and somewhat violent note. Here and a couple other places throughout, the script tries to touch on the gladiators' sympathy. When Roccia and the others overhear a young man expressing great sorrow to his father because the two have been selected to take part in a fight to the death, they have a sudden change of heart in regards to fighting in the death games.


Suddenly realizing that a gladiators life is meaningless to those who employ them, Roccia and the others want to leave Capua. But because they voiced their opinions, the man who hired them, Palubius, states he will make sure no other arena will take them on as fighters.


It's a nice, yet subtle touch that the script (co-written between Alfonso Balcazar, Nick Nostro and Sergio Sollima) would tap into the subject of the warriors humanity and emotional involvement in leading a life of violence. The script doesn't dwell on it, but it pops up on several occasions. Another interesting point of view is taken once the Ten Gladiators rescue Livia, the daughter of a prominent senator. She takes them to see her father, the senator named Julius Varo. Once reaching their palatial estate, the ten men see what it's like to live like a king. There is a brief, but effective set of scenes wherein the contrast between those who must do for themselves, and those who have others do for them is compared.


Gianni Rizzo plays the duplicitous Julius Varo. It's a role that fits him like a glove and he was made for playing such roles. He later appeared in a few spaghetti westerns playing similar roles of questionable character including the SABATA trilogy and several others. Rizzo returned in a similar capacity in Nostro's TRIUMPH OF THE TEN GLADIATORS the same year.


The script also allows for a string of action sequences with several of them being especially impressive for an entry coming at the end of the strongman cycle of movies. A lot of these scenes revolve around a series of captures and rescues leading up to the massive battle at the end. Some of the massive battle shots are stock footage from another movie. However, the sets are very ambitious especially the massive fort surrounding the construction of the acquaduct. One of the best scenes has Roccia and some slaves being hung from a large tree by one arm for a long period of time. After a while, soldiers shoot them with arrows.


The other nine gladiators arrive in time just moments before Roccia himself is killed. After the big battle, Varo is run over by a chariot by his own henchman, Chimbro, who escapes kidnapping Dania (Line) in the process. Roccia and his friends pursue on horses until Chimbro is stopped and he and Roccia engage in a final fight beside a river.


Dan Vadis plays Roccia, the same character he plays in the other two films. He is very athletic for his size and isn't shy in the action scenes. Like Gordon Scott, Dan Vadis was one of the more action oriented of the muscleman stars handling a lot of the fight sequences himself. Vadis was part of the Mae West Revue and a good friend of fellow peplum star, Gordon Mitchell. Vadis starred in SON OF HERCULES IN THE LAND OF DARKNESS (1963), THE REBEL GLADIATORS (1963), and THE TRIUMPH OF HERCULES (1964) among others. Vadis was one of the lucky few who made the transition into other genres and had one of the most successful careers outside of the sword & sandal genre.

Dan Vadis with Ivano Staccioli

He played convincing bad guys in the spaghetti westerns, FORT YUMA GOLD (1966) and THE STRANGER RETURNS (1967). This may have helped him in landing recurring roles in movies directed by Clint Eastwood. Vadis would appear in a series of films from the early 1970's into the early 1980's. He would briefly return to peplums with a lead bad guy role in Bruno Mattei's THE SEVEN MAGNIFICENT GLADIATORS (1983). Incidentally, Bruno Mattei worked on SPARTACUS & THE TEN GLADIATORS (1964) as the editor of the film. Dan Vadis was found dead in his car in 1987 of an apparent accidental drug overdose. There had been some speculation surrounding his death that it might not have been accidental.


Helga Line is on hand to provide some eye candy but unfortunately, she doesn't get to wear any outfits to show off her body. She is dressed in a gown through most of the film, though. She plays a very strong female character here as she does in the follow up, TRIUMPH OF THE TEN GLADIATORS. Only in this second entry, she doesn't play a fighting female, but does take a lot of punishment and torture displaying loyalty to her people. When the opportunity for her to escape presents itself, she decides to share her peoples fate and work in the slave camps of Julius Varo.


Character actor Milton Reid stands out as the memorable henchman, Chimbro. There is also some subtle tinkering with his role in an attempt to make his character sympathetic to the audience when Varo humiliates him in front of the ten gladiators. Threatening to make him a slave again lest he brings back Spartacus, you get the feeling he may betray Varo and join with Roccia and company. This never happens, though, but would have made for an interesting plot device if it had. The sword & sandal movies stuck mostly to formula and seldom strayed. Reid played a number of bit roles in his career, but he has a big supporting role here.


Possibly Reid's most memorable role was in THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT (1977) as the nasty Sabbala, the leader of the Naga's. Reid looked like something out of a Robert E. Howard novel in that picture. He also appeared in DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (1972) as a mute bodyguard and as a nemesis for 007 in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977).


Having seen the third film in this series on a Saturday afternoon in the early 1980's, it has long been a favorite of the genre for me. The first movie, THE TEN GLADIATORS (1964), is the weakest of the lot. This second movie is as good, if not better than the third. There's a perfect balance between the comedy and the violence which is a problem that plagued the first film. It was endless goofy antics up till the conclusion then it suddenly turns deadly serious. The third picture is mostly light hearted with a bit of violence sprinkled here and there, but never gets too bloody or grim aside from a torture scene. SPARTACUS & THE TEN GLADIATORS is possibly the most successful in terms of its makers prowess to deliver a great and entertaining product.


The music by Carlo Savina is heroic and contains the prerequisite cues required for stoic sequences as well as those that feature the heroes in peril. It's nothing overly spectacular, but I would pick it up on CD should it ever be issued. Nick Nostro handles everything to a fine degree and never allows the comedy to overpower the production as in Giancarlo Parolini's take in the first entry. A recommended torch & toga romp peppered with all the ingredients that makes these movies fun to watch especially on a late Saturday night.