After Wu Sung killed the tiger....
If any of you have Image's The Water Margin DVD, then you know (thanks to Kenneth Woo's liner notes for that disc) the significance of this Well Go USA DVD reissue.
In 1972, three Shaw Brothers films featuring stories excerpted from the epic Chinese novel "Outlaws of the Marsh" (a.k.a. "The Water Margin") were released: the previously-mentioned epic, one-third of "Trilogy of Swordsmanship" and "The Delightful Forest". In terms of the book (according to Woo), the events depicted occur early in the story; in terms of MOVIES, "TDF" is a "pre-quel" to "TWM", centering on the Liang Shan bandit Wu Sung ("The Tiger Killer"), played by Ti Lung. If you liked his [limited] role in the latter movie, then "TDF" is a must-see!
Simply put, you get some backstory on Wu Sung (and how he wound up the way we see him in "TWM") in this well-executed film, co-directed by Chang Cheh and Pao Hsueh-li. (They're two...
"A delight indeed"
I just finished watching The Delightful Forest. In my opinion, it is one of the best ever made by the Shaw Brothers. The action was intense with plenty of blood for hardcore, die hard Kung Fu fans. Ti Lung is lightning fast and shows off his skills as a martial artist. On par with the "Venoms" for those of you in the know, not to mention incredibly handsome for the female Kung Fu fans out there in Amazon. I highly recommend this one to all fans of Kung Fu. You will not be disappointed. Big Thumbs Up. Available in Epic Heroes four pack at Amazon Shaw Brothers Metal Tin: Epic Heroes (4 DVDs and T-Shirt Offer) for those of you who don't want to wait for the individual release.
A prequel to "The Water Margin"
For those fans who know the story about "The Water Margin" might enjoy this prequel even more. While "The Water Margin" was based on chapters 66-68 from the sprawling epic novel OUTLAWS OF THE MARSHES & featured many of the Liang Shan bandits, "The Delightful Forest" centered on hero "Tiger Killer" Wu Sung (played by Ti Lung in both movies). "...Forest" was based on chapter 24 & focused on Sung's exploits/initiation into the Liang Shan bandits. This was co-directed by Chang Cheh & Pao Hsueh-Li, but I have a feeling Chang Cheh was the mastermind behind this classic. Thanks to Kenneth Woo's liner notes for "The Water Margin" DVD.
Expertly choreographed by the Lau brothers & Chen Chuan, highlights include the opening restaurant brawl between Ti Lung & Lau Kar-Wing (Liu Chia-Yung) and the finale where Lung's white oufit is practically drenched in blood. We get to see Ti Lung's character show off his Mandarin Duck kick technique from "The Water Margin". Although here it's...
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