Shaolin Wooden Men - 88 Films - 26th October 2020

[Thunderleg]

No thread yet for some reason so:

Synopsis: This time Jackie is on a mission of revenge. As a young boy he witnesses the slaying of his father at the hands of a deadly masked kung fu assassin. Once Jackie is old enough, he trains at a shaolin temple to learn the techniques that will enable him to one day avenge the death of his father.

Jackie has to graduate and defeat a gauntlet of mysterious robotic wooden men who throw every kung fu style at him before he can even face up to his nemesis. Packed with startling action courtesy of Half a Loaf of kung fu director Chen Chi-Hwa, this is another early Jackie Chan classic that's not to be missed by those seeking fine martial arts entertainment!

Special Features and Technical Specs:

BRAND NEW 2K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
Rick Baker ON Shaolin Wooden Men Featurette
Audio:
Original Mandarin Mono Soundtrack
Classic English Dub Soundtrack
Optional Cantonese Soundtrack
Newly Translated Subtitles by Chen Lung
Limited edition slipcase

STREET DATE: OCTOBER 26.

[Killer Meteor]

A real gem this, my favourite of Jackie's films for Lo Wei.

[Drunksnake]

Really looking forward to this one. I only ever saw it once, the vhs quality was almost colourless, covered in scratches and the Pan & Scan was stretched even further so it was really hard to see so didn’t bother with it anymore. After seeing clips on YouTube over the years I’ve been waiting for a half decent version. The wait is now over thankfully so I can’t wait to see the restoration.

[OldPangYau]

Originally Posted by Drunksnake

Really looking forward to this one. I only ever saw it once, the vhs quality was almost colourless, covered in scratches and the Pan & Scan was stretched even further so it was really hard to see so didn’t bother with it anymore. After seeing clips on YouTube over the years I’ve been waiting for a half decent version. The wait is now over thankfully so I can’t wait to see the restoration.

Having seen it first hand, definitely the best the film has ever looked... And that's saying a lot for this film!

[Killer Meteor]

The old VHS I had was missing the first reel altogether. A friend of mine had a different VHS under the title "Shaolin Chamber of Death", which did have the first reel, but obvious cuts to remove the Chinese dialogue (the full English dub has since turned up).

[OldPangYau]

Originally Posted by Killer Meteor

The old VHS I had was missing the first reel altogether. A friend of mine had a different VHS under the title "Shaolin Chamber of Death", which did have the first reel, but obvious cuts to remove the Chinese dialogue (the full English dub has since turned up).

Strangely enough, many releases (including both the Simitar and Columbia/Tri-Star DVDs) were missing that opening sequence. And if they *had* the opening dream sequence, then it would cut away before Luk Yat Lung would wake everyone up (as you mentioned, to dodge the Chinese dialogue.) Thankfully this release will rectify that

[WaverBoy]

I am so looking forward to this release! I’d never even heard of the film until just this year, and it sounds really good. Thanks to 88 Films’ sterling run, Jackie’s oft-maligned early films are no longer doomed to languish unjustly in horrible cropped fuzzy video copies and obscurity, and can finally be fairly reappraised as the entertaining gems that they are.

[Ben_C]

>insert annoyingly overused Futurama “shut up and take my money” meme here<

[Killer Meteor]

Does anyone know the origin of the title theme for this movie? Unlike most old school kung fu movies, the music for the film sounds authetically Chinese.

[elmudo]

I think that sypnosis is a little too much spoiler-y. For the people who haven't seen the movie, it reveals too much. Its been a long time since I saw the movie, but I remember that in the movie for a long period of time we don't know why JC is mute (is he really mute or is he faking it?). The sypnosis reveals the reason why. Also reveals the killer. In my opinion, it should be tweaked a little.

[OldPangYau]

Originally Posted by Killer Meteor

Does anyone know the origin of the title theme for this movie? Unlike most old school kung fu movies, the music for the film sounds authetically Chinese.

Might want to ask this YouTuber, as they have a high quality source, but didn't mention the title/artist:

少林木人巷 1976 主题曲 Shaolin Wooden Men 1976 Theme Song - YouTube

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by Killer Meteor

Unlike most old school kung fu movies, the music for the film sounds authetically Chinese.

And this doesn't...?

Jacky Chan 8. Miracle Fighter (Songs for Jacky Chan) - YouTube

[The Mole]

Originally Posted by OldPangYau

Might want to ask this YouTuber, as they have a high quality source, but didn't mention the title/artist:

少林木人巷 1976 主题曲 Shaolin Wooden Men 1976 Theme Song - YouTube

Is this the theme for the Cantonese version only or is it also used in the original Mandarin version?

[Killer Meteor]

Originally Posted by The Mole

Is this the theme for the Cantonese version only or is it also used in the original Mandarin version?

Both.

[OldPangYau]

So, amidst some deep diving, apparently this music seems to have derived from a Chinese opera called "Song of the Dragon River" ("龙江颂"), with this piece being called "The Harvest Song" ("丰收凯歌"). Couldn't find the high quality source of the version in the film, but actually stumbled upon a recent live performance (albeit at a slower tempo than the version used in SWM):

器ä¹�å�ˆå¥�《丰收凯æ*Œã€‹ (2019年猶他è�¯äººæ˜¥æ™š) - YouTube

[Killer Meteor]

Much obliged!

[Nurmilainen]

Great find, thanks Oldpangyau! Havn't seen this film in ages actually, used to own the Easter Heroes dvd which was a pan&scan print cropped on top and bottom to achieve a 1.85:1 ratio..
That theme song is one of two things about the movie that really left a lasting impression with me, I even made a mp3 file of it from the dvd. Great to know the title and origin!

The other thing I seem remember quite vividly is the old man in the cave exclaiming something like "You should crush the kidneys! Smash the groin!"

[Killer Meteor]

But the snake style nun says you must never attack the kidneys or groin! (not sure why exactly...)

I always love the line after one of the Shaolin students gets decked by the Wooden Men, and is admonished thusly "How dare you go in when your kung fu is so poor! I promise that as soon as you've recovered, you'll be punished!"

[Nurmilainen]

Originally Posted by Killer Meteor

But the snake style nun says you must never attack the kidneys or groin! (not sure why exactly...)

Obviously she's not a bad-ass, like the dude in the cave!

Originally Posted by Killer Meteor

I always love the line after one of the Shaolin students gets decked by the Wooden Men, and is admonished thusly "How dare you go in when your kung fu is so poor! I promise that as soon as you've recovered, you'll be punished!"

Buddha is merciful indeed! (Untill you recover at least..)

[KUNG FU BOB]

Originally Posted by elmudo

I think that sypnosis is a little too much spoiler-y. For the people who haven't seen the movie, it reveals too much. In my opinion, it should be tweaked a little.

I agree completely.

Kung fu films don't typically feature very intricate plots, so it's a shame to spoil what there is.

Originally Posted by OldPangYau

So, amidst some deep diving, apparently this music seems to have derived from a Chinese opera called "Song of the Dragon River" ("龙江颂"), with this piece being called "The Harvest Song" ("丰收凯歌").

Deep diving indeed! You must've had seaweed on you when you came up from that one!

Originally Posted by Nurmilainen

the Easter Heroes dvd which was a pan&scan print cropped on top and bottom to achieve a 1.85:1 ratio..

That is some lame shit! People that crop full-screen prints to fake letterboxing should... have their kidneys crushed and their groins smashed.

Originally Posted by Nurmilainen

The other thing I seem remember quite vividly is the old man in the cave exclaiming something like "You should crush the kidneys! Smash the groin!"

Originally Posted by Killer Meteor

But the snake style nun says you must never attack the kidneys or groin! (not sure why exactly...)

Different fight philosophies and morals.

One style I trained in we were taught "If you have to resort to physical action to protect yourself and others, then the aggressor you're are up against has made the decision for you with their inappropriate actions that they should be dealt with in a severe manner." While another taught that "You should aim for compliance through pain, not injury when dealing with an attacker."

The style an individual practices and the way in which they utilize their skills can be very telling about them, and that is certainly true of the characters being referenced in the film. One is a criminal, and one is a monk/nun.

Originally Posted by Killer Meteor

I always love the line after one of the Shaolin students gets decked by the Wooden Men, and is admonished thusly "How dare you go in when your kung fu is so poor! I promise that as soon as you've recovered, you'll be punished!"

Yes! This makes me laugh every time I see it.

It reminds me of in THE IRON-FISTED MONK when Chen Sing's monk character brutally dispatches villains with his kung fu, then takes on a prayer stance over them and says "Buddha bless you"!