The Chinese Connection 1972 R, 106 min. Genre: Action / Drama / Romance / Thriller aka: Fist of Fury The Iron Hand
Director: Lo Wei Cast: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, Maria Yi, James Tien, Tien Feng, Huang Chung-Hsin, Han Ying-Chieh, Lo Wei, Riki Hashimoto, Wei Ping-Ao, Robert Baker, Fu Ching Chen, Chin San, Jackie Chan, Corey Yuen
China in the early 1900s is the setting for this violent, but good, Bruce Lee effort. Kung fu student Chen (Bruce Lee) returns to Shanghai and becomes involved in solving his teacher's murder while dealing with racial hatred.
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Fists of Fury 1971 R, 103 min. Genre: Foreign / Action aka: The Big Boss
Director: Lo Wei Cast: Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, Han Ying-chieh, Tony Liu, Malalene, James Tien, Nora Miao, Lee Quin, Chin Shan, Chen Chao
After not being too successful in Hollywood, Bruce Lee headed home to Hong Kong, and this is his first starring role. Although a low-budget and poorly acted entry, it does show Lee's talents. Cheng (Lee) is sent to live with his uncle and cousins, and he takes a job at an ice house where his cousins work. Though promising not to fight, he can't resist after finding out that the ice house is a front for a drug ring, and two of his cousins are murdered.
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The Killer Meteors 1976 N/R, 110 min. Genre: Action
Director: Lo Wei Cast: Jackie Chan, Wang Yu, Yu Lin Lung, Kao Fei
A powerful nobleman (Jackie Chan) believes that his wife has poisoned him and, thus, is out for revenge on her while he searches for an antidote. When his wife hires "Killer Meteor," a fighter with a secret weapon, to protect her, the action starts in this early Jackie Chan film that's not very good.
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Magnificent Bodyguards 1978 R, 90 min. Genre: Foreign / Action
Director: Lo Wei Cast: Jackie Chan, Hsiao Lian, James Tien, Leung Siu Lung, Wang Ping
Originally filmed in 3-D, this Jackie Chan martial arts adventure is set in Medieval China. Ting Chung (Jackie Chan) is hired by a beautiful woman to protect her and her seriously ill brother in their trek over the mountains, through bandit-infested territory, and to a healer. He and his other bodyguards are challenged by an assortment of bad guys as they proceed, and now it appears that there may have been other motives for making the journey than that given.
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New Fist of Fury 1976 N/R, 120 min. Genre: Foreign / Action
Director: Lo Wei Cast: Jackie Chan, Nora Miao, Chang Sing, Cheng Siu Siu, Lo Wei, Han Ying-chieh
During World War II, a brother and sister leave Japanese-controlled Shanghai to help their grandfather run a Kung-Fu school in Taiwan, which is also controlled by the Japanese. Trouble lies ahead for the Chinese in the form of a Japanese kung fu master who wants to run all the schools in Taiwan. A young Jackie Chan steps in to help his country-mates. Chan had not yet developed his intense, humorous style at this point in his career.
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Shatter 1974 R, 90 min. Genre: Action aka: Call Him Mr. Shatter
Director: Michael Carreras Cast: Stuart Whitman, Ti Lung, Lily Li, Peter Cushing, Anton Diffring, Yemi Ajibade, Liu Ka Yong, Huang Pei Chi, Lau Kar Wing, Lo Wei
Hit-man Shatter (Stuart Whitman) is hiding out in Hong Kong after his latest contract: assassination of an African leader. Now it appears that everyone is on his trail, both gad guys and good guys. Not up to Hammer Productions standards and a departure from the films that made it popular. Michael Carreras finished the film–but only after the first two directors had left the project.
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To Kill with Intrigue 1977 N/R, 100 min. Genre: Foreign / Action
Director: Lo Wei Cast: Jackie Chan, Kuo Wang, Hsu Feng, Shen Ie Lung, Yu Ling Lung, Tung Lin, Ma Chi, Chiang Ching Hsia, Chen Hui Lou, Li Wen Tai
Young Jackie Chan is a more serious character in this early Chan film. Sua Lai (Chan) attends a family gathering for his father's birthday, but he brings evidence (a severed hand) that bandits who were thought dead are out to get revenge. And revenge comes quickly as his entire family is murdered except for Sua and his girlfriend who he had sent away in time. Now he is the one out for revenge–and to reclaim his girlfriend.
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| 1. The Chinese Connection (1972) aka: Fist of Fury aka: The Iron Hand
2. Dragon Fist (1979)
3. Fists of Fury (1971) aka: The Big Boss
4. The Killer Meteors (1976)
5. Magnificent Bodyguards (1978)
6. New Fist of Fury (1976)
7. Shatter (1974) aka: Call Him Mr. Shatter
8. Spiritual Kung Fu (1978)
9. To Kill with Intrigue (1977)
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