What are your favorite Wuxia films?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around participants sharing their favorite Wuxia films, exploring various movies and characters within the genre. The scope includes personal experiences with films, comparisons between different adaptations, and reflections on cultural elements in Wuxia cinema.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant recalls their first Wuxia film, "Erotic Ghost Story," highlighting its unique elements and cultural differences in taboos.
  • Another participant expresses a fondness for Monkey stories, mentioning a Jet Li film and a cartoon adaptation that alters the original narrative.
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is praised for its performances, particularly by Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li, with a reference to Gong Li's role in another film.
  • Discussion includes Stephen Chow's films, which parody traditional kungfu movie tropes, and older films like A Touch of Zen and Come Drink With Me, noting the contributions of actress Cheng Pei Pei.
  • One participant seeks help identifying a Japanese film that fits Wuxia parameters, describing its plot elements but not finding a match in available resources.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants share a general appreciation for various Wuxia films but express differing opinions on which films are the best or most significant, indicating a lack of consensus on favorites.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference personal experiences and cultural interpretations, which may influence their preferences and perceptions of the genre. Some films mentioned may not strictly adhere to Wuxia definitions, leading to potential ambiguity in categorization.

Who May Find This Useful

Fans of Wuxia cinema, those interested in cultural interpretations of film, and viewers looking for recommendations on classic and contemporary Wuxia films.

cybernetichero
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Back in the days of VHS libraries I borrowed a movie called Erotic Ghost Story. It was my first taste of the Wuxia genre. Long wire flying fights, strange demented spirits and a Taoist sorcerer. Note, the "erotic" bit was a bit odd but tame (it's funny how different cultures have different taboos but that's another story). It got 2 pretty good sequels and I have the box set on dvd.



I guess I was already primed to like the genre being a fan of Monkey and Wukong/Goku is probably my favourite Wuxia character, I have a stack of movies based on Journey to the West.
I used to have the set of the Shaw brothers films but lost it. Anyone with a spare going cheap, lol?

I also like the fabulous recent Detective Dee movies and scored a couple of the novels by Robert Van Gulik the other day.

There was also this awesome Japanese movie (I guess it's not called Wuxia in Japan but this one fit the parameters otherwise) and all I remember was a woman who turned into a butterfly and who was having an affair with the moon (?), a massive battle in the Imperial palace and a tomb. It was billed as The Zen Master(s?) but does not correspond to the movie of that name google points at. Anyone who can help would be appreciated.

So what are YOUR favourite epics.
 
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Yes, I've seen the last two. They are pretty good to watch. A little fanciful though.

I usually like Monkey stories. The relatively recent Jet li one was pretty cool. As a kid, I saw the Alakazam movie, a cartoon dubbed to English with the Heavenly Court converted to Greek mythology but still the Monkey King story underneath. One notable change was Monkey had a girlfriend. Its also pre-wuxia.

There are other wuxia like Crouching Tiger, and the Shaolin Temple movies that are arguably better developed with deeper storylines.
 
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a great movie. Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li made a great duo. She was a deliciously devious White Bone Demon in Monkey King 2. I've been a fan of hers since Raise the Red Lantern.
 
Also there's the Stephen Chow movies too that parody kungfu movie tropes.

And some much older films like A Touch of Zen and Come Drink With Me staring a very young and beautiful Cheng Pei Pei. She was also in Crouching Tiger as an older martial arts master and the protector to Zhang Ziyi.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_Drink_with_Me
 
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