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Siu nin Wong Fei Hung chi: Tit ma lau (1993)
Awesome
Note that this movie's subtitle is "The Young Wong Fei-Hong."
This isn't so much a movie about a Chinese Robin Hood/Zorro figure, or a strict martial arts hero - it's a movie about a young boy and the people who influence who he will become. It's poignant in parts - such as when Fei Hong tries to grab his father's hand and is scolded for it - and hilarious in others - "My kung-fu is pretty good!" exclaims a surprised Fei Hong in one scene.
While much of the movie is focused on the concerns of the adults around him, Fei Hong is also the audience's conduit to the subtle messages of the movie as a whole. It's not all about kick-ass fight scenes - that's just how they keep our attention. The world portrayed in IRON MONKEY admires intellect and wit as much as martial arts ability. Woven into the whole is a lesson in honor, the balance between discipline and recklessness, and the need for affection and love.
Fans of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON will love this movie because of one simple fact - the plot is linear, with short flashback sequences as needed, and despite its intricacy, it's not too involved. CTHD would be like riding in a Rolls-Royce: beautiful to look at, enjoyable to drive; but IRON MONKEY is like a Porche, fast, sleek and dangerous. CTHD may be visually superior as far as cinematography goes - and in a lot of ways, it is - but IRON MONKEY moves along in ways that CTHD does not.
Also look for Tsang Sze Man, who had the potential to be what Haley Joel Osment is here in America. Pity Man didn't do any more martial arts films.
Film fans must see this movie; kung fu fans probably should see this movie. But if subtitles scare you (the dubbed version isn't quite as good) and guys in robes and braids are "gay," keep away. Go rent DUMB AND DUMBER or something.
The Evil Dead (1981)
Trend-setting on a low budget
I'm a huge Raimi/Campbell/Tapert fan for many reasons, but this film is the first and foremost. It's because when these three guys get together and rally their friends, the magic echoes in the higher-budget versions of the results Rennaisance Pictures achieves.
Case in point: Hercules and Xena were both filmed in New Zealand, years before that country became the locational mecca it is today. Granted, it took a movie like LORD OF THE RINGS to really bring New Zealand to the forefront, but it was the discerning eye of Renn Pictures that first brought us Middle Earth, back when it was Ancient Greece, back before all but extreme sports enthusiasts and avid travelers had ever heard of such a place as New Zealand.
But EVIL DEAD is our first glimpse of the influence Raimi has had on moviedom as a whole. With the use of jagged camera angles, a few stage-magic tricks, and some interesting composition, Raimi's direction really set the stage for a lot of now commonly-used techniques. Take the eye close-up: these days, a trick used so often to let us know what a character is really thinking or hoping for, turning up first in this movie. Another technique of Raimi's that has seen use in other films, one of them again being LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, is the effect of dual personalities communicating with one another. Granted, this was more from EVIL DEAD'S two sequels, but it's just another example of the influence Raimi has had on film in general.
What is amazing about this film, however, is its effectiveness. While Lucas and Spielberg were creating fantastical spacecraft with the predecessors of CGI, Raimi was using two x fours and Karo syrup to make us scream. Even viewing it a few weeks ago the movie is still more gruesome to me than anything Carpenter ever did with ten times Raimi's $300K budget (Carpenter did a movie with the same theme, a little one called THE THING; EVIL DEAD is much scarier and more genuine).
One last thing that is worth noting is the acting of Ellen Sandweiss, who plays Ash's sister, Cheryl. (Nothing needs to be said of Bruce Campbell's performance, he's The Man and that's all there is to that!) Sandweiss's panic and terror were incredibly real, and her performance was amazing. It's too bad she decided not to pursue acting as a career, because she would have gone on to be great. Note her reaction to the vine that falls in her path as she follows Ash to the bridge when he tried to take her into town for an example of what I mean. And those of you who saw WITHIN THE WOODS, the demo picture shown to the investors of this movie, will also know what I mean.
All in all, I consider EVIL DEAD one of the best works of all time, not because it's CITIZEN KANE or GONE WITH THE WIND (hahaha), but because it is a movie that is purely made on the talent and imagination of its cast and crew. And a billion-dollar budget can't replace that.