Difference between revisions of "8 Diagram Pole Fighter"

From The Grindhouse Cinema Database
 
(10 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{| class="filmbox" |
<div class="row">
|-
  <div class="large-6 columns">'''[[/Review|8 Diagram Pole Fighter]]''' ([[:Category:1984|1984]], [[:Category:Hong Kong|Hong Kong]]) is a [[:Category:Martial Arts|Martial Arts]] action film directed by [[:Category:Lau Kar Leung|Lau Kar Leung]].  
|-
'''Contents''': [[/Trailer|Watch Trailer]] | [[/Review|Review]] | [[8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)|Poster Art]] | [[/DVD|Available DVDs]] | [[/BluRay|BluRay releases]] | [[/Press Kit|Press Kit]]
|[[File:8diagram poster.jpg|400px|center]]
* External links: [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086606/reference IMDb]
<center>'''8 Diagram Pole Fighter Poster'''
[[File:8diagram.jpg]]
<h2
</div><div class="large-6 columns">
style="margin:0;background-color:none;font-size:90%;font-weight:bold;border:0px solid #333333;text-align:left;color:#000;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">
*[[8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)|Poster Art]]
*[[/DVD|Available DVDs]]
</h2>
|}


{{Hong Kong}}
===Main Details===
 
==Also Known As==
* Invincible Pole Fighter (USA)
 
==Main Details==
* Released in 1984  
* Released in 1984  
* Color  
* Color  
Line 23: Line 13:
* Rated: R  
* Rated: R  
* Production Co: Shaw Brothers Studios
* Production Co: Shaw Brothers Studios
==Cast and Crew==
* Directed by Chia-Liang Liu (Lau Kar Leung)
* Directed by Chia-Liang Liu (Lau Kar Leung)
* Written by Chia-Liang Liu (Lau Kar Leung), Kuang Ni
* Written by Chia-Liang Liu (Lau Kar Leung), Kuang Ni
Line 34: Line 22:
* Art Direction by Ching-Shen Chen, Kuang-hsien Teng
* Art Direction by Ching-Shen Chen, Kuang-hsien Teng


==Film Review==
===Plot Summary===
{{Shaw Brothers}}
*Mongols, with the help of an insider, ambush the influential Yang Family, defenders of the dynasty. The Mongols must hunt down all Yang survivors so their insidious plot to overthrow the dynasty will not be uncovered.  
{{Martial Arts}}
{{Gordon Liu}}
 
As Shaw Brothers films go I've always had a soft spot for this film.
 Not because it's a particularly brilliant movie (it is but that's not the reason) nor is it to do with the fact that [[Gordon Liu]] stars in quite a prominent role (Liu is one of my favorite Martial-Artist's). 
No,the reason that this piece of cinema is reserved a special place is due to the fact that this was the last film that Alexander Fu Sheng ever made. For those of you who don't know, Sheng was a very talented and successful HK movie star of the 70's whose career was almost cut short due to a series of  serious accident's between 1978 and 1979 (he was supposed to take the lead in [[Snake In The Eagle's Shadow]] but couldn't due to injury and as we all know that role went to Jackie Chan and the rest is history).
 Sheng fought his way back from this series of disappointments and though he never fully recovered he was still considered a huge star HK.
 During the shooting of 8 Diagrams he was being driven home by his brother when his Porsche failed to make a turn and slammed into a concrete wall.
He died in hospital three hours later.

 During the film you will notice that Sheng's character just disappears and we are never given a reason for this.
 Well,now you know.


 
The movie itself starts with a prediction from The Yang's mother that in the upcoming battle of Jinsha,of the seven brothers sent only six will return but it will be a worthwhile sacrifice if it benefits the Sung Dynasty, though I doubt the soon to be dead brother would see it that way.
 This prediciton is further enhanced in the next scene when we're introduced to the Empresses's father, who is working with the Liao Dynasty to overthrow the current Emperor storms into the palace to inform her that her brother was beaten to death at a tournament by Yang Ye's seventh son,Yang Si.
 This leads the Empress that instead of pleading with The Emperor for justice,as this wouldn't work due to The Yang's secured position on The Council, that it'd be just easier to bump them off at Jinsha battle.

 And away we go.


 
What follows is the first of many pole-fight's (no sniggering at the back) and as you would expect the choreography is excellent.
 The Yang boys, though hopelessly outnumbered, proceed to kick many levels of bad guy ass until they are undone by Kung-Fu treachery in the form of an exploding tent and the magical apperance of about 20 or so fellas from behind said tent.
 Half blinded and half blown up, they fight valiantly until sheer numbers and in one brothers case lack of eyeballs overwhelms them and they're all killed including their father who pops up out of nowhere just for the sole purpose of being brutally slaughtered except for the 4th, 5th and 6th brothers. 
So much for the opening prediciton then...


 
Well after that things go from bad to worse for The Yangs.
 The 4th brother (played by Hsiao Hu) is captured by Liao and never heard of again (though the script source says he marries a Liao Princess). The 6th brother (played by Alexander Fu Sheng) finds his way back to his home palace but unfortunately, having witnessed the massacre of his family he's now as crazy as a sack of rabid badgers and 5th brother (played by Gordon Liu) has it away pretty sharpish due to the fact that as a survivor he's now seen as a traitor.

 Time passes and Gordon Liu finds his way to a Shaolin Temple (as is his custom in these sort of films) where he trains until he is ready to return and seek his revenge (Yay revenge!!!) which he finally does after he learns that his 8th sister has been captured by the Liaos.
 (8 sisters, 7 brothers (Christmas must've been murder at that house)
. After proving to his Master that he is ready to leave, in one of the greatest Monk vs Monk fights ever captured on celluloid, he heads back to civilization to lay a few boots to asses.

 Well a few whuppings here and a few spears to the face there and everyone who has wronged The Yangs lay dead or dying leaving Gordon Liu to walk off into the sunset because as he says to his now free'd 8th sister: "The World is my home".


 
So that you have it for what it is,The 8 Diagram Pole-Fighter.
 I'd highly recommend it. It's fast paced with plenty of fighting, excellent choreography, Gordon Liu kicking ass and, as I said at the start, it has the last appearance of Alexander Fu Sheng in it, what more could you ask for?


 
'''Reviewed by Neil Gray - 6/8/12'''
 
 
==External Links==
*'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8vdf_ayfQs TRAILER #1] | [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-O25zW74Rs TRAILER #2]'''


===Also Known As===
* Invincible Pole Fighter (USA)
* Les 8 diagrammes de Wu-Lang (France)
* Der Todesspeer der Shaolin
* Eight Diagram Pole Fighter
* The Invincible Pole Fighters
* Der Todesstab des Shaolin
* Magnificent Pole Fighter
* Wu Lang ba gua gun (original title)


__NOTOC__
__NOTOC__
[[Category:1983]][[Category:Films]][[Category:Martial Arts]][[Category:Shaw Brothers Archives]][[Category:Lau Kar Leung]][[Category:Gordon Liu]][[Category:Kuang Ni]][[Category:Hong Kong]]
[[Category:1983]][[Category:Films]][[Category:Action/Adventure]][[Category:Martial Arts]][[Category:Shaw Brothers Archives]][[Category:Lau Kar Leung]][[Category:Gordon Liu]][[Category:Kuang Ni]][[Category:Hong Kong]]

Latest revision as of 23:42, 20 January 2022

8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984, Hong Kong) is a Martial Arts action film directed by Lau Kar Leung.

Contents: Watch Trailer | Review | Poster Art | Available DVDs | BluRay releases | Press Kit

  • External links: IMDb

8diagram.jpg

Main Details

  • Released in 1984
  • Color
  • Aspect Ratio: (2.35:1)
  • Runtime: 93 min
  • Rated: R
  • Production Co: Shaw Brothers Studios
  • Directed by Chia-Liang Liu (Lau Kar Leung)
  • Written by Chia-Liang Liu (Lau Kar Leung), Kuang Ni
  • Starring: Chia Hui Liu (Gordon Liu), Sheng Fu, Lily Li, Kara Hui, Ching-Ching Yeung, Lung Wei Wang, Chan-Peng Chang, Yung-cheng Chang, Tiet Wo Chu, Hou Hsiao, Phillip Ko, Ming Ku, King Chu Lee, Chia-Liang Liu (Lau Kar Leung), Te-Lo Mai, Yue Wong, Tak Yuen
  • Produced by Mona Fong
  • Original Music by Chin Yung Shing (as Stephen Shing), Chen-hou Su
  • Cinematography by An-Sung Tsao
  • Film Editing by Hsing-lung Chiang, Yen Hai Li
  • Art Direction by Ching-Shen Chen, Kuang-hsien Teng

Plot Summary

  • Mongols, with the help of an insider, ambush the influential Yang Family, defenders of the dynasty. The Mongols must hunt down all Yang survivors so their insidious plot to overthrow the dynasty will not be uncovered.

Also Known As

  • Invincible Pole Fighter (USA)
  • Les 8 diagrammes de Wu-Lang (France)
  • Der Todesspeer der Shaolin
  • Eight Diagram Pole Fighter
  • The Invincible Pole Fighters
  • Der Todesstab des Shaolin
  • Magnificent Pole Fighter
  • Wu Lang ba gua gun (original title)
Retrieved from "https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php?title=8_Diagram_Pole_Fighter&oldid=185309"
Newsletter
  • Grindhouse Database Newsletter
  • Exploitation books
  • Kung fu movies
  • Giallo BluRay