Hong Kong action comedy films are an interesting genre of movies. There are some that have become quite beloved in the west, having made their way over here in the 80's and 90's and shared round on VHS as something unique that folks would talk about. But a lot of them never really became that big, some never even made it to the UK and US, and some are so downright weird that other than the most avid fan of the genre I find it hard to see most people making it through them.
Eureka Entertainment's latest release, Two Taoism Tales, collects together two such movies, a pair of films that at times feels more akin to a fever dream than anything else. That being said, they're not bad movies, and there's a lot of fun to be found with these unusual, unique films.
The two films collected in this release, Taoism Drunkard and Young Taoism Fighter are the second and third part of what's considered to be something of a loose trilogy alongside Shaolin Drunkard. Whilst none of the films share any real story or characters it's the fact that they were all produced by the Yuen Clan that ties them all together; and those familiar with the Yuen's work will see their fingerprints all over these two. Not least because both Yuen brothers appear in them.
The first film in the set, Taoism Drunkard follows an old monk (Yuen Cheung-Yan) with an addiction to drink. The monk causes mischief in his temple, riding around in a weird wicker mouse go-cart type contraption (it's actually quite amazing), and manages to break a sacred statue; which gets him kicked out by his brother. Tasked with finding a young virgin boy to take part in a ceremony to fix things, the monk heads out into the world. During his search he stumbles across Chiu (Yuen Yat-Choh) a young man who fits the bill. However, Chiu is destined to become the protector of a sacred scroll that his grandmother (also Yuen Cheung-Yan) is currently guarding and can't go with the old monk. When an evil sorcerer 'Old Devil' (Yuen Shun-Yi) arrives on the scene hoping to get the scroll, it makes matters even more complicated.
The second movie, Young Taoism Fighter, also stars Yuen Yat-Choh, though in the different role of Ko Sang, a Taoist student who wants to become the best fighter there is, but doesn't want to put the work or effort into things. To do this he's stealing the training manuals and sacred techniques from any and all rivals so that he can cheat and get a leg up on them. Unfortunately, this is happening at the same time that the evil Tien Wu Clan master (Yen Shi-Kwan) is also trying to become the best by any means, but usually by kidnapping and/or killing anyone who might pose a challenge to him. Looking to get revenge for the death of her master, a young female fighter (Hilda Liu Hao-yi) joins forces with Ko Sang to stop the evil Tien Wu Clan master.
Both of the movies in this set are something of a mixed bag. There is a lot of great action to be found throughout, with some superb martial arts and stunt work, and some of the comedy is quite fun if a little slapstick. However, the plots can be a little convoluted at times, some of the comedy is a little lost in translation, and some effects are quite cheap looking. These negatives aren't always bad, such as the weird cheapness of the melon monster in Taoism Drunkard being so bad that it spins round into delightful. But, if you're looking for something a bit more serious, a bit more grounded, then these two movies might leave you feeling a little confused at times.
Alongside the movies, both of which have had brand new 2k restorations allowing them to be released in HD for the first time, there are brand new audio commentaries on both film from Frank Djeng, and another by Arne Venema and Mike Leeder. The three names will be familiar to those who know the Eureka martial arts releases, and will know what to expect from them. They offer different things, with Djeng giving a more detailed breakdown of the film, the people involved in its production, and the actors on screen, whilst Leeder and Venema take a more conversational approach, bouncing comments and stories off each other. There's also a brand new interview with actor/director Yuen Cheung-yan, and filmmaker and critic James Mudge.
For those looking to find unusual martial arts movies that you've likely not seen before, or for fans of the genre wanting to build a robust collection, this new release offers a pair of movies that you're going to want to check out. Even if this isn't your favourite kind of movie they're worth a watch just to see how wild and bizarre they get at times.
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