Cereal At Midnight

88 Films has been hitting hard with their recent martial arts movie releases! In this episode, we discuss all the fists of fury and kung fu kicks that the've unleashed in the last few months! Purchase links to titles mentioned in this episode: The Chinese Boxer Disciples of Shaolin Flag of Iron Legendary Weapons of China Monkey Kung Fu Shaolin Mantis The Chinese Boxer Review Disciples of Shaolin Review Shawscope Vol. 1 Review CerealAtMidnight.com Shop: CerealAtMidnight.Threadless.com Ebay.com/usr/cerealatmidnight Patreon.com/CerealAtMidnight Facebook.com/CerealMidnight Twitter: CerealMidnight Instagram: CerealMidnight Letterboxd: CerealAtMidnite

Martial arts superstar Jimmy Wang Yu makes a splash in 1970's The Chinese Boxer for The Shaw Brothers! This spectacle of flying fists is a showcase for Wang Yu, who wrote the film, stars in it, and helmed it in his directorial debut. Wang Yu had been known for a series of sword-based action movies throughout the latter half of the 1960s, but this is the beginning of the hand-to-hand combat kung fu movie as we know it, predating even Bruce Lee, who would add elaborate kicking techniques to his big screen battle repertoire.  The plot isn't all that different from many other Shaw Brothers action spectacles: a Chinese martial arts school is invaded by a loud-mouthed bad guy. He's beaten by Master Li and his students, but vows to return in one month for revenge. And return he does, with three Japanese karate masters who lay waste to the school, kill Master Li, and leave most of the students either dead or severely injured. One survivor (Lei Ming, played by Jimmy Wang Yu) must tr...