36th Chamber Of Shaolin [1978] DvDrip - SyMbIoTe

36th Chamber Of Shaolin [1978]



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078243/

IMDb Rating: 8.0 / 10 (based on 2885 votes)


The folks at Dragon Dynasty have done it again, releasing another classic of the kung fu genre, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (also known as The Master Killer and Shaolin Master Killer), in pristine condition with a number of excellent extras as support. The film was released in 1978 and produced by the legendary Shaw Brothers Studio. The main character is based on an actual historical figure that existed during the Manchu Dynasty but his life has been highly fictionalized for the movie.

A group of students are studying at Chong Wen College when one of them, Liu Yu-De (Liu), has a run in with Tang San-Yao, an enforcer for the Manchu government, a tyrannical regime. Their teacher, Mr. Ho, plots with a group of his students against the government. In response to the rebellion, several students accused of being spies are rounded up, tortured for information and eventually killed. Soon, Yu-De and Mr. Ho become targets and the young student’s father is killed in retaliation.

Gravely wounded by San-Yao, Yu-De flees to a nearby Shaolin Temple to learn kung fu so that he can eventually get revenge on the Manchu government. The monks take him in and nurse him back to health, renaming him San Ta. He starts briefly at the top chamber and quickly realizes that he’s not ready for it. So, he begins at the bottom, working on the fundamentals – balance, power and speed. From there, he moves onto building up arms strength, weapons training and so on. These are grueling tests of strength, endurance and dexterity. San Ta is a quick learner and soon excels at every test he faces.

What’s interesting about The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is that once our hero enters the Temple, the tone of the film takes on a decidedly more philosophical one as the monks practice a sound mind as well as a sound body. Once San Ta leaves the temple, he actually puts into practice what he learned and we see just how far he has come. The climatic scene comes when we watch as San Ta systematically dismantles the Manchu government’s forces and it is an impressive sight to behold, but is only a warm-up for the even more exciting confrontation he has with the evil general.

The film was so successful that it spawned two sequels, Return to the 36th Chamber (1980) and Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985). It also inspired several albums by legendary rap band, the Wu-Tang Clan. For those of you who only know Gordon Liu from his appearances in the Kill Bill films, this IS the movie that really showcases his considerable talents and a must-see for any fan of the kung fu genre
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wish I had the full DVD copy of this one - apparently some DVD extras featuring the wu-tang clan i wouldn't mind seeing.

Anyway... Enjoy the awesome movie that inspired some awesome hip-hop :)

Peace

--