Boss Lee

 

 (imdb)

THE BIG BOSS-1971-Cheng Chao-An (Bruce Lee) and his uncle (Chia Chen-Tu) visit his cousins in Thailand. He had promised his mother he wouldn't fight so he lets cousin Hsu (James Tien) do most of the fighting when they come across bullies and gangsters. They all work at an ice factory. When two cousins discover that the icehouse is really pushing dope, the manager has them killed and dismembered. When Hsu accuses the factory boss (Ying Chien Han) of killing his friends, he's killed by the boss' son (Tony Liu) in a bloody fight. After Cheng is made the foreman, Mei (Maria Yi) and his other cousins think he's sold out. Nearly everyone dies before Cheng and The Boss have their bloody showdown. 

This was Bruce Lee's first starring role and became one of the biggest hits in Hong Kong film history. Ironically, James Tien was originally cast in the Lee role but when the director left the project and writer Wei Lo became director, the actors' roles were reversed. In the US, it was confusingly called “Fists of Fury” (the title of Lee's next Hong Kong based movie). 

Lo went on to make many more movies including early Jackie Chan productions. A Golden Harvest release, Raymond Chow was the executive producer.

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Indonesia

 

 (imdb)

THE RAID: REDEMPTION-2011-An elite group of law officers invade the criminal stronghold (kind of an apartment house for scum) of a powerful (and weird looking) drug lord Tama (Ray Sahetapy). All goes well for a short time until a kid is killed and the gang is alerted. For some stupid reason, the old Lieutenant didn't tell anyone they were coming so they are cut off from reinforcements. One guy Rama (Iko Uwals) meets his brother there, one of Tama's right hand men. It's just one big battle for survival with the drug lord monitoring the whole thing via closed circuit TVs. 

Very violent, brutal and graphic with some wild bloody fights. This Indonesia production was written and directed by the Welsh born Gareth Evans who made a sequel THE RAID 2 IN 2015.

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Shaw Brothers

 

(IMDB)

THE SWORD OF SWORDS-1968-Mei Ling Chung (Miao Chin) has an ancient and magical sword everyone wants. When he and his wife and daughter are attacked by The Shangs, they are saved by the Ninja like Fang (Feng Tien). At his school Shang Kwan (Chun-Hsin Huang) is actually a trouble making spy and wants to eliminate Chen Chow (Jimmy Wang Yu), their teacher's favorite pupil. Although the way the teacher treats him I find that hard to believe. After Chen Chow is given the sword and Fang's spying is revealed, The Shangs kill Chow's aunt and kidnap his wife. Unfortunately he can't go help her because he promised his teacher he wouldn't use the sword for personal matters. They get his wife back but then she's recaptured. 

While Chen goes to save his wife Kwan tries to learn the location of the sword but winds up killing Chen's parents, sister and aunt and burning down their house. Betrayed by Fang, Kwan gets the sword, blinds Chen and leaves him for dead, a bloody mess. Of course, Chen battles back. In the strange violent finale, Chen is tricked into killing his friends (including a child) before killing all the bad guys and Kwan and getting the sword back. 

Writer-director Kang Cheng later made IMMORTAL WARRIORS and INVINCIBLE ENFORCER.

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Revenge

THE THUNDERBOLT FIST (Pi li quan)-1972-In feudal times, a Japanese gang takes over a Chinese village. After a town elder beats their leader (James Nam) in a fight, the gang kills him. His son (Chuan Yuan) escapes and hides out with his uncle and trains with his female cousin (Shilh Szu; later in THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES). 10 years later, he's grown up to be a revenge seeking young man. He returns to his old village but his childhood rival spreads rumors that he's having an affair with a woman married to his friend. Later he is maimed and has to fight with one arm. After the villagers finally fight back he fights his Japanese rival in a bloody contest and wins. 

This Shaw Brothers production was directed by the Korean born Il-Ho Jang and was released a few months before the more famous KING BOXER (aka 5 FINGERS OF DEATH) which began the martial arts craze in the US....

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