Tag: bizarre

Cinema Smorgasbord – Bartel Me Something Good – Utterly Without Redeeming Social Value (1969) & Mortuary Academy (1988)

A seismic shift in Hong Kong filmmaking occurs on this episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS with the release of the legendary action-comedy PROJECT A in 1983. Directed by (and – of course – starring) Jackie Chan, alongside his Peking Opera classmates Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, it’s a raucous, often hilarious and stunt filled thrill ride packed with pirates, pratfalls and one infamous fall from a clock tower that has to be seen to be believed. It changed filmmaking forever and sent Jackie’s already ascending star into the stratosphere. But does it hold up? Let’s check it out!

Cinema Smorgasbord – We Do Our Own Stunts – Fantasy Mission Force (1983)

After helping him get out of his previous contract (and some messy business with some Triads) Jackie Chan owed martial arts superstar Jimmy Wang Yu some big favors, and he started paying up by appearing briefly in the truly bizarre 1983 action/comedy FANTASY MISSION FORCE. Despite a plot structure that (loosely) copies The Dirty Dozen, FANTASY MISSION FORCE throws in amazons, Nazis, vampires, ghosts, Brigitte Lin, musical numbers, Mad Max-style cars and lots and lots of explosions. There’s even a few kung fu fights for good measure, It’s far from boring, but is it any good? Let’s find out!