This action-packed martial arts triple feature opened 30 years ago today (August 26, 1983) at the street-level Rialto I, corner of 42nd Street and 7th Avenue. We're pretty sure we can identify the second and third features -- YOUNG HERO is MI ZONG HUO YUAN JIA (1981), while BRAWL BUSTERS appears to be a William Mishkin re-titling of SI DA MANG LONG (1979), a.k.a. BRUCE AGAINST THE ODDS and LONE SHAOLIN AVENGER -- but top-billed THE SWORD AND THE CLAW is the real mystery. The artwork is cribbed from THE DRAGON FROM SHAOLIN, the U.S. release of JIN HU MEN a.k.a. MAGNIFICENT WONDERMAN (see below), so it could be a re-titling of that movie...or it could be a completely different movie. More clues, please!
I can tell you that BRAWL BUSTERS is not BRUCE AGAINST THE ODDS aka LONE SHAOLIN AVENGER. It seems to have all the hallmarks of Godfrey Ho (including the classic credit font)and director credit is given to Tommy Kim who could either be Shi-hyeon Kim or Jeong-yong Kim. The 1981 Mishkin release title card on the print reads THE BRAWL BUSTERS in what we'll call Andy Milligan font. I believe it is "Sa-dae-tong-iue-moon" directed by Jeong-yong Kim and has the same cast if you go by the credits on the BRAWL BUSTERS poster.
ReplyDeleteThanks Eric! Was this shown at the Reel One screening the other night? What else did you watch?
ReplyDeleteBRAWL BUSTERS was indeed shown at the AGFA Reel One Party and there's still some color left.
ReplyDeleteAlso shown was UFO TARGET EARTH (pretty faded), WRESTLING QUEEN (Somewhat faded and scratched but engrossing nonetheless), PELVIS (decent enough print but the TOGA PARTY version with the Bobby Astyr wrap-around actually plays better) and the third reel of SEX FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE which was all they had of it. HK POLTERGEIST-cribbing lunacy I'd like to see the rest of.
The more I think about THE SWORD AND THE CLAW, I'm inclined to peg it as a retitling of DRAGON FROM SHAOLIN. Whatever it is, due to the Mishkin/"Official Chinese Black Belt Society Film"/L&T Releasing connection this triple feature package has got going for it, that at least narrows down the choices.
As we now know- Sword and the Claw is in fact the Turkish film “Lion Man”
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