Hei chi hei

You can laugh at movies like this today, but back in 1973 this was the standard of many Kung-Fu pics from Hong Kong and incredibly -but not so incredibly considering we were new at the genre- this film originally titled The Cannibals was a smash-hit in Italy and France. Expecially in Italy it was a success when released April 1973, and the crowd at Metropolitan, an important theatre of Rome, lasted weeks. The story is simple: an undercover agent must find out who's behind the robbery of gold, just like in many spaghetti westerns the film opens with horses and robbery and then the action moves in a teahouse/saloon ran by actress/director kao Pao Shu, who was the only female filmmaker in HK actioners back then. The action is typical swinging arm stuff and jumps, nothing special now but special in 1973. Genre vets like Sit Hon, Chen Hung Lieh and Chang Yi adds a kind of nostalgia pleasure. Released in Hong Kong 8/10/72 and produced also by Kao Pao Shu with her Park Films. Written by Ni Kuang, the foremost HK screenwriter who wrote more than 300 films including (uncredited) Big Boss and Fist of fury. Coreographed by stuntman-extra Wang Yueng Sheng. A guilty pleasure.

This unfortunately titled movie seems to be available only on Ocean Shores VHS format and that's all it deserves. I respect Chang Yi. Not a martial artist in his first martial arts movie "King Cat", he certainly trained hard and by 1972 he had the moves of a black belt or equivalent stunt man. Shaw Brothers had thrown him under the bus but he continued to live his dream on his own effort, with results sometimes good - often not. The plot here is Chang Yi is after his brother's killer but it is muddled by too many needless characters most of whom can't fight. There is no female eye candy either as both the chicks seem past their expiration dates for looking hot. Chang Yi will go on to much better movies where he plays the villain. Here, he is still the hero and the only reason I rated it a generous 6 out of 10.