Yin yang xie di zi (1977)

Director:

Raymond Lui

Writers:

Raymond Lui, Hsu Shen Yu

Stars:

Carter Wong, Sing Chen, Yuen Biao

Cast

Credited cast:
Carter Wong
Sing Chen
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yuen Biao
Siu Hung Cham
Siu-Pang Chan	...	(Guest star)
Bing-tsan Chang
Chung-kuei Chang
Chin Hai Chen
Ling Wei Chen
Ming-Wei Chen
Lik Cheung	...	(Guest star)
Yi-Hsiung Chi
Chun Chin
Chiang Chou
Chun Chou

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

flying guillotine | shaolin | knife fight | flying blade | kung fu | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure

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Details

Country:

Taiwan Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

17 June 1977 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Shao lin duan tou tai

Company Credits

Production Co:

Success Film Production Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Apparently a cheap knock-off of another cheap martial arts film.

1975's MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE is an amazing and wonderful film to watch. This isn't because the fighting is particularly inspired or because the film makes any sense at all. It's because the film is so silly and so over-the-top that it is a camp classic--bad, but enjoyably bad. The film stars a blind guy who has a Frisbee-like device on a chain that chops off people's heads as he expertly throws this at his foes! Who cares that the physics are impossible or that the film features such silly things as fighters with 12 foot long papier-mache arms or that the guy was blind! It's just a ball to watch from start to finish--and one of my favorite "bad" films and great to see with friends.

Because of this film, I was eager to see THE FATAL FLYING GUILLOTINES (1977), though sadly it turned out NOT to be a sequel but a bit of a knock-off--taking many of the ideas from the original but neglecting to make the film as coherent or watchable. Sure, it's silly fun, but it never comes close to MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE in entertainment value. Like the original film, there are these weird flying devices that sever heads, but they are quite different--with circular saw blades and almost a mind of their own. There also is no blind guy but instead are a bunch of baddies who really have no depth nor does the audience understand exactly what's occurring in this English-dubbed version, as the plot is completely incomprehensible. However, at the same time, some of the martial arts action is very good. While not up to the high standards of most Bruce Lee or Sonny Chiba films, the action is worthwhile despite the ludicrous and often confusing plot.

Overall, this is a film that martial arts fans may like (despite its many, many, many, many shortcomings), but also one that others will probably turn off or laugh hysterically at instead of enjoying the action because the film is just so ludicrous. BUT, most importantly, it never comes close to being as funny or watchable as MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE. Too bad.