Kung Fu Fridays: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

One of the greatest Kung Fu films of all time. Why is it so loved? Read on and find out.

In 1978, martial arts films were dropping at an absolutely intense rate. They were cheap to make, cheap to shoot, and highly profitable. Martial Arts mania was in full swing in Asia and America and studios, as they are wont to do, were eager to capitalize. As we have seen, if you have read any of the previous pieces linked conveniently below, there were more than a few gems to hit the silver screen during this period. However, the glut of releases meant that not every one would be a classic.

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Kung Fu Fridays: 8 Diagram Pole Fighter/Invincible Pole Fighter

If you’ve ever wondered why the bo staff is the coolest weapon a martial artist can use…

Based on the generals of the Yang family, a Cantonese legend, 8 Diagram Pole Fighter was released in 1983 by the legendary Shaw Brothers  and starred the absolutely incredible Godon Liu. (most readers will recognize him as Pei-Mei from Kill Bill vol.2 and Johnny Mo from Kill Bill vol.1) The film, known as Invincible Pole Fighter outside of Hong Kong, was hit with tragedy as Liu’s costar, Alexander Fu Sheng, was killed in a car accident before filming wrapped. 

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