Episode 251 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Project A (1983)

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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!

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Episode 241 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Winners & Sinners (1983)

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CUT THE CRAP! We’re post-American excursion and post-Lo Wei scraps and things are about to POP OFF with the first of the Five Lucky Stars series WINNERS & SINNERS starring Sammo Hung, Richard Ng, Charlie Chin, Stanley Fung and John Shum. Oh, and Jackie Chan is here as well, reconnecting with his “big brother” (and Yuen Biao in a tiny part) for the first time in years and transitioning to martial arts/comedy hybrids with higher production values and bigger stunts. This one might lean a bit TOO heavily on the comedy, but you get roller skating stunts, car stunts, and some dynamite action to whet your appetite for what’s to come. Enjoy!

Here’s the Winners & Sinners outtakes:

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Episode 232 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Fearless Hyena 2 (1983)

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One stage of Jackie Chan’s career comes to an awkward conclusion in FEARLESS HYENA 2, with producer Lo Wei taking old footage (from the first Fearless Hyena, along with some bits from Spiritual Kung Fu) along with some a few new scenes filmed before Jackie’s controversial move to Golden Harvest to create something predictably incoherent. Filled with actors doubling Jackie (in disguise), pieces that don’t quite fit together, and the introduction of Austin Wai as Tung, a mechanical genius with an automatic house, it makes for a bizarre and often baffling viewing experience without ever becoming entirely unwatchable. Have a listen and see if you agree!

Fearless Hyena 2 is currently available to stream on The Criterion Channel and is available as part of the Jackie Chan: Emergence of a Superstar set in the Criterion Collection.

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Episode 222 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Fantasy Mission Force (1983)

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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!

Read Thorsten Boose’s article Ninjas & Fighting Fists: Sonny Chiba and Jackie Chan together in one film? right here

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Episode 211 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Dragon Lord (1982)

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After a less-then-fruitful experience in the US (filming THE BIG BRAWL and THE CANNONBALL RUN), Jackie returned to Hong Kong with a blank check from Golden Harvest and a chip on his shoulder. The result was plenty of bumps, bruises and 1982’s DRAGON LORD, which serves as a transitionary period between the old-school kung fu films of his past and the stunt-heavy films (with higher production value) that would define his work in the 1980s. In this episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS we break down the good and bad of DRAGON LORD, its two cuts, and the two bravura sequences within. LISTEN!

Here’s the behind-the-scenes segment on Jackie making DRAGON LORD from the TV program YOU ASKED FOR IT

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Episode 198 – We Do Our Own Stunts – The Cannonball Run (1981)

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Jackie Chan ends his first American excursion on this episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS with Hal Needham’s star-studded 1981 cross country race movie THE CANNONBALL RUN, where he plays a Japanese (?) race car driver who watches porn in his futuristic vehicle and also kicks the hell out of Peter Fonda for some reason. He’s racing against a who’s who of early 80s celebs, including – of course – Burt Reynolds and (Liam O’Donnell favorite) Dom DeLuise, as well as Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Jamie Farr, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Adrienne Barbeau and SO MANY MORE. It’s wild! We also chat about the latest Jackie Chan news and discuss Jackie’s experience making the film (spoiler: it wasn’t great) so CHECK US OUT!

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Episode 184 – We Do Our Own Stunts – The Big Brawl (1980)

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Jackie Chan in AMERICA! On this episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS Jackie makes his first American excursion to star in the Robert Clouse directed comedy-action vehicle THE BIG BRAWL (aka BATTLE CREEK BRAWL). Despite Jackie knowing very little English (and having to promote the film on American television) and working a very different style than he was used to, the film is actually a ton of fun – as long as you don’t go in expecting the acrobatic fighting from his recent Hong Kong films. We also chat about the recent RIDE ON controversy, Jackie’s appearances in HIDDEN STRIKE and TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM, and SO MUCH MORE. Check it out!

Here’s video of Jackie promoting THE BIG BRAWL on US TV:

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Episode 171 – We Do Our Own Stunts – The Young Master (1980)

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On a landmark episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS, Jackie Chan has signed a huge contract with Golden Harvest which promises creative and financial freedom, and he kicks things off with the 1980 kung-fu comedy THE YOUNG MASTER! While at the same time his old boss Lo Wei wants his now-bankable star back and is willing to work with Triads to make it happen. UH OH! It’s a perilous time in Jackie’s career and will soon push him off to America for a while, but in the meantime we can enjoy this enormously entertaining, fight-filled film which features Yuen Biao, Tien Feng, Hwang In-Shik, and Shih Kien! CHECK IT OUT!

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Episode 158 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Dragon Fist (1979)

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After a lengthy, contentious working relationship, Jackie Chan’s time with Lo Wei finally comes to an end (sort of!) with 1979’s DRAGON FIST, a film that had been sitting on the shelf since well before Jackie’s SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW kung-fu breakthrough. The film features a very stoic Jackie attempting to get revenge for his master’s death, which all sounds awfully standard, but the plot gets a lot more twisty as it goes, including Jackie reluctantly working for a group of bad guys before going BER-ZERK in the final ten minutes. We also chat about some of Jackie’s complications with trying to get out of his contract, and his upcoming excursion to America. CHECK IT OUT!

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Episode 147 – We Do Our Own Stunts – The Fearless Hyena (1979)

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On this episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS Jackie Chan’s relationship with Lo Wei comes to an end.. sort of.. with Jackie’s directorial debut THE FEARLESS HYENA! Filled with fights (choreographed by Jackie), and featuring perhaps his best performance of the era, it’s a film that owes a lot to his recent successes (with SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW and DRUNKEN MASTER) but also shows his growing confidence and range as a martial artist and creative force. We trace the film’s history, how it affected Jackie’s relationship with Lo Wei, and go through what we’ll be covering in the first few months of 2023. CHECK IT OUT!

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