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 196 – Whatever Happened to Vic Diaz? – Project: Kill (1976)

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Leslie Nielsen is leading a group of brainwashed, drugged up SUPER SOLDIERS in the Philippines but after taking a break from his daily dose of super soldier serum he starts to grow a conscience and goes on the run, with his first-in-command Gary Lockwood hot on his trail in William Girdler’s conspiracy action film PROJECT: KILL from 1976. If you like seeing two old, not-very-flexible actors throwing kicks and uppercuts while Filipino stuntmen go flying, this is the movie for you. Best of all SPECIAL GUEST Vic Diaz shows up to gnaw on the scenery. Check it 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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Episode 138 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978)

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On this episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS we’re going back in time! Back before SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW or DRUNKEN MASTER, when Lo Wei reluctantly gave Jackie Chan permission to – finally – make the kung fu comedy he always wanted. The result was HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU, which Lo Wei immediately shelved until the international success of Jackie’s Yuen Woo-ping-directed films made him rush it into cinemas. How is it? Listen and find out!

Check out the Accented Cinema video essay Someone Made a Movie to Diss Jackie Chan right here:

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Episode 125 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Spiritual Kung Fu (1978)

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On this episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS, we continue our chronological look at the career of Jackie Chan and – surprise – Jackie is famous now! After the massive success of Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master, Jackie returns to Lo Wei who decides to dust some unreleased Jackie features off the shelf and rush them into cinemas. The first is the supernatural kung fu comedy SPIRITUAL KUNG FU, which features five bright white “ghosts” in red fright wigs (who arrived on a meteor) teaching Jackie the five style fists, while a murder mystery plays out in the shaolin temple! Features Jackie shoving living animals down his pants and ghost busting (via urination). CHECK IT OUT!

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Episode 115 – We Do Our Own Stunts – Drunken Master (1978)

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It took 12 episodes to get here, but after the box-office success of SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW, Jackie Chan suddenly finds himself a bankable martial arts star. So why not do it all again, only better? DRUNKEN MASTER reunites Jackie with basically everyone who worked on the previous film, including producer Ng See-yuen, director Yuen Woo-ping, and stars Hwang Jang-lee, Dean Shek and Simon Yuen, and the result is a global smash that launched Jackie’s career and set both a pattern for the next stage of his career, as well as provided material for dozens of rip-offs, tributes and sequels. Join us on the latest episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS where we discuss Jackie’s recent birthday, the death of Jimmy Wang Yu, and talk all about 1978’s DRUNKEN MASTER. Check it out!

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