The Himalayan

So what’s it gonna take to put you into a new movie today? Honestly, for most physical media fans, there’s no arm twisting necessary. Even if, as in the case of The Himalayan (1976), it’s not an essential piece of cinema history, the urge to “get-em-all” is pretty hard to resist. And this Golden Harvest production adds a few wrinkles that make it just unique enough to pull the trigger.

Hatching a scheme to wed his half-brother to the daughter of a wealthy Tibetan landowner, Kao Chu (Chan Sing) winds up using a body-double to finish the job then backstabbing his way up the family ladder. Meanwhile, poor Ching Lam (Angela Mao) is framed for adultery and must join forces with her childhood crush (Dorian Tan) to learn the mysterious Mi style of martial arts and get revenge.

A busy man during Golden Harvest’s early years, Wong Fung wasn’t the studio’s most innovative director but he certainly knew what Angela Mao was capable of. Even though she’s second billed, the actress still dominates the movie whenever Fung lets her off the leash. Her physicality and facial expressions cut through the complicated melodrama and family scheming, while Tan impatiently waits for a chance to show off his legendary kicks.

Opening with a mondo documentary-style prologue about the fighting styles of Tibet, the production actually traveled to Nepal to capture an amazing fight sequence set atop a dizzying temple. In fact, almost all the combat takes place outdoors to establish a more modern style, co-choreographed by Sammo Hung. No, The Himalayan may not be top-shelf Angela Mao. But for fans and completists fascinated by the studio’s attempt to find its footing in the post-Bruce Lee era, it’s exactly the kind of “what the heck” title that sneaks its way into your heart – and your shopping cart – anyway.

The Blu-ray from 88 Films is built upon a terrific 2K restoration that includes Mandarin and English audio options, plus a commentary track, trailer, alternate credits and image gallery. Extras also include a fold-out poster, reversible artwork, slipcover and interview with Dorian Tan who recalls the long hours and tough working conditions endured by the cast and crew.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Terminus

Image
Road Warrior   rip-offs are legion. After the success of George Miller’s post-apocalyptic actioner, every two-bit producer with access to a stretch of desert and a box of leftover shoulder pads scrambled to cash in. In the U.S., Roger Corman unleashed   Battletruck , Charles Band gave birth to   Metalstorm   (in 3D, no less), while Italy cranked out so many copycat productions it’s a wonder the Colosseum didn’t wind up with a gun turret and a flamethrower. But France—ah, France—they just might have delivered the most bafflingly sideways homage of them all: 1987’s   Terminus . Set in a near future where a tricked-out truck must pass through hostile territory to reach a predetermined “terminus,” the story begins with its hired driver (Karen Allen) captured and killed by rival gangs. That leaves Stump (Johnny Hallyday), a mysterious ex-con, to complete the journey—accompanied by a mute 8-year-old named Princess. Their mission is guided by an AI system called Monste...
Read more

School in the Crosshairs

Image
A pop-music confection of psychic powers, first love, and invaders from Venus, 1981’s School in the Crosshairs is a mainline rush of anime aesthetics and pre-MTV aspirations. And if you think that’s a mouthful, wait’ll you get a look at the film itself! Director Nobuhiko Obayashi ( House ) stacks plot devices like Jenga pieces, relying on the charisma of super-producer Haruki Kadokawa’s handpicked pop princess to keep it from collapsing under its own weight. That secret ingredient is star Hiroko Yakushimaru, the cherub-faced schoolgirl who’d break out later that same year in Sailor Suit and Machine Gun . Here she plays Yuka, the most popular girl in school, who discovers her telekinetic abilities have drawn the attention of a power-hungry alien bent on enslaving her fellow students. With help from a mysterious new girl on campus, the villains drain all the fun from Daii Academy, transforming it into a fascist state devoted entirely to academics.   Based on an oft-adapted novel by ...
Read more

Raw Meat

Image
Before the Italians turned cannibalism into grisly cinematic joke there was Raw Meat (1972), Gary Sherman's underground people-eater movie that mixes elements of expected Grand Guignol with an oh-so-British sense of pathos and restraint. And its relative obscurity over the years has only enhanced its reputation as a less visceral take on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre when actually the two films share very little in common. Sherman's film is more polished, more structured, more procedural in approach. But it never quite achieves the demented level of insanity of Tobe Hooper's work. Other than a penchant for human flesh, each director has a different end game in mind. Making their way home on a late London subway, Alex and Patricia come upon a dying man slumped over the steps. Alex, a callous American abroad, suggests they ignore the incident but Patricia insists they return with help. Once they arrive with a constable, the man, who turns out to be a high-ranking governm...
Read more