Hong Kong 1990: From stuntman to King of Kung Fu

Chapter 95 Classic Showdown

When filming "New Dragon Gate Inn", Donnie Yen was filled with envy and jealousy, and she found Tang Long's face and nose very unpleasant.

The longer they spent together, the more he realized that Tang Long wasn't just a pretty face who had been artificially promoted; he truly had real talent.

However, out of pride, he never bowed his head.

After the release of "New Dragon Gate Inn", it was Yuen Woo-ping who acted as a go-between, and the relationship between the two improved.

Tang Long also realized that Zhen Zidan didn't have any bad intentions; she was just young, hot-blooded, and resentful.

This improved his impression of Donnie Yen considerably.

Tang Long noticed that Zhen Zidan was a bit arrogant and always wanted to outdo him.

However, their careers took very different paths afterward. He was still playing supporting villainous roles, while Tang Long had already starred in two blockbuster movies.

Seeing that Donnie Yen was clearly interested but pretended not to care, Tang Long didn't expose him and explained with a smile: "There are two main action styles in Hong Kong films. One is kung fu comedy, represented by Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung."

On this track, Jackie Chan has almost reaped all the benefits, while even Sammo Hung has gradually been abandoned by the audience.

Another type is the highly representative martial arts film, from the hard-hitting style of the past to the elegant style of the new martial arts films today.

However, they are still subject to set routines. The new martial arts films introduce the concept of intimidation, making the fighting more fluid, but also giving it a sense of unreality.

Therefore, I introduced the concept of mixed martial arts. The film is no longer confined to a single style of boxing or swordsmanship, but integrates various fighting techniques such as judo, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and Sanda. The action design is closer to a real combat arena, aiming to finish the opponent as quickly as possible.

Donnie Yen's eyes grew brighter as she listened.

He felt that what Tang Long was talking about was exactly what he had always wanted to do but didn't know how to get started.

Now Tang Long has clearly explained the vague thoughts in his mind.

He desperately wanted to make a movie with this mixed martial arts style.

This is a good opportunity to learn a lot on the set of "Sha Po Lang".

Donnie Yen was finally completely convinced and took the initiative to ask Tang Long for advice on combining mixed martial arts concepts with movies.

This more practical and impactful mixed martial arts concept was originally introduced to movies by Donnie Yen.

He told Zhen Zidan about some of the events and details of later generations, which amazed Zhen Zidan.

Shortly after, the script supervisor came over to inform us that filming was about to begin.

Donnie Yen, dressed in white with his makeup done and sporting blond hair, and with his somewhat unruly gaze, gave off a strong sense of Wu Jing.

Because Jet Li went back to the mainland, "Once Upon a Time in China III" was shelved, and Tsui Hark is preparing to film a spin-off of Wong Fei-hung.

Later, he and Yuen Woo-ping produced a film called "Iron Monkey," which tells the story of Wong Fei-hung's father, Wong Kei-ying.

Tsui Hark strongly invited Tang Lung to play Huang Qiying, but Tang Lung declined.

This movie is indeed a classic, and the action design in it took Yuen Woo-ping a lot of effort.

Historically, due to being born at the wrong time, there was a proliferation of martial arts and kung fu movies at the time, which flopped at the box office.

He was gradually discovered by the audience and became popular again.

The videotape of this movie was sent to the United States, where Quentin, who was working at a video arcade at the time, accidentally discovered it.

After reading it, I was immediately awestruck.

After he became famous, he managed to get "Iron Monkey" released in North American theaters, where it grossed over 12 million US dollars.

However, Tang Long was unwilling to get involved with the "Huang Feihong" IP, which had already been deeply marked by Li Lianjie.

He wants to be on par with or even surpass Jet Li, not to live in Jet Li's shadow.

Later, with Yuen Woo-ping's strong recommendation, Donnie Yen landed the role of Wong Kei-ying.

Just at the beginning of this year, Yu Rongguang finally finished dealing with his affairs in mainland China and came to Hong Kong.

Tang Long then casually recommended Yu Rongguang to Xu Ke.

After the interview, Xu Ke was quite satisfied and directly cast him as Iron Monkey.

Therefore, the production team plans to film Donnie Yen's scenes first.

The first scene we filmed was the scene where he kills Liu Kai-chi.

When Liao Qizhi learned that Chen Guozhong had a brain tumor, he lamented the impermanence of life and thought of his own father.

He doesn't get along with his father and hasn't been in contact with him for over half a year.

It was only when he called that he learned that his father had passed away.

Although Liu Kai-chi is more than ten years younger than when he filmed "SPL: Sha Po Lang" in history, he has been acting for more than ten years.

While her acting skills may not be considered superb, they have at least been honed and developed.

This scene demands a high level of acting skill from him.

From initially feigning indifference, to disbelief upon hearing of her father's passing, to grief, and finally to calming down and regaining composure.

It is very difficult to create a sense of depth in a performance.

Filming such a difficult scene right from the start caused Liu Kai-chi to have to do several takes, but he eventually completed the scene successfully.

Next up is Donnie Yen's character, Huang Mao Aji.

As soon as Liao Qizhi stepped out of the phone booth, Ah Ji slit his throat.

The reason why the character Ah-Ji left a deep impression on the audience is that he was very handsome when he first appeared.

Whether it was intercepting and killing witnesses or taking down several of Chen Guozhong's policemen, they did it all very cleanly and efficiently.

Even at the end of the show, they left the audience with an extremely exciting fight scene.

Time flies, and a week has passed in the blink of an eye.

Donnie Yen only has one scene left, a showdown between her and Ma Jun, played by Tang Long, in an alley.

"Ah Lung, your name must be included as the action director for this scene," Sammo Hung said decisively.

"Brother Sanmao, I'm just talking, it's you and the Hong family stunt team who do the work."

97

"The action director mainly does the talking; the entire action framework and concept of the film are determined by you."

To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed to be called the action director.

After several scenes, Sammo Hung felt like he was just a tool.

At first, he felt offended, but later he realized that he didn't really understand mixed martial arts, and Tang Long kept a very humble attitude, so he didn't quit.

The more he pondered his expression, the more serious he became. He had a premonition that Tang Long's realistic action style would become a trend, just like kung fu comedies and elegant new martial arts films.

Therefore, he put aside his seniority and even took the initiative to learn Tang Long's philosophy and style.

"No way, without the Sammo Hung Stunt Team, I couldn't have realized these ideas on my own."

Tang Long chose to cooperate with the Sammo Hung Stunt Team instead of other teams because the Sammo Hung Stunt Team best met his requirements.

Cheng Xiaodong's Cheng Family Stunt Team is better at designing elegant martial arts action sequences, while Jackie Chan's Jackie Chan Stunt Team is better at using props and risking their lives to present comedic effects and thrilling martial arts action sequences to the audience.

Yuen Woo-ping's Yuen Clan focuses on choreography, creating very beautifully designed moves. They rehearse the moves in advance before filming.

Sammo Hung's stunt team is more diverse; they can perform dangerous stunts, kung fu comedies, and realistic films.

Sammo Hung learned Peking Opera martial arts from a young age and is proficient in various kung fu styles such as Wing Chun and Hung Kuen. After Bruce Lee's death, a group of top martial arts masters, including Lam Ching-ying and Yuen Wah, gathered around him, which gave the Hung Clan's action design an extremely broad "arsenal".

The action style of Sammo Hung's stunt team is to pursue a domineering and sharp style that combines power, practicality and dramatic tension.

Later, Sammo Hung personally learned judo and karate techniques, making the action design of the Hung Clan more diverse.

Therefore, the Sammo Hung Stunt Team is currently the most suitable action choreography team for "SPL: Sha Po Lang".

With Tang Long's involvement, he is confident in recreating the original "SPL" action style, which abandons excessive flashy moves and emphasizes the visceral impact of punches and strikes, as well as the pursuit of realism and power.

Therefore, Sammo Hung and the members of the Hung Clan are not mere tools.

"Don't be modest. You're in charge of arranging the fight scene for your last scene with Donnie Yen."

Late at night, in the old streets and alleys.

Tang Long was wearing a black leather jacket over a dark gray tactical vest, carrying a leather bag, and had a baton at his waist.

The alley was dark, and Tang Long's footsteps echoed in the narrow space.

The camera shifts, and Donnie Yen, dressed in white, stands upright behind a cardboard box, emerging from the shadows.

The short knife twirled between his fingers, its blade reflecting a cold glint.

One in black, one in white, the two stared at each other.

three seconds.

Five seconds.

ten seconds.

Tang Jili didn't yell "Cut," and the photographer's finger was on the shutter button; he dared not breathe.

Donnie Yen has moved.

His activation was completely unexpected; one second he was still, and the next the blade was already at Tang Long's throat.

Tang Long took a half step back, flicked his baton, and blocked the first strike.

Sparks flew from the clash of metal in the darkness, illuminating two faces: one as calm as iron, the other as frenzied as a beast.

The short knife slid down along the baton, and the tip cut a gash on Tang Long's forearm.

Blood seeped out and dripped down his arm to the ground.

Tang Long didn't look at the wound; his eyes were fixed on Zhen Zidan's eyes.

In real combat, looking into your opponent's eyes is the most basic rule.

Hands can lie, but eyes can't.

After more than a week of filming, Donnie Yen has grasped the characteristics of Ah-Ji's character.

Ah-Ji was not only a thug, but also a killer.

There is no emotion in the eyes of an assassin.

Tang Long swung his stick, sweeping it across Donnie Yen's knee.

Donnie Yen jumped up, changing her grip on the short knife in mid-air, from forehand to backhand, with the blade pointing downwards.

He landed behind Ma Jun, the blade slicing towards the back of his neck.

Tang Long did not turn around.

He crouched down, and the stick thrust out from under his armpit, striking Zhen Zidan squarely in the abdomen.

Donnie Yen grunted, took two steps back, and leaned against the wall.

The two then began a new round of competition.

One used a stick, the other a knife, and they went back and forth.

For this fight scene, Tang Long only designed the stylistic framework; the specific execution mainly depended on the individual performances of Tang Long and Donnie Yen.

This kind of fight, which avoids choreography and wire work and strives for realism, even captivated Sammo Hung.

With a final blow from Tang Long's staff to Zhen Zidan's head, followed by a push away and a few more exchanges, Tang Long snatched Zhen Zidan's broken knife and stabbed it into his chest.

The duel has finally come to an end.

Zhen Zidan lay in a pool of blood, while Tang Long threw away his blood-stained leather jacket, picked up his briefcase, and left the alley.

"Cut!"

Tang Jili's voice came through the loudspeaker, carrying an irrepressible excitement.

"Perfect! Passed!"

Upon hearing Tang Jili shout "Cut!", Tang Long immediately turned around and rushed towards Zhen Zidan, who was lying on the ground.