The Super Secret Kung-Fu Spectacular
Crippled Avengers / One-Armed Boxer / Widow Warriors
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
This was one of the nights on the Mahoning calendar that I was looking forward to the most; a triple feature of kung-fu classics. The catch is that we weren't told what movies were going to be screened.
There was a very good turnout on the lot. I'm hoping that this means that we'll see another kung-fu weekend in 2026.
Authors Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali were in attendance to meet fans, take pictures, and sign autographs of their book on the history of kung-fu movies: These Fists Break Bricks.
The second movie was the 1972 Golden Harvest flick One-Armed Boxer, which was released the following year in the United States as The Chinese Professionals. I didn't remember this film at first, but after about the first 15 minutes, I remembered that I had seen it before. It's another excellent choice as it's a great film that showcases many different styles of kung-fu, and it tells an excellent story that was continued in is legendary 1976 sequel, Master Of The Flying Guillotine.
The third movie was one that I had never seen or heard of before. It was released in 1990 in Hong Kong as Hǔ Dǎn Nǚ Ér Hóng. This translates to English as "Tiger's Gallbladder Daughter's Red Wine", so it's pretty easy to understand why it was given the alternate title of Widow Warriors when it was released in English-speaking countries.
And that's a wrap on the first annual Kung-Fu Spectacular at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater. There was a good turnout for this event, and it seems like the folks at the drive-in are interested in turning this into an annual event. I really hope that they do because this was one of the most fun triple features that I've ever spent on the lot.
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
This was one of the nights on the Mahoning calendar that I was looking forward to the most; a triple feature of kung-fu classics. The catch is that we weren't told what movies were going to be screened.
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| Show banner designed by Andrew Kern |
There was a very good turnout on the lot. I'm hoping that this means that we'll see another kung-fu weekend in 2026.
Authors Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali were in attendance to meet fans, take pictures, and sign autographs of their book on the history of kung-fu movies: These Fists Break Bricks.
I bought this book three years ago when Grady and Chris were in attendance for a Sunday night screening of Enter The Dragon at the Mahoning. It's an excellent history of the genre and its impact in the United States. If you're a fan of kung fu flicks, or if you're at all interested in learning more about them, I highly recommend it.
And now, onto the movies...
The first movie of the night was the 1978 Shaw Brothers classic Crippled Avengers (aka: The Return Of The 5 Deadly Venoms). They couldn't have made a better choice to kick off the first Kung-Fu Spectacular at the Mahoning. This is one of my all-time favorite kung-fu flicks and an excellent introduction for folks who are new to the genre.
Crippled Avengers is the tale of a tyrannical master of Tiger Kung-Fu named Dao Tian-du and his son, Dao Chang. When Dao Chang was a boy, his mother was killed and he had his arms chopped off by an enemy clan. Dao Tian-du forges metal arms for his son and raises him to become a kung-fu master.
As an adult, the son and his father run a clan that rule over the villagers with an iron fist. Four men run afoul of this clan and are brutally punishes. One of them is blinded. Another is deafened and given a poison that makes them mute. A third man has his legs cut off for accidentally bumping into Dao Chang. Finally, a fourth man who attempts to defend the three is attacked and suffers brain damage that limits his thinking and behavior to that of a toddler, although he has retained all of his kung-fu abilities. The story of the film is the four of these men banding together to train and get their revenge.
The second movie was the 1972 Golden Harvest flick One-Armed Boxer, which was released the following year in the United States as The Chinese Professionals. I didn't remember this film at first, but after about the first 15 minutes, I remembered that I had seen it before. It's another excellent choice as it's a great film that showcases many different styles of kung-fu, and it tells an excellent story that was continued in is legendary 1976 sequel, Master Of The Flying Guillotine.
The story of this film is a war waged by the criminal Hook Gang against the peaceful Ching Te Dojo. The criminals are unable to defeat the dojo until they bring in masters from around the world, after which time they destroy the dojo and their businesses. The only survivor of this massacre is a man named Tien Lung, who has lost his right arm in the attack. Tien Lung is rescued by a young woman and her father. The father has crafted a potion which makes the Tien Lung's remaining arm virtually indestructible. After taking the necessary steps to ensure that this potion will be effective, Tien Lung takes his vengeance.
The third movie was one that I had never seen or heard of before. It was released in 1990 in Hong Kong as Hǔ Dǎn Nǚ Ér Hóng. This translates to English as "Tiger's Gallbladder Daughter's Red Wine", so it's pretty easy to understand why it was given the alternate title of Widow Warriors when it was released in English-speaking countries.
Unlike the first two films, Widow Warriors is set in the modern era. It tells the story of the Lu Family, who are part of the Triad and are betrayed when someone they trust works against them with their enemies, the Yan Family. Every male in the Lu Family is killed, so their widows unite to get revenge on the Yan Family and on person who betrayed them.
This movie was a little slow to get started, and the fight scenes have obviously been sped up, but it's a compelling story and definitely worth watching for fans of kung-fu and/or crime films.
Widow Warriors had one surreal scene that I've got to mention. Nan (right) has a daughter (left) who has been acting out and getting into trouble. In an effort to connect with her daughter and prevent her from going down the wrong path, Nan takes off her shirt to reveal a Triad tattoo and explains to her daughter that she ran away from home when she was ten years old and was forced into prostitution and selling drugs in her childhood. This causes the daughter to break down into tears, and the two come to understand each other on a deeper level. It's a pretty emotional scene, which makes it all the more bizarre that a grinning Garfield toy can be seen suctioned to the back window of the vehicle that they're standing next to throughout the entire conversation.
And that's a wrap on the first annual Kung-Fu Spectacular at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater. There was a good turnout for this event, and it seems like the folks at the drive-in are interested in turning this into an annual event. I really hope that they do because this was one of the most fun triple features that I've ever spent on the lot.
