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Hong Kong Director and Martial Arts Master Lau Kar-leung Dies at 76

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A

Anteater

Member
The director of landmark Kung Fu films "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" (1978), starring "Kill Bill"’s Gordon Liu, and "Drunken Master II" with Jackie Chan, passed away after a two-decade battle with cancer.

HONG KONG – Martial artist, action choreographer and film director Lau Kar-leung died on Tuesday morning following a two-decade battle with cancer. He was 76.

Lau, a fourth generation direct disciple of martial arts legend Wong Fei-Hung and a life-long practitioner of the Hung Kuen discipline, was most famous for his directorial efforts The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) starring Kill Bill’s Gordon Liu, and Drunken Master II with Jackie Chan, which also won him the Best Action Choreography Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1994.

Lau began his career in film in 1950, as an extra and stuntman in the popular Wong Fei-Hung movies. He then joined the Shaw Brothers in the 1960s, forming his own Lau’s Stunt Team, and became one of the studio’s principle action choreographers. He was particularly renowned for his collaboration with director Chang Cheh during that time, in films such as The One-Armed Swordsman (1967) and The Boxer From Shantung (1972).

In 1975, Lau made his directorial debut, The Spiritual Boxer, for Shaw Brothers. He was the first action choreographer to have transitioned to directing, at the time. The film proved a hit, and was the seventh highest grossing movie of the year in Hong Kong. Lau’s directing work was characterized by a strict adherence to the principles of martial arts. He continued his work as action choreographer and director until 1994, when he made Drunken Master II and III, and was diagnosed with lymphoma. He survived the disease, and made a directorial comeback in 2003 with Drunken Monkey, starring himself and his martial arts protégé Gordon Liu. In 2007, at the age of 70, he served as action choreographer and in a supporting role in Tsui Hark’s Seven Swords.

Lau was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2010 for his contribution to the martial arts film genre.

He is survived by his wife, former actress and solicitor Mary Jean Reimer, and their two daughters.
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http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hong-kong-director-lau-kar-574372

RIP, I love Drunken Master 2 :(
 
F0rneus

F0rneus

Tears in the rain
RIP. Loved that man and all his work. Drunken Master 2 is an action masterpiece with one of the best final fights ever committed to film. He was a dang good fighter too.
 
E

EraldoCoil

Member
R.I.P. to a goddam legend!

36th Chamber is my favorite martial arts movie of all time. Will definitely be watching again this weekend.
 
S

shuri

Banned
What a career! He can finally get some rest, and what a fight with cancer he led. True Courage and Fighting Spirit until the end.
 
J

jetpacks was yes

Member
Nooooooo! :( He was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, kung fu movie directors, choreographers, and performers of the 70's through early 90's. So sad.
 
EviLore

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck cancer.

A few essentials he directed and choreographed:

36th Chamber of Shaolin
8 Diagram Pole Fighter
Heroes of the East
Clan of the White Lotus
Drunken Master II

Perhaps the best martial arts film choreographer in the history of cinema, and incredibly important to the formation of the genre. Also a fantastic performer. The fight scenes he participated in personally were a huge treat. He'd show up and pull a Mad Dog, stealing the show, despite being generations older than the stars.

RIP.

He is survived by his wife, former actress and solicitor Mary Jean Reimer, and their two daughters.
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He did well for himself. ;b

9mnwBTS.jpg
eBkAnT7.jpg
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C

Crimsonlink

Member
T_T

A legend has died.

He will be remembered of course! Gonna watch some of his old movies as a toast for him and get some drinking done to wash down this bitter feeling.

76 is 24 years too early for a healthy man like him all because of cancer. Fuck you Cancer!
 
T

The Quiet Man

Member
My first and only avatar for GAF - I was really into his movies at the time, so it was a natural pick for me. What a terrible loss. RIP :(
 
Q

Qvoth

Member
wow he's a direct disciple of wong fei hung?

edit: oh wait 4th generation direct disciple? so he was never personally taught by wong fei hung right?
still cool though
 
A

Anteater

Member
Qvoth said:
wow he's a direct disciple of wong fei hung?

edit: oh wait 4th generation direct disciple? so he was never personally taught by wong fei hung right?
still cool though
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I didn't even know Wong Fei Hung was a real dude.

They have probably butchered his character so much in all those films though, lol.
 
T

Tom_Cody

Member
RIP

F0rneus said:
RIP. Loved that man and all his work. Drunken Master 2 is an action masterpiece with one of the best final fights ever committed to film. He was a dang good fighter too.
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I came to post this but apparently he specifically was not in charge of the final fight.

wiki said:
After Shaw Brothers collapsed in the 1980s, Lau moved on and continued directing and choreographing films, among them Drunken Master II. However, the film's star Jackie Chan and director Lau clashed over the style of fighting, resulting in Lau leaving the set before the shooting of the final fight scene, which was then taken over by Chan.
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