- Hand of Death
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Hand of Death 
UK DVD coverDirected by John Woo Produced by Raymond Chow
Peng ChienWritten by John Woo Starring Tan Tao-liang
James Tien
Paul Chang
Jackie Chan
Sammo HungMusic by Joseph Koo Cinematography Liang Yung-Chi Editing by Chang Yau Chung, Yuan Tung-Chun Release date(s) 1976 Running time 95 min. Country 
Hong KongLanguage Mandarin Hand Of Death (simplified Chinese: 少林门; traditional Chinese: 少林門; pinyin: shǎolínmén) (aka Countdown In Kung Fu, Strike of Death or Shaolin Men, is a 1976 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by John Woo, starring Tan Tao-liang and James Tien, and featuring early acting performances from Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao in supporting roles. In addition to their acting roles, Hung also worked as stunt co-ordinator, whilst Yuen also performed much of the stuntwork, including doubling for both of the principal stars.
Contents
Plot
Shaolin are hunted down by a powerful warrior who wants to rid the Shaolin men from China. At a remote training camp a group of Shaolin train together, their best student Yun Fei is given the task of taking down Shih Shao-feng and his reign of terror. Along the way he befriends Jackie Chan's character, who is a blacksmith.
Yun Fei arrives at Shih's camp and tries to take him, but fails. His Shaolin techniques are useless against Shih's "extended iron claw". When Shih beats him, he leaves the rest to his eight bodyguards, who each have weapons such as swords, shields and spears.
Yun Fei escapes with the help of the blacksmith, goes to a village and discovers Shih's men are taking apart the village and pillaging anything they can to scare the villagers into submission.
Tan befriends two people along the way, including a brilliant swordsman who has never drawn his sword after he accidentally killed a prostitute he loved.
The team forms a coalition to defeat Shih Shao-feng.
With battle plans laid and the heroes trained, they prepared themselves for the battle ahead of them. Yun Fei and all the heroes will create a diversion, where they will assail Shih's headquarters in separate groups.
The diversion and ambush on the following day is ultimately successful. Luring away Shih's lieutenant Du (Sammo Hung) Jackie Chan's character is the first to act in the climatic act. Arriving at the gate where the pagoda which is the stronghold of the main villain, he proceeds to kill off several guards, including two of Shih Shao-Feng's elite fighters. Whilst the rest of the characters reached a grassland where four more elite fighters under Shih's command comes by. Leading to a prolonged, lengthy fight between the heroes and four more of Shih's elite warriors.
Unfortunately for Yun Fei's gang, the battle went on longer than anticipated, and Shih realised their plans. Jackie's character went back to rendezvous with his friends and assist them in battle, but is mortally wounded whilst killing another elite. Yun Fei and the other heroes managed to kill the rest of the elites and they escapes, with Shih, Du and a small troupe of their men in pursuit.
More and more of the heroes are killed as the film reaches its end, while nearby a beach Yunfei beats Du to death and kill off Shih's last elite fighter.
In the end, Yunfei faces off against Shih and his remaining soldiers. All which he defeats single-handedly, then he fights Shih and wins.
The movie ends with Yunfei strolling past the graves of all his friends, paying his respects.
Cast
- Tan Tao-liang - Yun Fei (as Dorian Tan)
- James Tien - Shih Shao-Feng
- Paul Chang - Zorro
- Jackie Chan - Tan Feng (as Chan Yuan Lung)
- Sammo Hung Kam-Bo - Officer Tu Ching
- Lingfeng Shangguan
- Carter Wong - Kien
- John Woo - Scholar Cheng
- Yuen Biao - assassin killed by Shih
- Yuen Wah - Bodyguard with spear
Other credits
Produced
- Raymond Chow - producer
- Chien Peng - producer
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Kim Chung-Yung - assistant director
Sound Department
- Chow Shao-Ling - sound recordist
Camera and Electrical Department
- Pu Chang-Hao - lighting technician
Other
- Sammo Hung - action choreographer
- Yuen Biao - double: martial arts and acrobatics
External links
- Hand of Death at the Internet Movie Database
- Hand of Death at AllRovi
Films directed by John Woo 1970s The Young Dragons (1974) • The Dragon Tamers (1974) • Princess Chang Ping (1975) • Hand of Death (1976) • Money Crazy (1977) • Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1978) • Hello, Late Homecomers (1978) • Follow the Star (1978)1980s From Riches to Rags (1980) • To Hell with the Devil (1981) • Laughing Times (1981) • Plain Jane to the Rescue (1982) • The Time You Need a Friend (1984) • Run Tiger Run (1985) • Heroes Shed No Tears (1986) • A Better Tomorrow (1986) • A Better Tomorrow 2 (1987) • The Killer (1989) • Just Heroes (1989)1990s Bullet in the Head (1990) • Once a Thief (1991) • Hard Boiled (1992) • Hard Target (1993) • Broken Arrow (1996) • Once a Thief (1996) • Face/Off (1997) • Blackjack (1998)2000s 2010s Reign of Assassins (2010)Cinema of Hong Kong Actors · Directors · Cinematographers · Ocean Shores · Producers · Shaw Brothers Studio · Films A–Z · Action films · WritersFilms by year:
1909–1929 · 1930s · 1940s
1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959
1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969
1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979
1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989
1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009
2010 · 2011 · 2012Categories:- Martial arts films
- Films directed by John Woo
- Kung fu films
- Hong Kong films
- 1976 films
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