Shi po tian jian

Henry Yu Yang was one of the few Kung-Fu actors survived to the ending of the genre (he acted also in Horror like BLOOD REINCARNATION, or comedy like 77 HEARTBREAKS). He debuted in Chang Cheh's DEAD END (1969) and by 1973 made a string of low-budgeted films like FIST OF DOUBLE K/FIST TO FIST and this THE AWAKEN PUNCH, that's all in all not better and no worse than many others released in the Golden Era of the genre. As usual the soundtrack is illegally stolen from occidental composers (it's funny to read users still wondering if those movies asked for Morricone's or any other western composer's permission). The movie was released in Hong Kong from 5/23/73 to 5/29/73 (a fair amount of days if you consider the very fast theatrical distribution policy reigning in Hong Kong then: if a movie was a flop they retired it after one day only!). This grossed a good 439.000 HK dollars (more or less 90.000 US dollars) against a cost of less than 100.000 HK dollars (more or less 20.000 US dollars), so it was a locally quite fair business for production company Empire (KUNG-FU THE INVISIBLE FIST, TOUGH GUY, THE BLOODY FISTS, all starred by the late Chan Sing). Local TV star Nancy Sit (Stranger from Canton; Flatfoot in Hong Kong) plays the love interest; Yuean Wah (who served Bruce Lee as stunt-double) and his camerade Jackie Chan are among the acrobats. Regular badguys' duo Fong Yau and San Kway, do their wicked duty as usual. Tien feng (Fist of Fury; King Boxer) and Kenneth Tsang (John Woo's The killer) also appear. Also released as VILLAGE ON FIRE, THE FURY OF THE BLACK BELT (US theatrical title), BUDDHIST SHAOLIN AVENGERS (dvd title).

Obviously extremely low budget and formulaic, this film nevertheless manages to be entertaining throughout. There's a lone hero, a wicked gang terrorising the village folk, a vow to the dying, and lots of inner conflict before good triumphs over evil.

Oddly, the soundtrack for the English dub exclusively uses the soundtracks to The Godfather, Once Upon a Time in the West as well as a couple of other Ennio Morricone works. I have a feeling they didn't ask Ennio's permission - not sure if the music has been used in the original version or just the later English dub.

It's a bit of fun, and will provide distraction for a couple of hours if you're in the mood for classic kitsch seventies kung fu.