MovieChat Forums > Circle of Iron (1978) Discussion > Any good? or just wishful thinking?

Any good? or just wishful thinking?


I had this DVD in my hand the other day after seeing that Bruce Lee had created the idea for it and then I saw the cast involved and thought it could be a terrific film. but I had never heard about it till I delved into the 5th level of demon hell bootleg, second hand, high 8 crap DVDs which certainly tickle my fancy.
but, is this film as good as advertised or is it just high hopes? Woth thirteen bones or worth the bone yard on thirteenth St?

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It's not high adventure. It's not great acting. It's kind of fun and kind of interesting. I like it but I like off beat stuff so...

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I watched half of this movie trying to figure pout if it was a comedy written in a deadpan style or if it was an idiotic script incompetently wriiten, badly produced, and poorly acted. I'm still not sure, but I suspect it is the latter. It is filled with every known Conan cliche and every Jodorovsky-like story telling twist without the basic absurdist grounding.

If you can take it as a dead pan comedy it isn't bad except thqat it rather goes on and on. If you have to take it as a serious story, forget it. The script writer apparently was a high school sophomore, which means that if you got out of ninth grade you are too old.

This dog isn't woth watching to the end, much less wasting good money on.

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The script writer, Stirling Silliphant, was also responsible for the film classic "Manos: The Hands of Fate". He was also a good friend of Bruce Lee.

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[deleted]

this movie was awesome! i only caught the last 45 minutes but damn. i need to buy it now. of course i was pretty messed up at the time, but damn. the dude knocks out a COW with his fist. how cool is that?

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well, you'd love "Karate Bullfighter"

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Are sure you weren't watching Kung Pow???

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I saw it and loved it. It's different and doesn't have the ending that you expect. The acting is tolerable and it's a lot of fun, because you really don't know where the film is heading. What a pleasant surprise!

HIGHLY recommended...

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I found it highly entertaining. There are a lot of unintentionally funny scenes interspersed with good fight scenes and some genuinely good moments.

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You gotta like it just because his name is....CORD!!

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I love the phrase "it's hard to kill a horse with a flute"

There's enough feces here to chase a coprophiliac from their desires.

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There are no good fight scenes in this movie, NONE! It is not a martial arts film although it is pretending to be one. It isn't. There is some zen (I think)philisophical stuff throughout the film and that is what it is really about, the fighting is just incidental.

Really, do not buy this if you are wanting a martial arts film, because it has some of the worst most lacklustre fight scenes ever put to film.

It is hilarious, I mean absolutely roll on the floor pee your pants hilarious! But it's not supposed to be at all. It's delivering a message about life, knowing yourself etc, but most people won't appreciate that because the acting is terrible, the fighting is terrible, and there are so many ridiculous LOL moments that you'll be too busy wiping tears from your eyes to notice any deeper meaning.

It's entertaining though, get some friends and a few beers and you'll laugh yourselves silly for 90 odd minutes.

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I agree. I saw D. Carradine at a convention in '05 and asked if he knew if it would be released on dvd, and he thought it would be (paraphrasing I am). I bought it but mainly watch the fight scenes as well as Zetan scenes. great messages in this film.

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So I finally did watch it and thank goodness I didn't drop the 20 bones to purchase and rented it a dollar video.

Long movie and I want my Dollar back.

I can always find a movie to rip on and laugh at, like Driving Miss Daisy. But for what this film tried to do it failed at on all accounts. I have looked into the mirror and found that I had waisted my time. For shame.

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It's gonna work like this:

1) "I want to watch a fast chop-socky martial arts movie"

You'll probably hate it. It's not fast and there isn't a lot of high-end martial arts in it.

2) "I like intelligent movies. I've never seen a so-called 'martial arts film' that qualified".

You'll like it. The movie is at least as much about the underlying Zen philosophy as anything else. You'll actually get to think in this film.


Now, if you go back and look at the other reviews, I think you'll be able to categorize every reviewer into category 1 or 2.

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Well put. I saw this film when it first came out, and even at an immature 17, I "got it", apparently better than some of the reviewers. I think if people understood the background of the film, they might understand a little better of what it was trying to do. Definitely in my Top Ten.

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[deleted]

One of my favorites, actually. Think of it as a pseudo-Eastern version of "Pilgrim's Progress" and you'll get it. It's the Journey that matters. I watch it every now-and-then when I get too busy in the mundane day-to-day things. Helps keep me focused on the big picture.

To live in such a way that one can tell Death, as Cord does, "come anytime, welcome guest," is to know that one is living well and not too attached to those things that are all too transient and fleeting.

It is not a typical martial arts movie. It is a journey of spirit, couched in a martial arts theme.

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I really think people expect modern standards and quality on every picture they see, regardless of when it was made. Movies are a brief escape, don't like where its going, turn it off and go outside. For people who grew up with "Kung Fu" in the 70's, it is kinda fun. Maybe they will remake it in a music video format with lots of sex scenes for the current generation. That's what this movie needs, special effects and motorcycles.

I'm gonna rent it today. I bet I enjoy it just as much as the first time I saw it.

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lol@sex scenes. I found this movie entertaining and very well philosophical. Alot of things I couldn't understand in this movie..but it was very enjoyable.

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