Robert Tai
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- Unforgiven Of Shaolin
- The Fast Sword
- Boxer's Last Stand
- The Condemned
- Forest Duel
- Revenge Of The Patriots
- The Deadly Duo
- Chinatown Kid
- Blood On The Sun
- 5 Deadly Venoms
- Female Chivalry
- A Fist Full Of Talons
- Thundering Mantis
- Unbeatable Dragon
- Crippled Avengers
- Ninja The Final Duel
- Shaolin Chastity
- Kung Fu Commandos
- Flash Challenger
- One-Armed Boxer 2
- 10 Tigers From Kwangtung
- Kid With The Golden Arm
- Ninja Vs Shaolin Guards
- Daredevils Of Kung Fu
- Avenging Shaolin Warriors
- 5 Fighters From Shaolin
- Legend Of The Drunken Tiger
- Northern Kicks, Southern Blows
- Fist Of Legends 2: Iron Bodyguards
Biography
Born in Taiwan, he was sent away to the Fu Hsing Opera School, in Taipei. His classmates were some of the screens biggest and brightest stars: Angela Mao, Chia Ling , Chiang Sheng, Li I-Min, Peng Kang, and Jack Long just to name a few. His outrageous ideas (and the skill to match), would later come in handy while working at the Shaw Bros' studio. It was here, that he would fool a number of people (Mona Fong, included), as he secured a job working with Chang Cheh, while NOT being on the studio's roster of employees.
He helped choreographed The Brave Archer (Kung fu Warlords), and The Chinatown Kid, where he learned how to set up a fight scene, as well as directing. He has said, that director Chang would often fall asleep, while he and the rest of the crew, would (ultimately) finish shooting what would become The 5 Deadly Venoms. He is also credited for the Wire-work used in the film. While, not short on ego, he has stated over the years, that the Venoms were just as much his creation, as they were Chang Cheh's.
He took a page from kung-fu chameleon Tommy Lee and added some offbeat characters to his villainous portrayals. In Kung Fu Commandos he was a gold-haired villain (similar to Lee's portrayal in The Hot, The Cool, & The Vicious) complete with cape. He was "Scorpion Head" in Challenge Of The Lady Ninjas and with makeup (but was just as deadly) in Northern Kicks and Southern Blows, taking on John Liu and Alexander Lo.
He was more ambitious, than a lot of actors, taking the time to learn the business inside out, and using this knowledge to enhance his career, behind the camera. As a director he got to put all of those inventive ideas onscreen. As a choreographer, he (along with his stunt crew), put together some of the most outrageously crafted fight sequences around. He was definitely paying attention, when Chang Cheh was talking about his directing techniques, as they have served him well.
Leave it to him to take an older movie and splice in new footage to give us Fist Of Legends 2: Iron Bodyguards. This same concept was used in making the kung-fu comedy Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. By using footage from Jimmy Wang-Yu's kung-fu drama Tiger & Crane Fists, they spliced in new footage, thus (seemingly) making a different film. Remember the vicious finale of Thundering Mantis? Or the eagle being torn apart, in A Fist Full Of Talons? If there's an offbeat element, that might make you want to watch it again (because you didn't believe it the first time), chances are, he's the choreographer behind it.