SMILING PROUD WANDERER 1984: epic fail

[Ian Liew]

I'm with charbydis on this - Linghu Chong wasn't well done at all, but the rest of the solid TVB 80s veteran cast gave great performances worth of their pedigree and made the show watchable, even enjoyable if you were a 14-year old who didn't read the novels. I recall gleefully figuring out which laser bolt came from which character, and prided myself on knowing what what art each character used and the colour of the beams and sound effects.

Kenneth Chang was probably the best Yue Buqun I have seen (but then again any role he touches, with the exception of Xie Xun which imo Shek Kin was more natural in portraying, is hard to beat). Yeung Chak Lam's Zuo Lengchan was suitably sly, cunning and dangerous, while Lau Siu Ming's Ren Woxing was just top class. Simon Yam's Liu Zhengfeng and Kam Kok Wai's Qu Yang were both very likeable, while Fang Zheng was probably Pak Man Piew's best ever Jin Yong role. Even though we all laughed at Kong Ngai (I can't imagine anyone keeping a straight face when he goes "hai mm hai Yam Ngor Hang arr?" and turns round to face the screen) he did look very very scary and villanous (and I thought his Wolverine hairdo was quite cool). Lok Ying Kwan in those days still did lesser roles (which kind of suit him more) and his Yu Changhai was really well done. Even Kwan Hoi San and Nam Hung's small cameos as Mr and Mrs Lin Zhennan were really memorable. Ko Hung never got really good roles in TVB, yet his Mo Da was pretty cool, while the three Ding nuns, led by So Hang Suen, didn't really put a foot wrong (although I can't remember who played Ding Yi).. and so on. Look out for cameos by Lawrence Ng, Kiki Sheung (as the ill-fated children of Liu Zhengfeng), Francis Ng, Lau Ching Wan, Eddie Kwan too! With kelefes like that, it must have been a strong cast. =)

The themesong was also great, among the greatest of the golden 80s - probably only the LOCH duets and the Flying Fox duet give that same feel.

Granted, Linghu Chong lacked charisma, and so did Tung Wai as Lin Pingzhi. The girls acquitted themselves well, though, and Rebecca Chan and Jamie Chik were both very likeable. Wong Man Yee was pretty, but didn't seem to act the role that well. The plot changes were not great, and that Yue Buqun/Ren Woxing fight was just ill-advised (although when Zhang Jizhong did it in 2001 a lot of us approved). However, TVB always had a penchant in the 80s for doing things like this - dragging on a series by putting in extra boring drama - even LOCH and ROCH had no end of either soppy or unfunny humourous scenes.

In short, yes, having a weak lead kind of took the gloss of the production, and pretty much ruined it, really, but the rest of the cast were quite solid. There have been many serials where the lead wasn't brilliant but the supporting cast made the series (Snow is Red, Mythical Crane and Divine Needle etc), and if it wasn't in the middle of the golden 80s, I think it would have been judged more leniently.

[tape]

Really detailed review on the side characters, I enjoyed reading it. I'm surprised even for relatively minor roles like Fang Zheng you were able to say it was their best role heh.

[almo89]

The themesong made up for everything Okay this show was pretty poorly done, but for some reason I have no problems watching it. I thought Tung Wai did pretty well in his role.

[charbydis]

I thought Tung Wai did pretty well in his role.

He was okay in the subtle and gentle parts, but when it came to the crazy and evil and paralysed parts, he overacted like there was no tomorrow. And he and Jamie don't look good together.

[Ian Liew]

Really detailed review on the side characters, I enjoyed reading it. I'm surprised even for relatively minor roles like Fang Zheng you were able to say it was their best role heh.

Hehe, probably because for some reason, although he's a very decent actor, Pak Man Piew never had the screen presence to command any authority unlike the other TVB veterans. I like him a lot but he just lacks charisma. In One Sword (a XAJH/Wan Hua Xi Jian Lu fusion series, and far more enjoyable to watch than XAJH 84) he was the equivalent of Ren Woxing, and he was horrible. Same with his role as Yin Tianzheng in HSDS 79. As Liang Ziyong in LOCH he was good, but it was such a small role, and he was really just a henchman. Even as the Tiandihui henchman in DOMD (the one with the metal gloves) he didn't shine unlike some of the others who had character. In XAJH Pak came closest to looking and feeling like a zhangmen who commanded respect, which is why I remember his role in particular.

[GIgis]

This version had the best theme song ever to me..I like the song here a lot and like some of you mentioned, I have no problem watching this version...

[mideel]

i agree the theme song is great,...

Don't you forget the weird disco scene in ROCH. TVB did some weird things those days.

what disco scene ? can you remind me /

I hate SPW, it's the second worst story written by JY beside DOMD. I hate the castration and fight with needles as a weapon. Apparently, many many people in the story is stupid enough to cut of their manhood just to be powerful... Jezzzzzzzz

i think its really make sense... yue bu qun is sick as an elder he don't get respect, lin ping zhi is mentally ill too because of his revenge ambition, dong fang is uncertain but he looks have a good reason...

i think the ting that doesn't fell well for me is lin ping zhi... in 9/10 of the story he is like a noble man but suddenly change drastic... jin yong didn't even tell the readers other than he is imprisoned in underground prison in the ending... won't he commit suicide ?

[Ken Cheng]

what disco scene ? can you remind me /

During the final battle at Seung Yeung scenes in the final episode of ROCH '83, the action alternated between outdoor location shots and scenes shot inside a small, indoor studio environment with what looked like dark cellophane walls (like plastic trash bags) and colored disco lights. It was *weird*.

My explanation: ROCH '83 was shot in Hong Kong during the summer months of 1983. Summertime is also typhoon season in Hong Kong. I *strongly* suspect (although I don't have the information to prove) that TVB originally planned to tape all of this sequence on location outdoors, but a passing typhoon made that impossible and/or damaged or destroyed their outdoor location sets for this sequence. TVB series are shot on a tight schedule: I think there might be a week or less turnaround between the taping of a scene and its being broadcast on TV. TVB couldn't wait for the weather to improve/rebuild their sets, so they cut their losses and used the completed outdoor scenes in combination with indoor studio shots for the scenes that had not yet been taped or were unsatisfactory. It wasn't the best of solutions, but short of not broadcasting for a week (or broadcasting weird, smorgasbord programming that would have been dire for ratings), it was perhaps the only solution available.

Again, however, this is all just speculation on my part; if any of you are research aces, you can find the approximate dates for the shooting of ROCH '83 and match it with weather reports from Hong Kong during the same period of time and see if any major typhoons passed through during that time.

[mideel]

During the final battle at Seung Yeung scenes in the final episode of ROCH '83, the action alternated between outdoor location shots and scenes shot inside a small, indoor studio environment with what looked like dark cellophane walls (like plastic trash bags) and colored disco lights. It was *weird*.

My explanation: ROCH '83 was shot in Hong Kong during the summer months of 1983. Summertime is also typhoon season in Hong Kong. I *strongly* suspect (although I don't have the information to prove) that TVB originally planned to tape all of this sequence on location outdoors, but a passing typhoon made that impossible and/or damaged or destroyed their outdoor location sets for this sequence. TVB series are shot on a tight schedule: I think there might be a week or less turnaround between the taping of a scene and its being broadcast on TV. TVB couldn't wait for the weather to improve/rebuild their sets, so they cut their losses and used the completed outdoor scenes in combination with indoor studio shots for the scenes that had not yet been taped or were unsatisfactory. It wasn't the best of solutions, but short of not broadcasting for a week (or broadcasting weird, smorgasbord programming that would have been dire for ratings), it was perhaps the only solution available.

Again, however, this is all just speculation on my part; if any of you are research aces, you can find the approximate dates for the shooting of ROCH '83 and match it with weather reports from Hong Kong during the same period of time and see if any major typhoons passed through during that time.

oh yeah, yeah, i remember now... it looks so cheap...
but i relief, i thought there is someone do a disco move..

[Ken Cheng]

oh yeah, yeah, i remember now... it looks so cheap...
but i relief, i thought there is someone do a disco move..

No disco moves, but Andy Lau (Yeung Gor) did teach Lau Gwok Sing (Dat Yee Ba) the "Kickworm," one of the most popular breakdancing moves of 1983/1984.

[szfong]

I kinda like the 1984 Smiling Proud Wanderer, when it was first released. The character who plays Dong Fang Bu Bai is said to be a "closeted" homosexual himself... So, the character was perfect for him. I heard he died 3 days ago from lung cancer and depression.

Later re-makes are of course are of a higher quality...

There was too many cutout scenes from the novel.

Chow Yun Fat as Linghu Chong was terrible, though.....

[Ian Liew]

I kinda like the 1984 Smiling Proud Wanderer, when it was first released. The character who plays Dong Fang Bu Bai is said to be a "closeted" homosexual himself... So, the character was perfect for him. I heard he died 3 days ago from lung cancer and depression.

Later re-makes are of course are of a higher quality...

There was too many cutout scenes from the novel.

Chow Yun Fat as Linghu Chong was terrible, though.....

Yes, Kong Ngai passed away 3 days ago. Another of the great TVB veterans who brought us so much joy has left us..

http://www.dailychilli.com/happening...of-lung-cancer

[Doc Kwok]

- Terrible and repetitive background music. They had no other music to play other than the theme. It drove me mad by ep 10. Played the song like 5 times in one ep. Maybe they should have had a sub-theme.

I realise this is an old post, but wanted to point out that SPW 1984 actually had two sub-themes: 江湖行 ('Gong wu heng') and 怨歌行 ('Yuen gor heng'). I do agree that the melody of the main theme, great as it was, was really overused though.