Hong Kong cat III rape-revenge flick
John Woo's melodramatic tragicomedy The Time You Need a Friend (1985) stands at the crucial crossroads in the director's career. Woo had been churning out innocuous comedies for more than a few years, and after establishing the "heroic bloodshed" genre, he'd never look back. But this tale of two comedians - estranged former pals who bury the hatchet for one last show together - blends the pathos and male-bonding of Woo's later dramas with the silliness and pratfalls that marked his early works. At their peak, Ku Ren and Shem Bien were an unstoppable screen comedy team, the undisputed stars of the silent era. But a major falling out has kept the duo offstage for decades. Despite the urgings of family and friends, Ku and Shem refuse to reconcile. As both men approach their twilight years, one last chance for a reunion presents itself in the form of a televised charity benefit. Ku Ren and Shem Bien struggle to come to terms with years of bitterness, and bring the house down once again.
After 30 years of living in a box buried six feet underground, the so-called Devil Claw breaks from his grave and takes over the body of a monk (Yuen Yat Chor), whom he uses to get revenge on the men who buried him decades before. With supernatural abilities to fend off blows, become invisible and use his extremities like swords, the reincarnated corpse is a vengeful force to be reckoned with, making for a classic kung fu flick that packs a punch.
