Chopsocky
Encyclopedia
Chopsocky is a colloquial term applied to a diffuse group of martial arts movies made primarily in Hong Kong
and Taiwan
during the 1960s and 1970s. The term was coined by the American
motion picture trade magazine Variety
. The word is a play on chop suey
, combining "chop" (as in karate chop; a strike with the edge of the hand) and "sock" (as in a punch
).
The term was usually characterized by over-blown story-lines, cheesy special effects, and excessive violence. Although it is commonly used as if it were a name of martial arts cinema by the general media (aka non-fans), the word can be a disparaging term against it as a whole. Another common meaning is a generalization for martial-art movies from Asia or Hong Kong in particular without necessarily having the negative spin connotation. Variety magazine the originators of the term defines Chopsocky simply as: A martial arts film. http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=slanguage_result&slang=chopsocky&x=0&y=0 with no negative connotations.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
during the 1960s and 1970s. The term was coined by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
motion picture trade magazine Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
. The word is a play on chop suey
Chop suey
Chop suey is a Chinese dish consisting of meat and eggs, cooked quickly with vegetables such as bean sprouts, cabbage, and celery and bound in a starch-thickened sauce...
, combining "chop" (as in karate chop; a strike with the edge of the hand) and "sock" (as in a punch
Punch (strike)
A punch is a striking blow with the fist. It is the most commonly used attack in hand to hand combat. It is used in some martial arts and combat sports, most notably boxing where it is the only type of technique allowed...
).
The term was usually characterized by over-blown story-lines, cheesy special effects, and excessive violence. Although it is commonly used as if it were a name of martial arts cinema by the general media (aka non-fans), the word can be a disparaging term against it as a whole. Another common meaning is a generalization for martial-art movies from Asia or Hong Kong in particular without necessarily having the negative spin connotation. Variety magazine the originators of the term defines Chopsocky simply as: A martial arts film. http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=slanguage_result&slang=chopsocky&x=0&y=0 with no negative connotations.