Perennial Shaw Brothers hero Ti Lung versus perennial Shaw Brothers villain Lo Lieh. This combination is always enough to make one buckle up for a rousing ride of stylized fun. Based on a story about the famous anti-Ching Hung Hua Society, Chen Chia-lo (Ti Lung) must endure music attacks, great acts of betrayal and loyalty, memorable twists and controlled confusion to capture Ching Emperor, Chien Lung, who turns out to be his brother. Chang Chao-Chung (Lo Lieh) wants Chien Lung back. Besides ultra-extravagant sets, THE EMPEROR AND HIS BROTHER uses cool special effects to embellish Chen's secret "peacock fist" technique. Of particular note, the final action sequence features Jackie Chan's kung-fu buddies, Yuan Te and Yuan Pin, who were both action directors for Sammo Hung's American TV show MARTIAL LAW.
This is the sequel to The Mad Monk, which was made in 1977 by director Li Han-hsiang and starring Yeh Feng. Striking again alongside The Mad Monk (Yeh Feng) is equally legendary Lu Tung-pin (Hua Lun), the immortal scholar-turned-genie. The duo wreck havoc as they vie with one another be it mirth, magic, women or weapons!
Avid international kung-fu films fans have a special place in their hearts for this outstanding martial arts drama, which marked the ascension of director Sun Chung and action choreographer Tang Chia to legendary status. Tang also appeared as the "Chief Security Officer" in this powerful tale of the Thirteen Eagles Assassination Sect of the infamous Iron Boat Clan. Ku Feng is excellent as the poisonously patriarchal leader of the killers, but conflicted "son" Ti Lung and vengeful victim Alexander Fu Sheng command the screen as consummate warriors united in tragedy. Everything is exceptional in this endlessly entertaining production: from the cinematography of Lan Nei-tsai, to the script by Shaw Brothers' writing wizard Ni Kuang, to the editing of Chiang Hsing-loong and Yu Hsiao-feng, which deservedly won the Golden Horse Award.
Liang Jia-jen delivers an awesome display of screen presence and martial art prowess in Secret Service Of The Imperial Court where he plays secret service agent Chao Pu-fun, who must rise up above the odds to protect the innocent against a power-crazy Eunuch (Liu Yung).
Betty Ting Pei stars as a singer from Taipei who comes to Hong Kong in search of her missing sister; nearly getting raped by a street gang and rescued by a handsome composer. Among the girls she meets during her investigation are "queen of Shaw kung-fu", Lily Li, and elegant Ouyang Sha-fei. It's all handled with taste and verve by the studio's Japanese import, writer/director Inoue Umetsugu, who made viewers rediscover Hong Kong's splendors and dangers with an outsider's perspective.
Betty Ting Pei, Yang Fan, Lily Li, Ou Yen-ching, Hsia Ping
On a continent which reveres its martial arts, the director's nickname is "Kung-fu Liang" - holder of a filmography unprecedented in its innovation of theme, ingeniousness of plot, and imagination of its astonishingly designed kung-fu. This production is clearly the culmination of his initial Shaw Brothers work - the film which he used as a showcase for his and his brothers' - Chia-yung and Gordon Lui - skills. In the premiere, groundbreaking book on the genre, Martial Arts Movies, author Ric Meyers called it "the quintessential martial arts movie" and perhaps the greatest kung-fu movie ever made. Showing prescience customary with this visionary, the plot revolved around early 20th century pugilists vainly attempting to find a kung-fu which could defeat the bullet... years before the same theme would be used in Once Upon A Time In China. It also features the rarely dramatized magician-spies of China, who would ultimately inspire the Japanese ninja. But most importantly, it is a beautifully made action comedy featuring international fan favorite Alexander Fu Sheng and supremely brilliant kung-fu.
Liu Chia-liang , Liu Chia-yung , Hui Ying-hung , Gordon Liu
This erotic comedy features three lotharios who vie to become principal of the Macho Man Training School -- an extremely sexy institution dedicated to extremely non Shaolin-types of physical exertion.
In a rare reversal of typecasting, Shaw Brothers' perennial bad guy Lo Lieh breaks tradition to play the honorable and noble swordsman in The Swift Knight. Similar to Danny Kaye's The Court Jester without the jest, it's tale of brave knights, chivalry and fair maidens where the Swift Knight (Lo Lieh) finds himself involved in romance, court intrigue and deadly jousts while trying to protect a baby who is the Emperor's secret heir apparent.
Lo Lieh, Margaret Hsing Hui, Huang Tsung-hsing, Chin Han
One of Shaw Brothers' highly successful film series based on the classic Chinese novel Journey To The West, this takes up where The Monkey Goes West, Princess Iron Fan, and The Cave Of The Silken Web left off. The Monk, Monkey and Pigsy find themselves in the title realm, where women can only give birth to women, unless loved by a man...
What started as masterful kung-fu filmmaker Liu Chia-liang's homage to the heroic Sung Dynasty Yang family became an angry, even savage, rumination on heroic sacrifice when international idol Alexander Fu Sheng died in a car accident midway through production. Fu's death was not only tragic because he was such a close friend, but because the role he was playing was one of only two survivors of an ignominious betrayal by a jealous General. Knowing that he had to immortalize Fu's final, unfinished performance, Liu carried on, having co-star Hui Ying-hung step into the action. The finished film is unique in the director's extraordinary filmography for the intensity and power of its emotions and kung-fu. There are heartbreaking references to the tragedy throughout, but the climax is truly unforgettable as the other family survivor, now a Shaolin-trained warrior faces his betrayers amid a pyramid of coffins. What he, and his Shaolin masters, do then has to be seen to be believed...
Fu Sheng, LiLy Li, Wang Yu, Liu Chia-hui, Mai Tak-lo, Hsiao Hou
Extraordinary filmmaker Wong Jing, known for his crazy comedies and thrillers, has now combined both the horror and romantic comedy genres to tell the tale of a man who is both blessed and cursed... he resists females with an innate power that is forced onto him by a dark wizard. Finally it's up to his true love and a skilled sorcerer to get them to the church on time!
A semi-tragic love story about a scholar named Lao Chih-Chiu (Anthony Wong) who saves a golden swallow that transforms into a beautiful female ghost (Cherie Chung). The two fall in love, but their romance is threatened when her true identity is revealed, and Lao Chih-Chiu could end up a demon's dinner!
After making such successful thrillers as THE CRIMINALS 2 - HOMICIDES, such well-received action films as BIG BROTHER CHENG, and such popular comedies as MR. FUNNY - BONE, director Kuei Chih-hung put his first "hex" on the audience. This eerie, frightening, supernatural mystery thriller was so effective, it led to HEX VERSUS WITCHCRAFT and HEX AFTER HEX. But this was the original, starring the lovely Tanny Tien Ni in a challenging role of a wronged, bed-ridden wife who is at the mercy of her evil husband... and so much more. What starts as an Asian variation of the classic Fench suspense film DIABOLIQUE becomes an exercise in fervid and frightening Hong Kong horror as one ghost after another appears to wreak havoc, insanity, and death.
This is Sun Chung's very first film for the Shaw Brothers, making it especially interesting and important. He hit the ground running with this action-filled tale of a :Devil Girl" who is setting one clan against another to get her hands on two amazing mirrors with supernatural powers. Only a noble swordsman (played by Liu Tan) and beautiful swordswoman (played by The Thundering Sword star Shu Pei-pei) can stop her.
