It is little wonder why Chang Cheh is considered legendary. Not only did he usher in a whole new kind of "yanggang" (macho) cinema, but he was also one of the most prolific and consistent directors in the world. He made more than 70 films in the period between 1960 and 1975, but this was considered one of the most notable. A nominal sequel to the equally acclaimed SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTS, this powerful production came a year later and cemented Alexander Fu Sheng's superstardom with a performance many proclaimed the best of the young lead's career. It is also one of the last Chang Cheh films choreographed by Liu Chia-liang, who was becoming a legendary director in his own right. Together, they made this tale of the Shaolin vs. Manchu conflict -- played out at a textile mill -- one of the highlights in kung-fu film history.
A heroic family is double crossed and massacred on the battle field with only two of the brothers surviving the slaughter. One of the brothers (Gordon Liu), escapes to a Shaolin temple where his bloodlust and thirst for vengeance puts him at odds with the monks. When he discovers his sister is captured by the same villains who destroyed his family he leaves the monastery in an attempt to rescue her and avenge what has come upon his family.
Liu Chia-hui, Fu Sheng, LiLy Li, Wang Yu, Mai Tak-lo, Hsiao Hou
Even at an early time during Hong Kong's erotica cinema development, highly renowned directors were willing to sacrifice their reputations and established actresses were lining up to take off their clothes. In Facets Of Love, the undisputed king of epic dramas, director Li Han-hsiang, gets some of Shaw's sexiest ladies to strip for camera. It's three sexy vignettes centering around a Ming Dynasty brothel that steams with secret erotic myths, trysts and twists of pleasurable indulgence.
In the story, defeated villain Sung Ching-shu (Alex Man Chi-leung) restarts his reign of terror, trapping a beautiful Mongolian Princess and mastering the "yin and yang combination" to become almost invincible. Only two swords held by two great swordsmen can stand in his way!
When Shaw Studio decided to produce an epic about the famous Italian explorer Marco Polo and his meeting with Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan, they turned to one of their most famous and respected directors. Chang Cheh, who had already proven himself by making such sweeping sagas as ALL MEN ARE BROTHERS, co-wrote this adventure of four Han blood brothers and their quest to avenge their comrade's killing at the hands of three sadistic Mongol warriors. He then surrounded famed Caucasian actor Richard Harrison (as Marco Polo) with the best the Shaw Brothers kung-fu film units had to offer, including future lead "Venom" Kuo Chue, "Master Killer" Gordon Liu Chia-hui, and "Thundering Mantis" Liang Chia-jen. The result is a splendid historical tale as well as a superlative martial arts thriller.
The "godfather of the kung-fu film," Chang Cheh created this sweeping, all-action adventure of undercover, traveling patriots battling corrupt Mongol chieftains and their bloodthirsty henchmen. Choreographers Hsieh Hsing and Chen Hsin-yi guides a spectacular all-star kung-fu cast, led by international favorites Alexander Fu Sheng, David Chiang, Chi Kuan-chi and even Li Yi-min. With all of them fighting, plus more, there's hardly a moment to spare as stolen gold, hostage villagers, raging soldiers, corrupt courts, and an ammo dump complicate matters until both exceptional martial arts and explosions fill the screen.
With Hong Kong cinema's new wave, high flying, martial arts action of the 1980's, came a new wave of actors; teeny-bopper, canto-pop singer/stars with little or no martial arts background. However, when a film like LITTLE DRAGON MAIDEN intelligently mixes the old with the new, the results are pure golden magic. This costume-action, drama, love story features relative newcomer Leslie Cheung, who falls in love with the Dragon Maiden while learning the art of swordplay. The recipe is complete when veteran kung-fu stars Chen Kuan-tai and Lo Lieh add just enough weapon-wielding spice to make this film really cook. Cheung garnered international recognition in John Woo's A BETTER TOMORROW and Ronny Yu's THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR.
Leslie Cheung, Weng Tsing-tsing, Chen Kuan-tai, Liu Hsueh-yua
Rampaging bandits are raping and pillaging the peaceful Chinese villages until grieving dart master Liu Wen Lung sets out with his student, his son and servant to avenge his murdered wife and set things right. Renowned director Ho Meng-hua - soon to be internationally famous for The Flying Guillotine -- masterfully balances action with intrigue and romance, as the path of righteousness is littered with lies … and corpses.
The aggressive and dangerous Chin Empire conquers the hard-put Chao kingdom while the Wei empire is drained of its heroes and paralyzed by an indecisive ruler. Adventure, intrigue, death and tragedy reigns before the triumphant clash of the armies.
The "Venoms" are back in action in this thriller of Shaolin versus corrupt Ching soldiers... with the help of the Lama, Black Tiger, and Mantis clans... headquartered at a pugilism school, a dyeing mill, and a beancurd shop. The five men director Chang Cheh made famous in more than a dozen similar high-flying, blood-splattered adventures (starting with The Five Venoms) are all here. There’s the Taiwanese Opera artist Kuo Chue, his fellow light-skill acrobat Chiang Sheng, the evil Lu Feng, the Chinese muscleman Lo Meng, and Korean kicker Sun Chien, whose skills are specially spotlighted in this production. Together they create another wonderfully fun kung-fu showcase, filled with show-stopping sequences of martial arts expertise.
Martial arts melodrama about a lady-warrior who raises the son of the swordsman who scorned her. Unknowingly, she also has a twin sister that has been raised by her enemy and trained to eventually kill her…
The 18th century reign of Emperor Chien Lung has proven to be a treasure trove for Hong Kong filmmakers, and director Li Han-Hsiang, the acknowledged master of the costume drama, made a series of four blockbusters about the dashing young swashbuckler's exploits. The scenario won the Best Adapted Screenplay Award at the 1979 Golden Horse Awards, and told of the monarch's incognito journey from Beijing to southern China... and imperial mayhem that ensues!
This is the acting debut of Yuan Te, Jackie Chan's kung-fu classmate. He plays the downtrodden kung-fu student Ko Chien, who saves the life of a kung-fu master played by Chen Kuan-tai.
Chen Kuan-tai, Wang Lung-wei, Wen Hsueh-erh, Yuan Te
Young doctor Lin Wei-tu found that many of his patients were suffering from strange symptoms caused by black magic of the wicked Lo Lieh, who has helped a rich young man to win the love of a beautiful woman for a lucrative reward. However, the woman was nothing but the illusion of a dead old lady. The young rich man was killed soon after he unveiled the truth. Lin's friend Ti Lung was reluctant to believe there was such a thing as the black magic, and his wife Tanny Tien Ni offered to be a guinea-pig. Lo then played a lethal magic on Tanny Tien Ni, who would die within 24 hours...Written by Hong Kong's science fiction guru Ni Kuang and directed by veteran Ho Meng-hua, the breath-taking BLACK MAGIC 2 is a rare modern horror starring Ti Lung, who has a long-standing reputation for his heroic roles in masculine martial-arts movies.
Ti Lung, Tanny Tien Ni, Lily Li, Lo Lieh, Lin Wei-tu
