Three of Shaw Brothers' finest martial arts directors, who, between them, had made more than a hundred classics, united for this unique anthology film. Yueh Feng writes and directs a clever love-and-kung-fu triangle, Cheng Kang both writes and directs kung-fu courtesans battling brigands, and the "godfather of the kung-fu film," Chang Cheh, creates a cliff-hanging, swashbuckling mini-movie with maxi-action. It's three times the substance, style, skill, and stars in what truly stands as a motion picture event.
Shih Szu, Yueh Hua, Lily Ho, Lo Lieh, David Chiang, Ti Lung
It's the Sung Dynasty versus the Chin invaders as the "Iron Triangle" of director Chang Cheh and stars David Chiang and Ti Lung truly hit their stride with this crowd-pleasing kung-fu epic. When a handsome Prince is taken captive and guarded by a martial arts master, it's up to two powerful patriots to fight overwhelming odds to pull off the impossible: rescue the royal son and get out of the Chin stronghold alive. It's action as only Chang can film it, with supremely charismatic acting and fighting as only Chiang and Lung can perform it. From the first fascinating minute to the final desperate battle to the death -culminating in an unforgettably evocative conclusion - this duo is dynamic as well as deadly.
Cheng Kang both wrote and directed this exciting, historical, martial arts drama. Yueh Wah, a co-star in Trilogy Of Swordsmanship here plays the Sung Dynasty army's Chief Instructor, on a danger-fraught pilgrimage to the Tung Yueh Temple. From his first step, there are deceits, double crosses, and dirty tricks as a corrupt minister plots to ruin him and kidnap his wife. Only a lovable, capable monk played by the noted character actor Fan Mei-sheng can help him take vengeance in this exciting, satisfying chase thriller.
Co-director Lo Chen wrote this often dazzling tale of mistaken identities caused by monogrammed handkerchiefs. Pat Ting Hung, Carrie Ku Mei, and Li Hsiang-chun are just three of the lovelies on view in this "alls well that ends well" marital mixup.
Pat Ting Hung, Li Hsiang-chun, Carrie Ku Mei, King Feng, Fung Chiang
Master martial arts moviemaker Liu Chia-liang wanted to make a movie about Chinese royalty’s relation to the common people. He accomplished it with one of the greatest kung-fu adventures ever made, incorporating at least three of the most brilliantly conceived and executed fight sequences ever caught on film. Wang Yu is the streetwise title character while the director’s adopted brother, Gordon Liu Chia-hui, plays an incognito prince who uses Ho as a dupe to try avoiding court intrigue. But any description of the plot cannot communicate the beauty and ingeniousness of Liu's invention and vision. Combining laughs and thrills, the monumental director adds to his legend with a film that only gets more impressive with each successive viewing.
There is an old grudge between families among the Ching and Ming supporters in Kwang Tung. Tsai (Ku Feng) is concealed by pawnbroker Li Jen-chao (Ti Lung), a "Yun Chun" boxer, whose anti-Ching society Tsai later joins. Tsai narrowly escapes being caught in a brothel by Liang (Wang Lung-wei) and the Ching troops. He manages with the help of fellow revolutionaries to kill Liang and the other pursuers. Some years later, Liang's son Hsiao-hu (Chen Shu-chi) returns to avenge his father's death...
Wang Li, Lung Tien-chang, Chin Siu-ho, Ti Lung, Fu Sheng
Action auteur Chang Cheh accomplished one of the most memorable historical dramas to come out of Shaw Brothers in the 1960s, and became a pioneer at the golden age of martial arts cinema. Featuring the 20-year-old swimming champion and future action star Wang Yu. Set in the final years of the Ming Dynasty, three brave heroes stand against a power-hungry official, and cross-path with three gorgeous beauties. It's two magnificent trios in one film!
Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Ching Dynasty, this grand Shaw Bros action thriller follows two young Shaolin rebels, engaged in a deadly mission to bring down the empire.
Lo Meng, Wang Li, Sun Chien, Chiang Sheng, Wen Hsueh-erh
Beloved comedian Yi Lei stars in this horribly amusing 1980 comedy. Yu Nan (Yi Lei) is a compulsive gambler. When his debt collector decides he wants Yu's wife as down payment, a reluctant Yu agrees. But when Yu's wife discovers the trade-off, she leaves him. Yu decides that it's best to kill himself but is stopped when he's offered the hand of a beautiful ghost (Pei Ju-hua) as his new wife...
Ambitious Prince Four (Liu Yung) attempts to kill the potential heir Prince Fourteen (Mok Siu-chung), but the latter is rescued by his aide Tseng Tsing (Hsu Shao-chiang). After an unsuccessful attempt to buy Tseng Tsing, Prince Four tries to murder him, but fails. He eventually hires Nien Keng-yao (Pai Piao), an outstanding martial artist, as his aide.
Not only does King Eagle pave the way for Ti Lung's future wandering-swordsman characters, but it also stars the beautiful Li Ching in dual roles of good and evil sisters, in this marital arts master piece.
Li Ching, Chang Pei-shan, Ching Miao, Ti Lung, Cheng Lei
As the names of Chang Cheh and Liu Chia-liang became legendary, all-too-often the name of their equally valued collaborator, Tang Chia, is omitted. That may be, because, unlike the previous pair, the veteran kung-fu choreographer only went on to direct three movies of his own. Of course, that makes this trio all the more special, and this first effort perhaps the most special of all. It may be an eye-filling, mind-bending martial arts tale of two royal princes battling for the rightful recovery of the throne, but it's also a party, where Tang invites two cinematographers, three editors, and no less than five other choreographer friends to almost literally shoot the works. The results are kung-fu configurations not only never seen before, but never even imagined!
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…
After beating several famous swordsmen, Chin Wu-hsin (Pai Piao) of the Mo Shan clan challenges Supreme Swordsman (Wang Jung) to a duel, hoping to win his title, and is beaten and humiliated. The winner taunts him to find a Supreme Sword made by Old Eagle, a famous sword-maker (Ku Feng). When his offer to buy a sword from Old Eagle, is turned down, he challenges Old Eagle to a duel, and snatches his sword in a foul play. Old Eagle's own son Shih Yen-peh (Derek Yee) vows to avenge for his father...
