For lovers of the Shaw's sumptuous production and martial arts expertise, this action adventure in the "Jackie Chan style" is a special treat. A persecuted waiter turns to a "drunken master" for help when a restaurant customer turns out to be a kung-fu harbinger of doom!
Meng Yuan-wen, Yuan Hua, Wang Sha, Yu Tsui-ling, Wang Lung-wei
Linda Lin Dai is perfect as Pak Su-cheng, the stunning snake goddess who assumes a womanly form so that she can taste the pleasures of a human life! Pak seduces young scholar, Hsu Hsien (Chao Lei) when she recognises him as her saviour in another life 1,000 years ago. But when Buddhist monk Fa Hai finds out about the union, the pair is forced to split...
Lin Dai, Chao Lei, Tu Chuan, Yang Chih-ching, Yiu Kuang-chao
Five students escape from the burning of the Shaolin Temple by the Qing soldiers. They train hard in each of their own fighting styles and aim to join forces to take revenge against the Qing. They are known as “The Five Shaolin Masters”.
David Chiang, Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan Chun, Meng Fei
Thirty year film veteran Yueh Feng cast almost equally experienced heroine Li Li-hua as a swordswoman out to reclaim her murdered husband's "Green Sword" the sharpest blade in the world. Li Ching, a lovely new star, plays the role of Li Li-hua's student, who must take up the fight when her teacher falters. Action fans and art film lovers alike will appreciate this "woman warrior" epic, which premiered more than thirty years before the Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon resurrected the same themes.
Li Li-hua, Li Ching, Chiao Chuang, Wu Ma, Chen Hung-lieh
This period horror movie stars 70s idol Hsing Hui and a young Yon Fan (Yon Fan, director Sense of Color, The Purple Pavilion) star in this fascinating spine chiller with one chilling reminder... never marry a possessed woman, she'll never let you go! Young business man (Yon) marries pretty, much sought-after young bride (Hsing), never knowing that she carries the spirit of a girl raped by her uncle and murdered along with her parents... Justice must be done, and it ain't pretty!
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
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
This delightful action comedy featuring international favourite Alexander Fu Sheng premiered two years before the American hit Ghostbusters was released. Is it a coincidence? You be the judge as you enjoy this amazing showcase of wushu and wizardry.
It's back to the Shaolin Monastery for one of the most unusual action-packed tales to invade its hallowed halls. Lo Lieh is the ringleader of the Snake Sect, intent on reviving a particularly deadly faction known as the "Five Poison Web" (which is also THE WEB OF DEATH's Chinese title). To achieve his ends, he has an affair with the sexy ringleader of the Scorpion Sect, Angela Yu Chien. But there is also the Centipede Sect to contend with, as well as other assorted martial artists, among them such top Shaw Brothers talents as Yueh Hua, Ching Li, and Lily Li. Under the fluid direction of Chu Yuan and action choreographers Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-yan (member of the martial arts world's esteemed Yuen Family and brother of Matrix master Yuen Woo-ping), THE WEB OF DEATH goes places where no other Shaolin kung-fu movie has gone before or since.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon could be called "Swordswomen Two." Three decades earlier, Shen Yi, Essie Lin Chia, and Pan Ying-tzu took on Shaw's first international superstar, Lo Lieh for the Han Family Sword - making this a four-star treat for action fans.
Shen Yi, Essie Lin, Pan Ying-tzu, Chang I, Lo Lieh
Young People is a charming teen drama starring David Chiang and Ti Lung that harks back to an innocent age when rivalries are settled by sports and kids join clubs instead of gangs.
David Chiang, Ti Lung, Agnes Chen, Chen Kuan-tai, Irene Chen I-ling
"Godfather of the kung-fu film" Chang Cheh, is famous for introducing the revolutionary concept of "yanggang" (macho) martial arts movies – paving the way for Bruce Lee, among many others. Until then, female stars (often in male swordsmen roles) ruled the screens. So collaboration between writer/director Chang and swordswoman supreme Cheng Pei-pei (now famous for CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) is exceptional indeed. Here she plays a righteous woman warrior who incurs the wrath of a "flying knife" master after she kills his rapist son. Lucky for her that an honorable dagger master played by Lo Lieh (the star of Shaw Brothers' first international kung-fu hit KING BOXER) is on her side. Although extremely attractive when she only played heroes, Cheng could hold her own with any man, freeing Chang to create the best of all possible martial arts worlds.
This is a battle between a brave band of Shaolin boxers and the Qing troops, complete with betrayals, intrigues, and fighting machines such as 108 wooden robots. The conflict grows as monks struggle to stay alive under the Qing ruling.
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.
