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!
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 a fun and wild romp that mixes pleasure with pleasure. A nightclub owner, playboy Peter Chen Ho, has his ways with three sisters while gallivanting across Asia. Each one has a dangling relationship to save - ensuring a series of mishaps and comic moments. The film also introduces young up and coming starlet Betty Ting Pei as one of the sisters.
Lo Chi, a selective writer/director/actor, both scripted and helmed this showcase for Hui Ying-hung, legendary director Chang Cheh's discovery, and the protege of equally legendary director Liu Chia-liang. In addition, he created a central role for Liu's nephew, Liu Chia-yung. Both are engaging in this fast-paced, action packed comedy of kung-fu characters. Liu Chia-yung is saved from certain death at the hands of drug smugglers by a fisher girl, played by Hui Ying-hung, whose godfather is a "drunken master" and whose leprous godmother is mistress of the fairly off-putting Leprosy Boxing style. Want to bet he'll need that at the furious finale? You'd win that bet, enjoying the martial arts antics all the way. Action choreographers Huang Hsia and Chen Ti-ke also appear in this amusing, entertaining winner where flesh really gets into the fighting.
Forbidden love and magical weapons are at the centre of this enjoyable martial arts comedy. A reunited couple must recover the titular swords and avenge a murder from their past!
The Golden Lion is a bandit with good martial arts skills and often robs from the rich to help the poor. He is ambushed and attacked by a gang one night but luckily found help from a master healer, who has to find a way to treat him while they are both being chased by the gang.
A girl, Marble, witnesses a murder case and reports to the police. However after the investigation, the police can only figure out the complicated relationships between Rita, a rich merchant's mistress, a postman, a shop owner Mr. Wang and his wife, but find no clue as to who the murderer is. Therefore, Marble decides to carry out her own investigation…
Cherie Chung, Ku Feng, Chin Yen-ling, Tang Chen-yeh
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
Two teenage girls make a pledge to each other to be as "man and wife" in a small Chinese fishing town. The notions of women's rights or sexual freedom are absent in their oppressive minority culture, and when one becomes happily married to a stranger, the other is cruelly betrothed to the abusive son of a wealthy family. Seeking to free herself from a lifetime of abuse, Hui Hua (Chan Tak Yong) desperately looks for a way out.
The 11th Hong Kong Film Awards: Best Original Film Song (sang by Anita Mui)
Chan Tak-yong , Winnie Lau , Kwok Chun-on , Michael Tao
Shaw Brothers fans have known and loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon villain Cheng Pei-pei for decades as one of the sweetest, most attractive, most heroic stars ever in Asian cinema. She was only 20 years-old, and just three years into her remarkable career, when she took the lead in this fascinating martial arts murder mystery which combines battles with bullets. This kung-fu Nancy Drew must face a secret serial killer with too much blood on his hands to let her live…!
Chief of Wu Tang, Ching Chung (Wang Jung) is beaten and wounded by Head of Wu Ti, Tu Ku (Alex Man Chi-leung) in a 10-yearly duel between these remaining two thriving clans. Tu Ku offers to duel with Ching Chung again in two years, hoping to counter his rival clan's Silkworm Skill. Ching Chung's pupilFu Yu-shu (Liu Yung), finds Yun (Hsu Shao-chiang) to be Ching-chung's illegitimate child, and kills Ching-chung, to frame Yun. He then proclaims himself the new Wu Tang Chief and orders the killing of Yun. Meanwhile, Yun learns Silkworm Skill and finally become a No.1 martial artist, she purges the Wu Tang clan and kills Fu to avenge her father's death.
Hsu shao-chiang, Liu Yung, Wan Tzu-liang, liu Hsu-hua
Cheng Pei-pei plays Hsiao-yun, a young singer forced to choose between love and her ultimate career. After filling in for another singer at the eleventh hour, Hsiao-yun becomes an overnight sensation. However, with success comes a heavy price and her relationship with a pianist Li Yen-nan (Peter Chen Ho) suffers. As if that is not enough, she must also deal with the unwanted affections from an influential backer Tu Pang-chieh of her show...
In Swift Sword, popular director Ho Meng-hua exposes a whole cast of established talent to create a searing martial arts extravaganza that reeks of steel-slashing bewitchment worthy of any swordplay epic.
How far would you go for love? Or lust? These are the questions posed in this sinfully entertaining Sung Dynasty period effort. Split into two tales, the first one involves a devilish magistrate who tries to tempt a Buddhist monk out of his self-professed celibate control by hiring a pretty prostitute. The second story is the tragic tale of an exploited young girl, the queen of femme fatale Shaw Yin-yin, who is forced to work in an unscrupulous couple's brothel.
