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.
Kuo Ching-chung (Ling Yun), an office worker, his wife, Chen Mei-chuan (Terry Liu) and his sister, Carrie (Chiang San), are passengers on a ferry bound for an outlying island of Hong Kong. On board the same boat are a group of young hooligans who form the so-called 'speed gang' of motorcyclists. One of them called Michael makes advances to Carrie, but is stopped by his brother Johnny, the ringleader. On the island, the trio goes joy-riding on a car, while Carrie's boyfriend Huang Szu-wei (Danny Lee) goes fishing. The 'speed gang' harasses them by driving their motorbikes around their car at breakneck speed. In the evening the gangs take part in a motorcycle race organized by Johnny. The winners are given the company of girls from the 'speed gang'. Kuo and Huang plan to take Chen Mei-chuan and Carrie back to town to avoid being molested, but the gangs stop them by playing different tricks including the deflating of their car tyres. In an ensuing scuffle, Chen Mei-chuan is assaulted and Carrie is killed. Jumping on a motorbike, Huang races it against the hooligans, knocking them down, but is killed by a stone hurled at his head. Michael again tries to rape Chen Mei-chuan in a forest, but is overpowered by her husband who arrives in the nick of time. He is then tied up and took to Kuo's house. The teddy boys led by Johnny subsequently arrive to storm it and succeed in breaking into it after a series of attempts. However, they meet with stubborn resistance from Kuo and his wife. Fortunately, the Marine Police arrive just in time to arrest the teddy boys.
The seminal Huangmei Opera adaptation from Shaw, The Crimson Palm features the unforgettable film song “Country Road” by Ivy Ling Po. The story evolves around Lin Shao-teh, a poor student who was engaged to Chien-king (Chin Ping), the daughter of billionaire Wang Chun (Yu Kuan-chao). To support her lover for the exam, Chien-king offered gold as Lin’s traveling expenses and asked to meet him at midnight. When Lin arrived as scheduled, all he could find was the bloody corpse of Chien-king’s maid (Li Ching)!
Four martial arts experts live in Seoul after the Korean War in the 1950s. One of them inexplicably crosses path with a drug trafficking syndicate, and his three friends have no choice but to fight a brutal battle on his side...
David Chiang, Ti Lung, Wang Chung, Yasuaki Kurata, Chen Kuan-tai
David Chiang teams up with Chang Cheh's acclaimed screenwriter Ni Kuang (who has written over 300 screenplays) to continue his epic "heroic brotherhood" caricature in his second directorial feature, The Condemned. In the film, Chiang plays a righteous character who helps an injustly imprisoned swordsman accused of stealing. Together they break out of prison and serve notice to all the evil men in their lives that a new deadly duo is in town.
Cheng Pei-pei was Hong Kong's first and most celebrated Queen of Kung-fu where her on screen performances set all the standards for future female martial arts stars like Michelle Yeoh. Lady Of Steel is a high plains drifter adventure where Cheng Pei-pei plays a swordswoman on a mission: to find the bandits that killed her parents and save the country from foreign invaders. Cheng Pei-pei's success garnished international acclaim with her Jade Fox character in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The versatile and prolific Wang Feng writes and directs this ensemble epic which unites actors from both Shaw Brothers' film units and their television network, HK-TVB. The place to be is flat number 8 on the second floor of the Gossip Street apartment building, where all the neighbours gather to gossip. The sitcom turns serious when a local mobster wants to change the place into a gambling den -- leading to a satisfying finale where hearsayers turn into heroes to save their neighborhood.
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
Fu Sheng pairs up with veteran martial arts star Chen Kuan Tai in this Chang Cheh masterpiece of heroism and self-sacrifice. Shaolin student Chen is badly wounded by the Qing army, and the young Fu hands him to the Qing army by mistake. The two heroes must now settle the score with the general once and for all. Witness top-notch performances with action choreography by the famous Liu Chia Liang.
Mulan disguises herself as a male soldier to replace her aged father in a war against the barbarians. Her courage brings her victory in battles and she was promoted to a general. When Mulan returns home with glory, the chief commander asks her to marry his daughter, forcing Mulan to reveal her true identity.
Ivy Ling Po, Chin Han, Yang Chi Ching, Chen Yin, Ching Miao
It's a no-holds-barred battle to the death for possession of the invaluable Purple Sword. Assistant director Wang Po-yi also wrote this entertaining and exciting adventure which could have also been called "The Five Tigers" since there's no doubt that this quintet is the highlight of the action. Huang Tsung-shun is "Fierce Tiger," Hung Liu is "Drunk Tiger," Hsu Erh-niu is "Lame Tiger," award-winning actor Ku Feng is "One-eyed Tiger" and respected director/actor Wu Ma is "Sick Tiger" in a tangle of tussles and thrills.
Chang I, Chen Hung-lieh, Shu Pei-pei, Essie Lin Chia
Film lovers and critics went out of their way to praise this Liu Chia-liang version of the Shaolin destruction and revenge epic. Many called it the preeminent kung-fu director's best and certainly his greatest on the theme of history, martial arts, and family. Little wonder, since, beyond the Shaolin story, it also shows how Liu's own family style of kung-fu, Hung Fist, was created. There are unforgettable sequences throughout, highlighted by Hung Hsi-kuan (the mighty Chen Kuan-tai) and Fang Yung-chun's (the wonderful Lily Li) wedding night... where the lovers inexorably test their Tiger and Crane kung-fu styles in a symbolic treatment of a couple's power struggles. Almost equally unforgettable are the training sequences and a full three titanic confrontations with the White-Browed Hermit (the impressive Lo Lieh), betrayer of the Temple. The critics were right: Liu has out-done himself...as usual!
Filmmaker Wong Jing produced Mercenaries From Hong Kong, his very first modern-day adventure drama. In the dramatic plot he wrote, he sends superstars Ti Lung, Chen Hui-min, Wang Lung-wei, Lo Lieh and Wang Yu on a deadly mission. The film's action sequences are all closely guided by three great kung fu choreographers, led by Tang Chia!
Whenever director Chang Cheh teamed up with Five Venoms, film plots were probably decided by flipping a coin - which of the fab five will play the good or bad guys, who lives or dies and which ones will do the fight. The Daredevils was just another example of Shaw Brothers’ sure fire formula to success: Venoms + Chang Cheh = maniacal frenzy x infinity. Of note, the only venom to make it in Hollywood was Kuo Chue, who choreographed the French film Brotherhood Of The Wolf and Michelle Yeoh's The Touch.
