Acclaimed director Chu Yuan was credited for bringing mystery and detective thriller ingredients into his atmospheric and character-rich martial arts epics, and this is one of the most impressive examples. The title refers to the nickname of a notorious rapist-murderer who swoops down to destroy one swordsman's fiance and frame another. Or does he? The two tragic men team with a beautiful swordswoman searching for her missing father to find the truth — only to discover incredible traps, ambushes, duplicity, avarice, and betrayal between them and the mystery's solution. They survive blades, bombs, and even poison gas to reveal priceless treasure and coveted kung-fu manuals before the Bat is beaten at his own insidious game.

castChing Li , Derek Yee , Ouyang Pei-shan , Wang Jung

directorChu Yuan

Incredibly, the title serpent is not a harbinger of horror, but actually the film's hero. This virtuous viper sniffs out bombs, fights gangs, battles a baby-killing rodent and even takes on a duplicitous woman. This one-of-a-kind thriller will be applauded by reptile fans everywhere.

castTsung Hua, Frankie Wei, Dana

directorSun Chung

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.

castPai Piao, Kuo Chue, Lu Feng, Lo Meng, Sun Chien

directorChang Cheh

When an absent-minded nutty professor creates a "Super Pill", a gang boss wants it and the clever complications compound until it's up to a fast-thinking super girl to save the day.

castKenny B, Cherrie Chung , Ken Cheng

directorWong Jing

This sequel to The Empress Dowager surpasses its predecessor in some ways. The attention to historic detail in the sets and costumes is everything one expects from director Li Han-Hsiang, the master of the costume drama. Variety hailed the production as "lavish, the script tightly packed"; Variety also concluded that the "filmmaker's efforts to try to make things perfect, to put his audience back in the days of the Empress Dowager and her son, have come off once again."

castTi Lung, Lisa Lu, Hsiao Yao

directorLi Han-hsiang

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.

castWang Yu, Liu Chia-hui, Hui Ying-hung

directorLiu Chia-liang

Celebrated scriptwriter Shen Chiang (Heroes of Sung) continues to spread his magic touch to directing with this tale surrounding the end of the Song dynasty. Threatened by the Yuan who are closing in to rule the whole of China, a band of Song survivors band together to save their prime minister. This bold and fearless heroes fighting for their cause are led by international star, Lo Lieh (Glass Tears, Killer Clans) and Shi Szu ( Lovers Destiny), who must fight their way out of trap after trap. But they can't escape them all, and eventually the two end up in prison... it is either death or a fight to the end!

castShih Szu , Ling Ling, Lo Lieh, Chin Chi-chu

directorShen Chiang

The subtle repackage of the most filmed Ching Dynasty novel, The Dream Of The Red Chamber by renowned director Li Han-hsiang has earned public acclaim by attaining The Best Art Direction of The 15th Golden Horse Award, The Best Costume and The Best Art Direction Of The 24th Asian Film Festival. Brigitte Lin and Sylvia Chang play the adorable yet sorrowful couple Bao Yu and Dai Yu; playing their roles to the hilt in this gloomy love story of their uncontrollable destinies.

castBrigitte Lin , Sylvia Chang , Deborah , Michelle Mei Suet

directorLi Han-hsiang

Even non-kung-fu lovers will be mesmerized by Jimmy Wang Yu in the role that made him a superstar. As the mysterious swordsman whose one arm is more powerful than his two-armed rivals, Wang and director Chang Cheh revolutionized the Hong Kong kung-fu genre and broke box office records across Asia. The female leads, Pan Yin-tse and Chiao Chiao, went on to become some of Shaw Brothers most important lady fighters, and Wang followed up his ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN triumph with numerous sequels. A film that always makes the "top ten" list of martial arts masterpieces, this 1967 classic is as timeless today as upon its original release.

castWang Yu , Pan Yin-tse , Chiao Chiao , Chang Pei-shan

directorChang Cheh

Yen Chuan plays the weak emperor, whose obsession with his consort, Yang Kwei Fei (Li Li-hua) makes him ignore the running of the country and leave the reins to his Prime Minister Yang Kuo-chung (Yang Chi-ching), who also happens to be Yang Kwei Fei's brother. Unfortunately, the cruel Prime Minister's selfish decisions leave the empire in shambles. The Magnificent Concubine is one exquisite production not to miss!

castLi Li-hua, Yen Chuan, Li Hsiang-chun

directorLi Han-hsiang

Queen of the silver screen, Li Ching is Ma Chin-ling, the gifted archer is sent to save the Cao King's kidnapped daughter from the notorious Golden Dragon Hill bandits. There are many dangers on their journey to the Mansion on Golden Dragon Hill... and the attack on Golden Dragon Hill stronghold is just the beginning for Ma's team, who must face trickery, double-crosses, and death! Also starring martial arts stalwarts, Tang Ching and Ku Feng...

castLi Ching, Tang Ching, Ku Feng, Chin Miao, Wang Kwong-yu

directorCheng Kang

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.

castFu Sheng, Chi Kuan-chun

directorChang Cheh

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...

castLin Dai, Chao Lei, Tu Chuan, Yang Chih-ching, Yiu Kuang-chao

directorYueh Feng