Critically acclaimed Shaolin-brotherhood, film director legend Chang Cheh brings martial mayhem beyond reality as he merges The Five Venoms with Alexander Fu Sheng and David Chiang to add new levels to Dante's already agonizing "Inferno." Heaven And Hell screams bloody madness because the violent fight sequences will make you wince in disbelief while the notion of hell goes beyond psychotic.
German-Chinese superstar Jenny Hu, heads up this tale of suspense and lust. Hsiu Mei (Diana Chung) works hard, but can't keep clear of old lover, Chen (Paul Chang). Spurned, Chen tries it on with Hsiu's spoilt daughter Li Lien (Hu), who eventually falls for him. When Chen turns up at Li Lien's birthday party that fateful night, he meets his death, but who killed him?
Diana Chang Chung-wen, Lo Wei, Paul Chang Chung, Jenny Hu
Part horror, part kung-fu, 100% outrageous, HUMAN LANTERS has a special place in the Cult Film Hall of Fame. Some of the biggest stars in Hong Kong martial arts movies enter the twilight zone in this over-the-top bloodfest, with Lo Lieh an insane swordsman who comes up with a unique way to avenge past humiliations. He opens a lantern workshop with the lampshades made from the beautiful hides of his enemies’ sisters, courtesans, and wives. Liu Yung steps down from the Emperor roles that made him famous to play a deliciously evil bad guy, and Chen Kuan-tai matches him in pride and power-lust. Lust of another kind is supplied by Tanny Tien Ni and Linda Chu, two ladies whose beautiful skin proves to be a most unwelcome asset. A rare entry in the horror-kung-fu genre, and one of Hong Kong’s most distinctive action films.
One great movie deserves another, and this is one of those rare sequels that many feel is superior to the original. The audience certainly seemed to think so, making this one of Shaw Studio's highest grossing movies ever. And why not? Ti Lung is back as Li Chin Huan, the renowned, charming, elegant, majestic, and yes, sentimental swordsman who must face the Chief of the Money Clan and his legion of assassins for the fate of the "Martial Arts World".
Award-winning drama featuring a passionate performance by Lisa Lu, enhanced by sumptuous costumes and sets, produces a powerful, fascinating story. In five thousand years of Chinese history, there was never a more fascinating woman than the dragon lady of the Ching Dynasty, also the Empress Dowager, who was the power behind the throne for the last half of the 19th century. The vast tapestry of palace intrigues is vividly brought to the screen.
Sun Chung had been recognized as an expert comedy and crime thriller director, but he was to gain even greater acclaim for his soulful, powerful, intelligent, and beautifully-made martial arts epics. This stands alongside The Deadly Breaking Sword and The Kung-fu Instructor as one of his very best. It's not so much the plot - a master swordsman protects a treasure chest on a dangerous journey - that makes this great, but what Sun does with it, inspiring the cast and crew to some of their finest work.
Director Yueh Fung presents this tragic love story about two star-crossed lovers; Ivy Ling Po is a housewife who is constantly abused by her husband both physically and mentally, and Chin Feng, Ling's adopted brother-in-law, is a mute. When he secretly falls in love with her, and risks everything he has to rescue her, things begin to take a downturn. Chin won the Outstanding Performance Award at the Golden Horse Awards in 1971 for this role.
"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.
Based on the classic Ming Dynasty novel The Water Margin, Three Sinners is a Huangmei Opera about love, betrayal, murder, and redemption. Starring Hong Kong's premiere movie couple, it is one of the grandest Eastmancolor-Shawscope costume musicals in the Shaw Brothers library.
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
This is an extremely rare example of science fiction, Hong Kong style. But fittingly, it's unlike any sci-fi flick you've ever seen. Alien abductions, suicide pacts, superstardom, and the reality of science fiction itself is highlighted in this bright, crazy, and truly out-of-this-world epic--one of the more unusual movies in the Hong Kong cinema of the early 1980s.
In one of his early contemporary martial arts actioners, Alexander Fu Sheng teams up with director extraordinaire Chang Cheh in CHINATOWN KID to battle the Five Venoms before they poisoned themselves into cult status. Although Chang was chastised for using San Francisco stock shots to make like it was filmed in America, it's reminiscent of Jackie Chan's New York stock shots for RUMBLE IN THE BRONX. But to CHINATOWN KID'S credit, the incredibly violent fights are immensely satisfying as man on the run Tan Tung (Alexander Fu Sheng), one by one defeats each triad gang related venom while succumbing to the seductive powers of the ultra-sexy Shirley Yu only to realize that, in typical Chang Cheh style, materialism and heroism leads to nihilistic desecration.
Fu Sheng , Kuo Chue , Sun Chien , Shirley Yu , Shaw Yin-yin
Audiences echoed the name of this film after seeing Nat Chen Pai-chiang create the title character in Hong Kong Playboys and Prince Charming. This time, Lolanto takes center stage in a script written by both the director and the star. An angry man is chasing him all over Hong Kong as he tries to deal with his feelings for the idiot daughter of a wealthy mobster. Will Lolanto live happily ever after? Don’t count on it, but do count on lots of laughs in this madcap mixup.
Chan Pak-cheung, Patricia Ha , Wang Yu , Chen Hui-min
The "Venoms" were no more. After five years and more than a dozen films together, the only one of the original five who proved so successful for the director was the muscleman Lo Meng. But with just that one "venom" and his incredibly agile new star Cheng Tien-chi, he made this spectacular, internationally popular, favorite. Evil ninjas (who attack with, and from, fire, sun, wood, water, and the ground) brutally slaughter a noble Chinese kung-fu school's students. The one survivor finds a teacher and four students who are ninjitsu experts. The five graduates take revenge. With this strong structure and exceptional kung-fu choreography (from the star and co-star Chu Ke), Chang Cheh produced platinum. This film was one of the director's best of his superheroic, grand guignol period. By any name, it could be called, almost literally, "bloody good" entertainment!
