When is THE BRAVE ARCHER movie a "Venoms" film? When it is this, the fourth in a series originally starring international favorite Alexander Fu Sheng as master martial artist Kuo Tsing. But Fu only appears here in a cameo as the son of a character played by Lung Tien-chiang (best known as a spear master in the "Venoms" film THE FLAG OF IRON). Kuo Chue is the new hero (as he is in the "Venoms" films as well) who is out to defeat the mass murderer of his martial arts masters. In fact, this fast-moving, action-packed, Venom-filled film is even choreographed by the three core "Venoms", making it a unique combination of grand "Martial Arts World" mayhem and special Venom-style high flying kung-fu.
Bodyguard Ah Sun is sent to protect his boss' son, only to meet and fall in love with his mistress, the gorgeous Joey. As the love blossoms between the two, the powerful boss finds out and all hell breaks loose!
Esteemed director Ho Meng-hua attained cult status among kung-fu film fans in the West with his wild and wacky martial arts hit THE FLYING GUILLOTINE. His unique directing approach focused more on the devastating nature of the horrific weapon than the kung-fu fights. One of Shaw Brothers' biggest kung-fu stars at the time, Chen Kuan-tai plays the leader of the ‘Flying Guillotine Squad’ a group of hand picked killers, commissioned by the Ching Emperor Yung Cheng, that use a deadly, beheading weapon to carry out the emperor's assassination assignments. It's actually based on a true story. Interestingly, the weapon used in the film was a complete fabrication because in real life, no one ever survived to tell what the actual weapon really looked like.
Director Chow Sze-loke brings to you one of the most famous stories from the renowned Chinese novel, The Water Margin. The Amorous Lotus Pan tells the story of a poor but beautiful girl, Lotus Pan (the radiant Diana Chang Chung-wen). Cruelly labelled "a delight to all men", Pan is raped by her young master. Stained with a past such that she is unable to be wedded to a rich man, she is then married to a midget who treats her like an animal. Lost and alone, Pan falls for his brother, playboy Wu Song (Paul Chang Chung)... but beautiful women do not have things easy. Pan is also lusted after by the murderous Men Ching (Pai Yun) and unwittingly becomes a pawn in the game of lust, egoistic desires and cruelty as she becomes the unwilling conspirator and ultimately, the victim in a vicious game of macho bravado and murder!
Chang Chung-wen, Pai Yun, Paul Chang-chung, Hung Wei, Li Kun, Chin Jen-shu
Martial arts genre auteur Chang Cheh teams up with action stars Ti Lung and David Chiang again. Ti Lung is the "armour" of an armoured carriage taking silver to the capital. Along the way a mysterious knight (David Chiang) begins to stalk him. As Ti Lung is surrounded by various bandits, Chiang has to save his new friend and risk his own life. Later, the two happen to be involved in a love triangle with Li Ching.
Li Ching, Ti Lung, David Chiang, Ching Miao, Ku Feng, Chen Hsing
The roguish scamp Zhen and his best friend Chia collects proof of corruption from the officials in this comedy-drama. After a string of blackmailing, they end up in positions of power, but what is to happen next?
In Sex, Love and Hate, director of erotica and kung-fu films, Chu Yuan, combines stars from both genres to create a masterpiece about Hong Kong society's differing views on love and what women want from it. The provocative Chu Tai (Ching Li), exotic Pai Mei (Lily Ho) and the princess of kung-fu films Yao Yao (Hsu Feng) compare notes on what makes them happy in love, and then subsequently proceed to find it.
It's rare in any film industry that Part III of a classic has the same "umph!" as it's predecessors, but when you get legendary director Chang Cheh to return for a third time to helm much of the original terrific cast that includes Alexander Fu Sheng, Ti Lung and several of the "Five Venoms," it's just a masterpiece waiting to happen...again. And it does. Based on a classic kung-fu novel, The Brave Archer 3 delivers at all levels; mystery, magic, plot twists and of course brilliant martial arts action that has always been one of Shaw Brothers' calling cards of success. Chang's heroes live for death while wrapping themselves in their own universe, and at the right time, will altruistically explode. That's what makes this film a blast.
Superstar Linda Lin Dai in one of her most acclaimed roles. The story is about a forbidden love between a country maiden and the emperor. Emperor Cheng-te met Li Feng on a visit to South China. It was love at first sight for the lovely girl and the handsome emperor. Cheng-te left with a promise that Li Feng would be his empress. One year later, when the emperor sent for Li, her weak health cannot stand the arduous journey, she arrived just to die in the arms of her man.
Lin Dai, Chao Lei, Chin Chuan, Yang Chi-ching, Wong Yuen-loong
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
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.
Wang Yu plays Kwei Wu, who stumbles onto a kidnapping with his wife Kan Lien-chu (Chin Ping) at the Red Lotus Temple. Kan sends Kwei to go for reinforcements while she stays to fight the kidnappers, but she is captured and imprisoned in an iron cage. As Kwei returns with reinforcements, he must also race to the temple to save his wife.
When Ti Lung left Shaw Brothers, he dropped his stereotyped "lone swordsman" persona from the past six years and has since ventured into films with social themes. In his directorial debut, Young Lovers On Flying Wheels, Ti Lung replaces the "sword" with a motorcycle and then chooses the girl and happiness instead of dueling and a lonesome existence.
Costume drama auteur Li han-hsiang adapts thee erotic and mystic tales from the Chinese classical literatures and visualizes them on screen into an instant cult classic. Starring the hottest stars Tien Ni, Hu Chin, Chen Ping, Yang Chun, and Yueh Hua, the stories span across time from the Tang to Ming dynasties, filled with exotic characters such as emperors, concubines, monks, and fortune-tellers, intertwined in a world of adultery, lust and greed. Costume drama buffs should not miss it.
