Stephen Chow's special brand of very modern, very Hong Kong screwball comedy entered a new phase with JUSTICE, MY FOOT!, a costume farce set in imperial China. Chow is a shyster with an equally eccentric kung-fu ace of a wife, hilariously played by Anita Mui Yim-fong. Accompanied by Chow's number one screen sidekick, Ng Man-tat, he manages to bring justice to the court and laughter to the viewer. A resounding success, JUSTICE, MY FOOT! broke box office records to become the number hit of 1992. And it's no wonder, what with skillful direction by Johnnie To and a visual sheen provided by Peter Pao, who a few years later would become the first Chinese to win a Best Cinematography Oscar for CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.
Stephen Chow, Anita Mui, Zhu MiMi, Ng Man-tat, Carrie Ng
It's this critically-acclaimed tale of mystery and the supernatural as well as swordplay. From its very first moment, the viewer knows they are in for something special, given that the protagonists are ex-swordmasters who now find joy in the creation of umbrellas. The intriguing sequences continue as our umbrella makers track down a kung-fu zombie burial party led by a disappearing hunchback carrying a red coffin which is filled with a living dead heroine. And that's just the start of an adventure pitting an umbrella maker against a zombie maker, who possesses the mythical title and power. Mystery thrills, horror chills and kung-fu spills await anyone fighting Madame Kung Sun's 'Finger Of Doom'.
Ivy Ling Po , Chin Han , Po Chih-hsien , Chen Feng-chen
In 1975, Ho Meng-hua, master of the "esoteric weapon" kung-fu thriller, started an international sensation with The Flying Guillotine. But while he went on to direct such further "crazy cutlery" hits as The Dragon Missile, popular demand insisted upon a sequel to the original decapitator-on-a-chain. So, first, they got a script by a trio of writers, featuring a new, improved "Ring-Chain Flying Guillotine" and the only weapon that can stop it, the "Toothed Wheel". Next they matched Cheng Kang, the director of their popular true crime thriller The Criminals, with Hua Shan, the director of their superheroes Super Inframan, to double-team the project. Then they cast some of the best martial arts actors in their repertory - all ably choreographed by the often unsung, but universally respected Tang Chia. Finally they filmed Ti Lung as a fugitive from the emperor’s cruelty, against the whole F.G. gang in a blade-on-blade battle to the headless death!
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."
Director Chu Yuan reunited with novelist Ku Lung and superstar Ti Lung in this exciting sequel to Clans of Intrigue. Ti returns to our favourite costume drama role and plays the hero, sexy swordsman Chu Liu-hsiang, whose exploits on the battlefield are rivaled by those in the boudoir. This time he travels to the mysterious Island of the Bats, where he encounters treacherous monks, beautiful women, and a strange Prince of the Bats. Filled with non-stop action and erotic romances, the film is definitely an exhilarating feast for the eyes.
"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.
Jet Li stars in this action-packed martial arts drama where two officials were framed by Lord He Sue in the Qin Dynasty. Many years later, their sons sharpen their martial arts skills in the two Shaolin temples and seek revenge.
A gritty, realistic Chinatown tale about the life of an illegal immigrant who went through a sham marriage is indebted to thugs in this critically-acclaimed film.
The 5th Hong Kong Film Awards: Best Director (Mabel Cheung)
Soon-to-be legendary director Chu Yuan had just joined the Shaw Brothers when he helmed this thriller of bickering bandits. Audiences loved watching three pairs of cunning male and female crooks trying to steal a million gold taels from the Fu Lai Treasury House … not knowing that one of them is actually an undercover hero. Even without him, there's no honor amongst thieves, so the double-crosses and deadly duels come fast and furious, all choreographed by Hsu Erh-niu.
Ivy Ling Po, Lo Lieh, Tsung Hua, Chin Han, Wang Ping
After her father's murder at the hands of the Golden Knight organization, swords-women Yu Fei-hsia (Lily Ho Li Li) is accused of killing clan members in vengeance. To prove her innocence, Yu Fei-hsia attempts to track down the real killer.
Heroes Of Sung stars one of the original kung fu ladies of the silver screen, Shih Szu, who plays swordswoman Meng Hung. She must work with Fan Tien-Fu, played by Lo Lieh to find and protect the royal seals of the Sung Dynasty. Shih's magnificent performance earned her the female hero role in another hit Dracula And The 7 Golden Vampires.
Gordon Liu plays an anti-Manchu rebel who escapes to the Shaolin Temple and learns what it truly takes to become a martial arts master by challenging the 35 Shaolin Kung Fu chambers (and created the 36th chamber himself) in this film.
The beautiful phantom Hsiao Chien has haunted readers since her appearance in the classic haunted story collection, Strange Stories From A Chinese Studio. Many film makers have tried to adapt the tales, but none have captured the eerie, horrific beauty as well as this expressive, vivid, ethereal and haunting production. It is given extra significance by its star, the enchanting Betty Loh Ti who committed suicide later.
