Only the Shaw Brothers Studio could conceive and produce such a spectacular clash of esoteric weapons. Fans of the internationally popular "FLYING GUILLOTINE" films will appreciate the continuous kung-fu confrontations with some of the most intriguing and exciting martial arts machinery ever seen on screen. The studio's first international action star, Lo Lieh (who burst upon the scene before even Bruce Lee in KING BOXER) leads the charge as holder of the title tool -- an ultra-cool flying boomerang with blades. He must take on the terrible Iron Ball Chain, Golden Net, and other deadly devices to gain control of a special elixir which will cure an all-too-treacherous royal official. Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-yan, the underrated giants of kung-fu choreography, stage some of the best sword on shield action ever in this fun and unusual fight-fest. There are double crosses and ambushes galore before the culminating clash of sizzling steel that has to be seen to be believed.
Wang Yu plays a young guy, Wu, who heads off to Dragon Valley to meet his childhood friend, Lian Chu (Chin Ping), who was promised to be his bride. When he gets there, he finds out that the family of his bride might not be an entirely honest bunch of people. Wu wishes to take Lian Chu with him, so he has no choice but to fight against her family…
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon could be called "Swordswomen Two." Three decades earlier, Shen Yi, Essie Lin Chia, and Pan Ying-tzu took on Shaw's first international superstar, Lo Lieh for the Han Family Sword - making this a four-star treat for action fans.
Shen Yi, Essie Lin, Pan Ying-tzu, Chang I, Lo Lieh
Wong Jing writes, directs and co-stars in this romantic-comedy about a young man (Wilson Lam) who must marry within the month if he is to inherit his dying grandfather's fortune.
The swordsman genre well under way, even directors like the es¬tablished Yueh Feng, who had directed romance stories since 1938, gave it a spin. THE BELLS OF DEATH, a whirlwind story about a man who embarks on a life long journey to learn the sword then find and eliminate the three men who killed his family and abducted his sister, features an appearance of relatively new Shaw Brothers' faces hoping to make the grade and become the next Jimmy Wang Yu, David Chiang or Ti Lung. Amidst fountains of blood and guts, actor Wu Ma rang true as his bells of glory eventually tolled. He went on to star in 180 movies (including several with Jackie Chan and Jet Li) and become one of Hong Kong's premiere, new wave, ghost story film directors.
THE KUNG-FU INSTRUCTOR is martial arts film director Sun Chung's loose homage to Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo where unlike Toshiro Mifune's Sanjuro character being a snarling, bastard, drunk swordsman looking for a drink, popular actor Ti Lung's Huang Yang role, is an upright, righteous, weapon instructor looking to keep his limbs. Huang is a famous martial artist trapped into teaching kung-fu to the wrong clan while the opposing "good" clan tries to save him so he can instruct their members. Besides kung-fu comedienne Wang Yu starring in one of his few serious roles, Sun became the first Shaw Brothers' director to use a Steadicam which gives the film's action and editing style a unique brand of tension and rhythm. The pole fights are also out of this world.
After many years as a respected actor (The Chinese Boxer) and action choreographer (Jackie Chan's Drunken Master), the Shaw Studio finally gave the dependable and commendable Hsu Hsia a chance to direct his own movies. He didn't waste the opportunity, inviting three other kung-fu designers to help on this fight-filled thriller. Wang Yu, co-star of such classics as Dirty Ho and The Kid With A Tattoo, here takes center stage as a young rascal caught between an anti-Ching Confederation and violent, vengeful Ching troops. But when he discovers that the good guys are led by master martial arts actor Jen Shih-kuan (Once Upon A Time In China) and the bad guys are led by the incredible Huang Cheng-li (Snake In The Eagle's Shadow) everyone knows that loads of great kung-fu is in store.
Acclaimed director Ho Meng-hua tackles fantasy in The Human Goddess, a genre bending film that features a love story between an alluring female fairy, played by the real life sexy goddess Li Ching, who seeks love in the world of mortal men and finds it in a man who takes care of an orphanage. Ho was one of the first directors to give Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung their first breaks as extras in his early martial arts films.
This magnificent martial arts saga takes up where the renowned original left off: with our hero Kuo Tsing winning the hand of fair maiden Huang Yung. Almost immediately, however, clan rivalries in the "Martial Art World" leads to Kuo being wounded by Ouyang Feng and Huang being named new leader of the Beggar Clan. It's all mounted with sparkling energy by three kung-fu choreographers and a star-packed cast. International favorite Alexander Fu Sheng is back as Kuo, but Niu Niu shines in her show-stopping role as his betrothed. In addition, the mystical martial arts mayhem serves as a showcase for "My Young Auntie" Hui Ying-hung, king of villains Johnny Wang Lung-wei, and "Venoms" Kuo Chue, Lo Meng, and Sun Chien as well as other famous action stars literally too numerous to mention!
Tou Kuan (Chang Chan-peng) is a wealthy Kwangtung brat with a good kung fu background, he has only one ambition: to pit his wits against three shady masters of the North. The first, conman Che Tsai (Alexander Fu Sheng). The second, a professional romantic dubbed The Terrific (Nat Chen Pai-chiang). Terrific introduces Tou Kuan to his third rival, Thief Shih San-shou (Wang Yu).
Director Wong Jing is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of the gambling genre films, and now Shaw Showcase brings to you one of his earliest blockbusters from two decades ago. Starring genre icon Shih Hsien with the stellar cast of Wang Yu, Huang Chin-sang, Chen Kuan-tai and Huang Hsing-hsiu. Embedded with Japanese spies, Shanghai tycoons, beautiful starlets, and enough twists and turns on the gambling table, Challenge Of The Gamesters promises to deliver superb entertainment.
Wang Yu, Huang Chin-sang, Shih Hsien, Chen Kuan-tai, Huang Hsing-hsiu
On a continent which reveres its martial arts, the director's nickname is "Kung-fu Liang" - holder of a filmography unprecedented in its innovation of theme, ingeniousness of plot, and imagination of its astonishingly designed kung-fu. This production is clearly the culmination of his initial Shaw Brothers work - the film which he used as a showcase for his and his brothers' - Chia-yung and Gordon Lui - skills. In the premiere, groundbreaking book on the genre, Martial Arts Movies, author Ric Meyers called it "the quintessential martial arts movie" and perhaps the greatest kung-fu movie ever made. Showing prescience customary with this visionary, the plot revolved around early 20th century pugilists vainly attempting to find a kung-fu which could defeat the bullet... years before the same theme would be used in Once Upon A Time In China. It also features the rarely dramatized magician-spies of China, who would ultimately inspire the Japanese ninja. But most importantly, it is a beautifully made action comedy featuring international fan favorite Alexander Fu Sheng and supremely brilliant kung-fu.
Liu Chia-liang , Liu Chia-yung , Hui Ying-hung , Gordon Liu
Director Chu Yuan has been hailed as the premiere screen interpreter of famed author Ku Lung's martial arts novels, and this is one of their best. This is an exciting tale of two rival swordsmen in imperial China vying with a power-hungry villain for possession of the dangerous "Peacock Dart"It showcases brilliantly choreographed fights, glorious settings, superb cinematography, exceptional scenes, and a strong cast. It all leads to a final showdown that stands out as a highpoint in kung-fu cinema.
It's Meng Yuan-wen (star of The Master Strikes) versus Kuan Feng in this wild and wacky wushu saga of a priceless pole with a spectacular secret. A master martial artist's silly disciple struggles to save it from an evil white slaver, the slaver's duplicitous wife, and even his own bone-headed, but greedy, companion. Hsu Hsia choreographs the abundant action, as he had for both Five Superfighters and Drunken Master. The result is both sublime (for its kung-fu) and engagingly ridiculous.
Meng Yuan-wen, Chin Huang, Pan Ping-chang, Kuan Feng
