This is widely regarded as one of the most controversial and erotic films in Hong Kong cinema. Chu Yuan helmed this 1972 cult classic featuring Lily Ho in her most audacious role as a beautiful and mysterious courtesan caught in a web of sex and murder with her powerful and ruthless madam (Pei Ti). The film's unprecedented genre crossover of lesbian-themed period thriller with eye-popping martial arts is a real screen gem for generations of movie aficionados.
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
This is a film that has won the Best Colour Film Art Direction at the 1977 Golden Horse Awards. Liu Yung (one of Bruce Lee's favorite co-stars) takes center stage as the Ching Dynasty main character, who seeks out court corruption with the help of a streetwise youth played by Wang Yu (Dirty Ho). They use wit and style to teach the corrupt officials a lesson, and when those officials learn that Liu Yung is the emperor, they beg for his forgiveness. This production proved so popular that director Li Han-hsiang took over to helm two successful sequels.
Lo Chi, a selective writer/director/actor, both scripted and helmed this showcase for Hui Ying-hung, legendary director Chang Cheh's discovery, and the protege of equally legendary director Liu Chia-liang. In addition, he created a central role for Liu's nephew, Liu Chia-yung. Both are engaging in this fast-paced, action packed comedy of kung-fu characters. Liu Chia-yung is saved from certain death at the hands of drug smugglers by a fisher girl, played by Hui Ying-hung, whose godfather is a "drunken master" and whose leprous godmother is mistress of the fairly off-putting Leprosy Boxing style. Want to bet he'll need that at the furious finale? You'd win that bet, enjoying the martial arts antics all the way. Action choreographers Huang Hsia and Chen Ti-ke also appear in this amusing, entertaining winner where flesh really gets into the fighting.
Asiapol agents Yang Ming-hsuan (Wang Yu) is in the Yokohama waterfront to intercept contraband gold being smuggled into Japan from Hong Kong by ADU, an international gang led by George Eaton. In a desperate bid to eliminate Ming-hsuan, George orders his mistress Chin-tse to poison him but got killed. Hsun-tse seeking to avenge her sister Chiu-tse and try and seduce him. Eaton next lures Ming-hsuan to another strip-tease place where he locks them up in the cellar with a planted time-bomb. The resourceful Ming-hsuan again escapes and in a savage life-and-death struggle the ruthless mobster Eaton is crushed to death.
Chu Twin becomes crazy after his son’s arms were chopped off. For no reason, he harms four people causing them various disabilities. The four disabled form a band to learn Kung Fu from a master, in order to take revenge on Chu Twin.
Chan Kuan Tai, Lu Feng, Kuo Chue, Sun Jian, Lo Mang, Jiang Sheng, Ching Miao
Asian fans of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon recognized that its director Ang Lee was actually inspired by director Chu Yuan and novelist Ku Lung's wonderful tales of a "martial arts world" where all wushu warriors try to attain the "Deer Sword" and escape from the insidious maze-like "Toy Land." Master kung-fu choreographer Tang Chia leads the king and queen of Shaw - Ti Lung and Lily Li - to engage in a fascinating and entertaining swordplay adventure of consummate swordsmen and sorceresses.
Avid international kung-fu films fans have a special place in their hearts for this outstanding martial arts drama, which marked the ascension of director Sun Chung and action choreographer Tang Chia to legendary status. Tang also appeared as the "Chief Security Officer" in this powerful tale of the Thirteen Eagles Assassination Sect of the infamous Iron Boat Clan. Ku Feng is excellent as the poisonously patriarchal leader of the killers, but conflicted "son" Ti Lung and vengeful victim Alexander Fu Sheng command the screen as consummate warriors united in tragedy. Everything is exceptional in this endlessly entertaining production: from the cinematography of Lan Nei-tsai, to the script by Shaw Brothers' writing wizard Ni Kuang, to the editing of Chiang Hsing-loong and Yu Hsiao-feng, which deservedly won the Golden Horse Award.
Based on a famous Chinese opera, this period drama stars the beloved screen pairing of the wildly popular Ivy Ling Po (Vermillion Door) and Li Ching, one of Hong Kong’s most famous on-screen couples. Ling Po was renowned for playing male Cantonese opera roles while the child star Li, plays the enchanting female lead. While visiting a temple, a young impoverished scholar, Zhang Sheng, is enchanted by the daughter of an influential family, Hong Niang. When the safety of Hong Niang is threatened by revolutionaries, Zhang does all he can to keep her from harm. Seeing the love between the young couple, Hong’s maid (Fang Ying) helps bringing the young couple together, who secretly have their rendezvous in the West Chamber, in spite of her family's objections! It is romance, tears and classic melodrama as the couple fight for love.
"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.
Huang Fei Hung is the most famous character in martial arts movie history. The unique experiment cast Ku Feng, one of Shaw’s finest actors, as Huang Fei Hung, in a battle against a corrupt gangster’s plan to frame him for robbery and murder. Despite the unusual approach, there's plenty of action as Huang and his students, including the beautiful Chen Ping, fight for honor and harmony.
Ha (Tien Fung) and Si Ma (Wong Chung Shun) are godsons of an escort group owner. In order to steal two secret kung fu manuals, Si Ma kills his godfather and hurts Ha’s face. Ha runs for his life with his newly born baby girl (Lily Ho). Ha hides himself in a deep forest and trains up his daughter with kung fu for taking revenge on Si Ma. The baby girl grows up to be “The Silver Fox” and tries to challenge Si Ma, but fails. Fortunately, she is saved by Tsui (Chang Yi), who is a student. Tsui accompanies her to meet her father, but Ha suspends that they are secretly in love, so he locks her up in the basement…
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 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.
