Months before Bruce Lee burst into the international scene with ENTER THE DRAGON, this powerful story of tragedy, torture, redemption, and revenge premiered across America under the unforgettable title FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH. And, under that title, it went on to become the first international martial arts movie hit, and a perennial best-selling video. It made a continent-spanning star of Lo Lieh, and established the Shaw Brothers as the preeminent studio for high quality action and adventure. Now, finally, after more than thirty years, the original KING BOXER takes its rightful place as the film that started it all for the Western world. Not surprisingly, the tale of an honorable fighter's retraining in the "Iron Palm" style after corrupt invaders crush his hands remains as potent and exciting as when it premiered.
The Dancing Millionaires is of the most enjoyable musicals to grace the Hong Kong screens, starring husband & wife team Peter Chen Ho and Betty Loh Ti presenting some extraordinary performances.
Betty Lok Tih, Chen Ho, Kao Pao-shu, Landi Chang, Chiang Kwong-chao
This film was actually a lively forerunner to the gambling film craze, which eventually swept Asian cinema. Here, it's cardsharp versus cardsharp with a lot more kung-fu action, in a battle of wits and fists to become the king of the casino. The double stings and triple crosses raise in complexity and imagination until what started as an unusual box office risk became a top ten hit of 1976.
A bandit became a warlord in the northern China by helping Russia fight against Japan. Because of his ignorance and silly behaviour, he was seen as a joke to the people. The warlord was finally killed by the daughter of a troupe master whom he had killed for no reason.
In this pun-intended title of Rolls, Rolls, I Love You, a hardworking young man Ah Tan (Robert Mak Tak-lo), is minding his own business while cycling down a busy Hong Kong intersection when he gets into a heated argument with a man cruising along in a sleek Rolls Royce. When the argument gets out of hand, a furious Ah Tan attempts to sabotage the offender's luxurious ride, but is instead thrust into the middle of a high stakes wager! The wealthy businessman Tsui Tung-cheng (Chen Kuan-tai), lays out simple conditions: if Ah Tan and his buddies can successfully steal his Rolls Royce, they can keep it. If they fail, they will have to pay Mr. Tsui a grand total of fifty thousand dollars! Will the underdogs win the bet?
The Golden Lion (Chao Hsiung) is a bandit with mysterious strength who robs from the rich and gives to the poor. One night, he is ambushed and poisoned by the evil bounty hunter Wang Ching-Tsao (Wang Hsieh) and his gang, who hunt him at the behest of legal authority. Friends take him to a righteous doctor, who cures the wounded bandit despite the threats of Wang Ching-Tsao. The doctor travels with the Golden Lion, his surly son and courageous daughter Lu Wen-fang (Li Ching) to a mountain to develop a life-saving antidote, and they are beset at every perilous turn by Wang Hsieh, who will stop at nothing to catch his quarry!
Notorious assassin Nieh Cheng has retired into hiding. However, when Premier Yen's family is massacred, he seeks out the reclusive swordsman & coaxes him into a final revenge mission in this epic story set in the Six Kingdom era.
Wang Yu, Chiao Chiao, Li Hsiang-chun, Tien Feng, Huang Chung-shun
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.
A comedy about a naïve villager who arrives in the big city to seek his fortune. "The Crazy Bumpkins" is hilarious and bittersweet, much like its simple tragic-hero who has a heart of gold but pockets of lint.
A Chinese man (Liu) marries a Japanese woman through an arranged marriage and manages to insult all of her Japanese martial arts family by issuing a challenge to her that is misinterpreted by the others. He must then prove how good Chinese Kung Fu really is through a series of duels with the seven Japanese martial artists who come to meet the challenge!
This martial arts spectacular showcases 20-year-old Derek Yee. Variety noted "Yee's charismatic screen presence should take him to superstardom like his older brother, David Chiang". The prediction proved correct, and his performance as ace swordsman Third Master is just what any producer would want. He fights evil, saves damsels in distress (including a kindhearted prostitute played by Yu An-an), and duels with rival swordsmen to the end.
Yen Tzu-fei (Ling Yun) is a college and martial arts student. A letter from his father tells him that Japanese financier, Nomura (Ching Miao) plans to seize the family mine and forest lands, and that Ichimura (Chan Shen) has been instructed by Nomura to use force against him. Yen's father asks him to return home and help resist the threats. Once home, Yen introduces Kuan Yueh-hua (Ching Li), who he met during the journey home, to his family, and the attraction he previously felt for her, grows. Later, Kuan Yueh-hua discovers that her father is plotting with the Japanese to get Yen Chien-kuang's property. Nomura and Ichimura hire professional killers to murder Yen Tzu-fei.
When reputable fight choreographer Liu Chia-liang debuted as a director with THE SPIRITUAL BOXER, it not only established him as a superb director, but it also encouraged other martial arts instructors to turn to directing. Plus, it was the first film to introduce comedy into kung-fu so it made sense for Liu to return to that foundation with the same bumbling idiot Wang Yu still not quite getting it when it comes to the affair of ghost control in THE SHADOW BOXING. Liu also brings in both of his brothers Liu Chia-yung and Gordon Liu Chia-hui, which guaranteed that the fights would be an extra notch above magnificent further ensuring that the audience had never seen anything like it before. THE SHADOW BOXING was twice as successful as THE SPIRITUAL BOXER.
Lo Lieh was famous as Shaw Studio's first international kung-fu film star. He was famous throughout Asia for dozens of superlative performances in everything from horror to modern thrillers to martial arts. But it was the rare saga Lo also directed, and this was one of those special events. Following his huge success starring as the infamous Shaolin Temple traitor in preeminent kung-fu filmmaker Liu Chia-liang's Executioners From Shaolin, he returned to the role in this, a combination sequel and remake. Liu stayed on as choreographer, while his famed adoptive brother, Gordon Liu Chia-hui, and his discovery, Hui Ying-hung, stepped into the starring roles. The result is a lighter-hearted entertainment, as our hero learns "Embroidery Fist" and acupuncture to counter the evil White Lotus leader's deadly "Weightless Boxing" and "Nerve Centre Shutdown" techniques. The permutations of their fights are delightful to behold.
