Li Xun Huan is a sentimental swordsman who has lived peacefully outside the martial arts world for the past 10 years. He returned home after knowing that the Plum Blossom Bandit is back to his old tricks, and found that everything has changed.
Emperor Chien Lung meets a famous courtesan in Suzhou and in order to spend as much time as possible with her, he builds a direct underground tunnel into the Forbidden City. The emperor’s sudden appearances through this direct access shock his people but it is also at this time that he helps the needy and cracks the gambling business in Suzhou.
As more people are learning martial arts from Shaolin, the Qing court orders for it to be banned and plans to destroy the temple. The Shaolin disciples decide to take their protest to the streets, using Shaolin skills to curb their hatred, but when the Qing troops start attacking Shaolin Temple, the disciples vow to protect it at all costs.
Betty Loh Ti displays an ethereal loveliness that earns her the nickname "Classical Beauty" in this classic tale that combines a very contemporary comic sense with traditional Mandarin opera tunes. Add on a score by celebrated composer Yao Min and a script by future super director King Hu (a.k.a. Hu King-chuan) and you have a perfect showcase for subtle humor and legendary beauty - one of the Hong Kong's most legendary screen personalities. Betty is a perky maid who helps manage the love life of her young mistress (Ting Ning). The task isn't as easy as it sounds, with gender-bender twists such as a young scholar masquerading as a woman (Chiao Chuang), and a bandit's voluptuous sister (Chang Chung-wen) disguised as a man.
Legendary director Chang Cheh was in a transitional period. The men he had made stars (Jimmy Wang Yu, Ti Lung, and David Chiang among them), had moved on to their own projects. Soon his new star, international idol Alexander Fu Sheng, would also look for other productions. So Chang used this opportunity to test the star power of some new talent, namely a Taiwanese Opera artist (Kuo Chue) and a powerful Chinese muscleman (Lo Meng) — who were soon to become the foundation for his internationally popular "Venom" series. Teaming the trio with the top supporting actors (Ku Feng and Wang Lung-wei) and the prettiest starlets (Lin Chen-chi, Shirley Yu, and Hui Ying-hung), he told an entertaining and exciting tale of a kung-fu blacksmith taking on four famous robbers while a villainous gambling boss plots to destroy them. The resulting thriller was another winner for the vaunted filmmaker.
When Shaw Studio decided to produce an epic about the famous Italian explorer Marco Polo and his meeting with Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan, they turned to one of their most famous and respected directors. Chang Cheh, who had already proven himself by making such sweeping sagas as ALL MEN ARE BROTHERS, co-wrote this adventure of four Han blood brothers and their quest to avenge their comrade's killing at the hands of three sadistic Mongol warriors. He then surrounded famed Caucasian actor Richard Harrison (as Marco Polo) with the best the Shaw Brothers kung-fu film units had to offer, including future lead "Venom" Kuo Chue, "Master Killer" Gordon Liu Chia-hui, and "Thundering Mantis" Liang Chia-jen. The result is a splendid historical tale as well as a superlative martial arts thriller.
Li Ching, star of Sweet is Revenge, plays one of three daughters, whose life is turned upside down when she discovers she is adopted. But things get even worse when she goes in search of her real mother. Finally, after what is almost a double tragedy, she realizes what so many knew all along: There's no place like home.
Li Ching, Margaret Hsing Hui, Irene Chen I-ling, Kao Pao-shu
Sun Chung started exploring the kung-fu genre with this fascinating tale which mixes music and martial arts. It's a tale of conflicting clans and a mysterious song called 'The Proud One' which leads to slowly blossoming love as well as sudden death.
Love triangles or quadrangles rule, as a group of young people get entangled in a web of love and emotions. Director Doe Chin, renowned for his dramas and musicals, knows just how to tug at the heartstrings.
The Sword Master passes on his sword to his disciple Lin before he dies. Another disciple Fang also eyes the sword and plots to take it away from Lin, destroying his family and blinding him in the process. Lin finally battles Fang for revenge and vows to reclaim his sword.
Cheng Pei-pei plays Hsiao-yun, a young singer forced to choose between love and her ultimate career. After filling in for another singer at the eleventh hour, Hsiao-yun becomes an overnight sensation. However, with success comes a heavy price and her relationship with a pianist Li Yen-nan (Peter Chen Ho) suffers. As if that is not enough, she must also deal with the unwanted affections from an influential backer Tu Pang-chieh of her show...
A young swordman, King Eagle, unwillingly gets involved in the internal affairs of a powerful clan and becomes their target. He is saved by the female chief of the clan, Lin, and falls in love with her. However, Lin’s sister is part of all evil plots and betrays her. Even so, Lin begs King Eagle not to harm her sister.
Three young kung-fu warriors from wildly different backgrounds become students of Shaolin at the same temple. These three warriors are: Royal Guard Lo Lieh, fleeing soldier, Lo Meng, and villager, Wang Yu.
