Kara Hui
The Lady is the Boss
The pre-eminent martial arts moviemaker Liu Chia-liang came up with the novel idea for this exciting and hilarious kung-fu clash between an old-fashioned kung-fu master and a hip and beautiful marketing wiz.
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Cat vs Rat
One of Liu Chia-liang’s classics, 'Cat vs Rat' is almost a full-scale slapstick comedy, as well as a tailor-made showcase for the "odd couple" of Alexander Fu Sheng and Cheng Shao-chiu. Their wushu squabbling for supremacy ultimately imperils an incognito emperor, resulting in a sparkling and unexpected family affair, from the king of kung-fu filmmaking.
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Buddha's Palm
In the arsenal of classic martial arts secret weapons, there is none more lethal than the Buddha’s Palm, a technique by which an ordinary hand is transformed into a formidable force. Ku, a blind recluse living in a cave, knows its secret, which proves to be as much a blessing as a curse as it attracts all manner of mayhem, from giant birds to magic pearls, miraculous orchids, and a wide array of good and evil knights. Thus is the enchanted world of Buddha’s Palm, a top Shaw Brothers action hit of 1982, and a movie that stands at the cutting edge between the modern and post modern eras of Hong Kong martial arts cinema. Derek Yee excels in the role of a scarred swordsman who learns the secret of the Buddha’s Palm, with Alex Man Chi-leung as his blind mentor. Hui Ying-hung, first winner of the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actress, and Yu An-an are on hand to demonstrate just what a woman’s touch can accomplish.
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Legendary Weapons of China
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.
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Martial Club
Arguably, the greatest kung-fu film director of all time is Liu Chia-Liang. Unarguably the greatest kung-fu film character of all time is Huang Fei-Hung. So what do you think would happen when you put these two titanic talents together? You get one of the finest “pure” kung-fu films ever made, with nary a character getting killed, but the thrills coming a mile a minute as two pugilism schools tests each other for a full hundred minutes. Lau returns his dynamic adoptive brother, Gordon Liu, to the leading role, then gives the king of screen villains, Wang Lung-Wei, one of his few anti-heroic roles... just in time for a stunning climax unparalleled in its adeptness and invention.
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Return of the Sentimental Swordsman
Many feel that this, one of the Shaw Studio’s biggest moneymakers, is one of those rare sequels which is superior to its original. In any case, the charming title hero is back in action, facing the Money Clan Chief for the fate of the “Martial Arts World”.
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Return to the 36th Chamber
This follow-up to the classic "The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin" shows kung-fu’s the illustrious Liu brothers at their lethal best. Director Liu Chia-liang has more than a few new kung-fu tricks up his monk’s sleeve as he transports brother Gordon Liu Chia-hui back to the Ching Dynasty and the Shaolin Monastery. And not just any part of the monastery, but the clandestine 36th chamber, where the most advanced methods of kung-fu are taught to the deserving few. Alas, Gordon is not one of the anointed elite and must find a way to covertly observe the secret training in order to obtain the skills necessary to battle the hated Manchus. Though the movie’s conclusion is never in much doubt, the Liu Brothers have a lot of fun getting from points A to Z with plenty of murder and mayhem in between.
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The Tigress of Shaolin
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 protégé 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.
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Shaolin Hand Lock
Prominent Kung fu actor David Chiang teams up with Chang Cheh's award winning screenwriter Ni Kuang to create a visual masterpiece full of exotic martial arts skills and fights in Shaolin Hand Lock. Chiang, who learned the secret 'Shaolin Handlock' technique from his father, is on a mission to avenge his father's death, which was ordered by the evil Ling Hao, played by Shaw Brothers' penultimate bad guy, Kung fu star, Lo Lieh. Adding to the great success of this film was the glamorous yet outlandishly inventive action sequences staged by acclaimed martial arts choreographer Tang Chia and an imposing visual edge and meticulously stylish directing by the brilliant director Ho Meng-hua who was responsible for giving early film breaks to Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.
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