Originally made in 1983, Shaolin vs Lama is an example of the kung fu movie at its most cultish. The story is largely unimportant but concerns Yu Ting and his search for a kung fu master, a search that leads him into conflict with the Flying Eagle gang and their leader, Golden Wheel Lama. This is as far as it goes plotwise, not that that really matters. The focus of the film is, of course, the fight sequences and breathtaking they are too, though the whole film is given unmistakable aura of campness by its comical English dubbing. Still, it would be churlish to argue with the glowing recommendation of the Wu Tang Clan's Rza (a man who knows his kung fu stuff) of Shaolin vs Lama as one of the giants of the genre. On the DVD: filmed in a rather basic manner, Shaolin vs Lama is a colourful visual experience but not one that particularly shines on DVD. The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound gives the fight sequences an added bite but, as is so often the case, the potential of the format is frustratingly underused. There is no attempt to provide any sort of background to the film or the kung fu genre in general, instead leaving us with scene selection and the original theatrical trailer. --Phil Udell
Beautifully shot by renowned cinematographer Arthur Wong 'Moon Warriors' is an emotive impassioned tale of a deposed Prince and his heroic quest to rescue his people from an empire soaked in the blood of tyranny. Showcasing some of the best dramatic swordplay sequences to emerge from three decades of action cinema 'Moon Warriors' also features an all-star cast including Andy Lau Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui.
Fists fly as fast as lightning in this revenge-fuelled martial arts flick.
Fast and furious marial arts action. The undisputed king of kicks Casanova Wong stars in this kung fu flick watch in amazement as he takes on the acrobatic genius of Peter Chen in one of the best screen end fights of all time.
2046: Opening in the year 2046 in which a man named Tak (Takuya Kimura) attempts to persuade wjw1967 (Faye Wong) to travel back in time with him the film soon shifts to the year 1966 in which Chow Mo-Wan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) a struggling author asks the woman he loves Su Li-Zhen (Gong Li) to sail with him from Singapore to Hong Kong on Christmas Eve. She declines and over the next three years we return to Chow Mo-Wan on December 24 as he finds himself with another woman
Classic Kung Fu fare from the Hong Kong school directed by the old master himself, Joseph Kuo, Born Invincible has only been available in an extremely crackly print for years. Fortunately this version has been cleaned up, though lovers of Oriental kitsch will be glad to hear that the risible, excruciating dubbing remains intact. The plot revolves around the evil Ching Ying (Carter Wong), who has trained since the age of three in the near-impossible art of Tai Chi Kung Fu. His body has become tantamount to a single, deadly muscle, the 108 pressure points of human vulnerability reduced to just one--his sole weakness. His training has also left him with whitened hair and a voice that, dubbed, is a little too close to Harry Enfield's Grayson character from the Mr Cholmondley-Warner sketches in high excitement. Having killed two elders of the Lei Ping school in martial combat over an old score, it falls to the students of that establishment to avenge their masters, through three rigorous years of training. The awesome, though often-comical fight scenes (which in no way resemble Tai Chi) dominate the movie, involving as they do protracted acrobatic manoeuvres, few of which seem to involve actual contact with the human body. Still, lovers of The Matrix might care to revisit this, in order to check out how those moves were first committed to celluloid when editing was less of a fine art. --David Stubbs
Dragon (Jackie) and his buddy Cowboy get mixed up in a plot to swipe some valuable Chinese antiques and are forced to kick butt. However the real attraction here is a number of showstopping set pieces that involve Jackie and Cowboy playing some pretty demented versions of Badminton and Football all while trying to win the heart of a local beauty. Also known as 'Young Master In Love' and 'Dragon Strike'.
A true cult martial arts film immortalised by the Hip-Hop group The Wu-Tang Clan and in particular 'Ghostface Killa'; one of their main members. A young student (Lee Yi Min) is out for revenge against the murderer of his father; Ghostface Killer. Before he is ready to face his nemesis he must first develop as a fighter and learn from a humble chess-master. The only way he'll be able to face this challenge is by perfecting the 'five elements' style of his deadly foe!
Kung Fu star Dragon Lee appears as 'Golden Dragon' who teams up with 'Silver Snake' to take revenge on the men responsible for his brother's murder...
Hsiungs father was commander of a borderline fortress a position which arose jealousy from a malicious court officer who by forging an Emporers order dispatches a squad of four guards to kill all of the commanders family. Hsiung survives the attack and plans revenge while hiding at the Shaolin monastery. Here he learns the skills of the Shaolin Priests and the secret of SHAOLIN DRUNK FIGHTING.
Fei Meng stars as the legendary Chinese folk hero Fong Sai Yuk who is forced to take on a variety of assassins hired by a ruthless governor to avenge Yuk's killing of one of his men. A cult favourite amongst martial arts fans it features some of the most breathtaking shaolin pole fighting ever committed to film.
The latest film by Chinese director Zhang Yimou, The Road Home (1999) is a story of past and present. In black and white we see a young businessman return to a rural village where his father has died. His mother wants a traditional funeral, which involves carrying the coffin several miles in the depths of winter. Then, in flashback and brilliant colour, we are told the story of his parents' courtship. His father had come as the local schoolteacher and had fallen in love with his mother, a local girl. Political complications ensue and they are separated for two years, but at last reunited. This apparently simply tale is told with great insight and dazzlingly beautiful camerawork, in a style which echoes the Italian neo-realist films of the 1940s. Perhaps it doesn't have the complexity of the director's earlier film, Raise the Red Lantern (1991), which starred the luminous Gong Li, but The Road Home has her match in Zhang Ziyi, who also starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). On the DVD: The quality of the sound and picture (in 2.35:1 ratio) are excellent. There are no additional features except for subtitles in English and 15 other languages. --Ed Buscombe
A one-armed swordsman saves the life of a young boy sentenced to death for stopping an official procession. The local peasants however suffer in the aftermath as all are massacred and Zatoichi is caught up in the maelstrom...
Jackie Chan stars as Little Mute who is the favourite of the Shaolin Masters as he struggles to learn the skills in the Shaolin Temple. Little Mute despairs on ever leaving the Shaolin Temple to seek the revenge of the man who killed his father as his only way out is to survive the ordeal of the Shaolin Chamber of Death. Many brave disciples have tried and failed. Can Little Mute succeed and avenge his father's death? Shaolin Chamber of Death also known as Shaolin Wooden Men was to be one of Jackie Chan's dream projects. Allowing the young ultra-talented Jackie to emblazon all his usual trademarks of acrobatics weaponry and a variety of animal styles plus the creativity of his use of incorporating the excellent but unusual battle against the 108 awesome automated wooden robots that stand between him and his freedom from the Shaolin temple. Another timeless classic.
An unusual and exciting story that features a whole range of martial art - including devastating tactics required to fight and preserve one's life on top of the Shaolin Poles. The number one fighter of the whole Ching Dynasty Fang Shih-Yu was undefeated on the Shaolin Poles. No fighter of his century - Chinese or Western boxer or full contact Karate champion - can match Fang's record of knockouts.
Fast and furious martial arts action in which the evil Abbot White teams up with Japanese ninjas to destroy the Shaolin Temple!
In search of a master, a kung fu obsessive named Ting rescues a young Shaolin monk from a group of local gangsters and decides to use the opportunity to his advantage, persuading the monk to sneak him into the Shaolin temple. Thrown out soon afterward, he engenders the hatred of the Golden Wheel Lama, leader of the notorious Flying Eagle Gang, by rescuing a girl from its thugs/members. Now that he's in the sights of the once peaceable monk gone bad, Ting's only chance for survival is to unloc...
When a Manchu conspiracy to overthrow the Ming dynasty is thwarted by a group of Shaolin disciples and patriots a fierce battle to defend the life of the King ensues with deadly results.
This film of the legendary martial arts expert and actor Bruce Lee became a huge theatrical hit breaking the house record at the Cinecenta London. Starring Bruce Lee's great friend basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Bruce Lee look-alike Bruce Li Lee Roy Lung Ronald Brown 'Big Jonny' Floyd and Mun Ping 'Goodbye Bruce Lee - His Last Game of Death' is based on the making of 'The Game of Death' the film Bruce Lee started but put on hold to star in 'Enter the Dragon'. Soon aft
Old skool martial arts from Hong Kong. Finally released from Hong Kong film vaults. Get ready for the amazing supernatural Kung Fu action....
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