"Actor: Chen Chang"

• A Confucian Confusion / Mahjong (Criterion Collection) - UK Only | Unknown | (25/08/2025) from £22.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  In this pair of sharp, sprawling satires, one of Taiwan's most celebrated filmmakers, Edward Yang, captures the anything-can-happen mood of Taipei at the end of the twentieth century. Made in between his epic dramas A Brighter Summer Day and Yi Yi, A Confucian Confusion and Mahjong find Yang applying a lighter but no less masterly touch to his explorations of human relationships in an increasingly globalized, hypercapitalistic world. These intricately constructed ensemble comediesone set in a cutthroat corporate milieu, the other in a shady criminal underworldreveal the absurdity and cynicism at the heart of modern urban life.In this pair of sharp, sprawling satires, one of Taiwan's most celebrated filmmakers, Edward Yang, captures the anything-can-happen mood of Taipei at the end of the twentieth century. Made in between his epic dramas A Brighter Summer Day and Yi Yi, A Confucian Confusion and Mahjong find Yang applying a lighter but no less masterly touch to his explorations of human relationships in an increasingly globalized, hypercapitalistic world. These intricately constructed ensemble comediesone set in a cutthroat corporate milieu, the other in a shady criminal underworldreveal the absurdity and cynicism at the heart of modern urban life. Taiwan 1994 (A Confucian Confusion) 1996 (Mahjong) Colour 1.85:1 Mandarin, Taiwanese Spine #1275 A Confucian Confusion Edward Yang's first foray into comedy may have been a surprising stylistic departure, but in its richly novelistic vision of urban discontent, it is quintessential Yang. This relationship roundelay centres on a coterie of young Taipei professionals whose paths converge at an entertainment company where the boundaries between art and commerce, love and business, have become hopelessly blurred. Evoking the chaos of a city infiltrated by Western chains, logos, and attitudes, A Confucian Confusion is an incisive reflection on the role of traditional values in a materialistic, amoral society. Mahjong Edward Yang's follow-up to A Confucian Confusion is another dizzying comedy set in a globalized Taipei, but with a darker, more caustic edge. Amid a rapidly changing cityscape, the lives of a disparate group of swindlers, hustlers, gangsters, and expats collide, with a naive French teenager (Virginie Ledoyen) and a sensitive young local (Lawrence Ko) who tries to protect her caught dangerously in the middle. By turns brutal, shocking, tender, and bitingly funny, Mahjong is a dazzling vision of a multicultural Taipei where nearly every relationship has a price and newfound prosperity comes at the expense of the human soul. TWO-BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES New 4K digital restorations, with 5.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks Excerpts of director Edward Yang speaking after a 1994 screening of A Confucian Confusion New interview with editor Chen Po-wen New conversation between Chinese-cultural-studies scholar Michael Berry and film critic Justin Chang Performance of Yang's 1992 play Likely Consequence PLUS: An essay by film programmer and critic Dennis Lim and a 1994 director's note on A Confucian Confusion New cover by Tori Huynh

• Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon | DVD | (18/06/2001) from £5.22   |  Saving you £16.03 (404.80%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Director Ang Lee’s return to Chinese cinema is an action packed and critically acclaimed epic tale of ancient China.

• Red Cliff | Blu Ray | (05/10/2009) from £8.65   |  Saving you £21.34 (246.71%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Directed by John Woo, "Red Cliff" charts the remarkable events leading up to the most famous battle in Chinese history

• 2046 | DVD | (23/05/2005) from £10.48   |  Saving you £12.50 (166.89%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Director Wong Kar-Wai goes focuses on the imagination of a sci-fi writer in this avant garde offering.

• Red Cliff | Blu Ray | (09/05/2018) from £6.97   |  Saving you £18.02 (258.54%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Directed by John Woo, "Red Cliff" charts the remarkable events leading up to the most famous battle in Chinese history

• A Brighter Summer Day | Blu Ray | (03/07/2017) from £17.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Among the most praised and sought-after titles in all contemporary film, this singular masterpiece of Taiwanese cinema, directed by EDWARD YANG (Yi Yi), finally comes to Blu-ray. Set in the early sixties in Taiwan, A Brighter Summer Day is based on the true story of a crime that rocked the nation. A film of both sprawling scope and tender intimacy, this novelistic, patiently observed epic centres on the gradual, inexorable fall of a young teenager (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's CHEN CHANG, in his first role) from innocence to juvenile delinquency, and is set against a simmering backdrop of restless youth, rock and roll, and political turmoil. Special Features: New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack New audio commentary featuring critic Tony Rayns New interview with actor Chen Chang Our Time, Our Story, a 117-minute documentary from 2002 about the New Taiwan Cinema movement, featuring interviews with Yang and filmmakers Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang, among others Videotaped performance of director Edward Yang's 1992 play Likely Consequence New English subtitle translation PLUS: An essay by critic Godfrey Cheshire and a 1991 director's statement by Yang Click Images to Enlarge

• The Thundering Mantis | DVD | (25/07/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Seriously weird as only the best, completely-barking-mad kung fu flicks can be, The Thundering Mantis is the story of Ah Chi, a martial artist who hooks up with a kid sidekick. However, an old grudge resurfaces, with the result that the boy's uncle is murdered and the boy himself kidnapped. So far so Arnie-in-Commando, but it's at this point we're reminded that indigenous martial arts movies are something else again, as Ah Chi's rescue attempt goes disastrously wrong and the boy is tortured to death before his eyes. Apparently driven to insanity by this experience, Ah Chi goes berserk, breaking free and systematically trashing everything and everyone in sight. End of movie. Devotees will absolutely want this in their collections, but those who have yet to progress beyond the Jackie Chan/Jet Li school of Americanised martial arts films will need to leave their preconceptions at the door. There's a nice touch to the dubbed English soundtrack, where the voiceover artists seem to have taken it upon themselves to imitate various British character actors: listen out for Wilfred Brambell, Kenneth Connor and so on. On the DVD: The Thundering Mantis has no extras on the widescreen DVD other than a one-screen guide to other titles in the Kung Fu Connection series. --Roger Thomas

• Early Hou Hsiao-Hsien: THREE FILMS 1980-1983 | Blu Ray | (16/04/2018) from £14.29   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  One of world cinema's most dynamic and highly regarded auteurs, Hou Hsiao-hsien has influenced entire generations of filmmakers and was once dubbed one of the three directors most crucial to the future of cinema. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present three films from early in his career, Cute Girl, The Green, Green Grass of Home and The Boys from Fengkuei, all making their worldwide debut on Blu-ray. Cute Girl (1980) A young bride-to-be falls for a laid-back land surveyor whilst visiting her family in the countryside. Conceived as a commercial vehicle for popular Hong Kong singer Kenny Bee, this romantic comedy was Hou Hsiao-hsien's debut feature. The Green, Green Grass of Home (1982) A substitute teacher (again played by Kenny Bee) moves to a remote village, where he falls in love with another teacher at the local school. The Boys from Fengkuei (1983) Three young men leave their fishing village for the city to look for work, where they face some harsh realities about growing up. The film which established Hou Hsiao-hsien as a leading figure of the Taiwanese New Wave, The Boys from Fengkuei was rapturously received in Europe and is often considered the director's first mature masterwork. Features: Limited Edition O-card [2000 copies First Print Run Only] In a 1988 worldwide critics' poll, Multi Award Winning Chinese Director HOU HSIAO-HSIEN was championed as one of the three directors most crucial to the future of cinema The Boys From Fengkuei Won the Golden Montgolfiere Award at the 1984 Nantes Three Continents Festival The Green, Green Grass Of Home Won the Golden Horse Award for Best Child Star (Pin-chun Chou) at the 1982 Golden Horse Film Festival Available for the first time in the UK and for the first time on Blu-ray anywhere in the world

• The Assassin | DVD | (23/05/2016) from £6.48   |  Saving you £13.51 (208.49%)   |  RRP £19.99

  9th century China.¨10-year-old general's daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised - a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. After 13 years of exile, the young woman must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings. A slave to the orders of her mistress, Nie Yinniang must choose: sacrifice the man she loves or break forever with the sacred way of the righteous assassins.

• New Fist Of Fury | DVD | (25/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Jackie Chan pays tribute to the late great Bruce Lee in this follow up sequel to the 1972 blockbuster Fist Of Fury. Produced and directed by Lo Wei who masterminded the original Jackie chops and kicks his way through numerous assailants to bring justice to the oppressed Chinese. Released for the first time in the UK with the Nunchaku sequence reinstated.

• Breath | DVD | (26/07/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £16.99

  Death row convict Jang Jin (Chang Chen) attempts to hasten his death sentence by stabbing himself in the neck with a sharpened toothbrush only to fail miserably leaving him temporarily mute. The unfortunate incident reaches the national news catching the attention of housewife Yeon (Park Ji Ah). On the surface Yeon's life resembles the ideal picture - a good husband (Ha Jung Woo) a stable livelihood. But beneath that shell lies sadness and torment over her husband's extramarital affairs. Jang Jin's story hits close to her heart leading her to a new path as she dares to leave her usual life to meet the convict in prison. Ironically it's inside a cold and dark place where all of life's pleasure and privileges have been stripped away that both Yeon and Jang Jin begin a remarkable healing process. But reality remains stern and cold for the condemned as death penetrates through the iron bars still demanding for his last breath.

• The Assassin | Blu Ray | (23/05/2016) from £7.99   |  Saving you £17.00 (212.77%)   |  RRP £24.99

  9th century China.¨10-year-old general's daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an exceptional assassin charged with eliminating cruel and corrupt local governors. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised - a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. After 13 years of exile, the young woman must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings. A slave to the orders of her mistress, Nie Yinniang must choose: sacrifice the man she loves or break forever with the sacred way of the righteous assassins.

• Brotherhood of Blades (Blu-Ray) | Blu Ray | (10/04/2017) from £10.49   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Described as one of the best martial arts films of the last 30 years (Blood Brothers). Brotherhood of Blades tells an epic tale of power struggles, betrayal and conspiracies during the final years of the Ming Dynasty. When three elite Assassins are tasked by the Emperor to eliminate a powerful enemy and his loyal followers, they find themselves pulled into in a treacherous conspiracy which can only lead to a bloody battle for the Empire.

• Island On Fire | DVD | (22/05/2000) from £8.97   |  Saving you £-2.98 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Island on Fire is, as the trailer says, "five films in one!". Despite the packaging headlining Jackie Chan this violent modern-day prison drama is an ensemble piece with Chan, a pool-player in prison for accidentally stabbing a man to death, on screen for no more than a quarter of the 92 minutes. Anyone buying this as a Chan movie may be seriously disappointed, for apart from the brevity of his role there is no trademark Chan humour. Also in the brutal and corrupt prison is Andy Lau, an undercover cop searching for the murderer of his professor, and Sammo Hung offering comedy and pathos as an inmate who keeps escaping to visit his son. There are many more characters, together with one subplot involving a mouse which anticipates The Green Mile (1999) and another concerning an assassination conspiracy which parallels Nikita, also released in 1990. Island of Fire is an uneven, always entertaining, sometimes moving film which packs an incredible amount of incident into its running time. However, it should be noted that it is an imitation of, rather than an official entry in, Ringo Lam's Fire series, which includes Prison on Fire (1987) and City on Fire (1987). On the DVD: The anamorphically enhanced 1.77-1 picture is a very good transfer of a rather grainy print, though given the many darkly lit scenes, this grain is probably part of the original film. The mono sound is fine. The film can be watched with the original Mandarin soundtrack and English subtitles, or with a much better than average English dub. The packaging claims there are over 60 minutes of extras. In fact there are nine deleted/extended scenes of variable quality, the best of which give more emotional depth to Sammo Hung's character, together with video interviews with Sammo Hung, Jimmy Wong Yu and director Chu Yen Ping. These total around 20 minutes and are interesting but not specific to the film. Also included is the theatrical trailer, Hong Kong Legends' own "music promo" trailer and eight trailers for further releases. There is also a six-page "animated" biography of Jackie Chan. --Gary S Dalkin

• The Emperor And The Assassin | DVD | (11/02/2002) from £11.45   |  Saving you £11.53 (136.29%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Set in the 20th Century BC, THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASIN tells the story of Ying Zheng, a power-hungry heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Qin

• Brotherhood of Blades | DVD | (10/04/2017) from £4.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Described as one of the best martial arts films of the last 30 years (Blood Brothers). Brotherhood of Blades tells an epic tale of power struggles, betrayal and conspiracies during the final years of the Ming Dynasty. When three elite Assassins are tasked by the Emperor to eliminate a powerful enemy and his loyal followers, they find themselves pulled into in a treacherous conspiracy which can only lead to a bloody battle for the Empire.

• Red Cliff | DVD | (05/10/2009) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Directed by John Woo, "Red Cliff" charts the remarkable events leading up to the most famous battle in Chinese history

• Shaolin Kung Fu Master | DVD | (22/12/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A stash of gold has been hidden in a forest and only six imperial guards know of its location - watch the masters battle it out! A host of Kung Fu stars take to the screen in this martial arts epic!

• Butterfly And Sword | DVD | (23/09/2002) from £6.55   |  Saving you £13.44 (205.19%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh - Enough said! You only need mention the names of these two superstars in relation to a Hong Kong movie and you know you're dealing with a quality production. Such is the adrenaline-charged swordplay fantasy BUTTERFLY & SWORD (18) - a hugely impressive showcase for the dazzling skills of both - which also stars Hard Boiled's Tony Leung. Directed by Chin Siu-Tung (who choreographed Jet Li in Swordsman II) this breathtaking spectacle explodes into action f

• Brotherhood of Blades 2 The Infernal Battlefield | DVD | (12/02/2018) from £5.84   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  A prequel to the original 2014 film Brotherhood of Blades. Set in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the story follows Shen Lian, an imperial guard, as he searches for the truth behind a conspiracy that framed him, his colleague Pei Lun and a young woman named Bei Zhai.