"Actor: Chi Chi L"

• Run Lola Run | DVD | (10/04/2000) from £9.22   |  Saving you £10.77 (116.81%)   |  RRP £19.99

  It's difficult to create a film that's fast paced, exciting and aesthetically appealing without diluting its dialogue. Run Lola Run, directed and written by Tom Tykwer, is an enchanting balance of pace and narrative, creating a universal parable that leaps over cultural barriers. This is the story of young Lola (Franka Potente) and her boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). In the space of 20 minutes, they must come up with 100,000 deutsche marks to pay back a seedy gangster, who will be less than forgiving when he finds out that Manni incompetently lost his cash to an opportunistic vagrant. Lola, confronted with one obstacle after another, rides an emotional roller coaster in her high-speed efforts to help the hapless Manni--attempting to extract the cash first from her double-dealing father (appropriately a bank manager), and then by any means necessary. From this point nothing goes right for either protagonist, but just when you think you've figured out the movie, the director introduces a series of brilliant existential twists that boggle the mind. Tykwer uses rapid camera movements and innovative pauses to explore the theme of cause and effect. Accompanied by a pulse-pounding soundtrack, we follow Lola through every turn and every heartbreak as she and Manni rush forward on a collision course with fate. There were a variety of original and intelligent films released in 1999, but perhaps none were as witty and clever as this little gem--one of the best foreign films of the year. --Jeremy Storey, Amazon.com

• Grand Master Of Shaolin Kung Fu | DVD | (08/07/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  Bodhidharma created the Shaolin Temple where Chinese Kung Fu originated. This is a dramtic retelling of his struggles the secret style he invented and how he became the Grand Master of Shaolin Kung Fu...

• Story Of Ricky - aka Riki Oh | DVD | (21/10/2002) from £37.53   |  Saving you £-17.54 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Equal parts martial arts movie futuristic prison picture and sci-fi monster flick 'The Story Of Ricky' is set in an alternative universe similar to our own. After killing the drug dealer responsible for his girlfriend's death Ricky (Siu-Wong Fan) finds himself banged up in a prison ruled by a corrupt warden and a group of super-mercenaries known as the Gang of Four. Trained in an especially deadly form of martial arts and possessing super-human strength making him virtually indest

• Exit The Dragon, Enter The Tiger | DVD | (17/06/2002) from £8.53   |  Saving you £-0.54 (N/A%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Many legends have arisen surrounding the mysterious and untimely death of martial arts king Bruce Lee. Was he murdered? Was he involved in drugs and crime? Why did he leave the cryptic message If I die find out why? Whatever the reason fellow martial arts master Bruce Li determines to find the answers. With the assistance of Lee's former mistress Suzy he penetrates the dangerous underworld of Hong Kong. Captured by the criminals Suzy uncovers firm evidence about her lover's death. Bruce is forced to confront the gangsters in a final showdown with such superb fighting skill that he earns the accolade of Bruce Lee's successor...

• 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

• Red Corner | DVD | (01/02/2000) from £9.43   |  Saving you £6.56 (69.57%)   |  RRP £15.99

  Using a faulty thriller for his soapbox as an outspoken critic of China, a devout follower of the Dalai Lama, and an influential supporter of Tibetan freedom, Richard Gere resorts to the equivalent of propagandistic drama to deliver a heavy-handed message. In other words, Red Corner relies on a dubious strategy to promote political awareness, but director Jon Avnet appeals to the viewer's outrage with such effective urgency that you're likely to forget you're being shamelessly manipulated. Gere plays a downtrodden TV executive who sells syndicated shows on the global market, and during a business trip to China he finds himself framed for the murder of the sexy daughter of a high Chinese official. Once trapped in a legal system in which his innocence will be all but impossible to prove, Gere must rely on a Chinese-appointed lawyer (played by Bai Ling) who first advises him to plead guilty but gradually grows convinced of foul play. Barely attempting to hide its agenda, Red Corner effectively sets the stage for abundant anti-Chinese sentiment, and to be sure, the movie gains powerful momentum with its tale of justice gone awry. It's a serious-minded, high-intensity courtroom drama with noble intentions, but one wonder if it has to be so conspicuously lacking in subtlety. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

• Fearless Hyena | DVD | (17/09/2001) from £10.75   |  Saving you £-2.76 (-34.50%)   |  RRP £7.99

  Since bursting onto the martial arts film scene in 1973 Jackie Chan has become one of the world's most popular stars. His movies - which he acts in performs his own stunts for and often directs - have earned millions at the box office. In Fearless Hyena he plays a young man whose grandfather and teacher Master Chen escapes from the tyrannical Ching Dynasty and come to live in his village. Although Jackie wants to learn martial arts more than anything his grandfather won't permit this out of fear that the villainous Ching rulers will come after him. After seeing his grandfather murdered Jackie promises to get revenge. So he enlists the aid of Master Chen who teaches the young student kung fu. Soon the pupil has learned enough to make him invincible --even against the infamous death blows. Now Jackie sets out to avenge his grandfather's death.

• Snake In The Eagle's Shadow | DVD | (07/02/2000) from £15.24   |  Saving you £4.75 (31.17%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Snake in the Eagle's Shadow is the film that marks the beginnings of Jackie Chan as a Hong Kong action star. Set in early 20th century China, it is a traditional kung fu action picture invigorated by Chan's good humour and charm. The heart of the film is Jackie's surprisingly emotional relationship with the elderly Yuen Siu Tien, whom the star rescues and befriends. In return, the old man trains Chan in the art of Snake's Fist kung fu, which he later combines with the Cat's Claw to develop the technique of the title. The action, directed by Yuen Woo Ping, includes Chan in an exciting battle with a sword-wielding preacher and a striking showdown with arch-villain Hwang Jang Lee. The sequences in which Chan learns new fighting techniques are both inventive and humorous, with the charismatic Yuen Siu Tien (a veteran Chinese film star and father of the director) offering a sober version of the character he would play in Chan's follow-up Drunken Master (1978), and in Magnificent Butcher (1979). The film features a regular ensemble cast of classic Hong Kong kung fu film actors, and regardless of its obviously low budget mixes violence, comedy and emotion into an enduringly popular success. On the DVD: The image is variable, with some shots displaying considerable grain and print damage while the colours are weak throughout. Worse, the original 2.35:1 film has been reformated to 1.77:1 widescreen TV ratio. While this has been done with some care it inevitably damages the compositions and loses information in the dynamic fight scenes. The sound is functional mono. Soundtrack options are the original Mandarin with English subtitles, or an English dub. Extras include the original English language theatrical trailer, Hong Kong Legends' own trailer, plus promos for further releases and a photo gallery. There is a detailed text biography and filmography of Jackie Chan, and a text interview with producer Ng See Yuen. There is also a text biography of Hwang Jang Lee linked to a kicking showcase which is another short fight scene. Most of these features are identical to those on the Drunken Master DVD.--Gary S Dalkin

• The Sadness (uncut) - 2-Disc Limited SteelBook (UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (15/04/2022) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Kung Pow - Enter the Fist | DVD | (20/01/2003) from £15.99   |  Saving you £2.00 (12.51%)   |  RRP £17.99

  A shamelessly low-brow parody, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist is a scrambling of footage from the 1975 Hong Kong martial arts epic Tiger & Crane Fist with new material shot by director Steve Oedekerk (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls) in which he doubles for original star Jimmy Wang Yu. Following the style set by Woody Allen in What's Up Tiger Lily?, Oedekerk also dubs all the voices, rendering the basic revenge story even more formulaic and ridiculous. The villain turns out to be working for flying saucers manned by French aliens (!) and the Chosen One hero has an odd habit of using animals as weapons (gopher nunchakas, squirrel padding) and, in the stand-out scene, doing a full-on Matrix/Crouching Tiger battle with an extremely agile killer cow. A lot of the film is just dumb, but it still manages to beat laughs out of you with its relentless goofiness. Though it might seem an ego trip for Oedekerk, he is actually a likeable leading man, pulling funny faces and deliberately dubbing even his own voice badly. On the DVD: Kung Pow: Enter the Fist on disc includes an animated draft of the kung fu cow scene, with special effects elements shown pre-mixing. There are also several deleted sequences and a director's cut of one extended fight scene. --Kim Newman

• BURNING PARADISE (Eureka Classics) Special Edition Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (29/05/2023) from £19.89   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Director Ringo Lam's (Wild Search, City on Fire) only film in the wuxia genre is also one his best and bloodiest.Hunted by the Manchu government, a young Fok Sai-yuk is captured and sent to the Red Lotus Temple, where Shaolin monks are enslaved and viciously tortured by the sadistic warden Kung (Wong Kam Kong). Thrown into a pit of corpses and left to die, Fong survives and attempts to save his Shaolin brothers.Produced by Tsui Hark, Burning Paradise is a dark fantasy epic, filled with shocking violence and incredible choreography. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film for the first time in the UK since the VHS era in a blood-soaked special edition.Product FeaturesLimited Edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling (First Print Run of 2000 copies only)1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K restoration of the films' original 35mm camera negativeCantonese and English audio options (both in their original mono presentations)Optional English Subtitles, newly translated for this releaseBrand new feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)Brand new interview with actor Wong Kam KongArchival Interview with Tsui HarkOriginal theatrical trailerPLUS: A Limited Edition collector's booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver (First Print Run of 2000 copies only)*All extras subject to change

• In The Line Of Duty | DVD | (20/08/2001) from £17.20   |  Saving you £2.79 (16.22%)   |  RRP £19.99

  From the acclaimed action director of 'The Matrix' and 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' and starring Donnie Yen from 'Iron Monkey' and 'Highlander:Endgame' a high-energy tribute to Harrison Ford's 'Witness. 'In The Line Of Duty' is one of the most accomplished action-adventures to come out of Hong Kong and was a massive hit with audiences all over the world.

• The Scorpion King | DVD | (27/05/2002) from £14.57   |  Saving you £5.42 (37.20%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Wrestling superstar The Rock reprises his role from "The Mummy Returns" as a deadly assassin in ancient times, destined to become The Scorpion King.

• Satan Returns | DVD | (19/06/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Filmed in an oppressively dark and jumpy style reminiscent of the blockbuster 'Seven' this chilling Hong Kong horror stars Chingamy Yau as a police complaints officer being stalked by a psychopath who belives she is the devil's daughter. Maverick cop Mo Ti Nam tries to protect her with his lethal kicks and flying fists as the madman 'Judas' convinces her that she may indeed have demonic powers. Only the bumbling assistance of Mo's partner Ka-Ming busty female cop 'Leon' and the unpr

• Five Kung Fu Daredevil Heroes | DVD | (14/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The five heroes pose as gun dealers and acrobats in order to get close enough to exact a deadly revenge upon the criminals responsible for the death of one of their brothers...

• Manga In Motion - City Hunter / Dragon From Russia / The Story Of Ricky | DVD | (22/12/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  City Hunter: Jackie Chan stars as Ryu Saeba in this hilarious lightning-paced tribute to the ass-kicking girl chasing detective from the popular Manga strip ""City Hunter"". Dragon From Russia: Based on the Legend of Crying Freeman 'Dragon from Russia' is a spectacular visually flamboyant 'Manga in motion' concept adventure from the director of 'Naked Killer'. An invincible killer the Crying Freeman is the most skilled assassin of the Secret Chinese Society 'The 1

• Falcon Crest: The Complete Third Season | DVD | (28/05/2013) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Red Violin | DVD | (03/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  François Girard's The Red Violin (1998) is a good-looking but ultimately insubstantial piece from a director who seems more concerned with tone, colour and style than narrative coherence. The film traces the story of a violin originally made in 17th-century Italy, which is taken to an 18th-century monastery to be played by a child prodigy. The violin later comes into the hand of a virtuoso in 19th-century Oxford, from there to China in the Cultural Revolution and on to Montreal, where--before it can be auctioned--it is "acquired"' by Samuel L Jackson. Unfortunately, none of these stories make much of an impression: the episode in Oxford is particularly weak, with Greta Scacchi wasted, and the film is even less than the sum of its parts. Jackson is completely miscast as an expert on musical instruments, even if a criminal one. To be frank, this is a poor effort, though well photographed and with a pleasing score by composer John Corigliano performed by violinist Joshua Bell. On the DVD:The disc contains a theatrical trailer but no other features. The soundtrack is excellent, in Dolby Surround. The image is equally good, in a 1.78:1 anamorphic print. --Ed Buscombe

• Twin Dragons | DVD | (29/04/2002) from £6.73   |  Saving you £8.26 (55.10%)   |  RRP £14.99

  For 1992's Twin Dragons Jackie Chan resurrects the old Corsican Brothers chestnut of identical twin brothers separated at birth who meet up as adults and discover that they share more than blood ties. Poor boy Chan is a mechanic and race-car driver whose black-market activities have made him the target of some nasty mobsters, while jet-setting Chan is a world-famous conductor back in Hong Kong for a concert. In the same vicinity for the first time in years, they can suddenly feel each other's pain, and more. As one Chan jumps a jet boat for a wild escape, the other becomes a victim of the furious ride, thrown around a posh restaurant while drenching his date with drinking water. The whole thing is overloaded with silly slapstick, Chan's incessant mugging and cartoonish mistaken-identity gags as the boys swap girlfriends and dance. But wade through the crude comedy and you're rewarded with a gymnastic free-for-all climax in a car-testing workshop, where Chan leaps over, under and through cars while taking on an army of gangsters before split-screen brothers team up for a bit of marionette martial arts. Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam co-direct, Tsui taking the comedy and Lam handling the action, and John Woo makes a cameo as a priest in the wedding finale. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com