While the mighty Shaw Brothers were dominating the Hong Kong martial arts scene with hard-hitting features like THE CHINESE BOXER and dazzling us with an aesthetic brilliance found in productions such as LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF CHINA or THE SHAOLIN DISCIPLES, writer and star JACKIE CHAN and director Chen Chi-Hwa were cutting across much of the pomposity associated with many of these types of films and offering something much more akin to parody with HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU Accident-prone Jiang (Chan) dreams of learning Kung Fu from a master, but when he takes employment as a bodyguard at a shady mansion, he stumbles upon an evil witch and finds himself in the middle of an uncertain future. Funny, inventive and clever, HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU provides light-hearted action, some bonkers scenarios and of course, Chan's patented style of fun and fury.
The godfather of the kung-fu film, Chang Cheh, started a winning streak by making the internationally renowned The Five Venoms. He followed that hit with many more high-flying bloody good entertainments featuring the same cast in new roles. But of all the Venom movies, this one stands out as perhaps the most chilling. Masked killers are wreaking havoc and instilling terror with their vicious weapons of choice: razor-sharp, gut-shattering tridents. Only three fearless fighters dare investigate, leading to mass murder and magnificent martial arts. Chien Hsiao-hou, future co-star of Yuen Woo-ping s The Tai-chi Master joins the trio to get tri-pierced. The core Venoms themselves handle the intricate, always impressive, sometimes awe-inspiring, choreography in this unforgettable exercise in grand guignol gung-fu. Extras: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations of the Film Restored HD master in original 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio English dubbed soundtrack Mandarin Soundtrack with English Subtitles Audio Commentary by acclaimed Kung-Fu expert, Bey Logan Trailer Booklet Notes by Dr. Calum Waddell
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.
Jackie Chan's wonderful Hong Kong variation of Frank Capra's ""A Pocketful of Miracles"" set in the 1930's. Full length Director's cut containing over 11 minutes of previously unseen footage. One of the most expensive Hong Kong movies ever made taking nine months to shoot and cost $HK 64 000 000 to make. Winner of the award for 'Best Choreography' at the 1990 Hong Kong Critics Awards.
The Evil Cult (aka "Lord of the Wu Tang") is a wildly and wacky supernatural epic in which Jet Li masquerades as Mo-kei, a weakling warrior orphaned as a child when his parents are killed by two evil Jinx warlords. Chased out of the Wu Tang compound by a leader who considers him a liability, Mo-kei (and his female protectress) find themselves trapped in a dark abyss where they stumble upon a "cooking monk" trapped in a massive boulder who holds the secret to a lost form of Shaolin kung fu. They trick him into teaching Mo-kei the secret of his "solar stance". Newly empowered, Mo-kei sets off to find his maternal grandfather, King of the Gold Lion (de facto leader of the Evil Cult), to rally his clan with the Wu Tang in order to defeat the stifling government forces and exact revenge on the terrible Jinxes. Martial Law's Sammo Hung appears as Chang San Fung, Tai Chi Master of the Wu Tang clan (Hung also choreographed the action sequences for this film). Director Wong Jing (who also helmed the God of Gamblers series, Hard Boiled 2, and Return to a Better Tomorrow) just about keeps a handle on the plot and ably directs the stunning action sequences, some of which occur on battlefields swarming with soldiers. On the DVD: the main feature is presented in letterboxed format with original Cantonese dialogue and English subtitles. The print is generally of good quality but afflicted with blemishes and white flecks throughout. The subtitles are clear but their awkward translation and speed of transition serve at times to make an already convoluted plot harder to understand. It's a shame that an option to listen to a dubbed soundtrack wasn't added as the dubbed theatrical trailer (included here) enhances the daffiness of the movie. Other extras include comprehensive cast and crew filmographies and a small selection of stills. --Chris Campion
Manic martial arts action.
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!
Five small-time crooks arrive in prison on the same day and sharing the same cell form a close-knit circle of friends. Upon their release (also all on the same day) the five buddies move in together and start the ""Five Stars Cleaning Service."" Of course the five of them as a group will get into more trouble combined than they ever could individually! It is an indomitable Hong Kong cop (Jackie) on the trail of a ruthless gang of counterfeiters who finds himself teamed with this od
A wacky chop-socky slugfest from Taiwan where the laughs come as fast as the fists! Iron Neck Li is a brave man who sticks his neck out for the weak. A young Emperor takes Li along his travels righting wrongs. But they encounter a clan so powerful that Li has to risk his life to save the Emperor.
A young gambler going by the nickname of Iron Monkey seeks vengeance for the massacre of his family...
In Half a Loaf of Kung Fu Jackie Chan is Jiang an orphan eager to master the martial arts. To achieve his goal Jiang becomes the student of Mao a one-time kung fu master who is now a beggar. Jiang learns quickly and has soon become skilled enough to join the Sern Chuan Bodyguards who have been entrusted with an important mission: to take the valuable Evergreen Jade to a safe place. But during the journey the bodyguards are attacked by an army of villainous highwaymen -- and only Jiang remains alive to defeat the thieves and protect the priceless gem.
Fan favourite Sam 'Drunken Master' Seed is back in another great kung fu comedy. Watch and be amazed by the high energy antics as he trains his students in Drunk Swallow boxing to defeat the infamous Horse Boxing Killer.
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
In the sub-label 'Films of Fury' the newest entry is The Way of the Dragon, directed by and starring Bruce Lee. This volume includes exclusive extra features, O-ring packaging, and a collector's postcard (limited to 3000), based on the original theatrical poster.A young martial arts stunt man, is invited to Rome to help his relatives with a restaurant they own. However, a powerful local business corporation foresees the profit potential of the restaurant site and tries everything to force the family to sell the place to them.Feature documentary: Iron Fists and Kung Fu KicksCelebrities interviews including Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Paul Pui, Wong Jing, Flora Cheong, Clarence Fok, Rocky LaiAlternate OpeningStills GalleryRe-edited 4K TrailerEnglish TrailerMandarin TrailerTrailers from HellAustralian director Brian Trenchard-Smith on The Way of the Dragon
Like its predecessor, Once Upon a Time in China 2 stars Jet Li as Wong Fei Hung, this time pitched against the xenophobic White Lotus cult, which is violently trying to rid China of foreigners (the period is the early 20th century). To complicate matters, he also finds himself fighting against the reactionary Chinese government. The martial arts battles, in particular one against co-star Donnie Yen as the government's strongman, are everything connoisseurs could wish for. Jet Li is not only acrobatic; he has a powerful screen presence that makes him a convincing hero. Production values, including sets and costumes, are excellent. The only flaw, at least to Western eyes, is the comedy, which has corny jokes about eating dog meat and so forth. On the DVD: the DVD is in widescreen format, with high-quality picture and sound and well-produced subtitles. The extras are well worth having, and include a lengthy scroll-down text biography of Jet Li, interviews with the star and with Donnie Yen, and a very informative audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan. --Ed Buscombe
Director Ringo Lam helms this standout action psycho-thriller. Perfectionist workaholic Inspector Pao finds himself up against Mak a seasoned criminal intending to use his explosives skills to pull off a billion heist. Now Pao must use his own resources to stop Mak and prevent heavy civilian casualties. With heartstopping car chases on the streets of Hong Kong and brilliant performances by the two leads Full Alert is an intelligent high velocity action movie considered by many as Lam's finest work.
Martial arts expert Jackie Chan sets out with his deadly weapons namely his hands and feet to seek revenge against the murderer of his father.
Superstar John Liu stars in this kung fu classic where deceit and greed and non-stop leg to leg action are the order of the day.
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.
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