"Actor: Ka Yan Leung"

• Odd Couple (Eureka Classics) Special Edition Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (21/03/2022) from £12.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Widely considered the greatest classical weapons movie ever made, Odd Couple stars Sammo Hung, Lau Kar-wing (also directing) and Bryan Beardy Leung Kar-yan (Dreadnaught, The Victim) in a classic tale of rivalry and vengeance. Two ageing masters of the spear and sword engage in an epic mountaintop battle every ten years, but the outcome invariably ends in a draw. Realising that neither one of them will ever outclass the other, they each agree to take on a younger student and train them to champion their cause, thus putting an end to their longstanding rivalry. Showcasing some of the most intricate and explosive weapons choreography ever seen, this masterpiece remains a quintessential classic from the Golden Age of Hong Kong Cinema, and now makes its UK debut on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration! Bonus Features Limited Edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling Original Cantonese mono audio Optional English dubbed audio Optional English Subtitles Brand new feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist / actor Robert Bobby Samuels Brand new feature length audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema Archival interview with director Lau Kar-wing | Archival interview with Bryan Beardy Leung Kar-yan Trailers PLUS: A Limited-Edition collector's booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver

• 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

• Evil Cult | DVD | (02/06/2003) from £4.99   |  Saving you £1.00 (20.04%)   |  RRP £5.99

  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

• Legend Of A Fighter | DVD | (05/03/2001) from £13.73   |  Saving you £6.26 (45.59%)   |  RRP £19.99

  In the historically based Kung fu drama Legend of a Fighter director Yuen Woo Ping offers his version of the early life of martial artist Fok Yuen Gap (played by Leung Kar Yan). Set at the beginning of the 20th century, Fok is considered too weak to learn the family Kung fu style. Still, as his father can break eggs by growling, he probably considers most people weak. The teenager forms a bond with his humane Japanese tutor (Kurata Yusuaki), who secretly teaches martial arts. The story builds to a moving climax as 12 years later pupil and now ageing master are forced by honour into a deadly duel. The opening and closing acts are by far the strongest, the plentiful fight scenes being balanced by gentle humour and emotions torn between friendship and duty. Both lead actors are excellent, with Yusuaki being particularly fine as the noble warrior-teacher. The middle, a series of disconnected tableaux in which Fok establishes his stature as a Kung fu expert, goes on much too long to sustain interest. Nevertheless the story of Fok Yuen Gap, a genuine Chinese hero who was also the inspiration for Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury (1972), is fine and Woo Ping delivers the one-on-one Kung fu action with the touch of a master.On the DVD: The 1.77:1 image doesn't benefit at all from its anamorphic enhancement, the entire film being presented slightly out of focus so that by the end eyes are likely to be aching. The opening 4:3 Academy ratio archive footage has been distorted to 1.77:1, while the original trailer shows Legend of a Fighter was shot in an extremely wide format--possibly the Hong Kong equivalent of early 2.66:1 CinemaScope, or even 2.74:1 Techniscope--which means that large amounts of the original image are missing. This is very obvious as characters constantly vanish off the sides of the screen or are cropped in half. Additionally, and again compared to the crisp, sharp trailer, colours are washed out, while the mono sound distorts whenever the music gets loud. The film is available in Mandarin with optional English subtitles, or in an awful English dub littered with inappropriate obscene language. There is a nine-minute interview with Leung Kar Yan, and a 23-minute interview with Yuen Woo Ping, which is a slightly longer version of the conversation presented on the Magnificent Butcher DVD: it's notable how he expresses his love of science fiction and indicates he would like to make a SF Kung-fu movie, something he achieved with The Matrix (1999). There is a Hong Kong Legends' promo for the film, together with seven further new trailers. The photo gallery is pointless, simply cropping some shots even further than the main presentation. --Gary S Dalkin

• The Iron Monkey | DVD | (24/02/2003) from £7.45   |  Saving you £-1.46 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A young gambler going by the nickname of Iron Monkey seeks vengeance for the massacre of his family...

• Cantonen Iron Kung Fu | DVD | (04/06/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  In the town of Kwangtung a province in the south of China the locals are mainly merchants and laborers with no cause to use their kung fu skills. However unbeknown to them a reclusive local merchant has designs on taking over the town and enlists three kung fu masters from the northern territories to assist him. The local master dies in defending the town however not before passing on his techniques to Liang Kun. The townsfolk dub him 'Iron Bridge Kun' and he is the last hope to

• The Last Hero in China | DVD | (02/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Village girls have been mysteriously going missing. The elders request Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) to investigate. He does not want to get involved but with a plot to kidnap women for the slave trade a temple of corrupt monks and a dragon dance contest of the century Wong Fei Hung soon finds he must fight the battle of his life to save his village and his reputation.

• Inner Senses | DVD | (13/11/2006) from £18.88   |  Saving you £-3.89 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Are you ready to be possessed and believe that ghosts are real? A young woman haunted by fleeting images of ghosts visits a psychologist who tells her that the visions are all in her mind. But when the psychologist starts having the same visions the two begin to unravel a mystery that leads to a forgotten past... This was the final big screen performance from the wonderful Leslie Cheung (1956-2003) who took his own life shortly after the film was released.

• The Postman Fights Back | DVD | (20/08/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  During the Republican Era in China the country became divided by warlords and there was constant bloodshed. Needing able-bodied men to join their factions warlords paid a hefty price. However the one man that they all wanted could not be bought. This action-packed film stars action legend Chow Yun-Fat and is directed by acclaimed helmer Ronny Yu. Fight choreography is by Yuen Chun-yeung action director of 'Charlies Angels'.

• My Life's On The Line | DVD | (29/06/2001) from £4.69   |  Saving you £10.30 (219.62%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Kept in the film archives for over two decades My Life On The Line is finally released for the first time on DVD anywhere in the world. Minute Fong is a ruthless contract killer who dispatches his victims in precisely sixty seconds. Working exclusively for an organisation headed by the Master Chou Jau Tung Fong begins to take on his assignments with reluctance. Realising that Fong's days are numbered Chou hires two new experts to deal with him and his sixty second technique but to no avail. Finally the master takes on Minute Fong is one of the Jade Screen's greatest ever showdowns. See tracing Boxing versus the Rolling Style. This long overdue classic will leave you begging for more!

• Demon Strike | DVD | (22/12/2003) from £11.68   |  Saving you £-5.69 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  A must have for any kung fu fan - watch as Hwang Jang-Lee and Leung Ka Yan battle it out for the first and only time in their prolific careers.

• Heroic Duo | DVD | (04/07/2005) from £18.88   |  Saving you £-3.89 (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Hypnotist Li Shang Zheng (Leon Lai) has been imprisoned following the fallout from an unsettled conflict with the Triads. Once inside Li uses his charismatic hypnotic skills on police inspector Li Wen Jian (Ekin Cheng) who unwittingly begins to engage in criminal activities...

• Last Hero In China | DVD | (02/06/2000) from £10.98   |  Saving you £-3.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £4.99

  In Last Hero in China, Jet Li reprises the role of Wong Fei-hung, a legendary figure in China. Both a doctor and a teacher of martial arts, Wong has just moved his school in Canton, only to discover that the neighbouring house is a brothel. Though Wong's students are delighted and the earnest brothel master only wants to study with him, Wong feels he has lost face. But this becomes the least of his troubles: soon he's fighting a corrupt police chief, a temple of slave-trading monks and a deafness-causing medicine sold to children--and that's just in the first hour. Last Hero in China is a grand melodrama, featuring exaggerated heroes and villains, goofy humour and hyperbolic kung fu action. The plot takes some hard-to-follow turns, but the action is so non-stop it hardly matters. The lion vs centipede dance/fight has to be seen to be believed, to say nothing of the priest with a floating lotus chariot and a flying claw. Jet Li is in fine form, Gordon Liu (as the venal top cop) is maniacal and despicable, and the lovely Cheung Man plays an expert martial artist looking for her kidnapped sister. The character of Wong Fei-hung also appears in the Once Upon a Time in China series (where he was first played by Li) and in Jackie Chan's Drunken Master movies. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

• The Last Hero in China | DVD | (29/08/2002) from £17.96   |  Saving you £-11.97 (-199.80%)   |  RRP £5.99

  In Last Hero in China, Jet Li reprises his role as Wong Fei-Hong, a legendary figure in China. Both a doctor and a teacher of martial arts, Wong has just moved his school in Canton, only to discover that the neighbouring house is a brothel. Though Wong's students are delighted and the earnest brothel master only wants to study with him, Wong feels he has lost face. But this becomes the least of his troubles: soon he's fighting a corrupt police chief, a temple of slave-trading monks, and a deafness-causing medicine sold to children--and that's just in the first hour. Last Hero in China is a grand melodrama, featuring exaggerated heroes and villains, goofy humour and hyperbolic kung fu action. The plot takes some hard-to-follow turns, but the action is so non-stop it hardly matters. The lion vs. centipede dance/fight has to be seen to be believed, to say nothing of the priest with a floating lotus chariot and a flying claw. Jet Li is in fine form, Gordon Liu (as the venal top cop) is maniacal and despicable, and the lovely Cheung Man plays an expert martial artist looking for her kidnapped sister. The character of Wong Fei-Hong also appears in the Once Upon a Time in China series (where he was first played by Li) and in Jackie Chan's Drunken Master movies. --Bret Fetzer

• Mission Kung Fu | DVD | (04/06/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Incredible Kung Fu Mission: Top kicker (John Liu) is hired to train and lead five misfits on a suicidal mission to rescue a revolutionary held in a well guarded fortress run by a deadly white-haired official. Cantonen Iron Kung Fu: Leung Kar Yan plays Ah Tung a coolie who ends up in a brawl with Ah Yu over a misunderstanding. The two become friends but their relationship is cut short when Ah Yu accepts a challenge to fight with several men under the leadership of a ruthless criminal named Black Eagle who are attempting to bully the townsfolk. Moonlight Sword & Jade Lion: Chiu Shioa Yen (Angela Mao) stars in this odd pseudo-mystery as a student sent to find her teacher's brother so she can find out who killed her parents. She must make her way through a web of lies misdirection's and assassination attempts to uncover the truth. Angela Mao the original Deadly China Doll stars in an action packed adventure of rebellions and overthrows during the Sung Dynasty. Yoga And The Kung Fu Girl: The amazing Shien Kwon (soft bone) kung fu which originates with Yoga from India is the main attraction in this terrific actioneer. Phoenix (Phoenix Chen) and Ah-Fei (Chi Kuan Chun) come to a town where Ma the head of a kung fu school frames Ah-Fe for murder. See how a man and a woman who both possess this extraordinary skill counter their foes with this most unique style of kung fu fighting.