Electric Shadows
Jean Lukitsh explores the history of Hong Kong’s enduring martial arts cinema from early black and white Cantonese-language kung fu and wuxia films of the 1940s and ’50s through the golden age of the genre in the 1960s and ’70s.
Glorious Grindhouse: The films of Sun Chung
Love them or hate them, exploitation films have a long if not entirely respectable history. The bad ones are so poorly conceived and made as to…
Bad to the Bone, Part 2: Chan Wai-man
There are a lot of stories about Chan Wai-man. They say he was a real gangster, a Triad insider, long before he became an actor. That…
Hong Kong Godfather (1985)
7/10 – Last week I wrote about Shaw Brothers movie villain Johnny Wang Lung-wei. Back when I used to work as a projectionist at the Star and…
Bad to the Bone, Part 1: Johnny Wang Lung-wei
Heroes are important, but sometimes what really makes a great kung fu movie is the villain. From Shek Kin’s sneering, leering wuxia baddies to Sammo Hung’s…
A Tribute to Action Choreographers
Three years ago, I heard about an event that caused me to seriously consider dropping everything and jumping on a plane to Hong Kong, cost be…
Kung Fu Divas: Law Yim-hing and Yam Yin
Hong Kong action cinema really took off in the years following World War II, when the success of THE STORY OF WONG FEI-HUNG (1949), directed by…
In Memoriam: Shek Kin 1913-2009
One of the giants of kung fu cinema has passed away. Shek Kin’s career encompassed nearly 600 films over five decades, and the overwhelming majority of…
The man who was Fong Sai-yuk: Early kung fu actor Sek Yin-tsi (1920-1986)
Even before Jet Li took on the role of legendary fighter Fong Sai-yuk back in 1993, Hong Kong filmgoers had already seen plenty of movies about…
‘One-Armed Magic Nun’ – Chan Lit-bun and the ‘Mad Diva’ of wuxia
At the beginning of the 1960s, Cantonese swordplay movies were a fixture at the Hong Kong box office. Actors like Yu So-chow, Walter Tso, and Shek Kin cranked out low budget martial arts films at an unbelievably hectic pace.
From the Vault: Interview with Gordon Liu
One of the most exciting yearly events for kung fu fans in the Northeastern US is Master Hu Jianqiang’s annual tournament and demo, sponsored by his…
Family Affair: Fung Hak-on, Fung Fung, and Fung Bo-bo
I was watching the Dragon Dynasty release LAST HURRAH FOR CHIVALRY (1977) recently, with its special feature of an interview with the under-appreciated actor and action director…
Hong Kong Cinema celebrates 100th Birthday!
It depends on who you talk to, but by some accounts, Hong Kong is celebrating its first century of filmmaking this year. The earliest recorded “made-in-Hong…
Life During Wartime: Chinese Patriotic Films of WWII
Donnie Yen’s newest kung fu movie, IP MAN, was a huge popular success in China earlier this year, despite a rather grim tone to the story.…
The Tai Chi Choreography of Yuen Woo-ping, Part 2
“Soft” or “internal” fighting styles in the Chinese martial arts tradition have acquired a mystique among kung fu fans. How can softness be powerful? It’s difficult…
The Tai Chi Choreography of Yuen Woo-ping, Part 1
The fighting art of tai chi chuan, much like grappling and wing chun, is hard to adapt for screen choreography. All of these arts depend for…
Dressed to Kill, Part 2: The Action Films of Lily Ho
Until her stunning turn in INTIMATE CONFESSIONS OF A CHINESE COURTESAN, the Shaw Brothers studio never seemed to know exactly what to do with actress Lily…
GIVEAWAY: ‘Samurai Princess’ DVD from Well Go USA
Warner Bros. Japan to adapt 47 Ronin
Production begins on John Woo’s ‘Rain of Swords’ with Michelle Yeoh
John Woo introduces ‘Red Cliff’
Kane Kosugi and ‘City of Violence’ duo are ‘Timeless’
Former kung fu starlet Kara Hui talks
First look at ‘Ip Man 2′
First look at MMA actioner ‘Circle of Pain’
‘Chyna’ joins ‘Kung Fu Hero’ cast
Jay Chou’s ‘The Treasure Hunter’ preview