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It takes a lot for a cinematic creative to do multiple jobs on one production. Many directors work closely with their actors over many years, building a rapport, maybe even a second language that allows them to develop and improve with each new work. It's tough to get closer than an actor and director being the same person, however, and a rare case across Asian cinema. Nevertheless, there are directors out there who have proven to be a cut above the rest by turning the camera on themselves and expanding their range in the process. Here are ten of the most striking self-directed performances Asian cinema has to offer.

1. Bruce Lee

Action stars don't get much more iconic than Bruce Lee, the Hong Kong superstar taken far too soon at the age of 32 and the height of his powers. His sole directorial effort is “The Way of the Dragon”, a...

Bruce Lee is getting the Criterion treatment in an amazing new 7-disc set that will include 5 of the Kung Fu master's best movies of all time. Criterion announced that this exciting set will be coming to retail shops and online retailers this summer.

"The Criterion Collection couldn't be more excited to announce our tribute to the life and work of the iconic Bruce Lee with five dazzling, action-packed kung-fu landmarks starring the international martial-arts legend."

Capturing Lee at the height of his artistry and superstardom, this seven-disc Blu-ray box set is loaded with special features, including alternate versions of the films, interviews with Lee's collaborators and admirers, documentaries about his life and philosophies, commentaries, promotional materials, and so much more!

Coming this July, Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits is a collection of high-flying classics from the ultimate fighter, whose unmatched persona and influence in cinema live on.

In the early 1970s,...

If your only introduction to the work of Bruce Lee was a certain summer tentpole last year, The Criterion Collection is here to change that. This summer, they will be releasing a box set of five of his greatest kung-fu actioners, spread across seven beautiful discs with a plethora of special features.

Officially titled Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits, it includes the best of the martial arts legend’s 1970s work, including 4K digital restorations of The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Game of Death, and The Way of the Dragon, along with a new 2K digital restoration of the rarely-seen 99-minute 1973 theatrical version of Enter the Dragon and the 102-minute “special-edition” version.

All in all, it’s the perfect tribute to the man who would’ve turned 80 this year, but sadly left us far too soon at 32. See the trailer, full list of special features, and cover art below.

An independent kung-fu spaghetti western, and the cowboy is Christian Bachini, a 25-year-old Italian actor who came to Shanghai to become an action star!? Yeah ok that got our attention. Now here’s the press release….Mk Media Productions' motion picture Shangdown: The Way Of The Spur debuted today. Shangdown: The Way Of The Spur, starring Christian Bachini and The Way Of The Dragon's famous villain Jon T. Benn, and directed by Jakob Montrasio, pays homage to the violent and gritty Spaghetti Western genre while adding an Asian twist. The movie follows Italian cowboy and martial artist Guerino (Christian Bachini) as he searches for his missing sister in a culturally alien Shanghai. With the help of Jiekai (Daddy Chang), a Chinese man whose girlfriend has also gone missing, Guerino wages a one-man war against Shanghai’s biggest crime lord and his multitude of goons, following his one and only...

An independent kung-fu spaghetti western, and the cowboy is Christian Bachini, a 25-year-old Italian actor who came to Shanghai to become an action star!? Yeah ok that got our attention. Now here’s the press release….Mk Media Productions' motion picture Shangdown: The Way Of The Spur debuted today. Shangdown: The Way Of The Spur, starring Christian Bachini and The Way Of The Dragon's famous villain Jon T. Benn, and directed by Jakob Montrasio, pays homage to the violent and gritty Spaghetti Western genre while adding an Asian twist. The movie follows Italian cowboy and martial artist Guerino (Christian Bachini) as he searches for his missing sister in a culturally alien Shanghai. With the help of Jiekai (Daddy Chang), a Chinese man whose girlfriend has also gone missing, Guerino wages a one-man war against Shanghai’s biggest crime lord and his multitude of goons, following his one and only...