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The Chinese Boxer shifted martial arts focus to hand-to-hand combat, laying the groundwork for contemporary movies. Five Fingers of Death was the first international martial arts success, fueled the Kung Fu craze of the 1970s. Enter the Dragon ignited the Kung Fu craze in the 1970s, influencing martial arts cinema's move into the mainstream.

Martial arts movies have captivated audiences for decades through expertly choreographed fight sequences, powerful stories of good versus evil, and shockingly effective action sequences, with a select few being responsible for where the genre stands today. From the United States Kung Fu craze in the 1970s right up until modern times, martial arts movies have stood as some of the most exciting and over-the-top releases seen on the big screen. With massive stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan leaving their mark on martial arts movies, the genre has gone through countless changes over the decades.

Vintage martial arts film fans rejoice as the 70s classic, The Shaolin Plot, is set for a 2K restoration release on Blu-ray. The Mvd Entertainment Group has just released a trailer for Arrow Video’s new physical copy release of the Sammo Hung film. The Shaolin Plot comes from director Huang Feng (director of Lady Whirlwind & When Taekwando Strikes), the father of modern Kung Fu films and a mentor to John Woo (Face/Off) and Stanley Tong (Rumble in the Bronx). The cast features Sammo Hung, James Tien and Cassanova Wong.

The release details read,

“In 1977, fight choreographer Sammo Hung made one last film under his mentor, director Huang Feng before graduating to the director’s chair himself with The Iron-Fisted Monk. That film was the rarely-seen martial arts ensemble thriller The Shaolin Plot, which sees the pair reunite with Hong Kong heavy Chan Sing (New Fist of Fury). Prince...

The trio of Chang Cheh, Ti Lung and David Chiang have given us a number of the most iconic Hk movies, with titles like “Have Sword, Will Travel” , “Dynasty of Blood” and the “One Armed-Swordsman” entries being among the most memorable. “The Heroic Ones” is another movie that feature the three, in a title that is entertaining, but does not reach the levels of the aforementioned titles.

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The story is set in ancient China and is based on historical events, although it moves quite far from historical truth. In the 880s, the Tang dynasty did not have full control of its empire, with Huang Chao and his vast rebel army posing a significant problem, even sizing the national capital Chang'an. Li Keyong, a Shatuo chieftain loyal to the Tang cause, decides to task his 13 generals, essentially all his adopted sons,...

David Chiang was a child actor before he joined the Shaw Brothers Studio as a stuntman and fight instructor; after seeing potential in him, director Chang Chen started to groom him. After the sudden departure of their biggest star, Jimmy Wang Yu, Shaw was looking for a replacement which led to the pairing of Chiang and Ti Lung in films like “Dead End” and “Have Sword, Will Travel” in 1969. However, with “The Wandering Swordsman” Chiang had a chance to shine as a solo leading star without Ti Lung hanging around him.

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The film kicks off with a happy-go-lucky nameless young man (David Chiang) who prefers people to call him the “Wandering Swordsman”, quietly trailing two bandits who plan to rob a rich family. He shows up later and takes the loot from one of them during their getaway and...

Having worked with Bruce Lee on “The Big Boss” and “Fist of Fury” was one of the great achievements in the career of Hong Kong director Lo Wei, as it propelled the actor’s reputation as well as the filmmaker’s. However, while shooting the latter, he also collaborated with one of the future stars of the martial-arts-genre, as Jackie Chan did some of the stunts on “Fist of Fury” and left quite an impression with Wei who followed his career, until he was certain Chan could be the next star on the horizon. Since he also saw something of the charisma and talent of Lee in Chan, it was perhaps logical to make him star in “New Fist of Fury”, a somewhat loose sequel to the 1972 original. While it is not on the same level as the former, it has a few qualities worth mentioning, especially in the second half,...

In the 1970s, the martial-arts-genre lived through one of its most interesting periods, with many directors and therefore features competing for an audience who was eager for stories of fighting Shaolin monks or rebellious students facing a seemingly unbeatable power structure. Among the many names associated with the genre, Huang Feng was one of many directors who delivered what the audience (and therefore the producers) wanted, with his 1977 feature “The Shaolin Plot” arguably being his most notable effort. It is an impressive movie including some great set pieces and fight sequences, while also featuring actors such as Chen Hsieng, James Tien and Sammo Hung, names which have defined the martial-arts-genre during this period.

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During his reign, Prince Daglen (Chen Hsing) has not only developed formidable skills as a fighter, but also a plan to collect every martial-arts-manual of the schools in the country,...

Craig Lines Nov 1, 2017

Every now and then, martial arts movies go, er, a 'little leftfield', Here are some examples...

There are few feelings I enjoy as much as watching a movie that shakes me out of my complacency, wakes me up from my jaded quasi-slumber and makes me go “I’ve not seen that before!” I watch way too many films and it can take a lot to genuinely shock or surprise me, but there are few genres that manage it as often as martial arts.

Now, I appreciate there’s a lot of base level ‘weirdness’ to the genre if you’re not used to it. There’s curious dubbing, an emphasis on physicality over plotting, some eastern cultural touchpoints that baffle unfamiliar western audiences… but fans get used to all that. I’m talking about something slightly different.

To clarify, it might seem strange to new viewers when...

Bi Gan's dreamy, daring debut feature "Kaili Blues" has already racked up a series of film festival accolades since its bow at last year's Locarno Film Festival, including the Fipresci Prize at the Golden Horse Film Festival and the Best Emerging Director prize at Locarno, and now the film is set to screen for a solid week at New York City's own Metrograph theater, where NYC cinephiles will most likely fall in love with a shiny new filmmaking star to watch. Bi's feature weaves together past and present to tell the story of Chen Sheng, who stumbles upon a strange land where it's both then and now, and he's no longer trapped by the confines and expectations of time proper. As Chen embarks on a fated journey that involves a wide assortment of people, he finds himself unable to decide if the world around him is real or a product of some profound dream.

Winner of the Best Emerging Director and Best First Feature at Locarno International Film Festival, Bi Gan‘s Chinese drama Kaili Blues will finally land in U.S. theaters next month thanks to the newly launched Grasshopper Films. Telling the story of a doctor’s journey to find his brother’s abandoned child, it’s been praised for its beautiful cinematography and one can get a glimpse with a new U.S. trailer.

We said in our review from New Directors/New Films this year, “Like Kelly Reichardt or Tsai Ming-Liang, Bi finds a majestic intimacy and wonder in stillness. The camera will often languorously pan in a room, only to settle and observe some small action (e.g. women pouring boiling tea into a small kettle), or, in the most casually surrealistic moment, a projection of an upside-down train that appears to crash through a small apartment like Lumière in miniature.

At its heart, Gan Bi’s Kaili Blues is a meditation on the struggle between traditionalism and modernism. Through the story of one man’s journey through Chinese cities — Kaili to Zhenyuan — Bi focuses on characters who lament the people and ideas that they’ve lost as the world’s changed around them. But this is not just another screed against contemporary life; it finds a cruel beauty and gentle soul in the transition between elemental landscapes and the unfinished, industrialized future. And there’s personal serenity for some of these characters in being able to leave behind their old lives.

The cities of Kaili, Dang Mai, and Zhenyuan don’t look like man-made places as much as the inevitable outgrowth of the land. These places are littered with structures that meld organic and inorganic materials. They’re places of endless anachronisms as metal, earth, and wood glom together into an unholy mess.

http://asianmoviepulse.com/2016/01/40-ti-lung-movies-enjoy-part-12/2/ – Part 1

Ti Lung is known for his awesome catalogue of movies, over the years he was a leading star at The Shaw Brothers Studio and appeared in well over a 100 movies. I have put together a list of movies, which i have enjoyed over the years. *This is not a Top 40 list.

21.Anonymous Heroes (1971)

Cast:David Chiang, Cheng Li, Cheng Miu, Wong Chung

Director:Chang Cheh

Fight Choreographer:Lau Kar Leung, Tong Gaai

22.All Men Are Brothers (1975)

Cast:Chen Kuan Tai, David Chiang, Wong Chung, Bolo Yeung, Danny Lee, Ku Feng

Director:Chang Cheh, Wu Ma

Fight Choreographer:Tong Gaai, Lau Kar Leung, Lau Kar Wing, Chan Chuen

23.Clans Of Intrigue (1977)

Cast:Yueh Hua, Li Ching, Nora Miao, Ku Feng

Director:Chu Yuan

Fight Choreographer:Wong Pau Gei, Tong Gaai

24.Heroic Ones (1970)

Cast:David Chiang, Lily Li, Chan Sing, Chan Chuen, Ku Feng, Bolo Yeung

Director:Chang Cheh

Fight Choreographer:Lau Kar Wing,...

Ti Lung is known for his awesome catalogue of movies, over the years he was a leading star at The Shaw Brothers Studio and appeared in well over a 100 movies. I have put together a list of movies, which i have enjoyed over the years. *This is not a Top 40 list.

1.Have Sword, Will Travel (1969)

Cast:David Chiang, Li Ching, Ku Feng, Cheng Miu,

Director:Chang Cheh

Fight Choreographer:Tong Gaai, Yuen Cheung Yan

 

2.The Duel (1971)

Cast:David Chiang, Yeung Chi Hing, Yue Wai, Ku Feng

Director:Chang Cheh

Fight Choreographer:Tong Gaai, Yuen Cheung Yan

 

3.Blood Brothers (1973)

Cast:Chen Kuan Tai, David Chiang, Cheng Li, Cheng Miu, Tin Ching

Director:Chang Cheh

Fight Choreographer:Lau Kar Leung, Tong Gaai

 

4.The Sentimental Swordsman (1977)

Cast:Cheng Li, Yueh Hua, Derek Yee, Ku Feng, Fan Mei Sheng

Director:Chu Yuan

Fight Choreographer:Tong Gaai, Wong Pau Gei

 

5.The Retuen of The Sentimental Swordsman (1981)

Cast:Fu Sheng, Derek Yee,...

When I think of Wu Xia movies, I immediately think of Shaw Brothers and the many classic they have made over the years. What I love about this genre is many things, the Swordplay, The Characters, Story lines, Setting, Costumes and much more.

Wu Xia, traditionally is a form of literature. But after high demand over the years it’s become involoved in many art forms such as Movies, Opera, Video Games and beyond. This list of 30 Wu Xia movies listed, i hope you’ll like and want to thank my friend Richard Robinson for contributing to the list. If we missed any classics out, its most probably because we honestly forgot at that time or maybe we haven’t seen all the classic Wu Xia movies so far, anyway enjoy the list and let us know what you thought in the commen box at the bottom.

1.Have Sword Will Travel (1969)

Cast: David Chiang,...

Newsroom (Real and Algerian): Malek Bensmail’s Checks and BalancesOn the eve of the general election for President of the Algerian Republic in 2014, Algerian filmmaker Malek Bensmail set off to Algiers to document the campaign that will eventually lead to the 4th mandate of Abdelaziz Bouteflika. As he did in 2004 for his Le grand jeu, Bensmail uses documentary cinema to examine the struggle of his country to conquer real democracy, come out of an infernal cycle of political crisis and civil conflicts, and to break with the "old ways" (structured by corruption, confiscation of power by a caste and the lack of a modern project).In 2004, Bouteflika campaigned for his second mandate and Bensmail was in the "war room," examining the mechanisms of control and corruption under the mask of a civilian regime. This time, the campaign is seen from the offices of the most important and respected independent French-speaking daily,...

When it comes to making features like this one, i love the idea of coming up with my own personal “100 Great Kung Fu Movies” of all time. It is tough choosing just 100 because you know there are many more great Kung Fu movies that are not on the list.

I understand everyone will have their own personal favorites and some may not agree with my list and that’s fine because it’s nice to have different opinions on this genre which keeps it fresh and alive when having good debates.

Anyway, thank you for taking time to have a look at my 100 Great Kung Fu movie list and feel free to add any movies in the comment box if they don’t make my list (I have probably forgotten many movies).

Number 1 is based on the choreography and overall movie which to me is a prime example of of...

When it comes to making features like this one, i love the idea of coming up with my own personal “100 Great Kung Fu Movies” of all time. It is tough choosing just 100 because you know there are many more great Kung Fu movies that are not on the list.

I have decided that to make the list, a movie must have a few hand to hand moments during fight scenes in the movies chosen. If for example its mainly sword play with one fight scene hand to hand it won’t make the list. Its old school “style” Kung Fu movies, not modern day settings.

I understand everyone will have their own personal favorites and some may not agree with my list and that’s fine because it’s nice to have different opinions on this genre which keeps it fresh and alive when having good debates.

Anyway, thank you...

When it comes to making features like this one, i love the idea of coming up with my own personal “100 Great Kung Fu Movies” of all time. It is tough choosing just 100 because you know there are many more great Kung Fu movies that are not on the list.

I have decided that to make the list, a movie must have a few hand to hand moments during fight scenes in the movies chosen. If for example its mainly sword play with one fight scene hand to hand it won’t make the list. Its old school “style” Kung Fu movies, not modern day settings.

I understand everyone will have their own personal favorites and some may not agree with my list and that’s fine because it’s nice to have different opinions on this genre which keeps it fresh and alive when having good debates.

Anyway, thank you...

When it comes to making features like this one, i love the idea of coming up with my own personal “100 Great Kung Fu Movies” of all time. It is tough choosing just 100 because you know there are many more great Kung Fu movies that are not on the list.

I have decided that to make the list, a movie must have a few hand to hand fight scenes in the movies chosen. If for example its mainly sword play with one fight scene hand to hand it won’t make the list. Its old school “style” Kung Fu movies, not modern day settings.

I understand everyone will have their own personal favorites and some may not agree with my list and that’s fine because it’s nice to have different opinions on this genre which keeps it fresh and alive when having good debates.

Anyway, thank you for taking...

Sammo Hung is one of the greatest Screen Fighters, Directors and Choreographers in Martial Arts cinema history. Started his early career as an extra in Shaw Brothers productions, then became of fight choreographer on a few of there movies.

It was when he started his career with Raymond Chow at Golden harvest Studios, that Sammo started to show what he could do in terms of action in-front and behind the camera. Sammo Hung has made some of the finest movies of all time and also bringing us some incredible talent such as Yuen Biao, Angela Mao, Lam Ching Ying, Michelle Yeoh and many more.

This is a list of 30 Sammo Hung movies you should check out, this list is also for new fans of the genre. So i hope you enjoy the list and i also mention some other Sammo Hung movies at the end of the page.

1.Hapkido (1972)

Director:...

Like millions of you around the world, i love Kung Fu movies. It is the only real genre that keeps me going back for more and that is why i will always love Kung Fu movies.

I know many of you have probably seen many of the movies i will post about, but this is also for anyone new to the genre of Kung Fu and even Swordplay and looking for other movies to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the movies i have listed and please feel free to comment about any of the movies.

1.Heroes Two (1974)

Director: Chang Cheh

Cast: Fu Sheng, Chen Kuan Tai, Bruce Tong, Wong Ching, Fong Sam, Fung Hak On, Lau Kar Wing

Fight Choreographer(s): Tong Gaai, Lau Kar Leung

Studio: Shaw Brothers

2.Shaolin Plot (1977)

Director: Huang Feng

Cast: James Tien, Chan Sing, Casanova Wong, Sammo Hung

Fight Choreographer(s): Sammo Hung...

Like millions of you around the world, i love Kung Fu movies. It is the only real genre that keeps me going back for more and that is why i will always love Kung Fu movies.

I know many of you have probably seen many of the movies i will post about, but this is also for anyone new to the genre of Kung Fu and even Swordplay and looking for other movies to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the movies i have listed and please feel free to comment about any of the movies.

1.Hell’s Wind Staff (1979)

Director: Tony Wong Yuk Long, Tony Liu Jun Guk

Cast: Hwang Jang Lee, Meng Hoi, Meng Yuen Man, Jason Pai Piao

Fight Choreographers(s): Corey Yuen, Chin Yuet Sang, Hsu Hsia, Yuen Shun Yee

Studio: Yuk Long Movies

2.Incredible Kung Fu Master (1979)

Director: Cheung Tung Cho

Cast: Sammo Hung, Tung Wei,...

Shout! Factory has announced that they will release a special DVD collection dedicated to Angela Mao Ying, one of the most well known martial art actress.

Angela Mao Ying was born in 1950 in Taiwan and during her career she had trained in hapkido, wushu, taekwondo and other forms of martial arts. She debuted in 1969 but it wasn’t until the mid seventies that she started to get international recognition. She started in more than 35 films and became one of the most celebrated martial art heroines of Hong Kong cinema.

The 3 disc collection with widescreen format, contain six of the most well know films started by Ying. The films included are: When Taekwondo Strikes (1973), Stoner (1974), The Tournament (1974), Queen´s Ransom (1976), The Himalayan (1976) and Broken Oath (1977).

This kick ass must-have DVD collection will be in stores everywhere on June 17 (2014), but you can make a pre-order on ShoutFactory.com or into Amazon.com...

This is a run down of my Top 40 kung fu movies of the 1970′s. There were so many great films in this era, that i just hope i do this list some justice. The movies chosen are just my personal choice, i understand others might have different views.

Any of the movies that make the Top 40 list must have something special to make it in the first place. So i hope you enjoy my Top 40 Kung Fu movies.

30:Iron Fisted Monk

Starring: Sammo Hung, Fung Hak On, Chan Sing, James Tien

The Husker has a heart of gold although he is full of tricks. When he is a trainee at Shaolin Temple, he cuts so many corners and devises so many labor-saving ploys that he earns the open wrath and secret admiration of his holy elders. Monk Shan, the famous kung fu master, never lets his buddhist association stand in the way of wining,...

Crux has been a Very busy busy girl...so I haven't had a chance to really sit down and write out posts, but I'm really going to try to fix that, which is a pretty good reason why I'm sitting here and typing. Genius, isn't it?

Despite life doing what life does, whisking you off in a barrage of waves(surfboard optional), I've still been trying to keep up with news and, of course, playing games when I can. So what has this gamer been up to(other than cursing out the Playstation Network outage)?

We've had an amazing gaming year so far, and it's not even half over yet! And even as new games come out, I've been finding myself finally able to play some older games, or replay some favorites. It just goes to show you, even when you have something shiny and new, sometimes you gotta sit...

Chennai, Jan 8 (Ians) Kids in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh Friday got one more choice of television (TV) channel to watch. The Walt Disney Company (India) Pvt Ltd launched the Tamil and Telugu feed for its Hungama TV.

‘The Hungama TV, a pay channel, is for children in the age group 4-14 years with fun as the fundamental theme in all its programmes,’ Venugopal Iyengar, associate director-Marketing, told reporters here Friday.

Three of the top five shows for kids namely Doraemon, Shin Chan and Kiteretsu.