Really well produced Shaw Brothers spy flick, with lots of great sets and lighting throughout. It got me to care about Ruyu, so by the time she falls victim to a wicked man’s schemes, I desperately wanted her to make it out safe and sound. There are a lot of movies and characters I wanted to talk about but because this is a more focused list, I decided to establish some criteria for selection. Draped in his purple robes, Zhou might seem a fiendish schemer rather than an arch-enemy, but in the finale he shows that he very much has the fighting chops to compete with the best; the way he disarms Fu Sheng’s Gao and his allies is mightily impressive. His role in, was definitely worthy of inclusion (and his performance as Pai Mei is worthy of any list). While many of its cinematic descendants, like Yang Chuan’s. Weekend Spotlight Why the Shaw Bros. Movies Are Awesome. Right from the beginning locals mistake her for a spirit. Cipher is a powerful mastermind who manages to corrupt Dominic Toretto into betraying his family and working for her by kidnapping his former love interest, Elena Neves, and their son, Brian Marcus (which Dom never knew about). It starts out with a scholar named Lang Yu Zhu (Yang Li-Hua) forced to live in haunted house after he loses his home. Beneath the long-flowing hair, Chien Mi is a cruel sorcerer willing to inflict harm to further his own worldly gains. It is the kind of movie one half-expect to reveal mundane explanations for seemingly supernatural developments. What often draws a viewer into the world of a Wuxia film is not so much the plot – as long as it is suitably insane, we’re happy – or the hero or heroine. After sending Dom across the world to steal and deliver several items for her, she is eventually betrayed by him. But it isn’t until she drowns herself that that the supernatural truly takes hold. Shaw Brothers (Hong Kong) Ltd. Shaw Bros. Years ago, he lost a duel to an arrogant swordsman who scarred his face and took the woman he loved. Taken in by this cunning villain, then poisoned by his wife so she loses her hair and beauty, she drowns herself in a pond and rises as a vengeful spirit. A scrawny madman armed with serpents and lizards, he vents his anger at society through the fangs of his pets. This is not a movie for everyone. After the transformation, she haunts the people who wronged her and brings justice to a brutal conclusion. It follows the daily life of Zhi Hong (Kam Kwok-Leung), from his failed ventures into love and his disastrous run as a delivery man. Naturally this kind of malevolence has certain consequences and when former Eagle Chi Ming Sing, conscience finally twinged by all of the killing, comes back for revenge, Yoh’s advancing years catch up with him. These appear in chronological order of release. The eldest brother of Owen and Hattie Shaw, Deckard grew up with them together and was close to both of his siblings. In style, it falls somewhere between, This error message is only visible to WordPress admins, From Wuxia to Bashers, Epics to Gimmicks: Top 15 Chang Cheh Films. Nevertheless, few images are as powerful in Shaw Brothers’ wuxia cinema as Yoh Xi-Hung, arms outstretched, gauntlets on, bearing down on the camera. Killer snakes is scary in a way that so many 70s horror films are; it is a gritty and gruesome presentation of human evil. , Chao Chun Fang, is remarkably suited to October. One of them, however, was hired to act as a combatant between two clans of Chinese martial artists. Yee revels in his opportunity to play against type as a master manipulator and Machiavellian super-villain who pits two clans against each other with little thought about the fall-out. While many of its cinematic descendants, like Yang Chuan’s Seeding of a Ghost, are more extreme, Black Magic still packs a lot of stomach churning parasites and gore. Directed by Sun Chung, Human Lanterns is a blend of wuxia and horror. Halloween Top 5: Bloodiest Shaw Brothers ‘Venoms’ Films. He is an unnerving villain because, in any other movie, we’d be rooting for him to succeed. A huge list of stars careers began at this studio. Early in the movie Ruyu is regularly mistaken for a ghost and eventually gets kidnapped by an enemy of her husband. Bathed in colour, populated by galactic-sized super characters who are so flamboyant that they make Western superheroes look like food health inspectors, Wuxia films are a portal to a bizarre interpretation of the Martial World. Cast Beaten, robbed, bullied and humiliated, he nurses a bed of wounded cobras to health who return his kindness by envenoming his enemies. A scrawny madman armed with serpents and lizards, he vents his anger at society through the fangs of his pets. On Diabolique: My three-part article, “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio,” examines A Chinese Ghost Story, the original story by Pu Songling, and the Shaw Brothers’ Enchanting Shadow. Still I think it is the story and its two chief villains (Chian Mi and Mrs. Luo) that really carry it. Despite both Shaw brothers joining up with Dom in order to take down … The main character, Master Lung (Lau Wing), is arrogant and treats people like means to an end. At the beginning of. It was hard not to include him on this list twice. A much less flamboyant villain than the aforementioned, but a perfect example of a shrouded wuxia villain who operates in the shadows. Legendary director Chang Cheh made close to 100 films for Shaw Brothers Studios and is without a doubt it's most prolific director. When the wealthy and amorous Mrs. Luo (Tanny Tien) sets her sights on Xu Nuo (Ti Lung), she recruits Shan Chien Mi (Ku Feng), a practitioner of black magic, to compel his affection. ‘The Brave Archer’ films are huge ensemble films that try to condense Louis Cha’s vast ‘Legend of the Condor Heroes’ story into just a few hundred minutes and perhaps, to some, Wang Lung Wei’s turn as the fearsome is Ouyang Feng can be somewhat overlooked. Zhi Hong is both protagonist and villain. is a classic horror story, with an old-school feel, directed by Chou Hsu-Chiang. Its gorgeous fog-filled sets give the movie a fitting mood. Despite the orgies of violence and sex in his movies, Kuei Chih-Hung brings atmosphere and an expert-hand. Early in the movie Ruyu is regularly mistaken for a ghost and eventually gets kidnapped by an enemy of her husband. It was hard not to include him on this list twice. If you’ve ever watched a Shaw Brothers kung fu film and found yourself thinking: “This flick is good and all, but what it REALLY needs is a bunch of blood-drinking, Satan-worshiping, mask-wearing villains and a whole lot more violence,” then Masked Avengers is the movie for you. Armed with a skull-mask and bear-like claws, he employs an animalistic of Kung Fu to work around his foe’s sword skill and make lanterns from human skin. The Official Channel of Celestial Pictures' Shaw Brothers Universe Film Library. Brixton Lore is the first genuinely superhuman villain in the Fast and the Furious franchise. None of the three main leads could be described as heroic. There he meets, Ruyu (Chang Mei-Yao), whom he marries. Shaw Bros. In the … It is the kind of movie one half-expect to reveal mundane explanations for seemingly supernatural developments. Armed with a skull-mask and bear-like claws, he employs an animalistic of Kung Fu to work around his foe’s sword skill and make lanterns from human skin. Since leaving Shaw Brothers, Lo has done a … Like many on this list, he wants revenge. A villain with a throat-wobbling laugh, insane powers and a suitably flamboyant environment from which to operate from is so often what makes a pedestrian swordplay movie into something memorable. Watch Killer Snakes with Prime Video: http://amzn.to/2fYcmuO. is a blend of wuxia and horror. When she becomes a ghost, it is both heartbreaking and horrifying. He’d be the downtrodden hero. What I think makes the movie work is its pace. If you’ve ever watched a Shaw Brothers kung fu film and found yourself thinking: “This flick is good and all, but what it REALLY needs is a bunch of blood-drinking, Satan-worshiping, mask-wearing villains and a whole lot more violence,” then Masked Avengers is the movie for you. For sheer eye-watering wickedness and general demeanour, Yoh Xi-Hung, played in the classic ‘Avenging Eagle’ by Ku Feng, is impossible to ignore. Follow them on Twitter. When the wealthy and amorous Mrs. Luo (Tanny Tien) sets her sights on Xu Nuo (Ti Lung), she recruits Shan Chien Mi (Ku Feng), a practitioner of black magic, to compel his affection. With very little conscience, Yoh is an equal rights killer and builds his empire on snuffing out threats of all kinds, regardless of age or gender. The whole time you are waiting for her to be revealed as a ghost. Still I think it is the story and its two chief villains (Chian Mi and Mrs. Luo) that really carry it. The Venom Mob is the colloquial title of a group of actors from the Shaw Brothers Studio, popular creators of martial arts films in the 1970s and 1980s. If you are looking for something on the spooky side, this is a great selection of madmen and vengeful spirits to watch during October. He taught Owen that a man must have a code to live by. It has been released in North America as Mortal Combat and Return of the 5 Deadly Venoms. Kuei Chih-Hung films can be graphic and intense, and I decided to pick a movie from his catalog that seemed like an accurate representation of that. But it isn’t until she drowns herself that that the supernatural truly takes hold. Ouyang Feng is nearly unequalled in the martial world in terms of sheer power and ambition, but as you might expect it is the latter that begins his downfall. She also creates illusions to disorient her foes, tricking them into killing their loved ones with their own hands. Shaw Brothers films are not exactly at the top of many film buffs’ watching list. My initial list looked quite different. Chu Ying and Xu Nuo’s friends find a priest of their own to battle Chien Mi’s charms, and a spiritual battle ensues between them. It starts out with a scholar named Lang Yu Zhu (Yang Li-Hua) forced to live in haunted house after he loses his home. While literature was the first home of Wuxia, cinema has added another layer of intensity to the genre and the Shaw Brothers’ studio of the late 60s to early 80s was the undisputed home of the tales of luminaries like Louis Cha and Gu Long. He’d be the downtrodden hero. Two great and slightly melancholic wuxia films are ‘The Sentimental Swordsman’ and its official sequel. Killer snakes is scary in a way that so many 70s horror films are; it is a gritty and gruesome presentation of human evil. HONG KONG –- Celestial Pictures charges into the gaming business with … Now he works as a lantern maker and has been patiently crafting a plan to take away everything he can from the swordsman: his wealth, his reputation, his wife, his courtesan and even his enemy. On Diabolique: My three-part article, “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio,” examines A Chinese Ghost Story, one of the iconic films of the Hong Kong New Wave; including a look at the original story by Ming Dynasty-era writer Pu Songling and the Shaw Brothers’ Enchanting Shadow, an early adaptation of the same ghostly tale.. Especially the pre-Venom Mob films. Dugu Wu Di from the two Bastard Swordsman films is one such phenomenon. Shui Tianjiao is a ferocious blood-sucking ghost with a talent for swordplay and murder. With that in mind, it’s fitting that we take a look at five notable villains from that most febrile of genres. The effects, particularly for the time the film was made, are quite effective and menacing once Ruyu becomes a ghost. By Matt L. Reifschneider of Blood Brothers Film Reviews In terms of Shaw Brothers films, The Dragon Missile is about as straightforward as it gets and, for better or worse, it doesn’t necessarily strike out as particularly top notch in any of the genre categories. Shui Tianjiao (Bonnie Ngai Chau-Wah) is a vicious and cruel ghost at the heart of a strange martial arts film, from an unusual era of movie making. His role in Web of Death was definitely worthy of inclusion (and his performance as Pai Mei is worthy of any list). In the end, the Toad is killed but the Lizard and the student are able to prevail against the three evil members. You can read many of his reviews at the Bedrock Blog or watch his videos on YouTube. 105 minutes: Country: Hong Kong: Language: Mandarin: The Proud Twins is a 1979 Hong Kong film adapted from Gu Long's novel Juedai Shuangjiao.The film was directed by Chor Yuen, produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, and starred Alexander Fu and Ng Wai-kwok as the lead characters.. But Chao Chun Fang manages to be quite frightening without the aid of demons or spirits. This is a well-drawn and believable villain, whose excesses will turn off some viewers. Yet Wang Lung Wei imbues the character with such gravitas that each scene he appears in feels as if its spilling out of the frame. For a handful of gold he can captivate someone’s love, but he will just as easily use his magic to kill. Taken in by this cunning villain, then poisoned by his wife so she loses her hair and beauty, she drowns herself in a pond and rises as a vengeful spirit. The main character, Master Lung (Lau Wing), is arrogant and treats people like means to an end. Although he leaves much of the unbridled madness and wanton slaughter to his trained underlings, the 13 Eagles, he quickly puts on his iron talon gauntlets when the need arises and ruthless dispatches anyone who dares oppose him. None other spring to mind quite like the Taoist priest Pai Mei (white eyebrow). Chu Ying and Xu Nuo’s friends find a priest of their own to battle Chien Mi’s charms, and a spiritual battle ensues between them. Lau Wing plays him brilliantly though and despite his shortcomings, we are willing, even eager, to follow him as he battles wits with the equally distasteful Master Tan (Chen Kuan-Tai) and is pitted against Lo Lieh’s menacing and invincible, Chao Chun Fang. Still I think it is the story and its two chief villains (Chian Mi and Mrs. Luo) that really carry it. A mere mortal with no ghostly powers, she has no means of defending herself and falls victim to his violent advances. Heroes are ice-cool, villains are hubristically megalomaniacal and the land around these figures is peopled by eccentrics and vast clans whose byzantine rules and regulations make the viewers’ head spin. Betrayed by her lover 18 years ago, she returns for vengeance against the entire martial world. It slips slowly into the supernatural, and most of the film is devoted to building the relationships between the characters. One of the things I love about The Enchanting Ghost is how you never quite know when the horror begins. The Supreme Swordsman starts off like a strong and classic wuxia with big dramatic pieces and plentiful sword fights, defining many of the characters (including the villain which it spends quite a bit of time developing) and limiting the fantastic elements. It would be very easy to load this list up with characters from Kuei Chih-Hung films, for example, but I wanted a list that reflected different approaches to horror. Thankfully the first on our list is such a figure, a man who brings single-minded obsession with ruling the martial world to incredible new heights. Directed by horror great Kuei Chih-Hung, Killer Snakes was released in 1974. You know it is coming at some point, and the film does a wonderful job keeping you guessing. It verges on the fantastic at times, like a lot of later Shaw Brothers films, and fully embraces its magical conceits. Review by Jay H ★★★½ Very amusing buddy team up with Ti Lung, Lau Wing and Lo Lieh as they unravel a mystery and seek revenge for the death of a famous hero in the martial world. It verges on the fantastic at times, like a lot of later Shaw Brothers films, and fully embraces its magical conceits. A mere mortal with no ghostly powers, she has no means of defending herself and falls victim to his violent advances. Executioners from Shaolin highlights the evil brilliance that is Pai Mei (as played by the legend Lo Lieh). 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