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In Kill Bill 2, we get the modern reimagining of one of martial arts cinema more iconic characters – Pai Mei, the white eyebrowed monk. It’s the standout section in what was for this reviewer an awful movie. The casting of Gordon Liu who played Pai Mei’s nemesis across the two original Shaw Brothers movies as Pai Mei himself was a nice touch. Having not watched the originals in some time, I was presented with the opportunity to rewatch “Clan of the White Lotus” on blu ray after a new release in the UK. So after stroking my beard and letting loose an evil cackle, it’s time to see if it stands up today after 40 years.

The movie starts with a prologue as Hung Wen-ting (Gordon Liu) and his martial arts brother defeat the traitorous White Eyebrow monk using their combined techniques, locating his fatal pressure point.

A tradition going back centuries, countless stories of objects, most notably books and other dark tomes, have been claimed to be made of human skin, a practice that was reportedly accomplished by Ed Gein who made a lampshade of human skin. However, the real-life inspirations for such gruesome antics might not have been at the center of planning for this gruesome kung-fu/horror hybrid from the Shaw Brothers.

Attending a famous celebration in the town, Lung and his wife Jin are shocked when village head Tan uses the opportunity to embarrass him. After introducing the prostitute Yen-chu which Lung had an affair with, he vows to get his revenge at the village’s local lantern-making contest. His rage at winning, forces him to turn to old rival Chun-fang for help in crafting the perfect lantern. While Lung and Tan continue their feud against each other, a series...

Continuing a summer of extraordinary Asian cinema programming in New York City, which has seen over the past two months retrospectives on Sylvia Chang and Chang Cheh, the New York Asian Film Festival and the upcoming Japan Cuts, comes a retrospective starting July 5th at the Museum of Modern Art on the films of Lau Kar-leung. A choreographer, actor, and director, Lau was the central figure in the Golden Age of martial arts cinema, a period which began in 1967 with the break-out success of The One-Armed Swordsman, reached its classical perfection with 1978’s The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and came to an end in 1994 with Drunken Master II. That Lau choreographed the former and directed the latter two is no coincidence. It was his commitment to verisimilitude in stunt choreography, in training the actors under his command, from the biggest stars to the most minor extras, in traditional kung fu fighting styles,...

Before Hugh Jackman's Wolverine takes one last "hurrah" on the big screen next year, check out his collection of Funko Pop! figures, Dorbz, and keychains. Also: cover art and details on the new graphic novel edition of Officer Downe, a look at Jeaux Janovsky's Inktober cartoons, details on the Stern Pinball digital arcade, info on El Rey's "Way of the Turkey" marathon, and two clips from Maker Studios' revamped Polaris YouTube Channel.

Images and Release Details for Funko's Logan Collectibles: From Collector Corps via Funko: “He’s the best at what he does, but what he does isn’t very nice!

The adamantium-filled, self-healing superhero Wolverine is getting an all-new Funko treatment!

Collect Wolverine and his retractable claws as Pop!s, Dorbz, and a Pocket Pop! Keychain!

Be sure to look for exclusive figures! Collect the Logan tank top.

Pop! and Dorbz only at Hot Topic, and Weapon X Wolverine Pop!

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. Part 1-9 also on the website to check out.

1.Boxer From Shantung (1972)

Studio: Shaw Brothers

Director: Chang Cheh, Pao Hsueh Lieh

Cast: Chen Kuan Tai, David Chiang, Cheng Li, Cheng Hong Yip, Ku Feng

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

 

2.Once Upon A Time In China II (1992)

Studio: Film Workshop,...

In the midst of insane fight sequences and impossible violence, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill gave me a moment of pause. In the second part of the movie, The Bride (Uma Thurman) finally confronts Bill (David Carradine), and ultimately dispatches him with a secret technique from their old master Pai Mei (Gordon Liu) known as the five-point-palm exploding heart technique. This closely-held secret move uses pressure points on a man’s chest that will stress the heart to a point that the victim can only travel five steps before his heart explodes and he falls dead. That’s a pretty cool technique, and would be quite handy in a pinch, so it got me thinking: Which martial art will teach it to me? The Answer: A special subset of Aikido known as “bullshit.” The so-called “death touch” move, or “dim mak,” has shown up in many movies prior to either of the Kill Bill volumes. In...

Shaw Brothers films are not exactly at the top of many film buffs’ watching list. For one, there has not been a traditional Shaw film, opening fanfare and all, in close to 30 years and a hefty portion of the public do not give catalogue films the time of day. Even for those who do, there is a vast selection of genres, directors, actors and studios that, often for good reason, will strike someone’s fancy more so than a 1960s, 70s or early 80s Shaw production.

It is widely known that said movies were produced at the speed of light, like cheap toys on a factory production line. Even so, their legacy lives on, with the bountiful number of martial arts films made and released in countries around the world, in addition to their critical role in making Kung Fu films popular in North America. For the decidedly smaller band...

With the passing of Lau Kar-leung (the common Cantonese spelling, he was also often credited in Mandarin as Liu Chia-liang), one of the great chapters of Hong Kong cinema comes to a close. Justly famous as martial arts choreographer and action director for many kung fu and wu xia films—the last was Tsui Hark's Seven Swords (2005), in which he also acted—Lau was also one of the outstanding filmmakers of Hong Kong cinema. His most important period was during the final heyday of Shaw Brothers, Asia's biggest studio: In the late 70s and early 80s, before Shaw Bros. closed their doors, Lau proved himself the biggest proponent of the martial arts tradition in Hong Kong cinema, as well as its chief modernizing force, hiding sublime layers beneath ultra-robust exterior appearance. (Fittingly, in 2003 he also directed the studio's comeback movie, more or less coinciding with the inauguration of belated...

News.

Liu Chia-liang (also known as Lau Kar-leung), the legendary Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and filmmaker, has passed away at the age of 78 (1934-2013). For the time being, it appears that one of his masterpieces, Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter, is streaming on YouTube (though in Mandarin). Also make sure to watch the stunning credit fight sequence above from Executioners From Shaolin. Another legend, science fiction master Richard Matheson, the author of numerous books, screenplays and stories, has passed away at the age of 87. We're also still processing the shocking news of James Gandolfini's death last week at the age of 51. Make sure to browse David Hudson's roundup of remembrances of the great actor at The Keyframe Daily. The Locarno Film Festival has announced Baltasar Kormákur’s 2 Guns and Pascal Plisson’s On the Way to School as its opening and closing films for this coming August, as well...

Time to shake things up a bit for the Shaw Brothers Saturday column. In addition to offering readers another review this week (The Mighty One), the column feels like it has run long enough and witnessed enough bloodshed to take a step back and reminisce on some of the more fondly remembered films reviewed since December 2011.

As such, in this special bonus edition of Shaw Brothers Saturday, readers will find a special top 5 list of the author’s favourite films with a some brief thoughts on each as well as links provided to direct readers towards the full length reviews. Before revealing the list, a few pertinent notes need be shared so that seasoned fans of the studio’s output are not dumbfounded by the omission of some obvious choices.

First, at the risk disappointing some, 36th Chamber of Shaolin is frequently included in top 5s and top 10s to...

Executioners Fom Shaolin

Directed by Liu Chia-Liang

Written by Ni Kuang

Hong Kong, 1976

The Shaw Brothers column is back after practically a one month absence! To get back on track in style, this week we take a look at a slightly earlier effort from one of the all-time greats, Liu Chia-liang, who is most fondly remembered for bringing fans The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin and Heroes of the East. Both of those iconic films were released in 1978, but just a couple of years prior he made Executioners from Shaolin. This is, in truth, the sequel to a Chang Cheh film from 1974, Men From the Monastery, which depicted the assault of the Shaolin temple by one of its own elders, Bai Mei (here played by Lo Lieh), who conspired with the Manchus. Both films are loosely based on historical events.

The film opens up with a very interesting scene in...

Arc Entertainment & Dragon Dynasty have just about to released two more classic Shaw Brothers films that represent the absolute cream of the crop of Kung Fu cinema! Flying Guillotine and Flying Guillotine II hit retail stores November 29th. Both films have been beautifully re-mastered and include both Chinese (yay!) and English (dubbed urgh!) audio tracks. These are the last two of 10 Shaw Brothers classics released by Arc/Dragon Dynasty this year, which also included Avenging Eagle, Blood Brothers, Executioners From Shaolin, Five Shaolin Masters, Golden Swallow, Killer Clan, Mad Monkey Kung Fu and Martial Arts Of Shaolin. Flying Guillontine. Hong Kong kung fu cinema is filled with all types of inventive weaponry, but few are as original, iconic or over-the-top as The Flying Guillotine, and this was the first film to use it. The corrupt Emperor wants to dispatch of subordinates who dare disagree with his evil rule. Unable to...