The martial arts hijinks continue with the introduction of the “3 Holy Fools” who raise one of the two newborn sons destined to be emperor some day. Shaolin Prince is an epically cool late-era Shaw Brothers offering that should have been better received than it was back in 1982 when it was originally ...
In which an abacus becomes a weapon! Inviting a muscle-strapped cat named the ‘Spearman’ (Lung Tung Sheng) to a peace party is not a good idea. Okay, sure, the various members of the ‘Iron Flag’ clan have their reasons not to trust the criminal-minded ‘Eagles’, but the strongarm they hired is not ...
New Fist of Fury could have been so much better. Sure, it was the film that began to launch its star, Jackie Chan, into the martial arts stratosphere but it’s not nearly as smooth sailing as the original film, made 5 years earlier, by the same director, Lo Wei, who was convinced Jackie was the ...
Gloriously over-the-top and wonderfully directed by Sun Chung, Human Lanterns is what happens when the Shaw Brothers merge their particular brand of martial arts with the American slasher . . . and this violent result is as disturbing as it sounds. It helps when the leading character is psychotic, you ...
In which Shaw Brothers enters the Ninja dome and delivers one hell of a knockout punch when it comes to over-the-to-top clenched-teeth martial arts mayhem! Directed by Chang Cheh and featuring solid performances from Cheng Tien-Chi and Lo Meng, Five Element Ninjas (also known as ...
Revenge, thy name is Sammo Hung!n The Iron-Fisted Monk is some good ol’ kung-fu delivered with all the grit and the glory one would expect from its talented cast. Produced by Raymond Chow (who was still licking the wounds made by Bruce Lee’s death) and made when Hong Kong cinema ...
In which the cave of the Golden Snake is introduced! The Sword Stained With Royal Blood is a certifiable classic of Kung-Fu madness. It’s an adventure with a strong narrative which sees Yuan Cheng-chih (Phillip Kwok) whisked away from tragedy and raised right so that he might avoid the same fate as his ...
Revenge, thy name is Sammo Hung!n The Iron-Fisted Monk is some good ol’ kung-fu delivered with all the grit and the glory one would expect from its talented cast. Produced by Raymond Chow (who was still licking the wounds made by Bruce Lee’s death) and made when Hong Kong cinema ...
It’s East meets WestERN when Sammo Hung comes to town! With dynamic fight sequences throughout and a genuine goofiness in its DNA, Millionaires’ Express, written and directed by Sammy Hung, continues to deliver the comedic good from station to station. It looks absolutely beautiful ...
Let the blood flow freely! And boy does it ever in Masked Avengers, a martial arts bonanza which features blood drinking, satan worshiping, and a whole lot of bloody trident action! Not for the faint of heart, Masked Avengers, once again directed by Chang Cheh, features three of the “venoms” in some ...
In which Philip Kwok has to wear one of the most ridiculous-looking (possibly) knitted caps throughout the entire film! Whatever it is, it’s horrible. House of Traps might be for “Venom” completists only. Oh, sure, if you can follow the twisting plot you’ll get side-switching ...
In which Angela Miao, Whang Ing-Sik and Sammo Hung (in the roles of Yu Ying, Kao and Fan), coming from a small Korean school of Martial Arts, all take turns breaking boards and cracking skulls with their Japanese competitors! And all they wanted was to start a school of their own! ...
Golden Harvest, Shaw Brothers first major competitor for Martial Arts action, hit it big when they landed Bruce Lee in The Big Boss. Could they strike again with a female leading lady, Angela Mao Ying? Yes. Yes, they could. It helped when director Huang Feng (The Shaolin Plot) jumped ship ...
It’s the return of the supernatural to Shaw Brothers! Well, sort of, as this wuxia extravaganza turns relatively spooky really quick-like thanks to two ornamental figures - one ghoul in red robes (Yuen Wah) and another in white (Chan Man-Na) - haunting a young swordsman (Long Fei) and foretelling of his fiance's ...
By 1980, it was time for Shaw Brothers to start experimenting with their subject matter. The straight-up action movies seemed to be slightly out-of-step with what audiences wanted (or at least director Chang Cheh was running out of gas as one of the most overworked directors for the studio), so the ...
There’s a wonderfully on-point scene in The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, a co-production between Hammer Studios and Shaw Brothers, in which Hsi Ching (David Chiang) and his seven kung fu-trained siblings, including the only sister, Mei Kwei (Shih Szu), hop into the camera’s frame as they display their ...
In which the killer kung fu acrobatics turn super silly! Directed by Chen Chi-Hwa (Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin) and starring a young Jackie Chan (who had complete creative control over the project), Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu is probably not going to be for every one out there. Its comedy is Looney Tunes inspired and ...
In which Alexander Fu Sheng fights against the exploitation of textile workers! Directed by the one and only Chang Cheh and featuring some stellar choreography from Lau Kar-leung, Disciples Of Shaolin is, ultimately, a very sad story. Oh, it’s got some great scenes of ass-kicking audacity along ...
Dragons Forever, also known as Cyclone Z, is the final “three brothers” film but what a high note these three titans of Hong Kong Cinema - Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao - go out on! They play against type - with Chan as the sleazeball lawyer, Hung as the Con Artist, and Biao as the accidental thief - and it ...
Opening with an animated sequence of the main cast fighting each other, Two Champions of Shaolin takes its use of montage quite seriously as the on-going feud between the Shaolin disciples and the Wu-Tang Clan expands to include flying razor-sharp boomerangs! Starring Venom Mob’s Lo Mang and ...
In which the five venoms return to save China from mass-starvation as ruthless thugs take over the land, leaving thousands of refugees in their wake! Directed by Chang Cheh and featuring explosive fight sequences throughout, The Rebel Intruders presents ...
In which fight choreographer (and soon-to-be director) Sammo Hung, making his last film with his mentor, director Huang Feng (Lady Whirlwind, Hapkido), gets a headlining part as a mad monk who wields two golden cymbals as flying guillotines. How deliciously evil!!! The Shaolin Plot, while 15 minutes too long, is one hell of a ...
There’s no return to normal cinema viewing after being exposed to ANY of director Yuen Woo-ping’s films. This is an indisputable fact. While most audiences know the director’s work 1977’s Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and 1978’s The Drunken Master due to his collaborations with a young ...
Opening with the capture and the lopping off of legs and arms for the wife and son of To Tin Tao (Chen Kuan-tai), Crippled Avengers leaves quite the impression. First, you might feel sympathy for To Tin Tao but, as he is skilled in tiger arts, he quickly disperses the would-be assassins and, turning to his now crippled son ...
In which the IRON MAIDEN is introduced as a torture device and several sparkling costumed fights take place while standing on walls! Chang Cheh’s The Five Venoms is already a renowned cult classic and fans of chop socky flicks know the reasons ...
In which an opening credits lion dance against a blazing white backdrop sets the rules of this challenge! Martial Club, courtesy of 88 Films, has arrived! Directed by Lau Kar Leung and featuring Gordon Liu as Wong Fei Hung (again), Martial Club is a film which seems to be forgotten by many ...
No, not the Jet Li film. We aren’t quite there yet, Chop Socky Cretins. This film, produced by Shaw Brothers, assembles a new wave of fighters to assist freedom fighters after the destruction of the Henan monastery. Due to the changing times, we have fan favorites Ti Lung, Wang Chung, and David Chiang playing ...
In which Bryan Leung’s ponytail ruthlessly kills! It’s no secret that director Chang Cheh and wuxia screenwriter I Kuang, who wrote over 300 screenplays for the Shaw Brothers, revolutionized the action films coming out of Hong Kong. Especially for Shaw Brothers, Cheh especially was changing the face of their heroes ...
Capitalizing on the death of Bruce Lee has never been so damn out of control as the Special Branch of Investigations takes brain tissue samples from Bruce Lee, immediately after his death, and hires a mad scientist (Jon T. Benn from Way Of The Dragon and Jet Li’s Fearless) to create three clones of the deceased ...
It’s time to enter the bizarro world, my Chopsocky connoisseurs! This is a world where, in the wake of Bruce Lee’s death, many film companies - including Golden Harvest, the production company that launched Lee into the world’s consciousness with Fist of Fury, The Big Boss, and Way of the Dragon - started ...
BADass SINema Unearthed - Where we dig up blu-rays of the wild, weird, and wonderfully wicked world of classic grindhouse cinema. Celebrates the raw energy and unapologetic style of vintage exploitation films — from the slick swagger of Blaxploitation and the lurid allure of sexploitation to the gnarly thrills of monster mayhem and cosmic horror.
Chop Socky Cinema is your go-to corner for all things martial arts on screen—from high-flying kung fu classics to modern bone-crunching brawlers. We dive into the legends, the hidden gems, and the genre-defining moments that shaped martial arts cinema.
Reel Classics celebrates the golden age of cinema, when shadows danced across silver screens and stories were told in black and white. This section revisits timeless masterpieces, legendary stars, and the directors who shaped film history. From noir thrillers to screwball comedies, Reel Classics explores how these cinematic treasures continue to inspire filmmakers and captivate audiences today.
Kaiju Korner is your ultimate destination for everything colossal and creature-filled. We explore the wild, wonderful world of kaiju cinema—spotlighting both classic monster epics and today’s thrilling new entries. From Godzilla and Gamera to modern reimaginings and global giants, Kaiju Korner dives deep into the history, cultural impact, and sheer spectacle of giant monster films.
Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a curious newcomer, this is where titans clash, cities crumble, and cinematic legends roar to life—one stomp at a time.
Monster Mayhem is your go-to destination for all things monstrous and menacing. We will sink our claws into the world of classic creature features, celebrating the timeless terror of cinema’s most iconic beasts.
From Universal’s legendary monsters to B-movie behemoths and international kaiju, Monster Mayhem explores the history, artistry, and cultural impact of the films that made us fear the dark. Expect deep dives, behind-the-scenes stories, retrospectives, and rankings that resurrect the giants of genre filmmaking.
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