Eric Chan Ga-Kei
Secret Service of the Imperial Court was one of the last kung fu/swordplay films to be made at Hong Kong's Shaw Bros. studio. Set in the Ming Dynasty, it makes excellent use of the studio's vast array of sprawling sets and colorful costumes to give a real period flavor. It has a good cast, lots of large-scale fight action and an exciting storyline about a conflict between an honorable officer and a corrupt Eunuch.
When a young man ignores a feng shui master’s warning and decides to marry before turning 30, a series of mishaps begins to curse his life.
Max Mok is the dashing young swordsman Feng Xiwu who arrives at a beautiful, but deadly location known as Moonlit Sky to investigate rumors of deaths and disappearances there.
This is it: one of the most talked about cult films ever made -- a maniacal masterpiece of the macabre, the martial arts, and the just plain weird. Shaw's first international star Lo Lieh stars as the insane swordsman who makes Chinese lamps from, yes, the skin of his enemies' sisters, mistresses, and wives. Although insanely conceived, it is beautifully filmed and unashamedly performed by a first rate cast of sexy starlets and kung-fu favorites.
The main characters - the arrogant, harassed director, the sexy starlet, or naïve actors are familiar enough stereotypes. Along the way however, there is some fun to be had as more humorous incidents occur on the sound stage, together with dashes of nudity. Some of the events are presumably inspired by real life experiences, others have a distinct air of wishful fabrication. The over-the-top Kung Fu star, deserted by director and crew as he goes through his pointless extended routine, for instance. Or the action heroes, sweating in furs while they dutifully munch through their meal scene, 'snow' falling outside in studio land.
13 family members are murdered and then dumped in a well. 30 years later their descendants are cursed...
This mystery-tinged 'Martial Arts World' epic was one of director Chu Yuan and novelist Ku Lung's last together for the Shaw Studios, but it's another action-filled winner. Liu Yung and Sun Chien (the Korean kicking 'Venom' from Chang Cheh's internationally popular series) team to investigate the martial arts murders of a supposedly mortally wounded swordsman, only to find deception, death, double-dealings, imposters, and one deadly duel after another. No less than three choreographers are on hand to handle the multitude of magnificent martial arts.
Determined to escape from the harsh regime of China to the freedom of Hong Kong, three youths are captured by Mr. Hok, a sadistic human smuggler who subjects them to an unrelenting assault of degradation. Pushed to the limits of human endurance, the prisoners must fight for their lives in an unforgettable, action-packed climax.
