Cast Member: Shum Lo

‘Come Drink With Me’ has convinced me of King Hu’s mastery of film-making and I would certainly consider his work here to be almost equal to the best of Chang Cheh and Liu Chia-Liang.

‘Disciples Of The 36th Chamber’ is a quality film; from the choreography to Liu Chia-Liang’s artistically composed frames, this is a more sophisticated kung fu film.

This masterful kung-fu drama shows how quickly Liang found his own way of conveying his thoughts to the audience.

It’s not that it isn’t enjoyable – there is plenty to savour here – but considering the talent available on both sides of the lens, it is mildly frustrating.

The bottom line is that ‘Monkey Kung Fu’ is a highly recommended gem with a cast that doesn’t feature the genres big names, but still outshines many better known films.

Li’s ghostly anthology achieves its ends as a series of cautionary tales of the ills that might befall those who succumb to their own greed and desires.

It may be a routine swordplay flick that ambles along with little revolutionary, but ‘Roving Swordsman’ is nonetheless watchable enough to warrant a purchase.

‘Shaolin Intruders’ doesn’t offer any of the genre-defining moments that leap out of the true masterpieces of the genre.

While I normally find myself quite happy to suspend disbelief for a Gu Long/Chor Yuen collaboration, ‘Swordsman And Enchantress’ is a real test of my patience.

Liu Chia Liang’s ‘The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin’ is an important cinematic moment and remains influential not just in Hong Kong film-making, but also globally.

Some may not appreciate the style-over-substance approach here, but it works well to deliver a sharp, cruel tale of wuxia justice.

‘The Kung Fu Instructor’ may lack the incisive bite of the great Sun Chung works, but the director is still clearly comfortable crafting a confident work from basic ingredients.