Release Year: 1970

Unless you find poorly made kung fu movies a source of amusement then I would seriously suggest you steer well clear of ‘Sorrowful To A Ghost’.

One of the subtitles proclaims that one character ‘suicided himself’. After viewing ‘Swordsman With An Umbrella’ you may be tempted to mimic his actions.

Although dated, ‘The Chinese Boxer’ is historically fascinating and provides an interesting point of reference to the many films that would follow.

Chang Cheh’s ‘The Heroic Ones’ is an ambitious and sumptuous martial arts epic that set a benchmark for Shaw Brothers at its time of release.

Strong performances, intelligently filmed action and an all round aura of quality mean that this comfortably hits a four star rating.

From opening credits that ape the Spaghetti Westerns of the period to its surprising epilogue wrap-up, ‘Valley of the Fangs’ is an equally surprising and unexpected hidden gem.

There are definitely better films out there than ‘Vengeance’ but Chang Cheh’s experienced editing and camera work do still make it an interesting watch.

Despite some excellent action with Chiba on top form, it’s the unintentionally comical moments and camp overall feeling that win out.

While it may still be an adequate time filler, ‘Yakuza Deka: The Assassin’ is really nothing more than a carbon copy of the first film.