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I like Wong Kar-wai movies.

#SoGoodWatches DEAD END (1969) - Chang Cheh's portrayal of disillusioned, angry youth set in modern day Hong Kong takes a while to get going but coming from the era where he was such a character driven storyteller, it comes as no surprise that DEAD END excels in the long run.

CENTIPEDE HORROR (1982) - The film uses its meagre means well, a lot of this is done physically. Crude SFX make up, centipedes crawling on top of game actors, all star Margaret Lee regurgitating them, it’s a good, gross-out time. Not every black magic film had this energy.

RED SPELL SPELLS RED (1983) - As with Centipede Horror, a lot of the same positives can be found here. Physical, creative manifestations of the black magic and a good amount of gross sights. The cinematography is decently creative as well, especially during the frenzied finale.

Hong Kong cinema is better than the things you like. Correction. Richard Ng is better than the things you like. (WINNERS AND SINNERS, 1983, Sammo Hung)

THE VALIANT ONES (1975) Mostly business as usual coming from King Hu and friends. Grand scenery and costumes but Sammo Hung elevates and gets King Hu’s style up to an equivalent of modern times. Swordplay and kung-fu has never looked as powerful in a King Hu film as it does here.

Shaw Brothers go full tilt in The Boxer’s Omen, black magic, a regurgitation relay race, vomiting of snakes, and Phillip Ko holding it all together. It won’t enlighten you, but it’ll punch you in the face, puke on your shoes, and ask if you want more. Viva Kuei Chih-hung!

Great episode. And what Mike said on here about China or even Tsui Hark can’t do movies like this no more is something that has grieved me for years, I just can’t reconcile this. HK cinema at it’s best was so alive, driven, a dream of cinema & of people, of progress, so sad.

A true legend. Choreographer Tong Kai helped shape Hong Kong action cinema alongside Lau Kar-leung and Chang Cheh, setting the gold standard for screen fighting. He died at 88, reportedly by suicide, heartbroken over his wife Suet Nei’s illness. orientaldaily.com.my/news/entertain…

Rewatch of the Singapore cut. This time on the 88 Films blu ray. One of the early Hong Kong dvds that offered up multiple cuts so this wasn't the first time I watched the crime doesn't pay conclusion.

FOUR RIDERS (1972) leans into a post–Korean War story and bloody brotherhood but fumbles its Four Horsemen metaphor. The gymnasium brawl is visceral, the scalp-ripping is special, but it’s ultimately just another watchable product from the team and the Shaw Brothers film factory.

Soy in hand, snacks at the ready? Because you'd want to be as cool as Andy. Settle in for part 1 of our deep dive into the life and films of Lee Rock. Now streaming at podcastonfire.com, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Ti Lung plays real-life pirate Cheung Po Tsai in this co-directed Chang Cheh film that stays landlocked and limp. The righteous outlaw angle had promise, but weak drama, scattered vision, and minimal action sink it. THE PIRATE remains a studio product, not a creative push.

A tight, efficient one from Chang Cheh. MARCO POLO isn’t a heavy history lesson, despite the setting. Richard Harrison plays the famed explorer, but it’s really about rebels, awesome training montages, and Gordon Liu as a villain (!). Familiar structure, but it still plays well.

Guess what we’ve done, and what Shout! Studios ARE doing. Physical is coming and while you wait, there is a hefty, deep discussion all things Peking Opera Blues on the Podcast On Fire Network. Almost like a non-screen specific commentary 😇

Part 1 of our Lee Rock special is out now! Hong Kong’s most iconic corruption saga starring Andy Lau. This is our last show before the summer break, but we’ve got a bonus episode coming soon. 🎧 Listen on podcastonfire.com, Apple, Spotify & more.

BOXER REBELLION (1976) blends patriotic spectacle with martial arts drama. But despite its scale and Chang Cheh’s restored full cut, it buckles under the weight. Ambitious in scope, but not affecting enough to land. Chi Kuan-Chun leads with quiet strength. Fu Sheng struggles.

Elegant design, and sparse but well-placed musical numbers carry The Story of Sue San. King Hu balances melodrama with restraint, delivering a polished, emotionally grounded Huangmei opera that’s easy to sit through and easy to admire.

Marketing like this works on me.

Some of you like the Venoms and Fu Sheng. I like the Bloody Frog from Curse Of Evil. That’s Shaw Brothers to me.