Latest Reviews
Come Haunt With Me
Sit Kwan is a bit of a mystery. Online sources provide almost no biographical details beyond the basics: born in China, moved to Hong Kong after the war, worked in Cantonese film in the 1950s and early 60s, joined Shaw Brothers in 1964, left Shaw Brothers in 1971, retired shortly there after. The Shaw Screen barely mentions him at all, saying only that his film The Knight of Knights didn’t make much money.
more...Sunset
Similar to previous entries in Shaw’s “tragic love” genre like A Place to Call Home and The Younger Generation it’s tempting to read the confusing mishmash of tones in Sunset as commentary, as if we’re supposed to draw some sort of deeper meaning from the whiplash between scenes of frothy youth romance and tragic death.
more...Duel for Gold
Lo Wei closed a door and Chor Yuen opened a window. Just a week ago Shaw Brothers had released the last of their movies directed by the prolific Lo Wei. And now, seemingly from out of the blue, here’s Chor Yuen to pick up Lo Wei’s role as Shaw’s standard bearer for wild wuxia action.
more...Vengeance of a Snowgirl
What is it with Shaw Brothers directors delivering their best work after they’ve left the studio? Swordsman at Large was easily one of Hsu Teng-Hung’s finest, and here’s Lo Wei showing folks how it’s done a mere 12 (or so) months after leaving for Golden Harvest.
more...Swordsman at Large
Hsu Tseng-Hung was always attracted to the more literary side of wuxia. Though responsible for helping start Shaw Brothers’ “New Wuxia Era” in 1965, the films he made never seemed part of the movement. The plots usually focused on interpersonal dynamics rather than martial action. The fights, when they happened, were stagey and deliberate. The camera work was usually efficient and plain, thanks to Hsu’s Japanese training in how to shoot quickly and cheaply.
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