Top 10: notable Lunar New Year films through the ages, from Hong Kong and China
Every Lunar New Year, film studios roll out their best productions for Hong Kong's movie fans. Mathew Scott selects 10 of our favourite festive treats through the years
Expect new box-office records to be set over the coming week as we celebrate the Lunar New Year and families look to cinema for an escape - for an hour or two - from the world outside, if not from each other.
Since the 1950s, canny film studio heads have rolled out their big guns over this period in an effort to cash in on the festive spirit, packing their productions with stars and - more recently - throwing all caution (and often good taste) to the wind when it comes to humour or any semblance of a plot.
But it would be churlish not to join the feast. Even when it comes to film, the Lunar New Year is a time to indulge in some guilty pleasures, and we've thrown a few of those into the mix when choosing the top 10 Lunar New Year films for your enjoyment.
(1978)
Lau Kar-leung
Perhaps not what you expected first up, but martial arts master Lau Kar-leung's film hit cinemas over the Lunar New Year in 1978 and blew audiences away, thanks mostly to the performance of its star, Gordon Liu. He plays a martial arts student (based on the story of Shaolin legend San Te) who learns his craft before turning teacher himself as he rallies the poor and downtrodden into rising up against their oppressors. A near masterpiece of the martial arts genre that will set your heart racing.