https://www.scmp.com/rss/521926/feed Shaw Brothers Studio: A pioneering Hong Kong-based entertainment company, founded in Shanghai in 1925, became the largest film production company in Hong Kong. Specialising in film production, distribution, and cinema operation, they were renowned for their prolific output, particularly popularising the kung fu genre. Their Movietown studio in Clearwater Bay was once the world’s largest privately-owned film studio. Serving a global Chinese diaspora and later international audiences, Shaw... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Patrick Lung Kong, also known as Long Gang, is an anomaly among Hong Kong filmmakers. Working at a time when martial arts films ruled the local box office, Lung made socially conscious contemporary dramas that focused on Hong Kong issues and were highly didactic. Lung, who died in 2014, believed that society’s ills, rather than an individual’s failings, turned citizens to crime, and he was not afraid to express this explicitly in his work. But Lung also realised that audiences did not like to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344718/love-better-tomorrow-hong-kong-director-and-film-inspired-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344718/love-better-tomorrow-hong-kong-director-and-film-inspired-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Legendary Hong Kong film director Li Han-hsiang is best known for stately historical dramas like the lavish Empress Wu Tse-tien (1963), but he also made important huangmei diao opera films. Originating in mainland China’s Hubei province, this folk opera style spawned massive 1960s box office hits. Notably, these productions were not filmed stage operas but fully formed cinematic experiences, akin to Hollywood musicals. Here we look at two very different huangmei diao films directed by Li. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3344075/how-2-films-li-han-hsiang-became-classics-hong-kongs-chinese-folk-opera-cinema?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Alexander Fu Sheng, who died in a car crash in 1983 aged 28, is best remembered for his Shaolin kung fu films, such as 1974’s Heroes Two. But the martial arts star, born Cheung Fu-sheng, also expanded his range through his short career, performing in modern-day actioners like Chinatown Kid and kung fu comedies. Here, we look at a few of Fu’s more unusual later works. Chinatown Kid (1977) A hit with fans abroad, Fu’s rare foray into modern-day action was a good fit for his cheeky persona and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340777/3-hong-kong-martial-arts-legend-alexander-fu-shengs-more-unusual-movies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3340777/3-hong-kong-martial-arts-legend-alexander-fu-shengs-more-unusual-movies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong filmmaker Chor Yuen is known today for directing magical martial arts classics like The Sentimental Swordsman. Recently, however, a number of his rarer titles were made widely available again. Below we look at a few of his lesser-known wuxia gems. Duel for Gold (1971) Chor had only one martial arts film to his credit, Cold Blade, before joining Shaw Brothers in 1970. He had previously established himself by directing around 70 dramas and romances, many of which achieved both commercial... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336890/how-chor-yuens-forgotten-hong-kong-wuxia-films-mixed-magic-realism-and-complex-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3336890/how-chor-yuens-forgotten-hong-kong-wuxia-films-mixed-magic-realism-and-complex-heroes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong cinema had many martial arts heroines beyond Michelle Yeoh, and some were bigger stars locally. Here, we look at some lesser-seen films featuring three of the city’s top female fighters. 1. Righting Wrongs (1986) – Cynthia Rothrock American martial arts expert Cynthia Rothrock, who had debuted with Yeoh in the cop hit Yes, Madam!, was on a roll when she starred in Righting Wrongs – also known as Above the Law. Directed by Corey Yuen Kwai, who had discovered Rothrock while scouting for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335995/3-female-action-stars-who-ruled-hong-kong-martial-arts-cinema-alongside-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3335995/3-female-action-stars-who-ruled-hong-kong-martial-arts-cinema-alongside-michelle-yeoh?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 09:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis The year 1972 was when Bruce Lee rose to superstardom in Hong Kong. The Post’s roving reporter Jean Chan covered Lee’s rise – and much more – in her film column. Chan’s articles throw light on the state of the local industry in the early 1970s. Business was booming, and Hong Kong had become a hub for the Asian film industry, with Taiwanese stars being especially popular. Martial arts films dominated, but other genres remained popular. A challenger to Bruce Lee on the rise? In early 1972, Lee’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3333344/how-bruce-lee-hit-big-time-1972-and-other-hong-kong-cinema-highlights-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3333344/how-bruce-lee-hit-big-time-1972-and-other-hong-kong-cinema-highlights-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 07:15:08 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Hong Kong actor Chan Koon-tai may not have been the best-looking of Chang Cheh’s “second wave” of martial arts heroes in the early 1970s, but unlike his colleagues, he had studied martial arts before embarking on his film career. Chan had trained in the “Monkey and Axe Hammer” style since he was seven and was a regional kung fu champion. His exceptional martial skills saw directors put him to good use on the screen. Man of Iron (1972) This old-school kung fu movie is a follow-up to Chang Cheh’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331054/how-hong-kong-actor-chan-koon-tai-bruce-lees-counterpart-wowed-his-kung-fu-skills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331054/how-hong-kong-actor-chan-koon-tai-bruce-lees-counterpart-wowed-his-kung-fu-skills?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 08:15:07 +0000 Richard James Havis Richard James Havis Lo Wei was one of Hong Kong’s most renowned directors in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but disparagement from Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan tarnished his reputation. Lee hated the way that Lo, who directed The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972), tried to take credit for his success. Chan disliked the way Lo tried to turn him into a clone of the deceased Lee in films like New Fist of Fury (1976). Below, film historian Frank Djeng discusses how it could be time for Lo’s voluminous body of work... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316809/bruce-lee-and-jackie-chan-disliked-hong-kong-film-director-how-good-was-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316809/bruce-lee-and-jackie-chan-disliked-hong-kong-film-director-how-good-was-he?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 04:15:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam With Chua Lam’s death on June 25, Hong Kong has lost not just a culinary icon but a storyteller who inspired a generation of Hongkongers to explore the world through food. As a child of the Asia-Australia diaspora, my first experience of Chua Lam was via television. My mother had rented one of his series on VHS tapes, and I remember sitting down to an episode of him visiting a vineyard in Australia. While tasting the wine, the vineyard’s owner said: “This is a rare vintage, so we should drink it... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316338/how-hong-kong-culinary-icon-chua-lam-inspired-generation-explore-world-through-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3316338/how-hong-kong-culinary-icon-chua-lam-inspired-generation-explore-world-through-food?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 09:15:08 +0000