Shaw Brothers Studio - Although they produced films in all genres, Shaw Brothers Studio are most famous in the United States for their kung fu movies. Between the late sixties and early eighties, they released classic after classic of martial arts films including 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Invincible Pole Fighter, Chinese Boxer, and Five Masters of Death. With their high production values and pantheon of stars, the "Shaw Scope" logo at the beginning of a film became a guarantee of quality ass-kicking entertainment. Unfortunately, most of these movies have gone unseen in the U.S. since their initial release.
Chang Cheh - Referred to as "The Godfather of Hong Kong cinema", Chang Cheh directed over 100 films in his career at Shaw Brothers. Heavily influenced by Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns and Japanese samurai films, Cheh brought elements from these movies into his own, revolutionizing Hong Kong filmmaking. His swordplay films of the 1960's, filled with bloody scenes of the hero cutting his way through a roomful of opponents, were considered at the time by Westerners to be violent trash but are now looked back on as masterpieces. In the early seventies Cheh began making kung fu films, sometimes filming four or five movies in a single year.
William Lustig - Heavily influenced by 60's and 70's Italian cinema, William Lustig is the director of the horror masterpiece Maniac and the revenge film Vigilante. Lustig has also long been an outspoken supporter of exploitation cinema. He currently owns and operates the dvd company Blue Underground, whose focus is the release of forgotten horror, exploitation, and Italian cinema. William Lustig was in attendance at Grindhouse 2006 for a screening of Maniac.
Jim Kelly- A former middleweight karate champion, Jim Kelly’s eye catching performance in Enter the Dragon led to starring roles in a number of blaxploitation/kung fu collisions including Black Belt Jones. His impeccable style, perfectly formed afro and thunderous martial arts abilities made him a cultural icon, and a living definition of “Badass”.
Umberto Lenzi - Cinema’s sadist. Umberto Lenzi created some of the greatest Italian movies of the 1970’s. From his stylish giallos to his gritty crime films, his movies were filled with adrenaline fueled energy and vicious brutality. He reveled in the sleaze, and rubbed his audience’s faces in the dirt. He is most known for his shockingly violent horror movies, and is credited with creating the Italian cannibal subgenre with Man from Deep River. His most well known film is the gore fest Cannibal Ferox.
Gordon Liu - After being trained in martial arts at a young age, Gordon Liu worked his way up in the film industry from stuntman to actor. His first role was in Chang Cheh's Shaolin Martial Arts after which he appeared in several more films from the classic director. In 1978 Liu teamed up with director Lau Kar Leung for 36th Chamber of Shaolin. His stellar performance in the film established him as one of the most popular martial arts actors in the world. He went on to star in such classics as Fist of the White Lotus and Invincible Pole Fighter, and was most recently seen playing dual roles in Kill Bill.
Lo Lieh - Although virtually unrecognized in the west, Lo Lieh had a successful acting career in Hong Kong for more than three decades. He first gained notoriety as the protagonist in Golden Swallow and Five Fingers of Death, but went on to create some of the most memorable villains in martial arts history, including his role as Pai Mei in Executioners From Shaolin and Fist of the White Lotus. Most famous for his kung fu films, Lieh also appeared in almost every imaginable genre, and is one of the greatest actors in the history of Hong Kong cinema.
Lee Van Cleef - In numerous films Lee Van Cleef, with his icy stare and trademark black outfit, embodied a rough character that alternated between cold antihero and vicious villain. After becoming well known for his roles in Sergio Leone’s films, he became a cult icon, starring in numerous other spaghetti westerns. Whether portraying tough protagonist or calculating killer, his charisma alone could carry an entire film.
Jimmy Wang Yu - Throughout the 1960's and 70's, Jimmy Wang Yu was one of the most popular martial arts star in the world. His film One Armed Swordsman became the highest grossing Shaw Brothers movie of the 1960's and established him as a major star. In the early 70s, Wang Yu began directing his own films, including Chinese Boxer. Soon after, he broke off from the studio and began to produce his own films independently, including Master of the Flying Guillotine.
The Venom Mob - In 1978 the Shaw Brothers kung fu film Five Deadly Venoms became an incredible success. The main actors in the film went on to star in a slew of movies together under Venoms director Chang Cheh, and became known collectively as "The Venom Mob". With their kung fu skill and Chinese weapon expertise, the group's many films included Crippled Avengers, Kid with the Golden Arms, and Super Ninjas. The focus on wild acrobatics and funky style in Venoms movies made them blazingly unique.
Tomisaburo Wakayama - Although appearing in literally hundreds of Japanese films, Tomisaburo Wakayama is most famous for his portrayal of the vengeful ronin "Lone Wolf" in Shogun Assassin and the Lone Wolf and Cub series. A master of swordplay, Wakayama brought realism to the character that made Lone Wolf both highly respected and greatly feared.
Sergio Leone - One of the most original and influential filmmakers of all time, Sergio Leone completely revolutionized the genre of the western in the 1960’s. His use of panoramic landscape scenes of the rugged west, in contrast with tight close ups of his characters, helped define a style that was uniquely his own. Likewise, his protagonists weren’t the noble heroes known from other western films, but were instead cynical and violent men. His films, including For a Few Dollars More, were filled with raw brutality, bloody shootouts, and dark humor, but were as much interested in the souls of the savage characters as they were in entertaining the audience.
David Chiang - In the early 1970’s David Chiang was one of Hong Kong’s biggest stars. He acted in over 30 films for director Chang Cheh, most often appearing with frequent co-star Ti Lung in the violent “Heroic Bloodshed” films (Vengeance, The Heroic Ones, Blood Brothers, etc.). He was also an experienced martial artist, and flexed his skills in a slew of kung fu classics including Shaolin Mantis and Seven Brothers Meet Dracula. Although he had delicate features and a slight build, his icy cool demeanor demanded respect and made him a major sex symbol in Hong Kong.
