1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chia-Liang Liu

Having choreographed the action for many of Chang Cheh’s ‘Shaolin Temple’ films, director Lau Kar-leung used his inimitable talents and deeply-felt understanding of kung fu history to create his own idiosyncratic take on the same historical legends in Executioners from Shaolin, jam-packed with extraordinary fight scenes and unforgettable characters, not least the evil Bai Mei, the White-Browed Hermit!

After Bai Mei (Lo Lieh) and the Qing army burn the Shaolin Temple to the ground, killing its high priest and nearly all of its disciples, survivor Hong Xiguan (Chen Kuan-tai) vows revenge through the ‘Tiger Fist’ technique, even if it takes him decades to master it. After many years, the time for vengeance arrives – but the key to defeating Bai Mei may in fact lie with the ‘Crane’ technique practised by Hong’s headstrong wife, Fang Yongchun (Lily Li) and their immature teenage son, Hong Wending (Wong Yue).