The Magic Blade (English version)
Shawscope Volume Three
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1h 41m
1976 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
As all wuxia and kung-fu fans know, action is supreme but a good story helps keep things moving. Gu Long, the most famous marital arts novelist, provides The Magic Blade with just the right plot to give the brilliant swordplay an interesting context, and director Chor Yuen, an acknowledged master of the genre, provides the style to make this one shine above its kung-fu competitors. Of course, having martial arts superstars Ti Lung and Lo Lieh as the heroes doesn’t hurt. They play rival swordsmen in imperial China who battle it out with a power-hungry villain for possession of the Peacock Dart, a secret weapon which must never fall into the wrong hands. But that is precisely what happens, and the rivals must unite to wrest the magic blade from their common enemy. There are plenty of brilliantly choreographed fights, leading up to a final showdown that stands out as a highpoint in kung-fu cinema. This is the English version.
Up Next in Shawscope Volume Three
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Clans of Intrigue (Mandarin version)
1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
The story of legendary swordsman Chu Liuxiang has been a favourite of Hong Kong filmmakers, but the roguish knave’s most stylish cinematic reincarnation is undoubtedly Clans Of Intrigue. How could it be anything but, with a story by celebrated martial art...
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Clans of Intrigue (Cantonese version)
1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
The story of legendary swordsman Chu Liuxiang has been a favourite of Hong Kong filmmakers, but the roguish knave’s most stylish cinematic reincarnation is undoubtedly Clans Of Intrigue. How could it be anything but, with a story by celebrated martial art...
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The Jade Tiger (Mandarin version)
1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
The headless corpse of the Chao Clan patriarch and the theft of a jade tiger set in motion another noteworthy collaboration between three of the biggest names in swordplay action dramas: director Chor Yuen, martial arts novelist Gu Long, and kung-fu super...
