Red Lotus Temple on Fire

Taiwanese fantasy film from Yu Han-Hsiang, director of REVENGE OF THE SHAOLIN KID (1978), BURNING OF THE RED LOTUS MONASTERY (1982) and THE DWARF SORCERER (1974)

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Shandong warrior Ma Yong-Zhen was murdered in Shanghai by the evil Axe gang. His sister, Ma Su-Zhen heard the news and swears to take revenge for her brother. Alone she makes her way to Shanghai to tackle the Axe gang and the evil forces that control them.

After seeing his father murdered and his mother abducted by a caveman-like martial arts cult, a small boy is taken in by a wizened old kung fu master, who rigorously trains him until he is endowed with almost supernatural fighting skills. This training, however, takes much less time than it would in most martial arts films, in which the kid would attain mastery at about the same time he reaches adulthood. Instead what we get is a sword-wielding 5 year old waging a bloody war of revenge against an assortment of adult-sized demons and people in heartbreakingly threadbare monster costumes.

A young man emerges from 18 years studying martial arts to find the man responsible for the death of his parents.

During the Lantern Festival, Chen San encounters Wu Niang, and mutual attraction blossoms. Chen San cunningly enters the Huang household as a servant. Through clever schemes and determination, Wu Niang resists an arranged marriage, and the lovers ultimately unite in matrimony. This film is recognized as one of the four classic Taiwanese opera plays. In 1981, Yang Li-hua juggled both television and film commitments, leading her troupe in this production. This film marked the end of the taiyupian era.

Three small town girls are attacked on their way to the big city. Two of the girls are able to escape, while one doesn't. We fast forward a few years, and we see the girls trying to earn their living in different ways but their lives will intertwine once again, when a two men comes into their lives, one of them being the attacker.

Lost Taiwanese wuxia film featuring Godzilla on posters and adverts, albeit unknown if he shows up in the film. An unofficial sequel was made titled The Young Flying Prodigal.

Unavailable Taiwanese tokusatsu film involving demons and giant monsters from the sea. Footage from this film was used in The Fairy and the Devil (1982).

Very weird magic fu, filled from start to finish with evil wizards, laserbeams, and crazy spells.

Le-hong’s life, marked by sexual assault and the death of her parents, takes an unexpected turn when she becomes the second wife of wealthy Hok-tsai. Their marriage provides her luxury but lacks intimacy, leaving her lonely and unfulfilled. Upon Hok-tsai’s sudden death, she inherits his fortunes. She then meets a charming young man who awakens her body and soul, but as their affair blossoms, strange occurrences begin to plague her home. Is the sinister housekeeper to blame, or is the young lover the real threat?

Man-li, Xiu-zhen, and Chun-mei leave Xiangshan for Taipei, each seeking love, money, or stability. Before reaching the city, they encounter predatory men; in Taipei, work, wealth, and intimacy draw them into danger. Blending sexploitation with female-centred melodrama, the film maps migration as a gendered terrain of desire and exploitation. Dynamic staging and music create an atmosphere at once lively and perilous. Yu Han-hsiang later reworked the story for Shaw Brothers in Hong Kong.