Cast Member: Lily Li

Although ‘Shaolin Mantis’ is a well made and above average, it undoubtedly disappoints when compared with Liu Chia-Liang’s best work.

If you like seventies cheese then you might want to pick this one up. Otherwise it’s probably best to avoid unless you happen to be a hardcore Shaw Brothers or Ti Lung fan.

While I normally find myself quite happy to suspend disbelief for a Gu Long/Chor Yuen collaboration, ‘Swordsman And Enchantress’ is a real test of my patience.

Multi-layered and superbly made, ‘The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter’ remains one of the greatest martial arts movies of all time.

Chang Cheh’s ‘The Heroic Ones’ is an ambitious and sumptuous martial arts epic that set a benchmark for Shaw Brothers at its time of release.

Even fans of the convoluted martial world of the swordplay genre may find ‘Jade Tiger’ a tiresome 90 minutes.

‘The Knight Of Knights’ could easily be considered standard Shaw Brothers fair, if it weren’t for the slight twist on the style of storytelling.

This engrossing team prove to be adept at the rigorous fight scenes and the subtle comedy that further lifts the film above the norm.

‘The Web Of Death’ would be a four-star film but (and it is a big ‘but’!) for the preposterous sight of seeing the heroes fleeing from a green spider.

Possibly not as well structured or action packed as ‘Drunken Master’, but still an impressive note in both Biao’s and Jackie’s filmography making it an essential purchase for fans of old school kung fu.

‘Those Merry Souls’ has a strong cast, some genuinely funny moments, and a bizarrely entertaining plot.