King Hu

Video Dispatches: Jess Franco, King Hu, THE WIZARD, GWENDOLINE
Video Dispatches: JESS FRANCO, KING HU, THE WIZARD, GWENDOLINE

Two by Jess Franco, The Fate of Lee Khan (1973), The Wizard (1989), & Gwendoline (1984) received new home video releases, let’s take a look.

A TOUCH OF ZEN: Cosmic Beauty In Discipline
A TOUCH OF ZEN: Cosmic Beauty In Discipline

The new Criterion Collection release of A Touch of Zen includes director King Hu’s own notes on the film. In these notes, Hu discusses a conversation he had with a Zen Buddhist who told him that Zen must be understood not through verbal explanation, but through an enlightening experience. Despite his renown as a director of wuxia films, Hu was neither a Buddhist nor a martial artist; but, he believed that capturing an experience of Zen would make for a strong film.

Way of the Dragon
The History of Hong Kong Action Cinema Pt. 4 – 1960-1980: New Wave

This article is part of a series on the history of Hong Kong action cinema – find the other parts here. The 1960’s and 70’s are probably the most pivotal time regarding the growth of Hong Kong action films. The Martial Arts craze would take shape as the Shaw Brothers become the foremost authority regarding the kung-fu craze that would follow in the wake of their massive quantity of quality movies.