Movies That Dripped Blood: 12 of the Best Anthology Horror Films

Anthologies in the horror genre have averaged around ten per decade since the 1960s. The format enjoyed its first burst during those years after the moderately entertaining DR. TERRORS HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965) made an impact at the box office. From there, omnibus horror exploded in the 70s and beyond. Many of the cinematic compendiums that followed varied wildly in quality. The following are my picks for the Best Anthology horror films. There are others that are good, but you can't go wrong with this sampler of a dozen fang-tastic fear features of multi-tiered terror tales.

1. DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)

This British B/W feature is one of the earliest attempts at an omnibus format; and unfortunately, this vintage spooker is seldom spoken of in horror circles. It would seem to be highly influential on the genre, most noticeably THE TWILIGHT ZONE television series. It's more unsettling than scary, and much of what is here has been done many times over. Still, it's well worth tracking down just to see such an early example of the anthology style. The chiaroscuro cinematography captures a mood color rarely seizes, and ends up as one of this films strongest assets.

 

The five tales (not counting the framing device) deal with a race car driver's encounter with a hearse after a serious accident; a woman who discovers a cherubic specter in a haunted house; a wife buys her husband a supernatural mirror previously owned by a murderer; a love triangle involving a ghostly game of golf; and a sincerely creepy tale of a ventriloquist and his dummy who may or may not have a life of his own.

The wraparound concerns a man stopping over at a country house where the revelers all detail their macabre dreams. The finale could be deemed derivative, but considering this was 1945, it's totally fresh, surreal, and definitely disturbing.

Creepiest Tale: Britain's premiere portmanteau picture saves the best for last. The story revolving around the ventriloquist and his devilish dummy usurps the others in sheer grim atmosphere.

 Throwaway Tale: Easily the comedic entry with the spectral golfer and his rivalry with a living friend is the weakest link of this antiquated, and visually striking horror movie from across the pond.

2. BLACK SABBATH (1963)

Mario Bava's gloriously ghoulish anthology is rife with atmosphere, and, in its original Italian form, not necessarily for children -- at least some of the films subtext and violence didn't sit well with co-producers from AIP. Through the magic of alternate footage and scissor-like editing, much of this adult tinged material was made safer for the monster craving kiddies infiltrating matinee showings.

In its original form, Bava's trifecta of terror contained tales of a revenge seeking husband on former lesbian lovers, a family terrorized by a vampiric patriarch and a night nurse whose theft of a dead mediums ring proves costly. There's no framing device outside of an intro and outro by Boris Karloff. In contrast, the fascinating, deliriously compiled US cut features intros to each segment by Karloff.

Creepiest Tale: 'A Drop of Water' is no flash in the pan. Truly one of the most terrifying pieces of horror cinema ever constructed and still packs a wallop today. Dialog is minimal and confined to the beginning and last few moments leaving sights and sounds to relay the pure horror Mario Bava created in this marvelous goosebumper.

Throwaway Tale: The inaugural item here, 'The Telephone' is moderately at odds with the more supernatural elements of the proceeding two entries. Taken into context with the original Italian title (THE THREE FACES OF FEAR), it fits, but nonetheless, it's the least horror inducing of the three.

3. KWAIDAN (1965) 

Masaki Kobayashi's 3 hour visual assault is macabre poetry in motion. Artistically inclined, the film is punctuated by an unusual morbidity that resonates in all four ghost stories. What makes KWAIDAN stand out from other multi-story format films is its frequent lack of dialog married to surreal, painted landscapes brilliantly echoing a Kabuki style theatricality. There are long stretches where no dialog is uttered -- visuals are saturated in dissonant chords and nerve-jangling sound effects. It's really a remarkable movie that was unjustly ignored in its native Japan.

The stories are: A destitute samurai abandons his loyal wife to marry a wealthy lords daughter. Years later, he realizes the wrong he's done, and returns home to find his seemingly ageless wife still waiting for him; a woodcutter near death in a snowstorm is pitied by a lady specter who promises to spare him so long as he never reveals what he's seen; a blind musician's instrumental abilities attracts the ghosts of dead samurai; and finally, a swordsman finds the reflection of a dead samurai staring back at him in his cup of tea. There is no framing device.

 

CreepiestTale: While the first two entries are inherently spooky, the third, 'Hoichi, the Earless' is the longest, and ghastly of the quartet. The segment is so memorable, its main shock proponent turned up as a plot device in Kuei Chi Hung's HEX (1980). 

Throwaway Tale: 'In a Cup of Tea' has a few moments of distinct hauntedness, but never quite wraps things up in a sufficiently satisfying way. The ambiguous ending is appreciated by some, but I was hoping for a more direct instance of closure.

4. THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1970)

Amicus cornered the market on anthologies for an eight year period between 1965 and 1973. This one is their best, and most consistently entertaining of the lot. The quality of their horror compendiums varied, but they were all different in some way. HOUSE benefits from a unique, experimental, and sincerely eerie music score; and a stellar cast of British horror familiars including Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

The segments are built around a house of death and the fates of those who live there. The four stories detail a horror novelist whose newest creation has seemingly come to life; a waxworks museum hides a gruesome secret discovered by two friends who loved the same woman; the husband of a witch learns his daughter has taken up her dead mother's activities; and a horror film actor seeks an authentic cloak for use in his new vampire picture. The framing device concerns an inspector investigating the house and the deaths of its occupants. At the end, he finds what he's looking for.

Creepiest Tale: Picking just one in my favorite of Amicus' anthologies is a difficult task, but I'll go with 'The Cloak'. Not only is it occasionally eerie, it also sports a sardonic wit and self-awareness absent in the others. In addition, it contains a humorous jab at Christopher Lee's interpretation of Dracula.

Throwaway Tale: While I do like the episode, 'Waxworks' gets the pick for the sole reason that it is the only story that doesn't take place within the title abode. It's boiling over with unsettling imagery, just the same.

5. TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972)

A favorite of many, it seemed only natural that if there were to be an anthology based on the controversial EC comic books, Amicus would be the logical studio to bring it to life. Another fine cast is assembled, and a uniformly grim atmosphere grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go for a hundred minutes. The familiar tones of Douglas Gamley resonate on the soundtrack with that signature Amicus sound of his. The gore is subtle and the tales are all rather faithful to their source material.

A wife has just killed her husband on Christmas Eve as a madman in a Santa Claus suit stalks outside; an adulterer abandons his family for his lover which leads to disastrous consequences; an old man is tormented by a neighbor and gets his just desserts from beyond the grave; a statue grants wishes to a couple having financial troubles and get more than they bargained for; and a group of blind elderly men gain retribution on an insensitive manager of a rest home.

Creepiest Tale: Tough call, but 'Blind Alleys' wins for building a suitably self-serving, callous villain whose just desserts is unusually cruel, but elaborate in its creation and execution by a mob of blind men out for retribution.

Throwaway Tale: 'Reflection of Death' is easily the lesser of the five evils seen here. Its cyclical, premonition reveal is executed unenthusiastically by director Freddie Francis. But then, there wasn't much meat on the bones of the original EC comics story.

6. FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1973)

Prior to embarking on movies about lost worlds and dinosaurs, producer John Dark and director Kevin Conner collaborated on Amicus Studios final cinematic compendium. Thankfully, the company was able to go out on a high note with these four pieces of macabre maleficence.

Customers buy unusual items at 'Temptations Limited' run by Peter Cushing. The way the patrons acquire their purchases reflects how their stories turn out. The entries are -- a mirror harboring an evil spirit compels a man to murder; a war medal leads a frustrated husband to the home of a creepy former soldier and his daughter; a couples home is invaded by an evil Elemental; and a sinister looking door belonging to an occultist magically opens up the devil worshipers domain.

 

Creepiest Tale: All four are good, but my favorite would be the second, 'An Act of Kindness' with Donald and Angela Pleasence. It has the most surprising sting in the tail of the four. The performances of father and daughter Pleasence resonates an unsettling air just by their limited expressions alone.

Throwaway Tale: The lesser of the four would be 'The Door' -- the last story -- based solely on the fact that it's essentially a re-working of the segment that opens the movie; but substitutes a door for a mirror. It's an entertaining, well photographed segment, but the familiarity with the opening tale is unmistakable.

7. TRILOGY OF TERROR (1975)

Dan (DARK SHADOWS TV series) Curtis directed this terror-ific Made For TV triple threat that obtained a cult following akin to Spielberg's superb suspenser DUEL from 1971. The fan love for TOT comes unanimously from its third segment, 'Amelia', the films third and final story. That segment was so terrifyingly memorable, it was later released solo on VHS tape in the early 1990s as TERROR OF THE DOLL. The first two stories are moderately engaging, but inferior to the implacability of the final segment. If not for the ferocity of this entry, TOT would likely be forgotten. The late Richard Matheson wrote the three stories.

The segments deal with a student who develops a fascination with his English teacher, only to learn she isn't all that she seems to be; a doctor becomes embroiled in a rivalry between two malevolent sisters; and a woman purchases a Zuni fetish doll that comes to murderous life.

Creepiest Tale: Without question 'Amelia' hits the horror home run here. The killer Zuni doll is among the most memorably frightening creations of old school horror. It's so unforgettable, Dan Curtis revived it in a direct sequel story in the 1996 Made For Cable TRILOGY OF TERROR 2 as 'He Who Kills'.

Throwaway Tale: 'Julie' is fairly uneventful. Actually, the first two stories together aren't all that enthralling. Still, Karen Black's performance in all three stories is exceptional, and varied.

8. CREEPSHOW (1982)

George Romero and Stephen King joined forces for this superlative EC comics tribute that packs five stories and a wraparound segment into a 2+ hour horror smorgasbord. The devotion to William Gaines's controversial four color fear books is apparent throughout in a unique visual palette that emulates the panels found in comics. The gore level is high, the comedy is dark, and the cast is incredible.

These five tales concern a dead man who returns from the grave for a vengeance fueled holiday; a lonesome hillbilly finds a meteorite thinking it will bring him fortune, but instead brings him a lot of bad luck; infidelity leads a husband to devise a gruesome revenge on his wife and lover; a professor discovers a decades old crate hiding a very hungry secret; and finally, a bigoted, self-centered clean-freak's fear of cockroaches materializes in his specially made apartment. The framing device -- such as it is -- sees a brutish father tossing out his son's "crap" copy of the Creepshow comic, and pays for it during the concluding moments of the film. 

Creepiest Tale: This honor goes to 'The Crate' -- a great monster, a lovely in-joke, juicy Tom Savini gore and believable characters all amount to a compact, 37 minute monster flick.

Throwaway Tale: While it's hilarious watching Stephen King play a hillbilly outcast, 'The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill' is more comedy than horror. It's fun, but flaccid; its finish is more pinch than sting. Still, the utterance of "Meteor shit!" is one of the more memorable moments from the movie.

9. FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM (1987)

Easily the most grotesque anthology of the 1980s. Jeff Burr's inaugural movie is rife with creativity and nauseating subject matter. Grim from start to finish, it never lets go. All the stories are relatively strong with powerful punchlines. While CREEPSHOW had an air of macabre frivolity about it, Burr's movie is simply ferocious. Only the framing device contains a darkly humorous tone about it.

The four sordid stories of Oldfield, Tennessee consist of -- a disturbed man has a thing for dead women; an injured criminal meets an old codger in the swamp who has the key to eternal life; a traveling band of carnival freaks are terrorized by their voodoo practicing boss; and a group of Civil War soldiers run afoul of a band of peculiar children living in isolation in the woods. The framing device provides a slight surprise, but lacks the nasty tone of the actual stories. Boasts a stellar cast, too.

Creepiest Tale: To say the fourth episode is repugnant would be redundant where Burr's movie is concerned. It's not only revolting, but it's frightening, too, mainly because of the creepy commune of children. Think Lord of the Flies meets CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1984) and you get a general idea, just far more unsettling.

Throwaway Tale: It's difficult to nail down a lesser segment here, but the carnival story would be it for the sole reason that the shock ending is the least shocking.

10. TALES FROM THE HOOD (1995)

The first black-themed anthology horror film comes from Rusty Cundieff. It's a socially relevant picture that touches on a number of topics from racism to child abuse to inner city violence and drug dealing. Despite its obvious liberal leaning politicizing, the makers had enough forethought to not saturate the entire movie in propaganda. The last tale at least makes an effort to cover territory the media seldom traverses.

The four stories begin with black vengeance from beyond the grave on three racist cops; the second is about a young schoolboy named Walter who says there's a monster in his house; the third deals with an ex-Klan member turned politician who is besieged by a grisly group of dolls possessed by spirits of dead slaves; the last concerns a drug dealer who, after being shot, must confront his victims as part of a bizarre series of experiments, or is it? The framing device reveals the fate of our three young drug dealers. If you're familiar with some of the more well known anthology pictures of old, you can guess the finish.

Creepiest Tale: Two stories (the 2nd and 4th) vie for the most satisfying segment; but for me, the second story, 'Boys Do Get Bruised' roughs up the rest mainly for the soul-breaking performance of David Alan Grier. His career as a funnyman is erased with this heated, brutal performance.

Throwaway Tale: 'Rogue Cop Revelation' wimps out as little more than a standard revenge yarn; and neither an accent slipping villain portrayal by Wings Hauser, or the decent shock ending can salvage it. The only average entry of the bunch.

11. TRICK 'R TREAT (2009)

Michael Dougherty's intriguing compendium of seasonal spookery went virtually unseen for two years before it found a home on DVD, bypassing theatrical release altogether. It's limited circuit run allowed horror fans to ponder exactly why it wasn't given even a nominal release in theaters. I did see the trailer at the multiplex, but the film never debuted. Instead of the usual omnibus template of stories unrelated to one another, these four entries (and the framing device) overlap one another -- unraveling in a non-linear fashion over the course of Halloween night. The running theme concerns the rules of Halloween -- break them and suffer at the hands of Sam, a holiday creature hidden behind a nightmarish burlap shroud.

 

The terror begins with a single parent, child murdering school principal trying to dispose of his new victim; next, five young teens travel to a rock quarry where a busload of mentally handicapped kids were sent to a watery grave; a vampiric killer meets a group of young lovelies en-route to a special kind of Halloween party; and an old scrooge with a murderous past gets a mysterious visitor. The framing device literally ties all the stories together. The opening murder sequence, just before the segments begin to unspool, is reminiscent of a slasher picture.

Creepiest Tale: The story with the party girls and their one "virginal" member -- she's dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and encounters a fang-toothed killer. It's the one segment that has the most candy in its sack yielding one heckuva sting in the tail.

Throwaway Tale: None of the entries are lacking, but the last with the old man engaging in a bloody battle with Sam (like Samhain) has the least amount of plot till the last few minutes when it ties itself up with an earlier tale. It also recalls the 'Halloween Candy' episode from the first season of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE (1983-1988).

12. THE THEATER BIZARRE (2011)

One of the best, and eccentric of the current crop of omnibus horror, as well as the most focused, mature, and experimental. Akin to the multi-director pattern applied to 1945s DEAD OF NIGHT and 1990s TWO EVIL EYES, this ghoulishly bizarre theatrical experience packs in six macabre stories with six different directors; seven if you include Jeremy Kasten's wraparound segment. Artistic flourishes abound here; and melded with gruesome gore and subject matter. These ingredients make for a startling marriage of unique imagery. It's not entirely successful, of course, but it's well worth your investment. Udo Kier and Catriona MacColl are among the cast for added enthusiasm.

A couple vacationing in Europe are enticed by a strange woman who claims to own a copy of the Necronomicon; sexual dysfunction leads a woman to split with her husband, only he isn't ready to let go; an abusive husband divulges to a psychologist his recurring nightmares of vagina dentata; a mother and daughter discuss the nature of death; a disturbed woman extracts ocular fluid from near dead druggies, then injects the juice into her own eyes so as to see what they experienced; a food obsessed couple's relationship is about to end till the doting boyfriend begs her not to leave and regrets it later. The framing device that gets the show on the road involves an artist who enters a rundown theater that has inexplicably opened across the street. A living marionette indulges the girl as the stories unfold.

Creepiest Tale: The nasty number titled 'Sweets' takes the cake. You'll likely eventually pick up on where this episode is headed, but the surreal imagery of people stuffing their faces with food may turn some off before the scrumptious, culinary conclusion.

Throwaway Tale: It's provocative in its way, but 'The Accident' is bereft of horror; and while it's well shot and directed, it simply does not fit within the parameters laid down by the other segments.

Since 2010, there's been an influx of anthology horror films that shows the format to not be slowing down any time soon. Here's hoping this style of motion picture maintains fresh blood in its veins in the coming years.

Cinema of Virtue: Liu Chia Liang, Master of Kung Fu Cinema Part 3

"He truly took great care of people around him, and he was very willing to help the younger generation. He was a treasure of the film industry."--Chow Yun Fat on Master Liu Chia Liang's death.

The vain, yet romantic Liu Chia Liang entered the 1980s helming a set of back-to-back box office hits. Offscreen, his personification of Chinese kung fu was just as important. Not only was he heavily involved in charity and martial arts events, he would mentor even more actors (including Eric Tsang Chi Wai, Yuen Te and Adam Cheng [see insert], and current instructor of Lau's Hung Fist, Mark Houghton). Moreover, the 80s would contain numerous, sometimes devastating obstacles for the master martial artist to traverse.

LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF CHINA (1982) was Liu Chia Liang's inaugural motion picture for the 1982 year. The cast was his usual stock of capable performers, but with the addition of Alexander Fu Sheng. Chang Cheh made him famous in 1973, and the young actor was incredibly loyal to him -- much like a son to his father; and that's the way their relationship was perceived. When the actor finally went to work for other directors, he was eventually mentored by Master Liu once more. He would appear in a few of his films leading up to the young actors death in 1983.

But prior to that, Liu Chia Liang put the characteristically impish demeanor of Fu Sheng into overdrive -- first playing a faux spiritual boxer in LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF CHINA; then a co-starring role opposite Adam Cheng in the colorful, but painful CAT VS. RAT (1982); and finally, another co-starring role in 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER (1984).

Plot wise, Fu's grating portrayal operates as a red herring, but thankfully, the director packs in enough spectacular action sequences to make up for the films early segue into nonsense. LEGENDARY WEAPONS starts off like gangbusters with a Darth Vaderish Chu Te Hu commanding subordinates to gouge out their eyes and rip off their extremities! Voodoo style kung fu and lots of magic tricks are trotted out via the evil Mao Shan priests. Director Liu complements his love letter to ancient Chinese weapons by giving each of the 18 implements the spotlight throughout the picture, and encores them all in rapid succession during the climactic duel.

DISCIPLES OF THE MASTER: WONG YU (real name Wang Chi-chuan)

Wong Yu (left) cons Lo Mang in LION VS. LION (1980)

As a young assassin in THE FLYING GUILLOTINE (1975)

Debuting in Li Han Hsiang's FACETS OF LOVE (1973) as the Emperor, Wong Yu (sometimes listed as Huang Yu, or Young Wang Yu) was selected by Liu Chia Liang for his breakout role in THE SPIRITUAL BOXER (1975). The young actor found fame under the tutelage of Master Liu, and expanded his resume under other directors like Sun Chung. His popularity allowed him to live comfortably, but he was never a huge star, and didn't have much staying power after Shaw's closed in 1985. Wong Yu was also an entrepreneur involved in a gasoline business in North America. Diagnosed with a chronic disease in 1980, Wong contemplated leaving the movie industry multiple times during his Shaw tenure. In later years, personal and health problems (heart and brain surgeries) took their toll on him. At just 53, and reportedly living in poverty, he died from hepatitis in May of 2008. 

For the most part, Liu's previous movies were very successful. LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF CHINA no doubt shocked everybody when it grossed approximately 10 million in Hong Kong alone. It ended up being the directors biggest hit of his Shaw Brothers years. The picture was in competition with Jackie Chan's DRAGON LORD (1982) released on the same day. To put things into perspective, Jackie Chan had reinvented the genre in 1978, reaching a box office pinnacle in 1980 with the release of THE YOUNG MASTER. Shortly thereafter, he was one of the leaders in a New Wave style that usurped the old, practical style of HK filmmaking. Chan's DRAGON LORD grossed approximately $18 million. Furthermore, Chang Cheh's FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS (1982), released in April of that year, pulled in a meager $1.6 million. 

Over the course of his career, Liu Chia Liang had subverted genre conventions to suit his vision. He now had a sizable smash on his hands versus the encroaching New Wave, and Jackie Chan's one after the other blockbusters.

Filming CAT VS. RAT in 1982

Unfortunately, he followed LEGENDARY WEAPONS up with CAT VS. RAT -- a rather tired, irrepressibly childish picture. The storyline involving two rival youngsters constantly trying to outdo one another had been done multiple times already, and the unbearable comedy does the film no favors. The choreography is good, of course. The cramped sets were indicative of stormy weather ahead for Shaw Brothers.
  The same applies to the directors THE LADY IS THE BOSS (1983); although it's a vast improvement. Essentially a modernized, 80s reworking of MY YOUNG AUNTIE (1981), the fights take a backseat to pervasive comedy as the cast shouts their lines as quickly as possible. Master Liu does make an effort to dichotomize tradition with modernity, but this is merely recycled and updated from his AUNTIE picture; and the topic isn't elaborated upon. However, seeing the directors stable of actors decked out in 80s attire and reliving characters of past hits is a nice touch. An added bonus is seeing throngs of patrons waiting to see Tang Chia's SHAOLIN PRINCE (1983) at Shaw's Rex Theater!

Speaking of Tang Chia (see insert pic), the former choreographing partner to Liu Chia Liang was somersaulting into the directorial arena himself in 1982. The humble action designer began an ever so brief gig as a director with the wild wuxia-fantasy fan favorite SHAOLIN PRINCE (1983). Tang's turn as a director was highly touted, and his long-time friend, Master Liu was excited for him -- even if Tang wasn't particularly thrilled about the added responsibility. He directed only two more features culminating in the exciting, if rushed OPIUM & THE KUNG FU MASTER (1984); which could have been a Liu Chia Liang film.

DISCIPLES OF THE MASTER: HSIAO HOU (real name Hao Yiu Chung)

Hsiao Hou (right) in DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER

Another discovery of Master Liu/Lau was this agile, Peking Opera trained martial artist. Like many of Chang Cheh's stock players, Hsiao Hou was a prominent performer in Liu Chia Liang's movies. He got a shot at a co-starring role alongside his master in the fan favorite, MAD MONKEY KUNG FU in 1979. He never caught on as a leading man, but he got one more go at it in 1985s disappointing DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER where he played famous folk hero, Fong Shih Yu. Towards the end of his Shaw tenure and beyond, Hsiao Hou (his name translates to 'little monkey') was resigned to supporting roles, or bit parts. Up to the mid 1990s, he managed to thrive as an action choreographer and stuntman. His resume includes a number of pictures for Sammo Hung.

It was also around this time the Shaw's were losing their place in Hong Kong cinema. Since the start of the 1980s, their audience (in HK, anyways) grew increasingly weary of their old fashioned approach to filmmaking (much like what happened to Hammer in the 1970s). The Shaw's soldiered on making one action period piece after another as these types of pictures were vital to their overseas markets. It allowed them to thrive a bit longer in this respect. But in HK, patrons were gradually flocking to the new wave style of productions at Golden Harvest and other up and coming studios.

The same could be said of Master Liu's movies during this period. Whether this was due to a noticeable decline in Shaw's production values, or a disinterest on the part of Liu, himself, his films lacked the luster of his works from the previous decade. Although he had one great movie left in him before the Shaw's closed their doors.



This depressive mood is stamped all over Liu's 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER (1984). Despite Fu Sheng's death during production, this one was a serious affair from the start. Begun as 'The Heroic Family' in May of 1981, the bulk of the film was already completed with shooting continuing right up to Fu's fatal car accident. 

Around this time in 1981, Fu Sheng was interested in becoming a movie director, himself. With the help of the Lau brothers and Wong Jing, Fu began work on WITS OF THE BRATS (1984; see insert photo) during this time frame. The actors death on July 7th, 1983, left his film unfinished, as well as POLE FIGHTER. The last we see of Fu's character in Liu's picture, he's told he must testify at court for Poon Mei's treachery and he's not seen again.

Work on Liu Chia Liang's 'The Ten Heroes of Shaolin' was likewise postponed; and when it was completed, it had turned into the third 'Master Killer' movie, DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER (1985). 

Liu sits to himself at Fu Sheng's funeral in 1983.

 
POLE FIGHTER was a modest success, yet it's fondly remembered as one of Liu's greatest efforts today. DISCIPLES (see magazine promo insert pic) fared less well at the box office. The Shaw's were making the transition solely to television, leasing their studio out to other companies, so this picture was seemingly dumped onto a public that couldn't care less. Even the poster design is lackadaisical and bland. It doesn't even utilize any images from the film! A shot of Gordon Liu from POLE FIGHTER and Hsiao Hou from LEGENDARY WEAPONS are front and center. The film itself is a tired retread of Ming vs. Qing with folk hero Fong Shih Yu at the forefront and San Te (played by Gordon Liu this time) as a supporting character. The final fight is spectacular, and the sole saving grace of this weak sequel.

Liu and his first wife Ho Sau Ha (left of him) and four daughters from first marriage.

Liu and soon-to-be wife, Yung Jing Jing in 1983.

Even with the Shaw Brothers studio output at a low ebb and the death of Fu Sheng, all wasn't gloomy for the passionate martial arts movie-maker. Throughout his career, Liu Chia Liang was reported to be quite the ladies man -- even when he was married to his first wife, Ho Sau Ha. He was most famously associated with his frequent kung fu starlet, Hui Ying Hung. In 1983, he was often seen with a much younger actress (29 years his junior), Yung Jing Jing (Mary Jean Reimer). In 1987, the two married (although it was rumored they had married in 1984). Just like in his movies, Master Liu believed in family. He had four daughters and a son with first wife, Ho Sau Ha, and two daughters with the woman he remained with for 26 years till his death. Both families were by his bedside when he passed.

Immediately after the closing of Shaw's studio doors, Master Liu didn't sit idly by. Unlike some of his colleagues, he made a successful transition to Hong Kong's New Wave style, and remained a viable force for about ten more years. His post-Shaw hits include the Jet Li vehicle MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN (1986) aka SHAOLIN TEMPLE 3. The star-studded modern day actioner TIGER ON THE BEAT (1988) is another -- which may as well have been a Shaw production with all the former luminaries on hand. One of the highlights is a spectacular chainsaw duel between Gordon Liu and Conan Lee (see insert).

The esteemed old man of kung fu worked with Americans for the first time in 1993s TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 3: TURTLES IN TIME. According to Liu, Raymond Chow sent him to work on the film for a week. He designed 11 action sequences in 7 days, although it appears none of his work survived the finished version. Then there's DRUNKEN MASTER 2 (1994). It had Liu directing Jackie Chan in the first of two non-Shaw Wong Fei-hung movies.



DM2 is of interest because of the controversy surrounding it. Much like the relationship between Liu and Chang Cheh had soured over time, the collaboration of these two titans of kung fu cinema dissolved much quicker. Both men have strong personalities that just didn't match. It was life imitating art -- like the familiar plot device pitting tradition against modernism found in Liu's Shaw pictures. Problems arose between the two with Liu's traditional style clashing with Chan's new style. This resulted in Master Liu's exit from the picture. 

The embittered elder filmmaker retaliated rushing out a DRUNKEN MASTER 3 (1994) without Chan's involvement. It performed poorly. He was redeemed to a degree by receiving a Best Choreography award for DRUNKEN MASTER 2. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with lymphomatic cancer the same year.

DISCIPLES OF THE MASTER: YANG TSING TSING (Yueng Ching Ching)

Yang Tsing Tsing (sometimes listed as Yan Ching Ching) was a petite practitioner of martial arts hired by Liu Chia Liang. She was only 16 when she joined Shaw's in 1979. Her first role of substance was in the kung fu comedy, EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF. She was also working on TWO CHAMPIONS OF SHAOLIN and CLAN OF THE WHITE LOTUS (all three 1980) at the same time. She was a magnificent martial artist, but alas, a breakout performance eluded her. Even so, she graced a number of wuxia and kung fu favorites with her fighting prowess and presence. Arguably her most significant role was as Wang Lung Wei's mute, but deadly girlfriend in THE TREASURE HUNTERS (1981). The majority of her roles were as sidekicks, or bodyguard/assassin types; and when Shaw's closed, she thrived as a stunt double and action choreographer in other films and on television. Ann Hui's AH KAM (1996) aka THE STUNTWOMAN, is based on her life. 

When the news broke in 2000 that the old Shaw Brothers catalog of movies were being restored for release on DVD, it was hoped a return to old style kung fu would be revived with it. The Shaw's themselves attempted resurrection with a BOXER FROM SHANTUNG (1972) remake entitled HERO in 1997 starring Takeshi Kaneshiro and Yuen Biao.



Sadly, that film performed poorly. With anticipation of the Shaw restorations, Liu Chia Liang was leading the charge of this second wave of Shaw Brothers revivification. DRUNKEN MONKEY (2003) was intended to be a breath of fresh air in contrast to all the CGI enhanced Wuxia pictures that had dominated Chinese movie screens since the release of STORM RIDERS in 1996.



Yet again, a new era of Shaw productions was denied when DRUNKEN MONKEY failed miserably at the HK box office. Bolstered by a cast of old hands in top form such as Gordon Liu and Chi Kuan Chun (as well as director Liu), and up and comer Wu Jing, the action was spectacular; but marred by a thick, penetrating aura of comical shenanigans. The failure of DRUNKEN MONKEY was the end of Liu Chia Liang's directorial career. 

He acted in, and co-choreographed one more movie -- SEVEN SWORDS (2005) from Tsui Hark. A case of pneumonia during the shoot aggravated his condition. Liu Chia Liang would leave the limelight of the silver screen never to return before the camera. In 2010, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 29th Annual HK Film Awards. That same year in May, it was reported he would act as an advisor on Wong Kar Wai's THE GRANDMASTER (2013). His nephew, Jimmy Liu, took a role in that picture as a Hung Gar fighter. By 2011, it was reported Master Liu had to receive blood transfusions on a regular basis. 



Then on June 25th, 2013, martial arts cinema lost one of, if not its greatest, purely authentic representative of the Chinese arts in Asian motion picture history. There were others who were devout towards their art, but none so steadfast and resolute as the Master, Liu Chia Liang/Lau Kar Leung. Born in 1936 (the actual month and date varies), his 76 years on this earth were filled with numerous successes, disappointments, triumphs and tragedies the likes of which many of us will never experience. He may be gone, but he'll never be forgotten so long as we, the fans have his movies and the memories shared by those he mentored, knew him, and loved him.

THE END