Cinema60 gets out of its comfort zone and kicks into high gear with some Shaw Brothers action. While the studio was originally founded back in the 1920s, they became the Shaw Brothers studio that we know and love beginning in the 1960s. From Huangmei operas to wuxia action films, in the 1960s Hong Kong was quickly and violently moving away from traditional mainland influence and coming into its own. It’s no surprise that its cinema reflected these changes to great fanfare.

While neither Bart nor Jenna started out as huge fans of the genre, they found themselves pleasantly surprised by these early Shaw Brothers offerings. Listen as they discuss a range of films from the iconic classics to the bizarre–all of which surprisingly feel like blueprints for a multitude of modern big budget action flicks.

The following films are discussed:



• The Enchanting Shadow (1960)

倩女幽魂 (Ching nu yu hun)

Directed by Li Han-hsiang

Starring Betty Loh Ti, Zhao Lei, Yang Chih-ching

• The Mermaid (1965)

魚美人 (Yu mei ren)

Directed by Kao Li

Starring Ivy Ling Po, Li Ching, Yang Chih-ching

• Come Drink With Me (1966)

大醉俠 (Da zui xia)

Directed by King Hu

Starring Cheng Pei-pei, Yueh Hua, Yang Chih-ching

• The One-Armed Swordsman (1967)

獨臂刀 (Du bei dao)

Directed by Chang Cheh

Starring Jimmy Wang, Angela Pan, Yang Chih-ching

• The Fastest Sword (1968)

天下第一劍 (Tian xia di yi jian)

Directed by Pan Lei

Starring Lu Ping, Chu Ching, Kao Ming

• Temptress of a Thousand Faces (1969)

千面魔女 (Qian mian mo nu)

Directed by Jeong Chang-hwa

Starring Tina Chin-Fei, Pat Ting Hung, Yang Chih-ching