Killer Darts Written by Tu Yun-Chih Directed by Ho Meng-Hua Hong Kong, 1968 What a difference a week can make. Last Saturday, the film under review was The Black Tavern, which earned the highest of praise for originality, creativity, and a willingness to go in the deep end by mixing things up in some demented …
The Lady Hermit Written by Yip Yat-Fong Directed Ho Meng-hua Hong Kong, 1971 ‘Always two there are. A master and an apprentice.’ Such words replete of knowledge are not uttered by anyone in director Ho Meng-hua’s The Lady Hermit but rather by the greatest Jedi master who ever lived, Yoda (Frank Oz), in 1999 oft …
The divide between good and evil can be very thin, almost imperceptible to those who prefer painting the world in grand, all-encompassing strokes. The same goes for film, wherein some stories are told with clearly delineated sides while others adopt more nuance. Experienced director Ho Meng-Hua and screenwriter Patrick Kong Yueng cooperated in 1973 to make The Golden Lion, a movie in which the alignments within firm camps of good guys and bad are not well-defined, providing its story more texture than typical martial arts fare.
What would life be like if, rather than face problems head on with courage, honour and a sense of duty, people opted out of showing an inkling of gut and resorted to magical tricks to sway fate in their favour? For one, laziness would settle in rather quickly, but so would be lack of acceptance towards fate and the differences that make everyone unique. Someone disagrees with a course of action? Put a spell on his or her mind.
Vengeance is a Golden Blade Directed by Ho Meng-Hua Written by Ho Meng-Hua and Yun Chich Tu Hong Kong, 1969 Ah, the McGuffin, the prized object that each and every character in a film is influenced by, seeks out but which in the end bears no relation to the heart of a story. The story …
The Flying Guillotine Directed by Ho Meng-hua Hong Kong, 1975 Despite all the genuine thrills Shaw Brothers films can produce, it is quite apparent that the studio always had half a foot planted firmly in ‘camp.’ Oftentimes, specific elements elevate the movies from being farcical. Mesmerizing action and a charming ensemble cast, such as in …