Chen Ping Movies

For 10 years (1966-76) during the Cultural Revolution in the People's Republic of China, the Yang Ban Xi -- Revolutionary Model Opera -- was the only medium of artistic expression allowed to be performed or broadcast in China. These were large scale opera/ballet extravaganzas, their music derived from folk material and the now-banned Beijing Opera, and their stories and words extolling the liberation achieved for China by Mao Zedong (and all produced under the watchful eye of Mao's fourth wife, Jiang Qing) and reminding the people of the miseries of life under the feudal landlords and other counter-revolutionaries. They were performed on stage throughout the country, the artists involved becoming major stars in the process, and broadcast on television, and turned into movies; and they were the only entertainment permitted by the Chinese government for 10 years. Yang Ban Xi: The 8 Model Works focuses on the eight Yang Ban Xi (there were 15 in all) that were considered most exemplary by the government, providing a look at their deliriously over-the-top productions (including huge numbers of dancers, complex choreography, huge choruses, and, in the case of the movie versions, rich Technicolor filming) and their lingering appeal, decades after the Cultural Revolution came to a grinding halt. Almost as compelling as the classic works in the genre -- which includes scenes choreographed with dancer/soldiers carrying machine pistols and rifles and Mao's quotations -- are the interviews with the actors, dancers, directors, and writers, some of whom remain active as performers decades later, others of whom have faded into obscurity. And we get the odd "chorus" of a faux commentary by an actress portraying Jiang Qing, presenting a defense of her work and her life. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Despite its stand-alone title, this mixture of martial arts and exploitation is a semi-sequel to Shaw Brothers's Flying Guillotine series. This time, the focus is Rong Qui-yan (Chen Ping), a kung fu student turned dutiful wife whose life falls apart when her husband is murdered by a squad of government operatives led by the duplicitous Jin Gang-Feng (Lo Lieh). Qui-yan is forced to go into hiding as she plots her revenge and finds allies in fellow fugitive Ma Seng (Tsui Siu Keung) and ex-lover Wang-jun (Yueh Hua). Meanwhile, Jin Gang-Feng sends out an array of killers to track them down. Complicating things further is the fact that Qui-yan is pregnant and struggling to keep her unborn child safe while fighting her way to safety. The Vengeful Beauty was directed by Ho Meng-hua, who directed the first Flying Guillotine film. Shaw Brothers fans will be interested to note that this film reuses footage of several beheading scenes and other special effects from The Flying Guillotine. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi

The Third Master (Erh Tung Sheng) is considered to be the greatest swordmaster of his day. This reputation is quite enough to bring armies of challengers to his door, seeking to win that title for themselves. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Moments before his uncle is taken to be executed, Shen Yuan (Li Hsiu-hsien) writes down the cryptic words tattooed on the man's back...they are an invocation of some sort. Himself a crippled plantation manager, Yuan cannot win the attention of the girl next door whom he fancies, nor can he stem the abuses of his unpleasant boss. One day, pushed beyond his limits, Yuan remembers his uncle's invocation and utters it. He is immediately transformed into the Oily Maniac, an avenger of wrongs and hot-tempered foe of evil. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

When her sister suffers the effects of drug abuse, and her involvement in the drug world leads to her being raped, Wan Fei (Chen Ping) seeks the assistance of a sympathetic policeman to help her go undercover and wreak havoc on the drug gangs. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Four separate stories are included in this Hong Kong comedy omnibus. In "Deadly Injections," an phony acupuncturist accidentally kills his client and suffers the consequences. In "Counterfeit," two sexy schemers are outfoxed by a foreigner. In "Social Disease" a woman's desire to buy some jewels is so great that she indulges in some shady tactics to keep others from getting to them first. Finally, in "Hire Purchase," a man and a wife who are both secretly committing adultery manage to double-cross one another. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Left for dead on the street after being sexually assaulted by a violent gang of deviants and infected with a deadly sexually transmitted disease, a beautiful factory girl enlists the aid of a retired martial arts master in perfecting the skills that will allow her to seek deadly retribution. Her body was defiled, yet just as she thought the worst was over, she learned that her suffering had only begun. Given the grim diagnosis that she now has just months to live, the woman who was once an unwilling victim vows to seek bloody revenge against the men who destroyed her life. Only one man has the skills to teach her how to take out an entire army of thugs, and after her training is over no one will be able to stop her rampage of destruction. Now, as one woman with nothing to lose prepares to take down the entire underworld, the best her enemies can hope for is a quick and painless death. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi