Pearl Chang Ling

The time has come, the walrus said, to speak of Pearl Chang Ling. Apologies to Lewis Carroll, but one suspects the master of loopy logic would feel right at home amidst the dreamy delirium of kung fu cinema’s weirdest heroine. As writer, director and star, Chang Ling played Alice in her self-imagined wonderland of swashbuckling fantasy, psychedelic sets, and surreal characters. That she was a successful female filmmaker in a male dominated industry is impressive enough. That movies like Dark Lady of Kung Fu (1981) and Miraculous Flower (1984) feature magical flying boots, zombies, heroic wolves, cell animated special effects, masked heroines, talking apes, satanic rituals, exploding intestines, fire-breathing monks, and a duel in an active volcano – make her downright loveable.

Background information on Chang Ling remains frustratingly scarce. A star on Taiwanese television, she supposedly married a wealthy producer, gaining carte blanche to produce the movies she wanted. Her best-known movie, Wolf Devil Woman (a precursor to Ronny Yu’s masterpiece The Bride with White Hair (1994)) exists on English dubbed VCD, but her finest film Matching Escort (1983) is readily available from Amazon, alongside an early swordplay fantasy My Blade, My Life (1977), produced by Chang but directed by Chen Ming Hwa.

Grindhouse cinema hits Glasgow and London

The clamour for all things grindhouse continues with movie screenings in Glasgow and London, both showing a double bill of They Call Her Cleopatra Wong and One Armed Executioner and both directed by Filipino film maker Bobby A Suarez.

They're crime fighting capers, with about as many fight scenes and explosions as anyone can take as our heroes in both movies battle to right wrongs under the Interpol banner. The evenings also feature exclusive filmed introductions by the movie’s stars direct from Manila and Singapore, an off-the-wall compilation of Bobby A Suarez trailers, cool Asian art installations, lots of Asian food and Tiger Beer, courtesy of the sponsors.

The Glasgow event is at the ABC Cinema on 29th May, with the action moving to the SeOne Club, SE1, London on 31st May. Entry to the Tiger Grindhouse events is free, with doors open at 6.30pm. You can pre-register for events at the website or get free tickets at the venues on the night.

More on the events at the Tiger Grindhouse website

DVD Review: The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires (1974)

By the mid 70s, the Hammer formula was starting to look more than a little tired and with the company on its last legs, new ideas were needed to keep the film stable relevant. Hooking up with Hong Kong martial arts studio Shaw Brothers might have seemed like a strange way to go - but it was actually more than a little inspired.

Mixing martial arts with horror might not seem all that bold now, but when The Legend of The 7 Golden Vampires hit the big screen in 1974, it was a very strange beast - and not something readily accepted by the Hammer faithful. In fact, Hammer made just two more horrors after this. Shame, because many Hammer movies don't really cut it in 2007 - while The Legend of The 7 Golden Vampires does, despite its obvious flaws.

The tale itself is pure nonsense. A Chinese warlord travels to Transylvania to summon the help of Count Dracula in support of the 6 golden vampires. There were 7, but one got bumped off. Dracula takes over the warlord's body and heads to China, keen to get some serious vampire action himself.

The Los Angeles Grindhouse Festival 2007

On Sunday March 4th The Los Angeles Grindhouse Festival 2007 presented by Quentin Tarantino at the New Beverly Cinema got off to great start with a double-bill of the blaxploitation classic The Mack (1973) and the martial arts action flick The Chinese Mack (Da jiao long, 1974).

This eight week long event will present over fifty films and takes place March 4th - April 30th. Various theme nights are planned including the "Euro Sex Comedies Triple Feature," showcasing Sex with A Smile (aka 40 gradi all'ombra del lenzuolo, 1976), Sex on the Run (aka Casanova & Co., 1977) and The Oldest Profession (aka Le Plus vieux métier du monde, 1967) as well as the "All Blood Triple Feature," which will feature screenings of The Blood Spattered Bride (aka La Novia ensangrentada, 1972), Asylum of Blood (aka La Bestia uccide a sangue freddo, 1971) and Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary (1975) as well as many others.

District 13 (2006)

Here's a quick heads-up for fans of impossible stuntwork and insane action. District 13 is the absolutely barmy French movie that lazy folks will surely tag as "the new Ong Bak" just because of its stripped down approach to action and eye-popping bodily harm.

Truth is, District 13 is actually a more satisying movie as far as story goes, though the action beats seem to happen in reverse - the most incredible stunt scenes are at the beginning. Developed by, and starring, David Belle - one of the creators of "le parkour" or "free running", around which the movie's action is based. Basically, he makes like a real life Spider-Man, leaping from rooftops, swinging round drainpipes and generally turning the crumbling tower blocks of a near-future Paris into an enormous superhero playground.

District 13 gets a welcome UK cinema release on July 7. See it, and then wonder how we ever let lumbering berks like Schwarzenegger become action icons.

In the meantime, check out the trailer right here.