***This is going to be a mid-monthly tradition now, I guess. At least until social distancing standards are completely abandoned. Maybe even after that. Some updates will be bigger than others – it all depends on what differences I can find. I've also added HBOMax selections this month.***
Are you self isolating? Are you thinking about broadening your cinematic horizons? Perhaps you’d like to learn about a specific genre? I’m here to help. This time, we're moving east from Italy to China and Hong Kong for a look at some of the best martial arts, action, horror, and cult titles available to stream RIGHT NOW. I'm sticking to the '60s through '90s period, simply because I'm not nearly as well-versed in modern Chinese/HK movies. As such, I'm pretty disappointed with the lack of late '80s/'90s HK movies available on any format, other than OOP DVD.
Netflix and Hulu were actually helpful this time, but Amazon Prime still has a healthier selection, along with various free streaming services available via Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, et cetera. I compared a bunch and, for the sake of simplicity, I found the best in terms of content and video quality to be Tubi, Midnight Pulp (a "+" will be included wherever subscription fees apply), VUDU’s free selections, The Roku Channel, Shout Factory TV (though most of their titles can also be watched via Amazon Prime), Popcorn Flix, and Dark Matter TV (again, a "+" will be included wherever subscription fees apply). And, of course, who can forget smaller, but no less important paid services, namely Criterion Channel, Fandor, and Shudder.
Again, be warned – all of the free apps have ad breaks (I know, it sucks) and the video quality is inconsistent from app to app. Sometimes it's genuine HD, other times, it's sub-VHS. Apologies if I’ve suggested something with particularly grim A/V quality and be aware that the availability is based on the research I did on May 4, 2020. Given the nature of streaming media, I imagine very few of these titles will be available in perpetuity. Be aware that, despite my classifications below, complete director filmographies are not currently available free/subscription streaming.
King Hu Movies
Come Drink with Me (1966) – Amazon Prime
Dragon Inn (1967) – Criterion Channel
Touch of Zen (1971) – Criterion Channel
Liu Chia-Liang Movies
The Spiritual Boxer (1975) – Amazon Prime
Challenge of the Masters (1976) – Amazon Prime
Executioners from Shaolin (1977) – Amazon Prime
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) – Netflix and Amazon Prime
Shaolin Mantis (1978) – Amazon Prime
Heroes of the East (1978) – Amazon Prime
Dirty Ho (1979) – Amazon Prime
Mad Monkey Kung Fu (1979) – Amazon Prime
Spiritual Boxer II (1979) – Amazon Prime
Return to the 36th Chamber (1980) – Netflix and Amazon Prime
Martial Club (1981) – Amazon Prime
Legendary Weapons of China (1982) – Netflix and Amazon Prime
Cat vs. Rat (1982) – Amazon Prime
The Lady Is the Boss (1983) – Amazon Prime
Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984) – Amazon Prime
Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985) – Netflix and Amazon Prime
Martial Arts of Shaolin (1986) – Netflix and Amazon Prime
Chang Cheh Movies
The Magnificent Trio (1966) – Amazon Prime
The One-Armed Swordsman (1967) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
The Assassin (1967) – Amazon Prime
The Trail of the Broken Blade (1967) – Amazon Prime
Golden Swallow (1968) – Amazon Prime
Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969) – Amazon Prime
The Invincible Fist (1969) – Amazon Prime
Have Sword Will Travel (1969) – Amazon Prime
The Flying Dagger (1969) – Amazon Prime
The Wandering Swordsman (1970) – Amazon Prime
The Heroic Ones (1970) – Amazon Prime
Vengeance (1970) – Amazon Prime
The Duel (1971) – Amazon Prime
Duel of Fists (1971) – Amazon Prime
The Deadly Duo (1971) – Amazon Prime
The Anonymous Heroes (1971) – Amazon Prime
Four Riders (1972) – Amazon Prime
The Water Margin (co-directed with Pao Hsueh-Li and Wu Ma, 1972) – Amazon Prime
The Delightful Forest (co-directed with Pao Hsueh-Li, 1972) – Amazon Prime
The Boxer from Shantung (co-directed with Pao Hsueh-Li, 1972) – Amazon Prime
The Angry Guest (1972) – Amazon Prime
Man of Iron (co-directed with Pao Hsueh-Li, 1972) – Amazon Prime
The Delinquent (co-directed with Kuei Chih-Hung, 1973) – Amazon Prime
Blood Brothers (1973) – Amazon Prime
Five Shaolin Masters (1974) – Amazon Prime
Heroes Two (1974) – Amazon Prime
The Savage Five (1974) – Amazon Prime
Disciples of Shaolin (1975) – Amazon Prime
The Four Assassins (1975) – Amazon Prime
Boxer Rebellion (1976) – Amazon Prime
Shaolin Temple (1976) – Amazon Prime
Magnificent Wanderers (1977) – Amazon Prime
Chinatown Kid (1977) – Amazon Prime
The Five Deadly Venoms (aka: The Five Venoms, 1978) – Netflix and Amazon Prime
Invincible Shaolin (1978) – Amazon Prime
Crippled Avengers (1978) – Amazon Prime
Kid with the Golden Arm (1979) – Amazon Prime
Two Champions of Shaolin (1980) – Netflix
Masked Avengers (1981) – Amazon Prime
The Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1981) – Amazon Prime
Ode to Gallantry (1982) – Amazon Prime
Five Element Ninjas (1982) – Netflix and Amazon Prime
The Weird Man (1983) – Amazon Prime
Death Ring (co-directed with Lu Feng, 1984) – Amazon Prime
Other Shaw Bros. Classics
There are so many of these available, so I’ve narrowed it down to personal favorites.
Princess Yang Kwei Fei (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1955) – Criterion (pre-Shaw Bros. Shaw & Sons)
The Twin Swords (Hsu Tseng-Hung, 1965) – Amazon Prime
The Sword and the Lute (Hsu Tseng-Hung, 1967) – Amazon Prime
Valley of the Fangs (Jeong Chang-hwa, 1970) – Amazon Prime
The Shadow Whip (Lo Wei, 1971) – Amazon Prime
The 14 Amazons (Cheng Kang, 1972) – Amazon Prime
The Flying Guillotine (Ho Meng-Hua, 1975) – Netflix and Amazon Prime
Black Magic (Ho Meng-Hua, 1975) – Amazon Prime (horror film)
Master of the Flying Guillotine (Jimmy Wang Yu, 1976) – Amazon Prime
The Battle Wizard (Pao Hsueh-Li, 1977) – Amazon Prime
Clan of Amazons (Chor Yuen, 1978) – Amazon Prime
Flying Guillotine II (Hua Shan and Cheng Kang, 1978) – Netflix and Amazon Prime
Human Lanterns (Sun Chung, 1982) – Amazon Prime (horror film)
The One-Armed Boxer (Jimmy Wang Yu, 1972) – Midnight Pulp
Five Fingers of Death (Jeong Chang-hwa, 1972) – Amazon Prime
The Avenging Eagle (Sun Chung, 1978) – Amazon Prime
Bat without Wings (Chor Yuen, 1980) – Amazon Prime
Jackie Chan Movies (see more below)
The Cub Tiger from Kwang Tung (Gam Yam, Ngai Hoi-Fung, and Corey Yuen, 1973) – Amazon Prime and Roku Channel
New Fist of Fury (Lo Wei, 1976) – Amazon Prime
Hand of Death (John Woo, 1976) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
The 36 Crazy Fists (Chen Chi-Hwa, 1977) – Amazon Prime
Magnificent Bodyguards (Lo Wei, 1978) – Amazon Prime
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (Yuen Woo-ping,1978) – Midnight Pulp
Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (Chen Chi-Hwa, 1978) – Criterion Channel
Spiritual Kung Fu (Lo Wei, 1978) – Criterion Channel
Fearless Hyena (Jackie Chan and Kenneth Tsang, 1979) – Amazon Prime, Criterion Channel, and Roku Channel
The Young Master (Jackie Chan, 1980) – Criterion Channel, and Midnight Pulp
Fearless Hyena II (Lo Wei and Chuan Chen, 1983) – Criterion Channel
Police Story (Jackie Chan, 1985) – Criterion Channel and HBO Max
The Protector (James Glickenhaus, 1985) – Tubi
Police Story 2 (Jackie Chan, 1988) – Criterion Channel
Island of Fire (Chu Yen-ping, 1990) – Amazon Prime and VUDU Free
City Hunter (Wong Jing, 1993) – Amazon Prime, Roku Channel, and Popcorn Flix
Crime Story (Kirk Wong, 1993) – VUDU Free and Roku Channel
Thunderbolt (Gordon Chan, 1995) – VUDU Free
The Forbidden Kingdom (directed by Rob Minkoff, 2008) – VUDU Free and Tubi
Michelle Yeoh Action Movies
Royal Warriors (David Chung, 1986) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
Magnificent Warriors (David Chung, 1987) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
Tomorrow Never Dies (Roger Spottiswoode, 1997) – Netflix
Silver Hawk (Jingle Ma, 2004) – Popcorn Flix
Reign of Assassins (John Woo & Chao-Bin Su, 2010) – Tubi
BONUS: Wing Chun (Yuen Woo-Ping, 1994) is currently sitting on YouTube (click here)
Sammo Hung (directed) Movie
The Iron-Fisted Monk (1977) – Amazon Prime
Magnificent Butcher (co-directed with Yuen Woo-ping, 1979) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
Knockabout (1979) – Midnight Pulp
The Prodigal Son (1981) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
Wheels on Meals (starring Jackie Chan, 1984) – Amazon Prime
Heart of the Dragon (starring Jackie Chan, 1985) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
My Lucky Stars (starring Jackie Chan, 1985) – Criterion Channel, and Midnight Pulp
Eastern Condors (1987) – Midnight Pulp
Painted Faces (1988) – Netflix (drama based on the true childhood Peking Opera training of Hung, Chan, and Yuen Biao)
Mr. Nice Guy (1997) – VUDU Free
The Bodyguard (2016)
BONUS: Lucky Stars Go Places (third sequel in the Lucky Stars series, starring and produced by Hung, directed by Eric Tsang) – Midnight Pulp
Yuen Woo-ping Movies
The Bloody Fists (Ng See-Yuen director, Yuen choreographer, 1972) – Amazon Prime and Tubi
Dance of the Drunk Mantis (1979) – Amazon Prime and VUDU Free
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) – Midnight Pulp
Born Invincible (Joseph Kuo director, Yuen choreographer, 1978) – Amazon Prime
Magnificent Butcher (co-directed with Sammo Hung, 1979) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
Dreadnaught (1981) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
Shaolin Drunkard (1983) – Amazon Prime
In the Line of Duty 4 (1989) – Amazon Prime
The Forbidden Kingdom (directed by Rob Minkoff, 2008) – VUDU Free and Tubi
True Legend (2010) – Amazon Prime
The Grandmaster (Wong Kar-wai director, Yuen choreographer, 2013) – Netflix
The Thousand Faces of Dunjia (2017) – Hulu
Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018) – Netflix
Category III Movies
In 1988, Hong Kong introduced a rating system that included Category III. These were essentially X-rated softcore sex, nudity, graphic violence, and mention of real Triad gangs. There's a short sort of "Golden Era" of Cat III movies released between '88 and 1997, when the colony was absorbed by Mainland China.
The Seventh Curse (Lam Nai-Choi, 1986) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (Lam Nai-Choi, 1991) – Fandor and Tubi
Sex and Zen (Michael Mak, 1991) – Midnight Pulp +
Robotrix (Jamie Luk Kim-Ming, 1991) – Amazon Prime
The Untold Story (Danny Lee Sau-Yin and Herman Yau, 1993) – Amazon Prime
BONUS: Eternal Evil of Asia (Man Kei Chin, 1995) is sitting on YouTube (click here)
BONUS: Ebola Syndrome (Herman Yau, 1996) is sitting on YouTube (click here)
Other Horror, Fantasy, and Cult Titles
The Oily Maniac (Ho Meng-Hua, 1976) – Amazon Prime
Last Hurrah for Chivalry (John Woo, 1979) – Criterion Channel
Witch from Nepal (Ching Siu-Tung, 1986) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
Full Contact (Ringo Lam, 1992) – Fandor
Future Cops (aka: Super School Overlord; Wong Jing, 1993) – Midnight Pulp (MUST SEE action comedy satire of The Terminator featuring superstar actors as Street Fighter characters)
The Bride with the White Hair (Ronny Yu, 1993) – Amazon Prime and Midnight Pulp
The Bride with the White Hair II (Davide Wu, 1993) – Midnight Pulp
Green Snake (Tsui Hark, 1993) – Fandor
BONUS: Drive (Steve Wang, 1997) – Amazon Prime and VUDU Free (underseen American/Taiwanese/Japanese co-production)
BONUS: We're Going to Eat You (Tsui Hark, 1980) is sitting on YouTube (click here)
BONUS: Chinese Ghost Story (Ching Siu-Tung, 1987) is sitting on YouTube (click here)
BONUS: Sweet Home (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1989) is sitting on YouTube (click here)
BONUS: Bio-Zombie (Wilson Yip, 1998) is sitting on YouTube (click here)