Buddha's Palm

Taylor Wong's 1982 film comes from the fantasy martial arts strand of the Shaw Brothers studio. A blind master living in a cave teaches a young swordsman a legendary technique. That knowledge pushes him into a world of evil knights, hidden temples, dragon dogs and magical objects. The film has no interest in realism. The fights are shot on wire, the effects are handmade and plainly visible, and the heroes fire energy from their palms. That style produced one of the most representative examples of the fantasy wuxia wave in eighties Hong Kong cinema. The source is a popular novel series serialised in Hong Kong over many years. The narrative moves fast and keeps adding new elements, and the result is chaotic in places. Derek Yee stars. Who it's for: those who love Hong Kong fantasy martial arts and Shaw Brothers production. Who it's not for: viewers wanting convincing effects and a coherent narrative; the film cares about neither.