Golden Swallow

Chang Cheh takes over the reins from King Hu in this COME DRINK WITH ME follow-up. As usual with Cheh, Cheng Pei Pei is severely underutilised and the main thrust of the plot seems to be in the rivalry between arrogant killer Jimmy Wang Yu and the more sensitive chilvarous knight Lo Lieh. This film is spoilt by the slow love triangle scenes, which feel largely mannered and staged, but it's better elsewhere and Cheh seems to be pushing the boundaries with viciousness here - there's an incredible scene with Mars and Ku Feng and a torture chamber interlude that takes it to the max. The action is fun, with inventive camera angles throughout, but not a patch on what Cheh would achieve in the years to come.