Showdown at the Cotton Mill (1978, Taiwan/HK)

Starring: Chi Kuan-Chun, Tan Tao-liang, Peng Chang, Ching Kuo Chung. Directed by: Wu Ma

This movie is the sequel to the Shaw Bros. classic "Shaolin Avengers" and was believed to be long lost, until it was found by Rarescope in a Taiwanese movie vault sometime in the mid-2000s.

In "Showdown...", Chi Kuan-Chun reprises his role as Shaolin hero and anti-Qing rebel Hu Hui-Chien. At the beginning we see Hu wipe out the entire local affiliate of the Wu Tang school in Canton (modern-day Guangzhou, China) over the death of his father. This prompts a manhunt from the Qing authorities and Wu Tang. The first place they look is the Shaolin monastery but no luck there. They also harass and keep Hu's family under guard, as well as deploy a network of informers throughout the city and at the Shaolin monastery to report Hu's whereabouts and the latest info about Shaolin.

In the meantime, Hu gradually takes out the Wu Tang fighters and Qing authorities searching for him. He enjoys support from Shaolin (as always) and hides out at secret locations in Canton.

After suffering numerous casualties at the hands of Hu, Wu Tang deploys their most feared fighter from Fukien (modern-day Fujian province), Master Kao Chin Chung. But who exactly is Kao? And is his Northern Kick style as good as Hu's Southern Fist?

This movie has a very interesting history behind it. It was directed by famous martial arts director/actor Wu Ma and produced by legendary Shaw Bros. director Chang Cheh, who also directed the first "Shaolin Avengers" movie. However, Chang was contracted to Shaw Bros. at the time and was forced to remain uncredited. The movie itself was outsourced by Shaw Bros. to Long Year Film Company Production, which was a Shaw Bros. subsidary based in Taiwan and run by Chang Cheh and Wu Ma.

Since this movie was long lost for decades, the film has faded in places and the quality is not so great. Also, it is in Mandarin, but has English subtitles that are iffy in places but mostly accurate.

All in all this is an excellent kung fu movie and a worthy sequel to "Shaolin Avengers"!

Also known as: Hu Hui Chien xue zhan xi dan si (original Mandarin title-Taiwan), Woo Wai Kin huet jung sai dan ji/Woo wai gon huet chin sai chi (HK Cantonese titles), Cold Face, Heart and Blood (original English title-HK)