A scene from Mad Monkey Kung Fu.

Fans of martial arts movies will know that the 1970s were not just famous for bell bottoms and disco.

It was also a time when the world was exposed on a greater (and more commercial scale) to the martial arts, through the medium of film.

Movies such as The Chinese Connection, Enter the Dragon, The Way of the Dragon, Drunken Master and more contributed to the greater Western interest in the discipline of martial arts.

Besides the amazing and highly entertaining Eastern fighting techniques, gripping storylines and classic lines of wisdom shared by the “Masters” in this kind of film added to a heightened cinematic experience.

Audiences will be able to relive this era with a kung fu movie fest on Sony Max (DStv channel 126) next month.

Saturday nights turn kung fu when Duel of Fists, Mad Monkey Kung Fu (pictured), Bruce Lee & I and The Chinese Boxer air on the channel.

We touched base with Sony Max to see what prompted this move and whether we can expect the fest to continue beyond February.

Lyle Stewart, the vice-president of emerging markets at Sony Pictures Television, said when researching popular programming among the target audience pre-channel launch, martial arts consistently appeared in the channel’s top three “potential” shortlist, “so championing this genre for our viewers became a clear priority for us”.

Commenting on how movies are selected, Stewart said: “Many amazing martial art films have been produced over time. However, channels are often limited to the selection of ready dubbed English language films and having access to classics that have been remastered for their picture quality.

“The Shaw Brothers catalogues of martial art films not only deliver on both of these accounts, but are also brand-new to the market. We select a mixture of prime time and daytime-friendly films that are most popular with the ever-increasing martial arts fan base.”

The good news, Stewart says, is Sony Max will extend its Kung Fu Crazy fest beyond next month.

“We have indeed a dedicated martial arts movie slot on Saturdays at 9pm and recently refreshed this slot with a new batch of martial art gems,” he said.

Stewart offered us a peek at what is coming up in March and April. Some of the gems lined up for March include the famous Shaolin series of movies. Some examples are The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Disciples of the 36th Chamber, Opium and the Kung Fu Master; and in April some of the highlights include Vengeance is a Golden Blade, Killer Clans and Five Shaolin Masters.

But let’s start with next month’s fab line-up. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect from the four films to be featured:

• Mad Monkey Kung Fu (Friday, 9pm):

This Hong Kong martial arts movie tells of a kung fu master (legendary director Chia Liang-Liu, who went on to star in Kill Bill Volume 1 and 2, in his acting debut) whose hands are crippled by a villainous pimp. He is forced to become a lowly street entertainer, performing with his beloved trained monkey, until he meets a kind-hearted petty thief (Hsiao Hou, Disciples of the 36th Chamber, Return to the 36th Chamber) and starts training him in the art of monkey-boxing. Directed by Chia Liang-Liu (1979).

• Bruce Lee & I (February 11, 9pm):

Betty Ting Pei, the woman in whose flat Bruce Lee died in July 1973 after taking a headache tablet, stars as herself in this exposé of the last days of the martial arts icon. She unpacks her relationship with Lee, stripping away the rumours to reveal what she claims to be the truth. Danny Lee (The Killer, Tiger on the Beat 2) stars as Lee. Directed by John Lo Mar (1975).

• The Chinese Boxer (February 18, 9pm):

This classic Shaw Brothers movie made in the Hong Kong martial arts tradition sees Jimmy Wang Yu (Master of the Flying Guillotine, Dragon Flies) star as a fighter who sets out to take revenge on those who killed his family and his friends. It’s all about honour, retribution and kick-ass martial arts – an entertaining mishmash of kung fu and other styles. Directed by Jimmy Wang Yu (1970).

• Duel of Fists (February 25, 9pm):

One of the most popular films of 1971, this kung-fu/Thai boxing action movie stars David Chiang as a Hong Kong engineer who heads to Thailand to find his long-lost brother (Ti Lung), who happens to be a Muay Thai boxer. There, he enters the sinister world of the triads and crooked fight promoters. Expect action galore and some spectacular fight scenes. Directed by Chang Cheh (1971).

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