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"Cheng Pei-Pei is the original swordswoman. Before Michelle Yeoh, before Brigitte Lin, before Maggie Cheung and certainly before Carrie-Ann flippin' Moss, she rode out of the east and into the wuxia history books when director King Hu cast her as Golden Swallow and sent her off to rescue her brother from evil bandit Jade-Faced Tiger and his corrupt monk master.
"'Landmark' is too small a word for a film as inventive, important and gorgeous as Come Drink With Me. Hu created a new style of martial arts films by blending the grace of Chinese opera movements with the real fighting of Japanese sword films and the pacing of western editing. He etched the rules for the New Martial Arts genre but to this day few have matched this film for elegance, grandeur and style.
"Light footed warriors in rooftop chases; tense face-offs in quiet wayside inns; drunken fighters outfoxing superior opponents; this is where it all began. It was not only ahead of its time but is still as fresh today as it was in 1967, thanks in no small part to a beautifully restored 35mm print. Everything else follows. The fu starts here."—Mark Morrison