Covering a period from 1909 to the "end of Hong Kong cinema" in the present day, this book features information about the films, the studios and the personalities that have shaped this kind of cinema. It includes studies of the films of King Hu, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, as well as those of John Woo and the directors of the various "New Waves". The book applies a bicultural (Chinese and Western) perspective and encompasses genres ranging from melodrama to martial arts, "kung fu", fantasy and horror movies, as well as the international art-house successes.