Five Fingers of Death

The film that broke kung fu in America, months before Bruce Lee. A humble student trains for a martial-arts tournament while rival schools scheme and maim, and the film's iron-palm technique, signalled by red-glowing hands and a warbling sound cue, became instantly iconic.

Its US release was a surprise smash that kicked off the whole American kung fu craze, and the tournament structure and revenge plot set the template for dozens of imitators. Quentin Tarantino borrowed the sound cue for Kill Bill.

Historically pivotal, and a solid Shaw Brothers picture in its own right.