Shawscope: Volume Two (Blu-ray Review – Part 1)

• Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
• Review Date: Aug 27, 2025
• Format: Blu-ray Disc
• 

Director

Various

Release Date(s)

Various (December 6, 2022)

Studio(s)

Shaw Brothers Studio/Celestial Pictures (Arrow Video)

• Film/Program Grade: See Below
• Video Grade: See Below
• Audio Grade: See Below
• Extras Grade: A+
• Overall Grade: A+

arrowvideo.com

Review

From the mid-1960s and through to the early 1980s and beyond, the Hong Kong-based Shaw Brothers Studio ruled the roost when it came to martial arts cinema. Producing a number of successful films that traveled all over the world, particularly to the US, Britain, and Europe, their brand of extreme hand-to-hand combat films entertained audiences under a myriad of different titles and in various languages. Today, they’re still beloved to genre fans, particularly to those who grew up seeing these films in grindhouse cinemas or repeatedly on television.

Arrow Video presents twelve of these films, encapsulating the Shawscope: Volume Two Blu-ray boxed set, a massive and beautifully-rendered release. It’s loaded with an amazing amount of extras per film in gorgeous packaging with an accompanying booklet, making it a massive undertaking for a single review. Because of its size, I’ll be covering this release one disc at a time, updating this review of the entire set over time to go over it in better detail.

Below, you’ll find quick links that will take you to reviews of Discs 1 through 5:

(Click Below to Jump to Individual Disc/Film Reviews):

DISC ONE: THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN

DISC TWO: RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER

DISC TWO: DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER

DISC THREE: MAD MONKEY KUNG FU

DISC THREE: FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS

DISC FOUR: INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN

DISC FOUR: THE KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM

DISC FIVE: MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS

DISC FIVE: TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG

DISC ONE (THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN)

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (aka Shao Lin san shi liu fang, Master Killer, Shaolin Master Killer) was released in Hong Kong in 1978 and in the US in 1979 by World Northal, and is often cited as one of the best that the martial arts film genre has to offer. In the story, Liu Yude (Gordon Liu) escapes his once peaceful village after it comes under the deadly rule of General Tien Ta (Lo Lieh). He makes his way to a Shaolin temple, where he hopes to learn the ways of kung fu and return to avenge his friends and family, as well as liberate them from tyranny. He spends several years faithfully studying kung fu in all 35 chambers of training, becoming the monk known as San De. Upon the completion of his training, he seeks to create a 36th chamber, dedicated to training the common man in how to defend himself and returning to his village to help those in need.

Though many martial arts films before and after The 36th Chamber of Shaolin feature similar plots, Shaolin stands above them as it not only makes the extended training more important than the setup or the outcome, not to mention much more engaging and fascinating to watch, but it also excels at superb fight choreography mixed with camera movement. We follow Liu Yude’s transformation into San De (or San Te, according to Chinese history) with great exhilaration, and we want to see him to succeed. Yet in the end, it’s less about revenge and more about self-discipline and compassion, which is more in tune with Buddhist morality than other incarnations of this type of story. They all end in bloodshed, but San De is more concerned with aiding the oppressed. As a result, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin was a massive box office hit and led to two sequels, firmly asserting Shaw Brothers Studio as the all-time king of martial arts cinema.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin was shot by director of photography Huang Yeh-tai on 35mm film with anamorphic (Shawscope) lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video presents the film in a 2020 4K restoration by Celestial Pictures and L’Immagine Ritrovata, with additional grading by R3Store Studios, London in 2022. The picture appears to mostly be sourced from the original camera negative, though there are moments when it appears that other sources might have been used to make it more complete. It’s a slightly soft but organic presentation with mild grain and a healthy bitrate. Occasional artifacts crop up, but nothing overly intrusive. Detail is high with decent contrast and excellent color. Blacks are mostly deep, but they can appear slightly gray from time to time. The image is otherwise stable and clean.

Audio is included in Mandarin or Cantonese 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional English subtitles, or English 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. The Mandarin track is the clear winner as it’s the cleanest and clearest with good support for the various elements, and more even keeled than the other tracks. It’s also the best option in terms of performance. The Cantonese track is much thinner, but still a fine alternative. The English dub is the poorest of the three, not necessarily in terms of performance which is better than most, but it seems to be from a lesser quality source. It’s a decent enough track, but it has an overly-cleaned up, mechanical quality. All three tracks are free of any leftover hiss or dropouts.

The following extras are included:

• Audio Commentary by Travis Crawford
• Scene Select Commentary by Tony Rayns (HD – 74:00)
• Master Killer: An Interview With Gordon Liu (HD – 20:51)
• Kung Fu Cinematographer: An Interview With Arthur Wong (HD – 28:34)
• Shaolin: A Hero’s Birthplace – The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Upscaled SD – 16:02)
• Elegant Trails: Gordon Liu (Upscaled SD – 6:23)
• Tiger Style: The Musical Impact of Martial Arts Cinema (HD – 37:22)
• Cinema Hong Kong: Swordfighting (SD – 50:21)
• Master Killer Alternate English Credits (Upscaled SD – 3:16)
• Trailer Gallery:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (Mandarin) (HD – 3:54)
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (English) (HD – 3:54)
  • Master Killer US TV Spot (HD – :32)
  • Die 36 Kammern der Shaolin German Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:36)
  • Digital Reissue Trailer (HD – 1:08)
• Image Gallery (HD – 62 in all)
• Easter Egg (HD and SD – :27)

The late film journalist Travis Crawford delivers another excellent audio commentary, discussing many aspects of the film, including its cast and crew, the era in which it was made, the state of Shaw Brothers at the time of the film’s release, and an analyzation of the film’s quality. Film critic and historian Tony Rayns then follows with his terrific audio commentary, which doesn’t run the entire length of the film, but instead focuses on seventy-four minutes of it, delving into the film’s director, its cast, its content, how it relates to other Shaw Brothers projects, and its release history. In Master Killer, Gordon Liu (Sin Kam-hei) is interviewed in 2003 discussing his background in martial arts and his career in film. In Kung Fu Cinematographer, Arthur Wong is interviewed in 2006 and also talks about his background and career at length. Elegant Trails is a 2003 profile on Gordon Liu, while Tiger Style is a newly-filmed interview with music historian Lovely Jon about about the influence of Shaw Brothers on various genres of music. Cinema Hong Kong: Swordfighting is the second part of a three-part documentary featuring interviews with Shao-Peng Chen, Cheng Pei-Pei, David Chiang, Chin Tsi-Ang, Chu Yuan, Sammo Hung, Gordon Liu, Lau Kar-Leung, Wai Ying-Hung, Dr. Ng Ho, Chan Siu-Pang, Terry Tong, and Tsu Chung-Hok. Next are a set of Alternate English Credits with the Master Killer title, and a Trailer Gallery featuring the film’s Hong Kong trailers in Mandarin or English, the US TV spot, a German trailer, and a reissue trailer. The Image Gallery contains 62 images of color and black and white promotional stills, posters, lobby cards, and home video artwork. The Easter Egg can be found by pressing right on your remote control when Alternate English Credits is highlighted, revealing a standard definition outtake of San De headbutting sandbags, which is not included in the main presentation.

THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): A/B+/A-/A+

DISC TWO (RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER)

Return to the 36th Chamber (aka Shao Lin ta peng hsiao tzu, Return of the Master Killer, and Master Killer II) was released in Hong Kong in 1980 and in the US in 1982 by World Northal. The second film contains a completely new story and characters, with Gordon Liu returning in the central role of Chu Jen-chieh, a down-on-his-luck con man who’s recruited by fabric dye mill employees to frighten their Manchurian rulers into restoring their recently cut wages by posing as the legendary monk San De. He ultimately fails and leaves the village, vowing to learn martial arts at the Shaolin temple by sneaking in and pretending to be one of them. He’s quickly found out by the real San De, who instructs to build scaffolding around the temple for renovation, but not to take part in the temple’s training. Jen-chieh mostly follows these orders, but manages to learn kung fu by observing from above and incorporating the training into his work. Once the scaffolding is complete, San De sends Jen-chieh away, unaware that San De has actually overseen his training without him knowing it. He returns to his village and quickly discovers his new skills, once again taking on the tyrannical overlords, demanding they hand over their wealth to the workers.

Though director Lau Kar-leung was initially against the idea of making a sequel, he was eventually pressured into doing so, opting to make a more comedic version of what is essentially the same story. Most dismiss the second film because of this, but I’ve found that once you get over that initial setup, it’s much easier to digest. That said, the film isn’t nearly as interesting or as captivating as its predecessor, at least at first. Indeed, it doesn’t get all that intriguing until nearly an hour in when Chu Jen-chieh (or Zhou Renjie as he’s identified in the Cantonese/Mandarin subtitles) unwittingly begins his training, before barreling towards another show-stopping climax. Interestingly, like the first film, he doesn’t come back for revenge, but merely to aid those who are oppressed, which in a way, makes him more of Buddhist monk than even he realizes. Return to the 36th Chamber was a hit upon release, but it wasn’t nearly the juggernaut that the previous film was. Many dislike it today because it takes such radical left turns in relation to the awe-inspiring first film, but it its own set of charms, even if they’re not as quantifiable comparatively.

Return to the 36th Chamber was shot by director of photography Chi-Chun Ao (Peter Ngor) on 35mm film with anamorphic (Shawscope) lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video presents the film from a restoration carried out by Celestial Pictures between 2003 and 2007. The opening and closing titles have been re-created digitally, and the footage used during the titles lacks some of the depth of the rest of the footage, which appears to be from the original camera negative. It’s another excellent presentation, but a minor step down from the first film. It carries the same healthy bitrate and appears organic to its source (outside of the title re-creations, of course). Speckling and minor negative damage is more visible, but it’s infrequent. Fine detail is high with nice contrast and color reproduction, and like the first film, features black levels that are mostly deep, with only occasional instances of slightly gray backgrounds during nighttime scenes. It’s not perfect, but it’s quite enjoyable.

Audio is included in Cantonese or Mandarin 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional English subtitles, or English 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. The Cantonese track is the main option and offers the cleanest and clearest experience with plenty of support for score and sound effects. The Mandarin track is a bit thinner by comparison, but similar in most ways otherwise. The English track, by far the least in terms of performance, also sounds overly-cleaned up, lacking any depth in the various elements. No matter what option is chosen, all three are clean and lack any leftover instances of hiss or dropouts.

The following extras are included:

• For a Few Chambers More: An Interview with Gordon Liu (HD – 14:50)
• Citizen Shaw (Upscaled SD – 57:42)
• Hero on the Scaffolding (Upscaled SD – 14:40)
• Alternate Opening Credits:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Credits (HD – 1:32)
  • Alternate English Title Sequence (Upscaled SD – 1:45)
• Trailer Gallery:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (Upscaled SD – 3:21)
  • Digital Reissue Trailer (HD – 1:12)
• Image Gallery (HD – 52 in all)

In For a Few Chambers More, Gordon Liu (Sin Kam-hei) is once again interviewed in 2003, going over the second and third Chamber films. Citizen Shaw is a 1980 French TV documentary about Shaw Brothers, featuring footage of the studio itself and behind-the-scenes moments on Return to the 36th Chamber. Hero on the Scaffolding examines the martial arts techniques in the film. Also included are the film’s original Hong Kong Theatrical Credits and an Alternate English Title Sequence, both bearing the same title of Return to the 36th Chamber. Next is a Trailer Gallery featuring the film’s Hong Kong trailer and a reissue trailer, as well as an Image Gallery containing 52 images of production photos, posters, lobby cards, and home video artwork.

RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): C+/B/B+/B+

DISC TWO (DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER)

Disciples of the 36th Chamber (aka Pi li shi jie, Disciples of the Master Killers, and Master Killer III), was released in Hong Kong in 1985 and premiered in the US on television in 1987 (as far as I can gather). This film acts more as a sequel to The 36th Chamber of Shaolin than the previous film since Gordon Liu is once again portraying the figure of San De. Fang Shiyu (Hsiao Hou) is a troublemaking teenager, but a gifted martial artist. He gets himself and his brothers in trouble with the ruling Manchu officials, and the only way to keep them from being executed is for their mother (Lily Li) to send them away to the Shaolin temple for sanctuary and structure. The Shaolin monks, including San De, reluctantly take them in, but it proves to be an arduous process since Fang Shiyu believes that he’s above all of the other disciples. Ignoring the rules, he sneaks out at night and gets the attention of a Manchu commander (Lau Kar-leung), who seeks to learn more about the secrets of the Shaolin. Fang Shiyu, believing the Manchu to be his friend, does just that, and as an important ceremony approaches, he may find himself to be double-crossed.

Return to the 36th Chamber has been accused of being far too comedic, but Disciples of the 36th Chamber proves to be the most comedic of all with the least stakes and a lead character that’s incredibly hard to root for. It’s difficult to relate to someone who believes themselves to be the smartest and most accomplished person in the room at all times, repeatedly and consistently thumbing his nose at authority and unable to follow the simplest of directions, right up until the very end. Matters aren’t helped that none of the conflicts lead to anything approaching drama. Even when you think the story is about to get heavier, the rug is pulled out from under you. In some ways, Disciples feels more like a parody of the original film since it features similar plot elements, but it’s not a very good parody. Fang Shiyu is not an easy character to like, and he never really learns anything over the course of 93 minutes. Even the breathtaking final fight sequence feels unearned because there’s very little peril. I suppose if you want something a little lighter that’s much less interesting than seeing a character overcome obstacles and become a different and better person by the end of the film, you may enjoy Disciples, more than me.

Disciples of the 36th Chamber was shot by director of photography Tao An-Shun on 35mm film with anamorphic (Shawscope) lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video presents the film from a restoration carried out by Celestial Pictures between 2003 and 2007. The opening and closing titles have been re-created digitally. It’s a very nice presentation, but more uneven than the previous ones with variances in grain and mild instability. Despite sharing a disc with Return to the 36th Chamber, it carries a healthy bitrate and doesn’t suffer from compression issues. It’s organic in nature with only minor speckling, but a little flat in terms of contrast. Blacks are sometimes deep, sometimes not so much. However, color reproduction never suffers, thankfully, and it’s a more than watchable presentation overall.

Audio is included in Cantonese or Mandarin 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional English subtitles, or English 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. Both the Cantonese and Mandarin tracks are of poorer quality than the English track, and the Cantonese track is full of mild clicks, though they’re infrequent. Both tracks sound like they’ve been scrubbed clean of hiss or any other flaws, and they’re fairly thin. The English dub, however, has a surprising amount of weight to it, with deep bass and a much fuller quality. As a preference point, I still prefer Cantonese or Mandarin for the performances, but the English track is the clear winner in terms of how robust and natural it sounds comparatively. All three tracks seem to be free of dropouts, hiss, or other issues.

The following extras are included:

• For a Few Chambers More: An Interview with Gordon Liu (HD – 14:50)
• Alternate Opening Credits (HD – 4:15)
• Trailer Gallery:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (HD – 3:33)
  • Digital Reissue Trailer (HD – 1:07)
• Image Gallery (HD – 35 in all)

The interview with Gordon Liu is the same as the one included in the extras for Return of the 36th Chamber. Also included are a set Alternate Opening Credits still bearing the title Disciples of the 36th Chamber, but with a different Shawscope logo; a Trailer Gallery featuring the film’s Hong Kong trailer and a reissue trailer; and an Image Gallery containing 52 images of production photos, posters, lobby cards, and home video artwork.

DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): C-/B-/B-/C+

DISC THREE (MAD MONKEY KUNG FU)

Mad Monkey Kung Fu (aka Feng hou) was released in Hong Kong in 1979 and in the US as early as 1980 through Transcontinental Film Corporation, though most record that it was released officially the following year. In the film, Monkey style Kung fu master Chen (Chia-Liang Liu aka Lau Kar-leung) and his sister (Kara Wai) perform in a Peking opera troupe and catch the attention of the ruthless gangster Tuan (Lo Lieh). After attending a performance, Tuan conspires to and succeeds in forcing Chen’s sister into his brothel after getting Chen drunk and framing him in bed with one of his mistresses. As additional punishment, he cripples Chen’s hands, leaving him unable to ever practice kung fu again. While subsequently living on the streets and performing with a trained pet monkey, Chen befriends a young man known as Monkey (Hsiao Ho), who steps in to help Chen when Tuan’s cruel henchman kill the monkey and leave him penniless. Monkey begs Chen to teach him the ways of Monkey style kung fu, and though he’s still haunted by his past, he reluctantly agrees, leading to an eventual face-off between them and Tuan.

It’s interesting that Return to the 36th Chamber and Disciples of the 36th Chamber are presented before Mad Monkey Kung Fu in this set. Actor and director Lau Kar-leung stars in the film, but his co-lead Hsiao Ho was the breakout star, subsequently appearing in more of his films, including Return and Disciples, as well as others. Story-wise, there’s no especially good reason for Tuan to do what he does to Chen and his sister other than just being evil, and wanting to be the top dog when it comes to kung fu. It’s a traditional martial arts film storyline in that sense. The fight sequences, especially in the latter half of the film, are outstanding. Portions of the choreography seem akin to what Jackie Chan would perfect later on, using every day objects for defense or as weapons, which is highly entertaining. When Mad Monkey Kung Fu was released theatrically, it was sizable hit, possibly one of Shaw Brothers’ biggest overall. It was also popular in the US, especially when it came to TV later on. Above all else, it provided a much better blending of action, comedy, and drama than either of the two 36th Chamber sequels that followed.

Mad Monkey Kung Fu was shot by cinematographer Arthur Wong on 35 mm film with anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video presents the film with a 2K scan and restoration from the original camera negative, carried out between 2021 and 2022 with the collaboration of L’Immagine Ritrovata, Hong Kong Film Archive, and Celestial Pictures. It’s a good-looking presentation that’s sharp and organic with medium grain. The bitrate tends to hover around 20Mbps, as it shares a disc with another film, but there never appears to be any overt macroblocking or other flaws. Black levels are slightly marred due to some fading, especially along the edges, and color can be a little inconsistent at times for the same reason. Regardless, the images are clean and crisp with plenty of detail.

Audio is included in Cantonese or Mandarin 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional English subtitles, or English 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. The Cantonese track is the most well-balanced overall with only a mild hiss, but good fidelity, especially for the music. I actually prefer it over the other tracks in terms of performances, as well. The Mandarin track is much thinner and sounds cleaned up compared to the Cantonese track. The English track also has this quality, and it’s the least-balanced of the three, never mind the very poor dubbing. All three seem to be free of any dropouts or other issues.

The following extras are included:

• Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng and Michael Worth
• Tony Rayns on Mad Monkey Kung Fu (HD – 19:56)
• Kung Fu Madness: An Interview with Hsiao Hou (HD – 39:59)
• Shaw in the USA (HD – 32:12)
• Trailer Gallery:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (Upscaled SD – 4:01)
  • US Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:34)
  • Digital Reissue Trailer (HD – 1:08)
• Image Gallery (HD – 57 in all)

In the audio commentary, filmmaker and Hong Kong film historian Frank Djeng is joined by actor, filmmaker, and martial artist Michael Worth, which was recorded exclusively for this release. Djeng breathlessly provides a slew of information about the film and those who made it, with Worth occasionally interjecting. Tony Rayns returns for another interview, detailing the career of Lau Kar-leung leading up to Mad Monkey Kung Fu, the history of “Monkey” in Asia, the influence of Lau Kar-leung’s private life on his work, and the major positives of the film. Next is an interview with Hsiao Hou from 2004, as well as Shaw in the USA, which features These Fists Break Bricks authors Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali discussing how Shaw Brothers Studio fared in the US. Last are the film’s Hong Kong, US, and digital reissue trailers, as well as an Image Gallery containing 57 images of production photos, posters, lobby cards, press materials, and home video artwork.

MAD MONKEY KUNG FU (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): B/A-/B+/B+

DISC THREE (FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS)

Five Superfighters (aka Tang shan wu hu, Five Tigers of Tangshan, 5 Superfighters, Drunk Fighter, and Superfighters) was released in Hong Kong in 1979, but never released in the US until home video (though the UK got it on VHS even earlier). In the film, a bully martial arts expert Ma (Kwan Fung aka Kuan Feng) strolls into town and starts a fight with three young martial artists, Tien Wang Fu-zong (Austin Wai), Fu Zang tian-shao (Tony Leung), and Chi Zhen Liu-ji (Ng Yuen-jun aka Wu Yuan-Chun), and their elder teacher, Wan (Hau Chiu-sing). After Ma defeats and humiliates them, scolding them for their “poor kung fu,” they go out into the world seeking new masters, finding the solitary Madam Fang (Wong Mei-mei), the crippled drunk Han He (Hui-Huang Lin), and a skilled fisherman (Jamie Luk), training to seek revenge against Ma.

No matter what you call the film, Five Superfighters is one the more enjoyable films in the Shaw Brothers canon. It’s fairly simple and straightforward, but it’s also a breath of fresh air narratively when most Shaw Brothers films, especially in these boxed sets, were more or less variations on a theme. The filmmaking is tight and the fights are expertly choreographed, ending with a very satisfying conclusion. It also manages not to go overboard with comic relief, using it instead in service of the plot, and never muddying the tonal waters. The film also falls in line with other “drunken kung fu” movies of the era, a trend spurred on by competitor studio Seasonal Film Corporation, who recently had major success with Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master, both starring Jackie Chan. Its director, Lo Mar, helmed several Shaw Brothers films, including Monkey Kung Fu aka Stroke of Death and The Boxer from the Temple.

Five Superfighters was shot by cinematographer Chao Lin on 35 mm film with anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video presents the film with a 2K scan and restoration from the original camera negative, carried out between 2021 and 2022 with the collaboration of L’Immagine Ritrovata, Hong Kong Film Archive, and Celestial Pictures. It’s another nice-looking presentation that’s organic in appearance with medium grain and a bitrate that sits anywhere between 12 and 30Mbps, usually hovering somewhere in the middle. Some mild damage is occasionally visible, but the whole the picture is clean and stable with very good color reproduction and healthy black levels.

Audio is included in Cantonese or Mandarin 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional English subtitles, or English 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. Though the Cantonese track carries a very mild hiss and some sibilance, it offers excellent fidelity and seems better-balanced than the other two tracks. The Mandarin track is much cleaner and a little thinner, but the English track is the thinnest of them with the most obvious level of hiss. However, performances on the English dub are not all that bad, an anomaly to be sure. Whichever soundtrack you prefer in terms of performance (I tend to lean toward the Cantonese track), all three appear to be free of any overt distortion, crackle, or dropouts.

The following extras are included:

• Shaw in the USA (HD – 32:12)
• Trailer Gallery:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (HD – 3:26)
  • UK VHS Promo (Upscaled SD – 2:37)
• Image Gallery (HD – 57 in all)

Shaw in the USA, which features These Fists Break Bricks authors Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali, is the same interview included with Mad Monkey Kung Fu’s extras. They discuss how Shaw Brothers Studio fared in the US in the 1970s and beyond. Also included is the film’s Hong Kong theatrical trailer; a promo advertising UK Warner Bros. VHS releases of The Killer, Five Superfighters, and Chinatown Kid; and an Image Gallery containing 56 images of production photos, posters, lobby cards, and home video artwork.

FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): B/A-/B/D+

DISC FOUR (INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN)

Invincible Shaolin (aka Nan Shao Lin yu bei Shao Lin, North Shaolin vs. South Shaolin, The Unbeatable Dragon, and Shaolin Bloodshed) was released in Hong Kong in 1978 and later in the US in 1980 by World Northal. In the film, three kung fu experts from Northern Shaolin, Bao (Lu Feng), Xu (Sun Chien), and Yang (Chiang Sheng), are summoned by Qing general Pu (Johnny Wang) and pitted against three kung fu experts from Southern Shaolin under the guise of determining who’s most suited to train his army. Bao, Xu, and Yang walk away victorious, leaving their opponents relatively unharmed. That evening, Pu secretly murders the Southern Shaolin fighters, making it appear that the Northern Shaolin fighters delivered delayed death blows to their opponents. Learning of this, the Southern Shaolin master (Chan Shen) vows vengeance, choosing his best disciples, Mai (Yang Hsiung), He (Phillip Kwok), and Zhang (Lo Mang), to strike back. But when they all discover Pu’s treachery, to rid the land of the Shaolin entirely, it may be too late.

Barring any overt spoilers for Invincible Shaolin, things don’t go well for our antagonists, on both sides of the fight. Indeed, it’s a tragic tale of sorts, though general Pu doesn’t manage to avoid being a part of the conflict, which would have made this needless skirmish between two duped factions of martial artists even more unfortunate than it already is. The highlight of the film is the training sequences undertaken by the Southern Shaolin in order to gain strength against the Northern Shaolin. Zhang’s training, in particular, is one of the more memorable sequences in all of martial arts cinema. It consists of Zhang steadying himself on his toes and his fingers over a well, training to push himself up with less and less appendages, and in the end, doing so with only two fingers and a large rock on his back. It’s impressive stuff, but then again, Lo Mang is a very impressive martial artist and screen presence. Invincible Shaolin is also one of the many Venom films of the era, hot on the coattails of Five Deadly Venoms, which was released earlier that year and originated the Venom Mob under one of Shaw Brothers’ most in demand directors, Chang Cheh.

Invincible Shaolin was shot by cinematographer Tien-You Wang on 35 mm film with anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video presents the film with a 2K scan and restoration from the original camera negative, carried out between 2021 and 2022 with the collaboration of L’Immagine Ritrovata, Hong Kong Film Archive, and Celestial Pictures. For this restoration, the opening and closing titles have been re-created digitally, though they blend better than most presentations containing the same. Outside of that, it’s another organic presentation with medium grain and plenty of fine detail. Bitrates often sit between 20 and 30Mbps at any given time, with no obvious damage leftover. Colors are crisp and blacks are healthy with excellent contrast, and the entirety of the picture is stable and clean.

Audio is included in Mandarin, Cantonese, or English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English and English SDH for all three tracks (the English track defaults to a third subtitle track that translates signage in the film). The Mandarin track offers the best performances, but outside of the Cantonese track’s low treble, it’s a toss-up in terms of how clean and balanced all three tracks are. The English dub is by far the lesser performance-wise, but all three tracks are mostly very natural-sounding without excessive clean-up or leftover damage.

The following extras are included:

• Kung Fu Instructor: An Interview with Robert Tai (HD and Upscaled SD – 23:59)
• Poison Clan Rocks the World! (HD – 26:28)
• Trailer Gallery:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (Mandarin) (HD – 4:06)
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (English) (Upscaled SD – 4:06)
  • Digital Reissue Trailer (HD – 1:17)
• Image Gallery (HD – 52 in all)

In Kung Fu Instructor, Robert Tai talks about his career as an actor, fighting instructor, and director, and working for Chang Cheh. In Poison Clan Rocks the World, Terrence J. Brady, author of Alexander Fu Sheng: Biography of the Chinatown Kid, discusses the Venom Mob, a group of actors who first appeared in Five Deadly Venoms and would go on to work in other films, and rise in popularity. Last are a pair of Hong Kong trailers and a digital reissue trailer, as well as an Image Gallery containing 52 images of production photos, posters, lobby cards, press materials, and home video artwork. Not included from the German Region 0 DVD release by TVP is an interview with Lo Mang, an Invincible Shaolin video of some sort, and the German theatrical trailer. Missing also from the Australian Region 4 DVD release by Siren Visual Entertainment is the documentary Wu Xia Films, and missing from the German Region B Blu-ray release by Great Movies is the featurette Chang Cheh: The Master.

INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): B-/A-/A-/B-

DISC FOUR (THE KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM)

The Kid With the Golden Arm (aka Jin bi tong and Gam bei tung) released in Hong Kong in 1979 and later in the US in 1980 by World Northal. In it, a private agency has been tasked by the local government to transport a large amount of currency, 200,000 gold taels, to aid an impoverished area of the land. Led by Yang Hu Yun (Sun Chien), his security group includes many soldiers, as well as the gifted fighters “Long Axe” Yang Jiu (Shu Pei Sun), “Short Axe” Fang Shih (Chiang Sheng), the young swordsman Li Chin Ming (Wei Pai), his sword-wielding partner Miss Leng Feng (Helen Poon), and the drunken sheriff and fighter Hai Tao (Kuo Chui). Standing in their way is the Deadly Valley gang (the Chi Sha Gang in the English dub), a group of deadly martial artists who specialize in specific skills. Led by Golden Arm (Lo Mang), the strongest of the group, there’s also Silver Spear (Lu Feng), Iron Robe (Wang Lung Wei), and Brass Head (Yang Hsiung), all of whom are unmatched in combat. As Yang and his men attempt to cross the perilous country, the Deadly Valley gang is not far behind.

Once again, director Cheh Chang returns with the Venom Mob, but this time mixes in elements of the “drunken fighter” sub-genre that was popular at the time. The Kid With the Golden Arm is highly entertaining, not just in terms of the martial arts choreography, but also for the story. Not only is there a mysterious fighter afoot, but our heroes are being secretly dispatched along their treacherous route, and it’s not entirely clear who’s behind it, especially when the Deadly Valley gang is sometimes nowhere nearby. It’s also intriguing that money that’s meant to help others is under threat, giving the film some unusual stakes, at least in terms of what one might expect from a story like this. These films often deal with death and revenge by monstrous overlords, but here the aggressors appear to be on the other side of the wall, and it’s sometimes ambiguous as to their true intentions. Nevertheless, everyone is uniformly excellent and the story unfolds skillfully, constantly shifting in directions that you may not expect.

The Kid With the Golden Arm was shot by cinematographer Tsao Hui-Chi on 35 mm film with anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video presents the film with a 2K scan and restoration from the original camera negative, carried out between 2021 and 2022 with the collaboration of L’Immagine Ritrovata, Hong Kong Film Archive, and Celestial Pictures. It’s a pleasant and organic presentation, though the source shows some wear and tear as there are density issues throughout. Bitrates tend to sit between 15 and 30Mbps with fairly well-resolved grain and high levels of detail. The color palette offers a nice range of bold and sometimes subtle hues, and the whole of the presentation is clean and stable.

Audio is included in Mandarin or English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English for the Mandarin audio and English SDH for the English audio. Outside of some sibilance in the Mandarin audio, it’s a well-balanced and satisfying track. It’s also preferable in terms of performance in comparison to the English dub, which is much thinner with some obvious hiss.

The following extras are included:

• Kung Fu Instructor: An Interview with Robert Tai (HD and Upscaled SD – 23:59)
• Poison Clan Rocks the World! (HD – 26:28)
• Alternate Version (HD – 86:18)
• Alternate Opening Credits:
  • Textless Opening Credits (HD – 2:03)
  • English Opening Credits 1 (Upscaled SD – 2:13)
  • English Opening Credits 2 (Upscaled SD – 1:45)
• Trailer Gallery:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (Audio Only) (HD – 3:22)
  • US TV Spot (HD – :49)
  • Digital Reissue Trailer (HD – 1:21)
• Image Gallery (HD – 29 in all)

The first two extras are included with Invincible Shaolin. In Kung Fu Instructor, Robert Tai talks about his career as an actor, fighting instructor, and director, and working for Chang Cheh. In Poison Clan Rocks the World, Terrence J. Brady, author of Alexander Fu Sheng: Biography of the Chinatown Kid, discusses the Venom Mob, a group of actors who first appeared in Five Deadly Venoms and would go on to work in other films, and rise in popularity. Also included is an Alternate Version of the film, which was released on video and contained an alternate cut of the fight between Iron Robe and Hai Tao. This version actually corrects a continuity error in the original release version, which is what’s included as the main feature and what was found on the original camera negative. It’s presented via seamless branching in either Mandarin with English subtitles or in English with no subtitles (though you can still select the other subtitle options using your remote control if you so choose). Next are a set of three Alternate Opening Credits, one that’s textless, and two that come from different video releases of the film. Next is the Hong Kong trailer for the film, of which the original footage could not be found, so it’s been synced to footage from the US TV spot (which is also included) using Mandarin audio from a recording made inside a movie theater. Also included is a digital reissue trailer, as well as an Image Gallery containing 29 images of production photos, posters, newspaper clippings, and home video artwork.

THE KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): B+/B+/B/B+

DISC FIVE (MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS)

Magnificent Ruffians (aka Mai ming xiao zi, Darking Kids, The Destroyers, and The Destroyers of the Five Deadly Venoms) was released in Hong Kong in 1979 and in the US the following year by World Northal. The sixth film in the Venom Mob cycle, it tells of Yuan Ying-Fei (Lu Feng), master of the “Golden Sword,” who seeks adversaries worthy of his skill by any means necessary. As such, there’s seemingly nobody left in town after he defeats everyone who challenges him, leaving a local merchant, Guan Yun (Lo Mang), as his primary target. New in town are three martial artists: He Fei (Chiang Sheng), aka “Twin Blades”; Feng Jia Ji (Sun Chien), aka “Magnificent Kicks”; Zeng Qiao (Wong Lik); aka “Sharp Axe”; and Yang Zhui Feng (Phillip Kwok), aka “Magic Pole.” All are jobless and resort to taking beatings by local restaurants in lieu of paying for their meals. Yuan Ying Fei soon learns of their presence and their skills and attempts to pit them against Guan Yun, underestimating the friendship that occurs between them. Also among the cast are Wang Lai and Annie Liu as Guan Yun’s mother and sister, respectively.

Chang Cheh returns for what is ultimately a tonally inconsistent, but no less entertaining, martial arts extravaganza. The uses of upbeat, even silly music that sounds straight out of a children’s film are buttressed up against genuine moments of drama, mixing about as well as oil and water. Nevertheless, the cast is as charming as ever and the fight sequences are incredible. The fate of Guan Yun’s mother and sister helps to set the film apart from other Venom Mob films, neither of which are strong romantic draws for the other characters, outside of Yuan Ying-Fei, who simply wants to dominate everyone and everything, including Annie Liu and the business that their family runs. Magnificent Ruffians’ dark turn in which our heroes are disbanded and some lives are lost along the way is quite unexpected for a film as mostly lighthearted as this one tends to be, but it ultimately leads to another patented showstopping Shaw Brothers action conclusion.

Magnificent Ruffians was shot by cinematographer Cho Wai-Kei on 35mm film with anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video presents the film with a 2K scan and restoration from the original camera negative, carried out between 2021 and 2022 with the collaboration of L’Immagine Ritrovata, Hong Kong Film Archive, and Celestial Pictures. There are occasional shots that appear to have been pulled from other elements in order to complete the presentation. Regardless, it’s a solid picture with a bitrate that sits mostly between 20 and 30Mbps. Detail is high and the picture is stable and clean throughout, with only some mild fading along the right edge of the frame, and bold swatches of color.

Audio is included in Mandarin or English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English for the Mandarin audio and English SDH for the English audio. Besides being more ideal for the performances, the Mandarin track is the better balanced of the two, offering excellent support for the various elements, but also without any excessive clean-up. The English dub is thinner with some obvious hiss, particularly when the louder elements of the audio come into play.

The following extras are included:

• Rivers and Lakes: History, Myth & the Martial Arts Film (HD – 22:34)
• Trailer Gallery:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (HD – 4:01)
  • German Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:58)
• Image Gallery (HD – 45 in all)

In Rivers and Lakes, Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China, delves into the martial arts cultural background that was used by Shaw Brothers for their many films, but also how these films were completed and released within the political landscape of the era in Hong Kong and China. Next is the Hong Kong trailer for the film, of which the original footage could not be found, so it’s been synced to footage from the German theatrical trailer (which is also included) using Mandarin audio from a recording made inside a movie theater. Also included is an Image Gallery containing 45 images of production photos, posters, lobby cards, newspaper clippings, and home video artwork.

MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): B/A-/B+/C+

DISC FIVE (TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG)

Ten Tigers of Kwangtung (aka Guangdong shi hu xing yi wu xi, 10 Tigers from Kwangtung, and The Ten Flying Tigers) was released in Hong Kong in 1980 and in the US the following year by World Northal. The film takes place simultaneously in the past and in the future, depicting events that transpired during the conflict between the Qing and Ming dynasties. In the past, a group of the world’s best martial artists, known collectively as the “Ten Tigers of Kwangtung,” join forces in the titular Chinese province to protect and prevent the capture of a revolutionary, who’s being hunted down by opposing forces. In the present, descendants of the “Ten Tigers” are being executed one by one, but their assailants won’t be able to savor their vengeance for very long. The all-star cast includes Ti Lung, Fu Sheng, Wei Pai, Dick Wei, Sun Chien, Lu Feng, Philip Kwok, Chiang Sheng, Lo Mang, Chin Siu-ho, Ku Feng, and Wang Lung-wei, among others.

The fourteenth film in the “Venom Mob” cycle, Ten Tigers of Kwangtung is one of the more perplexing Shaw Brothers titles, while at the same time being one of the most entertaining. The amazing cast is doing some of their finest fight choreography, and the film is crammed full of it. However, the narrative switching back and forth in time sometimes leaves you wondering where you are, who’s who, and what it is exactly that’s going on. This structure can take some time to get used to, perhaps warranting a second viewing, but like so many Shaw Brothers productions, the amazing martial arts action more than makes up for its weaknesses. Director Chang Cheh returns once more, putting together an unorthodox but quite enjoyable kung fu extravaganza, never failing to deliver the goods... including the explosive ending that’s too good to spoil.

Ten Tigers of Kwangtung was shot by cinematographer Tsao Hui-Chi on 35 mm film with anamorphic lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Arrow Video presents the film with a 2K scan and restoration from the original camera negative, carried out between 2021 and 2022 with the collaboration of L’Immagine Ritrovata, Hong Kong Film Archive, and Celestial Pictures. It’s a pleasant picture with a nicely-handled layer of grain and a bitrate that tends to sit between 20 and 30Mbps most of the time. The color palette offers a lovely range of hues, though they can occasionally become a little shaky, but blacks are deep with excellent contrast. There are some minor density issues and a small amount of leftover film damage visible in one scene, but it’s a mostly stable and clean presentation.

Audio is included in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English for the Cantonese and Mandarin tracks and English SDH for the English track. The Cantonese and Mandarin tracks are similar in quality, though the Mandarin track is much thinner with the most obvious hiss and sibilance issues. The English track is the cleanest of the three, but the least in terms of performances. Overall, I preferred the Cantonese track in that regard, but also in regards to balance and general clarity.

The following extras are included:

• Audio Commentary by Brandon Bentley
• Rivers and Lakes: History, Myth & the Martial Arts Film (HD – 22:34)
• Baby Venom: An Interview with Chin Siu-ho (HD – 21:17)
• Textless Title Sequence (HD – 1:16)
• Trailer Gallery:
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (Cantonese) (HD – 2:58)
  • Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (Mandarin) (Upscaled SD – 2:57)
  • US TV Spot (Upscaled SD – :28)
  • Digital Reissue Trailer (HD – 1:14)
• Image Gallery (HD – 30 in all)

In the audio commentary with Asian cinema expert Brandon Brentley, he breathlessly takes us through the film and highlights the careers of its cast and crew. In all fairness, he’s forced to cram in as much as possible due to how the film is structured. Nevertheless, it’s a very informative track. In Rivers and Lakes, Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China, delves into the martial arts cultural background that was used by Shaw Brothers for their many films, but also how these films were completed and released within the political landscape of the era in Hong Kong and China. Baby Venom features an interview with Chin Siu-ho from 2003, who speaks about his history with kung fu and his career. Next is a Textless Title Sequence, the Hong Kong trailers for the film in Cantonese and Mandarin, and a US TV spot. Also included is a digital reissue trailer, as well as an Image Gallery containing 30 images of production photos, lobby cards, posters, newspaper clippings, and home video artwork. Not carried over from the 2009 Media Blasters DVD is a featurette about director Chang Cheh.

TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): B-/B/B/B+

THIS REVIEW CONTINUES IN PART 2 [CLICK HERE]

- Tim Salmons

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