Shawscope: Volume Two (Blu-ray Review – Part 2)
- Review Date: Sep 24, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
-
Director
VariousRelease 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+
Review
THIS REVIEW CONTINUES FROM PART 1 [Click here to go back...]
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 6 through 10:
(Click Below to Jump to Individual Disc/Film Reviews):
DISC SEVEN: MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG
DISC SEVEN: THE BOXER'S OMEN
DISC EIGHT: MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN
DISC EIGHT: THE BARE-FOOTED KID
DISCS NINE AND TEN: SOUNDTRACKS
PACKAGING AND FINAL THOUGHTS
DISC SIX: MY YOUNG AUNTIE
My Young Auntie (aka Zhang bei, Fangs of the Tigress, and Kung Fu Concubine) was released in Hong Kong in 1981 (it was never officially released in the US, though some screenings did take place between 1981 and 1983). In the film, Cheng Dai-nan (Kara Hui) is a martial arts expert who marries a wealthy elderly man in order to keep his inheritance out of the hands of evil brother, Yu Wei (Wang Lung-wei). After his passing, she travels to meet her older nephew-in-law Yu Zheng-quan (Lau Kar-leung) and hand the deeds to the inheritance over to him. When his son Yu Tao (Hsiao Hou), who has been away at college in Hong Kong, returns to find Cheng in their home, comedy ensues through a clash of cultures. Since Cheng is a less-refined country girl, Tao attempts to introduce her to new ideals and good times, but Wei’s men are keeping a close eye on her, ready to steal the deeds that Wei believes are rightfully his.
Above all things, My Young Auntie is a reflection, and even a parody, of Cantonese cinema in the 1960s. References are abound throughout, from the obvious to the not-so-obvious. In that sense, some of it is a bit lost in translation to Western audiences, especially many years after its release. The film was also actor and director Lau Kar-leung giving Kara Hui a proper starring vehicle. She had been appearing in smaller parts in other Shaw Brothers productions, but My Young Auntie gave her the chance to allow her star to really shine, and shine it did. For her work, she took home the Best Actress prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards the following year. As for the film itself, it’s definitely outside the realm of what Shaw Brothers is known for, perhaps even more so today. Its amazing and sophisticated martial arts choreography certainly outshines its comedic elements, which can be tiring depending upon one’s personal taste. For this reviewer, the comedy and the action in My Young Auntie doesn’t blend well enough to be totally effective.
My Young Auntie was shot by director of photography Chih-Chun Ao 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. Like many of the Celestial Pictures-sourced presentations in this set, this is an uneven but still mostly pleasant presentation. Detail is often sharp and the color palette is bursting with an array of hues. As the film doesn’t share disc space with another, the bitrate tends to run higher, usually sitting between 30 and 40Mbps. Grain sometimes struggles, and while the picture does have an organic quality, it can appear too smooth at times. Blacks are a little uneven and there are occasionally light density issues, which may be difficult to spot, depending on the size of your setup. Other than some minor speckling, it’s a clean and stable presentation overall.
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 track is a little too clean and lacking in natural aural personality. The Mandarin track is of similar quality, but performances are far superior on the former. The English track is the most natural, but it’s a little hot with some clipping, and obviously the least in terms of performances. All three tracks are clean with no obvious leftover age-related wear and tear.
The following extras are included:
- Select Scene Commentary by Tony Rayns (HD – 46:43)
- Lady Kung Fu: An Interview with Kara Hui (HD and Upscaled SD – 29:20)
- Cinema Hong Kong: The Beauties of the Shaw Studio (HD – 53:45)
- Alternate VHS Version (SD – 120:34)
- Alternate Opening Credits (HD – 1:19)
- Trailer Gallery:
- Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer (Cantonese) (HD – 4:19)
- Digital Reissue Trailer (HD – 1:04)
- Image Gallery (HD – 30 in all)
Film critic and historian Tony Rayns returns with another great audio commentary, which doesn’t run the entire length of the film, but instead focuses on forty-seven minutes of it. Split into two parts at the beginning and the ending of the film, he delves into its story, its star, its director, its content, the other cast members, how it connects with other Shaw Brothers productions of the era, and how it reflects both Cantonese and martial arts cinema. Lady Kung Fu features an interview with Kara Hui who discusses her career extensively. Cinema Hong Kong: The Beauties of the Shaw Studio is the third and final part of a three-part documentary featuring interviews with Run Run Shaw (via archival footage), Qiu Ping (Ping Chin), Hou Ng (Dr. Ng Ho), Wong Ain Ling, Ivy Ling Po, Cheng Pei Pei, Tanny Tien Ni, Yueh Hua, and Shaw Yin Yin (Susan Yam-Yam Shaw). The Alternate VHS Version of the film is about a minute and twenty-two seconds longer than the main feature, containing alternate opening and closing credits, and several extended moments. However, no major content is missing from the main presentation. Next is a set of Alternate Opening Credits; the Hong Kong and digital reissue trailers for the film; and an Image Gallery containing 30 images of production photos, lobby cards, posters, sales ephemera, and home video artwork. Not carried over from the 2007 Dragon Dynasty release of the film by Genius Products is an audio commentary with Elvis Mitchell and Andy Klein; interviews with Kara Hui, David Chute, and Andy Klein; and a home video trailer.
MY YOUNG AUNTIE (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO/EXTRAS): C+/B/B/B+
MORE COMING SOON.
- Tim Salmons
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