Bodhidharma created the Shaolin Temple where Chinese Kung Fu originated. This is a dramtic retelling of his struggles the secret style he invented and how he became the Grand Master of Shaolin Kung Fu...
While the mighty Shaw Brothers were dominating the Hong Kong martial arts scene with hard-hitting features like THE CHINESE BOXER and dazzling us with an aesthetic brilliance found in productions such as LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF CHINA or THE SHAOLIN DISCIPLES, writer and star JACKIE CHAN and director Chen Chi-Hwa were cutting across much of the pomposity associated with many of these types of films and offering something much more akin to parody with HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU Accident-prone Jiang (Chan) dreams of learning Kung Fu from a master, but when he takes employment as a bodyguard at a shady mansion, he stumbles upon an evil witch and finds himself in the middle of an uncertain future. Funny, inventive and clever, HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU provides light-hearted action, some bonkers scenarios and of course, Chan's patented style of fun and fury.
Set in 19th century Thailand, ANNA AND THE KING is the true story of British governess Anna Leonowens, who is employed by the King (Chow Yun-Fat) to look after his many children.
Many legends have arisen surrounding the mysterious and untimely death of martial arts king Bruce Lee. Was he murdered? Was he involved in drugs and crime? Why did he leave the cryptic message If I die find out why? Whatever the reason fellow martial arts master Bruce Li determines to find the answers. With the assistance of Lee's former mistress Suzy he penetrates the dangerous underworld of Hong Kong. Captured by the criminals Suzy uncovers firm evidence about her lover's death. Bruce is forced to confront the gangsters in a final showdown with such superb fighting skill that he earns the accolade of Bruce Lee's successor...
You only live twiceOnce when you are bornand once When you look death in the face. The fifth film in the Bond series 'You Only Live Twice' unveils the sinister visage of Ernst Stavro Blofeld for the very first time! The film is also memorable for its incredible ''400 000 set of Blofeld's Volcano operational base complete with the rocket laucher helicopter landing pad monorail and massive shutter. Q's invention 'Little Nellie' - a one man miniature helicopter - also makes a big impact. An American space mission is interrupted when one of their capsules is literally swallowed up by what they suspect is a Russian spaceship. The Americans threaten to retaliate but the British think otherwise. Everything depends on Bond as he goes undercover in Japan and discovers that Blofeld is the creator of these interceptor rockets...
After an undisputed reign at the peak of Hong Kong's film industry in the 1960s, Shaw Brothers (the studio founded by real-life brothers Run Run and Runme Shaw) found their dominance challenged by up-and-coming rivals in the early 1970s. They swiftly responded by producing hundreds of the most iconic action films ever made, revolutionising the genre through the backbreaking work of top-shelf talent on both sides of the camera as well as unbeatable widescreen production value, much of it shot at Movietown', their huge, privately-owned studio on the outskirts of Hong Kong. This inaugural collection by Arrow Video presents twelve jewels from the Shaw crown, all released within the 1970s, kicking off in 1972 with Korean director Jeong Chang-hwa's King Boxer, the film that established kung fu cinema as an international box office powerhouse when it hit Stateside cinemas under the title Five Fingers of Death. From there we see Chang Cheh (arguably Shaw's most prolific director) helm the blood-soaked brutality of The Boxer from Shantung and two self-produced films in his Shaolin Cycle' series, Five Shaolin Masters and its prequel Shaolin Temple, before taking a detour into Ho Meng Hua's King Kong-inspired Mighty Peking Man, one of the most unmissably insane giant monster films ever made. Chang's action choreographer Lau Kar-leung then becomes a director in his own right, propelling his adoptive brother Gordon Liu to stardom in Challenge of the Masters and Executioners from Shaolin. Not to be outdone, Chang introduces some of Shaw's most famous faces to the screen, including Alexander Fu Sheng fighting on the streets of San Francisco in Chinatown Kid and, of course, the mighty Venom Mob in The Five Venoms and Crippled Avengers. Finally, Lau and Liu successfully meld high kicks with humor in two of their masterworks, Heroes of the East and Dirty Ho, both co-starring fan favorite Hsiao Hou. From kickass kung fu killers to crazy kaiju knockoffs to culture clash comedies, this carefully curated and gorgeously presented selection of all-time Shaw Brothers classics merely represents the tip of the iceberg of the studio's rich output, making it both an ideal starting point for newcomers and a treat for hardcore fans alike. Limited Edition Contents: High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of King Boxer, The Boxer from Shantung, Five Shaolin Masters, Shaolin Temple, Mighty Peking Man, Challenge of the Masters, Executioners from Shaolin, Chinatown Kid, The Five Venoms, Crippled Avengers, Heroes of the East and Dirty Ho Brand new 2K restorations by Arrow Films from the original camera negatives of King Boxer, The Boxer from Shantung, Challenge of the Masters, The Five Venoms, Crippled Avengers and Dirty Ho Brand new 2K master of the longer international cut of Chinatown Kid from original film elements Original uncompressed Mandarin, Cantonese (where applicable) and English mono audio Newly translated English subtitles for each film Hours of bonus features including brand new commentaries and critic appreciations on selected films, new and archive interviews with cast and crew, alternate credit sequences, trailer and image galleries for each film and more to be announced! 60 page book featuring new writing by David Desser, Simon Abrams and Terrence J. Brady, with cast and crew info for each film plus trivia and soundtrack info New artwork for each film by artists including Matthew Griffin, Chris Malbon, Jacob Phillips, Ilan Sheady, Tony Stella, Darren Wheeling and Jolyon Yates Coming in 2022... Shawscope Volume Two, and More!
Seriously weird as only the best, completely-barking-mad kung fu flicks can be, The Thundering Mantis is the story of Ah Chi, a martial artist who hooks up with a kid sidekick. However, an old grudge resurfaces, with the result that the boy's uncle is murdered and the boy himself kidnapped. So far so Arnie-in-Commando, but it's at this point we're reminded that indigenous martial arts movies are something else again, as Ah Chi's rescue attempt goes disastrously wrong and the boy is tortured to death before his eyes. Apparently driven to insanity by this experience, Ah Chi goes berserk, breaking free and systematically trashing everything and everyone in sight. End of movie. Devotees will absolutely want this in their collections, but those who have yet to progress beyond the Jackie Chan/Jet Li school of Americanised martial arts films will need to leave their preconceptions at the door. There's a nice touch to the dubbed English soundtrack, where the voiceover artists seem to have taken it upon themselves to imitate various British character actors: listen out for Wilfred Brambell, Kenneth Connor and so on. On the DVD: The Thundering Mantis has no extras on the widescreen DVD other than a one-screen guide to other titles in the Kung Fu Connection series. --Roger Thomas
King of New York is a low-budget crime thriller has the feel of a major blockbuster and owes its roots to the hard-edged crime movies of the 1930s. Christopher Walken stars as a drug kingpin who is released from prison and vows to use his position and influence--and criminal enterprise--for charitable means. But a core group of New York cops are all over him and his gang, determined to go to war, whatever the cost, to bring him down. Eventually his empire--headquartered at, of all places, Donald Trump's Plaza Hotel--crumbles under the weight of double-crossing and a body count of open warfare with the cops. This is one of the most stylish films of the last decade, with a strong supporting cast (including Lawrence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, and David Caruso) and some truly enthralling set pieces, including a stunning car chase and gunfight across a rain-soaked Queensboro Bridge. The film's tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top style offsets its nihilism; and its riveting visuals will have audiences hooked from beginning to end. --Robert Lane
The godfather of the kung-fu film, Chang Cheh, started a winning streak by making the internationally renowned The Five Venoms. He followed that hit with many more high-flying bloody good entertainments featuring the same cast in new roles. But of all the Venom movies, this one stands out as perhaps the most chilling. Masked killers are wreaking havoc and instilling terror with their vicious weapons of choice: razor-sharp, gut-shattering tridents. Only three fearless fighters dare investigate, leading to mass murder and magnificent martial arts. Chien Hsiao-hou, future co-star of Yuen Woo-ping s The Tai-chi Master joins the trio to get tri-pierced. The core Venoms themselves handle the intricate, always impressive, sometimes awe-inspiring, choreography in this unforgettable exercise in grand guignol gung-fu. Extras: High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations of the Film Restored HD master in original 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio English dubbed soundtrack Mandarin Soundtrack with English Subtitles Audio Commentary by acclaimed Kung-Fu expert, Bey Logan Trailer Booklet Notes by Dr. Calum Waddell
Global icon Dwayne Johnson leads the cast of Legendary's Skyscraper as former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer, who now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in China he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he's been framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who is trapped inside the building...above the fire line.
Two friends, ex Shaolin monks, part ways as they brush with the ongoing rebellion against the government. The ambitious one rises up to be a powerful military commander, while his betrayed friend resorts to learn the calm ways of Tai Chi.
Drunken Master is a film that, following Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) (made with the same ensemble cast and director Yuen Woo Ping), consolidated Jackie Chan's position as the new Hong Kong kung fu action star of the late 1970s. Set in the late 19th century, Chan plays the great Chinese hero Wong Fei Hung as a loveable young rogue who is always getting into fights or embarrassing his family. Eventually his father decides the only way to make a man of Chan is to send him for training with an old drunken drifter played by Yuen Siu Tien. Just as they did in Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, the pair make a fine double-act, though this time there is much surreal entertainment to be had from the older man teaching the younger the fine art of drunken kung fu. Learning to fight like the Eight Drunken Gods before the final confrontation with Hwang Jang Lee causes Chan considerable problems, though Yuen Siu Tien simply fights better the more he drinks. Yuen Siu Tien would reprise the role in his final film, Magnificent Butcher (1979) yet with Chan he finds a perfect blend of slapstick comedy and creatively staged action which makes Drunken Master a genuine kung fu classic. On the DVD: The picture is generally strong though inevitably there is a fair amount of grain. Unfortunately the original 2.35-1 film has been reformatted to 1.77-1 widescreen TV ratio. This has been done more skilfully than usual but is still a misrepresentation of the original cinema release and does mar both the landscape photography and the fast moving action scenes. The sound is perfectly acceptable mono. Soundtrack options are the original Mandarin with English subtitles, or an English dub. Extras include the original English language theatrical trailer, Hong Kong Legends' own trailer, plus promos for further releases and a photo gallery. There is a detailed text biography and filmography of Jackie Chan, a biography of Yuen Woo Ping and a text interview with producer Ng See Yuen. Also included is a text biography of Hwang Jang Lee linked to a kicking showcase which is another short fight scene. Most of these features are identical to those on the Snake in the Eagle's Shadow DVD. --Gary S Dalkin
Directed by Alfred Cheung and starring the legendary Yuen Biao (THE PRODIGAL SON, RIGHTING WRONGS), noir crime drama ON THE RUN remains a classic staple of the thriller genre from Hong Kong. In the aftermath of his wife's brutal murder, struggling cop Heung Ming (Yuen Biao) is forced to go into hiding after discovering corruption in the ranks. His only ally is a deadly assassin Chui (Pat Ha) as they each try to avoid arrest, and even death. Product Features BRAND NEW 2K transfer from the Original Negatives High Definition Blu-ray⢠(1080p) Presentation in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio LPCM 2.0 Cantonese Mono Newly remastered English subtitles Audio Commentary with Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon of the Podcast On Fire Network Audio Commentary with Asian Cinema Experts Frank Djeng and FJ DeSanto [new] Running Away - An Interview with Alfred Cheung [new] Predicting the Future - An Interview with David West Alternate Ending Hong Kong Trailer Reversible sleeve with original Hong Kong poster artwork
The legendary computer game comes to life in this all-action sci-fi adventure.
Using a faulty thriller for his soapbox as an outspoken critic of China, a devout follower of the Dalai Lama, and an influential supporter of Tibetan freedom, Richard Gere resorts to the equivalent of propagandistic drama to deliver a heavy-handed message. In other words, Red Corner relies on a dubious strategy to promote political awareness, but director Jon Avnet appeals to the viewer's outrage with such effective urgency that you're likely to forget you're being shamelessly manipulated. Gere plays a downtrodden TV executive who sells syndicated shows on the global market, and during a business trip to China he finds himself framed for the murder of the sexy daughter of a high Chinese official. Once trapped in a legal system in which his innocence will be all but impossible to prove, Gere must rely on a Chinese-appointed lawyer (played by Bai Ling) who first advises him to plead guilty but gradually grows convinced of foul play. Barely attempting to hide its agenda, Red Corner effectively sets the stage for abundant anti-Chinese sentiment, and to be sure, the movie gains powerful momentum with its tale of justice gone awry. It's a serious-minded, high-intensity courtroom drama with noble intentions, but one wonder if it has to be so conspicuously lacking in subtlety. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Jet Li teams up with Michelle Yeoh in Twin Warriors, a period martial-arts tale of revenge and retribution filmed in 1993. Directed by Yuen Woo Ping (who also directed Jackie Chan's popular Drunken Master and Yeoh's Wing Chun), it matches over-the-top melodrama with fantastical fight scenes. Li and Chin Sui Hou play Junbao and Tienbao, two misfit monks who have been getting into trouble at their Shaolin temple since childhood. Tienbao's volatile temper and ego get them banished from the monastery, and the pair try to make a new life for themselves in a nearby village. From here they take decidedly different paths. Tienbao joins the military regime of a ruthless eunuch ruler while Junbao joins a group of political rebels that includes Yeoh. Tienbao's violent quest for power erases his friendship with Junbao, his betrayal causing Junbao to go temporarily insane. During this period Junbao discovers tai chi, which prepares him for a final confrontation with Tienbao. The action scenes include a memorable match-up of Li and Chin against the entire monastery, where in the non-stop action Junbao escapes attack by riding one of his foes like a snowboard out of the fray. Yeoh's fight scenes include a complicated orchestration involving tables and chairs; her scenes are so impressive that it's a shame she wasn't given more screen time. --Shannon Gee, Amazon.com
A Shaw Brothers co-production directed by Jeremy Summers (Five Golden Dragons) and co-starring Horst Frank (The Etruscan Kills Again) and Maria Rohm (Marquis de Sade: Justine), The Vengeance of Fu Manchu is the third in a cycle of five films reviving Sax Rohmer's Chinese crime lord, produced and written by Harry Alan Towers (Bullet to Beijing). The Sino-super villain Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee, The Gorgon) has retreated to his mountain lair to plan the destruction of his arch-nemesis Nayland Smith (Douglas Wilmer, Octopussy). This time, his demented plan employs plastic surgery to create a new race of killer doppelgängers and the first looks exactly like Scotland Yard's top policeman! Product Features Restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative Original mono audio Audio commentary with film historians Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby (2020) The BEHP Interview with Jeremy Summers (2001, 72 mins): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Summers in conversation with Darrol Blake Vic Pratt Introduces The Vengeance of Fu Manchu' (2020, 7 mins): appreciation by the BFI curator Tall, Lean and Feline (2020, 50 mins): film historian Jonathan Rigby, author of English Gothic, on the early career of Christopher Lee The Cheque's in the Post (2020, 5 mins): first assistant director Anthony Waye remembers Harry Alan Towers and Fu Manchu The Ghost of Monk's Island (1966, 93 mins): Jeremy Summers directs this exciting mystery made for the Children's Film Foundation Alternative title sequence Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
A legendary title from the Video Nasties era, Joseph Ellison's relentlessly bleak and disturbing Don't Go In The House has lost none of its power to shock in the decades since it was first censored by the BBFC and seized by UK authorities. Donny Kohler (The Sopranos' Dan Grimaldi in a gripping central performance), a disturbed loner unhealthily obsessed with fire, comes home from his factory job one day to find his abusive mother has died. Now all alone in the large Gothic mansion he calls home and consumed in an inferno of insanity, he is finally able to fulfil his violent revenge fantasies against her. Soon, any woman unlucky enough to enter is forced to come face to face with the worst fate imaginable in the secret steelclad chamber of death he has built in the house's depths Now fully uncut and making its UK high definition premiere in a brand new 2K restoration, the film that dares to ask What if Norman Bates had a flamethrower? is back in a definitive collectors' edition with both original and extended versions. Limited Edition Contents: Limited edition Ocard featuring newly commissioned artwork by Christopher Shy Reversible sleeve and foldout doublesided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Christopher Shy Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by Lindsay Hallam and James Flower Disc One: Brand new 2K restoration from the original negative by Severin Films High Definition (1080p) Bluray⢠presentation of two different versions of the film: the 83minute uncut Theatrical Version, and the 89minute Television Version with additional scenes and alternate footage Original lossless mono audio on both cuts Optional English audio description for the blind on both cuts Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts Brand new commentary on the Theatrical Version by director Joseph Ellison and producer Ellen Hammill Archive commentary on the Theatrical Version by star Dan Grimaldi House Keeping, a brand new featurette by Severin Films interviewing associate producer Matthew Mallinson and cowriter/producer Joe Masefield We Went in the House, a brand new featurette by Severin Films with Michael Gingold revisiting the locations from the film, including the iconic house Playing with Fire, an archive interview with star Dan Grimaldi from 2005 Original theatrical trailers and TV spots Image gallery Disc Two: High Definition (1080p) Bluray presentation of the Extended Version (92 mins) of the film, with the additional scenes from the Television Version reinserted into the uncensored Theatrical Version Original lossless mono audio Optional English audio description for the blind Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Brand new audio commentary on the Extended Version by Stephen Thrower, author of Nightmare USA Minds on Fire, a brand new video essay by David Flint putting the film into context Burn Baby Burn and The Burning Man, two archive interviews with director Joseph Ellison Grindhouse AllStars: Notes From the Sleaze Cinema Underground, a documentary by High Rising Productions from 2017 interviewing exploitation filmmakers Matt Cimber, Joseph Ellison, Roy Frumkes and Jeff Lieberman
In 1965, maverick British producer and writer Harry Alan Towers (The Bloody Judge) scored a hit with The Face of Fu Manchu, a thrilling revival of Sax Rohmer's super-villain imperiously portrayed by Christopher Lee (The Terror of the Tongs). Over the next four years, Lee and Towers would collaborate with directors Don Sharp (Psychomania), Jeremy Summers and Jesús Franco (Venus in Furs) on four ever more delirious tales of attempted world domination (The Brides of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, The Blood of Fu Manchu, The Castle of Fu Manchu), each pitting the criminal mastermind against his arch-nemesis Nayland Smith, as played variously by Nigel Green (Play Dirty), Douglas Wilmer (Sherlock Holmes) and Richard Greene (The Adventures of Robin Hood). Now, all five classic Fu Manchu films are presented on Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored from original negatives and containing a wealth of new and archival extras, including critical appreciations, cast and crew interviews and audio commentaries. This stunning Limited Edition box set is strictly limited to 6,000 units, and is presented with an exclusive, fully illustrated 120-page book, featuring new writing by Tim Lucas. Special Features: THE FACE OF FU MANCHU New restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative Original mono audio Audio commentary with critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones (2020) The BEHP Interview with Don Sharp Part One (1993): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Sharp in conversation with Teddy Darvas and Alan Lawson Super 8 version: cut-down home cinema presentation Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing World premiere on Blu-ray More extras to be announced All extras subject to change THE BRIDES OF FU MANCHU New restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative Original mono audio Audio commentary with film historians Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons (2020) Kim Newman on Sax Rohmer and the Fu Manchu novels The BEHP Interview with Don Sharp Part Two (1993): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Sharp in conversation with Teddy Darvas and Alan Lawson The BEHP Interview with Ernest Steward (1990): archival audio recording of an interview with the respected cinematographer, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing World premiere on Blu-ray More extras to be announced All extras subject to change THE VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU New restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative Original mono audio The BEHP Interview with Jeremy Summers (2001): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Summers in conversation with Darrol Blake Archival interview with Harry Alan Towers New interview with first assistant director Anthony Waye (2020) The Ghost of Monk's Island (1966): Jeremy Summers directs this exciting mystery made for the Children's Film Foundation Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing World premiere on Blu-ray More extras to be announced All extras subject to change THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU New restoration from a 4K scan of the original negative Original mono audio Audio commentary with critics David Flint and Adrian Smith (2020) Visions of the Yellow Peril (2020): Christopher Frayling on ethnocentrism in the Fu Manchu cycle New interview with clapper loader Ray Andrew (2020) New interview with Stephen Thrower on Fu Manchu and Jesús Franco's collaborations with Harry Alan Towers (2020) The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu: The Fiery Hand (1923): a chilling episode of the original silent serial, starring Harry Agar Lyons as the evil mastermind Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing UK premiere on Blu-ray More extras to be announced All extras subject to change THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU New restoration by Powerhouse Films from a 4K scan of the original negative Original mono audio New interview with star Rosalba Neri (2020) The Further Mysteries of Dr. Fu-Manchu: The Coughing Horror (1924): Fu Manchu torments Nayland Smith with a terrifying creature in this silent serial sequel Original theatrical trailer Image gallery: promotional and publicity material New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing UK premiere on Blu-ray More extras to be announced All extras subject to change Limited edition exclusive 120-page book with a new essay on the Fu Manchu cycle by Tim Lucas, a look at the career of producer/screenwriter Harry Alan Towers, an examination of the work of Fu Manchu creator Sax Rohmer, new writing on The Ghost of Monk's Island and the Stoll Pictures' Fu Manchu silent serials, archival newspaper articles on the films, extracts from the films' pressbooks, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits Limited edition exclusive double-sided poster and five replica production stills UK and World premieres on Blu-ray Limited edition box set of 6,000 numbered units
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