** NOTE -- This 'Damage' is an item that was re-shrink wrapped and sent to us by the distributor. It has very light shelf wear. **
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 Chung Chang-wha’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 humour in two of their masterworks, Heroes of the East and Dirty Ho, also featuring such fan favourites as Wong Yue, Hsiao Hao and Kara Hui.
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 all twelve films, including seven new 2K restorations by Arrow Films
Illustrated 60-page collectors’ book featuring new writing by David Desser, Terrence J. Brady and James Flower, plus cast and crew listings and notes on each film by Simon Abrams
New artwork by Sam Gilbey, Matthew Griffin, Chris Malbon, Jacob Phillips, Ilan Sheady, Tony Stella, Darren Wheeling and Jolyon Yates
Hours of never-before-seen bonus features, including several cast and crew interviews from the Frédéric Ambroisine Video Archive
Two CDs of music from the De Wolfe Music library as heard in six of the films, exclusive to this collection
Disc One – King Boxer
Brand new 2K restoration by Arrow Films from a 4K scan of the original negative
Newly restored uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio
Newly translated English subtitles for the Mandarin audio, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
Brand new commentary by David Desser, co-editor of The Journal of Japanese and Korean Cinema and The Cinema of Hong Kong
Newly filmed appreciation by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
Interview with director Chung Chang-wha, filmed in 2003 and 2004 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Interview with star Wang Ping, filmed in 2007 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Interview with Korean cinema expert Cho Young-jung, author of Chung Chang-wha: Man of Action, filmed in 2005 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu, the first in a three-part documentary on Shaw Brothers’ place within the martial arts genre produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003, featuring interviews with Jackie Chan, Jet Li, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Gordon Liu, Lau Kar-leung, Cheng Pei-pei, David Chiang and many others
Alternate opening credits from the American version titled Five Fingers of Death
Hong Kong, US and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV and radio spots
Image gallery
Disc Two – The Boxer From Shantung
Brand new 2K restoration by Arrow Films from a 4K scan of the original negative
Newly restored uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio
Newly translated English subtitles for the Mandarin audio, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
Interview with star Chen Kuan-tai, filmed in 2007 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Interview with assistant director John Woo, filmed in 2004 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Interview with star David Chiang, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Conversation between stars Chen Kuan-tai and Ku Feng, filmed at a Shaw Brothers reunion in 2007 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Hong Kong and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot
Image gallery
Disc Three – Five Shaolin Masters / Shaolin Temple
Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films
Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
Newly filmed appreciation of Chang Cheh by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
Interview with star Kong Do, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Elegant Trails: David Chiang and Elegant Trails: Ti Lung, two featurettes on the actors produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003
Alternate standard-definition version of Shaolin Temple
Alternate opening credits from Five Masters of Death, the US version of Five Shaolin Masters
Alternate opening credits sequences for Shaolin Temple
US and German trailers for Five Shaolin Masters
Hong Kong and German trailers for Shaolin Temple
Image galleries for both films
Disc Four – Mighty Peking Man
Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio
Newly translated English subtitles for the Mandarin audio, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
Brand new commentary by Travis Crawford
Brand new interview with suit designer Keizo Murase, filmed in 2021 by Daisuke Sato and Yoshikazu Ishii
Interview with director Ho Meng-hua, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Interview with star Ku Feng, filmed in 2004 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Behind-the-scenes Super 8 footage from the archives of Keizo Murase
‘Unrestored’ standard-definition version
Alternate opening credits from Goliathon, the US version of Mighty Peking Man
Hong Kong, US, German and Dutch theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot
Image gallery
Disc Five – Challenge Of The Masters / Executioners From Shaolin
Brand new 2K restoration of Challenge of the Masters from the original negative by Arrow Films
Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films, plus Cantonese mono for Challenge of the Masters
Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
Newly filmed appreciation of Lau Kar-leung by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
Interview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2002 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Interview with star Chen Kuan-tai, filmed in 2007 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Textless opening credits for Challenge of the Masters
Alternate English credits for Executioners from Shaolin
Hong Kong theatrical trailers for Challenge of the Masters
Hong Kong and US theatrical trailers for Executioners from Shaolin
Image galleries for both films
Disc Six - Chinatown Kid:
Brand new 2K restoration of the 115-minute International Version from original film elements
90-minute Alternate Version
Uncompressed original Cantonese audio for the International Version, with newly translated English subtitles
Uncompressed original English audio for the International Version, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles
Uncompressed original Mandarin audio for the Alternate Version, with newly translated English subtitles
Select scene video commentary by co-star Susan Shaw from 2021
Elegant Trails: Fu Sheng, a featurette on the actor produced by Celestial Pictures in 2005
Hong Kong, US and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot
Image gallery
Disc Seven – The Five Venoms/Crippled Avengers
Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films
Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films plus Cantonese mono for The Five Venoms
Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
Brand new commentary on The Five Venoms by critic Simon Abrams
Interview with star Lo Meng, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Chang Cheh: The Master, a featurette about the director produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003
Hong Kong and US theatrical trailers for The Five Venoms
Hong Kong theatrical trailer for Crippled Avengers
Image galleries for both films
Disc Eight:
Brand new 2K restoration of Dirty Ho from the original negative by Arrow Films
Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films
Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus English hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
Brand new commentary on Heroes of the East by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of the Martial Arts
Newly filmed appreciation of both films by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
Interview with Heroes of the East star Yasuaki Kurata, filmed in 2003 by Frédéric Ambroisine
Alternate opening credits for Shaolin Challenges Ninja, the international version of Heroes of the East
Alternate English credits for Dirty Ho
Hong Kong theatrical trailer for Heroes of the East, plus US TV spot
Hong Kong theatrical trailer for Dirty Ho
Image galleries for both films
Disc Nine – MUSIC FROM SHAOLIN TEMPLE, MIGHTY PEKING MAN AND CHINATOWN KID (CD)
– MUSIC FROM THE FIVE VENOMS, CRIPPLED AVENGERS AND DIRTY HO (CD)