Shawscope Volume Three
Before Hong Kong's mightiest film studio mastered the art of the kung fu film, Shaw Brothers hit box office gold with a very different kind of martial arts cinema, one that channelled the blood-soaked widescreen violence of Japanese samurai epics and Italian spaghetti westerns into a uniquely Chinese form: the wuxia pian. With their enthralling tales drawn from historical myth and legend of sword-wielding (and often gravity-defying) noble heroes, the wuxia films housed in this next instalment of Arrow Video's best-selling Shawscope series demonstrate the sweeping stylistic evolution of the genre, from the righteous stoicism of the late-60s Mandarin period, right through to the wild-and-weird anarchism of the early-80s Cantonese explosion.
The iconic One-Armed Swordsman trilogy, directed between 1967 and 1971 by wuxia cinema godfather Chang Cheh, made household names of stars Wang Yu and David Chiang and set the gory template for many of the films to come. Contrary to Chang's tales of loyal brotherhood, many wuxia films focused on female protagonists, three very different examples of which we see next: Ho Meng-hua's The Lady Hermit, with the great Cheng Pei-pei (Come Drink with Me) as a virtuous swordswoman called upon to stop a vicious warlord; Chor Yuen's scandalous Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan in which the titular lady of the night masters every deadly skill she can to get revenge on those who enslaved her; and Cheng Kang's all-star epic The 14 Amazons, in which Shaws' finest starlets play the real-life women of the Yang dynasty, avenging their fallen menfolk in battle.
Next, Chor Yuen adapted several beloved novels by consummate wuxia storyteller Gu Long to the big screen, four of which are collected here: The Magic Blade, Clans of Intrigue, Jade Tiger and The Sentimental Swordsman, all starring the redoubtable Ti Lung. As kung fu overtook wuxia at the box office, the genre evolved into unexpected new directions, with its chivalrous knights-errant replaced by conflicted antiheroes, as seen in Sun Chung’s breathlessly exciting The Avenging Eagle and Boxer's Omen goremeister Kuei Chih-hung's fatalistic masterpiece Killer Constable. Finally, just when it seemed the wuxia film had nowhere left to turn, Eighties excess reigned supreme in the special-effects-soaked, fourth-wall-breaking fantastical delights of Taylor Wong's Buddha's Palm and Lu Chun-ku's Bastard Swordsman.
Back with all-new exclusive restorations and hours of insightful bonus material, if you thought the previous two Shawscope sets showed the Shaw Brothers at its strongest, you ain't seen nothing yet!
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The One-Armed Swordsman (Mandarin version)
1967 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chang Cheh
Even non-kung-fu lovers will be mesmerised by Jimmy Wang Yu in the role that made him a superstar. As the mysterious swordsman whose one arm is more powerful than his two-armed rivals, Wang and director Chang Cheh revolutionised the Hong Kong action genr...
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The One-Armed Swordsman (English version)
1967 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chang Cheh
Even non-kung-fu lovers will be mesmerised by Jimmy Wang Yu in the role that made him a superstar. As the mysterious swordsman whose one arm is more powerful than his two-armed rivals, Wang and director Chang Cheh revolutionised the Hong Kong action genr...
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Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (Mandarin version)
1969 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chang Cheh
One-Armed Swordsman was a gigantic box-office hit, and overwhelming popular demand called for a sequel. Director Chang Cheh truly proved that he was indeed the “Godfather of the Wuxia Film” by mounting a follow-up which many say is even more accomplished...
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Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (English version)
1969 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chang Cheh
One-Armed Swordsman was a gigantic box-office hit, and overwhelming popular demand called for a sequel. Director Chang Cheh truly proved that he was indeed the “Godfather of the Wuxia Film” by mounting a follow-up which many say is even more accomplished...
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The New One-Armed Swordsman (Mandarin version)
1971 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chang Cheh
Chang Cheh wasn’t kidding with the title of this fondly remembered wuxia epic, which deservedly won a prestigious Golden Horse Award for Editing. He took his charismatic new star, David Chiang, and made him an all-new-one-armed hero - a man who chops off...
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The New One-Armed Swordsman (English version)
1971 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chang Cheh
Chang Cheh wasn’t kidding with the title of this fondly remembered wuxia epic, which deservedly won a prestigious Golden Horse Award for Editing. He took his charismatic new star, David Chiang, and made him an all-new-one-armed hero - a man who chops off...
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The Lady Hermit (Mandarin version)
1971 • Hong Kong • Directed by Ho Meng-hua
Shaw Studios knew a good thing when they teamed their remarkable star Cheng Pei-pei with versatile director Ho Meng-hua. This wuxia film was considered one of the director’s most notable from a filmography spanning more than forty films. Cheng plays the...
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The Lady Hermit (English version)
1971 • Hong Kong • Directed by Ho Meng-hua
Shaw Studios knew a good thing when they teamed their remarkable star Cheng Pei-pei with versatile director Ho Meng-hua. This wuxia film was considered one of the director’s most notable from a filmography spanning more than forty films. Cheng plays the...
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Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (Mandarin version)
1972 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
The most famous erotic film in the history of Hong Kong cinema, Chor Yuen’s Intimate Confessions Of A Chinese Courtesan shocked Chinese audiences in 1972, and even today exerts a raw power. Lily Ho, in her most daring role, is an aristocratic maiden abduc...
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Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (English version)
1972 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
The most famous erotic film in the history of Hong Kong cinema, Chor Yuen’s Intimate Confessions Of A Chinese Courtesan shocked Chinese audiences in 1972, and even today exerts a raw power. Lily Ho, in her most daring role, is an aristocratic maiden abduc...
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The 14 Amazons (Mandarin version)
1972 • Hong Kong • Directed by Cheng Kang
Long before feminism made it to Hong Kong, women proved themselves more than equal to men in this martial arts classic set in ancient China, where a matriarchal clan uses sword, fist, and gravity-defying leaps to avenge their fallen menfolk. The cast is ...
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The 14 Amazons (English version)
1972 • Hong Kong • Directed by Cheng Kang
Long before feminism made it to Hong Kong, women proved themselves more than equal to men in this martial arts classic set in ancient China, where a matriarchal clan uses sword, fist, and gravity-defying leaps to avenge their fallen menfolk. The cast is ...
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The Magic Blade (Mandarin version)
1976 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
As all wuxia and kung-fu fans know, action is supreme but a good story helps keep things moving. Gu Long, the most famous marital arts novelist, provides The Magic Blade with just the right plot to give the brilliant swordplay an interesting context, and ...
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The Magic Blade (English version)
1976 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
As all wuxia and kung-fu fans know, action is supreme but a good story helps keep things moving. Gu Long, the most famous marital arts novelist, provides The Magic Blade with just the right plot to give the brilliant swordplay an interesting context, and ...
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Clans of Intrigue (Mandarin version)
1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
The story of legendary swordsman Chu Liuxiang has been a favourite of Hong Kong filmmakers, but the roguish knave’s most stylish cinematic reincarnation is undoubtedly Clans Of Intrigue. How could it be anything but, with a story by celebrated martial art...
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Clans of Intrigue (Cantonese version)
1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
The story of legendary swordsman Chu Liuxiang has been a favourite of Hong Kong filmmakers, but the roguish knave’s most stylish cinematic reincarnation is undoubtedly Clans Of Intrigue. How could it be anything but, with a story by celebrated martial art...
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The Jade Tiger (Mandarin version)
1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
The headless corpse of the Chao Clan patriarch and the theft of a jade tiger set in motion another noteworthy collaboration between three of the biggest names in swordplay action dramas: director Chor Yuen, martial arts novelist Gu Long, and kung-fu super...
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The Sentimental Swordsman (Mandarin version)
1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
One of director Chor Yuen’s crowning achievements, The Sentimental Swordsman epitomizes the lone, virtuous, heroic swordsman with a twist. Swordsman Li Xunhuan, magnificently played by the highly respected and popular Ti Lung, is also a hero with weakness...
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The Sentimental Swordsman (Cantonese version)
1977 • Hong Kong • Directed by Chor Yuen
One of director Chor Yuen’s crowning achievements, The Sentimental Swordsman epitomizes the lone, virtuous, heroic swordsman with a twist. Swordsman Li Xunhuan, magnificently played by the highly respected and popular Ti Lung, is also a hero with weakness...
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Avenging Eagle (Mandarin version)
1978 • Hong Kong • Directed by Sun Chung
Avid wuxia and kung fu films fans have a special place in their hearts for this outstanding martial arts drama about the Thirteen Eagles Assassination Sect of the infamous Iron Boat Clan. Ku Feng is excellent as the poisonously patriarchal leader of the k...
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Avenging Eagle (Cantonese version)
1978 • Hong Kong • Directed by Sun Chung
Avid wuxia and kung fu films fans have a special place in their hearts for this outstanding martial arts drama about the Thirteen Eagles Assassination Sect of the infamous Iron Boat Clan. Ku Feng is excellent as the poisonously patriarchal leader of the k...
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Avenging Eagle (English version)
1978 • Hong Kong • Directed by Sun Chung
Avid wuxia and kung fu films fans have a special place in their hearts for this outstanding martial arts drama about the Thirteen Eagles Assassination Sect of the infamous Iron Boat Clan. Ku Feng is excellent as the poisonously patriarchal leader of the k...
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Killer Constable (Mandarin version)
1980 • Hong Kong • Directed by Kuei Chih-Hung
Kuei Chih-hung was famous for his modern day crime thrillers, his horror flicks, and even his comedies. But even though the only wuxia film he ever made was this one, he is still spoken of with respect by even the most ardent martial arts movie fan. ...
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Killer Constable (English version)
1980 • Hong Kong • Directed by Kuei Chih-Hung
Kuei Chih-hung was famous for his modern day crime thrillers, his horror flicks, and even his comedies. But even though the only wuxia film he ever made was this one, he is still spoken of with respect by even the most ardent martial arts movie fan. ...
