The Random Shaw Brothers Viewing Thread

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Coming 3/25/25 from 88 Films.

There's more to HK cinema than kung fu! Hong Kong, Hong Kong is a social drama with a huge heart, following two lovers dreaming of a better life.
There's much more to Hong Kong cinema than kung fu flicks: Hong Kong, Hong Kong is a social realist drama with a huge heart, following two lovers dreaming of a better life: Man Si Sun (Cherie Chung, An Autumn's Tale) is an illegal immigrant from the mainland while Kong Yuen Sang (Alex Man, Rich and Famous) is looking for glory in the kick-boxing ring.

Showing a world beyond the city's skyscrapers and millionaires, Clifford Choi's film won Best Screenplay at the prestigious Golden Horse awards, and was nominated for many others. Long recognised as a classic back home, 88 Films are proud to present the UK Blu-ray premier of a Hong Kong masterpiece.

Bonus Materials:

Stills Gallery
Limited Edition O-ring
2.0 DTS-HD MA Cantonese Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
Trailer
High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Limited Edition Set of 4 collectors art cards

Cast & Crew:

Actors:

Cherie Chung
Alex Man
Tsai-Ling Ao
Szu-Ying Chien
Lu Chin
Charlie Cho
Yeh Fang
Pak-Kwong Ho
Hoi-San Kwan
Shung Ching Lam
Chung Shing Lau
Chieh-Ying Li
Fa-Yuan Li
Lieh Lo
Han-Yuan Ma
Ho-Ying Sin
Chi Wai Wong
Hsiang Lin Yin

Director:

Clifford Choi

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Coming 3/25/25 from 88 Films.

One of the last films produced at the legendary Shaw Brothers studio, and absolutely one of their finest, the story is of a free-spirited female poet.

One of the last films produced at Hong Kong's legendary Shaw Brothers studio, and absolutely one of their finest - a visually ravishing and erotically charged story of a free-spirited female poet Yu (Patricia Ha, Nomad) who, frustrated by the conservative times in which she lives, refuses to behave in the ways nice young ladies are supposed to.

Despite plentiful clothes-off action, this is so much more than a soft-core "romp," boasting an artistic ambition that Shaw Brothers didn't always show in their kung fu movies. Directed with intelligence and real style by Eddie Fong Ling-ching, this is one of the major films from Hong Kong's Golden Age. 88 Films are proud to present this sensual masterpiece in the UK for the first time on Blu-ray.

Bonus Materials:

High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Trailer
2.0 DTS-HD MA Cantonese Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
Limited Edition O-ring
Stills Gallery
Limited Edition Set of 4 collectors art cards

Cast & Crew:

Actors:

Patricia Ha
Alex Man
Kuo-Chu Chang
Monica Lam
Kwan-Min Cheng
To Gang
Ying-Ying Hui
To Kong
Feng Ku
Ting-Sheng Lin
Tom Poon
Gei Shun Wai
Lai Wang
Shu-Tong Wong
Siu-Lung Leung

Director:

Eddie Ling-Ching Fong

Producer:

Mona Fong

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

3 Shaw titles making their worldwide Blu-ray debut on 3/26/25 from Imprint.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Coming 4/29/25 from Eureka.

The Magnificent Trio / The Magnificent Wanderers (1966-1967) Blu-ray

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Limited Edition [2000 copies]
Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) [2000 copies]
1080p HD presentations on Blu-ray from masters supplied by Celestial Pictures
Original mono audio tracks
Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
New audio commentary on The Magnificent Trio by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth
New audio commentary on Magnificent Wanderers by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Chang Cheh Style – new video essay by Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal
A limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Chang Cheh by writer and critic James Oliver [2000 copies]

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Full press release for the set above.

Eureka Entertainment is proud to announce the release of THE MAGNIFICENT CHANG CHEH, two 'magnificent' films from the maestro of martial arts cinema. Available on Blu-ray as part of the Eureka Classics range from 29 April 2025 in North America. Presented in a Limited edition of 2000 copies (per territory) exclusively featuring an O-card slipcase and collector's booklet.

One of the Shaw Brothers Studio's most prolific directors, Chang Cheh – or the "Godfather of Hong Kong Cinema" – is the filmmaker behind Five Deadly Venoms, Chinatown Kid, and Boxer Rebellion. Collected here are two films by this maestro of martial arts cinema that showcase his considerable talents at both ends of his career: The Magnificent Trio, produced when wuxia films ruled the Hong Kong box office in the mid-1960s, and Magnificent Wanderers, made at the height of the kung fu craze at the end of the 1970s.

In an early role that pre-dates his star-making turn in Chang's The One-Armed Swordsman, Jimmy Wang Yu stars in The Magnificent Trio as swordsman Lu Fang, who – along with fellow warriors Yen Tzu-ching (Lo Lieh) and Huang Liang (Cheng Lui) – lends his martial arts prowess to a group of oppressed farmers when they kidnap the daughter of their local magistrate. Then, in the kung fu comedy Magnificent Wanderers, the three nomads Lin Shao You (Fu Sheng), Shi Da Yong (Chi Kuan-chun), and Guan Fei (Li Yi-min) attempt to join Chinese patriots in their struggle against invading Mongol armies with the help of the wealthy Chu Tie Xia (David Chiang).

From straight-faced wuxia pian to farcical kung fu comedy, The Magnificent Trio and Magnificent Wanderers display the full range of Chang Cheh, a filmmaker who sat in the director's chair for over three decades. Eureka Classics is proud to present both films on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK and North America.

Special Features:
• Limited edition of 2000 copies
• Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju)
• 1080p HD presentations on Blu-ray from masters supplied by Celestial Pictures
• Original mono audio tracks
• Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
• New audio commentary on The Magnificent Trio by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth
• New audio commentary on Magnificent Wanderers by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
• Chang Cheh Style – new video essay by Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal
• PLUS: A limited edition collector's booklet featuring new writing on Chang Cheh by writer and critic James Oliver
* All extras subject to change

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Coming in April from 88 Films!

When her sister is attacked and murdered, swordswoman Feng Fei-fei (Lily Ho, Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan) knows just what to do – find the culprits and slice 'em up. But her righteous vengeance is compromised when she learns just who her target is: the man her parents have arranged for her to marry...

Strikingly directed by Kao Pao-shu – notable as one of the few women who handled martial arts movies – Lady With a Sword has an emotional power to match its outstanding fight scenes, as justice, family loyalties and inflexible tradition all collide. 88 Films are proud to present the UK Blu-ray premier of a true feminist classic.

EXTRAS:

HIGH DEFINITION BLU-RAY PRESENTATION IN 2.35:1 ASPECT RATIO
ORIGINAL MANDARIN MONO 2.0 AUDIO WITH NEW ENGLISH SUBTITLES
AUDIO COMMENTARY BY DAVID WEST
TRAILER
STILLS GALLERY
FOLDED POSTER
ORIGINAL AND NEWLY COMMISSIONED ARTWORK BY “KUNG FU” BOB O’BRIEN

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Coming in May from 88 Films.


A dangerous criminal escapes captivity – but luckily crime-busting super-swordswoman Leng Rushuang (Shih Szu, Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires) is on his trail. However, she has doubts about his guilt, and she's not going to stop fighting until she's sure the right man is being punished. Co-starring Lo Lieh (Dragons Forever) and the unmistakable Dean Shek (Drunken Master), Lady of the Law is a choice cut from the golden age of Hong Kong swordplay. 88 Films are proud to present this slice-and-dice classic on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK.

- HIGH DEFINITION BLU-RAY PRESENTATION IN 2.35:1 ASPECT RATIO
- ORIGINAL MANDARIN MONO 2.0 AUDIO WITH NEW ENGLISH SUBTITLES
- AUDIO COMMENTARY BY DAVID WEST
- STILLS GALLERY
- FOLDED POSTER ORIGINAL AND NEWLY COMMISSIONED ARTWORK BY ROB BRUNO

[mjeon Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mjeon]

Has anyone devised a way to purchase the recent flood of Shaw blu-rays to avoid duplication? Mighty Peking Man, if I'm not mistaken, appeared first on a HK blu-ray, then 88 Films issued it and it subsequently appeared as part of an Arrow boxset.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Has anyone devised a way to purchase the recent flood of Shaw blu-rays to avoid duplication? Mighty Peking Man, if I'm not mistaken, appeared first on a HK blu-ray, then 88 Films issued it and it subsequently appeared as part of an Arrow boxset.

The rights are, more or less, separated by territory, so if you're buying the UK releases and the North American releases, there's going to be some duplication depending on timing.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

UHD coming 6/23 from 88 Films.

"A fearless heroine... a kung-fu master in hiding... a seemingly invincible villain... and a film that's universally regarded as one of the greatest ever made in Hong Kong.

The heroine is Golden Swallow (Cheng Pei-pei – Painted Faces; Crounching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – in a star-making turn). She's been dispatched by her powerful father to rescue her brother who's been taken hostage by bandits. The kung-fu master is Fan Da-pei (Heroes Shed No Tears; Rumble in the Bronx); he may look like a drunken beggar but he's one of the best fighters around. Trouble is, the only man who can beat him is helping the bandits...

Directed by the legendary King Hu (A Touch of Zen; The Fate of Lee Khan) for the mighty Shaw Brothers studio, Come Drink With Me shook up martial arts movies and influenced everyone from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and beyond. No wonder 88 Films are so proud to present this 4K Dolby Vision Premiere."

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Press release!

A gritty tale of revenge and justice delivered by the Shaw Brothers studio

[For immediate release] Eureka Entertainment to release THE BELLS OF DEATH, a cherished gem in the history of Shaw Brothers productions. Available on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from 19 May 2025 as part of the Eureka Classics range, in a Limited edition of 2000 copies exclusively featuring an O-card slipcase and collector's book.

A standout wuxia film heavily influenced by both the longstanding Japanese samurai tradition and the emergent Spaghetti Western, The Bells of Death is a fantastical tale of revenge produced by Shaw Brothers Studio, directed by the prolific Yueh Feng (Madam White Snake) and starring Chang Yi (Lady Whirlwind) in one of his earliest roles.

Wu Fei (Chang) is a simple woodcutter – that is, at least, until he gives directions to a group of bandits he encounters on a lonely road, sending them in the direction of his family home. He returns to find the criminals have murdered his parents and younger brother – while his sister has been kidnapped, claimed by chief bandit Tao Ching Lung (Lam Kau, Drunken Master) as his new bride. Desperate for vengeance, Wu Fei finds a way forward when he encounters a master swordsman (Yang Chi-ching, Come Drink with Me), who takes the woodcutter under his wing and prepares him to take his bloody revenge.

A markedly dark and gruesome wuxia film featuring a cadre of truly despicable villains, The Bells of Death boasts breathtaking cinematography by Pao Hsueh Li – who would go on to direct several wuxia films of his own – and features Hong Kong superstars Wu Ma and Sammo Hung in supporting roles. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK.

New & Exclusive Trailer:

Available to order from UK:

Eureka Store https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/the-bells-of-death/

DETAILS:

Label: Eureka Entertainment

THE BELLS OF DEATH (Duo hun ling) (Eureka Classics) Limited Edition Blu-ray

CHANG YI | CHIN PING | CHAO HSIN-YEN | YANG CHI-CHING | LAM KAU | WU MA | SAMMO HUNG

Director YUEH FENG | 1968 | 88 mins | HONG KONG | WUXIA / MARTIAL ARTS / ACTION

Language MANDARIN | 2.35:1 OAR | Region B | Cert. TBC | 19 MAY 2025

Blu-ray Cat. No. EKA70579 | Blu-ray Barcode 5060000705799 | Blu-ray Dealer Price £22.99

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES*:

Limited Edition of 2000 copies | Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) | Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release | Original Mandarin mono audio | Optional English dub | New audio commentary by East Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) | New audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema | For Whom the Bell Tolls – a new interview with Wayne Wong, editor of Martial Arts Studies | PLUS: A limited edition collector's booklet featuring new writing on The Bells of Death by East Asian cinema expert Camille Zaurin | * All extras subject to change

PRESS

"Starring Chang Yi at his very best, this beautifully shot and well written early Shaw Brothers revenge tale from Yueh Feng is a must watch" – Asian Movie Plus

"An impressive Shaw Brothers production of a dark and grisly tale of revenge with a real Spaghetti Western flavour..." – easternKicks

KEY SELLING POINTS

A beloved gem among martial arts film aficionados | A prime example of the high-quality, action-packed films produced by the legendary Shaw Brothers Studio, known for defining the martial arts genre | Directed by the prolific Yueh Feng (Madam White Snake), a key figure in the golden era of Hong Kong cinema, whose work continues to influence action filmmaking today | Stars Chang Yi (Lady Whirlwind) | Features Hong Kong superstars Wu Ma and Sammo Hung in supporting roles | Available on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK | The release features stunning new artwork and is released in a Limited Edition of 2000 copies, exclusively featuring an O-card slipcase and collector's booklet