Shawscope

Picking up where Volume One left off, this sophomore collection of Hong Kong cinema classics draws together many of the best films from the final years of the Shaw Brothers studio, proving that while the end was nigh, these merchants of martial arts mayhem weren’t going to go out without a fight! Armed with stunning special features and ravishing new restorations, this boxset is even bigger and bolder than the last one.We begin with kung fu master Lau Kar-leung’s instant classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, in which his adoptive brother Gordon Liu achieved overnight stardom as the young man who unexpectedly finds spiritual enlightenment on the path to vengeance; Lau and Liu followed the original with two comically inventive sequels, Return to the 36th Chamber and Disciples of the 36th Chamber, both included here. Already established as a genius at blending dazzling action with physical comedy, Lau himself plays the lead role in the hilarious Mad Monkey Kung Fu, coupled here with Lo Mar’s underrated Five Superfighters. Next, we once again meet Chang Cheh’s basher boy band the Venom Mob in no less than four of their best-loved team-ups: Invincible Shaolin, The Kid with the Golden Arm, Magnificent Ruffians and culminating in the all-star Ten Tigers of Kwangtung, co-starring Ti Lung and Fu Sheng.After Lau brings us perhaps his best high-kicking comedy with My Young Auntie, a playful star vehicle for his real-life muse Kara Hui, we see Shaw Brothers fully embracing Eighties excess in our strangest double feature yet: Wong Jing’s breathtakingly wild shoot-‘em-up Mercenaries from Hong Kong, and Kuei Chih-hung’s spectacularly unhinged black magic meltdown The Boxer’s Omen. Last but certainly not least, Lau Kar-leung directs the last major Shaw production, Martial Arts of Shaolin, filmed in mainland China with a hot new talent named Jet Li in the lead role; it is paired in this set with The Bare-Footed Kid, a reverent remake of a Chang Cheh classic with Johnnie To (Running Out of Time) in the director’s chair and Lau back on fight choreography duties, in arguably the ultimate filmed tribute to Shaws’ everlasting cinematic legacy.Limited Edition Blu-ray Collection ContentsHigh Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all fourteen films, including nine new 2K restorations by Arrow FilmsIllustrated 60-page collectors’ book featuring new writing by David Desser, Jonathan Clements, Lovely Jon and David West, plus cast and crew listings and notes on each film by Simon AbramsNew artwork by Mike Lee-Graham, Chris Malbon, Kagan McLeod, Colin Murdoch, “Kung Fu” Bob O’Brien, Lucas Peverill, Ilan Sheady, Tony Stella, Darren Wheeling and Jolyon YatesHours of never-before-seen bonus features including several cast and crew interviews from the Frédéric Ambroisine Video ArchiveTwo CDs of music from the De Wolfe Music library as heard in several of the films, exclusive to this collectionDisc One – The 36th Chamber Of ShaolinBrand new 4K restoration by Celestial Pictures and L’Immagine RitrovataNewly restored uncompressed Mandarin, Cantonese and English original mono audioNewly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubBrand new feature commentary by critic Travis CrawfordBrand new select-scene commentary by film critic and historian Tony RaynsInterview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2003Interview with cinematographer Arthur Wong, filmed in 2006Shaolin: Birthplace of a Hero and Elegant Trails, two archive featurettes with Gordon Liu produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003Tiger Style: The Musical Impact of Martial Arts Cinema, a newly filmed overview of Shaw Brothers’ influence on hip hop and other music genres, featuring music historian Lovely JonCinema Hong Kon Swordfighting, the second instalment in a three-part documentary produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 and featuring interviews with Gordon Liu, Lau Kar-leung, Cheng Pei-pei, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Kara Hui, David Chiang and othersAlternate opening credits from the American version titled Master KillerHong Kong and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV spotImage galleryDisc Two – Return To The 36th Chamber / Disciples Of The 36th ChamberUncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio for both filmsNewly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubsInterview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2003Citizen Shaw, a French TV documentary from 1980 directed by Maurice Frydland, in which Sir Run Run Shaw gives an all-access tour of the Shaw Brothers backlot (including behind-the-scenes footage from Return to the 36th Chamber), remastered in high definitionHero on the Scaffolding, an archive featurette produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003Alternate ope