{"id":30261,"date":"2024-12-07T23:54:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T07:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=30261"},"modified":"2024-12-07T23:54:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-08T07:54:09","slug":"blasts-from-the-past-blu-ray-review-shawscope-volume-three-box-set","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=30261","title":{"rendered":"Blasts from the Past! Blu-ray Review: SHAWSCOPE VOLUME THREE Box Set"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This box set from Arrow Video is now available for\npurchase.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sorry for the delay with this review release folks, but when Arrow Video put together a box set like this, it isn\u2019t just thorough, it\u2019s exhaustively so. And I mean that in the best possible way. The Shaw Brothers were legendary producers out of Hong Kong who are responsible for some of the greatest martial arts and genre titles ever made. Shawscope Volume Three<\/em> is the latest Blu-ray set from Arrow Video chronicling a selection of 14 titles made by the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many studios or production companies, a third edition\nwould be full of lower-tier efforts, but that is not the case with this set.\nThere are some classics here, as well as some very entertaining (if lesser\nknown) pictures. As with all titles from the distributor, much care has been\ntaken to present the movies with the best possible quality and once again, that\nis the case here. All were restored in 4K resolution with some additional\ngrading to make them look as good as humanly possible. There\u2019s a little bit of\nnatural grain present, but these films look better than ever. So, let\u2019s get\nright into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The One-Armed Swordsman<\/em> (1967) is a classic about a\npoor man, Fang Gang (Jimmy Wang Yu), who has been trained in martial arts by a\ngreat master named Qi Ru Feng (Tien Feng). The other students don\u2019t like Fang\nGang because of his humble beginnings and Feng\u2019s daughter (Angela Pan) actually\nends up cutting off his arm when he shows no romantic interest in her. The\nprotagonist is rescued by a peasant girl (Lisa Chiao Chiao), who ultimately\ninspires him to use a one-armed fighting technique. When old enemies arrive and\nthreaten the lives of Qi Ru Feng and his disciples, Fan Cheng reappears to save\nthe day and prove he is an honorable man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Naturally, this is one of the first of a new style of\nmartial arts picture, featuring more blood than earlier titles from the era.\nThe movie is beautifully shot (Including some incredible photography early on\nin the snow when the lead first loses his appendage) and is incredibly stylish\nwith a memorable climactic battle. It\u2019s easy to see how this adaptation became\na hit and inspired many more titles like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blu-ray itself is also excellent. The appearance is\nwonderful and will delight any viewer.  There are plenty of insightful\nextras as well, including a film historian commentary with background\ninformation on the director, producers and cast. A nearly 40-minute special is\npresent that also goes into the work of the Shaw Brothers and how this\nproduction came into existence. Additionally, a 2001 interview with star Jimmy\nWang Yu is included. It\u2019s fun, as he talks about being right-handed and having\nto train and learn to do everything with his left hand. There is also a video\nessay on Yu\u2019s work in the movie, as well as discussions with other cast members\nfrom about 20 years ago. They are all informative and the disc also includes\ntrailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Return of the One-Armed Swordsman<\/em> (1969) picks up the\nstory with Fang Gang (Jimmy Wang Yu) and his wife (Lisa Chiao Chiao) now\nworking a farm in the county and living a quiet life. That is, until evil\nforces led by an unknown figure (Tien Feng, playing an entirely different\ncharacter in this follow-up) makes him compete in a rigged contest in which the\nparticipants seek to end Fang Gang\u2019s life. The hero teams with some locals and\nfights back, although all the baddies have various and incredibly varied and elaborate\nweapons at their disposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The fights are far more elaborate in this picture and the\nvillain\u2019s wild and crazy techniques make the picture a lot of fun. In fact,\nsome enthusiasts believe this follow-up is better than the original and it\u2019s\neasy to see why. The set up of all the characters does take longer, but the\nclimactic confrontations are pretty dazzling to witness. Their battles are\ngraphic as many innocent friends of the hero end up being sliced to bits as\nthey help the hero fight back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The image quality is also great and the action even better\nthis time out. It\u2019s probably as good as a sequel can possibly be. This title\ncomes with trailers and a film historian commentary that goes into tidbits\nabout this sequel. The speaker also notes that having an actor from the\noriginal return as a completely different major character in the follow-up\nwasn\u2019t shocking or unheard of to audiences during this era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The New One-Armed Swordsman<\/em> (1971) aka Triple\nIrons<\/em> tells a story about a different one-armed fighter Lei Li (David\nChiang). We see how he came to lose his appendage after a bet made while\nsquaring off against his master. After learning special adaptive skills, he\nsets out to help a woman in trouble, severing all other people\u2019s body parts in\nthe process. This follow-up and attempt to start a new line of features didn\u2019t\ncatch on in its homeland, but it does include some entertaining action. The\ntitle also arrives with a fun film historian commentary noting the differences\nbetween this effort and its predecessors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Lady Hermit<\/em> (1971) is an unexpectedly enjoyable\neffort about the title character (Cheng Pei-Pei) a female fighter with\nincredible martial arts skills, and her prot\u00e9g\u00e9 Jin Cuiping (Shih Szu).\nTogether they take on the sinister Black Demon (Wang Hsieh) and his evil army.\nThis one takes a bit of time to get going, but features some outrageous fight\nscenes in its second half, including a battle on a rickety bridge that is very\nreminiscent of the climax to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom<\/em>. The\nfinale, which features one of the leads climbing to the top of a tall temple as\nshe throws foes stories down to the ground, is extremely entertaining to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This one is a lot of fun. It also comes with a trailer and\nfilm historian commentary, who compliments the photography and how good this\npicture looks because of this new remaster. The individual also points out an\nearly appearance from Sammo Hung as a henchman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a slightly different note, Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan<\/em> (1972) offers more dramatic tendencies. Pictured below, the lead is Ainu (Lili Ho Li-Li), a young woman who is mistreated and ends up working as a prostitute. Viewers see her end up in the middle of some intrigue and a mysterious death. There actually is a bit of action at the end, but the film is primarily a melodrama. It is a strikingly shot one though, with plenty of bright pink backdrops and other beautiful images presented, allowing the feature to stand out and make an impression among the others in the set. The subtext also addresses the horrible treatment of women in a manner that was more forward-thinking than other pictures of this era. A commentary track goes into these details and more analysis of the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 14 Amazons<\/em> (1972) is a historical epic that gets\noff to an unintentionally amusing start when the title credit appears\nannouncing the film as 12 Amazons<\/em>. There are actually 14 in the film\nthough, in this case a group of women who join the Yang family in their fight\nto defend the country (despite government officials doing their best to stop\nthe attack). This one is an all-star epic with larger-scale action scenes,\nincluding an impressive finale in which the villains are finished off by the\nlady warriors. But as the film historian commentary notes, the presentation of\nthe material is dated. It isn\u2019t historically accurate, some of the ideas don\u2019t\nplay nearly as well in the modern era as they did back then. Additionally, the\nplot and sheer number of characters make it hard to follow for western\naudiences. At least the commentary does clarify plot points and give insight\ninto what\u2019s occurring. The image quality on this title is also particularly\nstrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Next up is The Magic Blade<\/em> (1976), an interesting\neffort with a great storyline. Two sworn enemies Fu Hongxue (Ti Lung) and Yan\nNanfei (Lo Lieh) agree to a duel to settle who is the best sword fighter. But\nbefore they can finish, attempts are made on their lives. They agree to team up\nand find the responsible party before returning to finishing their challenge.\nThe conceit allows for some interesting interactions between the main\ncharacters and there is plenty of mood and atmosphere. The fights are well\nhandled and the reveal at the finale is, as intended, enjoyable. This isn\u2019t the\ngreatest title in the set, but does have a good set-up and some excellent\nmoments. A trailer and film historian commentary features an authority arguing\nthat the title is one of the most underrated of the mid-70s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clans of Intrigue<\/em> (1977) is the closest thing you\u2019ll\nget to a mystery plot in this set. The lead (Ti Lung) is set up for a murder he\ndidn\u2019t commit and must find the guilty party himself before he is taken away.\nThe story is overly complicated as secret motives of several parties are slowly\nrevealed and the experience is a bit dry overall, but there is some nice\nphotography and a couple of memorable moments. This title also comes with a\nfilm historian commentary track and trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jade Tiger<\/em> (1977) follows Zhao Wuji (Ti Lung), a man\nwho is about to be married. When he discovers his dad\u2019s corpse on the night of\nhis nuptials, he seeks revenge on the enemies he believes are responsible.\nThings get complicated when he goes undercover and befriends an individual whom\nhe promised not to interact with. This title incorporates supernatural\nelements, including a group of unique fighters hidden among society who prefer\npeace over violence. When they become involved in the proceedings, it leads to\na few extra moments of consideration for the ramifications of revenge and the\nendless cycle of violence in the martial arts world. This one is overly\nearnest, but the intent is positive, along with some fantastic added elements\nthat make an impression (the hero receives advice on an antidote for poisoning\nby a man laid out in a coffin). This feature includes a film historian\ncommentary and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most visually impressive movies in this set is The\nSentimental Swordsman<\/em> (1977) about the title character (Ti Lung), a figure\nwith a troubled past. He journeys home after ten years to help locals deal with\na \u201cPlum Blossom Bandit,\u201d but the trip also opens up some old wounds. He meets\nanother swordsman along the way named Ah Fei (Derek Yee) and the two get caught\nup in various plots within the village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As mentioned, this one really stands out because of its\natmosphere and incredible imagery. This is a rare Shaw Brothers picture of the\nperiod to use real location shooting, specifically in snow-covered mountains.\nAdmittedly, the action scenes are filmed largely on sets but the exteriors add\nan epic feel to the proceedings. Even the interior locales are above average,\nwith nighttime scenes on a property featuring the characters surrounded by\ngorgeous plum blossom petals. The story is different enough to keep one engaged\nand it\u2019s a stunner to look at. There is a film historian commentary for the\nfeatures delivering background info, as well as numerous international trailers\nfor the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The star of the previous, well, actually the majority of\npictures on this set, returns in The Avenging Eagle<\/em> (1978), this time as\nBlack Eagle (Ti Lung). The main character is orphaned and raised to be a member\nof a vicious gang, but that begins to change after several encounters with a\nloner named Zhuo Yifan (Alexander Fu Sheng). While they are initially at odds,\nflashbacks eventually reveal their complicated history and how they might be\ntied together. While I had never heard of it, this title is considered another\nShaw Brothers classic and it\u2019s for good reason. The onscreen relationship\nbetween the two leads is very good, a few comedic moments and the spectacular,\nbrilliantly-paced fight sequences are wonderful to witness. In fact, the whole\npicture gets more and more exciting as the story progresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This title includes trailers for the movie, alternate\nEnglish titles, and an informative movie expert commentary. The cinema\nauthority notes that part of the reason this film works so well is that each\nfight scene was handled differently, with each bit also getting more and more\nelaborate as it builds to a climax. He also notes that the super-fast fight\nscenes were shot at 24 frames-per-second (instead of the typical undercranked\n22 fps) making it all the more remarkable. This film is a real blast and may be\nmy personal favorite in this box. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Killer Constable<\/em> (1980) marks a collaboration between\nthe Shaw Brothers and a South Korean production company. This period title\nfeatures Leng Tian-Ying (Chen Kuan-tai) as an officer who is essentially \u201cDirty\nHarry,\u201d only carrying a large silver sword instead of a 44 Magnum to enforce\nhis extreme brand of justice. This tale is as hard-boiled as it gets and bloody\nas well, which thankfully makes it difficult to take very seriously. The sword\nfights are well-shot and the nighttime scenes using firelight and red gels does\nlook impressive. There\u2019s also a nicely shot confrontation in the rain. The\nmovie isn\u2019t perfect, but is entertaining and earns a few smiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This one features a lot of extras. There is 34-minutes of\ncompletely different footage from the South Korean version that changes\ncharacter motivations and story elements. It is sourced from VHS so it doesn\u2019t\nlook great, but is intriguing to see. The title also arrives with three film\nhistorian commentaries that talk about the movie and popular 70s movies that\nmay have partly inspired the feature. You\u2019ll also get alternate English credits\nand multiple trailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you enjoy supernatural thrills, Buddha\u2019s Palm<\/em> (1982) features plenty of hijinx as Lung Kin-Fei (Derek Yee Tung-Sing), is sent off of a cliff and is taken in by master Koo Hon-Wan (Alex Man Chi-Leung), who specializes in a unique fighting technique. Specifically, giving a person\u2019s fist incredible power. The hero learns about the skill, but soon enemies and supernatural figures others arrive also wanting this gift. You\u2019ll see undead fighters, monsters and even a dragon. The movie (pictured below) doesn\u2019t really make much sense to Western eyes, but it is enjoyably loopy. This one comes with a film historian commentary, alternate English credits and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Finally, Bastard Swordsman<\/em> (1983) is an interesting\neffort that benefits from a likable lead. Yun Feiyang (Norman Tsui Siu-Keung)\nis the shunned title character who is made fun of by all in his dojo because of\nhis unknown heritage. So much so, other students literally use him for target\npractice during training sessions. When the group\u2019s master is murdered, the\nhero is blamed and so he goes on the run. He is eventually taken in and trained\nto be able to fight for himself. This film takes a little while to get going,\nbut is an underdog story and it\u2019s hard not to root for the bullied lead. There\nis a lot of impressive wire work here as the characters hop around and do\nbattle in an exaggerated manner. This effort includes a cinema expert\ncommentary and a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, want more? Well, the set\u2019s bonus disc includes the South Korean version of Killer Constable<\/em>. It cuts between the widescreen Hong Kong edition and full-frame VHS footage of the different footage for South Korean audiences. The combo is bizarre and the original version is superior, but you do end up seeing different material and a far more upbeat ending. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There is extra analysis on the Intimate Confessions<\/em>\u2026 title, as well as additional interviews recorded between 2002 and 2004 with cast and crew of various movies. My personal favorite is a retrospective on the career of Ti Lung. Another fun one is a discussion with Kur Feng, the villain of The Avenging Eagle<\/em>. He notes that while having the right skill set for action movies, he simply didn\u2019t have the look of a typical Hong Kong hero. Instead, he focused on playing villains in pictures and had a great time losing himself in those dynamic characters.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another nice addition is a CD that features score cuts from\nseveral of the titles presented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a wonderful set that will please anyone with a taste\nfor Honk Kong action cinema. The image quality is clearly upgraded. There are a\nfew exceptional titles and many very good ones to enjoy. Most will find a new\nfavorite action movie in this Blu-ray set. Shaw Brothers Volume Three<\/em> is\nanother gem from Arrow Video.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This box set from Arrow Video is now available for purchase. Sorry for the delay with this review release folks, but when Arrow Video put together a box set like this, it isn\u2019t just thorough, it\u2019s exhaustively so. And I mean that in the best possible way. The Shaw Brothers were legendary producers out of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":30263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[697,1836,2342,3067,3365,3641,4256,4466,9288,9883,10164,10717,11707,13303,16923,18194,18203,19817,19947,21230,21473,21770,22165,22849],"class_list":["post-30261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvdblu-ray-reviews","tag-action","tag-arrow-video","tag-bastard-swordsman","tag-blu-ray","tag-box-set","tag-buddhas-palm","tag-china","tag-clans-of-intrigue","tag-hong-kong","tag-intimate-confessions-of-a-chinese-courtesan","tag-jade-tiger-the-new-one-armed-swordsman","tag-jimmy-wang-yu","tag-killer-constable","tag-martial-arts","tag-return-of-the-one-armed-swordsman","tag-shaw-brothers","tag-shawscope-volume-three","tag-the-14-amazons","tag-the-avenging-eagle","tag-the-lady-hermit","tag-the-magic-blade","tag-the-one-armed-swordsman","tag-the-sentimental-swordsman","tag-ti-lung"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30261\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}