Shawscope Volumes

[colinr0380]

This is great news! I would also like to see some love given to their fantasy/horror output: Demon of the Lute, Seeding of a Ghost, Bewitched, Hex, Super Inframan.

I agree, though it is worth noting that 88 Films have already released Seeding of a Ghost, Bewitched and Hex a few years back on Blu-ray in the UK in their "88 Asia" line (and I seem to remember them announcing Super Inframan, but that never seemed to come out). That doesn't preclude them appearing in these Arrow sets however as a number of "88 Asia" titles have appeared again with additional/different extras (Mighty Peking Man for example, which turns up in Volume 1, or One-Armed Swordsman and Killer Constable from Volume 3: I'm keeping my 88 Asia discs of both those titles for the Bey Logan commentaries!), so they could certainly be a possibility.

I'm still waiting for someone, anyone, to release BRUCE LEE AND I!

Severin did optimistically title their Brucesploitation Collection set with "Vol. 1", so unless it turns into another MoC Naruse situation, maybe it could turn up there!

[Orlac]

Severin did optimistically title their Brucesploitation Collection set with "Vol. 1", so unless it turns into another MoC Naruse situation, maybe it could turn up there!

I think I asked them sometime ago and they said they didn't have the rights.

Celestial also released, in Hong Kong only, NEW GAME OF DEATH on DVD in 2007, which is the Taiwanese Bruce Li movie known here as GOODBYE BRUCE LEE: HIS LAST GAME OF DEATH. I'm not sure how Shaws ended up with it!

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

A Taiwanese newspaper reported in 1975 that Shaw Brothers had bought the Southeast Asian rights. I think a plausible scenario is that they mainly acquired it for a Southeast Asian release but actually bought all of the Asian rights. The Republic of China Film Yearbook for 1985 says it was released in Japan in 1977 and lists the original studio as Shaw Brothers, and the Taiwanese film database run by the Ministry of Culture also has a slim entry that names the local Shaw branch as the Taiwanese distributor. Shaw acquiring the Asian rights would explain why Celestial is the licensor for the Hong Kong and Japanese DVDs but Severin was able to release it in the U.S. without going through them, with the downside of being stuck with lower-quality elements.

[midnitedave]

I agree, though it is worth noting that 88 Films have already released Seeding of a Ghost, Bewitched and Hex a few years back on Blu-ray in the UK in their "88 Asia" line (and I seem to remember them announcing Super Inframan, but that never seemed to come out). That doesn't preclude them appearing in these Arrow sets however as a number of "88 Asia" titles have appeared again with additional/different extras (Mighty Peking Man for example, which turns up in Volume 1, or One-Armed Swordsman and Killer Constable from Volume 3: I'm keeping my 88 Asia discs of both those titles for the Bey Logan commentaries!), so they could certainly be a possibility.

88 Films did end up releasing Super Inframan (I own it!). It just appears that all those former 88 Films titles are now OOP which makes me wonder if Arrow now has those rights and will release a volume dedicated to horror/fantasy. Each Shawscope collection is a mix of older masters and new restorations, so it would be interesting to see where they go with their curation.

[colinr0380]

Ah, that explains why they are appearing again in these Arrow sets if they were only briefly available through the 88 Films line! Thanks midnitedave!

[Orlac]

A Taiwanese newspaper reported in 1975 that Shaw Brothers had bought the Southeast Asian rights. I think a plausible scenario is that they mainly acquired it for a Southeast Asian release but actually bought all of the Asian rights. The Republic of China Film Yearbook for 1985 says it was released in Japan in 1977 and lists the original studio as Shaw Brothers, and the Taiwanese film database run by the Ministry of Culture also has a slim entry that names the local Shaw branch as the Taiwanese distributor. Shaw acquiring the Asian rights would explain why Celestial is the licensor for the Hong Kong and Japanese DVDs but Severin was able to release it in the U.S. without going through them, with the downside of being stuck with lower-quality elements.

thank you very much!

It's a funny old movie. The version Severin released was the US version which begins with an interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but removes the scene where "Bruce" fights a very scrawny Muhammad Ali clone!

[JamesF]

Each Shawscope collection is a mix of older masters and new restorations, so it would be interesting to see where they go with their curation.

No comments on what to expect from Vol 4 (except that at least one of you will be happy), but just to correct one point - except for the first One-Armed Swordsman (which even then, is a more recent restoration by Celestial Pictures and L'Immagine Ritrovata than the one on the 88 Films Blu-ray), every single film on Volumes 3 and 4 is newly restored by Arrow, and we intend to continue that trend on any future volumes should they transpire.

[Orlac]

Each Shawscope collection is a mix of older masters and new restorations, so it would be interesting to see where they go with their curation.

No comments on what to expect from Vol 4 (except that at least one of you will be happy), but just to correct one point - except for the first One-Armed Swordsman (which even then, is a more recent restoration by Celestial Pictures and L'Immagine Ritrovata than the one on the 88 Films Blu-ray), every single film on Volumes 3 and 4 is newly restored by Arrow, and we intend to continue that trend on any future volumes should they transpire.

Woo hoo!

[midnitedave]

Ah, that explains why they are appearing again in these Arrow sets if they were only briefly available through the 88 Films line! Thanks midnitedave!

Anytime!

No comments on what to expect from Vol 4 (except that at least one of you will be happy), but just to correct one point - except for the first One-Armed Swordsman (which even then, is a more recent restoration by Celestial Pictures and L'Immagine Ritrovata than the one on the 88 Films Blu-ray), every single film on Volumes 3 and 4 is newly restored by Arrow, and we intend to continue that trend on any future volumes should they transpire.

Oh heck yeah! ...and I stand corrected. My mind mostly went to Volumes 1 and 2 but happy to see these films getting the extra love they deserve.

[yoloswegmaster]

This is great news! I would also like to see some love given to their fantasy/horror output: Demon of the Lute, Seeding of a Ghost, Bewitched, Hex, Super Inframan.

Apparently Frank Djeng posted this comment in the same thread where he confirmed the number of titles in Vol. 4:

I can’t reveal what theme volume 4 will be , I don’t want to be HEXED

Sounds like we can expect Vol. 4 to be more focused on horror. While a couple of those titles listed were released by 88 Films, they all look to be OOP, so I wouldn't be shocked if they did make an appearance in Vo;. 4. I could also see The Oily Maniac being added.

[Orlac]

CLANS OF INTRIGUE (1977)

What can I say, but that Nora Miao lesbian kiss scene is awesome! Funny between this and FIST OF FURY, she seems to be the only kung fu actress keen to do onscreen snogging!

CLANS is definetly top-tier Chor Yuen/Ku Lung, in that it's so twisted it's knotted. Lots of revelations along the lines of "I thought you were dead!"/"I was!" and saucy gender changes (which Shaws and Celestial ruined in their trailers), with an artificial but effective studio environment which creates a fantasy effect that is most sublime.

8/10

[yoloswegmaster]

Arrow have performed a new restoration of 'The Battle Wizard', which will very likely be a part of Volume 4.

[Mr Sausage]

I actually saw that restoration just tonight at Fantasia! The restoration looked terrific; the colours just popped. Nutty film, too. A bit rickety, but full of pleasing absurdities.

[yoloswegmaster]

Mr Sausage is from Qu*bec?

Would you say that 'The Battle Wizard' is similar to 'Buddha's Palm'?

[Mr Sausage]

Yeah, it’s definitely in the vein of Buddha’s Palm and Holy Flame of the Martial World.

I’m not from Quebec.

[Murdoch]

I just watched the Boxer's Omen in Volume Two and have a translation question for those knowledgeable about it. In the film, the protagonist and villain call each other "Thai Guy" and "Hong Kong Guy." Is that a direct translation of what they're saying or some type of really basic simplification? I got the sense they're calling each other some type of slur or insult that perhaps might not translate well but am just speculating based on their rivalry.

[yoloswegmaster]

Looks like Vol. 4 will be announced soon:

[yoloswegmaster]

[yoloswegmaster]

The list of titles included in the set:

The Super Inframan
Oily Maniac
The Battle Wizard
Black Magic
Black Magic 2
Hex
Hex Vs Withcraft
Hex After Hex
Bat Without Wings
Bewitched
Bloody Parot
The Fake Ghost Catchers
Demon of The Lute
Seeding Of A Ghost
Portrait in Crystal
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

[Mr Sausage]

Pivoting away from the kung fu somewhat towards more horror and fantasy.

[Matt]

The list of titles included in the set:

The Super Inframan (Hua Shan, 1975)
Oily Maniac (Ho Meng-Hua, 1976)
The Battle Wizard (Pao Hsueh-Li, 1977)
Black Magic (Ho Meng-Hua, 1975)
Black Magic 2 (Ho Meng-Hua, 1976)
Hex (Kuei Chih-Hung, 1980)
Hex vs Withcraft (Kuei Chih-Hung, 1980)
Hex After Hex (Kuei Chih-Hung, 1982)
Bat Without Wings (Chor Yuen, 1980)
Bewitched (Kuei Chih-Hung, 1981)
Bloody Parrot (Hua Shan, 1981)
The Fake Ghost Catchers (Lau Kar-Wing, 1982)
Demon of the Lute (Tang Tak-Cheung, 1983)
Seeding of a Ghost (Yeung Kuen, 1983)
Portrait in Crystal (Hua Shan, 1983)
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Cheung Kwok-Ming, 1983)

[feihong]

Hm. This is going to be a hard one to justify purchasing, for myself at any rate––except that the quality of these sets has been so awesome so far. I generally love the Hua Shan films, especially Bloody Parrot, and Demon of the Lute is one of my favorite Shaw Bros movies, and I think both Black Magic and Oily Maniac are some of the best films Ho Meng-Hua ever makes––but I also don't rate Ho Meng-Hua that highly to begin with. Those are fun films, but not especially urgent-seeming releases. I would rather have had this split up with more of the contemporary-set crime or social-issue movies, like The Men from the Gutter, Police Force, Young People, The Teahouse, Brothers from the Walled City, Big Bad Sis, or Killers on Wheels––or mixing in some of the Huangmei Opera movies or something. I don't know if Arrow has any of these movies, of course, but while I realize there are lots of Shaw Bros supernatural movies, I can't help but think it's a genre where their movies are a little less exceptional, or less relevant-seeming, or something. Can't quite put my finger on it. There's a lot more emphasis on what effects can be achieved, less interest in what the actors can do or what it all might mean. Bewitched is very dull and moralizing, Bat Without Wings is one of Chor Yuen's most repetitive and redundant pictures (which, by the time you get to things like Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman and Pursuit of Vengeance, is saying something), and I have yet to stay awake for any of the Hex pictures. People talk up Seeding of a Ghost, but I haven't yet mustered the interest to see it. I've never heard anyone praise Battle Wizard too much. I'm vaguely intrigued by The Fake Ghost Catchers and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but I'm hard-pressed to pick out many winners from this group of films. Demon of the Lute is probably the most memorable of the ones I've seen. And I like Bloody Parrot and Portrait in Crystal, because I like cornball psychedelia in old movies. If anything, a lot of these movies make Shaws seem a less impressive film company, probably because they come from an era in which the Shaws are flailing and failing to capture the zeitgeist. A lot of these pictures lean on special effects as a way of distinguishing the company in the local market, but the imitation of Hollywood doesn't flatter the films with interest or staying power. Whereas the contemporary-set issue movies from the same era seem to have their finger more on the pulse, and they tend to dovetail more with what's coming out of the Hong Kong new wave in the same era, effectively invoking the exciting urban environment of late 70s/early 80s Hong Kong. They're more interesting films for that reason, as well. I'm really tempted to pass on this new set.

[yoloswegmaster]

I second the motion of the next volume (if there is a next volume) being dedicated to the contemporary films. It would be great if The House of 72 Tenants could be added, as it is a social film that had a big impact on the HK film industry. Not only was it the highest selling film of 1972 (and outselling Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon), it was also considered to be one of the first major HK films to be recorded in Cantonese. It would also be cool to see Hong Kong Godfather be added as well.

[TechnicolorAcid]

Hm. This is going to be a hard one to justify purchasing, for myself at any rate––except that the quality of these sets has been so awesome so far. I generally love the Hua Shan films, especially Bloody Parrot, and Demon of the Lute is one of my favorite Shaw Bros movies, and I think both Black Magic and Oily Maniac are some of the best films Ho Meng-Hua ever makes––but I also don't rate Ho Meng-Hua that highly to begin with. Those are fun films, but not especially urgent-seeming releases. I would rather have had this split up with more of the contemporary-set crime or social-issue movies, like The Men from the Gutter, Police Force, Young People, The Teahouse, Brothers from the Walled City, Big Bad Sis, or Killers on Wheels––or mixing in some of the Huangmei Opera movies or something. I don't know if Arrow has any of these movies, of course, but while I realize there are lots of Shaw Bros supernatural movies, I can't help but think it's a genre where their movies are a little less exceptional, or less relevant-seeming, or something. Can't quite put my finger on it. There's a lot more emphasis on what effects can be achieved, less interest in what the actors can do or what it all might mean. Bewitched is very dull and moralizing, Bat Without Wings is one of Chor Yuen's most repetitive and redundant pictures (which, by the time you get to things like Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman and Pursuit of Vengeance, is saying something), and I have yet to stay awake for any of the Hex pictures. People talk up Seeding of a Ghost, but I have yet to muster the interest to see it. I've never heard anyone praise Battle Wizard too much. I'm vaguely intrigued by The Fake Ghost Catchers and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, but I'm hard-pressed to pick out many winners from this group of films. Demon of the Lute is probably the most memorable of the ones I've seen. And I like Bloody Parrot and Portrait in Crystal, because I like cornball psychedelia in old movies. If anything, a lot of these movies make Shaws seem a less impressive film company, probably because they come from an era in which the Shaws are flailing and failing to capture the zeitgeist. A lot of these pictures lean on special effects as a way of distinguishing the company in the local market, but the imitation of Hollywood doesn't flatter the films with interest or staying power. Whereas the contemporary-set issue movies from the same era seem to have their finger more on the pulse, and they tend to dovetail more with what's coming out of the Hong Kong new wave in the same era, effectively invoking the exciting urban environment of late 70s/early 80s Hong Kong. They're more interesting films for that reason, as well. I'm really tempted to pass on this new set.

Do you have any thoughts on Infra-Man? It’s probably the title I’m most interested in but I want to know if lives up to the hype or not before I check it out.

[brundlefly]

Had been curious about Imprint's Shaw Horror boxes, and this unfortunately covers only two of the three in the first of those, and none from the second.