At the dawn of the 1970s, a new kind of hard-hitting action film swept the Asian film industry: the kung fu movie, often known to Western audiences as 'bashers' for their emphasis on hand-to-hand combat. Shaw Brothers was one of the greatest producers of these eye-popping action spectaculars, revolutionizing the genre through the back-breaking work of top-shelf talent on both sides of the camera as well as unbeatable widescreen production value, much of it shot at 'Movietown', their huge, privately-owned studio on the outskirts of Hong Kong. This triple bill of redemption and revenge kicks off in 1972 with Korean director Chung Chang-wha's King Boxer, the film that established kung fu cinema as an international box office powerhouse when it hit Stateside cinemas under the title Five Fingers of Death. From there we see Chang Cheh, arguably Shaw's most prolific director, helm the blood-soaked brutality of The Boxer from Shantung and Chinatown Kid, the latter set on the streets of San Francisco.
- Region Code:
- Region B
- Duration:
- 351 minutes
- Original Language:
- Mandarin/Cantonese
- Extras:
- Language(s): Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Hard of Hearing Subtitles: English, Subtitles: English, Interactive Menu, Screen ratio 1:2.35, Mono, Bonus Footage, Commentary: 'King Boxer': David Desser (editor); 'Chinatown Kid' international version: Terrence J. Brady (author); Select scene commentary by Susan Shaw, Documentaries: 'Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu' (2003); 'Elegant Trails: Fu Sheng' (2005), Image Gallery, Interviews: Chung Chang-wha (director); Wang Ping (actor); Cho Young-jung (Korean cinema expert/author); Chen Kuan-tai (actor); John Woo (assistant director); David Chiang (actor); Conversation between Chen Kuan-tai and Ku Feng, 'King Boxer': Appreciation by Tony Rayns (critic/historian); Alternate opening credits; 'Chinatown Kid': 115 minute international version and 90 minute alternate version included, Trailers
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