DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN (1975)
Label: 88 Films
Region Code: Unrated
Rating: A,B
Duration: 107 Minutes
Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HD MA, Mandarin 2.0 DTS-HD MA with newly translated English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Cheh Ching
Cast: Alexander Fu Sheng, Kuan-Chun Chi, Ming Li Chen, Ching-Ping Wang, Ti Lu, Tao Chiang, Hark-On Fung, Chiang Han, Shou-Yi Fan, Li Hsu, Stephan Yip, Hui-Huang Lin, Jamie Luk
Here we have more kung fu awesome from the Shaw Brothers Studio via 88 Films, who have been killing it with there U.S. expansion so far, this one coming from the legendary godfather of Hong Kong cinema, Cheh Chang (The Wandering Swordsman). This being the tale of the Shaolin disciple Kuan Fung Yi (Sheng Fu, Shaolin Martial Arts) who takes a job at a textile factory and gets involved in a turf war with the rival Manchu clan who run a competing textile mill.
In it Sheng Fu plays a guy from the country who arrives in the big city looking for a job at the factory where his brother works. After being hired on he makes a name for himself as a fighter for the textile factory in an ongoing turf war with a rival factory, but whose moral compass is corrupted along the way leading to his downfall. He's a charismatic guy with the style and looks of Bruce Lee, and with fun character touches like his penchant for sneakily leaving a dirty footprint on people's asses. His brother Chen Pau-yung (Chi Kuan-Chun, Revenge of the Shaolin Kid) is a pacifist who has put aside fighting, however, he can only stand by so long before he must step in at a certain point, and it's fantastic stuff.
For my tastes this one takes a bit to get underway, bogged down in character set-up and textile melodrama but once it gets a proper head of steam it does deliver some impressive martial arts set pieces and intriguing political commentary if you're looking for subtext in your kung fu fury, which I for the most part am not. That said the battle scenes are kinetic and stylish, including a pair of scenes that were filmed in sepia-toned black and white to tone down the violence and bloodshed, which was cribbed by Quentin Tarantino in his Kill Bill Part 1.
Audio/Video: Disciples of Shaolin (1974) arrives on region A/B friendly Blu-ray in 1080p HD widescreen (2.35:1) from 88 Films sourced from a new scan of the OCN. Its a handsome looking image that is near flawless looking with a fine layer of film grain throughout, robust colors, and adequate black levels. Audio comes by way of uncompressed DTS-HA MA Mono original Mandarin or dubbed English. Both options are solid. There's some age related hiss in spots but overall a fine pair of audio options with optional newly translated English subtitles.
Onto the all-important extras, we have a pair of audio commentaries, first up an Audio Commentary by Critic and Author Samm Deighan, followed by an Audio Commentary by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. These are terrific commentaries that get into the history of the studio, the career of the director, the too-short career of the star and various home video versions and alternate titles for the film. We also have an archival 25-min Interview with Shaw Bros Actor and Acclaimed Director Jamie Luk that gets into how he came to work for Shaw Bros., working on Hong Kong during that era, and anecdotes about the making of Disciples of Shaolin. The disc extras are buttoned-up with a 3-min Theatrical Trailer with burned in English and Cantonese subtitles.
The single-disc release arrives in an oversized clear Scanavo keepcase with a reversible sleeve of artwork featuring the original poster and a new kick-ass illustration from "Kung Fu Bob" O'Brien, and a limited edition first-pressing slipcover with the new artwork. Inside there's a limited edition reversible fold-out poster and a whopper of a 40-page illustrated collectors booklet containing essay several essays, first up is Disciples of Shaolin and The Visceral Martial Arts Cinema of Cheh Chang written by Mathew Edwards, then onto International Bright Young Thing A Look Back on the Shaw Brothers Classic The Disciples of Shaolin AKA Hong Quan Xiao Zi (1975) and its Gifted, Charismatic Star Alexander Fu Sheng by Andrew Graves, a third essay Finding Fu Sheng written by Karl Newton, an then a print Interview with actor Jamie Luk.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by Critic and Author Samm Deighan
- Audio Commentary by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
- Interview with Shaw Bros Actor and Acclaimed Director Jamie Luk (25 min)
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min)
- Limited Edition Slipcase
- Limited Edition 40-Page Booklet
- Limited Edition Reversible Fold-Out Poster
Disciples of Shaolin (1975) gets a terrific assortment of disc and packaging extras and a stellar A/V presentation - we are truly living in a Golden age for cult cinema fans, and kung fu cinema fans in particular, right now at this very moment. Kudos to 88 Films for the top-notch release and continued archiving of awesome cult-cinema.