The Arrow Films Blu-ray Thread

[TheJamGod]

Does anybody who has the volume 1 box set know if the audio cds have on them the song from the love montage in Mighty Peking Man? The one that goes "Could it be I'm in love"?

I've been trying to find it for ages but don't especially want to gamble >£100 when I've seen all those films already, as much as I like them 🤣

Edited August 10, 2022 by TheJamGod

[bickle14]

Since the Amazon link is dead now... here are the details...

 

 

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 CONTENTS • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all fourteen films, including nine new 2K restorations by Arrow Films • Illustrated 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 Abrams • New 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 Yates • Hours of never-before-seen bonus features including several cast and crew interviews from the Frédéric Ambroisine Video Archive • Two CDs of music from the De Wolfe Music library as heard in several of the films, exclusive to this collection DISC ONE – THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN • Brand new 4K restoration by Celestial Pictures and L’Immagine Ritrovata • Newly restored uncompressed Mandarin, Cantonese and English original mono audio • Newly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub • Brand new feature commentary by critic Travis Crawford • Brand new select-scene commentary by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Interview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2003 • Interview with cinematographer Arthur Wong, filmed in 2006 • Shaolin: Birthplace of a Hero and Elegant Trails, two archive featurettes with Gordon Liu produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 • Tiger 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 Jon • Cinema Hong Kong: 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 others • Alternate opening credits from the American version titled Master Killer • Hong Kong and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot • Image gallery DISC TWO – RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER / DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER • Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Interview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2003 • Citizen 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 definition • Hero on the Scaffolding, an archive featurette produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 • Alternate opening credits sequences for both films • Hong Kong theatrical trailers for both films • Image galleries for both films DISC THREE – MAD MONKEY KUNG FU / FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS • Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films • Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono for both films • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Brand new commentary for Mad Monkey Kung Fu by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and Michael Worth • Newly filmed appreciation of Mad Monkey Kung Fu by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Interview with actor Hsiao Hou, filmed in 2004 • Shaw in the USA, a brand new featurette on how Shaw Brothers broke America featuring Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali, authors of These Fists Break Bricks • Hong Kong and US theatrical trailers for Mad Monkey Kung Fu • Hong Kong theatrical trailer and UK VHS promo for Five Superfighters • Image galleries for both films DISC FOUR – INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN / THE KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM • Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films • Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films, plus Cantonese mono for Invincible Shaolin • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Interview with action director Robert Tai, filmed in 2003 • Poison Clan Rocks The World, a brand new visual essay on the Venom Mob written and narrated by author Terrence J. Brady • Alternate "continuity" cut of The Kid With The Golden Arm, presented via seamless branching • Alternate and textless title sequences for The Kid with the Golden Arm • Hong Kong theatrical trailer for Invincible Shaolin • Hong Kong theatrical trailer (audio only) and US TV spot for The Kid with the Golden Arm • Image galleries for both films DISC FIVE – MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS / TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG • Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films • Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films, plus Cantonese mono for Ten Tigers of Kwangtung • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Brand new audio commentary on Ten Tigers of Kwangtung by filmmaker Brandon Bentley • Interview with star Chin Siu-ho, filmed in 2003 • Rivers and Lakes, a brand new video essay on Shaw Brothers’ depiction of Chinese myth and history, written and narrated by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China • Hong Kong (audio only) and German theatrical trailers for Magnificent Ruffians • Hong Kong trailers (Mandarin and Cantonese audio options) and US TV spot for Ten Tigers of Kwangtung • Image galleries for both films DISC SIX – MY YOUNG AUNTIE • Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio • Newly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub • Brand new select-scene commentary by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Interview with star Kara Hui, filmed in 2003 • Cinema Hong Kong: The Beauties of the Shaw Studios, the final instalment in the three-part documentary produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 • Alternate standard-definition VHS version • Hong Kong theatrical trailer • Image gallery DISC SEVEN – MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG / THE BOXER'S OMEN • Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films • Uncompressed Cantonese and Mandarin original mono audio for both films plus English mono for Mercenaries from Hong Kong • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub • Brand new commentary on The Boxer’s Omen by critic Travis Crawford • Newly filmed appreciation of filmmaker Kuei Chih-hung by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Additional footage from Mandarin VHS version of The Boxer's Omen • Interview with Mercenaries from Hong Kong action director Tong Kai, filmed in 2009 • Hong Kong theatrical trailers for both films • Image galleries for both films DISC EIGHT – MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN / THE BARE-FOOTED KID • Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films • Newly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Brand new commentary on Martial Arts of Shaolin by Jonathan Clements • Brand new commentary on The Bare-Footed Kid by Frank Djeng of the NY Asian Film Festival • Newly filmed appreciations of both films by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Interview with Martial Arts of Shaolin screenwriter Sze Yeung-ping, filmed in 2004 • Alternate standard-definition version of Martial Arts of Shaolin • Hong Kong and Japanese theatrical trailers for Martial Arts of Shaolin, plus trailers for the preceding Shaolin Temple films starring Jet Li • Hong Kong theatrical trailer and UK VHS promo for The Bare-Footed Kid • Image galleries for both films DISC NINE – MUSIC FROM THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS, INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN AND THE KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (CD) DISC TEN – MUSIC FROM RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER, MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS, TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG, MY YOUNG AUNTIE, MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG AND DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER (CD)

[AlexanderFu]

I wonder if the music disc for Mercenaries from Hong Kong will have the complete version of Teen Archer used in the beginning. They (whoever 'they' are) do it better than Blue Oyster Cult did!

Also, it sucks no Avenging Eagle, but 14 movies make up for the 2 duds on the last disc (imo).

5 Superfighters is awesome, but the best movies got no commentaries. I'd like to hear someone yap about 5S.F. and Mercenaries from Hong Kong.

[Super Ninja]

LKL and Five Superfighters, that's already enough for me, I'm hyped about the latter as I don't own it in any version.

Instant buy for me.

[massa_yoda]

4 hours ago, bickle14 said:

Alternate "continuity" cut of The Kid With The Golden Arm, presented via seamless branching

What does this mean exactly?  

[bickle14]

31 minutes ago, massa_yoda said:

What does this mean exactly?  

I'm guessing it has to do with this: 11 minutes of footage was removed for the international version. Some scenes were even re-ordered to make this cut.

[lilmanjs]

Nice to see a teaser video posted by Arrow. Friday can't come soon enough for official pre-orders.

Edited August 10, 2022 by lilmanjs

[Ronin]

 

[DiP]

5 hours ago, bickle14 said:

Since the Amazon link is dead now... here are the details...

 

 

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 CONTENTS • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all fourteen films, including nine new 2K restorations by Arrow Films • Illustrated 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 Abrams • New 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 Yates • Hours of never-before-seen bonus features including several cast and crew interviews from the Frédéric Ambroisine Video Archive • Two CDs of music from the De Wolfe Music library as heard in several of the films, exclusive to this collection DISC ONE – THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN • Brand new 4K restoration by Celestial Pictures and L’Immagine Ritrovata • Newly restored uncompressed Mandarin, Cantonese and English original mono audio • Newly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub • Brand new feature commentary by critic Travis Crawford • Brand new select-scene commentary by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Interview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2003 • Interview with cinematographer Arthur Wong, filmed in 2006 • Shaolin: Birthplace of a Hero and Elegant Trails, two archive featurettes with Gordon Liu produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 • Tiger 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 Jon • Cinema Hong Kong: 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 others • Alternate opening credits from the American version titled Master Killer • Hong Kong and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot • Image gallery DISC TWO – RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER / DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER • Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Interview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2003 • Citizen 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 definition • Hero on the Scaffolding, an archive featurette produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 • Alternate opening credits sequences for both films • Hong Kong theatrical trailers for both films • Image galleries for both films DISC THREE – MAD MONKEY KUNG FU / FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS • Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films • Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono for both films • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Brand new commentary for Mad Monkey Kung Fu by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and Michael Worth • Newly filmed appreciation of Mad Monkey Kung Fu by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Interview with actor Hsiao Hou, filmed in 2004 • Shaw in the USA, a brand new featurette on how Shaw Brothers broke America featuring Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali, authors of These Fists Break Bricks • Hong Kong and US theatrical trailers for Mad Monkey Kung Fu • Hong Kong theatrical trailer and UK VHS promo for Five Superfighters • Image galleries for both films DISC FOUR – INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN / THE KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM • Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films • Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films, plus Cantonese mono for Invincible Shaolin • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Interview with action director Robert Tai, filmed in 2003 • Poison Clan Rocks The World, a brand new visual essay on the Venom Mob written and narrated by author Terrence J. Brady • Alternate "continuity" cut of The Kid With The Golden Arm, presented via seamless branching • Alternate and textless title sequences for The Kid with the Golden Arm • Hong Kong theatrical trailer for Invincible Shaolin • Hong Kong theatrical trailer (audio only) and US TV spot for The Kid with the Golden Arm • Image galleries for both films DISC FIVE – MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS / TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG • Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films • Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films, plus Cantonese mono for Ten Tigers of Kwangtung • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Brand new audio commentary on Ten Tigers of Kwangtung by filmmaker Brandon Bentley • Interview with star Chin Siu-ho, filmed in 2003 • Rivers and Lakes, a brand new video essay on Shaw Brothers’ depiction of Chinese myth and history, written and narrated by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China • Hong Kong (audio only) and German theatrical trailers for Magnificent Ruffians • Hong Kong trailers (Mandarin and Cantonese audio options) and US TV spot for Ten Tigers of Kwangtung • Image galleries for both films DISC SIX – MY YOUNG AUNTIE • Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio • Newly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub • Brand new select-scene commentary by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Interview with star Kara Hui, filmed in 2003 • Cinema Hong Kong: The Beauties of the Shaw Studios, the final instalment in the three-part documentary produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 • Alternate standard-definition VHS version • Hong Kong theatrical trailer • Image gallery DISC SEVEN – MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG / THE BOXER'S OMEN • Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films • Uncompressed Cantonese and Mandarin original mono audio for both films plus English mono for Mercenaries from Hong Kong • Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub • Brand new commentary on The Boxer’s Omen by critic Travis Crawford • Newly filmed appreciation of filmmaker Kuei Chih-hung by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Additional footage from Mandarin VHS version of The Boxer's Omen • Interview with Mercenaries from Hong Kong action director Tong Kai, filmed in 2009 • Hong Kong theatrical trailers for both films • Image galleries for both films DISC EIGHT – MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN / THE BARE-FOOTED KID • Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films • Newly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs • Brand new commentary on Martial Arts of Shaolin by Jonathan Clements • Brand new commentary on The Bare-Footed Kid by Frank Djeng of the NY Asian Film Festival • Newly filmed appreciations of both films by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Interview with Martial Arts of Shaolin screenwriter Sze Yeung-ping, filmed in 2004 • Alternate standard-definition version of Martial Arts of Shaolin • Hong Kong and Japanese theatrical trailers for Martial Arts of Shaolin, plus trailers for the preceding Shaolin Temple films starring Jet Li • Hong Kong theatrical trailer and UK VHS promo for The Bare-Footed Kid • Image galleries for both films DISC NINE – MUSIC FROM THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS, INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN AND THE KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (CD) DISC TEN – MUSIC FROM RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER, MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS, TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG, MY YOUNG AUNTIE, MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG AND DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER (CD)

 

More Lau Kar-Leung! The inclusion of Johnnie To's The Bare-Footed Kid is a nice addition. Hopefully, we get to see releases of Loving You and Lifeline (I missed out on the Hong Kong bluray, which is now OOP), at some point.

[bickle14]

There will be Shawscope Volumes 3 and 4!

From James Flower:

ryannichols7 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 10, 2022 2:02 pm

now if you don't mind, I actually do have some questions too! totally okay if you don't answer as I know it opens a huge can of worms and your reply gets quoted all over the internet...

1. I have noticed Arrow has done their own restorations on some films but then some of the other films use significantly older restorations (Five Shaolin Masters last night being one) - what goes into the process of how this is decided? is it elements, Celestial allowing this or that transfer, or you guys feel some of these titles its less necessary for?

2. did David Desser not want to do a commentary or video piece on this set? his track on King Boxer was fantastic, and that was a film I didn't enjoy much at all (sorry if that's sacrelige!)

3. maybe this isn't a question so much as a request: I did read the entire Twitter thread you and MichaelB were involved with about doing some non-Kung Fu titles. I obviously am very in the market for the Wuxia ones (it would make my girlfriend's year as well) but am insanely curious what opera, drama, and comedy would look like in Shawscope. I know the Kung Fu titles certainly sell, and I did see Kevin's response about acquiring more titles. I certainly hope this series is successful enough to see a mix of genres going forward, especially as you guys tell the story of Shaw Brothers more going forward. I am far less likely to buy individual titles (I did for Come Drink With Me and 8 DIagram Pole Fighter since I knew they were de facto entries, and also regarded as two of the best) and appreciate the boxing and curation of these sets - I've been annoyed all morning at the complaints from enthusiasts at how its a "waste" that The Boxer's Omen is here or something, but again I'm sure you're far less bothered than I am, which is good!

please keep this going - I'm in it for the long run and no matter how many blood splattering gorefests you guys announce, I'm on board as long as you do boxsets this expertly curated and treated. thank you guys for all you do and I hope this answer was of some value!

Thanks for the kind words Ryan (and everyone else who commented)! Really great to see that our attempts to make the set accessible to Shaw newcomers as well as diehard fans have landed as we hoped, and that people are generally pleased with the selection of films. You can't make everyone happy - especially with a catalogue as vast as Shaw Brothers to choose from! - but as I said in the Twitter thread you referred to, we're in it for the long haul, so we should be able to cover more ground in the years to come. We won't get to do everyone's favourites, but thankfully 88 and other companies are around to do so too.

To answer your questions as much as I can on a public forum:

1) When we initially acquired the films, our plan was to restore all of them, since the picture quality issues on many of the existing HD masters were part of the reason we'd avoided the catalogue originally. It quickly became clear, however, that these would be much more involved and expensive than our usual restoration workflow, even just in 2K, so the original budgets we'd acquired the films under wouldn't work. So in order to stick to budget and release the films in enough time to make our money back given the relatively short license period, we decided to only restore a little over half of them. We went through the existing masters and decided which ones were the least-worst (especially with regards DNR and 'framecutting') that could be released as they were, and prioritised the ones that most needed improvement. A couple of titles got swapped around (e.g. so we could remaster the longer cut of Chinatown Kid), and it's a shame we couldn't restore all of them, but I think it's a pretty good balance overall. With the hard-won lessons and efficiencies learned from these two sets, we're hoping to be able to restore every film on future volumes - fingers crossed this works out.

2) I don't remember exactly, but as both of the first two sets were initially planned simultaneously - the original plan was one big 26-film box which, again, quickly proved unfeasible! - I think it was just as simple as David getting the list of titles and only wanting to do King Boxer, as well as the two booklet essays. We also wanted to mix up the contributors a bit on Volume 2, and hope to again with future volumes.

3) I wasn't involved with picking the titles for Volumes 1 & 2 but have been more involved with the new package we're acquiring for Volumes 3 & 4, which does indeed veer away from kung fu a lot more. I picked the name Shawscope for our boxsets specifically so we could go into new territory in the future, and that is indeed the strategy: hopefully by now we've hooked enough people with the kung fu sets that will now be willing to go on a journey into other kinds of Shaws films with us. Indeed, working on the extras gave me a whole other list of films I'm desperately keen to see! That said, I doubt you'll see us doing the operas, melodramas and comedies anytime soon - they just aren't commercially viable at the scale we're working to with the new restorations and collectable packaging, which means genre films inevitably become the key focus. (Indeed, I'm not convinced a huangmei diao set would fly off the shelves even with just the existing Celestial masters, basic packaging and minimal extras to keep production costs down.) I'm sure we'll release more Shaws kung fu films in the future too, but we're happy to go on a bit of a tangent for now - especially as we have plenty of Golden Harvest films from Fortune Star lined up too.

[saltysam]

veering away from kung fu

[ShawAngela]

On 8/10/2022 at 7:01 PM, bickle14 said:

I'm guessing it has to do with this: 11 minutes of footage was removed for the international version. Some scenes were even re-ordered to make this cut.

Wow ! Inteestign information !

[ShawAngela]

What is the meaning of "veer away" ? If they don't make anymore kung fu movies, maybe we'll se more wuxias or action movies such as Raw passions or other ones ?

[bickle14]

2 minutes ago, ShawAngela said:

What is the meaning of "veer away" ? If they don't make anymore kung fu movies, maybe we'll se more wuxias or action movies such as Raw passions or other ones ?

Probably more horror.

[Killer Meteor]

On 8/10/2022 at 11:28 AM, TheJamGod said:

Does anybody who has the volume 1 box set know if the audio cds have on them the song from the love montage in Mighty Peking Man? The one that goes "Could it be I'm in love"?

I've been trying to find it for ages but don't especially want to gamble >£100 when I've seen all those films already, as much as I like them 🤣

I'm afraid it doesn't.

[AlexanderFu]

Between these 2 volumes, a lot of Venom movies have been checked off the list.

Could use the rest of the Shaolin cycle - men From the Monastery, Shaolin Avengers, Heroes 2....etc.

Lot's of tough choices. Also, more Lo Lieh please!

[Darth Kermit]

Yes please to the rest of Shaolin Cycle. Also, I'm very excited for Bare Footed Kid. Love Johnnie To, and I need to watch more of his early stuff. Also exciting to hear just how much they have lined up. Shaw 3 and 4 already confirmed? More variety from the catalogue? Lots of Golden Harvest stuff for non Shawscope releases? Very exciting times. My wallet is gonna be hurting from the amount of Arrows it is pierced with

[manuhugo]

I would love a female centered boxset with movies like: Intimate Confessions Chinese Courtesan, 14 Amazons, Lady Hermit, Vengeance Snow Girl, Lady with a Sword, The Young Avenger, Heads for Sale, The Shadow Whip, Village of Tigers, Lady Assassin, Vengeful Beauty and others movies like Black Butterfly, Lady of Steel, Lady of the Law, Silver Fox, Jade Raksha etc.

Also I would love an underrated early 70s wuxia boxset with movies like: The Black Tavern (my favorite), Duel for Gold, Imperial Swordsman (another favorite), Oath of Death, Long Chase, Pursuit, Devil's Mirror, Crimson Charm, A Taste of Cold Steel, Ambush and other movies like The Casino, Deadly Knives, Sacred Knives Vengeance, Thunderbolt Fist, Master of Kung Fu.

You could make a lot of boxsets:

Chang Cheh 60s output: Have Sword Will Travel, The Assassin, Invincible Fist, Golden Swallow, Flying Dagger, etc.

Chang Cheh's 70s output: Vengeance, Heroic Ones, Wandering Swordsman, King Eagle, Water Margin, Blood Brothers

Chor Yuen boxset: Killer Clans, Clans of Intrigue, Web of Death, Death Duel, Swordsman and Enchantress, Jade Tiger, Magic Blade, etc.

60s wuxia: Temple Red Lotus trilogy, Sword of Swords, Bells of Death, Vengeance is Broken Blade, Magnificent Swordsman, Dragon Swamp, 

Spy and Caper movies: Angel Iron Fists, Temptress Thousand Faces, Asia-pol, Brain Stealers, Golden Buddha

70s "girl with guns" movies: Deadly Angels, Drug Connection, Lady Exterminator, Long Road to Freedom, Big Bad Sis

And also erotic, horror and criminal boxsets. Sorry for the long post. I like to daydream.

[panzer]

Exactly. So many directions Arrow can go in regards to future shawscope volumes or individual titles. As excited as I am for Volume 1 and 2, I'm probably even more excited at the thought of Chor Yuen or 60s/early 70s Chang Cheh getting remastered and released in the future.

[bickle14]

 

[bickle14]

 

[lilmanjs]

Pre-ordered. Even if it was a stellar lineup, that 36th Chamber restoration has me hooked. Weird they call it a surprise release considering they confirmed titles for vol 2 in the vol 1 book. Really stellar lineup of artists doing the artwork as well. Arrow needs to use Bob for more releases.

Edited August 12, 2022 by lilmanjs

[HeavenSword]

1 hour ago, bickle14 said:

 

Is it just me or are some scenes shown in the trailer for Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung missing from the actual movie ?  Like that scene with Lo Meng and Yang Hsiung lifting / putting a dent in that object  at the 11:40 mark ? 

[ShawAngela]

120 £ on Arrow site.

[HeavenSword]

Got my preorder in . Boxers Omen looks crazy as f*ck !