The Arrow Films Blu-ray Thread

[Rando1975]

Definitely getting this! I've already got the 36th Chamber trilogy set from Hong Kong and some of the others on the old Dragon Dynasty DVDs. But about half I don't have any versions so I'm glad to upgrade.

[Darth Kermit]

By the way, the Region B release of this will have 15 seconds cut from Mad Monkey Kung Fu due to animal cruelty, but the Region A release will be fully uncut.

[lilmanjs]

1 hour ago, Darth Kermit said:

By the way, the Region B release of this will have 15 seconds cut from Mad Monkey Kung Fu due to animal cruelty, but the Region A release will be fully uncut.

Where was this info posted?

[panzer]

2 minutes ago, lilmanjs said:

Where was this info posted?

Looks like another "cut played in region b, but uncut if played in a region A player" scenario like their earlier Years of Lead and Westerns sets. I'm even more surprised at the fact that Boxer's Omen got out uncut in the UK!

[Drunken Monk]

I wouldn't have minded if they cut that out of the US release as well.

[Chu Liu Hsiang]

 

14 hours ago, panzer said:

(...)  I'm even more surprised at the fact that Boxer's Omen got out uncut in the UK!

Does it have animation cruelty too -  or another reason for being cut? One of few available  Shaw releases i have not seen yet. 

[Graysman]

Didn't Boxers Omen contain the beheading of a live chicken??

[panzer]

1 hour ago, Graysman said:

Didn't Boxers Omen contain the beheading of a live chicken??

Yes, but I guess the bbfc considers that a "quick, clean kill" thus not animal cruelty. Similarly, Dreadnaught's chicken beheading was passed uncut as well.

 

3 hours ago, Chu Liu Hsiang said:

 

Does it have animation cruelty too -  or another reason for being cut? One of few available  Shaw releases i have not seen yet. 

There was some insane stuff with animals I remember just thinking there was no way this was getting passed uncut in the UK. From what I recall, there's a chicken and a ritual being performed involving a Crocodile's carcass. Nasty, nasty stuff, but overall a wicked movie.

[KUNG FU BOB]

On 8/10/2022 at 8:13 AM, bickle14 said:

 

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY COLLECTION CONTENTS • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all fourteen films, including nine new 2K restorations by Arrow Films

I am so happy to hear that 9 out of the 14 films have been newly restored!  Even more than on Shawscope Vol. 2, and that's great news.

 

On 8/10/2022 at 9:32 AM, AlexanderFu said:

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.

Good question @AlexanderFu. I don't think it will because from what I understand the CD's are only music from the DeWolfe library. But who knows?

Maybe you'll feel different upon re-watching the final two? MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN felt strangely stale to me the first time I watched it, but when I revisited it I thought it kicked ass. There's some pretty phenomenal Lau Kar-Leung choreography and kung fu stunt-stuff (the fighting on the river boats must have been incredibly challenging), and Jet Li, Yu Hai, and the late, beloved martial artist Yu Cheng-Hui are absolutely ferocious in the film's climax. Jet's doing a raging mantis that always gets me fired up! THE BARE-FOOTED KID is definitely a completely different style film from the typical Shaw films, firmly a part of the early '90s wire-fu movement. But I find it to be an enjoyable remake of Chang Cheh's DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN, and Maggie Cheung and Ti Lung are wonderful in it. The blow-out at the end is pretty damn cool too.

I'm thrilled that FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS is included on this set and that it's one that received a new restoration. I love "monkey kung fu" style, and this and MAD MONKEY KUNG FU are two of the best films about the style. I had the opportunity to do artwork for FSF (along with some other Volume 2 titles) and it was really hard to say no, but I was already totally booked up by the time Arrow asked me. I still chose to do art for one film for the set because I literally felt like I could not say no (to both the film I picked, and being a part of a Shawscope set). Hopefully some day I will still do artwork for it, even if it's not for a job, but just as a personal project. Thankfully, I did still get to draw FSP's "monkey style master", the amazing Hau Chiu-Sing, for 88 Film's recent MONKEY KUNG FU Blu-ray (where he plays a similar role).

I agree it would've been an added bonus to have commentaries for FSF and MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG. But we do still get a wealth of exciting special features.

 

On 8/10/2022 at 1:12 PM, lilmanjs said:

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

I loved that teaser.

 

On 8/11/2022 at 2:07 PM, bickle14 said:

There will be Shawscope Volumes 3 and 4!

From James Flower:
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.
 

@bickle14 thanks for posting this- great info! Where is this copied from?

James answered a lot of things I wanted to know here. I'm happy they plan on doing more, too.

 

20 hours ago, Rando1975 said:

Definitely getting this! I've already got the 36th Chamber trilogy set from Hong Kong and some of the others on the old Dragon Dynasty DVDs. But about half I don't have any versions so I'm glad to upgrade.

I hear you @Rando1975, I already own every title on this set , many of them in multiple versions , but I'm happy to upgrade once again.  I own THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN in sooo many versions! I was sure that that R3 Hong Kong Blu-ray set of the three films would be my very last time purchasing these titles again, and I was hesitant to even get that. But once I bought it I felt that it was a significant jump forward in PQ, so I was glad I got it. I'm sure all the titles included on this set will be improved beyond the versions I already own.

Cool that you'll be getting half of them for the first time.

 

5 hours ago, Chu Liu Hsiang said:

 

Does it have animation cruelty too -  or another reason for being cut? One of few available  Shaw releases i have not seen yet.

Regarding your question about THE BOXER'S OMEN: I think there's a chicken be-heading, and some crazy shit with a crocodile, but this may have been a fake croc. I don't remember as it's been a long time since I've seen it. As for the comments from people that are surprised it was passed uncut, I think they may mean in general just because it's a pretty OTT film. I've been wanting to re-watch this and show it to my son, and this set's release will be the perfect opportunity. I'm glad we didn't watch it via my old DVD- though that release was still extremely appreciated.

 

[AlexanderFu]

21 hours ago, Darth Kermit said:

By the way, the Region B release of this will have 15 seconds cut from Mad Monkey Kung Fu due to animal cruelty, but the Region A release will be fully uncut.

That's the reason I only watched this once, but I'd still want the uncut version and just close my eyes during that horrible scene. Makes it a real downer for me.

[KUNG FU BOB]

7 minutes ago, AlexanderFu said:

That's the reason I only watched this once, but I'd still want the uncut version and just close my eyes during that horrible scene. Makes it a real downer for me.

This scene in MAD MONKEY KUNG FU is really upsetting. I know it's meant to be, but... yikes.

[Beardys Feather]

1 hour ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

This scene in MAD MONKEY KUNG FU is really upsetting. I know it's meant to be, but... yikes.

I find it really perplexing that Lau would film it that way given his character has struck up a friendship with the monkey. Just use a stuffed toy FFS... 

[KUNG FU BOB]

3 minutes ago, Beardys Feather said:

I find it really perplexing that Lau would film it that way given his character has struck up a friendship with the monkey. Just use a stuffed toy FFS... 

You know, I think the most violent scenes are filmed using a fake monkey, but there's still some rough handling of the obviously real animal before that.

[KenHashibe]

Excellent selection of films! I heard some weren't too happy about the inclusion of Martial Arts of Shaolin, but I actually really love that movie, though it has its flaws. I've been itching for the original version of the film (the Celestial remaster is missing shots/frames, including the original opening shot and retimed end credits). Hoping the SD version as a special feature will be that original version.

One example of the frame cutting:

 

1 hour ago, Beardys Feather said:

I find it really perplexing that Lau would film it that way given his character has struck up a friendship with the monkey. Just use a stuffed toy FFS... 

Haven't seen Mad Monkey Kung Fu for years, and I had always assumed it was a stuffed animal since it would be too horrific if it was real. Looking back, it certainly does seem real.

Edited August 13, 2022 by KenHashibe

[KUNG FU BOB]

2 hours ago, KenHashibe said:

Excellent selection of films! I heard some weren't too happy about the inclusion of Martial Arts of Shaolin, but I actually really love that movie, though it has its flaws. I've been itching for the original version of the film (the Celestial remaster is missing shots/frames, including the original opening shot and retimed end credits). Hoping the SD version as a special feature will be that original version.

One example of the frame cutting:

 

Haven't seen Mad Monkey Kung Fu for years, and I had always assumed it was a stuffed animal since it would be too horrific if it was real. Looking back, it certainly does seem real.

Cool, I'm not alone on the MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN bandwagon of love. I was thinking the same thing about the advertised "SD version" included. I hope you're right.

I have to imagine (so I can sleep peacefully at night) that Lau Sifu would never have allowed that little monkey to be killed like that. It's stuffed I tell, ya. Stuffed!

[sifu iron perm]

On 8/12/2022 at 8:39 PM, Darth Kermit said:

By the way, the Region B release of this will have 15 seconds cut from Mad Monkey Kung Fu due to animal cruelty, but the Region A release will be fully uncut.

So if I watch this on Region A setting I will get the animal cruelty scene? 

[Shaolin Patriot]

Looking forward to another spectacular release... all the way down to its flashy orange colored packaging!

Particularly excited to see my two favorite Venoms films and 36th Chamber trilogy, along with some rare titles and nice special features. I'm equally curious why Martial Arts of Shaolin was chosen. 

[Graysman]

4 hours ago, sifu iron perm said:

So if I watch this on Region A setting I will get the animal cruelty scene? 

In theory yes as your disc will think it’s a region A player. The only thing is I don’t know if the disc is locked to region B from Arrow if it’s region Free then this may still play the uncut scene if you set the player to Region A 

Edited August 14, 2022 by Graysman

[Chu Liu Hsiang]

Thank you @Graysman @panzer @KUNG FU BOB

 

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Volume 2 looks insane. I hope they put these movies on arrow streaming. I definitely need to see Invincible Shaolin in High Def, that trailer was awesome. Boxer's Omen, I can't believe I still haven't seen that and based on the trailer, I need too asap! 

[Karlos]

Was there an email from Arrow, alerting us to vol 2?  If so, I certainly didn't get it.

Oh well, off to pre-order!!

[KUNG FU BOB]

1 hour ago, OpiumKungFuCracker said:

Volume 2 looks insane. I hope they put these movies on arrow streaming. I definitely need to see Invincible Shaolin in High Def, that trailer was awesome. Boxer's Omen, I can't believe I still haven't seen that and based on the trailer, I need too asap! 

THE BOXER'S OMEN is freaky fun. A real OTT flick that is full of surprises. I sympathize with those Shaw Brothers fans that are only interested in kung fu, but personally, I'm very happy that the Shawscope sets each have a gonzo film thrown into their mix. I'm also a fan of THE MIGHTY PEKING MAN, so I'm glad it was included on Vol. 1. Hopefully some of the fu fans will give these two films a look, and maybe they'll be surprised to find they dig them. Especially THE BOXER'S OMEN seems like it will grab people that weren't necessarily looking for something like that.

 

29 minutes ago, Karlos said:

Was there an email from Arrow, alerting us to vol 2?  If so, I certainly didn't get it.

Oh well, off to pre-order!!

I didn't get an email either @Karlos. I know that Amazon UK listed Shawscope Vol. 2 before Arrow was ready to officially announce it, then it was pulled down from there (likely at Arrow's request) hours later. But keen-eyed fans had already seen it, copied the pics and info, and posted them here and elsewhere. So an "official" announcement is kind of pointless now, but will probably still happen.

 

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

5 minutes ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

THE BOXER'S OMEN is freaky fun. A real OTT flick that is full of surprises. I sympathize with those Shaw Brothers fans that are only interested in kung fu, but personally, I'm very happy that the Shawscope sets each have a gonzo film thrown into their mix. I'm also a fan of THE MIGHTY PEKING MAN, so I'm glad it was included on Vol. 1. Hopefully some of the fu fans will give these two films a look, and maybe they'll be surprised to find they dig them. Especially THE BOXER'S OMEN seems like it will grab people that weren't necessarily looking for something like that.

 

 

 Can't wait to check them out. Was suprised they added some action in there too! The Mercenaries one looks bonkers. Looks like a Godfrey Ho film lol 

[KUNG FU BOB]

20 minutes ago, OpiumKungFuCracker said:

 Can't wait to check them out. Was suprised they added some action in there too! The Mercenaries one looks bonkers. Looks like a Godfrey Ho film lol 

Oh yeah, MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG is good stuff, brother.

[Karlos]

16 minutes ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

Oh yeah, MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG is good stuff, brother.

Amen to that, brother!!

Moustache and tracksuit 80s Ti Lung is an awesome Ti Lung!!