Though featuring the Shaw Brothers custom brand of martial arts mayhem, HUMAN LANTERNS also taps into the early 80s craze for the American slasher film and the earlier Hammer horrors by providing a grisly take on the serial killer feature in an inimitable Hong Kong style. When an unbalanced craftsman decides to get revenge on two Kung Fu masters by creating special lanterns constructed from the human skin of their dead relatives, all hell breaks loose in this gruesome tale of bloody retribution. Taking its inspiration from movies like Psycho and real cases like Ed Gein, HUMAN LANTERNS is clearly not for the faint-hearted with its over the top gore and sadistic qualities but this slice of darker than dark fantasy still manages to be both wonderfully horrible and impressively entertaining.

For thoughts on Human Lanterns, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/gbos_C5B5A8?t=3626]

Video Quality

Human Lanterns comes to Blu-Ray via 88 Films with a 1080p master in its original aspect ratio derived from the original 35mm camera negatives. This new release offers a truly great presentation that ranks closer to the top of the Shaw Brothers titles that I have seen from the label. The transfer features consistent color saturation throughout with vibrant colors popping off the screen, especially in the candy-colored, bright red blood. The level of fine detail rarely disappoints as you observe intricate facets of the production design and costumes in a way never before possible. This goes for the grotesque bits of gore, as well.

There are still a handful of shots that present as a bit soft which presumably links back to the state of the source elements. There is almost nothing in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not exhibit any overwhelming instances of compression artifacts. Perhaps most importantly, the transfer does not appear to have any DNR applied which allows it to maintain its organic appearance. Black levels hold up pretty well even with the prevalence of dimly lit locations. As usual from the Shaw Brothers, the anamorphic framing does occasionally look a bit squeezed. 88 Films has presented the title with a quality transfer.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with a LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Mandarin that is not quite as impressive as the video portion. The score maintains some semblance of fidelity, but there are numerous instances of age related wear and tear and general brashness at the highest amplitudes. Dialogue is mostly clear and easily distinguishable throughout the film. As was typical of the time, some of the performers are post-looped since they are not performing in their native language. The film employs some eerie and formidable sound effects in the mix that are given the appropriate weight. The track can sound a bit boxy overall which can make some moments feel less than natural. This release does have optional English subtitles provided. While it would be nice if older Shaw Brothers audio tracks were preserved a bit better, 88 Films has done the best they can under the circumstances.

Special Features

The first-pressing of the 88 Films Blu-Ray of Human Lanterns includes a booklet featuring the essay “‘Splicing Genres with Human Lanterns” by author Barry Forshaw. This provides a great context for and analysis of the film, how it plays with genre, its themes and more. The package also contains a double-sided folded poster. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon of the Podcast On Fire Network deliver a lively and deeply informative commentary track in which they discusses the career of the talent involved, where this film fits within the Shaw Brothers filmography and the genre at large, the mixture of horror and martial arts, the sets that were used for filming, the unsavory nature of certain characters, the audience reception of the film and more.

A Shaw Story – Interview with Susan Shaw: A 14-minute archival interview with actress Susan Shaw in which she discusses her early career, how she used her “innocent” look to her advantage, her comfort with nudity, working on Human Lanterns, scenes that had to be cut, memories of working with her director and co-stars, and more.

The Beauty and The Beasts – Interview with Linda Chu: A 15-minute archival piece in which the actress discusses getting into the film industry, what it was like working with the Shaw Brothers, her feelings about Human Lanterns, memories of director Sun Chung, the language differences on set and more.

Lau Wing – The Ambiguous Hero: A 51-minute interview with Lau WIng in which he discusses getting into the film business, leaving Golden Harvest to work with the Shaw Brothers, the realities of working in that system, his penchant for playing bad guys, how Sun Chung treated the script, his thoughts on the movie and more.

Original Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Human Lanterns finds the Shaw Brothers mixing horror elements into their work which yields something very disturbing and satisfying. The overall production continues to feel part of a larger mechanism that the company worked hard to construct, but it does not feel stifled creatively in any notable ways. Once you get past the more extreme elements of the plot, the film still delivers a pretty solid rivalry plot. 88 Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fairly strong A/V presentation and some interesting special features. If you are a fan of the Shaw Brothers but want some variety, this should serve you well. Recommended

Human Lanterns is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: 88 Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.