Movie Reviews

Shawscope: Volume One Arrow Video Blu-Ray Review – Twelve Pulse-Pounding, Butt-Kicking Films From A Legendary Studio

By Dillon Gonzales
April 8, 2022
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This inaugural collection by Arrow Video presents twelve jewels from the Shaw crown, all released within the 1970s, kicking off in 1972 with Korean director Jeong Chang-hwa’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 two self-produced films in his ‘Shaolin Cycle’ series, Five Shaolin Masters and its prequel Shaolin Temple, before taking a detour into Ho Meng Hua’s King Kong-inspired Mighty Peking Man, one of the most unmissably insane giant monster films ever made. Chang’s action choreographer Lau Kar-leung then becomes a director in his own right, propelling his adoptive brother Gordon Liu to stardom in Challenge of the Masters and Executioners from Shaolin. Not to be outdone, Chang introduces some of Shaw’s most famous faces to the screen, including Alexander Fu Sheng fighting on the streets of San Francisco in Chinatown Kid and, of course, the mighty Venom Mob in The Five Venoms and Crippled Avengers. Finally, Lau and Liu successfully meld high kicks with humor in two of their masterworks, Heroes of the East and Dirty Ho, both co-starring fan favorite Hsiao Hou. From kickass kung fu killers to crazy kaiju knockoffs to culture clash comedies, this carefully curated and gorgeously presented selection of all-time Shaw Brothers classics merely represents the tip of the iceberg of the studio’s rich output, making it both an ideal starting point for newcomers and a treat for hardcore fans alike.

For thoughts on Shawscope: Volume One, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic here, here and here.

For an additional look at the collection, check out our unboxing video here.

Video Quality

Shawscope: Volume One comes to Blu-Ray with twelve films spread over eight discs. Many of these films share a lot of the same qualities, so I will mostly be judging them in groups while pointing out noticeable differences when necessary. All twelve films have been presented in their original aspect ratios in their original and complete forms. They are presented with a mixture of older high definition masters conducted from 2003-2007 as a part of a preservation effort of the Shaw Brothers library, along with some new restorations undertaken by Arrow Films in conjunction with L’Immagine Ritrovata, Hong Kong Film Archive and Celestial Pictures.

Five Shaolin Masters, Shaolin Temple, Mighty Peking Man, Executioners from Shaolin, Heroes of the East and the shorter Alternate Version of Chinatown Kid are the slate of films presented from the older preservation high definition masters supplied by Celestial Pictures. King Boxer, The Boxer from Shantung, Challenge of the Masters, The Five Venoms, Crippled Avengers, Dirty Ho and the longer international cut of Chinatown Kid have been given a 2K restoration of the original 35mm negatives, save for the International Version of Chinatown Kid which was derived from 35mm internegative. Overall, these transfers represent a very strong effort in terms of quality. The quality ranges from good to excellent with each film looking the best they ever have.

As you might expect, the films with the new 2K restorations offer the most striking presentations. King Boxer, The Boxer from Shantung, The Five Venoms and Dirty Ho are the crown jewels of this collection in terms of picture quality. Color saturation proves to be one of the most consistent elements throughout this set with the palette suffused with vibrant colors as much as you might hope. The level of fine detail will leave you in awe at some points, as longtime fans of the film likely never believed they would look so good. There is next to nothing in the way of wear and tear, and the films do not really exhibit any chunky compression artifacts. Just the slightest step down from this greatness are two more 2K restorations, Challenge of the Masters and Crippled Avengers, along with the standard HD master for Shaolin Temple. These three transfers are quite strong, there are just minor moments where the level of clarity dips just a bit, the anamorphic framing can look a bit squeezed, or the color temperature can just feel a touch off. Even with these slight imperfections, they are worlds better than they ever have been.

The remaining films – Five Shaolin Masters, The Mighty Peking Man, Executioners From Shaolin, Chinatown Kid, Heroes Of The East – offer an experience that I would deem to be good, but the films have issues that should not be overlooked. Surprisingly, even with the 2K remaster Chinatown Kid features some rough looking footage, especially in the International Cut. The result is not terrible, but it stands out in comparison to some of the other features. The other films handle the basics fairly well such as color saturation, but not all moments are as vibrant as you might hope. Fine detail should be chalked up to middling to strong with some scenes presenting as soft or even a bit unfocused in some shots. The films do still exhibit a bit of wear and tear, and some moments yield some chunky compression artifacts or some unsightly filtering. Overall these films are pleasing, but having new restorations for all of them would have been even better. Taking this set as an entire experience, Arrow Video has done a miraculous job with this collection of thrilling films.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray set presents all the films with DTS-HD 1.0 Master Audio Mono tracks in the original Mandarin along with an English dub that will hopefully only be engaged for nostalgic purposes. In addition to these tracks, Challenge of the Masters, The Five Venoms, The Chinatown Kid, Heroes Of The East and Dirty Ho are provided with Cantonese tracks. Dialogue is very clear and easily distinguishable throughout this set of films. These films employ some hard-hitting sound effects in the mix that thankfully do not get muddled. The score maintains a pleasing fidelity among these titles, although there does appear to be instances of age related wear and tear at the highest amplitudes. All the films included in this set have optional English subtitles provided. These films might not be as bombastic as modern action films, but they more than get the job done in a pleasing way. Arrow Video should be pleased with themselves.

Special Features

The Limited Edition Collector’s Set of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of Shawscope: Volume One comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer case and includes a 60-page bound book featuring the essays “A Brief History Of The Shaw Brothers Studio” by David Desser, “The Stars Of Shawscope: Volume One” by Terence J. Brady, and “Lip Flaps & High Kicks” by James Flower. Each film is also provided with Cast & Crew Film Notes by Simon Abrams. These works provide a great analysis of each film and the studio at large in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Disc One – King Boxer

Audio Commentary: David Desser provides a deeply informative commentary in which he talks about the “three films” that reside within this feature, the importance of martial arts to the Japanese, connections to some of the other films in this collection, the minor narrative details you might overlook, the careers of those involved, how this fits into the Shaw Brothers output and more.

Tony Rayns On King Boxer: A truly fantastic 43-minute appreciation of King Boxer in which Rayns gives a brief history of the Shaw brothers leading up to King Boxer, how it ignited excitement in martial arts pictures, the unusual filmmaking techniques of the time, the original music, international success and more.

Interview with Chung Chang-wha: A 40-minute archival interview with the director of King Boxer conducted in 2003 and 2004 in which he talks about being inspired to become a director, his early career, how his success with the film paved the way for Hong Kong cinema, working with the Shaw brothers, the deeper story of the film and more.

Interview with Wang Ping: A 26-minute archival interview with the co-star of King Boxer conducted in 2007 in which she discusses work with the Shaws, adapting to different languages, what she had to learn for her performance, the film’s success and more.

Interview with Cho Young-jung: A nearly 34-minute archival interview with the author of Chung-Chang-wha: Man Of Action conducted in 2005 in which she discusses curating a retrospective for the director, what the director means to her personally, the experience of learning about his career, his directorial style and more.

Cinema Hong Kong – Kung Fu: The 50-minute first part in a three-part documentary on the Shaw brothers impact on kung fu and cinema at large from 2003 featuring interviews with Jackie Chan, Jet Li, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Gordon Liu, Lau Kar-leung, Cheng Pei-pei, David Chiang and many others. This is a stellar documentary that should not be missed.

US Opening Credits: The minute-and-a-half Warner Bros. opening credits under the title 5 Fingers Of Death.

Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the HK Theatrical Trailer 1 (3:51), HK Theatrical Trailer 2 (3:24), German Theatrical Trailer 1 (3:20), German Theatrical Trailer 2 (3:47), US Theatrical Trailer (2:57), US TV Spot (0:28), US Radio Spot (0:55) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:06).

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing material is provided here.

Disc Two – The Boxer From Shantung

Interview with Chen Kuan-tai: A 23-minute archival interview between the star of The Boxer From Shantung and actor Vincent Sze conducted in 2007 in which he discusses getting into martial arts and his basic background, the feeling of being in a ring with an opponent, getting into performing with this break out movie, performing around the time of the Bruce Lee ascendence, the power dynamics of Golden Harvest and Shaw Brothers Studio and more.

Interview with David Chiang: A 32-minute archival interview with the co-star of The Boxer From Shantung conducted in 2003 in which he discusses his background, the differences in certain kung fu fighting styles, Chang Cheh trying to lift up others in the industry, his experience with various films and more.

Interview with John Woo: An eight-minute archival interview with the legendary director discussing his work as an assistant director The Boxer From Shantung along with his admiration for Chang Cheh and the influence it had on his own career.

Double Masters with Ku Feng and Chen Kuan-tai: A 14-minute archival interview with the two stars of The Boxer From Shantung films at a Shaw Brothers reunion in which they discuss their relationship to one another, their experiences making the film, what they learned from the experience and more.

Alternate Opening Credits: This disc provides the Partial Original KH Credits (2:24) and Alternate English Credits (2:19).

Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (3:36), German Theatrical Trailer (2:06), US TV Spot (0:52), and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:13).

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing material is provided here for each film.

Disc Three – Five Shaolin Masters & Shaolin Temple

Tony Rayns On Chang Cheh: A new 37-minute appreciation piece from Rayns in which he discusses the life and career of director Chang Cheh, the types of film that made up his career, the unique relationship he had with the Shaw Brothers, his notable discoveries and more. As always, there is a lot of great information to unpack within this one.

Interview with Kong Do: A 23-minute archival interview with the co-star of Five Shaolin Masters conducted in 2005 in which he discusses his work with Chang Cheh, getting an opportunity in bigger roles, the hierarchy on set with the different creative input, the differences between working in contemporary and period drama and more.

Elegant Trails: Brief actor profiles were produced in 2003 which details some of the notable turns from the talent which couple nicely with their own recollections of the past.

- Ti Lung (9:30)

- David Chiang (8:04)

US Opening Credits: The nearly 11-minute US opening credits for Five Shaolin Masters is provided here.

Standard Definition Version of Shaolin Temple: This disc provides an optional standard definition version of the film for posterity for those who view it as a truer representation of how the film looked on its original theatrical release.

Alternate Opening Credits: This Shaolin Temple section of the disc provides HK Theatrical Credits (2:12), US Theatrical Credits (1:39) and an Alternate English Title Sequence (0:43).

Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the US Theatrical Trailer (2:23), German Theatrical Trailer (2:42), and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:10) for Five Shaolin Masters. It also provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (3:54), German Theatrical Trailer (2:40), and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:00) for Shaolin Temple.

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing material is provided here for both films.

Disc Four – Mighty Peking Man

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Travis Crawford dives deep into this feature by discussing how this fits into the Shaw Brothers output of the time, the push for international appeal, the background of the various creative figures, the shooting locations, the special effects work and more.

Interview with Keizo Murase: A new nearly 20-minute interview with the suit designer in which he discusses his work on tokusatsu films such as Godzilla, his early entry into the industry, getting involved with Mighty Peking Man, difficulties that arose during production, bringing a Japanese crew to Hong Kong, how he came up with the design of the suit and more.

Interview with Ho Meng-hua: A 24-minute archival career retrospective interview with the director of Mighty Peking Man conducted in 2003 in which he talks about his early life and career, his working relationship with the Shaw Brothers, various highlights of his career and more.

Interview with Ku Feng: A seven-minute archival interview with the actor conducted in 2004 in which he discusses his work with director Ho Meng-hua, what made his style stand out, memories of surprising moments during production and more.

Behind The Scenes Super 8 Footage: Nearly 29-minute of behind-the-scenes footage of the making of Mighty Peking Man from the archive of suit designer Keizo Murase.

Unrestored Version: This disc provides an optional standard definition version of the film for posterity for those who view it as a truer representation of how the film looked on its original theatrical release.

Alternate US Credits: This disc provides the Goliathon Theatrical Opening (1:18) and Goliathon TV Credits (1:11)

Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (3:23), German Theatrical Trailer (2:26), Dutch Theatrical Trailer (2:51), US Theatrical Trailer (1:59), US TV Spot (0:35), US Re-release Trailer (2:27) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:07).

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing material is provided here for each film.

Disc Five – Challenge Of The Masters & Executioners From Shaolin

Tony Rayns On Lau Kar-leung: A new 29-minute appreciation piece from Rayns in which he discusses the life and career of actor and director Lau Kar-leung, the effect that Bruce Lee had on films following his sudden rise in fame, the ambiguous nature of certain disciplines and traditions, how these early films in his career fit into the larger Shaw Brothers output, the nuances of the two films on this disc and more. Once again, there is a lot of great information within this one.

Interview with Gordon Liu: A nearly 21-minute archival interview with the star of Challenge of the Masters conducted in 2002 in which he discusses his personal and family history with kung fu, getting into the film industry, highlights from his long career, the honor of working with legends, his memories from making these films, working with Quentin Tarantino and more.

Interview with Chen Kuan-tai: An 18-minute archival interview between the star of both films and actor Vincent Sze conducted in 2007 in which he discusses working on these films, the relationship between himself and his co-stars, themes of brotherly bonds, making a film of Shaw Brothers alums with John Woo, humorous moments from production and more.

Textless Opening Credits: The three-minute textless opening credits for Challenge of the Masters is provided here.

Alternate English Credits: This Executioners From Shaolin section of the disc provides a three-minute English credit sequence for the film.

Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the HK Theatrical Trailer 1 (4:07), HK Theatrical Trailer 2 (1:19), HK Theatrical Trailer 3 (2:06), HK Theatrical Trailer 4 (4:07) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:04) for Challenge of the Masters. It also provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (3:55), US Theatrical Trailer 1 (1:07), US Theatrical Trailer 2 (1:05) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:08) for Executioners From Shaolin.

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing material is provided here for both films.

Disc Six – Chinatown Kid

International Version (1:54:37) and Alternate Version (1:30:14)

Audio Commentary (International Version): Author Terrence J. Brady provides a pretty loose and informative commentary track in which he reveals details about the creative figures involved with the film, analyzes the scenes that were cut from the Alternate Version, the film’s place in the Shaw Brothers output and more.

Interview with Susan Shaw: A 24-minute scene-specific video commentary with one of the stars of the film recorded in 2021 in which she discusses her experience working on this feature, the intricacy of the fight scenes, memories of her co-stars, her role in the narrative and more.

Elegant Trails – Fu Sheng: A seven-minute actor profile produced in 2003 which details some of the notable turns from the performer which couple nicely with memories of those close to him.

Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (3:27), German Theatrical Trailer (2:36), US Theatrical Trailer (2:04), US TV Spot (0:32), UK VHS Promo (2:37) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:12).

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing material is provided here for each film.

Disc Seven – The Five Venoms & Crippled Avengers

The Five Venoms Audio Commentary: Historian Simon Abrams provides an entertaining and informative commentary track in which he discusses the Venoms while likening them to a “boy band for kung fu”, how this fits into the Shaw Brothers output, the inspiration for certain elements of the narrative, the background of various creative figures involved with the film and more that adds to your enjoyment.

Interview with Lo Meng: An 19-minute archival interview with the star of both films conducted in 2003 in which he discusses the influence director Chang Cheh had on his life, getting into the film business, his feelings towards some of his features, playing someone who was mute and deaf, and more stories that are worth seeking out.

Chang Cheh – The Master: An 18-minute biographical documentary on director Chang Cheh in which various interview subjects offer their insights on the career of the legendary filmmaker in between a narrator giving greater context to his life.

Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (3:34), US Theatrical Trailer (2:00), US TV Spot (0:34) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:14) for The Five Masters. It also provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (3:42) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:10) for Crippled Avengers.

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing material is provided here for both films.

Disc Eight – Heroes Of The East & Dirty Ho

Heroes Of The East Audio Commentary: Author Jonathan Clements provides a fact-filled commentary track in which he discusses the disruptions in the martial arts movie business, how the film depicts Chinese and Japanese relations, the pacing of the film, the showcase of different forms of martial arts, and much more.

Tony Rayns On Heroes Of The East and Dirty Ho: A new 30-minute appreciation piece from Rayns in which he discusses these two films including the burgeoning stardom of Gordon Liu, the handling of the Chinese and Japanese relationships, the nuances of the title Dirty Ho, the legends that inspired certain narratives and more.

Interview with Yasuaki Kurata: A nearly 26-minute archival interview with the co-star of Heroes Of The East conducted in 2003 in which he discusses his initial plan to become a director, his decision to go into acting, his work with the Shaw Brothers, highlights from his career, the differences in Chinese and Japanese action scenes and more.

Alternate Opening Credits: The two-and-a-half minute alternate opening credits for Heroes Of The East is provided here. There are also alternate titles for Dirty Ho under the title Dirty Ho (3:21) and Dirty Avengers (3:08).

Trailer Gallery: This disc provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (4:16), US VHS Promo (0:35), US TV Spot (1:09) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:18) for Heroes Of The East. It also provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (4:04) and the Digital Reissue Trailer (1:11) for Dirty Ho.

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos and marketing material is provided here for both films.

Discs Nine & Ten – Soundtracks

Music From Shaolin Temple, Mighty Peking Man and Chinatown Kid

Music From The Five Venoms, Crippled Avengers and Dirty Ho

Final Thoughts

Shawscope: Volume One is simply one of the best home entertainment releases that has come out in recent years. The twelve films in this collection offer a great taste of what Shaw Brothers Studios had to offer, and we are ready to make a feast out of it. With the kung fu films, you get to see first hand where many of your favorite films got their style. Plus, the mere fact that you get to see some of the most intricately choreographed fighting committed to film is a thrilling enough reason to tune in. Then there are oddities like Mighty Peking Man which takes the King Kong story and gives it a campy Eastern flair. Every film may not be a 5-star effort, but there is something to admire about each and every one of them. Arrow Video has bundled these twelve films together into a Blu-Ray collection featuring a strong A/V presentation and an avalanche of worthwhile features packaged in one of the most beautiful packages on the market. The only major negative thing about this set is that it is so rewarding that it makes the wait for Volume Two excruciating. Do not miss out on this set! Essential

Shawscope: Volume One 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: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.