In the wake of Encounter of the Spooky Kind, the Hong Kong film industry launched headlong into a prolific genre cycle that drew upon Taoist folklore. Popular throughout the 1980s and into the next decade, these films combined elements of horror, fantasy, comedy, and martial arts as they pit their protagonists against hopping vampires, vengeful ghosts, and evil sorcerers. Here, Eureka Classics is proud to present two of the most mind-bending tales of Taoist magic ever committed to film: Taoism Drunkard and The Young Taoism Fighter! Directed by and starring Yuen Cheung-yan (The Miracle Fighters), Taoism Drunkard follows a man with a love for wine who accidentally damages a sacred statue. To atone for this blunder, he is asked by an enraged Taoist priest (Hsiao Hou-tao) to find a virginal boy (Yuen Yat-chor) to aid in defending his temple from a demonic sorcerer (Yuen Shun-yi).

Then, in The Young Taoism Fighter (directed by Police Story’s Chen Chi-hwa), a practitioner of Taoist kung fu (Yuen Yat-chor) manages to separate his soul from his body before teaming up with a vengeful young woman (Hilda Liu Hao-yi) to take on a sinister sorcerer (Kwan Chung) and the evil leader of a rival kung fu school (Yen Shi-kwan). Filled with imagery both fantastical and thrilling – not least Taoism Drunkard’s banana monster – and featuring some of the most jaw-droppingly inventive fight sequences in the history of martial arts cinema, Taoism Drunkard and The Young Taoism Fighter are cult classics from the celebrated Yuen Clan that need to be seen to be believed. Both films are presented on Blu-ray for the first time ever from brand new 2K restorations.

For thoughts on Two Taoist Tales: Taoism Drunkard and The Young Taoism Fighter, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Taoism Drunkard and The Young Taoism Fighter come to Blu-Ray via Eureka Entertainment with a 1080p master in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio derived from brand new 2K restorations of the original film elements. Neither transfer appears to exhibit any serious DNR which allows it to maintain its organic appearance. There is not much in the way of wear and tear, and the film does not reveal any notable instances of compression artifacts. The transfer features resplendent color saturation throughout with fabulous colors emanating off the screen, especially in the costumes and elements of the production design. Black levels hold up admirably and highlights do not bloom. There are fleeting shots that are a bit soft which more than likely dates back to the conditions of the source elements. This new release offers a deluxe presentation that brings these films together with a high level of care. Eureka Entertainment has continued to dominate with its excellent attention to detail.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray set presents these films with an LPCM 2.0 mono track in the original Cantonese along with an English dub that holds up rather well. We always advocate for audiences to go for artistic purity and listen to the original language track, especially since it is more lively than the English dub track. The tracks can sound a bit thin at points which can make some moments less forceful than you may desire. Dialogue is clear and does not suffer from distortion. The score maintains decent fidelity, but there are moments of age-related wear and tear and general harshness at the highest amplitudes. The films deploy some exaggerated sound effects in the mix that are given the appropriate presence. Overall, Eureka Entertainment has done a considerate job with this audio experience. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The first pressing of the Eureka Entertainment Blu-Ray of Two Taoist Tales includes a booklet featuring new writing on the film by Southeast Asian horror expert Dr. Katarzyna Ancuta, and Daniel O’Brien, author of Spooky Encounters: A Gwailo’s Guide to Hong Kong Horror. This provides a great context for and analysis of the films. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentaries: Each film has two pairs of film historians providing informative commentary tracks in which they discuss the place of this film in Hong Kong cinema, the careers of the talent involved, the work of the Yuen clan, pop culture flourishes inserted into the film, the unique aspects of the martial arts choreography, and more.

- Audio Commentary #1: East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and writer/producer F.J. DeSanto

- Audio Commentary #2: Action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema

James Mudge on Taoism Drunkard: An 18-minute interview with film historian James Mudge who discusses the tradition of mixing horror and fantasy with kung-fu films, the output of the Yuen clan, how spooky cinema evolved over the 1980s, and more.

James Mudge on The Young Taoism Fighter: An 11-minute interview with film historian James Mudge who discusses the financial failure of the feature, how it differs from other Yuen clan projects, how this compared to other films released in the era, and more.

Trailers: There are trailers provided for Taoism Drunkard (4:21) and The Young Taoism Fighter (3:54)

Final Thoughts

Two Taoist Tales contains two films that are on the more bizarre side of the spectrum with mystical food demons, oddly perverse quests, and movements that defy the laws of physics. The films are not always “good” in a traditional sense, but they are never less than entertaining simply for the lunacy of the endeavor. There are numerous things to make you laugh here along with some action that will make your jaw drop. Eureka Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a favorable A/V presentation and some worthwhile special features. If you are a fan of martial arts films and want to feel like you are living through a fever dream, this set is for you. Recommended

Two Taoist Tales 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: Eureka Entertainment 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.