It’s a good time to be a Hong Kong cinema fan! Eureka Entertainment recently announced they will be releasing a Blu Ray of Yuen Woo-ping’s masterclass in madness, The Miracle Fighters, in the UK and the US on June 25th.
Many people know Woo-ping as being the man responsible for the action in films like The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Kill Bill but in the early 80’s he, with help from his brothers (aka The Yuen Clan), created some of the most innovative and inventive productions to come out of Hong Kong (including Donnie Yen’s first film, Drunken Tai Chi). To say that The Miracle Fighters has to be seen to be believed is an understatement. It’s off the wall in all the right ways
During the Quing dynasty, marriage between Manchu and Han people is outlawed. When it is discovered that high-ranking official Kao Hsiung (Eddy Ko) has taken a Han wife, the Emperor informs him that he will be forgiven – but only if he kills his beloved before the court. When he refuses, Kao Hsiung is marked for death by the powerful Sorcerer Bat (Yuen Shun yee) and forced to watch as his wife is slain before his eyes. Kao Hsiung flees, kidnapping the Crown Prince during his escape – but soon the prince is dead, and Kao Hsiung is forced to silently replace him with another young boy. In adulthood, that innocent child – Shu Gut (Yuen Yat-chor) – finds himself relentlessly pursued by Sorcerer Bat, and turns to two quarreling taoist priests in the hope of protecting himself with their magic.
As per usual, Eureka’s release will have a buffet of incredible features:
SPECIAL FEATURESLimited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling (first print run of 2000 copies only]; 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray of the original Hong Kong theatrical cut from a brand new 2K restoration; Original Cantonese mono audio and optional classic English dub; Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release; Brand new audio commentary on the Hong Kong theatrical version by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival); Brand new audio commentary on the export version by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema; Action Master: An Interview with Yuen Woo-ping – archival interview by Frédéric Ambroisine; John Kreng on Yuen Woo-ping – brand new documentary featurette by Michael Worth; Reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork; Trailer; PLUS: A limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by James Oliver (first print run of 2000 copies only).
