SHAWSCOPE VOLUME ONE: Arrow To Unleash Classic Kung Fu And Creature Thrills On Limited-Edition Blu-Ray This December
The genre specialists at Arrow Video have been lightly teasing a glimpse of what’s to come for its catalogue for some weeks now. On Friday, the company played its cards firmly for the world of kung fu and cult cinema fanfare to see with an extensive trailer announcing the December 6 release of Shawscope: Volume One, with a second installment stamped for sometime in 2022.
That’s twelve classic and rollicking titles restored in HD to collect just in time for the holiday season, including Five Fingers Of Death, Mighty Peking Man, beloved Lau Kar-leung classic Heroes Of The East, and much, much more to offer with tons of special features to accomodate the pack.
Pre-orders are up-and-running in the UK via Arrow, Zavvi, HMV and Amazon. US pre-orders are also available at DiabolikDVD and Zavvi, and in Canada through Unobstructed View.
SURPRISE UK/US/CA TITLE:
Shawscope Volume one (Limited Edition Blu-ray Boxset)
After an undisputed reign at the peak of Hong Kong’s film industry in the 1960s, Shaw Brothers (the studio founded by real-life brothers Run Run and Runme Shaw) found their dominance challenged by up-and-coming rivals in the early 1970s. They swiftly responded by producing hundreds of the most iconic action films ever made, revolutionising the genre through the backbreaking work of top-shelf talent on both sides of the camera as well as unbeatable widescreen production value, much of it shot at ‘Movietown’, their huge, privately-owned studio on the outskirts of Hong Kong.
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.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY COLLECTION CONTENTS
– High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of King Boxer, The Boxer from Shantung, Five Shaolin Masters, Shaolin Temple, Mighty Peking Man, Challenge of the Masters, Executioners from Shaolin, Chinatown Kid, The Five Venoms, Crippled Avengers, Heroes of the East and Dirty Ho
– Brand new 2K restorations by Arrow Films from the original camera negatives of King Boxer, The Boxer from Shantung, Challenge of the Masters, The Five Venoms, Crippled Avengers and Dirty Ho
– Brand new 2K master of the longer international cut of Chinatown Kid from original film elements
– Original uncompressed Mandarin, Cantonese (where applicable) and English mono audio
– Newly translated English subtitles for each film
– Hours of bonus features including brand new commentaries and critic appreciations on selected films, new and archive interviews with cast and crew, alternate credit sequences, trailer and image galleries for each film and more to be announced!
– 60 page book featuring new writing by David Desser, Simon Abrams and Terrence J. Brady, with cast and crew info for each film plus trivia and soundtrack info
– New artwork for each film by artists including Matthew Griffin, Chris Malbon, Jacob Phillips, Ilan Sheady, Tony Stella, Darren Wheeling and Jolyon Yates.
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