If Big Trouble In Little China is the movie equivalent of weed, Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is some kind of ancient herb found deep within the base of a tree that will get you high for life the moment you even taste it.

Based on Legend of the Swordsmen of the Mountains of Shu by Huanzhulouzhu, director Tsui Hark and writers Shui Chung-yuet and Sze-to Cheuk-hon made modern movie magic — special effects were created by a team of Western artists such as Robert Blalack, John Scheele, Peter Kuran and Arnie Wong — that still looks and feels as visually inventive as it did nearly forty years ago.

Dik Ming-kei (Yuen Biao) is rescued by Master Ding Yan (Adam Cheng) from the vampires that lurk near Zu mountain. They are soon joined by Siu Yu (Damian Lau) and his pupil Yat Jan (Mang Hoi) as they battle the Blood Devil, which will require a quest to find the Dual Swords.

Plus, there’s star power, with Sammo Hung as a Red Army soldier and the sorcerer Chang Mei, Brigitte Lin as the Ice Queen and Corey Yuen as the Devil Disciple Leader.

This is potentially one of the most important Hong Kong movies ever made, if not one of the most important movies ever created.

That said — there’s an international English language version, Zu Time Warriors, which has a 25-minute introduction with Yuen Biao as a fencing champ transported via coma dreams to the story of this film. It also doesn’t have the opening battle scene.

In 2001, Hark made Shu shan zheng zhuan or Zu Warriors, a sequel to this film. It was released in the U.S. by Miramax, who had picked up Shaolin Soccer and Hero after the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

When you watch this film, just remember that when Hark came to America, the only movies e got to make — without much creative control — when Double Team and Knock Off, two Jean Claude Van Damme movies that co-starred Dennis Rodman and Rob Schneider.

Yes, the man who made this movie.