Directed and written by Chor Yuen, this is the story of Little Flying Dagger Li (Ti Lung), who has such strong ideals that he has lost almost everyone in his life, including Lin Hsin-ehr (Li Cheng), the woman he loves, who he feels unworthy of after a rival sword fighter saves his life. Now he wanders the countryside, drunk all day, for ten years with his assistant Chuan Jia (Fan Mei-Sheng). He then learns that the Plum Blossom Bandit is endangering his homeland. When he comes home, he meets Ah Fei (Derek Yee), another warrior who is looking for a gold armor shirt that can protect its user from any strike. Seeing as how the Plum Blossom Bandit kills with darts, this vest is very important.

Based on Gu Long’s Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword, this finds its hero wine drunk and pining for someone he knows he should have fought for. Seeing as how he’s the third best fighter in the world, he has a lot to deal with and all he wants to do is look at nature and, yes, drink to numb the pain of losing the only perfect woman he’ll ever know. Even when the bad guys poison his wine, he drinks more wine to get over it.

Funny enough, Li doesn’t use a sword but a fan. The name works for him, I guess, because it sets up all those people coming to fight him up to think he has a blade and instead he whips around a metal fan, which is a pretty interesting weapon and one I figure not many people have prepared themselves for.

Chor Yuen made seven movies in 1977 and its amazing that this looks as good and works as well as it does. That’s hard working.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of The Avenging Eagle as well as commentary by David West, author of Chasing Dragons: An Introduction to the Martial Arts Film. There’s also a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.

The Shaw Scope Volume 3 box set has several wuxia films by Chor Yuen that star Ti Lung. In this one, he plays Zhao Wuji, a swordsman who learns that his father has been killed. He’s so upset — and ready for revenge — that he cancels his wedding and gets pulled into a battle between two families, the Tang Family Sect led by Master Tang Ao (Yueh Hua) and his own family’s Zhao Clan who have no successor to his father, as he had hidden his will in a jade tiger that has been lost.

Chor Yuen made many of Gu Long’s books into movies, but this film has the author writing the screenplay which comes from his work The White Jade Tiger. 

How important was Zhao Wuji’s wedding anyways? After all, he was dueling with Dugu Sheng (Norman Chu) beforehand, a man who respected that he was about to be wed, while our hero claims that he would rather die a bachelor and not have a widow. He then takes on the name Shangguan Ren and becomes part of the Tang Family Sect, getting to know his father’s murderer and somehow not hating him as much as he would have suspected.

As much as this is a talky tale filled with twists and turns, it has Master Lu in it, a man so deadly that he uses his glass eyeballs as weapons. He has exploding eyeballs. Let that wash over you.

That said, this is probably not a good first time Shaw Brothers watch. You need to be a bit more into these films, know the actors and the reasons, and then you’ll enjoy this more than someone who hasn’t had a steady relationship with these movies.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of Jade Tiger as well as commentary by critic Ian Jane and a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.

Clans of Intrigue is based on the book Fragrance in the Sea of Blood, which is part of Gu Long’s Chu Liuxiang novel series. The first of these stories to be adapted by Shaw Brothers, with Chor Yuen directing and Ti Lung as Chu Liuxiang. Legend of the Bat and Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman would follow this movie, as well as several other appearances of this character in other movies.

After three martial artists are poisoned using the Holy Water Palace’s Heaven’s One Holy Water has been stolen, it’s determined that only one man could be so deadly and so good of a thief to pull this off: Chu Liuxiang. At least that’s what Kung Nan-Yen (Nora Miao) believes, but she gives our hero one month to clear his name.

Chor Yuen made five movies in 1977: Jade Tiger, Death Duel, Pursuit of Vengeance, The Sentimental Swordsman and this movie. He’d repeat that the following year before taking it easy in 1979 and 1980, only making four movies in both of those years. Not only was he busy, he also made some great films.

This has the feel of a detective tale, as our hero must go through each suspect and attempt to discover who could have stolen the Magic Water and who was also skilled enough to kill three martial arts masters. Chu Liuxiang must also deal with all of the other fighters who believe that he’s the murderer and don’t want to wait for revenge.

You can read Jenn Upton’s review of this movie here.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of Clans of Intrigue as well as commentary by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China; interviews with stuntwoman Sharon Yeung, film historian Bede Chang and film critic Law Kar and a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.

Fu Hung Hsue (Lung Ti) is one of the many heroes of writer Gu-long. In this film, directed by Chor Yuen, he learns of a weapon called the Peacock Dart. It’s so powerful that it could disrupt the entire martial world. Even though he has sworn off violence, our hero must come back to protect others from this armament, which is kind of like little bombs in the fan tail of a peacock. Yes, it is amazing.

There’s also the matter of another warrior, Yen Nan Fei (Lo Lieh), who has challenged Fu Hung Hsue to a duel. But as they’re both being targeted by a series of killers, they decide to work together until they get to the bottom of this mystery.

Master Yu has put a price on both of them so all manner of wild looking killers have come to collect. I mean, one of them is called Devil Granny and she hides in the shadows, laughing at you after she poisons you with incense. Oh yeah, she also eats people, has a giant chessboard and has turned a food cart into a weapon.

The other bad guys all have weird supernatural martial arts weapons, but come on. None of them are in their twilight years yet biting down on people and making the most elaborate death traps.

The creator of the McGuffin weapon also sends his daughter Yu-cheng (Ching Li) along with our heroes as they seek to destroy Master Yu. Will she fall in love with one of the heroes? Will Fu Hung Hsue do incredible things like move the acupuncture points of his body by one inch so that he can’t be paralyzed? Will the heroes finally have their duel?

Yes to all of this, as well as more blood and sleaze than you were expecting. That is to say, this is wonderful, a movie contained within the Shaw Brothers lot but feeling like it could go anywhere and do anything.

You can also read what Jenn Upton had to say about this movie here.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of The Magic Blade as well as extras such as commentary by critic Samm Deighan and a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.

Directed by Cheng Kang and Shao-Yung Tung, this starts with Commander Yang Tsung Pao (Chung Wa) near death and almost ready to concede defeat. He sends his most trusted generals, Chiao Ting Kuai (Fan Mei-Sheng) and Meng Huai Yuan (Wong Chung-Shun), back home to inform his family that he has died and to send more troops. There aren’t any, as all of the men of the family have been killed in battle. Matriarch She Tai Chun (Lisa Lu) gathers the titular fourteen women and heads off, along with her teenage grandson (played by Lily Ho, but it’s no surprise that he is a she) to win the war. As for why Lily plays a boy, everyone must follow this line of thinking, as she will be the male heir for the kingdom.

Each of the women is capable and a dangerous fighter, including Mu Kue Ying (Ivy Ling Po) and Yang Pei Feng (Shu Pei-pei), who is celebrated in stories beyond this. This also has one of the most outstanding sequences, as when the bridge across Death Valley is destroyed, She Tai Chun orders her troops to form a human bridge that everyone trust falls into action, as the army uses them to cross and continue their revenge.

Also: So much violence and the evil Mongols have Santa Claus-like outfits on, making this a perfect holiday movie of women sword-slashing evil St. Nicks and tossing them off cliffs. Sure, there are hundreds of characters to keep track of, but this movie was made to amaze you. I saw one Letterboxd review that said, “There are supposed to be whole armies and I only see fifty people.”

This is a film of blood and sacrifice, of strategy and resolve. So if you have nothing nice — or smart — to say, just watch something else and let us enjoy.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of The 14 Amazons as well as commentary by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China; interviews with stuntwoman Sharon Yeung, film historian Bede Chang and film critic Law Kar and a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.

Ainu (Lily Ho) has been kidnapped and stolen into slavery by Madam Chun Yi (Betty Pei Ti) and her Four Seasons brothel. Madam Chun is rough — she’s already killed one of the kidnapper for taking the virginity of one of her girls.

Our heroine and her owner don’t get along at all — at first — as Ainu keeps getting locked away for her insolence and her back whipped into a bloody mess that — of course — Madam Chun licks.

The rich noblemen who gather to take Ainu’s virginity get her drunk and then abuse her, over and over again. After stopping her from hanging herself, the pain of this event awakens a memory in a mute servant boy. Remembering a love he once lost, he tries to help her escape, but is easily killed, and Madam Chun tells Ainu that “I could easily kill you now.” Instead, Ainu starts to comply and becomes her mistress’ lover.

One by one, Ainu starts to murder the men who abused her, using her job as a courtesan to get close to them. Madam Chun is so blinded by her lust for her that even when her most trusted men tell her that Ainu is a killer, she refuses to believe it. It gets to the point that she even helps Ainu free all of her women and destroy her brothel, killing all of her loyal henchmen. When she’s struck down, she confesses that she loved Ainu, but she tells Madam Chu that it was all a lie, that she used her to get revenge. Of course, she misjudged how evil the woman is, as she’d hidden a poison pill in her mouth in case she ever needed to use it. With their last kiss, she kills her enemy and lover.

Amazingly — well, maybe not, Shaw Brothers stole some wild music for their soundtracks — this has Pink Floyd’s “Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up” and “Heart Beat, Pig Meat” in it.

If you’re looking for a female revenge movie, Shaw Brothers style, this is it. Of course, being that it came from this studio and director Chor Yuen, don’t expect it to end either clean or happily.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan and extras like two commentaries — one by film critic and historian Tony Rayns and the other by critic Samm Deighan — as well as alternate English credits and a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.

The Lady Hermit (Cheng Pei Pei) has become a legend in the martial world, a woman who cannot be defeated in combat. However, as her name seems to say, no one can find her. Chin Tsui-peng (Shih Szu) wants to seek her out, as she wants to take her fighting skills beyond where they are now. Her travels bring her to a small town where she meets Wu Chang-chun (Lo Lieh) and starts to get closer to finding the woman that she wants to be her teacher.

To find her, Chin Tsui-Peng starts to fight the soldiers of the evil Black Demon (Hsieh Wang), the only person who can seem to bring the Lady Hermit out of exile. She keeps showing up and destroying his baddies, only to vanish.

Of course, everyone meets and the young and impetuous Chin Tsui-peng must learn to curb her youthful arrogance if she’s to discover how to do the amazing things that the Lady Hermit can do, like kick chopsticks into the eyes of her enemies or slice bamboo trees and then impale men on them. She also has this bowl throwing attack that made me want to start my own art of kitchen killing.

The Black Demon is no easy final villain. He can somehow survive a stab in the stomach, a dagger or two to the head and numerous blades in his body while still being deadly. He also has a tower full of goons that must be defeated. The undertakers in this town had to get rich from this battle, because our heroines just go wild. They have a ton of blood all over them and not much of it is their own.

Directed by Ho Meng-Hua, this movie has not just one but two deadly women who need no one to save them. I mean, Chin Tsui-peng kills so many of the bad guys who have cornered her on a bridge by slicing the ropes and nearly ending her own life. That’s how tough you get when you train with the Lady Hermit and she throws cats at you.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of The Lady Hermit as well as commentary by critic James Mudge and a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of The New One-Armed Swordman as well as extras like commentary by martial arts cinema expert Brian Bankston and a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.

Two years after the original film was such a box office blockbuster, Cheng Cheh and stars Jimmy Wang and Lisa Chiao Chiao returned for this sequel. Yet when it begins, Fang Gang (Wang) has hung up his sword and is living in peace with his wife, Xiao Man (Lisa Chiao Chiao).

There are problems in the martial world that will soon require his attention. The Eight Sword Kings are challenging the masters of all rival schools, with any who refuse to fight being outright murdered. They capture every single master and demand that if the students want their teachers back, they must all cut off their sword arms and give them to them. So one of the students does what he must and kidnaps Fang Gang’s wife to get him to return and kill every single one of the Eight Sword Kings, each of whom also brings their students to the battle.

There’s the high flying Winged Blade (Yuen Cheung-yan), the sickling carrying Hooking Blade (or Ape’s Arms King Yuan Qian, played by Lau Kar-Leung), the camouflaged Buried Blade, the spinning weapon wielding Whirling Blade (Tong Gai), the monstrous Giant Blade (Ku Feng), the smoke throwing Thunder Blade, the seductive Thousand Blade (Essie Lin Chia) and the final boss, Unseen Blade (Tien Feng, who played the One-Armed Swordsman’s master in the first movie!), along with the enforcers known as Guan Heng (Fong Yau) and Guan Shun (Wu Ma).

This being a Cheng Cheh movie, expect all the blood that Shaw Brothers could brew up, as well as numerous deaths on all sides of the battles — lots of people being impaled, which is to Cheh as eyeballs being destroyed is to Fulci — plus the weirdest and wildest weapons you’ve ever seen. You know how Mega Man had to learn how to defeat each of his enemies who all had a unique move? It started here.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of The Return of the One-Armed Swordsman as well as commentary by critic Samm Deighan and a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.

The first Hong Kong film to make HK$1 million at the box office, this movie make a star of Jimmy Wang, who plays Fang Kang. He’s a poor boy who has been trained by Qi Ru Feng (Tien Feng) after his father, the servant Fang Chang (Ku Feng) gave his life to save the master. To get past the guilt that he feels, Qi Ru Feng has been teaching the boy. However, he can’t escape the other students, who abuse him because he’s an orphan with no money. It gets so bad that he leaves the school and when his master’s daughter Pei Er (Angela Pan) tries to stop him, they have a sword battle that causes her to cut off his right arm. He falls off a bridge to what should be his death, but he is saved by Xiao Man (Lisa Chiao Chiao).

As she brings him back to health, they fall in love. He remains depressed, however, that he can no longer fight. She finds a martial arts manual that teaches him a new style that no one can defend against, using his one arm.

Back in the martial world, the master is celebrating his birthday and has invited all of his students, as he plans to choose a successor. However, Long-Armed Devil (Yeung Chi-hing ) and the Smiling Tiger Cheng Tian Shou (Tang Ti) have turned this into an opportunity to murder everyone.

Despite the promise to Xio Man, our hero re-enters the martial world to save his master. Nearly every student is already dead and the master is wounded, but with just one arm, Fang Kang is triumphant. Yet instead of taking back the school, he returns back to his small farm.

Chang Cheh went on to great fame, as did Shaw Brothers, after this film. As for Jimmy Wang, he would play several other one-armed characters in films such as Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman, Return of the One-Armed Swordsman, One-Armed Boxer, that film’s sequel Master of the Flying Guillotine, One-Armed Swordsman Against Nine Killers and One Armed Swordsmen, which he co-directed and co-starred in with David Chiang, both playing one-armed killers. Yes, Jimmy Wang could beat you up with one arm literally tied behind his back.

To announce the new era of wuxia, Chang Cheh and Jimmy Wang made a hero so resilient that even losing the appendage that enabled him to be so dangerous can’t stop him. Everyone else had to catch up.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 4K restoration of The One-Armed Swordsman as well as commentary by David West, author of Chasing Dragons: An Introduction to the Martial Arts Film; a newly filmed appreciation of the One-Armed Swordsman series by film critic and historian Tony Rayns; interviews with Wang Yu, Chiao Chiao and Ku Feng as well as Daniel Lee, who directed the remake; an appreciation of director Chang Cheh’s work by film historian Sam Ho; One-Armed Side Hustles, a brand new video essay by Brandon Bentley on Wang Yu’s career playing amputee protagonists; theatrical trailers and trailers for other films by Chang Cheh films.

You can get this set from MVD.