Paula Hammond - Features Editor
Often described as the “Godfather of Hong Kong Cinema”, Chang Cheh made nearly a hundred films during a long and storied career spent at the famous Shaw Brothers Studio. There, he forged his reputation with directing credits on such landmark films as The One-Armed Swordsman, Five Deadly Venoms and The Heroic Ones.
Many of his films drew upon Chinese history for inspiration – and many of them were based on real people and real events. Eureka Classics’ latest must-have releases present four of Chang Cheh’s best historical epics in an all-new, limited-edition set.
In Marco Polo, the eponymous Venetian explorer (Richard Harrison) becomes embroiled in a battle between the Mongol Empire and Chinese rebels in the thirteenth century.
In The Pirate, the infamous nineteenth-century raider Cheung Po Tsai (Ti Lung) must evade agents of the Imperial Court while attempting to aid the downtrodden residents of a coastal village.
In Boxer Rebellion, a group of Chinese patriots use kung fu to protect their nation against invading forces at the turn of the twentieth century.
Finally, in Four Riders, a Chinese veteran of the Korean War enlists three comrades to help him escape the South Korean Military Police Command after he is falsely accused of murdering an American soldier.
Marco Polo, The Pirate, Boxer Rebellion and Four Riders are all fascinating examples of historical genre cinema, directed with aplomb by this veteran of Hong Kong cinema.
All four films are presented on blu-ray from HD masters. The Blu-ray two-disc set will be limited to 2000 copies per territory — and each set comes with an exclusive O-card slipcase and collector’s booklet.
Fascinating, thrilling, and beautifully remastered for blu-ray, Eureka’s Horrible History makes cracking viewing for the festive season.
