Blu-ray Review: Disciples of Shao Lin (Special Edition)

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Shaolin (or Shao Lin) had become a key buzzword when Kung Fu film flew onto the screens across America. The Shaolin Temple was known for being the place where the monks learned the best martial arts skills under the heavens. In the TV series Kung Fu, this was where the bald Caine learned all his badass moves and endured hard tasks to achieve his blackbelt skills. When movies from Hong Kong began arriving with more views of the Shaolin Temple, movie fans packed the theaters. Disciples of Shao Lin. They wanted to learn those death blows that the black belt instructors at your local karate studio weren’t sharing.

Guan Feng-yi (The Chinatown Kid‘s Alexander Fu Sheng) arrives in town without a clue as to how to act. He’s a barefoot country boy who sticks out among the locals. He has to learn how to wear shoes. He ends up landing a gig at a textile factory with the help of Huang Han (Bloody Monkey Master‘s Kuan-Chun Chi). But the company leans that Guan is more effective to the company as security instead of stuck weaving on a loom. Turns out the fabric business is very competitive. A rival weaving factory wants to perform a truly hostile takeover. Guan seems unstoppable, but Huang gets the upper fist when they first mix it up during a morning demonstration. Things get nasty quick when the rival weaving company has their good squad jump the weavers that don’t want to move over. It’s a bone breaking battle. When the rivals try it to more of the employees, Guan shows up and cleans house. Guan wants Huang to help him fight back, but the weaver has dark past that he doesn’t want to revisit. Guan’s martial arts skills finds him moving up the corporate structure even if he doesn’t have the business acumen. Huang is not impressed at his buddy’s new position. How long can he stay on top when the rivals are plotting to do more than introduce a new fabric line?

Disciples of Shao Lin isn’t about the Shaolin Temple or the monks. The original title in Chinese translates to The Hung Boxing Kid. But that sounds more like an adult feature that would get your theater busted by the vice squad. The US distributor went with the more moneymaking Shaolin buzzword and kept the cops away. The film established Alexander Fu Sheng as the newest of the Shaw Brothers stars upon its release in 1975. This wouldn’t last too long since he died in a car accident in 1983. This film let him play the naive bumpkin with killer martial arts skills with a sense of excitement. We also see him turn into a bit of jerk as he moves up the corporate ladder. Sheng’s fight scenes are impressive including one where he takes on a pack of henchmen with a sword dangling from his gut.

The film is really based on the nastiness of big business where the corporate overlords don’t seem to understand that just because you work for them, you aren’t going to die for them. None of the weavers are too excited to get into fist fights since they didn’t sign up for fighting. The weaving company owner cares more about his crickets than his employees. Guan is down for fighting since he doesn’t want to waste his day running thread back and forth. Huang can’t deal with fighting for a business. He unfortunately learns a reason that will restore his desire to bust out his death blows by the end of the movie. Disciples of Shao Lin is a top-level Shaw Brothers production.

The Video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The transfer is mastered from original 35mm negative. You’ll see all the details of the fights. The audio is an English dub LPCM mono 2.0 track. You’ll hear all the challenges. There’s also the Mandarin LPCM Mono 2.0 track. The movie is subtitled in English.

Audio Commentary by Critic and Author Samm Deighan points out that the film is notable since it’s the last collaboration of director Cheh Chang and fight choreographer Lau Kar-leung. She talks about star Alexander Fu Sheng who died young in a car accident. This was the film that launched him into stardom.

Audio Commentary by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema point out that most of the film was shot in Tawain. They talk about how for a long time Shaw Brothers didn’t put out their films on VHS and so there was a generation that didn’t know about so many of their superstar titles. Many of the stars would ask their fans from America if they could get them their films shipped back to Hong Kong. They also talk about how it was remade as The Barefoot Kid.

Chang’s Disciple (25:40) is an interview with Shaw Bros Actor and Acclaimed Director Jamie Luk. He describes the cattle call that led to his getting a gig at Shaw Brothers though his affiliation with Chang. He had to attend a training class to learn how to be in their movies. He speaks about shooting in Hong Kong and Taiwan. While acting, he stayed in a dorm on the studio lot and wasn’t over paid.

Theatrical Trailer (2:52) promises another epic in the Shaolin Martial Arts Series. There’s fighting in the fabrics.

Booklet includes an essay on what sort of theater played Shaw Brothers films in the ’70s.

Poster is reversible with the original artwork and the new release art.

88 Films present Disciples of Shaolin. Directed by Cheh Chang. Screenplay by Cheh Chang and Kuang Ni. Starring Alexander Fu Sheng, Kuan-Chun Chi, Ming Li Chen, Ching-Ping Wang, Ti Lu, Tao Chiang, Hark-On Fung and Chiang Han. Rating: Unrated. Running Time: 107 minutes. Release Date: December 14, 2021.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.