Clan Of The White Lotus is one of the Shaw Brothers finest efforts in comedy and in kung-fu. It is endlessly entertaining and full of some awesome choreography, thanks to the work of by the one and only Liu Chia-Lian, and a wonderfully strange performance from its director (Lo Lieh) as Pak Mei -The White Eyebrow Hermit, who simply floats away from attackers and really, really enjoys taking long dragon baths.
It might be one of the weirdest from the studio, but it never EVER fails to entertain as embroidery kung-fu becomes a thing. This film is loaded with great moments of humor, thanks to the chemistry Lam Fai Wong and Gordon Liu (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin) share on the screen.
And it’s a good thing, too.
By 1980, Shaw Brothers (the studio, that is) had already revolutionized Hong Kong’s film industry. There was little to prove when it came to their work with the martial arts genre. The legacy of their actors and their prior films spoke for themselves, but - during the 1970s - they had challengers who wanted to bring a fresh voice to their style of costumed sword fighting films. But Run Run and Runme Shaw would not give up the mantle easily.
Clan Of The White Lotus, featuring a wonderful performance from Kara Hui Ying-Hung as his pregnant sister-in-law Mei Ha and Hung's fiance, Siu Ching (Yeung Jing-Jing), is proof positive that Movietown was stronger when it included diverse characters and interesting villains. This film flirts with gender neutral characters, castrated priests, and a more feminine style of kung-fu: cross-stitching.
Of course, in Gordon Liu’s hands, the cross-stitch style of fighting is crossed with techniques in acupuncture and in tiger as Hung Wei Ting trains, proving to be as resourceful as his foe. While he wanted to settle down and start a family, he must now take revenge for the death of Ah Piao (Lee King-Chiu), his brother, and his wife, who sacrificed herself during an ambush attack from the White Lotus Clan.
The film is now on blu-ray as part of Shout Factory’s Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol 3, which also includes 10 other classic martial arts films from the famous Shaw Brothers' library, featuring some of their greatest stars – Alexander Fu Sheng (The Brave Archer), Lo Lieh (King Boxer), Ti Lung (A Better Tomorrow), David Chiang (The Boxer Of Shantung) and the Deadly Venoms! Many of these films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray.
Find out where Quentin Tarantino got the five-point-palm exploding heart technique from. Clan Of The White Lotus is now on blu-ray!
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - October 24, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 11-discset
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Lo Lieh was famous as Shaw Studio's first international kung fu film star, but it was rare that he also directed, so this film is one of those special events. Following the huge success of Executioners From Shaolin, he returned to the villain's role in this combination sequel and remake. The result is a lighter hearted entertainment, as Gordon Liu Chia-hui must learn "Embroidery Fist" and acupuncture to counter the evil White Lotus leader's deadly "Weightless Boxing" and "Nerve Centre Shutdown" techniques.
Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, Clan Of The White Lotus is beautifully presented on 1080p from Shout Factory. Interiors are strong. Colors pop throughout, but it is the blood effects - burning bright in the transfer - which seal the deal on this one. It’s full of great atmosphere thanks to the quick-footed script and looks visually eye-popping due to the 1080- upgrade. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The tracking shots are glorious to behold in 1080p. Blacks are solid and shadows maintain their lines. Even the costumes are noted stitch by stitch.
Audio
Fans of the genre get only the newly restored lossless Mandarin track and a new English dub for all your chop socky needs.
Supplements:
Get ready to duel to the death with these supplemental items!
Commentary:
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See Special Features for the breakdown.
Special Features:
- NEW Audio Commentary By James Mudge, Hong Kong Film Critic At easternKicks
- NEW Audio Commentary With Film Historian Brian Bankston (Cool Ass Cinema Blog)
- NEW White Terror – Film Critic And Author David West Looks Back At The Chaotic Career Of Action-Director Lo Lieh
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Celestial Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: PG-13.
Runtime: 95 mins
Director: lo lieh
Writer: Tien Huang
Cast: Chia-Hui Liu; Lieh Lo; Lung-Wei Wang
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date: June 18, 1976 (Hong Kong)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: October 24, 2023
Synopsis: You know, that's too womanly. You carry on, you'll be a REAL woman.
