In which the cave of the Golden Snake is introduced!
The Sword Stained With Royal Blood is a certifiable classic of Kung-Fu madness. It’s an adventure with a strong narrative which sees Yuan Cheng-chih (Phillip Kwok) whisked away from tragedy and raised right so that he might avoid the same fate as his father. The action is immediate and the violence is quick, making this Chang Cheh-directed vehicle an absolute stunner.
Almost immediately, the audience is transported from the violent death of Yuan’s father, a Han loyalist who betrayed the emperor, to the serenity of his care as he finds refuge with the reclusive master of the Lung Yau school of martial arts. He is raised to be noble and righteous and that is shown when he seeks out the cave of the Golden Snake, a booby-trapped cavern which houses a very important skeleton.
Seeking the hideout of a long-dead martial arts master known as Golden Snake Xia Xuey, Yuan knows he will have to be careful and follow the guidelines left by the master. Others, though, do not and let their greed be their end. Fortunately, Yuan escapes the cave with a manual, a sword, and a collection of darts. He also has the name of Golden Snake’s wife . . . and instructions to visit her and honor the late master’s wishes.
He just doesn’t know what he’s stepping into, though. Complete with really bad disguises, some awesome kung fun shenanigans, and a fatalistic approach to beginnings and endings, The Sword Stained With Royal Blood is Shaw Brothers reengaged with their audience. The set designs are glorious; the blood spatter is everywhere (even shooting out onto the camera’s lens at one point), and the romance is cut short when a trio of angry martial artists storm the household and accuse Golden Snake’s daughter of theft. 
What follows is an honest to god royal rumble as Yuan finds himself forced to fight the infamous Five Element Array in order to complete his quest!
The film is now on blu-ray thanks to Shout Factory’s Shaw Brothers Collection, Vol 4 which includes another 12 classic martial arts films that highlight this explosive box set comprised from the famous Shaw Brothers' library and featuring some of their greatest stars including The Five Deadly Venom’s stars Phillip Kwok, Sun Chien, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, and Lo Meng and A Better Tomorrow's Derek Yee and Ti Lung. Many of these visually spectacular films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray. Heroes meet villains in edge-of-your-seat duels in this exciting array of some of Shaw Brothers' best!
Just what is the riddle of the Golden Snake?! Find out in The Sword Stained With Royal Blood.
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - December 19, 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
Video: MPEG-4 AVC
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 12-discset
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
The godfather of the kung fu film, Chang Cheh, made this treasured and iconic adventure, featuring three of his five famous Venoms film actors. The spectacular action and intrigue starts when Phillip Kwok uncovers a sword, a training manual, a treasure map, and a secret message. The kung fu which ensues is as impressive as it is glorious.
Video
The Sword Stained With Royal Blood arrives on Blu-ray from Arrow Video sporting an HD 2K remaster sourced from the original 35mm camera negatives and looks wonderful. 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
A Mandarin Mono DTS-HD Master Audio With New Subtitle Translation provides the only audio experience.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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See below for the breakdown of this release.
Special Features:
Get ready to fight to the death with these supplemental items!
- NEW “Royal Attraction” – An Interview With Veteran Shaw Actor Chu Ke
- NEW “Bloodstained Insight” – An Interview With Actor Lung Tien-Hsiang
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Celestial Trailer
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MPAA Rating:
Runtime: 104 mins
Director: Cheh Chang
Writer: Louis Cha; Cheh Chang; Kuang Ni
Cast: Phillip Chung-Fung Kwok; Hsueh-Erh Wen; Tien-Hsiang Lung
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date: March 6, 1981 1982 (Hong Kong)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: December 19, 2023
Synopsis: Yuan completes training, receives assignment from master. Discovers cave with skeleton, treasure chest, and manual on Golden Snake style. Embarks on fulfilling cave occupant's final wish based on findings.
