Set in a remote Buddhist monastery in 16th Century China, Raining in the Mountain deals with a power struggle that ensues when the Abbot of the Three Treasures Temple announces his imminent retirement. The ageing Abbot invites three outsiders to advise him on the critical choice of appointing his successor: Esquire Wen, a wealthy patron of the monastery, General Wang, commander-in-chief of the local military, and Wu Wai, a respected lay Buddhist master. Within the monastery, several disciples aspiring to the position begin to collude individually with Esquire Wen and General Wang. But these two invited advisers have come with seditious intent, scheming to obtain the priceless scroll housed in the monastery: the scriptural text of The Mahayana Sutra, hand-copied by Tripitaka. Meanwhile, convicted criminal Chiu Ming has arrived at the monastery to atone as a monk. He is assigned to safeguard the scroll at the house of scriptures, and encounters thieving rivals White Fox who poses as Esquire Wen's concubine and General Wang's fearsome Lieutenant Chang, who originally framed Chiu Ming for the crime he did not commit. Selected as one of the Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures by the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2005, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present King Hu's Raining in the Mountain on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time in the UK, from a new 2K restoration completed in 2018 by the Taiwan Film Institute. Special Features Limited Edition O-card Slipcase (First print run of 2000 copies only) 1080p transfer of the film on Blu-ray, from the Taiwan Film Institute's 2K restoration Progressive encode on DVD Optional English subtitles Original Mandarin audio, fully restored and uncompressed in its original monaural presentation Brand new and exclusive feature-length audio commentary by critic and Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns Beyond Description A brand new video essay by David Cairns Trailer PLUS: a collector's booklet featuring new essays by Chinese-language film expert and author Stephen Teo; and Asian cinema expert David West, news editor at NEO magazine
Although most commonly associated with the Wuxia genre, in 1979 King Hu directed the epic fantasy-horror, Legend of the Mountain. Heavily influenced by traditional Chinese aesthetics and Zen Buddhist philosophy, it has come to be regarded as one of his greatest filmmaking achievements. A young scholar, Ho Yunqing (Shih Jun, A Touch of Zen, Dragon Inn), is tasked by an eminent monk to transcribe a Buddhist sutra said to have immense power over the spirits of the afterlife. To execute his work in peace, he travels to an isolated monastery deep in the mountains, where he encounters a number of strange people, including the mysterious and beautiful Melody (Hsu Feng, A Touch of Zen, Dragon Inn). As malicious spirits attempt to steal the sutra, Ho becomes entangled in a conflict between duelling forces of good and evil. Will he leave the mountain alive? Adapted from a Song Dynasty folk tale, Legend of the Mountain exemplifies King Hu's masterful command of spectacular visuals and philosophical insights into life and existence. Heavily edited upon release, the film has now been fully restored to its original length in stunning 4K, and The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the film for the first time ever on home video in the UK, in a special Dual Format edition. BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES: Limited Edition O-Card (2000 units) first print run only 1080p presentation of the film on Blu-ray, with a progressive encode on the DVD Uncompressed LPCM mono audio Newly translated English subtitles A new video essay by critic and filmmaker David Cairns A new interview with Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns Trailer A collector's booklet featuring an abundance of archival writing and imagery
Eureka Entertainment to release THE FATE OF LEE KHAN, the action-packed wuxia classic from master craftsman King Hu, as part of The Masters of Cinema Series in a definitive Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) edition on 21 October 2019. Available on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, and presented from a new 2K restoration. The first print-run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited Edition O-card Slipcase. The final film in King Hu's Inn Trilogy , and the follow-up to his highly-acclaimed A Touch of Zen, The Fate of Lee Khan once again shows the master filmmaker's impeccable talent in creating drama out of a single setting. An espionage thriller with a unique wuxia twist and shades of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, the film chronicles a tense showdown between warriors on opposing sides of a civil war in a rural inn. When Lee Khan (Tien Feng; A Better Tomorrow, Fist of Fury) a dangerous and cunning Mongol official, and his equally deadly sister Lee Wan-erh (Hsu Feng; A Touch of Zen), arrive at the Spring Inn to obtain a battle map that reveals the location of the Chinese rebel army, a group of resistance fighters, including an all-female group of ex-convicts plan to recapture the map, whatever the cost. As much a pre-cursor to the hangout' movie as it is an action packed wuxia adventure, The Fate of Lee Khan features action choreography by Sammo Hung (Eastern Condors) and also stars the incredible Angela Lady Whirlwind Mao, The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present King Hu's The Fate of Lee Khan on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time in the UK, from a new 2K restoration.
A fast and furious old skool martial arts movie from the Far East! 3 of Hong Kong's top Kung Fu stars Lo Lieh (King Boxer) Hsu Feng (Touch of Zen) and Yueh Hwa grace the screen in this ultra rare film.
An artist Ku lives with his mother near an abandoned fort. One night investigating strange noises he meets the beautiful Yang who is living there. She is being pursued by agents of an Imperial noble who have murdered her family and Ku finds himself caught up in her struggle to survive... A lyrically spiritual Kung Fu film 'A Touch Of Zen' provided the inspiration for Ang Lee's seminal 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon'.
One of a collection of films recently discovered in the Hong Kong film archives and now available for the first time in the UK. One of the most popular stars in the martial arts world Dragon Lee performs in this epic account of an attempt to overthrow the Ching government. The fighting is fast furious and brutal as you would expect from this master of Kung Fu. Dragon Lee was considered by many to have taken over the crown worn by the true master Bruce Lee and in 'The Angry Dragon'
Cheng Pei-Pei stars as Golden Swallow in this influential 1966 martial-arts saga from pioneering director King Hu one of the first to feature a woman fighter in the lead role. Set in 19th-century China (and featuring a cameo from a very young Jackie Chan) Come Drink With Me has it's heroine battling to rescue her brother from a band of kidnappers in a role that helped pave the way for subsequent hits like Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. This fun adventurous movie also features the excellent Yueh Hua in the obligatory kung-fu-master-disguised-as-beggar role.
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