PRODUCT INFORMATION
Loosely based upon the legendary Yang dynasty chronicled in Chinese folklore, the film starts as the family patriarch and all but two of his sons are brutally wiped out in a bloody battle. One surviving son (Fu Sheng) returns to his mother and two sisters, deeply traumatized; the other (Gordon Liu) escapes and joins a nearby monastery while in hiding. Once he learns his sister (Kara Hui) has been captured by their enemies, however, the warrior-turned-monk realizes he must renounce his peaceful ideals in order to mount a rescue mission and avenge his family.
Made during the legendary Shaw Brothers studio's twilight years as a filmmaking powerhouse, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter is often regarded as director Lau’s masterpiece, as elegiac and suffused with anguish as it is thrillingly violent (not least in its bone-crunching, teeth-smashing climax).
FEATURES:
Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative by Arrow Films
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
Original lossless Cantonese, Mandarin and English mono audio
Optional English subtitles, plus hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
Brand new commentary by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China
Newly filmed appreciation by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
Interviews with stars Gordon Liu, Lily Li and Yeung Ching-ching, filmed by Frédéric Ambroisine in 2004
A Tribute to Fu Sheng, a short film commemorating the late actor that played before early screenings of The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, presented via a German-dubbed telecine (the best available copy) with English subtitles
Alternate opening credits, as The Invincible Pole Fighters
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Marc Aspinall
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by Terrence J. Brady
Shipping
No, we only ship inside the US
Most orders for in-stock items take less than 24 hours to ship (may take longer if you place an order over the weekend). Pre-orders are shipped as soon as the product arrives. International pre-orders may not come in before the street date. This is especially true with Australian pre-orders.
We only use USPS for all shipments. If there is an issue after your order ships you will need to contact your local post office.
Product
All items that come with a slipcover will say so in the product page.
Pre-orders will not say WITH SLIPCOVER until the product comes in.
Slipcovers are not guaranteed to be in mint condition.
If you can order it, it's either in stock or a pre-order. If an item is out of stock you will not be able to add it to your cart. It's rare but our inventory may not be correct. So in some cases an item may have to be shipped separately.
Other
We do not sell bootlegs. All product arrives from the distributor or is directly from the filmmakers. All items are new and sealed. Some indie titles or signed editions may not have shrinkwrap.
Any question?
If we still haven't answered your question, you can contact us below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.