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Category:    Home > Reviews > Martial Arts Cycle > Master Of The Flying Guillotine - Deluxe Set

Master of the Flying Guillotine –

Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition set

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: B     Film: A

 

 

Master of the Flying Guillotine (1975) is the summary of everything I love about Japanese grind house films.  Filled to the brim with fun, heart, humor, and epic moments, this exceptional release of Master is presented with two discs and two different versions of the film.  One in the original Mandarin version with English subtitles and the other in dubbed English.

         

The story is simple enough.  Pissed off blind assassin (played by the late great Kam Kang) is on the search to find the One-armed boxer (played by director and star Jimmy Wang Yu) who killed two of his students right in front of him will not stop until he’s chopped off the head of the One Armed Boxer with his amazing Flying Guillotine that he swings around with him everywhere he goes.  The One Armed Boxer is an astonishing fighter and a teacher at a small training school that has his students gaping in awe at his abilities to walk on sticks and run along walls in the classroom.  When word of a huge tournament is announced, his students highly encourage him to join though he agrees to watch and not fight.  The long tournament, showcasing spectacular fight sequence after spectacular fight sequence, is soon interrupted when the Blind Assassin shows up with his guillotine to lop off the head of another one-armed fighter in the tournament.  Knowing that his presence will cause only trouble, the One Armed Boxer leaves the tournament to face off with the Assassin personally.  Along his journey, he meets a vengeful female fighter who wants him to avenge her father’s death and a host of other colorful characters all leading to a stunning climactic fight scene against the One Armed Boxer and the Blind Assassin that will leave both impressed and extremely satisfied. 

 

For those of you who are not aware of this great film, imagine Kill Bill if it was made in 1976.  Like Tarantino’s masterpiece, Master of the Flying Guillotine has that same fun movie feel to it.  A swinging guillotine used by a blind assassin that chops off every one armed man that he comes in contact with.  Cool and inventive opponents with retractable arms and weapons, sound effects for every kick and punch, swish pans, snaps into close-ups – this film has it all.  Tarantino even used THE theme song for the Blind Assassin from this film in Kill Bill before the Bride faced off against the leader of the Crazy 88s.  (I capitalize THE because it is used every time the Assassin is present on screen.)

 

Noted before the film is begun is a message about the restoration of the transfer.  To the best of their abilities, Pathfinder Home Entertainment has tried to restore the film to the best of their abilities.  The film is old and it shows with the abundance of grain and color discoloration in key moments of the film.  It doesn’t detract away from the enjoyment of the film but it is definitely a shame that a sharper and more pristine transfer of the film is not yet available.

 

This nice “two disc anniversary deluxe edition” has two versions of the film as I mentioned earlier both on separate discs, audio commentary by film critics Andy Klien, Wade Major, and Alex Luu, an exclusive interview with star/director Jimmy Wang Yu, a full color 16 page booklet that has plenty of fun facts about the production of the film, still gallery, bios, and theatrical trailers.  They are more than worth have two DVD here for.

 

The picture on the new version is anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1, while the old one was (and is) simply letterboxed.  There is a noticeable improvement in quality, but the print needs m ore work on it.  Something they should consider when they go to HD, because some of the upgrades would not take much work.  The Dolby Digital Stereo here is barely an upgrade from the Dolby 2.0 Mono with the older transfer, but the source is so old, but films from this genre tend to have poor sound usually.  Even Fox’s DTS upgrades have been amusing, adding brand new audio to the old audio.  The reason to get this set are those extras.

 

This film did something to me that no other has done since Kill Bill.  Had me on the edge of my seat hooting, hollering, chomping, and groaning at every fun scene that unfolded in front of me.  I begged my roommates to come in and check out the action with me because this movie was so fun.  This is certainly prime viewing material for anyone who is interested in having a good time while watching classic Asian cinema.  Be sure to check out another rave for the original single DVD release of this film, also from Pathfinder, elsewhere on this site.  It is not even as good picture and sound wise than the new version, something you can see on the second disc in this set.

 

 

-   James Lockhart


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