Eureka Entertainment are to release LAST HURRAH FOR CHIVALRY & HAND OF DEATH: TWO FILMS BY JOHN WOO, an essential pair of early films from one of the greatest action directors of all time, presented for the first time ever on Blu-ray in the UK in a 2-disc set taken from brand new 2K restorations. Released as part of the Eureka Classics range from 24 June 2019, the first 2000 copies will feature a Limited Edition Collector’s booklet.
A decade before he would change action filmmaking forever with A Better Tomorrow and The Killer, director John Woo was directing martial-arts films for the two biggest studios in Hong Kong, Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest. Under the mentorship of the great Chang Cheh (Five Deadly Venoms), Woo began to develop his signature style, films that featured slick, stylish and often violent choreography, with dramatic plots that revolved around brotherhood, honour and redemption. Presented here are two of his early works from this period.
In Last Hurrah for Chivalry, two killers (Pai Wei and Damian Lau) agree to help a man exact vengeance upon a kung fu master. Woo's first cinematic masterpiece, Last Hurrah for Chivalry is a dark and violent revenge film, featuring lightning fast swordplay and stylish cinematography.
In Hand of Death, a young Shaolin monk must train to defeat a dangerous Manchu warlord (James Tien) who is intent on wiping out the Shaolin once and for all. Featuring early performances from Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung (both also handled the film's stunts, along with third "brother" Yuen Biao), Hand of Death is an exquisitely stylish example of old school kung fu filmmaking. Try the trailer above.
