The Blood Beast Terror: Tigon Collection – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1968
Director: Vernon Sewell
Writer: Peter Bryan
Cast: Peter Cushing, Robert Flemyng, Wanda Ventham, Vanessa Howard, Glynn Edwards

Release Date: September 30th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes 39 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"A series of blood-thirsty murders is investigated by Inspector Quennell and Sgt. Allan of Scotland Yard. But when their search for the killer leads them to the door of strange entomologist Dr. Carl Mallinger and his beautiful daughter Clare, events take a nightmarish turn in this 19th-century tale of transformation, monsters, and terror." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation in original 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio."

The Blood Beast Terror comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.7 GB

Feature: 24.2 GB

MJM Multimedia encoded this release, which is the first Tigon title by 88 Films not encoded by Fidelity in Motion. An existing 2K restoration from 2012 now serves as the source, despite its age. That said, the source looks great; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, black levels and image clarity are strong, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look. 

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. Though the audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, there are moments where you can hear faint background hiss. That said, range-wise, things sound limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, the original theatrical trailer (2 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer under the alternate title The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood (2 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a documentary titled Terror at Grim’s Dyke House - The Making of The Blood Beast Terror (31 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor Howard Lanning titled To Cut or Not to Cut (24 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with John Hamilton and Howard Lanning, reversible cover art, an O-ring slipcase (limited to the first pressing) and a 32-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled In the Moth of Madness Looking Back at Tigon’s The Blood Beast Terror written by Andrew Graves, an essay titled Unleashing the Blood Beast written by John Hamilton, and archival images.

Summary:

Vernon Sewell directed The Blood Beast Terror. He is also known for directing Curse of the Crimson Altar and Burke & Hare.

A scientist's experiments with a death’s head moth create a creature that feeds off of human blood.

The Blood Beast Terror was the first film produced under the Tigon British Film Productions banner. Mini Weekend and The Sorcerers, two films that preceded The Blood Beast Terror, were co-productions produced by Tony Tenser, founder of Tigon British Film Productions. Though Tigon British Film Productions would make films in a variety of film genres, it is in the horror genre where it found its greatest successes.

Content wise, The Blood Beast Terror has all the elements synonymous with gothic horror cinema. It is a period-set horror film with some sci-fi elements thrown in for good measure. The blood sucking creature mostly keeps its carnage offscreen and its true form hidden, revealing them later on. Also, by keeping what the creature looks like in the shadows until late into the film, this makes its full reveal more impactful.

Though Peter Cushing leads a strong cast (Night of the Big Heat), unfortunately they are not given that much to work with. That said, Peter Cushing still delivers another solid performance. And the most memorable performance is Robert Flemyng, who portrays a scientist who performs diabolical experiments. His character is reminiscent of the one he portrayed in The Horrible Dr. Hichcock.

From a production standpoint, despite working with limited resources, there are a few areas where The Blood Beast Terror excels. Its solid costume and production values do a phenomenal job recreating its period setting. Unfortunately, The Blood Beast Terror has a few shortcomings; its pacing drags during some of the character development moments. Ultimately, The Blood Beast Terror is a pedestrian horror-sci-fi hybrid that suffers from lethargic pacing and an anti-climatic ending.

The Blood Beast Terror gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Legacy of Rage: Deluxe Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1986
Director: Ronny Yu
Writers: Clifton Ko, Raymond Fung
Cast: Brandon Lee, Michael Wong, Regina Kent, Mang Hoi, Bolo Yeung, Ng Man-tat, Shing Fui-On

Release Date: September 23rd, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes 41 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK)

"Hardworking Brandon Ma (Lee) is loving life with his girlfriend May (Regina Kent) but his drug-dealing best friend Michael (Michael Wong) has sights on May and sets Brandon up for murder." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 2K Remaster from the Original Negatives."

Legacy of Rage comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.4 GB

Feature: 24.1 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese), 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound great; dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds robust when it should. That said, I would give the edge to the Cantonese language track, which sounds slightly fuller. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery (22 images), Tai Seng trailer (1 minute 39 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), export theatrical trailer (3 minutes 53 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 40 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language opening and closing credits (4 minutes 13 seconds, LPCM mono), an archive Interview with director Ronny Yu (10 minutes 18 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Phat Samurai Ronny Yu interview (6 minutes 32 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a Brandon Lee memorabilia featurette titled Hector Martinez Presents the World of Brandon Lee (12 minutes 28 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with  Frank Djeng and Ronny Yu, reversible cover art, A3 poster, a rigid slipcase, and a 28-page booklet with an essay titled Shadow of the Dragon Brandon Lee and the Burden of Legacy written by David West, an essay titled Legacy of Bruceploitation Brandon Lee & the Hong Kong Connection written by Paul Bramhall, and archival images.

Summary:

Ronny Yu directed Legacy of Rage. He is also known for The Postman Fights Back, The Bride with White Hair, and The Phantom Lover.

Needing a fall guy for a murder, a gangster sets up a man so he can move in with his girlfriend.

John Woo's A Better Tomorrow received release during the production of Legacy of Rage, giving Hong Kong action cinema a much-needed boost. Though there are a few graphic moments in Legacy of Rage, it's more in line with Hong Kong action cinema that came before Heroic Bloodshed films. That said, if there is one area where Legacy of Rage feels like a Heroic Bloodshed film, that would be its Hellfire of Bullets finale.

It is fitting that Brandon Lee’s first starring role has the word 'legacy’ in its title. From the moment he decided to act, there was no way he could avoid the large shadow that looms over his father Bruce Lee’s legacy. There are many ways in which Brandon's career mirrored his father. In Hong Kong they found initial success, and both died tragically before the release of the films that made them worldwide stars.

The character that Brandon Lee portrays in Legacy of Rage is tailored made for him. Also named Brandon, he’s a down-to-earth, hardworking man whose girlfriend is the thing he most cherishes. Though he delivers a psychically commanding performance, when it comes to the more dramatic moments, they are not as strong. That said, some of this is likely due to dubbing.

There are two action sequences that really showcase Brandon Lee’s martial arts prowess. In the first of these sequences, Brandon helps a missing girl reunite with her family by outrunning a bus. The other is a sequence that takes place in an alley, and it is reminiscent of a moment from his father's film The Way of the Dragon. These are two memorable sequences, albeit for different reasons. The first is an outlandish sequence that shows Brandon’s athleticism; in the other of these two sequences, it is cool to see him channel the spirit of his father.

The supporting cast is solid around Brandon Lee, who is the main attraction of Legacy of Rage. Notable performances include Michael Wong (Royal Warriors) in the role of a ruthless crime boss's son, Shing Fui-On (The Blue Jean Monster), who portrays the crime boss's son’s main enforcer, and Regina Kent (A Better Tomorrow II), who portrays Brandon’s girlfriend May. Bolo Yeung, who previously fought Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon Squares off against Brandon in Legacy of Rage, delivers a memorable cameo.

After the death of Bruce Lee, there were an influx of films and actors trying to mimic him which became known as Brucesploitation. And though there are many elements in Legacy of Rage that scream Bruceploitation, notably when it came to its advertising campaign. In the case of Legacy of Rage and Brandon Lee’s performance, it is more of an homage than Bruceploitation.

From a production standpoint, Legacy of Rage is a film that surpasses the sum of its parts. Though Legacy of Rage covers familiar ground, the result is a well-executed narrative that does a superb job building momentum. The action sequences do not disappoint, Ronny Yu’s direction is solid, and there is a good balance of action and exposition. In the hands of another actor, Legacy of Rage would be an average Hong Kong action film; ultimately, it is Brandon Lee’s performance that takes this film to another level.

Legacy of Rage gets a definitive release from 88 Films, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Mad Magician – Indicator Series (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1954
Director: John Brahm
Writer: Crane Wilbur
Cast: Vincent Price, Mary Murphy, Patrick O’Neal, Eva Gabor, John Emery, Lenita Lane, Donald Randolph, Jay Novello

Release Date: April 25th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 72 Minutes 51 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £8.99 (UK)

"Made shortly after the box-office success of House of Wax, The Mad Magician returns Vincent Price to the world of three-dimensional horror. He plays Don Gallico, the creator of elaborate illusions for stage magicians, who seeks their fame… and will turn to murder to achieve it!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Sony's 2K remaster, supervised by Rita Belda, was the source to this Indicator edition."

The Mad Magician comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.9 GB

Feature: 21.4 GB

For this release, both the 3-D and 2-D versions of the film have been included. It should be noted that no 3-D glasses are included, and you will need the required equipment to watch this film in 3-D.

The source is in great shape; image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. Though this release shares the same source Twilight Time used for their 2017 Blu-ray, Fidelity in Motion’s solid encode of the 2D version gives it the edge.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (32 images - stills/posters), a  theatrical trailer (2 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), two super 8 versions of The Mad Magician: version #1 (8 minutes 34 seconds, no sound with burnt English subtitles) and version #2 (16 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Three-Dimensional Magic an appreciation of The Mad Magician and the 3D filmmaking boom of the 1950s by cinematographer Frank Passingham (Kubo and the Two Strings) and archivist Tom Vincent (15 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historians Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby, two short films starring the Three Stooges, both presented in 3D and 2D: Spooks! (15 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH) and Pardon My Backfire (15 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH), and a 40-page booklet (limited edition of 3,000 copies) with cast & crew information. An essay titled Merv Taylor: The Real  Mad Magician written by Kat Ellinger, Bryan Foy: King of ‘Little Pictures”, an interview with John Brahm conducted by David Del Valle, a guide to the promotional campaign, an overview of contemporary critical responses, cast & crew information for Spooks! and Pardon My Backfire, an essay titled The 3-D Stooges written by Jeff Billington, archival images, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Shortly after the box office success of House of Wax, producer Brian Foy would quickly start another similar-themed film. And that film in question was The Mad Magician. Besides borrowing elements from the aforementioned House of Wax, another area where these two films have similarities is the carryover of key cast members, including screenwriter Crane Wilbur and cinematographer Bert Glennon, and Vincent Price once again being cast in the lead role.

From a production standpoint, The Mad Magician features a solid premise, a strong narrative that is wonderfully paced, and well-defined characters that are all superbly portrayed by the cast. Another strength of The Mad Magician are its striking visuals, and when it comes to the use of 3-D, this film far exceeds expectations.

Standout moments visually include a sequence of moments where the protagonist has just severed off the head of his employer and the bag he put the head in has been mistakenly taken by a young woman who works for him, and the scene where the protagonist's ex-wife discovers that he has been impersonating a dead man.

When discussing The Mad Magician, one must not overlook the contributions from Vincent Price (Theatre of Blood) in the role of this film’s protagonist, Professor Henry Jarrod. He delivers a rock-solid performance, which allows him to take on many personas. Other notable cast members include Eva Gabor ("Green Acres") in the role of Jarrod’s ex-wife, John Emery (Spellbound) in the role of a magician named The Great Rinaldi, and Lenita Lane in the role of Alice Prentiss, an inquisitive novelist who writes murder mysteries.

Though not as well-remembered as House of Wax, The Mad Magician is a highly entertaining film that makes an excellent companion piece to the aforementioned film.

The Mad Magician gets its best home media release to date from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Intrépidos Punks / Vengeance of the Punks – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Mexico, 1988 (Intrépidos Punks), Mexico, 1991 (Vengeance of the Punks)
Director: Francisco Guerrero (Intrépidos Punks), Damián Acosta Esparza (Vengeance of the Punks)
Cast: Juan Valentín, Juan Gallardo, Princesa Lea, Ana Luisa Peluffo, Olga Rios, Bruno Rey, Luz María Jerez

Release Date: August 27th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 87 Minutes 27 Seconds (Intrépidos Punks), 88 Minutes 27 Seconds (Vengeance of the Punks)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.98

Intrépidos Punks: "After Fiera and her punk cohorts break their leader Tarzan out of prison, no one is safe! The newly reunited gang are quick to resume their favorite pastimes: robbing banks, brokering drug deals, and securing weapons, all while leaving a trail of mutilated corpses in their wake. As the entire countryside becomes caught up in the punk’s lifestyle of debauchery and violence, it's up to federal agents Javier and Marco to track them down before bloodthirsty anarchy becomes the new way of life." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Vengeance of the Punks: "The punks are on the prowl again! After another explosive jailbreak, Tarzan and his gang are back on the streets, this time looking to exact revenge on the men responsible for landing them in the slammer. After ambushing federal agent Marco’s party and murdering his entire family, they mistakenly believe that they’ve fully annihilated their enemies. But when it turns out that Marco didn’t die in the ambush, the punks begin to get a taste of their own ruthlessness as Marco tracks them down and kills them one by one…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Intrépidos Punks), 3.75/5 (Vengeance of the Punks)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "Newly scanned and restored in 4K from their 35mm original negatives."

Intrépidos Punks and Vengeance of the Punks come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.8 GB

Feature: 21.2 GB (Intrépidos Punks), 20.2 GB (Vengeance of the Punks)

The Intrépidos Punks has a disclaimer explaining why some footage was taken from a 35mm theatrical print. Vengeance of the Punks source damage is more prominent than Intrépidos Punks' source damage. That said, despite their source limitations, it's hard to imagine these two films looking any better than they do here. Though there are moments where the quality fluctuates, for the most part flesh tones and colors look spot on, and image clarity is strong. Also, compression is solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4/5 (All Audio Tracks)

Both films come with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish. Though there are some source limitations, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise things sound satisfactory. There are two English subtitles: one that translates only dialog, and the other translates dialog and song lyrics.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer for Intrépidos Punks (1 minute 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), a making-of documentary titled Intrépidos Punks: A Surrealistic Mexican Scene, featuring interviews with director Francisco Guerrero, along with actors Tito Guillen, Socorro Albarran, Carlos Hauptvgel, Fidel Abrego, Olga Rios, Rosita Bouchot and Arturo Masson (30 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish and English with non-removable English subtitles for Spanish),  a making-of documentary titled La Venganza de los Punks: Punk is Dead, featuring interviews with actors Tito Guillen, Socorro Albarran, Carlos Hauptvgel, Fidel Abrego, Olga Rios, Arturo Masson, Anais De Melo and Juan Moro (20 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish and English with non-removable English subtitles for Spanish), reversible cover art, a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 6,000 units), and a 28-page booklet with an essay titled In the Name of Punk written by Claudia Pretelin, and archival images.

Summary:

Intrépidos Punks: A masked man named Tarzan, leading a gang of punks, terrorizes a small town.

Vengeance of the Punks: A gang of punks and their leader Tarzan resume their reign of terror after breaking out of jail.

Vengeance of the Punks is more than a continuation of Intrépidos Punks; content-wise, there is a lot of overlap between these two films. The narrative for these two films is essentially a gang going around terrorizing, robbing, and destroying everything in their path while an inept police struggle to catch them. And what makes this scenario even more confusing is that it is such a small town that the police can't find the criminals. That said, despite some small variations between these films, Vengeance of the Punks feels more like a rehash than a sequel.

It would be difficult to pin either Intrépidos Punks or Vengeance of the Punks into a genre; they are both melting pots of genres; there is action, drama, and softcore erotica. Also, it should not come as a surprise that the most entertaining moments are when the gang wreaks havoc, while the rest of the events that unfold slow momentum down considerably. That said, the Intrépidos Punks soundtrack does a great job reinforcing the mood.

The criminal gang featured in these two films looks more like something from a post-apocalyptic film than a punk rocker. Also, though Vengeance of the Punks starts off strong, it lacks Intrépidos Punks’ spontaneity. One area you can’t fault either of these films is its cast's enthusiastic performances, many of which are over the top. Ultimately, Intrépidos Punks and Vengeance of the Punks are not easy films to recommend; fans of Z-grade exploitation will get the most mileage out of these two films.

Vinegar Syndrome gives Intrépidos Punks and Vengeance of the Punks their best home media release to date.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Broken Oath: Special Edition – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1977
Director: Jeong Chang-hwa
Writer: Jeong Chang-hwa
Cast: Angela Mao, Chan Wai-Man, Dean Shek, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Bruce Leung

Release Date: October 21st, 2024 (UK), October 22nd, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 97 Minutes 57 Seconds (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 102 Minutes 9 Seconds (Extended Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Mandarin (Both Versions), LPCM Mono English (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Orphaned and angry, Lotus (Mao) is raised by Buddhist nuns before she is exiled for her violent ways - and skipping classes to improve her martial arts skills. Finding herself alone in the world, she quickly comes to discover the truth of her past: that her father was once a respected member of the Imperial Court who was murdered in cold blood, and that her mother gave birth to her in a jail cell after being unjustly imprisoned for killing one of the culprits. With revenge on her mind and a newfound accomplice in tow (Bruce Leung, Magnificent Bodyguards), she sets out to track down the men responsible for tearing her family apart - armed with both her considerable martial arts prowess and a nest of scorpions with which to poison her enemies." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Both Versions)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "the uncut theatrical version from a brand new 2K restoration."

Broken Oath comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.8 GB

Feature: 19.9 GB (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 20.4 GB (Extended Cut)

The source used for this transfer looks excellent. Flesh tones look accurate, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (All Audio Tracks)

The Hong Kong theatrical comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin and a LPCM mono mix in English. The extended cut comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin. All audio tracks sound great; dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English subtitles for the Mandarin language tracks and a second removable English subtitle for Mandarin text when watching the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with film writer Patrick Macias titled Female Revenge: Scorpion vs Katana (7 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Broken Oath: an appreciation by Andrew Heskins (11 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), an audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, an O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 28-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled From Whirlwind to Lotus, Angela Mao and Broken Oath written by Gina Marchetti, an essay titled Sympathy for Lady Whirlwind: Broken Oath and Lady Snowblood written by Leon Hunt and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Jeung Chang-hwa directed Broken Oath. His other notable films are King Boxer, The Skyhawk, and The Double Crossers. Though not credited, Broken Oath is an adaptation of Kazuo Koike’s manga Lady Snowblood.

When an orphan learns about her mother's last wish, she sets out to find the four men who killed her father and raped her mother.

Broken Oath’s strongest connection to Lady Snowblood is its opening setup. Though there are Lady Snowblood moments throughout Broken Oath, after the initial setup it really becomes its own entity. And nowhere is this clearer than Angela Mao’s (Lady Whirlwind) portrayal of the protagonist. Instead of piggybacking off of Meiko Kaji’s Yuki Kashima, she creates a character that stands on its own. That said, Angela Mao’s portrayal of Lotus is arguably her best performance.

Despite its lineage, Broken Oath is not as bloody as Lady Snowblood; when there is carnage, these moments rival Lady Snowblood’s bloodiest moments. When it comes to the fight sequences, they are exemplary, and Angela Mao’s acrobat skills are on full display. Another strength of the fight sequences is the variety of weapons, especially the protagonist, who carries around deadly scorpions.

Though Angela Mao’s performance overshadows the rest of the cast, the supporting cast are all very good in their roles. A secondary cast member of note is Sammo Kam-Bo Hung (The Magnificent Butcher), who portrays one of the bad guys standing in the protagonist's way. Throughout the 1970s, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung appeared in so many films in minor roles that would be unforgettable in the hands of a lesser actor.

Besides being a tale about revenge, Broken Oath is also a story about redemption. This subplot revolves around one of the men who murdered the protagonist's father and raped her mother. A chance encounter gives him an opportunity to save the protagonist's life; unlike the other three men, he’s a changed man.

Broken Oath finds a perfect balance between action and exposition. The well-executed narrative does a superb job building momentum, and an exceptional finale brings the protagonist's journey to a very satisfying conclusion. Also, Jeong Chang-hwa’s direction for his Swan song is outstanding. Ultimately, Broken Oath is a bona fide martial arts classic, making it a must-see for fans of this genre.

Broken Oath gets a solid release from Eureka Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer