Come Drink with Me – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1966
Director: King Hu
Writers: King Hu, Ting Shan-hsi
Cast: Cheng Pei-pei, Yueh Hua, Chan Hung-lit, Lee Wan-chung, Yeung Chi-hing, Wong Chung, Shum Lo, Wang Ruo-Ping, Han Ying-chieh, Yuen Siu-tien, Ku Feng, Ting Shan-hsi, Hao Li-jen, Cheung Hei, Ching Siu-tung, Angela Pan

Release Date: March 22nd, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 37 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.26:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"When the governor's son is taken hostage by bandits, a mysterious swordsman named Golden Swallow (Cheng) is hot on their trail to ensure the son's release. What the bandits don't realize, however, is that Golden Swallow is actually a woman and that the hostage is her brother. Determined to set him free, no matter how many goons she has to fight her way through in doing so, she is aided in her quest by a drunken beggar (Yueh Hua) who may have a closer connection to the bandits' leader than he initially lets on." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The high-definition master was supplied to Arrow Films by Celestial Pictures."

Come Drink with Me comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.4 GB

Feature: 22.5 GB

Although image clarity and color saturation look very good throughout. This transfer is obviously sourced from an older HD master. Also, black levels leave room for improvement.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Mandarin), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. That said, the Mandarin language track sounds more robust than its English language counterpart. This release comes with English subtitles for the Mandarin language track, English SDH subtitles for the English language track, and a second English subtitle track for Mandarin songs and text.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (46 images-stills/posters/lobby cards/home video art), theatrical trailer (3 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), digital reissue trailer (1 minute 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an archival documentary on the history of the wuxia genre and Shaw Brothers’ contributions to it, produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 titled Cinema Hong Kong: Swordfighting (50 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Chinese with removable English subtitles), a 2016 Q&A at the University of Hawaii with actress Cheng Pei-pei moderated by George Chun Han Wang (10 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Chinese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Chan Hung-lit (43 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Chinese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Yueh Hua (30 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Mandarin film clips), an archival interview with Cheng Pei-pei (51 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Mandarin film clips), an audio commentary by film critic and historian Tony Rayns, reversible cover art, a limited-edition slipcover (limited to first pressing) and a forty-four page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled A Deadly Beauty written by Anne Billson, an essay titled King Hu and Run Run Shaw: The Clash of Two Cinema Legends written by George Chun Han Wang and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Come Drink with Me is a landmark film; it is widely considered one of the best Wuxia films ever made. Come Drink with Me was also the breakout film for its director, King Hu, and its leading lady, Cheng Pei-pei. Come Drink with Me’s success would lead to a sequel titled Golden Swallow, which also starred Cheng Pei-pei.

The narrative brings together three separate stories. The first of these revolves around a gang of bandits led by Jade-Faced Tiger. The second of these revolves around a character named Fan Da-pei, aka Drunken Cat, whose path with the other two stories becomes intertwined when he assists Golden Swallow. The third of these revolves around Golden Swallow; her father, the governor, has sent her to rescue her brother from the bandits.

Two of the most memorable moments are action sequences, which also introduce characters. In the first of these, bandits led by Jade-Faced Tiger slaughter the guards protecting a prisoner and kidnap the governor's son. In the other Golden Swallow, the governor’s daughter, an accomplished martial artist, is ambushed in an inn by assassins sent by Jade-Faced Tiger. Both of these exemplary action sequences not only serve as outstanding character introductions, but they also perfectly flesh out everything you need to know about the main players.

All around, all of the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Cheng Pei-pei’s (Lady Hermit) portrayal of Golden Swallow, an archetypical character for all of the Wuxia heroines that followed. She delivers a remarkable performance where she more than holds her own with her male counterparts. Another notable cast member is Yueh Hua (Killer Clans) in the role of a drunken master named Fan Da-pei, and Chan Hung-lit’s (The Winged Tiger) sinister portrayal of Jade-Faced Tiger.

From a production standpoint, there’s not an area where Come Drink with Me does not excel. The narrative is flawlessly executed; it does a phenomenal job balancing exposition and action, and there is never an issue with pacing. The action sequences are exemplary; Come Drink with Me saves its bloodiest sequences for its opening and closing moments. King Hu’s (Dragon Inn) direction is solid, the action set pieces are exhilarating, and the locations are beautifully photographed. Ultimately, Come Drink with Me is a solid Wuxia film that fans of this genre are sure to thoroughly enjoy.

Come Drink with Me gets a first-rate release from Arrow Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an abundance of extras; recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer