8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1984) - Arrow Video (April 2022)

[yoloswegmaster420]

After one of its lead actors (cherub-faced action icon Alexander Fu Sheng) unexpectedly died midway through production, master director Lau Kar-leung (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin) retooled his latest martial arts epic, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, as the ultimate action spectacular in tribute to the fallen star.

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).

Special Features:

• Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative by Arrow Films 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

[darkness2918]

I have the 88 Films UK release but I’ll still be picking up this version as well.

[Labor_Unit001]

Already have the 88 films, but day one on this for the 2k remaster. Those shawscope box remasters were gorgeous.

Any word if they'll be using the 88 films subtitles like with Come Drink With Me?

[DukeTogo84]

Haven't seen this, but heard it's one of the best Shaw films. Day 1.

[wmv2001]

Wonder if they'll do a theatrical artwork o-card variant like Come Drink With Me. Great news either way though, April is going to be a killer month for Arrow.

[Gunsnroses092789]

Just saw this today for the first time on the Dragon Dynasty dvd. Great film. Might have to pick this up. Shame it’s not part of Shawscope Vol 2. Must have to do with UK rights being unavailable.

[Hammerlover]

I don't think the 88 Films release was scanned from the negative, was it?

[Labor_Unit001]

88 Films release was just the old celestial HD remaster

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Gunsnroses092789

Just saw this today for the first time on the Dragon Dynasty dvd. Great film. Might have to pick this up. Shame it’s not part of Shawscope Vol 2. Must have to do with UK rights being unavailable.

Yep, that's why. Same reason Come Drink With Me isn't included either.

[Hammerlover]

Originally Posted by Labor_Unit001

88 Films release was just the old celestial HD remaster

The Arrow will be day one for me then.

[darkness2918]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Haven't seen this, but heard it's one of the best Shaw films. Day 1.

It’s a real good film & it’s one I always recommend people check out if they’re new to Shaw Bros films.

[Mushi Minion]

Originally Posted by Futurhythm

They're using my subtitles for it. They've been revised slightly but nothing major from what I understand.

I would've liked to go back and refine them a bit but didn't get the chance, unfortunately.

Anyway, they're really good supposedly!

We’ll know who to blame if they aren’t! :P

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by Labor_Unit001

88 Films release was just the old celestial HD remaster

Was that frame cut, per chance?

[chen lung]

I heard that the Arrow release will contain bits missing from the previous master. Anyway, a new transfer of video and audio will almost certainly be superior to Celestial’s original one (no noise reduction and probably no cuts either).

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by chen lung

I heard that the Arrow release will contain bits missing from the previous master. Anyway, a new transfer of video and audio will almost certainly be superior to Celestial’s original one (no noise reduction and probably no cuts either).

True, but I always like to wait and see image comps in case the colour grading is botched or something. So many things can go wrong with re-masters! But the film's a masterpiece so hopefully it'll prove definitive.

[fred25_Ca]

Wonderful news, even if expected. I'm so intrigued by what other Shaw bros Arrow have. We knew of both this and Come drink with me but do they have the one armed-swordsman trilogy? More Wuxia? We already know a good chunk of what will be in volume 2 but i'm honestly more intrigued by their individual releases (or smaller sets?). I'm still really hoping we get a Shaw horror box set this year, 88 films had (or have?) the rights to many of them but only in the UK, so it would make sense Arrow grabbed them for the North American market.

[MifuneFan]

Arrow US Store exclusive edition of 8 Diagram Pole Fighter



https://www.arrowvideo.com/blu-ray/t.../13633203.html

[Hammerlover]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Arrow US Store exclusive edition of 8 Diagram Pole Fighter



https://www.arrowvideo.com/blu-ray/t.../13633203.html

Nice, but I'm just not wild about these "exclusive" deals.

[waxHead]

Originally Posted by Hammerlover

Nice, but I'm just not wild about these "exclusive" deals.

I'm not thrilled that Arrow sells these as store exclusives, but I'll take that option over a release with no original artwork on the slipcover.

[Kaiju23]

Such a great movie, and possibly my favorite Shaw Brothers film, so I don't mind buying it for a third time. I just need to decide between the two slips. The new art is so good.