Angela Mao Double-Feature (Hapkido and Lady Whirlwind) coming from Arrow!

[MifuneFan]

Arrow will be releasing an Angela Mao Double-Feature collection, including the films Hapkido, and Lady Whirlwind on January 17th. The release is in partnership with Eureka Entertainment in the UK.

Arrow Exclusive O-Card Edition

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand new 2K restorations by Fortune Star
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of both films
• Original lossless Mandarin mono audio for both films, plus lossless English dubbed mono audio
• Optional newly translated English subtitles for both films
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady

DISC ONE – LADY WHIRLWIND

• Commentary by Frank Djeng & Robert “Bobby” Samuels
• Commentary by Frank Djeng & Michael Worth
• Commentary by Samm Deighan
• Lady Whirlwind Speaks, the first part of a newly filmed interview with Angela Mao
• Kung Fu Cooking, a newly filmed conversation with Mao’s son Thomas King
• Alternate English credits
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer, plus US theatrical trailer and radio spot
• Image gallery

DISC TWO – HAPKIDO

• Three options of English dub: vintage “kung fu” and “hapkido” dubs in lossless mono, plus 2006 DVD dub in 5.1 surround
• Commentary by Frank Djeng & Robert “Bobby” Samuels
• Commentary by Frank Djeng & Michael Worth
• Lady Kung Fu Speaks, the second part of a newly filmed interview with Angela Mao
• Archive interviews with Angela Mao, Carter Wong and Sammo Hung & Yuen Biao
• Original vintage featurette showing Ji Han-jae teaching the lead actors hapkido, newly restored in 2K by Fortune Star
• Three alternate opening credits sequences (textless, English and US)
• Hong Kong theatrical trailers plus US theatrical trailer and TV spot
• Image gallery

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the films by critic James Oliver

When director Huang Feng (The Shaolin Plot) jumped ship from Shaw Brothers to their upstart rivals Golden Harvest, he swiftly launched the career of a Taiwanese ingenue barely out of Beijing opera school named Angela Mao, who despite her fresh-faced femininity became one of Hong Kong’s toughest action icons of the 1970s.

Lady Whirlwind, directed by Huang in 1972, sees Mao dead set on avenging the death of her sister, only to find herself fighting a common enemy alongside the man she wants revenge on. Hapkido, made the same year, sees her once more pitted against a gang of Japanese thugs, alongside fellow soon-to-be kung fu legends Sammo Hung (Knockabout) and Carter Wong (Big Trouble in Little China) as disciples of the titular Korean fighting style, studying under real-life hapkido grandmasters Ji Han-jae (Game of Death) and Hwang In-shik (The Way of the Dragon).

Originally released in the US as Deep Thrust and Lady Kung Fu respectively, these two restored martial arts classics show Mao at her mightiest – every bit as formidable as the great Bruce Lee, whose sister she played in Enter the Dragon the following year.

Original post info:

[Show spoiler]James Flower from Arrow Video has confirmed that Arrow will be releasing a US version of the Angela Mao film set featuring the 1972 films Lady Whirlwind, and Hapkido that Eureka has just announced for the UK market. This is similar to previous partnerships for One-Armed Boxer, and the Running Out of Time Collection

https://twitter.com/jamesflowerfilm/...20256975781888

Here are the extras from the Eureka release, which should be the same for this Arrow set:

Extras

• 1080p presentations of both films across two Blu-ray discs, from new 2K restorations
• Hapkido – Original mono Mandarin and English audio options, including two variations of the classic English dub
• Hapkido – DTS-HD MA 5.1 English dub (newer dub originally created for the film’s original DVD release)
• Lady Whirlwind – Original mono Mandarin and English audio options
• Optional English Subtitles, newly translated for this release
• Hapkido – New feature length audio commentary with Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) & Michael Worth
• Hapkido – New feature length audio commentary with Frank Djeng & martial artist / actor Robert “Bobby” Samuels
• Lady Whirlwind – New feature length audio commentary with Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) & Michael Worth
• Lady Whirlwind – New feature length audio commentary with Frank Djeng & martial artist / actor Robert “Bobby” Samuels
• Lady Whirlwind – New feature length audio commentary by film journalist and author Samm Deighan
• Brand new interview with Angela Mao, filmed in 2022
• Archival interview with Angela Mao
• Archival interview with Carter Wong
• Archival interview with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao
• Hapkido – Alternate opening credits
• Selection of trailers and TV spots
• Stills Galleries

SYNOPSIS
Angela Mao and director Huang Feng (The Shaolin Plot) were a superstar pairing that produced an incredible series of top tier kung-fu classics including Deadly China Doll, When Taekwondo Strikes and the two films presented here – Hapkido and Lady Whirlwind.

In Hapkido (aka. Lady Kung Fu in the West), a group of martial artists (Mao, Sammo Hung, and Carter Wong) start their own school to teach the Korean martial art, Hapkido, but a rival Japanese academy attempts to crush them – deeming Hapkido inferior to their Japanese fighting style. Similar to the plot of Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury (a canny decision by the filmmakers, capitalising on Mao often being referred to as a “female Bruce Lee” ), Hapkido was a huge hit in the West, even briefly beating Lee’s Enter the Dragon at the North American box office.

Perhaps her most iconic film, Lady Whirlwind (bizarrely re-titled as Deep Thrust in the US, to capitalise on the success of Deep Throat, which probably made its tag lines—“The Deadly Stroke of Bare Hand Combat” and “Mistress of the Death Blow”—a tad misleading) stars Mao as a deadly fighter out for revenge on the man who wronged her sister (played by Shaw Brothers veteran Chang Yi). After tracking the man down, she finds he is on his own vengeful path against a gang of Japanese thugs and agrees to help keep him alive – as long as she gets to take her revenge when it’s all over!

Eureka's trailer for their set:

Angela Mao: HAPKIDO & LADY WHIRLWIND (Eureka Classics) New & Exclusive Trailer - YouTube

credit to Mushi Minion

[fred25_Ca]

I'm so glad i waited this time to order the Eureka copy lol. I ordered the Running out of time Eureka the second it was announced and then had to cancel when I learned arrow were releasing it too over here. Learned that lesson. :P

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by fred25_Ca

I'm so glad i waited this time to order the Eureka copy lol. I ordered the Running out of time Eureka the second it was announced and then had to cancel when I learned arrow were releasing it too over here. Learned that lesson. :P

Me this time--just ordered the Eureka but would much rather have this one.

[Rayjg]

Arrow keeps stealing Eureka's thunder

[DukeTogo84]

Hapkido is quite good, but never seen Lady Whirlwind. Either way, day one, and hopefully it's one of the September titles.

[jshaide]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Hapkido is quite good, but never seen Lady Whirlwind. Either way, day one, and hopefully it's one of the September titles.

I def. feel like it is going to be.

[kem71]

Originally Posted by Rayjg

Arrow keeps stealing Eureka's thunder

Well, even though I am region free, I would prefer to stick with Region A as much as I can. Why? 'Cause I am an American, damn it!
All kidding aside, I think options are great. And of course, this release is perfect for those stubborn Region A people who refuse to go region free for whatever reason. I say keep these partnerships between two great labels coming!

[DukeTogo84]

Hopefully this continues. I do wonder if Arrow will release some of the older titles similar to One Armed Boxer. I also wonder if Arrow and Eureka worked together to acquire these titles from Fortune Star to lower costs or something.

[FoulMouff]

Perfect! I'll def be preordering this.

[DukeTogo84]

Police Story III news yesterday, and now this. Things are getting nuts I tell ya!

[Rayjg]

Originally Posted by kem71

Well, even though I am region free, I would prefer to stick with Region A as much as I can. Why? 'Cause I am an American, damn it!
All kidding aside, I think options are great. And of course, this release is perfect for those stubborn Region A people who refuse to go region free for whatever reason. I say keep these partnerships between two great labels coming!

God bless America

[Dave_Zero1]

This is the greatest team-up since the Avengers!

[MobFu72]

I am all for these US releases, that way we can show our appreciation for these great Kung Fu films as well. We need to show them worldwide support on all of these current releases!!!! It is a great time for Martial Art movie fans!!!!!!! Keep em coming !!!!!

[Drunksnake]

They have missed off a very cool extra from the listing.

[MifuneFan]

Officially dated for January 17th

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand new 2K restorations by Fortune Star
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of both films
• Original lossless Mandarin mono audio for both films, plus lossless English dubbed mono audio
• Optional newly translated English subtitles for both films
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady

DISC ONE – LADY WHIRLWIND

• Commentary by Frank Djeng & Robert “Bobby” Samuels
• Commentary by Frank Djeng & Michael Worth
• Commentary by Samm Deighan
• Lady Whirlwind Speaks, the first part of a newly filmed interview with Angela Mao
• Kung Fu Cooking, a newly filmed conversation with Mao’s son Thomas King
• Alternate English credits
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer, plus US theatrical trailer and radio spot
• Image gallery

DISC TWO – HAPKIDO

• Three options of English dub: vintage “kung fu” and “hapkido” dubs in lossless mono, plus 2006 DVD dub in 5.1 surround
• Commentary by Frank Djeng & Robert “Bobby” Samuels
• Commentary by Frank Djeng & Michael Worth
• Lady Kung Fu Speaks, the second part of a newly filmed interview with Angela Mao
• Archive interviews with Angela Mao, Carter Wong and Sammo Hung & Yuen Biao
• Original vintage featurette showing Ji Han-jae teaching the lead actors hapkido, newly restored in 2K by Fortune Star
• Three alternate opening credits sequences (textless, English and US)
• Hong Kong theatrical trailers plus US theatrical trailer and TV spot
• Image gallery

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the films by critic James Oliver

[Markgway]

I completely missed this.

I wonder if Arrow want to use my subtitles for Lady Whirlwind?

I'm fine with that, but no one has asked me yet.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Markgway

I completely missed this.

I wonder if Arrow want to use my subtitles for Lady Whirlwind?

I'm fine with that, but no one has asked me yet.

Pretty sure they're using them, as James Flower said this basically identical to the UK release besides artwork.

[dr. wai]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Pretty sure they're using them, as James Flower said this basically identical to the UK release besides artwork.

It is identical. If you change the region to "A", the Arrow Video menu plays instead of the Eureka menu. Like you said, the only thing different is the packaging with the Arrow release dropping the poster.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Pretty sure they're using them, as James Flower said this basically identical to the UK release besides artwork.

Originally Posted by dr. wai

It is identical. If you change the region to "A", the Arrow Video menu plays instead of the Eureka menu. Like you said, the only thing different is the packaging with the Arrow release dropping the poster.

OK. I'm not exactly complaining. But it's really weird (and a bit uncool) that Arrow never asked me. I've worked with Eureka and 88 Films hitherto, but done nothing for Arrow so you'd think someone would have gotten in touch to check it was fine. Might need to look into this...

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Markgway

OK. I'm not exactly complaining. But it's really weird (and a bit uncool) that Arrow never asked me. I've worked with Eureka and 88 Films hitherto, but done nothing for Arrow so you'd think someone would have gotten in touch to check it was fine. Might need to look into this...

Yeah, definitely reach out. I assume Arrow simply worked directly with Eureka to license their disc contents for the US market, and make it a dual-territory disc. Since it is a different release, and a different company, I think you should be appropriately compensated for that too. Reaching out to your contact(s) at Eureka might help too