Lo Wei’s Martial Law Set For A Eureka Classics Blu-Ray Release

Eureka Entertainment are set to release Martial Law: Lo Wei’s Wuxia World in August. A trio of films (The Black Butterfly, Death Valley and Vengeance of a Snow Girl) directed by Lo Wei, releasing on Blu-ray part of the Eureka Classics range.

A prolific writer and director, Lo Wei found fame in the 1970s following the enormous international success of The Big Boss and Fist of Fury, his collaborations with the inimitable Bruce Lee. In the years before he kickstarted a kung fu revolution, though, he had been working on an accomplished series of wuxia pian for Shaw Brothers. Presented here are three standout films drawn from Lo Wei’s wuxia world: The Black Butterfly, Death Valley and Vengeance of a Snow Girl.

In The Black Butterfly, a good-hearted thief acts as the Robin Hood of the martial world, robbing from the rich to give to the poor – and they begin by stealing a fortune in gold from a group of five ruthless bandits holed up at Five Devils Rock. Then, in Death Valley, the Lord of Chao Manor (Lo Wei) is murdered by his niece (Angela Yu Chien), leading to a bitter fight to claim his land and a clash between a hired swordsman (Chen Hung-lieh) and the Lord’s heir apparent (Yueh Hua). Finally, in Vengeance of a Snow Girl, a young woman (Li Ching) takes revenge for her murdered parents, who were killed in a dispute over the legendary Tsui Feng sword – leading to a final showdown on frozen ground.

Lo Wei’s The Black Butterfly, Death Valley and Vengeance of a Snow Girl are considered some of the finest wuxia films. All produced in the years before Bruce Lee’s meteoric rise to fame would cause a tectonic shift in the Hong Kong film industry, as the era of kung fu loomed on the horizon.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
Limited Edition of 2,000 copies | Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) | Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on all three films in this set by Hong Kong cinema expert Camille Zaurin | 1080p HD presentations of all three films on Blu-ray | Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release | New audio commentaries on all three features by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema | Hong Kong Hustle – new interview with Hong Kong cinema scholar Wayne Wong on the life and work of Lo Wei | All extras subject to change

HONG KONG | 1968/1971 | TBA | 334 MINS | 2.35:1 OAR | MARTIAL ARTS/WUXIA | MANDARIN

Martial Law: Lo Wei’s Wuxia World  will be released on Blu-ray as part of the Eureka Classics range from 18th August in the UK and Ireland, with North America on 19th August.