The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

This review is only for the Blu-Ray version of "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin". If you want a review about the movie itself, there are plenty of review regarding the movie itself.The quality of the picture on this blu-ray is excellent. I have read some of the other reviews that said that it is not any better than the DVD. I have to disagree on that matter.In fact the quality of the picture was so much better than the DVD that I even watch the interview with Gordon Liu, which I normally don't, just because the picture quality is so pleasant to the eyes.And I am glad I took the time to watch the interview as it was a revelation to many of the preconceived notions I had.For example I always thought that the martial art director Lau Kar Leung was a master of the Lau Gar system of martial art, since his last name is Lau. But when watching the movie, it did not look like any Lau Gar techniques that I have seen in my teen, but it did look familiar to me. And on the opening scene where Gordon Liu practice with the Iron rings on his hand, I thought that it must be an advance techniques of Lau Gar that I have never seen before.However during the interview, Gordon Liu said that he was a student of the director Lau Kar Leung who was his Hung Gar instructor, everything makes sense. All the techniques in the movie would be consistent with Hung Gar system but modified for the movies. And the opening scene with the Iron Ring would be equivalent to Hung Gar internal strength system "Iron Thread" modified & water down for the movie with the Iron Ring.Then it has occured to me that I have seen Kung Fu instructor out there who teaches this Iron Ring techniques, I won't mention any name. Could this instructor have copied it from this movie, LOL, since I don't think there is any such system with the Ring, but I could be wrong.Maybe I should watch more Kung Fu movies and call myself a Kung Fu Master, LOL, from what I watch in these Kung Fu movies. And maybe I can open up a Kung Fu School and teach suckers Kung Fu, oops I mean student, LOL, from what I've seen in these Kung Fu movies and gather from spying on others without understanding the gist of it. As a master salesman once told me, "There is a sucker born every minutes."But it does not surprise me as I have seen youtube videos of so call Chinese Choy Lay Fut master out there demonstrating the Kwan Do. He just swings the Kwando around and waves his hand meaninglessly. All the observer was impress but I saw nothing. As it did not look anything like the Choy Lay Fut Kwando I saw 20 years ago.I have also seen youtube videos of a White Choy Lay Fut master teaching his Chinese Student Choy Lay Fut. And when the Chinese Student demonstrate what he learned from his White Choy Lay Fut master, it was all meaningless to me. As it did not look anything like the Choy Lay Fut I have seen 20 years ago. And these Chinese Choy Lay Fut students will probably get beat up by some street thugs when they try to use their fake Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu.I am not saying that the White Choy Lay Fut master does not know some form of Martial Art, but it is not Choy Lay Fut. And from what I know, Choy Lay Fut is only teaches to members of the four families. And I don't think the White Choy Lay Fut master has one of the four Chinese Last name.So it would not surprise me if the Iron Ring Techniques that I've seen with the Kung Fu instructor mentioned above is a fraud. And around 10 years ago I heard his weapon of choice is the three sectional staff, just like priest Sante in this movie, LOL. I guess they don't really shows detail techniques of the Kwando, Spear, Straight Sword, Broad Sword, Double Broad Sword, Whip Chain, etc. in this movie so they can't be his weapon of choice. But I could be wrong in my assessment.And all these informations I got from watching the interview with Gordon Liu. Who know what else a more observant person will get out of the interview and this Blu-Ray.So this Blu-Ray is very informative, in addition to having excellent quality picture.I would recommend this Blu-Ray to anyone who are interested in Martial Art Movie. And I would definitely recommend you watch the interview with Gordon Liu on the Blu-Ray. As the interview is very informative and not boring as one would think.12-3-2016 updateTaken history into consideration, it seems this movie is about Chinese rebels and terrorists fighting against the Qing dynasty.Prior to the Qing dynasty, they were using tactics like what you see in We Come as Friends (2014) and divide and conquer with the Turks Northern Wei dynasty and the Mongol Yuan dynasty. However by the time the Qing dynasty came into power, they have already learned from their other brothers in the Eurasia steppes, especially since the founder of the Manchus was a descendant of Ghengis Khan, and already are aware of all the Chinese tactics.As such, the Chinese were not able to over throw the Qing dynasty using the tactics they use against the Turks Northern Wei dynasty and the Mongol Yuan dynasty, resulting in them using terrorist tactics.So when you watch this movie, just keep in mind that it is just the Chinese fantasy of how it was.

Loved the movie

Good

The first copy I had of this movie was in the late 90s when I had just started college, and would take trips to New York by the Port Authority Bus Terminal (on 42st), my buddy would get all of the good Kung Fu movies and I always asked where he got them.My friend directed me to a Kung Fu movie store (that also sold some other types of films I won't mention on Amazon, ahhemmm) across from the Port Authority, it was there I picked up this golden gem that at the time the English dub (aka bootleg) was called Masterkiller, which also became the name of the last member to join the original Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Wu Tang Clan hip hop group, but more on that later.The original English dub that most people who grew up watching or owning on VHS was grainy, had terrible audio, and looked about 15-20 years older than the movie actually is (it was released in 1978 I believe).Now with the Dragon Dynasty (Celestial Pictures) series you can own this classic of classics in DVD quality glory, the audio is great, the picture looks like it was shot using an HD camera.The plot of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin ( I still want to write Masterkiller, ha ha) is the classic coming of age story of a young man (San Te played by Gordon Liu-Kill Bill - Volume Two) being forced by extraordinary circumstances (his family is killed by Ming Dynasty officials for being rebels) to seek refuge in the Shaolin Temple. During his stay in Shaolin he develops a sense of responsibility for himself and those around him, and also learns how to release a major can of whoop____ on anybody that challenges his martial arts skills, as a result of his rigorous training.If you are new to the martial arts genre, but you've liked movies like Kung Fu Panda (Widescreen Edition) (watching with your kids, etc) or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon then this movie is where Martial Arts movies as spiritual or moral epics started, however Bruce Lee's films paved the way.This DVD does contain some great extras, such as an audio commentary by the Rza (music producer and sometimes actor- Kill Bill sountracks, Afro-Samurai soundtrack, Wu Tang Clan)The Wu-Tang Manual: Enter the 36 Chambers, Volume One, accompanied by a well know film critic (Andy ?) whose name escapes me right now. Also there are some interesting stories by the Rza about how he would sneak into the old adult film theatres in Manhattan, around 42st and Times Square (in the 70s and 80s before it was the cleaner Manhattan we know today) and watch Kung Fu movies all night, worth it just to remember what New York was like back in the day when I was younger.......Have fun and enjoy.