Cinema Of King Hu - 1965 - 1973 - Vol 1 - Limited Edition Imprint Asia #60 - 65 Hardbox + Hardcove UHD Boxset

Chinese cinema would not be the same without the enormous impact of writer and director King Hu. Hu propelled wuxia films into mainstream consciousness by combining his passion for traditional Peking opera and Japanese samurai cinema, ushering in a new era of action filmmaking throughout the 60s and 70s and revolutionising the landscape of genre film for decades to come. Imprint Asia is thrilled to celebrate the transformative work of King Hu with two volumes exploring the legacy and influence of his extensive filmography. In this first volume, go on a journey of fantasy, folklore, and supernatural spectacle with six Hong Kong and Taiwanese classics. This Limited Edition 10-disc release is packed with brand NEW and archival Special Features, including an exclusive Bonus Disc, plus a 100-page Hardcover Booklet featuring brand NEW essays from Ryan Swen, Tom Cunliffe, and Tony Williams, all housed in a Lid Hardbox. Strictly limited to 1500 copies only. SONS OF GOOD EARTH (1965) The year is 1937, just prior to the Japanese invasion of China. Painters Ju Rui and Lao San stumble upon He Hua, a woman sold into the sex industry at a local brothel. Made at the great Shaw Brothers studios, Sons of Good Earth was King Hu's first major directorial effort, and won the 1966 Golden Horse Awards for both Best Screenplay and Best Editing. Loosely based on the novel The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, the film stars Peter Chen Ho, Betty Loh Ti, Li Kun (Fist of Fury), and King Hu himself. COME DRINK WITH ME (1966) Considered one of the greatest wuxia films of all time, Come Drink with Me smashed the Hong Kong box office in 1966, skyrocketing King Hu to stardom. Golden Sparrow is a fighter-for-hire who has been contracted by the local government to retrieve the governor's kidnapped son. Holding him is a group of rebels who are demanding that their leader be released from prison in return for the captured son. After a brief encounter with the gang at a local restaurant, Golden Sparrow is joined by an inebriated wanderer, Drunken Cat, who aids her in her mission. Launching the career of the great Cheng Pei-pei (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), the film also stars Elliot Ngok Wah, Chan Hung-lit, and Lee Wan-chung. DRAGON INN (1967) Hu's next wuxia smash was Dragon Inn, which set box office records in multiple countries, and won the 1968 Golden Horse Award for Best Screenplay. China, year 1457. The Minister of Defence is executed, and his children are sentenced to exile by order of the tyrannical Tsao. Fearful of future revenge from the young people, Tsao sends cruel soldiers to murder them, but a brave group of swordsmen can change the course of the battle at the Dragon Inn. Starring (Polly) Shang-Kuan Ling-feng, Shih Chun, and Pai Ying, Dragon Inn has been acclaimed by critics for over fifty years, described as one of the most important wuxia? films to emerge from the Chinese-speaking world prior to the great martial arts boom of the turn of the 1970s? riotously entertaining by Sight and Sound magazine. FOUR MOODS (1970) In between his masterpieces Dragon Inn and A Touch Of Zen, King Hu directed one of four segments in the anthology ghost film Four Moods, with other segments from Li Han-hsiang, Li Xing, and Pai Ching-jui. The first story, Joy (directed by Li Han-hsiang) is a light, playful romantic story, where young lovers navigate attraction and misunderstanding. King Hu's segment Anger follows a wandering swordsman, who becomes drawn into a violent conflict after witnessing injustice committed by a powerful local authority. Pai Ching-jui's Sorrow is a tragic tale of separation and loss, focusing on lovers torn apart by fate and circumstance. The final segment, Pleasure (from director Li Hsing), explores desire and emotional fulfilment in a courtly world. A TOUCH OF ZEN (1971) King Hu's epic wuxia masterpiece A Touch Of Zen has received endless accolades since its release. An ambitious, experimental work that transforms as it unfolds