Film Masters Restores The Cripple Masters For Release As DVD And Blu-ray Product Offerings On July 23

Martial arts films, also called chop-socky, had a Golden Age in the 1970s that lasted well into the mid-80s.   It was roughly a fifteen-year run (cycle) for this action sub-genre. 

Some might argue that the cycle began with Tom Laughlin’s Billy Jack in 1971.  Others would point to Bruce Lee’s Fists of Fury and/or The Chinese Connection as the launch points of the genre domestically.   But certainly Enter the Dragon in 1973 made it official.

After that, it was anything goes.  Bring it on.  The wilder, more action-packed and the crazier the stunts the better … audiences flocked to theatres during this Golden Age (I speak from experience having been the VP of operations for a 30-theatre chain during the period).

News arrived from Film Masters this past week that a new 2K restoration from original 35mm archival film elements has been completed for one of the oddest entries during this Golden Age of martial arts films.   

This would be director Joe Law’s (aka: Chi Lo) 1979 (1982 domestic) entry, The Crippled Masters, which has maimed martial arts fighters, Jackie Conn (aka Thomas Hong Chiu-Ming) and Frankie Shum (aka Sam Chung-Chuen) — one missing his arms and the other missing his legs — teaming up to get revenge on their enemies.  How wild is that!!

Both Blu-ray and DVD editions will be available from Film Masters on July 23.  And, as a bonus, The Crippled Masters can be enjoyed with the original Mandarin language track (with English subtitles) or as the English-dubbed theatrical export version.

Bonus features include commentary from The Important Cinema Club’s Will Sloan and Justin Decloux, Ballyhoo Motion Pictures’ documentary titled Kings of Kung Fu: Releasing the Legends and a vintage collection of chop-socky trailers from the period, including a fully restored The Crippled Masters trailer.