Many of us grew up watching Kung Fu Theater on Saturdays, and our love for martial arts films has never waned. Companies such as Arrow, Shout Factory, and 88 Films have been releasing some of the best titles on physical media for several years.
It’s been great to see others join in, especially Visual Vengeance. They’ve already released Born a Ninja (1988), Commando the Ninja (1988), and The Nine Demons (1984) on disc, and now we can add Fatal Flying Guillotine (1977) to the list.
Deep within the ominous Valley of No Return, a deranged martial arts master has devoted his life to perfecting the ultimate killing machine — the Lightning Strike, a savage evolution of the legendary Flying Guillotine, armed with twin spinning blades capable of slicing through flesh and bone. Anyone foolish enough to enter his domain is met with swift, bloody execution.
But when a vengeance-fueled fighter (Carter Wong) ventures into the valley, determined to avenge his mother’s death, he finds himself locked in a deadly battle against a madman and his horrifying invention. What follows is a brutal martial arts showdown packed with flying blades, furious combat, and spectacular head-chopping mayhem.
Fatal Flying Guillotine delivers on its title’s promise, and, might I add, the flying guillotine is pretty damn frightening. They’re like giant metal bells with blades inside, spinning wildly. When thrown atop a victim’s melon, it’s instant decapitation.
The standout is the gorgeous new 2K transfer from the original film elements, supervised and composited by film archivist Toby Russell. It livens up the near-constant battles with a crispness that is a tad unexpected. It still has some of the grit we’ve come to love, but compared to early VHS releases, this is as good as it gets.
Visual Vengeance has included a wide array of bonus features, including commentary with Justin Decioux of the Important Cinema Club Podcast; “A Brief History of Flying Guillotine Movies: Video Essay”; “Chan Siu-Pang Was There: Video Essay”; an archival interview with Carter Wong; “Chan Siu-Pang: 10 Styles of Tamo” demonstration; an old-school “Dirty VHS” version of the film; an image gallery; Visual Vengeance trailers; and a reversible sleeve with alternate VHS art.
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The first pressing includes the “Stick Your Own” VHS stickers, Imitation Decapitation – liner notes by C.J. Lines, and a set of lobby card reproductions. Now that’s a package worth springing for.
Fatal Flying Guillotine delivers all the feet, fists, and bladed weapons you could hope for, and more, making it one of Visual Vengeance’s best releases to date.
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