Eureka Blu-ray Film Review

The Swordsman of All Swordsmen (1968) • Limited Edition Blu-ray [Eureka Classics] — superlative swordplay and masterly martial arts

A new Blu-ray double bill of cult classics from Taiwanese action maestro Joseph Kuo…

Two highly regarded, yet under-seen martial arts movies from director Joseph Kuo are presented together for the first time by Eureka Entertainment. Still feeling fresh with its seamless blending of chambara and wuxia, The Swordsman of All Swordsmen / 一代劍王 (1968) has been digitally restored by the Taiwan Film Institute from a 2K scan of the best-surviving elements, while The Mystery of Chess Boxing / 雙馬連環 (1979) has been nicely cleaned up from a scan of the only known complete print of the cult classic.

While the latter is ostensibly included as bonus material, it’s revered as a prime example of the director’s many kung fu films — and is likely to be the main draw for fans hoping to relive their youthful enjoyment of it, alongside newcomers who only know it by reputation and its enduring pop culture legacy, inspiring songs by…