Secret passageways! Zombie-looking baddies! Corpse worm pills! Evil dungeons! And Hammer Studio-like atmosphere galore! Also featuring an impaling from a peg leg, The Devil’s Mirror is bananas! It definitely puts the SOUP in the supernatural.
Featuring a sex-starved flying witch who causes all sorts of bludgeoning chaos wherever the wires take her mid-battle, a whole lot of surreal bludgeonings, and one unforgettable beheading, The Devil’s Mirror is chop socky cinema gone gonzo to the violent eXXXtreme as two (formally) peaceful clans find themselves in the middle of a supernatural war thanks to the hijinx of the Jiuxian Witch (a supremely bizarre performance from Chia Chien Li) and her Bloody Ghouls Clan, who want to resurrect a real unholy bad guy and unleash the power of all sorts of forbidden weapons.
Directed by Sun Chung (Human Lanterns), in his debut for Shaw Brothers, The Devil’s Mirror is a supernaturally charged wuxia film in which the Bloody Ghouls Clan make their bid to rule the martial arts world, thanks to the possession of two powerful mirrors, which can unleash a beyond dead emperor of evil . . . or something like that. But, really, with a film this wild there’s little reason for a cohesive plot.
Starring Pei-Pei Shu, Dan Lau, and Hsieh Wang, the film is one hell of an unforgettable journey into dark fantasy via the martial arts world. It makes little sense - with a whole lot of surprises for many of its characters of which includes an undisclosed healing of a peg leg - but the choreography and the constant swordplay is both brutal and captivating as
Underappreciated and full of some great technical aspects when it comes to camera work (lots of great tracking shots from cinematographer Wang Yung Lung) and its gloriously grisly fight choreography from Simon Chui Yee-Ngau and Chui Chung-Hok, The Devil’s Mirror is a supremely violent discovery thanks to Shout Factory’s Shaw Brothers, Vol. 2 blu-ray set which comprises 12 classic martial arts films from the famous Shaw Brothers' library. The set also features some of their greatest stars Cheng Pei-pei (Come Drink With Me), Lo Lieh (King Boxer), Sammo Hung (Wheels On Meals), David Chiang (The Boxer From Shantung), and Lung himself. Many of these films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray.
Watch for Sammo Hung as the witches’ drummer! The Devil’s Mirror is now on blu-ray.
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - August 15, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 12-disc set
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
This is Sun Chung's very first film for the Shaw Brothers, making it especially interesting and important. He hit the ground running with this action-filled tale of a "Devil Girl" who is setting one clan against another to get her hands on two amazing mirrors with supernatural powers. Only a noble swordsman (played by Lau Dan) and beautiful swordswoman (played by The Thundering Sword star Shu Pei-pei) can stop her.
Video
Presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, The Devil’s Mirror, gets its hands bloody and never once rinses its fists as beauty is birthed in this same blood, all with its audience in mind. It’s full of great atmosphere thanks to the spooky script and looks visually eye-popping due to the upgrade. The visual poetry on display comes through in the village at the center of this supernatural film, the crispness of the interiors and the haunting exteriors in which some barren hills become a playground full of blood, and the sudden violence which echoes throughout the film, including its big finale. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The tracking shots are glorious to behold in 1080p.
Audio
The audio is presented in a clean lossless Mandarin mono audio,with new English translations.
Supplements:
Get ready for some exciting thrills and chills as heroes meet villains in a duel to the death!
Commentary:
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NEW Audio Commentary With Film Historian Brian Bankston (Cool Ass Cinema Blog)
Special Features:
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Celestial Trailer
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MPAA Rating:
Runtime: 90 mins
Director: Chung Sun
Writer: Yang Chiang
Cast: Pei-Pei Shu; Dan Lau; Chia Chien Li
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date: June 15, 1972 (Hong Kong)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 1, 2023
Synopsis: The Jiuxian Witch and her Bloody Ghouls Clan are planning domination of the Martial Arts world. Standing in their way are two clans who posses a magic mirror each.
