When horror icon Christopher Lee was not menacing
the cinematic world as Dracula, or starring in other Hammer
films, he was making the rounds in the European low-budget arena,
working alongside the likes of Mario Bava (THE WHIP AND THE BODY),
Antonio Margheriti (HORROR CASTLE), and Eugenio Martin (HORROR EXPRESS).
Christopher Lee eventually teamed up with B-movie producer Harry Allan
Towers and director Jess Franco for a series of Fu Manchu pictures,
based on the super villain from Sax Rohmers’ novel series. Like many
of Jess Franco’s pictures of the time, THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU was
heavily edited for release on several continents, and the filmmakers had
to conform to the censorship laws of each country (contingent upon the
amount of acceptable nudity and violence), resulting in different
versions of each movie. To further complicate matters, Franco’s films
were always renamed in foreign markets. For instance, THE BLOOD OF FU
MANCHU was retitled to THE KISS OF DEATH in the USA. Leave it to that
conglomeration of cult cinema mavens, Blue Underground, to hunt down all
known existing prints and restoring THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU to its
original length for the first time on home video.
THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU boasts an impressive cast
of genre principals and supporting players. In addition to the great
Christopher Lee, Fu Manchu’s daughter Lin Tang is portrayed by the
seductive Tsai Ming, who can be seen in INVASION (1966), YOU ONLY LIVE
TWICE (1967), and THE VIRGIN SOLDIERS (1969). German genre specialist
George Gotz known for his roles in films like HYPNOSIS (1963), A MAN
CALLED GRINGO (1965), and HALF BREED (1966), in this Fu Manchu
outing portrays a swashbuckling archeologist ala Indiana Jones.
Richard Green is Christopher Lee’s Sherlock Holmes-like rival, Nayland
Smith. Green’s best genre credits include THE BLACK CASTLE (1953),
ISLAND OF THE LOST (1966), and TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1974). Jess Franco
regular Maria Rohm plays a village doctor in this film. This European
beauty starred in several of Franco’s better productions like VENUS IN
FURS (1969), THE BLOODY JUDGE (1970), and COUNT DRACULA (1970). Euro
sleaze performer Ricardo Palacios has a major role in THE BLOOD OF FU
MANCHU, as the leader of a gang of bloodthirsty bandits. You can see him
in such films as PEOPLE WHO OWN THE DARK (1978), WHERE TIME BEGAN
(1976), and HUMAN BEASTS (1981). And the nudity factor to this film is
boosted by international starlets Loni Von Friedl, Frances Khan, and
Isaura De Oliveira.
Fu Manchu and his daughter Lin Tang have built a
new fortress inside the Mayan ruins of a South American rainforest, and
gathered an army of obedient soldiers to serve them. Fu Manchu’s
latest plan of world domination involves the kidnapping of the local
sexpots to use as living weapons against his enemies. His soldiers
inject lethal snake venom inside the bodies of the unwilling female
victims who are immune to the poison. Fu Manchu tests his latest weapon
by sending a hypnotized female to England to assassinate detective
Nayland Smith. The plot works and the poison causes Nayland Smith to go
blind. Intelligence reports indicate that Fu Manchu has taken up
residence in South America and Nayland Smith and his entourage begins
the long trek to the dangerous jungles. Meanwhile, archeologist Carl
Jansen has discovered the presence of Fu Manchu and attempts to warn the
authorities. The South American jungle is a very dangerous place; not
only do Fu Manchu’s private army assault travelers, but packs of
marauding bandits attack local villages. The ruthless Sancho Lopez is
one such bandit leader who invades local villages, killing innocents and
taking over the establishments. Nayland Smith and his comrades arrive in
the steamy jungle and team up with Carl Jansen and village physician
Maria Rohm to oppose the forces of Fu Manchu. Sancho Lopez takes over a
nearby town and his gang of cutthroats help themselves to all that the
village offers. Lin Tang and her father’s soldiers attack and kill the
bandits, recruiting their nasty leader into their ranks. Can Nayland
Smith and his intrepid heroes stop the combined might of Sancho Lopez
and Fu Manchu from executing their plan of world domination?
Blue Underground presents THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU
in it’s original 1.66.1 full frame ratio, with 16x9 enhancement. The
image is very good indeed, showcasing the Mayan set design, South
American Jungles, and foggy European locations. There are some nics and
scratches in the film elements, but that is normal considering the
origins and cheap film stock employed by Harry Alan Towers. Grain is
seen in many shots. The black levels are calibrated and flesh tones are
fully natural (as evidenced by all the female flesh viewed in THE BLOOD
OF FU MANCHU). The sound is two-channel mono which serves the film well.
Though the film was shot in English, THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU is still
over dubbed by professional voice artists of this period—which is
sometimes a little distracting. The sound effects (gunfights,
hand-to-hand combat, automobiles, jungle sounds) are prominent in the
mix. Only Daniel White’s awful score hurts the film as it does not
accentuate the action or intrigue. Blue Underground includes some
wonderful extras for this disc. In addition to the trailers and
photogalleries, they have produced an all new, 15 minute documentary
called The Facts of Fu Manchu. Blue Underground has gone through
the expense and effort of reuniting Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, Shirley
Eaton, Harry Allan Towers, and director Jess Franco, who reminisce about
the making of THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU and other Fu Manchu offerings. The
principals address all the controversial issues surrounding the film
including racism, sexism, and sadism. This excellent documentary is a
must see.
Blue Underground has done all European cult
enthusiasts a huge favor by pouring all their time and hard work into
completely remastering this underground favorite. Though the film itself
is something of an acquired taste, they have completely restored this
film to it’s legendary uncut state, and the image quality of the
transfer could not get any better. The excellent documentary is worth
the price of the disc alone. Even if you are not a fan of Franco, THE
BLOOD OF FU MANCHU is still and worth a look by genre fans. Blue
Underground’s DVD is an integral part of their Christopher Lee
Collection Box Set, along with THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU, THE BLOODY
JUDGE, and THEATER OF DEATH.
BLOOD
OF FU MANCHU is available from DVDEmpire.com
CASTLE
OF FU MANCHU is available from DVDEmpire.com
THE
CHRISTOPHER LEE BOX SET is available from Empire.com
