THE FILM: In the realm of old school, classic kung fu films, there are many films whose reputation grows because people haven’t seen it. Snuff Bottle Connection (1977) is one such film that, over many years, more people had trouble finding than those that actually got to see it , making it a somewhat rarity with faint bits of praise and earnest speculation by those who noted its impressive cast and action director.

That action director is Yuen Woo Ping, who quickly went from action director, to film director and HK action cinema guru, and today is an international figure and probably the most sought after action director in the world. I like to think I know my Yuen Woo Ping pretty well, and I would bet that he did not direct all of Snuff Bottle Connections action scenes, or at least not with any authority, because the fights are uneven. They range from pretty good to so-so, and based on the speed and movement of those so-so scenes, I’d say Yuen wasn’t on set that day. There are some good moments where a sequence will have more Yuen-ish movements. The last twenty minutes are a quite good barrage of solid fighting, but it is really the story that carries the film along until that point. The Russians are pretty dumb caricatures and it is predictalbe, but unlike many kung fu tales, the plotting is actually involving and interesting, adding almost as much too the entertainment as the action. But anyone expecting Drunken Master or Legend of a fighter style Yuen choreagraphy will be disappointed.

The two key stars here are John Liu, Invincible Armor, Secret Rivals 1&2, Shaolin Ex-Monk and Hwang Jang Lee Drunken Master, Eagle Vs. Silver Fox, Eagles Killer, each respectively known for their big kicking prowess. Unfortunately Lui finds himself part of a duo, so his screen and fighting time is cut in half. While he is still good, it isn’t the knockout solo performance of, say, Invincible Armor. Hwang Jang Lee doesn’t really show off his legs too much, sticking to some iron fan fighting, but he was still one of the better villains in the kung fu world, just a shame he didnt get to dispense as many of his trademark kicking skills... The dagger throwing brother, Yip Fei Yang, also previously teamed with Lui, Jang Lee, The Yuen Clan, and director Dung Gam Woo in Instant Kung Fu Man, but his role in Snuff Bottle was the only prominent feature role he played. The kid, Wong Yat Lung, was one of the big kiddie kung fu stars, having starred in the popular duo of films Sleeping Fist and Thundering Mantis. Roy Horan is probably best known as the priest from Snake in the Eagles Shadow.

THE DVD: Ground Zero. Part of their Blackbelt Theater line.

PICTURE: Cropped Full-Screen. Well, not surprisingly, we get another worn out, washed out, wavy, and aged tape transfer. But, considering it is a scarce film, we have to be forgiving. Still, you have been warned. I have old EP vhs that look better. Apparently Crash Cinema have a letterboxed, original negative release planned on the horizon.

SOUND: Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. Like the picture, the audio is pretty worn out too. Dialogue is audible, right down to the horrible Russian accents the dubbers barely, feebly attempt, but everything has a bit of muffle and age distortion, like a very annoying buzz that frequently pops up.

EXTRAS: 6 Chapters- “Lost” Trailers (15:35). Nice bunch of theatrical trailers for Raging Rivals, Enter the Invincible Hero, Dynamite Shaolin Heroes, Buddhist Fist and Tiger Claws and Dragon’s Snake Fist

CONCLUSION: If you consider yourself a fan, and are well aware of the deteriorating state of most kung fu films, by all means go ahead and but this transfer. It is a good enough film that I could justify fans purchasing it despite the lackluster quality. However if you are rigid about quality control and want only the best out of your DVD experience, rarity be damned, then I suggest skipping it or waiting for a better release.

When a government investigator is murdered, a second one (John Liu) is sent undercover to find out what happened. He discovers a conspiracy between a Manchu general (Hwang Jang Lee) and his Russian ally (Roy Haran) to overthrow the government. The key to the mystery is a pair of unique ornate snuff bottles used as identification between the two plotting parties. An even younger looking Wong Yat Lung (the 'Kid' from 'Sleeping Fist' and 'Thundering Mantis') appears as a street urchin who amazes with his flexibility and acrobatic skill.

The film features quite an engaging plot for a kung fu movie which is well developed during the first half of the film. While action in this first half is quite sparse the film more than delivers later on. Standout scenes include John Liu fighting a gang armed with knives on chains and another sees his partner, a knife throwing expert, in a duel with pistol expert Roy Haran. John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee again put on a spectacular kicking display in the films intense climax which sees them pitted against each other and the choreography from Yuen Woo Ping is everything you would hope for.

Although previously quite hard to get hold of the film has now been released on VCD. Of course my copy will be binned when it finally gets the full Hong Kong Legends treatment.

Hmmmmm...I have a very interesting question. Why is it that since John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee shot to stardom with their Secret Rivals films do they always have to give Liu a partner to help fight Hwang. I've noticed this in many of their classics, and this is one of them. However, this time around they also give Hwang a partner. American Roy Horan (an executive at Seasonal Films as well as a former student of Hwang Jang Lee) plays the evil Tolstoy, who keeps a gun in his hands. One of Roy's soldiers is played by another American in Robert Kerver, who has made appearances in some kung fu flicks of the 1970's, most notably Fists of Bruce Lee. Look out for action director Corey Yuen in the fight in the restaurant and Yuen Biao in the casino fight. The simplistic plot of a possible invasion is only heightened by its elaborate fights, choreographed by the legendary Yuen Wo Ping. A great film for the 1970's.

'Snuff-Bottle Connection' is another of those films that seems to have acquired an enormous cult reputation even though it remains hard to find on any format. This reputation is totally justified though as this is an excellent traditional kung-fu film that certainly doesn't rest on its laurels. Any fan of John Liu will not be disappointed as he once again blazes across the screen with a barage of superkicks that few would ever pull off. Hwang Jang Lee is fairly restrained until the last thirty minutes where he then reminds audiences that he truly was a unique figure in Hong Kong cinema. Indeed the concluding battle features these two masters of their craft engaging in another blistering duel. Of added note is the choreography by Yuen Woo Ping; even at this relatively early stage in his career, Yuen gave an indication that he was among the very best in the business.

Without doubt this is a powerhouse film that will satisfy even the most demanding fans of the Jade Screen. Worth tracking down at all costs.