We will comment on the performances, though. Yueh Hwa and Chung Wa are cast as the protagonists of the film, yet it is the dynamic Ku Feng who steals the show and makes KILLER CLANS his own. The actor sports a gray beard looking much like he did in AVENGING EAGLE. Here his character Uncle Sun Yu is cunning and righteous; so unlike the vile characters he usually portrays. Ku Feng should have won the Chinese equivalent of an Oscar for best picture—he is that good. Yueh Hwa is good for his part as the loyal bodyguard for Ku Feng. The supporting cast members—Chan Ping, Ching Li, Lo Lieh, Fan Mei Sheng—deliver some noticeable performances that help bring a touch of class to the production. Only Chung Wa is the weak link in the acting chain, as he was selected solely for his swordsmanship skills. KILLER CLANS is not really a Kung Fu flick per se and the action is mostly swordfighting in nature, between either two fighters or multiple sword duels between opposing clands. The action sequences take a back seat to the twists and turns of the narrative. KILLER CLANS has more in common with a samurai film than the usual predictable Shaw Brothers epics, which plays more to the strengths of director Chor Yuen, who goes for a more mature and artistic approach.

SIGHT
Celestial presents KILLER CLANS in the original 2.35.1 Shawscope ratio. True to their word, the folks at Celestial delivered a truly stunning remastered transfer. There is no 16x9 enhancement, but the image is so detailed, colorful, and expansive that it’s hard to imagine 16x9 improving the quality of this. Director Chor Yuen is really a visual stylist and KILLER CLANS achieves a polished, natural look that exceeds that of most Shaw Brothers productions. The sets and production values are indescribable. The authentic uniforms and costumes are an improvement over anything ever to emerge from LucasFilm (if you don’t believe me, just check out Ku Feng’s royal garments). Though the film lacks the extended mayhem of brutal films like MASKED AVENGERS or SUPER NINJAS, KILLER CLANS is just as bloody. The color palette reveals all the action and artistic photography with the same intensity. The white subtitles are very easy to read and are located in the black bar below the Shawscope image.

SOUND
In a big no-no to the purists act of the year, Celestial has forsaken the original mono soundtrack in favor of a souped up Dolby Digital 5.1 remix. Yes, this is going to piss a lot of folks off, but viewing these old classics in an all-encompassing sound field with true stereo separation is truly a pleasing acoustic experience. Besides the clanging of swords and screaming of the human casualties, we hear crickets, running water, rustling leaves, etc. in the exterior scenes. The disc includes the original Mandarin dubbed dialog track with English subtitles (sorry, no English dubbing folks—at least not yet). The score is by Shaw Brothers ace composer, Chen Yung Yu. Chor Yuen goes with a very minimalist approach with the score, resulting in heightened orchestrations to stress the constant plot revelations and battles. So while its disappointing that the original mono track is missing, and there’s no English language option, the sound field is nothing short of revolutionary for the genre.

FEATURES
In addition to remastered video and audio quality, Celestial includes an wealth of bonus materials. From the Special Features menu, you can select the Behind the Scenes option, which takes you on set of the 1976 production of KILLER CLANS in the form of Black & White slideshow complete with English captions. You can also view the original Chinese theatrical poster and the access a gallery of Photo Stills. Don’t forget the Production Notes and short Bios for Chang Li, Chor Yuen, and Yueh Hwa (in English yet!). Also included are remastered original language widescreen trailers for these recent Celestial DVD releases: KILLER CLANS, LOVE IN A FALLEN CITY, HONG KONG NOCTURNE, THE WARLORD, LOVE IN A FORGOTTEN CITY, and TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR. Hong Kong genre icon Bey Logan provides an insightful commentary, and while not proclaiming himself an authority on Shaw Brothers flicks, Logan sure beats the heck out of Ric Meyers. My favorite extras on this DVD are the mini-interviews with the original cast and crew. Unfortunately, with the exception of HK critic Paul Fonoroff, there are no English language translations for just what these folks are saying. Still, its a real hoot to see what these folks look like today compared to 1976. Here is the line-up of genre veterans:

REVIEW:
The synopsis to Killer Clans may sound like an adventurous Victorian romance, and in part it is a Chinese version of the same. The principle characters, played by the noble Chung Wa and the lovely Cheng Lee are two lovers trapped in a tightly regulated world of valiant warriors and servants, two-faced villains, and a conniving seductress who adhere to stringent rules of protocol and behavior. The film also happens to be a balls out blast of endlessly inventive weaponry and bloody martial mayhem, Shaw Brothers style.

The film is based on a romantic novel by Ku Lung, one of many such popular literary works that chronicle the gallant and vicious lives of swordsmen within the "underworld" who belong to clans and are constantly battling each other for martial supremacy. As the film begins we are introduced to Meng Sheng Wen, the hero played by Chung Wa. He is a wandering swordsman hired by a high-priced prostitute to kill Sun Yu (Guk Fung), the patriarchal leader of the Lung Men Society. Protecting him is his dauntless son Sun Chien (Wong Chun) and his right hand man and master of 72 secret weapons, Lu Hsiang Chuan (Yueh Hua). There is also Han Tang (Lo Lieh), a mysterious and deadly fighter who is rarely seen. Before Sheng Wen can act, a rival clan known as the Roc Society begin to hatch their plot to destroy the Lung Men Society. An unknown traitor kills off the son and Han Tang, leaving only Hsiang Chuan who turns out to be the traitor himself. He fails to kill Sun Yu with his deadly darts and the leader escapes through a network of underground tunnels. In the meantime, Sheng Wen has fallen in love with Sun Yu's daughter (Cheng Lee) and ironically has become the only capable fighter willing and able to aid the man he was originally hired to kill. Obviously, this leads to a showdown between Hsiang Chuan and Sheng Wen.

This is a classic swordplay film that benefits greatly from the resources Shaw Brothers brings to bear. Professional cinematography, detailed sets and costumes, and marvelous weapons combat orchestrated from the team of Tong Gaai (Tang Chia) and Yuen Cheung Yan combine to generate richly entertaining fare.

But no film, no matter how great technically will really come together without competent actors and this one has them. Guk Fung, who is perhaps better known to Western audiences as Ku Feng winningly anchors all of the actors' performance, which is not surprising given his incredibly prolific and successful track record in the genre as a character actor. He embodies a depth and authority generally reserved for the likes of Richard Harris or Ian McKellen. Chung Wa sticks to the familiar role he came to be typecast in as a stoic hero, as does sexpot Chang Ping whose turn as a manipulative bordello queen could have provided inspiration for Monica Bellucci's saucy role in Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001). Lo Lieh is underused, but has one of the more colorful roles as a killer capable of smearing the blood from his freshly beheaded victim all over his own face. I do wish they had taken this crazed dark horse element further, but Lo makes the best of what he's given. A familiar face to genre fans is the bulky Fan Mei Sheng who deserves mention for adding meaningful pathos to a grim scene involving the willing poisoning of his children in order to save the life of his master, Sun Yu.

Killer Clans is definitely representative of director Chor Yuen's work in that it mixes emotion, adult themes, and action to create a soundly balanced film. The kung fu may be more intense in a Lau Kar Leung film and the action more creatively bloody in a Chang Cheh film, but Chor strikes a vigorous cinematic chord among the SB ranks that makes for an excellent swordplay film.