Part of Restoration Roundup
After becoming the face of the wuxia craze with his legendary performance in Chang Cheh’s THE ONE-ARMED BOXER (1967) and paving the way for Bruce Lee by igniting kung-fu fever with THE CHINESE BOXER (1970), Jimmy Wong Yu went on to create a grindhouse masterpiece with MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE, in which a blind lama assassin employed by the Qing Emperor goes after the righteous “One-Armed Boxer” (played by the director). Featuring extravagant choreography by brothers Lau Kar-leung and Lau Kar-wing, this film set the template for martial-arts video games with its centerpiece kung-fu tournament full of freaky contestants and the fireworks of its final showdown (set in a booby-trapped coffin shop).
“Once you find the groove of this delectable cheese fest, you'll realize how influential GUILLOTINE has been.” —Elvis Mitchell, New York Times
“Movie fun of the highest order, MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE needs to be seen to be believed, and even then defies belief.” —Nathan Rabin, The A.V. Club