Super Spies and Secret Lies: Three Undercover Classics from Shaw Brothers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Super Spies and Secret Lies: Three Undercover Classics from Shaw Brothers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 7, 2024

The venerable Shaw Brothers may be best remembered for their glut of martial arts extravaganzas, a glut evidenced by the recent massive Shawscope Volume Three set among many others, evidenced at least in part by that Volume Three, which is not to suggest the Shawscope collections have been the only source for Shaw Brothers films on Blu-ray. But the studio was certainly not immune to various other crazes that subsumed the global film world, including the massive wake left by the first several James Bond films, seemingly even a bit before the Bond phenomenon had a new burst of Asian energy courtesy of You Only Live Twice. Eureka has aggregated three of these slightly wacky exploits together in an appealing set which if nothing else presents both regular Shaw Brothers performers and directors in a somewhat different genre context.

For reviews of the three films in this set, please click on the following links:

The Golden Buddha Blu-ray review

Angel with the Iron Fists Blu-ray review

The Singing Thief Blu-ray review

Super Spies and Secret Lies: Three Undercover Classics from Shaw Brothers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Super Spies and Secret Lies: Three Undercover Classics from Shaw Brothers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Super Spies and Secret Lies: Three Undercover Classics from Shaw Brothers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Eureka! Entertainment has packaged The Golden Buddha and Angel with the Iron Fists together on one disc, with The Singing Thief on the other, with the following supplements:

Disc One

• Commentary on The Golden Buddha by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema


• Commentary on Angel with the Iron Fists by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema

Disc Two

• Commentary on The Singing Thief by Mike Leeder and Arne Venema


• From Hong Kong with Love (HD; 16:43) is an overview of spy films from the Shaw Brothers.


• International Super Spies (HD; 21:51) looks at the global Bond phenomenon.

Additionally, Eureka! provides a very nicely appointed insert booklet, with cast information on all three films and an essay by Iain Robert Smith. Packaging features a slipcover.

Super Spies and Secret Lies: Three Undercover Classics from Shaw Brothers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This should be a fun triple feature for genre enthusiasts or those interested in seeing a somewhat different side of the Shaw Brothers production machine. Technical merits are a bit variant throughout the three films but are generally solid, and the supplements are very enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.