The Blood of Fu Manchu Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

The Blood of Fu Manchu Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 21, 2022

Jess Franco's "The Blood of Fu Manchu" a.k.a. "Sax Rohmer's Kiss and Kill" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with clapper loader Ray Andrew; exclusive new program with critic Stephen Thrower; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The Blood of Fu Manchu is a bit of a mess, really, and even though it gives proper credit to Sax Rohmer’s novels it is an original project. It was one of three films that the prolific British producer Harry Alan Towers and cult Spanish director Jess Franco worked on at approximately the same time during the 1960s. While shooting The Girl from Rio in Brazil, Franco and cinematographer Manuel Merino also did some bonus footage that was later on used in 99 Women, and Towers literally borrowed footage from The Girl from Rio, featuring the beautiful actress Shirley Eaton, and used it in The Blood of Fu Manchu without ever asking for her permission.

The new story is actually quite good. After years of hiding in a secluded fortress somewhere in the jungles of South America, the great Oriental villain Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee) discovers a very special poison, quite possibly brought to earth by an alien race, which he decides to use to eliminate his biggest enemies. Fu Manchu and his evil daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin) then abduct ten beautiful women, infect them with the poison and immediately dispatch them across the world. (The women are basically used as containers, and all they have to do to eliminate their targets is give them the Kiss of Death). In London, Fu Manchu’s old foe Inspector Nayland Smith (Richard Greene) allows one of the girls to kiss him and instantly becomes blind. Shortly after, agent Carl Jansen (Götz George) contacts Smith and informs him that he has found Fu Manchu’s lair and is getting ready to go after him. Escorted by his good friend Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion Crawford), Smith then travels to South America to confront Fu Manchu and find an antidote before the poison kills him. Before the grand finale, Smith and Jansen get unexpected help from a local bandit named Sancho Villa (Richard Palacios), whom Fu Manchu suspects of being a secret agent, and a fearless beauty named Ursula (Maria Rohm), who has lost a relative and is looking for revenge.

Virtually all of the films Towers produced during the 1960s blend exotic atmosphere and action, occasionally with a bit of sleaze, in order to impress. The recipe for The Blood of Fu Manchu is unchanged, though given the talent that contributed to it this is arguably the weakest one from the bunch. It is quite odd, to say the least because Rohmer’s novels offer exactly the type of lavish exotic material that Towers loved.

The film does have an authentic exotic vibe, but the story is filled with so many distracting subplots that after a while it becomes awfully difficult to care about any of its characters. In fact, because the story is so fractured it begins to feel as if Franco and Towers agreed to use footage that wasn’t necessarily needed but felt right to incorporate in the final version of the film because they had done it. To be fair, there are other films that they did together that suffer for the very same reason (see Marquis de Sade's Justine), but here it all seems a bit too obvious and, even for a Franco film, uncharacteristically distracting.

While it is difficult not to agree that in terms of star power Lee’s presence in the film’s biggest asset, in a way it can also be considered its Achilles' heel. It is clear that Fu Manchu was not the right character for the iconic actor to play, and yet because of his involvement neither Franco nor Towers were willing to experiment with more risqué material.

Franco shot The Blood of Fu Manchu with frequent collaborator and close friend Manuel Merino. Their best work came a few years later with the hugely atmospheric erotic thrillers Vampyros Lesbos and Eugenie.

The Blood of Fu Manchu Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Blood of Fu Manchu arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The only other release of The Blood of Fu Manchu that I have in my library is this release from Blue Underground, which is actually part of this double-feature release. The difference in quality between these releases is pretty incredible, though this should not be shocking new considering that Indicator/Powerhouse Films' release is sourced from a brand new 4K master, while Blue Underground's release is sourced from an old and very dodgy standard definition master.

I am going to mention the one and only area where I think some minor improvements could have been made on the 4K master. (This issue may very well be resolved if the film is viewed in native 4K). On my system, some darker areas occasionally looked a tad too dark, crushing small nuances that should be easy to recognize. This effect is even noticeable during daylight footage, though my guess is that only trained eyes might be able to spot it (see examples in screencaptures #3 and 5). The rest I like a lot. Delineation, clarity, and depth are pretty impressive. The master also boasts wonderful organic primaries and supporting nuances. The entire film looks exceptionally clean as well. So, the release truly is a quite the revelation, and in my opinion it makes the entire film look a lot more impressive than it should be. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Blood of Fu Manchu Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is excellent. I did some direct comparisons with the lossless track from the Blue Underground release and I could quite easily recognize a wider dynamic field. To be clear, the limitations of the original soundtrack are still there, but in different parts of the film where there is more action the improvement in quality is easily noticeable.

The Blood of Fu Manchu Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - in this new program, critic Vic Pratt introduces The Blood of Fu Manchu. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Ray Andrew: Any Way to Save Money - in this exclusive new program, clapper loader Ray Andrew recalls producer Harry Alan Towers and the production of The Blood of Fu Manchu. There are some particularly funny but true comments about Towers' financial dealings and Maria Rohm. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• The Men Who Killed Fu Manchu? - in this exclusive new program, critic Stephen Thrower discusses Jess Franco's relationship with Harry Alan Towers and their interest in Fu Manchu. In English, not subtitled. (42 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics David Flint and Adrian J. Smith.

• UK Trailer - presented here is a theatrical UK trailer for The Blood of Fu Manchu. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• US Trailer - presented here is a theatrical U.S. trailer for Kiss and Kill. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Image Gallery - a gallery of original promotional materials for The Blood of Fu Manchu.

• The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu: 'The Fiery Hand' - this silent film directed by A.E. Coleby in 1923 can be viewed with an optional new score recorded by the band Peninsula on August 1-2, 2020, at Karma Studios, Stoke Newington, London. It is arranged, produced, and mixed by Tom Blackford. With original English intertitles. (37 min).

• Color Tests - Silent. (1 min).

• Alternative Title Sequences -
  
  1. Kiss me to Death (pre-release titles).
  2. Against All Odds (U.S. video titles)
  3. Fu Manchu u el beso de la muerte (Spanish theatrical titles)

The Blood of Fu Manchu Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The recent 4K restoration of The Blood of Fu Manchu is quite the revelation. To be honest, it makes it possible to experience the film in an entirely new way. Recently, I projected the film for a friend, and when its final credits appeared, we both agreed that the party behind the restoration did an outstanding job. If you enjoy The Blood of Fu Manchu and have seen only Blue Underground's presentation of it, I urge you to consider an upgrade. If you decide to add the release to your library, please keep in mind that it is Region-B "locked". RECOMMENDED.