From Cult to 4K: Reviewing The Blood of Fu Manchu & The Castle of Fu Manchu

When you think Hammer Horror or just plain horror for that matter, one of the names that comes to mind is Christopher Lee. I have enjoyed watching Lee's horror movies for most of my life. My favorite would have to be The Horror of Dracula.

Christopher Lee would not just be known for his horror. During his career he would be in such iconic films series as The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. He was more than just a horror icon; he was just a film icon.

Like other horror icon Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee would play the villainous Fu Manchu. Where Karloff only played the character once. Lee would play him 5 times. Now Blue Underground have released those final two films on 4k UltraHD and Blu-ray for the first time ever!

Synopsis: From his secret lair deep within the South American jungle, international super-villain Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN) and his sadistic daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin of YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE) reveal their latest diabolical plot for world domination: ten beautiful women are infected with an ancient poison so deadly that one kiss from their lips will bring instant death and lead to a global plague. Now the Asian madman's nemesis, Nayland Smith (Richard Greene of TALES FROM THE CRYPT), must desperately hunt an antidote in a savage land where rape and torture reign and the ultimate evil lies in THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU.

Synopsis: Christopher Lee (THE LORD OF THE RINGS) returns as the diabolical super-villain who, along with his sadistic daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin of CASINO ROYALE), creates a fiendish new chemical weapon that will turn the seas into a giant block of ice. But when his archenemy Nayland Smith (Richard Greene of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD) tracks the madman's trail of kidnapping, murder and massive global destruction, he himself becomes trapped in Fu Manchu's impenetrable lair of cruelty. Can any of the world's top-secret agents (including a wild performance by Jess Franco) now stop the cold-blooded terror that lives in THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU?

Jess Franco's imaginative film making style is on full display in these films. Christopher Lee simply is amazing as the super-villian Fu Manchu. These films were not big blockbuster budget films. But Franco put the money to great use and makes films that are entertaining and look pretty good!

Blue Underground have transferred these films to Ultra HD Blu-ray (2160p) and HD Blu-ray (1080p). The films are presented in widescreen edition in 1.66:1. The Audio track is an English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. There is also the option for subtitles in English SDH, Francais and Espanol.

When you get a Blue Undeerground release you can rest assured you are getting a release that has the best quality possible. The Blood and The Castle of Fu Manchu simply look stunning. The colors pop and flesh tones are correct. The picture is crisp, and the audio is clear. These are two more wonderful 4K releases from the good folks at Blue Underground.

Now in addition to these films looking wonderful on both 4K and Blu-ray. Blue Underground added some cool bonus features to each of these release. Take a look at what is included on these releases.

The Blood of Fu Manchu Bonus Features:
* NEW! Audio Commentary with Film Historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
* The Rise of Fu Manchu - Interviews with Director Jess Franco, Producer Harry Alan Towers, and Stars Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, & Shirley Eaton
* NEW! Sanguine-Stained Celluloid – Interview with Stephen Thrower, Author of “Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco”
* Trailers
* NEWLY EXPANDED! Poster & Still Gallery
* NEW! RiffTrax Edition – THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU Riffed by Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett & Kevin Murphy (77 Mins.)

The Castle of Fu Manchu Bonus Features:
* NEW! Audio Commentary with Film Historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth
* The Fall of Fu Manchu - Interviews with Director Jess Franco, Producer Harry Alan Towers, and Stars Christopher Lee & Tsai Chin
* NEW! Castle of Carnage – Interview with Stephen Thrower, Author of “Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco”
* International Trailer
* NEWLY EXPANDED! Poster & Still Gallery
* NEW! RiffTrax Edition – THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU Riffed by Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett & Kevin Murphy (75 Mins.)

Insightful audio commentaries, interviews, trailers and galleries are cool. But the addition of RiffTrack those are really fun and make a great watch after enjoying the film itself. Then each of these 4Ks come with a deluxe slipcover! Blue Underground really went above and beyond here to make these two releases something extremely special.

The films of Fu Manchu are not for everyone, but if you do enjoy them, you need these 4ks in your collection. They are simply stunning and would make a great addition or upgrade, as the case may be, to your home video library.

You can order a copy of The Blood of Fu Manchu 4k at MVDShop or Amazon. You can also order a copy of The Castle of Fu Manchu 4k at MVDShop or Amazon. Go ahead what are you waiting for get your copies today!