The Blood of Fu Manchu Blu-ray Distributed By: Blue Underground / May 30, 2017
Christopher Lee is at his sinister best in this Fu Manchu Double Feature Blu-ray!
THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU:
The Unrated European Version!
From his secret lair deep within the South American jungle, international super-villain Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee of COUNT DRACULA) 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.Maria Rohm (VENUS IN FURS) and Shirley Eaton (GOLDFINGER) co-star in this wild Fu Manchu feature written and produced by Harry Alan Towers (EUGENIE) and directed by the one and only Jess Franco (VAMPYROS LESBOS). Also known as KISS AND KILL, AGAINST ALL ODDS, and KISS OF DEATH, Blue Underground presents THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU in High Definition, complete with additional scenes of nudity and violence!
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- The Rise of Fu Manchu – Interviews with Director Jess Franco, Producer Harry Alan Towers, and Stars Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, & Shirley Eaton
- Theatrical Trailers
- Poster & Still Gallery
Movie: 
(2.0 / 5)Video: 
(1.5 / 5)Audio: 
(3.0 / 5)Extras: 
(2.5 / 5)Average: 
(2.3 / 5)
Review
Prior to this review I had never seen any of these films. Consider me part of the group that considers a “Fu Manchu” to be a kind of facial hair style. I’m only partially joking. I’m aware that the character, created by Sax Rohmer, has been explored in most major media, beginning in the 1913 novel The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu.
The character has been celebrated in at least fourteen films but not without also being harshly criticized as figure of anti-Asian racism. Blue Underground has packaged two of these films in a nice double-bill starring the legendary Christopher Lee (Lord of the Rings, The Wicker Man) as the title villain, and both directed by Jess Franco.
Now, if you’re like me and discovering these films for the first time, Blue Underground’s double feature blu-ray release may not be the best place to start. The Blood of Fu Manchu (1968) and The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969) represent parts 4 & 5 in a five film series starring Christopher Lee. Unlike many film series that can act like stand-alone films (the James Bond franchise, for instance) Blood requires its audience to have some understanding of the characters and relationship dynamics as soon as the film opens.
Director Jess Franco does not spend any time with character introductions or plot recaps. Those unfamiliar with the Fu Manchu mythology may spend more time wondering who everyone is instead of completely investing yourself in the narrative. In order to get completely caught up, it’s strongly encouraged that you first check out The Face of Fu Manchu (1965), The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966), and The Vengeance of Fu Manchu (1967).
As described in the above synopsis and the linked video, Blood begins with Fu Manchu concocting a plot to send poisonous vixens to all of his worldly enemies. Franco gets right down to his usual business of showing us a torture chamber with scantily clad and naked women in chains. Shortly thereafter, the women are dispatched around the globe and one of them is delivered to the house of Nayland Smith. Fu Manchu’s plan works nearly perfectly as the beautiful woman kisses Nayland Smith and passes on the deadly venom. Smith instantly goes blind and a race to find a cure begins.
Herein lies the first problem with The Blood of Fu Manchu. If Nayland Smith is the “James Bond” of this series, why is he immediately incapacitated? It’s like watching a James Bond movie without James Bond. Perhaps this would serve as a major twist in the franchise had I seen the first films. Fortunately, other characters are introduced to help carry the weight of the film’s narrative. This includes an Indiana Jones type adventurer named Carl Jansen (Gotz George), and rogue criminal Sancho Lopez (Ricardo Palacios). These characters only further confuse the non-initiated and leave us wondering who we’re ultimately supposed to be rooting on.
Then there are the production short-cuts that prove both troublesome, but also lend to part of the film’s charm. I won’t mince words as I find Jess Franco to be a lazy filmmaker. I said as much in my review of the blu-ray release of Daughter of Dracula. But under the producing control of Harry Alan Towers, Franco seems to be a bit more on his game. He’s a smart guy and certainly has talent, but he still makes movies on the fast and cheap.
A perfect example of this: A major plot point in The Blood of Fu Manchu is that Dr. Fu Manchu has found a long lost temple. This temple holds ancient, venomous, South American snakes that have been used in ritual sacrifices. This venom can be transferred into the blood of women by snake bite. So Jess Franco needs a shot of a snake biting someone, right? Unfortunately, Franco never gets the shot. He could have found stock footage of a viper bite. Maybe the make-up department create a fake arm and a snake wrangler coach a snake to bite the prosthetic. Point being there are many options, some cheaper than others, but all could give Franco the shot he needs. He does none of this.
Instead he chooses to simply have one actor hold a docile snake up to the actress’ breast as Franco zooms the camera in on the snake at the moment the serpent is supposed to bite. Except the snake never bites. The snake passively turns away from the actress as she shrieks in agony and despair. Now that’s acting!
Tasteless.
Kind of boring.
All said, The Blood of Fu Manchu is a schlocky drive-in .
The Disc
Technical merits of the Blu-ray are outstanding and Severin Films once again shows they go above and beyond for all of their releases.
The video is very good considering that the source elements were probably less than ideal. Image appears a little washed out at times and there are some inconsistencies here and there, but overall the film looks fantastic.
The audio is serviceable and provides some additional “guffaws” with unintentionally humorous musical cues, sound effects, and choice quotes.
Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?
At the end of the day, I fully recommend you acquire Severin Films Blu-ray and add it to your collection of obscure treasures. But do you really need me telling you that? That trailer sells itself.
Hidden Treasure!
