The Flying Guillotine

This film is unlike any Shaw Bros. movie I have ever seen. It is about a man who invents a new weapon. It's a flying hat type thing that cuts people's heads off. The man presents it to the evil emperor and the Emperor hires him to teach a squad of soldiers how to use the weapon. A series of events happens and finally after about 35 minutes a main character is established. He runs away from the training camp and the inventor is instructed by the Emperor to hunt him down. This is a long movie by Shaw standards, almost 2 hours long. Also it features the worst fight choreography I've ever seen. It's a pretty original concept, but it should've been executed better. Overall I give it a 5/10.

Another Shaw brothers classic! I would highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys this genre.

I like kung-fu films starring Chen Kuan Tai, but this one is special even for him. In my opinion, this is the baddest kung-fu movie ever made because of the weapon that's used and how its victims dies one after another under its nefarious power. This first and (imo) best of the Flying Guillotine sagas, has actual plot and a story for a change, and good acting and quality cinematography.

The idea is shocking, and the way its ruthlessly used is even more so, but that's what makes this film extra special good. Basically, 12 assassin ninjas who are trained to use the flying guillotine goes out killing unsuspecting victims one by one from a distance they never suspect attacks to come from. And of course all the people standing around them pee in their pants to see the head get sliced off their body.

Along with Executioner from Shaolin, this is one of the best movie Chen Kuan Tai starred in, and one of the best kung-fu action movie made in the '70s.

Watch this along with its equally high quality sequel - Flying Guillotines II (1978) where it picks up where this story left off.

Highly recommended.

Was this the film that started the whole decapitating fad?

A very atypical Shaw Bros story here that doesn't involve your typical training to enter Shaolin temple or revenge motif. Instead, you're not sure who to root for or jeer at. My favorite scenes include anyone with the flying guillotine. Just seeing those bodies headless and limbs flailing (the red paint smears were a great gory touch!). By the end, there's double crossing and power corrupts. Really great use of Shaw Studios sets and the colors and costumes looked great on this Celestial DVD release. Also, stick with it and you get a great finish to boot. So, while not a classic Shaw Bros film, this one is a "cut" above the rest.

This is one of those few movies that enters cinema legend simply because a better remembered film was made in response to it. Flying guillotine was quite popular in its day, thus Wang Yu's idea of stealing an idea from it. Now it's become difficult find.

Of course I saw this after seeing Wang Yu's later film. Consequently I was actually prepared for a film much less fun than the later film.

well, it is a little less fun - but only a little. Ho Meng-hua has really paced this film well - Whenever we reach a point where the plot appears in danger of slowing down, Ho makes sure something happens to recapture our attention.

The cinematography is quite good, and the editor has used the footage well. But my sense is that the largest contribution was from Ho Meng-hwa.

Of course, it helps a little to have Chen Kuan Tai play the hero. Chen was not only a brilliant traditional kung-fu performer, he could also act quite convincingly.

There are a number of slips in the film, but thanks to its pacing, these are easy to ignore. It's definitely a "grand-guinol" B-movie; but I wouldn't have it any other way.