The Fu Manchu Cycle, 1965 - 1969
In 1965, maverick British producer and writer Harry Alan Towers (The Bloody Judge) scored a hit with The Face of Fu Manchu, a thrilling revival of Sax Rohmer’s super-villain imperiously portrayed by Christopher Lee (The Terror of the Tongs). Over the next four years, Lee and Towers would collaborate with directors Don Sharp (Psychomania), Jeremy Summers and Jesús Franco (Venus in Furs) on four ever more delirious tales of attempted world domination (The Brides of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, The Blood of Fu Manchu, The Castle of Fu Manchu), each pitting the criminal mastermind against his arch-nemesis Nayland Smith, as played variously by Nigel Green (Play Dirty), Douglas Wilmer (Sherlock Holmes) and Richard Greene (The Adventures of Robin Hood).
Now, all five classic Fu Manchu films are presented on Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored from original negatives and containing a wealth of new and archival extras, including critical appreciations, cast and crew interviews and audio commentaries. This stunning collection is strictly limited to 6,000 units, and is presented with an exclusive, fully illustrated 120-page book, featuring new writing by Tim Lucas.
Details by Film
The Face of Fu Manchu
Streaming Options
The Brides of Fu Manchu
UK Theatrical VersionStreaming Options
The Brides of Fu Manchu
US Theatrical VersionStreaming Options
The Vengeance of Fu Manchu
Streaming Options
The Blood of Fu Manchu
Streaming Options
The Castle of Fu Manchu
Streaming Options
The Face of Fu Manchu
In 1965, maverick British producer and writer Harry Alan Towers (The Bloody Judge) scored a hit with The Face of Fu Manchu, a thrilling revival of Sax Rohmer’s super-villain imperiously portrayed by Christopher Lee (The Terror of the Tongs). Over the next four years, Lee and Towers would collaborate with directors Don Sharp (Psychomania), Jeremy Summers and Jesús Franco (Venus in Furs) on four ever more delirious tales of attempted world domination (The Brides of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, The Blood of Fu Manchu, The Castle of Fu Manchu), each pitting the criminal mastermind against his arch-nemesis Nayland Smith, as played variously by Nigel Green (Play Dirty), Douglas Wilmer (Sherlock Holmes) and Richard Greene (The Adventures of Robin Hood).
Now, all five classic Fu Manchu films are presented on Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored from original negatives and containing a wealth of new and archival extras, including critical appreciations, cast and crew interviews and audio commentaries. This stunning collection is strictly limited to 6,000 units, and is presented with an exclusive, fully illustrated 120-page book, featuring new writing by Tim Lucas.
The Brides of Fu Manchu
In 1965, maverick British producer and writer Harry Alan Towers (The Bloody Judge) scored a hit with The Face of Fu Manchu, a thrilling revival of Sax Rohmer’s super-villain imperiously portrayed by Christopher Lee (The Terror of the Tongs). Over the next four years, Lee and Towers would collaborate with directors Don Sharp (Psychomania), Jeremy Summers and Jesús Franco (Venus in Furs) on four ever more delirious tales of attempted world domination (The Brides of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, The Blood of Fu Manchu, The Castle of Fu Manchu), each pitting the criminal mastermind against his arch-nemesis Nayland Smith, as played variously by Nigel Green (Play Dirty), Douglas Wilmer (Sherlock Holmes) and Richard Greene (The Adventures of Robin Hood).
Now, all five classic Fu Manchu films are presented on Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored from original negatives and containing a wealth of new and archival extras, including critical appreciations, cast and crew interviews and audio commentaries. This stunning collection is strictly limited to 6,000 units, and is presented with an exclusive, fully illustrated 120-page book, featuring new writing by Tim Lucas.
The Vengeance of Fu Manchu
In 1965, maverick British producer and writer Harry Alan Towers (The Bloody Judge) scored a hit with The Face of Fu Manchu, a thrilling revival of Sax Rohmer’s super-villain imperiously portrayed by Christopher Lee (The Terror of the Tongs). Over the next four years, Lee and Towers would collaborate with directors Don Sharp (Psychomania), Jeremy Summers and Jesús Franco (Venus in Furs) on four ever more delirious tales of attempted world domination (The Brides of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, The Blood of Fu Manchu, The Castle of Fu Manchu), each pitting the criminal mastermind against his arch-nemesis Nayland Smith, as played variously by Nigel Green (Play Dirty), Douglas Wilmer (Sherlock Holmes) and Richard Greene (The Adventures of Robin Hood).
Now, all five classic Fu Manchu films are presented on Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored from original negatives and containing a wealth of new and archival extras, including critical appreciations, cast and crew interviews and audio commentaries. This stunning collection is strictly limited to 6,000 units, and is presented with an exclusive, fully illustrated 120-page book, featuring new writing by Tim Lucas.
The Blood of Fu Manchu
In 1965, maverick British producer and writer Harry Alan Towers (The Bloody Judge) scored a hit with The Face of Fu Manchu, a thrilling revival of Sax Rohmer’s super-villain imperiously portrayed by Christopher Lee (The Terror of the Tongs). Over the next four years, Lee and Towers would collaborate with directors Don Sharp (Psychomania), Jeremy Summers and Jesús Franco (Venus in Furs) on four ever more delirious tales of attempted world domination (The Brides of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, The Blood of Fu Manchu, The Castle of Fu Manchu), each pitting the criminal mastermind against his arch-nemesis Nayland Smith, as played variously by Nigel Green (Play Dirty), Douglas Wilmer (Sherlock Holmes) and Richard Greene (The Adventures of Robin Hood).
Now, all five classic Fu Manchu films are presented on Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored from original negatives and containing a wealth of new and archival extras, including critical appreciations, cast and crew interviews and audio commentaries. This stunning collection is strictly limited to 6,000 units, and is presented with an exclusive, fully illustrated 120-page book, featuring new writing by Tim Lucas.
The Castle of Fu Manchu
In 1965, maverick British producer and writer Harry Alan Towers (The Bloody Judge) scored a hit with The Face of Fu Manchu, a thrilling revival of Sax Rohmer’s super-villain imperiously portrayed by Christopher Lee (The Terror of the Tongs). Over the next four years, Lee and Towers would collaborate with directors Don Sharp (Psychomania), Jeremy Summers and Jesús Franco (Venus in Furs) on four ever more delirious tales of attempted world domination (The Brides of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, The Blood of Fu Manchu, The Castle of Fu Manchu), each pitting the criminal mastermind against his arch-nemesis Nayland Smith, as played variously by Nigel Green (Play Dirty), Douglas Wilmer (Sherlock Holmes) and Richard Greene (The Adventures of Robin Hood).
Now, all five classic Fu Manchu films are presented on Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored from original negatives and containing a wealth of new and archival extras, including critical appreciations, cast and crew interviews and audio commentaries. This stunning collection is strictly limited to 6,000 units, and is presented with an exclusive, fully illustrated 120-page book, featuring new writing by Tim Lucas.
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Supplements
- Audio commentary with genre-film experts, critics and authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
- Two presentations of the film: the original UK theatrical version (94 mins) and the original US theatrical version with unique prologue (95 mins)
- Two presentations of the film: with the original The Blood of Fu Manchu title sequence, and the alternative Kiss Me to Death titles
- Two presentations of the film: with the original The Castle of Fu Manchu title sequence, and the alternative Assignment Istanbul titles
- Limited edition exclusive 120-page book with a new essay on the Fu Manchu cycle by Tim Lucas, a look at the career of producer/screenwriter Harry Alan Towers, an examination of the work of Fu Manchu creator Sax Rohmer, new writing on The Ghost of Monk’s Island and the Stoll Pictures’ Fu Manchu silent serials, archival newspaper articles on the films, extracts from the films’ pressbooks, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- The BEHP Interview with Don Sharp – Part One: From Hobart to Hammer (1993, 96 mins): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Sharp in conversation with Teddy Darvas and Alan Lawson
- Audio commentary with film historians Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby (2020)
- Audio commentary with film historians Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby (2020)
- Audio commentary with critics and authors David Flint and Adrian J. Smith (2020)
- Vic Pratt Introduces ‘The Castle of Fu Manchu’ (2020, 7 mins): appreciation by the BFI curator
- Limited edition exclusive double-sided poster
- The BEHP Interview with Ernest Steward – Part One: The BIP Years (1990, 96 mins): archival audio recording of an interview with the respected cinematographer, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project
- The BEHP Interview with Don Sharp – Part Two: A Director of Substance (1993, 95 mins): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Sharp in conversation with Teddy Darvas and Alan Lawson
- The BEHP Interview with Jeremy Summers (2001, 72 mins): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Summers in conversation with Darrol Blake
- Vic Pratt Introduces ‘The Blood of Fu Manchu’ (2020, 7 mins): appreciation by the BFI curator
- From Alicante to Istanbul (2020, 13 mins): actor Rosalba Neri remembers Jesús Franco, Maria Rohm and the making of The Castle of Fu Manchu
- Five replica production stills
- Archival interview with Christopher Lee (1965, 4 mins): extract from the Irish television programme Newsbeat, filmed during location shooting in Dublin
- The BEHP Interview with Ernest Steward – Part Two: From Teddington to ‘Carry On’ (1990, 93 mins): archival audio recording of an interview with the respected cinematographer, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project
- Vic Pratt Introduces ‘The Vengeance of Fu Manchu’ (2020, 7 mins): appreciation by the BFI curator
- The Men Who Killed Fu Manchu? (2020, 41 mins): author and musician Stephen Thrower on Jesús Franco and Harry Alan Towers
- An Interview with Harry Alan Towers (2008, 45 mins): far-reaching personal account of the intrepid producer’s life in radio, TV and film
- Vic Pratt Introduces ‘The Face of Fu Manchu’ (2020, 7 mins): appreciation by the BFI curator
- The Guardian Interview with Christopher Lee (1994, 87 mins): wide-ranging onstage interview with the legendary actor, conducted by the film critic David Robinson
- Tall, Lean and Feline (2020, 50 mins): film historian Jonathan Rigby, author of English Gothic, on the early career of Christopher Lee
- Any Way to Save Money (2020, 11 mins): clapper loader Ray Andrew remembers Harry Alan Towers and Fu Manchu
- The Further Mysteries of Dr. Fu-Manchu: ‘The Coughing Horror’ (1924, 31 mins): Fu Manchu torments Nayland Smith with a terrifying creature in this silent serial sequel, presented with an optional new score by the band Peninsula
- Underneath the Skin (2020, 49 mins): broadcaster, educationalist and author of The Yellow Peril: Dr Fu Manchu & The Rise of Chinaphobia, Christopher Frayling, examines the origin, history and reputation of Sax Rohmer’s works
- Vic Pratt Introduces ‘The Brides of Fu Manchu’ (2020, 7 mins): appreciation by the BFI curator
- The Cheque’s in the Post (2020, 5 mins): first assistant director Anthony Waye remembers Harry Alan Towers and Fu Manchu
- The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu: ‘The Fiery Hand’ (1923, 37 mins): chilling episode from the original silent serial starring Harry Agar Lyons, presented with an optional new score by the band Peninsula
- Alternative title sequences
- Alternative titles and credits
- Pages of Peril (2020, 21 mins): genre-film expert, critic and author Kim Newman discusses Sax Rohmer and the Fu Manchu novels
- The Ghost of Monk’s Island (1966, 93 mins): Jeremy Summers directs this exciting mystery made for the Children’s Film Foundation
- Colour tests: previously unseen production footage of Christopher Lee and Tsai Chin
- Original theatrical trailer
- Super 8 versions: cut-down home cinema presentations with original vinyl soundtracks
- Original theatrical trailer
- Alternative title sequence
- Original UK theatrical trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
- UK Theatrical Trailer
- TV spot
- Original theatrical trailer
- US Kiss and Kill theatrical trailer
- German Theatrical Trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
- French Theatrical Trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity material