The Castle of Fu Manchu BluRay review

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Review of the Blue Underground BluRay release of The Castle of Fu Manchu (which is a double feature with The Blood of Fu Manchu, see separate review).

The Blood of Fu Manchu BluRay

The Story

Fu Manchu has conceived a device to freeze Carribean waters and sink ships, with which he is now blackmailing the world's powers into submission. Next up he aims for control of the world's opium trade, but moving against the Omar Pashu, their Turkish allies led by Lisa (Rosalba Neri) turn against them. After seizing power there, Fu Manchu locks her away but leaves her alive, against the advice of his daughter and right hand Lin Tang (Tsai Chin). Meanwhile in London, the government's Smith (Richard Greene) uncovers the mystery of Fu Manchu's power, it's a theory devised by Prof. Heracles (Gustavo Re), whereby a certain crystalline substance could help turn water into an uncontrollable icy whirl: Opium. It all fits together. But the professor seems to be in the fangs of Fu Manchu already, however struggling with his health. So his minions set out to capture another academic, Dr. Kessler (Günther Stoll), who Nayland and his partners have sought already. He lets them know the professor left to Istanbul. So their suspicion is confirmed, but Manchus men abduct Kessler and his asistant Ingrid (Perschy) and bring them to his castle.

This one ....


The Castle of Fu Manchu

The actors and characters

xxxx is back as Lin Tang..

also Richard Greene is back as Nayland Smith.

Christopher Lee ......

No Maria Rohm this time, but instead we get..... Rosalba Neri (a very good trade I think) as well as Maria Perschy as Dr Kesslers assistant. and of course José Manuel Martín as the Omar Pashu pulling the strings in the Istanbul unerworld. also jess franco shows up as a police inspector.

The Castle of Fu Manchu

Verdict

That gets me to my little verdict......

Cinematographer Manuel Merino .... and this time better, the music by....

You'll see some archival footage of Campbell's Kingdom (1957) and A Night to Remember (1958) in this film, showing a dam busting and the Titanic sinking, respectively.


It's an entertaining movie....

The Castle of Fu Manchu

The BluRay offers a sub-average 2K transfer which is often lacking detail and crispness and runs not always steady, but is overall sufficient. Both movies are on one disc, so the bit rate is also not very high but the material also wouldn't need it. There is only an English language track, but it sounds alright for what it is. You can select subtitles (English SDH), but there are no other language options. Extras are "The Rise of Fu Manchu" with interviews with Jess Franco, Harry Alan Towers, Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin and Shirley Eaton (15mins) as well as the international and the US trailer, plus a poster and still gallery. Interesting little insight into these obscure films and the adaption of the Sax Rohmer universe to which also belong movies like The Million Eyes of Sumuru.

Overall, a rather campy adventure, but with lots of charm and cult flair to it, on a decent HD presentation. ....xxxx

Continue reading: The Blood of Fu Manchu BluRay review

Special thanks to Blue Underground for supplying the BluRay.


Sebround.jpg

Sebastian, co-founder and admin of the Grindhouse Cinema Database (GCDb). He also started The Spaghetti Western Database (SWDb), The Quentin Tarantino Archives, The Robert Rodriguez Archives, Nischenkino and Furious Cinema. Outside of movies, he works on the intersection of technology and policy. He lives in Berlin, Germany.

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