When people think of Kung Fu movies, they often look to stars like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, or to major studios such as the Shaw Brothers or Golden Harvest. Hell, some may even look to the film samples in the music of Wu-Tang Clan. Rarely, however, do people consider the cinema of Chang Cheh, one of China's greatest action filmmakers. Now, thanks to the latest box set from Eureka Classics, you can take home ten of the filmmaker's finest features.

Focusing on Cheh's tenure with Shaw Brothers, this glorious five-disc, ten-film set takes us from 1967's Trail of the Broken Blade all the way through to 1983's The Weird Man. Already a seasoned pro by the time he made Trail of the Broken Blade, Cheh's work was distinguished by his penchant for bloodshed and a thematic fascination with the bonds of brotherhood and masculine sacrifice. The ten films presented in this set encompass a range of genres, from wuxia to historical epics, kung fu, and fantasy. Although Cheh's style remains consistent throughout, the changes in genre do cause some fluctuation in quality.

Although the director's forays into kung fu filmmaking are remarkable in showing us a glimpse into the changing trends within the Chinese film industry at the time, his more esoteric work is much less noteworthy. Whilst The Fantastic Magic Baby and The Weird Man are certainly interesting, they offer little more than their visuals, with both films failing to engage the audience or stand out through their absurd executions. It is clear that Cheh is most comfortable in the realm of wuxia films. With plenty of slow-mo, crash zooms, and ridiculous English language dubs, the director's films in that genre are simply some of the finest there are.

Two particular highlights of the set come in the form of 1971's King Eagle and 1974's Shaolin Martial Arts. The latter is one of the most over-the-top martial arts films you are ever likely to see, offering a ridiculously fun time as a result. King Eagle, on the other hand, may feature some of Chang Cheh's greatest fight scenes and undoubtedly one of the coolest wuxia heroes of all time in the form of Jin Fei (played coolly by Hong Kong action legend Ti Lung). The movie is the shortest in the entire set, coming in at only eighty minutes, most of which are made up of action set pieces. Short, sweet, and a damn good time.

Chang Cheh may be most well remembered for films like The Five Deadly Venoms or Shaolin Temple, but the Furious Swords and Fantastic Warriors collection offers up some of the filmmaker's most overlooked work. Despite some weaker pictures in the set and some evident flaws throughout the ten films, almost every movie is entertaining in its own right, offering some beautiful visuals and some truly badass action setpieces.

Furious Swords and Fantastic Warriors Blu-ray Limited Edition Special Features

Limited edition double-walled slipcase, with 2 amaray cases, featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling [2000 copies]
Limited edition collector's booklet featuring new writing on all films in this set by film critic and writer James Oliver [2000 copies]
1080p HD presentations of all 10 films on Blu-ray
Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release
New audio commentaries on Men from the Monastery, The Trail of the Broken Blade and The Weird Man by film critic David West
New audio commentaries on King Eagle, The Wandering Swordsman, Trilogy of Swordsmanship and The Fantastic Magic Baby by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
New audio commentaries on Shaolin Martial Arts, Iron Bodyguard and New Shaolin Boxers by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth
New audio commentary on The Fantastic Magic Baby by Frank Djeng
New interview with Hong Kong cinema scholar Wayne Wong on the life and work of Chang Cheh
New video essay by Jonathan Clements (author of A Brief History of China) on Iron Bodyguard
New video essay by Jonathan Clements on Chang Cheh's Shaolin film