Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
Sell Us Your Item
For up to a $1.25 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
MightySilver Add to Cart
$7.93  & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Jacobs Media Add to Cart
$10.00  & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Have one to sell? Sell yours here

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1979)

Gordon Liu , Lo Lieh , Lau Kar Leung  |  R |  DVD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (168 customer reviews)

List Price: $7.93
Price: $6.99 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $0.94 (12%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Tuesday, May 21? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Watch Instantly with Rent Buy
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Shaolin Master Killer)   -- --

Other Formats & Versions

Amazon Price New from Used from
Blu-ray 1-Disc Version $9.99  
DVD 1-Disc Version $6.99  

Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • Amazon Originals Now Playing, For Free: Watch hilarious comedies and lovable children's pilots from top creators, featuring stars you love, only at Amazon Instant Video. See all the shows and let us know what you think.



Frequently Bought Together

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin + The 5 Deadly Venoms + Five Shaolin Masters
Price for all three: $21.66

Buy the selected items together

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Product Details

  • Actors: Gordon Liu, Lo Lieh
  • Directors: Lau Kar Leung
  • Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: R (Restricted)
  • Studio: Dragon Dynasty
  • DVD Release Date: June 19, 2007
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (168 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000MM0LEG
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,723 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • Learn more about "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" on IMDb

Special Features

  • Concert video for Wu-Tang Clan's "Gravel Pit"
  • Interview with star Gordon Liu
  • "Shaolin: A Hero Birthplace"
  • Commentary by the RZA of Wu-Tang Clan and film critic Andy Klein
  • Interviews with the RZA and film scholars David Chute and Andy Klein
  • Stills gallery
  • Trailer gallery
  • Commentator biographies

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A pure old-school martial arts movie, beloved by aficionados, that also appeals to nonfans simply as a rousing action film. The often-imitated fact-based plot (see The Karate Kid) centers upon the rigorous training process undergone in the mid-19th century by the anti-Manchu Chinese patriot San Te (Gordon Liu). It's depicted as a grueling voyage into the unknown. Cast out of his home village when he stands up to the cruel warlord (Lo Lieh) who slaughtered his parents, the refugee seeks out the martial monks of the Shaolin Temple, who steer him through a torturous series of "chambers"--horrendous ordeals designed to build strength and agility--before he's even allowed to study boxing or swordfighting. Finally he defeats a rival by inventing a brand-new weapon, the three-section chain-linked staff. But innovation can be carried only so far; when San Te suggests opening a "36th chamber" in the temple that would teach Shaolin techniques to the populace at large (so that they can fight the nasty Manchus) he is drummed out of the corps. Naturally he returns to his home village, slaughters the baddies, and prepares to open China's first public Shaolin-style kung fu school. Many of the pupils San Te recruits in the final reel became legendary martial artists in their own right, the "Fathers of the Church" of the Chinese kung fu tradition. This is strong action entertainment with real historical resonance. --David Chute

Product Description

(Action) A young man on a mission of vengeance trains at Shaolin Temple to become a kung fu master, evolving into the legendary monk San Te (Gordon Liu), who introduces Shaolin kung fu to oppressed Chinese.

Customer Reviews

If you love kungfu movies you will enjoy it. Vkalya  |  30 reviewers made a similar statement
The classic Gordon Liu flick is by far shaolin master killer, aka 36th chamber of shaolin. Jason R. David  |  19 reviewers made a similar statement
The action was good,the plot and the story line were very entertaining. Lady T  |  17 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
76 of 81 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars THE Shaolin Temple movie June 26, 2007
By morgoth
Format:DVD
Gordon Liu (also known as Lau Kar Fai) stars as a young man who's friends and family have been killed by the new government. He wakes up at the Shaolin Temple, a place he has only heard about a couple of times. When he realizes he is at the best place possible to learn kung fu, he begs and begs to learn so that he can revenge his family. He does finally get taught, but has to start with the basics. Every part of his body must become stronger before he can learn how to fight. After he finishes the first stages of training in record time, he is now highly respected and moves onto learning actual fighting styles. He breezes through this and becomes a great fighter in only 5 years or so. This is not one of those movies that has 1 or 2 training sequences. Gordon is shown in at least 13 of the chambers and half of the movie is spent at Shaolin. So after he has become a master fighter, he is given a high honor and told that he can become second in charge of any of the 35 chambers. A senior monk played by the great Lee Hoi San objects to this and says that he can't have this honor unless Gordon defeats him in a weapons duel. Lee Hoi San does not play a villain, but he does not think that Gordon is a good enough fighter to receive so much praise. His plan works better than he could have ever imagined. He ends up helping Gordon improve as a fighter and as a person. Gordon is told he can leave Shaolin now, and he goes to take revenge on the evil General who killed his family.

One thing that sets this movie apart is that it tries to be a real movie, and it succeeds. Watching Gordon grow up into a man is remarkable to see. The commentators didn't notice, but a lot of the stuff in this movie is very real. When Gordon has to use the pole with the wieght on the end to hit the bell over and over again, that is a real weight on the end of the pole! Gordon talks in the interview (included on this disc) about how the sabres that Lo Lieh uses in the final fight are real, and it just makes the movie that much better. Dont expect your average tale of revenge. I was touched deeply when I first saw this and there are not many kung fu movies that have as much meaning and feeling.

Rating- 5/5

Picture quality is remastered very well. It does get a bit darker and lighter in some scenes, but other than slight print damage once or twice, the picture quality is perfect. The Mandarin, Cantonese and English tracks all sound excellent. In fact, I have never heard the English dub sound this good. The subtitles should have been written better, and the English dub is actually a better translation. They are not horribly written, but could have been a lot better. I am not complaining though since this is the only fault on the DVD.

Special features include a great commentary from The RZA and this Andy Klein guy who does not know very much about the genre. Luckily RZA is there to help him point out actors like Lau Kar Wing, Wilson Tong and Hsiao Hou. I found the commmentary enjoyable. RZA talks about his experiences with this movie, and he is definitely a 36th Chamber expert. And I found it pretty funny that he seems to think Gordon Liu is a monk in real life.

The 17 minute interview with Gordon Liu is very interesting. He talks about many things such as training day and night and how great of an honor it was to work with a megastar like Lo Lieh. Gordon skips over the years like people should know what he is talking about, but just in case you don't, I will fill you in. In 1974 Lau Kar Leung was Chang Cheh's top action director and Gordon Liu was cast as a villain alongside Johnny Wang Lung Wei and Leung Kar Yan in movies like '7 Man Army'. When Lau Kar Leung split up with Chang Cheh he started directing his own movies for the Shaw Brothers, starting with 'Spiritual Boxer'. In his next movie 'Challenge of the Masters', Lau Kar Leung cast his younger adopted brother Gordon Liu as the lead. This is what led to Gordon becoming the star of 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin', the greatest Shaolin Temple movie ever made.

There is a 17 minute documentary on Shaolin that is basically another 17 minutes of awesome info from Gordon Liu.

The 8 minute interview with film critic/scholars Andy Klein and David Shute is a very good description of how great of a movie this is.

The RZA gets a 10 minute interview where he talks about where he first started watching these movies and also gives his thoughts on the Shaw Brothers and explains why the Master Killer in his rap group took that name.

The trailers are the best special feature. The trailer for 'Shaolin Mantis' is very unique. Instead of showing clips from the movie, the actors introduce what kind of kung fu styles are going to be used (be sure to look for Lily Li!). Lau Kar Leung is the director of 'Shaolin Mantis' and doesn't even have a role in the movie, but he gets to show off his ultra awesome kung fu skills quite a bit in the trailer. I think I have watched this trailer about 50 times, and I will eventually master that Shadow style!

Also included are ORIGINAL trailers for 'The 36th Chamber', 'Return to the 36th Chamber', 'Disciples of the 36th Chamber', '8 Diagram Pole Fighter', 'My Young Auntie', 'One Armed Swordsman', 'Infernal Affairs 3' and the original Master Killer US TV commercial.

The last special feature is a gallery of original movie posters and movie stills.
Was this review helpful to you?
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic July 23, 2004
Format:DVD
Considered one of the finest martial arts films ever made, Shaolin Master Killer stars popular old school kung fu badass Chia Hui (Gordon) Liu as San Te, a young man who becomes involved in the struggle against the malevolent Manchus, seditious anti-Ching patriots. Steered by Ho Kuang-han, the Manchus have surreptitiously set up a headquarters in Canton. When his family is murdered for being linked with rebels, San Tse narrowly escapes and eventually makes his way to the Shaolin monastery. Here he requests to stay and learn the fighting techniques of the Shaolin, and after brief discussion among the elders, he is allowed to remain.

The better part of the film is dedicated to the painstaking and exhaustive training San Te undergoes. San Te hones his skills over several years, and the tasks he must complete are within an arduous, and sometimes torturous, series of thirty-five distinct chambers (or phases) of instruction - ordeals intended to develop strength and agility. San Te?s initial failures are amusing (such as attempting in vain to balance on bound wooden logs in the water while also trying to eat lunch from a bowl), but when he finally begins to grasp the Shaolin techniques, he progresses past the other pupils and becomes the greatest student the temple has ever seen. Though there are only thirty-five chambers, Liu's character argues for the creation of a new one. This "36th chamber" in the temple would teach Shaolin kung fu to the general population so that they might effectively fight the Manchus. This idea doesn?t go over at all, and San Te is sent back into the world as a beggar monk. However, San Te has already learned what he needs in order to whip some severe amounts of Manchu ass.

Shaolin Master Killer is the epitome of the classic post-Bruce Lee kung fu flick. While background story concerns revenge, the true focus of the film is San Te?s training at the Shaolin temple. These sequences were under the direction of Lau Kar Leung (who also directed Jackie Chan in Drunken Master 2), and their scope and perfection take martial arts filmmaking to new heights. The training scenes not only serve the purpose of furthering the story, but also allow the viewer to learn about and care for the protagonist before the climactic showdown. There aren't as many fights as one might expect from a Shaw Brothers film, but this does not detract from the overall story in the least. As a matter of fact, the occasionally languorous pace helps to enhance the mood of the film as a whole.

Gordon Liu was a mainstay for more than a decade at legendary Shaw Brothers studio in Hong Kong. His first major role was in director Chang Cheh's Shaolin Martial Arts. The success of Shaolin Master Killer (the original title was 36th Chamber of Shaolin) propelled him to stardom. Liu can be seen in the high-profile role of Pai Mei in Kill Bill: Vol. 2, and in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 as the gangster Johnny Mo - dual roles in the same film showing the esteem Quentin Tarantino holds for this veteran actor.

Shaolin Master Killer is dubbed in that oft-maligned and mocked kung fu movie manner (the lips don?t match the mouth), but most of the translation seems to be precise. The choreography is superlative and demonstrates why Liu is inarguably one of cinema?s greatest martial arts stars. Better than Bruce Lee? Well, that?s a fan-boy debate for another time and place. Shaolin Master Killer is definitely not-to-be-missed by kung fu, cult film, and action flick aficionados for any reason.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
26 of 29 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars OLD SCHOOL COOL ! ! ! TOTALLY TUBULAR ! ! ! March 14, 2001
Format:DVD
Dude, I was so stoked when I saw this was available on DVD! I remember staying up late in the mid-eighties to catch this flick on Kung-Fu Theater. The original title was "Master Killer". Why they decided to add "Shaolin" to the DVD release title is beyond me. I wasn't even sure it was the same movie when I ordered it, but when I saw the opening credits I knew I had struck gold! It was a stand out then and still is today. All of the fighting sequences are awesome, and the training sequences will probably never be matched. The acting, directing, cinematography, and fight choreography are all first rate. This Kung-Fu movie has it all! I don't understand why Gordon Liu is not widely recognized as one of the greats. His speed and skill are as impressive as anyone around today. I'm really looking forward to more of his movies being released on DVD. Don't expect high-flying Hong Kong action; this is strictly old school Shaolin ass-kicking action. The down side: I would have given this DVD 5 stars except for one thing: Damage to the original print used to make this DVD is pretty bad in some places; with dirt and "hair" on the frames, and some of the night scenes a little too dark because of the age of the print. It does not interfere with the action sequences, and was only really distracting two times throughout the entire film. The owner of the distribution rights to this movie needs do it justice and have it digitally remastered frame by frame. A classic like this should be cleaned up and released as beautiful as the day it graced the screen. The sound for the dailogue is a little too soft in a few places, but overall it's okey and the musical score is very good. The punching and kicking sounds don't suffer one bit. The "bonus feature" interview with an actual 34th generation Shaolin monk was boring and totally worthless- skip streight to the movie. I HIGHLY recomend this DVD for any Kung Fu movie lover. You won't be disappointed. With a running time of an hour and 55 minutes this Kung-Fu masterpiece is worth every penny.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Shaolin Master Killer
Excellent reproduction of feudal China. The films demonstrated a unique story line and classic ending. I hope others will not be disappointed.
Published 18 days ago by reviews 4 free
3.0 out of 5 stars DVD quality is fine, movie is nice as we know. I expected to have...
DVD quality is fine, movie is nice as we know. I expected to have English dubbing which it doesn't. Otherwise fine
Published 1 month ago by Happy Amazon customer
4.0 out of 5 stars yes!
I made tha mistake of watching return to the 36th chamber first but still, this movie slays! Sometimes laughable (of course) and a bit cheesy but thoroughly enjoyable for MOST... Read more
Published 1 month ago by BongRipped
5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
Must have. I never new what the 36th Chamber was and this was a great movie with plenty of action. It got slow a parts, but if you are a fan it is a must have.
Published 1 month ago by kase black
4.0 out of 5 stars 36th chamber
This is a kung fu classic a must have this is one of gordon lui best movies i want to see them all on bluray
Published 2 months ago by Tony
5.0 out of 5 stars Can't say anything more that hasn't been said
I'm assuming that if you're already looking at the product, you're already a long time fan so I'll cut to the actual features. Read more
Published 2 months ago by K. Imai
5.0 out of 5 stars a must own classic!
If you love kung-fu this is a must own. Its a star studded thrill ride and Gordon Liu is a beast.
Published 2 months ago by Mindy Gonzalez
4.0 out of 5 stars Shaw Bros at their best
If you like Kung Fu and are interested in the three section staff this is a must for it is about the invention of this hand weapon of all weapons. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dennis Carter
5.0 out of 5 stars great movie
The movies was great. I really enjoyed the content as well as the speed that i recieved the merchandise thanks
Published 2 months ago by herb compton
5.0 out of 5 stars If you haven't seen this movie, then you don't know 70's Kung Fu!
This is such a great movie, that a local theater where I live decided a few weeks ago, to play a 16mm film copy on a rainy Tuesday night when they usually have no business. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Hollander
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Forums

Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions

Topic From this Discussion
No English Dub on the Blu-ray? Be the first to reply
Movie hunting
Sounds like The Return of Master Killer: Return to the 36th chamber.
Aug 9, 2009 by SW |  See all 2 posts
Buying Kung Fu Dvds
If you go to hkflix dot com it has a vastly superior selection with much more informed reviewers and a search engine that will help you by entering "English Language"! ~ S->
Feb 21, 2008 by phil_moscowitz_lovable_rogue |  See all 5 posts
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 




Look for Similar Items by Category