Color, 2017, 133m.
Severin Films (Blu-ray & DVD) (US R0 HD/NTSC) / WS (2.35:1) (16:9)

Return of Kung Fu Trailers of FuryReturn of Kung Fu Trailers of FuryFollowing up on 2016's two-hour-plus orgy of martial arts trailers, Kung Fu Trailers of Fury, this sequel from Severin Films brings back most of the same participants and ups the ante with an even longer and wilder assortment of 36 titles. From extravagant period epics to bloody crime films, you get a little bit of everything here with plenty of surprises around every corner.

So here's the rundown: Thunderbolt, Yellow-Faced Tiger (the Hong Kong trailer for Slaughter in San Francisco, featuring a young Chuck Norris), Kung Fu Master Named Drunk Cat ("Another kung fu comedy masterpiece from Simon Yuen!"), The Invincible Super Guy, The Invisible Terrorist, Shaolin Invincible Sticks, Bruce and the Iron Finger, Snuff-Bottle Connection, The Story of Chinese Gods (a crazy-looking Taiwanese animated feature), Along Comes the Tiger, The Owl, the wildly obscure Two in Black Belt, The Young Avenger, White Haired Devil Lady, The Super Kung-Fu Fighter, Killer from Above, Two Assassins of the Darkness (Kung Fu Killers), The Guy with Secret Kung Fu, Bloody Mission, Revenge of the Shaolin Kid (Master of Death), The Thundering Mantis, Shao-Lin Hero Chang San Feng, and a segue into urban grit with a ridiculously amazing Return of Kung Fu Trailers of Furytrailer for gory cops and robbers/kung fu hybrid The Bomb-Shell and more stylish city violence with Black Guide ("72 hours of pure terror!").Return of Kung Fu Trailers of Fury

Not enough? The fun continues in a more traditional martial arts theater vein with One Way Only, The Old Master, Big Leap Forward, Gambling for Head, the crazy fire-shooting snow ninjas and speedboat fun of action film Silent Romance, Itchy Fingers, Crazy Horse and Intelligent Monkey, The Legendary Strike, The Instant Kung Fu Man, The Dragon and the Tiger Kids (Hell's Windstaff), and The Avenging Boxer. In short you get tons of pole fighting, candles, flying, sheer negligees, Bruce Lee imitators, Jackie Chan imitators, Speedos, fans, cartoon fox spirits, '70s mustaches, precocious kids, unexpected T&A, underwater martial arts training, disco dancing, bears, and pilfered James Bond music. In other words, it's never dull. Of course, the main takeaway here is that we need a Blu-ray triple feature of The Bomb-Shell, Silent Romance, and Black Guide as soon as possible.

As with the previous volume, all of the trailers are presented in their original scope aspect ratio in their original language, many with burned-in English subtitles and others will new, optional subs added. Return of Kung Fu Trailers of FuryQuality varies from one title to the next, but most are in reasonably good to excellent shape with only a couple showing any significant color fading or major damage. There's a bit more variety here as well which helps break up Return of Kung Fu Trailers of Furythe stream of kicking and shouting for the more casual kung fu fan, including some odd detours into slapstick comedy and that aforementioned animated bit (as well as a bit of borderline horror late in the game). Once again you get an audio commentary led by Films of Fury's Ric Meyers, joined this time by the New York Asian Film Festival's Frank Djeng, martial arts instructor Greg Schiller, and Drunken Master Video's Rick Stelow. Looser and less scholarly than the prior track, it veers through a wide variety of topics including the influence of Benny Hill, the joys of fake eyebrows, the reason so many great kung fu fights were staged on rooftops, David Cronenberg, and plenty more. There's one title they essentially sit out in a kind of hilarious silent protest and tell the listener to go get a coffee, but you'll have to listen to find out which one it is.

Reviewed on May 3, 2017.