NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Eureka Entertainment Blu-ray (October 2023): Eureka Entertainment have transferred Jimmy Wang Yu's Beach of the War Gods to Blu-ray. It is cited as an "HD presentation on Blu-ray of the original Hong Kong theatrical cut from a brand new 2K restoration". There is a bit to be desired for the 1080P image quality. There is plenty of inherent softness and speckles. Powder blues tend to dominate. The appearance is very thick and heavy which we see from this era's genre. Despite not being a crisp and consistent as some may want - I was okay with the visual presentation - obviously at the mercy of the theatrical cut elements but a highly watchable film.

NOTE: We have added 54 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Eureka Entertainment offer linear PCM mono tracks (24-bit) in the original Mandarin and an optional English language DUB. Beach of the War Gods has plenty of snappy aggression - it really is a martial arts extravaganza. There is depth even in the mono - and a score by Mou-Shan Huang (Hou Hsiao-Hsien's "Cute Girl", "Green, Green Grass"), sounding effective. I think the audio was a supportive match for the video. Eureka Entertainment offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Eureka Entertainment Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) who did the commentaries on Mr. Vampire II and Vampire vs. Vampire in Eureka's Hopping Mad boxset. We have heard Djeng's expertise on commentates for Blu-rays of Taxi Hunter, The Skyhawk, Magic Cop, Angela Mao: Hapkido & Lady Whirlwind, Knockabout, The Shaolin Plot and Dreadnaught. He always provides an informative, insightful, commentary. Very much appreciated is 1/2 hour of Tony Rayns on Beach of the War Gods proving historical context to the production, cast with similar film exmples of the era. There is also a new 1/2 hour interview with action cinema experts Mike Leeder (editor of 100% Jackie Chan: The Essential Companion) and Arne Venema on the beach discussing the life and career of Hong Kong-Taiwanese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter, Jimmy Wang Yu. He was well-known for his volatile personality and ties to organized crime off-screen. He passed in 2022 at 79-years of age. Lastly is a stills gallery and trailer and the package offers a limited edition O-Card slipcase and an LE collector’s booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver and a review of the film by Dr Craig D. Reid from his book The Ultimate Guide to Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s.  

Director, writer and star Jimmy Wang Yu's Beach of the War Gods is quite a cool re-telling of Seven Samurai. At one point in the 70's Jimmy Wang Yu was the highest-paid martial arts actor in the world and his notorious life behind the camera was more dramatic that his portrayed characters. He had trained in karate, tai chi, Wudang quan (more focused on the mind to control the body), taijijian (straight two-edged sword), and he was also a competitive swimmer and a car racing enthusiast. In, 1981, Jimmy Wang Yu and some friends were eating at the Tianchu Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan. They were ambushed by members of the Four Seas triad in a suspected assassination. Jimmy survived, although three of his friends did not. Beach of the War Gods is filled with swordplay and extensive martial arts sequences - all in the final 2/3rds. Although not 'Shaw Brothers' - it has many of the wuxia charismatic earmarks. The Eureka Entertainment Blu-ray is a super package - such a brilliant martial arts gem - an optional English DUB, expert commentary plus Rayns, Leeder, Venema, slipcase, and booklet. Seems like a must-own for fans of the genre.

Gary Tooze