Director Chang Cheh was known as the Godfather of Hong Kong cinema, and it’s easy to see why in this four-movie boxset from Eureka Entertainment, which is not to be confused with the similarly-named and hugely popular BBC children’s comedy sketch show or the Terry Deary book series that inspired it. It features a quartet of exemplary presentations of his work in the historical martial arts field common in the early ’70s era of kung fu cinema.

The films – Marco Polo, The Pirate, Boxer Rebellion, and Four Riders –  are textbook examples of how various events in Chinese history are reinvented to incorporate pulse-pounding stories of martial artistry and heroism performed by some of the best action stars of the day, such as David Chiang, Ti Lung and the extraordinary Alexander Fu Sheng. Two of the movies (Marco Polo and The Pirate) feature American action star Richard Harrison, who appeared in many sword and sandal flicks, spaghetti westerns and ninja movies from the early ’60s to the late ’80s. Boxer Rebellion is an interesting companion piece to the US epic movie 55 Days in Peking from 1963, which covers the same historical events from the turn of the twentieth century.

Those readers whose movie memories stretch back several decades may recall seeing a particularly action packed movie in 1974 known in the UK as Hellfighters of the East. It’s present and correct in this boxset under the original title Four Riders, and it’s just as thrilling as it was fifty years ago. Needless to say, the films are presented in their original language with English subtitles. The accompanying features are new and exclusive to this Eureka release, and each film boasts informative audio commentaries. Take it from us: you could do a lot worse than kick off your 2025 movie viewing with a feast of classic Hong Kong action fare. You won’t be disappointed.

Horrible History is available on Blu-ray now from Eureka Entertainment.