RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2016

Film aficionados’ (i.e. film snobs) favorite video-distribution company, The Criterion Collection, have announced a July 19th Blu-ray and DVD release for King Hu’s seminal wu xia classic, A Touch of Zen (1971).

Here’s the official release information:

“Visionary” barely begins to describe this masterpiece of Chinese cinema and martial arts moviemaking. A Touch of Zen by King Hu depicts the journey of Yang (Hsu Feng), a fugitive noblewoman who seeks refuge in a remote, and allegedly haunted, village. The sanctuary she finds with a shy scholar and two aides in disguise is shattered when a nefarious swordsman uncovers her identity, pitting the four against legions of blade-wielding opponents.

At once a wuxia film, the tale of a spiritual quest, and a study in human nature, A Touch of Zen is an unparalleled work in Hu’s formidable career and an epic of the highest order, characterized by breathtaking action choreography, stunning widescreen landscapes, and innovative editing.

New 4K digital restoration uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray

Documentary from 2012 about director King Hu

New interviews with actors Hsu Feng and Shih Chun

New interview with filmmaker Ang Lee

New interview with film scholar Tony Rayns

Trailer

New English subtitle translation

PLUS: An essay by film scholar David Bordwell and notes by Hu from a 1975 Cannes Film Festival press kit

Watch the trailer for the 2016 release of A Touch of Zen.

Pre-order A Touch of Zen from Amazon.com today!