Dazzler Media UK Blu-ray Synopsis: Arrested for the massacre of mysterious cultists, the mysterious An is brought into custody to unravel the events that led to it. Hired as a Night Watchman, An started out roaming the halls of an abandoned hospital, supervising the squatters that lived there. But he soon discovers that the squatters are victims of a cult who abuse their social status to kidnap children for their ritualistic purposes. Guided by the spirit of Santa Maria, he attempts to stop the cultists but is soon overwhelmed and left for dead. But An is not ready to give up yet, he strikes a deal with a Death God known as Hanuman where he is given unlimited power and abilities in exchange for a piece of his soul. How far in the darkness will he go, in order to save the children from the Four Horsemen. (90 Mins)

 

Views: I always used to think that I was pretty up-to-date on what martial-arts movies were coming out, in production, or getting a re-release in a restored Blu-ray format, but it seems that Shadow Master slipped under the radar in this instance. One reason for that, I'm guessing, is that this action-packed flick was made independently – but that is absolutely no reason to shun this underrated fight-flick! Set in an abandoned asylum that houses a host of weird and wonderful homeless people, the mysterious An Voaen arrives to take on the job of the night watchman in return for a place to stay and food. But in this unfamiliar dystopian America, someone (or something) is kidnapping the children – an occurrence that has the residents believing that it could be ghosts. As the horrific truth soon becomes clear, An is attacked by some masked assailants which leaves the highly-skilled fighter dead; only to be born again after making a deal with the Hanuman to sell his soul. Now, possessed by the Death God, An is able to bring down the feared Horsemen and the demonic forces in a bid to save the children!

​

Blending martial-arts action with supernatural elements, horror and mythology, writer and director Pearry Teo must be applauded for his attempt in bringing so much to the table with such a minimal budget, delivering a non-linear hotpot blend of Hellraiser, Mortal Kombat and Ong Bak respectively. Having made 7 independent award-winning feature films myself – most of which had a budget of five hundred pounds or less – I can totally understand the creative process behind something like this, and Teo probably knew he was pushing the limits with what he had. There's no doubt that a story such as that seen here in Shadow Master would have benefited more from a bigger budget, but I never put indie films up against big studio productions and can just take it for what it is. Having ran two independent film festivals for the past 15 years, I've always championed the indie film scene and have often found that many of them offer much more originality (and, at times, more entertainment) than many Hollywood productions these days. But trying to promote something like this in such a saturated market these days can prove tricky – although I can definitely see Shadow Master gaining something of a cult following with martial-arts film fans further down the line. The negatives, for me, lie in the supporting cast – and namely with the ones who play the residents of the asylum, some of whom seem to have been patients there at one time. I get it! It's a curse of any independent film. And to be honest, they weren't actually terrible – they were just slightly cheesy, looked too polished for the lives they were living, and often had some badly written lines to deliver. Still it wasn't enough to put me off, as Shadow Master has many more positives that help get you by. One such thing is the cinematography by Nate Spicer, a camera operative who has shot many independent and television movies. His neatly framed and well lit shots were one of the first things I had noticed when I started watching, and it proves to be pretty consistent the whole way through. The same can be said for the art department who pull together some nice set pieces – again, utilising what they have with the budget – some very nice practical FX work, and the elaborate costume design which added the comic book vibe to the whole thing...

​

Of course, the big attraction of the film is the fight action – a trait that makes Shadow Master worth the watch! Blending the fighting styles of both Hong Kong and Thai action cinema, leading man D. Y. Sao and team bring a non-stop barrage of brutal martial-arts action to the screen. From highly impressive kicks to painful looking full contact, the guys certainly don't disappoint with what's on offer and will please even the most hardened fight-fans. Personally, I felt it was just as amazing (if not more-so) than many of the Thai titles that flooded our stores after Ong Bak's incredible success. It's clear that D. Y. Sao has the fighting skills to continue as a leading man – although I wouldn't say that Shadow Master required him to strain his acting-chops in any way at all. After a brief appearance in Jet Li's Cradle 2 The Grave, Sao went on to star in a host of indie features including Champion Road: Arena and Fast Vengeance (which was also directed by Teo).At the same time, the highly skilled martial-artist gained work as a stuntman and helped to train Marvel star Simu Liu for his role as Shang Chi which was a massive leap forward I'm sure. Sao would also gain a brief role and work as a stuntman on the genuinely amazing and Oscar nominated Everything Everywhere All At Once, alongside the incredible Michelle Yeoh and his Shadow Master co-star Brian Le from the popular YouTube channel, Martial Club. Co-starring as one of the bad guys of the film, the burly Brian gets to trade kicks with Sao in one of my favourite fights of the movie, and if you enjoyed him (and his brother Andy) taking on Michelle over a butt-plug in the aforementioned hit movie, then you'll totally enjoy what's on offer here. Craig Ng stars as the main man in the asylum – recognisable for his small roles in films such as Big Trouble In Little China, Cynthia Rothrock's Martial Law, The Perfect Weapon, Fast Vengeance, and more. Teo-film regular, Layton Matthews, also does a decent job as the detective with a twist and the director himself appears as the feared Hanuman.

 

A man after my own heart, Pearry Teo's love of horror is evident in his impressive filmography which includes directorial efforts such as Witchville with Luke Goss, Dracula: The Dark Prince, The Curse Of Sleeping Beauty, Ghost Hunters and many others. It was nice to see him continue that darker element here in Shadow Master, although I would say that this is definitely geared more towards the martial-arts fans than the horror ones. It was also interesting to see Ong Bak director Prachya Pinkaew attached as an executive producer – a name that initially drew me to this film and had me thinking it was a new project from Thailand. But don't be misled; it's clear that Pinkaew got attached by name only in a bid to support and promote Shadow Master to a wider audience. While it does have it's flaws, I still found Shadow Master to be an entertaining film for the most part and feel that it's somewhat of an underrated title. Regardless, not everyone can pull themselves away from the big studio productions and will always compare these smaller efforts to that of Hollywoods finest. Trust me, I hear it all the time. But if you're a martial-arts movie fan and want to see some impressive new talent, then give Shadow Master a shot. You won't be disappointed!

​

Overall: Blending gory horror and brutal martial-arts that impress, Shadow Master is a wild-ride and an indie film worth checking out!

​

Watch my unboxing video of this Dazzler Media release HERE