There are those who know me well who insist that – if I were to take the time and read some novels – I’d be smitten with the wide, wide world of Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu.
Essentially, I think this opinion stems from the fact that I’m an admitted fan of the era of American pulp novels and have read quite a few. Starting in the 1920’s and running through the early 1960’s (though many insist that true pulp ended in the 1950’s), the pulp sensation was fueled by a plethora of authors penning some of the most entertaining “literature” to hit bookshelves by way of inexpensive magazines focused on Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime, and Horror. Because these venues were printed on cheap paper (i.e. pulp), they earned the moniker of ‘pulp fiction,’ the kind of yarns meant almost exclusively to escape the doldrums of a hum drum life by getting wrapped up in stories taking place elsewhere. For the most part, author Rohmer detailed his adventures of Fu Manchu in this era; and those who’ve both read them and know me assure that they’re the kind of thing that’d get me ‘hot and bothered’ … well, so far as reading goes anyway.
Honestly, the only reason I haven’t quite dipped into the books at this point is because I keep my shelves amply filled with titles I’m hoping to get to in this lifetime. Yet, I do keep my eyes peeled for the various screen incarnations which – thanks to my relationships with various distributors and media outlets – I’m occasionally able to get my hands on. It’s for this reason that earlier in 2025 I was excited to learn that 1968’s The Blood Of Fu Manchu and its follow-up (1969’s The Castle Of Fu Manchu) were getting undated releases from Blue Underground, one of my favorite distributors of obscure and often overlooked or forgotten flicks. I kept my fingers crossed that I’d make the cut in getting review copies; and – lo and behold – the movie gods have smiled upon me. I just made it through Blood – along with its several extras – and I definitely have something to say about it.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Fu Manchu poisons and hypnotizes ten women to bring down his enemies, including Nayland Smith, with kisses of death.”
Essentially, I think this opinion stems from the fact that I’m an admitted fan of the era of American pulp novels and have read quite a few. Starting in the 1920’s and running through the early 1960’s (though many insist that true pulp ended in the 1950’s), the pulp sensation was fueled by a plethora of authors penning some of the most entertaining “literature” to hit bookshelves by way of inexpensive magazines focused on Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime, and Horror. Because these venues were printed on cheap paper (i.e. pulp), they earned the moniker of ‘pulp fiction,’ the kind of yarns meant almost exclusively to escape the doldrums of a hum drum life by getting wrapped up in stories taking place elsewhere. For the most part, author Rohmer detailed his adventures of Fu Manchu in this era; and those who’ve both read them and know me assure that they’re the kind of thing that’d get me ‘hot and bothered’ … well, so far as reading goes anyway.
Honestly, the only reason I haven’t quite dipped into the books at this point is because I keep my shelves amply filled with titles I’m hoping to get to in this lifetime. Yet, I do keep my eyes peeled for the various screen incarnations which – thanks to my relationships with various distributors and media outlets – I’m occasionally able to get my hands on. It’s for this reason that earlier in 2025 I was excited to learn that 1968’s The Blood Of Fu Manchu and its follow-up (1969’s The Castle Of Fu Manchu) were getting undated releases from Blue Underground, one of my favorite distributors of obscure and often overlooked or forgotten flicks. I kept my fingers crossed that I’d make the cut in getting review copies; and – lo and behold – the movie gods have smiled upon me. I just made it through Blood – along with its several extras – and I definitely have something to say about it.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Fu Manchu poisons and hypnotizes ten women to bring down his enemies, including Nayland Smith, with kisses of death.”
For what it’s worth, heroes come and go … but truly exceptional villains have been, currently remain, and will always be timeless.
Simply put, this is because we socially do love to hate the bad guy. Granted, not a great deal of them truly go out of their way to earn our loathing, so there’s something to be said for enemies who practice menace so gleefully that we as viewers become almost intoxicated with the level of depravity shown on screen. In Horror films, this happens more often than not with buckets and buckets of blood; but in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and beyond, it takes a bit more nuance. Not every baddie deserves to be booed or hissed at; and it takes an accomplished storyteller to up the villain’s game to the point wherein we’ve no other choice but than to throw our curses at screens big and small when we’re forced to witness their dastardly pursuits.
Now, the truth about The Blood Of Fu Manchu is that the production comes up noticeably short in that regard. Yes, the great Fu himself – as played here by screen legend Christopher Lee – is rather obviously enamored with his own greed and desire to achieve the submission of the world-at-large at his feet; but it’s all handled with a vast degree of gentlemanly restraint. He doesn’t scream his protestations against mankind. He doesn’t lurch and lunge at those around him who could easily fall prey to his wrath. Hell, he doesn’t even twirl his mustache, though that pencil-thin thing hangs down the sides of his mouth and definitely could be wound up for good measure if he so chose. This Fu is calm and controlled menace, one who wouldn’t give you and I or the audience writ large the opportunity to see him struggle in any respect … and, yes, that is a bit disappointing.
Every real theatrical antagonist really needs to chew some scenery even if it’s only a passing fancy. When that doesn’t happen, the Monday morning analysts inside each of us begins to doubt the veracity of his claim to bring the planet under his control. We suspect that he truly isn’t in the business of being evil for evil’s sake. Though others in his cabal aren’t inclined to cross him or even think about disobeying an order, he still seems a bit incomplete, maybe even a bit evasive about just how far he’s willing to go to bring those dishonorable dreams to fruition. This Fu isn’t so much ‘tightly wound’ as he appears ‘ominously aloof,’ and that hurts the vibe.
Deep inside the South American jungle, Fu Manchu – paired up with his treacherous daughter Lin Tang (played by Tsai Chin) – has discovered a secret city wherein ancient mystics uncovered a snake’s venom that can be metastasized on a woman’s lips wherein the lovely lady can deliver kisses that kill instantly! Knowing a good bit of wickedness when he sees it, Fu and Lin conscript a harem of beautiful ladies they intend to equip with this poison and dispatch as dangerous liaisons to the various male leaders of the free world. If these rulers don’t accede to his demands, then Fu threatens to bring governments around the globe to their knees … but, bluntly, there’s really no explanation for how, when, where, or why such a scheme would work to begin with.
Sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches.
Simply put, this is because we socially do love to hate the bad guy. Granted, not a great deal of them truly go out of their way to earn our loathing, so there’s something to be said for enemies who practice menace so gleefully that we as viewers become almost intoxicated with the level of depravity shown on screen. In Horror films, this happens more often than not with buckets and buckets of blood; but in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and beyond, it takes a bit more nuance. Not every baddie deserves to be booed or hissed at; and it takes an accomplished storyteller to up the villain’s game to the point wherein we’ve no other choice but than to throw our curses at screens big and small when we’re forced to witness their dastardly pursuits.
Now, the truth about The Blood Of Fu Manchu is that the production comes up noticeably short in that regard. Yes, the great Fu himself – as played here by screen legend Christopher Lee – is rather obviously enamored with his own greed and desire to achieve the submission of the world-at-large at his feet; but it’s all handled with a vast degree of gentlemanly restraint. He doesn’t scream his protestations against mankind. He doesn’t lurch and lunge at those around him who could easily fall prey to his wrath. Hell, he doesn’t even twirl his mustache, though that pencil-thin thing hangs down the sides of his mouth and definitely could be wound up for good measure if he so chose. This Fu is calm and controlled menace, one who wouldn’t give you and I or the audience writ large the opportunity to see him struggle in any respect … and, yes, that is a bit disappointing.
Every real theatrical antagonist really needs to chew some scenery even if it’s only a passing fancy. When that doesn’t happen, the Monday morning analysts inside each of us begins to doubt the veracity of his claim to bring the planet under his control. We suspect that he truly isn’t in the business of being evil for evil’s sake. Though others in his cabal aren’t inclined to cross him or even think about disobeying an order, he still seems a bit incomplete, maybe even a bit evasive about just how far he’s willing to go to bring those dishonorable dreams to fruition. This Fu isn’t so much ‘tightly wound’ as he appears ‘ominously aloof,’ and that hurts the vibe.
Deep inside the South American jungle, Fu Manchu – paired up with his treacherous daughter Lin Tang (played by Tsai Chin) – has discovered a secret city wherein ancient mystics uncovered a snake’s venom that can be metastasized on a woman’s lips wherein the lovely lady can deliver kisses that kill instantly! Knowing a good bit of wickedness when he sees it, Fu and Lin conscript a harem of beautiful ladies they intend to equip with this poison and dispatch as dangerous liaisons to the various male leaders of the free world. If these rulers don’t accede to his demands, then Fu threatens to bring governments around the globe to their knees … but, bluntly, there’s really no explanation for how, when, where, or why such a scheme would work to begin with.
Sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches.
In any event, Fu’s first target is none other than his longtime adversary, Nayland Smith (Richard Greene). As best as I can figure it, the madman is thinking that if he can remove Smith from the equation then no one left will have the smarts to figure out who is behind this campaign of deadly kissing (or something thereabouts); and this clears the playing board for the devil to reach untold heights. As fate would have it, Smith’s kiss is apparently cut a bit short (or something thereabouts, too), as the man only succumbs so far as to become blinded by the poison instead of assuming room temperature. Now that he’s been afflicted, the man realizes that only Fu must have an antidote (or something thereabouts, as well); and this means he’ll have to head to South America to locate the presumed cure and stop his enemy from upended the existing social order.
See what I mean? If only makes sense if you don’t think too deeply about it. That’s what I mean when I say “roll with the punches.”
Of course, there’s a good degree more action already taking place. Smith had already dispatched a kinda/sorta Indiana Jones-style adventurer down south in the guise of Carl Jansen (Götz George), so thankfully the benefactor is really only joining the story already in progress. It isn’t long before Jansen, Smith, and Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford) – the proverbial ‘Dr. Watson’ to Smith’s ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ if you will – are reunited, along with the lovely nurse/missionary Ursula Wagner (Maria Rohm) who finds herself engulfed in the globe-trotting action affair. Together, they’ll find their way into Manchu’s lair, risking life and limb in order to bring the mastermind down if it’s the last thing they do! (Hint: it is the last thing they do in this picture, but rest assured that – in customary fashion – Fu Manchu vows to return yet again … which he does.)
Though Blood lacks the creative and logical polish that, say, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) brought to the silver screen, that’s very much what I think the picture was reaching for well before those Hollywood heavyweights reinvented the movie serial for a new generation. While producer (and screenwriter) Harry Alan Towers secured the rights to the Fu Manchu library in order to deliver this incarnation to theaters, he instead crafted his very own adventure, ignoring a great deal of what had already been established and explored with the character in earlier iterations on screen and in the novels. Being unfamiliar with the books, I can’t say whether or not such a departure truly served the legend of Fu Manchu at all: I’ve read that this picture isn’t highly regarded in the slightest – what with the exception of its cult appeal – so I’m inclined to suspect that Towers did himself and the greater pulp universe no favors.
Still, I’m not ashamed even mildly to admit that I had fun with this outing.
See what I mean? If only makes sense if you don’t think too deeply about it. That’s what I mean when I say “roll with the punches.”
Of course, there’s a good degree more action already taking place. Smith had already dispatched a kinda/sorta Indiana Jones-style adventurer down south in the guise of Carl Jansen (Götz George), so thankfully the benefactor is really only joining the story already in progress. It isn’t long before Jansen, Smith, and Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford) – the proverbial ‘Dr. Watson’ to Smith’s ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ if you will – are reunited, along with the lovely nurse/missionary Ursula Wagner (Maria Rohm) who finds herself engulfed in the globe-trotting action affair. Together, they’ll find their way into Manchu’s lair, risking life and limb in order to bring the mastermind down if it’s the last thing they do! (Hint: it is the last thing they do in this picture, but rest assured that – in customary fashion – Fu Manchu vows to return yet again … which he does.)
Though Blood lacks the creative and logical polish that, say, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) brought to the silver screen, that’s very much what I think the picture was reaching for well before those Hollywood heavyweights reinvented the movie serial for a new generation. While producer (and screenwriter) Harry Alan Towers secured the rights to the Fu Manchu library in order to deliver this incarnation to theaters, he instead crafted his very own adventure, ignoring a great deal of what had already been established and explored with the character in earlier iterations on screen and in the novels. Being unfamiliar with the books, I can’t say whether or not such a departure truly served the legend of Fu Manchu at all: I’ve read that this picture isn’t highly regarded in the slightest – what with the exception of its cult appeal – so I’m inclined to suspect that Towers did himself and the greater pulp universe no favors.
Still, I’m not ashamed even mildly to admit that I had fun with this outing.
As I hope I made clear above, its premise and the plot development really make little sense – there’s a side story involving some South American rebels lead by Sancho Lopez (Riscardo Palacios) which resonates as if it were added solely to fill time spent waiting for Smith and Petrie to eventually show up on the scene – and a great deal of the ‘action’ is rather poorly staged, shot, and delivered. A few of the – ahem – fight sequences are more than a bit laughable. Female villagers fearing the usual raping and pillaging fight their aggressors in one sequence only to appear as willing sexual consorts in the next, so don’t look for much of this cinematic downtime to be anything greater than what’s needed to set-up what follows. There’s even a rather wild revision to Fu’s master plan – an entirely unannounced airborne variant of the kissing concoction he’s rediscovered and put to dangerous use – that literally comes out of nowhere (and leads to the same destination). I’m mildly experienced with the works of director Jess Franco; and – from what I’ve seen – he wasn’t exactly overly committed to having everything – even the characters and their motivations – make perfect sense.
Regardless, Blood still manages to evoke a hint of the classic movie cliffhangers. It very much feels like something I could’ve watched on any Saturday afternoon television growing up – where the various Tarzan flicks or the reels of Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, the Lone Ranger, and Dick Tracy often aired – and that nostalgia – whether intended or not – kept my interest. (Warning: there’s a bit of nudity in there, and those bits would’ve been rightly excised for Saturday afternoon fare!) Those stories leaned heavily on thrills, spills, and chills – as opposed to relying on clearly thought-out plot points – and this fact alone made me happy to finally have Blood on my hands.
Regardless, Blood still manages to evoke a hint of the classic movie cliffhangers. It very much feels like something I could’ve watched on any Saturday afternoon television growing up – where the various Tarzan flicks or the reels of Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, the Lone Ranger, and Dick Tracy often aired – and that nostalgia – whether intended or not – kept my interest. (Warning: there’s a bit of nudity in there, and those bits would’ve been rightly excised for Saturday afternoon fare!) Those stories leaned heavily on thrills, spills, and chills – as opposed to relying on clearly thought-out plot points – and this fact alone made me happy to finally have Blood on my hands.
The Blood Of Fu Manchu (1968) was produced by Udastex Films, Ada Films, and Terra-Filmkunst. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Blue Underground. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure you that (damn!) the flick both looks and sounds incredible! I say this because I’ve seen part of it previously via television broadcast (can’t remember when or where), and it looked awful, probably seized from some inferior print. (Any bit of reading confirms that Blood has had several edited versions turning up in via a variety of outlets over the years; and I suspect it has never looked as good as it does here.) Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This two-disc set includes an audio commentary from film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson (it’s good but kinda light on specifics to this picture), a few featurettes that explore the cast and production, trailers, a stills gallery, and the RiffTrax Edition of the flick for those who like that sort of thing. (I do, and it was quite good.)
Recommended … but solely for cult fun.
Undoubtedly, The Blood Of Fu Manchu is – at best – a B-Picture, not a great one, indeed; and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with admitting that it’s more of a curious oddity than it is any theatrical success. While the central story defies logic – nor is it all suitably resolved over the course of the 90-plus minutes for purists watching closely – the end result remains a cult experience that has something to offer to those of us willing to boldly go where few – if any – have gone before. Reminiscent in many ways of the jungle adventure films of the 30’s and 40’s or even the Saturday morning serials of yesteryear, Blood definitely feels like it was inspired by the pulp novels that brought the villainous madman Fu to life even though it’s likely cut from a much different cloth, compliments of producer and screenwriter Towers. Fun to the point of being downright goofy, at times, it remains glorious cheese that’ll likely only appeal to a few.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Blue Underground provided me with a complimentary 4K UltraHD Blu-ray of The Blood Of Fu Manchu (1968) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Recommended … but solely for cult fun.
Undoubtedly, The Blood Of Fu Manchu is – at best – a B-Picture, not a great one, indeed; and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with admitting that it’s more of a curious oddity than it is any theatrical success. While the central story defies logic – nor is it all suitably resolved over the course of the 90-plus minutes for purists watching closely – the end result remains a cult experience that has something to offer to those of us willing to boldly go where few – if any – have gone before. Reminiscent in many ways of the jungle adventure films of the 30’s and 40’s or even the Saturday morning serials of yesteryear, Blood definitely feels like it was inspired by the pulp novels that brought the villainous madman Fu to life even though it’s likely cut from a much different cloth, compliments of producer and screenwriter Towers. Fun to the point of being downright goofy, at times, it remains glorious cheese that’ll likely only appeal to a few.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Blue Underground provided me with a complimentary 4K UltraHD Blu-ray of The Blood Of Fu Manchu (1968) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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