Hong Kong Synopsis
血滴子
The Emperor's armies have developed a new weapon: a thrown blade that can remove someone's head from long distance. As the paranoid Emperor begins decapitating anyone he fears might be a threat, his guard Mau Tang becomes disillusioned with the excesses of his master. He leaves his post and takes up the quiet life of farming and raising a family. Eventually, though, his past catches up with him, and he must find a way to fight the flying guillotine if he is to save his head.
Other Titles From Shaw Brothers
The 1974–1976 Hong Kong Window
Among 35 Hong Kong films we catalog from this window, The Flying Guillotine places #5 — near the top of its class.
The 1970s Hong Kong Landscape
Catalog density by release year across the 1970s in Hong Kong, 122 titles in total. Highlighted year (yellow) is when The Flying Guillotine premiered alongside 7 others.
Position in Catalog
Released alongside 7 other Hong Kong films in 1975.
The 53rd Hong Kong title from Hong Kong we index (earliest catalogued entry: 1955).
Our Hong Kong catalog contains 836 titles in total (828 films).
Audience Engagement
30 audience reviews — more than 56% of Hong Kong films in our index.
Review volume (56th percentile) outruns trending popularity (41th) — a durable title with sustained audience attention.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #244 of 836 Hong Kong films indexed here (71st percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is +0.4 points above the Hong Kong average of 6.3/10.
Among Hong Kong Action productions specifically: #154 of 516 (top 30%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Chinese |
| Production Companies | Shaw Brothers |
| Runtime | 1h 45m |
| Release Date | February 18, 1975 |
| IMDb | tt0071512 |