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Comparison between the HD main version and the alternate VHS cut (both included on the US Blu-ray release of Terror Vision)
No, this film is not the one released in Germany as Bruce Lee - Der Tiger hetzt sie alle starring Bruce Le. Frank Djeng spreads this misinformation at the beginning of the audio commentary. All credit to him for his contribution to preserving Asian film heritage, but as with other statements he has made about the German market, it is once again clear that at least here he lacks both background knowledge as well as the will to research more thoroughly. The confusion is probably due to incorrectly assigned Amazon.com results and nonsense in the IMDb. There is a film from 1976 for which the IMDb lists English title Enter the Panther and the German title mentioned above. However, the cast and crew information quickly confirms that this is not the right film – not to mention numerous reviews of the better-known “Tiger” film, which was also released in Germany, and uploads that can be quickly found on YouTube, for example. The actual “Der Tiger hetzt sie alle” from 1979 is internationally known as Super Hero, while this IMDb entry belongs to the actual Enter the Panther (also known as Conspiracy) which btw was never released in Germany. Phew. After this little digression to identify the film in question, which Bruceploitation and Eastern fans in general often have to contend with worldwide thanks to often confusing titles, here are a few words about Enter the Panther from 1975. Bruce Li aka Ho Chung-Tao had already appeared in his first clone films at this time, but was still at the beginning of his career. This Eastern film does not attempt to establish any concrete connection to the great idol and is largely unspectacular. But in the raw fights, you can already sense a little of the charisma of the main actor. In 1978, director Han Pao-Chang shot Magnum Fist (aka The Great Hero) with Bruce Li once again, but this film was also never released in Germany and is considered lost internationally, or can only be found on obscure VHS releases. Enter the Panther had a similar fate, and while searching for international material that led to the Game of Clones Vol. 1 box set, Severin Films came across worn-out cinema reels from Spain with subtitles burned into the English soundtrack. Let's remember: In the aforementioned Blu-ray box set, the label released only English-language cinema reel scans, and as a shop-exclusive bonus, two additional films were included whose prints had burned-in subtitles. Under these circumstances, Enter the Panther would probably not have found a place in this set (or in Vol. 2, which will hopefully follow soon). On top of that, the scan was also badly damaged: almost 15 minutes are missing here, unfortunately including large parts of the final fight scenes. Obviously, Severin therefore must have been quite happy that the smaller label Terror Vision (known for some Asian rarities on Blu-ray like the Indonesian Srigala, among other things) was still interested and that they could sublicense it accordingly. In any case, Terror Vision thanks Severin Films on the cover of their single Blu-ray release of Enter the Panther in May 2025, and you get a nicely embossed slipcase and a thick booklet with several essays. So far so good, but as mentioned, the HD master of the main film was quite difficult. As a bonus, an “Alternate VHS Cut” is included. This designation is a little misleading, as it is simply the uncut version; no alternative material can be found here. Curiously, this version even got over 20GB of space on the disc, although unfortunately it was a really poor-quality VHS source, from which even HD upscaling couldn't really conjure up any more quality. It would have been nicer if they had created a combined uncut version with the widescreen material in true HD and inserts of this SD/VHS copy. But at the end of the day, it's better than nothing, as this means that an uncut version of this truly rare film has been preserved.
Running times are listed according to the following format 00:00 / 00:00-00:16
The VHS version has a logo at the beginning, then the first shot starts a little earlier. 16.8 sec
Attached is a comparison image of the identical rest of the shot and some for the rest of the film. Typical signs of wear and tear from well-used theatrical reels in the main film and burnt-in subtitles in the HD main film, but the extreme zoom and the abysmal quality, including occasional tape interference, make the VHS bonus version virtually unwatchable. Really irritating: Thanks to Pan&Scan, the camera artificially pans to the left or right to show faces, but usually too late or just before switching the next shot.
07:41-07:46 / 07:58-08:03 After the identical opening credits, the VHS version has a copyright notice, which cuts off the beginning of the next scene. Just as the director's credit was “folded” in the middle, the image opens again with a close-up of the red letter. After a jump cut, the camera then moves back. No time difference
18:35 / 18:54-19:07 Ho wants Bruce to show the men a few exercises. Bruce then does a few fighting moves. 12.9 sec
19:51 / 20:24-20:26 Jump cut when Mr. Lee and his men walk forward. 2.6 sec
21:15 / 21:50-22:18 Obviously the first reel change according to massive damage and jumpcuts directly before: Mr. Lee talks longer to the grieving family and promises to pay for the funeral expenses. 27.9 sec
22:37 / 23:40-23:43 The car drives away a little longer. 3.5 sec
31:06 / 32:14-32:31 The three take a few more steps forward, then other people inside start to leave. 17.5 sec
31:16 / 32:41-32:46 The next shot also starts a little earlier. 4.6 sec
41:31 / 43:02-43:59 A jump cut and a reel change marker immediately preceding it already announced it: the end of the scene is roughly chopped off in the main film. Bruce warns the guy again that he's always ready to fight. Then he turns to Miss Fung, who says he shouldn't come back to this village to avoid trouble. Bruce drives away determinedly. 56.3 sec
42:10 / 44:38-44:47 Bruce is visible for a little longer, followed by a brief fight scene. 8.6 sec
42:34 / 45:11-45:14 Bruce takes a few steps back. 3.1 sec
49:09 / 51:50-52:06 The rape scene is a little longer: Yu Ling pushes her tormentor away and he says angrily that he can do whatever he wants. 15.5 sec
50:58 / 53:54-53:55 Jump cut. 1.6 sec
52:50 / 55:47-55:49 Insignificant moment during the transition between two shots. 1.4 sec 56:20 / 59:20-60:22 There was a little rumbling immediately before this, and here the next reel change swallows a larger piece, during which Miss Fung continues to walk around. Strongly overmodulated music plays, and there is also a lot of scratching on the worn VHS audio track. Bruce comes to her and says he was looking for her. She gives him something back and, dejected, Miss Fung says she found it in her brother's room. The audio transition to the scene, which is also included again in the HD main version, seems a little choppy. 62 sec (= 1:02 min)
62:23 / 66:26-70:08 More dialogue at the end of the scene. The man trusts that they actually had a deal and offers his last money. However, he is still killed mercilessly. The woman is left alone and says that she could at least make the men “happy.” While she unbuttons her blouse, the men grin and one stabs her in the side with a knife. This is followed by several shots that are much too long, in which all sorts of people walk around while obviously stolen music plays in the background. 221.9 sec (= 3:42 min)
69:51 / 77:38-77:39 Among the many small jump cuts in the finale, this short passage (just before Bruce is kicked in the back) can be highlighted. 0.8 sec
69:58 / 77:46-77:47 The next shot of the fight also starts a little earlier. 1.4 sec
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