BiRtHdAy WeEk's Best Quote: "You cut off his arm, so what?"

BiRtHdAy WeEk continued last night with a viewing of what might possibly be the coolest film... ever.

"DUBEI DAO (a.k.a. THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN)" is a 1967 Hong Kong wuxia (magical martial arts) film starring Jimmy Wang as a young swordsman who loses his arm to a swipe of a sword by his teacher's spoiled daughter.

The peasant girl who saved the swordsman's life gives him an aging, half-burnt swordplay manual that helps spark a remarkable return to form -- one arm or not.

The special effects are rudimentary, the bloodletting is extraordinary, but the real power behind the film -- and why I consider it to be so cool -- is the theme of overcoming disability to become heroic.