Although it is an unlikely weapon, the “flying guillotine” was a big hit with martial arts fans when it featured in the eponymous film The Flying Guillotine in 1975.
The gruesome invention quickly inspired numerous copycat films, as well as a sequel and a rival version featuring no less a star than Jimmy Wang Yu.
The flying guillotine is a nasty weapon which consists of a circular metallic hood on a long chain. It is a decapitation machine – the user throws it over the head of an adversary and internal blades snap shut, cutting it off.
Not only is the weapon somewhat repulsive, it defies the laws of … everything.
It is big and heavy but glides through the air with ease, and it seems to possess a built-in homing device that enables it to always find its mark, even if deflected.