Overview: Fritz Lang made two of the defining works of early German cinema with Dr Mabuse the Gambler and The Testament of Dr Mabuse, two masterpieces centered on Norbert Jacques’ nefarious literary supervillain. In 1960, Lang was charged by Artur Brauner’s CCC Film with making a third crime thriller centered on the infamous Dr Mabuse, completing a trilogy nearly forty years in the making.

A huge success, The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse gave CCC the confidence to launch into an entire series focused on the master criminal between 1960 and 1964, all starring Wolfgang Priess in the title role. All six films are presented here alongside a wealth of new and archival extras.

Directed by Fritz Lang, Harald Reinl, Werner Klingler, Paul May and Hugo Fregonese, the CCC Mabuse series continues Fritz Lang’s legacy. The Masters of Cinema series is honored to collect all six of the 1960’s Mabuse films together in this set, presented in high definition from 2K restorations and available for the first time on Blu-ray in the US.

Blu-ray Verdict: In Fritz Lang’s final film, The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse, the eponymous master of disguise (Priess) re-emerges in the Cold War era after a lengthy absence - and uses all manner of methods to insight murder and mayhem.

The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse represents my first venture into the world of Dr. Mabuse. Pigeon-holing this movie into a single genre is difficult. It’s one part traditional krimi, one part spy movie, and one part thriller. Combined, these elements create, at least for me, a one-of-a-kind experience that I really can’t compare with much of anything I’ve seen before.

I refuse to give the normal plot synopsis. Any plot details or other information would ruin the many twists and surprises found in The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse. Fortunately for me, I went into the movie completely blind, knowing very little of what to expect, and if you can do the same I highly recommend doing so.

That said, if The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse has one weakness, it’s the slow pace of the second act. The pace grinds to a crawl as the police begin their investigation into the events taking place. While it’s fairly interesting and Gert Forbe is a good enough actor, there’s not enough action in this portion of the film when compared with what came before and what comes afterward. A little more pep in the middle third of the film would have made it a real winner with me.

The Return of Dr Mabuse sees him use brainwashed prison inmates to commit a litany of crimes while evading the German authorities and the FBI.

This is a highly enjoyable German crime thriller that stars Gert Goldfinger Frobe as police commissioner Lohmann, faced with a series of crimes perpetrated by convicts. These convicts have been turned into obedient slaves by the nefarious, mysterious mastermind Dr. Mabuse, and are able to escape prison and return there once their deeds are done.

Giving Lohmann an assist is American FBI agent Joe Como (Lex Barker); also involved is a sexy female reporter, Maria Sabrehm (the delectable Daliah Lavi).

Capably directed by Harald Reinl (The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism), this is good, zesty entertainment that gets by due to effective lighting schemes, a swift pace, and a snappy script. The movie rarely stops moving, presumably to keep us focused on the story and prevent us from thinking about it too much.

It’s a delight to see heavyset, jovial Frobe as a hero, and Barker (just one of many Tarzan performers over the years) is solid as a character about whom you’re never quite sure; whose side is he really on? Lavi is appealing while also functioning as major eye candy. The strong supporting cast includes Fausto Tozzi as the sleazy looking Warden Wolf, Werner Peters as his associate Bohmler, Wolfgang Preiss as the slippery Mabuse, Rudolf Forster as a disgraced chemist, Rudolf Fernau as a priest, and Joachim Mock as Detective Voss.

Sometimes startlingly violent (one victim is turned into a human torch), but pretty stylish throughout, The Return of Dr. Mabuse is just plain fun for any lover of this film series.

In The Invisible Dr Mabuse, he seeks to use an amazing new invention - a device that renders the user invisible - to his own ends.

This is the fourth in the 1960 west German Dr Mabuse series and while it is above average for the series it does mean that it is a cut above most other thrillers of the time.

A young actress (Karin Dor as Liane) in a Grand Guigonol/circus troupe seems to be haunted by a ghost. A government operative is investigating the troupe and meets his end via a killer clown. The FBI sends in Joe Como (Lex Barker from the 2nd in the series, The Return of Dr Mabuse). Joe and Liane cross paths.

Liane’s former boyfriend had created an invisibility gadget, but he presumably was killed in a car accident. Dr Mabuse and his gang think that Liane knows the whereabouts of the invisibility device. The boyfriend is in fact not dead but horribly mangled due to the crash and is using the gadget to stay near his love.

Mabuse and Joe Como both attempt to wrest the gadget from the boyfriend, but it looks like Mabuse may have the upper hand and chaos will reign supreme. An invisible gang of super criminals would be hard to beat!

In the series of Mabuse thrillers this one grades out at #5 of the 6 but way above the lesser-loved Death Ray Of Dr Mabuse, in my humble opinion.

The Testament of Dr Mabuse - a remake of Lang’s earlier film - has the German police tying themselves in knots as they try to figure out how their adversary could be continuing his reign of terror from inside an asylum.

Compared to most films in Hollywood in the 1930s, Fritz Lang’s mystery thriller The Testament of Dr. Mabuse is years ahead of the game in terms of plot and camera techniques. There are some shots in this movie that would not be seen until Orson Welles’ famous Citizen Kane, which forever changed the cinema.

However, I think it’s safe to say that Lang was doing the same thing in Germany at the time when Nazi rule was in the wake. In this complex and filling story, a veteran criminal with a brilliant mind has been in an insane asylum for ten years yet is writing memoirs that seem to predict crimes happening outside.

The Inspector Lohmann attempts to solve this case, not knowing how strange and convoluted it really is. Despite the complexity of it, this film is rather easy to follow and boasts some great performances and use of sound. Considering this was only Lang’s second film using sound, it is a wonder he did what he could with it.

The movie opens with a noisy print shop and a man hiding behind a huge trunk. The loud and obnoxious noise of the printer continues all throughout the scene and shows what sound can really do to a film. All in all, Lang shows his pioneering ability to use the resources available in ways no one had thought of at the time. There are hints of German Expressionism here, but mostly just a well-told and engaging detective story that certainly will not age any time soon.

In Scotland Yard Hunts Dr Mabuse, Mabuse’s tentacles begin to creep across the English Channel. Doctor Mabuse (GERMAN FILM AWARD winner Wolfgang Preiss) is physically dead, but his ideas live on and have now been taken over by Dr. Pohland (Walter Rilla) taken possession. Together with his helpers (GERMAN FILM AWARD (h.c.) winner Dieter Borche and Wolfgang Lukschy) he tries to get possession of a mysterious camera. With this device you can make other people do the craziest things, up to and including murder.

But the other side is also wide awake: Inspector Vulpius (GERMAN FILM AWARD winner Werner Peters) from Hamburg and Major Tern (Peter van Eyck) from Scotland Yard team up. They also get help from the secret service (GERMAN FILM AWARD winner Klaus Kinski) and from the major’s smart mother (Agnes Windeck), who likes to combine reading crime novels with teatime. And then there is the enchanting scientist’s daughter Nancy (Sabine Bethmann), who is so wonderfully helpless and in need of protection.

For me, this is a rather weaker horror crime thriller from the heyday of the genre! There would then only be one more film in the Doctor Mabuse franchise, The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse ... and that is up next! In it, the criminal mastermind comes to possess a weapon capable of unleashing untold destruction.

A direct sequel to Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse from one year earlier, normally you don’t need to watch any of the other Dr. Mabuse movies in order to watch just one but this movie might be an exception to that.

In his third Mabuse mission, Peter van Eyck chases mysterious death rays invented by a professor played by O. E. Hasse (known from I CONFESS by Alfred Hitchcock). All of this is combined with a spy plot with timid science fiction elements. The West German James Bond Peter von Eyck receives female support in this film from Rika Dialina and Yvonne Furneaux, who remain very colorless.

There are also interesting supporting roles from two well-known faces from various CINECITTA films: Yoko Tani shines as a seductive secretary, and Feodor Chaliapin Jr. can be seen as a pharmacist, which is a rather nice treat.

In West German cinemas, just over 1.2 million visitors wanted to see the sixth film in the Mabuse series, but the final farewell to Doctor Mabuse was inevitable after this contribution, as we all now know.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
NEW 2K RESTORATIONS OF ALL SIX FILMS
Original German audio and optional English dubs on select films
Optional English subtitles
Archival audio commentary on The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse by film historian and author David Kalat
New audio commentaries on the other five films by film historian and author David Kalat
Mabuse Lives at CCC – New interview with producer and managing director of CCC Film Alice Brauner, daughter of CCC founder Artur Brauner
New introductions to each film by genre film expert and Video Watchdog founder Tim Lucas
Kriminology – new video essay by David Cairns & Fiona Watson
2002 interview with actor Wolfgang Preiss
Alternate endings for The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse and The Death Ray of Dr Mabuse
Limited edition hardcase featuring new artwork by Tony Stella
A limited edition 60-page collector’s book featuring new notes on each film by journalist Holger Haase, a new essay by German film scholar Tim Bergfelder, an archival essay by David Cairns, archival writing by Fritz Lang and notes by Lotte Eisner on Lang’s final unreleased projects

www.eurekavideo.co.uk

Overview: From screenwriter Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys) and director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) comes ass-kicking action thriller The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Eight years ago, Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) washed up on a beach, pregnant, with no memory. Now she’s a school teacher living an idyllic small town life with a daughter and boyfriend who love her. She’s almost given up on ever finding out about the life she used to lead, until an accident awakens hidden memories and her past comes back with all guns blazing!

With the help of low rent private eye Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson) Samantha must uncover who she was and why so many people want her dead before it kills them both.

With unforgettable action sequences and dialogue to die for, The Long Kiss Goodnight ranks among the very best of 90’s action thrillers. Geena Davis is a revelation as the wholesome school teacher struggling to reconcile with her deadly alter ego Charly, while Samuel L. Jackson brings his quintessential charm to a role that so enamored test audiences they refused to let him die. Strap yourselves in and hold on tight!

4K Blu-ray Verdict: I feel extremely grateful to have been sent this screener for review (thank you, Arrow) as it has always been one of my Top 5 films of the genre since day one.

The Long Kiss Goodnight is an action film, in every sense of the word. Sure, there are holes in the plot big enough to drive a semi through, but none of them are enough to stop the flow of the film itself. I have never been a big Geena Davis fan, but I was so impressed with how she was able to create two very different characters, Samantha Cain and Charlie Baltimore.

In my opinion, it wasn’t even necessary to have changed her physical appearance to differentiate between the two. Her acting was more than enough to do the trick and was a thrill a minute to watch back then and even more so (possible, by a hair) today!

More than anything else though, this film was Craig Bierko’s. In another’s hands, the character of Timothy could’ve been just another interchangeable villain. His decision to play him with a more casual approach was just the right counterpoint to all of the action scenes.

It isn’t often that you find an actor who can express himself so well with just his facial expressions. Point in case: the scene in the freezer with Charlie and her daughter. Where most films would’ve cluttered the moment of revelation with unnecessary dialogue, Bierko’s eyes told the whole story.

The basic plot? Thin, to be truthful. A seemingly average housewife who suffers from amnesia slowly discovers that she had been an assassin. As her memory returns, so do the people who want the assassin dead. Is she really Samantha, the cookie baking housewife, or Charlie, the cold-blooded assassin? Or maybe a little bit of both? For me, The Long Kiss Goodnight was an enjoyable journey to find out and if you have never seen it I hope you enjoy it as much as I always have.

Bonus Materials:
Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Clem Bastow, Richard Kadrey, Maura McHugh, and Priscilla Page
Seasonal postcard
Thin Ice sticker

DISC 1 (4K ULTRA HD) - FEATURE & EXTRAS:
Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original 35mm negative approved by director Renny Harlin
4K Ultra HD (2160p) presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original DTS-HD MA 5.1, stereo 2.0. and new Dolby Atmos audio options
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by film critic Walter Chaw
Brand new audio commentary by film critics Drusilla Adeline and Joshua Conkel, co-hosts of the Bloodhaus podcast
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery

DISC 2 (BLU-RAY) - BONUS FEATURES:
Symphony of Destruction, a new interview with stunt co-ordinator Steve Davidson
Long Live the New Flesh, a new interview with make-up artist Gordon J. Smith
Girl Interrupted, a new interview with actress Yvonne Zima
Amnesia Chick, a new visual essay by film scholar Josh Nelson
The Mirror Crack’d, a new visual essay by critic and filmmaker Howard S. Berger
A Woman’s World, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Deleted scenes
Archive promotional interviews with director Renny Harlin and stars Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson and Craig Bierko
Making Of, an archive promotional featurette
Behind the Scenes, archive EPK footage from the filming of The Long Kiss Goodnight

www.ArrowVideo.com

Overview: In 1989, legendary Japanese studio Toei launched their V-Cinema line of direct-to-video genre features. V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal presents nine explosive titles representing some of the best the Japanese crime film has to offer.

Blu-ray Verdict: Fast-paced and action-packed, Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage (1989) sees detective Joe Kawamura out for revenge against the men who gunned down his partner. Along the way he teams up with Lily, a gun-toting nun looking to get back five million dollars that was stolen from her church.

Expensive-looking for a V-cinema production, Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage plays, like a lot of V-Cinema, with the narrative cadence and aesthetic of a comic book. A cop named Joker and a cop named ... I don’t know, something else ... they arrest a criminal called Bruce, who’s stolen money from a nunnery!

On the way back with Bruce in the squad car, the other guy is starting to do a bit of the ol’ police violence to get Bruce to cough up the loot, when a group of clown-masked criminals ambushes them and shoots other cop right between the eyes. Joker also gets shot, and Bruce gets away.

So Joker gets out of the hospital, steals some horrifyingly deadly drugs to keep himself going, and tracks down Bruce, looking for revenge. He meets a goofy nun along the way, who is almost his love interest by the end. That’s pretty much it, but it is a fun movie ... if you aren’t watching too closely.

Next up, Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet (1990) sees wannabe yakuza Junko get more than he bargained for when tasked with avenging the murder of a fellow gang member or face the consequences for betrayal.

Junko (Sho Aikawa), is a young yakuza junior who spends much of his time driving his Boss, Yoshikawa (Toru Minegishi) around and providing him with hot towels.

When one of his family is assassinated by rivals, he and two others are ordered to carry out a hit in revenge, but his seniors end up flaking out though and the hit falls on him alone, only he’s very reluctant to pull the trigger, especially with his new narcoleptic girlfriend (Chikako Aoyama) in tow, as well as his famous uncle Mizuta (Jo Shishido) constantly questioning him.

Banmei Takahashi’s Neo Chinpira was apparently a big hit and it’s not hard to see why, it’s a fun little V-Cinema dramedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously and features a spirited cast with a few legends sprinkled in to sweeten the deal. Takahashi satirizes not only the Yakuza genre, but the criminal life itself as he focuses on those who shirk their duty when it comes down to the dark side of the job.

Meanwhile, in Shunichi Nagasaki’s unbearably tense thriller Stranger (1991), a late-night taxi driver is stalked by the unseen driver of an SUV, who just might have a connection to the taxi driver’s criminal past. In Carlos, the eponymous Brazilian-Japanese petty criminal sees an opportunity to play rival yakuza gangs against each other but bites off much more than he can chew.

An incredibly low-key (ignore the salacious cover art) V-Cinema take on Duel in which a taxi driver (Shunichi Nagasaki) tries to pick up the pieces of her life, deal with the annoying men that won’t leave her alone and get rid of this mysterious land cruiser that won’t stop attacking her!

Mostly downtime made up of long shots of the protagonist driving around the neon streets as jazzy music plays in the background, it’s charmingly low budget (a climatic stunt goes wrong and they had to keep it in) and it is a bleak portrait of loneliness that’s well worth seeing.

Burning Dog (1991) is a gripping heist film where a gang of thieves plot to rob a US military base in Okinawa, but rising tensions in the group threaten to put the plan in jeopardy.

In truth, Burning Dog is very long for a V-Cinema film and there aren’t enough flashy shootouts to keep you entertained throughout which consequently causes the film to drag. The scenes are long and there is a lot of dialogue ... some of it’s in English but it’s usually insults and never anything important.

Not every film in big box-set’s like this can be a full on winner, but that doesn’t mean Burning Dog is a bust. No, for it is a very decent film that I could see working better as a theatrical release with a higher budget but as a V-Cinema film, it doesn’t offer nearly enough flash or excitement, sorry.

The sequel to one of the most iconic Japanese franchises of all time, Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat (1991) sees a female assassin hired to infiltrate a women’s prison and search for The Scorpion, a legendary rebellious prisoner hiding in the bowels of the building.

This was a cool V-Cinema take on the classic Female Prisoner Scorpion film which sounds like it should be way better than it actually is. I watched this one without subs and consequently found parts of it confusing but aside from the story there really wasn’t as much sex and violence as I was hoping for which is strange for a V-Cinema film because I expected them to double down on the sex and violence!

To be fair there was actually a decent amount of violence, but it was mostly just generic gun kills, I was hoping for something a little more creative. The crucifixion scene was pretty cool and so was the skeleton that spontaneously combusted even though it made no sense! It’s weird to not have Sasori as the protagonist in a Scorpion film and even weirder to have her killed off and so I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the direction the film took but it was certainly interesting, that’s for sure.

After his fiancée is killed in the crossfire of a yakuza turf war, a man on the edge remorselessly hunts down the gangsters responsible in legendary director Teruo Ishii’s The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses (1991).

After witnessing his girlfriend being used as a human shield and getting killed in a shootout involving two yakuza clans, Takanashi, (Hideki Saijo) a former police officer with excellent sniper skills, plans his revenge by eliminating the yakuza boss and his entire clan who were involved in the death of his lover.

After a decade of working in television production, Teruo Ishii finally returns to make a film, but in the V-Cinema world. Unfortunately, Hitman isn’t one of his best films. The film starts strong with several quick bursts of action and Ishii’s signature visual flair. However, once Takanashi loses his briefcase to a woman name Rumi (Natsumi Nanase) the film loses its steam and never recovers from that point, in my humble opinion.

For the next 60 minutes, we are treated with nothing but filler. Loads of uninteresting exposition scenes, Ishii sprinkles a bunch of sex scenes through the film, but due to the low production value, these scenes feel like something out of Pornhub!

Even the performances from the main cast are flat. Hideki Saijo, who is well known for being a singer, tries too hard to pull off the “Strong, but silent” type. Saijo lacks the acting chops and charisma that a Ken Takakura or Bunta Sugawara would have. One thing I will praise is the final shootout where an entire house gets blown apart and the sexy end credits. These scenes were some of the highlights.

Meanwhile in Danger Point: The Road to Hell (1991), duo of contract killers’ fragile partnership is tested when their most recent hit starts to have unforeseen consequences.

I actually found this to be thoroughly enjoyable and a brilliant no-frills fun film that kept you watching throughout. The two leads are compelling despite the lack of depth, the dialogue sticks the landing more often that it doesn’t and as much as the rest of the film is just gangster-by-numbers with a few gritty kills to elevate things, I REALLY loved the finale!

Finally, assassin and femme fatale Shion rebels against the fanatical religious order who prepared her from birth to be the perfect killer in the pulpy XX: Beautiful Hunter (1994).

Konuma moved into video after the pinky boom dried up but lost none of his virtuoso nastiness and confrontational style. This lurid, pulpy yarn follows a Catholic assassin who breaks her programming and begins to turn her back on the church for love.

It’s full of audacious and eyebrow raising erotic sequences, which range from lush outdoor sex in a public field with long takes galore to an electrifying lesbian electro torture that goes further than you may expect. Konuma had not lost his touch nor his ability to excite, arouse, and baffle by the 1990s and this film is a prime example of a man still on top form.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all films
Original lossless Japanese mono audio on Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage and original lossless Japanese stereo audio for all other films
Optional newly translated English subtitles for all films
Nine postcard-sized artcards
Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Earl Jackson, Daisuke Miyao, and Hayley Scanlon

DISC 1 - CRIME HUNTER: BULLETS OF RAGE / NEO CHINPIRA: ZOOM GOES THE BULLET:
Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
Loose Cannon, a newly filmed interview with Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage director Shundo Okawa
Zooming Out, a newly filmed interview with Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet writer-director Banmei Takahashi
Crime Hunter and the Dawn of V-Cinema, a brand new video essay on Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes
Original trailers for both films

DISC 2 - STRANGER / CARLOS:
Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
Stranger than Fiction, a newly filmed interview with Stranger writer-director Shunichi Nagasaki
From Manga to Movies, a newly filmed interview with Carlos writer-director Kazuhiro Kiuchi
An Extra Round in the Chamber, a brand new video essay on Carlos by critic and Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Clements

DISC 3 - BURNING DOG / FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: DEATH THREAT:
Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
Fire and Ice, a brand new video essay on Burning Dog by critic and Japanese cinema expert Mark Schilling
Toshiharu Ikeda’s Beautiful Monster of Vengeance, a brand new video essay on Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat by film historian Samm Deighan
Original trailers for both films

DISC 4 - THE HITMAN: BLOOD SMELLS LIKE ROSES / DANGER POINT: THE ROAD TO HELL:
Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
The Versatility of Teruo Ishii, a brand new video essay on The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses and its director Teruo Ishii by Japanese cinema expert Frankie Balboa
The Road to V-Cinema, a brand new video essay on Danger Point: The Road to Hell by critic and Japanese cinema expert James Balmont
Original trailer for The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses

DISC 5 - XX: BEAUTIFUL HUNTER:
Newly filmed introduction by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
The Sacred and the Profane, a newly filmed interview with screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi
They Brought Back the Sleaze, a brand new video essay on XX: Beautiful Hunter by critic and Japanese cinema expert Patrick Macias
Original trailer

www.ArrowVideo.com

Overview: A culture-clash comedy - with kung fu! A thoroughly Americanized young woman (Kara Hui, The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter) returns to Hong Kong to visit the martial arts school founded by her father and shakes it up with some trendy new ideas. But not everyone is keen on her innovations, a lesson she’ll have to learn the hard way.

Directed by and starring the great Lau Kar-leung (The Shadow Boxing), The Lady is the Boss blends fun and fighting as only he could - and those fights are some of the very best of his illustrious career. 88 Films are delighted to present the UK Blu-ray premier of an action classic.

Blu-ray Verdict: In truth, this film is far from essential but still manages to be a LOT of fun! Shaw brothers try to move with the times here which doesn’t completely work but it still manages to have some kind of clunky charm working for it. It all comes down to Kara Hui bringing all the energy as the new boss for a C-rate material arts school.

Endlessly shouting things like Let’s go! like she is in Street Fighter 2 and the aggressive early 80’s outfits add to the fairly basic let’s save the school storyline. Which at some point leads to clunky fight scenes which are admittedly filled in by some very inspired, and yet still missing something moments of pure 88 Films delight (oh, and the bike fight really brings around a very solid ending fight scene, trust me!)

The comedy in this is solid also since it is more about the misfit students interacting with their new boss then being outright creeps like they are in tons of other HK action comedies. They get that out of their system with a funny shadow scene, then Hui just takes the guys on a bender, pretty much after styling them up and then teaching the woman at the bad guy’s club how to defend themselves against the lecherous clientele!

Special Features:
Stills Gallery
Limited Edition O-ring
Trailer
2.0 DTS-HD MA Cantonese Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Limited Edition Set of 4 collectors art cards

Overview: There’s much more to Hong Kong cinema than kung fu flicks: Hong Kong, Hong Kong is a social realist drama with a huge heart, following two lovers dreaming of a better life: Man Si Sun (Cherie Chung, An Autumn’s Tale) is an illegal immigrant from the mainland while Kong Yuen Sang (Alex Man, Rich and Famous) is looking for glory in the kick-boxing ring.

Showing a world beyond the city’s skyscrapers and millionaires, Clifford Choi’s film won Best Screenplay at the prestigious Golden Horse awards, and was nominated for many others. Long recognized as a classic back home, 88 Films are proud to present the UK Blu-ray premier of a Hong Kong masterpiece.

Blu-ray Verdict: Cherie Chung and Alex Man Chi-Leung star as a woman from the mainland who comes to Hong Kong illegally and a semi-successful amateur boxer. And if you can look past the rather melodramatic early 80’s Shaw Brothers score you actually get a compelling drama with themes of identity, immigration and trying to make a living at the fringes of society that feels far more relevant and modern than its stylistic choices suggest, and two good lead performances on top.

A story of the illegal immigrant experience of people from the mainland of China who have made it to Hong Kong for a better life, the first thing you’ll notice in this Shaw Brothers film is that the city of Hong Kong is a co-star. You see the poverty stricken parts along with the glamor parts in equal amounts.

Chung plays Sun to perfection and there is a lot of tension in this film regarding age differences and so much more and yet it is all handled expertly well. In closing, Hong Kong, Hong Kong is not the easiest film to watch because of its sometime grim nature, but a welcome respite from the slapstick comedies that Hong Kong routinely churned out at the time.

Bonus Features:
Stills Gallery
Limited Edition O-ring
2.0 DTS-HD MA Cantonese Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
Trailer
High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Limited Edition Set of 4 collectors art cards

www.88-films.myshopify.com

Overview: It was supposed to be the perfect crime: the sultry maid (Susan George of STRAW DOGS), a psychotic chauffeur (Oliver Reed of THE BROOD) and an international terrorist (Klaus Kinski of NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE) kidnap a wealthy ten-year-old boy from his elegant London townhouse.

But they didn’t count on a murdered cop, a desperate hostage siege, and one very unexpected house guest: a furious Black Mamba, the most lethal and aggressive snake known to nature. It can attack from ten feet away. Its bite brings excruciating death. And it is on the loose. Now, terror knows no antidote ... and the ultimate in slithering mayhem is VENOM.

Sterling Hayden (THE KILLING), Nicol Williamson (EXCALIBUR) and Sarah Miles (BLOW-UP) co-star in this gripping suspense thriller based on the novel by best-selling author Alan Scholefield and directed by Piers Haggard (THE BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW).

Blue Underground is now proud to present VENOM in a brand-new restoration, scanned in 4K 16-bit from its 35mm IN, with Dolby Vision HDR and a new Dolby Atmos audio mix, and packed with revealing new Extras!

Blu-ray Verdict: This is a stylish British-made thriller about an attempted kidnapping thwarted by a deadly snake. A young American boy, Philip Hopkins (LANCE HOLCOMB), is left in the care of his grandfather Howard Anderson (STERLING HAYDEN) at the family’s London townhouse when his mother goes to Rome on business. The maid Louise (SUSAN GEORGE) and the chauffeur Dave (OLIVER REED) have conspired with one Jacques Muller aka Jacmel (KLAUS KINSKI), an international master criminal, to kidnap young Philip and hold him for ransom.

The plan goes awry when Philip breaks away from Louise and hops a cab to a local pet shop to pick up the newest addition to his ever-growing menagerie - a harmless African house snake. What Philip doesn’t know is that a mix-up occurred and what he’s taking home with him in that wooden box is far from harmless.

The London Institute of Toxicology inadvertently winds up with the house snake and Philip gets what the Institute had ordered - and it isn’t pretty. It’s a Black Mamba, one of the most lethal and dangerous snakes on Earth. It’s the snake with the most macabre reputation on the African continent. It strikes hard and fast and carries an extremely toxic venom that can kill an adult within a few minutes.

When a doctor at the Toxicology Institute (SARAH MILES) comes to realize the horrific implications of what occurred, she calls the police to try and track down the recipient of the mamba before the box is opened. Alas, it is too late. The maid opens the box, gets struck three times in rapid succession and dies a very ugly death in less than six minutes.

An investigating police sergeant arrives at the townhouse and is shotgunned to death by Dave the Chauffeur, whose hair-trigger temper seems to match that of the mamba’s. An armed standoff ensues, with the police surrounding the townhouse and the kidnappers (minus one) inside with their hostages. Oh,yes - the snake is now also loose and this plot element serves to ratchet up the tension and suspense considerably!

A battle of wits ensues between Jacmel and the police commander in charge (NICOL WILLIAMSON) as each tries to outfox the other. In addition to a $100,000 mechanical mamba used for those scenes where the snake gets up close and personal with the cast, a real Black Mamba was also used in the filming of certain scenes for purposes of authenticity. David Ball, the reptile curator at the London Zoo, was hired by the producers for this purpose. The snake took direction very well- rearing, hissing and adopting threat postures on cue.

This film is highly underrated. It has all the classic elements of a good suspense thriller along with an excellent cast of distinguished actors. The photography and editing are superb and convey a sense of claustrophobic terror. The sequence where Louise the maid gets bitten is one of the most nerve-wracking and disturbing things I’ve ever seen on film.

In this alone the producers did their homework well. This is how you die when you’re bitten by a Black Mamba. Once you see it, you’ll never forget it. If you want nail-biting, edge of your seat suspense, check out this minor gem. A word of caution, though, don’t see it alone and don’t turn out the lights and try to go to sleep afterward - at least not before checking under the bed!

4K UHD Special Features:
Ultra HD Blu-ray (2160p) and HD Blu-ray (1080p) Widescreen 1.85:1 feature presentations
Audio: Dolby Atmos; 5.1 DTS-HD; 2.0 DTS-HD (English)
Optional Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio Commentary #1 with Director Piers Haggard
NEW! Audio Commentary #2 with Film Historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani
NEW! Fangs For The Memories - Interview with Editor/Second Unit Director Michael Bradsell
NEW! A Slithery Story - Interview with Makeup Artist Nick Dudman
NEW! Mamba Memories - Interview with Author & Critic Kim Newman
NEW! Pick Your Poison - Interview with The Dark Side’s Allan Bryce
Trailers
TV Spots
NEWLY EXPANDED! Poster & Still Gallery
BONUS! Collectible Booklet with essay by Michael Gingold
REGION FREE

VENOM (1982) - New 4K Restoration - 1080p HD Movie Trailer - Blue Underground

Overview: Falsely accused of some violent killings, Jerry Zipkin (Red Shoe Diaries’ Zalman King) uncovers the shocking truth about BLUE SUNSHINE!

Synapse Films is proud to present Jeff Lieberman’s 1977 cult-classic horror film Blue Sunshine in an all-new 4K restoration presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and loaded with hours of supplemental material. This three-disc set contains one 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray, one Blu-ray (1080p) and a CD soundtrack album.

This Synapse Films limited edition features hard chipboard slipcase packaging with stunning new artwork by artist Wes Benscoter. Inside is a dual-wall o-card wrapped around a clear three disc Criterion-style case.

4K Blu-ray Verdict: It starts off as a great party - just eight people in a secluded lodge. One of the guests suddenly goes on a shockingly violent, murderous rampage. There is something wrong with his hair, and pure evil in his eyes. What he does to three of the girls there is too hideous to describe. Falsely accused of the brutal killings, Jerry Zipkin (Red Shoe Diaries’ Zalman King) goes on the run.

More bizarre murders occur, and while trying to clear his name, Jerry discovers the shocking truth: The people losing their hair and turning into violent psychopaths may be connected to a drug each killer took a decade before. A drug known as Blue Sunshine.

In truth, and as anyone who has seen it will attest to, Blue Sunshine is a very weird horror flick from the late 70’s which is absolutely drenched in a paranoid drug infused illusions and crazed frantic moments and which therefore perfectly captures the tense atmosphere of the film brilliantly.

Intriguing and altogether masterfully shot this psychedelic horror thriller takes you on a hell of a journey as it delves into one outrageous moment to the next in this rather surreal and bizarre outing by director Jeff Lieberman.

The plot, as aforementioned, is really quite simple: Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King) is at a party and witnesses a horrific triple murder involving his old friend Frannie Scott (Richard Cristal) who has mysteriously turned into a homicidal maniac. Then a bizarre series of murders begins in L. A., involving the same pattern and could this be down to a dangerous form of LSD called Blue Sunshine which the killers took ten years before be causing this mayhem?

The movie is an odd cinematic experience that can’t quite figure out which genre it really belongs to and that’s what makes it so entertaining with its off-kilter premise and equally unhinged presentation. The direction by Lieberman is solid though as he pushes the tone of the production to almost unbearable levels of insanity that manages to somehow work in its favor and thanks to its quick pace never becomes dull; allowing the story to unfold at a steady pace.

Simply put, this is a weird yet fascinating horror flick with political elements that will hold your attention and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout its runtime.

The performances here are also strong with Zalman King who takes on the role of the unfortunate hero and he gives a fantastic performance in giving you someone to root for as he seriously puts all of himself into his performance. Deborah Winters gives a solid and likeable performance as Alicia and helps keep the movie grounded. Mark Goddard plays the sleazy politician perfectly. Robert Walden gives a good performance as Doctor Blume and finally Ray Young gives a fantastically over the top performance and helps round the cast out wonderfully.

Overall, Blue Sunshine is a one-of-a-kind cinematic oddity that could have only came out in the drug infused 70’s ... and we’re grateful for it!

Limited Edition 4K Special Features:
4K restoration of the original 35mm camera negative mastered in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Lossless English DTS-HD Master Audio original theatrical mono and a 5.1 surround sound mix supervised by director Jeff Lieberman
Two audio commentaries featuring director Jeff Lieberman
New introduction to the film by director Jeff Lieberman
Archival 2003 interview with director Jeff Lieberman
“Lieberman on Lieberman” video interview
Channel Z “Fantasy Film Festival” interview with Mick Garris and Jeff Lieberman
Fantasia Film Festival 4K Premiere Q&A with moderator Michael Gingold and director Jeff Lieberman
Anti-drug “scare films”: LSD-25 (1967) and LSD: Insight or Insanity? (1968), courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive
Jeff Lieberman’s first film The Ringer (Remastered in 4K by Synapse Films from the original camera negative)
Theatrical trailers
Still gallery
Liner notes booklet by Jeff Lieberman, featuring a chapter on the making of Blue Sunshine from his book Day of the Living Me: Adventures of a Subversive Cult Filmmaker from the Golden Age
Limited edition fold-out poster
Limited edition remastered CD soundtrack (13 tracks)

Blue Sunshine - Theatrical Trailer

www.synapsefilms.com

Overview: One of the last films produced at Hong Kong’s legendary Shaw Brothers studio, and absolutely one of their finest - a visually ravishing and erotically charged story of a free-spirited female poet Yu (Patricia Ha, Nomad) who, frustrated by the conservative times in which she lives, refuses to behave in the ways nice young ladies are supposed to.

Despite plentiful clothes-off action, this is so much more than a soft-core romp, boasting an artistic ambition that Shaw Brothers didn’t always show in their kung fu movies.

Directed with intelligence and real style by Eddie Fong Ling-ching, this is one of the major films from Hong Kong’s Golden Age. 88 Films are proud to present this sensual masterpiece in the UK for the first time on Blu-ray.

Blu-ray Verdict: In all truth, the sex scenes are not as plentiful as one might assume but they are very sensual and surprisingly tastefully shot. Since this is Shaw Brothers the sets and costumes are of high quality and there’s also some well-done Swordplay action thrown into the mix to keep things fresh.

Plot wise this one feels pretty aimless and disjointed and the final act is pretty wild and rather unexpected. Interestingly enough this did not really hurt my enjoyment of the film. It had a weird dreamy flow that surprisingly held my attention for the entire time.

The meticulously crafted script, driven by a powerfully emotive story of love and loss, desire and defiance, is transcribed by astounding cinematography into a rich visual tapestry of the cultural milieu and of Tang Dynasty China. Yu Xuanji (played by the shockingly beautiful Pat Ha) is a freethinking Taoist priestess uninhibited by oppressive environments. But her transgressions, including a destructive affair with a wandering swordsman and a dalliance with her maid, doom her to a tragic end.

In conclusion, this is a surprisingly beautiful film. The art direction and production design are gorgeous. The cinematography is also lovely. There’s a handful of particularly beautiful almost poetic shots that almost look like paintings from a by gone era.

Bonus Features:
High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Trailer
2.0 DTS-HD MA Cantonese Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
Limited Edition O-ring
Stills Gallery
Limited Edition Set of 4 collectors art cards

www.88-films.myshopify.com

Overview: In THE BEAST HAND, Osamu - a Japanese day laborer - is forced into a lifestyle of crime. Unfortunately, when he crosses the wrong gangsters, they punish him by Sword, amputating his left hand in the process.

Osamu’s ex-girlfriend Koyuki takes him to an underground Doctor deep in the dark bowels of the city to attempt a transplant. But the new hand has a mind of its own, much to the dismay of the gangsters responsible - as Osamu pursues his revenge.

Blu-ray Verdict: From the master Taichiro Natsume, who himself once brought forth into our cinematic consciences both Love Shark and Convex Attack!! Psychic Research Team Kachikomi 3, we now get the renowned Japanese director’s latest, albeit less gory than we have seen from him before look into the murkly underground world of crime and violence.

Struggling with his subservience to his nasty former accomplice Akira (Yota Kawase), and with his hand having been cut off for his rebellious acts, ex-convict Osamu (Takahiro Fukuya) is now a man on a mission; a man possessed, you might say!

An adaptation of Maurice Renard’s obscure 1920 novel The Hands of Orlac, what we get here is a fun tale of retribution that features all the usual aspects of brutal fights, broken bones, sociopathic sadism and extreme sexual violence - and most all that is dispensed by Akira himself!

In short, The Beast Hand is a rather jolly, psychopathic adventure where if you just sit back and allow it to show itself to you, and not delve too deeply into some of the plot holes and bad special effects, you will end up knowing you have had a great movie viewing time, trust me.

www.cleopatra-entertainment.com

Overview: The editor of a sports magazine grooms fashion model Reiko to become a pro golfer, while retaining exclusive rights to her likeness. Reiko’s popularity soars after she wins her first tournament and she becomes a media sensation, but when she and her manager (Yoshio Harada, Zigeunerweisen) cause a hit-and-run accident, the victim begins to blackmail Reiko, intruding further and further into her personal life.

This was Seijun Suzuki’s comeback film after being blacklisted by the film industry for ten years. Though adapted from a popular manga, the bold visuals and absurdist plot twists are vintage Suzuki.

Blu-ray Verdict: Being Seijun Suzuki’s first film following his blacklisting from Nikkatsu, it’d be easy enough to say that A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness happens to be a more normal film compared to his more borderline experimental work of the period - yet this film is also drenched in the same essences that made him one of the most distinctive filmmakers of that period in Japanese cinema.

Like his earlier forays into making color films, A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness visually pops out - in a manner that perfectly reflects the world of Reiko under the constant pressure to be a public face for people in Japan, but cannot live by her own terms.

On one hand, there’s a great commentary about the influence that men have in her life in here, because of the rather unscrupulous nature of her manager. But I think there’s also something interesting here, with how the film explores the power dynamics between higher class and lower class citizens, especially once her neighbor comes into the picture supposedly as a fan of Reiko’s before their worlds collide in a more sinister manner.

Maybe not the most comfortable watch, especially given the sort of films that Suzuki has been known for throughout his career, but it’s clear that Suzuki cares deeply about these people - and as a melodramatist, he’s very skilled at that. [J.R.]

Bonus Features:
High-Definition digital transfer
Uncompressed mono PCM audio
Audio commentary by critic and author Samm Deighan (2025)
New interview with editor Kunihiko Ukai (2025)
Trailer
Newly improved English subtitle translation
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Smith
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Jasper Sharp and an archival review of the film

www.radiancefilms.co.uk

Overview: Aida (Claudia Cardinale, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Day of the Owl) has fallen for a rich playboy and arrives at his door to find it firmly shut and herself ignored. His younger, more sensitive brother, Lorenzo (Jacques Perrin, Cinema Paradiso) helps her and finds himself quickly besotted.

Cardinale gives one of her most tender and vulnerable performances in Girl with a Suitcase, an unsentimental coming-of-age story that deals as much with adolescence as class. A vital director of Italy’s post-war cinema, Valerio Zurlini’s small but remarkable body of work deserves to be discussed among the greats.

Blu-ray Verdict: The story is uncomplicated: Perrin’s character falls for Claudia. She’s an adult, he’s not. She’s poor, he’s nobility.

Perrin’s understated performance is a dead-on portrait of adolescent longing. His eyes tell the whole story. It’s difficult to imagine that any man could watch him without experiencing flashbacks to his own adolescence. He doesn’t know whether to hope, or not, but he can’t help hoping anyway. He doesn’t know anything about adult courtship, so he improvises as he goes along. He’s unfailingly, achingly, kind and polite (see first clause, previous sentence). He’s brave, as he pushes against, and sometimes breaks, the rules that bind a young man not yet old enough to make his own rules.

Claudia, meanwhile, also provides a deeply thought performance, as a young woman whose poverty constrains her every move. She wants some tiny measure of security - her fear of the very real possibility of being out on the streets in palpable. She has no way to reach safety without depending on a man, but men have been awful to her. And she wants desperately not to cross the final line of degradation and become a whore!

She’ll take money, but only if she can satisfy herself that it is a gift - that is, only if she can feel that she still has some measure of choice in what happens next. Several men, including Perrin, are trying to help her. We see her hesitate, and calculate, in almost every conversation: trying to decide if the safety offered is real, calculating what she will have to give up if she accepts. Claudia is not in glamor mode here: she is beautiful, and the men are swarming around her, but her clothes are cheap, and she’s living out of her suitcase.

In conclusion, Girl With A Suitcase is a mighty fine film, but it’s not likely to be in anyone’s top ten. I think most people will find it moving and well worth watching, especially now as a wondrous 4K restoration and with oh-so many special features now included. [D.T.]

Bonus Features:
4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative by the Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Camelia and Titanus
Interview with assistant director Piero Schivazappa
Interview with screenwriter Piero De Bernard
Interview with film critic Bruno Torri on Zurlini’s career
Visual essay about the film by Kat Ellinger
Trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Giuliana Minghelli

www.radiancefilms.co.uk

Overview: New Line Cinema — the studio that brought you The Notebook — and the unhinged creators of Barbarian cordially invite you to experience a new kind of love story.

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. Entertainment is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the highly-anticipated Companion (4K Ultra HD + Digital) in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this April 1st, 2025.

For my money, this Companion (4K Ultra HD + Digital) sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is Companion presented to us as a one-disc with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265, Resolution: Native 4K (2160p), HDR: HDR10, Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 and Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisp with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision, we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color, which makes the eyes draw in, for sure.

One of those moments I will call She’s Tied Up Inside, for it perfectly illustrates the crisp cinematic elements used in the scene between the light of the windows coming through against the inner, darker house turmoil slowing coming into play. For if she doesn’t untie herself inside, the emotional knots, she is obviously going to explode!

As for the audio, well we get the choice of: English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) and Audio descriptive.

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

As for the film itself, well, with technology advancing at the rapid rate it does, we’re bound to see more films dealing with this subject matter: A. I. (Artificial Intelligence). Not just that, but also smart applications (smart cars, smart homes, smart phones, etc).

Companion takes this familiar premise to another level though, with a well set-up premise, good dialogue, and a clever play with keywords. With a well written script and convincing performances, the film works so well. It is funny, disturbing, suspenseful, thrilling, and - above all - it has a very strong survival element. Not in the way you might think, but you’ll understand when you see the film.

Couple Josh and Iris go to an isolated lake house owned by the wealthy Sergey. They are joined by their friends, a gay couple Patrick and Eli, and Kat - who doesn’t like Iris very much. Things quickly spins out of control when Iris wanders to the lake by herself, where Sergey forces himself onto her.

Judging by the poster and the film’s premise I guess you already know Iris is A. I., but the twist here is the fact that she doesn’t realize it. Sounds crazy? Well, it is perfectly justified. But wait, there’s more. There are even bigger surprises in store as the story unfolds, and we realize Josh had plans of his own.

In short, Companion is a fantasy mystery thriller that captivated me from beginning to end, with good performances from the entire cast. I also loved the idea that the film was shot on location - even the lake house - and not in a studio. I really enjoyed this and given its lush nuances, I think you all will too.

“Companion” Digital, 4K UHD and Blu-ray contain the following special features:

• I Feel, Therefore I Am
Could a robot have more humanity than a human? Delve into the complex relationships at the heart of “Companion” with Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher. • Love, Eli
Harvey Guillén and Lukas Gage explore the fun, lighthearted relationship of Patrick and Eli. Explore their supposed first encounter at a costume party and how that develops into a unique love
• AI Horror
Director Drew Hancock breaks down the fusion of slasher and sci-fi elements in “Companion” and how this is the perfect recipe for the wild and unexpected horrors humans can inflict upon AI.

The film is produced by the filmmakers behind “Barbarian” — Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Zach Cregger and Roy Lee. The executive producers are Tracy Rosenblum and Jamie Buckner. On February 18th, “Companion” will be available Digitally at home on participating digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Fandango at Home, and more.

On April 1st, “Companion” will be available to own on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD from online and physical retailers. “Companion” will also continue to be available in high definition and standard definition from participating digital retailers.

Overview: When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured on the job, a harebrained surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born!

As he embraces his new identity and strives to impress his Chief (Lil Rel Howery, Get Out), Dog Man must stop the villainous Petey the Cat (Pete Davidson, Saturday Night Live) from cloning himself and creating an evil kitten, doubling his evil abilities.

The story takes a turn when the kitten forges an unexpected bond with Dog Man and in the process, they discover the power of family to bring even the most hostile foes together.

Blu-ray Verdict: Dog Man is an entertaining movie with plenty of great moments, though some character motivations left me puzzled. The story takes some surprisingly dark turns for a kids film, and certain elements felt a bit twisted for its intended audience. While the transformation of certain characters adds a heartwarming touch, the film’s handling of deeper themes is a bit unconventional, in all honesty.

One of my main wishes was for the main character to communicate more clearly rather than relying on expressive emotions. This would have made him more engaging. The plot embraces silliness, sometimes to an extreme, making it feel chaotic at times and so whilst Dog Man is fun and energetic, it feels like something is missing to give it that extra spark of charm.

That all said, it was fast paced, funny, and pretty much how we all expected it to be when we, as a family, sat down to view it. Furthermore, my 8-year-old son laughed out loud many, many times, and he is a hard person to comedically please, trust me!

Oh, and for those wondering, the lead character Dog Man does not say anything, so all we get is facial expressions and standard dog noises like barking or growling, but it works well throughout the whole film and you always know what he is thinking/feeling in certain situations.

Especially when you know how he becomes Dog Man at the beginning of the film by learning about the connection he had with his owner/police partner. And I myself liked the dynamic between Dog Man and the chief of police, albeit one based solely on comedic slapstick for the most part, because they were both funny / emotional in equal measures.

Overview: Wai Lok-yan (Lau) was just eight years old when his parents were killed before his eyes in Cambodia, where his father had been working for the CIA during Pol Pot’s ascent to power in the latter days of the Cambodian Civil War.

Taken to Thailand by his father’s colleague Seung (Chiang), Yan grows up to join the Thai Air Force and comes to discover that his father’s murderer - Ray Liu (Paul Chun, Royal Tramp), once a double agent - has now become a wealthy arms dealer based in the United States.

With the help of the CIA, Yan intends to get close to Liu and have his revenge by taking on an assumed identity and gaining the trust of Liu’s daughter, Crystal (Jacklyn Wu, A Moment of Romance) - but first he will need to go undercover in San Francisco’s criminal underworld to rescue her from the clutches of the Vietnamese Black Tiger Gang.

Made shortly before Ringo Lam departed for Hollywood to make Maximum Risk with Jean-Claude Van Damme, The Adventurers is a hidden gem amongst the many heroic bloodshed films produced in Hong Kong during the 1990s. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time in North America from a brand new 2K restoration.

Blu-ray Verdict: This little seen action/revenger from Hong Kong superstar director Ringo Lam is a full-throated and nastily brutal affair at times, bedecked with some stylish and extremely expansive action but also some truly mawkish and contrived melodrama.

Beginning in 1975, a young boy witnesses his family’s execution at the hands of the Khmer Rouge and a double-crossing colleague of his fathers. Twenty years later, the boy has grown into Andy Lau, a troubled fighter pilot with only revenge on his mind.

The trouble is, the Khmer Rouge commander responsible is now a billionaire Hong Kong businessman, protected by all manner of shady political and criminal relationships. But that doesn’t stop Lau and his journey of vengeance sees him head to San Francisco where two women stand in his way – the mistress of his target (Rosamund Kwan) and his target’s daughter (Jacklyn Wu).

It begins brutally and it sets the tone for the violence throughout the film – Lam directs his action like he thinks Michael Bay is a big girl’s blouse! It’s truly in your face. It’s incredibly bloody and its supremely visceral.

Be it the brutal machine gunning of a young boy’s parents in front of him, the farmhouse raid to retrieve Wu by a rival gang or the insane Thailand set finale that sees a helicopter and a truck go at each other against an explosive backdrop that was so huge it was likely visible from space. This is the reason to see this largely forgotten entry in the heroic bloodshed genre.

Because Lam also directs his melodrama in a way that makes Bay seem like Ken Loach. The almost laughable narrative contrivances just keep stacking up as Lau suddenly becomes an underground crime boss caught between two women, a pregnancy, a bloodthirsty army general and a never-ending coterie of underground goons.

And it’s played out with a bizarre tonal whiplash that veers between naughty schoolboy comedy (Wu’s escape wearing only a towel) and horrific domestic brutality (Kwan’s beating of a pregnant Wu is uncomfortable to watch to say the least), again giving off serious Bay vibes only amped all the way up to 11!

Lau chews scenery for all its worth and he tries, bless him, he really does. But it’s such an overblown, overripe and overwritten slice of 90’s action that despite its significant weakness, and maybe even because of them, it still manages to be uproariously entertaining in exactly the same way that the Master of Bayhem’s films mostly are.

Bonus Features:
Limited edition of 2000 copies
Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Time Tomorrow
1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration
Original Cantonese mono and DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio options
Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
New audio commentary by film critic David West
Two Adventurers – new interview with Gary Bettinson, editor of Asian Cinema journal
Previously unseen archival interview with writer and producer Sandy Shaw
Theatrical trailer
PLUS: A Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring a new essay by Hong Kong cinema scholar Aaron Han Joon Magnan-Park

www.eurekavideo.co.uk

Overview: Jakoman and Tetsu is an early action masterpiece from Kinji Fukasaku (Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Battle Royale), adapted from a script written by the legendary Akira Kurosawa.

Set in 1947 in a small coastal village among the majestic snowy landscapes of Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, Ken Takakura (the Abashiri Prison series, Ridley Scott’s Black Rain) is Tetsu, the prodigal son who returns from the war to help out his father Kyubei with the family herring fishing business.

His arrival coincides with that of a one-eyed miscreant named Jakoman, played by Tetsuro Tamba (Harakiri, You Only Live Twice), who bears a long-standing grudge against Kyubei and is intent on causing as much mayhem among the hordes of seasonal fishermen as possible.

Blu-ray Verdict: Based on an early screenplay by none other than Akira Kurosawa, the film sees Kinji Fukasaku diving into the social drama set in a fishing area where a family and a mysterious one-eyed man get into a confrontation when the latter vows revenge on the patriarch for stealing his boat and leaving him drowned and stranded on an island three years earlier.

While tackling a different genre, one thing that remains consistent is his excellent cinematography, camerawork, and blocking. They contribute to the film’s excellent style in addition to enhancing its visual quality and, at times, its psychological depth. You can tell that a lot of time and effort went into many of the individual shots here.

All the performances are great across the board, especially Takakura (who actually was the person that came up with the idea of setting this whole movie in motion and does a nice job playing the hotheaded and rowdy nature of the son that gets embroiled in a fight with my man Jakoman), Tamba (who plays Jakoman with such a great ferocity, his entire personality reminded me in a way of the much iconic Samurai characters played by Mifune, cunning, dangerous, and scoundrelly), and Isao Yamagata (who nails the weariness and frustration that comes with trying to deal with his son but also this demon from his past that comes back to haunt him at his worst time).

Apparently, Takakura and Fukasaku didn’t get along very well (I will never use a bad actor again, Kinji once commented on his explanation for this), thus the fact that they were able to both deliver greatly is a testament to the acting and directing skills of both men.

All in all, a pretty good drama with some great performances and filmmaking with a story that ultimately simply didn’t resonate with me that much, but it might fact differently for you, of course.

Bonus Features:
HIGH DEFINITION BLU-RAY PRESENTATION IN 2.35:1 ASPECT RATIO
ORIGINAL MONO 2.0 AUDIO WITH NEW ENGLISH SUBTITLES
AUDIO COMMENTARY BY TOM MES & JASPER SHARP
BRAND NEW FILMED INTRODUCTION BY MARK SCHILLING
STILLS GALLERY
BOOKLET ESSAY BY CHRIS D.
ORIGINAL AND NEWLY COMMISSIONED ARTWORK BY SEAN LONGMORE

www.88-films.myshopify.com

Overview: When her sister is attacked and murdered, swordswoman Feng Fei-fei (Lily Ho, Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan) knows just what to do - find the culprits and slice ’em up. But her righteous vengeance is compromised when she learns just who her target is: the man her parents have arranged for her to marry.

Strikingly directed by Kao Pao-shu - notable as one of the few women who handled martial arts movies - Lady With a Sword has an emotional power to match its outstanding fight scenes, as justice, family loyalties and inflexible tradition all collide.

88 Films are proud to present the UK Blu-ray premier of a true feminist classic.

Blu-ray Verdict: Lady with a Sword was the directorial debut of Kao Pao-shu, a character actress for the Shaw Brothers Studio since 1958. She might also have been the first female director by the studio. She does a commendable job with the help of her leading lady, Lily Ho, as Feng Fei Fei, who’s out for revenge against her future husband.

This is a solid Wuxia with some clever fighting sequences and a solid performance by Lily Ho as a woman seeking revenge in an unusual circumstances. Ho is able to deftly alternate between the action and emotional demands that her role ask of her.

The fights scenes are firmly planted in the style of the era. While energetic and well- choreographed, there’s a lot of trampoline work and reverse-filmed jumping onto walls and building roofs. It’s fascinating but also highly unique, but be warned though, there’s plenty of fights involving women and children getting extremely hurt with plenty of bloodshed!

Personally, I did not expect this to be as bloody as it was, but I would like to forewarn you all here. The resolution of the final fight takes away from the overall impact of Lily Ho’s character but it’s a minor complaint in this otherwise very solid Wuxia.

Bonus Features:
High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Limited Edition Fold-out poster
Audio Commentary with David West
2.0 DTS-HD MA Mandarin Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
Stills Gallery
Limited Edition O-ring

www.88-films.myshopify.com

Overview: While her husband is in prison doing time, Tamaki, the wife of a yakuza capo, runs her spouse’s gang with an iron hand.

Meanwhile, Makoto, her younger sister, marries a member of a rival band after being raped by him. The two sisters, united by blood ties but married to enemy yakuzas, will ultimately have to decide whose side they’re on.

Blu-ray Verdict: Hideo Gosha is one of my all-time favorite chanbara directors, but I’ve seen few of his other films as they haven’t appeared as immediately interesting to me as his sword flicks. Yakuza Ladies doesn’t really make a strong case in either direction, but nonetheless it is remarkably entertaining for the most part.

Ostensibly about the wives of incarcerated yakuza men, keeping the criminal wheels spinning until sentencing has been finished, Yakuza Ladies doesn’t really feel that much different from any other yakuza movie. There’s the usual power struggles and warring between opposing yakuza groups, and such an expansive cast it’s difficult to keep tabs on, even as they get thinned out over the course of the movie. This is your basic ’70s yakuza movie, only with ’80s fashion and hair!

Again, that’s not to say that this is bad for it is a solid, if, for me, slightly unremarkable piece of genre cinema, mostly hampered a bit by some baffling character choices and a runtime that could have benefited from some tightening. Yakuza Ladies apparently spawned fifteen sequels (not by Gosha), though, so it clearly found a target audience that saw something in it that I may be missing. Or maybe it was just all the bare breasts on screen?

Bonus Features:
LIMITED EDITION BOOKLET
LIMITED EDITION INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED OBI STRIP
TRAILER
ORIGINAL AND NEWLY COMMISSIONED ARTWORK BY SEAN LONGMORE
STILLS GALLERY
ORIGINAL MONO 2.0 AUDIO WITH NEW ENGLISH SUBTITLES
HIGH DEFINITION BLU-RAY PRESENTATION IN 1.85:1 ASPECT RATIO

www.88-films.myshopify.com

Overview: In this sequel to Batman Ninja, the Batman family has returned to the present to discover that Japan has disappeared, and a giant island - Hinomoto - is now in the sky over Gotham City.

At the top sit the Yakuza, a group of superpowered individuals who reign without honor or humanity and look suspiciously like the Justice League. Now, it’s up to Batman and his allies to save Gotham!

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. Entertainment is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the highly-anticipated Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this April 15th, 2025.

For my money, this Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League [4K Ultra HD + Digital] combo pack sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League presented to us as a one-disc pack with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265, Resolution: Upscaled 4K (2160p) and Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisp with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision, we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color, which makes the eyes draw in, for sure.

As for the audio, well we get the choice of: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1.

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

As for the story to hand, I watched Batman Ninja Vs Yakuza League last night and have to say that I couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear! This might be one of the best things DC has put out in a while.

It is a direct continuation of Batman Ninja 2018 (in which the Bat-Family went back in time to feudal Japan and had to fight multiple robotic castles fused together into a giant Joker mech), so expect the tone to be campy and goofy. And it f**king hits! It has lots of anime humor and every single Yakuza related joke and trope you can think of shows up. And it is all delivered through the frame of DC characters. And I cannot stress how hard the character designs go here and hit every single time!

Like Batman Ninja, the animation is incredible, but this time I have noticed multiple music tracks were also added to the movie too, so it’s an even better production, in my humble opinion.

However, this time it’s not jarringly over-the-top as it starts, and ends, like that, sure, even jumping right in with characters saying things like “Yakuza Hurricane”, but for the most part throughout out is an insane energy from the characters, along with some beyond wacky action and cool Batman moments, of course.

As aforementioned, it’s a movie that starts with the Gotham police force fighting off a “Yakuza Hurricane” (think Sharknado, but with gangsters), and everyone acts like that’s a normal thing!

In short, Batman Ninja takes a while to get goofy, leaving its intended tone a little unclear and its sequel doesn’t bother checking to see if you’re in on the joke or not either. So you either are or you aren’t, and if you are, you’re in for quite a ride, of that you have my word!

4K UHD Special Features:
Featurette: Bringing The League To Japan-Behind the scenes with Designer Takashi Okazaki
Featurette: Anime Action: Choreographing the Fights.

Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League | Warner Bros. Entertainment [Official Trailer]

www.DCcomics.com

Overview: One of the Shaw Brothers Studio’s most prolific directors, Chang Cheh - or the Godfather of Hong Kong Cinema - is the filmmaker behind Five Deadly Venoms, Chinatown Kid and Boxer Rebellion.

Collected here are two films by this maestro of martial arts cinema that showcase his considerable talents at both ends of his career: The Magnificent Trio, produced when wuxia films ruled the Hong Kong box office in the mid-1960s, and Magnificent Wanderers, made at the height of the kung fu craze at the end of the 1970s.

In an early role that pre-dates his star-making turn in Chang’s The One-Armed Swordsman, Jimmy Wang Yu stars in The Magnificent Trio as swordsman Lu Fang, who - along with fellow warriors Yen Tzu-ching (Lo Lieh) and Huang Liang (Cheng Lui) - lends his martial arts prowess to a group of oppressed farmers when they kidnap the daughter of their local magistrate.

Then, in the kung fu comedy Magnificent Wanderers, the three nomads Lin Shao You (Fu Sheng), Shi Da Yong (Chi Kuan-chun), and Guan Fei (Li Yi-min) attempt to join Chinese patriots in their struggle against invading Mongol armies with the help of the wealthy Chu Tie Xia (David Chiang).

From straight-faced wuxia pian to farcical kung fu comedy, The Magnificent Trio and Magnificent Warriors display the full range of Chang Cheh, a filmmaker who sat in the director’s chair for over three decades. Eureka Classics is proud to present both films on Blu-ray for the first time in North America.

Blu-ray Verdict: First up is The Magnificent Trio (1966) where a wandering swordsman named Lu Fang is returning from battle and discovers that several farmers have kidnapped the local magistrate’s daughter. He sides with them after learning that this is an act of desperation to improve their low standard of living.

An early Chang Cheh film that already shows several of his signature style of tragedy and heroic bloodshed, there are some great bookending shots here that are shot outside as opposed to the studio lots used everywhere else - and that is a major plus for me.

There’s a lot of melodrama that appeared in movies of this era. Otherwise, it shares some similarity with chanbara in outlaw character design, fighting style (single slash kills the bad guys, but only slows down the good guys), social class, and themes of loyalty and duty to others being of more importance than oneself.

If you like Wang Yu swordplay flicks of this era, you’ll like The Magnificent Trio. Lo Lieh fans will see him in a morally ambiguous role. I recognize Wu Ma and Ku Feng but am unfamiliar with Cheng Lei. It isn’t Three Outlaw Samurai, but it is a good retelling with Chinese characteristics.

Next up is Magnificent Wanderers (1977) where millionaire Chu Te-Sa invests his considerable wealth into the rebel movement who are intent on usurping the ruling Mongol powers. His goals are impeded by a lack of support though and the supposed allies he has made in the town are merely eager to get their hands on his money.

During an attack where these craven ‘comrades’ flee, Chu befriends three con-artists who relish the chance to show off their fighting skills. The trio subsequently agree to help Chu in his quest to end Mongol rule and hatch a plan to destroy a major munitions dump.

It has to be said that Magnificent Wanderers is the Ishtar of kung fu comedies: proof that a starry cast and a big budget won’t get you laughs if your script is subpar.

In truth, it’s really not as bad as its rep. The stars all perform gamely and are likable enough. The fights are mildly diverting, if infrequent, but it’s just not all that funny all the time, and the film is so reliant on its humor that the whole thing can’t be seen as anything other than a low slung attempt to keep his tradition rolling.

That said, it is not all bad, as it took me a second viewing and a while to get into the vibe of Magnificent Wanderers but then I ended up highly enjoying it. Although some of the gags ran on past their expiry date, the HK comedy feels ahead of its time, albeit one, as noted, the humor can be very repetitive and not particularly funny at times.

Special Features:
Limited edition of 2000 copies
Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju)
1080p HD presentations on Blu-ray from masters supplied by Celestial Pictures
Original mono audio tracks
Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
New audio commentary on The Magnificent Trio by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth
New audio commentary on Magnificent Wanderers by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
Chang Cheh Style – new video essay by Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal
PLUS: A limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Chang Cheh by writer and critic James Oliver

Official Purchase Link

Overview: Inspired by the music and life of Robert Wyatt - who co-founded the British rock band Soft Machine - Rock Bottom tells the story of artists immersed in the creative whirlwind of the early 70s hippie culture.

Drugs will turn a passionate summer into a nightmare in a journey through the themes of Wyatt’s music: the euphoria and anguish of artistic creation & the unconscious fascination with drugs.

DVD Verdict: In what is the very first long film by veteran Spanish filmmaker María Trénor, the initial premise of Rock Bottom — a celebration of the 50 years of musician Robert Wyatt’s self-titled album, explored through a fictionalized version of his relationship with artist Alfreda “Alfi” Benge in the post-hippie milieu of the beginning of the 70s — was, from the off, of interest to me and thus I sat down with a great sense of excitement.

Now, as much as I had sky high hopes for this film, and as much as I was more than ready to accept this film for all it’s good and bad parts, it is true that there are a seemingly exhaustible succession of cliffs, more cliffs and steeper cliffs that result in a proposal where, well, you’ll see.

The plot itself isn’t overly complicated, but does come with some obvious dialogue (it’s the type of film in which a reference to Syd Barrett, ex-vocalist of Pink Floyd, is accompanied by the phrase “How I wish he was here”, a film that dates back to 1973, two years before the subject was to be recorded) with a few ill-defined characters and a, at times, semi-narrative structure.

That all said, the visuals are captivating, surprising and beautiful. The atmosphere is very creative. I really liked the music too, but as noted, the story drifts from time to time, and the main characters, well, personally, I found it hard to believe in their love (but that could just be me overthinking this animated story).

OFFICIAL TRAILER: Rock Bottom

Official Purchase Link

Overview: Iconic blues and folk musician Lead Belly’s captivating story is brought to life in this awe-inspiring documentary, Lead Belly: The Man Who Invented Rock, and with extraordinary guest stars.

DVD Verdict: George Harrison famously claimed, No Lead Belly, no Beatles. Revered by countless musicians - the 1st record Janis Joplin ever bought was Lead Belly. The definitive bio, with historic performances and extraordinary archive access.

The folk/blues icon, from childhood through prison to worldwide fame. Stories and performances from Joplin, Harry Belafonte, BB King, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Odetta and many more.

Huddie William Ledbetter was born on January 29th, 1889 on the Jeter Plantation near Mooringsport, Louisiana. He was the only child of sharecropper parents Wesley and Sally. Huddie and his parents moved to Leigh, Texas when he was five and it was there that he became interested in music, encouraged by his uncle Terrell who bought Huddie his first musical instrument, an accordion.

King of the 12 String Guitar. Born in poverty, he became a master folk innovator who inspired rock and roll. Woody Guthrie called him the greatest folk singer. Hundreds of artists have covered his songs - The Beatles, Roling Stones, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin spring to mind.

More than any other black folk-blues artist of his time Leadbelly helped expose his race’s vast musical riches to white America, and, in the process, helped preserve a folk legacy that has become a significant part of the nation’s musical treasury.

He was not a blues singer in the traditional sense; he also sang spirituals, pop, field and prison hollers, cowboy and children’s songs, dance tunes and folk ballads, and of course his own topical compositions. It has been said his repertoire was at least 500 songs.

He never saw any commercial success during his lifetime. Not until after his death did a broader public come to know his songs and the amazing story of his life.

It was in the Louisiana State Penitentiary in July 1933 that Huddie met folklorist John Lomax and his son Alan who were touring the south for the Library of Congress, collecting unwritten ballads and folk songs using the newly available recording technology. The Lomaxes had discovered that Southern prisons were among the best places to collect work songs, ballads and spirituals and Leadbelly, as he now called himself, was a particular find.

Of course, there is much more to his story brought forth here, but this incredibly insightful, dutifully told new DVD also features interviews and performances by Janis Joplin, Harry Belafonte, Paul McCartney, B.B. King, Alan Lomax, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Odetta. Hollywood film clips, archive performances and intimate inside accounts dispel myths and let his true personality shine through.

Overview: Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood stars as no-holds-barred San Francisco cop Dirty Harry Callahan in this action thriller that began an action franchise.

When detective Harry Callahan is assigned to pay extortion money to a serial murderer, the payoff goes wrong. Now with the life of a 14-year-old girl at stake, Callahan refuses to allow anything--including the law--to keep him from stopping the killer.

The film is directed by Don Siegel. The screenplay is by Harry Julian Fink, R.M. Fink, and Dean Riesner from a story by Harry Julian Fink and R.M. Fink. The film is produced by Don Siegel. Dirty Harry stars Clint Eastwood, Andy Robinson, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni, and John Vernon.

Three films from legendary filmmaker Clint Eastwood – Dirty Harry, The Outlaw Josie Wales and Pale Rider (40th anniversary), will be released for the first time on 4K Ultra HD and Digital on April 29th, 2025.

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. Entertainment is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the much beloved Dirty Harry (4K Ultra HD + Digital) in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this April 29th, 2025.

For my money, this Dirty Harry (4K Ultra HD + Digital) sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is Dirty Harry presented to us as a one-disc with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265, Resolution: Native 4K (2160p), HDR: HDR10, Aspect ratio: 2.40:1 and Original Aspect ratio: 2.39:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisp with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision, we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color, which makes the eyes draw in, for sure.

One of those moments is Clint Eastwood’s daring bus roof stunt which exemplifies his commitment to performing his own stunts, adding an extra layer of authenticity and excitement to the film. As Scorpio hijacks the bus and speeds under the bridge, Callahan’s decision to jump onto the vehicle’s roof, despite the inherent dangers, displays Eastwood’s willingness to push the boundaries of his physicality for the sake of the scene.

The fact that Eastwood performed this stunt himself without the use of a stand-in shows his dedication and fearlessness as an actor.

As for the audio, well we get the plentiful choice of: English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono.

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

As for the film itself, well, the film opens with a shot of a memorial wall in praise of the San Francisco Police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, a SFPD badge is prominent as the camera scrolls down the ream of names on the wall.

Cut to a rooftop sniper shooting a girl taking a swim in a swimming pool, cut to the coolest looking cop you have ever seen making his way to the rooftop scene, he stands and surveys the whole of the San Francisco bay area, this is, his area, and we know we are in for a very special film indeed.

Dirty Harry is now something of an institution, the film that pushed the boundaries of cops Vs bad guys movies, some of the films dialogue became part of modern day speak, and the film that propelled Clint Eastwood into the stratosphere of super stardom.

Often wrongly tagged as a fascist film, I think it’s more a cynical look at the rights of criminals because Harry is everyone who has ever been a victim of crime, he will do what it takes to take down the criminals festering in society, you break the law and Harry will get you any way he can.

Here Harry is on the trail of Scorpio, a ruthless sniper killing at random, Scorpio kidnaps a teenage girl and demands $200.000 from the city or she will die in the hole he has her buried in. Harry is just the man for the job of delivery boy and this sets the wheels in motion for what becomes a personal crusade for Harry to take Scorpio down at all costs.

Director Don Siegel crafts a masterpiece here, creating a western within the big city landscape, the pace is energetic at times yet reeling itself in to provide genuine suspense when needed. Siegel should also be praised for sticking by Andy Robinson as Scorpio for it’s an insanely great performance from him, but it might never had happened since Robinson was petrified of guns, but Siegel stood by him and coaxed him thru it.

The result is a maniacal turn that scares and amuses in equal measure, witness his mad singing during a bus kidnap scene, you won’t know whether to laugh or be afraid.

Yet as good as Robinson is, he gives way to a seamless piece of magnificence from Eastwood as Harry Callahan, note perfect and enthusing the role with the right amount of dynamic cool and gusto, it’s no surprise that the character became a cinematic legend after such a great acting performance.

Finally I must mention the wonderful score from Lalo Schifrin, jazz/electro/beat combinations segue perfectly into each scene with maximum impact to cap off one of the finest films of the 70’s, and if you don’t believe me then you go argue with Harry!

Dirty Harry 4K Ultra HD contains the following new and previously released special features:
• Commentary by Richard Schickel
• Generations and Dirty Harry - NEW
• Lensing Justice: The Cinematography of Dirty Harry - NEW
• American Masters Career Retrospective: Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
• Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso
• Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy – Fighting for Justice
• Interview Gallery
Patricia Clarkson
Joel Cox
Clint Eastwood
Hal Holbrook
Evan Kim
John Milius
Ted Post
Andy Robinson
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Robert Urich
• Dirty Harry’s Way
• Dirty Harry: The Original

Overview: Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood stars in and directs this fast-paced Western about the fight for vengeance by a Missouri farmer whose family is murdered in the last days of the United States’ Civil War.

The film is directed by Clint Eastwood. The screenplay is by Phil Kaufman and Sonia Chernus and is based on the novel “Gone to Texas” by Forrest Carter. The film is produced by Robert Daly. The Outlaw Josie Wales stars Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney, and John Vernon.

Three films from legendary filmmaker Clint Eastwood – Dirty Harry, The Outlaw Josie Wales and Pale Rider (40th anniversary), will be released for the first time on 4K Ultra HD and Digital on April 29th, 2025.

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. Entertainment is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the much beloved The Outlaw Josey Wales (4K Ultra HD + Digital) in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this April 29th, 2025.

For my money, this The Outlaw Josey Wales (4K Ultra HD + Digital) sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is The Outlaw Josey Wales presented to us as a one-disc with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265 (67.31 Mbps), Resolution: Native 4K (2160p), HDR: HDR10, Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 and Original Aspect ratio: 2.39:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisp with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision, we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color, which makes the eyes draw in, for sure.

One of those moments is also one of the coolest moments I have ever seen in movie history and is when they got their horses playing dead hidden in the trees before they ambush Wayde Morrow and his sidekick. The way they mount the horses instantly as they get up is just badass!

As for the audio, well we get the plentiful choice of: English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit), Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps) and French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps).

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

As for the film itself, well, the Western Genre has been good to Clint Eastwood, making him a star. He has also been good back to that genre, making one of the greatest Westerns ever, Unforgiven. The Outlaw Josey Wales was also the Western that gave Clint Eastwood his big break as a director, showing what he is capable as a filmmaker.

Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) is a peaceful farmer who is ends up joining the Confederate guerrillas when his wife and son are murdered by a band of Union soldier known as the Redlegs. When the war is over, Josey refuses to surrender with the rest of his band to the Union who are betrayed by the Union commander, Terrill (Bill McKinney).

Soon a price is put on Josey’s head, with every bounty hunter, rebel, criminal and huntsman wanting him. But Josey meets allies on the way as he looks to settle for a peaceful life.

1976 was a great year for film because of the releases of the likes of Taxi Driver, Rocky, Network and All the President’s Men. The Outlaw Josey Wales can easily stand along side them. Eastwood directs at a brisk pace but still letting us into this tough world and get to know the characters as the embark on their odyssey.

The landscapes are rough and tough; you would need to very resourceful to survive. The picture is complex because they are many different factors: there are rebels still fighting the Union; The Union is on the hunt for these people; There are ex-soldiers who become bounty hunters because the war is over and different Native American tribes who have different allegiances.

There are some clear influences from Sergio Leone, from the color pallet, the way the action was shot and handled and the use of close up on the eyes. The final action scene reminded me of Zulu because of the shooting from the house, whether that is deliberate or by accident I do not know, but reference Zulu is of course always good. It is both an entertaining and thoughtful film.

At the beginning Eastwood shows a vulnerable side in the beginning of the film which is rare and very well done before delivering a character that embodied his Man With No Name character, a tough rogue but despite his demons is a decent man. John Vernon plays an interesting character in the form of Fletcher because he is a reluctant villain, forced to work with the bad guys and knows it is either him or Josey.

He was a more complex character and more sympathetic. The acting throughout is strong, there is complex characterization and characters do actually change during the course of the film.

The Outlaw Josey Wales 4K Ultra HD contains the following new and previously released special features:
• Commentary by Richard Schickel
• An Outlaw and an Antihero - NEW
• The Cinematography of and Outlaw: Crafting Josie Wales - NEW
• Clint Eastwood’s West
• Eastwood in Action
• Hell Hath No Fury: The Making of The Outlaw Josie Wales
• Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy – Reinventing the West

Overview: With 1985’s Pale Rider, Clint Eastwood returned to the western genre with a vengeance as the movie became the highest grossing western of that decade.

Eastwood, who also directed the hit film, plays a nameless stranger who rides into a small California gold rush town (and becomes known as the Preacher) where he finds himself in the middle of a feud between a mining syndicate and a group of independent prospectors.

The film is produced and directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack. The film stars Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Christopher Penn, Richard Dysart, Sydney Penny, Richard Kiel, Doug McGrath, and John Russell.

Three films from legendary filmmaker Clint Eastwood – Dirty Harry, The Outlaw Josie Wales and Pale Rider (40th anniversary), will be released for the first time on 4K Ultra HD and Digital on April 29th, 2025.

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. Entertainment is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the much beloved Pale Rider (4K Ultra HD + Digital) in the expansive 4K Ultra HD video format this April 29th, 2025.

For my money, this Pale Rider (4K Ultra HD + Digital) sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is Pale Rider presented to us as a one-disc with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265 (67.85 Mbps), Resolution: Native 4K (2160p), HDR: HDR10 and Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisp with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision, we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color, which makes the eyes draw in, for sure.

One of those moments is one I will call The Face Of Death scene. My goodness, no one gets as much out of a scene with a long look, a slight nod of the head or a one word speech, as Eastwood can. Very clever, deft acting by the underrated Clint.

Director John Russell turns the gunfight in the film into something very special, as he has a thrilling presence that contrasts Eastwood’s calm, subtle style.

As for the audio, well we get the plentiful choice of: English: Dolby Atmos English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps) and Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps).

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

As for the film itself, well, as noted, Clint Eastwood plays the mysterious preacher who protects a humble prospector village from a greedy mining company trying to encroach on their land.

With the film’s religious themes, let me recite the famous quote: And I looked, and behold a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. The reading of the biblical passage explains how Eastwood’s character is death, how his sudden appearance was as a result of a prayer from Megan, in which she quoted Psalm 23.

Thus making Eastwood’s character a savior for the prospector village which is almost too good and kind-hearted, but giving us the perspective of the so-called bad guys, it fleshes out the movie and makes it more interesting.

I don’t remember much about this film when my father showed it to me back when I was young, so I’m going in older and more appreciation of Clint Eastwood’s work, especially now this wondrous 4K UHD has arrived for review.

Pale Rider is a great western and after a time when westerns were neither critically acclaimed or made box office, Clint Eastwood returned to the genre with a western that has some incredible direction and also some good themes. Unlike his earlier movies, Eastwood first selected this movie’s theme and then commissioned a screenplay to be written.

Personally, I think the themes in Pale Rider are excellent. Eastwood also produced it whilst Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack wrote the screenplay and story, and thus while I don’t think the script is the best part of the movie, the flaws that exist are tolerable thanks to the visual storytelling and direction done by Eastwood.

The dialogue can be average at times and some of the writing is quite average, but mostly good which means that Pale Rider is a terrific western and a true classic. Visually it’s stunning to look at with some fantastic cinematography with locations ranging from gold aspens to snow-capped mountains.

However, it may sound colorful, but it’s not, as it’s dark and gritty and slow in its pacing. It’s slow in a good way allowing the tension to grow, which just goes to show how great and intelligent the filmmaker truly is.

In closing, I am very grateful Eastwood made this movie, as it most likely saved the western genre. It’s more character driven than action driven, with lots of dialogue heavy scene and drama to be seen. Pale Rider is a western made for adults by an actor who decided to make the western he wanted to make. And thus Pale Rider is also a fine addition to Clint Eastwood’s filmography.

Pale Rider 4K Ultra HD contains the following new and previously released special features:
• The Diary of Sydney Penny: Lessons from the Set - NEW
• Painting the Preacher: Bruce Surtees and Pale Rider - NEW
• Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy – Reinventing Westerns
• Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story
• The Eastwood Factor