Eureka's Masters of Cinema exposes the CRUEL TALE OF BUSHIDO (review)

When his fiancee attempts suicide, a young salaryman looks back on a family history spanning over two hundred years and a recurring cycle of duty honoring the Bushido code no matter the personal destruction wrought upon generations of his family line in Tadashi Imai's cruel tale starring Kinnosuke Nakamura of the MIYAMOTO MUSASHI film series and the LONE WOLF AND CUB TV spin-off.

REVIEW LINK: Eureka Video (U.S./U.K.) Region A/B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

CRUEL TALE OF BUSHIDO Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Japanese LPCM 2.0 Mono and DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 Stereo
• Optional English Subtitles
• "Tony Rayns on CRUEL TALE OF BUSHIDO" critic interview
• "7 Kinds of Samurai: Tadashi Imai's Cruel Tale" interview with Jonathan Clements, author of "A Brief History of Japan"
• Theatrical Trailer
• The first pressing of 2,000 copies includes an O-card slipcover featuring new artwork by Tony Stella and a collector's booklet featuring new writing by Japanese cinema expert Hayley Scanlon.

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88 Films passes the torch to GOD OF GAMBLERS II (review)

Andy Lau is the newly-dubbed "Knight of Gamblers" who must foil the attempts of his boss' old enemy to ruin his reputation while also dealing with the bumbling "Saint of Gamblers" (Stephen Chow) and his uncle who will do anything to study under him in Wong Jing's sequel to both his hit film and Stephen Chow's even bigger hit parody.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (U.K.) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

GOD OF GAMBLERS II Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historian David West
• Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng, NY Asian Film Festival
• "Money Maker" interview with director Wong Jing
• Scenes from the Taiwanese Version
• Theatrical Trailer
• The first pressing comes with a slipcover and double-sided foldout poster. 

Acorn Media turns up crimes for the QUEENS OF MYSTERY: SERIES 2 (review)

Detective Matilda Stone and her three crime-writing aunts get tangled up in various murders in their quaint village of Wildemarsh in series two of QUEENS OF MYSTERY.

REVIEW LINK: Acorn Media (U.K.) Region 0 PAL DVD (DVDCompare)

QUEENS OF MYSTERY: SERIES 2 DVD specs:

• Six episodes on two dual-layer DVDs
• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 PAL widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• "Solving Series 2" behind the scenes
• Picture Gallery 

Second Run returns to childhood with LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC! (review)

Bullied by his father and his classmates alike, small and frail Oldrich lives a rich fantasy life to survive the uneasy and violent existence of his village in between Nazi occupation and Russian liberation in this surreal film from the director of THE EAR and COACH TO VIENNA.

REVIEW LINK: Second Run (U.K.) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC! Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.39:1 Widescreen
• Czech LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• "The City Cinematheque Interview with Karel Kachyňa" from CUNY TV 1998
• "A Memory of the Present [Paměť našeho dne]" 1963 short film by Jan Nemec
• Comes with a 20-page booklet with an essay by film critic Peter Hames. 

SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY in 4K for Severin Films (review)

When her scientist husband commits suicide, a grieving widow takes seductive and deadly revenge on the people she holds responsible in Jess Franco's reworking of THE BRIDE WORE BLACK starring Soledad Miranda, Howard Vernon, and Paul Muller.

REVIEW LINK: Severin Films (U.S./U.K.) Region ALL 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray specs:

• Disc One (4K UltraHD):
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.66:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision)
• German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Disc Two (Blu-ray):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
• German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• "Ecstasy in Rage" interview with author Stephen Thrower
• "In the Land of Franco Part 13" locations visit with author Stephen Thrower
• "Jess Killed in Ecstasy" interview with writer/director Jess Franco
• "Sublime Soledad" interview with Soledad Miranda historian Amy Brown
• "Paul Muller on Jess Franco" interview
• German Theatrical Trailer
• Comes with a collector's slipcover (U.S. website exclusive and U.K. retail editions only)

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Severin Films tangos with VAMPYROS LESBOS in 4K (review)

Jess Franco's first muse Soledad Miranda stars as the original VAMPYROS LESBOS, the heiress of Count Dracula who seduces a young woman to initiate her into the vampiric circle in this psychedelic classic.

REVIEW LINK: Severin Films (US/UK) Region ALL 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

VAMPYROS LESBOS 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray specs:

• Disc One (4K UltraHD):
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.66:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision)
• German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by Kat Ellinger, author of "Daughters of Darkness"
• Audio Commentary by film professor Aaron AuBuchon and Oscarbate Film Collective's John Dickson and Will Morris
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Disc Two (Blu-ray):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen
• German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by Kat Ellinger, author of "Daughters of Darkness"
• Audio Commentary by film professor Aaron AuBuchon and Oscarbate Film Collective's John Dickson and Will Morris
• "Fever Dracula" interview with Stephen Thrower, author of "Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco"
• "The Red Scarf Diaries" Jess Franco career appreciation by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Sean Baker
• "In the Land of Franco Part 12" locations visit with film historian Stephen Thrower
• "Vampyros Jesús" interview with writer/director Jess Franco
• "Sublime Soledad" interview with Soledad Miranda historian Amy Brown
• "Jess Is Yoda" featurette
• German Opening Title Sequence
• German Theatrical Trailer
• Collector's slipcover (U.S. website exclusive and U.K. retail editions only)

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88 Films is STRIPPED TO KILL (review)

When a stripper at the Rock Bottom club is brutally murdered, a female detective goes undercover as a stripper and finds both liberation and danger in this Roger Corman production directed by Katt Shea (THE RAGE: CARRIE 2) starring Kay Lenz and Greg Evigan.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (U.K.) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

STRIPPED TO KILL Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
• English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film journalists Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz
• Audio Commentary by The Hysteria Continues! and film scholar Amanda Reyes
• Audio Commentary by director Katt Shea, moderated by Scorpion Releasing's Walt Olsen
• Audio Commentary by director Katt Shea and actress Kay Lenz 
• "Directing Stripped to Kill" interview with director Katt Shea 
• "The Contradiction" video essay by film historian Mike Foster 
• "Stripped: Katt Shea" interview 
• "Stripped: Roger Corman" interview 
• Theatrical Trailer 
• The first pressing comes with a slipcover featuring original artwork and liner notes by Calum Waddell.