Radiance Films decipers THE SARGOSSA MANUSCRIPT in 4K (review)

Based on the labyrinthine gothic novel by Jan Potocki, THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT follows the travails of a French soldier in the Sierra Morena mountains of Spain, his supernatural encounter with a strange pair of sisters, the web of events that prevent him from trying to escape his uncertain fate.

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

THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray specs:

• 2160p24 HEVC Dolby Vision and 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.38:1 Widescreen Presentations of the film as a single feature (184 minutes) or in two parts (103 minutes and 81 minutes)
• Extras on the Blu-ray copy of the film:
• "The Saragossa Labyrinth" visual essay by Polish film expert Michael Brooke (69 minutes)
• "Saragossa" 1998 making-of documentary made for Polish television 
• Limited edition of 5,000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings including a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow and a booklet featuring new writing by author David Hering and archival writing by Annette Insdorf. 

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Troma slashes its way through GRADUATION DAY (review)

"The Class of '81 is getting fitted for caps and gowns... and coffins!" in Herb Freed's memorable eighties slasher.  Just before graduation, the members of the varsity track team start dying in grisly manners.  Is it related to the accidental death of the team's star four months earlier, or is someone on the faculty just sick of the obnoxious seniors?  Christopher George, Michael Pataki, and Vanna White star.

REVIEW LINK: Troma (U.S.) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

GRADUATION DAY Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by producer David Baughn
• Audio Commentary by The Hysteria Continues Podcast
• Introduction by Troma's Lloyd Kaufman
• "Acting Out in School" interview with actress Patch MacKenzie
• "Surviving the Class of '81" interview with director Herb Freed
• "Graduation Day Blues" interview with producer David Baughn
• "Cutting Class" interview with editor Martin Jay Sadoff
• Theatrical Trailer
• "Sgt. Kabukiman Interview with Scream Queen Linnea Quigley"
• "The Cannibal Lesbian Hoedown" Music Video
• INNARDS! Music Video
• Radiation March
• Troma in Time Square
• Troma in 4K!
• Coming Distractions

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88 Films sees double Jackie Chan in THE ARMOUR OF GOD COLLECTION (review)

In two of his biggest screen adventures, Jackie Chan plays soldier of fortune The Asian Hawk who teams up with his old buddy to save his lost lady love from an evil cult who want him to find ancient holy armour for them in ARMOUR OF GOD while he goes after Nazi gold hidden in the desert in ARMOUR OF GOD II: OPERATION CONDOR.

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

THE ARMOUR OF GOD COLLECTION Blu-ray specs:

• ARMOUR OF GOD Disc One:
• Hong Kong Version (98 minutes)
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 original and home video mono mixes each with the choice of either "Flight of the Dragon" or "Lorelei" end credits songs
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono classic export version dub with the choice of either "Lorelei" in English or "High Upon High" (the English version of "Flight of the Dragon")
• Hybrid English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono with choice of either Cantonese end credits song
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Fortune Star DVD-era dub with "Lorelei" in Cantonese
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
• Audio Commentary by East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto
• Audio Commentary by Kenneth Brorsson & Phil Gillon of the Podcast On Fire Network
• "The Art of Action" featurette with actor/stuntman Scott Adkins and filmmaker Matt Routledge
• "Celebrity Talk Show" season 2, episode 2 from 1989 featuring Jackie Chan
• "Rise of the Phoenix: Radek Sienski on Armour of God" filmmaker appreciation
• "Hong Kong Movie Tours - Then & Now"
• "Jackie Chan on VHS: The VPD Years" visual essay by filmmaker Steve Lawson
• Archival interview with actor Jackie Chan
• Archival interview with Jackie Chan's manager Willie Chan
• Archival interview with in-house Golden Harvest editor Peter Cheung
• "Playing with Dynamite" interviews with assistant directors Stanley Kwan and Alexander Chan
• "Police Story" Promotional Trailer
• "High Upon High – The Armour of Funk" 2016 30th Anniversary Tribute: 
• Music Video
• Behind the Scenes
• Split Screen
• Cantonese Theatrical Trailer
• Mandarin Theatrical Trailer
• Japanese Theatrical Trailer
• English Theatrical Trailer
• 88 Films Blu-ray Trailer
• ARMOUR OF GOD Disc Two:
• International Version (88 minutes):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles 
• Japanese Version (98 minutes):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles 
• ARMOUR OF GOD 2: OPERATION CONDOR Disc Three:
• Hong Kong Theatrical Version (107 minutes):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Theatrical Mono and Home Video Stereo
• English LPCM 2.0 Mono (classic dub)
• Hybrid Cantonese/English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by NY Asian Film Festival's Frank Djeng and filmmaker FJ DeSanto
• Audio Commentary by film historians Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
• "Fighting with the Condor" two-part interview with actor Vincent Lyn
• "Magnificent Bodyguard" interview with actor Ken Lo
• "Martial Arts Mercenary For Hire" interview with actor Bruce Fontaine
• "Broader Horizons: Victor Fan on Operation Condor" interview
• "Project Eagle" Credits Sequence
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
• Re-mastered Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
• English Export Trailer
• Japanese Theatrical Trailer
• Japanese TV Spot
• Stills Gallery
• ARMOUR OF GOD 2: OPERATION CONDOR Disc Four:
• *The Film - Extended Version (117 minutes):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Cantonese LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles 

88 Films enters THE OCTAGON (review)

Chuck Norris battles ninjas and international terrorists in his second big action film THE OCTAGON.  Also starring Art Hindle (BLACK CHRISTMAS), Lee Van Cleef (THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY), Richard Norton (CITY HUNTER), Tadashi Yamashita (AMERICAN NINJA), John Fujioka (MORTAL KOMBAT), and Karen Carlson (FLESHBURN).

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

THE OCTAGON Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by director Eric Karson
• "Chuck's Secret Move" interview with actor Art Hindle
• "The Man Behind the Mask" interview with film historian Nanni Cobretti and actress/martial artist Cynthia Rothrock on actor/stuntman Richard Norton
• The Making of THE OCTAGON
• "How American Cinema Changed Hollywood Forever" documentary
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Comes with a reversible cover.
• The limited edition first pressing includes a slipcover with artwork by Sean Longmore and a poster. 

88 Films takes a detour to THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (review)

The road leads to nowhere when a gang of escaped criminals rape and murder two teenagers and their getaway car just happens to break down in front of the isolated home of one of the dead girls' vengeful parents.  The original, controversial sensation that had audiences repeating "It's only a movie!" directed by Wes Craven and produced by FRIDAY THE 13TH director Sean S. Cunningham.

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

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT Blu-ray specs:

• Unrated Version:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historians Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth
• Audio Commentary by actors David Hess, Marc Sheffler, and Fred Lincoln
• Audio Commentary by The Nasty Pasty
• Isolated Score Track 
• R-rated Version:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles 
• "Betrayal and Retribution: The Spawn of the Last House on the Left" feature-length rape-revenge genre documentary
• "Endangered Teens" video essay by film historian Heather Wixson
• "Remembering Wes Craven: His Life, Legacy and Nightmares" documentary
• "The Celluloid Crime of the Century" documentary
• "Scoring Last House" interview with actor/composer David Hess 
• "Tales That Will Tear Your Heart Out" unfinished 1976 short film directed by Wes Craven and starring David Hess 
• Outtakes and Dailies 
• Deleted Scene: "Mari Dying at the Lake" 
• 2002 introduction by writer/director Wes Craven 
• "Still Standing: The Legacy of Last House on the Left" interview with writer/director Wes Craven 
• "It's Only a Movie: The Making of Last House on the Left" documentary 
• "Forbidden Footage" 
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Image Gallery
• Comes with a reversible sleeve featuring original art.
• The limited edition includes a rigid slipcase and O-ring slipcover featuring new artwork by Devon Whitehead and a picture booklet.

Wild Eye Releasing takes Visual Vengeance on THE NINE DEMONS (review)

When his lord and his father are murdered, Zuo Qi escapes and stumbles into the portal to Hell where the Prince of Darkness offers him supernatural powers in the form of nine demons to avenge his father and save his best friend who is under threat by various scheming and double-crossing parties in this odd late-period fantasy film from Chang Cheh.

REVIEW LINK: Wild Eye Releasing (U.S.) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE NINE DEMONS Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.19:1 Widescreen
• English or Mandarin Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by martial arts film historians Justin Decloux and Dylan Cheung
• "Dirty VHS Version" under the title THE NINE VENOMS
• "The Discovery of James Wu Kuo-Ren" video essay by Justin Declous
• "The Late Period Chang Cheh" video essay by Justin Decloux
• Actor Yu Tai-Ping Interview
• Unsung Horrors Podcast: "The Nine Demons" episode
• Image Gallery
• Visual Vengeance Trailer
• Comes with a folded mini-poster featuring original theatrical art and reversible sleeve featuring original alternate art. 
• The first pressing also includes a ‘Stick Your Own’ VHS sticker set, "Enter: The Venom Mob" liner notes booklet by C.J. Lines, and O-card featuring art by Uncle Frank.

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Visual Vengeance drops bodies with the FATAL FLYING GUILLOTINE (review)

Carter Wong is a young martial artist who gets entangled with royal intrigue and the Shaolin temple monks on the hunt for the master of the Flying Guillotine, a powerful weapon and its reclusive master in this Taiwanese rarity.

REVIEW LINK: Wild Eye Releasing (U.S.) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

FATAL FLYING GUILLOTINE Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 Widescreen
• English or Mandarin Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary on the 2K Restoration by Justin Decloux of the Important Cinema Club Podcast
• "A Brief History of Flying Guillotine Movies" visual essay by Justin Decloux
• "Chan Siu-Pang Was There" visual essay by Justin Decloux
• Actor Carter Wong Interview
• "Chan Siu-Pang: 10 Styles of Tamo Demonstration"
• Image Gallery
• Visual Vengeance Trailer
• Start-up Trailers
• Includes a reversible sleeve.  
• The first pressing also includes a double sided poster, "Stick Your Own" VHS stickers, a liner notes booklet with writing by C.J. Lines, a lobby card reproduction set, and a slipcover.

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