Cult Epics explores the world of GIRLS in 4K (review)

Just Jaeckin tries to escape the shadow of EMMANUELLE and THE STORY OF O with a wholesome look into the complicated lives of French teenagers in the disco-era GIRLS as they deal with boyfriends, pranks, school, career ambitions, parents, and the pill.  Featuring a score by Eric Stewart of 10cc including the band's hit "I'm Not in Love".  Starring Anne Parilaud (LA FEMME NIKITA) and Isabelle Mejias (JULIE DARLING).

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

GIRLS 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray specs:

• DISC ONE (4K UltraHD):
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen (HDR10)
• French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historian Jeremy Richey 
• DISC TWO (Blu-ray):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historian Jeremy Richey
• "Who Was Just Jaeckin?" visual essay by film historian Jeremy Richey
• Last Interview with director Just Jaeckin from 2022
• Interview with actress Isabelle Mejias
• 1980 TF1 television interview with director Just Jaeckin, and actresses Anne Parrilaud, Zoé Chaveau, and Charlotte Walior
• "GIRLS: The German Cut" alternate scenes from the West German version
• Bonus Trailers 
• Comes with a reversible cover.
• The first pressing includes a slipcover. 

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Unearthed Films hears the voices of THE UGLY (review)

Summoned to do an independent assessment of a serial killer, psychologist Karen Schumaker tries to get to the truth behind the crimes of charming Simon Cartwright and the delusion or supernatural force he calls THE UGLY in this nineties film festival favorite from New Zealand.

REVIEW LINK: Unearthed Films (U.S.) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE UGLY Blu-ray specs: 

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English and English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by actors Rebecca Hobbs and Paolo Rotondo, moderated by Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson
• 1997 New Zealand Radio Interview with writer/director Scott Reynolds
• Scott Reynolds Short Films:
• Theatrical Trailer (in 2.0 stereo and 4.0)
• Photo Gallery
• Visual Essay by Howard S. Berger
• Reversible Cover
• Five-page booklet by Jason Jenkins
• The first pressing includes a slipcover.

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88 Films gets sucked into ARCADE (review)

In this Full Moon production from producer Charles Band and director Albert Pyun, a gang of teenagers are the test subjects for the new virtual reality game ARCADE that is able to react like a living being and change its strategy.  When members of the group start to literally disappear into the game, they must learn how to beat ARCADE which has learned how to play outside the virtual world.

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

ARCADE Blu-ray specs:

• 1080i60 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Fullscreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by producer Charles Band and actress Megan Ward
• Audio Commentary by associate producer Daniel Schweiger
• Audio Commentary by film journalists Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz
• The Game Master" interview with actor John de Lancie
• "See You on the Other Side" interview with actor Jonathan Fuller
• "Kiss Reality Goodbye" interview with associate producer Daniel Schweiger
• "Virtual Worlds: Filming ARCADE" interview with cinematographer George Mooradian
• "Into the Machine: Scoring ARCADE" interview with composer Alan Howarth
• Videozone Making-of
• Proof of Concept Trailer with Audio Commentary by associate producer Daniel Schweiger
• Remastered Trailer
• The first pressing includes a rigid slipcase designed by Joel Robinson and a double-sided foldout poster.

88 Films fights beside HEROES TWO (review)

Chen Kuan-Tai and Alexander Fu Sheng play two famous heroes out to fight corruption and oppression in HEROES TWO, the first of Chang Cheh's Shaolin cycle.

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

HEROES TWO Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin and English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Optional "Three Styles of Hung Fist" Short Film Introduction
• Mandarin and English Versions of the original and newly-created "Three Styles of Hung Fist" introduction
• Audio Commentary by film historian David West
• Audio Commentary by New York Asian Film Festival's Frank Djeng and martial arts scholar Blade Po
• Audio Commentary by Asian film historian Linn Hayes 
• Tony Rayns on HEROES TWO"
• "Made to Be a Hero" interview with actor Chen Kuan Tai
• Textless Credits Sequence
• Original Chinese Credits
• Original English Credits
• Image Galllery
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
• English Export Trailer
• German Theatrical Trailer
• The first pressing includes a slipcover with artwork by "Kung Fu Bob" O'Brien, a double-sided poster, and a booklet with notes by Johnny Burnett, Karl Newton, and "'Kung Fu Bob presents 'Animal Styles'", the first instalment of an ongoing series. 

88 Films does battle with THE INVINCIBLE EIGHT (review)

The children of eight murdered general band together to avenge themselves on a corrupt general in Lo Wei's THE INVINCIBLE EIGHT, his first film for Golden Harvest starring Angela Mao and Nora Miao.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (U.S.) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE INVINCIBLE EIGHT Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.39:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng, New York Asian Film Festival, and filmmaker Michael Worth
• Image Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer
• The first pressing includes a slipcover with artwork by Aurelio Lorenzo and a foldout poster.

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Radiance Films takes the CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN (review)

Franco Nero plays a young deputy district attorney who suspects that all is not what it seems in an unsuccessful mob hit and that the police captain (Martin Balsam) may be up to his neck in corruption in Damiano Damiano's Palermo crime film also starring Marilu Tolo.

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

CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• English and Italian LPCM 1.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH and English Subtitles
• Interviews:
• actor Franco Nero
• actor Michele Gammino
• editor Antonio Siciliano
• film music historian Lovely Jon on the music of Riz Ortolani 
• Image Gallery
• Limited edition of 3,000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, a reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters, and a booklet featuring archival interviews with Damiano Damiani.

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Eureka's Masters of Cinema hunts down DANGER: DIABOLIK (review)

The ruthless and seductive master criminal and his sexy lady love bedevil both the government and the mafia in Mario Bava's visually-dazzling comic book adaptation DANGER: DIABOLIK starring John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Picoli, and Adolfo Celi with a psychedelic score by Ennio Morricone.

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

DANGER: DIABOLIK 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray specs:

• 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Dolby Vision Widescreen 4K UltraHD and 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen Blu-ray Discs
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 1.0 Mono
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono (Alternate Dub)
• Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by actor John Phillip Law, moderated by Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas
• Audio Commentary by film historian Tim Lucas
• Audio Commentary by film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
• "Criminal Intent: Leon Hunt on Diabolik from Page to Screen"
• "Radical Behaviour?: Pop Art Politics in Danger: Diabolik" video essay by film historian Rachael Nisbet
• "Danger: Diabolik - From Fumetti to Film"
• "Body Movin'" 1998 music video by Beastie Boys (with optional 2005 commentary by Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch)
• Teaser Trailer
• Theatrical Trailer
• Limited edition hardbound set of 2,000 copies comes in a hardcase with package design by Nick Wrigley and includes a 60-page liner notes booklet featuring new essays on "Danger: Diabolik" by Italian film historian Roberto Curti and comic book scholar Jochen Ecke, a new introduction to fumetti neri by crime genre expert Sergio Angelini and new writing on the film’s director by Troy Howarth, author of "The Haunted World of Mario Bava".

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