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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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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