Vinegar Syndrome battles BIO-ZOMBIE (review)

Slackers meet zombies when a bioweapon infects the customers and staff of a Hong Kong shopping mall in this early film from the director of IP MAN.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

BIO-ZOMBIE Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• Cantonese and Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English and English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historian Frank Djeng
• Interview with director Wilson Yip
• "Video Games, Contaminated Lucozade and Human Sushi" video essay by film historian Chris O'Neill
• Alternate Ending
• Reversible Cover
• 20-page booklet by Rod Lott and Ariel Esteban Cayer
• The first 6,000 units ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome includes a special limited edition spot gloss slipcover designed by Robert Sammelin.
  

Eureka Classics acts IN THE LINE OF DUTY IV (review)

Cynthia Khan returns and is joined by Donnie Yen pursuing drug dealers and a wrongfully-accused Chinese dock worker from Seattle to Hong Kong IN THE LINE OF DUTY IV.

REVIEW LINK: Eureka Video (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

IN THE LINE OF DUTY IV Blu-ray specs: 

• Hong Kong Version:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• Cantonese and English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary on the Hong Kong cut by Asian film expert Frank Djeng, NY Asian Film Festival 
• Audio Commentary on the Hong Kong cut by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema 
• Audio Commentary on the Hong Kong cut by Hong Kong expert Stefan Hammond and lead actor Michael Wong
• Export Version:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Interview with actor Donnie Yen
• "Donnie Yen: Style of Action"
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
• U.K. Video Trailer
• IN THE LINE OF DUTY Franchise Trailer
• Reversible Cover
• The first pressing includes a limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling and a 23-page collector's booklet featuring the essay "Beating the Odds: Picking Sides with IN THE LINE OF DUTY IV" by James Oliver.

Eureka Classics seeks vengeance IN THE LINE OF DUTY III (review)

Cynthia Khan replaces Michelle Yeoh as Hong Kong's Royal Madam in the "girls with guns" cop thriller IN THE LINE OF DUTY III pairing up with KAMEN RIDER's Hiroshi Fujioka to track down murderous jewel thieves.

REVIEW LINK: Eureka Video (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

IN THE LINE OF DUTY III Blu-ray specs: 

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• Cantonese and English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng, NY Asian Film Festival 
• Audio Commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema 
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer 
• English Export Trailer 
• Reversible cover 
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling and a collector's booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver.
  

Unearthed Classics witnesses THE GRAND TOUR (review)

ARACHNOPHOBIA's Jeff Daniels and JURASSIC PARK's Ariana Richards are a father and daughter who become mixed up in a time traveling adventure from the director of PITCH BLACK and THE ARRIVAL.

REVIEW LINK: Unearthed Films (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE GRAND TOUR Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• "Lost to Time: The Cannes Promo" interview with video editor Ed McNichol
• "Timescape" Title Sequence
• Production Stills Gallery
• Poster Mock-up and Artwork Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer
• Bonus Trailers
• Reversible Cover
• Slipcover
  

Synapse Films gets the creepers from PHENOMENA (review)

"Jennifer has a million close friends and she's going to need every one of them" in Dario Argento's PHENOMENA, a batshit crazy mishmash of the giallo, telepathic insect horror, the American slasher, and a dark fairy tale.  Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasance, Patrick Bauchau, and Daria Nicolodi star.

REVIEW LINK: Synapse Films (US) Region ALL 4K UltraHD (DVDCompare)

PHENOMENA 4K UHD specs:

• Disc One:
• Italian Version (116 minutes):
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.66:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision)
  
• English/Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 
• Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English (for Italian), English (for Italian insert on hybrid track), and English SDH Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by film historian Troy Howarth 
• "Of Flies and Maggots" documentary (120 minutes) 
• "Claudio Simonetti: Jennifer" music video 
• Promotional Materials: 
• Italian Theatrical Trailer 
• English Export Trailer 
• Japanese Pressbook
• Disc Two:
• International Version (110 minutes):
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.66:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision) 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (alternate sound effects and music cues) 
• Optional English SDH Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by Argento scholar/author Derek Botelho and film historian/journalist/commentator David Del Valle 
• U.S. "Creepers" Version (83 minutes):
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.66:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision) 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH Subtitles 
• "The Three Sarcophagi" visual essay by Michael Mackenzie comparing the different cuts of PHENOMENA 
• Promotional Materials: 
• U.S. Theatrical Trailer 
• U.S. Radio Spots
• Reversible Cover
• Slipcover
  

Arrow Video enters THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED (review)

Difficult girls enrolled in THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED may never leave in this grisly Spanish gothic from the director of WHO CAN KILL A CHILD?

REVIEW LINK: Arrow Video (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (Cineventures Blog)

THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED Blu-ray specs:

• Export Version (105 minutes):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• English and Spanish LPCM 1.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH and English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historian Anna Bogutskaya
• U.S. Version (94 minutes):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• English LPCM 1.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• "This Boy's Innocence: John Moulder-Brown on THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED" documentary 
• 2012 Film Festival Q and A with actress Mary Maude 
• "All About My 'Mama'" interview with Juan Tébar, author of the original story 
• "The Legacy of Terror" interview with the director's son Alejandro Ibáñez 
• "Screaming the House Down" interview with Spanish horror expert Dr Antonio Lázaro-Reboll 
• Opening Credits and Alternate Footage from the Spanish Theatrical Version 
• Trailer Gallery: 
• U.S. Theatrical Trailer 
• U.S. TV Spot #1 
• U.S. TV Spot #2 
• U.S. Radio Spot #1 
• U.S. Radio Spot #2 
• Image Gallery 
• Reversible cover. 
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: a double-sided foldout poster and a booklet with an essay by film historian Shelagh Rowan-Legg.
  

Vinegar Syndrome is cursed by THE DEVONSVILLE TERROR (review)

Three hundred years ago, the town of Devonsville held an inquisition and executed three women branded as witches.  One of them swore revenge.  Centuries later, the town is about to get its reckoning in the grisly eighties horror film from Ulli Lommel, director of THE BOOGEYMAN.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE DEVONSVILLE TERROR Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• "God is a Woman" interview with co-writer/actress Suzanna Love 
• "It’s Melting Men!" interview with special effects artist Matthew W. Mungle 
• "The Incredible Melting Man!" interview with actor Paul Willson 
• "Not Very Nice People" interview with makeup artist Erica Ueland 
• "Mind of a Chess Player" interview with camera operator Jürg V. Walther 
• Archival interview with co-writer/director Ulli Lommel 
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery 
• Comes with a reversible cover. 
• The first 6,000 units ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome include a special limited edition spot gloss slipcover designed by Haunt Love.

Blue Underground ravishes MARQUIS DE SADE'S JUSTINE (review)

When orphans Justine and Juliette are turned out of the convent, cynical Juliette embraces a life of prostitution, crime, and murder while naive Justine's every attempt to do the right thing and live a virtuous life makes her the irresistible prey of robbers, murderers, and sex fiends in Jess Franco's adaptation of the Marquis de Sade novel JUSTINE.

REVIEW LINK: Blue Underground (US) Region ALL 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo (DVDCompare)

JUSTINE 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray combo specs:

• Disc One (4K Ultra HD):
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.66:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision/HDR10-compatible) 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 
• Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth 
• French Theatrical Trailer
• Disc Two (Blu-ray):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth 
• "The Perils and Pleasures of JUSTINE" documentary with director Jess Franco and writer/producer Harry Alan Towers 
• "Stephen Thrower on JUSTINE" interview with the author of 
• "Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco" 
• "On Set with Jess" interview with actress Rosalba Neri 
• Poster and Still Gallery 
• French Theatrical Trailer 
• DEADLY SANCTUARY: the shorter U.S. Version in High Definition (96 mins)
• Collector's Slipcover
  

Vinegar Syndrome chills with FROSTBITER (review)

When hunters desecrate sacred ground, they unleash the Wendigo and a young woman must close its portal from the underworld before the beast gathers its full strength through the flesh of innocent victims and takes over the world in this Michigan-lensed low budget horror film inspired by THE EVIL DEAD.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

FROSTBITER Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
  
• Audio Commentary by co-writer/director Tom Chaney, moderated by Michael Felsher 
• "Wendigo Make a Movie" interview with co-writer/director Tom Chaney 
• "The Many Hats of a Wendigo" interview with producer David Thiry 
• "What Were We Thinking?" interview with actor Alan Madlane 
• "Frankenstein's Wendigo" interview with stop motion animator Dave Hettmer 
• "A Friend in Need" interview with actor John Bussard 
• "Sound of the Wendigo" interview with sound editor/actor Paul Harris 
• Archival interview with actor Ron Asheton 
• Original "Wendigo" Video Promo 
• "Frostbiter" Video Trailer 
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage Footage from the 1995 Michigan Premiere 
• Archival Troma Introduction & Promo Video 
• Behind-the-Scenes 
• Still Gallery 
• Reversible Cover 
• The first 5,000 copies ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome includes a special limited edition spot gloss slipcover designed by Chris Barnes.
  

Arrow Video's LADY WHIRLWIND strikes with HAPKIDO (review)

Golden Harvest's first female action star Angela Mao is showcased in two of her first features.  In LADY WHIRLWIND, Mao is seeking revenge for her seduced and abandoned sister from the very man who needs her help to bring down a drug smuggling empire.  In HAPKIDO, Mao and her siblings Sammo Hung and Carter Wong start a kung fu school in China and get into a deadly war with a Japanese karate school. 

REVIEW LINK: Arrow Video (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

LADY WHIRLWIND AND HAPKIDO Blu-ray specs:

• Disc One - Lady Whirlwind: 
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen 
• Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 
• Optional English Subtitles (for Mandarin) and English SDH (for English)
• Audio Commentary by Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) & Michael Worth
• Audio Commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng & martial artist/actor Robert “Bobby” Samuels
• Audio Commentary by film journalist and author Samm Deighan 
• "Lady Whirlwind Speaks" interview with actress Angela Mao 
• "Kung Fu Cooking" interview with Angela Mao's son Thomas King 
• Alternate English Opening Credits 
• Trailer Gallery: 
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer 
• U.S. Theatrical Trailer U.S. 
• Radio Spot 
• Image Gallery
• Disc Two - Hapkido: 
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen 
• Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (Fortune Star dub) 
• English ("Hapkido" dub) DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 
• English ("Lady Kung Fu" dub) DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 
• Optional English Subtitles (for Mandarin) and English SDH (fro English) 
• Audio Commentary by Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) & Michael Worth 
• Audio Commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng & martial artist/actor Robert “Bobby” Samuels 
• "Lady Kung Fu Speaks" interview with actress Angela Mao Archival 
• Archival Interviews: 
• actress Angela Mao actor Carter Wong 
• actors Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao 
• 1972 Vintage Hapkido Demonstration Promo 
• Alternate Opening Credits: 
• Textless English 
• "Hapkido" Credits 
• English "Lady Kung Fu" Credits 
• Trailer Gallery: 
• Mandarin Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer 
• English Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer 
• U.S. Theatrical Trailer 
• U.S. TV Spot 
• Image Gallery
• Includes a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady.
• First pressing also includes an illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the films by critic James Oliver.

Severin Films stalks VIOLENT STREETS: THE UMBERTO LENZI/TOMAS MILIAN COLLECTION (Review)

Tomas Milian plays hero, villain, antihero, and utter psychopaths in VIOLENT STREETS: THE UMBERTO LENZI/TOMAS MILIAN COLLECTION.  In ALMOST HUMAN, Milian leads a trio of street thugs who decide to make it big with a ransom that turns into an orgy of murder.  In SYNDICATE SADISTS, Milian is Rambo (no, really) who takes the law into his own hands when his best friend is murdered by gangsters.  In FREE HAND FOR A TOUGH COP, Milian is a thief sprung out of jail to help a cop track down a kidnapped girl who will die if she does not get a kidney transplant.  In THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST, Maurizio Merli is a cop who fakes his death to track down his old enemy (Milian, enemies both on and off camera).  In BROTHERS TILL WE DIE, Milian plays a mechanic and his hunchback twin brother whose loyalties are tested when they decide to move into crime.

REVIEW LINK: Severin Films (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

VIOLENT STREETS: THE UMBERTO LENZI/TOMAS MILIAN COLLECTION Blu-ray specs:

• Disc One - ALMOST HUMAN:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• English and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH Subtitles (for English) and English Subtitles (for Italian) 
• Audio Commentary by screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi, moderated by Federico Caddeo 
• Audio Commentary by Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, author of "Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi" 
• "Violent Milan" interview with director Umberto Lenzi 
• "Milian Unleashed" interview with actor Tomas Milian 
• "A History of Violence" interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi 
• "Italian-American Gangster" interview with actor Henry Silva 
• English Export Trailer
• Disc Two - ALMOST HUMAN CD Soundtrack:
• Soundtrack by Ennio Morricone (12 tracks)
  
• Disc Three - SYNDICATE SADISTS:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen 
• English and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH Subtitles (for English) and English Subtitles (for Italian) 
• "First Blood" interview with director Umberto Lenzi 
• "Family Affair" interview with actress Ida Galli 
• "Kidnapped" interview with actor Alessandro Cocco 
• "Interview with the Fascist" interview with actor Bruno Di Luia 
• English Export Trailer
  
• Disc Four - SYNDICATE SADISTS/BROTHERS TILL WE DIE CD Soundtrack:
• Soundtracks by Franco Micalizzi (34 tracks)
  
• Disc Five - FREE HAND FOR A TOUGH COP:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen 
• English and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH Subtitles (for English) and English Subtitles (for Italian)
  
• "In the Asphalt Jungle" interview with director Umberto Lenzi 
• "Tough Guy Corrado: A Look at the Career of Corrado Solari" interview with actor Corrado Solari 
• "The Father of Monnezza" interview with screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti 
• "Hand-Held Camera for a Tough Cinematographer" interview with cinematographer Nino Celeste 
• "Making Movies" interview with producer Ugo Tucci 
• Extended Bank Robbery Scene Sourced from the Original Negative 
• English Export Trailer
  
• Disc Six - THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen 
• English and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH Subtitles (for English) and English Subtitles (for Italian) 
• "Merli vs. Milian" interview with director Umberto Lenzi 
• "A Man of Action" interview with director Umberto Lenzi 
• "Me, Milian and Merli" interview with Umberto Lenzi on His Iconic Characters 
• "The Writer, the Director and the Actor" interview with screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti 
• "Here Comes the Fist" interview with actor John Saxon English Export Trailer
• Disc Seven - THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST CD Soundtrack:
• Soundtrack by Franco Micalizzi (18 tracks)
• Disc Eight - BROTHERS TILL WE DIE:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen 
• English and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH Subtitles (for English) and English Subtitles (for Italian) 
• "Tomas and Tomas" interview with director Umberto Lenzi 
• "He Called Me 'The Tamer'" interview with editor Eugenio Alabiso 
• "Music and Bullets" interview with composer Franco Micalizzi 
• "Heart of Rome" interview with composer Antonello Venditti 
• English Export Trailer
  

Blue Underground probes PHILOSOPHY IN THE BOUDOIR with Eugenie (review)

Innocent and beautiful Eugenie finds herself caught in a web of perversion and brutality when she accepts an invitation to an island weekend in Jess Franco's modern-day adaptation of the Marquis de Sade's PHILOSOPHY IN THE BOUDOIR starring Christopher Lee and that "Inga" girl Marie Liljedahl, as well as "Venus in Furs" herself Maria Rohm, and Jack Taylor.

REVIEW LINK: Blue Underground (US) Region ALL 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo (DVDCompare)

PHILOSOPHY IN THE BOUDOIR (EUGENIE) 4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo specs:

• Disc One (4K UHD):
• 2160p24 HEVC 2.40:1 Widescreen
• English and French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth
• Theatrical Trailer
• Disc Two (Blu-ray):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 Widescreen
• English and French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth
• "Perversion Stories" documentary with director Jess Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers, and actors Marie Liljedahl and Christopher Lee
• "Stephen Thrower on Eugenie" interview with the author of "Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco"
• "Jack Taylor in the Francoverse" interview with actor Jack Taylor
• Theatrical Trailer
• Poster and Still Gallery
• Slipcover
  

Arrow Video gets in a KNOCKABOUT (review)

Jackie Chan's and Sammo Hung's "little brother" Yuen Biao steps into the lead in KNOCKABOUT in which a pair of brothers who make their living by theiving and con jobs find a martial arts teacher who turns out to be a villain. Sammo Hung directs.

REVIEW LINK: Arrow Video (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

KNOCKABOUT Blu-ray specs:

• Hong Kong Version:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Cantonese, Mandarin, and English (Classic Dub) DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Tracks
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (DVD-era dub)
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng, NY Asian Film Festival and martial artist/filmmaker Michael Worth
• Export Version:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary on the export version by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
• "Heavy Hitter" interview with actor/director Sammo Hung
• "Above the Law" interview with actor Bryan “Beardy” Leung Kar-yan
• "Monkey Magic" interview with Grandmaster Chan Sau Chang
• Deleted Scene Used as a Teaser for the Japanese Release
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
• Image Gallery
• Comes with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady. 
• The first pressing only includes an illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Simon Abrams and original press materials. 
• A limited edition available directly from Arrow Video USA includes an exclusive slipcover.
  

Acorn Media investigates THE BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES: SERIES 8 (review)

Having quit the city for peaceful Brokenwood, detective inspector Mike Sheppard discovers plenty of murder and intrigue among the eccentric locals in the eight season of the New Zealand detective series including a fresh corpse that winds up in an Egyptian sarcophagus, a rocker killed by sound, a family feud over a legendary gold nugget, and more.

REVIEW LINK: Acorn Media (UK) Region 2 PAL (DVDCompare)

THE BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES - SERIES 8 DVD specs:

• Six feature-length episodes on three dual-layer DVDs
• 16:9 anamorphic 1.78:1 widescreen
• English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English HoH Subtitles
• Behind the Scenes
• Photo Gallery
  

Mediumrare combats evil with EIGHT FOR SILVER (review)

A French village is beset by brutal murders by something not quite human.

REVIEW LINK: Mediumrare Entertainment (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

EIGHT FOR SILVER Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Optional English HoH and French Subtitles
• Behind the Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer
  

A WOMAN KILLS for Radiance Films (review)

A sadistic female murderess is executed, yet crimes in her style continue to terrify the French public in this unclassifiable "thriller" from political filmmaker Jean-Denis Bonan.

REVIEW LINK: Radiance Films (US/UK) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

A WOMAN KILLS Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
• French LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by critics Kat Ellinger and Virginie Sélavy 
• Introduction by critic Virginie Sélavy 
• "On the Margin: The Cursed Films of Jean-Denis Bonan" 2015 documentary, updated in 2022 
• Short films by Jean-Denis Bonan: 
• "The Short Life of Monsieur Meucieu" (1962) 
• Rushes from the unfinished "A Crime of Love" (1965) narrated by Jean-Denis Bonin 
• "The Sadness of the Anthropophagi" (1966) 
• "Crazy Matthew" (1967) 
• "A Season with Mankind" (1967) 
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Includes a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by maarko phntm. 
• Limited edition 52-page booklet featuring new writing on the film by author and scholar Catherine Wheatley, writer and musician Richard Thomas on the short films, Cerise Howard on gender identity tropes in A Woman Kills and the horror film, an interview with Francis Lecomte, the French distributor who rescued the film, and newly translated archival reviews and film credits. 
• Limited to 2,000 copies.
  

Vinegar Syndrome is violated by the INFERNAL RAPIST (review)

An executed sex murderer is brought back by the devil HERSELF to rape and kill as offerings to her in return for earthly pleasures in this sleazy Mexican export from the eighties.

REVIEW LINK: Vinegar Syndrome (US) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

INFERNAL RAPIST Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Interviews:
• actor Juan Moro
• actor Fidel Abrego
• actor Arturo Mason
  
• Audio Essay by film historian Alexandra Heller Nicholas
• Reversible Cover
• The first 5,000 copies ordered directly from Vinegar Syndrome come with a special limited edition spot gloss slipcover designed by Robert Sammelin.
  

Unearthed Films' parties by INVITATION ONLY (review)

A chauffeur crashes a high society party in hopes of networking but discovers that he is the guest of honor in a bizarre rite of initiation in the Taiwanese gore flick INVITATION ONLY.

REVIEW LINK: Unearthed Films (US) Region A Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

INVITATION ONLY Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.78:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Optional English Subtitles
• Behind the Scenes
• Photo Gallery
• Mandarin and Spanish Theatrical Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
  

Masters of Cinema catches up with RUN, MAN, RUN (review)

Tomas Milian is a hapless thief who gets caught up in greed and intrigue during the Mexican Revolution in RUN MAN RUN from the director of THE BIG GUNDOWN.

REVIEW LINK: Eureka Video (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

RUN, MAN, RUN Blu-ray specs: 

• Disc One:
• Italian Version of the Film (120 minutes)
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen 
• English and Italian LPCM 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by writers Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman 
• "Stephen Thrower on Run, Man, Run!" interview 
• English Opening Credits 
• English Export Trailer
• Disc Two (Limited Edition):
• English Export Cut of the Film (84 minutes) 
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen 
• English LPCM 2.0 Mono 
• Audio Commentary by author Howard Hughes and filmmaker Richard Knew
• Comes with a reversible cover and a collector’s booklet featuring two new essays by Howard Hughes, covering both the film and the “Zapata Western” sub-genre.
• The second disc is exclusive to this limited edition as are the slipcase featuring new artwork by Tony Stella and reversible poster.
  

Breaking Glass Pictures is possessed by BLOOD-RED OX (review)

Boyfriends Amat and Amir travel to Bolivia at the invitation of Amir's friend Amancaya to do a story on the convervation efforts of her and her brother.  Amat starts to become unnerved by the local superstitions involving an ox-headed god that starts to haunt his nightmares and has him questioning his sanity.

REVIEW LINK: Breaking Glass Pictures (US) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDCompare)

BLOOD-RED OX DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 1.90:1 widescreen
• English/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
• Burnt-in English subtitles
• Theatrical Trailer
• Bonus Trailers
  

Breaking Glass transgresses flesh with APOSTLES (review)

Facing death, a philosopher claiming to be an apostle of Socrates and Plato invites twelve young men to be his own apostles as they explore the possibility of the afterlife up to and including a sacrifice.  From Scud, director of ADONIS and UTOPIANS.

REVIEW LINK: Breaking Glass Pictures (US) Region 1 NTSC DVD (DVDCompare)

APOSTLES DVD specs:

• 16:9 anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen
• Cantonese/English/Japanese/Putonghua Dolby Digital 5.1
• Burnt-in English Subtitles
• Theatrical Trailer
• Bonus Trailers
  

Second Run celebrates THE WAR TRILOGY: THREE FILMS BY ANDRZEJ WAJDA (review)

Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda made his feature debut with a trilogy of films about the Nazi and Soviet occupation of Poland during World War II that not only wowed the international audience but also formed a new school of Polish filmmaking.  In A GENERATION, young carpenter Stach becomes entangled in first love and revolutionary fervor.  In KANAL, a resistance lieutenant leads his unit through a sewer crowded with the dead, the dying, and victims of nerve gas poisoning while the Nazis loom above.  In ASHES AND DIAMONDS, a hitman stalks his political prey but the revelry surrounding the surrender of the Germans opens up new possibilities for life and love.

REVIEW LINK: Second Run (UK) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE WAR TRILOGY - THREE FILMS BY ANDRZEJ WAJDA Blu-ray specs:

• Disc One - A Generation (Pokolenie):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
• Polish LPCM 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English Subtitles
  
• Audio Commentary by film historian Michael Brooke
• "Andrzej Wajda on A GENERATION" archival interview
• Introduction by curator and scholar Michał Oleszczyk 
• "The Bad Boy [Zły chłopiec]" 1951 short film by Andrzej Wajda 
• 16-page booklet with new writing by Ewa Mazierska
• Disc Two - Kanal:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.37:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen 
• Polish LPCM 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by film historian Michael Brooke 
• "Andrzej Wajda on KANAL" archival interview Introduction by curator and scholar Michał Oleszczyk 
• "Ceramics from Iłża [Ceramika Iłżecka]" 1951 short film by Andrzej Wajda 
• 12-page booklet with a new essay by Tony Rayns
• Disc Three - Ashes and Diamonds (Popioi i diament):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Pillarboxed Widescreen 
• Polish LPCM 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by film historian Michael Brooke 
• "Andrzej Wajda on ASHES AND DIAMONDS" archival interview 
• Introduction by curator and scholar Michał Oleszczyk 
• "While You’re Sleeping [Kiedy ty śpisz]" 1953 short film by Andrzej Wajda 
• 20-page booklet with new writing by Peter Hames
• Comes in a limited edition slipcase.
  

Second Sight takes a slice out of TANGERINE (review)

Transgender sex worker Alexandra is hoping to entertain her friends on Christmas Eve with her singing debut only to get caught up in the "drama" of pal Sin-Dee who is just out of jail and has discovered that her boyfriend has been cheating on her in Sean Baker's funny and moving slice-of-life indie hit TANGERINE.

REVIEW LINK: Second Sight (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

TANGERINE Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.40:1 widescreen
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Optional English HoH Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by Melbourne Cinémathèque co-curator Cerise Howard and filmmaker Rohan Spong
• "Merry F*cking Christmas: The Making of Tangerine" documentary (72 mins)
• "Staying Authentic" interview with director Sean Baker 
• "Honest and Hilarious" interview with actor Mya Taylor 
• "The Magic Happens" interview with actor Karren Karagulian 
• "Legit Bruises" interview with actor Mickey O'Hagan 
• "Just Hold It In!" interview with actor Josh Sussman 
• "We Make It Work" interview with cinematographer Radium Cheung 
• "It Was Electric!" interview with writer Chris Bergoch 
• "Many Hats" interview with producer Shih-Ching Tsou 
• "Inside a Tangerine" interview with producer Darren Dean 
• "To Be Real: Kat Ellinger on the Cinema of Sean Baker" visual essay 
• "Tangerine Visual Style Test" 
• Comes in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Caelin White with a 60-page book with new essays by Caden Mark Gardner, Michelle Kisner, Shaadi Devereaux and Jerome Reuter, as well as six collectors' art cards.
  

Radiance Films bets on BIG TIME GAMBLING BOSS (review)

When the boss of the Tenryu clan suffers a stroke, the honorable Shanjiro and the treacherous Senba vie to install a successor, leading to a gang war in the yakuza film Paul Schrader praised the "richest and most complex film of its type."

REVIEW LINK: Radiance Films/MVD Visual (US) Region A/B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

BIG TIME GAMBLING BOSS Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Japanese LPCM 1.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• "Serial Gambling" visual essay by author Chris D.
• "Yakuza 101" visual essay by author Mark Schilling
• Comes with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by maarko phntm. 
• The first pressing of 2,000 copies includes a limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Stuart Galbraith IV, and critic Hayley Scanlon. 
• The limited edition comes packaged in a full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving case free of certificates and markings.

Radiance Films questions whether THE WORKING CLASS GOES TO HEAVEN (review)

When a factory's proud, standout worker loses his thumb in a machinery accident, his entire psyche erodes even as he becomes the tool of protesting students, striking workers, a divided union, and self-interested management.  Gian Maria Volante stars and Elio Petri directs.

REVIEW LINK: Radiance Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

THE WORKING CLASS GOES TO HEAVEN Blu-ray specs: 

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen
• Italian LPCM 1.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• 1972 TV interview with director Elio Petri from the Cannes Film Festival 
• 1984 interview with actor Gian Maria Volonté from French TV 
• 2015 interview with actor Corrado Solari 
• Appreciation of Gian Maria Volonté and the film by filmmaker Alex Cox 
• "Petri's Praxis: Ideology and Cinema in Post-war Italy" visual essay by scholar Matthew Kowalski 
• "The Working Class Goes to Heaven: Background to a Film Shot in Novara" 2006 documentary by Serena Checcucci and Enrico Omodeo Salé 
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Comes with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow. 
• The first pressing of 2,000 copies includes a limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Eugenio Renzi, "Elio Petri: Investigation of a Filmmaker" author Roberto Curti on Petri and Volonté's collaborations and relationship, archival writing and reviews. 
• The limited edition is packaged in a full-height Scanavo case with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings.
  

Radiance Films takes on BIG TIME GAMBLING BOSS (review)

When the boss of the Tenryu clan suffers a stroke, the honorable Shanjiro and the treacherous Senba vie to install a successor, leading to a gang war in the yakuza film Paul Schrader praised the "richest and most complex film of its type."

REVIEW LINK: Radiance Films (UK) Region A/B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

BIG TIME GAMBLING BOSS Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Japanese LPCM 1.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• "Serial Gambling" visual essay by author Chris D.
• "Yakuza 101" visual essay by author Mark Schilling
• Comes with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by maarko phntm. 
• The first pressing of 2,000 copies includes a limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Stuart Galbraith IV, and critic Hayley Scanlon. 
• The limited edition comes packaged in a full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving case free of certificates and markings.