88 Films pulls the strings of PINOCCHIO 964 (review)

Dumped onto the street as rubbish because of his inability to get an erection, cyborg sex slave Pinocchio 964 is taken in by a girl with amnesia.  As she attempts to help him recover his own identity, her own memories are triggered and this is fairy tale culminates in a bloody, vomity mess of body horror from the director of RUBBER'S LOVER.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray/Region 2 PAL DVD (DVDCompare)

PINOCCHIO 964 Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.33:1 Pillarboxed Fullscreen
• Japanese LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Archival interview with director Shozin Fukui
• "Pozzie Punk" new interview with director Shozin Fukui
• "Tokyo Noise" interview with film historian Stephen Thrower
• Shozin Fukui short films "Gerorisuto" and "Caterpillar"
• Teaser Trailer
• Limited edition first pressing includes a DVD copy, numbered OBI strip, and booklet with an essay by Mark Player.
  

Blue Underground sinks its teeth into VENOM (review)

The abduction and ransom of a child goes wildly awry with a dead policeman and a killer mamba on the loose in this British thriller fro the director of BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW starring Oliver Reed, Klaus Kinski, Susan George, Nicol Williamson, and Sterling Hayden.

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

VENOM 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray Combo specs:

• 4K UltraHD:
• 2160p24 HEVC 1.85:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision) 
• English Dolby Atmos 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo 
• Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by director Piers Haggard, moderated by Jonathan Sothcott 
• Audio Commentary by film historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson, and Eugenio Ercolani
• Blu-ray:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.85:1 Widescreen 
• English Dolby Atmos 
• English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo 
• Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by director Piers Haggard, moderated by Jonathan Sothcott 
• Audio Commentary by film historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson, and Eugenio Ercolani 
• "Fangs for the Memories" 2025 interview with editor/second unit director Michael Bradsell 
• "A Slithery Story" 2025 interview with makeup artist Nick Dudman 
• "Mamba Memories" 2025 interview with author/critic Kim Newman 
• "Pick Your Poison" 2025 interview with author/critic Allan Bryce 
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Teaser Trailer TV Spots 
• Poster and Still Gallery
• Comes with a slipcase, a reversible cover, and an 18-page illustrated booklet featuring the essay "Filmmaking Bites: The Twisting, Turning History of "Venom" by Michael Gingold.

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Eureka celebrates THE DAREDEVILS with an ODE TO GALLANTRY (review)

Chang Cheg's Venom Mob is showcased in this double bill.  In THE DAREDEVILS, four friends face off against an army of ten thousand to avenge a murdered friend.  In ODE TO GALLANTRY, a beggar gets caught up in a case of mistaken identity between rival martial arts gangs.

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

THE DAREDEVILS/ODE TO GALLANTRY Blu-ray specs: 

• The Daredevils:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin and English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth
• Audio Commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
• Ode to Gallantry:
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Audio Commentary by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth
• Audio Commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
• The first pressing of 2,000 copies comes with a limited edition O-Card slipcover featuring new artwork by Chris Malbon and a collector's booklet featuring new writing by writer and critic James Oliver.
  

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Raro Video and Radiance Films take on RULERS OF THE CITY (review)

Low-rung protection money collector Tony is eager to prove himself but gets in over his head collecting on a bad check from violent mobster Scarface Manzari and must rely on his new buddy Ric and old timer Napoli to stay one step ahead of two violent gangs on his tail in this lighter crime thriller from Fernando Di Leo (MILAN CALIBER 9).

REVIEW LINK: Raro Video (UK) Region ALL Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

RULERS OF THE CITY Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.88:1 Widescreen
• English and Italian LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English SDH and English Subtitles
• "Violent City" documentary featuring including interviews with director Fernando Di Leo, actor Al Cliver, editor Amedeo Giomini, and weapons expert Gilberto Galimberti
• "As a child, I saw my father murdered, and I want revenge now that I'm grown" interview with Eurocrime authority Mike Malloy 
• Comes with a reversible sleeve featuring artwork based on original posters and a booklet with new writing by Francesco Massaccesi.

Radiance Films engages with terrorism in LE COMBAT DANS L'ILE (review)

Before THE CONFORMIST, Jean-Louis Trintignant played another character who embraced fascism in the French political thriller/domestic drama LE COMBAT DANS L'ILE as a man on the run with his wife (Romy Schneider) after a failed political assassination attempt.

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

LE COMBAT DANS L'ILE Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 1.66:1 Widescreen 
• French LPCM 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English Subtitles 
• Interviews with director Alain Cavalier
  
• 1983 TV interview with actor Jean-Louis Trintignant 
• "The Succulence of Fruit" interview with critic Philippe Roger 
• "Un Américan" 1958 short film by Alain Cavalier 
• Still Gallery 
• Theatrical Trailer 
• Reversible Cover

88 Films is paralyzed by the SHORT NIGHT OF GLASS DOLLS (review)

When his girlfriend vanishes the night before they plan to leave the country, Prague-based American reporter Gregory Moore goes in search of her, stumbling into a sinister conspiracy only to realize too late that his own time is running out in this giallo from Aldo Lado (NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS) starring Jean Sorel, Ingrid Thulin, Mario Adorf, and Barbara Bach.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (UK) Region ALL 4K UltraHD/Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

SHORT NIGHT OF GLASS DOLLS 4K UltraHD/Blu-ray Combo Specs: 

• Disc One (4K UltraHD):
• 2160p24 HEVC 2.35:1 Widescreen (Dolby Vision) 
• English and Italian LPCM 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH and English Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by Italian cinema experts Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani 
• "When Butterflies Turned to Glass" interview with director Aldo Lado 
• "Glass Doll Theories" video essay by film historian Pier Maria Bocchi 
• "Lado's Trilogy of Terror" video essay by film historian Mike Foster 
• "Paralyzed by Fear" interview with expert Stephen Thrower 
• "The Need to Sing" interview with singer Edda dell'Orso 
• "Cutting Glass Dolls" interview with editor Mario Morra 
• "Czech Mate" retrospective documentary with director Aldo Lado and Jean Sorel (101 mins) 
• "Einmal Italien und zurück [Once to Italy and Back]" interview with co-producer Dieter Geissler 
• English International Trailer 
• Italian Theatrical Trailer
• Disc Two (Blu-ray):
• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen 
• English and Italian LPCM 2.0 Mono 
• Optional English SDH and English Subtitles 
• Audio Commentary by Italian cinema experts Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani 
• "When Butterflies Turned to Glass" interview with director Aldo Lado 
• "Glass Doll Theories" video essay by film historian Pier Maria Bocchi 
• "Lado's Trilogy of Terror" video essay by film historian Mike Foster 
• "Paralyzed by Fear" interview with expert Stephen Thrower 
• "The Need to Sing" interview with singer Edda dell'Orso 
• "Cutting Glass Dolls" interview with editor Mario Morra 
• "Czech Mate" retrospective documentary with director Aldo Lado and Jean Sorel (101 mins) 
• "Einmal Italien und zurück [Once to Italy and Back]" interview with co-producer Dieter Geissler 
• English International Trailer 
• Italian Theatrical Trailer
• Presented in a rigid slipcase featuring new artwork by Graham Humphreys, and containing a perfect-bound book, and double-sided poster,
  

88 Films and Jackie Chan wield the DRAGON FIST (review)

Jackie Chan is out to avenge his murdered master (again) in this late Lo Wei production preceding his Golden Harvest blockbusters.

REVIEW LINK: 88 Films (UK) Region B Blu-ray (DVDCompare)

DRAGON FIST Blu-ray specs:

• 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC 2.35:1 Widescreen
• Mandarin, Cantonese, Cantonese (alternate video mix), and English LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles for Mandarin and Cantonese tracks 
• Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and FJ DeSanto
• "A Dragon's Rules" interview with writer/journalist David West
• Japanese Opening Credits
• Japanese TV Spot
• Japanese Theatrical Trailer
• Hong Kong Theatrical Trailer
• Lobby Card Gallery
• Then and Now Gallery