Fabrice du Welz’s Calvaire (titled The Ordeal in some English-speaking regions, but not here), premiering at Cannes in 2004, is a strange, but valid entry into the canon of “New French Extremity” that gripped French-language horror/thrillers from the mid-‘90s to… Read More ›
restoration
Michelle Yeoh’s 1986 historical actioner “Magnificent Warriors” gets a 2K restoration from 88 Films.
Before Oscar-nominee Michelle Yeoh (about damn time) traveled everywhere all at once, before she was a rich Asian, before she played a Chinese agent alongside 007, Yeoh was part of a heroic trio, a royal warrior, and, for the Hot… Read More ›
See Gaspar Noé’s “Irreversible (Irréversible)” restored in 2K and recut in chronological order in the brand-new “Straight Cut (Inversion Intégrale).”
Content warning: Irreversible contains extreme depictions of violence, rape, racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, strobe effects, disorienting cinematography and soundtrack, and whatever else you can think of. If you could be negatively affected by something, it’s most likely on full display… Read More ›
Lost for 40 years, Jean-Denis Bonan’s thriller “La Femme Bourreau (A Woman Kills)” receives both a restoration and wide release, courtesy of Radiance Films.
Art imitates life when it comes to timing. One can never predict how something will be received and, even things prognosticators think is a shoe-in, could fall flat. Sometimes the politics of the day get in the way, other times… Read More ›
Shout! Factory’s “Jackie Chan Collection: Volume 1 (1976-1982)” showcases some of Chan’s early works.
When it comes to martial arts films, there are many great current actors who can pull off the action, but uncommon is the actor who can do so without the aid of a stunt double. Conversely, there are great martial… Read More ›
Director Kōsaku Yamashita’s 1968 crime drama “Big Time Gambling Boss” releases on Blu-ray for the first-time via Radiance Films.
In the world of boutique cinema home releases, there is Arrow Video, Synapse, Vinegar Syndrome, The Criterion Collection, and, now, Radiance films. Built by 12-year Arrow Video veteran Francesco Simeoni, Radiance Films is a brand-new boutique, offering films, books, and… Read More ›
88 Films issues the final Three Dragons film, “Dragons Forever,” in a worthy limited edition restoration release.
1988 is a significant year for martial arts fans as it’s the last time the trio known as the Three Dragons were captured on celluloid. The group comprised of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao would make several films… Read More ›
“Dragons Forever” Blu-ray Giveaway
Originally released by 88 Films as part of their 88 Asia Collection in 2022, the 4K UHD restoration of Dragons Forever from directors Sammo Hung and Corey Yuen finally comes stateside January 10th, 2022. Due to the generosity of MVD… Read More ›
Paramount Pictures honors John Hughes holiday classic “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” with a 4K UHD edition for its 35th anniversary.
If someone were asked to name a filmmaker whose had a massive impact on American cinema, writer/director John Hughes is easily one of the first to come to mind. He directed eight films, each with their own respective fandoms, almost… Read More ›
You’ll give your right ear for the 4K UHD edition “Reservoir Dogs” from Lionsgate.
Creatives don’t always have to have a large resume in order to make a big impact. Sometimes it’s what they do with the small contributions they offer that makes the difference. Such is the case with writer/actor/director Quentin Tarantino whose… Read More ›
Celebrate 80 years of love and friendship with a first-time 4K UHD edition of “Casablanca.”
There are some films, some stories, which continue to find new audiences, year after year, generation after generation. They’re passed down, some as traditions, some as markers for reaching a certain age. Looking backward, there’s a notion that there’s nary… Read More ›
Boutique distributor Cult Epics provides a lovely restoration of writer/director Just Jaeckin’s romantic comedy “The Last Romantic Lover.”
By 1978, writer/director Just Jaeckin was known for his erotic films Emmanuelle (1974), The Story of O (1975), and Madame Claude (1977). Seeking a break from this, Jaeckin developed romantic comedy Le dernier amant romantique (The Last Romantic Lover) with… Read More ›
With Steve Wang’s sci-fi actioner hitting 4K UHD via 88 Films, all you’ve got to do is “Drive.”
There are movies that grab you because they take big swings, there are movies that grip you because they resonate with some aspect of your being, and there are some movies that simply tickle you for their absolute audacity. Director… Read More ›
Arrow Video presents director Johnnie To’s “Running Out of Time” collection in a lovely 2K restoration.
There was a time when the transition away from physical media to digital seemed like a gift as largely hard-to-find media became accessible. Without getting into the larger economic issues within their respective areas, the shift toward digital acquisition with… Read More ›
Celebrate 60 years of Sir David Lean’s epic drama “Lawrence of Arabia” with a limited edition steelbook 4K UHD release from Sony Pictures.
“Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” ― Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:9; Yerushalmi Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 37a. To celebrate… Read More ›
Learn all about the Chicago Way in first-new 4K UHD clarity in the Paramount Pictures 35th anniversary edition of “The Untouchables.”
Looking back on history, we have a way of making the average person appear exceptional. This isn’t to suggest that there are no remarkable people, but that humans have a way of memorializing things so that good guys become famous… Read More ›
Jimmy Wang Yu’s 50-year-old film “One-Armed Boxer” gets rejuvenated with a brand-new 2K restoration from Arrow Video.
Beginning in 1965, actor Jimmy Wang Yu worked making films for the famous Shaw Brothers Studio operated by Run Run Shaw, making films like One-Armed Swordsman (1967) and Come Drink with Me (1966) sequel Golden Swallow (1968). It wasn’t until… Read More ›
Dead or alive, “RoboCop” can come home with you on 4K UHD from Arrow Video.
There’s a strange thing that happens when machines that are capable of destroying are set in motion but aren’t stopped — they just continue to destroy with almost unfettered access. We can try to prevent or redirect, but there’s rarely… Read More ›
Good morning! Good morning! “Singin’ in the Rain” celebrates its 70th anniversary with a first-time 4K UHD release.
When one speaks of the Golden Age of Hollywood, there are certain names that get invariably included: Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, and Gene Kelly. Each of them left an indelible impression upon cinema history,… Read More ›
The Criterion Collection offers a lovely restoration of director Jûzô Itami’s 1984 satirical comedy “The Funeral.”
It seems fair to say that we’ve all experienced a sense of loss in some form or another since March 2020. It may be literal in the form of a loved one passing or as an extended estrangement due to… Read More ›