Bullet in the Head: Hong Kong Cinema Classics: Deluxe Edition – Shout! Factory (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1990
Director: John Woo
Writers: John Woo, Patrick Leung, Janet Chun
Cast: Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee, Simon Yam, Fennie Yuen, Yolinda Yam, Shek Yin Lau, Chung Lin 

Release Date: January 6th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 131 Minutes 7 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.99

"In 1967, on the way to the wedding of a friend, a young man is accosted by a local gang member. Later, the three friends administer justice, in the process of which the gang member is killed, and they leave Hong Kong to avoid the police and the gang. They run black market supplies to Saigon and get embroiled in the war, ultimately becoming captured by the Viet Cong. Their friendship is tested to the limits as they try to escape." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "4K Scan from the Original Camera Negative."

Bullet in the Head comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 88.4 GB

Feature: 88.1 GB

Another John Woo film gets a massive upgrade after lackluster home media releases; this new release will be a revelation for those who are familiar with the film. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. That said, this new transfer looks phenomenal, and it is easily the best this film has ever looked on home media.

Bullet in the Head comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.1 GB

Feature: 35.8 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Bullet in the Head, the festival cut, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.1 GB

Feature: 22.7 GB

Audio: 5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Cantonese language track has some dialogue in Vietnamese. Both tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise action sequences sound appropriately robust. Included are English subtitles for the Cantonese language track, English SDH for the English language, and English subtitles for text in Cantonese and Vietnamese. Language tracks and subtitles can only be changed via the setup menu and not during playback.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include film critic Frank Djeng.

Extras on Blu-ray disc one include Frank Djeng. 

Extras on Blu-ray disc two include an image gallery (stills/Japanese press book/posters/home video art), two theatrical trailers (7 minutes 38 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles),, an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Bullet In The Head (13 minutes 8 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Dr. Lars Laamann titled Apocalypse How?  -  The Period of Provocations (27 minutes 8 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips),  an interview with production planner Catherine Lau titled Tumultuous Times (15 minutes 10 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with editor David Wu titled Apocalypse Woo (7 minutes 50 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with producer Terence Chang titled Army of One (4 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Waise Lee Head Case! (18 minutes 23 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with director John Woo Brilliance with a Bullet (43 minutes 27 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an alternate boardroom ending (5 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD mono Mandarin with burnt-in English and Cantonese subtitles), and the Festival cut of Bullet in the Head (136 minutes 20 seconds, DTS-HD Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles).

Other extras include a slipcover.

Summary:

Three friends flee Hong Kong after one of them murders a street punk. They go to Vietnam to wait things out. Upon their arrival, they get caught in the crossfire between the war protestors and military, causing them to lose the merchandise they were transporting from Hong Kong. Struggling financially and feeling hopeless, they befriend Ah Lok, a professional hitman who offers to assist them in escaping Vietnam. While they are in the country, they become embroiled in a conflict that tests the limits of their friendships.

What began as a prequel to A Better Tomorrow evolved into what is widely acknowledged as John Woo’s most personal film. When John Woo and Tsui Hark ended their working relationship, the latter decided to direct A Better Tomorrow prequel. After their breakup, John Woo decided to rework his original idea, and what evolved is a film that takes on the 1967 Hong Kong riots; it also takes aim at the 1989 incident in Tiananmen Square in Beijing using the Vietnam War as the backdrop.

Nostalgia is present in Bullet in the Head’s opening setup; reportedly, John Woo drew moments of inspiration from his experiences growing up in late 1960s Hong Kong. While most of this initial setup shows a carefree side of the three friends, once they arrive in Vietnam, things take a considerably darker turn. From there, the narrative is one bleak moment after the other, building to its poignant finale: the two living friends force each other to confront the choices they made.

Although Tony Leung would become famous years later working with Wong Kar-wai, at this point in his career he had yet to establish himself as a box office draw. His two co-stars, Jacky Cheung (High Risk) and Waise Lee (A Better Tomorrow), were more supporting than leads at that time. The most prominent cast member is Simon Yam (Naked Killer) in the role of a Hong Kong hitman living in Vietnam. That said, all of the performances are excellent, especially Jacky Cheung's, whose character suffers a brain injury from a bullet in his head.

Something that immediately grabbed me while watching Bullet in the Head was how its production design puts you back into the 1960s. This extended to the score, notably the use of Neil Diamond’s song, I’m a Believer. In addition to the main credits featuring an instrumental rendition of "I’m a Believer," this song plays a significant role during one of the film's most memorable scenes, which involves an assassination that occurs in the bathroom.

While there is never a shortage of carnage in the cinema of John Woo, Bullet in the Head is by far and away his most brutal film. The sequences set in the prisoner of war camp and the aftermath of the three friends' escape are particularly striking. Another brutal moment takes place shortly after the three friends arrive in Vietnam, and a young man responsible for a car bomb is found by the military, who then shoot him in the head. Ultimately, Bullet in the Head is an emotionally charged, thought-provoking film that stays with you, making it John Woo's crowning achievement.

Bullet in the Head gets an exceptional release from Shout Factory that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Once a Thief: Hong Kong Cinema Classics – Shout! Factory (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1991
Director: John Woo
Writers: John Woo, Patrick Leung, Janet Chun
Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung, Kenneth Tsang, Paul Chu, Bowie Wu 

Release Date: January 27th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 108 Minutes 16 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono Alternate English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.99

"Once a Thief is an action/comedy/romance movie involving the plight of three master thieves (a la Pink Panther). All three were raised by the same father as street orphans. After a successful art heist followed by a pledge to make it the last crime ever for the trio, the plot revolves around the theft of a mysterious "cursed" painting and how its obsession affects the family?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "4K Scan from the Original Camera Negative."

Once a Thief comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 76.7 GB

Feature: 76.3 GB

Another John Woo film gets a massive upgrade after lackluster home media releases; this new release will be a revelation for those who are familiar with the film. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. That said, this new transfer looks phenomenal, and it is easily the best this film has ever looked on home media.

Once a Thief comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.7 GB

Feature: 27.8 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5 (All Audio Tracks)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and an alternate DTS-HD mono mix in English. All of the tracks have some dialogue in French and the Cantonese track has some dialogue in English. All tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise action sequences sound appropriately robust. Included are English subtitles for the Cantonese language track, English SDH for the English language tracks, and English subtitles for the English language tracks when French is spoken.Language tracks and subtitles can only be changed via the setup menu and not during playback.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with film critic James Mudge.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 22 seconds, DTS-HD mono with Cantonese text and non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Kenneth Tsang (7 minutes, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Frank Djeng about Leslie Cheung titled Once a Star, Always an Icon (17 minutes 8 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Once a Thief (8 minutes 14 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor David Wu titled Art of the Steal (10 minutes 3 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with producer Terence Chang titled Heists and Lows (7 minutes 55 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Poon Hang-Sang titled Stealing Some Shots (27 minutes 10 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Clifton Ko titled Thoughts About Thievery (21 minutes 24 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with director John Woo Handling a Heist (23 minutes 53 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), and an audio commentary with James Mudge.

Other extras include a slipcover.

Summary:

A trio of art thieves, who have known each other since childhood, contemplate retirement and living a normal life after completing their latest job. When a job to steal a priceless painting comes their way, two of them break their promise to retire and take on the risky heist.

John Woo had just completed his most expensive and personal film, Bullet in the Head, in 1990. When it did not perform as well as his previous three films, John Woo felt devastated and promised his producer that he would make back the money he lost with his next film. For his next film, Once a Thief, he would make a more lighthearted affair that returned him to his comedic roots. Although made quickly over a span of two months, Once a Thief would go on to be John Woo’s second most successful Hong Kong film.

John Woo sets Once a Thief apart from his other Hong Kong films by setting part of it in France. He had long been an admirer of the French New Wave, in particular François Truffaut's Jules and Jim, and Once a Thief’s love triangle mirrors that aforementioned film. His other inspiration was Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief, and Once a Thief would feature some of its locations.

To help John Woo pull off the difficult task of completing a film from shooting to post-production in a mere two months are a trio of Hong Kong cinema’s most celebrated actors: Chow Yun-fat (City of Fire), Leslie Cheung (Farewell My Concubine), and Cherie Chung (Wild Search). They are all exemplary in their roles, and their onscreen chemistry is undeniable. All three of them were at the height of their careers, and for Cherie Chung, Once a Thief would be her swan song. Rounding out the cast are other familiar faces like Kenneth Tsang (A Better Tomorrow) and Paul Chu (The Killer), who portray the three main characters' father figures.

Although Once a Thief is a breezy film that very effectively employs humor, John Woo does not shy away from doing what he does best: creating explosive action set pieces. The most notable of these are two heist sequences and a shootout finale that perfectly blend humor and bombastic action. The second heist sequence in particular is a flawlessly constructed moment that overflows with tension. When it comes to action, John Woo is a filmmaker who never disappoints.

Once a Thief is really a special film in John Woo’s filmography, and it is a shame he did not venture into this type of film ever again. While his films that followed have effectively employed humor, he never found that perfect blend of comedy and action like he did with Once a Thief. Ultimately, Once a Thief is a highly entertaining film that always exceeds its audience's expectations and leaves you wanting more.

Once a Thief gets an exceptional release from Shout Factory that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains – Fun City Editions (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Release Date: USA, 1982
Director: Lou Adler
Writer: Nancy Dowd
Cast: Diane Lane, Laura Dern, Marin Kanter, Ray Winstone, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Paul Simonon, Fee Waybill, Barry Ford, Black Randy

Release Date: January 20th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes 37 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (UHD), Region A (Blu-Ray)
Retail Price: $49.95

"The Stains, a fledgling punk band comprised of three teenage girls, rise, fall...and rise again in this "rock 'n roll parody" directed by music industry veteran Lou Adler (Up in Smoke). With nothing keeping them in their dying factory hometown, rebellious Corinne Burns (Diane Lane, Streets of Fire), her sister Tracy (Marin Kanter, The Loveless) and their cousin Jessica (Laura Dern, Wild at Heart) form the Stains and tour with fading glam rockers the Metal Corpses and working-class English punks the Looters. Through a combination of media manipulation and Corinne's brazen on-stage persona, the Stains become an unlikely overnight sensation. But the girls quickly learn that the business of music is insatiable, fans are fickle and fame is fleeting..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New restoration from 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative."

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.9 GB

Feature: 61.1 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.5 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Both audio tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an archival audio commentary with director Lou Adler, an archival audio commentary with actresses Diane Lane and Laura Dern, an audio commentary with Marc Edward Heuck, and an audio commentary with Jake Fogelnest and Marc Edward Heuck.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an image gallery (stills/advertisements/posters), a reel of dailies from the music video shoot (16 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), deleted scenes and alternate opening title sequence from 35mm workprint, presented silent and with commentary from Marc Edward Heuck and Jonathan Hertzberg: Bathroom (53 seconds), TV News Broadcast #1 (2 minutes 6 seconds), Motel Room #1 (2 minutes 27 seconds), Bamboo Room and Motel Room #2 (2 minutes 51 seconds), Parking Lot (51 seconds), TV News Broadcast #2 (44 seconds), Stu Interviews Corinne (54 seconds), Billy Looks for Corinne (57 seconds), and alternate opening title sequence (4 minutes 24 seconds), an archival audio interview with Night Flight co-creator Stuart Shapiro (17 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival making-of video featurette by Sarah Jacobson and Sam Green titled The Fabulous Stains: Behind the Movie (10 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Lou Adler, an archival audio commentary with Diane Lane and Laura Dern, an audio commentary with Marc Edward Heuck, and an audio commentary with Jake Fogelnest and Marc Edward Heuck.

Other extras include reversible cover art and an Easter egg: a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), which can be found when you click on the FCE logo on the extras menu.

Summary:

Unable to find employment in the small town where she lives, a 17-year-old whose parents are dead forms a punk rock band with her sister and cousin.

The narrative follows the rise and fall of three friends who form a band called The Fabulous Stains. Despite their inability to play their instruments and their singer being tone-deaf, they manage to overcome these things due to their determination, especially their lead singer. They channel their anger into their music, and their lead singer creates a new persona. As a result, their fan base rapidly expands, primarily consisting of young girls who look up to and emulate the lead singer.

Although Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains features a strong character in Corinne Burns, the other characters lack depth, and some are nothing more than stereotypes. Diane Lane (The Outsiders) portrays Corinne, and she delivers a captivating performance that enhances the presence of those around her. She effectively conveys her character's angst and steadfast refusal to conform to others. Other notable cast members are Laura Dern (Blue Velvet) in the role of Corinne’s cousin and bandmate, Steve Jones and Paul Cook (Sex Pistols), and Paul Simonon (The Clash).

The narrative does a superb job of drawing you in and holding your attention. Things move briskly, ensuring there are no issues related to momentum, and its finale serves as a perfect coda. It's not surprising; the music is Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains' greatest asset; it is infectious and does an exemplary job of capturing the punk rock attitude. Ultimately, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains is a highly entertaining film that explores the importance of staying true to oneself in an industry that often seeks to reshape individuals into something mass marketable. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains gets a definitive release from Fun City Editions. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Vampyros Lesbos – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany, 1971
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Jesús Franco, Jaime Chávarri
Cast: Ewa Strömberg, Soledad Miranda, Andrés Monales, Dennis Price, Paul Muller

Release Date: January 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 17 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"Eternally stunning Soledad Miranda stars as a vixen vampire who lures women to a Mediterranean island to satisfy her insatiable hunger for female flesh in that seductively corrupts the Dracula mythos forever." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 4K from the original camera negative."

Vampyros Lesbos comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.4 GB

Feature: 60.3 GB

The source looks exceptional, easily the best this film has ever looked on home media. Flesh tones look correct; colors look appropriately vibrant; image clarity, black levels, contrast, and compression are solid; and the image always looks organic.

Vampyros Lesbos comes on a 50 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.3 GB

Feature: 25.8 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in German with removable English subtitles. While there are always going to be limitations due to the low-budget attributes of this film, it is a solid track that exceeds expectations. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness, and an audio commentary with film professor Aaron AuBuchon and Oscarbate Film Collective's John Dickson and Will Morris.

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles), an alternate German opening credits (1 minute 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in German with removable English subtitles), a brief clip titled Jess is Yoda (2 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Sublime Soledad (20 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Jess Franco titled Vampyros Jesus (20 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), a locations featurette titled In The Land Of Franco Part 2 (18 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), an interview with Stephen Thrower author of Murderous Passions, Franco Volume 1: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús and Flowers of Perversion, Volume 2: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco (44 minutes 44 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, and an audio commentary with Aaron AuBuchon, John Dickson and Will Morris.

Other extras include a slipcover.

Summary:

Throughout Jess Franco’s career, he has had several key stages where he worked extensively with a producer, and in 1970, Jess Franco would end his collaboration with producer Harry Alan Towers with yet another adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Out of all of the producers that worked with Jess Franco over the years, none offered him a larger canvas to work with financially than Harry Alan Towers. Feeling confined by the films that Harry Alan Towers wanted to make, Jess Franco ended their collaboration. Initially, he embarked on a journey as an independent filmmaker, creating a series of three films before transitioning into the next stage of his development as a filmmaker, which involved another trio of films produced by Artur Brauner.

Content-wise, Vampyros Lesbos bears more than a striking resemblance to Jess Franco’s last film with Harry Alan Towers, Count Dracula, the main twist being that the protagonist role is switched from a man to a woman. Other influences that crop up during Franco’s gender bender Vampyros Lesbos include just a hint of the Marquis de Sade, which is another carryover from his Harry Alan Towers collaborations. And all of these moments of sadness revolve around the character that Jess Franco portrays in Vampyros Lesbos. Influences aside, it is clearly a film that signaled that its auteur had finally broken through creatively and that everything that came before this film was merely a warm-up for what was yet to come from him.

Although Vampyros Lesbos takes many of its cues from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, when it comes to the vibe of these films, this is where these two entities are on the polar opposite ends of the spectrum. Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula is known for its Gothic Romanticism, while Jess Franco’s Vampyros Lesbos is a manic fusion of Surrealism and Eroticism.

At this point in Jess Franco’s career, plot and dialog are not much more than a means to further what he was trying to say with his visuals, which have by this point become the focal point. This striptease scene featuring Soledad Miranda and a mannequin—or what seems to be a mannequin—stands out as one of the most iconic moments in Jess Franco's filmography. There is a fluidity to her movements that reinforces the sensuality of this scene. Another standout moment visually is a scene where Linda's character realizes that the only way she will be free of the Countess is if she kills her. Jess Franco expertly crafts this moment of emotional depth, ensuring it resonates with the audience by carefully escalating the tension until it reaches its peak.

When speaking about Vampyros Lesbos, one can’t overlook the importance of Soledad Miranda. Needless to say, the films that he made with Soledad Miranda, especially the ones where she is the lead actress, like she is in Vampyros Lesbos, could not have been made with another actress, since her undeniable presence is the main reason why they stand out amongst Jess Franco’s voluminous output as a filmmaker.

Besides Soledad Miranda’s tour de force, other notable performances come from Dennis Price (Twins of Evil) in the role of Dr. Alwin Seward (a Van Helsing-like persona) and Ewa Strömberg (She Killed in Ecstasy) in the role of Linda Westinghouse. The scenes where her character and the countess interact are exceptional. Also, she has a tremendous amount of chemistry with Soledad Miranda, and it really shines through during their more intimate moments.

Last but certainly not least is Jess Franco’s own performance in Vampyros Lesbos, and this time around he portrays a deranged husband whose wife has been seduced by the Countess. His opinion of women becomes increasingly negative, and he develops a sinister desire to inflict pain on them in a manner reminiscent of the Marquis de Sade. His character delivers the film’s most shocking moment in a scene where he captures and tortures the character Linda, who bears a resemblance to his wife.

Another wonderful asset that Vampyros Lesbos has is its jazz-infused score that Manfred Hübler and Sigi Schwab composed. The albums Psychedelic Dance Party and Sexadelic would serve as the soundtrack for these three Jess Franco films: She Killed in Ecstasy, The Devil Came from Akasava, and Vampyros Lesbos.

No matter how many times over the years that I have revisited Vampyros Lesbos, it is a film that has never lost any of its luster. And with each new viewing, my appreciation for the film continues to grow. Ultimately, Vampyros Lesbos is the ultimate Jess Franco film, and more than any other of his films, it captures the essence of his cinematic style.

10 years after their Blu-ray release, Severin Films gives Vampyros Lesbos an exceptional 4K UHD upgrade that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras; highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer