Armour of God: Deluxe Limited Edition – 88 Films (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1986
Director: Jackie Chan
Writers: Barry Wong, Eric Tang, Ken Lowe, Szeto Chuek-Hon, John Sheppard, Jackie Chan
Cast: Jackie Chan, Alan Tam, Lola Forner, Rosamund Kwan, Božidar Smiljanić 

Release Date: August 10th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 98 Minutes 28 Seconds (Hong Kong Cut), 88 Minutes 29 Seconds (International Cut), 98 Minutes 26 Seconds (Japanese Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (All Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Original Theatrical Mix), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Home Video Mix), DTS-HD Mono English (Classic English Dub), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese/English Hybrid, DTS-HD Mono English (International Cut, Japanese Cut)
Subtitles: English (Hong Kong Cut), English SDH (All Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £40.00 (UK)

"Move over Indiana Jones! The very great Jackie Chan stars as 'the Asian Hawk', an adventurous archaeologist who's about to face his greatest challenge: an evil cult is on the trail of some priceless artifacts, and heaven help us if they get hold of them. If Hawk can't stop them, then the whole world is in danger!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand-new 4K restorations in 1.85:1 aspect ratio from the original 35mm camera negatives."

Armour of God, the Hong Kong cut, comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 74.4 GB

Feature: 72 GB

88 Films have been doing an outstanding job with their 4K UHD upgrades of Jackie Chan films, and this Armour of God is their best-looking transfer to date. The source looks phenomenal; flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

Armour of God, the international cut, and the Japanese cut come on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 85.8 GB

Feature: 65.4 GB

This disc uses seamless branching for the two versions.

The Japanese version has the following characteristics/features:

"English Golden Harvest ident

Hong Kong-length

English-language soundtrack (same as the international version overall, except longer, and the English version of ‘Lorelei’ plays during the ending [not ‘Flight of the Dragon’])

English opening credits (same as the international version)

Three pieces of text (HONG KONG, PARIS, NO TRESPASSING)

Some different outtakes (same as the Taiwanese version; different from the Hong Kong and international ones).

English closing credits (might be the same as the international version overall, except for at least one music credit)."

Armour of God, the Hong Kong cut comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 31.5 GB

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

Armour of God, the international cut, and the Japanese cut come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.4 GB

Feature: 27.4 GB

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

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Original Theatrical Mix, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese - Home Video Mix, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese/English Hybrid), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - Classic English Dub, DTS-HD Mono English - International Cut, DTS-HD Mono English - Japanese Cut)

The Hong Kong cut comes with five audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (the original theatrical mix), a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (the home video mix), a DTS-HD mono in English (the classic English dub), a DTS-HD mono mix in a Cantonese/English hybrid, and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. All tracks allow you to choose Lorelei or Flight of the Dragon for the end credits song. All tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented. Furthermore, the Cantonese language tracks sound more robust than the English language tracks. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track, removable English subtitles for the Cantonese/English hybrid track, and removable English SDH.

The international cut and the Japanese cut each come with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. Both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and fight scenes sound appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc with the Hong Kong theatrical cut include Cantonese theatrical trailer (4 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), the Mandarin theatrical trailer (3 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), the Japanese theatrical trailer (1 minute 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), the English-language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), 88 Films Blu-ray trailer (1 minute 43 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng, an archival audio commentary with Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon of the Podcast on Fire Network, and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. Desanto.

There are no extras on the 4K UHD disc with the international cut and the Japanese cut.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the Hong Kong theatrical cut include the Cantonese theatrical trailer (4 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), the Mandarin theatrical trailer (3 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), the Japanese theatrical trailer (1 minute 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), the English-language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), 88 Films Blu-ray trailer (1 minute 43 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), High Upon High music video (6 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), High Upon High split screen (2 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), High Upon High behind the scenes (4 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Jackie Chan greets his fans in a rare promo teaser trailer for Police Story (3 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with burnt-in English subtitles), Locations: Then and Now featurette (6 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), an archival interview with editor Peter Cheung (4 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with producer Willie Chan (3 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Jackie Chan (4 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Steve Lawson titled Jackie Chan on VHS - The VPF Years (7 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Radek Sienski titled Rise of the Phoenix (20 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Scott Adkins and Matt Routledge titled The Art of Action (30 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an episode of Celebrity Talk Show with Jackie Chan (58 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Frank Djeng, an archival audio commentary with Kenneth Brorsson and Phil Gillon, and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. Desanto.

There are no extras on the Blu-ray disc with the international cut and the Japanese cut.

Other extras include reversible covert art, a double-sided fold-out poster, an O-ring slipcover, a rigid slipcase, and an 80-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information, an essay titled On the Trail of Treasure written by C.J. Lines, an essay titled Reborn a Dragon: Putting on the Full Armour of God written by Thorsten Boose, and archival images.

Summary:

Made during the height of Jackie Chan’s popularity, Armour of God is a different kind of film from Jackie Chan. Although Armour of God started off with another director, a daring stunt from the spectacular opening sequence nearly killed Jackie Chan. When filming resumed, Jackie Chan replaced the original director, Eric Tsang. That said, what little footage Eric Tsang directed blends effortlessly with the rest of the film.

The narrative revolves around a treasure hunter named Asian Hawk who is reluctantly enlisted to recover a treasure known as the Armour of God. Though the tone of Armour of God has a similar vibe to the films that Jackie Chan was making at this time, the premise feels like it was inspired by the Indiana Jones films.

While it's clear that Jackie Chan is the main attraction, he surrounds himself with a solid supporting cast. Jackie Chan portrays Asian Hawk, a former pop singer for the band The Losers turned treasure hunter. Armour of God reunites Jackie Chan with Lola Forner, who he worked with on Wheels on Meals. Rounding out the cast are Alan Tam (Rich and Famous) and Rosamund Kwan (Once Upon a Time in China), who portray two members of The Losers. The onscreen chemistry of these four actors elevates all of their performances.

Jackie Chan really knows how to wow an audience with his opening sequences, and with Armour of God he delivers one of his best. That said, the opening sequence sets the bar so high the narrative does not immediately recover. After that initial burst of action, there is not another action set piece until around the 35-minute mark. Fortunately, once the narrative hits its stride, it is smooth sailing for the rest of the way.

When it comes to the action set pieces, Armour of God is more about jaw-dropping stuntwork than choreographed martial arts. Though Jackie Chan does the most impressive stunt work, there are a few moments where others pull off some daring stunts. Where most Jackie Chan moments see him square off against a formidable foe, no one in Armour of God is on his level. Ultimately, what Armour of God lacks in exposition, it makes up for in spades with its exceptional stuntwork.

88 Films gives Armour of God a definitive release. 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

P.O. Box Tinto Brass: 2-Disc Edition – Cult Epics (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1995
Director: Tinto Brass
Writers: Tinto Brass, Aurelio Grimaldi, Claudio lizza
Cast: Tinto Brass, Cinzia Roccaforte, Laura Gualtieri, Erika Savastani, Paolo Lanza, Alessandra Antonelli, Carla Solaro, Cristina Rinaldi, Sara Cosmi, Gaia Zucchi, Gabriella Barbuti

Release Date: August 25th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"Italian director Tinto Brass is known as the absolute master of erotica, creator of works like All Ladies Do It, Frivolous Lola and Paprika. His gift at perfectly portraying the beauty of the female body has made him celebrated by both men and women. And it is precisely the latter category that sends him boxes full of fan letters. P.O. Box Tinto Brass is a collection of those letters, photos and videos of female sexual fantasies. This erotic comedy featuring the Maestro himself, with a score by Riz Ortolani, contains a succession of exciting, downright sensational and sometimes even shocking material." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "4K Transfer and Restoration from the original camera negative."

P.O. Box Tinto Brass comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 58.2 GB

Feature: 57.4 GB

This transfer looks exceptional. Flesh tones look healthy; colors are vibrant; image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance. That said, there are two things I considered when coming up with a score for this transfer. How does it compare to this film’s previous home video releases, and does it look any better than this transfer? It's a solid upgrade that’s superior in every way to this film’s previous home media releases.

P.O. Box Tinto Brass comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.9 GB

Feature: 25.4 GB 

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

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mmo mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. It should be noted that about seven minutes of the English language is in Italian with English subtitles. Both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. That said, the Italian-language track sounds fuller than the English-language track. Included are English subtitles for the Italian-language track. Language tracks and subtitles can only be changed via the setup menu and not during playback.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in Italian, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with Troy Howarth, Jeremy Richey, Nathaniel Thompson, Eugenio Ercolani, and Heather Drain.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a photo & poster gallery with music from the film playing in the background (28 images), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in Italian, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Tinto Brass (16 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Troy Howarth, Jeremy Richey, Nathaniel Thompson, Eugenio Ercolani, and Heather Drain.

Other extras include reversible cover art with original Italian poster art, a slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 20-page booklet with an essay titled Tinto Brass Superstar! Written by Eugenio Ercolani, and archival images.

Summary:

Tinto Brass directed P.O. Box Tinto Brass. He’s known for Deadly Sweet, Salon Kitty, The Key, Snack Bar Budapest, and All Ladies Do It. 

Tinto Brass takes on an anthology framework instead of a linear narrative that revolves around a singular character for P.O. Box Tinto Brass. Fans of Tinto Brass send him letters, photos, and video cassettes detailing their sexual escapades. The wrap-around segments feature Tinto Brass and a character referred to as his secretary.

The first story revolves around a couple who are having sex on the beach, and the woman becomes aroused by a voyeur couple who are also having sex. A housewife who secretly works at a brothel is the focus of the second story. While working at the brothel, she encounters a man who looks exactly like her husband. When confronted, the man claims he does not know her. Is her husband playing his own game of deception or does he have a doppelganger? The third story revolves around a woman wandering around at a tourist site who catches a Japanese tourist, whom she then plays with for his camera.

The fourth story revolves around couples who film each other in erotic situations that pay homage to Tinto Brass. The fifth story revolves around a frustrated housewife who’s libido is unleashed by a pervert phone caller. The sixth story revolves around a couple who go to a swinger party. The seventh story revolves around a man who loses his wife because of his gambling addiction. The final segment features Tinto Brass filming a scene with his secretary and when aroused, an elephant truck comes out of his pants.

At 93 minutes in length, P.O. Box Tinto Brass is a briskly paced narrative where no segment overstays its welcome. The strongest segments are the housewife that works at a brothel, the frustrated housewife whose libido is unleashed by a pervert phone caller and the finale where Tinto Brass takes center stage. The only segment that I found lacking was the one where a wandering woman turns on a Japanese tourist.

There are three things that you can always count on from a Tinto Brass erotica film: subversive humor, gorgeous women, and exquisite cinematography. In the case of the latter, the visuals never miss an opportunity to showcase the female cast members' voluptuous bodies. A key asset of P.O. Box Tinto Brass is Riz Ortolani’s (Cannibal Holocaust) outstanding score, which perfectly underscores the mood. P.O. Box Tinto Brass would be Riz Ortolani’s fifth and final collaboration with Tinto Brass.

Although P.O. Box Tinto Brass has all the elements that are synonymous with his films from The Key onward, what sets it apart from his similarly themed films is the significant role he plays in the story that unfolds. Tinto Brass, like Alfred Hitchcock before him, fully embraces his cinema persona. That said, where most filmmakers saw a decline later on in their careers, Tinto Brass from The Key to Monamour delivered A+ erotica.

P.O. Box Tinto Brass gets an exceptional release from Cult Epics that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a trio 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

Spike of Bensonhurst: Limited Deluxe Edition Site Exclusive – Fun City Editions (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1988
Director: Paul Morrissey
Writers: Alan Bowne, Paul Morrissey
Cast: Sasha Mitchell, Ernest Borgnine, Anne De Salvo, Sylvia Miles, Talisa Soto, Rick Aviles

Release Date: August 11th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 101 Minutes 12 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (UHD), Region A (Blu-Ray)
Retail Price: $40.00

"He's a wild, irresponsible two-timing wiseguy from Brooklyn. But you gotta love him. Spike Fumo (Sasha Mitchell) aspires to boxing glory and doesn't want to end up a loser like his dad, who's taking a rap in Sing Sing for local mob boss Baldo Cacetti (Ernest Borgnine). When tough, handsome and not very smart Spike hooks up with the mobster's blonde princess daughter Angel (Maria Pitillo), he angers Cacetti and is banished from Italian Bensonhurst to Puerto Rican Red Hook. How will Spike rebound after being bounced from the only turf he's ever known?" - 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."

Spike of Bensonhurst comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.1 GB

Feature: 60.3 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, and contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

Spike of Bensonhurst comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.7 GB

Feature: 29.3 GB

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

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The track is in excellent shape; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. The soundtrack and ambient sounds are well-presented range-wise.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an isolated music track and an audio commentary with William Morris.

Extras on the Blu-ray include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (lobby cards/stills/magazine articles), a theatrical trailer for Spike of Bensonhurst (2 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Mixed Blood (1 minute 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Trash (1 minute 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival video interview with writer/director Paul Morrissey (24 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with executive producer Sam Grogg titled Something to See (51 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with casting director Leonard Finger titled A Personal Milestone (17 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with the director of photography Steven Fierberg titled A Very Surprising Film (16 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a 35mm workprint version of Spike of Bensonhurst from archival videocassette (106 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an isolated music track, and an audio commentary with William Morris.

The Blu-ray disc has two Easter eggs. The first Easter egg can be accessed on page one of the extras menu when you click on the FCE logo. The first Easter egg is a collection of trailers not coming from Fun City Editions: Fame, Nunzio, Black Roedo, The Cross and the Switchblade, The Education of Sonny Carson, and Taxi Driver. The second Easter egg can be accessed on page two of the extras menu when you click on the FCE logo. The second Easter egg is a Memorix commercial starring Sasha Mitchell.

Other extras include a reversible cover art, a slipcover (this strictly limited deluxe set is exclusive to the FCE website), and a 12-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled All in the Family: Paul Morrissey Takes on the Mob in Spike of Bensonhurst written by Margaret Barton-Fumo and cast & crew information.

Summary:

Spike of Bensonhurst was co-written and directed by Paul Morrissey, who’s most known for his collaborations with Andy Warhol, notably Flesh, Trash, and Heat. Other notable films he directed are Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula.

A trouble-making Italian youth won't let anyone crush his dream of being a boxer. He tries to use his father's mob connections to call in a favor; instead, the mob boss offers him opportunities, none connected with boxing.

Spike of Bensonhurst is a film that fell victim to a delayed release. Spike of Bensonhurst often gets compared to another mafia comedy, Married to the Mob. Although Spike of Bensonhurst premiered a month after Married to the Mob, it was completed a year before and held back for release. That said, Spike of Bensonhurst is a film that digs deep in its exploration of racism and stereotypes, while Married to the Mob is strictly played for laughs.

While Spike is a charismatic character who overshadows anyone else, he’s surrounded by a cast of colorful characters. Paul Morrissey was a filmmaker who often worked with non-actors because of the authenticity they could bring to a role. The cast for Spike of Bensonhurst is a perfect balance of non-actors and veterans. Cast in the role of Spike is Sasha Mitchell (Kickboxer 2), who had only been in one film and a few TV episodes. Even at this early stage of his career, his knack for delivering humor is a massive asset. Another performance of note is Ernest Borgnine (Marty), who portrays a mob boss named "Baldo" Cacetti.

While Spike of Bensonhurst leans heavily into stereotypes, and its use of racial slurs may surprise some viewers, it ultimately conveys a message that is never exploitative in its use of these two elements. The opening setup does a superb job drawing you into the world that Spike lives in, and from there the narrative is full of surprises that hold you attention. The most surprising aspect of Spike of Bensonhurst is its soundtrack and the choice to use only Italian pop songs. The inspired choice of music and Paul Morrissey’s solid direction both contribute greatly to enhancing the mood. Ultimately, Spike of Bensonhurst is a highly entertaining melodrama that surpasses the individual elements that make it up.

Fun City Editions gives Spike of Bensonhurst a definitive release. 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: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (4K UHD)

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: August 3rd, 2026 (UK)
Approximate Running Time: 108 Minutes 1 Second
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono Cantonese (Alternate), LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono English (Alternate)
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK)

"Our three stars play a debonair trio of international art thieves who grew up as orphaned Artful Dodgers on the streets of Hong Kong. Fresh from a successful heist in the sunny French Riviera, they set their sights on one last job: break into a heavily guarded fortress and steal a painting so valuable that it is said to be cursed. But when they’re double-crossed by their former criminal mentor, villainous triad leader Mr. Chow (Kenneth Tsang, The Killer), the gang must use their wits, skills and unbreakable friendship to take him down." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “The film has been restored in 4K resolution and graded in HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

The original 35mm camera negative was sourced from the Hong Kong Film Archive and scanned in 4K by Interface Video Production Ltd. in Hong Kong.”

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

Disc Size: 91.7 GB

Feature: 72.1 GB

Although Arrow Video uses Shout! Factory's master as the foundation of their source, they have performed additional color grading. I didn't have any issues with either release's color timing, though there is some debate over which one is more aesthetically pleasing. That said, the source looks phenomenal; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5 (All Audio Tracks)

This release comes with four audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, an alternate LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a LPCM mono mix in English, and an alternate LPCM 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 for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in Cantonese and removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director John Woo titled Up Close and Personal (33 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with producer Terence Chang titled Brothers in Arms (10 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Kenneth Tsang (7 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Frank Djeng about Leslie Cheung titled Once a Star, Always an Icon (17 minutes 9 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Once a Thief (8 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor David Wu titled Art of the Steal (10 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Poon Hang-Sang titled Stealing Some Shots (27 minutes 11 seconds, DTolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Clifton Ko titled Thoughts About Thievery (21 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Terence Chang titled Heists and Lows (7 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with John Woo Handling a Heist (23 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an audio commentary with Asian cinema expert James Mudge, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 20-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Art of the Heist written by Priscilla Page, and information about the transfer.

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.

For their release, Arrow Video has added four extras. In comparing the two releases, it is evident that Arrow Video’s version stands out as the superior choice over Shout! Factory’s offering. Once a Thief gets a definitive release from Arrow Video. 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