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

Wake in Fright: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (4K UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Australia/UK/USA, 1971
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Writer: Evan Jones
Cast: Donald Pleasence, Gary Bond, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay, Jack Thompson, John Meillon, Nancy Knudsen

Release Date: June 29th, 2026 (UK), June 30th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 108 Minutes 21 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"John Grant (Gary Bond, Zulu), a bored schoolteacher working in the remote outback, stops overnight in the frontier mining town of Bundanyabba on his way back to Sydney for the Christmas holidays. After he loses all his savings in a bad gambling bet, Grant finds himself marooned and swept up in the vortex of a succession of hard-drinking, hard-living and crude men led by Doc (Donald Pleasence, Halloween) who threaten to make him just as crazy, drunk, and violent as they are." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “The film was restored and made available by Umbrella Entertainment in conjunction with the Wake in Fright Trust. The original camera negative was scanned in 4K by the National Film and Sound Archive and graded and restored by ROAR Digital in Melbourne, Australia.” 

Wake in Fright comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 93.1 GB

Feature: 76 GB

The source looks excellent. Flesh tones and colors look correct, and contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image always retains an organic appearance.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The track sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and the ambient sounds and the score are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a US TV spot (31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a US theatrical trailer (2 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a restoration trailer (1 minute 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Chips Rafferty obituary by Ken G. Hall (3 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Who Needs Art?, a 1971 TV segment with behind-the-scenes footage (5 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a 2009 TV report on the rediscovery and restoration of Wake in Fright (6 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digtal stereo English, no subtitles), alternate scenes from an international version titled Outback (10 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival audio interview with director Ted Kotcheff, conducted by Paul Harris (130 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio interview with composer John Scott, conducted by music historian Daniel Schweiger (15 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Ted Kotcheff titled Yer Mad, Ya Bastard! (12 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Jack Thompson from Not Quite Hollywood (6 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a Q&A with Ted Kotcheff from the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival (45 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), The Filmmaker and the Film Buff, a discussion between Philippe Mora and Paul Harris (20 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), The Cinema’s Great Squeaky Bald Git, an appreciation of actor Donald Pleasence by film historian Kim Newman (14 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Sounds of the Outback, a previously unreleased interview with sound editors Keith Palmer and Eddy Joseph (14 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with the director of photography Brian West titled Take in Fright (20 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette tracking down the film’s Broken Hill locations titled Return to the ‘Yabba (49 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Ted Kotcheff and editor Anthony Buckley, an audio commentary with Peter Galvin, author of The Making of Wake in Fright, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 44-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled All the Little Devils are Proud of Hell written by by Jay Slater, an essay titled Terror in the Yabba written by Paul Lê, an essay titled Come and Have a Drink, Mate written by David Michael Brown, an archival writing titled On the Kangaroo Hunt written by Ted Kotcheff, an archival writing titled Lost & Found written by Anthony Buckley, and information about the transfer.

Other extras include a trailer reel of Australian films helmed by overseas filmmakers titled Foreign Visions of Local Stories (38 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles). The trailers are The Overlanders, Bitter Springs, A Town Like Alice, The Siege of Pinchgut, The Sundowners, They’re a Weird Mob, The High Commissioner (Nobody Runs Forever), Age of Consent, Walkabout, Sunstruck, Sidecar Racers, The Pyjama Girl Case, The Earthling, and The Coca Cola Kid.

Summary:

Ted Kotcheff directed Wake in Fright. Other notable films he directed are The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Fun with Dick and Jane, North Dallas Forty, Split Image, Rambo: First Bood, Uncommon Valor, and Weekend at Bernie’s. Wake in Fright is an adaptation of Kenneth Cook’s novel of the same name.

A schoolteacher on an overnight stay in a frontier mining town loses all of his money gambling. Now broke and with nowhere to go, the townfolks take him in and expose him to their excessive drinking and hard living. Desperate to get out of town, the schoolteacher is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Wake in Fright is a film about choices. The narrative revolves around a man named John Grant, who ventures out into Bundanyabba instead of going straight to bed and catching a flight to Sydney in the morning. While exploring Bundanyabba, a policeman befriends him, but his generosity quickly becomes annoying. John tries his luck at two-up, a gambling game the locales play, and he becomes reckless when he starts to win. Resentful of the onerous terms of his employment, he sees a way to quickly earn the cash he needs to pay off his bond. John’s luck quickly runs out; he loses all of his money and now finds himself stranded in a place he loathes.

Wake in Fright is an unflinching portrayal of Australia's Outback. Most of the characters live a carefree life where they spend most of their time drinking. Trapped and with nowhere to go, John embraces the locale's way of life and becomes engulfed in their excesses. While there is nothing outwardly sinister about any of the characters, Wake in Fright is extremely effective at getting under your skin. That said, so much of Wake in Fright’s mood comes from the barren location Broken Hill, which is a character unto itself.

All around, the performances are excellent, especially Gary Bond’s portrayal of John Grant. He delivers a remarkable performance that perfectly conveys John’s prejudices and anxiety about his future. Another performance of note is Donald Pleasence's (Halloween) portrayal of a vagrant alcoholic doctor. That said, there is an authenticity to all of the performances that greatly aides the story that unfolds.

The visuals and John Scott’s (Symptoms) do a superb job of heightening the mood. In the case of the former, it simply lets the performances be the focal point, while the latter accentuates key moments. For a film that has many unsettling moments, none stand out more than the kangaroo hunting scene that contains genuine footage of kangaroos being shot. To say these moments are brutal would be an understatement. Ultimately, Wake in Fright is an aptly titled film that has not lost any of its potency.

Wake in Fright 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

School on Fire: Hong Kong Cinema Classics – Shout! Factory (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1988
Director: Ringo Lam
Writer: Nam Yin
Cast: Sarah Lee, Damian Lau, Fennie Yuen, Lam Ching-ying, Roy Cheung

Release Date: August 4th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 102 Minutes 58 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Theatrical), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Uncensored)
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $44.98

"A young schoolgirl, Yuen Fong, becomes caught in a tragic stranglehold of triad activity after she testifies in court over a triad beating. When this news reaches the triad leader Brother Smart, Yuen Fong must pay him protection money for what she has done as events begin to escalate." - 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. Restored by Shout! Studios in 2026."

School on Fire comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 70.8 GB

Feature: 70.5 GB

This is another solid transfer from Shout! Factory, the source looks excellent. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

School on Fire comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.7 GB

Feature: 28.2 GB

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

Audio: 5/5 (Both Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (theatrical mix) and a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese (uncensored mix). Both tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are English subtitles for both tracks. It should be noted that subtitles and audio can only be chosen via the audio setup menu, and they cannot be turned off while watching the main feature.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with film historian Frank Djeng.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), extended and uncensored footage (4 minutes 5 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with burnt-in English subtitles), an interview with Hong Kong film critic James Mudge titled Back to the Classroom (18 minutes 51 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with executive director Raymond Lee titled Raymond Lee Remembers School on Fire (12 minutes 44 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Fennie Yuen titled Fiery Thoughts (29 minutes 47 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), and audio commentary with Frank Djeng.

Other extras include a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Ringo Lam directed School on Fire. He rose to prominence in Hong Kong cinema in the latter part of the 1980s after directing films like City on Fire, Prison on Fire, and Full Contact. He made three films in Hollywood with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and unlike most of his contemporaries, he has also managed to stay active in Hong Kong cinema.

A young girl’s life spirals out of control after she testifies against a triad whose beating led to one of her classmates' deaths.

After years of making films that were assigned to him rather than his true desires, he had his breakout with City on Fire. From there he would make two more “Fire" films: Prison on Fire and School on Fire, each more violent and political than the previous. While not a traditional trilogy, the thing that is central to these three films is how they revolve around characters who are part of or victims of organized crime.

While Ringo Lam has never shied away from injecting special commentary in his films, School on Fire is his most overtly political film. Upon its release, School on Fire was censored in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The only uncut version of School on Fire is the Tai Seng VHS video release from Rainbow Audio & Video Co. That said, Shout! Factory for this release has reinstated all censored dialogue, while the censored footage only exists on VHS, and it is included as an extra.

What sets School on Fire apart from other 1980s Hong Kong crime films is how it depicts law enforcement and criminals. Where other Hong Kong crime films from this era made a clear distinction between these two, School on Fire shows the police in a more negative light. That said, another way that School on Fire goes against the grain is how it does not glamorize the criminals.

The performances are outstanding, especially Fennie Yuen's (Swordsman) portrayal of Yuen Fong, a schoolgirl caught in the triads' crossheirs. She delivers a remarkable performance that is the heart and soul of School on Fire. Though not a name as recognised by Western audiences like Chow Yun-fat, Roy Cheung was central to Ringo Lam’s film from City on Fire to Prison on Fire II. He portrays a triad boss, and he delivers an intense performance that dominates every moment he’s in. Another performance of note is Lam Ching-ying (Mr Vampire) cast against type in the role of detective.

The opening setup grabs your attention and from there an escalation of violence effectively builds to a bloody justice-served finale. There is an authenticity to the violence; it feels more spur-of-the-moment than cinematic. When discussing School on Fire, Lowell Lo’s (The Killer) outstanding mood-reinforcing score should not be undervalued. Ultimately, School on Fire is an intense crime drama where everyone is at the top of their game and everything falls into place perfectly.

Shout! Factory gives School on Fire an exceptional release 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