Dragon Lord: Deluxe Limited Edition – 88 Films (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1982
Director: Jackie Chan
Writers: Jackie Chan, Edward Tang, Barry Wong
Cast: Jackie Chan, Mars Cheung, Hwang In-shik, Tien Feng, Paul Chang, Wai-Man Chan, Fung Hak-on, Corey Yuen, Mang Hoi, Chiu Chung-san  

Release Date: February 23rd, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 96 Minutes 6 Seconds (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 90 Minutes 54 Seconds (English Export Cut), 103 Minutes 2 Seconds (Extended Cut), 110 Minutes 39 Seconds (Hybrid Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut, English Export Cut, Extended Cut, Hybrid Cut)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut, Extended Cut, Hybrid Cut), LPCM Mono English (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut, English Export Cut), DTS-HD 5.1 English (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £35.00 (UK)

"The story follows childhood friends Lung (Jackie Chan) and Ngau (Mars), whose carefree days of dodging schoolwork and stirring up mischief take a dangerous turn when they stumble into a ruthless gang smuggling priceless Chinese artifacts out of the country." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand-new 4K restorations in 2.35:1 aspect ratio from the original 35mm camera negatives."

Dragon Lord, the Hong Kong theatrical cut and the English export cut come on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 86 GB

Feature: 61.6 GB (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 57.5 GB (English Export Cut)

This disc uses seamless branching for the two versions.

Dragon Lord, the extended cut and the hybrid cut come on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 83.6 GB

Feature: 64.8 GB (Extended Cut), 18.1 (Hybrid Cut)

Dragon Lord, the Hong Kong theatrical cut and the English export cut come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.9 GB

Feature: 30 GB (Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 28.3 GB (English Export Cut)

This disc uses seamless branching for the two versions.

Dragon Lord, the extended cut and the hybrid cut come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.6 GB

Feature: 27.3 GB (Extended Cut), 18.1 (Hybrid Cut)

This is another significant upgrade from 88 Films. Flesh tones look healthy; colors are nicely saturated; contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid; and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese - Hong Kong Theatrical Cut, LPCM Mono Cantonese - Extended Cut, LPCM Mono Cantonese - Hybrid Cut, LPCM Mono English - English Export Cut), 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono English - Hong Kong Theatrical Cut), 4/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese Home Media Release - Hong Kong Theatrical Cut, DTS-HD 5.1 English - Hong Kong Theatrical Cut)

The Hong Kong theatrical cut comes with four audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese from the film's theatrical release, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese from a previous home media release for the film, a LPCM mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. There are about five minutes in Cantonese with English subtitles when watching the mono-English language track. All of the tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. The theatrical Cantonese track sounds fuller than the home media release Cantonese track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and simplified English subtitles for the Jianzi match.

The English export cut comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese text.

The extended cut comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles.

The hybrid cut comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles.

These three tracks sound excellent. Dialogue always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when they should.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc with the Hong Kong theatrical cut and the English export cut include a Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 13 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an English-language theatrical trailer (1 minute 31 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a behind-the-scenes teaser (5 minutes 21 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Wong In-Sik titled The Master Returns (11 minutes 52 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor/stuntman Mars Cheung titled The Fall Guy (29 minutes 46 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Louis Sit titled The Insider (9 minutes 38 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with assistant director Angie Chen titled Dragon Lord Titbits (12 minutes 17 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Mars Cheung, he discusses Dragon Lord, and an audio commentary with East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto for the Hong Kong cut.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the Hong Kong theatrical cut and the English export cut include a Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 13 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an English-language theatrical trailer (1 minute 31 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a behind-the-scenes teaser (5 minutes 21 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Wong In-Sik titled The Master Returns (11 minutes 52 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor/stuntman Mars Cheung titled The Fall Guy (29 minutes 46 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Louis Sit titled The Insider (9 minutes 38 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with assistant director Angie Chen titled Dragon Lord Titbits (12 minutes 17 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Mars Cheung, he discusses Dragon Lord, and an audio commentary with East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto for the Hong Kong cut.

There are no extras on the 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs with the extended cut and the hybrid cut.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a collectible double-sided poster, a rigid slipcase, an O-ring slipcover, and a 40-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information, an essay titled About the Film written by Thorsten Boose and Will Blaik, an essay titled Keeping up with the Jianzi written by C.J. Lines, an essay titled Young Master in Overdrive written by Andrew Heskins, and an essay titled The Last Dragon written by David West.

Summary:

An aristocrat's son, known for his troublemaking and disregard for his martial arts lessons, stumbles upon a gang of thieves planning to steal artifacts from the townspeople.

After parting ways with Lo Wei and before his breakthrough with Project A, Jackie Chan’s early 1980s output was uneven. Two films from this era stand out: The Young Master and Dragon Lord. Although the latter began as a sequel to The Young Master, it eventually morphed into its own entity. The thing that links these two films is that they are period-set kung fu films. While these were the films that initially rose Jackie Chan to prominence, Dragon Lord would see him move away from period-set kung fu films in favor of a modern setting.

Jackie Chan's role in Dragon Lord feels all too familiar, portraying a mischievous character who doesn't take his martial arts lessons seriously. His character arc transitions from an irresponsible individual focused solely on chasing girls and having fun with friends to someone who must quickly enhance his skills when confronted with an obstacle. He delivers another exemplary performance in the role of Lung, in which he is able to show off his impeccable comedic timing.

Throughout his career, Jackie Chan has been paired with another actor, and in Dragon Lord he teams up with Mars Cheung, who portrays Lung’s best friend, Ngau. Anyone familiar with 1970s and '80s martial arts films is sure to recognize Mars Cheung, a frequent collaborator of Jackie Chan. While Mars Cheung is most known for his work as a stuntman, Dragon Lord is one of few times he’s given a substantial role, and his chemistry with Jackie Chan makes the moments they share the most memorable.

Once Jackie Chan decided to take a more active role in his films, there was a massive jump in the quality of the action set pieces. While some martial arts actors tend to have a niche and excel in it, Jackie Chan consistently strives to surpass himself with every new action sequence. The action sequences in Dragon Lord are inventive, with many occurring in situations not typically associated with martial arts cinema, particularly a Jianzi match.

Although the premise covers familiar ground, there are enough surprises along the way that things never get predictable. Another strength of Dragon Lord is how well it balances comedy and action. Ultimately, Dragon Lord is a highly entertaining film that is unjustly underrated and a must-see for fans of martial arts cinema from the 1970s and 80s.

Dragon Lord gets a definitive release from 88 Films. 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

The Protector: Deluxe Limited Edition – 88 Films (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong/USA, 1985
Director: James Glickenhaus
Writers: James Glickenhaus, King Sang Tang
Cast: Jackie Chan, Danny Aiello, Sandy Alexander, Victor Arnold, Kim Bass, Irene Britto, Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus, Al Cerullo, Roy Chiao, Moon Lee 

Release Date: May 4th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 95 Minutes 23 Seconds (U.S./international Version), 92 Minutes 7 Seconds (Hong Kong Version), 96 Minutes 54 Seconds (Japanese Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, LPCM Stereo English (U.S./international Version), LPCM Mono Cantonese (Hong Kong Version, Japanese Version)
Subtitles: English SDH (U.S./international Version), English (Hong Kong Version, Japanese Version)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £35.00 (UK)

"After the kidnapping of a wealthy businessman's daughter, maverick New York City cops Billy Wong (Jackie Chan) and Danny Garoni (Danny Aiello) are sent to garner leads in Hong Kong, but the pair find themselves beset by the local police and crime boss, Harold Ko (Roy Chiao) who will stop at nothing in ensuring the continuity of his drug empire.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

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

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

The Protector, the U.S./international version, comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 72.7 GB

Feature: 71.7 GB

The Protector, the Hong Kong version and the Japanese version come on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 80.7 GB

Feature: 70.8 GB (Hong Kong Version), 74.4 GB (Japanese Version)

This disc uses seamless branching for the two versions.

The Protector, the U.S./international version, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.9 GB

Feature: 28.6 GB

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

The Protector, the Hong Kong version and the Japanese version come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.9 GB

Feature: 29.3 GB (Hong Kong version), 30.8 GB (Japanese version)

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

The differences between 88 Films' 2019 Blu-ray release and this new release are massive. The sources for the three versions look excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Stereo English, LPCM Mono Cantonese - Hong Kong Version, LPCM Mono Cantonese - Japanese Version), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English)

The U.S./international version comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a LPCM stereo mix in English. Both of these tracks are in great shape. Dialogue comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and fight sequences sound appropriately robust. That said, I would give a slight edge to the stereo track over the DTS-HD 5.1 remix track. Included are removable English SDH.

The Hong Kong version comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

The Japanese version comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

There are no extras on the 4K UHD disc with the U.S./international version.

Extras on the 4K UHD disc with the Hong Kong version and the Japanese version include an audio commentary with East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto for the Hong Kong version and an archival audio commentary with Irish filmmaking maverick George Clarke and Hong Kong film expert Mike Leeder for the Hong Kong version.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the U.S./international version include Hong Kong theatrical teaser (5 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an international theatrical trailer (3 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with English text), Japanese theatrical trailer (1 minute 21 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese, no subtitles), Japanese theatrical teaser (26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese, no subtitles), a side-by-side comparison of the HK cut and the US cut of the film titled A Tale of 2 movies with Steve Lawson (18 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Mark Irwin titled Follow the Puck (33 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director James Glickenhaus titled Hard Edge (24 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Mars Cheung titled Mars Cheung on The Protector (15 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the Hong Kong version and the Japanese version include an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto for the Hong Kong version and an archival audio commentary with Irish George Clarke and Mike Leeder for the Hong Kong version.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a collectible double-sided poster, a rigid slipcase, an O-ring slipcover, and an 80-page perfect-bound book with cast & crew information, an essay titled I Fell in Love with Movies: An interview with cinematographer Henry Chung conducted by Thorsten Boose, an essay titled Gimme the F-ing Camera! Cut, Protect, Repeat! written by William Blaik and Thorsten Boose, and archival images. 

Summary:

Directed by James Glickenhaus, who is most known for directing The Exterminator and The Soldier. When he was brought in to direct The Protector, there was hope that this film would finally make Jackie Chan a star in the U.S., following three previous unsuccessful attempts.

The narrative revolves around two New York cops who are given the task of rescuing a rich businessman’s daughter from a notorious crime boss who has her stashed somewhere in Hong Kong.

There are two versions of The Protector, though they share a lot of footage. They are distinctively different when it comes to pacing and tone. Director James Glickenhaus’ version has far too many moments that drag on longer than they should, which greatly affects the pacing. James Glickenhaus's vision of The Protector goes against everything that one would expect from a Jackie Chan film. Then there is Jackie Chan’s preferred version, known as the Hong Kong cut. This version features characters and full sequences that are not in James Glickenhaus's version. While these scenes align more closely with Jackie Chan’s strengths, they unfortunately contribute little to the overall narrative arc. Nevertheless, both versions have their strengths and weaknesses.

The main attraction of The Protector is Jackie Chan (Wheels on Meals) in the role of a police officer named Billy Wong. This character is unlike any that Jackie Chan had portrayed up to that point in his career. Jackie Chan delivers a solid performance in his character's use of a firearm and frequent use of profanity; however, this role is not one of his standout performances.

The rest of the cast ranges from serviceable to good. The only notable performance besides Jackie Chan's is by Danny Aiello (Do the Right Thing), who plays Billy Wong’s partner, a police officer named Danny Garoni. While Jackie Chan and Danny Aiello make an unusual pairing, their characters effectively embody the buddy cop stereotypes.

From the very beginning, The Protector does not resemble a typical Jackie Chan film. Additionally, aside from a few well-executed scenes, most of the action sequences feel rather ordinary compared to Jackie Chan’s usual standards. The most memorable action set piece is the scene where Billy Wong starts a chase on a motorcycle, then continues the chase on foot by jumping from one boat to another. Ultimately, The Protector is a tale of two versions, both of which have their flaws.

The Protector gets a definitive release from 88 Films. 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

God of Gamblers II: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1990
Director: Wong Jing
Writers: Wong Jing, Corey Yuen
Cast: Andy Lau, Stephen Chow, Monica Chan, Ng Man-tat, Sharla Cheung, Charles Heung, Chow Yun-fat

Release Date: April 27th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 104 Minutes 53 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £17.00 (UK)

"Back to the casino – only this time, the Joker's wild. After his adventures with the world's greatest gambler in the first film, crafty Knife (Andy Lau – Hard Boiled 2: The Last Blood) teams up with another preternaturally gifted card sharp, Sing, played by Stephen Chow (Forbidden City Cop), here at his absolute silliest. But the odds are stacked against them: a crooked rival wants to take Knife out for good – and he's dealing from the bottom of the deck." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer: "High-definition Blu-ray presentation in original 1.85:1 aspect ratio."

God of Gamblers II comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.1 GB

Feature: 28.7 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), additional scenes from the Taiwanese version (23 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Wong Jing titled Money Maker (21 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic and author David West, an audio commentary with Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), reversible cover art, a double-sided fold-out poster, and an O-ring slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Directed by Wong Jing, a prolific producer and director who is now into his fifth decade of making cinema in Hong Kong. Anyone who's familiar with Hong Kong's heyday of the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s is sure to have seen one of his films. And though he often takes on the role of producer, most films he is associated with have his distinctive bombastic style.

Someone has stolen the identity of the God of the Gamblers' protégé and plans on using it to steal millions in a fraudulent charity card game.

Although titled God of Gamblers II, the film serves more as a blend of All for the Winner and God of the Gamblers rather than a traditional sequel to the latter. Chronologically, God of Gamblers II stands as the third installment in a series that currently comprises 15 films.

Although Andy Lau’s (Infernal Affairs) character Michael Chan, aka Knight of Gamblers, is the protagonist, it is really a film that has two protagonists whose stories intersect. The other lead is Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle) in the role of Chow Sing Cho, aka the Saint of Gamblers. While Andy Lau's performance leans towards seriousness, Stephen Chow's character encounters numerous absurd situations that offer ample comic relief.

When it comes to the humor, while most of it revolves around Stephen Chow’s character, once again he’s joined by Ng Man-tat, a frequent collaborator of Stephen Chow’s who’s often the recipient of his physical humor. There is a running gag where the Saint of the Gamblers has supernatural powers that aid him in his gambling endeavors. Unfortunately for him, his powers only work as long as he does not keep any of his winnings, which would give him bad luck.

The main constant throughout the God of the Gambler series is Wong Jing, who directed 10 of the 15 films. Anyone familiar with the films of Wong Jing knows what to expect; his direction is always solid, and he usually lets the cast do what they do best, instead of imposing a singular vision on them. That said, he does deliver a handful of stylish moments visually.

The narrative is a very satisfying balance of the Knight of Gamblers and the Saint of the Gamblers stories. When it comes to pacing, things move quickly, and the narrative does an excellent job building to its finale, a card game between the Knight of Gamblers and the man who stole his identity. While humor is key to the story, there are also well-crafted action scenes. Although Chow Yun-Fat's character, the God of the Gamblers, casts a significant shadow over the story, he is only referenced frequently by other characters. He appears in just two brief moments, both of which are archival footage from the original film, God of the Gamblers. Ultimately, God of the Gamblers II is a highly entertaining film that stands on its own, making prior knowledge of the two films that came before it unnecessary.

God of Gamblers II gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Dead Mountaineer's Hotel: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Soviet Union/Estonia, 1979
Director: Grigori Kromanov
Writers: Arkadiy Strugatskiy, Boris Strugatskiy
Cast: Uldis Pucitis, Jüri Järvet, Lembit Peterson, Mikk Mikiver, Karlis Sebris, Irena Kriauzaite, Sulev Luik, Tiit Härm, Nijole Ozelyte, Kaarin Raid 

Release Date: June 9th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 34 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Estonian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.95

""I was on call to drive to a mountain hotel. The hotel's name was The Dead Mountaineer," says police inspector Peter Glebsky (Uldis Pūcītis) at the beginning of Estonian director Grigori Kromanov’s dazzling, paranoid mixture of locked-room mystery, 1970s Euro giallo, classic noir whodunit, and (unbelievably) alien sci-fi ala The Man Who Fell to Earth. Based on a novel by famed Soviet authors Arkady and Boris Strugatsky (Stalker, Hard to be God), the hall-of-mirrors plot follows Glebsky as he’s trapped by avalanche in the ski lodge with a rogues’ gallery of weird suspects: tubercular gangster Hinckus (Mikk Mikiver), creepy hotel owner Snewahr (Jüri Järvet, King Lear), a wall-climbing physicist (Lembit Peterson), a louche, wig-wearing beauty out of a Bryan Ferry song (Irena Kriauzaite) – oh, and the Dead Mountaineer’s faithful St. Bernard." - 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, "New 4K restoration from new 4K interpositive scan by Craig Rogers and Michael Coronado for Deaf Crocodile and color grade by Tyler Fagerstrom."

Dead Mountaineer's Hotel comes on a 66 GB triple dual 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.4 GB

Feature: 55.3 GB

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

Dead Mountaineer's Hotel comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.5 GB

Feature: 24 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 Estonian with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and surprisingly robust.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include the original Estonian theatrical trailer (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Estonian with removable English subtitles), a 1979 Estonian newsreel about the film (1 minute 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Estonian with removable English subtitles), a featurette created by Estonian Public TV titled In Focus: Dead Mountaineer's Hotel, (19 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Estonian with removable English subtitles), an excerpt from the documentary Bonus Track on composer Sven Grünberg and his score for the film (13 minutes 24 seconds, DTS-HD 5.1 Estonian with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Ryan Verrill and Dr. Will Dodson titled Snow Job (8 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historian Michael Brooke.

Extras are the same on the Blu-ray disc.

Summary:

Grigori Kromanov directed only six films, and aside from Dead Mountaineer's Hotel, his other works remain largely unknown outside the former Soviet Union. The screenplay for Dead Mountaineer's Hotel was written by Arkadiy Strugatskiy and Boris Strugatskiy (Stalker), who also authored the novel on which the film is based.

An avalanche near a hotel in the mountains isolates a detective investigating a murder with his suspects.

From the very beginning, it becomes evident that Dead Mountaineer's Hotel transcends the typical mystery/thriller genre. Its opening shots of an aerial view of the landscapes surrounding the hotel accentuate the location's isolation. Sven Grünberg delivers an exemplary mood-reinforcing score that perfectly fuses with the striking imagery. From there, what unfolds is a supernatural horror film that's reminiscent of The Shining.

While most Soviet cinema aimed to promote communist ideals, many filmmakers discovered ways to address social issues and express ideas that likely should not have passed the censors. That said, although Dead Mountaineer's Hotel is a film that effectively exploits genre tropes, it is also a film rich with social commentary. Dead Mountaineer's Hotel takes aim at the rigidity of bureaucracy in a communist society, where everyone and everything are expected to fit neatly into a box.

The most surprising aspect of Dead Mountaineer's Hotel is the performances. While Dead Mountaineer's Hotel is a film that skirts conventional filmmaking, the performances do not feel out of place; they have a naturalness to them that perfectly suits the story that unfolds. The most notable example is Uldis Pucitis's portrayal of the detective investigating the murder. His character represents the status quo, while the rest of the characters have rejected it.

The well-crafted narrative does a superb job drawing you in and holding your attention as it builds to a twist that no one could see coming. That said, what begins as an investigation into a man’s death becomes gradually more surreal by the time it reaches the moment of truth. The visuals in Dead Mountaineer's Hotel are striking, featuring arresting moments that enhance the overall mood. Ultimately, Dead Mountaineer's Hotel serves as an extraordinary exploration of identity versus collectivism.

Deaf Crocodile gives Dead Mountaineer's Hotel a definitive release. Highly recommended.

Note: There is a deluxe release of Dead Mountaineer's Hotel that comes in a slipcase and a 60-page book with an essay by Soviet film scholar Peter Rollberg, an essay by film historian Michelle Kisner, and an essay by film critic Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central).

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

Krakatit: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Czechoslovakia, 1948
Director: Otakar Vávra
Writers: Otakar Vávra, Jaroslav Vávra
Cast: Karel Höger, Florence Marly, Eduard Linkers, Jiří Plachý, Nataša Tanská, František Smolík, Miroslav Homola, Vlasta Fabianová 

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 101 Minutes 2 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Czech
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.95

"“Long wandering,” a voice whispers in the brain of a man staggering along a misty riverbank, the night as fog-shrouded as his shattered mind.  Czech director Otakar Vávra’s astonishing KRAKATIT is a literal fever dream of a movie that mixes 1940s Film Noir, paranoid thriller and speculative atomic-bomb Sci-Fi in the story of a chemist named Prokop who hallucinates fragments of how he's invented a proto-nuclear weapon -- and the mystery of what's happened to the formula for it." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4.25/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Deaf Crocodile is thrilled to present the first-ever 4K UHD + Blu-ray release for this overlooked classic of Czech cinema and World Noir, beautifully restored in 4K by the Národní filmový archiv (NFA) in Prague and co-presented with the Comeback Company.

The goal of the digital restoration was to make the film available in a form similar to how it could have been seen and heard by an audience at the time when it was first released in 1948. As a result, various features that originate from the shooting of the film or its laboratory processing have been preserved and are evidence of the technologies and creative approaches of the time.

The source for the digitization was film materials preserved in the National Film Archive in Prague. The image was digitized from the original negative and the sound from the duplicate positive.

The restoration was done by the Hungarian Filmlab in Budapest, under supervision of the National Film Archive in Prague, in 2016."

Krakatit comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 77.6 GB

Feature: 68.1 GB

The restoration looks remarkable. That said, outside of a few very minor moments, the source looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Krakatit comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.4 GB

Feature: 29.3 GB

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

Audio: 4.25/5

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

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a video essay by film historian Clayton Dillard titled Krakatit: Moral Vertigo in the Nuclear Age (18 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Czech film clips), an interview on Krakatit’s restoration with archivist Tereza Frodlová of the Národní filmový archiv, Prague, moderated by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile (48 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historian Peter Hames and Czech film expert Irena Kovarova of Comeback Company.

Extras are the same on the Blu-ray disc.

Summary:

Krakatit was directed by Otakar Vávra, a filmmaker who was part of the Czech New Wave. He’s most known for The Merry Wives, Romance for Bugle, Witchhammer, and Veronica.

An engineer who creates a deadly bomb that could wipe out humanity retraces where he went wrong as he slips in and out of consciousness after being gravely injured from an explosion.

Krakatit is an adaptation of Karel Čapek’s novel of the same name. His novel features a nuclear-like explosive two decades before work on such a device began, while the film came out three years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The film serves as a strong condemnation of nuclear weapons, presenting an unflattering portrayal of those in power who desire war.

There is a striking text that opens the film that perfectly captures the protagonist's state of mind. That text reads, "The story takes place in the midst of a feverish dream. After the initial setup reveals what happened to the engineer and how he reached his current state, the narrative unfolds mainly through hallucinatory flashbacks. While many moments are rooted in reality, there are instances that challenge those boundaries, creating a juxtaposition between the two.

While the premise and its message against world annihilation are core to the film's foundation, one must overlook the importance of Karel Höger’s portrayal of Prokop, the engineer who created something that could wipe out humanity. Throughout the narrative, there are many instances where someone who wields power tries to get Prokop to give them his formula. He’s a man of strong moral character who now regrets what he’s created; unfortunately for him, he unlocked a Pandora's box.

Krakatit is a film that effortlessly blends genres until they no longer have borders. It is a mystery film, a science fiction film, and, at times, a surreal cinematic experience. The visuals are striking; they often employ odd angles, are filled with symbolism, and have a film noir-like quality to them. The mood of Krakatit is greatly enhanced by Jiří Srnka’s soul-piercing score that does an extraordinary job underscoring the protagonist's fractured mind. Ultimately, Krakatit is a powerful piece of filmmaking that has not lost any of its potency.

Deaf Crocodile gives Krakatit a definitive release. Highly recommended.

Note: There is a deluxe release of Krakatit that comes in a slipcase and a 60-page book with an essay by film critic Jonathan Owen and an essay by film critic Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central).

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