Colony Mutation: Collector's Edition – Visual Vengeance (Blu-ray)

Release Date: USA, 1995
Director: Tom Berna
Writer: Tom Berna
Cast: Joan Dinco, David Rommel, Anna Zizzo, Susan L. Cane, Clayton Simchick, Tammy Andersen, Raymond Bradford, Nancy Brown

Release Date: April 7th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 76 Minutes 50 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.95

"When genetic scientist Meredith Weaver finds out about her husband's affair, she doses him with an experimental and very unstable serum, which causes his body parts to separate from his torso and take on monstrous lives of their own, all of them now craving human flesh. Soon, he's stalking the streets in search of young women to quench the now insatiable hunger of his evil appendages." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New, director-supervised 2K transfer and restoration from original Super 8 film elements."

Colony Mutation comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.9 GB

Feature: 17.3 GB (2K Transfer), 9.3 GB (2013 DVD Version), 6.6 GB (1998 VHS Version)

Although the transfer originates from the original Super 8 elements and has undergone some cleaning, there are still inherent limitations in the source material, such as graininess and color fading that cannot be entirely removed. Nevertheless, it is clear that this release is the best the film will ever look on home media.

Audio: 2.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English with removable English SDH. Dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise this audio track is serviceable.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Visual Vengeance trailer for Colony Mutation (47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a producer’s teaser trailer for Colony Mutation (1 minute 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, complete original script, an archival public access interview with director Tom Berna titled In the Director’s Chair (11 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with music composer Patrick Nettesheim (12 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor David Rommel (30 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Tom Berna (30 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine for 2013 DVD version, an audio commentary with Tom Berna for 2K transfer version, alternate original 1998 VHS version of Colony Mutation (82 minutes 42 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, interlaced, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an alternate original 2013 DVD version of Colony Mutation (81 minutes 44 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, interlaced, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art featuring original VHS art, 'Stick your own' VHS sticker set, a folded mini-poster, a six-page leaflet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled Of Milwaukee Mutations and Men: Tom Berna’s Colony written by Tony Strauss, and an O-card slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Other extras are Visual Vengeance trailers for Cyclops, A Polish Vampire in Burbank, and Vampire’s Embrace.

Summary:

When a woman discovers her husband's affair, she doses him with an experimental serum that causes a mutation that separates his limbs from his torso.

The premise is an inventive take on the woman-scorned scenario with some body horror elements. While the opening setup effectively establishes the foundation, the narrative excessively focuses on the husband's relationship with his mistress, leaving insufficient attention on his mutation. Additionally, the narrative suffers from being overly talkative, with a lack of surprises throughout.

It’s immediately evident that Colony Mutation operates on a shoestring budget. This is particularly noticeable in its special effects, which are quite comical in their lack of quality. That said, the performances benefit from a cast who give their all by embracing everything thrown at them. Ultimately, Colony Mutation is an ambitious ultra-low-budget horror film that can’t overcome its budget limitations.

Colony Mutation is another solid release from Visual Vengeance that comes with a wealth of extras and presents the film in its best possible audio/video presentation.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Killer: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1989
Director: John Woo
Writer: John Woo
Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Chu Kong, Kenneth Tsang, Shing Fui-On, Ricky Yi Fan-wai, Barry Wong

Release Date: April 19th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 110 Minutes 58 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English, Dolby Atmos Cantonese
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £34.99 (UK)

"Ah Chong (Chow Yun-Fat) is a hitman whose latest job takes a wrong turn when, during a shootout at a lavish nightclub, he accidentally blinds singer Jennie by firing his gun too close to her eyes. Racked with remorse, Ah Chong decides to retire from his life of crime and help Jennie get a cornea transplant. But when Ah Chong's rancorous former boss betrays him, Ah Chong receives an unexpected helping hand from hot-headed police detective Lee Ying (Danny Lee, City on Fire).." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

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."

The Killer comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 87.9 GB

Feature: 83.6 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.

The Killer, the extended cut, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.9 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB (Extended Cut), 24.9 GB (Preview Cut). 17.2 GB (Preview Cut Unrestored)

This disc uses seamless branching for the three versions.

Audio: 5/5 (All Audio Tracks)

This release comes with three audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, a LPCM mono mix in English and a Dolby Atmos mix in Cantonese. The two mono tracks are comparable to the Shout! Factory 4K UHD release, while the newly created Dolby Atmos track gives fans of this film a new way to experience it. That said, all of the tracks sound excellent, and the Dolby Atmos does a phenomenal job of expanding the sound spectrum without straying away from the original mono track’s intentions. Included are English subtitles for the Cantonese language track, English SDH for the English language track, and English subtitles for Cantonese text when watching the English language track. Language tracks and subtitles can only be changed via the setup menu and not during playback. It should be noted that Arrow Video has done additional work on their subtitles and they are not the same ones used by Shout! Factory.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an image gallery (77 images—stills/lobby cards/posters), Hong Kong theatrical trailer #1 (4 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer #2 (3 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer #1 (1 minute 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer #2 (1 minute 29 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), deleted and extended scenes (11 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with burnt-in English and Cantonese subtitles), alternate English-language credits (3 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), an archival audio commentary recorded for the Criterion Collection with director John Woo and producer Terence Chang, an archival audio commentary with John Woo, an audio commentary with John Woo and film journalist Drew Taylor, and an audio commentary with film critic and author David West.

Extras on a Blu-ray disc include four archival featurettes with John Woo and producer Tsui Hark: The Birth of the Romance Killer (8 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with text in French and removable English subtitles), The Loneliness of the Director (7 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with text in French and removable English subtitles), Editing and Identification (11 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with text in French and removable English subtitles) and The Influence of Jean-Pierre Melville (4 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with text in French and removable English subtitles), American Cinematheque 2025 introduction with John Woo (14 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Kenneth Tsang (15 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Sally Yeh (14 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with cinematographer Peter Pau (14 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Inside The Killer (11 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo, no subtitles), an interview with editor David Wu titled Editing the Killer (11 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo, no subtitles), an interview with Terence Chang titled My Kind of Hero (6 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with John Woo titled A Bullet Ballet (44 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo, no subtitles), and a documentary about John Woo titled The Hero of Heroic Bloodshed, featuring interviews with John Woo, stuntman Bruce Law, producer Michael Colleary, writer Mike Werb, and producer Lori Tilkin de (74 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo, no subtitles).

Extras on a 2nd Blu-ray disc include the Taiwanese extended preview cut with additional scenes from the Taiwan VHS release (129 minutes 28 seconds, LPCM mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles, contains standard-definition inserts), the Taiwanese extended preview cut unrestored from a 35mm print (129 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with burnt-in English and Cantonese subtitles, in standard-definition), and the extended Taiwanese cut (136 minutes 49 seconds, LPCM mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles, 1080p with standard-definition inserts).

Other extras include a reversible cover art, a double-sided foldout poster, six postcard-sized art cards, a chipboard slipcase, a slipcover, and a 40-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Killer, John Woo’s Elegy for Chivalry written by Priscilla Page, an essay titled John Woo’s The Killer, Honour, Melancholy and a Ballet of Bullets written by Frank Djeng, an essay titled Heart Target written by Rafik Djoumi, an interview with John Woo conducted by Stéphane Moïssakis, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

John Woo dedicated his entire career to making The Killer, and following the unprecedented success of A Better Tomorrow and A Better Tomorrow II, he finally had the liberty to craft a film according to his vision. Although The Killer features elements that are in common with his two A Better Tomorrow films, the result is a film that feels more like something that was influenced by the French New Wave. That said, when all was said and done, The Killer solidified John Woo's place as one of Hong Kong cinema's greatest filmmakers.

A hitman agrees to do one last job for a friend, and during the hit he accidentally blinds a nightclub singer. Feeling guilty, the hitman works his way into her life, and when he needs money for an operation to restore her sight, he takes on another contract killer job. Although he kills his target, the person who hired him double-crosses him and sends a hit squad to eliminate him.

The Killer, like John Woo’s two A Better Tomorrow films, is most recognized for its highly stylized action sequences, and yet, like those two films, it is a film that actually connects on an emotional level. While the action sequences rightfully receive significant attention, John Woo’s most overlooked talent as a filmmaker lies in his ability to craft dramatic moments that are just as exhilarating as his explosive action scenes.

The Killer’s flawlessly constructed narrative is filled with tense moments that build upon each other and culminate in an exemplary finale that’s overflowing with symbolism and a hellfire of bullets. The narrative opens big with a nightclub shootout where the protagonist accidentally blinds a woman who gets in the crossfire of the mayhem unfolding. This sequence works on so many levels; it does a superb job setting the foundation for what unfolds, and it quickly establishes what kind of man the protagonist is.

The Killer, like the other five films that make up John Woo’s key six Hong Kong films, is blessed with an outstanding cast. Chow Yun-fat (Hard Boiled) is cast in the role of a hitman named Ah Jong. Ah Jong is fiercely loyal and demonstrates compassion for those he unintentionally harms through his actions. While he shares traits with the characters that Chow Yun-fat portrayed in A Better Tomorrow and A Better Tomorrow II, this portrayal arguably represents the best character he has ever played.

Another performance of note is Danny Lee (City on Fire) in the role of Detective Li Ying. Although his character starts off as Ah Jong’s adversary, by the time the finale rolls around, they have formed an inseparable bond. He delivers an exceptional performance that perfectly counterbalances Chow Yun-fat’s Ah Jong. Rounding out the cast is Sally Yeh (Shanghai Blues) in the role of Jennie, the nightclub singer who loses her sight, and Shing Fui-on (The Blue Jean Monster) in the role of Wong Hoi, the man who hired and double-crossed Ah Jong.

Besides the aforementioned nightclub shootout, there are three other significant action set pieces. The first of these is an ambush at Ah Jung’s apartment and the aftermath in which the police investigate. This sequence features a tracking shot that starts with Detective Li Ying and concludes with Ah Jung seated in the same chair. It is a striking moment that allows the detective to delve into Ah Jung's mindset for a deeper understanding of him. The second of these is a virtually dialogue-free 20-minute sequence where Ah Jung, sitting in a speedboat, kills his target, then flees the scene, is attacked by assassins while being chased by police, and takes a critically injured young girl to the hospital. That said, the biggest and best action set piece is saved for a finale that takes place inside of a church.

The unsung hero of The Killer is its score/soundtrack, which greatly heightens the mood. A trio of songs sung by Sally Yeh and George Frideric Handel's Messiah when a Virgin Mary statue is blown into pieces are the most notable music cues. The Killer is a film in which every element harmoniously comes together, creating a work that far exceeds the sum of its parts. Ultimately, it stands out not only as one of the best action films but also as one of the greatest films ever made.

For their release, Arrow Video has added a substantial amount of new extras and two alternate versions of the film. In comparing the two releases, it is evident that Arrow Video’s version stands out as the superior choice over Shout! Factory’s offering. The Killer 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

Jess Franco: From Bangkok with Bullets – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Spain, 1985 (Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included, Bangkok, Date with Death)
Director: Jesús Franco (Both Films)
Writer: Jesús Franco (Both Films)
Cast: Howard Vernon, Helena Garret, José Llamas, Trino Trives, Ana Espejo, Christian Borck, Rafael Corés, Juan Soler, José Miguel García Marfa, Óscar San Juan (Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included), José Llamas, Helena Garret, Eduardo Fajardo, Bork Gordon, Albino Graziani, Ramón García, Lina Romay, Antonio Mayans (Bangkok, Date with Death)

Release Date: April 8th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 91 Minutes 34 Seconds (Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included), 87 Minutes 41 Seconds (Bangkok, Date with Death)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.95

"In the worldwide Blu-ray premiere of Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included, Francoverse legend Howard Vernon stars as a cantankerous British agent on the trail of a creepy cult leader. In The Worldwide Disc Premiere of Bangkok, Date with Death, Jess unleashes a pop-art crime spree of pirates, kidnappers, and kung fu killers starring his beloved muse Lina Romay." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included), 3.75/5 (Bangkok, Date with Death)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Both films have been scanned in 4K from their original camera negatives."

Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.7 GB

Feature: 20 GB

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

Bangkok, Date with Death comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.2 GB

Feature: 24.9 GB

While there are many areas where Bangkok, Date with Death looks similar to Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included, I will only focus on those where it differs. There are some moments that have an intentional tint, notably a beach sequence, and some source-related damage that still remains; see the example in the last screenshot.

Audio: 4/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. Although both tracks sound clear and balanced, they are limited range-wise.

Extras:

Extras on the disc with Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included are a locations featurette titled In The Land of Franco Part 14, featuring Stephen Thrower, actor Antonio Mayans, and actress Katja Bienert (18 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film writer/bit player/assistant director Carlos Aguilar titled Filmmaking on the Run (19 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Flowers of Perversion: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco, titled Colonel Blimp in Bangkok (28 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Spanish film clips).

Extras on the disc with Bangkok, Date with Death are a locations featurette titled In The Land of Franco Part 15, featuring Stephen Thrower, actor Antonio Mayans, and actress Katja Bienert (15 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film scholar Dr. Álex Mendíbil (35 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an interview with Stephen Thrower titled Bangkok Back-to-Back (24 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Spanish film clips).

Other extras include a website-exclusive slipcover.

Summary:

Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included: When a British ambassador is murdered during a political event, the British government sends a secret agent to track down his assassin.

Throughout his career, Jess Franco showed that he could adapt to any genre, and although he’s most known for his work in the horror and erotica genres, his most underappreciated films are in the espionage genre. His earliest forays in espionage cinema were Attack of the Robots, Residence for Spies, and Lucky, the Inscrutable, while films like Two Undercover Angels, Kiss Me Monster, The Devil Came from Akasava, and Two Female Spies with Flowered Panties have elements from the genre.

Sometimes Jess Franco’s overall legacy is unfairly dragged down because of his numerous director-for-hire jobs that are impersonal and far removed from his personal style. When inspired, Jess Franco has proven countless times that he can deliver cinema that stays with you and create individual moments that are masterpieces. While most Jess Franco fans would agree that he reached his peak in the 1970s, from the 1980s onward he would deliver a few more remarkable films.

Having time to reflect and revisit a film can change one's mind about it. This has been particularly true for me regarding the works of Jess Franco. My first impression of Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included, is that it's a film that lacks the elements that make Jess Franco's most celebrated films engaging and rewatchable. However, Jess Franco is the kind of filmmaker whose work often improves with subsequent viewings. Revisiting Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included, after all these years, I finally found that it resonated with me.

Besides Jess Franco's cinema obsessions that he infused in all of his films, another thing that makes most of his films so damn enjoyable is his collective of actors and actresses. When it comes to actors, none is more identified with the cinema of Jess Franco than Howard Vernon, who first worked with him on The Awful Dr. Orlof. This time, Howard Vernon takes on the role of Colonel Daniel J. Blimp, a grumpy elderly spy. Although Howard Vernon consistently gave his all in every Jess Franco film, this role provides him with significantly more material to work with compared to many of his other performances for Jess Franco. The remaining cast consists of individuals who collaborated with Jess Franco on only a few films.

The narrative does a superb job holding your attention, and while the things move at a deliberate pace (something Jess Franco’s films are known for), there is rarely a dull moment. Another thing you can count on with Jess Franco's cinema is his unique brand of humor, which Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included displays in ample amounts. The funniest and most memorable moment is a scene where Colonel Daniel J. Blimp drags a naked woman along with him to a crime scene. Rounding things out there, there is an obligatory nightclub sequence and some karate is thrown in for good measure. Ultimately, Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included is an entertaining satire of the espionage film, anchored by a hilarious performance from Howard Vernon.

Bangkok, Date with Death: Several criminal organizations and a private investigator try to collect a large ransom for a billionaire's daughter who's been kidnapped.

Bangkok, Date with Death is a sequel only in name to Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included. Although both films feature some of the same cast members, there is no character overlap. Bangkok, Date with Death is yet another example of Jess Franco’s notorious practice of shooting films back-to-back, creating two projects that share similarities and cast members. In contrast to Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included, which follows a more conventional filmmaking approach, Bangkok, Date with Death showcases the distinctive cinematic flourishes that are characteristic of Jess Franco's cinematic style.

The cast is anchored by two of Jess Franco’s most frequent collaborators: Lina Romay (Female Vampire), who portrays a pirate and Antonio Mayans (Alone Against Terror), who portrays a crime boss named Malko. When it comes to the performances, it is hard not to get caught up in everyone's enthusiasm.

Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included is a film firmly rooted in the espionage genre, while Bangkok, Date with Death, draws from the Philip Marlowe crime films. The opening setup does an excellent job establishing who everyone is, and the narrative effectively builds to a "crime does not pay" finale. The most Jess Franco moments are a scene where the kidnapped woman is tortured with a beauty salon hairdryer and a scene where Lina Romay’s character dances in a bathing suit. Ultimately, Bangkok, Date with Death is a highly entertaining film that quickly grabs your attention with comic book introductions for its characters and keeps you engaged with a series of absurd moments.

Severin Films' Jess Franco: From Bangkok with Bullets features two films by Jess Franco, offering a strong audio and video presentation along with a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Angry River – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1971
Director: Huang Feng
Writer: Huang Feng
Cast: Angela Mao, Kao Yuen, Pai Ying, Fung Ngai, Han Ying-Chieh, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 90 Minutes 39 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Mandarin, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Lan Feng, a courageous young woman on a desperate mission to find a cure for her gravely injured father. But danger lurks at every turn, as the very villains responsible for her father's fate pursue her relentlessly. What follows is a whirlwind of acrobatic combat, breathtaking choreography, and fierce determination, as Lan Feng's journey becomes a battle for justice and survival." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "This 88 Films Blu-ray edition brings the film roaring back to life in a stunning 2K restoration from the original negative."

The Angry River comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Mandarin), 3/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Mandarin and a LPCM mono mix in English. The Mandarin language track sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and action sequences sound robust. The English language track has some background hiss and other imperfections, and range-wise, it does not sound as full as the Mandarin track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Mandarin language track and removable English subtitles for Mandarin text when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (stills/lobby cards/posters), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian cinema experts Frank Djeng and Michael Worth, reversible cover art, a double-sided fold-out poster (limited to the first pressing), and an O-ring slipcase (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Huang Feng directed The Angry River. He’s known for The Shaolin Plot, Naked Comes the Huntress and his nine collaborations with Angela Mao.

When her father is given a fatal poison, Lan Feng, a gifted martial artist, sets out on a dangerous journey to retrieve the antidote. Faced with the decision of her dying father running out of time, she relinquishes her martial arts skills for the antidote, which puts her in danger on her way back home.

The Angry River marked Golden Harvest's inaugural official release, a company that gained prominence after collaborating with Bruce Lee on four films. Golden Harvest was founded by a trio of film producers: Raymond Chow, Peter Choi, and Leonard Ho, who had been working at Shaw Brothers, the most dominant studio in Hong Kong cinema throughout the 1960s. For their first film, The Angry River, they would draw some inspiration from the Shaw Brothers by making a Wuxia film, their most popular genre at that time.

The Angry River is a film of two halves. The first half revolves around the protagonist Lan Feng’s quest to obtain a rare herb that has the power to reverse the fatal poison in her father's body. The latter half shifts from a heroic journey to a story rooted in revenge when the protagonist's father dies before she’s able to return with the antidote. From there she ingests the herb, which also has the power to restore her martial arts skills, which were taken away from her.

The Angry River is an important film in another way; it marked the first time Angela Mao (Lady Whirlwind) was a lead in a film. She would go on to become one of martial arts cinema’s biggest stars of the 1970s. While she is given a few moments to showcase her martial arts prowess, there is a long stretch where her character is passive because her skills have been taken away. Another cast member of note is Sammo Hung Kam-Bo (The Magnificent Butcher) in an early role as an evil henchman.

Although the premise retreads all too familiar ground, it does a superb job balancing exposition and action sequences. In the case of the latter, they are mostly weapon-oriented and while they are well-executed, they lack inventiveness. Another byproduct of this era of martial arts cinema is hearing familiar uncredited music cues like Tiger Tank from Kelly’s Heroes and the main theme from On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Ultimately, The Angry River is a well-crafted martial arts film that foreshadows better things to come from its leading lady Angela Mao.

88 Films gives The Angry River a strong audio/video presentation and there is an insightful audio commentary. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer