The Time-Bending Mysteries of Shahram Mokri – Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Iran, 2008 (Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories), Iran, 2013 (Fish & Cat), Iran, 2017 (Invasion), Iran, 2020 (Careless Crime)
Director: Shahram Mokri (All Films)
Cast: Saeed Ebrahimifar, Sina Razani, Hutan Mokri, Ali Sarabi, Baharan BaniAhmadi, Siamak Safari, Reza Behbudi, Pegah Tabassinejad, Sadaf Ahmadi (Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories), Babak Karimi, Saeed Ebrahimifar, Siavash Cheraghi Pour, Mohammad Berahmani, Faraz Modiri, Abed Abest, Arnavaz Safari, Pedram Sharifi, Neda Jebreili, Ainaz Azarhoush (Fish & Cat), Abed Abest, Elaheh Bakhshi, Soheil Soheili Seresht, Esmaeil Gorji, Babak Karimi, Behzad Dorani, Pedram Sharifi (Invasion), Babak Karimi, Razieh Mansouri, Abolfazl Kahani, Mohammad Sareban, Adel Yaraghi, Mahmoud Behraznia, Behzad Dorani (Careless Crime),

Release Date: May 26th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 89 Minutes 44 Seconds (Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories), 141 Minutes 20 Seconds (Fish & Cat), 99 Minutes 32 Seconds (Invasion), 135 Minutes 57 Seconds (Careless Crime)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories, Fish & Cat), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Invasion, Careless Crime)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Farsi (Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories, Fish & Cat), DTS-HD 5.1 Farsi (Invasion, Careless Crime)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $54.95

"A hypnotic journey through the fluid boundaries of time and storytelling, The Time-Bending Mysteries of Shahram Mokri brings together four groundbreaking films from one of Iran's most visionary contemporary directors. Known for his daring narratives and circular structures, Shahram Mokri crafts mysteries that unfold like dreams--at once suspenseful, surreal, and deeply human.

Careless Crime (2020) interlaces three distinct timelines--of arsonists plotting to torch a movie theater, of the audience within, and of the film being screened inside that theater--into a mind-bending reflection on cinema, memory, and national trauma. Inspired by the real-life 1978 Cinema Rex fire that ignited the Iranian Revolution, it's a masterwork of temporal distortion and social commentary.

Fish & Cat (2013), Mokri's internationally acclaimed single-take thriller, reimagines the American slasher film through an art-house lens. Following a group of campers near a remote restaurant run by two menacing figures, the film loops through eerie encounters and ghostly repetitions that evoke the haunting logic of Stalker more than Friday the 13th.

Ashkan, The Charmed Ring and Other Stories (2008), Mokri's debut feature, reveals his taste for dark humor and fate-twisting narrative. Shot in crisp black-and-white, its interconnected vignettes recall the cool detachment of Stranger Than Paradise and the stylized violence of Reservoir Dogs, weaving chance and consequence into a melancholy urban mosaic.

Finally, Invasion (2017) ventures into futuristic noir. In a dimly lit sports complex where time seems suspended, tattooed athletes, detectives, and possible vampires collide in a looping investigation that merges crime story, science fiction, and existential puzzle." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories), 4.5/5 (Fish & Cat, Invasion, Careless Crime)

Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.5 GB

Feature: 17.3 GB

Fish & Cat comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.1 GB

Feature: 37.3 GB

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

Disc Size: 34.9 GB

Feature: 27.6 GB

Careless Crime comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 37.6 GB

Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories was shot at 25 fps and converted to 24 fps for international release, while the other three films were all shot at 24 fps. While Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories’ source, is not as strong as the other three, it does exhibit strong image clarity, contrast, and black levels, and compression is solid. The other three films' sources look excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, and image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.5/5 (All Audio Tracks)

Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories and Fish & Cat come with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Farsi with removable English subtitles. Invasion and Careless Crime come with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Farsi with removable English subtitles. All tracks sound clear and balanced, with ambient sound being well-represented range-wise.

Extras:

Extras for Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories include a Q&A with director Shahram Mokri (65 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Farsi with non-removable English subtitles).

Extras for Fish & Cat include a Q&A with Shahram Mokri (66 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Farsi with non-removable English subtitles).

Extras for Invasion include a Q&A with Shahram Mokri (48 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Farsi with non-removable English subtitles).

Extras for Careless Crime include a Q&A with Shahram Mokri (59 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Farsi with non-removable English subtitles) and behind-the-scenes footage for Careless Crime with commentary by Shahram Mokri (22 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Farsi with non-removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art.

Summary:

Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories: There are three stories; the first revolves around two blind men and a suicidal man who pull off a daring jewelry heist. The second story revolves around a police captain who's more concerned about talking to a cashier he’s fallen in love with, despite never having spoken to her, than solving crimes. The third story revolves around two lovers in a forbidden affair who are running away with a large sum of money so they can be together. Tying all of their stories together is a charmed ring that actually brings anyone who wears it bad luck.

Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories is a film that’s ultimately about fate. It is also a film that very effectively employs black humor, notably when an act of kindness leads to a character's doom. Shot in black and white, the cinematography, while at times striking, allows the performances to be the focal point. Although the nonlinear narrative jumps from the present to the past without notice, it is always easy to follow. The narrative structure and the way it intertwines characters are reminiscent of films such as Pulp Fiction and Magnolia. Ultimately, Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories is a solid feature film debut for Shahram Mokri and his most accessible film to date.

Fish & Cat: A group of students travel to the Caspian Sea for their kite contest and set up camp near a restaurant run by three men whose main dish is human flesh.

Fish & Cat is based on a true story about a restaurant in northern Iran that served human flesh in the late 1990s. While its premise has all the elements that one exempts from a slasher film, the result is actually an anti-slasher film, since there is no onscreen carnage. That said, what it lacks in carnage, it more than makes up for with its ability to create an ominous atmosphere.

The most notable aspect of Fish & Cat is that its 141-minute narrative unfolds in a single continuous shot without any edits. While this ambitious storytelling method is intriguing, the flow of the narrative has its shortcomings. Character interactions primarily revolve around mundane topics, many of which do not significantly contribute to the overall outcome. Besides Babak Karimi and Saeid Ebrahimifar, the rest of the cast is made up of unknown theater artists making their first appearance on film. Ultimately, Fish & Cat is an experimental horror film that sometimes becomes overly clever, which may lead some viewers to feel its payoff disappointing.

Invasion: In a dystopian future, a very long eclipse of the sun and an unknown disease wreak havoc on society. The police investigating a man accused of murder force him to reconstruct the events.

Just like his previous film, Fish & Cat, Invasion was shot in one linear, continuous take without any edits. Although it is primarily a sci-fi film, it also effectively blends elements of police procedural thrillers and horror, in the form of vampires. While the narrative effectively advances the story, it fails to build consistent momentum, and there are few surprises throughout. Ultimately, Invasion takes minimalism to its extremes, resulting in a film where style overshadows substance. 

Careless Crime: Four men decide to set ablaze a cinema filled with people.

Once again, Shahram Mokri takes a historical event, the Cinema Rex fire, and uses that as the starting point for his film. Careless Crime departs from the continuous linear shots used in Shahram Mokri's previous two films and instead adopts a non-linear structure reminiscent of Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories. In addition to shifting between characters, Careless Crime features film-within-a-film moments.

While there is an occasional visually striking moment, Careless Crime, like Shahram Mokri’s other films, is dialogue- and mood-driven. Careless Crime’s use of ambient sounds is a key component in its ability to create mood and build tension. The narrative jumps from past to present and includes a film within a film, which some viewers might find challenging. Ultimately, Careless Crime stands as Shahram Mokri’s most accomplished work, requiring multiple viewings for full appreciation.

The Time-Bending Mysteries of Shahram Mokri is a solid release from Deaf Crocodile, offering the best home media presentation of four films to date. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Fire and Ice: Steelbook – Blue Underground (4K UHD/Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1983
Director: Ralph Bakshi
Writers: Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas
Cast: Susan Tyrrell, Maggie Roswell, William Ostrander, Stephen Mendel, Steve Sandor

Release Date: June 30th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 81 Minutes 38 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: PG
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English, DTS-HD 5.1 English, Dolby Atmos English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD, Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $69.95

"It began as a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between two of the greatest icons of the fantasy genre: Controversial animator Ralph Bakshi (director of Fritz the Cat, Wizards and the original The Lord of the Rings) and legendary illustrator Frank Frazetta (creator of the iconic Conan the Barbarian, Vampirella and Edgar Rice Burroughs book covers). It became - and remains - one of the most startling animation epics of all time. Now experience a world unlike any ever seen, where savage warriors, horrific monsters and luscious maidens battle for the soul of a civilization in a time of good and evil, pleasure and pain, and Fire and Ice." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Blue Underground is proud to present Fire and Ice in a brand-new restoration, scanned in 4K 16-bit from the original negative, with Dolby Vision HDR and a new Dolby Atmos audio mix!"

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

Disc Size: 74.6 GB

Feature: 53.4 GB

The source looks excellent; it's a massive improvement over Blue Underground’s 2009 Blu-ray release. Colors look vibrant, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

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

Disc Size: 34.7 GB

Feature: 23.1 GB

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

Audio: 5/5 (All Audio Tracks)

This release comes with three audio otpions, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, and a Dolby Atmos mix in English. While you cannot go wrong with any of these tracks, you really should give the newly created Dolby Atmos track a listen. It is an immersive track that expands the original stereo source while retaining its essence. Included are removable English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include poster & still galleries: posters (15 images), German Lobby Cards (18 images), colors stills (34 images), Frazetta artwork portfolio (12 images), Bakshi artwork portfolio (22 images), sketches (41 images), animation cells & backgrounds (45 images), and video, comics & more (43 images), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a Behind-the-Scenes photo gallery (13 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with music from the film and text in English), an archival featurette titled Sean Hannon’s Diary Notes (14 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Ralph Bakshi titled Bakshi on Frazetta (8 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette made during the film’s production tilted The Making Of Fire and Ice (13 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez titled Frank Frazetta’s Fire and Ice (7 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Sara Frazetta titled The Art of Fire and Ice: The Frank Frazetta Legacy (15 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an archival audio commentary with Ralph Bakshi.

The extras are the same on both discs.

Other extras include a steelbook packaging, a slipcover, a CD with William Kraft’s 21-track score for Fire and Ice, and an insert with a track listing for the CD.

Summary:

Ralph Bakshi directed Fire and Ice. He’s most known for Fritz the Cat, Wizards, The Lord of the Rings (1978), and American Pop. Fire and Ice is a collaboration between animator Ralph Bakshi and artist Frank Frazetta that combines animation cells and the use of rotoscoping for live-action moments. Frank Frazetta is most known for illustrating Conan and Edgar Rice Burroughs books and movie posters and album covers.

A barbarian warrior and a princess take on a power-hungry sorcerer named Nekron.

Although Fire and Ice is a fairly standard sword and sorcery tale about good versus evil, the result is an often exhilarating film that brings together two titan talents in their fields: Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta. The story that unfolds is overflowing with arresting imagery, graphic carnage, and a scantily clad princess who provides plenty of eye candy. There are also an ample number of monsters, like a giant squid and mutants referred to as subhumans who try to impede the hero in his quest for revenge.

While Fire and Ice is a film that shines in many aspects, its narrative stands out as the primary flaw that prevents it from achieving perfection. Its shortcomings are more than its simplicity; there are not many surprises, and early on it becomes clear where things are heading. Fortunately, Ralph Bakshi’s instincts as a filmmaker and Frank Frazetta’s captivating images make the shortcomings of the narrative easy to look past. Another thing that works in Fire and Ice’s favor is William Craft’s score, which does an outstanding job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Fire and Ice is a film overflowing with style and atmosphere, making it a must-see for fans of Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta.

Fire and Ice gets a definitive release from Blue Underground. 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