Rampo Noir – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2005
Directors: Akio Jissoji, Atsushi Kaneko, Hisayasu Satō, Suguru Takeuchi
Writers: Atsushi Kaneko, Akio Satsukawa, Suguru Takeuchi, Shirō Yumeno
Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Mikako Ichikawa, Yumi Yoshiyuki, Ryuhei Matsuda, Hiroki Narimiya, Nao Ōmori, Yūko Daike

Release Date: January 6th, 2025 (UK), January 7th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 134 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Four filmmakers from completely different backgrounds bring their radically personal takes to the stories of Japan's celebrated master of the macabre, Edogawa Rampo (Horrors of Malformed Men, Blind Beast).

In "Mars's Canal", by music video director and visual artist Suguru Takeuchi, a lone man encounters the other side of his psyche beyond the reflective surface of a circular pond set in a desolate landscape. Japanese New Wave auteur and longtime director of the Ultraman series Akio Jissoji (This Transient Life, Mandala) harnesses his distinctive stylistic sheen in his story of a mad mirror maker, "Mirror Hell". "Caterpillar" sees the singular vision of cult director Hisayasu Sato (The Bedroom, Naked Blood) at its most grotesque, in his portrait of a wounded war veteran who returns from the frontline as little more than a bloody torso, helpless to defend himself against the increasingly perverted caprices of an embittered wife. Finally, a famous actor is subjected to the obsessive attentions of her limo driver in "Crawling Bugs", the directorial debut of internationally acclaimed manga artist Atsushi Kaneko (Bambi and Her Pink Gun).

Produced by the same team behind Ichi the Killer and Uzumaki, and with a cast featuring some of Japan's top stars, including Tadanobu Asano (Maboroshi, Silence) and Ryuhei Matsuda (Blue Spring, Gohatto), Rampo Noir is a stylistic tour-de-force that vividly evokes the "erotic grotesque" worlds created by Japan's pioneering proponent of horror and mystery fiction." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release’s transfers, "The high-definition master was supplied by Kadokawa."

Rampo Noir comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45 GB

Feature: 25.6 GB

The source does an excellent job retaining each segment's intended look. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. Dialogue comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include five galleries: main stills (4 images), Mars's Canal (4 images), Mirror Hell (12 images), Caterpillar (19 images), and Crawling Bugs (12), an archival making-of documentary titled Cross the Lens (75 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival featurette from the film's premiere titled Stage Greeting (15 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Sugura Takeuchi titled Another World (14 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Hisayasu Sato titled A Moving Transformation (25 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Atsushi Kaneko titled Butterfly Queen (13 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematography advisor Masao Nakabori titled Hall of Mirrors (25 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa titled The Butterfly Effect (15 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Yumi Yoshiyuki titled Looking in the Mirror (13 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Japanese film experts Jasper Sharp and Alexander Zahlten, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), a double-sided poster (limited to the first pressing), and a 28-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Erotic Grotesque Nonsense written by Eugene Thacker, an essay titled The Avant-Garde Hell of Rampo Noir written by Seth Jacobowitz, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Rampo Noir is an anthology film where each segment is adapted from a Rampo Edogawa story. Over the years filmmakers have adapted his works numerous times, notably Teruo Ishii's Horrors of Malformed Men and Noboru Tanaka's Watcher in the Attic. While Rampo Edogawa's stories connect each segment, each director brings their distinctive vibe and look.

Mars Canal: There are no spoken words, and it is the shortest of the four segments. The narrative revolves around a man traveling aimlessly while he remembers a former lover. This segment firmly embodies the avant-garde in its stylistic approach.

Mirror Hell: A detective investigates a series of deaths where all of the victims have burnt faces and charred skulls.

This segment is best described as a police procedural with occult elements. The deliberately paced narrative is never in a hurry to get to its payoff, and some viewers might find it too slow-moving. Fortunately, the visuals greatly aid the story that unfolds, with the director taking full advantage of the numerous mirrors. That said, while slow-moving, an excellent finale will reward those with patience.

Caterpillar: A sadistic wife takes care of a war veteran with no limbs, who's deaf and blind, and takes pleasure in mutilating his body.

Hisayasu Satō is the most significant of the four filmmakers, and it should not be a surprise that his segment is the strongest and most memorable. While Rampo Noir is not classified as a pinku eiga film, it incorporates numerous elements that Hisayasu Satō examined in his explorations of this genre. The visuals are filled with striking moments, and this segment is overflowing with weirdness.

Crawling Bugs: An actress is abducted by a man with a germ phobia who obsessively scratched his flesh.

This segment focuses more on style than substance, and while I would have liked more information about the man’s condition, the visuals do a superb job carrying the narrative. The visuals are filled with visually arresting moments, and the use of color is particularly striking. Additionally, this segment stands out due to its impressive special effects.

Rampo Noir gets an exceptional release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Succubus - Blue Underground (DVD)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany, 1968
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Pier A. Caminnecci, Jesús Franco, Gert Günther Hoffmann
Cast: Janine Reynaud, Jack Taylor, Howard Vernon, Nathalie Nort, Michel Lemoine, Pier A. Caminnecci, Américo Coimbra, Lina De Wolf, Eva Brauner, Adrian Hoven, Jesús Franco

Release Date: July 25th, 2006
Approximate Running Time: 79 Minutes 19 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region 1 NTSC
Retail Price: $14.95

"At a chic nightclub for jaded jetsetters, a simulated snuff performance is the main attraction, and Lorna, its leading lady, is the obsession of men and women alike. Little do they realize that Lorna's Mephistophelean manager has transformed her into "the essence of evil... a devil on earth!" Soon the sensuous starlet's stage persona possesses her entirely, thrusting Lorna into a hallucinatory world of sadomasochistic excess and drawing everyone she touches into her debaucherous delirium. Can anyone stop Lorna before her perverse stage show becomes a murderous reality?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly remastered from original vault materials."

Succubus comes on a dual layer DVD.

Disc Size: 7.1 GB

Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity is good, and black levels are strong. Also, compression is very good, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. That said, for an 19-year-old DVD, this transfer looks very good.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and the range is very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Jack Taylor titled Back in Berlin (7 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), and an interview with director Jess Franco titled From Necronomicon to Succubus (22 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with non-removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Lorna Green is a nightclub performer whose simulated snuff act is world-renowned. It doesn’t take long before Lorna starts to confuse her stage persona with reality by engulfing herself in a downward spiral of hallucinatory visions that feel all too real. Has she gone too far, or will she regain the sanity that slowly slips away?

Succubus marked a new beginning for Jess Franco, who had primarily directed horror and spy films up until that point. The films that followed Succubus increasingly embraced sexual content. The narrative in Succubus, like many of Jess Franco's works, has been described as disjointed or confusing. However, this characterization is misleading; in many ways, it represents one of Jess Franco's most developed plots. 

Succubus features a dreamlike narrative style that perfectly complements Jess Franco’s surreal imagery. The distinction between reality and dreams blurs throughout the film. Jess Franco skillfully navigates this boundary, never fully revealing either as falsehoods. The opening sequence exemplifies this blurring of reality and dreams, featuring an S&M scenario in which Lorna tortures a man and a woman. This sequence is notable for its clever design and execution. Jess Franco slowly teases the viewer as his camera pulls back to reveal that what we are watching is a stage show and not real torture.

Janine Reynaud (The Case of the Scorpion's Tail) is cast in the role of the protagonist, Lorna. She would work with Jess Franco two more times: Two Undercover Angels and Kiss Me Monster. Her performance is exquisite as she plays both the seductress and the confused victim with equal flair. Rounding out the cast are other faces recognizable to Jess Franco fans; Jack Taylor (Eugenie… the Story of Her Journey into Perversion) portrays Lorna’s boyfriend, and Howard Vernon (The Awful Dr. Orloff) makes an appearance in the role of Admiral Kapp.

The locations used and costumes are both solid assets that add to the film's overall glossed look. Jess Franco uses soft-focus photography throughout the film, and many of these sequences are undoubtedly among the most beautiful he ever composed. Succubus features several elements that Franco would later utilize more effectively in the following decade. Ultimately, Succubus is a perfect blend of surrealism and eroticism, making it one of Jess Franco's high-water mark films.

Blue Underground gives Succubus its home media release to date. Recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Films of Hisayasu Satô: Volume #3 - Kyrie Eleison / Rafureshia / Turtle Vision – Pink Line (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1993 (Kyrie Eleison), Japan, 1995 (Rafureshia), Japan, 1991 (Turtle Vision)
Director: Hisayasu Satô (All Films)
Cast: Kiyomi Itô, Takeshi Itô, Mako, Kôichi Imaizumi, Mineo Sugiura, Momori Asano (Kyrie Eleison), Kinako, Yumi Yoshiyuki, Kiyomi Itô, Kôichi Imaizumi, Simon Kumai (Rafureshia), Rei Takagi, Naomi Sugishita, Miki Fukada, Taketoshi Watari, Yutaka Ikejima, Ryûji Yamamoto, Kunihiko Kojima, Aizô Masaki, Kôichi Imaizumi, Kiyomi Itô (Turtle Vision)

Release Date: January 20th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 60 Minutes 48 Seconds (Kyrie Eleison), 63 Minutes 34 Seconds (Rafureshia), 60 Minutes 54 Seconds (Turtle Vision)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Japanese (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.98

"Satô's study of the psychosexual world of loneliness, Kyrie Eleison tells the story of a socially isolated medical researcher who begins a series of bizarre experiments she hopes may heal her boyfriend left comatose after an accident. But as her wild experiments in wiretapping have increasingly violent and masochistic results, the lines between reality and nightmare start to irreparably blur.

In Rafureshia, Satô takes a much lighter, almost absurdist tone, in this equally bizarre approach to the Pink film, as he explores the interwoven lives of a set of very different women, as each tries to explore and harness their sexuality in the face of unavoidable abuse. Set in an almost fairytale arc, albeit one with incestuous fathers, dominatrixes, and lecherous homeless men, Rafureshia plays with mood and comedy with surprising results.

Satô updates the tropes of a classic “rape and revenge” drama in the highly voyeuristic Turtle Vision, as a traumatized young woman grows into a cynical and vengeful adult, focusing her carnal and often bloodthirsty rage on the men who court her. Dramatically photographed with exemplary use of Satô’s fixation on video and TV monitors, the story is framed around a professional cameraman (working for an unknown shadowy outfit) whose work takes him to shoot covert footage of sexual acts." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (All Films)

Here’s the information provided about this release’s transfers, "all newly restored in 2K from their 35mm original camera negatives, under Satô's supervision, and presented by Pink Line on Blu-ray for the first time."

Kyrie Eleison, Rafureshia and Turtle Vision come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.3 GB

Feature: 14.4 GB (Kyrie Eleison), 15 GB (Rafureshia), 14.4 GB (Turtle Vision)

All of the sources look excellent; they far exceed any of these films' previous home media releases. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (All Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. All of the audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras on Blu-ray disc one include an audio commentary with Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp for Kyrie Eleison, an audio commentary with Asian cinema historian Pierce Conran & critic James Marsh for Rafureshia, and an audio commentary with film critic Amber T for Turtle Vision.

Extras on Blu-ray disc two include an interview with director Hisayasu Satô titled Lord, Have Mercy (8 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Hisayasu Satô titled Escape 3 (14 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Hisayasu Satô titled Revenge in S&M (12 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic Yoshiyuki Hayashida titled A Guide to Pink (20 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), and a locations featurette with Hisayasu Satô titled Walking in Circles: Part 2 (27 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a spot gloss hard slipcase + slipcover combo (limited to 4,000 units) and a 40-page perfect-bound book with an essay titled On the Next Episode of Peepers written by Dakota Noot, an essay titled Flowers of Illusion: Shattered and Subverted in Hisayasu Satô’s Rafureshia  written by Amber T, and an essay titled Noise on the Tape written by Fred Barrett.

Summary:

All three films were directed by Hisayasu Satô, a filmmaker who worked extensively in Pinku Eiga. He's most known for An Aria on Gaze, aka The Bedroom, and Splatter: Naked Blood (which is a V-Cinema remake of Lustmord). His films are textbook examples of body horror and themes like alienation, obsession, and voyeurism.

Kyrie Eleison: A woman whose lover is blind, mute, and quadriplegic conducts a series of unusual experiments that become more chaotic and violent the further she explores.

While some pinku eiga films feature elements of the horror genre, no filmmaker has blended these two genres as effectively as Hisayasu Satô. In a film like Kyrie Eleison, Hisayasu Satô not only fulfills the pinku eiga criteria within a horror context but also incorporates elements of film noir and sci-fi. However, the most intriguing aspect of Kyrie Eleison is its integration of psychic abilities into the unfolding narrative.

For a pinku eiga film, Kyrie Eleison's narrative is rather complex. In addition to the primary focus on the protagonist and her quadriplegic lover, the narrative includes other storylines involving a woman and a man linked to the quadriplegic man, as well as another man to whom the protagonist confides. The narrative does a superb job integrating all these story strands, culminating in a surprising finale that prompts you to question the authenticity of the protagonists' perceptions.

Hisayasu Satô's films have a lot of thought and care put into the narrative. They are not just sex films with exposition thrown in as an afterthought; his films require you to think and therefore engage in a way other pinku eiga films do not. In other areas, like the visuals, Hisayasu Satô is always experimenting and there's never a shortage of visually arresting moments. His casts are filled with performances that fully embrace the story unfolding, and Kyrie Eleison is anchored by an exemplary performance from Kiyomi Itô in the role of the protagonist. Kyrie Eleison is ultimately a challenging film, and its various elements come together to create an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Rafureshia: Alisa is a young woman who has never seen the world outside of the remote island where she lives with her incestuous father. Wanting to break free from her perverted father, Alisa jumps into the ocean and swims to shore, where she is discovered by a trio of homeless men who think she is a mermaid. 

Harumi and her husband, Yoshio, are having problems conceiving a child and to make matters worse, they live with her oversexed mother, who can’t keep her hands off of Yoshio. Unknown to Harumi, her mother is a madam who has recently employed Alisa, who was rescued from the clutches of three horny homeless men before they had their way with her. 

Alisa soon turns on her new employer, taking off with a bag full of money and a videotape that could be incriminating in the wrong hands. On the run, Alisa hooks up with Harumi, who is looking to turn a few tricks herself. Alisa and Harumi decide to run away together in search of a place where the Rafureshia flower grows. Will Alisa’s perverted father or Harumi’s mother and her Yakuza sidekick find them before they find Rafureshia?

Rafureshia is a challenging film to describe, and crafting the above synopsis of the plot was not an easy task due to the disjointed narrative. Despite its chaotic structure, the story progresses swiftly and never disrupts momentum. That said, the further one dives into the filmography of Hisayasu Satô, a film like Rafureshia is not as hard to absorb, while someone venturing into his filmography for the first time might want to choose another one of his films.

Although Hisayasu Satô once again deals with incest and sexual assault, polarizing subject matter—Rafureshia is a more lighthearted film from him. He also explores familiar themes like voyeurism, homosexuality, and gender swapping. That said, when it comes to the themes explored in Rafureshia, he firmly places them into the realm of dark humor.

The complex narrative weaves three women from distinctly different backgrounds and brings their stories together for a truly outlandish finale. The most memorable moment is a scene where Alisa chases around a man in a diaper with a chainsaw. While the sex scenes are not exactly erotic, they are very effective. Ultimately, Rafureshia is a highly entertaining film, making it one of the best examples of what’s possible within the confines of the pinku eiga genre.

Turtle Vision: A traumatic event from a woman’s youth turns her into a cynical and vengeful adult who acts out her pent-up anger on men she has sexual encounters with.

Turtle Vision takes all the core pinku eiga elements and fuses them with a rape revenge scenario. Hisayasu Satô once again ventures into a nightmarish territory with Turtle Vision. Besides revenge, other themes explored are voyeurism, trauma, and the darkest sides of humanity. That said, Turtle Vision is best summed up as a film about the psychological trauma passed from person to person.

The narrative, like many of Hisayasu Satô's films, features several story strands that overlap and eventually come together. The main story revolves around a traumatized woman who attacks men with a knife during sex. The other story revolves around a cameraman who unknowingly films people having sex for his employer, a pornographer. That said, Hisayasu Satô does an exemplary job blending these two stories and serves up a perfect finale.

Dialogue is sparse; the narrative is driven by its visuals, which feature arresting moments like eyes being slashed out by razors. Although violence is the way in which the woman exacts her revenge, she also finds a tremendous amount of pleasure in the process. The moments of erotica in Turtle Vision are not meant to arouse; they are moments of rage that culminate in carnage. Ultimately, Turtle Vision is an unsettling film that pushes the boundaries of pinku eiga cinema to their limits.

The Films of Hisayasu Satô: Volume #3 is an exceptional release that gives each film a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras; highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Bullet in the Head: Hong Kong Cinema Classics: Deluxe Edition – Shout! Factory (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1990
Director: John Woo
Writers: John Woo, Patrick Leung, Janet Chun
Cast: Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung, Waise Lee, Simon Yam, Fennie Yuen, Yolinda Yam, Shek Yin Lau, Chung Lin 

Release Date: January 6th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 131 Minutes 7 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.99

"In 1967, on the way to the wedding of a friend, a young man is accosted by a local gang member. Later, the three friends administer justice, in the process of which the gang member is killed, and they leave Hong Kong to avoid the police and the gang. They run black market supplies to Saigon and get embroiled in the war, ultimately becoming captured by the Viet Cong. Their friendship is tested to the limits as they try to escape." - 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."

Bullet in the Head comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 88.4 GB

Feature: 88.1 GB

Another John Woo film gets a massive upgrade after lackluster home media releases; this new release will be a revelation for those who are familiar with the film. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. That said, this new transfer looks phenomenal, and it is easily the best this film has ever looked on home media.

Bullet in the Head comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.1 GB

Feature: 35.8 GB

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

Bullet in the Head, the festival cut, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.1 GB

Feature: 22.7 GB

Audio: 5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Cantonese language track has some dialogue in Vietnamese. Both 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, and English subtitles for text in Cantonese and Vietnamese. Language tracks and subtitles can only be changed via the setup menu and not during playback.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include film critic Frank Djeng.

Extras on Blu-ray disc one include Frank Djeng. 

Extras on Blu-ray disc two include an image gallery (stills/Japanese press book/posters/home video art), two theatrical trailers (7 minutes 38 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles),, an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Bullet In The Head (13 minutes 8 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Dr. Lars Laamann titled Apocalypse How?  -  The Period of Provocations (27 minutes 8 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips),  an interview with production planner Catherine Lau titled Tumultuous Times (15 minutes 10 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with editor David Wu titled Apocalypse Woo (7 minutes 50 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with producer Terence Chang titled Army of One (4 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Waise Lee Head Case! (18 minutes 23 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with director John Woo Brilliance with a Bullet (43 minutes 27 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an alternate boardroom ending (5 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD mono Mandarin with burnt-in English and Cantonese subtitles), and the Festival cut of Bullet in the Head (136 minutes 20 seconds, DTS-HD Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles).

Other extras include a slipcover.

Summary:

Three friends flee Hong Kong after one of them murders a street punk. They go to Vietnam to wait things out. Upon their arrival, they get caught in the crossfire between the war protestors and military, causing them to lose the merchandise they were transporting from Hong Kong. Struggling financially and feeling hopeless, they befriend Ah Lok, a professional hitman who offers to assist them in escaping Vietnam. While they are in the country, they become embroiled in a conflict that tests the limits of their friendships.

What began as a prequel to A Better Tomorrow evolved into what is widely acknowledged as John Woo’s most personal film. When John Woo and Tsui Hark ended their working relationship, the latter decided to direct A Better Tomorrow prequel. After their breakup, John Woo decided to rework his original idea, and what evolved is a film that takes on the 1967 Hong Kong riots; it also takes aim at the 1989 incident in Tiananmen Square in Beijing using the Vietnam War as the backdrop.

Nostalgia is present in Bullet in the Head’s opening setup; reportedly, John Woo drew moments of inspiration from his experiences growing up in late 1960s Hong Kong. While most of this initial setup shows a carefree side of the three friends, once they arrive in Vietnam, things take a considerably darker turn. From there, the narrative is one bleak moment after the other, building to its poignant finale: the two living friends force each other to confront the choices they made.

Although Tony Leung would become famous years later working with Wong Kar-wai, at this point in his career he had yet to establish himself as a box office draw. His two co-stars, Jacky Cheung (High Risk) and Waise Lee (A Better Tomorrow), were more supporting than leads at that time. The most prominent cast member is Simon Yam (Naked Killer) in the role of a Hong Kong hitman living in Vietnam. That said, all of the performances are excellent, especially Jacky Cheung's, whose character suffers a brain injury from a bullet in his head.

Something that immediately grabbed me while watching Bullet in the Head was how its production design puts you back into the 1960s. This extended to the score, notably the use of Neil Diamond’s song, I’m a Believer. In addition to the main credits featuring an instrumental rendition of "I’m a Believer," this song plays a significant role during one of the film's most memorable scenes, which involves an assassination that occurs in the bathroom.

While there is never a shortage of carnage in the cinema of John Woo, Bullet in the Head is by far and away his most brutal film. The sequences set in the prisoner of war camp and the aftermath of the three friends' escape are particularly striking. Another brutal moment takes place shortly after the three friends arrive in Vietnam, and a young man responsible for a car bomb is found by the military, who then shoot him in the head. Ultimately, Bullet in the Head is an emotionally charged, thought-provoking film that stays with you, making it John Woo's crowning achievement.

Bullet in the Head gets an exceptional release from Shout Factory 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