Circle of Iron: Steelbook – Blue Underground (4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1978
Director: Richard Moore
Writers: Stirling Silliphant, Stanley Mann
Cast: David Carradine, Christopher Lee, Jeff Cooper, Roddy McDowall, Eli Wallach, Anthony De Longis, Earl Maynard, Erica Creer

Release Date: August 25th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 96 Minutes 43 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English, Dolby Atmos English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD, Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $59.95

"The Epic Adventure From The Mind of Bruce Lee - The Dream Project He Didn't Live To See!

At the height of his international fame, the legendary Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon) - along with his friend and student James Coburn (The Great Escape) and Oscar®-winning screenwriter Stirling Silliphant (In the Heat of the Night) - began to write what he believed would be the greatest achievement of his film career. Five years after his mysterious death, Lee's vision would finally be realized.

David Carradine (Kill Bill), Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings), Jeff Cooper (Knife for the Ladies), Roddy McDowall (Planet of the Apes) and Eli Wallach (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) star in this acclaimed cult hit that brings Lee's personal philosophy to the screen with a still-potent combination of mysticism, humor and martial arts mayhem." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Now Circle of Iron - also known as The Silent Flute - is presented in a brand-new restoration, scanned in 4K 16-bit from its original camera negative, with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio, packed with new and archival Extras!"

Circle of Iron comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 74.2 GB

Feature: 68.5 GB

Blue Underground revisits another title 17 years after they released it on Blu-ray, and the result is a massive improvement over that release. The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, and contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image always retains an organic appearance.

Circle of Iron comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.7 GB

Feature: 27.1 GB

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

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English, Dolby Atmos English), 4.5/5 ( DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, and a Dolby Atmos mix in English. All tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. New to this release is the Dolby Atmos track, which is a solid track that’s more robust than the original mono track while remaining faithful to it. Included are removable English SDH and French and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a US theatrical trailer (1 minute 59 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an international theatrical trailer (3 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an alternate opening (3 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with director Richard Moore, and an audio commentary film historian Frank Djeng and Chris Poggiali.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a poster & still gallery (81 images), TV spot #1 (33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), TV spot #2 (33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), TV spot #3 (34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a US theatrical trailer (1 minute 59 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an international theatrical trailer (3 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an alternate opening (3 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor David Carradine titled Playing the Silent Flute (13 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with producer Paul Maslansky titled The Producer (28 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with a martial arts coordinator Joe Lewis titled Karate Master (31 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio interview with screenwriter Stirling Silliphant (25 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Anthony De Longis titled Circle of Success (18 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Richard Moore, and an audio commentary Frank Djeng and Chris Poggiali.

Other extras include steelbook packaging.

Summary:

Circle of Iron is the only theatrical film that Richard Moore directed. He’s most known for his work as a cinematographer on films like Myra Breckinridge, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, The Stone Killer, and Annie.

A warrior named Cord earns the opportunity to challenge a man named Zeta who guards a highly prized book known as the “Book of All Knowledge." Along the way, Cord will face several obstacles in his quest to obtain the “Book of All Knowledge." Will Cord defeat all those who stand in his way and will he finally find enlightenment once he gazes upon this mysterious book?

Circle of Iron originated as an idea conceived by Bruce Lee shortly before he achieved fame in Hong Kong as a martial arts superstar. When Enter the Dragon solidified his star power, Bruce Lee turned down a chance to make Circle of Iron. After the death of Bruce Lee, interest in Circle of Iron increased and, after many false starts, the film would be finally made.

Circle of Iron is more of a fantasy film than a martial arts film. While there is an abundance of action, unfortunately the fight scenes are fairly standard. That said, at its core, Circle of Iron is a film that tries to explain Eastern philosophies to Western audiences.

Circle of Iron’s main draw is David Carradine (Kill Bill), who portrays four characters: the blind man, monkeyman, Death, and Changsha. If Bruce Lee made Circle of Iron, these are the four characters he would have portrayed. David Carradine is Circle of Iron’s greatest asset and every role he plays stands out as one of the most memorable moments in the film, especially the blind man character.

The cast features several well-known actors, like Christopher Lee (Horror of Dracula) in the role of Zetan, Roddy McDowall (Fright Night), and Eli Wallach (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). While Christopher Lee and Roddy McDowall are woefully underused, Eli Wallach’s character delivers Circle of Iron's most memorable and humorous moment. The cast's weakest link is Jeff Cooper in the role of the protagonist Cord. Although he more than holds his own from a physical standpoint, he lacks the charisma needed to really sell the role.

The opening setup does a solid job drawing you in, and the narrative moves briskly as it effectively builds momentum to its big reveal finale. While Circle of Iron is a film with shortcomings, its positives negate its negatives. Areas where Circle of Iron excels are its picturesque visuals and Bruce Smeaton’s (Picnic at Hanging Rock) exemplary score. Ultimately, Circle of Iron feels like a missed opportunity and one has to wonder what might have been if Bruce Lee had made the film on his terms.

Circle of Iron gets an excellent release from Blue Underground that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras. 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 Curse of Frankenstein – Warner Archive Collection (UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1957
Director: Terence Fisher
Writer: Jimmy Sangster
Cast: Peter Cushing, Hazel Court, Robert Urquhart, Christopher Lee

Release Date: October 14th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 30 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision, 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision, 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR 10 Dolby Vision
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Italian, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.99

"Driven by obsession and defying the laws of nature, Baron Victor Frankenstein dares to reanimate the dead, creating not just life but a monstrous force beyond his control. As his experiments spiral into madness, Frankenstein must confront the consequences of playing God in a world unprepared for the horrors he unleashes." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (All Versions)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 4K restoration of the three versions of the film."

The Curse of Frankenstein comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 86.2 GB

Feature: 43.1 GB (1.37:1 Aspect Ratio), 34 GB (1.66:1 Aspect Ratio)

The Curse of Frankenstein comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 75.8 GB

Feature: 55.7 GB (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)

This release presents the film in three different aspect ratios, and the source used for these transfers looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy; colors are nicely saturated; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5 (LPCM Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Both audio tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English SDH and French, Spanish, Italian, and German subtitles.

Extras:

Extras on 4K UHD disc one include UK censor card (11 seconds, no sound), UK theatrical trailer (2 minutes 19 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), alternate eyeball scene (1 minute 11 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a restoration featurette titled Reviving The Curse of Frankenstein (8 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about Peter Cushing titled Beside the Seaside: actress Madeline Smith and Hammer expert Wayne Kinsey visit Peter Cushing’s hometown of Whitstable (50 minutes 17 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with author and critic Kim Newman, horror anthologist and writer Stephen Jones and Barry Forshaw, author of British Gothic Cinema, and an archival audio commentary with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby.

Extras on 4K UHD disc two include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (posters/stills/articles), an interview with scriptwriter and novelist Stephen Volk titled A Gothic History of Frankenstein, in which he discusses Mary Shelley's original novel, its adaptation to cinema and the legacy of Hammer's genre-defining 1957 film (24 minutes 15 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with writer/publisher Dick Klemensen titled Painting with Fine Brushes, in which he discusses cinematographer Jack Asher (11 minutes 49 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about screenwriter Jimmy Sangster titled Good or Tuesday?, featuring comments by writer/actor Mark Gatiss, Dick Klemensen, author Stephen Laws, screenwriter/novelist Stephen Gallagher, screenwriter/producer David Pirie, and writer/publisher Wayne Kinsey (39 minutes 6 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about long-time Hammer costume designer Molly Arbuthnot titled A Fitting Vocation, featuring comments by  professor Melanie Bell and the British Film Institute's Jo Botting (10 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), another featurette about Molly Arbuthnot titled Topped and Tailed, featuring comments by actor Melvyn Hayes, Melanie Bell and Jo Botting (16 minutes 21 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Recreating the Creature, where Igor Studios' Lou Elsey and Academy Award-winning Dave Elsey recreate Leakey's iconic make-up on actor James Swanton (34 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with writer/producer Dr. Steve Haberman and filmmaker and film historian Constantine Nasr, and an audio commentary with Heidi Honeycutt, writer, filmmaker and film programmer, and cult movie expert Toby Roan.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an 8mm abridge version of The Curse of Frankenstein (10 minutes 35 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono English with burnt-in English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer David J. Miller titled Torrents of Light: The Art of Jack Asher (15 minutes 14 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author and cultural historian Sir Christopher Frayling titled Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition (22 minutes 49 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with composer Christopher Drake titled Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror (17 minutes 5 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Richard Klemensen titled The Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film (21 minutes 51 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Life With Sir, featuring comments by Peter Cushing’s secretary and long-time friend, Joyce Broughton (12 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), and an archival featurette titled Frankenstein Reborn, featuring comments by Melvyn Hayes, Hammer experts Denis Meikle and Jonathan Rigby, James Bernard's biographer David Huckvale, producer Michael Carreras, and screenwriter Jimmy Sangster (34 minutes 45 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Terence Fisher directed The Curse of Frankenstein. His other notable films include The Man Who Could Cheat Death, Horror of Dracula, The Revenge of Frankenstein, and The Mummy (1959).

Not only is The Curse of Frankenstein an important film that reshaped UK horror cinema, but it is also a film that forever changed Hammer Films' legacy. Founded in 1934, Hammer Films primarily produced dramas and comedies before branching out into sci-fi and eventually creating their landmark horror film. The Curse of Frankenstein. That said, while The Curse of Frankenstein retains core elements of Mary Shelley's story, it is a reimagining that bears little resemblance to previous Frankenstein film adaptations.

At the start of the narrative, Baron Victor Frankenstein's fate is unveiled: he is awaiting execution for the murder of his maid. From there, the narrative is mostly told via a lengthy flashback, retracing his life from childhood to bringing the dead back to life and the monster turning on its creator. While his fate is immediately known, the narrative does a superb job holding your attention by fleshing out his backstory.

Although Peter Cushing (Corruption) and Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man) both appeared in Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet, the first time they appeared in a scene together was in The Curse of Frankenstein. While both actors are known for their horror films, before The Curse of Frankenstein, neither of them, up to that point, had worked in horror cinema. Their roles are strikingly different: Peter Cushing’s character delivers extensive dialogue, while Christopher Lee’s performance relies solely on physical expression. Another performance of note is Hazel Court (The Man Who Could Cheat Death) in the role of Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor Frankenstein’s cousin and fiancée.

Besides Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Terence Fisher was the other key component of most Hammer Films' success in the horror genre. His direction for The Curse of Frankenstein: not only does he get the most out of his cast, but he also delivers a handful of visually arresting moments. When it comes to the overall visual look, The Curse of Frankenstein is filled with breathtaking cinematography that’s infused with gothic horror elements.

From a production standpoint, The Curse of Frankenstein is a film where everything perfectly aligns. Although only 83 minutes in duration, its narrative covers a lot of ground and has more depth than films that are half an hour longer. James Bernard's exemplary score should not be overlooked, as it does a remarkable job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, The Curse of Frankenstein is a film deserving of its landmark status, and it has not lost any of its luster after all of these years.

The Curse of Frankenstein gets an exceptional release that leaves no stone unturned; it comes with a solid audio/video presentation, there are three aspect ratio options, and a wealth of informative 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

End of the World: Remastered – Full Moon Features (DVD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1977
Director: John Hayes
Writer: Frank Ray Perilli
Cast: Christopher Lee, Sue Lyon, Kirk Scott, Dean Jagger, Lew Ayres, Macdonald Carey

Release Date: February 10th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 86 Minutes 38 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: PG
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free NTSC
Retail Price: $16.95

"When Professor Andrew Boran and his wife Sylvia tap into a series of strange signals from space that predict natural disasters on earth, they track the source to a mysterious, remote convent. There, they discover that aliens have cloned the priest and the nuns and are using the abbey as a base camp for their mission to spur on global destruction. Can the heroes stop the invaders and save the earth? Should they?" – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 2/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Full Moon recently unearthed a pristine 16mm interpositive of the movie, now remastered in HD and looking better than it's ever looked."

End of the World comes on a single layer DVD.

Disc Size: 4 GB

Source imperfections remain; flesh tones and colors are inconsistent, black levels are never convincing, and there are issues related to digital noise reduction.

Audio: 1.5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English and a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English. When I sampled the 5.1 mix, it did not open things up in any substantial way. Both tracks sound muffled, there is buzzing in some parts of the track, and they are barely serviceable range-wise.

Extras:

Extras for this release include trailers for Crash!, Mansion of the Doomed, Day Time Ended, Laserblast, Fairy Tales, and Last Foxtrot in Burbank. 

Summary:

John Hayes directed End of the World. He’s known for The Hang Up, Dream No Evil, The Cut-Throats, Grave of the Vampire, and Baby Rosemary.

A NASA professor who discovers a signal that did not originate from space uncovers an alien plot to conquer Earth.

Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man), over his career, appeared in many questionable films that make you wonder why someone of his stature is in this film. When asked about these films, he frequently points out that what the producers promised him differed significantly from what ultimately appeared on screen. Case in point, End of the World, a post-apocalyptic film that will make you wish the world came to an end instead of having to endure it.

Besides Christopher Lee, there are other notable cast members that include Dean Jagger (Twelve O’Clock High), Lew Ayres (All Quiet on the Western Front), Macdonald Carey (Days of Our Lives), and Sue Lyon (Lolita). Unfortunately, like Christopher Lee, they are not given anything to work with.

While things start off with a literal bang when a payphone and coffee machine explode, nothing that follows ever matches this moment. The narrative progresses slowly, fails to generate any momentum, and culminates in a predictable conclusion. Ultimately, End of the World is an underwhelming film that wastes a solid cast.

Full Moon Features gives End of the World a mediocre audio/video presentation.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Man Who Could Cheat Death - Vinegar Syndrome (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1959
Director: Terence Fisher
Writer: Jimmy Sangster
Cast: Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee, Arnold Marle, Francis De Wolff, Delphi Lawrence

Release Date: October 21st, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes (Both Versions)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $66.98

"In late nineteenth-century Paris, esteemed surgeon and talented sculptor Dr. Georges Bonnet is hiding an extraordinary secret—many years ago, he discovered the key to eternal life. Despite being 104 years old, he has the appearance of a man in his mid-30s. However, this incredible feat comes at a terrible cost, for every 10 years, Bonnet must undergo a surgery that requires the parathyroid gland of a living victim. When it becomes clear that his old friend and collaborator Professor Ludwig Weiss is no longer capable of conducting the surgery as he had previously, Bonnet kidnaps his old flame Janine Dubois in an attempt to coerce her new love interest, Dr. Pierre Gerrard, into taking up the task." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative."

The Man Who Could Cheat Death comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 59.7 GB

Feature: 58.5 GB

This release comes with two versions: the uncut, pre-censorship "clothed" version and an alternate "nude" continental version. This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. This new presentation will be a revelation for those who have viewed previous home media releases. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

The Man Who Could Cheat Death comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.7 GB

Feature: 23.9 GB

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

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio is a marked improvement over Kino Lorber’s 2017 Blu-ray release; it sounds clean and balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds and the score are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with critics and authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an alternate censored ending (1 minute 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with uncredited third assistant director Hugh Harlow titled The Man Who Can Chat Death (7 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film historian Melanie Williams who discusses actress Hazel Court titled Court in Session (17 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film historian Vic Pratt who discusses director Terence Fisher titled The Man Who Could Direct Death (24 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film historian Jonathan Rigby who discusses The Man Who Could Cheat Death titled A Hideous Concoction (26 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a spot gloss hard split box + slipcover combo (limited to 6,000 units), and a 40-page perfect bound book (limited to 6,000 units) with an essay titled Hammer Horror in the Rue Noire written by Adrian Smith, an essay titled Cheated of Death - A Conceptual Hammer Horror written by Jon Dear, and an essay titled James Carreras: The Man Who Could Charm Hollywood written by Kieran Foster.

I have one minor complaint about this release: the pages of the booklet are too bright and difficult to read. This issue has occurred in several releases, and I hope they will choose layouts in the future that are easier on the eyes.

Summary:

Terence Fisher directed The Man Who Could Cheat Death. His other notable films include The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, The Revenge of Frankenstein, and The Mummy (1959).

A man who's actually 104 but looks in his 30s is able to retain his youthful appearance by replacing a gland from a living donor every 10 years.

The Man Who Could Cheat Death is a period-set horror film with gothic undertones. The protagonist is a doctor who's discovered a way to extend life, albeit at the expense of someone else losing theirs. What started as an experiment for the betterment of mankind has become a man's obsession with extending his life and youth.

The narrative does an excellent job drawing you in and holding your attention. There is ample exposition that fully fleshes out the protagonist, and additional backstory about those in his life enhances the story that unfolds. The deliberately paced narrative effectively builds momentum toward a very satisfying final conclusion in which the protagonist faces the consequences of his actions.

All around, the cast are excellent, especially Anton Diffring’s (Circus of Horrors) portrayal of Dr. Georges Bonnet, who has not aged in over 70 years. There is an intensity to his performance that matches his character's megalomania. Other cast members of note are Christopher Lee (Horror of Dracula) in the role of Dr. Pierre Gerrard and Hazel Court (The Premature Burial) in the role of Janine Du Bois, an ex-lover of Georges Bonnet. Where Hazel Court’s character greatly enhances the story, Christopher Lee’s Dr. Pierre Gerrard does not give him much to work with.

Terence Fisher, who was on a roll with Horror of Dracula, The Revenge of Frankenstein, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Mummy, brings his usual exemplary direction to The Man Who Could Cheat Death. Although mostly dialogue-driven, Terence Fisher delivers a handful of striking moments, notably a scene where Dr. Georges Bonnet opens a safe and drinks a potion that helps him prolong his youthful appearance. Ultimately, The Man Who Could Cheat Death is a solid horror film with whodunit elements and a tremendous amount of atmosphere.

The Man Who Could Cheat Death gets an excellent release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and 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

The Blood of Fu Manchu – Blue Underground (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/West Germany/UK/USA, 1968
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Peter Welbeck, Manfred R. Köhler, Jesús Franco
Cast: Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, Maria Rohm, Howard Marion-Crawford, Richard Greene, Shirley Eaton

Release Date: July 29th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 36 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

The Blood of Fu Manchu: "From his secret lair deep within the South American jungle, international super-villain Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee of The Man with the Golden Gun) and his sadistic daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin of You Only Live Twice) reveal their latest diabolical plot for world domination: ten beautiful women are infected with an ancient poison so deadly that one kiss from their lips will bring instant death and lead to a global plague. Now the Asian madman's nemesis, Nayland Smith (Richard Greene of Tales from the Crypt), must desperately hunt an antidote in a savage land where rape and torture reign and the ultimate evil lies in The Blood of Fu Manchu." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Castle of Fu Manchu – Blue Underground (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/West Germany/UK/USA, 1968
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Peter Welbeck, Manfred R. Köhler, Jesús Franco
Cast: Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, Maria Rohm, Howard Marion-Crawford, Richard Greene, Shirley Eaton

Release Date: July 29th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 54 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

The Castle of Fu Manchu: "Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings) returns as the diabolical super-villain who, along with his sadistic daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin of Casino Royale), creates a fiendish new chemical weapon that will turn the seas into a giant block of ice. But when his archenemy Nayland Smith (Richard Greene of The Adventures of Robin Hood) tracks the madman's trail of kidnapping, murder and massive global destruction, he himself becomes trapped in Fu Manchu's impenetrable lair of cruelty. Can any of the world's top-secret agents (including a wild performance by Jess Franco) now stop the cold-blooded terror that lives in The Castle of Fu Manchu?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD - The Blood of Fu Manchu, 4K UHD - The Castle of Fu Manchu), 4.25/5 (Blu-ray - The Blood of Fu Manchu, Blu-ray - The Castle of Fu Manchu)

Here’s the information provided about The Blood of Fu Manchu's transfer, "a brand-new 4K restoration from its uncut original camera negative, complete with additional scenes of nudity and violence in Dolby Vision HDR!"

The Blood of Fu Manchu comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 55.5 GB

Feature: 52.5 GB

The source is in excellent shape; colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image looks organic.

The Blood of Fu Manchu comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.2 GB

Feature: 21.4 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc, and it is a massive improvement over Blue Underground’s 2017 Blu-ray release.

Here’s the information provided about The Castle of Fu Manchu's transfer, "a brand-new 4K restoration from its uncut original camera negative, complete with additional scenes of nudity and violence in Dolby Vision HDR!"

The Castle of Fu Manchu comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 52.2 GB

Feature: 49.8 GB

The source is in excellent shape; colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image looks organic.

The Castle of Fu Manchu comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.4 GB

Feature: 21.8 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc, and it is a massive improvement over Blue Underground’s 2017 Blu-ray release.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - The Blood of Fu Manchu, DTS-HD Mono English - The Castle of Fu Manchu)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks are in excellent shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English SDH and French and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras on The Blood of Fu Manchu’s 4K UHD disc include an international theatrical trailer (3 minutes, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson.

Extras on The Blood of Fu Manchu’s Blu-ray disc include an international theatrical trailer (3 minutes, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 41 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a poster & still gallery (172 images), an archival featurette titled The Rise of Fu Manchu, featuring director Jess Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers, Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, and Shirley Eaton (15 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and French with removable English subtitles), an interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco, titled Sanguine-Stained Celluloid (27 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, and RiffTrax edition - The Blood of Fu Manchu riffed Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy (76 minutes 37 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras on The Castle of Fu Manchu’s 4K UHD disc include an international theatrical trailer (3 minutes, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson.

Extras on The Castle of Fu Manchu’s Blu-ray disc include an international theatrical trailer (3 minutes, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a poster & still gallery (129 images), an archival featurette titled The Fall of Fu Manchu, featuring director Jess Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers, Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin (14 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English and French with removable English subtitles), an interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco, titled Castle of Carnage (21 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, and RiffTrax edition - The Castle of Fu Manchu riffed Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy (75 minutes 5 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles).

Each film comes with reversible cover art and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu is a popular fictional character that’s been adapted for radio, television, and film. Fu Manchu made its film debut in a pair of British series made in 1923, The Mystery of Dr. Fu Manchu and The Further Mysteries of Fu Manchu, made in 1924. The first feature film adaptation would not come until 1929, when Warner Oland would take on the role of the fiendish Dr. Fu Manchu in the film The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu.

In the 1960s, producer Harry Alan Towers would produce five Fu Manchu films: The Face of Fu Manchu, The Brides of Fu Manchu, The Vengeance of Fu Manchu, The Blood of Fu Manchu, and The Castle of Fu Manchu, all films starring Christopher Lee in the iconic role of Fu Manchu.

Harry Alan Towers would also produce several other films featuring characters created by Sax Rohmer, like The Million Eyes of Sumuru and The Girl from Rio. And besides working as a producer, Harry Alan Towers was a prolific writer. He wrote the screenplays for many of the films that he produced under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck.

The Blood of Fu Manchu: Fu Manchu uses ten women whose lips he has turned into weapons to kill ten world leaders.

The Castle of Fu Manchu: Fu Manchu creates a chemical weapon that can freeze all of the oceans of the world.

There had been three films directed by two other directors before Jess Franco put his imprint on a series of Fu Manchu films produced by Harry Allan Towers. Of the two films directed by Jess Franco, The Blood of Fu Manchu stands out as the more structured one. This greater structure may stem from it being the first collaboration between Jess Franco and Harry Allan Towers. The fifth and last film in the series, The Castle of Fu Manchu, is more representative of the mishmash nature of many of Jess Franco’s films made during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Blood of Fu Manchu and The Castle of Fu Manchu feature moments that are unmistakably the work of Jess Franco. Additionally, both films maintain the pulp cinema vibe that characterized the earlier three films in the series.

Jess Franco was able to draw from a diverse array of internationally recognizable actors for The Blood of Fu Manchu and The Castle of Fu Manchu, as with his other collaborations with Harry Alan Towers. Headlining both of these films is Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man) in the role of Fu Manchu. He delivers a performance that has the right amount of gravitas and menace. Another performance of note is Tsai Chin (You Only Live Twice), who portrays Fu Manchu’s sadist daughter, Lin Tang. Notable cast members in these two films are Maria Rohm (Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion), Shirley Eaton (Goldfinger), Rosalba Neri (Lady Frankenstein), and Maria Perschy (Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll). That said, when it comes to the performances, they are all delivered with an enthusiasm that suits these films campy vibe.

The Blood of Fu Manchu would mark the first of nine films that Jess Franco made with Harry Allan Towers. While this initial collaboration aligned with the type of films produced by Harry Allan Towers, subsequent films in their partnership increasingly showcased Jess Franco's unique style, particularly his tendency to recycle footage from other films. The Castle of Fu Manchu uses footage from A Night to Remember and Campbell’s Kingdom. The films provided Jess Franco with the most resources he had ever worked with, as well as exotic locations that he fully utilized. While The Blood of Fu Manchu is the more polished of the two films, The Castle of Fu Manchu is the more entertaining option.

The Blood of Fu Manchu and The Castle of Fu Manchu make their way to 4K UHD via exceptional releases 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