Violent City – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France/USA, 1970
Director: Sergio Sollima
Writers: Dino Maiuri, Massimo De Rita, Sauro Scavolini, Gianfranco Calligarich, Lina Wertmüller, Sergio Sollima
Cast: Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, Jill Ireland, Umberto Orsini, Michel Constantin, Andrea de Adamich

Release Date: May 17th, 2022
Approximate Running Times: 108 Minutes 23 Seconds (Violent City), 108 Minutes 48 Seconds (Citta violenta), 96 Minutes 4 Seconds (The Family)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (All Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English/Italian (Violent City), DTS-HD Mono Italian (Citta violenta), DTS-HD Mono English (The Family)
Subtitles: English (All Versions)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"In a city set to explode, one man has just lit the fuse! After a bloody double-cross leaves him for dead, professional hit man Jeff (Charles Bronson, Mr. Majestyk) tracks the shooter and his beautiful mistress (Jill Ireland, The Valdez Horses) to New Orleans. But when Jeff takes both revenge and the woman, he finds himself blackmailed by a powerful crime boss (Telly Savalas, A Town Called Hell) who wants the fiercely independent gunman to join his organization. Jeff refuses, and is hunted through an unforgiving city where love is like a loaded gun and debts of vengeance are paid in bullets." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Violent City, Citta violenta), 3.5/5 (The Family)

Disc one contains Violent City.

Here’s the information provided about Violent City's transfer, "2K Restoration."

Violent City comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.7 GB

Feature: 32.8 GB

The source used for Violent City's transfer looks great. Colors and flesh tones look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels are strong, and grain remains intact.

Disc two contains Citta violenta and The Family.

Here’s the information provided about Citta violenta's transfer, "The 4K restoration of Citta violenta was carried out by Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna starting from the original Techniscope camera negative and the Italian sound negative, both made available by Unidis Jolly Film.

The work was carried out at the L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in Bologna.

Restoration carried out with the contribution of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism."

Here’s the information provided about The Family's transfer, "2K Scan of a 35mm Print."

Citta violenta and The Family come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.9 GB

Feature: 17.3 GB (Citta violenta), 16.4 GB (The Family)

The source used for Citta violenza looks excellent. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid, and the grain looks organic. That said, though Citta violenta uses a different source than Violent City, their transfers are comparable.

The source that was used for The Family's transfer does not fare as well as the sources used for Violent City’s and Citta violenta’s transfers. This transfer has scratches, cigarette burns, and other source-related damage. That said, beyond the source-related damage, this transfer looks good all things considered.

Audio: 4.25/5 (Violent City, Citta violenta), 3.5/5 (The Family)

Violent City comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English/Italian hybrid track, and included with this version are two removable subtitle tracks. The first subtitle track is for the entire film, and the second subtitle track is for Italian dialog. The audio for this version is in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds and the score sound robust.

Citta violenza comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, and included with this version are removable English subtitles. The audio track for this version is comparable to Violent City’s audio track.

The Family comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this version are removable English subtitles. Though the audio for this version sounds clear and balanced, it is not as robust as the other two versions' audio tracks.

Extras:

Extras for disc one include a theatrical trailer for Violent City (3 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Sergio Sollima titled Shooting Violent City (14 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historian Paul Talbot, the author of Bronson's Loose! Books for the Violent City cut of the film.

Other trailers on disc one include Farewell, Friend, Rider on the Rain, Cold Sweat, Someone Behind the Door, and The Valdez Horses (Chino).

Extras on disc two include a theatrical trailer for The Family (2 minutes 18 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), and  three TV spots for The Family (1 minute 3 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles).

Other trailers on disc two include Chato’s Land, Mr. Majestyk, Breakout, Breakheart Pass, The White Buffalo, Caboblanco, Murphy’s Law, and a promo for Kino Cult.

Rounding out the extras are a reversible cover and a limited-edition slipcover.

Summary:

Sergio Sollima was one of three Italian directors named Sergio. The others are Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci. And though his breakthrough films as a director came in the Spaghetti western genre, just like Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci, he also excelled when it came to his two contributions to Poliziotteschi cinema, Violent City and Revolver.

Violent City was an early film in the Poliziotteschi film cycle. And with Violent City, he would lay the groundwork for many of the elements that would become synonymous with Poliziotteschi cinema. That said, there are many elements in Violent City that are in line with elements that are synonymous with Euro-crime heist films of the latter-half of the 1960’s.

In its opening moments, Violent City jumps right into the action with a thrilling chase sequence that ends in a near-death shootout with the protagonist. From there, a non-linear narrative that uses flashbacks to fill in the who’s and why’s of the story. and a spectacular ending in which the protagonist gets their revenge and redemption.

Without a doubt, the casting of Charles Bronson (Death Wish) in the role of Jeff Heston, a hitman who’s targeted for death by someone he trusted. The majority of the protagonists in Poliziotteschi's films are characters who are at the center of the action. Jess Heston is a character who tries to fly under the radar, and it's only when he’s provoked that he makes his presence known.

Besides Charles Bronson, the rest of the cast are very good in their respective roles. Other notable cast members include Telly Savalas (Lisa and the Devil) in the role of a crime boss named Al Weber; Umberto Orsini (Tony Arzenta) in the role of a double-dealing lawyer who works for Weber; and Jill Ireland (Hard Times), who provides eye candy.

At the heart of Violent City is a story about a betrayed hitman who cannot trust anyone, making him more paranoid. And though his revenge is central to the story at hand, his inability to let go of the women he loves is his greatest weakness.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where Violent City does not excel. The premise of a betrayed hitman is superbly realized, and a well-executed narrative perfectly balances exposition and action set pieces by building tension until it reaches a fever pitch. Other strengths include Sergio Sollima’s solid direction, and Ennio Morricone’s (The Big Gundown) delivers another outstanding score. Ultimately, Violent City is an extraordinary crime film that's arguably one of Poliziotteschi cinema’s best films.

Violent City gets an exceptional release from Kino Lorber that comes with three versions of the film and a pair of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Girls Nite Out – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1982
Director: Robert Deubel
Writers: Gil Spencer Jr., Kevin Kurgis, Joe Bolster, Anthony N. Gurvis
Cast: Julia Montgomery, James Carroll, Suzanne Barnes, Rutanya Alda, Al McGuire, Lauren-Marie Taylor, David Holbrook, Laura Summer

Release Date: May 16th, 2022 (UK), May 17th, 2022 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK) / $39.95 (USA)

"A host of familiar genre faces including Hal Holbrook (Creepshow), Rutanya Alda (Amityville II: The Possession), Julia Montgomery (The Kindred) and Lauren-Marie Taylor (Friday the 13th Part 2) rounds out the cast of this gloriously mean-spirited slice from the slasher golden age, Girls Nite Out! The students of DeWitt University are preparing themselves for a night of fun and frolics in the form of an all-night scavenger hunt. Little do they know that they are in fact the ones being hunted... An unhinged assailant, disguised in the college's goofy bear mascot outfit - and bearing knives for claws, two years before Freddy donned his famous gloves - is stalking the campus hellbent on carving up co-eds." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Girls Nite Out has been restored from the best available film elements, which were a selection of 35mm release prints from the producer's personal vaults.

The prints were scanned in 2K, after which the scans were reviewed and the highest quality sections selected. A few very brief sections which were not present in the film material were sourced from an SD tape  master. The assembled shots were graded and restored in 2K to create a new and complete restored master.

This restoration stills exhibits many instances of film damage and wear, in keeping with the condition of the source materials, but represents the best possible presentation of the film. We hope you enjoy!"

The above disclaimer that plays before the film gives you an idea of what to expect from this transfer.

Girls Nite Out comes on a 50 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.9 GB

Feature: 27.9 GB

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable SDH subtitles. The audio is in good shape; the dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced. That said, range-wise, things are limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a trailer for The Scaremaker an alternate title for Girls Nite Out (2 minutes 52 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a trailer for Girls Nite Out (1 minute 4 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), alternate title card ‘The Scaremaker” (23 seconds), an archival interview with actress Julia Montgomery (6 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actors Lauren-Marie Taylor and John Didrichsen titled Love & Death (16 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Paul Christie titled It Was a Party! (20 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Lois Robbins titled Alone in the Dark (8 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Laura Summer titled A Savage Mauling (15 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Julia Montgomery titled Staying Alive (15 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with genre film critic/author Justin Kerswell and film historian/author Amanda Reyes, reversible cover art, a limited-edition slipcover (limited to first pressing) and twenty-four page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Can You Bear It? The Story of Girls Nite Out written by Michael Gingold, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

The narrative revolves around a killer who stalks and kills college students who are collecting clues for a scavenger hunt. And to help conceal the killers’ identity, they wear the school's mascot costume.

After a solid opening sequence that takes place in an asylum, things quickly lose steam when the focus is shifted to a lengthy party scene where not much happens. And, while things have improved in the last thirty minutes, it is already too late.

The soundtrack is made up of songs from the 1960’s and 1970’s. These songs are connected to an oldies themed scavenger hunt. Some artists featured in the soundtrack include The Lovin’ Spoonful, Tommy James and the Shondells, and The Ohio Players.

From a production standpoint, despite its shortcomings, the positives outweigh the negatives. The performances are best described as serviceable. with no standout performance. Also, anyone expecting gory kill scenes will be disappointed. Ultimately, though, Girls Nite Out is filled with troupes that are synonymous with 1980’s slasher films. The result is an underwhelming slasher film that only diehard fans of this genre will enjoy.

Girls Nite Out gets a first-rate release from Arrow Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an abundance of extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Wild Things: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1998
Director: John McNaughton
Writer: Stephen Peters
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Theresa Russell, Denise Richards, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Robert Wagner, Bill Murray, Carrie Snodgress

Release Date: May 23rd, 2022 (UK), May 24th, 2022 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 108 Minutes 15 Seconds (Theatrical Version), 114 Minutes 47 Seconds (Unrated Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK) / $59.95 (USA)

"A spoiled rich kid, a troubled teen from the wrong side of the tracks, a carefree playboy and a dogged detective find themselves all caught up in the sex crime of the century in this steamy star-studded crime thriller from the director of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Popular and charming, student counsellor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) is no stranger to being the focus of female attention within the moneyed cliques of Florida's Blue Bay. His fortunes are about to change dramatically, however, when one of the wealthiest students at his high school, sultry siren Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards), accuses him of rape. The charge looks sure to stick when another girl from the other end of the social spectrum, Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell), steps forward with her own allegations, but Detective Duquette (Kevin Bacon) smells something fishy, and the truth is as murky and dangerous as the alligator-infested swamps in the hinterlands of this affluent beach community.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, “Wild Things was restored in 4K by Sony Pictures Entertainment. 4K scanning by Colorworks, Culver City from 35mm original picture negative, Digital Image Restoration by Prasad Corporation, India and Roundabout Entertainment, Santa Monica. HDR color grading and conform by colorist David Bernstein at Roundabout Entertainment, Santa Monica. Restoration supervised by Rita Belda for SPE, with color approval by director John McNaughton.”

More information about the transfers, "New 4K restorations of both the Original Theatrical Version and the Unrated Edition from the original camera negatives by Sony Pictures Entertainment."

Wild Things comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 88.1 GB

Feature: 79.6 GB

The transfers for each version are in immaculate shape; colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, and shadow detail are solid; there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, and included with this release are removable English SDH. The audio is in excellent shape. Range-wise, ambient sounds are well-presented, the score sounds appropriately robust, dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery (44 images), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), “An Understanding Lawyer” outtakes (27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), archival featurette titled On-Set Interviews (4 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Denise Richards (14 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director John McNaughton (26 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with John McNaughton, cinematographer Jeffrey Kimball, producers Steven A. Jones and Rodney Liber, editor Elena Maganini and score composer George S. Clinton, an audio commentary John McNaughton and producer Steven A. Jones, a double-sided fold-out poster, six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions, reversible cover art, and a 60-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Let’s Twist Again: Sex, Murder and the Late 20th Century Hollywood Thriller written by Anne Billson, an essay titled Shadows in the Sunshine: Wild Things and Florida Noir written by Sean Hogan, information about the transfer and Production Credits.

Summary:

Though it's only been twenty-four years since Wild Things was unleashed on audiences, a lot has changed in the world of Hollywood cinema. Wild Things was released at a time when Hollywood was still willing to push limits and take chances, and because of these things, it was exhilarating to go to watch a movie. Unfortunately, the landscape of cinema has changed for the worse, and films like Wild Things would have an uphill battle to be made.

Content-wise, Wild Things fits firmly into a cinema movement known as Neo-noir. The well-executed narrative is a minefield of moments of misdirection that keeps its best reveal for its finale. And though there are moments in Wild Things that veer into the realm of the erotic thriller, To pigeon-hole Wild Things as an erotic thriller would be doing this film a great disservice.

The most surprising aspect of Wild Things is its cast, which is populated by familiar faces, some of whom were well-established at that time, and others who were just starting out and have since become more famous. That said, it's hard to fault any of the performances. with the most memorable performance being Denise Richards (Starship Troopers) in the role of a spoiled socialite named Kelly Lanier Van Ryan, who accuses her teacher of rape.

Another performance of note is Neve Campbell (Scream) in the role of Suzie Toller, a girl from the working side of the tracks. That said, Neve Campbell and Denise Richards’ onscreen chemistry is off the charts. The moments they share are the most titillating.

From a production standpoint, Wild Things is a film where everything perfectly falls into place. John McNaughton’s rock-solid direction ensures that there’s never a dull moment. Also, the sexually laced dialog that’s overflowing with innuendo and the Neo-noir visuals do a superb job of setting the mood. Ultimately, Wild Things is a wild ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat, anticipating what will happen next.

Wild Things gets an exceptional release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation 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 VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Apartment – Kino Lorber (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1960
Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruschen, Edie Adams

Release Date: March 15th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 125 Minutes 15 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.95

"C.C. “Bud” Baxter (Jack Lemmon, The Fortune Cookie) knows the way to success in business…it’s through the door of his apartment! By providing a perfect hideaway for philandering bosses, the ambitious young employee reaps a series of undeserved promotions. But when Bud lends the key to big boss J.D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray, Double Indemnity), he not only advances his career, but his own love life as well. For Sheldrake’s mistress is the lovely Fran Kubilek (Shirley MacLaine, Irma La Douce), elevator girl and angel of Bud’s dreams. Convinced that he is the only man for Fran, Bud must make the most important executive decision of his career: lose the girl…or his job." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

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

Disc Size: 87.2 GB

Feature: 86.9 GB

This is a solid transfer that does a great job with image clarity, shadow detail, and gray scales. Also, this transfer retains an organic look. That said, when compared to Arrow Video 2017 Blu-ray release, this transfer’s contrast is noticeably brighter.

The Apartment comes on a 50 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.8 GB

Feature: 39.2 GB

It should be noted that the Blu-ray is not sourced from the 4K master used for the 4K UHD disc; it uses the same source that MGM used for their Blu-ray.

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

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. The mono mix is in excellent shape; dialogue always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and ambient sounds are well-represented. Range-wise, this track sounds excellent considering its mono limitations. The 5.1 mix is also in great shape, and it does a good job of expanding the mono source. Included with this release are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with film historian Joseph McBride, author of Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge, and an archival audio commentary with film historian Bruce Block.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 21 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), an archival documentary titled Inside The Apartment (29 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Magic Time: The Art of Jack Lemmon (12 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historian Joseph McBride, author of Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge, and an archival audio commentary with film historian Bruce Block.

Other extras on the Blu-ray disc include trailers for Some Like It Hot, Irma La Douce, The Fortune Cookie, Avanti, and The Front Page.

Other extras include a limited-edition slipcover.

Summary:

An insurance clerk trying to get ahead at his job lets his executives at his company use his apartment for rendezvous with their mistresses.

The Apartment would reunite Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder, who had previously collaborated on Some Like It Hot. In all, Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder would collaborate seven times. The other five films are Irma la Douce, The Fortune Cookie, Avanti!, The Front Page, and Buddy Buddy. Although The Apartment contains all the ingredients that have since become synonymous with their other collaborations, most notably, their use of humor, the end result is a much darker film than those aforementioned films.

The entire cast are excellent in their roles, and yet there would be no The Apartment without its two leads: Jack Lemmon (Some Like It Hot) and Shirley MacLaine (Being There). Jack Lemmon portrays the protagonist, an insurance clerk named C.C. Baxter, whose apartment executives are using for their affairs. Shirley MacLaine portrays an elevator operator named Fran Kubelik, who is having an affair with C.C. Baxter’s boss. Both actors deliver performances that many consider their finest, and they display truly remarkable on-screen chemistry.

While cinephiles are aware of who Billy Wilder was, with each passing generation he is becoming less known. He was a gifted filmmaker who had a knack for executing poignant moments and humor and, in many instances, blending these two elements. His direction for The Apartment is masterful; he was a filmmaker at the pinnacle of his craft, and his subsequent films never surpassed what he accomplished with The Apartment.

Although there are many memorable moments in The Apartment, there are two that stand out. The first notable moment is when a distraught Fran takes a large dose of sleeping pills after realizing her affair with a married man has no future. The second moment is the finale, which many consider to be one of cinema’s most satisfying conclusions.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where The Apartment does not excel. The premise is superbly realized; characters are well-defined, and a flawlessly executed narrative moves briskly for a film that clocks in at 125 minutes. Ultimately, The Apartment is a perfect blend of melodrama and humor, making it one of Billy Wilder’s greatest films.

Although The Apartment gets a solid audio/video presentation from Kino Lorber, those who already own Arrow Video’s 2017 Blu-ray release will want to hold onto it for its exclusive extras.

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 VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

One-Armed Boxer – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1972
Director: Yu Wang (Jimmy Wang Yu)
Writer: Yu Wang (Jimmy Wang Yu)
Cast: Yu Wang (Jimmy Wang Yu), Yeh Tien, Fei Lung, Yi Kuei Chang, Hsin Yi Chen, Han Hsieh, Hsin Tang, Ming Min, Chun Lei, You Min Ko

Release Date: May 24th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 17 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono Mandarin alternate mix, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"One-Armed Boxer! Yu Tian Long (Yu Wang) is the best fighter to come out of his local martial arts school, but when he crosses the ruthless leader of a local crime syndicate, the big boss' brutal bevy of deadly killers make mincemeat out of the school and everyone inside. Now the only survivor of the massacre, and short of one appendage, Yu is gifted a powerful elixir that promises to give him the strength to take swift revenge on the army of assassins, each representing the most lethal forms of fighting from across the Eastern hemisphere. Proving once and for all that you only need five fingers of death to get the job done." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “It was restored in 2K resolution from the original film elements by Fortune Star, who supplied this master to Arrow Video for this Blu-ray release.” 

One-Armed Boxer comes on a 50 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.1 GB

Feature: 26.5 GB

The source used for this transfer looks great. Colors are nicely saturated, the image looks crisp, black levels are strong, and there are issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono Mandarin alternate mix), 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin; an alternate DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin; and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Quality-wise, the two Mandarin language tracks are comparable. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust. The English language track does not fare as well. There is a hiss that is minimal in the background, and range-wise, this track is not as robust as its Mandarin counterparts. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the Mandarin language tracks and English SDH subtitles for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (71 images-stills/lobby cards/posters/Japanese press book), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (4 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), US TV spot (1 minute 4 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), US radio spot (1 minute, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), alternate English credits (1 minute 58 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), an archival career retrospective interview with actor/director Yu Wang (41 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng from the NY Asian Film Festival, reversible cover art, a limited-edition slipcover (limited to first pressing) and twenty-eight page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Jimmy Wang Yu and the Birth of the Kung Fu Movie written by David West, as essay titled A Farewell to Arms written by Simon Abrams and information about the transfer.

Other extras include a Yu Wang trailer gallery that contains The One-Armed Swordsman, Golden Swallow, Return of the One-Armed Swordsman, The Chinese Boxer, Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman, The Screaming Tiger, The Man from Hong Kong, Blood of the Dragon, Master of the Flying Guillotine, and Point The Finger Of Death.

Summary:

By the time Yu Wang made One-Armed Boxer, he had already established himself as one of martial arts cinema’s premier stars. Also, after beginning his career working for the Shaw Brothers, he appeared in films like One-Armed Swordsman and The Chinese Boxer. In the 1970's, he would become one of the first actors to work independently.

With a film like One-Armed Boxer, Yu Wang would team up with a new company, Golden Harvest, which the year before had established itself with Bruce Lee’s The Big Boss. Yu Wang was the creative force behind One-Armed Boxer. He wrote, directed, and was the star. Master of the Flying Guillotine was released four years after One-Armed Boxer.

One-Armed Boxer opens with a fight sequence in a tea house that does a great job of setting the stage for what follows. Also, the opening theme music gets the blood flowing. And though the score features some music that appears to have been made for One-Armed Boxer, What is all too common with 1970’s martial arts cinema is that there are uncredited music cues from other films like Shaft and The Big Boss.

The narrative follows a familiar setup: two rival martial arts schools, one that is honorable and the other, the Hook gang, who deal in drugs and prostitution. An incident involving a student named Yu Tien Lung provokes the Hook gang's hostilities towards him and his masters school. From there, a series of events unfold, escalating to Yu Tien Lung losing his arm and everyone from his school being massacred by the Hook gang.

Yu Wang once again delivers a memorable martial arts film that's inventive when it comes to the fight sequences. And as good as most of the fight scenes are, none hold a candle to the one-armed fight scenes and training sequences. These moments are a sight to behold.

Despite the fact that the cast is all excellent in their respective roles. No performance shines brighter than Yu Wang's (The Man from Hong Kong) in the role of Yu Tien Lung. He is surprisingly good in the scenes where his character recovers after losing an arm. Another strength of the performances is how the Hook gang employs assassin fighters from around the world: Japan, Thailand, India, and Tibet monks.

Though there’s no denying that martial arts cinema in the 1970’s was flooded with films due to the popularity of such films because of actors like Bruce Lee. On the flip side of this, there are martial arts films that are undeniable classics of the genre that remind fans of why we love these films so much. One-Armed Boxer, an extraordinary martial arts film that’s withstood the test of time.

One-Armed Boxer gets an exceptional release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a trio of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer