Violent City: Limited Edition – 88 Films (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 16th, 2022
Approximate Running Times: 109 Minutes 17 Seconds (Violent City), 109 Minutes 39 Seconds (Citta violenta), 95 Minutes 59 Seconds (The Family)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (All Versions)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English/Italian (Violent City, Citta violenta), DTS-HD Mono English (The Family)
Subtitles: English (Violent City, Citta violenta), English SDH (The Family)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: OOP

"After being betrayed by his girlfriend Vanessa, hit-man Jeff Heston (Bronson) is shot and left for dead by Coogan, his one-time business associate. But after serving time in prison on a trumped-up charge, Heston pursues his mistress and would-be killer to New Orleans in search of revenge." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

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

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."

Violent City and Citta violenta come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.9 GB

Feature: 22.8 GB (Violent City), 22.8 GB (Citta violenta)

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

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

Disc Size: 41 GB

Feature: 22.4 GB

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 and Citta violenta come with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in an English/Italian hybrid track. Both audio tracks are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds and the score sound robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and a second removable English subtitle track for the Italian dialog when watching the English/Italian hybrid track.

The Family comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this version are removable English SDH 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 on the disc that contains Violent City and Citta violenta include an audio commentary with film historian Paul Talbot, the author of Bronson's Loose! Books for the Violent City cut of the film.

Extras on the disc that contains The Family include three TV spots for The Family (1 minute 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for The Family (2 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Violent City (4 minutes, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Mike Malloy titled The Controversies of Violent City (17 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Pierpaolo De Sanctis titled An Important Friendship (21 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Italian Cinema Expert Eugenio Ercolani titled Violent Sollima (31 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an archival interview with director Sergio Sollima titled Shooting Violent City (14 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to 3,000 copies), a double-sided foldout poster (limited to 3,000 copies), and a twenty page booklet (limited to 3,000 copies) with an essay titled Charlie Slays - How Charles Bronson Transitioned from Character Actor to Leading Man in Sergio Sollima’s Brutal and Brilliant Violent City written by Andrew Graves, and an essay titled Citta violenta written by Tim Murray.

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.

The 88 Films release uses the same source that Kino Lorber used for their Blu-ray release. Also, 88 Films' release lets you watch the Citta violenza cut of the film with a hybrid English/Italian track, an option that is not available as part of Kino Lorber’s release. Furthermore, 88 Films includes a substantial amount of extras that are exclusive to their release.

Violent City gets a definitive release from 88 Films, highly recommended.

Note: 88 Films has released a standard version of Violent City.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Made In Hong Kong: Volume 1 – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1998 (The Demon's Baby), Hong Kong, 1999 (Erotic Nightmare, The Deadly Camp)
Directors: Kant Leung (The Demon's Baby), Wai-Man Cheng (Erotic Nightmare), Bowie Lau (The Deadly Camp)
Cast: Emotion Cheung, Annie Wu, Elvis Tsui, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Siu-Kei Lee, Ronald Wong (The Demon's Baby), Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Tin-chiu Wan, Ting Yip Ng, Pinky Cheung, Kei Heung (Erotic Nightmare), Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Chun Lai, Winnie Leung, Chi-Sing Lam, Sammuel Leung, Andy Tsang, Kon Chung Tam, Siu-Wah Mak (The Deadly Camp)

Release Date: January 31st, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 85 Minutes 46 Seconds (The Demon's Baby), 86 Minutes 34 Seconds (Erotic Nightmare), 84 Minutes 12 Seconds (The Deadly Camp)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Cantonese (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.98

The Demon's Baby: "Legend has it, many years ago five evil spirits were trapped inside ornate jars and sealed in the mountains to protect humanity from destruction. However, when a power hungry ruler searching for treasure raids the secret chamber that houses these jars, he brings them home to his five wives along with the other riches he uncovers. Unaware of the power contained in these jars, things take an unexpected turn when the jars are accidentally opened and the ruler's five wives all become impregnated with evil fetuses hungry for human flesh. It is up to the palace's cook, his secret girlfriend, and a local Taoist priest to stop these man-eating babies before they escape and destroy the world." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Erotic Nightmare: "Sexually frustrated due to his wife's medical condition, Yep finds himself preoccupied with dreaming about erotic encounters with beautiful women. Thanks to a chance encounter, Yep meets a modern-day sorcerer who promises to give him erotic dreams beyond his wildest imagination. Yep can't help but take up the man's intriguing proposition and at first is very "satisfied" with the arrangement. However, Yep soon discovers that these dreams come with a price and he must find a way to free himself of the sorcerer's spell before it's too late." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Deadly Camp: "A group of friends take a boat to a remote island to campout and party for a few days. After arriving on the island, they soon discover that the people they were there to meet, seem to have gone missing. What's even more concerning is that the group of friends stumble across another group of campers who are also on the island to look for their missing friends, too. After learning that the island is riddled with deadly traps, things take an even more extreme turn for the campers, when they find themselves being stalked and killed by a bandaged maniac wielding a chainsaw." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Newly scanned & restored in 2K from their original negatives."

Here’s additional information about the transfers, "The following presentations of Erotic Nightmare, The Demon's Baby and The Deadly Camp were sourced from restored 2K masters provided by the studio. Additional restoration and cleanup was performed by Vinegar Syndrome artists. We hope you enjoy these brand new presentations."

The Demon's Baby and Erotic Nightmare come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 23 GB (Erotic Nightmare), 21.4 GB (The Demon's Baby)

The Deadly Camp comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.7 GB

Feature: 22.4 GB

The sources for all three films are in great shape, and Vinegar Syndrome has done additional work on the sources provided. Colors and flesh tones look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels and compression are strong, and any digital noise reduction is minimal. It should be noted that The Deadly Camp has some camcorder footage, and these moments have a quality that is noticeably lower than the bulk of the footage.

Audio: 4/5 (All Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The Deadly Camp comes with a second English subtitle track labeled "Shockingly Bad English Subtitles." All the audio tracks are in good shape; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on the disc with The Deadly Camp include an audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues!.

Extras on the disc with The Demon's Baby and Erotic Nightmare include a video essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas titled The Demon’s Baby (8 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), a video essay by film historians Samm Deighan and Charles Perks titled Anthony Wong: The CAT III King (11 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historian and author Samm Deighan for Erotic Nightmare.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a spot gloss hard slipcase + slipcover combo limited to 5,000 units, and a forty page booklet with an essay titled Cat III, or Not Cat III That is the Question written by Bruce Holecheck, an essay titled Genre Fluidity in The Demon Baby written by Erica Shultz, an interview with actor Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, and an essay titled Recessions and Eternal Returns written by Kam Po Lam.

Summary:

Though the extras for this release focus on Hong Kong’s Cat III cinema, only one film, Erotic Nightmare, is actually a Cat III film; the other two films are Cat IIB.

The Demon's Baby: Based solely on its premise, The Demon’s Baby has all the elements that are synonymous with Hong Kong cinema’s most exploitative films. After a strong opening narration that sets the foundation for the events that follow, the narrative is slow-moving for about forty-eight minutes before anything crazy starts to happen. With the first forty-eight minutes resembling more of a melodrama than a horror film, fortunately, the last thirty minutes are batshit crazy exploitation that does not hold anything back.

The performances are best described as serviceable. Even the ever-reliable Anthony Chau-Sang Wong (Ebola Syndrome) is underused in a secondary role. The special effects hold up really well for practical special effects, especially the scene where a pregnant woman’s belly opens up to reveal a demon baby inside. That said, besides demon babies causing carnage, there is not much else in regards to what one expects from an exploitation film. Ultimately, by the time The Demon’s Baby hits its stride, it is too little, too late.

Erotic Nightmare: Produced by Wong Jing, one of the leading purveyors of exploitation cinema in Hong Kong, who has produced such films as The Naked Killer film series, A Chinese Torture Chamber Story, and Naked Weapon, as well as all three films that make up this release, Made in Hong Kong: Volume 1.

From its opening moments, Erotic Nightmare establishes an "anything goes" vibe that is overflowing with elements that one expects from exploitation cinema. There is an ample amount of carnage, lots of nudity, and gratuitous softcore erotica thrown in for good measure. That said, though sex and fantasies play a large role in the story at hand, the last third of Erotic Nightmare turns into a full-on revenge film. It is during this section of the film that the most brutal moments occur.

Anthony Chau-Sang Wong (Taxi Hunter) headlines the cast in the role of Yep, a man whose erotic dreams become nightmares. It is not surprising that he was cast in Erotic Nightmare, since no actor is more known for Cat III cinema than him. He delivers a solid performance that dominates every moment he is in. The rest of the cast are all very good in their roles.

From a production standpoint, Erotic Nightmare excels in every department. The premise is superbly executed, the narrative does a good job alternating between reality and nightmares, and the finale provides a satisfying coda. Also, one must not overlook how effective the visuals are; there are several striking moments. Ultimately, Erotic Nightmare is a solid exploitation film, making it a must-see if you are a fan of Hong Kong’s Cat II cinema.

The Deadly Camp: Content-wise, The Deadly Camp is a Hong Kong slasher film in the same vein as films like Friday the 13th and Scream. However, the narrative feels like an afterthought, as The Deadly Camp's main focus is its kill sequences. which are surprisingly tame; most of the carnage occurs offscreen.

Though The Deadly Camp follows in the footsteps of low-budget horror films that came before it, notably the use of one central location The result is a film that comes up short in so many ways. Whether it be its weak narrative that has long stretches where characters do mundane things, its cliched characters, or bland performances, these are just a few of its most glaring flaws. Even casting someone with name recognition like Anthony Chau-Sang Wong (The Untold Story) is not a positive. Ultimately, The Deadly Camp is a mediocre, by-the-numbers horror film that feels overlong despite its 84-minute running time.

Vinegar Syndrome’s Made in Hong Kong: Volume 1 gives all three films strong audio and video presentations, and this release comes with an assortment of informative extras. Unfortunately, only one of the three films, Erotic Nightmare, has any replay value; the other two are one-and-done viewings.

Written by Michael Den Boer

New Fist of Fury: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1976 (Original Cut), Hong Kong, 1980 (Re-edited Cut)
Director: Lo Wei
Writer: Lo Wei
Cast: Jackie Chan, Nora Miao, Han Ying-chieh, Chan Sing, Luk Yat-lung, Yim Chung, Suen Lam, Cheng Siu-siu

Release Date: November 30th, 2020
Approximate running times: 2 Hours 5 Seconds (Original 1976 Cut), 82 Minutes 40 Seconds (Re-edited 1980 Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Mandarin (Original 1976 Cut), DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Re-edited 1980 Cut), DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"After Bruce Lee's tragic passing, there was a rush to find a new kung fu king, and one of the contenders was a young lad called Jackie Chan. New Fists of Fury was the first film to show what the future megastar could do, as the street kid who learns martial arts to stand up to the bullying Japanese occupiers." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5 (Both Versions)

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "New 2K Remasters from The Original 35mm Negatives."

New Fist of Fury comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.1 GB

Feature: 24.9 GB (Original 1976 Cut), 18.5 GB (Re-edited 1980 Cut)

The sources for both versions have been cleaned up and are in good shape. Despite the colors looking very good, the black levels are not convincing; at times they look grayish. The image generally looks crisp, and compression is very good.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, ), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - Original 1976 Cut, DTS-HD Mono English - Re-edited 1980 Cut)

The original 1976 cut comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin and a DTS-HD mono mix in English.

The re-edited 1980 cut comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English.

The Cantonese and Mandarin language tracks sound more robust than the English language tracks. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. It should be noted that all tracks have some dialog in Japanese. Both tracks sound clear, balanced, and robust when they should. That said, the English language tracks have some sibilance issues.

There is a removable English subtitle track for the Cantonese language track and a removable English subtitle track for the Mandarin language track, and both versions have a removable English subtitle track for Cantonese and Mandarin text and dialog spoken in Japanese.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language trailer (3 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Hong Kong cinema expert Andrew Staton for the original 1976 cut, an audio commentary with Asian cinema expert Brandon Bentley and artist/Hong Kong cinema expert R.P. “Kung Fu Bob” O’Brien, a slipcover (limited to first pressing), and a 44-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with a lengthy essay that covers Jackie Chan Early Success Fades Out, Lo Wei Launches Production Company, New Fist of Fury Breakdown, New Fist of Fury Facts & Figures Top Trumps, Jackie Chan Emerging Talent, Background Historical Context, Fist of Fury Echoes in New Fist of Fury, Lo Wei Director, Fist of Fury vs New Fist of Fury, bios for Lo Wei, actress Nora Miao Ke-Hsiu, actor Chan Sing, actor/action director Han Ying-chieh written by Andrew Staton, and rare archive stills and posters.

Summary:

New Fists of Fury was directed by Lo Wei, a director who greatly benefited from his lead actors, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Though "New Fists of Fury" is billed as a successor to "Fist of Fury," a film also directed by Lo Wei, the result is two films that could not be further apart. And nowhere is this more clear than when it comes to the tone of New Fists of Fury.

Though there is no denying Jackie Chan’s abilities as a martial artist, at this point in his career he had yet to establish his persona. He would be brought in as an attempt to be the next Bruce Lee, which has failed every time it has been attempted. That said, considering what he was given to work with Jackie Chan, this is actually one of New Fists of Fury’s bright spots.

Aside from Lo Wei, New Fists of Fury shares actors Han Ying-chieh (The Big Boss) and Nora Miao (The Way of the Dragon) with Fists of Fury. That said, they are both very good in their roles. Another performance of note is Chan Sing (The Iron-Fisted Monk) in the role of the lead villain, a Japanese martial artist named Okimura.

On the surface, though, New Fists of Fury has all of the elements necessary to be a successful film. Somehow the sum of the parts doesn't come together. And nowhere is this more clear than when it comes to a slow-moving narrative. That said, at least when it comes to the fight scenes, for the most part, they are very good. Ultimately, New Fists of Fury is a pedestrian martial arts film that would have fallen into obscurity if it were not for Jackie Chan.

New Fists of Fury gets a good release from 88 Films that comes with two versions of the film, a pair of informative audio commentaries, and an exceptional booklet, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer