Golgo 13 (1973) – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan/Iran, 1973
Director: Jun'ya Satô
Writers: Takao Saitô, K. Motomitsu
Cast: Ken Takakura, Mohsen Sohrabi, Jaleh Sam, Pouri Baneai, Tahere Ghaffari, Ahmad Ghadakchian, Jalal Pishvaian, Nosratollah Karimi

Release Date: July 17th, 2023
Approximate running time: 104 Minutes 15 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £18.99 (UK)

"The first film adaptation of the long-running manga series by Takao Saito, director Junya Satō cast Ken Takakura (who was the original inspiration for the character) as the mysterious and stoic killer-for-hire who always completes his assignment (usually with his signature scoped M16 rifle)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "a 2K restoration of the original film elements."

Golgo 13 (1973) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray. 

Disc Size: 34.9 GB

Feature: 30.1 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape, and any source debris that remains is very minor. Colors look very good, image clarity is consistently strong, compression is solid, and black levels generally look very good, but there are a few moments where they are not as strong as they should be.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 27 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with film writer Tatsuya Masuto and film critic Masaaki Nomura titled Lucky 13: Junya Sato’s biographers on Golgo 13 (16 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, a slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 20-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Love is a Loaded Gun written by Tom Mes, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Directed by Jun'ya Satô, who is most remembered for his collaborations with actor Ken Takakura in The Bullet Train, Manhunt, Proof of the Man, and Never Give Up. Golgo 13 (1973) was the first live-action movie based on Takao Saito's Golgo 13. Four years after Golgo 13 (1973), a second live-action movie titled Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon would star Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba in the role of Duke Togo, aka Golgo 13.

The narrative revolves around Duke Togo, an assassin who's been hired to kill a crime boss named Max Boa, whose organization has been kidnapping women.

Like most who are familiar with the Golgo 13 character, my introduction to this character came from watching Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon. Now that I have seen Golgo 13 (1973), the differences between these two films are like night and day. Where Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba would portray Duke Togo in a larger-than-life way that resembles most of the characters he would portray in the 1970s, Ken Takakura’s portrayal of Duke Togo is more grounded in reality.

There are two things that set Golgo 13 (1973) apart from most 1970s Japanese genre cinema. Its location, setting the film in a foreign land like Iran, and a cast in which the only Japanese actor is Ken Takakura Both of these things give Golgo 13 (1973) an unusual vibe, and having the entire cast dubbed in Japanese further reinforces this vibe.

The main attraction of Golgo 13 (1973) is Ken Takakura in the role of Duke Togo (Golgo 13). He delivers a well-rounded performance that is in line with his best performances. And though cinematic adaptations of Duke Togo (Golgo 13) take some liberties with the manga source, notably when it comes to Duke Togo (Golgo 13), in the manga he is a man of few words and is often only seen at the end of each manga adventure. In his cinematic incarnations, the character is in the bulk of the scenes. That said, the rest of the cast is serviceable.

From a production standpoint, Golgo 13 (1973) is a film that fully exploits its resources. The premise is well-executed, the narrative does a great job building and maintaining tension, and a phenomenal ending puts an exclamation mark on the events that preceded. Other strengths include solid cinematography that takes full advantage of Iran's picturesque locations, and the action set pieces are exceptional, especially the last forty minutes, which are essentially a prolonged action sequence that builds to a fever pitch. Ultimately, Golgo 13 (1973) is a solid action film that fans of Toei’s 1970s action cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Golgo 13 (1973) gets a first-rate release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Doll of Satan: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1969
Director: Ferruccio Casapinta
Writers: Ferruccio Casapinta, Giorgio Cristallini, Carlo M. Lori, Alfredo Medori
Cast: Erna Schurer, Roland Carey, Aurora Bautista, Ettore Ribotta, Lucia Bomez, Manlio Salvatori, Franco Daddi, Beverly Fuller, Eugenio Galadini, Giorgio Gennari, Domenico Ravenna, Teresa Ronchi, Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia

Release Date: September 6th, 2021
Approximate running time: 90 Minutes 13 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £15.00 (UK)

"After her uncle dies unexpectedly, Elizabeth Balljanon inherits his sprawling castle. The walls are crumbling, the electricity doesn't work and there's a fully equipped torture chamber in the cellars but interior decoration is the least of her worries: a black-gloved killer haunts the halls at night and, even worse, the tales she's been told about the castle's ghosts might not be stories after all..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "HD Transfer in Original 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio."

The Doll of Satan comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.7 GB

Feature: 25.4 GB

Judging by the information I could find online about Twilight Time’s The Doll of Satan Blu-ray, this release from 88 Films appears to use the same source. That said, that is where the similarities end since 88 Films release features a much stronger encode. Colors look robust, image clarity and black levels are consistently strong, there are no issues with compression, and grain remains intact, albeit the amount of grain varies from scene to scene.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio is in very good shape; there are no issues with background hiss or distortion. Dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, this track is satisfactory; that said, it is a dialog-driven soundtrack, ambient sounds fare well, and the score sounds robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with actress Erna Schürer titled My Life with Emma (25 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with film historian Pierpaolo De Sanctis titled Remembering Franco Potenza (33 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a portrait by director/screenwriter Marcello Avallone titled Emma and I (15 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival audio commentary with David Del Valle and Derek Botelho, reversible cover art, a fold-out poster (limited to first pressing), a soft-touch O-Card (limited to first pressing), and a 20-page booklet with an essay titled You Had Me at Giallo… written by Andrew Graves and Rustic Terror: The Many Flawed Souls of The Doll of Satan written by Francesco Massaccesi.

Summary:

Is The Doll of Satan a gothic horror film, a giallo, or a psychological thriller? It is all of the above. Though gothic horror and giallo genres share many of the same elements, The psychological leanings of The Doll of Satan push it more towards the gothic horror genre. The central location, an old castle, and women parading around in nightgowns are just a few staples that are synonymous with gothic horror cinema.

The narrative revolves around a woman named Elizabeth, who inherited a castle from her recently deceased uncle. Shortly after her arrival, she is persuaded to sell the castle, and when she becomes hesitant, a series of strange events unfold.

The Doll of Satan is the one and only film that director Ferruccio Casapinta worked on. He presents no distinctive cinematic style. The workmanlike visuals could have been shot by anyone. That said, despite this lack of visual flare, there are a few atmospheric moments that hold up well. The most memorable moments are the scenes where someone is trying to mess with the protagonist’s state of mind.

From its opening moments, it is clear that there is a deliberateness to the pacing. Nothing really happens in the first hour, which is not much more than characters doing mundane things. And though things get a little better in the last thirty minutes, it is too little, too late. Even a twisting whodunit reveal ending comes up short.

The performances are best described as serviceable. With the most memorable being Erna Schurer (Scream of the Demon Lover) in the role of Elizbeth. When she’s not half naked, she does a very good job portraying a character on the verge of a breakdown. It should be noted that though there are many scenes where her characters display naked flesh, the framing of the image always ensures none of the naughty parts are ever seen.

From a production standpoint, it is clear from the get-go that The Doll of Satan is working on an anemic budget. Also, even the most diehard Italian genre cinema fan would be hard pressed to recognize most of the cast. And when it comes to moments of carnage, there are only two onscreen deaths. The most surprising aspect of The Doll of Satan is composer Franco Potenza’s score. Ultimately, The Doll of Satan is an interesting mix of genres that never firmly establishes a cohesive identity.

The Doll of Satan gets a first-rate release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist – Synapse Films (Blu-ray)

Release Dates: USA, 2014 (Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist), USA, 2023 (Other Men's Careers)
Directors: Ryan Meade (Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist), Christopher J. Dinnan (Other Men's Careers)
Cast: Jonathan R. Ayers, Betsy Baker, Josh Becker, Bruce Campbell, Don Campbell, Brian Rae, Ted Raimi, Ellen Sandweiss, Scott Spiegel, Tom Sullivan, Theresa Tilly (Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist), Lucy Lawless, Bruce Campbell, Rob Tapert, Sheldon Lettich, Gary Jones, Josh Becker, Joseph LoDuca, Tom Sullivan, Ron Zwang, Bruce Schermer, Paul Harris (Other Men's Careers)

Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 103 Minutes 26 seconds (Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist), 77 Minutes (Other Men's Careers)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist, Other Men's Careers)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Stereo English (Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist, Other Men's Careers)
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Sam Raimi's 1981 film The Evil Dead is a horror masterpiece that has terrified audiences for over 40 years and spawned sequels, a remake, video games, toys and even a television series. The original film's iconic special effects and make-up were created by Tom Sullivan, a Michigan artist and sculptor who became friends with Sam Raimi, star Bruce Campbell and producer Rob Tapert when they were in college. Ryan Meade's Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist is a feature length documentary about the life and art of Tom Sullivan and his involvement with the EVIL DEAD film series. Assembled with amazing archival Super 8mm film footage, Hi8, VHS, and vintage audio tapes and photographs, it's a unique and sentimental portrait of a man who helped make one of the greatest horror franchises of all time. Also contains amazing behind-the-scenes footage, original location visits, all-new interviews with Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, Josh Becker, Danny Hicks, Hal Delrich, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly and more!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video:

Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.6 GB

Feature: 14.9 GB (Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist), 11.1 GB (Other Men's Careers)

Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist and Other Men's Careers both use newly shot footage and archival footage. The newly shot footage obviously looks better than the archival footage.

Audio:

Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist and Other Men's Careers each come with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clear and balanced. That said, there are a few instances where an archival source is not in that good of shape, and for these moments, there are non-removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a stills gallery titled Snap Shots, Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist Trailer #1 (3 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist Trailer #2 (3 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a short film directed by Ryan Meade titled Bong Fly (18 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Bong Fly behind the scenes (10 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), mega master Bong Fly trailer (2 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a short film directed by Ryan Meade titled Comos Locos (29 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Other Men’s Careers trailer (2 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Tom Sullivan vintage interview from a program titled In the Spotlight (50 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Josh Becker extended interview segments (6 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Tim Philo unedited interview (48 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Turkey or Chicken bonus clip (1 minute 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Boobie bonus clip (54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), The Cry of Cthulhu bonus clip (2 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a documentary titled Other Men’s Careers (77 minutes, LPCM stereo English, 1.78: 1 aspect ratio, no subtitles).

Summary:

The Evil Dead is widely regarded as one of horror cinema’s greatest films. Though there has been a lot written about The Evil Dead and its key creative talent has been interviewed over the years, Director Sam Raimi and actor Bruce Campbell are the two names most associated with The Evil Dead. This Blu-ray release from Synapse Films presents two documentaries about two individuals, special makeup effects artist/art director/illustrator Tom Sullivan and lighting: second unit/sound: second unit Josh Becker, who played a role in the making of The Evil Dead.

Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist is a documentary about Tom Sullivan, whose special makeup effects and illustrations are arguably the most important element in the success of The Evil Dead. He also worked on Within the Woods, the short film that led to The Evil Dead, and contributed to Evil Dead II.

Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist is a well-rounded documentary that covers his childhood, Famous Monsters magazine’s role in peeking his interest in makeup effects, and his origins as a makeup effects artist. Other topics include all of his collaborations with Sam Raimi, with the focus being on The Evil Dead. Also, this documentary delves into his personal tragedies, like the death of his wife and a head injury from a car crash.

Other Men's Careers is a documentary about Josh Becker, a filmmaker who was childhood friends with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. Topics discussed include how he became interested in cinema, how he met Bruce Campbell, and shooting Super 8 films with his friends. Other topics include his contributions to The Evil Dead, and a well-rounded overview of all the films he directed. This documentary also covers his other collaborations with Sam Raimi, like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Both of these documentaries feature comments from most of those who were involved in The Evil Dead and others who have worked with Tom Sullivan and Josh Becker. And though most of the interviews are newly shot, there is also archival footage, notably of Sam Raimi, who only appears via archival sources. That said, all of the participants are unfiltered in their comments; this is not your watered-down discussion that populates too many Blu-ray extras.

Besides two solid documentaries, Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist and Other Men's Careers, this Blu-ray comes with a wealth of extra content that provides further insight into Tom Sullivan and Josh Becker.

Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist is an exceptional release from Synapse Films that is a must-have purchase if you're a fan of The Evil Dead, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

New Fist of Fury: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (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: August 29th, 2023
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: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Both Versions), DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions), DTS-HD Mono Mandarin (Original 1976 Cut), DTS-HD Mandarin Alternate Mix (Original 1976 Cut)
Subtitles: English, English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"Shanghai, 1910. With the Jing Wu martial arts school in shambles and pressure from the Japanese armies to suppress a Chinese uprising after Chen Zhen's martyrdom, Chen's fiancée Li Er (Nora Miao, reprising her role from Fist of Fury) escapes to Japanese-occupied Taiwan to hide at her grandfather's school. Despite her attempts to lay low, she runs afoul of karate master Okimura (Chan Sing, The Iron-Fisted Monk), who plans to take over all of the Chinese-run schools in Taiwan. Amidst all of this, a young aimless thief, known only as Ah Long (Jackie Chan), befriends Li Er after unknowingly stealing the nunchaku once yielded by the late Chen. Will he give into his fears, or will he learn the martial arts of Jing Wu and fight alongside Li Er against the Japanese?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5 (Both Versions)

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "New 2K restoration from the original negatives by Fortune Star."

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

Disc Size: 46.4 GB

Feature: 25.3 GB (Original 1976 Cut), 15.9 GB (Re-edited 1980 Cut)

The sources used for these transfers look exactly like the sources 88 Films used for their transfers. 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 Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono Mandarin, DTS-HD Mono Mandarin Alternate Mix), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - Original 1976 Cut, DTS-HD Mono English - Re-edited 1980 Cut)

The original 1976 cut comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin, a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin (alternate mix), and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese and Mandarin language tracks and removable English SDH for the English language track.

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. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

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.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (25 images - stills/posters/other promotional materials), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English language trailer (3 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a new video essay by Bentley comparing New Fist of Fury to the rival sequel made simultaneously, Fist of Fury Part II titled Duelling Furies (7 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and Michael Worth, co-directors of Enter the Clones of Bruce Lee for the original 1976 cut, an audio commentary with action cinema expert Brandon Bentley for the re-edited 1980 cut, reversible cover art, a double-sided fold-out poster (limited to first pressing), and a booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay written by Jonathan Clements, an archival retrospective article written by Brian Bankston, and information about the transfers.

Other extras include a Chen Zhen trailer reel of sequels and reboots.

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 Arrow Video that comes with two versions of the film and informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Walerian Borowczyk Short Films and Animation – Arrow Academy (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Dates: France, 1959 (The Astronauts), France, 1962 (The Concert), France, 1963 (Grandmother’s Encyclopaedia), France, 1964 (Renaissance), France, 1965 (Angels' Games, Joachim’s Dictionary), France, 1966 (Rosalie), France, 1967 (Mr. and Mrs. Kabal’s Theatre, Diptych), France, 1968 (Gavotte), France, 1969 (The Phonograph), France, 1977 (The Greatest Love of All Times), France, 1984 (Scherzo Infernal)
Directors: Walerian Borowczyk, Chris Marker (The Astronauts), Walerian Borowczyk (The Concert, Grandmother’s Encyclopaedia, Renaissance, Angels' Games, Joachim’s Dictionary, Rosalie, Mr. and Mrs. Kabal’s Theatre, Diptych, Gavotte, The Phonograph, The Greatest Love of All Times, Scherzo Infernal)
Cast: Michel Boschet, Ligia Branice, Anatole Dauman, Philippe Lifchitz (The Astronauts), Ligia Branice (Rosalie), Louisette Rousseau, Pierre Collet, Louis Jojot, Renata Astruc, Jacqueline Boivin, Edith Catry, Yvonne Landry, Kathy Luc, Maïté Mansoura, Mei-Chen (Mr. and Mrs. Kabal’s Theatre), Roberto, Ludo (Gavotte), Ljubomir Popovic (The Greatest Love of All Times)

Release Date: September 8th, 2014
Approximate running times: 12 Minutes 37 Seconds (The Astronauts), 7 Minutes 1 Second (The Concert), 6 Minutes 51 Seconds (Grandmother’s Encyclopaedia), 9 Minutes 18 Seconds (Renaissance), 12 Minutes 1 Second (Angels' Games), 9 Minutes 26 Seconds (Joachim’s Dictionary), 15 Minutes 7 Seconds (Rosalie), 77 Minutes 5 Seconds (Mr. and Mrs. Kabal’s Theatre), 8 Minutes 41 Seconds (Diptych), 10 Minutes 41 Seconds (Gavotte), 5 Minutes 41 Seconds (The Phonograph), 9 Minutes 38 Seconds (The Greatest Love of All Times), 5 Minutes 14 Seconds (Scherzo Infernal)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Greatest Love of All Times), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Angels' Games) 1.37:1 (The Astronauts, The Concert, Grandmother’s Encyclopaedia, Renaissance, Joachim’s Dictionary, Rosalie, Mr. and Mrs. Kabal’s Theatre, Diptych, Gavotte, The Phonograph, Scherzo Infernal)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono French (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region B (Blu-ray)/Region 2 PAL (DVD)
Retail Price: £19.99

"For the first decade of his career, Walerian Borowczyk exclusively made short films, initially in his native Poland, but then mostly in France, where he settled permanently in the late 1950s. This disc includes the vast majority of the shorts that he made between 1959 and 1984, apart from ones that were originally intended to accompany specific features.

Far from being prentice work or optional extras, the shorts include many of his greatest films, such as the cut-out Astronauts, the reverse-motion Renaissance and the extraordinary Angels Games, a one-off masterpiece of the macabre that would alone establish Borowczyk as one of the cinema s most innovative artists.

In 1967, Borowczyk made his feature debut, a grotesque and surreal fantasy about the physically and temperamentally mismatched couple Mr & Mrs Kabal. Made with a tiny production team at a time when animated feature films were far scarcer than they are now, it s almost the polar opposite of a Disney film, with angular, mainly monochrome graphics bringing the Kabals universe to startlingly vivid life." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Mr. and Mrs. Kabal’s Theatre was sourced from the original 35mm interpositive and the original sound negative.

The shorts were transferred from the following sources (picture, sound), scanned in 2K resolution on a pin-registered Arriscan and graded using the Nucoda Film Master grading system. All materials were original 35mm elements.

The Concert (interpositive, sound negative)

Grandmother’s Encyclopaedia (camera negative, magnetic reels)

Renaissance (internegative, optical soundtrack)

Angels' Games (interpositive, magnetic reels)

Joachim’s Dictionary (interpositive, optical soundtrack)

Rosalie (finegrain positive, combined print)

Gavotte (internegative, optical soundtrack)

Diptych (camera negative, optical soundtrack)

The Phonograph (interpositive, optical soundtrack)

The Greatest Love of All Times (dupe negative, magnetic reels)

Scherzo Infernal (camera negative, magnetic reels)

The picture and sound of Holy Smoke!, The Museum and Tom Thumb were sourced from original 35mm prints.

The Astronauts was remastered in High Definition by the International Short Film Festival in Oberhausen, and transferred from a new 35mm print struck from the original negative at Eclair Laboratories.”

Walerian Borowczyk Short Films and Animation comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.5 GB

The sources for these shorts range from great to excellent. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, details look crisp (the live action moments have ever so slightly more clarity), contrast, black levels, and compression are consistently strong, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5

Each short film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced throughout. And though there is minimal dialog, it's always clear. Also, sound is very important to most of these short films, and range-wise, all of these short films sound great.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an introduction with filmmaker Terry Gilliam (1 minute 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a segment titled Blow Ups (4 minutes 43 seconds, this extra contains drawings and paintings created by Walerian Borowczyk), three commercials directed by Walerian Borowczyk, Holy Smoke! (9 minutes 55 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), The Museum (1 minute 50 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), and Tom Thumb (1 minute 50 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), a documentary about Walerian Borowczyk’s Short Films and Animation with comments from Walerian Borowczyk (via an archive interview), filmmaker Andre Heinrich, producer Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin and composer Bernard Parmegiani (via a vintage audio interview) titled Film is not a Sausage (28 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, and a 32-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information,  an essay titled The Magician written by Daniel Bird, an essay titled Two Films by Walerian Borowczyk written by Peter Graham, Director’s Statement for Mr. and Mrs. Kabal’s Theatre by Walerian Borowczyk, an essay titled Scratched into the Screen with a Blunt Fork written by Daniel Bird, Contemporary Reviews, an essay titled So Common Yet So Uncanny written by filmmaker Patrice Leconte, and information about the restorations.

Included with this release are two DVDs that have the same content as the Blu-ray included as part of this combo release.

Summary:

The Astronauts: A man builds a rocket ship in his basement, then flies it around town before venturing into outer space.

This was Walerian Borowczyk’s first short film after arriving in France, and since he was not a citizen at the time, he had to co-author it with Chris Marker, who is most known for his short film La Jetée, which later inspired the film 12 Monkeys.

The Concert: A husband and wife do an impromptu concert while they run around the house thrashing on each other.

This short would mark the first appearance of Mr. and Mrs. Kabal, who would later be the main characters in Walerian Borowczyk’s first film.

Grandmother’s Encyclopaedia: Three letters of the alphabet are explored: the letter A is for an Automobile, the letter B is for a balloon, and the letter C is for Chemin De Fer.

A simple narrative that was propped up by its creators boundless imagination.

Renaissance: Destroyed objects reassembled themselves.

This short is most remembered for its use of reverse motion, which gives the illusion that the destroyed objects are reassembling themselves. This short ends with an ironic twist: one of the objects was a bomb that, when put back together, destroys everything.

Angels' Games: A nightmarish factory removes the limbs of angels through various processing machines.

This short is easily the most memorable one included in this collection. And it also starts off with one of the most unusual openings to ever grace any film. The stark imagery and story content are reportedly a veiled reference to the Nazi concentration camps.

Joachim’s Dictionary: The alphabet once again makes an appearance, as each letter is backed by a visual for that word.

Rosalie: A woman is put on trial for killing her infant child.

This is another standout short that lingers in your mind long after it has ended. This is a live-action short that features Ligia Branice in the role of the woman on trial. She would appear in three of Walerian Borowczyk’s live-action films: Goto, Isle of Love, Blanche, and Behind Convent Walls.

Mr. and Mrs. Kabal’s Theatre: A day in the life of Mr. and Mrs. Kabal

Mr. and Mrs. Kabal return for a feature-length adventure that combines animation and live-action shots of attractive women in bikinis. This film opens and closes with appearances from Walerian Borowczyk, who in the opening sequence talks to Mrs. Kabal, who replies in her robotic voice. The opening moments are spent with the animator trying to decide how they want Mrs. Kabal to look as they give her a wide variety of heads that they quickly take away. From there, the Kabal go to the beach, and insanity ensues. One moment that springs to mind is when Mrs. Kaba comes out of the changing room at the beach and her breasts fall off. Needless to say, this film is truly bizarre, and another absurd moment includes a scene where Mrs. Kabal’s body swells up after she swallows a butterfly and her husband climbs inside of her. The most amusing motif in this film is how every time Mr. Kabal uses his binoculars, he sees a beautiful girl in a bikini. Unfortunately, his moment of pleasure is cut short every time he peeps and is caught by an old man, who lets him know he is now being watched.

Diptych: This is a documentary that revolves around a farmer and his dogs. Then the second half of this documentary shifts towards a series of colorful flower arrangements. The first part with the farmer is in black and white, while the latter half is in vivid color.

Gavotte: A man who just wants to sit down and relax is constantly interrupted by another man who keeps taking things like the chair he was sitting on away.

This short takes place in the 17th century, and the twist that I left out of the synopsis is that the two characters at odds with each other are both midgets.

The Phonograph: The title for this one pretty much sums it up: a phonograph plays music. This short uses stop motion to remove and load the new music selections.

The Greatest Love of All Times: This short documentary is about Serbian surrealist painter Ljubomir Popovic.

Scherzo Infernal: An angel angers God when she reveals she would like to be a prostitute, and a devil becomes an outcast when he reveals to his father that he wants to help others. One day the two outcasts meet, and their fornication creates another being.

This is easily the most perverse and sexually graphic of all the shorts included in this collection.

Over the span of twenty-five years in which these shorts were made and are featured in this collection, a wide variety of styles were employed, most notably the use of stop-motion and live-action images with animation. These shorts are all over the place, though several do foreshadow what is yet to come from Walerian Borowczyk.

Walerian Borowczyk Short Films and Animation is an exceptional release from Arrow Academy, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Immoral Tales – Arrow Academy (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1974
Director: Walerian Borowczyk
Writer: Walerian Borowczyk
Cast: Lise Danvers, Fabrice Luchini, Charlotte Alexandra, Paloma Picasso, Pascale Christophe, Florence Bellamy, Jacopo Berinizi, Lorenzo Berinizi, Philippe Desboeuf, Marie Forså, Sirpa Lane

Release Date: September 8th, 2014
Approximate Running Times: 103 Minutes 8 Seconds (Theatrical Version), 125 Minutes 25 Seconds (Uncut Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono French (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region B (Blu-ray)/Region 2 PAL (DVD)
Retail Price: OOP

"Walerian Borowczyk's first explicitly erotic feature, Immoral Tales presents a veritable cavalcade of depravity: cosmic fellatio, transcendental masturbation, blood-drenched lesbianism and papal incest. It tells four stories, each delving back further in time, as if to suggest that the same issues recur constantly throughout human civilization, whether involving notorious historical figures like Lucrezia Borgia and Erzsébet Báthory, or present-day teenagers. Capitalising on the relaxation of censorship laws, Immoral Tales would transform Borowczyk's image from brilliant but obscure avant-garde artist to one of Europe's most confrontational filmmakers when it came to trampling on sexual taboos." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The master was produced by Argos Films. This film was transferred and restored from the 35mm Interpositive, and the Thérèse Philosphe sequence was transferred from a 35mm low contrast print made from the 16mm reversal original element. The picture was graded and restored in High Definition. All work was carried out at Scanlab under the supervision of Isabelle Raindre of Argos Films."

Immoral Tales comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.2 GB

Feature: 34.2 GB (Uncut Version), 28.1 GB (Theatrical Version)

The sources used for these two versions are in great shape, and any remaining debris or imperfections are minor. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, contrast looks very good, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. Though these transfers are not as strong as the other films released by Arrow Academy, they are still easily the best they have ever looked on home video. Also, this release uses seamless branching for the two versions.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with a removable English subtitle. The audio is in great shape; dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 20 seconds, LPCM mono with French text, no subtitles), an introduction to the film by Daniel Bird (5 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a segment where several Walerian Borowczyk collaborators get together and discuss him titled Boro Brunch: Crew Reunion (7 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Love Reveals Itself: Making Immoral Tales (16 minutes 42 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles) with comments from producer Dominique Duvergé-Ségrétin and camera assistant/cinematographer Noël Véry, two versions of a documentary about erotic artifacts titled A Private Collection (12 minutes 12 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), and A Private Collection: Oberhausen Cut (14 minutes 31 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an alternate version of Immoral Tales titled Immoral Tales: L’Age d’Or Cut (125 minutes 25 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, and a 28-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled A Plate Full of Cucumbers written by Daniel Bird, Contemporary Reviews, an essay titled Immoral Tales written by Phillip Strick, an essay titled A Private Collection written by Michael Brooke, and information about the restorations. The alternate version titled Immoral Tales: L’Age d’Or Cut includes the segment titled The True Story of the Beast of Gevaudan.

Included with this release is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray included as part of this combo release.

Summary:

Directed by Walerian Borowczyk, an animator turned provocative filmmaker whose notable films include Goto, Isle of Love, Blanche, The Beast, Story of Sin, and The Margin.

There are four (five if you include The True Story of the Beast of Gevaudan) that make up the narrative for Immoral Tales. Also, each of these tales is set in a different time period, starting with the modern day and working its way back to the fifteenth century.

Though Walerian Borowczyk’s films have always dealt with provocative subject matter, Immoral Tales, at that moment in his career, was by far and away his most graphic in regards to its depiction of sexuality.

The Tide: A young man takes his cousin to a private beach, and once they have arrived, he uses the tide to teach his inexperienced cousin the pleasures of oral sex.

Thérèse Philosphe: To curb her sexual desires, a woman is locked in a room, and once inside, she lets her mind run wild as she uses the various objects in the room to satisfy her unfulfilled sexual desires.

The True Story of the Beast of Gevaudan: One day, while strolling through the woods, a woman comes face-to-face with a beast who devours her sexually instead of killing her.

Erzsebet Bathory: In order to retain her beauty, a countess rounds up virgins and bathes in their blood.

Lucrezia Borgia: Unable to conceive a child due to her husband’s impotence, a young woman enlists the help of her father, the pope, and her brother, a cardinal, who help in her quest to have a child.

From a visual standpoint, all of these sequences are impeccable shots, and the production design on each is astounding. Every frame has been composed with the utmost care and for maximum effect. A few of the standout moments include the moment when the tie arrives and the characters in the first story simultaneously reach climax. Another exquisite moment is the scene in the fourth story where Erzsebet Bathory bathes and caresses her flesh with the virgins’ blood. Of course, the short titled The True Story of the Beast of Gevaudan is a visual feast for the eyes that has to be seen to be believed. And this sequence would later be expanded into Walerian Borowczyk’s next feature, The Beast, with the footage that comprises the short serving as a dream sequence in the feature film.

The subject matter in these sequences leans heavily towards the taboo, as two of them deal with incest, another involves the aforementioned beast who fornicates with a woman, and another involves mass murder. Not surprisingly, the second short Thérèse Philosphe involving the young woman pleasuring herself is the weakest of these five tales. Without giving too much away, it does end with an ironic twist. While the opening The Tide and closing segment, Lucrezia Borgia, would be neck and neck for the strongest out of these stories, With that being said, the best performances come from the remaining two stories: Paloma Picasso in the role of Elisabeth Bathory (her one and only screen appearance) and Sirpa Lane (Beast in Space), who portrays the object of desire in the story titled The True Story of the Beast of Gevaudan.

Immoral Tales gets a solid release from Arrow Academy, highly recommended.

Note: The U.S. release by Arrow Academy is still in print.

Written by Michael Den Boer