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Category:    Home > Reviews > Martial Arts > Action > Comedy > Satire > Network Radio > Red Light Bandit (1968/Severin Blu-ray)

Kid From Kwang Tung (1982/Blu-ray*)/Prairie Home Companion, A (2006/New Line/Warner Archive Blu-ray)/Project A Collection 4K (1983, 1987/88 Films 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays w/Blu-ray Set/*both MVD)/Red Light Bandit (1968/Severin Blu-ray)



4K Ultra HD Picture: B+ Picture: B/B-/B/B- Sound: B- Extras: C/B-/B-/B- Films: C+/B-/C+/B-



PLEASE NOTE: The A Prairie Home Companion Blu-ray is now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series and can be ordered from the link below.



Now for a very mixed set of comedies from all over the place in all kinds of ways...



Hsu Hsia's The Kid From Kwang Tung (1982) is a comical rehash of Kurosawa's Yojimbo with more comedy and satire than we had seen before and was part of a cycle of (too much) comedy in the genre in the 1980s forward for better (and certain) or worse, with a silly duo (Wong Yu, Chiang Kam) try to make sure they are not the next to be killed off after an evil head master (Hwang Jang) kills their teacher.


Not exactly and outright satire of the Kurosawa classic (soon arriving on 4K disc from Criterion not long after this streets) and too silly to do so, it is a curio some fans will like more than others and at least distinguishes itself from the older martial arts films to the ones to come, often too funny for their own good.


Extras include four replica lobby cards and a reversible cover, while the disc adds an Original Theatrical Trailer and Stills Gallery.



Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion (2006) is the director's final film and has been given a Blu-ray release. You can read all about it at this link for our DVD coverage:


http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4450/A+Prairie+Home+Companion+(2006


I liked Garrison Keeler and this was the 'final' broadcast of his famed, latter-day radio show and definitely Altman's last film and all serious film fans miss him more than ever. The respect and star power both were able to get continues to impress and it turned out to be a fitting final curtain for all. All serious film (and radio drama fans for that matter) should see it at least once.


Extras repeat those on the DVD and include a preview of the soundtrack album, access to the specific music numbers, extras scenes, a behind the scenes documentary and a really good feature length audio commentary with Robert Altman and Kevin Kline.



Jackie Chan's Project A Collection 4K (1983, 1987) offers both films in their original Hong Kong versions, plus an Extended version of the first film and shorter Export version of the second. Both films are set at the return of the 19th Century and has Chan and Yuen Biao as a pair of police detectives to battle pirates on the high China seas, with Sammo Hung in tow as a helpful thief. David Lam shows up as a new tough cop in the sequel.


More colorful, elaborate and energetic than expected, the films are repetitive and a little predictable, but the action, performances, costumes, use of color and action help make up for those and other shortcomings. Turns out these films helped establish all, especially Chan, in Hong Kong action cinema history more permanently than before and you can see why in these solid restorations. They are still a for-fans-only affair, but they are worth a look for all to see.


Extras in this solid box are many and (per the press release) include....

  • BRAND NEW 2024 Interview with Stuntman Mars Cheung

  • Audio commentaries on the Hong Kong cuts of both films by Frank Djeng and FJ DeSanto

  • A second Djeng commentary on the Hong Kong cut of the first film

  • Someone Will Know Me archival documentary with English dubbing from 1988

  • Full Screen Jackie Chan Recording Session

  • Japanese Version Ending on first filmmaking

  • Lunar Year Introduction

  • Hong Kong Trailers

  • English Trailer

  • Export Trailer

  • Tai Seng Trailer

  • Stills Galleries

  • Outtakes

  • Interview with Jackie Chan

  • Interview with Anthony Carpio

  • Interview with actor Lee Hoi San (Master Killer)

  • Interview with actor Yuen Biao (Elusive Dragon)

  • Interview with actor Dick Wei (Pirates Den)

  • Interview with producer Michael Chan Wai-Man (The Big Boss)

  • Interview with composer Michael Lai (Can't Stop The Music)

  • Interview with writer and producer Edward Tang (Plan B)

  • LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE - Perfect-bound book, 98 pages and loaded with text and images

  • LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE - Six Replica Lobby Cards

  • LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE - Double-sided foldout Poster

  • and LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE - Slipcase with brand-new artwork from ''Kung Fu'' Bob O'Brien.



Rogerio Scanzerla's Red Light Bandit (1968) is a film from the little-seen or discussed Cinema Marginal movement in Brazil that started in 1966 and eventually, slowly tapered off by the later 1970s, resurfacing in spurts, having fun with Underground filmmaking in the U.S., et al, aimed at subverting Brazilian society and authority. This one is one of the most famous, loosely based on a real life terroristic crook from the 1960s who becomes a media hero. This is a few years before The Harder They Come from Jamaica helped launch reggae music.


The difference it that is uses much explicit comedy, some dark comedy and absurdity that distinguishes itself from similar filmmaking it is like and top make sure it is not totally counterculture, et al. Also owing something to Warhol's experimental films, it loves mocking the Hollywood Western, which itself was becoming more violent by way of Leone and The Wild Bunch, yet any violence here is is always broken up by the purposely choppy editing that can look like cut-up black and white fliers.


The rest you have to see to believe and I still take its political commentary seriously. Likely a classic of cinema in Brazil, it is at least a minor classic from there and in the genres it plays with and is worth a look.


Extras (per the press release) include:

  • Cinema Marginal: Interview With Producer And Film Conservationist Paulo Sacramento

  • The Anti-Muse: Interview With Actress Helena Ignez

  • Original Theatrical Trailer

  • Short Film: COMICS By Rogerio Sganzerla

  • Short Film: HORROR PALACE HOTEL By Jairo Ferreira

  • and an introduction To HORROR PALACE HOTEL By Filmmaker Dennison Ramalho



Now for playback performance. The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on the Project A 4K films not only look good and are the best transfers here as expected, but are even better than I expected with a few demo shots here and there, great color, detail and depth. These are also the best any pre-Hollywood period Chan films have looked on home video to date and even fans will be impressed. The 1080p Blu-ray versions are just finer for the format, but cannot match the 4K performance in either case. The anamorphic lenses used have some flaws, but not as bad as many other Hong Kong productions from the period.


The sound has been upgraded to lossless Cantonese and Mandarin (separate mixes) in Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) from the original theatrical monophonic sound, also included as DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mixes (including more than on in Cantonese in Mono for the sequel!) that are all fine for their age, but the Atmos versions really push it and only can get so far with the age and limits of the original recordings and mix. The English variants of all are poorer and too forward, but there for those who need them. Otherwise, the mono and parts of the Atmos original language soundtracks are as good as these films will ever sound.


The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on Kwang Ting is also looking good, the second best presentation behind the Chan titles with nice color, clarity, depth and it is said to be the first Shaw Brothers film to use Steadicam (guess they skipped Panaglide, but the anamorphic lenses are older and have their usual flaws and distortions) giving it a new look that separates it from the many such films they made before. I like the compositions too. The Cantonese PCM 2.0 Mono is a step above the English PCM 2.0 Mono dub and is as good as this film will ever sound.


The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Companion is an improvement over the decent DVD, but is still early HD and as a result, has its faintness and watery look that is limited visually overall. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix is also a nice improvement over the lossy DVD Dolby sound, so this looks and sounds as good as it ever will and I doubt we'll see a 4K edition.


The 1080p 1.33 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Red Light Bandit can show the age of the materials used, but the footage is often rough on purpose and is simply sourced from many rough places, so it is representing it and its Agit-Prop style as well as possible. The Portuguese PCM 2.0 Mono sound also as good as it can be with so many various rough and often monophonic sources, so the combination is as good as this will will also ever look or sound.



To order the A Prairie Home Companion Warner Archive Blu-ray, go to this link for it and many more great web-exclusive releases at:


https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/ED270804-095F-449B-9B69-6CEE46A0B2BF?ingress=0&visitId=6171710b-08c8-4829-803d-d8b922581c55&tag=blurayforum-20



- Nicholas Sheffo


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