Beast
To Die
(1980/Radiance Blu-ray*)/Cobra
4K
(1986/Warner/Arrow 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray*)/Drop
4K
(2025/Universal 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Sorcerer
4K
(1977/Friedkin/Criterion 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/The
Stuff 4K
(1985/Arrow 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray*)/Terminus
(1986/Blu-ray/*all MVD)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: B/B/B+/B+ Picture: B/X/B-/B/B-/B- Sound:
C+/B/B/B/B-/B- Extras: C+/C/C-/B/B-/C+ Films: C+/D/C-/B/C+/C
Now
for some action genre films, some with intended comedy, some
unintended and one that is an unrecognized classic...
Toru
Murakawa's The
Beast To Die
(1980) deals with a photographer (Yusaku Matsuda) so overly affected
by his war experiences, he loses it, gets angry, becomes sick and ill
and decides to start robbing and killing people in an ugly,
deliberate way to go with what traumatized him. This is just the
beginning of what he plans as a massive, unforgettable bank robbery
and might find a partner equally sick of it all to help him.
Not
unlike some of the Vietnam movies where ''he's coming home'' was more
like Taxi
Driver
or Deathdream,
this is well done and a decent variant, but not quite as strong as
those films or as well rounded. Still, more works here than not, its
is very ambitious and the curious should definitely give it a good
look. I'm glad I saw it and it has more to impress than you might
think, even after what I said.
Extras
include now on camera segments including:
Interview
with Toru Murakawa (2025)
Interview
with Shoichi Maruyama (2025)
Critical
appreciation from novelist and screenwriter Jordan Harper (2025)
Newly
improved English subtitle translation
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time
Tomorrow
Limited
Edition booklet featuring new writing by Tatsuya Masuto
and
Limited Edition of 3,000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo
packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of
certificates and markings
When
Sylvester Stallone got instant clout to make movies after Rocky
(1976) went through the roof, he kept trying to make more serious
movies about something, but the Rocky sequels and success of the
Rambo films had the critics going after him so much, he eventually
gave up on taking risks. George
P. Cosmatos' Cobra
4K
(1986) is when he really threw in the towel, his worst film, the most
debased and reactionary 1980s film he ever made, it was like Dirty
Harry on crack, where you could not tell the difference in the bad
effects from either the drug or this film.
He
plays the renegade title cop who the LAPD calls in because he can
break some laws they cannot, for some reason, and not get arrested
for it. That includes making a very, very bad film. Brigid Nielsen
(his lady at the time and/.or to be at the time) becomes the witness
to a gruesome murder, so he has to protect her to get the villains.
The only villains he never reaches are the writers and director of
this film.
Then
this goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on
and on and on... well, you get the idea and now that it is here in 4K
Ultra HD Blu-ray
form, you can clearly see it is as bad as ever, so that makes 4K a
truth serum in this case. The film was a box office disappointment,
but the tagline/hype ad that said ''Crime is the disease, he's the
cure'' fortunately did not include any music by the great band whose
lead singer is Robert Smith. Remarkably, they did get Gladys Knight
to do a song here, the only thing memorable (besides that hype piece)
the whole film has to offer, but the great Miss Knight would do
better on the soundtracks of Rocky IV and Licence To Kill.
Anyhow,
you can now see the disaster for yourself as vivid as it is ever
going to get, a film with plenty of blood and even a blood red look.
See it at your own risk and do not say we did not warn you.
Extras
for this LIMITED EDITION include a brand new audio commentary by film
critics Kim Newman and Nick de Semlyen
Brand
new audio commentary by film scholars Josh Nelson and Martyn Pedler
Archive
audio commentary by director George P. Cosmatos (1998)
TV
version of the film featuring deleted and alternate scenes,
presented for the first time on home video (standard definition
only)
Slashing
the Night Away,
a new interview with composer Sylvester Levay
Dark
Glasses, Violence & Robots,
a new visual essay by film critic Abbey Bender on Cobra
and 80s maximalist cinema
White
Line Nightmare,
a new visual essay by film critic Martyn Conterio on Cobra
and the "Maverick
Cop"
genre
Stalking
and Slashing,
an archive interview with actor Brian Thompson
Meet
the Disease,
an archive interview with actor Marco Rodriguez
Feel
the Heat,
an archive interview with actor Andrew Robinson
Double
Crossed,
an archive interview with actor Lee Garlington
A
Work of Art,
an archive interview with actor Art LaFleur
The
Making of Cobra,
1986 featurette
Teaser
Trailer
Theatrical
trailer
TV
Spots and trailers
Image
gallery
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy
Pocket
Illustrated
collector's booklet containing new writing on the film by film
critics Clem Bastow, William Bibbiani, Priscilla Page, and Ariel
Schudson
and
a double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly
commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket.
Christopher
Landon's Drop
4K
(2025) is
an exploitation film about a woman (Meghann Fahy) who goes out on a
date, not easy for a widow, only for her to get a bunch of threats on
her phone by a masked figure threatening to kill various beloved
family members if she does not do what she is told. Essentially
Phone
Booth
for bored people, this did not start out great to begin with. Then
it starts to go down hill quickly as a stuck-in-a story in reverse
(better to leave your cell/smart phone at home during dates, we
guess) that makes the worst possible choices throughout.
Not
fun enough or dumb enough to be Showgirls
with a bad cell phone plot, some have enjoyed this and it has done
some business, but it was enough to make me never join social media
again and log off forever. Blumhouse has becomes a house of canned
horror cliches and they can make some money on this strategy, but
they could be doing FAR
better if they wanted to. See at your own risk, but otherwise, I
would 'drop' plans top see this one.
Extras
include Digital Code, while the discs adds A RECIPE FOR THRILLS:
MAKING DROP - Join the cast and crew of DROP as they sort through the
ingredients of this date gone wrong.
A
PALATE FOR PANIC - Take a seat and devour the details that went into
creating Palate, a film set that doubles as a fully operational
restaurant.
KILLER
CHEMISTRY - Join Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar as they discuss
their characters' first date and how they managed to keep Violet and
Henry grounded throughout the escalation of events.
&
A FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER LANDON.
William
Friedkin's Sorcerer
4K
(1977) is one of the most underrated films of the 1970s, a film form
a director and filmmaker on a roll and like Martin Scorsese's equally
remarkable New
York New York
the same year, bombed at the box office because of crazy timing.
They both opened up at the same time as Lucas' Star
Wars
came out and were among the many box office victims of its insane box
office run.
Like
the Scorsese film, audience have slowly caught up with it and in
Friedkin's
case, this film came after The
French Connection
and The
Exorcist
were huge critical and commercial blockbuster successes and classics
of their genres. Sorcerer
had a title that did not help, making it sound like another
supernatural horror entry, but instead,
it starts out as a remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot's classic Wages
Of Fear
and goes further into additional, related territory that may have
been more than some audiences could handle.
For
more on the original Wages
Of Fear,
see our older coverage of the Criterion DVD and know they've issued
it on Blu-ray since...
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/298/Wages+Of+Fear+(Criterion+DVD
Besides
greed, corporatism and what people will take risks in doing to get
ahead, Friedkin added a strong new element that De Palma
used in his film The
Fury
(1978) that gave both films more impact, the rise of international
terrorism and on that count, Friedkin
was more than ahead of his time. And that is not even the core basis
of this remake.
Four
men (Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Amidou, Francisco Rabal) with their
own varied and possibly contradictory needs and means, agree to
transport a huge amount of highly explosive, highly sensitive and
extremely flammable nitro glycerine across very unpaved, very
primitive lands in far from developed countries for big pay and at
extremely high risks to their very lives. By creating a more complex
and deadly, higher stakes situation than even the original film, this
remake honors the film, proves how ahead of its time the original
was, becomes ahead of its time itself and that makes the impact all
the more brutal at such peak moments.
The
actors are all in, not afraid to get dirty or be dirty, the
documentary style making you feel you are seeing something you should
not be allowed to see, but here it is and when you get into the film
as intended (especially in
4K Ultra HD) is very compelling, truly suspenseful and had this
opened a few months before Star
Wars
as Logan's
Run
and King
Kong
(both 1976) did to hit box office success, Sorcerer
would have at least broke even if not been another big hit for
Friedkin.
Scheider
was just coming off the insane success of Jaws,
so that was also supposed to be a plus for the film and it is, but
even he could not help it against the biggest space opera of all
time. Still, with some of the most ambitious practical effects you
will ever see in a film of its kind and type, the ambitions of the
writing, acting and directing are more than matched by it. Most
important though is the movie as a whole, Friedkin
making more of a big statement than one might first gather when
watching, but he never got preachy as a filmmaker and always showed
the best ways to make effective statements without becoming a spoof
of himself or condescending to the audience.
That
makes this film a mature, adult, intelligent work like we rarely get
anymore. That it is as relevant as ever and holds up as a gem form
the last great New Wave of U.S. cinema. Highly recommended!!!
Extras
include a Friedkin
Uncut
(2018), a documentary by Francesco Zippel featuring interviews with
Friedkin; screenwriter Walon Green; filmmakers Wes Anderson, Francis
Ford Coppola, and Quentin Tarantino; and others
• New
conversation between filmmaker James Gray and film critic Sean
Fennessey
• Archival
audio interviews with Green and editor Bud Smith, from the collection
of Giulia D'Agnolo Vallan, author of William
Friedkin
(2003)
• Conversation
from 2015 between Friedkin and filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn
• Behind-the-scenes
footage of Friedkin on set
• Original
Theatrical Trailer
• English
subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS:
An essay by film critic Justin Chang as part of a paper pull.out with
tech information and more.
Larry
Cohen's The
Stuff 4K
(1985) becomes one of his first film to get Ultra HD treatment from
Arrow Video, who has issued the film in two countries on regular
Blu-ray, the reviews of which you can read more about at these links:
U.S.
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14204/The+Stuff+(1985/MVD/Arrow+Video+Blu-ray
U.K.
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12635/The+Stuff+(1985/Arrow+Films+Region+B+Import+Blu-
That
will also make me the third person to review the film and I pretty
much agree with my fellow writers about the film, a satire that goes
for broke, yet never becomes a one-joke film (despite the advertising
it had at the time maybe making it seem that way, but how do you
advertise this?) and with its commentary more relevant than ever, the
late, great director intents on expressing and exposing what he saw
and had to say is more thorough and compete than ever here. That
makes this THE definitive release of the film and despite some minor
issues I had with the film (it still gets repetitive and a little
silly, though some of that is intended,) the way to fully encounter
the film and experience it.
Extras
repeat
the previous Blu-ray editions from Arrow, then adds...
Brand
new audio commentary by writers and critics David Flint and Adrian
Smith
Archival
audio commentary by writer/director Larry Cohen
Enough
is Never Enough,
a newly edited featurette featuring previously unseen interviews
with director Larry Cohen and producer Paul Kurta, originally shot
for the 2017 documentary King
Cohen
42nd
Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious
Street,
a feature-length documentary exploring the history of New York
City's infamous 42nd Street, with first-hand accounts from an array
of filmmakers, including Larry Cohen
Trailers
and TV spots
King
Cohen
trailer
Image
gallery
DISC
2 - PRE-RELEASE VERSION (BLU-RAY) [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
You
can also read my interview with Larry Cohen, one of his last, at this
link:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/interview/15341/An+Interview+with+Larry+Cohen
Pierre-William
Glenn's Terminus
(1986) is this wild mix of post-modern design, 1980s make-up madness,
a wish to be Mad
Max
on some level and takes place in 2037. Mati (Gabriel Damon from the
underrated Robocop
2)
has been genetically engineered by a dark, brilliant doctor/scientist
(the always interesting Jurgen Prochnow) to have the brain of a
child, but all the brilliance of a supercomputer. He puts Mati in
charge of a killer super death race where people can win big (has
anyone actually won?) and you can imagine the carnage that will
result.
A resistance is building against them, sick of the
death and empty promises of wealth and reward. Can they overthrow
the evil AI empire? Well, possibly, but the screenplay (works a
little better in the longer version) is a mixed bag and even with a
supporting cast that includes Karen Allen, Johnny Halliday, Julie
Glenn, Dieter Schidor and the voices of Howard Vernon and Mathieu
Carriere. As some of the technology has not aged well and other
items were never intended to be aged at all, the actors and some odd
moments are the reasons to see the film, along with its ambition to
be something different and work.
Fans
of The
Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai
will like the production design and cheers for anyone outside of
Hollywood for trying to do a Hollywood-like genre film of this type.
Its one of those films I kept wishing would work better, even when I
saw it back in the day. Now, you can see two cuts of it and more, so
those curious will want to check it out and film fans will want to
see it at least once just because you should see it.
Extras
include the US version of the ''Terminus''
(83 mins) presented in 1080p HD in 1.78:1 aspect ratio with English
LPCM 2.0 Stereo Audio and optional English Subtitles
Extended
French version of ''Terminus''
(115 mins) presented in 1080p HD in 1.66:1 aspect ratio with French
2.0 Stereo Audio and Optional English Subtitles
NEW!
Interview with star Jurgen Prochnow (HD, 15:55)
NEW!
''We
All Descend - The Making of Terminus''
(incl. interviews w/Vincent Glenn (son of director Pierre-William
Glenn), star Julie Glenn (daughter of Pierre-William Glenn) &
archival interviews w/ Pierre-William Glenn (HD, 49:30) (In French
w/ Eng Subtitles)
Photo
Gallery
Reversible
Artwork
Collectible
Mini-Poster
Original
Theatrical Trailer
and
a nice Limited Edition Slipcover (First
Pressing Only).
Now
for playback performance. The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.85 X 1, Dolby
Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition
image on Cobra
4K is
a little underwhelming, with more grain and detail issues than
expected, though it did arrive the same year as Cameron's Aliens
and may have been using some of the same problematic 35mm color
negative film as color film was being made more fade-resistant.
Either way, color is good and consistent and will likely never look
much better than it does here.
Issued
in 70mm blow-up prints, it is the only motion picture ever issued in
70mm Ultra Stereo sound, with its regular 35mm Ultra Stereo redubbed
'Eagle Stereo' to no avail. The company thought this was the chance
to really compete with Dolby instead of being its runner-up
competitor, but it did not work out that way, digital movie sound was
coming up in a few years and the next year, Dolby introduced their
analog SR system. Like all other Ultra Stereo films I have run into,
this sounds a little more dated than its Dolby counterparts of the
time and you get three soundtrack choices: DTS-HD
MA (Master Audio) 5.1, 4.0 and 2.0 Stereo lossless mixes. The 5.1 is
slightly better than the others.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Drop
4K
mat be the one new entry here, but it also disappoints visually with
limited detail, depth and other minor issues, despite the
consideration of style choices. The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High
Definition image on the regular Blu-ray version is even worse, with
more softness and weaker color. The
Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) on both
discs are good for what they are, but also slightly unimpressive
throughout.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.85 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Sorcerer
4K is
narrowly the best presentation on the list, looking as good as I have
ever seen the film, gritty when intended, great color, warmth, detail
and depth. Very engaging, a few shots even rise above my rating,
while the 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on the Blu-ray
version is fine for the now older format, but no match for the 4K
disc. The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix on both discs sounds great,
shows how creative the 70mm blow-up sound was and delivers.
Especially in combination with the 4K version, is just impressive
from start to finish. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo
lossless mix on both discs also sounds good, to be decided in Pro
Logic if you have a home theater system and is here for completists
or those who might have issues with the 5.1 mix for whatever reason.
And like the use of Tubular
Bells
in The
Exorcist,
Friedkin has a score by Tangerine Dream that really delivers.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.85 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on The
Stuff 4K
looks better than the already impressive master Arrow used in their
regular 1080p Blu-ray editions we covered previously from both sides
of the Atlantic, a new 4K master just for this release. The slightly
heightened use of light and color to exaggerate the madness that
happens from people being addicted to the title substance really
makes its point with this much fidelity. The older preview cut on
the 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition Blu-ray is going to have
flaws in the extra footage as expected, but you can still see when
Cohen was going visually. The
uncompressed PCM 1.0 Mono track on both cuts sounds as good as the
film ever will.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on The
Beast To Die
has some fine color throughout with
a nice, solid look that is as good as most films I have seen on
Blu-ray form that year and will pleasantly surprise viewers. The
Japanese PCM 2.0 Mono is a little more limited than expected, almost
sounding like a stereo mix where only a mono copy survived, but
The
1080p 1.78 X 1 (shorter U.S. Version) and 1.66 X 1 (Extended
Director's Cut) digital High Definition transfers on Terminus
are both a little rough-looking, partly because of the older effects
and some minor issues with how the films were shot, developed and
stored, but the film was shot entirely on Fuji 35mm color negative
film and automatically has a different look than if it were shot in
an HD, Ultra HD format or other film stock like Kodak or Agfa. The
U.S. Version can look a generation or half-generation down from
similar scenes in the longer, better cut, but not enough to give them
different letter grades. I still like seeing more of the image in
the 1.66 X 1 frame in that longer cut.
The
French PCM 2.0 Stereo sound originated from a magnetic soundmaster
captured on Agfa Gevaert magnetic tape and plays well with Pro Logic
surrounds or similar decoding as this was a Dolby System A-type noise
reduction theatrical sound release, but the mix still shows the age
of the film and maybe its limited budget.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
