Audition
4K
(1999*/**)/Crack-Up
(1946/RKO/Warner Archive Blu-ray)/Jackie
Chan's Breakout Hits 4K
(1994 - 1998/Warner*/**)/Mortal
Kombat Kollection 4K
(1995 - 1997/Warner*/**all Arrow 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray)/Slime
People/Crawling
Hand
(1963/VCI Blu-ray/*all MVD)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: B+/B+/B Picture: X/B/X/X/B Sound:
B-/C+/C+/B/B Extras: C+/C-/C+/C/C+ Main Programs: C/B/C/C-/C+
PLEASE
NOTE:
The Crack-Up
Blu-ray is now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner
Archive series and can be ordered from the link below.
Here's
a new group of thrillers, all with impressive upgrades...
Takashi
Miike's Audition
4K
(1999) has been upgraded from its already impressive Blu-ray edition
from Arrow, by Arrow and you can read about that set at this link:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15414/Audition+(1999/MVD/Arrow+Blu-ray)/Haunted+Hospital
I
think the film has its moments, but it did not work as well for me as
it did for my two fellow writers. Still, I like some of the shots
and its worth a look, especially in 4K now, for what does work.
That
also includes a review of
the Blu-ray/DVD edition that was not the best performer in either
format and did not have as many extras. This new edition has more
and slightly different extras than the Arrow Blu-ray set and includes
an older introduction by director Takashi Miike
Audio
commentary by director Takashi Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan
Audio
commentary by Miike biographer Tom Mes
Callback,
a brand new interview with actor Ryo Ishibashi
Ties
that Bind, an interview with director Takashi Miike
Damaged
Romance, an appreciation by Japanese cinema historian Tony Rayns
Archive
interviews with stars Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Renji Ishibashi
and Ren Osugi
Deeper
Deeper Into Audition,
an audio essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Trailers
Image
gallery
Collectors'
booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel, Jennie
Kermode and Jamie Graham
and
a reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Dark
Inker - Sampson and original UK artwork by Graham Humphreys.
For
more on Miike, try our coverage of this trilogy of his films also
issued by Arrow:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14729/Black+Society+Trilogy+(1995+-+1999/Takashi+Miike/
Irving
Reis'
Crack-Up
(1946) is by far the oldest film release here, but this Film Noir
Mystery is also the most effective, holds up shockingly well and is
underrated at that. Pat O'Brien plays an art critic who has somehow
managed to survive a train wreck, but he gets fired from his NYC art
museum job at the same time he is told there was no train wreck!
A
young woman (Claire Trevor) wants to help him, but can he trust her?
Some paintings are also involved and it turns out, maybe much more.
This may run a tight 86 minutes, but it builds and builds and builds
as we get some nice twists and turns and a few amusing moments you
might not expect. Showing the RKO Studios at their best, it gets a
solid supporting cast including Herbert Marshall, Wallace Ford, Ray
Collins, Dean Harens, Erskine Sanford, Damian O'Flynn and Mary Ware.
We
won't say anything else to ruin this gem, but it is the kind of Noir
Mystery fans cannot get enough of and its great Warner Archive did
such a great restoration on this one.
Extras
include a Crime
Does Not Pay
live action short Purity
Squad
and an Original Theatrical Trailer.
The
new Jackie
Chan's Breakout Hits 4K
(1994-1998) collects six of his films in a 10-disc set (!!!!!) that
helped him arrive as a full-blown star in the U.S. market as he
continued to be a international action icon. Though I am not as big
a fan of these films or him, I caught up with his films prior to
these and can see why he was such a big deal. Still, these look
better than you would think and we have reviewed some of them before.
They include:
Drunken
Master II
(1994)
Twilight
Time Limited Edition Blu-ray
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15015/Bitter+Harvest+(2017/Lionsgate+DVD)/Black+Butterfly
Warner
Archive Blu-ray
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15908/American+Dream+(2021/Lionsgate+DVD)/Drunken+Ma
And
the variant Legend
Of The Drunken Master
(reviewed on Blu-ray here:)
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9082/Ultimate+Force+Of+Four:+Hero+(2002+++DVD)/Iron
First
Strike
(aka Police
Story IV,
1996; here's our coverage of the third film in its solid 4K release
from 88 Films:)
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/16274/Convoy+Buster+(1978)/Shanghai+Joe+(1973/both+Ca
Rumble
In The Bronx
(1995) has Chan as a guy visiting his uncle in New York City, who
turns out to be in trouble, so his nephew decides to 'kick in'
helping him out. This was one of Chan's first big hits in the U.S.
and has aged in interesting ways.
Mr.
Nice Guy
(1997/reviewed on Warner Archive Blu-ray here:)
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15661/Cut+(2000/Blu-ray*)/Fuller+House:+The+Complete+Fo
Thunderbolt
(1995) has Chan as a sports car mechanic having to fight the number
one spirts car racer in order to save his kidnapped sister. Sparky
never had such troubles in the animated classic speed racer, but this
film is far better than the horrid feature film remake of that
classic TV show, so its interesting to see today.
Who
Am I?
(1998) has Chan with amnesia and is a CIA commando betrayed and now
marked for death. Can he survive? A post-Cold War tales that has
also aged in interesting ways some of which will make you think
'those were the good old days' or the like.
So
at this point like the cycle of all-profitable 'Elvis Musicals,' the
simple and even high concept storylines are just excuses for Chan to
do stunts and beat up bad guys, but that was more than enough to make
these hits.
Extras
are all out and
include Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned
artwork by Sam Hadley
160-page
perfect bound book featuring an archive interview with Jackie by
Craig D. Reid plus new writing by Thorsten Boose, Peter S. Bruce,
Matt McAllister, Elaine Chung and Jialu Zhu
Twenty-four
lobby card reproductions
Reversible
poster with vintage poster artwork
DISC
1: DRUNKEN MASTER II
4K
(2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
of three versions: the uncut 102-minute Hong Kong Cut , the
100-minute International Cut and the American Cut re-titled The
Legend of Drunken Master
(102 mins)
Original
lossless Cantonese, Mandarin and English mono audio for the Hong
Kong Cut
Original
lossless English mono audio for the International Cut
Original
English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio for The
Legend of Drunken Master
Optional
English subtitles and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Brand
new commentary by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J.
DeSanto
Before
the Breakout,
a new featurette in which stuntman Wang Yao, academic Dr. Wayne Wong
and critics David West and James Mudge look back at Jackie Chan's
earlier career
Breakout!
Part 1,
a new featurette in which Wong, West, Mudge and stuntman Mars look
back at the film
Deadly
When Drunken,
a new interview with co-writer Yuen Kai-chi
Tipsy
Tribulations,
an expanded interview with stuntman Mars
Period
Postures,
a new interview with academic Dr. Lars Laamann on the historical
context behind the film
Drunken
Defiance,
a new appreciation of the film by martial arts cinema expert Ricky
Baker
Archive
interview with Jackie Chan filmed for the American release in 2000
Alternate
Mandarin drinking scene (contains standard-definition inserts)
Textless
outtakes
Chinese
New Year messages recorded by Jackie for the Taiwanese and Malaysian
openings
Trailer
gallery
Image
gallery
DISC
2: RUMBLE IN THE BRONX (HONG KONG CUT)
Original
lossless Cantonese/English (sync-sound) stereo audio and English
(export dub) mono audio
Optional
English subtitles and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Brand
new commentary by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J.
DeSanto
Breakout!
Part 2,
a new featurette in which stuntman Mars, stuntwoman Kathy Hubble,
martial arts cinema expert Ricky Baker and critics David West and
James Mudge look back at the film
Rumble
Recollections, an expanded interview with Hubble
Alternate
footage
Textless
outtakes
Image
gallery
DISC
3: RUMBLE IN THE BRONX (INTERNATIONAL CUT)
Original
English-dubbed lossless stereo audio and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround
audio
Optional
English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Electronic
press kit interview with Jackie Chan
Two
scenes added for the network TV version with dubbing unique to this
version
US
trailer and TV spots
DISC
4: THUNDERBOLT
Original
lossless Cantonese/English (sync-sound) stereo audio, English
(export dub) stereo audio and English (US dub) DTS-HD MA 5.1
surround audio
Optional
English subtitles and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
97-minute
Japanese Cut with lossless Cantonese/English sync-sound stereo audio
(high-definition only)
Brand
new commentary by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J.
DeSanto
Breakout!
Part 3,
a new featurette in which stuntman Mars, critics David West and
James Mudge, and dubbing supervisor Paul Clay look back at the film
A
Thunderous Presence,
an expanded interview with Clay on his collaborations with Jackie
Chan
Alternate
English export credits
Textless
outtakes
International
trailer
Japanese
trailers
Image
gallery
DISC
5: POLICE STORY 4: FIRST STRIKE (HONG KONG CUT)
Original
lossless Cantonese/English (sync-sound) stereo and Mandarin (dubbed)
stereo audio
Optional
English subtitles and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Brand
new commentary by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and F.J.
DeSanto
Breakout!
Part 4,
a new featurette in which critics David West and James Mudge look
back at the film
Textless
outtakes
Image
gallery
DISC
6: POLICE STORY 4: FIRST STRIKE (INTERNATIONAL CUT)
Original
English-dubbed lossless stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
Optional
English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Striking
Back,
a new interview with martial arts cinema expert Frank Djeng
Scenes
added for the US network TV version with dubbing unique to this
version
US
trailer
DISC
7: MR. NICE GUY (JAPANESE & HONG KONG CUTS)
Original
lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio
for both cuts
Optional
English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Brand
new commentary by critic James Mudge
Breakout!
Part 5,
a new featurette in which stuntman Mars and critics David West and
James Mudge look back at the film
Nice
Thoughts,
a new appreciation by martial arts cinema expert Frank Djeng
Alternate
English credits
Textless
outtakes
Original
trailer
Image
gallery
DISC
8: MR. NICE GUY (INTERNATIONAL CUT)
Original
lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio
Optional
English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
US
trailer
DISC
9: WHO AM I? (HONG KONG CUT)
Original
lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio
Optional
English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Brand
new commentary by critic James Mudge
Breakout!
Part 6,
a new featurette in which critic James Mudge, actor Glory Simon and
second unit cinematographer Ray Wong look back at the film
From
Drunk to Slam Dunk: Jackie Chan in the New Millennium,
a new featurette in which Mudge, Simon, Wong, stuntwoman Kathy
Hubble, stuntmen Wang Yao and Mars, critic David West and others
look at Jackie's career in the years since
The
Making of Who Am I?,
a three-part archive behind-the-scenes featurette
Alternate
English credits
Textless
outtakes
Original
trailer
Image
gallery
DISC
10: WHO AM I? (INTERNATIONAL CUT)
Original
lossless English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround and lossless stereo audio
Optional
English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Who,
When & Where,
an expanded interview with Wong
Jostling
with Jackie,
an expanded interview with Simon
and
a U.S. trailer.
Needless
to say there has been a ton of Chan titles released in all video
formats over the decades, but this set is at the very top of the
list, archival, extremely thorough, library reference quality and
fans would say long overdue. Many were not even expected such a set,
but here it is and if you are a big fan, you'll want to get it,
especially this Limited Edition pressing whiel supplies last.
The
Mortal Kombat Kollection 4K
(1995 - 1997) collects the first two feature films based on the hit
videogame in one set, giving both the best possible upgrades to the
cult favorites that had notoriously horrid Blu-ray releases. We
never got to cover those, but here is a link to the other titles from
the franchise that we have covered since those films were made:
https://fulvuedrive-in.com/new/viewer.cgi?search=kombat
I
though the films were lame, even when they got a few interesting
actors and only fans could like these, with the first doing some
business and the second not as much. The digital work was worse than
anything at the time one could criticize on
The Shadow
or True
Lies,
though this was the early days of CGI in films and the digital was no
up to spec then and often is still not now, so the live action shots
look better. Otherwise, they can be trying film to watch, but fans
might beg to differ.
The
first film was lucky enough to land Christopher Lambert and
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, while the second has James Remar and Talisa
Soto is in both, playing a very different character than in the 1989
James Bond film Licence
To Kill.
The rest of the cast, including more than a few fighters, are fine
for genre films, but these are the kinds of videogame films that
showed how Hollywood did not get the genre and the subject was not
taken seriously enough like superhero genre films. Times have
changed a little since.
Extras
are many and include a collectors' perfect-bound booklet featuring
new writing on the films by Simon Ward and John Torrani
Reversible
sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt
Griffin
Two
double-sided foldout posters featuring original and newly
commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
Then
there is more on each disc, including...
DISC
1: MORTAL KOMBAT
4K
restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow
Films approved by director Paul W.S. Anderson
Brand
new audio commentary with director Paul W.S. Anderson
Brand
new audio commentary with comic book expert and podcast host Dave
Baxter
Cage
Match,
a newly filmed interview with with actor Linden Ashby
Leveling
Up, a
newly filmed interview with cinematographer John R. Leonetti
Quarters
to Millions,
a newly filmed interview with producer Lawrence Kasanoff
The
Heavyweight,
a newly filmed interview with designer and suit performer Tom
Woodruff
Mortal
Kombat: A Journey Behind the Scenes
featurette
On-set
interview bites with the cast and director and B-roll footage
Theatrical
trailers
Image
gallery
DISC
2: MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION
4K
restoration of the film from the original camera negative by Arrow
Films approved by director John R. Leonetti
Brand
new audio commentary with director John R. Leonetti (who lensed the
last film) moderated by filmmaker Gillian Wallace Horvat
Brand
new audio commentary with comic book expert and podcast host Dave
Baxter
The
Queen of the Night,
a newly filmed interview with actor Musetta Vander
Techno,
Taiko, Orcho,
a newly filmed interview with composer George S. Clinton
The
Man of a Thousand Deaths,
a newly filmed interview with stunt performer J.J. Perry, who played
Cyrax, Scorpion and Noob Saibot
On-set
interview bites with the cast and director and B-roll footage
Theatrical
trailer
and
an image gallery.
I
still think this is for fans only, but they at least should be very
pleased, unless they were not fans of these films versus later
releases.
Lastly
we get a nice B-movie double feature on Blu-ray from VCI in the
Creepy
Creature Double Feature: The Crawling Hand
and The
Slime People,
both presented in new restorations and both from 1963. Both films
were previously featured on Mystery
Science Theater 3000,
if that gives you a little context for the kind of horror movies
these are.
In
The
Crawling Hand,
a space capsule detonates in orbit and crashes to Earth. Later, a
teenager finds an astronaut's severed arm in the wreckage. Soon, the
arm reanimates and possesses the teen, twisting him toward evil.
Directed by Herbert L. Strock, the film stars Alan Hale Jr., Peter
Breck, Sirry Steffen, Allison Hayes, Rod Lauren, and Kent Taylor.
Watching it today, you can see how it may have influenced later films
like Idle Hands and even Evil
Dead II
by Sam Raimi. The
Crawling Hand
is a clever piece of low-budget filmmaking and a fun time-capsule
piece.
In
The
Slime People,
Los Angeles is invaded by an army of slime creatures seeking to
destroy humanity. The story follows a group of survivors trying to
fend for themselves. Directed by Robert Hutton, the film stars
Hutton alongside Robert Burton, Les Tremayne, Judee Morton, William
Boyce, and Susan Hart. The film was is fun to watch to see old Los
Angeles and its best feature is probably the Slime
People
costumes and characters.
The
films themselves are fun to revisit in retrospect. If you're a fan
of movies like The
Horror of Party Beach,
which is available on Blu-ray from Severin Film, or just enjoy silly
B-movies from the drive-in era, then you'll probably want to pick up
this two-pack.
Special
Features:
Susan
Hart interview by Tom Weaver "Rubber
Monsters, Real Fears: Mid-Century Sci-Fi"
Video Featurette Classic Drive-In Sci-Fi Poster Gallery
Commentary
on The
Crawling Hand
by Rob Kelly
Classic
Drive-In Poster Gallery
and
a two sided sleeve.
This
edition is pretty fun and I love seeing these older B Movies get an
HD upgrade.
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 Audition
4K is
an impressive scan from its original Super 16mm camera negative and
can have some softness, but when the color kicks in and you get the
better shots, it is as impressive as it ever will be. The original
theatrical stereo is here in DTS-HD
MA (Master Audio) 5.1, 4.0 and 2.0 Stereo mixes, but even the new
multi-channel mixes cannot hide the age and limited budget of the
film. This is as good as this film will ever sound in those choices
just the same.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition images on the Chan
movies are usually shot with underrated Technovision lenses, if not
the occasional use of Panavision lenses, so they can look really good
and better than you'd expect. That is the aspect of this set that
will really shock viewers, even his most hardcore fans. The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) Cantonese 2.0 Mono lossless mixes tend to be
the best sound tracks in each case, even with the DTS-HD MA (Master
Audio) 5.1 upgrades
(see in the extras above above), so even
when the films look great, the age and fidelity limits of the audio
recordings are inescapable. Sadly, these are all likely as good as
these film will ever sound, no matter the cut or version featured.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.85 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on the two Mortal
Kombat 4K
releases are mix of good and sometimes impressive 35mm film shooting
with some really dated CGI digital visual effects that keep
interrupting the better shots over and over and over and over and
over and over and over again. That is still a huge improvement over
the horrid Blu-ray discs New Line issued eons ago and that extends to
the DTS-HD
MA (Master Audio) 5.1 mixes that are much better than those older
discs, so this is the best these two will ever look and sound, limits
and all.
The
1080p 1.33 X 1 black & white digital High Definition image
transfer on Crack-Up
can
sometimes show the age of the materials used, but this is far
superior a transfer to all previous releases of the film and
impressive throughout, while the
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mix can show its age, but
is fine and consistent throughout. Nice it is has survived this
well, but only expect so much from the sonics just the same.
While
we obviously aren't getting 4K UHD discs here, the black-and-white
transfers on Crawling
Hand
and Slime
People
look pretty good on Blu-ray, all things considered. Both films are
presented in 1080p high definition on 2K Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4
AVC codec, a full frame aspect ratio of 1.37:1 and an English PCM 2.0
Mono mix. Both films are on one disc and have been restored well
enough to enjoy considering the cheap nature of their creation in the
first place.
To
order the
Warner Archive Crack-Up
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 and James Lockhart (VCI)
https://letterboxd.com/jhl5films/
