KUNG-FU RASCALS (1992)
Visual Vengeance Collector's Edition Blu-ray
Label: Visual Vengeance
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 102 Minutes 22 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Steve Wang
Cast: Troy Fromin, Johnnie Saiko, Les Claypool, Steve Wang
Audio/Video: Kung-Fu Rascals (1991) makes it's worldwide Blu-ray debut on region-free Blu-ray from Visual Vengeance in HD sourced from the SD Master from original tape elements framed in 1.33:1 fullscreen. The dated video source is dark, murky and compressed, it looks like a cruddy VHS because that's basically what it is. Colors are muted, the details are smeary looking and soft throughout, it looks pretty awful to be honest. When you see the behind-the-scenes images and how cool the creature and kaiju designs look it's a bit sad to think that the video transfer source is all we have left of the original film elements. but still, thank the cinema lord that we have that at least. Audio comes by way of English Dolby Digital 20 with optional English subtitles. The track is clean enough and well-balanced, it's not the peak of high fidelity my any stretch of the imagination, but i t does the job.
Kung-Fu Rascals (1992), directed by Steve Wang (Guyver: Dark Hero) is an incredibly ambitious kung-fu fantasy film shot on super-8mm and transferred to video tape. The premise here is that an ancient dark lord known as The Bamboo Man (Ted Smith) plans to take over a Shaolin Temple which threatens the local community. His plan is going pretty well until his pigman underling Raspmutant the Mad Monk (Wyatt Weed, The Laughing Dead) tells him that a local master thief has broken into their HQ and made of with a crucial map, impeding Bamboo Man's plan. In order to save their community the thief, Chen Chow Mein (Steve Wang) teams-up with rebel fighters Lao Ze (Troy Fromin, Return of the Living Dead II) and Reepo (Johnnie Saiko, Hell Comes to Frogtown) to form the chop-socky trio The Kung Fu Rascals, hatching a plan to thwart the dark lord's insidious plans. In doing so they must not only evade the vile pigman Raspmutant and his minions, but the evil Sheriff of Ching Wa County (Les Claypool III, not the guy from Primus) and Meesha The Spider-Witch (Michelle McCrary).
Given the limited resources I would normally associate with SOV flicks this is a delightfully well-made and action-packed bit of chop-sockey shenanigans. The fight sequences are corny and wonderful, and we even get some giant-sized stone statues coming to life in the final showdown, and the make-up effects are very cool. The mutant/monster baddies are well designed and sculpted, we get the pigman henchman, a witchy spider-woman, and of course dark lord Bamboo Man, as well as the stone giants, all of look amazing, and not surprisingly, as Wang was an established special effects guy for a while at this point, having already worked on creature-effects heavy stuff like The Monster Squad, Hell Comes To Frog Town, Arena, Gremlins 2, Deep Star Six, and Predator, but that he put so much love into the effects for this no-budget spectacle was a bit surprising. The behind-the-scenes photo galleries of the making of this film really showcase the detail and care that went into the elaborate designs, which might not be evident from the low-res image of the actual film on the Blu-ray. Not so amazing is the video source which is lousy with compression and murkiness, it's a shame that this could not be re-assembled from the original super-8mm footage, and what we get is sourced from a SD tape source.
Even still the magic and mayhem of this lunatic SOV flick shines through just the same. At times the fight sequences have a distance Powers Rangers campiness to them, which was also evident in Wang's The Guyver fight choreography, and i love it, it suits the material to a "t".
Audio/Video: Kung-Fu Rascals (1991) makes it's worldwide Blu-ray debut on region-free Blu-ray from Visual Vengeance in HD sourced from the SD Master from original tape elements framed in 1.33:1 fullscreen. The dated video source is dark, murky and compressed, it looks like a cruddy VHS because that's basically what it is. Colors are muted, the details are smeary looking and soft throughout, it looks pretty awful to be honest. When you see the behind-the-scenes images and how cool the creature and kaiju designs look it's a bit sad to think that the video transfer source is all we have left of the original film elements. but still, thank the cinema lord that we have that at least. Audio comes by way of English Dolby Digital 20 with optional English subtitles. The track is clean enough and well-balanced, it's not the peak of high fidelity my any stretch of the imagination, but i t does the job.
As usual Visual Vengeance have loaded this sucker up with extras, which for some will prove more interesting that the film I am sure. We get a nearly two-hour The Making of Kung Fu Rascals: Brand New Feature Length Documentary that runs 112-min featuring writer/director Steve Wang, Johnnie Saiko who played "Reepo", Troy Fromin who played "Lao Ze", Les Claypool III who played "The Sheriff", Ted Smith who played "Bamboo Man" among others, Wyatt Weed for played "Raspmutant" who also was the model maker. It's a fascinating look back at he making of this SOV gem. We also get the 16-min The Reunion of the Three Rascals. The flick also gets two commentaries, the first is an Audio Commentary with director Steve Wang, Actor Johnnie Saiko, Actor Troy Fromin, Composer & Actor Les Calypool III and Actor Ted Smith; the second is an Audio Commentary with Kung Fu Rascals superfans Justin Decloux and Dylan Cheung. More new featurettes come by way of the the 10-min Steve Wang & Les Claypool III Meet Again; and the 12-min Chris Gore Interview: Distributing Kung Fu Rascals on VHS who talks about how he first discovered the film and came to distribute it through Film Threat on VHS. Additionally, there are 57-min of Behind The Scenes Video Diaries; the 35-min Original Kung Fu Rascals Super 8 Short Film; the 13-min Steve Wang Short Film: Code 9; and galleries offering the Complete Film Threat Video #6 BTS Article; a 3-min Stills Gallery with some nice high quality images from the film, the 4-min Behind The Scenes Image Gallery, and Visual Vengeance Trailers for Born a Ninja, Furious, The Nine Demons, and of course Kung-Fu Rascals.
The single-disc release arrives in a clear keepcase with a Reversible Sleeve of Artwork featuring the original VHS artwork and new illustration, plus we get a Limited Edition (First Pressing Only) Slipcover with unique artwork by The Dude which is also featured as the disc artwork. Inside we get more ephemera by way of a 12-Page Mini Comic Book (First Pressing Only) with striking black and white art Marc Gras telling the same story as the film; plus a 'Stick Your Own' VHS Sticker Set, and a single-sided Folded Mini-Poster featuring one of the wrap artworks, and a 2-Sided Insert with unique alternate art and a synopsis of the film.
Special Features:
- Director-supervised SD master from original tape elements
- The Making of Kung Fu Rascals: Brand New Feature Length Documentary (112:56)
- The Reunion of the Three Rascals (16:18)
- Audio Commentary with director Steve Wang, Actor Johnnie Saiko, Actor Troy Fromin, Composer & Actor Les Calypool III and Actor Ted Smith
- Audio Commentary with Kung Fu Rascals superfans Justin Decloux and Dylan Cheung
- Steve Wang & Les Claypool III Meet Again
- Chris Gore Interview: Distributing Kung Fu Rascals on VHS (11:40)
- Behind The Scenes Video Diaries (56:55)
- Original Kung Fu Rascals Super 8 Short Film (34:51)
- Steve Wang Short Film: Code 9 (13:21)
- Complete Film Threat Video #6 BTS Article
- Stills Gallery (3:02)
- Behind The Scenes Image Gallery (4:10)
- Director-supervised SD master from original tape elements
- The Making of Kung Fu Rascals: Brand New Feature Length Documentary (112:56)
- The Reunion of the Three Rascals (16:18)
- Audio Commentary with director Steve Wang, Actor Johnnie Saiko, Actor Troy Fromin, Composer & Actor Les Calypool III and Actor Ted Smith
- Audio Commentary with Kung Fu Rascals superfans Justin Decloux and Dylan Cheung
- Steve Wang & Les Claypool III Meet Again
- Chris Gore Interview: Distributing Kung Fu Rascals on VHS (11:40)
- Behind The Scenes Video Diaries (56:55)
- Original Kung Fu Rascals Super 8 Short Film (34:51)
- Steve Wang Short Film: Code 9 (13:21)
- Complete Film Threat Video #6 BTS Article
- Stills Gallery (3:02)
- Behind The Scenes Image Gallery (4:10)
- Visual Vengeance Trailers: Born a Ninja (2:03), Furious (1:07), The Nine Demons (1:50), Kung-Fu Rascals (1:06)
- 12 page mini comic book - First Pressing Only
- Limited Edition Slipcase by The Dude - First Pressing Only
- 'Stick Your Own' VHS Sticker Set
- Reversible Sleeve Featuring Original VHS Art
- Folded Mini-Poster
- 2-Sided Insert with Alternate Art
- 12 page mini comic book - First Pressing Only
- Limited Edition Slipcase by The Dude - First Pressing Only
- 'Stick Your Own' VHS Sticker Set
- Reversible Sleeve Featuring Original VHS Art
- Folded Mini-Poster
- 2-Sided Insert with Alternate Art
Kung-Fu Rascals (1992) gets a banger of a Blu-ray release from Wild Eye Releasing's Visual Vengeance imprint, it's a demented slice of chop-socky awesomeness mashed-up with some fun monster and fantasy elements, which makes for quite an entertaining SOV romp. VV's packaging is top-notch and the expansive extras are sure to be a pleaser for SOV deep-divers who will want to know the story behind this mini-epic bit of micro-budget schlock.
Screenshots from the Visual Vengeance Blu-ray:
Buy It!
#ad