THE EPITAPH VOL. 92
THE FANTASTIC FOUR-EIGN FILMS EDITION!
THE LADY ASSASSIN (1983) - THE SAVAGE HUNT OF KING STAKH (1980) - HOKURIKU PROXY WAR (1977) - THE CAT (1988)
Label: 88 Films
Region Code: A,B
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 90 Minutes
Audio: Cantonese PCM 2.0 Dual Mono with Optional Newly Translated English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Chun-Ku Lu
Cast: Tony Liu, Leanne Lau, Siu Chung Mok, Norman Chu, Jason Piao Pai, Feng Ku, Lau Chan, Chiang-Yu Chang, Chok-Chow Cheung, Tien-Chu Chin, Miao Ching, Yung Chung, Ming Fung, Wei-Wei Huang, Feng Kuan, Wai Lam, Chun-Ku Lu
Let's give a tip o' the hat to 88 Films for bringing us yet another Hong Kong rarity from Shaw Brothers studio by way of The Lady Assassin (1982), directed by Chun-Ku Lu (Bastard Swordsman), an action-packed period flick chock full of gravity-defying Wuxia-style acrobatic wirework, and some terrifically bloody swordplay. There's plenty of royal intrigue that occurs when the old emperor is at death's door, he has written a decree that the dutiful 4th Prince (Tony Liu, Fist of Fury) is to be his rightful successful, which ruffles the feather of his amoral son, the duplicitous 14th Prince (Mok Siu-Chung, Once Upon a Time in China II) who is hungry for the power of the throne, setting in motion a plot to usurp the throne. Thankfully the 4th Prince is protected by the lethal and loyal Tsang Jing (Norman Tsui Siu-Keung, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin), but the 14th Prince enlists the help of warriors Nin Geng Yiu (Jason Pai Piao, Revenge of the Corpse), Lui Liu Liang (Ku Feng, The Flying Guillotine), and Lui’s bad-ass niece, Lui Si Niang (Leanne Liu, Bastard Sworsman) through trickery to do his bidding; sending them to steal the decree for the passing of his father, altering it to usurp the throne. Realizing that they've been tricked and that the new king is a treacherous crook Lui Si Niang teams up with like-minded warriors to take him down. This is a handsome period kung fu flick, the story itself is the usual struggle for power, nothing new, but the action is well-staged with plenty of high-flying, sword-clanging, foot and fist-to-face action that more than made up for a the occasional slog and hard to follow plot. The Blu-ray from 88 Films looks and sounds terrific, plus we get a 23-min Interview with Poon Kin-Kwan, Gallry and Trailer. See screenshots from the 88 Films Blu-ray HERE.
Special Features:
- High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
- 2.0 DTS-HD MA Cantonese Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
- From Child Actor to Fight Coordinator - An Interview with Poon Kin-Kwan (23:51) HD
- Stills Gallery (2:58)
- Trailer (1:17) HD
- Reversible sleeve featuring Original Hong Kong Artwork and New Artwork by Sam Green
- Limited Edition O-ring with New Artwork by Sam Green
- Two-Sided Poster with Original Hong Kong Artwork and New Artwork by Sam Green
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Label: Deaf Crocodile
Region Code: Region A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 132 Minutes 9 Seconds
Audio: Russian 1.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Director: Valeri Rubinchik
Cast: Boris Plotnikov Elena Dimitrova, Albert Filozov, Roman Filippov, Boris Khmelnitskiy, Valentina Shendrikova, Aleksandr Kharitonov, Igor Klass, Vladimir Fyodorov, Mariya Kapnist, Viktor Ilichyov, Yuriy Dubrovin, Boris Romanov
In the eerie Gothic folk horror The Savage Hunt of King Stakh (1980) a scholar of ancient folklore Andrey Beloretskiy (Boris Plotnikov) arrives at the gloomy, dilapidated castle on the Marsh Firs estate, owned by widow Nadzieja Janowski (Elena Dimitrova) seeking shelter from the storm on this dark and stormy night and also interested in the regions ancient legends, particularly the legend of King Stakh, a 15th century nobleman who was murdered and whose spirit is said to haunt the area, where he and his ghostly huntsmen on horseback are said to thunder through the local woodlands, killing the bloodline of one family in particular, that of Nadziejam, the sole surviving descendant of the king who murdered him. As Beloretskiy stays on he bares witness to strange occurrences via locals who are afraid to venture outside at night, a gruesome puppet show, and magic ritual by way of Nadzieja's housekeeper (Mariya Kapnist) performing a feathery protection spell, as well as a mad cousin of the mistress (Valentina Shendrikova), plus other local flavor by way of Ales Vorona (Boris Khmelnitskiy) who sees the scholar as a rival for Nadzieja's affections, and her aristocratic guardian Dobotovk (Roman Filippov). Initially Beloretskiy is dismissive of such tales of vengeful specters, however, when murders start happening and he himself hears the sound of thundering hooves in the marshlands, he too starts to believe that perhaps something supernatural is afoot, and he finds his quest for the truth of the matter to be stifled by corrupt local officials. Shot in and around Pidhirtsi Castle in Ukraine this gloomy slice of folk-horror looks terrific, the crumbling interiors of the castle with vines growing up the walls and the lower level partially submerged in water, well, it's a vision of aristocracy in decay, the perfect location for Gothic terror. The fog shrouded marshes are equally cold and and unsettling. The eerie flick is slow-burning but dripping with Gothic atmosphere and paranoia, and with a fiery, down-turned finale that is both tragic and perfect. If you're a fan of Gothic chillers like Mario Bava's Kill, Baby... Kill! or Roger Corman's The Fall of the House of Usher, or even The Mansion of Madness, this is sure ti be a gem, and most likely a new discovery for you. The film, which is based on the novel by Belarusian writer Uladzimir Karatkievich has been long-unavailable on home video, but now arrives on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile for the first time ever in the U.S., recently restored from the only surviving film elements, and a host of excellent extras. See screenshots of the Deaf Crocodile Blu-ray HERE.
Special Features:
- Brand-new restoration of the Director’s Cut of the film by Craig Rogers for Deaf Crocodile
- NEW! Video introduction by filmmaker and author Kier-La Janisse (13:01)
- NEW! ”The Wild, Wild Hunt of King Stakh” - video essay by film historian Evan Chester (16:10)
- NEW! Audio Commentary track by comics artist (Swamp Thing), film historian, and author Stephen R. Bissette
- NEW! Audio Commentary track by Mike White of The Projection Booth
- Trailer (1:44)
- QR code to access transcribed bonus features
- Blu-ray authoring by David Mackenzie of Fidelity In Motion
- Graphic Design by Beth Morris
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HOKURIKU PROXY WAR (1977)
Limited Edition Blu-ray
Label: Radiance Films
Region Code: A, B
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 98 Minutes 3 Seconds
Audio: Japanese LPCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Cast: Hiroki Matsukata, Yumiko Nogawa, Sonny Chiba, Mikio Narita, Kô Nishimura, Yôko Takahashi, Takeo Chii, Gorô Ibuki, Hajime Hana, Sanae Nakahara, Tatsuo Endô, Ichirô Nakatani, Seizô Fukumoto, Ryô Nishida, Junkichi Orimoto, Nenji Kobayashi, Jirô Yabuki, Harumi Sone
Another terrific "ripped from the headlines" Yakuza flick from director Kinji Fukasaku (Japan Organized Crime Boss) makes it's way to Blu-ray from Radiance Films. This time power-hungry gangster Kawada (Hiroki Matsukata) rebels when his two-timing boss Yasuhara (Kō Nishimura, House of Terrors) forms an alliance with a major crime syndicate the Kanai Group from Osaka, led by Kanai (Sonny Chiba, Street Fighter), who are aiming to take over Fukui, leading to a violent and multi-facted turf war. Right from the get go this one has a different vibe, set in the Hokuriku region we get some terrific snow covered locations, opening with a scene of a boss buried up to his head on a snow covered beach while a jeep is driven recklessly around him, threatening to crush or tear of his head. Similar threatening scenarios like this are played out two more time in the flick, the third time being the most brutal. The flick is shot with Fukasaku's usual visual flare, lots of frenetic lensing that puts you right into the middle of the action, there's a hand severing, plenty of bloodshed, gunfire exchanges, and of course betrayals and alignments galore. We also get love interest for Kawada by way of Kiku (Yumiko Nogawa, A Certain Killer) and Nobuko (Yôko Takahashi, Evening Primrose), both of which were fascinating in their own right. It's a terrific Yakuza flick, and I loved the distinctive favor of snowbound, Hokuriku location. The Blu-ray is well-stocked with new extras, including interviews with actress Yoko Takahashi, screenwriter Koji Takada, and ab interview with film historian Akihiko Ito that explores the real case, plus a trailer and packaging extras. See screenshots from the Radiance Films Blu-ray HERE:
Special Features:
- NEW! Interview with actress Yoko Takahashi (2024) (15:51)
- NEW! Interview with screenwriter Koji Takada (2024) (18:42)
- Yakuza film historian Akihiko Ito on the real-life Hokuriku Proxy War murder case (2024) (14:36)
- Trailer (3:21)
- Newly improved English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition booklet featuring newly translated archival writings on the film
- Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
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Label: Radiance Films
Region Code: A,B
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 117 Minutes 40 Seconds
Audio: German DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo, 5.1 Surround with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Dominik Graf
Cast: Gotz George, Gudrun Landgrebe, Joachim Kemmer,
Heinz Hoenig, Ralf Richter, Ulrich Gebauer, Sabine Kaack, Heinrich Schafmeister
In the German bank heist thriller The Cat (1988) two robbers Jungheim (Heinz Hoenig, Knife in the Head) and Britz (Ralf Richter, Das Boot) enter and hold up a bank and its employees demanding a three million marks ransom. The police, lead by working man detective Voss (Joachim Kemmer, The Vampire Happening), arrive and set about negotiating with pair of criminals via telephone, unaware that the robbers have an outside man, experiences criminal
Probeck (Götz George, The Blood of Fu Manchu), who is set-up in a luxury highrise across the street monitoring police communications with an array of scanners, while also communicating with the robbers via walkie-talkie, directing them, and also sabotaging the police efforts from the outside. the multi-faceted plans involves Jutta (Gudrun Landgrebe, A Woman in Flames), the wife of the bank's manager Ehser (Ulrich Gebauer), whom Probeck is having a steamy affair with. The flick is extremely well-directed, tense, and action-packed, chock full of heist tropes, but also offering some pretty interesting twists that keep things just off-balance with a potent finale that caught me offguard. The Blu-ray looks and sounds terrific, plus we get over two hours of new, in-depth interviews with director Dominik Graf, screenwriter Christoph Fromm, and producer Georg Feil, Trailer and select-scene commentary from Graf as well. See screenshots from the Radiance Films Blu-ray HERE.
Special Features:
-High-Definition digital transfer newly graded by Radiance Films and overseen by director Dominik Graf
- NEW! Interview with director Dominik Graf (2024, 62 mins)
- NEW! Interview with screenwriter Christoph Fromm (2024, 31 mins)
- NEW! Interview with producer Georg Feil (2024, 31 mins)
- NEW! Select-scene Audio Commentary by Dominik Graf (2024)
- Trailer
- New English subtitle translation
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
- Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
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