Archive for the 'Eureka Classics' Category
March 29th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
A Japanese box-office sensation directed by the revered Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale), Legend of the Eight Samurai brings together an impressive ensemble cast, including Hiroko Yakushimaru (Sailor Suit and Machine Gun), Hiroyuki Sanada (Ring), Sonny Chiba (Message from Space) and Etsuko Shihomi (The Street Fighter), in a sweeping epic that blends fantasy with historical drama. Following Message from Space, which transported the story to a science fiction setting, Legend of the Eight Samurai is Fukasaku’s second loose adaptation of Toshio Kamata’s Shin Satomi Hakkenden, itself an adaptation of Kyokutei Bakin’s earlier epic novel Nanso Satomi Hakkenden. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present Legend of the Eight Samurai on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a new 4K restoration! Legend of the Eight Samurai is now available on Blu-ray! Continue reading ‘Legend of the Eight Samurai (Blu-ray Review)’
February 16th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
This collection brings together the silent Laurel & Hardy shorts produced during 1928, as their partnership began to gather steam: Leave ’em Laughing sees Stan desperately seeking treatment for a toothache; You’re Darn Tootin’ follows the pair as they turn their hand to busking; in From Soup to Nuts, the boys are hired as waiters for an upper-class dinner party; and in Early to Bed, Ollie gets to enjoy the highlife for himself when he inherits a fortune and buys an opulent mansion… but Stan soon finds ways to lower its market value. This collection also features the first Hal Roach film to officially bill Laurel & Hardy as a duo: Should Married Men Go Home?, in which a relaxing trip to the golf course quickly spirals into chaos. The Masters of Cinema series is honoured to present some of the finest (and funniest) films Laurel & Hardy ever made – newly restored in 2K resolution from the finest available materials – in a special two-disc Blu-ray edition for the first time in the UK. Continue reading ‘Laurel & Hardy: The Silent Years (1928) on Blu-ray April 14th!’
February 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Wai Lok-yan (Lau) was just eight years old when his parents were killed before his eyes in Cambodia, where his father had been working for the CIA during Pol Pot’s ascent to power in the latter days of the Cambodian Civil War. Taken to Thailand by his father’s colleague Seung (Chiang), Yan grows up to join the Thai Air Force and comes to discover that his father’s murderer – Ray Liu (Paul Chun, Royal Tramp), once a double agent – has now become a wealthy arms dealer based in the United States. With the help of the CIA, Yan intends to get close to Liu and have his revenge by taking on an assumed identity and gaining the trust of Liu’s daughter, Crystal (Jacklyn Wu, A Moment of Romance) – but first he will need to go undercover in San Francisco’s criminal underworld to rescue her from the clutches of the Vietnamese Black Tiger Gang. The Adventurers will be available on Blu-ray April 29, 2024!
Continue reading ‘‘The Adventurers’ on Blu-ray April 29th!’
December 30th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
A landmark in the history of Japanese cinema, Cure was the breakthrough film for director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who would go on to make several further modern masterpieces in Pulse, Creepy and Tokyo Sonata. Released to critical acclaim in both the East and the West, this nerve-shredding thriller charts the hunt for a depraved serial killer in a bleak and decaying Tokyo. A series of murders have been committed by ordinary people who claim to have had no control over their actions, many of them having killed friends, co-workers or even their spouse. There are only two links between each crime: an X carved into the neck of each victim, and a mysterious stranger who seems to have had brief contact with the perpetrator a short period of time before each killing. But to follow these leads and end a seemingly inexplicable wave of terror, police detective Kenichi Takabe (Koji Yakusho, 13 Assassins) will need to put his own sanity on the line and endure a descent into hell. Described as one of the greatest films of all time by Bong Joon-ho, the filmmaker behind Memories of Murder, The Host, Snowpiercer and Parasite, Cure is a cerebral and deeply unsettling hybrid of police procedural, serial killer film and horror movie to stand with The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en. Having given the film its UK Blu-ray premiere in 2018, the Masters of Cinema series is now proud to present the film on 4K UHD Blu-ray January 27, 2025! Continue reading ‘Cure (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)’
December 17th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
Fritz Lang made two of the defining works of early German cinema with Dr Mabuse the Gambler and The Testament of Dr Mabuse, two masterpieces centred on Norbert Jacques’ nefarious literary supervillain. In 1960, Lang was charged by Artur Brauner’s CCC Film with making a third crime thriller centred on the infamous Dr Mabuse, completing a trilogy nearly forty years in the making. A huge success, The Thousand Eyes of Dr Mabuse gave CCC the confidence to launch into an entire series focused on the master criminal between 1960 and 1964, all starring Wolfgang Priess in the title role. All six films are presented here alongside a wealth of new and archival extras. Mabuse Lives! Dr Mabuse at CCC: 1960 – 1964 is released on Blu-ray April 1, 2025! Continue reading ‘Mabuse Lives! Dr Mabuse At CCC: 1960-1964 on Blu-ray April 1, 2025!’
December 17th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
Set in Republic era China, The Daredevils follows Yang Ta-ying (Lo Mang) as he sets out to avenge his father, a military commander who was murdered in cold blood by Han Pei-tsang (Wong Lik), a thief-turned-soldier who killed Yang’s father – along with the rest of his family – to take control of his estate and his army. With the help of his friends Chen Feng (Chiang Sheng), Fu Quanyi (Lu Feng), and Xin Zheng (Sun Chien), he sets out for justice. Then, in Ode to Gallantry, a lone martial artist nicknamed “Mongrel” is continually drawn into an intense struggle between several warring martial arts clans after he stumbles across the Black Iron Token, which entitles the owner to have any wish granted by Xie Yanke (Wong Lik), a brutal kung fu master. The Daredevils & Ode to Gallantry: Two Venom Mob Films is released on Blu-ray March 25, 2025! Continue reading ‘The Daredevils & Ode To Gallantry: Two Venom Mob Films on Blu-ray March 25!’
December 9th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
While Hong Kong horror cinema is more often associated with the jiangshi or “hopping vampires” of Chinese legend, it has also embraced (and, more often than not, lampooned) the Western vampire tradition. One of the more outrageous films to bring European bloodsuckers to Hong Kong is Jamie Luk’s Doctor Vampire – a perfect blend of horror and comedy with shades of Vamp, Fright Night and, of course, Hong Kong’s own Mr Vampire series. Offering a variation on the jiangshi craze kick-started by Encounter of the Spooky Kind and Mr Vampire, Doctor Vampire is one of a handful of films – along with Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires and Vampire vs Vampire – to bring Hollywood’s creatures of the night to Hong Kong. Eureka Classics is proud to present this ghoulish horror-comedy on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a brand-new 2k restoration. Continue reading ‘‘Doctor Vampire’ on Blu-ray February 24, 2025!’
December 9th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
A Japanese box-office sensation directed by the revered Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale), Legend of the Eight Samuraibrings together an impressive ensemble cast, including Hiroko Yakushimaru (Sailor Suit and Machine Gun), Hiroyuki Sanada (Ring), Sonny Chiba (Message from Space) and Etsuko Shihomi (The Street Fighter), in a sweeping epic that blends fantasy with historical drama. Following Message from Space, which transported the story to a science fiction setting, Legend of the Eight Samurai is Fukasaku’s second loose adaptation of Toshio Kamata’s Shin Satomi Hakkenden, itself an adaptation of Kyokutei Bakin’s earlier epic novel Nanso Satomi Hakkenden. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present Legend of the Eight Samurai on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a new 4K restoration February 17, 2025!
Continue reading ‘Legend of the Eight Samurai on Blu-ray Ferbruary 17!’
December 9th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
An undisputed master of melodrama, director Douglas Sirk is best known for the lavish, sweeping romances he made during the last decade of his career, including Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, Written on the Wind and Imitation of Life. But by the time Sirk – born Hans Detlef Sierck – arrived in Hollywood, he had already made several films in his native Germany. The Masters of Cinema series is honoured to present this collection of Sirk’s earliest films, all of which established a blueprint for his later work: April, April!, The Girl from Marsh Croft (Das Mädchen vom Moorhof)and Pillars of Society (Stützen der Gesellschaft). Sirk in Germany 1934-1935 is released on Blu-ray in the UK February 24, 2025!
Continue reading ‘‘Sirk in Germany 1934-1935’ on Blu-ray February 24, 2025!’
November 23rd, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
The cruise liner SS Britannic is traveling through the North Atlantic with over a thousand passengers on board. As the vessel drifts through the vast ocean, its owner – Nicholas Porter (Holm) – receives a call from a man who identifies himself only as “Juggernaut.” The ominous voice on the telephone informs Porter that there are explosives planted aboard the Britannic, and that he will sink the ship at dawn unless a hefty ransom is paid. A race against time then begins as Captain Alex Brunel (Sharif), Royal Navy officer Anthony Fallon (Harris) and police superintendent John McLeod (Hopkins) work together across land and sea in a desperate attempt to avert certain disaster and secure the safety of the ship’s passengers. Juggernaut (aka Terror on the Britannic) is now available on Blu-ray! Continue reading ‘Juggernaut (Blu-ray Review)’
November 20th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
A series of murders have been committed by ordinary people who claim to have had no control over their actions, many of them having killed friends, co-workers or even their spouse. There are only two links between each crime: an X carved into the neck of each victim, and a mysterious stranger who seems to have had brief contact with the perpetrator a short period of time before each killing. But to follow these leads and end a seemingly inexplicable wave of terror, police detective Kenichi Takabe (Koji Yakusho, 13 Assassins) will need to put his own sanity on the line and endure a descent into hell. Cure is released on 4K UHD Blu-ray January 27, 2025! Continue reading ‘‘Cure’ on 4K UHD Blu-ray January 27, 2025!’
October 1st, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
The year is 2033, and the people of Earth have been suffering through a drought for over a decade. The planet’s water supply is now controlled by megalomaniac businessman Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell), the owner of the Water & Power corporation. But in Australia, at least, there is resistance. If Kesslee wants to take control of the last water well in the Outback, he’ll need to contend with the Rippers – mutant hybrids of human and kangaroo – and Rebecca Buck, alias Tank Girl (Petty): a woman with a tank, a bad attitude, and a determination to rescue the world from the brink of oblivion. Tank Girl is released in the UK on Blu-ray November 25, 2024! Continue reading ‘‘Tank Girl’ on Blu-ray November 25!’
September 5th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
Vincent Canelli (Robinson) is a violent mobster serving time on Death Row – but he has no intention of going to the electric chair. Following a plan put together by his moll, Hatti (Jean Parker, Dead Man’s Eyes), Canelli orchestrates a jailbreak on the night before his execution and takes several hostages in the process. Canelli is joined by fellow Death Row inmate Peter Manning (Peter Graves, Stalag 17), and hopes to discover the location of a stash of stolen loot Manning hid away before his conviction. But is Manning willing to pay the price for freedom and look the other way as the psychopathic Canelli revels in murder and mayhem? Black Tuesday is released on Blu-ray in the UK November 18, 2024! Continue reading ‘‘Black Tuesday’ on Blu-ray November 18!’
September 4th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
The cruise liner SS Britannic is traveling through the North Atlantic with over a thousand passengers on board. As the vessel drifts through the vast ocean, its owner – Nicholas Porter (Holm) – receives a call from a man who identifies himself only as “Juggernaut.” The ominous voice on the telephone informs Porter that there are explosives planted aboard the Britannic, and that he will sink the ship at dawn unless a hefty ransom is paid. A race against time then begins as Captain Alex Brunel (Sharif), Royal Navy officer Anthony Fallon (Harris) and police superintendent John McLeod (Hopkins) work together across land and sea in a desperate attempt to avert certain disaster and secure the safety of the ship’s passengers. Juggernaut (aka Terror on the Britannic) is released on Blu-ray in the UK November 18, 2024!
Continue reading ‘‘Juggernaut’ on Blu-ray from Eureka Classics November 18!’
March 6th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
In Abashiri Prison, Takakura stars as Shinichi Tachibana, a yakuza sent to Abashiri as punishment for an attack on a rival gangster. He intends to serve his time as a model prisoner until he is shackled to the bullish Gonzo Gonda (Kōji Nanbara), unwittingly roped into an escape attempt orchestrated by Heizo Yoda (Tōru Abe) and forced to face the frozen wilderness of Hokkaidō. In Another Abashiri Prison Story, Tachibana has just been released when he stumbles across a stash of diamonds recently stolen in a heist – and attracts unwanted attention from criminals and cops alike. Finally, in Abashiri Prison: Saga of Homesickness, Tachibana reunites with his former yakuza associates, who are trying to go straight. That is, at least, until old rivals come looking for trouble… Prison Walls – Abashiri Prison I-III is released on Blu-ray May 28, 2024!
Continue reading ‘‘Prison Walls – Abashiri Prison I-III’ on Blu-ray May 28!’
March 5th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
During the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (Chao Lei), China’s coastal regions have come under attack by wokou – Japanese pirates under the leadership of the infamous Hakatatsu (Sammo Hung). To combat this threat, the Emperor tasks a trusted general, Zhu Wan (Tu Kuang-chi), with assembling a group of skilled warriors to find and eliminate the pirates. Under the command of General Yu Dayou (Roy Chiao), the band of soldiers – including husband-and-wife sword-fighters Wu Ji-yuan (Wing Bai) and Wu Ruo-shi (Feng Hsu) – set out to draw Hakatatsu, his ally Xu Dong (Han Ying-chieh) and their pirate clan into a series of spectacular showdowns. Inspired by historical events and featuring several storied figures drawn from Chinese history, The Valiant Ones is a standout wuxia film produced during the dying days of the genre, as audience tastes were shifting towards more grounded kung fu cinema. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present The Valiant Ones on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray from a 4K restoration. Continue reading ‘‘The Valiant Ones’ on 4K UHD Blu-ray May 28!’
February 1st, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
Tsui Chik (Li) is a librarian who leads a quiet, unassuming life – or, at least, that’s what he wants people to believe. In truth, he was once a member of the 701 Squad, a group of elite combatants produced by a failed super-soldier project. In kind with his former comrades, his central nervous system has been altered to render him impervious to pain. When several of his fellow test subjects resurface and embark on a crimewave under the leadership of their former commander Hung Kuk (Patrick Lung), Tsui is forced to use his extraordinary abilities once more. Donning a costume, he sets out to face his past – as the vigilante known as the Black Mask. Black Mask is released on Blu-ray April 23, 2024! Continue reading ‘‘Black Mask’ on Blu-ray April 23!’
January 31st, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
In China O’Brien, city cop and formidable martial artist Lori “China” O’Brien (Rothrock) is forced to resign from the force and return home to a small Utah town after her involvement in an accidental death. But upon arrival in Beaver Creek, she finds that her lawman father – Sheriff John O’Brien (David Blackwell) – is desperately trying to bring down local crime boss Edwin Sommers (Steven Kerby), and it isn’t long before she steps into the fray. Then, in China O’Brien II, Lori must once again protect her hometown when it becomes a hideout for a dangerous fugitive: the escaped drug lord Charlie Baskin (Harlow Marks). Helmed by Richard Clouse, the celebrated director of Enter the Dragon and Game of Death, the China O’Brien films firmly established Cynthia Rothrock as an International action star following a successful string of hits in Hong Kong. Eureka Classics is proud to present both films for the first time on 4K UHD Blu-ray from brand new 4K restorations. Continue reading ‘‘China O’Brien I & II’ on 4K UHD Blu-ray April 29!’
