Archive for the 'Eureka! Masters of Cinema' Category
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!’
July 7th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
An early cinematic pioneer with an undeniably pervasive influence, Louis Feuillade made hundreds of films in a short career spanning only a few decades. Today, he is best remembered for his landmark serials Fantômas, Les Vampires, Judex and Tih Minh, four crime epics that have had an immeasurable impact on popular culture around the globe. The Masters of Cinema series is honoured to present these silent masterworks on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from astonishing 4K restorations. Louis Feuillade: The Complete Crime Serials is released September 30, 2024!
Continue reading ‘Louis Feuillade: The Complete Crime Serials (1913-1918) on Blu-ray September 30, 2024!’
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!’
January 30th, 2024 by Gerard Iribe
Paul Leni (The Man Who Laughs) directs one of the most important and influential films in the early history of American genre cinema, which perfected the ‘old dark house’ formula and set the stage for the Universal horror cycle of the 1930s. Based upon the 1922 stage production by John Willard, The Cat and the Canary is a perfect blend of horror and black comedy and stands at the apex of a cycle of films adapted from mystery plays throughout the 1920s. It later inspired James Whale’s The Old Dark House and has been remade several times – but never bettered. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present this cornerstone of horror cinema for the first time ever on Blu-ray from a glorious 4K restoration. Continue reading ‘‘The Cat and the Canary’ on Blu-ray April 23!’
July 2nd, 2023 by Gerard Iribe
Charlton Heston portrays Mike Vargas, the Mexican chief of narcotics who sets out to uncover the facts surrounding a car bomb that has killed a wealthy American businessman on the US side of the border. As Vargas investigates, his newly-wed wife Susie (Janet Leigh, two years before Hitchcock’s Psycho) is kidnapped by a gang out to exact vengeance for the prosecution of the brother of their leader (Akim Tamiroff). Meanwhile, Vargas’ inquiries become progressively more obfuscated by the American cop Hank Quinlan (played by Welles himself, in one of the most imposing and unforgettable screen performances of his career), a besotted incarnation of corruption who alternately conspires with Susie’s captors and seeks solace in the brothel of the Gypsy madame (Marlene Dietrich) who comforted him in bygone times. Welles’ final studio-system picture has at last become secure in its status as one of the greatest films ever made. It remains a testament to the genius of Welles –– a film of Shakespearean richness, inexhaustible. The Masters of Cinema Series is extremely proud to present Touch of Evil in its UK debut on 4K UHD Blu-ray.
Continue reading ‘‘Touch of Evil’ on 4K UHD Blu-ray September 25!’
March 13th, 2023 by Gerard Iribe
Director Ringo Lam’s (Wild Search, City on Fire) only film in the wuxia genre is also one his best and bloodiest. Hunted by the Manchu government, a young Fok Sai-yuk is captured and sent to the Red Lotus Temple, where Shaolin monks are enslaved and viciously tortured by the sadistic warden Kung (Wong Kam Kong). Thrown into a pit of corpses and left to die, Fong survives and attempts to save his Shaolin brothers. Produced by Tsui Hark, Burning Paradise is a dark fantasy epic, filled with shocking violence and incredible choreography. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film for the first time in the UK since the VHS era in a blood-soaked special edition. Burning Paradise is released on Blu-ray May 29, 2022!
Continue reading ‘‘Burning Paradise’ on Blu-ray May 29!’
March 13th, 2023 by Gerard Iribe
After the huge success of Mr. Vampire, Hong Kong audiences were desperate for more vampire-hopping action and the films’ producers were more than happy to oblige. A steady stream of jiangshi content was produced over the following years, and presented here are 4 of these classic titles from stunning new restorations. In Mr Vampire II (aka Vampire Family) an archaeologist and his students unwittingly set free a family of hopping vampires who wreak havoc in 1980s Hong Kong. Mr Vampire III returns to a period setting and sees Lam Ching-ying’s Taoist priest battle an evil witch (a brilliant performance by veteran actress Pauline Yuk-Wan Wong). Mr Vampire IV (aka Uncle Vampire) two feuding neighbors (a Taoist priest and a Buddhist monk) must join forces when their village is overrun by vampires. And finally in Vampire vs Vampire, Lam Ching-ying’s Taoist priest finds his jiangshi-fighting knowledge is of little help when he goes up against a European vampire. Featuring a bevy of Hong Kong legends including Lam Ching-ying, Yuen Biao, Wu Ma, Richard Ng, Yuen Wah, and many more – this collection brings together four beloved films in definitive presentations in a very special edition. Filled with screams and laughs, Eureka Classics is proud to present Hopping Mad: The Mr Vampire Sequels on Blu-ray May 22, 2023!
Continue reading ‘‘Hopping Mad: The Mr. Vampire Sequels’ on Blu-ray May 22!’
March 8th, 2023 by Gerard Iribe
An uncompromising visionary and a true maverick of European cinema, the Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present three films by Andrzej Żuławski, all making their UK debuts on Blu-ray from new 4K restorations. Rich with multi-layered symbolism and apocalyptic imagery, The Third Part of the Night is Żuławski’s highly influential debut feature film. After his whole family is slaughtered during the Nazi-occupation of Poland, Michal (Leszek Teleszyński) decides to join the resistance but descends into madness after encountering a doppelgänger of his murdered wife. The Devil is a violent tale of Satanic seduction during the Prussian invasion of Poland in the 17th century, which proved so controversial upon release that it was banned for 16 years. And finally, On the Silver Globe, Żuławski’s masterpiece about a team of astronauts who land on a desolate planet and start a new society. When filming was 80% complete, the Polish government ordered the production to be shut down and all the negatives be destroyed. Miraculously, the original film reels were preserved and ten years later the film was presented at the Cannes Film Festival to great acclaim. Andrzej Zulawski Three Films is released on Blu-ray May 22, 2023! Continue reading ‘‘Andrzej Zulawski: Three Films’ on Blu-ray May 22, 2023!’
