Archive for the 'Radiance Films' Category
May 13th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Our A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness Blu-ray review covers one of the strangest and most unexpected thrillers to come out of 1970s Japan. This 1977 genre-bender blends sports, scandal, and psychological breakdowns into something that feels both pulpy and unsettling. Radiance Films brings it to Blu-ray for the first time in English-friendly territory with a Region A & B disc, a new HD transfer, and excellent packaging. For collectors of Japanese cult cinema and fans of deep-cut imports, this release finally gives the film a proper spotlight.
Continue reading ‘A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness (Blu-ray Review)’
May 13th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
This Underworld Beauty Blu-ray review kicks off with Seijun Suzuki’s stylish 1958 noir, now available in a new transfer from Radiance Films that brings this cult classic to Region A & B audiences. Region A & B compatible, this disc makes it easier than ever to experience one of Suzuki’s earliest directorial efforts. Shot in crisp black and white CinemaScope, Underworld Beauty blends crime, pulp, and a dash of sex appeal into a lean, 87-minute thrill ride. It’s not as wild as his later films, but the style is already there — and it pops beautifully on this new Blu-ray edition.
Continue reading ‘Underworld Beauty (Blu-ray Review)’
May 11th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Our Weak Spot Blu-ray review takes a look at one of the more obscure political thrillers to resurface on disc, this time from the darker corners of 1970s European cinema. Directed by Peter Fleischmann and starring Michel Piccoli, the 1975 film La Faille is slow-burning, unsettling, and soaked in paranoia. It’s the kind of movie that quietly gets under your skin — not with flashy action or big twists, but with mood, menace, and unease. Radiance Films brings it back into circulation with a new transfer and an edition that finally gives this hidden gem some room to breathe. For fans of political thrillers or slow-burn dramas, this Weak Spot Blu-ray Review highlights why the film is worth rediscovering in high definition. Continue reading ‘Weak Spot (Blu-ray Review)’
May 8th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Shōhei Imamura’s The Eel arrives on Blu-ray in a stellar special edition from Radiance Films, giving fans the definitive home video release of this Palme d’Or-winning gem. If you’ve never seen The Eel (1997), this is the perfect way to experience Imamura’s meditative and offbeat drama in its full context — complete with both the original theatrical cut and the extended director’s cut. The Eel Blu-ray is a must for collectors of Japanese cinema, especially those who appreciate the intersection of human strangeness, personal redemption, and the quietly surreal. Continue reading ‘The Eel (Blu-ray Review)’
May 8th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
This Cat Blu-ray review takes a look at one of the coolest crime thrillers to come out of 1980s Germany. Directed by Dominik Graf, this slick little heist film blends moody atmosphere, tight suspense, and sharp performances in a way that still feels fresh. Radiance Films gives The Cat a proper Blu-ray debut with a new HD restoration, English subtitles, and a nice batch of extras that dig into its legacy. If you’re into slow-burn tension, stylish criminals, and old-school analog grit, this one’s definitely worth checking out. Continue reading ‘The Cat (Blu-ray Review)’
May 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Deeply scarred by what he witnessed on battlefields across Asia, a young war photographer (Yusaku Matsuda, Yokohama BJ Blues) returns to the bustling streets of Tokyo, plotting a series of brutal murders and robberies that are mere warmups for an unprecedented bank heist. Searching for an accomplice, he finds the short-fused and equally disenfranchised Tetsuo (Takeshi Kaga, Death Note). Directed by Toru Murakawa (The Game Trilogy) from a venomous script by Shoichi Maruyama (Yokohama BJ Blues), this unsettling dark thriller was Yusaku Matsuda’s farewell to his 1970s action hero persona. The Beast to Die is released on Blu-ray July 21, 2025! Continue reading ‘The Beast to Die is released on Blu-ray July 21!’
May 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Polish animation, influenced by jazz, poster design and collage, took off in the late 1950s when artists found creative freedom in the wake of Stalin’s death. Pioneering filmmakers like Walerian Borowczyk and Jan Lenica would change the form and usher in a golden age of filmmaking that would enable this art form to be appreciated around the world including winning prestigious international awards at festivals such as Cannes, Annecy, Oberhausen and an Oscar for Rybczyński’s Tango. This collection of 27 films spans the breakthrough works of the late 1950s to the close of the classic era in the 1980s, capturing some of the form’s essential films. Essential Polish Animation is released on Blu-ray in the UK July 21, 2025! Continue reading ‘Essential Polish Animation is released on Blu-ray July 21!’
May 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
On the streets of Paris, Rosa ‘la rose’ (Marianne Basler, Va savoir) is the belle of Les Halles. With no shortage of clients, she is beloved by her fellow working girls and spoiled by her pimp Gilbert (Jean Sorel, Belle de Jour). For her, this is a charmed life – that is until her 20th birthday arrives. Across the floor, she locks eyes with Julien (Pierre Cosso, An American Werewolf in Paris), a blue-collar worker who sees something deeper beyond her fun-loving façade. Almost Shakespearean in its execution, Paul Vecchiali’s underseen drama explores class consciousness and female sexuality with startling precision. Anchored by a magnetic central performance from the then 20-year-old Marianne Basler, Rosa la rose, fille publique is a true hidden gem. Rosa la rose, fille publique is released in the UK on Blu-ray July 21, 2025! Continue reading ‘Rosa la rose, fille publique is released on Blu-ray July 21!’
May 4th, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Exploding a seemingly simple premise – a nameless “cowboy” courier (Spencer Nakasako) arrives in pre-Handover Hong Kong to deliver a mysterious briefcase to a mercurial Mob boss whilst becoming entangled with his femme fatale mistress (Cora Miao) – independent filmmaking legend Wayne Wang’s Life is Cheap… But Toilet Paper is Expensive barrels through inspired genre deconstruction, guerrilla docu-fiction and fierce political jeremiad, all with a keen sense of humour and one of the richest visual palettes of the 1990s. Life is Cheap…But Toilet Paper Is Expensive is released on Blu-ray in the UK July 21, 2025! Continue reading ‘Life Is Cheap… But Toilet Paper Is Expensive on Blu-ray July 21!’
March 31st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
When the daughter of an elite family takes a shine to poor samurai Iemon (Tomisaburo Wakayama, lone wolf and cub), he sees an opportunity to climb the social ladder. He just needs to rid himself of his only obstacle: his loving wife Oiwa. He poisons her and dumps her corpse in a nearby swamp, but she returns as a horribly disfigured ghost to haunt Iemon on his wedding night. Crime film specialist Tai Kato (I, the Executioner) brings the famous Ghost Story of Yotsuya to the screen as a gritty tale of murder and greed, with an intense lead performance by Wakayama (The Bounty Hunter Trilogy, Big Time Gambling Boss). The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost is released on Blu-ray June 23, 2025! Continue reading ‘The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost on Blu-ray June 23!’
March 31st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
In the fishing village of Aci Trezza, Sicily, the Valastro family dream of a better life. Living modestly thanks to merciless wholesalers, eldest son Ntoni takes matters into his own hands and – with the help of a bank loan – starts fishing alone. The venture is initially a success but an unexpected shipwreck means the family must soon fend for themselves. Originally commissioned as propaganda by the Communist Party, master filmmaker Luchino Visconti (The Leopard, Death in Venice) used the real villagers of Aci Trezza as his stars to craft a docu-fictional melodrama about the difficulties of rural life post-World War II. La terra trema was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 1948 Venice Film Festival and is considered one of the finest examples of Italian neorealist cinema. La Terra Trema is released on Blu-ray June 23, 2025! Continue reading ‘La Terra Trema on Blu-ray June 23!’
March 31st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
We have a fresh installment of our popular global genre boxsets with WORLD NOIR VOL. 3. European filmmakers, still reeling in the aftermath of World War II, were creating works equal to the Hollywood noir that came to define the genre. All three films are presented here on Blu-ray with English subtitles for the very first time.French director (and swimming champion) Henri Decoin’s NOT GUILTY (1947) sees Michel Simon (L’Atalante) star as Michel Ancelin, a brilliant doctor with an alcohol problem. When a tragic accident occurs at his hands, Michel covers his tracks through a complex web of lies. Peter Lorre (M, Casablanca) writes, directs and stars in THE LOST ONE (1951), his only film as writer or director. Haunted by a terrible secret, Dr. Karl Rothe’s dark past catches up with him at a displaced persons camp. Described by Ingmar Bergman as “a masterpiece”, director Hasse Ekman’s GIRL WITH HYACINTHS (1950) is regarded as one of the great films of Swedish cinema. Following the sudden suicide of a mysterious young woman, her neighbors are compelled to investigate the circumstances leading to her death. World Noir Vol 3 is released June 23, 2025! Continue reading ‘World Noir Vol. 3 on Blu-ray June 23!’
March 31st, 2025 by Gerard Iribe
Ever since she was small, Aviva has desperately wanted a baby. Now a teenager – with thoughts and feelings her well-meaning parents Joyce (Ellen Barkin, Drop Dead Gorgeous) and Steve (Richard Masur, The Thing) don’t quite know how to handle – she’ll stop at nothing to make that dream a reality. Played by a cast of rotating actors, including Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) and Sharon Wilkins, Aviva’s journey towards motherhood never would run smooth. Bringing his trademark dry wit to another series of taboos, Todd Solondz’s portrait of middle-American girlhood interrogates the naivety and hypocrisy of the post-9/11 psyche that continues to shape US public life and policy. Palindromes will be released on 4K UHD Blu-ray June 23, 2025! Continue reading ‘Palindromes on 4K UHD Blu-ray June 23!’
