Win Catch 44 On Blu Ray

A violent crime thriller with a bad-ass attitude and a killer twist, this is an ultra-stylish cinematic love letter to the 90s-era wave of breakout indie movies that gave us “Reservoir Dogs”, “Killing Zoe”, “Pulp Fiction” and “The Usual Suspects”.
Stars Bruce Willis (Cop Out; Die Hard 4.0; Grindhouse), Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker (Criminal Minds; The Shield; The Last King Of Scotland), Malin Akerman (Wanderlust; Watchmen), Nikki Reed (The Twilight Saga), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood; Mother’s Day) and Academy Award nominee Brad Dourif (Bad Lieutenant; One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest).
Catch .44 (Anchor Bay) is available to download and own on DVD and Blu-Ray now.
BUY THE BLU RAY AT AMAZON HERE.....
To Win one of two copies of the Blu ray just send your name and address to dgrees@talktalk.net
The winners will be drawn from the hat in a few weeks time...good luck!

A Chinese Ghost Story : Hong Kong Blu Ray Review

Hong Kong cinema especially in the 1970's and 80's was known internationally for producing Kung Fu action movies, but then a new wave of films started being produced in different genres and one of the most acclaimed in the west was Ching Siu Tung's A Chinese Ghost Story released in 1987 starring Leslie Cheung and Joey Wang.
Leslie Cheung plays a humble tax collector who arrives in a small village but cannot find anywhere to stay for the night, so he decides to stay at an abandoned temple unaware that it is haunted.
While there he meets Taoist Swordsman Yen Che-Hsia (Wu Ma), who warns him to stay out of trouble, and the beautiful Nieh Hsiao-Tsing, with whom he falls in love. Unfortunately, Hsiao-Tsing is a ghost and under the control of a hideous tree demon who uses the beautiful lady ghosts to lure unsuspecting men to there death. He decides with the help of the Taoist swordsman to free her spirit so she can rest and be happily re-incarnated. But battling the demons is harder than both could imagine.
I first saw this in the UK many years ago on Channel 4 who had a season of Chinese horror films at Christmas and really enjoyed its off-beat action and humour. Both Leslie Cheung and Joey Wang make for an engaging pair and Wu Ma is excellent as the swordsman who breaks out into a rap song and  martial arts swordplay when drunk. So if you want to see something different to your usual western horror fare then check out this film.
Many sequels and copies were made following the film success but this is definitely the best.

This Blu ray has been released by Kam and Ronson in Hong Kong and is locked to region A.
Firstly the picture quality which is very disappointing in places. Darker scenes are very grainy and the clarity is disappointing for a supposed 1080p transfer. Some have said this is an upscale and while i am not sure of that fact, it is poor. Some scenes come to life especially in close up but overall this is not a great transfer, slightly better than the re-mastered DVD.
Sound has a choice of Cantonese / Mandarin Dolby True HD 7.1. Although originally released in mono, as many Hong Kong films were at the time, this has been remixed and thankfully without, as far as i could tell,  new added sound effects. The mix is quite well done and does enhance the viewing experience, although why they couldn't add the original mono as a choice is crazy, as there is plenty of room for it on the disc.
English subtitles are provided but there are a lot of grammatical errors, again very shoddy for this release but you can follow the film fine.
Extras are two interviews and a trailer, both of which do not have English subtitles.
Also available as a box set containing all three Chinese Ghost Story films.
Overall an OK release but if you already have the re-mastered DVD then spend your money elsewhere as disappointingly, its not much of an upgrade.
BUY A CHINESE GHOST STORY BLU RAY HERE

FILM :       8 OUT OF 10
PICTURE: 6 OUT OF 10
SOUND:    7 OUT OF 10
EXTRAS:   2 OUT OF 10

Demons. UK Blu Ray Review

Made in 1985 Demons is directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Italian horror favourite Dario Argento.
On the Berlin subway, university student Cheryl is pursued by a mysterious, masked man. When they meet face to face he offers her tickets to a free screening at a local, recently renovated cinema.
She decides to go to the packed showing with a friend and starts to watch the screening of a horror movie.
After getting scratched by a creepy mask before the film starts a hooker type female starts feeling ill and goes to the bathroom, where she begins to transform into a hideous demon and proceeds to attack first her friend, then the rest of the cinema audience.
Panicking, the crowd find they are locked in and as more and more are turned into demon zombies the battle is on to survive and get out alive. 
The film starts out well with a promising idea and builds the tension well, the lighting with blues and greens are especially striking and the gory transformations and deaths are very well done but are not for the squeamish. The grotesque killings while gory avoid the sadistic edge of many Italian horror films. Unfortunately the film tends to run out of steam after the first hour not helped by the introduction of some young hoodlums who's bad acting don't help matters much. The film has dated quite badly as well, with 80's fashion and music telling you exactly what decade this was made in.
Those like me who last saw this on a cut low quality VHS will be amazed at the quality of this uncut release.
Overall a funny and gory horror that fans of splatter cinema should enjoy revisiting.
Arrow have yet again released this horror fan favourite onto blu ray with a very good presentation. (Locked to REGION B).

The picture looks very clean but digital noise reduction is kept to a minimum. Colours are bold and add to the atmosphere very well in HD. Sound is also excellent. The 2 channel mix is very strong and the bass is especially stricking. The English dubbing or Italian language tracks are fine and subtitles have no grammatical errors.
Enjoyable extra's include :
- The audio recollections of director Lamberto Bava, Special Make-Up Creations Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Journalist Loris Curci
- The audio recollections of the cast and crew, a brand new commentary [2011]
- Dario’s Demon Days: Producer Dario Argento discusses the inception of Demons
- Defining an Era in Music: Composer Claudio Simonetti on the Demons Soundtrack
- Luigi Cozzi’s Top Italian Terrors: Cozzi discusses the highpoints of Spaghetti Splatter
- Original trailer
As well as the usual sleeve options there is a collector’s booklet featuring brand new writing on Demons by Calum Waddell and finally a Collector’s Comic: ‘Demons 3’.

FILM :         6 OUT OF 10
PICTURE: 7.5 OUT OF 10
SOUND:     8 OUT OF 10
EXTRAS:    7 OUT OF 10

DEMONS IS OUT ON BLU RAY MAY 21ST..CLICK HERE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON. 
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War Of The Arrows: UK Blu Ray Review

War Of The Arrows starts with youngster Nam-yi (Lee Da-wit) and little sister Ja-in (Jeon Min-seo) narrowly escape death when their father is branded a traitor and killed by rivals in the Chosun dynasty court.
Cut to 1636, Nam-yi and the beautiful Ja-in remain in the care of Kim Mu-seon (Lee Kyeong-yeong), a wealthy family friend whose son, Seo-gun (Kim Mu-yeol), has asked Ja-in to marry him. As bad luck would have it, the couple's wedding day coincides with the Manchu invasion of Korea, resulting in Ja-in and Seo-gun being captured and held prisoner near the Korea-Manchuria border.
Nam-yi, who has evaded capture, is determines to rescue his sister at any cost and now the battle begins as his skill with the bow and arrow is put to the ultimate test.
Another great action / drama from South Korea and although a little slow to start makes up for it with a non-stop last 40 minutes of pure high adrenalin action. The main character Nam-yi is shown as flawed not being able to forget how his father died and feels as if his life is going to have the same conclusion. Until the rescue of his sister and the battle against the invading Manchu army give him something worth fighting for.
Cinematography is first rate and the action scenes very well edited, keeping the pacing of the action flowing nicely and keeping the viewer on the edge of his seat.

The Blu ray release by Cine Asia is another fine example of the format,  clear crisp 1080p transfer with film grain still intact. Details and colours are fabulous. The sound gives you a great DTS HD MA 5.1 track in original Korean with optional English subtitles. As you can imagine the sound-stage springs to life during the many action scenes.
Extras:

• An Interview with Director Kim Han-Min (Cine Asia Exclusive), this lasts 32 minutes, 1080p.
• Bey Logan audio commentary (great listen as always)
• Making of
• Behind The Scenes  

Overall a great package, one thing i have to mention is that the BBFC has cut 5 seconds due to animal cruelty (horse fall). This does not distract from the film in any way so should not stop you buying this blu ray.


FILM:           7.5 OUT OF 10
PICTURE :    9 OUT OF 10
SOUND:       9 OUTOF 10
EXTRAS:      7 OUT OF 10

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR BLU RAY AT AMAZON

Face Off : USA Blu Ray Review

John Woo has long been a huge favourite of every action movie fan and most of his best films such as Hard Boiled and The Killer were made in Hong Kong. He decided to try Hollywood and after a few minor hits such as Hard Target and Broken Arrow he hit the jackpot with the movie Face Off.
Sean Archer (John Travolta) is an FBI agent with a serious ax to grind, he is determined to bring down the fugitive Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage), regardless of what it takes. Troy is a cold hearted international terrorist, unafraid of taking innocent lives to further his own cause. But when one of his projects caused the death of Archer’s son, it became personal and so now, Archer is dedicated to getting revenge. He is finally able to capture Troy after a violent confrontation, but even in this situation, he tells Archer that a  bomb was placed somewhere in Los Angeles and the timer is set, but Troy is comatose and unable to reveal any information. In a desperate move, Archer agrees to an experimental procedure which would allow him to assume Troy’s identity, then track down the bomb. But this is just the start of the trouble leading to an all out confrontation between the two men.
Face Off is what John Woo's fans come to expect of the director, no holds barred gunfights done with balletic style and characters that you care about. The scene with the little boy listening to Somewhere Over The Rainbow on headphones while all around him carnage ensures is pure genius.
Still one of the best action movies to have come out of Hollywood and if you don't own a copy do so now.

The UK release of Face Off is disappointing in that its bare bones and slightly cut.
The USA release by Paramount is very good in comparison.  Colors are very strong and vibrant and I was most impressed with the way the darker scenes were handled, there seemed to be no artifacting going on and black levels looked very deep. Flesh tones seemed warm and natural as well. Audio is well served with a explosive and embracing DTS 6.1and Dolby Digital EX mix.



Its the extras where this one wins hands down.

• Commentary with John Woo and Writers Mike Werb and Michael Colleary
• 2nd Commentary with Werb and Colleary 
• Deleted Scenes with Alternate Ending
• The Light and Dark: Making Face/Off (64 minutes, HD)
• John Woo: A Life in Pictures (26 minutes, HD) 
• Theatrical Trailer (2 minutes, HD)   

So its a no brainer really, if you can play Region A discs (This is locked unfortunately) this is totally recommended.
PICTURE : ****
SOUND : *****
EXTRAS: *****
Buy Face Off Blu Ray from Amazon CLICK HERE

Demons 1 + 2 On Blu Ray April 30th

UK distributor Arrow Films are releasing two Italian Gore classics, Demons and Demons 2 onto Blu ray in the UK on August the 30th.
Both films are directed by Lamberta Bava and the packages also come in a limited Steelbook editions.

DEMONS
Blu-ray Contents:
- Re-mastered from a brand new HD restoration of the film
- Optional English and Italian audio
- Optional English subtitles for Italian and English (SDH) audio
- Restored from the original camera negative by Cineteca di Bologna
- Four-option reversible sleeve with original poster and video artwork with additional fifth artwork panel featuring all-new Jeff Zornow artwork
- Double-sided fold-out poster
- Collector’s Booklet featuring brand new writing on Demons by Calum Waddell
- Collector’s Comic: ‘Demons 3’ (Part 1 of 2)
Special Features :
- Audio recollections of director Lamberto Bava, Special Make-Up Creations Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Journalist Loris Curci
- Audio recollections of the cast and crew, a brand new commentary [2011]
- Dario’s Demon Days: Producer Dario Argento discusses the inception of Demons
- Defining an Era in Music: Composer Claudio Simonetti on the Demons Soundtrack
- Luigi Cozzi’s Top Italian Terrors: Cozzi discusses the high points of Spaghetti Splatter
CLICK HERE TO ORDER DEMONS FROM AMAZON

DEMONS 2
Blu-ray contents:
Re-mastered from a brand new HD restoration of the film
- Optional English and Italian audio
- Optional English subtitles for Italian and English (SDH) audio
- Restored from the original camera negative by Cineteca di Bologna
- Four-option reversible sleeve with original poster and video artwork with additional fifth artwork panel featuring all-new Jeff Zornow artwork
- Double-sided fold-out poster
- Collector’s Booklet featuring brand new writing on Demons by Calum Waddell
- Collector’s Comic: ‘Demons 3’ (Part 2 of 2)!
Special Features :
- The audio recollections of director Lamberto Bava, Mechanical Creations & Transformation Artist Sergio Stivaletti and Journalist Loris Curci
- Creating Creature Carnage: Extensive Interview with makeup man Sergio Stivaletti
- Bava to Bava: Luigi Cozzi tracks the history of the Italian horror film; from Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava to the end of the golden age with Michele Soavi and Lamberto Bava as well as considering recent Italian horror films.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER DEMONS 2 FROM AMAZON
CLICK HERE TO ODER DEMONS STEELBOOKS FROM AMAZON
Botrh films look like they will be locked to region B, which is unusual as most Arrow titles in the past have been All Region.

Jaws Blu Ray : Specs and Release Dates

The classic Spielberg Directed Jaws is finally getting the HD treatment. The package will include the fully restored film with 7.1 DTS HD MA sound, an all new documentary The Shark Is Still Working (102 mins), the vintage Making Of Jaws documentary (2 hours), From The Set featurette, deleted scenes, outtakes, trailers. Released in the USA on 14th August , click here to order from Amazon, and released in the UK on 3rd of September , click here to order the UK version from Amazon.

Sounds like the ultimate set and i can't wait to see it and give you a review.

Fearless : UK Blu Ray £5.50

Today's bargain UK Blu ray is the Jet Li classic Fearless. Thrillingly directed by Ronny Yu (Warriors of Virtue), Jet Li’s Fearless is a dazzling action movie that transcends its breathless fight sequences with Huo's sportsmanship virtues. This Blu ray has Three versions of the film, Theatrical cut, Uncut and Directors Cut.
ONLY £5.50 (Region Free)

Taxi Driver. UK Blu Ray. £6.99

Today's Amazon.co.uk deal is Taxi Driver the groundbreaking film directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Robert De Niro. Still very powerful with a  beautiful restoration job and some shiny new extras make this UK edition of the American classic well worth a purchase.
(Region Free)
ONLY £6.99

Copland. USA Blu Ray $6.99

Today's Amazon.com Deal is Copland starring Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro.
Great Crime film and one of Stallone's finest acting performances.
(Region A Locked)
ONLY $6.99

Win Urban Explorers On Blu Ray!

The rapidly growing global phenomenon of urban exploration (also known as Urbex or UE), in which thrill-seeking enthusiasts explore the normally unseen or off-limits areas of towns, cities and industrial facilities, provides the unique background for director Andy Fetscher’s chilling survival-horror shocker, Urban Explorers out now on DVD and Blu-ray.
To delve further into this underground world of Nazi catacombs visit the official site:
http://www.totalfanhub.com/urban-explorers/
To win a copy just email me with the words Urban Explorers Blu to dgrees@talktalk.net.
Winners drawn randomly will be notified in a couple of weeks..good luck!

Indiana Jones on Blu ray. The First Trailer!

For those of us who can't wait for the Blu ray release of the Indiana Jones movies here is the first trailer for the releases which are due in the autumn....the discs will include all four of Indy's adventures, using the highest possible high definition picture and audio presentation - along with a "best of" collection of documentaries, interviews, featurettes and a few new surprises.
Expect more official details in the weeks ahead.