Misunderstood: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1966
Director: Luigi Comencini
Writers: Leonardo Benvenuti, Piero De Bernardi, Lucia Drudi Demby, Giuseppe Mangione
Cast: Anthony Quayle, Stefano Colagrande, Simone Giannozzi, John Sharp, Adriana Facchetti, Anna Maria Nardini, Silla Bettini, Rino Benini, Giorgia Moll, Graziella Granata

Release Date: April 29th, 2024 (UK), April 30th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate running time: 103 Minutes 57 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"John Duncombe, the British consul in Florence, returns home from his wife’s funeral to his two children, who are unaware of their mother’s passing. He makes the decision to tell his eldest son, Andrea, but hides the truth from his sickly younger son, Milo." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Misunderstood was scanned from the original camera negative in 2K at Studio Cine, Rome. The film was restored by Radiance Films at Filmfinity in 2024. Thousands of instances of dirt, dust, stains and tears were removed and dozens of shots stabilized to attenuate mechanical jitter."

Misunderstood comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.9 GB

Feature: 30.3 GB

The source looks excellent. Flesh tones are healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape; the dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with film critic Michel Ciment (23 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with screenwriter Piero De Bernardi and Cristina Comencini, the director’s daughter and herself a noted filmmaker (35 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay by David Cairns titled A Child’s Heart, this extra explores Luigi Comencini’s affinity for childhood stories (24 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 32-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, an essay titled Troubled Youth in Cinema written by Manuela Lazic, an archival interview with Luigi Comencini by Dominique Rabourdin and information about the transfer. 

Summary:

Directed by Luigi Comencini whose other notable films are Bread, Love and Dreams, The Window to Luna Park, Unknown Woman, and The Sunday Woman. Misunderstood was adapted from Florence Montgomery’s novel of the same name.

The narrative revolves around a family's struggle to cope with the loss of a loved one.

Death is something we all experience, whether it be someone we know or our own death. Experiencing the loss of a loved one as a child is often deeper than experiencing the loss of a loved one as an adult. And though there have been numerous films about the loss of a loved one, very few have done it as effectively from a child's point of view as Misunderstood.

There are three characters in Misunderstood who experience grief: a husband who lost his wife, and two sons who lost their mother. And in the early stages of the narrative, the father entrusts the older son Andrea with keeping his younger brother Milo in the dark about his mother's death. The decision ultimately puts a strain on Andrea’s relationship with his father, whom he feels is giving more attention to Milo.

Though there are a few minor characters who interact with the three main characters, it is the performances of the three actors who portray the leads that carry Misunderstood. This is especially notable when it comes to the performances of Stefano Colagrande in the role of Andrea and Simone Giannozzi, who portrays Milo. For both, this was their first and only acting experience. They both deliver extraordinary performances that are well beyond their years. Anthony Quayle’s (Lawrence of Arabia) portrayal of the father is equally impressive.

Luigi Comencini’s direction is perfect, and though he lets the performances take center stage, there are a handful of standout visual moments. Notably, moments and objects that remind characters of the wife or mother who died. That said, no moment is more potent than the gut-wrenching finale, in which one character comes to terms with dying when life has become too painful to live. Ultimately, Misunderstood is one of cinema’s best films about the human condition.

Misunderstood gets an excellent release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Basket Case: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1982
Director: Frank Henenlotter
Writer: Frank Henenlotter
Cast: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Robert Vogel, Diana Browne, Lloyd Pace, Bill Freeman, Joe Clarke

Release Date: April 29th, 2024 (UK), April 30th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 15 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"Duane Bradley seems like a pretty ordinary guy. His formerly conjoined twin Belial, on the other hand, is a deformed creature who lives in a wicker basket. Arriving in the Big Apple and taking up a room at a seedy hotel, the pair set about hunting down and butchering the surgeons responsible for their separation." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Basket Case has been restored by the Museum of Modern Art in cooperation with director Frank Henenlotter.

The film was scanned, graded and restored at Cineric, New York. The original 16mm AB negative was scanned in 4K. A 35mm interpositive element was also scanned for certain shots. The restoration work included full picture stabilisation and the removal of dirt, debris, scratches and other signs of wear. The mono soundtrack was restored from the original 35mm magnetic tracks by Audio Mechanics, Los Angeles.

All materials for this restoration were made available by Frank Henelotter, who has approved this restoration."

Here is additional information about the transfer, "The film was graded in HDR10 and restored in 4K at R3Store Studios, London. The Dolby Vision grading was completed by Fidelity in Motion, New York."

Basket Case comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 87.9 GB

Feature: 63.8 GB

The source looks excellent, flesh tones look healthy, colors are perfectly saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. It is hard to imagine Basket Case looking any better than this release.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio is in great shape, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. Range-wise, considering the limitations of the source, this audio track sounds great.

Extras:

Extras for this release include Image Galleries; Promotional Stills (46 images), Behind the Scenes (108 images), Ephemera (21 images), Advertisements (43 images) and Home Video Releases (9 images), two radio spots (1 minute 51 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a T.V. spot (55 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), three theatrical trailers (4 minutes 54 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a short animated film titled Belial’s Dream (4 minutes 49 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Making Belial’s Dream (2 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a short film titled Slash of the Knife with an optional audio commentary by director Frank Henenlotter (30 minutes 13 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an image gallery for Slash of the Knife, outtakes for Slash of the Knife (5 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with film critic Joe Bob Briggs titled Belial Goes to the Drive-In (6 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), outtakes for Basket Case (6 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a short film titled Basket Case 3 1/2: An Interview with Duane Bradley (8 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival locations featurette from 2001 titled In Search of the Hotel Broslin (16 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a 2017 Q&A from the film’s restoration premiere at the Museum of Modern Art titled Basket Case at MoMA (37 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Director Frank Henenlotter (3 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay about Basket Case titled The Frisson of Fission: Basket Case, Conjoined Twins and ‘Freaks’ in Cinema (23 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Edgar Ievins, Ilze Balodis, Ugis Nigals and Kika Nigals titled The Latvian Connection (27 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Beverly Bonner titled Blood, Basket and Beyond (6 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actresses Florence and Maryellen Schultz titled Seeing Double: The Basket Case Twins (8 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Kevin VanHentenryck titled Me and the Bradley Boys (16 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary titled What’s in the Basket? (78 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter, producer Edgar Ievins, Beverly Bonner and filmmaker Scooter McRae, an audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter and Kevin VanHentenryck, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to this edition), a double-sided fold-out poster, and 28-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled “Case” History written by Michael Gingold, Cham-pain in the Park! – A Basket Case Comic Strip by Martin Trafford and information about the transfer.

Summary:

When it comes to horror cinema, far too often there is a tendency to try to recycle a successful formula. That said, there are a handful of unique films that are an exception to the rule. Case in point: Frank Henenlotter’s (Brain Damage) feature film directorial debut, Basket Case.

Basket Case features what is arguably one of cinema’s most bizarre premises. The narrative is well executed, and Basket Case’s ample amount of “WTF” moments ensure that there is an issue in regards to pacing. And nowhere are these “WTFs” more evident than when it comes to the scenes where Belial unleashes his homicidal rage. Needless to say, these moments of bloodletting are overflowing with gore.

Without a doubt, Basket Case’s greatest asset is Kevin Van Hentenryck’s (Basket Case 2, Basket Case 3) performance in the role of Duane Bradley. His character spends most of his screen time interacting with his brother Belial (who lives in the basket he carries around). Another performance of note is Beverly Bonner (Frankenhooker) in the role of Duane and Belial’s neighbor Casey.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Basket Case does not excel. The visuals do a superb job of capturing the mayhem that unfolds. Standout moments include a flashback scene that reveals how Duane and Belial were surgically separated and a scene where Belial sneaks into Casey’s room. And the finale provides a perfect coda for the events that have just unfolded. Ultimately, Basket Case is a one-of-a-kind cinematic oddity that is a perfect blend of humor, horror, and mayhem.

Basket Case gets a definitive release from Arrow Video, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1972
Director: León Klimovsky
Writer: Paul Naschy
Cast: Paul Naschy, Shirley Corrigan, Jack Taylor, Mirta Miller, José Marco, Luis Induni, Barta Barri, Luis Gaspar, Elsa Zabala, Lucy Tiller, Jorge Vico, Adolfo Thous

Release Date: May 7th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 85 Minutes 56 Seconds (Spanish Cut), 88 Minutes 13 Seconds (Export Cut)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish (Spanish Cut), DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English (Spanish Cut)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Quite simply the most crazed and delirious film of Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy’s long career. The trouble starts when our favorite El Hombre Lobo, Waldemar Daninsky (Naschy, of course) goes to the infamous Dr Jekyll (Euro-cult fave Jack Taylor) for help ridding himself of the lycanthropy curse. Things don’t exactly go as planned. The results are some of the most bizarre and entertaining moments of the entire 70s Spanish horror boom." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Spanish Cut), 4.25/5 (Export Cut)

Here’s the information provided about the Spanish cut's transfer, "Brand new 4K restoration provided by the licensor".

Here’s the information provided about the Export cut's transfer, "It appears that Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf was released in at least 4 different versions.

The original Spanish cut, with "clothed" scenes, a version released in the U.S. with some "clothed" and some "naked" scenes, a version released in the UK with some scenes cut and a version available in Germany with all of the stronger scenes intact.

The current owner of the film only has access to the Spanish version. Despite a long search we are unable to locate usable 35mm materials for all of the cut or altered scenes. To recreate the most complete version of the film, as presented here, we had to uses a mixture of 16mm footage and clips from analogue and digital video sources of variable quality."

Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.6 GB

Feature: 18.2 GB (Spanish Cut), 13.8 GB (Export Cut)

The Spanish cut's source is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. That said, this is Mondo Macabro’s best-looking Paul Naschy film transfer. The bulk of the source, the export cut, is comparable to the Spanish cut’s source, with a few moments where the quality does dip due to using lower-quality sources.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish), 4.25.5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

The Spanish cut comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish-language track. The Export cut comes with one audio option: a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Spanish language track has some instances of background hiss; both English language tracks are in better shape. That said, dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, these two tracks sound good. 

Extras:

Extras for this release include an archival interview with actor Paul Naschy titled Paul Naschy on Dr. Jekyll (18 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Sergio Molina titled Inside Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf with Sergio Molina (22 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), a career profile of actor Jack Taylor titled Jack Taylor, Testigo Del Fantastico (31 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Jack Taylor titled Jack Taylor on "Fantaterror" (16 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Victor Matellano titled Sanatorium Leon Klimovsky, he discusses the career of director Leon Klimovsky (30 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Rodney Barnett and Troy Guinn for the Spanish cut.

Summary:

Directed by León Klimovsky, a filmmaker who frequently worked with Paul Naschy. His notable films are Werewolf Shadow, Vengeance of the Zombies, A Dragonfly for Each Corpse, and The Vampires’ Night Orgy.

The narrative revolves around a man suffering from lycanthropy whose search for a cure leads him to the grandson of Dr. Jekyll.

Over the course of his five-decade career, Paul Naschy showed a kinship for the horror genre, especially films with monsters that were clearly inspired by Universal’s classic monster films of the 1930s and 1940s. With Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf, Paul Naschy once again makes a film that is filled with familiar monsters, albeit with his own personal twist on them. Also, Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf would mark the sixth time that Paul Naschy portrayed Waldemar Daninsky, a character he would portray 12 times.

The premise—a man returning to Transylvania, the place where he was born—sets a solid foundation from which Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf builds. And though Paul Naschy does not appear until around the 18-minute mark, it is clear that his character is the protagonist. His character is given a heroic introduction when he saves a woman who is about to be raped by a gang of thieves who just killed her husband. From there, the woman quickly forgets about her dead husband and falls in love with Waldemar Daninsky. Anyone who has seen a fair number of Paul Naschy films knows that women cannot resist the characters he portrays.

As good as the entire cast in the roles, they all take a beat seat to Paul Naschy, who once again delivers an enthralling performance. His enthusiasm and affection for horror cinema make his performances all the more potent. Mirta Miller's (Eyeball) portrayal of Dr. Jekyll’s grandson’s assistant is a standout performance. Her character is devoted to Dr. Jekyll’s grandson, and when scorned, she unleashes hell. Not to be overlooked is Jack Taylor's (Succubus) portrayal of Dr. Jekyll’s grandson.

Though it is not uncommon for a Paul Naschy film to have multiple classic monsters, Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf is filled with them. Besides Waldemar Daninsky, who is a werewolf, there is a witch named Bela; Dr. Jekyll’s grandson fulfills the role of the mad scientist; and Waldemar Daninsky is also Mr. Hyde. That said, Dr. Jekyll vs. the Werewolf is a mishmash of monsters that is melded into one cohesive thing that somehow works.

From a production standpoint, Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf is a film where everything perfectly falls into place. The narrative’s pacing does a great job of maintaining momentum, and a superb finale provides a very satisfying coda. Also, the visuals create a lot of atmosphere, and Antón García Abril (The Tombs of the Blind Dead) delivers an exemplary score that reinforces the foreboding mood. Another area where Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf has gore effects. Ultimately, Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf is a solid entry in Paul Naschy’s Waldemar Daninsky films, and although it may not be the best film in this series, it is still in the top three.

Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf gets an exceptional release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Shape of Night: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1964
Director: Noboru Nakamura
Writers: Toshidi Gondo, Kyoko Ohta
Cast: Miyuki Kuwano, Mikijirô Hira, Keisuke Sonoi, Masuyo Iwamoto, Misako Tominaga, Bunta Sugawara, Isao Kimura

Release Date: April 29th, 2024 (UK), April 30th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate running time: 106 Minutes 32 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"A young woman from the countryside (Miyuki Kuwano of Oshima’s Cruel Story of Youth) falls in love with a handsome hoodlum (Mikijiro Hira, Sword of the Beast), who pushes her into a life of prostitution. When his sleazy superiors catch sight of her, she finds herself trapped inside the gaudy maze of city nightlife." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “The Shape of Night was transferred in High-Definition by Shochiku Co. Ltd. and supplied to Radiance Films as a High-Definition digital file. Additional restoration was performed by Radiance Films in 2024."

The Shape of Night comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.5 GB

Feature: 29 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, mage clarity and compression are solid, contrast and black levels are strong throughout, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option: a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a video essay by Tom Mes titled Major Changes: Shochiku in the 1960s (13 minutes 15 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an Yoshio Nakamura, son of director Noboru Nakamura (15 minutes 45 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a seconds interview with Yoshio Nakamura who discusses baseball, this extra is an Easter egg (5 minutes 27 seconds,LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 28-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, an essay titled Beautiful Downer written by Chuck Stephens, an archival writing titled On Filming The Shape of Night written by Toichiro Narushima and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Directed by Noboru Nakamura, whose other notable films are Twin Sisters of Kyoto and Portrait of Chieko.

The narrative revolves around a woman who went from a factory worker to a bar hostess and ended up a prostitute.

The narrative does a phenomenal job building the protagonist's backstory via a series of flashbacks. When the narrative introduces the protagonist, she’s already broken emotionally and has accepted her life of sleeping with strangers for money to support her boyfriend's gambling debts. And the way in which the narrative builds toward the protagonist's moment of clarity makes this moment all the more potent.

At the heart of The Shape of Night is a story about decisions and how they shape outcomes. Though the protagonist's relationship starts off like any other love affair, when presented with a crossroads, the protagonist refuses to accept the reality in front of her. That said, it is clear that the protagonist loves the man she’s with, and she is willing to do whatever it takes to make their relationship work.

As great as the cast are in their roles, no performance stands taller than Miyuki Kuwano (Cruel Story of Youth) in the role of Yoshie Nomoto, the protagonist who finds herself in a hopeless situation. An exceptional performance is delivered by her, leaving no room for doubt—a character who has been broken and has come to terms with their fate. Mikijirô Hira’s (Three Outlaw Samurai) portrayal of Eiji Kitami, a gambling addiction hoodlum, is another performance of note.

Though Miyuki Kuwano’s performance is the heart and soul of The Shape of Night, one must not overlook Noboru Nakamura’s direction. From the get-go, his strong visual eye is at work in the opening credits, which are different angles of Miyuki Kuwano’s character looking glamorous. The deception of the opening sequence does a superb job masking her characters' anguish. Throughout, Noboru Nakamura fills every frame of the visuals with interesting compositions that heighten the mood. And nowhere is this clearer than the scene where Eiji is forced to watch Yoshie’s gang rape at the hands of the yakuza. Needless to say, despite its bleak subject matter, The Shape of Night is a beautifully photographed film. Ultimately, The Shape of Night is an extraordinary melodrama about a woman trapped in a desperate situation.

The Shape of Night gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Road to Fort Alamo: Limited Edition – Malombra Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France, 1964
Director: Mario Bava
Writers: Lorenzo Gicca Palli, Francesco Prosperi, Livia Contardi
Cast: Ken Clark, Jany Clair, Michel Lemoine, Andreina Paul, Alberto Cevenini, Gustavo De Nardo, Antonio Gradoli, Gérard Herter, Claudio Ruffini, Pietro Tordi

Release Date: February 5th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 79 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, Italian
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £25.00 (UK)

"Bud and Slim meet fortuitously at a saloon and escape the arrest by the hands of the corrupted town sheriff. They join a group of Slim’s associates engrossed in planning a robbery. The two friends decide to join in; they will dress up as Federal soldiers and will collect 150.000 dollars from the local bank.

Unfortunately, the theft doesn’t go as planned and they find themselves captured by a group of Native-Americans; they are left to die in the scorching sun only to be saved by a handful of Federals. Recovering from the attack, Bud will meet Janet and the two of them will embark on an adventure across the valley of the Osage." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "digitally-remastered in 4K".

The Road to Fort Alamo comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23.2 GB

Feature: 20.8 GB

The bulk of this transfer looks very good. That said, some instances of source damage remain. Screenshot #7 provides an example. Also, though there are some moments where image clarity is not as strong or colors fluctuate, the majority of the time, image clarity is strong and colors look very good. Black levels look good, and there are some compression-related artifacts.

Audio: 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clear and balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented. Range-wise, these two audio tracks are limited. Included are removable English and Italian subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Luigi Cozzi who discusses Mario Bava and the Spaghetti western genre (8 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles),  an interview with film critic Antonio Tentori who discusses the Spaghetti western genre (3 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Dr. Adrian Smith and Dr. Leon Hunt, and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing). 

Summary:

Directed by Mario Bava, whose other notable films include Black Sunday, Black Sabbath, Blood and Black Lace, Danger: Diabolik, and Rabid Dogs.

The narrative revolves around six men who pretend to be Union soldiers in order to collect a $150,000 payment document. Though they were successful in obtaining the money, things go awry when one of them kills a few people.

Despite working in just about every genre, Mario Bava’s work in the Spaghetti western genre is arguably his weakest. He would direct three of Spaghetti Western’s The Road to Fort Alamo: Ringo from Nebraska, Roy Colt, and Winchester Jack. Made at the beginning of the Spaghetti western cycle, The Road to Fort Alamo lacks the look and feel of this genre's most celebrated films.

Mario Bava was a filmmaker known to work magic despite limited resources. Unfortunately, The Road to Fort Alamo saddles him with a mediocre script. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the narrative's inability to establish tension. It also does not help that there are no real surprises along the way.

Another shortcoming are the performances, which are adequate. Michel Lemoine (Seven Women for Satan) in the role of Kid Carson, a bandit with a short fuse, delivers the most memorable performance. This character's impulsive behavior constantly puts him and those around him in danger.

From a production standpoint, the only thing remarkable about The Road to Fort Alamo is Mario Bava’s visuals. Unfortunately, in every other area, The road to Fort Alamo comes up short. Ultimately, The Road to Fort Alamo is a by-the-numbers western that would have been forgotten if not for Mario Bava’s involvement.

The Road to Fort Alamo gets a serviceable audio/video presentation from Malombra Films.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Clan of the White Lotus – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1980
Director: Lo Lieh
Writer: Haung Tien
Cast: Chia-Hui Liu (Gordon Liu), Kara Wai, Lo Lieh, Johnny Wang, Hsiao Ho

Release Date: April 13th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 43 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Director/ star Lo Lieh (Five Fingers of Death, Miracles) plays the evil ex-monk Pai Mei, a man with white hair, near-supernatural fighting skills and a bitter hatred of Shaolin scholars. Facing him down is is the callow Hung Wen-ting (Gordon Liu, who would himself play the cruel Pai Mei in Kill Bill Volume 2). But will his kung fu ever be good enough to take out the mad killer?." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Restored HD Master."

Clan of the White Lotus comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 20 GB

Feature: 19.9 GB

This is yet another Shaw Brothers release that uses a pre-existing source, and the result leaves plenty of room for improvement. There are times when flesh tones look off, colors are inconsistent, image clarity ranges from serviceable to good, and black levels are adequate. Also, digital noise reduction strips the image of any film-like appearance.

Audio: 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clear and balanced, and range-wise action sequences sound robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and a second removable English subtitle track for Cantonese text when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing) and a 12-page booklet (limited to the first pressing), with an essay titled Balls to the Wall Clan of the White Lotus: Action. Excitement. Eunuchs. written by James Oliver.

Summary:

Directed by Lo Lieh, a prolific actor whose career spanned four decades and more than 200 films. Notable films he appeared in are Golden Swallow, King Boxer, The Bamboo House of Dolls, The Stranger and the Gunfighter, Human Lanterns, On the Run, and Supercop.

The narrative revolves around an evil priest named White Lotus who avenges the death of his brother Pai Mei.

Clan of the White Lotus is part of a trilogy of films. The other two films are Executioners from Shaolin and Abbot of Shaolin. In the first two films, the villain is Pai Mei, while Pai Mei’s brother, White Lotus, is the villain of Clan of the White Lotus. Actor Lo Lieh appeared in all three of these films.

The narrative quickly jumps into the action, with Pai Mei’s death at the hands of two fighters in the opening credits. From there, the action sequences continue with White Lotus and his minions exacting revenge for this dead brother. And though this opening setup is action-heavy, things calm down action-wise by the middle act. With the last action being wall-to-wall action building towards an exceptional finale.

When it comes to the performances, the cast is all very good, especially Lo Lieh in the role of White Lotus. He delivers a phenomenal performance that is a text-book example of how to portray a martial arts villain. Chia-Hui Liu (Gordon Liu), in the role of Hung Wen-ting, one of the men who killed Pai Mei, delivers a memorable performance. That said, the scenes that these two actors share are extraordinary.

Training sequences are a staple of martial arts cinema, and Clan of the White Lotus features one of the more original ones. Hung Wen-ting’s sister teaches him a fighting skill that is rooted in chores assigned to women and improves his fighting skills. This fighting style is softer than his more forceful style, and combining them will give him the upper hand against White Lotus.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where the Clan of the White Lotus does not deliver, and then some. The briskly paced narrative has a good balance of action and exposition. And though White Lotus severely beats Hung Wen-ting multiple times, only to let him fight another day, that is one of the narrative's strengths. The exceptional action sequences were choreographed by Lau Kar-Leung. Ultimately, Clan of the White Lotus is an amazing conclusion to a trilogy of martial arts films that are excellent.

Clan of the White Lotus gets a lackluster audio/video presentation from 88 Films.

Written by Michael Den Boer