criterion collection

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The Criterion Collections Picks Up A Slice Of Sammo Hung Military Madness This December!

Every now and again, the guys and gals at Criterion – who are mostly known for releasing some rather high-brow cinema on Blu-ray – give action fans something special. Whether it’s their Police Story and Once Upon a Time in China releases or John Woo’s Last Hurrah for Chivalry, they certainly know their Hong Kong cinema. And so it should come as no surprise that, yesterday, Criterion announced they’ll be releasing Sammo Hung’s military actioner, EASTERN CONDORS, on shiny Blu-ray in December. Region locked US residents have been waiting for this once, since the only decent releasee as of late has been the Region B Eureka! Entertainment disc, which saw the film in a three-movie set with The Magnficent Butcher and The Iron-Fisted Monk. Criterion’s release will be standalone and, per usual, is jampacked with special features. Per Criterion: Legendary actor-director Sammo Hung delivers a bazooka blast of pure adrenaline in this exemplar of Hong Kong action […]

THROW DOWN: Johnnie To’s 2004 Thriller Slams Onto Blu-Ray From Criterion This Fall

Lee B. Golden III

Criterion’s latest Hong Kong cinema flex comes by way of Johnnie To’s 2004 crime drama, Throw Down. Pre-orders are now up and running for the fully-loaded Blu-Ray releasing on September 21, 2021. Louis Koo plays a former judo champion-turned-alcoholic forced to mitigate his debts with loansharks as he struggles to operate his evening bar and lounge. Crossing paths with an eager and gifted judo fighter looking to challenge him to a match, and an aspiring singer looking for fame and a way out of Hong Kong, the trio embark on a journey that runs wild with brooding drama, comedy, martial arts thrills and cinematic poetry. This one is a cult favorite among Johnnie To collectivists and Asian movie fans. It took a while for me to see it myself at some point and thankfully, you can find the film streaming at Hi-YAH! if you live in the states. Otherwise, Criterion’s […]

BRUCE LEE: HIS GREATEST HITS Launches At Criterion

Lee B. Golden III

Criterion hit the motherload on Monday with Bruce Lee fans. They’re launching their latest disc collection, Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits, later this year and it’s packed to hell with features as yet another refurbished and ceremonial steal for fans of the late martial arts legend. The specs are out, as well as the art for each title. Read on and check out the gallery just beneath, and then make your preorders at the official website. SEVEN-DISC SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES • 4K digital restorations of The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Game of Death, and The Way of the Dragon, with uncompressed original monaural soundtracks • New 2K digital restoration of the rarely-seen 99-minute 1973 theatrical version of Enter the Dragon, with uncompressed original monaural soundtrack • 2K digital restoration of the 102-minute “special-edition” version of Enter the Dragon • Alternate audio soundtracks for the films, including original English-dubbed tracks […]

Out On Blu-Ray: Criterion’s GODZILLA: THE SHOWA ERA FILMS, 1954–1975

Lee B. Golden III

Criterion lit a match under some asses earlier this year with their announcement of a Blu-Ray stack of Godzilla classic feature films from the Showa Era of the famed Toho franchise. That package is now available coupled with pages of info and exclusive new art compiling all fifteen films from the artists listed in gallery just beneath. Check it out and get yours now! In 1954, an enormous beast clawed its way out of the sea, destroying everything in its path—and changing movies forever. The arresting original Godzilla soon gave rise to an entire monster-movie genre (kaiju eiga), but the King of the Monsters continued to reign supreme: in fourteen fiercely entertaining sequels over the next two decades, Godzilla defended its throne against a host of other formidable creatures, transforming from a terrifying symbol of nuclear annihilation into a benevolent (if still belligerent) Earth protector. Collected here for the first […]