Garv’s Pick of the Week: The Jackie Chan Collection, Volume 2 (Shout Select)
For the release week of April 25th:
Garv’s Pick of the Week: The Jackie Chan Collection, Volume 2 [Blu-ray/ Shout Select]: What Fred Astaire is to dancing, Jackie Chan is to stuntwork. You don’t watch Jackie’s films for their plot or storytelling. You watch them for the mind-blowing action set pieces. This Blu-ray box set presents eight films from Jackie Chan’s golden period in new 2K and 4K restorations. These are the complete, unedited Hong Kong cuts, rather than the abridged New Line cuts. The included titles are Winners & Sinners (1983), Wheels On Meals (1984), The Protector (1985), Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985), Armour of God (1986), Armour of God II: Operation Condor (1991), Crime Story (1993), and City Hunter (1993).
Additional Titles of Interest —
Police Story III: Supercop [4K UHD/ 88 Films]: If you crave even more Jackie Chan, this 1992 title is getting the full 4K UHD treatment.
The Green Hornet [Blu-ray/ VCI]: The first filmed adaptation of radio crime fighter The Green Hornet was this 13-episode serial from 1940. Gordon “Mike the Cop” Jones was the titular hero, and Keye Luke portrayed his sidekick Kato. VCI worked with Universal for a new restoration and scan for this Blu-ray release, so the cliffhanging action should look sharper than ever.
Safe in Hell [Blu-ray / Warner Archive]: This 1931 Pre-Code melodrama introduced the jazz standard, “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South.” If that’s not enough for you, the flick also involves prostitution and murder.
The Strawberry Blonde [Blu-ray / Warner Archive]: Raoul Walsh directs a Warner Brothers dream cast of James Cagney, Olivia de Haviland, Rita Hayworth, Jack Carson, Alan Hale, and George Tobias in this “turn of the century” romantic comedy.
A Lion is in the Streets [Blu-ray / Warner Archive]: Raoul directed Cagney for the last time in this 1953 political drama. I know nothing about this film, but Cagney is always watchable.
Revolt at Fort Laramie [Blu-ray / MGM]: Of all of the catalog films in their vault, I wonder why MGM decided to release this forgotten 1957 Western on Blu-ray. Still, I like John Dehner, so it’s good to see him in a rare leading role.
The Assassination Bureau [Blu-ray/ Arrow Video]: Basil Dearden’s 1969 adventure comedy starts off well, but it peters out towards the end. Still, I’ll watch anything starring Diana Rigg and Oliver Reed.
The Big Bus [Blu-ray / Kino Lorber]: This 1976 disaster spoof was Airplane! before Airplane! was Airplane! Joseph Bologna, Stockard Channing, John Beck, Rene Auberjonois, Ned Beatty, Ruth Gordon, Harold Gould, Larry Hagman, Jose Ferrer, Sally Kellerman, Richard Mulligan, Lynn Redgrave, and many more recognizable character faces show up in this hit or miss comedy.
The Cat Creeps [Blu-ray / Vinegar Syndrome]: Universal wasn’t interested in releasing this late-period Universal horror themselves, so Vinegar Syndrome snatched it up.
Five Women for the Killer [Blu-ray / Vinegar Syndrome]: I’m always curious when an Italian giallo thriller finds its way to Blu-ray. I have no idea if it is any good.
){kind=link}