Blu-ray World Weekly: DEEP RED, THE HUSTLER, JIANG HU, and More

Here are my picks; please share what you've been watching / buying lately.

1. Deep Red (Region Free; Blue Underground)
A pianist (David Hemmings) and a reporter (Daria Nicolodi) investigate a murder. Dario Argento at the height of his powers. Both the director's cut and the shorter export edition are included, per DVD Beaver, which has further details, and from whom we have the Blu-ray cap, above. (See "Related Links" below.) Our own J. Hurtado reviewed the Arrow package, which has more interview footage (51 minutes compared to 11 for Blue Underground), plus a commentary by a film scholar. Both Blu-rays are region free; Blue Underground puts both versions on the same disc, while Arrow places them on separate discs.

2. The Hustler (Region A, 20th Century Fox)
Robert Rossen's superbly seedy tale of pool halls and the grifters who inhabit them, one hustle at a time. Paul Newman is piercingly good, Jackie Gleason is supremely confident, George C. Scott is a mean bastard, and Piper Laurie is a broken butterfly. Down and dirty.

3. Diabolique (Region A, The Criterion Collection)
Recently, J. Hurtado gave solid marks to the Region Free Blu-ray from Arrow Academy; DVD Beaver says that Criterion's edition is superior.

4. Jiang Hu - The Triad Zone (Region A, CMS Media)
Ripe for rediscovery, Dante Lam's off-beat gem from 2000 is a crime film with a black comic edge. It revolve around gang king Tony Leung Ka Fai, who fears assassination from an unusual group of suspects, including Sandra Ng, Eason Chan, Eric Tsang, Roy Cheung, and more. See the incisive comment by Rhythm-X in response to my ScreenAnarchy-O-Meter article below.

5. Pale Flower (Region A, Criterion Collection)
"Cool atmosphere" and "pulpy charm," per DVD Beaver. Crime picture from 1964; directed by Masahiro Shinoda, I've never seen it, but it sounds like the kind of movie that will reward a blind buy.

Also of interest:

Asia (Region A)
Sources: Asian Blu-ray Guide; YesAsia

Royal Tramp Series (Joy Sales)
Both films, together at last. Stephen Chow as a layabout who pretends to be a eunuch. With Brigitte Lin, Chingmy Yau, Sharla Cheung, Ng Man Tat, Elvis Tsui, Sandra Ng, Fennie Yuen, Michelle Reis. Action choreography by Ching Siu Tung. Directed by Wong Jing.

Shanghai Grand (Kam & Ronson)
Producer Tsui Hark teams Andy Lau and Leslie Cheung in the big-screen adaptation of a TV series set in the 1930s  gang world. With Ning Jing and Wu Hsing Kuo. Action choreographed by Tung Wai. Directed by Poon Man Kit (To Be Number One).

To Be Number One
Gangster drama from 1991 is said to be based on real-life events. Ray Lui stars as an ambitious gangster who makes crime boss Kent Cheng feel threatened. With Cecilia Yip, Lawrence Ng, Elvis Tsui, Kenneth Tsang, and Waise Lee. Directed by Poon Man Kit (Shanghai Grand).  


UK (Region B)
Source: Amazon.co.uk

Biutiful
Javier Bardem, beautiful loser.
 
Black Swan
Natalie Portman cracks.

El Cid
Manly Charlton Heston, womanly Sophia Loren.

The Fall of the Roman Empire
History teaches.

The Next Three Days
Balderdash.

Platoon
Oliver Stone in Vietnam.

The Runaway
Six episodes, crime, late 60s, childhood sweethearts, corruption.

The Thin Red Line
Timely.

The Twilight Zone - Season 2
Rod Serling, god-like figure, in 30 minutes or less.

The Walking Dead - Season 1
Dead people get up, walk, eat living people. Repeat.


US (Region A)
Source: Amazon.com

Beverly Hills Cop (Paramount)
Eddie Murphy stepped firmly and decisively up to center stage as a solo star, in a movie that successfully blends action and comedy under the direction of Martin Brest.

Brotherhood (Region A, Phase 4 Films) RECOMMENDED
Tightly-paced "one night gone wrong" thriller piles on the twists at a dizzying pace. See my review.

Daydream Nation (Anchor Bay)
Kat Dennings as a city girl who moves to a small town. With Josh Lucas. Directed by Michael Goldbach.

Elephant White (Millennium)
With Prachya Pinkaew at the helm and Kevin Bacon (as an arms dealer) and Djimon Hounson (as a mercenary) leading the cast, what could go wrong? The action is set in Bangkok.

The Five Deadly Venoms (Dragon Dynasty)
Chang Cheh's classic. If I had more confidence in Dragon Dynasty, which has an inconsistent track record, I might be more inclined to take a chance.

Jagged Edge (Image Entertainment)
Legal thriller from 1985, set in San Francisco, pairs Glenn Close as an attorney with Jeff Bridges as a possibly murderous newspaper publisher. The script by Joe Eszterhas serves up a meaty dish of the writer's patented contrivances and manipulations. With Peter Coyote, Leigh Taylor-Young, and Robert Loggia. Directed by Richard Marquand.

Ju-On White Ghost Black Ghost (Well Go USA)
Two more sequels from 2009; directed by Ryuta Miyake and Mari Asato.

The Mechanic (Sony)
In the updated version, Jason Statham and Ben Foster provide a modern, almost totally anonymous (courtesy of Simon West, action journeyman for hire) spin on Charles Bronson and Jan Michael Vincent in Michael Winner's  original about an efficient assassin who reluctantly takes on an apprentice. See my review.

Money Train (Image Entertainment)
Undercover cops Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson woo new partner Jennifer Lopez and jump through the usual mid-90s Hollywood action/comedy movie hoops.

The Other Woman (MPI)
A husband, an ex-wife, an affair, an 8-year-old son, and a tragic death. With Natalie Portman, Lisa Kudrow, and Scott Cohen. Directed by Don Roos.
 
The Rite (Warner Bros.)
Anthony Hopkins earns another nice paycheck as an efficient exorcist who reluctantly takes on an apprentice. Hmm, sounds familiar. with Colin O'Donoghue, Ciaran Hinds, and an alternate ending. Directed by Mikael Håfström. See the ScreenAnarchy review by Jim Tudor.

The Roommate (Screen Gems)
Uh, no.

Sophia Loren Award Collection: Marriage Italian Style / Sunflower / Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Lorber Films)
Available separately, these films highlight Loren's chemistry with Marcello Mastroianni from 1964 to 1970. The latter film, directed by Vittorio De Sica and consisting of three episodes, is an Academy Award-winning comedy.

Thor: Tales of Asgard (Lions Gate)
Marvel's animated superhero products are dependably made for home video.

The Twilight Zone: Season 4 (Image Entertainment)
The fourth season featured 18 episodes, all one hour in length. All the DVD special features are included, along with 13 new audio commentaries.

Vanishing on 7th Street (Magnolia)
Creepy drama from director Brad Anderson. With Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, and John Leguizamo. See the ScreenAnarchy review by Kurt Halfyard.


What have you been watching lately, either on Blu-ray or on DVD or streaming?