I mean, it has to be Jackie Chan, right? What else could possibly be this week’s pick? Well, actually, there are quite a few other things you could pick. This is a pretty spectacular week for new Blu-ray/4K releases. But really, it has to be Jackie Chan. The man has been a cinematic legend for decades. He got his start in Hong Kong martial-arts cinema in the 1970s, became a massive star over there in the 1980s, and had conquered the U.S. by the 1990s.
Buy Jackie Chan’s Breakout Hits!His films aren’t always good by any critical measure, but they completely make up for it in terms of sheer spectacle, insane action set pieces, and incredible stunt work.
Arrow Video is now releasing a gorgeous-looking boxed set of Chan films that turned him into an American star. They include Drunken Master II, Rumble in the Bronx, Thunderbolt, Police Story 4: First Strike, Mr. Nice Guy, and Who Am I? all of which were released in the mid to late 1990s. Most of the films come with both international and American cuts, and are full of special features. The boxed set comes with a poster, loads of lobby cards, and a big booklet full of essays and interviews.
I’m thrilled to see this set finally being released and am happy to make it my pick of the week. Of course I am.
Also coming out this week that looks interesting:
They Will Kill You: Super fun horror film that finds Zazie Beetz playing a woman who answers a want ad for a housekeeper in a big high-rise apartment only to find that it is run by Satanists who want to make her their next sacrifice.
The Mastermind: Kelly Reichardt’s take on a heist flick in which a goofball (Josh O’Connor) robs an art museum but doesn’t really have a plan for what happens next. You can read my review.
Deathstalker Triple Feature: There was a spate of low-budget sword and sorcery films to hit the market after the surprising success of Conan the Barbarian in 1982. Deathstalker is one of them. I randomly watched it and its sequel a couple of weeks ago. The original is, well, it isn’t good, but it is dumb fun. The sequel is godawful. There were at least a couple of other sequels. I haven’t seen those, and they are not included in this new set by Shout Factory. They have included the recent remake. I haven’t seen that one either, but it got surprisingly good reviews.
It Was Just an Accident: Criterion is releasing this thriller from Iranian director Jafar Panahi about a small mishap that triggers an increasingly dangerous set of problems.
Mortal Kombat Kollection: Arrow Video is releasing the 1994 Mortal Kombat and its sequel, Mortal Kombat: Anihilation, with new 4K transfers and loads of extras.
Crime 101: Pretty good mystery starring Chris Hemsworth as a thief, Halle Berry as an insurance broker who he teams up with, and Mark Ruffalo as the cop on their trail.
Eclipse Series 6: Carlos Saura’s Flamenco Trilogy: Criterion presents three films from the legendary Spanish director that heavily feature the flamenco dance.
Sangster Directs Hammer: Jimmy Sangster wrote some of the best horror films famed Hammer Studios ever put out in the 1950s and 1960s. He came back to direct three films (The Horror of Frankenstein, Lust for a Vampire, and Fear in the Night) in the 1970s. They are not the best films the studio ever put out, but they are some of the wildest.
Brit Noir II: A pretty great collection of three film noirs starring Jack Hawkins. You can read my full review.
