It is a great time to be a John Woo fan. Several of his classic Hong Kong films have received deluxe special editions on 4K UHD this year. The Better Tomorrow Trilogy and Hard Boiled came out earlier this year (if you pay attention to my Picks of the Week, you will have noticed that I picked those films when they came out, too), and this week we get The Killer.
Buy The KillerChow Yun Fat stars as a mob assassin who decides to retire after he accidentally blinds a nightclub singer. Well, he’ll retire after one last job (but this one is so he can afford to get her the eye surgery that might return her sight). Naturally, things go poorly; he’s double-crossed, and he’s forced to team up with an undercover cop to set things right.
The Killer is classic John Woo, which is to say it’s filled with big emotions, a deeply romantic sensibility, and insanely great, operatic action scenes. This new set from Shout Factory has been given the UHD treatment with a new scan from the original negatives and is loaded with extras, including multiple commentaries, interviews, and making-of featurettes.
Also out this week that looks interesting:
His Girl Friday 4K UHD: This classic screwball comedy stars Cary Grant as a newspaper editor and Rosaline Russell as his ex-wife and used-to-be star reporter. He’s got one last chance to woo back her affection and keep her on the payroll. The dialogue comes at a rapid pace, and the laughs never stop. Criterion has the release.
Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol. 8: Shout Factory keeps churning out these sets of kung fu films from the storied Hong Kong studio, and I am here for it. I’ve not heard of any of these films, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that eight volumes in, at least some of these films are not true “classics,” but who cares? I’ve never met a Shaw Brothers film that wasn’t at least worth a watch. The full titles include: Return of the Sentimental Swordsman / Perils of the Sentimental Swordsman / The Duel of the Century / The Emperor and His Brother / Ambitious Kung Fu Girl / The Treasure Hunters / Cat vs. Rat / Ghosts Galore / The Enchantress / New Tales of the Flying Fox / Return of the Bastard Swordsman / Secret Service of the Imperial Court.
The House with the Laughing Windows: Adding a slice of gothic folk horror into the mix, this Italian giallo finds a painter commissioned to restore a fresco in a strange, small village only to find the people there are not quite as nice as they seem.
Wicked 4K UHD Steelbook: My wife is literally going to see the sequel to this film as I write this. Based upon the Broadway musical (which in turn was based on a book), Wicked is basically the origin story for the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. The musical got lots of acclaim; the reaction to the films has been pretty mixed, but if you like it, you can now get it in UHD.
The Ninja Trilogy 4K UHD: I remember seeing these films at the video store when I was a kid and thinking they sounded awesome. For whatever reason I never did watch them (probably my mother wouldn’t allow me to rent them), and I’ve long since forgotten they existed. But we truly live in magical times when even ridiculous ninja movies made by Americans in the 1980s get 4K upgrades.
Ted Lasso: The Richmond Way: The first season of this Apple TV series was a minor miracle. It was so smart, funny, and really rather heartwarming. Jason Sudeikis stars as an American football coach who gets a job coaching a British soccer team whose unrelenting positivity wins everybody over. The second season then mixes things up a bit, realizing that nobody can be that upbeat all the time. I’m actually still in the middle of that season, so I can’t comment on where it goes for the third season, but while the second definitely takes a bit of a downturn, I’m still excited to see where it goes. Anyway, if you like the show, then the entire collection is now available.
Tom and Jerry: The Golden Era Anthology: Warner Archive is releasing this definitive collection of 114 Tom and Jerry cartoons from their classic era.
