"RUPTURE" -- Steven Shainberg's Mystery Thriller Opening April 28th

AMBI Group Presents
RUPTURE

Directed by Steven Shainberg (SECRETARY)
Written by Steven Shainberg and Brian Nelson (HARD CANDY, DEVIL)
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Peter Stormare, Michael Chiklis & Lesley Manville

"RUPTURE...sees Shainberg altering and adapting the S&M genes of his earlier film SECRETARY", Anton Bitel - SIGHT AND SOUND


Synopsis
Single mom Renee Morgan (Noomi Rapace) has learned to be strong by necessity. One day, after dropping her son off at school and going about daily chores, she’s suddenly abducted and locked away in a truck that drives off — and continues driving for days. Wherever she’s being taken, it’s very far away.

The truck finally arrives at a large, mysterious facility that could be pharmaceutical, could be governmental, could be anything. A mysterious man begins to question her about her medical history. He then starts asking about her fears. Renee realizes just how irrational and frightening a situation she’s in. Others arrive, observing her.

Why Renee? What could these people want? The answers to both questions lie far from any scenario she could possibly imagine.




*Fantasia International Film Festival 2016 - Official Selection*

Award-winning, iconoclastic writer/director Steven Shainberg became an international indie film sensation with 2002's extraordinary kink masterpiece SECRETARY, his second feature following 1998's powerful Jim Thompson adaptation HIT ME.  Four years after, he returned with the poetic and beautiful FUR: AN IMAGINARY PORTRAIT OF DIANE ARBUS.  Now, ten years later, Steven Shainberg is back.  Brace yourself, because sinister things have been brewing. 

The gifted filmmaker's first exploration into horror/science-fiction storytelling, RUPTURE is a dark and discomforting dive into a unique abyss that has the remarkable Rapace matching wits against Peter Stormare, Michael Chiklis, Lesley Manville and Kerry Bishé in a transfigured underworld of nightmares.  Scripted by Shainberg and Brian Nelson (HARD CANDY) and featuring stunning, color-splashed cinematography by Karim Hussain (ANTIVIRAL, WE ARE STILL HERE).

OPENING THEATRICALLY & VOD ON APRIL 28TH
DirecTV Launch on March 30th

"RUPTURE" -- Steven Shainberg's Mystery Thriller Opening April 28th

SABLE -- Movie Review by Porfle

Sable lives in the big city, but she dreams of a quiet, solitary life in Wyoming.  Getting there, unfortunately, will be murder. 

That's the set-up of the 2016 thriller SABLE (Indican Pictures) by writer-director Michael Matteo Rossi (MISOGYNIST, LOSS OF LIFE), who has managed to craft a finely-wrought nailbiter with a surprising introspective streak.

When Sable is attacked in an alley, her much-older boyfriend Landon (Jon Briddell, THE MILLENNIUM BUG), a recovering alcoholic with a volatile temper, kills the guy with one vicious blow to the head.  Stuck with a dead body in a car trunk, they turn to Landon's shady son Colton (Chris Petrovski, "Spartacus: War of the Damned") for help.

Colton's price for one body disposal: Sable must seduce a local moneybags businessman, get as much cash as she can from him without actually "doing it", and split it three ways.  If it works, she and Landon are on their way to Wyoming instead of prison, he's in coke money for a few weeks, and all's right with the world.

Except there's no freakin' way this potential trainwreck of a plan is going to go smoothly because, as we all know, there's nothing like a beautiful woman trying to get her jealous, mean-drunk boyfriend out of a jam by seducing a handsome, eligible millionaire.

And thus, SABLE's deliciously devious plot is set into motion.  Naturally, our heroine's attempt to win the amorous attention of rich guy Andres (Rodney Eastman, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3-4) is an instant success because (1) she's a knockout in a minidress (we're talking serious legs here), and (2) that's what has to happen or else there's no story.

 

We're lulled into thinking Andres is just a big puppy-dog pushover because he seems really sweet and lonely and is nice to his daughter and everything. 

And just when it looks like Sable may pull this thing off easy as pie, we find out that there's a lot more to Andres than meets the eye.  Which is just about when all the suspenseful buildup starts to pay off in scary.  

SABLE takes its sweet time and lets things get introspective and even a little wistful now and then--it's interesting enough so that our attention doesn't wander during some nice, crackly dialogue or quietly disquieting moments.  The thoughtful character touches occasionally lend the story a measure of depth one usually doesn't expect from a straight thriller.

But then, inevitably, comes the time for things to finally get dead serious, and that's when Sable's tragically less-than-foolproof plan takes a devastating detour into shocking violence. 

Michael Matteo Rossi directs his own screenplay with economy and a nice visual flow.  He's fortunate to work with an outstanding cast--led by winsome Ayla Kell (THE OMEGA CODE) as the titular temptress--who really get into their characters.  The evocative musical score by Gavin Brivik compliments the action quite effectively.

SABLE starts out slow and then gets more twisted and complicated as its various subplots intertwine into one big, lethal mess.  The ending is jarring and visceral, and yet, to my surprise, emotionally resonant in a way that sticks with you as the final credits roll. 



Tech Specs

Runtime: 85 Minutes
Format: 1:78 HD
Sound: Dolby Sr.
Country: USA
Language: English
Website: www.SabletheMovie.com
Genre: Action

SABLE -- Movie Review by Porfle

"THE VAMPIRE BAT" Vintage Horror Gem Flies Onto DVD & Blu-ray April 25

"THE VAMPIRE BAT" Vintage Horror Gem Flies Onto DVD & Blu-ray April 25

Vintage Horror Gem The Vampire Bat Debuts HD Restoration
On Special-Edition Blu-ray & DVD, April 25th

All-Star Cast Includes Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas & the Immortal Dwight Frye in Macabre, 1933 Tale of Vampire Attacks

ROCKPORT, Mass. — April 1, 2017 — For Immediate Release —The Film Detective, in conjunction with UCLA Film & Television Archive, presents The Vampire Bat like never seen before – digitally mastered from new 35mm film elements preserved by the Archive – flying onto Blu-ray and DVD April 25.

This stylized and macabre tale was directed by Frank R. Strayer, who spins a thrilling tale from Hugo-nominated screenwriter Edward T. Lowe (House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula), that will have you craving more films from the first Golden Age of Horror!

 

About The Vampire Bat …

When corpses drained of blood begin surfacing in the small European village of Kleines Schloss, town elders suspect a vampire is on the loose, but policeman Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas, Ninotchka, Hud) doubts the existence of blood-sucking creatures.

Arguing the contrary is mad scientist Dr. Otto von Niemann (Lionel Atwill, Doctor X, Mystery of the Wax Museum), who is caring for the patients—terrifying his lab assistant, Brettschneider’s love interest Ruth Bertin (Fay Wray, King Kong, The Most Dangerous Game).

Amid mass hysteria, fingers point at the village idiot, Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye, Dracula, Frankenstein), who has a creepy affinity for bats.  But after local vigilantes eliminate him from the picture, the killings continue … and Brettschneider tries to keep a cool head as he reluctantly starts searching for supernatural answers.

The Vampire Bat is presented in full screen with an aspect ratio of 1.33 and Dolby Digital sound. Restored from a 35mm composite acetate fine grain master and a 35mm nitrate print, UCLA’s restoration recreates the sensational Gustav Brock color sequence, unacknowledged and unseen since first run. 

SPECIAL FEATURES: A Melvyn Douglas featurette with his son, Gregory Hesselberg; and audio commentary by film historian Sam Sherman.

About UCLA Film & Television Archive
UCLA Film & Television Archive is renowned for its pioneering efforts to rescue, preserve and showcase moving image media and is dedicated to ensuring that the collective visual memory of our time is explored and enjoyed for generations to come.  A unique resource for media study, the Archive is one of the largest repositories of moving image materials in the world, with more than 450,000 holdings.  The Archive is celebrated for its restoration work, which is presented at prestigious events around the world.  A selection of notable restoration projects includes: Different From the Others (1919, Richard Oswald), Trouble in Paradise (1932, Ernst Lubitsch), Sons of the Desert (William A. Seiter, 1933), The Red Shoes (1948, Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger), Woman on the Run (1950, Norman Foster), The Night of the Hunter (1955, Charles Laughton), Scorpio Rising (1963, Kenneth Anger) and Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash, 1991). https://www.cinema.ucla.edu

About The Film Detective:
Founder Philip Elliott Hopkins – who has been a fixture in the entertainment industry since 1999 –  has channeled his life-long passion for collecting classic films into The Film Detective, a leading purveyor of restoration and distribution of broadcast-quality, digitally-remastered programming, including feature films, television, foreign imports, documentaries, special interest and audio. Since launching in 2014, the Massachusetts-based company has distributed its extensive library of 3000+ hours on DVD, Blu-ray and through such leading digital and television broadcast platforms as Turner Classic Movies, American Movie Classics, NBC, Bounce TV, Hulu, Amazon, EPIX HD, MeTV, PBS and more. In 2016, the Film Detective launched its OTT classic movies channel streaming on Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV. Visit us online at http://www.thefilmdetective.com

The Vampire Bat
The Film Detective
Genre: Horror/Classic
Original Release: 1933 (B&W/Color)
Not Rated
Format: Blu-ray & DVD
Running Time: Approx. 63 Minutes (Plus Special Features)
Suggested Retail Price: $19.99 Blu-ray/$14.99 DVD
Street Date: April 25, 2017
Catalog #:  FD0740 Blu-ray / FD0767 DVD
UPC Code:  #818522017723 Blu-ray / #818522017730 DVD

Pre-order it at Amazon.com

"THE VAMPIRE BAT" Vintage Horror Gem Flies Onto DVD & Blu-ray April 25

"HEIDI" -- Lavish New Adaptation of the Children's Classic Coming April 4

"A familiar crowd-pleaser is back...young kids will eat this up"
-- The Hollywood Reporter

THIS APRIL, JOIN OMNIBUS ENTERTAINMENT FOR
A LAVISH, AWARD-WINNING ADAPTATION OF
A TIMELESS CLASSIC

HEIDI

An international box office smash, filmed on location in the Swiss Alps, this Dove Foundation "Family Approved" live-action feature based on one of the best-selling children's novels of all time, makes its U.S. debut on DVD and Digital April 4, 2017

DVD AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT WALMART

HEIDI Official Trailer


With more than 50 million copies in print, Swiss author Johanna Spyri's beloved 1880's novel, "Heidi," is one of the all-time classics of children's literature, which has also spawned numerous adaptations - from a 1937 Shirley Temple vehicle and several Japanese anime series to a Hanna-Barbera feature.  This April, Omnibus Entertainment invites families everywhere to head for the hills with HEIDI, a new, lavishly produced adaptation starring Bruno Ganz and marking the big screen debut of Anuk Steffen as the titular Swiss mountain girl.

Orphan girl Heidi spends the happiest days of her childhood with her eccentric grandfather, Alpöhi (Ganz), cut off from the outside world in a simple cabin in the breathtaking Swiss mountains. Together with her friend Peter, she tends to grandfather's goats and enjoys freedom in the mountains to the fullest.  But these carefree times come to an abrupt end when Heidi is whisked to Frankfurt by her Aunt Dete.  The idea is for her to stay with the wealthy Sesemann family and be a playmate for his wheelchair-bound daughter Klara, under the supervision of the strict nanny, Fräulein Rottenmeier.  Although the two girls soon become close friends and Klara's grandmother awakes a passion for books in Heidi while teaching her to read and write, young Heidi's longing for her beloved mountains and her grandfather grows ever stronger.

 

Spyri originally published "Heidi" as a two-volume novel - "Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning" and "Heidi: How She Used What She Learned" - and, according to the original subtitle, was written "for children and those who love children."  Aside from being translated from the original German into over 50 different languages, HEIDI has also become an enduring figure in children's entertainment through many theater productions; television programs, including one by the BBC and one by Walt Disney; films, including a silent one; a musical play co-written by Neil Simon; a video piece with Paul McCartney and Mike Kelley, and a talking dog version with Angela Lansbury.  There is even a "Heidiland" in eastern Switzerland.

Called "handsomely crafted" (Edmund Lee, South China Morning Post), this most recent adaptation, an international box office smash that has played at top children's film festivals across the U.S., also captured the award for "Best Children's Film" at last year's German Film Awards.  Omnibus Entertainment's DVD features both the original German language version with English subtitles, as well as a dubbed version.

 

HEIDI (111 minutes) Directed by Alain Gsponer. Starring Bruno Ganz, Anuk Steffen, Isabelle Ottman, Quirin Agrippi, Katharina Schuettler, Hannelore Hoger, Maxim Mehmet, Peter Lohmeyer, Anna Schinz, Jella Haasse. 

An Omnibus Entertainment release, distributed by Film Movement.

"HEIDI" -- Lavish New Adaptation of the Children's Classic Coming April 4

"DONNIE DARKO" Returns to US Screens March 31st from Arrow Films

Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko Returns to Theaters
Arrow Films Debuts 4K Restoration of Theatrical & Director's Cuts
Weeklong Runs in Los Angeles, New York and More
Writer-Director Richard Kelly Available for Interviews

"Excitingly original indie vision" - Entertainment Weekly

"A mini-masterpiece" - Empire
   
Los Angeles, CA - Arrow Films has announced the March 31st domestic theatrical debut of the 4K restoration of Richard Kelly's cult hit Donnie Darko. Following a wildly successful re-release in the UK for its fifteenth anniversary, the film will return to theaters in cities across the United States. Fifteen years before "Stranger Things" combined science-fiction, Spielberg-ian touches and 80s nostalgia to much acclaim, Kelly set the template and the benchmark with his debut feature, Donnie Darko. Initially beset with distribution problems, it would slowly find its audience and emerge as arguably the first cult classic of the new millennium. The 4K restoration of Donnie Darko will premiere at the Vista in Los Angeles on March 30th, and officially open in Los Angeles at the Cinefamily and in New York at Metrograph on March 31st.

Described by director Richard Kelly as "The Catcher in the Rye as told by Philip K. Dick", Donnie Darko combines an eye-catching, eclectic cast: pre-stardom Jake (Nightcrawler, Brokeback Mountain, Nocturnal Animals) and Maggie Gyllenhaal ("The Honourable Woman", The Dark Knight), Jena Malone (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Neon Demon), the late heartthrob Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing, Ghost), Drew Barrymore (E.T., "Grey Gardens", "Santa Clarita Diet") Oscar nominees Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves, Passion Fish, "Battlestar Galactica") and Katharine Ross (The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Stepford Wives), and television favorite Noah Wyle ("ER", "Falling Skies") and an evocative soundtrack of 80s classics by Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears and Duran Duran.

The brand-new 4K restoration was produced by Arrow Films from the original camera negatives and supervised and approved by Kelly and cinematographer Steven Poster. The 4K restoration premiered to a packed audience at the National Film Theatre in London on December 17th, 2016, with an introduction by Richard Kelly. A screening of the Director's Cut followed the next day. The re-release opened nationwide in the UK on December 23rd, eventually grossing £70,000.

Both the theatrical cut and the director's cut are being made available to venues via a partnership with Cartilage Films, and locations will vary. 

Donnie Darko will also return for weeklong runs in Denver, Columbus, Cleveland, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Tempe, Tulsa and San Francisco on March 31st, and in El Paso, Portland and Detroit on April 7.

Special screenings include Jacksonville, Austin, Dallas, Honolulu, Lubbock, Baton Rouge, Sioux Falls, Oklahoma City, Tucson, Durham and Stamford throughout March and April.  A full list of screenings is available at Cartilage Films.

March 31st Theatrical Release:
The Cinefamily
611 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Metrograph
7 Ludlow St
New York, NY 10002

Donnie is a troubled high school student: in therapy, prone to sleepwalking and in possession of an imaginary friend, a six-foot rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world is going to end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. During that time he will navigate teenage life, narrowly avoid death in the form of a falling jet engine, follow Frank's maladjusted instructions and try to maintain the space-time continuum.

Donnie Darko (Official 4K Restoration Trailer)


Donnie Darko: English / USA / 113 min (theatrical) /
134 min (Director's Cut)

"DONNIE DARKO" Returns to US Screens March 31st from Arrow Films

Common Is Starring In Revenge Action Thriller "QUICK DRAW" -- Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Content Media Producing

COMMON TO STAR IN REVENGE ACTION THRILLER “QUICK DRAW” FOR LORENZO DI BONAVENTURA AND CONTENT MEDIA

Los Angeles, CA – March 13, 2017 – It was revealed today that Common ("John Wick: Chapter 2," "Suicide Squad," "Run All Night," "Selma," "Now You See Me") will star in a new revenge action thriller titled “Quick Draw” from Content Media and Lorenzo di Bonaventura - producer of the blockbuster “Transformers” franchise, “Deepwater Horizon,” “Shooter,” and the “GI Joe” franchise among others.

Harris Goldberg wrote the screenplay and will direct the film. Featuring hyper intense shoot-outs, choreographed car chases, and lightning fast hand-to-hand combat, the action in “Quick Draw” plays out across the mean streets of Los Angeles.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing the film with Content Media’s Tom Butterfield and David Greenblatt, through his Greenlit Creative company.

In addition to producing “Quick Draw,” Content Media is handling worldwide sales, while CAA will handle USA.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura said: “Harris has such an incredible vision for this film that this collaboration is particularly exciting for us. The narrative he creates is incredibly rich and while intense action defines this movie, the story is also very much character driven. I’m very excited to work with Common, as well as our partners from Content Media, who really comprehend the global potential for the film.”

Content’s Jamie Carmichael and Tom Butterfield said: “’Quick Draw’ is an action packed revenge thriller with character, pathos and extraordinary fire power. Lorenzo is one of the most talented, successful and consummate producers working today and we’re thrilled to be working with him, David and Harris – and Common is dream casting for this role.  We could not be more excited to bring this dynamic project to our friends and clients around the world.”

Principal photography will commence this summer.

Common is a popular and accomplished recording artist, actor, film producer and activist. His multidimensional acting career includes significant starring roles in the films “Selma,” “Run All Night,” “Date Night,” “American Gangster,” “Wanted,” “Smokin Aces,” and “Street Kings.” He also starred as Elam Ferguson on the AMC western television series “Hell on Wheels.”

Common won the 2015 Golden Globe® Award for Best Original Song and the 2015 Academy Award® for Best Original Song for his song "Glory" from the 2014 film Selma, in which he co-starred as Civil Rights Movement leader James Bevel.  He also won an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actor in “Selma.”

Common is represented by CAA, his manager Derek Dudley, and his attorney David Fox.

Harris Goldberg is represented by David Greenblatt’s Greenlit Creative; law firm Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein; and Spitfire Entertainment.

In addition to “Quick Draw,” Content’s impressive film slate includes the comedy “An Actor Prepares” starring Jeremy Irons and Jack Huston; the documentary “Elian” executive produced by Academy Award® winner Alex Gibney, the sci-fi mystery “Origin Unknown” starring Katee Sackhoff; Sundance’s “Cries from Syria” directed by Academy Award® nominee Evgeny Afineevsky; Dan Bush’s supernatural thriller heist “The Vault”, starring James Franco, Francesca Eastwood, Taryn Manning and Scott Haze; the Manolo Blahnik documentary “Manolo: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards;  action-thriller “The Worker”, starring Michael Peña, directed by action director Dan Bradley and produced alongside Jeremy Renner’s company The Combine; a documentary feature about the inspiring, Olympic hero turned convicted murder Oscar Pistorius (“Pistorius”); the Maria Callas biopic “Callas & Onassis”, starring Noomi Rapace with Niki Caro directing; the documentary “Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story”, directed by Jon Brewer; and Sci-Fi epic feature “Higher Power”.

About Content Media Corporation
Content Media Corporation is a global entertainment media company based in London with offices in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto, which owns and distributes a significant library of film, television and digital assets. Content Media Corporation’s catalogue contains in excess of 275 theatrical feature titles plus library rights to more than 5,400 hours of TV programming incorporating major drama series, non-fiction entertainment, special event programming, kids’ series, TV movies and mini-series. The company also owns significant stakes in Collins Avenue, an LA based entertainment TV production company, Spirit digital media, a digital production company, and film and television production companies Jigsaw Productions, Campfire and Aito Media Group.

Common Is Starring In Revenge Action Thriller "QUICK DRAW" -- Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Content Media Producing

Psychological Drama/Thriller CLAIRE IN MOTION starring Betsy Brandt ("Life in Pieces", "Breaking Bad") DVD Release (4/11)

“Brandt impresses in this sensitive moving-on drama" - John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter

Narrative Spotlight Audience Award – SXSW Film Festival 2016
Official Selection, New American Cinema – Seattle International Film Festival 2016

Breaking Glass Pictures will release the upcoming psychological drama/thriller CLAIRE IN MOTION on DVD April 14, 2017.

CAST:   Betsy Brandt, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Chris Beetem, Sakina Jaffrey

SYNOPSIS
Three weeks after Claire’s husband has mysteriously disappeared, the police have ended their investigation and her son is beginning to grieve. The only person who hasn’t given up is Claire. Soon she discovers his troubling secrets, including an alluring yet manipulative graduate student with whom he had formed a close bond. As she digs deeper, Claire begins to lose her grip on how well she truly knew her husband and questions her own identity in the process. Claire in Motion twists the missing person thriller into an emotional take on uncertainty and loss.

CLAIRE IN MOTION is the second feature film by filmmaking team Lisa Robinson and Annie J. Howell ("Small, Beautifully Moving Parts") and stars Betsy Brandt (“Breaking Bad”, “Life in Pieces”) in a breakthrough performance that twists the missing person thriller into an emotional take on uncertainty and loss.


                                          Watch the Trailer

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
With this film, we were interested in telling a story about something that’s been lost — both physically and spiritually. It was intriguing to give Claire a life crisis that leads to a bigger mystery, one that unravels her perception of all she knows to be true. We wanted this experience to be closely observed, and to bring intimacy to every element of the film: the acting, the landscapes, and especially the camerawork.

The world of the Appalachian Ohio college town where the story is set, with its lonely streets and manicured homes, imposing rocky cliffs and dark forests, are all filtered through Claire’s slowly destabilizing mind. Her quest to understand her shifting world after a crisis is a metaphor for universal questions: How do we keep changing throughout our lives? How does our own change and behavior surprise those closest to us, or even ourselves? Can we ever really know anyone? These were the ideas that we explored through the writing and directing of Claire in Motion.

Psychological Drama/Thriller CLAIRE IN MOTION starring Betsy Brandt ("Life in Pieces", "Breaking Bad") DVD Release (4/11)

RETURN OF KUNG FU TRAILERS OF FURY -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

"My first two kung fu movies consisted of a double feature of super-cheap, super-obscure flicks at my local cinema one night back in the early 70s.  The titles have long receded into the sodden recesses of my memory but I wouldn't be surprised if their trailers appear somewhere on this disc."

My review of the previous kung fu trailer collection from Severin Films, KUNG FU TRAILERS OF FURY, began with this poignant moment of wistful nostalgia, and the same goes double for this new follow-up disc.

RETURN OF KUNG FU TRAILERS OF FURY, or "The Night the Kung Fu Trailers of Fury Came Home--Again", is more and more, and yet still more (35, to be exact)  gloriously goofy previews of all those cheapo kung fu flicks that were being churned out by the rickshaw-load in Hong Kong back in the 70s. 

 

Rest assured, this bursting-at-the-seams batch of fists 'n' feet potboilers contains no CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON-level epics.  It's all gloriously grade Z, as though Ed Wood himself had opened up a school for action directors in Hong Kong.

Often these condensed versions are better than the actual feature films, because they cut out all the boring exposition and lame character interplay and get right down to the pure, unadulterated chop-socky action. 

And that's what this non-stop parade of trailers is--just one furious clash after another, accompanied by some deathless dialogue and hilarious text exclamations such as "Intriguing story!" and "Good Actors From Many Nations Makes This Film Outstanding!"

 

The collection features about an equal ratio of contemporary urban dramas and historical tales with lots of flowing white hair and bushy eyebrows. Regardless of the technical quality of each individual film, the stuntwork and choreography are rarely short of amazing.

First up is THUNDERBOLT, and right off the bat there's some of that incredibly fake-looking wirework that we all love. YELLOW-FACED TIGER is yet another "new Bruce Lee" flick, this time offering Don Wong as the hero and none other than a young Chuck Norris as a formidable bad guy with an equally formidable moustache.

THE STORY OF CHINESE GODS, described as "China's first full-length color animation feature!" boasts a 3-eyed Bruce Lee character and some not-so-hot animated action.

 

Other titles include BRUCE AND THE IRON FINGER, SHAOLIN INVINCIBLE STICKS, INVISIBLE TERRORIST, REVENGE OF THE SHAOLIN KID, HELL’S WINDSTAFF, THUNDERING MANTIS, THE LEGENDARY STRIKE, KUNG FU KILLERS, CRAZY HORSE & INTELLIGENT MONKEY, THE AVENGING BOXER, and SNUFF-BOTTLE CONNECTION.  They add up to a full 134 minutes.

My favorite moment comes during the preview for a wacky comedy called KUNG FU MASTER NAMED DRUNKEN CAT, which, in addition to its distinct Benny Hill influence, makes this bold promise to potential viewers: "It's John Cheung vs. The Midget! Funny!"

It's interesting to see these trailers in Blu-ray since they're so wonderfully battered and scratched-up in the great grindhouse style.  Are we supposed to be happy that all the scratches and imperfections that make these old trailers so distinctive are now in high-def? 

Having grown up watching old movie prints in theaters and on late-night TV, I love that old beat-up look. These trailers have it in abundance, and it suits me just fine to see it so well-preserved here.  

The Blu-ray from Severin Films is widescreen with Dolby 2.0 sound and English subtitles.  The wall-to-wall commentary track is highly informative thanks to a panel of kung fu cinema experts including writer Ric Meyers ("Films of Fury"), Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), Ric Stelow (Drunken Master Video), and martial arts instructor Greg Schiller. 

If you got a kick out of Severin's first volume of kung fu trailers, then RETURN OF KUNG FU TRAILERS OF FURY should strike your fancy as well.  It's solid entertainment for lovers of no-frills kung fu cinema. 

Buy it from Severin Films

RETURN OF KUNG FU TRAILERS OF FURY -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle