The Eureka & Masters of Cinema Thread

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I'd quite like to upgrade my dvd of Pandora's Box but twenty seven quid for a single film in a stiff case with a 60 page booklet is a piss take.

[J Harker]

Some offers at Eureka. Few limited edition releases.
Only one I'd like is Maniacal Mayhem but it's bad timing.Screenshot_20230830_182052_Instagram.jpg

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[Rob4]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Some offers at Eureka. Few limited edition releases.
Only one I'd like is Maniacal Mayhem but it's bad timing.Attachment 247690

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I have the two Universal collections so nothing for me. The fact that they still have slipcover stock of these releases is a bit worrying - there hasn't been a Universal collection release for a while. Hope they haven't discontinued them due to lack of sales?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rob4

I have the two Universal collections so nothing for me. The fact that they still have slipcover stock of these releases is a bit worrying - there hasn't been a Universal collection release for a while. Hope they haven't discontinued them due to lack of sales?

One came out in July last year, the other in October.

Indicator have limited editions from well before then that haven't sold out yet but will still be going to standard edition when they do.

Hammer Vol 6 from June 2021 is one such example. Hammer Vol 5 is still available from March 2020.

[Michael Brooke]

I can’t speak for Eureka, but two to three years is a typical lifespan for an Indicator limited edition that isn’t an obvious big hit. Which is fine - it means it’s on the market for a decent length of time, while the label still gets the benefit of the limited edition model (namely, a helpful number of people paying close to RRP close to the release date).

[Rob4]

Originally Posted by Michael Brooke

I can’t speak for Eureka, but two to three years is a typical lifespan for an Indicator limited edition that isn’t an obvious big hit. Which is fine - it means it’s on the market for a decent length of time, while the label still gets the benefit of the limited edition model (namely, a helpful number of people paying close to RRP close to the release date).

Thank you for the insight Michael

I wish my bank balance could keep up with the LE model

Having said that, I do buy at RRP for things I really want even if I know there's a good chance of them becoming a sale item down the line.

[Michael Brooke]

The rule with Indicator sales is that nothing less than six months old is included, which is pretty sensible. It’s quite rare for something to sell out before then (I think we’re still talking a single-figure number of titles, low double at the most).

[MrBarlow]

Touch Of Evil [Limited Edition Box Set] 4K Ultra HD (Blu-ray)
Director: Orson Welles

Stars: Charlton HestonOrson Welles

1958 USA

Crime

£36.99

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Country: USA
Language: English
Year: 1958
Runtime: 315
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Colour: Black & White
Certificate: 12
Subtitles:
Genre: Crime

SYNOPSIS
Touch of Evil begins with one of the most brilliant sequences in the history of cinema; and ends with one of the most brilliant final scenes ever committed to celluloid. In between unfurls a picture whose moral, sexual, racial, and aesthetic attitudes remain so radical as to cross borders established not only in 1958, but in the present age also.

Charlton Heston portrays Mike Vargas, the Mexican chief of narcotics who sets out to uncover the facts surrounding a car bomb that has killed a wealthy American businessman on the US side of the border. As Vargas investigates, his newly-wed wife Susie (Janet Leigh, two years before Hitchcock’s Psycho) is kidnapped by a gang out to exact vengeance for the prosecution of the brother of their leader (Akim Tamiroff). Meanwhile, Vargas’ enquiries become progressively more obfuscated by the American cop Hank Quinlan (played by Welles himself, in one of the most imposing and unforgettable screen performances of his career), a besotted incarnation of corruption who alternately conspires with Susie’s captors and seeks solace in the brothel of the Gypsy madame (Marlene Dietrich) who comforted him in bygone times.

Welles’ final studio-system picture has at last become secure in its status as one of the greatest films ever made. It remains a testament to the genius of Welles –– a film of Shakespearean richness, inexhaustible. The Masters of Cinema Series is extremely proud to present Touch of Evil in its UK debut on Ultra HD Blu-ray.
SKU: EKA70501
2 Discs

SPECIAL FEATURES

Limited Edition Box Set - 3000 Copies

Limited Edition hardcase featuring artwork by Tony Stella
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations of all three versions, presented in Dolby Vision HDR: the Theatrical version (95 mins), the Preview version (109 mins), and the 1998 Reconstruction (110 mins), across 2 UHD Discs.
A LIMITED EDITION 100-PAGE BOOK featuring writings by Orson Welles, François Truffaut, André Bazin, and Terry Comito; interview excerpts with Welles; a timeline of the film’s history; two new essays by critic Richard Combs; and rare stills and imagery
Four audio commentaries, featuring: restoration producer Rick Schmidlin (reconstructed version); actors Charlton Heston & Janet Leigh, with Schmidlin (reconstructed version); critic F. X. Feeney (theatrical version); and Welles scholars James Naremore & Jonathan Rosenbaum (preview version)
New video interview with critic, broadcaster and cultural historian Matthew Sweet
New video interview with critic Tim Robey
New video interview with author and critic Kim Newman
Bringing Evil to Life + Evil Lost and Found – two video pieces, featuring interviews with cast and crew, as well as critics and admirers
Original theatrical trailer
Optional English SDH subtitles

[Susan Foreman]

'Casino Raiders' (1989) - Blu-Ray pre-order available from Eureka Films direct - £17:99

Release date: December 4

"An early entry in the Hong Kong gambling film cycle of the ‘80s and ‘90s, Casino Raiders injects the genre with a dose of bloody mayhem courtesy of directors Jimmy Heung and Wong Jing.

Con-artist / gambler Crab (Andy Lau) gets out of prison and joins his childhood friend and partner Sam (Alan Tam) to work for a casino magnate to expose a group of Japanese card-players who have cheated their way to a fortune. The pair find themselves in the cross-hairs of the Yakuza, leading to a series of escalating acts of violence that test the bonds of loyalty to their limit. When their luck runs out, they make one final gamble: a game of poker with the highest of stakes.

Filled with surprises right to its final moments, Eureka Classics is proud to present Casino Raiders, a shockingly violent tale of brotherhood and sacrifice and one of the most unique thrillers from the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema."

Special features:

• Limited Edition O-Card slipcase featuring artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) [2000 copies]
• 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from a restoration of the original film elements
• Original Cantonese audio track
• Optional English subtitles
• Brand new feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
• Brand new feature length audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema
• New documentary looking at gambling culture in Hong Kong, and the popularity of the film genre that Casino Raiders helped to popularise
• A Limited Edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver [2000 copies]

All extras are subject to change

[Susan Foreman]

'The Fall of Ako Castle' (1978) - Blu-Ray pre-order available from Eureka Films direct - £17:99

Release date: December 4

"Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) brings together an ensemble cast, including two icons of Japanese cinema — Toshiro Mifune (Seven Samurai) and Sonny Chiba (The Street Fighter) — for this samurai epic, a retelling of the classic story of the 47 ronin.

When an injustice costs his master his life and estate, loyal retainer Ōishi (Kinnosuke Yorozuya, Bushido) vows revenge. Because the target of his vengeance is protected by the ruling shogunate, any retaliation would be seen as an act of treason. Ōishi assembles the remaining ranks of the now-masterless samurai and the 47 of them pledge a blood oath to avenge their slain lord. Tensions rise among the ranks of the ronin eager to launch the mission, as Ōishi bides his time awaiting the right time to strike. Enemy spies and assassins track Ōishi, who has seemingly fallen into vice: Has he lost his sense of honour, or is it just a part of his plan?

The Fall of Ako Castle offers a moving tale of loyalty, betrayal, and sacrifice where classical history explodes into brutal samurai carnage. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Fukasaku’s retelling of one of Japan’s most resonant events."

Special features:

• Limited Edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Chris Malbon [2000 copies]
• Presented in 1080p HD from a restoration of the original film elements by Toei
• Uncompressed original Japanese Mono audio
• Optional English subtitles
• New audio commentary by critic Tom Mes
• New interview with asian film expert Tony Rayns
• New video essay by author and critic Jasper Sharp
• Reversible sleeve featuring original poster artwork
• A collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Jonathan Clements

All extras are subject to change