Whether you're on the hunt for vintage TV, foreign language cinema, cult genre titles or the best of British film, there's a homegrown Blu-ray label ready to serve, discovers Anton van Beek
88 Films
Launched in 2012, 88 Films is your go-to if your cinema diet is heavy on martial arts movies and cult horror. The label currently has four imprints: 88 Asia, 88 Vault, Slasher Classics, and The Italian Collection, meaning its titles range from hard-boiled Italian crime flick The Tough Ones through the Anaconda franchise to some of the best from Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung et al. Releases typically feature new 2K or 4K restorations, newly commissioned extras and gorgeous sleeve art. The label's first 4K Blu-ray releases Dragons Forever and Drive (1997) - are set for August.
Disc of delight: Although a 4K upgrade is inbound, 88 Films' previous Blu-ray treatment of martial arts classic Dragons Forever is a doozy, with three cuts of the film, plus myriad bonuses, spread over two discs.
101 Films
This UK indie has gone from strength to strength in recent years, bolstering its lineup with acquisitions from the former Metrodome and Palisades Tartan libraries, and signing a deal with the cult movie-focused American Genre Film Group. Meanwhile, the introduction of its Black Label Blu-ray imprint has targeted more serious collectors with desirable feature-packed limited editions of Paul Verhoeven's Black Book, Lucasfilm's Howard the Duck, and others - although an occasional willingness to settle for lower-quality source materials (see its recent Blu-ray debut for Johnny Mnemonic) has come in for justifiable criticism.
Disc of delight: Spookies (1986) might be something of a dud as a horror film, but the deluxe package 101 Films put together for its 2021 BD (Black Label # 019) is nothing less than phenomenal.
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Denne historien er fra August 2022-utgaven av Home Cinema Choice.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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AV Avenger
You should think twice before accepting an invitation to play Resident Evil 4 with spatial audio in a haunted prison, warns Steve May
Catalogue classic Star Wars: Ep. VI - Return of the Jedi → Ultra HD Blu-ray, Disney
Forty years on from the movie's cinema release, Anton van Beek ponders what might have been if things had gone a little diff erently during the making of Return of the Jedi…
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M&K Sound V12
TIME ON TEST: Three years REVIEWER: Steve Withers
Sony 'bar demands to be upgraded
This well-specified Dolby Atmos soundbar may have a mid-range price tag, but you'll soon want to spend more, cautions Steve May
Short and sweet
Marantz's compact AV receiver returns with a new look and boosted features – Jamie Biesemans slips it into his AV rig
Discreet delivery
A slim, stylish Scandinavian on-wall system impresses Mark Craven with its handling of the sweet stuff
One project, two rooms
Dan Sait reports on a custom install where a JVC PJ/ Atmos system is joined by a stylish media den
THE KING OF B RDA HOLLYWOOD
Three of his movies have taken over $2billon at the global box office, he's pioneered SFX and 3D technologies, and he's been to the very bottom of the Pacific Ocean. That's James Cameron by the way, not Anton van Beek
System selector!
Given three similar budgets, Mark Craven, Steve May and John Archer assemble three different AV setups focused on movies, streaming and gaming
