Relive All of Bruce Lee's Greatest Hits with Criterion Collection's Newest Release!

BRACE YOURSELVES FOR THE DEFINITIVE RELEASE OF BRUCE LEE'S COMPLETE FILMOGRAPHY, CONTAINING SEVEN BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED KUNG FU CLASSICS!

Bruce Lee was taken from this world far too early, and yet he managed to leave behind an impressive legacy that continues to inspire martial artists and filmmakers to this very day! And now, for the first time ever, you can own the complete collection of the films that helped propel Bruce Lee into perpetual superstardom: THE BIG BOSS (aka FISTS OF FURY), FIST OF FURY (aka THE CHINESE CONNECTION), WAY OF THE DRAGON (aka RETURN OF THE DRAGON), and ENTER THE DRAGON! This set also contains GAME OF DEATH and GAME OF DEATH II, plus hours of new and archival bonus features, including six audio commentaries, interviews, and more! Join me now fellow Bruce Lee fans, as I take a closer look at this stellar set from The Criterion Collection!

DISC #1: THE BIG BOSS (AKA FISTS OF FURY - 1971)

Synopsis: Enter a legend. Bruce Lee’s return to the Hong Kong film industry after a decade in America proved to be his big breakthrough, launching him to superstardom and setting a new standard for kung-fu heroics. In THE BIG BOSS, he commands the screen with his gravitas and explosive physicality in the role of a Chinese immigrant working at a Thai ice factory and sworn to an oath of nonviolence.

When he discovers that the factory’s ruthless higher-ups are running a secret heroin ring and offing their own workers, his commitment to pacifism is put to the test. With his undeniable charisma and fluid, lightning-fast martial-arts style, Lee is a revelation, blazing across the screen with a speed and power the likes of which had never been seen before.

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 100 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio - Mandarin LPCM Mono & Dolby Digital Mono
              Cantonese: Dolby Digital Mono
              English LPCM Mono

Extras:

• NEW! Digital 4K Restoration!
• Audio Commentary with Bruce Lee expert Brandon Bentley.
• Audio Commentary with Hong Kong film expert Mike Leeder.
• Matthew Polly on The Big Boss featurette
• Alternate Ending
• Extended Scenes
• Bruce Lee: The Early Years featurette
• Bruce Lee vs. Peter Thomas featurette
• Trailers
• US TV Spot

DISC #2: FIST OF FURY (AKA THE CHINESE CONNECTION - 1972)

Synopsis: Bruce Lee is at his most awe-inspiringly ferocious in this blistering follow-up to his star-making turn in THE BIG BOSS, which turned out to be an even greater success than its predecessor. Set in 1910s Shanghai, FIST OF FURY casts Lee as a martial-arts student who, after his revered master is murdered by a rival dojo of Japanese imperialists, sets out to defend the honor of both his school and the Chinese people, with his fatal fists as his weapon of choice. Elevating Lee to a hero of near folkloric proportions, this historical revenge fantasy blends its stunning action set pieces with a strong anticolonialist statement and a potent dose of the fierce cultural pride that the actor embodied.

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 107 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio - Mandarin & English LPCM Mono
              Cantonese Dolby Digital Mono

Extras:

• NEW! Digital 4K Restoration!
• Audio Commentary with Hong Kong film expert Mike Leeder.
• Matthew Polly on Fist of Fury featurette
• Alternate Opening Credits
  The Chinese Connection
  Fist of Fury (Japanese Version)
• The First Lady - 1993 interview with actress Nora Miao (in Cantonese with imposed English subtitles).
• Blade of Fury - 1993 interview with actor Riki Hashimoto (in Japanese with imposed English subtitles).
• Master of Bushido - 1993 interview with actor Jun Katsumura (in Japanese with imposed English subtitles). 
• Interview with Yuen Wah (in Cantonese with optional English subtitles).
• Theatrical Trailers

DISC #3: WAY OF THE DRAGON (AKA RETURN OF THE DRAGON - 1972)

Synopsis: After the back-to-back triumphs of THE BIG BOSS and FIST OF FURY, Bruce Lee was given the chance to write, produce, and direct his third outing as a martial-arts superstar. He used the opportunity to add a touch of goofily entertaining comedy to the typically action-driven proceedings in THE WAY OF THE DRAGON, which finds him playing a rigorously trained martial artist who travels from Hong Kong to Rome to help his cousin, whose restaurant is being threatened by a gang of thugs. Reaching new heights of physical virtuosity, Lee unleashes an astonishing display of nunchuck-swinging, fly-kicking mayhem, all culminating in one of his most breathtaking fights: an epic gladiatorial death match with Chuck Norris in the Roman Colosseum.

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 99 minutes | Region A
Video -1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio - Mandarin & English LPCM Mono
             Cantonese & English Dolby Digital Mono

Extras:

• NEW! Digital 4K Restoration!
• Audio Commentary with Hong Kong film expert Mike Leeder.
• Matthew Polly on The Way of the Dragon featurette.
• Alternate Opening Credits
  Version 1
  Version 2
• Legacy of the Dragon documentary
• Bruce Lee Remembered featurette (in English and Cantonese with optional English subtitles where necessary).
• Kung Fu? - Jon Benn remembers the shooting of the Film.
• Trailers 
• Radio Spot

DISC #4: ENTER THE DRAGON (THEATRICAL CUT - 1973)

Synopsis: At the height of his stardom in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee was called to Hollywood to make the film that, perhaps more than any other, defines his legacy. His electrifying fighting style and the deeply personal philosophy that guided it received their fullest expression yet in this thrilling tale of a Shaolin fighter who goes undercover to infiltrate a treacherous island presided over by a renegade monk turned diabolical criminal mastermind.

Released just days after Lee’s tragic death, ENTER THE DRAGON went on to become his greatest international success and one of the most influential action movies ever made, with its famed hall-of-mirrors finale bringing together the physical and intellectual dimensions of his artistry in one dazzling set piece.

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 99 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio - English LPCM Mono

Extras:

• NEW! 2K Digital Restoration!
• Matthew Polly on Enter the Dragon interview.
• Blood and Steel - 2004 featurette.
• Bruce Lee: In His Own Words - 1998 featurette.
• 2003 Interview with Linda Lee Cadwell.
• Interview with Tung Wai (in Cantonese with optional English subtitles).
• Promotional Materials
  Electronic Press Kit
  Theatrical Trailers
  TV Spots
  Radio Spots

DISC #5: GAME OF DEATH (1978)

Synopsis: Released five years after Bruce Lee’s death, this eccentrically entertaining kung-fu curio combines footage from an unfinished project directed by and starring Lee with original material shot by ENTER THE DRAGON director Robert Clouse to create an entirely new work that testifies to the actor’s enduring place in the pop-culture imagination.

Using stand-ins, doubles, and archival footage to compensate for Lee’s absence, GAME OF DEATH follows a martial-arts movie star who, when he is threatened by a cutthroat crime syndicate intent on controlling his career, must take his skills from the soundstage to the streets. It all builds to an exhilarating climax that is pure Lee: a tour de force of martial-arts mastery in which the legend himself, clad in an iconic yellow jumpsuit, fights his way up a multilevel pagoda, with the towering Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among his formidable opponents.

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 101 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio - English LPCM 1.0
              English LPCM 1.0 (Japanese Theatrical Version)
Extras:

• NEW! 4K Digital Restoration!
• Audio Commentary with Hong Kong film expert Mike Leeder.
• Matthew Polly on Game of Death featurette
• Game of Death Redux - new presentation of Lee’s original GAME OF DEATH footage, produced by Alan Canvan.
• Alternate Footage:
  Alternate Opening Credits
  3 Alternate Endings
  4 Deleted Scenes
  Outtakes
  Bloopers
• Game of Death Revisited - interview with actor Robert Wall.
• Trailers

DISC #6: GAME OF DEATH II (1981)

Synopsis: After Billy Lo is killed while seeking the murderers of his friend, his brother Bobby goes all out to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 97 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio - English Dolby Digital Mono

Extras:

• Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend 1973 documentary
• Bruce Lee: The Man and the Legend trailer 

DISC #7: ENTER THE DRAGON (SPECIAL EDITION -1973)

Disc Specs: 
Not Rated | Color | 103 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.40:1)
Audio - English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 & LPCM 1.0

Extras:

• NEW! 2K digital restoration! 
• Audio commentary with producer Paul M. Heller and screenwriter Michael Allin.
• Risk and Reward - interview with producer Andre Morgan. 
• Bruceploitation - interview with author Grady Hendrix.
• Bruceploitation trailers
• Match the Lips - interviews with voice performers Michael Kaye (the English-speaking voice of Lee’s Chen Zhen in Fist of Fury) and Vaughan Savidge. 
• The Grandmaster and the Dragon documentary.

Criterion Collection's impressive BRUCE LEE: HIS GREATEST HITS set is now available wherever Blu-rays are sold and should cost between $87 - $100! Order a copy now from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or get it directly from CRITERION's website! Or, if you're super lucky, you might be able to snag one for about $63 bucks at Barnes & Noble's 50% Criterion Sale that is going on right now!

Get Your Bruceploitation Fix This Week from VCI and The Film Detective!

A BRUCE LI CLASSIC AND, WHAT SOME HAVE DUBBED THE "WORST BRUCEPLOITATION FILM OF ALL TIME," MAKE THEIR BLU-RAY DEBUTS ON MAY 12TH & 15TH!

After the unexpected passing of Bruce Lee in 1973, there was a mad dash to fill the void he had left behind, resulting in a bizzaro film sub-genre known as "Bruceploitation." Various pretenders to Bruce's throne (e.g. Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Dragon Lee, Bruce Lai, Bruce Liang) earned lead roles in martial arts films that were made to capitalize on the popularity of the deceased martial arts superstar. Some of these include RE-ENTER THE DRAGON, BRUCE LEE FIGHTS BACK FROM THE GRAVE, THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE, RETURN OF THE FISTS OF FURY, THE DRAGON LIVES AGAIN, and the two films I'm posting about today, namely DYNAMO and FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH!

DYNAMO is part of VCI's "Pearl River Collection" and features an all new 2K restoration of the Bruce Li vehicle with new bonus features! FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH from The Film Detective is limited to 1,500 copies and offers up a new 4K restoration (made from an original film print) and a making-of featurette! If either of these sound the slightest bit enticing, then continue reading to get the full details of both of these Bruceploitation "classics!"

DYNAMO (SPECIAL EDITION - 1978)

Synopsis: When a cab driver is discovered by corrupt producers as a successor to super star Bruce Lee, they find his rebellious and individual nature may be too much for even their massive enterprise to contain. This fan favorite in the sub-genre of Bruceploitation stars Ho Tsung-Tao (Bruce Li), Ku Feng, and Chiang Tao. DYNAMO was directed by THE SUPER INFRAMAN helmer, Hua Shan.

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 96 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1?)
Audio - English, Spanish, French, & German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (?)

Extras:

• NEW! 2K RESTORATION OF ORIGINAL UNCUT 35MM ENGLISH PRINT!
• BONUS! 2K scan from a 16mm alternate cut!
• Audio commentary by filmmaker and Kung Fu Film fan Michael Worth (author of the Bruceploitation Bible) and UK radio sensation Iain Lee!
• Kung Fu Reborn: Featurette on restoration and preservation of Kung Fu film elements!
• Drawing Dynamo: featurette on cover artist Ian McEwan!
• Theatrical Trailer to Dynamo
• Film essays by Michael Worth and Bulletproof Cinema!

There was initially going to be a new mini-documentary entitled The Taiwan Connection on this disc, but it is apparently in the process of being expanded upon and should be popping up on a future "Pearl River Collection" release. Still, with two cuts of the film, multiple audio options & commentary, and a handful of featurettes, this seems like a pretty solid release! DYNAMO is now available to own on Blu-ray and should cost between $20 - $22! Get a copy today from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, or DIABOLIK DVD!

FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH (1980)

Synopsis: Action-packed FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH is celebrating its 40th anniversary like never before with a stunning 4K restoration and never before seen special features! This film was first presented in 1980 by veteran distributor and producer Terry Levene and director Matthew Mallinson. FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH places the 1979 World Karate Championship at center stage, where martial artists take their shot at eliminating the competition and claiming the title of “Successor to the Bruce Lee Legacy.”

FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH combines eye-popping combat scenes and archival footage of Lee himself, with mockumentary-style interviews hosted by Academy Award nominee Adolph Caesar and a martial arts masters Fred Williamson, Ron Van Clief, and more as they emerge from every corner of the martial arts world to give their take on whether any competitor could be deemed worthy of the Bruce Lee legacy.

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 82 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Extras:

• NEW! That's Bruceploitation - Original featurette including brand new interviews with FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH actors Fred Williamson and Ron Van Clief, producer Terry Levene, director Matthew Mallinson, and script writer Ron Harvey!
• Original theatrical trailer.
• BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE: Collector's booklet featuring extended liner notes from Will Sloan and Justin Decloux, hosts of The Important Cinema Club Podast + authentic published stills and release cards form the original premiere! 

Originally intended for a March 31st release, the recent Covid-19 pandemic forced The Film Detective to delay their 40th Anniversary Limited (to 1,500) Edition until Friday, May 15th! FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH costs between $20 - $24 and can currently be ordered through AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, or directly from THE FILM DETECTIVE!

Shout Select unleashes Collector's Edition Blu-rays of GAME OF DEATH and RETURN OF THE DRAGON!

SHOUT SELECT ADDS TWO MORE BRUCE LEE CLASSICS TO ITS GROWING CATALOG!

GAME OF DEATH and RETURN OF THE DRAGON are my least favorite Bruce Lee flicks, but there's still plenty to love in each. Bruce's life or death struggle against Chuck Norris in Rome's Colosseum, and his face-off against long-limbed NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, are legendary! And now these sequences, and more, are all fully restored in 4K! Thanks Shout Select!

GAME OF DEATH Synopsis: Billy Lo (Bruce Lee) is a young kung fu star with a promising career. As the leader of a syndicate known for its exploitation of entertainers, Dr. Land (Dean Jagger) jumps at the chance to capitalize on Billy's status and that of his singer girlfriend (Coleen Camp).

Refusing to sign with Land, Billy's marital arts mastery is put to the test when he is brutally harassed by Land's men. In a stunning showdown, Billy must take on a group of martial arts masters in the final showdown. Tragically, Bruce Lee passed away during the production of the film. See this martial arts legend in his last role!

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 90 & 100 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio - ?

DISC ONE Extras:

• The U.S. Version of the film (100 minutes).
• NEW! 4K Transfer From The Internegative!
• Audio Commentary With Asian Film Expert Mike Leeder!
• Game Of Death Revisited
• Game Of Death Locations
• Outtake Montage
• Deleted Scenes
• Alternate Opening And Ending
• Bloopers
• Theatrical Trailers
• Still Gallery
• Japanese Print In HD!

DISC TWO Extras:

• The Mandarin/Cantonese Version of the film (90 minutes.
• NEW! 4K Transfer From The Internegative!
• NEW! Trailer Gallery

 

 GAME OF DEATH: COLLECTOR'S EDITION is now available at most retailers, and isn't too expensive, despite having two versions of the film and plethora of extras! Get it now from AMAZON, BULLMOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or directly from SHOUT! FACTORY!

RETURN OF THE DRAGON Synopsis: Tang Lung (Lee) flies to Rome to help a friend of the family, Chen Ching-hua (Nora Miao). She is being threatened by local gangsters to sell her restaurant and they will stop at nothing to get the property. When Tang proves to be a threat to the syndicate's plans they hire the best martial artists to take out Tang Lung.

In one of the film's most famous sequences, Bruce Lee takes on American martial arts expert Colt (Chuck Norris) in the ancient city's majestic Colisseum. This martial arts classic, also known as WAY OF THE DRAGON, is written and directed by Bruce Lee.

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 100 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio - ?

Extras:

• NEW! 4K Transfer From The Interpositive!
• NEW! Japanese Opening And Closing Credits!
• NEW! Alternate Final Fight Music Cue!
• NEW! Trailer Gallery
• Audio Commentary With Asian Film Expert Mike Leeder
• Alternate Title Sequence
• Interviews With Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, and Wong Jing!
• Kung Fu? - Jon Benn Remembers RETURN OF THE DRAGON!
• TV Spot
• Still Gallery 

RETURN OF THE DRAGON: COLLECTOR'S EDITION is reasonably priced (under $15 in most online shops) and available now! Get it at AMAZON, BULLMOOSE, DIABOLIK DVD, or SHOUT! FACTORY today!

New DVDs & Blu-rays for 12/06/2016!

Christmas is coming fast Vault Dwellers, and in less than two-and-a-half weeks, you best have your gifts bought and wrapped! But first, you'll need to get the cult, horror, and exploitation fans in your life something super cool! Luckily this week is chock full of great genre releases, so prepare to pony up some dough!

Well Go USA has finally released PHANTASM: REMASTERED and (the very lackluster) PHANTASM: RAVAGER to DVD and Blu-ray, Kino Lorber gives us DOOMWATCH and THE NEPTUNE FACTOR, plus a double feature of PORKY'S II: THE NEXT DAY and PORKY'S REVENGE, Scream Factory boasts THE DEVIL'S DOLLS, and their parent company Shout! Factory unleashes collector's editions of two awesome Bruce Lee titles: FISTS OF FURY and THE CHINESE CONNECTION!

Also worth noting are the new BLACK & CHROME release of MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (also available in the HIGH OCTANE Blu-ray collection), the Special Director's Edition of THE GREASY STRANGLER, the Blu-ray debut of THE QUIET EARTH, and the 30th Anniversary Blu-ray of HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER!

There's a lot of other cool stuff out now, so scroll down to see what's new and get yourself some Christmas shopping done!


NEW TO DVD & BLU-RAY
Attack on Titan Movie: Part 2
Call of Heroes
Dead Rising: Endgame
The Devil's Dolls
Doomwatch
For the Love of Spock (Special Director's Edition)
The Greasy Strangler (Special Director's Edition)
Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Season 1
Mad Max: High Octane Collection
Never Open the Door
The Perfect Weapon
Phantasm: Ravager
Phantasm: Remastered
Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno


NEW TO BLU-RAY
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (Limited Ultimate Edition Box Set)
Black Jack: The Movie
The Chinese Connection (Collector's Edition)
Fists of Fury (Collector's Edition)
Goodfellas (4K UHD)
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (30th Anniversary Edition)
I Am Legend (4K UHD)
Mad Max: Fury Road (Black & Chrome)
The Neptune Factor
Porky's II: The Next Day / Porky's Revenge (Double Feature)
The Quiet Earth
The Shannara Chronicles: Season 1


NEW TO DVD
Beauty and the Beast: The Final Season
BrainDead: Season 1
The Call Up
Eat-Man: The Complete Original Series
Jack Goes Home
Loons
The Love Statue
Lupin the 3rd: Operation Return the Treasure
Mythica: The Iron Crown
The Possession Experiment
The Remains
Scream Queens: Season 1
SiREN (Unrated)
Trash Fire
The Unspoken
Zoo: The Second Season