A Place For Film: Episode 56 - Physical Media Isn’t Dead, It Just Smells Funny. Blu-ray Reviews for December 2021

Footage Not Found: The IU Cinema Podcast

Happy holidays, everyone! 'Tis the season for merriment, goodwill to your fellow man, and watching people beat the living hell out of each other, or at least it is on “Physical Media Isn’t Dead, It Just Smells Funny.” There’s something in the air within the world of physical distribution. It seems that the time has come for balletic martial arts and high-octane action films to get their time to shine. On this month's episode, we have three labels and all of them have brought some of the greatest films featuring fast and furious fists and a symphony of squibs.

New to the round-up this month we have 88 Films US, a label that specializes in martial arts films from the golden age of the medium. Their contribution is the workers' rights-infused Shaw Brothers film directed by legend Chang Cheh, Disciples of Shaolin, starring the charismatic Alexander Fu Sheng. Kino Lorber doubles down this month with Mei-Chun Chang’s follow-up to the thoroughly entertaining Dynasty with Revenge of the Shogun Women, another collaboration with the 3-D Film Archive and their initiative to seemingly bring you eye-popping action whenever they can. Kino Lorber has also decided to grace us with an HD and 4K release of John Woo’s American debut film, the 1993 film Hard Target, starring Jean Claude Van Damme’s mullet and Wilford Brimley's Cajun accent (along with Jean Claude Van Damme and Wilford Brimley). For such an occasion I had the opportunity to sit down with CMCL PhD candidate and all-around lovely person Jessie Balzer to discuss what makes Jean Claude Van Damme compelling and just what is going on with Lance Henrikson's physical performance in this film. Finally, for my pick of the month, I swing back around to Criterion's November release of the staggering Once Upon a Time in China: The Complete Films boxset -- a must-own for anyone even vaguely interested in exploring the world of Hong Kong action cinema.

Limber up and get ready for a month of grace, violence, and doves making welcome appearances into the frame.

You can read the rest of the reviews over at the IU Cinema blog