Eureka! announced its May releases that dig deep into Asian cinema. The first is The Valient Ones, a wuxia from director King Hu (Come Drink With Me). You have your choice of 4K UHD or Blu-ray to see the swords flying across the screen. Next is Queen’s Ranson that stars George Lazenby (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), Angela Mao (Lady Whirlwind) and Jimmy Wang Yu (The One-Armed Boxer). This all-star cast gets tangled in a plot to kidnap Queen Elizabeth. Prison Walls: Abashiri Prison I-III is the first three installments of the film series about a yakuza member sent to a cold and remote prison. Ken Takakura (A Fugitive from the Past) stars as the mobster who won’t be stuck in a cold cell. Teruo Ishii (Shogun’s Joy of Torture) directs all three films. Here’s the press release from Eureka!
Director Teruo “King of Cult” Ishii gets inducted into The Masters of Cinema Series as Eureka’s May 2024 line-up is revealed
Eureka! has announced its May 2024 line-up for the UK and North America. Featured amongst this line-up are King Hu’s last great masterpiece from the golden age of wuxia cinema; an explosive action-thriller starring George Lazenby, Angela Mao, and the legendary Jimmy Wang Yu; and Teruo Ishii’s action-packed prison breakout films starring Ken Takakura. All three titles will be available in both the UK and North America!
The Valiant Ones is perhaps the last true wuxia film directed by celebrated Taiwanese filmmaker King Hu, an undisputed master of the genre. Shot back-to-back with The Fate of Lee Khan (but not released until two years later), it stands as a worthy follow-up to his earlier works Come Drink with Me, Dragon Inn and A Touch of Zen. Inspired by historical events and featuring several storied figures drawn from Chinese history, The Valiant Ones is a standout wuxia film produced during the dying days of the genre, as audience tastes were shifting towards more grounded kung fu cinema. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on Blu–ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray from a 4K restoration. Available from 27 May 2024 in the UK (Blu-ray / UHD) (home video debut), and from 28 May 2024 in North America, the first print run of 2000 copies of each format in each territory will feature a Limited edition O-card slipcase.
Perhaps even God can’t save the Queen in Golden Harvest’s A Queen’s Ransom (also known as International Assassin), an explosive action-thriller starring George Lazenby (The Man from Hong Kong), Angela Mao (Lady Whirlwind) and the legendary Jimmy Wang Yu (The One-Armed Swordsman). Written and directed by Ting Shan-hsi (Rebel Boxer), A Queen’s Ransom was Golden Harvest’s attempt to capitalise on the popular success of the political thriller in the wake of The Day of the Jackal. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film for the first time ever on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration. Available from 27 May 2024 in the UK, and from 28 May 2024 in North America. The first print run of 2000 copies in each territory will feature a Limited edition O-card slipcase and collector’s booklet.
Constructed in the late nineteenth century to house political prisoners, Japan’s infamous Abashiri Prison served as the inspiration for a popular and prolific run of yakuza movies released between 1965 and 1972. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the first three entries in this landmark series, directed by the “King of Cult” Teruo Ishii (Shogun’s Joy of Torture) and starring a titan of Japanese genre cinema, Ken Takakura (The Bullet Train). Ken Takakura would reprise the role of Tachibana in another seven films under the Abashiri Prison banner – all of them helmed by Teruo Ishii – before the series was rebooted as New Abashiri Prison in 1968, leading to a further eight instalments with Takakura in the lead. It all began with these early entries, presented here for the first time ever on Blu-ray from brand new restorations of the original film elements by Toei. Available from 27 May 2024 in the UK, and from 28 May 2024 in North America, the first print run of 2000 copies in each territory will feature an O-card slipcase.
