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Category:    Home > Reviews > Drama > War > Epic > WWII > Historical > Korean War > Action > Revenge > China > A Bridge Too Far 4K (1977/MGM/UA/Via Vision/Imprint 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Set)/Horrible History: Four Historical Epics By Chang Cheh (1973 - 76/MVD/Eureka Blu-ray Set)/Inglorious Basterds 4K Limited Edi

A Bridge Too Far 4K (1977/MGM/UA/Via Vision/Imprint 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Set)/Horrible History: Four Historical Epics By Chang Cheh (1973 - 76/MVD/Eureka Blu-ray Set)/Inglorious Basterds 4K Limited Edition (2009/Universal/Arrow 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)



4K Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: B-/B- (Boxer: B)/B Sound: B-/C+ (Boxer: B-)/B+ Extras: B/B-/B Films: B/B-/B



PLEASE NOTE: The A Bridge Too Far Import 4K Blu-ray is now only available from our friends at Via Vision Imprint Entertainment in Australia, can only play on all 4K disc players and can be ordered from the link below.



Sir Richard Attenborough's A Bridge Too Far 4K (1977) is one of the last all-star epics of a cycle of War (and Western) genre films that grew out of the 1950s, peaked in the late 1960s and continued to be a success (adding Disaster films by 1970) that made for some of the biggest productions of the time as well as some of the smartest, most adult, most mature and most respected. As I said about the film when I reviewed it on Blu-ray years ago...


''Showing us the deadly risks in Operation Market Garden aiming for German bridges to stop their progress in Europe and in general, the film wants to be another Battle Of Britain, but it becomes more of a drama at times and they even got Connery, Fox, Caine and Oliver. It is a good film, but it falls short at times of its aspirations. However, it also tries to take the War genre into a new direction, which is at least ambitious.''


Now the film, itself is nostalgia for better filmmaking that started to wane in the early 1980s and whereas this was more common then, we do not see such films very much at all now. A time when the people running the studios loved movie and knew how to make them and franchise films were few and far between. Christopher Nolan, Spielberg, Scorsese (et al) and the recent The Brutalist show that people and movie fans will sit through along film if it is good and not worry about the running time. This is a film that needs further rediscovery and now in 4K, you can enjoy it like nothing since its original theatrical release.


You can see the great packaging and artwork when you click onto the order page below, while the extras in this great hardcase packaging include the same extras on both 4K and regular Blu-ray versions:

  • Audio Commentary by screenwriter William Goldman and the main crew

  • Trivia Track - Alternate subtitle-track with info on the production of the film

  • and an Original Theatrical Trailer, which was the single extra on the old Blu-ray disc.


Then you get...


Disc Three: Blu-ray Bonus Features

  • NEW Attenborough at War featurette with film historian/screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner (2024)

  • NEW Joseph E. Levine: Becoming the Showman featurette (2024)

  • NEW More Than Another War Movie: Elliott Gould Builds A Bridge Too Far: interview with actor Elliott Gould (2024)

  • NEW We Are the Calvary: Filming A Bridge Too Far: interview with camera operator Peter MacDonald (2024)

  • NEW Behind the Lens: Remembering Geoffrey Unsworth: interview with clapper loader Tony Jackson and camera operator Peter MacDonald (2024)

  • NEW A Futile Mission: Scoring A Bridge Too Far: interview with film music historian Jon Burlingame (2024)

  • NEW Making A Bridge Too Far: a feature-length documentary from Simon Lewis, author of The Making of A Bridge Too Far (2024)

  • The Arnhem Report: A rarely-seen 1977 documentary on the making of the film (SD)

  • Theirs is The Glory: 1946 film about the Historic events in Arnhem (SD)

  • Heroes from the Sky: 2001 documentary (SD)

  • A Distant Battle: Memories of Operation Market Garden: 60th Anniversary featurette (SD)

  • Richard Attenborough: A Filmmaker Remembers: interview with director Richard Attenborough (2002)

  • Archival interview with director Richard Attenborough (1977)

  • Archival interview with actor Anthony Hopkins (1977)

  • a Photo Gallery (1977) and a Booklet....

An exclusive booklet featuring an essay by Simon Lewis, first published in Cinema Retro, as well as an excerpt from Sebastian Abineri's book ''The Boys from the Bridge: The Story of Attenborough's Private Army''.



Horrible History: Four Historical Epics By Chang Cheh (1973 - 76) has The Shaw Brothers allowing the filmmaker to make four movies based in history, then let him add all kinds of martial arts into the scripts, even if the actual history did not have so much depending. The films include a period when the Korean War is ending in The Four Riders (1972,) set-in-the-past The Pirate (1973,) not-exactly biopic version of Marco Polo (1975) and more history with a Boxer Rebellion (1976). Despite the many liberties taken, they are well made films, do not desecrate the real life history they cover and I can see why the studio was on board with Cheh to back making all of them.


The Four Riders (aka Hellfighters Of the East) has four soldiers at the end of the war go back to Seoul to fight drug dealers, but they fight back by trying to frame them for killing a fellow soldier. Biblical reference intended by the original title, it is not too heavy-handed in that respect and is the film that offers the most recent time. David Chiang leads a decent cast and yes, one of the actor's real name here is Wang Chung!


The Pirate (aka Da Hai dao) goes back to the end of the Ching Dynasty in South Seas China circa 1805, is done with some panache and humor like a Hollywood swashbuckler film in the best way, but much more fighting (and no dancing or musical numbers) with more outdoor production than in almost any Shaw production I have ever seen and I have seen more than most people. Versus more recent such productions (all those endless Disney Pirates Of The Caribbean films, Cutthroat Island, or even Polanski's 1986 dud Pirates) it holds up much better and takes itself relatively more seriously and just has a better flow. People who liked those other films will want to see this one.


Marco Polo has longtime leading action actor Richard Harrison in the title role, sent to protect the leader of the Mongol Empire after an assassination attempt, soon to be assisted by some local fighters. He actually becomes a de facto stand-in for non-Chinese audiences as the fighting sequences unfold before any of the conflict kicks (no pun intended) in, while the new fighters eventually take over the film. Having such a stationary Polo makes that easier, but makes for an often odd film. A definitive Polo film has yet to be made, but this one has some good moments, albeit an odd ending.


Boxer Rebellion (aka Ba guo lian jun aka Bloody Avengers) takes place around 1899 to 1901 A.D. and is based on the true story of a group fighting back against a group of foreign invaders trying to take over China until unexpected resistance occurs from within. A big budget film and sort of response and companion piece to Nicholas Ray's 55 Days At Peking (1963 and itself a big budget epic) which was also accused of taking some liberties with the history, yet this too has its moments and I was glad this got restored to the extent it did it does deliver some fine big screen moments as intended. Richard Harrison turns up here in a supporting role too.


In all four cases, the events are from rough and very unstable periods with huge upheavals to match, but the Shaws and Cheh were able to do this four times with popular and sometimes impressive results. They are not documentaries, but big screen dramas with action and some entertainment, flaws and all. Eureka was smart to issue them as a set and now, everyone can see the good things they have been missing for a long time, getting the respect they deserve. That should make serious film fans happy too.


Extras include two new feature-length audio commentary tracks by East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and martial artist and filmmaker Michael Worth

  • Two new commentaries by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema

  • National Defence: A new interview with Hong Kong cinema scholar Wayne Wong on Boxer Rebellion

  • Rewriting History: A new video essay on Chang Cheh's historical films by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China

  • Limited edition collector's booklet featuring new writing on all four films in this set by writer and critic James Oliver

  • Limited Edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Gregory Sacre (Gokaiju)

  • and this is a Limited Edition of 2,000 copies.



Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds 4K Limited Edition (2009) is the second 4K release of the critically acclaimed hit film, the first of which we covered at this link:


http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15991/Incredible+Shrinking+Man+(1957/Universal*)/Ingl


That includes a link to the original film he is remaking. Of the many films Tarantino has made over the years, this has become the one more people land up talking to be about than most, which I never expected, but more about its themes than graphic violence. If anything, people who complain about the violence in his films are not really watching the films or films in their entirety and a a whole cinematic experience. The real reason the violence (and action) tend to resonate is because he actually writes screenplays with well-developed, realistic people in through and effective ways, so when the most shocking things happen, it has more impact. We have so many lite and lame films, no wonder people jump the gun on his films.


That this is about Nazis and genocidal killers really hits home when you add that to his approach. Then you have the top-notch directing, great cinematography and great cast and acting. Yes, there can be some dark humor, but you also get some irony, so that's why Inglorious Basterds is suddenly growing in popularity in unexpected ways and with the film looking so amazing and 4K Ultra HDTVs getting better all the time, you can see why it is getting a second 4K edition. For good measure, it is also getting some expanded extras.


Extras (per the press release) on this 2 DISC 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS include...

  • Limited Edition "Operation Kino" packaging with new art by Dare Creative

  • 60-page "Films & Filmmakers" collector's book with writing by film critics Dennis Cozzalio and Bill Ryan

  • Double-sided fold-out poster

  • Replica Nation's Pride Premiere program booklet

  • La Louisianne beermat

  • 3 postcard sized double-sided art cards

  • Strudel recipe card

  • Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative

DISC 1 - FEATURE (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)

  • 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in High Dynamic Range

  • Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio

  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

  • Brand new audio commentary by film critic and author Tim Lucas

DISC 2 - EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)

  • What Would Sally Do?, a new interview with editor Fred Raskin

  • Blood Fiction, a new interview with special make-up effects supervisor Greg Nicotero

  • Doomstruck, a new interview with actor Omar Doom

  • Making it Right, a new visual essay by film critic Walter Chaw, author of A Walter Hill Film

  • Film History on Fire, a new visual essay by film scholar Pamela Hutchinson, author of BFI Film Classics: Pandora's Box

  • Filmmaking in Occupied France, a new interview with film scholar Christine Leteux, author of Continental Films: French Cinema Under German Control

  • Extended and alternate scenes

  • Nation's Pride

  • The Making of Nation's Pride, an archival featurette

  • Roundtable Discussion, an archival interview with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvis Mitchell

  • The Original Inglorious Bastards, archival featurette

  • A Conversation with Rod Taylor, archival featurette

  • Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter, archival featurette

  • Quentin Tarantino's Camera Angel, archival featurette

  • Hi Sallys, archival featurette

  • Film Poster Gallery Tour with Elvis Mitchell, archival featurette

  • and Trailers.



Now for playback performance. The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on A Bridge Too Far 4K is the best this film has looked since film prints were originally issued with fine color, naturalistic looks and very consistent. As I said in my previous review of the older Blu-ray...


''...the approach is supposed to be 'nostalgic' come to life and though it was shot in real anamorphic Panavision by the amazing Geoffrey Unsworth, B.S.C., and the film was originally offered as a 70mm blow-up at the time, this transfer just does not totally cut it. Color systems were plain by now, but Unsworth (Kubrick's 2001, Cabaret, Zardoz) was so talented that he knew how to shoot in any format and get the most out of it.'' Unsworth knew what he was doing and it really shows here in a way I have never seen so clearly before.


The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer is fine for what it is a slightly better than the older Blu-ray we covered years, but neither can match the 4K for warmth and overall performance. The soundtracks on both versions repeat the soundtracks on the older Blu-ray edition, including a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mix that was not very strong, upgraded a bit from the 6-track magnetic stereo the 70mm prints offered at the time, but still on the weak side for dialogue and music, though a little better than the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 4.0 lossless mix (improved from the lossy Dolby Digital 4.0 mix form the older Blu-ray). As I noted before... ''John Addison (Tom Jones, Torn Curtain, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution) turns out one of his better scores too and it could also sound better here, but is not bad.''


The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on the Inglorious Basterds 4K Limited Edition set looks good, looks more color correct and has some shots that are above my letter grade, making it the visual winner on this list with shots that much more match the definition of the film print I saw upon its first release this time versus the older 4K disc. The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer is fine for what it is, but no match for the slightly better 4K disc here. The soundtracks on both disc versions repeat what was on the older 4K and Blu-ray editions, a solid DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mix that was a little punchier on the 4K then and is fine now.


The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfers on all the Horrible History films show the age of the materials used, but they were also all shot in Shawscope and the quality of the lenses also age the films a bit. All in decent color, Boxer Rebellion looks a little better, cleaner and warmer. All also have lossless Mandarin PCM 2.0 Mono that are also limited and in most cases, a little more boxy and rough at times, but Boxer Rebellion sounds the best. This is likely as good as they will ever sound, though maybe some would look seen better in 4K. Hard to tell, but I liked many of the shots on all four releases.



To order the A Bridge Too Far Import 4K Blu-ray set, go to this link for it and many more great web-exclusive releases at:


https://viavision.com.au/shop/a-bridge-too-far-1977-imprint-collection-367/



- Nicholas Sheffo


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