Double Impact 4K (1991/4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray*)/Force: Five (1981/Blu-ray*)/London Calling (2025/Quiver DVD)/Manpower (1941**)/Narrow Margin (1952/RKO**)/Sinbad & The Eye Of The Tiger (1977/Sony/Columbia/Via Vision/Imprint Blu-ray w/lenticular cover)/Suspect (1987/Sony/Tri-Star/Alliance Blu-ray)/The Verdict (1946/**all Warner Archive Blu-ray)/Westworld 4K (1973/MGM/Warner/Arrow 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/*all MVD)

4K Ultra HD Picture: B/B+ Picture: B-/B-/C/B/B/B/B/X Sound: B-/C/C/C+/B-/C+/B-/B Extras: C/C/C-/C/C+/D/C+/B+ Films: C/C-/D/C+/B+/B/C+/B

PLEASE NOTE: The Sinbad Limited Edition Import Blu-ray is now only available from our friends at Via Vision/Imprint Entertainment in Australia and can play on all Blu-ray players, while Manpower, Narrow Margin (1952) and The Verdict (1946) are now only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series. All can be ordered from the links below.

Next up are a group of thrillers from classics to big misses and somewhere in between...

Sheldon Lettich's Double Impact 4K (1991) has MVD upgrading the Jean-Claude Van Damme film to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray where he plays twins and the film remains one of his more popular, if not a great film. We previously covered the MVD Blu-ray/DVD set at this link:

https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15523/Dark+Side+Of+The+Moon+(1990/Unearthed+Films+Bl

Liking the film even less than my counterpart, anywhere an actor plays twins usually does not work for me 99% of the time (including the resent hit Sinners) so that's a strike against it, but this 'twins' getting belayed revenge for the murder of their parents is a bit much and just not that memorable. Van Damme has some moves and can fight, but there is nothing here to distinguish him from his similar work in other such films, making this for fans only at best.

Extras repeat the original set and a poster is included.

Robert Clouse's Force: Five (1981) is part of a cycle of very frustrating martial arts films where the makers think by casting people who are good at martial arts, bring them together for a feature film, then give them a script with nearly zero ideas. This not only befell these films by the early 1980s, it also happened to happen the the musical, including the horrid 'remake' of Fame among others, so such films are a bad red alert for a genre. In this case, Clouse had genre credibility with films like Enter The Dragon, Black Belt Jones, Game Of Death, The Ultimate Warrior and even Amsterdam Kill.

The names that they hoped could be stars just by showing up and showing their stuff include Joe Lewis, Richard Norton, Benny Urquidez, Amanda Wyss, and Bob Schott. All actually very likable, the film just cannot make them very memorable, making this yet another curio just to see the martial artists in action. The thin plot has to do with some evil cult, but even they are boring, so this is a curio for the very curious only.

Extras include a poster, while the disc adds an Original Theatrical Trailer.

Allan Ungar's London Calling (2025) has so many misfires in it, I lost count, made more annoying by the fact had the makers simply reworked the script, this could have actually been good. Josh Dumahel plays a hitman who does not know the difference between various animals, so he assassinates the wrong target, sending him (and us) on a trip that includes his boss's son (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and more cliches than AI could keep track of.

Apparently, the makers thought by changing every predictable item in the plot, that made it somehow original or even innovative, but all it does is make it predictable in a whole new way and they are far from the first persons to try this. Too bad, because there was real potential here, some chemistry with the cast and a few good shots here and there, but most of its 109 minutes are everything we've seen before, no matter the variances.

A Making Of featurette is the only extra, but they did license the classic song by The Clash the film shares its title with and it works out as badly as it did on the James Bond film that did the same. Time to license other Clash songs instead.

Raoul Walsh's Manpower (1941) is an interesting melodrama where two old friends (George Raft and Edward G. Robinson) who work for a power company are up against their latest big crisis when a woman (Marlene Dietrich) step into their lives, leaving them at split as they both fall for her. The result is a tale that vies between the two plots and not always well.

I was not always convinced of the triangle or the visual effects of the power lines, leading to some unintentionally funny moments that should not be here. Having had not seen the film in eons, Director Walsh does is best to juggle it all, but it does not always mesh well. The poor and fake effects have aged even worse since last time, but they were ambitious for their time, I guess.

At least all are giving it their best and supporting turns by Eve Arden, Alan Hale, Ward Bond, Barton MacLane, Joyce Compton, Joseph Crehan, Dorothy Appleby and an uncredited Arthur Q. Bryan. Its just one of those films, if interested, you have to see it to believe it.

Extras include two Warner animated classic shorts Snowtime For Comedy and Joe Glow The Firefly.

Richard Fleischer's The Narrow Margin (1952) is a gritty, train-bound Film Noir with Charles McGraw as a gritty cop protecting a gangster's-moll-and-widow-turned-witness (Marie Windsor) going cross country to testify against her former 'buddies' to the grand jury. They know this and are going after her, on the train, but do not know what she looks like. Will they make it?

From there, we get some interesting mystery, suspense, mood and creepy moments, only made better by the fact that they are all on a train and trapped there. A few parts may not have aged as well as others, but its still a key Noir everyone should see at least once, especially now that it has been as well restored as it is here. The supporting cast is also a plus, including Jacqueline White, David Clarke, Don Beddoe, Paul Maxey, Harry Harvey, Peter Virgo and Queenie Leonard among others.

Director of Photography George E. Diskant, A.S.C., also adds to it all with his amazing cinematography, having also lensed Riffraff, They Live By Night, The Racket, On Dangerous Ground, Kansas City Confidential and Beware, My Lovely. Though he is not remembered or discussed enough, Diskant was one of the visual masters of Noir and this fine restoration further confirms what fans and lovers of Noir already knew.

Extras include a feature length audio commentary track by William Friedkin with audio excerpts by Fleischer, an Original Theatrical Trailer, Warner animated classic short The Super Snooper and live action short So You Never Tell A Lie. For more on the remake, recently issued on Blu-ray and (a non-HDR) 4K disc by Kino, check out our thoughts starting with the first of two DVD imports here:

https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9516/Narrow+Margin+(1990/Madman+DVD+Region+4+PAL+I

From the 1950s through the early 1980s, Ray Harryhausen was a master of special effects, movies, and monster making. His trailblazing work perfecting the art of stop-motion animation broke new ground in movie special effects. He called it ''Dynamation,'' and producer Charles H. Schneer recognized Harryhausen's brilliance, forging a partnership that produced a number of legendary adventure films. Just six years before, this same team combined to bring the amazing Golden Voyage of Sinbad, with the titular character played by John Phillip Law, and the main female lead of Margiana played by the stunning Caroline Munro. In the interim six years Harryhausen further sharpened his craft.

The 1977 released Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger features Patrick Wayne in the role of Sinbad this time, and also stars a young Jane Seymour as the beautiful princess, Farah. The second Doctor Who, Patrick Troughton, plays the sage, Melanthius, and Margaret Whiting shines as the devilish witch, Zenobia. As with all Sinbad tales, this one involves an epic sea journey, and a race against time to save the life of Prince Kassim (the brother of Farah). Transformed into a baboon by Zenobia's dark magic, Prince Kassim cannot inherit the throne unless returned to normal within seven months of his transformation. Failing that, Zenobia's son would be the only rightful male heir to the throne. Motivated by Farah's love and the Prince's plight, Sinbad and crew sail to the far north of the world in a bid to take Kassim to a place of power where the spell can be reversed - Hyperborea!

They are pursued by Zenobia as she uses her dark magic to bedevil them. Amazing animations in this film include skeletal ghouls conjured from a bonfire, a mechanical bronze minotaur, an ogre-like troglodyte, a gigantic walrus, and the titular giant, sabertooth tiger.

Producer Schneer and Director Sam Wanamaker do not just rely on Mr. Harryhausen's effects, but also utilize amazing sets, actual sailing ships, and exotic locations (Spain, Malta, Jordan) that conjure the spirit of magical adventure. Where modern movies rely on green screens and CGI, these films combine these real locations with Harryhausen's Dynamation to create a truly engrossing final product. Combining these sensational visuals with composer Roy Budd's amazing music for the movie only pulls the viewer more deeply into this magical world. Budd's score can be both whimsical (especially in the quieter scenes with a transformed Prince Kassim) and scary (in those moments where Zenobia wields her dark powers).

This Via Vision/Imprint new release features an amazing 3D lenticular image slipcase, a nicely designed plastic snapper case for the disc itself (the previous two films in the trilogy have been issued the same way at the same time,) and an envelope containing six gorgeous lobby cards featuring stills from the film. Extras on the Blu-ray include a featurette on Dynamation, the original theater trailer, and Budd's isolated score track.

Is this the best of Harryhausen's three Sinbad films? Many would say yes, as of the three, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger represents the most mature version of the artist's craft. The partnership with director Wanamaker also works well, as he commands inspired performances from all involved. This version of the film will surely delight new and old fans alike, keeping a genre classic available to home video fans, and serving as a testament to a style of movie making that has largely been lost to time.

For more on these films, try this link:

https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12513/The+Golden+Voyage+Of+Sinbad+(1973)+++Sinbad+a

Peter Yates' Suspect (1987) is one of the decade's most underrated thrillers and underrated films, a legal thriller where as far as I'm concerned, Cher solidified her capacities as a full, well-rounded actress who could of a few rounds with anyone. Here, she's a hard-working attorney about to go on vacation when a shocking murder case turns up, with a homeless man (an early, effective performance by a then-unknown Liam Neeson) accused of killing a legal secretary for spare change. A judge assigns her to the case against her will.

However, she quickly starts to suspect he is not guilty and things get so strange and become so questionable, a hot shot political operative who lands up on the jury (Dennis Quaid on one of his best ever roles and performances) secretly starts breaking he law to get her information that keeps confirming some is very, very wrong here.

Yates is best known for the likes of Bullitt, Robbery and The Hot Rock, but could more than play the long game narratively with the likes of Breaking Away, Eleni and The Dresser. Here, he does both and the results are one of the best films he and all involved ever made. A career high for all involved, this should have been a huge hit, but the highly profitable cycle of courtroom thrillers had not happened yet and that makes the film a hidden gem most people still have not caught up with.

This also has a great supporting cast including Joe Mantegna, John Mahoney, Philip Bosko, E. Katherine Kerr, Paul D'Amato, Bill Cobbs, Richard Gant, Michael Beach. Aaron Schwartz and Fred Melamed. Suspect is the kind of smart, mature, intelligent thriller Hollywood used to make all the time, but now seems incapable of even attempting and streaming has pretty much totally failed to do the same. I highly recommend a film that only seems to get better with age.

There are sadly no extras, but it sure deserves some.

Don Siegel's The Verdict (1946) is a U.K.-set mystery that is slow-moving and has its moments, with Sydney Greenstreet as a detective who lets a killer slip away by a legal issue, but later has a second chance to get him, but will he succeed? Peter Lorre, Joan Loring, George Coulouris, Paul Cavanagh and Rosalind Ryan make up the solid supporting cast in this decent thriller with mixed results.

When it works, it works and when it is off, it disappoints a bit, but at least they tried something different. I like the way it is shot and will stop there (no spoilers here) and let you see for yourself. Glad to see it restored.

Extras include two Warner animated classics (Hair-Raising Hare with a Lorre-like villain) and Birth Of A Notion, plus three episodes of various radio dramas with Lorre (Black Sea Gull (3/7/43) from Inner Sanctum and Till Death Do Us Part (12/15/42) from Suspense and Greenstreet was a huge hit as detective Nero Wolfe on radio and the Stamped For Murder (10/20/50) episode is also featured here.

Last but absolutely not least, Michael Crichton's Westworld 4K (1973) has been very well upgraded from its decent Blu-ray edition we covered a few years ago at this link:

https://fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12069/The+Blob+(1958/Criterion+Blu-ray)/The+Brood+(1979

What became Crichton's basis for Jurassic Park and inspired an underrated theatrical sequel in Futureworld (1976) and the remarkable, recent hit HBO TV series (all reviewed elsewhere on this site)

Extras include a brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Daniel Kremer

• Cowboy Dreams, a newly filmed conversation between actor Richard Benjamin and producer/screenwriter Larry Karaszewski

• At Home on the Range, a brand new video interview with actor James Brolin

• HollyWorld: Producing Westworld, a brand new video interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III

• Sex, Death and Androids, a brand new appreciation of the film by author and film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

• On Location with Westworld, an archival behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film from 1973

• Beyond Westworld, the 48-minute pilot episode of the 1980 follow-up television series (that did not work)

• Theatrical trailer

• Image gallery

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper

• Collectors' perfect bound booklet featuring new writing on the film by David Michael Brown, Priscilla Page, Paul Anthony Nelson, and Abbey Bender

• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper

• and six postcard-sized artcards.

Now for playback performance. The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 1.85 X 1, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Double Impact 4K is a little lacking in fine detail for some reason and it is not just the way it was shot, which also can be said of the regular 1080p Blu-ray version. The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 and PCM 2.0 Stereo lossless mixes both have their good and bad points, but both show the sonic limits of the production, so try out both and only expect so much.

The 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.35 X 1, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on Westworld 4K can be amazing, with some shots still showing their age or just being limited in slightly more grain and the way they happened to be shot, but much more often, the shows are often shockingly vivid, warm, real and other great results from the new 4K/16bit scan of the 35mm original camera negative as handled by Metrocolor labs at the time.

In most cases, this is the best I have seen the film since the last time I saw it on actual photochemical film, while the 'robot vision' shots from the climax from Brynner's Gunslinger are more convincing and even the oldest computers look like they just came from the factory. Though this did not have a huge budget, the money and hundreds of props, costumes and sets from the MGM studio itself look really good. Now more than a match for the terrific 4K versions of the recent HBO TV series, viewers will really be able to get into this and I really, really enjoyed the results.

We can revisit two small instances of differences between the old DVD and Blu-ray editions versus this new 4K release, as discussed in the Blu-ray review. When Brolin and Benjamin get their rides down the hall to Westworld arriving at the facility, the halls have three different sets of colored lights on the wall to show where the vehicles will drive them, to what world. They look like lights on the DVD, but someone doing the transfer has tried to make them solid colors only on the Blu-ray, but the 4K shows them as solid colors where you can see light inside them at times, yet not always. Of course, all three hallways are bathed in white light, but the solid color pieces do have lights in them and we should be able to tell that in all three hallways.

Also when the sex(y) blonde female robot about to join Benjamin in bed takes off her clothes, she is wearing lingerie that is sexy, but with an odd difference in color. The DVD has the white article outlined in power blue color while the Blu-ray has a subtle silver color. The 4K shows it as a sort of cream beige with blue and a slight silver outline, which plays as the most naturalistic and accurate of the three. Both show how the older, more limited formats offer compromises, even the most subtle that get in the way of fuller accuracy of the film's visuals.

The sound is here in four versions (!!!!) including a fine DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1, DTS-MA 4.0 mix (likely from an original magnetic soundmaster), 2.0 Stereo and 1.0 Mono lossless mixes that are all interesting, but the 4.0 and 5.1 are great and will even surprise you.

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on Force: Five is softer throughout more than it should be, with good but not always great color and the PCM 2.0 Mono is far more compressed than expected, so be careful of high playback volumes and volume switching.

The 1080p 1.33 X 1 black & white digital High Definition image transfers on Manpower, Narrow Margin (1952) and The Verdict (1946) can sometimes show the age of the materials used, but this is far superior a transfer to all previous releases of the film on home video and more than worthy of high quality film prints of the releases, while the original theatrical monophonic sound on all three films have been restored and remastered here in DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Mono lossless mixes. Manpower shows its age more than expected, but the other two sound as good as they ever will, though I wished a few parts of Narrow Margin were just a little clearer to have a little more impact. Otherwise, more great work from Warner Archive.

The 1080p resolution and 1.66:1 aspect ratio on Sinbad provide excellent visual reproduction, and the lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 mix also supplies excellent sound, looking very much like the excellent HD master from the out of print Twilight Time Blu-ray and that's a good thing.

The 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Suspect can show the age of the materials used, while the DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 2.0 Stereo lossless is a little lacking, reenforcing the impression that this is a slightly older HD master. With that said, it is still very watchable like the movie itself and the sound was old Dolby analog A-type noise reduction, so use Dolby Pro Logic when viewing for best impact. Michael Kamen does some of his best movie music work here ever and Director of Photography Billy Williams, A.S.C., further ratchets up the tension, a solid cinematographer whose other films include Billion Dollar Brain, Women In Love, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pope Joan, Gandhi, The Rainbow, Eleni and X, Y and Zee.

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image on Calling is softer than it should be, leaving detail and text very hard to see more often than expected. Certain to look better in HD, its just a bit off as are the lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo mixes where the 2.0 has some quality the 5.1 is missing and vice versa. Oh well.

To order the Sinbad limited edition Blu-ray, buy it (and the other volumes in the Sinbad series for that matter) while supplies last at this link:

https://viavision.com.au/shop/sinbad-and-the-eye-of-the-tiger-1977-blu-ray-limited-edition-3d-lenticular-hardcase-art-cards/

...and to order the Manpower, Narrow Margin (1952) and/or The Verdict (1946) Warner Archive Blu-rays, go to this link for them and many more great web-exclusive releases at:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/ED270804-095F-449B-9B69-6CEE46A0B2BF?ingress=0&visitId=6171710b-08c8-4829-803d-d8b922581c55&tag=blurayforum-20

- Nicholas Sheffo and Scott Pyle (Sinbad)