2024 HAUL - APRIL CHAPTER: BATCH #4
I received a number of packages since the last batch and here they are.
From last Tuesday I received the third MVM Entertainment collector's edition release from their Gonzo Blu-ray upgrades and that was Trinity Blood, the vampire series that Funimation also released back in the day. This collector's edition is actually pretty good in value because it included a booklet which I believe was once provided in the old Funimation releases prior to the Anime Classics line-up. This is an upscale done by Funimation so expect that type of quality when you go into it.
You can view more photos and specs on my blog.
Next we have our latest 88 Films releases which were all scheduled for this month and because of how one of their newer releases sold out on its first print I decided to pre-order all three of these via their online store. These arrived on Thursday. Starting off with the Taiwanese film from Li Han-Hsiang released in 1965 called
The Beauty of Beauties (西施). From what I have read, this was originally a four hour epic split into a two-part film but here we have a shortened version at 2 hours 35 mins.
Next we have
The Inspector Wears Skirts 3: Raid on Royal Casino Marine (霸王花之皇家賭船) and
The Inspector Wears Skirts 4 (92霸王花與霸王花), both directed by Wellson Chin and released in 1990 & 1992 respectively. These two films complete the main series and while many have asked for a box set approach, 88 Films did mention that licensing restrictions prevented that from happening hence the four individual sets.
On Friday I received
Fate/Samurai Remnant which is the latest Fate video game in the franchise and this time worked on by Koei Tecmo and Omega Force. I recall this is a musou game (which the franchise is no stranger to) but has been well received by fans and such, so I wanted to own it when I could. The game had been fairly expensive for a while until recently when there was a price drop on Amazon that was at a range I was fine to order.
Also arriving on Friday are two more Anime Limited releases which actually arrived as stated, though the former was delayed without telling anyone and secretly updated to this past week.
First up is
Gundam Build Fighters Try Part 1, which you may have noticed is still sealed as I plan to wait until Part 2 has arrived next month before opening it up together. I expect it to be using the VDMS discs like the first season did. Still pretty stupid to split the series into two parts and then release a complete series collection not long after though - it invalidates the whole split the series up when it could have easily been released as a complete set without issue.
Next we have
Rent-A-Girlfriend Season 1 which is the start of the harem cringe journey. I have watched the first season and its a challenging series to watch due to Kazuya. I do love the premise and the female cast but it's just a shame the show goes the way it does. I liked it enough to own it on Blu-ray though. This collector's release is a mixed bag, because I do love the key art on the rigid box but there should have been more effort to the rest. The booklet is the same as Sentai's which is fine and the art cards are good quality, but I feel like there's something missing to make it more appealing.
You can view more photos and specs on my blog.
And arriving yesterday is another batch of Radiance Films releases. Here we have three more Italian films for the collection which were released in January, February and March's line-up.
First we have
Goodbye & Amen (L'uomo della CIA), the 1978 film by Damiano Damiani whom Radiance Films have also released a few of his works via the Cosa Nostra box set that came out last year. I've not watched those films yet but this one is interesting for various reasons. The first being the premise and the second are some of the actors involved. The film stars Tony Musante (featured in Dario Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, released in the UK by Arrow Video) and Claudia Cardinale (featured in The Pink Panther and also The Facts of Murder included in Radiance's World Noir Vol. 1 box set).
Next we have
Allonsanfàn, a 1974 film by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani. This is a historical piece film set during the 1800s which I found interesting given we generally see Italian films in a more modern setting for action or horror. The film stars Marcello Mastroianni (featured in La Dolce Vita which was released in the UK by Criterion) in the leading role. I also want to make note that this is also a Single Pressing Only release which means once all 3000 units have sold out, this will no longer be available in print.
And most recently is
Tony Arzenta, also known elsewhere as either
Big Guns or
No Way Out, a 1973 film by Duccio Tessari. The premise reading it upfront literally sounds like many action films that came after with a retired assassin getting dragged back into the role by various factors. The film stars Alain Delon (featured in Le Samouraï and Le Cercle Rouge, both released in the UK by Criterion and Studio Canal respectively). This release by Radiance Films is also selling at a faster rate than expected with only 25% stock remaining for its limited edition release.
