Police Story (1985) and Police Story 2 (1988), two of Jackie Chan's finest films, will be available from The Criterion Collection on April 30th, 2019, on Blu-ray (two discs) and DVD (3 discs).
Here's what Criterion has to say about this upcoming release:
The jaw-dropping set pieces fly fast and furious in these breathtakingly inventive action comedies, two smash hits that made Jackie Chan a worldwide icon of daredevil spectacle. The director/star/one-man stunt machine plays Ka-Kui, a Hong Kong police inspector whose methods are, ahem, unorthodox; the phenomenal Maggie Cheung, in a star-making role, plays his much-put-upon girlfriend, May. (Police Story, it's worth mentioning, also features the fabulous Brigitte Lin.) Packed wall-to-wall with astoundingly acrobatic fight choreography, epic explosions, charmingly goofball slapstick, and awesomely 1980s electro soundtracks, Police Story and Police Story 2 set a new standard for rock-’em-sock-’em mayhem that established Chan as a performer of unparalleled grace and daring and would influence a generation of filmmakers, from Hong Kong to Hollywood.
Special Edition Features include:
- New 4K digital restorations of Police Story and Police Story 2
- Alternate 5.1 surround and English-dubbed soundtracks for both films
- 35 mm subtitled theatrical print of the condensed Hong Kong version of Police Story 2, presented in 2K for the first time
- New programs on Chan’s screen persona and action-filmmaking techniques featuring author and New York Asian Film Festival cofounder Grady Hendrix
- Archival interviews with Chan and actor and stuntman Benny Lai
- Television program from 1964 detailing the rigors of Peking-opera training, akin to the education that Chan received as a child
- Chan stunt reel
- Trailers
- New English subtitle translations
- An essay by critic Nick Pinkerton
For years I've owned DVDs of each of these fantastic films in both their import and their Dragon Dynasty versions. Still, I can't wait to get my hands on the Criterion releases. Will certainly be reviewing them as soon as possible.
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