The Big Boss: Limited Edition | 4K UHD & Blu-ray (Arrow Films)
On November 13, 2023, Arrow Video will be releasing The Big Boss on both 4K UHD & Blu-ray (Region B) format (formats sold separately). Note: This title was previously released on Arrow’s Bruce Lee At Golden Harvest Collection.
Official details:
An instant box office sensation upon its original release in Hong Kong in 1971, The Big Boss is the film that catapulted former child actor and Hollywood TV sidekick Bruce Lee to cinematic superstardom.
Cheng Chao-on (Lee) moves to Thailand to work at a factory alongside his uncle and cousins. However, a ruthless crime boss (Han Ying-chieh, Come Drink with Me) and his gang are using the factory to smuggle dope, and whoever stumbles upon this unfortunate secret promptly meets a grisly end. When some of Cheng’s friends and cousins disappear, he is forced to set aside the vow of pacifism he made to his mother and unleash his fists of fury in order to bring those responsible to bloody justice…
Directed by Lo Wei, The Big Boss forever changed the landscape of Hong Kong action cinema, signalling kung fu’s dominance over the genre for years to come. Lee’s big breakthrough now looks more glorious than ever in a 4K restoration with hours of insightful bonus features, including the restored 110 Mandarin Cut of the film that first stunned audiences in Hong Kong back in 1971.
LIMITED EDITION 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY CONTENTS
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Walter Chaw
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
DISC 1: THE BIG BOSS
- 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the 99-minute 1983 version of The Big Boss, restored by Arrow Films from the original negative
- Original restored Mandarin, English and Cantonese mono audio
- Two English mono options, the standard mix and a Japanese mix with alternate score
- English subtitles, plus optional subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing for the English dubs
- Two feature commentaries, one by David Desser and one by Brandon Bentley
- Two alternate versions with lossless mono audio: the English Export Cut, featuring a rare alternate English dub track (some scenes in Mandarin); and the 100-min US Theatrical Cut
- Return to Thailand, a documentary produced and presented by Matt Routledge exploring the original filming locations
- Recently uncovered deleted and extended scenes, with optional commentary by Bentley
- The Not-Quite-Biggest Boss, a video essay by Bentley investigating the scenes still lost, such as the ‘saw-in-the-head’ scene
- Archive interviews with co-star Lau Wing and stuntman Tung Wai
- Bruce Lee Vs. Peter Thomas, a short video essay about the music for the English version
- Alternate credits sequences
- Trailer gallery, including a ‘Before The Big Boss’ reel and the trailer for lost sequel The Big Boss Part II
- Image gallery
DISC 2: THE BIG BOSS – THE MANDARIN CUT
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the 110-min Mandarin Cut of The Big Boss, restored by Arrow Films
- Original lossless mono audio
- English subtitles for the Mandarin Cut
- Axis of English, a video essay by Will Offutt profiling the English dubbing actors for The Big Boss, Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon
- Unrestored raw scan of the Mandarin Cut (1080p only)
This title will soon be available at The Goodie Emporium, a U.S.-based online store that currently has many Import Shaw Brothers/Golden Harvest/martial arts DVD/Blu-ray movies in-stock – with New titles being added regularly!
