BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA

Just remember what ol' Jerod Lytton says in a review like this..."Professional" Critics are close minded lemmings that have been looking for depth and understanding of John Carpenters' works since he started making films... and music... and all the other things this visionary inventor of the Carpenterian Experience (that is what I call all of his stuff as a collective, and also what I plan to pitch as a ride in my theme park I am creating for them. Just kidding, it is gonna be my band name.) Anyways, this film is often discarded as "Classic 80's Fare" and looked over as a campy mish mosh of cliché action comedy with little in depth review of the pungent one-liners and fantastic character nuances. Also, this is one of the first movies of the era to break ground on a concept little seen since, that the main character is in fact, NOT the hero of the story. More on that in the Kurt Russell section.One thing to note that gets little credit in this film is the both the genre and the screenplay. Ok, that's two things, but under one point. It has got to be hard to create a movie that is a compilation of Sci-Fi, Horror, Action, Comedy, Kung Fu, Anime-Style Wire-Fu Fighting scenes, Supernatural Thriller, Magic, Romance, and Fantasy while still fitting in character profiles that stand out to be made or broke by the actors that portray them. Gary Goldman and David Weinstein's script deserves mention on its own merit to hold up to everything going on, while Carpenter takes the actors on a journey, that in my mind, had to nail exactly what they aimed to see on screen in their writing, which is what makes this film work. This film has more one liners in it than Boondock Saints (another personal favorite), and after 25+ years, I am STILL quoting on a regular basis, if you have seen it, bets are you are too. Please check IMDB here [...] for a fine collection of them.The movie presents itself, from the title (c'mon Big Trouble in Little China?!) to the credits, as a good hearted adventure, that asks you at the door to please understand you are about to enter a John Carpenter movie, please ensure your belongings are secured, and enjoy. The main score that keyboardingly bounces across your earlobes is provided by none other than Carpenter himself and his band. It is not only fitting, but catchy and charismatic to the point where whenever faced with something odd or observe a car wreck in my daily travels, I often find myself singing, "Biiiiiiig Trouble, IN LITTLE CHIIINA!!" (insert shrieky man voice on the end there.) much to the chagrin of my wife.The sets, wardrobe, and lighting are also top notch. From the "Just dug this out of the laundry" look of Jack, to the ceremonial dresses, ancient Chinese martial arts attire, and 80's grungy street gangs all show the pinnacle of details for their respected space. Locales that involve the fights and magic are always clouded with fog and darkness, which is a tactic broadly used by Carpenter for two reasons. One, he was always used to having little budget. The use of this method is a cheap and effective way to block out anything around the shooting location. Second, it focuses the viewer to what is happening on screen, and not what is going on around it or in the background. This method is fitting for the film, and not overused to be gimmicky, all while making your eyes stick where he wants them.When tackling this viewing experience, please make note of the small things, as I feel they are what really makes this film stand out. It shows the love everyone had when making this come to life, and really makes you notice what a movie looks like when it is not a money grabbing and unoriginal "blockbuster" that fills talent with CGI and asks you just look at the pretty lights. Some examples I enjoy are: Jack Burtons truck is called the Pork Chop Express, complete with hilarious Pig logo. Lo Pan and Egg Shen's battle, please notice the "thumb wiggles", Wang's "eyebrows" while fighting, Kurt Russell's attire when infiltrating the Exchange building is that of his little known gem called Used Cars, When Jack pulls his knife out in the truck (like it's going to help), the 6-Demon bag, the rotary phone they carry into the exchange, the cardboard cut outs of Jack and Wang that stand in for them when the Lords of Death are about to run them down in the parking garage, the Needle of Love, Jack shooting his hands out to slow himself down while zooming backwards in the wheelchair. The little actions and quirks the people put into the roles, environments, and situations are something that is sorely needed in many of todays films.Kurt Russell nails his performance as everyday hero-in-his-own-mind, living in the moment (and seat of his pants), swaggered, big haired, ego rich, guy you want to have a drink with but not stay too long, Jack Burton. In this role as the protagonist of the story, is by far not the hero. While if you listened to Jack Burton tell it, he would have done this all one handed, on a beer buzz, went home with twins, and a million bucks cash. Anything Jack does, he seems to somehow bumble. He mostly hinders his friend in his pursuit to recover his fiancée, and more or less wanders through the entire adventure not understanding what is going on, just rolling with it, and hoping along the way to do nothing but get his truck back and help his buddy. He is so out of his scope of reality with the Chinese Black Magic, mysticism, and hardly "Burger and Fries" situation, he is clearly baffled to the point that you can tell he just decides to take it all on a whim and deal with whatever happens on a case to case basis. He applies "Jack Logic" to every obstacle, rarely checking for danger or consequence, and just swings for the bleachers. Overall, he succeeds strictly on the capabilities and understanding of his friend Wang (Dennis Dunn), the actual Hero of our tale.Dennis Dunn was and still is a rather Hollywood Unknown. In his role as Wang, he offers a quirky but level headed hero that steers the adventure, and Jack, to his ultimate goal of getting his Green-Eyed Girl of his dreams back from the clutches of the evil Lo Pan. He is ready for action when needed, purposeful in his goal, and helps translate to Jack what is happening, pretty much babystepping him through Chinese history and culture, while jump kicking bad guys in the face. The dynamic and good natured screen presence he has reminded me a lot of an Asian Michael J. Fox. He is loveable and trusting, and you root for him throughout the tale to save them all, and pick Jack up off the floor on the way by.Supporting roles are also cast perfectly, from the wise old sorcerer/bus driver Egg Shen, the Evil basket case on wheels Lo Pan, to Gracie Law even with the problems with her face. Kim, Victor, and James all deliver performances that bring it into a group/team movie, with each providing enough to the roles to make them indispensable to the tale. They become reasons for action, love interests, and solid foundations for the main characters to be held up on.The plot is a fitting scenario for the goal of the film. It neither amazes or surprises, and overall kind of flat out tells you, "we are going here, and yeah you are going to see this." It takes you on a videogamesque (yeah made that up) stage system where when one thing is done, it adds a new stage with more danger, higher odds, and a bigger boss, leading to a crescendo epic battle of all parties involved hammering it out while the protagonists tackle the Final Boss.All in all, this is a great, well written, brilliantly performed movie, that stands as a pinnacle of 80's era cliché and a fantastic entry into the master works of John Carpenter. So remember, the next time" some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail." Now if you do not have a copy of this film in the mail to you now, may you visit the Hell of the Horny Dragon.Boring Technical Data First for those that don't want to scroll all the way down the products page. (I know I hate scrolling too.)Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, James Hong, Dennis Dunn, Victor WongFormat: AC-3, Blu-ray, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled,WidescreenLanguage: English (Stereo), French (Mono), Spanish (Mono)Subtitles: English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, ThaiDubbed: French, SpanishRegion: Region A/1 ( about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1Number of discs: 1Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)Studio: 20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentDVD Release Date: August 4, 2009Run Time: 100 minutes (Or 1HR and 40MINS for those that hate Math. I feel you.)Blu Ray BonusesCommentary by Director John Carpenter and Actor Kurt Russell9 Deleted ScenesExtended EndingVintage FeaturetteMusic VideoRichard Edlund interviewTrailer A & B6 TV SpotsBehind the Scenes GalleryBD +BD Live Ready Bootstrap Read more

...People back in 1986 did not understand Big Trouble In Little China. It's the kind of film you either "get" or you "don't get"...They were ahead of their time. Big Trouble In Little China is no different. Basically a Hong Kong action picture with stabs at humor, magic, mysticism and a touch of romance, "Big Trouble" clashed with the heroic heroes of the time... and instead gave us a lead character who's big on talk but usually not good at much else. Kurt Russell's Jack Burton is the type of character with an over-evolved sense of ego that never seems to match his less than perfect grasp of how to deal with real situations. The other difference here is that Jack is not the real hero, it's really Wang Chi(Dennis Dun), who shows us all the great Kung Fu moves and sword fighting styles... Jack Burton is more of the sidekick who thinks he's the head honcho but never seems to do anything right and when he does do something right it's usually because of blind luck. But that's the kind of character Carpenter wanted and he knew Russell would be the best person for the job because he's not afraid to let his hair down and look foolish. Looking tough with smeared lipstick on his face, rolling backwards in a wheelchair screaming or shooting his gun straight up causing small rocks to fall down, knocking him unconscious. No ego is involved with Kurt Russell...The DVD transfer looks wonderful (widescreen 2.35:1) and even comes with DTS sound which you've got to listen to to believe. As for the special features, the biggest gem on this 2DVD Set is the Audio Commentary by John Carpenter & Kurt Russell. These two have done commentaries before and hinted at doing one for "Big Trouble" during the commentary they did for The Thing (1982). I love listening to these guys! It's just so much fun, it's like being in the room with them and you're just being quiet and listening. Their comments tend to take off from "Big Trouble" and aim more towards where their careers have been, where they're going and how their children are doing in regards to sports and music. Carpenter laments that his son, Cody, can play the keyboard better than he can now and Russell talks about his son, Wyatt winning a hockey championship and how he'd rather see a twenty-something do action films instead of people like himself who are in their fifties (this is him saying this, not me). There's a lot of respect between the two and some hinting that they might work together again soon...I wrote a review about Escape From New York and how I felt it was Carpenter's and Russell's best collaboration out of the five films they've done together. Well on this commentary, Kurt Russell said that working on Escape From New York was the best experience of his career. It would seem we're in agreement. There's also talk about how the styles of directing has changed over the years and how it seems to be going downhill. You need a director who believes in his vision and sticks by it, otherwise you're in for trouble, Big Trouble. Sadly, no mention whether or not they'll do commentaries for Elvis and Escape From L.A.(the only films they haven't made commentaries for), but I'm sure they'd jump at the chance. These guys are such good friends, you can feel it...Carpenter even said he thought "Captain Ron" was Kurt's best performance! I wish the film was twice as long just so I could hear more from them!The rest of the features are basic: trailers, TV spots, featurette, music video by the Coup De Villes(love Carpenter's low voice!), interviews, still gallery, magazine articles, production notes, cast & director film lists and some interesting deleted scenes, including an extended version of Jack in the Chinese bordello with an added line about the green-eyed girl that's hysterical...The actual ending, however, is still the same. There are even some trailers to Aliens & The Fly hidden on page 2 of the special features section (just click to the left once you're positioned on the Richard Edlund Interview and press "Enter").This Special Edition rocks and is second only to the collector's edition DVD of The Thing by Universal Pictures. That DVD included a retrospective documentary with most of the original cast & crew returning for a look back. Ennio Morricone's Score is given it's own isolated track during this documentary as well, so those are the main reasons why The Thing is still the best John Carpenter Special Edition DVD out there, but Big Trouble In Little China is very impressive as well. Some of you may be wondering why they couldn't fit all the special features on Disc 1? Well, normally you could, but DTS Sound takes up a lot of room and this is why they had to split it all into a two disc set. So add this Carpenter masterpiece to your collection. It is truly one of his all time bests!ADDITIONAL BLU-RAY INFO:I recently bought this film again on Blu-Ray and just had to comment on how nice an upgrade it is. First, I was really impressed with the new transfer. There's so much more detail now in the picture quality, which, while still not perfect, is a vast improvement over the DVD. Second, all of the special features from the out of print 2 disc Special Edition DVD set are all included on the Blu-Ray, along with a wonderful new feature: an Isolated Score audio track for the complete film in 5.1 DTS. This was the first thing I checked out when first popping in the Blu-Ray and I was just blown away by it. It's exactly like having the  Original Motion Picture Soundtrack  in your possession, with every complete music cue and sequence included and intact (no edits or cuts at all). There are a couple of dead-air spots, where no music was used, but they are brief and don't detract very much at all from the overall listening experience. So if you're thinking about upgrading this fantastic movie to Blu-Ray, my advice is "Go for it." The price for the Blu-Ray is usually very cheap too. Plus, again, if you don't already have the 2 disc special edition DVD, you'll get all of the special features from it on the Blu-Ray, with the added Isolated Score option as well. Check it out!Big Trouble In Little China - A Cult Classic!"It's all in the reflexes" - Kurt Russell as Jack BurtonOther recommended Kurt Russell/John Carpenter collaborations: "Elvis: The Movie" DVD  (1979) "Escape From New York" DVD  & Blu-Ray  (1981) "The Thing" DVD  & Blu-Ray  (1982) "Escape From L.A." DVD  & Blu-Ray  (1996)

I bought this to replace my old VHS version. I've always liked this movie. I definitely recommend it.

This is a wonderful bit of fantasy nonsense from John carpenter. It's so over the top and yet makes such a fun and entertaining film you can watch over and over. It's well filmed and sharp visually with a bizzare style all is own. Kurt Russell and co stars all come through as if they had a blast making it.If tongue in cheek action fantasy is your kind of film you'll love it. I can highly recommend.

I love Carpenter. I love his music. I love his films. At least one is in my top 20 ever but it's not this one....despite how much I love Big Trouble In Little China, it's not quite up there with The Thing or They Live for me.But what Big Trouble is makes for great fun with its cheeky Kung Fu, mini fantasy adventure, fun poking cool vibes.I grew up with this film and needed to remind myself of its touching goofyness. It has not aged well but it has a level of charm many a modern film cannot get close to. Which is a shame.

This is not a region free disc as specified. Didn’t play on my Sony blu Ray DVD player but played on my PS4 which is the only reason I’ve kept it. Be warned if you have an expensive DVD player that is coded it won’t play. I’ve found the cheaper brands like LG and Alba are normally not coded and play anything even copies. Word to the wise paying top price just for the name of a brand doesn’t always mean you have the best. As a collector most discs today are region free but check the older titles can catch you out as they have me in the past other then that little moan it’s a classic film which I already own the special edition on dvd. I wanted the blu Ray version as it is at the top of john carpenters best movies along with escape from New York, the thing and of course Halloween. The master of low budget movies that developed a cult following he is always entertaining watch over and over again.

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA [1986] [Limited Edition SteelBook] [Blu-ray] Jack Burton's In For Some Serious Trouble! Some People Pick The Damnedest Places To Start A Fight!Following the `Escape from New York' and `The Thing,' John Carpenter and Kurt Russell re-unite for this mystical, action, adventure, comedy, kung-fu, monster and a spooky ghost story!Kurt Russell plays Jack Burton, a reasonable guy who is about to experience some unreasonable things in San Francisco s Chinatown. As his friend s fiancée is kidnapped Jack becomes embroiled in a centuries-old battle between good and evil. At the root of it all is Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician who rules an empire of evil spirits. Jack goes to the rescue dodging demons, goblins and the unstoppable Three Storms as he battles through Lo Pan's dark domain.One of Carpenters most enjoyable and best loved films, `Big Trouble in Little China' brilliantly juggles delirious set-pieces, comedy and kung-fu action with a razor sharp script of corking one-liners, as Jack would say "It's all in the reflexes". The super-deluxe package, which is available both as a standard Blu-ray and as a Limited Edition SteelBook Blu-ray, is full of special features and bonus materials.Cast: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, Donald Li, Carter Wong, Peter Kwong, James Pax, Suzee Pai, Chao-Li Chi, Jeff Imada, Rummel Mor, Craig Ng, June Kyoto Lu, Noel Toy, Jade Go, Jerry Hardin, Jimmy Jue, Noble Craig, Danny Kwan, Min Luong, Paul J.Q. Lee, Al Leong, Gerald Okamura, William S. Wong, Eric Lee, Yukio G. Collins, Bill M. Ryusaki, Brian Imada, Nathan Jung, Dan Inosanto, Vernon Rieta, Daniel Wong, Daniel Lee, Lia Chang, Diana Tanaka, Donna L. Noguschi, Shinko Isobe, John Carpenter (uncredited), Dawna Lee Heising (uncredited), Leo Lee (uncredited), Bill Saito (uncredited) and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (uncredited)Director: John CarpenterProducers: James Lew, Jim Lau, Keith Barish, Larry J. Franco and Paul MonashScreenplay: John Carpenter, David Z. Weinstein, Gary Goldman and W.D. Richter (adaptation)Composers: Alan Howarth and John CarpenterCinematography: Dean CundeyVideo Resolution: 1080pAspect Ratio: 2.35:1Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Isolated 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Isolated Score Soundtrack and English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo [uncompressed]Subtitles: English SDHRunning Time: 100 minutesRegion: Region B/2Number of discs: 1Studio: Arrow Academy / 20th Century FoxAndrew's Blu-ray Review: `Big Trouble in Little China' is one of those movies that pretty much everyone has heard of, but many may not have seen before. Well, thanks to UK indie label Arrow Academy, you can take a fresh look at this 1980s cult classic, from director John Carpenter.The film hits the ground running, as we are introduced to Jack Burton [Kurt Russell], a truck driver helping out his friend Wang Chi pick up his fiancé from San Francisco airport. When the fiancé is kidnapped, the pair gives chase, ending up in Chinatown, and stuck in the middle a backstreet gang brawl. It turns out that the fiancé, with her striking green eyes, is needed by the immortal sorcerer Lo Pan, in an attempt to return to physical form. Burton and Chi naturally set off to save the day.What follows is a real mish-mash of genres, as the film flits between comedy, action, horror and martial arts. John Carpenter certainly deserves credit for being ahead of the pack in bringing the wilder kung-fu action of the Asian cinema to western audiences, even if the box office results suggested they weren't quite ready for it at the time. Certainly, some of the action may look a little stagey and wooden to viewers more familiar with the graceful action from the likes of `The Matrix,' `Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' or `Hero,' but for its time it was definitely something really fresh.The mix doesn't always quite work, but the film is held together by John Carpenter's solid direction and a magnetic central performance by Kurt Russell as the cock-sure, heroic, but bumbling Burton. Russell shows his talent for physical comedy here following his more serious and subdued roles in John Carpenter's `Escape From New York' and `The Thing.'The supporting cast is filled out with quite a few recognisable faces, such as Dennis Dun as Wang Chi, a pre `Sex and the City' Kim Cattrall, and character actors James Hong and Victor Wong. John Carpenter and Kurt Russell have one of those rare director/actor relationships where the films they make together are always worth a watch, and this film is no exception. Wouldn't it be great if they could team up again?Blu-ray Video Quality – This release is billed as coming with a new restoration supervised the film's cinematographer Dean Cundey, a veteran of John Carpenter films, including `Halloween,' `The Fog,' `Escape From New York' and `The Thing.' Dean Cundey has also worked on bigger hits including the `Back to The Future' trilogy, `Who Framed Roger Rabbit' and uber-blockbuster `Jurassic Park.' The opening scene had me a little worried, as there seemed to be some very slight colour and brightness fluctuation, but after a minute or so that all disappeared and we end up with a truly fantastic transfer. Dean Cundey and his restoration have done a great job here, ensuring colours pop off the screen while never being overblown. The image is wonderfully detailed, with strong black levels and not a hint of DNR [Digital Noise Reduction] or artificial edge enhancement. John Carpenter is famous for using the whole of his cinemascope frame from edge to edge, and this transfer captures every inch perfectly. Does it have the high gloss sheen of a modern movie? No, but it's a faithful representation of the original film, grain and all, and it's totally awesome and brilliant. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.Blu-ray Audio Quality – For the audio, we get a choice of 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo tracks. Given the age of the movie, it would be wrong to expect an all-action, multi-channel feast for the ears, but we do get a very nice soundtrack clean-up. The tracks are free of hiss and crackles, with clear dialogue. There's not a massive amount going on in the way of directional effects, but the rear channels do help fill out the soundscape with atmosphere. As an aural bonus, we also get an isolated score in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, which is also very welcome touch. Packaging Quality: This new release is available in a Limited Edition SteelBook packaging, featuring the original artwork by the legendary Drew Struzan. You may not recognise the name, but Drew Struzan has provided the artwork for some of the most iconic posters in movie history, including the `Indiana Jones,' `Back to The Future' and `Star Wars' trilogies, `Blade Runner' and `Harry Potter' the list goes on. For the non-SteelBook Blu-ray release, Arrow Academy presents the film with a reversible cover, featuring Drew Struzan's artwork on one side and a newly commissioned piece by Jay Shaw.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:High Definition presentation of the film from a digital transfer prepared by Twentieth Century Fox.Audio Commentary: Commentary with director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell: First up is a commentary track with John Carpenter and Kurt Russell. While not new, it's carried over from the old inferior NTSC DVD release and it's a great listen. John Carpenter and Kurt Russell have a great chemistry, and their friendship really comes across here. The refreshingly candid track is full of laughs and anecdotes, and is highly recommended listening.Special Feature: Return to Little China: A brand new interview with John Carpenter [1080p] [13:00] In this video interview, the director John Carpenter of `Big Trouble in Little China' talks about his professional relationship with Kurt Russell and the different films they did together. Mr. Carpenter also discusses the difficult production history of `Big Trouble in Little China' and the unfortunate treatment the film was given by 20th Century Fox.Special Feature: Being Jack Burton: A brand new interview with Kurt Russell [1080p] [21:00] In this outstanding new video interview, Kurt Russell discusses his professional relationship with John Carpenter, and recalls how he was approached to play Jack Burton, the various improvisations he did during the shooting of the film, the disappointing advertising campaign for the film in the United States, etc.Special Feature: John Carpenter and I: A brand new interview with cinematographer Dean Cundey [1080p] [16:00] Director of photography Dean Cundey recalls his work on a number of John Carpenter's films, and specifically `Halloween' and `Escape From New York.' Dean Cundey also discusses the very unique production design of `Big Trouble in Little China,' the different looks of San Francisco's Chinatown and the world beneath it and how they were lensed, etc.Special Feature: A New interview with producer Larry J. Franco [1080p] [16:00] In this video interview, producer/first assistant director Larry J. Franco discusses his professional relationship with John Carpenter and there are some great comments about his contribution to ‘Elvis’ and ‘The Fog’ as well as John Carpenter's desire to have Kurt Russell play Snake Plissken in ‘Escape from New York,' the casting of The Three Storms in `Big Trouble in Little China,' John Carpenter's dissatisfaction with the studio system, etc.Special Feature: Interview with visual effects producer Jeff Imada [1080p] [13:00] In this video interview, actor and stuntman Jeff Imada recalls his contribution to `Big Trouble in Little China' (Jeff Imada played a number of different characters during the action sequences).Special Feature: Interview with visual effects producer Richard Edlund [1080p] [14:00] In this video interview, visual effects producer Richard Edlund recalls how some of the most unique masks and special effects that were used in the film were done.Special Feature: Vintage Making-of Documentary featuring cast and crew [1986] [480i] A selection of deleted scenes. The quality of these outtakes does vary, as some have been sourced from video rather than film, but they are worth checking out to gain an insight into how a movie is shaped during the post-production process, as does the extended ending, which brings a proper bit of closure to one of the story strands in the film.Special Feature: Extended Ending [4:00]Special Feature: Deleted Scenes: 1. Airport. 2. The Dragon of the Black Pool. 3. The White Tiger. 4. Gracie's Office. 5. Thunder's Tour. 6. Beneath Chinatown. 7. Lava Sequence and 8. Six Demon Bag.Special Feature: Music Video [1986] [4:00] The original `Big Trouble in Little China' John Carpenter's Coup DeVilles Music Video.Special Feature: Gallery of behind-the-scenes images [5:00] A collection of production stills and stills from the film.Theatrical Trailers: 3 Original Trailers for `Big Trouble in Little China.' In English and Spanish.Special Feature: TV Spots: 1. Remember. 2. Who Is...? 3. Adventure. 4. Beneath. 5. Pay-Per-View and 6. Teaser.BONUS: Special Booklet: This Booklet contains 40 stunning pages and features new writing on the film by John Kenneth Muir, author of The Films of John Carpenter, a re-print of an article on the effects of the film from American Cinematographer and illustrated with archive brilliant stills and posters. It has four contents, which include: Credits; It’s In The Reflexes; Production Design For Big Trouble and About The Transfer.Post Script: One quick word of praise for Arrow Academy, they seem to be one of the few companies who don't insist on making the viewer sit through endless menu options, forced trailers and other guff, instead getting us to the main menu in seconds. Compare that to studios like Universal Pictures whose discs seem to take forever to get to the point where you can actually watch the film. Thank you Arrow Academy for getting us to the film so much quicker!Finally, this is another quality release from Arrow Video. An iconic 1980s action comedy, the perfect pairing of director and actor and ahead-of-its-time kung-fu action, it's great to be able to re-visit `Big Trouble in Little China' after all this years, and find it in such great shape. The new transfer on this Blu-ray disc is a corker, and I dare say the film hasn't looked or sounded as good as this since the day it was released. There's a great selection of new and old extras. The star of the show is of course the classic commentary, but the new interviews are great as well. Whether you want to re-kindle your memories of the film, or you are a new viewer wanting to see what all the fuss is about, this is a totally fantastic professional release and so proud to have this in my ever increasing Blu-ray Collection, especially lucky in having this brilliant Limited Edition SteelBook. Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom

Director John Carpenter 1986 production which was a box-office flop combing as it does several genres in one film which are fantasy action adventure and kung- fu the story is about an all-American trucker who gets dragged into a century's old mystical war through no fault of his own as he and his friend Wang who are at the airport to pick up Wang's bride to be who just happens to have emerald green eyes this is the colour of eyes the evil sorcerer Lo Pan must marry to regain his physical form.Jack and Wang must save Wang's fiancée Miao Yin from Lo Pan and his henchmen and Jack must get back his stolen truck in the process all in Chinatown where magic seems to exist.This 50GB Region free disc was released in 2009 in the US and is encoded with the MPEG-4 codec in full 1080p resolution film is in the original Aspect ratio of 2.35.1 with English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48 kHz 24 bit) along with Russian, French, Spanish and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, English and Thai Stereo audio tracks there are also subtitles in the following languages: - English for the hard of hearing, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Thai and traditional Mandarin.The Special features are as follows: - Audio commentary from John Carpenter and Kurt RussellAn All new 5.1 DTS Isolated Score trackDeleted ScenesExtended EndingVintage FeaturetteMusic VideoRichard Edlund interviewTrailers and TV spotsBehind the scenes GalleryDoing a direct comparison with the DVD the Blu-ray sound brings the audio track to life the dialogue is always clear and easy to understand and sound effects of the different clans fighting as they kick and punch at each along with the sound of hand-held weapons such as swords now crash and clang clearly out of the speakers and the picture doesn't have the fuzzy edges to the colour that the DVD has along with a better range of colours and the difference in the range of blacks is staggering in the scenes in the tunnels under Chinatown is so much better the detail of the faces and flesh tones of the actors is more realistic and the special effects for some reason don't seem so dated in the HD format the cover artwork is an improvement on the region 2 release of 2004 as well; worth the up-grade if you can find a copy at a low enough price...