88 Films December 4K & Blu-ray Releases
88 Films will release six new titles in December covering Hong Kong fantasy, Japanese horror, British thrillers, Italian erotica, and American sci-fi. The lineup includes Saga of the Phoenix, Over Your Dead Body, Craze, Don’t Open Till Christmas, The Hyena, and Crash and Burn.
For other recent boutique announcements, see our coverage of Celluloid Dreams’ A Hyena in the Safe restoration and Full Moon’s Dollman × Demonic Toys limited edition set.
Saga of the Phoenix (1989)
Directed by Lam Nai-Choi, Saga of the Phoenix continues the story from The Peacock King with a larger scope and heavier use of visual effects. The fantasy adventure stars Yuen Biao, Hiroshi Mikami, and Gloria Yip as heroes battling an unholy alliance of demons threatening Hong Kong. Combining martial arts action, practical creature effects, and wild supernatural elements, the film represents one of the more ambitious Hong Kong–Japanese co-productions of the era.
Special features and technical specs:
- High-definition presentation
- Cantonese Mono with English subtitles
- Commentary by Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto
- Saga of Golden Harvest – The International Connection featurette
- Alternate Japanese footage
- Image gallery and trailer
- Reversible sleeve with original Hong Kong art
- O-ring slipcase and 40-page illustrated booklet
Region: A/B
Release dates: Dec. 15 (UK) / Dec. 16 (U.S. & Canada)
Over Your Dead Body (2014)
Takashi Miike’s Over Your Dead Body is a psychological and supernatural horror film set within a kabuki theater production. As the cast rehearse a ghost story about betrayal and revenge, their own relationships begin to mirror the play’s tragic events. Miike blurs performance and reality with precise control of lighting, movement, and tone, crafting one of his most atmospheric and restrained horror works.
Special features and technical specs:
- High-definition transfer
- Japanese 5.1 & 2.0 DTS-HD MA and English LPCM 2.0
- Commentary by Tom Mes
- Poster and image gallery
- Trailer
- Reversible cover with original and new artwork
- Illustrated booklet
Region: B
Release date: Dec. 15 (UK)
Craze (1974)
Freddie Francis’s Craze stars Jack Palance as Neal Mottram, an antiques dealer whose devotion to an African idol leads to ritual sacrifice and murder. As the killings draw police attention, Mottram’s delusion grows, culminating in one of Palance’s most intense performances. Shot in London during the early 1970s, the film combines occult imagery with a procedural crime structure typical of the period’s British thrillers.
Special features and technical specs:
- 2K restoration
- Commentary by Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
- Crazy Days – The Making of Craze
- Vicious Voodoo – Kim Newman on Craze
- Original trailer and trailer reel
- Reversible sleeve with new art by Sean Longmore
- Illustrated booklet
Region: B
Release date: Dec. 15 (UK)
Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984)
Directed by Edmund Purdom, Don’t Open Till Christmas follows a Scotland Yard inspector investigating a string of murders targeting men dressed as Santa Claus. The London-set slasher features Caroline Munro, Alan Lake, and Belinda Mayne, and is notable for its gritty depiction of 1980s nightlife and low-budget practical gore effects. The film remains one of the more infamous British horror productions of its decade.
Special features and technical specs:
- 2K restoration
- LPCM dual-mono audio
- Commentary with Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani
- Interviews with Kim Newman, Caroline Munro, Alan Birkinshaw, and Lilan Purdom
- Original trailer
- Reversible cover with vintage and new artwork
- Illustrated booklet
Region: B
Release date: Dec. 15 (UK)
The Hyena (1997)
Joe D’Amato’s The Hyena is a late-career erotic thriller centered on a tense encounter between a former model and an armed intruder. What begins as a hostage situation evolves into a power struggle marked by psychological manipulation and blurred motives. With its confined setting and minimalist approach, The Hyena reflects D’Amato’s shift toward character-driven tension in his final decade of filmmaking.
Special features and technical specs:
- New 4K restoration
- English and Italian Dual Mono with English subtitles
- Commentary with Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani
- A Conversation Among Hyenas – interview with Mark Thompson Ashworth
- The Lyonnais Black Angel – interview with David D’Ingeo
- A Taste for Softness and The Hyena visual essays
- Reversible cover and illustrated booklet
Region: B
Release date: Dec. 15 (UK)
Crash and Burn (1990)
Produced by Full Moon Entertainment, Crash and Burn is a dystopian sci-fi film directed by Charles Band. Set in a future where powerful corporations control society, a group of survivors discovers a rogue Synthoid robot programmed to eliminate dissent. Starring Bill Moseley and Megan Ward, the movie combines miniature effects and early 1990s practical robotics work that became a hallmark of the studio’s output.
Special features and technical specs:
- High-definition presentation
- 2.0 LPCM stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio
- Commentary with Charles Band and Bill Moseley
- Commentary with Dave Wain and Matty Budrewicz
- Making of Crash & Burn and blooper reel
- Remastered trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring new art by Joel Robinson
Region: B
Release date: Dec. 15 (UK)
You may also be interested in our recent coverage of Hong Kong New Wave box set from Eureka, Hammer’s newly restored The Man in Black, and Arrow Video’s In the Mouth of Madness and Three… Extremes.