DARK ANGEL / I COME IN PEACE (Craig R. Baxley, 1989)

[Jox]

I can't reveal the details yet and the list is not final yet, but once the distributor makes the public announcement I'll let you know.

https://twitter.com/MDC_Films/status/14 ... 3606890498
So, MDC Films just made it public that we also did an interview with Matthias Hues...

More extras and specs of the upcoming edition to come.

Pre-orders will kick off at the end of February (it won't be on Amazon or the likes, but you'll be able to order it directly from the distributor even when you live outside of France).

[alex.sp89]

Admin u ae the expert in DL movies i was wondering why sometimes Dark Angel is listed as 1990 movie. Here I see it from 1989. Red Scorpion from 1988 is listed as from 1989, Cover Up is listed 1991 ,when the end credits feature 1990 year. Many magazines, sites advertize one year difference. Which are the correct years ?

[Jox]

Simple: one year is when the movie was completed (not just filming but post-prod and everything), the other is the year of when it was first released.

Unlike IMDB, I chose to use the year of copyright / completion (and chronological order of when they were made as far as Dolph's filmography is concerned, in order to keep a sense of when titles came about for him).

For instance, DARK ANGEL was ready to be released and could have well been released in late 1989 if they didn't wait, and its copyright on the film is from 1989. (And in first came out in January 1990 -in South Korea- so it shows again that it was finished before).

Same for the others COVER-UP, and RED SCORPION (which was screened in the october 1988 at the MIFED market). UNISOL was produced in 1991 but completed in 1992. On the other hand SILT was shot and completed in 1991.

Last example is the upcoming MINIONS sequel, which will ultimately be released in 2022 but was ready by the spring/summer of 2020, and so I prefer to considerate as a 2020 movie... Chronologically and historically it makes more sense in my point of view.

[alex.sp89]

In my opinion they made a mistake that they didn't release the movie at the end of 1989 and shelved it almost for a year (for September 28, 1990). I u think today about what movies have been released in 1989 then Dark Angel would make a lot of money at the box office. DA didn't have competitors at end of that year in SCI FI action movie section and big action stars didn't release movies. Stallone had Lock UP in august 1989, Tango and Cash in December 1989, Arnold didn't have movies in 1989, Bruce Willis after success of Die Hard in 1988 had 2 movies which weren't action movies (one drama, another more a comedy), JCVD releases Cyborg in April 1989 (so so movie), Kickboxer in September 1989 ( again tournament movies) and both really cheap Canon. Funny thing Steven Seagal was unknown. Above the Law (1988) wasn't a hit and he really become a star only after February of 1990 when Hard to Kill premiered and Marked for Death in early October of 1990.

September 28 of 1990 was a bad time for DA release- way too late. Totall Recall as a sci fi movie was already released in June of 1990, Seagal became new action star ( and Marked for Death (1990) released one week after DA US theatrical run). Van Damme released Death Warrant (1990) September 14 , 2 weeks before DA US premiere and made a lot of money (even if Death Warrant was not a such good movie and have many plot holes during re-editing post production process deleting many scenes out) -I think people started to be obsessed by Van Damme -mania karate stuff (like Seagal aykido ). Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson didn't have competitor movies.. again Canon.

To conclusion it was a marketing mistake of the studio to not release Dark Angel in November-December of 1989. The only competitors could be Tango and Cash (1989) which was a poor box office and maybe Hard to Kill (1990) which was completed already at the end of 1989 and ready to be shown in theatres. Actually pushing Hard to Kill for February created Dark Angel good opportunity to shine at he box office. Now who was responsible for this mistake ? A name please... Releasing DA after Total Recall was looked as a cheap version of sci fi.As many stated about Unisol comparing it with Terminator 2 (movies that do not have anything in common).

Opinions please

[Jox]

Screening this Saturday in Finland in a double-bill along with DEMOLITION MAN:
https://teatteriunion.fi/elokuva/nv_1902/?
https://www.facebook.com/events/384153683520957
https://www.facebook.com/nightvisionsfe ... 2848016648

[lhz]

Do we have any info about the opening date for the pre-order of the (maybe) definitive HD french edition of DARK ANGEL from the good folks of MDC Films ? As it seems it will be filled with tons of exciting bonus !

[Jox]

Pre-orders are supposed to start at the end of this month so within the next 12 days...

[lhz]

Right in time for the next paycheck then.

I m a bit impatient to discover the overall looking of this edition. Do we have any infos about the physical format ? Will it be standard case, slipcover or a more "German-like" digibook ?

[Jox]

It will be a threefold digipack with slipcover (kind of like the first German release of SILENT TRIGGER but without the liner notes booklet)...

[lhz]

You mean the SUBKULTUR one ? (what an outstanding release from them, probably my personal favorite edition of all Dolph's releases, Synapse's RED SCORPION aside) If yes then it is a great news for me cause it is pretty much the only case format I enjoy outside of the standard case.

[Jox]

Yes, same format, but perhaps not as wide from the side.

[Jox]

Pre-orders are supposed to start at the end of this month so within the next 12 days...

Pre-orders will kick off next Friday at 6pm Paris time, only from www.mdcfilms.com or www.mdcfilms.myshopify.com
(international orders more than welcome)

[lhz]

Pre-orders will kick off next Friday at 6pm Paris time, only from http://www.mdcfilms.com
(international orders more than welcome)

Just noticed the announcement on their twitter.

[Jox]

Finally!
I can reveal all the specs and special features of the upcoming French edition!

Original aspect ratio 1.85:1 (not 1.78:1 like on the other editions)
- Blu-ray : BD 50 - 1920x1080 - 23.976p - Encoding AVC
- Audio : English and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- Sous-titres : French

The special features total more than 3 hours...!

- Exclusive introduction of the film by Dolph Lundgren
- Exclusive Introduction of the film by Matthias Hues

- DOLPH ANGEL – Exclusive interview with Dolph Lundgren (conducted by yours truly)
- SPACE DEALER - Exclusive interview with Matthias Hues (conducted by yours truly)
- FROM CRONENBERG TO DARK ANGEL – Exclusive interview with Mark Irwin, Director of Photography (conducted by yours truly)

- A LOOK BACK AT DARK ANGEL with Craig R. Baxley, Dolph Lundgren and Brian Benben (2013 Shout featurette)

- DOLPH VS ALIEN – DARK ANGEL told by Jérémie Damoiseau (where I go deep on the genesis and making of)
- DARK ANGEL IN FRANCE - Discussion between journalist Hélène Merrick and Jérémie Damoiseau (about the release of the film and Dolph Lundgren in France)

- DARK ANGEL en VHS Vision (vintage French dubbed VHS transfer)

- Photo gallery (material from yours truly)
- US theatrical trailer (from yours truly's vintage 35mm reel)
- International theatrical trailer (English / French)

Limited to 1,000. Pre-orders start tomorrow around the same time for a release at the end of April...
https://mdcfilms.myshopify.com/products ... lu-ray-dvd

[lhz]

Just...Wow !
No need to mention this is already the best edition EVER ! I am blasted by the list of extras. So much new and exclusive contents ! I think I will start by the extras before even watching the movie. The most exciting content to me is DOLPH VS ANGEL told by you, Jox. Knowing you and your expertise, it gonna be very deep and complete !
Good thing that the original ratio is finally respected on this release.
I have to put a reminder on my mobile, I won't miss the pre-order tomorrow night.
We are so lucky getting that definitive edition of DARK ANGEL.

Is it the transfer from the folks of Shout! ?