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

[Jox]

So you mean have a few of these guys together at the same time?

[viendammage]

So you mean have a few of these guys together at the same time?

I dunno, on one hand it would be cool to have a "panel" of genre directors. Or have them each scheduled for 20-30 minutes of spotlight. That way you'd have 90 minutes-ish of event then they could hang out and sign stuff/meet with fans.

[Jox]

https://www.facebook.com/ScreamFactoryDVD

First sample of DARK ANGEL (aka: I COME IN PEACE) on Blu-ray just landed at the 'factory'!

Dolph Lundgren fans can rejoice when the title releases in the U.S. and Canada on 8/27.

[Jox]

Here is the first Blu-ray review!

http://mcbastardsmausoleum.blogspot.com ... cac234353e

Presented in 1080p widescreen (1.78:1) the film gets a MPEG-4 AVC encode and is sourced from a very nice print, there are some minor imperfections visible from time to time but overall we get a very solid presentation with strong colors, a very decent hi-def presentation from Scream Factory, yet again.

The English language DTS-HD Master Audio comes with choice of 2.0 stereo or 5.1 surround mix and it sounds quite nice even if there are no surprises, the 5.1 has more of a presence that the 2.0 with some use of the surrounds but it's pretty tame.Dialogue and effects sound are balanced nicely plus Jan Hammer's synth-heavy 80's rock soundtrack is just awful but in an awesome retro-Miami Vice sort of way, it wouldn't sound out of place on an Astron-6 film.

Onto the special features we get a A Look Back at Dark Angel (24:17) with interviews from director Craig R. Baxley and actors Dolph Lundgren and Brian Benben. The director reflects on the David Kopepp penned script, meeting Dolph and casting the film while Benben seems to mostly remember being physically hurt by Lundgren on set. Dolph himself speaks fondly of the film, recalling the work of the director and the great in-camera stunt work. We also get a reversible sleeve of artwork featuring the alternate title of "I" Come in Peace, a trailer and an image gallery, it's not the most robust set of features from Scream factory but I'm pretty jazzed just to have it on Blu-ray, a fun film.

Special Features:
- A Look Back at "Dark Angel" Interviews With Director Craig R. Baxley And Actors Dolph Lundgren And Brian Benben (27:14)
- Theatrical Trailer (1:14)
- Photo Gallery (4:06)

- Glad they finaly decided to add a gallery with some of my stills, posters and lobbycards collection
- Seems the trailer is the U.S. one (never released on DVD), not the longer international one

[Tom]

Did Matthius Hues not appear in the special features? That's very surprising. He's a big part of the film. My only thought, if so, was they overlooked him because he's got great fondness for the film. He'd have jumped at the chance to be on the features.

[Jox]

Unless they couldn't work it out for some schedule or other reason/excuse. I hope this featurette is good and it's much much better than nothing (didn't even expect a Blu-ray so soon for this one, let a lone with extras), but to me they obviously overlooked the whole release because they could have got Baxley to do the commentary at least (unless he didn't want to but I doubt it) like they did with JOSHUA TREE (which makes you wonder if it did meet their expectations or not)...

[Jox]

New Blu-ray review not much about the image, sound or extra quality though:
http://zombiesdontrun.net/dark-angel-19 ... ay-review/

[Jox]

The Blu-ray is pretty much what we’ve seen from Scream Factory so far, and I mean that as a compliment. To take a decades-old low-budget film and make it look pretty good is quite a feat. Image clarity isn’t comparable to today’s films (and neither is the soundtrack), but I can guarantee you won’t find this film in better shape anywhere else.

Overall Picture:

Movie: B-
Video: B
Audio: B
Extra Features: B

http://www.dvdsnapshot.com/2013/07/dark-angel/

Dark Angel is not one of Scream Factory’s massive “SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S EDITION” releases. So, it is of no surprise that there aren’t tons of special features. There is, however, a pretty entertaining featurette, in which director Craig R. Baxley, Dolph Lundgren and Brian Benben are interviewed, taking a look back at the film.

The video quality is great. Actually, as I took a quick potty break towards the end of the film, I left the disc paused on a scene where Dolph Lundgren was just knocked on his ass, and the level of detail was pretty impressive. I love it when we get a release like this, and it’s clear to me that the people that oversaw the transfer are fully aware that that gritty and grainy look is the way that I COME IN PEACE was intended to be seen. The Stereo DTS-HD Master Audio track is noteworthy as well. It might not have the multiple channels that would fill all angles of your living room up with the sound of a whizzing disc as it tears through neck after neck, but it is crystal clear. If you are a fan of this film, this is undoubtedly the best release of it that you are ever going to see. The default cover is of course, under the name Dark Angel. Those of us from the states that remember this movie from when it was first released to it, know it as I Come In Peace, and thankfully, Scream Factory have supplied that cover art as well on the flip side.

The Film
(8/10)
The Blu-Ray
(8/10)

http://liberaldead.com/blog/a-review-of ... e-blu-ray/

[Jox]

So the Blu-ray seems to have been mastered from U.S. print materials (unless they tricked it), as the on-screen title apparently is spelled with the U.S. re-title "I COME IN PEACE":

http://www.dvddrive-in.com/reviews/a-d/ ... lblu90.htm

Previously released on MGM’s Limited Edition (burn on demand) collection – as well as from MGM on DVD in a couple European territories – with the onscreen title DARK ANGEL, Shout’s “Scream Factory” Blu-ray features a 1080p24 MPEG-4 AVC-encoded widescreen (1.78:1) transfer that is satisfyingly grainy and detailed in the night sequences (the grayish shadows in some scenes appear to be an effect of THE FLY cinematographer Mark Irwin’s lighting attempting to strike a balance between the darkness and the frequent explosions without overexposure, as mentioned by the director in the disc’s featurette). The print source carries the I COME IN PEACE title onscreen (the original DARK ANGEL title card is on view in the featurette) and runs about twenty-odd seconds shorter than the Japanese DVD’s timing (presumably the earlier MGM master had opening and closing logos which are not present on the Blu-ray). Audio is available in a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 upmix, but the additional 2.0 rendering of the Ultra Stereo mix was fine to begin with. Optional English subtitles are also included.

Although the back cover and bonus features menu screen list “A Look Back at DARK ANGEL” (24:18) as featuring the participation of Baxley and Lundgren, it also features an equal amount of input from co-star Benben. Baxley reveals that the screenwriter credit for Leonard Maas Jr. was actually a pseudonym for David Koepp (who has since written JURASSIC PARK and STIR OF ECHOES among other mainstream hits), and that he signed onto the project – mounted by actor Mark Damon’s company Vision p.d.g. (WILD ORCHID) – when it had a twenty-two million dollar budget only to then be informed that the budget would be five to seven million. Lundgren and Benben credit Baxley for what he was able to achieve with the low budget while Baxley credits special effects coordinator Van Zeebroeck, cinematographer Irwin, and the stunt team (as well as casting director Karen Rea). All three of the participants utter the over-familiar “this was all before CGI” line in discussing the effects; however, it’s more valid here since it is uttered in the context of how difficult it would have been to insert doubles into shots, the confidence the actors had in Baxley and his stunt coordinator father and stuntman brothers to keep them safe, and the enthusiasm of co-star Hues (an Olympic athlete) to do his own stuntwork (Baxley does reveal which shots were doubled and how one bit was photographed in reverse because he was worried Hues would hurt himself). All three are justifiably proud of the film without overrating it (Lundgren even chuckles over his cheesy final quip to the alien), recalling the unique experience and what they were able to achieve. The clips from the film may have been sourced from SD as they compare poorly to the feature transfer. Besides a poster and still gallery, the only other extra is the film’s theatrical trailer (2:42); however, the reverse cover art does feature the I COME IN PEACE title and poster art if viewers want the cover to match the title on the feature presentation.

http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/darkangelbluray.php

Decent Blu-ray adaptation from Shout! Factory. The 1.78:1/1080p transfer is passable, though don't expect to be wowed by clarity; the visuals are pockmarked with grain throughout. The DTS-HD Master Audio stereo track offers a moderate aural experience. So-so tech specs aside, you'd be well-served to check out the weighty retrospective featuring interviews with Baxley and Lundgren and co-star Brian Benben.

[Jox]

The disc includes a nice 25 minute retrospective featurette on the making of the film, featuring director Craig R. Baxley, Dolph Lundgren, & Brian Benben. Early on, Baxley talks about how the film was initially sold to him as a $25-30 million production, but that that budget was substantially reduced to $5-7 million as soon as he actually signed on. Thankfully, Baxley comes from stunt work as does his family so they had the knowhow to get things done action-wise safely and cheaply. The stunts & action in the film have always been memorable for me and I'm all the more impressed to know the budget level this film was what is was and what they pulled off.

http://rupertpupkinspeaks.blogspot.com/ ... -dark.html

[Jox]

http://www.docterror.com/2013/08/dark-a ... cream.html

When you buy this disc you get an incredible making of/interview feature that stars Dolph Lundgren, director Craig R. Baxley and Brian Benben. Who cares? You should. After revisiting with Dark Angel I took some time to enjoy this interview feature and learned a great deal about how the production was created, the secrets behind some of the fantastic effects and what it was like to work during this non-CGI period in action cinema. Did you know that the man who played the alien was a friggin tri-athelete? He hurtled those damn cars during the explosion scene. Explosions actually going off behind him as he would jump. There's actually a great story behind several of the scenes in the interview feature. A must check out for fans of the film. You'll gain a new appreciation for the picture and hopefully remember why CGI ain't so great.

The movie itself looks great. I'm beginning to think that I should only let you know when a Scream Factory release falls short of expectation because they all have looked truly great. This included. VHS junkies... you can upgrade with ease and feel good about enjoying these primo effects in a higher definition.

This video comes in peace. Goes in pieces, and you don't have to feel like an asshole for picking it up.

[Jox]

http://www.examiner.com/review/dark-ang ... ew?cid=rss

[Jox]

[Jox]

http://geek-news.mtv.com/2013/08/07/doe ... es-review/

Special features

While it would have been nice to get some commentary or maybe a word from the film's writers, the 24-minute featurette looking back at the making of the film is still a highlight for Shout! Factory's disc. Let's see what else is on there:

A Look Back at "Dark Angel" (24:19, HD): In separate interviews, director Craig R. Baxley and stars Dolph Lundgren and Brian Benben talk about the stunts and making of the film. Baxley reveals that the $5 million budget was stretched to the breaking point with his liberal use of explosions throughout the film, plus we learn that star Matthias Hues (a real-world Olympian) is really good at outrunning fireballs. There's a slightly sloppy piece of editing at the start of the featurette, beginning mid-word Baxley's opening statement about the film.
Theatrical Trailer (02:43, HD):
Poster and still gallery

[Jox]

http://horror101withdrac.blogspot.fr/20 ... 0-blu.html

Shout! Factory has delivered another gorgeous 1080p widescreen presentation, with 5.1 DTW-HD or 2.0 DTS-HD audio options. Along with the original trailer and a poster and still gallery, we are treated to a brand new 25-minute retrospective, “A Look Back at Dark Angel,” that reunites Baxley, Lundgren and Benben for a talking head mutual admiration society. Much of the emphasis falls on how much Baxley and his estimable stunt team (which includes numerous family members) were able to pull off in-camera on their limited $7 million budget – watching all the fireballs occur with actors in frame, one truly appreciates the skills of a bygone era.

One of the most interesting factoids to arise (one that has even eluded the IMDb credits gods) is that co-writer Leonard Maas, Jr. (credited for the script with Jonathan Tydor) is revealed to be a pseudonym for successful Hollywood scribe David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man) – who knew?