Circle of Iron (1978) (MVD Entertainment Group Exclusive SteelBook) (4K Ultra HD Review)
DIRECTED BY: Richard Moore
STARRING: David Carradine, Christopher Lee, Roddy McDowall
RATED: UR/Region: 0/1:66/2160P/NUMBER OF DISCS 2
AVAILABLE FROM Blue Underground
If there’s one thing the 1970s taught us, it’s that a martial arts movie doesn’t necessarily need to make complete sense as long as everybody involved looks cool while kicking the shit out of each other. Iron Circle is a pretty good example of that philosophy.
Released in 1978, Iron Circle originated from an idea by Bruce Lee and stars David Carradine as the mysterious Blind Man, because apparently the role of an aging blind martial arts master wasn’t weird enough unless you also had David Carradine wandering around delivering philosophical wisdom while everyone else tries to beat the living hell out of each other.
The story follows a young martial artist on an adventure where he battles various fighters before eventually encountering the Blind Man, who teaches him that martial arts are about more than simply kicking somebody in the face.
Which is probably an important lesson to learn when your entire afternoon has consisted of kicking people in the face.
The movie is definitely weird. There’s no getting around that. But honestly, it’s the kind of weird that feels right at home in the 1970s. This was an era when filmmakers could throw together martial arts, mysticism, philosophy, fantasy, bizarre characters, and David Carradine and apparently nobody in the room was required to explain themselves.
And I’m perfectly okay with that.
Iron Circle isn’t always the smoothest or most straightforward martial arts adventure, but there’s something charming about its oddball approach. It feels like one of those movies where somebody had a bunch of crazy ideas, threw them all into a blender, and then decided the result was good enough to put on a poster.
Thankfully, the new MVD Exclusive 4K SteelBook release from Blue Underground gives this strange little movie a presentation that is anything but disappointing.
The 4K picture looks really damn good. The film has that wonderful vintage look you’d hope for from a movie like this, while the upgraded presentation brings out considerably more detail and gives the imagery a nice cinematic polish without making it look like somebody scrubbed away every last bit of its ’70s character. This is easily the kind of upgrade that makes you appreciate the movie more, even if you’re still occasionally wondering what the hell you’re watching.
The extras are also worth talking about. A lot of the material from the previous Blu-ray release carries over, which is good news if you liked that release, but Blue Underground and MVD have thrown in some new material as well.
There’s a poster gallery, which is always welcome because let’s be honest, sometimes the artwork for these movies is almost as entertaining as the movies themselves.
Even better, there’s a new audio commentary from film historians Frank Djeng and Chris Poggiali, giving the movie some much-needed context and making the whole thing a more interesting package.
And that’s probably the best way to approach Iron Circle: as a piece of ’70s martial arts oddity that becomes considerably more enjoyable when you embrace the fact that it’s not particularly interested in being normal.
Bruce Lee’s original idea, David Carradine as the Blind Man, martial arts philosophy, strange adventures, and a plot that occasionally seems to have wandered into another movie entirely.
What’s not to love?
Well… probably several things.
But that’s part of the fun.
Iron Circle may not be the first movie I’d recommend to somebody who wants a straightforward martial arts classic, but for anyone who enjoys the wonderfully strange shit that came out of the ’70s, there’s plenty here to appreciate. And with this new 4K SteelBook looking as good as it does, it’s arguably never looked better.
Blue Underground and MVD have done a damn fine job giving this oddball some respect.
The movie may be weird, but the release is anything but.
Great 4K presentation, a solid collection of returning extras, some worthwhile new material, gorgeous SteelBook packaging, and a couple of historians willing to explain exactly what the hell is going on.
Basically, Iron Circle finally gets the fancy treatment it probably never expected.
And considering this is a movie from the ’70s involving martial arts, mysticism, David Carradine, and a blind guy who teaches you the meaning of life…
I’d say it’s about damn time.
Limited to 4,000 copies! So if you want one you better get to clicking!
Extras
- Ultra HD Blu-ray (2160p) and HD Blu-ray (1080p) Widescreen 1.66:1 feature presentations
- Audio: Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD, 1.0 DTS-HD (English)
- Subtitles: English SDH, Francais, Espanol
- Audio Commentary #1 with Director Richard Moore
- NEW! Audio Commentary #2 with Film Historian Frank Djeng and Chris Poggiali
- Playing The Silent Flute – Interview with Star David Carradine
- NEW! Circle Of Success – Interview with Co-Star Anthony De Longis
- The Producer – Interview with Co-Producer Paul Maslansky
- Karate Master – Interview with Martial Arts Coordinator Joe Lewis
- Audio Interview with Co-Writer Stirling Silliphant
- Alternate Opening
- Trailers
- TV Spots
- NEW! Poster & Still Gallery
