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Bloodsport (1988)
Bloodsport (1988) poster
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Bloodsport (1988)

Action, Thriller, Drama • 1h 32m

Overview

An American Army Major goes AWOL to Hong Kong for an outlawed martial arts contest called the Kumite.

Director: Newt Arnold

Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Donald Gibb, Leah Ayres, Norman Burton, Forest Whitaker, Bolo Yeung Sze, Roy Chiao, Philip Chan, Pierre Rafini, Kenneth Siao Wai-Keung, Kimo Lai Kwok-Ki, Bernard Mariano, Bill Yuen Ping-Kuen, Lily Leung Shun-Yin, Joshua Schroder, Keith Davey, Sean Ward, Johnny Lai, Henry Ho, Henry Kot, Simon Lai, Thomas Lam, A.P. George, Charles Wang, John Foster, John Cheung Ng-Long, Chiu Gwok, Michel Qissi, Nathan Chukueke, Geoffrey Brown, David Ho Wing-Hin, Eric Neff, Michael Chan, Rick Erikson, John Law, Samson Li, Paulo Tocha, Greg Richardson, Saheed Sahabuddin, Rocky Jasminder Singh, Wilson Lee, Mark DiSalle, Edward E. Ketterer, Ken Boyle, Mark Wheelhouse, Wayne Morris, Darren Humphrey, Tam Tin-Nam, Claude Heme, Susan Sheers, Mandy Chan Chi-Man, Wong Tak-Ming, Tsui Siu-Hung, Chung Shun-Tak, Wan Kung-Sung, Christopher Lay, Andrew Rule, Lois Gochnauer, Patricia McDonald, Mic Rieusset, Gloria Wu, Tam Wai-Mei, Jacqueline Choy, Bernie Cilia, Christine Redmen, Ben Wong Tin-Dok, Ho Chi-Moon, Mak Shu-San, David Tetter, Lam Shung-Ching, João Gomes, Tse Kin-Hung, Steve Daw, Jackson Ng Yuk-Sue, Henry Band, Paul Findley, Wayne Archer, Attilio Reale, Mark Sharrock, Paul Treadwell, Colin Bucknor, Roger Walker, Hung Chi-Sing, Victor Wong, Chu Wah, Eric Ng, Max Clsekedi, Ronnie Li

Best Audio Release

Capelight 4K Blu-ray (the ESC 4K Blu-ray have no original 2.0 and a different Atmos mix. More about the ESC mix in this review)

Format

UHD Blu-ray

Featured Lists

Is this Perfect?

clearer encode on the ESC, does it matter?

Length

92 mins

Type

Movie

Alternative Titles

Bloodsport I, Contacto Sangriento

Last Updated

a day ago

Contributors

Best Video Release
Best Audio Release

Capelight 4K Blu-ray (the ESC 4K Blu-ray have no original 2.0 and a different Atmos mix. More about the ESC mix in this review)

Format
UHD Blu-ray
Featured Lists
Is this Perfect?

clearer encode on the ESC, does it matter?

Length
92 mins
Type
Movie
Alternative Titles
Bloodsport I, Contacto Sangriento
Last Updated
a day ago
Contributors

Part of Is this Perfect?

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Restored: Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored: Czech PAL DVD

Preferences will vary, the restored track sounds good, but not necessarily faithful to the original elements.

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Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray

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Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray see nic review

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Restored: Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored: Czech PAL DVD

Preferences will vary, the restored track sounds good, but not necessarily faithful to the original elements.

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Capelight Blu-ray

Best Video:

Capelight Blu-ray, better encoded than MGM Blu-ray

Best Audio:

MGM Blu-ray's stereo track.

MGM's 7.1 track is a remix with a few flaws and much worse fidelity. Capelight's stereo and 7.1 track are both from the remix.

Additional Info:

The movie was originally premiered as a roadshow release, with a a 70mm 6-Track Stereo mix. This mix, unfortunately has not been released on home video.

The closest thing to that mix, is the stereo track included on the 2010 Blu-ray. It sounds great, with high fidelity and little filtering. It's lossy, but that doesn't matter very much.

Both the DVD 5.1 and the Blu-ray 7.1 tracks (identical on both discs) are a new remix, rather than a repackaging of the original mix. The 7.1 track sounds quite muffled, though not evenly so. The Capelight Blu-ray's lossless stereo track uses the same remix, but with higher fidelity than the surround tracks, sounding significantly less muffled. Compared to the original, this remix sounds wider and more "cleaned up". The remix contains a handful of errors, for example the intermission cue fades out, rather than ending correctly.

Comparison samples

Best English-Friendly:

Capelight Blu-ray

Best Video:

Capelight Blu-ray, better encoded than MGM Blu-ray

Best Audio:

MGM Blu-ray's stereo track.

MGM's 7.1 track is a remix with a few flaws and much worse fidelity. Capelight's stereo and 7.1 track are both from the remix.

Additional Info:

The movie was originally premiered as a roadshow release, with a a 70mm 6-Track Stereo mix. This mix, unfortunately has not been released on home video.

The closest thing to that mix, is the stereo track included on the 2010 Blu-ray. It sounds great, with high fidelity and little filtering. It's lossy, but that doesn't matter very much.

Both the DVD 5.1 and the Blu-ray 7.1 tracks (identical on both discs) are a new remix, rather than a repackaging of the original mix. The 7.1 track sounds quite muffled, though not evenly so. The Capelight Blu-ray's lossless stereo track uses the same remix, but with higher fidelity than the surround tracks, sounding significantly less muffled. Compared to the original, this remix sounds wider and more "cleaned up". The remix contains a handful of errors, for example the intermission cue fades out, rather than ending correctly.

Comparison samples

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Capelight Germany 4K Blu-ray

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Arrow Blu-ray has the most extras

Ronin poster
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Capelight Germany 4K Blu-ray

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Arrow Blu-ray has the most extras

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Capelight 4K Blu-ray

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Capelight 4K Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion 4K Blu-ray

WarGames poster
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Germany Capelight 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

5.1 mix: Germany Capelight 4K Blu-ray
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo: MGM NTSC DVD

The 5.1 track sounds very good and is said to be sourced from the original 6-track mix used for 70mm blow-up releases, but there is no conclusive proof of that.

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Germany Capelight 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

5.1 mix: Germany Capelight 4K Blu-ray
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo: MGM NTSC DVD

The 5.1 track sounds very good and is said to be sourced from the original 6-track mix used for 70mm blow-up releases, but there is no conclusive proof of that.

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1080p Blu-ray
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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

2012 Capelight Blu-ray?

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UHD Blu-ray
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2013 MGM Blu-ray, or 4K Blu-ray if you MUST have the mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Upcoming Release:

Capelight 4K Steelbook and Mediabook announced for 2026

Best Video:

2013 MGM Blu-ray for non AI transfer, 2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Best Audio:

1991 Image Entertainment LaserDisc for the US mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for the International mono mix

Additional Info:

The 4K Blu-Ray and the 2001 MGM DVD have exclusive extras.

Best English-Friendly:

2013 MGM Blu-ray, or 4K Blu-ray if you MUST have the mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Upcoming Release:

Capelight 4K Steelbook and Mediabook announced for 2026

Best Video:

2013 MGM Blu-ray for non AI transfer, 2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Best Audio:

1991 Image Entertainment LaserDisc for the US mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for the International mono mix

Additional Info:

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Additional Info:

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Additional Info:

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Best Audio:

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1984 CBS/Fox Hi-Fi VHS maybe better?

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Best Audio:

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1984 CBS/Fox Hi-Fi VHS maybe better?

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UHD Blu-ray
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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

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Additional Info:

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The Lionsgate 4K re-release includes original matrixed Dolby Stereo mix, transferred from a LaserDisc, with missing cues at side changeover points corrected, and consistent volume throughout, as well as two remixed variants in 5.1 and 7.1 Atmos. The 5.1 is incorrectly labeled as original on the menu.

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Best Video:

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caps #1 (with FEL), caps #2

Best Audio:

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Additional Info:

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Upcoming Release:

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Additional Info:

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Upcoming Release:

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Additional Info:

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InfoArrow 4K Blu-ray is scanned from interpositive film, thus having a softer than the first title.

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Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

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InfoArrow 4K Blu-ray is scanned from interpositive film, thus having a softer than the first title.

Best Audio:

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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

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Additional Info:

Info: Arrow 4K Blu-ray is scanned from interpositive film, thus having a softer than the first title.

Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

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Additional Info:

Info: Arrow 4K Blu-ray is scanned from interpositive film, thus having a softer than the first title.

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Django poster
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Bloodsport (1988) backdrop

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