Sisters 10/30/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Brian De Palma unleashes 101 ferocious Hitchcock references for this great horror opus, all bolstered by Bernard Herrmann’s nerve-jangling music score. Plus a very young Margot Kidder and the impressive Jennifer Salt, plus appearances by the equally youthful Charles Durning, William Finley and Dolph Sweet. It’s a fine revisit of an early Criterion disc, with some highly amusing extras — such as a surprising 1970 talk-show excerpt with Margo Kidder, Janis Joplin and Gloria Swanson. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/30/18

The Satanic Rites of Dracula 10/30/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

Hammer’s Dracula goes out with a whimper in this final Chris Lee-Peter Cushing vampire opus, which posits the Prince of Darkness as a super-mogul super-villain (with insufficient infrastructure). He’s battling Scotland Yard, MI5 and his old nemesis Van Helsing, while still arranging ritual sacrifices. And don’t forget the quartet of vampire babes he keeps in the cellar. Also starring William Franklyn, Freddie Jones and Joanna Lumley; on Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/30/18

William Castle at Columbia Volume One 10/27/18

Powerhouse Indicator
Blu-ray

All of Columbia’s gimmick pictures by ‘Mister Showman’ are here, from the buzz-in-the-rear jolt of Percepto! through the Ghost Viewers of Illusion-O, The Fright Break and The Punishment Poll. A couple of the movies are good, too, especially The Tingler with its bizarre non-sequitur narrative, and the weird take on an average American family in the casually morbid 13 Ghosts. The derivative shocker Homicidal plays games with gender roles, while the cut-price gothic Mr. Sardonicus relies on a single horrifying countenance to chill the blood. The authoritative extras make the difference, plus the handsome remastering of the selective-color gag in The Tingler that shocks us with a literal Bath of Blood. Reviewing this set for CineSavant is our one and only diabolical Charlie ‘Loathsome’ Largent (shudder!). On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
10/27/18

Valley Girl 10/27/18

Shout Select
Blu-ray

One of the oldies celebrated by lovers of ’80s fare, Martha Coolidge’s ode to pampered teens in La La Land has aged extremely well. It still fairly representative of reality, but the romantic fairy tale angle is what keeps it afloat. Nicholas Cage’s unguarded vulnerability and Deborah Foreman’s infectious smile win the day — we like these kids, even if they’re somewhat idealized. With fun input from Elizabeth Daily, Heidi Holicker, Michelle Meyrink, Lee Purcell, Colleen Camp & Frederic Forrest, and a ton of extras. On Blu-ray from Shout Select.
10/27/18

Gun Shy (2000) 10/27/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

I had never heard of this comedy-thriller, and the good news is that it’s a pleasant surprise, thoroughly enjoyable. The toughest kind of filmmaking must be making comedy seem effortless, and that’s what Eric Blakeney does in this quirky, near- Screwball take on the done-to-death drug deal undercover thriller. Liam Neeson is sensational, and producer Sandra Bullock is at her most charming. Great work from the underrated Oliver Platt, making an unlikely character into something special. Even the flatulence jokes are funny. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/27/18

The Spiral Staircase 10/23/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

There’s a storm outside, the cook has drunk herself to sleep, the other servants are gone, the old lady is an invalid — and the helpless mute maid is trapped indoors with a murderous maniac. No, it’s not a Reality Show about the White House, but Robert Siodmak’s superior ‘old house whodunnit’ that is equal parts Americana, film noir and proto- slasher horror. The top-flight cast includes Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, Ethel Barrymore, Kent Smith, Rhonda Fleming, Elsa Lanchester and a diabolical staring eye. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/23/18

12 Monkeys 10/23/18

Arrow Video
Blu-ray

Terry Gilliam’s second big-star ‘retrench’ movie benefits from his fertile imagination, and his handling of an overly complicated sci-fi script. Did happy audiences respond to the film’s second-hand time travel complexities, or did they just like seeing Brad Pitt in a new mode, playing a weird motormouthed eccentric? Bruce Willis gets first billing and Madeleine Stowe and Christopher Plummer provide support in a tale adapted from a classic Chris Marker film. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
10/23/18

Night of the Demon 10/20/18

Powerhouse Indicator
Blu-ray

(+ Curse of the Demon):  A top horror title gets the Powerhouse Indicator treatment just in time for Halloween — it’s not a domestic release but it plays in our Region A players. You can shuffle the alternate versions like a deck of cards: one basic movie, but six separate encodings: by length, title sequence and aspect ratio. Plus fascinating extras and a killer versions comparison feature. You have only your time allowed!  On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
10/20/18

Dracula A.D. 1972 10/20/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

Dracula and Van Helsing seem more than a little confused, fighting the good fight of virtue against evil in a modern setting dominated by painful Mod fashions and flaky pop rock ‘n’ roll. Hammer’s desperation bid to make itself ‘relevant’ at least gives us Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, who keep the show on the rails despite the disastrous concept. The two leading ladies are favorites as well: Stephanie Beacham and Caroline Munro. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/20/18

The Night Stalker & The Night Strangler 10/16/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray (separate purchases)

A review by Charlie Largent: these two legendary TV movies spawned a series for monster hunter Darren McGavin, a modern-day cross between a tabloid reporter and vampire hunter Van Helsing. Produced by Dan Curtis, written by Richard Matheson and starring a rogue’s gallery of supporting faces: Simon Oakland, Barry Atwater, Carol Lynley, Ralph Meeker, Charles McGraw, Elisha Cook Jr., Richard Anderson, Scott Brady, Wally Cox, John Carradine, Margaret Hamilton, Jo Ann Pflug and Al Lewis. The audio commentaries are by Tim Lucas. Separate purchases on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/16/18

Shampoo 10/16/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Beverly Hills 1968 — Sunset Blvd., The Strip, The Bistro, the haze in the Hollywood Hills — where a lowly hairdresser-stud is locked in a crazy lifestyle free-fall while having the time of his life with four beautiful women. Warren Beatty puts a facet of his public personality on display as a world-class ladies’ man who just can’t keep things together. His quartet of conquests in a single day are Lee Grant, Goldie Hawn, Julie Christie and a teenaged Carrie Fisher. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/16/18

Les parents terribles 10/16/18

The Cohen Film Collection
Blu-ray

Jean Cocteau’s film work wasn’t limited to fairy tales and art-house fantasies; this adaptation of his hit play shows us fine theater at its best. A family is a tangle of not-quite-normal relationships that reach an impasse when the emotionally spoiled son seeks to marry — a woman his father already knows. The cast bears repeating: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Yvonne de Bray, Marcel André, Gabrielle Dorziat. On Blu-ray from The Cohen Group.
10/16/18

Invasion of the Body Snatchers 10/13/18

Olive Films
Blu-ray

A super-classic receives a super ‘Olive Signature’ Blu-ray release. CineSavant clears up some online rumors complaining that the disc producers didn’t do a full restoration. The original release Superscope version of Don Siegel’s soul-shaking chiller has been handsomely remastered — and with the extras we’ve awaited for 12 years. They include never-before-seen interviews and never-before-heard commentaries with stars Dana Wynter and Kevin McCarthy. On Blu-ray from Olive Signature.
10/13/18

The Swarm 10/13/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

It’s time to celebrate the Irwin Allen disaster epics for what they are — huge, indigestible spectacles that first seem funny and then congeal into a cinematic badness that words cannot describe. This sprawling ordeal tortures good actors and shatters every limit of audience patience. Enough stars for you?: Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Richard Chamberlain, Olivia de Havilland, Ben Johnson, Lee Grant, José Ferrer, Patty Duke, Slim Pickens, Bradford Dillman, Fred MacMurray, Henry Fonda… Is a fair review even possible? I alone have survived to tell thee. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/13/18

The Official Story 10/13/18

The Cohen Film Collection
Blu-ray

Political terror hits home, as a Buenos Aires teacher and housewife discovers that her family life is not only a lie, it’s a lie grounded in government treachery and murder. Forget conspiracy foolishness, for Luis Puenzo’s Oscar-winning tale is based on solid, documented truth, with an American connection. This is one of the first of the modern filmic political exposés from Latin America. Starring Héctor Alterio and Norma Aleandro. On Blu-ray from The Cohen Group.
10/13/18

Trilogy of Terror 10/09/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

The ‘seventies brought forth some well-remembered TV horror movies, that shocked impressionable kids back in the days of Watergate and Sonny & Cher. Karen Black toplines Dan Curtis’s trio of malevolent tales, all from original stories by Richard Matheson. The third story about a killer Zuni Warrior doll, is considered a must-see genre gem. The disc carries two commentaries and three interviews, with Matheson, the composer and the much-missed Ms. Black as well. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/09/18

The Last Hurrah 10/09/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

In the last decade of his career John Ford produced and directed this ode to crony politics, with Spencer Tracy as an old-fashioned mayor who uses underhanded ploys to do right by his constituents. Tracy is backed by a veritable army of supporting actors, neatly orchestrated in Frank Nugent’s screenplay. We’re talking scores of John Ford stock company players; it’s like old home week, with Ford in firm control. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
10/09/18

Horrors of Malformed Men 10/09/18

Arrow Video
Blu-ray

No, it’s not about the U.S. Senate. Teruo Ishii’s kitchen-sink Japanese horror show tosses in everything under the rising sun: madmen, murder, strange doppelgängers, a return from the dead, freakish deformities and Oedipal nightmares. Will our hero help his depraved father with his hobby of atrocious surgery? Reviewer Charlie Largent sorts out the slime and the shudders of a storyline cobbled from various tales of the uncanny by the legendary Edogawa Rampo. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
10/09/18

Scenes from a Marriage 10/06/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

The marital discord in this show is a different animal than those Italian romps with Loren and Mastroianni — Ingmar Bergman’s miniseries examination of a breakup between two upstanding, thoughtful parents is a demanding, grueling exercise in self-evaluation. Try as one might, we can’t help but compare the fireworks between Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson with one’s personal experiences. It’s presented in two separate versions — the three-hour theatrical cut, and the original 6-hour Swedish TV show. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/06/18

Joseph W. Sarno Retrospect Series 4 10/06/18

Film Movement Classics
Blu-ray

Let the debate about the incompatibility of film art and screen eroticism commence: Joe Sarno is back!  His 1964 Sin in the Suburbs is still a slice of genuine Americana, considered total smut when first released but barely notable now except for the sordid believability of its subject matter. Is Sarno the Cassavetes of his own subgenre, the ’60s softcore sex soap opera? He certainly impresses as a man with a cinematic mission, following the beat of a different drummer. Joining Sin is Confessions of a Young American Housewife and a bonus feature, Warm Nights and Hot Pleasures. On Blu-ray from Film Movement Classics.
10/06/18

The Naked Prey 10/06/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

An excellent example of a thriller that improves with age, Cornel Wilde’s survival tale is a lean ‘n’ mean exercise in first-person terror. Sent barefoot and naked on a hopeless ‘run of the arrow,’ our hero earns our admiration from his first desperate steps. Actor Wilde may never have directed anything else quite as good, but this winner cements his name in the achievement books. With Ken Gampu. On Blu-rayfrom The Criterion Collection.
10/06/18

The Bravados 10/02/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

Gregory Peck slips into vengeance mode full-tilt, riding down a quartet of blackhearted knaves: rapist Stephen Boyd, ambusher Albert Salmi, sneaky Lee Van Cleef and inscrutable Henry Silva. The action direction and scenery in this late ‘fifties Big Sky western are excellent; Joan Collins and Kathleen Gallant put in good performances as well. But Savant has reservations about the story’s air of sanctimony. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
10/02/18

The Collector 10/02/18

Powerhouse Indicator
Blu-ray

Mixed-up lotto winner Terence Stamp goes about putting his life in order in a straightforward manner: since he has difficulty attracting a woman, he just kidnaps one, locks her away and waits until she decides to love him back. At least that’s the plan in William Wyler’s late career horror-suspense item. The object of Stamp’s non-PC affections is the wonderful Samantha Eggar; it’s a toss-up whether the screenplay has anything to say, or is simply exploiting a sick premise in a classy presentation. Reviewed by the much more civilized Charlie Largent. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
10/02/18

Exorcist II: The Heretic 10/02/18

Scream Factory
Blu-ray

‘There must be a sequel’ spake Warner Bros., and lo Sir John of Boorman stepped up to the plate. One of the most jeered-at, overcooked sequels of all time thoroughly deserves its reputation as a train wreck of a movie. In hindsight we see a heap of resources and cinematic fireworks thrown at a project with little chance of survival. I think a lot of the scorn was blowback from the power of the original Friedkin picture, a blockbuster that was just too profane of an act to follow. Louise Fletcher is no lecher. Richard Burton isn’t hurtin’. Hey there it’s Linda Blair. A two-disc set on Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
10/02/18