Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Month: January 2021

Southland Tales 01/30/21

It takes too many words to properly describe Richard Kelly’s followup to Donnie Darko, but the oversized dystopian sci-fi epic just might grab audiences looking for weird extravagance. Cult hosannas aside, Kelly’s ‘crazy’ predictions closely resemble our present domestic chaos. Brilliant ideas rub shoulders with apocalyptic clichés and the acting styles are all over the place, but the show frequently achieves a truly goofy vibe described by its director as a cross between Philip K. Dick and Thomas Pynchon. Just be ready for a storyline that scatters in all directions. This new disc is a video debut for the original, longer Cannes preview cut. The cast ought to grab some attention: Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Nora Dunn, Janeane Garofalo, Christopher Lambert, John Larroquette, Jon Lovits, Mandy Moore, Wallace Shawn, Justin Timberlake, Amy Poehler, Zelda Rubenstein, Miranda Richardson, Holmes Osborne and Kevin Smith. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
01/30/21

Room For One More 01/30/21

Cary Grant and co-star/missus Betsy Drake do honor to the ‘family’ picture genre — this filmic boost to child foster programs offers a positive message, avoids most clichés and generates sly fun as well. What we see resembles real life, even if Cary Grant should never be shown washing dishes. Betsy Drake’s take-charge mother sets family policy  as she opts to take in first one, and then two foster children. It’s also the film debut of little George Winslow, before he picked up the ‘Foghorn’ nickname. Plus a cute dog and some kittens that offer a sex education lesson.  The recent biography of Cary Grant should renew interest in this entertaining and socially admirable show. It’s warm & fuzzy yet not at all saccharine. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
01/30/21

Wings of the Hawk 3-D 01/26/21

All hail Blu-ray 3-D … a format still hanging on as one of the best features of home theater. Budd Boetticher’s trim action meller gives us Van Heflin (good) and Julie Adams (respectable) in a Mexican rebellion mini-epic with a backlot feel but rather good 3-D. The 3-D Film Archive’s experts have optimized the depth effect and included a colorful, very depth-y Woody Woodpecker cartoon. With Abbe Lane, George Dolenz, Noah Beery Jr., Rodolfo Acosta, Antonio Moreno and Pedro González González. On 3-D Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/26/21

Mouchette 01/26/21

Robert Bresson’s theory about a ‘pure’ cinema defies basic rules of the movie mainstream — like, ‘no acting allowed.’ But his movies remained faithful to his creed, even as they became increasingly pessimistic. This story of an unloved and abused young girl is considered one of Bresson’s masterpieces. The theme is human suffering in the void left by the absence of faith, and the tone is unrelentingly pitiless. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
01/26/21

The Kiss Before the Mirror 01/23/21

James Whale’s pre-Code melodrama of infidelity and murder frequently feels like a horror movie — some of the sets seem appropriate for Frankenstein and the bizarre transference of ‘eternal feminine guilt’ from one woman to another is an outdated sex role idea that resembles a supernatural curse. Whale gives the weird show everything he’s got. Frank Morgan is impressive as a romantic lead, with Nancy Carroll, Paul Lukas and favorite Gloria Stuart on hand as well. Plus a glorified small appearance by Walter Pidgeon — as a casual illicit lover!  I’m looking forward to reviewer Charlie Largent’s take on this handsomely restored disc, as I’m not sure I have a full handle on it, even with the good commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/23/21

The Bride with White Hair 01/23/21

Reviewer Lee Broughton returns with a critique of Hong Kong filmmaker Ronny Yu’s magical, mystical, martial arts reimagining of Romeo and Juliet… in ancient China. Our star-crossed lovers from warring clans are redrawn: one is now a super warrior and the other a deadly assassin. Stylish cinematography, lavish sets, stylized interludes and an abundance of excellent wire work fight choreography result in a classy period action piece. Starring Leslie Cheung, Brigitte Lin, Francis Ng, and Elaine Lui. On Region B Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment.
01/23/21

Tremors 4K 01/19/21

4K Graboids! This 1990 monster romp still feels smart & fresh, mixing light comedy and old-fashioned scares. It’s practically one long battle against the smelly burrowing worm-beasts. Desert handymen Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward scramble to avoid taking their place in the Graboid Food Chain. Ambitious it ain’t, but it delivers exactly what monster fans want — gross-out thrills, excellent effects and solid laughs. Also with Finn Carter, Michael Gross and Reba McEntire. Arrow’s 4K Ultra HD disc is as sharp as a tack, and a second Blu-ray disc contains an unprecedented volume of featurettes, interviews and production documentation. On 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.
01/19/21

The Galbraith Puppetoon Interview 01/19/21

It’s a guest article by author and long-time associate Stuart Galbraith IV, who interviews Arnold Leibovit, the man behind an impressive, on-going restoration of the animation legacy of George Pal. The beloved producer-director persists as a fan favorite. All know his famous sci-fi pictures but the revival of interest in his fantasy replacement-animation ‘Puppetoons’ is well underway. Thanks Stuart!
01/19/21

The Pajama Game 01/16/21

New superlatives are needed to express just how good is this wonderful Americana musical from the 1950s boom years. The Broadway creator tapped Hollywood’s most qualified (and creative) director of musicals for the stage to screen conversion, retaining much of the original New York talent. Doris Day is just sensational as Babe Williams, whose romantic and labor problems play out at a sleepwear factory. The color design is a delight, every song is a keeper, and the talent on view makes one want to clap, sixty-five years later: Carol Haney, John Raitt, Eddie Foy Jr., Reta Shaw, Barbara Nichols. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
01/16/21

Essential Film Noir Collection 1 01/16/21

Viavision’s first deluxe Film Noir boxed set gives us four titles that emphasize star power — Glenn Ford, Ray Milland, Kirk Douglas and Lee J. Cobb. The Australian release includes three Columbia titles and the home video premiere of a rare Paramount picture. Which ones are core Noir and which are merely ‘noir adjacent?:’ Framed, The Garment Jungle, Detective Story and Alias Nick Beal.  The special extras invest in a quartet of audio commentaries from the top experts and Film Noir Foundation creators Eddie Muller and Alan K. Rode. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
01/16/21

And Hope to Die 01/12/21

Director René Clément brings an entertainingly eccentric David Goodis crime story to the screen in high style. A big score is being prepped by an odd gang, played by a terrific lineup of talent: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Robert Ryan, Aldo Ray, Lea Massari and the elusive Tisa Farrow. Only partly an action thriller, this one is weird but good — lovers of hardboiled crime stories can’t go wrong. Studiocanal has restored the original version, a full forty minutes longer than what was briefly shown here. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/12/21

Cinema Paradiso 4K 01/12/21

Giuseppe Tornatore’s romantic ode to the movies charmed America, convincing theater-goers that little Italian kids are the cutest in the world. Little Salvatore Cascio grows up in a projection booth under the life-tutelage of kindly Philippe Noiret. Arrow presents the theatrical version of this Best Foreign Picture Oscar winner in 4K Ultra HD. The (greatly) extended version is on a second Blu-ray — it plays like a different movie entirely. Also starring Jacques Perrin, Brigitte Fossey and Leopoldo Trieste. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
01/12/21

Three Films by Luis Buñuel 01/09/21

All hail the cinematic delights of Luis Buñuel, a world-class directing genius whose work ranges from insightfully impish to point-blank outrageous. Driven from Spain by Fascists and from New York by commie hunters, he found a cinematic haven in Mexico, adapting his surreal mindset to popular film forms. His final three French features show him bending the ‘popular film form’ back in the direction of his surreal roots, where a coherent narrative is optional. Buñuel’s pictures are the real deal: high art that overturns our ‘rational’ world and that shocks simply because it’s so honest. With Fernando Rey, Adriana Asti, Ángela Molina, Stéphane Audran, Carole Bouquet, Delphine Seyrig, Jean-Claude Brialy, Bulle Ogier, Adolfo Celi, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Michael Lonsdale, Michel Piccoli, Jean Rochefort, and Monica Vitti. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
01/09/21

Beach Red 01/09/21

Cornel Wilde’s directorial follow-up to his superb The Naked Prey was hot stuff in its day, a war movie with an unexpected emphasis on brutality and gore. Rip Torn bears down too hard on his stock character, while Wilde’s attempts to pull off associative thought memory montages come off as amateurish. But the movie has a firm fan base among lovers of movie combat, and the new transfer bests all previous video encodings. With Jaime Sánchez, Dale Ishimoto, Jean Wallace, Burr DeBenning, and Patrick Wolfe. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/09/21

Captain Newman, M.D. 01/05/21

This show has everything going for it, in fact, it has TOO much going for it: tragic drama, silly comedy, bland heart-tugs and saucy romance. Everybody’s working across purposes, with ‘stunt’ guest star Bobby Darin preening for awards attention. Angie Dickinson, Tony Curtis and Eddie Albert are terrific but are acting in different movies; and Gregory Peck seems out of his depth altogether. Does it keep our attention?  You bet. Does it work?  I’m not so sure. With Robert Duvall, Bethel Leslie, Dick Sargent, James Gregory, Larry Storch, and Jane Withers; on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/05/21

The Valdez Horses 01/05/21

What we know as Chino is a Charles Bronson star vehicle all the way, and less interesting as a western than for explaining the state of the film business in the early 1970s. A good coming of age story is reshaped to appeal to Bronson fans, while the formerly front rank director John Sturges is frustrated by star demands and producer re-shoots. The extras on PI’s disc show what a free-for all the set must have been — even the writer sees fit to boast about how he told Sturges where to head in. With Jill Ireland, Vincent Van Patten and Marcel Bozzuffi. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
01//21

Inner Sanctum Mysteries 01/02/21

Charlie Largent rings in the New Year with Universal’s sextette of ‘Inner Sanctum’ chillers, all starring Lon Chaney Jr. in interesting character roles: Calling Dr. Death, Weird Woman, Dead Man’s Eyes, The Frozen Ghost, Strange Confession and Pillow of Death. The reputation of these spook shows has been on the rise, and I’m curious — I can remember not watching a single one of them when they showed up on weekend TV horror/sci-fi movie slots in the 1960s!  I’ll be reading with interest — I think these are split between creepy murder stories and quasi-supernatural tales, and I know that one of them is based on the same story from which Burn, Witch, Burn was derived. On Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment.
01/02/21

Where Were You in ’62, A.I.P.? 01/02/21

Collector Bill Shaffer reaches into his vast horde of exhibitors’ publicity ‘paper’ and comes up with some samples from an American-International Pictures preview flyer touting the year’s upcoming releases, circa January of 1962. The three samples given cover a Hollywood production that was re-titled, an Italian import that changed the name of its muscleman hero several times, and a science fiction / romantic comedy acquisition promoted as ‘coming soon’ but that morphed into something entirely different. Helping to follow the clues through the trade papers is Gary Teetzel. We answer some questions and guess at the rest… but it’s fun to see how A.I.P. in the 1960s wanted to shift from exploitation hucksterism to something a little more mainstream. We’re hoping this kind of arcane archive snooping is of interest — the vintage graphics are pretty cool!  Plus, it was a nice break from reviewing movies.
01/02/21