Bullfighter and the Lady 07/30/22

Powerhouse Indicator
Region B Blu-ray

Budd Boetticher’s excellent semi-autobiographical film may be Hollywood’s most uncondescending depiction of high-end Mexican culture. Robert Stack is the pushy Gringo who only slowly understands Latin society’s definitions of loyalty and machismo; his rocky relationship with Joy Page’s cultured señorita is as important as the bullfighting story with Gilbert Roland. It’s Boetticher’s best film, presented for the first time in two encodings, the 87-minute release version and the UCLA Film and TV Archive’s restoration of the full 124-minute seen South of the Border. The extra commentary and featurettes are welcome too. Also starring Katy Jurado. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
07/30/22

The Killing 4K 07/30/22

KL Studio Classics
4K Ultra HD

This picture looks as modern and radical as anything from Italy in the 1960s, yet it’s a tough-talking take on hardboiled crime caper fiction. In three pictures Stanley Kubrick went from amateur to contender: now he has a like-minded producer, a top-flight cast, and dialogue by the legendary pulp author Jim Thompson. Sterling Hayden, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Coleen Gray and Vince Edwards peg the cynical film noir style, and Kubrick maintains the source book’s splintered chronology for the tense racetrack heist. All Hollywood took notice — at least that part of the industry looking out for daring, progressive storytelling. Now in 4K, Kubrick’s superb B&W images look better than ever. On 4K Ultra HD from KL Studio Classics.
07/30/22

Battle of the Worlds 07/26/22

The Film Detective
Blu-ray

Antonio Margheriti made several space epics about ‘errant planets’ posing dangers to Earth; this one gets all the attention via star casting. Claude Rains’ bombastic but brilliant scientist advises space command to blow up the planetoid, and then chooses attack day to go see its interior for himself. Toy rockets, overripe dialogue and thunderous acting from Rains ensue, leading to a finale in an ‘alien brain cave’ made of colored plastic tubes. This critical ‘triumph of the imagination’ indeed makes something entertaining out of very, very little. The presentation includes a half-hour docu hosted by Tim Lucas, a graduate class listed as ‘Italo Space Intro 101.’ On Blu-ray from The Film Detective.
07/26/22

Damn the Defiant! 07/26/22

Viavision [Imprint]
Blu-ray

Haven’t yet seen all the best old-school vintage naval combat epics?  This color & ‘scope thriller has a terrific cast of Brit stars and up-n-comers, can boast excellent visuals and is historically accurate. Alec Guinness captains a ship during the Napoleonic Wars, and finds his duty complicated by a psychopathic top officer (Dirk Bogarde) who usurps authority and sees the crew as fresh meat for his sadistic ideas about discipline. All the tech and art credits are top-tier, plus we get nice supporting perfs from the likes of Anthony Quayle, Nigel Stock, Maurice Denham, Victor Maddern, Tom Bell, and Murray Melvin. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
07/26/22

Jack and the Beanstalk 07/23/22

ClassicFlix
Blu-ray

It’s a case of cold-blooded, premeditated nostalgia: Abbott & Costello’s fantasy musical is a charmingly modest and sweetly-played folk tale rooted from the early ’50s days of kiddie entertainment — a vein perfectly suited to the comedy duo’s talents. Lou Costello makes a fine fantasy hero, too. The feature restoration is quite an achievement for the 3-D Archive, as the arcane color process ‘SuperCineColor’ requires engineering archeology to understand. But the show’s slapstick comedy, clever songs and dippy dancing are finally back and looking great. The labor of love extends to the extras: excised scenes, background material, some words from the only surviving actor, a learned piece on the color process and a surprise guest appearance by the Creature from the Black Lagoon. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
07/23/22

Devil in a Blue Dress 4K 07/23/22

The Criterion Collection
4K Ultra HD + Blu Ray

After bouncing about in a couple of good Blu-ray editions, Carl Franklin’s superior adaptation of the great Walter Mosley novel makes the jump to 4K. Denzel Washington’s star quality and acting prowess shine in the smart production, with Tak Fujimoto cinematography that put the color back into ’90s filmmaking. Everybody’s good and Don Cheadle’s loose-cannon henchman ‘Mouse’ is exceptionally so. There’s plenty to enjoy in this hard/soft-boiled tale, starting with its great music. It’s one of Washington’s best pictures, and should have initiated an entire franchise of Walter Mosley / Easy Rawlins detective adventures. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/23/22

Summertime 07/19/22

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

After twenty years honing his craft on ever-more precise filmic constructions, David Lean opened up his imagination for a story of loneliness and romance in Venice, Italy. A vacationing American woman searches for — she doesn’t know what. Katharine Hepburn reveals the vulnerable side of her personality, and the woman eventually overcomes her fear. Lean creates the most compelling ‘relaxed vacation’ ever, yet every shot is as keenly envisioned as in any of his films. It’s an amazing ‘on location’ show that initially ran into trouble with U.S. censors — some thought it was morally incompatible with the Production Code, and shouldn’t be released here at all. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/19/22

Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema VIII 07/19/22

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

Kino reaches into the Universal Vault for vintage Paramount and Universal thrillers. This ‘noir’ collection surprises us — it contains one terrific example of the noir style, newly-hatched and making itself known. The other two titles are in B&W (check), and revolve around murders (check). But if there were a TV quiz show called ‘Noir or Not Noir,’ they’d measure up as third-tier also-rans. The talent on view is impressive, especially the leading ladies: Claire Trevor, Louise Platt, Merle Oberon, Ella Raines, and Gale Sondergaard. Kino appoints Street of Chance, Enter Arsene Lupin, and Temptation with good commentators: Jason A. Ney, Anthony Slide, Kelly Robinson. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/19/22

The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Vol. 2 07/16/22

Severin Films
Blu-ray

Collector’s box on the horizon: Severin assembles hours of video extras and text illumination for another group of films featuring favorite actor Christopher Lee. The roundup of titles bookends his career as a screen vampire, with one of Lee’s earliest vampire roles and also his last turn as Count Dracula. Looming large on the academic side of Severin’s research are experts and biographers Kat Ellinger, Barry Forshaw, Troy Howarth, Kim Newman, Nathaniel Thompson and Jonathan Rigby, who also contributes a hundred-page book. Uncle Was a Vampire, The Secret of the Red Orchid, Dark Places, Dracula and Son and Murder Story: six Blu-rays and one Audio CD from Severin Films.
07/16/22

Pink Flamingos 07/16/22

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

This one indeed could have come in a brown paper wrapper in 1972. John Waters’ frontal assault on good taste crawls back in a 4K digital restoration (from a 16mm original?) that enshrines Divine as ‘the filthiest person alive.’ Home video’s premiere label describes this fragrant gem as embracing “Incest, cannibalism, shrimping, and film history’s most legendary gross-out ending.” We’ll leave it to CineSavant’s Charlie Largent to uncover (scrape up?) the show’s lasting merit. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/16/22

Marty 07/12/22

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

Humble Marty Piletti finally gets to home video in its proper widescreen format. Paddy Chayefsky’s TV play-turned theatrical feature really shines in Kino’s new 4K remaster. The performances of Betsy Blair and especially Ernest Borgnine provide the gentle magic, as non-glamorous Bronx-ites learn that two lonely people can find romance. It’s a winning formula and a thoughtful meditation on social reality in the pursuit of happiness. With a new audio commentary by Bryan Reesman and Max Evry. On Blu-rayfrom KL Studio Classics.
07/12/22

A Night to Remember 07/12/22

Viavision [Imprint]
Blu-ray

This meticulous docu-drama is still the best show about the Titanic, the awesome disaster that has never lost its grip on the imagination. Roy Ward Baker leads an enormous cast of Brit character actors through 2.5 hours of true-life terror in the icy Atlantic — Kenneth More, Honor Blackman, David McCallum, Laurence Naismith, Anthony Bushell. No stupid subplots and no insulting anachronisms, just an awful sinking death trap and 1600 passengers facing the freezing water. [Imprint] brings some new extras to the mix, too. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
07/12/22

The She-Creature 07/09/22

Blu-ray

Part of a perfect 1956 matinee double bill, Alex Gordon’s supernatural thriller features an iconic monster, a piece of real horror art from monster-maker Paul Blaisdell. The production can best be described as ‘pedestrian’ but there’s no denying that the movie is an odd nostalgic favorite — a great poster helps. The cast mixes veterans (Chester Morris, Tom Conway, Frieda Inescort, Frank Jenks, El Brendel) with new blood (Lance Fuller, Ron Randell, Paul Dubov, William Hudson) — but the real reason to watch is starlet Marla English. This one should have been a classic. On Blu-ray.
07/09/22

Downton Abbey: A New Era 4K 07/09/22

Universal Home Entertainment
4K Ultra HD + Blu Ray + Digital

It may be this year’s ‘comfort food’ film but Julian Fellowes’ second theatrical sequel to his revered long-running TV show is quality goods — and may be better than the first one. Almost every actor is back, seemingly pleased as plum puddings to repeat their roles as either landed nobility or downstairs staff. The storyline ties a final bow on some characters and plot lines, and in a far more pleasing way than we thought possible. Even casual fans of the franchise ought to be charmed. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
07/09/22

The Flesh Eaters 07/05/22

Blu-ray

We still remember the scary AM radio ads from back in the 6th grade: THEY EAT HUMAN FLESH! Mainstream ‘nabe theaters that wouldn’t show movies by Herschell Gordon Lewis played this proto-gore horror show, an ingeniously crafted thriller that captures the style of action horror comics through clever, gruesome special effects. The flesh eaters are glittering bits of organic matter that can skeletonize a human in fifteen seconds!   Martin Kosleck’s mad doctor is happy to welcome tasty human morsels for his ravenous home-grown microbes. An alternate version slides into sleaze territory with a tasteless flashback to a Nazi ‘medical experiment.’ The best extra is a long-awaited audio commentary, recorded for an earlier disc that was never released. On Blu-ray.
07/05/22

Violent City 07/05/22

KL Studio Classics
B

Director Sergio Sollima sets the template for twenty years of violent action cinema for Rough Tough Charles Bronson. Precise stunt scenes and clever direction are at the service of a script that can’t produce a convincing line of dialogue. It’s a mishmosh of sex, bullets and car chases. Bronson is betrayed by his love for Jill Ireland, and Telly Savalas is shoehorned in as a (surprise!) nasty gangster. Much of it does play like gangbusters — the opening and closing especially — and the dynamic title instrumental is one of maestro Ennio Morricone’s best. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/05/22

Miller’s Crossing 07/02/22

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Feature number three for the Coen Brothers is an eccentric gangster saga with a wonderful slate of mugs — Gabriel Byrne, John Turturro, Albert Finney, Jon Polito, J.E. Freeman, Steve Buscemi — slinging highly entertaining hardboiled dialogue. The witty, insightful story is at heart not a comedy, and the direction impresses in the formal sense — no superfluous camera acrobatics this time. Barry Sonnenfeld’s visual stick in the mind — the Byrne-Turturro execution scene in the woods is one of the highlights of 1990s filmmaking. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/02/22

In the Heat of the Night 4K 07/02/22

KL Studio Classics

Walter Mirisch earned his Oscar for this Sidney Poitier hit directed by Norman Jewison. The tense mystery thriller is also a big cultural step in the advancement of Civil Rights, Hollywood-style: Poitier’s Virgil Tibbs claims the right to not turn the other cheek. Stars Rod Steiger, Lee Grant, Warren Oates and Larry Gates are in top form. Kino’s new 4K release maximizes the impact of Haskell Wexler’s steamy cinematography and Quincy Jones’ rich music, and includes bonus Blu-ray encodings of the two sequels made a few years later. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/02/22