Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Month: July 2023

The Pied Piper 07/29/23

Stop-motion brilliance!  Deaf Crocodile debuts yet more sensational fantasy from Eastern Europe. Director-animator Jiří Barta takes a deeply twisted approach to the famous tale, a not-for-kids interpretation that includes plenty of malice, blood, and dysfunctional politics. Barta’s stop-motion animation is unique in that his stylized characters are carved from wood — like expressionist, malevolent Puppetoons. CineSavant reviewer Charlie Largent isn’t quite as malevolent, but he gives this Acid Fairy Tale his best shot. On Region A Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile/ Vinegar Syndrome.
07/29/23

Time Bandits 4K 07/29/23

Terry Gilliam’s fantasy epic is back in the super 4K Ultra HD format, which makes his achievement look all the more spectacular. Two hours of unceasing visual miracles, delightful personalities and wickedly civilized humor begin when a pack of cosmic workers steal a celestial map and become time-traveling thieves. A young hero joins them and learns the secrets of the universe. Beautifully made, with charming performances from Craig Warnock, David Rappaport, Kenny Baker, Ralph Richardson, David Warner, Ian Holm, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, Katherine Helmond, Michael Palin and especially Sean Connery. On 4K Ultra-HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/29/23

King Solomon’s Mines 07/25/23

Before Indiana Jones there was … well, there were a lot of intrepid adventurers before Harrison Ford, but the template was set back in the 19th century by H. Rider Haggard’s Allan Quartermain. We’re in luck, for ‘Intrepid’ just happens to be CineSavant reviewer Charlie Largent’s middle name. He evaluates the fancy Blu-ray restoration of this semi-classic with an open mind. Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger trek across Africa, and their encounters with locals and various animals are more respectful than we thought they might be. After 73 years, MGM’s ‘exotic’ epic once again looks like it ought to. With Richard Carlson. Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/25/23

Night Has a Thousand Eyes 07/25/23

‘Fate’ is a frequent player in classic noir, but this spooky 1948 charmer crosses noir atmosphere with a semi-supernatural vibe — enforced by a top performance from Edward G. Robinson, plus the eerie presence of Gail Russell, She Who Possesses the Saddest Eyes in Hollywood. An showbiz mentalist suddenly experiences foreshadowings of deaths to come, a curse that threatens the ones he loves most. Cynical detective William Demarest is one of the first to suspect him. Do the stars hold our future?  A ‘thousand eyes’ look down on a small group of people trying to stave off doom foretold. With good extras from Glenn Kenny, Farran Smith Nehme, Tony Rayns and Jill Blake. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
07/25/23

Tom Mix Cowboy Double Bill 07/22/23

Sky High + The Big Diamond Robbery.  The top cowboy star of the silent era and his wonder horse Tony were once the idol of a million kids — and now they’re back again in remastered editions. SKY HIGH is mostly filmed around, over and deep inside the Grand Canyon — in 1922. THE BIG DIAMOND ROBBERY pits Tom against urban criminals before resolving as an action film on a ranch. Mix does his own stunts, many of which are serious bits of daredeviltry. Tom is always a gentleman with the demure heroine, and he wears a BIG white hat. Each restored picture is given a handsome musical accompaniment, by disc producer Ben Model. On Blu-ray from Undercrank Productions.
07/22/23

The Bridges at Toko-Ri 07/22/23

A domestic Blu-ray arrives of Mark Robson’s Korean War rumination, from the pen of James Michener and fleshed out 100% by Paramount’s crack visual effects team. Superstar leads William Holden and Grace Kelly illustrate a hard lesson of modern warfare — even in ‘asymmetrical’ high-tech combat there is no guarantee of survival. Charles McGraw, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney & Robert Strauss co-star. This new disc can’t touch [Imprint’s] extras — but it corrects the aspect ratio and therefore gets our vote. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/22/23

Gorgo 4K 07/18/23

We can hardly believe this — a nearly perfect 4K encoding of this all-time favorite monster epic has arrived, with only a few weeks’ notice. The sharp, brightly colored image finally reflects Freddie Young’s rich textures, returning the word ‘artful’ to writer-director-designer Eugène Lourié’s family-friendly yarn about a city-smashing ‘Irish sea fairie.’ Talk about childhood nostalgia — this was our ‘9th birthday’ movie outing, and remains an unashamed delight. Bill Travers and William Sylvester star; the two disc set also offers a Blu-ray copy and a tall stack of extras. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
07/18/23

The Servant 07/18/23

Joseph Losey and Harold Pinter shake up the notion of English propriety, as butler Dirk Bogarde ‘invades and subverts’ the life of his employer James Fox, through subtle psychological manipulation and the seductive power of his supposed ‘sister,’ a very young Sarah Miles. Wendy Craig is the confused fiancé in this serious, sinister and fascinating provocation, a prolonged class / sex power struggle. The extras include great star interviews plus a fine video essay by Imogen Sara Smith. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/18/23

Land of the Pharaohs 07/15/23

Howard Hawks presents ancient history as a lavish spectacle: tens of thousands of extras build a giant pyramid on the extra-wide CinemaScope screen, aided by the excitement and mysticism of Dimitri Tiomkin’s exotic music score. So convincing is the recreation, we almost believe the tomb-sealing sci-fi mechanics that shift stone blocks weighing tons, in just a few seconds. Nothing’s iffy about the awe in which we regard the young Joan Collins, a seductive Cypriot who pulls the papyrus over the eyes of Jack Hawkins’ gold-obsessed Pharaoh. Man-killer Collins has her greedy eyes on a big chunk of the ancient world, but fate, the sands of Egypt and the Cairo chapter of the Old Boys Club get in her way. A gem of a movie, an unheralded classic, newly remastered for Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/15/23

The Bounty 07/15/23

Roger Donaldson’s smartly scripted and produced 1984 remake of history’s most famous high-seas mutiny gets a lavish treatment on this two-disc Blu-ray set, with hours of extras about its filming and the shifting historical consensus about what took place down Tahiti-way in 1789. You just can’t keep the swabbies below decks eating hardtack, when they’re seen a Polynesian island paradise stocked with willing, nubile . . . you get the idea. Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson acquit themselves well, plus we’ve got Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson just starting out. Fun fact — this is the first time the HMS Bounty was portrayed by a ship the right size — just 90 feet in length. On Region Free Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
07/15/23

The Whip and the Body 07/11/23

Are doors opening for the remaining hold-outs in classic Eurohorror?  All-Region fans can rejoice at the availability of Mario Bava’s La frusta e il corpo in a Blu-ray encoding that finally reflects il maestro’s fine color lighting design. Christopher Lee puts in a stellar appearance and the sleek & expressive Daliah Lavi brings a keen sensitivity to the ‘Barbara Steele’ role. Following more from The Innocents than Hammer gore or Roger Corman Poe delirium, Bava brings forth some of his most sophisticated direction. Ernesto Gastaldi’s core Gothic has a decidedly adult foundation: sadomasochism is ‘all in the family.’ On Region B Blu-ray from 88 Films.
07/11/23

End of the World (La fin du monde) 07/11/23

Gaumont has done right by this orphaned opus from France’s silent film genius Abel Gance’s — his follow-up to Napoléon is a supremely hubristic science fiction epic that’s half social hysteria and half mystical insanity. Gance casts himself as a Christ figure who reunites the world in the face of an impending astral collision; his producers put his bizarre three-hour cut through an editorial shredder. The disastrous early sound epic veers between incompetent dramatics and highly-effective special effects sequences. It’s a 2021 restoration, slightly longer than earlier versions and in much better shape, picture and sound. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
07/11/23

The Damned Don’t Cry 07/08/23

When does ‘tough and brassy’ become ‘camp and kitsch’?  No longer a Gorgeous Young Thing, Joan Crawford walked a narrow line when reinventing her screen image. Her best noir after Mildred Pierce is this underworld pastiche that turns the notorious Virginia Hill into Gangland USA’s most glamorous, high-toned mobster girl. The extreme histrionics never stop, what with Joan effortlessly wrapping suspicious characters David Brian, Steve Cochran and Kent Smith around her greedy fingers. The presentation includes a candid commentary from the film’s director, Vincent Sherman. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/08/23

Juggernaut 07/08/23

Finally, a chance to review this deserving suspense thriller. Incredibly realistic scenes on the high seas are a highlight of Richard Lester’s docudrama-styled tale of a mad extortion plot against an ocean liner with 1200 passengers. Forget Disaster Movie clichés and dumb dramatics — it’s a fast-paced struggle to save lives by bomb specialists Richard Harris and David Hemmings. Back in London, a young Anthony Hopkins tries to locate the man who calls himself Juggernaut. The exceptionally smart cast is topped by Omar Sharif, Ian Holm, Shirley Knight, Roy Kinnear, Freddie Jones, Clifton James and Roshan Seth. It’s the best seagoing thriller of its kind. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/08/23

The Rules of the Game 4K 07/04/23

When does a comedy of manners stop flattering the audience, and begin criticizing it?  Jean Renoir’s acknowledged masterpiece was rejected on its premiere in 1939, when France society was too nervous to find humor in its satirical needling. It remains one of the most genuinely sophisticated movies of its kind. Everyone shares in the same hypocrisy and “Everybody has their reasons,” yet Renoir and his co-scenarist Carl Koch insist on framing the characters as warm and human. It’s the ‘Proud and The Petty’ versus the ‘Disgruntled and The Disillusioned.’ The latest restoration is from 2021. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/04/23

Angel Face 07/04/23

There’s a new name for ‘Murder’: Diane Tremayne. Few noirs put the blame on Mame more firmly than Otto Preminger’s All-in-the-Family tale of cold-blooded killing. RKO’s star Robert Mitchum is excellent as a mellow guy blinded by romance, but Jean Simmons’ warm / icy performance brings it all to life. The behind-the-scenes production story surely added to her emotional authenticity — all she had to do is pretend that her victim was Howard Hughes. This winner benefits from a terrific shocking finale, plus a creepy music score from Dimitri Tiomkin. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/04/23

Mr. Wong Collection 07/01/23

Who can resist?  Boris Karloff stars in five full detective movies, as the famous San Franciso detective, an ace with obscure clues and ‘locked room’ mysteries. Yes, Anglo folk know that Wong is the man to call when jewels are stolen, princesses assassinated, and young lovers framed for murder. They’re all here: Mr. Wong, Detective; The Mystery of Mr. Wong; Mr. Wong in Chinatown; The Fatal Hour and Doomed to Die. The first show has a commentary by Tom Weaver and Larry Blamire. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/01/23

Star Pilot (2+5 Missione Hydra) 07/01/23

This one is reviewed ‘just for the record’ — we have a soft spot for train-wreck science fiction losers. ‘What went wrong?’  ‘Did anybody even care?’  Accomplished director Pietro Francisi has the two classic Hercules movies to his credit, but this artless exercise would demolish anybody’s reputation . . . it must have been a quick payday. Leonora Ruffo and Leontine Snell vamp their way through an interplanetary mishmosh comparable to an old Captain Video episode, with production values not much better. On the other hand, the transfer is excellent. Sword ‘n’ sandal fans might want to see Kirk Morris in action, and Gordon Mitchell has a one-shot cameo. Don’t come looking for camp fun — it’s incompetence al’Italiano, for curious completists — we know you’re out there. On Blu-rayfrom Kino Lorber / Rarovideo.
07/01/23