Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Month: January 2024

The Prince and the Pauper 01/30/24

We’re told that the fancy coronation scene that concludes William Keighley’s 1937 movie served as a substitute for the real thing happening in England, which was not being filmed. Errol Flynn cuts a fine figure even though he arrives only at the mid-point, coming to aid of two young boys that ‘trade places’ — a palace for the streets — and are victimized by Claude Rains’ treacherous knave. Twins played the Prince and the poor boy Tom — saving Warners a steep optical & special effects bill. Reviewer Charlie Largent explains how The P and the P measures up to the studio’s great titles. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
01/30/24

House of Bamboo 01/30/24

This isn’t a new disc; you might not even be able to find a copy. We’re reposting a 2015 review because its original page was taken down (explanation at today’s CineSavant Column ↓  ). Samuel Fuller’s Japan-filmed thriller is a fanciful vision of Yankee crooks functioning on the streets of Tokyo. As pulp fiction it can’t be beat — Robert Stack is the obsessed new hood in town and Robert Ryan disturbs as a sexually ambiguous mobster. Fuller flexes his cinematic muscles in an ‘exotic’ location! On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
01/30/24 (08/13/15)

The Facts of Murder Un maledetto imbroglio 01/27/24

The homicide detective in Pietro Germi’s classic thriller knows the score: “A crime investigation is like when you lift a stone and find worms underneath.” The murder of a beautiful woman coincides with an unsolved burglary, and every inquiry reveals another layer of sordid wrongdoing, criminal and moral. Germi plays the lead as an exemplar of masculine honor. His ensemble cast is remarkable — a young Claudia Cardinale and Nino Castelnuovo, Claudio Gora, Franco Fabrizi and Eleanora Rossi Drago. We need more Euro crime noir from the 1950s!  On Blu-ray from Radiance.
01/27/24

The Outside Man 01/27/24

Une homme est mort.  Jean-Louis Trintignant’s reluctant gambler and Roy Scheider’s professional hit man shoot it out in the streets of Los Angeles in Jacques Deray’s loopy crime-time travelogue from sunny 1971. Ann-Margret and Angie Dickinson join some old noir favorites and Georgia Engel — yes, that Gloria Engel — for a mob double cross that pits an amateur assassin against a professional. The action drifts from Venice to the Sunset Strip and back to Pacific Ocean Park. This new release features both the French and U.S. versions of the film, and is 6 minutes longer than United Artists’ PG theatrical cut. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/27/24

Danza Macabra Volume Two 01/23/24

The Italian Gothic Collection.  Charlie Largent takes on Severin’s challenging 8-disc compendium, featuring quattro terrificanti racconti dell’horror italiano!  The refined lineup has ‘Jekyll,’ a 4.5-hour TV miniseries of surprising quality; Adolfo Celi in ‘They Have Changed Their Face,’ a political shocker interpreting capitalism in vampire terms; ‘The Devil’s Lover’ with Rosalba Neri and Edmond Purdum . . . and the new uncut restoration of Margheriti’s ‘Castle of Blood’ with Barbara Steele, in two language versions, and in 4K Ultra-HD as well. On Blu-ray (+ 4K Ultra HD) from Severin Films.
01/23/24

Two War Films by Lewis Gilbert 01/23/24

Fans of Brit war fare will like these mid-’50s look-backs at daring exploits in uniform, directed by Lewis Gilbert. Albert R.N. is a little-seen but rather good POW tale taken from real life. Anthony Steel, Jack Warner, Robert Beatty & William Sylvester try out a brilliant but risky escape plan, utilizing a ‘new’ prisoner in their barrack, ‘Albert.’ Then, suspense in a life raft is the subject of The Sea Shall Not Have Them. Air-sea rescue in the English Channel is performed by Royal Air Force personnel — in boats. The cast is even more stellar: Michael Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde, Nigel Patrick. On Blu-ray from The Cohen Collection.
01/23/24

Cabin in the Sky 01/20/24

One of the most entertaining musicals ever, MGM’s ‘All Black’ Broadway extravaganza wins over audiences with its big heart, tuneful song list and wickedly funny comedy. The all-star cast bursts with unique talent: Ethel Waters, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, Lena Horne, for a fantastic Film Blanc morality play. Additional musical magic is provided by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong; it’s Vincente Minnelli’s first solo directing credit. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
01/20/24

Lone Star 4K 01/20/24

Texas becomes a battleground for change: the law ‘n’ order image of the Texas Rangers, the attitudes of established immigrants, a soldier trying to instill older values and a teacher trying to inspire new ones. How do we deal with the controversial past, public and private. Director John Sayles’ vivid screenplay benefits from excellent performances by Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Miriam Colon, Joe Morton, Clifton James, Ron Canada — the list goes on. Sayles’ most satisfying drama puts the conflicts of the cultural divide in clear terms. History plays ironic tricks on all of the characters, no preference given. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
01/20/24

Jinnah 01/16/24

And we thought we knew Christopher Lee. This rarely-seen national epic gives him an excellent, highly unusual role, as the Father of Pakistan who is sober and authoritative — and also sheds a tear. We didn’t know our fave actor had it in him. The well-made picture is a fast tour through postwar Indian history, that avoids total superficiality with an inventive scriptwriting: the Great Man reviews his life from the Great Beyond. With Shashi Kapoor, Shireen Shah, Maria Aitken and James Fox. On Region-Free Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
01/16/24

Odds Against Tomorrow 01/16/24

Tomorrow may only be ‘A Day Away,’ but the important thing to remember is that it is a bleak gamble. Harry Belafonte produces and stars in an angry, unsettling heist noir with little chance for a happy outcome. The heavy-duty race theme comes across well, and sparks fly between Belafonte’s desperate musician and Robert Ryan’s intensely bitter comrade in crime. It’s Robert Wise’s last and least hopeful ’50s noir, backed by a mournful jazz score and subtle visual experimentation. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/16/24

Castle of Blood (Danza Macabra) 4K 01/13/24

Wow, Severin’s killer 4K restoration boosts Antonio Margheriti’s bloodsucking ghost chiller nearer the apex of classic gothic Eurohorror. Barbara Steele seduces, swoons and shudders as one of several phantoms cursed to repeat their murderous crimes, and lure new victims to join them in undead Lust. The original Italian version is an uncensored knockout, and generates an erotic charge that transcends exploitation. Can you tell that this disc impressed us?  Reviewed separately here, it’s one title in a new boxed set: Danza Macabra Volume Two: The Italian Gothic Collection. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Severin Films.
01/13/24

The Red Balloon and Other Stories: Five Films by Albert Lamorisse 01/13/24

The Albert Lamorisse ‘children’s classic’ is simply great cinema, a visual fable with a touching lesson to impart. Reviewer Charlie Largent sings the film’s visual delights, its original use of color, and Lamorisse’s knack for making an inanimate object seem alive. It’s the only short film to win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Also included is the directors’ Le cheval sauvage some good interview extras and a booklet with an essay by David Cairns. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
01/13/24

Tarzan the Ape Man 01/09/24

Hopefully this release is just the beginning of a new WAC series of Tarzan remasters.  The original pre-Code classic has everything we want: innocent/lustful sex in the jungle, terrific work from Johnny Weissmuller & Maureen O’Sullivan, bloody savagery . . . plus race attitudes stuck in the white supremacist 19th century. The monkey acrobatics and animal mayhem are non-stop. You TOO will see the dreaded Mutia Escarpment, and the forbidden Lost Elephant’s Graveyard! Olympic swimmer Weissmuller scores big as the sound era’s first bare-chested pulp action hero. Watch out for that Tree!  On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
01/09/24

Devil’s Partner + Creature from the Haunted Sea 01/09/24

A pact with Satan!  A pop-eyed sea monster!  The lurid artwork for this fairly obscure 1961 horror double bill looks like adult fare, with a naked she-devil riding a centaur, and a giant claw hefting a typical female victim above the briny Caribbean,  🎶  or Carribbe-an Sea!  🎶  They form an anti-blockbuster Filmgroup drive-in release, and Film Masters gives them extras to appeal to both aficionados of the fantastic and the beer & wisecracks party crowd. Each film comes in a choice of Aspect Ratios, so no fighting on this one — the collectors will have to argue about chapter stops. On Blu-ray from Film Masters.
01/09/24

Cushing Curiosities 01/06/24

Severin gathers a fistful of Peter Cushing odds ‘n’ ends, and dazzles us with excellent transfers and detailed extras. Reviewer Charlie Largent chalks up the pros and cons of six separate items, ranging from items in Cushing’s ‘let’s avoid horror’ years to some truly unusual items. The tally totals up the thrillers Cone of Silence, Suspect, The Man Who Finally Died, four episodes of a BBC Sherlock Holmes TV series, and the horror items Bloodsuckers and Tender Dracula. Actor-critic Jonathan Rigby dominates the extras and contributes a book to the boxed set. On Blu-ray from Severin Films.
01/06/24

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz 01/06/24

The film adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s book retains the original’s richness and feeling for character, thanks to fine direction by Ted Kotcheff and spot-on supporting performances by Micheline Lanctôt, Jack Warden, Randy Quaid, Joseph Wiseman, and Denholm Elliott — and a fearless starring effort by Richard Dreyfuss. Intent on getting rich fast, the ‘pushy’ punk Kravitz alienates both his family and the people that trust him — he’s learned all the wrong lessons about getting ahead in a dog-eat-dog world. Rated one of the top Canadian films ever, it plays exceptionally well in this newly remastered edition. On Blu-ray from Fun City Editions.
01/06/24

Oppenheimer 4K 01/02/24

Christopher Nolan’s biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer is a welcome departure from present film trends. The story of the ‘father’ of the atom bomb prioritizes the scientist’s dilemma — the nation wants Oppie’s expertise to make a super-weapon, but won’t tolerate his opinions about the atomic future. Was there ever a 3-hour epic devoted mostly to security clearances?  The intelligent screenplay makes sense of dozens of historical figures, embodied by a cast that includes Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Alden Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, Kenneth Branagh, Gregory Jbara, Tom Conti, David Krumholtz, Josh Hartnett, Florence Pugh, Matthew Modine, James Remar and Gary Oldman. On Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital from Universal Home Video.
01/02/24