Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Month: October 2024

I Walked with a Zombie / The Seventh Victim: Produced by Val Lewton — 4K 10/12/24

Two of legendary Val Lewton’s greatest achievements make it to 4K Ultra HD. In Jacques Tourneur’s film the Gothic romance goes Voodoo on a West Indies plantation, with a side tragedy of slave misery. Scandal can’t hide, especially when the cheating wife falls into a catatonic ‘zombie’ state. It’s guilt, duty, and ‘shame and sorrow for the family.’ Then Lewton’s most personal film sees a teenaged Kim Hunter search Manhattan for her lost sister, who may be the captive of a Devil Cult — or a fugitive murderess. Tight scripting, poetic imagery and just plain macabre weirdness rules, whether under jungle drums or in a Greenwich Village coffee klatsch. With an excellent extended video essay by Imogen Sara Smith. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/12/24

I Vampiri 10/12/24

Halloween ’24 is looking good … chalk another genre landmark onto the list of excellent special edition discs: Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava’s grisly thriller is the initial foray into Italo horror, a meeting of Gothic notions and modern medical horror. Gianna Maria Canale is the ravishing Duchess whose beauty is preserved through sordid science; Wanda Guida is the latest victim to contribute sangue fresco to support the aristocracy. Production-wise the movie was a stumble that cinematographer Bava rescued with re-shoots, his first major directing effort. Horror researchers have been studying it ever since. This terrific release contains the Italian original plus two versions mangled by distributors for exploitation ‘adult’ release. On Blu-ray from Radiance.
10/12/24

Babylon Berlin — Season 4 10/08/24

It’s a dive into an intoxicating, anarchic slice of the 20th-century, the brief era that was Weimar Germany. The society still reels from crushing defeat and dark political forces are gearing up for a malign future. Berlin’s nightlife churns with experimental art, debauched revelry and untempered vice. Henk Handloegten, Tom Tykwer and Achim von Borries’ massive series has been called the best thing on TV; the complex web of characters, intrigues, passions and derangement is presented with fantastic period art direction and directed and performed to raise a drug-fueled sweat — the action, music, color and historical comment are fascinating. It’s the most exciting show since the heyday of Nordic Noir. On Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.
10/08/24

The West Wing — The Complete Series 10/08/24

Sure, it’s a TV landmark. To liberals it is a dream vision of how responsible government, run by practical idealists, ought to work. The show’s seven years of rational ups and downs were aired mostly during the Bush administration, and still managed to hold out hope for America. It’s a crowning achievement for creator Aaron Sorkin — imagine, a popular TV show that presents a presidential administration as a positive thing. Inspiration is where you find it; the quality upgrade makes this massive Blu-ray set an attractive item for an election year. On Blu-ray from Warner Home Entertainment.
10/08/24

The Ladykillers — 4K 10/05/24

Alexander Mackendrick’s ‘annihilating comedy’ is one of the best of the Ealing classics. Four hardened criminals are intent on pulling off the heist of the century, when they come up against an enemy for whom they’re totally unprepared – a little old lady who totters around, talks in a high voice, and has to be humored by everyone. William Rose’s story conjures a fistful of dastards — Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers and Danny Green follow the master plan of Alec Guinness’s gangleader, a characterization that makes use of a set of false teeth that are hilarious on their own — a creepy Chas. Addams effect. The sweet grandma and those polite cops barely need to lift a finger — Guinness’s mob is its own worst enemy. It’s a real gem. On 4K Ultra-HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/05/24

Words and Music 10/05/24

The Warner Archive’s latest MGM Technicolor bon-bon is this strained musical bio — Mickey Rooney as Lorenz Hart? — that nevertheless can boast an impressive revue lineup of performances: Judy Garland, Betty Garrett, Mickey Rooney, Lena Horne, Mel Tormé et al. The showstopper is one of Gene Kelly’s earliest ‘music ballet’ extravaganzas — he dances Apachewith Vera-Ellen in the dynamic Hart-Rodgers composition Slaughter on 10th Avenue. It’s pretty exciting — ballet art masks some pretty erotic moves. With an excellent audio commentary by Richard Barrios. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/05/24

Clockwatchers 10/01/24

Corporate culture had been around for years when the ‘Office Hell’ genre arrived, and this sleek fable from cubicle-land is both one of the best and one of the least seen. The much abused office temps Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow and Alanna Ubach don’t even have the luxury of cubicles, or desks of their own. The comic tones develop into a deeper statement about workplace alienation, that stifles relationships and shatters one’s sense of free will. Even when it’s funny, Jill and Karen Sprecher’s perfectly-arranged look at office reality hits home hard. Everybody shines, and the remarkable Parker Posey runs away with top honors. On Blu-ray from Shout! Studios.
10/01/24

Burn, Witch, Burn 10/01/24

No sooner do we dig up an old review for this horror masterpiece, than StudioCanal remasters it with a 4K scan and Kino adds some quality extras — just in time to start off the CineSavant Halloween season. College professor Peter Wyngarde refuses to believe that his missus Janet Blair has secured his high academic roost through witchcraft, but the lesson comes home with a vengeance when he throws away her amulets, potions and herbs — others on the faculty see an opening to throw malicious hexes his way. If you don’t like supernatural stories, it’s a dandy substitute for college politics, which as we all know can be vicious!  We’re even surprised by some startling special effects — this has to be director Sidney Hayers’ crowning achievement (next to Circus of Horrors, of course). On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/01/24