Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Month: September 2026

The Hot Spot   — 4K UHD 09/15/26

Dennis Hopper’s Texas neo-noir is a sultry sizzler, long on atmosphere and rather poky in the pace department. Ladies’ man Don Johnson drifts into a Texas burg and commences romancing both Jennifer Connelly and Virginia Madsen. But who is seducing whom and for what underhanded reason?  Throw in a bank robbery and a couple of murders, and the frame is complete. Don may be on the way to the gas chamber, but he has all those great Texas exteriors to look at in 4K UHD. Radiance Films give this one an A+ treatment, on 4K Ultra HD + Region B Blu-ray.
09/15/26

Troy   — 4K 09/12/26

They say You Can’t Go Homer again, but it’s no problem making a slam-bang fantasy Iliad tuned to the star chemistry of Brad Pitt and the new (in 2003) ability to fill the screen with thousands of Greeks battling with sword ‘n’ shield. David Benioff’s script is intelligent and the dialogue isn’t bad; Pitt swings a sword with style while being given a full glamour treatment. The supporting cast is up to the task: Brian Cox, Eric Bana, Sean Bean, Diane Kruger, Saffron Burrows, Rose Byrne, Olando Bloom, Brendan Gleeson and Peter O’Toole, with Julie Christie in for a bit of magic. The 4K is stunning and Wolfgang Petersen’s direction unfussy. On 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.
09/12/26

The Saragossa Manuscript   — 4K 09/12/26

Is it surreal, or psychedelic?  The source novel dates from 1813. This mind-blowing exercise in narrative puzzle-making is a classic with unique qualities, and its Polish director Wojciech Has is a genius. Investigating a strange book found on a Spanish battlefield, soldier Zbigniew Cybulski is plunged into a fantasy vs reality labyrinth that darn near Moggles the Bind. It’s a masterpiece of narrative tricks — weird, funny, sexy and profound. You’ll be surprised how natural Spaniards speaking Polish becomes. The extras include am excellent Michael Brooke documentary that brings us up to speed on the movie, plus Polish film history and its great directors … it’s fascinating. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Raidance Films.
09/12/26

Out of the Past  — 4K UHD 09/08/26

At the peak of the style called film noir are a few classics that approach perfection, and Jacques Tourneur’s supremely poetic film is certainly in the top ten. Daniel Mainwaring’s pulp novel has plenty of macabre twists but the adaptation benefits from the electric charge generated by Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer. Her fugitive is the kind of woman men die for, and his detective is willing to throw his life away over love. The storytelling is very European, with passages that might confuse if you miss a clue or two. An early-career Kirk Douglas is a reptilian bad guy; Rhonda Fleming and Virginia Huston are two more distinct, adult characters. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
09/08/26

Hell’s Highway   The True Story of Highway Safety Films 09/08/26

Two decades later, this daring documentary is still the only authoritative reportage on a near-taboo subject: the gross and gory graphic auto accident movies once shown to high schoolers with the idea of scaring them into driving more safely. Filmmaker Bret Wood has reconstructed and partly revised the docu, which tells the full story of the Ohio-based company that made them. It’s the whole, strange story, presented in an non-exploitative way. Included are several full ‘driving safety’ films, and excerpts of others. On Blu-ray from Kino Cult.
09/08/26

Hud  — 4K UHD 09/05/26

Seen a movie as good as this one lately?  Reviewer Charlie Largent plumbs the acting riches of director Martin Ritt’s HUD, with Paul Newman notching up his signature role (with the poster that inspired Joe Buck!) and Patrica Neal conquering all in the highlight performance of her career. This picture feels downbeat, yet triumphant. It won two Oscars and gave author Larry McMurtry an auspicious start in the movies. Brandon de Wilde endures one of the better passage-to-manhood story arcs, while Newman has a hell of a good time as the original no-apologies S.O.B. Man of the West. Dames like Yvette Vickers’ Lily can’t enough of him. The B&W Panavision is terrific with James Wong Howe behind the camera. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
09/05/26

Spike of Bensonhurst  — 4K UHD 09/05/26

Paul Morrissey wrote and directed this sprawling, comic/serious neighborhood saga that scrambles ethnic identities, lopsided honor codes and the twisted ‘normality’ of mob rule in the borough of Brooklyn. Do we like our hero Spike?  He’s an arrogant, entitled Italian-American, macho to the core. He impregnates both of his girlfriends, Maria Pitillo and Talisa Soto. The only objection comes from Pitillo’s father, local mob boss Ernest Borgnine (the best thing in the movie). Spike’s a legend in his own mind, but does he have a future in the Mafia?  On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Fun City Editions.
09/05/26

Forbidden Planet  — 4K UHD 09/01/26

Robby the Robot is back, this time in 4K. Arrow Video’s 4K restoration brings back the full early width of CinemaScope, along with a re-created Perspecta Stereo sound mix. Hollywood’s one full-out attempt to depict an intergalactic Sci-fi future is a smashing success that relies on complex ideas as well as spaceships and monsters. It’s also a warning fable about runaway technology — are We Humans going to repeat the mistakes of The Krell?  Leslie Nielsen and Anne Francis shine, the visual effects dazzle behind Bebe and Louis Barron’s electronic ‘tonalities.’ On 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.
09/01/26

Silent Gloria Swanson Times Two 09/01/26

Reviewer Denise Morrison returns with another silent movie on disc, or actually, two separate releases starring the huge silent star Gloria Swanson, Manhandled and Stage Struck. One is hard to find and was mastered/restored from surviving 16mm prints; the other is beautifully preserved in original 35mm. Both were produced and directed by Allan Dwan. They are older disc releases, but going forward Ms. Morrison will be reviewing newer product as well. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
09/01/26