Saturday February 3, 2024

“I don’t know what we were waiting for. Maybe we thought the world would end.”

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio 4K 02/03/24

The Criterion Collection
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

The story of the wooden toy puppet that comes to life is given a new spin in stop-motion animation, and a new interpretation as an anti-Fascist parable in GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO, an Oscar winner for best animated feature and a visual-musical delight. Co-director Mark Gustafson heads up the animation and effects team that puts Pinoochio in conflict with Il Duce’s soul-crushing blackshirts. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
02/03/24

Conan the Barbarian 4K 02/03/24

Arrow Video USA
4K Ultra HD

We kids ogled the ’60s pocketbook covers that promised forbidden adult content, but a full-blown sword & sorcery Conan film adaptation wouldn’t come along for twenty years. Dino De Laurentiis’ second stab at a Star Wars– style franchise hit paydirt: body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger became a bona fide star as the Cimmerian swordsman, ‘fleshing out’ John Milius & Oliver Stone’s adolescent fantasies of sex and violence. Designs by Ron Cobb and music by Basil Poledouris are a major asset. Arrow goes to town on this 4K special edition. On 4K Ultra HD from Arrow Video.
02/03/24

CineSavant Column

Saturday February 3, 2024

 

Hello!

The Vinegar Syndrome disc boutique once again makes Eurohorror news. A few weeks back we reported on its upcoming restored and extended cut of the Saul Bass Sci-fi item Phase IV, and their 4K release of The Horrible Dr. Hichcock just shipped.

While we’re pondering the best way to review Hichcock a second time, the company has announced new a Blu-ray remaster, of the ‘exotic’ Italian horror offering L’ultima preda del vampiro, known to us in a dubbed and slightly censored U.S. version as The Playgirls and the Vampire.

This time out Vinegar Syndrome gives us an excellent little short subject about the care they take to revamp films like Playgirls for disc. My friends that deal with film give an approving thumbs-up to the promo. It’s well-produced, accurate and (cough) educational, with many close-up images of film elements as viewed on an editor’s workbench. VS’s archivist Oscar Becher is a good host, too. The link:

Winding through ‘The Playgirls and the Vampire.’
 


 

This Variety news regarding Tim Burton and Gillian Flynn is fairly self-explanatory:

A New ‘Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman’ Remake In the Works.
The first question is, is the monster success of Barbie the inspiration for this?  How can one put a feminist spin on the tale of Nancy Archer?  The culture long ago declared the original Attack to be some kind of schlock parody, although we cherish it as grass-roots drive-in exploitation. Making it into something idologically relevant — if that’s even the aim — will be a challenge.

And how soon do directors Jim Wynorski and Christopher Guest start squawking?  Both have already made direct Attack remakes, after all.

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson

Tuesday January 30, 2024

A nifty present from Allan Peach — a 3-D replica of the CineSavant logo!

The Prince and the Pauper 01/30/24

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

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

(reprint)
Blu-ray

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)

CineSavant Column

Tuesday January 30, 2024

Hello!

Los Angeles photographer and close friend Allan Peach caught the 3-D printer bug a few years back. Just last week he gifted me with something special — a 3-D sign of our CineSavant Logo, in full relief and with the correct colors. Allan made it on his 3-D printer. No paint is involved; I’m guessing that three different-colored plastics (?) were used.

Charlie Largent designed our CineSavant logo soon after the move to Trailers from Hell in 2015; he kept the original layered photoshop files, which Allan slipped directly into his 3-D program.

The sign is 3 x 10 inches; it’s got some stick-tape on the back for when I figure out a proper place of honor for it. I think it needs to be placed behind me, to be visible on my computer’s camera, you know, for official business.

My previous 3-D printed item from Allan is this rather cool Gill Man figurine.  I put few knicknacks on display, but these are too special to hide.

 


 

Explaining today’s ‘Reprint’ Review:   We try to keep the CineSavant Index of Reviews up to date… the idea is that older reviews remain a reading resource. Encouraging browsing is why new CineSavant reviews carry so many links to older reviews. Readers are quick to ask what’s wrong when a link doesn’t work. Last month we discovered that ten reviews from 2015 were dead — the site they were posted to ceased to exist.

In 2015 ‘DVD Savant’ had to go begging for a new host platform, because its host page DVDtalk could no longer work with an independent reviewer. At the beginning of August we had no place to post reviews, but then Joe Dante extended an invitation to be a guest reviewer at Trailers from Hell. The first review at TFH was Mad Max Fury Road.

But for a few weeks in August, our generous reviewing colleague Stuart Galbraith IV let us post at his page, then called World Cinema Paradise. The reviews that DVD Savant posted there have remained up all this time, even though WCP became inactive a few years ago. Then, late last year, the page disappeared along with its entire contents.

Since the links to the ‘World Cinema Paradise’ reviews no longer go anywhere, I’m going to be reprinting them here in the next few weeks. Old links in our reviews may be faulty but those in the CineSavant Index will still function!

All this makes me wonder if the old page DVDtalk will shut down someday sooner or later. If it does, I’ll have to figure out how to revive the 4800 DVD Savant reviews presently posted there, and nowhere else.

 


 

What’s this photo all about?

With Quentin Tarantino’s Vista Theater now newly renovated and up and running, we’re seeing more about it in print.  (I ought to snap a picture or two, as it’s on the way to my grocery store of choice.)

Those with an historical curiosity will love the entry for The Vista Theater at the Los Angeles Theaters page. It covers the long life of The Vista from its opening as the Bard Theater in 1923, through its life going forward, including a period in the 1960s when it was a porn house. There’s a million pictures on the page, including screen grabs of the Vista’s appearances in feature films, the most notable being True Romance.

But the photo I’m showing here was taken in 1916 only a few hundred yards from where The Vista sits now — it’s the crumbling Babylon set for D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance.

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson

Saturday January 27, 2024

The Production Code passed this, but discouraged words like ‘pregnant’ and ‘virgin.’

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

Radiance
Blu-ray

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

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

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

CineSavant Column

Saturday January 27, 2024

 

Hello!

Today’s lead item, courtesy of David J. Show, is for fans of Sci-fi — from the page Phantom of the Backlots is a photo article from last June by Donnie Norden called Planet of the Apes, 55 Years Later….

There’s a nice text section at the end, but the main content focuses on a long parade of behind-the-scenes production photos, plus location comparison pictures. We also liked the telegram from Joan Crawford to Rod Serling.

 


 

From correspondent / contributor Michael McQuarrie comes a link to an excellent encoding of an expensive, British-produced industrial film from 1956 selling the idea that air travel is now for everybody. Filmed in 35mm by ‘The Shell Film Unit,’ the show has a music score by Richard Rodney Bennett.

The main idea seems to be to calm passenger trepidation. A variety of craft are shown, with special scenes of passengers from far-flung nations to interest Southeast Asians, Indians, etc. in the ease of travel. The show includes rare footage of an experimental plane or two. The stately production is called Song of the Clouds.

Also offered is a shorter American sales film promoting both air travel and tourism. Made by ‘Dudley Pictures Corporation’ for Trans-World Airlines, Flight to California 1952 is directed by none other than actor Richard Carlson.


Oh yes, the photo up top from The Bride and the Beast is a dishonest cheat. For the record, CineSavant has no bias against movie gorillas. We like Jane Goodall’s book Gorillas that I Miss.

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson

Tuesday January 23, 2024

Ingmar Bergman wanted to film this exact dream sequence for Persona, but Gale Gordon wasn’t available.

Danza Macabra Volume Two 01/23/24

Severin Films
Blu-ray + one 4K Ultra HD

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

Cohen Media Group
Blu-ray

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

CineSavant Column

Tuesday January 23, 2024

 

Hello!

This first item was circulated a couple of days ago by Joe Dante, who describes it as genuine nightmare material.

From the Meme Dream Machine, it’s a longform TV advertisement in the style of the 1950s. It’s also said to be AI-generated. Haven’t you always wanted to go to a luxurious theme part, and be chased by large, rather disturbing puppets?

Enter, if you dare . . . .

. . . .  Pooky Park.
It’s so scary, it can’t even spell its own name.

 


 

And correspondent Michael McQuarrie comes through once again with a solid Column link:

The 1966 Batmobile.
I’ve seen web pages on the Batmobile before, including one that offered to sell copies (it’s no longer up).  But this AutoAnything page is the most comprehensive we’ve seen so far.

 


 

And finally, we prompted contributor / advisor Gary Teetzel to formalize a helpful Mini-Disc Review he sent us last week. It’s a way of getting it onto the record here at CineSavant — when we first mentioned the release last May, potential viewers were curious, and we weren’t able to receive an official review copy.

Gary’s mini-review of

The Whale God:

Watched the new SRS Blu-ray of Tokuzo Tanaka’s The Whale God (Kujira Gami) last night. Based on a novel by Koichiro Uno, the 1962 film tells the Moby-Dick-like story of an enormous whale that terrorizes generations of whalers in a small Japanese village. The village elder (Takashi Shimura) offers a fortune, his title and the hand of his daughter in marriage to the man who can kill the beast. Shaki (Kôjirô Hongô), whose grandfather, father and brother have all been killed by the whale, decides it is his duty to avenge their deaths, but faces competition from the ruthless, mercenary outsider only interested in the reward, Kishu (Shintarô Katsu). As he waits for the whale to return, Shaki must cope with months of hardship and challenges to his sense of ethics and honor.

The Whale God holds one’s interest, but it’s one of those movies that feels like an awkward condensation of a longer, richer work. Abrupt jumps in time make the narrative choppy, and certain supporting characters are underdeveloped (some of them just vanish from the narrative). Ultimately, it doesn’t really come together, but devoted fans of Japanese cinema will find much to appreciate.

The cast is quite good: Hero Kôjirô Hongô is a familiar face from Daiei films of the period, including three Gamera films, one of the Daimajin films and one of the Yokai Monsters films. Viewers who only know Shintarô Katsu from his role as the heroic Zatoichi from the long-running film series will likely be taken aback by his villainous turn as Kishu. Takashi Shimura, so often cast as an ‘elderly sage,’ also brings a sharp edge to his role as the village elder who is revealed to be arrogant and domineering.

The special effects are effective for the period, mixing a full-size whale prop and miniatures; there are times when the blend is more effective than in John Huston’s Moby Dick, thanks to some judicious editing. The three people credited with effects work don’t have many other credits on the IMDB, and none of them are credited with working on Daiei’s 1960 tokusatsu films.

Akira Ifukube’s score for the most part does not resemble his work in the kaiju field; it leans more toward the sad and mournful side of his work.

The transfer is very good, with good contrast and a sharp image free from any significant damge. Extras are limited to a couple of brief text pieces and numerous trailers for other SRS releases. — Gary

 

Gary sends along this purchase link for The Whale God, at the SRS Cinema Store.


Thanks Gary.    And thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson

Saturday January 20, 2024

Onward Oliver!  Upward Yvonne!  It’s as hairy & ferocious as classic Hammer got.

Cabin in the Sky 01/20/24

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

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

The Criterion Collection
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

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

CineSavant Column

Saturday January 20, 2024

 

Hello!

We’ve got nothing but gratitude for associates like Kevin Pyrtle, who helped steer us to PD copies of Abel Gance’s La fin du monde back when any peek at that picture was a rare thing. He may yet reassemble that crazy show, adding montages kept for the goofball American release.

But today I steer readers, especially those interested in arcane Kaiju, to Kevin’s new page “Thrilling Tales of Weltraum★besty,” where he’s beginning to compile some recent thoughts on the subject.

His latest page details a certain hobby ‘restoration’ on which he’s embarked — ‘scanning’ an entire trailer for a Daiei Gamera feature — you know, the franchise about a titanic flying terrapin with rockets in his b___.  The progress made so far shows us Kevin’s raw ‘scan’ with his homemade copying apparatus. Doing something about the faded color comes next. We’re eager to see what he can do, considering how faded is the source trailer print.

The exact article is Film Scanning, Fool’s errands and Flying Turtles.

 


 

Japanese monster news keeps coming in — a theatrical reissue of the new Godzilla Minus One is coming up — in Black and White. We’re more keen on knowing when some fab 4K disc release will be announced.

Meanwhile, CineSavant informer-confederate Chuck Shillingford tells us that a 4K Ultra HD disc of the original Gojira ’54 went on sale in Japan back on October ’23.

Don’t jump to buy, as the disc description gives no indication of having English subs.

I’ve never heard a good answer as to why the superb remaster we saw of Gojira ’54 was never released here. We saw samples of it about 15 years ago at Steve Ryfle’s place. The image was far better than anything I’ve seen before or since, including Criterion’s disc releases; Toho has superior transfers of most of its Kaiju and Sci-fi classics that don’t get licensed abroad, including to Criterion. Being a Japanese disc, it also had no English language subtitles.

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson