Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Archives: Reviews

Ziegfeld Follies 07/20/21

Years in the making!  The glory of MGM on parade!  Enough studio resources to film twenty pictures were expended on this paean to showman Florenz Ziegfeld. It’s really Metro Goldwyn Mayer’s Technicolor valentine to itself, showing off the studio’s enormous stable of musical talent, along with various of its comic performers. Arthur Freed and Louis B. Mayer’s notion of ‘something for everyone’ results in weird stack of grandiose musical numbers and mostly weak comedy. The biggest draw is the incredible color cinematography that peeks through in three or four jaw-droppingly elaborate musical spectacles. The picture is a workout to find the artistic limits of the Technicolor system. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/20/21

Flight to Mars 07/17/21

The Wade Williams Collection yields another ’50s sci-fi notable, Monogram Pictures’ ambitious space travel movie filmed in glorious green-challenged Cinecolor. Cameron Mitchell and Arthur Franz sign up for a semi-suicidal space expedition, but instead of murderous Bat-Rat-Spider-Crabs, waiting for them on Mars is the glamorous, mini-skirted Marguerite Chapman. It’s core sci-fi fun from early in the Golden Era. The Film Detective adds a commentary, two new featurettes and an insert booklet; the film itself is lovingly restored to its original Cinecolor brilliance. On Blu-ray from The Film Detective.
07/17/21

What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? 07/17/21

George Seaton’s literal feel-good comedy is the flipside of pandemic films like Contagion: a powerful virus ‘cures’ grumpiness and bad vibes, encouraging a kind of Urban Utopia. The picture has nothing more to say than ‘have a nice day,’ yet it’s difficult to argue with any positive sentiment. George Peppard and Mary Tyler Moore battle nobly with the material, which varies from good parody (Dom DeLuise) to awful vaudeville schtick to wafer-thin satire to terrible musical interludes. A Toucan bird from South America steals the show — his trainer Ray Berwick should have won an Oscar. Featuring Susan Saint James, Don Stroud, Dom DeLuise, John McMartin, Charles Lane, Nathaniel Frey, George Furth and AMIGO the TOUCAN. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/17/21

I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes 07/13/21

Producer Walter Mirisch’s second film is another satisfying mystery drama from author Cornell Woolrich. Dancers Don Castle and Elyse Knox find some money, and suddenly he’s arrested, tried and convicted for a murder, all on circumstantial evidence; detective Regis Toomey tries to find the real killer to please Mrs. Knox. The Monogram noir lacks fancy trimmings and was perhaps a bit rushed, but the story is good and the performances are sincere. We’re told that this one was at one point thought to be completely lost, but it sure plays well now — it looks untouched. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/13/21

O.S.S. 07/13/21

Hollywood acknowledges the existence of America’s proto- C.I.A. intelligence agency with this espionage tale of Yanks working with the resistance in occupied France. It’s basic cloak ‘n’ dagger action, with intrepid Alan Ladd and the daring Geraldine Fitzgerald risking life and limb to plant plastic explosive bombs. The details are fairly interesting: Ladd outwits the Gestapo by working with a turncoat inside their ranks. The outcome is grimly realistic, even if that old Paramount glamour is part of the package. The writer-producer is Richard Maibaum, who would later write almost thirty years’ worth of James Bond’s adventures: why, what 007 collector can be without this?  With Patric Knowles, John Hoyt, Gloria Saunders, Richard Webb, and Richard Benedict. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/13/21

The Eurocrypt Of Christopher Lee 07/10/21

Charlie Largent takes on Severin’s most prestigious ‘big box’ compilation collection to date, a grouping of several of Christopher Lee’s on the Continent features in mostly excellent, uncut editions. For instance, we’ve seen The Torture Garden of Dr. Sadism many times in feeble quality, cut and dubbed and re-titled; this set practically re-premieres it as Die Schlangengrube und das Pendel, full-length, in gorgeous color and in two languages. The Eight-disc set contains five features, including Lee’s impressive Castle of the Living Dead, plus a TV anthology series, endless expert extras and a full 88-page book by Jonathan Rigby. On Blu-ray from Severin Films.
07/10/21

In Harm’s Way 07/10/21

Hollywood’s last big all-star war epic in Black & White?  Otto Preminger took a happy film company to Hawaii for this enormous saga about the Naval push in the Pacific Theater of WW2, with none other than John Wayne as the competent commander leading the charge. Soap-opera scenes aside, it’s a thrilling epic directed with Preminger’s well-known reserve. The star-gazing isn’t bad either — Kirk Douglas! Patricia Neal! Henry Fonda! Paula Prentiss! The finish is a huge naval battle with impressive live-action special effects, and given a moody music score by Jerry Goldsmith. On Blu-ray from Paramount Viacom CBS.
07/10/21

One Armed Boxer 07/06/21

High-quality chopsocky mayhem!  Guest reviewer Lee Broughton returns with an assessment of Jimmy Wang Yu’s action-packed martial arts flick. The combat comes thick and fast when a team of deadly mercenaries are employed to wipe out the honourable pupils of the Zhengde School. Writer-director Jimmy Wang Yu is placed front and centre in most of these fights. Excellent fight choreography, commendable cinematography and a well-realised vengeance narrative make this fast-paced show a winner. On Region B Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment.
07/06/21

The Web 07/06/21

It’s smooth noir sailing with this polished noir from Universal-International and its choice cast of pros — Edmond O’Brien, Ella Raines and William Bendix, plus Vincent Price doing an excellent turn as a Machiavellian businessman, a ‘frame’ expert with a side specialty in double-dealing. Director Michael Gordon earns an early credit for Universal-International with a nice look: almost all exteriors are richly photographed nighttime scenes. Ella Raines is particularly good — despite the cover illustration, she’s not a femme fatale, just a cautious independent woman. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/06/21

Pickup on South Street 07/03/21

Sam Fuller turns from combat in Korea to cat ‘n mouse games in New York City, with America’s stand-up defenders being exactly one low-life pickpocket and one saucy woman of the sidewalks. Richard Widmark is a charming chiseler with a wicked grin, Jean Peters is the hot number who takes a knockdown as a love pat, and Thelma Ritter steals the show as a wholly endearing snitch trying to earn money for a nice burial plot. But Fuller’s directorial powers are going full tilt, with scenes of cinematic power to match any ‘auteur’ — you’ll be mesmerized by a sordid subway encounter that could be rated X for basic erotic chemistry. In an unusually good 4K scan, on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/03/21

Major Dundee 07/03/21

It’s a new deluxe Limited Edition of Sam Peckinpah’s mangled masterpiece, the third fancy boxed set in as many years. Arrow’s presentation has certainly got the edge in graphic elegance. They’ve also strived to include as many earlier extras as possible, plus new analytical-critical takes on the picture, and an excellent (and wickedly funny) visual essay from David Cairns. The disc has both of my commentaries, including the comprehensive one that details the missing scenes with information taken directly from Sam Peckinpah and Oscar Saul’s screenplay. And hey, you never know: this could be the year that Mitch Miller’s Singalong Gang makes an incredible comeback, and we can ALL fall in behind the Major. Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Senta Berger, James Coburn, Jim Hutton star. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
07/03/21

Essential Film Noir Collection 2 06/29/21

Viavision’s second deluxe Film Noir box finds real variety in the film style, as the selections range from low-budget efforts to an expensive picture shot on location in Mexico. Richard Conte solves a notorious movie studio murder in Hollywood Story, Gig Young is cop thinking of going crooked in City that Never Sleeps, Glenn Ford gets involved with murderous treasure hunters in Mexico in Plunder of the Sun and Steve Cochran’s cop really does go rogue in Private Hell 36. And let’s not forget the lineup of great actresses: Julia Adams, Mala Powers, Marie Windsor, Diana Lynn, Patricia Medina, and Ida Lupino. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
06/29/21

The Human Condition 06/29/21

Masaki Kobayashi’s six part adaptation of the book by Jumpei Gomikawa may be the most ambitious, most truthful film about the big-picture reality of war. Idealist Tatsuya Nakadai thinks he can avoid complicity in human evil by volunteering as a civilian to manage a work camp in occupied Manchuria, only to find that he’s expected to starve and torture the Chinese slave laborers. Resistance leads to conscription in a brutal boot camp, and deployment on the Northern front just as the Russians invade leads to an extended struggle to survive amid mounting horrors. There’s no escape: the ‘human condition’ is that barbarity is a given, a constant. It’s nine hours of suffering that can change one’s world view. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/29/21

Stranger on the Run 06/26/21

Favorite director Don Siegel is in fine form in this 1967 TV movie, a keeper with qualities not seen in Hollywood’s mega-westerns of the day. Henry Fonda’s ragged drifter is hunted by a gang of railroad deputies, and chief deputy Michael Parks doesn’t intercede because he can’t control his own men. “It’s my lucky day” says Fonda, and maybe it is — help keeps coming from unexpected directions. A great screenplay, Siegel’s direction, plus committed performances make it stand out: Anne Baxter, Dan Duryea, Sal Mineo, Bernie Hamilton and Madlyn Rhue. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/26/21

Alias Nick Beal 06/26/21

It’s a weird blend of film noir and the supernatural: the suave but sinister Nick Beal arrives to bestow good luck and blessings on a political candidate (Thomas Mitchell) and a ‘fallen woman’ (Audrey Totter). Of course, his real interest is his own ‘collection’ business. Ray Milland tries Pure Evil on for size, in a cultured & sophisticated way, of course. John Farrow directs with his usual precision, but we get plenty of surprises, as when George Macready shows up as a Minister! Nick Beal must be a relative of Mr. Applegate, as the movie is all about how politicians and parking lot owners get started. Being a shrewd reviewer Charlie Largent intuited that maybe The Devil has something to do with this story. He asks, ‘Yes, but can this Beal guy summon demons from Hell?’  On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/26/21

The 317th Platoon 06/22/21

This unheralded story of the French retreat in 1954 Vietnam is one of the best films ever about guerilla combat. The professional French soldiers do what they can to avoid capture, but the new Lieutenant won’t abandon their wounded. The Alsatian top sergeant fought with the Germans ten years before, yet is the best and fairest man in the unit. Director Pierre Schoendoerffer knows of what he films — he was captured by the Viet Minh at the fall of Dien Bien Phu. With the able camerawork of the legendary Raoul Coutard, the movie feels very realistic; we’re told that it was used to teach military cadets. On DVD from Icarus Films.
06/22/21

Guns for San Sebastian 06/22/21

It’s a big international action epic, filmed in Mexico with a French director. Anthony Quinn is an 18th-century bandit who liberates a Mexican hamlet from marauding Yaqui Indians and a villainous Charles Bronson. Quinn is good, and all the necessary elements are present: fights, handsome scenery and a big battle… but it’s fairly tepid stuff, simplified and prettified. Leave it to Ennio Morricone’s epic music score to bind it all together. With Anjanette Comer, Sam Jaffe, Silvia Pinal and the same fifteen or so well-connected actors that cornered roles in all big Mexican films made with foreign money. Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/22/21

Alfie (1966) + My Generation 06/19/21

Move over, Angry Young Men: Alfie Elkins leverages class resentment and killer good looks to become a ladies’ man extraordinaire… in his own eyes. Michael Caine was born to play Bill Naughton’s smooth-talking, responsibility-dodging cad’s cad. Alfie mistreats a glorious lineup of actresses — Julia Foster, Jane Asher, Vivien Merchant — and Shelley Winters is hilarious as the widow who has his number. Will Alfie maybe develop a conscience?  The two-disc special edition shares a double bill with My Generation,a highly entertaining Swinging London documentary hosted by Michael Caine. With Millicent Martin, Denholm Elliott, Alfie Bass, Graham Stark, Eleanor Bron, Shirley Anne Field and Murray Melvin. Being kind doesn’t make one a fool, Alfie.  On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
06/19/21

The Little Rascals Volume 1 06/19/21

The ClassicFlix Restorations hits us with the first eleven Hal Roach ‘Our Gang’ short subjects (averaging 25 minutes each), starting with ‘Small Talk’ in 1929 and ending with ‘A Tough Winter’ in 1930. They’re all there, from Jackie Cooper, Allen ‘Farina’ Hoskins, Mary Ann Jackson, to kids given the PC-poison names ‘Wheezer’ and ‘Chubby.’ Director Robert F. McGowan worked with Charley Chase in preparation for these crazy pictures, and wrangled kids and fought off stage parents for over eighty partly improvised Our Gang/Little Rascals shorts spread over four years. Charlie Largent has the whole story. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
06/19/21

Merrily We Go to Hell 06/15/21

Marriage, social pressure, professional disappointment — and if you want to be really unhappy, add alcohol to that mix. Fredric March and Sylvia Sidney are convincing sophisticates but also vulnerable people negotiating fragile lives. What can be done when one’s mate is dissolving in booze and drawn to the arms of another?  Dorothy Arzner’s best picture shows us a woman who won’t give up on her marriage, for the right reasons. It’s a serious and adult pre-Code drama, the kind that sounds more salacious than it is. Sylvia Sydney crafts a portrait of a fine woman under pressure, who maintains her dignity even in an attempt at an ‘open marriage.’ The unusual title is a light-hearted toast reflecting inner despair. The disc comes with excellent extras on director Dorothy Arzner. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/15/21

Larceny 06/15/21

It happens every time: all we want to do is cruelly betray somebody, but LOVE keeps getting in the way. When evil Dan Duryea sics con-man louse John Payne on the saintly war widow Joan Caulfield, three other women come tagging along as well, ’cause Payne is just too attractive. The swindle in George Sherman’s unsure noir gets uglier and then loses its way in the third act, with clunker dialogue and a climax that dissolves when it should resolve. Look out for super femme input from Shelley Winters, Dorothy Hart and Patricia Alphin. It’s an early featured role for Winters, and she doesn’t hold back. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/15/21

The Face Behind the Mask 06/12/21

Is this a horror classic?  I’d certainly says yes, just for the shrewd, sympathetic performance of Peter Lorre as an unlucky immigrant whose disfigurement in a fire turns him to life of crime and vengeance. An impossibly young Evelyn Keyes shines as a Chaplin-like blind girl, but the performances and Robert Florey’s good direction keep the tone from going soft. And the chilling ending is as bleak as they come. Whatever you may do, my recommendation is to NOT double-cross Peter Lorre. The disc producers give experts Alan K. Rode and Kim Newman the podium, and they respond with three full extras on this highly unusual, seldom-seen gem of a horror film. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
06/12/21

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly 4K 06/12/21

It’s still one of the most popular movies ever, and fans are proving that by shelling out for an umpteenth home video release, this time on the 4K Ultra HD format. Everybody knows exactly what to expect from Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach, but what about the transfer quality and encoding — Sergio Leone’s film was originally shot in the half-frame Techniscope format, which is on the low-res side to scan in 4K. Kino adds a Blu-ray disc and a mountain of accumulated extras from earlier editions. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/12/21

Hammer Volume Six Night Shadows 06/08/21

PI’s never-ending series of Hammer attractions now turns to the Universal-held part of the Hammer heritage, with The Shadow of the Cat (it has Barbara Shelley and is said to technically be a Hammer picture), Captain Clegg (known as ‘Night Creatures’ here, and it has Peter Cushing), The Phantom of the Opera (Terence Fisher’s romantic horror with Herbert Lom and Heather Sears), and the Jimmy Sangster/Freddie Francis psycho-thriller known as Nightmare. Expert input comes from a sinister crowd: Bolton, Botting, Haberman, Hallenbeck, Huckvale, Kinsey, Klemensen, Joyner, Nasr, Newman, Thompson — and the much-loved Barbara Shelley herself. Be careful of those people. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicat

The President’s Analyst 06/08/21

Here’s a GREAT picture whose time has come — Theodore J. Flicker’s spy spoof is one of the smartest & funniest political satires ever, and probably James Coburn’s finest hour as an actor-producer. A high-class shrink knows too many Presidential secrets, making him an international espionage target in a giddy spy chase. Everything leads to an absurd-sounding Sci-fi conspiracy that’s quickly becoming a reality. Coburn’s hipster cred holds up well, abetted by terrific improv talent: Godfrey Cambridge, Severn Darden, Joan Delaney, Pat Harrington, Joan Darling, and Arte Johnson; also with great input from Barry McGuire, Jill Banner, Eduard Franz, Walter Burke, Will Geer and William Daniels. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
06/08/21

Explorers 06/05/21

One of Joe Dante’s finest pictures speaks heart-to-heart to gee-whiz space fans — transporting us from our backyard to the far reaches of the galaxy. With a boost from aliens unknown, Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix and Jason Presson are the intrepid space cadets that construct a fantastic vehicle from mysterious dream-signals, no Interociter required. Their dreams hint at the secret desires in their adolescent imaginations, even without an it’s-all-a-dream sandpit. They dare fly where no man has flown before, a genuine escape from the petty pressures of Junior High. New and old input on the Blu-ray finally tells the full story of the making of an underrated wonder movie. On Blu-ray.
06/05/21

Scarface (1932) 06/05/21

Still the fiercest and most cinematic of the first wave of gangster classics, Howards Hughes and Hawks’s pre-Code rule-breaker was the one that brought down the ban on ‘glamorous’ gangster movies. In this case classic hardly means dated: the cars and clothes are vintage but the sex and violence are sizzling hot. Paul Muni is the primitive killer who falls in love with submachine guns and George Raft is his loyal trigger man. Karen Morley and especially Ann Dvorak are indeed the hottest pre-Code seducers in film. Plus, Boris Karloff contributes a mobster snarl as a lightly-disguised Bugs Moran. It’s a bullet-ridden city, that’s for sure, and the filmmakers frequently use expressionist effects: like X Marks The Spot!  On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
06/05/21

The Yearling 06/01/21

Charlie Largent tackles a childhood favorite: MGM went all-out with Technicolor to film Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ tale of subsistence farming on the edge of the Everglades, earning high praise for artistry all around. It still holds up rather well, with fine work from Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman and Claude Jarman Jr. Some grim details from the novel were retained, along with a heartbreaking look at the reality of trying to carve out a living in a harsh environment. The poetic ‘musical’ scenes hit hard as well — both youthful illusions and adult strength are fleeting. The color restoration is breathtaking. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/01/21

To New Shores & La Habanera 06/01/21

The Douglas Sirk Collection. Douglas Sirk proves his mettle as a consummate romantic storyteller in these part-musical melodramas from the peak of his career in Germany. They cemented stardom for Zarah Leander, a beauty who could have been an international success had the timing and politics been different. Both pictures send their heroines on far-flung adventures. In To New Shores Leander’s seductive music hall chanteuse is a victim of love, banished to a prison in Australia; in La Habanera she’s the wife of an all-powerful Caribbean landowner, who purposely downplays a plague because it will affect his business. Sirk’s order of the day is to put Leander into intolerable situations, just as he did Barbara Stanwyck, Jane Wyman and Lana Turner in his later Technicolor pictures at Universal. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
06/01/21

Fast Times at Ridgemont High 05/29/21

“Learn it. Know it. Live it!” The best-remembered teen comedy of the ’80s is also an insightful and unabashed look at real attitudes, behaviors and motivations of young people learning to deal with adult issues. Beyond the hilarious Sean Penn and the luscious Phoebe Cates lies a talent squad of notables and stars-to-be like Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold and Robert Romanus, with appearances by Amanda Wyss, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, Nicolas Coppola and Anthony Edwards. The stunning feature directing debut of Amy Heckerling, from Cameron Crowe’s undercover high school exposé, should be acknowledged as a modern classic. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
05/29/21

Hellfighters 05/29/21

“Two smoldering women made all the danger worthwhile!”… heck, we didn’t even see ’em catch fire. John Wayne is charismatic and Andrew V. McLaglen’s direction is decent for once in this formulaic ‘easy listening’ pot-boiler from the Wayne school of laid-back ’60s entertainment. After winning the Vietnam War, our intrepid action man extinguishes 101 out-of-control oil fires, which appear to happen every twenty minutes. When nothing’s burning, there are plenty of domestic tangles to straighten out with the womenfolk. In support are Katharine Ross, Jim Hutton, Vera Miles, Bruce Cabot and Jay C. Flippen. It’s old-fashioned but not embarrassing — Wayne still has his charm. On Blu-ray from Mill Creek.
05/29/21

Blood of the Vampire 05/25/21

The man with eyebrows that can kill!  Not really, but that’s the impression given by the poster illustration. The Baker/Berman producing team gave their Hammer/Terence Fisher imitation a lot of production trimmings — good color, autopsy-grade gore, female victims in low-cut gowns — but neither Jimmy Sangster’s script nor the flat direction bring it to life. Donald Wolfit is the resurrected mad doctor stealing transfusion blood and committing murders with the help of his deformed servant Victor Maddern; the show’s highlight is the strong performance from favorite scream queen Barbara Shelley. Artus’ fancy special edition is Region A friendly, although the DVD is PAL and all the extras are French-only. With Vincent Ball and Andrew Faulds. On Region-free Blu-ray + PAL DVD from Artus Films France.
05/25/21

Giants and Toys 05/25/21

Yasuzo Masumura’s message is a shout: unfettered consumer capitalism is cannibalism, plain and simple. The radical director’s scathing, savage satire of the Tokyo’s ‘Mad Men’ advertising scene sees desperate ad men creating a fresh new star celebrity to promote their product, only for the rampant cutthroat competition to shatter careers, fortunes and basic human values. Masumura’s brilliant cinematic onslaught is at least ten years ahead of its time, in design, direction, writing and music — the movie outpaces American comedies about Succeeding in Business, recognizing that the tyranny of commercial media trashes the quality of life itself. Arrow’s Blu-ray has the informed and insightful extras that ask the important question: how can one movie get its complicated subject so completely right?. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
05/25/21

The Woman One Longs For 05/22/21

Meet Marlene Dietrich, before Josef von Sternberg and The Blue Angel: much of her mystique is already present. This sophisticated German silent observes a precarious, dangerous love triangle. Two men are entranced by the same woman: one deserts his bride on their wedding night and the other may have killed to possess her. Neither seems to get what he wants, yet Dietrich’s ‘woman one longs for’ is not a scheming femme fatale … maybe. The fluid, very modern direction of Curtis Bernhardt will be a revelation — this obscure Marlene Dietrich starrer is a superior piece of filmcraft. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
05/22/21

It Happened Tomorrow 05/22/21

Reporter Dick Powell comes into daily possession of tomorrow’s newspapers, a fantastic premise that leads mostly to trouble with the law, when he can’t explain why he knows about crimes before they’re committed, etc. It also doesn’t help that his girlfriend Linda Darnell assists in a clairvoyant’s act. Director René Clair gives this film blanc the needed light touch, aided by great supporting work from the likes of Jack Oakie, Edgar Kennedy and Edward Brophy. Charlie Largent offers an enthusiastic review of this smart restoration. On Blu-ray from Cohen Film Collection/Kino.
05/22/21

The Producers 05/18/21

Accept no substitutes!  Reviewer Charlie Largent dares approach the tasteless comedy about utter tastelessness, which is probably more ‘problematic’ (that word is problematic) in 2021 than it was in 1968 … when it was the height of hilarity. Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder show farceurs how it’s done, in a hail of Jewish jokes, gay jokes, Nazi jokes, Hitler jokes, bimbo secretary jokes … is Mel Brooks made of teflon, or what?  Kino’s special edition is ‘oversubscribed’ with extras: okay Michael Schlesinger, we’re counting on YOUR commentary to say 10 original things about this landmark comedy. With Dick Shawn, Kenneth Mars, Estelle Winwood and several other fine actors not afraid of having their careers terminated by that cultural maniac Brooks. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/18/21

History is Made at Night 05/18/21

What a gem — ‘Unabashed, unfettered romanticism’ runs wild in Frank Borzage’s golden-age masterpiece of a runaway wife and the crazy Frenchman who pursues her. Long lost to awful, ragged 16mm prints, the newly restored gem will dazzle fans of delirious love stories, where the right people get together despite distance, time, and the interference of jealous husbands, misunderstandings, accusations of murder and natural disasters. All the above figure in this mini-epic, yet the movie never seems like a genre mash-up. Jean Arthur skips the squeaky line deliveries, Charles Boyer drops the gloom act, Colin Clive is more frightening than in his horror movies and Leo Carillo steals the show with one of the most endearing characters of the 1930s. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
05/18/21

The Whistle at Eaton Falls 05/15/21

It’s another CineSavant Revival Screening Review of a show not presently available on disc: not an old favorite, but something we admittedly never heard of… a marvelous 1951 film that’s seemingly been hiding under the carpet for sixty years, despite being directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Lloyd Bridges, Dorothy Gish, Carleton Carpenter, Murray Hamilton, Diana Douglas, Anne Francis, Ernest Borgnine and Arthur O’Connell. At first we fear it will be another angry midcentury indictment of free enterprise … but it becomes something else entirely. The unusual near- neorealist picture was filmed on location in a New Hampshire mill town; it is newly restored and hopefully destined for Blu-ray soon. CineSavant has the full story of its restoration. Not on Home Video.
05/15/21

Escape from Fort Bravo 05/15/21

John Sturges’ first color western is a tightly organized and unpretentious winner about a stern Union prison warden and a Confederate prisoner teaming up to fight an Apache enemy … wait, that sounds familiar. William Holden and Eleanor Parker strike sparks out on the ruddy mesas, while Sturges has a field day with the amazing Death Valley scenery and a highly original action scene. ‘Realistic escapism?’ It’s like a formula for future action cinema. And the ads didn’t let us forget: it all looks sensational in glowing ‘Ansco Color.’ With John Forsyth, William Demarest, William Campbell and Polly Bergen; on Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/15/21

The Blue Lamp 05/11/21

It’s the granddaddy of British cop dramas of the modern era. The most popular English picture of 1950 introduced PC George Dixon, a warm-hearted constable who would become a staple on BBC TV for 21 years. T.E.B. Clarke’s screenplay of a murder manhunt is stocked with actors American fans know well — Dirk Bogarde, Bernard Lee — and some we should know better — Jack Warner, Robert Flemyng, Dora Bryan. The show was made by the top craftsmen of Ealing Studios, and its fast pace and Brit sensibility will definitely impress. And remember — the Bobbies on the beat don’t even carry guns. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/11/21

Nightmare Alley 05/11/21

One of the most glamorous / unsavory films noir ever, this creepy tale of a master con-man undone by warped ambition was planned as a career-altering role for the big star Tyrone Power. Power plumbs the depths of personal degradation in terms that even today skew to the squeamish side of human experience. Almost as fascinating are the women Power uses, arrayed in dynamic contrast by Coleen Gray, Joan Blondell and Helen Walker. Yes, this is the movie about ‘The Geek’… Hollywood hadn’t been this intimate with the seamy underside of carnival life since Tod Browning’s Freaks. The disc extras include top contributions from James Ursini and Alain Silver, Imogen Sara Smith and even Coleen Gray. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
05/11/21

Donnie Darko 4K 05/11/21

The 4K Ultra HD crowd has a treat in store, for Donnie Boy is back for theatrical quality home screenings. Richard Kelly’s dreamy/morbid teen fantasy has gained in stature in the twenty years (gasp) since the nasty bunny-man ‘Frank’ raised his ugly chrome head… and young Donald’s psychic sci-fi ordeal seems more relevant than ever. Arrow’s 4K-only release shows the label once again proving its mettle in the hard media video biz, with full-res encodings of both the theatrical and director’s extended cuts. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Patrick Swayze, Holmes Osborne, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Drew Barrymore, Katharine Ross. On 4K Ultra HDfrom Arrow Video.
05/11/21

Smile 05/08/21

Near the pinnacle of director-driven ’70s cinema is this marvelous comedy about an ‘American Miss’ contest, and the swirl of personalities that come to support, promote and ogle the teen beauties just learning the ropes of the good old U.S. hype machine. Bruce Dern, Barbara Feldon and Michael Kidd are just wonderful as the adults in charge of the pageantry; Annette O’Toole, Joan Prather and Melanie Griffifth are among the hopefuls, learning an early lesson in a time honored, entirely bogus Americana ritual: as Michael Kidd says, he teaches these sweet kids to dance and behave like Vegas showgirls. It’s deceptively, distractingly funny — and as true as the day is long. With Eric Shea, Geoffrey Lewis and Nicholas Pryor. On Blu-ray from Fun City Editions.
05/08/21

They Won’t Believe Me 05/08/21

The Warner Archive’s latest major restoration premiere restores a full 15 minutes of scenes to this classic-era domestic film noir about the havoc wreaked by a lousy husband on three unfortunate women. There’s no accounting for love, and the lesson taught by the cad Robert Young carries a murderous sting. All that Susan Hayward, Rita Johnson and Jane (swoon) Greer need to explain to me, is what they saw in Robert Young in the first place. It’s top-flight RKO noir, beautifully remastered; CineSavant spells out exactly which scenes are newly restored. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/08/21

The Dungeon of Andy Milligan Collection 05/04/21

Fearless Charlie Largent pries back the dungeon doors to give a full report on yet another exhaustive Severin box o’ gore devoted to a horror filmmaker on the margins of cinematic validity. More squeamish than Al Adamson!  More appalling than William Grefe!  Meet the man who showed 42nd Street grindhouses a new bottom below the bottom of the barrel!  Charlie took the time to sort out the fourteen features and innumerable extras on the eight Blu-rays in the box, with titles like The Ghastly Ones, Bloodthirsty Butchers, Fleshpot on 42nd Street and that nostalgic tearjerker The Rats are Coming! The Werewolves are Here!   I tell you, even the face pictured on the box top looks like the work of a police artist, drawn from the memories of Milligan’s victims!  On Blu-ray from Severin Films.
05/04/21

Columbia Noir #3 05/04/21

Witness six noir heroes, doing what noir heroes do: one crooked gambler, one psycho, another psycho with access to a gun, a dope railroaded into a prison sentence, and an even bigger dope who doesn’t realize he’s poisoning himself. That’s only five, but the sixth is a cop, and not a particularly compromised one, the way we like ’em in noir. Johnny O’Clock, The Dark Past, Convicted, Between Midnight and Dawn, The Sniper and City of Fear can boast name directors, beautiful HD transfers and some fascinating short subjects as extras. With Dick Powell, Nina Foch, William Holden, Edmond O’Brien, Glenn Ford, Broderick Crawford, Marie Windsor, and Vince Edwards; on Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
05/04/21

The Night of the Following Day 05/01/21

Hubert Cornfield’s smoothly directed, moody kidnapping story is mysterious, engaging and well acted, but opts for an anti-thriller vibe with a curiously unsatisfying ending. Was this really the plan, or did the irksomely capricious Marlon Brando just not want to cooperate with the director?   Brando is terrific anyway (and in great shape, too). The well-cast Rita Moreno, Richard Boone and Pamela Franklin are short-changed by directorial and editorial decisions that don’t give us enough of a purchase on the characters. The overcast weather on the French coast is a plus, but not the director’s choice of a downbeat, arty finish. On Blu-rayfrom KL Studio Classics.
05/01/21

Broadway Melody of 1940 05/01/21

For his first teaming sans Ginger, Fred Astaire hot-foots it to MGM and the waiting tap & sweep partner Eleanor Powell, already a terrific box office draw in her own right. These were the days when the caliber of talent in Hollywood justified the exalted, glamorous aura of star status. The story is a backstage mixup with sidebar singing and joke acts, decent dialogue and not much else. But when these two alight on a dance floor — not just ‘a’ dance floor but an enormous expanse of glittering glass — Hollywood hits a too-glamorous-to-be-real peak. The music by Cole Porter includes Begin the Beguine. Just-okay George Murphy is the third wheel on this musical bicycle, with Frank Morgan serving as fuddy-duddy comic relief. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/01/21

Switchblade Sisters 04/27/21

The always-dynamic director Jack Hill goes teen-gang wild with this absolutely crazy take on JD pictures, pitched three octaves higher than normal exploitation drama. All the nasty-rasty thrills are here, from an episode of WIP sadism to brutal misogyny to a gang skirmish fought on a roller skating rink. Hill’s gang epic is so stylized, it’s almost a fantasy. What began as one of those exploitation cheapies with three women, comes alive with the dynamic Robbie Lee, Joanne Nail and Monica Gayle — even with all the sexist cruelty on view, the no-limits performances feel liberating, energizing. With some good interview and analysis extras. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
04/27/21

Quick Change 04/27/21

On the short list of post- classic-era comedies I can see over and over again is this beautifully executed Bill Murray crime comedy, which he co-directed. The fact that its basically silly main joke is whining about New York City doesn’t keep it from being hilarious from one end to the other. When it comes time for a getaway to the airport, Manhattan might as well be an impenetrable maze, an island of doom. Geena Davis and Randy Quaid give excellent comedy support, while Jason Robards holds up the police dragnet end of the story. The disc has no special extras but Murray’s movie is as satisfying as ever. With Bob Elliott, Jamey Sheridan, Phil Hartman, Tony Shalhoub, Garry Goodrow, Stanley Tucci, Victor Argo, Philip Bosco, Kurtwood Smith. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
04/27/21

Fukushima 50 04/24/21

This Japanese docudrama is an excellent primer on the scary near- meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011. After the earthquake, a tsunami triggered a ‘major nuclear event.’ A group of dedicated engineers struggle against odds to regain control. It’s another 21st Century disaster writ large — we applaud the camaraderie and commitment of the response teams while bureaucratic and political BS threatens to doom half of Japan. As with last week’s Spacewalker I’m betting that most negative reviews were written by people who saw the English language dub job … in the original Japanese, star Ken Watanabe’s performance is terrific. On Blu-ray from Capelight.
04/24/21

The Hot Spot 04/24/21

A sizzling neo-noir that should have boosted Dennis Hopper into feature bankability goes a tad slack — my guess is that Hopper’s fine directing instincts got blurred in the editing process. Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, Jennifer Connelly and others are well cast in Charles Williams’ hardboiled sex ‘n’ crime yarn, and the temperature indeed rises when Johnson gets near his co-stars. The narrative momentum breaks down somewhat, but the great-looking show is still a favorite, atmospheric and oversexed. With Jack Nance, on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/24/21

Defending Your Life 04/20/21

Albert Brooks’ most entertaining picture is still about modern anxieties, but this time seen through a satirical ‘film blanc’ filter. Neurotic ad man Daniel has a bad encounter with a bus and finds himself in a bizarre Heavenly Waiting Room for the Afterlife … except that it’s an entirely different system than that of St. Peter — he’s judged not for his sins or lack of faith, but his character and courage. This stopping-off point to a new life is plenty disconcerting for Daniel, especially when he meets the woman of his dreams (Meryl Streep). The judges practically applaud her exemplary, near-perfect life. How can Daniel ever compete?  Criterion’s extras give us a genuine theologian’s analysis of Brooks’ astute afterlife comedy. Co-starring Rip Torn, Lee Grant and Shirley MacLaine. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
04/20/21

Annie Get Your Gun 04/20/21

MGM’s old-fashioned Irving Berlin musical has superior songs and powerful performances, especially that of Betty Hutton. She gets plenty loud and rambunctious, but it fits the ‘big’ Annie Oakley character. And the talented, under-appreciated Howard Keel really fires up the screen with her in songs like ‘Anything You Can Do.’ The WAC disc contains plenty of George Feltenstein- rescued unused audio material, plus footage … depressing footage … of Judy Garland’s attempt in the leading role. Yep, the show may be PC minefield begging for a Cancel Culture intervention, but if it goes we’ll have to put most of Hollywood film history in a landfill. With Louis Calhern, J. Carrol Naish, Edward Arnold and Benay Venuta. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
04/20/21

The Invisible Man Appears & The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly 04/17/21

Reviewer Charlie Largent takes on the challenge of figuring out this pair of vintage sci-fi pictures from Japan. The invisible man of the first film (1949) takes second place to an odd crime yarn about a thief that wants to possess a particular jewel. The invisibility idea makes little internal sense — the film’s most interesting aspect is the unusual actress Takiko Mizunoe. The second ‘invisible thriller’ is even more of a puzzle, a battle between and invisible man and a criminal who can shrink himself. Arrow’s extras help us understand what’s going on… a little bit, anyway!  On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
04/17/21

Spacewalker 04/17/21

Dmitriy Kiselev’s overlooked Russian thriller is an exciting and inspirational true account of the first walk in space by a Soviet cosmonaut — a mission that nearly became a tragedy. It’s almost as emotional an experience as Apollo 13 — the worthy cosmonauts demonstrate ‘the right stuff’ under much more trying conditions. The beautifully produced and splendidly acted show makes it seem a crime that foreign movies this good are routinely denied theatrical exhibition here. The Blu-ray comes with an excellent pair of featurettes, with the participation of the original spacewalker Alexey Leonov. On Blu-ray from Capelight.
04/17/21

Irma Vep 04/17/21

Olivier Assayas takes a very different trip into silent movie nostalgia, with a director’s ill-fated attempt to remake the 1915 serial Les Vampires. Hong Kong action star Maggie Cheung is cast as the erotic rooftop nightcrawler Irma Vep!  We see the state of Paris filmmaking in the mid-90s, with a clueless, frustrated director (Jean-Pierre Léaud) out of ideas — what business has Irma Vep in the modern world?  Meanwhile, Cheung dons her vinyl catsuit for a personal creepy crawly mission — just to see if it gives her a thrill. Criterion’s special edition contains both a full episode of the silent serial plus a must-see documentary on the life and work of the legendary Musidora, a major sex symbol of the silent era. With Nathalie Richard, Bulle Ogier and Lou Castel. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
04/17/21

The Furies 04/13/21

When not making tons of money collaborating with James Stewart, Anthony Mann directed some really grim westerns. This mini-epic spells out the ugly real-life Code of The West: seizing land and establishing private empires. Walter Huston’s T.C. Jeffords maintains his sprawling fiefdom through economic tyranny (he prints his own money and expects banks to accept it) — and by simple violence, murdering the people that have lived on ‘his’ land for generations. Barbara Stanwyck is the feisty heir who wages generational war on her piratical father. It’s the darkest and most subversive of HUAC-era ‘noir’ westerns. With Wendell Corey, Judith Anderson, Gilbert Roland and Thomas Gomez. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
04/13/21

The Man in Search of his Murderer 04/13/21

The name talent attached makes this late- Weimar thriller a must-see proposition: Billy Wilder, Robert & Curt Siodmak, Franz Waxman. Their dark murder farce resembles what would later become the self-aware Black Comedy. The trouble begins when a suicidal nice guy can’t pull the trigger, and hires a crook to do the job for him. The satire is clever but the execution is awkward — the filmmakers set up big laughs that the heavy German filming style doesn’t deliver. Just the same, the situations seem extremely progressive, ahead of their time. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
04/13/21

Perdita Durango 4K Ultra HD 04/10/21

What could sear your retinas as thoroughly as forbidden cult cinema in 4K Ultra HD? The unrestrained crime-shock transgressors Perdita and Romero cut a path of lust, cult ritual madness and amoral nastiness across the U.S./Mexico border. Kidnapping, murder and theft are among their printable crimes. Álex de Iglesia’s beautifully produced slice of post- Tarantino excess arrives in a completely uncut original version. With James Gandolfini, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Don Stroud and Alex Cox. On Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Severin Films.
04/10/21

Black Sunday 04/10/21

John Frankenheimer’s biggest production since Grand Prix turns the touchy subject of international terrorism into a frightening, outlandish story of a plot to kill thousands of spectators during one of America’s defining rituals, the Super Bowl. Black September operative Marthe Keller seduces disturbed Viet Vet Bruce Dern into perpetrating the crime; Israeli agent Robert Shaw races to stop them. The super-crime is both outrageous and credible — making the show seem very modern, even prophetic. True to form, Frankenheimer filmed much of the movie’s final 40-minute suspense sequence during a real Super Bowl game. With Fritz Weaver, Bekim Fehmiu, Steven Keats and Michael V. Gazzo. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
04/10/21

Doctor X 04/06/21

It’s the disc everyone wants right now — vintage Hollywood horror fully restored to its amazing original Technicolor luster. A scientific investigation into some grisly Full Moon Murders culminates in a bizarre experiment in the fantastic lab of five potential mad doctors. Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill became horror stars, Lee Tracy provides the sidebar laughs, and then the unknown killer divulges his horrifying, Cronenberg-like secret: Synthetic Flesh! The Warner Archive scores with a follow up to last year’s The Mystery of the Wax Museum. With Preston Foster, who keeps a beating heart (not his own) in a glass jar. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
04/06/21

Hercules and the Captive Women 04/06/21

This debut of muscleman favorite Reg Park is one of the better sword ‘n’ sandal epics; it has good action and a terrific villainess in Fay Spain. The okay story is Benoit’s L’Atlantide, re-shaped to fit the fad for all things Hercules. The Film Detective’s disc is the Woolner Bros.’ American release, trimmed by half a reel and given an entirely new audio mix. It’s still an impressive show. On Blu-ray from The Film Detective.
04/06/21

Secrets and Lies 04/03/21

Director Mike Leigh’s social-personal observations of life as it is lived in the U.K. always get to me — this one may simply be a more realistic soap opera, but it’s so good that one pays no attention to technical matters, who the actors are or when they are ‘acting.’  It just ‘is,’ and it’s so involving that one becomes anxious over the smallest thing. The actors grab our attention from the outset: Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Phyllis Logan, Claire Rushbrook. It’s Leigh’s most acclaimed feature and the perfect antidote for bloated event filmmaking. And unlike some of his pictures, you walk out with a smile on your face. Extras include new interviews with Mike Leigh and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
04/03/21

Dynasty 3-D 04/03/21

3-D goes Kung-Fu in Super-Touch!   The 3-D Film Archive restores a Far East oddity from the year of Star Wars, an all-action sword, fist and supernatural magic combat spectacle. The big battles play like choreographed dance numbers, but with sound effects and screams taking the place of music. The disc’s 3-D extras are of special interest — we take a tour of every display section of a 1955 department store in full dimensional images. Starring Tao-Liang Tan, Ying Bai, Kang Chin, David Wei Tang, and that irresistible charmer Bobby Ming. On 3-D Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/03/21

Gorath 03/30/21

This one really needs a Region A release, with English subtitles! It’s largely unavailable, especially the original Japanese version. The third Ishiro Honda / Eiji Tsuburaya outer space action epic is probably the best Toho science fiction feature ever, an Astral Collision tale in which the drama and characters are as compelling as the special effects. Nothing can stop a colossal planetoid heading toward Earth, but science comes to the rescue with the biggest construction job ever undertaken by mankind. The fine screenplay generates thrills, suspense and human warmth. It also takes place in the far, far future: 1980. with Ryô Ikebe, Yumi Shirakawa, Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata, Kenji Sahara, Jun Tazaki, Ken Uehara and Takashi Shimura. Not on legit Disc.
03/30/21

Isle of the Dead 03/30/21

The WAC comes through with another Val Lewton classic, this one starring Boris Karloff as Greek General caught in an outbreak of the Plague, who quarantines some superstitious civilians on a lonely island — and then goes mad, believing one of them to be a vampire-like devil’s pawn. The shocks are low-key but even the critic James Agee said that the last reels were a series of major scares! It’s all based on the famous Arnold Böcklin painting — one of the spookiest paintings ever. With Ellen Drew, Marc Cramer, Ernst Deutsch, Katherine Emery and our favorite Skelton Knaggs. Reviewed by Charlie Largent!  On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
03/30/21

The Bad News Bears 03/27/21

A favorite irreverent comedy!  Michael Ritchie followed his painfully honest Americana satire Smile with this beautifully rendered skewering of America’s idea of sportsmanship and fair play — featuring realistically, hilariously profane kids on a little league team for ‘losers,’ sponsored by a bail bond outfit. It’s also commercially brilliant, combining Walter Matthau with Tatum O’Neal and Jackie Earle Haley, and it generated a stack of sequels, a TV show, etc. Instead of ‘Garbo Laughs’ it was ‘Tatum swears!’  We’re hoping that Charlie Largent eases up on the profanity for his review, we’re getting letters about that. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
03/27/21

Journeys Through French Cinema 03/27/21

Bertrand Tavernier breaks the barrier between fans of European movies and 101 classic French pictures that most of us never got a look at. It’s an eight-hour film clip excerpt round up, but the key is the hosting-curatorship of Tavernier — the fascinating miniseries has plenty to offer people that have never seen an old French movie, as well as fans that have seen some but want to know more about them. He’s a great storyteller, rounding up his favorite underrated / great directors, actors, composers, and relating them to major events in history (there was this 5-year occupation, see…). He’s also a genius at picking clips — all are riveting, none are spoilers, and you’ll come out learning fifty new French words. Highly, highly recommended. With Danielle Darrieux, Jean Gabin, Louis Jouvet, and 200 great personalities you didn’t know existed. On Blu-ray from Cohen Media Group.
03/27/21

Five 03/23/21

The first post-nuclear science fiction thriller is a grim & gripping end-of-the-world tale with rough content for its year. Arch Oboler’s best movie watches as five motley survivors discover that their pre-apocalyptic prejudices have survived as well, precipitating a savage struggle in the shadow of doom. The filming was an artistic collaboration with established film theorists and their film-student disciples — call it ‘lyrical neorealism.’ Starring William Phipps, Susan Douglas, James Anderson and Charles Lampkin. A new transfer and new extras accompany the atomic classic’s world debut on All-Region Blu-ray, from Viavision [Imprint].
03/23/21

Arizona Colt 03/23/21

CineSavant reviewer Lee Broughton rides in with a review of Michele Lupo’s attractive Spaghetti Western, in which every gunslinger is ruthless and greedy, even star Giuliano Gemma’s anti-heroic bounty killer of the title. Gemma goes nose to nose with Fernando Sancho’s villainous Mexican bandit. It’s nearly two hours of gunsmoke and sadism, and the womenfolk take their share of the punishment as well. Collateral damage comes in the shapely form of fan favorite Rosalba Neri while Arizona’s highly reluctant love interest is played by none other than Corinne Marchand, of Agnès Varda’s Cleo from 5 to 7. Also with Roberto Camardiel, Nello Pazzafini, Jose Manuel Martin and Andrea Bosic, on All-Region  Blu-ray from Wild East.
03/23/21

Crossfire 03/20/21

Hollywood learns to imbed a social message into a crime thriller. John Paxton’s adaptation of Richard Brooks’ neat murder tale is solid noir because it sheds light on the malaise of returning soldiers. No parades and confetti here: Robert Ryan is the hateful bigot but the other characters live amid equally shadowy values — laid-back Robert Mitchum, unhappy bar girl Gloria Grahame. Edward Dmytryk puts a polish on a fine screenplay with a fresh viewpoint, that avoids thriller clichés. With Robert Young, Paul Kelly, Sam Levene, Jacqueline White, Steve Brodie & William Phipps; on Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
03/20/21

Nosferatu in Venice 03/20/21

This obscure Italian horror has Christopher Plummer, Donald Pleasance and atmospheric locations — and a making-of story that Severin tells in full unexpurgated detail. Never released in an English- language territory, Augusto Caminito’s brooding shocker had four directors. Its commercial chances were derailed by its deranged star, Klaus Kinski, who poses well, molests his female co-stars and sabotages what was supposed to be a high-end horror attraction. Maybe Werner Herzog could wring what he wanted out of Klaus, but the manic prima donna gave everyone else the shaft. On Blu-rayfrom Severin Films.
03/20/21

Battle Hymn 03/16/21

This dubious mix of war combat and faith-based inspiration is as well directed as any of Douglas Sirk’s films, even if literally every scene seems to be saying the wrong thing. Combat pilot Col. Dean Hess helped found and publicize a major orphanage in South Korea, but as personified by a pious Rock Hudson, his story comes off as a public relations gambit. A fine cast empowers the grandstanding bid for sainthood, where ‘Killer Hess’ channels his guilt into good works. The aerial footage is outstanding — Sirk really loved his airplanes. With Dan Duryea, Anna Kashfi, James Edwards, Martha Hyer, Philip Ahn, James Hong, Don DeFore and Jock Mahoney; on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
03/16/21

Twentieth Century 03/16/21

Often identified as the first screwball comedy, Howard Hawks’ film is too funny and too original to be pigeonholed. Ace writers Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s wickedly witty dialogue zingers bulldoze us with a constant flow of deadpan one-liners and arcane classical allusions. Viewers who relate John Barrymore only to Grand Hotel will be surprised to see his magnificently overplayed theatrical ham. As his emotionally spoiled star performer, the beautiful Carole Lombard is almost as manic. Immortal dialogue: “I close the iron door on you.” Co-starring Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns, Charles Lane & Etienne Girardot. Reviewed by Charlie Largent, on Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
03/16/21

The Bridges at Toko-Ri 03/13/21

The most glamorous movie about the Korean War experience lauds the bravery of Navy aviators while spelling out the downside of fighting an unpopular war. William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March and Mickey Rooney turn in sharp performances, and Charles McGraw gets his best character part as a no-nonsense flight commander. Paramount’s special effects department outdid themselves on this one — the illusions are beautifully matched to the live-action filmmaking. Heaven help the good civilian soldier that finds himself asking how he ended up getting shot at in a ditch in some far-off foreign country. With Earl Holliman, on Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
03/13/21

The Criminal Code 03/13/21

Howard Hawks’ early sound picture is a worthy prison drama — with top performances from Walter Huston and Boris Karloff, both just as their film careers began to take off. Huston shows the screen how a stage actor can take command: his DA-turned warden character is corrupt yet retains his air of authority. Karloff’s convict seethes with raw menace, and Hawks uses him better than anyone except James Whale. That ‘other’ Code, the Production Code, found this show to be unbearably tense — even though all the brutality happens off-screen, violence is soaked into every scene. With Constance Cummings and Phillips Holmes. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
03/13/21

Damn Yankees 03/09/21

A musical that charms even audiences that don’t like musicals, this adaptation of a big 1955 Broadway hit captures all of the original’s power and brilliance — more legendary stage performances should be filmed like this, immortalizing theater history that otherwise disappears into the ether. Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston, Russ Brown and star replacement Tab Hunter shine, yet ‘unknown’ Broadway talent Shannon Bolin and Robert Shafer earn just as much applause. The Verdon-Bob Fosse creative hookup is at its strongest here, complete with a show-stopper of a dance duo. Come to think of it, almost every song in this thing stops the show, like one of Joe Hardy’s home runs: Wow!  It’s a real boost for morale. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
03/09/21

The Time Travelers 03/09/21

Ib Melchior’s best directed movie is a futuristic space opera with a time travel theme, all done at a production level suitable for a Halloween fun house. Yet its talented crew comes up with exciting visuals to match Melchior’s flaky-but-fun eclecticism: Androids, Mutants, ‘deviants,’ hydroponic gardens, force fields, time warps… and a sexist attitude or two to remind us that we’re seeing 2071 through the eyes of 1964. It’s one of the earliest Hollywood credits for cameramen Vilmos Zsigmond and Laszlo Kovacs. With Preston Foster, Merry Anders, Philip Carey, John Hoyt and Steve Franken, on Blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing / Kino Lorber.
03/09/21

Apocalypse Now Final Cut 4K 03/06/21

Apocalypse Now in 4K?  After The Wild Bunch this is one title likely to get me to invest in a new format. Francis Coppola & John Milius’ Vietnam War epic may not be perfect, but it is one of the most exciting movie experiences ever and one of the top achievements of the first film school generation of world-class moviemakers. The release is agreeably all-inclusive: the original Road Show cut and the two revised versions are here along with the excellent making-of feature Hearts of Darkness. Re-tooled and polished up for picture and audio, this qualifies as a prime audio show-off disc too. Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest and Laurence Fishburne all get ticketed for speeding at the Indy 500. On Blu-ray from Lionsgate.
03/06/21

The Flame Barrier 03/06/21

Nope, it’s not on disc but it’s getting written up here because so few people know it and it’s been difficult to see my entire adult life. The fourth Gardner/Levy United Artists horror picture of ’57-’58 is another trip into a jungle’s Heart of Darkness, where awaits a deadly satellite fallen from orbit. Have we missed something Spectacular? Fantastic? Incredible?   This seventy minutes of cheap program filler is nobody’s favorite, but CineSavant embraces Sci-Fi orphans of every description. Stars Arthur Franz and Kathleen Crowley can’t have been pleased by the result. How will THE HORROR affect YOU?
03/06/21

The Masque of the Red Death 03/02/21

Whoa!  CineSavant reviewed a different release of this movie just four months ago. Roger Corman’s 7th Poe/Gothic adaptation is probably his best, thanks to a Beaumont/Campbell screenplay that fully engages with Edgar A.’s morbid agenda. It’s not really kiddie fare, what with the unrelenting emphasis on cruel torture, perverse values and Godless nihilism. Vincent Price’s Prince Prospero has a real philosophy behind his twisted obsessions. Higher English production values and the riveting cinematography of Nicolas Roeg push this one into genuine classic status. The 2018 restoration was aided by Trailers from Hell’s Joe Dante and Jon Davison –several bits missing from censored versions have been reinstated — saved by film collectors. On Region B Blu-ray from Studiocanal.
03/02/21

Show Boat (1951) 03/02/21

MGM’s remake of the grand musical can’t be ignored — the restored transfer is stunning, demonstrating the studio’s technical skill at full tilt. There are good aspects to this version, even if it’s more notable for sticky production backstories. It’s Kathryn Grayson’s high water mark at MGM and Howard Keel does his usual fine work, but Ava Gardner steals the show. MGM’s musical arrangements for the Hammerstein / Kern songbook is as good as ever. Critics in 1951 loved the bright Technicolor and it was one of the top $ money earners of the year. Co-Starring William Warfield, Joe E. Brown, Agnes Moorehead and Marge and Gower Champion. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
02/03/21

Baby Doll 02/27/21

Elia Kazan and Tennessee Williams blurred censorship barriers with their satirical take on overheated Southern Gothic pot-boilers — William Faulkner by way of Erskine Caldwell. New York actors Eli Wallach and Karl Malden conquer Southern accents as they circle like puppy dogs around luscious Carroll Baker, pretending that the same old game can be played with genteel manners. The billboard of Baker jammed into a baby’s crib and sucking her thumb was an affront to the censors when it covered an entire city block in NYC — is obscenity only in the mind of the beholder?  Reviewed by Charlie Largent; also with Mildred Dunnock, Lonny Chapman, Madeleine Sherwood, and introducing Rip Torn. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
02/27/21

The Ascent 02/27/21

It’s nearly perfect and utterly profound, a masterpiece — Larisa Shepitko made only four theatrical features yet this Soviet movie about the Great Patriotic War earns her a firm place in film history. Moral betrayals under stress, in the face of profound evil… it’s the human condition. Astonishing for a Mosfilm production of the time, the film equates nationalistic sacrifice with Christian martyrdom. Criterion’s extras tell the impressive story behind the making of this major Soviet production. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
02/27/21

Things Change 02/23/21

David Mamet’s gangster fable benefits from a casting match made in heaven — Don Ameche and Joe Mantegna. A showshine vendor is tapped to take a rap for a mob boss, but the hoodlum delivering him to court instead takes him on a two-day escape to Reno … against mob orders. It’s low-key comedy with delightful characters and the sobering knowledge that the weekend will end in jail … or the morgue. After a forty-year hiatus Ameche makes a marvelous return to starring glory… just think, a Mamet film where we really warm up to the players!  Also starring Robert Prosky, J.J. Johnston, Ricky Jay, Mike Nussbaum, William H. Macy, J.T. Walsh and Felicity Huffman. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
02/23/21

Runaway Train 02/23/21

Akira Kurosawa wrote the original story for this slam-bang action picture that finally got Cannon Films on a, ‘Hey this is a great movie’ list or two. Mean, nasty, desperate men make an impossible escape attempt across a frozen landscape that might as well be on the moon. Jon Voight gets to use the same eccentric gimmicks that Dustin Hoffman exploited, and comes off great while Andrei Konchalovsky showed Cannon what a brilliant director could do. The show also established Eric Roberts and Rebecca De Mornay as talents to watch. Co-starring Kyle T. Heffner, John P. Ryan, T.K. Carter and Kenneth McMillan. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/23/21

San Francisco 02/20/21

MGM’s glamour factory hit heights of grandeur with this nostalgic disaster spectacle, which retains its power even as its pious sentimentality runs amuck. We don’t believe the characters but we believe the STARS: Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy succeed with sheer personality. Best of all are the sensational special effects featuring the highly cinematic earthquake montage by Slavko Vorkapich and John Hoffman. Co-starring Jack Holt, Jessie Ralph, Ted Healy and Shirley Ross. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
02/20/21

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo García 02/20/21

Blood, gore and the smell of gunpowder! Sam Peckinpah’s booze-soaked Odyssey sends Warren Oates on a grisly fool’s errand to retrieve a rotting, fly-bitten… oh, just read the title will ya?  Resolutely sordid and debased, and soaked in ugly exploitation values, the tale of ‘Machete Bennie’ nevertheless scores as Peckinpah’s last successful movie — if Edgar Allan Poe went crazy locked in a room with rotting corpses, he might have come up with this idea. Co-starring Isela Vega, Robert Webber, Gig Young, Helmut Dantine, Emilio Fernández and Kris Kristofferson. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/20/21

“Doc” 02/16/21

Frank Perry’s version of the shootout at the O.K. Corral shapes up as a fine western and an even better drama — the revisionist angle is supported by an excellent script and thoughtful, challenging characterizations. Tombstone’s frontier folk are dirty, vulgar and corrupt, but Stacy Keach and Faye Dunaway generate a rough-hewn romantic harmony. Harris Yulin’s Wyatt Earp is a revelation as well — if this were modern times Earp would get a lock on city hall politics and go into the land development racket. The beautifully filmed movie looks terrific on disc. Alex Cox delivers a solid audio commentary as well. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.

So Evil My Love 02/16/21

How many ways can a total rat take advantage of someone who loves him?  Ray Milland knows!  The suave romancer can play silky-sinister better than anyone: Alias Nick Beal, Dial M for Murder. This is one of the darkest ‘Gaslight Noirs’ ever: poor Ann Todd is seduced, abused, victimized and two-timed, yet volunteers to enter her lover’s evil world. That’s true love for you — the crying shame is that we didn’t get the review up in time for Valentine’s Day. Reviewer Charlie Largent really went for the show and strongly recommends it. Co-starring Geraldine Fitzgerald, Leo G. Carroll and Moira Lister. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/16/21

Good News 02/13/21

The Arthur Freed MGM musical unit gives this 1927 musical remake the old College Try!  It’s a vehicle for the wartime sweetheart June Allyson, aided by Peter Lawford, who is quite good if not real musical material. The fun original tunes are joined by a couple of new ones, including an all-time terrific song & dance number staged by Robert Alton and performed by the incredible Joan McCracken. The new restoration does wonders with the 1947 Technicolor and the WAC adds hilarious, eye-opening musical excerpts from the crazy 1930 early talkie version with Penny Singleton. Good news indeed. With Patricia Marshall, Mel Tormé and Tommy Rall. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
02/13/21

The Deep 02/13/21

Peter Benchley’s follow-up to Jaws is a treasure hunt thriller starring Robert Shaw and filmed in the pearly waters off Bermuda. The exciting underwater scenes boosted the careers of Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset but the memory that stuck in the minds of millions was a particular wardrobe decision for Bisset’s siren of the deep. Who needs Spanish gold and a fortune in lost morphine?  This import disc features a commentary by actress Illeana Douglas. Also starring Louis Gossett Jr. and Eli Wallach. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
02/13/21

Dark Intruder 02/09/21

Reviewer Charlie Largent gets to assess this long-MIA 1960s horror item, a TV pilot that got the boost to a theatrical release — at only 59 minutes in duration. Long before his name became synonymous with comedy, Leslie Nielsen plays a clever investigator tracking down a serial killer, who turns out to be tangled up in an Asian curse with a supernatural sting. The movie’s just rare enough to warrant a good look-see. Also starring Judi Meredith and Mark Richman; the impressive cinematography is by John F. Warren. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/09/21

The Parallax View 02/09/21

Paranoia strikes deep! Alan J. Pakula made THE Watergate-era conspiracy creepshow in this sinister update of political trends. Warren Beatty’s investigative reporter thinks he has an inside track to expose and destroy what looks like a shadow assassination bureau. If the technology of 1974 could be this efficient, our own Brave New World of ‘truth control’ seems even scarier. Pakula and cameraman Gordon Willis found a Panavision style that fully expresses the faceless corporate menace; the ‘Parallax Recruitment Montage’ is still the most terrifying piece of psych-out Agit-prop ever assembled. With Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn, William Daniels, Walter McGinn and Jim Davis. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
02/09/21

Columbia Noir #2 02/06/21

The UK disc purveyors Powerhouse Indicator are back with a second installment of Region B Film Noir goodies from the darker end of the Columbia Torch Lady’s film vault. This time around we have a couple of Femme Fatale thrillers (does she or doesn’t she?), a trio of organized crime mellers, and a hit man saga so minimalist, it’s almost avant-garde. The icing on the noir cake is the curated selection of extras, plus the absurd counter-programming of Three Stooges short subjects. Why did nobody think to cast Moe, Larry and Shemp as cold-blooded Noir hit men?  The titles run from 1947 to 1958: Framed, 711 Ocean Drive, The Mob, Affair in Trinidad, Tight Spotand Murder by Contract. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
02/06/21

A Tale of Two Cities 02/06/21

Few ’30s classics have held up as well as this MGM blockbuster, a costume thriller that in spirit is quite faithful to the great Charles Dickens novel. Heroes don’t come more sophisticated or noble than Ronald Colman’s Sydney Carton, nor as vile as Basil Rathbone’s Marquis St. Evrémonde. David O. Selznick’s impeccable production hits all the right notes and even downplays the ‘save the royals’ sentiments. This is the one where the Bastille gets stormed and a chortling hag cheers every drop of a guillotine blade. The show even has a connection to producer Val Lewton. Just remember that activities like capitol-storming and public executions need to stay back in the 18th century where they belong. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
02/06/21

Giant from the Unknown 02/02/21

¡Ai Caramba!  It’s the best movie ever made about a killer Spanish Conquistador from beyond the grave!  This is probably the most satisfying of Richard Cunha’s monster romps despite being rudimentary in all respects. The script is dire and the monster just a generic bogeyman, but the actors are pleasant and the locations attractive. The filmmakers had the last laugh anyway, as the plain-wrap show garnered a nationwide theatrical release. The Film Detective has wisely brought on Tom Weaver to front the extras, as he had the picture fully documented years ago. On Blu-ray from The Film Detective.
02/02/21

Tex Avery Screwball Classics Vol. 2 02/02/21

The WAC’s second helping of Tex Avery Madness heaps on another 143 minutes of murderous hunters, mischievous magicians and houses, cars and TV of the future. This time around the cats are Counterfeit and can throw their voices, when they aren’t hating people. A taxicab wants to be a speed rader, and Droopy Dog scores six cartoons all to himself. And best of all, the oversexed Little Rural Riding Hood takes her toll on wolves both urban and suburban. Look to reviewer / animation fan Charlie Largent for insights, artistic appreciation and sly remarks for these outrageously funny, digitally remastered gems. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
02/02/21

Southland Tales 01/30/21

It takes too many words to properly describe Richard Kelly’s followup to Donnie Darko, but the oversized dystopian sci-fi epic just might grab audiences looking for weird extravagance. Cult hosannas aside, Kelly’s ‘crazy’ predictions closely resemble our present domestic chaos. Brilliant ideas rub shoulders with apocalyptic clichés and the acting styles are all over the place, but the show frequently achieves a truly goofy vibe described by its director as a cross between Philip K. Dick and Thomas Pynchon. Just be ready for a storyline that scatters in all directions. This new disc is a video debut for the original, longer Cannes preview cut. The cast ought to grab some attention: Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Nora Dunn, Janeane Garofalo, Christopher Lambert, John Larroquette, Jon Lovits, Mandy Moore, Wallace Shawn, Justin Timberlake, Amy Poehler, Zelda Rubenstein, Miranda Richardson, Holmes Osborne and Kevin Smith. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
01/30/21