Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Archives: Reviews

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 07/21/20

A near-spotless restoration on the 104 year-old adaptation of the Jules Verne classic finally presents it in a form where we can judge its merits. The screenplay is an erratic jumble, imposing serial thrill elements onto an undigested amalgam of Vingt mille lieues sous les mers with its sequel L’Ile mystérieuse. But the physical production is state of the art for 1916, with an impressive live action submarine mockup and even more impressive scenes filmed underwater, reportedly a feature film first. Even better than the vivid restoration is a fact-filled expert commentary by film expert Anthony Slide. It’s no casual conversational chat track, but a wealth of good information about every aspect of the film, all delivered in good humor.. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
07/21/20

America as Seen by a Frenchman 07/18/20

This marvelous proto-documentary is a cultural travelogue, before such films became a conduit to express social outrage or moral condemnation. To the French filmmakers America in 1960 is still a land of wonders, a bigger-than-life fantasyland, where you can visit a places called Fantasyland and Frontierland and see your culture’s past play out as entertainment. It’s like Mondo Cane only in that it’s free-form, taking in whatever the director François Reichenbach encountered in 18 months spent wandering through the country with a Techniscope camera in tow. Helping in the journey are Michel Legrand and Chris Marker, with an assist from Frederic Rossif and Jean Cocteau … it’s class goods, a time machine to a lost Golden Age of consumerist, conformist harmony. On Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
07/18/20

A Bullet for the President 07/18/20

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton tackles Tonino Valerii’s Spaghetti Western-cum-political conspiracy thriller. By brazenly transposing key aspects of John F. Kennedy’s assassination onto the assassination of James A. Garfield in 1881, Valerii gives both western and conspiracy film fans much food for thought. A career best performance by Giuliano Gemma, repurposed sets from Once Upon a Time in the West and great turns by a plethora of Sergio Leone’s regular supporting actors bring a sense of gravitas to this intriguing show. With Warren Vanders, Van Johnson, Maria Cuadra, Ray Saunders, Fernando Rey, and Benito Stefanelli. On Blu-ray from Wild East.
07/18/20

Pride and Prejudice 07/18/20

MGM in 1940 was just the movie factory to turn out a smart, compact version of the Jane Austen novel, with Greer Garson in fine form and Laurence Olivier possibly slumming but also contributing a flawless performance. Robert Z. Leonard’s direction is invisible but does no harm; adaptors Aldous Huxley and Jane Murfin telescope events and concoct an even happier ending, all with great skill. Sorry, despite persistent rumors, the story hasn’t a single zombie. With Mary Boland, Edna May Oliver, Maureen O’Sullivan, Edmund Gwenn, Ann Rutherford, Marsha Hunt, Frieda Inescort and Heather Angel; on Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/18/20

The Flesh and the Fiends 07/14/20

John Gilling’s chilling-est horror item is an historically accurate tale of bodysnatching in Edinburgh. When Peter Cushing’s Dr. Knox needs cadavers for his controversial anatomy studies, the enterprising Burke and Hare (George Rose & Donald Pleasence) procure them — creating corpses when the graveyards are guarded. It’s a straight demonstration of how idealistic scientists get the axe every time. The production is handsome and the cast ideal: June Laverick, Billie Whitelaw, John Cairney, Renee Houston, Dermot Walsh, Andrew Faulds. The incomparable Peter Cushing gives his all to the misguided surgeon with the paralyzed eyelid yet Donald Pleasence’s looney ghoul all but steals the show. Reviewer Charlie Largent shows us how to ‘Burke them,’ with style. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/14/20

The War of the Worlds 07/14/20

“It neutralizes mesons somehow. They’re the atomic glue holding matter together!”  For most of the 1950s George Pal’s Martian invasion spectacle reigned as the top Sci-fi spectacle about an alien invasion. All the money went into the visuals, beautifully turned out by Byron Haskin and Gordon Jennings. Paramount’s much-awaited full restoration job does the picture justice, even if fussy fans will continue to argue the ‘what about the wires?’ battle. Even more impressive than the visuals is the film’s superb sound design, which still blows audiences away whether in mono or a new 5.1 remix. Criterion’s extras don’t critique the film as much as they tout the high-class restoration (and minor revisions). On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/14/20

The Day the Earth Caught Fire 07/11/20

What’s the best Ecological Thriller of all time?  Finally available in a good Region A disc is Val Guest and Wolf Mankowitz’s thrilling, realistic account of our world turned topsy-turvy, and perhaps plunging into a fiery oblivion. The violent shifts of climate and weather patterns echo today’s global warming chaos. Newspapermen Edward Judd and Leo McKern track down a frightening government secret; Janet Munro is the confidential clerk that leaks the truth. One of the top all-time British Science Fiction films is also a great newspaper story about the importance of a free press. The new extra is a Richard Harland Smith commentary. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/11/20

The Thief of Baghdad (1961) 07/11/20

It took us forever to get this to review!  Many fans of Steve Reeves consider this breezy Arabian nights adventure his best. Lavish and colorful, it gives Reeves a chance to be playful and clever — whether he takes advantage of that opportunity is open to debate. A trio of Italian writers drummed up the story, giving Reeves an object of affection in Princess Amina, played by the beautiful, fresh-faced Georgia Moll. Clever special effects abound as Karim goes on a quest that’s almost like a video game — encountering trees that walk, a cloak of invisibility and of course a flying horse. Reeves’s version joins those of Sabu (’40) and Douglas Fairbanks (’24), and all three are good. After a long wait on a shipment from Germany, we finally got our hands on the disc which Charlie Largent reviews. With Arturo Dominici. On Region Free Blu-ray from Colosseo Film.
07/11/20

Never Give a Sucker an Even Break 07/07/20

It’s appropriate that collaborator Charlie Largent would want to review this outlandish W.C Fields romp, as it’s the closest thing to Alice Through the Looking Glass Hollywood ever did. Fields’ crazy story begins with scenes in a movie studio, but the weirdness accumulates until people are making impossible jumps from airplanes, to a mountaintop aerie where dwells the amorous Margaret Dumont as ‘Mrs. Hemoglobin’ … and, sigh, Leon Errol. The whole thing is a visualization of Fields’s absurd movie pitch to ‘Esoteric Pictures’… W.C.’s last feature starring vehicle goes out with a bang. The disc’s audio commentary is by Eddy Von Mueller. On Blu-rayfrom KL Studio Classics.
07/07/20

Britannia Hospital 07/07/20

Lindsay Anderson got the opportunity to film a third ‘Mick Travis’ picture starring Malcolm McDowall, and with writer David Sherwin fashioned a wholly irreverent, savagely funny takedown of Great Britain… the whole country. The equivalent of hitting Big Ben with a custard pie, the satirical barbs are aimed at labor union obstructionism, Royal hauteur, class privilege, raucous demonstrators and devious journalistic snoops. Behind the island nation’s dysfunctional health system lurks a genuine mad scientist, who has diverted the funds of The National Health into a pair of sinister, abominable — but very ‘forward thinking’ experiments. Dr. Frankenstein would be proud. The great, funny cast features plenty of favorites: Leonard Rossiter, Graham Crowden, Malcolm McDowell, Vivian Pickles, Jill Bennett, Marsha A. Hunt, Joan Plowright, Mark Hamill, Peter Jeffrey, Robin Asquith, Robbie Coltrane and Arthur Lowe. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
07/07/20

Come and See 07/04/20

The director of this unblinking account of the genocide in Belarus in 1942 and 1943 said that “people in America can’t watch my film. They have thrillers but this is something different.” He certainly got that right. A young farm boy is a witness to and victim of horrendous barbarism inflicted on a civilian population… now the most common kind of terror. The Politburo wanted a film to commemorate Victory Day, and director Elem Klimov gave them something nobody would forget. Although cinema gut-wrenchers have gone much further in the last 25 years, Kilmov’s unforgettable horrorshow rivets us through the haunted, paralyzed face of young actor Aleksei Kravchenko, who can scarcely process what he sees. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/04/20

Africa Screams 07/04/20

Abbott & Costello perform at full strength in this very good, very silly jungle safari comedy. It’s definitely for kids and nostalgic fans — with equal parts slapstick, cornball repetitive vaudeville gags, and Lou Costello’s weirdly endearing infantile schtick. An impressively beautiful restoration has pulled it back from the pit of Public Domain ugliness. Plus ClassicFlix & the 3-D Archive appoint this 2-D movie with a tall stack of creative, relevant extras. With Hillary Brooke, Clyde Beatty, Frank Buck, Max and Buddy Baer, Shemp Howard, Joe Besser, and Charles Gemora. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
07/04/20

Hair 06/30/20

Bring back the Age of Aquarius! Olive Films returns with the company’s best Signature Edition ever. The show is an excellent choice for a special edition, as seen by the simply terrific interviews in its battery of added value featurettes. Top creative contributors have been tapped for some great memories. Rather than filming a simple adaptation, Milos Forman reinterprets the hit show, allowing Twyla Tharp’s choreographic genius to soak into most every scene — the result is a marvelous melding of theatrical and cinematic effects. Starring John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D’Angelo, Annie Golden, Dorsey Wright, Don Dacus, and Cheryl Barnes. On Blu-ray from Olive Signature.
06/30/20

The Reluctant Debutante 06/30/20

Vincente Minnelli took time out from expensive MGM shows like Gigi to knock off this tale about the London debutante season, a light-comedy Cinderella story without satire or social comment. Young Sandra Dee and John Saxon come off well, but the show belongs to stars Rex Harrison and especially Kay Kendall, whose comedy timing and finesse lift the tame, weightless material. With Angela Lansbury and Diane Clare. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/30/20

The Spider 06/27/20

Bert I. Gordon rides again, with an excellent encoding of one of his more popular sci-fi monster-ramas.  Pert ‘n’ perky June Kenney is so brave that she keeps going back to ‘that old cave outside of town,’ despite not knowing how many giant spiders are on the loose. Teenagers in their thirties and their bebop-crazy rock ‘n’ roll are no match for Gordon’s titanic, screaming arachnid. This spidey is just plain shifty, the kind of unscrupulous fiend that colors his crayons outside the (matte) lines … in crimson B&W blood! June Kenney’s mom knows her girl only two well: “… I hope she hasn’t gone back to that cave.” With some excellent extras, namely about a million rare behind-the-scenes stills from Tom Weaver. On Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
06/27/20

Dark and Stormy Night 06/27/20

It’s a Larry Blamire film, and it’s composed of entirely NEW and UNIQUE elements: a lonely mansion, strange servants, the reading of the will, weird heirs, death threats, snoopy reporters, a midnight seance, mysterious locked rooms, the clutching hands of a phantom menace, and the ultimate terror, Kogar the mighty ape. All new, right?  This ‘nothing you’ve ever seen before’ is performed by Blamire’s nimble acting clan, all competing to immortalize some of the silliest dialogue ever written. Two versions of the screwball-nostalgic farce are present on this special edition disc, along with the usual disturbingly offbeat selection of Blamire extras. On Blu-ray from Hydraulic Entertainment.
06/27/20

Wildlife 06/23/20

The beguiling short-story feel of Paul Dano’s intimate family drama makes us share the experience of a teenager whose parents are ‘going through a rough patch’ that may break up the only security he’s known. The performances of Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan and especially young Ed Oxenbould are low-key and high-intelligence; each seems a study of people we know, or people we might be. The observance of what rural America was like in 1960 Montana (or many places, even now) is acute. Highest recommendations. With Bill Camp; highest recommendations for this very satisfying piece of 21st Century moviemaking. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/23/20

Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection 06/23/20

He really wanted to review it!  Actually, lovers of the strange and arcane in film history are applauding this enormous, if anything OVER-curated box of exploitation errata from the ’60s and ’70s. Everything extant is here as regards the Al Adamson oeuvre, such as it is. I can scarcely believe the reconstruction effort — some of the titles had to be Frankenstein’d back together from random surviving prints. The intrepid, dauntless Charlie Largent digs deep into this monster box, enough to glean a reasonable overview. He earns every nickel of his exorbitant CineSavant salary (and stock options). It’s all here: Fourteen discs!  Thirty-one films!  Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!  After looking at the list of titles one more time, I confess I want to get the box back to check out John Carradine in The Fiend with The Electronic Brain. I think I actually saw that title on a marquee once back in the day. At the present moment Amazon has ONE of these sets in stock — for a generous $6.00 off its stratospheric retail price! On Blu-ray from Severin Films.
06/23/20

Tokyo Olympiad 06/20/20

Will there even be an Olympics in our foreseeable future?  Kon Ichikawa’s 1964 masterpiece is still the the most spectacular/intimate film about human athletics ever, a celebration of the human body and its abilities. An epic for people that don’t necessarily like sports, it’s less a documentary of the event than a collection of moving impressions. Who knew that sports could be so emotional?  Criterion’s beautiful 4K restoration disc comes with extensive interviews with director Ichikawa. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/20/20

The Specialists 06/20/20

From guest reviewer Lee Broughton: French rock ‘n’ roll singer Johnny Hallyday joins actresses Francoise Fabian and Sylvie Fennec in Italian director Sergio Corbucci’s best looking Western, filmed in the Dolomites mountain range. The previously scarce 1969 picture is a mystery-revenge tale, on the talky side but beautifully produced. And they have the nerve to give Hallyday’s hero the name ‘Hud.’ With Gaston Moschin and Mario Adorf. On Region B Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment.
06/20/20

Horrors of Spider Island 06/16/20

Don’t call them Bad Movies — when something’s this enjoyable, other verbal put-downs are more appropriate. This low-grade German sexploitation horror pic spent its full budget on a roster of frisky Berlin showgirls. After years of study, experts have finally proven that it was filmed with a camera. Severin’s special edition does justice to a cult non-classic with an uncut original German version, plus a second American version and extra alternate scenes. Alexander D’Arcy’s scary horror-face is a childhood monster magazine memory. The creepy title critter looks like a land crab morphed with a really pissed-off Woody Woodpecker. On Blu-ray from Severin Films.
06/16/20

Sunday in New York 06/16/20

Romantic comedies became coy sex chase comedies by the early 1960s, once Doris Day made ‘professional virgin’ a Hollywood career. This mistaken identity/crossed prevarications farce is better than most, thanks to charming performances by Jane Fonda and Rod Taylor, and a fine script by Norman Krasna, from his play. The story doesn’t dance around the issue of should she or shouldn’t she — the frustrated young heroine asks the question right out loud: ‘Am I supposed to sleep with a steady boyfriend?’ Also starring Cliff Robertson, Robert Culp, Jo Morrow and Jim Backus. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/16/20

Toho Sci-Fi Double Feature 06/13/20

Mill Creek again dips into exotic Japanese sci-fi fantasy, and this time scores with the desired language choices and subtitle configurations for these spectaculars from the beginning of Toho’s strongest period. The H-Man is a stylish gangster-horror melange about a radioactive slime that cheerfully transforms Guys ‘n’ Dolls alike into living goo. Then, a Battle in Outer Space is the result when a two-rocket expedition to the moon uncovers an imminent alien invasion, and flying saucer vs. rocketplane dogfights break out in low Earth orbit and in the skies over Tokyo. Was matinee moviegoing ever better than that?  CineSavant writes, uh, at lengthabout all the fan concerns over this disc. On Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment.
06/13/20

Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema III 06/13/20

Today’s noir forecast is vice, kidnapping, murder, suicide, narcotics and a sleazy stolen baby racket!  — Abandoned, The Lady Gambles, The Sleeping City — Kino’s third volume of Universal-International pix contains two seldom-screened quality urban noirs. Expect genuine dark themes in these sizable-budget location noirs filmed before Universal pulled most production back onto its one-size-fits-all backlot sets. Barbara Stanwyck dominates one show, while noir stalwarts Richard Conte and Dennis O’Keefe anchor the other two dramas, with dynamic showings by Coleen Gray, Edith Barrett, Peggy Dow, Jeanette Nolan, Meg Randall and especially Gale Storm. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/13/20

The Last Valley 06/09/20

This thinking man’s epic got left behind in the collapse of Road Show movies, which is a shame. A beautifully made, uncompromised story of warring 17th century Germany, it plays like a fine epic, with great performances. Audiences didn’t want to see Michael Caine playing this kind of character in a costume drama that wasn’t glorious escapism. Everybody’s good — it’s a great picture for Omar Sharif and the underappreciated Florinda Bolkan, plus Nigel Davenport, Arthur O’Connell, Madeleine Hinde, Brian Blessed and Michael Gothard. The (originally) 70mm cinematography looked incredibly good in 1971. PLUS … an extended footnote-article from “B.” On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/09/20

An Unmarried Woman 06/09/20

Talk about a film whose time has come … Paul Mazursky’s ode to womanly liberation takes a sensible, gentle approach. Yes, the husband was a total jerk, and so is the first man Jill Clayburgh’s Erica turns to in need. What’s more important is the feeling of empowerment on the personal intimate level: it’s okay for a woman to have personal priorities; it’s okay to decline commitment to the whims and wishes of a male companion. Forty-two years later, the premise holds — especially the film’s emphasis on social support from one’s friends. With Alan Bates, Michael Murphy, Cliff Gorman, Pat Quinn, Kelly Bishop and Lisa Lucas. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/09/20

Sixteen Candles 06/06/20

John Hughes’ breakthrough writing-directing hit still carries a glow (a very square, safe glow) that defuses its rougher edges, making it one of the best of ’80s Teen comedies. Even the savvy Soraya Roberts cuts it some slack, thanks to the authentic presence and fine performance of Molly Ringwald. Hughes’ amusing script comes up with at least ten moments that would have made Preston Sturges laugh, and his perfect casting for personalities young and old makes his direction look inspired. With great turns by Anthony Michael Hall, Haviland Morris, Debbie Pollack, Gedde Watanabe, Paul Dooley, and Michael Schoeffling. On Blu-rayfrom Arrow Video.
06/06/20

Alice in Wonderland (1933) 06/06/20

Paramount gives Lewis Carroll’s classic the Full Hollywood Press, assigning production designer William Cameron Menzies to bring the book’s original illustrations to life, sharing screenplay credit with Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The result is an all-star curio, with every contract player at the studio donning elaborate costumes — some big names we can only recognize by their voices, if that. It’s a star-spotting coffe table game for old movie fans: YOU pick out W.C. Fields, Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Sterling Holloway, Edward Everett Horton, Roscoe Karns, Mae Marsh, Louise Fazenda, Richard Arlen, Baby Leroy, Polly Moran, Jack Oakie, Edna Mae Oliver, May Robson, Charles Ruggles, Ned Sparks, Ethel Griffies and Billy Barty. Reviewer Charlie Largent navigates the controversial course between Tweedledum and Tweedledee. On Blu-rayfrom KL Studio Classics.
06/06/20

The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse 06/03/20

Look out — a deranged reviewer can’t control his enthusiasm. By adapting his Weimar-era cinematic lexicon to the Space Age, Fritz Lang circles his career back to the core genre thrills he invented a hundred years ago. Superstition and sinister technological advances combine to make the 20th century an Age of Terror; it’s the dawning of a brave new world of total surveillance, mind control and paranoid conspiracies. I could talk for hours about the directing/editing in this show — it’s so sophisticated, and yet so simple. Starring Dawn Addams, Peter van Eyck, Gert Fröbe, Wolfgang Preiss, Werner Peters, Andrea Checchi, and Howard Vernon. On Region B Blu-ray from Eureka/Masters of Cinema.
06/03/20

Husbands 06/03/20

John Cassavetes’ breakthrough picture (filmed in 35mm, wow!) gets the Criterion treatment, with fine new extras that take us back to a moment when the American Independent movement broke through to the big theaters, with bigger stars. It’s 142 minutes of intense improvisation during which Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara and Peter Falk challenge, tease and bully fellow performers into the director’s vision of performance artistry. The full title on-screen raises the bar pretty high: Husbands: A Comedy About Life, Death and Freedom. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/03/20

War of the Worlds 05/30/20

Skipped this one because it’s by Spielberg?  Josh Friedman and David Koepp’s 9/11- inflected take on H.G. Wells’ classic reproduces thrills from the book not captured in George Pal’s 1953 atom-age update. For this reviewer it was a big surprise — a Tom Cruise movie in which he plays an appropriately terrified character instead of his annoying big star persona. Nervous audiences loved this in 2005… it actually generates some good scares. Seen on a good Ultra-HD setup, those scares translate well to home video. Also starring Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Tim Robbins and Miranda Otto. On 4K Ultra-HD + Blu-ray + Digital from Paramount Home Video.
05/30/20

Funeral in Berlin 05/30/20

Myopic Harry Palmer, the great cook, lover and reluctant spy, returns to where his trouble with the British Army began. This time he’s tangled up in a political snarl that might have dire consequences: not only are the Russians involved, ex-Nazis are on the payroll. Israel may have an agent in the field, and not necessarily working in Her Majesty’s interest. Michael Caine’s star quality shines through in this second Harry Palmer spy yarn, filmed on German locations in high style by Guy Hamilton. With Oskar Homolka, Paul Hubschmid, Eva Renzi & Guy Doleman. On Blu-ray Disc from Paramount Home Video.
05/30/20

Inside Daisy Clover 05/26/20

It’s a Hollywood rags-to-riches tale seen as a cruel coming-of-age story — when Natalie Wood’s feisty street kid becomes a child star, she learns that tinsel town is not only fake, but oppressively evil as well. Cut off from her dotty mom (Ruth Gordon) and surrounded by the sinister minions of studio head Swan (Christopher Plummer), Daisy Clover finds that major stardom is hollow and dispiriting. Gavin Lambert & Robert Mulligan’s beautifully made movie does everything but make an audience feel good, especially when the dazzled Daisy falls in love with a sexually dishonest dreamboat matinee idol (Robert Redford). It’s a great picture and also a big downer. With Roddy McDowall and Katharine Bard. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/26/20

Film Noir The Dark Side of Cinema II 05/26/20

Although only one of these 1950s B&W thrillers falls within a mile of a hard definition of film noir, all give us glamorous actresses in interesting roles. Claudette Colbert takes her turn at playing a nun in Thunder on the Hill, a whodunnit in a convent during a flood disaster. Merle Oberon tries a femme fatale role in the complicated The Price of Fear. Hedy Lamarr does very well for herself as a man-hungry movie star in the inside-Hollywood drama The Female Animal. Kino gives all three excellent transfers, and one comes with an appropriately gossipy audio commentary. Also starring Ann Blyth, Lex Barker, Jane Powell and George Nader. On Blu-rayfrom KL Studio Classics.
05/26/20

Danger: Diabolik 05/23/20

Oh Joy, Oh Rapture!  Mario Bava’s comic book thriller makes the jump to Blu-ray in fine shape, with knockout visuals and eye-popping color. John Philip Law, Marisa Mell, Terry-Thomas and the late Michel Piccoli are all irreplaceable in this one-of-a-kind show. Bava’s film translates action comic fantasy into cinematic terms, pictorial appeal and dynamism intact. The disc comes with a pair of excellent commentaries, featuring Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth, Tim Lucas and John Philip Law himself. As for the review, expect my usual enthusiastic over-analysis and personal memories. On Blu-ray from Shout! Factory.
05/23/20

Destry Rides Again 05/23/20

Yes, a western than can make grown men cry! Reviewer Charlie Largent celebrates the wonder of Marlene Dietrich’s major career comeback, a big hit that also marked a pre-war high point for James Stewart, not to mention terrific turns from Brian Donlevy and Una Merkel. The nearly perfect screenplay slides from sly cynicism to knockabout comedy to high tragedy, giving viewers a full emotional workout. Dietrich is great whether singing with her Adam’s Apple or engaging in a no-holds saloon catfight with Una; Jimmy Stewart has honed his laconic, down-to-Earth ‘cute’ act down to perfection. With this picture the unheralded George Marshall beats the icon Howard Hawks at his own game — it’s rowdy, smart and sentimental at the same time. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
05/23/20

The Curse of the Werewolf 05/19/20

Rip-roaring Oliver Reed’s silver-coated were-beast is one of Hammer Films’ very best screen monsters, which is more than enough reason to sample this colorful 1961 shocker. It was apparently ripped to shreds by the U.K. censors, a horror-crime spared us lucky Americans. The movie has been released more than once on Blu-ray but Shout’s new 4K scan restores it to prime condition. Numerous extras trace its stormy path through the slights and deletions of The Curse of the BBFC. With Clifford Evans, Yvonne Romain, Catherine Feller and Anthony Dawson. On Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
05/19/20

Cisco Pike 05/19/20

Easy Rider terrifies twenty confused studio executives because they don’t understand it. Hoping to keep their jobs, they rush to hire more longhairs to make movies ‘the kids’ will see. Ex- UCLA film student B.L. Norton parlayed his way into writing and directing on the streets of Los Angeles, with new stars Gene Hackman and Karen Black, and singer-songwriter of the year Kris Kristofferson in his first starring role as a musician forced to deal marijuana by a corrupt cop. A time travel trip back to the City of the Angels circa 1971, it’s realistic and honest, and Kristofferson turns out to have terrific camera presence. With Harry Dean Stanton, Viva, and Joy Bang. On Region B Blu-rayfrom Powerhouse Indicator.
05/19/20

Pool of London 05/16/20

I’d never heard of this gem of a British production; now it goes on my list of highly recommended titles. A dock area on the Thames is ‘the pool,’ and the sailors that disembark from the cargo ships are susceptible to the temptations of black market trade. A single eventful weekend traces the fates of a half-dozen young people, the women that learn to like the sailors, and the sailor that gets mixed up in a deadly serious crime. Director Basil Dearden’s excellent cast is mostly unfamiliar to us Yanks; but we get really tied up in their problems. This picture should be much better known: it’s the first English movie to depict an interracial romance, and it does so without sensationalism or special pleading. The best new extra is an interview with actor Earl Cameron, who at 103 years of age has his act (and his memories) totally together. With Susan Shaw, Renée Asherson, Moira Lister, James Robertson Justice, John Longden, on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/16/20

Blood on the Moon 05/16/20

Robert Mitchum intercedes in a range war in this ‘A’ western, and he’s got the pro team of director Robert Wise and cameraman Nicholas Musuraca on his side. All but one action scene plays out at night, which is why this is sometimes called a Noir Western. The dark visuals fit that mold but the story values are strictly traditional, starting with the hero’s laconic do-it-don’t-say-it sense of personal honor. Partly filmed in Arizona, the fine production further advanced the laid-back Mitchum persona, this time as an honest cowpoke, not a cool-dude hipster. His top-rank co-stars: Barbara Bel Geddes, Robert Preston, Walter Brennan, Phyllis Thaxter, Frank Faylen, Tom Tully, and Charles McGraw. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/16/20

Taza, Son of Cochise 05/12/20

Great 3-D thrills — Hollywood was working to perfect 3-D movies just as the craze died out. An impeccable Blu-ray 3-D restoration, the glory of young Rock Hudson and some of the best Utah scenery in depth makes this a very enjoyable disc. Director Douglas Sirk was itching to do a western, and the swiftly rising star Rock Hudson wanted to work for him again, even though it meant playing another Indian role. Were these men that desperate to get out of Hollywood for a month? At least they avoided filming in nuclear test sites. With Barbara Rush as ‘Oona.’ On 3-D Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/12/20

The Bat (1959) 05/12/20

An old-fashioned haunted house thriller is given a new lease on life in writer-director Crane Wilbur’s creepy re-imagining. Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead headline a time-honored tale of buried treasure and the bloodthirsty fiend who’ll stop at nothing to lay his claws on it. Predictable but light-hearted entertainment, The Bat remains ghoulish fun for the whole family. Charlie Largent’s review is of a 2016 disc release, just for the record. On Blu-ray from The Film Detective.
05/12/20

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain 05/12/20

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton returns with a Region B review of Tsui Hark’s mystical tale of derring-do in ancient China. Hark revived a once popular variant of the wuxia film form — the Chinese shenguai wuxia films from the late 1920s that paired chivalric martial arts with more overtly mystical and mythological elements. The groundbreaking and stylishly executed result is said to have been John Carpenter’s chief inspiration when making Big Trouble in Little China. On Region B Blu-ray from Eureka Enterainment.
05/12/20

Mystery of the Wax Museum 05/09/20

Talk about a worthy title for restoration — somebody up there likes us. Digital tools and film preservation expertise have advanced far enough to revive this marvelous pre-Code comedy-shocker in a form that showcases its wild designs and stylized 2-color Technicolor sheen. Director Michael Curtiz’s adept direction highlights Glenda Farrell’s racy dialogue delivery as well as the spooky, expressionist horrors in Lionel Atwill’s haunted ‘waxitorium.’ To top it off we have fabulous Fay Wray, the talkies’ original scream queen, shrieking her way into the horror hall of fame in the tradition of The Phantom of the Opera. Plus — for once the Warner Archive adds some fine new added value extras.. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/09/20

Brighton Rock 05/09/20

Graham Greene’s crime tale is as important as his classic The Third Man but nowhere near as well known. Down Brighton way the race-track boys have sharp ways of solving disputes and terrorizing the common folk — think straight razors. Richard Attenborough’s breakthrough film is also a showcase for Hermoine Baddelely and a marvelous newcomer that every horror fan loves even if they don’t know her name, Carol Marsh. Kino’s disc has a Tim Lucas commentary; this review balances thoughts about mercy and damnation, with an extra insight about a piece of ‘stick candy’ unfamiliar to us Yanks.. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/09/20

Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales 05/09/20

Welcome to the exciting, hesitant, guilt-laden and provocative world of Eric Rohmer, and his varied voyages of slightly intimidated romantic discovery. There are six Moral Tales (and some short subjects) and each finds a main character stymied by indecision: should he hew to the narrow moral path, or stop being so conflicted and let relationships happen as they may?  Some are moral debates and others are just ruminations on the foolishness of males that overthink their love lives — or are these self-directed men simply trying to be considerate and fair while navigating their amorous possibilities?: The Bakery Girl of Monceau, Suzanne’s Career, My Night at Maud’s, La collectionneuse, Claire’s Knee and Love in the Afteroon. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
05/09/20

The Golem 05/05/20

A top movie monster is back from filmic perdition, restored to his full might and power. Rabbi Lowe’s answer to the persecution of the ghetto is a mysterious unthinking automaton capable of terrible destruction. Paul Wegener’s indelible clay statue stands as a core myth in Jewish lore. But he’s still here, usually in allegories about mankind losing control of its own creations. With its imposing architecture and impressive special effects, this early expressionist masterpiece is one of the design highlights of silent cinema. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
05/05/20

John Ford at Columbia: 1935-1958 05/05/20

Columbia was apparently a calm port in a storm for producer-director John Ford; the four Columbia-controlled pictures presented on Powerhouse Indicator’s lavishly appointed disc set consist of two winners and (for this viewer) a pair of odd ducks. Away from the bankability guaranteed by John Wayne, Ford never quite regained the power of his earlier triumphs, from the silent era to his socially conscious classics at Fox. But the quality of his films remained consistent. This extras-loaded Region B disc contains The Whole Town’s Talking, The Long Gray Line, Gideon’s Day and The Last Hurrah. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
05/05/20

The Love of Jeanne Ney 05/02/20

When does a silent classic really become a classic?  When we can see a reconstituted full original version, which in this case meant decades spent waiting. G.W. Pabst’s celebrated 1927 jeopardy-soap has romance, treachery, murder, a revolutionary war and a score of terrific characters embodied by Brigitte Helm, Sig Arno, Vladimir Sokoloff and the weird Fritz Rasp. But our hearts are stolen by the wistful lady in the title role, Édith Jéhanne, whose natural performance resonates with innocence and devotion. The rambling narrative barely holds together, but this romantic winner is graced with some of the best-directed scenes from silent cinema. Kino gives us the truncated U.S. release as an extra. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
05/02/20

Reflections in a Golden Eye 05/02/20

Charlie Largent focuses on refracted art filmmaking from Warner Bros. and John Huston, an overheated adaptation of Carson McCullers’ book that helped bring on the 1968 MPAA ratings system. The ‘adults only’ studio production features discreet nudity but no bad language. Practically every character has a sexual secret to hide, or to flaunt. Erotic obsessions both expressed and repressed drive the narrative to a bloody and unhappy end. Taking part in the sub-Freudian psycho-sadism is an incredible cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Brian Keith, Julie Harris, Gordon Mitchell and the debut of favorite Robert Forster, who in one scene rides a horse naked. The weird production comes in two separate versions, cameraman Aldo Tonti’s ‘golden’ toned original, and Warners’ follow-up with normal colors. You be the psychoanalyst judge!  On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/02/20

The Great Escape 05/02/20

Images from this picture were burned into our Boomer childhood brains … we actually sat still for almost three hours to watch it. John Sturges’ epic show is like a fine-tuned watch — its unbreakable story is populated by ideal characters that become instant heroes, just for acting like normal men that want free of confinement. It’s really about freedom — after two hours in the POW compound, the fugitives set loose in the wide, green beauty of Germany might as well be escaping into a wonderland of light and space. In its own way this show made our parents’ wartime experience come alive — it’s THE picture to interest kids in events of the past. Our favorites are all here, at their best: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Hannes Messemer, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, Angus Lennie, and Nigel Stock. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
05/02/20

The Cremator 04/28/20

Horror films aren’t simply for vampires and goblins — Czech director Juraj Herz’s mind-chilling study of a Fascist opportunist communicates truths about aberrant psychology and Fascists, that audiences would never read in print. A bourgeois burner of cadavers leverages his Reich-useful trade into a his own little warped empire of evil. Karl Kopfringl’s modus operandi hardly needs to change, to conform to Nazi standards — the elitist hypocrite already has both his family and employees passively accepting his sick ideas about cremation as the solution to all human ills. Cinematically brilliant, this late picture from the Czech New Wave is one of the best movies ever about conformists, collaborators, and assorted other ghouls. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
04/28/20

Sweet Bird of Youth 04/28/20

Not all Tennessee Williams film adaptations are successful, but Richard Brooks’ blend of romance, show biz venality and political thuggery is just too entertaining to dismiss. The entire cast is better than good, with Geraldine Page shining and Paul Newman well-cast. And the ingenue Shirley Knight receives her most iconic role, right at the beginning of her career. It’s sad timing for admirers of Ms. Knight, but still good to see her looking so radiant. Co-starring Ed Begley, Rip Torn, Mildred Dunnock, Madeleine Sherwood and the song Ebb Tide.’ On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
04/28/20

Alastair Sim’s School for Laughter: 4 Classic Comedies 04/25/20

Step aside Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers — the king of droll Brit comedy comes through with four, count ’em 4, on target laugh-getters. Alastair Sim cornered the business for sneaky crime, dirty tricks and nasty con-games, when he isn’t being flummoxed by the worst thing Britain ever loosed upon the world — boarding school girls. Read ’em and shudder: The Belles Of St. Trinian’s, School For Scoundrels, Laughter In Paradise, and the first ‘official’ Ealing comedy Hue And Cry. Reviewer Charlie Largent recommends these highly. On Blu-ray from Film Movement Classics.
04/25/20

Europa Europa 04/25/20

Director Agnieszka Holland pulls off a difficult task — her true-life Holocaust tale neither trivializes the horror nor glamorizes individualized victims at the expense of the big picture. Marco Hofschneider is the inexperienced German teenager who by strange quirks of fate becomes a staunch Stalinist in a Communist school, then a Nazi war hero and candidate for Hitler Youth honors and adoption by a Nazi officer… if he can avoid being uncovered as a Jew in hiding. It sounds tasteless but it’s not — the true story of Solomon Perel reveals the ‘fluidity’ of ideology when survival is on the line. Our young hero must keep ‘becoming’ what he pretends to be. With André Wilms, René Hofschneider and Julie Delpy as a rabid Hitlerite. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
04/25/20

Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life and Ghastly Death of Al Adamson 04/25/20

Exploitation films have their mavericks, their patron saints and their bad boys: this well-researched and lovingly assembled shock-bio introduces us to a particularly talented persistent filmmaker whose sexed-up horror & action grindhouse non-epics proved commercially viable even into the video age. Then comes the Ghastly Death part, a cruelly undeserved finish for a movie guy liked and admired by his collaborators. David Gregory’s docu tells the tale … all the way to the true-life grisly finale. Plus a second entire Al Adamson feature, The Female Bunch. On Blu-ray from Severin Films.
04/25/20

Rachel and the Stranger 04/21/20

Here’s a pleasant surprise: one of RKO’s most popular releases of 1948 has suddenly emerged in an uncut version that’s a full twelve minutes longer than anything most of us have seen. The gentle, family-oriented frontier tale has an attractive trio of star performers, excellent location work and a thoughtful, teasing script. I must have seen the truncated version five times, and yes, it did seem a tad abbreviated here and there. Loretta Young is the bondservant/un-kissed bride with a roving eye. William Holden is the initially unimaginative husband, while good old, Robert Mitchum is perfectly cast as a potential sexual fox-in-the-henhouse. With Gary Gray. On Blu-rayfrom The Warner Archive Collection.
04/21/20

Billy Liar 04/21/20

Do you ever lapse into daydream fantasies to escape from everyday life? Tom Courtenay and John Schlesinger changed their destinies and that of Julie Christie with this brilliant (black?) comedy about what ought to be a tragic situation. The frustrated Billy rebels against his dull routine with outrageous lies and chicanery, but hasn’t the courage to strike forth on his own — even when invited to do so by the girl of his dreams. Schlesinger’s delightful directorial style applies brash New Wave editing to Billy’s grandiose ‘Walter Mitty’ fantasies. With Wilfred Pickles, Mona Washbourne and Ethel Griffies. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/21/20

The Head 04/18/20

A horror goulash without equal! Creepy Charlie Largent reaches for an older German DVD of one of the weirder, sleazier medical atrocity Eurohorrors. This somewhat suspicious import item is the uncut ‘Die Nackte und der Satan,’ confusingly given a re-title that translates as ‘Satan’s Naked Slave Girl.’ Horst Frank’s slimy Dr. Ood keeps the severed noggin’ of Michel Simon (yes, the acting legend) alive in a dish of ‘Serum X.’ He also grafts the head of a hunchbacked nurse onto the body of a stripper from the Tam Tam club — just your average oversexed mad lab horseplay. That mad lab is actually the star of the show — it’s a gleaming Bauhaus concoction by the designer of the original Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Co-starring Christiane Maybach and Barbara Valentin, with audio in English & original German with subs, on PAL Region 2 DVD from Delta Music & Entert. GmbH & Co. KG.
04/18/20

Outcast of the Islands 04/18/20

Lust-filled treachery in the steaming tropics!  He dared to love a cannibal empress! Taglines like that suggest that it wasn’t easy to sell Carol Reed’s phenomenally good adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s classic, a tale of human self-degradation and malevolence in the tropics. Long difficult to see, it’s finally here to dazzle a generation that might appreciate its superb performances. Forget Lord Jim and Colonel Kurtz. Trevor Howard’s back-stabbing Peter Willems shows us the price of total betrayal: permanent banishment from humanity. Co-starring Ralph Richardson, Kerima, Robert Morley and Wendy Hiller. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/18/20

The Sound Barrier 04/14/20

Why is David Lean’s stirring ode to British aviation so historically and technically bogus?  Because at heart it’s a science fiction film!  Ralph Richardson drives his test pilots and his own son to die on the altar of aviation R&D, in a tale focused firmly on futurism and the push to the stars. Nigel Patrick and Denholm Elliott struggle to measure up, while Ann Todd hugs her baby and resists. Watching this terrific production, you’d think the Queen had a monopoly on supersonic aviation. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/14/20

The Great Gildersleeve Movie Collection 04/14/20

Reviewer Charlie Largent harks back to the days when radio actors could graduate to movie fame. Actor Harold Peary of Fibber McGee and Molly starred in four features framed around his ‘Gildersleeve’ character, a guy described as a ‘befuddled blowhard.’ The shows The Great Gildersleeve, Gildersleeve’s Bad Day, Gildersleeve on Broadway, and Gildersleeve’s Ghost are accompanied by Peary’s guest-shot contribution to the Victor Mature/Lucille Ball comedy Seven Days’ Leave. On DVD from The Warner Archive Collection.
04/14/20

Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman 04/14/20

Timothy Spall stars in a fascinating, surprisingly non-morbid look into the life of Albert Pierrepoint, England’s reluctant celebrity hangman who dispatched hundreds of convicted killers, including Ruth Ellis and John Christie, not to mention 47 Nazi war criminals, in a literal marathon of the gallows. The artist of the noose kept up a double life to separate his execution duties from his domestic marriage … until General Montgomery blew his cover of anonymity. Eddie Marsan and Juliet Stevenson provide terrific acting support in this undeservedly obscure gem from director Adrian Shergold. On Region B Blu-ray from Lionsgate UK.
04/14/20

Night Passage 04/11/20

James Stewart’s final western of the 1950s is a high-gloss family show with more than its share of spirited desperados and adventuresome women. But it’s really the split-up project that ended the productive Stewart-Anthony Mann filmmaking combo. The ‘folksy’ touches could only have come from Stewart himself, who hopefully didn’t show up to parties with his accordion in tow. Opposite Stewart as a ‘good bad guy’ is Audie Murphy, who rises to the standard set by his high-class co-star. If old-time railroads have appeal, this is the show for you: an un-billed co-star is the spectacular Denver and Rio Grande. With Dianne Foster, Elaine Stewart, Brandon De Wilde, Jay C. Flippen, Robert J. Wilke, Hugh Beaumont, Jack Elam, Olive Carey, Ellen Corby and a horse called Pie. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/11/20

Our Hospitality 04/11/20

Buster Keaton’s first full feature is a real accomplishment, a little masterpiece that deftly balances comedy and drama. Buster’s star appeal is on full display as an 1830 lad who returns to the hill country to resettle the old homestead and lands in the middle of a murderous feud — with the girl he loves on the other side. It’s an historically sensitive, hilarious comedy, with a hair-raising waterfall stunt set-piece for a finale. Extras include docus and two later short subjects. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
04/11/20

Army of Shadows 04/07/20

Jean-Pierre Melville’s most accomplished, most personal movie gets a new reissue. Ignored in 1969 and released in the United States only 37 years later, this somber, ultra-realistic look at the French resistance has never been equalled. Forget thrilling adventure tales with daring escapes, patriotic oaths and beautiful spies; Melville presents resistance activities in the Occupied territory as a fearful grind leading in one direction only. Criterion’s extras include an interview piece with historical operatives, who still argue points of strategy. Starring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simone Signoret, Claude Mann, Paul Crauchet, Christian Barbier and Serge Reggiani. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
04/07/20

Terminal Station & Indiscretion of an American Wife 04/07/20

Don’t do it Vittorio! The Italian master’s last neorealist project was done ‘in collaboration’ with American producer David O. Selznick, who proceeded to crowbar his way into every directorial decision. The resulting ‘creative differences’ spoiled Signor De Sica’s Italian version, but that wasn’t enough. Selznick put it through a sausage machine for the American release, which is almost half an hour shorter. Jennifer Jones and Montgomery Clift are excellent in both versions, but De Sica’s is far superior — and studying the differences tells why the first demand of powerful directors is to retain final cut. The presentation offers both full films, plus the short subject Selznick added to bring his version up to minimal feature length. With Gino Cervi, Paolo Stoppa and Richard Beymer. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/07/20

Their Finest Hour: Five British WWII Classics 04/04/20

Can a war movie be reassuring in a time of crisis?  Each of the films in this excellent collection stress people working together: to repel invaders, escape from or attack the enemy, and just to survive in sticky situations. All are inspirational in that they see cooperation, organization and leadership doing good work. See the ‘other’ great escape picture (The Colditz Story,) the original account of Dunkirk ( Dunkirk ’58,) and the aerial bombing movie that inspired the final battle in Star Wars (The Dam Busters). Plus a tense ‘what if?’ invasion tale (Went The Day Well?,) and a desert trek suspense ordeal that’s one of the best war films ever (Ice Cold In Alex). On Blu-rayfrom Film Movement Classics.
04/04/2

Action of the Tiger 04/04/20

Van Johnson steps into adventure-guy shoes more suitable for Humphrey Bogart in this European-shot thriller. Daring Martine Carol provides the sex appeal as the mystery dame who entices Johnson to smuggle a man out of Red Albania. The movie is practically a proto- James Bond film: it’s directed by Terence Young, features a fight in a gypsy camp and Sean Connery and Anthony Dawson are in the cast list. But Herbert Lom steals the show from them all as a monocle-wearing, oversexed gypsy bandit who can’t abide Commies. A special treat for discerning, high-toned art-movie intellectuals: this is the film’s hotter Continental version. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
04/04/20

The Uninvited 04/04/20

Charlie Largent happily looks back to a fine release of what’s perhaps Hollywood’s best pure-bred ghost story. It’s also the best ‘real estate problem’ spook show, in which people discover that they’ve moved into a house with an active and malevolent spirit presence. Beautifully produced and acted, Lewis Allen’s show is told so well that we can readily visualize its unseen, horrific backstory. Ray Milland creates real chemistry with the already haunted-looking Gail Russell, while Ruth Hussey, Cornelia Otis Skinner and a wraith named Carmen Quesada locate the haunting as a mainly female issue — ghosts can really hold a grudge in Paramount’s ultra-classy production. On Blu-ray (quite a while ago) from The Criterion Collection.
04/04/20

The Intrigue 03/31/20

Look out, it’s an X-Ray Death Ray!  We rushed this review out, and it’s only 104 years late. One of the feature films on a new disc devoted to an unheralded woman filmmaker is The Intrigue, a nascent science-fiction thriller of the ‘deadly invention’ variety. It’s all from 1916, when WW1 was being fought. Julia Crawford Ivers’ adept screenplay offers good espionage twists, and Frank Lloyd’s direction incorporates some interesting visual effects. The show stays smart until a ‘pacifist finale’ that will elicit justified jeers from the hawkish among us. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
03/31/20

Abbott and Costello Go to The Black Lagoon 03/31/20

A mention in a book by Tom Weaver of an odd shared visual in two Universal-International movies of the 1950s prompts a quick frame-grab comparison, and also some thoughts about how movies were really made back when twenty dollars was probably considered a big budget expenditure. Some savant I am … I simply didn’t see what was in front of my eyes! A contributor (and friend) had to hold me by the neck to see what a few others have figured out before. Bud and Lou are involved, so who can complain?  A CineSavant Article.
03/31/20

Murder He Says 03/28/20

This freaky laugh classic has been hiding in plain sight for nearly forever. Fred MacMurray is a census taker caught on the wrong side of the Mason-Dixon Line in George Marshall’s singular black comedy. Marjorie Main plays the terrifying matriarch of the Fleagle clan, a murderous mob of hillbillies with nothing on their pea-brained noggins except getting their mitts on some buried treasure. A little-seen classic finally gets its due: Honors flysis, Income beezis – Onches nobis, Inob keesis! With Helen Walker and Porter Hall, and Peter Whitney as weird triple-inbred twins. Is this a natural for Charlie Largent, or what?  On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
03/28/20

The Day of the Dolphin 03/28/20

They swim, they play, and they talk. They love George C. Scott and call him ‘pa.’ Mike Nichols’ paranoid sci-fi classic combines Lassie Go Home and The Manchurian Candidate. It works up a good guys versus bad guys conspiracy storyline — until the message arrives that what the adorable dolphins Fa and Bee really need, along with the rest of the natural planet, is for us greedy, murderous humans to just Go Away. Buck Henry’s screenplay overcomes aquatic clichés and cutesy animal traditions to comes up with a crowd-pleasing winner. With Trish Van Devere, Paul Sorvino, Fritz Weaver, Jon Korkes, Edward Herrmann, John Dehner, Severn Darden, and Elizabeth Wilson. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
03/28/20

3-D Rarities II 03/24/20

3-D Blu-ray isn’t going away, even as the equipment to show it becomes hard to find — and the 3-D Film Archive keeps reviving vintage features and getting them shown in special venues and on Blu-ray. This second Rarities disc gives us some interesting odd items, including a pleasing gallery of vintage 3-D ‘Realist’ stills — a whole section of which are from amateur-pro Harold Lloyd — and an entire feature starring Cesar Romero and Katy Jurado, the first película de tercera dimensión filmed in Mexico. On Blu-ray from Flicker Alley.
03/24/20

Beau Geste 03/24/20

Welcome to a classic from the Golden Year of 1939, directed in fine style by Wild Bill Wellman and well cast with Paramount stars Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, and Robert Preston, and with Brian Donlevy as one of the movies’ most hissable villains. The popular story has been remade and spoofed innumerable times, yet this remains the indelible best version. A commentary with William Wellman Jr. and Frank Thompson points out many things we didn’t notice before, including where some excised scenes belong, and what originally happened in them. With Susan Hayward, J. Carrol Naish, Albert Dekker, Broderick Crawford, and Donald O’Connor. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
03/24/20

Show Boat (1936) 03/21/20

One of the best and most melodic of filmic transpositions from Broadway, James Whale’s beautifully directed movie showcases all-time great performances by Irene Dunne, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Hattie McDaniel, and Charles Winninger. If you didn’t grow up with an awareness of this 1936 show, it’s because it was tossed in a vault and kept from view for more than forty years. Universal’s Laemmle dynasty did everything right on this one, backing Whale right down the line. Even though it was a big success, they lost the studio over cost overruns (well, for several reasons). Criterion’s new disc is a wonderful surprise that does the movie justice, with more and better extras than Warners would have sourced. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
03/21/20

The Bolshevik Trilogy 3 Films by Vsevolod Pudovkin 03/21/20

V.I. Pudovkin showed the world how Soviet silent cinema excelled in the 1920s; this trio of revolutionary dramas were designed to instill collective, Red patriotic fervor in millions of Soviets speaking a multitude of languages. Radical editing springs forward from time to time but the real power of the shows comes from strong performances of the main characters. Those Bolsheviks knew how to co-opt the limitless power of Russian mother love: anybody would cheer for the valiant mother carrying the red flag into the Winter Palace. We said powerful, not subtle. The trilogy of silent classics — with lavish music and informed commentary — consists of Mother, The End of Saint Petersburg and the best of the three, Storm over Asia. On Blu-ray from Flicker Alley.
03/21/20

The Mad Magician 3-D 03/21/20

Yes, it’s back and still in Blu-ray 3-D, and the disc contains the 3-D Three Stooges shorts as well. Vincent Price took a second step toward his future as a horror icon in Columbia’s not-bad attempt to collect on the residual goodwill from the previous year’s House of Wax. Reviewer extraordinaire Charlie ‘saw the lady in half’ Largent gives his take on what holds up as a fun, hammy diversion of the horror kind. And hey, it’s another good appearance by the talented Eva Gabor. Patrick O’Neal is just starting out as a green detective. Gorgeous Mary Murphy aced the plum role opposite Marlon Brando in The Wild One — I’d say she could have used a better agent. With different extras than the OOP Twilight Time disc. On 3-D Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
03/21/20

Hammer Volume Five: Death & Deceit 03/17/20

Charlie Largent continues with yet another four-cylinder compendium of thrillers from the prolific Hammer Films. As every Hammer/Columbia co-production that resembles in the slightest a horror film has been covered in the four volumes already released, collection number five moves on to a string of ‘Adventure!’ thrillers. The Pirates of Blood River is a familiar enough item, but The Scarlet Blade and The Brigand of Kandahar are new to Blu-ray, as is the even more obscure Visa to Canton, which stars Richard Basehart and Lisa Gastoni. This sounds like a set for devoted Hammer fans, which these days are legion. Top-lining the other three pictures are Christopher Lee, Ronald Lewis and Jack Hedley. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
03/17/20

Dodsworth 03/17/20

It’s ‘Marriage Story’ circa 1936. Talk about older shows that still pack a dramatic wallop… this Sinclair Lewis adaptation is William Wyler’s most celebrated ’30s film. The Production Code frowned on disrespecting the institution of marriage, but Wyler & writer Sidney Howard keep the divorce theme intact — their well-off couple learn more about each other and simply grow apart. Industrialist Walter Huston gets pushed a little too far. His social-climbing wife Ruth Chatterton doesn’t appreciate what she’s got, while luscious Mary Astor is the Depression equivalent of a Malibu Earth Mother. With Paul Lukas, Mary Astor, David Niven, Gregory Gaye and Maria Ouspenskaya. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
03/17/20

Supernatural 03/17/20

Wow! That glorious original poster jumped out at us, making us ask why we couldn’t see this classic-era Paramount horror picture starring the brilliant and glamorous Carole Lombard and directed by the maker of White Zombie.  Well, it’s finally shown up to answer that question on Blu-ray. This fairly insubstantial spiritualist vs. scientist spook show about a lady strangler returned from the dead is no classic but will of course be a major curiosity for horror buffs. It’s short on real scares, but it does have a young Randolph Scott to race to the rescue at the finish. Also featuring Vivienne Osborne, Alan Dinehart, H.B. Warner, and Beryl Mercer. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
03/17/20

Leave Her to Heaven 03/14/20

Gorgeous Gene Tierney has a perplexing problem in this bizarre domestic noir — she just *sigh* has to connive and murder to get her way. Her dream wife Ellen Berent is rich, cultured, and drop-dead beautiful, but hubby Cornell Wilde should have read the small print about her manic possessiveness. Beautiful people, beautiful scenery and Technicolor so bright that even Alfred Newman’s music score seems to be in color; John M. Stahl’s thriller stretches the definition of Film Noir. With Jeanne Crain, Vincent Price, Mary Philips, Ray Collins, Darryl (help me!) Hickman. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
03/14/20

Trail of the Screaming Forehead + The Lost Skeleton Returns Again 03/14/20

Cult nonsense filmmaking finds its Ultimate in Larry Blamire’s pair of monster-rally comedies, that parody classic cheapo sci-fi thrillers. The spot-on spoofery nails the genre’s hyper-earnest characterizations and affectionately stilted acting. The only disconnect are the high production values lavished on these personal films: remastered for reissue, they look and sound almost too good for authenticity’s sake. Separate purchases, each with bounteous extras, including Larry Blamire’s weird ‘reanimated movie classics.’ On Blu-ray from Bantam Street.
03/14/20

Manon 03/10/20

We can depend on H.G. Clouzot to find people at their most desperate, at their worst. His updated adaptation of Manon Lescaut dissects the trauma of amour fou AND the hypocrisy, opportunism and political horror of postwar France. Resistance fighter Michel Auclair and provincial tart Cécile Aubrey are lovers caught in a web of vice and treachery, much of it of their own making. Their desperate escape takes them to an inhuman landscape devoid of mercy. Clouzot may pity these characters, but he sure doesn’t give them a break. co-starring Serge Reggiani. On Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
03/10/20

Whisky Galore! + The Maggie 03/10/20

All hail Alexander Mackendrick! TFH’s Charlie Largent evaluates a terrific Ealing Scottish double bill of hilarious comedies. Mackendrick’s first feature is about an island’s valiant call to arms — to recover a cargo of booze run around on the rocks. Basil Radford and Joan Greenwood star. Second up is the director’s personal favorite, a droll farce about a struggle between an American millionaire (Paul Douglas) and the clever, slippery captain of a barely-seaworthy cargo launch (Alex Mackenzie). It’s sort of a proto- Local Hero battle of wills. CineSavant’s Charlie Largent evaluates the disc. On Blu-ray from Film Movement Classics.
03/10/20

The Cranes Are Flying 03/07/20

Some classic Russian films are impressive, others are interesting — and this one takes our heads off, as if we were seeing great moviemaking for the first time. Soviet filmmaking under Stalin was locked in the grip of stifling bureaucratic sameness; Mikhail Kalatazov waited until the passing of Joe Stalin to direct with a degree of freedom. This show about lovers separated by war won prizes around the world, giving Soviet films new life internationally — its bravura montages and fluid camera set pieces still astound. The stars are Sergey Batalov, and the world-class actress and beauty Tatyana Samojlova. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
0307/20

Beau Brummell 03/07/20

This remake of Warners’ 1924 John Barrymore feature gives us Elizabeth Taylor in the Mary Astor role, Stewart Granger as the fashion dandy of the Restoration Period, and a scene-stealing Peter Ustinov as a lonely, needy Prince of Wales. The historical details are bogus, but it at least doesn’t turn Brummell into a typical swashbuckler. Compensating are English actors that can get any script up on its feet, and Liz Taylor’s blue-violet eyes. And the Oswald Morris cinematography improves greatly on the MGM house style. Also starring Robert Morley, James Donald, James Hayter, Rosemary Harris, Paul Rogers, and Noel Willman. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
03/07/20

Inside Moves 03/03/20

Are friends the best therapy?  Richard Donner’s first feature post- Superman is a complete switcheroo — a small-scale character piece that delivers an impressive lineup of engaging actors. John Savage leads a ‘different’ ensemble of the walking wounded, that congregates at a neighborhood bar. The movie has a positive sports theme, and the way its characters overcome physical limits and psychological damage feels uplifting, never phony. Diana Scarwid earned an Oscar nomination, and the unappreciated Amy Wright is a heartbreaker in a strong, uncompromised role. Also co-starring David Morse, Harold Sylvester, Bill Henderson, Bert Remsen, Harold Russell, and Tony Burton. On Blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing.
03/03/20

My Gun Is Quick 03/03/20

I wouldn’t brag about that if I were you. United Artists’ third go-round with Mickey Spillane’s famed private eye doesn’t do the franchise justice — there’s little to connect the inexpressive nice guy Robert Bray with the super-popular, super-violent avenger of the books. Spillane’s original is abandoned in favor of a tame ‘who’s got the diamonds?’ storyline, with some compensation in a string of exciting ‘Hammer dames.’ I checked twice — Mike doesn’t shoot ANY of them in the stomach. The ‘who’s that?’ cast list includes Whitney Blake, Patricia Donahue, Jan Chaney, Genie Coree — and Pamela Duncan and Richard Garland, who we do fondly remember. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
03/03/20

Quai des Orfèvres 02/29/20

Another big title from Henri-Georges Clouzot touches down in Region A. The great director’s first postwar feature dials back the misanthropy — but only a little. It’s a detective tale set in an impressively recreated theatrical milieu, about the tangle of illicit desire that people get caught up in. Ambition, sacrifice, and jealousy figure in a tightly-knit murder scenario — Louis Jouvet’s detective must sort them out, to determine if the vain variety singer Jenny Lamour is really guilty of a heinous crime. Starring Louis Jouvet, Suzy Delair, Bernard Blier, Simone Renant, all great actors worth checking out. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/29/20

Semi-Tough 02/29/20

In 1977 Burt Reynolds was on top of the Hollywood world, a bankable star whose popularity knew no bounds. In between his payday Smokey and the Bandit vehicles, he tried working with directors Peter Bogdanovich, Robert Aldrich, Stanley Donen … and with this film, the highly entertaining, somewhat unpredictable Michael Ritchie. The adaptation of Dan Jenkins’ NFL football book takes a left turn into social satire (or honest reportage), and centers on a romantic triangle with Jill Clayburgh and Kris Kristofferson. You might not remember all of its non- PC rough edges … which were already SOP for comedies of the ’70s. With Robert Preston, Brian Dennehy, Bert Convy, Roger E. Mosley, Lotte Lenya, Richard Masur, Carl Weathers, Mary Jo Catlett. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/29/20

Teenage Werewolf Spotted 63 Years Too Late 02/29/20

Aw, this was supposed to be a CineSavant Column entry, but it got way out of hand and became an article. We got a looksee at a horror film that’s been just plain unavailable for at least twenty-five years: out of circulation / MIA / a Dead Parrot. And what do we see in the show but an opportunity for a fun but essentially meaningless photo-comparison feature. Is this a proper activity for an adult?  I’ll be hiding out in motels for the next few nights, so don’t bother trying to corral me with another forcible lifestyle intervention. The cops didn’t find me last time, or the people that went missing!  Not On Blu-ray.
02/29/20

Holiday 02/25/20

George Cukor’s classy late-’30s Park Avenue romp gives us Katharine Heburn and Cary Grant at their best; Grant is especially good in a particularly demanding comedy role. The original play is warmed up a bit with comedy touches, and some pointed political barbs slip in there as well. The marvelous acting ensemble gives terrific material to favorites like Jean Dixon and Edward Everett Horton; also starring Doris Nolan, Lew Ayres, Binnie Barnes and Henry Daniell. A special extra: an entire HD encoding of the early talkie version of Holiday, starring Mary Astor. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
02/25/20

Under the Shadow 02/25/20

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton returns with a rundown on Babak Anvari’s smart tale of supernatural happenings in the Middle East. The Farsi-language British production filmed in Jordan is set in Tehran at the height of the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. The atmosphere of fear and anxiety generated within a bombed-out apartment block attracts a group of demonic Djinn intent on evil-doing: the spiriting away of a vulnerable young girl. On Region-free Blu-ray from Second Sight.
02/25/20

Canyon Passage 02/22/20

This great, unheralded western is divorced from the usual concerns of law and order and gunslinger protocol. As in most every film by Jacques Tourneur, we feel a strong empathy for characters that behave like real people working out real problems. The Oregon Territory is pioneered by imperfect people — opportunists, knaves and hopeful dreamers — all rich in personality. Dana Andrews and Susan Hayward lead a large cast in a tale with just as much conflict and violence as the next western, but with an integrity one can feel. The icing on the cake is the presence of ‘troubadour’ Hoagy Carmichael and his beautiful music. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/22/20

It Started with a Kiss 02/22/20

It’s another big-star MGM romantic comedy, and not exactly a classic. Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford pick their way through a travelogue story that seems made of leftovers from I LOVE LUCY, inventing flat-farce gimmicks to sex things up without offending the Production Code. What’s the movie most remembered for?  It features the exotic concept car that became TV’s Batmobile. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
02/22/20

Tex Avery’s Screwball Classics Volume 1 02/18/20

Guest reviewer “B” returns to write a full review article on the first Blu-ray collection of cartoons by the unchallenged king of animated hilarity. The 19- title collection includes a fistful of no-contest classics, plus a number of Avery’s oddball character cartoons, best represented by the anarchic Screwball Squirrel and the surreal Droopy Dog. The lead-off headliner is Red Hot Riding Hood, (no cover, no minimum), who inspires Old Wolfie into fits of, uh, stimulation that defied the pious Production Code. Animation Nirvana, beautifully remastered. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
02/18/20

Endless Night 02/18/20

We love Hayley Mills, and wish she made more good movies as an adult. This suspense thriller adapted from an Agatha Christie novel once again casts Ms. Mills opposite Hywel Bennett, in a slack tale that spins its wheels, sets up a lot of material that goes nowhere, and eventually becomes a depressing, desultory murder mystery. But every film has something, and this one can boast one of Bernard Herrmann’s final movie scores, one that’s never been available on records or discs. That’s all many fans will need to give it a try. With Britt Eklund, George Sanders and Per Oscarsson. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator .
02/18/20

Parasite 02/15/20

Hipster film folk love a good black comedy, and one that doesn’t hit too close to home can become a big hit. Bong Joon-ho has been making smart, clever movies for years, and this intense satire hit pay dirt, commercially. Neon played their Oscar season cards beautifully as well, with the personable director seemingly omnipresent at festivals and on NPR. The film itself? I find it wickedly clever, yet fundamentally humanist — it’s not mean-spirited. Starring Choi Woo Shik, Song Kang Ho, Chang Hyae Jin, Cho Yeo Jeong, Park So Dam, Lee Sun Kyun, Jung Ziso, Jung Hyeon, and Jeong-eun Lee. On Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment / Neon.
02/15/20