Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Archives: Reviews

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

X The Unknown 02/15/20

Hammer’s copycat Quatermass picture stands apart from similar ‘mystery sci-fi monster’ thrillers by virtue of its serious tone and realistic presentation. Talk about a sober semi-docu style: there are no major female roles and the leading character is a mass of radioactive mud. (Is there an election year joke in that?) Hammer found a new writer in Jimmy Sangster, imported the Yankee name actor Dean Jagger, tried to hire the expatriate director Joseph Losey. With Edward Chapman, Leo McKern, and other people that just can’t take the heat, plutonium-wise. Former child actor Anthony Newley has a small part, but he doesn’t get to sing X’s theme song: “Who can I turn to, when nobody needs me, because the flesh is melting from my skull?”  On Blu-rayfrom Scream Factory.
02/15/20

The Great McGinty 02/15/20

Charlie Largent reminds us why we love Preston Sturges with his first feature film, the near-perfect political satire with Brian Donlevy and Akim Tamiroff showing future demagogues how to put the $$ in good old honest American corruption. Ya got a state with budget problems. It needs a few new highways and few more dams! Donlevy’s Dan McGinty learns too late that a little reform can be a big headache. It’s one of the brightest director debuts, with one of the all-time best American comedy screenplays. With Muriel Angelus, and a lot of Sturges’ stock company already checking in to work: William Demarest, Thurston Hall, Esther Howard, Frank Moran, and Jimmy Conlin. How many people do YOU see in this photo of a sports event grandstand?   That’s an inside joke. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/15/20

Roma 02/11/20

Alfonso Cuarón’s labor of love will go down as having changed the delivery norm for top-quality feature motion pictures: unlike most foreign films, millions had a chance to see this highly-advertised show on Netflix, even if the life-changing experience to be had was the limited 70mm theatrical run. Cuarón’s ode to his upbringing in Mexico City is a rich slice of nostalgia and ethnography, made warmly human by the performance of Yalitza Aparicio. Viewers ‘waiting for something to happen’ will miss the point entirely. Italian neorealism was never as intense or as fascinating. Criterion’s extras are really arresting, especially the featurette explaining the near-miraculous post production process. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
02/08/20

Ulzana’s Raid 02/11/20

Robert Aldrich gives the Cavalry Western a rough going-over in this brutal, unforgiving horror-western. Burt Lancaster gets in a fine late-career action turn as well. The pursuit of an Apache raiding party becomes guerilla war in the desert, the kind of conflict that cements racial hatred forever. Aldrich and Alan Sharp’s answer to the ‘mud & rags’ western of the early 1970s carries on the director’s anarchic streak. This is how the West was won? With Richard Jaeckel, Bruce Davison, Jorge Luke, Joaquín Martínez, Lloyd Bochner and Karl Swenson.  On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/08/20

Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman 02/08/20

“Not so much a suspension of disbelief, as a suspension of dreary naturalism.” Criterion acknowledges a great filmmaker with this wonderful trio of Karel Zeman spectaculars, truly original fantasies that showcase a blend of animation and theatrical effects concocted, confected, perfected half a century before CGI. The Czech filmmakers take us on a prehistoric safari, a cruise to an island of Jules Verne sci-fi marvels, and into a brightly imagined, magical storybook fantasy. Even the presentation is whimsical — the three features are packaged in a functioning pop-up book. Behold: Journey to the Beginning of Time, Invention for Destruction and The Fabulous Baron Munchausen. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
02/08/20

The Criminal 02/08/20

Gangland London, 1960: Expatriate director Joseph Losey gives the Brit crime film a boost with a brutal gangster tale starring the ultra-tough Stanley Baker — and seemingly every up & coming male actor on the casting books. A committed thief returns to his craft the moment he’s freed from prison, but the emphasis is on the nasty betrayals and squeeze-plays of the criminal underworld, that conspire to foil Baker’s plans. Some of the top names in the cast are Sam Wanamaker, Grégoire Aslan, Margit Saad, Jill Bennett, Rupert Davies, Laurence Naismith, John Van Eyssen, Noel Willman, Kenneth Warren, Patrick Magee, Kenneth Cope, Patrick Wymark, Paul Stassino, Tom Bell, and Nigel Green. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/08/20

Two on a Guillotine 02/08/20

Connie Stevens and Dean Jones star in a wild ‘n’ wacky happy-go-lurky mystery romp, and with this title, it isn’t for Disney! Actor William Conrad’s first directorial effort released by WB is a campy horror item starring not an actress making a comeback, but a pre- Joker Cesar Romero as a magician afflicted by the tragedy of Tod Browning’s Syndrome: he keeps accidentally beheading loved ones on stage. Klunky spook show or nail-biting spine-tingler? You be the judge. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
02/08/20

Monstrosity (The Atomic Brain) 02/04/20

How can a ‘Z’ horror production so completely absorb the thoughts of this ex- film student?  This maladroit 1963 monster mash can’t even tell when it’s doing something good. A capable cast gives their all to a marginal production that, re-titled as The Atomic Brain, became a staple on late-nite TV, where it worked better than a sleeping pill. For extras, the quality disc production taps the one mortal willing to research this film’s murky depths: who else but Tom Weaver, whose original interview research actually makes sense of this screwy picture. Well, a little sense, at least. Recommended to the legions of fans of Marjorie Eaton and Frank Gerstle; don’t forget the woman who behaves like a cat, after Doctor Franks’ first cat-to-human brain transplant — we can still get your name on the list to be the second! On Blu-rayfrom Moth Inc..
02/04/20

The Light at the Edge of the World 02/04/20

Jules Verne’s version of ‘Die Hard’ takes place not on Christmas Eve in Century City, but 160 years ago at a lonely lighthouse in Tierra Del Fuego. The mini-moguls the Salkinds rounded up a great cast — Kirk Douglas! Samantha Eggar! Yul Brynner! — but let them down severely in production details and particularly the edit. Most everything needed is here for a classic adventure-suspense picture, but somebody thought the action had to be ultra-violent and nihilistic. The new Blu-ray restores it to good color and an uncut state. With Fernando Ray, for about fifteen minutes. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
02/04/20

All About My Mother 02/01/20

Pedro Almodóvar’s challenging films shouldn’t be only for his dedicated fans: nobody mixes genuine human compassion with world-class filmmaking as well as he … while maintaining a marvelous sense of humor, of human proportion. This 1999 effort is perhaps Pedro’s strongest drama, and yet another heartfelt endorsement of womankind. For the life-beleaguered Manuela, tragedy and melodramatic setbacks only bring out a primal determination to heal all wounds. Starring Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz, and Barcelona. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
02/01/20

The Abominable Snowman 02/01/20

Just under the top echelon of British sci-fi lurks this well-produced, absorbing ‘expedition to terror!’ that surprises us by paying off on an intellectual plane. After building his monster but before defeating Dracula, Peter Cushing found himself in a real fix on a snowy mountain peak. Sure, the race of enormous Yeti are shiver-inducing, but Cushing must also withstand the mind games of a suspiciously solicitous Tibetan Lhama, and a piratical double-cross by an American huckster who goes by the deceptive name, ‘Friend.’ Forrest Tucker co-stars, perhaps giving his best film performance; Hammer’s production and Val Guest’s direction help communicate writer Nigel Kneale’s intellectual sci-fi extension of apocalyptic ideas in Lost Horizon. This came out about six weeks ago, on Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
02/01/20

Room at the Top 01/28/20

One of the first ‘kitchen sink realist’ films of the British New Wave is also one of the best English films ever — believable, absorbing, and emotionally moving. The adaptation of John Braine’s novel launched Laurence Harvey as a major star, and English films were suddenly touted as being just as adult as their continental counterparts. It attracted a bushel of awards, especially for the luminous Simone Signoret. Unlike the average Angry Young Man, Joe Lampton’s struggle feels universal — bad things happen when ambition seeks a way through the class ceiling, ‘to get to the money,’ as says Donald Wolfit’s character. With a fairly amazing cast: Heather Sears, Ambrosine Phillpotts, Donald Wolfit, Donald Houston, Hermione Baddeley, Allan Cuthbertson, Raymond Huntley, John Westbrook, Richard Pasco, Ian Hendry and many more. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/28/20

Underwater! 01/28/20

Howard Hughes takes RKO into SuperScope and color for this attractive, somewhat tame sunken treasure adventure starring his captive glamour star Jane Russell. No off-color advertising slogans this time around, but plenty of bathing-beauty opportunities, for Jane and her co-stars Richard Egan and Gilbert Roland. CineSavant examines the budget-compromise film format called SuperScope, and the difficulty that director John Sturges encountered filming this seagoing adventure, in which the stars never went to sea. Plus, lovely Lori Nelson and the Latin rhythms of the incomparable Pérez Prado! On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
01/28/20

The Oscar 01/25/20

What an honor it is to host a review of a genuine cinematic monument:  Charlie Largent dares to tell the truth about the movie that both Orson Welles and Stanley Kubrick said they’d give anything to have directed. Screenwriter Harlan Ellison digs below Hollywood’s lust and venality to reveal a core of heartwarming humanism. This soaring achievement was the only film to be awarded both the Medal of Freedom and a Nobel Peace Prize. To make room in its storage vaults for priceless The Oscar outtakes, Embassy Pictures tossed worthless cans of negative for Greed and The Magnificent Ambersons into a furnace. And who would ever have guessed that Russell Rouse ghost-directed for the auteur Edward D. Wood, Jr.?  Career-best performances are committed to film by Stephen Boyd, Elke Sommer, Milton Berle, Eleanor Parker and the immortal thespian Jill St. John. The long wait is over — it’s finally available at popular prices. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/25/20

Penelope 01/25/20

What can one say about a comedy that just limps along, even when an attractive cast does fine work every step of the way?  Even the bit parts are creatively cast in this odd romp infected with a really bad case of The Cutes. Natalie Wood is at her best, but in service of dumb gags: let’s blow bubble gum bubbles! The result so upset Natalie that she ditched her studio contract. The roster of engaging talent includes Peter Falk (in suave leading man mode!), Dick Shawn (less grating than usual), Lila Kedrova & Lou Jacobi (showing real style), Jonathan Winters (wasted) and, of all people, Ian Bannen as Natalie Wood’s uncomprehending husband. Bannen is so good, he drags a real laugh or two from the material. The show has been beautifully remastered — it’s part one of this week’s accidental tribute to director Arthur Hiller. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
01/25/20

Tobruk 01/25/20

Rock Hudson’s big-explosion war movie applies decent production values and decent direction to a good idea, but substitutes some weak double-crosses for a real screen story. Hudson and his co-producer Gene Corman toss in a fine stack of quality actors… who don’t do much more than dodge tanks, flame throwers, and big explosions. Those explosions look familiar — I’ll bet they were recycled in more than a couple subsequent movies. Aiding and abetting handsome Hudson are George Peppard (manning a Tarantino-issue flamethrower), Nigel Green, and Guy Stockwell, who seems to be in EVERY Universal release around this time. Part two of CineSavant’s unplanned ode to director Arthur Hiller goes out with a bang and a boom. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/25/20

Gregory’s Girl 01/21/20

From the director of the beloved Local Hero: ‘Pure Simple Joy’ is an apt way to describe this deceptively meek, completely endearing Scottish film with a universal theme about adolescence and the reality of teen love. John Hughes’ teen pix do not hold a candle to the innocent charm found here. The gawky yet boundlessly optimistic Gregory falls head over heels for the teenaged wonder girl of his dreams… his only problem is that she’s light years ahead of him in terms of maturity. But the female social system takes on the problem in what must be the most gentle (make that Utopian) view of high school ever. Writer-director Bill Forsythe struck independent hit gold, through the great performances of Gordon John Sinclair, Dee Hepburn, and Clare Grogan. On Blu-ray from Film Movement Classics.
01/21/20

Night Tide 01/21/20

Experimental filmmaker and writer Curtis Harrington took his first shot at a feature film with this intriguing horror blend of Val Lewton ambiguity and A.I.P. nightmare thrills. Dennis Hopper is the amiable sailor at the sideshow pier who gets literally tangled up with a mermaid performer — who has some secrets he’d rather not know. Linda Lawson and Luana Anders are the romantic alternatives, but we know that sailors never pick the right woman. This two disc special edition loads the show with extras, including an impressive set of restored Harrington short films. And you’ll never think of the Santa Monica Pier’s carousel the same way again. Reviewed by the reportedly experimental Charlie Largent. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
01/21/20

House by the River 01/21/20

One of Fritz Lang’s least-known thrillers has aspects that appealed to him, and he certainly applied his personal viewpoint and visual talent. It’s a period Gothic with women in corsets, about a deranged writer who lets his desires get out of hand. It may be actor Louis Hayward’s best work. Jane Wyatt is the suffering wife, but the real honors go to Dorothy Patrick, in an all-too brief appearance. It’s yet another Lang film about a sex-killer; commentator Alexandra Heller-Nicholas relates the attempted rape to the #metoo movement. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/21/20

Fail Safe 01/18/20

The world trembles on the brink, and liberals are in charge!  The nicest President you ever met gives the Soviet Premier an offer anybody could refuse, while technical glitches, not crazy people or radical politics, are blamed for starting WW3. Sidney Lumet’s taut, scary armageddon-outta-here thriller was weighed in the balance against a certain Stanley Kubrick film and found wanting, but unless you’re a stickler for technical details it really works up a buzz. The cast & crew list is a menu of committed liberal talent. Featuring Henry Fonda, Dan O’Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Edward Binns, Fritz Weaver, Larry Hagman, Janet Ward and Dom DeLuise. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
01/18/20

Tunes of Glory 01/18/20

Some critics wondered if Alec Guinness and John Mills should have swapped roles for this adaptation of James Kennaway’s incisive novel about popularity vs. discipline in the command structure of a Scots army brigade. Ronald Neame’s direction is exemplary, showcasing the powerhouse performances yet avoiding theatrical flourishes. And the movie introduces Susannah York as well. Criterion’s 4K remaster greatly improves on their older DVD release. Starring Dennis Price, Susannah York, Kay Walsh, John Fraser and Gordon Jackson. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
01/18/20

The War Lord 01/14/20

One of the more satisfying costume adventures of the ‘sixties is also one of its star’s best vehicles. Charlton Heston was born to play bigger-than-life historical types, and his Norman knight in this film has the benefit of an intelligent screenplay and a terrific supporting ensemble. This hero’s armor doesn’t shine — he’s more than willing to risk everything to possess a pagan woman with whom he’s become infatuated. Many would-be epics want us to think that the charms of unlikely damsels like Virginia Mayo and Claudette Colbert changed the course of history, but this show makes it seem more than possible. Plus, it features great action scenes and a terrific music score by Jerome Moross. With an impressive cast: Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth, Maurice Evans, Guy Stockwell, Niall MacGinnis, and James Farentino. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/14/20

Black Angel 01/14/20

This unassuming noir classic can boast a strong creative pedigree and an unusual ending… which I’ll not spoil. Dan Duryea is the confused pianist helping June Vincent clear her husband of a murder charge, by infiltrating the nightclub of suspicious Peter Lorre. The outline sticks close to Cornell Woolrich’s story source, and Roy William Neill contributes a classy job of direction. Also starring Constance Dowling and Broderick Crawford; Alan K. Rode’s commentary is a winner. On Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
01/14/20

The Titfield Thunderbolt 01/11/20

Toot Toot!  The Little Engine that Could becomes a tale of the little town that could, when their tiny rail service is discontinued. A crackerjack cast of Ealing regulars — Stanley Holloway, Naunton Wayne, John Gregson — band together to take over the little spur line and keep it running. We get to see a vintage locomotive from the early 1800s in action, but the appeal isn’t limited to lovers of trains — Ealing’s knack for inspired, understated comedy is all over this show. Plus, it’s the company’s first feature in Technicolor, and is beautifully remastered. With George Relph, Godfrey Tearle, Hugh Griffith, Sidney James, and Jack MacGowran. On Blu-ray from Film Movement Classics.
01/11/20

Young Winston 01/11/20

Epics — everybody wants to make them but the studios are naturally wary. Richard Attenborough’s ode to the youthful ambitions of Sir Winston Churchill was a big hit in England but didn’t make a dent here. Although a dead ringer for the young Winston, Simon Ward didn’t take off as a star either, leaving Anne Bancroft and Robert Shaw in a sidebar drama that will mostly be remembered for an STD. Correspondent-soldier Churchill sees action in India, The Sudan and South Africa, thanks to the intervention of his socially adept mother. It’s a beautiful, ‘safe’ production with plenty of national pride. Its American premiere served as the Grand opening screening for the second FILMEX film festival. No shortage of Brit movie stars on view: Jack Hawkins, Patrick Magee, Edward Woodward, John Mills, Pat Heywood, Laurence Naismith, Colin Blakely, Ian Holm, Robert Flemyng, Jane Seymour, Anthony Hopkins, Pippa Steel. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
01/11/20

Cimarron 01/07/20

Once upon a time, MGM launched a big spectacle Western remake with the top star Glenn Ford and the bright import Maria Schell — and then second-guessed the whole production, cutting back on everything so severely that director Anthony Mann ankled the set for Spain and El Cid. The storytelling is a mess — after starting big, the show soon falls into pieces. But many of individual scenes and set pieces are exemplary, especially Mann’s re-run of the Oklahoma Land Rush, staged in Arizona and augmented by classy special effects. The large cast rounds up some big talent — Mercedes McCambridge, Russ Tamblyn — to tell Edna Ferber’s multi-generational story about ambition, intolerance and dreams of glory on the frontier. With Anne Baxter, Arthur O’Connell, Russ Tamblyn, Mercedes McCambridge, Vic Morrow, Charles McGraw, Harry Morgan, David Opatoshu, Aline MacMahon, and a whole lotta horses. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
01/07/20

Viy 01/07/20

Could the Soviets do a horror film?  The answer is a big yes, with an adaptation of the same Nikolai Gogol fable credited with inspiring Mario Bava’s Black Sunday. The bucolic period setting and comic undertones do not prepare the viewer for the maelstrom of supernatural events, aptly described by the disc notes as ‘demonic mayhem.’ It’s too terrifying for one Russian director, so Konstantin Ershov, Georgiy Kropachyov collaborated. The equally frightening CineSavant scribe Charlie Largent pens the review, doing some research to better place it in a cinematic context. Does a movie like this fit into the horror tradition of western Europe, or does it exist in isolation? Some of the creepy-crawly monster things in this show defy description.  On Blu-ray from Severin Films.
01/07/20

The Leech Woman 01/04/20

Why do we like horror and monster movies that routinely get labeled as ‘bad?’  Because many of them have great story ideas and look at the world from odd, warped viewpoints. Back when ‘warped’ wasn’t a prerequisite for ALL filmed entertainment (my exaggeration) this murderous rejuvenation tale could be appreciated as something unusual, even quirky. Jeez, the characters are even nastier than the people I know!  Lovely Coleen Gray takes a chance on a downmarket Universal programmer and proves how well she can carry a movie, even through several dubious horror make-ups. With Grant Williams, Estelle Hemsley, Gloria Talbott, Phillip Terry, Kim Hamilton, and John Van Dreelen. On Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
01/04/20

The Slasher – ‘Cosh Boy’ 01/04/20

He’s mean, he’s nasty, he carries a razor and he’s dating your sister!  Cosh Boy was front & center in 1953 debates about ‘what’s wrong with the British cinema.’ It holds up well, if not as PC social comment, then as solid exploitation fare, with our verminous hero putting the moves on tough-but-vulnerable local girl Joan Collins. The entire cast will want to stand in line to get revenge against Roy Walsh, the punk who steals from his own mum and lets his criminal gang do the dirty work. Take it from me, he’s a dirty rat. Directed by Lewis Gilbert; co-starring Hermoine Baddeley and Hermione Gingold, and with a lot of Hammer personnel in the credits. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
01/04/19

Cobra Woman 12/31/19

Charlie Largent approaches this High Kitsch classic with an open mind and an appreciative eye: the remastering of this wartime Technicolor hit is dazzling. Talent-challenged but curvaceous Maria Montez, a genuine cult figure, can’t act and certainly can’t dance — but she has what the GIs overseas wanted to see, and the censors let her show it. Jon Hall and Sabu aid and abet Robert Siodmak’s arrow-straight direction. The script is dreamlike, the dialogue ultra-campy; add an excellent music score and the film’s effect is actually quite pleasing. Membership in the Maria Montez cult fan club helps; I hope Charlie tells his story about when a festival screened five Montez trailers in a row. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
12/31/19