Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Archives: Reviews

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Smash Palace 07/10/18

Arrow Academy
Blu-ray

From reviewer Charlie Largent: This superior drama won co-writer and director Roger Donaldson breakthrough international attention. The breakup of a family is sensitive and shocking, and takes a turn into violent territory without becoming exploitative or crude. Starring New Zealand’s leading actor Bruno Lawrence. A non-molestation court order for a race car driver to stay away from his wife, leads to bad, self-destructive decisions — the title is the name for an auto junkyard, but really describes a failed marriage. On Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
7/10/18

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sex, lies and videotape 07/10/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Is this show still as daring as it once was? How does it fare in this year of #MeToo? Where are the personal boundaries in relationships, when nobody can risk being entirely honest? We discover a man who wants to relate with women solely through the recordings he makes of them talking about sex — is that OK, or not OK? Steven Soderbergh’s micro-budgeted intimate drama was the definition of independent filmmaking success. With fine, complex performances from Andie MacDowell, James Spader, Laura San Giacomo and Peter Gallagher. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
7/10/18

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A Matter of Life and Death 07/07/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Imagination and resourcefulness accomplishes miracles on a Stairway to Heaven, with visual effects never bettered in the pre-CGI era. The wonder movie of 1946 sees the Archers infusing the ‘Film Blanc’ fantasy with amazing images and powerful emotions. Michael Powell’s command of the screen overpowers a soon-obsoleted theme about U.S.- British relations. David Niven, Kim Hunter and Roger Livesey bring fine performances to bear on the fantastic material. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
7/7/18

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Xtro 07/07/18

Second Sight Region B
Blu-ray

Nope, this isn’t ET, The Extraterrestrial, not by a long shot. Guest reviewer Lee Broughton offers an assessment of Harry Bromley Davenport’s British cult sci-fi shocker of modest means, a show that would be pure exploitation if not for some creditable performances. It’s nasty but has a basic competence and is not just more cynical grist for the mill. ‘Phone Home,’ my Aunt Fannie: sometimes the difference between a thriller like this and a higher-profile classic is just pretension. On Blu-ray from Second Sight (UK).
7/7/18

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Under Capricorn 07/07/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

What could go wrong? Alfred Hitchcock directs Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten in a mysterious tale of marital intrigues and social bigotry in a land populated by ex-convicts. Bergman is the long-suffering wife and Jack Cardiff is behind the Technicolor camera, which swoops through several amazing unbroken moving camera master shots, one fully five minutes long. I respectfully repeat, what could go wrong?  Also starring Michael Wilding and Margaret Leighton. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
7/7/18

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Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! 07/03/18

Arrow Video
Blu-ray

Inflato-faced Jô Shishido is at it again, here in a typically precocious, spoofy crime adventure by Nippon’s nutcase-stylist Seijun Suzuki. If the eccentric color scheme doesn’t do the trick, the antic comic relief and wild musical numbers will. Shishido dances the Charleston, and the nightclub rocks with a terrific twist number. How cool it is to hear better rock music under Nikkatsu’s logo, than in a Hollywood picture?. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
7/03/18

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Hitler’s Hollywood 07/03/18

Kino Lorber
DVD

What, another docu about Nazis? This one tells the entire story — with many rare clips and interesting actor and filmmaker profiles — of the hundreds of state-produced German films made during the Third Reich. Rüdiger Suchsland’s film is an excellent look at a suppressed era of film history. With Joseph Goebbels dictating the subject matter, personnel, and political spin on every movie made, what did Germans see? Mostly mindless escapism laced with totalitarian subtext. Udo Kier reads a first-class narration. With revelations about some surprising names, like Douglas Sirk and Ingrid Bergman. On DVD from Kino Lorber.
7/03/18

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Beirut 07/03/18

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Blu-ray

We’re still waiting for the role that will prove that Jon Hamm has a future after Mad Men. This middling hostage negotiation drama doesn’t insult our intelligence yet is still not that much more impressive than an average ‘let’s go to a war zone!’ episode of NCIS. Hamm delivers excellent work as the put-upon diplomat in a tight, tight spot. Co-starring Rosamund Pike and Mark Pellegrino, and filmed in Morocco. On Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment/Bleeker Street.
7/03/18

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Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood 06/30/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Delirious silver-screen glamour never disappoints! Marlene Dietrich’s six Paramount pictures for Josef von Sternberg arrive in a beautifully annotated disc set: Morocco, Dishonored, Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus, The Scarlet Empress and The Devil is a Woman. The most creative director-muse relationship of the 1930s created an all-conquering German siren-goddess, a screen icon vom kopf bis fuss. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
6/30/18

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Take a Girl Like You 06/30/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

This noted adult role for Hayley Mills pairs her with a genuinely creepy Oliver Reed, trying his damnedest to affect natural charm. The Brit sex comedy addresses basic facts about boy-girl petting, and not much else. Reed’s aggressive girl-grabber glowers so much that we wonder if Mills’ virginal Northerner has a thing for werewolves. It’s another reason for #MeToo activists to get out the torches and pitchforks. With Noel Harrison, John Bird, Sheila Hancock and Ronald Lacey. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
6/30/18

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The Addiction 06/26/18

Arrow Video
Blu-ray

Watch out – a bloodsucking fiend is stalking the highways and by-ways of lower Manhattan… and she has a PhD!  Abel Ferrara’s vampire mini-epic puts Lili Taylor through an ordeal that’s harrowing, transformational and either profound or pretentious depending on how you roll with existential philosophy. We acknowledge that Ferrara is a good judge of actor-flesh: sharing in the theory-speak and blood-soaked grue are Christopher Walken, Annabella Sciorra, Edie Falco, and Kathryn Erbe. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
6/26/18

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Rocco and His Brothers 06/26/18

The Milestone Cinematheque
Blu-ray

Luchino Visconti’s national epic looks and plays better than ever. A Southern family relocates to Milan, and each of the sons reacts differently to life in the big city. It’s one of Italy’s most emotional film experiences. The impressive cast includes a young Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, and the great Katina Paxinou; acting honors go to Annie Giradot and Renato Salvatori, as one of cinema’s most ill-fated couples. Presented in a 4K restoration at its original three-hour length. On Blu-ray from The Milestone Cinematheque.
6/26/18

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My Sister Eileen (1955) 06/26/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

Lively stars, good music and Bob Fosse-grade dancing favor Columbia’s forgotten-yet-rediscovered original musical remake, which turns the adventures of two sisters in Manhattan into an all-romantic gambol. Janet Leigh and Jack Lemmon are young and fresh, but MGM alumnus Betty Garrett steals the show. Director Richard Quine uses good sense on the musical numbers by Jule Styne and Leo Robin; also starring Tommy Rall, Dick York, Kurt Kaznar and Lucy Marlow. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
6/26/18

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Female Trouble 06/23/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Reviewer Charlie Largent ambles down Baltimore way to peruse John Waters’ scorching social satire about celebrity envy in all its monstrous forms. The depraved comedy charts the journey of suburban hell-raiser Dawn Davenport, a social climber for the ages. Starring the unforgettable Divine and Waters’ usual gang of Maryland Misfits, this 16mm epic from 1974 has been given a grand new Blu ray release that’s DeLuxe, DiVine and DeRanged. Co-starring Edith Massey and Mink Stole. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
6/23/18

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The China Syndrome 06/23/18

Powerhouse Indicator
Blu-ray

All but inventing the ‘new liberal exposé’ film format, James Bridges’ smart and effective thriller began as a star showcase with a political message. Its fictional nuclear accident hit screens just before almost the exact same thing happened in real life, at Three Mile Island. Historical synchronicity? Box office serendipity? One thing is certain — the show strongly affected the way we view the ‘miracle’ of nuclear-generated power. Starring Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas and Wilford Brimley. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
6/23/18

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She Had to Say Yes 06/23/18

The Warner Archive Collection
DVD

Wow … pre-Code pictures frequently offended conservative values, but this saucy, sinful big business exposé is guaranteed to bring #MeToo advocates to their feet as well, demanding that the negative be burned. Loretta Young stars as a rather inconsistent modern maid, trapped between three less-than-scrupulous men. No, make that three total pigs. Co-starring Winnie Lightner, Lyle Talbot, Regis Toomey and Hugh Herbert. On DVD from The Warner Archive Collection.
6/23/18

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Guilty By Suspicion 06/19/18

The Warner Archive Collection
DVD

Movies about the blacklist aren’t common, probably because as Robert Vaughn wrote, the period produced no happy stories, ‘Only Victims.’ Few of us would like to be publicly branded an Enemy of the People, but doing so seems to be America’s number one spectator sport. Robert de Niro, Annette Bening and George Wendt give a bite of immediacy to the way the blacklist upset careers and blighted lives. Trying to keep the names and dates straight is daunting: De Niro is supposed to be John Berry and Martin Scorsese’s character is meant to be Joseph Losey, and Darryl Zanuck is named by name. But some events and relationships have been changed to protect the . . . to protect who?  On DVD from The Warner Archive Collection.
6/19/18

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One-Armed Swordsman & Legend of the Mountain 06/19/18

88 Films/Eureka Entertainment
Blu-ray

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton returns with coverage of two well-regarded wuxia films (period martial arts movies set in ancient China). One is an intense action flick from the Shaw Brothers Studio that places a heavy emphasis on bloody and gory depictions of swordplay. The second is a wuxia with a difference: rather than attacking each other with fancy sword moves or flamboyant punching techniques, the mystical fighters employ incantations and magical musical instruments. Starring Yu Wang, Chiao Chiao and Ti Tang; and Feng Hsu, Chun Shi and Sylvia Chang. Separate Blu-rays from 88 Films / Eureka Entertainment.
6/19/18

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The Last House on the Left 06/19/18

Arrow Video
Blu-ray

Near the top of the list of movies we do not recommend as a date picture, no way no how, Wes Craven’s gut-wrencher presented a real problem for critics. Whose movie exactly is this? The producer wanted a commercially daring pornographic gore shocker. The writer-director envisioned a political scream of rage against America he considered Evil. Is the film an abomination, or an honest reflection of society in chaos?  Twenty years of revisions and extras are crammed into this three-disc limited edition of a legendary horror that, one upon a grimy time, revulsed drive-in audiences everywhere. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
6/19/18

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The Virgin Spring 06/16/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Ingmar Bergman’s tale of murder, retribution and God’s forgiveness may be the perfect entry point for art-film appreciation — it’s immediately accessible yet genuinely profound. It’s also a compelling miracle story. Max Von Sydow is the proud father who fills himself with a spirit of vengeance that contradicts his newly-adopted Christianity; Birgitta Pettersson is the happy child who picks the wrong day to carry candles to the church. The excellent extras include incisive interviews with two of the actresses, and forty minutes of articulate Ingmar advice to AFI students. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
6/16/18

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The Colossus of Rhodes 06/16/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

Reviewer Charlie Largent goes Mediterranean! Before he forever rewrote the rules of the western, Sergio Leone broke into directing with this lavish sword ‘n’ sandal epic. Always smiling, Greek playboy Rory Calhoun comes to Rhodes to check out the babes, the same way Cary Grant might crash a garden party. But he wasn’t expecting a revolution! Smart filmmaking creates outsized effects around the enormous 6th Wonder of the World, the statue that was felled by an earthquake two centuries B.C.. Here it’s sci-fi weapon of mass destruction with a clockwork interior and secret trap doors fit for a bronze-age Transformer. The class-A cast for Leone’s peplum includes Georges Marchal, Ángel Aranda, and Lea Massari of L’Avventura; Warner’s export edition is reportedly a reel short of the Italian original. The music score is by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
6/16/18

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The Woman in the Window 06/16/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

Fritz Lang and Nunnally Johnson take a deep dive into Aberrant Psych 101 and come up with a winner: a milquetoast-meets-murderous-femme tale that pays off marvelously, even with its trick ending. Entranced more by his own gentle dreams than the allure of Joan Bennett, Edward G. Robinson imagines a perfect dalliance, and follows it up with a self-imposed punishment. Slimy Dan Duryea gives the breakthrough performance; if you already have an earlier edition Imogen Sara Smith’s commentary is reason enough for a re-purchase. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
6/16/18

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Au hasard Balthazar 06/12/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Reviewer Charlie Largent plumbs the cinematic depths of Robert Bresson’s emotionally devastating masterpiece, in which an inoffensive beast of burden carries the sins of humanity. With non-professional actors and simple camerawork, Bresson expresses the mystery of life in a world devoid of moral justice. It’s a religious movie without a single sermon. Does a simple animal share in God’s grace? With Anne Wiazemsky. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/12/18

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The Man Who Watched Trains Go By 06/12/18

ClassicFlix
Blu-ray

This strange blend of French série noire and English Brit noir was filmed in glowing Technicolor on location in Holland and Paris. Runaway bookkeeper Claude Rains teams up with the highly fatale Märta Torén, evading the law in pursuit of the good life promised by a valise packed with money. Georges Simenon’s crime tale has an undertaste of Poetic Realist rebelliousness. Co-Starring Marius Goring, Herbert Lom and a very young Anouk Aimée, and with Felix Aylmer and Ferdy Mayne. On Blu-rayfrom ClassicFlix.
06/12/18

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2 Weeks in Another Town 06/12/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

A quick Jet-set ride takes us to Rome of 1962, which for a couple of years was the movie capital of the world. Washed-up actor Kirk Douglas reinvents himself amid the vipers of his past — an abusive director (Edward G. Robinson), a medusa-like ex-wife (Cyd Charisse) and a parade of show-biz creeps that want him to fail and grovel. But wait — redemption springs eternal through the love of a simple innocent unspoiled Italiana with no agenda of her own (Daliah Lavi). Will Douglas be reborn? Director Vincente Minnelli tries his hardest to get MGM in on the Italian art-movie gold rush. Co-Starring George Hamilton, Claire Trevor and Rosanna Schiaffino. On Blu-rayfrom The Warner Archive Collection.
06/12/18

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The Birth of a Nation (1915) 06/09/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

Writer Sergio Mims has been tapped lately for some interesting audio commentaries. I’ve known him as a solid associate for years, and asked him to weigh in on this deluxe Blu-ray set of a new restoration by the ultimate silent film authority, Kevin Brownlow.  D.W. Griffith’s 1915 epic is more controversial than ever, a masterpiece of the medium that’s so hateful in approach, it’s become fashionable to condemn it without taking a closer look. It’s the first 2-disc release on Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
6/09/18

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The Big Country 06/09/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

Ya know, “It’s a Big Country!” Westerns and pacifism are like oil and water, but William Wyler, Jessamyn West and three other top writers found a way for Gregory Peck to surmount eight showdowns and never fire a pistol in anger. Jean Simmons and Charlton Heston win top acting honors, while Burl Ives earns his Oscar, Carroll Baker gets the thankless role and composer Jerome Moross makes western music history. MGM’s remastering job fixes the problems of an earlier Blu-ray, and even brings the title sequence up to tip top condition. Plus several hours of special extras. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
6/09/18

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Cold Turkey 06/09/18

Olive Films
Blu-ray

Norman Lear’s Cold Turkey is preferred by 4 out of 5 doctors, and the other doctor is a fool that doesn’t smoke cigarettes. Norman Lear’s triple-threat writing, producing and directing effort is by no means a lazy comedy, with its twenty featured actors running around like asylum inmates for ninety minutes. It’s not the show to help one kick the habit, that’s for sure — even though it makes smoking look appropriately disgusting. Starring Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart, Pippa Scott, Bob & Ray, Vincent Gardenia, Barnard Hughes, Jean Stapleton, Barbara Cason & Judith Lowry. On Blu-ray from Olive Films.
6/09/18

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The Misadventures of Biffle and Shooster! 06/05/18

Kino Lorber
DVD

Do you miss the Stooges? Miss Edgar Kennedy? Here’s a bizarre bill of goods for committed film fans in search of retro fun. Will Ryan and Nick Santa Maria perform as a madcap ’30s comedy team in a series of imaginatively re-created broad short subjects, all designed to fit the style of the era. It works like gangbusters for those who relish their vintage slapstick laughs. Five separate short subjects give us an overview of Biffle and Shooster’s fictitious but very funny career. With guest stars Robert Forster and Robert Picardo, plus Schlomo the Wonder Ape!  On DVD from Kino Lorber.
06/05/18

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Designing Woman 06/05/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

MGM wasn’t the most current studio in 1957, as can be seen by this throwback to another era, a semi-screwball romantic comedy with big stars and directed in high style by Vincente Minnelli. Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall party like it’s 1939, and with the musical-comedy help of the irrepressible Dolores Gray, keep things light and mirthful. A score of fun actors provide support: Sam Levene, Tom Helmore, Mickey Shaughnessy, Jesse White and Chuck Connors as the mug that almost twists Peck’s nose off. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/05/18

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Next Stop, Greenwich Village 06/05/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

Paul Mazursky’s affectionate memoir of the New York bohemian life circa 1953 has a feel for the milieu and an honest appraisal of the kooky culture therein: artists, actors, users, takers, sweethearts, neurotics and phonies. Lenny Baker’s main character may have an amorous relationship with his girlfriend Ellen Greene, but his strongest connection is with his overbearing mother, played to perfection by Shelley Winters. She was a Best Supporting Actress nominee for The Poseidon Adventure but not for this?  Honestly. Co-starring Lois Smith, Christopher Walken, Dori Brenner, Antonio Fargas and Lou Jacobi. On Blu-rayfrom Twilight Time.
06/05/18

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Jack the Giant Killer 06/02/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

“From the land beyond beyond…”  — oops, wrong movie. Kerwin Mathews battles Torin Thatcher once again, with Judi Meredith in a stunning double role as both a delicate heroine and her evil counterpart in a magician’s mirror. Plus more stop-motion monsters than one can throw a ten-league boot at! Boy, we’re coining phrases left and right here. With Walter Burke, Anna Lee, Don Beddoe, Barry Kelley, Cormoran, Griffin, a two headed ogre and a trippy snake-octopus critter that’s like all green, ya know? On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
6/02/18

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Suspiria 06/02/18

Synapse
Blu-ray

In the Black Forest is a Dance Academy staffed by witches! Dario Argento’s virtually plotless but extravagantly beautiful shocker has been thrilling audiences or sending them to the exits for over forty years; reviewer Charlie Largent gives it a looksee. Yes, come and get warm & fuzzy with the first of Argento’s Three Mothers: Mother Suspiriorum, aka Helena Markos aka The Black Queen, whose coven warps reality into a web of horror (and eerie music by Goblin). Starring Jessica Harper, Alida Valli and Joan Bennett; this disc is getting rave reviews from Argento fans. On Blu-ray from Synapse.
6/02/18

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A Bucket of Blood 06/02/18

Olive Films
DVD

Roger Corman’s crew of associates must have had some pretty wild times, scraping around Hollywood and Venice Beach in the 1950’s trying to bust into the film business. Did these semi-bohemians stimulate writer Charles Griffith’s cynical humor gland? The first modern black comedy feature in a horror vein is an amazing low budget ‘sick’ accomplishment for the uniquely creative Corman. With Antony Carbone, Bruno Ve Sota, Ed Nelson and Bert Convy. On DVD from Olive Films.
6/02/18

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Odds Against Tomorrow 05/29/18

Olive Films
Blu-ray

“Racial Tolerance: It’s Good for America AND good for Criminals!”  Harry Belafonte’s second production is a noir keeper, thanks to a top-flight cast and sharp direction by Robert Wise. The big heist is on, but Robert Ryan’s anger management problem all but assures doom and disaster. It’s Wise’s last gritty action picture before moving up to big-scale audience pleasers; he pulls off some slick images with film sensitive to infra-red light. Co-starring Shelley Winters, Ed Begley, Gloria Grahame, Richard Bright, Wayne Rogers and Zohra Lampert. On Blu-ray from Olive Films.
5/29/18

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Hilda Crane 05/29/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

Call him strange, but CineSavant is fascinated by ‘women’s films’ that advance a consensus role template for American women. Then they ask questions like, “Is Hilda Crane a . . . TRAMP?”  Ladies attending these films may have sought to stir up fantasies with a racy romantic adventure — but not too racy. What a tough nut to crack within the Production Code: ace screenwriter Philip Dunne chose this as his third writing-directing assignment. Jean Simmons gives it her best shot, but the screen is stolen by everybody’s favorite harpy, Evelyn Varden. Also starring Guy Madison, Jean-Pierre Aumont and Judith Evelyn. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
5/29/18

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Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 05/29/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

The Little Song ‘n’ Dance Show that Could, this over-achieving Jack Cummings production is a bright exception to the dull waning days of the MGM musical, due to many factors but especially Michael Kidd’s athletic choreography. And it’s been restored in both of its simultaneously-filmed versions, flat-widescreen and CinemaScope. Starring Jane Powell, Howard Keel, Jeff Richards, Russ Tamblyn, Tommy Rall and Julie Newmar. A Two-disc Blu-ray Special Edition from The Warner Archive Collection.
5/29/18

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Midnight Cowboy 05/26/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Pictures like Midnight Cowboy pulled everyone my age into the movies, while the entire older generation likely stopped going to movies altogether. John Schlesinger’s masterpiece can boast a number of firsts, and deserves the high praise it receives from every angle — this was the epitome of progressive filmmaking circa 1969. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, John McGiver, Brenda Vaccaro, Barnard Hughes, Ruth White, Jennifer Salt and Bob Balaban. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
5/26/18

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Death in the Garden 05/26/18

Eureka / Masters of Cinema
Blu-ray + DVD

Luis Buñuel’s filmic obsessions steered toward the anarchistic, the anti-clerical and anti-bourgeois, with a surreal spin. All of his films are political, but three features in the 1950s cast a harsh eye on the subject of revolution itself, with surprising results. This beautiful color show is a worthy jungle adventure tale shot through with Buñuel’s signature negativity — it could be titled “The Bad, The Greedy and the Faithless.” Starring Simone Signoret, Georges Marchal, Charles Vanel, Michel Piccoli, and Michèle Girardon. A Dual-Format edition on Blu-ray and DVD from Eureka / Masters of Cinema.
5/26/18

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The Vampire and the Ballerina 05/26/18

Scream Factory
Blu-ray

Renato Polselli’s Italian vampire rally ups the on-screen babe count first and provides horror thrills second, yet the screenplay by Ernesto Gastaldi introduces a number of interesting wrinkles to the bloodsucking genre. This new bilingual release is a good presentation of what for American chiller fans has been a long-absent title. Starring Walter Brandi, Hélène Rémy, Tina Gloriani and María Luisa Rolando. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
5/26/18

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Five Tall Tales: Budd Boetticher & Randolph Scott at Columbia, 1957-1960 05/22/18

Powerhouse Indicator
Blu-ray

Bid welcome to five westerns guaranteed to make one fall in love with the genre all over again. Each stars the ultra-virtuous man of the West Randolph Scott, pitted against some of the most colorful antagonists on the range: Richard Boone, Lee Van Cleef, Claude Akins. Indicator’s extras constitute the best collection of research materials ever assembled on the underrated director Budd Boetticher. Also featuring Maureen O’Sullivan, Karen Steele, Nancy Gates, Craig Stevens, Pernell Roberts, James Coburn, Skip Homeier and Henry Silva. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
5/22/18

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Five Steps to Danger 05/22/18

ClassicFlix
Blu-ray

It’s a road picture, a spy chase and an oddball romance all in one. A casual highway hitch-hike leads to intrigues with shady doctors, guided missile secrets and espionage intrigues. Possible escaped nutcase Ruth Roman enlists nice guy Sterling Hayden’s help, and before you can say Alfred Hitchcock they’re handcuffed together and on the run. It’s a B-picture gem from the mid-fifties, all the more amusing for its awkwardness. With Werner Klemperer, Richard Gaines and Jeanne Cooper. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
5/22/18

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The Holy Mountain (1926) 05/22/18

Kino Classics
Blu-ray

Teutonic art writ large and loud: Arnolf Fanck’s first big ‘mountain’ classic wow’ed them back in 1926, with its massive vistas and death-defying feats of mountaineering, all sworn to be authentic. More importantly, Fanck and his diva Leni Riefenstahl invest their images with the sense of mythic, spiritual kitsch grandeur that became an aesthetic blueprint for the coming Nazi regime. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
5/22/18

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The Bloodthirsty Trilogy 05/19/18

Arrow Video
Blu-ray

Trailers from Hell’s dauntless Charlie Largent takes on vintage ’70s Japanese horror, a trio of sanguinary delights. Director Michio Yamamoto brings the vampire legend up to date in a unique trio of thrillers mixing ancient folklore, bestial bloodsuckers and modern day Japan, circa 1970. The three films The Vampire Doll, Lake of Dracula, and Evil of Dracula have been given a splendid presentation, on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
5/19/18

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Espionage Agent 05/19/18

The Warner Archive Collection
DVD

Is this the filmic birth of both the wartime OSS and the SuperSpy genre? State department diplomat trainee Joel McCrea weds refugee Brenda Marshall, not realizing that she has gained her freedom by volunteering to become a Nazi spy. Released just as WW2 broke out but filmed and produced earlier, Warners’ production faced stiff political pressure from an isolationist Washington. Ever heard the phrase ‘premature anti-Nazi?’ Here there be patriots. With Jeffrey Lynn, George Bancroft and Hollywood’s first crop of actors specializing in loathsome Nazis: Martin Kosleck, Rudolph Anders and Hans Heinrich von Twardowski. On DVD from The Warner Archive Collection.
5/19/18

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The Reincarnation of Peter Proud 05/19/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

Yes, we’ve all lived before; when I come back I don’t care who I am as long as I get to be in the 1%. When Michael Sarrazin reaches into a previous life his big sacrifice is to abandon the gorgeous Cornelia Sharpe for the gorgeous Jennifer O’Neill, arousing the suspicions of his wife in his previous life, gorgeous Margot Kidder. The show looks great, Jerry Goldsmith’s music is beautiful, but it runs up against real trouble in the script and directing departments. With Debralee Scott as yet another woman who wants to make it with Peter. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
5/19/18

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Gun Crazy 05/15/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

The Warner Archive comes through with a film noir gem that still has the power to make one’s skin crawl, as a pair of circus sharpshooters go on the lam, using their skills to pull off cheap robberies. The clammy feeling of being cut off from society, having no place to go, is expressed in near-existential terms. Peggy Cummins’ cheap tease Annie Laurie Starr promises John Dall’s Bart Tare eternal love, but what good are promises from a psycho? With Berry Kroeger and Russ (Rusty) Tamblyn. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
5/15/18

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A Fistful of Dollars 05/15/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

Sergio Leone’s breakthrough international sensation has returned, in a 4k restoration from Italy that’s bound to continue the controversy — every color’s good as long as it’s a sickly yellow-green. In every other aspect this umpteenth edition of the first murderous adventure of The Man With No Name is the best yet, with a clean image and good new extras. Clint Eastwood, Marianne Koch, and Gian Maria Volontè shine; the best new extra is a great interview with Ms. Koch. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
5/15/18

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The City of the Dead 05/15/18

VCI Entertainment
Blu-ray

2018 Limited Edition. The frights of Horror Hotel are back in an improved presentation in this 2018 Limited Edition. Set in New England but filmed in Old England, this creepy shocker is a favorite not just for the presence of Christopher Lee, but also the wonderfully mortiferous Patricia Jessel and the cadaverous Valentine Dyall. Also with Venetia Stevenson as a gullible student of witchcraft, and Betta St. John as a complacent bookseller in a town populated exclusively by ghouls. On Blu-ray from VCI Entertainment.
5/15/18

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La belle noiseuse 05/12/18

The Cohen Film Collection
Blu-ray

The late Jacques Rivette knocks us silly with a breathtaking, demanding meditation on what it means to be an artist, and what art demands of those that believe in it. A woman roped into posing nude for a famed but insecure painter, undergoes several intense days of compliant collaboration. Rivette’s unforced style gives the impression of life as it is being lived; his commitment is matched by that of actors Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin and Emmanuelle Béart. On Blu-ray from The Cohen Group.
5/12/18

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A Study in Terror 05/12/18

Mill Creek Entertainment
Blu-ray

John Neville is the consulting detective from 221B Baker Street, this time on the trail of Jack the Ripper. Perhaps producer Herman Cohen’s best film, this overly familiar, slightly campy horror show has a top notch cast, some of whom have a high time with the straight-razor guignol-fest in Whitechapel: Donald Houston, Anthony Quayle, Adrienne Corri, Frank Finlay, Judi Dench (!), Barbara Windsor, Cecil Parker, Robert Morley, Barry Jones, John Fraser, Kay Walsh, John Cairney, Edina Ronay, Terry Downes. Trailers from Hell’s Charlie Largent provides the slash-by-slash reportage. On Blu-ray from Mill Creek.
5/12/18

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Model Shop 05/12/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

Columbia sets Jacques Demy loose in Los Angeles in the pivotal year of 1968. Although it puts a coda on the French director’s bundle of romantic films, with his special philosophical approach to Love, this starring picture for Anouk Aimée and Gary Lockwood doesn’t quite catch fire in the same way. If our City of the Angels indeed defeated Demy’s unstoppable knack for romantic delirium, we owe him an apology. The rock group Spirit provides the music score, and makes a casual appearance. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
5/12/18

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This is Cinerama & Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich 05/08/18

The Cinerama wonder movies were all but extinct fifteen years ago, un-preserved, un-projectable in their original 3-panel splendor, and largely forgotten. Countless hours of labor and research have now brought them all back to life on Blu-ray in the wraparound simulation ‘Smilebox’ format. These latest (and last?) discs properly restore two early releases, the show that started it all and the competing ‘Cinemiracle’ production that eventually became part of the Cinerama fanfold of travelogue gems. Separate releases on Blu-ray from Flicker Alley.
4/08/18

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Forbidden Films: The Hidden Legacy of Nazi Film 05/08/18

Zeitgeist / Kino Lorber
DVD

Plenty of films considered politically beyond the pale have been locked up, for reasons good and bad. A German filmmaker born decades after WW2 offers a documentary about the controversy over ‘sensitive’ Nazi films, the propaganda features that encouraged racial hatred and offered lies to support the Third Reich’s oppressive policies. We can easily visualize American neo-Nazis cheering the messages in these pictures. What’s the verdict? Let them loose or destroy them? The abundant clips illustrate films directing hate at Poles, Jews, and the English, films that support lies about the war, and a pernicious propaganda melodrama about the Reich’s program of ‘compassionate’ euthanasia. On DVD from Zeitgeist / Kino Lorber.
4/08/18

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The Psychopath 05/08/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

Robert Bloch and Milton Subotsky may have helped to codify the Giallo in this murder thriller but the results are not up to even the shaky standards of Amicus. That said, horror fans are going to flock to get their hands on a big color & ‘scope release that’s gone missing for decades. It’s an important ‘save’ by Kino Lorber. With Patrick Wymark, Margaret Johnston, John Standing and Judy Huxtable. On Blu-rayfrom KL Studio Classics.
4/08/18

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Moonrise 05/05/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Guilt, gloom, weird nightmares of death and persecution — and romance? The wondrous Gail Russell brings a spark of life into Frank Borzage’s weird expressionist masterpiece produced at the seldom-artistic Republic Studio. The bitter, despairing Dane Clark has just committed what a jury will likely call first degree murder, but the night can offer atonement and forgiveness, if he’ll just listen to Russell’s good advice. With Allyn Joslyn, Rex Ingram and Ethel Barrymore. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
5/05/18

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Joe 05/05/18

Olive Films
Blu-ray

Reactionary deplorable hard hat hardcase Joe meets a complimentary maniac in a businessman-turned hippie killer, and the murders begin, all justified with tough talk over booze. Peter Boyle burst out of group comedy into the forefront with this surprise hit, which began a sub-genre of Nixonian retribution pictures. The show also introduced Susan Sarandon, who had to go back to TV soaps before stardom hit. Reviewed by Trailers from Hell’s Charlie Largent. On Blu-ray from Olive Films.
5/05/18

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Blue Denim 05/05/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray + DVD

Let’s go back to 1959, when just implying that two teenagers might have first-hand knowledge of sex is socially unacceptable dynamite. This adapted play about an unwanted teen pregnancy is actually quite good, thanks to fine performances by Carol Lynley and Brandon De Wilde, who convince as cherubic high schoolers ‘too young to know the score.’ And hey, the teen trauma is set to the intense music of composer Bernard Herrmann. With Macdonald Carey, Marsha Hunt and Warren Berlinger. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
5/05/18

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The Post 05/03/18

20th Fox Home Entertainment
Blu-ray + DVD

Steven Spielberg’s excellent Pentagon Papers exposé thriller comes straight from the facts. If the project wasn’t begun in 2014 we’d think it was a direct response to today’s attacks on the news media. We’ll take it as that anyway. It’s a fine performing showcase for Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, and the direction creates exciting drama without a single car chase, assassination attempt or superhero. Co-starring Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Matthew Rhys, Alison Brie, Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg. On Blu-ray + DVD from 20th Fox.
5/02/18

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Schlock 05/03/18

Turbine Media Group (Germany)
Blu-ray + DVD

John Landis made his first dent in Hollywood with this hilarious parody of Z-grade monster movies, and it was big enough to launch a film career. The kudos go to Landis’ comic monkey-man performance, wearing a Schockthropus ape suit by the 20 year-old self taught makeup whiz Rick Baker. Only monster movie fans will understand, but they’ll be charmed. This foreign edition is stacked with schlock-thropic extras. With Saul Kahan, Eliza Garrett, Joseph Piantadosi and Harriet White Medin. On All Region Blu-ray and DVD from Turbine Media Group.
5/02/18

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Ruby Gentry 05/03/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

Prepare to let your jaw drop: Jennifer Jones and Charlton Heston’s sleazy bucolic ‘romance’ comes off as two-way sex harassment, with suggestive one-liners that make us cringe. Are there other pictures like this? Is this where dolts came to believe that women wanted to be treated like stupid squeeze toys? The great King Vidor directed, with no sign of intentional satire — the bizarre, eventually violent Southern-set melodrama is a one-of-a-kind grotesque spectacle. Co-starring Karl Malden, Tom Tully, James Anderson, Josephine Hutchinson, Phyllis Avery and Barney Phillips. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
5/02/18

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No Down Payment 04/28/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

The blacklist strikes back as both writer Ben Maddow and director Martin Ritt examine the booming ’50s phenomenon of The Suburbs. No money up front will get you into an ‘estate’ of your dreams, provided you’re white. Possibly a little too direct in its messaging of sickness in the American dream, much of what we see in the ticky-tacky subdivision of Sunrise Hills will ring true to those of us who lived it. And the cast can’t be beat: Joanne Woodward, Sheree North, Tony Randall, Jeffrey Hunter, Cameron Mitchell, Patricia Owens, Barbara Rush and Pat Hingle. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
4/28/18

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Down 3 Dark Streets 04/28/18

ClassicFlix
Blu-ray

“It’s under the Big ‘W’!”  A smart cop show goes all ‘Dragnet’ on a trio of criminal cases in the good old City of the Angels. To figure out who gunned down a top detective, rough tough FBI agent Broderick Crawford must get to the bottom of three separate dramas, each involving a beautiful woman: Ruth Roman, Martha Hyer, Marisa Pavan. The producers know how to get attention for their show — the climactic shootout takes place under the Hollywood Sign. With Kenneth Tobey. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
4/28/18

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And God Said to Cain & Twice a Judas 04/28/18

Wild East
Spaghetti Western Collection Volume 45 Double Bill DVD

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton returns to shine a critical light on a double bill Spaghetti Western disc, two features starring the world’s favorite acting fiend, Klaus Kinski. The prolific German actor racked up credits in more than twenty Euro-Westerns, some of which amounted to brief-if-worthy guest spots. These two Italian productions feature the German actor up front in starring position, and both are pretty good genre entries to boot. Also starring Antonio Sabato and Peter Carsten. A double bill DVD disc from Wild East.
4/28/18

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Little Murders 04/24/18

Powerhouse Indicator
Region B Blu-ray

The blackest of black comedies confronts us with an urban worst case scenario — Jules Feiffer’s ‘social horror’ movie is like a sitcom in Hell, with citizens numbed and trembling over the unending meaningless violence. What was nasty satire in 1971 now plays like the 6 o’clock news. Too radical for its time, Feiffer and director Alan Arkin’s picture is more painfully funny, and frightening, than ever. A sensational cast: Elliott Gould, Marcia Rodd, Vincent Gardenia, Elizabeth Wilson, Jon Korkes, John Randolph, Doris Roberts, Lou Jacobi, Donald Sutherland, Alan Arkin. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
4/24/18

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The Three Stooges Collection Volumes 1 and 2 04/24/18

Mill Creek Entertainment
Blu-ray

Spread out you knuckleheads, the Stooges have finally hit HD home video in fine form, with more head bonking and eye-poking than you can shake a Curly at. Charlie Largent reviews two budget-friendly packages that bring together the fan favorites Have Rocket, Will Travel, The Three Stooges Meet Hercules, Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze, The Outlaws Is Coming! and a pair of tune-filled comedies from their ’40s heyday, Time Out for Rhythm and Rockin’ in the Rockies. Don’t forget to donate to your local hospital’s Three Stooges ward. Separate releases on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment.
4/24/18

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Hope and Glory 04/24/18

Olive Films
Blu-ray

Where Were You in ’42? If you were little Johnnie Boorman in 1940, you might have been squatting in dank bomb shelter with your Mum and sisters, waiting out an air raid alert. Writer-director Boorman’s personal memory of what for some kids was a glorious time when working-class Brits endured adverse conditions: it’s warm & fuzzy affectionate and frequently hilarious, with a keen eye toward slightly bawdy family humor. Sarah Miles and Ian Bannen star. On Blu-ray from Olive Films.
4/24/18

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Blaze 04/21/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

It’s hard to know much exaggeration is used in movies about crazy Suth’un politics, when some of the serious movies resemble Julius Caesar with mint juleps. This true story is about an old-school populist Louisiana governor who falls for a nationally-known stripper, the famous Blaze Starr, and is told from the stripper’s POV. Paul Newman is at his late-career best, and Lolita Davidovich lights up the screen. The governor can get away with most anything except what he wants to do most — pass some color-blind laws about hiring and voting. With Jerry Hardin, Gailard Sartain, Richard Jenkins, Jeffrey DeMunn, Robert Wuhl, Garland Bunting, Brandon Smith. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
4/21/18

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The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre 04/21/18

Powerhouse Indicator
Blu-ray

Roger Corman’s ferocious gangster epic (more squibs!) bounces back in a UK Region B edition, noisier and bloodier than ever. Jason Robards, George Segal, Ralph Meeker and a couple of dozen top-notch hoods replay the ugly events that led up to the notorious 1929 gangland slaying. The actual crime now almost seems tame — where gun massacres are concerned, today ‘Every Day Is a Holiday.’ Starring Jason Robards, George Segal, Ralph Meeker, Jean Hale and a tall stack of Corman regulars and gangland favorites. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
4/21/18

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The Virgin Suicides 04/17/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Sofia Coppola’s first feature film is a head-swirling poetic essay about adolescent angst and terminal self-destruction in suburbia, where some families are unbalanced, others are dysfunctional and some are just plain toxic. Coppola sticks close to the source book, looking for visuals to express author Jeffrey Eugenides’ solution-challenged mystery, narrated by a composite group of teenaged boys. Kirsten Dunst, James Woods, Kathleen Turner and Josh Hartnett star. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
4/17/18

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Bombshell, The Hedy Lamarr Story 04/17/18

Kino / Zeitgeist
Blu-ray

The pretty faces that give Hollywood its glamour eventually fade, but Alexandra Hall’s documentary reveals a remarkable woman who parlayed her beauty into an incredible life — from nude scenes in a notorious 1933 Austrian film, to eleven years in Hollywood as MGM’s ‘most beautiful girl in the world’, to a seemingly incompatible achievement: she invented a revolutionary communications technology for the WW2 war effort, and only belatedly received credit for it. A remarkable audio interview with the legendary lady brings a fabulous life into focus. On Blu-ray from Kino Lorber / Zeitgeist.
4/17/18

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The Vampire (1957) 04/17/18

Scream Factory
Blu-ray

CineSavant reaches back one year to pick up a notable low-key horror from the team of Levy-Gardner-Laven and good old United Artists. They have a respected actor, a workable concept and a horror screenplay from an unusual source for the 1950s . . . a (gasp) woman. More civilized monster movies just aren’t out there, although this one could have used a more creative title. With John Beal, Colleen Gray and Kenneth Tobey. On Blu-ray from Scream Factory.
4/17/18

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Along Came Jones 04/14/18

ClassicFlix
Blu-ray

Big star Gary Cooper kids his screen image as an infallible hero in a western that almost plays as a screwball comedy, complete with the ultimate grouchy sidekick, William Demarest. Loretta Young’s attraction to Coop’s goofy ‘bronc stomper’ seem glowingly authentic. The jokes are funny, and the sentiment feels real, right up to the unexpectedly violent ending. . . for 1945, that is. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
4/14/18

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Les Girls 04/14/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

Cole Porter’s Les Girls.  The curtain is falling on the MGM musical, and Gene Kelly’s final song and dance at the studio is for a Paris-set show biz tale about a dancing star and his trio of showgirls. Actually, the comedy and the actresses get more attention than does Kelly. The gimmick is a Rashomon– like clash of conflicting testimony, but we prefer to concentrate on the sexy dancing and Kay Kendall’s hilarious drunk act. Who thought a boozy beauty wailing opera songs would be funny? Mitzi Gaynor, Taina Elg and Jacques Bergerac co-star; George Cukor directs. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
4/14/18

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Five on the Black Hand Side 04/14/18

Olive Films
Blu-ray

This quirky family comedy conceived as an antidote to blaxploitation pictures was adapted from a play that claims no goal beyond feel-good entertainment — and a little preaching about black solidarity. Broad humor, simple characters and thin dramatic conflicts can’t blur the fact that this comedy has its heart in the right place. A game group of talented actors assures us that we’re gonna be glorified, unified and filled-with-pride! Starring Clarice Taylor, Leonard Jackson, Glynn Turman, D’Urville Martin, Richard Williams, Virginia Capers, Ja’net DuBois, Bonnie Banfield, Tchaka Almoravids and future director Carl Franklin. On Blu-rayfrom Olive Films.
4/14/18

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The Maze 04/10/18

KL Studio Classics
3-D Blu-ray

It’s a promising project for Allied Artists: William Cameron Menzies does a spooky horror movie in 3-D! Something creepy’s going on in a mysterious Scottish castle, something to do with problems in the lineage to a Barony. It’s also a 3-C epic: Candles, Cobwebs and Corridors. Add a frightened, shivering heroine in a nightgown and the horror recipe is complete. It’s another restoration treat from the 3-D Film Archive. With Richard Carlson and Veronica Hurst. On 3-D Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
4/10/18

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Gumshoe 04/10/18

Powerhouse Indicator
Blu-ray

When is a private eye parody not a parody? Stephen Frears’ first feature strikes a delicate balance — its nearly absurd hardboiled lingo outdoes the spoofs, but the story and characters are pitched 100% straight. Albert Finney IS Eddie Ginley, surrounded by a pack of exciting, imaginatively cast actors: Billie Whitelaw, Frank Finlay, Janice Rule. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
4/10/18

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Sleeping Dogs 04/10/18

Arrow Academy
Blu-ray

Director Roger Donaldson has enjoyed a rewarding Hollywood career, but he began in New Zealand where this fantasy mini-epic about resistance to a political takeover became the first Kiwi picture to win an international release and launch a national film industry. The film’s young star didn’t do too badly either — the ‘ordinary guy’ who becomes a rebel terrorist is played by none other than Sam Neill. Sold as an action thriller, the show is really a primer on how a democracy can be turned into a police state, with the public’s full approval. On Blu-ray from Arrow Academy

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The Awful Truth 04/07/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Charlie Largent of Trailers from Hell writes up what is possibly the best Screwball Comedy of them all, Leo McCarey’s hilarious take on a phffft marriage that just won’t die: the separated partners just can’t stop tease-flirting with each other. Cary Grant pulls awful tricks on the new man in Irene Dunne’s life, and she puts on an crazy impersonation to humiliate him, etc. Even the dog formerly known as Asta is funny. With the ever-suffering Ralph Bellamy, the most generous actor of his time. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
4/07/18

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Don’t Bother to Knock 04/07/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

“Wash your face, brush your teeth, and say your PRAYERS.” Marilyn Monroe’s first plunge into a dramatic starring role casts her as a dangerously unstable babysitter in a hotel-set suspense thriller co-starring Richard Widmark and Anne Bancroft. Ms. Monroe may not be Ethel Barrymore (thankfully) but the role suits her well — to play a woman unhinged by low self-esteem and melancholy romantic reveries, she may have tapped personal experience. With Elisha Cook Jr. and Lurene Tuttle. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
4/07/18

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Danger Signal 04/07/18

The Warner Archive Collection
DVD

Ah romance! A handsome stranger takes a room in your house, lets you feed him and doesn’t pay the rent — of course he’s the perfect man of your dreams. Excellent WB players Faye Emerson and Zachary Scott enliven an odd mix of moods in a tale of a murderous Bluebeard- boyfriend. Director Robert Florey’s thriller is half stylish spook show, and half romantic sitcom. With Dick Erdman, Rosemary DeCamp and perky Mona Freeman as the little sister who needs to be told, ‘Don’t you do what your big sister done.’ On DVD from The Warner Archive Collection.
4/07/18

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The Age of Innocence 04/03/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Martin Scorsese commands the screen without a single profane word or gunshot to the head. His adaptation of Edith Wharton’s 1920 novel is a marvel for its year, a highly entertaining, dramatically involving epic that takes us to a world lost to time, the high-toned society of New York in the 1870s. For adult viewers, Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder form a stunning romantic triangle. With excellent extras, including an exceptional interview with the director. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
4/03/18

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Three Video Nasties 04/03/18

88 Films Slasher Classics Collection (UK)
Region B Blu-ray

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton covers a trio of video nasties. The Toolbox Murders, Blood Harvest and A Cat in the Brain each feature a pop culture icon in a leading role. Hollywood actor Cameron Mitchell, oddball 1960s crooner Tiny Tim and the Italo horror director and all-round enfant terrible Lucio Fulci find themselves caught up in their own gory and disturbing splatter show. Perhaps unsurprisingly, all three films fell foul of the British Board of Film Classification at the time of their original release in the UK. Separate releases, on Region B Blu-ray from 88 Films (UK) Slasher Classics Collection.
4/03/18

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Red Planet Mars 04/03/18

Not on Home Video

It’s a review. No, it’s a rant. Stop, you’re both right.  CineSavant’s overt mission is to demonstrate that old movies, especially old Science Fiction movies, are more relevant than ever. There is at present no authorized home video release of this amazing 1952 politico-religious pretzel of a movie. The surprise is that it accurately presages the media hysteria that underpins our present day Info Wars. Fake News comes from the sky, and a major world revolution results — for the better? Will religious fundamentalism rule all? This may be the most radical faith-based picture ever to get a major release. Starring Peter Graves and Andrea King. Not on Home Video.
4/03/18

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While the City Sleeps & Beyond a Reasonable Doubt 03/31/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

The love for Fritz Lang doesn’t quit!  As Lang’s biographers point out, his American films consistently focus on moral and psychological questions in crime. Lang saw murder as more than a dramatic tool as he probed for weaknesses in the legal system. His final American pictures — two separate disc releases — make excellent use of good actors. Dana Andrews stars in both, backed by freelancing name stars: Joan Fontaine, Rhonda Fleming, Ida Lupino, George Sanders, Howard Duff, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, Sally Forrest. Separate Blu-ray releases from The Warner Archive Collection.
3/31/18

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Joan of Arc (1948) 03/31/18

KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray

Does every great actress see Joan of Arc as the ultimate serious role? Ingrid Bergman ran into serious career trouble while this picture was still in release. Its cast and credits are packed with star talent — is it a misunderstood classic with a great central performance? Ms. Bergman was so enamored with the character that she played it twice. Co-starring José Ferrer, Francis L. Sullivan, J. Carrol Naish, Ward Bond and Shepperd Strudwick. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
3/31/18

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Hotel Berlin 03/31/18

The Warner Archive Collection
DVD

“Grand Hotel. Nazis come. Nazis go. Nothing ever happens.” That’s a paraphrase from 1932’s Grand Hotel, indicating that the hallowed halls once occupied by Greta Garbo are now overrun with Warner Bros. contract players. As defeat looms, German officers, crooks, fugitives and ordinary citizens fumble for a way to survive. Writer and fervent anti-fascist Alvah Bessie almost didn’t — he would later be politically scourged as a member of The Hollywood Ten. Get set for a soap opera with swastikas. Starring Faye Emerson, Andrea King, Helmut Dantine, Raymond Massey, George Coulouris and Peter Lorre. On DVD from The Warner Archive Collection.
3/31/18

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An Actor’s Revenge 03/27/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

It’s Yukinojo henge, something completely different in Japanese drama. When Yukitaro isn’t studying for his next part, the cross-dressing Kabuki star is hunting down the thugs responsible for the death of his parents. Charlie Largent takes a look at the new HD disc of Kon Ichikawa’s theatrical extravaganza, one of the most beautiful color films in the history of Japanese cinema. Starring Kazuo Hasegawa, Fujiko Yamamoto, Ayako Wakao and Shintaro Katsu. Filmed in DaieiScope; on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
3/27/18

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The New Centurions 03/27/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

Joseph Wambaugh’s breakthrough novel went through a blender to fit George C. Scott into the narrative, but it’s still a great cop show with terrific work from Stacy Keach and Scott Wilson, not to mention Jane Alexander and Rosalind Cash. The pro-cop agenda has a definite tone of personal experience, and the grim finish is anything but feel-good puffery. With Erik Estrada, Clifton James, James Sikking, Isabel Sanford, William Atherton, Ed Lauter, Dolph Sweet and Kitten Natividad. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
3/27/18

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The Black Scorpion 03/27/18

The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray

Wow! Prime stop-motion animation from the heyday of monstrous science fiction, in a new restoration that puts a brilliant shine on those creepy crawly critters. Richard Denning fights giant arachnids while Mara (swoon) Corday frets and wrings her hands, waiting for the next kissing scene. The new scan clears up a lot of flaws, and gives us a much better look at the Lost Art of stop-motion magic. With Carlos Rivas. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
3/27/18

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The Seven-Ups 03/24/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

Forget All Singing! – All Dancing!  Tonight’s bill of fare is wall-to-wall high grade crime action. Roy Scheider leads a great cast in an all-New Yawk tale of gangsters, kidnapping and betrayal. The police tactics of Scheider’s special felony crime squad would today land them all in jail, but they’re all stand-up guys. And buckle up for one of the best, most realistic pre-CGI auto chase scenes ever filmed. With Tony Lo Bianco, Victor Arnold, Jerry Leon, Ken Kercheval, Larry Haines, Richard Lynch, Bill Hickman and Joe Spinell. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
3/24/18

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A Trip to the Moon 03/24/18

Flicker Alley / Lobster Films
Blu-ray

What a great way to discover the fabulous French magician-turned-pioneer-filmaker Georges Méliès! Trailers from Hell’s Charlie Largent examines the incredible restoration of the original tinted color version of the 1902 movie sensation. Arguably the first science fiction film, its story ideas were filched from Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, but transformed into a crazy theatrical extravaganza that could only work on the new medium of film. Only fifteen or so minutes in duration, the restoration is accompanied by Lobster Films’ excellent career documentary, on both the brilliant Méliès and the restoration’s one source, a roll of film petrified into a solid block of celluloid. Forget Hugo — this is the best introduction to filmdom’s first master of fabulous eye-candy fantasy. On Blu-rayfrom Flicker Alley / Lobster Films.
3/24/18

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Otley 03/24/18

Powerhouse Indicator
Blu-ray

Not many oddball spy movies were big successes. This amusing Brit effort sank without a trace, perhaps taking with it the career of the talented Tom Courtenay as a leading man. The comic tale pits an underachieving, cheeky London lad against an intelligence conspiracy that wouldn’t be doing anybody much harm — if they didn’t insist on murdering people. Romy Schneider leads a quirky supporting cast, with Freddie Jones, Alan Badel, James Villiers, Leonard Rossiter, James Bolam, Fiona Lewis, James Cossins and Ronald Lacey. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
3/24/18

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Basket Case 03/24/18

Arrow Video
Blu-ray

Classic Midnite Cult movies were a mini-phenomenon chosen by the public, created only by word of mouth approval. Frank Henenlotter’s wild ‘n’ weird ‘separated at birth’ story is a thematic mashup of horror ideas, plunked down in the middle of America’s sleaze capital, 42nd street in the early 1980s. The audience-pleasing telepathic siblings Duane and Belial look fantastic in a new MoMa restoration, and the extras let the flamboyant director recount a great making-of story. His first distributor decided to ‘fix’ the movie by removing most of the gore! Starring Lance VanHentenryck, Terri Susan Smith and Beverly Bonner; on Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
3/24/18

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Underworld U.S.A. 03/20/18

Twilight Time
Blu-ray

Sam Fuller turns the crime film inside-out with this tale of on infiltrator taking down the syndicate. Vengeful Cliff Robertson uses both the mob and the cops to wipe out the hoods that killed his dad, with the help of two women, one of them a hooker with a heart of gold. The show feels like a ’30s throwback with a precociously violent streak, spiked with a healthy helping of what the critics would call Fuller’s ‘Cinema Fist.’ With Richard Rust, and Dolores Dorn as ‘Cuddles.’ On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
3/20/18

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Ingrid Bergman’s Swedish Years 03/20/18

Eclipse Series 46
DVD

No, the movie star Ingrid Bergman was never a starlet with a seven-year contract, and her stellar career didn’t begin opposite Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. It all happened in Sweden, where she turned herself into a screen sensation in just a couple of years. Eclipse’s six-disc set shows the immediate success of the daring Bergman, but also her acting range — her sterling qualities seem fully formed even in her first features. On DVD from Eclipse.
3/20/18

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The Colour of Pomegranates 03/20/18

Second Sight UK
Region B Blu-ray

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton assesses the Armenian director Sergei Parajanov’s poetic and metaphor-filled biopic about his countryman Sayat Nova, the Armenian poet-troubadour. This new disc edition offers both versions of the picture, Parajanov’s original and the Soviet-approved version cut by seven minutes. As we learn, if a Soviet film director found favor internationally, they often landed in trouble back home. On Region B Blu-ray from Second Sight (UK).
3/20/18

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Women in Love 03/17/18

The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray

Finally — a satisfying home video edition of Ken Russell’s absorbing, argument-starting classic, in which D. H. Lawrence’s quartet of bohemians attempt to live out their progressive theories about love and sex. The intellectual arguments may be cold but the characters are warm and vivid. Exceptional performing from all — Alan Bates, Glenda Jackson, Oliver Reed and Jennie Linden, and outstanding cinematography from Billy Williams. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
3/17/18

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Liquid Sky 03/17/18

Vinegar Syndrome
Blu-ray

Remembered as a briefly hot quasi- avant-garde title, then a cult item, Slava Tsukerman’s brightly colored movie is said to capture a New York fashion ‘n’ drugs scene that could be called Neon Punk. It certainly extended model Anne Carlisle’s fifteen minutes of fame. Oh . . . technically it’s also a Science Fiction movie. On Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
3/17/18

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Robert Altman’s Images 03/17/18

Arrow Academy
Blu-ray

Do we sometimes ‘grow into’ movies? This one now seems a minor masterpiece. ’70s auteur Robert Altman proves himself an expert practitioner of psychological hallucinations, in the intense tale of a schizophrenic children’s author who can’t keep her husband and two (imagined?) lovers sorted out. It’s one of the best, and best-looking puzzle pictures ever. It’s a top title for Susannah York, and features Rene Auberjonois, Marcel Bozzuffi and Hugh Millais. On Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
3/17/18

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