Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Archives: Reviews

The Killer is Loose 10/24/17

Psycho killers long ago lost their novelty, but in 1956 Budd Boetticher and Wendell Corey gave us Leon ‘Foggy’ Poole, a screen original with limitless appeal. Imagine a time when ‘normalcy’ was so taken for granted that any weird behavior was enough to give us the chills? Foggy carries this crime potboiler with a refreshing new idea: his dangerous maniac looks more normal than normal people. Joseph Cotten and Rhonda Fleming get top billing but this is actor Wendell Corey’s finest hour. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
10/24/17

Play Dirty 10/24/17

In a war film, what’s the difference between nasty exploitation and just plain honest reportage? André De Toth made tough-minded action films with the best of them — this nail-biting commando mission with Michael Caine and Nigel Davenport is simply superb, one of those great action pictures that’s not widely screened. To its credit it’s not ‘feel good’ enough to be suitable for Memorial Day TV marathons. With Nigel Green and Harry Andrews as a dastardly pair of corrupt commanders. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
10/24/17

City of Industry 10/21/17

Harvey Keitel takes center stage as a double-crossed crook goes for blood after a major jewel heist turns sour — and bloody. Timothy Hutton and Stephen Dorff are in on the split for one late- ’90s crime caper that’s not a stylistic hijack of Quentin Tarantino. With Famke Janssen, Wade Dominguez and Elliott Gould; filmed in Palm Springs and various grungy locations around Los Angeles. Directed by John Irvin. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/21/17

Nest of Vipers & Tails, You Lose… 10/21/17

UK Guest Reviewer Lee Broughton is back, with another Italo Western double bill DVD review of two obscure and wholly idiosyncratic genre entries from 1969. One is a decent entry starring a surprising choice, Luke Askew, with Luigi Pistilli, Magda Konopka and Chelo Alonso. The other is an eroticized gunslinger saga with John Ericson and Edwige Fenech. On DVD from Wild East.
10/21/17

Hell on Frisco Bay 10/21/17

I tell you it’s rough out there on Frisco Bay, especially when you say the word ‘Frisco’ within earshot of a proud San Francisco native. The cast is the draw — this Alan Ladd racketeering tale also stars Edward G. Robinson, with Joanne Dru, William Demarest, Paul Stewart, Perry Lopez, Fay Wray, Rod(ney) Taylor, and Jayne Mansfield. In Warner Color and CinemaScope. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/21/17

Porky Pig 101 10/17/17

Reviewer ‘B’ makes his CineSavant debut with an in-depth report on everyone’s favorite Looney Tunes swine, P-p-p-porky P-p-p-pig. The multi-disc, voluminous saga of porcine fun and folly starts with a stuttering walk-on and rises to Warner Bros. fame and glory, waving the flag, surviving Daffy Duck, the works. ‘B’ handles Porky’s story like a detective case, sizing up the suspects animation directors that took this choice ham off the supermarket shelf and made him a household word. Not ‘bacon.’ On DVD from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/17/17

Orson Welles’ Othello 10/17/17

Charlie Largent charts the chaos surrounding Orson Welles’s years-in-the-making 1952 production of Othello, which nevertheless survives as a visionary work of art and one of the great director’s finest films. Filmed in and around Morocco, Venice and Rome; with Suzanne Cloutier and Micheál MacLiammóir as the unknowable Iago, whose race-baiting demagogue feels unnervingly contemporary. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/17/17

Topper 10/17/17

They’re non-corporeal cut-ups, rich folks on the town with nothing better to do than spice up the love life of Roland Young’s harried, henpecked bank president. Hal Roach’s screwball hit did good things for everybody concerned, especially star Cary Grant and bit player Arthur Lake. But the nostalgic heart of the show is Billie Burke, with the tinkle-y-glass voice. Also starring platinum blonde Constance Bennett, Alan Mowbray and Eugene Pallette. On Blu-rayfrom VCI.
10/17/17

Junior Bonner 10/17/17

Sam Peckinpah was a fine director of actors when the material was right, and his first collaboration with Steve McQueen is an involved character study about a rodeo family dealing with changing times. Prescott, Arizona is the backdrop for a 4th of July, and McQueen is the aging star that wants to ride the roughest bull in the bullpen. Joe Don Baker and Ben Johnson shine, but the movie belongs to Ida Lupino and Robert Preston. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/17/17

The Old Dark House 10/14/17

It’s a genuine Universal horror classic that to my knowledge has never been available in a decent presentation — but The Cohen Group has come through with a nigh-perfect Blu-ray, both image and sound. Karloff is creepy, Gloria Stuart lovely, and Charles Laughton amusing, with Ernest Thesiger at his most delightfully fruity. Can I say ‘fruity?’ The potato lobby should be pleased, too. On Blu-ray from The Cohen Group.
10/14/17

The Sea Wolf 10/14/17

Now restored to perfection, this genuine classic hasn’t been seen intact for way over sixty years. Michael Curtiz and Robert Rossen adapt Jack London’s suspenseful allegory in high style, with a superb quartet of actors doing some of their best work: Robinson, Garfield, Lupino and newcomer Alexander Knox. An amazing 100% restoration, too. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/14/17

T-Men — Special Edition 10/14/17

Found: a must-see Film noir in all its brutal glory, restored to a level of quality not seen in years. Anthony Mann and John Alton made their reputations with ninety minutes of chiaroscuro heaven — it’s one of the best-looking noirs ever. With extras produced by Alan K. Rode. With Dennis O’Keefe Alfred Ryder, Wallace Ford and Charles McGraw. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
10/14/17

Lost Horizon (1937) 10/10/17

It’s a wonder movie from the 1930s, a political fantasy that imagines a Utopia of peace and kindness hidden away in a distant mountain range — or in our daydreams. Sony’s new restoration is indeed impressive. Ronald Colman is seduced by a vision of a non-sectarian Heaven on Earth, while Savant indulges his anti-Frank Capra grumblings in his admiring but hesitant review essay.. On Blu-ray from Sony / Columbia Pictures.
10/10/17

Superman: The Movie – 2-FIlm Collection 10/10/17

I guess there are plenty of adults now too young to remember when Christopher Reeve made his debut as The Man of Steel. It was a massive hit across the full spectrum of moviegoers. Warners is taking good care of everyone’s favorite undocumented visitor from Planet Krypton, and has assembled two separate cuts of his big-screen premiere. On Blu-ray from Warner Home Video.
10/10/17

The Hidden 10/10/17

Reviewer Charlie Largent takes on Jack Sholder’s freewheeling alien police pursuit, in which a creature from another world possesses a fast string of hosts to help him make a getaway on terra firma. Starring Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Nouri. Why does this movie seem like a dream that Agent Dale Cooper would be having in Twin Peaks? On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/07/17

Portrait of Jennie 10/10/17

David O. Selznick’s marvelous romantic fantasy ode to Jennifer Jones was almost wholly unappreciated back in 1948. It’s one of those peculiar pictures that either melts one’s heart or doesn’t. Backed by a music score adapted from Debussy, just one breathy “Oh Eben . . . “ will turn average romantics into mush. With Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore and Cecil Kellaway. On Blu-rayfrom KL Studio Classics.
10/10/17

Personal Shopper 10/07/17

Reviewer Charlie Largent takes on Olivier Assayas’s metaphysical thriller from 2016, a haunting mix of existential mind games and Hitchcockian horror with a riveting performance from Kristen Stewart. Can a pact to communicate after death be kept through text messages? Is this high-fashion slice of melancholia a ghost story, or a study in delusion? It certainly divided critical opinions. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/07/17

Avanti! 10/07/17

Need a break from violence, misery, and injustice? Or maybe just the network TV news? Billy Wilder’s last great comic romance is an Italian vacation soaked in music, food, scenery and sunshine. It’s the best movie ever about Love and Funerals. Jack Lemmon is the ugly American who learns to mellow out; Juliet Mills the London manicurist that shows him how, and Clive Revill as the best comedy support since Edward Everett Horton went on to his heavenly reward. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/07/17

Big Business Girl 10/07/17

What does a working girl have to do to get ahead, when all she has is an incredible face, a lavish wardrobe, and a pair of legs to make any executive wolf howl? Loretta Young juggles two egotistical swains, while Joan Blondell shines as an enticing all-pro home wrecker. Pre-Code pictures just seem to be more exciting these days . . . you know, when sex really meant something. On DVD from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/07/17

The Lure 10/07/17

No jokes about fish and visitors please — Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s horror fantasy musical is indeed about delectable creatures from the deep, but these particular mythical misses have their own agenda, and woe to the man who trifles with their affections. What’s today’s catch? A Polish phantasmagoria seemingly teleported from the glitzy 1980s. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/07/17

Barry Lyndon 10/03/17

Stanley Kubrick’s contribution to great cinema of the 1970s offers his vision of what an epic should be. Transported by images that recall great paintings of the period, and Kubrick’s new approaches to low-light cinematography, we witness a rogue’s progress through troubled times. And even Ryan O’Neal is good! With Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger, André Morell, Gay Hamilton & Marie Kean. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/03/17

Titanic (1943) 10/03/17

In 1942, with the war going fairly well for Germany, Joseph Goebbels green-lit a lavish, technically complex account of the sinking of the Titanic, one with a decidedly different viewpoint. All blame falls on Evil British plutocrats, and a decent, ethical German officer is the only competent man on the bridge. Kino’s features a game- changing extra — a superb commentary that explains everything about this crazy picture. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
10/03/17

Don’t Torture a Duckling 10/03/17

Charlie Largent takes a look at gore-meister Lucio Fulci’s surprisingly sanguine giallo from 1972, starring two mesmerizing but polar opposite actresses, Barbara Bouchet and Florinda Bolkan. No zombies this time, and no gates to Hell. . . just grisly murders in rural Italy. On Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
10/03/17

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef 10/03/17

Pity the poor exhibitors in 1953 that splurged on 3-D equipment, only to see the payroll soar and the profits fall. Nope, Anamorphic Widescreen was the innovation that swept the world. It proved perfect for stories with scenic grandeur, such as Fox’s very early mini-epic shot on Florida locations. Thanks to Bernard Herrmann’s impressive music score, this one’s not going away. With Robert Wagner, Terry Moore, Gilbert Roland, J. Carrol Naish & Richard Boone. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
10/03/17

All the Sins of Sodom / Vibrations 09/30/17

What’s this? Sex-oriented movies with believable psychodramatics, made by a committed artist of taste and talent? Joe Sarno’s pictures still aren’t suitable for grandma, but he’s far, far above the exploitation grind-house competition of his day. These 1968 B&W pictures are not only watchable, they’re emotionally involving. Restored to pre-print condition, they’re — how can I best put this? —  artistic and respectable. On Blu-ray from Film Movement.
9/30/17

The Wonderful Worlds of Ray Harryhausen Volume One: 1955-1960 09/30/17

Reviewer Charlie Largent examines the second volume of this Brit packaging of a trio of Ray Harryhausen Columbia greats — his first Schneer collaboration It Came from Beneath the Sea, the impressive 20 Million Miles to Earth and his ‘SuperDynamation’ Jonathan Swift fantasy The Three Worlds of Gulliver. With impressive extras and detailed essays. On Blu-ray from Interceptor (UK).
9/30/17

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? 09/30/17

One of the best pictures to come out of Hollywood in the late 1960s, Sydney Pollack’s screen version of Horace McCoy’s hardboiled novel is a harrowing experience guaranteed to elicit extreme responses. Jane Fonda performs (!) at the top of an ensemble of stars suffering in a Depression-era circle of Hell — it’s an Annihilating Drama with a high polish. With Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia, Bruce Dern, Allyn Ann McLerie. . . and my review ends with an interesting bit of info about Barbara Steele. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
9/30/17

Churchill 09/30/17

The scope of this slice of wartime history is so small, it’s almost the movie equivalent of a one-man show. There are perhaps only a dozen speaking roles. Brian Cox is impressive as The Man Who Saved England in its Darkest Hour, but the drama reduces both the man and the historical crisis to trivial status, as little more than a personal emotional crisis: “Winston, the Haunted Imperialist.” With Miranda Richardson and John Slattery. On Blu-ray from Cohen Media Group.
9/30/17

Gun Fury 3-D 09/25/17

Rock Hudson and Donna Reed star in a kidnapping-vengeance-pursuit western filmed in large part in gorgeous Sedona, Arizona, in 3-D and (originally) Technicolor. It’s another 3-D treasure from the 1950s boom years. Also with Lee Marvin and Roberta Haynes. The trailer is in 3-D too. On 3-D Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
9/26/17

The Chase (UK) 09/25/17

(1966) Welcome to UK disc purveyors Indicator, or Powerhouse, or how does Powerhouse Indicator sound? Savant’s first review from the new label is a favorite from the Columbia library. The extras are the draw for those of us who already have the U.S. release: they company has snagged long-form, in-depth interviews with James Fox and director Arthur Penn. Everybody’s written about The Chase but here Penn tells his side of the story. On Blu-ray from Indicator, All-Region.
9/26/17

The Big Knife 09/25/17

What seemed too raw for 1955 still packs a punch, as Robert Aldrich takes a meat cleaver to the power politics of the old studio system. Monstrous studio head Rod Steiger has just the leverage he needs to blackmail frazzled star Jack Palance into signing the big contract. But will Hollywood corruption destroy them all? The cast list is formidable: Ida Lupino, Wendell Corey, Jean Hagen, Shelley Winters, Everett Sloane, Wesley Addy. On Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
9/26/17

The Piano Teacher 09/23/17

Trailers From Hell’s Charlie Largent gives high marks to The Piano Teacher, Michael Haneke’s 2001 film about a tortured academic who turns the meaning of “teacher’s pet” on its head. Starring a brilliant Isabelle Huppert as the troubled teacher. Is there really a relationship between perverse female sexuality and classical music? On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
9/23/17

The Champion: A Story of America’s First Film Town 09/23/17

Proving again that there’s always more to learn about film history, Marc J. Perez’s documentary tells the story of a major American film capital before Hollywood. Milestone surrounds it with a couple of hours of early silent films made in the cinema Mecca of . . . Fort Lee, New Jersey. On DVD Blu-ray from The Milestone Cinematheque.
9/23/17

Brigadoon 09/23/17

Balletic, stylized and rather aloof, MGM’s biggest musical for 1954 still has what musical lovers crave — good dancing, beautiful melodies and unabashed romantic sentiments. Savant has a bad tendency to fixate on the inconsistencies of its fantasy concept — in which God places an ideal Scottish village outside the limits of Time itself.. On Blu-rayfrom The Warner Archive Collection.
9/23/17

The Flight of the Phoenix (Region B) 09/23/17

Forgotten amid Robert Aldrich’s more critic-friendly movies is this superb suspense picture, an against-all-odds thriller that pits an old-school pilot against a push-button young engineer with his own kind of male arrogance. Can a dozen oil workers and random passengers ‘invent’ their way out of an almost certain death trap? It’s a late-career triumph for James Stewart, at the head of a sterling ensemble cast. I review a UK disc in the hope of encouraging a new restoration.. On Region B Blu-ray from Masters of Cinema.
9/23/17

Erik the Conqueror 09/19/17

“And On The Eighth Day Bava Created Color.” That’s my sentiment with every new quality restoration of a Mario Bava picture. This amazing new disc of Il Maestro’s teeth-clenched Viking epic delivers stunning action scenes and eye-bending widescreen fantasy visuals. Arrow’s Blu-ray is spiked with a new Tim Lucas commentary plus both Italian and English soundtracks. Savant digs into the difficulty in ‘seeing through’ Bava’s special effect illusions. A Dual-Format edition on Blu-ray and DVD from DVD from Arrow Video.
9/19/17

Hour of the Gun 09/19/17

It’s the one saga of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral that puts Western legend into proper perspective as to the nature of money, power and the law: Edward Anhalt’s vision is of a gangland turf war with sagebrush and whiskey bottles. James Garner is a humorless Wyatt Earp, matched by Jason Robards’ excellent Doc Holliday. It’s one of John Sturges’ best movies, with yet another impressive music score by Jerry Goldsmith. And I even offer an unsolicited idea for a more satisfying ending. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
9/19/17

Vampyr (1932) 09/19/17

Of all the legendary early horror films Carl Theodor Dreyer’s vampire nightmare was the most difficult to appreciate — until Criterion’s disc of a mostly intact, un-mutilated 1998 restoration. Nightmares, waking nightmares, demonic hallucinations are the order of the day, in a near-experimental film that relates its horror to the power of faith. Dreyer creates his fantasy according to his own rules — this pallid, claustrophobic dream movie is closer to Ordet than it is Dracula or Nosferatu. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
9/19/17

OSS 117 Five Film Collection 09/16/17

He’s fast on his feet, quick with a gun, and faster with the to-die-for beauties that only existed in the swinging ’60s. The superspy exploits of OSS 117 were too big for just one actor, so meet all three iterations of the man they called Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath . . . Kerwin Mathews, Frederick Stafford and John Gavin. Do I really gotta name all the titles again? OSS 117 Is Unleashed; OSS 117: Panic in Bangkok; OSS 117: Mission For a Killer; OSS 117: Mission to Tokyo,and OSS 117: Double Agent. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
9/16/17

Crime of Passion (1957) 09/16/17

Witness the ‘fifties transformation of the femme fatale from scheming murderess to self-deluding social climber. Barbara Stanwyck redefines herself once again in Gerd Oswald’s best-directed picture, a searing portrayal of needs and anxieties in the nervous decade. With fine support from Raymond Burr, Virginia Grey and Royal Dano, but especially co-star Sterling Hayden, whose zero-to-sixty bruising physical assault is as believable as such scenes can be. Licensed from MGM, on Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
9/16/17

One Million B.C. 09/13/17

Leapin’ Lizards!  The original cavemen vs. dinosaurs saga is a winner — if viewer involvement trumps visual effects, it’s got a narrow lead over the Hammer/Harryhausen remake. Victor Mature, Carole Landis and Lon Chaney Jr. all made career hay out of their weeks spent running in loincloths, out in the desert. And the new is a terrific UCLA Archive restoration, with an informative commentary by Toby Roan. On Blu-ray from VCI.
9/12/17

The Big Sick 09/13/17

This modern romantic comedy about stand-up comedians generates a genuine warmth about people, the ones-who-need-people kind. Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon’s comic dramatization of the way they became a couple is a big winner, with heart-tugging performances from Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan, and fine characterizations by Holly Hunter, Zenobia Shroff, Ray Romano, and Anupam Kher. A Dual-Format edition on Blu-ray and DVD from Lionsgate.
9/12/17

The Illustrated Man 09/13/17

Ray Bradbury adapted to the screen is always something to check out; this Jack Smight- directed trio of stories bound together by a mystery man wearing the graffiti of the title at least works up a little ethereal-cereal excitement. Husband and wife Rod Steiger and Claire Bloom spout ominous dialogue as they face various futuristic threats. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
9/12/17

The Emperor in August 09/10/17

This great recent Japanese epic is all but unknown here — and is the kind of adult historical show that we seem incapable of these days. The intense diplomatic storm at the end of WW2 with an Army command willing to sacrifice the country in a national suicide pact, is given an exciting, thoughtful treatment. Tokyo is all but ashes, yet the militarists want to fight on. Directed by Masato Harada, starring Koji Yakusho, Masahiro Motoki and Tsutomu Yamazaki. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
9/09/17

David Lynch: The Art Life 09/10/17

Trailers From Hell’s Charlie Largent takes a look at David Lynch’s other job: that of the painter in his studio. There are similarities between the canvases and the films and it all adds up to an intriguing portrait of a great artist, by Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes, and Olivia Neergaard-Holm. Charlie also adds insights to the just-completed Twin Peaks Showtime miniseries. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
9/09/17

The Love of a Woman 09/10/17

L’amour d’une femme.  Welcome to the world of Jean Grémillon, where adult characters work through adult problems without benefit of melodramatic excess. The impressively directed experiences of Micheline Presle’s lady doctor on a storm-swept island opts for a progressive point of view, not sentimentality.Co-starring Massimo Girotti and Paolo Stoppa. A Dual-Format edition on Blu-ray and DVD from Arrow Academy.
9/09/17

Love with the Proper Stranger 09/10/17

What are two individualistic, highly motivated movie stars supposed to do when faced with an unimaginative studio system eager to misuse their talents? Natalie Wood and Steve McQueen collaborate with a great writer, director and producer for an urban romance with an eye on the sexual double standard. It’s a hybrid production: a gritty drama that’s also a calculated career move. Street reality guides Robert Mulligan’s direction, but he keeps one foot in pure romantic escapism. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
9/09/17

The Lost World (1925) 09/04/17

It’s the wonder movie of the silent era, which pits five intrepid explorers against Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fantastic South American plateau where marvelous animals from the dawn of time still live. Blackhawk Films and Lobster’s latest digital restoration includes footage never before seen in its original tints; it’s dedicated to film restorer David Shepard. Extras include an excellent commentary by Nicholas Ciccone, and a new restoration of the silent short subject The Ghost of Slumber Mountain. Starring Wallace Beery, Bessie Love and Lewis Stone. On Blu-ray from Flicker Alley.
9/04/17

La poison 09/04/17

Yes, Love is Definitely a Battlefield and Charlie Largent reports from the front line. Writer-director Sacha Guitry’s caustic 1951 black comedy is about a bad marriage gone worse, and it appears to be a forerunner of How to Murder Your Wife, but with the gloves off. Starring the great Michel Simon, with Jean Debucourt and Jacques Varennes. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
9/04/17

Flipper Season One 09/04/17

Back in 1964 a lot of people still thought dolphins were fish, but by the time this TV show was finished, we all knew that our happy undersea friend was smarter than the average bear and lives in a world full of wonder. Ivan Tors’ grandly successful Florida-shot family show kept a lot of seagoing movie veterans in green seaweed, including both original ‘Creature’ Gill Men. With Brian Kelly, Luke Halpin and Tommy Norden, plus a long list of guest stars. On Blu-ray from Olive Films.
9/04/17

A ‘Close Encounters’ Example of Forced Perspective 09/04/17

‘Close Encounters’ awareness is up this week, what with a national mini-release of the 1977 Steven Spielberg hit, so I reached into the bottomless Savant archives for something to show-and-tell. This might be educational for fans of old-school visual effects, in this case, I focus on the miniature-making genius of Gregory Jein.
9/04/17

Krakatoa East of Java 09/02/17

‘Things Blowing Up Good’ has been surefire entertainment since the beginning of cinema, but this ill-fated Cinerama extravaganza about the biggest explosion in recorded human history limps along despite some pretty darned impressive volcanic effects. It’s quite an entertaining spectacle, with various good performers in three soap opera plots, either overacting or loitering about with nothing to do. And don’t forget the from-left-field musical striptease. An all-star cast slugs it out with some lively special effects courtesy of cult fave designer Eugèné Lourié. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
9/02/17

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* 09/02/17

(*But Were Afraid to Ask.)  Trailers From Hell’s Charlie Largent bolts the door and, in the company of a consenting adult, watches the terrific new Blu-ray of Woody Allen’s 1972 spoof of David Reuben’s bestseller. Woody Allen has us in his pocket from the first shot of bunnies behind a vintage make-out ballad — his encyclopedic look at sex comedy has been in and out of good taste several times already. John Carradine’s timeless performance as a perverted sex researcher was nominated for an Oscar, but he turned it down (is anybody reading?). On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
9/02/17

The Law and Jake Wade 09/02/17

Many of MGM’s productions were scraping bottom in 1958, yet the studio found one more acceptable western vehicle for their last big star still on contract. Only-slightly corrupt marshal Robert Taylor edges toward a showdown with the thoroughly corrupt Richard Widmark in an economy item given impressive locations and the sound direction of John Sturges. With Patricia Owens, Robert Middleton and Henry Silva as a low down no-goodnik who hates coyotes. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
9/02/17

Kid Galahad 08/29/17

He sings, he fixes cars, and he takes punches better than De Niro’s Raging Bull. Elvis Presley excels in one of his few ’60s pictures that show an interest in being a ‘real movie,’ a remake of a boxing saga with entertaining characters and fine direction from noir ace Phil Karlson. Plus Charles Bronson, Lola Albright and Joan Blackman in standout roles. Old Warners contractee Wayne Morris didn’t live long enough to know his 1939 role would be taken by Elvis, in a remake. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
8/29/17

Red Line 7000 08/29/17

It’s finally here in all its glory, the Howard Hawks movie nobody loves. The epitome of clueless ’60s filmmaking by an auteur who left his thinking cap back with Bogie and Bacall, this show is a PC quagmire lacking the usual compensation of exploitative thrills. James Caan caps a disposable male cast, but Gail Hire, Laura Devon, Charlene Holt and Mariana Hill struggle like heck to break out of glamorous but demeaning roles. But hey, it has a hypnotic appeal all its own: we’ll not abandon any movie where Teri Garr dances.. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
8/29/17

Festival: Folk Music at Newport, 1963-1966 08/29/17

We thought all the great vintage music documentaries were accounted for, but Murray Lerner’s look at the Newport Folk Festival in the mid-‘sixties is a terrific time machine to a kindler, gentler musical era. The mix of talent is broad and deep, and we get to see excellent vintage coverage of some real legends, before the hype & marketing plague arrived: Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, Donovan, Bob Dylan, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow, Mary Travers, Odetta. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
8/29/17

Certain Women 08/26/17

Is this the new feminist breakthrough? Director Kelly Reichart doesn’t like labels, and to her credit as a woman director, her amalgam of three tangential short stories transcends the format in a studious, low-key way. Four interesting actresses present interesting portraits that illuminate the realities of life in the great Middle America. Stars Laura Dern, Michelle Williams and Kristen Stewart attracted the viewers, and relative newcomer Lily Gladstone shines as well. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
8/26/17

Visit to a Small Planet 08/26/17

Trailers From Hell’s Charlie Largent takes on Gore Vidal’s cosmological comedy about a space visitor on an anti-militarist mission. Jerry Lewis skips Vidal’s biting satire and sticks with the goofy jokes and babe-ogling. Charlie’s essay Jerry Lewis Returns to the Cosmos begins with an extended, recommended overview of Lewis’s film career, striking a winning balance between admiration and psych analysis 101. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
8/26/17

The Noose Hangs High 08/26/17

Even lesser Abbott & Costello movies are still comedy gravy for the avid fans of the fast-talking duo. Their first film deal away from Universal yields a so-so production graced with a string of their patented old-time comedy routines. And the transfer beats anything we’ve yet seen. Foolish window washers Bud and Lou are seen through the farcical paces with Joseph Calleia, Kathy Downs, Errol Morris and Mike Mazurki. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
8/26/17

The Stranger 08/26/17

Edward G. Robinson uncovers another killer, but this time he’s after a Nazi mass murderer, not an insurance salesman. Orson Welles’ most conventional thriller is a masterpiece of style and judgment, with a good sense of time and place – and a lot of expressive shadows. How does this new Blu-ray shape up in comparison to earlier presentations?. On Blu-ray from Olive Films.
8/26/17

The Long, Hot Summer 08/22/17

Barns are a-burning, Paul Newman is recommended to Joanne Woodward as ‘a big stud horse’ and Lee Remick oozes sexuality all over Martin Ritt’s CinemaScope screen. William Faulkner may be the source but this tale of ambition in the family of yet another southern Big Daddy is given the faux Tennessee Williams treatment — it’s a grand soap opera with a fistful of great stars having a grand time. Looking better than ever on Blu-ray, with Orson Welles, Anthony Franciosa and Angela Lansbury. From Twilight Time.
8/22/17

Held for Questioning (Der Aufenthalt) 08/22/17

Sylvester Groth shines in this East German movie about a luckless private in a Polish prison, thrown in with a group of defeated Nazi war criminals. For a country that usually paints the ideological divide in black and white red, Frank Beyer’s film of Hermann Kant’s semi-autobiographical story is surprisingly even-handed; in the awful aftermath of WW2, millions of soldiers never found their way back to their countries of origin. An excellent addition to films from behind the old Iron Curtain, on DVD from The DEFA Film Library.
8/22/17

Prizzi’s Honor 08/22/17

It’s a crime comedy with class. Richard Condon and John Huston’s gangland version of Moonstruck bounces effortlessly between earnest romanticism and cynical satire. Jack Nicholson’s hit man is a brass-knuckle Romeo, and Kathleen Turner’s mysterious bicoastal Juliet has nothing but surprises for him. Near the end of his career, Huston’s direction is as assured as can be. With Anjelica Huston, William Hickey, Robert Loggia and John Randolph. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
8/22/17

Stalker 08/19/17

Andrei Tarkovsky’s bizarre philosophical science fiction epic may be his most successful picture overall — every image and word makes its precise desired effect. Three daring men defy the law to penetrate ‘the Zone’ and learn the truth behind the notion that a place called The Room exists where all wishes are granted. Plenty of art films promise profound ideas, but this one delivers. Extra interview pieces give us the inside story from Tarkovsky’s collaborators. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
8/19/17

The Man with Two Brains 08/19/17

Steve Martin brings down the house with this adoring, hilarious pastiche of mad doctor and disembodied brain motifs — surely the epitome of cultured comedy. Under Carl Reiner’s direction Martin is marvelous, and he’s aided and abetted by the daring sexpot-turned comedienne Kathleen Turner — who has a better handle on outrageous sexy comedy than they do. It’s class-act nonsense and inspired silliness. Where else can a crazed surgeon proclaim his special screw-top skull surgery method, and utter the immortal words, “Scum queen?!” With David Warner and Paul Benedict; on Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
8/19/17

Tobor the Great 08/19/17

Robot roll call! This also-ran robotic fantasy from the 1950s is precisely the kind of movie one would expect from Republic, a two-fisted anti-Commie tract for juveniles. The studio comes up with an impressive robo-hero, but short-changes us when it come time for action thrills. Still, as pointed out in Richard Harland Smith’s new commentary, Tobor filled the the kiddie hunger for sci-fi matinees, at least until Robby the Robot came along. Charles Drake is the adult scientist, and genius-brat Billy Chapin is the one who sets Tobor on a Robot rampage. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
8/19/17

Night Moves 08/15/17

Arthur Penn’s detective movie is one of the best ever in the genre, one that rewards repeat viewings particularly well. Gumshoe Harry Moseby compartmentalizes his marriage, his job, his past and the greedy Hollywood has-beens he meets, not realizing that everything is interconnected, and more than capable of assembling a world-class conspiracy. Gene Hackman tops a sterling cast in the film that introduced most of us to Melanie Griffith, here playing a disturbingly convincing bit of teen jailbait. With Jennifer Warren, Susan Clark, Edward Binns, John Crawford and James Woods. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
8/15/17

Ronin 08/15/17

Robert De Niro picks up a gun once again as a highly paid spy-mercenary-thief hired for a bit of international larceny, robbing a courier of some undisclosed secrets of one kind or another. Juicing up a Melville- like stoic crime fantasy with superb car stunt work puts director John Frankenheimer back in the game, with a worthy project. With Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Sean Bean, Stellan Skarsgard, Michael Lonsdale and Jonathan Pryce. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
8/15/17

Bob Hope on Blu-ray 08/15/17

Trailers From Hell’s Charlie Largent reviews the new releases of Bob Hope’s mid-career comedies on blu ray. The films only occasionally hint at his prodigious skills but, like the great comedian’s career, the results are a mixed but ultimately rewarding experience. The Road to Rio, My Favorite Brunette, The Road To Bali, The Lemon Drop Kid, Son of Paleface. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
8/15/17

Duel in the Sun 08/15/17

David O. Selznick’s absurdly over-cooked western epic is a great picture, even if much of it induces a kind of hypnotic, mouth-hanging-open disbelief. Is this monument to the sex appeal of Jennifer Jones, Kitsch in terrible taste, or have Selznick and his army of Hollywood talents found a new level of hyped melodramatic harmony? It certainly has the star-power, beginning with Gregory Peck as a cowboy rapist who learned his bedside manners from Popeye’s Bluto. It’s all hugely enjoyable. Also starring Joseph Cotten, Lionel Barrymore, Lillian Gish, Walter Huston, Butterfly McQueen, Charles Bickford and Tilly Losch; directed by King Vidor, William Dieterle and several others. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
8/15/17

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly 50th Anniversary 08/13/17

Will Blondie, Tuco and Angel Eyes be forever facing off on the giant threshing wheel? Sergio Leone’s Civil War gunslinger epic is everybody’s favorite western, and most everybody has a bone to pick regarding problems with the previous DVDs and Blu-rays. The good news is that Kino’s 50th Anniversary Special Edition takes giant leaps in correcting older audio issues . . . but the bad news . . .. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
8/12/17

Meantime 08/13/17

Nobody stands up for Britons in the lower class trenches like the fierce, opinionated and outright brilliant Mike Leigh; his unusual writing and directing method yields terrific results in his first feature made for TV. And the early performances of Tim Roth, Phil Daniels and Gary Oldman should be the stuff of acting legend, ’80s style. With Marion Bailey, Pam Ferris, Tilly Vosburgh, Alfred Molina and Jeff Robert. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
8/12/17

The Crimson Kimono 08/13/17

Another great Samuel Fuller film on Blu-ray — this one is a crime tale set in downtown Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, that forms an interracial romantic triangle. It’s risky for its year because of the sexual dynamics — a Japanese-American man falls in love with a Caucasian woman. Fuller’s approach is years ahead of its time, even if Columbia’s sales job was a little weird. Victoria Shaw and Glenn Corbett get top billing, but newcomer James Shigeta steals the show. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
8/12/17

Re-Animator 08/08/17

Trailers from Hell’s Charlie Largent resurrects a real favorite, Stuart Gordon’s epic gross-out about the grisly adventures of H.P. Lovecraft’s Dr. Herbert West. Filmdom’s maddest mad scientist brings dead flesh back to life and proves conclusively that the grave is no barrier to one man’s libidinous lust. This 2-disc limited edition contains two versions of the film and a long list of extras — full cast and director commentaries, the works. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
8/08/17

Beggars of Life 08/08/17

A happy discovery! This is a major late- silent-era gem on the order of Von Sternberg’s Docks of New York — a special treat that will please fans of director William Wellman — he revisited parts of it in a later talkie. It’s also a key movie in our education/adoration of the maverick actress Louise Brooks, the timeless erotic sensation too hot and too independent for Hollywood. Also starring Wallace Beery and Richard Arlen. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
8/08/17

Freebie and the Bean 08/08/17

Here’s how one pushed the limits of good taste in 1975. James Caan and Alan Arkin run the gamut of racist, raunchy, sexist & homophobic jokes as bad boy cops breaking the rules, and director Richard Rush delivers some impressive, expensive action stunts on location in San Francisco. Does it get a pass because it’s ‘outrageous?’ The public surely thought so. If the star chemistry works the excess won’t matter. With Valerie Harper, Loretta Swit and Jack Kruschen. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
8/08/17

The Dinner 08/05/17

How far will the new American aristocracy go to protect its privileges? Oren Moverman’s intense four-way war of wills is sourced from a novel but shapes up as an intense stage piece in a chi-chi restaurant interrupted by flashbacks and other stylistic flourishes. The acting foursome is excellent, with Steve Coogan a standout as a truly disturbed character. Four adults debate their sons’ high crimes and misdemeanors over designer cuisine. Also starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Rebecca Hall. On Blu-ray + Digital HD from Lionsgate.
8/05/17

Hopscotch 08/05/17

A generic spy story becomes an inspired light comedy with the application of great talent led by the star-power of Walter Matthau. Matthau’s CIA spook hooks up with old flame Glenda Jackson to retaliate against his insufferable CIA boss (Ned Beatty) with a humiliating tell-all book about the agency’s dirty tricks history. Matthau’s sloppy, slouchy master agent is a comic delight; Ronald Neame’s stylishly assured direction makes a deadly spy chase into a wholly pleasant romp. With Sam Waterston and Herbert Lom. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
8/05/17

Silkwood 08/05/17

It’s a quality true-life mystery-exposé that doesn’t come off as tabloid trash or Oliver Stone hysteria — the true story of Karen Silkwood is told without cooking the books. The all-superstar cast is something too — Meryl Streep, Cher and Kurt Russell. Only a fine director like Mike Nichols could steer this one into good entertainment & memorable cinema territory. With Craig T. Nelson, Diana Scarwid, Fred Ward, Ron Silver and Charles Hallahan, on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
8/05/17

Night People 07/31/17

Nunnally Johnson hands us a well-written, politically astute spy & hostage drama in Cold War Berlin, with plenty of intrigue and good humor to boot. Gregory Peck is the troubled negotiator and Broderick Crawford a Yankee galoot sticking his nose where it isn’t wanted. This one has been out of reach for quite a while — and it works up some fun suspense. With Broderick Crawford, Anita Björk, Rita Gam, Walter Abel, Buddy Ebsen, Peter van Eyck and Marianne Koch. An early extra-wide CinemaScope picture, on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
7/31/17

You Only Live Once 07/31/17

Fritz Lang continues his take-no-prisoners indictment of America’s curious relationship with crime; this time he presents the thesis that an innocent man can be a pawn in cosmic game of injustice. Three-time loser Henry Fonda, the glummest actor in ’30s films, doesn’t mean to rob or kill, but gosh darn it, They Made Him a Criminal. Those considerations aside, it’s a wonderful cinematic achievement, made all the better by a decent digital restoration. Starring Sylvia Sidney, with Barton MacLane, Jean Dixon, William Gargan, Jerome Cowan and Margaret Hamilton. On Blu-ray from Classic Flix.
7/31/17

Terror in a Texas Town 07/26/17

On paper it’s a western with everything — a major star, decent supporting players, a cult director and sideways references to the blacklisting years. But even with its ya-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it high noon showdown scene, Joseph H. Lewis’s last feature film is still a lower-tier United Artists effort. Sterling Hayden goes up against Sebastian Cabot and Nedrick Young, armed with a, with a . . . aw, you probably know already. With video extras with author Peter Stanfield. On Blu-ray from Arrow Academy.
7/25/17

Where the Boys Are 07/26/17

Heading for Spring Break somewhere? Long before Girls Gone Wild, kids of the Kennedy years found their own paths to the desired fun in the sun, and most of them came back alive. MGM’s comedic look at the Ft. Lauderdale exodus is a half-corny but fully endearing show, featuring the great Dolores Hart and the debuts of Connie Francis, Paula Prentiss and Jim Hutton, not to mention Yvette Mimieux, Frank Gorshin and Barbara Nichols. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
7/25/17

Lost in America 07/26/17

Trailers from Hell’s Charlie Largent gives us the comedy lowdown on Albert Brooks’ and Monica Johnson’s response to “those ferociously materialistic young professionals whose numbers blossomed during the Reagan administration” — the dreaded YUPPIES. This acerbic road movie details what happens when an upwardly mobile hot-shot decides to get back to nature and “touch Indians”. The result is a mile-a-minute talk fest worthy of writer-directors like Billy Wilder, Woody Allen and Preston Sturges. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
7/25/17

The Breaking Point 07/22/17

You can tell it’s film noir — even the cabin cruiser has Venetian blinds. Ernest Hemingway’s favorite film adaptation of his work is this uncompromised story of a good man taking a criminal course on the high seas. John Garfield is again ‘one man alone’ against the system, and the moral quicksand all but swallows up Patricia Neal, Phyllis Thaxter and Wallace Ford; this release comes just in time to herald Alan K. Rode’s new career biography of director Michael Curtiz. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
7/22/17

Kong: Skull Island 3-D 07/22/17

Kong is back, transformed into a ‘MonsteVerse’ colossus suitable for combat with Kaiju-sized foes. The key inspiration is video games but the day is saved by capable performers in mostly amusing roles. Even though the show treats its fantasy halfway seriously, it’s still an infantile guns ‘n’ monsters romp, embellished with impressive visual effects. With Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson and John C. Reilly. On 3-DBlu-ray from Warner Home Video.
7/22/17

The Battle of the River Platte 07/22/17

 Panzerschiff Graf Spee.  Powell & Pressburger’s big-scale historical epic is perhaps the best show ever about an old-school naval encounter between battleships. The first half depicts the showdown between England and Germany in the South Atlantic, and the second half a tense diplomatic game in the neutral country of Uruguay. Peter Finch, Bernard Lee and Anthony Quayle shine as sea captains; the film was shot in big-format VistaVision and originally printed in Technicolor. On Region B Blu-ray from ITV Studios Home Entertainment.
7/22/17

The Sea Chase 07/17/17

John Wayne plays a German sea captain in a film that goes out of its way to create a favorable image of our former enemy, with hardly a Nazi flag or even a German accent in sight. Wayne and his co-star Lana Turner are as Teutonic as Blondie and Dagwood, yet the film works as a basic adventure – we like the charismatic star, and the sea chase format guarantees extra interest. John Farrow’s direction and a fun cast are assets as well: Lyle Bettger, Richard Davalos, Tab Hunter, John Qualen & Claude Akins are all German sailors! On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
7/18/17

Shalako 07/17/17

It’s 007 in the saddle! Sean Connery didn’t become a career cowboy but this one stint as a Louis L’Amour hero is a diverting change of pace. And we couldn’t resist the pairing of two of moviedom’s most attractive actors — Connery and Brigitte Bardot. Terence Young’s cast is almost all-star: Jack Hawkins, Honor Blackman, Peter Van Eyck, Stephen Boyd, Alexander Knox and Valerie French — with Woody Strode as Chato, challenging BondShalako to a duel to the death. Actually, it’s rather good. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
7/18/17

The Quiet American (1958) 07/17/17

There appear to be no rules governing tricky politics in movies — Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel about terrorism in French-held Vietnam completely reverses the author’s message. Does a conspiracy theory about a movie still carry any weight, when our daily political life now plays like one giant conspiracy? All-American Audie Murphy is the whitewashed ‘U.S. aid representative,’ while Michael Redgrave is the dissolute Brit correspondent. The main attraction may be all the atmospheric location work filmed in Saigon in 1957. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
7/18/17

Straw Dogs 07/15/17

Trailers from Hell’s Charlie Largent takes on Sam Peckinpah’s contribution to the ultra-violent movies of 1971. Originally rated ‘X’, details of a gang rape scene weren’t shown until the home video era arrived. What does a nerdy math professor do when uncouth hooligans take his wife and violate the sanctity of his solid-stone country home? Defend his turf with deadly force, that’s what. Pauline Kael called it ‘fascist cinema,’ but it’s one of Sam’s better pictures. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
7/15/17

The Valachi Papers 07/15/17

Charles Bronson plays a real-life Mafiosi in a period gangland saga with a fine script, some good performances and a production so sloppy that the whole thing could be called The Anachronism Papers. Joseph Wiseman and Lino Ventura supply the tough-guy star-power and Bronson actually commits himself to the role — quite a change of pace for one of his later pictures. Also with Jill Ireland. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
7/15/17

Obsessions 07/15/17

What a great sales hook — a feature film with a Bernard Herrmann music score that we hadn’t heard of. And one of the writers was Martin Scorsese, before Boxcar Bertha and Mean Streets! But wait, it isn’t as simple as that. The new release is more than a little confusing. Its own ad copy first calls this Dutch production ‘obscure,’ and not four sentences later describes it as a ‘classic exploitation film.’ Starring Alexandra Stewart. A Dual-Format edition on Blu-ray and DVD from Cult Epics.
7/15/17

The Angry Red Planet 07/15/17

Hey, Ib Melchoir’s Opus Mars-us is back, in a not-bad new scan and color-grading job. If the nostalgia bug has bitten you deep enough to appreciate a fairly maladroit but frequently arresting space exploration melodrama, this may be the disc for you. Let’s be honest: NOBODY can resist the allure of the fabulous Bat-Rat-Spider-Crab, and in glorious Cinemagic, no less. Starring the non-angry redhead Nora Hayden, Gerald Mohr, Les Tremayne and jumpin’ Jack Kruschen. Finally remastered on Blu-ray in its proper aspect ratio, by Scream Factory.
7/15/17

The Lost City of Z 07/11/17

They don’t make ’em like this any more, and the original TV spots for James Gray’s accurate retelling of history almost didn’t know how to sell it. Charlie Hunnam spends his life trying to solve a riddle of the Peruvian rainforest, in between fighting in WW1 and dealing with class prejudice. Yup, one could say the picture was filmed in a ‘classic’ style . . . can that kind of show find an audience these days? With Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom Holland. On Blu-ray from Broadstreet / Amazon Studios.
7/11/17

Blood Alley 07/08/17

Now a successful producer, John Wayne tries a big budget action picture with an anti-Communist theme. It’s The Alamo on a ferryboat, with Wayne as an apolitical adventurer who just feels like savin’ Chinese and kissin’ Lauren Bacall. Ace director William Wellman holds it together — barely. Berry Kroeger is a hateful comrade, Mike Mazurki a loyal aide and Anita Ekberg can be spotted in a couple of scenes, looking very . . . Swedish. With some interesting newsreels and TV show excerpts. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
7/08/17

Ikarie XB 1 07/04/17

For the discerning science fiction fan, this is the best of the Eastern-bloc Cold War Sci-fi epics, a genuinely brilliant and warmly human ‘Voyage to the End of the Universe’ restored in 4k resolution. It’s from before 2001: A Space Odyssey and has an equally wondrous but totally different vision of the future. Hopefully this will soon be readily available here; buying it required some clever footwork by Foreign Exchange of Culver City. Starring my favorite Czech personalities Radovan Lukavský, Zdenek Stepánek, Frantisek Smolík, Irena Kacírková and Dana Medrická. Please Marek, forgive my incompetent diacritical marks! On Blu-ray from NFA (Czech).
7/04/17

Varieté 07/04/17

At last, an expressionist silent classic that takes full advantage of cinematic principles. The legendary E.A. Dupont goes in for subjective-emotional effects of which Hitchcock would approve; Cameraman Karl Freund and effects wizard Eugen Schüfftan pull off spectacular visuals and special effects. No wonder this was a huge hit in America, it’s way ahead of its time (and ours too, in some ways). Emil Jannings shows why he was considered the world’s best actor in the 1920’s. Plus the enigmatic Lya De Putti. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
7/04/17

Free Fire 07/04/17

Have an itch to see a movie about a gunfight, the whole gunfight and nothing but the gunfight? Search no more, for Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump have the movie for you: twenty minutes of angry crooks in conference, and then seventy minutes of non-stop shootin,’ with no annoying plot context or character depth to get in the way. Just say ‘Bang Bang I shot you down’ and then play it in a loop ad infinitum. Starring Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copley, Babou Ceesay, Noah Taylor, Jack Reynor, Mark Monero and Patrick Bergin. On Blu-ray from Lionsgate.
7/04/17