Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Archives: Reviews

Columbia Horror 10/22/24

This collector’s box of Columbia odds ‘n’ ends has a couple of movies that are only marginal horror, but all have at least one or two horror elements. A gangster picture with Boris Karloff dips into mad doctor territory, and the mad scientist in an aviation thriller has cooked up an anti-aircraft death ray. Peter Lorre runs a slave labor camp that features torture. A werewolf movie dabbles in feminist lycanthropy, while a ‘back from the dead’ thriller is stylish but vague. The hot discovery is a beautiful remaster, complete with original tints, of the obscure Voodoo epic Black Moon starring Fay Wray. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
10/22/24

Pandora’s Box 10/22/24

Director G.W. Pabst imported the notorious Hollywood showgirl Louise Brooks to Germany, to star in one of the greatest of Weimar-Era films. Brooks’ Lulu is the equivalent of catching lightning in a bottle, a revelatory performance in a play adaptation that upends Victorian conventions: female sexuality is for once not demonized for ‘loosing evils on the world.’ Among silent masterpieces, this is one of the most mysterious. An impressive digital restoration finally makes it to Blu-ray. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/22/24

Repo Man — 4K 10/19/24

“Let’s go do some crimes!”  Reviewer Charlie Largent turns his critical eye on this 4K upgrade of Alex Cox’s debut feature, a punk slam on the Reagan years. A legendary cast lives the edgy life in sunny Los Angeles — Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Tracey Walter, Vonetta McGee. The abuse of alcohol and other controlled substances fits right in with a Sci-fi vibe lifted from apocalyptic films noir:  “It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes.” Kudos to camera genius Robby Müller and exec producer Michael Nesmith.  “It’s what I call the Repo Code, kid!” On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/19/24

Black Gravel 10/19/24

Keeping relations good with the U.S. and NATO may have doomed Helmut Käutner’s grim tale of trouble on an American air base in West Germany. The story is a sordid swirl of romantic, political and criminal complications — all of them down & dirty. A tiny burg that serves as a brothel for U.S. airmen brews trouble for displaced women and dispirited men trying to survive in the new ‘economic miracle.’ We’ve seen nothing quite like this angry, honest exposé. Its enemies used charges of anti-semitic defamation to ruin its release. This new Region B Blu-ray disc includes an excellent visual essay by Margaret Deriaz on Cold War politics and postward German cinema. From Radiance.
10/19/24

Journey into Fear 10/15/24

It’s the WW2 spy thriller that everyone once said Orson Welles directed without credit. Director Norman Foster does very will with Eric Ambler’s tale of an American trying to evade Nazi killers; Joseph Cotten co-wrote as well as starred and Dolores Del Río and Orson provide fine supporting performances. Welles’ problems at RKO surely contributed to recuts and re-shoots. This excellent remaster doesn’t acknowledge a longer version reportedly screened overseas, which may or may not be an improvement. The disc extra is a trio of Mercury Theater radio plays. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/15/24

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari — 4K 10/15/24

How can a silent film be as ‘modern’ as this?  Kino reissues the 2014 restoration of Robert Weine’s horror landmark in 4K Ultra HD, with a choice of music soundtracks. The sleepwalking Cesare’s hypnotic abduction of Lil Dagover is still a grabber, and the nightmarish images don’t diminish in impact. It’s an incredible kickoff to a decade of mind-blowing expressionist German cinema — and still plays like a champ, 104 years later.  Conrad Veidt rules!  On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
10/15/24

I Walked with a Zombie / The Seventh Victim: Produced by Val Lewton — 4K 10/12/24

Two of legendary Val Lewton’s greatest achievements make it to 4K Ultra HD. In Jacques Tourneur’s film the Gothic romance goes Voodoo on a West Indies plantation, with a side tragedy of slave misery. Scandal can’t hide, especially when the cheating wife falls into a catatonic ‘zombie’ state. It’s guilt, duty, and ‘shame and sorrow for the family.’ Then Lewton’s most personal film sees a teenaged Kim Hunter search Manhattan for her lost sister, who may be the captive of a Devil Cult — or a fugitive murderess. Tight scripting, poetic imagery and just plain macabre weirdness rules, whether under jungle drums or in a Greenwich Village coffee klatsch. With an excellent extended video essay by Imogen Sara Smith. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
10/12/24

I Vampiri 10/12/24

Halloween ’24 is looking good … chalk another genre landmark onto the list of excellent special edition discs: Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava’s grisly thriller is the initial foray into Italo horror, a meeting of Gothic notions and modern medical horror. Gianna Maria Canale is the ravishing Duchess whose beauty is preserved through sordid science; Wanda Guida is the latest victim to contribute sangue fresco to support the aristocracy. Production-wise the movie was a stumble that cinematographer Bava rescued with re-shoots, his first major directing effort. Horror researchers have been studying it ever since. This terrific release contains the Italian original plus two versions mangled by distributors for exploitation ‘adult’ release. On Blu-ray from Radiance.
10/12/24

Babylon Berlin — Season 4 10/08/24

It’s a dive into an intoxicating, anarchic slice of the 20th-century, the brief era that was Weimar Germany. The society still reels from crushing defeat and dark political forces are gearing up for a malign future. Berlin’s nightlife churns with experimental art, debauched revelry and untempered vice. Henk Handloegten, Tom Tykwer and Achim von Borries’ massive series has been called the best thing on TV; the complex web of characters, intrigues, passions and derangement is presented with fantastic period art direction and directed and performed to raise a drug-fueled sweat — the action, music, color and historical comment are fascinating. It’s the most exciting show since the heyday of Nordic Noir. On Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.
10/08/24

The West Wing — The Complete Series 10/08/24

Sure, it’s a TV landmark. To liberals it is a dream vision of how responsible government, run by practical idealists, ought to work. The show’s seven years of rational ups and downs were aired mostly during the Bush administration, and still managed to hold out hope for America. It’s a crowning achievement for creator Aaron Sorkin — imagine, a popular TV show that presents a presidential administration as a positive thing. Inspiration is where you find it; the quality upgrade makes this massive Blu-ray set an attractive item for an election year. On Blu-ray from Warner Home Entertainment.
10/08/24

The Ladykillers — 4K 10/05/24

Alexander Mackendrick’s ‘annihilating comedy’ is one of the best of the Ealing classics. Four hardened criminals are intent on pulling off the heist of the century, when they come up against an enemy for whom they’re totally unprepared – a little old lady who totters around, talks in a high voice, and has to be humored by everyone. William Rose’s story conjures a fistful of dastards — Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers and Danny Green follow the master plan of Alec Guinness’s gangleader, a characterization that makes use of a set of false teeth that are hilarious on their own — a creepy Chas. Addams effect. The sweet grandma and those polite cops barely need to lift a finger — Guinness’s mob is its own worst enemy. It’s a real gem. On 4K Ultra-HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/05/24

Words and Music 10/05/24

The Warner Archive’s latest MGM Technicolor bon-bon is this strained musical bio — Mickey Rooney as Lorenz Hart? — that nevertheless can boast an impressive revue lineup of performances: Judy Garland, Betty Garrett, Mickey Rooney, Lena Horne, Mel Tormé et al. The showstopper is one of Gene Kelly’s earliest ‘music ballet’ extravaganzas — he dances Apachewith Vera-Ellen in the dynamic Hart-Rodgers composition Slaughter on 10th Avenue. It’s pretty exciting — ballet art masks some pretty erotic moves. With an excellent audio commentary by Richard Barrios. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
10/05/24

Clockwatchers 10/01/24

Corporate culture had been around for years when the ‘Office Hell’ genre arrived, and this sleek fable from cubicle-land is both one of the best and one of the least seen. The much abused office temps Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow and Alanna Ubach don’t even have the luxury of cubicles, or desks of their own. The comic tones develop into a deeper statement about workplace alienation, that stifles relationships and shatters one’s sense of free will. Even when it’s funny, Jill and Karen Sprecher’s perfectly-arranged look at office reality hits home hard. Everybody shines, and the remarkable Parker Posey runs away with top honors. On Blu-ray from Shout! Studios.
10/01/24

Burn, Witch, Burn 10/01/24

No sooner do we dig up an old review for this horror masterpiece, than StudioCanal remasters it with a 4K scan and Kino adds some quality extras — just in time to start off the CineSavant Halloween season. College professor Peter Wyngarde refuses to believe that his missus Janet Blair has secured his high academic roost through witchcraft, but the lesson comes home with a vengeance when he throws away her amulets, potions and herbs — others on the faculty see an opening to throw malicious hexes his way. If you don’t like supernatural stories, it’s a dandy substitute for college politics, which as we all know can be vicious!  We’re even surprised by some startling special effects — this has to be director Sidney Hayers’ crowning achievement (next to Circus of Horrors, of course). On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
10/01/24

The Project A Collection — 4K 09/28/24

Jackie Chan’s legendary ‘Project A’ pictures reach 4K in a boxed set as lavish as home video can get. Chan’s pals Sammo Hung and Biao Yuen, and the amazing Chan Stunt Team assemble two of the most frenetic, athletic & death-defying comic action thrillers ever; the first is a Marines-vs-pirates epic and the second a semi-comic intrigue about police corruption. Fighting as well are Isabella Wong, Maggie Cheung, Rosamund Kwan and Carina Lau. We see star-writer-director Chan growing in cinematic smarts, while maintaining his limitless inventiveness for action scenes and daredevil stunts. It’s a 4-disc set, with all the bells and whistles. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from 88 Films.
09/28/24

The Lost Picture Show 09/28/24

Charlie Largent takes on a challenge — a ten-title, 15-hour, six-disc Blu-ray collection of marginal genre films advertised as being so marginal, they fall outside the lines altogether.  What a sales gimmick — with titles like The Las Vegas Strangler, The Last of the American Hoboes, What’s Love, Beware the Black Widow, and The Sex Serum of Dr. Blake.… who’da thunk it?   Are we curious about this one, or just Curious Yellow? On Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
09/28/24

Kosmicheskiy reys: Fantasticheskaya novella 09/24/24

“Space Flight: A Fantastic Story.”  As ’50s kids we assumed that Soviet claims of ‘firsts’ in space science were a pack of lies. But this once- incredibly obscure 1936 silent feature dramatizes the space travel theories of a visionary Russian scientist who first published in the 1880s. The year is 1946 when the space ship ‘Joseph Stalin’ blasts off for the moon. Terrific stop-motion special effects depict a giant spacecraft hangar and Cosmonauts leaping across the craggy surface of the moon. The remastered disc also contains a decent encoding of the Soviet Sci-fi talkie Gibel Sensatsii — about Capitalists, Communists, and an army of nine-foot robots. On Region-Free Blu-ray from Ostalgia.
09/24/24

The Battle of Chile 09/24/24

La batalla de Chile.  Patricio Guzmán’s 3-part ‘you are there’ documentary of the beleaguered presidency of Chile’s Salvador Allende goes into great detail to show how a democratically-elected government can be destroyed from within. Guzmán’s cameras witness terrible events leading to the military attack on the presidential palace on September 11, 1973. It’s an amazing achievement — the film had to be smuggled out of Chile and away from General Pinochet’s killers. Also included is Guzmán’s first feature, a docu account of Allende’s first year in office — which ends with trouble brewing for his fledgling socialist state. On Blu-ray from Icarus Films.
09/24/24

The Long Good Friday — 4K 09/21/24

It’s still the best gangster film of the post- Godfather era. Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are a striking couple at the top of London’s crime scene; Hoskins’ Cockney fireball Harold Shand is about to transform his crooked lifestyle with Mafia money and a land development scheme. Becoming the Posh Prince of the City has one hitch — unknown insurgents are firing up a turf war unheard of in England. Hailed as one of England’s best movies ever, John Mackenzie and Barrie Keefe’s tale is woven around the Easter holiday, with disturbing parallels to The Passion. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
09/21/24

Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema XXI 09/21/24

Kino’s 21st noir series entry gives us two winners and a not-bad contender. Fritz Lang’s Cloak and Dagger with Gary Cooper and Lilli Palmer is a grim spy chase to keep atom secrets out of enemy hands; the weird Shack Out on 101 with Terry Moore, Lee Marvin and Frank Lovejoy sees a Malibu diner become a Cold War battleground for more atomic spies. Short Cut to Hell is a remake of an Alan Ladd hit, directed by James Cagney and showcasing the deserving unknowns Robert Ivers and Georgeann Johnson. All are remastered from 4K scans. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
09/21/24

Three Little Words 09/17/24

All of the Warner Archives’ newly-remastered MGM musicals are terrific, and this 1950 musical bio with Fred Astaire is no exception. His dancing partner is Vera-Ellen, and he’s backed up by Red Skelton playing a dramatic role. Looking smashing in Technicolor are Arlene Dahl and Gloria De Haven, and Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Carpenter make a splash in a novelty number. The subject is the Tin Pan Alley songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, who penned standards like Who’s Sorry Now? and I Wanna be Loved By You. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
09/17/24

Bringing Out the Dead — 4K 09/17/24

Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader teamed several times, and this harrowing nightmare about Ambulance EMTs trying to wade through the chaos of drug & gang-ridden Manhattan is an effort that deserves more praise. Nicolas Cage’s EMT Frank is flipping out under the stress of the work and a guilt complex he can’t shake. He tries to get personally involved with Rosanna Arquette’s equally shaken Manhattanite, but is driven even more mad than his fellow emergency responders John Goodman, Ving Rhames and Tom Sizemore. The ‘mean streets’ have taken hold of Frank, who is succumbing to a serious dose of Catholic guilt … and the movie abounds with hallucinatory visuals and religious symbolism. On 4K Ultra-HD + Blu-ray from Paramount Presents.
09/17/24

Mother Nature’s Monsters 09/17/24

From September 14   Reviewer Charlie Largent touches down in Bert I. Gordon territory, and reviews two of the director’s ‘giant bugs and vermin’ thrillers, plus one that’s better by John Bud Cardos:  The Food of the Gods,  Empire of the Ants and  Kingdom of the Spiders. It’s a guick breeze-by of BIGordon’s popular shows, given star presence by A.I.P.: Ida Lupino, Joan Collins, William Shatner. You will believe that Marjoe Gortner free-form wrestled with a giant Rat. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
09/14/24

How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Lolita? 09/17/24

From September 6  It’s a pure case of ‘they said it couldn’t be done,’ but Stanley Kubrick got the jist of Vladimir Nabokov’s novel across even if he had to sidestep its directly censorable core. Charlie Largent discusses Kubrick’s career miracle and the choice of a novel that to most movie pros seemed a death trap. Filmed in a fake America constructed in England, the story is diverted to a battle of wits between James Mason’s Humbert Humbert and Peter Sellers’ Claire Quilty — whatever one might think, Mason’s pathetic writer-with-an-obsession and Shelley Winters’ equally pathetic romantic dupe are characters of high tragedy.
09/06/24

Perfect Days 09/03/24

Wim Wenders’ tale of one man’s attainment of personal harmony is halfway between documentary and drama, with a strong dose of clear-headed philosophy. A focus on a Tokyo toilet attendant becomes a positive, life-affirming meditation on coping with the modern world’s false goals and confining ‘lifestyle demands.’ The star Kôji Yakusho won a Best Actor award at Cannes; the show received a warm theatrical welcome here in the States. Writer-director Wenders’ interview extra is a gem. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
09/03/24

Le Doulos 09/03/24

Enjoy one of Jean-Pierre Melville’s finest, remastered on 4K and looking good. It’s a complicated story of thieves betraying thieves, the wrinkle being the contrast between weary ex-con Serge Reggiani and the slickest of slicksters, Jean-Paul Belmondo. ‘Doulos’ is slang for ‘informer,’ but Belmondo appears to be engaged in a massive con job, framing his confederates, fooling the police and double-crossing more than one woman. Everything he says can’t be a lie, or can it? On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
09/03/24

Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet 08/31/24

Adéla jêstê neveĉeřela. One of the most accomplished Czech fantasies comes to Blu-ray — nostalgic pulp fiction set in 1900 Prague. Yankee detective Nick Carter finds himself in a life & death struggle against his old arch-nemesis ‘The Gardener,’ the seductive femme fatale Irma, and a monstrous carnivorous plant with the fearsome name Adéla. Cartoonish inventions and weird animation compete for attention with the 8-foot people-eater, that chows down only when its appetite is aroused by a classical lullabye. Among the actors is Prague’s answer to Brigitte Bardot, Olga Schoberová, who Hammer fans know as Olinka Berova. It’s a key collaboration between filmmakers Oldrich Lipský and Jiří Brdečka; the beautifully-remastered disc also carries four of Brdečka’s impressive animated short subjects. On Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile.
08/31/24

Bad Company 08/31/24

Fans of westerns will love Robert Benton’s takedown of wild west mythmaking: Civil War draft evaders Jeff Bridges and Barry Brown learn the hard lessons of frontier outlawry, scavenging their way across Kansas and falling prey to established outlaws. The experience could be called character-building, except for the part about starvation and getting one’s head blown off for stealing a pie. From the creators of Bonnie and Clyde, it’s funny and wickedly believable, and co-stars Jim Davis, David Huddleston and John Savage. On Blu-ray from Fun City Editions.
08/31/24

We Still Kill the Old Way 08/27/24

It’s a paranoid murder thriller without shoot-outs or car chases. The ‘we’ administer an entirely corrupt system of law and justice that has held for hundreds of years. And heaven help those that rock the boat. Gian Maria Volontè’s academic seeks the truth about his two slain friends, but is distracted by his attraction to the new widow, Irene Papas. Elio Petri’s unnerving movie plays out beneath the bright Sicilian sun. Co-starring Gabriele Ferzetti; the extras have a wealth of in-depth interviews. On Region B Blu-ray from Radiance Films.
08/27/24

Doubt 08/27/24

Doubt and uncertainty have a life of their own. John Patrick Shanley’s film of his powerhouse play studies the cloud of suspicion over a priest in a church school who refuses to kowtow to unreasoning persecution … or are the schoolmaster’s instincts correct, and the priest’s gentle ways with his students evidence that he’s a predator?  Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep’s battle of wills is witnessed by Amy Adams and Viola Davis. All four actors received Oscar nominations. Shanley presents something not often seen on movie screens — pulpit sermons that strike to the heart of an important issue. On Blu-ray from Miramax/Paramount.
08/27/24

The Shape of Night 08/24/24

Yet another eye-opener from 1960s Japan — the story of a young woman’s downfall is told with truth and conviction, with an especially powerful performance from star Miyuki Kuwano. Director Noboru Nakamura’s intimate account is bathed in the neon of the vice district; the fine script makes us realize how easily girls are ensnared in sexual exploitation. Not really seen here until a restoration ten years ago, the show just dazzles — it makes no compromise with sensationalism. On Region A + B Blu-ray from Radiance.
08/24/24

High Noon — 4K 08/24/24

It’s the most over-analyzed and over-interpreted western ever. Postwar politics may be quicksand, but it’s still about Gary Cooper’s Marshall Kane getting caught in a three-way taffy pull: how does The Code Of The West prioritize his conflicting pledges to his community, to law and order, to plain survival, and to his Quaker bride Grace Kelly? Fred Zinnemann got his second of 7 Best Director noms with this grandly OPO (Over-Performing Oater). It’s still a winner. Coop took home a Best Actor prize. The 4K remaster glows; two new commentaries dish the controversy. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
08/24/24

Risky Business — 4K 08/20/24

This big hit from the yuppie decade launched a career that won’t die: with digital de-ageing, Tom Cruise can now throw out that portrait in his attic. What other 62 year-old enters via parachute at the Olympics? Paul Brickman brought the pubescent sex fantasy to the mainstream, with the spectacle of Cruise dancing in his underwear; Rebecca De Mornay’s slick hooker is admittedly irresistible. The screenplay is frequently witty, too. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
08/20/24

Navajo Joe 08/20/24

Burt Reynolds was among the first American actors to ‘do a Clint Eastwood’ and rush to Rome, but in his case the career boost didn’t happen. Sergio Corbucci turns out a Spaghetti with neither rhyme or reason, just continuous action, stuntwork and slaughter. Burt’s impressive athleticism is a kick but what really brings us back is Ennio Morricone’s wrenchingly radical soundtrack music, with a great chorus backing a main vocal that’s mainly screaming! On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
08/20/24

Marie: A True Story 08/17/24

This excellent true story of political bribery in Tennessee has a genuine heroine at its center. Sissy Spacek plays a governor’s aide set up to grease pardons for violent offenders, who blows the whistle in her own defense. Jeff Daniels is the fixer running the scheme; attorney and future Sentator Fred Thompson became a film actor in this show, playing himself. This almost-forgotten but worthwhile drama was photographed by the great Chris Menges. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
08/17/24

Bob le flambeur — 4K 08/17/24

Take a trip to the ’50s roots of French crime cinema, now redubbed ‘French noir.’ Obsessed with American cars and movies, Jean-Pierre Melville nevertheless brings original flavor and philosophy to his first thriller. ‘Bob the Gambler’ is a friend to all in the Paris underworld and a gent when it comes to women. But he’s still a slave to his addiction to cards. It’s a heist movie with characters more colorful than Hollywood’s, filmed with a street sense that inspired the French New Wave. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
08/17/24

Northwest Passage 08/13/24

Want to follow Spencer Tracy in search of the elusive Northwest Passage?  Not in this movie!  Taken from American history and treated like gospel, Kenneth Roberts’ story gives us Spencer Tracy as a colonial ‘special forces’ Major whose troop marches hundred of miles to wipe out an Indian encampment near the Canadian border … it’s the Apocalypse Now of 1940. MGM’s gigantic production lugged giant Technicolor cameras all over Oregon and Idaho under the direction of famed director King Vidor. Robert Young is the artist who becomes a guerilla fighter; the whole movie plays like propaganda to prepare American boys to fight Nazis. The digital Technicolor restoration is excellent. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.

08/13/24

World War III 08/13/24

Once again an Iranian film yields an experience found nowhere else. Houman Seyedi’s allegory of exploiters and the exploited never takes a false step, building in tension as it goes. Festival critics praised the performance of Mohsen Tanabandeh as an Everyman laborer driven to a radical extremes. The well-made picture plays with elements we expect to see in a Black Comedy, but the last thing offered is laughs … what we get is 107 wrenching minutes of Truth In Motion. On Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile.
08/13/24

Alphaville 4k 08/10/24

Jean-Luc Godard’s pop Sci-fi masterpiece jumps to 4K … and the splendid 2023 remaster on the 4K disc finally nails Raoul Coutard’s gritty-beautiful B&W cinematography. Agent Lemmy Caution rockets through intersidereal space to fight the computer Alpha 60 in Dr. Nosferatu’s ‘Capital of Pain’ … and to help Natacha Von Braun re-learn the word ‘love.’ The pulp saga is the story of our times, circa 1965. Stars Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
08/10/24

The Hell with Heroes 08/10/24

We wanted to cover a Universal product from the late ’60s, and this one has stars we like — Rod Taylor, Claudia Cardinale, Harry Guardino and a lot of angles to discuss — the TV-movie production values, the Techniscope format short cut. Kino’s disc comes with a good commentary from Steve Mitchell & Steven Jay Rubin. The story is about smugglers in Europe, but everything we see looks Los Angeles- local. On the other hand, any excuse to see Claudia Cardinale is a good excuse. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
08/10/24

Goin’ South – 4K 08/06/24

Jack Nicholson’s shaggy, sloppy, not-particularly-well-organized western comedy is often hilarious, especially in the early stages. With a half-dozen capable funny men given little to do — John Belushi, for one — the movie is ultimately saved by its leading lady. The marvelous, 100% charming Mary Steenburgen helps the film earn its label ‘romantic comedy,’ even if the result leaves a lot of loose ends hanging. Nicholson did hire the best, though — Richard Bradford, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morris … and his cameraman is none other than Néstor Almendros. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Cinématographe / Vinegar Syndrome.
08/06/24

The Lady from Shanghai – 4K 08/06/24

Practically disowned by Columbia when new, Orson Welles’ baroque noir thriller is now regarded as one of the studio’s top achievements, and Sony has released it as a solo 4K attraction. Starring Welles’ ex-wife Rita Hayworth and a raft of eccentric players in strikingly effective roles, the film fronts a pretzel-twisted storyline that takes multiple viewings to untangle (we’re still working on that). Welles noir tale is a crazy-house of romantic delirium, and not even Harry Cohn’s editorial interference can dull its impact… it’s still a classic. On 4K Ultra HD (only) from Sony.
08/06/24

Ernie Pyle’s The Story of G.I. Joe 08/03/24

General Eisenhower reportedly praised this movie as best representing the real experience of American foot soldiers; director William Wellman’s cast gives it believability and the writers stick close to the de-glamorized plain reporting of war correspondent Ernie Pyle. The real combat footage intercuts well; the sentiment is heartbreakingly direct. Burgess Meredith is excellent and budding star Robert Mitchum earned his one acting nomination. The restored Blu-ray comes with first-class extras, including a fine Alan Rode commentary. On Blu-ray from Ignite Films.
08/03/24

The Last Emperor – 4K 08/03/24

Cecil B. De Mille and David Lean get the glory for historical epics on a giant scale, but Bernardo Bertolucci’s saga of an empire overturned equals them in sweep and spectacle. The complex era on view would seem a political minefield, yet the production received full cooperation from the Red Chinese. The digital restoration presents the theatrical version in 4K, plus an SD encoding of the expanded RAI television cut, which is almost an hour longer. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
08/03/24

Le samouraï – 4K 07/30/24

Jean-Pierre Melville’s sleekest, most stylish crime meller makes the jump to 4K — Alain Delon’s Jef Costello is the hired gun trying to sidestep a double cross, in a genre dream of rainy Parisian streets and chrome nightclub interiors. The title perhaps refers to Jef’s impossibly rigid personal code of underworld conduct. Made almost 60 years ago, Melville’s film has a sheen of ‘cool’ that even Quentin Tarantino hasn’t touched. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/30/24

Revenge of the Blood Beast 07/30/24

Raro Video reissues Michael Reeves & Paul Maslansky’s semi-comic horror romp, the one that engaged Barbara Steele for one very long day of very good work. Corman expats Charles Griffith and Mel Welles got involved as well. The good news is that this release augments its two new interviews with key archive extras, including a coveted commentary from an older Dark Sky DVD. On Blu-ray from Raro Video / Radiance.
07/30/24

Orson Welles’ Macbeth 07/27/24

Reviewer Charlie Largent notes 1948’s Shakesperian showdown between Laurence Olivier and our own home-grown Orson Welles. The real mystery ought to be how (and why) Republic Pictures came to be involved in such high-toned art. It’s still something to wonder at, with its strange scenery, weird accents and anything-goes costumes. The film’s secret weapon is none other than Jeanette Nolan, an inspired choice for Lady Macbeth. Two versions are present, one 24 minutes longer than the other; extra input comes from Joseph McBride, Peter Bogdanovich and Robert Gitt. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/27/24

Anselm in 3-D 07/27/24

Wim Wenders makes 3-D movies like no others … this investigation of the life and work of the controversial artist Anselm Kiefer may be the most sophisticated use ever of stereoscopic cinema. The beauty and the roughness of Kiefer’s work is reflected in Wenders’ filmmaking choices — he doesn’t just report on his subject, he merges with it. Paintings, sculptures, art installations are mounted on a vast scale … this isn’t a talking-head docu, but an artistic meditation on creativity, through one of the most successful artists alive. On Blu-ray from Janus Contemporaries.
07/27/24

Bwana Devil  in 3-D 07/23/24

Some titles get remembered as Firsts:  The Great Train Robbery,  The Jazz Singer,  Becky Sharp,  This Is Cinerama,  The Robe and this little game-changer from the scrappy independent Arch Oboler. The very first feature-length 3-Dimensional drama in color ignited a super-fad that blew through Hollywood and burned out in less than two years. Forget Hungry Hungry Hippos, because this is Lethal Lethal Lions: big cats rule in Kenya, and the tone is unusually harsh and bloodthirsty. The 3-D Film Archive’s restoration work is terrific — United Artists retained stereoscopic elements for this ‘first.’ 3-D Blu-ray is still a favorite of collectors… manufacturers need to bring back the format hardware.  Ungawa already!  On 3-D Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/23/24

The Chase  (1946) 07/23/24

This subtly surreal noir thriller from the mystery pen of Cornell Woolrich is so ‘dreamlike,’ it barely makes sense!  Penniless drifter Robert Cummings enters the weird circle of shady operator Steve Cochran, and falls for the serenely seductive Michèle Morgan … with creepy Peter Lorre smirking from the sidelines. Murky doings in Florida and Havana lead to some jarring narrative flip-flops … many feel that this exotic offering is exactly what film noir ought to be. UCLA’s 2012 restoration was a big deal — previous copies had been so poor, one couldn’t see what was going on in the darker scenes. Filmmaker Guy Maddin provides the audio commentary. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/23/24

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid – 4K 07/20/24

Criterion comes through with the spectacular special edition hinted at by Alex Cox back in 2022… Sam Peckinpah’s final western sees the light of day in three versions, two of them remastered to a glowing 4K Ultra HD. Sam’s shooting-gallery rumination on loyalty and betrayal in a corrupt New Mexico is an unending parade of western-associated actors; James Coburn makes with the disillusioned stares, Kris Kristofferson gives a good performance and none other than Bob Dylan provides the music and songs. Katy Jurado and Slim Pickens’ 6-minute episode steals the movie. A new commentary and some very informative video docus help out this classy 4-disc set. Warners, let Criterion do The Wild Bunch! On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/20/24

Reptilicus – 4K 07/20/24

“I’m Reptilicus!” “No, I’m Reptilicus!”  That inspirational scene is not to be found in either version of this monster-on-the-loose epic — but a flying monster is, along with the bizarre Tillicus song. The last movie anybody expected in a deluxe 4K remaster, this Danish farrago takes on a special charm. Included for the first time in the U.S. is the original Danish version, an entirely different edit (in HD). The extras feature Kim Newman commenting with Danish film expert Nicolas Barbano, which means real information on this cult item and less guessing and head-scratching. Plus we try to plumb the odd effects work in the picture. Make it a Tivoli Night, because All Copenhagen is dancing! Kip Doto would be proud. From Vinegar Syndrome.
07/20/24

American Gigolo — 4K 07/13/24

Paul Schrader, Richard Gere and the studio way of packaging movies hit the jackpot with this tale of an ultra-glamorous professional ladies’ man up to his neck in trouble. On-call gigolo Julian Kay has attained a lavish lifestyle that requires privacy and discretion — things that vanish when he becomes a person of interest in a sex murder. Top model Lauren Hutton adds to the glamour, Hector Elizondo is the cop on the case, and Nina van Pallandt and Bill Duke are the ‘bookers’ who only claim to have Julian’s best interests in mind. Malibu, Brentwood, Bel-Air and Westwood never looked so swank; Debbie Harry and Blondie cap it all singing Giorgio Moroder’s pop hit “Call Me.” On 4K Ultra-HD from Arrow Video.
07/13/24

When Worlds Collide 07/09/24

Paramount gives us a stand-alone release of its newest remaster of George Pal’s visionary, ambitious and amusingly dated Sci-fi epic followup to his smash hit Destination Moon. It’s the classic fantasy, first considered for Cecil B. De Mille, of a ‘space ark’ built to spare a tiny group of humans from a cataclysmic End of the World. The Technicolor is bright and the spaceship design is awesome in what has become a modern fable. The framing story is a straight-up Bible prophecy — but the movie’s Sci-fi core worships secular science and technology. This is the video remaster that corrects the film’s color design for the Space Ark launch sequence. On Blu-ray from Paramount.
07/09/24

Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema XIX 07/09/24

Kino’s 19th ‘Dark Side of Cinema’ collection — now 57 individual films and counting — presents three more solid noir entertainments from good directors and top stars: Barbara Stanwyck, Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan, Lizabeth Scott and Charlton Heston in his first Hollywood feature. The lineup:  Dark City,  No Man of Her Own and  Beware, My Lovely.  The various sins and schemes featured include illicit gambling, extortion, identity theft, and just plain psychotic menace. Kino covers the pack with a roundup of top noir commentators: Alan K. Rode, Imogen Sara Smith, Jason A. Ney, Julie Kirgo and Peter Hankoff. On Blu-rayfrom KL Studio Classics.
07/09/24

Invasion of the Body Snatchers – 1956, 4K 07/06/24

This chiller would have given Franz Kafka nightmares!  The most sophisticated & influential Sci-fi film of the 1950s uses few special effects yet blows away audiences unprepared for its creep-out insights into personal insecurity and paranoia. This new 4K upgrade remaster offers its intended camera aspect ratio, plus the ‘Superscope’ reformat imposed on its original release. The extras include four separate audio commentaries, each a winner. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/06/24

Picnic at Hanging Rock – 4K 07/06/24

Peter Weir’s tale of a mysterious disappearance in 1900 is even more disturbing than his The Last Wave:  the ‘New Australian’ movement must have needed an ethereal art picture to balance more exploitative fare. ‘Unexplainable’ doesn’t get more weird than this: four school girls and a teacher vanish without a trace near the base of a landmark rock outcropping. People can’t remember how it ends, but they never forget the glowing cinematography. Criterion’s disc set contains another Weir show, a strange item closer to a conventional horror film. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/06/24

Act of Violence 07/02/24

Fred Zinnemann’s dark thriller gives us Robert Ryan as a gun-toting killer, with Van Heflin’s respected family man his intended victim. But who is the villain?  Murky morality enters via the aftermath of a heinous wartime crime. What are the limits of personal responsibility in extreme circumstances?  Does the movie imply that American prosperity is founded on less-than-noble deeds?  Janet Leigh, Mary Astor and Phyllis Thaxter co-star in a core classic Film Noir, near- perfectly directed. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/02/24

Death Sentence 07/02/24

(Django – Unbarmherzig wie die Sonne)  UK correspondent Lee Broughton returns with coverage of a striking Spaghetti Western. High culture director Mario Lanfranchi was primarily known for operas and the works of Shakespeare when he seized the opportunity to film a Western in Spain starring Robin Clarke. The result is a very personal film featuring a stylish look, an interesting narrative structure and a quite amazing cast: Richard Conte, Tomas Milian, Adolfo Celi, Enrico Maria Salerno and Eleonora Brown. The German disc release uses its original Deutsch title, which translates as “Django: Ruthless as the Sun.”  On Region Free Blu-ray from Explosive Media GmBH.
07/02/24

Strangers Kiss 06/29/24

Independent filmmakers attract attention by using a Kubrick semi-classic as a movie-within-a-movie! Blaine Novak’s tale of love on a movie set mirrors the jeopardy of the story being filmed: the leading lady’s gangster boyfriend bankrolls the movie only to see her attracted to someone else. Stars Victoria Tennant, Peter Coyote and Richard Romanus take the leads in this thin but cleverly concocted inside-out Hollywood story; the disc extras tell the much bigger story of how it came to be made. On Blu-ray from Fun City Editions.
06/29/24

The Man I Love 06/29/24

Ida Lupino really shows ’em how a movie star takes possession of the screen in Raoul Walsh’s excellent romantic drama set among night clubs in Long Beach. The war is over and Lupino’s Petey Brown can’t stop drifting, looking for the right man. A chance trip to visit her siblings entangles her in their personal issues, plus a lecherous new boss. An unhappy jazz pianist might be the man of Petey’s dreams — if he can shake off an old flame. Supporting Ida are Bruce Bennett, Robert Alda, Andrea King, Martha Vickers and Dolores Moran. The soundtrack melodies adapt classic standards, starting with the title tune. This new restoration is said to restore 6 missing minutes to the movie. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/29/24

Victims of Sin — Víctimas del Pecado 06/25/24

Mexican showbiz from the wrong side of the tracks: it’s big, it’s vulgar, it’s overcooked: but it’s highly effective cinema with sensational authentic music, terrific images and a vivacious star to promote. Cuban fireball Ninón Sevilla dances up a storm for her star vehicle, reportedly insisting on Mexico’s best behind the camera: director Emilio Fernández and cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa. But get ready for some wrenching melodramatic absurdities, from a different cultural tradition. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/25/24

The Soldier’s Tale 06/25/24

Originally made for Public Television, R.O. Blechman’s adaptation of Stravinsky’s theater piece combines a score of animation techniques within his eccentric, expressive personal style. A soldier returning from war makes a deal with the Devil, trading his violin for a book that tells the future. The message is ‘You can’t go home again’ with an added element of ‘No second chances.’ Presented here full length for the first time, with five minutes of prologue and epilogue. Plus extra R.O. Blechman animated shorts, TV commercials, etc. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
06/25/24

Bandits of Orgosolo 06/22/24

This in-the-wilds thriller about Sardinian shepherds that become outlaws is an almost perfect movie experience, and truer to Italian neorealist theory than the accepted classics. Director Vittorio De Seta filmed on location with almost no crew, using actual shepherds for actors — and comes back with a masterpiece hailed by film festivals as the best debut feature of its year. Everybody liked it, especially the Italian Left — it demonstrates how a backward system of laws forces ordinary men into criminality. On Blu-ray from Radiance.
06/22/24

Ennio 06/22/24

Morricone fans and students of music will discover a real treat in Giuseppe Tornatore’s exhaustive, comprehensive epic documentary of All Things Ennio. With Il Maestro’s full cooperation, we get a life history and direct coverage of his greatest accomplishments, from the ‘musique concrète’ works that show up as coyote screams in ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.’ We also hear from an army of admirers and collaborators, but it’s the music that knocks us out — it’s an artist’s life turned into a full-on concert. On DVD from Music Box Films.
06/22/24

Columbia Noir #6: The Whistler 06/18/24

Reviewer Charlie Largent takes the dangerous assignments, in this case Columbia’s daunting ‘Whistler’ mysteries, mostly starring the strangely intense Richard Dix. The series has dedicated fans — some of the stories and situations are just plain weird, atypical for crime/detective fare at this time. Take notes, because there’ll be a quiz: The Whistler, The Mark of The Whistler, The Power of The Whistler, Voice of The Whistler, Mysterious Intruder, The Secret of The Whistler, The Thirteenth Hour and The Return of The Whistler. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
06/18/24

2001: A Space Odyssey — 4K 06/18/24

No, it’s not a new disc … CineSavant updates an older review to take in Warner’s 2018 4K edition — but mainly to wax enthusiastic about the long-gone thrill of Road Show moviegoing. We have the exact story of when (and where) Stanley Kubrick trimmed the movie by a reel, in its first week of release in 1968. It’s also a chance to reprint a nice reaction from an old friend, now gone, a notable authority on Science Fiction cinema. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
06/18/24

Blue Velvet – 4K 06/15/24

David Lynch’s dark vision of vice and cruelty beneath a quiet rural town solidified his rep as The Most Out-There big-studio director. Kyle Maclachlan’s curious Jeffrey can relate to Laura Dern’s sweet teenager, but he’s also drawn to Isabella Rossellini’s disturbed victim of sexual tyranny. With his tank of amyl nitrite gas, Dennis Hopper’s Frank became the decade’s slimiest, most deranged villain. Lynch’s creepy balance of wholesomeness and horror has not diminished, especially when remastered in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/15/24

Man’s Castle 06/15/24

Old-school Hollywood romance is back in force. This pre-Code dazzler by Frank Borzage is one of the best, emotionally valid despite its dated gender assumptions. The innocent Loretta Young adores Spencer Tracy’s charming lout — their meet-cute finds them homeless and helpless in a Manhattan shanty town at the bottom of the Depression. The new disc recovers several minutes censored by the Production Code, restoring risqué content not seen since 1934. On Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
06/15/24

Chinatown 4K Ultra HD 06/11/24

This masterpiece qualifies as a ‘period neo-noir’ despite being produced before the noir craze found traction. The murder of a city commissioner reveals a dark, greedy chapter in the history of Our City of the Angels. Robert Evans’ studio production found a perfect roster of collaborators for Robert Towne’s screenplay. Romantic and suspenseful, it’s a crowning achievement for stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, and very much a Roman Polanski movie … don’t hold your breath waiting for a happy ending. Terrific music by Jerry Goldsmith. In 4K Ultra HD only; the sequel The Two Jakes is included in HD. From Paramount Presents.
06/11/24

Obsession – (1949) 06/11/24

aka The Hidden Room.  The most accessible of the pictures director Edward Dmytryk made during his brief political exile in England is this tight ‘perfect crime’ murder thriller. A jealous husband plots to do away with his wife’s lover — keeping him alive in a ‘Hidden Room’ (the American release title) until he’s sure Scotland Yard has lost the scent. Then he’ll dispose of the body in a shudderingly horrible way — the title could be Dial ‘A’ for ACID.  Robert Newton is excellent as the cold, clever murderer, and Naunton Wayne is the engaging detective snooping for clues. Dmytryk’s excellent direction communicates some of the damp economic misery of postwar London. On Region Free Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
06/11/24

Republic Pictures Horror Collection 06/08/24

What a round-up!  Republic is mainly known for westerns, but also tried their hand at horror now and then. Charlie Largent tries ’em on for size, as new remasters make ’em look like they never looked before, Pardner — I mean, “Ygor.” It’s a wide range of attractions: The Phantom Speaks, The Catman of Paris, Valley of the Zombies — and The Lady and the Monster, the first film version of Curt Siodmak’s ‘Donovan’s Brain.’ It’s a real keeper, with Erich von Stroheim as the mad doctor who speaks the immortal words, “Bring me the Giggly Saw!” On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/08/24

City of Hope 06/08/24

A previously scarce John Sayles films surfaces in a beautiful widescreen edition. Cynicism and frustration pits Hudson City against itself, in a story of civic trouble that echoes Bruce Springsteen’s laments for America’s crumbling towns and cities. Builder Tony Lo Bianco is in hock to the Mob, and can’t pretend he’s not part of the fix; activist councilman Joe Morton is marginalized by the politicos, while his constituency accuses him of selling out. Disaffected yout Vincent Spano turns to petty crime. John Sayles’ sprawling but smartly-told story gathers his regular actors in an ensemble with at least 30 speaking roles that flesh out a portrait of a city ‘divided against itself.’ On Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
06/08/24

The Nun’s Story 06/04/24

It’s the kind of movie we get dragged to see … which then becomes a respected favorite. Robert Anderson, Fred Zinnemann and Audrey Hepburn’s interpretation of Kathryn C. Hulme’s book is a stunningly mature woman’s odyssey, about a young nun’s attempt to find fulfillment in a a demanding social-spiritual vocation, that seeks to reconstruct its postulants. Young Sister Luke has a difficult time conforming, in school, in an asylum, in the Congo, and finally back home during the WW2 Occupation of Brussels. We can’t think of another film with as many memorable roles for so many great supporting actresses, topped by Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft and Mildred Dunnock. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/04/24

Fear and Desire – 4K 06/04/24

Stanley Kubrick’s early work tells us a lot about the artist, like a collection of Da Vinci or Renoir sketch books. Kubrick’s tentative first feature has big problems — a ponderous script and war-movie ambitions it can’t deliver — but it qualifies as a noble first effort. The exacting B&W cinematography is arresting, especially in this 4K restoration. The new disc adds 9 minutes to the film’s running time, and includes all three of Kubrick’s short films, in excellent new remasters. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/04/24

You’re a Big Boy Now 06/01/24

Come back to the middle 1960s, when America’s hottest film student Francis Ford Coppola started on his path to directorial glory by parlaying his UCLA film school thesis film into a full-on studio production. A canny synthesis of youth trends and Coppola’s own weird sense of humor, the free-form comedy announces ‘I’ve arrived.’ The music is by The Lovin’ Spoonful and the cast is stellar: Peter Kastner, Elizabeth Hartman, Geraldine Page, Rip Torn, Julie Harris, Michael Dunn, Tony Bill, Dolph Sweet — and introducing a delightful Karen Black. Plus a close-up look at Times Square in ’66!  On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/01/24

Sci-Fi Chillers Collection 06/01/24

Good news for Sci-fi fans; Kino’s newly remastered trio of monsterrific thrillers looks great. The favorite Paramount semi-classic The Colossus of New York still impresses with its its haunting piano score and solemn direction by Eugène Lourié. The gooey fungus freakout The Unknown Terror is available domestically for the first time in its full ‘Regalscope’ glory. And the latter-day Destination Inner Space is… is… an underwater thriller with an appeal that’s, uh, difficult to put into words. We’ll be polite. Kino’s audio commentators certainly were polite — Steven Bissette, Tim Lucas and Tom Weaver among them. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/01/24

Peeping Tom – 4K 05/28/24

Michael Powell and Leo Marks encode their tale of a sick serial killer with 1001 wicked observations, insights and unflattering jokes about everything cinematic, emphasizing voyeuristic excess and obsession. Carl Boehm’s protagonist is a ‘very British Psycho’ who conducts his murderous crusade like an explorer in taboo territory, and fetishizes his cameras as sexual objects. Enraged Brit film critics demolished the film’s release, ending Powell’s stellar career; 20 years later, Martin Scorsese led the charge to rescue the director’s reputation. The extras extend the film’s meaning and context in several fascinating directions. An outstanding disc, in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
05/28/24

Philo Vance Collection 05/28/24

S.S. Van Dine’s artistocratic detective was featured in 12 murder mystery novels that inspired at least 15 films. The first actor to play him was the urbane William Powell, in three Paramount productions: The Canary Murder Case, The Greene Murder Case and The Benson Murder Case. Powell sorts out the suspects and the victims, playing opposite Jean Arthur, Louise Brooks, Florence Eldredge, Paul Lukas, William Boyd and Natalie Moorhead. Raymond Chandler once wrote that the Philo Vance was ‘the most asinine character in detective fiction’ but reviewer Charlie Largent reports that he’s very entertaining on film, as embodied by Powell, pre- The Thin Man. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/28/24

Friendly Persuasion 05/25/24

Jessamyn West’s bright vision of America’s agrarian dream has plenty to say about anxious times: a family of Quakers try to maintain their values against secular temptation, and the threat of Civil War. Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire star, with Anthony Perkins, Phyllis Love and Richard Eyer. Sentimental, insightful and very funny, it earns its ‘family values’ honors, blowing away similar efforts by Disney and Spielberg. The colorful HD remaster reverses a previous credits revision. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/25/24

Dellamorte Dellamore – Cemetery Man 05/25/24

The jobs some people take!  Intense graveyard watchman Francesco Dellamorte is serious about his duties, which include slaying interred corpses that insist on coming back to life. Will True Love interfere with his quirky necrophiliac lifestyle?  Charlie Largent dives into the most original horror pic of the 1990s. Rupert Everett & Anna Falchi star in director Michele Soavi’s ghoulishly erotic tale, an oozing comic orgy with a metaphysical/existential finale. On Blu-ray from Severin Films.
05/25/24

The Rain People 05/21/24

Francis Ford Coppola’s first personal film through his Zoetrope experiment is an acting tour-de-force for Shirley Knight, a purposely marginal road movie in search of cinema truth. It comes out as an honorable attempt to meld Americana and European ‘film honesty;’ what we really admire is Coppola’s expert direction of Knight and her co-stars, James Caan and Robert Duvall. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/21/24

Back from the Dead 05/21/24

When is a horror movie not a horror movie?  Does the absence of most horror content make a difference?  This Regal Films ‘Regalscope’ production is handsomely filmed and shot on location, but it feels like a stack of disconnected ideas. Lovely Peggie Castle is possessed, and Arthur Franz and Marsha Hunt don’t know what to do about it. A Satanic Cult is involved, but it’s the most disorganized horror fantasy we’ve seen. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/21/24

Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors 4K 05/18/24

Charlie Largent takes on a new 4K encoding of Freddie Francis’s well-remembered omnibus picture. Amicus gives us five tales of the uncanny, each with a clever twist or sting in its tail. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing costar, and for once even share some meaningful scenes. Creepy mountebank Cushing deals the Tarot cards that spell out the grim fates in store; Chris Lee is a pompous art critic with a handy problem. Also with Michael Gough, and introducing a young Donald Sutherland, who steals the show 100%. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
05/18/24

Dune ’84 – Dual Version Edition 05/18/24

Shot for shot, David Lynch’s galactic epic is as brilliant as any of his films, with vivid characterizations, strong performances and a parade of weird, strikingly Lynchian visuals. The bizarre Lynch sensibility is a good match for Frank Herbert’s complicated saga; Viavision’s Limited Edition is the first Region A Blu-ray to offer both the Theatrical Cut and the Extended Version, with its numerous new scenes. It’s a lot of story to cover in too little time, but no show as entertaining as this needs to make apologies. On Blu-rayfrom Viavision.
05/18/24

Planet of the Vampires 05/14/24

Radiance comes through again, giving us Mario Bava’s haunted space opera in multiple versions. The encoding of the original Italian version improves greatly on everything we’ve seen so far — it’s dazzling. Barry Sullivan and Norma Bengell struggle to overcome the curse of a ‘demon planet’ — which rushes to possess every life form it encounters. The alien landscape is all rocks, smoke and colored light, and the ‘vampires’ are Sullivan’s own crewmates, transformed into murderous zombies. On Blu-ray from Radiance.
05/14/24

Submarine Command 05/14/24

This little-seen Paramount war picture finishes William Holden’s run with lovely Nancy Olson as his co-star; John Farrow’s direction brings out the script’s ‘between the wars’ troubles of servicemen, and then settles for the expected recruiting stance for the then-hot Korean War. It’s filmed partly at sea, which adds to the realism, and it tries to keep the heroics under control. Don Taylor is in the best-buddy role, as the Navy flier Holden rescues from the drink; William Bendix is a CPO with a grudge against Holden — for an incident that happened on the last day of WW2. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/14/24

The Mask of Fu Manchu 05/11/24

MGM’s delirious pre-Code Yellow Peril adventure was once severely censored for its exotic tortures and suggestions that Myrna Loy’s sadistic femme fatale was also a sexual pervert. Karloff’s Fu Manchu is a scary example of pulp xenophobia, a racist manifestation of every Anglo fear about the ‘mysterious East.’ An example of a restored dialogue line: “We must KILL the white man and TAKE his women!”  Who says classic horror has to be PC friendly?  With Karen Morley and Lewis Stone — and a Gregory Mank commentary. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/11/24

Once Upon a Time in the West – 4K 05/11/24

“Only at the point of dying.”   Hailed in Europe but ignored here, Sergio Leone’s most prestigious western transcends classic status. Its operatic gunfighter rituals become drama-sculptures of ‘genre destiny.’ Henry Fonda overturns his ethical, decent screen image with a supremely sadistic villain; Charles Bronson catapulted into European superstardom as this film’s ‘man with no name.’ Leone’s curious, dreamlike storytelling method hypnotizes, that’s for sure, as does Ennio Morricone’s superb music score. Paramount’s 4K looks sensational, although purists wish it were encoded with a higher bitrate. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Paramount Presents.
05/11/24

Devil’s Doorway 05/07/24

Guy Trosper, Anthony Mann and John Alton’s western is shocking stuff for 1950 — Hollywood did address the historical  raw deal handed Native Americans, way before the activist ’70s. Robert Taylor is a Shoshone rancher in Wyoming, who comes back from the Civil War with medals and finds that opportunists are passing laws that dispossess him of his citizenship and property rights. Rather than give up, he fights back and is labeled a terrorist threat to decency. 30 years before Heaven’s Gate, the cavalry comes to the rescue — for the villains. It’s rough stuff, the kind of ‘subversive’ movie that got other directors blacklisted. The remastered presentation is a beauty.

 

Two from Jean Rollin 05/04/24

Charlie Largent takes on two colorful, uncut, un-draped Jean Rollin Gallic horror romps. Les démoniaques is a cruel story of pirate murder and sex crimes. The Nude Vampire is listed as one of Rollin’s better works, its three-word title pretty much expresses the full Rollin cinema philosophy. The popuar pictures — separate releases — are given lavish special edition attention. Also available are 4K Ultra HD editions. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
05/04/24

Gravity 05/04/24

This one played like gangbusters in the theater. The only negative flak I heard came from a) people that didn’t like Sandra Bullock no matter what she was in, and b) people that violently denied the premise that space garbage posed a potential threat. The thrills in this presumed 99 & 44/100% CGI space thriller just don’t stop happening: ace filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón adds elements that up the storytelling quotient to a really memorable level. This reissue is a two disc set, retaining the hours of original extras — all subtitled in over a dozen languages. On Blu-rayfrom Warner Bros. Entertainment.
05/04/24

The Borderlands 04/30/24

UK correspondent Lee Broughton returns with a recommendation for an original and engaging British folk horror film. Director Elliot Goldner’s found-footage show was released to little fanfare in 2013 but those curious film fans who subsequently picked it up as a speculative cheap buy on DVD or caught it on TV came away pleasantly surprised. It’s a low-budget but highly effective genre film that stands out from the crowd. On Region-Free Blu-ray from Second Sight Films.
04/30/24

I Am Cuba – 4K 04/30/24

Milestone and Criterion team together for this 1964 epic, a a joint Cuban-Soviet super-travelogue celebration of the revolutionary spirit. Four vignettes from the pre-Castro years spell out the glory of anti-imperialism, using fancy visuals and gravity-defying camerawork. The cultural experiment was judged a failure and shelved for decades, until it was rediscovered in the 1990s and given a major film festival revival. The impressive B&W cinematography gets the full 4K ULTRA HD treatment. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
04/30/24

Deep in the Heart aka Handgun 04/27/24

Ignore the exploitative original posters … this thriller from 1983 is a clear-eyed view of America’s gun problem, expressed, wouldn’t you know it, by an Englishman. Filmmaker Tony Garnett formats his show like a vigilante shocker, but the real subject is a culture gone awry. Karen Young makes a star-caliber debut as a Boston schoolteacher targeted for point-blank sexual terrorism . . . and who discovers that she’s one woman alone against a society that blames the victim. It’s yet another unexpected rediscovery from Fun City Editions. It’s yet another unexpected rediscovery on Blu-ray from Fun City Editions.
04/27/24

The Tin Star 04/27/24

Anthony Mann’s high-quality conventional western has top stars Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins, plus good input from Neville Brand, John McIntire and especially Betsy Palmer. Perkins takes lessons in how to be Marshall Dillon, while the womenfolk fuss and slimy Lee Van Cleef shoots nice people in the back. We get a Cold War lesson about Law & Order — that looks sensational in B&W VistaVision. Extras include critical input from Toby Roan, Neil Sinyard and Barry Forshaw. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
04/27/24

Household Saints 04/23/24

Nancy Savoca belongs in the top rank of creative filmmakers of the 1990s. This unorthodox telling of a ‘neighborhood miracle’ may be her most ambitious and original work. TV comedienne Tracey Ullman surprised everyone with her unusual characterization, but Lili Taylor stole the show with the most compelling depiction ever of someone enraptured by faith — a special effect halo would be superfluous. Vincent D’Onofrio and Ullman age convincingly; the two-generation ethnic mini-epic about ‘ordinary miracles’ is difficult to synopsize. Also outstanding are actors Judith Malina and Michael Rispoli. The disc contains two early Savoca student films, and an excellent new making-of documentary. On Blu-ray from The Milestone Cinematheque.
04/23/24

Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker 4K 04/23/24

American insanity runs wild in the last movie we’d ever expect to see from the director of TV’s Bewitched and A.I.P.’s Beach Party. William Asher’s horror show has some solid casting choices — Jimmy McNichol is the confused kid, Bo Svenson is the psychotic cop, and in yet another indescribably intense performance, Susan Tyrrell is the caring aunt whose possessive attentions get wa-a-y out of hand. Severin must employ squads of experts rounding up interviews and doing research — this disc has hours of material. CineSavant’s Charlie Largent will decide if this is good berserk Susan Tyrrell, or superlative berserk Susan Tyrrell. It’s one or the other. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Severin Films.
04/23/24

*batteries not included 04/20/24

Family-friendly Steven Spielberg once again seeks out the sentimental corner of sci-fi, with memorable roles for his lovable cast and a technical workout for his visual effects experts. Cute flying saucers behave like storybook elves, to make magic for elderly evictees (Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy). The writers in this warm-hearted show would later specialize in fantasy, even horror — Mick Garris, Brent Maddock, S.S. Wilson, Brad Bird; they and writer-director Matthew Robbins deliver Spielberg’s positive message. Does sweetness and light still have a chance?  We can vouch for the film’s effect on little kids — it was a memorable matinee experience for my family. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
04/20/24

Bombs over Burma 04/20/24

This Poverty Row PRC opus was thrown together in just a few weeks, in the first months of World War II. Cult actress Anna May Wong gets top billing in a pro-China thriller about keeping the Burma Road open, an issue that would later become a real wartime strategy. We’re also drawn to anything by the creative director Joseph H. Lewis. At this time still known as ‘Wagon Wheel Joe,’ Lewis distinguishes himself with almost no production resources. Both Dan Seymour and future Oscar winner Nedrick Young make their screen debuts. On DVD from Film Masters.
04/20/24