Glenn Erickson's Reviews: Archives: Reviews

Walkabout 4K 09/23/23

A filmmaker with a genuine vision: Nicolas Roeg’s first solo directing effort is a masterpiece of images and montage, excellent storytelling with intimations of natural forces at work. Abandoned with her brother, Jenny Agutter’s Sydney schoolgirl is helped in survival by David Gulpilil’s aboriginal youth on a wilderness rite of passage. It’s a credible loss-of-innocence story, told with a time-shifting editorial finesse that would become Roeg’s signature narrative grammar. It’s a visual odyssey, on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-rayfrom The Criterion Collection.
09/23/23

The Broadway Melody 09/23/23

A happy cult of disc collectors aches for titles from the dawn of sound; the Warner Archive gifts them with this much-improved remaster of what’s known as the actual first all-singing, all talking Hollywood musical. It looks so good, we can feel the footlights burning hard on the talent straight from the stage, while the Hollywood actors try out their talkie voices — loudly. You want open-faced emoting, pitched to the back row of the theater?  Many a cliché was born right here. Want to know where all those Singin’ in the Rain songs came from?  Right here as well. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
09/23/23

Cocaine Bear 4K 09/19/23

The two-word title for this thriller demonstrates real Truth in Advertising — it’s all about the ba-a-d bear, and everyone else is Special Supporting Snack Food. This 2023 equivalent of an old-fashioned Creature Feature generated positive buzz last February. It’s just your average gore horror thriller with some big talent, that’s also an irreverent comedy and a heartwarming story of children and cute animals. The aim was to be a raucous audience participation freakout: who will be the next victim of the drug-fueled Ursa Major?  Disclaimer: if you want the movie about the Hollywood bear that sells cocaine, you want that guy named Yogi. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
09/19/23

The Train 4K 09/19/23

No CGI allowed!  Adventure film fans dote on Real Action happening with real stuntmen, and John Frankenheimer’s Resistance epic has more physical action than almost anything. Burt Lancaster and others risk their necks on moving trains as they derail and explode; the timing of some shots is worthy of applause. The drama about national art theft is still relevant, as are the performances of Paul Scofield, Wolfgang Preiss and others. How could they wreck so many trains, and an entire railroad switchyard?  The cinematography looks absolutely fantastic in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
09/19/23

Visitors from the Arkana Galaxy 09/16/23

Croatian animation wizard Dušan Vukotić co-wrote and directed this Sci-fi comedy that gently elbows the genre. It unspools like a children’s film for adults, teasing nudity, exaggerated violence, etc.. The Fun and Games play with a Philip K. Dick idea — the fertile mind of a frustrated Sci-fi writer can morph reality. The aliens he imagines become real, turning his romantic life upside down. It’s sincere, droll, and more than a little eccentric. Oh, and don’t forget the huge, slimy Mumu Monster created by cult figure Jan Svankmajer, that likes to rip off heads. The release carries 5 of Vukotić’s excellent Zagreb Film short subjects, including his 1961 Oscar winner Surogat.On Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile Films.
09/16/23

Spinout 09/16/23

What an incredible idea — Elvis Presley plays a swingin’ racecar driver in the fast lane with one gorgeous ‘gal’ after another: Shelley Fabares!  Diane McBain!  Deborah Walley!  The brillance continues — Elvis is ALSO a singer, and MGM somehow prevailed upon him to sing NINE whole songs, including ‘Beach Shack,’ and ‘Am I Ready!’  Where do they get these ideas?  Actually, Elvis addicts will love this late musical entry in his filmography. Writers George Kirgo and Theodore J. Flicker were praised for their witty screenplay. from his On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
09/16/23

The Night of the Hunter 4K 09/12/23

Strikingly original & endlessly creative, Charles Laughton’s solo directorial effort continues to stun audiences with the expressive power of pure cinema. It’s an ‘American Primitive’ mix of storybook candor and nightmare imagery; the performances are styled after an earlier era of direct drama. Davis Grubb’s theme is more relevant than ever — the conflict of Good versus Evil dares to align Evil with revivalist hysteria. The 4K disc includes a Tim Lucas commentary and illuminating input from a surviving cast member. On 4K Ultra HD from KL Studio Classics.
09/12/23

$10,000 Blood Money 09/12/23

Spaghetti westerns are are still popular, especially with high-quality releases like this available. This 1967 pseudo-Django oater is from the boxed set Blood Money – Four Western Classics Vol. 2. It’s concocted to appeal to the fans of Sergio Leone. Gianni Garko is a handsome if colorless bounty hunter hero, and the notorious actor Claudio Camaso is his vicious bandit foe. Arrow’s extras access the original filmmakers for candid stories about westerns all’italiana. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
09/12/23

One False Move 4K 09/09/23

Tagging Carl Franklin’s superb crime thriller as a neo-noir isn’t enough; it’s practically perfect despite being made at a direct-to-video production level. Bill Paxton, Cynda Williams and Billy Bob Thornton give some of the best performances of the 1990s. We also marvel at Thornton and Tom Epperson’s screenplay, which advances some good thinking about race realities. This one grabs us 100% — the characterizations really make an impression. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
09/09/23

3 Days of the Condor 4K 09/09/23

Ruthless spy thrills, big-star glitz plus pretensions of political importance: Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway find career-sustaining momentum in this slick, top-talent espionage tale on the fashionable end of post- Watergate paranoia. It’s a box office winner for director Sydney Pollack, who gives the show his special energy — he was Robert Redford’s most consistent payday director. Owen Roizman’s New York images look very good in 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
09/09/23

The Trollenberg Terror (Import disc) 09/02/23

Aka The Crawling Eye; this German disc carries the title Die Teufelswolke von Monteville. The old TV Guide blurb nailed it: “Hidden in a radioactive cloud, a creature from outer space awaits its next victim.” CineSavant braves the freezing heights of the Trollenberg to wildly over-analyze this curiously fascinating bit of Brit Sci-fi, made on the cheap yet an over-achiever for imaginative suspense and jolting Jump Scares. Forrest Tucker stars, and Janet Munro steals the show as an anxious telepath haunted by alien thought-waves. Jimmy Sangster’s adapted script mixes Alpine scenery, gothic horror and eerie aliens worthy of H.P. Lovecraft. Gotta love it. An import on Region-free Blu-ray from Anolis Entertainment.
09/02/23

Wichita 09/02/23

“Anything Goes in Wichita!”  In the second half of his starring career Joel McCrea turned to westerns, favoring ‘kinder and gentler’ scripts when possible. This civilized telling of part of the Wyatt Earp story was McCrea’s first collaboration with producer Walter Mirisch. It’s an Allied Artists ‘A’ picture right down the line, and a special favorite — the man behind the camera is Jacques Tourneur, the most mellow and expressive of genre directors. The cast is exceptional too: young Vera Miles, a sneering Lloyd Bridges, and Edgar Buchanan as an unexpectedly effective villain. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
09/02/23

Borsalino 08/29/23

Jacques Deray’s Yankee-style Buddy picture was a smash in France, with its stellar pairing of Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo The expensive epic a gangster picture suitable for James Cagney, but set in 1930 Marseille and stressing elaborate period costumes, automobiles and fancy décor. Our boys take turns admiring the attractive female stars, punching out bad guys and killing their way to underworld leadership … but always looking good in their sharp suits and luxury Hats— hence the borrowed name for the title. The movie stumbled here in the U.S. but its ‘cute’ musical theme was a hit. The special edition’s exhaustive extras tell the whole story. On Blu-rayfrom Arrow Video USA.
08/29/23

The Long Voyage Home 08/29/23

This 2016 restoration helps Eugene O’Neill’s seagoing story retake its place as one of John Ford’s most accomplished pictures. John Wayne stars as part of an ensemble — Ford’s direction and Gregg Toland’s cinematography are the stars. A crew of ordinary merchant seaman must sail into wartime waters. O’Neill provides the ironic character studies, and John Ford’s philosophical view of men at sea fills out the details. With no conventional romance, this melancholy thriller faced an uphill battle at the box office — O’Neill and Ford offer a more realistic representation of the sailors’ women in port. The cast is a full roster of Ford actors — Thomas Mitchell, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, John Qualen — and a melancholy outsider, Ian Hunter. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
08/29/23

After Hours 4K 08/26/23

Odysseus has nothing on lowly Paul Hackett, whose chance date takes him from his dull office routine into the nightmare land of SoHo after midnight. Trapped by an escalating series of weird denizens, he wanders a Forbidden no man’s land, a Kafka-captive of circumstance. Director Martin Scorsese is at his nervous, anxiety-generating best, aided by a wonderful cast doing their best work: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Teri Garr, Catherine O’Hara, John Heard, Linda Fiorentino. Reviewer Charlie Largent sings the show’s praises, now on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-rayfrom The Criterion Collection.
08/26/23

Blonde Ice 08/26/23

All hail the lowly output of Hollywood’s Poverty Row, where mediocrity ruled and good work was rarely rewarded. This potboiler about an avaricious blonde who slays ‘inconvenient’ suitors is memorable for its low-rent charm and rather vague performances — although glamorous leading lady Leslie Brooks is quite capable with both gun and knife. We celebrate this ‘Film Classics’ show but also Poverty Row wonders overall … movies that sometimes seem to play in another dimension. A terrific digital restoration revives this pot-boiler’s rather impressive cinematography. On Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.
08/26/23

Cimarron (1931) 08/22/23

“Terrific as all Creation!”  Wesley Ruggles’s film adaptation of Edna Ferber’s epic novel won the Oscar for Best Picture, helping to establish the RKO studio. Noble Richard Dix and beautiful Irene Dunne’s complex characters span 40 years of Oklahoma history — the oil wells arrive, the wild west fades, and Dix’s heroic Yancey Cravat never settles down. Things get patchy in the second half, but Ferber’s critique of racial prejudice and bigotry is retained. The film’s Oklahoma Land Rush was long considered the biggest action scene this side of the Ben-Hur chariot race. The digital restoration makes the show look and sound brand-new. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
08/22/23

To Live and Die in L.A. 4K 08/22/23

A William Friedkin fan favorite reaches 4K — the reputation of this thriller has risen over the years, along with the career of its cultured villain, Willem Dafoe. On the trail of a murderous counterfeiter, William Peterson’s elite Secret Service agent goes rogue, running wild and putting lives at risk. His callous use of informants make his New York predecessor Popeye Doyle look like a Boy Scout. Cameraman Robby Müller provides the stylish imagery. The deluxe edition collects most of the old extras, on a second Blu-ray disc. On 4K Ultra-HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
08/22/23

The Puppetoon Movie Volume 3 08/19/23

George Pal’s magical stop-motion Puppetoons are back for a third go-round, and the word is that this volume’s selection of Technicolor short subjects is better, and better-looking, than ever. We grew up with these wood-and-paint wonders in B&W on TV, and their rediscovery adds another chapter to animation history. Reviewer Charlie Largent persuses the ‘new batch’ in this Limited Edition which includes an entry from Dr. Seuss, and the mind-bending Puppetoon in which Jasper battles the Screwball Army. Extras include Cel Animation cartoons in HD. The musical Puppetoons have performances by Peggy Lee, Louis Armstrong and Woody Herman. On Blu-ray from Puppetoon Productions.
08/19/23

Is Paris Burning? 08/19/23

They said ‘We’ll always have Paris,’ but for three weeks in 1944 the survival of the City of Light was in grave doubt. This gigantic all-star national epic didn’t please everyone yet will dazzle viewers willing to accept the city itself as the star. Working from a screenplay by two Americans, director René Clément shows how France took back its capital, and how a German general stalled, sidestepped and disobeyed Hitler’s orders to burn it to the ground. Over forty speaking parts are played by as many name actors; just as appealing is Maurice Jarre’s stirring, patriotic music score. Brennt Paris?!  Brennt Paris?! On Blu-ray from L Studio Classics.
08/19/23

Rio Bravo 4K 08/15/23

Everyone’s favorite gun-down & sing-along John Wayne western is also Howard Hawks’ cagy comeback in an industry that had left him behind. Hawks stitched together favorite ‘pieces’ of his 1940s hits and imposed the structure of an impromptu TV sitcom. Accompanying the box office powerhouse Wayne is a comedian-crooner still proving his worth as an actor, a hollow teen idol, and yet another sharp actress trying to embody the ideal ‘Hawks woman.’ This western is all about personality. It clicked with audiences big-time, and Hawks more or less re-made it again and again. Caution — there’s no backup Blu-ray version on board. On 4K Ultra HD + Digital Code from Warner Brothers.
08/15/23

Force of Evil 08/15/23

Abraham Polonsky’s ode to corruption in the American success story is one of film noir’s most artistic achievements as well as John Garfield’s best film. It’s realistic in tone, yet its dialogues are stylized almost to the level of poetry. A hotshot lawyer goes too far while lobbying for a ‘slightly illegal’ racket. Blinded by the prospect of making his first million, he ends up forced to question the entire system. Also starring Thomas Gomez, Beatrice Pearson and Marie Windsor, this is a Top Ten noir, no questions asked. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
08/15/23

The Ranown Westerns 4K 08/12/23

Five Films Directed by Budd Boetticher  “Pure western heaven” is the catchphrase for Budd Boetticher’s perfectly-scaled ruminations on ethics and actions in an imperfect wilderness. The five RANdolph-brOWN features here present Randolph Scott’s range rider as an icon of masculine nobility. The new 4K encodings transport home theaters to a lost era of horse-opera charm, with dramas that reward adult attention. And don’t forget, no cowboy star rides a horse better than Randy. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
08/12/23

The Anderson Tapes 08/12/23

Sidney Lumet directs his first on-location New York crime picture, giving the escapist heist thriller a taste of paranoid cinema to come. Released after ten years in stir, thief Sean Connery launches into an immediate raid on a swank 5th Avenue apartment building, not realizing that a Brave New Surveillance World is watching and recording everything he does. Dyan Cannon, Martin Balsam, Ralph Meeker, Alan King and a young Christopher Walken shine in this three-ring-circus of mob politics, sly comedy and a daytime heist that’s both brilliant and absurd. So is the movie, with its prescient warning about the New Wave of extra-legal surveillance snooping. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
08/12/23

Unman, Wittering and Zigo 08/08/23

Those joyous School Days of intimidation, threats, and Murder!  The helpful extras on this new Blu release explain how this tale of cold-blooded malice in a British ‘public school’ ( = a private school with a steep tuition) is deeply rooted in UK culture. This film version brilliantly directed by John Mackenzie reflects a restrained, ‘civilized’ oppression in the school tradition — morally righteous and proper on the outside, chillingly cold and corrupt at the core. David Hemmings’ newbie teacher is on the job only a day when his ‘unruly’ students inform him of their murderous conspiracy, and expect him to cave in to their demands. It’s quality filmmaking, with an especially fine cast, for a grim thinkpiece that’s disturbingly defeatist in tone. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
08/08/23

Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams 4K 08/08/23

As his career wound down Akira Kurosawa found new champions among Hollywood’s young ‘film student’ generation, several of whom helped him secure financing for important film projects. Warner Brothers backed this utterly personal film of poetic expression, containing several ‘short stories’ illustrated with fanciful visuals. Kurosawa’s ‘dreams’ include a mythical fable, a haunted tale of WW2, and a strange apocalyptic fantasy. The 4K Ultra HD encoding gives the entire project the appearance of an artist’s watercolor; Disc producer Elizabeth Pauker’s extras are highly informative. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
08/08/23

Roman Holiday 4K 08/08/23

William Wyler’s perennial charmer is 100% undiluted entertainment: Gregory Peck and the new star Audrey Hepburn share a Roman fairy tale that’s also a tourist’s dream. A runaway Princess takes in the town like a galavanting Cinderella, not realizing that she’s being set up for an image-damaging photojournalism exposé. The show is a hands-down joy and one of brightest hits of the 1950s. One surprise is that it was also finessed to make just the right political statement for the Cold War — even though it was written by ‘dangerous’ Dalton Trumbo, using a front. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Paramount Pictures.
08/08/23

Soundies The Ultimate Collection 08/05/23

‘Are they enhanced short subjects, or proto-music videos?’  The 1940s phenomenon of ‘Soundies’– musical juke boxes that played movies, too — captured a wide range of overlooked talent, including a lot of underexposed black performers. A fantastic job of film research by committed experts like curator Susan Delson is behind this impressive aggregation of rare performances caught on film. Reviewer Charlie Largent wades into the 200 shorts that encompass jazz, country-western, folk, and the boogie woogie roots of rock ‘n’ roll, all newly restored from 35mm and 16mm materials preserved by the Library of Congress and other archives. For music fans, it’s a full ten hours of undiluted joy. On Blu-rayfrom Kino Classics.
08/05/23

Helen of Troy 08/05/23

Robert Wise’s Italian-filmed epic looks better than ever on Blu, showcasing a fine cast and imaginative special effects. It’s a straight telling of Homer’s The Iliad with just a drop of Cold War attitude — this time the Greeks are the unreasonable aggressors. Neither Rossana Podestà nor Jacques Sernas excited the critics of ’56, but we can appreciate the high-powered cast, which includes Stanley Baker, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nora Swinburne, Janette Scott and especially Niall MacGinnis, who all but steals the show as the cuckolded King of Sparta. It’s an intelligent pageant — the Achilles-Hector duel is a highlight, and the famed Trojan Horse quite a spectacle. And for the curious, a young Brigitte Bardot is present and accounted for, perky and pouty. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
08/05/23

Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round 08/01/23

James Coburn’s starring film career began with projects he deemed ‘far-out’ — and writer-director Bernard Girard promptly hooked him on this eccentric thriller about an infallibly seductive con-man. It’s a low-key, non-violent puzzle picture about a perfect heist, and also a guessing game that skips from San Francisco to Denver to Boston to Los Angeles, all the while hiding an ironic narrative sting in its tail. Will Coburn’s brand of Cool prevail? The supporting cast mostly stays out of the way: Camilla Sparv, Aldo Ray, Nina Wayne, Robert Webber, Todd Armstrong, Michael Strong, Severn Darden — and even Rose Marie. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
08/01/23

East of Eden 4K 08/01/23

Elia Kazan hits 4K with an extras-lean but visually stunning edition of this early CinemaScope feature, now rated ‘PG.’ It’s James Dean’s first and best starring role, and with Kazan in charge the actors push the ‘drama’ accelerator to the floor. It still holds up, with top-billed Julie Harris doing everything Dean does, but effortlessly and with no strings showing. Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos, Burl Ives and Albert Dekker are 100% solid. The great Jo Van Fleet is even moreso — she takes control of any film in which she appears. The classic adapts only a few chapters of John Steinbeck’s massive novel for an emotionally satisfying experience. On 4K Ultra HD + Digital Code from WB.
08/01/23

The Pied Piper 07/29/23

Stop-motion brilliance!  Deaf Crocodile debuts yet more sensational fantasy from Eastern Europe. Director-animator Jiří Barta takes a deeply twisted approach to the famous tale, a not-for-kids interpretation that includes plenty of malice, blood, and dysfunctional politics. Barta’s stop-motion animation is unique in that his stylized characters are carved from wood — like expressionist, malevolent Puppetoons. CineSavant reviewer Charlie Largent isn’t quite as malevolent, but he gives this Acid Fairy Tale his best shot. On Region A Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile/ Vinegar Syndrome.
07/29/23

Time Bandits 4K 07/29/23

Terry Gilliam’s fantasy epic is back in the super 4K Ultra HD format, which makes his achievement look all the more spectacular. Two hours of unceasing visual miracles, delightful personalities and wickedly civilized humor begin when a pack of cosmic workers steal a celestial map and become time-traveling thieves. A young hero joins them and learns the secrets of the universe. Beautifully made, with charming performances from Craig Warnock, David Rappaport, Kenny Baker, Ralph Richardson, David Warner, Ian Holm, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, Katherine Helmond, Michael Palin and especially Sean Connery. On 4K Ultra-HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/29/23

King Solomon’s Mines 07/25/23

Before Indiana Jones there was … well, there were a lot of intrepid adventurers before Harrison Ford, but the template was set back in the 19th century by H. Rider Haggard’s Allan Quartermain. We’re in luck, for ‘Intrepid’ just happens to be CineSavant reviewer Charlie Largent’s middle name. He evaluates the fancy Blu-ray restoration of this semi-classic with an open mind. Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger trek across Africa, and their encounters with locals and various animals are more respectful than we thought they might be. After 73 years, MGM’s ‘exotic’ epic once again looks like it ought to. With Richard Carlson. Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/25/23

Night Has a Thousand Eyes 07/25/23

‘Fate’ is a frequent player in classic noir, but this spooky 1948 charmer crosses noir atmosphere with a semi-supernatural vibe — enforced by a top performance from Edward G. Robinson, plus the eerie presence of Gail Russell, She Who Possesses the Saddest Eyes in Hollywood. An showbiz mentalist suddenly experiences foreshadowings of deaths to come, a curse that threatens the ones he loves most. Cynical detective William Demarest is one of the first to suspect him. Do the stars hold our future?  A ‘thousand eyes’ look down on a small group of people trying to stave off doom foretold. With good extras from Glenn Kenny, Farran Smith Nehme, Tony Rayns and Jill Blake. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
07/25/23

Tom Mix Cowboy Double Bill 07/22/23

Sky High + The Big Diamond Robbery.  The top cowboy star of the silent era and his wonder horse Tony were once the idol of a million kids — and now they’re back again in remastered editions. SKY HIGH is mostly filmed around, over and deep inside the Grand Canyon — in 1922. THE BIG DIAMOND ROBBERY pits Tom against urban criminals before resolving as an action film on a ranch. Mix does his own stunts, many of which are serious bits of daredeviltry. Tom is always a gentleman with the demure heroine, and he wears a BIG white hat. Each restored picture is given a handsome musical accompaniment, by disc producer Ben Model. On Blu-ray from Undercrank Productions.
07/22/23

The Bridges at Toko-Ri 07/22/23

A domestic Blu-ray arrives of Mark Robson’s Korean War rumination, from the pen of James Michener and fleshed out 100% by Paramount’s crack visual effects team. Superstar leads William Holden and Grace Kelly illustrate a hard lesson of modern warfare — even in ‘asymmetrical’ high-tech combat there is no guarantee of survival. Charles McGraw, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney & Robert Strauss co-star. This new disc can’t touch [Imprint’s] extras — but it corrects the aspect ratio and therefore gets our vote. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/22/23

Gorgo 4K 07/18/23

We can hardly believe this — a nearly perfect 4K encoding of this all-time favorite monster epic has arrived, with only a few weeks’ notice. The sharp, brightly colored image finally reflects Freddie Young’s rich textures, returning the word ‘artful’ to writer-director-designer Eugène Lourié’s family-friendly yarn about a city-smashing ‘Irish sea fairie.’ Talk about childhood nostalgia — this was our ‘9th birthday’ movie outing, and remains an unashamed delight. Bill Travers and William Sylvester star; the two disc set also offers a Blu-ray copy and a tall stack of extras. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
07/18/23

The Servant 07/18/23

Joseph Losey and Harold Pinter shake up the notion of English propriety, as butler Dirk Bogarde ‘invades and subverts’ the life of his employer James Fox, through subtle psychological manipulation and the seductive power of his supposed ‘sister,’ a very young Sarah Miles. Wendy Craig is the confused fiancé in this serious, sinister and fascinating provocation, a prolonged class / sex power struggle. The extras include great star interviews plus a fine video essay by Imogen Sara Smith. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/18/23

Land of the Pharaohs 07/15/23

Howard Hawks presents ancient history as a lavish spectacle: tens of thousands of extras build a giant pyramid on the extra-wide CinemaScope screen, aided by the excitement and mysticism of Dimitri Tiomkin’s exotic music score. So convincing is the recreation, we almost believe the tomb-sealing sci-fi mechanics that shift stone blocks weighing tons, in just a few seconds. Nothing’s iffy about the awe in which we regard the young Joan Collins, a seductive Cypriot who pulls the papyrus over the eyes of Jack Hawkins’ gold-obsessed Pharaoh. Man-killer Collins has her greedy eyes on a big chunk of the ancient world, but fate, the sands of Egypt and the Cairo chapter of the Old Boys Club get in her way. A gem of a movie, an unheralded classic, newly remastered for Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/15/23

The Bounty 07/15/23

Roger Donaldson’s smartly scripted and produced 1984 remake of history’s most famous high-seas mutiny gets a lavish treatment on this two-disc Blu-ray set, with hours of extras about its filming and the shifting historical consensus about what took place down Tahiti-way in 1789. You just can’t keep the swabbies below decks eating hardtack, when they’re seen a Polynesian island paradise stocked with willing, nubile . . . you get the idea. Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson acquit themselves well, plus we’ve got Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson just starting out. Fun fact — this is the first time the HMS Bounty was portrayed by a ship the right size — just 90 feet in length. On Region Free Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
07/15/23

The Whip and the Body 07/11/23

Are doors opening for the remaining hold-outs in classic Eurohorror?  All-Region fans can rejoice at the availability of Mario Bava’s La frusta e il corpo in a Blu-ray encoding that finally reflects il maestro’s fine color lighting design. Christopher Lee puts in a stellar appearance and the sleek & expressive Daliah Lavi brings a keen sensitivity to the ‘Barbara Steele’ role. Following more from The Innocents than Hammer gore or Roger Corman Poe delirium, Bava brings forth some of his most sophisticated direction. Ernesto Gastaldi’s core Gothic has a decidedly adult foundation: sadomasochism is ‘all in the family.’ On Region B Blu-ray from 88 Films.
07/11/23

End of the World (La fin du monde) 07/11/23

Gaumont has done right by this orphaned opus from France’s silent film genius Abel Gance’s — his follow-up to Napoléon is a supremely hubristic science fiction epic that’s half social hysteria and half mystical insanity. Gance casts himself as a Christ figure who reunites the world in the face of an impending astral collision; his producers put his bizarre three-hour cut through an editorial shredder. The disastrous early sound epic veers between incompetent dramatics and highly-effective special effects sequences. It’s a 2021 restoration, slightly longer than earlier versions and in much better shape, picture and sound. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
07/11/23

The Damned Don’t Cry 07/08/23

When does ‘tough and brassy’ become ‘camp and kitsch’?  No longer a Gorgeous Young Thing, Joan Crawford walked a narrow line when reinventing her screen image. Her best noir after Mildred Pierce is this underworld pastiche that turns the notorious Virginia Hill into Gangland USA’s most glamorous, high-toned mobster girl. The extreme histrionics never stop, what with Joan effortlessly wrapping suspicious characters David Brian, Steve Cochran and Kent Smith around her greedy fingers. The presentation includes a candid commentary from the film’s director, Vincent Sherman. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/08/23

Juggernaut 07/08/23

Finally, a chance to review this deserving suspense thriller. Incredibly realistic scenes on the high seas are a highlight of Richard Lester’s docudrama-styled tale of a mad extortion plot against an ocean liner with 1200 passengers. Forget Disaster Movie clichés and dumb dramatics — it’s a fast-paced struggle to save lives by bomb specialists Richard Harris and David Hemmings. Back in London, a young Anthony Hopkins tries to locate the man who calls himself Juggernaut. The exceptionally smart cast is topped by Omar Sharif, Ian Holm, Shirley Knight, Roy Kinnear, Freddie Jones, Clifton James and Roshan Seth. It’s the best seagoing thriller of its kind. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/08/23

The Rules of the Game 4K 07/04/23

When does a comedy of manners stop flattering the audience, and begin criticizing it?  Jean Renoir’s acknowledged masterpiece was rejected on its premiere in 1939, when France society was too nervous to find humor in its satirical needling. It remains one of the most genuinely sophisticated movies of its kind. Everyone shares in the same hypocrisy and “Everybody has their reasons,” yet Renoir and his co-scenarist Carl Koch insist on framing the characters as warm and human. It’s the ‘Proud and The Petty’ versus the ‘Disgruntled and The Disillusioned.’ The latest restoration is from 2021. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
07/04/23

Angel Face 07/04/23

There’s a new name for ‘Murder’: Diane Tremayne. Few noirs put the blame on Mame more firmly than Otto Preminger’s All-in-the-Family tale of cold-blooded killing. RKO’s star Robert Mitchum is excellent as a mellow guy blinded by romance, but Jean Simmons’ warm / icy performance brings it all to life. The behind-the-scenes production story surely added to her emotional authenticity — all she had to do is pretend that her victim was Howard Hughes. This winner benefits from a terrific shocking finale, plus a creepy music score from Dimitri Tiomkin. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/04/23

Mr. Wong Collection 07/01/23

Who can resist?  Boris Karloff stars in five full detective movies, as the famous San Franciso detective, an ace with obscure clues and ‘locked room’ mysteries. Yes, Anglo folk know that Wong is the man to call when jewels are stolen, princesses assassinated, and young lovers framed for murder. They’re all here: Mr. Wong, Detective; The Mystery of Mr. Wong; Mr. Wong in Chinatown; The Fatal Hour and Doomed to Die. The first show has a commentary by Tom Weaver and Larry Blamire. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
07/01/23

Star Pilot (2+5 Missione Hydra) 07/01/23

This one is reviewed ‘just for the record’ — we have a soft spot for train-wreck science fiction losers. ‘What went wrong?’  ‘Did anybody even care?’  Accomplished director Pietro Francisi has the two classic Hercules movies to his credit, but this artless exercise would demolish anybody’s reputation . . . it must have been a quick payday. Leonora Ruffo and Leontine Snell vamp their way through an interplanetary mishmosh comparable to an old Captain Video episode, with production values not much better. On the other hand, the transfer is excellent. Sword ‘n’ sandal fans might want to see Kirk Morris in action, and Gordon Mitchell has a one-shot cameo. Don’t come looking for camp fun — it’s incompetence al’Italiano, for curious completists — we know you’re out there. On Blu-rayfrom Kino Lorber / Rarovideo.
07/01/23

The Old Man and the Sea 06/27/23

Warners’ prestigious adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer-winning novella gives Spencer Tracy an actor’s showcase. His Cuban fisherman Santiago engages in an existential ordeal, a one-man battle with a giant marlin. Credited director John Sturges made sense out of a confused production, retaining much footage shot by uncredited Fred Zinnemann. The result is a little messy, but Tracy’s impassioned narration, James Wong Howe’s cinematography and Dimitri Tiomkin’s music make a strong appeal. The new video remaster restores the film’s original luster — and its patchwork of location photography, studio work and optical effects. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/27/23

The Package 06/27/23

Orion’s smart, sharp action thriller compresses ‘Manchurian Candidate’ and ‘Day of the Jackal’ into a 24-hour race to prevent a political assassination. Director Andrew Davis gets a chance to lead big stars through a convincing paranoid nightmare: Gene Hackman is still action-ready at 59, while Tommy Lee Jones impresses as a formidable bruiser; Joanna Cassidy shows off her ability to sprint in high heels. Dennis Franz, John Heard and Pam Grier look great and seem to be having a terrific time. The stress is on good characterizations, tight scripting and credible action. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/27/23

From Hollywood to Heaven: The Lost and Saved Films of the Ormond Family 06/24/23

Meet The Reverend Estus Pirkle!  Reviewer Charlie Largent brings us the lowdown on one of the strangest disc collections ever — the Ormond clan turned from homemade exploitation filmmaking to homemade moral-religious films, cornering the market on weird extremism. The four discs contain scores of features — output that includes crazy fare like Please Don’t Touch Me, The Exotic Ones, The Burning Hell, It’s About The Second Coming and If Footmen Tire You What Will Horses Do?  Author Jimmy McDonough has major input; the extra biographical films and text are the real treasure here. Presented by Nicolas Winding Refn, on Region Free Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
06/24/23

Thelma & Louise 4K 06/24/23

Defiant feminism proved a box office draw with this stylish, star-studded outlaw road trip from Ridley Scott; a big convertible has never looked better on the beautiful highways of the West. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon are escapees from male oppression that find themselves a latter-day Bonnie & ‘Claudine.’ The resolution of their dilemma will spur discussion and perhaps a little dissent, which what made it an important picture for its year. With new extras but also director Scott’s earlier explanation of the original ending. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/24/23

Robot Monster 3-D 06/20/23

“All Hu-mans there is no escape!” Ro-man is now on the loose in Blu-ray 3-D, anaglyphic 3-D and plain old 2-D if so desired. A years-long effort culminates in an extras-rich disc release of one of the most entertaining ‘bad movies’ ever, a tale of intergalactic warfare and sacrifical heroism … all played in Bronson Canyon by 6 quiet actors and a man in a gorilla costume, corrections, parts of a gorilla costume. The dialogue and acting must be seen to be believed, plus the weird faux-3-D special visual effects that Will Make You Believe you’ve fallen into an alternate reality of creaky stock footage. “You only think you CANNOT see this epic, but you MUST!” Where on the graph of film history does this crazy movie belong? On 3-D Blu-ray from Bayview Entertainment.
06/20/23

The Catman of Paris 06/20/23

Intrepid reviewer Charlie Largent digs into Republic Pictures’ incredible legacy of horror films — they barely made any. This one was popularized by makeup photos seen in Famous Monsters of Filmland. A shape-shifting murderer is on the prowl in Olde Paree, with Carl Esmond, Gerald Mohr and others straining to protect lovely Lenore Aubert and Adele Mara. The costumes are okay, but the show plays like a Republic western, no ice, with a monster chaser . . . actually, make that coach chases on the highways. Director Lesley Selander has credits on hundreds of western features. The new disc may be the very first home video opportunity for horror completists to get their paws on this one. On Region-Free Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
06/20/23

The Great Gatsby ’49 06/17/23

A show seemingly missing forever now surfaces on a Blu-ray from Australia. The elusive Alan Ladd version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s literary masterpiece is watered-down high art strained through a film noir filter. Ladd embodies the spirit and attitude of Jay Gatsby despite the adaptation’s ‘clarifying’ explanations and laughable moral lesson. Betty Field’s Daisy isn’t as compelling, but we have the compensation of noir regulars Macdonald Carey, Barry Sullivan, Howard Da Silva, Shelley Winters, Ed Begley, Elisha Cook, Jr. and Jack Lambert. It’s fairly well produced — a bit of the decadent ’20s shows through. Excellent extras provide input from experts Alan K. Rode and Jason A. Ney. On Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
06/17/23

Safe in Hell 06/17/23

William Wellman’s weirdly morbid morbid thriller from the pre-Code years has been newly remastered, after the discovery of a quality print. The legendary Dorothy Mackaill’s luck goes from bad to worse as she finds herself trapped in a Caribbean hell-hole, to be victimized by lecherous outcasts and corrupt officials. The sordid story takes prostitution, perversion and squalid immorality as the normal state of affairs: be prepared for a wild ride that seems impossible subject matter for a film of 1931. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/17/23

Max Fleischer’s Superman 1941-1943 06/13/23

Up in the sky! With everything Superman now in the WB fold, a restoration is finally out for the 1940s Max Fleischer cartoon series, that was conspicuously absent from the upbringing of us ’50s kids. Charlie Largent says what’s great about the cartoons’ graphic dynamism — is this the film debut of the animated superhero? The cartoon The Mechanical Monstersdelivers fantastic giant robot mayhem action way before American live-action movies caught up. On Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Video.
06/13/23

Search for Beauty 06/13/23

We like to defend pre-Code movies at CineSavant, but this one is almost pure Smut — or at least what passed for smut in 1934. It concerns a sleazy Health magazine with a sleazy ‘perfect body’ contest promotion . . . and Paramount’s publicity people used a similar contest to promote the movie. Robert Armstrong and James Gleason handle the raunchy comedy while virtuous Olympian Buster Crabbe and imported London starlet Ida Lupino stand up for good morals. Get ready for a 78-minute flesh & jiggle display, from (gasp) 89 years in the past. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/13/23

Mexico Macabre: Four Sinister Tales from the Alameda Films Vault 1959-1963 06/10/23

Lethal Charlie Largent takes a sangriento plunge into the classic Alameda Mexi-horrors, which range from the bizarre to the truly creepy. Read If You Dare about the shocking Truth of The Black Pit of Dr. M, The Witch’s Mirror, The Curse of the Crying Woman and The Brainiac. PI’s well-researched extras give these chillers the respect they deserve . . . ¡Qué miedo! On Region Free Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
06/10/23

The Boy with Green Hair 06/10/23

Joseph Losey’s first feature is an anomaly — a million-dollar Technicolor semi-fantasy about tolerance, anti-conformism and pacifist activism, made just as Hollywood was commencing a purge of liberal writers and directors. Young Dean Stockwell is excellent as the serious, puzzled boy whose hair turns bright green overnight, making him socially suspect. The odd ‘Franz Kafka-lite’ tale takes place in a Sesame Street– like small town, where childhood fantasy and atom age fears intersect. With Robert Ryan, Pat O’Brien and Barbara Hale co-star. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
06/10/23

The Tale of Tsar Saltan 06/06/23

A stunning movie that conveys the pure spirit of a vintage fairy tale, Aleksandr Ptushko’s story of royal intrigue is charming to the Nth degree, with pure-hearted characters and as many ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ moments as a classic Disney picture. It’s suffused in wonderful magic, not the show-off kind, but the deep-spirit visual magic found in Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast. The Russian sense of humor can be puzzling, but not their love of beauty and spiritual loyalty. The key extra is an hour-long video conversation with Russian fantasy authority Robert Skotak. On Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile Films.
06/06/23

Joy House 06/06/23

Gangsters, murder, sex and intrigue on the French Riviera!  René Clément’s overheated thriller touches all the bases, dropping Alain Delon’s fugitive playboy into a chateau henhouse with the enticing Lola Albright and Jane Fonda. It’s a twisted tale directed in high style, with Delon caught in a very Tight Spot but thinking he can outsmart his two female companions. All it needed was a character we really care about. Gaumont’s fine remaster gives us the show in two language versions. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/06/23

Wings of Desire 4K 06/03/23

Ethereal creatures walk among us!  Wim Wenders’ contemplative utopia proposes other-dimensional Angels that comfort and watch over the insecure and fearful. Angel First Class Bruno Ganz envies living humans and falls in love with the aerial ballerina Solveig Dommartin. To experience life and love firsthand he opts to cast off his exalted status and become mortal. Gloomy Berlin is the locale for unseen miracles amid ordinary human drama; Wenders’ inspired direction and the expressionist camera of Henri Alekan create a world of magic in a city divided by an oppressive wall. With Otto Sander and Peter Falk, the modern masterpiece is even more mesmerizing in 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
06/03/23

Camille 06/03/23

With a fine script, decent co-stars and sensitive direction, this fancy-dress production of the sad story of The Lady of the Camelias can boast Greta Garbo’s most accomplished romantic performance. The relative inexperience of young co-star Robert Taylor is actually a plus — it makes sense for Marguerite Gautier to be carried off in rapture by the impossibly handsome, gracious young man. Second acting honors go to Henry Daniell — his Baron de Varville really enjoys being a knave. The finale may be an improvement on the original — Garbo’s exit scene rates as one of the top tearjerkers in Hollywood history. A 1921 silent version is added as an extra, starring Alla Nazimova and Rudolph Valentino. On Blu-rayfrom The Warner Archive Collection.
06/03/23

The Big Bus 06/03/23

It hasn’t much of a reputation, but James Frawley’s kooky Disaster Movie spoof may fill the need for silly comedy — it has a crazy premise, a truly ridiculous ‘star’ in its enormous atom-powered bus, and a jolly all-star crew of comedic performers: Joseph Bologna, Stockard Channing, John Beck, Rene Auberjonois, Ned Beatty, José Ferrer, Ruth Gordon, Larry Hagman, Sally Kellerman, Richard Mulligan, Lynn Redgrave, Stuart Margolin and Howard Hesseman. It definitely has film history’s best cannibalism joke: “You eat just one lousy foot and they call you a cannibal. What a world!” On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
06/03/23

Targets 05/30/23

The late Peter Bogdanovich ‘did good’ — great, in fact, with his first feature on which he took a directing credit. A Roger Corman initial effort, advised a bit by Samuel Fuller, put Boganovich on the map with one of the most clever exploitation trick plots of the ‘sixties. Horror icon Boris Karloff’s genteel scare image confronts the ugly new Speck-Whitman horror of meaningless slaughter. It’s one of the first artistic reactions to the new Age of Terror, and it still gets a grip on its audience. With excellent extras. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
05/30/23

I Was A Teenage Werewolf 05/30/23

Another ‘mild protest’ review of a mini-classic we can only see on inferior old transfers . . . . Gene Fowler Jr’s Lycanthrope Without a Cause holds up very well, with creative direction and a brooding performance from Michael Landon, and great lensing from Joseph La Shelle. Film history is made — it’s the first cinematic werewolf that drools as if foaming at the mouth with rabies. And the psychology behind his transformations is curious too — all that teen angst and aggression has to go somewhere. Charlie Largent tells it like it howls, for a much-desired film Not On Disc.
05/30/23

Clash by Night 05/30/23

Fritz Lang’s wavering American career hit a high point in this adaptation of a Clifford Odets play with a four-cylinder star cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan and Marilyn Monroe, all billed above the title. It’s a tawdry love triangle in a fishing town, where infidelity brings violence to the surface. Monroe’s younger character — “Twenty, the age of miracles” — has a conflicting view of matrimonial harmony. Lang holds up his end, but the actors’ handling of the stylized Odets dialogue is what makes the movie work. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
05/30/23

Essential Film Noir Collection 4 05/23/23

Viavision Imprint’s 4th Noir collection is here, with two core examples of the classic style, one solid gangster film, an adventure-intrigue tale set in South Africa and two psychological ‘woman in peril’ thrillers. The male leads Burt Lancaster, Alan Ladd, Humphrey Bogart and Robert Ryan must contend with heroines Corrine Calvet, Jan Sterling, Phyllis Calvert and the great Ida Lupino, in Rope of Sand, Appointment with Danger, The Enforcer, Beware My Lovely and Jennifer. On Blu-ray from Viavision Imprint.
05/23/23

Serpico 4K 05/20/23

Now in 4K: One of the hottest true-story exposés of its time, the traumatic tale of an ethical cop’s clash with NYC corruption cemented the star status of Al Pacino. It also became one of director Sidney Lumet’s biggest hits — even with such a grim story, it is strangely uplifting. It garnered two Oscar nominations, one for Pacino and one for co-screenwriter Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler. Director Lumet contributes to the disc extras; our own Charlie Largent is the honest, incorruptible and morally uplifting reviewer. In 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/20/23

The Big Trail 70mm 05/16/23

  CineSavant takes a break to catch up with a ‘Wonder Movie of the Ages’ — from 93 years ago. Raoul Walsh led an enormous company all over the West to film an immense wagon train epic — in a short-lived 70mm film process called Grandeur. The vistas of pioneer action are staggering, and so is the film’s lead player . . . for this is the starring feature debut of none other than John Wayne, and he’s not at all bad. Fans of big format road show epics will be impressed: Fox also shot it in flat 35mm, and both versions are present on this Blu-ray from 2012. On Blu-ray from 20th Fox Home Video.
05/16/23

If I Had A Million 05/13/23

Paramount’s nutty omnibus movie has seven directors and a fistful of top stars: Gary Cooper, W.C. Fields, Charles Laughton, Wynne Gibson, Charlie Ruggles, George Raft, Jack Oakie and Frances Dee. A dying millionaire divides up his fortune between eight strangers, each of whom mishandles their windfall inheritance. Joe Mankiewicz wrote four episodes. Ernst Lubitsch directed the Laughton sequence, a nicely sustained item with a one-joke payoff. Fields and Alison Skipworth use their fortune to lay a trap for eight road-hog bad drivers. Allan Arkush joins Daniel Kramer on Kino’s commentary. It’s pre-Code mirth, reviewed by Charlie Largent on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.

05/13/23

Notre-Dame de Paris 05/09/23

Another CineSavant Revival Screening Review, or in other words, it’s not yet officially available for English-language viewers. This French The Hunchback of Notre Dame may not be the cinematic masterpiece that is RKO’s 1939 version, but it has a literate script, good production values, color and CinemaScope — and it doesn’t mar the Victor Hugo original with a false feel-good ending. Anthony Quinn’s Quasimodo is a legit interpretation, and the late Gina Lollobrigida is excellent as Esmerelda. We need this in Region A, with English subtitles. NOT on Region A Blu-ray.
05/09/23

Never Say Die 05/06/23

Sounds like a James Bond title, doesn’t it?  Never heard of this one before, but it’s hilarious. Preston Sturges is one of the writers behind a romantic comedy adapted from a play — Bob Hope is a guy with only a month to live, who runs out on his engagement and gets involved with Martha Raye, a crazy Texas heiress. Screwball complications ensue, with a dream cast of clowns: Andy Devine, Alan Mowbray, Gale Sondergaard, Sig Ruman, Monty Wooley, Hans Conreid. And don’t forget the original word puzzle: “There’s a cross on the muzzle of the pistol with the bullet and a nick on the handle of the pistol with the blank.”  Reviewed by Charlie Largent, on Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
05/06/23

Deep Impact 4K 05/02/23

????  “Have you heard . . . about the stars? . . . Ju-pi-ter could collide with Mars . . .”  ????  A comet is on a collision course with Earth, a saga seen through a TV Network, the teenager who first discovered the astral threat, and the team of astronauts dispatched on a deep space mission to destroy it. The ‘humanist’ epic is really about man’s ability to adapt to new problems, even when the worst can’t be avoided. Steven Spielberg producers Zanuck & Brown and director Mimi Leder, plus a fine cast: Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave, Morgan Freeman, Maximilian Schell, Mary McCormack, Kurtwood Smith, James Cromwell, Jon Favreau and Leelee Sobieski. And it’s a knockout in a killer 4K encoding. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital from Paramount Home Video.
05/02/23

Silent Avant-Garde 04/29/23

CineSavant dips into film school heaven with Bruce Posner’s new collection of experimental art pix spanning a hundred years of cinematic impishness. The Dadaists and Cubists are here — Léger, Man Ray, Duchamp — plus camera geniuses, cinematic theorists and others wishing to make a splash in museum showings. Featured are works by Orson Welles, Slavko Vorkapich, Jay Leyda, Joseph Cornell, Francis Thompson, Mary Ellen Bute, Robert Flaherty, Ralph Steiner and Robert Florey. All are digitally optimized, with curated soundtracks. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
04/29/23

Border Incident 04/25/23

The first MGM film from the noir team of Anthony Mann / John Alton is a crime exposé of the migrant farmworker issue. Ricardo Montalban is excellent as a Mexican immigration cop, and co-star George Murphy makes a traumatic impression in one of the most sadistic scenes in classic film noir. Hardcore noir addresses a thorny political issue, and has the guts to place the blame where it belongs — on corrupt U.S. agri-business. Mann and Alton are in top form; even with the film’s EGBOK ending, this was pretty strong tea for MGM in the middle of the HUAC years. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
04/25/23

12 Angry Men 4K 04/25/23

The Sidney Lumet classic graduates to the 4K bracket, with a new transfer. Pictures like this taught a generation of American kids that our system of justice was alive and vital — even if Reginald Rose’s tense drama suggests that twelve inconvenienced jurors can also behave like a Lynch Mob. Star Henry Fonda continued his career streak playing men of high moral principle. The drama hasn’t weakened and the direction is flawless — Sidney Lumet was very proud of this, his feature debut. Also starring Martin Balsam, Lee J. Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman & Ed Begley. One of the extras is William Friedkin’s 1997 remake with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott. On 4K Ultra HD from KL Studio Classics.
04/25/23

Backtrack 04/22/23

Dennis Hopper’s self-indulgent romantic hit man thriller is too interested in modern art and cinematic detours to give its own storyline a fair shake. The supporting cast and celebrity walk-ons are fun; star Jodie Foster does the heavy lifting with a difficult character to play. Kino’s disc has both versions — the theatrical cut is shorter than Hopper’s director’s cut, and uses uses some alternate scenes. The candid audio commentary is by the actual unbilled authors of the shooting script, Tod Davies and Alex Cox. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/22/23

The Assassination Bureau 04/22/23

Pitched somewhere between spy thrills, camp satire and art nouveau nostalgia, Basil Dearden’s assassination adventure didn’t launch a comic book fantasy phase, even if it resembles the graphic-novel thrillers that now dominate the movies. Diana Rigg and Oliver Reed do their utmost to elevate the joky script, and almost succeed . . . and plenty of fans say that it’s a winner. Also with Telly Savalas, Curd Jürgens, Philippe Noiret, Beryl Reid & Clive Revill. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
04/22/23

Danza Macabra Vol 1 The Italian Gothic Collection 04/18/23

Severin’s latest deluxe collector’s box gathers a quartet of ‘Gothic holdovers,’ Italo productions that persist with spooky castles, strange noblemen and aggressively passionate leading ladies. They range from the B&W ’60s to the more permissive screens of the early ’70s, when contemporary-set Giallos took over. The group includes an oddity, a rarity and a garish pair of titles imported for U.S. drive-ins — in their original versions and multiple languages, of course: The Monster of the Opera, The Seventh Grave, Scream of the Demon Lover and Lady Frankenstein. On Blu-ray from Severin Films.
04/18/23

They Came to Cordura 04/18/23

We finally caught up with this bold yet misconceived Robert Rossen drama, a desert trek in which Army major Gary Cooper must deal with 5 mutinous Medal of Honor nominees. It’s a lengthy discourse on bravery versus cowardice, held together by the fine actors Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin, Tab Hunter and Richard Conte. A lot to discuss here:  a masterful extra with the late, great Bertrand Tavernier makes the film ten times more interesting. A heck of a big desert battle, too. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/18/23

The Shiver of the Vampires 04/15/23

A Jean Rollin film scores a first 4K disc release before Bava, Franju or Fisher; we review the Blu-ray edition. Once again dipping into free-form softcore Ero-horror, the French filmmaker imposes his improvisatory style on a fairly conventional vampire story, embracing the lesbian trends of the day (night). Should we be surprised that Rollin is one of the few French directors to consistently work in the horror field?  To stay in business, he had to alternate his feature output with straight pornography. Also available on 4K Ultra HD. On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
04/15/23

Hell is for Heroes 04/15/23

A gritty combat drama with Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Harry Guardino?  Why wasn’t this on Blu ten years ago?  Don Siegel directs an entertaining ‘infantry squad in trouble’ thriller with his expected hard-edged, unsentimental attitude. Bob Newhart excels via an audience-pleasing comic bit but Bobby Darin’s co-starring position is diminished by the aggressive McQueen. His anti-social private uses good judgment in a bold counter-attack — which doesn’t go well at all. Other members of this Unlucky Bunch of ditch dogs are Fess Parker, Nick Adams and Mike Kellin. On Blu-ray from Paramount Home Video.
04/15/23

The Seventh Seal 4K 04/11/23

This Ingmar Bergman masterpiece still works, and its profundity is only part of the bargain. Max von Sydow is the returning knight who discovers that ‘you can’t go home again,’ especially not when the Plague is loose. Existense is chaotic on all levels in this corner of the medieval world; our knight must play a high-stakes chess game with Death itself . . . an iconic visual that has remained indelible. It’s an Art Movie that really delivers. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
04/11/23

The Assassin of the Tsar 04/11/23

Get set for another intriguing Russian import from Deaf Crocodile Films. Karen Shakhnazarov’s tale interweaves history with our essential human identity: if the truth of past events remains hidden, how can we know who we are?  Star Malcolm McDowell is Timofeyev, an asylum inmate convinced that he’s killed two Tsars, at different times in history. Conscientious doctor Oleg Yankovskiy tries to get to the bottom of the man’s delusion . . . a bad idea. Viewers with a special interest in the Romanovs might want to look into this one. On Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile Films.
04/11/23

Star Trek The Next Generation 4-Movie Collection 4K 04/08/23

The four ‘TNG’ feature films under the Rick Berman flag maintain the character fun of the TV series while working awfully hard to deliver high-quality space opera for the 1990s. Fans get what they want, plus at times a decent sense of humor. An obvious mission was to extend the characters of Jean-Luc Picard and especially Data, who does everything but play a banjo and morph into a goldfish. The series definitely looks and sounds superb in 4K, even if it lacks a unifying mission beyond repeatedly saving the universe. But the TNG years were when The Franchise had its ‘boldly going’ act most together. The films: Star Trek Generations,  Star Trek First Contact,  Star Trek Insurrection,  Star Trek Nemesis. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital from Paramount Home Video.
04/08/23

Counsellor at Law 04/08/23

William Wyler’s breakthrough movie gives John Barrymore one of his better sound-era dramatic roles, in a strong, incisive pre-Code adapted from Elmer Rice’s play set in a high-powered New York Law office. Attorney George Simon has done well by defending the rich, and eases his conscience by helping people from his roots down on Second Avenue. Now he’s being targeted for an old case, probably because his ancestors ‘didn’t come over on the Mayflower.’ Can Simon keep his wife, fend off the accusations of a communist activist, and avoid being disbarred? Bebe Daniels is his loyal Girl Friday, with Melvyn Douglas, Isabel Jewell and Thelma Todd in support. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/08/23

Asphalt 04/04/23

One of the last of the classic Weimar silents, Joe May’s melodrama is only partly expressionist; Günther Rittau’s terrific camerawork tells a ‘street’ story of crime and sex with minimal dialogue. Gustav Fröhlich is the green Berlin street cop and Betty Amman the vamp who sullies his badge; the story takes place in 24 hours and includes a slick bank heist in Paris. Producer Erich Pommer made sure nobody would forget this one soon: its legendary talking point is an enormous exterior street set, built inside a vast Zeppelin hangar. On Blu-ray from Kino Classics.
04/04/23

Martin Roumagnac 04/04/23

Something of a missing link in the filmography of Marlene Dietrich, this immediate postwar French production pairs her with one of her great amours, Jean Gabin. Almost forgotten now, it has qualities other Dietrich films don’t, starting with her taking a character role rather than one that plays off her glamorous silver screen image. It’s a tragic romance with the French social divide as its context, and was dismissed as a failure here — after being cut a full two reels by the censors. Also with Marcel Herrand & Daniel Gélin. On DVD from Icarus Films Home Video.
04/04/23

Resurrection 04/01/23

Daniel Petrie and Ellen Burstyn’s excellent film elevates a genre we normally disdain — the Ethereal Cereal do-you-believe Spiritual Awakening picture. Call this one intelligent, thoughtful, insightful, respectful and emotionally extra-effective. It pushes all the right buttons and finds a conclusion that doesn’t make us roll our eyes. Burstyn’s commitment, Petrie’s direction and the input of great actors takes us all the way: Sam Shepard, Eva Le Gallienne, Richard Farnsworth, Lois Smith, Roberts Blossom. The minimal visual effects are a class act, too. On Region Free Blu-ray from Viavision [Imprint].
04/01/23

No Man Is an Island 04/01/23

Here’s a hard-to-see WW2 real-life drama that holds up rather well. Jeffrey Hunter plays radioman George Tweed, the lone U.S. sailor holdout when Guam Island was taken by the Japanese right after Pearl Harbor. The production is modest but the story is told with a winning honesty — it’s a basic survival tale that avoids heroic overstatement. Marshall Thompson is second-billed as one of Tweed’s Navy comrades, but the film prevails through its sincere presentation of the locals that protected Tweed, even when he wanted to give himself up. This one earns an “A” for integrity. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
04/01/23

Chilly Scenes of Winter 03/28/23

We never miss an opportunity to see John Heard perform. A ‘difficult’ movie that nonetheless made its mark, Joan Micklin Silver’s adaptation of Ann Beattie’s novel looks at modern romance through a realistic lens, relatable to young adults in the late 1970s: people are problematic constructs with built-in barriers to Happily Ever After outcomes. John Heard and Mary Beth Hurt lead an excellent cast that includes Peter Riegert, Kenneth McMillan, Gloria Grahame, Nora Heflin and Jerry Hardin. An initial release went nowhere, but United Artists Classics’ revised reissue three years later proved a success. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
03/28/23

State of the Union 03/28/23

Frank Capra’s big push to reestablish his exalted pre-war reputation saw him applying ‘Capracorn’ to a Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway comedy-drama about modern politics. Airplane industrialist Spencer Tracy is groomed to run for the White House by newspaper czar Angela Lansbury and political kingmaker Adolphe Menjou. Tracy’s wife Katharine Hepburn frets to see her husband become a political puppet. Columnist turned publicist Van Johnson cracks jokes from the sidelines. Powerhouse Indicator’s remastered disc carries an excellent commentary by Claire Kenny, Glenn Kenny and Farran Smith Nehme. On Region B Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
03/28/23

The Prince and the Showgirl 03/25/23

What a difference a digital remaster makes!  Marilyn Monroe’s self-produced English comedy leaps back to life with a new restoration of Jack Cardiff’s stunning color cinematography. Monroe’s a delight co-starring with Laurence Olivier, amid the stuffy formal-dress diplomacy and giddy midnight seductions. Adapted from a formal stage play, the farce of manners is far more enjoyable than I remembered. Olivier delivers an exacting high-toned performance, but Monroe takes full control with her first smile. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
03/25/23

Dragonslayer 4K 03/25/23

Hal Barwood & Matthew Robbins put everything they had into a medieval sword ‘n’ sorcery epic, filmed in England and finished in California by the best artists at ILM and VCE. It’s basic gee-whiz sorcerer- George vs. The Dragon material, but more brutal than expected. Word of mouth about some unnecessarily gory scenes tipped off parents that it wasn’t safe for small fry. Fantasy fans applauded its formidable dragon Vermithrax Pejorative, brought to life via second-generation stop-motion animation, and it’s still admired by stop-motion professionals. The 4K resolution delivers every slimy, fiery detail. On 4K Ultra HD + Digital Code from Paramount Home Video.
03/25/23

Party Girl ’95 03/21/23

Here’s the eager New York independent production that snagged Parker Posey for her first starring role — as a Manhattan party animal who eventually finds stable footing as a (gasp) librarian. Life is tough when you can’t make the rent. This latter-day Holly Golightly has problems with flaky instability, but the guy selling falafel downstairs is a cute distraction. The bid to revive the screwball comedy illuminates Ms. Posey’s appeal, aided by a number of capable supporting actors. Despite a budget that doesn’t allow for big scenes or production frills, director & co-screenwriter Daisy von Scherler Mayer keeps the fun going. FCE’s extras give us the main players in new interviews. On Blu-ray from Fun City Editions.
03/21/23

Black Sunday ’77 03/21/23

John Frankenheimer’s big-scale terrorism conspiracy tale benefits from the director’s no-nonsense attitude to action. Thomas Harris’ first novel spins on a ‘high concept’ gimmick that surely launched a studio bidding war: what if somebody blew up the entire Super Bowl, in mid-game? Robert Shaw, Steven Keats and Marthe Keller play well with the tense effort to detect and stop the attack, but favorite Bruce Dern steals the show with his career-best deranged villain — who is also the most sympathetic character. This domestic release has all-new extras. On Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
03/21/23

Babylon – 4K 03/18/23

Is it a train wreck or an unrecognized masterpiece?  Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt topline this enormous, enormously profane epic of silent-era Hollywood — that immediately earned the scorn of critics decrying it as a gross distortion of historical reality. Word Of Mouth focused on the film’s blizzard of gross bodily functions, which surely inspired walkouts in the very first scene. You’ll never again approach your local zoo’s elephant enclosure with confidence. Director Chazelle pitches almost everything over the top, and the actors certainly get in the spirit of orgiastic decadence: Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Jean Smart and Tobey Maguire. On 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital from Paramount Home Entertainment.
03/18/23