DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of December 28th, 2020
http://www.dvdbeaver.com
Holiday week with not much released this week, but some exciting new
Calendar Updates. Reviews of iconic Larisa Shepitko via Criterion, vengeful
Linda Blair, impressive Zhang Ke Jia, Susan George battles a nasty shark,
James Whale Pre-code mystery, Luis Buñuel triple-pack via Criterion, mid
70's Blaxploitation...
Our
Silent Auction up - ends in a few days:
Gary
RELEASES the WEEK of December 28th, 2020
(Recommended titles have "**")
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Agatha and the Midnight Murders
[Blu-ray] (Joe Stephenson, 2020) RB UK Dazzler Media
UK:
https://amzn.to/33D77oY
COMMENTS: London 1940: As the Blitz rages and her future is
threatened by fallout from the war, Agatha Christie makes the decision to
kill off her most famous creation. After twelve Poirot novels in six years,
Agatha should be a rich woman. Instead, she s struggling to make ends meet.
Killing Poirot in the midst of this turmoil seems almost spiteful, but
Agatha has a plan: she's selling the novel to a private buyer, a superfan
who will pay anything to own a piece of history. A meeting at an infamous
London hotel is arranged, where despite the presence of an old friend,
things quickly go wrong. As the bombs fall and the bodies pile up, the real
danger of her situation becomes apparent: the only thing more valuable than
the last ever Poirot novel is the last ever book written by Agatha Christie.
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Erik the Viking [Blu-ray]
(Terry Jones, 1989) RB UK Signal One
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_67/erik_the_viking_blu-ray.htm
COMMENT: A Viking with a conscience, Erik tires of pillaging and decides to
set out on a quest. When the wise Freya informs Erik that a great mythic
wolf has eaten the sun, the warrior resolves to venture to Asgard, home of
the Norse gods, to set things right. Before Erik can reach Asgard, he and
his allies must first find a magical horn that resides in the land of King
Arnulf, who, luckily for the hero, has a lovely daughter, Princess Aud.
Monty Python's Terry Jones wrote and directed this madcap fantasy (inspired
by his own children s book), and the eclectic cast reunites him with fellow
Python John Cleese, as well as legends Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt. Just
as much of the humor of Erik stems from the anachronisms of old Norse
mythological figures reacting to adventures with a modern wit, the film of
Erik also seems wonderfully out of time -- an anarchic, surreal, wild,
1970s-styled comic adventure arriving at the tail end of the 1980s. Jones
continued to experiment with the film after its release, so we are
presenting the original international theatrical cut here, along with the
new version created by Jones and his son.
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Honest Thief [Blu-ray] (Mark
Williams, 2020) Universal
UK:
https://amzn.to/3fGARa8
COMMENTS: Meticulous thief Tom Carter (Liam Neeson) has
stolen $9 million from small-town banks while keeping his identity a secret.
But after he falls in love with the bubbly Annie (Kate Walsh), Tom decides
to come clean about his criminal past, only to be double-crossed by two
ruthless FBI agents. Packed with action, Honest Thief is a tale of
redemption and one man's mission to make things right for the sake of love.
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**A Night in Casablanca**
[Blu-ray] (Archie Mayo, 1946) Classicflix
US:
https://amzn.to/363iNnZ
COMMENTS: After a five-year hiatus from the silver screen,
the legendary Marx Brothers are in top form as they set out to bust up a
Nazi spy ring in A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA. Ronald Kornblow (Groucho Marx) is
the new fill-in manager at the Hotel Casablanca--fill-in because the last
three managers have met sudden and mysterious deaths. At the center of the
intrigue is Heinrich Stubel (Sig Ruman), disguised as ''Count Pfferman'',
who'll go to any length to gain control of the hotel, host to an array of
hidden treasure smuggled out of France by the Nazis after the invasion.
Oblivious to the untimely demise of his predecessors, and infatuated with
Nazi-vamp Beatrice (Lisette Verea), Kornblow is aided by Yellow Camel
Company operator Corbaccio (Chico Marx) and hotel roustabout Rusty (Harpo
Marx) who are on to Stubel's plot to become the new hotel manager and make
off with the loot. With more one-liners, jokes and gags that you can shake a
cigar at, A Night in Casablanca recaptures the Marxes at their zany best.
Also featured are Charles Drake, Lois Collier and Dan Seymour.
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NOTABLE NEW CALENDAR UPDATES:
March
8th
**Touki bouki** (Djibril Diop
Mambéty, 1973) Criterion
March
15th
**Celine and Julie Go Boating**
(Jacques Rivette,1974) Criterion
March
22nd
**Gattaca 4K UHD** (Andrew
Niccol, 1997) Sony Pictures
**World of Wong Kar Wai** (The
Criterion Collection) (As Tears Go By / Days of Being Wild / Chungking
Express / Fallen Angels / Happy Together / In the Mood for Love / 2046) -
Criterion
March
29th
The Day of the Beast 4K UHD (Álex
de la Iglesia, 1995) Severin Films
**Defending Your Life**
(Albert Brooks, 1991) Criterion
Perdita Durango 4K UHD (Álex
de la Iglesia, 1997) Severin Films
**Secrets & Lies** (Mike
Leigh, 1996) Criterion
April
12th,
Hercules And The Captive Women
(Vittorio Cottafavi, 1961) Film Detective
Photo Archives" for Patrons:
Gloria Grahame:
Monica Vitti:
Paul Newman:
Susan George:
Jacqueline Bisset:
Suzanne Pleshette:
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS:
**Still Life** BD
OUR
COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews29/still_life.htm
COMMENTS: Yeah, the biggest attraction is the film itself. Seeing it in HD
was a definite positive experience advancing on the DVDs, but the lack of
extras and lossy audio may be a detraction for some. Still a fascinating and
impacting film experience that I'm glad to have finally seen on Blu-ray, but
will be keeping the BFI DVD for the extras.
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The Black Gestapo BD
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/the_black_gestapo_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: The Black Gestapo is a prime example of the Blaxploitation genre.
Low production values focusing on urban black survival with crime as central
to the plot. There is an obvious Nazisploitation cross-over attempt in The
Black Gestapo with a few posterized black and white shots of Hitler and
storm troopers (as in the title sequence.) It's all very indicative of the
genre - some graphic, harsh, violence, nudity and conflicts with jive
turkeys as they battle the oppressive system. Despite being 'all over the
place' in terms of the plot, I am really gaining an appreciation for these -
the more I see of them. Baaaad cinema like this has a very appealing
historical context. The Code Red Blu-ray is definitely recommended either
for fans of the genre - or for new suckers to dive-in.
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**Three Films By Luis Buñuel**
BD
OUR
REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/three_films_by_luis_bunuel_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Luis Buñuel's cinema is totally unique - politically and
intellectually brazen "in which his renegade, free-associating surrealism
reached its audacious, self-detonating endgame" with these three final films
and Criterion's package of endless extras make their 3 Blu-ray set an
essential. You can revisit these masterworks for the rest of your life
seeing new details in each viewing. Humorist, moralist, and revolutionary
who lead the avant-garde surrealism movement and cemented himself in the
legacy of world cinema. Seven of Buñuel's films are included in Sight &
Sound's 2012 critics' poll of the top 250 films of all time (which includes
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie) and he ranks number 13 on the list of
the top 250 directors. This iconoclast can be examined endlessly. Our
highest recommendation!
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**The Kiss Before the Mirror**
BD
OUR
REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/the_kiss_before_the_mirror_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: James Whale's The Kiss Before the Mirror is excellent - pre-code
adultery, murder with a suspenseful court room drama sequence - all
fabulously realized by the director's deft storytelling abilities. I enjoyed
the revealing Alexandra Heller-Nicholas commentary adding further value to
this Kino Blu-ray package. This is very strongly recommended - Whale fans
shouldn't miss it.
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Tintorera BD
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/tintorera_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: René Cardona Jr.'s Tintorera: Killer Shark is mostly what you
expect; exploitation nudity - a fair amount - with the shark attacks coming
in less-prominently. Susan George fans may appreciate her 1/2 hour's worth
onscreen - 27-years old at the time. There is some graphic shark attacks -
bloody and sudden - that are shocking. Cheesy? of course but the commentary
included on the Kino Blu-ray makes the viewing experience all the more
interesting. There is some nostalgia appeal here as well. It may be a little
better than you might anticipate for a sexy summer-tease /
nature-strikes-back 70's shark thriller.
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**The Ascent** BD
OUR
REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/the_ascent_blu-ray.htm
COMMENT: Praise for Larisa Shepitko's The Ascent is always stratospheric -
an emotionally draining film experience encompassing the beauty of Andrei
Tarkovsky - frequently poetic and steeped in religious symbolism - a
harrowing masterwork. Considered one of the greatest war films ever made The
Ascent gets a stellar 4K-restoration on Blu-ray thanks to Criterion. The
package is overflowing with supplements including valuable interviews and
insights on Larisa Shepitko including Daniel Bird's selected-scene
commentary. Our highest recommendation!
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**Savage Streets** BD
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/dvd_reviews54/savage_streets_blu-ray.htm
COMMENT: We can confirm that Code Red's January 2021 Blu-ray of "Savage
Streets" is the exact same package (minus the LE Josh Eckert slipcover of
the 2018 Blu-ray release). It is now Region FREE as opposed to Region 'A'
and has all the same supplements (3 commentaries, interviews, reversible art
etc.) and same a/v transfer. Still no subtitles.
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