DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of December 18th, 2023
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THIS WEEK's RELEASES: Columbo (Nu'ff said), World Noir gold, Claire Denis, Glauber Rocha, Yuzo Kawashima. Walter Hill, Stone, Cronenberg + del Toro in 4K UHD, Fruit Chan, Louis Feuillade, George Romero, Riccardo Freda, Shaw Brothers, Jesús Franco...

THIS WEEK's CALENDAR UPDATES (LINKED HERE!)

THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: Slow week - prepping for the Year End Poll... To the UK -> Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a modified, re-imagined, version of the original story; Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Fruit Chan's deeply layered piece of, modestly-budgeted (made using leftover film reels), essentially independent, character-driven cinema...
Enjoy,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of December 18th, 2023 (Recommended titles have "**")

**35 Shots of Rum** [Blu-ray] (Claire Denis, 2008) Cinema Guild
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Hailed as one of the year's best films upon it's release and even more universally admired today, Claire Denis' 35 Shots of Rum is the story of a father (Alex Descas) and daughter (Mati Diop) whose tender domestic routine is disrupted by a handsome young suitor (Grégoire Colin). With sumptuous images from Agnès Godard and an endearing Tindersticks score, 35 Shots of Rum is a gentle, Ozu-inspired look at a small family in the moment before everything changes.
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**Glauber Rocha's "Black God, White Devil"** Blu-ray - Geraldo Del Rey / Yoná Magalhães @Mawu_Films
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Glauber Rocha's Black God, White Devil was a key early film in the Cinema Novo genre and movement - cinema noted for its emphasis on social equality and intellectualism. It rose to prominence in Brazil during the 1960s and 1970s. It shows the peasant lifestyle, hunger and people oppressed with a leaning to the open West and the 'cowboy' freedom of a John Ford film - including a 'gun for hire' bounty hunter, Antônio das Mortes (played by Maurício do Valle.) Black God, White Devil is such a treasure of Brazilian culture and history and will reach deeply to those who have never experienced its poetic beauty. There is despair, hope and strength. The Mawu Films complete Blu-ray package is awesome - for its astounding presentation, commentary and lengthy extras - two feature length documentaries, visual essay and booklet. This deserves votes at our year-end poll! Our highest recommendation to world cinema aficionados.
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**Columbo: The 1970s (Seasons 1-7)** Blu-ray - Peter Falk @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Kino's Columbo: The 1970s (Seasons 1-7) Blu-ray package is the ultimate Holiday present for a friend or for yourself! 60+ hours of the great detective surrounded by a cavalcade of transitioning cinema stars. These remain endlessly rewatchable entertainment with many stellar episodes; season two's A Stitch in Crime has Leonard Nimoy as a surgeon who has an ingenious plan for murdering his partner. Season three's Any Old Port in a Storm with wine connoisseur Donald Pleasence and A Friend in Deed has Richard Kiley as a police commissioner who provides a false alibi for a wife killer, expecting quid pro quo. Swan Song is a classic with Ida Lupino - it has Johnny Cash as a gospel singer wants to be rid of his zealous wife. But a murder made to look like an airplane accident does not fool the wily Lt. Columbo. In Negative Reaction of Season Four, we have a Pulitzer Prize wining photographer, Dick Van Dyke, who murders his wife and blames her death on a bungled kidnapping. In Forgotten Lady from season Five - Janet Leigh plays a faded dance star of film and stage who murders her husband and makes it look like a suicide with a perfect alibi. In season seven's Try and Catch Me, with Ruth Gordon and Mariette Hartley, a mystery writer suspects her niece's husband of murdering her, and she exacts revenge... Some of the best 70s TV... or of all time! - and now on 4K restored Blu-rays. Our highest recommendation!
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**The Dead Zone [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (David Cronenberg, 1983) Shout! Factory
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: He can see the future. But can he escape it? School teacher Johnny Smith (Chistopher Walken) had a beautiful fiancée, a rewarding career and a fortunate life—until one tragic accident changed everything. After slamming into an 18-wheeler, Johnny is plunged into a five-year coma. When he awakens, he finds his true collision was with destiny—he now has the remarkable gift (or curse) of seeing into the future. From horror master Stephen King and director David Cronenberg (Scanners, Dead Ringers), this supernatural thriller turns an everyday guy into a reluctant hero…saving children in danger, helping the police and finding a serial killer. But Johnny's next vision may be his most terrifying yet…
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**Yûzô Kawashima's "Elegant Beast"** Blu-ray - Ayako Wakao / Yûko Hamada @FilmsRadiance
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Elegant Beast was one of the last of Yūzō Kawashima's fifty feature films. He was Yasujirō Ozu's assistant on The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family. Elegant Beast was written by Kaneto Shindô (Kuroneko, Onibaba, Naked Island) who wrote over 200 screenplays for the likes of Kenji Mizoguchi, Kon Ichikawa and Seijun Suzuki. Before his death in 1963, Yūzō Kawashima made three more films after the release of Elegant Beast. It was almost exclusively shot in a small apartment focusing on the family's (parents, son and daughter) unscrupulously eavesdropping and working financial schemes regarding bribery, extortion scams, avoiding taxes and skirting laws for financial gain - often against each other! This is all to satisfy their materialistic desires. Elegant Beast is an absurdist comedy satirizing the consumerism of post-war Japan - and what it would lead to - a more common theme in Kawashima's cinema. What makes it even more unique is the unusual use of camerawork - intentionally unbalanced with odd angles - as if to identify that this family lifestyle... ain't right. Ayako Wakao (playing accountant Yukie Mitani) is quite the eye candy (a favorite actress of director Yasuzo Masumura, starring in 20 of his films including Red Angel and Mizoguchi's Street of Shame.) She plays a ruthless self-serving femme-mercenary. The Radiance Films Blu-ray marks their continued expansion into lesser-exposed, worthwhile, world cinema. They also add new, self-produced, viable supplements. I found Elegant Beast a highly interesting film and this is another exceptional package from them. Yes, we strongly recommend.
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**JFK [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Oliver Stone, 1991) Shout! Factory
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Oliver Stone's Academy Award®-winning film about the shots heard round the world and the mystery that still surrounds them is one of the most provocative movies of all time. In addition to its box office success, soaring critical acclaim, and awards, it played a major role in the national debate that led to the passage of the 1992 Assassination Materials Disclosure Act. Packed with a star-studded cast—Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves), Sissy Spacek (Carrie), Joe Pesci (Goodfellas), Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men), Kevin Bacon (Mystic River), Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), Jack Lemmon (The Apartment), Donald Sutherland (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Walter Matthau (A New Leaf) and so many more—JFK will take you through the looking glass and into one of the most controversial events of our time.
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**Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio 4K UHD** - Ewan McGregor / Gregory Mann @Criterion
UK 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
UK BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
ALready Out in:
US 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
CAN 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
US BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
CAN BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a modified, re-imagined, version of the original story; Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Guillermo del Toro has long desired a project on the Pinocchio story. It was started and stopped more than once going as far back as 2008. He considers that no other character has connected with him on such a deep personal level - stating "I've wanted to make this movie for as long as I can remember". The film is dedicated to the memory of his parents. Gregory Mann voiced Pinocchio with touching child-like wonder and emotion - it significantly adds to the film experience. Notable were Tilda Swinton as 'The Wood Sprite'; a wise magical spirit who imbues Pinocchio with life - and Ewan McGregor as Sebastian J. Cricket, the wooden lad's conscience and also the narrator of the story. Guillermo del Toro found similarities between the original The Adventures of Pinocchio and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, both titular characters thrust into the world with innocence seeking value structures. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is very family oriented but skirts a sly darker edge. It will be worth multiple revisits and a super film to have over the holidays. Criterion's 4K UHD release is amazing. The film looks stunning in 2160P and the Atmos audio keeps effective pace. There are over two hours of, mostly, production-centric detail supplements. It has a second disc Blu-ray (also a wonderful HD presentation) and a booklet. A brilliant package that should swing a few to 4K UHD adoption this winter. Our highest recommendation!
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**Fruit Chan's "Made in Hong Kong"** to Blu-ray - Sam Lee / Neiky Hui-Chi Yim @Metrograph @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
Already out in UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: I continue to be impressed by Fruit Chan's seminal Made in Hong Kong. A deeply layered piece of, modestly-budgeted (made using leftover film reels), essentially independent, character-driven cinema. I could watch films like this for the rest of my days. Such a beautifully realized work for another 4K-restored Blu-ray - this with the revealing commentary and the previous interviews. A double-dip for the commentary might be in order for others who were as impressed by the film as I was. For Region 'A'-ers that don't own the MoC - the Metrograph is strongly recommended!
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Monk: The Complete Second Season [Blu-ray] - Kino
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Television’s favorite defective detective returns to solve a new batch of baffling mysteries with his trademark wit, wisdom…and hand wipes. Join the outstanding Tony Shalhoub as the quirky obsessive-compulsive detective in all 16 brilliantly funny second-season episodes of the widely acclaimed series Monk. Accompanied by his loyal (and infinitely patient) assistant (Bitty Schram) and the San Francisco police force (Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford), Adrian Monk and his unconventional methods may just be what’s needed to crack some of the city’s most puzzling and unusual cases. Join “TV’s most original sleuth ever” (Los Angeles Times) along with guest stars Kathy Baker, Rosalind Chao, Gary Cole, Tim Curry, Lolita Davidovich, Rachel Dratch, Glenne Headly, Leslie Jordan, Jane Lynch, Andrew McCarthy, Tony Plana, Sarah Silverman, Danny Trejo, Rainn Wilson and many more—including John Turturro as Monk’s estranged, agoraphobic brother!
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Monkey Shines [Blu-ray] (George A. Romero, 1988) Umbrella
US PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW 
COMMENTS: A white-knuckle thrill ride directed by horror maestro George A. Romero (Dawn of The Dead, Creepshow), MONKEY SHINES features a top-notch cast including Jason Beige, Kate McNeill, John Pankow, Joyce Van Patten, Stephen Root, Stanley Tucci and Janine Turner as well as cutting edge 80s practical effects from Tom Savini, Greg Nicotero and Everett Burrell.When college athlete Alan Mann is left wheelchair bound after a tragic accident, his world contracts into one of soul crushing depression and impotent rage. Abandoned by his girlfriend and left in the hands of an unsympathetic nurse who cares more about her pet parrot than her patient, Alan's wretched life is changed for the better when he is gifted a capuchin monkey named Ella. Ella is trained to help Alan with day-to-day tasks, in essence replacing his paralysed limbs. But when Ella starts feeding off Alan's darker impulses and revenge-filled dreams, things start to become deadly for those around him.
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Riccardo Freda's "Murder Obsession" Blu-ray - Anita Strindberg / Laura Gemser / Martine Brochard / Silvia Dionisio @FilmsRadiance @Raro
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: In 1969, Fabio Piccioni (once assistant director to Lucio Fulci) wrote a short story titled Il grido del Capricorno (The Cry of Capricorn), which he later adapted into an adult comic book. Dario Argento bought the rights and some elements would appear in his films The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Deep Red. Piccioni modernized his original story and with Antonio Cesare Corti + Riccardo Freda it would evolve into Murder Obsession, as an Italian and French co-production. It's a Giallo that leads with fantastic imagery including torture, misleading and distracting clues, murder plus titillation with Indonesian-Dutch Laura Gemser (Violence in a Women's Prison,) famous for erotic cinema, Swedish beauty Anita Strindberg (The Case of the Scorpion's Tale,) who started her career in gialli, sexy French actress Martine Brochard (Tinto Brass' The Voyeur) and luscious Italian actress Silvia Dionisio (Waves of Lust.) The new Raro Blu-ray has the improved video and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas commentary. Fans of this genre should add this wild entry to the library.
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Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol. 4 [Blu-ray] (The Rebel Intruders, Two Champions of Shaolin, Legend of the Fox, Black Lizard, House of Traps, Masked Avengers, the Sword Stained With Royal Blood, Five Element Ninjas, Shaolin Prince, Shaolin Intruders, Holy Flame of the Martial World, Opium and the Kung-Fu Master) Shout! Factory
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Another 12 classic martial arts films highlight this explosive box set comprised from the famous Shaw Brothers' library and featuring some of their greatest stars including The Five Deadly Venom's stars Phillip Kwok, Sun Chien, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, and Lo Meng and A Better Tomorrow's Derek Yee and Ti Lung. Many of these visually spectacular films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray. Heroes meet villains in edge-of-your-seat duels in this exciting array of some of Shaw Brothers' best! The Rebel Intruders: The "Venoms" are back in action again! After creating an international sensation in The Five Venoms, Taiwanese Opera artists Phillip Kwok, Chiang Sheng and Lu Feng reteamed with Chinese muscleman Lo Meng and super-kicker Sun Chien for this politically charged thriller. Set in the early Republican years, The Rebel Intruders follows skilled refugees who run afoul of a powerful traitor. From then on, it's one amazing battle after another! Two Champions Of Shaolin: Legendary director Chang Cheh hit upon a winning formula by teaming three Taiwanese stars with a Korean kicker and a Chinese strongman in a super heroic series of kung fu-filled adventures—starting with the international cult favorite, The Five Venoms. This particular action-packed tale of Shaolin vs. Wu Tang fighters is...
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Jesús Franco's "Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac" Blu-ray - Montserrat Prous / Anne Libert @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Jesús Franco churned out films at a hysterical pace and Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac probably sits somewhere in the middle, quality-wise. They are good things and 'slap-dash effort' features about the film. It has strong exploitation - nudity and sex acts that aren't always cohesive into the framework of the story. There are erotic and sleazy factors plus... tragedy. The extras are a big bonus from the Tim Lucas commentary, cast-crew interviews and Stephen Thrower video piece. This is a very good choice for Kino Cult's sub-label Blu-ray catalogue. For fans of the genre and Franco - it could be considered a must-own.
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**Stigmata** [Blu-ray] (Rupert Wainwright, 1999) Umbrella
US PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: Umbrella Entertainment proudly presents this supernatural classic, packed with extra features. Rupert Wainwright (The Fog) rocketed to notoriety with 1999s supernatural horror: STIGMATA. 1999s STIGMATA was a blend of fact and fiction, with a liberal amount of Hollywood finesse and MTV style. This tense thriller is a joyride for the senses that will leave you wanting more.Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) is hairdresser who begins to suffer from the wounds of Christ after receiving a rosary that belonged to a deceased priest. A Vatican investigator, Father Andrew Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne), is sent to examine her case and discovers that she is writing a lost gospel that could threaten the Church. As Frankie's condition worsens, Father Kieran tries to save her from the forces that want to silence her.
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Underworld aka Transmutations [4K UHD Blu-ray] (George Pavlou, 1985) Kino Cult #5
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: From the strange imagination of Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Nightbreed) comes Underworld—a hidden realm of cul-de-sacs, dark, dangerous waters and a labyrinth of tunnels, inhabited by the ghoulish victims of a cruel chemical experiment. When high-class hooker Nicole is kidnapped, businessman Hugo Motherskille hires her ex-lover, the devil-may-care Roy Bain, to find her. Bain traces her disappearance to the diabolical Dr. Savary, who supplies a weird white powder to a secret cabal of mutant sewer-dwellers. Under the city, out of sight—they wait! Plunge—if you dare—into the spine-tingling and neon-drenched Underworld (a.k.a.Transmutations), directed by George Pavlou (Rawhead Rex) and starring Denholm Elliott, Steven Berkoff, Larry Lamb, Miranda Richardson, Art Malik, Nicola Cowper, Irina Brook and horror goddess Ingrid Pitt.
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**Les vampires** [Blu-ray] (Louis Feuillade, 1915) Kino
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: The undisputed master of the espionage serial, Louis Feuillade (Fantômas) crafted films with labyrinthine plots and unforgettable characters that influenced multiple generations of filmmakers. Comprised of ten episodes, and clocking in at nearly seven hours in duration, LES VAMPIRES is an unqualified masterpiece. It follows journalist Philippe Guérande (Édouard Mathé) in his efforts to expose a vast criminal organization known as the Vampires. Joined by a comical sidekick, Mazamette (Marcel Lévesque), and often competing against a rival gang lord (Fernand Herrmann), Guérande dethrones a succession of the Vampires’ Grand Masters. But most evasive of all is the Vampires’ muse, a seductive assassin who performs her job with deadly grace: Irma Vep (Musidora). Authorized by the Gaumont Studios, this edition was mastered in HD from the 35mm restoration produced in 1996 by the Cinémathèque Française, under the supervision of Feuillade’s grandson, Jacques Champreux.
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**The Warriors [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Walter Hill, 1979) Arrow
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: In 1979, fresh from directing bare knuckle boxing movie Hard Times and supercool crime thriller The Driver, Walter Hill delivered his third stone cold classic in a row: The Warriors, a slam-bang, visually kinetic action movie that mixed a heightened comic-book sensibility with a timeless tale from ancient Greece and set them loose in the streets of modern America. In New York the gangs outnumber the cops by 5-1. Together, they could rule the city. Gang-leader Cyrus has a dream to do just that and calls a summit. The gangs of New York gather in their thousands, Cyrus takes the stage. From somewhere in the crowd a shot rings out and Cyrus falls down dead. In the chaos that follows, a small gang from Coney Island – the Warriors – are blamed. Now everyone is out to get them. On foot, in enemy territory, can they make it through the night to get back across the city to the safety of home turf? For all you boppers out there, for all you street people with an ear for the action… the iconic cult classic is back in a brand new 4K restoration approved by director Walter Hill.
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What Happens Later (Meg Ryan, 2023) Decal Bleecker
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Ex lovers Bill (David Duchovny), an eternal pessimist, and Willa (Meg Ryan), a magical thinker, get snowed in at an airport. Indefinitely delayed, they begin to wonder if their reunion is a coincidence or something more enchanted.
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**World Noir Vol. 1 Blu-ray** - Yûjirô Ishihara / Lino Ventura / Pietro Germi / Claudia Cardinale @FilmsRadiance
I Am Waiting (Ore wa matteru ze) 1957 - Japan, Witness in the City (Un témoin dans la ville) 1959 - France ,The Facts of Murder (Un maledetto imbroglio) 1959 - Italy
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
"The Facts of Murder" also offered individually in the UK PURCHASE LINK
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: These are three excellent noir-related world cinema films. In order to compete with popular American and French "Dark Cinema" popularity Nikkatsu initiated their own wave of Japanese noir. Koreyoshi Kurahara's (also see Eclipse 28 - The Warped World of Koreyoshi Kurahara) "I Am Waiting" was one of the Studio's early successes and the lauded director's feature debut. One late night we get invited to a Yokohama waterfront bar-cum-diner directly beside the tracks. We meet a mysterious and distraught damsel -suicidal over concerns that she has accidentally killed a man who was trying to rape her. Meeting her one late, lonely night, is an ex-boxer who once killed a man outside the ring in a bar fight, and own the diner. Both need a new start but hurdles keep blocking them... including a self-admission that he is falling in love with her. Filled with Noir conventions, I Am Waiting is a pure dark-drama treat. Witness in the City was based on a novel by the legendary Thomas Narcejac (Diabolique, Vertigo, Eyes Without a Face.) Seeking vengeance on his wife's former lover and assassin, a man, Ancelin (Lino Ventura,) sets in motion a string of killings - first as revenge and then desperately trying to cover his tracks. Almost exclusively shot in late night Paris, Witness in the City has café owners, prostitutes and, importantly, cab drivers directly or indirectly involved in the tense noir-level crime drama and its dramatic conclusion. The third and final film, The Facts of Murder is based on Carlo Emilio Gadda's 1957 book That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana. Many, including, Pier Paolo Pasolini, considered the source to be the great modern Italian novel. In a large apartment house in central Rome, two crimes are separately committed - a burglary and, a few days later, a murder. How they are connected initiates an old fashioned police procedural helmed by Ciccio Ingravallo (director / actor Pietro Germi) involving a group of suspicious characters with a variety of personal motives. Germi's The Facts of Murder is a complex and socially revealing crime-drama that fits comfortably in the noir mold. A brilliantly realized film. The Radiance Films Blu-ray package gets our highest marks - magnificent world cinema, with undeniable connections to Noir, and advanced a/v quality over existing digital editions plus excellent supplements from a commentary to an 80-page book. This is will certainly gets many votes in our Year End Poll. Our highest recommendation. Gold standard stuff here, folks..
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LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES ARE AVAILABLE HERE

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REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:

**Fruit Chan's "Made in Hong Kong"** to Blu-ray - Sam Lee / Neiky Hui-Chi Yim @Metrograph @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
Already out in UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: I continue to be impressed by Fruit Chan's seminal Made in Hong Kong. A deeply layered piece of, modestly-budgeted (made using leftover film reels), essentially independent, character-driven cinema. I could watch films like this for the rest of my days. Such a beautifully realized work for another 4K-restored Blu-ray - this with the revealing commentary and the previous interviews. A double-dip for the commentary might be in order for others who were as impressed by the film as I was. For Region 'A'-ers that don't own the MoC - the Metrograph is strongly recommended!
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**Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio 4K UHD** - Ewan McGregor / Gregory Mann @Criterion
UK 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
UK BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
ALready Out in:
US 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
CAN 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
US BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
CAN BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a modified, re-imagined, version of the original story; Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Guillermo del Toro has long desired a project on the Pinocchio story. It was started and stopped more than once going as far back as 2008. He considers that no other character has connected with him on such a deep personal level - stating "I've wanted to make this movie for as long as I can remember". The film is dedicated to the memory of his parents. Gregory Mann voiced Pinocchio with touching child-like wonder and emotion - it significantly adds to the film experience. Notable were Tilda Swinton as 'The Wood Sprite'; a wise magical spirit who imbues Pinocchio with life - and Ewan McGregor as Sebastian J. Cricket, the wooden lad's conscience and also the narrator of the story. Guillermo del Toro found similarities between the original The Adventures of Pinocchio and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, both titular characters thrust into the world with innocence seeking value structures. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is very family oriented but skirts a sly darker edge. It will be worth multiple revisits and a super film to have over the holidays. Criterion's 4K UHD release is amazing. The film looks stunning in 2160P and the Atmos audio keeps effective pace. There are over two hours of, mostly, production-centric detail supplements. It has a second disc Blu-ray (also a wonderful HD presentation) and a booklet. A brilliant package that should swing a few to 4K UHD adoption this winter. Our highest recommendation!
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DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of December 18th, 2023