THIS WEEK's RELEASES: One of Marty's best in 4K UHD from Criterion, Stroheim, Noirs, Lesbians, Stooges...
THIS WEEK's CALENDAR UPDATES (REPEATED!): Akira Kurosawa in 4K UHD, Jean-Luc Godard in 4K UHD, Robin Hardy Wicker Man in 4K UHD, Ruben Östlund Collection, early Laurel & Hardy, Jean Renoir, Michael Apted, the Ormond Family, Michael Crichton, David Lynch, John Frankenheimer in 4K UHD X 2!, 4X Mr. Wong, Otto Preminger best Noir, Bionic couple TV series, John Cromwell, Vincent Sherman, Andrey Konchalovskiy, Howard Hawks in 4K UHD, John Sturges / Fred Zinnemann, Stanley Kramer, J. Lee Thompson, Mario Bava, Umberto Lenzi, more Dark Side noir, Abraham Polonsky, Fritz Lang, Audie Murphy, Abel Gance, John Cassavetes, Martin Scorsese in 4K UHD, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Ken Russell, William Friedkin in 4K UHD, Sidney Lumet, Italian westerns X 4, Anthony Mann / Laurence Harvey, Douglas Fairbanks double feature, Josef von Sternberg, John Farrow, Rouben Mamoulian, Pinky violence by Toei, Byron Haskin 4K UHD reboot, Wayne Wang, Bo Widerberg, Commedia all'italiana, Gregory's Girl in 4K UHD , more Jean Rollin from Indicator, Bogdanovich 1st makes a UK listing, double Bob Clark, Pete Walker 7 film boxset, evil Messiah by Radiance...
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: Fritz Lang, Grahame, Ford - nu'ff said. Cheryl Dunye feature debut, Zsa Zsa camp, Stooge history, Giallo-esque-thriller in 4K UHD from Indicator...
Enjoy,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of July 10th, 2023 (Recommended titles have "**")

**Martin Scorsese's "After Hours"** Blu-ray - Griffin Dunne / Rosanna Arquette @Criterion
US Blu-ray PURCHASE LINK
CAN Blu-ray PURCHASE LINK
4K UHD US PURCHASE LINK
4K UHD CAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Personally I have three go-to Scorsese films: Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and After Hours - all masterpieces and now they are all on 4K UHD. We have After Hours in our neo-noir section - also described as a "surrealist black comedy cult-film thriller" although has also been defined in the "yuppie nightmare cycle" which combine the screwball comedy genre and film noir. Paul Hackett's (Griffin Dunne) misadventures almost exclusively involve women who appear more eccentric the later it gets into his journey - each defeating his normalcy. Mysterious Marcy (Rosanna Arquette) entices him with a wild evening but is emotionally unable to accept his sexual advances; impersonal sculptor Kiki Bridges (Linda Fiorentino) moves toward intimacy before falling asleep during his massaging seduction, waitress Julie (Teri Garr) is stuck in the 60's and expresses desire for him but he rejects her bizarre demeanor, while self-absorbed, Mister Softee truck driver, Gail (Catherine O'Hara) professes a desire to save him but eventually leads the vigilante mob seeking him. Lastly, June (Verna Bloom) encases Paul in plaster circling back to Kiki's 'cowering screaming male' sculpture. Castration is a repeated theme in After Hours (originally entitled 'One Night in Soho') notable in the bathroom wall scrawling of a shark biting a penis. There are so many small delights in After Hours; Marcy's "Surrender Dorothy!" honeymoon story and the sly double entendres to the dialogue between Paul and the large doorman at Club Berlin - "If you're so drawn to it - force your way in." If Rosanna Arquette asks me, in a coffee shop, if I want a plaster-of-paris bagel and cream cheese paperweight - I would naturally say 'Yes'.... without knowing the artist or the price. Paul is defeated and emasculated in his adventure - returning right back at his unsatisfying work. The Criterion Blu-ray (and 4K UHD that includes the Blu-ray) offers a much-deserved, essential, upgrade to a true cinema cult masterwork. We have waited a long time. Our very highest recommendation.
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**Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XV** Blu-ray - Zsa Zsa Gabor / Jeff Chandler / Jeanne Crain @KinoLorber
The Tattered Dress (1957), Man Afraid (1957) and The Girl in the Kremlin (1957)
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Kino's fifteenth edition of Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema Blu-ray package is quite a mix although labeling them all Noir may be a misnomer. Man Afraid is a good film with themes of misplaced revenge and self-forgiveness. The Tattered Dress has Jeff Chandler, Jeanne Crain, Gail Russell, and Elaine Stewart with engaging courtroom drama sequences. The Girl in the Kremlin has a kind of campy edge to it with Hungarian socialite, beauty and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. There is Eastern Block brainwashing, bald women and Lex Barker whipped mercilessly by female minions of Stalin! I'll probably keep this set - it's a bizarre mix although all released in the same year. Vintage film fans should consider. The commentaries embolden your appreciation.
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**Foolish Wives** [Blu-ray] (Erich von Stroheim, 1922) Flicker Alley
US PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: Foolish Wives (1922) was Erich von Stroheim's third feature for Universal, serving as both film director and star in a classic silent drama comprised of seduction and extortion. Upon it's release in 1922, the film was advertised as the "first million-dollar movie" and promised a legendary performance by von Stroheim, drawing fixated attention from American news outlets and audiences alike. Flicker Alley is honored to present this newly restored edition of the film, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and The Museum of Modern Art, New York (MoMA), in a deluxe 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD edition.This new 4K restoration of Foolish Wives- reconstructs the original continuity by combining the surviving original film elements, meticulous image restoration, and recreation of the original stunning color effects, to offer audiences the closest look possible at the original version of the film.Foolish Wives features a newly commissioned orchestral score composed and conducted by maestro Timothy Brock and performed by Real Filharmonía de Galicia and recorded in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.
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**Force of Evil** [Blu-ray] (Abraham Polonsky, 1948) Kino
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: This gritty and quintessential film noir is drenched in greed, cynicism and corruption of the soul, as embodied by John Garfield (The Postman Always Rings Twice, He Ran All the Way) in one of his most memorable roles. Garfield is perfectly cast as Joe Morse, a lawyer whose connection to a ruthless racketeer has nearly destroyed his sense of morality. His participation in a rigged numbers racket could prove disastrous for his high-strung brother (superbly played by Thomas Gomez, Key Largo), whose small-time policy bank stands to go broke when the rigged numbers pay off. Writer and director Abraham Polonsky (in his masterful directorial debut) was later victimized by the Hollywood blacklist, curtailing his career for decades until he directed Robert Redford in 1969’s Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here. Force of Evil also features a scorching supporting cast which includes Beatrice Pearson (Lost Boundaries), Paul Fix (Guns, Girls and Gangsters), Howland Chamberlain (House by the River) and film noir queen Marie Windsor (The Killing).
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**Fritz Lang's "Human Desire"** Blu-ray - Gloria Grahame, Glenn Ford @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: In Fritz Lang's Human Desire - loose, audacious, Vicki Buckley (Gloria Grahame) has taken a few too many backhands from her husband - alcoholic, moral-less, Carl (Broderick Crawford.) His blackmail doesn't help the marriage. She's carefree with her abundant femininity using it to seduce the stable and handsome, returning Korean War veteran, Jeff Warren (Glenn Ford) encouraging him to 'do away' with her sluggard hubby. The prize? A wanton, grade-A, femme-fatale lover. Is it enough? Jeff intelligently rejects her with his sights re-set on wholesome gal-pal Ellen (Kathleen Case.) Loosely based on Émile Zola's 1890 novel La Bête humaine - Human Desire is filled with self-serving greed that permeates the character's motivations to varying degrees. Everybody wants something. Carl demands loyalty and booze, Vicki wants a new man to cater to her comforts, Jeff is overwhelmed by Vicki's enticing beauty and innocent Ellen is hopelessly smitten with Jeff. A couple of murders later - surrounded by a train yard milieu and we have Noir gold. Grahame and Ford near their peak desirable ardor, gruff Broderick always slovenly solid - all helmed by genre-master Fritz Lang's cynicism. A 'dark cinema' essential but unworthy of a Blu-ray double-dip.
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Sisu [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Jalmari Helander, 2022) Lionsgate
US PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: During WWII, a solitary prospector crosses paths with Nazis in northern Finland. When the Nazis steal his gold, they quickly discover he is no ordinary miner. While there is no direct translation for the Finnish word “sisu,” the legendary ex-commando will embody what it means: a white-knuckled form of courage and unimaginable determination in the face of overwhelming odds. And this one-man death squad will go to outrageous lengths to get his gold back — even if it means killing every last Nazi in his path.
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The Three Stooges - Stooge-O-Rama: The Men Behind The Mayhem And Even More Mayhem! Blu-ray
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Firstly, this is not a compilation of The Three Stooges' 190 short slapstick films produced by Columbia Pictures. It's more a complete history of Moe Howard (born Moses Horwitz,) Larry Fine (born Louis Feinberg,) Curly Howard (born Jerome Horwitz), Shemp Howard (born Samuel Horwitz,) Joe Besser, and "Curly Joe" DeRita. It showcases the 1920s vaudeville comedy, their (Ted Healy and His Stooges ) appearance in the Pre-Code comedy Soup to Nuts, "fake Shemp", Jerome "Curly" Howard's debilitating stroke in 1946, discussion of the kiddie-matinee features and so much more. It's an incredibly complete historical examination of the six Stooges through a 70-year history. Kit Parker Films Blu-ray has collated seemingly every single piece of archival documentarian celluloid, archival interviews and memorabilia on The Three Stooges. Fans may be surprised at the detail and extensive rare content. Bottom line about the popular slapstick troupe; "They made us laugh".
___________________________________
**Cheryl Dunye's "The Watermelon Woman"** Blu-ray - Cheryl Dunye / Guinevere Turner @Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: The title of Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman is a play on the Melvin Van Peebles’s 1970's film Watermelon Man with comedian Godfrey Cambridge. Wikipedia states that "Dunye cites numerous influences that have contributed to her work including that of Chantal Akerman, Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Godard but notes that Jim McBride's David Holzman's Diary (1967) and Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep (1977) are some of the "most powerful" influences on her." A history of 'The Watermelon Woman' actress sought by Cheryl's character in the story seems to represent a larger group of Black female performers marginalized or completely erased from Hollywood film history. There are subtle references to actresses like Hattie McDaniel (Show Boat), Butterfly McQueen (Gone with the Wind), Louise Beavers (1934's Imitation of Life), and others. Black lesbian genre films are not so much in my 'wheelhouse' as a DVD/Blu-ray reviewer. I was genuinely thankful to have seen Criterion's offering as I, otherwise would, probably, never have indulged in a viewing. The Watermelon Woman was smart, funny and interesting - very much worth seeing. To hear Dunye's motivations in the supplements, as well as other commentary, was also revealing. It would be pretty easy to pre-judge this fro a lot of people - but I am encouraging you to watch it for yourself. You will, undoubtedly, be impressed.
___________________________________
LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES (CLICK TITLES FOR MORE INFORMATION):

July 17th, 2023

**52 Pick-Up** (John Frankenheimer, 1986) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Audie Murphy Collection II** - Sierra (1950), Kansas City Raiders (1950), Destroy (1954) - Kino

**End of the World** (Abel Gance, 1931) Kino

**Gloria** (John Cassavetes, 1980) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Hugo 4K UHD** (Martin Scorsese, 2011) Arrow US
BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW

**Michael** (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1924) Kino

**Rio Bravo 4K UHD** (Howard Hawks, 1959) Allied Vaughn

**To Live and Die in L.A. 4K UHD** (William Friedkin, 1985) Kino
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON
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July 24th, 2023

**The Anderson Tapes** (Sidney Lumet, 1971) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Blood Money: Four Western Classics Vol. 2** - $10,000 Blood Money, Vengeance is Mine, Find a Place to Die, Matalo! (Kill Him) - Arrow UK

**A Dandy in Aspic** (Anthony Mann / Laurence Harvey, 1968) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (Bernard Girard, 1966) Kino

**A Douglas Fairbanks Double Feature: Robin Hood / The Black Pirate** - Kino

**Jet Pilot** (Josef von Sternberg, 1957) RB UK Indicator
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Night Has a Thousand Eyes** (John Farrow, 1948) RB UK Indicator
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**The Song of Songs** (Rouben Mamoulian, 1933) RB UK Indicator
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Terrifying Girls' High School: Animal Classmates** (Masahiro Shimura, 1973) Discotek Media

**Thunderbolt** (Josef von Sternberg, 1929) RB UK Indicator

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (Harald Reinl, 1967) RB UK 88 Films

**The War of the Worlds 4K UHD** (Byron Haskin, 1953) Paramount
BEAVER REVIEW

You'll Like My Mother (Lamont Johnson, 1972) RB UK Final Cut Entertainment
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
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August 7th, 2023

**Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams [4K UHD]** (Akira Kurosawa, 1990) Criterion
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON

**Ruben Östlund | A Curzon Collection** (The Guitar Mongoloid, Involuntary, Play, Force Majeure, The Square, Triangle of Sadness) RB UK Curzon Film
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August 14th, 2023

**Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart** (Wayne Wang, 1985) Criterion

**Laurel & Hardy: Year One, The Newly Restored 1927 Silents** - Flicker Alley
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August 21st, 2023

**Bo Widerberg’s New Swedish Cinema** (The Baby Carriage/Raven’s End/Elvira Madigan/Ådalen 31) Criterion

**Commedia all'italiana: Three Films by Dino Risi** (Il Sorpasso, Il Mattatore and Il Vedovo) - RB UK Radiance Films

**Gray Lady Down** (David Greene, 1978) RB UK Indicator
BEAVER REVIEW

**Gregory's Girl 4K UHD** (Bill Forsyth, 1980) UK BFI
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON

**Jagged Edge** (Richard Marquand, 1985) RB UK Indicator
BEAVER REVIEW

**A Moment of Romance** (Benny Chan, 1990) Radiance Films UK

**The Night of the Hunted 4K UHD** (Jean Rollin, 1980) Indicator UK
4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK

**The Rape of the Vampire 4K UHD** (Jean Rollin, 1968) Indicator UK
4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER BLU-RAY REVIEW

**They Made Me a Fugitive** (Alberto Cavalcanti, 1947) RB UK Indicator
BEAVER REVIEW
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August 28th, 2023

**Drylongso** (Cauleen Smith, 1998) Criterion

The Spanish Dancer (Herbert Brenon, 1923) Kino
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September 4th, 2023

**The Wicker Man 4K UHD** (Robin Hardy, 1973) Studiocanal UK
4K UHD Steelbook PURCHASE LINK
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON
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September 11th, 2023

**Gothic** (Ken Russell, 1986) RB UK BFI

**Partie de Campagne aka "A Day in the Country"** (Jean Renoir, 1946) RB UK BFI
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Targets** [Blu-ray] (Peter Bogdanovich, 1968) BFI
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
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September 18th, 2023

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (Bob Clark, 1972) RB UK 101 Films

Deathdream (Bob Clark, 1974) RB UK 101 Films

The Flesh and Blood Show - The Horror Films of Pete Walker (7 Films) [Blu-ray] - Die Screaming, Marianne (1971), The Flesh and Blood Show (1972), House of Whipcord (1974), Frightmare (1974), House of Mortal Sin (1976) Schizo (1977) and The Comeback (1978) - RB UK 88 Films
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October 23rd, 2023

**Messiah of Evil** (Willard Huyck / Gloria Katz, 1974) RB UK Radiance Films
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
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REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:

**Cheryl Dunye's "The Watermelon Woman"** Blu-ray - Cheryl Dunye / Guinevere Turner @Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: The title of Cheryl Dunye's The Watermelon Woman is a play on the Melvin Van Peebles’s 1970's film Watermelon Man with comedian Godfrey Cambridge. Wikipedia states that "Dunye cites numerous influences that have contributed to her work including that of Chantal Akerman, Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Godard but notes that Jim McBride's David Holzman's Diary (1967) and Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep (1977) are some of the "most powerful" influences on her." A history of 'The Watermelon Woman' actress sought by Cheryl's character in the story seems to represent a larger group of Black female performers marginalized or completely erased from Hollywood film history. There are subtle references to actresses like Hattie McDaniel (Show Boat), Butterfly McQueen (Gone with the Wind), Louise Beavers (1934's Imitation of Life), and others. Black lesbian genre films are not so much in my 'wheelhouse' as a DVD/Blu-ray reviewer. I was genuinely thankful to have seen Criterion's offering as I, otherwise would, probably, never have indulged in a viewing. The Watermelon Woman was smart, funny and interesting - very much worth seeing. To hear Dunye's motivations in the supplements, as well as other commentary, was also revealing. It would be pretty easy to pre-judge this fro a lot of people - but I am encouraging you to watch it for yourself. You will, undoubtedly, be impressed.
____________________________________
**Fritz Lang's "Human Desire"** Blu-ray - Gloria Grahame, Glenn Ford @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: In Fritz Lang's Human Desire - loose, audacious, Vicki Buckley (Gloria Grahame) has taken a few too many backhands from her husband - alcoholic, moral-less, Carl (Broderick Crawford.) His blackmail doesn't help the marriage. She's carefree with her abundant femininity using it to seduce the stable and handsome, returning Korean War veteran, Jeff Warren (Glenn Ford) encouraging him to 'do away' with her sluggard hubby. The prize? A wanton, grade-A, femme-fatale lover. Is it enough? Jeff intelligently rejects her with his sights re-set on wholesome gal-pal Ellen (Kathleen Case.) Loosely based on Émile Zola's 1890 novel La Bête humaine - Human Desire is filled with self-serving greed that permeates the character's motivations to varying degrees. Everybody wants something. Carl demands loyalty and booze, Vicki wants a new man to cater to her comforts, Jeff is overwhelmed by Vicki's enticing beauty and innocent Ellen is hopelessly smitten with Jeff. A couple of murders later - surrounded by a train yard milieu and we have Noir gold. Grahame and Ford near their peak desirable ardor, gruff Broderick always slovenly solid - all helmed by genre-master Fritz Lang's cynicism. A 'dark cinema' essential but unworthy of a Blu-ray double-dip.
____________________________________
**Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XV** Blu-ray - Zsa Zsa Gabor / Jeff Chandler / Jeanne Crain @KinoLorber
The Tattered Dress (1957), Man Afraid (1957) and The Girl in the Kremlin (1957)
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Kino's fifteenth edition of Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema Blu-ray package is quite a mix although labeling them all Noir may be a misnomer. Man Afraid is a good film with themes of misplaced revenge and self-forgiveness. The Tattered Dress has Jeff Chandler, Jeanne Crain, Gail Russell, and Elaine Stewart with engaging courtroom drama sequences. The Girl in the Kremlin has a kind of campy edge to it with Hungarian socialite, beauty and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. There is Eastern Block brainwashing, bald women and Lex Barker whipped mercilessly by female minions of Stalin! I'll probably keep this set - it's a bizarre mix although all released in the same year. Vintage film fans should consider. The commentaries embolden your appreciation.
____________________________________
The Three Stooges - Stooge-O-Rama: The Men Behind The Mayhem And Even More Mayhem! Blu-ray
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Firstly, this is not a compilation of The Three Stooges' 190 short slapstick films produced by Columbia Pictures. It's more a complete history of Moe Howard (born Moses Horwitz,) Larry Fine (born Louis Feinberg,) Curly Howard (born Jerome Horwitz), Shemp Howard (born Samuel Horwitz,) Joe Besser, and "Curly Joe" DeRita. It showcases the 1920s vaudeville comedy, their (Ted Healy and His Stooges ) appearance in the Pre-Code comedy Soup to Nuts, "fake Shemp", Jerome "Curly" Howard's debilitating stroke in 1946, discussion of the kiddie-matinee features and so much more. It's an incredibly complete historical examination of the six Stooges through a 70-year history. Kit Parker Films Blu-ray has collated seemingly every single piece of archival documentarian celluloid, archival interviews and memorabilia on The Three Stooges. Fans may be surprised at the detail and extensive rare content. Bottom line about the popular slapstick troupe; "They made us laugh".
____________________________________
**Enzo G. Castellari's "Cold Eyes of Fear" 4K UHD** - Giovanna Ralli @indicatorseries
US 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
UK 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
US Blu-ray PURCHASE LINK
UK Blu-ray PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Enzo G. Castellari's Giallo-esque-thriller "Cold Eyes of Fear" has some wonderful touches including unique cinematography by Antonio L. Ballesteros (Sergio Leone's The Colossus of Rhodes) and fast-cut, creative, editing by Vincenzo Tomassi (The Beyond.) It is evocative of other 'home-invasion' films like The Dark Past, The Night Holds Terror and William Wyler's The Desperate Hours which it is said to have borrowed from (the US TV title was also, coincidentally, renamed as "Desperate Moments".) For those anticipating a clandestine 'black glove killer', this is not that type of Giallo (or a Giallo at all, although the Scotch in the film is Justerini & Brooks - J&B!) Castellari was versatile and made pasta Westerns, poliziotteschi, The Last Shark (akin to Jaws), 1990: The Bronx Warriors (echoing Escape from New York) and even Sinbad of the Seven Seas with Lou Ferrigno! "Cold Eyes of Fear" is a well-crafted thriller that looks rich and appealing in 4K UHD and the package has a host of new supplements from an edifying commentary to interviews to an 80-page booklet. Certainly strongly recommended to the genre devotees. I'm keeping it.
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DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of July 10th, 2023