DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of December 14th, 2020
http://www.dvdbeaver.com

Great week... stacked. Robert Altman, Norman Jewison, David Mamet, Mario Bava, Giuseppe Tornatore, Robert Aldrich, Ozploitation, Fab Neo-Noir, Desert Island shoe-in, Burt L., a big ape remake, Bugs Bunny, Hammer House of Horror, Giallo-esque, Rock Hudson triple feature...
A great time to be a film fan,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of December 14th, 2020 (Recommended titles have "**")
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Abrakadabra [Blu-ray] (Luciano Onetti, Nicolás Onetti, 2018) Cauldron Films
US: https://amzn.to/33XCZ8Q
CAN: https://amzn.to/36ZBhpa
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/abrakadabra_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: While not to everybody's tastes, "Abrakadabra" is a fun riff on the Giallo tropes and style. Fans of Giallo might want to also check out the Adam Brooks and Matthew Kennedy directed "The Editor" (2014) which adds a welcome level of absurdity and humor. Regardless, it is exciting to see this new Blu-ray label, Cauldron Films, and we look forward to reviewing more of their content in the future.
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**Amores Perros** [Blu-ray] (Alejandro G. Iñárritu, 2000) Criterion
US: https://amzn.to/2FAgpu4
CAN: https://amzn.to/3lPAqwh
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-ray_reviews_79/amores_perrros_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Amores perros is alive with vérité tensions, stark realism, human emotion, love and survivalism. So great to have the intended filmmaker presentation in HD. Plus all the new extras are an important addition in making this an essential Blu-ray package. The film has retained its inventive cinematic relevance and we given it a strong recommendation!
P.S. I also loved the cover by Pedro Reyes!
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Beasts Clawing at Straws [Blu-ray] (Yong-Hoon Kim, 2020) Artsploitation
US: https://amzn.to/3dej2Ox
COMMENT: A Luis Vuitton bag stuffed full of cash sends a group of hard-luck lowlifes on a desperate chase for the fortune in this pitch-black neo-noir crime thriller. Fish-mongering gangsters, a greasy cop, an “innocent” gym cleaner, a young prostitute, her wife beater of a husband, her ruthless boss and her clueless boyfriend all violently scheme to get their hands on the elusive bag. First time director Kim Yong-hoon’s witty thriller is a beautifully constructed puzzle that with each double-cross, the pieces fall into place. Starring Jung Woo-sung from Asura: City of Madness and Jeon Do-yeon, award winner in Cannes for her lead role in Secret Sunshine.
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Blood Sisters [Blu-ray] (Roberta Findlay, 1987) Media Blasters
US: https://amzn.to/37mN1kS
COMMENT: Seven girls must spend the night in an old house, which once was a brothel, as part of an initiation.
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Bodies, Rest & Motion [Blu-ray] (Michael Steinberg, 1993) Kino
US: https://amzn.to/3mh93M7
COMMENTS: Four twentysomething friends explore love, desire and commitment in this irresistibly charming, critically acclaimed romantic comedy starring Phoebe Cates (Gremlins), Bridget Fonda (Singles), Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs) and Eric Stoltz (Some Kind of Wonderful). Rebelling against his dreary life in a small Arizona town, TV salesman Nick (Roth) abandons his girlfriend, Beth (Fonda), and strikes out onto the highway in search of... something else. Encouraged by her best friend Carol (Cates)—who happens to be Nick’s ex-flame—Beth reluctantly accepts the romantic attentions of a local housepainter (Stoltz). But when Nick’s impulsive road trip leads him back home again, it sets the stage for a wildly comic chain reaction among four people whose lives have suddenly become hopelessly, hilariously intertwined.
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Breakout [Blu-ray] (Tom Gries, 1975) Indicator UK
UK: https://amzn.to/3jh2ck1
INDICATOR: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/breakout-bd?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=BREAKOUT-BD
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-ray_reviews_76/breakout_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: A very Bronson-esque thriller and who doesn't like a prison-break? I had fun revisiting Breakout and there is something appealing to the milieu. Indicator have given us the definitive Blu-ray - in a/v and extras. The commentary is a solid touch that the star's fans will appreciate. Recommended!
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**Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson** [Blu-ray] (Robert Altman, 1976) RB UK Indicator
UK: https://amzn.to/2JSkn3n
INDICATOR: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/buffalo-bill-and-the-indians-or-sitting-bulls-history-lesson-le?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=BUFFALO-BILL-AND-THE-INDIANS-LE
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_134/buffalo_bill_and_the_indians_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Paul Newman is wonderful in Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson. The film has Altman's sardonic edge - a cynical and funny film - in the director's own haphazard storytelling methods. Not the director's best, and not to all tastes, but the Indicator Blu-ray gives a different 1080P presentation of Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson with interesting extras including the hour's worth of silent Wild West shows. Recommended to Altman completists.
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**Crash** [4K UHD Blu-ray] (David Cronenberg, 1996) Arrow Video UK
UK: https://amzn.to/35sRqTS
COMMENTS: Technology and sexuality meet in a head-on collision in Crash director David Cronenberg s controversial adaptation of writer J.G. Ballard s hugely transgressive 1973 novel starring James Spader and Holly Hunter. Spader stars as James Ballard, an advertising executive whose deviant sexual desires are awakened by a near fatal automobile accident with Dr Helen Remington (Hunter). Soon the pair, alongside Ballard s wife Catherine (Deborah Kara Unger), are drawn into an underground world of car crash fetishism presided over by renegade scientist Vaughan (Elias Koteas). Danger, sex and death become entwined as eroticism and technology join together in a disturbing, deadly union.
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**The Curse of Frankenstein** [Blu-ray] (Terence Fisher, 1957) Warner Archives
US: https://amzn.to/2VbrIwH
WARNER: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3628627/type/dlg/https://www.wbshop.com/products/the-curse-of-frankenstein-bd
CAN: https://amzn.to/381olOR
ALT-REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film4/blu-ray_reviews_61/the_curse_of_frankenstein_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: The Curse of Frankenstein is a very strong Hammer classic helping continue the studios justified reputation for leaders in the genre in the late 50's and 60's. I thoroughly enjoyed the film experience - not as much as The Brides of Dracula, but still a great night in the home theater being wrapped in Hammer's cinematic horror cocoon.
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Curse of the Golden Flower [Blu-ray] (Yimou Zhang, 2006) RB UK Fabulous Films
UK: https://amzn.to/3lknSw3
ALT-REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews31/curse_of_the_golden_flower_BR.htm
COMMENTS: From the Director of Hero and House of Flying Daggers, comes a stunning epic about the folly of war and the disintegration of one family under the weight of unrequited love, unforgivable betrayals, and a never-ending thirst for power. On the eve of the Chong Yong Festival, golden flowers fill the Imperial Palace and when the Emperor (Chow Yun Fat) unexpectedly returns to his Empress (Gong Li) and two sons, the tension is clear in his lavish kingdom. His absence has given rise to illicit love affairs, dangerous alliances, and malicious conspiracies; all of which threaten to overthrow his power. However, it may well be the Emperors own dark secret that threatens him most of all.
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**Devil in a Blue Dress** [Blu-ray] (Carl Franklin, 1995) RB UK Indicator
UK: https://amzn.to/3jfH3qE
From Indicator: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/devil-in-a-blue-dress-le?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=DEVIL-IN-A-BLUE-DRESS-LE
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/devil_in_a_blue_dress_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Devil in a Blue Dress is a well above average neo-noir mystery/thriller. I loved it - such great art-direction capturing the period and smokey aura. Solid performances and a great story. I wish there were more modern films like this - the new Perry Mason series captures the same L.A. Confidential vibe. The Indicator Blu-ray nudges ahead with the max'ed out transfer, more robust audio, and additional extras including the booklet. It's a film experience directly appealing to those who crave more Noir in their digital library - strongly recommended!
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**Diary of a Mad Housewife** [Blu-ray] (Frank Perry, 1970) Kino
US: https://amzn.to/36C3HFO
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/diary_of_a_mad_housewife_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Frank Perry's Diary of a Mad Housewife is a really good film that has been hard to access for many years. I enjoyed it as a partial comedy, partial romance and marriage-drama. Themes involve social-climbing, isolation, boredom, marital malaise, and disappointment. I continue to like Frank Perry as a director and gained new appreciation for Carrie Snodgress in a career-defining role. The commentary is a great addition on the Kino Blu-ray. Certainly recommended especially to fans of 70's films.
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Ghosts of Mars [Blu-ray] (John Carpenter, 2001) Indicator UK
UK: https://amzn.to/3cKJ6R9
INDICATOR: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/ghosts-of-mars-bd?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=GHOSTS-OF-MARS-BD
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-ray_reviews_74/ghosts_of_mars_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Ghosts of Mars has some of Carpenter's non-conformity themes as well as some 'Zombie' appeal. It's far from his best work but does deserve some analysis. It's a good cast and plenty of action - just not as cohesive as we have seen in some of his better efforts. Ghosts of Mars gets a complete package in this Indicator Blu-ray. It's not likely to be bested and fans of the director who desire to watch it in the best possible presentation, with plenty of extras to ruminate over, this is it.
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Guncrazy [Blu-ray] (Tamra Davis, 1992) Mvd Rewind
US: https://amzn.to/2EgsWC9
COMMENTS: Since Anita Minteer (Drew Barrymore, 50 First Dates) was nine, every man she ever met has wanted only one thing. But when she becomes pen-pals with imprisoned convict Howard Hickock (James LeGros, Drugstore Cowboy), she gains self-confidence and sees a possible escape from the torment of her everyday life. Howard's infatuation with guns drives Anita to them as well. But with this new found strength in her hands, she murders her sexually abusive guardian. Now with Howard out on parole and the police on their back, there can be no turning back.
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**The Harvey Girls** [Blu-ray] (George Sidney, 1946) Warner Archive
US: https://amzn.to/39rYbHt
WARNER: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3628627/type/dlg/https://www.wbshop.com/products/the-harvey-girls-bd
CAN: https://amzn.to/3oPDiuo
COMMENTS: Vittles, songs and dance are amply ladled out when Judy Garland headlines The Harvey Girls, a joyous musical slice of Americana celebrating the restaurants that brought extra helpings of civilization to Old West rail passengers. Highlights include Garland holding saloon patrons at jittery gunpoint to retrieve stolen beefsteaks, Ray Bolger's loose-limbed comic hoofing, Virginia O'Brien's sure-shot comic timing, Angela Lansbury's stylish wickedness as a saloon singer and the "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" romp (which nabbed the 1946 Best Song Academy Award®) that's "deservedly famous, one of the most triumphant sequences in screen-musical history"
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Holiday Affair [Blu-ray] (Don Hartman, 1949) Warner Archive
US: https://amzn.to/39mMrpD
WARNER: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3628627/type/dlg/https://www.wbshop.com/collections/warner-archive-blu-ray/products/holiday-affair-bd
CAN: https://amzn.to/2INPk8c
COMMENTS: Even though he recently lost his job as a department-store clerk, Steve Mason buys an electric train set for a child he scarcely knows. It must be Christmastime. Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh are warmly matched in Holiday Affair, a seasonal favorite scripted by Isobel Lennart (later to adapt Mitchum's The Sundowners) and directed by Hope/Crosby "road movies" veteran Don Hartman. Mitchum plays Mason, who helps a child who'd otherwise find disappointment under the Christmas tree. The boy's war-widow mom (Leigh) notes the gesture, and she's drawn to the handsome stranger. But will she abandon the security that comes from dating a prosperous attorney (Wendell Corey) for the charm of this unemployed man who puts his money where his heart is?
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Hollywood High + Teenage Mother [Blu-ray] (Drive-In Double Feature #9) - Dark Force Entertainment
US: https://amzn.to/2PSm3ZN
CAN: https://amzn.to/3qSe2p5
COMMENTS: HOLLYWOOD HIGH: Four high school girls at Hollywood High in 1976 are looking for a place to party and meet a retired movie star with a huge house with ten private bedrooms... but there's a catch.
TEENAGE MOTHER: A new health teacher in a high school is assaulted by drug-dealing students and is blamed when a student turns up pregnant.
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Ip Man The Complete Collection [4K UHD Blu-ray] Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster, Ip Man 3 (2015), Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019) - Well Go USA
US: https://amzn.to/3kxtouT
CAN: https://amzn.to/3oOenHE
COMMENTS: This complete collection, presented for the first time in 4K Ultra HD, features the iconic vision of direction Wilson Yip and stars the incomparable Donnie Yen as Ip Man, legendary Wing Chun grandmaster and mentor to several martial arts masters, including kung fu superstar Bruce Lee.
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**It Came from Outer Space** [Blu-ray] (Jack Arnold, 1953) RB UK Fabulous Films
UK: https://amzn.to/2VeJejH
ALT-REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_73/it_came_from_outer_space_3D_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Amateur astronomer John Putnam (Richard Carlson) and his fiancee Ellen Fields (Barbara Rush) are stargazing in the desert when a spaceship bursts from the sky and crashes to the ground. Just before a landslide buries the ship, a mysterious creature emerges and disappears into the darkness. Of course, when he tells his story to the sheriff (Charles Drake), John is branded a crackpot; but before long, strange things begin to happen, and the tide of disbelief turns... Based on a story by acclaimed writer Ray Bradbury, It Came From Outer Space is a science-fiction classic that is as thought provoking and tantalising today as it was when it first landed on the silver screen.
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Ladybug Ladybug [Blu-ray] (Frank Perry, 1963) Kino
US: https://amzn.to/345osqE
COMMENTS: During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the normal routines of a rural elementary school are thrown into a panic when the civil defense alarm sirens go off, warning them of an imminent nuclear attack. The children are separated into groups, with one teacher leading each squad. Mrs. Andrews (Nancy Marchand, TV’s The Sopranos), the 6th grade teacher with a slowly building sense of doom, leads her group of students through the countryside to one of the children’s family’s bomb shelter. When they arrive at the shelter, they divide the rations and assume various duties, not knowing if they are in the middle of a nuclear holocaust—or if it was a false alarm.
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**Liberté** [Blu-ray] (Albert Serra, 2019) Cinema Guild
US: https://amzn.to/3o4BMEm
COMMENTS: Just before the French Revolution, in a forest outside Berlin, a band of libertines expelled from the court of Louis XVI rendezvous with the legendary German seducer and freethinker, the Duc de Walchen (Helmut Berger), to convince him to join in their mission: the rejection of authority and all moral boundaries. What begins as an evening of strategizing on the proliferation of libertinage, descends into a Sadean night of pansexual one-upmanship. Liberté is a singular cinematic experience only Albert Serra could deliver, a film in which increasingly dramatic acts of pain and pleasure unfold in counterpoint to cinematographer Artur Tort s luminous images of moonlit sylvan spaces. As Serra and his committed team of regular performers and newcomers "open the gates of Hell" and explore the limits of the erotic imagination, you won t be able to look away.
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Marseille: The Complete Series (2016-2018) [Blu-ray] - Kino Lorber
US: https://amzn.to/3ogUVDd
COMMENTS: The longtime mayor of Marseille is preparing to hand over the reins to his protégé when a sudden and ruthless battle erupts for control of the city. Robert Taro (Gerard Depardieu), charismatic mayor of the city for 25 years, has decided to retire in order to dedicate time to his family. But the coming elections will have him face the man he chose as his heir, Lucas Barres (Benoit Magimel), an ambitious youngster aiming high. Both candidates will fight mercilessly. This four-disc set includes the complete series - Seasons 1 and 2.
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**Ministry of Fear** [Blu-ray] (Fritz Lang, 1944) Indicator UK
UK: https://amzn.to/3n1jC6C
INDICATOR: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/standard-editions/products/ministry-of-fear-bd?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=MINISTRY-OF-FEAR-BD
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews32/ministry_of_fear_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Wow - significant upgrade, over the already wonderful Criterion Blu-ray. Indicator have done it again. This is a must-own for fans of the director. Brilliant extras and a pristine HD transfer. Our highest recommendation!
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**Mister Roberts** [Blu-ray] (John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy, 1955) Warner Archive
US: https://amzn.to/39oWFpq
WARNER: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3628627/type/dlg/https://www.wbshop.com/collections/warner-archive-blu-ray/products/mister-roberts-bd
CAN: https://amzn.to/3qRJTpZ
COMMENTS: The USS Reluctant carries cargo along World War IIs forgotten Pacific seaways. Beyond the horizon, the real war passes its stir-crazy crew by. Mister Roberts, directed by John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy, is the classic story of men fighting to survive not wars dangers, but its indignities. Henry Fondas reprise of his Tony®-winning Broadway role returned him to movies after seven years away. Jack Lemmon won his first Academy Award®* as hapless, lecherous Ensign Pulver. James Cagneys petty, scrappy Captain makes a fierce adversary. In his final film, William Powell makes world-weary Doc a sage for the ages. Mister Roberts has moments of unforgettable humor. But sadness tempers the comedy. No shot is fired. No blood is spilled. Yet Mister Roberts endures as one of our most truthful war sagas.
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**Mouchette** [Blu-ray] (Robert Bresson, 1967) Criterion UK
UK: https://amzn.to/3495hfT
Already out in:
US: https://amzn.to/2REMqDl
CAN: https://amzn.to/3kFyCos
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/mouchette_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Robert Bresson's Mouchette is an absolute masterpiece. It becomes more devastatingly pure with age. A film, and commentary, I can revisit for the rest of my life. The Criterion Blu-ray has our highest recommendation
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Mutiny [Blu-ray] (Edward Dmytryk, 1952) VCI
US: https://amzn.to/2ErH0sJ
CAN: https://amzn.to/3r3zjwe
COMMENTS: Produced from a new restoration re-mastered from the original 35mm negatives in 4K, in gorgeous Technicolor! During the War of 1812, the United States, in need of gold, arranges with a French group to lend the government $10 million in bullion. To bring the gold here, and American ship must break through the British blockade. A young captain accepts the dangerous assignment and after several narrow escapes, the ship finally reaches France.
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**The New World** [Blu-ray] (Terrence Malick, 2005) Criterion UK
UK: https://amzn.to/3ji5xzv
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_72/the_new_world_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: This singular vision of early seventeenth-century America from Terrence Malick is a work of astounding elemental beauty, a poetic meditation on nature, violence, love, and civilization. It reimagines the apocryphal story of the meeting of British explorer John Smith (Colin Farrell) and Powhatan native Pocahontas (Q’orianka Kilcher, in a revelatory performance) as a romantic idyll between spiritual equals, then follows Pocahontas as she marries John Rolfe (Christian Bale) and moves to England.
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**Puzzle of a Downfall Child** [Blu-ray] (Jerry Schatzberg, 1970) Kino
US: https://amzn.to/2VzhzKu
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_134/puzzle_of_a_downfall_child_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Jerry Schatzberg's Portrait of a Downfall Child is both a fascinating and brilliant film. It carries a 70's breakthrough vibe with artistic sensibility that we don't see often in American cinema. I sensed a comfortable, haunting, depth with Schatzberg's layering of the narrative. Dunaway is radiant - hypnotic in her role - what might be considered her best ever. It's an odd, but very appealing film and your appreciation only magnifies with repeat viewings. There is so much to uncover. The Kino Blu-ray is the way to go for the maintaining this visual film's integrity and for the marvelous Daniel Kremer / Bill Ackerman commentary - one of my favorite of the year. I cherish the included interview with Jerry Schatzberg and give this package our highest recommendation. It may make some noise in our Year End Poll.
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**Road Games** [Blu-ray] (Richard Franklin, 1981) RB UK Indicator (BEAVER REVIEW)
UK: https://amzn.to/30kC00p
INDICATOR: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/roadgames-le?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=ROADGAMES-LE
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_66/road_games_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: This is easily the definitive digital edition of the Ozploitation gem Road Games - leaving no stone unturned and in a beautiful, complete, Blu-ray package. Indicator separate themselves from, the crowd... again. Road Games is an above-average murder-thriller with its own genre-appeal. It has plenty of undisclosed details (Jamie Lee Curtis as an heiress hitchhiking in the middle of the desert?) but Keach was a great, final, choice for the lead and it has some engaging suspenseful sequences. Strongly recommended!
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**A Soldier's Story** [Blu-ray] (Norman Jewison, 1984) RB UK Indicator
UK: https://amzn.to/3cJKSSf
INDICATOR: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/a-soldiers-story-le?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=A-SOLDIERS-STORY-LE
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_134/a_soldiers_story_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Norman Jewison (Rollerball, Moonstruck, In the Heat Of The Night, The Cincinnati Kid, ...And Justice For All) has been making great films for as long as I've been alive. The UK Blu-ray is typical of Indicator's stellar quality - max'ed out a/v, great extras including a commentary - and The Soldier's Story is an above-average crime-thriller with racial overtones. A keeper. It's a very enjoyable viewing experience - making for an easy recommendation for the Indicator Blu-ray that carries significant value.
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The Stud / The Bitch (Joan Collins Double Feature) [Blu-ray] - Screenbound Pictures US
US: https://amzn.to/3jhuLOr
CAN: https://amzn.to/37fhv9p
COMMENTS: The Stud: Fontaine is the London wife of Benjamin, a wealthy Arab businessman and spends his fortune on her nightclub and partying. She hires a handsome manager, Tony, to run her club, but his job security is dependent on his satisfying her nymphomaniacal demands. Tony soon loses interest in her and turns his attention to her young stepdaughter, Alexandra, who uses him to get back at Fontaine. The Bitch: Fontaine is a woman who always gets what she wants - they call her The Bitch. Now divorced, she still leads an extravagant jetset lifestyle even though she no longer has the financial security of being a billionaire's wife and her once-successful London nightclub, "Hobo", is now failing. While on a flight returning to London from New York, she meets handsome Italian gambler Nico. In order to impress her, he pretends he is a wealthy businessman, though he is actually a conman who owes money to the mafia. He covertly uses her to smuggle a stolen diamond ring through airport customs which he intends to sell in London to pay off his debts. With the Mob now pursuing both Fontaine and Nico, they find themselves delving deeper and deeper into danger... All region
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Symbiopsycho-taxiplasm: Two Takes by William Greaves [Blu-ray] - Criterion UK
UK: https://amzn.to/3iiku32
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/symbiopsychotaxiplasm_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: It's great to see Criterion go out on a limb to offer this, probable weak seller, for release. Although it may have quite a niche appeal, hopefully some will open their minds to it and reap the benefits
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Tenet (Christopher Nolan, 2020) Warner Bros
4K UHD US: https://amzn.to/33pOZQ7
4K UHD UK: https://amzn.to/36kiELa
4K UHD UK Steelbook: https://amzn.to/3n7rmmT
Blu-ray US: https://amzn.to/3a7nAGF
Blu-ray UK: https://amzn.to/3eWEdWh
COMMENT: Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
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**Tex Avery Screwball Classics Volume 2** [Blu-ray] - Warner Archive
US: https://amzn.to/2VbC2ox
WARNER: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3628627/type/dlg/https://www.wbshop.com/collections/warner-archive-blu-ray/products/tex-avery-screwball-classics-volume-2-bd
CAN: https://amzn.to/2JRWl8E
COMMENTS: The third ring offers a whimsical glimpse into the future - or at least a future from the POV of the mid-20th century - with a plethora of zany postwar inventions. While none of the cartoons "of tomorrow" foresaw smartphones or DVD players, these far-fetched contraptions, gadgets, houses and farms, televisions, and various modes of transportation could only come from the madcap mind of Avery and his M-G-M crew. Uncut, restored and remastered in High Definition for the first time, Tex Avery Screwball Classics Collection Volume 2 is another must-own collection from the master of hand-drawn mayhem.
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Tremors [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Ron Underwood, 1990) Arrow
US: https://amzn.to/30n2zSJ
CAN: https://amzn.to/2W8ajpk
COMMENT: Good-ol -boy handymen Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) are sick of their dead-end jobs in one-horse desert town Perfection, Nevada (population: 14). Just as they re about to escape Perfection forever, however, things start to get really weird: half-eaten corpses litter the road out of town; the phone lines stop working; and a plucky young scientist shows evidence of unusually strong seismic activity in the area. Something is coming for the citizens of Perfection and it s under the goddamn ground!
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Vigilante [4K UHD Blu-ray] (William Lustig, 1982) Blue Underground
US: https://amzn.to/34KqBtr
COMMENTS: New York City factory worker Eddie Marino (Robert Forster, Oscar nominee for JACKIE BROWN) is a solid citizen and regular guy, until the day a sadistic street gang brutally assaults his wife and murders his child. But when a corrupt judge sets the thugs free, Eddie goes berserk and vows revenge. Now there s a new breed of marauder loose on the city streets, enforcing his own kind of law. His justice is swift. His methods are violent. He is the VIGILANTE.
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NOTABLE NEW CALENDAR UPDATES:

December 21st

Rage (Gilberto Gazcón, 1966) Imprint
https://amzn.to/2Kf1Duu

January 4th

**The Man Who Would Be King** (John Huston, 1975) Warner Archive
https://amzn.to/2K9O5At
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_reviews54/man_who_would_be_king_blu-ray.htm

January 11th

**Liberté** (Albert Serra, 2019) R0 UK Second Run
https://amzn.to/37SeYkx

January 25th

Airport 1/2/3/4 - RB UK Final Cut Entertainment
https://amzn.to/3a076QC

La Grande Illusion (Jean Renoir, 1937) RB UK Studiocanal
https://amzn.to/2KixjPv
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare5/grandeillusion.htm

**Laurel or Hardy: Early Films of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy** - Flicker Alley
https://amzn.to/37RrDEx

The Theatre Bizarre (Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo, 2011) Severin
https://amzn.to/37VFPfK

Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (Jindrich Polák, 1977) R0 Second Run
https://amzn.to/37XLSAr

February 1st

**Do the Right Thing** [4K UHD] (Spike Lee, 1989) Universal
https://amzn.to/37RDDG1

**The Nightingale** (Jennifer Kent, 2018) RB UK Second Sight
https://amzn.to/3a3sgh0

February 8th

**Jazz on a Summer's Day** (Bert Stern, 1959) Kino
https://amzn.to/2W2BW2P
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview/jazz.htm

February 15th

**Man with a Movie Camera** (Dziga Vertov, 1929) Kino
https://amzn.to/3qM3ms3
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_67/man_with_the_movie_camera_blu-ray.htm

February 22nd,

John Hughes 5-Movie Collection (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and She’s Having a Baby) Paramount
https://amzn.to/389zFJ9

**Lady Sings the Blues** (Sidney J. Furie, 1972) Paramount
https://amzn.to/2W6nIhu

Shogun's Joy of Torture (Teruo Ishii, 1968) Arrow UK
https://amzn.to/2W3TjR9

Shogun's Joy of Torture (Teruo Ishii, 1968) Arrow US
https://amzn.to/3m910jt

March 22nd

**The Criminal Code** (Howard Hawks, 1930) Indicator UK
https://amzn.to/3n8Yqvf

**The Inspector** (Philip Dunne, 1962) RB UK Signal One Entertainment
https://amzn.to/2LjkYv0

O. Henry's Full House (Henry Hathaway, Howard Hawks etc.,1952) RB UK Signal One Entertainment
https://amzn.to/3n4ZnEG

The Rare Breed (Andrew V. McLaglen, 1966) RB UK Signal One Entertainment
https://amzn.to/3gEwoFp
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film8/blu-ray_review_102/the_rare_breed_blu-ray.htm

Things Change (David Mamet, 1988) Indicator UK
https://amzn.to/2Ka2QmR

**Twentieth Century** (Howard Hawks, 1934) Indicator UK
https://amzn.to/3gOS4Pn
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Photo Archives" for Patrons:
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Monica Vitti:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/monica_vitti_photo_archive.htm
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Paul Newman:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/paul_newman_photo_archive.htm
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Susan George:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/susan_george_photo_archive.htm
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Jacqueline Bisset:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/jacqueline_bisset_photo_archive.htm
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Suzanne Pleshette:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/suzanne_pleshette_photo_archive.htm
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THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS:

**Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson** BD
UK: https://amzn.to/2JSkn3n
INDICATOR: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/buffalo-bill-and-the-indians-or-sitting-bulls-history-lesson-le?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=BUFFALO-BILL-AND-THE-INDIANS-LE
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_134/buffalo_bill_and_the_indians_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Paul Newman is wonderful in Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson. The film has Altman's sardonic edge - a cynical and funny film - in the director's own haphazard storytelling methods. Not the director's best, and not to all tastes, but the Indicator Blu-ray gives a different 1080P presentation of Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson with interesting extras including the hour's worth of silent Wild West shows. Recommended to Altman completists.
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**A Soldier's Story** BD
UK: https://amzn.to/3cJKSSf
INDICATOR: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/a-soldiers-story-le?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=A-SOLDIERS-STORY-LE
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_134/a_soldiers_story_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Norman Jewison (Rollerball, Moonstruck, In the Heat Of The Night, The Cincinnati Kid, ...And Justice For All) has been making great films for as long as I've been alive. The UK Blu-ray is typical of Indicator's stellar quality - max'ed out a/v, great extras including a commentary - and The Soldier's Story is an above-average crime-thriller with racial overtones. A keeper. It's a very enjoyable viewing experience - making for an easy recommendation for the Indicator Blu-ray that carries significant value.
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**Road Games** BD
UK: https://amzn.to/30kC00p
INDICATOR: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/roadgames-le?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=ROADGAMES-LE
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_66/road_games_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: This is easily the definitive digital edition of the Ozploitation gem Road Games - leaving no stone unturned and in a beautiful, complete, Blu-ray package. Indicator separate themselves from, the crowd... again. Road Games is an above-average murder-thriller with its own genre-appeal. It has plenty of undisclosed details (Jamie Lee Curtis as an heiress hitchhiking in the middle of the desert?) but Keach was a great, final, choice for the lead and it has some engaging suspenseful sequences. Strongly recommended!
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**Devil in a Blue Dress** BD
UK: https://amzn.to/3jfH3qE
From Indicator: https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/collections/frontpage/products/devil-in-a-blue-dress-le?utm_source=DVDBEAVER&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=DEVIL-IN-A-BLUE-DRESS-LE
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/devil_in_a_blue_dress_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Devil in a Blue Dress is a well above average neo-noir mystery/thriller. I loved it - such great art-direction capturing the period and smokey aura. Solid performances and a great story. I wish there were more modern films like this - the new Perry Mason series captures the same L.A. Confidential vibe. The Indicator Blu-ray nudges ahead with the max'ed out transfer, more robust audio, and additional extras including the booklet. It's a film experience directly appealing to those who crave more Noir in their digital library - strongly recommended!
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Apache BD
US: https://amzn.to/2KdzyUx
CAN: https://amzn.to/2LrjWNJ
UK: https://amzn.to/373etoH
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/apache_blu-ray.htm
From Robert Aldrich, the outstanding director of Vera Cruz, Attack, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Dirty Dozen, The Killing of Sister George and Ulzana’s Raid, comes this action-packed western that pulsates with the power and passion of an Indian war drum. Apache explodes with spectacular battle sequences, breathtaking chases and unbridled suspense. After years of bloody fighting with settlers on the American frontier, Apache Chief Geronimo (Monte Blue, Key Largo) is forced to submit to a humiliating surrender. But his fiercest warrior, Massai (Burt Lancaster, The Train), refuses to accept defeat. With enormous strength and razor-sharp cunning, Massai battles the relentless U.S. Cavalry, struggling to stay one step ahead of the highly trained soldiers who have sworn to track him down. And as his crusade escalates into a final epic showdown, Massai knows that he must persevere, not only for his life, but also for the pride of his entire race. Beautifully shot by Ernest Laszlo (Judgment at Nuremberg) and co-starring Jean Peters (Viva Zapata!), John McIntire (Horizons West), Charles Bronson (The White Buffalo) and John Dehner (The Day of the Dolphin).
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**Cinema Paradiso** 4K UHD
US: https://amzn.to/2W5qIKU
UK: https://amzn.to/2LpG3UN
CAN: https://amzn.to/3oGcUD7
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/cinema_paradiso_4K_UHD.htm
COMMENTS: One of the greatest films of all time, Giuseppe Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso is essential cinema. Cinephiles have a direct connection with its narrative. The 4K UHD is quite the step-up forward in video. I'm so glad that Arrow continue their support of films like this in the 3840 X 2160 format. This is an easy upgrade to our Desert Island Discs in the next update. You.must.own.
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Abrakadabra BD
US: https://amzn.to/33XCZ8Q
CAN: https://amzn.to/36ZBhpa
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/abrakadabra_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: While not to everybody's tastes, "Abrakadabra" is a fun riff on the Giallo tropes and style. Fans of Giallo might want to also check out the Adam Brooks and Matthew Kennedy directed "The Editor" (2014) which adds a welcome level of absurdity and humor. Regardless, it is exciting to see this new Blu-ray label, Cauldron Films, and we look forward to reviewing more of their content in the future.
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King Kong (1976) BD
US: https://amzn.to/2VZfBU0
UK: https://amzn.to/3n3j6oi
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews46/king_kong_76_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Fans still await a stellar Blu-ray In Region 'A'. For many this, 1976 flic, is their favorite version of the King Kong tale - nostalgia? go figure. But the Umbrella price seems exorbitant considering the availability of the dual-layered German Blu-ray release. The French Blu-ray remains OOP.
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**Danger: Diabolik** BD
US: https://amzn.to/2VUiqWt
UK: https://amzn.to/3719Ds8
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_125/danger_diabolik_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: What may be important for many about Imprint's Danger: Diabolik Blu-ray are the new, and thorough, Lucas commentary, new, and the enlightening, Ellinger video essay plus the fact that it is region FREE. Also the slipcase may be of value to some who appreciate that aesthetic. I happen to like the transparent case inside the slipcase:
Depending on you 'wants' this may easily be considered the definitive Blu-ray edition although true fans of the film will want both.
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**Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection** BD
US: https://amzn.to/2VYBF18
WARNER: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3628627/type/dlg/https:/www.wbshop.com/products/bugs-bunny-80th-anniversary-collection-bd
CAN: https://amzn.to/3n1gd7f
UK: https://amzn.to/383nFsD
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/bugs_bunny_80th_anniversary_collection_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Okay, on the positive for the Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection 3 Blu-ray package - the cartoons look amazing and there are plenty I don't ever recall seeing before - good ones! To have all these commentaries (that also have a 'Play All' function) is a huge bonus as is the new documentary. The lossy audio is a surprising choice. I know many Bugs Bunny aficionados may not also be a fan of Funko figures and that inclusion won't be appreciation by most. I guess everyone has their favorites - many are here (Rabbit Fire, Rabbit of Seville, Baseball Bugs etc.), but some are absent like Broom-Stick Bunny, Long-Haired Hare (poking fun at both Opera and Disney), Little Red Riding Rabbit, Rabbit Hood, Bunny Hugged (with the wrestler 'The Crusher'), Hocus Pocus Hare (in the haunted castle) to name a few - and there were none that I could see with the Tasmanian Devil ?! I believe there are at least 4 of them. And how about One Froggy Evening (although not Bugs) as a bonus. Perhaps they will surface on an upcoming Warner Brothers Blu-ray package. I'd love to see a Foghorn Leghorn BD set, too. This has immense value if you want to start a movie night with a Bugs cartoon or two.. in the glory of 1080P. Fans can indulge in the commentaries, new documentary and there is more with the other featurettes, isolated scores and more. Feels like a must-own, and maybe you can give away the Funko at Christmas if you don't want it. Absolutely still recommended!
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**Hammer House of Horror** BD
US: https://amzn.to/2LadhXY
UK: https://amzn.to/3qGSziH
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/hammer_house_of_horror_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: The series has some recognizable stars; Jon Finch (Frenzy), Ian McCulloch (Zombie), Denholm Elliott (The Night My Number Came Up), Leigh Lawson (Tess), Marius Goring (The Red Shoes), Peter Cushing (The Brides of Dracula), Brian Cox, Diana Dors (Yield to the Night), Celia Gregory (who became a faith healer in later life), episodes directed by the likes of Tom Clegg (Sweeney 2), Don Sharp (Kiss of the Vampire), Peter Sasdy (Countess Dracula), Robert Young (Vampire Circus) and others. Transplanting back in the 80's UK this series has a ton of value. I liked the deviation from Gothic with the modernization yet still carrying some Hammer Studio charm. The commentaries are a great addition. The Imprint Blu-ray package is a beautiful and function a box. I'm really high on this and we give it a very strong recommendation!
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Cry of a Prostitute BD
US: https://amzn.to/3gr4ufY
UK: https://amzn.to/36VRrQr
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/cry_of_a_prostitute_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: I should've known from the time I saw director Andrea Bianchi's name pop up in the credits that this was going to be a fun ride. There are scenes of such over-the-top bad taste that this would be a hard film to recommend, aside from fellow schlock fans. Henry Silva plays perhaps one of the most loathsome main characters that I have seen in a while, and oh boy that 'hanging-meat' scene, or the steam roller scene.... Code Red's Blu-ray is short on extras but this is worth checking out.... to fans of offbeat Giallo-esque cinema.
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Rock Hudson Collection BD
Seminole (1953), The Golden Blade (1953) and Bengal Brigade (1954)
US: https://amzn.to/3gp9wJN
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/rock_hudson_collection_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: This is quite a collection of 3 1950s Technicolor adventure films starring screen legend Rock Hudson from Kino. These new Blu-rays really put the 'color' back into Technicolor. The 2 commentaries are well-worth a visit for fans of Hudson or this golden age of classic Hollywood cinema, in general. Recommended.
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Alphabet City BD
US: https://amzn.to/2JJJzZs
CAN: https://amzn.to/33K5AhN
UK: https://amzn.to/2JZjm8Y
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/alphabet_city_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this film from Amos Poe (at this point probably most famous for his 1976 punk documentary, "The Blank Generation"). Fun City Editions have a winner on their hands with this new Blu-ray release. The 2K restoration lets the rain-soaked NYC lights really shine. The music from Nile Rodgers is impressive, and Spano is a likeable, handsome leading man. There are some other interesting cast members that pop up, from Michael Winslow ("The Police Academy") to Jami Gertz ("Less Than Zero" and "The Lost Boys"). Highly recommended! - Colin Zavitz
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**The Winslow Boy** BD
US: https://amzn.to/3lQoRnI
CAN: https://amzn.to/3giRFUR
UK: https://amzn.to/3ghIEeC
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_131/the_winslow_boy_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: A wonderful and re-watchable film buoyed by Mamet's concise dialogue and the gorgeous art direction (Trisha Edwards.) The Winslow Boy is brilliantly realized with touches like the sexual tension between Jeremy Northam and Rebecca Pidgeon - subtle but evident. In fact all performances are strong - notably Ronnie Winslow's parents played by Gemma Jones and distinguished Nigel Hawthorne. I'd love to see the Anthony Asquith 1948 film version. I really enjoyed seeing David Mamet's The Winslow Boy again - especially with the significant a/v upgrade of the Imprint Blu-ray. The Mamet etc. commentary has additional value. Strongly recommended!
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