|
DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week
of December 5th, 2022
http://www.dvdbeaver.com
THIS WEEK's RELEASES: Tarantino's intermingling of four tales
of violence and redemption... in 4K. Walter Hill's getaway driver
adventures in 4K, Caligari somnambulist cabinet in 4K!, Spike Jonze
originality in 4K, mass box of fourteen Shaw bros films, last season
of Saul, 'growth ray' helps track a cheating husband, more Walter
Hill / Eddie Murphy 4K crime-defeating-entertainment, vintage
supernatural comedy, Mike Hodges casino novelization, Christmas
Ghost Stories, early Haneke X 3, Mastorakis zombie schlock is fun,
Gary Oldman directs Ray Winstone's working-class dad's collapse,
must-own John Huston's Tennessee Williams' nocturnal lizard,
Mulligan's Mockingbird in 4K reaches UK shores...
THIS WEEK's CALENDAR UPDATES (previous): Orson Welles,
Jacques Becker, + Walter Hill - all in 4K UHD!, Elvis in 4K, BIG
Tarantino in 4K, Sonny Chiba boxset, Lucio Fulci, John Huston, 50
Foot Woman mayhem, more De Palma in 4K, massive Wim Wenders boxset, 90's
Paul Newman gem in 4K, Don Siegel, Gaspar Noé, Angela Mao double
feature comes to the US, Lars von Trier triptych from Criterion,
John Hughes, Ruggero Deodato in 4K, more Ingmar from BFI, Terry
Gilliam, Lukas Moodysson box, Pete Walker box, Barry Levinson and
James Ivory in 4K, Mario Bava, Franco Nero box...
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: Slowish week, but we still have a
Criterion Michael Haneke Trilogy, essential German expressionism -
in 4K no less! Brit Ghost Stories for the holidays has a massive
amount of fans and a double feature of Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard
spookfest comedies...
Enjoy,
Gary
RELEASES the WEEK of December 5th, 2022 (Recommended titles
have "**")
**48 Hrs. [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Walter Hill, 1982) Paramount
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE
LINK
COMMENTS: Eddie Murphy rocketed to movie star status (and earned a
Best Actor Golden Globe nomination) in this acclaimed action comedy
that pushes the limits of both genres. Nick Nolte is unforgettable
as Jack Cates, a rough-edged Inspector on the hunt for two vicious
cop-killers. Unlikely ride-along con Reggie Hammond (Murphy), is
given 48-hour leave from prison to help Cates on the case. The
laughs fly almost as much as the punches, as both men attempt two
very different goals in a short amount of time. This 4K UHD with
HDR-10 and Dolby Vision is an essential upgrade of a high-octane
classic, approved by director Walter Hill.
___________________________________
48 Hrs/Another 48 Hrs [4K UHD Blu-ray] Double Feature - Paramount
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE
LINK
COMMENTS: 48 HRS.: Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy make one of the most
unusual and entertaining teams ever in Walter Hill's rollercoaster
thriller, 48 Hrs. Nolte is a rough-edged cop after two vicious
cop-killers. He can't do it without the help of smooth and dapper
Murphy, who is serving time for a half-million dollar robbery. This
unlikely partnership trades laughs as often as punches as both
pursue their separate goals: Nolte wants the villains; Murphy wants
his money and some much-needed female companionship. Together they
take this adventure to hilarious extremes! ANOTHER 48 HRS.: Times
may change…but these guys don’t! Eddie Murphy (Shrek, Dr. Doolittle)
and Nick Nolte (Hotel Rwanda, Cape Fear) are back on the streets in
this smash sequel. Ex-con Reggie Hammond (Murphy) has just been
released from prison, and he’s having his worst day ever…he’s got no
money, his beloved Porsche was blown to bits and someone wants him
dead. Hard-nosed cop Jack Cates (Nolte) isn’t having any better
luck…he’s accused of manslaughter in a drug bust gone wrong, and may
lose his badge. Fate has pushed these unlikely partners back
together…one to fight for his job, and the other for his life. It’s
another car-chasing, fist-flying, shoot-‘em-up 48 hours in the city
streets of San Francisco. And once again, Murphy and Nolte are in
rare form as they team up to take the bad guys down!
___________________________________
**Adaptation. [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Spike Jonze, 2002) Sony
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Director Spike Jonze delivers a stunningly original comedy
that seamlessly blends fictional characters and situations with the
lives of real people: obsessive orchid hunter John Laroche (Cooper),
NewYorker journalist Susan Orlean (Streep), Hollywood screenwriter
Charlie Kaufman (Cage), and his twin brother, Donald (also Cage). As
Charlie struggles to adapt Orlean's best-selling book "The
OrchidThief," he writes himself into his own movie. The various
stories crash into one another exploding into a wildly imaginative
film. ADAPTATION, the year's most talked about movie, is at once a
hilarious drama and a moving comedy.
___________________________________
**Attack of the 50 Foot Woman** [Blu-ray] (Nathan Juran, 1958) Warner
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Allison Hayes cuts one very fine, five-story figure as
Nancy Archer, an affluent California housewife who encounters a
stranded alien on a deserted highway and is zapped by it's "growth
ray." Now the beauteous behemoth sets out to make trouble for her
philandering husband (William Hudson) and his other women, in this
classic sci-fi turkey. Co-stars Yvette Vickers, George Douglas.
___________________________________
**Better Call Saul - Season 6** [Blu-ray] - Sony US
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Better Call Saul’s final season concludes the complicated
journey and transformation of its compromised hero, Jimmy McGill
(Bob Odenkirk), into criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. From the cartel
to the courthouse, from Albuquerque to Omaha, season six tracks
Jimmy, Saul and Gene as well as Jimmy’s complex relationship with
Kim (Rhea Seehorn), who is in the midst of her own existential
crisis. Meanwhile, Mike (Jonathan Banks), Gus (Giancarlo Esposito),
Nacho (Michael Mando) and Lalo (Tony Dalton) are locked into a game
of cat and mouse with mortal stakes.
___________________________________
**Robert Wiene's "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" 4K UHD**
- Werner Krauss @mastersofcinema @Eurekavideo
UK PURCHASE
LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Masters of Cinema's 4K UHD of Robert Wiene's "The Cabinet
of Dr. Caligari" is a very highly anticipated release. It is the
quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema. The film's
extravagant twisted graphic style with obtuse angles and streaks of
light painted directly onto the sets is the stuff of filmic legend.
It is one of THE films you want to see in its best video
presentation and this 4K UHD is it. The new Masters of Cinema
edition has the best ever video, a new audio score option, a
thorough new commentary, Kim Newman - the other older valuable
extras, including the video essay and long documentary plus it
offers a 100-page book. It is a must-own. Don't hesitate getting
this for yourself for the Holidays.
___________________________________
**The Cat and the Canary + The Ghost Breakers** Blu-ray - Bob
Hope / Paulette Goddard @Eurekavideo
UK PURCHASE
LINK
BONUS CAPTURES /
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: The Cat and the Canary is good old-fashioned fun but I
appreciated the fright-fest side of the film more than the humor
(although Hope's one-liners are great) with a dramatic, spooky
conclusion. There is great lighting, plenty of dark corridors,
underground passageways and shadows in the old mansion. George
Marshall's The Ghost Breakers is as fun as The Cat and the Canary
(although I may have liked the 1939 film a bit more.). See if you
can see Robert Ryan as an uncredited 'intern' and an early Anthony
Quinn who is here briefly. These Hope / Goddard films really work
well - it's a shame neither Kino or Eureka could swing Nothing But
the Truth to Blu-ray although the film doesn't have the spooky
connection element. The genre mix here has a unique appeal. Eureka
have equaled Kino on the a/v but have added more for the extras with
Lyons, Rigby and Newman plus the radio adaptation and the booklet.
Include in this both films are on one Blu-ray making for a great
double-feature night. Easy to watch, fun and absolutely recommended!
___________________________________
**Croupier [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Mike Hodges, 1998) Arrow UK
UK BLU-RAY
PURCHASE LINK
UK 4K UHD
PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Jack Manfred (Clive Owen) is an aspiring writer going
nowhere fast. Taking a job as a casino croupier just to make ends
meet, he finds himself seduced by the high stakes world of luck and
chance. As the job takes over his life and his relationship to
girlfriend Marion (Gina McKee) begins to crumble, Jack's attention
is caught by down-on-her-luck gambler Jani (Alex Kingston). Under
pressure from her creditors, she asks Jack to be the inside man for
a planned heist at the casino. It all sounds so easy. But even a pro
can't predict the cards he will be dealt. With a screenplay by Paul
Mayersberg (The Man Who Fell to Earth, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence)
Hodges first theatrical feature in almost a decade proved that he’d
lost none of his edge. Cooly confident, mercilessly gripping and
tautly directed, Croupier arrives on Arrow Video looking better than
ever, newly restored from the original 35mm camera negative with a
wealth of brand new special features.
___________________________________
**The Driver [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Walter Hill, 1978) Studiocanal UK
UK PURCHASE
LINK
COMMENTS: 1978 American neo-noir, directed by Walter Hill (Warriors)
and starring Ryan O’Neal, Bruce Dern and Isabelle Adjani. The Driver
(Ryan O’Neal) is the best “wheel man” for hire. His work in driving
getaway cars are exhibitions in excellence, works of art. The
Detective (Bruce Dern) is the top cop of the force. Nobody he tracks
down ever eludes him. Except the Driver. As the Driver pulls off
another job, the Detective lays in wait for him. But the Driver has
already planted his alibi and is one step ahead of him.
___________________________________
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors [Blu-ray] (Freddie Francis, 1965) RB
UK Fabulous Films
UK PURCHASE
LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: Dr. Terror (Peter Cushing) is a mysterious fortune teller
who boards a train to tell fellow passengers (Christopher Lee, Roy
Castle and Donald Sutherland) their fortune with tarot cards. Five
possible futures unfold: an architect returns to his ancestral home
to find a werewolf out for revenge; a huge flesh-eating vine takes
over a house; a musician gets involved with voodoo; an art critic is
pursued by a disembodied hand and a doctor discovers his new wife is
a vampire. But they all end in the same result...DEATH! A
fascinating and fast paced example of portmanteau filmmaking with a
deadly twist in the tale....
___________________________________
**Ghost Stories for Christmas: Volume 1** Blu-ray - John Hurt
@BFI
UK PURCHASE
LINK
Whistle and I’ll Come to You (1968), Whistle and I’ll Come to You
(2010), The Stalls of Barchester(1971), A Warning to the Curious
(1972) and Lost Hearts (1973)
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Ghost Stories for Christmas: Volume 1 on BFI Blu-ray has
almost three hours of the classic British short television films.
There are seven more - The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (1974,) The Ash
Tree (1975), The Signalman (1976) - the most critically acclaimed,
Stigma (1977), The Ice House (1978), A View From a Hill (2005) and
Number 13 (2006) - portending future Blu-ray volumes. While watching
these I was reminded of The Stone Tape - a ghost story originally
broadcast on Christmas Day 1972. But these were better - more
cerebral but retaining an edge of spookiness. I really liked A
Warning to the Curious with Peter Vaughan (Tom Hedden in Straw Dogs)
about an amateur archaeologist who travels to a remote seaside town
in Norfolk to search for the lost crown of Anglia, but after
unearthing it he is haunted by a mysterious figure. And, of course,
Lost Hearts with ghoulish zombie-fied children <shudder>. These are
excellent and the extras-stacked packages makes me anxious for the
next volume. Certainly recommended!
___________________________________
The Leech [Blu-ray] (Eric Pennycoff, 2022) Arrow
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE
LINK
COMMENTS: Father David (Graham Skipper, Sequence Break), a Catholic
priest struggling to fill the pews in his church, allows a homeless
man, Terry (Jeremy Gardner, After Midnight), into his home to escape
the December chill. But this simple act of kindness has unforeseen
consequences when Terry’s pregnant girlfriend, Lexi (Taylor Gardner,
Sadistic Intentions), also decides to crash at the parochial house.
Determined to save the warring couple through the healing power of
God’s love, David’s ordered existence quickly unravels as he
succumbs to the wicked ways of the parasitic pair. Will he pass this
apparent test of faith or resort to blood-soaked, Old Testament
justice?
___________________________________
**Michael Haneke: Trilogy** Blu-ray - Birgit Doll / Arno
Frisch @Criterion
The Seventh Continent (1989), Benny's Video (1992) and 71 Fragments
of a Chronology of Chance (1994)
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: I would agree with the included documentary, Michael H.
Profession: Director, IMDb description that "Michael Haneke,
theorists of the image that knows better than any other the dregs of
our society with their existential fears and emotional derailment to
bring to light..." These three films have a lasting impression -
often uncomfortably - as they unsentimentally probe the darker
emotions that society, as a whole, instinctively represses.
Unsettling themes include social, often self-imposed, alienation,
desensitized violence, and robotically bland mass media exposure.
His films are fearless and not without controversy; Funny Games,
often exporting a sublime contempt for normalcy. I loved The Piano
Teacher, Code Unknown, Hidden and White Ribbon. You can see the
evolution of his style through these early films; The Seventh
Continent, Benny's Video and 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance.
They are unique, deeply probing and brilliantly realized. The
Criterion Blu-ray package offers director-approved transfers,
interviews and more. Absolutely recommended!
___________________________________
Nightmare at Noon [Blu-ray] (Nico Mastorakis, 1988) Arrow
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE
LINK
COMMENTS: Something strange is afoot in a small remote town in Utah,
as a series of sinister state experiments in the surrounding desert
leads to the contamination of its water supply, transforming the
residents into lethal brainless maniacs. Enter vacationing lawyer
Ken Griffiths (Wings Hauser, Vice Squad), his sassy wife Cheri
(Kimberly Beck) and Reilly (Bo Hopkins), the mysterious hitchhiker
they pick up on the road, who find themselves thrust into the midst
of this madness when they stop for a drink at the local diner.
Featuring an epic score by Stanley Myers and Hans Zimmer (Inception,
The Dark Knight series) and set amongst the spectacular backdrop of
Arches National Park, Nightmare at Noon is a non-stop adrenaline
pumping thrill ride!
___________________________________
**Nil by Mouth** [Blu-ray] (Gary Oldman, 1997) RB UK BFI
UK PURCHASE
LINK
COMMENTS: Gary Oldman revealed himself as a filmmaker of
uncompromising talent with Nil by Mouth, his debut and so far only
directorial feature. Set on a council estate in New Cross, south
east London (the area where Oldman himself grew up), a dysfunctional
family encounters domestic violence, drunkenness, drug addiction and
petty crime. Featuring career-best performances from Kathy Burke
(winner of Best Actress at Cannes), Ray Winstone and Charlie
Creed-Miles, all superbly supported by Laila Morse and Jamie
Foreman, Nil by Mouth was awarded Best British Film and Best
Original Screenplay at the 1998 Bafta awards.
___________________________________
**The Night of the Iguana** [Blu-ray] (John Huston, 1964) Warner
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: John Huston co-wrote and directed this gripping adaptation
of Tennessee Williams' play focusing on disgraced former clergyman
Rev. Dr. T. Lawrence Shannon. The story chronicles Shannon's
(Richard Burton) dalliances with three very different women-a widow
(Ava Gardner), a painter (Deborah Kerr), and a young nymph (Sue
Lyon)-while working as a tour guide in Mexico. Grayson Hall, James
Ward also star.
___________________________________
**Pulp Fiction [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Quentin Tarantino, 1994) Paramount
US 4K UHD
PURCHASE LINK
UK 4K UHD
PURCHASE LINK
US 4K UHD
Steelbook PURCHASE LINK
UK 4K UHD
Steelbook PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Critics and audiences worldwide hailed PULP FICTION as the
star-studded picture that redefined cinema in the 20th Century!
Writer/director Quentin Tarantino delivers an unforgettable cast of
characters, including a pair of low-rent hit men (John Travolta and
Samuel L. Jackson), their boss's sexy wife (Uma Thurman), and a
desperate prizefighter (Bruce Willis), in a wildly entertaining and
exhilarating motion picture adventure that both thrills and amuses!
___________________________________
Resurrection [Blu-ray] (Andrew Semans, 2022) RB UK Mediumrare
UK PURCHASE
LINK
COMMENTS: Resurrection’s Margaret (Rebecca Hall) leads a successful
and orderly life, perfectly balancing the demands of her busy career
and single parenthood to her fiercely independent daughter Abbie.
Everything is under control. But that careful balance is upended
when an unwelcome shadow from her past, David (Tim Roth) returns,
carrying with him the horrors of Margaret’s past. Battling her
rising fear, Margaret must confront the monster she’s evaded for two
decades who has come to conclude their unfinished business.
Writer-director Andrew Semans delivers pure havoc one moment and
feelings of deep familiarity the next, creating a film that promises
a gripping emotional journey fused with a grand guignol-style living
nightmare.
___________________________________
**Shawscope: Volume Two** [Blu-ray] (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Return
to the 36th Chamber, Disciples of the 36th Chamber, Mad Monkey Kung
Fu, Five Superfighters. Venom Mob, Invincible Shaolin, The Kid with
the Golden Arm, Magnificent Ruffians, Ten Tigers of Kwangtung, My
Young Auntie, Mercenaries from Hong Kong, The Boxer’s Omen, Martial
Arts of Shaolin, The Bare-Footed Kid) Arrow US
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
Already out in:
UK PURCHASE
LINK
COMMENTS: Picking up where Volume One left off, this sophomore
collection of Hong Kong cinema classics draws together many of the
best films from the final years of the Shaw Brothers studio, proving
that while the end was nigh, these merchants of martial arts mayhem
weren’t going to go out without a fight! Armed with stunning special
features and ravishing new restorations, this boxset is even bigger
and bolder than the last one. We begin with kung fu master Lau Kar-leung’s
instant classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, in which his adoptive
brother Gordon Liu achieved overnight stardom as the young man who
unexpectedly finds spiritual enlightenment on the path to vengeance;
Lau and Liu followed the original with two comically inventive
sequels, Return to the 36th Chamber and Disciples of the 36th
Chamber, both included here. Already established as a genius at
blending dazzling action with physical comedy, Lau himself plays the
lead role in the hilarious Mad Monkey Kung Fu, coupled here with Lo
Mar’s underrated Five Superfighters. Next, we once again meet Chang
Cheh’s basher boy band the Venom Mob in no less than four of their
best-loved team-ups: Invincible Shaolin, The Kid with the Golden
Arm, Magnificent Ruffians and culminating in the all-star Ten Tigers
of Kwangtung, co-starring Ti Lung and Fu Sheng. After Lau brings us
perhaps his best high-kicking comedy with My Young Auntie, a playful
star vehicle for his real-life muse Kara Hui, we see Shaw Brothers
fully embracing Eighties excess in our strangest double feature yet:
Wong Jing’s breathtakingly wild shoot-‘em-up Mercenaries from Hong
Kong, and Kuei Chih-hung’s spectacularly unhinged black magic
meltdown The Boxer’s Omen. Last but certainly not least, Lau Kar-leung
directs the last major Shaw production, Martial Arts of Shaolin,
filmed in mainland China with a hot new talent named Jet Li in the
lead role; it is paired in this set with The Bare-Footed Kid, a
reverent remake of a Chang Cheh classic with Johnnie To (Running Out
of Time) in the director’s chair and Lau back on fight choreography
duties, in arguably the ultimate filmed tribute to Shaws’
everlasting cinematic legacy.
___________________________________
**To Kill a Mockingbird** [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Robert Mulligan, 1962)
Universal UK
To Kill a Mockingbird LE [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Robert Mulligan, 1962)
Universal UK
UK 4K UHD
PURCHASE LINK
UK LE 4K UHD
PURCHASE LINK
Already out in:
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Experience one of the most significant milestones in film
history like never before with To Kill a Mockingbird. Screen legend
Gregory Peck stars as courageous Southern lawyer Atticus Finchthe
Academy Award-winning performance hailed by the American Film
Institute as the Greatest Movie Hero of All Time. Based on Harper
Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning novel about innocence, strength and
conviction and nominated for 8 Academy Awards, this beloved classic
includes hours of unforgettable bonus features. Watch it and
remember why "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
________________________________
LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES (CLICK TITLES FOR MORE INFORMATION):
December 12th, 2022
**Carrie** 4K UHD (Brian De Palma, 1976) Shout! Factory
US 4K PURCHASE
LINK
US 4K STEELBOOK
PURCHASE LINK
**The Outer Limits Complete Series (1963 - 65)** - RB UK Mediumrare
DVDBEAVER ALT-REVIEW
DVDBEAVER ALT-REVIEW
**Wim Wenders | A Curzon Collection** (22-disc collection encompasses
the 50-year career) - RB UK Curzon
___________________________
December 19th, 2022
**The Taking of Pelham One Two Three**
4K UHD (Joseph Sargent, 1974)
Kino
WarGames
4K UHD (John Badham, 1983) Shout! Factory
___________________________
December 26th, 2022
**Nobody's Fool**
4K UHD (Robert Benton, 1994) Kino
___________________________
January 2nd, 2023
**Married to the Mob** (Jonathan Demme, 1988) Fun City Editions UK
___________________________
January 9th, 2023
**The Dunwich Horror** (Daniel Haller, 1970) Arrow
US PURCHASE
LINK
UK PURCHASE
LINK
**Imitation of Life** (John M. Stahl, 1934) Criterion
___________________________
January 16th, 2023
**Death of a Gunfighter** (Don Siegel, Robert Totten, 1969) RB UK
Indicator
Double Jeopardy
4K UHD (Bruce Beresford, 1999) Paramount
**Freud** (John Huston, 1962) RB UK Indicator
Ghost Warrior (J. Larry Carroll, 1984) Kino
**Irreversible** (Gaspar Noé, 2002) RB UK Indicator
UK PURCHASE
LINK
INDICATOR PURCHASE LINK
DVDBeaver Review
**Lady Whirlwind (1972) + Hapkido (1972)** - Arrow US
DVDBEAVER ALT-REVIEW
**Lars von Trier's Europe Trilogy** (The Element of Crime/Epidemic/Europa)
- Criterion
**The Night of the Following Day** (Hubert Cornfield, Richard Boone,
1969) RB UK Indicator
UK PURCHASE
LINK
INDICATOR PURCHASE LINK
DVDBEAVER ALT-REVIEW
**They Might Be Giants** (Anthony Harvey, 1971) RB UK Indicator
___________________________
January 23rd, 2023
**The Breakfast Club** (John Hughes, 1985) Criterion UK
DVDBEAVER REVIEW
The House on the Edge of the Park 4K UHD (Ruggero Deodato, 1980) UK
88 Films
**Ingmar Bergman: Volume 4 (1972-1984)** - Cries and Whispers (1972) |
Scenes from a Marriage (1973) | Autumn Sonata (1978) | Faro Document
(1979) | From the Life of the Marrionettes (1980) | Fanny and
Alexander (1982) | Fanny and Alexander (TV series) (1983) | After
the Rehearsal (1984) - RB UK BFI
The Jackie Chan Collection: Volume 1 1976 - 1982 (THE KILLER
METEORS, SHAOLIN WOODEN MEN, TO KILL WITH INTRIGUE, SNAKE & CRANE
ARTS OF SHAOLIN, DRAGON FIST, BATTLE CREEK BRAWL, DRAGON LORD)
Shout! Factory
Run Man Run (Sergio Sollima, 1968) RB UK Masters of Cinema
This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection (Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese,
2019) Criterion
___________________________
January 30th, 2023
**The Adventures of Baron Munchausen** (Terry Gilliam, 1988) Criterion
UK
DVDBEAVER ALT-REVIEW
Bergman Island (Mia Hansen-Løve, 2021) Criterion
**The Lukas Moodysson Collection** (Fucking Åmål, Together, Lilya
4-ever, A Hole in My Heart, Container, Mammoth, We Are The Best!)
Arrow
US PURCHASE
LINK
UK PURCHASE
LINK
___________________________
February 6th, 2023
**Cutter's Way** (Ivan Passer, 1981) Fun City UK
___________________________
February 20th, 2023
**The Pete Walker Heritage Collection** - For Men Only (1967), School
for Sex (1968), The Big Switch (1968), Man of Violence (1970), Cool
It Carol! (1970) and Home Before Midnight (1978) - RB UK 88 Films
**Rain Man** 4K UHD (Barry Levinson, 1988) Mvd Marquee Collection
**The Remains of the Day** 4K UHD (James Ivory, 1993) Sony
___________________________
March 27th, 2023
**The Whip and the Body** (Mario Bava, 1963) RB UK 88 Films
UK PURCHASE
LINK
DVDBEAVER ALT-REVIEW
___________________________
May 1st, 2023
**Cosa Nostra: Franco Nero In Three Mafia Tales By Damiano Damiani**
(The Day of the Owl, The Case is Closed: Forget It. Inside, How to
Kill a Judge) Radiance Films
____________________________________
REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:
**Michael Haneke: Trilogy** Blu-ray - Birgit Doll / Arno
Frisch @Criterion
The Seventh Continent (1989), Benny's Video (1992) and 71 Fragments
of a Chronology of Chance (1994)
US PURCHASE
LINK
CANADIAN
PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: I would agree with the included documentary, Michael H.
Profession: Director, IMDb description that "Michael Haneke,
theorists of the image that knows better than any other the dregs of
our society with their existential fears and emotional derailment to
bring to light..." These three films have a lasting impression -
often uncomfortably - as they unsentimentally probe the darker
emotions that society, as a whole, instinctively represses.
Unsettling themes include social, often self-imposed, alienation,
desensitized violence, and robotically bland mass media exposure.
His films are fearless and not without controversy; Funny Games,
often exporting a sublime contempt for normalcy. I loved The Piano
Teacher, Code Unknown, Hidden and White Ribbon. You can see the
evolution of his style through these early films; The Seventh
Continent, Benny's Video and 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance.
They are unique, deeply probing and brilliantly realized. The
Criterion Blu-ray package offers director-approved transfers,
interviews and more. Absolutely recommended!
___________________________
**Robert Wiene's "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" 4K UHD**
- Werner Krauss @mastersofcinema @Eurekavideo
UK PURCHASE
LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Masters of Cinema's 4K UHD of Robert Wiene's "The Cabinet
of Dr. Caligari" is a very highly anticipated release. It is the
quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema. The film's
extravagant twisted graphic style with obtuse angles and streaks of
light painted directly onto the sets is the stuff of filmic legend.
It is one of THE films you want to see in its best video
presentation and this 4K UHD is it. The new Masters of Cinema
edition has the best ever video, a new audio score option, a
thorough new commentary, Kim Newman - the other older valuable
extras, including the video essay and long documentary plus it
offers a 100-page book. It is a must-own. Don't hesitate getting
this for yourself for the Holidays.
___________________________
**Ghost Stories for Christmas: Volume 1** Blu-ray - John Hurt
@BFI
UK PURCHASE
LINK
Whistle and I’ll Come to You (1968), Whistle and I’ll Come to You
(2010), The Stalls of Barchester(1971), A Warning to the Curious
(1972) and Lost Hearts (1973)
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Ghost Stories for Christmas: Volume 1 on BFI Blu-ray has
almost three hours of the classic British short television films.
There are seven more - The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (1974,) The Ash
Tree (1975), The Signalman (1976) - the most critically acclaimed,
Stigma (1977), The Ice House (1978), A View From a Hill (2005) and
Number 13 (2006) - portending future Blu-ray volumes. While watching
these I was reminded of The Stone Tape - a ghost story originally
broadcast on Christmas Day 1972. But these were better - more
cerebral but retaining an edge of spookiness. I really liked A
Warning to the Curious with Peter Vaughan (Tom Hedden in Straw Dogs)
about an amateur archaeologist who travels to a remote seaside town
in Norfolk to search for the lost crown of Anglia, but after
unearthing it he is haunted by a mysterious figure. And, of course,
Lost Hearts with ghoulish zombie-fied children <shudder>. These are
excellent and the extras-stacked packages makes me anxious for the
next volume. Certainly recommended!
___________________________
**The Cat and the Canary + The Ghost Breakers** Blu-ray - Bob
Hope / Paulette Goddard @Eurekavideo
UK PURCHASE
LINK
BONUS CAPTURES /
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: The Cat and the Canary is good old-fashioned fun but I
appreciated the fright-fest side of the film more than the humor
(although Hope's one-liners are great) with a dramatic, spooky
conclusion. There is great lighting, plenty of dark corridors,
underground passageways and shadows in the old mansion. George
Marshall's The Ghost Breakers is as fun as The Cat and the Canary
(although I may have liked the 1939 film a bit more.). See if you
can see Robert Ryan as an uncredited 'intern' and an early Anthony
Quinn who is here briefly. These Hope / Goddard films really work
well - it's a shame neither Kino or Eureka could swing Nothing But
the Truth to Blu-ray although the film doesn't have the spooky
connection element. The genre mix here has a unique appeal. Eureka
have equaled Kino on the a/v but have added more for the extras with
Lyons, Rigby and Newman plus the radio adaptation and the booklet.
Include in this both films are on one Blu-ray making for a great
double-feature night. Easy to watch, fun and absolutely recommended!
____________________________________
DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week
of December 5th, 2022 |