DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of May 9th,
2022
http://www.dvdbeaver.com
THIS WEEK's RELEASES are enticing, -
Alfred Hitchcock X 5 in 4K UHD, Criterion does Jûzô Itami, Bertrand Tavernier +
Joseph Losey. Blake Edwards, Spielberg's dinos in 4K UHD, Miklós Jancsó, Hong
Sang-soo, Wes Craven, naughty Cinderella...
THIS WEEK's CALENDAR UPDATES (repeated!) iconic George Stevens in 4K UHD,
70's Michael Caine in 4K UHD, Beaucoup Miklós Jancsó box, Indicator bring us
Hammer, Budd Boetticher, Frank Perry, - another Kino Noir box!, Karloff trifecta
by Eureka, Cushing Dr. Who in 2X 4K UHD!, Steven Soderbergh in 4K UHD, Warner
Archive offer Vincente Minnelli, Fred Zinnemann, Busby Berkeley, new Paul
Schrader - Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and Jackie Chan make it to 4K UHD, Sherlock on
cocaine, Antonio Margheriti sci-fi and plenty more...
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: Jewison masterpiece in 4K UHD, Japanese "The Loved
One", Euro-heist gem with Janet Leigh, Klaus Kinski and Edward G. Robinson,
three film noir with MacMurray, Ava Gardner, Howard Duff, Dan Duryea, Richard
Conte, Charles Bickford and Shelley Winters (X2), Stanley Long's sex comedies X
3....
Enjoy,
Gary
RELEASES the WEEK of May 9th, 2022 (Recommended titles have "**")
_________________
**The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Saboteur /
Shadow of a Doubt / The Trouble with Harry / Marnie / Family Plot) Universal
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: The set features 5 classic Hitchcock films in 4k for the first time
including Saboteur (1942), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), The Trouble with Harry
(1955), Marnie (1964), and the director’s last film Family Plot (1976).
_________________
The Beta Test [Blu-ray] (Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe, 2021) IFC
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: A married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter for an
anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying,
murder and infidelity in this scintillating satire.
_________________
**The Carey Treatment** [Blu-ray] (Blake Edwards, 1972) Warner Archive
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Blake Edwards directed this murder mystery set against the backdrop of
a busy metropolitan hospital. Dr. Peter Carey (James Coburn) is a pathologist
who has signed on to work with Dr. J.D. Randall (Dan O'Herlihy) at a prominent
hospital in Boston. When Randall's daughter Karen (Melissa Torme-March) dies
after a botched abortion, another member of the hospital staff, David Tao (James
Hong), is charged with her murder. Carey is convinced that Tao is innocent and
sets out to prove his point. He also finds time for romance with beautiful
Bostonian Georgia Hightower (Jennifer O'Neill). The Carey Treatment features Pat
Hingle as police detective Peterson; Michael Crichton contributed to the
screenplay.
_________________
Cinderella [Blu-ray] (Michael Pataki, 1977) Full Moon Pictures
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Straight out of the swingin' '70s comes CINDERELLA , an early Charles
Band classic that combines salacious sex, silly humor, ribald romance and best
of all, utterly insane musical numbers! Perpetually abused by her incestuous
stepsisters and wicked stepmother, poor Cinderella finally cuts loose when she
gets the chance to attend the Prince's gala orgiastic ball. After the sexually
frustrated Prince beds every young woman at the party, he's about to give up on
love until he couples up with our enchanted heroine. But when the clock strikes
midnight, Cinderella flees, leaving the smitten sovereign feeling blue. Will the
prince find true happiness between the legs of his lady love and live lustfully
ever after?
_________________
Cursed [Blu-ray] (Wes Craven, 2005) Shout! Factory
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Packed with even more intense thrills than audiences experienced in
theaters, the included unrated version of Wes Craven's Cursed brings you the
terror of werewolves as never before! Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets), Jesse
Eisenberg, (Zombieland), Joshua Jackson (Dr.Death), Judy Greer (Halloween
Kills), and Milo Ventimiglia (Kiss of the Damned) find themselves caught up in
an unimaginable horror! A werewolf loose in Los Angeles changes the lives of
three young adults who, after being mauled by the beast, learn that the only way
to break the curse put upon them is to kill the one who started it all! From
master of horror Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson, the team that brought
you Scream, Cursed is frightening, undeniably fun and presented here with both
the theatrical and unrated versions!
_________________
Dark Night of the Scarecrow 2 [Blu-ray] (J.D. Feigelson, 2022) VCI
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Corn rustling, cicadas screaming, a crow watching as a farmer hears
strange noises in his barn. He enters and looks around. Nothing. Suddenly a
long, sharp scythe whisks through the air catching him between the eyes. Into
this environment, Chris Rhymer (Amber Wedding) and her young son Jeremy (Aiden
Shurr) have recently moved. It's a small country town in Stubblefield County. To
locals she is a mystery. "Why", they asked themselves would she move to this
backwater? Chris finds work in a country store and Jeremy is watched after
school by an older woman, Aunt Hildie (Carol Dines). Hildie and Jeremy form a
close relationship at the expense of Chris. One day, while looking for Jeremy,
Chris comes upon an old, weather-beaten Scarecrow. Seeing how sad it looks, she
puts a flower into its lapel to brighten it up, and thinking it only an inert
effigy, she whispers her troubled past life into its seemingly unhearing ear.
That night a dark figure enters her room as Chris sleeps and returns the flower.
Unrealized by Chris, Jeremy has fallen under the influence of Aunt Hildie. We
see that she is manipulating the Scarecrow through Jeremy. With his spirit,
mentally challenged in life, the scarecrow only responds to children like
Jeremy. Then the terror begins. As locals and Chris's past come to destroy her,
they are met with horror and grisly death from . . . the Scarecrow.
_________________
Family Plot [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Alfred Hitchcock, 1976) Universal
US PURCHASE LINK
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COMMENTS: Not since "To Catch a Thief" and "The Trouble With Harry" has Alfred
Hitchcock been in such benign good humor as he is in "Family Plot," the old
master's 56th feature since he began directing films in 1922. "Family Plot,"
which opened at theaters all over town yesterday, is a witty, relaxed lark. It's
a movie to raise your spirits even as it dabbles in phony ones, especially those
called forth by Blanche (Barbara Harris), a sweet, pretty, totally fraudulent
Los Angeles medium, who nearly wrecks her vocal cords when possessed by a
control whose voice sounds like Sidney Greenstreet's.
_________________
**Jûzô Itami's "The Funeral"** Blu-ray - Nobuko Miyamoto @Criterion
UK PURCHASE LINK
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS
CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Jûzô Itami's "The Funeral" is a measured black comedy infused with
occasional heartfelt realities. It's subtly satirical - with dry humor -
different from the cooking-joy of Tampopo, but the sly comedy is evocative of
the 1985 film. The family-centric traditions, and ritualistic preparations are
mocked with faux attempts to express mourning while juxtaposing the reality of
the 'get together' and having a deceased relative. It's witty, sometimes sad and
ultimately reflective. It's an excellent, if purposely unbalanced, unique film
experience. The Criterion Blu-ray is at their trademark high standard of a/v
adding new, and historic, revealing supplements. Absolutely recommended!
_________________
**The Ghost and the Darkness** [Blu-ray] (Stephen Hopkins, 1996) Shout!
Factory
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COMMENTS: Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer star in this tense, terrific and true
adventure set in 1896 East Africa. There, two lions on a man-eating rampage have
shut down the construction of a railway. The beasts hunt together, showing no
fear of man or fire. What's more, they're killing for sport rather than for
food—and they have an almost supernatural knack for knowing what traps await
them. Big-game hunter Remington (Douglas) and construction engineer Patterson
(Kilmer) set out to stop these unstoppable monsters. But, in this astonishing
tale of man against beast, the hunters become the hunted.
_________________
Girl with a Straight Razor [Blu-ray] (Chris Alexander, 2021) Rising Sun
Media
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COMMENTS: She wakes. She walks. She kills. Driven by an instinct she doesn't
understand and guided by visions of a ghostly woman in black, only one thing is
certain: the blade needs to feed. And the blade needs blood! Driven by an
instinct she doesn't fully understand and haunted by memories of another life,
Valerie prowls the night, guided by visions of a ghostly woman in black, a
razor-wielding female prowls the night in her search for victims... and for
answers to her haunting nightmares, which she hopes will bring her face-to-face
with her own existential truth. Filmed in 2021 during the pandemic, Girl with a
Straight Razor is Canadian cult film director Chris Alexander's seventh film,
and his most defined blood-soaked giallo work to date.
_________________
**Jurassic Park [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Steven Spielberg, 1993) Universal
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COMMENTS: The synopsis of Jurassic Park is that former flea circus sideshow man
John Hamilton (Richard Attenborough) has put a scientific theory into practical
development. On an Costa Rican island he has created a 'biological preserve'
filled with cloned dinosaurs that he intends to exhibit to the public in a
'theme park'. Nature cannot be controlled and the dinosaurs run amok when the
security system is sabotaged. What is created is one of the most successful
films in the history of cinema and I am not immune to its charms. Steven
Spielberg's Jurassic Park is a wonderful joyride of science-fiction, boy-hood
fantasy and wholesome suspenseful adventure - all while exposing the potential
encompassing pratfalls of our own scientific abilities.
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**Mamba** [Blu-ray] (Albert S. Rogell, 1930) Kino
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COMMENTS: An exotic adventure set among ivory traders and military officers in
Colonial East Africa, MAMBA stars Jean Hersholt as a corrupt land-owner who
battles a German officer (Ralph Forbes) over the honor of a young woman (Eleanor
Boardman). But the romantic triangle is shattered when the indigenous population
mounts an epic assault upon its oppressors. Billed as the first feature-length
all-talking Technicolor drama, MAMBA was an bold attempt by the low-budget
Tiffany Productions to compete with the major studios. For decades it was
considered a lost film, until an original print was discovered in Australia.
Photochemically preserved and digitally restored, this edition reveals that
MAMBA is much more than a curiosity item; it is a film of remarkable artistic
ambition, with such diverse influences as Erich von Stroheim’s sexually frank
melodramas and the “unchained camera” of the German silent cinema.
_________________
**Marnie [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Alfred Hitchcock, 1964) Universal
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COMMENTS: Condemned as being a "disappointing" and "unworthy" Alfred Hitchcock
effort at the time of its release, Marnie has since grown in stature; it is
still considered a lesser Hitchcock, but a fascinating one. Tippi Hedren plays
Marnie, a compulsive thief who cannot stand to be touched by any man. She also
goes bonkers over the sight of the color red. Her new boss, Mark Rutland (Sean
Connery) is intrigued by Marnie -- to such an extent that he blackmails her into
marriage when he stumbles onto her breaking into his safe. Rutland is in his own
way as "sick" as his wife because of his fetishist desire to cohabit with a
thief. After innumerable plot twists and turns, Marnie is "cured" by a facile
but mesmerizing flashback sequence involving her ex-hooker mother (Louise
Latham).
_________________
**Miklós Jancsó Collection** [Blu-ray] The Round-Up, The Red and the White,
The Confrontation, Winter Wind, Red Psalm, Electra, My Love - Kino
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Screenwriter and director Miklós Jancsó was the creator of a unique
film language centered around his mastery of the tracking shot. The first
internationally recognized representative of modern Hungarian filmmaking, his
extraordinary works examined oppressive authority and the mechanics of power.
Kino Lorber is proud to present six of his classic features restored in 4K from
their original camera negatives by the National Film Institute Hungary – Film
Archive. The Round-Up (1966) depicts a prison camp in the aftermath of the 1848
Hungarian Revolution. A true classic of world cinema. The Red and the White
(1967) is a haunting, powerful film about the absurdity and evil of war set in
Central Russia during the Civil War of 1918. The Confrontation (1968) is a story
of protest and rebellion set in 1947 Hungary, when the Communist Party has just
taken power. Winter Wind (1969) consists of twelve fluid long takes that capture
a mid-1930s group of Croatian anarchists. Red Psalm (1971) follows a group of
farm workers who go on strike in 1890s Hungary, for which Jancsó wont he best
director prize at Cannes. Electra, My Love (1974) is a richly inventive
adaptation of the Greek myth that consists of 12 single take, intricately
choreographed set pieces.
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**Joseph Losey's "Mr. Klein"** Blu-ray - Alain Delon @Criterion
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BONUS
CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: Joseph Losey's Mr. Klein is brilliant and unique. The infamous Vel'
d'Hiv Roundup is part of the film, but is merely an element of documenting the
status of the Jews under the Vichy regime. Losey uses Franz Kafka's work -
notably The Metamorphosis where things can surrealistically change overnight but
also The Trial with unresolved accusations having a detrimental effect on a
man's life. The themes of identity overwhelm the intricacies of the plot - which
simply support it. It's memorable and magnificent. I was so happy that Criterion
choose to put this on Blu-ray . Mr. Klein is a must-own for all film fans.
Criterion's extensive extras add further, important, value. Strongly
recommended!
_________________
**Bertrand Tavernier's " 'Round Midnight "** Blu-ray - Dexter Gordon
@Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS
CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Bertrand Tavernier's 'Round Midnight follows tenor saxophonist 'Dale
Gordon', played by Dexter Gordon, and is loosely based on a mixture of real-life
jazz legends Lester Young (tenor sax) and pianist Bud Powell focusing on the
Paris jazz scene of the 1950s. Dale's adventures in Paris break his alcohol and
substance abuse addictions but he eventually decides to return home to New York.
Martin Scorsese is in 'Round Midnight briefly. It's iconic jazz-infused cinema
that is totally deserved of a Criterion Blu-ray release. This is a keeper for
the dour pseudo-biographical milieu, great jazz in lossless and over 2.5 hours
of extras consisting of interviews, panel, documentary and an included booklet.
Strongly recommended to well beyond jazz aficionados. Buy this.
_________________
**Saboteur [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Alfred Hitchcock, 1942) Universal
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Saboteur was Hitchcock’s contribution to wartime propaganda, as
evidenced by the clunky patriotic dialogue (above). A complicated film, there
were 1000 scenes and 4500 camera set-ups, many at Universal City studios, but
also in New York. Hitchcock used a telephoto lens for some scenes, shooting from
a mile away or more, to create both a sense of surveillance and the vastness of
the American continent.
_________________
**Shadow of a Doubt [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Alfred Hitchcock, 1943) Universal
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Teresa Wright plays Charlie, a small-town high-schooler who enjoys a
symbiotic relationship with her favorite uncle,... also named Charlie (Joseph
Cotten). When young Charlie "wills" that old Charlie pay a visit to her family,
her wish comes true. Uncle Charlie is his usual charming self, but he seems a
bit secretive and reserved at times. Too, his manner of speaking is curiously
unsettling, especially when he brings up the subject of rich widows, whom he
characterizes as "swine." When a pair of detectives (MacDonald Carey and Wallace
Ford), posing as magazine writers, arrive in town and begin asking questions
about Uncle Charlie, young Charlie's curiosity is aroused. Why, for example, has
Uncle Charlie torn an article out of the evening newspaper? Rushing to the
library, Young Charlie locates the missing item: the headline screams WHO IS THE
MERRY WIDOW MURDERER? As the horrified Charlie reads on, the conclusion is
inescapable: her beloved Uncle Charlie is a mass murderer, preying upon wealthy
old women.
_________________
Sister Tempest [Blu-ray] (Joe Badon, 2020) Rising Sun Media
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: After facing an Alien tribunal and forced to recount her life, Anne
becomes haunted by the memories of her younger sister Karen, who mysteriously
went missing, leaving Anne to navigate a series of bizarre events as her life
began to fall apart. When she meets a young student named Ginger at an all-girls
art school, they form a deep connection, and soon the relationship starts to
reflect Anne's relationship with her missing sister. A sumptuous feast for the
senses by way of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Luis Buñuel, and David Lynch.
This film burned the film festival circuit, swooping up countless awards,
amongst them
_________________
Son of Samson [Blu-ray] (Carlo Campogalliani, 1960) Kino
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Marvel at great feats of strength and seduction in the
pulse-quickening sword-and-sandal epic, Son of Samson. During the Persian rule
over Egypt, the mighty Maciste (bodybuilder Mark Forest, Goliath and the Dragon)
travels to the city of Tanis where the evil Queen Smedes (Folies Bergère dancer
Chelo Alonso, Sheba and the Gladiator) rules with an iron fist and spreads
misery across the land. Possessing legendary brawn and courage, Maciste leads a
mass revolt against the queen and her tyrannical reign of terror. Director Carlo
Campogalliani (Goliath and the Barbarians, Sword of the Conqueror) delivers the
peplum genre goods in this breathtaking Color-and-Scope adventure, also known as
Maciste in the Valley of the Kings.
_________________
Sunnyside [Blu-ray] (Timothy Galfas, 1979) Code Red
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: New York City 1979. Every Jungle Needs a King. Joey Travolta (Oscar,
Beverly Hills Cop III) makes his feature film debut as Nick Martin, a young
tough guy from Sunnyside, Queens. He aspires to move his mother and two brothers
to a better way of life, but he’s entangled in the politics of the street as the
leader of the Nightcrawlers gang. When vendors at a local carnival swindle
Sunnyside residents, the Nightcrawlers join forces with rival hooligans, the
Warlocks and the Deathmakers, to rob the amusement park. But when violence
erupts, Nick is forced to wage a turf war and choose between his family and the
street. John Lansing (More American Graffiti), Stacey Pickren (Runaway Train),
Andrew Rubin (Police Academy), Talia Balsam (TV’s Mad Men) and Michael Tucci
(Grease) also star in this action-packed gangland drama from director Timothy
Galfas (Black Fist, TV’s Night Gallery).
_________________
The Trouble with Harry [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955)
Universal
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: The Harry in question is the husband of Jennifer (Maclaine, in her
first role) and the trouble is that he is very dead. His corpse is lying in some
woodland where it keeps getting discovered by people who believe they may have
contributed to poor Harry's demise. As the one who originally discovers the
body, local painter Sam Marlowe (Forsythe) ends up in charge of decisions
relating to the corpse. Of course, it's mostly his friends who think they may
have accidentally killed poor Harry. So it's up to Sam to make sure that his
friends are kept safe from the local police and Harry is kept out of sight. And
the fact that he's fallen head over heels for the attractive young widow doesn't
help matters.
_________________
**Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors** [Blu-ray] (Hong Sang-soo, 2000)
Grasshopper Film
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UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Relationship filled with pitfalls between a pleasant female video
producer and a gallery owner as they become embroiled in their self-spun web of
illusions. Bitter-sweet serenade to modern courtship.
________________________________
LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES (CLICK TITLES FOR MORE INFORMATION):
May 9th, 2022
**Miklós Jancsó Collection**: The
Round-Up, The Red and the White, The Confrontation, Winter Wind, Red Psalm,
Electra, My Love - Kino
_____________________________________
May 23rd, 2022
I Am a Camera (Henry Cornelius,
1955) RB UK Studiocanal
_____________________________________
May 30th, 2022
Luminous Procuress (Steven Arnold,
1971) UK Second Run
The Mob (Jacques Godbout, 1977)
Canadian Int'L Pics
_____________________________________
June 6th, 2022
**The Clock** (Vincente Minnelli, Fred
Zinnemann, 1945) Warner Archive
**The Dam Busters** (Michael Anderson,
1955) RB UK Studiocanal
**For Me and My Gal** (Busby Berkeley,
1942) Warner Archive
**Ziegfeld Girl** (Robert Z. Leonard,
Busby Berkeley, 1941) Warner Archive
_____________________________________
June 13th, 2022
**Pandora and the Flying Dutchman**
[Blu-ray] (Albert Lewin, 1951) RB UK Screenbound Pictures
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
_____________________________________
June 20th, 2022
The Card Counter (Paul Schrader, 2021) RB UK Dazzler Media
Dr. Who and the Daleks 4K UHD (Gordon Flemyng, 1965) Studiocanal UK
**Execution in Autumn** (Hsing Lee, 1972) RB UK Eureka
**Giant 4K UHD** (George Stevens, 1956) Warner US
**Giant 4K UHD** (George Stevens, 1956) Warner UK
Terror Out of the Sky (Lee H. Katzin, 1978) Kino
**X** (Ti West, 2022) RB UK DADC
_____________________________________
June 27th, 2022
**Out of Sight 4K UHD** (Steven Soderbergh, 1998) Kino
**Out of Sight** (Steven Soderbergh, 1998) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
_____________________________________
July 18th, 2022
**Bullfighter and the Lady** (Budd Boetticher, 1951) RB UK Indicator
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
**Creatures the World Forgot** (Don Chaffey, 1971) RB UK Indicator
**Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. 4K UHD** (Gordon Flemyng, 1966) Studiocanal UK
**Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. 4K UHD** -
Steelbook (Gordon Flemyng, 1966)
Studiocanal UK
**Diary of a Mad Housewife** (Frank Perry, 1970) RB UK Indicator
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
**Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema VIII** [Street of Chance / Enter Arsene Lupin /
Temptation] - Kino
**Mad Dog Morgan** [Blu-ray] (Philippe Mora, 1976) Indicator UK
BEAVER REVIEW
**Putney Swope** (Robert Downey Sr., 1969) UK Indicator
**Requiem for a Village** (David Gladwell, 1976) UK Indicator
**Requiem for a Village** (David Gladwell, 1976) Indicator US
**They Call Me Mister Tibbs! | The Organization** Double Feature (Gordon Douglas,
1970 / Don Medford, 1971) - Kino
**Universal Terror** (Three films starring Boris KARLOFF) Night Key, 1937 - The
Climax, 1944 -The Black Castle, 1952 - RB UK Eureka
_____________________________________
July 25th, 2022
**Get Carter 4K UHD** (Mike Hodges, 1971) UK BFI
**Get Carter** (Mike Hodges, 1971) UK BFI
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
**Running Out of Time 1 + 2** (Johnnie To, 1999 / 2001) RB UK Eureka
_____________________________________
August 1st, 2022
**Benedetta 4K UHD** (Paul Verhoeven, 2021) UK MUBI
_____________________________________
August 8th, 2022
Battle of the Worlds (Antonio Margheriti, 1961) Film Detective
Flying Guillotine 2 (Kang ChengShan Hua, 1978) RB UK 88 Films
_____________________________________
August 22nd, 2022
**Dragons Forever 4K UHD** (Sammo Kam-Bo
Hung, Corey Yuen, 1988) UK 88 Films
_____________________________________
September 19th, 2022
**The Seven-Per-Cent Solution**
(Herbert Ross, 1976) RB UK 88 Films
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
_____________________________________
REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:
**Jûzô Itami's "The Funeral"** Blu-ray - Nobuko Miyamoto @Criterion
UK PURCHASE LINK
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS
CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Jûzô Itami's "The Funeral" is a measured black comedy infused with
occasional heartfelt realities. It's subtly satirical - with dry humor -
different from the cooking-joy of Tampopo, but the sly comedy is evocative of
the 1985 film. The family-centric traditions, and ritualistic preparations are
mocked with faux attempts to express mourning while juxtaposing the reality of
the 'get together' and having a deceased relative. It's witty, sometimes sad and
ultimately reflective. It's an excellent, if purposely unbalanced, unique film
experience. The Criterion Blu-ray is at their trademark high standard of a/v
adding new, and historic, revealing supplements. Absolutely recommended!
_____________________________________
**Giuliano Montaldo's "Grand Slam"** Blu-ray - Janet Leigh / Edward G.
Robinson @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS
CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Giuliano Montaldo's Grand Slam is an intricately detailed diamond
heist film with an international cast. It's fun and has some romance -
basically, a very adeptly realized plot by the director. It has plenty of twists
and turns with the mercenary characters being exposed as the thievery-plot
unravels. It's a very good heist thriller. The Kino Blu-ray has the best a/v we
are likely to find and the excellent commentary. It is absolutely recommended!
_____________________________________
**Norman Jewison's "In the Heat of the Night" 4K UHD** - Sidney Poitier @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS
CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Kino's package of Norman Jewison's "In the Heat of the Night" to 4K
UHD is an extremely desirable release. The masterpiece film really only gains
importance over time with magnificent performances and interplay evolution
between calm, charismatic Tibbs (Poitier) and volatile, racist, Chief Bill
Gillespie (Steiger) - plus support with the likes of Warren Oates, Lee Grant,
Larry Gates, William Schallert etc. to formulate this intense, serious
police-investigation thriller with essential exposed racial overtones. So
timelessly righteous and brilliantly conceived with the who's who
behind-the-scenes crew including the Silliphant screenplay, Wexler DoP, Hal
Ashby editing, Quincy Jones score etc.. I love "In the Heat of the Night" each
and every time I see it. The inclusion of the 4K UHD disc commentaries and
sequel films on Blu-ray add immense value. This has our absolute highest
recommendation.
_____________________________________
**Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema VI** Blu-ray - Richard Conte / Shelley
Winters @KinoLorber
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UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS
CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
Singapore (1947), Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949) and The Raging Tide (1951)
COMMENTS: I really enjoyed all three films; 'Singapore', 'Johnny Stool Pigeon'
and 'The Raging Tide' although the first is more of a mysterious romance in an
exotic locale and less 'dark cinema' themes. The trio of films have plots
involving amnesia, unrequited love, smuggling, convicts, evading the law, a
quasi Police procedural and, ultimately, redemption. Two of the film have
Shelley Winters - less of a femme fatal than an weary, loyal, girlfriend trapped
by circumstance. I loved Charles Bickford in The Raging Tide (cinematography my
Russell Metty!) and Dan Duryea in Johnny Stool Pigeon. These are all good! We
can see that the Kino are continuing with even more Dark Side of Cinema sets on
Blu-ray... and we are very appreciative. The commentaries are all edifying and a
solid bonus to the package. This is absolutely recommended!
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Stanley Long's Adventures: A Seventies Sex Comedy Threesome Blu-ray -
Christopher Neil @indicatorseries
UK PURCHASE LINK
INDICATOR PURCHASE LINK
US PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: 'Stanley Long's Adventures: A Seventies Sex Comedy Threesome's' is
certainly a ribald departure for Indicator. We applaud their diversification.
While Long's 'Adventures' tri-fecta never had the success of the Carry On
franchise - they are in the same vein - funny with sex at the cornerstone of the
situational skits. There are plenty of instances of a surprised husband coming
to catch his wife in bed with one of the titular characters. I suspect the
nostalgia value will be strong for some viewers. They're goofy at times with a
semblance of a plot... and lots of bare breasts - and a few nude male backsides.
The Indicator Blu-ray package is at their usual very high standard with abundant
extras, commentary, booklet and more. Fans will enjoy pointing out the favorites
Judy Geeson, Suzy Kendall and an aged Diana Dors among others. Recommended!
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http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/DVDBeaver_newsletter_may_9th_2022.htm