DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of
November 16th, 2020
http://www.dvdbeaver.com
More Fellini (2), French thriller/horror with
Alain Delon, 80's sci-fi fantasy upgrade, 'Adult' Brit TV, 2X 70's Drive-In
Double Features, Bert I. Gordon at his lowest budget, foxy Susan George in
an assassination conspiracy and a PoW-tunneling genre with a stacked Brit
cast...
Enjoy!
Gary
RELEASES the WEEK of November 16th, 2020
(Recommended titles have "**")
________________
**4-Film Collection: Alfred Hitchcock**
[Blu-ray] (Suspicion, I Confess, Dial M for Murder and The Wrong Man) Warner
Archive
OUR REVIEWS:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_70/the_wrong_man_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Alfred Hitchcock directs these
anxiety-inducing classics, beginning with Suspicion, starring Cary Grant and
Joan Fontaine as newlyweds. In I Confess, Montgomery Clift plays a priest
accused of murder. Grace Kelly is caught in a dangerous romantic triangle in
Dial M for Murder. Finally, The Wrong Man finds Henry Fonda confused with a
look-alike bank robber. Experience Hitchcocks masterpieces with this
edge-of-your-seat 4-film collection.
________________
The Anderson Tapes [Blu-ray] (Sidney Lumet,
1971) Region FREE Indicator UK
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-ray_reviews_75/the_anderson_tapes_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: The Anderson Tapes is a very good heist film - it's not great -
but it is entertaining, especially if you are keen on the actors. The
director knows how to set pace and advance a story well, although it lacks a
sense of urgency. The Anderson Tapes has the recognizable 70's 'feel'. It
was a good choice to release on Blu-ray. The 1080P presentation is rich and
authentic looking and the package with extensive booklet, commentary etc.
makes it a valued purchase. Yes, strongly recommended!
________________
**Beeswax** [Blu-ray] (Andrew
Bujalski, 2009) Cinema Guild
US:
https://amzn.to/2RJbFoh
COMMENTS: From director Andrew Bujalski (Support The Girls, Mutual
Appreciation), one of the brightest stars in indie film, Beeswax revolves
around the personal and professional entanglements of twin sisters Jeannie
and Lauren played by extraordinary newcomers Tilly and Maggie Hatcher living
in Austin, Texas. Jeannie co-owns a bright, candy-colored vintage
clothingstore, and when a conflict with her business partner threatens to
boil over, she turns to an ex-boyfriend, Merrill (Alex Karpovsky), who is
recently graduated from law school and all too eager to try to fix the
sisters' problems as a way of ignoring his own. Soon everyone is trying to
lend each other a hand but nothing is going according to plan. Charming and
intimate, this is a story about how we depend on our families the kind we're
stuck with, and the kind we build for ourselves and the beeswax that holds
them all together.
________________
**Beyond the Door** [Blu-ray] (Ovidio
G. Assonitis, Robert Barrett, 1974) Arrow US
OUR COMPARISON:
Jessica (Juliet Mills), wife of a record
producer (Gabriele Lavia) and mother of two foul-mouthed children, is
pregnant but senses something strange about the baby brought on by the
reappearance in her life of an old lover Dmitri (Richard Johnson) - whose
life the devil has promised to extend if he makes sure Jessica delivers her
devil spawn. As her behavior goes from bizarre moodswings and foul language
to speaking in a male voice along with the requisite head-spinning and
telekinetic phenomena, her husband tries to figure out what is happening and
Dmitri pretends to share his concern in order to get close to Jessica and
the baby.
________________
**Danger Within** [Blu-ray]
(Bryan Forbes, 1960) RB UK Network
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/danger_within_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Don Chaffey (One Million Years B.C., Jason and the Argonauts, some
episodes of The Prisoner TV series) can craft a film well and Danger Within
has a lot of appeal, especially for fans of the PoW-tunneling genre ala The
Great Escape. Great Brit cast with Todd, Attenborough, Bernard Lee, Dennis
Price... and if you squint you can see Michael Caine very briefly in the
stage performance sequence. There are some layered stories of desperation
and betrayal in the PoW camp. The Network Blu-ray is bare-bones but I
enjoyed the film - it really satisfied me once I got into it. Recommended!
________________
**Dawn of the Dead** [4K UHD
Blu-ray] (George A. Romero, 1978) UK Second Sight Films
COMMENTS: When there's no more room in hell, the
dead will walk the earth. With the U.S. in the grip of a zombie apocalypse,
four desperate survivors find refuge in a shopping mall. But the
flesh-eating hordes, still possessed by an instinctive desire to consume,
are drawn to the same destination. What follows is a nail-biting fight for
survival. George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead remains one of the greatest
horror films ever made, often imitated but never equalled, and is now
presented in a brand-new restoration.
________________
**Disney Classics Complete Collection
(57 Disc Collection)** [Blu-ray] UK Walt Disney
UK:
https://amzn.to/3cLRkIM
COMMENTS: In 1937, the Walt Disney Studios released its first fully animated
feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and pioneered a new form of
family entertainment. More than seven decades later, Walt Disney Animation
Studios continues to honour its heritage through animated films that combine
beautiful artistry, masterful storytelling and ground-breaking technology.
Relive & own forever 57 Disney Classics from 1937-2019 with this special
collection celebrating the output of the Walt Disney Animation Studios.
________________
**Dragnet** [Blu-ray] (Jack
Webb, 1954) Kino
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/dragnet_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Jack Webb's Dragnet is iconic... spawning appeal for the already
popular TV series (1951–1959,) a second series (1967–1970,) Made-For TV
movies, the shorter-lived 2003 series, plus countless similar procedural cop
dramas as well as the hilarious 1987 movie with Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks
that pays homage to this, the original film and its 'stayed' Sergeant Joe
Friday character. The Kino Blu-ray is highly rewatchable and has the
invaluable Toby Roan commentary. Absolutely recommended!
________________
**Five Easy Pieces** [Blu-ray]
(Bob Rafelson, 1970) RB UK Criterion
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_67/five_easy_pieces_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Supplements don't disappoint with a new audio commentary featuring
director Bob Rafelson and interior designer Toby Rafelson. Soul Searching in
“Five Easy Pieces,” is a 10-minute video piece from 2009 with Rafelson
discussing the writing and development of Five Easy Pieces. Most interesting
is The BBStory, a 2009 documentary about the BBS era, with Rafelson, actors
Jack Nicholson, Karen Black and Ellen Burstyn, and directors Peter
Bogdanovich and Henry Jaglom, among others reminiscing about the
ground-breaking films of BBS Productions. It runs over 45-minutes in length.
We also get a 1/2 hour documentary from 2009 about BBS featuring critic
David Thomson and historian Douglas Brinkley. There are some audio excerpts
from a 1976 AFI interview with Rafelson and theatrical trailer and teasers
from Five Easy Pieces.
________________
**Eyewitness** [Blu-ray] (John
Hough, 1970) RB UK Network
________________
**Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai**
[Blu-ray] (Jim Jarmusch, 1999) Criterion
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_132/the_ghost_dog_the_way_of_the_samurai_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai has a huge
following. It's a film that is all at once challenging, philosophical while
extremely violent with frequent cold-blooded murder commonplace. It's both
exciting and carries depth. It has a Neo-Noir-ish morally-bankrupt
protagonist and evokes the unsentimental practicality of Michael Mann's
Collateral to some degree. It's so nice to have it in this vastly improved
Criterion Blu-ray with the endless new and valuable extras. Strongly
recommended!
________________
**It's a Wonderful Life Steelbook**
[4K UHD Blu-ray] (Frank Capra, 1946) Paramount
US:
https://amzn.to/34Gu2lp
COMMENTS: Frank Capra’s heart-warming masterpiece has been embraced as a
cherished holiday tradition by families around the world! George Bailey
(James Stewart) sets aside his dreams of world travel to run his father’s
small community bank, and protect the people of Bedford Falls from greedy
businessman Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore). When a costly mistake pushes
George to the brink of despair, a visit from a kindly angel (Henry Travers)
will show George how the life of one good man can change the world forever.
Now you can watch the holiday classic like never before, newly remastered
from the original film negatives and more vibrant than ever in High Dynamic
Range!
________________
**Hammer Films - Ultimate Collection**
[Blu-ray] - The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll
(1960), The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1963), These Are The Damned (1962),
The Old Dark House (1963), The Gorgon (1964), The Snorkel (1958), Maniac
(1963), Die! Die! My Darling (1965), Scream of Fear (1961), Stop Me Before I
Kill! (1961), Never Take Candy From A Stranger (1960), Cash On Demand
(1961), The Stranglers of Bombay (1960), The Terror of the Tongs (1961), The
Pirates of Blood River (1962), The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964), The Camp on
Blood Island (1958), Yesterday's Enemy (1959), and Creatures the World
Forgot (1971) - Mill Creek
US:
https://amzn.to/3ho2X9e
COMMENTS: For more than four decades, Hammer Films unique blend of horror,
science fiction, thrills and comedy dominated countless drive-ins and movie
theaters. Enjoy this massive collection from the darkest corners of the
Hammer Imagination! Featuring 20 Cult-Classics from the infamous Hammer
Studios produced in the 50s, 60s and 70s available together for the first
time in high-definition!
________________
**Inner Sanctum Mysteries**
[Blu-ray] - Calling Dr. Death (1943), Weird Woman (1944), Dead Man's Eyes
(1944), The Frozen Ghost (1945), Strange Confession (1945) and Pillow of
Death (1945) - Mill Creek
COMMENTS:
________________
**Ishiro Honda Double Feature: The H-Man
& Battle in Outer Space** [Blu-ray] - RB UK Masters of Cinema
COMMENTS: In Tokyo, a mysterious radioactive
liquid is dissolving people into slimy, sentient, seemingly indestructible,
blobs of destruction! Part-Japanese gangster noir, part-gooey body melting
horror, The H-Man (Bijo to Ekitai-ningen Beauty and the Liquid People ) is
one of the most unique sci-fi films of the 1950s. A series of mysterious
catastrophes sweep the globe, causing the world s scientists to conclude
that beings from another planet are attacking Earth, and the world must
unite to defend itself in a gigantic battle in outer space! With wonderful
special effects sequences by Eiji Tsuburaya (Godzilla, Ultraman), and a
rousing score by Akira Ifukube (Godzilla), Battle in Outer Space is a
glorious sci-fi extravaganza.
________________
**King of New York** [4K UHD
Blu-ray] (Abel Ferrara, 1990) Arrow UK
COMMENTS: Arguably maverick filmmaker Abel
Ferrera s most accessible and explosive film, King of New York s status as
an urban gangster classic is cemented by a magnetic, career-best central
performance by Christopher Walken, as well as riveting support from Laurence
Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito, Steve Buscemi and David
Caruso. After years inside, drug lord Frank White (Walken) is fresh out of
jail and back on the streets of New York City. Seeing himself as half
Scarface, half Robin Hood, Frank and his enforcers brutally take back
control of the city, turf by turf with starry dreams of using the millions
to benefit the community and save a local hospital. Before Frank can fulfil
his ruthless lust for power, though, he s got to get past the crooked cops
determined to take him down, and the criminal competition that won t bend to
his will.
________________
**The Legacy** [Blu-ray]
(Richard Marquand, 1978) Region FREE Indicator
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_64/the_legacy_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Written by the late, great Jimmy Sangster (The Revenge of
Frankenstein, Taste of Fear), this supernatural riff on Agatha Christie's
And Then There Were None is a gruesome, hugely entertaining chiller. Two
American architects (real-life couple Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott, who
met on the set of this film) are holidaying in England and find themselves
trapped at a country mansion where the various guests become victims in a
series of unexplained and increasingly violent deaths. Director Richard
Marquand (Return of the Jedi, Jagged Edge), making his feature-film
directing debut, deftly balances horror and grisly black humour. The film
also boasts sumptuous photography by the great Dick Bush and Alan Hume, a
wonderfully eccentric score by Michael J Lewis and a superb supporting cast
which includes Charles Gray, Margaret Tyzack, Ian Hogg, John Standing and
The Who's Roger Daltrey.
________________
**Mission: Impossible: The Original TV
Series** [Blu-ray] - Paramount
US:
https://amzn.to/34Himyu
COMMENTS: "The original TV action drama centering on the activities of The
I.M.F. (Impossible Missions Force) was a sensation from the beginning. The
inspired cast, fast-moving plots, neat gadgets, pre-recorded tapes that
self-destruct – all these elements made this brilliant show one of
television’s crowning achievements."
________________
Monstrum [Blu-ray] (Jong-ho
Huh, 2018) Image Entertainment
COMMENTS: A plague has taken over and fear runs
rampant in the streets. When rumors of a vicious monster roaming Mount
Inwangsan begin to spread, fear turns into panic. In order to quell the
rising hysteria, the King brings his most trusted general out of retirement.
Joined by his daughter, his right-hand man, and a royal court officer, the
general sets out to find and defeat the mysterious creature.
________________
Mothra [Blu-ray] (Ishirô
Honda,1961) RB UK Masters of Cinema
UK:
https://amzn.to/3gxRL9z
COMMENTS: One of the most iconic Japanese kaiju, Mothra has appeared in over
a dozen feature films. Presented here is her debut, a gloriously vibrant
piece of filmmaking that forever changed how kaiju eiga would be produced in
Japan. Following reports of human life on Infant Island, the supposedly
deserted site of atomic bomb tests, an international expedition to the
heavily-radiated island discovers a native tribe and tiny twin female
fairies called "Shobijin" who guard a sacred egg. The overzealous expedition
leader kidnaps the Shobijin to exhibit in a Tokyo stage show but soon they
summon their protector, hatching the egg and releasing a giant caterpillar.
When Mothra arrives in Japan and transforms into her final form, the nation
and its people face their destruction.
________________
**Moonstruck** [Blu-ray]
(Norman Jewison, 1987) Criterion
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/moonstruck_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Criterion's new 4K digital restoration Blu-ray of "Moonstruck" is
a worthy purchase for fans, with a slew of new and archival extras, a
well-done 5.1 soundtrack, and a decent image. The film is just as brilliant
and moving as when it premiered decades ago. I forgot how impressive the
supporting cast is, with some of the best character actors (Vincent
Gardenia, Olympia Dukakis, Danny Aiello, and John Mahoney to name a few)
almost stealing the show from the two younger leads. Highly recommended.
________________
**The Painted Bird** [Blu-ray]
(Václav Marhoul, 2019) RB UK Eureka
UK:
https://amzn.to/3dnqGpS
COMMENTS: Featuring a staggering central performance from the young Petr
Kotlár alongside a star-studded international ensemble including Udo Kier,
Stellan Skarsgård, Harvey Keitel, Julian Sands and Barry Pepper. The Painted
Bird has won ecstatic acclaim, with The Guardian s Xan Brooks describing the
film as "a monumental piece of work" rewarding the film with a five-star
review. The film follows the journey of a boy, entrusted by his Jewish
parents to an elderly foster mother in an effort to escape persecution.
Following a tragedy, the boy is on his own. Wandering through the desecrated
countryside, the boy encounters villagers and soldiers whose own lives have
been brutally altered, and who are intent on revisiting this brutality on
the boy. When the war ends, the boy has been changed, forever.
________________
**The Reckless Moment**
[Blu-ray] (Max Ophüls, 1949) Region FREE UK Indicator
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews25/the_reckless_moment.htm
COMMENTS: What a beautifully crafted noir feature - a perfectly building
thriller from the masterful Ophuls. The Reckless Moment has it all including
one of my favorite 'Dark Cinema' gals, Joan Bennett. The Blu-ray a/v is a
huge improvement over the SD releases plus we get the valued documentary and
highly interesting 'James Mason' and Noir focused lectures and Q+A.
No-brainer for devotees of Film Noir. Another fabulous job by Indicator -
the Criterion of the UK!
________________
Relic [Blu-ray] (Natalie Erika
James, 2020) Shout! Factory
US:
https://amzn.to/2D6qgq2
COMMENTS: When elderly mother Edna inexplicably vanishes, her daughter Kay
and granddaughter Sam rush to their family's decaying country home, finding
clues of her increasing dementia scattered around the house in her absence.
After Edna returns just as mysteriously as she disappeared, Kay's concern
that her mother seems unwilling or unable to say where she's been clashes
with Sam's unabashed enthusiasm to have her grandma back. As Edna's behavior
turns increasingly volatile, both begin to sense that an insidious presence
in the house might be taking control of her.
________________
**Rio Grande** [Blu-ray] (John
Ford, 1950) Olive Signature
OUR ALT-REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film4/blu-ray_reviews57/rio_grande_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Perhaps one of the most underrated of the collaborations between
director John Ford and star John Wayne, Rio Grande manages to be both a
conclusion and a new beginning for this most iconic of actor-filmmaker
collaborators. The film is the final entry in Ford and Wayne's "Cavalry
Trilogy, " following their hits Fort Apache (1948) and She Wore a Yellow
Ribbon (1949). Yet it also marks the first of five appearances Wayne made
with actress Maureen O'Hara, three of which were directed by Ford.
________________
**Rita Hayworth - Ultimate Collection**
[Blu-ray] - Music in My Heart(1940), You'll Never Get Rich (1941), Tonight
and Every Night (1945), Down To Earth (1947), The Lady from Shanghai (1948),
The Loves of Carmen (1948), Affair in Trinidad (1952), Salome (1953), Miss
Sadie Thompson (1954), Fire Down Below (1957), Pal Joey (1957) and They Came
to Cordura (1959) - Millcreek
US:
https://amzn.to/2RkvbHn
COMMENTS: Rita Hayworth is the epitome of Hollywood glamour with an
unparalleled on-screen presence whose talent was only surpassed by her
beauty. This special-edition Blu-ray collection features 12 legendary films
presented together for the first time in HD!
________________
**Silent Running** [Blu-ray]
(Douglas Trumbull, 1972) Arrow US
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_reviews55/silent_running_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: In the not-so-distant future, Earth is barren of all flora and
fauna, with what remains of the planet s former ecosystems preserved aboard
a fleet of greenhouses orbiting in space. When the crews are ordered to
destroy the remaining specimens, one botanist, Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern,
The Burbs), rebels and flees towards Saturn in a desperate bid to preserve
his own little piece of Earth that was, accompanied only by the ship's three
service robots.
________________
So Sweet, So Dead [Blu-ray]
(Roberto Bianchi Montero, 1972) Code Red
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film6/blu-ray_reviews_79/so_sweet_so_dead_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: So Sweet So Dead is at the more gruesome end of the Giallo
spectrum. It's a typical storyline - knives, hidden assailant, nudity,
depravity.... it is unmistakably part of the genre. It has favorites; Farley
Granger (Amuck!), Sylva Koscina (Deadlier Than the Male), Annabella
Incontrera (Black Belly of the Tarantula). The bare-bones Code Red Blu-ray
seems the only way to see this effort in 1080P and it's a presentation that
Giallo aficionados and enthusiasts will embrace. Ideally it would have an
option for the Italian track but this remains the best way to see the film
at present
________________
Twins [Blu-ray] (Ivan Reitman, 1988) Shout!
Factory
COMMENTS: "The whole movie has a warmth about it
that never slops over into sentiment: there is much more here than tall-guy,
short-guy jokes." – Richard Schickel, Time An ambitious genetic experiment
takes a wrong turn when two twins—who look nothing alike—are born and then
separated. Years later, the unlikely siblings meet: Julius (Arnold
Schwarzenegger, The Terminator, Predator), a highly educated but sheltered
giant with a big heart, and Vincent (Danny DeVito, It's Always Sunny in
Philadelphia), a diminutive hustler with an insatiable lust for women and
money. With girlfriends in tow and a hitman on their trail, the newfound
brothers set off on a wild, cross-country misadventure to find their
mother—but end up finding out more about themselves. Kelly Preston (Secret
Admirer), Chloe Webb (Sid and Nancy) and Marshall Bell (Total Recall)
co-star in this hilarious box-office blockbuster from director Ivan Reitman
(Ghostbusters).
________________
**Ulysses** [Blu-ray] (Mario
Camerini, 1954) Kino
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/ulysses_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: I watched Ulysses multiple times last night, both language
versions (preferring the Italian) and a third with the Tim Lucas commentary.
I continue to love this sword-and-sandal fantasy. It's really fun and sparks
boyhood Harryhausen efforts like Jason and the Argonauts and The Seventh
Voyage of Sinbad. Kirk Douglas really shines as a mythical hero... as does
the alluring beauty of Silvana Mangano in her dual roles as the faithful
wife Penelope and manipulative sorceress Circe. The Kino Blu-ray not only
has the two versions... 4K restored, but the wonderful Tim Lucas commentary.
Our highest recommendation!
________________
**Waxworks** [Blu-ray] (Leo
Birinsky, Paul Leni, 1924) Flicker Alley
US:
https://amzn.to/3mg76zW
COMMENTS: Waxworks (Das Wachsfigurenkabinett) was the final film Paul Leni
directed in Germany before striking out for Hollywood, where he made such
classic genre films as The Cat and the Canary, The Man Who Laughs, and The
Last Warning. It's sophisticated medley of genres was in fact what inspired
Universal's Carl Laemmle to invite Leni to come to Hollywood, as Laemmle was
hoping to capitalize on the emerging comedy-horror craze of the 1920s.
Stylistically, Waxworks was celebrated as a late example of German
Expressionism. It's stylized sets (designed by Leni), fantastical costumes,
chiaroscuro lighting, and startlingly bold performances are characteristic
of that cinematic movement and contribute to the film's lasting appeal.The
three episodes of Waxworks are united by the character of a young poet
(William Dieterle), who is hired by the owner of a wax museum to create
backstories for a trio of the museum's figures: Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid
(Emil Jannings), Ivan the Terrible (Conrad Veidt), and Jack the Ripper
(Werner Krauss).
________________
The Wonders of Aladdin
[Blu-ray] (Mario Bava, Henry Levin, 1961) Kino
COMMENTS: Brand New 4K Master! Let the magic
carpet glide you back to ancient Baghdad! Meet Aladdin (Donald O’Connor,
Singin’ in the Rain) and follow him through a maze of wild adventures with
Amazon queens, desert bandits, magicians, princes, paupers and—last but not
least—an adorable 9-foot-tall genie (Vittorio De Sica, A Farewell to Arms),
who will grant the young man three wishes if he sets him free from his lamp,
which has held him prisoner for 12,000 years. Mario Bava (Kill, Baby… Kill!)
and Henry Levin (Journey to the Center of the Earth) co-directed this
classic tale of sweeping entertainment for the whole family, co-starring
Terence Hill (Man of the East) and Michèle Mercier (Black Sabbath).
________________________________________________
NOTABLE NEW CALENDAR UPDATES:
November 30th, 2020
**Still Life** (Zhangke Jia,
2006) Big World Pictures
December 7th, 2020
**Raining in the Mountain**
(King Hu, 1979) Film Movement
December 14th
Ip Man The Complete Collection
[4K UHD] Ip Man (2008), Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster, Ip Man 3
(2015), Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019) - Well Go USA
Tenet 4K UHD (Christopher
Nolan, 2020) Warner Bros UK
December 24th
Fire in the Sky (Robert
Lieberman, 1993) Imprint
Year of the Dragon (Michael
Cimino, 1985) Imprint
January 4th
Beach Red (Cornel Wilde, 1967)
Kino Lorber
January 11th
**Satantango** (Béla Tarr,
1994) Arbelos Films
January 18th
**Marlene Dietrich at Universal
1940-1942**: Seven Sinners, Flame of New Orleans, The Spoilers &
Pittsburgh RB UK BFI
January 25th
**The Court Jester** (Melvin
Frank, Norman Panama, 1955) Paramount
February 1st
**Anna Lucasta** (Arnold Laven,
1958) Kino
**Dark Intruder** (Harvey Hart,
1965) Kino
**A Man Called Adam** (Leo
Penn, 1966) Kino
February 8th
Man of the East (Enzo Barbon,
1972) Kino
**The Parallax View** (Alan J.
Pakula, 1974) Criterion
**So Evil My Love** (Lewis
Allen, 1948) Kino
**The Suspect** (Robert
Siodmak, 1944) Kino
February 15th, 2020
**COLUMBIA NOIR #2** - LE -
FRAMED (Richard Wallace, 1947), 711 OCEAN DRIVE (Joseph M Newman, 1950), THE
MOB (Robert Parrish, 1951), AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD (Vincent Sherman, 1952),
TIGHT SPOT (Phil Karlson, 1955) and MURDER BY CONTRACT (Irving Lerner, 1958)
- RB UK Indicator
The Kid Stays in the Picture
(Nanette Burstein, Brett Morgen, 2002) Kino
**Mandabi** (Ousmane Sembene,
1968) Criterion
February 22nd
**Chop Shop** (Ramin Bahrani,
2007) Criterion
**Man Push Cart** (Ramin
Bahrani, 2005) Criterion
**Smooth Talk** (Joyce Chopra,
1985) Criterion
March 22nd,
**Targets** (Peter Bogdanovich,
1968) RB UK BFI
Photo Archives" for Patrons:
Gloria Grahame:
Monica Vitti:
Paul Newman:
Susan George:
Jacqueline Bisset:
Suzanne Pleshette:
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS:
**La Dolce Vita** BD
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/.../la_dolce_vita_blu-ray.htm
The included film is identical image/audio-wise to the previous Criterion
stand-alone Blu-ray released in 2014 (using the same transfer full of inky
blacks and sharp detail). The only new inclusion here are the two bonus
features, "Second Look" and "Once Upon a Time: La Dolce Vita" which run
31-minutes and 52-minutes, respectively. The final episode of the TV Show
second look is a four part-interview series that Fellini did on Belgian TV
in 1960. Fellini discusses "La Dolce Vita" and the film's shocking
reception. Also interviewed here are actors Yvonne Furneaux and Marcello
Mastroianni, author Alberto Moravia, and critic Cesare Zavattini, a frequent
Fellini detractor. "Once Upon a Time: La Dolce Vita" is a documentary from
2009 on the making of La dolce vita, directed by Antoine de Gaudemar,
featuring archival footage and extensive interviews with actor Anouk Aimee
and assistant director Dominique Delouche, among others.
________________
**Danger Within** BD
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/danger_within_blu-ray.htm
COMMENTS: Don Chaffey (One Million Years B.C., Jason and the Argonauts, some
episodes of The Prisoner TV series) can craft a film well and Danger Within
has a lot of appeal, especially for fans of the PoW-tunneling genre ala The
Great Escape. Great Brit cast with Todd, Attenborough, Bernard Lee, Dennis
Price... and if you squint you can see Michael Caine very briefly in the
stage performance sequence. There are some layered stories of desperation
and betrayal in the PoW camp. The Network Blu-ray is bare-bones but I
enjoyed the film - it really satisfied me once I got into it. Recommended!
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**Eyewitness** BD
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**War of the Colossal Beast**
BD
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_133/war_of_the_colossal_beast_blu-ray.htm
War of the Colossal Beast is a sequel to Gordon's The Amazing Colossal Man
(because in "The Amazing Colossal Man," he is believed dead after falling
from the Hoover Dam, but reemerges in rural Mexico, brain damaged,
disfigured, and very angry) while also evoking Bert I. Gordon's The Cyclops.
It's short but the commentary nails the appeal which is strongly nostalgic.
When you see this as a child - it stays with you. As far as 'B' films go -
this has all the earmarks including low-budget, short running time and a lot
of borrowed footage from the first film. It's smells of a real slap-dash
effort... but we still love it. Shout!'s Blu-ray is a significant upgrade in
a/v over the nonsense DVDS but the commentary and new documentary are
impressive selling points for fans of this 50's/60's fantasy sci-fi genre.
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**Amarcord** BD
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare5/amarcord.htm
Federico Fellini's Amarcord is wonderful. This title has come pretty far
through the Criterion distribution system in over 22-years. If you love the
film, one of Fellini's most personal, this is another option in Criterion's
upcoming Essential Fellini Blu-ray package... which is an obvious
front-runner for best of the entire 2020 year.
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**Bonnie's Kids / The Centerfold Girls**
BD
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/bonnies_kids_centerfold_girls_blu-ray.htm
The title Bonnie's Kids may have tried to capitalize on Arthur Penn's Bonnie
and Clyde made a few years before, although it is never directly referenced
in the film. The Centerfold Girls is definitely the weaker of the two films
in this Double Feature. It's actually three stories, the first with
past-his-prime Aldo Ray (The Naked and the Dead), in the second some may
recognize Mike Mazurki (Murder My Sweet), and the third with Arthur Marks'
regular hottie, frequently playing a defiant femme fatale, Tiffany Bolling -
also in Bonnie's Kids. This Gorgon Video dual-layered Blu-ray is no cheapie
with relevant supplements. Marks has an impressive reputation - he did
production work on 75 MGM films, eventually working as an assistant director
at Columbia Studios and he would go on to direct 76 episodes of the Raymond
Burr Perry Mason TV series. I'm going to review another of these because I
liked Bonnie's Kids enough to be intrigued with his work. There is value for
those keen on revisiting 70's exploitation Drive-In experiences.
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**The Roommates / A Woman for All Men**
BD
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/the_roommates_a_woman_for_all_men_blu-ray.htm
The Roommates is more than just another teenage-Summer T+A flic. It has some
humor moving to a reasonably effective thriller. A Woman for All Men is
almost amusing in how Judith Brown has persistent seducing bedroom eyes -
scene after scene - teasingly take her clothes off. I would have liked to
know her character's history. The film is a weak riff on Double Indemnity
(including the balcony shot.) Arthur Marks' has a knack for these - they can
be somewhat formulaic - pretty girls, maybe a femme fatale, some cheesecake
nudity/titillation and blasting guns in the final scenes. But it works
really well for some retro-entertainment. This Gorgon Video dual-layered
Blu-ray is competent and entertaining.
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**Adult Material** DVD
OUR REVIEW:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/adult_material_DVD.htm
COMMENTS: Acorn's "Adult Material" DVD was certainly interesting. The brash
protagonist, Hayley Burrows, aka Jolene Dollar's pornography career seems to
be irreversibly at peril.... mostly due to legality hurdles. The production
treats the industry in a fascinating, if still sleazy, light - showing both
the practical-business side and the loyalty between those who have chosen it
as their occupation. There is nudity and intercourse but only really
highlighted snippets to provide the impression. Hayley Squires was quite
good as were some of the supporting cast. But it's more like slowing down to
see a car accident. There is humor and entertainment and a lot of voyeur
appeal being a fly on the wall as to how this all functions. Overall, worth
a spin for any keen.
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**The Last Starfighter** BD
OUR COMPARISON:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews46/the_last_starfighter_blu-ray.htm
Fans of "The Last Starfighter" should not hesitate to pick up this new
Blu-ray from the folks at Arrow Video. The original 35mm camera negative was
scanned in 4K resolution, and the DNR-less image is worth the upgrade alone.
Add to that, the gazillion extras (both new and archival) and the 3 very
different (and all enjoyable) audio tracks.
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**Shock Treatment** BD
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film9/blu-ray_review_130/shock_treatment_blu-ray.htm
Alain Jessua's Shock Treatment is an odd and creepy thriller with a long
fuse. I liked the slow build and drawn-out suspense although felt it was not
always realized to its greatest effect. We get the idea fairly early on that
this 'Spa' has dark secret. The Severin Blu-ray gave me a solid presentation
of a film that I had not seen before of a director I was also not aware.
Delon and Girardot certainly give Shock Treatment a leg-up and for fans of
70's Euro-thriller (it may be a stretch to call it a 'horror'), it's
probably worth a spin considering their effective participation.
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