THIS WEEK's RELEASES: Melville 4K UHD - nu'ff said, Ernst Lubitsch with Pola Negri!, Jean Grémillon, Daniel Mann - Lancaster X2, Patrice Leconte, Beijing School's Bo Hu - intersecting Chinese lives, Vietnamese Ham Tran GOLD, George Seaton-Grace Kelly, 60's 'Barcelona School' hallucinogenic mixture of chase thriller, science fiction, art film...,Solondz comedy-drama gem, King Vidor in VCI 4K UHD? de Bont tornados in 4K UHD, Tetsuya Nakashima, 60's Japanese Moby Dick on DVD... D'Amato 4K UHD, rebellious Mother Nature in the guise of a nasty croc, Ruggero Deodato directs, millionaire's teenage daughter abduction.. and perversion.
NEW CALENDAR UPDATES (LINKED HERE!) New coming to 4K UHD; Orson Welles, Alain Resnais, Jean-Pierre Melville (2), Jean-Luc Godard, Bernardo Bertolucci, Andrew Haigh, Todd Solondz, Gregg Araki, Wim Wenders, Sergio Martino, John Mackenzie, Tom Tykwer, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Robert Rodriguez plus, in the UK, Billy Wilder and Michael Curtiz. Take a deep breath.
To Blu-ray: Seijun Suzuki, early works of Michael Powell, Louis Feuillade's complete crime serials, Phil Karlson, Claire Denis, another dozen in ShawScope from Arrow, Noir triple feature, Akira Kurosawa, Fritz Lang, G.W. Pabst reboot, Mitchell Leisen, Kinji Fukasaku, Marcel Pagnol, Gilles Mimouni, 'Confession' titillation box, Ramón Peón, Stanley Kramer, 'Adventure' serials boxset, Stuart Rosenberg, Bert I. Gordon trash (X2,) Peter Hyams, Michael Ritchie, Peter Mullan, Robert Benton, J. Lee Thompson (X2,) Elio Petri, Rohmer, Godard, Chabrol, Asian erotic ghost trifecta... ...
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: The Calendar Update took 2.5 days, but we also finished four important 4K UHD reviews. Blu-ray coverage(s) for The Country Girl, Crocodile, The Hairdresser's Husband and The Rose Tattoo are in the on-deck circle.
Sam Peckinpah’s revisionist elegy for the American West in Criterion 4K UHD. There's something strange going on in Santa Mira... and its residents are firmly-seated in the pantheon of American 50's sci-fi golden era.... in 4K UHD. A brilliant tale of loner, professional and methodical hitman, Jef Costello (Alain Delon) on Criterion 4K UHD and, lastly, the female embodiment of Gothic cinema, Barbara Steele, looks even more photogenic, exotic and enchanting in 2160P. Wow...
Enjoy,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of July 8th, 2024 (Recommended titles have "**")

**An Elephant Sitting Still** [Blu-ray] (Bo Hu, 2018) KimStim
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: One of the most acclaimed feature debuts of the last decade, the first and, tragically, last film from Hu Bo, who took his own life at the age of twenty-nine, is a tour de force of existential fury and transcendent catharsis. Set under the gray skies of China's industrial north, AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL traces the intertwining lives of a band of dispossessed souls who come together on a pilgrimage toward a city in Manchuria where a circus elephant is rumored to be sitting still, seemingly oblivious to the pain and tribulations of the world at large. Composed in a series of bravura tracking shots, this profoundly felt epic gathers an overwhelming emotional power as it moves toward its soul-shattering climax.
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Anthropoph-agous [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Joe D'Amato, 1980) 88 Films UK
UK 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
UK BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: Perhaps the most notorious ‘video nasty’ of all time, ANTHROPOPHAGOUS is back to deprave and corrupt a fresh wave of horror film viewers! Joe D’Amato cemented himself into genre film history with this slickly directed, and sinisterly suspenseful, creature feature which has some unprepared tourists arriving on a desolate Mediterranean island – only to find themselves stalked by a silent cannibalistic Neanderthal! Featuring gory special effects, that convinced some British moral guardians that ANTHROPOPHAGOUS was a legitimate ‘snuff movie’, there is little doubting that this timeless terror totem still holds up today. Also boasting a cast of genre legends, such as Tisa Farrow (ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS), Zora Kerova (CANNIBAL FEROX) and George Eastman (RABID DOGS), 88 Films is proud to present ANTHROPOPHAGOUS, fully uncut and uncensored, and re-mastered in 4K from the original 16mm Camera Negative.
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**Carmen** [Blu-ray] (Ernst Lubitsch, 1918) Kino
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Polish-born actress Pola Negri was already popular when she began appearing in German silents in the 1910s, but it was her collaborations with Ernst Lubitsch that transformed her into a silver screen goddess, a mesmerizing presence as formidable in comedies (The Wildcat) as in tragedies (Madame Dubarry). Released in the U.S. as Gypsy Blood, Carmen retells Prosper Merimée’s classic tale of a Romani woman who seduces a military officer and sends each of them on a trajectory of dramatic self-destruction. Restored in 4K by the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung, Carmen features a lively score by Tobias Schwenke, performed by the orchestral ensemble Kontraste.
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Civil War [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Alex Garland, 2024) Lionsgate
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: From filmmaker Alex Garland comes a journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.
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**Come Back, Little Sheba** [Blu-ray] (Daniel Mann, 1952) Kino
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Based on William Inge’s classic play, Come Back, Little Sheba is the stirring tale of a life-weary couple who rescue hope from the ruins of the past. Shirley Booth (TV’s Hazel) stars as Lola, slovenly housewife to Doc Delaney (Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry), a recovering alcoholic. The Delaneys’ life is dull and unchanging, but takes a dramatic turn when the couple take in a charming boarder, Marie (Terry Moore, Shack Out on 101, in an Oscar-nominated role). Marie becomes the daughter the Delaneys never had. But when Marie takes up with a boorish boyfriend (Richard Jaeckel, The Devil’s Brigade), Doc descends into a jealous tailspin and must once again face the temptations of the bottle. Lancaster, in an early and unconventional leading-man part, displays his towering talent; Booth, reprising her Tony Award-winning Broadway role, gives an Academy Award-winning performance (Best Actress, 1952) in her tour-de-force movie debut. Sharply directed by Daniel Mann (The Rose Tattoo) and photographed by James Wong Howe (Hud), Come Back, Little Sheba is an unforgettable film shimmering with life-truths and dramatic intensity.
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**The Country Girl** [Blu-ray] (George Seaton, 1954) Kino
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Three legendary performers at the peak of their screen careers joined forces in this riveting film adaptation of Clifford Odets’ acclaimed play. Bing Crosby (Going My Way, Road to Utopia) is Frank Elgin, an alcoholic, guilt-ridden former music star desperate to make a comeback. William Holden (Stalag 17, Sunset Boulevard) is the hotshot Broadway director in need of a “name” star for his new stage production. And Grace Kelly (High Noon, Rear Window) is The Country Girl—Frank’s long-suffering wife, who’s both weary of her husband’s weaknesses and wary of the director’s motives. Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Actor (Crosby) and Best Picture of 1954, this sterling melodrama from writer-director George Seaton (Miracle on 34th Street, The Proud and Profane) earned Kelly an Oscar (Best Actress, 1954) for her strong and passionate performance as well as one for Seaton’s spellbinding screenplay.
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Crocodile [Blu-ray] (Sompote Sands, 1979) Synapse Films
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: When Mother Nature rebels against humankind for defying her laws, she strikes back with unbelievable fury creating the largest and most savage crocodile on earth... There is a giant crocodile on the loose! Mutating and getting larger possibly because of an atomic explosion, the crocodile's thirst for blood also grows as it rampages through a small quiet beach town devouring anything in its path. Dr. Akom and Dr. Stromm are on a perfect family vacation, but it takes a tragic turn when three of their loved ones suddenly disappear. When the bodies are found, the two doctors conduct a thorough examination of the remains and discover a killer crocodile is the culprit. Teaming up with Tanaka, a tough and rugged fisherman, Akom and Stromm head out to dangerous open waters to find and destroy the beast once and for all! This killer croc classic, originally filmed in 1978 as Crocodile Fangs (Agowa gongpo), was released in slightly different versions all around the world during its theatrical run. Synapse Films is proud to present the Blu-ray world-premiere of Crocodile in its original U.S. release version, meticulously restored from the original English 35mm camera negative.
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Vicente Aranda's 1965 "Fata Morgana (aka "Left-Handed Fate") Blu-ray - Teresa Gimpera / Marianne Benet @MondoMacabroUSA
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Vicente Aranda's Fata Morgana is pretty off-the-wall cited as "experimental' and part of the 'Barcelona School' fostering creativity in the face of government suppression. Okay. Much of the film looks like it is spoofing societal norms from celebrity adulation, consumerism, and passive acceptance of future absurdities - using pop-culture as a springboard. This is in the midst of at unexplained 'event' herding citizens out of the city which leans either Orwellian or apocalyptic... or both. A lot of genre-mix head-scratching for this reviewer, (maybe even an homage to The Invisible Man?!) but the eye-candy made it somewhat fun. It has sexy Teresa Gimpera (The Spirit of the Beehive, Shadow of Death, Crypt of the Living Dead, The Night of the Devils and Franco's Count Dracula) but I am still trying to absorb all Fata Morgana has to offer. I think I loved the indulgence and quirky qualities, but I need more viewings. I do LOVE Mondo Macabro for frequently introducing me to the cinema of the unknown, weird and wonderful on Blu-ray. I still think their promo video opening is the best. The adventurous. and even academic, cinephile should be considered informed.
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**Gueule d'amour** [Blu-ray] (Jean Grémillon, 1937) Grasshopper Films
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Callously womanizing Spahi officer Lucien Bourrache (Jean Gabin) finally met himself when he encountered-and fell hard for-the beautiful Madeleine Courtois (Mireille Balin) in Cannes. Summarily dumped after having his cash gone through, he leaves his commission behind to pursue her to Paris and try and win her back, resulting in an inevitable destructive spiral for both. Jean Grémillon's underseen tragedy co-stars René Lefèvre, Pierre Magnier.
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**The Hairdresser's Husband** [Blu-ray] (Patrice Leconte, 1990) Kino
US PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: A newly restored masterpiece from famed director Patrice Leconte (Girl on the Bridge, Yvonne’s Perfume), The Hairdresser’s Husband is a wildly erotic ode to wedded bliss. Starring the legendary Jean Rochefort (Man on the Train) and the incandescent Anna Galiena (Jamón Jamón), it follows the life of young Antoine, who was obsessed with the bewitching beautician who cut his hair. Since then, his single ambition in life has been to marry a hairdresser. As an adult, Antoine (Rochefort) meets a woman (Galiena) who seems to be the perfect incarnation of his childhood fantasies. He promptly marries her, then spends most of his daylight hours sitting in her shop, watching her every move. They are so crazy in love that some days they close up early to be alone. As time passes the shop becomes their entire world. Restored in 4K from the film negative. Photochemical and digital work carried out by the Hiventy laboratory (TransPerfect Media France), 2023.
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The Inspector Wears Skirts III [Blu-ray] (Wellson Chin, 1990) 88 Films US
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Inspector Kan (Shui-Fan Fung), now married to Madame Wu (Sibelle Hu), has been instructed to train the Banshee Squad Members after Madame Wu goes into semi-retirement. For their next mission, the Squad was assigned to go undercover into a Casino Ship to nab a group of thieves responsible for stolen law enforcement and military weapons.
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The Inspector Wears Skirts IV [Blu-ray] (Wellson Chin, 1992) 88 Films US
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: To save the Hong Kong Police Force's Banshee Squad from becoming defunct, the struggling new squad members seek the help of former officers Amy (Sandra Ng Kwan Yue), now a divorced mom with a young kid, and May (Kara Hui), now partially mentally-unstable, to help them with their training regiment, lead by Madame Yang (Cynthia Khan). Their police skills are put to the test when they are ordered to nab a band of brutal thugs in the city.
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**Journey from the Fall** [Blu-ray] (Ham Tran, 2006) Whole Grain Pictures
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COMMENTS: April 30, 1975 marked the end of Vietnam's two-decade-old civil war and the start of the exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees. Despite his alliance to the toppled South Vietnamese government, Long Nguyen (as Long Nguyen) decides to remain in Vietnam. Imprisoned in a Communist re-education camp, he urges his family to make the escape by boat without him. His wife Mai (Diem Lien), son Lai (Nguyen Thai Nguyen) and mother Ba Noi (Kieu Chinh) then embark on the arduous ocean voyage in the hope of reaching the U.S. and freedom. Inspired by the true stories of Vietnamese refugees who fled their land after the fall of Saigon, and those who were forced to stay behind, Journey from the Fall follows one family's struggle for freedom.
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Off Balance [Blu-ray] (Ruggero Deodato, 1987) Cauldron Films
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: The Phantom of Death Has Risen! When a mysterious disease befalls young, virtuosic pianist Robert Dominici (Michael York -- Austin Powers), he begins a violent, murderous rampage taunting authorities with his whereabouts. As Robert's brain and body rapidly decay, Inspector Datti (Donald Pleasence -- Halloween, American Rickshaw) must race to find him before he kills again! Directed by Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), co-starring Edwige Fenech (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh) and Giovanni Lombardo Radice (City of the Living Dead), with Special Effects by Dino Galiano (Four Flies on Grey Velvet) and written by Gianfranco Clerici (The House of Clocks), Off Balance (also known as Phantom of Death / Un Delitto Poco Comune) is an '80s Giallo-infused, carnal ride of violence and body-horror seen through the mind of a genius driven mad by a cruel and unstoppable disease. Cauldron Films presents Off Balance on Blu-ray, uncut and restored in 2K from the camera negative. Featuring one of the final interviews with controversial director Ruggero Deodato and commentary by Italian cult film experts Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani, this release is a must have for Italian Horror maniacs!
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Riddle of Fire [Blu-ray] (Weston Razooli, 2023) Riddle UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: In the rolling hills of Wyoming, three mischievous children are tasked with collecting a blueberry pie from their local store. However, what begins as a simple errand soon evolves into an odyssey across the American West, as the intrepid trio faces poachers, witches, huntsmen, and fairies, who all seek to challenge them on their quest. Will the bonds of friendship prove strong enough to guide them home? A fantastical tale billed as “the coolest debut from Cannes”, this unique neo-fairytale, beautifully shot on 16mm, is an unforgettable concoction of Romanticism, British folklore, and the western genre that celebrates the power of imagination.
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**The Rose Tattoo** [Blu-ray] (Daniel Mann, 1955) Kino
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: When Tennessee Williams (A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) wrote The Rose Tattoo, he had one actress in mind—Anna Magnani (The Fugitive Kind). Williams’ sense of casting proved as sharp as his ear for dialogue. Magnani won an Oscar (Best Actress, 1955) for her bravura portrayal in this torrid drama that also earned Academy Awards for Best Cinematography (James Wong Howe, Hud) and Art Direction. Magnani plays Sicilian seamstress Serafina Delle Rose, who retreats from the world when her beloved husband dies. But Serafina reawakens to life’s joys when she meets Alvaro (screen icon Burt Lancaster, The Rainmaker), a happy-go-lucky truck driver who has the same sunny openness her husband had, even the same occupation. And on his chest is the same symbol of love, The Rose Tattoo. Masterfully directed by Daniel Mann (Come Back, Little Sheba), this lusty, passion-filled classic garnered a total of 8 Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actress (Marisa Pavan, The Midnight Story), Costumes (Edith Head), Editing (Warren Low), Score (Alex North) and Motion Picture (Hal B. Wallis).
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**Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le samouraï" 4K UHD** - Alain Delon @Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: With the attraction of The Godfather in cinemas, premiering March 1972, Le Samouraï was subsequently released in an English-dubbed version in the US (July 1972) under the title "The Godson". Le Samouraï is a very special type of neo-noir; - certainly very French - encapsulating desirable 'dark cinema' tropes that harkening to a distant homage. A loner, professional and methodical hitman, Jef Costello (Delon,) is seeking one of his 'employers' who was intent on his own contracted assassination. We have a procedural crime element with the Parisian Commissaire (François Périer) playing a cat and mouse game of acquiring evidentiary justification for his capture and arrest. The women in Jef's orbit love him and are willing to sacrifice to assist in his survival. It was the first film for Delon's wife, Nathalie playing part-time gal-pal 'Jane Lagrange'. We also have the appearances of Sade-esque, model and actress, Caty Rosier - pianist eye-candy at the nightclub. They mirror his restrained attitude of composed indifference. There is no romance - only survival. Melville once said "There is no greater solitude than that of the samurai unless it is that of the tiger in the jungle..." Jef is the tiger and he's on the prowl. An indelible character study. Criterion's 4K UHD release of Le Samouraï only offers the new, quite different HD presentation. Fans will see the film on digital as they never have before. That enticement, alone, can be overwhelming. As a must-see film, Le Samouraï has our highest recommendation.
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Sex Apocalypse [Blu-ray] (Carlos Aured, Sergio Bergonzelli, 1982) Mondo Macabro
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Having availed themselves of a luxurious villa while the owner was out of town, a quintet of degenerate criminals start in on their next score-the abduction and ransom of a millionaire's teenage daughter. Observing their captive's beauty and inexperience, the pack's female members (Lina Romay, Ajita Wilson) decide to indoctrinate her in perversion... but the tables are about to get turned, in this slice of Eurosleaze from director Carlos Aured.
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Sting [Blu-ray] (Kiah Roache-Turner, 2024) Well Go USA
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: A mysterious object crashes into a rundown apartment building, and a little spider emerges from within. When young Charlotte finds the strange little creature, she names her secret friend STING, but she quickly realizes her new pet grows at a monstrous rate. With an insatiable appetite for blood, neighbors' pets start to vanish... and then the neighbors.
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**Storytelling** [Blu-ray] (Todd Solondz, 2001) Shout! Factory
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: From the director of Happiness and Welcome To The Dollhouse (Todd Solondz) comes the comedy that shines a light on the dark side of human behavior. Take a journey from innocence to experience. kindness to cruelty and love to hate with an emotionally needy college student (Selma Blair) and a dysfunctional family man (John Goodman) as they learn some of life's most difficult lessons. Masterfully balancing both fact and fiction, acclaimed writer-director Todd Solondz uses razor sharp wit and an observing eye to cut open his characters and skewer the American dream.
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**Street Scene [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (King Vidor, 1931) VCI Entertainment
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: One of the great stage-to-screen adaptations of the early sound film era, STREET SCENE (1931) presents a New York City tenement melting pot, boiling over with summer heat, resentment, and longing. Independent producer Samuel Goldwyn acquired the rights of the Pulitzer Prize winning and hit Broadway play by Elmer Rice, who also penned the screenplay. Under the direction of King Vidor, the relatively simple set (building, sidewalk, street) becomes a canvas of human emotion, achieved through dynamic camerawork and powerhouse performances by Sylvia Sidney, Estelle Taylor, and Beulah Bondi--a member of the original Broadway cast who made her film debut as the busybody Mrs. Jones. Composer Alfred Newman's score offers musical cues carefully timed to character dialogue, along with a Gershwin-esque theme that Newman reused during his long career at 20th Century-Fox. The film's restoration allows us to fully experience the power of STREET SCENE, seeing and hearing in vivid clarity as Anna Maurrant (Taylor), her daughter Rose (Sidney), and neighbor Sam Kaplan (William Collier, Jr.) open their hearts and crash against the limitations of their environment.
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**True Detective: Night Country: Season 4** [Blu-ray] - SDS
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Academy Award® Winner, Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.
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Turbulence [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Robert Butler, 1997) Kino
US 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
US BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Ray Liotta (Goodfellas), Lauren Holly (Dumb and Dumber) and Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) face off at 35,000 feet above sea level in the high-impact action-thriller Turbulence. A handful of last-minute Christmas Eve passengers are boarding a flight from New York to Los Angeles that will change their lives forever…if they survive. For flight attendant Teri Halloran (Holly), it’s just another plane ride from coast to coast—with only one difference. This time they’ll be carrying two very special passengers—an armed robber named Stubbs (Gleeson) and a seductive serial killer called Ryan Weaver (Liotta)—both handcuffed, shackled and escorted by top security agents. But when Stubbs slaughters one of his escorts and manages to break free, the balance of power suddenly changes hands. Now the cool and intelligent psychopath Ryan Weaver controls the plane, and the lives of every passenger and flight attendant on it. With the massive 747 heading into a severe storm, the danger from outside is almost as deadly as the danger within. The storm could kill you—but Weaver will make you suffer first. You’d better fasten your seatbelts—because this trip is going to be a killer ride! Directed by Robert Butler (Underground Aces) and featuring Hector Elizondo, Rachel Ticotin, Jeffrey DeMunn, Ben Cross and Catherine Hicks.
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Twister [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Jan de Bont, 1996) SDS
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: A mile-wide, 300 miles-per-hour force of total devastation is coming at you! In this adventure swirling with cliffhanging excitement and awesome special effects, Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton play scientists pursuing the most destructive weather front to sweep through mid-Americas Tornado Alley in 50 years. By launching electronic sensors into the funnel, the storm chasers hope to obtain data to create an improved warning system. But to do so, they must intercept the twisters deadly path. The chase is on!
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The Whale God [DVD] SRS Cinema NOTE: We will be reviewing this on Blu-ray!
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: A small Japanese village is obsessed with killing a monstrous whale that has decimated its hunting parties. The town's wealthiest man offers his land, position, and only daughter to the individual who can kill the demon whale. Shaki, a popular young man whose family has been massacred by the beast, steps forward vowing to slay the whale and avenge his relations, but his efforts are complicated by a brutish stranger to the village also intent on killing the monster and collecting on the promised riches. Based on Koichiro Uno's award-winning novel published the previous year and scripted by visionary writer-director Kaneto Shindo, this loose adaptation of Herman Melville's Moby Dick captures the madness and danger of whaling and combines it with period drama and kaiju monster effects.
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The World of Kanako [Blu-ray] (Tetsuya Nakashima, 2014) Drafthouse
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: An uncompromising thriller of operatic scope, THE WORLD OF KANAKO is a nonstop visual and emotional assault to the senses as it follows ex-detective Akikazu on the hunt for his daughter, Kanako. What he discovers is a web of depravity surrounding both Kanako and himself. As he stumbles along a shocking trail of drugs, sex and violence, he finds himself unprepared for the shocking revelations.
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LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES AVAILABLE HERE

https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-calendar-107525815

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REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:

**Don Siegel's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" 4K UHD** - Kevin McCarthy / Dana Wynter @KinoLorber
US 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
US PURCHASE BLU-RAY LINK
CANADIAN BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Don Siegel's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is firmly-seated in the pantheon of American 50's sci-fi's golden era which includes The War of the Worlds, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Thing From Another World, Forbidden Planet, This Island Earth, It Came from Outer Space... each dealing, primarily, with how we are going to get along with extraterrestrial alien life forms who, may, have hostile intentions. I'd probably include The Brain Eaters, and I Married a Monster from Outer Space. Duplicating our bodies and turning us into emotionless "pod people" is certainly deserved of more than a finger-wagging response. Of course, who is going to believe the suspicious "truth-seekers"? Silly conspiracy theorists should be dismissed... until they, too, are replaced in their sleep. Lousy Commies. "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you." Studios of the day were apprehensive about the film's pessimistic conclusion, and a prologue and epilogue were added with the crux of the story told as a flashback to Doctors played by Whit Bissell and Richard Deacon. Finney's novel actually ends with the maximum '5-year life-span extraterrestrials' exiting Earth after our stubborn resistance. Never comply! Some cinemas displayed several gimmicky papier-mâché pods in front of the theatre ala a William Castle ploy or, by extension, Joe Dante's delightful Matinee. Shot in only 23 days, Don Siegel's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" has been oft repeated but never duplicated, although kudos to Phil Kaufman's 1978 remake with a cameo by Kevin McCarthy. Sci-fi movie gold - and now on Kino 4K UHD. The dual-ratios are an aware touch and four commentaries cover a plethora of analysis. Our very highest recommendation!
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**Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le samouraï" 4K UHD** - Alain Delon @Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: With the attraction of The Godfather in cinemas, premiering March 1972, Le Samouraï was subsequently released in an English-dubbed version in the US (July 1972) under the title "The Godson". Le Samouraï is a very special type of neo-noir; - certainly very French - encapsulating desirable 'dark cinema' tropes that harkening to a distant homage. A loner, professional and methodical hitman, Jef Costello (Delon,) is seeking one of his 'employers' who was intent on his own contracted assassination. We have a procedural crime element with the Parisian Commissaire (François Périer) playing a cat and mouse game of acquiring evidentiary justification for his capture and arrest. The women in Jef's orbit love him and are willing to sacrifice to assist in his survival. It was the first film for Delon's wife, Nathalie playing part-time gal-pal 'Jane Lagrange'. We also have the appearances of Sade-esque, model and actress, Caty Rosier - pianist eye-candy at the nightclub. They mirror his restrained attitude of composed indifference. There is no romance - only survival. Melville once said "There is no greater solitude than that of the samurai unless it is that of the tiger in the jungle..." Jef is the tiger and he's on the prowl. An indelible character study. Criterion's 4K UHD release of Le Samouraï only offers the new, quite different HD presentation. Fans will see the film on digital as they never have before. That enticement, alone, can be overwhelming. As a must-see film, Le Samouraï has our highest recommendation.
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**Antonio Margheriti's 1964 "Castle of Blood / Danza Macabra" 4K UHD** - Barbara Steele / Margrete Robsahm @SeverinFilms
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
Available individually in August:
US PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Antonio Margheriti's "Danza Macabra" has the female embodiment of Gothic cinema, Barbara Steele, who looks even more photogenic, exotic and enchanting in 2160P. We have also covered her film, The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, where she is in color in 4K UHD. Black and white seems perfectly suitable for her alluring cinematic charisma. What else? evocative medieval sets, Antonio Margheriti's best haunting atmosphere in all of his unique genre oeuvre, Edgar Allan Poe as a character, a wager to spend a night in a haunted castle? lascivious spirits... who need blood for survival? lush costumes and gorgeous 22-year-old Norwegian model Margrete Robsahm as aloof, ice-princess, Julia. Margheriti remade the film as Web of the Spider , with Anthony Franciosa and Michele Mercier, in color in 1970 but admitted that "the color cinematography destroyed everything." "Danza Macabra" is an imaginative and effective horror. For either Margheriti or Steele fans - Severin's 4K UHD release is a must-own. Absolutely recommended! 
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**Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" 4K UHD** - James Coburn / Kris Kristofferson @Criterion
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CANADIAN 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
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CANADIAN BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid on Criterion, 4-disc, 4K UHD and, 2-disc, Blu-ray is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The cast is part of 70's western cinema lore with James Coburn (Peckinpah's Cross of Iron) as Pat Garrett, Kris Kristofferson (Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate, Anne Feinsilber's Requiem For Billy the Kid, John Sayles' Lone Star and Peckinpah's Convoy,) as Bill the Kid, plus Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado (High Noon,) Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jason Robards (Peckinpah's The Ballad of Cable Hogue), famous recording artist Rita Coolidge (Kristofferson's new bride at the time,) Luke Askew (Easy Rider), Matt Clark, Jack Elam (Once Upon a Time in the West,) L. Q. Jones (Junior Bonner,) Slim Pickens (Rancho Deluxe,) Harry Dean Stanton (Paris, Texas) and, of course, iconic Bob Dylan as "Alias." If you looks closely you can see uncredited Sam Peckinpah as 'Will' and Bruce Dern (The Cowboys) as a Deputy Sheriff. Rudy Wurlitzer wrote the screenplay (as well as playing 'Tom O'Folliard' in the film,) later with Peckinpah's reworking of the narrative. Wurlitzer also wrote the screenplays for 1967's Walker directed by Alex Cox, Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop, and Little Buddha directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is filled with back stories including Dylan calling Willie Nelson to the set. He played many hours of Django Reinhardt tunes on his old Martin guitar. The film's controversial legacy and alternate versions make it one of the most fascinating revisionist Westerns of all time. There is immense value here for Criterion's 4-disc, 4K UHD and, 2-disc, Blu-ray sets. It gets our highest recommendation.
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DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of July 8th, 2024