THIS WEEK's RELEASES: Wachowskis premium neo-noir in 4K UHD, Polanski 4K UHD, Paul Schrader 4K UHD, Pete Walker horror box extravaganza, Emilio Fernández gem, Ernst Lubitsch Silent Era, Kinji Fukasaku boxset reboot, Ethan Coen, Euzhan Palcy, Nicolas Winding Refn does Enid Blyton, another Dark Side of Noir trifecta package, Wei Lo, Edward Dmytryk, Fernando de Fuentes, Abashiri Prison Triple Feature, Red Peony Gambler Triple Feature, Ti West, George King X 2, Linklater Criterion style in UK, John Guillermin...
NEW CALENDAR UPDATES (LINKED HERE!) Don Siegel classic to 4K UHD, World Noir 2.0, Criterion Albert Brooks 4K UHD X 2, more Tai Katō, Kinji Fukasaku, Kira Muratova double feature, , Laurel & Hardy, Jane Campion, Susan George in 4K UHD, Arch Oboler 3-D , Jim Jarmusch, The Three Stooges to Blu-ray!, Howard Hawks, multiple Patrice Leconte, Barbet Schroeder, David Mamet, Columbo returns, Reese's Tracy Flick in 4K UHD, Terry Zwigoff to the UK, Giant Leeches, Terence Fisher / Cushing X 2, Daniel Mann / Lancaster X 2, Forbidden Fruit Exploitation, Ernst Lubitsch, Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Borzage, Raoul Walsh, Fred Zinnemann, Basil Dearden, Andrzej Zulawski, Nicolas Winding Refn, Ang Lee 4K UHD, another strong Film Noir triple-pack, Nico Mastorakis box...
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: the most complete Pete Walker 70's horror boxset ever (14 commentaries!,) 50's Spillane noir, sexy, pulp, Raoul Walsh Oedipus noir-western with Mitchum and Teresa Wright, Rebecca-esque Brit Noir with James Mason, Double Japanese film series; prison walls and red peonies tatts, Roman Polanski: Sigourney Weaver / Ben Kingsley brilliance...
Enjoy,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of June 17th, 2024 (Recommended titles have "**")

All of Us Strangers [Blu-ray] (Andrew Haigh, 2023) Disney UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: One night in his near-empty tower block in contemporary London, Adam (Andrew Scott) has a chance encounter with a mysterious neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal), which punctures the rhythm of his everyday life. As a relationship develops between them, Adam is preoccupied with memories of the past and finds himself drawn back to the suburban town where he grew up, and the childhood home where his parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell), appear to be living, just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before.
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**American Gigolo [4K UHD]** (Paul Schrader, 1980) Arrow Video US
US 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Paul Schrader, hot off writing the scripts for Martin Scorsese’s immortal classics Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, stepped into the director’s chair for the third time with 1980’s American Gigolo, a gripping tale of intrigue and deception set against the backdrop of sultry late-70s Los Angeles and starring Richard Gere in a breakthrough performance.
In a world of wealth and desire, high-end male escort Julian Kay (Gere) offers his love and attention to women in need. But when a client, the wife of a sadistic finance magnate, is found dead, all eyes turn to Julian as the prime suspect. Realizing he’s being framed, Julian races to prove his innocence, determined to unravel the mystery behind the setup. As he digs deeper into the case, he embarks on a journey that forces him to confront his own identity.
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**Battles Without Honor And Humanity: The Complete Collection** [Blu-ray] - Arrow
US PURCHASE LINK
BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: Literally exploding on screen with a mushroom cloud, and ending with Hiroshima’s A-bomb Dome, the epic story of Battles Without Honor and Humanity follows over 100 characters through twenty years of gang wars, alliances, betrayals, and assassinations, in an exciting exploration of criminal power and politics in Japan. In the opening episode, ex-soldier Shōzō Hirono escapes from the post-war black markets to become a key member of the Yamamori gang, but soon finds himself disillusioned by the selfish duplicity of his bosses. Hiroshima Death Match focuses on a demobilized kamikaze pilot drifting through the early 1950s, whose suicidal impulses find good use as a mob assassin. Proxy War and Police Tactics form a labyrinthine, two-part story of ambition and betrayal set against Japan’s rapid economic growth of the 1960s, with Shōzō caught between warring factions. Final Episode concludes the series in the 1970s as the former Yamamori gang transforms itself into an economic conglomerate called the Tensei Group, in a bid for mainstream respectability.
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**Anna Boleyn** [Blu-ray] (Ernst Lubitsch, 1920) Kino
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: The tragic story of the second wife of England's Henry VIII is dramatized on a grand scale by Ernst Lubitsch, utilizing the full resources of the Ufa Studios. Henny Porten (Kohlhiesel's Daughters) gives a sensitive performance as the humble lady-in-waiting who ascends to the throne. But it is legendary actor Emil Jannings (The Last Laugh, The Blue Angel) who electrifies the film, depicting Henry's decadent appetite for food, power, and women, without reducing the larger-than-life historical figure to caricature or villain. Showcasing interviews with daughter Nicola Lubitsch, historians, and filmmakers, the feature-length documentary Lubitsch in Berlin documents the life of the legendary filmmaker from his birth in 1892 to his departure for Hollywood in 1923.
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**The Wachowski's "Bound" 4K UHD** Jennifer Tilly / Gina Gershon @Criterion
US 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN 4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
Blu-ray:
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Criterion's 4K UHD release of The Wachowski's "Bound" is very anticipated. We're talking about the pinnacle of 90's neo-noir. Fans love the subversion themes and twists of classic noir male-female relationships yet still maintaining the pulpy standard betrayals, double crosses, a recent ex-con, murder and a desirable femme fatale - Violet's (Tilly) voice is much higher-pitched when around the men than alone with Corky (Gershon.) "It's work" she describes after steamy sex with her galpal. The Wachowskis cite Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity) as a big influence. Dialogue in Bound is delicious, the use of water as sexual female marker, close-ups of the gal's hands as coital ministrators... Pantoliano is also exceptional as the under-respected mid-level Mafioso showing his short fuse panic-shifting between self-preservation, greed and paranoia. There is no extended heist in the film - no details, planning or car chases - "Bound" efficiently cuts to the chase; sex, money, murder... and the problems each entails. It has a massive re-watchability factor. The best a/v, almost 2 hours of extras - our highest recommendation.
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**Chinatown / The Two Jakes [4K UHD Blu-ray]** - Paramount
US PURCHASE LINK
UK (no The Two Jakes) PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: One of the most essential neo-noir classics—CHINATOWN comes to 4K Ultra HD for its 50th Anniversary. Jack Nicholson is unforgettable as private eye Jake Gittes, living off the murky moral climate of sun-baked, pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night. This limited Paramount Presents edition also includes a Blu-ray featuring the 1990 follow up THE TWO JAKES, directed by Nicholson and written by Oscar winner Robert Towne (CHINATOWN).
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Drive-Away Dolls [Blu-ray] (Ethan Coen, 2024) Universal UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Iconic filmmaker Ethan Coen, ("Fargo" and "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs") is riding solo as he directs this delightful comedy about free-spirited Jamie and her demure friend, Marian, together they embark on a road trip to Tallahassee for a fresh start, but things go wrong when they meet inept criminals along the way. Starring Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon.
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**A Dry White Season** [Blu-ray] (Euzhan Palcy, 1989) RB UK BFI
UK PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: In the apartheid-era of South Africa, schoolteacher Ben du Toit (Donald Sutherland) lives with his wife and two children, wilfully naive to the racism and injustice in his country. That is until the son of his gardener is beaten and killed by white police officers in the aftermath of a protest for better education for Black children. This devastating event forces du Toit's to open his eyes and emboldens him to finally stand up and take action, seeking the help of human rights lawyer Ian McKenzie (Marlon Brando), an isolating endeavour that will change the lives of du Toit and his family forever.
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**The Famous Five** [Blu-ray] (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2023) RB UK BBC
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: In the heat of a Dorset summer, rebellious George and her high-spirited dog Timmy tempt her cousins – Julian, Dick, and Anne – into a world of danger and mystery. Together they travel to an island packed with lethal traps, puzzle out the secrets of the Knights Templar, stop a powerful device from falling into the wrong hands, and protect a stage magician from his many enemies. As they navigate secret crypts, deadly tunnels, and a travelling circus they learn to put aside their differences and form an indestructible bond.
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**Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XIX** [Blu-ray] [Dark City / No Man of Her Own / Beware, My Lovely] - Kino
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: DARK CITY (1950) – A Tense, Tough Drama of Underworld Violence and Revenge! After losing his company’s $5,000 cashier’s check in a crooked card game, a stranger in Chicago commits suicide. The other gamblers—including Danny Haley, played by steely screen legend Charlton Heston (Touch of Evil) in his Hollywood debut—worry about the dangers of cashing the check, but this soon becomes the least of their concerns when the head of the group is found hanged.
NO MAN OF HER OWN (1950) – Every Door Closed Against Her…A Woman Faces the Age-Old Problem of Her Sex! The incandescent Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers) shines as a woman torn between a comfortable lie and the painful truth in this heart-wrenching noir classic. Helen Ferguson (Stanwyck), penniless, pregnant and dumped by her slimy boyfriend Steve (Lyle Bettger, Union Station), assumes the identity of a pregnant woman who was killed in a train crash.
BEWARE, MY LOVELY (1952) – Trapped by a Man Beyond Control! Screen heavyweights Ida Lupino (Woman in Hiding) and Robert Ryan (Odds Against Tomorrow) square off in this stylish and atmospheric thriller. Wealthy widow Helen Gordon (Lupino) hires drifter Howard Wilton (Ryan) as a handyman to do chores around her rambling mansion. What she doesn’t know: Howard Wilton is insane. Insecure and paranoid, Wilton thinks everyone, including Helen, is against him.
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**The Flesh and Blood Show - The Horror Films of Pete Walker** Blu-ray - Susan George / Luan Peters @88_Films
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: 88 Films seven Blu-ray package of "The Flesh and Blood Show - The Horror Films of Pete Walker" is the best set of the director's 70's film production to date. The more highly rated movies are House of Whipcord, Frightmare and House of Mortal Sin but I am also a fan of Die Screaming, Marianne (still love Susan George.) and The Flesh and Blood Show with Luan Peters who some may remember from the Fawlty Towers episode "The Psychiatrist" where she played Raylene Miles, an Australian tourist. There are frequent villains (or villainesses) in Walker oeuvre, often more exploitive nudity than gnarly gore, and his films have some intriguing subtexts often dealing with authority figures (politics), obsessions and revenge. Controversial? not so much nowadays. The bottom line of his work is that it is both entertaining and never really boring. He controls pace well and keeps suspense as a prominent factor of the viewing. His films have a different charisma from Gothic Hammer horrors. but there is still a nostalgic appeal often circling 70's Britain. I'm highly pleased with 88 Films Blu-ray package with 14 commentaries! and many other interviews and extras. I also love the new covers by Sean Longmore. Walker fans should definitely indulge - this is an impressively stacked package. Strongly recommended to those interested.
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**The Karate Kid** [4K UHD Blu-ray] (John G. Avildsen, 1984) Sony
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Ralph Macchio stars as Daniel, a teenager whose growing pains are made that much more difficult by his arrival in a new town where he must start from scratch and make new friends. He quickly becomes the target of the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, who are less than pleased when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra leader's ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend, he begs his handyman, Miyagi (Pat Morita), a martial arts master, to teach him karate. Under Miyagi's wise tutelage, Daniel develops not only the physical skills but also the maturity, faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale.
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**To Kill with Intrigue [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Wei Lo, 1977) 88 Films UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: The year was 1977 and kung-fu fighting was still blasting out of discotheques, the spectre of Bruce Lee continued to haunt Hong Kong cinema and a young Jackie Chan was fast on his way to superstardom. TO KILL WITH INTRIGUE is undoubtedly one of the martial arts legend’s finest moments - with confident direction from the legendary Lo Wei, who had given Bruce Lee his break with THE BIG BOSS in 1971! Shot in South Korea, TO KILL WITH INTRIGUE highlights a fast-paced tale of doomed romance and revenge that gives Chan’s token stunts and chopsocky mayhem plenty of space to showcase themselves! Finally available to UK viewers, with a brand-new 2024 4K restoration, one of Chan’s most underrated motion pictures is ready to fight its way into your collection!
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**Edward Dmytryk's "Obsession"** (aka "The Hidden Room") Blu-ray - Robert Newton / Sally Gray @indicatorseries
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Edward Dmytryk's Obsession (aka "The Hidden Room") was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festival. It was based on Alec Coppel's novel Obsession (original title A Man About a Dog.) It's involves a London psychiatrist's revenge plot on his unfaithful wife's carefree American lover who he kidnaps and keeps prisoner in a "hidden room". Dmytryk, had left Hollywood following his appearance before the HUAC. The plot examines the idea of disposing of a body by dissolving it in acid to create 'the perfect murder'. This idea references the case of the 1930's murderer John Haigh; a English serial killer convicted for the murder of six people (although he claimed to have killed nine) using a 'sulphuric acid bath'. Obsession is far more tame with plenty of intriguing dialogue and a cold, calculating, scorned husband. It's expertly realized by Dmytryk with noir sensibilities. The Indicator Blu-ray is up to their usual 'top-shelf' standard and Obsession is highly deserved of such a stellar release with expert commentary, two audio supplements, new interviews and booklet. Strongly recommended!
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**The Phantom of the Monastery** [Blu-ray] (Fernando de Fuentes, 1934) Indicator US
US PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: Made in the wake of La Llorona’s success and directed with flair by Fernando de Fuentes (regarded as one of the masters of early Mexican cinema), The Phantom of the Monastery (El fantasma del convento) tells the macabre tale of a troupe of hikers who become lost in a forest and take refuge in a haunted monastery. There, they encounter shape-shifting shadows, ominous sealed doorways, and a cellar crowded with coffins... An expressionistic Gothic triumph which has tragically languished in obscurity outside of Mexico, The Phantom of the Monastery has now been lovingly restored and is presented on Blu-ray at long last in a world debut edition, with a selection of illuminating extras.
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Piaffe [Blu-ray] (Ann Oren, 2022) Oscilloscope
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Introverted and unqualified, Eva is unexpectedly tasked with foleying the sound for a commercial featuring a horse. As she slowly acclimates to the new job, her obsession with creating the perfect equine sounds grows into something more tangible. Eva harnesses this new physicality, becoming more confident and empowered, and lures an unassuming botanist into an intriguing game of submission. Shot on lush 16mm, PIAFFE is a visceral journey into control, gender, and artifice.
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**Prison Walls: Abashiri Prison I-III** Blu-ray - Ken Takakura / Kanjûrô Arashi @mastersofcinema
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Masters of Cinema's Abashiri Prison Series on Blu-ray is quite a landmark. I am wondering if we will get more of the iconic series released on Blu-ray since Toei are now supplying their restorations. The films are very machismo and Ken Takakura is a charismatic cool customer navigating the Yakuza terrain. There is talk of the first film, Abashiri Prison, being a remake of Stanley Kramer's The Defiant Ones from 1958, although the only connection is two escaped prisoner's interactions when fleeing and being handcuffed/ chained together. At best director, re-writer director Teruo Ishii may have been considering an homage. I was entertained - more by the first and third entries and am curious about more from the series. There is a lot of value here in Masters of Cinema's double Blu-ray package; a commentary for each film, astute Tony Rayns, plus an informative appreciation and a booklet. Recommended.
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**The Valiant Red Peony Blu-ray - Red Peony Gambler 1-3** - Junko Fuji @mastersofcinema
Red Peony Gambler, Red Peony Gambler 2: Gambler’s Obligation and Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Once again, where have I been? Knowing almost nothing about the Red Peony Gambler series. Wow - these are wonderful. I was enjoying my first exposure to the captivating Junko Fuji (Sumiko Fuji) as a knife and gun-wielding, independent, revenge-motivated female wanderer. I agree with Tony Rayns that the third installment, Tai Katō's 1969 Red Peony Gambler: Flower Cards Match, is the most appealing with the others laying essential groundwork for the titular character. Katō also directed numbers six and seven of the Red Peony Gambler series a few years later. I hope they are also brought to Blu-ray. I was only recently exposed to director Katô from Radiance Film's By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him, and I, the Executioner that I loved way out of proportion. So... sly, drop-dead, gorgeous, Junko Fuji (in the mid-1960s, she was the leading actress for Toei) and another Tai Katō gem has made my cinephile week. Masters of Cinema always do their Blu-ray packages right. These first three of the Red Peony Gambler series are no exception; impressive a/v, a commentary trifecta, Tony Rayns and booklet. More please. What a thrilling discovery. Strongly recommended!
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**The Sacrament** [Blu-ray] (Ti West, 2013) RB UK Second Sight Films
UK PURCHASE LINK
UK LE PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: A small documentary film crew accompanies a man as he travels to Eden Parish in search of his missing sister. It soon becomes apparent that this paradise is not what it seems.
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**George King's "The Shop at Sly Corner"** Blu-ray - Oscar Homolka / Derek Farr @indicatorseries
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: George King's The Shop at Sly Corner is considered British noir - identified with 369 other films in Michael F. Keaney's British Film Noir Guide. Our emigrant protagonist, who served time at Devil's Island, fences stolen jewels in his back-alley antique store and is now being... blackmailed. His only concern is his daughter Margaret (Pavlow) who he encourages to become a professional concert violinist. She is unaware of his illegalities. The Shop at Sly Corner was the debut of Diana Dors (Yield to the Night) playing the girlfriend of a unscrupulous blackmailer (Kenneth Griffith.) Cinematography by Hone Glendinning (The Frightened Lady, Shadow of the Past, Three Steps in the Dark, The Scarlet Web, Forbidden) adds to the shadowy 'dark cinema' presence. The Shop at Sly Corner has plenty of appeal and the Indicator Blu-ray advances the digital quality, includes a new commentary, an appreciation, interview and booklet. An easily recommendation.
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**Slacker** [Blu-ray] (Richard Linklater, 1990) Criterion UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS:
Richard Linklater's Slacker presents a day in the life of a loose-knit subculture of marginal, eccentric, and overeducated citizens in Austin, Texas. Shooting the film on 16mm for a mere twenty-three thousand dollars, writer/producer/director Linklater and his close-knit crew of friends eschewed a traditional plot, choosing instead to employ long takes and fluid transitions to create a tapestry of over a hundred characters, each as unique as the last, culminating in an episodic portrait of a distinct vernacular culture and a tribute to bohemian cerebration. Slacker is a prescient look at an emerging generation of aggressive nonparticipants, and one of the key films of the American independent film movement of the 1990s.
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**George King's "Tomorrow We Live"** Blu-ray - John Clements / Greta Gynt / Judy Kelly @indicatorseries
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: George King's 1943 Tomorrow We Live should not to be confused with the same-titled desert-based 1942 Edgar G. Ulmer crime-drama with Ricardo Cortez and Jean Parker. King also directed The Shop at Sly Corner, on recently reviewed Indicator Blu-ray covered HERE. Tomorrow We Live has varied degrees of 'resistance' in a Nazi-occupied French village, "St Pierre-le-Port". It focuses on the atrocious behavior enforced on the characters and their own personal means of existence around it from extensive sabotage to collaboration. So, it's a bit of a morale-boosting, flag waving, propaganda effort. There is some interesting interplay with the female characters played by Greta Gynt (The Dark Eyes of London,) Australian-born Judy Kelly (Dead of Night) and Gabrielle Brune (The Titfield Thunderbolt) who exist by their wits, flirtations and varying degrees of mercenary compromises. The film's leanings are amusingly transparent; bumbling German soldiers replaced by the ruthless SS and the nobility of the French commoners as they croon "La Marseillaise" sauntering defiantly to the firing squad; "Against us from the tyranny, the bloody banner is raised..." Vive la France! The Indicator Blu-ray is at their exceptionally high standard for the a/v, commentary, and other supplements including a booklet. Recommended to those keen.
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**Emilio Fernández's "Victims of Sin"** Blu-ray - Ninón Sevilla / Tito Junco @Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Emilio Fernández's Victims of Sin is described as a "rumbera" musical melodrama and has some delightful film noir tropes. We have moody locales, incarcerated characters, underworld pachucos, and fatalistic ladies of the evening... not to mention multiple murders. However, the stylish musical numbers and torso-driven dancing are a total joy. Ninón Sevilla is a writhe goddess. Victims of Sin is cited as one of the most famous of Mexico's post-war films. I, absolutely, loved it. The Criterion Blu-ray has this extraordinary piece of 50's Mexican cinema looking and sounding absolutely top-shelf with new extras and a booklet. Our highest recommendation.
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**John Guillermin's "The Whole Truth"** Blu-ray - Stewart Granger / Donna Reed / George Sanders @indicatorseries
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: John Guillermin's The Whole Truth is a wonderfully paced thriller with plenty of noir tropes; much of it being a flashback after the first scene, a fairly disreputable protagonist character Max Poulton (played by Stewart Granger,) murder and mistakenly identified murder, regretful affairs, revenge, blackmail and some wonderful shadowy cinematography. It has a strong cast with debonair Stewart Granger (Moonfleet,) wholesome Donna Reed (Ransom,) sly loose-cannon George Sanders (Village of the Damned) and the camera-magnet, sexy, Gianna Maria Canale - all set on the French Riviera with the backdrop of the ritzy life of filmmakers. The Whole Truth has a brilliantly established first half film and is able to maintain some of the 'Whodunit' mystery of the murder... and why. Certainly an effective and economical thriller and I am very happy with  the Indicator Blu-ray package that offers a new commentary, booklet and more. I will be keeping this one. Recommended to 'dark cinema' devotees.
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LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES AVAILABLE HERE

https://www.patreon.com/posts/calendar-update-105386694

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REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:

**Victor Saville's "The Long Wait" 4K UHD** - Anthony Quinn / Peggie Castle / Charles Coburn @ClassicFlix
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Classicflix's 4K UHD release of Victor Saville's "The Long Wait" is incredibly welcome by Film Noir fans. I would say this has some of the most appealing 'dark cinema' conventions (from amnesia, loss of identity, plastic surgery, burned-off fingerprints to multiple femme fatales, murder and a totally corrupt town) but is also very Spillane-esque in how convoluted the plot is and the limited continuity from scene-to-scene. It all ties-up in the conclusion though in an extremely satisfyingly fashion. Along with Max Allan Collins, I gush at the final scene's poetic and expressionistic Film Noir art direction - kudos to Boris Leven (West Side Story, The Andromeda Strain, The Sound of Music, Giant etc.) Also identified in the commentary is the appearance of character actor, director and producer Bruno VeSota as Eddie Packman (Collins describes as "B' noir royalty") who was also the uncredited director of Dementia, credited director of The Brain Eaters, acted in Night Tide, Attack of the Giant Leeches, The Wasp Woman etc.. If you re interested, the four attractive gals are 1949's "Miss Cheesecake" Peggie Castle (Back From The Dead, 99 River Street, I, the Jury.) Of German, Swiss and Irish ancestry; Mary Ellen Kay (Vice Squad, Voodoo Woman,) Shirley Patterson (starring roles in World Without End, The Land Unknown , It! The Terror from Beyond Space) and 1946's "Queen of the Ball", Dolores Donlon (TV show Richard Diamond, Private Detective with David Janssen.) It's hard not to totally fall in love with "The Long Wait" - pulpy to a fault, desirably sexy and on a unique side of the tracks for the dark cinema cycle. Our highest recommendation.
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**Raoul Walsh's "Pursued"** Blu-ray - Robert Mitchum / Teresa Wright @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: Raoul Walsh's Pursued is regarded as an early "film noir western" and it has deep-rooted psychological themes of lost memory through trauma (or dissociative amnesia.) Throw into the mix a sister's romantic relationship with her "foster brother" and an intense sibling rivalry. Revenge-murder motivations surface through recalled, dark cinema trope-ish, flashbacks. Teresa Wight is 'par excellence' and Mitchum is at his maximum beefcake (Imogen Sara Smith says "he never looked more beautiful.") Master Raoul Walsh helming, a Max Steiner dramatic score and James Wong Howe's atmospheric photography combine for iconic cinema. I'm so pleased that Kino gave the old Olive Blu-ray a full makeover with new 4K scan, audio improvement, and a 'DVDBeaver favorite' doing the new commentary. Must-own stuff. Our highest recommendation!
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**Leslie Arliss's "The Night Has Eyes"** (1942) Blu-ray - James Mason @ClassicFlix
US PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK (Network)
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: So... bare-bones, still the censored version, superior audio, no subtitles... but I still greatly enjoy the fog-drenched film. Without giving away too many spoilers it frequently reminds me of Hitchcock's Rebecca with romance surrounding an unspoken a murder mystery. James Mason is the 'Maxim' de Winter character - brooding and psychologically tortured. It evokes a sort of 'B' film version of the Daphne Du Maurier classic. Joyce Howard's expressions are occasionally over-indulgent but The Night Has Eyes is a wonderful mystery-thriller that Film Noir fans will surely appreciate - certainly at only a $15 price-tag. Absolutely recommended.
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**Prison Walls: Abashiri Prison I-III** Blu-ray - Ken Takakura / Kanjûrô Arashi @mastersofcinema
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Masters of Cinema's Abashiri Prison Series on Blu-ray is quite a landmark. I am wondering if we will get more of the iconic series released on Blu-ray since Toei are now supplying their restorations. The films are very machismo and Ken Takakura is a charismatic cool customer navigating the Yakuza terrain. There is talk of the first film, Abashiri Prison, being a remake of Stanley Kramer's The Defiant Ones from 1958, although the only connection is two escaped prisoner's interactions when fleeing and being handcuffed/ chained together. At best director, re-writer director Teruo Ishii may have been considering an homage. I was entertained - more by the first and third entries and am curious about more from the series. There is a lot of value here in Masters of Cinema's double Blu-ray package; a commentary for each film, astute Tony Rayns, plus an informative appreciation and a booklet. Recommended.
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**The Valiant Red Peony Blu-ray - Red Peony Gambler 1-3** - Junko Fuji @mastersofcinema
Red Peony Gambler, Red Peony Gambler 2: Gambler’s Obligation and Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Once again, where have I been? Knowing almost nothing about the Red Peony Gambler series. Wow - these are wonderful. I was enjoying my first exposure to the captivating Junko Fuji (Sumiko Fuji) as a knife and gun-wielding, independent, revenge-motivated female wanderer. I agree with Tony Rayns that the third installment, Tai Katō's 1969 Red Peony Gambler: Flower Cards Match, is the most appealing with the others laying essential groundwork for the titular character. Katō also directed numbers six and seven of the Red Peony Gambler series a few years later. I hope they are also brought to Blu-ray. I was only recently exposed to director Katô from Radiance Film's By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him, and I, the Executioner that I loved way out of proportion. So... sly, drop-dead, gorgeous, Junko Fuji (in the mid-1960s, she was the leading actress for Toei) and another Tai Katō gem has made my cinephile week. Masters of Cinema always do their Blu-ray packages right. These first three of the Red Peony Gambler series are no exception; impressive a/v, a commentary trifecta, Tony Rayns and booklet. More please. What a thrilling discovery. Strongly recommended!
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**The Flesh and Blood Show - The Horror Films of Pete Walker** Blu-ray - Susan George / Luan Peters @88_Films
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: 88 Films seven Blu-ray package of "The Flesh and Blood Show - The Horror Films of Pete Walker" is the best set of the director's 70's film production to date. The more highly rated movies are House of Whipcord, Frightmare and House of Mortal Sin but I am also a fan of Die Screaming, Marianne (still love Susan George.) and The Flesh and Blood Show with Luan Peters who some may remember from the Fawlty Towers episode "The Psychiatrist" where she played Raylene Miles, an Australian tourist. There are frequent villains (or villainesses) in Walker oeuvre, often more exploitive nudity than gnarly gore, and his films have some intriguing subtexts often dealing with authority figures (politics), obsessions and revenge. Controversial? not so much nowadays. The bottom line of his work is that it is both entertaining and never really boring. He controls pace well and keeps suspense as a prominent factor of the viewing. His films have a different charisma from Gothic Hammer horrors. but there is still a nostalgic appeal often circling 70's Britain. I'm highly pleased with 88 Films Blu-ray package with 14 commentaries! and many other interviews and extras. I also love the new covers by Sean Longmore. Walker fans should definitely indulge - this is an impressively stacked package. Strongly recommended to those interested.
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**Roman Polanski's "Death and the Maiden"** Blu-ray - Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley @ShoutFactory
Shout! Factory
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Roman Polanski's Death and the Maiden is based on the play in three acts by Argentine-Chilean expatriate novelist, playwright Ariel Dorfman who had served as a cultural adviser to President Salvador Allende. It is set in the present time, in an unknown country presumed to be in Latin-America, but is only specified as a nation that had recently transitioned from an extensive period of dictatorship to a democracy. The play has been performed with Glenn Close (as Paulina,) Richard Dreyfuss (as Gerardo) and Gene Hackman (as Roberto) - directed by Mike Nichols - and many other times including in London with Thandie Newton (Crash, Retreat, Westworld) in the defiant female lead. Death and the Maiden is a progressively paced film experience jolting you with bizarre behavioral surprises. It settles into a dark inquest that shifts audience preconceptions where all characters share a fragile implication from rationalization to unforgivable injustice. It's brilliantly realized by Polanski and the unrelenting performances are intense and memorable. Unfortunately the bare-bones Shout! Factory Blu-ray releases in no upgrade over the Studiocanal, which I already owned. It is Region 'A' and does have optional English (SDH) subtitles. Other than that, certainly no double-dip is required. Death and the Maiden has a prominent place on my "rewatchable" shelf. 
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DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of June 17th, 2024