THIS WEEK's RELEASES: Columbia Noir, King Hu 4K UHD, John Waters 4K UHD, Shunji Iwai, Justine Triet, Mario Bava vampires, Lucio Fulci 4K UHD, Sergio Martino 4K UHD, Eiichi Yamamoto, William Asher 4K UHD, Eddy Matalon 4K UHD, Karyn Kusama, Ken Loach, Matteo Garrone, Fabio Salerno, Quarxx, Sci-Fi Chiller tri-fecta, Peter R. Hunt, Satsuo Yamamoto, Kazuo Mori...
NEW CALENDAR UPDATES (LINKED HERE!) Peckinpah 4K UHD, Jean-Pierre Melville 4K UHD, Francis Ford Coppola X 2 BD and one 4K UHD, Anthony Mann, William Wyler, Fred Zinnemann - Audrey, Michael Curtiz X 2, Sean Penn directs, Michael Caine - Jack the Ripper, Paul Thomas Anderson, Frank Borzage, Gary Sinise directs, Martin Ritt - Newman / Poitier, Michael Apted, my favorite Trần Anh Hùng, Shunji Iwai, Matteo Garrone, Arthur Ripley noir, Sergio Martino 4K UHD, Frank Tuttle - Lake / Tone, Bong Joon-ho 4K UHD, more detective Monk, Fabio Salerno, new Wim Wenders, Raoul Walsh - Wright / Mitchum, Ladd / Lake in Saigon, Alejandro Jodorowsky 4K UHD, Powell - Pressburger, new and old Ken Loach, Jean-Pierre Melville, John Sturges 4K UHD Steelbook, 3-ring vampire, Paul Schrader 4K UHD, Ernst Lubitsch, Polanski - Jack 4K UHD, Edgar Reitz, Orson Welles - Shakespeare, Ken Russell, Joe Dante 4K UHD, Peter Strickland box, Scorsese Gold 4K UHD boxset, Kathryn Bigelow 4K UHD, Jesús Franco, Glauber Rocha Criterion treatment, Ralph Nelson - Candy Bergman 4K UHD, Brian De Palma 4K UHD in UK, Kaige Chen 4K UHD, Kinji Fukasaku sci-fi, Cruise? Criterion? 4K UHD?, Mexican 50's adventure, more 60's Japanese Tai Katô!, Hal Ashby, François Truffaut, Claude Berri, Dick Tracy RKO...
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: Multi discs, multi films; the entire 'The Whistler Series", quadruple Republic 40's Horror 50-60's science-fiction, Bettie Page titilation...
Enjoy,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of May 27th, 2024 (Recommended titles have "**")

**All About Lily Chou-Chou** [Blu-ray] (Shunji Iwai, 2001) Film Movement Classics
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BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: For kids around the world, music is often the only salvation when the pain and anxiety of teenage life becomes too much to bear. Yuichi (Hayato Ichihara) is in the 8th grade and he worships Lily Chou-Chou, a Bjork-like chanteuse whose epic music is lush and transcendent. Yuichi only lives for Lily Chou-Chou's big Tokyo concert, where the lies and violence can be washed away by the presence of his goddess and her powerful music. But fate has yet another obstacle in store for Lily's devoted fan. *This listing is for the standard edition version and does NOT come with a limited edition slipcase!*
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**All That Breathes** [Blu-ray] (Shaunak Sen, 2022) Janus Contemporaries
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COMMENTS: Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes reinvents the environmental documentary by portraying, in incisive yet lyrical fashion, the reciprocal influence of animals and humans. For more than a year, Sen followed New Delhi brothers Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad as they rescued birds of prey from the increasingly destructive effects of urban pollution. While charting the siblings’ daily struggles and successes, he also documented their poetic reflections on humankind’s relationship to the environment, the interaction of wildlife with the city, and India’s explosions of anti-Muslim violence. Suffused with beauteous, sobering, and contemplative imagery, All That Breathes ponders the delicate bonds of interconnectivity among humans and between species.
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**Anatomy of a Fall** [Blu-ray] (Justine Triet, 2023) Criterion
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OUR REVIEW

COMMENTS: Justine Triet's Anatomy of a Fall is the director's fourth feature film. It is an intricate, well realized, slow-burning, courtroom drama. She wrote Anatomy of a Fall (with Arthur Harari; Dark Diamond) specifically for the German lead Sandra Hüller. It was their second collaboration following 2019's complex and fascinating Sibyl. The title certainly references Otto Preminger's classic psychological courtroom thriller "Anatomy of a Murder". Anatomy of a Fall is an exceptionally compelling courtroom curio, with slow reveals, French legal idiosyncrasies and thoughtful ambiguity. If not brilliant, then impressively entertaining. The Criterion Blu-ray has the film looking and sounding near-perfect with revealing extras including the director's participation. This is a wonderful way to view this 2023 Palme d'Or winning film. Absolutely recommended.
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**Belladonna of Sadness [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Eiichi Yamamoto, 1973) Discotek Media
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COMMENTS: Jeanne had hoped that her wedding day would be a dream―a shining light through the oppressive fog of Dark Age France. Yet, that fantasy was horrifically ripped apart on her wedding night. While trying to survive in her waking nightmare, Jeanne encounters an impish apparition who offers to grant her power beyond her wildest wishes. But as the belladonna’s influence grows, so does the tragedy lying in wait to trample her. The great Eiichi Yamamoto weaves a tapestry of harrowing horrors and psychedelically sexual visions in the final entry of Mushi Production’s Animerama trilogy.
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The Bricklayer [Blu-ray] (Renny Harlin, 2023) Vertical Entertainment
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COMMENTS: When a rogue insurgent blackmails the CIA by assassinating foreign journalists and framing the government, the agency must lure their most brilliant yet rebellious operative out of retirement to unravel the international conspiracy.
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Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker [4K UHD Blu-ray] (William Asher, 1981) Severin
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COMMENTS: It remains the most joltingly violent, psychosexual grindhouse shocker of the '80s, directed by a veteran of I Love Lucy and starring a frequently shirtless former teen idol with an epically demented performance by an Oscar® nominee. And now it can be experienced for the first time ever in UHD: Jimmy McNichol stars as an orphaned high-school student raised by his strangely overprotective aunt (Susan Tyrrell of FAT CITY fame) who becomes implicated in a grisly murder investigated by a psychotic police detective (an equally unhinged Bo Svenson of INGLORIOUS BASTARDS). 7x Emmy nominee Julia Duffy (Newhart) and Bill Paxton (in one of his first film roles) co-star in this "jaw-dropping hunk of genre insanity" (Pop Culture Beast) and former DPP 39 Video Nasty - also known as NIGHT WARNING - now scanned in 4K from the original camera negative with 6 hours of new and archival Special Features.
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Cathy's Curse [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Eddy Matalon, 1977) Severin Films
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BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: It's been called "chilling and disturbing" (Film Fracture), "an absolute revelation" (Kindertrauma) and "unlike anything you've ever seen" (Bloody Disgusting). Now experience The Director's Cut and American R-Rated Release Version in UHD for the first time ever: In 1947, a young girl is roasted alive in a car accident. Thirty years later, her grown brother returns to their childhood home with his mentally unstable wife and sweet daughter Cathy. But when the dead aunt's vengeful spirit possesses the child, it will unleash an unnerving nightmare of creepy mediums, demonic dolls, and plenty of sick '70s foul-mouthed moppet mayhem. In an unprecedented source upgrade, both versions are scanned in 4K from the recently discovered negatives with 2+ hours of Special Features.
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**Columbia Noir #6 The Whistler Series** Blu-ray - Richard Dix / Janis Carter / Gloria Stuart @indicatorseries
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: It would be appropriate to acknowledge the immense desirability of The Whistler series to Blu-ray. Noir tropes are rife with a guilt-stricken male character who hires a contract killer... for himself (The Whistler), amnesia (The Power of the Whistler) with an amateur fortune teller sidekick, a homeless man providing a false-identity for money (The Mark of the Whistler.) We have a lonely, and terminally ill, millionaire exchanging security for female companionship (Voice of the Whistler), a missing girl (Mysterious Intruder)... and murder. The Secret of the Whistler has a murderous new husband and an investigative wife; The Thirteenth Hour echoes Jules Dassin's Thieves’ Highway centered the perilously competitive world of the trucking business, and The Return of the Whistler has Michael Duane taking the lead as a man whose fiancée is abducted on the eve of their wedding with flashbacks during a car-ride conversation with a private eye and the groom. Concluding twists are common, undisclosed shadows, revealing narration, building suspense and 'dark cinema' atmosphere(s.) Richard Dix is wonderful with, almost exclusively blonde, gal co-stars who include Janis Carter (twice,) Gloria Stuart (1933's Secret of the Blue Room and James Cameron's 1997 Titanic,)  Lynn Merrick, model and dancer Leslie Brooks, and Karen Morley (stand in for Greta Garbo.) It's a series I can watch at any time and I'm so pleased that Indicator took it on - knowing they would do the ultimate Blu-ray package. This has our highest recommendation.
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Cry-Baby [4K UHD Blu-ray] (John Waters, 1990) Kino
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COMMENTS: Eisenhower is President. Rock ’n’ Roll is king. And Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker is the baddest hood in his high school. Screen idol Johnny Depp heads up a divine cast as the irresistible bad boy whose amazing ability to shed one single tear drives all the girls wild—especially Allison Vernon-Williams (Amy Locane), a rich, beautiful “square” who finds herself uncontrollably drawn to the dreamy juvenile delinquent and his forbidden world of rockabilly music, fast cars and faster women. It’s the hysterical high-throttle world of 1954 in this outrageous musical comedy from the marvelously maniacal mind of John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Hairspray). Also starring Susan Tyrrell, Iggy Pop, Ricki Lake, Traci Lords, Kim McGuire, Darren E. Burrows, Stephen Mailer and Polly Bergen, with appearances by Troy Donahue, Mink Stole, Joe Dallesandro, Joey Heatherton, David Nelson, Willem Dafoe and Patricia Hearst.
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The Devil's Honey [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Lucio Fulci, 1986) Severin Films
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BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: In one of the most twistedly intense films of his career, Lucio Fulci takes on the erotic thriller genre and unleashes an onslaught of glossy depravity in UHD for the first time ever: Brett Halsey (DEMONIA), Corinne Cléry (THE STORY OF O) and Blanca Marsillach (FLESH+BLOOD) star in the film The Digital Bits calls "one of the sleazier films Fulci ever made." Stefano Madia (BODY COUNT), Bernard Seray (HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD) and Fulci himself co-star in this classic 80’s thriller (Also known as DANGEROUS OBSESSION ) about a young woman who abducts and subjects a doctor she holds responsible for the death of her boyfriend and subjects him to unspeakable acts! Now scanned in 4K from the original negative with Special Features that include an all-new interview with Blanca Marsillach and a newly-discovered audio interview with Lucio Fulci.
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Enter the Clones of Bruce [Blu-ray] (David Gregory, 2023) Severin Films UK
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COMMENTS: Within hours of his 1974 funeral, Hong Kong movie studios began to produce hundreds of unauthorized biopics, spin-offs and rip-offs starring a competing roster of Bruce Lee lookalikes. Over the next decade, ‘Bruceploitation’ would become a staple of global cinema. Director David Gregory – whose award-winning documentaries include LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU and BLOOD & FLESH: THE REEL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON – now examines this fascinating phenomenon via interviews with Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Bruce Liang and Dragon Lee; martial arts legends like Angela Mao, David Chiang, Phillip Ko and Sammo Hung; and the producers, directors, distributors and experts – along with copious clips from the films themselves – that for the first time reveal the history, controversy and legacy behind one of the most bizarre genres in movie history.
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**Girlfight** [Blu-ray] (Karyn Kusama, 2000) Criterion
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OUR REVIEW

COMMENTS: Karyn Kusama's feature debut Girlfight subverts the classic pugilist yarn with a female protagonist. She's angry and determined even boxing against males. It's part gritty sports film - part character evolution overcoming adversity as Diana (Michelle Rodriguez - launching her acting career) 'wants'; satisfaction for her brother, relief from her abusive father, and... respect. More Rocky than Million Dollar Baby, Girlfight has positive themes of female empowerment, discipline, circumventing the gender barrier and overcoming physical challenges. The Criterion Blu-ray has their high quality a/v, a director commentary, new interviews, and a booklet. It's quite an entertaining film. Certainly recommended.
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The Great Alligator [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Sergio Martino, 1979) Severin Films
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COMMENTS: Director Sergio Martino (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) combines a monster reptile with an all-star EuroCult cast for one of the most outrageously entertaining Italian Jungle Carnage movies of them all, now in UHD for the first time ever: At the opening of a tropical resort, a photographer (Claudio Cassinelli of SLAVE OF THE CANNIBAL GOD), an anthropologist (Barbara Bach of THE SPY WHO LOVED ME) and an arrogant hotelier (Mel Ferrer of EATEN ALIVE!) are besieged by hostile natives, obnoxious tourists and a gargantuan river beast that intends to devour them all.
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Hunt Her, Kill Her [Blu-ray] (Greg Swinson, Ryan Thiessen, 2022) RB UK Screenbound
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COMMENTS: A lone night shift janitor during her first night on the job finds herself in an unexpected fight for survival when she becomes the target of sinister masked intruders. As their disturbing motives become clearer, she must use barbaric violence to make it through the night alive.
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Lady Reporter [Blu-ray] (Hoi Mang, 1989) Vinegar Syndrome
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COMMENTS: When the FBI learns of an international counterfeiting operation being run through a Hong Kong newspaper, they send one of their leading agents, Cindy, undercover as a reporter in order to investigate. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, Cindy quickly becomes a headline herself after being photographed by a rival tabloid saving a child from a burning building. It doesn't take long for the criminals to realize what is happening and soon they are after Cindy and her good friend Judy. To make matters worse, Judy's father is the lead prosecutor trying to convict the head of the counterfeiting ring and the criminals will stop at nothing to remove him from the case. With the help of a few new friends, Cindy soon finds herself facing off against a wave of henchmen and hitmen all hellbent on stopping her from exposing the truth.
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**Io Capitano** [Blu-ray] (Matteo Garrone, 2023) Cohen Media
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COMMENTS: Nominated for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards, and from the acclaimed director of Gomorrah and Dogman, Io Capitano narrates the epic journey of a teenage boy and his cousin as they decide to leave Senegal for the promise of Europe. Throughout this compelling odyssey, the young man confronts a myriad of challenges, from the harsh realities of the desert to the harrowing experiences in Libyan detention centers and the risks of the open sea. Filmed over a span of 13 weeks in Senegal, Italy, and Morocco, with a cast of non-professional actors, this uplifting film ventures into the intricacies and contradictions of the human experience. Within the narrative, the aspirations, dreams, and ambitions of the main characters evolve into a gripping struggle for survival, reflecting the indomitable spirit of those who dare to seek a better life. Io Capitano stands as a powerful exploration of human resilience, navigating the delicate balance between hope and the unforgiving realities of the world.
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Monk: The Complete Seventh Season [Blu-ray] - Kino
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COMMENTS: The irresistible Tony Shalhoub returns to his acclaimed, award-winning role for a stellar seventh season in the quirky and irreverent detective show, Monk. New cast-mate Hector Elizondo (Dr. Neven Bell) as Monk’s new shrink, replaces the great Stanley Kamel (Dr. Charles Kroger) who passed away in 2008. Joining Monk and cast of other regulars (Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford) are the phenomenal guest stars Bob Costas, Brad Garrett, Robert Loggia, Eric McCormack, Joanna Pacula, Evan Peters, Gena Rowlands, Sarah Silverman, David Strathairn, John Turturro, Casper Van Dien, Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn and many more in 16 hilarious, unforgettable episodes—including the star-studded 100th episode, Mr. Monk’s 100th Case! Despite his overwhelming fear of germs, crowds, small places and almost everything else, Monk proves once again why he’s TV’s top super-sleuth and why mystery lovers “can’t deny how amusing it all still is” (Entertainment Weekly).
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The Other Dimension and the Films of Fabio Salerno [Blu-ray] - Bleeding Skull
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COMMENTS: Closing the gap between dreams and reality, Fabio Salerno's films are the missing link between Dario Argento and George & Mike Kuchar. THE OTHER DIMENSION AND THE FILMS OF FABIO SALERNO is a 2-disc set that presents the late Salerno's complete filmography for the first time in North America. From the accomplished anthology THE OTHER DIMENSION to the fan-favorite short ARPIE, these D.I.Y. arthouse horror films from Italy are true discoveries for adventurous horrorheads.
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Out in the Ring [Blu-ray] (Ryan Bruce Levey, 2022) Enjoy the Ride Media
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COMMENTS: OUT IN THE RING explores the rise and history of LGBTQ+ professional wrestlers and representation in the sport. Using a combination of interviews with LGBTQ+ wrestling talents (past and present), allies, and historians, archival footage, and rare photos, OUT IN THE RING uncovers the history of the pro wrestling industry and the rise of visibility for performers and fans worldwide.
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Pandemonium [Blu-ray] (Quarxx, 2023) Arrow US
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COMMENTS: Nathan (Hugo Dillon) and Daniel (Arben Bajraktaraj) are caught in a road accident that kills them both. As they come to grips with their deaths, Nathan confronts his past and the consequences of his actions. Now trapped in the hellish void of Pandemonium, he encounters tortured souls like Jeanne (Manon Maindivide), a disturbed child; Julia (Ophélia Kolb), a grief-stricken mother; and Norghul (Jean Rousseau), the guide of the great void. Will he find a way to escape the torment that awaits him for eternity?
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**Mario Bava's "Planet of the Vampires"** Blu-ray - Evi Marandi / Norma Bengell @FilmsRadiance
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW / COMPARISON
COMMENTS: Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires was co-financed by AIP (wanting to co-produce rather then simply obtain distribution rights) and Italy's Fulvio Lucisano for Italian International Film. The English-language script was written by Danish-American Ib Melchior (The Angry Red Planet, Reptilicus, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Journey to the Seventh Planet). The Planet of the Vampires story involves two space vessels, the Galliott and the Argos, trying to land on a mist-shrouded planet. The crew eventually become hypnotically possessed driving them into a murderous state by an undetermined alien force. There are many influential comparisons to Ridley Scott's Alien. Bava's remarkable use of color, lighting and effects (utilizing miniatures, mirrors etc.) are miraculous for the budget constraints. It seems as if he could make an effective genre film with a broken lava-lamp. Planet of the Vampires has a desirable pulpy feel that may be hard to intentionally duplicate. It's quite a thrill to own the Radiance Blu-ray with its upgraded 1080P image, both versions, essential Lucas commentary, new documentary, booklet and exceptional packaging. For many a must-own treasure of physical media.
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Revenge of the Ninja [Blu-ray] (Sam Firstenberg, 1983) Kino
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COMMENTS: The Ninja are back! Brandishing swords and fists, leaping and kicking, wielding blow darts and explosives, they know a thousand ways to kill. Martial arts legend Shô Kosugi (Pray for Death, Rage of Honor) delivers a heart-pounding display of strength, speed and lethal Ninja know-how in this action-packed thriller that takes us back to the good old days of the kung fu extravaganza. When a band of Ninja assassins slaughters the family of Cho Osaki (Kosugi), he flees to America in the hope of building a new life. A former Ninja himself, Osaki tries to escape his deadly past but soon discovers he has become the pawn of a ruthless drug trafficker—an American Ninja intent on killing anyone who crosses his path…including Osaki! Directed by action maestro Sam Firstenberg (Avenging Force) and produced by Cannon legends Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan, Revenge of the Ninja is terrific entertainment with slam-bang action scenes, mind-blowing stunts and legendary villains like Professor Toru Tanaka (The Perfect Weapon)
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**"Sci-Fi Chillers Collection"** Blu-ray - Mala Powers / Sheree North / Scott Brady [The Unknown Terror / The Colossus of New York / Destination Inner Space] @KinoLorber
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OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: I enjoyed all three of Kino's 'Sci-Fi Chillers' on Blu-ray. The Colossus of New York is reminiscent of the iconic Donovan's Brain and/or The Brain that Wouldn't Die (dark labs with living brains in jars) but adds the Klaatu-like robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still. Two of the film have Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers; The Unknown Terror and The Colossus of New York. She attended the Max Reinhardt's Junior Workshop when she was 9-years old. Noir devotees might recall her from Outrage and City That Never Sleeps. I also had an eye on May Wynn (The Caine Mutiny) in the first film of the boxset. I've always been a fan of the older version of Sheree North - a favorite of director Don Siegel appearing in Madigan, Charley Varrick and The Shootist. Ohh and there's Gary Merrill (Mysterious Island, All About Eve; where he married his costar Bette Davis!) also in Destination Inner Space.  Fun genre appeal. Kino Blu-ray package has three 50-60's sci-fi efforts, each with a new commentary and two Lucas / Bissette 'sidebars' running over 1.5 hours. Easy buy for fans.
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**Shout at the Devil** [Blu-ray] (Peter R. Hunt, 1976) RB UK 88 Films
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COMMENTS: Amid World War 1, a damaged German warship is being repaired in an inlet near Zanzibar. Hearing this news, a British aristocrat an American businessman, and his daughter formulate a plan to destroy the battle cruiser in its weakened state. Starring Roger Moore (Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun) and Lee Marvin (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Dirty Dozen, Point Blank) and based on the best-selling novel by Wilbur Smith, this entertaining wartime romp from director Peter R Hunt (You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) is guaranteed to keep you transfixed from its intriguing beginning to its explosive climax.
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**Shinobi - Band of Assassins, Revenge, Resurrection** [Blu-ray] (Satsuo Yamamoto, Kazuo Mori) Radiance Films US
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COMMENTS: It's the 16th century and Japan is in chaos. Samurai clans engage each other in battle over who gets to rule the nation, while warlords call upon the ninja to spy on and assassinate their rivals. Goemon, an ambitious young member of a ninja family, is thrown into the turmoil of Japanese history when his village is wiped out by the forces of leading warlord Oda Nobunaga, who has sworn to eradicate the ninja in his quest for absolute power. Fueled by vengeance, Goemon uses every weapon in his arsenal to bring down Oda and to prove that a ninja is an army of one. Starring "the Japanese James Dean" Raizo Ichikawa (Sleepy Eyes of Death, Conflagration) alongside Tomisaburo Wakayama (Lone Wolf and Cub, the Bounty Hunter trilogy) and Ayako Wakao (Elegant Beast, Red Angel), the Shinobi series was an epoch-making success and became a social phenomenon that left deep marks on Japan of the 1960s, from children's playgrounds to the leftist counter-culture. Packed with spectacular and oft-copied action scenes, it also established the ground rules for all ninja movies that followed, introducing such classic tropes as the shuriken throwing star and the iconic black mask and suit.
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A Shock to the System [Blu-ray] (Jan Egleson, 1990) RB UK 101 Films
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COMMENTS: Loyal and hardworking executive Graham Marshall (screen legend Michael Caine) has paid his dues. He has suffered through mounting bills, the indignities of climbing the corporate ladder, and a nagging wife (Swoosie Kurtz, Sisters) with only an anxiously awaited promotion to keep him going. But that all changes when his promotion is instead given to a boorish associate (Peter Riegert, National Lampoon’s Animal House). Annoyed and frustrated, Graham unleashes his rage ... in the form of an accidental killing with which he gets away clean! Emboldened by his newfound talent for murder, Graham begins to rethink his business strategy - with deadly results. Elizabeth McGovern (Ragtime, The Handmaid’s Tale), Will Patton (Remember the Titans, No Way Out), and Jenny Wright (Near Dark, The Lawnmower Man) also star in this electrifyingly pitch-black comedy of Madison Avenue and murder.
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The Spirit of '45 [Blu-ray] (Ken Loach, 2013) The Film Desk
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COMMENTS: ”A powerful, unabashedly pro-socialist documentary of England’s postwar transformation from a working-class hellscape in the 1930s. Endemic poverty and Dickensian squalor are upended by Clement Attlee’s 1945 Labour Party landslide over the patrician Winston Churchill. What follows is the nationalization of the mines, railways, postal service — and the jewel in the crown, the National Health Service, which made medical care free of charge. THE SPIRIT OF ‘45 masterfully collages first-person accounts of prewar England with archival footage that exposes the disparity between everyday reality and the myth of the Greatest Empire on Earth.” –Karen Cooper, Director, Film Forum
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**Trenque Lauquen** [Blu-ray] (Laura Citarella, 2022) Radiance Films UK
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COMMENTS: A woman vanishes. Two men take to the road in search of her: they both love her. Why did she leave? This sudden escape becomes the hidden core of a number of fictions that delicately weave together: the secret of the heart of another woman, lost as well, many years ago; the secret of the life of a village in the countryside, governed by a supernatural incident that nobody seems to perceive; the secret of the plains, which never ceases to spread and devour everything. An astonishing epic of two feature-length films six years in the making, Trenque Lauquen’s playful mystery and approach to genre has been compared to Twin Peaks and The Endless. Radiance is proud to present one of the most revered works of the year, from Argentine auteur Laura Citarella and the El Pampero Cine collective.
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**The Valiant Ones [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (King Hu, 1975) Eureka UK
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UK 4K Blu-ray PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: During the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (Zhao Lei), China’s coastal regions have come under attack by wokou – Japanese pirates under the leadership of the infamous Hakatatsu (Sammo Hung). To combat this threat, the Emperor tasks a trusted general, Zhu Wan (Tu Kuang-chi), with assembling a group of skilled warriors to find and eliminate the pirates. Under the command of General Yu Dayou (Roy Chiao), the band of soldiers – including husband-and-wife sword-fighters Wu Ji-yuan (Pai Ying) and Wu Ruo-shi (Hsu Feng) – set out to draw Hakatatsu, his ally Xu Dong (Han Ying-chieh) and their pirate clan into a series of spectacular showdowns.
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LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES AVAILABLE HERE

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REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:

**"Republic Pictures Horror Collection"** Blu-ray - Erich von Stroheim, Lenore Aubert, Adrian Booth, Vera Ralston @KinoLorber
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: I own a poster of the 1953 film Donovan's Brain, hanging on my office wall, and it was such a pleasure to see George Sherman's The Lady and the Monster - an earlier adaptation of Curt Siodmak's novel starring Erich von Stroheim and having John Alton cinematography no less! After a plane crash, wealthy tycoon W.H. Donovan's brain is kept alive through an illegal experiment and it starts to possess the mind of the Doctor who performed the operation. More supernatural mind possession occurs in The Phantom Speaks. After an electric chair execution, the dead convict murderer controls the mind of Dr. Paul Renwick (Stanley Ridges), an occult medium scientist who penned a book entitled Contact with the World Beyond. Cool. Lesley Selander's The Catman of Paris was produced in conjunction with Valley of the Zombies with the intent on making it Republic's first horror film double feature. It was a 7-reeler at less than 1 hour 5 minutes. Selander also directed Flat Top, The Vampire's Ghost, Dragonfly Squadron, Flight to Mars, so certainly genre flics are part of his pedigree. Here we get some supernatural, amnesia, false-accusations, dying confessions, mysticism, and a hideous 'Catman' - essentially a horror-mystery hybrid - set in classy Gay Paree. Unfortunately, Valley of the Zombies doesn't have any zombies per se. Committed to an insane asylum, Ormand Murks (veteran character actor Ian Keith) is resurrected from the dead (by Voodoo supposedly) and continues stealing plasma, believing that frequent blood transfusions will make him immortal. Ohhh, he can also hypnotize people - as he does to his complicit brother Fred and our female lead, Susan Drake, played by Adrian Booth (aka 'Lorna Gray' after 1945) who was in So Proudly We Hail! where she took a backseat to Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake, The Man They Could Not Hang with Karloff and Red River Range with John Wayne. Valley of the Zombies has similarities to Vincent Sherman's The Return of Doctor X with Bogie as Dr. Maurice Xavier, a.k.a. Marshall Quesne. Valley has a couple of extremely dark scenes in a crypt and later a cemetery. Probably its most glaring weakness is that it runs too short to flesh out any of the film's more ominous characteristics; voodoo, blood theft, a quasi-zombie-ish vampire, hypnosis etc. Still, I enjoyed it all right. Republic Productions output included The Quiet Man (1952), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), Johnny Guitar (1954) and a huge amount of serials; Adventures of Captain Marvel, Nyoka the Jungle Girl, The Invisible Monster, Flying Disc Man from Mars, Radar Men from the Moon, Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe, Panther Girl of the Kongo plus many more. This 4-film horror package has immense vintage and genre appeal. The two Kino Blu-rays offer 1940's Republic horror films, five new commentaries and a valuable Lucas / Bissette 'sidebar' running almost an hour. An absolute keeper for this reviewer. I hope this is a 'Volume 1' of many more. Strongly recommended to fans.
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**"Sci-Fi Chillers Collection"** Blu-ray - Mala Powers / Sheree North / Scott Brady [The Unknown Terror / The Colossus of New York / Destination Inner Space] @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: I enjoyed all three of Kino's 'Sci-Fi Chillers' on Blu-ray. The Colossus of New York is reminiscent of the iconic Donovan's Brain and/or The Brain that Wouldn't Die (dark labs with living brains in jars) but adds the Klaatu-like robot from The Day the Earth Stood Still. Two of the film have Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers; The Unknown Terror and The Colossus of New York. She attended the Max Reinhardt's Junior Workshop when she was 9-years old. Noir devotees might recall her from Outrage and City That Never Sleeps. I also had an eye on May Wynn (The Caine Mutiny) in the first film of the boxset. I've always been a fan of the older version of Sheree North - a favorite of director Don Siegel appearing in Madigan, Charley Varrick and The Shootist. Ohh and there's Gary Merrill (Mysterious Island, All About Eve; where he married his costar Bette Davis!) also in Destination Inner Space.  Fun genre appeal. Kino Blu-ray package has three 50-60's sci-fi efforts, each with a new commentary and two Lucas / Bissette 'sidebars' running over 1.5 hours. Easy buy for fans.
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**Columbia Noir #6 The Whistler Series** Blu-ray - Richard Dix / Janis Carter / Gloria Stuart @indicatorseries
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: It would be appropriate to acknowledge the immense desirability of The Whistler series to Blu-ray. Noir tropes are rife with a guilt-stricken male character who hires a contract killer... for himself (The Whistler), amnesia (The Power of the Whistler) with an amateur fortune teller sidekick, a homeless man providing a false-identity for money (The Mark of the Whistler.) We have a lonely, and terminally ill, millionaire exchanging security for female companionship (Voice of the Whistler), a missing girl (Mysterious Intruder)... and murder. The Secret of the Whistler has a murderous new husband and an investigative wife; The Thirteenth Hour echoes Jules Dassin's Thieves’ Highway centered the perilously competitive world of the trucking business, and The Return of the Whistler has Michael Duane taking the lead as a man whose fiancée is abducted on the eve of their wedding with flashbacks during a car-ride conversation with a private eye and the groom. Concluding twists are common, undisclosed shadows, revealing narration, building suspense and 'dark cinema' atmosphere(s.) Richard Dix is wonderful with, almost exclusively blonde, gal co-stars who include Janis Carter (twice,) Gloria Stuart (1933's Secret of the Blue Room and James Cameron's 1997 Titanic,)  Lynn Merrick, model and dancer Leslie Brooks, and Karen Morley (stand in for Greta Garbo.) It's a series I can watch at any time and I'm so pleased that Indicator took it on - knowing they would do the ultimate Blu-ray package. This has our highest recommendation.
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**Bettie Page Double Feature** Blu-ray -Varietease (1954,) Teaserama (1955) and Buxom Beautease (1956) @KinoLorber @kino_cult
US PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Kino's double Blu-ray package of Bettie Page with Varietease (1954,) Teaserama (1955) and Buxom Beautease (1956) without Page - is essentially compilations of classic burlesque shows; pin-up style posing, erotic quasi-dancing interrupted by ribald comedy routines, a song and dancing numbers etc. Bettie Page was Playboy Playmate (1955), and is the most famous in the shows with her jet-black hair and bangs, blue eyes, oft remembered for her bondage/fetish photos that had a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s. Teaserama was the last mainstream film where Bettie Page had a major role. In 1959, she converted to evangelical Christianity and ended up working for Billy Graham. Also notable is, former ballerina, Lili St. Cyr - a regular of 1950s tabloids (she was married six times) who reportedly had many suicide attempts. Her nickname was the "Anatomic Bomb." Also seen are female impersonator Vicki Lynn, redhead "The Queen Of Exotic Dancers" Tempest Storm (see book Tempest Storm: The Lady Is a Vamp), and others, with names like 'Twinnie Wallen', 'Lolly Dorsen', 'Blaze Star', 'Eve Adams' and 'Cherrie Knight'. It much classier than I was anticipating - these are non-nude, pretty women sauntering around in tight gowns - stripping to lingerie with frequent come-hither glances. A few of the numbers are... impressively gymnastic. Bottom line; far less-sleazy than you might think. Very watchable - beyond a historical curiosity. Absolutely recommended.
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DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of May 27th, 2024