THIS WEEK's RELEASES: Huston, Bogie, Kate Hepburn in 4K UHD, M. Night X 2 in 4K UHD, Criterion give Harmony Korine 4K UHD, Dr. Caligari 4K UHD, six more Columbia Classics get 4K UHD, Nuri Bilge Ceylan Gold, Bertrand Bonello, Angela Mau seeks revenge, Kurt Russell thriller gets 4K UHD, more Tinto Brass 4K UHD, Matthew Chapman, Gordon Hessler, Pam Anderson in 4K UHD...
NEW CALENDAR UPDATES (LINKED HERE!) Fellini, John Huston, Herzog, Carol Reed, Georges Franju, Michael Curtiz, David Lynch, Oliver Stone, Stanley Donen, Spielberg, Wim Wenders, M. Night Shyamalan (2), Abel Ferrara, Lenzi, more Jean Rollin, giant spiders - all in 4K UHD plus the Coens who get the Criterion treatment in 4K UHD. Include Blu-ray boxsets of Luis Bunuel, Folk Horror, The Complete Thin Man Collection, a 27-disc Frank Capra At Columbia Collection, Golden Harvest boxsets, Hong Kong Bondsploitation, Cruel Britannia, the complete I Love Lucy, Tsai Ming-Liang, Chang Cheh, 70's Nymphomania... more Susan George in 4K UHD, Arthur Lubin noir, Paul Schrader, Eiichi Kudô, Leon Gast, Barbet Schroeder, Just Jaeckin, Bob Rafelson, Steve Sekely...
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: Part informative documentary on demonology part fictional dramatized storytelling on the treatment of suspected witches. Must own. Plus a "collage-like assembly" filled with improvisation and a vaudevillian-style influence of an eccentric, poverty-stricken, portrait of small-town Americana. Extreme-photogenic Angela Mao kicks butt. A delightful psychological Noir with Bogie, Alexis Smith and a sleuthing Sydney Greenstreet. Nuri Bilge Ceylan in perfect form. Toshio Matsumoto's film dealing with an amnesiac's lost identity, mysterious secrets, philosophy - infused with elements of horror - hallucinations and dark dreams. Delicious. A thoughtful and contemplative Jessica Hausner film (a personal favorite of Marty.) Hilarious Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the VP...
Enjoy,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of October 21st, 2024 (Recommended titles have "**")

**Nuri Bilge Ceylan's "About Dry Grasses"** Blu-ray - Deniz Celiloğlu, Merve Dizdar, Musab Ekici @janusfilms @Criterion
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Nuri Bilge Ceylan's About Dry Grasses has complex characters and introspective, self-reflective, dialogue. There is an emotional scene where the character leaves the room and enters the behind-the-scenes sets, people working on production - in a Brechtian way where the wall between the film audience and actors is temporarily broken - as if reminding us that this is still a movie. I thought About Dry Grasses was brilliantly harmonious with excellent performances and beautiful winter scenery. It, definitely, did not feel like 3 hours. The human condition themes like longing, expression, discontent... are wonderfully realized. About Dry Grasses is another modern and exceptional world cinema example on Janus Contemporaries Blu-ray. I cannot get away to attend film festivals and it reminds me how important these digital home theatre formats are. Strongly recommended.
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**The African Queen [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (John Huston, 1951) Studiocanal UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Adapted from the novel by C.S. Forester, The African Queen (1951) directed by John Huston stars Humphrey Bogart in his Academy Award-winning portrayal of Charlie Allnut, the slovenly, gin-swilling captain of a tramp steamer called the African Queen, which ships supplies to small EastAfrican villages during World War I. Katharine Hepburn plays Rose Sayer, the maiden-lady sister of a prim British missionary (Robert Morley). When invading Germans kill the missionary and level the village, Allnut offers to take Rose back to civilization. She can't tolerate his drinking or bad manners; he isn't crazy about her imperious, judgmental attitude. However, it does not take long before their passionate dislike turns to love. Together the disparate duo work to ensure their survival on the treacherous waters and devise an ingenious way to destroy a German gunboat. Along with masterful direction from John Huston, the wonderful script makes this a rare treat indeed. Winner of Best Actor Oscar, nominated for 3 further Oscars and 2 BAFTA Awards
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Barb Wire [4K UHD Blu-ray] (David Hogan, 1996) UK Altitude
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BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: If you've got a problem, Barb Wire is the solution. She'll use any weapon - including her body - to take what she wants, crossing the line for no man, until the day Axel Hood hits town. He's on a mission and Barb is the only one who can get him out alive. Will Barb help the man who once betrayed her? There's only one thing you can be sure of... she can get anything you want, for a price. Are you ready to pay...?
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The Beast [Blu-ray] (Bertrand Bonello, 2023) RB UK Vertigo Releasing
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COMMENTS: In a near-future world dominated by artificial intelligence, where human emotions are perceived as a threat, Gabrielle (Lea Seydoux) embarks on a journey to purify her DNA by revisiting her past lives. During this process, she reconnects with Louis (George MacKay), her great love. However, a sense of foreboding and fear grips her as she anticipates an impending catastrophe. A spellbinding and head-spinning adaptation of the Henry James novel 'The Beast in the Jungle' from acclaimed writer-director Bertrand Bonello (Nocturama, Saint Laurent), this genre-defying love story masterfully blends past, present and future, with unmissable performances...
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**Breakdown [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Jonathan Mostow, 1997) Paramount UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: All roads lead to excitement with Kurt Russell in Breakdown, the non-stop thrill breakdown ride that’s “a movie of nerve-frying intensity...Kurt Russell’s best performance yet” (Rex Reed, New York Observer). Jeff Taylor (Russell) and his wife Amy (Kathleen Quinlan) are headed toward a new life in California when their car’s engine dies on a remote highway. Amy accepts a ride from a helpful trucker (J.T. Walsh) while Jeff waits with the car. But when Jeff shows up at the agreed rendezvous, he finds his wife’s not there. The locals aren’t talking; the police aren’t much help. With no one to turn to, Jeff battles his worst fears and begins a desperate, danger-ridden search to find Amy––before it’s too late!
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**Jeong Chang-hwa's "Broken Oath"** Blu-ray - Angela Mao, Michael Chan @Eurekavideo
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Jeong Chang-hwa's Broken Oath is an unofficial remake of Toshiya Fujita's 1973 Japanese film Lady Snowblood (adapted from manga series) about an abused 'lady' (Naomi Oka aka Mae Ho - Girl Boss Guerilla) who gets thrown in jail when pregnant and vows that her child (delightful Angela Mao) will seek revenge. It's an appealing action-revenge-martial-arts saga with our gal utilizing deadly scorpions snuck, or hurled, onto her enemies. This is a god one. Watch for bit parts played by Sammo Hung, Corey Yuen and Yuen Biao! Eureka Blu-ray of Broken Oath has the original and more explicit cut, a superb genre film with stunning Angela Mao, two expert commentaries, visual essays, a booklet and more. It's a huge keeper and enthusiastically endorsed.
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**The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Robert Wiene, 1920) Kino
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BONUS CAPTURES
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: In 1920, one brilliant movie jolted the postwar masses and catapulted the German Expressionist film movement into history. That movie was The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a plunge into the mind of insanity that severs all ties with the rational world. Director Robert Wiene and a team of visionary designers crafted a nightmare realm in which light, shadow and substance are abstracted, a world in which a demented doctor and a carnival sleepwalker perpetrate a series of ghastly murders in a small community. This authoritative edition presents the F. W. Murnau Stiftung’s meticulous 4K restoration of the film, with a new orchestral score by Emmy®-winning composer Jeff Beal (House of Cards), which had its premiere performance at Carnegie Hall on June 3, 2024.
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Tinto Brass' "Cheeky" 4K UHD - Tra(sgre)dire - Yuliya Mayarchuk @CultEpics
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Blu-ray:
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OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: The title is presented in reference guides as TRA(SGRE)DIRE and in the film itself with the middle four letters smaller than the rest of the title. The verb "Trasgredire" translates from Italian as "to transgress" while the verb "Tradire" (minus the "sgre") translates as "to betray."
Tinto Brass' "Cheeky" is more graphic (leaning closer to hardcore), more episodic and also more polished than "Frivolous Lola". There is more nudity and the titular lead, Yuliya Mayarchuk, is less typical of a Brass gal - not as bodacious-ly curvaceous and very Eastern European looking (as opposed to Italian.) The camera loves her and she is smok'in hot. As typical of the director there are of close-ups of body parts, plenty of 'up-skirt' and suggestive scenarios. This is not disguising itself as anything more than it is... and the candor is refreshing. In this plot, beautiful, young Carla (Mayarchuk) has just moved to London. Parading herself around town we immediately see, not only a woman with irrepressible teasing, but the whole community around her is indulging in sexual activity. Her grand entrance to the city is nothing short of a public striptease. She misses her lover Matteo (Jarno Berardi) and waits for him to come from Venice and join her. Carla spends her days searching for an apartment for the two to co-habit. It seems that she cannot avoid creating a boiling pot of desire, including lesbian dalliances, in every location she crosses, but her loyalty to Matteo keeps her from going the next step. I think it is one of the more fun, enjoyable and sexy in Tinto Brass's extensive soft-core oeuvre. Ercolani cites The Key as his most famous followed by All Ladies Do It, but this is many a fan favorite. Cult Epics' 4K UHD release of "Cheeky" is what you might anticipate augmented by Yuliya Mayarchuk being a refreshingly lithe protagonist. The a/v is a huge bump in quality and this alone should be strongly appealing to fans as so much of the director's representation on digital has been 'irregular'. Great commentary and extras including a booklet - make this, like the lead character, a strong enticement.
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**Columbia Classics Volume 5 [4K UHD Blu-ray]** - (14 Discs) - All the King’s Men, on the Waterfront, a Man for All Seasons, Tootsie, the Age of Innocence and Little Women (2019) - Sony
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COMMENTS: Celebrate 100 years of Columbia Pictures with the fifth volume of the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection! Featuring six award-winning masterpieces, including three Best Picture Academy Award® winners, now debuting on 4K Ultra HD. With hours of special features and an exclusive 80-page book with unique insights and production detail about each of the films, go deeper into these classics than ever before. Titles included: All the King’s Men, on the Waterfront, a Man for All Seasons, Tootsie, the Age of Innocence and Little Women (2019)
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Creature With The Blue Hand (1967) [Blu-ray] With Bonus Film, Web Of The Spider (1971) - Film Masters
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COMMENTS: For those craving a taste of "Euro-Kinski," two of Klaus Kinski's European features are now available in one creepy package. Presented for the first time in Blu-ray, Creature with the Blue Hand (1967) is a mystery-thriller about a series of grisly murders. It's one of several German films based on the novels of Edgar Wallace, many adaptations of which starred Kinski. This time he plays an escaped mental patient who might be the killer. Meanwhile, Web of the Spider (1971) is a classic haunted house tale from Italian maestro, Antonio Margheriti, with Kinski as none other than Edgar Allan Poe! It's a diabolical double dose from one of cinema's most controversial and unique figures!
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Death Becomes Her [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Robert Zemeckis, 1992) Shout! Factory
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COMMENTS: Three-time Academy Award® winner Meryl Streep, Oscar winner Goldie Hawn and Golden Globe winner Bruce Willis are deathly funny in Robert Zemeckis' outrageously entertaining comedy about greed, vanity, sex, immortality, life…and death. Two narcissistic arch-rivals (Streep and Hawn) discover the ultimate accessory—a potion that will keep them forever young—when they meet a mysterious enchantress (Isabella Rossellini, Blue Velvet) with deep ties to the Hollywood elite. But they get more than they bargained for when their newfound beauty only intensifies their vanity—and rivalry—in this fast-paced and very funny dark comedy that the Chicago Tribune calls "diabolically inventive."
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Good Girl Jane [Blu-ray] (Sarah Elizabeth Mintz, 2022) Tribeca
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COMMENTS: Good Girl Jane is a drug-fueled love story. Teenage Jane struggles with feelings of isolation until a raucous group of high school misfits, run by older ringleader Jamie, offers her pain-free acceptance, camaraderie, and relief. She falls hard for playful but domineering Jamie, and becomes entangled in his amateur meth operation. Ultimately, Jane must choose between Jamie and her own survival.
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**Harmony Korine's "Gummo" 4K UHD** - Nick Sutton, Jacob Sewell, Chloë Sevigny @Criterion
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
Blu-ray:
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Harmony Korine's Gummo is his directorial debut and was shot in Nashville, Tennessee, on an estimated budget of $1.3 million. He is known for unconventional narratives and themes of dysfunctional families exploring taboo themes including, in Gummo, violence against cats, bigotry and homophobia. Gummo is scattered with white trashy characters including a mute lad known as Bunny Boy (who wears only pink bunny ears ala Louise on Bob's Burgers), a cat poacher, a male dwarf, an albino waitress, skinhead brothers, and a further collection of eclectic personas plus a pair of well-dressed twin boys selling candy door-to-door. The cast was almost entirely local, non-actors. Include. though. 22-year old Chloë Sevigny (The Brown Bunny, The Last Days of Disco) who play 'Dot' and the actress stated that because of the film's cult status it was "stolen from every Blockbuster in America". Gummo was dedicated to Sevigny's father, who died prior to the film's release. Harmony Korine was 22-years old when he wrote Larry Clark's Kids that featured Sevigny and Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds) in their first feature film roles. Gummo, named after the fifth Marx Brother, is described as a "collage-like assembly" filled with improvisation and a vaudevillian-style influence. I thought of John Waters. While not to all tastes it is hard to deny the film's odd, almost creepy, appeal. The Criterion 4K UHD and Blu-ray package is up to their usual standard of a/v and has over 1.5 hours of fascinating bonus material for this... eccentric, poverty-stricken, portrait of small-town American life. You won't be seeing anything like it. Absolutely recommended.
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Hussy [Blu-ray] (Matthew Chapman, 1980) Kino Cult
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COMMENTS: Helen Mirren (The Queen, TV’s Prime Suspect) stars as Beaty, a high-price call girl operating out of a posh London nightclub. When she becomes romantically involved with a handsome American (John Shea) she is tempted to escape from her disreputable occupation. But her diabolical ex-boyfriend (Paul Angelis) returns from prison, drawing her more deeply into the drug-dealing underworld and away from her hopes of redemption. Along with such films as The Long Good Friday, The Hit, and Mona Lisa, Hussy is a tense and provocative plunge into organized crime and growing disillusionment of Thatcher-era England.
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Kung Fu Rascals [Blu-ray] (Steve Wang, 1992) Visual Vengeance
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COMMENTS: When their village is threatened by an ancient dark lord known as The Bamboo Man, a master thief and his two sidekicks steal a map and set off on a quest to find the only superpower in the land big enough to save their home and rid the world of evil. But these Rascals will have to kick, punch and fart their way through every ninja, monster and mutant in sight before they can restore peace. A frantic, eccentric and loving homage to Asian cinema in all its forms, Kung Fu Rascals is part old school chop socky movie, Kaiju flick and Power Rangers episode rolled into one. The directorial debut from legendary Hollywood special effects artist Steve Wang (The Monster Squad, Predator, The Guyver, Drive), this Super 8 epic showcases both his monster make-up mastery and sharp action movie sensibilities. The first time ever on Blu-ray, Kung Fu Rascals features hours of bonus features, including commentaries, rare BTS footage and a brand new feature-length documentary on the making of the film.
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The Oblong Box [Blu-ray] (Gordon Hessler, 1969) RB UK BFI
UK PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: Masters of terror Vincent Price and Christopher Lee are both at their spine-chilling best in this grisly Gothic tale of the macabre, inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe story. In shadow-shrouded Victorian England, Sir Julian Markham (Price) is a landowner hiding a terrible family secret, while Dr Neuhartt (Lee) is a surgeon carrying out dreadful experiments upon stolen cadavers. When their disparate destinies entwine – and a mysterious murderer in a red mask begins a mission of vengeance – a series of brazen, bloody atrocities ensue.
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**Plenty** [Blu-ray] (Fred Schepisi, 1985) Kino
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COMMENTS: Academy Award winner Meryl Streep (Sophie’s Choice) delivers a tour de force performance as a former World War II French Resistance fighter who has trouble fitting back into formal British society after the war. Featuring a star-studded cast including Sting, Ian McKellen and Sam Neill, based on the hit stage play by David Hare (The Hours) and directed by the great Fred Schepisi (Six Degrees of Separation), this mesmerizing drama will leave you breathless.
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**Signs [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (M. Night Shyamalan, 2002) Sony
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BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: From M. Night Shyamalan comes the story of the Hess family, who wake up one morning to find a 500-foot crop circle in their backyard. Graham Hess and his family are told extraterrestrials are responsible for the sign in their field.
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**The Sixth Sense [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (M. Night Shyamalan, 1999) Sony
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BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: Hollywood superstar Bruce Willis brings a powerful presence to an edge-of-your-seat thriller from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan that critics are calling one of the greatest ghost stories ever filmed.
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**Starve Acre** [Blu-ray] (Daniel Kokotajlo, 2023) RB UK BFI
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Daniel Kokotajlo’s impressive follow-up to his award-winning Apostasy is a brilliant adaptation of Andrew Michael Hurley’s acclaimed novel. In 1970s Yorkshire, Richard and Juliette relocate to Richard’s childhood home, hoping the idyllic country surroundings will benefit their young son. However, a sudden tragic event drives a wedge through the family, which triggers Richard, an academic archaeologist, to bury himself in obsessively exploring a local folkloric myth. Kokotajlo’s mysterious slow-burn folk horror feels tangibly of the moist Yorkshire earth, while evoking the spellbinding nature of great supernatural and occult horror films from the 70s. It is a wildly eerie piece, tightly stitched together with genuine chills and two bold, unflinching performances from Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark.
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**Succession: The Complete Series** [Blu-ray] (2018 - 2023) Warner UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
Already out in:
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COMMENTS: Power, politics, money...it's all in the family in this provocative, funny series about a highly dysfunctional dynasty. When Logan Roy (Brian Cox), CEO of one of the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerates, considers retirement, each of his four grown children follows a personal agenda that doesn't always sync with those of their siblings--or of their father.
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**VEEP: The Complete Series** Blu-ray - Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: I'm sure it's hard to imagine that the Vice-president of the United States could be so ill-equipped at thinking 'fast on her feet', frequently shifting to unasked topics in a totally awkward fashion, transparent in her nervous laughter etc. Life imitating art is philosophically subjective, I suppose. The humor in VEEP can get fairly broad with swearing, referencing adult situations and is handled in a very Larry David (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) style with most characters being selfishly mercenary - only ever feigning compassion to each other. Ex. "Well, I am enjoying a delicious sandwich, made even more delicious by the fact that there's a homeless guy watching me eat it" - character Dan Egan (Reid Scott), deputy director of communications in the Vice President's Office. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who will always be remembered as "Elaine" in Seinfeld, and the entire supporting cast are excellent including Anna Chlumsky (My Girl,) Tony Hale (Arrested Development,) Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh, Sufe Bradshaw, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, Sam Richardson etc. These are 1/2 hour episodes that you can throw on at any time and get some laughs. It really gets interesting when the President abruptly resigns due to his wife's poor mental health and Selina Meyer (Louis-Dreyfus) becomes... POTUS. Meyer begins her presidential campaign at the end of the third season. This will be on my shelf for many years as I can throw on any of the Warner Blu-rays and watch four or five episodes at a sitting. This is excellent comedy. Absolutely recommended.
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**Village of Doom** [Blu-ray] (Noboru Tanaka, 1983) Unearthed Classics
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COMMENTS: A classic Japanese true crime story, Village of Doom is a chilling reenactment of the infamous Tsuyama Massacre, a revenge killing spree that occurred on the night of 21 May 1938 in the rural village of Kamo near Tsuyama in Okayama Prefecture. Mutsuo Toi, an emotionally distraught 21-year-old man who had been ostracized by his fellow villagers, went on a violent killing spree that took the lives of 30 people, including his own grandmother. Before finally killing himself, Toi visited his revenge upon the village using a shotgun, Japanese sword and axe. It remains the deadliest mass murder spree in Japanese history.
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The Wolfman [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Joe Johnston, 2010) Shout! Factory
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COMMENTS: Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman, is lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father, Talbot sets out to find his brother…and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself. Talbot's childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother's fiancée, Gwen Conliffe, tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline has come to investigate.
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Youngblood [Blu-ray] (Peter Markle, 1986) Kino
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COMMENTS: Are you ready for exhilarating speed, invigorating competition and skating so sharp-edged you can feel the ice spraying in your face? Then prepare yourself for Youngblood! Showcasing the talents of Rob Lowe (St. Elmo’s Fire, Masquerade) and Patrick Swayze (Roadhouse, Point Break), Youngblood is fist-flying, stick-smashing, body-checking thrills right up to the final buzzer. Teenager Dean Youngblood (Lowe) has out-skated just about everybody since he was six. Now he's set his sights toward National Hockey League fame with the ragtag Hamilton Mustangs, an amateur Canadian team just across the border from his family's farm. Certain that his swift moves on the ice will dazzle the crowds, Dean quickly learns that his speed and finesse won't pack enough punch against the bad boys of the league, the Thunder Bay Bombers. And when the Mustangs' top scorer (Swayze) gets knocked out, Dean has to turn from a rookie to an all-star fast. Directed by Peter Markle (Bat*21) and featuring Cynthia Gibb (Modern Girls), Ed Lauter (The Longest Yard), Jim Youngs (The Wanderers) and Keanu Reeves (River’s Edge).
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LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES AVAILABLE HERE

https://www.patreon.com/posts/top-50-calendar-113322158

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REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:

**VEEP: The Complete Series** Blu-ray - Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: I'm sure it's hard to imagine that the Vice-president of the United States could be so ill-equipped at thinking 'fast on her feet', frequently shifting to unasked topics in a totally awkward fashion, transparent in her nervous laughter etc. Life imitating art is philosophically subjective, I suppose. The humor in VEEP can get fairly broad with swearing, referencing adult situations and is handled in a very Larry David (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) style with most characters being selfishly mercenary - only ever feigning compassion to each other. Ex. "Well, I am enjoying a delicious sandwich, made even more delicious by the fact that there's a homeless guy watching me eat it" - character Dan Egan (Reid Scott), deputy director of communications in the Vice President's Office. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who will always be remembered as "Elaine" in Seinfeld, and the entire supporting cast are excellent including Anna Chlumsky (My Girl,) Tony Hale (Arrested Development,) Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Matt Walsh, Sufe Bradshaw, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, Sam Richardson etc. These are 1/2 hour episodes that you can throw on at any time and get some laughs. It really gets interesting when the President abruptly resigns due to his wife's poor mental health and Selina Meyer (Louis-Dreyfus) becomes... POTUS. Meyer begins her presidential campaign at the end of the third season. This will be on my shelf for many years as I can throw on any of the Warner Blu-rays and watch four or five episodes at a sitting. This is excellent comedy. Absolutely recommended.
____________________________________
**Harmony Korine's "Gummo" 4K UHD** - Nick Sutton, Jacob Sewell, Chloë Sevigny @Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
Blu-ray:
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Harmony Korine's Gummo is his directorial debut and was shot in Nashville, Tennessee, on an estimated budget of $1.3 million. He is known for unconventional narratives and themes of dysfunctional families exploring taboo themes including, in Gummo, violence against cats, bigotry and homophobia. Gummo is scattered with white trashy characters including a mute lad known as Bunny Boy (who wears only pink bunny ears ala Louise on Bob's Burgers), a cat poacher, a male dwarf, an albino waitress, skinhead brothers, and a further collection of eclectic personas plus a pair of well-dressed twin boys selling candy door-to-door. The cast was almost entirely local, non-actors. Include. though. 22-year old Chloë Sevigny (The Brown Bunny, The Last Days of Disco) who play 'Dot' and the actress stated that because of the film's cult status it was "stolen from every Blockbuster in America". Gummo was dedicated to Sevigny's father, who died prior to the film's release. Harmony Korine was 22-years old when he wrote Larry Clark's Kids that featured Sevigny and Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds) in their first feature film roles. Gummo, named after the fifth Marx Brother, is described as a "collage-like assembly" filled with improvisation and a vaudevillian-style influence. I thought of John Waters. While not to all tastes it is hard to deny the film's odd, almost creepy, appeal. The Criterion 4K UHD and Blu-ray package is up to their usual standard of a/v and has over 1.5 hours of fascinating bonus material for this... eccentric, poverty-stricken, portrait of small-town American life. You won't be seeing anything like it. Absolutely recommended.
____________________________________
**Jeong Chang-hwa's "Broken Oath"** Blu-ray - Angela Mao, Michael Chan @Eurekavideo
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Jeong Chang-hwa's Broken Oath is an unofficial remake of Toshiya Fujita's 1973 Japanese film Lady Snowblood (adapted from manga series) about an abused 'lady' (Naomi Oka aka Mae Ho - Girl Boss Guerilla) who gets thrown in jail when pregnant and vows that her child (delightful Angela Mao) will seek revenge. It's an appealing action-revenge-martial-arts saga with our gal utilizing deadly scorpions snuck, or hurled, onto her enemies. This is a god one. Watch for bit parts played by Sammo Hung, Corey Yuen and Yuen Biao! Eureka Blu-ray of Broken Oath has the original and more explicit cut, a superb genre film with stunning Angela Mao, two expert commentaries, visual essays, a booklet and more. It's a huge keeper and enthusiastically endorsed.
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**Curtis Bernhardt's "Conflict"** Blu-ray - Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, Alexis Smith @WarnerArchive
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Curtis Bernhardt's Conflict is a delightful Robert Siodmak-penned psychological Noir with Bogie as a guilt-ridden murderer confronting evidence that his victim-wife (Rose Hobart) hasn't really kicked the bucket. Sydney Greenstreet is a quietly sleuthing analyst and Alexis Smith portrays the confused sister only minutely aware of being the object of Bogart's mid-life fantasy. There are similarities to The Two Mrs. Carrolls made a couple of years later - also with Alexis Smith as the distracting object of desire - only the wife-to-go is a deductive Barbara Stanwyck. Conflict has a nervous Bogie in a wheelchair and limping with a cane. That carries a lot of water with Noir fans. An imperfect conclusion but still premium dark cinema and nice to have the necessary a/v upgrade and even some, less relevant, supplements. I am very happy the Warner Archive Blu-ray and this is 'a rewatchable'. I am recommending.
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**Nuri Bilge Ceylan's "About Dry Grasses"** Blu-ray - Deniz Celiloğlu, Merve Dizdar, Musab Ekici @janusfilms @Criterion
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Nuri Bilge Ceylan's About Dry Grasses has complex characters and introspective, self-reflective, dialogue. There is an emotional scene where the character leaves the room and enters the behind-the-scenes sets, people working on production - in a Brechtian way where the wall between the film audience and actors is temporarily broken - as if reminding us that this is still a movie. I thought About Dry Grasses was brilliantly harmonious with excellent performances and beautiful winter scenery. It, definitely, did not feel like 3 hours. The human condition themes like longing, expression, discontent... are wonderfully realized. About Dry Grasses is another modern and exceptional world cinema example on Janus Contemporaries Blu-ray. I cannot get away to attend film festivals and it reminds me how important these digital home theatre formats are. Strongly recommended.
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Toshio Matsumoto's "Dogra Magra" Blu-ray - Yôji Matsuda, Shijaku Katsura @FilmsRadiance
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Toshio Matsumoto's Dogra Magra is... complex and fairly dense dealing with an amnesiac's lost identity, mysterious secrets, philosophy - infused with elements of horror - hallucinations and dark dreams. It was reflective of the time period in Japan when it was penned with sweeping cultural changes taking hold. Like the source novel it is in an avant-garde style surrounding complex themes, so Dogra Magra is challenging and not suitable to all tastes. I couldn't help but think of the director's style in Funeral Parade of Roses. I appreciated the supplements on the Radiance Blu-ray and seeing the film that may require repeat viewings. Odd and fascinating cinema. To each their own.
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**Jessica Hausner's "Lourdes"** Blu-ray - Sylvie Testud, Léa Seydoux @Film_Movement @VinegarSyndrome
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Jessica Hausner's Lourdes is thoughtful and contemplative addressing true faith and the foibles of organized religion. The plot surrounds wheelchair-bound Christine's pilgrimage, her miraculous recovery and the agenda on which the event is shaped. There are parts that feel like documentary and others that offer sardonic humor regarding jealousy and selfishness. It's subtle and brilliant. The Film Movement Blu-ray has the film looking and sounding pristine, a short by the director and some brief words from her. If you haven't seen this - I think most will like it very much. Recommended!
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**Benjamin Christensen's "Häxan"** Blu-ray - Maren Pedersen, Ella la Cour @FilmsRadiance
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: Häxan is unique - part informative documentary on demonology + superstitions surrounding witchcraft, notably in medieval culture, and part fictional dramatized storytelling sequences including treatment of suspected witches. It has impressive effects, shocking visuals and a marvelous, unforgettable, conclusion. Not only an embraceable 'Silent-Era' masterwork but the primordial-soup of cinema horror. It was hailed in Scandinavia but other countries objected to the graphic depictions including torture, nudity, sexual perversions, and an overall critical view of church-based leadership. The 2-disc Radiance Blu-ray package advances upon the 2019 Criterion with a new commentary, multiple versions and different scores, visual essay, Guillermo del Toro, booklet, art cards and more. This is easily the definitive home theatre edition of Benjamin Christensen's Häxan and it will get many votes in our year-end poll. Our highest recommendation!
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DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of October 21st, 2024