THIS WEEK's RELEASES: HUGE week... Solondz Criterion 4K UHD wowser, Ealing 4K UHD, John Carpenter 4K UHD, Gregg Araki triple feature 4K UHD, De Palma 4K UHD, Fritz Lang, Seijun Suzuki, Luchino Visconti, Damiano Damiani X 3, John Farrow, Peter Hyams, Koreyoshi Kurahara Japanese noir, Michael Powell 30s firsts, Lee Chang-Dong box, Elio Petri X 2, William Dieterle, Polanski 4K UK, Asia Argento, Kinji Fukasaku, Blood Money westerns and American Horror Project 2.0 reboots, Brandy Yuen, Eloy de la Iglesia, Sean MacGregor 70s horror, Peter S. Traynor, John M. Stahl, Pietro Germi, Friends go 4K UHD, Piotr Szulkin X 3, Richard Franklin, Ramón Peón, Woody Allen X 3, Sidney Lumet 4K UHD, Norman Z. McLeod, Chia-Liang Liu, Adventure Tales collection, Laura Citarella, Stuart Rosenberg...
NEW CALENDAR UPDATES (LINKED HERE!) Upcoming, new, 4K UHD's of films by Alfred Hitchcock, William Wyler, Howard Hawks, Roman Polanski, Peter Bogdanovich, Wim Wenders, Ishirō Honda, Guillermo del Toro, Béla Tarr, Alexander Mackendrick, Guy Hamilton, Tinto Brass, plus a Kurt Russell thriller, Austin Powers and Elvira (yes, the 'Mistress of the Dark'.) There are also BDs of films directed by Ray Milland, a Pryor / Wilder trifcta directed by Sidney Poitier, Arthur Hiller etc. Other disc coming; Kinji Fukasaku, a handful of J-Horror in one package, Classic TV Ghosts, another Film Noir Dark Side box, François Truffaut, Laurel & Hardy, František Vláčil, Gordon Hessler, Vernon Sewell (2!), Sidney Gilliat, Martin Ritt, Bert I. Gordon, a doc on Powell & Pressburger... and a Criterion mega-box....
and a mid-week update:
Akira Kurosawa, Robert Wiene, Sam Raimi, Rian Johnson, Neil Marshall on 4K UHD and Jason Yu, Hugo Fregonese, Ataru Oikawa, (Sean MacGregor, Richard Lester, Norman Taurog on Blu-ray...
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: Val Lewton Double Gold, Kurosawa's best, Todd Solondz, Seijun Suzuki, Asia Argento, Alan Ladd X 2 - one with Lizabeth Scott! another with James Mason... Kinji Fukasaku suburban noir, Tinto Brass titilation...
Enjoy,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of September 23rd, 2024 (Recommended titles have "**")

**American Horror Project Vol 2** [Blu-ray] (Dream No Evil, Dark August and The Child) Arrow US
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COMMENTS: Continuing its mission to unearth the very best in weird and wonderful horror obscura from the golden age of US independent genre moviemaking, Arrow Video is proud to present the second volume in its American Horror Project series co-curated by author Stephen Thrower (Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of the Exploitation Independents).
Starting off with a little-seen 1970 offering from underrated cult auteur John Hayes (Grave of the Vampire, Garden of the Dead), Dream No Evil is a haunting, moving tale of a young woman s desperate quest to be reunited with her long-lost father only to find herself drawn into a fantasyland of homicidal madness. Meanwhile, 1976 s Dark August stars Academy Award winner Kim Hunter (A Streetcar Named Desire) in a story of a man pursued by a terrifying and deadly curse in the wake of a hit-and-run accident. Lastly, 1977 s Harry Novak-produced The Child is a gloriously delirious slice of horror mayhem in which a young girl raises an army of the dead against the people she holds responsible for her mother s death.
With all three films having been remastered from the best surviving film elements and appearing here alongside a wealth of supplementary material, American Horror Project Volume Two offers up yet another fascinating and blood-chilling foray into the deepest, darkest corners of stars-and-stripes terror.
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**Below the Belt** [Blu-ray] (Robert Fowler, 1980) Kino
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COMMENTS: Below the Belt is a gritty and humorous drama about life on the road as a female professional wrestler, in the tradition of Rocky (1976) and Fat City (1972). Based on the memoir To Smithereens by Rosalyn Drexler (who wrestled as the "Mexican Spitfire"), it is a realistic and moving take on the highs and lows of life on the mat. Rosa Rubinsky (Regina Baff, Excape from Alcatraz) is a natural at fending off unwanted sexual advances while working at a sports arena concession stand. So when she's discovered by promoter Bobby Fox (John C. Becher, Gremlins) and trained by real-life legend Mildred Burke, Rosa soon finds herself competing in the turbulent world of pro wrestling.
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**Blood Money: Four Western Classics Vol. 2** Blu-ray Gianni Garko / Jeffrey Hunter @ArrowFilmsVideo
$10,000 Blood Money (1967), Vengeance is Mine (1967), Find a Place to Die (1968) and Matalo! (Kill Him) (1970)
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COMMENTS: Deeply ensconced 'Pasta Western' genre flics directed by Romolo Guerrieri (The Sweet Body of Deborah,) Giovanni Fago (assistant director for, the likes, of Vittorio De Sica, Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Lucio Fulci), Giuliano Carnimeo (The Case of the Bloody Iris) and Cesare Canevari (his films ranged to noir, Nazisploitation, Spaghetti Western, giallo and melodrama.) The stars include Gianni Garko (The Complete Sartana), Loredana Nusciak (Django), Claudio Camaso (A Bay of Blood), Claudie Lange (in a large number of Italian genre films), Jeffrey Hunter (Gun For a Coward), Pascale Petit (Four Times That Night), Lou Castel (Requiescant aka "Kill and Pray") and Ana María Mendoza. The films aren't at the level of Volume One but they are filled with machismo, genre-themed plots involving goldmine claims, outcast soldiers, gratuitous vengeful violence, a mysterious ghost town, a bounty hunter, beautiful pioneering gals and fulfilling a mother's dying wish. These are housed on individual Arrow Blu-rays with exceptional a/v plus commentaries, hours of impressive supplements, an illustrated collector’s booklet, poster and more. Hours of delightful Spaghetti western adventure infused with easily identifiable style. Absolutely recommended!
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**Body Double [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Brian De Palma, 1984) Sony
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COMMENTS: Jake Scully (Craig Wasson), an unemployed actor, is asked to house-sit a luxurious hillside apartment. The home offers Jake a telescopic peek into the bedroom of Gloria Revelle (Deborah Shelton), who performs nightly. When Jake discovers another man is also spying on Gloria, he begins an obsessive surveillance of her. Soon a grisly murder leads him into the world of adult film where he meets, Holly Body (Melanie Griffith), who is a key to the crime.
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John Farrow's "Botany Bay" Blu-ray - Alan Ladd, James Mason, Patricia Medina @KinoLorber
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COMMENTS: John Farrow's Botany Bay is set in 1787, and has cruel British Capt. Paul Gilbert (James Mason) on an 18th-century prison ship, the Charlotte, victimizing a young U.S. medical student, Hugh Tallant (Alan Ladd) including 50 lashes with a cat-o-nine-tails. An attractive female prisoner, Sally (Patricia Medina), with her frequent off-shoulder wardrobe, is the target of romantic intentions. Not surprisingly conflict ensues. Botany Bay was based on the novel of the same name by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall who has written the successful of Mutiny on the Bounty. Joel McCrea or Ray Milland were proposed leads but it went to the big Paramount star, Alan Ladd. Koala bears and kangaroos were flown from Australia to appear in the film that was shot in California. It's a decent adventure - especially for Ladd fans - and it has some historic 'penal colony' stuff as well. Patricia Medina is quite 'dishy'. The Kino Blu-ray has the vintage film in 1080P and a well-researched commentary. Fans should consider.
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**Capricorn One** [Blu-ray] (Peter Hyams, 1978) Imprint
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COMMENTS: An audience favourite, capricorn one was the most successful independent film of 1978, presenting the story of a manned mission to mars which was faked, and the crew who realise their survival will expose the hoax. Starring elliott gould, james brolin, brenda vaccaro, o.j. Simpson and karen black, this action-thriller was written and directed by peter hyams (2010: the year we make contact), with a score by jerry goldsmith. The whole world is watching the first manned flight to mars, whilst it's three astronauts are plunged into a hair-raising battle for survival, within a clandestine operation involving intrigue and murder. This limited edition 2-disc hardbox includes both the original theatrical cut and the rarely-seen 129-minute extended cut, both in high-definition.
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**The Case is Closed, Forget It** [Blu-ray] (Damiano Damiani, 1971) Radiance UK
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COMMENTS: Franco Nero (Django) stars as an architect thrown in jail for a misdemeanour in The Case is Closed: Forget It. Inside, he sees the grim reality of life behind bars, faced with corrupt guards and a prison yard ruled by the mafia. Damiano Damiani (A Bullet for the General) continues his exploration of mafia stories with this gritty prison drama. Nero gives a sympathetic performance as the honest man, while support is given by noted character actors including Riccardo Cucciola (Rabid Dogs) as another innocent and John Steiner (Tenebrae) as a psychotic killer. Alongside Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion and Damiani’s own Confessions of a Police Captain, this exploration of authority and corruption was as critical as the era’s finest work and ranks alongside the best Italian genre films of the 1970s.
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The Champions [Blu-ray] (Brandy Yuen, 1983) Eureka
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COMMENTS: Lee Tong (Yuen Biao, Dreadnaught) is a young farmer who has grown up in an isolated rural community. When an indiscretion lands him in hot water, he leaves his home in the countryside and heads for the big city - where he meets Suen (Cheung Kwok-keung, Eastern Condors), a street footballer who recognises Tong's talent for soccer and encourages him to try out for a pro team. But Tong's first chance at glory is scuppered by a rivalry with the narcissistic King (Dick Wei, Project A), who relegates the newcomer to cleaning up after his teammates. But having discovered a love for soccer, Tong soon accepts an offer to join a rival team - and the stage is set for a final confrontation with King on the pitch.
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The Creature [Blu-ray] (Eloy de la Iglesia, 1977) Severin Films
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COMMENTS: From Eloy de la Iglesia - the defiantly transgressive and ever-controversial director of CANNIBAL MAN, THE GLASS CEILING and the Quinqui classics EL PICO 1 & 2 and NAVAJEROS - comes the most daring and unsettling film of his entire career: After a heartbreaking miscarriage, a couple (Goya Award winners Ana Belén and Juan Diego) adopts a stray male dog in hopes of saving their rocky marriage. But as the wife develops an obsessive bond with her new companion, it will trigger jealousies and rivalries that may lead to the most inconceivable act of all. Claudia Gravi (BYLETH: THE DEMON OF INCEST), Ramón Repáraz (THE PRIEST) and Manuel Pereiro (THE NIGHT OF THE WALKING DEAD) co-star in this "remarkable gem about extreme love" (Horror Estremo), now scanned in 2K from the negative.
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**The Day of the Owl aka Mafia** [Blu-ray] (Damiano Damiani, 1968) Radiance UK UK PURCHASE LINK
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COMMENTS: The Day of the Owl stars Franco Nero (Django) as a police chief who, while investigating the death of a construction worker, goes up against corrupt officials and a ruthless mafia boss (Lee J. Cobb, On the Waterfront). Adapted from the celebrated novel by Leonardo Sciascia (Illustrious Corpses, Todo Modo), The Day of the Owl was the first book to openly deal with organised crime in Sicily. Director Damiano Damiani followed in the civic-minded cinema of Francesco Rosi and Elio Petri while forging a new path for the action-orientated cinema of the poliziottesco that would follow, creating something uniquely his own. A prestigious production, it was in the running for best film at the Berlin Film Festival and found wins at home in the David di Donatello Awards for stars Nero and Claudia Cardinale, along with Damiani (A Bullet for the General), and Best film.
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**Death Game** [Blu-ray] (Peter S. Traynor, 1977) RB UK Grindhouse Releasing
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COMMENTS: Grindhouse Releasing is proud to present the ultimate 1970s psychological thriller. John Cassavetes veteran Seymour Cassel stars as George Manning, a family man whose perfect life is turned into a nightmare of sex and torture when he allows himself to be seduced by two nubile young strangers (Sondra Locke and Colleen Camp) who show up at his door on a rainy night. Considered lost for many decades, DEATH GAME is presented for the first time on UK home video in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, meticulously restored in 4K from the original camera negative.
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**Devil Times Five [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Sean MacGregor, 1974) Vinegar Syndrome
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COMMENTS: Julie, her boyfriend Rick and a number of other guests have assembled at the chalet of her wealthy father, nestled deep in the snowy surroundings of Lake Arrowhead. Their laid-back boozing and petty arguments are upended by the unexpected arrival of a group of five mysterious children who claim to have become stranded after their bus broke down. Taking pity on the youngsters, the group offers to let them stay at the house until help arrives. Unbeknownst to the adults, these tots are in fact on the run from an asylum, and they waste no time in getting down to manipulating and then viciously killing their unsuspecting hosts.
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A Dog Called... Vengeance [Blu-ray] (Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi, 1977) Severin Films
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COMMENTS: Less than two years after the end of Spain's oppressive Franco regime, Goya Award winning filmmaker Antonio Isasi (THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS, SUMMERTIME KILLER) co-wrote and directed the action blockbuster that shocked European audiences and became one of the most culturally-charged survival thrillers of the decade: Best Supporting Actor Oscar® nominee and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Jason Miller (THE EXORCIST, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON) "gives a fantastic performance" (This Is Quiet Cool) as a political prisoner who escapes custody, only to be relentlessly pursued by a military dictatorship dog driven to hate, hunt and kill. Donatello Award winner Lea Massari (L'AVVENTURA) and Goya Award winners Marisa Paredes (HIGH HEELS) and Juan Antonio Bardem (THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER) co-star in "one of a master director's most significant films" (Madriz), now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative.
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**The Facts of Murder** [Blu-ray] (Pietro Germi, 1959) Radiance UK
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COMMENTS: In Pietro Germi’s The Facts of Murder, Inspector Ingravallo has been called to a Roman apartment building to investigate a robbery. Once there he questions the tenants but soon realises something is amiss. As the investigation progresses a simple robbery leads to a murder case… Directed by and starring Germi (The Railroad Man) as the growling Inspector, The Facts of Murder was loosely adapted from celebrated author Carlo Emilio Gadda’s novel and is shot with inky shadows reminiscent of film noir, while the mystery element prefigures the giallo. Featuring a cast of wonderful supporting actors including Claudia Cardinale (The Day of the Owl) and Claudio Gora (Il sorpasso), the film won multiple awards at Italian institutions including the Golden Globe for Best Film.
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Friday the 13th [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Marcus Nispel, 2009) Arrow
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COMMENTS: A group of oblivious teenagers choose Camp Crystal Lake as the destination for a weekend getaway. Among them, the young Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki, Supernatural) is not looking for fun and frolics, but for his sister Whitney who disappeared around the lake six weeks earlier. The trip turns into a waking nightmare as the bloodthirsty Jason emerges from the shadows, wielding a deadly machete and out for blood. Cut off from civilization, these youths discover too late that Crystal Lake bears the scars of a violent past as they uncover the terrifying events that spurred the masked killer’s quest for violent vengeance.
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Friends: The Complete Series [4K UHD Blu-ray] - SDS
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COMMENTS: The beloved comedy franchise that centered around a group of friends in Manhattan and aired on NBC for 10 seasons from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, is completely remastered and available for the first time ever in 4KUHD!​​ Includes all 236 original broadcast episodes (100+ hours) and hours of bonus content including an all-new never before seen bonus featurette.​
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Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes [Blu-ray] (Piotr Szulkin, 1986) RB UK Radiance
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COMMENTS: In the darkly comic Ga-Ga: Glory to the Heroes, Scope (Daniel Olbrychski, Dekalog) must be tried and convicted of a heinous crime for him to participate in a bloody, televised gladiator contest… Inspired by Pasolini’s La ricotta and American space opera, Szulkin’s film mocks hero myths with a dark satirical edge. Featuring a supporting cast of Poland’s finest acting talent, including Jerzy Stuhr (Three Colours: White), Katarzyna Figura (No End) and Leon Niemczyk (The Saragossa Manuscript) among others, Szulkin’s highly imaginative works of fantasy are bound by a preoccupation with the machinations of power and a distinct visual sensibility.
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**Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy [4K UHD Blu-ray]** [Totally F***ed Up / The Doom Generation / Nowhere] Criterion
4K UHD:
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COMMENTS: Take the conventions of the American teen movie, transpose them to Los Angeles’s freaky fringes, anchor them in an unapologetic vision of sexual fluidity, and top it all off with heavy doses of Gen X disillusionment, gonzo violence, and hallucinogenic surrealism, and you’ll end up with something like these audacious transgressions from New Queer Cinema renegade Gregg Araki. Gleefully mixing slacker irony with raw sincerity, Godardian cool with punk scuzz, the savagely subversive, hormone-fueled films that make up the Teen Apocalypse Trilogy pushed 1990s indie cinema into bold new aesthetic realms, while giving blistering expression to adolescent rage and libidinal desire.
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**Todd Solondz's "Happiness" 4K UHD** / Blu-ray - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ben Gazzara @Criterion
4K UHD:
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Blu-ray:
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COMMENTS: Todd Solondz's Happiness can really burn into your memory banks if you aren't expecting it. I've never forgot my first viewing more than 20-years ago. The film's shocking qualities are mostly conveying surprising honesty - the unspoken secrets many never reveal. I recall Sylvester Stallone stating "Wouldn't it be great to live without secrets". Happiness has obscene telephone calls, sexual deviance, masturbation, pedophilia, unhealthy obsession... but the root often seems to center on loneliness and dissatisfaction. There is a sort of disjointed cast in Happiness with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ben Gazzara, Dylan Baker, Camryn Manheim, Louise Lasser, Jon Lovitz... but that may give the film some of its fascinating vérité. The Sundance Film Festival refused to screen Happiness with its controversial subject - but I think they missed out on a defining black comedy. The Criterion Blu-ray and 4K UHD offer a home screening experience of a piece of cinema that is very much worth seeing... and re-seeing. Funny, sad, shocking... exposing some of the unpalatable, and deceptive, underbelly of humanity - all available in one digital package. Wow. Recommended.
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**How to Kill a Judge** [Blu-ray] (Damiano Damiani, 1975) Radiance UK
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COMMENTS: In How to Kill a Judge, Franco Nero (Django) plays filmmaker Giacomo Solaris, whose latest film features a judge corrupted by the mafia and who is later killed. The real judge the character is based on seizes the film but is later found murdered. Feeling a degree of responsibility, Solaris investigates through his police and mafia advisors, but as the assassinations increase around him, will he reach the source of the conspiracy? Full of twists and a fascinating meta-commentary on cinema that derives from a highly personal approach to the subject matter inspired by real-life events, director Damiano Damiani (Day of the Owl) points the camera at himself and the genre in this fascinating exploration of the social impact of the mafia.
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**I Am Waiting** [Blu-ray] (Koreyoshi Kurahara , 1957) Radiance UK

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COMMENTS: A failed boxer and a waitress with a dark past run afoul of an underworld syndicate that seeks to exploit the woman to its own ends. With dreams of escaping to Brazil, he agrees to help. But neither the past nor the future turns out to be exactly what it seems. A foundational film from the pioneering studio of post-war Japanese noir Nikkatsu, I Am Waiting was directed by a master of the genre and stars Yujiro Ishihara and Mie Kitahara, the on-screen and real-life couple that ruled Japanese popular cinema of the 1950s.
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**The Innocent** [Blu-ray] (Luchino Visconti, 1976) Film Movement Classics
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COMMENTS: Gabrielle d'Annunzio’s passionate novel is brought to life in the final masterpiece from acclaimed director Luchino Visconti. In late-nineteenth century Italy, Tullio (Giancarlo Giannini), an insatiable aristocrat, grows bored with his timid wife Giuliana (Laura Antonelli) and neglects her for his more exciting mistress, the wealthy widow Countess Teresa Raffo (Jennifer O'Neill). After learning that Giuliana is having a torrid affair of her own, he becomes tormented by her infidelity and descends into madness.
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**The Lady is Willing** [Blu-ray] (Mitchell Leisen, 1942) Indicator
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COMMENTS: Hollywood legends Marlene Dietrich (Blonde Venus) and Fred MacMurray (Pushover) collide in the screwball comedy classic The Lady Is Willing. Eccentric Broadway star Liza Madden (Dietrich) longs to become a mother but has no need for a husband. When she stumbles across an abandoned baby, she resolves to adopt it, entering into a marriage of convenience with child-hating, rabbit-obsessed divorcé Dr McBain (MacMurray). Directed by Mitchell Leisen (Remember the Night) and scripted by James Edward Grant (Bullfighter and the Lady), The Lady Is Willing also includes memorable supporting turns from Stanley Ridges (An Act of Murder), Aline MacMahon (One Way Passage), and Arline Judge (An American Tragedy).
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**Alexander Mackendrick's "The Ladykillers" 4K UHD** - Alec Guinness, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers @KinoLorber
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COMMENTS: Alexander Mackendrick's "The Ladykillers" was the last three-strip Technicolor film shot in the UK and it was Peter Sellers first major screen role. The black comedy involves a misshapen, motley crew, of bungling criminals planning and executing a robbery. Sweet, elderly, landlady Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) discovers this - setting our villains on plotting her murder. Alec Guinness's 'Professor Marcus' has many believe that it was the actor Alastair Sim. As well as successful Ealing comedies, Guinness collaborated six times with director David Lean and for another generation is known as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He appeared in nine of the BFI's Top 100 British films. Aside from the more well-known Guinness / Ealing comedies; Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Lavender Hill Mob, The Man in the White Suit and The Captain's Paradise - there are a number of other highly entertaining efforts from the studio; Passport to Pimlico, They Came to a City, The Square Ring, The Blue Lamp, The Night My Number Came Up, Whisky Galore!, Pool of London, Dead of Night, It Always Rains on Sunday... "The Ladykillers" remains a favorite for many. It's marvelous to see it looking so improved on 4K UHD. The Kino offers a new commentary, the older commentary and more. Absolutely recommended!
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Lake Michigan Monster [Blu-ray] (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, 2018) Arrow US
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COMMENTS: All aboard! The combined spirits of H.P. Lovecraft, early Sam Raimi and Mystery Science Theater 3000 inhabit this action-packed tale of nautical derring-do and monster mayhem - winner of the Audience Award for Best International Feature at the 2019 Fantasia Film Festival. On the shores of Lake Michigan, the eccentric Captain Seafield (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, who also writes and directs) enlists a colourful crew of misfits in a bid to slay the hellish sea monster that prowls the murky depths. But as Seafield's obsession with exacting revenge on the creature that killed his father threatens to consume him, can weapons expert Sean Shaughnessy (Erick West), sonar whiz Nedge Pepsi (Beulah Peters) and former N.A.V.Y. - Nautical Athletes and Adventure Yunit - officer Dick Flynn (Daniel Long) hold the show together? Shot in gloriously retro black and white on a shoestring budget, with most of the cast also performing multiple roles behind the camera, Lake Michigan Monster is an inventive, irreverent and riotously entertaining ode to the classic monster movies of yesteryear: an absurdist urban legend guaranteed to appeal to the big kid in all of us.
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Link [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Richard Franklin, 1986) Kino
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COMMENTS: An Experiment in Terror! Elisabeth Shue (The Karate Kid) and Terence Stamp (The Limey) co-star in this suspenseful horror film directed by Richard Franklin (Road Games, F/X2) and featuring a chilling score by legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith (The Omen). Young graduate student Jane Chase (Shue) becomes the new assistant to an eccentric zoology professor (Stamp) at the remote home he shares with two brilliant chimpanzees and an elderly orangutan butler named Link. But when one of the chimps is found dead and the professor mysteriously disappears, Link becomes dangerously aggressive towards Jane. Now, the time for “monkey business” is over and the true terror is about to begin.
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**Ramón Peón's "La llorona"** Blu-ray - Ramón Pereda @indicatorseries
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COMMENTS: Ramón Peón's La llorona is a wonderful step back in time with curious cultural motifs and effective horror conventions. I hope this is a new trend to delve deeper into early Mexican genre cinema. We should feel quite privileged in two ways - to simply see 1933's La llorona and that Indicator and their passionate staff have brought it to Blu-ray. The commentary and extras provide an edifying context to appreciate this rarity in one complete package (limited to 4,000 copies.) Don't hesitate.
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**A Man on His Knees** [Blu-ray] (Damiano Damiani, 1979) Radiance
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COMMENTS: Mistaken as a witness to a crime, Nino (Giuliano Gemma, The Iron Prefect), learns from a friend he has been put on a Mafia hit list and is being stalked by an assassin (Michele Placido, Romanzo Criminale). A man with a troubled past, Nino knows only too well what he faces and uses all his strength and cunning to keep himself and his family alive. Featuring stunning performances from both leads, Damiano Damiani (The Day of the Owl) applies his trademark realism and socio-political commentary to A Man on His Knees, charting Nino's desperation as he refuses to kneel before the power of organised crime. Newly restored in 4K, Radiance Films is proud to present one of Damiani's finest films on Blu-ray for the first time in the world.
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**Michael Powell: Early Works** [Blu-ray] (Rynox - 1932, Hotel Splendide - 1932, The Night of the Party - 1934, Her Last Affaire - 1936, Behind the Mask (aka The Man Behind the Mask) -1936) RB UK BFI
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COMMENTS: During the early to mid-1930s, director Michael Powell (The Red Shoes, Peeping Tom) honed his craft on a succession of modestly budgeted feature films. Many of these titles remain lost, but those that survive reveal a burgeoning talent that readily established Powell as one of British cinema’s leading lights. This new two-disc collection brings together five of those early films directed by Powell, newly remastered by the BFI National Archive, including murder mysteries, sensational thrillers and a comedy crime caper. Discover the formative works of a filmmaking icon, available on Blu-ray for the first time.
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A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy [Blu-ray] (Woody Allen, 1982) MGM
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COMMENTS: Love is in the air and magic is afoot when turn-of-the-century inventor Andrew (Woody Allen) and his wife Adrian (Mary Steenburgen) host a country wedding party where the stage is set for thwarted seductions, mismatched mates and magical mayhem!
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The Million Eyes of Sumuru [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Lindsay Shonte, 1967) Blue Underground
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COMMENTS: Two years before THE GIRL FROM RIO, Shirley Eaton (GOLDFINGER) also starred as Sumuru, a beautiful but deadly woman with plans for world domination. When a couple of wise-cracking, swingin' secret agents uncover her scheme to eliminate male leaders and replace them with sexy undercover female operatives, they rush to Hong Kong and enlist the local police to stop her all-female army of assassins known as THE MILLION EYES OF SUMURU.
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The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals [Blu-ray] (Oliver Drake, 1969) Severin Films
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COMMENTS: Experience the notorious 1969 horror epic that's been barely seen since its fly-by-night VHS release while existing mostly via sordid rumors for more than 50 years: Anthony Eisley (THE NAKED KISS, DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN) stars in this brain-melting mash-up of dubious Egyptology, risible werewolf transformations, H.G. Lewis-level gore, cut-rate psychedelia and an oven-mitted mummy on a Las Vegas rampage, all set to a swinging soundtrack of lounge and surf instrumentals. The legendary John Carradine (THE GRAPES OF WRATH, HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS) earns a day's pay in this "truly incredible masterpiece of bad cinema" (Harbinger) written and produced by William Edwards (DRACULA THE DIRTY OLD MAN), directed by Oliver Drake (THE MUMMY'S CURSE) and scanned in 4K from the blow up internegative discovered at Ewing 'Lucky' Brown's Los Angeles estate sale, now with over 2 hours of Special Features that include the thought-lost Vega International adult feature ANGELICA, THE YOUNG VIXEN scanned from the sole surviving print.
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**Murder on the Orient Express [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Sidney Lumet, 1974) Kino
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COMMENTS: Elegant, escapist entertainment at its stylishly European best! This Agatha Christie whodunit boasts an incredible international cast of some of the most wonderfully eccentric characters ever created. Albert Finney is the dapper detective Hercule Poirot, for whom murder-solving is a precise, intellectual exercise. Poirot agrees to interview all aboard the famous train’s Calais coach, hoping to find the killer of an American millionaire before the local police arrive. Among the suspects: Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Rachel Roberts, Richard Widmark and Michael York. Directed by the great Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men), packed with sparkling dialogue and visually rich in texture, this incomparable thriller received six Academy Award® nominations, with Ingrid Bergman winning Best Actress in a Supporting Role (1974) for her role as the slightly dim-witted, Bible-quoting Swedish missionary.
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**My Favorite Spy** [Blu-ray] (Norman Z. McLeod, 1951) Kino
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COMMENTS: The cheeky charm of Bob Hope (My Favorite Blonde, My Favorite Brunette) meets the bombshell brilliance of Hedy Lamarr (Samson and Delilah, The Female Animal) in this sly spy farce! While on his way to Tangier to purchase a microfilm containing important war secrets, foreign spy Eric Augustine (Hope) is wounded by the authorities and hospitalized. Burlesque comedian Peanuts White (also Hope), a dead ringer for Augustine, is recruited by the government to take over Augustine’s mission. Peanuts is briefed in the role of the suave and romantic Augustine, dressed to look exactly like him and is thrust into the world of espionage and international intrigue! In Tangier, he meets—and falls for—the irresistible but dangerous Lily Dalbray (Lamarr), Augustine’s sweetheart, who’s now in cahoots with the mastermind of the spy ring (Francis L. Sullivan, The Mystery of Edwin Drood). Just like Hope’s previous “My Favorite” forays, My Favorite Spy parodies classic espionage genre pictures with panache! Directed by the great Norman Z. McLeod (Road to Rio, The Paleface) and featuring legendary Hollywood “bad guys” Mike Mazurki (Dark City) and Marc Lawrence (Cloak and Dagger).
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The Night of the Devils [Blu-ray] ( Giorgio Ferroni, 1972) Raro UK
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COMMENTS: Italian genre legend Gianni Garko (Lucio Fulci’s The Psychic) stars in this terrifying masterpiece of the macabre, based on Tolstoy’s story The Wurdurlak, itself previously adapted in Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath. A nameless, mentally ill man (Garko) is found wandering in the woods, his mind lost in a fever dream of gruesome, sexual imagery. After being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the man flashes back to his nightmarish encounter with a backwoods family whose dynasty holds a centuries-old curse, What follows is a night of unrelenting horror. Music by Giorgio Gaslini, composer of scores for films by Dario Argento and Michelangelo Antonioni and special effects by Carlo Rambaldi, known for his effects on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Possession. Atmospheric and gory, The Night of the Devils is a Euro-horror classic not to be missed.
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**O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization** [Blu-ray] (Piotr Szulkin, 1985) RB UK Radiance
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COMMENTS: The survivors of a claustrophobic, subterranean world in ruins are pacified by Soft (Jerzy Stuhr, Camera Buff), who engineers a mass collective dream of escape through means of a mythical vessel, The Ark… A dark vision existing somewhere between Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker and John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, Piotr Szulkin’s O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization is one of the great dystopian films. Masquerading as both works of science fiction and horror, Szulkin's satirical, surrealistic apocalypse-themed films are Polish cinema's best-kept secret.
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The Outcasts [Blu-ray] (Robert Wynne-Simmons, 1982) BFI Flipside UK
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COMMENTS: Set in an isolated rural community in pre-famine Ireland when poverty and magic were rife, The Outcasts sees introverted farm girl Maura (Mary Ryan) discover a magical world of the imagination through ‘a wild, ungodly man’, the mysterious wanderer Scarf Michael (Mick Lally). When she is accused of witchcraft she turns to her own supernatural powers for protection. Director Robert Wynne-Simmons combines horror, earthy drama, dreamlike fantasy and tragedy to produce this intelligent and visually stunning directorial debut.
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**The Poetry of Lee Chang-Dong: Four Films Set** [Blu-ray] Green Fish (1997), Peppermint Candy (1999) , Oasis (2002), Poetry (2010) - Film Movement Classics
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COMMENTS: In his directorial debut, GREEN FISH (1997), Lee uses the conventions of film noir to explore the story of a young man who becomes ensnared in a dangerous love triangle with the girlfriend of his employer, a local mob boss. Opening on a shocking scene of implied suicide, Lee’s sophomore feature PEPPERMINT CANDY (1999) proceeds to move backward in time, revealing the unhappiness of its protagonist in reverse chronology. In OASIS (2002), two societal outcasts become unlikely soulmates when an irresponsible ex-con befriends a woman with severe cerebral palsy. Following a matriarch who finds her capacity as a caregiver threatened by Alzheimer’s disease, POETRY (2010) features a Cannes award-winning screenplay by Lee and an achingly vulnerable performance by legendary actress Yun Jung-hee in a role he specifically penned for her.
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The Profane Exhibit [Blu-ray] (Jeremy Kasten, Uwe Boll, Ruggero Deodato, 2013) Unearthed Classics
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COMMENTS: Ladies and gentlemen! My fellow creatures of the night! You are invited to join us on a perilous journey into the land of the damned. Please ensure to keep your limbs safely inside the speeding vehicle at all times, for what you are about to witness is a dangerous miracle of the macabre. Ten renowned horror movie directors from all over the world have recreated their most gruesome dreams and frenzied nightmares for your viewing displeasure. Your ticket entitles you to enjoy a surfeit of screams, palpitations, and gut-wrenching violence - the like of which has never before been seen by man or beast. Watch your step, don't look behind you, and try to keep your eyes open because you are about to witness...THE PROFANE EXHIBIT.
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**A Quiet Place in the Country** [Blu-ray] (Elio Petri, 1968) Radiance UK
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COMMENTS: Leonardo (Franco Nero, The Day of the Owl) is a celebrated artist plagued by nightmares which stop him from completing his work. His agent and sometime lover, Flavia (Vanessa Redgrave, The Devils), encourages him to relax, so he buys a country villa. Once there he begins tracing the story of the previous owner while Flavia’s presence in the house seems to awaken something as she encounters one mysterious accident after another. Part ghost story, part meditation on the creative process told through the excesses of the 1960s. Elio Petri (The Working Class Goes to Heaven) brilliantly fuses these ideas in ways that are at times shocking, yet thought-provoking in their investigation of art, sex and madness, set to an eerie score by Ennio Morricone.
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**William Dieterle's "Red Mountain"** Blu-ray - Alan Ladd, Lizabeth Scott @KinoLorber
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COMMENTS: William Dieterle's Red Mountain has Noir mainstays Alan Ladd (This Gun For Hire, The Blue Dahlia, The Glass Key) and Lizabeth Scott (The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Dead Reckoning, Desert Fury, and Too Late for Tears). I have to say that, while I love Mr. Ladd, Miss Scott more strongly advanced my interest in the film. Her character of, conflicted, 'Chris' is... captivating. Arthur Kennedy (High Sierra) is also excellent. Of course, William Dieterle (All That Money Can Buy, The Accused, Love Letters) is a highly competent craftsman. Red Mountain is an enjoyable western. Ladd, Scott and vintage western genre fans will appreciate this Kino Blu-ray which, with commentary, we endorse.
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Redneck Miller [Blu-ray] (John Clayton, 1976) Film Masters
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COMMENTS: A rare Hicksploitation film from 1976 follows DJ Miller, a disc jockey in the Southern U.S. When Miller's motorcycle is stolen and used in a drug deal, he faces off against local thugs and unsavory characters to clear his name. Scanned from one of the only surviving rare 35mm release prints in 4K, this print was run through multiple rounds of restoration including dustbusting, dirt and debris removal, and repair of deep scratches that were digitally removed. The original print was very faded, having lost much of the blue and yellow tones, and was color corrected to bring back the original film grade. This regional U.S. feature film has never had a formal home video release or been screened theatrically outside the U.S.
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**Rosemary's Baby [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Roman Polanski, 1968) Paramount UK
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COMMENTS: Paramount's 4K UHD release of Roman Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby" is greatly anticipated by cinema fans. The film was based on Ira Levin's 1967 novel. Discussed for the role, that eventually went to Mia Farrow, were Tuesday Weld, Jane Fonda, Patty Duke, Goldie Hawn and Polanski's fiancée Sharon Tate. Midway through shooting the film, Frank Sinatra, Farrow's husband, served her with divorce papers (via a lawyer) intentionally infront of the cast and crew. "Rosemary's Baby" remains a key psychological horror with multiple themes like anxiety, paranoia, occultism, Catholicism / Satanism / Witchcraft, and even women's lib. It's easy to notice Charles Grodin (in his debut role) as Dr. Hill but keep your eyes peeled and you may see Tony Curtis, Patricia O'Neal, and Sharon Tate (party guest.) I love clues like "The name is an anagram". This is definitely a film you want in the best possible home theatre presentation and despite the lack of new extras - this 4K UHD is it.
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Asia Argento's "Scarlet Diva" Blu-ray - Asia Argento @Film_Movement @fm_classics
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COMMENTS: Asia Argento's Scarlet Diva received notoriety for the early #MeToo cascade well before its time. It's a fairly easy effort to dismiss but you can see innovation, a strong cinematic spirit of expression and a certain level of fearlessness. It's episodic and scattered but I was keen to finally see it. I, strangely, liked it but I don't think it is something I will watch again. Maybe in a few years. There is a protective feeling for Asia Argento - her pain, rejections / frustrations and abuse. The Film Movement Classics Blu-ray has been around for a while and this appears to be a re-issue. It's absolutely recommended to the curious but certainly no reason to double dip.
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Sepa: Our Lord of Miracles [Blu-ray] (Walter Saxer, 1986) Dekanalog
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COMMENTS: Having languished in a closet for more than 30 years, this newly rediscovered film is a unique documentary record of a bold and troubling experiment in criminal justice. A collaboration in between Walter Saxer, the producer of Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo, and the Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, SEPA: OUR LORD OF MIRACLES observes an open-air penal colony of the same name, created in 1951 by the Peruvian government in the Amazonian jungle. Tasked with growing crops on these colonized lands, the inmates were permitted to roam freely, commune with their families, and dance and cook together, yet they soon found themselves in despair, abandoned and forgotten by their country and the world at large.
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**September** [Blu-ray] (Woody Allen,1987) MGM
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COMMENTS: Woody Allen delivers a haunting film that examines the intricate world of human emotions as a fragile woman (Mia Farrow) returns home to recuperate and finds she must confront the fear she's never escaped...and a secret that has haunted her life.
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**The Shadow Boxing** [Blu-ray] (Chia-Liang Liu, 1979) 88 Films
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COMMENTS: From the legendary Lau Kar-leung (The Spiritual Boxer; Eight Diagram Pole Fighter) comes one of his finest - and wildest - rides, following a pair of very special undertakers who transport dead bodies by magical means. But their latest trip is proving tricky; it's bad enough that a strong-willed young woman has invited herself along for the ride but, even more awkwardly, one of the corpses might not actually be dead... Pretty much inventing the kung fu horror-comedy, and a huge influence on later films like Encounter of the Spooky Kind and Mr. Vampire, The Shadow Boxing stars Gordon 'Kill Bill' Liu and features the sort of action only the great Lau could serve up. 88 Films are delighted to unleash this Hong Kong classic on blu-ray.
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Stardust [4K UHD Blu-ray] Steelbook (Matthew Vaughn, 2007) Paramount
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COMMENTS: For the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD, the spectacular adventure based on the book by Neil Gaiman (CORALINE) shines like never before. Tristan (Charlie Cox) hopes to woo a beautiful girl named Victoria (Sienna Miller) by bringing her a falling star. But the star is really a celestial beauty known as Yvaine (Claire Danes), with a witch named Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) simultaneously after Yvaine’s youth. STARDUST is a fairytale like nothing you’ve ever seen, with a combination of romance, action, and humor that will have you believing in pure magic. The all-star cast features Robert De Niro, Peter O’Toole, Rupert Everett, Ricky Gervais, and Henry Cavill, with the voice talents of Ian McKellen as the Narrator.
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Super Soul Brother and the Films of Rene Martinez, Jr. [Blu-ray] - AGFA
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COMMENTS: Let's get w-i-i-ild! SUPER SOUL BROTHER AND THE FILMS OF RENE MARTINEZ, JR. collects the anti-dimensional filmography of enigmatic, Miami-based DIY filmmaker Martinez for the first time on home video. In SUPER SOUL BROTHER (1978), naive wino Steve ("Wildman" Steve Gallon, PETEY WHEATSTRAW) is injected with a serum that gives him superhuman strength, a catch phrase ("I'm w-i-i-ild!"), and a quest to battle the mad scientists and crooks who made it all possible. THE GUY FROM HARLEM (1977) finds gritty private investigator Al Connors (Loye Hawkins) locked in mortal combat with crime kingpin Big Daddy in an explosion of cocaine, kung-fu, and funk jams. Finally, ROAD OF DEATH (1973) follows local rockers the Joe Banana Band and friends (including Carol Conners and Jack Birch, future parents of Thora "GHOST WORLD" Birch) as they seek revenge against a biker gang for their hideous crimes—complete with a shocking climax that predicts the final scene in Quentin Tarantino's DEATH PROOF. Only in Florida.
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Sweet Substitute [Blu-ray] (Larry Kent, 1964) Canadian International Pictures
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COMMENTS: Busy navigating his final year of high school, brainy aspiring teacher Tom (Waiting for Caroline’s Robert Howay) is determined to land an elusive scholarship, but his hard work is constantly interrupted by his real obsession: pursuing the opposite sex. Before long, he develops a romance with former classmate Elaine (The Boy Who Could Fly’s Angela Gann), who persistently declines his sexual advances. This inspires Tom to consider other options, including his good-natured study buddy Kathy (Carol Pastinsky). But when they take their friendship to the next level, shocking complications threaten to derail Tom’s future, inspiring his friends to take drastic action.
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**Tales Of Adventure – Collection 4** (1949 – 1953) [Blu-ray] (King of The Rocket Men, Flying Disc Man from Mars, The Invisible Monster, Radar Men From The Moon, Zombies of the Stratosphere, Mysterious Doctor Satan and Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe) Imprint
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COMMENTS: Eight-disc set includes: Mysterious Doctor Satan (1940) Following the murder of his adoptive father by the world-domination-seeking Doctor Satan (Eduardo Ciannelli), Bob Wayne (Robert Wilcox) assumes the guise of "the Copperhead." Our slithery hero is the only one who stands between the evil doctor and his acquisition of a newly-invented remote device used to control an army of killer robots. King Of The Rocket Men (1949)The venerable rocket pack, helmet, and trusty "up/down" chest controls that appeared in several unrelated Republic serials made their debut here...
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**Seijun Suzuki's "Tattooed Life"** Blu-ray - Hideki Takahashi, Masako Izumi @FilmsRadiance
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COMMENTS: Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life is  an enjoyable Nikkatsu studio effort with romance, villains, conflict and brotherly love. It has Hideki Takahashi (Fighting Elegy) who was a star in jidaigeki having extensive roles in television. Masako Izumi (Midori) started her acting career at the age of 11 and is still with us today. Kayo Matsuo (Shogun Assassin, Lone Wolf and Cub, The Vampire Doll) and Kaku Takashina (Underworld Beauty, Story of a Prostitute). There are so many Suzuki films beyond the most well known; Branded to Kill, Tokyo Drifter, Youth of the Beast, Pistol Opera and I'd love to see more of these lesser-known films reach HD status as many are still only on DVD. Just examining the director's cuts, editing, tonal shifts, approach to color and ellipses is worthwhile. He's a fascinating director. I'm very pleased with the Radiance Blu-ray of Tattooed Life - its strong a/v, expert commentary, interviews and booklet. It's only been 20-years since we reviewed the DVD. More Suzuki please!
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**Kinji Fukasaku's "The Threat"** Blu-ray - Rentarō Mikuni / Kō Nishimura / Masumi Harukawa @ArrowFilmsVideo
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COMMENTS: Kinji Fukasaku's The Threat evokes William Wyler's suburban noir The Desperate Hours with Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. The home invasion characteristics bring into play cowardice, desperation, a dangerous criminal element, assault and an ever present suspense. Can the father/husband protagonist become the courageous, machismo, hero that we crave? It's quite an engaging, and fairly unique, film. I am very happy with the Arrow Blu-ray for this new viewing experience with authentic a/v, a solid commentary, video appreciation, booklet and more. Another exceptional package from them. Certainly recommended.
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**Laura Citarella's "Trenque Lauquen"** Blu-ray - Laura Paredes / Ezequiel Pierri @FilmsRadiance
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COMMENTS: Laura Citarella's Trenque Lauquen is also the name of an actual city in the west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. What the film is really about is the mystery of a missing woman, Laura, her emotional connections, her botanical work involving a new flower species, but more pivotally to the story - her discovery of some very old love, quasi-erotic, letters hidden in library book bindings and glued between the pages. Another layer adds two men seeking her out - her boss and a hopeful paramour. There are flashbacks as secrets are revealed and mysteries advance and minutely unfold. The romance of the discovered letters spills into characters. Ohhh and a 'creature's existence, pregnancy and the protagonist's mental stability are all circumstantial but never really fleshed out. You get the idea? A bit of a 'shaggy dog story' of mysterious delight. Rightfully, Trenque Lauquen is a very highly regarded film winning over 1/2 a dozen international awards. The Radiance Blu-ray has the lengthy film in efficient 1080P and beaucoup supplement interviews with the participants. Very highly recommended!
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Two Taoist Tales [Blu-ray] (Taoism Drunkard, 1984 + Young Taoism Fighter, 1986) - Eureka
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COMMENTS: Directed by and starring Yuen Cheung-yan (The Miracle Fighters), Taoism Drunkard follows a man with a love for wine who accidentally damages a sacred statue. To atone for this blunder, he is asked by an enraged taoist priest (Hsiao Hou-tao) to find a virginal boy (Yuen Yat-chor) to aid in defending his temple from a demonic sorcerer (Yuen Shun-yi). Then, in Young Taoism Fighter (directed by Police Story's Chen Chi-hwa), a practitioner of taoist kung fu (Yuen Yat-chor) manages to separate his soul from his body before teaming up with a vengeful young woman (Hilda Liu Hao-yi) to take on a sinister sorcerer (Kwan Chung) and the evil leader of a rival kung fu school (Yen Shi-kwan).
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The Underground Films of Richard Baylor [Blu-ray] (Our World Is Drowning and Going to Hell) Saturn's Core
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COMMENTS: Exploring themes of isolation, suicide, voyeurism, murder, sexual aberrations, and the condemnation of organized religion, Michigan born, UK based filmmaker and provocateur Richard Baylor sent shockwaves throughout the repressive and censorious ‘90s British film scene with his subversive and button-pushing underground video works. Drawing inspiration from the short and shocking films of Richard Kern, Nick Zedd, and their contemporaries from New York’s Cinema of Transgression scene, Baylor became an honorary member of the movement by creating similarly insurgent works on video in his native Ipswich, England, culling collaborators from the local punk rock and industrial noise communities and employing acting performances and soundtrack contributions from members of Extreme Noise Terror, Whiteslug, and Optimum Wound Profile.
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Unlawful Entry [Blu-ray] (Jonathan Kaplan, 1992) RB UK‎ Icon Film
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COMMENTS: Released for the first time in the UK on Blu-Ray! After an attempted armed robbery at their suburban home, happily married couple Michael and Karen Carr befriend LA policeman, Pete Davis, an officer showing a rare sense of compassion in a world of escalating urban crime. But as the professional relationship evolves into a personal one, obsession, confusion and terror begins to creep into each of their lives, as good cop goes bad, and the Carrs are left fighting for their very survival.
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**Village of the Damned [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (John Carpenter, 1995) Universal
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BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: From the master of suspense, John Carpenter, comes a chilling new version of the sci-fi classic. Something is terribly wrong in the tiny village of Midwich. After an unseen force invades a quiet coastal town, ten women mysteriously find themselves pregnant. Local physician Dr. Alan Chaffee (Christopher Reeve) and government scientist Dr. Susan Verner (Kirstie Alley) join forces when the women simultaneously give birth…and the reign of supernatural terror begins. In what The New York Times calls "one scarifying trip," the people of Midwich must try to find a way to stop the unstoppable in the Village of the Damned.
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**Voyage of the Damned** [Blu-ray] (Stuart Rosenberg, 1976) Imprint
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COMMENTS: Based on a true story, this big-budget epic drama from director Stuart Rosenberg (cool hand luke) follows the story of the ocean liner st louis in 1939, transporting jewish refugees. Featuring an all-star transatlantic cast including Faye Dunaway, Max Von Sydow, Oskar Werner, Malcolm Mcdowell, Orson Welles, James Mason, Lee Grant, Jos Ferrer, and Katharine Ross, who won a golden globe for best supporting actress for her performance in this film. 1937 German Jewish refugees are seeking haven from the atrocities of their homeland, only to discover that their escape has been set up as an exercise in Nazi propaganda. This limited edition 2-disc hardbox includes a bonus disc with a brand new interview with actor Malcolm McDowell, new audio commentaries, and a rarely-seen 3-hour extended version of the film (in standard definition).
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**The War of the Worlds: Next Century** [Blu-ray] (Piotr Szulkin, 1981) RB UK Radiance
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COMMENTS: In a radical reworking of the H.G. Wells classic, War of the Worlds: Next Century, tells the story of Iron Idem (celebrated Polish actor Roman Wilhelmi), a television host, who finds himself contending with a Martian invasion, whose takeover involves collaborating with the state and manipulating the populace through a media apparatus made up entirely of fake news... Drawing as much on George Orwell and 1984 as on Wells’ novel, Pior Szulkin’s prescient allegory of state and media control is a dark sci-fi that uses classic noir tropes to tell its sinister story.
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**We Still Kill the Old Way** [Blu-ray] (Elio Petri, 1967) Radiance UK
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COMMENTS: After two men are killed on a hunting trip, a lonely professor (Gian Maria Volonté, The Working Class Goes to Heaven), takes it upon himself to investigate what he believes was not a simple honour killing. As his search intensifies, politics and the Church become implicated in a complex conspiracy orchestrated by a powerful criminal organisation. Elio Petri’s We Still Kill the Old Way, based on the novel by Leonardo Sciascia (The Day of the Owl), is a tense paranoid thriller that features Volonté in one of his finest performances and a superb score by Luis Bacalov (Django). Winner of awards for Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival and Best Actor at the Italian Golden Globes, the film is made available on home video for the first time in the UK.
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**When Tomorrow Comes** [Blu-ray] (John M. Stahl, 1939) Indicator
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COMMENTS: Following the runaway success of Love Affair, Irene Dunne (The Awful Truth) and Charles Boyer (A Woman’s Vengeance) were reunited for When Tomorrow Comes, a heartbreaking romantic melodrama. Despite differences of class and politics, concert pianist Philip (Boyer) falls in love with waitress Helen (Dunne), and they embark on a torrid romance. However, Helen soon finds that Philip is hiding something from her... Directed by John M Stahl (Leave Her to Heaven) and based on a story by James M Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice), When Tomorrow Comes was later remade by Douglas Sirk as Interlude, and stands as a classic of the so-called ‘Women's Picture’ genre.
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**Witness in the City** [Blu-ray] (Edouard Molinaro, 1959) Radiance UK UK PURCHASE LINK
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BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: A wealthy industrialist murders his lover, throwing her from a train to look like suicide. Her husband, Ancelin (Lino Ventura, The Valachi Papers) seeks revenge but his endeavours leave a witness putting him in a cat-and-mouse game, thrillingly shot on the streets of Paris. This early work from Édouard Molinaro (La cage aux folles) adapts the novel by celebrated writers Boileau and Narcejac (Vertigo, Les diaboliques) with minimal dialogue and wrings every ounce of tension from the narrative, focusing on evocative shadows and Parisian nightlife shot by Henri Decae (Le Samourai).
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**You and Me** [Blu-ray] (Fritz Lang, 1938) Indicator UK
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ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: Sylvia Sidney (An American Tragedy), George Raft (Spawn of the North), and Harry Carey (The Long Gray Line) head up the cast of this powerful film from the great Fritz Lang (Ministry of Fear). When ex-convict Joe (Raft) gets a job in a department store, he falls in love with his co-worker Helen (Sidney) and, even though the rules of their employment strictly forbid it, the two secretly are married. However, when he discovers that Helen has been hiding the fact that she is also an ex-con, Joe becomes enraged and decides to rob the store, putting their relationship in jeopardy. With a screenplay by Virginia Van Upp (Affair in Trinidad) and Norman Krasna (Fury), as well as music by the legendary Kurt Weill (The Threepenny Opera), You and Me is a unique mix of crime thriller and romantic comedy which confounded audience expectations at the time of its release, but which has become a critical favourite in the decades since.
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**You'll Never Get Rich** [Blu-ray] (Sidney Lanfield, 1941) Indicator UK
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COMMENTS: Following his immortal collaborations with Ginger Rogers and Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire was paired with an up-and-coming Rita Hayworth for You’ll Never Get Rich, a brilliant musical comedy with songs by Cole Porter. When womanising impresario Martin (Robert Benchley, Foreign Correspondent) tasks choreographer Robert (Astaire, Top Hat) with helping him woo headstrong dancer Sheila (Hayworth, The Lady from Shanghai), a series of comic misunderstandings – involving Martin’s wife (Frieda Inescort, Pride and Prejudice) and Sheila’s fiancé (John Hubbard, Bullfighter and the Lady) – results in Robert running away to join the Army... for his own safety!
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REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:

**Seijun Suzuki's "Tattooed Life"** Blu-ray - Hideki Takahashi, Masako Izumi @FilmsRadiance
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COMMENTS: Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life is  an enjoyable Nikkatsu studio effort with romance, villains, conflict and brotherly love. It has Hideki Takahashi (Fighting Elegy) who was a star in jidaigeki having extensive roles in television. Masako Izumi (Midori) started her acting career at the age of 11 and is still with us today. Kayo Matsuo (Shogun Assassin, Lone Wolf and Cub, The Vampire Doll) and Kaku Takashina (Underworld Beauty, Story of a Prostitute). There are so many Suzuki films beyond the most well known; Branded to Kill, Tokyo Drifter, Youth of the Beast, Pistol Opera and I'd love to see more of these lesser-known films reach HD status as many are still only on DVD. Just examining the director's cuts, editing, tonal shifts, approach to color and ellipses is worthwhile. He's a fascinating director. I'm very pleased with the Radiance Blu-ray of Tattooed Life - its strong a/v, expert commentary, interviews and booklet. It's only been 20-years since we reviewed the DVD. More Suzuki please!
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Asia Argento's "Scarlet Diva" Blu-ray - Asia Argento @Film_Movement @fm_classics
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COMMENTS: Asia Argento's Scarlet Diva received notoriety for the early #MeToo cascade well before its time. It's a fairly easy effort to dismiss but you can see innovation, a strong cinematic spirit of expression and a certain level of fearlessness. It's episodic and scattered but I was keen to finally see it. I, strangely, liked it but I don't think it is something I will watch again. Maybe in a few years. There is a protective feeling for Asia Argento - her pain, rejections / frustrations and abuse. The Film Movement Classics Blu-ray has been around for a while and this appears to be a re-issue. It's absolutely recommended to the curious but certainly no reason to double dip.
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**William Dieterle's "Red Mountain"** Blu-ray - Alan Ladd, Lizabeth Scott @KinoLorber
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COMMENTS: William Dieterle's Red Mountain has Noir mainstays Alan Ladd (This Gun For Hire, The Blue Dahlia, The Glass Key) and Lizabeth Scott (The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Dead Reckoning, Desert Fury, and Too Late for Tears). I have to say that, while I love Mr. Ladd, Miss Scott more strongly advanced my interest in the film. Her character of, conflicted, 'Chris' is... captivating. Arthur Kennedy (High Sierra) is also excellent. Of course, William Dieterle (All That Money Can Buy, The Accused, Love Letters) is a highly competent craftsman. Red Mountain is an enjoyable western. Ladd, Scott and vintage western genre fans will appreciate this Kino Blu-ray which, with commentary, we endorse.
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John Farrow's "Botany Bay" Blu-ray - Alan Ladd, James Mason, Patricia Medina @KinoLorber
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COMMENTS: John Farrow's Botany Bay is set in 1787, and has cruel British Capt. Paul Gilbert (James Mason) on an 18th-century prison ship, the Charlotte, victimizing a young U.S. medical student, Hugh Tallant (Alan Ladd) including 50 lashes with a cat-o-nine-tails. An attractive female prisoner, Sally (Patricia Medina), with her frequent off-shoulder wardrobe, is the target of romantic intentions. Not surprisingly conflict ensues. Botany Bay was based on the novel of the same name by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall who has written the successful of Mutiny on the Bounty. Joel McCrea or Ray Milland were proposed leads but it went to the big Paramount star, Alan Ladd. Koala bears and kangaroos were flown from Australia to appear in the film that was shot in California. It's a decent adventure - especially for Ladd fans - and it has some historic 'penal colony' stuff as well. Patricia Medina is quite 'dishy'. The Kino Blu-ray has the vintage film in 1080P and a well-researched commentary. Fans should consider.
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**Todd Solondz's "Happiness" 4K UHD** / Blu-ray - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ben Gazzara @Criterion
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Blu-ray:
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COMMENTS: Todd Solondz's Happiness can really burn into your memory banks if you aren't expecting it. I've never forgot my first viewing more than 20-years ago. The film's shocking qualities are mostly conveying surprising honesty - the unspoken secrets many never reveal. I recall Sylvester Stallone stating "Wouldn't it be great to live without secrets". Happiness has obscene telephone calls, sexual deviance, masturbation, pedophilia, unhealthy obsession... but the root often seems to center on loneliness and dissatisfaction. There is a sort of disjointed cast in Happiness with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle, Ben Gazzara, Dylan Baker, Camryn Manheim, Louise Lasser, Jon Lovitz... but that may give the film some of its fascinating vérité. The Sundance Film Festival refused to screen Happiness with its controversial subject - but I think they missed out on a defining black comedy. The Criterion Blu-ray and 4K UHD offer a home screening experience of a piece of cinema that is very much worth seeing... and re-seeing. Funny, sad, shocking... exposing some of the unpalatable, and deceptive, underbelly of humanity - all available in one digital package. Wow. Recommended.
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**Kinji Fukasaku's "The Threat"** Blu-ray - Rentarō Mikuni / Kō Nishimura / Masumi Harukawa @ArrowFilmsVideo
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COMMENTS: Kinji Fukasaku's The Threat evokes William Wyler's suburban noir The Desperate Hours with Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. The home invasion characteristics bring into play cowardice, desperation, a dangerous criminal element, assault and an ever present suspense. Can the father/husband protagonist become the courageous, machismo, hero that we crave? It's quite an engaging, and fairly unique, film. I am very happy with the Arrow Blu-ray for this new viewing experience with authentic a/v, a solid commentary, video appreciation, booklet and more. Another exceptional package from them. Certainly recommended.
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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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COMMENTS: 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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**Produced by Val Lewton : I Walked with a Zombie / The Seventh Victim 4K UHD** / Blu-ray - Frances Dee / Kim Hunter / Jean Brooks @Criterion
4K UHD:
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COMMENTS: Jacques Tourneur's I Walked with a Zombie and Mark Robson's The Seventh Victim loom large in Val Lewton's impressive legacy that also includes, already released on Blu-ray, Cat People, The Curse of the Cat People, The Body Snatcher, Isle of the Dead, Bedlam, The Leopard Man and The Ghost Ship. As Imogen Sara Smith points out in the extras; both films in this set, at their core, are mysteries - each with a female protagonist as a make-shift detective attempting to assist another women suspected of being in danger. One is a catatonic patient who is a walking Zombie and the other is a missing sister. The coincidences don't end there as both gals come dangerously slow to a 'secret society' and, eventually, both fall in love with the husbands of the women they are attempting to help. I Walked with a Zombie is part of the primordial soup of 'walking dead films' and the second was controversial for its depiction of a devil-worshipping cult and subtle themes involving nihilism, existentialism and homoeroticism. The late Robin Wood told me that he saw something different every time he watched I Walked with a Zombie. I'm so pleased that both films are coming out via Criterion 4K UHD. This set will easily rank highly in our Year End Poll. Our highest recommendation.
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**Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru"** Blu-ray - Takashi Shimura / Miki Odagiri @BFI
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COMMENTS: Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru" was inspired by Leo Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886) with the director / co-writer's desire to make a film about a man who knows he is going to die (here given roughly 75 days - Cancer) and who desperately seeks a reason for his life. There is a modern universality about this as many individuals are given 'dates' for their terminal illnesses as the medical industry effectiveness has improved. We will all die and mortality (its acceptance or rejection) is part of the end of life. Our protagonist, Kanji Watanabe (played with pained effectiveness by Takashi Shimura) accepts his life will come to an end shortly and seeks a meaning to his existence. Ikiru is a tragedy and considered Kurosawa's best film - certainly in the category outside the 'Samurai' variety (Sanjûrô, Yojimbo, The Hidden Fortress, Throne of Blood, Seven Samurai etc.) These 'non-action-based' favorites include Red Beard, High and Low, possibly even Rashômon. There are strong themes in Ikiru including the hollowness of a life dedicated to bureaucracy, mortality, the impersonal-ness of the health care system, urbanization, and how the modern family integrity is diminished... Watanabe attending the 'girly club' finds that simply seeking "pleasure is not life" nor, its extension; 'hedonism'. He's on a journey - moving immeasurably faster than his life has progressed up to this time. Ikiru is such an infinitely rewatchable film and absolutely brilliantly melancholic... and unrequited quest for salvation. I loved the Martin commentary and the improved video plus the other extras. This BFI edition has our highest recommendation!
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DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of September 23rd, 2024