Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Today’s a big day for DVD releases. There are a few blockbuster titles, but what makes a day like today so great for junkies like me is the overwhelming crush of titles available for us to pick from. Even when I narrow the list down to just the stuff that I’m personally interested in or that I’ve been sent, it’s still well over 40 different titles.
I want to thank everyone who’s already visited my DVD blog, and I invite you to keep coming back. I’m not sure how long I’ll keep it on Typepad, or if I’ll move it over here to AICN servers, but I like the freedom to update it in a different way. Don’t think of it as a different website... think of it more as a very strange corner of AICN where I can let my addiction run free. Since there’s so much to cover today, and it’s already almost 8:00 PM on Monday night as I sit down to start work on this, I’m going to try to hustle. If I’ve got the disc in the house already, there’s an asterisk (*) by the title. Otherwise, I’ll be at Amoeba tomorrow throwing elbows to make sure I get my hands on the discs I want.
*ALIAS: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON
There was a time when I considered this one of the coolest, most promising shows on TV. Some key decisions about how to revamp the show and the abandonment of certain storylines have made it something less than what it once was, but it’s still a pretty entertaining spy show from week to week. When she’s given something to do, Jennifer Garner still shines as Sydney Bristow, and the entire supporting cast does excellent work from week to week. Argentinean hottie Mia Maestro (THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES) makes a nice addition to the cast, and some of my favorite stuff from the entire season involves her interplay with Greg Grunberg. Although uneven, the season eventually builds to a satisfying conclusion, and the cliffhanger’s a doozy. If you’re at all still interested in this show, this box set offers plenty of rewards.
AMERICAN GOTHIC: THE COMPLETE SERIES
I know I watched at least some of this while it was on the air, but it’s been so long now that all I remember is the electric dynamic between Gary Cole and young Lucas Black. I’m not even sure how much of the series they were able to complete. This is the perfect show for DVD, because I know there’s still a very real fanbase out there, still actively interested. I know because I’ve been getting e-mails about this title, on and off, since I first joined AICN almost ten years ago. If this is similar to most Universal TV releases, it will look and sound great and be light on extras. No matter. I look forward to rediscovering the series anew for myself very soon.
BATTLE OF BRITAIN: COLLECTOR’S EDITION
A BRIDGE TOO FAR: SPECIAL EDITION
Big day if you like gigantic scale WWII films with sprawling Hollywood casts. Between the two films, you’ll get Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Lawrence Olivier (twice), Michael Caine, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Dirk Bogarde, Christopher Plummer, and more. Both are based on true stories, although BATTLE OF BRITAIN is about a triumph, while A BRIDGE TOO FAR is about a noble failure. Both films, directed by Guy Hamilton and Richard Attenborough respectively, capture the sheer scale of war quite well. Hamilton’s film is more of an action adventure piece, though, while Attenborough’s movie is a character drama set against the backdrop of war. In both cases, if you love these types of films, you have to pick these up.
BEWITCHED
Somehow, I suspect this film’s modest pleasures will be amplified by DVD rather than diminished. I didn’t think it was a terrible film, but I do think there are a number of missed opportunities here. There are a few fun sequences, some that don’t work at all, and a few grace notes that salvage things. There’s something comforting about BEWITCHED on the small screen...
BEWITCHED: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
... so you may want to skip the film altogether and just go straight to the source. This was the year where they added Tabitha to the show, and rewatching even a random sampling of episodes reminds me just how great Elizabeth Montgomery was in the first place.
*THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE
With MASTERS OF HORROR premiering on Showtime this Friday night at 10:00 (ahem), now’s a perfect time to go back and explore some of the films that made these directors legends in the first place. The reason everyone looks at Sergio Leone as the father of the spaghetti western is because he really was the innovator, the guy who created the archetypes that everyone else imitated and/or improved upon. In the same way, Dario Argento is the father of giallo, a very specific type of violent Italian crime thriller. This film was his debut as a writer/director, and right out of the box, he exhibited an amazing visual prowess. I love his later crazier films more, but I have to acknowledge how tremendous this film still seems. Blue Underground’s done a typically fine job with the transfer, and the remastered soundtracks in 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX are spectacular, considering the source material. When your first film is photographed by Vittorio Storaro and has a score by Ennio Morricone, you’ll probably end up looking pretty good. On disc two, Blue Underground includes new interviews with Argento, Morricone, and Storaro, and there’s a commentary track on disc one featuring journalists Alan Jones and Kim Newman, both of whom obviously love Argento and the genre as a whole. This is a great title to pick up before this weekend so you can enjoy some classic thrills and chills for Halloween.
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST: 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition
When I worked at Dave’s Video back in the early ‘90s, one of our regular customers was Sage Stallone, the teenage son of Sylvester Stallone. Sage was a voracious movie viewer, and even then, his interests ran to the obscure and the insane. There were many times he would come in asking for titles that simply hadn’t been pressed on laserdisc, and like many of our customers, he would occasionally get frustrated by that lack of availability.
What’s really cool about his new niche label Grindhouse Releasing, is that now he can finally put out some of those titles so that other collectors can get hold of them. And what better title for their inaugural release than the infamous CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST? I mean... come on... that title alone is about as great an exploitation title as you could ever hope for. Ruggero Deodato’s genuinely repulsive precursor to films like THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and MAN BITES DOG has to be considered one of the milestones of mondo cinema, and there’s something undeniable about the mix of reality and fiction in this one that makes it impossible to shake once you’ve seen it. The features on the disc evidently include “Spectacular new digital stereo re-mix and original mono mix; provocative audio commentary by director Ruggero Deodato and star Robert Kerman; selected on-camera commentary; THE MAKING OF CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, a one-hour Italian documentary featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage; exclusive on-camera interviews with Deodato, Kerman, and co-star Gabriel Yorke; theatrical trailers and still galleries; the original shooting script; Necrophagia’s "CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST" music video, directed by Jim Van Bebber (THE MANSON FAMILY); Liner notes by legendary horror journalist Chas. Balun; other surprises!!!” How can any self-respecting gorehound say no?
*DARLING LILI
Blake Edwards is one of those filmmakers I either love or hate, and there’s very little room in-between. I have no idea where I come down on DARLING LILI, since after it bombed in 1970, it’s never been available on home video. It’s popped up on TV from time to time, but Edwards always shoots such wide scope that it seems ridiculous to see his movies panned-and-scanned. This film has played at various lengths over the years, and now this DVD shows up running a scant 107 minutes. Oddly, though, it’s billed as the “director’s cut.” There are 19 deleted scenes on the disc, but it doesn’t say anything about a commentary, which would be nice so that Edwards could take us through his continually evolving thought process. This is a light comedy set against the backdrop of WWI. Andrews plays a girl who is asked to spy, but who ends up falling in love with her target. Lots of songs fill out the film, and Rock Hudson’s her co-star, so you know things will end happily ever after. Hats off to Paramount for finally putting this one out for its long-suffering fans.
DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS
See, this is what every week of October should look like. Lots of classic horror films at a more-than-reasonable price. If you don’t know what a Triffid is, you’re in for a treat when you see this 1963 adaptation of John Wyndham’s novel. He had a knack for writing great set-ups, like in VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, and this one starts with 99% of the world’s population suddenly being blinded, which is one hell of a scary scenario to drop alien invaders into. It’s a creepy film, even if it’s not as effective overall as the later BBC TV production. Check it out.
*DETECTIVE STORY
Based on a popular play of its time, this is the story of one man (Kirk Douglas) and his almost maniacal crusade against abortionists. William Wyler’s film was nominated for a fistful of Oscars when it came out, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a chance to see it. This is one of those titles I’ve heard over and over, and now, thanks to Paramount, there’s a spiffy new inexpensive version I can finally check out.
DOMINION: A PREQUEL TO THE EXORCIST
I still haven’t seen Paul Schrader’s take on this material, but I read his shooting draft, and I’m curious to see how close he stuck to what was on the page. What was most surprising to me when I saw the Renny Harlin version was how close it was to what I read originally. I’m guessing it’s primarily a matter of tone, and I want to give this one a chance. More than anything, I want to listen to that commentary track by Schrader to see how in-depth he gets about the entire fiasco. If he’s allowed to be honest, this could be one of the best commentaries of the year.
*EFFECTS
This is a very cool release by Don May’s Synapse Films, a genuine buried treasure. Produced in Pittsburgh in 1980, the film got stuck in a crappy distribution deal and has never been released until now. Anyone who’s a fan of Pittsburgh horror, particularly George Romero’s films, is going to recognize many of the names in the credits here. Joe Pilato, from DAY OF THE DEAD, co-stars with John Harrison (director of DUNE and CHILDREN OF DUNE) in this head game that seems positively prescient considering where we are with reality TV these days. Tom Savini also makes an appearance. What really makes this disc great is the one-hour documentary AFTER EFFECTS, which looks at the Pittsburgh filmmaking community of the ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s a really affectionate piece, and even if I don’t think writer/director Dusty Nelson made a great film, I’m glad he’s finally been given a chance to get it in front of audiences after all these years.
*THE ESCAPE ARTIST
I don’t know when Paramount struck their overall deal with Zoetrope, but thank God. Finally, we’re starting to see releases of some of these tiny Zoetrope titles that have fallen between the cracks for years now. Legendary cinematographer Caleb Deschanel stepped into the director’s seat on this one, and the film is an oddball, haunting little story about the son of a famous magician who is a prodigy himself. Griffin O’Neal, son of Ryan, makes an interesting lead here, and the film really does stick with you. It’s beautifully photographed by Stephen Burum and has a great score by Georges DeLarue. No extras to speak of, but just having this film finally available is fine by me.
*GUS VAN SANT’S LAST DAYS
Van Sant has definitely hit a stride with a certain style right now. GERRY was really the first time he tried it, and the film's a sort of smirking experiment, poetic and interesting and ultimately a little goofy. ELEPHANT works better, I think, because of the violence that seems to always be lurking just around the corner, that ticking bomb under the table you're always waiting for. But I think he finally got it all right with LAST DAYS, which moved me deeply. I wasn't expecting to be affected by it, but Michael Pitt's shambling mumbling already dead Cobain is a fascinating portrayal, and Van Sant doesn't presume to show you anything about what makes someone do what Cobain did. Instead, he just shows you what life was like in those final days, those final hours, and lets you have your own reaction. Yeah, I know they call the character "Blake," but only a moron would argue that this film isn't about Kurt Cobain. Pitt's been good in other movies, like HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH, but he vanishes into this film. It's not even a performance. This feels more like a documentary than most documentaries. Totally naturalistic, told without obvious artifice (a miracle considering how controlled and calculated the film is), and ultimately crushingly sad, LAST DAYS is a great movie that doesn't care if you get it or not. There are a few behind-the-scenes extras, but nothing particularly noteworthy. This one’s all about the movie.
*HERBIE: FULLY LOADED
Also known as THE LAST TIME LINDSAY LOHAN WAS CUTE. I’m amazed at how Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant have carved out this schizophrenic career of writing bland, anonymous family comedies for Disney while also making the very dirty RENO 911 for themselves. To be fair, this is a perfectly decent update of the Herbie formula, with Matt Dillon playing an appropriately cartoonish bad guy and Michael Keaton continuing what I hope will not be a string of roles where he plays “the dad.” Disney’s got two solid behind-the-scenes featurettes, one about stunts and the other about special effects. They’ve also included a commentary by the director, bloopers, a Lohan music video, and an alternate opening. If you’ve got kids, chances are you’ve already picked up your copy. The good news is, you don’t have to be afraid to watch it with them.
HORATIO HORNBLOWER: THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION
I’ve never seen a single one of those films, but whenever I’ve mentioned how unimpressed I am with Ioan Gruffudd as a lead actor, I get letters from people telling me how I need to see him here so I’ll understand. I never intentionally avoided these, and reading a description, it sounds like a fun series of nautical adventures. I’m going to give this a try as soon as possible.
*HOUSE OF WAX
Honestly, I thought I was going to hate this movie. And during the opening stretch, where we're just spending time with the teenagers, I did hate this movie. A lot. They're all obnoxious young actors, boring in every way, and there's nothing to make you root for any of them. The strange thing is, once the film actually gets to the small town where the House of Wax is located, it starts to get better. Director Jaume Collett-Sera actually has a nice sense of atmosphere that doesn't feel as stiflingly artificial as, say, the really shitty TEXAS CHAINSAW remake. Instead, he depends on the brutality of the film to carry the creepy factor, and he knows when to dwell on details and when to just let the events speak for themselves. The climax, when the House of Wax is actually melting, is pretty inventive stuff, and there are a number of moments that work as individual scenes. If only the first act had given us a reason to care about anything we were watching, this might have actually been a lot of fun. As it is, it's an impressive demo reel for a director that may move on to bigger and better things.
*JERRY LEWIS: THE LEGENDARY JERRY COLLECTION
I know that Paramount published all of these titles last year, but this repackaging now allows you to buy ten of Jerry’s classic comedies for about five dollars a film. You’ll get THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, THE LADIES’ MAN, THE DELICATE DELINQUENT, CINDERFELLA, THE BELL BOY, THE ERRAND BOY, THE PATSY, THE DISORDERLY ORDERLY, THE FAMILY JEWELS, and THE STOOGE, many of which have scene-specific commentaries on them. They’re nice discs, and even thought there are a few stinkers in the group (FAMILY JEWELS and CINDERFELLA seem particularly difficult to sit through), there’s no denying the importance of these in the history of screen comedy.
*KEN BURNS: AMERICAN LIVES
One the cool things about collections like this is how you can sample so many corners of American history at once. Ken Burns has become an expert documentarian, one of those guys you can trust to bring real taste to any subject. One of these days, I’m going to have to buy his JAZZ series. For now, I’ve been enjoying these forays into fascinating individual lives. And these aren’t little films, either, knockoff one-hour specials for PBS. Far from it. These seven titles (UNFORGIVABLE BLACKNESS: THE RISE AND FALL OF JACK JOHNSON, HORATIO’S DRIVE, MARK TWAIN, NOT FOR OURSELVES ALONE, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, LEWIS & CLARK, and THOMAS JEFFERSON) total out at almost 25 hours, and that’s without counting all the extra features. It’s one hell of a collection, and one of the most rewarding overall selections available today.
*KIDS IN THE HALL: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON
It’s easy to forget just how revolutionary Kids In The Hall were when they first hit HBO in 1989. At that point, the only real sketch comedy on the air was SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, and that was anything but subversive at the time. KITH were insane, challenging the still-rampant homophobia in comedy, gleefully surreal. It was the most important thing to happen to TV sketch comedy since Monty Pythan, and I adore A&E for putting out these full season box sets. By year three, they had really hit their stride. I love their subtle observational humor just as much as I love it when they get broad and silly. You can’t overestimate the importance of Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet, the house bard that gave their show such a unique sound. Every episode out of the twenty included here has something to recommend, some classic moment. One of my favorite bits ever from these guys is included here, “Girl Drink Drunk.” I wish there was audio commentary on every episode and not just the two “Best Of Season Three” collections on disc four. I love listening to these guys together, even when they’re disagreeing. I miss the Kids In The Hall, but thanks to these outstanding collections, at least I can revisit the greatness whenever I want.
LE SAMOURAI - Criterion
Despite the title, there’s no swordplay in Jean-Pierre Melville’s moody crime drama staring Alain Delon. John Woo has said many times that this is one of his favorite films, a major influence on THE KILLER. Don’t expect anything like the fireworks in Woo’s films, though. Melville is all about the slow burn, and no one does that quite the same way Delon does. I’m dying to see the print on this one, and it sounds like Criterion put together some good extras, including a collection of archival interviews that I’m itching to see.
LOONEY TUNES: GOLDEN COLLECTION, VOL. 3
LOONEY TUNES: MOVIE COLLECTION
Look, it’s a foregone conclusion that as long as Warner Bros. is willing to keep putting together these massive collections of their classic cartoons, I’m going to keep buying them.
What excites me most about this particular set is that second disc, where they’ve gathered together cartoons that feature Hollywood parodies. When I was a kid and I saw these cartoons, I hadn’t seen a lot of the films that they were riffing off of, and I didn’t really know a lot about Hollywood history. The Termite Terrace guys could throw some wicked punches when they wanted to, and I’m eager to go back and see this material again now that I’ve got a whole different frame of reference for it. There’s also a lot of great Daffy cartoons included, which is always a good thing. Loads and loads of extras guarantee that I’ll probably still be sifting through this one well into the new year. The MOVIE COLLECTION is a little less exciting, since really THE BUGS BUNNY ROAD RUNNER MOVIE and 1001 RABBIT TALES are just stitched together from the original cartoons. The new animation that was done for those films never lives up to the classic stuff, and I’m not sure I’ll go back to revisit a truncated version of a short if I own the whole thing on another disc. Still, the feature films might make nice primers if you’ve got kids you’re just now introducing to the Looney Tunes.
*LOVE AND ANGER
Someday soon, I’m going to spend an entire column writing a love letter to No Shame Films, a new favorite here at the Labs. They specialize in Italian cinema, and they’re digging deep right now, coming up with some great titles. This is an arthouse anthology film that I’ve never heard of, but look at the list of directors involved: Marco Bellocchio, Carlo Lizzani, Bernardo Bertolucci, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Jean-Luc Godard. In 1968, that was a pretty cool, edgy line-up, five experimental artists riffing off the fears of an explosive era. Looking at the movie now, it’s deeply dated. That’s not to say it’s a bad film... it’s just that you can’t watch this without taking the context into consideration. Lizzani was the one who put this together, and his segment kicks things off with a retelling of the Kitty Genovese case, which evidently deeply impacted artists at that time. I’ll always remember Harlan Ellison’s short story version of the same incident. Bertolucci’s segment is a collaboration with a performance art troupe, a theatrical slice of surrealism. Pasolini’s segment is the most abstract, while Godard’s contribution is 100% pure Godard, a little bit of meta-cinema that takes on the notion of anthology films.
The one real balls-up in the bunch is Bellocchio’s, an incomprehensible piece about classroom politics, but don’t sweat it. The anthology overall is worth your time, and No Shame’s included a great booklet of liner notes as well as a second disc with 80 minutes of new interviews. Fascinating stuff overall, and if any of this grabs your interest and you’re in NYC, then check this out:
NoShame Films is honored to present an exclusive in-store event with the cast and creative minds behind LOVE AND ANGER.
Participants include:
JUDITH MALINA (co-star of Bertolucci's AGGONIA segment and co-founder of The Living Theater)
STEVEN BEN ISRAEL (actor with The Living Theater)
Moderated by Robert Cashill, associate editor of Cineaste Magazine, with the participation of NoShame Films' Michele De Angelis
Long unseen and never before available on video, LOVE AND ANGER is presented by NoShame Films in a deluxe DVD package commemorating this historic collaboration of the Italian Novelle Vague and the French "New Wave".
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2005 AT 7PM
BORDERS BOOKSTORE
10 COLUMBUS CIRCLE (TIME WARNER BUILDILNG)
NEW YORK, NY
Please join us for this once-in-a-lifetime event!
If you go, drop me a line and let me know what you thought, and maybe I’ll include it in an upcoming DVD SHELF column.
MELINDA & MELINDA
I’m not sure when I stopped making an effort to see every Woody Allen film in the theater. There was a point where I’d seen it all, and I’d be there opening night for anything new. These days, I find myself increasingly willing to catch up with Allen’s films whenever I get the chance. I liked the trailers for this one. It’s got a great concept about telling the same story from a comedic and tragic point of view, and I’m curious to see Will Ferrell playing Woody Allen.
*MY FRIEND IRMA/MY FRIEND IRMA GOES WEST
Based on a long-running radio show, MY FRIEND IRMA and its sequel are notable as the property that launched Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin into the world of movies. These aren’t really starring properties for the comedy team, but their scenes hold up, and for fans, it’s nice to finally have these available.
MYSTERIOUS SKIN: UNRATED THEATRICAL EDITION
Gregg Araki is one of those filmmakers who I feel has a true point-of-view, a very clear voice as a filmmaker, and whose work I typically don’t like. Still, this has gotten such a tremendous reception, even from people who don’t seem to know much of Araki’s other work, that I’m going to give it a try. Joseph Gordon-Levitt seems to be having the best year of his career so far between this and BRICK, and maybe working from a novel finally gave Araki a structure worth hanging his style on. Lots of extras on the disc, particularly to highlight the transition from the page to the screen.
*NAIL GUN MASSACRE
Another release by Don May’s Synapse Films, this is one of those titles I’ve heard a dozen times, but I’ve never seen the movie. It’ll be part of my Halloween marathon this coming Friday through Monday. What I love about Synapse discs is knowing that as soon as I finish the film, I’ll be able to watch a piece about the people who made it, which can be quite charming when you’re dealing with truly indie regional filmmaking like this.
*NOTHING
Vincenzo Natali’s a promising filmmaker. Not great yet, but promising. CUBE is a pretty spiffy mindfuck made at a price, but CYPHER was fairly close to unwatchable. I’ve got a screener of this one waiting for me to put it in, but I just haven’t made the time yet. It sounds like Natali actually tried his hand at humor this time out, and the responses I’ve heard were enthusiastic. Basically, two guys wish the world would go away... and it does. I’ll make sure to review it after I see it.
PARADISE LOST: THE CHILD MURDERS AT ROBIN HOOD HILLS
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I wish this was being released as a package with the sequel, but even by itself, this documentary by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky is incredibly emotional, infuriating, and heartbreaking all at once. It traces the aftermath of the murder of three young boys near Memphis. The arrests that were eventually made were controversial, to say the least, and the film does its best to give everyone involved a voice. The parents of the victims, the parents of the accused, the accused themselves... everyone speaks to the filmmakers, and in some cases, they reveal more than I think they expected to. What emerges from this kaleidoscope is an incendiary portrait of justice gone wrong. If this film doesn’t make you angry, then you deserve every indignity our legal system can keep on you. Free the West Memphis 3.
*PARTNER
Dostoevsky’s THE DOUBLE has inspired several other artists to explore themes of inner duality, and in his third film, Bernardo Bertolucci did his best to wrestle with the revolution in the air by telling the story of a young drama teacher and his alter ego. Bertolucci’s still figuring himself out during this film, still honing the technique he would employ to such tremendous effect in THE CONFORMIST or LAST TANGO IN PARIS. No Shame managed to include another entire film, Eduardo Bruno’s HIS DAY OF GLORY, on the second disc in the set, as well as tons of extra features for both films.
*REBEL SAMURAI: ‘60s SWORDPLAY CLASSICS - Criterion
Here we go. Here’s a box set worth getting excited about. Delayed a few weeks from its original release date, this four film set is just plain cool. It kicks off with SAMURAI REBELLION, which is a great title, and a great film to boot. Toshiro Mifune stars in this film by Masaki Kobayashi, which also features a mesmerizing performance by Yoko Tsukasa. It’s a powerful look at what happens when an individual tries to stand up to a society that values conformity. The climax of the film is vinage Mifune, wrenching stuff.
SWORD OF THE BEAST, made by Hideo Gosha in 1965, stars Mikijiro Hira, and it’s a raw, primal thing, a film about a samurai who refuses to be bound by a code.
Masahiro Shinoda’s SAMURAI SPY fits into the same sub-genre as SWORD OF THE BEAST or SWORD OF DOOM, films where an outlaw samurai breaks all the rules of honorable behavior, and if you watch with it with those two other films, you get a great look at how different filmmakers approach similar themes. It’s a meditative marvel.
Finally, there’s KILL!, the most deliriously batshit of the four films in this collection, directed by Kihachi Okamoto. Tatsuya Nakadai, who starred in SWORD OF DOOM for Okamoto, also stars here, but this is a radically different piece of work. If you have any affinity at all for samurai cinema, you owe it to yourself to pick up this collection and spend the next few days mainlining it.
RIZE
Lions Gate has transferred this at 1.33:1, something which may irritate many owners of widescreen TVs, but for once, not offering a widescreen version is the right choice. I was quite fond of this when I saw it earlier this year, and part of what makes it such great cinema is the way La Chapelle shot the thing. It’s a genuinely beautiful film, no matter what your feelings about krumping or klowning or the inner city setting. I’ll definitely be picking this one up and revisiting it.
*SAVE THE TIGER
John Avildsen directed Jack Lemmon to a well-deserved Oscar in this searing 1973 film about a man slowly drowning in his own success. You’ll see the seeds of his later work in GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS here, and nobody does beaten down quite the way that Lemmon does. What I love about the ‘70s is that we don’t have to “like” Harry Stoner. We just have to understand him. Lemmon doesn’t worry about whether or not every single thing Harry does is nice, the way so many movie stars do these days. Instead, he digs deep into this troubled man’s psyche and offers it all up on a plate. It’s a fascinating film with a great, subtle last line.
Also, be aware... Paramount snuck a director’s commentary onto the disc, but didn’t mention it anywhere on their packaging. It’s Avildsen and the screenwriter, Steve Shagan, and it’s an affectionate, interesting commentary, well worth your time.
*SEVEN DEATHS IN THE CAT’S EYE
A beautiful girl home from convent school. A mysterious castle. Guests being murdered one by one. Sound like fun to you? It is when Anthony Dawson’s at the helm, although he’s billed here under his real name, Antonio Margheriti. Thank Blue Underground for putting this one together. Uncut, uncensored, fully restored, and totally whacko, this is what I love most about Eurotrash.
*SPIDER FOREST
Although this is part of Tartan’s ASIA EXTREME line, which is normally horror fare, this is more like Neil Jordan’s THE COMPANY OF WOLVES than it is like a conventional horror film. Director Il-gon Song has adapted Korean folklore legends into a modern setting, and he’s come up with an atmospheric story about a man trying to solve a murder at an isolated cabin in the woods. To tell you much more about the plot would be to rob you of the film’s various surprises, and it has many. The disc looks and sounds great, and if you’re tired of the same old thing in Asian horror, then give this a try. It may be the refresher you’ve been looking for.
*THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS
It’s hard to believe that Kirk Douglas ever made a film debut. Doesn’t he seem like one of those guys who was just always in movies? Well, here’s your chance to see him in his first time up at bat, opposite no less than Barbara Stanwyck, and it’s actually a pretty groovy little film noir, even if it does have an awkward title. One of the most enjoyable things about the film is watching Douglas play a spineless wretch, which isn’t exactly what he was known for later on. It’s a pretty good movie, a little melodramatic, and Paramount’s done an excellent job of transferring the rich B&W on this new disc.
*STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER
Go ahead. Admit it. That’s the best title you’ve ever heard. I can admit it. Hell, I’m thinking of changing my name to Strip Nude For Your Killer McWeeny, which should finally convince my loved ones to have me locked up for the public good. What’s even better is the way this film lives up to every bit of sleaze that its title promises. There’s nothing mild-mannered about this one, and Blue Underground made sure to find the absolute finest print possible so that you won’t miss a second. Now you can own Femi Benussi and her Oh-So-Little bikini in the pristine quality of DVD to enjoy over and over again. There’s a lot of gore here, a lot of nudity, and just the slightest little bit of story. If you want a fun double-feature, put on this one and NAIL GUN MASSACRE back-to-back, since they both feature black-clad killers wearing motorcycle helmets.
TALES FROM THE CRYPT: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
The series kicked off with contributions from directors like Richard Donner, Robert Zemeckis, and Walter Hill. In this box set, we’ve got directors like Howard Deutch, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris Walas, Don Mancini, Rowdy Herrington, Kevin Yagher, and... Walter Hill. There are some very fun episodes here, and the thing that has really endured about the best episodes of TALES is the dark humor that nails the E.C. comics tone exactly. Not every episode works, but the ones that do are well worth owning.
TERROR BENEATH THE SEA
You want to see young Sonny Chiba in a crazy SF movie made well before anyone figured out he was an ass-kicker extraordinaire? Yeah, me, too. That’s why I’ll be tracking this one down.
*TITANIC
Nothing makes me sadder than hipper-than-thou film geeks who feel the need to retroactively bash James Cameron’s megahit just because it was popular. The film isn’t perfect... it’s not even one of my three favorite films by the director... but trying to deny that it is expertly crafted spectacle is lunacy.
Paramount finally stepped up to the plate to put together this massive three disc collector’s edition, and what struck me as I started going through the discs is how they didn’t really do what they claimed they were going to do at the press conference I attended earlier this year. Don’t get me wrong... sound and picture on this title is exceptional, and any fan of the film will love it for that reason alone. But they talked extensively at that press event about how Ed Marsh was going to be putting together a comprehensive documentary about the making of this film, warts and all. That’s not what we’ve got here, though. There’s a lot of interesting footage, and you get a great sense of the size of the physical production involved, but there’s very little material dealing with the more controversial aspects of the film. I wish Paramount had followed through, and I know several DVD producers who were chomping at the bit to do this job. In the end, what this set represents is a potent reminder of how big the film was, but also a missed opportunity to finally set the record straight about just what goes into creating something like this.
TOM & JERRY: SPOTLIGHT COLLECTION, VOL. 2
Hey, just because we’ve got Looney Tunes coming out today, that doesn’t mean animation fans should ignore this massive 40-cartoon collection of some of the very best that TOM & JERRY had to offer, including their first cartoon, where Tom was still called Jasper. Warner Bros. restored all of these, and I’m dying to see how they look.
THE WAGES OF FEAR - Criterion
Absolutely essential viewing for any fan of film, this is the definitive “men under stress” movie. As much as I love Friedkin’s remake, SORCERER, this is the version that will endure. There’s something about Clouzot’s hyper-sweaty black-and-white that feels like a fever dream, and when you try and imagine what it was like to actually film this thing, it makes it more tense. Criterion appears to have packed the disc with extras, including a vintage interview with Yves Montand, and new interviews and essays about the director and this particular title.
WHEEL OF TIME
THE WHITE DIAMOND
Werner Herzog doesn’t take the documentary form very seriously. Which isn’t to say that he doesn’t make good documentaries... he does. It’s just that I suspect his tongue is lodged firmly in his cheek half the time, and I never know when I’m having my leg pulled. I haven’t seen either of these documentaries, and I don’t know much about them beyond seeing Herzog’s name on the cover, but I always look forward to seeing what he’s done.
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Before the end of the year, I’m going to do a column that’s just about all the special edition restorations of classic titles that we’ve seen released this year, like this and BEN-HUR and numerous others. In some cases, the restoration doesn’t seem to have actually done much to improve the image, but if this looks anything like the GONE WITH THE WIND that Warner Bros. recently put out, it will be a triumph. I missed a chance to see this restoration theatrically, and I’m still kicking myself. I am not the world’s biggest fan of THE WIZARD OF OZ. I think I saw it too many times growing up, so the film’s flaws started to supercede any fun I could have with it, but enough time has passed that I find myself actually looking forward to seeing it again, especially polished up like this.
And there we have it... the single longest new release Tuesday column since I started this as a weekly feature. Sorry it was late today. Normally, it’s not quite this labor-intensive, but you can see why it took me an extra 12 hours or so. Plenty of stuff in stores today, and plenty to discuss, so I’ll look forward to seeing you in Talkback below or over at the DVD Shelf. Until then...
"Moriarty" out.
