Britgeek here.
Welcome to this week's DVD and Blu-ray review column, where I spill my thoughts on the latest releases to hit the UK, and whether or not they're worth you parting with your hard earned cash.
A thousand thanks to those who continue to support my efforts in writing the AICN UK content by ordering various products through the Amazon links below. Most of all, thanks for reading.
PULP FICTION (Blu-ray)
Who doesn't adore PULP FICTION? It's one of my favourite films of all time from one of my all-time favourite film-makers. You can find yourself hanging on every word of the Oscar-winning script. As Harry mentioned in his review of the US Blu-ray, PULP FICTION is an intoxicating movie. It's stylish to the bone and ocean-cool; violent to the core and super-smart. Few films have become as ingrained in pop culture as this.
It's long overdue, but the film has finally arrived on Blu-ray, looking as gorgeous as any fan of this Quentin Tarantino masterpiece could have hoped. There is plenty of bonus material to feast on, but the transfer alone makes PULP FICTION a must-buy on the format. And if you're yet to make the jump from DVD to Blu-ray, get a move on!
Extras: Not the Usual Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat: the cast reminisce about the first time they met Tarantino; Critic's Corner – Here are Some Facts on the Fiction: Elvis Mitchell heads up a round table of critics discussing the film; the PULP FICTION: The Facts documentary; five deleted and extended scenes with an introduction by Tarantino; two behind the scenes montages; production design featurette; The Tarantino Generation episode of AT THE MOVIES with Siskel and Ebert; Michael Moore interviews with the cast and crew from the 1994 Independent Spirit Awards; Palme D'Or acceptance speech at the Cannes Film Festival; Tarantino's complete hour-long first appearance on THE CHARLIE ROSE SHOW; marketing gallery; stills galleries; trivia track; and soundtrack chapters.
GREEN LANTERN (Blu-ray)
Available on Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download now
Before seeing GREEN LANTERN, I wasn't familiar with that character, nor that whole fantasy, in the slightest. I have absolutely no qualms in admitting that I'm not an educated comic book reader. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, the only series I've ever read was THE TOXIC AVENGER from Marvel, and that was short-lived to say the least. So, GREEN LANTERN – the extended cut to be precise – was my very first foray into the world of Hal Jordan, and a highly disappointing one it was.
Since the success of Sam Raimi's brilliant SPIDER-MAN in 2002, comic book movies have been all the rage. We've seen so many, with most thankfully being rather enjoyable, but as far as GREEN LANTERN is concerned, I have been faced with the most insipid adaptation yet. Although, if truth be told, I am yet to see DAREDEVIL.
The opening ten minutes alone gave away the rest of the film. You knew exactly what was going to happen next, and could see right from the get-go the various pieces that would later rather blatantly fallen into place, making it horrendously predictable. It's an origin story, yet one that fails to introduce the characters and the supernatural mystique of Oa in any kind of interesting way, seemingly opting to use past superhero films as a template of how to tell the story. There's absolutely nothing in this yarn that we haven't seen before, making the movie a tedious experience and an exercise in stodgy storytelling.
Blu-ray brings out the best in what are mostly excellent special effects, although it must be said that the CG suits of the Green Lanterns were abysmal.
Extras: Maximum Movie Mode: Green Lantern's Light; focus points; The Universe According to Green Lantern: a look at the inception of the Hal Jordan character in the DC comic books; Ryan Reynolds Becomes The Green Lantern: an insight into the actor's physical and mental training for the role; deleted scenes; Justice League #1 digital comic; and a preview of GREEN LANTERN: THE ANIMATED SERIES.
STAKE LAND (DVD)
Available on DVD and Blu-ray now
Prepare to feel moody with STAKE LAND, one of the better vampire-centric horror movies of the last few years.
In a post-apocalyptic USA laid to waste by a vampirism epidemic, a young man is taken under the wing of a vamp hunter as they try and make their way through the heartland of America to New Eden, a place rumoured to be free from the blood-sucking creatures.
STAKE LAND is a road movie with an incredible sense of scope for such a low-budget film. The desolate landscapes, inhabited by pockets of humanity, look so good that they rival the set design of Hollywood productions.
Although I could have done without the ever-ominous narration, this is a highly impressive and accomplished film. The creatures are a kind of vampire/zombie hybrid and a welcome change from the typical Dracula clones.
Extras: This two-disc set includes two cast and crew audio commentaries: one with director Jim Mickle, Nick Damici, Connor Paolo, Larry Fessenden and Brent Kunkle, and another with Mickle, Adam Folk, Ryan Samul, Graham Reznick, Peter Phok and Jeff Grace, as well as a making-of, VFX featurette, director's diary, and all six of the prologue webisodes.
THE FRIGHTENERS (Blu-ray)
Peter Jackson has one of the most varied careers of any successful film-maker I can think of. He came from very humble roots with the likes of BAD TASTE and BRAINDEAD, and is now one of the biggest names in cinema today. After the critical success of HEAVENLY CREATURES, Jackson's Hollywood career began, and 1996's THE FRIGHTENERS was his very first studio production.
Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) is not your typical conman. Where most use smoke and mirrors on unsuspecting victims for financial gain, Bannister uses his very real ability to see ghosts as the heart of his scheme. By using a couple of spirit friends he lives with, Bannister has them haunt houses until the occupants have no choice but to give him a call to get rid of them. He's a man with a plan. A supernatural conman with a plan.
But there is something far more foul at play in the small California town where he lives. Something evil. Mysterious heart attacks are killing off healthy residents and the deaths look to be the handiwork of the Grim Reaper himself.
It may have been a flop at the box office, but THE FRIGHTENERS is a marvellous film that should appeal to any GHOSTBUSTERS fan. It has the same silly sense of humour and an almost cartoon style. When people discuss Jackson's career, they seem to unfairly brush this film aside, which really is unfair as it's buckets of fun. Hopefully this handsome new Blu-ray transfer will be discovered by a whole new audience.
Extras: You can switch between menu screens for both the theatrical version and the director's cut. The former has the mammoth making-of feature, which runs for almost four hours, as well as storyboards and the theatrical trailer. Jackson's cut gives you access to all of the above, plus his audio commentary and 10th anniversary introduction.
CAPE FEAR (1962, Blu-ray)
In the original CAPE FEAR, a stalker with malicious intent preys upon the family of a lawyer who testified against him several years earlier. This is a black and white masterpiece from the early '60s and one that looks utterly stunning on Blu-ray. From Bernard Herrmann's PSYCHO-esque score to the powerhouse performances of Gregory Peck as the lawyer and a terrifying Robert Mitchum as the cold, sharp-eyed stalker, J. Lee Thompson's CAPE FEAR, based on the novel THE EXECUTIONERS by John D Macdonald, is a thrilling classic.
Extras: None.
CAPE FEAR (1991, Blu-ray)
Watching both the original and Martin Scorsese's remake of CAPE FEAR in the space of 24 hours left me in somewhat of a dilemma. They're both fantastic films, but which is better? Dare I even pose such a question?
Scorsese undoubtedly accomplished exactly what he set out to do once he finally agreed to direct the film, and that was to create unrest within the Bowden family, citing the characters in the original as far too happy-go-lucky and therefore unrealistic. Nick Nolte's performance as lawyer Sam is riveting, while Robert De Niro's portrayal of stalker Max Cady is a sheer tour de force. He's an entirely different beast to Robert Mitchum's portrayal, largely for the reason that he is just that: a beast. De Niro is sick and twisted, yet incredibly intelligent and calculating. He not only steals the show, but shares one of the most truly disturbing scenes I can recall from any film, as he attempts to seduce 15-year-old Danielle Bowden, played by a young Juliette Lewis. To know that they ad-libbed the entire scene and the first take was used in the final cut is simply amazing.
I may be hard-pressed to decide which is the superior picture, but it's a no-brainer to recommend both the original and remake as must-see movies.
Extras: The Making of CAPE FEAR; Behind the Scenes of the Fourth of July Parade; On the Set of the Houseboat; photograph montage; matte paintings; a feature on the opening credits; and the theatrical trailer.
THE STRANGERS (Blu-ray)
Although it has its moments, THE STRANGERS largely leaves you yearning for Michael Haneke's original FUNNY GAMES, a home invasion horror that's incomparably more effective and unsettling. That isn't to dismiss this film, however, as it manages to tell an eerie story that cranks up the atmosphere and tension in all the right places.
In THE STRANGERS, a trio of masked assailants with no apparent motive terrorise a young couple staying in an isolated house. It is the introduction of one of the strangers in question that yields the creepiest shot of the entire movie, and it's one that stays with you for a long time.
A success in the mainstream, the film has been heralded for its originality, although educated audiences will find such claims to be quite wide of the mark. Nevertheless, it's enjoyable, well-made and still relatively striking.
This release includes both the “unrated” extended and theatrical versions.
Extras: Deleted scenes and The Elements of Terror: a nine-minute behind the scenes feature.
THE UNBORN (Blu-ray)
It's hard to believe that writer/director David S. Goyer conjured up the story for Christopher Nolan's BATMAN trilogy once your eyes and ears suffer through a viewing of possession/exorcism horror, THE UNBORN, starring Odette Yustman as a college student haunted by her twin brother. Goyer had seemingly written a list of every jump scare and genre trope possible when he was working on the atrocious script and meagrely strung them together, creating a mess of cheap frights and material lifted from THE EXORCIST. Gary Oldman's immense talents are absolutely squandered in a thankfully small role as a rabbi who tries to help Yustman. Unlike her, however, THE UNBORN is a film that is well beyond saving.
This release pairs the “unrated” extended and theatrical cuts.
Extras: Deleted scenes.
THE WOMAN (DVD)
Available on Blu-ray and DVD now
Devastating and beautifully brutal, Lucky McKee's THE WOMAN is a knife to the heart of modern horror. Based on the novel co-written by McKee and established horror author Jack Ketchum, the film, which is actually a sequel (although it very much stands on its own two feet), revolves around a seemingly normal middle-class American family. Slowly but surely it's revealed that this in fact isn't the case, and head of the household Chris Cleek, a lawyer, rules his family with an iron fist. When he discovers a feral woman living in the woods however, he tries to extend said rule by capturing and attempting to civilise her, with gruesome consequences.
As a result of an audience member freaking out over the misogynistic content of THE WOMAN at its Sundance premiere, the film has become one of the most talked-about genre efforts of the year, and for good reason. No, it isn't “artless bullshit”. Is it a misogynistic film? Absolutely not. If anything, it's a feminist film with a story that includes misogynistic characters such as Mr. Cleek, given life by Sean Bridgers' spectacular performance.
It's extreme, provocative and controversial, yet fantastic, and despite its daring subject matter, is relentlessly enjoyable. It also has one of the best original soundtracks of the year, courtesy of indie artist Sean Spillane, who wrote the music during the film's production.
For those of you outside the UK, you may like to know that THE WOMAN is also available on region-free Blu-ray, and it's the world's first home entertainment release.
Extras: A making-of, deleted scenes, Meet the Makers feature, a stills gallery with 'Distracted' by Sean Spillane, a great song from the soundtrack, and MI BURRO, an animated short film by director McKee. The Blu-ray release of the film also features the excellent indie horror film-making panel from this year's Film4 FrightFest in London, which includes McKee, producer Andrew van den Houten, Adam Green, Joe Lynch, Ti West and Larry Fessenden.
THE DEVIL'S KISS (DVD)
One of the first releases from Arrow Video's new ArrowDrome label, THE DEVIL'S KISS is a peculiar Spanish exploitation film from 1975 that tells a sleazy FRANKENSTEIN-esque story of reanimation. Expect pointless nudity, devilish cultists, a zombie that can't make up its mind whether to walk or run after its victims, and – if you can believe it – a rapist dwarf. THE DEVIL'S KISS may be an appalling movie, but it will certainly appeal to those aficionados out there who just can't get enough Eurotrash.
Extras: Trailer reel.
VIVA RIVA! (DVD)
Stylish and atmospheric, Congolese crime caper VIVA RIVA! is centred around wealthy womaniser Riva, who sits on an extremely lucrative cache of fuel drums that he stole from Angola. Unfortunately for him, the folks he nicked it from want it back, and will do whatever it takes to do so. Set in the midst of a fuel crisis, Riva is chased across the dilapidated capital city of Kinshasa, not only fleeing from the Angolans, but a number of dubious figures who have caught a whiff of his secret stash. VIVA RIVA! is a fast-paced, violent and highly impressive film from a country with a largely unnoticed movie scene.
Extras: None.
LAST NIGHT (DVD)
The loyalty of a married couple (Keira Knightley and Sam Worthington) is tested as they must resist temptation when they spend a night away from each other and in the company of two particular members of the opposite sex (Guillaume Canet and Eva Mendes). The complication is that they're attracted to them.
LAST NIGHT, random PULP FICTION reference and all, is a very simple film, which is both a positive and a hindrance. It's dialogue heavy and relies solely on the interaction between characters who aren't terribly fleshed out. It moves along swiftly and is a perfectly watchable, “nice” film, it just doesn't set the world on fire.
Extras: A short making-of feature and the trailer.
THE CLINIC (DVD)
Starring the late Andy Whitfield (SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND), THE CLINIC is an Australian horror film ridden with plot holes and marred by utter nonsense. When a young pregnant woman wakes up in a bathtub full of ice and with a fresh C-section wound after going missing, she desperately tries to find out what happened to her baby, stumbling upon four other women who share her nightmarish situation. Where have their children gone, and why have they been taken from them? The story poses a variety of questions but fails to leave you satisfied by the answers, culminating in a weak twisty pay-off that will have you roll your eyes. You'll also be left scratching your head when writer/director James Rabbitts apparently forgets about Whitfield halfway through the movie as he searches for his girlfriend and suddenly disappears.
Extras: None.
THE MESSENGER (DVD)
Available now on DVD and Blu-ray
In THE MESSENGER, a soldier wounded in Iraq (Ben Foster) returns home to complete the last three months of his tour of duty with a job that may well be as gut-wrenching as the battlefield: informing the families of soldiers who have lost their lives in combat about the demise of their sons and daughters, husbands and partners.
Foster's character, Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery, a man heralded as a war hero, works alongside Captain Tony Stone, played magnificently by Woody Harrelson (the spitting image of Robert Duvall here), a man who is far from cold to the task of breaking hearts while breaking news, but whose experience has taught him to show no signs of emotion on the surface, something that the amateur Foster has great difficulty in doing. There are certain procedures to the job, one of which is to avoid getting to know the next of kin, and it may just be one that Foster is going to break.
It's a compelling, emotional film, and the scenes where Montgomery and Stone carry out their grim duties are distressing to say the least. Both the performances of Foster and Harrelson are astoundingly good, and very real. They play their roles with the utmost conviction.
THE MESSENGER was nominated for two Oscars, one of which was for the tremendous script, and it's easy to see why. An excellent, timely movie.
Extras: None.
RED WHITE AND BLUE (DVD)
Written and directed by Simon Rumley (THE LIVING AND THE DEAD), RED WHITE AND BLUE is a commendable, slow-burning, dark drama with stings of brutal horror. It follows a promiscuous young woman (Amanda Fuller) without as much as a care in the world for who or how many people she sleeps with. She also doesn't care for friends, but after much convincing, allows her neighbour Nate (Noah Taylor) into her life. However, they each have their own rather gruesome secrets that eventually come to life, but neither can be anticipated. RED WHITE AND BLUE is a brooding and twisted Texan tale bursting with unpredictability and a stellar cast.
Extras: Two deleted scenes, theatrical trailer, goof reel and five teasers.
See you next week for more reviews of the latest and upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases in the UK.
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