Hey folks, Harry here… Sorry Fantastic Fest derailed my last two dates with y’all – but here we are – all caught up again! Woo Hoo!!! Now to catch up on FANTASTIC FEST reviews! There’s some outstanding releases below and titles to be discovered, I hope you enjoy them. As usual the images and links take you to Amazon where you can learn more on a title or purchase it, which goes to help support the efforts of this column, which is in its 10th year now! You can discover the thousands of titles this column have covered via the Android & iDevice app we have at PicksAndPeeks.Com! Grab it and get these updates straight to your mobile device where we have all sorts of avenues for you to enjoy! Now – let’s get to these 3 weeks of releases!!!
Tuesday, September 17th, 2013
SLACKER Criterion Blu
I have a deep love for SLACKER. I can’t begin to review it like those that have never lived in the Austin that the film captures so surreally. Linklater’s walk & talker is almost a bittersweet comedy now for me. Every time a character turns a corner, they’re in a different place. So many of my personal favorite hangouts from the era appear in the film, but not here in Austin anymore. Some of those that appear throughout the film are friends and I remember seeing the film at the Dobie Mall theater upon its release. The Blu Ray that Criterion has put together is spectacular! You get Linklater’s shorts, casting tapes, deleted scenes, alternate takes and so much more. When I first saw the film, it was a shock to simply see so much of my daily Austin life upon a screen. In many ways, this film did a remarkable job of gathering and motivating the film culture of Austin and beyond.
DAY OF THE DEAD Blu Ray
I do not understand folks that don’t just flat out love DAY OF THE DEAD. I love it as the government installation response to the Zombie Apocalypse. I love how secure the facility is – but how as they lose contact with the outside world… as the work related accidents chisel at the command structure and how time eats at supplies. I like how scientist handle it by burying themselves into their work, how soldiers seem to go stir crazy – and how the regular guys make paradise in a cave. I love “Frankenstein” & Bub. The gore is amazing. I love that this is KNB’s first film work under Tom Savini. And I love the further evolution of the Romero Zombie universe. SHOUT! Has done an amazing job here. I would really love on a future release to get K&N&B together to share their memories of footage of the making of this film extensively!
WORLD WAR Z Blu Ray 3D
I prefer watching the Theatrical cut in 3D to the “unrated cut” which I barely noticed anything really spectacular new. I get the idea that WORLD WAR Z was primarily shot as a PG13 film, even in the extra scenes – the blood is still mainly black – and it still feels less gory than any episode of THE WALKING DEAD. What WORLD WAR Z has going for it though is the just nightmare scenario of Zombie scenarios. The mass flocking of zombies in ant like organized attacks – Give me slow moving brain dead zombies anytime, cuz if this is the Zombie Apocalypse… I’m completely dead. The 3D, while post, adds a lot to those large scale shots. I like that Brad Pitt is essentially a UN James Bond gathering intel on the scope of this outbreak. In particular, I love when the film hits its more intimate finale. The money this film made will guarantee another one, I’m sure. There’s room in my zombie loving heart for this studio zombie turn. It’s a helluva ride.
ARROW: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Blu Ray
Still wish it was just a bit more like Mike Grell’s GREEN ARROW – but I’m totally hooked. Stephen Amell – at times is just note perfect. My only real complaint is that his shorn look sometimes has me thinking of Chris O’Donnell… but Amell quickly flushes those moments by being manly as fuck as Oliver Queen. It does get a bit weighted down with rich folk problems – and watching this and HEMLOCK GROVE closely together can result in some weird cross-bred memories of the show – Very much looking forward to the second season, I wish he’d adapt the hairstyle of the character, even if only through theatrical disguise for the character. I think he’s past hiding in shadows of the hood. Love the insane training sequences. Want this to be a show that gets better and better as we go. Fingers crossed!
THE BLING RING Blu Ray
I have a mad love of this film. It is based on a true story – and the way Sofia shoots the film, it isn’t with judgement… it simply feels authentic. Crimes of whims. I can’t imagine what growing up with the internet as a reality would have been like. Information was much more precious when I was growing up. I remember the day I discovered the address for SKYWALKER RANCH – and got a California road map and located where it was. With the internet, man… obsessions can easily be given too much information instantly. This film is all at once horrific in how matter of factly these teens do what they do, but also in a celebrity obsessed culture how does this not happen constantly? Now there’s a movie of their exploits. Sofia creates a film that makes you never want to sign in anywhere. We all know crazy teens. This film feels like the beginning of something that could become a lot darker and a lot scarier. I think Sofia has a great Manson film in her. Wonder if she’ll go real dark some time. This film goes
DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS Blu Ray
Anamorphic – that alone is reason to pick this up, Anchor Bay’s wasn’t – and oh baby it needs it, cuz yeah… Now, I’m happy. Lee’s first turn as Dracula was 7 years prior in HORROR OF DRACULA, and he fended off the lucrative temptation to play the role… until this! Terence Fisher and Christopher Lee came together to create a fierce return to a character that Lee would further cement as his own. Sit alone or cuddled up in the dark… but watch with the lights out and temperature cold. Let the wind tickle your spine and the score to chill it. There’s nothing quite like Christopher Lee with a thirst for blood. He’s amazing. Powerful. Electric. That sneer. Love this Blu!
THE DEVIL BAT Kino Blu
While Christopher Lee grew stronger with his genre over his life, Lugosi had a different path. THE DEVIL BAT is a hokey fun film, the scenes take on an iconic status simply due to the love I feel for Bela Lugosi, but there’s a part of me constantly wanting the film to be so much better than it is. This isn’t one of the great films, but it is fun. It’s been abused by dupey prints over the decades, but KINO has finally given us the library edition of the title. It will never look better than this I feel. As a Famous Monster kid, I simply must have them all.
LETTER TO THREE WIVES Blu Ray
This is a great film. Just fantastic. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who won best director & Best writing on this Best Picture nominee that stars Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell & Ann Sothern as three wives that receive a letter stating that Addie Ross has run off with one of their husbands. The film is a series of flashbacks as the three women think about their husbands’ constant admiration for the unseen Addie Ross (played in voice uncredited by Celeste Holm!). Or their own perceived shortcomings of their married life. How Linda Darnell didn’t garner a nomination for her character, I’ll never know – and I love Kirk Douglas & Paul Douglas in this… marital thriller comedy? Really great movie!
AUTUMN SONATA Criterion Blu
Ingrid Bergman’s final film was Ingmar Bergman’s AUTUMN SONATA – a very powerful emotional film that has Ingrid as an aged classical concert pianist confronting unresolved issues with her eldest daughter played wonderfully by Liv Ullmann! It may not be one of the best Ingmar Bergman films, but it is an amazing final performance by Ingrid Bergman, which for me is the selling point on this movie. To just get to see her and Liv just being amazing together is an honor.
TWO MEN IN MANHATTAN Blu Ray
Want to watch Jean-Pierre Melville’s Ode de New York? It’s a jazzy, stunning black & white photography that plays like more of a tone poem than a riveting mystery… but you’ll see Jean Pierre Melville and Pierre Grasset seeking a vanished French U.N. delegate that was seen with 3 women. Thus begins a film that just makes you want the time machine. But not need it because of this movie. Melville’s journey through New York is dazzling to behold. If you love New York on film, you really should take this in! Most BNATTERS know I love JPM, if you give his film’s a chance, you will be a fan too!
THE ATOMIC CITY Blu Ray
Imagine that actor from WAR OF THE WORLDS, the handsome lead, Gene Barry, but imagine he’s a nuclear physicist whose kid is napped and the nappers want the secret to the H-BOMB! What would you do? Give up your kid or the secret to the most powerful weapon on the planet? The film is a fun page turner. Print is sharp, but the sound has a bit more noise than I’d like, though I can pretend it’s a 16mm popping soundtrack at times!
RIOT Blu Ray
Based on a real Minnesota prison riot and partially shot in the Yuma Territorial Prison and featuring real prisoners as extras in this Gene Hackman & Jim Brown taut prison riot flick! I really like the film quite a bit. Jim Brown is really sympathetic in the film – and Hackman is a bit insane! This is a grand addition to any Prison collection!
Tuesday, September 24th, 2013
PRINCE OF DARKNESS Blu Ray
Fucking Perfect Blu Ray! And I would accept nothing less for PRINCE OF DARKNESS! SHOUT! Does it up right. You get a Carpenter commentary, Interviews with Carpenter, Alice Cooper, Robert Grasmere, co-composer Alan Howarth and an alternate TV opening! But PRINCE OF DARKNESS is one of the tonal triumphs of Carpenter’s career. The movie feels evil… like something truly nightmarish could happen just by watching the film – and that feeling is so goddamn juicy and awesome that this is another of my favorite John Carpenter titles! This is a film that tightens its grip with every watching. Few horror films work like this one.
IRON MAN 3 Blu Ray 3D
I’ve seen a few pissers that can’t seem to enjoy themselves with IRON MAN 3, but I fucking love the film. I love that it’s a Shane Black film through and through. I love that it’s another great Black/Downey team up! I love that it’s a Christmas film. And while they didn’t capture the comic’s Mandarin, their film Mandarin is curiously more than he seems. Watching this a couple of times on Blu, I’m more convinced than ever. Yes, I devoured the extras – and it takes a while! I love the AGENT CARTER short – and I want AGENT CARTER movies! I could see her working with Golden Age Human Torch. Argh, damn brain! You’ll get a brief look at THOR: THE DARK WORLD – and yes, you’ll then go online and rewatch all THOR clips. I’m wildly curious to see what becomes of Tony and IRON MAN after this film, because we could be headed for some really super crazy awesome tech, right? And my most immediate thought upon the end of the movie is… I can’t wait for Shane Black’s DOC SAVAGE!!!! Bring it!
HALLOWEEN 35TH Anniversary Edition Blu Ray
This Blu-Ray delivers the best looking print of HALLOWEEN I’ve yet seen. The new transfer was supervised by Dean Cundey – and meets with his immaculate vision, so I certainly don’t have a gripe! It’s beautiful! And HALLOWEEN is a beautiful film. It captures a 70’s childhood. I was the age of the kids in Halloween, when Halloween came out – and I certainly would have been watching the films on TV like they were. Only difference was, my parents always threw a huge Halloween party, so Halloween always felt like the safest night of the year to me. And home was AMAZING! But still, the movie captures an era perfectly. And it’s perfectly composed. “THE NIGHT SHE CAME HOME” is a documentary made about Jamie Lee Curtis’ singular convention appearance ever – where she’s amazing and seems to truly love the experience. It’s a lengthy piece, showing her interacting with everyone and being quite honest and open about everything as she perceives it. That and the audio commentary between her and John Carpenter… well they and the new transfer are the reasons to pick this up stat!
THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY: ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION Blu Ray
If you have the 3 Christopher Nolan Batman movies – you may be asking yourself what’s so great about this set – is it really worth upgrading? Well… if you want to gift your old disks to a friend, you’ll get all 5 of those back in this set, but there’s an extra TRILOGY EXTRAS disc – that has a really exhaustive look at the creation of the trilogy with a whole bunch of people that made these films, but then… other folks like Michael Mann and Guillermo Del Toro and Zack Snyder and Damon Lindelof and Paul Dini and more. This is… really really good! And because I love stuff like this – yeah, that feature alone is a good excuse – as is the other big feature on that exclusive disc, which is a conversation between Christopher Nolan and Richard Donner – that runs about 25 minutes. And it’s basically Christopher Nolan asking a ton of questions he has about the making of SUPERMAN THE MOVIE… which frankly makes me smile a whole lot. Then, you also get “THE COMPLETE DARK KNIGHT IMAX SEQUENCES- and THE COMPLETE DARK KNIGHT RISES IMAX SEQUENCES – fully remastered and specially transferred for this Extras disc. It is spectacular. This is a set that comes in one of those books that pretty much requires keeping the box intact – minus of course the 3 toys that come in the box. You get the Tumbler, the Bat-Pod and the BAT thingee that flies in the last film. There’s a 48 page softcover book with exclusive behind the scenes images. I still wish the final film felt more like a Batman movie to me, rather than a Bruce Wayne in Rehab Hell flick. And I wish they’d actually get BANE right on film, he’s evil Doc Savage – and he’s inhumanly big. I expected something better to follow THE DARK KNIGHT and to exit on. The film still refuses to satisfy me, but I really do love the first two. THE DARK KNIGHT is simply a masterpiece. Great great stuff.
PSYCHO II Blu Ray
I love PSYCHO II! Anthony Perkins is having a blast with the character. That his secret is out – and he’s trying to be a good boy while fuckers are fucking with him… it’s delicious – and Richard Franklin is having a whole lot of fun with the iconography of the series. Also – it has Meg Tilly, who I’ve always had a screen crush on, and her relationship with Norman Bates is just too goood for words. The entire cast is perfect, from Vera Miles returning as she does! Or Robert Loggia or Dennis Franz! I love them in this really twisted and messed up sequel that triumphs! It’s a different type of film from the original and thank Franklin for that! We get Screenwriter Tom Holland doing a commentary – and there’s vintage interviews with cast and crew – so over all – a great Blu of this!
PSYCHO III Blu Ray
This is the Norman Bates/Anthony Perkins show – he’s even directing. It’s not a very good movie, other than as something that you get to watch Anthony Perkins hamming it up something royal. Jeff Fahey is kind of amazing to just behold in this. Such a strange addition to the Bates films. I do love him though! Definitely an entertaining flick for Bates fans only though!
Blu V/H/S/2 Blu Ray
Pretty much across the board a better film than the original – which I did have fun with. But this time out, I think everyone is having a whole lot more fun. Such a fun way to do anthology horror – with different directors and concepts. Also, it feels that each segment keeps getting better all the way through to the end. This is good horror junkie stuff here!
ROOM 237 Blu Ray
This was one of those film that I just kept seem to be missing – and finally caught on Blu! Your love for this film will be based on one thing. Do you love obsessing over Kubrick’s films? When Ernie Cline comes over, we tend to watch Kubrick movies or key Film Geek nirvana material. But taking apart CLOCKWORK ORANGE with him was great. We’d frame by frame stuff – and we were catching the myriad of details that seeing a film as Blu can… allows you to be as obsessive as you want. ROOM 237 is a film about Kubrick maniacs that have fixated upon an obsessive compulsive level of analysis on THE SHINING – that… I respect and marvel over. Clearly, there’s insanity, but no more the same insanity that well, my BLADE II review comes to mind, Massawyrm’s HAPPY FEET review… yeah, sometimes we humans can’t help but see connections even if nobody else can. Perhaps that’s our gift. Their gift. The Devin Faraci headed panel on the Blu is as entertaining for me as the feature. Really fun stuff, especially the revealing of the secrets to Mondo’s poster for the film. SHINING Geeks – see how you measure up!
BETTY BOOP: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION, VOL 2 Blu Ray
Keep em coming! This volume brings 12 more Betty Boop cartoons to the Blu Ray release. Personally, I feel they should be putting 24 per release at the price they’re charging, but when you’re an addict, there’s nothing you can do. They’re giving us 4K resolution from 35mm negatives, with no real digital magic to clean em up… But I’m ecstatic at the quality these are coming in. I hope that once they’ve released all the titles, they’ll do a real nice release with extras and fully restored. But I think the only thing that will get Paramount to do the righteous thing by Betty is if they were making a Betty Boop feature. Which would be cooler than anything ever. But alas.
DIZZY DISHES is the debut BETTY BOOP cartoon where you realize that Betty is in actuality a DOG! And that Bimbo used to be more rubbery and elongated. It feels like a great piece of jazz age animation. This is a cartoon I’ve been raised upon often.
BIMBO’S INITIATION is my all time favorite BIMBO cartoon. The insanity of this cartoon has been with me my entire life. Bimbo is minding his own business walking down a street whistling a catchy lil tune, when suddenly he’s abducted by a mysterious cult! They haze the living hell out of Bimbo. Bimbo is tortured, his grasp of reality gets Fleischerized, his shadow is in danger, his but is in danger – and he continues to make the dumbest decisions ever… but then he is BIMBO! The chant of “Wanna be a member, wanna be a member?” has been in my family from the beginning due to this cartoon – and you should answer… YES!
You’ll also get BOO-OOP-A-DOOP, BETTY BOOP LIMITED, BETTY BOOP’S BIZZY BEE, BETTY BOOP’S UPS AND DOWNS, BETTY BOOP’S MUSEUM, BETTY BOOP’S BIG BOSS, BETTY BOOP’S LITTLE PAL and KEEP IN STYLE – all of which I’ve loved over the years, but I was kind of blown away by two on this set that I’ve not seen nearly enough. BETTY BOOP’S PRIZE SHOW costars Freddy, but is a toon set upon a stage show that’s telling a story of Betty being in danger by Philip the Fiend. The fun part of the toon is the Fleischer Stage Gags – it’s obviously going to get surreal as hell, but the more of a theatre geek you are – the harder you’ll laugh at this cartoon.
But then, MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT just blew me away! It’s just a beautiful beautiful short. It’s basically wordless and completely musically magical. Just the beauty of Betty’s world waking up before her is blissful, but once the Tom Kats Social Club comes ginning up the joint – things careen wonderfully! I watched this one 4 times over and then showed Dad twice. We agree – this is an outstanding Betty Boop cartoon! Wow!
BIG COMBO Blu Ray
Love Noir? Love stylized cinematography that unrelentingly kicks ass and takes names? Man, BIG COMBO is a true shadow play! I’m a big fan of evil henchmen – and Richard Conte has Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman doing the dirties! Meanwhile our Dick is played by Cornel Wilde, a fave character actor of mine – and he’s out to take Conte down. From the same director as GUN CRAZY, THE BIG COMBO is a stylistic explosion that should ignite all Noir lovers fuse! I was quite taken by it!
SHACK OUT ON 101 Blu Ray
Would you like your noir to also be a Red Scare Bait Flick? OOOOH YEAH! Specially if you’re gonna bottle up a sleazy bad boy played by Lee Marvin and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG’s girlfriend Terry Moore in a Seaside Diner! Oh and KEENAN WYNN is great here too, but Marvin steals every scene he’s in, naturally – he’s fucking LEE MARVIN man, respect!
THE FIGHTING KENTUCKIAN Blu Ray
Any film with John Wayne and Oliver Hardy must grab one’s attention – and this post-Civil War silliness is exactly what I wanted! Sure there’s a romantic triangle, but anyone after Wayne’s girl has to be a bad baaaaad man! And yeah, hijinks ensue. Fun stuff, very pop. Comedy Wayne is a particularly crazed thing. I recommend checking it out!
Tuesday, October 1st, 2013
HOUSE OF WAX 3D BLU RAY
Outstanding! Vincent Price and Charles Bronson in 3D terrorizing the lovely Phyllis Kirk… well it is pure happy. The very first 3D movie I ever saw was HOUSE OF WAX with polarized glasses in San Antonio – as Austin wasn’t playing it at the time and Dad wanted me to see it. THIS LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER! This has been mastered for the active shutter Blu Ray 3D process and it’s just fantastic! The paddle board sequence is still one of my all time favorite 3D movie moments. Shameless fun! I love Price’s burnt make up here – it’s just so damn creepy – really and truly a nightmare to describe. Not real sure what his magic mask is all about though, but I accept it willingly – it is necessary – and that breaking face sequence fucked me up as a kid. Did not understand how they did that! This is classic real 3D done justice. Now – Hollywood, deliver the rest just like this! Price is the crushed artist turned evil in this very iconic role for Vincent – and one of the most beloved 3D films of all time!
WIZARD OF OZ Blu Ray 3D
I’ve watched WIZARD OF OZ in 3D twice at home so far and I can’t wait to show other friends just how freaking marvelous this experience is. The film was visually structured for foreground, midground and background elements – but the team that did the 3D on this… they stretched it all beyond my expectations. This is amazing. Just watching Judy singing OVER THE RAINBOW in 3D sepiatone is amazing, seriously – that wall of hay she leans against is just WOW in 3D! But man – Flying Monkeys in 3D! WOW! That hallway to the Wizard’s audience chamber… MAN! Great depth! In fact, I find myself wanting to rewatch it a lot because it still feels like a dream to be watching it that way. Then – there’s tons of extras, new to this set – including a new feature length WIZARD OF OZ documentary, lots of OZities – the 6 hr MGM Doc WHEN THE LION ROARS – plus a nifty color shifting Ruby Slippers sparkle globe, the Award pin set is made up of the items the Wizard gives Scarecrow, Lion and Tinman. And if you get this set through Amazon, you’ll get a 4 gig flashdrive that looks like the smushed legs of the Wicked Witch of the East that Dorothy smushed! This is an OUTSTANDING set! And I want lots of classics given this treatment now! This is amazing!
THE LITTLE MERMAID Blu Ray 3D
Disney has also done wonderful dimensional work making THE LITTLE MERMAID 3D friendly – and the film works great in that format – especially with all the bubbles! As a home 3D lover – this is more proof that Disney should continue to do this, but I’m really looking forward to them trying this with FANTASIA or SNOW WHITE or PINNOCHIO or DUMBO or BAMBI. SLEEPING BEAUTY would be amazing! Any of their great multiplane features were made to exist in 3D space – It’d be only fitting. The 3D does accentuate just how great the effects animation team did on THE LITTLE MERMAID, as their show stopping work really gleams in 3D!
THIS IS THE END Blu Ray
THIS IS THE END might be the most relentlessly fun movie of the year. I’ve friends that saw it 7 & 8 times in theaters, I saw it 3 times, but I’ve already watched it a couple of times at home. That cover is so lame though. This movie is a hilarious lampooning of celebrity in dire situations, but the vision of their apocalypse and redemption is… just so wonderful. It really is just so outrageously fun. The cast is beyond great – and their willingness to slay one another is just so much fun! I like how this group of actors have essentially formed their own comedy powerhouse – where they’ve become their own Looney Tunes characters, but as themselves. I want a Danny McBride’s sequel on Earth and I’d love another sequel set entirely in heaven having a good time. Really! If you can’t laugh at this, you might be broken.
THE CROODS Blu Ray 3D
I really loved this film and it’s mainly due to Nick Cage’s Caveman father and his daughter played by Emma Stone. The rest of the family is nifty – as is Ryan Reynold’s more evolved man… but the relationship between Grug and Eep is what really has me, beyond the crazy prehistoric fantasy world they’ve constructed. Looks gorgeous in 3D too! Really fun family animated film.
THE FROZEN GROUND Blu Ray
Nicolas Cage is hunting the most prolific serial killer in Alaska’s history – and that sick fuck is played by John Cusack – and Vanessa Hudgens is a victim that helps to capture the bastard. This is also in some theaters out there, but the Blu Ray is selling now too! This is a restrained Cage performance, and I like those too. Remember when Cusack was holding a stereo over his head and breaking your heart and filling it back up with love? Well, Cusack is about as loathsome a bastard as I’ve seen and his particular fetishes when killing were… really sick. THE FROZEN GROUND has it’s share of creeps and solid performances. Good stuff!
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY Blu Ray
Ok – so this Blu Ray cover art makes it seem as those the Jap Zeroes are diving to machinegun to death Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster. If you haven’t seen this classic – THAT IS NOT THE CASE. This is a Pearl Harbor story but it’s about life at Pearl Harbor – with characters that actually resemble real people as opposed to Michael Bay’s action remake. Here, the balance is so perfect that the film won Best Picture of 1953 along with 7 other Oscars! And this isn’t one of those cases where Oscar got it wrong either. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY is seriously one of the great films. I love Sinatra in this! Montgomery Clift too… hell, everyone is perfect in this movie. Donna Reed, hell! I always like watching this after THE GODFATHER. There’s a graphics in picture track that gives you a TON of behind the scenes info on the making of the film. Really amazing. The commentary has Fred Zinnemon’s son and Alvin Sargent chatting about the film. And there’s more. They did a very fine job on this great film!
THE BIG PARADE Blu Ray Book
This silent film made more money than any other silent film and was directed by the great Texas director King Vidor! In someways the film strikes me like BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY – in the sense that there’s a patriotism that blinds one to the realities of war, that are inescapable if you’re in war – and this story follows John Gilbert through his awakening – and the scope and power of the film is not easily set aside. Vidor’s film really painted war for the hell it is and it was a message that the world embraced. Shame we never seem to learn.
VOLCANO Blu Ray
In this late nineties bad cg fest, Tommy Lee Jones is your video game character and if you thought the Volcano silliness in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS was hilarious, this is the sillier film by far. It really is a terrible film. At every level. I just can’t recommend anyone revisit it.
TORN CURTAIN Blu Ray
It is unfortunate that Paul Newman and Julie Andrews couldn’t have been in a better Hitchcock film, but it isn’t bad. It just isn’t one of the GREAT ones. It’s a lot more of sitting around than moving about in Hitchcock ways. The potential for the performers and for Hitch were just felt lacking here. Still it has sequences of note and well, you can’t have a complete Hitchcock collection without it. Film needs to move more. Looks great on Blu though. Has a 32 minute doc that talks about all the problems on the production, including his falling out with Herrmann. The best feature is a 14 minute piece that has Herrmann’s original score on some of the scenes he’d finished before being replaced!!! Nice disc!
THE MONSTER CLUB Blu Ray
I’m a fan of Director Roy Ward Baker’s work like ASYLUM and VAULT OF HORROR – and THE MONSTER CLUB with Vincent Price, John Carradine, Donald Pleasance, Patrick Magee, Britt Ekland and Stuart Whitman is a really fun monster flick in 3 tales. The framing stuff is some really goofy fun with some fun music by UB40 and THE PRETTY THINGS among others. I know the film, but I’ve yet to see this Blu yet, so I can’t tell you about the quality of the transfer, but it is one I’ve ordered cuz it is a very fun flick!
MEDUSA TOUCH Blu Ray
If you loved CHRONICLE – you might be amazed by THE MEDUSA TOUCH, which features Richard Burton as a man with the questionable power to telekinetically tumble buildings and other… large scale telekinetic catastrophes. Lee Remick plays his psychiatrist he seeks out to help him. The film is actually a fantastic suspense film and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Another fun film with Richard Burton, nice to see it being released on Blu!
That’s it for this update! Next week we’ll be back with Whedon’s MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, HANGOVER PART III, THE AVENGERS Megaset, AFTER EARTH Blu, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS Deluxe edition, I MARRIED A WITCH Criterion Blu, THE PURGE Blu, CHUCKY: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION Blu, EXORCIST 40th Anniversary Blu, EUROPA REPORT Blu, FANTASTIC VOYAGE Blu, CURSE OF CHUCKY Blu, MONTY PYTHON’S THE MEANING OF LIFE Blu, STALAG 17 Blu, CORRUPTION Blu, SHOUT AT THE DEVIL Blu, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA Blu, MAN IN THE IRON MASK (1976) Blu, AIRPLANE II: THE SEQUEL Blu, VAMPIRA AND ME, HOW TO SEDUCE A VIRGIN and that's about it! See you next Tuesday!
