Archive for April 2017
The Valley of Gwangi / When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Blu-rays Review: More Animated than Ever
The Warner Archive Collection shows off two showcases of animators Ray Harryhausen and Jim Danforth in these splendid catalog releases.
Read MoreRogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray Review: An Impressive and Immersive High-def Experience
A delightful space fantasy with enough action to entertain the casual viewer and enough story elements and links to other works to please the Star Wars aficionado.
Read MoreDead or Alive Trilogy Blu-ray Review: Typical Takashi Miike, Atypical Arrow Video Release
Miike’s wild, wooly action trilogy gets a disappointing release from Arrow Video.
Read MoreVitaphone Varieties, Volume Three: 1928-1929 DVD Review: Utterly Amazing
The Warner Archive Collection unleashes 16 more lost novelty acts from the days of vaudeville and burlesque shows.
Read MoreShadowman Movie Review: A Beautiful Mind Fraught by Invisibility
The story of tortured artist Richard Hambleton is short of depth but long on intrigue.
Read MoreFive Cool Things and Jonathan Demme
Cool things this week include new episodes of Fargo and Doctor Who plus The Graduate, a Stephen King adaptation and more.
Read MoreNeil Young Journeys Blu-ray Review: A Welcome Addition to Young’s Concert Filmography
Skip to the performances.
Read MoreMifune: The Last Samurai DVD Review: Japan’s Greatest Actor Profiled
Informative, engaging overview of the actor’s life and work, both with Akira Kurosawa and beyond.
Read MoreWait Until Dark (1967) / Love in the Afternoon (1957) Blu-rays Review: An Audrey Two-fer
The Warner Archive Collection brings us two remarkably different ‒ but nevertheless essential ‒ offerings from the inimitable Audrey Hepburn.
Read MoreTwilight Time Presents: Odd Men Out (and the Women Who Drive Them)
Vindictive villains, stereoscopic Stooges, speculative spouses, heroic horsemen, and illiterate inventors highlight this quartet of New-to-Blu releases.
Read MoreHouse: Two Stories Blu-ray Review: Come on in for Some Goofy ’80s Horror
A couple of not-so-classic comedy-horror films from the 80s get a magnificent release from Arrow Video.
Read MoreDjango, Prepare a Coffin Blu-ray Review: A Slick Spaghetti Western
Terence Hill takes over the Django role in this unofficial prequel.
Read MoreWe Are X Blu-ray Review: Hair Metal and Heartache
This story of the enormously successful Japanese metal band is steeped in both triumph and (near constant) tragedy.
Read MoreFor the Love of Spock DVD Review: Perfect for Both Those Who Love and Those Who Don’t Know Spock
A great example of how a documentary should be constructed.
Read MoreThe Other Hell (1981) / Dark Waters (1994) Blu-rays Review: Breaking Bad Habits
Cursed convents? Possessed prioresses? Severin Films is having nun of that now!
Read MoreLa La Land Is the Pick of the Week
This week brings us a new musical, an immortal monster, several Valerian Borowczyk films, a Japanese film about noodles, and more.
Read MoreTampopo Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: An Endearing, Sensual, and Tasty Experience
Sweet, sexy, and hilarious food for thought.
Read More2017 TCM Classic Film Festival Review: Day Four
It is always with mixed emotions when I look at the schedule for the final day.
Read MoreTCM and Fathom Events Present the 50th Anniversary of The Graduate
Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson.
Read MoreMillionaires in Prison (1940) DVD Review: The Club Fed of the ’40s
The Warner Archive paroles a corny prison yarn featuring Shemp Howard and the voice of Jiminy Cricket as inmates.
Read MoreHidden Figures DVD Review: By the Numbers, but Done Well
Worth seeing, especially if you don’t know the story of Katherine Johnson and her ilk.
Read MoreStory of Sin Blu-ray Review: Not Sinful Enough
Beautiful, but dull film by a director more noted for his controversies than his staid adaptation of classic novels.
Read MoreBlu-rays Review: Twilight Time Goes Around the World (and Then Some)
Six globetrotting adventures and dramas make their HD home video debuts, including a Sonny Chiba disaster flick and that missing title from you Ray Harryhausen collection.
Read MoreUnforgettable (2017) Movie Review: It’s Actually Pretty Forgettable
Katherine Heigl plays a crazy ex-wife in this by-the-numbers thriller.
Read MoreFive Cool Things and Earth from Saturn
Cool things this week include a book about film noir, Doctor Thorne, Blue Ruin, Robert Hunter and a new Star Wars Trailer.
Read MoreBook Review: James Bond: SPECTRE: The Complete Comic Strip Collection
Not only for your eyes.
Read MoreLudwig (1973) Blu-ray Review: Lots of Castles, Little Story
Visconti’s biography of Ludwig II has access to amazing locations, some good acting, and no momentum.
Read MoreA Girl in Every Port (1952) DVD Review: Because Chico Needed the Money
Groucho’s last leading role ‒ now available from the Warner Archive ‒ isn’t something you’d bet your life on, but warrants a viewing from devoted Marxists just the same.
Read MoreThe Jetsons & WWE: Robo-Wrestlemania DVD Review: A Fun Adventure Reminiscent of the Original Series
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the original show, but this new film has a very nice, familiar feel to it.
Read MoreBook Review: Film Noir Light and Shadow: Shedding Light on Dark Films
A wonderful resource to understanding one of cinemas greatest genres.
Read More2017 TCM Classic Film Festival Review: Day Three
Saturday was originally scheduled to be another five-movie day but a lack of sleep and food set in.
Read MoreBook Review: The Complete Dick Tracy, Volume 21: 1962-1964 by Chester Gould
I wouldn’t recommend it as a starting point, but it is an enjoyable continuation of the Dick Tracy series.
Read MoreDjango, Prepare a Coffin (1968) Blu-ray Review: Can You Dig It?
Terence Hill digs a name for himself in the only legitimate unofficial prequel to the Sergio Corbucci cult classic.
Read MoreThe Creeping Garden (Arrow Academy) Blu-ray Review: An Intriguing Look at Slime Mold
A documentary that is insightful, beautifully shot, and fun to watch.
Read MoreThe Founder (2016) Is the Pick of the Week
This week brings us a film about McDonalds, a Studio Ghibli TV movie, James McAvoy playing a bunch of different characters in one film and much more.
Read More2017 TCM Classic Film Festival Review: Day One and Two
I ended day one with a Peter Lorre film so I figured why not start day two with him as well.
Read MoreFive Cool Things and Good Friday
This week’s cool things include a couple of Criterions, a visit to Narnia, X-Men, and a great new podcast.
Read MoreThe Quiet Man Blu-ray Review: Entertaining Escapism on the Emerald Isle
John Ford’s lighthearted film deals with love and marriage on a superficial level.
Read MoreProperty Is No Longer a Theft (1973) Blu-ray Review: Undeniably Italian
Elio Petri’s forgotten, strange, and very dark satire makes a long-overdue debut in the US from the newly launched Arrow Academy.
Read MoreBook Review: Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics, Vol. 2: Where Some Fans May Never Have Gone Before
The crew’s encounters with beings different from ourselves is still as fun and fascinating today as it ever was.
Read MoreHidden Figures Is the Pick of the Week
This week brings us NASA’s untold history, a mad king, some nice-looking horror collections, and much more.
Read MoreThe Wanderers Blu-ray Review: Philip Kaufman’s Cult Classic Captures a Bygone Era
A criminally underrated tale of young rebellion during a truly vanished time.
Read MoreBattleground (1949) Blu-ray Review: War is Hell, but This Is Far from That
The Warner Archive Collection unveils a marvelous, meticulously restored look this WWII classic.
Read MoreFive Cool Things and the New Pornographers
This weeks cool things include the X-Men, the New Pornographers, Italian horror, a classic movie festival, and more.
Read MoreBook Review: Star Trek: New Visions Volume 4 by John Byrne
Byrne has a strong sense of who the characters are and puts them in compelling stories.
Read MoreBad Day at Black Rock (1955) Blu-ray Review: A Great Day for Movie Lovers
The Warner Archive Collection brings us the groundbreaking precursor to the revenge film genre in what is easily one of the most beautiful transfers of the year.
Read MoreThe Vampire Bat (1933) Blu-ray Review: Restored and Ready to Leave Its Mark
The best B horror movie Universal Studios never made receives a beautiful makeover from the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Detective.
Read MoreThoughtful & Abstract: The Walking Dead: “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life”
“I’m going to kill you. In fact, you’re already dead” – Rick, spoiling the Season Eight finale.
Read MoreYour Name Movie Review: Bodies Swapped, Heartstrings Tugged
The top Japanese box-office draw of 2016, Your Name is a modern anime of uncommon quality, both visually and in storytelling.
Read MoreFathom Events Presents TCM Big Screen Classic Series: North by Northwest
The Master of Suspense returns to the big screen with one of his best cliff hangers ever.
Read MoreCathy’s Curse (1977) Blu-ray Review: Still Cursed and Still Curse-Worthy
Canada’s strange ‘Exorcist’ rip-off receives a beautiful restoration thanks to Severin Films.
Read MoreMy Most Anticipated at the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival
The Top 7 films at what will be my seventh time attending the festival.
Read MoreWax Mask (1997) Blu-ray Review: The Steampunk Phantom Terminator of the Wax Museum
Lucio Fulci’s last credited feature feels more like a dry run for Dario Argento’s career slump. And is just as appealing.
Read MoreRogue One: A Star Wars Story Is the Pick of the Week
This week brings us the latest Star Wars, a new Jim Jarmusch film, and a raunchy comedy.
Read MoreMy Most Anticipated at the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival
The Top 7 films at what will be my seventh time attending the festival.
Read MoreMine Movie Review: An Interesting Idea Mines for Substance
The single-location thriller goes international with the simplistic Mine.
Read MoreWon Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood Blu-ray Review: Save Yourself, Dawg
Yes, it’s a dog’s world, but that doesn’t mean you have to live in it.
Read MoreReturn of Kung Fu Trailers of Fury Blu-ray Review: Conceived in Hell, Made in Hong Kong
Severin Films assembles 35 original trailers for some of the most mind-numbing martial arts films ever to escape from the Far East.
Read MoreWomen on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Vote for Pedro
Pedro Almodóvar’s career-defining, groundbreaking dark screwball comedy gets the Criterion treatment ‒ and is just as awesome as you’d expect it to be.
Read MoreDonnie Darko Movie Review: Still Well Worth Watching
An extraordinary release of an extraordinarily weird movie.
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