Steve Geise

Book Review: Innocence and Seduction: The Art of Dan DeCarlo: Expanded Edition by Bill Morrison

DeCarlo may always be remembered first as the “Archie guy”, but the book provides an enlightening look at his full history and his multifaceted career.

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Book Review: Crusher Loves Bleeder Bleeder Loves Crusher by Thomas Stemrich and Patrick Keck

Stemrich’s affecting tales and Keck’s inventive cartooning deliver a richly rewarding comics experience well above expectations.

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The Threat Blu-ray Review: Battle of Wits Royale

Fukasaku expertly ratchets up the tension throughout the film, turning an initially tense situation into a pulse-pounding game of wits.

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Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Araki’s brand new director-approved digital restorations offer the most complete and technically polished versions of the films ever available. 

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Book Review: The Farewell Song of Marcel Labrume by Attilio Micheluzzi

Fantagraphics plans for this book to be the first in a series of new US editions of Italian master Attilio Micheluzzi’s archival works.

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Book Review: Walt Disney’s Donald and Mickey in Metropolis and Faust by Francesco Artibani, Paolo Mottura, Carlo Chendi, and Luciano Bottaro

Fantagraphics continues their line of Disney adaptations of classic tales with this pairing of Metropolis and Faust.

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Book Review: Elise and the New Partisans by Dominique Grange and Tardi

While Grange’s plot misses the forest for the trees, Tardi’s artwork soars above the fray to make sense of it all.

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A World Without Thieves Blu-ray Review: Larceny on the Chinese Express

Andy Lau is the main attraction in this 2004 Chinese action drama, but its well-crafted plot is the true champion.

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My Love Affair with Marriage Blu-ray Review: Animation, Songs, and Science

Writer/director Signe Baumane spent over seven years creating this whimsical animated feature film about a young woman’s struggles with romantic relationships.

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The Alaskans: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: The Man with the Golden Dream

While the lackluster writing keeps it from being a classic, the series has its simple charms and is an impressive showcase for Roger Moore.

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Book Review: Pinocchio: An Illuminated Edition by Carlo Collodi, Mike Mignola, and Lemony Snicket

There’s a reason that this public-domain text has a premium price point, and Beehive more than justifies the expense with this gorgeous keepsake product.

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Arctic Circle: Season 1-3 DVD Review: Panic in Lapland

This Finnish TV series is hampered by a bland leading character and actress, a rotating supporting cast, and a meandering, overlong first season.

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Book Review: Kate Carew: America’s First Great Woman Cartoonist by Eddie Campbell

At the start of the 20th century, when female employment of any kind was a rarity, Kate Carew was an absolute unicorn as a trailblazing newspaper cartoonist. Starting from illustration assignments, she eventually shifted into comic strips and illustrated interviews with famous subjects. Recognizing that most people have never heard of her, fellow cartoonist Eddie…

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The Apartment (1996) Blu-ray Review: No, Not the Billy Wilder One

Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci star in writer/director Gilles Mimouni’s BAFTA-winning romantic thriller.

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Book Review: Iris: A Novel for Viewers by Lo Hartog van Banda and Thé Tjong-Khing

The first-ever Dutch graphic novel is a candy-colored, head-spinning trip through a prescient vision of our near future as imagined over 50 years ago.

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My Penguin Friend Movie Review: Homeward Bound in the Southern Hemisphere

Based on a true story, the film utilizes real penguins and beautiful location photography to capture the essence of a remarkable relationship.

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Book Review: Future by Tommi Musturi

Finnish cartoonist Tommi Musturi presents a compendium of his self-published 10-issue anthology series of the same

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Swan Song (2023) DVD Review: Revelatory All-Access Pass to the Creation of a Ballet

Chelsea McMullan’s documentary follows the entire production process of the Swan Lake ballet by a legendary retiring artistic director. 

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Warehouse 13: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: All of the Artifacts in One Place

A decade after the conclusion of its five-season broadcast run, Warehouse 13 has finally been compiled into one complete Blu-ray box set.

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The Linguini Incident (Director’s Cut) Blu-ray Review: The Bowie Film That Almost Got Away

Once upon a time, David Bowie played a romantic lead in a US feature film that received virtually no theatrical release in the US.

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Book Review: Braba: A Brazilian Comics Anthology

Fantagraphics ventures deep into South America with this new graphic novel anthology featuring short works by 16 Brazilian artists.

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Anselm Blu-ray Review: Wim Wenders Continues His Fascination with the Arts

Whether you’re a fan of Kiefer or completely unaware of his career, Wenders offers an inviting foray into his amazing body of work.

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DogMan Blu-ray Review: The Silence of the Dogs

Writer/director Luc Besson’s latest effort focuses on the jailhouse interactions between a deranged criminal and the psychiatrist assigned to his case.

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Victims of Sin Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Zoot Suit Riot

Under writer/director Emilio Fernández’s firm hand, it’s presented in a wholly logical and measured progression filled with inspired choices.

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Sympathy for the Underdog Blu-ray Review: Crime Takes a Holiday

Anchored by Tsuruta’s incredible performance, Fukasaku’s film lives up to its title by generating massive sympathy for its inspiring underdog.

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Tribeca 2024 Review: Satisfied

The film’s specific focus yields a winning portrait of Goldsberry’s early motherhood years and her time with Hamilton.

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Tribeca 2024 Review: Luther: Never Too Much

Director Dawn Porter takes a deep dive into Luther’s past to examine the winding path he took to reach the pinnacle of his profession. 

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Tribeca 2024 Review: Desire: The Carl Craig Story

Carl Craig is a fascinating subject for a documentary, and writer/director Delaloye does a fine job of capturing his multifaceted, eclectic career.

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Book Review: Prince Valiant Vol. 28: 1991-1992 by Hal Foster, John Cullen Murphy, and Cullen Murphy

The latest volume does ample justice to the character, continuing the story with consistently entertaining adventures played out in Murphy’s kinetic art.

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Tribeca 2024 Review: They All Came Out to Montreux

Oliver Murray dives headlong into the history of the Montreux Jazz Festival and its creator, Claude Nobs, in this fascinating new documentary. 

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Book Review: Stan Mack’s Real Life Funnies: The Collected Conceits, Delusions, and Hijinks of New Yorkers from 1974 to 1995

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the strip or a complete neophyte, this amusing stroll through New York history offers a wealth of indelible scenarios.

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Tribeca 2024 Review: Boys Go to Jupiter

Glander has created a welcoming and fully realized universe here, one that is worthy of multiple repeat viewings to savor its details.

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The Old Oak Blu-ray Review: When the Bough Breaks, the Village May Fall

The Old Oak is a fitting coda to Loach’s career of socialist realism, a final mighty branch on the tree of his life in film.

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A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds Criterion Collection Blu-ray Review: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu

Previously released on Criterion DVD in 2004, this Ozu double feature finally gets a Blu-ray upgrade with newly improved technical specs.

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Book Review: My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Book Two by Emil Ferris

After a seven-year gap, Emil Ferris returns with the eagerly anticipated conclusion of the story of Karen Reyes, a monster-obsessed 10-year-old girl.

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You’ll Never Get Rich Blu-ray Review: A Wealth of Talent

This 1941 musical is blessed with an abundance of talent, led by co-stars Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth and songs by Cole Porter.

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The Little Drummer Girl Blu-ray Review: Keaton Marches to Her Own Beat

Keaton’s performance never really lets you forget that she’s acting, which makes her an oddly fitting choice to play an actress in over her head.

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The Peasants Blu-ray Review: Drama with a Fresh Coat of Paint

A conventional drama with, quite literally, a fresh coat of paint used as little more than a crutch grant it more attention than it deserves.

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Heroes: The Complete Collection Blu-ray Review: Save the Cardboard, Save the World

The episodes haven’t been remastered, so if you have prior Blu-ray releases there’s really nothing new here aside from the improved and complete packaging.

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The Crime Is Mine Movie Review: 2 Broke Girls

Ozon’s comedy is mainstream French cinema, designed for the multiplex instead of the art house, but made with impeccable craft.

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Colt .45: The Complete Series Blu-ray Box Set Review: Revolving Peacemaker

This is clearly the definitive presentation of the series, and one of the best black and white reproductions I’ve ever seen in movies or TV.

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Book Review: How War Begins: Dispatches from the Ukrainian Invasion by Igort

While the nature of its ongoing subject precludes a satisfying conclusion, it is a fascinating look at civilian perseverance in an active war zone.

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The Fox (2022) DVD Review: Two Against the World

This German/Austrian co-production dramatizes the real-life story of an Austrian soldier who adopted a fox cub during World War II.

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Book Review: Anna by Mia Oberländer

In German cartoonist Mia Oberländer’s charming debut graphic novel, Anna struggles with life as a giant in a community of normal-sized peers.

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Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell DVD Review: Inside the Heart of Vietnam

Pham’s debut feature film revolves around a young man’s attempt to help his five-year-old nephew after the sudden death of his sister-in-law.

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Suits: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review: Game of Phones

The new Blu-ray box set provides the opportunity to revisit the Suits phenomenon in full, or discover it for the first time.

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Bombs Over Burma DVD Review: Chungking Express

Anna May Wong stars in this uneven B-movie as an elementary school teacher in China who moonlights as a World War II spy.

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The Prince of Egypt: The Musical Blu-ray Review: Holy Moses

The show is an affable enough effort for spectators new to musical theater, but lacking any real substance for serious fans of the form.

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Driving Madeleine Blu-ray Review: Driving Madame Daisy

In the hands of writer/director Christian Carion, the film is a joyous and heartwarming celebration of life guaranteed to play on your emotions.

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Jeanne Moreau, Filmmaker Blu-ray Review: Girl Power

Although the three films seemingly have little in common, the throughline is Moreau’s focus on strong, supportive female relationships.

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