- Published on
Though I could be wrong on some of the particulars, I think it was the late 1970’s and early 1980’s that saw the Horror industry grow suddenly interested in building its own reputable franchises.
While the Universal Monsters Universe certainly dabbled in that realm in the 1930’s and 1940’s, it wasn’t until the entries like 1973’s The Exorcist, 1976’s The Omen, 1978’s Halloween, and – inevitably – 1980’s Friday The 13th that true studio heavyweights recognized that there was an audience both willing and able to endure such frights on a regular basis. As the audiences grew from the transition from Horror being a niche experience to more of a mainstream carnival-style attraction, studios were all too happy to invest more, and why wouldn’t they be? At that time, sequels were basically little more than a copy of the original – with modest modifications, if any – so it wasn’t as if reinvention was ever ‘on the table.’ Though there were some rare entries that sought to build a wider mythology upon which to explore that which goes bump in the night, the central thrust remained ‘get it shot, then get it in theaters,’ and viewers were all too happy to show.
The video boom of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s also opened the door to damn near anyone with a camera to step up to the plate and deliver low-budget productions in the hopes of box office glory. Once Beta and VHS players gave every Tom, Dick, and Harry the chance to watch and repeat such escapism in the comfort and privacy of his own home, it truly was off to races for every conceivable genre … but I’d argue that Horror benefitted the most. Such entries could be shot on a shoestring budget (as compared to larger studio fare), so the real trick was finding a means to distribute this schlock in a timely fashion. As such prospects grew, so did independent studios … and one of the best of record from the 1980’s was Charles Band’s Empire International Pictures.
Lasting only a slim few years (officially from 1983 through 1988), Empire – under Band and his merry ‘band’ of yarn spinners – crafted some of the slickest secondary fare to see the light of the silver screen. Trafficking chiefly in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, the studio truly revolutionized what was possible outside of Hollywood by utilizing Band’s knack for knowing a good idea when he saw it, selling such ideas to hungry investors, and then – simply – getting it done. Though chiefly remembered for visionary tales like Re-Animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986), Empire did far more in that short time than some outfits accomplish in decades. While quality varies, the enthusiasm to do more rarely did; and folks like me are still hungry to discover a title or two that’s had little modern exposure.
All of this brings me to Ghoulies II (1987), the follow-up to Empire’s 1984 Horror/Comedy Ghoulies. The flick enjoyed its U.S. theatrical premiere in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 31, 1987; and it turned up on U.S. home video about one year later.
While the Universal Monsters Universe certainly dabbled in that realm in the 1930’s and 1940’s, it wasn’t until the entries like 1973’s The Exorcist, 1976’s The Omen, 1978’s Halloween, and – inevitably – 1980’s Friday The 13th that true studio heavyweights recognized that there was an audience both willing and able to endure such frights on a regular basis. As the audiences grew from the transition from Horror being a niche experience to more of a mainstream carnival-style attraction, studios were all too happy to invest more, and why wouldn’t they be? At that time, sequels were basically little more than a copy of the original – with modest modifications, if any – so it wasn’t as if reinvention was ever ‘on the table.’ Though there were some rare entries that sought to build a wider mythology upon which to explore that which goes bump in the night, the central thrust remained ‘get it shot, then get it in theaters,’ and viewers were all too happy to show.
The video boom of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s also opened the door to damn near anyone with a camera to step up to the plate and deliver low-budget productions in the hopes of box office glory. Once Beta and VHS players gave every Tom, Dick, and Harry the chance to watch and repeat such escapism in the comfort and privacy of his own home, it truly was off to races for every conceivable genre … but I’d argue that Horror benefitted the most. Such entries could be shot on a shoestring budget (as compared to larger studio fare), so the real trick was finding a means to distribute this schlock in a timely fashion. As such prospects grew, so did independent studios … and one of the best of record from the 1980’s was Charles Band’s Empire International Pictures.
Lasting only a slim few years (officially from 1983 through 1988), Empire – under Band and his merry ‘band’ of yarn spinners – crafted some of the slickest secondary fare to see the light of the silver screen. Trafficking chiefly in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, the studio truly revolutionized what was possible outside of Hollywood by utilizing Band’s knack for knowing a good idea when he saw it, selling such ideas to hungry investors, and then – simply – getting it done. Though chiefly remembered for visionary tales like Re-Animator (1985) and From Beyond (1986), Empire did far more in that short time than some outfits accomplish in decades. While quality varies, the enthusiasm to do more rarely did; and folks like me are still hungry to discover a title or two that’s had little modern exposure.
All of this brings me to Ghoulies II (1987), the follow-up to Empire’s 1984 Horror/Comedy Ghoulies. The flick enjoyed its U.S. theatrical premiere in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 31, 1987; and it turned up on U.S. home video about one year later.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“The Ghoulies wreak havoc at an amusement park, disposing of those who mistake them for mere fairground attractions.”
For those of you unaware, Ghoulies is arguably a theatrical variation (of a sort) on the same kind of madcap zaniness Steven Spielberg accomplished when he produced Gremlins (1984). This is not to suggest – in any way – that one is ripping off the other; rather, it’s only a observation on how the two properties are foundationally. Basically, you have this set of small critters whose sole purpose in life is to wreak havoc on mankind; and that’s the sum total of their existence. We and they come together, antics ensue, and – ahem – we’re the ones lucky to get out alive.
In Ghoulies II, these gruesome little beasts are about to be destroyed by some fundamentalist preacher when Fate intervenes: a semi-truck pulls into a gas station in the dead of night, giving the monsters a means of escape they never predicted. They stowaway in the truck’s trailer securely tucked away amongst the props and paraphernalia of “Satan’s Den,” the Horror house attraction for a failing travelling carnival. Before Larry (played by Damon Martin) and Uncle Ned (Royal Dano) discover them in residence, the Ghoulies will have amassed a small pile of bodies and are intent on delivering a few more.
To the film’s benefit, Ghoulies II does make a broader effort at storytelling than just instilling fear with some comic undertones.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“The Ghoulies wreak havoc at an amusement park, disposing of those who mistake them for mere fairground attractions.”
For those of you unaware, Ghoulies is arguably a theatrical variation (of a sort) on the same kind of madcap zaniness Steven Spielberg accomplished when he produced Gremlins (1984). This is not to suggest – in any way – that one is ripping off the other; rather, it’s only a observation on how the two properties are foundationally. Basically, you have this set of small critters whose sole purpose in life is to wreak havoc on mankind; and that’s the sum total of their existence. We and they come together, antics ensue, and – ahem – we’re the ones lucky to get out alive.
In Ghoulies II, these gruesome little beasts are about to be destroyed by some fundamentalist preacher when Fate intervenes: a semi-truck pulls into a gas station in the dead of night, giving the monsters a means of escape they never predicted. They stowaway in the truck’s trailer securely tucked away amongst the props and paraphernalia of “Satan’s Den,” the Horror house attraction for a failing travelling carnival. Before Larry (played by Damon Martin) and Uncle Ned (Royal Dano) discover them in residence, the Ghoulies will have amassed a small pile of bodies and are intent on delivering a few more.
To the film’s benefit, Ghoulies II does make a broader effort at storytelling than just instilling fear with some comic undertones.
The film’s set-up involving the preacher and what looks to be some religious cult members quickly disappears after its expense, leaving the way free and clear for what follows. Financially, the Hardin Carnival is in dire straits, a reality that forces company accountant P. Hardin (J. Downing) to show up with hopes of whipping the enterprise into fiscal shape. As men in power happen to do, the strapping well-dressed P. sets his sights on romancing one of the midway’s lovely ladies – the belly dancing Nicole (Kerry Remsen) – whose heart seemingly already belongs to Larry, forcing the development of a modest love triangle. It seems Uncle Ned has actually dabbled in some of the black arts, a plot development that ultimately sets up how these carnies can possibly best the Ghoulies in the last reel. And all of it is held together around Sir Nigel Penneyweight (Phil Fondacaro), the good-hearted little man who’ll stop at nothing to keep his carnival family together.
Like some of the best that came from Empire Pictures, Ghoulies II moves along briskly, never giving the audience too much down time to stop and reflect on any of its inadequacies or lesser performances. One body is really only a precursor for the next, and these demented little monsters – rather obvious puppets at every showing except for a few stop-motion bits – occupy only as much screen time as is absolutely necessary. After all, this is meant to be the purest form of escapism – light on the brain and sugary to the taste – so thinking about how easily the local law authorities might take up arms on behalf of P. Hardin’s simple wishes would throw a veritable monkey wrench into the roller coaster. Thus, director Albert Band keeps everything moving crisply from one grim laugh to the next. If nothing else, the picture is about as lean as 89 minutes can be; and that definitely helps make it all go down easily.
Sadly, these Ghoulies really aren’t up to the brand of frenetic schtick delivered by Spielberg and director Joe Dante’s Gremlins. In fact, I’d argue that they’re a pretty distant second. If I wasn’t so much a fan of practical effects, then I might even rate this one a bit lower than I did then and still do today. Gremlins delivers a big crowd-pleasing flourish in its showdown, but … here? Well, you get some cheap laughs as the Ghoulies kinda/sorta try to ruin this small town’s night at the carnival. It’s probably the best that could be accomplished on this budget.
Also, the script’s heroes don’t really get to be heroes in last reel. Oh, yes, Larry and Nicole get to ride off (via Volkswagen) into the sunset; but they don’t get to save the day in dispatching the Ghoulies. Black magic does – curiously in the shape of a man-sized Ghoulie, at that, a development that never gets explained, either – and then they have to clean up their mess by toppling that late-breaking addition to the script. Granted, they’re ultimately successful, and yet I can’t dismiss that nagging feeling that Larry was somehow robbed of being the knight in shining armor the script could’ve, would’ve, and should’ve had him become.
Call me old-fashioned, if you will, but those things still matter in my corner of the universe.
Ghoulies II (1987) was produced by Empire Pictures, Taryn Productions, and Empire Studios Rome. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment (under their MVD Rewind Collection). As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I honestly found the provided sights-and-sounds to this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray to be damned exquisite! Seriously, this flick looks and sounds incredible for its age, and I’ve no doubt that the fans of Band’s work will want the upgrade for their own collections.
Like some of the best that came from Empire Pictures, Ghoulies II moves along briskly, never giving the audience too much down time to stop and reflect on any of its inadequacies or lesser performances. One body is really only a precursor for the next, and these demented little monsters – rather obvious puppets at every showing except for a few stop-motion bits – occupy only as much screen time as is absolutely necessary. After all, this is meant to be the purest form of escapism – light on the brain and sugary to the taste – so thinking about how easily the local law authorities might take up arms on behalf of P. Hardin’s simple wishes would throw a veritable monkey wrench into the roller coaster. Thus, director Albert Band keeps everything moving crisply from one grim laugh to the next. If nothing else, the picture is about as lean as 89 minutes can be; and that definitely helps make it all go down easily.
Sadly, these Ghoulies really aren’t up to the brand of frenetic schtick delivered by Spielberg and director Joe Dante’s Gremlins. In fact, I’d argue that they’re a pretty distant second. If I wasn’t so much a fan of practical effects, then I might even rate this one a bit lower than I did then and still do today. Gremlins delivers a big crowd-pleasing flourish in its showdown, but … here? Well, you get some cheap laughs as the Ghoulies kinda/sorta try to ruin this small town’s night at the carnival. It’s probably the best that could be accomplished on this budget.
Also, the script’s heroes don’t really get to be heroes in last reel. Oh, yes, Larry and Nicole get to ride off (via Volkswagen) into the sunset; but they don’t get to save the day in dispatching the Ghoulies. Black magic does – curiously in the shape of a man-sized Ghoulie, at that, a development that never gets explained, either – and then they have to clean up their mess by toppling that late-breaking addition to the script. Granted, they’re ultimately successful, and yet I can’t dismiss that nagging feeling that Larry was somehow robbed of being the knight in shining armor the script could’ve, would’ve, and should’ve had him become.
Call me old-fashioned, if you will, but those things still matter in my corner of the universe.
Ghoulies II (1987) was produced by Empire Pictures, Taryn Productions, and Empire Studios Rome. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment (under their MVD Rewind Collection). As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I honestly found the provided sights-and-sounds to this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray to be damned exquisite! Seriously, this flick looks and sounds incredible for its age, and I’ve no doubt that the fans of Band’s work will want the upgrade for their own collections.
Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? On that front, I’m doing the reliable copy-and-paste as provided by MVD’s press release previously published on Blu-ray.com:
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Sigh. It’s a small thing to many, I realize, but I’m at that point in my life that I prefer audio commentaries over the usual produced featurettes. Everything in those feels a bit obligatory: you might get a nice story here or there, but nothing replaces a grand commentary. Sad that there isn’t any in sight for this release … but it is what it is.
Recommended.
In the catalog of Charles Band films, I’d argue that Ghoulies II (1987) is still one of his better efforts. It has a narrative slickness that never slows down too much for any unnecessary weight to attach. Oh, it might not answer all of the questions some of the audience wanted – such as where and why the imps came from and whatnot – but the story delivered adequately stakes out new territory, new characters, and new circumstances quickly enough that others may not notice, much less care. As a PG-13 rated flick, it hits most of the right notes – never getting too bloody or too gruesome for the youngest-at-heart – but still showcases solid creature effects for fans of practical work. A tighter finish would’ve made the happy ending even a bit happier, but that’s the risk you take when you gamble on the big attraction of any carnival … real or theatrical.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment provided me with a complimentary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of Ghoulies II (1987) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- 2K RESTORATION OF THE FILM PREPARED ON BEHALF OF MGM
- Introduction by Screenwriter Dennis Paoli (HD, 1:15)
- More Toilets, More Terror: The Making of Ghoulies 2 (HD, 16:50)
- Under A Magic Moon: Interview with Dennis Paoli (HD, 33:36)
- Deleted Scenes (HD, 2:43)
- Photo Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:23)
- 2-Sided Artwork
- Collectible Mini-Poster
- Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only)
- Optional English, French and Spanish Subtitles for the main feature
Sigh. It’s a small thing to many, I realize, but I’m at that point in my life that I prefer audio commentaries over the usual produced featurettes. Everything in those feels a bit obligatory: you might get a nice story here or there, but nothing replaces a grand commentary. Sad that there isn’t any in sight for this release … but it is what it is.
Recommended.
In the catalog of Charles Band films, I’d argue that Ghoulies II (1987) is still one of his better efforts. It has a narrative slickness that never slows down too much for any unnecessary weight to attach. Oh, it might not answer all of the questions some of the audience wanted – such as where and why the imps came from and whatnot – but the story delivered adequately stakes out new territory, new characters, and new circumstances quickly enough that others may not notice, much less care. As a PG-13 rated flick, it hits most of the right notes – never getting too bloody or too gruesome for the youngest-at-heart – but still showcases solid creature effects for fans of practical work. A tighter finish would’ve made the happy ending even a bit happier, but that’s the risk you take when you gamble on the big attraction of any carnival … real or theatrical.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment provided me with a complimentary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of Ghoulies II (1987) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
Back in my college days – many, many, many moons ago – I was once advised by a college professor that it was unfair of me to put the same expectations on foreign releases that I had for domestic films.
I know, I know, I know. Calm down. I can hear all of you shouting from the rooftops. In fairness to the man, I think all he was honestly trying to convey was that I – as an American – have my own set of filters I use to evaluate art; and the foreign film production of the day couldn’t quite hold a candle to how much the U.S. had invested in the studio system. Furthermore, the things I cared about as a citizen might not exactly mirror those of my international neighbors; they’d grown up with an entirely different set of happenings, and I shouldn’t force my values, perspectives, and mores onto what they put out into the marketplace of ideas. Certainly, it goes without saying that not everything is universal; and, yet, at the end of the day every storyteller still has to produce a story that informs and entertains an audience, so I do try to stick to those rather narrow parameters when I believe they apply.
Besides, why shouldn’t a foreign monster movie work on the same intellectual level that should one of ours? Don’t they share some common structures? Aren’t they assembled with the same goal – of scaring folks silly – in mind? Something as noble yet forgettable as Crocodile (1979) ain’t rocket science, and no one is ever going to convince me otherwise. As for crafting compelling characters that both fit well within and demonstrably understand the narrative composition, there may be some negligible differences; and that’s perfectly fine. But if it doesn’t scare – if it doesn’t terrorize – then what good is any of it whether it was made here, there, or anywhere?
Though the film occasionally has bite, it still feels all wet in all the wrong ways.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A giant crocodile is killing and frightening people living nearby rivers. Two men, whose wives and daughter have been killed by the crocodile, decide to chase and eliminate it.”
I know, I know, I know. Calm down. I can hear all of you shouting from the rooftops. In fairness to the man, I think all he was honestly trying to convey was that I – as an American – have my own set of filters I use to evaluate art; and the foreign film production of the day couldn’t quite hold a candle to how much the U.S. had invested in the studio system. Furthermore, the things I cared about as a citizen might not exactly mirror those of my international neighbors; they’d grown up with an entirely different set of happenings, and I shouldn’t force my values, perspectives, and mores onto what they put out into the marketplace of ideas. Certainly, it goes without saying that not everything is universal; and, yet, at the end of the day every storyteller still has to produce a story that informs and entertains an audience, so I do try to stick to those rather narrow parameters when I believe they apply.
Besides, why shouldn’t a foreign monster movie work on the same intellectual level that should one of ours? Don’t they share some common structures? Aren’t they assembled with the same goal – of scaring folks silly – in mind? Something as noble yet forgettable as Crocodile (1979) ain’t rocket science, and no one is ever going to convince me otherwise. As for crafting compelling characters that both fit well within and demonstrably understand the narrative composition, there may be some negligible differences; and that’s perfectly fine. But if it doesn’t scare – if it doesn’t terrorize – then what good is any of it whether it was made here, there, or anywhere?
Though the film occasionally has bite, it still feels all wet in all the wrong ways.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A giant crocodile is killing and frightening people living nearby rivers. Two men, whose wives and daughter have been killed by the crocodile, decide to chase and eliminate it.”
As a self-professed fan of monster movies, I do tend to look the other way a little bit when it comes to listing flaw after flaw after flaw of any feature; but that’s hard to do with a prospect like Crocodile. First released on June 28, 1979, in West Germany, the story isn’t exactly one we haven’t seen before, and the wider Thailand film industry being what it was it arguably lacks any identifiable emotional core that could’ve propped it up in so many of its quieter moments. While the truth could very well be that director Sompote Sands wanted nothing more to create an Eastern cinematic equivalent to what Steven Spielberg so capably did in 1975 when Jaws rocked silver screens around the globe, I’d argue that Sands should’ve done far more to distance himself and his project than he did. The last reel, in particular, matches up with the superior effort almost beat-for-beat; that could’ve been a good thing … if the previous one hour hadn’t felt so deliriously flat.
Dr. Tony Akom (played by Nard Poowanai) finally manages to squeeze in time from his frantic schedule at the hospital in order to take his family and friends on a fun-filled vacation. But when tragedy strikes – his wife and daughter vanish in the ocean, though a few pieces show up not long after – and the man can no longer commit to the business of saving lives. Instead, he convinces his friend Dr. John Stromm (Min Oo) – whose wife also perished in the presumed crocodile attack – that only they have the smarts to hunt down and destroy the beast below the waterline. A local fisherman, Tanaka (Kirk Warren), offers his services; and the team sets out … for adventure!
Sigh.
Essentially, what one gets with a story like Crocodile is a traditional monster movie. What elevates it just a bit is that the script does dabble – albeit briefly – with suggestions of where this mighty critter may’ve come from. While suggestions are that a release of atomic power possibly spurred on by a raging hurricane in the film’s set-up gets blamed; and suddenly the flick feels – again, albeit briefly – like Sands wanted to say something about mankind’s boldest use of science might have produced some unintended consequences. None of this really matters, however, as the script then settles into scenes vacillating between Akom’s attempts to ‘understand’ the creature and the croc’s increased path of destruction on villagers aplenty. Instead of being smarter, this one truly takes the low road.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with that.
What I do have issues with are some – ahem – undercooked creature effects and – double ahem – some poorly utilized miniature sequences. One would think that – since the tale revolves around an already large monster that’s apparently growing in size – everyone involved would have agreed in advance to exactly what size ol’ Toothy (my nickname for it) was in each and every scene. That doesn’t appear to be the case here as it’s sometimes smaller than it was in the preceding attack although larger in the next before going back to damn near conventional size and shape. I can overlook some minor blemishes – mostly because I do love practical effects – but the lack of continuity here was laughable far more than it should’ve been.
Plenty of other frights have taken the path most travelled and performed admirably – or ‘admirably enough’ to be engaging. Crocodile’s problems mount, though, largely because it’s all captured and delivered with an increasingly predictable blandness; it isn’t until the big showdown that any true stakes are raised so far as I noticed and/or cared. Akom and Stromm pursue vengeance more because that’s the way the story was written than they do from any heart wrenchingly delivering breakdown. They’re men … and that’s what men do. Presumably. But following too closely to the prescription as written by Dr. Spielberg (snicker snicker) just isn’t enough to save this entire affair in the conclusion. Technically, everything in here works, but it does so without building the level of audience commitment and tension that superior pictures – and superior directors – require.
On its own merits, this Crocodile barely stays afloat.
Dr. Tony Akom (played by Nard Poowanai) finally manages to squeeze in time from his frantic schedule at the hospital in order to take his family and friends on a fun-filled vacation. But when tragedy strikes – his wife and daughter vanish in the ocean, though a few pieces show up not long after – and the man can no longer commit to the business of saving lives. Instead, he convinces his friend Dr. John Stromm (Min Oo) – whose wife also perished in the presumed crocodile attack – that only they have the smarts to hunt down and destroy the beast below the waterline. A local fisherman, Tanaka (Kirk Warren), offers his services; and the team sets out … for adventure!
Sigh.
Essentially, what one gets with a story like Crocodile is a traditional monster movie. What elevates it just a bit is that the script does dabble – albeit briefly – with suggestions of where this mighty critter may’ve come from. While suggestions are that a release of atomic power possibly spurred on by a raging hurricane in the film’s set-up gets blamed; and suddenly the flick feels – again, albeit briefly – like Sands wanted to say something about mankind’s boldest use of science might have produced some unintended consequences. None of this really matters, however, as the script then settles into scenes vacillating between Akom’s attempts to ‘understand’ the creature and the croc’s increased path of destruction on villagers aplenty. Instead of being smarter, this one truly takes the low road.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with that.
What I do have issues with are some – ahem – undercooked creature effects and – double ahem – some poorly utilized miniature sequences. One would think that – since the tale revolves around an already large monster that’s apparently growing in size – everyone involved would have agreed in advance to exactly what size ol’ Toothy (my nickname for it) was in each and every scene. That doesn’t appear to be the case here as it’s sometimes smaller than it was in the preceding attack although larger in the next before going back to damn near conventional size and shape. I can overlook some minor blemishes – mostly because I do love practical effects – but the lack of continuity here was laughable far more than it should’ve been.
Plenty of other frights have taken the path most travelled and performed admirably – or ‘admirably enough’ to be engaging. Crocodile’s problems mount, though, largely because it’s all captured and delivered with an increasingly predictable blandness; it isn’t until the big showdown that any true stakes are raised so far as I noticed and/or cared. Akom and Stromm pursue vengeance more because that’s the way the story was written than they do from any heart wrenchingly delivering breakdown. They’re men … and that’s what men do. Presumably. But following too closely to the prescription as written by Dr. Spielberg (snicker snicker) just isn’t enough to save this entire affair in the conclusion. Technically, everything in here works, but it does so without building the level of audience commitment and tension that superior pictures – and superior directors – require.
On its own merits, this Crocodile barely stays afloat.
Crocodile (1979) was produced by Chaiyo Productions. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Synapse Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be largely very good: there’s a great deal of grain in some sequences, but the bulk of the project is made up of fairly uninspired cinematography except for some better shots in the final reel. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Well, for posterity’s sake, I’m doing the reliable copy-and-paste from the company’s press release previously published on Blu-ray.com:
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Speaking frankly, I’d strongly encourage those who like thoughtful, insightful, and even educational audio commentaries to check out the one provided here by Mr. Gambin. I may not always agree with his assessment of eco-Horror as it applies especially to this film, but he still serves up something that’s fabulous and far more stimulating than the accompanying theatrical experience. Sometimes, truth hurts.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
While I’ll stop short of decrying Crocodile (1979) a total waste, it did truly test my patience in a great many ways. The central problem with it is that it hosts far too much bloat for what essentially boils down to be little more than an obvious attempt to clone Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) as a kinda/sorta slightly different monster movie. That alone might be reason enough to sit through it, but everyone should be forewarned that – unlike what Spielberg accomplished – these characters just don’t lift off the screen and feel real or interesting at any time except for when they’re in obvious jeopardy. Without the association and resulting sympathy, they’re little more than pawns in service of a screenwriter and director … much like the puppety oversized crocodile and the corresponding miniatures. Ouch.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Synapse Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Crocodile (1979) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- 2K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
- Original theatrical trailer
- Audio commentary with writer and film historian Lee Gambin
- Video interview with original Crocodile Fangs director, Won-se Lee
- Deleted and alternate scenes
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature
- REGION-FREE
Speaking frankly, I’d strongly encourage those who like thoughtful, insightful, and even educational audio commentaries to check out the one provided here by Mr. Gambin. I may not always agree with his assessment of eco-Horror as it applies especially to this film, but he still serves up something that’s fabulous and far more stimulating than the accompanying theatrical experience. Sometimes, truth hurts.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
While I’ll stop short of decrying Crocodile (1979) a total waste, it did truly test my patience in a great many ways. The central problem with it is that it hosts far too much bloat for what essentially boils down to be little more than an obvious attempt to clone Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) as a kinda/sorta slightly different monster movie. That alone might be reason enough to sit through it, but everyone should be forewarned that – unlike what Spielberg accomplished – these characters just don’t lift off the screen and feel real or interesting at any time except for when they’re in obvious jeopardy. Without the association and resulting sympathy, they’re little more than pawns in service of a screenwriter and director … much like the puppety oversized crocodile and the corresponding miniatures. Ouch.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Synapse Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Crocodile (1979) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
Folks, you know me: I don't trouble the readership with the usual riffraff.
If I post something, then I'm giving you the SciFiHistory.Net guarantee that you definitely need to know about it. And when it comes to promoting forthcoming home video releases, I'm trying to do more of it in this space especially when it comes to slates that dabble in the realms of the Fantastic that we take so seriously around these parts ... namely Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Film Noir, Thrillers, and the occasional Western. In that respect, I'm aiming to do my part to keep you up-to-speed with practical releases; and I've just received notice for some fabulous titles coming down the pike from the good folks at Kino Lorber, a personal and longtime favorite of mine.
Just take a gander at some of the goodness that'll be 'streeting' in August, 2024 from their catalogue; and I'd find it hard -- very hard -- for you to not find notice something of interest. It's one of the best listings from them that I've seen in quite some time; and -- with my excitement boiling over -- I wanted to get up a post post-haste on the MainPage.
Read it and weep, my friends ... with tears of joy!
If I post something, then I'm giving you the SciFiHistory.Net guarantee that you definitely need to know about it. And when it comes to promoting forthcoming home video releases, I'm trying to do more of it in this space especially when it comes to slates that dabble in the realms of the Fantastic that we take so seriously around these parts ... namely Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Film Noir, Thrillers, and the occasional Western. In that respect, I'm aiming to do my part to keep you up-to-speed with practical releases; and I've just received notice for some fabulous titles coming down the pike from the good folks at Kino Lorber, a personal and longtime favorite of mine.
Just take a gander at some of the goodness that'll be 'streeting' in August, 2024 from their catalogue; and I'd find it hard -- very hard -- for you to not find notice something of interest. It's one of the best listings from them that I've seen in quite some time; and -- with my excitement boiling over -- I wanted to get up a post post-haste on the MainPage.
Read it and weep, my friends ... with tears of joy!
BOB LE FLAMBEUR (4KUHD) (4K UHD)
Directed by : Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast : Roger Duchesne, Isabelle Corey, Daniel Cauchy, Guy Decomble, Gérard Buhr, Claude Cerval
Available Date : 08/13/2024
Release Year : 1956
Running Time : 98
UPC : 738329267407
Country : France
Language: French with optional English subtitles
Genre : Thriller, Film Noir, Crime, World Cinema, 4K UHD DISC
From Jean-Pierre Melville, the legendary director of Le Doulos, Le Samouraï, Army of Shadows and Un Flic, comes this classic heist film noir, in the tradition of Rififi. Suffused with wry humor, Bob Le Flambeur melds the toughness of American gangster films with Gallic sophistication to lay the roadmap for the French New Wave. As the neon is extinguished for another dawn, an aging gambler (Roger Duchesne) navigates the treacherous world of pimps, moneymen and naïve associates while plotting one last score—the heist of the Deauville casino. This underworld comedy of manners possesses all the formal beauty, finesse and treacherous allure of green baize. Boasting a beautifully written screenplay by Melville and Auguste Le Breton (Razzia Sur la Chnouf) and stunning black-and-white cinematography by Henri Decaë (The 400 Blows, Purple Noon).
Product Extras :
Directed by : Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast : Roger Duchesne, Isabelle Corey, Daniel Cauchy, Guy Decomble, Gérard Buhr, Claude Cerval
Available Date : 08/13/2024
Release Year : 1956
Running Time : 98
UPC : 738329267407
Country : France
Language: French with optional English subtitles
Genre : Thriller, Film Noir, Crime, World Cinema, 4K UHD DISC
From Jean-Pierre Melville, the legendary director of Le Doulos, Le Samouraï, Army of Shadows and Un Flic, comes this classic heist film noir, in the tradition of Rififi. Suffused with wry humor, Bob Le Flambeur melds the toughness of American gangster films with Gallic sophistication to lay the roadmap for the French New Wave. As the neon is extinguished for another dawn, an aging gambler (Roger Duchesne) navigates the treacherous world of pimps, moneymen and naïve associates while plotting one last score—the heist of the Deauville casino. This underworld comedy of manners possesses all the formal beauty, finesse and treacherous allure of green baize. Boasting a beautifully written screenplay by Melville and Auguste Le Breton (Razzia Sur la Chnouf) and stunning black-and-white cinematography by Henri Decaë (The 400 Blows, Purple Noon).
Product Extras :
- UHD SDR Master by StudioCanal – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
- Audio Commentary by Film Critic Nick Pinkerton
- Diary of a Villain: Documentary by Dominique Maillet (25:45)
- Theatrical Trailer
- In French with Optional English Subtitles
LE DOULOS (4KUHD) (4K UHD)
Directed by : Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast : Jean-Paul Belmondo, Serge Reggiani, Michel Piccoli, Jean Desailly, René Lefèvre, Fabienne Dali, Monique Hennessy
Available Date : 08/13/2024
Release Year : 62
Running Time : 108
UPC : 738329267414
Country : France
Language: French with optional English subtitles
Genre : Thriller, Film Noir, Crime, Action, World Cinema, 4K UHD DISC
From Jean-Pierre Melville, the legendary director of Bob Le Flambeur, Le Deuxième Souffle, Le Cercle Rouge and Un Flic, comes this highly influential film noir classic. The backstabbing criminals in the shadowy underworld of Le Doulos have only one guiding principle: “Lie or die.” A stone-faced Jean-Paul Belmondo (Classe Tous Risques) stars as enigmatic gangster Silien, who may or may not be responsible for squealing on Faugel (Serge Reggiani, Army of Shadows), just released from the slammer and already involved in what should have been a simple heist. By the end of this brutal, twisty, and multilayered policier, who will be left to trust? Shot and edited with Melville’s trademark cool and featuring masterfully stylized dialogue and performances, Le Doulos (slang for an informant) is one of the filmmaker’s most gripping crime films. Co-starring Jean Desailly (Un Flic) and Michel Piccoli (Max and the Junkmen), written by Melville, from the best-selling novel by Pierre Lesou (The Cop) and beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by Nicolas Hayer (Le Corbeau).
Product Extras :
Directed by : Jean-Pierre Melville
Cast : Jean-Paul Belmondo, Serge Reggiani, Michel Piccoli, Jean Desailly, René Lefèvre, Fabienne Dali, Monique Hennessy
Available Date : 08/13/2024
Release Year : 62
Running Time : 108
UPC : 738329267414
Country : France
Language: French with optional English subtitles
Genre : Thriller, Film Noir, Crime, Action, World Cinema, 4K UHD DISC
From Jean-Pierre Melville, the legendary director of Bob Le Flambeur, Le Deuxième Souffle, Le Cercle Rouge and Un Flic, comes this highly influential film noir classic. The backstabbing criminals in the shadowy underworld of Le Doulos have only one guiding principle: “Lie or die.” A stone-faced Jean-Paul Belmondo (Classe Tous Risques) stars as enigmatic gangster Silien, who may or may not be responsible for squealing on Faugel (Serge Reggiani, Army of Shadows), just released from the slammer and already involved in what should have been a simple heist. By the end of this brutal, twisty, and multilayered policier, who will be left to trust? Shot and edited with Melville’s trademark cool and featuring masterfully stylized dialogue and performances, Le Doulos (slang for an informant) is one of the filmmaker’s most gripping crime films. Co-starring Jean Desailly (Un Flic) and Michel Piccoli (Max and the Junkmen), written by Melville, from the best-selling novel by Pierre Lesou (The Cop) and beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by Nicolas Hayer (Le Corbeau).
Product Extras :
- UHD SDR Master by StudioCanal – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
- Audio Commentary by Film Historian Samm Deighan
- Melville - The Demon Within Him: Interview with First Assistant Director Volker Schlöndorff (29:34)
- Birth of the Detective Story Melville Style: Documentary (32:46)
- Theatrical Trailer
- In French with Optional English Subtitles
99 RIVER STREET (SPECIAL EDITION) (BLU-RAY)
Directed by : Phil Karlson
Cast : John Payne, Evelyn Keyes, Brad Dexter, Peggy Castle, Jay Adler, Frank Faylen, Jack Lambert
Available Date : 08/13/2024
Release Year : 1953
Running Time : 83
UPC : 738329267421
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Film Noir, Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
In this classic film noir, a down-on-his-luck former boxing contender (John Payne, Larceny, The Boss), turned cab driver has to hide from the police when he’s accused of murdering his badgering wife when her lifeless body turns up in the back of his cab. On the run and out of time, he needs to bring the real killer to justice before the cops and the thugs responsible for the set-up get their hands on him. Top-notch direction by the great Phil Karlson (Kansas City Confidential, The Phoenix City Story) and featuring a great cast that includes Evelyn Keyes (Iron Man), Brad Dexter (Run Silent, Run Deep), Frank Faylen (The Looters), Peggie Castle (Back from the Dead) and Jay Adler (The Killing).
Product Extras :
Directed by : Phil Karlson
Cast : John Payne, Evelyn Keyes, Brad Dexter, Peggy Castle, Jay Adler, Frank Faylen, Jack Lambert
Available Date : 08/13/2024
Release Year : 1953
Running Time : 83
UPC : 738329267421
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Film Noir, Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
In this classic film noir, a down-on-his-luck former boxing contender (John Payne, Larceny, The Boss), turned cab driver has to hide from the police when he’s accused of murdering his badgering wife when her lifeless body turns up in the back of his cab. On the run and out of time, he needs to bring the real killer to justice before the cops and the thugs responsible for the set-up get their hands on him. Top-notch direction by the great Phil Karlson (Kansas City Confidential, The Phoenix City Story) and featuring a great cast that includes Evelyn Keyes (Iron Man), Brad Dexter (Run Silent, Run Deep), Frank Faylen (The Looters), Peggie Castle (Back from the Dead) and Jay Adler (The Killing).
Product Extras :
- 2016 HD Master by Kino Lorber – From a 2K Scan of the 35mm Fine Grain
- Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Host of TCM's Noir Alley Eddie Muller
- Theatrical Trailer
- Optional English Subtitles
THE FOOD OF THE GODS (SPECIAL EDITION) (BLU-RAY)
Directed by : Bert I. Gordon
Cast : Marjoe Gortner, Pamela Franklin, Ralph Meeker, Ida Lupino, Jon Cypher, John McLiam, Belinda Balaski
Available Date : 08/20/2024
Release Year : 1976
Running Time : 88
UPC : 738329267469
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Adventure
Get ready for a taste of HELL! B-movie maestro Bert I. Gordon (Village of the Giants, Empire of the Ants)—the godfather of the “gigantic creature” genre—delivers the biggest Midnight Movie of all with this spine-tingling tale of ecology gone berserk. Based on H.G. Wells’ classic tale of sci-fi terror, The Food of the Gods predicts a future where animals are suddenly at the top of the food chain…and eager to get their fill! On a remote island, a mysterious substance is oozing from the ground. A farmer sees that it acts as a growth hormone and thinks his fortune is made. But when rats, chickens, worms and wasps begin sampling the potent substance, they morph into bloodthirsty giants! Now, it’s up to the island’s few residents and visitors (including Marjoe Gortner, Pamela Franklin, Ralph Meeker, Jon Cypher and Ida Lupino) to destroy “the food of the gods”…before the animals take over for good!
Product Extras :
Directed by : Bert I. Gordon
Cast : Marjoe Gortner, Pamela Franklin, Ralph Meeker, Ida Lupino, Jon Cypher, John McLiam, Belinda Balaski
Available Date : 08/20/2024
Release Year : 1976
Running Time : 88
UPC : 738329267469
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Adventure
Get ready for a taste of HELL! B-movie maestro Bert I. Gordon (Village of the Giants, Empire of the Ants)—the godfather of the “gigantic creature” genre—delivers the biggest Midnight Movie of all with this spine-tingling tale of ecology gone berserk. Based on H.G. Wells’ classic tale of sci-fi terror, The Food of the Gods predicts a future where animals are suddenly at the top of the food chain…and eager to get their fill! On a remote island, a mysterious substance is oozing from the ground. A farmer sees that it acts as a growth hormone and thinks his fortune is made. But when rats, chickens, worms and wasps begin sampling the potent substance, they morph into bloodthirsty giants! Now, it’s up to the island’s few residents and visitors (including Marjoe Gortner, Pamela Franklin, Ralph Meeker, Jon Cypher and Ida Lupino) to destroy “the food of the gods”…before the animals take over for good!
Product Extras :
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Lee Gambin and John Harrison, Author of WILDCAT!: The Films of Marjoe Gortner
- Audio Commentary by Writer/Producer/Director Bert I. Gordon
- Interview with Actress Belinda Balaski
- Theatrical Trailer
- Optional English Subtitles
EMPIRE OF THE ANTS (SPECIAL EDITION) (BLU-RAY)
Directed by : Bert I. Gordon
Cast : Joan Collins, Robert Lansing, John David Carson, Albert Salmi, Robert Pine, Jacqueline Scott, Pamela Susan Shoop, Tom Fadden
Available Date : 08/20/2024
Release Year : 1977
Running Time : 89
UPC : 738329267476
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Adventure
It’s no PICNIC! From sci-fi mastermind H.G. Wells and B-movie bigwig Bert I. Gordon (Village of the Giants, The Food of the Gods)—brace yourself for mutant mayhem and pestilent payback in this cult classic creature feature about good bugs gone BAD! Starring queen of mean Joan Collins (The Stud), this incredible insect extravaganza is swarming with flesh-crawling chills, hair-raising thrills and spine-tingling terror...with a venge-ANTS! A heavenly paradise becomes a hellish nightmare when a toxic spill turns harmless ants into rampaging, radioactive reprobates! Stumbling into their creepy lair, a sleazy land developer (Collins) and her clients (including Robert Lansing and John David Carson) are horrified to realize that the ants are having a picnic...and humans are on the menu! Fleeing for their lives—only to be squashed underfoot—they soon discover that these bad-boy bugs are hell-bent on exterminating mankind, and building an evil empire where humans check in...but they can’t check out!
Product Extras :
Directed by : Bert I. Gordon
Cast : Joan Collins, Robert Lansing, John David Carson, Albert Salmi, Robert Pine, Jacqueline Scott, Pamela Susan Shoop, Tom Fadden
Available Date : 08/20/2024
Release Year : 1977
Running Time : 89
UPC : 738329267476
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Adventure
It’s no PICNIC! From sci-fi mastermind H.G. Wells and B-movie bigwig Bert I. Gordon (Village of the Giants, The Food of the Gods)—brace yourself for mutant mayhem and pestilent payback in this cult classic creature feature about good bugs gone BAD! Starring queen of mean Joan Collins (The Stud), this incredible insect extravaganza is swarming with flesh-crawling chills, hair-raising thrills and spine-tingling terror...with a venge-ANTS! A heavenly paradise becomes a hellish nightmare when a toxic spill turns harmless ants into rampaging, radioactive reprobates! Stumbling into their creepy lair, a sleazy land developer (Collins) and her clients (including Robert Lansing and John David Carson) are horrified to realize that the ants are having a picnic...and humans are on the menu! Fleeing for their lives—only to be squashed underfoot—they soon discover that these bad-boy bugs are hell-bent on exterminating mankind, and building an evil empire where humans check in...but they can’t check out!
Product Extras :
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle and Filmmaker/Historian Michael Varrati
- Audio Commentary by Producer/Director Bert I. Gordon
- Theatrical Trailer
- Optional English Subtitles
FROGS (SPECIAL EDITION) (BLU-RAY)
Directed by : George McCowan
Cast : Ray Milland, Sam Elliott, Joan Van Ark, Adam Roarke, Judy Pace, Lynn Borden, Mae Mercer, David Gilliam
Available Date : 08/20/2024
Release Year : 1972
Running Time : 91
UPC : 738329267483
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Today the pond…Tomorrow the world! A shocker reminiscent of Hitchcock’s The Birds, this amphibious horror flick is teeming with thousands of nasty-tempered creatures that are hopping mad—and murderous. Jumping with action, suspense, revenge and Southern Gothic charm, Frogs’ stars Ray Milland (The Thing with Two Heads), Sam Elliott (The Legacy) and Joan Van Ark (The Last Dinosaur) are constantly a lily pad away from croaking! Jason Crockett (Milland) is an aging, physically disabled millionaire who invites his family to his island estate for his birthday party. The old man is more than crotchety…he’s crazy! Hating nature, Crockett poisons anything that crawls on his property. But on the night of his shindig, it’s nature’s payback time, and thousands of frogs whip up every bug and slimy thing into a toxic frenzy until the entire environment goes environ-mental. Directed by George McCowan (H.G. Wells’ The Shape of Things to Come).
Product Extras :
Directed by : George McCowan
Cast : Ray Milland, Sam Elliott, Joan Van Ark, Adam Roarke, Judy Pace, Lynn Borden, Mae Mercer, David Gilliam
Available Date : 08/20/2024
Release Year : 1972
Running Time : 91
UPC : 738329267483
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Today the pond…Tomorrow the world! A shocker reminiscent of Hitchcock’s The Birds, this amphibious horror flick is teeming with thousands of nasty-tempered creatures that are hopping mad—and murderous. Jumping with action, suspense, revenge and Southern Gothic charm, Frogs’ stars Ray Milland (The Thing with Two Heads), Sam Elliott (The Legacy) and Joan Van Ark (The Last Dinosaur) are constantly a lily pad away from croaking! Jason Crockett (Milland) is an aging, physically disabled millionaire who invites his family to his island estate for his birthday party. The old man is more than crotchety…he’s crazy! Hating nature, Crockett poisons anything that crawls on his property. But on the night of his shindig, it’s nature’s payback time, and thousands of frogs whip up every bug and slimy thing into a toxic frenzy until the entire environment goes environ-mental. Directed by George McCowan (H.G. Wells’ The Shape of Things to Come).
Product Extras :
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle and Film Historian/Producer Dan Marino (son of NFL legend)
- Interview with Actress Joan Van Ark
- 4 TV Spots and 3 Radio Spots
- Theatrical Trailer
- Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
- Optional English Subtitles
KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS (SPECIAL EDITION) (BLU-RAY)
Directed by : John 'Bud' Cardos
Cast : William Shatner, Woody Strode, Tiffany Bolling, Lieux Dressler, David McLean, Natasha Ryan, Altovise Davis, Joe Ross, Roy Engel, Hoke Howell
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1977
Running Time : 97
UPC : 738329267506
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Science Fiction, Sci-Fi, Adventure
A living, crawling HELL ON EARTH! This classic 1977 creepshow stars the legendary William Shatner (Star Trek, The Devil’s Rain) as veterinarian “Rack” Hansen, faced with the puzzling death of a number of local farm animals. As even greater numbers of the helpless animals meet their deaths it is discovered that hundreds of tarantulas occupy the farm land. This is strange indeed! Tarantulas don’t live in colonies…or do they? An attractive entomologist (brilliantly portrayed by Tiffany Bolling, The Candy Snatchers) is called to the dusty little Arizona town to explain the sudden arrival of the spiders and their usual behavior. But is it too late? Time seems to be running out as the new species of eight-legged freaks now number in the thousands! Is it even possible to halt this arachnid explosion? The spiders are everywhere—and man is their prey! Directed by John “Bud” Cardos (The Dark, Mutant) and featuring Woody Strode (The Violent Breed), Lieux Dressler (Truck Stop Women) and Altovise Davis (Can’t Stop the Music).
Product Extras :
Directed by : John 'Bud' Cardos
Cast : William Shatner, Woody Strode, Tiffany Bolling, Lieux Dressler, David McLean, Natasha Ryan, Altovise Davis, Joe Ross, Roy Engel, Hoke Howell
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1977
Running Time : 97
UPC : 738329267506
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Science Fiction, Sci-Fi, Adventure
A living, crawling HELL ON EARTH! This classic 1977 creepshow stars the legendary William Shatner (Star Trek, The Devil’s Rain) as veterinarian “Rack” Hansen, faced with the puzzling death of a number of local farm animals. As even greater numbers of the helpless animals meet their deaths it is discovered that hundreds of tarantulas occupy the farm land. This is strange indeed! Tarantulas don’t live in colonies…or do they? An attractive entomologist (brilliantly portrayed by Tiffany Bolling, The Candy Snatchers) is called to the dusty little Arizona town to explain the sudden arrival of the spiders and their usual behavior. But is it too late? Time seems to be running out as the new species of eight-legged freaks now number in the thousands! Is it even possible to halt this arachnid explosion? The spiders are everywhere—and man is their prey! Directed by John “Bud” Cardos (The Dark, Mutant) and featuring Woody Strode (The Violent Breed), Lieux Dressler (Truck Stop Women) and Altovise Davis (Can’t Stop the Music).
Product Extras :
- NEW Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Lee Gambin
- Audio Commentary by Director John "Bud" Cardos, Producer Igo Kantor, Spider Wrangler Jim Brockett, Cinematographer John Morrill, Moderated by Lee Christian and Scott Spiegel
- Audio Commentary by Producer Igo Kantor, Actress Tiffany Bolling, Moderated by Marc Edward Heuck
- Interview with actress Tiffany Bolling
- Interview with Writer Steve Lodge
- Radio Spot
- Theatrical Trailer
- Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
- Optional English Subtitles
SQUIRM (SPECIAL EDITION) (BLU-RAY)
Directed by : Jeff Lieberman
Cast : Don Scardino, Patricia Pearcy, R.A. Dow, Joan Sullivan, Peter MacLean
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1976
Running Time : 92
UPC : 738329267490
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out…and to their ravenous intent, they leave no doubt! A truly frightening account of an infestation of biting worms, Squirm is guaranteed to make you do just that! When a powerful storm knocks Fly Creek, Georgia’s power lines down onto wet soil, the resulting surge of electricity drives large, bloodthirsty worms to the surface—and then out of their soil-tilling minds! Soon, the townspeople discover that their sleepy fishing village is overrun with worms that burrow right into their skin! Inundated by hundreds of thousands of carnivorous creatures, the terrorized locals race to find the cause of the rampage—before becoming tilled under themselves! Try to sit still for Squirm, the cult eco-horror classic from director Jeff Lieberman (Blue Sunshine, Just Before Dawn) and makeup F/X legend Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London)!
Product Extras :
Directed by : Jeff Lieberman
Cast : Don Scardino, Patricia Pearcy, R.A. Dow, Joan Sullivan, Peter MacLean
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1976
Running Time : 92
UPC : 738329267490
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Horror, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction
The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out…and to their ravenous intent, they leave no doubt! A truly frightening account of an infestation of biting worms, Squirm is guaranteed to make you do just that! When a powerful storm knocks Fly Creek, Georgia’s power lines down onto wet soil, the resulting surge of electricity drives large, bloodthirsty worms to the surface—and then out of their soil-tilling minds! Soon, the townspeople discover that their sleepy fishing village is overrun with worms that burrow right into their skin! Inundated by hundreds of thousands of carnivorous creatures, the terrorized locals race to find the cause of the rampage—before becoming tilled under themselves! Try to sit still for Squirm, the cult eco-horror classic from director Jeff Lieberman (Blue Sunshine, Just Before Dawn) and makeup F/X legend Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London)!
Product Extras :
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Critics/Authors Lee Gambin and John Harrison
- Audio Commentary by Writer/Director Jeff Lieberman
- Digging In - The Making of Squirm: Documentary with Jeff Lieberman, Actor Don Scardino and Special Effects Artist Bill Milling (33:11)
- Eureka: A Tour of Locations with Jeff Lieberman
- TV and Radio Spots
- Theatrical Trailer
- Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
- Optional English Subtitles
ALPHAVILLE (4KUHD) (4K UHD)
Directed by : Jean-Luc Godard
Cast : Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Valérie Boisgel, László Szabó, Howard Vernon, Christa Lang
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1965
Running Time : 99
UPC : 738329267391
Country : France
Language: French, with English subtitles
Genre : Science Fiction, Mystery, World Cinema, Film Noir, 4K UHD DISC, RT Certified Fresh
From Jean-Luc Godard, the influential filmmaker behind the French New Wave classics, Breathless, Contempt, Band of Outsiders and Pierrot Le Fou, comes this futuristic noir masterpiece. American secret agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine, Attack of the Robots) is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and kill the inventor of fascist computer Alpha 60. Anna Karina (The Nun) and Akim Tamiroff (Touch of Evil) co-star in this cockeyed fusion of science-fiction with pulp characters and surrealist poetry. Godard’s irreverent journey to the mysterious Alphaville remains one of the least conventional films of all time. Beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by Raoul Coutard (Jules and Jim, First Name: Carmen).
Product Extras :
Directed by : Jean-Luc Godard
Cast : Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Valérie Boisgel, László Szabó, Howard Vernon, Christa Lang
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1965
Running Time : 99
UPC : 738329267391
Country : France
Language: French, with English subtitles
Genre : Science Fiction, Mystery, World Cinema, Film Noir, 4K UHD DISC, RT Certified Fresh
From Jean-Luc Godard, the influential filmmaker behind the French New Wave classics, Breathless, Contempt, Band of Outsiders and Pierrot Le Fou, comes this futuristic noir masterpiece. American secret agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine, Attack of the Robots) is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and kill the inventor of fascist computer Alpha 60. Anna Karina (The Nun) and Akim Tamiroff (Touch of Evil) co-star in this cockeyed fusion of science-fiction with pulp characters and surrealist poetry. Godard’s irreverent journey to the mysterious Alphaville remains one of the least conventional films of all time. Beautifully shot in glorious black-and-white by Raoul Coutard (Jules and Jim, First Name: Carmen).
Product Extras :
- 2023 HDR/Dolby Vision Master by StudioCanal – From 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative
- Audio Commentary by Novelist and Critic Tim Lucas
- Anna Karina Interview (4:31)
- Colin McCabe Introduction (5:26)
- Includes Both Original French and English Audio with Optional English Subtitles
- Theatrical Trailer
FILM NOIR: THE DARK SIDE OF CINEMA XX
[CAPTAIN CAREY USA / APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER / MAKE HASTE TO LIVE]
(BLU-RAY)
Directed by : Mitchell Leisen, Lewis Allen, William A. Seiter
Cast : Alan Ladd, Dorothy McGuire, Jack Webb, Stephen McNally, Jan Sterling, Wanda Hendrix, Joseph Calleia, Francis Lederer, Russ Tamblyn, Phyllis Calvert, Paul Stewart, Harry Morgan, Mary Murphy, Edgar Buchanan, Carolyn Jones, John Howard
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1950-1954
Running Time : 263
UPC : 738329267056
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Film Noir
This collection features three film noir classics.
CAPTAIN CAREY, U.S.A. (1950) – Screen legend Alan Ladd (Lucky Jordan) plays the title role in this outstanding noir tale of a former OSS operative who returns to Italy after the war to avenge the death of resistance worker Giulia (Wanda Hendrix, Sierra)—only to find out that his “deceased” lover is not only still alive, but also now the wife of a powerful Italian baron (Francis Lederer, Midnight). Carey decides to stick around, hoping to flush out the traitor who had caused the wartime deaths of several of his OSS colleagues and resistance fighters. Enhanced by the musical number “Mona Lisa,” which won an Academy Award (Best Original Song, 1950) and later became an all-time classic. Directed by Hollywood great Mitchell Leisen (No Man of Her Own).
APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER (1951) – Ladd is back as the U.S. Mail’s Ace Agent Smashes the Biggest Mail Robbery Plan in History! Screen legend Alan Ladd (Chicago Deadline) is Postal Inspector Al Goddard, assigned to investigate the murder of a fellow officer. The only witness to the crime is Sister Augustine (Phyllis Calvert, Time Out of Mind), who identifies the photograph of one of the assailants. This leads Goddard to a seedy hotel where he learns that the assailant is a member of a gang headed by Earl Boettiger (Paul Stewart, Kiss Me Deadly), and he soon discovers that the gang is planning a million-dollar mail robbery. This taut and thrilling film noir also features Jan Sterling (Female on the Beach) and future Dragnet stars, Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, as Stewart’s henchmen. Directed by noir master Lewis Allen (So Evil My Love).
MAKE HASTE TO LIVE (1954) – Only a Gangster Killer Knew the Secret of Her Past! In this taut noir melodrama, Crystal (Dorothy McGuire, The Spiral Staircase) has unknowingly married a murderer. She knew Steve (Stephen McNally, The Raging Tide) was handsome and charming. But by the time she discovered he was a cold-blooded killer, it was too late: he had already become her husband. So she ran like never before, and built herself a new life together with her daughter. And years later, when she learns that Steve had been jailed for murder, Crystal thought she was safe. But when Steve is released from prison, he has a deadly reunion in mind. With Mary Murphy (The Wild One) and Edgar Buchanan (Human Desire), Make Haste to Live was the final feature film by veteran director William A. Seiter (Hot Saturday).
Product Extras :
[CAPTAIN CAREY USA / APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER / MAKE HASTE TO LIVE]
(BLU-RAY)
Directed by : Mitchell Leisen, Lewis Allen, William A. Seiter
Cast : Alan Ladd, Dorothy McGuire, Jack Webb, Stephen McNally, Jan Sterling, Wanda Hendrix, Joseph Calleia, Francis Lederer, Russ Tamblyn, Phyllis Calvert, Paul Stewart, Harry Morgan, Mary Murphy, Edgar Buchanan, Carolyn Jones, John Howard
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1950-1954
Running Time : 263
UPC : 738329267056
Country : U.S.
Language: English
Genre : Film Noir
This collection features three film noir classics.
CAPTAIN CAREY, U.S.A. (1950) – Screen legend Alan Ladd (Lucky Jordan) plays the title role in this outstanding noir tale of a former OSS operative who returns to Italy after the war to avenge the death of resistance worker Giulia (Wanda Hendrix, Sierra)—only to find out that his “deceased” lover is not only still alive, but also now the wife of a powerful Italian baron (Francis Lederer, Midnight). Carey decides to stick around, hoping to flush out the traitor who had caused the wartime deaths of several of his OSS colleagues and resistance fighters. Enhanced by the musical number “Mona Lisa,” which won an Academy Award (Best Original Song, 1950) and later became an all-time classic. Directed by Hollywood great Mitchell Leisen (No Man of Her Own).
APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER (1951) – Ladd is back as the U.S. Mail’s Ace Agent Smashes the Biggest Mail Robbery Plan in History! Screen legend Alan Ladd (Chicago Deadline) is Postal Inspector Al Goddard, assigned to investigate the murder of a fellow officer. The only witness to the crime is Sister Augustine (Phyllis Calvert, Time Out of Mind), who identifies the photograph of one of the assailants. This leads Goddard to a seedy hotel where he learns that the assailant is a member of a gang headed by Earl Boettiger (Paul Stewart, Kiss Me Deadly), and he soon discovers that the gang is planning a million-dollar mail robbery. This taut and thrilling film noir also features Jan Sterling (Female on the Beach) and future Dragnet stars, Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, as Stewart’s henchmen. Directed by noir master Lewis Allen (So Evil My Love).
MAKE HASTE TO LIVE (1954) – Only a Gangster Killer Knew the Secret of Her Past! In this taut noir melodrama, Crystal (Dorothy McGuire, The Spiral Staircase) has unknowingly married a murderer. She knew Steve (Stephen McNally, The Raging Tide) was handsome and charming. But by the time she discovered he was a cold-blooded killer, it was too late: he had already become her husband. So she ran like never before, and built herself a new life together with her daughter. And years later, when she learns that Steve had been jailed for murder, Crystal thought she was safe. But when Steve is released from prison, he has a deadly reunion in mind. With Mary Murphy (The Wild One) and Edgar Buchanan (Human Desire), Make Haste to Live was the final feature film by veteran director William A. Seiter (Hot Saturday).
Product Extras :
- 2020-2022 HD Masters by Paramount Pictures - From 4K Scans
- NEW Audio Commentary for CAPTAIN CAREY, U.S.A. by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani
- NEW Audio Commentary for APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH by Heath Holland, Host of Cereal at Midnight Podcast with Max Allan Collins, the Author of Road to Perdition
- NEW Audio Commentary for MAKE HASTE TO LIVE by Film Historian Samm Deighan
- Theatrical Trailers
- Optional English Subtitles
LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD (4K UHD)
Directed by : Alain Resnais
Cast : Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi, Sacha Pitoeff
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1961
Running Time : 94
UPC : 738329267377
Country : France
Language: French
Subject : Film and Media Studies - Classic Cinema
Genre : Drama, World Cinema, Academy Award Nominees
Winner of the Golden Lion at the 1961 Venice Film Festival, Last Year at Marienbad is a hypnotically beautiful puzzle box of a film, and one of the most influential in history. Alain Resnais’s sensuous tracking shots and Delphine Seyrig’s iconic Chanel gowns have become part of the cinematic lexicon, and can now be seen in a gorgeous 4K restoration from StudioCanal. In a large international hotel in the European resort town of Marienbad, with a sumptuous but austere décor—a marble universe with gold paneling, statues, and stiff servants—the rich, anonymous clientele circulates. A man (Giorgio Albertazzi) is convinced he met an enigmatic woman (Seyrig, Jeanne Dielman) the previous year at the same location, and perhaps had a flirtation. A second man (Sacha Pitoëff, Inferno), possibly the woman’s lover or husband, repeatedly intimidates the first man. Their relations unfold through flashback shards that never quite fit into place, their lives a hall of mirrors that never reflect a true self.
Product Extras :4K UHD (DISC 1):
Directed by : Alain Resnais
Cast : Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi, Sacha Pitoeff
Available Date : 08/27/2024
Release Year : 1961
Running Time : 94
UPC : 738329267377
Country : France
Language: French
Subject : Film and Media Studies - Classic Cinema
Genre : Drama, World Cinema, Academy Award Nominees
Winner of the Golden Lion at the 1961 Venice Film Festival, Last Year at Marienbad is a hypnotically beautiful puzzle box of a film, and one of the most influential in history. Alain Resnais’s sensuous tracking shots and Delphine Seyrig’s iconic Chanel gowns have become part of the cinematic lexicon, and can now be seen in a gorgeous 4K restoration from StudioCanal. In a large international hotel in the European resort town of Marienbad, with a sumptuous but austere décor—a marble universe with gold paneling, statues, and stiff servants—the rich, anonymous clientele circulates. A man (Giorgio Albertazzi) is convinced he met an enigmatic woman (Seyrig, Jeanne Dielman) the previous year at the same location, and perhaps had a flirtation. A second man (Sacha Pitoëff, Inferno), possibly the woman’s lover or husband, repeatedly intimidates the first man. Their relations unfold through flashback shards that never quite fit into place, their lives a hall of mirrors that never reflect a true self.
Product Extras :4K UHD (DISC 1):
- Audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas
- Interview with filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff
- Last Year at Marienbad A to Z, a visual essay by film historian James Quandt
- Memories of Last Year at Marienbad
- Toute la mémoire du monde (1957, short film by Alain Resnais)
ABOUT KINO LORBER:
With a library of over 4,000 titles, Kino Lorber has been a leader in independent art house distribution for over 45 years, releasing 35 films per year theatrically and garnering seven Academy Award® nominations in nine years. Most recently, the company has expanded its own direct digital platforms through the acquisition of leading international series streamers MHz Choice and Topic and the launch of Kino Film Collection, a subscription service for film lovers showcasing new releases direct from theaters plus curated international, indie, and documentary films and newly restored classics from the Kino Lorber library. Additionally, the company brings hundreds of titles annually to the home entertainment and educational markets through digital and physical media releases.
With a library of over 4,000 titles, Kino Lorber has been a leader in independent art house distribution for over 45 years, releasing 35 films per year theatrically and garnering seven Academy Award® nominations in nine years. Most recently, the company has expanded its own direct digital platforms through the acquisition of leading international series streamers MHz Choice and Topic and the launch of Kino Film Collection, a subscription service for film lovers showcasing new releases direct from theaters plus curated international, indie, and documentary films and newly restored classics from the Kino Lorber library. Additionally, the company brings hundreds of titles annually to the home entertainment and educational markets through digital and physical media releases.
- Published on
In fairness to you and to me, I don't do a great deal of promotion on SciFiHistory.Net.
Now, this isn't that I don't want to, folks. In fact, I'd be happy providing a measure of advertising on the MainPage -- for genre-related stuff -- if there was honestly something for me to be gained from it. Occasionally, I'm contacted about advertising on the site; but to a large degree it's for products and/or services that wouldn't be of interest to the readership. So while it might be great to earn a few extra bucks to help keep the lights on (as they say), I just feel guilty over taking money from companies if I don't feel I can help them to any modest degree.
Still, when I get some information via my distributor contacts -- especially the kind of thing I firmly believe you would benefit from knowing -- I'm thrilled to pass that along.
Such is the case today as one of my contacts have alerted me to an incredible summer sale just underway by the fine folks at Severin Films. They've put forth an astonishing line-up -- some of these are rare titles not quite seen in the U.S. since the days of VHS (ask your parents, kiddies) -- and it would behoove each and every one of you to check this out. I realize these releases might not be for everyone, so -- naturally -- buyer beware. Yet, it isn't every day that even yours truly gets excited about upcoming discs, so consider me suitably jazzed to pass this along.
Now, this isn't that I don't want to, folks. In fact, I'd be happy providing a measure of advertising on the MainPage -- for genre-related stuff -- if there was honestly something for me to be gained from it. Occasionally, I'm contacted about advertising on the site; but to a large degree it's for products and/or services that wouldn't be of interest to the readership. So while it might be great to earn a few extra bucks to help keep the lights on (as they say), I just feel guilty over taking money from companies if I don't feel I can help them to any modest degree.
Still, when I get some information via my distributor contacts -- especially the kind of thing I firmly believe you would benefit from knowing -- I'm thrilled to pass that along.
Such is the case today as one of my contacts have alerted me to an incredible summer sale just underway by the fine folks at Severin Films. They've put forth an astonishing line-up -- some of these are rare titles not quite seen in the U.S. since the days of VHS (ask your parents, kiddies) -- and it would behoove each and every one of you to check this out. I realize these releases might not be for everyone, so -- naturally -- buyer beware. Yet, it isn't every day that even yours truly gets excited about upcoming discs, so consider me suitably jazzed to pass this along.
SEVERIN FILMS ANNOUNCES DETAILS
OF SUMMER SALE EVENT:
10 NEW TITLES
INCLUDING WORLDWIDE UHD/BLU PREMIERES, RESTORATION OF ARGENTO’S OPERA & MUCH MORE
2024 Summer Sale Runs Friday Through Monday,
Includes Exclusive Bundles, 50-75% Off Select Titles, New Slipcase/Merchandise for
THE LAST HORROR FILM, 55% off Select Box Sets on Saturday,
All-New Merch & More
2024 Summer Sale Runs Friday Through Monday,
Includes Exclusive Bundles, 50-75% Off Select Titles, New Slipcase/Merchandise for
THE LAST HORROR FILM, 55% off Select Box Sets on Saturday,
All-New Merch & More
Los Angeles, CA (July 9, 2024) – Severin Films today announced full details of their 2024 Severin Summer Sale, the most ambitious and eclectic in company history. Leading the mid-year event is the Worldwide UHD Premiere of Dario Argento’s masterwork OPERA, newly restored by Severin and featuring 5 discs, 12 hours of Special Features and the CD soundtrack; the North American Disc Premiere of DARIO ARGENTO’S DEEP CUTS, a 4-Disc Collection featuring 10 hours from his RAI TV shows; The Worldwide UHD Premiere of Joe D’Amato’s Penne Post-Apocalypse epic 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS, a 3-disc collection that includes a CD of the never-before-released soundtrack; and Bert I. Gordon’s politically incorrect crime shocker THE MAD BOMBER featuring an all-new 4K scan and 6 hours of explosive Special Features. The Severin Summer Sale will begin Friday, July 12 at 12:01am EDT through 3:01 AM EDT on Tuesday, July 16 exclusively at SeverinFilms.com.
The sale also features The Worldwide Disc Premiere of the infamous monster mash-up THE MUMMY AND THE CURSE OF THE JACKALS; the Worldwide Blu-ray Premiere of Brazil’s underground classic THE RED LIGHT BANDIT; the Worldwide Blu-ray Premiere of SIMPLE LIKE SILVER featuring OPERA’s Cristina Marsillach in her first feature film appearance in 25 years; the North American Blu-ray Premiere of Paul Vecchiali’s daring feminist noir DON’T CHANGE HANDS; the first official North American release of Eloy de la Iglesias’ still-controversial THE CREATURE; and the first official North American release of Spain’s action blockbuster A DOG CALLED… VENGEANCE starring Oscar® nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Jason Miller. “These titles – and this event – truly embodies Severin’s ongoing commitment to rescuing and restoring the world’s most provocative and transgressive cinema,” says Severin Films co-founder/CEO David Gregory. “Most of all, it’s proof that physical media crafted with skill and vision still has an enthusiastic and supportive audience."
Summer Sale ‘24 will also include first-time-ever standalone versions of CASTLE OF BLOOD/DANZA MACABRA UHD/Blu-ray and THE LAST HORROR FILM UHD/Blu-ray, the latter now featuring a must-have new slipcase by award-winning illustrators Mark Spears & Drazen; the Saturday Only (Midnight EDT to Midnight PDT) Box Set Sale featuring up to 55% off SRP for select box sets (complete list below); 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS and OPERA T-shirts by Pallbearer Press; new Severin logo merch that includes a black sleeveless tee and stainless steel water bottle; 50% off most stickers, 30% off SRP for most shirts and apparel, 30% off SRP for most drinkware, 25% off SRP for most Enamel Pins, and more.
Dario Argento's Opera
It’s been acclaimed by aficionados worldwide as “his biggest film” (Bloody Disgusting),“a breathtaking visual feast” (Daily Dead) and “up there with DEEP RED and SUSPIRIA” (DVD Drive-In). Now experience “Dario Argento’s last full-fledged masterpiece” (Slant Magazine) in The Director’s Cut and U.S. Theatrical Version, both in UHD: When a young opera singer (Cristina Marsillach, in her career-defining performance) is stalked by a masked psychopath, she will be forced into a grisly aria of murder, memories and unimaginable torment. Ian Charleson (CHARIOTS OF FIRE), Urbano Barberini (DEMONS), Antonella Vitale (THE CHURCH), Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni (MOTHER OF TEARS) and Daria Nicolodi (TENEBRE) co-star in this definitive presentation of “one of Argento’s best” (IndieWire) – co-written by Franco Ferrini (PHENOMENA) with cinematography by Oscar® winner Ronnie Taylor (GANDHI) and music by Brian Eno, Bill Wyman and Claudio Simonetti – newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negatives at Cinecittà with 12 hours of Special Features, a soundtrack CD and more.
Special Features:
Disc 1: UHD (2.35:1 Director's Cut / U.S. Cut + Special Features):
Disc 2: Blu-ray (2.35:1 Director's Cut / U.S. Cut + Special Features):
Disc 3: Blu-ray (1.85:1 Director's Cut + Special Features):
Disc 4: Blu-ray Special Features
Bonus Disc:
*Exclusive Booklet by Claire Donner Of The Miskatonic Institute Of Horror Studies
Specs:
It’s been acclaimed by aficionados worldwide as “his biggest film” (Bloody Disgusting),“a breathtaking visual feast” (Daily Dead) and “up there with DEEP RED and SUSPIRIA” (DVD Drive-In). Now experience “Dario Argento’s last full-fledged masterpiece” (Slant Magazine) in The Director’s Cut and U.S. Theatrical Version, both in UHD: When a young opera singer (Cristina Marsillach, in her career-defining performance) is stalked by a masked psychopath, she will be forced into a grisly aria of murder, memories and unimaginable torment. Ian Charleson (CHARIOTS OF FIRE), Urbano Barberini (DEMONS), Antonella Vitale (THE CHURCH), Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni (MOTHER OF TEARS) and Daria Nicolodi (TENEBRE) co-star in this definitive presentation of “one of Argento’s best” (IndieWire) – co-written by Franco Ferrini (PHENOMENA) with cinematography by Oscar® winner Ronnie Taylor (GANDHI) and music by Brian Eno, Bill Wyman and Claudio Simonetti – newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negatives at Cinecittà with 12 hours of Special Features, a soundtrack CD and more.
Special Features:
Disc 1: UHD (2.35:1 Director's Cut / U.S. Cut + Special Features):
- Audio Commentary With Actress Cristina Marsillach And Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival (Director's Cut Only)
- Audio Commentary With Alan Jones, Author Of Profondo Argento, And Kim Newman, Author Of Anno Dracula (Director's Cut Only)
- Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of Murder By Design: The Unsane Cinema Of Dario Argento (Director's Cut Only)
- OPERA Trailer
- TERROR AT THE OPERA Trailer
Disc 2: Blu-ray (2.35:1 Director's Cut / U.S. Cut + Special Features):
- Audio Commentary With Actress Cristina Marsillach And Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival (Director's Cut Only)
- Audio Commentary With Alan Jones, Author Of Profondo Argento, And Kim Newman, Author Of Anno Dracula (Director's Cut Only)
- Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of Murder By Design: The Unsane Cinema Of Dario Argento (Director's Cut Only)
- The Eyes And The Needles – Interview With Co-Writer/Director/Producer Dario Argento
- Arias Of Death – Interview With Screenwriter Franco Ferrini
- The Eyes Of OPERA – Interview With Actress Cristina Marsillach
- OPERA Trailer
- TERROR AT THE OPERA Trailer
Disc 3: Blu-ray (1.85:1 Director's Cut + Special Features):
- Audio Commentary With Actress Cristina Marsillach And Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival
- Audio Commentary With Alan Jones, Author Of Profondo Argento, And Kim Newman, Author Of Anno Dracula
- Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of Murder By Design: The Unsane Cinema Of Dario Argento (Director's Cut Only)
- Don't Close Your Eyes – Interview With Film Historian Fabrizio Spurio
- The Opera And Mr. Jones – Interview With Alan Jones, Author Of Profondo Argento
- Conducting Dario Argento’s OPERA – Archival Featurette Featuring Interviews With Dario Argento, Director Of Photography Ronnie Taylor, Actors Daria Nicolodi And Urbano Barberini, FX Artist Sergio Stivaletti And Soundtrack Composer Claudio Simonetti
- Terror At The Opera – Q&A With Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini And Lamberto Bava At Cinema Farnese (2006)
Disc 4: Blu-ray Special Features
- OPERA Runs In The Blood – Interview With Actress Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni
- To Catch A Killer – Interview With Actor Urbano Barberini
- In Any Language – Interview With Actress Antonella Vitale
- The Perfect Death – Interview With Actress Daria Nicolodi
- Blood Red Piano – Interview With Composer Claudio Simonetti
- The Eye Behind The Camera – Interview With Camera Operator Antonio Scaramuzza
- Flight Of The Crow – Interview With SFX Artist Sergio Stivaletti
- Blood And Latex – Interview With Make-Up Artist Franco Casagni
- The Gliding Camera – Interview With Steadicam Operator Nicola Pecorini
- 800 Sons – Interview With Press Agent Enrico Lucherini
- Preserving OPERA – Interview With 4K Color Correction Supervisor Karim Hussain
- OPERA Backstage – Behind-The-Scenes Video Created From Archival Footage
Bonus Disc:
- Soundtrack CD
*Exclusive Booklet by Claire Donner Of The Miskatonic Institute Of Horror Studies
Specs:
- Runtime: Director's Cut: 107 mins / U.S. Cut: 96 mins
- Audio: Director's Cut: English 5.1, English Stereo, Italian Stereo, Cannes English Mono / U.S. Cut: English 5.1, English Stereo
- Subtitles: Director's Cut: English Subtitles, Closed Captions / U.S. Cut: Closed Captions
- Region: UHD: Region Free / Blu-ray Discs 2 & 3: Region A / Blu-ray Disc 4: Region Free
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Director's Cut / U.S. Cut) / 1.85:1 (Director's Cut)
DARIO ARGENTO’S DEEP CUTS
At the peak of his cinematic triumphs, horror legend Dario Argento created projects for RAI TV that broadcast his singular vision of terror into millions of Italian homes: Door Into Darkness is the top-rated 1973 anthology series produced and hosted by Argento, including Il Tram directed by Argento, Il Vicino Di Casa directed by Luigi Cozzi, and Testimone Oculare co-written by Argento & Cozzi, with three of the four episodes sourced for the first time from the original 16mm negatives. Argento’s popular 1987 variety/talk show Giallo is represented by the maestro’s own Dario Argento’s Nightmares scanned from recently discovered film elements, plus the murder mystery segments Night Shift (Turno Di Notte) directed by Cozzi and Lamberto Bava, behind-the-scenes tours from TENEBRE, PHENOMENA, and OPERA, and guests that include Anthony Perkins, David Gilmour & Nick Mason, and Fiore Argento newly digitized from broadcast masters, with over 8 hours of new and archival Special Features.
Special Features:
Disc 1: Door Into Darkness, Part 1
Episodes: Il Vicino Di Casa & Il Tram
Disc 2: Door Into Darkness, Part 2
Episodes: La Bambola & Testimone Oculare
Disc 3: Night Shift
Disc 4: Dario Argento's Nightmares
Specs:
At the peak of his cinematic triumphs, horror legend Dario Argento created projects for RAI TV that broadcast his singular vision of terror into millions of Italian homes: Door Into Darkness is the top-rated 1973 anthology series produced and hosted by Argento, including Il Tram directed by Argento, Il Vicino Di Casa directed by Luigi Cozzi, and Testimone Oculare co-written by Argento & Cozzi, with three of the four episodes sourced for the first time from the original 16mm negatives. Argento’s popular 1987 variety/talk show Giallo is represented by the maestro’s own Dario Argento’s Nightmares scanned from recently discovered film elements, plus the murder mystery segments Night Shift (Turno Di Notte) directed by Cozzi and Lamberto Bava, behind-the-scenes tours from TENEBRE, PHENOMENA, and OPERA, and guests that include Anthony Perkins, David Gilmour & Nick Mason, and Fiore Argento newly digitized from broadcast masters, with over 8 hours of new and archival Special Features.
Special Features:
Disc 1: Door Into Darkness, Part 1
Episodes: Il Vicino Di Casa & Il Tram
- Audio Commentary For Il Tram With Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of Murder By Design: The Unsane Cinema Of Dario Argento
- DARIO ARGENTO: MY CINEMA, Part 1
- DARIO ARGENTO: MY CINEMA, Part 2
Disc 2: Door Into Darkness, Part 2
Episodes: La Bambola & Testimone Oculare
- Audio Commentary For Testimone Oculare With Mondo Digital's Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of Murder By Design: The Unsane Cinema Of Dario Argento
- DARIO ARGENTO: MASTER OF HORROR (87 mins)
- A Streetcar Named Fear – Interview With Writer/Director/Producer Dario Argento
- On The Other Side Of The Door – Interview With Writer/Director Luigi Cozzi
Disc 3: Night Shift
- TV Nightmares – Interview With Producer Dario Argento
- Giallo On The TV – Interview With Director Luigi Cozzi
- Taxi Drivers – Interview With Director Lamberto Bava
- Big Giallo Taxi – Interview With Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti
- Calypso 9 – Interview With Actress Antonella Vitale
Disc 4: Dario Argento's Nightmares
- Giallo Argento (100 mins)
Specs:
- Runtime: 594 mins.
- Audio: Italian Mono
- Subtitles: English Subtitles
- Region: Region Free
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS
WEBSTORE EXCLUSIVE SLIPCOVER
REVERSE WRAP SIDE A
REVERSE WRAP SIDE B
The most elusive, requested and unapologetically unhinged Penne Post-Apocalypse epic of all is finally available, uncut and uncensored on disc for the first time ever: From ItaloSleaze Maestro Joe D’Amato comes this “insane and very entertaining” (Rare Cult Cinema) saga of graphic violence, rampant nudity, unholy mutants, big exsplosions, fascist rhetoric, motorcycle mayhem, saloon brawls, Indian attacks and plenty of lawless Lone Star depravity, written by George Eastman (ANTHROPOPHAGOUS) and assistant directed by Michele Soavi (CEMETERY MAN). Al Cliver (ENDGAME), Peter Hooten (NIGHT KILLER), Sabrina Siani (WHITE CANNIBAL QUEEN), Geretta Geretta (RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR) and Donald O’Brien (DR. BUTCHER, M.D.) star in this “very definition of a guilty pleasure” (The Spinning Image), now scanned in 4K from the original negative with new and archival Special Features, plus the soundtrack by SHOCKING DARK composer Carlo Maria Cordio.
Special Features:
Disc 1: UHD
Disc 2: Blu-ray
Bonus Disc:
Specs:
WEBSTORE EXCLUSIVE SLIPCOVER
REVERSE WRAP SIDE A
REVERSE WRAP SIDE B
The most elusive, requested and unapologetically unhinged Penne Post-Apocalypse epic of all is finally available, uncut and uncensored on disc for the first time ever: From ItaloSleaze Maestro Joe D’Amato comes this “insane and very entertaining” (Rare Cult Cinema) saga of graphic violence, rampant nudity, unholy mutants, big exsplosions, fascist rhetoric, motorcycle mayhem, saloon brawls, Indian attacks and plenty of lawless Lone Star depravity, written by George Eastman (ANTHROPOPHAGOUS) and assistant directed by Michele Soavi (CEMETERY MAN). Al Cliver (ENDGAME), Peter Hooten (NIGHT KILLER), Sabrina Siani (WHITE CANNIBAL QUEEN), Geretta Geretta (RATS: NIGHT OF TERROR) and Donald O’Brien (DR. BUTCHER, M.D.) star in this “very definition of a guilty pleasure” (The Spinning Image), now scanned in 4K from the original negative with new and archival Special Features, plus the soundtrack by SHOCKING DARK composer Carlo Maria Cordio.
Special Features:
Disc 1: UHD
- Trailer
Disc 2: Blu-ray
- Shoot Me: The Real Story Of The Italian Texas Gladiators – Archival Interviews With Director Joe D'Amato, Assistant Director Michele Soavi, Screenwriter Luigi Montefiori And Actor Al Cliver
- Gladiator Geretta – Interview With Actress Geretta Geretta
- Trailer
Bonus Disc:
- Soundtrack CD
Specs:
- Runtime: 90 mins.
- Audio: English Mono, Italian Mono
- Subtitles: English Subtitles, Closed Captions
- Region: UHD: Region Free / Blu-ray: A
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
THE MAD BOMBER
WEBSTORE EXCLUSIVE SLIPCOVER
BOX ART
Although best known for his giant monster movies like THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE and EMPIRE OF THE ANTS, writer/producer/director Bert I. Gordon took a sharp right turn into ‘70s urban perversion with this “remarkably politically incorrect” (Rock! Shock! Pop!) crime shocker: A psycho citizen (Chuck Connors of The Rifleman and TOURIST TRAP) is planting deadly bombs across Los Angeles. A depraved rapist (Neville Brand of BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ and EATEN ALIVE) is the only witness who can identify him. And a deranged detective (Vince Edwards of Ben Casey and RETURN TO HORROR HIGH) will break every rule in the book to bust them both. Also known in various censored versions as THE POLICE CONNECTION and DETECTIVE GERONIMO, this “dynamite mix of grit and sleaze” (Flick Attack), is now scanned in 4K from the internegative for the first time ever with over 6 hours of explosive Special Features.
Special Features:
Specs:
WEBSTORE EXCLUSIVE SLIPCOVER
BOX ART
Although best known for his giant monster movies like THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE and EMPIRE OF THE ANTS, writer/producer/director Bert I. Gordon took a sharp right turn into ‘70s urban perversion with this “remarkably politically incorrect” (Rock! Shock! Pop!) crime shocker: A psycho citizen (Chuck Connors of The Rifleman and TOURIST TRAP) is planting deadly bombs across Los Angeles. A depraved rapist (Neville Brand of BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ and EATEN ALIVE) is the only witness who can identify him. And a deranged detective (Vince Edwards of Ben Casey and RETURN TO HORROR HIGH) will break every rule in the book to bust them both. Also known in various censored versions as THE POLICE CONNECTION and DETECTIVE GERONIMO, this “dynamite mix of grit and sleaze” (Flick Attack), is now scanned in 4K from the internegative for the first time ever with over 6 hours of explosive Special Features.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary By House Of Psychotic Women Author Kier-La Janisse With Retired Bomb Squad Detective Mike Digby
- Isolated Score
- Audio Interview With Director Bert I. Gordon Conducted By David Del Valle
- Patricia Gordon Remembers Her Father
- To Be In The Moment – Interview With Actress Cynthia MacAdams
- On The Trail Of THE MAD BOMBER – Locations Featurette
- THE MAD BOMBER TV Cut
- TV Spots
- Booklet: THE MAD BOMBER Story – Essay By Andy Turner With Exclusive Images From Still Photographer Carol Gordon
Specs:
- Runtime: 91 mins.
- Audio: English 5.1 Surround, English Mono
- Subtitles: Closed Captions
- Region: Region Free
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
SIMPLE LIKE SILVER
In her first feature film appearance in 25 years, Cristina Marsillach of OPERA fame “gives a quiet, radiant performance” (Pop Horror) in this “poetic and profound” (The Movie Sleuth) “must-see for fans of art-house cinema” (Film Threat): Having learned that she has a terminal illness, a woman (Marsillach) takes a final vacation only to discover a dreamlike triptych of fear, trauma and murder. Susanna Nelson and Hudson Sims co-star in “a feast for cinema lovers” (We Are Cult) written & directed by award-winning independent filmmaker Damian K. Lahey (COCAINE ANGEL, THE HEROES OF ARVINE PLACE) with a haunting score by David Wingo (TAKE SHELTER, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL) that Morbidly Beautiful hails as “heartbreaking, dread inducing horror. An eerie and surreal film that marks the welcome return of Cristina Marsillach.”
Special Features:
Specs:
In her first feature film appearance in 25 years, Cristina Marsillach of OPERA fame “gives a quiet, radiant performance” (Pop Horror) in this “poetic and profound” (The Movie Sleuth) “must-see for fans of art-house cinema” (Film Threat): Having learned that she has a terminal illness, a woman (Marsillach) takes a final vacation only to discover a dreamlike triptych of fear, trauma and murder. Susanna Nelson and Hudson Sims co-star in “a feast for cinema lovers” (We Are Cult) written & directed by award-winning independent filmmaker Damian K. Lahey (COCAINE ANGEL, THE HEROES OF ARVINE PLACE) with a haunting score by David Wingo (TAKE SHELTER, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL) that Morbidly Beautiful hails as “heartbreaking, dread inducing horror. An eerie and surreal film that marks the welcome return of Cristina Marsillach.”
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Damian K. Lahey
- Audio Commentary With Actress Cristina Marsillach
- Trailer
- Booklet: Leaving Behind Bones And Ghosts – Essay By Film Critic Michelle Kisner
Specs:
- Runtime: 70 mins.
- Audio: English And Spanish Stereo
- Subtitles: Closed Captions
- Region: Region Free
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
THE MUMMY AND THE CURSE OF THE JACKALS
Experience the notorious 1969 horror epic that’s been barely seen since its fly-by-night VHS release while existing mostly via sordid rumors for more than 50 years: Anthony Eisley (THE NAKED KISS, DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN) stars in this brain-melting mash-up of dubious Egyptology, risible werewolf transformations, H.G. Lewis-level gore, cut-rate psychedelia and an oven-mitted mummy on a Las Vegas rampage, all set to a swinging soundtrack of lounge and surf instrumentals. The legendary John Carradine (THE GRAPES OF WRATH, HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS) earns a day’s pay in this “truly incredible masterpiece of bad cinema” (Harbinger) written and produced by William Edwards (DRACULA THE DIRTY OLD MAN), directed by Oliver Drake (THE MUMMY’S CURSE) and scanned in 4K from the blow up internegative discovered at Ewing ‘Lucky’ Brown’s Los Angeles estate sale, now with over 2 hours of Special Features that include the thought-lost Vega International adult feature ANGELICA, THE YOUNG VIXEN scanned from the sole surviving print.
Special Features:
Specs:
Experience the notorious 1969 horror epic that’s been barely seen since its fly-by-night VHS release while existing mostly via sordid rumors for more than 50 years: Anthony Eisley (THE NAKED KISS, DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN) stars in this brain-melting mash-up of dubious Egyptology, risible werewolf transformations, H.G. Lewis-level gore, cut-rate psychedelia and an oven-mitted mummy on a Las Vegas rampage, all set to a swinging soundtrack of lounge and surf instrumentals. The legendary John Carradine (THE GRAPES OF WRATH, HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS) earns a day’s pay in this “truly incredible masterpiece of bad cinema” (Harbinger) written and produced by William Edwards (DRACULA THE DIRTY OLD MAN), directed by Oliver Drake (THE MUMMY’S CURSE) and scanned in 4K from the blow up internegative discovered at Ewing ‘Lucky’ Brown’s Los Angeles estate sale, now with over 2 hours of Special Features that include the thought-lost Vega International adult feature ANGELICA, THE YOUNG VIXEN scanned from the sole surviving print.
Special Features:
- The Vega International Story – Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Nightmare USA
- Cowboys, Mummies And Oliver Drake – Interview With Film Historian C. Courtney Joyner
- Investing In The Jackal – Interview With Garry Gassel, Son Of Investors Milton R. Gassel And Judi Gassel
- ANGELICA, THE YOUNG VIXEN (61 mins) – Vega International Adult Film
- Audio Commentary For ANGELICA, THE YOUNG VIXEN With Exploitation Film Researcher Shawn Langrick, Moderated By Genre Film Historian Joe Rubin
Specs:
- Runtime: 81 mins.
- Audio: English Mono
- Subtitles: Closed Captions
- Region: Region Free
- Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
THE RED LIGHT BANDIT
WEBSTORE EXCLUSIVE SLIPCOVER
BOX ART
The centerpiece of the radical underground Cinema Marginal movement, this “electric, legendary movie” (Slant Magazine) written and directed by 21-year-old Rogério Sganzerla defiantly attacked Brazil’s sociopolitical morals, gleefully subverted the rules of narrative cinema and has lost none of its power to shock, disturb and delight: Based on police reports of the real-life bandit who terrorized ‘60s São Paulo, a charismatic crook (Paulo Villaça) robs the rich, taunts law enforcement and becomes a public hero in an anarchic odyssey that’s equal parts crime thriller, urban western, grind house roughie, twisted comedy, cultural grenade and still unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Helena Ignez (José Mojica Marins’ EMBODIMENT OF EVIL) co-stars in this “hallucinatory and amazing manifesto” (Next Projection) now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative.
Special Features:
Specs:
WEBSTORE EXCLUSIVE SLIPCOVER
BOX ART
The centerpiece of the radical underground Cinema Marginal movement, this “electric, legendary movie” (Slant Magazine) written and directed by 21-year-old Rogério Sganzerla defiantly attacked Brazil’s sociopolitical morals, gleefully subverted the rules of narrative cinema and has lost none of its power to shock, disturb and delight: Based on police reports of the real-life bandit who terrorized ‘60s São Paulo, a charismatic crook (Paulo Villaça) robs the rich, taunts law enforcement and becomes a public hero in an anarchic odyssey that’s equal parts crime thriller, urban western, grind house roughie, twisted comedy, cultural grenade and still unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Helena Ignez (José Mojica Marins’ EMBODIMENT OF EVIL) co-stars in this “hallucinatory and amazing manifesto” (Next Projection) now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative.
Special Features:
- Cinema Marginal – Interview With Producer And Film Conservationist Paulo Sacramento
- The Anti-Muse – Interview With Actress Helena Ignez
- Trailer
- Short Films: COMICS By Rogério Sganzerla, Introduction To HORROR PALACE HOTEL By Filmmaker Dennison Ramalho, HORROR PALACE HOTEL By Jairo Ferreira
Specs:
- Runtime: 92 mins.
- Audio: Portuguese Mono
- Subtitles: English Subtitles
- Region: Region Free
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
DON'T CHANGE HANDS
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BOX ART
From iconoclastic French writer/director Paul Vecchiali (THE STRANGLER, FEMMES FEMMES) comes the wickedly perverse thriller that subverts the conventions of film noir by slyly flipping its traditional gender roles: When a prominent politician receives a pornographic film starring her son, she hires a hard-boiled private detective (Myriam Mézières of MY NIGHTS ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOUR DAYS) to track down the blackmailer. But as bodies strip down, corpses pile up and suspects are never what they seem, will this case climax with the most shocking bang of all? Hélène Surgère (SALÒ), Howard Vernon (DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN), Michel Delahaye (THE SHIVER OF THE VAMPIRES) and Jean-Christophe Bouvet (Emily In Paris) co-star in this dangerously sexy drama scanned in 2K from the original camera negative.
Special Features:
Specs:
WEBSTORE EXCLUSIVE SLIPCOVER
BOX ART
From iconoclastic French writer/director Paul Vecchiali (THE STRANGLER, FEMMES FEMMES) comes the wickedly perverse thriller that subverts the conventions of film noir by slyly flipping its traditional gender roles: When a prominent politician receives a pornographic film starring her son, she hires a hard-boiled private detective (Myriam Mézières of MY NIGHTS ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOUR DAYS) to track down the blackmailer. But as bodies strip down, corpses pile up and suspects are never what they seem, will this case climax with the most shocking bang of all? Hélène Surgère (SALÒ), Howard Vernon (DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN), Michel Delahaye (THE SHIVER OF THE VAMPIRES) and Jean-Christophe Bouvet (Emily In Paris) co-star in this dangerously sexy drama scanned in 2K from the original camera negative.
Special Features:
- Le Cinéphile – An Appreciation By KNIFE + HEART Director Yann Gonzalez
- Elsewhere Man – Author Matthieu Orléan On The Life And Impact Of Paul Vecchiali
- Noir D'Amour – Screenwriter Noël Simsolo On CHANGE PAS DE MAIN
- A Remedy For Chaos – A Conversation With Actress Myriam Mézières
- The Prodigal Son – A Conversation With Actor Jean-Christophe Bouvet
- Re-Release Trailer by Nathan Boone
Specs:
- Runtime: 92 mins.
- Audio: French Mono
- Subtitles: English Subtitles
- Region: Region Free
- Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
THE CREATURE
From Eloy de la Iglesia – the defiantly transgressive and ever-controversial director of CANNIBAL MAN, THE GLASS CEILING and the Quinqui classics EL PICO 1 & 2 and NAVAJEROS – comes the most daring and unsettling film of his entire career: After a heartbreaking miscarriage, a couple (Goya Award winners Ana Belén and Juan Diego) adopts a stray male dog in hopes of saving their rocky marriage. But as the wife develops an obsessive bond with her new companion, it will trigger jealousies and rivalries that may lead to the most inconceivable act of all. Claudia Gravi (BYLETH: THE DEMON OF INCEST), Ramón Repáraz (THE PRIEST) and Manuel Pereiro (THE NIGHT OF THE WALKING DEAD) co-star in this “remarkable gem about extreme love” (Horror Estremo), now scanned in 2K from the negative.
Special Features:
Specs:
From Eloy de la Iglesia – the defiantly transgressive and ever-controversial director of CANNIBAL MAN, THE GLASS CEILING and the Quinqui classics EL PICO 1 & 2 and NAVAJEROS – comes the most daring and unsettling film of his entire career: After a heartbreaking miscarriage, a couple (Goya Award winners Ana Belén and Juan Diego) adopts a stray male dog in hopes of saving their rocky marriage. But as the wife develops an obsessive bond with her new companion, it will trigger jealousies and rivalries that may lead to the most inconceivable act of all. Claudia Gravi (BYLETH: THE DEMON OF INCEST), Ramón Repáraz (THE PRIEST) and Manuel Pereiro (THE NIGHT OF THE WALKING DEAD) co-star in this “remarkable gem about extreme love” (Horror Estremo), now scanned in 2K from the negative.
Special Features:
- A Strange Movie – Interview With Assistant Director Alejo Loren
- Gaspar / Eloy – Interview With Filmmaker Gaspar Noé
- Introduction By Gaspar Noé At Cinémathèque Française (7/20/2023)
Specs:
- Runtime: 101 mins.
- Audio: Spanish Mono
- Subtitles: English Subtitles
- Region: Region Free
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
A DOG CALLED...VENGEANCE
Less than two years after the end of Spain’s oppressive Franco regime, Goya Award winning filmmaker Antonio Isasi (THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS, SUMMERTIME KILLER) co-wrote and directed the action blockbuster that shocked European audiences and became one of the most culturally-charged survival thrillers of the decade: Best Supporting Actor Oscar® nominee and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Jason Miller (THE EXORCIST, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON) “gives a fantastic performance” (This Is Quiet Cool) as a political prisoner who escapes custody, only to be relentlessly pursued by a military dictatorship dog driven to hate, hunt and kill. Donatello Award winner Lea Massari (L’AVVENTURA) and Goya Award winners Marisa Paredes (HIGH HEELS) and Juan Antonio Bardem (THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER) co-star in “one of a master director’s most significant films” (Madriz), now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative.
Special Features:
Specs:
Less than two years after the end of Spain’s oppressive Franco regime, Goya Award winning filmmaker Antonio Isasi (THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS, SUMMERTIME KILLER) co-wrote and directed the action blockbuster that shocked European audiences and became one of the most culturally-charged survival thrillers of the decade: Best Supporting Actor Oscar® nominee and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Jason Miller (THE EXORCIST, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON) “gives a fantastic performance” (This Is Quiet Cool) as a political prisoner who escapes custody, only to be relentlessly pursued by a military dictatorship dog driven to hate, hunt and kill. Donatello Award winner Lea Massari (L’AVVENTURA) and Goya Award winners Marisa Paredes (HIGH HEELS) and Juan Antonio Bardem (THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER) co-star in “one of a master director’s most significant films” (Madriz), now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative.
Special Features:
- A Film Ahead Of Its Time – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival
- Memories Of A Guerilla Woman – Interview With Actress Marisa Paredes
- Daughter Of Titans – Interview With María Isasi, Daughter Of Director Antonio Isasi And Actress Marisa Paredes
- Trailer
Specs:
- Runtime: 115 mins.
- Audio: Spanish Mono, English Mono
- Subtitles: English Subtitles, Closed Captions
- Region: Region Free
- Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
The following Box Sets will be on sale for up to 55% off SRP on SATURDAY ONLY:
SUMMER SALE LIMITED-EDITION BUNDLES
The JUST THE DISCS Bundle [limited to 700] includes:
VALUE $321.00, ONLY $289
The MOLTO ARGENTO Bundle [limited to 300] includes:
VALUE $167.00, ONLY $150
The PENNE APOCALYPSE Bundle [no limit] includes:
VALUE $73.00, ONLY $65
# # #
ABOUT SEVERIN FILMS:
Severin Films is dedicated to the world’s most provocative cinema for physical media, theatrical, streaming and beyond. Founded in 2006, their distribution catalogue includes projects by iconic filmmakers Alejandro Jodorowsky, Roman Polanski, Dario Argento, Paul Morrissey, Mike Leigh, Lucio Fulci, Just Jaeckin, Peter Greenaway, Dennis Hopper, Joko Anwar, Patrice Leconte, Walerian Borowczyk, Sergio Martino, Alex de la Iglesia and UK comedy legends The Comic Strip. Severin has also elevated the oeuvres of such fringe auteurs as Andy Milligan, Al Adamson, Ray Dennis Steckler, Bruno Mattei, Frederick Friedel, Luigi Cozzi, Claudio Fragrasso, Umberto Lenzi, Juan Piquer Simón, Joe D’Amato and Goya-Award winner Jess Franco. Severin has also produced the award-winning documentaries LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, BLOOD & FLESH: THE REAL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON and WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR, and co-produced original feature films that include PLAGUE TOWN and THE THEATRE BIZARRE. Their latest documentary ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE was an official selection of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
- ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS: A COMPENDIUM OF FOLK HORROR
- THE COMPLETE LENZI/BAKER GIALLO COLLECTION
- CUSHING CURIOSITIES
- DANZA MACABRA VOLUME ONE: THE ITALIAN GOTHIC COLLECTION
- DANZA MACABRA VOLUME TWO: THE ITALIAN GOTHIC COLLECTION
- THE DUNGEON OF ANDY MILLIGAN
- THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPER LEE, COLLECTION 1
- THE EUROCRYPT OF CHRISTOPER LEE, COLLECTION 2
- HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN RARITIES COLLECTION
- THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE FILMS OF RAY DENNIS STECKLER
- NASTY HABITS: THE NUNSPLOITATION COLLECTION
- VIOLENT STREETS: THE UMBERTO LENZI/TOMAS MILIAN COLLECTION
- THE SENSUAL WORLD OF BLACK EMANUELLE
- WINGS OF DISASTER: THE BIRDEMIC TRILOGY *Low Stock
SUMMER SALE LIMITED-EDITION BUNDLES
The JUST THE DISCS Bundle [limited to 700] includes:
- OPERA [5-Disc 4K UHD w/Exclusive Slipcase + Booklet]
- A DOG CALLED… VENGEANCE [Blu-ray]
- THE RED LIGHT BANDIT [Blu-ray w/Exclusive Slipcover]
- THE CREATURE [Blu-ray]
- DARIO ARGENTO’S DEEP CUTS [4-Disc Blu-ray]
- DON’T CHANGE HANDS [Blu-ray w/Exclusive Slipcover]
- THE MAD BOMBER [Blu-ray + Booklet w/Exclusive Slipcover]
- THE MUMMY AND THE CURSE OF THE JACKALS [Blu-ray]
- SIMPLE LIKE SILVER [Blu-ray + Booklet]
- 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS [3-Disc 4K UHD w/Exclusive Slipcover]
VALUE $321.00, ONLY $289
The MOLTO ARGENTO Bundle [limited to 300] includes:
- OPERA [5-Disc 4K UHD w/Exclusive Slipcase + Booklet]
- DARIO ARGENTO’S DEEP CUTS [4-Disc Blu-ray]
- SIMPLE LIKE SILVER [Blu-ray + Booklet]
- OPERA T-Shirt [Designed by Pallbearer Press]
- OPERA Postcard Autographed by Cristina Marsillach
- OPERA Pinhole Glasses
VALUE $167.00, ONLY $150
The PENNE APOCALYPSE Bundle [no limit] includes:
- 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS [3-Disc 4K UHD w/Exclusive Slipcover]
- 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS T-SHIRT [Designed by Pallbearer Press]
VALUE $73.00, ONLY $65
# # #
ABOUT SEVERIN FILMS:
Severin Films is dedicated to the world’s most provocative cinema for physical media, theatrical, streaming and beyond. Founded in 2006, their distribution catalogue includes projects by iconic filmmakers Alejandro Jodorowsky, Roman Polanski, Dario Argento, Paul Morrissey, Mike Leigh, Lucio Fulci, Just Jaeckin, Peter Greenaway, Dennis Hopper, Joko Anwar, Patrice Leconte, Walerian Borowczyk, Sergio Martino, Alex de la Iglesia and UK comedy legends The Comic Strip. Severin has also elevated the oeuvres of such fringe auteurs as Andy Milligan, Al Adamson, Ray Dennis Steckler, Bruno Mattei, Frederick Friedel, Luigi Cozzi, Claudio Fragrasso, Umberto Lenzi, Juan Piquer Simón, Joe D’Amato and Goya-Award winner Jess Franco. Severin has also produced the award-winning documentaries LOST SOUL: THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, BLOOD & FLESH: THE REAL LIFE & GHASTLY DEATH OF AL ADAMSON and WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR, and co-produced original feature films that include PLAGUE TOWN and THE THEATRE BIZARRE. Their latest documentary ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE was an official selection of the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
- Published on
Much to the chagrin of a certain portion of SciFiHistory.Net’s, I’m a professed fan of the found footage film.
Okay, okay, okay: let me explain myself for the hundredth time.
Yes, the found footage film is its own unique format within the Horror genre. (Honestly, it’s been used beyond Horror, but I think it’s still safe to conclude most folks consider it unique to this genre.) I’ve reviewed many a flick over the years that fall within such designation; and I’ve been – ahem – suitably taken to task for still considering such projects worthwhile by friends, family, and fans. My perspective has always been – and, likely, always will be – that the technique can be used to spin almost any conceivable yarn with a measure of freshness; but this can and will only be the case if the storytellers continue to push the boundaries of what is possible for the narrative as we find new perspectives and new technology that build upon the presentation. Doing ‘more of the same’ puts any device at risk of seeming tired and worn out, and I’ve always conceded that such trickery has its own limitations each and every time its tried.
So, take that, haters. I need only be true to myself.
One of the recent break-out sensations proclaimed by many to be a worthy addition to the ranks of found footage is 2023’s kinda/sorta viral sensation, Late Night With The Devil. Written and directed by the team of Cameron and Colin Cairnes, the Horror story casts late night syndicated variety show host Jack Delroy in the guise of a ‘man with a plan’ to resurrect his failing TV enterprise by way of some supernatural Sweeps Month event. Little did he know that Satan never willingly sits down to chat with host with a studio audience unless there were certain commitments made in advance … and, no, we’re not talking about great snacks available in the green room.
We’re talking about the selling of souls in exchange for success … about as dark a business deal as was ever conceived.
It’s apparent undoing took place on this fateful broadcast, all of it captured on video … but not without a word or two from our network sponsors!
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation's living rooms.”
Once again – for the uninitiated – I found myself having to play Devil’s advocate in dissecting a film about, apparently, a real Devil’s advocate: Late Night With The Devil most assuredly is not a found footage film.
Yes, yes, and yes: it’s a flick that occasionally uses the construct of found footage to weave its spell, and – in fairness – it does so reasonably effectively here and there. The premise is that the Halloween airing of ‘Night Owls With Jack Delroy’ went spectacularly off-the-rails into authentic Satanic debauchery – certainly the last in the program’s run in alleged television syndication – was captured with the faux broadcast airing as well as some herky-jerky black-and-white camera work behind-the-scenes filling in what took place during commercial breaks. But the project’s opening set-up – a brief documentary profiling Delroy’s professional career – and the last reel ‘surprise’ – that takes the audience into the mind of the host, breaking the fourth wall – clearly proves that this was all the deliberate production of the Cairnes at the helm.
Though it’s an impressive feat, it’s still far from found footage in far too many ways to argue.
Okay, okay, okay: let me explain myself for the hundredth time.
Yes, the found footage film is its own unique format within the Horror genre. (Honestly, it’s been used beyond Horror, but I think it’s still safe to conclude most folks consider it unique to this genre.) I’ve reviewed many a flick over the years that fall within such designation; and I’ve been – ahem – suitably taken to task for still considering such projects worthwhile by friends, family, and fans. My perspective has always been – and, likely, always will be – that the technique can be used to spin almost any conceivable yarn with a measure of freshness; but this can and will only be the case if the storytellers continue to push the boundaries of what is possible for the narrative as we find new perspectives and new technology that build upon the presentation. Doing ‘more of the same’ puts any device at risk of seeming tired and worn out, and I’ve always conceded that such trickery has its own limitations each and every time its tried.
So, take that, haters. I need only be true to myself.
One of the recent break-out sensations proclaimed by many to be a worthy addition to the ranks of found footage is 2023’s kinda/sorta viral sensation, Late Night With The Devil. Written and directed by the team of Cameron and Colin Cairnes, the Horror story casts late night syndicated variety show host Jack Delroy in the guise of a ‘man with a plan’ to resurrect his failing TV enterprise by way of some supernatural Sweeps Month event. Little did he know that Satan never willingly sits down to chat with host with a studio audience unless there were certain commitments made in advance … and, no, we’re not talking about great snacks available in the green room.
We’re talking about the selling of souls in exchange for success … about as dark a business deal as was ever conceived.
It’s apparent undoing took place on this fateful broadcast, all of it captured on video … but not without a word or two from our network sponsors!
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation's living rooms.”
Once again – for the uninitiated – I found myself having to play Devil’s advocate in dissecting a film about, apparently, a real Devil’s advocate: Late Night With The Devil most assuredly is not a found footage film.
Yes, yes, and yes: it’s a flick that occasionally uses the construct of found footage to weave its spell, and – in fairness – it does so reasonably effectively here and there. The premise is that the Halloween airing of ‘Night Owls With Jack Delroy’ went spectacularly off-the-rails into authentic Satanic debauchery – certainly the last in the program’s run in alleged television syndication – was captured with the faux broadcast airing as well as some herky-jerky black-and-white camera work behind-the-scenes filling in what took place during commercial breaks. But the project’s opening set-up – a brief documentary profiling Delroy’s professional career – and the last reel ‘surprise’ – that takes the audience into the mind of the host, breaking the fourth wall – clearly proves that this was all the deliberate production of the Cairnes at the helm.
Though it’s an impressive feat, it’s still far from found footage in far too many ways to argue.
Now, that’s not a complaint. In fact, I’ve no problem saying that Late Night is a surprisingly astute Horror film, complete with a fabulous concept executed with winning performances and an accomplished script that ought to make storytellers jealous over how much was achieved with such reasonably controlled expense. My issue is entirely with those claiming that it’s an artistic reinvention of the found footage format as I think that’s a lot of smoke with very little fire, if you catch my drift.
Jack Delroy (played exquisitely by David Dastmalchian) finds himself stumbling in his professional career when his late-night variety program plunges in Nielsen ratings to lows usually precipitating cancellation. As I suspect is often the case when shows fall out of popularity, there’s no central suggestion behind the failure attributed in the script; and he’s never quite shown on a mission to recover such lost popularity so much as he is hell bent on securing a means for his corporate survival. In such dark circumstances, any of us would do damn near anything, but the true suggestions of just how far Delroy may have gone doesn’t get revealed until very late in the story … and, yes, it’s more than a bit of a shocker … except when it’s not, as is the case here.
Today’s Hollywood, folks, might not exactly be yesterday’s Hollywood.
Today’s Hollywood is one that’s been rocked by some very disturbing scandals – many of them sexual in nature – and the end result is that it’s caused several studios to craft both television and theatrical fare in pursuit of the slimmest audience margins. Not a day goes by – or, at least, not a week – wherein some glamorous nugget of depravity leaks out exposing some starlet or marquee name or heavyweight producer; and it’s honestly grown quite tiring for regular folks. But instead of producing mainstream tales that might secure the blessings of respectably wholesome moviegoers, Tinseltown has gone all-in on promoting fringe lifestyles of social deviants in ways suggesting that pedophilia, transgenderism, sexual ‘fluidity,’ and the like are a part of – ahem – everyday life. While that may be the case amongst the rich and powerful – arguably true with the preponderance of their scandals – it is most certainly not the case for the vast majority of consumers; thus, studios have endured diminishing returns – i.e. poor box office receipts – for quite some time. What did they expect when they ignored the mores of the mainstream in favor of promoting the dalliances of the minority?
So centering a Horror film on a TV talent who performed a ritual sacrifice of his cancer-stricken wife whilst his elite Hollywood brethren watched on as part of their secret society with the Devil? Are we to suspect that something like this has never happened? In today’s Hollywood? Or even yesterday’s? Why, this could be exactly the kind of behavior that took place in Bohemian Grove, a private gentlemen’s club in California that’s existed for decades, shrouded in secrecy, and hosts some of the biggest names in entertainment and beyond for the purposes of … well, we don’t know what exactly. But … could it be ritual Satanic sacrifice? Well … why not?
Now, I don’t say any of this to cast doubt on Late Night, which – as I’ve said – I find to be a particularly good, particularly effective, and particularly entertaining feature. As stories go, this one works despite the fact that the narrative is really all over the place – sometimes it’s a documentary, sometimes it’s a studio broadcast, sometimes it’s a behind-the-scenes expose of the entertainment industry, and sometimes it breaks the Fourth Wall in ways too wicked to count. Hats off to all involved, honestly, as the film achieves what I think all involved set out to do even though I’d still say it’s a jumbled mess of pieces that shouldn’t necessarily fit together easily yet do. That, my friends, is what talent can accomplish; and it deserves recognition.
But – in the end – the project felt more like a Saturday Night Live sketch that took on life greater than the sum of its parts, never quite happy being one thing so it instead threw in everything … including the kitchen sink. A dizzying experience … and, yes, it just might tickle your fancy.
Late Night With The Devil (2023) was produced by Future Pictures, IFC Films, Shudder, Image Nation, VicScreen, and a few other participating partners. (A full accounting – for those who like that sort of specificity – can be found on IMDB.com.) The film shows presently available for digital purchase or rental on a variety of streaming platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were exceptional: there’s some post-production trickery necessary to tell the story as presented here, but none of it diminishes the achievement in any way. In fact, it times feels like a nice throwback to those days when stories were delivered a bit more simply, with less visual flash and flair. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Strongly recommended.
Like so many, I went in expecting Late Night With The Devil (2023) to be a found footage experience, and it most definitely is not. (No, that’s not a complaint.) While it uses the construct nominally, I honestly think the story could’ve worked entirely as a practical story, removing the found footage elements wholly and just sticking to conventional screen magic. The tale is strong enough to exist on its own merits, and its performance all work as the characters are defined by both the histories and the presentation. All of it climaxes probably as audiences suspected, but none of that lessens the impact. We always knew Hollywood was in cahoots with Satan, right? We just didn’t know they were on a first-name basis.
In the interests of fairness, I’m beholden to no one for my review of Late Night With The Devil (2023) as I rented it via my subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
-- EZ
Jack Delroy (played exquisitely by David Dastmalchian) finds himself stumbling in his professional career when his late-night variety program plunges in Nielsen ratings to lows usually precipitating cancellation. As I suspect is often the case when shows fall out of popularity, there’s no central suggestion behind the failure attributed in the script; and he’s never quite shown on a mission to recover such lost popularity so much as he is hell bent on securing a means for his corporate survival. In such dark circumstances, any of us would do damn near anything, but the true suggestions of just how far Delroy may have gone doesn’t get revealed until very late in the story … and, yes, it’s more than a bit of a shocker … except when it’s not, as is the case here.
Today’s Hollywood, folks, might not exactly be yesterday’s Hollywood.
Today’s Hollywood is one that’s been rocked by some very disturbing scandals – many of them sexual in nature – and the end result is that it’s caused several studios to craft both television and theatrical fare in pursuit of the slimmest audience margins. Not a day goes by – or, at least, not a week – wherein some glamorous nugget of depravity leaks out exposing some starlet or marquee name or heavyweight producer; and it’s honestly grown quite tiring for regular folks. But instead of producing mainstream tales that might secure the blessings of respectably wholesome moviegoers, Tinseltown has gone all-in on promoting fringe lifestyles of social deviants in ways suggesting that pedophilia, transgenderism, sexual ‘fluidity,’ and the like are a part of – ahem – everyday life. While that may be the case amongst the rich and powerful – arguably true with the preponderance of their scandals – it is most certainly not the case for the vast majority of consumers; thus, studios have endured diminishing returns – i.e. poor box office receipts – for quite some time. What did they expect when they ignored the mores of the mainstream in favor of promoting the dalliances of the minority?
So centering a Horror film on a TV talent who performed a ritual sacrifice of his cancer-stricken wife whilst his elite Hollywood brethren watched on as part of their secret society with the Devil? Are we to suspect that something like this has never happened? In today’s Hollywood? Or even yesterday’s? Why, this could be exactly the kind of behavior that took place in Bohemian Grove, a private gentlemen’s club in California that’s existed for decades, shrouded in secrecy, and hosts some of the biggest names in entertainment and beyond for the purposes of … well, we don’t know what exactly. But … could it be ritual Satanic sacrifice? Well … why not?
Now, I don’t say any of this to cast doubt on Late Night, which – as I’ve said – I find to be a particularly good, particularly effective, and particularly entertaining feature. As stories go, this one works despite the fact that the narrative is really all over the place – sometimes it’s a documentary, sometimes it’s a studio broadcast, sometimes it’s a behind-the-scenes expose of the entertainment industry, and sometimes it breaks the Fourth Wall in ways too wicked to count. Hats off to all involved, honestly, as the film achieves what I think all involved set out to do even though I’d still say it’s a jumbled mess of pieces that shouldn’t necessarily fit together easily yet do. That, my friends, is what talent can accomplish; and it deserves recognition.
But – in the end – the project felt more like a Saturday Night Live sketch that took on life greater than the sum of its parts, never quite happy being one thing so it instead threw in everything … including the kitchen sink. A dizzying experience … and, yes, it just might tickle your fancy.
Late Night With The Devil (2023) was produced by Future Pictures, IFC Films, Shudder, Image Nation, VicScreen, and a few other participating partners. (A full accounting – for those who like that sort of specificity – can be found on IMDB.com.) The film shows presently available for digital purchase or rental on a variety of streaming platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were exceptional: there’s some post-production trickery necessary to tell the story as presented here, but none of it diminishes the achievement in any way. In fact, it times feels like a nice throwback to those days when stories were delivered a bit more simply, with less visual flash and flair. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Strongly recommended.
Like so many, I went in expecting Late Night With The Devil (2023) to be a found footage experience, and it most definitely is not. (No, that’s not a complaint.) While it uses the construct nominally, I honestly think the story could’ve worked entirely as a practical story, removing the found footage elements wholly and just sticking to conventional screen magic. The tale is strong enough to exist on its own merits, and its performance all work as the characters are defined by both the histories and the presentation. All of it climaxes probably as audiences suspected, but none of that lessens the impact. We always knew Hollywood was in cahoots with Satan, right? We just didn’t know they were on a first-name basis.
In the interests of fairness, I’m beholden to no one for my review of Late Night With The Devil (2023) as I rented it via my subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
-- EZ
- Published on
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home.”
Mind you, there are a good handful of truly great Science Fiction films that emerged during the 1950’s – the Golden Age of SciFi on the silver screen – and I think many ‘in the know’ would place When Worlds Collide among the most influential. Coming as it does from the efforts of George Pal – a significant contributor to the realms of the Fantastic from the bygone era – that fact alone should grant it a mention. Thankfully, there’s a bit more worth saying about its greatness and impact: at a time when genre films were just starting to concentrate on gadgets, gizmos, and giants, Collide was about the human experience.
Essentially, When Worlds Collide effectively uses the construct of the ultimate disaster movie – our Big Blue Marble is about to be pulverized by a star whose path throughout the galaxy intersects with ours – and then goes about the business of exploring the different layers of how society responds. Initially, the scientists go to bat, debating and/or debunking one another’s theory about just how dire – if at all – our Earthly predicament may be. Then, society’s benefactors step forward, trying to propose various prospects for how mankind might survive if and when an Extinction Level Event arrives at our doorstep. Lastly, chaos descends once the masses-at-large begin to see that they’ve lived out their days in vain; the Grim Reaper is on the horizon, and what do those who’ll soon fall to his mighty scythe have to show for their lives?
Along the way toward the big finish, Collide sprinkles stories of – mostly – those who valiantly made a stand and committed themselves to some form of survival. Even those who suspected they might not make the grade to escape our dire circumstances did what they could be ensure some would. Chaos still arrives in those last frenetic moments when reason gets tossed to the winds – human nature being what it is – but the story from Sydney Boehm, Edwin Balmer, and Philip Wylie never shies away from the difficult prospect of showing what a planet living out its last days could look like, be that good, bad, or ugly.
Dr. Cole Hendron (played by Larry Keating) has come to believe that our world is about to crash into a wayward star named Bellus that’s crossing our path in the Heavens, and the man risks his credibility in the international community when he announces mankind has less than a year left. Laughed at and scorned by those who argue his findings are flawed, Hendron decides that he’ll enlist some private investors to raise funds and build a spacecraft that can speed 45 survivors – our best and brightest – to the planet Zyra, a world caught in Bellus’s gravity, in hopes that something of Earth might endure past the celestial catastrophe. Though the chances are decidedly slim, he’s a man who insists we should at least try, and this is the catalyst that fuels the better part of the movie.
From this set-up, Collide efficiently demonstrates the strength of the three-act narrative structure. The premise and all necessary characters are introduced in Act One.
In Act Two, the plethora of obstacles evolving from the set-up and the characters coming together come center stage. Hendron’s daughter – Joyce (Barbara Rush) – has fallen somewhat out of love with her beau Tony Drake (Peter Hansen) and under the spell of brash pilot David Randall (Richard Derr) who isn’t expecting to survive the cataclysm but insists on doing all he can for the project. In exchange for financing critical parts of the mission, selfish business mogul Sydney Stanton (John Hoyt) tries to usurp control to suit his own personal desires. Once the gravitational effects of Bellus and Zyra are felt on Earth, lesser calamities force our heroes into action to save lives they know inevitably will be lost; and yet nothing causes them to sacrifice their humanity to do the right thing in the face of disaster.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home.”
Mind you, there are a good handful of truly great Science Fiction films that emerged during the 1950’s – the Golden Age of SciFi on the silver screen – and I think many ‘in the know’ would place When Worlds Collide among the most influential. Coming as it does from the efforts of George Pal – a significant contributor to the realms of the Fantastic from the bygone era – that fact alone should grant it a mention. Thankfully, there’s a bit more worth saying about its greatness and impact: at a time when genre films were just starting to concentrate on gadgets, gizmos, and giants, Collide was about the human experience.
Essentially, When Worlds Collide effectively uses the construct of the ultimate disaster movie – our Big Blue Marble is about to be pulverized by a star whose path throughout the galaxy intersects with ours – and then goes about the business of exploring the different layers of how society responds. Initially, the scientists go to bat, debating and/or debunking one another’s theory about just how dire – if at all – our Earthly predicament may be. Then, society’s benefactors step forward, trying to propose various prospects for how mankind might survive if and when an Extinction Level Event arrives at our doorstep. Lastly, chaos descends once the masses-at-large begin to see that they’ve lived out their days in vain; the Grim Reaper is on the horizon, and what do those who’ll soon fall to his mighty scythe have to show for their lives?
Along the way toward the big finish, Collide sprinkles stories of – mostly – those who valiantly made a stand and committed themselves to some form of survival. Even those who suspected they might not make the grade to escape our dire circumstances did what they could be ensure some would. Chaos still arrives in those last frenetic moments when reason gets tossed to the winds – human nature being what it is – but the story from Sydney Boehm, Edwin Balmer, and Philip Wylie never shies away from the difficult prospect of showing what a planet living out its last days could look like, be that good, bad, or ugly.
Dr. Cole Hendron (played by Larry Keating) has come to believe that our world is about to crash into a wayward star named Bellus that’s crossing our path in the Heavens, and the man risks his credibility in the international community when he announces mankind has less than a year left. Laughed at and scorned by those who argue his findings are flawed, Hendron decides that he’ll enlist some private investors to raise funds and build a spacecraft that can speed 45 survivors – our best and brightest – to the planet Zyra, a world caught in Bellus’s gravity, in hopes that something of Earth might endure past the celestial catastrophe. Though the chances are decidedly slim, he’s a man who insists we should at least try, and this is the catalyst that fuels the better part of the movie.
From this set-up, Collide efficiently demonstrates the strength of the three-act narrative structure. The premise and all necessary characters are introduced in Act One.
In Act Two, the plethora of obstacles evolving from the set-up and the characters coming together come center stage. Hendron’s daughter – Joyce (Barbara Rush) – has fallen somewhat out of love with her beau Tony Drake (Peter Hansen) and under the spell of brash pilot David Randall (Richard Derr) who isn’t expecting to survive the cataclysm but insists on doing all he can for the project. In exchange for financing critical parts of the mission, selfish business mogul Sydney Stanton (John Hoyt) tries to usurp control to suit his own personal desires. Once the gravitational effects of Bellus and Zyra are felt on Earth, lesser calamities force our heroes into action to save lives they know inevitably will be lost; and yet nothing causes them to sacrifice their humanity to do the right thing in the face of disaster.
The arrival of Act Three has chaos descending on even Earth’s best minds. When our day of doom arrives, those not chosen to risk a ride into the cosmos take up arms in their bid to force themselves aboard. Sacrifices are made in the frenzy, but the lottery winners finally blast off and speed on their way to Zyra, a planet that fortunately appears capable of supporting human life in what will be a new era of intergalactic civilization.
Because I’m a die-hard consumer of Science Fiction and Fantasy, I’ve no problem giving a solid thumbs up to the full experience of Collide. I recall seeing this one as a young’un and not being all that enamored with it, mostly because so little time gets spent on those things that animate a young’un’s mind. The impressive ship is only seen sparingly; and the real money shots – launching into the Final Frontier and the journey through space to Zyra – are exceedingly short. My young mind wasn’t as smitten with the human stories that make up so much of Collide – in fact, the wise old man in me only now truly understands that those worlds in collision were more about man-to-man and man-to-woman than they ever were about heavenly bodies – but I still liked it good enough.
Yes, I think the film definitely deserves its standing as being one of the flicks to emerge from the 1950’s that’s worth the attention. In fact, I’ve known for many years that director Steven Spielberg saw it as inspiration for his somewhat like-minded Deep Impact (1998). In that film, an approaching comet threatens our world; and instead of spiriting a crew off-world to survive great pains are made to utilize subterranean bunkers as a means of circumventing our downfall. But like Collide, Deep Impact is far more a drama about the human condition than it is a culmination of special effects shots meant to dazzle the mind; and both films succeed in saying something about who we are as a people and how we approach living life or the encroachment of its bitter and bittersweet end.
Lastly, it’s also worthy of note that – even though such effects work is largely limited to Collide’s last reel – the film went on to win top honors at the 1952 Academy Awards, taking home the trophy for ‘Best Special Effects.’ Yes, the bells and whistles might occupy little screen time, but they remain examples of the very best professional techniques for the era.
When Worlds Collide (1951) was produced by Paramount Pictures. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish; there are some obviously dated effects – along with some underwhelming matte paintings – here and there, but nothing derails the story in any conceivable way. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Well, the disc boasts only the film’s theatrical trailer, so that’ll be all I have to say about that.
Highly recommended.
I’ve always argued that When Worlds Collide (1951) hasn’t quite benefitted from a strong reputation for being one of the 1950’s better Science Fiction films; and that’s because it really doesn’t look, sound, or feel like so many other signature productions. Concentrating on the human stories – and the baggage that entails – it’s a bit more low-key if not downright forgettable when matched up against such other stunning events as The Thing From Another World (1951), The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), or The War Of The Worlds (1953) – incidentally also from George Pal. It’s far more about people than it is perils – or planetary events, anyway – and, as such, its luster story gets a bit lost in the shuffle. That’s regrettable because what’s in here works – even though it’s a bit unspectacular in spots – and I think it deserves to be rediscovered by genre fans, especially those who can forgive a bit of predictability.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of When Worlds Collide (1951) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Because I’m a die-hard consumer of Science Fiction and Fantasy, I’ve no problem giving a solid thumbs up to the full experience of Collide. I recall seeing this one as a young’un and not being all that enamored with it, mostly because so little time gets spent on those things that animate a young’un’s mind. The impressive ship is only seen sparingly; and the real money shots – launching into the Final Frontier and the journey through space to Zyra – are exceedingly short. My young mind wasn’t as smitten with the human stories that make up so much of Collide – in fact, the wise old man in me only now truly understands that those worlds in collision were more about man-to-man and man-to-woman than they ever were about heavenly bodies – but I still liked it good enough.
Yes, I think the film definitely deserves its standing as being one of the flicks to emerge from the 1950’s that’s worth the attention. In fact, I’ve known for many years that director Steven Spielberg saw it as inspiration for his somewhat like-minded Deep Impact (1998). In that film, an approaching comet threatens our world; and instead of spiriting a crew off-world to survive great pains are made to utilize subterranean bunkers as a means of circumventing our downfall. But like Collide, Deep Impact is far more a drama about the human condition than it is a culmination of special effects shots meant to dazzle the mind; and both films succeed in saying something about who we are as a people and how we approach living life or the encroachment of its bitter and bittersweet end.
Lastly, it’s also worthy of note that – even though such effects work is largely limited to Collide’s last reel – the film went on to win top honors at the 1952 Academy Awards, taking home the trophy for ‘Best Special Effects.’ Yes, the bells and whistles might occupy little screen time, but they remain examples of the very best professional techniques for the era.
When Worlds Collide (1951) was produced by Paramount Pictures. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish; there are some obviously dated effects – along with some underwhelming matte paintings – here and there, but nothing derails the story in any conceivable way. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Well, the disc boasts only the film’s theatrical trailer, so that’ll be all I have to say about that.
Highly recommended.
I’ve always argued that When Worlds Collide (1951) hasn’t quite benefitted from a strong reputation for being one of the 1950’s better Science Fiction films; and that’s because it really doesn’t look, sound, or feel like so many other signature productions. Concentrating on the human stories – and the baggage that entails – it’s a bit more low-key if not downright forgettable when matched up against such other stunning events as The Thing From Another World (1951), The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), or The War Of The Worlds (1953) – incidentally also from George Pal. It’s far more about people than it is perils – or planetary events, anyway – and, as such, its luster story gets a bit lost in the shuffle. That’s regrettable because what’s in here works – even though it’s a bit unspectacular in spots – and I think it deserves to be rediscovered by genre fans, especially those who can forgive a bit of predictability.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of When Worlds Collide (1951) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
At and/or around the time that Warner Bros. was heavily invested in finally delivering Batman (1989) to the silver screen, Warner Bros. Television – along with their partners at DC Comics – began exploring the prospect of bringing a measure of superheroes to the small screen.
Now, there has been a great deal of conjecture about how closely TV’s The Flash looks and feels to the cinematic universe created by director Tim Burton for the Caped Crusader’s debut in theaters; and there’s no denying that association. The fact that – to some degree – these separate properties were in production in the same era underscores that, thematically, one quite probably wouldn’t exist without the other even though it goes without saying that The Flash winds up still being somewhat forgettable on the cosmic scale of superhero dramas. But the insistence that one caused the other – meaning Batman’s success required some kind of televised offshoot – isn’t likely something anyone should consider set in stone. I’ve read specifically on Wikipedia.org that DC and Warner were already considering cracking television once again, so the evolution from script to screen was probably moved along nicely with the Dark Knight’s silver screen success.
In any event, I was there in the home audience when The Flash’s pilot episode first aired on CBS on September 20, 1990; and I distinctly remember being a bit underwhelmed.
It isn’t as if the founding telefilm was inadequate because the 90-minute installment is an affable piece of simple entertainment. Yes, it arguably borrows the aesthetic of the Batman film but rather obviously does so on a vastly slimmer budget. The script from Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo efficiently squeezes in enough substance between its small(ish) character moments and the attempt to deliver something bigger-than-life to make it all go down easy; and, yet, the truth is the show wouldn’t last longer than a single season on the Boob Tube. Though the reasons why might vary, I think it’s honestly safe to suggest that no one wanted that grim and dark experience in a weekly dosage; and the crop of writers – while talented – weren’t able to muster enough super-stuffing to glue audiences to their seats for all that long. It bowed out before many even knew it existed, and that’s sometimes the nature of things.
But to celebrate the show’s new release on Blu-ray compliments of the Warner Archive, I’ll be taking a look back at several episodes over the next few weeks. What better way to give it all a new spin than to take a look back at the pilot adventure …
Now, there has been a great deal of conjecture about how closely TV’s The Flash looks and feels to the cinematic universe created by director Tim Burton for the Caped Crusader’s debut in theaters; and there’s no denying that association. The fact that – to some degree – these separate properties were in production in the same era underscores that, thematically, one quite probably wouldn’t exist without the other even though it goes without saying that The Flash winds up still being somewhat forgettable on the cosmic scale of superhero dramas. But the insistence that one caused the other – meaning Batman’s success required some kind of televised offshoot – isn’t likely something anyone should consider set in stone. I’ve read specifically on Wikipedia.org that DC and Warner were already considering cracking television once again, so the evolution from script to screen was probably moved along nicely with the Dark Knight’s silver screen success.
In any event, I was there in the home audience when The Flash’s pilot episode first aired on CBS on September 20, 1990; and I distinctly remember being a bit underwhelmed.
It isn’t as if the founding telefilm was inadequate because the 90-minute installment is an affable piece of simple entertainment. Yes, it arguably borrows the aesthetic of the Batman film but rather obviously does so on a vastly slimmer budget. The script from Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo efficiently squeezes in enough substance between its small(ish) character moments and the attempt to deliver something bigger-than-life to make it all go down easy; and, yet, the truth is the show wouldn’t last longer than a single season on the Boob Tube. Though the reasons why might vary, I think it’s honestly safe to suggest that no one wanted that grim and dark experience in a weekly dosage; and the crop of writers – while talented – weren’t able to muster enough super-stuffing to glue audiences to their seats for all that long. It bowed out before many even knew it existed, and that’s sometimes the nature of things.
But to celebrate the show’s new release on Blu-ray compliments of the Warner Archive, I’ll be taking a look back at several episodes over the next few weeks. What better way to give it all a new spin than to take a look back at the pilot adventure …
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A laboratory accident endows a police scientist with the ability to move at superhuman speed which he uses to battle a menacing gang as a superhero.”
I’ve mentioned plenty of times in this space that – in my youth – I grew up reading comic books. While The Flash title was never one of my personal favorites, I can say that I scanned several issues in the early 1970’s, and I experienced a modicum of joy exploring the antics of the fastest man alive. (I preferred DC Comics over Marvel books.) They were solid reads, often a bit comical in nature, but like so many I found greater affinity with the characters of Batman and Superman. What can I say? I know what I like.
Being one who’s known for watching damn near any superhero saga on television, I went into 1990’s version of The Flash with a touch more knowledge than the typical viewer. In all honesty, I think the series’ pilot was accommodating enough to bring in anyone: it really presented everything an audience needed to know about Barry Allen (played rather stoically by John Wesley Shipp) – without cracking the hero’s history to any great degree – in his particular time and particular place. Basically, Allen was ‘CSI’ before that TV franchise made ‘CSI’ famous; and Allen would juggle his commitments between serving the citizens of Central City from both behind a badge to completely without one in light vigilante style. After all, The Flash was never The Batman by any estimation; and, thankfully, the CBS serial largely avoided anything other than cursory comparisons.
What the show didn’t quite get right – so far as I care – was the books that I recall had a more light-hearted tone. Barry wasn’t always all serious, but Shipp – especially in the telefilm – really lacks a measure of personality much less a hint of human charm. Some of his small screen earnestness might have been owed more to the success of 1989’s Batman where Michael Keaton played a rather dour force for justice uniquely committed to ridding Gotham City of any agents of doom; and perhaps this is what Bilson and De Meo thought the network wished to see recreated for television. While the series did lighten up a bit here and there as it wore on, the telefilm mostly aligns much more with that feature film; and humor rears it head rather sparingly in the run-time.
Furthermore, Bilson and De Meo also paralleled the family dynamic of the Caped Crusader: whereas the death of his parents ultimately served as the catalyst to put Bruce Wayne on his personal crusade, Barry Allen initially follows suite when his much-revered cop/brother Jay Allen (Tim Thomerson) gets shot down in the line of duty. (Yes, there’s a bit more, but you catch my drift.) It doesn’t take the younger brother long to put the pieces together – namely that a disgraced former cop who literally wrote the book on motorcycle policing has an axe to grind with Central City – and we’re off to the revenge … erm … races.
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A laboratory accident endows a police scientist with the ability to move at superhuman speed which he uses to battle a menacing gang as a superhero.”
I’ve mentioned plenty of times in this space that – in my youth – I grew up reading comic books. While The Flash title was never one of my personal favorites, I can say that I scanned several issues in the early 1970’s, and I experienced a modicum of joy exploring the antics of the fastest man alive. (I preferred DC Comics over Marvel books.) They were solid reads, often a bit comical in nature, but like so many I found greater affinity with the characters of Batman and Superman. What can I say? I know what I like.
Being one who’s known for watching damn near any superhero saga on television, I went into 1990’s version of The Flash with a touch more knowledge than the typical viewer. In all honesty, I think the series’ pilot was accommodating enough to bring in anyone: it really presented everything an audience needed to know about Barry Allen (played rather stoically by John Wesley Shipp) – without cracking the hero’s history to any great degree – in his particular time and particular place. Basically, Allen was ‘CSI’ before that TV franchise made ‘CSI’ famous; and Allen would juggle his commitments between serving the citizens of Central City from both behind a badge to completely without one in light vigilante style. After all, The Flash was never The Batman by any estimation; and, thankfully, the CBS serial largely avoided anything other than cursory comparisons.
What the show didn’t quite get right – so far as I care – was the books that I recall had a more light-hearted tone. Barry wasn’t always all serious, but Shipp – especially in the telefilm – really lacks a measure of personality much less a hint of human charm. Some of his small screen earnestness might have been owed more to the success of 1989’s Batman where Michael Keaton played a rather dour force for justice uniquely committed to ridding Gotham City of any agents of doom; and perhaps this is what Bilson and De Meo thought the network wished to see recreated for television. While the series did lighten up a bit here and there as it wore on, the telefilm mostly aligns much more with that feature film; and humor rears it head rather sparingly in the run-time.
Furthermore, Bilson and De Meo also paralleled the family dynamic of the Caped Crusader: whereas the death of his parents ultimately served as the catalyst to put Bruce Wayne on his personal crusade, Barry Allen initially follows suite when his much-revered cop/brother Jay Allen (Tim Thomerson) gets shot down in the line of duty. (Yes, there’s a bit more, but you catch my drift.) It doesn’t take the younger brother long to put the pieces together – namely that a disgraced former cop who literally wrote the book on motorcycle policing has an axe to grind with Central City – and we’re off to the revenge … erm … races.
Joining Shipp in this inaugural edition of lawfulness were a plethora of faces familiar with television of the day. M. Emmet Walsh served as the grizzled old patriarch of the Allen family; his greater affection for Jay imbues Barry with the ever-present desire to make his daddy proud, even against whatever odds lay ahead. The effervescent Paula Marshall was cast to bring Iris West to life; but – as a love interest – she was curiously absent from the rest of the series. (I’ve no idea why she didn’t return to the role, and I think that was arguably one of the program’s greatest losses.) The plucky Amanda Pays takes charge in the guise of scientist Christine McGee, Barry’s Star Labs’ counterpart who works alongside the superhero in an attempt to make sense out of the changes to his body. The late Richard Belzer shows up as TV pundit Joe Kline, a reporter whose sensibilities lean a bit more toward the salacious than they do the sagacious.
Sadly, the telefilm suffers from a solid handful of missteps, the most grievous of which I’d say rests entirely on Shipp’s inability to convey any true emotion in too many spots. His performance is bland all too often, and the script never quite gives him all that much to work with. Basically, he’s a lab rat who curiously doesn’t know what ginseng is (it’ll make sense when you see it) who thinks giving his older brother something he secretly robbed from him twenty-five years ago as a birthday present makes for a suitable gift; and – ahem – that’s about all. Well, that and the fact that he comically outruns his own dog on a superpowered sprint through the park, a comic beat that makes no sense given the fact that – at his advanced superspeed – he likely would’ve dragged the dog to its death. It’s these kiddie comic book sensibilities that never get reconciled with the otherwise obvious darkness that makes for a decidedly uneven experience.
Even a bit tonally worse is the telefilm’s villain: disgraced Central City police officer Nicholas Pike (Michael Nader) seems to have no real endgame in mind for his motorcycle gang called ubiquitously ‘The Riders.’ (???) Sure, they’re smitten with terrorizing the general populace and making the cops look like a bunch of lame brains – which a few of them are all by their lonesome – but Pike’s big selling point seems to be that he’s in charge of the only biker club in town that maintains their own salad bar. That recruiting tool might work for some, but I must’ve missed it aboard Fox TV’s Sons Of Anarchy. But if you introduce a superhero and fail to give him some impressive force of evil to stand up against, then what’s all the fuss about?
And about that superhero?
I hate nitpicking – which is why I’m not going to pen a treatise on the rather obvious TV-grade special effects – but The Flash suit winds up looking a bit too comical in the occasional scene. Clearly, there’s some ample padding incorporated into the chest, and – from an angle or two – it’s just too much. The rush to bulk up Shipp into twice the size he logically was might produce a chuckle here or there, or perhaps they should’ve cast someone a bit beefier. It occasionally looks more 1990’s Power Rangers than it does authentic TV super soldier, but – as I said – a good show is far more about what the suit stands for than how it fits. In that respect, producers played a bit fast and loose; and I can only hope for improvement as the series charts its own course over the remaining twenty-plus episodes.
Sadly, the telefilm suffers from a solid handful of missteps, the most grievous of which I’d say rests entirely on Shipp’s inability to convey any true emotion in too many spots. His performance is bland all too often, and the script never quite gives him all that much to work with. Basically, he’s a lab rat who curiously doesn’t know what ginseng is (it’ll make sense when you see it) who thinks giving his older brother something he secretly robbed from him twenty-five years ago as a birthday present makes for a suitable gift; and – ahem – that’s about all. Well, that and the fact that he comically outruns his own dog on a superpowered sprint through the park, a comic beat that makes no sense given the fact that – at his advanced superspeed – he likely would’ve dragged the dog to its death. It’s these kiddie comic book sensibilities that never get reconciled with the otherwise obvious darkness that makes for a decidedly uneven experience.
Even a bit tonally worse is the telefilm’s villain: disgraced Central City police officer Nicholas Pike (Michael Nader) seems to have no real endgame in mind for his motorcycle gang called ubiquitously ‘The Riders.’ (???) Sure, they’re smitten with terrorizing the general populace and making the cops look like a bunch of lame brains – which a few of them are all by their lonesome – but Pike’s big selling point seems to be that he’s in charge of the only biker club in town that maintains their own salad bar. That recruiting tool might work for some, but I must’ve missed it aboard Fox TV’s Sons Of Anarchy. But if you introduce a superhero and fail to give him some impressive force of evil to stand up against, then what’s all the fuss about?
And about that superhero?
I hate nitpicking – which is why I’m not going to pen a treatise on the rather obvious TV-grade special effects – but The Flash suit winds up looking a bit too comical in the occasional scene. Clearly, there’s some ample padding incorporated into the chest, and – from an angle or two – it’s just too much. The rush to bulk up Shipp into twice the size he logically was might produce a chuckle here or there, or perhaps they should’ve cast someone a bit beefier. It occasionally looks more 1990’s Power Rangers than it does authentic TV super soldier, but – as I said – a good show is far more about what the suit stands for than how it fits. In that respect, producers played a bit fast and loose; and I can only hope for improvement as the series charts its own course over the remaining twenty-plus episodes.
The Flash (1990-1991) was produced by Pet Fly Productions and Warner Bros. Television. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert … wowza! The telefilm both looks and sounds fabulous consistently throughout, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the show look so good. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, the set comes without a single one … a miss, if you ask me.
Recommended.
Yes, this was the early 1990’s; and TV effects being what they were The Flash’s pilot episode is only marginally better than what CBS had accomplished more than a decade before with programs like Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, and The Incredible Hulk. While it’s a respectable introduction to this particular corner of the DC Universe, I just didn’t find it all that interesting or memorable. A lackluster villain and an all-too-similar aesthetic to what Warner Bros. had done with 1989’s Batman, I expected something a bit different. Instead, I got some of the same mixed heartily with the usual TV ingredients.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Flash: The Original Series by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Recommended.
Yes, this was the early 1990’s; and TV effects being what they were The Flash’s pilot episode is only marginally better than what CBS had accomplished more than a decade before with programs like Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, and The Incredible Hulk. While it’s a respectable introduction to this particular corner of the DC Universe, I just didn’t find it all that interesting or memorable. A lackluster villain and an all-too-similar aesthetic to what Warner Bros. had done with 1989’s Batman, I expected something a bit different. Instead, I got some of the same mixed heartily with the usual TV ingredients.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of The Flash: The Original Series by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Dead beings and a bloodsucking lizard-man populate this atmospheric and bizarre European gothic shocker! Scientist Michael Sherrington conducts strange experiments on the transmutation of human cells, which involves hibernating bodies and pumping chemicals into the bloodstream. One night he decides to perform these tests on himself and winds up buried in the local cemetery. When he returns to consciousness, the results will leave you screaming!”
Without getting too deeply into some really, really, really unnecessary weeds, I’ve no problem admitting right up front that Necrophagous (1971) just didn’t quite strike a chord with me. While some critics feel the necessity to justify each and every component of a production that he or she found substandard, I’ve found more often than not that genre fans – specifically those folks drawn to Horror – prefer knowing ‘the bullet points’ instead of debating minutiae they deem inconsequential. So, in that respect, let me hit a few specifics.
First, there’s very little in here that makes this one Horror.
Now, I’m not saying that to disparage writer/director Miguel Madrid. Necrophagous has the basic structure down pat – there’s a series of unexplained deaths of locals to a small village, and it isn’t until the grieving husband Michael Sherrington (played by Bill Curran) returns home demanding the truth behind his wife’s and his newborn daughter’s demise during childbirth that the story takes shape – and yet our seeming lead kinda/sorta disappears (no, I won’t spoil it) for no reason that relates to the film’s central thread. Yes, it’s tied to the guilty culprit, but as his disappearance plays no key piece of how this one gets solved, I’m at a loss to see why Madrid decided – at any time in the process – that this was a good plan. It robs the film of any relatability, and it shackles viewers with a group of less interesting players for far too much of the action.
Second, Necrophagous rarely feels like a legitimate Horror film.
Okay, I can hear you screaming out there in cyberspace, expecting further details on how something with mysterious murders and some possible nefarious creature misses that mark. Well, again, this could get into voluminous details if it mattered, but I’m insisting that it doesn’t. These – ahem – murders are largely bloodless; and the – ahem – suggestion of a creature winds up being handled so ineptly on film that it’s far more laughable than it is frightening. The prosthetics are good – what little we see of them – and it’s occasionally staged in a manner that’s interesting; but because Madrid chooses to shroud things with camera trickery and questionable shot angles it’s devoid of any real tension … the key component to giving any true scare the pulse it needs to survive on its own. This one? It’s just captured with too much nebulousness, and it fails.
Lastly … and this is the hardest one to discuss, honestly … Necrophagous feels very much like a first picture when, in reality, it came reasonably late in the writer/director’s catalogue.
Whether you know this or not, cinema is a language all of its own. Stories vary widely, but the presentation – in order to achieve effectiveness – requires that directors follow certain rules. Actors must stand in the exact same position when the camera shifts to another angle; if they don’t, then the continuity person didn’t do his or her job or the scene was never shot as part of the previous segment’s dialogue. Sequences shot at night need each and every piece to be shot under the same set of circumstances: if a midnight run suddenly turns into something more akin to a late afternoon skyline – something with vastly greater light – then this breakdown pulls the audience out of the narrative rhythm, and they’re left questioning what the hell happened to the dark? Furthermore, night sequences – when they’re obviously lit by those massive studio lamps in such a poor fashion – have to be delicately presented in order to preserve any scene before or after their airing.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Dead beings and a bloodsucking lizard-man populate this atmospheric and bizarre European gothic shocker! Scientist Michael Sherrington conducts strange experiments on the transmutation of human cells, which involves hibernating bodies and pumping chemicals into the bloodstream. One night he decides to perform these tests on himself and winds up buried in the local cemetery. When he returns to consciousness, the results will leave you screaming!”
Without getting too deeply into some really, really, really unnecessary weeds, I’ve no problem admitting right up front that Necrophagous (1971) just didn’t quite strike a chord with me. While some critics feel the necessity to justify each and every component of a production that he or she found substandard, I’ve found more often than not that genre fans – specifically those folks drawn to Horror – prefer knowing ‘the bullet points’ instead of debating minutiae they deem inconsequential. So, in that respect, let me hit a few specifics.
First, there’s very little in here that makes this one Horror.
Now, I’m not saying that to disparage writer/director Miguel Madrid. Necrophagous has the basic structure down pat – there’s a series of unexplained deaths of locals to a small village, and it isn’t until the grieving husband Michael Sherrington (played by Bill Curran) returns home demanding the truth behind his wife’s and his newborn daughter’s demise during childbirth that the story takes shape – and yet our seeming lead kinda/sorta disappears (no, I won’t spoil it) for no reason that relates to the film’s central thread. Yes, it’s tied to the guilty culprit, but as his disappearance plays no key piece of how this one gets solved, I’m at a loss to see why Madrid decided – at any time in the process – that this was a good plan. It robs the film of any relatability, and it shackles viewers with a group of less interesting players for far too much of the action.
Second, Necrophagous rarely feels like a legitimate Horror film.
Okay, I can hear you screaming out there in cyberspace, expecting further details on how something with mysterious murders and some possible nefarious creature misses that mark. Well, again, this could get into voluminous details if it mattered, but I’m insisting that it doesn’t. These – ahem – murders are largely bloodless; and the – ahem – suggestion of a creature winds up being handled so ineptly on film that it’s far more laughable than it is frightening. The prosthetics are good – what little we see of them – and it’s occasionally staged in a manner that’s interesting; but because Madrid chooses to shroud things with camera trickery and questionable shot angles it’s devoid of any real tension … the key component to giving any true scare the pulse it needs to survive on its own. This one? It’s just captured with too much nebulousness, and it fails.
Lastly … and this is the hardest one to discuss, honestly … Necrophagous feels very much like a first picture when, in reality, it came reasonably late in the writer/director’s catalogue.
Whether you know this or not, cinema is a language all of its own. Stories vary widely, but the presentation – in order to achieve effectiveness – requires that directors follow certain rules. Actors must stand in the exact same position when the camera shifts to another angle; if they don’t, then the continuity person didn’t do his or her job or the scene was never shot as part of the previous segment’s dialogue. Sequences shot at night need each and every piece to be shot under the same set of circumstances: if a midnight run suddenly turns into something more akin to a late afternoon skyline – something with vastly greater light – then this breakdown pulls the audience out of the narrative rhythm, and they’re left questioning what the hell happened to the dark? Furthermore, night sequences – when they’re obviously lit by those massive studio lamps in such a poor fashion – have to be delicately presented in order to preserve any scene before or after their airing.
I hope you get the point.
Necrophagous is rife with technical errors from start-to-finish. Some might be negligible – certainly there are a few laughable whoppers in here – but the additive quality of the experience truly robs the story of any intellectual weight as well as any ability to deliver even the hint of a organized tale. There are folks who might pick up and relish this disk because it’s such an inept composition, and – if you’re that type – then more power to you.
As for me?
I like even a bad film to make sense visually and textually. I’ll forgive the occasional blemish, but this one? Wow. This one was damn near D.O.A.
Necrophagous (1971) (aka The Butcher Of Binbrook) was produced by Films Internacionales (FISA). DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Severin Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure you that the provided sights-and-sounds to what’s reported as an all-new 2K scan from a recently discovered negative are probably about as good as they’re ever going to me. It ain’t bad, but it sure is underwhelming in spots. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This is Severin Films – and they do have a solid reputation with this stuff – so I’m providing the copy-and-paste of the materials from their press release from Blu-ray.com:
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Alas … this one is honestly very difficult to recommend on any level.
Sigh. Having screened as many low-budget and no-budget experiences as I have, I can appreciate when any storyteller mounts damn near any production so long as there’s a measure of narrative cohesiveness. Sadly, that just isn’t the case with Necrophagous (1971) as this one contains a horribly uneven pace from start-to-finish along with several scenes and sequences that either (A) defy logic or (B) don’t seem to have any authentic reason to be here in the first place. While some elements suggest a level of complicity amongst the characters, very little seems to tie-up neatly in a bow in the Scooby-Doo style finish, complete with voiceover narration from the guilty party … who I thought was – erm – dead? This one isn’t even worth the unintended laughs, folks, and that’s truly sad.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me a complimentary Blu-ray of Necrophagous (1971) – as part of the Danza Macabra: Volume Three – The Spanish Gothic Collection – by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Necrophagous is rife with technical errors from start-to-finish. Some might be negligible – certainly there are a few laughable whoppers in here – but the additive quality of the experience truly robs the story of any intellectual weight as well as any ability to deliver even the hint of a organized tale. There are folks who might pick up and relish this disk because it’s such an inept composition, and – if you’re that type – then more power to you.
As for me?
I like even a bad film to make sense visually and textually. I’ll forgive the occasional blemish, but this one? Wow. This one was damn near D.O.A.
Necrophagous (1971) (aka The Butcher Of Binbrook) was produced by Films Internacionales (FISA). DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Severin Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure you that the provided sights-and-sounds to what’s reported as an all-new 2K scan from a recently discovered negative are probably about as good as they’re ever going to me. It ain’t bad, but it sure is underwhelming in spots. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This is Severin Films – and they do have a solid reputation with this stuff – so I’m providing the copy-and-paste of the materials from their press release from Blu-ray.com:
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- New 4K Restoration (the release indicates 2K)
- Audio Commentary With Andy Marshall-Roberts, Host Of The Nasty Pasty Podcast (FYI: it’s respectable, though a bit lacking in film specifics)
- Something You've Never Seen – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival
- The First Horror Film Festival In The World – Remembrance By Maria Pilar Rafáles, Daughter Of Sitges Film Festival Founder Antonio Rafáles
- Trailers
- Audio: English Mono, Spanish Mono / Closed Captions
- Region-Free
Alas … this one is honestly very difficult to recommend on any level.
Sigh. Having screened as many low-budget and no-budget experiences as I have, I can appreciate when any storyteller mounts damn near any production so long as there’s a measure of narrative cohesiveness. Sadly, that just isn’t the case with Necrophagous (1971) as this one contains a horribly uneven pace from start-to-finish along with several scenes and sequences that either (A) defy logic or (B) don’t seem to have any authentic reason to be here in the first place. While some elements suggest a level of complicity amongst the characters, very little seems to tie-up neatly in a bow in the Scooby-Doo style finish, complete with voiceover narration from the guilty party … who I thought was – erm – dead? This one isn’t even worth the unintended laughs, folks, and that’s truly sad.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me a complimentary Blu-ray of Necrophagous (1971) – as part of the Danza Macabra: Volume Three – The Spanish Gothic Collection – by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
“With great power comes great responsibility …”
This phrase – made famous by its theatrical appearance aboard 2002’s Spider-Man – sums up how we should culturally hold those with some kind of authority to the highest standards possible; and, yes, I’ve always said that should include writers. After all, an examination of the past will show you that the written word has been used to inspire some of the best and worst behaviors in all of history. Calls to action – especially those written – should be considered alongside those spoken because otherwise we risk a disservice of holding each and every thinker to the highest standards available. When all it takes is the fall of a single domino to bring down an entire train, words attached to ideas matter, and that should always be the case.
It's for this reason that there exist in society those who suggest that writers and screenwriters should not rush in where angels fear to tread. Breaching certain topics should not be undertaken lightly; and this is why there are chapters of human history some argue should always be considered taboo. This is not to say that concerning the Holocaust – undoubtedly one of the grimmest in all of mankind – should be avoided; rather, these tales should be fully examined in the light of day to ensure that any and all steps be taken to avoid the cultural embarrassment of recasting evil as something less than what it was. It’s entirely acceptable for art to be disturbing: it should not be okay – ever – to trivialize something as despicable as genocide.
This is why I’d say that The Outer Limits’ episode “Tribunal” – which first aired on pay cable in the United States on May 14, 1999 – was a calculated risk. The story revisits (to a small degree) some of the depravity perpetrated by the Third Reich at the Auschwitz concentration camp, sending not one but two time travelers back to the compound on a mission of mercy meant to bring a measure of closure to a father and son who were forever scarred by the events of one German officer. Thankfully, what could’ve been a narrative disaster stays true to the spirit of compassion – perhaps one of the traits that most uniquely makes us human – and the story that emerges is definitely a high point in television dramas.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Aaron Zgierski, a lawyer and the son of Holocaust survivors, is investigating the Nazi war criminal who murdered members of his family. He gets help from a mysterious time traveler who is able to procure evidence from Auschwitz in 1944.”
This phrase – made famous by its theatrical appearance aboard 2002’s Spider-Man – sums up how we should culturally hold those with some kind of authority to the highest standards possible; and, yes, I’ve always said that should include writers. After all, an examination of the past will show you that the written word has been used to inspire some of the best and worst behaviors in all of history. Calls to action – especially those written – should be considered alongside those spoken because otherwise we risk a disservice of holding each and every thinker to the highest standards available. When all it takes is the fall of a single domino to bring down an entire train, words attached to ideas matter, and that should always be the case.
It's for this reason that there exist in society those who suggest that writers and screenwriters should not rush in where angels fear to tread. Breaching certain topics should not be undertaken lightly; and this is why there are chapters of human history some argue should always be considered taboo. This is not to say that concerning the Holocaust – undoubtedly one of the grimmest in all of mankind – should be avoided; rather, these tales should be fully examined in the light of day to ensure that any and all steps be taken to avoid the cultural embarrassment of recasting evil as something less than what it was. It’s entirely acceptable for art to be disturbing: it should not be okay – ever – to trivialize something as despicable as genocide.
This is why I’d say that The Outer Limits’ episode “Tribunal” – which first aired on pay cable in the United States on May 14, 1999 – was a calculated risk. The story revisits (to a small degree) some of the depravity perpetrated by the Third Reich at the Auschwitz concentration camp, sending not one but two time travelers back to the compound on a mission of mercy meant to bring a measure of closure to a father and son who were forever scarred by the events of one German officer. Thankfully, what could’ve been a narrative disaster stays true to the spirit of compassion – perhaps one of the traits that most uniquely makes us human – and the story that emerges is definitely a high point in television dramas.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the episode’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Aaron Zgierski, a lawyer and the son of Holocaust survivors, is investigating the Nazi war criminal who murdered members of his family. He gets help from a mysterious time traveler who is able to procure evidence from Auschwitz in 1944.”
My love for televised anthologies has of late had me visiting some of the programming of the recent and distant past. As I’ve always been a fan of the format, I’ve always been on the lookout for stories that have come before and perhaps been missed if for no better reason that I give them a bit of promotional for like-minded individuals who stumble upon SciFiHistory.Net. Having watched a good number of installments of The Outer Limits (1995-2002), I recently did some searching for their highest rated episodes; and it’s easy to see why 1999’s “Tribunal” is such a favorite with fans. Mind you: it was a risky endeavor – combining Fantasy with the harsh and grim events of Germany’s attempt to eradicate the Jewish people in World War II, but the story that emerges – compliments of Leslie Stevens and the critically-acclaimed screenwriter Sam Egan – is definitely respectful and heartfelt in near perfect measure.
Aaron Zgierski (played by Saul Rubinek) is a lawyer who privately remains committed to seeing justice served for the family that he lost at the hands of Nazi oppressors in World War II. Thankfully, he’s had a bit of assistance from a kindly old stranger Nicholas Prentice (Alex Diakun) who is somehow able to turn up one piece of physical evidence after another that proves an elderly man in present day – Robert Greene (Jan Rubes) – to actually have been a violent S.S. officer Karl Rademacher (Alex Zahara) in his former, secret life. Zgierski knows that it was Rademacher who was responsible for the death of his father’s first wife and his half-sister Hannah (Kyra Azzopardi), so it’s understandable why he would want Greene properly tried by the appropriate authorities for crimes against humanity.
However, Zgierski’s efforts have been dogged as of late. The passage of time has made it increasingly difficult for evidence of any kind to be legally substantiated in any court of law; and, as such, he’s taken a more aggressive stance at enlisting Prentice to come up with something that will unequivocally tie Greene/Rademacher to Auschwitz. A surprise visit to the investigator’s hotel room has the lawyer – fresh from an argument with his ex-wife and now assistant district attorney Gwen Sawyer (Lindsay Crouse) – stumbling upon a curious timepiece. Once he touches it, he finds himself transported back in time to labor camp, ultimately realizing the method behind Prentice’s continued assistance.
Aaron Zgierski (played by Saul Rubinek) is a lawyer who privately remains committed to seeing justice served for the family that he lost at the hands of Nazi oppressors in World War II. Thankfully, he’s had a bit of assistance from a kindly old stranger Nicholas Prentice (Alex Diakun) who is somehow able to turn up one piece of physical evidence after another that proves an elderly man in present day – Robert Greene (Jan Rubes) – to actually have been a violent S.S. officer Karl Rademacher (Alex Zahara) in his former, secret life. Zgierski knows that it was Rademacher who was responsible for the death of his father’s first wife and his half-sister Hannah (Kyra Azzopardi), so it’s understandable why he would want Greene properly tried by the appropriate authorities for crimes against humanity.
However, Zgierski’s efforts have been dogged as of late. The passage of time has made it increasingly difficult for evidence of any kind to be legally substantiated in any court of law; and, as such, he’s taken a more aggressive stance at enlisting Prentice to come up with something that will unequivocally tie Greene/Rademacher to Auschwitz. A surprise visit to the investigator’s hotel room has the lawyer – fresh from an argument with his ex-wife and now assistant district attorney Gwen Sawyer (Lindsay Crouse) – stumbling upon a curious timepiece. Once he touches it, he finds himself transported back in time to labor camp, ultimately realizing the method behind Prentice’s continued assistance.
Eventually, Prentice realizes what’s happened, and he travels back to rescue the man. Once back in the present, Zgierski grows even more insistent – now that he’s witnessed Rademacher’s viciousness firsthand – at seeing the man imprisoned. When the legal challenges appear insurmountable, the lawyer goes to Greene’s home – gun-in-hand – fully intent on extracting revenge in the only manner he believes still possible. Thankfully, Prentice intervenes, explaining that he’s actually Aaron’s great-grandson from the future, and he’s been sent back on his own personal mission to stop his great-grandfather from committing murder, an act that would only perpetuate the circle of violence the family has been trapped within.
With their goals aligned, Prentice and Zgierski abduct the elderly Greene and haul him back through time, depositing him in the camp and putting him directly in the path of the hate-filled Rademacher (his younger, unrepentant self). Though Greene tries to convince the S.S. officer that they are one in the same, the Nazi resists the man’s pleas – thinking him little more than a Jew spinning some playful yarn – and he shoots him in the head. The scene also serves as a distraction, allowing the two time travelers to nab the young Hannah before she can be taken to the gas chambers, and they take her back to the future, eventually introducing her to his father, Leon (Peter Boretski), who is overcome with tears at the realization.
As I stated above, even considering combining all of these elements in a single tale was a huge risk.
The obvious stigma of Nazi oppression exists to this day, and anyone attempting to insert hints of Fantasy and Science Fiction – much less time travel with a happy ending – would likely reconsider options and perhaps find a different setting with which to explore such a heartfelt tale. But it’s all accomplished here with great reverence – nothing is left to chance, and there’s no attempt to force modern morality of any kind into the story or characters. Director Mario Azzopardi – an award-nominated talent – kept the plot focused on the particulars and never went down any potential tributary that could’ve soured the emotional core. Screenwriter Egan – who crafted the story to honor what his own father enduring in Auschwitz – never left so much as an ounce of fat on any of this, producing about as lean a chronicle as was possible while preserving the substance of what mattered most to these characters in their respective times and places.
For what it’s worth, Rubinek was a curiously inspired choice to play a kinda/sorta heroic lead, and I think his casting also resonates in just the proper tone for audiences who pay attention to these kinds of things. With no disrespect intended, he doesn’t quite have that ‘leading man quality’ so many producers seek when crafting tentpole-style entertainment. Perhaps his biggest mainstream connection was as the kinda/sorta timid journalist seeking to chronicle the life of Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) in Clint Eastwood’s award-winning Western, Unforgiven (1992). There, he’s the somewhat portly observer to the combustible relationship between Eastwood’s Bill Munny and Daggett, always present but never with the ‘stones’ to be front-and-center when the actions taking place. In “Tribunal,” he speaks like a man of action, but his commitment to law stymies him at every opportunity, up to the point wherein he ultimately decides to confront Greene personally, gun-in-hand. If anything, his persistence to calm and rational solutions serves him well in the finale, so much so that I can’t imagine anyone else in the role.
With their goals aligned, Prentice and Zgierski abduct the elderly Greene and haul him back through time, depositing him in the camp and putting him directly in the path of the hate-filled Rademacher (his younger, unrepentant self). Though Greene tries to convince the S.S. officer that they are one in the same, the Nazi resists the man’s pleas – thinking him little more than a Jew spinning some playful yarn – and he shoots him in the head. The scene also serves as a distraction, allowing the two time travelers to nab the young Hannah before she can be taken to the gas chambers, and they take her back to the future, eventually introducing her to his father, Leon (Peter Boretski), who is overcome with tears at the realization.
As I stated above, even considering combining all of these elements in a single tale was a huge risk.
The obvious stigma of Nazi oppression exists to this day, and anyone attempting to insert hints of Fantasy and Science Fiction – much less time travel with a happy ending – would likely reconsider options and perhaps find a different setting with which to explore such a heartfelt tale. But it’s all accomplished here with great reverence – nothing is left to chance, and there’s no attempt to force modern morality of any kind into the story or characters. Director Mario Azzopardi – an award-nominated talent – kept the plot focused on the particulars and never went down any potential tributary that could’ve soured the emotional core. Screenwriter Egan – who crafted the story to honor what his own father enduring in Auschwitz – never left so much as an ounce of fat on any of this, producing about as lean a chronicle as was possible while preserving the substance of what mattered most to these characters in their respective times and places.
For what it’s worth, Rubinek was a curiously inspired choice to play a kinda/sorta heroic lead, and I think his casting also resonates in just the proper tone for audiences who pay attention to these kinds of things. With no disrespect intended, he doesn’t quite have that ‘leading man quality’ so many producers seek when crafting tentpole-style entertainment. Perhaps his biggest mainstream connection was as the kinda/sorta timid journalist seeking to chronicle the life of Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) in Clint Eastwood’s award-winning Western, Unforgiven (1992). There, he’s the somewhat portly observer to the combustible relationship between Eastwood’s Bill Munny and Daggett, always present but never with the ‘stones’ to be front-and-center when the actions taking place. In “Tribunal,” he speaks like a man of action, but his commitment to law stymies him at every opportunity, up to the point wherein he ultimately decides to confront Greene personally, gun-in-hand. If anything, his persistence to calm and rational solutions serves him well in the finale, so much so that I can’t imagine anyone else in the role.
Furthermore, Crouse – even with her limited time here – does a fabulous job in portraying a kinda/sorta ‘Miss Lonely Hearts’ counterpart to Rubinek’s lead. There are a number of hints that she’s still smitten with her former husband, and the two of them together manage to evoke a likeable chemistry as a ‘fallen’ couple. Like him, she wants to help, but she’s forever conscripted to follow the law even when it doesn’t serve justice, the theme that provides the undercurrent for practically every situation in here. The hour ends with the strong suggestion that now that Aaron can finally put his personal crusade to rest there will be a reconciliation between the two of them, also tying up the threads of how justice heals all of us in ways we don’t perceive in real time.
It's a great hour – the kind of morality tale that the original Star Trek did so well back in its day – and everyone involved should be commended for not overstepping their boundaries with such delicate subject matter.
The Outer Limits (1995-2002) was produced by MMG Film & TV Production, Trilogy Entertainment Group, Alliance Atlantis Communications, Atlantis Films, CFCF-TV, and a few other participants. (For a full accounting, one can check out their full citation on IMDB.com.) The series is presently available for physical or digital purchase or streaming via a variety of platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were quite good; special effects being what they were for the mid-1990’s, the time travel sequence is a bit underwhelming – essentially, it’s little more than a colorful dissolve and crossfade – but it works well enough to portray what the storyteller intended … so who am I to complain? Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this one via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Highest recommendation possible.
It isn’t every day that I stumble across an hour of uniquely prescient storytelling, but “Tribunal” excels on every level. It dips into some treacherous territory – pulling back the layers for a glimpse into one of mankind’s darkest hours – but it deftly underscores why love and justice don’t always take the shape we most expect. Excellent performances lift the work up above some – ahem – dated effects work; and, yes, this should be regarded as one of TV’s best hours in Fantasy for those of us who are willing to boldly go where few have gone before.
In the interests of fairness, I’m beholden to no one for this review of The Outer Limits’ “Tribunal” episode (S05E12) as I viewed it entirely via my very own subscription to MGM+.
-- EZ
It's a great hour – the kind of morality tale that the original Star Trek did so well back in its day – and everyone involved should be commended for not overstepping their boundaries with such delicate subject matter.
The Outer Limits (1995-2002) was produced by MMG Film & TV Production, Trilogy Entertainment Group, Alliance Atlantis Communications, Atlantis Films, CFCF-TV, and a few other participants. (For a full accounting, one can check out their full citation on IMDB.com.) The series is presently available for physical or digital purchase or streaming via a variety of platforms. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were quite good; special effects being what they were for the mid-1990’s, the time travel sequence is a bit underwhelming – essentially, it’s little more than a colorful dissolve and crossfade – but it works well enough to portray what the storyteller intended … so who am I to complain? Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? As I viewed this one via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
Highest recommendation possible.
It isn’t every day that I stumble across an hour of uniquely prescient storytelling, but “Tribunal” excels on every level. It dips into some treacherous territory – pulling back the layers for a glimpse into one of mankind’s darkest hours – but it deftly underscores why love and justice don’t always take the shape we most expect. Excellent performances lift the work up above some – ahem – dated effects work; and, yes, this should be regarded as one of TV’s best hours in Fantasy for those of us who are willing to boldly go where few have gone before.
In the interests of fairness, I’m beholden to no one for this review of The Outer Limits’ “Tribunal” episode (S05E12) as I viewed it entirely via my very own subscription to MGM+.
-- EZ
- Published on
There are some topics I don't mix words about, and one of them is my opinion of musicals.
In short: I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely loathe them.
I know, I know, I know: but it is what it is.
I've warned readers and friends that I probably can name the few musicals I'll tolerate on a single hand. The general desire to break out in song and dance just gets into territory I can't stomach, so I'm known for being respectably unkind to them. I'll sit through them from time-to-time, but I do that mostly to make certain that my perspective on them hasn't changed. Thus far, it remains the same ... except for those sacred few.
Now, one of them that I've always enjoyed is 1971's Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory; and that's largely because I don't see the flick as falling into the usual storytelling conventions that most musicals do. Its singing bits tie in much more strongly with its characterization, not really pushing the plot or narrative forward so much as they are individual expressions of these kinda/sorta odd ducks, if you will. Plus, the film is loaded with so much magic and charm that I'll easily forgive the occasional schtick because I'm otherwise engaged psychologically. It's rare, yes, but it does happen.
Just the other night, incidentally, the wifey and I watched a very touching documentary on Wonka's central talent, the late Gene Wilder. I've always been a fan of his work -- there was just this incredible effortlessness to everything the man did on screen, be it drama, farce, and comedy -- and I don't believe I've ever respected any actor or actress more for such an ability. I've always argued that his work in Young Frankenstein (1974) is one the highwater marks for a big screen comedic performance, and I stand by that assessment to this day. No one did comedy like Gene. No one.
I bring the Netflix documentary up only because I learned (for the first time) that the original Wonka wasn't a box office success. Back in the days of my youth, the flick was a holiday staple, an ongoing trend that made my young mind believe it was this huge, huge, huge hit. Alas, that wasn't the case -- the picture barely eeked out a profit, a fact I'll never understand -- and I'm glad that the passage of time has given its goodness the legacy it deserves.
So ... in that spirit, let me say Happy Birthday to you, Willy Wonka. Nothing ever tastes as sweet as your gooey sugar ... and likely nothing ever will.
-- EZ
In short: I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely loathe them.
I know, I know, I know: but it is what it is.
I've warned readers and friends that I probably can name the few musicals I'll tolerate on a single hand. The general desire to break out in song and dance just gets into territory I can't stomach, so I'm known for being respectably unkind to them. I'll sit through them from time-to-time, but I do that mostly to make certain that my perspective on them hasn't changed. Thus far, it remains the same ... except for those sacred few.
Now, one of them that I've always enjoyed is 1971's Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory; and that's largely because I don't see the flick as falling into the usual storytelling conventions that most musicals do. Its singing bits tie in much more strongly with its characterization, not really pushing the plot or narrative forward so much as they are individual expressions of these kinda/sorta odd ducks, if you will. Plus, the film is loaded with so much magic and charm that I'll easily forgive the occasional schtick because I'm otherwise engaged psychologically. It's rare, yes, but it does happen.
Just the other night, incidentally, the wifey and I watched a very touching documentary on Wonka's central talent, the late Gene Wilder. I've always been a fan of his work -- there was just this incredible effortlessness to everything the man did on screen, be it drama, farce, and comedy -- and I don't believe I've ever respected any actor or actress more for such an ability. I've always argued that his work in Young Frankenstein (1974) is one the highwater marks for a big screen comedic performance, and I stand by that assessment to this day. No one did comedy like Gene. No one.
I bring the Netflix documentary up only because I learned (for the first time) that the original Wonka wasn't a box office success. Back in the days of my youth, the flick was a holiday staple, an ongoing trend that made my young mind believe it was this huge, huge, huge hit. Alas, that wasn't the case -- the picture barely eeked out a profit, a fact I'll never understand -- and I'm glad that the passage of time has given its goodness the legacy it deserves.
So ... in that spirit, let me say Happy Birthday to you, Willy Wonka. Nothing ever tastes as sweet as your gooey sugar ... and likely nothing ever will.
-- EZ