Hey folks, Harry here… hope you had a hippity hoppity Easter good time! The holiday put me behind schedule a tad - but here’s this week’s column. Not a lot of High Def content this week, but some really great titles and awesome exploitation glee towards the end of the column. As always – you can click on the box art or title to go to AMAZON – where you can learn more on the title – or if you want it, you can purchase – and a small percentage will go to continue this column’s work. I hope you enjoy the list and I’ll see you April Fool’s Day with more!
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
THE KITE RUNNER
An absolutely riveting and unforgettable film experience that will haunt you long after you see it. Directed by the upcoming director of QUANTUM OF SOLACE – and the past director of MONSTER’S BALL & FINDING NEVERLAND – Marc Forster – and this movie is one of the harshest looks at childhood that I’ve ever seen. Set in an Afghanistan that no longer exists – and is hard to imagine… before the Taliban… before Rambo drove off the Russian helicopters with Tom Hanks… hell… before the Russians came running. Yet even then there were horrors of reality and this film is amazing. Check it out!
THE MIST (2-disc collector’s edition)
I wish wish wish this was a Blu Ray edition – that said – I’ll take this 2 disc as a down payment on the joy to come. Why get the 2-Disc edition? Well – frankly – the Black & White version of THE MIST is beautiful and is actually Frank Darabont’s original vision for the film. Watching that version… late at night… alone is so effective, so much more atmospheric – and the CG is perfection – sometimes color betrays a CG creation – in a way that Black & White doesn’t. And this isn’t just a Grayscale version, like if you turned the color off on your screen… this is a finely balanced to exactly how Frank wanted it to look in black & white – and for a bit of time – you can imagine the film as coming from a different era. As for the film in color… if you missed this in theaters – and I know a good many of you did – this is the monster movie you’ve been waiting for, by a monster movie lover that knows exactly how to craft an astonishingly wonderful adaptation of Stephen King’s classic B-horror movie story, THE MIST. Lots of extras – and lots of good stuff on this edition. Great horror film.
LOST HIGHWAY
Lynch is an artist – one that dabbles in impressionism, surrealism, nihilism and of course existentialism. The resulting work – like LOST HIGHWAY is a result of this artist pushing limits – and it leaves audiences scratching their heads, taking aspirin, cursing the screen – and yet other audiences use their eye-spoons to sip it in like a cinematic Andalusian almond soup. Meaning… a delicious, yet particular dish… that some may spit into a napkin and dismiss themselves from the dinner. However, they’d be missing out on a challenging, daunting, sometimes confusing and powerful work – filled with performances that aren’t meant to reflect anything but the firing mental ions in Lynch’s brilliantly enabled brain. That said – it’s about bloody time we have a domestic release of this!
KINGS OF THE SUN
Joy to the maker of this DVD. I love the Aztec and Mayan culture dearly… and this was one of the very rare dips that Hollywood took into their world. And they didn’t do it through a Conquistador set up… no, they had Yul Brynner as a Native American in a Pre-Columbian Action Adventure of these two cultures coming together. The result may not be a historical truth – but God Damn It!!! The movie absolutely rocks balls. Yul is fantastic. The score by Elmer Bernstein is epic – and it just doesn’t stop kicking ass. A truly wonderful “new” discovery for most. Give you’re your time!
TARAS BULBA
Steppes warfare was at an all time height with ALEXANDER NEVSKY – but this little seen would-be epic starring Yul Brynner & Tony Curtis (as Yul’s son) isn’t entirely as successful an epic as some, yet is absolutely wonderful to watch. If you love stories of Cossacks versus Polish Invaders… you don’t have many options, but here’s a pretty good film about it all!
BONNIE AND CLYDE
This is the highlight of the day for High Def fans… BONNIE & CLYDE – with a 34 page hardcover book at $24 – tons of extras and at 1080p? Like you – I’ve been panting in anticipation of this title’s release ever since the ads started popping up all over AICN. I love it – on the rare occasion that a vintage title is being advertised on AICN – and especially one as brilliant as BONNIE & CLYDE – the hyperbole in the ads for this release are actually accurate. This movie did change film – forever. This film is in fact – undeniably – brilliant. And in 1080p… STUNNING! The book is great, the extras dazzle. This is the real deal.
Warner Gangster Collection, Vol. 3 ( SMART MONEY / PICTURE SNATCHER / THE MAYOR OF HELL / LADY KILLER / BLACK LEGION / BROTHER ORCHID )
I didn’t receive a review copy of this collection in time for the column, but I have seen BLACK LEGION and BROTHER ORCHID – both of which are outstanding Warner Brothers Gangster films. If this set is on par with the previous Gangster Collection 1 & Gangster Collection 2 – then you’ll get plenty of extras and fun. The main thing here – is you get fantastic films with Cagney, Edward G and Bogart! And this will prime you up for Michael Mann’s PUBLIC ENEMIES – which we’ll see in the not-too-distant future!
SOLOMON & SHEBA
Holy Fuck! Yul Brynner with sleazy hair!!! Despite a great cast – the best being George Sanders and Gina’s ample talents… this film just doesn’t quite do it. It’s got spectacle and pomp, but a lot of fizzle too. That said – it is worth a watch.
THEM
Here’s a SXSW film from last year that kicked a lot of ass. THEM (aka ILS) is one of those creepy fucking killer children movies – and the creepiest part is… I’ve driven through the forest and area that this film was about in Romania. FUCKING GAVE ME CHILLS watching it. It’s a French film – and one introducing us to the directing team of David Moreau and Xavier Palud. A team we should keep our eyes on – this is an outstanding low budget horror film that never feels low budget. Very creepy.
JIMMY CARTER MAN FROM PLAINS
From The Director of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and CAGED HEAT comes… JIMMY CARTER – MAN FROM PLAINS!!! I really really wish it said that on the DVD! I really do. This is a fantastic documentary about a man that has become so much more than he was as President – in the years after his Presidency. Jimmy Carter wins the award for the best ex-President we have had. Watching the documentary – you can’t help but feel the mediocrity of the leadership we currently have in this country – as everything Carter says and does – reminds me of the best of what we as Americans should aspire to be. Demme did a great job on this doc – and it’s something we should all take a look at.
MR WONG, DETECTIVE – THE COMPLETE COLLECTION ( MR WONG, DETECTIVE / THE MYSTERY OF MR WONG / MR. WONG IN CHINATOWN / THE FATAL HOUR / DOOMED TO DIE / PHANTOM OF CHINATOWN )
I love Boris Karloff in Asian character make-up. It’s not that he looks Asian… but that he looks like a really bizarre Boris Karloff – and that’s a great thing in my book. I’m a huge fan of Karloff’s Fu Manchu performance – and here… it’s not a “Yellow Peril” role, but a character capitalizing on the popularity of CHARLIE CHAN – much like Peter Lorre’s MR MOTO series. That said – you get some William Witney direction of Boris Karloff and the amazing Keye Luke. The detective stories are all rock solid – and at another level – you get 6 Karloff MR WONG movies for just $17.99. That’s an ace of a deal. Right?
ALAIN DELON – Five Film Collection ( THE WIDOW COUDERC / DIABOLICALLY YOURS / LA PISCINE / LE GITAN / NOTRE HISTOIRE )
You may know Alain Delon from films like Le Samourai, The Leopard, Spirits of the Dead or Le Cercle Rouge… but there’s a whole career of stunning work that Alain put in. Men – beware though… If you buy this set – and you watch the films with your girlfriend or wife… be prepared… Alain Delon is female Viagra – that’s right – they’ll get a rock hard erection and take you like you’ve never been taken before. Just a fair warning. Delon is too cool for school… at least in America.
BOB HOPE COLLECTION: MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE / SON OF PALEFACE
So I got an automated call from BEST BUY today saying they were sending me a giftcard in the mail – because I was retarded enough to buy an HD DVD player from them. Well, at least I didn’t buy a fritzy PS3. Fellow HD-DVD enthusiasts… here’s a nearly final present in the format that would be king. I got my copy today – and man… I’m in love. Dorothy Lamour in HD is to die for. And if you’ve never seen SON OF PALEFACE – you’ve never seen a live action Warner Brothers Tex Avery cartoon. SON OF PALEFACE is genius – the interaction between Hope and Trigger is genius. Absolute genius. And it has Roy Rogers. TOO COOL!!! Oh… and Jane Russell. Ha-cha-cha-chaaaaaa!!!
PU-239
I love films like SILKWOOD and CHINA SYNDROME. When I was in Romania – on the drive to Vlad’s castle – I passed a field of Nuclear Power silos/towers – whatever they’re called – and it creeped me the fuck out. Well… Here’s a film that we’ve never really heard of before – and it is outstanding. Starring Paddy Considine as the Russian Nuclear Plant Worker who is fucked… and his wife, played by the wonderful Radha Mitchell. Then there’s a performance from Jason Flemyng that is pretty damn cool. This is a jewel of a film – and one to discover…. Unless you caught it on HBO where it originally ran… but ya know… I missed it there.
THE SASQUATCH GANG
You might remember Quint bringing this film up – quite some time ago – and that he really dug it. Well, guess what? The salty seaman was right. THE SASQUATCH GANG is worth a look on DVD. I was that weirdo that didn’t dig NAPOLEON DYNAMITE – but I did dig this… that probably has to do with the word Sasquatch. It gives me a semi.
BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL
I haven’t seen this film… the cover caught my attention – and well – I have a soft spot for Paul Naschy. But what really grabbed me – was the “PRODUCT DESCRIPTION” on Amazon:
An ex-convict, troubled by dreams that he strangles women, is hired as the caretaker on an estate owned by three very strange sisters. Soon after his arrival, a serial killer begins slaughtering blonde, blue-eyed women - leaving their eyeballs in a bowl of water.
Doesn’t that sound worth giving a chance? I think so too!
THE SISTER OF URSULA
Ok – I really love the hell out of this one. Severin Films sent this to me – and the box art and pull quote – made me cut it open and put on – faster than you could say my real name. With actors from SUSPIRIA, ZOMBIE and THE PSYCHIC – I knew I’d get a certain ‘stunned’ performance from them all. Besides – Barbara Magnolfi is hot! As is Stefania D’Amario! And the killer kills with a gigantic killer cock thing. MUST BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED! They made such awesome weird fucking movies once!
VIOLENT CITY
Directed by Sergio Sollima – this is THE great Charles Bronson film that you may not have seen! I’m totally serious about this. Starring Bronson, Jill Ireland and Telly Savalas… this film has had many names, but they all were for a badass piece of asskicking Italian cinema. If you loved Melville’s LE SAMOURAI – this is the sleazier, rougher, fucked up’d in an awesome way version of that great film. Morricone’s score alone is worth discovering the film. VIOLENT CITY will have you pulling a shoe out of your ass, when its done kicking it. GREAT MOVIE!!!
KILTRO
If you saw this film at FANTASTIC FEST – last year – you were blown away. Starring the Chilean stuntman – that does the really cool shit that you think THE ROCK does for THE ROCK… Marko Zaror. Now – Mark isn’t a brilliant actor yet. But he’s one of the most acrobatic badasses I’ve ever seen. I reviewed his MIRAGEMAN – last year during FANTASTIC FEST – and had to catch a screener of this. Fathergeek was going nuts about KILTRO – and how I MISSED IT – for months after the fest. That has been rectified. You really should check this extremely fun Chilean Martial Arts film out. It’s very surprising.
BOHACHI BUSHIDO: CODE OF THE FORGOTTEN EIGHT
This is a film adaptation of a manga created by Kazuo Koike. The man behind Hanzo the Razor, Lone Wolf & Cub and the classic Lady Snowblood. The director was the man behind BLIND WOMAN’S CURSE – which has appeared in previous columns. Warning… fucked up shit like you’ve never seen before… happens over the course of this film’s running time. It’s about a Samurai gang recruiting prostitutes – and it’s not all snowflakes and daisies. If you love – bizarre fucked up Japanese exploitation – this will have you drooling. If you’ve no idea what I’m talking about… let the film sear your brain to a lower level of consciousness!
NAKED AND LUSTFUL
Early dirty Rutger Hauer work! I haven’t seen it… but mid-seventies Erotica is a fetish of mine – and Rutger Hauer was one of the most awesome vile actors of the era. He was also a genius. So I’ll check this one out. If it’s amazing – I’ll be back to this column and tell you more.
TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR SADISM and DEATH SMILES ON A MURDERER
I’m a big fan of the TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR SADISM starring Christopher Lee – yet, I’ve never seen DEATH SMILES ON A MURDERER starring Klaus Kinski – so that’s reason enough to pick this up. One film I know I’ll dig, the other – one that I want to discover. The Christopher Lee film plays like a sleazier, more evil version of a Corman Poe film. Very gothic and atmospheric.
MAD DOG KILLER
Director Sergio Grieco was a sick fuck – and this was his last evil film given to planet Earth – before he left the planet to manage level 6 of hell’s torments. This is a very rough and mean film – and for lovers of intense exploitation – this is a great film for you. It stars Helmut Berger – who is DERANGED!!! And a rough scene with the stunning Marisa Mell. Part of that killer on the loose from prison genre that we love. Obviously not as good as RUNAWAY TRAIN or HIGH SIERRA or PETRIFIED FOREST – but it’s WAY MORE INTENSE!
That’s it for this week – on April Fool’s Day – we’ll be looking at – SWEENEY TODD, the 3rd BETTE DAVIS collection, UNBREAKABLE on Blu Ray, The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder, HIDALGO (Blu Ray), CATEGORY 7: THE END OF THE WORLD, COYOTE UGLY (blu ray), HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT 2, RETURN OF SWAMP THING, STUNNING NUDES OF THE 1950s, SLAVE WIDOW and much more!
