Hey folks, Harry here with the latest PicksAndPeeks Column and the first of the New April. This was a light release week, but some interesting releases for sure. As usual the links and pics take you to AMAZON where you can learn more about the films in question or if so motivated you can pick the film up which would always help keep this column cranking. Thanks a lot! Now onto the flicks…
Tuesday, April 2nd 2013
TORMENTED Blu-Ray 3D
It is a damn shame this creepy fucking Japanese horror flick didn’t come out last week for y’all. The reason is, there is a creepy RABBIT theme that is prevalent throughout the movie, making it an excellent EASTER horror flick. This was directed by Takashi Shimizu, that’s the guy behind JU-ON THE GRUDGE. There is some repetitive imagery – but it’s the creepy rabbit characters in 3D that just kinda made this weird J-horror get to me. Watched it at a movie night about 2 weeks ago – and as Easter approached she shared an image from the movie for Easter. After you see this, you’ll share it with your twisted friends next Easter. It doesn’t make a terrible load of sense, but it just kinda works. The fact that the Bunny enters the kid’s horror world through a 3D movie that he saw, where he plucked the bunny out of the air from a horror movie… and took it home? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS KID? I mean a creepy bunny comes out of the screen – YOU THROW IT THE FUCK BACK!!! You do not take it home to open a dimension of fucking evil upon your life. Fucking children these days.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: PHASE ONE – Avengers Assembled (10 Disc Limited Edition Six Movie Collector’s Set) Blu-Ray
They did not send one of these to me. But… it’s got a lit Cosmic Cube… I’m kinda easy that way. It also has a disc that claims it has never before seen deleted scenes, extended scenes, featuretts, animatics and more from each of the included movies. But also a tantalizing, “inside look at Marvel’s IRON MAN 3 and other films from Phase Two!” SO, I HAVE TO HAVE IT. Even though I already own everything else, I’ve hit the order button. Did I mention it has a “And Then Shawarma After” Featurette. Now other than that, it has in a very unique packaging… THE AVENGERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR – all in 3D, Blu Ray forms – and IRON MAN 1 & 2 and THE INCREDIBLE HULK in their Blu Ray form. So, how big a MARVEL geek are you?
JOHN DIES AT THE END Blu Ray
The man that has brought us BEASTMASTER and The PHANTASM horror saga, the man the gave us BUBBA HO-TEP is back… with a whole new trip for us to take. Take it. It is a surreal trip, you won’t necessarily always know what is going on… but when strange shit occurs, it doesn’t make a lick of sense. The unexplainable stuff? This film feels a bit like if John Waters, Terry Gilliam, David Lynch and Maybe Cronenberg a bit – all got together and birthed a collective baby named Don Coscarelli – and he made this experience for us. It is a film to dive into with those friends that love to create secret badass societies that under stand the Soy Sauce. Or think they do. This is a cinematic universe that exists before and after the events you see in the film. We don’t get to see that, but these characters … this isn’t their first time to the dance. I love the odd existence within this strange beautiful magically bizarre film. I want to visit a bit.
THE NAME OF THE GAME IS KILL
This is a first for home video. This is piece of exploitation lost to modern eyes. I have heard of the film, mainly because I had the posters and press books, which made a huge deal about NOT REVEALING THE ENDING. As such, I’ve always wanted to see it. Vilmos Zsigmond is the DP, and if you know that name, and his other amazing work, give yourself a Gold Star for the day. Good for you. Now this alleged Cult Masterpiece is here for us to discover – with a documentary featuring Vilmos, composer Stu Phillips, Joe Dante, Tim Lucas and others. This is for those of us – looking for the rare ones to see! Story is one of those hitchhiker tales to a Gas Station run by women in the middle of nowhere. Starring Jack Lord and Susan Strasberg.
HELLO DOLLY! Blu Ray
Directed by Gene Kelly in 1969, Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau starred in this musical together. It was written by Ernest Lehman, who wrote NORTH BY NORTHWEST – got to meet him at UT once. And I am well aware of the love that this musical has with some folks, it just isn’t mine. I actually feel Lehman’s story is sleight. And watching this particular musical makes me want to strangle little puppies and kittens. It grates and it is a very violent reaction. The film is just made in the Harry Negative Zone. That said, some call this the last of the great Hollywood Musicals… and I say it’s the reason they don’t make em like this anymore. But the film has its lovers – and for them, this is a beautiful transfer with wonderful audio quality that seriously damaged me with its perfection. Just don’t make me do it again. Please.
THAT THING YOU DO! Blu Ray
I seriously love THAT THING YOU DO! It came out in AICN’s first year, back in 1996 – and it was so cool. Now I know that this film has its critics – that can’t stand the music. But I do love it. I like the giddy artificiality of it all. I think the film actually influenced Spielberg a bit with CATCH ME IF YOU CAN – and I love that Tom Hanks was like, this is my first film. I want to do a story of a one hit wonder story and create that hit. It’s an irresistibly impulsive flick. I found myself rooting for Hanks as much as I was the band and these self-destructive characters. And I love THAT THING YOU DO, feels like a pillow fight song. Looks beautiful on Blu. I’ve loved this one from the beginning!
Hammer Horror Collection ( DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS / THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES / FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN ) DVD
If this were a Blu Ray release, I would be so incredibly excited. As is – if you don’t own these films already – this HAMMER trio for $8 is just a great deal. I often am heard to exclaim that DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS has my favorite Lee death and best red eyes of his run as Dracula. But THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES… this film was introduced to me by Guillermo Del Toro over at his house, when he lived in Austin. We watched it and he told me of his desire to remake it. It is a magnificent co-production between HAMMER films and SHAW BROTHERS’ studio. It is simply outstanding – and see if you can see the similarities to BLADE II. Then FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN… LOVE. Peter Cushing creating Susan Denberg is exactly why Grand Moff Tarkin is such a fucking badass. He doesn’t need to find or capture a woman, he’ll just make his own – and it’ll look like this! Terence Fisher did a hell of a job on this one. And sure, Cushing doesn’t make her, he just brings her back to life with his loyal assistant’s brain in place of hers. Yes. You have got to love Frankenstein, that guy was creatively awesome. Put your best friend’s brain in the body of a suicidal babe. Perfect! All this for less than $8? DEAL!
THE SWEENEY Blu Ray
I came to this film with no prior knowledge to the long running and beloved show of the same name. And as I was watching and loving this movie, folks seemed intent on telling me I shouldn’t be enjoying it because the show was better. Well, Ray Winstone as an absolute swinging cock of a Detective, being investigated for corruption by the man whose hot wife he does very dirty things to. He’s an old fashioned badder than the bad guys badass – and honestly I just enjoyed the hell out of the magnificent visage of Ray Winstone unleashed upon people. And folks insist on pissing in his milkshake, but he’s going to be the one walking away slightly pissed at the end – and those that fuck with him will either be dead or respecting and hating him in the end – and that’s how it should be. I’d watch an entire series of these movies, it’s a great character for Winstone.
EARTH’S FINAL HOURS Blu Ray
This is one of those SyFy movies – I usually can’t stand these things, and this film is filled with cheese – and certainly not cheese that a European would recognize as cheese. This cheese comes out of a nozzle. Has a hint of aluminum to the palate. BUT – I love Astrophysics threats to human existence – and so when I saw this cover, I was like. OK, sure. Then as the movie unleashes some pretty ridiculous shit, the mystery of what the bad light show is… well it caught me. Then they weave in a Defense Department evil scheme to save the elite of the world into a green zone and the folks trying to save THE ENTIRE PLANET are having fist fights and gun battles at a barn in the middle of nowhere… you seriously have to hike to it. And then it gave me an excuse to talk about really crazy threats to Earth. We exchanged a few messages – and he says it sounds like complete bullshit bad science, but that the basic threat is done better with solid science in the book, THE KRONE EXPERIMENT – which is actually free for KINDLE users! Actually it really doesn’t sound too similar to me, but maybe, I’ll give it a read.
MEET THE FOKKENS
This pair of identical twin sisters in Amsterdam have been prostitutes for the past 50 years. This is their story. At the time of the doc, one of these two was still working, but I saw on HUFFINGTON that she retired too. KinoLorber sure knows how to pick the awesome and strange docs!
Next week we’ll be looking at HYDE PARK ON HUDSON, NAKED LUNCH Criterion Blu, MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS Blu, GATE OF HELL Criterion Blu, SORCERER & THE WHITE SNAKE Blu , SEXCULA, THE SUCKERS/THE LOVE GARDEN, BAD KIDS GO TO HELL, THE FOUR Blu, WOOCHI: THE DEMON SLAYER Blu, WOMB, ANATOMY OF A PSYCHO / THE LONELY SEX, DEAD BALL and that’s it! See ya next Tuesday!
