Four Films From Jean Rollin Are the Pick of the Week

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When I was a teenager, my favorite video store was a place called Mega Movies. They had converted an old Burger King into their store, and as such they had a huge floor space full of all kinds of movies. They had all the new releases, of course, and plenty of popular movies from a variety of genres. But they also had lots of obscure movies – art-house movies and exploitation flicks.

It was there I first discovered Barton Fink and Faces of Death. But the thing is, at that age and in the early 1990s, I had no idea what I was looking for. There were no internet guides to point me in the right direction, no message boards full of potential friends helping me to the kind of films I might enjoy. I just had to look at the box and hope for the best.

Even if I’d had those things, I’d still be reliant on that store stocking those particular films and some film company actually releasing them on videotape. That last part is interesting. I have no idea what obscure, independent, and art-house movies made it to VHS and which films remained on super nerd wish lists. I’m guessing at least some of Jean Rollin’s films had home video releases, but I bet they weren’t great quality, and I bet they didn’t stock them in my town.

Sexy vampire films were definitely my jam back then, and I feel certain if Mega Movies stocked them, I would have found them. That’s the amazing thing about the world we are living in. Not only are there a myriad of places in which to discuss and discover movies, but more and more those weird little arthouse/grindhouse movies are getting 4K restorations and being released in fancy boxes with loads of extras.

French director Jean Rolling made all sorts of films in all sorts of genres, but he’s best known for a series of erotic vampire movies he made in the 1970s. These were shot in gothic castles with lurid lighting and featured a bevy of beautiful women wearing flowing, sheer nightgowns. 

And now Indicator/Powerhouse Films is releasing four of Rollin’s films (Fascination, Shiver of the Vampires, Night of the Hunted, and Two Orphan Vampires) on 4K UHD with loads of extras included. I’ve only seen one of these films, Fascination, but all four are generally considered his best films, and I’m excited to get to see them in this manner.

Also out this week that looks interesting:

A History of Violence 4K UHD: David Cronenberg eschews his normal penchant for visceral body horror for this fairly straightforward adaptation of a graphic novel. Viggo Mortensen portrays a simple man living a simple life until some bad guys try to rob his store. His ability to thwart them pretty easily draws headlines, which in turn draws notice from some violent men from his past.  Criterion has the release.

Eddington: This A24 release is set right in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak. It pits a well-meaning mayor (Pedro Pascal) against a redneck sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) in a small midwestern town.

The X-Trilogy: I really loved X (2022), the 1970s throwback horror film from Ti West. It was a great homage to films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) while still remaining modern.  I was less thrilled with Pearl (2022) the sort of prequel to X, which acts more like a 1940s melodrama (until it doesn’t). I actively disliked Maxxxine (2024), the sequel that finds the Final Girl of X (played by Mia Goth), who is finally transitioning from porno films to something mainstream.  But while I didn’t love all of these films, I admire their ambition.  They are now getting combined into a nice looking boxed set.

The Shrouds: David Cronenberg’s latest is about a new business venture where grieving family members are able to see a 3D image of their deceased loved ones as their bodies slowly turn into compost. He apparently wrote it while grieving for the loss of his own wife. Which is such a Cronenbergian thing to do.

Nosferatu (1979) 4K UHD: Werner Herzog’s take on the Dracula story is a moody, strange film with a mesmerizing performance from Klaus Kinski. Shout Factory has the release.

Clue 4K UHD (40th Anniversary Steelbook): Probably the best cinematic board game adaptation ever made, Clue has a great cast (Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Eileen Brennan, amongst others) and is loaded with gags. It is slightly famous for having multiple different endings (and you never knew which one you were going to get in the theater). I don’t love it as much as others do, but it is still a lot of fun.

Tulsa Terrors: Apparently Tulsa, Oklahoma, was ground zero for the direct-to-home video boom of the 1980s. Or so says this documentary. Being that Tulsa is very near where I grew up I’m all in on this.

Altered States 4K UHD: Ken Russell directs William Hurt in this film about a guy using psychedelic drugs and an isolation chamber to alter his reality. Criterion has the release.

Radioland Murders: This very silly callback to the zany old radio shows worked for me when it was doing just that, but when it kept leaving that conceit to solve a dumb murder, it lost me. You can read my full review here.

Now Watching: A Better Tomorrow (1986)

better luck tomorrow

A Better Tomorrow (1986)
Directed by John Woo
Starring: Lung T, iLeslie Cheung, and Chow Yun-Fat

A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.

Rating 7/10

John Woo’s breakout film contains most of his hallmarks – balletic gunplay, slow motion action, big emotions, and goofy comedy—but in slightly lessened form. There is some very good stuff here, but it feels like a trial run for later films like Hard Boiled or The Killer. Also, I’ve never been a big fan of the outsized emotions his characters have in these films. Maybe it is the difference in cultures, but it always feels cheesy and fake to me. But those action scenes are still top-notch.

The Friday Night Horror Movie: The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)

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As I mentioned the other day, I’ve been slowly working my way through the classic monster series from Hammer Studios. This is the second film in the Frankenstein series. The first film, The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) very loosely adapted the novel from Mary Shelley. Apparently Universal Studios was all too ready to sue them if they adapted it too closely, or if they copied any of their designs for the castles or the monster so it is a very loose adaptation, but a good one.

At the end of that film, Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is set to face the guillotine for his crimes. At the beginning of this film, we learn that with the help of a hunchback named Karl (Oscar Quitak) a priest was executed in his place and he escaped. Three years later we find him living in Carlsbrück, Germany as a successful doctor named Victor Stein.

He’s become very popular amongst the rich (much to the chagrin of the medical council (as he refuses to join their club), but he also runs a clinic for the poor. Naturally, he’s also continuing his experiments into creating life (and probably hacking off a few body parts from the poor for that purpose.)

He teams up with Doctor Hans Kleve (Francis Matthews) a man who recognises him from his past and is excited about the work he did with reanimation.  They will successfully remove Karl’s brain and implant it into a much healthier body. Things go pretty well, until of course they don’t. It wouldn’t be a Frankenstein film if he didn’t wind up going at least a little bit crazy.

The thing I’ve learned about Hammer Horror, especially their early entries, is that they are all about setting a mood. They have these wonderful sets and costumes that look both real and artificial. They create scenes that feel like they take place hundreds of years ago, yet there is an artificiality to it as well. Like you know you are watching a movie, but are still transported anyway.

The plots are often convoluted, and if I’m being honest, a little dull. And it often takes a while for the action and horror to take place, if it even comes at all. This film is like that. There is very little action or violence. It takes an incredibly long time for the monster to do anything.  Instead, we spend time with Dr. Stein and Kleve talking about what they are going to do. Stein shows off his lab, which had a rudimentary experiment in it (there is a severed hand in one box of water, and a floating pair of eyes in the other, and they respond to one another). 

There is a potential love interest, and some complaining by the board. Etc. It is more like a drama that just happens to have a reanimated corpse in it rather than a straight up horror film, but I still completely dig it.

I find I have to be in a certain mood for these films. You have to let them wash over you and enjoy what they are doing instead of what you might expect. But when you can’t, they are a lot of fun.

31 Days of Horror: The Forever Purge (2021)

forever purge poster

31 Days of Horror is the theme that I’ve consistently been good at. I typically try to write about one horror movie every day during October. With all my other themes, I’m lucky to talk about more than a handful of films in the month, but I usually nail my horror month.

Obviously, that hasn’t been the case this month. I’ve just been busy, I guess. And I had gotten out of the habit of writing about movies like that. Or something. Actually, I’ve had a lot of other writing duties to attend to. I’ve had a lot of movies to watch for Cinema Sentries, most of which haven’t been horror films.  

I’m now in the middle of watching the Nightmare on Elm Street series, and I will write about that, but since I will be reviewing the entire set, I don’t feel like talking about each movie (except last week when I made the first film my Friday Night Horror movie, and possibly this coming Friday when I may do the same for one of the later films.)

So here we are. I’ve now seen four films in the Purge franchise, and frankly I’ve not loved any of them (you can read my review of the first three here). I unintentionally skipped the fourth film in the series, The First Purge (2018), and landed on this one, the fifth in the series.

At the end of The Purge: Election Year, a new President was elected who promised to end the annual Purges for good. Well, naturally this sequel isn’t going to be set in a land without Purges, so it begins some eight years later with it being reinstated. And as the title suggests, some really committed racist assholes decide that one 12 hour period in which all crime (including murder) is allowed just isn’t enough. The Purge needs to last forever. Or at least until they can get rid of everyone that doesn’t look like them.

The undertone of the entire series is that The Purge was created by rich white supremacists, and so this film isn’t exactly coming up with a new idea. But there are a few interesting things to be found.

We begin on a Texas ranch that hires a number of Mexican immigrants. The owner of the place (played by Will Patton – always great) is a decent dude. He treats his workers well. He even gives them money on Purge night so they can buy some protection (though he does not offer to let them stay on his fortified compound.) Apparently, there are places where those who are not rich and white can find shelter for Purge night (for a price). That’s an interesting idea.

Purge Night goes by pretty smoothly, but then morning comes and they are still Purging. Our Mexican heroes head back to the ranch and wind up teaming up with the rich white guys that run it.  One of them is the type of racist who doesn’t think he’s racist, but just thinks that everybody “ought to stick with their own kind.” Naturally, he’ll learn the error of his ways by film’s end.

Our heroes load into a semi-truck and head to the border. The film seems to think it is really clever by having a group of rich white dudes try to cross into Mexico for safety. The film is not all that clever in any of its parts. But it is more or less thrilling. The action scenes are well staged and I was entertained.  That’s really all I need from these films at this point.

Watch Jeff Tweedy Perform “Out in the Dark” In South Burlington, VT (10/13/25)

I very quickly realized I don’t have the…I don’t even know what to call it…the capabilities to do what I thought I might do with setlists and following a tour. I’d have to reprogram my brain to actually follow a tour, talk about setlists and then regularly go back and search to see if there are reviews, or videos, of recordings.

That sort of thing just doesn’t interest me. I like to think it interests me, I’d like to be that kind of guy, I guess. But I’m just not. I’ve got other things to do. I mean, more power to you if that’s your thing…

Anyway, Jeff Tweedy is still on tour and he looks great and sounds wonderful and you can see that in this clip.

Weapons is the New Blu-ray Pick of the Week

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I used to go to the movie theater every weekend. Marriage, kids, work, and other obligations slowly chiseled into my ability to make it to the movies over the years. Then Covid happened, and I stopped going completely. I’ve slowly been increasing my theatrical visits, but I still don’t go nearly as much as I used to.

I was fortunate enough to get to see Weapons in the theater, and I loved it. In the middle of the night, at exactly the same time, seventeen kids from the same third grade class get out of bed, leave their homes, and disappear. That’s the mystery. The film does some fascinating things trying to explore what happened to the kids and why. It will follow several different characters whose lives ultimately intersect and then take a wild right turn into…well, I won’t spoil that.

Again, I loved it and I’m excited to own it on home video.

Also out this week that looks interesting.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps: I am so done with the MCU at this point. I’ll probably get around to this film one of these days, but I’m in no hurry.

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning: This supposed final installment of this action franchise got lousy reviews. I meant to catch it in the theater, but something kept me from it. I look forward to catching it at home.

Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection: I love boxed sets like this that give you a bunch of slightly lesser known movies in a decent package for a reasonable price. This one includes:
Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu / Mad Love / The Devil-Doll.

Eyes Without a Face 4K UHD: Criterion upgrades their Blu-ray of this classic French horror film about a scientist who attempts to rebuild his daughter’s disfigured face with horrifying results.

Last Known Address: Terrific French procedural. You can read my review here.

Death Packs a Suitcase: Jess Franco makes a giallo about a killer who packs his victim’s suitcases before slashing them.

Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Series: This is a show I always enjoy when I watch it, but I never remember to put it on.

Body Puzzle: Pretty good horror flick from Lamberto Bava about a serial killer who steals various body parts from his victims. You can read my review here.

The Curse of Frankenstein 4K UHD: Hammer Horror’s take on the Frankenstein story is terrific.

The Hard Way (1943) Blu-ray Review

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You should never say no to Ida Lupino. I first discovered her playing a blind woman in On Dangerous Ground. It was a small role, but memorable. Soon after I learned what an incredible woman she was. She entered Hollywood at an early age, but was constantly getting in trouble for refusing roles she felt was beneath her.

As her star rose she formed her own production company and started directing her own films. She was only the second woman entered into the Director’s Guild of Hollywood. Like I say, I always watch her in anything I can get my hands on.

She stars with Joan Leslie in The Hard Way, a film that reminded me a lot of All About Eve. She plays a woman who pushes her sister into the life of an actress. Initially this is to get her out of the poor town poverty they grew up in, but that morphs into untethered ambition that destroys everything in its path.

I didn’t love the film, but I do think it is worth watching. You can read my full review here.

Jeff Tweedy – Montreal, Canada (10/11/25)

Jeff Tweedy
Théâtre Beanfield
Montreal, QC, Canada

Twilight Override Tour

Western Clear Skies
Betrayed
One Tiny Flower
Caught Up in the Past
Cry Baby Cry
Forever Never Ends
This Is How It Ends
Low Key
Evergreen
Mirror
Stray Cats in Spain
Out in the Dark
Flowering
New Orleans
Guess Again
Feel Free
Lou Reed Was My Babysitter
Amar Bharati
World Away
Half‐Asleep

Encore:
Twilight Override
Diamond Light, Pt. 1
Houses(Elyse Weinberg cover)
Suzanne (Leonard Cohen cover)
Enough

—

Liam Kazar opened

Images:
Poster

Video:
Instagram recording of “Suzanne“

—

I have no intention of posting download links to shows in these spaces ever again, but that doesn’t mean I want to give up entirely on the music.

I’ve been slowly integrating the old music site back into this space. It seems pointless to have two sites for what I do. It is a slow process because I’m removing all the download links first, and I have to import them one artist at a time.

I have this idea that it might be fun to go back and include all the known source information, plus posters, ticket stubs, artwork, etc. And then maybe add in YouTube videos, reviews, etc. Basically everything I can find except the actual recordings.

At the same time I think it would be fun to follow certain tours as they happen. I won’t be doing all the artists I collect, just my favorite ones.

My idea is to put up the setlist a day or two after the show happens, plus maybe posters or other information that will be available that quick. I’ll try to add some thoughts to the show if the setlist looks interesting or something like that. And then I’ll keep tabs on when recordings do become available and add that source info whenever I find it. Plus I’ll keep looking for videos uploaded to YouTube, etc.

Does that sound interesting to anyone?

Wilco is one of my all-time favorite bands. I’ve seen them live more than anyone else. For whatever reason, they seem to love Tulsa and specifically the Cain’s Ballroom. I’ve seen them there multiple times.

Jeff Tweedy just released a triple-album and he’s coming to Tulsa next month. I got my tickets already, so it seemed natural to start following his tour.

Looking at this setlist, I have to say I’m just slightly disappointed. It covers a lot of that triple album plus some of his other solo work, but not a single song from Wilco. I get that since this is a solo tour, he’d cover his solo work, but if I’m being honest, I’ve never really loved his solo albums.

There are always good songs in them, but there are also quite a few that just don’t do it for me. The triple album called Twilight Override is the same. I actually like it a bit more than his other solo albums; most of the songs are more energetic than a lot of his solo work has been. A triple album feels like a bit much. It is hard to sit for that long and listen to it all; thus, I’ve only given it two full spins.

So, yeah, I kind of wish he was doing more Wilco material, but I get it. I do dig him covering Leonard Cohen. And I am absolutely sure that when I see him next month I’ll have a blast even if the setlist isn’t one of my dreams.

Last Known Address (1970) Blu-ray Review

last known address bluray

I love a good shoe leather movie. That’s a film that gets into the nuts and bolts of a job. Whether it is police work, newspaper reporting or any other thing, it is fascinating to watch people really do their jobs. Last Known Address has a lot of shoe leather. We watch our two cops knock on doors, meticulously dig through paperwork and do the type of policing most movies skip over.

There is a balance to that, you have to make the shoe leather interesting or audience will get bored and skip to something else. This movie keeps it interesting. I loved it.

You can read my full review here.

Now Watching: City on Fire (1987)

cit on fire poster

City on Fire (1987)
Directed by Ringo Lam
Starring: Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sun Yueh, Carrie Ng , and Roy Cheung

Synopsis: An undercover cop infiltrates a gang of thieves who plan to rob a jewelry store.

Rating: 7/10

City on Fire is now mostly known as one of the inspirations for Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. There are certainly similarities there, but Tarantino more than makes his film his own.  Chow Yun-fat plays the undercover cop who doesn’t really want to be there. He’s ready to quit, but his uncle (who is also a cop) pushes him to complete the assignment. He kind-of, sort-of befriends one of the robbers, which makes the whole thing more complicated, especially when it goes bad. 

There are some terrific set pieces and some very goofy romantic angles. I’m not super soaked in Hong Kong action movies. I’ve seen several, but not enough that I can claim any sort of authority on them. It always throws me off how weird the romances are in these things. Our guy here comes home, more or less harasses his lady by following her into the bathroom, then jumping into the shower with her, pushing into her space, and then giving her a ring. Then he postpones the wedding, then he doesn’t show up…etc. It’s probably a cultural thing, but so many of these films play the romances off with the weirdest bits of humor.

But Chow Yun-fat is amazing.