October was an incredible month for new releases. We will most likely get even more great stuff in a few weeks as Christmas gets a little closer, but this week is a little slim. My pick is a nice looking set of John Woo’s seminal action flick Hard Boiled, but there are also 4K releases of a Sean Connery sci-fi adventure, a classic 1980s teen comedy, and a not so amazing John Carpenter vampire movie. Click here to read all about it.
As I mentioned the other day, I got mixed up on which week I was supposed to do a Pick of the Week for Cinema Sentries and which week I was to do my Five Cool Things. I wound up writing this pick for Cinema Sentries before being alerted that it wasn’t my turn. There was some discussion of what to do about it and he decided to go ahead and post the other guy’s pick on Monday, and then he did mine yesterday.
My Internet was down most of yesterday (stupid Cox), so I’m just now posting this. There is a lot of great stuff coming out this week, but I landed on the remake of The Toxic Avenger as my #1 choice. But be sure to read the entire thing if you are a collector; like I say, there is a lot to choose from. Click here to read my article.
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.
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.
It is a very good week for new Blu-ray/4K releases. There are tons of cool stuff to choose from but I had to go with a bit of a nostalgic choice. I have very fond memories of watching those classic Charlie Brown specials when I was a kid and this new boxed set includes 40 different specials/movies, most of which I haven’t seen but I’d love to dig into them.
You can read all about it and more by clicking here.
I guess due to the Fourth of July celebrations, there aren’t a whole lot of discs coming out this week. My favorite is a new UHD transfer of this great film noir from Criterion, but I also talk about Death of a Unicorn, Alexander, and Warfare. You can read it all over at Cinema Sentries.
I’ve been writing this column (or something similar) off and on now for well over a decade. It has been interesting to see home video move from DVD to Blu-ray to 4K UHD and then struggle with the advent of streaming video.
I’d like to say this has gained me some secret knowledge as to how the companies that produce home video decide how and when to release things, but it really hasn’t. Other than things pick up in the post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas period, and slow way the heck down in the weeks following Christmas, I have no insight into what any of these companies are doing. And last year, even that simple insight failed as there wasn’t as big of a push just before Christmas, and we got some amazing releases during the normal winter doldrums.
Streaming was a game-changer. The truth is, most people are happy to watch Netflix or Hulu or whatever and no longer have the need to buy physical media. What’s left are collectors. People who desire the physical media, who want something to put on their shelves. Collectors are a strange breed (I count myself as one of them.) We are willing to spend inordinate amounts of money on something we could easily watch for free.
Lots of amazing Boutique Labels have sprung up to meet our needs. Companies like Arrow Video, Kino Lorber, and Severin are now putting out fantastic sets of all sorts of films, both popular and obscure.
I still don’t know the ins and outs of what they decide to release and when. But we now have more options than ever before.
That’s a long-winded way of saying this is an incredible week for physical releases.
There are a lot of films to talk about. We’ll start with my favorite. Sorcerer is a loose remake of the classic French thriller Wages of Fear (1953). Directed by William Friedkin, it follows four misfits from around the globe (including Roy Scheider and Bruno Cramer) who are tasked with transporting some highly unstable dynamite across the vast South American jungle.
It is one of the most intense films ever made, with our heroes driving these big trucks across terrible terrain, never knowing if a turn or a bump in the road will cause them to explode.
The Criterion Collection is releasing it with a new 4K UHD transfer and loads of nice extras.
Also out this week that looks interesting:
A Minecraft Movie 4K UHD: I’ve never played Minecraft, but my daughter loves it. Actually, what she really loves is watching hardcore Minecrafters play the game on YouTube. When this film came out, she and her friends went to see it opening weekend. They loved it. I think they loved it ironically, but she’s a teenager, and it is hard to tell. She made me watch it the other night, and it’s not terrible. I mean, it is a movie based on a game in which you basically just build stuff, and I’ve grown increasingly tired of Jack Black’s schtick, but Jason Momoa is a lot of fun playing against type.
Lethal Weapon 4K UHD: One of the great action flicks from the 1980s gets a UHD upgrade.
Total Extermination: The Peter Cushing Doctor Who Collection: The original Doctor Who series was an immediate success upon its launch in 1963. The Daleks were introduced in only its second story, and they became a sensation. So much so that in 1965, a full-fledged Technicolor movie was commissioned starring Peter Cushing as The Doctor. Doctor Who and the Daleks pretty much follows the original Dalek story with some minor changes. A year later, Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD was made, this one following yet another Dalek story from the TV.
They are oddities, and not necessary viewings, even for fans, but I quite like them. Severin Films is releasing them both in a boxed set, giving them a 4K upgrade with loads of extras.
Doctor Who: Season One: When Disney acquired the rights to Doctor Who for some stupid reason, they reverted the season numbers back to One. I have to admit I didn’t love this season, it felt a little too juvenile, and…well, Disneyfied, but I own all the others, so this will definitely be a pick-up by me.
Dark City 4K UHD: I don’t remember liking this dark science fiction noir when it first came out, but people I respect seem to really like it so I need to give it a revisit. Arrow Video is giving it a nice upgrade.
The Monkey 4K UHD: This loosely based on a Stephen King short story horror flick from Osgood Perkins is light on story and heavy on complicated deaths (and fun). You can read my full review here.
Novocaine 4K UHD: This rather silly action film has an interesting premise – its hero cannot feel pain. He isn’t indestructible. He still bleeds, burns, and can break bones; he just can’t feel any of that happening to him. The film takes this premise to pretty ridiculous (and ridiculously fun) extremes, but I enjoyed it.
Palindromes 4K UHD: Todd Solondz makes difficult films full of terrible characters that you somehow still manage to empathise with. I’ve not seen this film, but Radiance Films appears to have done their usual remarkable job with this release.
The Invisible Swordsman 4K UHD: Arrow Video presents this Japanese film about an awkward Edo-era swordsman who meets a spirit who says he can help him avenge his father’s death (by turning him invisible, of course).
The Tale of Oiwa’s Ghost: Radiance Films is releasing this Japanese tale about a Samurai trying to win his wife back, and supernatural vengeance.
The wife and I are big fans of cozy murder mysteries. There is just something nice about sitting down after a long day and watching interesting people solve a murder. I never watched Murder, She Wrote when it originally aired, but we’ve recently started watching it, and I just love it. I think that officially makes me an old man now.
You can read about it and all the other interesting releases coming out this week here.
I’m on record as being a pretty big fan of the Japanese horror boom of the early 2000s, collectively known as J-Horror. I’ve written about several of those films and weirdly seem to explain exactly what J-Horror is in each of them (so to learn more, just click this link and read one of them). While I am a fan, I haven’t really delved deeply into the genre, and most have only seen the bigger names.
This set from Arrow Video looks like a fun way to dig a little deeper. I’ve only actually seen one of these films, Noroi: The Curse, which is also the only one I’ve ever heard of. But with titles like Isola: Multiple Personality Girl and Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman, how can I not be excited by it? Arrow presents these seven films in a nice-looking box and has filled them with loads of extras.
Also out this week that looks interesting:
Drop 4K UHD: This thriller has a fun premise – a single mom on her first date in years begins receiving increasingly threatening phone messages with terrible demands.
The Return of the Living Dead 4K UHD: This ridiculously silly and ridiculously fun zombie flick from 1985 gets the UHD treatment from Shout Factory.
The Wiz 4K UHD: This modern update of The Wizard of Oz has an all black cast and some super fun musical numbers. Criterion has the release.
The Wedding Banquet: Romantic comedy about a gay Taiwanese-American who agrees to marry a straight Chinese girl for her to get a green card. I’ve not heard of this before, but it’s got Lily Gladstone in a supporting role, and I’ll watch her in anything.
Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf: Spanish director/actor Paul Naschy made several films with him, starring as a werewolf. I’ve seen a couple of them and thoroughly enjoyed them. Adding a Dr. Jekyll twist to this sounds really fun.
Lord of Illusions: Scott Bakula stars in this Clive Barker film about a private detective trying to protect his client from a deadly cult. I didn’t much care for this when it first came out, but I’ve been meaning to give it a rewatch.
Sean Connery 007 James Bond Collection 4K UHD: There have been so many different releases of these films, it is hard to keep up, but if you are looking for a cheapish collection of just Sean Connery playing Bond then this is for you.
I’m obviously a big fan of Doctor Who. There are lots of old, Classic episodes still missing (the original tapes were erased by the BBC to save money). Some of those missing episodes still have existing audio but no video. Sometimes they’ll take that audio and animate the video so we have something to watch.
They recently did that with a William Hartnell story called The Savages, and I’ve made it this week’s pick.
There’s also a new Soderberg, a big boxed set of Blaxploitation, and much more coming out this week. Click here to read more.
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