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Savant's new reviews today are:

Muriel, or The Time Of Return
The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray
  Alain Resnais' deceptively conventional drama is really about interpersonal dynamics: lives lived in the here and now are really anchored in events and concerns from the past, that bleed into the present. Delphine Seyrig's antique dealer invites an old beau to visit, but instead of clarity and direction finds just more personal confusion. Seyrig returns from Last Year in Marienbad, but the approach is completely different -- and the show is considered by many to be Resnais' best. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
7/30/16

The Gang's All Here
Twilight Time
Blu-ray
 Wonderful isn't a good enough word to describe this joyful, funny and visually intoxicating Alice Faye musical by Busby Berkeley. Decades later it became part of a big Camp revival, but the real draw is still the Benny Goodman swing music, delightful performers like Carmen Miranda, and Berkeley's bizarre Technicolor visions. With Eugene Pallette, Edward Everett Horton, Charlotte Greenwood, Sheila Ryan and Phil Baker. In 1973 we UCLA punks thought Berkeley's visuals were more bizarre than current attempts to depict acid trips. With two audio commentaries, a deleted scene and other extras. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
7/30/16

and

Modesty Blaise
KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray
 Joseph Losey doesn't normally make trendy, lighthearted genre films, and in this SuperSpy epic we find out why -- an impressive production and great music don't compensate for a lack of pace and dynamism, not to mention a narrow sense of humor. Yet it's a lounge classic, and a perverse favorite of spy movie fans. The possibly miscast Monica Vitti is a saucy, provocative secret agent, and Terence Stamp shines as her action-man consort, while Dirk Bogarde is 'the villain of the piece.' With lively contributions from Rossella Falk and Scilla Gabel, and a classy list of locations from Amsterdam to a Sicilian monastery overlooking the ocean. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
7/30/16

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Hello!

Businessman, home video entrepreneur and film collector Wade Williams decided to post online the other day about future plans for the movies he owns. He reported that a deal to have his 3-D holdings (which include Robot Monster) licensed and restored for Blu-ray 3-D is on hold for the moment. He also said that he intends to restore several of his pictures, including Invaders from Mars. It's more an announcement of availability than anything else, as Williams' description makes it seem as if the situation is awaiting some deep-pockets licensor to step up to the plate. That's the nature of the business and it's what happens to some coveted titles.

Potentially good news comes from film expert Bob Furmanek, who in a post on the Home Theater Forum contradicts older reports that the negative for Invaders from Mars is missing:

"The three-color Cinecolor separations (red, blue, yellow) for Invaders exist as does the (OCN) Original Camera Negative, which still retains 90% of its color. It is missing opticals and some effects shots but those can be used from the seps to fully restore the original 1953 domestic release."

Just knowing that Invaders still exists as more than a few battered original prints is good news to me, even if nothing is being done with them at the present. But Furmanek's note is not part of an equation that says, 'elements exist, therefore a new Invaders restoration is on the way.' Read Wade Williams' words carefully, because he says nothing specific about any restoration actually being on anybody's schedule, let alone in progress. Although Williams did restore (finish, actually) one Ed Wood movie from the film elements up, most of his home video releases appear to have been mastered from his collection of film prints. Mr. Williams also controls the noir classic Detour, which is also twenty years overdue for a decent restoration. The same goes for the old Regalscope sci-fi winner, Kronos.

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More potentially positive news comes from Kino Lorber, whose online phantom rep 'Mister Lime' now says the company hopes to include both cuts of the Hammer-Harryhausen epic One Million Years B.C. on their Blu-ray, which probably won't be out until next year. Sounds good, Kino !

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And on his The Passionate Moviegoer page, Joe Baltake makes me wary about Woody Allen's new movie Café Society. I'm already critical of Allen for creating 'new' movies by recycling the structures of his favorite classics --La Strada, A Streetcar Named Desire, A Place in the Sun -- and Joe describes the new movie as at least a partial revisit of Billy Wilder's The Apartment. But Joe says this one is good.

Thanks for reading! --- Glenn Erickson

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Savant's new reviews today are:

'Neath Arizona Skies
Olive Films
Blu-ray
 This early John Wayne oater displays the natural star quality and winning personality that sustained him through the 1930s -- it's a naïve, charming western that features some of The Duke's closest early associates, like Gabby Hayes and Yakima Canutt. Wayne is a true-blue cowpoke who comes to the defense of a half-Indian girl being cheated out of her oil lease money -- those serial western bad guys are worse than Beagle Boys. On Blu-ray from Olive Films.
7/26/16

Miss Sadie Thompson 3-D
Twilight Time
3-D Blu-ray
 Rita Hayworth in 3-D, in a hot story that was acceptable for 1925 and 1932, but too racy for repressed 1953. On a tropical island, a prostitute cabaret singer battles a fiery preacher missionary inspector for her freedom. Hayworth is dynamite, and it takes all of her talent to keep the show afloat, with so much interference from the interfering censors. José Ferrar is the intolerant sort-of churchman, and Aldo Ray is the Marine with Sadie on the Brain. Filmed in Hawaii; the depth effects are very nice. On 3-D Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
7/26/16

and

Crimes of Passion
Arrow Video
Blu-ray + DVD
 Flamboyant artist Ken Russell was eventually sidelined for what the industry calls 'excess,' but he was a genuine artist, as indicated by this, his last American film. Absolutely beyond the pale in terms of polite viewing, it's by turns awkward and insightful, profane and... more profane. Kathleen Turner and Anthony Perkins turn in terrific performances; Russell gets straight 'A's in the shock and awe department, even if we don't buy the film's thesis about sex and human relationships. A Dual-Format edition on Blu-ray and DVD from Arrow Video.
7/26/16

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Hello! The week's moving along pretty well, with more discs in from Kino, Twilight Time and the Warner Archive... rather than research a column today, I'm going to concentrate on catching up with more reviews, and hopefully put myself back on schedule. Today's fare coincidentally features two films about fallen women clashing with sort-of religious men, and one more fun early talkie western featuring John Wayne. Although it scares me, I'm going to give Alain Resnais' Muriel a try -- it's not exactly the easiest film to understand.

Thanks for reading! --- Glenn Erickson

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Savant's new reviews today are:

Mill of the Stone Women
(Die Mühle der versteinerten Frauen)
Subkultur
Region B Blu-ray
 Mad doctors! Mortiferous maidens! Horrifying hallucinations! A key early Euro-horror and one of the very first in color, this French-Italian production is a medical horrorshow crossed with a folk tale -- its centerpiece is a vintage carillon attraction in an old mill; creepy Scilla Gabel is the minatory seducer who bridges the gap between life and death. This Deutsche release offers three separate international versions of Giorgio Ferroni's gothic thriller. On Region B Blu-ray from Subkultur.
7/23/16

Gun the Man Down
Olive Films
Blu-ray
 This almost completely forgotten '50s western couldn't compete with the big productions, but it has a good cast -- James Arness, Robert J. Wilke, Emile Meyer, Harry Carey Jr. Plus early work by writer Burt Kennedy, and the debuts of actress Angie Dickinson and director Andrew V. McLaglen. Miss Dickinson is like a dream walking, only younger than we're used to seeing her; McLaglen's direction more or less went downhill from here forward. On Blu-ray from Olive Films.
7/23/16

and

Silk Stockings
The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray
 It's in glorious Technicolor Metrocolor, CinemaScope and StereoPhonic Sound! Fred Astaire's final MGM musical gives him Cyd Charisse and a Cole Porter score, plus some nice Hermes Pan choreography. The script and Rouben Mamoulian's direction aren't the best, but the combined magic of the musical and dancing talent saves the day. Extra added attractions: showgirl comedienne Janis Paige, and dear old Peter Lorre as a sad-faced Commissar. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
7/23/16

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Hello!

The final week of cutting was intense, but I'm now back on the review-writing warpath, with important new discs in from Kino Lorber and Twilight Time... we'll be getting into gear without delay. Some announcements:

Mike Ballew informs me that the 3-D Film Archive is getting up a campaign to restore a rare 1960 3D feature called September Storm with Mark Stevens and Joanne Dru. The details are over at this Kickstarter page.

Correspondent Cameron Mackert directed me to a French page called retour sur les lieux de tournages/return to the filming locations, where can be found location comparison photo coverage for, among other movies, Giu la testa and La valleé de Gwangi.

Ear-to-the-ground informer-agent Gary Teetzel has told me that an Australian Blu-ray of Frank Capra's Lost Horizon is being promoted with this text blurb:

"In 2014, Sony Pictures Entertainment completed an all digital restoration at Colorworks, using the preservation negative created in 1998 as the primary source, scanned at 4K and integrated with the director's personal nitrate print. Additional material was located in a badly worn 16mm print of the scene of the first meeting with the High Lama, where previously missing footage had been represented by the original soundtrack and still images."

Director's personal nitrate print? Does this mean that an intact copy of the 1937 film exists? Apparently not, if they had to source a 16mm copy. Just the same, maybe I'll finally get to review that fascinating old show.

Thanks for reading! --- Glenn Erickson

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Savant's new reviews today are:

3 Bad Men
KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray
 What's this? John Ford's final silent western is as exciting and entertaining as his later classics. A trio of horse thieves turn noble when given the responsibility of a young woman lost on the prairie; Ford gives the show comedy, drama and spectacle. It was filmed in 1926, yet is instantly recognizable as Ford's work; his brilliant, effortless compositions and storytelling style is fully developed. With George O'Brien, Olive Borden, Tom Santschi, J. Farrell MacDonald and Frank Campeau, and also a peek at the cute Phyllis Haver. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
7/16/16

and

Night and Fog
The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray
 The first and most powerful Holocaust reassessment extends the horror with the assertion that, as early as 1955, its reality is already fading from the world memory. Alain Resnais uses the form of the art movie and his own essay-film innovations to communicate the yawning wound in the human consciousness -- a moral disconnect that allows the repeat of the same intolerable crimes. This new edition comes with a French documentary about the political circumstances under which the film was produced. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
7/16/16

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Hello! A few announcements...

I've seen the new German Mill of the Stone Women and will be writing it up soon; it's a collectors' special item, like the multi-version Blood Bath disc of a couple of months back. In additional news, correspondent John Knight has received the new Elephant France Blu-ray of This Island Earth and wrote me to say that,

"I can now happily report that the Elephant version is a vast improvement. In the exterior scenes (and the studio-shot inserts that appear with these scenes) the quality of the Blu Ray is gorgeous. Furthermore unlike the German version the Elephant disc has a user-friendly menu. French subtitles are easy to remove. There is a gallery of six Sci-fi trailers but sadly these do have "forced" (i.e. non removable) subtitles. There is also a 20-minute documentary on the film in French with, sadly, no English sub-titles. I feel this version is going to be as good as it gets, for now at least... well recommended -- John"

So my expectations for a decent This Island Earth Blu-ray are thusly raised. I've enjoyed a widescreen European PAL DVD disc that a friend time-adjusted to run at NTSC speed. And I've seen the German Ostgalgica Blu-ray, which is no beauty.

Some news from the UK -- Savant correspondent Lee Broughton has programmed and has been introducing a season of cult movies in Leeds, in collaboration with Screen Seven. One screening has already passed, but on July 20th he has Alex Cox's Repo Man (USA, 1984), and for the 29th he's screening Robert Fuest's The Final Programme (UK, 1973). Further information can be found here.

My big editing job is heading into its final phase, after which the weekly quota of reviews will return to healthy pre-war levels. Thanks for reading! --- Glenn Erickson

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Savant's new reviews today are:

Scott of the Antarctic
Studiocanal UK
Region B Blu-ray
 There's nothing more earnest than an English national epic: the story of the ill-fated polar explorer is told straight and clean, like a 'Boy's Own' adventure that unfortunately finishes in a low-key disaster. It's a beautifully filmed primer on how to behave in the face of doom. Filmed in Technicolor by Jack Cardiff and starring John Mills, Derek Bond, Harold Warrender, James Robertson Justice, Kenneth More and Reginald Beckwith, and featuring a team of ponies and a couple-dozen hardy sled dogs. And look fast to see a young Christopher Lee. On Blu-ray from Studiocanal UK.
7/11/16

and

To Have and Have Not
The Warner Archive Collection
Blu-ray
 Bogart finds Bacall and movie history is made; for once the make-believe romantic chemistry on-screen is abundantly real. Howard Hawks' wartime Caribbean adventure plays in grand style, with his patented mix of precision and casual cool. Walter Brennan gets to ask people if they wuz ever stung by a dead bee, and Hoagy Carmichael puts a smile on our face with his rendition of "How Little We Know." This is one of Howard Hawks' best, and one of the most entertaining pictures of the 'forties. With Marcel Dalio and Dolores Moran. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
7/11/16

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Hello!

I think my idea of putting a 'mystery picture' at the top of each Savant column is finally paying off, now that I have added the prompt to Click On It. The original thought was to encourage readers to dig into the older Savant review archive, and now I'm getting email responses that tell me it's kicking in. Although I've kept up my Savant Review Index, I haven't been able to upload it for quite a while, and readers at the moment have no easy way to look up reviews from 2015. So if a Google search for: title / DVD Savant doesn't get you a review you know you've seen, please write me. Thanks.

The disc buzz among classic horror fans is a rising wave this week. After announcements of Blu-rays for Olive's The Horrible Dr. Hichcock and The Monster of Piedras Blancas (both September 13) and Media Target Dist GmbH's Mill of the Stone Women (June 30), we were hit by the pleasant news that Universal is reproducing its eight-title Hammer Films Collection in Blu on September 13. And finally, Mill Creek has announced a series of Hammer double-bill blus starting with combos of The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll / The Gorgon and The Revenge of Frankenstein / Curse of the Mummy's Tomb.

For the last ten years it's been a yearly ritual for Savant advisor Gary Teetzel to lament the lack of decent Halloween horror offerings, but this year would seem to break the spell. Gary chimes in with more genre titles expected before All Hallows' Eve, including some sci-fi's that border on horror: Criterion's Cat People, Scream Factory's new edition of Carpenter's The Thing, Arrow's The Hills Have Eyes, and Kino's The Earth Dies Screaming/Chosen Survivors (Oct 4) and Witchcraft (Oct 11).

Thanks for reading! --- Glenn Erickson

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Savant's new reviews today are:

Carnival of Souls
The Criterion Collection
Blu-ray
 Cinema Art from Lawrence, Kansas?  Industrial filmmaker Herk Harvey comes through with a classic horror gem for the ages. A haunted church organist begins to suspect that her hallucinations are more than just nerves. And who is that ghoulish man who keeps appearing in reflections, or popping up out of nowhere? What was always a 'special' ghost tale now looks like inspired filmmaking thanks in part to a dazzling new transfer; with excellent extras. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
7/08/16

With the Ghouls in Lawrence, Kansas
Savant Article
by Bill Shaffer
 PBS producer Bill Shaffer recounts his experience documenting a cast and crew reunion for Carnival of Souls back in 1989, an assignment that developed into becoming an associate producer on Criterion's first DVD of the 1962 feature film. Herk Harvey, John Clifford, Candace Hilligoss all returned for a re-premiere of the genuine cult item that put Kansas on the map of horror film history. Harvey attended in his ghost makeup from the film, as Shaffer's photos recorded. By Bill Shaffer.
7/08/16

Inserts
Twilight Time
Blu-ray
 The director-centric 1970s were a time for pushing the boundaries of 'acceptable' film content, but John Byrum's witty and profane period piece about a Hollywood porn director was a step too far. Maybe three steps too far. Richard Dreyfuss leads five utterly fearless actors in a witty and wicked dissection of movieland decadence. The lineup includes Jessica Harper, Veronica Cartwright, and in his first feature of note, Bob Hoskins. The all-star period piece plays out in one location in real time. On Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
7/08/16

and

Invisible Invaders
KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray
 "Earth Given 24 Hours to Surrender!" Invisible murderous moon maniacs invade, with invisible troops and invisible flying saucers! John Agar, Jean Byron and John Carradine do their best to keep this underfed sci-fi turnip on its feet --- and we diehard monster fans love it. Carradine and his echo-chamber voice make an appearance; also starring every stock shot known to man. On the other hand, even George Romero said that this picture was the prime inspiration for Night of the Living Dead. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
7/08/16

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Hello!

Universal dropped a quiet bomb on disc collectors Tuesday. Remember the old four-disc, eight title DVD set The Franchise Collection: The Hammer Horror Series from way back in 2005? According to Amazon, the same package, the whole kit 'n' kaboodle, is going to be released on Blu-ray on September 13. The old set covered every Universal Hammer title on the books: The Brides of Dracula, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Phantom of the Opera, Night Creatures, Nightmare, Paranoiac, The Kiss of the Vampire and The Evil of Frankenstein. This is certainly a pleasant surprise; the word I've heard is that most if not all of these pictures have been remastered over the last eleven years -- maybe some of those screwy aspect ratios will be calmed down a little. So the Halloween goodie bag this year just got a little more exciting.

Thanks for reading! --- Glenn Erickson

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Savant's new reviews today are:

The Daughter of Dawn
The Milestone Cinematheque
Blu-ray
 Filmed in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma, this silent tale of Native American life has an all-Kiowa and Comanche cast, and is credited as accurately recreating cultural details and costumes. A love triangle involves a buffalo hunt and warfare between neighboring tribes, plus a rivalry between two braves for an Indian princess. Thought lost for the better part of a century, it was rediscovered just a few years ago in the possession of a private detective! Includes an entirely new orchestral music score. On Blu-ray from The Milestone Cinematheque.
7/02/16

Blood and Black Lace
Arrow U.S.
Blu-ray + DVD
 Mario Bava turns from spooky gothic tales to a relentlessly violent murder spree in the glossy world of high fashion. The large cast gives us a fistful of prime suspects, while the main draw is Bava's powerful direction and razor-keen images - and in this excellent transfer, the colors can only be described as hallucinatory. With Cameron Mitchell and Eva Bartok, plus a commentary by Tim Lucas. The UK release was Savant's #1 disc pick for 2015. A Dual-Format edition on Blu-ray and DVD from Arrow U.S..
7/02/16

and

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
KL Studio Classics
Blu-ray
 A special edition of this confirmed '70s crowd pleaser?  I'm there. Robert Shaw has big plans to hijack a New York subway car, and subway cop Walter Matthau is determined to stop him. Crooks using the names Mr. Blue, Green, Grey and Brown use open terror to extort a million dollars from the Big Apple. It's a great script by Peter Stone, beautifully directed by Joseph Sargent, and one of the best thrillers of the '70s. Kino's 42nd Anniversary Special Edition extras include a welcome interview with actor Hector Elizondo. On Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.
7/02/16

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Hello!

It's the 4th of July weekend, which I'll be spending most of catching up with Savant duties -- good discs to review keep arriving like clockwork. But I think I'll take an unofficial vacation and skip new reviews for Tuesday... company's coming, and it would be great to watch a movie just for fun again.

I've received positive feedback for my review of 99 River Street, which apparently isn't as obscure as I thought it was. In addition to the viewer appreciation for Evelyn Keyes' tight sweater, a welcome note came from expert Bob Furmanek, who confirmed my guess about the film's proper aspect ratio: "Dear Glenn, I just read your excellent review. 99 River Street began filming at Goldwyn Studios on March 4, 1953 (as Crosstown) and was composed for 1.37:1."

The confirmation is nice but I'm especially partial to the 'excellent review' part. Actually, I had Savant advisor Gary Teetzel over to see the show last year, and initially tried to push the idea that it should be matted to 1:66. The main title blocks fit quite nicely in that ratio. Gary didn't buy it, and pointed out shot after shot spoiled by the matting. Why are other people always right?

Joe Dante has circulated a link to Mark David Kaufman's nifty The Public Domain Review article about our favorite WW2 cartoon series produced for Armed Forces Personnel, Ignorant Armies: Private Snafu Goes to War. I loved those shows -- Theodore Geisel must have been a terrific guy. The article also gives an overview of other cartoon fare addressing the war effort and the soldier's predicament.

There's a helluva lot of attractive discs promised -- the Warner Archives has a Blu of To Have and Have Not on the launching pad, while Twilight Time is slated to knock us out with a disc of the incomparable The Gang's All Here. Kino reportedly has Hangover Square coming, and it is rumored that Criterion has His Girl Friday in the works.

Gotta remember to put the flag out Monday --- Thanks for reading! --- Glenn Erickson