Paul Mavis' DVD Talk DVD Reviews

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: Series 1

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:58:34 PDT

Skip It

She ain't even Miss Marple...let alone Mrs. Peel. Acorn Media has released Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries: Series 1, a 4-disc, 13-episode collection of the 2012 period murder mystery series from Australian television, starring Essie Davis, Nathan Page, Hugo Johnstone-Burt, Ashleigh Cummings, Miriam Margolyes, and Nicholas Bell. Based on the novels by Kerry Greenwood, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries won't fool hard-core Christie or Sayers fans...nor will it especially surprise anyone with its by now familiar mix of leaden social commentary strapped to clunky female Bulldog Drummond antics. A few extras are included for these sparkling widescreen transfers.

Melbourne, Australia, 1928. Wealthy, titled, devil-may-care sexual libertine knockout Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis), the very embodiment of the free-spirited flapper feminist of the post-WWI Western world, has returned to Austra...Read the entire review

The Three Stooges: Rare Treasures From The Columbia Pictures Vault

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:06:11 PDT

Highly Recommended

Completes the picture for all those early Stooge supporters. Columbia Pictures and Sony have released The Three Stooges: Rare Treasures from the Columbia Pictures Vault, a three-disc collection of rare indeed Stooge-related material that was first released as bonus material on their massive 2012 The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection boxed set. Included here are impossible-to-see comedy two-reelers starring Shemp Howard, Joe Besser, and Joe DeRita, the never-before-released-to-DVD feature films, Rockin' in the Rockies and Have Rocket, Will Travel, and three early Columbia cartoons with appearances by the animated Stooges. Rabid Stooge fans who purchased the earlier 8 individual Stooge sets (which were distressingly bare-bones) went ape when that box set came out loaded down with these goodies (and at a lower overall price, to add insult to injury). Now, you may carp a...Read the entire review

Howdy Kids!! A Saturday Afternoon Western Roundup (Lone Ranger, Sky King, Cisco Kid, Roy Rogers, Champion, Fury, and More!)

Thu, 09 May 2013 18:56:14 PDT

Recommended

A fun sampler for fans of vintage TV oaters. Shout! Factory has released Howdy, Kids!! A Saturday Afternoon Western Roundup, a 3-disc, 24-episode collection of "children's television" Westerns (as the disc cover describes them) that were either syndicated or network broadcasted in the 1950s. Titles included here are: The Lone Ranger, The Range Rider, The Rifleman, The Adventures of Rick O'Shay, Fury, The Roy Rogers Show, Annie Oakley, The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Adventures of Champion, The Cisco Kid, Sergeant Preston of The Yukon, Sky King, Red Ryder (really just a pilot, not an actual series), and Buffalo Bill, Jr.. Almost all of the episodes featured here have what look to be proper run times (except for The Lone Ranger), while the transfers (no doubt taken from syndication pr...Read the entire review

Babes in Toyland (1954 & 1955 TV versions)

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:07:24 PDT

Recommended

Another rare glimpse into early live television's ghostly past. Video Artists International (who specialize in this type of fare) has released Babes in Toyland, a single disc offering that features black & white kinescopes of two live TV stagings of Victor Herbert's beloved operetta, originally aired on NBC in 1954 and 1955. Produced and directed by Max Liebman, and starring Dave Garroway, Dennis Day, Wally Cox, Jack E. Leonard, Karin Wolfe, Ellen Barrie, the Baird Marionettes, Bambi Linn, Rod Alexander, and Jo Sullivan ('54) and Barbara Cook ('55) as ing nue Jane Piper, these two holiday-themed "spectaculars," as they were known then on NBC, are certainly invaluable historical records for anyone interested in that particularly fascinating period. They're also quite charming little entertainments for the small fry this holiday season (that would be six months late or early, depending o...Read the entire review

Wilson (Fox Cinema Archives)

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:30:21 PDT

Skip It

"The Declaration of Independence did not mention the questions of our day. It is of no consequence to us...."

Boring, stuffy, and disingenuous biopic of the 28th President. 20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives, their specialty vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Wilson, the elephantine 1944 bio-epic of Woodrow Wilson, shepherded personally by Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck in a haze of delirious, idealistic love (the movie's only laugh comes during the opening credits when Zanuck's name is superimposed first over the Presidential Seal), and starring Alexander Knox, Charles Coburn, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Thomas Mitchell, Ruth Nelson, Cedric Hardwicke, and Vincent Price. Directed by genial Fox hack Henry King, Wilson certainly shares one aspect with most other Hollywood biopics of that time: its on-screen creation bears little rese...Read the entire review

Clive of India (Fox Cinema Archives)

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:57:47 PDT

Rent It

More romance than action in this once well-regarded early "epic." 20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives, their specialty vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Clive of India, the 1935 biopic from Joseph M. Schenck and Darryl F. Zanuck's 20th Century Pictures, starring Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Clive (yes, a direct descendent of the movie's real-life hero), Francis Lister, C. Aubrey Smith, and Caesar Romero. Simplified, pro-British Empire history to be sure, with a not uncommon-for-the-time emphasis on studio-bound romance rather than hard-charging action, Clive of India works best today as a chance to see icons Colman and Young doing what they did best: be movie stars. No extras for this sub-par black and white transfer.

Read the entire review

Surf Party (Fox Cinema Archives)

Fri, 03 May 2013 17:25:57 PDT

Skip It

Unacceptable in 2013, particularly for a boutique line of DVDs that are, one would assume, made-to-order specifically for those discerning consumers who will not abide an altered image ratio. I wanted to give Surf Party a break and see if it looked okay cropped by my big-screen monitor (as did Fox's release of Raiders From Beneath the Sea). I seriously doubt Surf Party was shot in any kind of widescreen process, but even if you treat what appears on this disc as a genuine open matte, the resulting image still looks too tight on the monitor, with the tops of heads cut off, and information lost at the bottom (not to mention an unnecessarily grainy, blown-out image). Sorry―skip Surf Party.

Paul Mavis is an internationa...Read the entire review

The FBI: The Fourth Season, Parts One & Two (Warner Archive)

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:22:16 PDT

Highly Recommended

You'd think the word would get out to all the various punks, kidnappers, Commie spies, grifters, embezzlers, and killers: you can not beat the F.B.I....in 1968, at least. Warner Bros.' terrific Archive Collection vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles has released The FBI: The Fourth Season, Parts One & Two, a 2-volume, 7-disc, 26-episode collection of the hit ABC crime actioner's 1968-1969 season. Even though I didn't review the third season, I can pretty much guarantee that nothing too radical has changed for this fourth go-around...because it plays exactly the same as seasons one and two (with the exception of William Reynolds coming on board). And with this kind of assured, polished storytelling routinely featuring an absurd amount of top-flight supporting players for every episode...who wants anything to change? No extras for these okay transf...Read the entire review

Teenage Rebel (Fox Cinema Archives)

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:22:16 PDT

Skip It

Unacceptable in 2013, particularly for a boutique line of DVDs that are, one would assume, made-to-order specifically for those discerning consumers who will not abide a pan-and-scan format. Skip Teenage Rebel.

Paul Mavis is an internationally published movie and television historian, a member of the Online Film Critics Society, and the author of Read the entire review

The Two Little Bears (Fox Cinema Archives)

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:22:16 PDT

Skip It

Paul Mavis is an internationally published movie and television historian, a member of the Online Film Critics Society, and the author of Read the entire review

Quincy, M.E.: Season Five

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:22:58 PDT

Recommended

Forget the deaths―how about all that social disease? Shout! Factory has released Quincy, M.E.: Season 5, a 6-disc, 22-episode collection of the long-running NBC mystery's 1979-1980 season...although technically this is really the series' fourth season. Starring good-natured screamer Jack Klugman as the "original crime scene investigator" (as labeled on the front hardcase artwork), Quincy, M.E. by this point in its run had fully embraced a cocktail of the Universal Studios house-style mystery framework, combined with the ABC After School Special brand of social messaging...with decidedly mixed (but still entertaining) results. No extras for these beautiful full-screen transfers.

Dr. R. Quincy (Jack Klugman), the le...Read the entire review

Something for the Birds (Fox Cinema Archives)

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:19:10 PDT

Highly Recommended

Clever, witty reworking yet again of Gwenn's Oscar-winning Miracle on 34th Street formula. 20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives, their vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Something For the Birds, the 1952 political romantic comedy directed by Robert Wise, and starring Victor Mature, Patricia Neal, and Edmund Gwenn. Not a sequel (despite that flat-out misleading poster art) to Gwenn's other Miracle re-working, Mr. 880, Something For the Birds finds Gwenn taking on another adorable scammer role, showing up corrupt Washington politics with a gentle, benign touch, while steering lobbyist Mature and conservationist Neal together. No extras for this super-nice full-screen black and white transfer.

<...Read the entire review

Three Hours to Kill (Sony Choice Collection)

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 07:47:26 PDT

Highly Recommended

More-than-competent B oater with an enjoyably dark undertone. Sony's fun Choice Collection vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Three Hours to Kill, the 1954 Western whodunit from Columbia Pictures starring Dana Andrews, Donna Reed, Dianne Foster, Stephen Elliott, Richard Coogan, Laurance Hugo, James Westerfield, Richard Webb, Whit Bissell, Charlotte Fletcher, and Carolyn Jones. Straightforward in plotting and execution, Three Hours to Kill satisfies as only a confident oater can when we're jonesing for those genre conventions...at the same time giving us a thematically messy undercurrent that's nicely contrasted against the square-jawed whodunit framework. An original trailer is included in this nice-looking color widescreen transfer.

<...Read the entire review

5 Against the House (Sony Choice Collection)

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:09:09 PDT

Rent It

Okay crime drama until that bogus, anti-climactic ending. Sony's fun Choice Collection vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released 5 Against the House, the 1955 heist suspenser from Columbia Pictures, co-written by Stirling Silliphant (from a Jack Finney short story), directed by Phil Karlson, and starring Guy Madison, Kim Novak, Brian Keith, Alvy Moore, Kerwin Mathews, and William Conrad. An early prototype for the kind of heist pictures that would prove to be so popular in Hollywood from the 1960s on, 5 Against the House suffers today by comparison, with a few creaky performances (I'm looking at you, Madison and Mathews), some unfortunate musical interludes, the rather tame, late-arriving heist leading nowhere...and an evocative backstory that was frankly more interesting than the crime itself. No need to double-dip if you already own this title from the 200...Read the entire review

The Lineup (1958, Sony Choice Collection)

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:57:10 PDT

DVD Talk Collector Series

Violent, unsettling, still-creepy noir classic. Sony's increasingly valuable Choice Collection vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released The Lineup, the 1958 crime meller/actioner from director Don Siegel and screenwriter Stirling Silliphant, starring Eli Wallach, Robert Keith, Warner Anderson, Emile Meyer, Richard Jaeckel, and Vaughn Taylor. A cult favorite for fans of the genre and of the director, The Lineup doesn't bear too close scrutiny when it comes to logical exposition―why, exactly, does "The Man" need these psychos from Miami?―but those bumps are quickly forgotten as Siegel moves relentlessly through his beautifully-staged set-pieces. Buyers of 2009's Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics I boxed set, in which The Lineup previously appeared, won't need to double-dip here. However, regular patrons of t...Read the entire review

Help!...It's the Hair Bear Bunch! ― The Complete Series (Warner Archive)

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:30:52 PDT

Rent It

"In The Wonderland Zoo,
There are certain bears who,
Stay at home every night,
Never quarrel or fight.
'Aww! We don't even bite!'"

So don't yell,
'Help! Help! Here come the bears,'
'Help! Help! Here come the bears,'
'Help! Help! Here come the bears,'
Lets split!

So don't yell,
'Help! Help! Here come the bears,'
'Help! Help! Here come the bears,'
'Help! Help! Here come the bears,'
Lets split!

'Help! It's the Hair Bear Bunch!'"

Critic-proof for anyone who grew up on this pap..as long as you can still feel it. Warner Bros.' Archive Collection of hard-to-find cult and library titles, has, through their Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection line, released Help!...It's the Hair Bear Bunch! ― The Complete Series<...Read the entire review

The Marriage-Go-Round (Fox Cinema Archives)

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:25:55 PDT

Recommended

Despite the mismatched leads, a frequently amusing adaptation of the Broadway play. 20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives, their vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released The Marriage-Go-Round, the 1961 sex comedy starring Susan Hayward, James Mason, Robert Paige, and statuesque bombshell, Julie Newmar. A popular, Tony Award-winning play from writer/director/producer Leslie Stevens, The Marriage-Go-Round film version is a little bumpy at times, particularly whenever snide James Mason seems to physically recoil ever so slightly from Brooklyn ball-buster Susan Hayward. However, the lines are still clever, and at times even witty, while we get a glimpse of wowzer Julie Newmar recreate her Tony-winning role as a Swedish sexpot looking to make a baby with already-married Mason. No extras for this only okay-looking anamorphic widescreen transfer.

Read the entire review

Whiffs (Warner Archive)

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:25:55 PDT

Skip It

Of course it stinks―it's from Brut . Warner Bros.' vault of hard-to-find cult and library titles, the Archive Collection, has released Whiffs, the 1975 military "farce" from cosmetics firm Faberg 's film unit, Brut Productions (distributed by 20th Century-Fox), starring Elliott Gould, Eddie Albert, Harry Guardino, Godfrey Cambridge, and Jennifer O'Neill. One of the sorriest excuses for an alleged "comedy" that I've ever come across in my 48 years of life on this planet, Whiffs perpetrated the only sin a comedy absolutely can not commit: it didn't generate one single laugh. Not one. And I'll laugh at anything from Noel Coward, to someone's crutches getting kicked out from under them, so it wasn't me. No extras for this excellent-looking widescreen transfer.

Read the entire review

The Hireling (Sony Choice Collection)

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:14:43 PDT

Recommended

"I think we all have our place in life."
"We don't have our given place in life...we make our own."

Fascinating, particularly in the beginning...until a rather unfortunate (and obvious) third act. Sony's increasingly interesting, valuable Choice Collection vault of hard-to-find cult and library titles, has released The Hireling, the 1973 British period drama from Columbia Pictures, starring Robert Shaw, Sarah Miles, Peter Egan, and Elizabeth Sellars. Scripted by Wolf Mankowitz and directed by Alan Bridges, The Hireling managed to score a co-Grand Prix du Festival (along with Jerry Schatzberg's Scarecrow) at the Cannes Film Festival. Based on a novel by L.P. Hartley (whose novel, The Go-Between, had provided the basis for another Grand Prix du Festival winner in 1970), The Hireling's (familiar) exploration of isolation and in...Read the entire review

Foyle's War - The Home Front Files: Sets 1-6

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:53:35 PDT

Highly Recommended

Another "complete" box set...that's already obsolete. Acorn Media has re-packaged their old Foyle's War sets for Foyle's War - The Home Front Files: Sets 1 - 6, a six-volume, 22-disc, 22-episode collection of (most of) the internationally acclaimed U.K. WWII mystery series created and co-written by Anthony Horowitz. Now, collectors and fans of the show who don't already own those previous releases might be tempted to pick up Foyle's War sets for Foyle's War - The Home Front Files: Sets 1 - 6 because it does bring them right up to date with the series...if today was April 25th, 2010 (the air date of the last episode included here). However, three brand new episodes of Foyle's War are being broadcast right now in the U.K., so if you're a complete O.C.D. freak like myself, you'll just look at this big box set and moan, "Unclean, unclean." Ho...Read the entire review

The Long Haul (Sony Choice Collection)

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:53:35 PDT

Highly Recommended

I live for these kinds of Bs--British noir, shot in widescreen black & white, and with those leads...how can it miss? Sony's increasingly valuable Choice Collection vault of hard-to-find cult and library titles has released The Long Haul, the 1957 British-made noir programmer released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Ken Hughes, and starring Victor Mature, Diana Dors, Patrick Allen, Gene Anderson, Peter Reynolds, and Liam Redmond. Nothing particularly new when it comes to story, The Long Haul makes up time with no-nonsense, energetic direction, evocative location shooting in England and Scotland, and typically enjoyable performances from those always-welcome pros. An original trailer (a nice bonus for these usually bare-bones Choice Collection outings) is included in this super-sharp anamorphic widescreen transfer (are you listening, Fox Cinema Ar...Read the entire review

Polly of the Circus (Warner Archive)

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:30:36 PDT

Recommended

Entertaining tosh, when the leads play together. Warner Bros.' fabulous Archive Collection, their vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Polly of the Circus, the 1932 M-G-M remake of the old Goldwyn silent melodrama from 1917...based on the even older play by Margaret Mayo. Starring the delightful Marion Davies, a miscast (but game) Clark Gable, and a solid supporting cast including C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Hatton, and David Landau, Polly of the Circus may be melodramatic tripe in the end...but it's works almost exclusively because of the attractive leads. No extras for this okay-looking black and white full-screen transfer.

Red-hot pistol Polly (Marion Davies), a trapeze performer and the star attraction of the Nailor tra...Read the entire review

The Dawn Patrol (1930, Warner Archive)

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 08:25:08 PDT

Highly Recommended

A bit creaky, at times, but overall, still impressive. Warner Bros.' fabulous Archive Collection, their vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released The Dawn Patrol, the 1930 version of the well-known WWI fighter ace story, directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Richard Barthelmess, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Neil Hamilton. Most fans remember the more readily accessible 1938 remake starring Errol Flynn, David Niven, and Basil Rathbone; however, despite some unsteady emoting here and there and a stolid sense of pacing, this version of The Dawn Patrol still delivers on message and action―no matter how much they might conflict with each other. No extras for this nice-looking black and white transfer.

France, late Fall in ...Read the entire review

Lisa (1962, Fox Cinema Archives)

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:38:43 PDT

Recommended

Well...letterboxing is better than pan-and-scan, I guess.... 20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives, their reservoir of hard-to-find library and cult titles, has released Lisa (international title: The Inspector), the 1962 romance actioner starring Stephen Boyd, Dolores Hart, and a wealth of talented U.K. supporting performers: Leo McKern, Hugh Griffith, Donald Pleasence, Harry Andrews, Robert Stephens, Finlay Currie, and Marius Goring. Based on the book by Jan De Hartog, Lisa uses solid performances and good location work to help overcome some of its clunkier (and somewhat fuzzy) exposition, giving fans of such romantic chase work a decent enough time at the movies. No extras for this okay, properly-ratioed--but flat--letterboxed widescreen transfer.

Read the entire review

The Hardy Boys: Season Three

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:35:39 PDT

Rent It

A last-ditch effort to keep the teeny-bopper franchise going fails. Shout! Factory has released The Hardy Boys: Season Three, a three-disc, 10-episode collection of the aborted 1978-1979 season of the frequently revamped The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. Never a big ratings winner in terms of the Nielsen's, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries's days were numbered from the start, anyway...but losing Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew and then fashioning Frank and Joe into grown-up Justice Department agents sealed the cancellation deal. No extras for these really marginal full-screen transfers.

Amateur detectives/full-time dreamboats Joe (Shaun Cassidy) and Frank Hardy (Parker Stevenson), the sons of renowned sleuth Fenton Hardy (Ed Gilbert), a...Read the entire review

Incubus (1980)

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 05:12:42 PDT

Rent It

The Stinkubus. Scorpion Releasing (always a lot of fun titles) has released Incubus (I refuse to put the poster's "The" in there, because it's not present on-screen), the 1980 Canadian horror flick from some tax shelter called Film Ventures International (released by Artists Releasing Corporation), directed by John Hough and starring John Cassavetes, John Ireland, and Kerrie Keane. With that talented cast, some heavyweights behind the camera, decent production values, and a promising storyline, Incubus should have been a cinch to stand out from all the crappy schlock released during that golden age of late 70s early 80s horror...but it didn't. A few original trailers are included as extras for this widescreen transfer.

The small New England tow...Read the entire review

How To Save a Marriage -- And Ruin Your Life (Sony Choice Collection)

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 07:41:02 PDT

Recommended

Cute, pallie. Sony's Choice Collection vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles has released How to Save a Marriage -- And Ruin Your Life, the 1968 sex comedy starring Dean Martin, Stella Stevens, Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson that isn't all that "hard-to-find"...because Sony already released it back in '06 as part of The Dean Martin Double Feature disc (along with Who Was That Lady?). Anyone owning that disc won't need to double-dip here; it looks to be the same transfer, and there are no extras, new or otherwise. A silly, dated, but well-tempoed battle of the sexes farce, How to Save a Marriage -- And Ruin Your Life still generates laughs with its often amusing script and its superlative cast. Looks terrific in this anamorphically-enhanced widescreen release.

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Raiders From Beneath the Sea (Fox Cinema Archives)

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 18:35:02 PDT

Rent It

Generally crappy--but still watchable--B noir heist programmer. 20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives vault of hard-to-find library and cult titles has released Raiders from Beneath the Sea, a cheapo 1964 Lippert production released by Fox, directed by Maury Dexter, scripted by Harry Spalding, and starring Ken Scott, Merry Anders, Russ Bender, Booth Colman, and Garth Benton. A few good lines here and there, the impressive sights of Catalina Island and Merry Anders in a bikini, and more than a few unintentionally silly moments make Raiders from Beneath the Sea an acceptable time-killer for fans of cheapjack 60s exploiters. No extras for this so-so full-screen transfer (more about that below).

Scuba diver and former salvager Bill Harper (Ken Scott), bankrupt and mooching dimes off his hot wife, Dottie (Merry Anders), now works rent-free as an apartment house manage...Read the entire review

Top Gear: The Complete Second Season (U.S. version)

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:09:37 PDT

Highly Recommended

"I know: the rest of the world thinks Americans are arrogant. And to be fair...f*ck you."

In its own way...just as enjoyable as the original British series. The BBC, through Warner Home Video, has released Top Gear: The Complete Second Season, a 4-disc, 16-episode collection of the popular History series' 2011-2012 season. An Americanized version of the international smash hit car show from England, hosted by Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood, and Adam Ferrara, this U.S. version of Top Gear took a lot of flack from fans of the Beeb's original (myself included), but once you get into its American context and quit comparing the hosts to their British counterparts, it's a lot of fun. Over 90 minutes of extras and outtakes are included here in this sparkling widescreen transfers.

When NBC first announced they were going to do an American version of Top Gear ...Read the entire review

23 Paces to Baker Street (Fox Cinema Archives)

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:45:13 PDT

Skip It

Loyal readers with way too much time on your hands, gird your loins for the shortest review I've ever written....

20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives vault of hard-to-find cult and library titles has released 23 Paces to Baker Street, the 1956 British mystery thriller from screenwriter Nigel Balchin and action director Henry Hathaway, starring Van Johnson, Vera Miles, Cecil Parker, Estelle Winwood, and Liam Redwood. Although I've never seen it, 23 Paces to Baker Street, shot in CinemaScope on location in London, looks exactly like the kind of movie I enjoy. Too bad I didn't watch more than two minutes of it, though, because Fox has released this in a grainy, muddy, blown-out, softly-focused 1.33:1 pan-and-scan botch that completely under...Read the entire review

Warlock (1959 Fox Cinema Archives)

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:45:13 PDT

Skip It

This is getting worse....

20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives vault of hard-to-find cult and library titles has released Warlock, the 1959 Western from director Edward Dmytryk, beautifully shot in CinemaScope by pro cinematographer Joseph MacDonald, and featuring a sensational cast: Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Dorothy Malone, and Dolores Michaels. As I wrote in my review for 23 Paces for Baker Street, I didn't watch Warlock for longer than a minute past the properly-ratioed credits (I've seen it a million times―an interesting, underrated, Western) because Fox has released this in a grainy, blown-out, softly-focused 1.33:1 pan-and-scan botch that completely undermines the whole point of their Cinema Archives con...Read the entire review

Tender is the Night (1962 Fox Cinema Archives)

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:45:13 PDT

Skip It

It won't stop....

20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives vault of hard-to-find cult and library titles has released Tender is the Night, the 1962 romantic drama based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, directed by Henry King (in wide, wide CinemaScope), and starring Jennifer Jones, Jason Robards, Jr., Joan Fontaine, and Tom Ewell. I wanted very much to see this particular drama; it's exactly my cup of tea: lush, expensive, talky, and long. However, as I wrote in my reviews for 23 Paces for Baker Street and Warlock, I didn't watch Tender is the Night for longer than a minute past the properly-ratioed credits because Fox has released this in a grainy, blown-out, softly-focused 1.33:1 pan-and-scan botch that completely underm...Read the entire review

Samson and Delilah (1949)

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:24:36 PDT

Highly Recommended

As much outrageous fun as DeMille's The Ten Commandments, at half the length. Paramount has released Samson and Delilah, the blockbuster 1949 religious epic directed by master showman Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Hedy Lamarr, Victor Mature, George Sanders, Angela Lansbury, and Henry Wilcoxon. Deliciously overripe and gaudily produced, Samson and Delilah is the kind of marvelously obvious storytelling that people laugh at for all kinds of reasons―then and now―but which is undeniably, insistently entertaining. No extras for this superior-looking full-screen transfer.

In the village of Zorah in the region of Dan, former Nazirite disciple Samson (Victor Mature, damp and fetid and hilarious when he delivers lines like, "You...da...Read the entire review

Bonanza: The Official Fifth Season, Volumes 1 & 2 (Vol. 1)

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:44:23 PST

DVD Talk Collector Series

Reviewer's Note: Owing to my own policy here at DVDTalk of watching every episode of any television season I receive (even if that means over 30 hours of TV watching in this particular case), I'm going to break up my take on Bonanza: The Official Fifth Season, Volumes 1 & 2 into two separate reviews. Readers should know, though, that they can purchase both volumes together at a discounted price (as it was sent to us), or individually.

One of the 1960s' best television dramas--which also just happened to be an oater--confidently rides on. CBS DVD and Paramount continue their terrific, extras-filled releases of the 1960's most successful TV series with Bonanza: The Official Fifth Season, Volume 1, a five-disc, 18-episode collection of...Read the entire review

Matlock: The Eighth Season

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:59:50 PST

Recommended

Hey, you punk kids! Get off my lawn--I'm trying to watch Matlock! CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount have released Matlock: The Eighth Season, a six-disc, 20-episode collection of the long-running mystery series' 1993-1994 season. No big shifts in either execution or cast here for Andy Griffith's penultimate go-around as 'ol Ben Matlock...and that's no doubt what long-time fans wanted in this comfy-cozy show (we remember you, Andy, even if Hollywood and the Oscars didn't). No extras, other than episode teasers, for these (expectedly) problematic transfers.

Hot-lanta, GA. Wiley, cagey ol' defense attorney Ben Matlock (Andy Griffith) has more tricks up his sleeve than a monkey on a hundred yards of grapevine. At a fee of $100,000 a case (and risi...Read the entire review