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January 30, 2012

Savant's new reviews today are:

Hollywood Party

It's a freewheeling, silly musical comedy variety show from the pre-Code era starring Laurel & Hardy, Jimmy Durante, Lupe Velez and the Three Stooges. Contents include a catchy title tune by Rodgers and Hart, lots of girls, and Mickey Mouse, who drops by with a Technicolor cartoon. This is the movie where Durante plays a Tarzan knockoff called "Schnarzan", and also the one where Lupe Velez can't seem to keep her costume on. Comes with an audio gallery of unused and deleted songs. From The Warner Archive Collection.
1/31/12

Malcolm X
Blu-ray

Spike Lee grabbed a 30+ year-old script to make this absorbing, fair and tough-minded biopic about the black man America feared most in the early 1960s ... a former cheap crook who reformed in prison, found Islam and became an incorruptibleb black pride leader with a radical outlook on the racial divide. Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett star. In a fancy book package, with an older feature documentary on a second disc. In Blu-ray from Warner Home Video.
1/31/12

and

The Apartment
Blu-ray

Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond's business world romance has been called both a perfect movie and a dirty fairy tale, and it's an emotional experience nobody should pass up. Jack Lemmon is the ambitious corporate clerk who finds that the path to success might be had by loaning the key to his apartment to his philandering superiors; all works great until he discovers that one of his bosses is shacking up with the girl of his dreams, Shirley MacLaine. Also starring Fred MacMurray and a wonderful supporting cast -- Ray Walston, Joan Shawlee, Hope Holiday, Edie Adams. In Blu-ray from MGM / Fox.
1/31/12




Greetings!

No annoying talk or sales pitches today, just a couple of interesting links not necessarily film related:

Generous reader Anna Britton forwards this link to some time-lapse photography of a Solar Storm in Northern Norway. It's apparently the result of the unusual activity on the sun last week. Pretty impressive!

Gary Teetzel connects us to the Weirdest Star Wars Ad Ever. It's apparently real. Olleh!

And jolly ex- fearless leader Mark Bourne blog Open the Pod Bay Doors, HAL has the full story on the cluster-filmmaking new Star Wars Uncut: The Director's Cut , a mini-phenom making the rounds. I'm sure I'm the last to point it out, but that's life at Savant Central.

Ooh, Ooh! Arrow Films UK has announced a Blu-ray of Vittorio De Sica's marvelous Miracle in Milan, a sweet blend of neorealist drama and film blanc fantasy that asks, "What should he poor do?" The Tea Party won't like what writer Cesare Zavattini has to say. The disc is due on the 26th of March. I hope it is region-free, like the recently-reviewed The Tin Drum.

I'll make a bigger book pitch about my Book Signing February 11 next time -- thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson



January 28, 2012

Savant's new reviews today are:

Karen Cries on the Bus

A remarkably good Spanish-language drama about a runaway wife. Karen indeed cries on the way to the big city -- Bogotá, Columbia, and undergoes a harrowing adventure trying to establish herself independently from her husband's control. Surprising in all aspects, and by no means a political screed. Starring Ángela Carrizosa, directed by Gabriel Rojas Vera. From Film Movement.
1/28/12

Picnic
Blu-ray

An Americana classic with Kim Novak and William Holden generating some powerful chemistry in William Inge's dissection of lust and pain in the Midwest. With great performances from Betty Field, Susan Strasberg, Rosalind Russell and Cliff Robertson, in his first film. A terrific-looking CinemaScope (2:55) Blu-ray limited edition from Twilight Time.
1/28/12

and

The Tin Drum
Blu-ray

This import disc (which played fine in my ordinary BD player) will be a must-see for fans of the Günter Grass novel and director Volker Schlöndorff: it's 21 minutes longer than anything we've seen, and the added material really fills out the story. On Blu-ray from Arrow Films UK..
1/28/12




Greetings!

I'm treading water ... and enjoying the reviews I'm getting out. I'm also trying to pick up the pace, as the to-write-up list is getting longer. After a slow January, EVERYTHING came in at once.

Here goes, in one breath: Hollywood Party, Geisha Boy, Julia Misbehaves, The Buccaneer, Day of the Evil Gun, Revenge!, Vice Squad, Edward My Son, The Magnetic Monster, The Great Waltz, Boeing Boeing, Black Fury, Office Wife/Party Husband, Gog, Something Wild (1961), Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker, TCM'S Columbia Film Noir 3: The Mob/My Name is Julia Ross/The Burglar/Tight Spot, The Bed Sitting Room, Hostile Witness.

On Blu-ray: The Moment of Truth, Malcolm X, Tokyo Drifter, A Soldier's Story, On the Bowery, La Jetee/Sans Soleil, Spellbound, Notorious, Annie Hall, The Apartment. And new attractions like Lady and the Tramp are expected at any time. The volume may seem insurmountable but I really like all of these shows and want to do them justice -- hopefully at the rate of 7 or so a week. So with that in mind, I'll cut these remarks short and get back to writing.

Oh, and since I've received so many emails, I'm directing readers to my Criterion Godzilla Review at TCM. It won't show up here at DVD Savant for over a week. What you'll basically read is my usual enthusiastic response to Criterion's deluxe treatment, along with my reaction to the presentation's interpretation of the film and its political context.

And that's it until Tuesday, thank you! Los Angelenos, don't forget the Sci-Fi Savant Book Signing at the Dark Delicacies Book and Gift Store on Magnolia Blvd in Burbank, between 2 and 3 on Saturday, February 11 -- Glenn Erickson



January 23, 2012

Savant's new reviews today are:

No Blade of Grass

Released and then practically buried by MGM, this gritty, exploitative, unpleasant and at least 50% fully justified post-apocalyptic thriller rubs our noses in the eco-disaster predicted to result from our pollution of the planet -- in 1970. Probably not all that shocking compared to today's pix. Director-producer Cornel Wilde puts Nigel Davenport and Lynne Frederick into the middle of a breakdown of law and order. A Remastered Edition from the Warner Archive Collection.
1/24/12

Wings
Blu-ray

The very first Academy Award winner for Best Picture is also the first major aerial epic, packed with real WW1 airplanes doing real stunts, like purposely crashing into the ground at high speed. William A. Wellman directs Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Clara Bow and Richard Arlen, and the new restoration and HD remaster is terrific. With some nice featurette extras, too. In Blu-ray from Paramount.
1/24/12

and

On the Buses:
The Complete Omnibus Edition

From UK correspondent Lee Broughton comes a giant box of the British comedy TV series, all 1850 minutes of it, including a handful of feature spinoffs produced by Hammer Films. This is a PAL Region 2 DVD set, from Network DVD.
1/24/12




Greetings!

Hokey smokes -- just a couple of hours to get these reviews out!

My one special link this week is to Dick Dinman's new radio shows on West Side Story, in response to the recent Blu-ray. In Part One Dick's guest George Chakiris opens up on the subject of the filming, the Jerome Robbins - Robert Wise debacle, and his own career. Part Two sees Mr. Chakiris discussing the chemistry and direction issues between Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood, and then discusses Yul Brynner and Richard Widmark in the context of one of his later starring films. Dick Dinman has a long list of film-oriented radio shows at his DVD Classics Corner On the Air Archive.

And I once again need to mention the book signing I'll be doing at the Dark Delicacies Book and Gift Store on Magnolia Blvd in Burbank, between 2 and 3 on Saturday, February 11. The book is of course my Sci-Fi Savant which came out in late November. I've been told that it's going to be a regular party -- besides star Julie Adams autographing an English reprint of the novelization to the original Creature from the Black Lagoon, and author and friend David J. Schow will signing copies of his new thriller novel Upgunned, actor and mime Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth) will be there too, inscribing his new book, titled Mime Very Own Book. Read the Dark Delicacies site carefully -- at Hollywood book signings I believe the book must be bought at the store ....

Thanks for reading! Glenn



January 21, 2012

Savant's new reviews today are:

The Roots of Heaven
Blu-ray

John Huston's intense tale of an eco-activist going militant against ivory poachers and elephant hunters is an unusual and inspiring tale of conservation. A terrific cast brings Romain Gary's novel to life: Trevor Howard, Juliette Greco, Errol Flynn, Orson Welles, Eddie Albert, Friedrich Ledebur. With terrific restored color and an Isolated Music Score track. In Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
1/21/12

The Iron Rose
Blu-ray

The late Jean Rollin took a break from nudie vampire romps for this morbid piece of poetry about a pair of young lovers who find themselves trapped and lost in a creepy cemetery at night. The movie has its good points and the presentation will certainly please Rollin fans: the HD transfer is outstanding. With an insert booklet essay by Tim Lucas. In Blu-ray from Kino Lorber / Redemption.
1/21/12

and

Branded to Kill
Blu-ray

Seijun Suzuki confirmed his rebel credentials by getting fired for making this frantic, stylistically bizarre meta-genre epic about a chipmunk-cheeked hit man with a strange thematic relationship with butterflies. Crazy continuity and eccentric, frequently absurdist visuals abound; Nikkatsu studios was not amused. With excellent extras, including an interview in which the star Joe Shishido explains why he had his face surgically distorted "to make him acceptable as a leading man in Japanese films". In Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
1/21/12




Greetings!

Well, I've taken the plunge and will be signing copies of my book Sci-Fi Savant between 2 and 3pm on Saturday, February 11 at the Dark Delicacies Book and Gift Store on Magnolia Blvd in the revitalized Burbank. I'm thankful to my publisher Juha Lindroos and Dark Delicacies' Sue for help with this, and also to Gary Teetzel for twisting my arm and making me do it. Now I hope I get to meet a couple of Savant readers face to face!

There will be plenty of activity at the store that day, and I certainly don't expect to be the big draw. Star Julie Adams will be there autographing an English reprint of the novelization to the original Creature from the Black Lagoon, and author and friend David J. Schow will be signing copies of his new thriller novel, Upgunned. I met David about a year ago when I screened a rare film item for him at my place; he's a fun guy with a big personality and it will be great to join him there under these circumstances. If I sign a book or two, all the better. Expect to see frequent references to this signing in the next couple of weeks. I have to self-promote to some extent ... out here in Hollywood, it's the law.

I've screened the new Criterion Godzilla Blu-ray and have nothing but positive things to say, from the packaging to the extras -- I was floored by the DVD set four years ago and learned as many new things about Big G from this disc too. Although I'm just writing it now, my review will be up first at TCM Online, so I'll try to remember to point readers there when it shows up.

Thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson



January 16, 2012

Savant's new reviews today are:

Belle de Jour
Blu-ray

Luis Buñuel's most popular feature investigates the secret, forbidden life of a bourgeois Parisian housewife. Catherine Deneuve is Séverine, a frigid bride who nevertheless fantasizes steamy scenarios of humiliation and degradation, and follows through on them by taking an afternoon job in brothel. With Michel Piccoli, Pierre Clémenti, Geneviève Page and Jean Sorel. In Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
1/17/12

and

The Hellstrom Chronicle

Walon Green and David L. Wolper's pseudo-documentary about an impending ecological apocalypse serves up ninety minutes of fantastic nature cinematography of insects, in slow-motion and macro- close-up. Hosted by a "fake" scientist, its voiceover script is a hash of hyperbolic fear-mongering that characterizes insects as evil and poses a false conflict in terms familiar from Cold War propaganda. The big surprise: the movie was nominated for a writing award and won for Best Documentary film! Watch it for the terrific nature footage and to study its technique of dis-informational exploitation. From Olive Films.
1/17/12




Greetings! I have some worthy links today, courtesy of thoughtful Savant correspondents: Craig Reardon pointed me to this post on the Talking Herrmann page, entitled Semi Off Topic for 7th Voyage people: A Sinbad Tour of Spain. Expect some impressive location comparisons.

Wayne Schmidt forwards a page from the Matte Shot blog devoted to The Glass Art of Hammer Films. "NZPete" has collected a long column of rare BTS shots and scene stills, and has a pleasant writing style to boot.

And more musical revelations are offered by reader Michael Brunas. He's uncovered a WQXR "Movies on the Radio" piece about Les Baxter, an interview show from 1990.

Thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson



January 14, 2012

Savant's new reviews today are:

The Forgotten Bomb

A new docu compares public attitudes with the reality of nuclear safety, from the issue of radioactive waste to the threat of rogue states and the ongoing nuclear standoff twenty years after the end of the Cold War. The film's constructive pacifist viewpoint is strained only when making judgment calls about the historical use of the Atomic bomb; overall this is a very good show. From Cinema Libre Studio.
1/14/12

and

Lafayette Escadrille

Savant continues his William A. Wellman kick - the director's final film returns to his personal subject matter, WW1 fliers. Delinquent Tab Hunter runs away to fly for the French only to land in more trouble. With Etchika Choreau as the sweet bargirl he takes up with and a formidable list of supporting players: David Janssen, Clint Eastwood, Tom Laughlin, Jody McCrea, William Wellman Jr.. From the Warner Archive Collection.
1/14/12




Greetings!

Am still waiting on the more desirable discs of the month but most of that problem can be attributed to reviewer impatience. Meanwhile, more interesting titles are being announced every day. Criterion has ¡Alambrista! and Harold and Maude on the way in Blu-ray, and Eclipse a DVD Box of Pearls of the Czech New Wave, which includes Daisies and the semi-legendary anti-totalitarian film A Report on the Party and the Guests. Reader Tom Giegel passes on information from Olive films about upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases, six titles on March 27: Frank Sinatra in Come Blow Your Horn and Assault on a Queen; the Jerry Lewis movies It's Only Money and Who's Minding the Store?; and the older dramas No Man of Her Own (Mitchell Leisen) and George Stevens' Something to Live For.

A review screener of Cornel Wilde's No Blade of Grass is finally on its way. I'm looking forward to writing up that very disturbing, half-prophetic and half-exploitative eco-apocalyptic epic. Why? Because hey, it's genuine in-your-face science fiction filmmaking! Also out new from The Warner Archive Collection are The Last Hunt, Day of the Evil Gun and The Great Waltz. The Columbia MOD program has Anthony Mann's The Black Book; a reader has checked it out for quality and given it his hearty approval.

Friendly tipster Martin Hennessee steers me to what purports to be an upcoming ratings bulletin for an "Intended Cut" of the 1986 musical Little Shop of Horrors. Does this mean that the impressive, cut Monster Mash finale will be reinstated? Am I the last person to find out about this, or merely a victim of yet another cruel hoax?

On the Horror end of things, Anchor Bay has a deluxe Blu-ray on the way for the controversial Japanese picture Battle Royale, while Kino is distributing fancy Blu-rays of Redemption's Jean Rollin collection: Shiver of the Vampires, The Nude Vampire, etc. I think I'll start with what is reportedly the tamest and most poetic of the late director's works, The Iron Rose. Each disc comes with extensive liner notes from Video Watchdog's sage horror commentator Tim Lucas.

Correspondent Allan MacInnis and I have been talking about Wim Wenders' Until the End of the World and Bertrand Tavernier's Deathwatch (La Mort en direct), subjects guaranteed to make me start talking. Alan has posted his side of the discussion at his blog Alienated in Vancouver, where he makes a case for a Dreamscape connection that never occurred to me.

Coming up next -- Olive Films' The Hellstrom Chronicle and Criterion's Belle de Jour ... and hopefully the Twilight Time The Roots of Heaven and the Criterion Godzilla. Next time a really hot Criterion title is announced, I'll ask for an early review disc!

Thanks for reading, Glenn Erickson



January 11, 2012

Savant's new reviews today are:

Juarez

It's a large-scale historical epic, a famous tragic romance and an interesting look at political sympathies in Hollywood of the late 1930s. John Huston helped carve down the script, while Brian Aherne, Paul Muni, Bette Davis and John Garfield take leading roles. Just what are thousands of French troops doing in Mexico, during America's Civil War? Added bonus: the music of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. From the Warner Archive Collection.
1/11/12

and

Design for Living
Blu-ray

Ernst Lubitsch strikes pre-Code comedy gold in one of the more daring film concepts of the time: one woman and two artists seriously attempt a non-standard living arrangement: companionship, good humor, no sex. With Miriam Hopkins equally enticed by Gary Cooper and Fredric March, something's gotta give. Also with Edward Everett Horton, and some of the most cleverly insinuating direction ever. In Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection.
1/11/12




Greetings!

I'm a day late because I had to work the weekend, and get some sleep, and our Internet has been out .... and well, those are my excuses! But I like today's reviews and will try to be back on schedule come Saturday.

A couple of fun links:

If you haven't seen all of them, Edward Sullivan sends a link to the Microbrew Reviews blog, which has a selection of Behind-the-scenes shots of the late James Arness as "The Thing".

Need a nice pocket watch? Have $500 to drop for a fun trinket? Gary Teetzel points us to an Ebay sale of a knock-off of the musical watch from For a Few Dollars More.

The Internet came on finally after being off all Tuesday and part of Wednesday ... I'll be back on Saturday, assuming everything is back to normal.

Thanks for reading, Glenn Erickson



January 08, 2012

Savant's new reviews today are:

Nothing but the Night

Another notable co-starring vehicle for Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, this suspense thriller almost-a-horror-film follows a series of murders to discover strange doings in a private orphanage on a Scottish isle. Also with Diana Dors, and known as Christopher Lee's one producing effort. From Scorpion Releasing.
1/07/12

and

Traffic
Blu-ray

Steven Soderbergh nails the fraud that is the War on Drugs in a mini epic that dovetails three separate stories involving cops, crooks and upscale Americans. All are complicit in the hypocrisy. The fine cast includes Michael Douglas, Benecio Del Toro, Don Cheadle, Miguel Ferrer, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid, Luis Guzman and Tomas Milian. From the Criterion Collection.
1/07/12




Greetings... January marches onward!

Everybody seems to be realigning themself back to work, but I'm hearing positive remarks from readers anticipating upcoming discs. I've received some new Kino / Redemption Blu-rays of Jean Rollin pictures and will be giving a couple of those a spin to see what's what in 70s French horror. I'm still waiting on some MGM MOD discs and Criterion's Godzilla, which will get immediate attention. And the Warner Archive Collection's No Blade of Grass appears to be available again, so I'm going to try and snag that one as soon as is possible. Between those titles and the highly awaited Twilight Time Blu-rays, January and February will not be dull disc days this year.


Radio host Dick Dinman has a new pair of shows this week, interviewing James Darren about Sony's Blu-ray of The Guns of Navarone. Darren's memories of starring in the escapist war blockbuster and other subjects are spread across two shows, Part One and Part Two. And while you're at it be sure to check out Dick's full radio show archive; there's even an older show with me mumbling away about Major Dundee.


Finally, Amazon is having a very special sale -- you too can purchase a home supply of Uranium Ore. Be sure to scroll down a bit and check out the purchaser comments to find out how your friends and neighbors are having fun with this great new consumer product!

Thanks for reading! -- Glenn Erickson



January 02, 2012

Savant's new reviews today are:

Rapture
Blu-ray

John Guillerman's intense drama sees an escaped prisoner taken in by a frustrated judge and his emotionally impaired daughter, who believes him to be her scarecrow come to life. Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Gozzi, Dean Stockwell and Gunnar Lindblom star, abetted by great B&W 'scope cinematography and a romantic score by Georges Delerue. In Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
1/03/12

and

My Man and I

Persecuted migrant worker Ricardo Montalban shouts his faith in the American system as he woos barfly Shelley Winters and seeks fair treatment from crooked farmer Wendell Corey. The acting's great but the real interest here is seeing MGM attempt a 'socially conscious' movie while also adhering to a strict set of pro-establishment myths. Co-written by the influental author John Fante, directed by William Wellman. From The Warner Archive Collection.
1/03/12




Greetings!

The New Year is upon us and Los Angeles at least is settling into some very mild and pleasant weather. Holiday guests have gone and we're putting the house back into shape and getting ready to go back to work. And sadly, all those great desserts are beginning to disappear from the refrigerator. Especially when I think nobody else in the house will notice.

Some random new movie remarks: The Muppets is light and pleasant fun. I didn't care for J. Edgar and thought the age makeup in it simply looked bad. From my limited experience evaluating makeup, the transformations performed on Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady are by contrast excellent. But both movies take a disturbingly ambivalent position on two really villainous historical figures, supposedly showing their shortcomings and crimes but really embracing both as dynamic, heroic characters. That's a terrible thing to do. Melancholia is an "astral collision" movie and for that reason should be of great interest to this reviewer. Fitfully interesting, it turns out to be two hours of essentially inconsequential personal noodlings with completely uninteresting people. Nice music though, and a gripping first eight minutes. The most entertaining picture of this new batch so far is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, a low-key but gripping espionage tale that I thoroughly enjoyed, even if I was barely able to follow its murky storyline! Gary Oldman is really good.

Through a link circulated by Joe Dante, I've come across a big-scale imitation of a Japanese monster movie, personally produced by the North Korean dictator-film fan who just died. It's called Pulgasari and the whole thing is up on YouTube. As far as I can tell, the monster most resembles The Giant Majin It leads an army in an enormous battles. Bizarre surprises never seem to let up!

And finally, don't forget to check out the creepy "Holiday Special" The Little Match Girl showing over at the essential web destination Trailers from Hell. TFH's come-on is irresistible: "We thought that Hans Christian Andersen's morbid fable about a homeless child freezing to death on Christmas Eve was just the cheery ticket for the last week of a troubled year." Hey, mirth and laughter is where you find it.

Thanks for reading! Glenn Erickson


Don't forget to write Savant at [email protected].

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