DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of June 12th, 2023 (Patreon)

DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of June 12th, 2023
http://www.dvdbeaver.com

THIS WEEK's RELEASES: Boxsets galore; Ormond, Alameda horrors from Mexico, Shaw Brothers Classics (11 films!).... Terry Gilliam 4K Criterion, Ernst Lubitsch, Fernando Di Leo, Michael Apted, Michael Crichton, James Wan, Richard Lester, Robert Eggers, Drive-in schlock, Dutch feminism, Hungarian murder mystery...
THIS WEEK's CALENDAR UPDATES (NEW!): Akira Kurosawa in 4K UHD, Jean-Luc Godard in 4K UHD, Robin Hardy Wicker Man in 4K UHD, Ruben Östlund Collection, early Laurel & Hardy, Jean Renoir, Michael Apted, the Ormond Family, Michael Crichton, David Lynch, John Frankenheimer in 4K UHD X 2!, 4X Mr. Wong, Otto Preminger best Noir, Bionic couple TV series, John Cromwell, Vincent Sherman, Andrey Konchalovskiy, Howard Hawks in 4K UHD, John Sturges / Fred Zinnemann, Stanley Kramer, J. Lee Thompson, Mario Bava, Umberto Lenzi, more Dark Side noir, Abraham Polonsky, Fritz Lang, Audie Murphy, Abel Gance, John Cassavetes, Martin Scorsese in 4K UHD, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Ken Russell, William Friedkin in 4K UHD, Sidney Lumet, Italian westerns X 4, Anthony Mann / Laurence Harvey, Douglas Fairbanks double feature, Josef von Sternberg, John Farrow, Rouben Mamoulian, Pinky violence by Toei, Byron Haskin 4K UHD reboot, Wayne Wang, Bo Widerberg, Commedia all'italiana, Gregory's Girl in 4K UHD , more Jean Rollin from Indicator, Bogdanovich 1st makes a UK listing, double Bob Clark, Pete Walker 7 film boxset, evil Messiah by Radiance...
THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS: Premium Canuck Horror in 4K, Five "Dark Cinema" classics, Idiot Savant sibling bonding in 4K, Catman stalking Gay Paree...
Enjoy,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of June 12th, 2023 (Recommended titles have "**")

**Caliber 9** [Blu-ray] (Fernando Di Leo, 1972) Raro Video
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COMMENTS: Fernando Di Leo’s Italian crime classic Caliber 9 (Milano Calibro 9, 1972) is presented here in a stunning 4K restoration. Small-time gangster Ugo Piazza (Gastone Moschin, The Godfather Part II) has just been released from prison. He tries to convince the police, the mafia, and his one-time associate Rocco (Mario Adorf, The Tin Drum), a sadistic hoodlum who enjoys sick violence and torture, that he wants to go straight, but everyone believes he has $300,000 of stolen money hidden somewhere. Caliber 9’s stylized violence, fast-paced action sequences, tight editing and plot twists prefigure the work of Quentin Tarantino and John Woo. The film also features a notable score by Luis Bacalov (Django) and the stunning Barbara Bouchet (Casino Royale) as Ugo’s go-go dancing girlfriend. The restoration of Milano Calibro 9 was carried out in 2022 by the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia - Cineteca Nazionale from the negatives made available by Minerva Pictures. To reconstruct the version desired by the director, the title cards were reintegrated, recovered from a copy conserved in the archives of the Cineteca Nazionale.
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**Lesley Selander's "The Catman of Paris"** Blu-ray - Lenore Aubert / Adele Mara @imprint_films
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COMMENTS: Lesley Selander's The Catman of Paris was produced in conjunction with Valley of the Zombies with the intent on making it Republic's first horror film double feature. It was a 7-reeler at less than 1 hour 5 minutes. Selander also directed Flat Top, The Vampire's Ghost, Dragonfly Squadron, Flight to Mars, so certainly a genre chap in his pedigree. Actually one of the most prolific directors of feature Westerns in cinema history. Here we get some supernatural, amnesia, false-accusations, dying confessions, mysticism, and a hideous 'Catman' - essentially a horror-mystery hybrid - set in classy Gay Paree. I liked the atmosphere and wasn't deterred by the pacing of The Catman of Paris. Middling image quality but I had never seen it before and, being my penchant, will re-watch. Lads Newman and Jones give another emboldening commentary plus the fab Republic Pictures Story documentary (longer than the film!) The Imprint Blu-ray has fans who will enjoy.
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**The Draughtsman's Contract** [Blu-ray] (Peter Greenaway, 1982) Zeitgeist Films
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COMMENTS: Set in a richly exaggerated 17th-century England, this witty, stylized, erotic country house murder mystery catapulted Greenaway to the forefront of international art cinema. Adorned with intricate wordplay, extravagant costumes and opulent photography, Greenaway’s first narrative feature weaves a labyrinthine mystery around the maxim “draw what you see, not what you know.” An aristocratic wife (Janet Suzman) commissions a young, cocksure draughtsman (Anthony Higgins) to sketch her husband’s property while he is away—in exchange for a fee, room and board, and one sexual favor for each of the twelve drawings. As the draughtsman becomes more entrenched in the devious schemings in this seemingly idyllic country home, curious details emerge in his drawings that may reveal a murder. Bolstered by a mesmerizing score by then-newcomer Michael Nyman and stunning cinematography by Curtis Clark, The Draughtsman’s Contract is a luscious cinematic banquet for eye, ear and mind.
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**From Hollywood to Heaven: The Lost and Saved Films of the Ormond Family 1951-1997** Blu-ray @indicatorseries
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COMMENTS: Ron Ormond (born Vittorio Di Naro aka Vic Narro) took his surname from the magician and hypnotist Ormond McGill who he befriended. June Carr performed in vaudeville singer and after a six week whirlwind romance they married eventually becoming partners in film production as actors, authors, directors, producer and screenwriters. The filmmaking migration from westerns (forming a partnership with Alfred "Lash" LaRue), exploitation films and musicals, to Christian films (after a near death experience crash in Ron's own single-engine plane) - addressing the second coming of Jesus Christ - is one of the more remarkable genre-shifts in cinema history. The later bizarre films shared concerns over communism and the importance of adhering to American founding principles with fire-brand Southern preachers, impeccably dressed, like evangelist Estus Washington Pirkle and his interpretation of what the Bible has to say about hell [eyebrows raised!] Aside from the Ron Ormond directed Mesa of Lost Women (1953), reviewed HERE as part of Image Entertainment's Femme Fatale DVD Collection - his films have been very hard to find on digital - marking Indicator's From Hollywood to Heaven: The Lost and Saved Films of the Ormond Family 1951-1997 Blu-ray set as truly eventful. Some may find a connection to Herschell Gordon Lewis but I enjoyed this set much more with the wide swing in genres from flaming stripper tassels and oversized harmonicas to religious and anti-communist rhetoric. I love the tidbits like rockabilly musician Thomas Paulsley 'Sleepy' LaBeef as a 'Swamp Thing' in The Exotic Ones. This Blu-ray set represents one of the truly fascinating stories of ambitious Independent filmmaking stacked with rare finds, commentaries, documentaries and a booklet. Indicator does it again with a strong labor-of-love commitment to extraordinary, lesser-seen, cinema. Wow! Absolutely recommended!
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**Gorky Park** [Blu-ray] (Michael Apted, 1983) Kino
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COMMENTS: Murder, seduction and intrigue in the Kremlin! Adapted by Dennis Potter (Dreamchild) from the bestselling novel by Martin Cruz Smith, Gorky Park is a gripping and brilliant thriller starring screen greats William Hurt (Body Heat) and Lee Marvin (Prime Cut). When three murder victims are discovered in Moscow’s Gorky Park—their faces and fingertips removed—detective Arkady Renko (Hurt) is determined to identify the bodies and find the killer. But when the clues point toward the involvement of the KGB, Renko is hunted by the secret police and confronted by an intricate web of deception and treachery reaching to the highest political levels. Directed by Michael Apted (Thunderheart, The World Is Not Enough) and with an excellent supporting cast that includes Joanna Pacula (The Kiss), Brian Dennehy (F/X), Ian Bannen (The Offence), Michael Elphick (Ordeal by Innocence), Richard Griffiths (Withnail & I), Alexander Knox (Accident) and Ian McDiarmid (Return of the Jedi).
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The Great Train Robbery [Blu-ray] (Michael Crichton, 1978) Kino
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COMMENTS: All aboard for runaway action and suspense in this riveting masterpiece from legendary writer/director Michael Crichton (Westworld, Coma)! Sean Connery (Goldfinger, The Anderson Tapes, Cuba), Donald Sutherland (Klute, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Crackers) and Lesley-Anne Down (Brannigan, The Pink Panthers Strikes Again, Sphinx) star in this “spine-tingling and suavely performed” adventure (The Hollywood Reporter) based on history’s first train robbery. Stunningly shot by the great cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth (2001: A Space Odyssey, Murder on the Orient Express), this “ingenious” (Variety) crime caper delivers mile-a-minute thrills and breathtaking excitement. Connery is Edward Pierce, a master thief who conceives a brilliant plan to steal a fortune in gold bars from a railroad payroll car. But to pull off the most daring heist in history, Pierce must join forces with a safecracker (Sutherland) and his own beautiful girlfriend (Down) in a series of intricately plotted thefts that will test all of their nerve, camaraderie and larcenous skill.
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Insidious Steelbook [4K UHD Blu-ray] (James Wan, 2010) Sony
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COMMENTS: From the makers of Paranormal Activity, INSIDIOUS is the terrifying story of a family who, shortly after moving, discovers that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted.
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John Wick: Chapter 4 [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Chad Stahelski, 2023) Lionsgate
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COMMENTS: John Wick (Keanu Reeves) uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
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Juggernaut [Blu-ray] (Richard Lester, 1974) Kino
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COMMENTS: The Greatest Sea Adventure in History Has Just Begun! The high seas have never been more terrifying than in this riveting, tension-packed adventure directed by the great Richard Lester (The Knack … and How to Get It, The Three Musketeers, Cuba, Superman II). Screen legends Richard Harris (The Long and the Short and the Tall, The Wild Geese) and Omar Sharif (Doctor Zhivago, The Tamarind Seed) head an all-star cast that includes the extraordinary Anthony Hopkins (When Eight Bells Toll, The Silence of the Lambs), David Hemmings (Crossed Swords, Murder by Decree), Shirley Knight (The Group, The Rain People) and Ian Holm (The Homecoming, Alien) in an edge-of-the-seat shipboard thriller! HMS Britannic is caught in a storm at sea. But the real terror is on board—seven bombs planted by a terrorist calling himself Juggernaut, who demands a high ransom in exchange for the passengers’ lives. Bomb expert Fallon (Harris) is flown to the ship and, as negotiations break down, he struggles with the most challenging job of his life in a race against time! The Stellar cast also includes Clifton James (The Reivers) and Roy Kinnear (How I Won the War).
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Killzone [Blu-ray] (David A. Prior, 1985) MVD
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COMMENTS: Colonel Crawford (David Campbell, Killer Workout), the sadistic commander of an advanced military training center known as “Scare Camp”, has created the most grueling and realistic exercise imaginable; to him it is brilliant, to his men… deadly. To Vietnam War veteran Jason McKenna (Fritz Matthews, Deadly Prey) it becomes all too real. His ability to distinguish between flashbacks and the ongoing exercise slowly fades. Driven by emotional terror McKenna believes he must kill to survive. He escapes the simulated prison camp and begins his reign of terror; killing the unsuspecting residents of a nearby town. Now it is up to Colonel Crawford to stop him in this action-packed adventure from writer / director David A. Prior (Deadly Prey).
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**The Lighthouse [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Robert Eggers, 2019) Arrow UK
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COMMENTS: From Robert Eggers, the visionary director of The Witch and The Northman, comes The Lighthouse, a hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two men teetering on the edge of sanity. Two “wickies” – one inexperienced (Robert Pattinson, Tenet), the other a grizzled veteran (Willem Dafoe, To Live and Die in LA) – arrive on a remote New England island in the 1890s for a four-week stint maintaining the local lighthouse. But as isolation and personal differences take their toll, both men slowly succumb to their inner demons and to the strange, otherworldly allure of the lighthouse itself… Featuring virtuoso performances by its two leads, striking and period-authentic monochrome photography, and shot through with wickedly dark humour, The Lighthouse is an intense, claustrophobic experience like no other that cements Eggers’ status as one of the most exciting filmmakers of our time.
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Mako: The Jaws of Death + Bog Drive-in [Blu-ray] Double Feature - Dark Force Entertainment
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COMMENTS: MAKO: THE JAWS OF DEATH: Sonny Stein (Richard Jaeckel, Starman), a Vietnam veteran, learns that he has a mystical connection with sharks after being given a medallion by a shaman. Becoming increasingly alienated from society, he develops an ability to communicate with sharks and sets to destroy anybody who harms them. BOG: A sheriff (Aldo Ray, We’re No Angels), a doctor (Marshall Thompson, It! The Terror from Beyond Space) and a pathologist (Gloria DeHaven, The Thin Man Goes Home) try to catch a prehistoric monster roused by dynamite from the bottom of Bog Lake.

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**Mexico Macabre: Four Sinister Tales from the Alameda Films Vault, 1959–1963** Blu-ray - Mapita Cortés / Rosita Arenas @indicatorseries
The Black Pit of Dr. M (1959), The Witch's Mirror (1962), The Brainiac (1962) and The Curse of the Crying Woman (1963)
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COMMENTS: Indicator's Blu-ray package of Mexico Macabre: Four Sinister Tales from the Alameda Films Vault, 1959–1963 is right up DVDBeaver's alley of rewatchable vintage gems. These four films differ from the more sensational lucha libre (professional wrestling adventures) genre that had vampires, robots, werewolves, and many with mummies as direct villains. These are more mystery-supernatural based utilizing many desirable Gothic conventions using candle-lit castles + estates, witchery, sorceresses, necromancy, magic mirrors, an insane asylum sanitarium, illegal transplants, grave-robbing, facial acid burns, brain-sucking, life after death secrets and the, oft-used, Mexican mythical vengeful ghost - part of the La Llorona legend. It's easily to state that Fernando Méndez's The Black Pit of Dr. M is a neglected 'masterpiece'. The modest budgeted The Witch's Mirror has so many appealing visuals and is certainly a classic of this genre with the performance of Isabela Corona as a Satan-worshipping witch. I loved the the passage of a comet initiating modern era events in The Brainiac, after witnessing the 1661 inquisition. Plus it's over-the-top monster. The Curse of the Crying Woman has apt comparisons to Mario Bava with ever foreboding dark tones and creepy décor permeating every scene. The chiaroscuro lighting and mainstay of floating smoke + mist add so much atmosphere that these films are hard not to fall in love with. Guillermo del Toro has discussed how films exactly like these, that he was exposed to in his youth, helped contribute, shape and formulate many ideas in his own stylistic cinema. I thoroughly enjoyed Indicator's Blu-ray package of Mexico Macabre: Four Sinister Tales from the Alameda Films Vault, 1959–1963 and we give it our highest recommendation to those appreciative of this under-exposed black and white Mexican horror genre. Let's have more on Blu-ray soon! Buy now.
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The Package [Blu-ray] (Andrew Davis, 1989) Kino
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COMMENTS: From the great Andrew Davis, director of The Fugitive, Under Siege and Code of Silence, comes a brilliant, explosively entertaining action/thriller featuring powerful performances by screen legends Gene Hackman (Mississippi Burning, Narrow Margin) and Tommy Lee Jones (Black Moon Rising, Blown Away). Featuring a superb supporting cast that includes Joanna Cassidy (Blade Runner), Dennis Franz (Dressed to Kill), Pam Grier (Foxy Brown) and John Heard (Cutter’s Way), The Package delivers top-notch excitement! Sergeant Johnny Gallagher (Hackman) thinks he’s been given a routine assignment: to escort a rebellious American soldier (Jones) from Europe to the U.S. for a military court martial. Gallagher soon learns, however, that the assignment is anything but routine, when he uncovers a terrifying military conspiracy. The clock is ticking down to a historic superpower summit, and Gallagher must stop the deadly plot before it’s too late...for him and his country.
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**Marleen Gorris' "A Question of Silence"** Blu-ray - Cox Habbema / Edda Barends @CultEpics
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COMMENTS: A Question of Silence was Marleen Gorris' directorial debut. The fascinating plot involves three strangers - whose only link is their gender - who kill a man that they do not know in a dress shop boutique. A group of other women stand and attentively, but silently, are spectators of the beating death of the man. A female criminal psychiatrist attempts to determine why. Are they sane? The film examines the gender inequalities in subtle ways. I've heard the description of 'feminist-mental-masturbation' but I think the highly interesting and curious concepts of resistance - even with body language - make it worthy of multiple viewings. The provocative ending seems to imbue a solidarity in the murderer's position - that men don't really understand them at all. The Cult Epics Blu-ray offers this unique 1980 film with commentary and interviews.
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**Barry Levinson's "Rain Man" 4K UHD** - Tom Cruise / Dustin Hoffman
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COMMENTS: I have a good friend who is neurodivergent - autistic. She is, without question, one of the smartest people I have ever met. She runs her own business and is extremely kind and helpful. I am privileged to know her. I think we have come along way since Rain Man in understanding this spectrum disorder. This large-production film, brilliantly written and realized, is a wonderful revisitation. Despite Mvd Marquee Collection's 4K UHD release having no new extras (to be fair the original editions were stacked with the commentary trifecta etc.), I did get a lot out of it in this higher resolution - including marveling, again, at the exceptional performances. If you love this remarkable film - this is the way to go for your home theatre appreciation just keep your image expectations in check.
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**Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol. 1** [Blu-ray] (The Assassin / The Thundering Sword / The Golden Swallow / The Jade Raksha / The Bells of Death / The Sword of Swords / Killer Darts / The Invincible Fist / Dragon Swamp / The Flying Dagger / The Golden Sword) Shout! Factory
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COMMENTS: This spectacular box set comprises 11 classic martial arts films from the famous Shaw Brothers' library, featuring some of their greatest stars—Jimmy Wang Yu (One-Armed Swordsman), Cheng Pei-pei (Come Drink with Me), Lo Lieh (King Boxer), Ku Feng (The Five Venoms), and David Chiang (The Boxer From Shantung). Many of these films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray. Get ready for some exciting thrills and chills as heroes meet villains in a duel to the death! The Assassin In the same year that director/writer Chang Cheh and star Jimmy Wang Yu revolutionized Hong Kong kung fu cinema with One-Armed Swordsman, they also collaborated on this epic of the Six Kingdoms era. Here, Yu is a two-armed swordsman who is also a Wei Empire patriot. Inside the Han Empire, Han Kuei, who comes from the royal family, assumes full power and wants to eliminate loyal officer Yen Sui. Later, our main character is betrayed by a jealous rival and becomes a village butcher. But when he meets Yen Sui, he is sent back on the road of vengeance. Chiao Chiao, the lovely and talented costar of One-Armed Swordsman, here plays Hsia, the love of the hero's life and the strong woman who survives to protect their child. The Thundering Sword Superstar swordswoman Cheng Pei-pei, (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), stars as the daughter of the Poison Master in a Romeo and Juliet-style martial arts adventure concerning a search for the magical "Heaven and Earth" weapon in The Thundering Sword...
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Sweetwater [Blu-ray] (Martin Guigui, 2023) Studio Distribution Services
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COMMENTS: Inspired by true events, witness the extraordinary journey of Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton (Everett Osborne), who made history as the first Black player to sign an NBA contract. At a time when segregation divided sports, New York Knicks coach Joe Lapchick (Jeremy Piven) and team executive Ned Irish (Cary Elwes) see the future of basketball in Sweetwater's dazzling and unorthodox displays of entertaining athleticism. Together, they challenge convention and break through barriers that would change the game forever.
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**Time Bandits [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Terry Gilliam, 1981) Criterion
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COMMENTS: In this fantastic voyage through time and space from Terry Gilliam, a boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) escapes his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time travelers. Armed with a map stolen from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they plunder treasure from Napoleon (Ian Holm) and Agamemnon (Sean Connery)—but the Evil Genius (David Warner) is watching their every move. Featuring a darkly playful script by Gilliam and his Monty Python cohort Michael Palin (who also appears in the film), Time Bandits is at once a giddy fairy tale, a revisionist history lesson, and a satire of technology gone awry.
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**Twilight (Szürkület)** [Blu-ray] (György Fehér, 1990) R0 UK ‎ Second Run
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COMMENTS: A seasoned detective investigates a series of child murders, succumbing to an all-consuming and tragic obsession with the case, finding empty solace in his quest for vengeance. What emerges is not a crime story, but a harrowing venture through the darkness of the human soul. Twilight unfolds with breathtaking cinematography and haunting sound design, allowing the mystery to emerge in tantalisingly atmospheric and meditative fashion. Based on writings by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt - also the basis for Sean Penn’s impressive 2001 film The Pledge starring Jack Nicholson - György Fehér’s hypnotic, transcendent adaptation is a unique and haunting experience.
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**Two Films By Ernst Lubitsch** [Blu-ray] - The Oyster Princess / Meyer from Berlin - Kino
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COMMENTS: Visually inventive, sexually playful, and speeding at a manic pace, The Oyster Princess represents the best of the madcap comedies made by Ernst Lubitsch prior to his arrival in Hollywood. Employing the same fairy-tale expressionism that distinguishes The Doll (1919) and The Wildcat (1921), it follows the efforts of a wealthy American tycoon (Victor Janson) to marry off his free-spirited daughter (Ossi Oswalda) to a titled prince (Harry Liedtke). But in the Lubitsch universe, things never quite go according to plan. This is also true of Lubitsch’s 1919 comedy Meyer from Berlin, in which the director stars as an unhappily married urbanite who escapes to the Alps of Tyrol in search of physical and sexual adventure.
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LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES (CLICK TITLES FOR MORE INFORMATION):

June 19th, 2023

**Inland Empire** [Blu-ray] (David Lynch, 2006) RB UK Studiocanal
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**The Manchurian Candidate 4K UHD** (John Frankenheimer, 1962) Kino
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON

**Mr. Wong Collection** - Mr. Wong, Detective (1938), The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939), Mr. Wong in Chinatown (1939), The Fatal Hour (1940), Doomed to Die (1940) - Kino

**Ronin 4K UHD** (John Frankenheimer, 1998) Kino
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON
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June 26th, 2023

**Angel Face** (Otto Preminger, 1952) Warner Archive

The Bionic Woman Complete Collection - RB UK Fabulous Films

**Caged** (John Cromwell, 1950) Warner Archive

**The Damned Don't Cry** (Vincent Sherman, 1950) Warner Archive

**Duet for One** (Andrey Konchalovskiy, 1986) Kino

**Land of the Pharaohs** (Howard Hawks, 1955) Warner Archive

**Le mépris 4K UHD** (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963) Studiocanal UK

**The Old Man and the Sea** (John Sturges / Fred Zinnemann, 1958) Warner Archive

**Prison Girls 3-D** (Tom DeSimone, 1972) Kino

**The Secret of Santa Vittoria** (Stanley Kramer, 1969) Sandpiper Pictures
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**The White Buffalo** (J. Lee Thompson, 1977) Kino
BEAVER REVIEW
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July 3rd, 2023

**Hatchet for the Honeymoon** (Mario Bava, 1970) RB UK 88 Films
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

Hitcher in the Dark (Umberto Lenzi, 1989) RB UK 88 Films

**Knife of Ice** (Umberto Lenzi, 1972) RB UK 88 Films

**The Six Million Dollar Man Complete Collection** - RB UK Fabulous Films
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

Star Pilot (2+5 Missione Hydra) (Pietro Francisci, 1966) Raro Video

**Upgrade 4K UHD** (Leigh Whannell, 2018) Shout! Factory
BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
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July 10th, 2023

**Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XV** - Man Afraid (1957), The Girl in the Kremlin (1957), The Tattered Dress (1957) - Kino

**Force of Evil** (Abraham Polonsky, 1948) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Human Desire** (Fritz Lang, 1954) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
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July 17th, 2023

**52 Pick-Up** (John Frankenheimer, 1986) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Audie Murphy Collection II** - Sierra (1950), Kansas City Raiders (1950), Destroy (1954) - Kino

**End of the World** (Abel Gance, 1931) Kino

**Gloria** (John Cassavetes, 1980) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Hugo 4K UHD** (Martin Scorsese, 2011) Arrow US
BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW

**Michael** (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1924) Kino

**Rio Bravo 4K UHD** (Howard Hawks, 1959) Allied Vaughn

**To Live and Die in L.A. 4K UHD** (William Friedkin, 1985) Kino
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON
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July 24th, 2023

**The Anderson Tapes** (Sidney Lumet, 1971) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Blood Money: Four Western Classics Vol. 2** - $10,000 Blood Money, Vengeance is Mine, Find a Place to Die, Matalo! (Kill Him) - Arrow UK

**A Dandy in Aspic** (Anthony Mann / Laurence Harvey, 1968) Kino
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (Bernard Girard, 1966) Kino

**A Douglas Fairbanks Double Feature: Robin Hood / The Black Pirate** - Kino

**Jet Pilot** (Josef von Sternberg, 1957) RB UK Indicator
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Night Has a Thousand Eyes** (John Farrow, 1948) RB UK Indicator
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**The Song of Songs** (Rouben Mamoulian, 1933) RB UK Indicator
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Terrifying Girls' High School: Animal Classmates** (Masahiro Shimura, 1973) Discotek Media

**Thunderbolt** (Josef von Sternberg, 1929) RB UK Indicator

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (Harald Reinl, 1967) RB UK 88 Films

**The War of the Worlds 4K UHD** (Byron Haskin, 1953) Paramount
BEAVER REVIEW

You'll Like My Mother (Lamont Johnson, 1972) RB UK Final Cut Entertainment
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
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August 7th, 2023

**Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams [4K UHD]** (Akira Kurosawa, 1990) Criterion
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON

**Ruben Östlund | A Curzon Collection** (The Guitar Mongoloid, Involuntary, Play, Force Majeure, The Square, Triangle of Sadness) RB UK Curzon Film
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August 14th, 2023

**Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart** (Wayne Wang, 1985) Criterion

**Laurel & Hardy: Year One, The Newly Restored 1927 Silents** - Flicker Alley
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August 21st, 2023

**Bo Widerberg’s New Swedish Cinema** (The Baby Carriage/Raven’s End/Elvira Madigan/Ådalen 31) Criterion

**Commedia all'italiana: Three Films by Dino Risi** (Il Sorpasso, Il Mattatore and Il Vedovo) - RB UK Radiance Films

**Gray Lady Down** (David Greene, 1978) RB UK Indicator
BEAVER REVIEW

**Gregory's Girl 4K UHD** (Bill Forsyth, 1980) UK BFI
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON

**Jagged Edge** (Richard Marquand, 1985) RB UK Indicator
BEAVER REVIEW

**A Moment of Romance** (Benny Chan, 1990) Radiance Films UK

**The Night of the Hunted 4K UHD** (Jean Rollin, 1980) Indicator UK
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**The Rape of the Vampire 4K UHD** (Jean Rollin, 1968) Indicator UK
4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK
ALT-BEAVER BLU-RAY REVIEW

**They Made Me a Fugitive** (Alberto Cavalcanti, 1947) RB UK Indicator
BEAVER REVIEW
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August 28th, 2023

**Drylongso** (Cauleen Smith, 1998) Criterion

The Spanish Dancer (Herbert Brenon, 1923) Kino
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September 4th, 2023

**The Wicker Man 4K UHD** (Robin Hardy, 1973) Studiocanal UK
4K UHD Steelbook PURCHASE LINK
BEAVER Blu-ray COMPARISON
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September 11th, 2023

**Gothic** (Ken Russell, 1986) RB UK BFI

**Partie de Campagne aka "A Day in the Country"** (Jean Renoir, 1946) RB UK BFI
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW

**Targets** [Blu-ray] (Peter Bogdanovich, 1968) BFI
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
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September 18th, 2023

Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (Bob Clark, 1972) RB UK 101 Films

Deathdream (Bob Clark, 1974) RB UK 101 Films

The Flesh and Blood Show - The Horror Films of Pete Walker (7 Films) [Blu-ray] - Die Screaming, Marianne (1971), The Flesh and Blood Show (1972), House of Whipcord (1974), Frightmare (1974), House of Mortal Sin (1976) Schizo (1977) and The Comeback (1978) - RB UK 88 Films
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October 23rd, 2023

**Messiah of Evil** (Willard Huyck / Gloria Katz, 1974) RB UK Radiance Films
ALT-BEAVER REVIEW
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REVIEWS / COMPARISONS:

**Barry Levinson's "Rain Man" 4K UHD** - Tom Cruise / Dustin Hoffman
US PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: I have a good friend who is neurodivergent - autistic. She is, without question, one of the smartest people I have ever met. She runs her own business and is extremely kind and helpful. I am privileged to know her. I think we have come along way since Rain Man in understanding this spectrum disorder. This large-production film, brilliantly written and realized, is a wonderful revisitation. Despite Mvd Marquee Collection's 4K UHD release having no new extras (to be fair the original editions were stacked with the commentary trifecta etc.), I did get a lot out of it in this higher resolution - including marveling, again, at the exceptional performances. If you love this remarkable film - this is the way to go for your home theatre appreciation just keep your image expectations in check.
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**Lesley Selander's "The Catman of Paris"** Blu-ray - Lenore Aubert / Adele Mara @imprint_films
US PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Lesley Selander's The Catman of Paris was produced in conjunction with Valley of the Zombies with the intent on making it Republic's first horror film double feature. It was a 7-reeler at less than 1 hour 5 minutes. Selander also directed Flat Top, The Vampire's Ghost, Dragonfly Squadron, Flight to Mars, so certainly a genre chap in his pedigree. Actually one of the most prolific directors of feature Westerns in cinema history. Here we get some supernatural, amnesia, false-accusations, dying confessions, mysticism, and a hideous 'Catman' - essentially a horror-mystery hybrid - set in classy Gay Paree. I liked the atmosphere and wasn't deterred by the pacing of The Catman of Paris. Middling image quality but I had never seen it before and, being my penchant, will re-watch. Lads Newman and Jones give another emboldening commentary plus the fab Republic Pictures Story documentary (longer than the film!) The Imprint Blu-ray has fans who will enjoy.
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**Peter Medak's "The Changeling" 4K UHD** - George C. Scott @SecondSightFilm
UK PURCHASE LINK
US PURCHASE LINK
LE UK PURCHASE LINK
LE US PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: One of the most influential and effecting of Canadian-made haunted-house, horror films ever produced - plentiful with unforgettable and frighteningly creepy scenes. The screenplay is based upon mysterious events that co-writer of The Changeling, Russell Hunter, claimed he experienced while he was living in 1960's at the Henry Treat Rogers mansion in the Cheesman Park neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. With only a month to finalize script re-writes and set construction, Peter Medak was the third director hired for The Changeling after Donald Cammell (Performance) and Tony Richardson (A Taste of Honey) both withdrew over "creative differences". A brilliant haunted house genre classic devoid of cheap gore tropes. George C. Scott's performance adds believability layers to the indelible experience - fully exemplified by Second Sight's 4K UHD transfer and keepsake package. Our highest recommendation!
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**The Return of Two Lost Noir Classics - The Guilty / High Tide** Blu-ray @flickeralley
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Both 1947 films, The Guilty and High Tide where directed by John Reinhardt and had screenplays by Robert Presnell Sr., cinematographer Henry Sharp and both had actor Don Castle playing the male lead. More importantly both were independently produced by oil millionaire Jack Wrather who was an old roommate of the struggling thespian Castle and when they reacquainted in Los Angeles, Wrather bought the film rights for Cornell Woolrich's short story "Two Men in a Furnished Room" which served as the adapted story for The Guilty. Filming was completed in eight days and it also starred Wrather's wife Bonita Granville (Nancy Drew) in a 'dual role'. It as the twin sisters idea (good and bad) also used in Robert Siodmak's The Dark Mirror. For High Tide, Lee Tracy (Dinner at Eight) plays the editor of a newspaper who hires a former employee-turned-private-investigator (Castle) to "get the guy who got him". Both films are a lengthy flashback after the first scene. The Guilty is excellent Noir and High Tide is a good companion piece. They make a wonderful 'dark cinema' double feature. The Flicker Alley Blu-ray has the restored image, commentaries, a stack of other supplements with the crème-de-la-crème of Noir including an extensive booklet. A absolute must own for Noir fans.
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**Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XIII** Blu-ray - Howard Duff / Colleen Miller @KinoLorber
Spy Hunt (1950), The Night Runner (1957) and Step Down to Terror (1958)
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Well, I don't keep Blu-rays that I probably won't re-watch, but I liked all three films (again) in Kino's 13th entry of their Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema series. This has Spy Hunt (1950), The Night Runner (1957) and Step Down to Terror (1958.) Spy Hunt was less a Noir but still had a Hitchcockian feel with adventure-intrigue-Euro-travel with echoes of The 39 Steps or The Lady Vanishes. It centers on espionage with rival spies seeking two escaped panthers in Switzerland as one has microfilm hidden in its collar. Hence the alternative name Panther's Moon from the Victor Canning novel that it is based on. George Sherman provides fine direction and it stars Howard Duff and beauty Märta Torén, plus a wonderful supporting cast; Philip Friend, Robert Douglas, Philip Dorn and Walter Slezak. The Night Runner was directed by Abner Biberman (who acted in more films than he directed) and is about a prematurely released mentally-ill patient, Ray Danton as 'Roy Turner', who falls in love with 'Susan Mayes' (played by lovely Colleen Miller) but stress gets the better of him and he cannot control himself committing a violent murder - a mystery his gal-pal is slowly solving. Step Down to Terror is a remake of the Hitchcock's 1943 masterpiece Shadow of a Doubt - 'The Master's personal favorite of his own films. It has Colleen Miller (also in The Night Runner) in the Teresa Wright 'niece' role and Charles Drake (playing Johnny) as the kindly, mysterious relation played unforgettably in 1943' by Joe Cotten. There are plenty of story similarities; small town innocence, the oblivious maternal figure warmly embracing him, he is followed by two men in the opening scene, he cuts incriminating evidence out of a newspaper, Helen (Colleen Miller) sleuths to a library that is in the process of closing etc. But there are decently propagated differences and although definitely a poorer cousin to Shadow of a Doubt, I was very much entertained. So another Noir Blu-ray Box keeper for me. One I can certainly recommend.
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DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of June 12th, 2023