DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of June 19th, 2023 (Patreon)

DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of June 19th, 2023
http://www.dvdbeaver.com

THIS WEEK's RELEASES: John Frankenheimer 4K UHD X 2!, Sydney Pollack 4K UHD, Joseph Losey, David Lynch, Tadashi Imai, Marco Bellocchio, Cameron Crowe 4K UHD, Dennis Hopper directs neo-noir, Barry Jenkins debut, Jesús Franco, Rudolf Thome, Mark Robson, Mike Figgis, Kinji Fukasaku, Guy Maddin, Peter Greenaway, Andrea Bianchi 4K horror, Matt Dillon directs, WIZ & Chloé Raunet...
THIS WEEK's CALENDAR UPDATES (REPEATED!): 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: Mid 80's Scorsese gold, Hsiao-hsien Hou, Joseph Losey Criterion-style, cruel jidaigeki masterwork, Hungarian neo-noir, 5X detective Mr. Wong, 60's vibe murdering German babes, naughty girls out of prison, the joys and frustrations of hipsterism...
Enjoy,
Gary

RELEASES the WEEK of June 19th, 2023 (Recommended titles have "**")

Best Seller [Blu-ray] (John Flynn, 1987) Allied Vaughn
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: After years of service, a professional assassin (James Woods) has been let go by the corporate empire he helped build. Now he wants revenge in a tell-all book and forms an unusual partnership with best-selling author Dennis Meechum (Brian Dennehy).
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The Bloody Judge [Blu-ray] (Jesús Franco, 1970) RB UK 88 Films
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: If you thought the Witchfinder General was a wrong 'un, wait until you meet The Bloody Judge!Charged by the king to sniff out witchcraft and treason, Judge Jeffries – the legendary Christopher Lee – is a man who enjoys his work, especially the opportunities it affords for torture and sexual violence. But his brand of legal sadism creates enemies: His Honour cannot escape justice forever... Filled with the sort of depravity you might reasonably expect from director Jesus Franco, the law-abiding lads at 88 Films are proud to present English language blu-ray premier of this classic of seventies Euro horror, beautifully restored and completely uncut.
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**The Bridges at Toko-Ri** [Blu-ray] (Mark Robson, 1954) Kino
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: The explosive Korean War novel by celebrated author James A. Michener (Sayonara, South Pacific) soars to the screen in this rousing cinema classic from director Mark Robson (Bright Victory, Von Ryan’s Express). Not every Navy pilot can guide his aircraft from a wave-tossed carrier deck, seek out targets over unfamiliar Korean terrain, and then return to what looks like a speck in the sea. Naval Reservist Harry Brubaker (movie legend William Holden, Stalag 17) can. This masterful story of a war-weary World War II veteran who must leave his family to fight again combines moving drama with surefire, bombs-away aerial action. Luminous Grace Kelly (High Noon) co-stars as Brubaker’s loving wife, and rounding out a stellar cast are Fredric March (Inherit the Wind), Mickey Rooney (The Bold and the Brave) and Robert Strauss (The Seven Year Itch). The Bridges at Toko-Ri landed two Academy Award nominations for 1955, with Paramount’s Special Effects team winning the coveted Oscar for their thrilling, fiery handiwork.
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Burial Ground [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Andrea Bianchi, 1981) 88 Films UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: When they arrive to spend the weekend in a large country villa, the guests are expecting a chance to unwind and make merry. Unfortunately, their host has neglected to mention that there are zombies in the basement. They're feeling peckish too... Boasting icky effects from Gino De Rossi (who arranged atrocities for Zombie Flesh Eaters), Burial Ground is a head-bashing, gut-muching, maggot infested classic from the gory glory days. 88 Films are proud to present this emetic extravaganza in a brand new – and completely uncut – 4K transfer.
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City of Ghosts [Blu-ray] (Matt Dillon, 2002) Allied Vaughn
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: After his insurance scam sparks an FBI investigation, Jimmy (Matt Dillon) flees to Cambodia to meet his mentor, Marvin (James Caan). But Jimmy gets more than he bargains for when Marvin draws him into an intricate web of deceit and murder!
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Diary of a Hitman [Blu-ray] (Roy London, 1991) Allied Vaughn
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Dekker (Forest Whitaker) is a professional killer. Now, on the eve of his retirement, he is hired to kill a young wife (Sherilyn Fenn) and her baby. If he finishes the job, Dekker retires a rich man…if he doesn't, he's a dead one.
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The Firm [4K UHD Blu-ray] (Sydney Pollack, 1993) Paramount
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UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Tom Cruise delivers an electrifying performance in the box-office hit stunningly remastered in 4K Ultra HD with HDR-10 and Dolby Vision. Mitch McDeere is a brilliant and ambitious Harvard Law grad driven to bury his working-class past. When he joins a small, prosperous Memphis firm, it’s a dream come true for Mitch and his wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn). But when he’s confronted with evidence of corruption and murder within the firm, he’s caught in a deadly crossfire between the Feds, the Mob, and a force that will stop at nothing to protect its interests. Based on the global bestselling novel by John Grisham, and directed by Oscar winner Sydney Pollack, THE FIRM is a thrilling mystery with tense twists and turns.
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**Fists in the Pocket** [Blu-ray] (Marco Bellocchio, 1965) Criterion UK
UK PURCHASE LINK
Already Out in:
US PURCHASE LINK
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BEAVER REVIEW
COMMENTS: Tormented by twisted desires, a young man takes drastic measures to rid his grotesquely dysfunctional family of its various afflictions, in this astonishing debut from Marco Bellocchio. Characterized by a coolly assured style, shocking perversity, and savage gallows humor, Fists in the Pocket was a gleaming ice pick in the eye of bourgeois family values and Catholic morality, a truly unique work that continues to rank as one of the great achievements of Italian cinema.
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**The Hot Spot** [Blu-ray] (Dennis Hopper, 1990) RB UK Radiance Films
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Harry, a drifter (Don Johnson, Miami Vice) rolls into town and talks his way into a job at a car dealership where he becomes caught between two beautiful women, the boss’s conniving wife Dolly (Virginia Madsen, Candyman) and Gloria (Jennifer Connelly, Requiem for a Dream) a naive young accountant whose life is complicated by blackmail. When Harry plans to rob the local bank, he becomes enmeshed in a lethal web of lust, greed and extortion, whose only escape is murder. Adapted from Hell Hath No Fury by Charles Williams, The Hot Spot is a dusty, sweaty modern noir that updates the pulp formula of twists and turns with an intensity to match director Dennis Hopper’s earlier film roles. Directed by Hopper (Easy Rider, Out of the Blue) with verve, the stellar cast are supported by William Sadler (The Shawshank Redemption), Charles Martin Smith (The Untouchables) and Jack Nance (Eraserhead) accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack featuring Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal and original music by Jack Nitzsche.
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(I Am) Weekender [Blu-ray] (Films by WIZ & Chloé Raunet) RB UK BFI
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Initially banned on its release, Weekender – the film of Flowered Up’s classic acid house cri de cœur – is today hailed as one of the most innovative music films ever made. Now WIZ’s pioneering meditation on the British rave experience is celebrated in I Am Weekender, Chloé Raunet’s documentary about the film’s making, impact and legacy, with contributions from Irvine Welsh, Jeremy Deller, Lynne Ramsay, Bobby Gillespie, Clive Langer, Mark Moore, Róisín Murphy, Annie Nightingale, Shaun Ryder, David Holmes, Roy the Roach and more. Once described as ‘the Citizen Kane of acid house’, Weekender, the film that started it all, is also included here in a brand new 2K restoration.
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**Inland Empire** [Blu-ray] (David Lynch, 2006) RB UK Studiocanal
UK PURCHASE LINK
ALT-DVDBEAVER REVIEW
BONUS CAPTURES
COMMENTS: A brand new 4K restoration of David Lynch’s 2006 surrealist masterwork starring Laura Dern in one of her finest roles. INLAND EMPIRE (2006) is a complex Hollywood nightmare, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Nikki Grace (Laura Dern) is an actress preparing for her biggest role, a Hollywood movie from an acclaimed director (Jeremy Irons)opposite an amorous leading man (Justin Theroux). When she finds herself falling for her co-star, she realises her life is starting to mimic the fictional film they’re shotting. Adding to her confusion is the revelation that the current film is a remake of a doomed Polish production that was never finished due to an unspeakable tragedy...
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**The Manchurian Candidate [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (John Frankenheimer, 1962) Kino
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: Shocking, daring, thrilling and mesmerizing, The Manchurian Candidate is a mindblower! Directed by the legendary John Frankenheimer (Seven Days in May, The Train, Seconds, Ronin) and featuring an all-star cast, including Angela Lansbury (The Mirror Crack’d) in an Oscar-nominated performance (Best Supporting Actress, 1962), this eerily prescient masterpiece “may be the most sophisticated political satire ever made” (Pauline Kael). When a platoon of Korean War G.I.s is captured, they somehow end up at a ladies’ garden club party. Or do they? Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra, Von Ryan’s Express) can’t remember. As he searches for the answer, he discovers threads of a diabolical plot orchestrated by the utterly ruthless Mrs. Iselin (Lansbury) and involving her war hero son (Laurence Harvey, A Dandy in Aspic), her senator husband (James Gregory, The Silencers) and a secret cabal of enemy leaders. Janet Leigh (Touch of Evil) and Henry Silva (Code of Silence) also play pivotal parts in “one of the best and brightest of modern American films”.
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**Barry Jenkins' "Medicine for Melancholy"** Blu-ray - Wyatt Cenac / Tracey Heggins @Criterion
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Barry Jenkins' Medicine for Melancholy has one-night stand partners Jo and Micah 'hang' over 24 hours expanding their superfluous hormone-influenced relationship by verbally sparring as they wander through San Francisco in Eric Rohmer-esque fashion. Race, Urban displacement, black identity are broached with modest-to-high passion surrounded by the joys and frustrations of hipsterism. I started to dislike Medicine for Melancholy but it eventually won me over and I look forward to another viewing. The Criterion Blu-ray won't appeal to those who want to showcase their home theatre but rather a movie-night of well-realized, cerebral, alternative-romance. I really enjoyed the director's later Moonlight and hope more of his films will be covered by Criterion. Barry Jenkins is a relevant, important filmmaker.
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**Mr. Wong Collection** Blu-ray - Boris Karloff / Marjorie Reynolds @KinoLorber
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BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Kino's two Blu-rays of the first five Boris Karloff 'Mr. Wong' films is "B" movie detective-yarn pleasure. They are all directed by William Nigh and involve poison gas, largest star sapphire in the world, a murdered Chinese Princess via a poisoned dart, gemstone smuggling on the San Francisco waterfront, and a romance between the killer and the murdered man's daughter... who are engaged to be married. All without a Fu Manchu type criminal mastermind of Chinatown - previously played by Karloff in The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932.) They can be formulaic and a definite response to the success of 20th Century Fox's pot-boiler Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) and Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre) film series but enjoyable when in the mood for vintage film fans. Karloff does a great job as the the fictional Chinese-American detective created by Hugh Wiley - later replaced in the sixth, and last film, by actor Keye Luke (the first Asian lead in Hollywood.) Recommended to the right crowd - you can throw these on at any time.
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**Rudolf Thome's "Red Sun"** Blu-ray - Uschi Obermaier @FilmsRadiance
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Rudolf Thome's Red Sun stars Ursula "Uschi" Obermaier who was a former fashion model and actress associated with the 1968 left-wing movement in Germany. She is considered an iconic sex symbol of the "1968 generation" and the mass student protests of that year that created lasting changes in West German culture. The German-made film evokes both Godard's wandering political playfulness and Wenders 'New German Cinema' work. There are blatant feminist overtones with a group of, mostly, braless babes (Obermaier, Marquard Bohm, Diana Körner, Sylvia Kekulé and Gaby Go) making a pact to murder their lovers within five days. It's quite interesting with the mini-skirt fashions, colors and contrasting Sibelius (from "Karelia Suite") orchestration and other music. I liked the matter-of-fact coldness of the violence and the hip 60's vibe of the entire film. A real time-capsule of that era. I'm sure not to everyone's tastes but I was very happy with my the Radiance Films Blu-ray viewing. The extras certainly helped my appreciation with a historical context of the film. Absolutely recommended to the appropriate cinema crowd.
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**Tadashi Imai's "Revenge (Adauchi)"** Blu-ray - Kinnosuke Nakamura @mastersofcinema @Eurekavideo
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Tadashi Imai's Revenge may fit into the director's style of "nakanai realism" - storytelling of "realism without tears" challenging the system. The film is less about the sentimentality of the character(s) - focusing more on the injustice of the flawed court-sanctioned system that seems antithetical to samurai honor. Shinpachi Ezaki (played with passionate verve by Kinnosuke Nakamura) is a victim whose attempt to overcome it becomes the stuff of legend. Revenge is an exceptional period drama distinguishing itself from the more typical caste of medieval and early-modern samurai Japanese tales. Revenge (Adauchi.) is somewhat of an outlying masterpiece of the genre. The Masters of Cinema Blu-ray has pleasing a/v and excellent extras. We can very strongly recommend.
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Rin Tin Tin [Blu-ray] Clash of the Wolves / Where the North Begins - Kino
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COMMENTS: Filmed in the deserts of California (in what is now the Joshua Tree National Park), Clash of the Wolves marks the cinematic pinnacle of the original Rin Tin Tin, a German shepherd rescued from a World War I battlefield, and brought to America where he became a screen sensation. Rinty stars as Lobo, leader of a pack of wolves hunted by the authorities. Through an act of kindness, prospector Dave Weston (Charles Farrell, 7th Heaven), earns Lobo’s trust. And when a claim-jumper attempts to murder Weston, Lobo performs extraordinary feats to demonstrate the depths of his loyalty. Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2004, Clash of the Wolves is restored in 4K and is presented with a new musical score composed and performed by Ben Model. Where the North Begins is another action-filled drama of friendship and survival, this one set in the snow-covered mountains of Canada. The film was scanned in 2K as part of the Library of Congress’s Silent Film Project, the goal of which is to borrow, catalog, digitally preserve, and ensure the availability of films for public viewing and research. The film is scored by Jon C. Mirsalis, from whose collection the print was sourced.
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Rodeo [Blu-ray] (Lola Quivoron, 2022) Music Box Films
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COMMENTS: For young, impoverished misfit Julia (Julie Ledru), nothing beat gunning a dirt bike with the wind in her hair-preferably one she'd just swiped from a dealership test drive. Her desire to fit in with an all-male biker crew, however, might bring her down a path of criminality she hadn't counted on. Director/co-writer Lola Quivoron's action-filled character study, filmed with a largely nonprofessional cast, co-stars Antonia Buresi, Sébastien Schroeder.
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**Ronin [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (John Frankenheimer, 1998) Kino
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BEAVER Blu-ray REVIEW
COMMENTS: An end-of-career masterpiece from John Frankenheimer, the legendary director of The Manchurian Candidate, The Train, Seconds and Grand Prix, Ronin is a gritty and gripping action caper with some of the most exhilarating car chases ever committed to celluloid. The Cold War may be over, but a new world order keeps a group of covert mercenaries employed by the highest bidder. These operatives-for-hire, known as “Ronin” (masterless samurai), are assembled in France by a mysterious client for a seemingly routine mission: steal a top-secret briefcase. But the simple task soon proves explosive as other underworld organizations vie for the same prize…and to get the job done, the Ronin must do something they’ve never done before—trust each other.
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**Samurai Reincarnation** [Blu-ray] (Kinji Fukasaku, 1981) RB UK Eureka
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: In the aftermath of a failed rebellion, Amakusa Shiro (Kenji Sawada) is crucified, but returns as a vengeance-filled demon with the power to resurrect the dead. Shiro uses his power to assemble a team of undead warriors―including legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi (Ken Ogata)―and the only one who can stop them is the wandering samurai, Yagyu Jubei (Sonny Chiba). A spectacular chanbara fantasy epic from Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale), Samurai Reincarnation makes its UK debut from a stunning 2K restoration as part of the Masters of Cinema series.
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**Joseph Losey's "The Servant"** Blu-ray - Dirk Bogarde @Criterion
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OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: Criterion have transferred Joseph Losey's 1963 film The Servant to Blu-ray described as a "New 4K digital restoration." The image is a bit brighter than the Studio Canal, although the 4K UHD has the edge simply due to the 2160P resolution. The Criterion 1080P contrast looked well balanced on my system but the Studio Canal grain texture is more fine and showcases occasional depth. For those that have not adopted the 4K, they will be extremely pleased with the Criterion Blu-ray presentation. I didn't notice much difference in the audio unless the Criterion linear PCM is a shade tinnier. The Criterion Blu-ray is Region "a'-locked and has optional English (SDH) subtitles.
For extras Criterion offer a new 1/2 interview with critic Imogen Sara Smith who sheds light on Joseph Losey's signature style and thematic obsessions, present throughout the more than thirty features the prolific director made over the course of his decades-long career. They also include a rare 1/2 audio interview by critic Michel Ciment with excerpts of a 1976 interview with Joseph Losey, with Harold Pinter on the making of The Servant that was part of the research for his seminal book on the director, Conversations with Losey. There is also a 23-minute 1996 interview with screenwriter Pinter conducted at London's National Film Theatre in 1996 by his official biographer, Michael Billington (entitled Harold Pinter) - featuring the Nobel laureate discussing his collaborations with director Joseph Losey and how his work for the screen differs from his work for the stage. Lastly are a trailer and, also found on the Studio Canal, the same interviews with The Servant's four lead actors - Dirk Bogarde, James Fox, Sarah Miles, and Wendy Craig - reflecting on their experiences working on the film. The interview with Bogarde is from the 1992 documentary Dirk Bogarde: By Myself, while the rest were shot in the UK in 2013. James Fox was interviewed by his son-in-law, the actor and comedian Richard Ayoade. The package has a liner notes booklet with an essay by author Colm Tóibín.
So a fine Blu-ray presentation from Criterion and some valuable new extras that may warrant a double-dip for strong fans of Losey and The Servant. New adopters may be content with the extensive Studio Canal 4K UHD Collector's edition.
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**Stormy Monday** [Blu-ray] (Mike Figgis, 1988) Allied Vaughn
US PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: In this suspenseful neo-noir, tensions mount when the "on-loan" girl of corrupt businessman Frank Cosmo falls for an employee of Cosmo's latest target. Now she must choose between the man who owns her and the man who has stolen her heart.
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Tales From the Gimli Hospital Redux [Blu-ray] (Guy Maddin, 1982) Zeitgeist Films
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Set during a smallpox epidemic in the village of Gimli, Manitoba near the turn of the century, TALES FROM THE GIMLI HOSPITAL (1988) is a dreamlike, elliptical film which explores the jealousy and madness instilled in two men who share a hospital room “in a Gimli we no longer know.” Zeitgeist Films and Films We Like in Canada present a brand new 4K remastering of TALES FROM THE GIMLI HOSPITAL REDUX by Guy Maddin, which had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The new 4K digital remaster was supervised by Guy Maddin using original printing elements provided by the TIFF Cinematheque Library and includes the replacement of a long-lost scene. Maddin’s highly acclaimed first feature, released in 1988, is now regarded as one of the true cult hits on the midnight movie circuit.
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**Two Films by Peter Greenaway** [Blu-ray] - A Zed & Two Noughts and The Falls - Zeitgeist Films
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: A Zed & Two Noughts (1985) is Peter Greenaway’s beautifully disturbing and darkly humorous take on erotic obsession and death. In a horrific automobile-swan accident in front of the Rotterdam Zoo, two women die and a third, Alba (Andrea Ferréol), loses her leg. The two widowers, twin zoologists Oliver and Oswald (Eric and Brian Deacon, in roles originally offered to the Quay Brothers), fixate on their wives’ bodies, and slowly become obsessed with evolution and decomposition—even going as far as to meticulously craft exquisitely morbid time-lapsed films of decaying creatures. The plot thickens when a mad surgeon schemes to use Alba as a subject in his experiments with animal symmetry and Vermeer homage. Full of surprises and magnificent conundrums, A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS is a perversely comic and teasing treat for the mind and senses. The Falls (1980) is arguably the most significant film of Peter Greenaway’s prolific career. Shot as a pseudo-documentary, this magnum opus dazzlingly details 92 case histories of people who have been affected by the VUE (Violent Unknown Event)—a mysterious, apocalyptic phenomenon related to birds, flying, and bizarre invented languages.
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**Vanilla Sky [4K UHD Blu-ray]** (Cameron Crowe, 2001) Paramount
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CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Oscar winning writer/director Cameron Crowe (JERRY MAGUIRE) reunites with producer/star Tom Cruise for this mind-bending roller-coaster ride of romance, comedy, suspicion, love, sex and dreams. Based on 1997’s ABRE LOS OJOS, also co-starring Penelope Cruz, VANILLA SKY’s soul-searching story is set in New York City. Lensed by Oscar winning cinematographer John Toll (BRAVEHEART), it’s a visually stunning film with a Times Square sequence not to be forgotten.
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**Western Approaches** [Blu-ray] (Pat Jackson, 1944) RB UK BFI
UK PURCHASE LINK
COMMENTS: Directed by Pat Jackson (White Corridors, What a Carve Up!) and shot in Technicolor by acclaimed cinematographer Jack Cardiff (The Red Shoes, The African Queen), Western Approaches pays tribute to the bravery of the Merchant Navy during the Second World War. Anticipating post-war neorealism, Jackson cast serving merchant seamen as the survivors of a torpedoed ship being shadowed by a U-Boat, bringing a powerful authenticity to this car-and-mouse thriller played out through stunning colour imagery. A crowning achievement of the British documentary movement that flourished in the 1930s and 1940s, this landmark film is presented here in a new 2K restoration by Imperial War Museums.
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LATEST CALENDAR UPDATES (CLICK TITLES FOR MORE INFORMATION):

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
4K UHD PURCHASE LINK
BLU-RAY PURCHASE LINK

**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:

**Tadashi Imai's "Revenge (Adauchi)"** Blu-ray - Kinnosuke Nakamura @mastersofcinema @Eurekavideo
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Tadashi Imai's Revenge may fit into the director's style of "nakanai realism" - storytelling of "realism without tears" challenging the system. The film is less about the sentimentality of the character(s) - focusing more on the injustice of the flawed court-sanctioned system that seems antithetical to samurai honor. Shinpachi Ezaki (played with passionate verve by Kinnosuke Nakamura) is a victim whose attempt to overcome it becomes the stuff of legend. Revenge is an exceptional period drama distinguishing itself from the more typical caste of medieval and early-modern samurai Japanese tales. Revenge (Adauchi.) is somewhat of an outlying masterpiece of the genre. The Masters of Cinema Blu-ray has pleasing a/v and excellent extras. We can very strongly recommend.
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**Barry Jenkins' "Medicine for Melancholy"** Blu-ray - Wyatt Cenac / Tracey Heggins @Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Barry Jenkins' Medicine for Melancholy has one-night stand partners Jo and Micah 'hang' over 24 hours expanding their superfluous hormone-influenced relationship by verbally sparring as they wander through San Francisco in Eric Rohmer-esque fashion. Race, Urban displacement, black identity are broached with modest-to-high passion surrounded by the joys and frustrations of hipsterism. I started to dislike Medicine for Melancholy but it eventually won me over and I look forward to another viewing. The Criterion Blu-ray won't appeal to those who want to showcase their home theatre but rather a movie-night of well-realized, cerebral, alternative-romance. I really enjoyed the director's later Moonlight and hope more of his films will be covered by Criterion. Barry Jenkins is a relevant, important filmmaker.
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**Rudolf Thome's "Red Sun"** Blu-ray - Uschi Obermaier @FilmsRadiance
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Rudolf Thome's Red Sun stars Ursula "Uschi" Obermaier who was a former fashion model and actress associated with the 1968 left-wing movement in Germany. She is considered an iconic sex symbol of the "1968 generation" and the mass student protests of that year that created lasting changes in West German culture. The German-made film evokes both Godard's wandering political playfulness and Wenders 'New German Cinema' work. There are blatant feminist overtones with a group of, mostly, braless babes (Obermaier, Marquard Bohm, Diana Körner, Sylvia Kekulé and Gaby Go) making a pact to murder their lovers within five days. It's quite interesting with the mini-skirt fashions, colors and contrasting Sibelius (from "Karelia Suite") orchestration and other music. I liked the matter-of-fact coldness of the violence and the hip 60's vibe of the entire film. A real time-capsule of that era. I'm sure not to everyone's tastes but I was very happy with my the Radiance Films Blu-ray viewing. The extras certainly helped my appreciation with a historical context of the film. Absolutely recommended to the appropriate cinema crowd.
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**Hsiao-Hsien Hou's "Millennium Mambo"** Blu-ray - Shu Qi @Metrograph
US PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: Hsiao-Hsien Hou's richly textured Millennium Mambo has rootless Vicky (Hong Kong's expressive nubile Shu Qi) - a drifter, becoming a mainstay at urban dance clubs with dimly lit flashes of neon lights. She is trying, indifferently, to exit the relationship with her abusive, criminal, ex-boyfriend. Vicky is trapped by her circumstance - reflecting on it in a disparate narration voiceover that contradicts her past reality. Millennium Mambo is unique in Hou’s oeuvre, although utilizing long, slow-cinema precision documenting Vicky's potential as she recognizes her confinement by examining the role she plays in her own destiny. Fascinating. A brilliant masterpiece that I am so happy to finally have on Blu-ray. Thank you Metrograph.
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**Joseph Losey's "The Servant"** Blu-ray - Dirk Bogarde @Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
OUR COMPARISON
COMMENTS: Criterion have transferred Joseph Losey's 1963 film The Servant to Blu-ray described as a "New 4K digital restoration." The image is a bit brighter than the Studio Canal, although the 4K UHD has the edge simply due to the 2160P resolution. The Criterion 1080P contrast looked well balanced on my system but the Studio Canal grain texture is more fine and showcases occasional depth. For those that have not adopted the 4K, they will be extremely pleased with the Criterion Blu-ray presentation. I didn't notice much difference in the audio unless the Criterion linear PCM is a shade tinnier. The Criterion Blu-ray is Region "a'-locked and has optional English (SDH) subtitles.
For extras Criterion offer a new 1/2 interview with critic Imogen Sara Smith who sheds light on Joseph Losey's signature style and thematic obsessions, present throughout the more than thirty features the prolific director made over the course of his decades-long career. They also include a rare 1/2 audio interview by critic Michel Ciment with excerpts of a 1976 interview with Joseph Losey, with Harold Pinter on the making of The Servant that was part of the research for his seminal book on the director, Conversations with Losey. There is also a 23-minute 1996 interview with screenwriter Pinter conducted at London's National Film Theatre in 1996 by his official biographer, Michael Billington (entitled Harold Pinter) - featuring the Nobel laureate discussing his collaborations with director Joseph Losey and how his work for the screen differs from his work for the stage. Lastly are a trailer and, also found on the Studio Canal, the same interviews with The Servant's four lead actors - Dirk Bogarde, James Fox, Sarah Miles, and Wendy Craig - reflecting on their experiences working on the film. The interview with Bogarde is from the 1992 documentary Dirk Bogarde: By Myself, while the rest were shot in the UK in 2013. James Fox was interviewed by his son-in-law, the actor and comedian Richard Ayoade. The package has a liner notes booklet with an essay by author Colm Tóibín.
So a fine Blu-ray presentation from Criterion and some valuable new extras that may warrant a double-dip for strong fans of Losey and The Servant. New adopters may be content with the extensive Studio Canal 4K UHD Collector's edition.
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**Mr. Wong Collection** Blu-ray - Boris Karloff / Marjorie Reynolds @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Kino's two Blu-rays of the first five Boris Karloff 'Mr. Wong' films is "B" movie detective-yarn pleasure. They are all directed by William Nigh and involve poison gas, largest star sapphire in the world, a murdered Chinese Princess via a poisoned dart, gemstone smuggling on the San Francisco waterfront, and a romance between the killer and the murdered man's daughter... who are engaged to be married. All without a Fu Manchu type criminal mastermind of Chinatown - previously played by Karloff in The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932.) They can be formulaic and a definite response to the success of 20th Century Fox's pot-boiler Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) and Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre) film series but enjoyable when in the mood for vintage film fans. Karloff does a great job as the the fictional Chinese-American detective created by Hugh Wiley - later replaced in the sixth, and last film, by actor Keye Luke (the first Asian lead in Hollywood.) Recommended to the right crowd - you can throw these on at any time.
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Tom DeSimone's "Prison Girls 3-D" Blu-ray - Jacqueline Giroux / Annik Borel @KinoLorber
US PURCHASE LINK
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
UK PURCHASE LINK
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Tom DeSimone's Prison Girls is bad. I suppose it laid the groundwork for the director's own, superior, homage-y Reform School Girls made 14-years later. The adult side would be typical low-budget skin for the early 70's - although maybe a notch more sleazy. Lots of female nudity, group, one-on-one and non-consensual sexual activities, nasty assaults etc. The 3D (cited as 'the first 3D Adult film') is fun in its contrived specific usage and there is a huge grindhouse nostalgia if too much uncomfortable exploitation for this reviewer. The Kino Blu-ray might have a small niche appeal. I thought the commentary added a lot of value improving my viewing experience.
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**György Fehér's "Twilight (Szürkület)"** Blu-ray - Péter Haumann @SecondRunDVD
UK PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: While not achieving the heights of Andre Tarkovsky, the style and image of György Fehér's "Twilight (Szürkület)" is highly reminiscent of works like Stalker or even Aleksandr Sokurov's Mother and Son with a huge amount of visual style layered into the cinema expression. Twilight might be described as a 'neo-noir' or a 'psychological mystery' film - with 'dark cinema' tropes throughout. It was loosely based on Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt's 1958 novella Das Versprechen aka The Pledge: Requiem for the Detective Novel. It has immense appeal for its uniquely dampened contrast appearance but also because it has not been seen for such a long time - fully out of the conversation until this new 4K restoration supporting the rich foggy presentation that will haunt your viewing experience. Bravo to Second Run and their stacked Blu-ray. We give this a very strong recommendation!
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**Martin Scorsese's "After Hours"** Blu-ray - Griffin Dunne / Rosanna Arquette @Criterion
US PURCHASE LINK Blu-ray
CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK Blu-ray
4K UHD US PURCHASE LINK
4K UHD CANADIAN PURCHASE LINK
BONUS CAPTURES
OUR REVIEW
COMMENTS: Personally I have three go-to Scorsese films: Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and After Hours - all masterpieces and now they are all on 4K UHD. We have After Hours in our neo-noir section - also described as a "surrealist black comedy cult-film thriller" although has also been defined in the "yuppie nightmare cycle" which combine the screwball comedy genre and film noir. Paul Hackett's (Griffin Dunne) misadventures almost exclusively involve women who appear more eccentric the later it gets into his journey - each defeating his normalcy. Mysterious Marcy (Rosanna Arquette) entices him with a wild evening but is emotionally unable to accept his sexual advances; impersonal sculptor Kiki Bridges (Linda Fiorentino) moves toward intimacy before falling asleep during his massaging seduction, waitress Julie (Teri Garr) is stuck in the 60's and expresses desire for him but he rejects her bizarre demeanor, while self-absorbed, Mister Softee truck driver, Gail (Catherine O'Hara) professes a desire to save him but eventually leads the vigilante mob seeking him. Lastly, June (Verna Bloom) encases Paul in plaster circling back to Kiki's 'cowering screaming male' sculpture. Castration is a repeated theme in After Hours (originally entitled 'One Night in Soho') notable in the bathroom wall scrawling of a shark biting a penis. There are so many small delights in After Hours; Marcy's "Surrender Dorothy!" honeymoon story and the sly double entendres to the dialogue between Paul and the large doorman at Club Berlin - "If you're so drawn to it - force your way in." If Rosanna Arquette asks me, in a coffee shop, if I want a plaster-of-paris bagel and cream cheese paperweight - I would naturally say 'Yes'.... without knowing the artist or the price. Paul is defeated and emasculated in his adventure - returning right back at his unsatisfying work. The Criterion Blu-ray (and 4K UHD that includes the Blu-ray) offers a much-deserved, essential, upgrade to a true cinema cult masterwork. We have waited a long time. Our very highest recommendation.
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DVDBeaver Newsletter for the Week of June 19th, 2023