Prrrfect Trailers: THE BIRDS (1963)

THE BIRDS

Released March 28, 1963

Starring Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

No one did suspense quite like Hitchcock. No one did trailers like him, either.

 

BIG BROTHER: When Teachers Dream

Starring Donnie Yen, Joe Chen, Kang Yu, Directed by Ka-Wai Kam. (2018/101 min).

On Blu-ray from WELL GO USA

Review by Tiger the Terrible😸

When it comes to reality, Big Brother is to education what Star Wars is to space travel. But let’s not hold that against it.

As a longtime teacher in the real world, I speak from experience. In 20+ years, I’ve never said or done anything that makes an entire class of delinquents suddenly think I’m cool. I don’t visit them at home, become their buddy or fix their broken homes. I’m not idolized by the entire student body, nor do they line up to take selfies with me. And I sure as hell haven’t used my considerable martial arts skills to save the entire school from the local mob (this movie’s goofiest subplot).

But who the hell wants a movie showing a dedicated teacher in the act of actual teaching? Or grading papers on weekends? Or attending weekly staff meetings? If said-teacher is played by Donnie Yen, we want him to kick some serious ass in the name of education.

A thumb war is declared.

Big Brother is sort-of like Stand and Deliver...with fists. As such, the movie is a lot of fun, even as we’re rolling our eyes over the absurdity of it all. Though he has zero experience, Henry Chen (Yen) manages to land a job as casually as applying at 7-Eleven. In quick order, he manages to whip his kids into academic shape, five of them, in particular (because screw everyone else). No student has an extracurricular problem that can’t be immediately solved by Chen’s wisdom, encouragement and a few roundhouse kicks to the right faces. He even becomes a local celebrity by pummeling a crooked MMA fighter.

You won’t believe – or be surprised by – a single minute of it. But when you’ve got Donnie Yen at the head of the class, who cares? In addition to his considerable physical skills, he’s always been a charismatic actor and is certainly likable here. So even though most of his actions would have a real educator hauled before a review board, Henry Chen is the guy real teachers dream they could be.

Alas, it’ll have to remain a dream for now. But until that fine day when teachers are unleashed to take education by the balls and beat it into submission, we can experience it vicariously through movies like Big Brother. Though outlandish and completely predictable, it’s the lighter side of Donnie Yen and one of his more entertaining recent films.

EXTRA KIBBLES

3 TRAILERS

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

THE POOP SCOOP: Classics on 4K Edition

STAND BY ME is coming to 4K August 27

Academy Award-nominated (Best Adapted Screenplay, 1986) film follows a quartet of inseparable friends who set out in search of a dead body. During their life-changing adventure, the personal pressures brought on them by the adult world come to the surface and turns the journey into an odyssey of self-discovery. Newly scanned from the original camera negative in 4K and presented with High Dynamic Range on the 4K UHD, STAND BY ME also includes an all-new Dolby Atmos immersive audio mix and both the original theatrical mono audio and the 5.1 remix. In addition to the archival special features on the included Blu-ray—featuring a reunion commentary and making-of featurette—the STAND BY ME 4K Ultra HD includes never-before-seen deleted & alternate scenes, and a special limited edition O-ring sleeve, featuring the iconic original theatrical poster art.

THE SHINING on 4K Ultra October 1

The 4K remastering was done using a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick's former personal assistant Leon Vitali worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. during the mastering process. On May 17th, the restored 4K version of the film will be screened at The Cannes Film Festival. In 2018, The Shining was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film ranked 29th on AFI's 100 Years…100 Thrills list, and Jack Torrance was named the 25th greatest villain on the AFI's 100 Years…100 Heroes and Villains list. Additionally, the quote "Here's Johnny" from the film was ranked 68th on AFI's 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes list. The Shining 4K Blu-ray Blu-ray Combo Pack features an 4K Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR, a Blu-ray disc with the film in high definition and the special features in high definition, and a Digital version of the movie.

 

APOCALYPSE NOW FINAL CUT Coming to Theaters 8/15 and 4K Ultra Combo Pack 8/27

Restored from the original negative for the first time ever, Apocalypse Now Final Cut is Coppola’s most realized version of the film, which was nominated for eight Academy Awards. In addition to the restoration, this 4-disc Apocalypse Now Final Cut anniversary set also includes the film’s Theatrical Cut and Extended Cut (Redux), as well as the acclaimed Hearts of Darkness documentary. Loaded with hours of in-depth special features, the set will also feature the fascinating Tribeca Film Festival Q&A with Coppola and the prolific Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape), which has not been seen or heard outside of the festival until now, and newly discovered behind-the-scenes footage. The Apocalypse Now Final Cut 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features new, collectable Mondo artwork.

WHITE CHAMBER: Never Trust a Trailer

Starring Shauna Macdonald, Oded Fehr, Amrita Acharia, Sharon Maughn, Nicholas Farrell, Candis Nergaard. Directed by Paul Raschid. (2018/89 min).

On Blu-ray from DARK SKY FILMS

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

We’ve all been duped by good trailers for crappy movies. But in this case, the opposite is true.

The trailer for White Chamber does the film a disservice, making it look like a rip-off of the 1997 cult classic, Cube, with a little bit of the Saw franchise thrown in for the yahoo crowd. Fortunately, writer-director Paul Raschid has loftier ambitions.

Presumably taking place in the near future, the United Kingdom is under military rule and currently at-war with a resistance movement led by Narek Zakarian (Oded Fehr). But a majority of the story takes place in and around the titular room, which appears to be a high-tech torture chamber. Inside is a woman (Shauna Macdonald) who’s being interrogated from outside by Zakarian for information. She says her name is Ruth and just a low-level federal employee who knows nothing.

When the story flashes back five days, it’s Zakarian who’s in the chamber and “Ruth” is actually Dr. Elle Chrystler, a high-level government researcher trying to develop a highly-addictive synthetic drug that makes one nearly oblivious to pain. Zakarian has been captured and she’s using him as her guinea pig to test the effects of the drug. It’s pretty nasty stuff, and Chrystler grows increasingly cruel as the story progresses, indifferent to the suffering she’s inflicting.

"Where's the damn bathroom?"

But even then, the viewer isn’t quite certain where to place their sympathies. Chrystler has pretty legitimate reasons for her vindictiveness, but she’s also cold-blooded and abusive. And we still aren’t sure what to make of Zakarian throughout most of the film. He could very-well be the vicious murderer the government makes him out to be, but there are several moments when he displays more humanity than any other character.

For the most part, it’s an intriguing story, punctuated by solid performances by Fehr and Macdonald. The chamber itself – and the laboratory where it’s housed – is an appropriately stark setting (though with no visible toilet, it does prompt one to question where Zakarian’s been relieving himself, but never mind). There are enough narrative turns to keep things interesting - as well as a memorably horrific scene involving fingers – at least until the final act, which is sort-of a let-down. I haven’t yet decided to the climactic twist is a cheat or just underwhelming. But until then, White Chamber is much better than its derivative trailer suggests.

EXTRA KIBBLES

TRAILER

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS

SHAFT Triple Feature: You’re Daaamn Right

SHAFT

Starring Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John. Directed by Gordon Parks. (1971/100 min).

SHAFT’S BIG SCORE!

Starring Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Joseph Mascolo, Wally Taylor, Julius Harris, Joe Santos. Directed by Gordon Parks. (1972/105 min).

SHAFT IN AFRICA

Starring Richard Roundtree, Frank Finlay, Vonetta McGee, Neda Armeric, Frank McRae. Directed by John Guillerman. (1973/112 min).

On Blu-ray from WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Review by Mr. Paws😺

I belong to an online forum where we often discuss classic films. Someone once posed this question: What were some of the most influential or culturally significant films of the 1970s? Since she wasn’t necessarily asking for the best ones, it’s an excellent question and tougher to answer than one might think. But any legitimate discussion would have to include the original Shaft.

Released in 1971, Shaft almost singlehandedly invented blaxploitation. In that context, the film was arguably as influential as The Godfather and transcended the genre to become something of a cultural phenomenon in its own right. So of course, a couple of sequels quickly followed, as well as a short-lived TV series (which I wasn’t aware of). Shaft has been released on Blu-ray before, but now all three films are available in a 3-disc set.

The only street that doesn't have a Starbucks.

Though certainly a product of its time, Shaft is the one true classic of the franchise. The plot is nothing to write home about – it doesn’t even have a primary antagonist – but as an exercise in audacity and style, director Gordon Parks scores a bullseye. Isaac Hayes’ iconic, infectious theme sets the tone right away, while Richard Roundtree exudes confidence and all-around badassery throughout the film (he's a damn fine dresser, too), arguably making John Shaft the coolest private dick to hit the screen since Bogart played Phillip Marlowe.

Who's the window washer that's a sex machine to all the chicks?

Released only a year later, Shaft’s Big Score! is sorely missing a few of the elements that made the first film a classic. Most would likely agree that Haye’s soundtrack was a huge part of the original’s success. Here, director Parks scores the film himself. While the music is reminiscent of Hayes' work - right down to the new theme song - it isn't nearly as memorable. It also looks like John Shaft has-since moved up in the world, therefore doesn’t seem quite as streetwise. However, this one does have a better story, where Shaft investigates the murder of a friend at the hands of a greedy brother who's in-debt to the mob. Though not as fresh or original as Shaft, it’s certainly enjoyable and has a lot of action, including an exciting car/boat/helicopter chase during the final act.

"Sooo...I see your Schwartz is as big as mine."

The law of diminishing returns plays itself out with Shaft in Africa. Director John Guillerman and screenwriter Stirling Silliphant clearly have no idea what to do with the character they’ve been handed, turning Shaft into a black James Bond (complete with gadgets). Roundtree is good, but the story - which has Shaft recruited to infiltrate an African slavery ring – is ridiculous and completely contrary to everything that made the original unique. Just like The Bad News Bears should never have gone to Japan, John Shaft has no business ever leaving New York City. The naked stick-fight, however, is an unintentional comic highlight.

The sequels are new to Blu-ray and also available separately. But unless you already have Shaft, this Blu-ray triple feature is the obvious way to go. The original is a classic and essential viewing for any ‘70s-era movie buff. Roundtree’s charisma and great action make Shaft’s Big Score! a worthy sequel. Shaft in Africa may be a complete misfire, but you can’t complete a trilogy with two movies, can you?

EXTRA KIBBLES

SHAFT – “Soul in Cinema: Filming Shaft on Location” (10 minute vintage featurette); Shaft - “The Killing” (an episode from the short-lived series, also starring Roundtree); Trailers for all three films

SHAFT’S BIG SCORE! – Trailer

SHAFT IN AFRICA - Trailer

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.

COLD PURSUIT: A Plowman's Revenge

Starring Liam Neeson, Tom Bateman, Emmy Rossum, Tom Jackson, William Forsythe, Laura Dern, Domenick Lombardozzi, Raoul Trujillo, Julia Jones, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Arnold Pinnock, Micheal Richardson. Directed by Hans Petter Moland. (2019/119 min).

On 4K Ultra/Blu-ray from LIONSGATE

Review by Tiger the Terrible😼

Liam Neeson has been channeling his inner Bronson for so long that one could be forgiven for assuming Cold Pursuit has him playing yet another one-man wrecking crew. But don’t let the generic title fool you. This is a highly amusing black comedy that just happens to have some great action.

Granted, as Nels Coxman, Neeson does exact a bit of bloody revenge over the death of his son, who was murdered by thugs on orders from smug, psychotic druglord Trevor “Viking” Calcote (Tom Bateman). And yeah, Nels plans to kill his way to the top of the food chain. But Nels isn’t ex-CIA or a retired super soldier. He’s just a grieving, angry snowplow driver. And even though he dispatches three bad guys in short order, Viking assumes it’s the work of a rival Ute mob run by White Bull (Tom Jackson). Striking back, Viking kills White Bull’s son, which triggers an escalating war.

Since I was unaware of director Hans Petter Moland’s original 2014 Norwegian version, In Order of Disappearance, I guess I was anticipating a snowbound Taken (which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing...Neeson’s an awesome senior-discount asskicker). However, the beauty of Cold Pursuit is how it consistently defies expectations. Neeson’s the star, of course, but the film is more of an ensemble piece loaded with interesting, sometimes quirky characters. Some appear for a scene or two, while others share nearly as much screen time as Neeson himself. 

Nels forgets where he parked.

It’s hard to get into specifics without ruining many of the film’s surprises, but while there’s plenty of bullets ‘n’ blood, it’s just-as-often funny as hell, including a couple of priceless running gags related to the escalating body count. The humor is sometimes understated, sometimes broad and occasionally morbid. If Fargo was an action film, it might resemble something like this. But even without the eclectic characters and copious amounts of dark humor, Cold Pursuit’s plot is interesting enough that it could be presented straight and still remain fairly engaging.

Though it may not be the best film I’ve reviewed so far this year, it’s by-far the most fun. Criminally overlooked in theaters, this one deserves a second life on home video, definitely worth checking-out by both action fans and those whose sense of humor leans toward the dark side.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE: "WELCOME TO KEHOE: BEHIND THE SCENES ON COLD PURSUIT” - Includes numerous interviews, clips and plenty of behind-the-scenes footage.

INTERVIEW WITH LIAM NEESON

INTERVIEW WITH HANS PETTER MOLAND

DELETED SCENES

TRAILER

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEE-OW! LIKE TAUNTING A MOUSE TO DEATH.

Prrrfect Trailers: INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996)

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Released July 2, 1996

Starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Robert Loggia.

Directed by Roland Emmerich

This teaser first aired during the Super Bowl several months before the release date. No voice-over, no cast members and almost no plot details. The jaw-dropping imagery did all the work, and that shot of a disintegrating the White House was enough to turn Independence Day into the must-see movie that summer.

 

THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE: Humor Through Hardship

Starring Jack Lemmon, Anne Bancroft, Gene Saks, Elizabeth Wilson, Florence Stanley, Maxine Stuart, Sylvester Stallone, M. Emmet Walsh, F. Murray Abraham. Directed by Melvin Frank. (1975/98 min).

On Blu-ray from

WARNER ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Review by Mr. Paws😸

Unless your name is Stephen King, writers generally don’t have much marquee value these days. Sure, your book might be the talk of Hollywood, but you are just another name among the credits. And as far as screenwriters go, forget about it. More often than not, your lowly status means you’re sharing credit with a guy hired to rewrite your hard work.

It wasn’t always this way. In the '60s & '70s, Neil Simon was an inescapable brand name on both Broadway and the screen. Prolific and popular, his name was featured above a film’s title right along with its stars, maybe because people generally knew what to expect: Congenial, character-driven comedy that may have never been all that deep, but was usually perceptive, intelligent and occasionally uproarious. Kind of like Woody Allen without the neurosis.

1975’s The Prisoner of Second Avenue – adapted from his own play – is a prime example of vintage Simon, perhaps just a tad bleaker than his usual oeuvre. Jack Lemmon is in typically fine form as Mel Edison, a tightly-wound, middle-aged New Yorker living in a cramped apartment with his beleaguered wife, Edna (Anne Bancroft). He’s miserable even before he loses his job and their place is robbed. Out of work and feeling useless, Mel wallows in resentment and self-pity, which puts a strain on the marriage, especially after Edna manages to find work. Soon after, he suffers a nervous breakdown.

Jack spots Walter Matthau.

The film isn’t nearly as downbeat and depressing as the plot suggests. It’s frequently very funny, even during Mel’s paranoia-fueled meltdown. The comic highlight, however, has to be Mel’s run-in with a suspected mugger (a very young Sylvester Stallone). Lemmon’s played high-strung characters plenty of times, so he’s not really stretching here. But since he’s so adept at it, who cares? Bancroft is an amusing foil, no small task considering much of her performance is reactionary.

Like most of Neil Simon’s work from the ‘70s, The Prisoner of Second Avenue isn’t a timeless classic. But despite the dreary narrative underpinnings, it’s an affably enjoyable, loosely structured film with a lot of laughs and fun performances by the entire cast (including a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him appearance by F. Murray Abraham as a cab driver). And if nothing else, it might make you feel better about your own problems.

EXTRA KIBBLES

VINTAGE MAKING-OF FEATURETTE

"DINAH!” - Anne Bancroft appears on the popular 70s’ talk show, schmoozing it up with Dinah Shore. I forgot how bad afternoon talk shows really were.

TRAILER

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.

Rest in Peace, Tim Conway

Tim Conway (1933-2019)

It's East vs. West in TRIPLE THREAT

Starring Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Tiger Chen, Celina Jade, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, Michael Bisping, Jeela Yanin. Directed by Jesse V. Johnson. (2019/96 min).

On Blu-ray from WELL GO USA

Review by Tiger the Terrible😼

I suppose you could call Triple Threat an all-star, East vs. West clash of titans.

In one corner, you’ve got Asian martial arts superstars Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais and Tiger Chen, none of them strangers to the genre. In the other, there's Westerners Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White and Michael Bisping. Adkins & White are legends of direct-to-video action, while Bisping is a former UFC champion.

If that collection of names doesn't excite you, you’re obviously reading the wrong review.

For everyone else, Triple Threat is blood-soaked brawl with a plot thrown in because most movies require them. Fortunately, director Jesse V. Johnson wisely keeps the story simple, lest it intrude too much on the action. For the record, though, Jaa & Uwais play Payu & Long, two mercenaries duped into helping a crew of baddies release their boss, a notorious terrorist named Collins (Adkins), being held in a Thai village. After the mission, they are left-for-dead, as is lone surviving villager, Jaka (Iko Uwais), who now wants to avenge his wife’s murder. The three form an uneasy alliance to track down these killers, whose next target is Tian (Celina Jade), a philanthropist using her wealth to stop organized crime in her country.

"I'll have one of those."

Much of the movie is a chase, Payui & Long protecting Tian while Jaka infiltrates Collins’ crew (which includes White and Bisping). Though the film takes an occasional breather for necessary exposition, it’s mostly one elaborate action set-piece after another. There’s martial arts o’ plenty, of course, as well as ample amounts of bullets and blood. And if you’ve ever wondered what being shot point-blank by a grenade launcher looks like, this is the movie for you.

If not, why are you still reading?

Though the film is fairly light on characterization, the performances are good. When they aren’t snapping limbs, the three protagonists are congenially likable and empathetic. Both Adkins and White look like they’re having a great time tearing things up, relishing their roles as villains. On the other hand, Jade can only do so much with her thankless role as “the woman in jeopardy” (including an eye-rolling scene where she’s hampered by high heels).

While not in the same league as The Raid (what is?), Triple Threat wisely takes the similar path with its story telling: Keep it simple, keep it moving and keep it intense. The film doesn’t necessarily challenge the intellect, but it seldom descends into stupidity, either. Ultimately, this East vs. West showdown is a feast for action lovers.

EXTRA KIBBLES

CAST INTERVIEWS – The entire primary cast is included. Runs about 10 minutes.

TRAILERS

DVD COPY

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R. LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS