Revisiting LOST IN SPACE (1998) in 4K

LOST IN SPACE Limited Edition (4K UHD)

1998 / 130 min

Arrow Video

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

In between the endearingly campy original 1960s series and an inevitable (but surprisingly decent) Netflix reboot, Lost in Space was adapted as a big screen epic with obvious franchise aspirations. That never happened, and over the years, the film sorta disappeared into the same space-time rift that swallowed the hapless Robinson family.

As someone who grew up watching Lost in Space reruns after school, I looked forward to checking out an updated version, even though attempts to turn classic TV shows have always been wildly hit or miss. We seemed to get a glut of ‘em back in the ‘90s, and for every Mission: Impossible, there was a cinematic suppository like Wild Wild West. 

While not as aggressively shitty as The Avengers or McHale’s Navy, Lost in Space may have been guilty of an even bigger crime at the time: It left no impression whatsoever. Lacking the kitchy campiness of the original show or the narrative elements & characters that made Star Trek relevant again, the movie looked and sounded great, but seldom ever rose above expensive eye candy (to be honest, I kinda missed the budget-friendly look of the TV show, with a Jupiter II that resembled a drain plug).

And despite an pretty impressive cast, only the great Gary Oldman managed to rise above the material. Everyone else - including William Hurt, Mimi Rogers and a seriously miscast Matt LeBlanc - were merely perfunctory in their roles, not helped by a screenplay more in love with its convoluted concept (which it took way too seriously) than character development. Leaving the theater back then, I wouldn’t say I felt ripped off, but certainly never gave the film another thought afterwards, to say nothing of ever being compelled to watch it again.

Mimi Rogers...foosball legend.

But one of the cool things about Arrow Video is it operates on the understanding that every movie has its share of dedicated fans, even those which aren’t necessarily classics…or even cult classics. Over the years, they have released countless highly-supplemented 4K restorations of titles that never would have gotten such treatment from anyone else (including the studios that produced them). Add Lost in Space to the list, which probably has just enough fans to justify this great looking Limited Edition 4K UHD disc with new packaging and bonus material. 

As for me, it’s an opportunity to reassess a film that left me fairly cold two decades ago. My overall opinion hasn’t really changed, but knowing what to expect this time around (without the baggage of high expectations), there are some aspects of Lost in Space that deserve a few attaboys. First off, the visual effects are impressive and have held up pretty well over the years, especially as presented in 4K. The action and melodrama are accompanied by a terrific score from Bruce Broughton, though the musical highlight is Apollo 440’s blistering take on the original TV theme. The disc’s DTS-HD Master Audio track not only provides a great showcase for the music, the overall audio mix is pretty solid. Finally, I appreciate the stunt casting done in the name of nostalgia. While it’s nice seeing actors from the original show pop-up in small roles, I love that they brought Dick Tufeld back to once again provide the voice for the robot (and of course, he urgently delivers that iconic line, “Danger, Will Robinson!”).

The disc also includes an abundance of new bonus material, including plenty of interviews with people who were most responsible for the final product. That final product may not be all that great, but what they discuss about it all these years later is revealing and entertaining. Those who do still love the film will probably get big kick out of this release.

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

INTERVIEWS - New, individually-filmed interviews with director Stephen Kopkins, director of photography Peter Levy, producer/screenwriter Akiva Goldman, art director Keith Pain, critter creator Kenny Wilson, sound mixer Simon Kayes & re-recording mixer Robin O’Donohue.

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By director Stephen Kopkins and producer/screenwriter Akiva Goldman; 2) By FX supervisors Angus Bickerton & Lauren Ritchie, director of photography Peter Levy, editor Ray Lovejoy and producer Carla Fry.

VIDEO ESSAY - By film critic Matt Donato.

FEATURETTES - Building the Special Effects; The Future of Space Travel; TV Years is a Q&A with the cast from the original TV show.

BLOOPER REEL

DELETED SCENES

FRIENDSHIP: Cringey Craig

FRIENDSHIP (Blu-ray)

2024/ 101 min

A24 Films

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Regarding the relationship depicted in Friendship, I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum. When we were kids, my next door neighbor was cooler and more confident than me. Eager to be his friend - if only out of proximity - I tried to act and speak more like him, but being kind of a nerd, was pretty clueless of what constituted cool. We did become friends, but only as neighbors. At school around his other peers, I think he was embarrassed to know me.

Years later in college, there was a group of friends I typically hung out with when not in class (when I actually went, anyway). One of them got a new roommate, Mike, who was obnoxiously loud and followed us everywhere, overcompensating in his efforts to be one of the guys, but socially clueless. While he was a great source of amusement at his own expense (especially when he drank), I often felt secondhand embarrassment.

But neither me nor Mike hold a candle to Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson). Not only is he socially awkward, Craig is abrasive, something of a narcissist and pretty-much unable to read the room. Even as his unhappy wife recovers from cancer, he still manages to make everything about himself. Then he meets freewheeling new neighbor Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd), a weatherman who also plays in a rock band. Austin seems to be everything Craig is not…laid-back, charming and adventurous. 

Still, they strike up an unlikely friendship after an evening of drinks and mischief. But it very quickly goes south when Austin invites Craig to a party to meet his other friends. Not only does Craig make a fool of himself, he takes a playful sparring match too far, then exacerbates the situation so badly that he drives everyone away. The next day, Austin tells Craig that he no longer wants to pursue this friendship.

"I'll be re-gifting this for sure."

Craig tries to compensate losing his only friend by having his wife and teenage son fill the sudden void in his life, forcing them to partake in activities Austin introduced him to. His obsession with being more like Austin adversely affects his marriage, job and eventually lands him in jail for a night. Craig’s also fixated on Austin himself, which is amusingly cringeworthy at first, but becomes more unnerving as the narrative unfolds. Throughout the film, he says the wrong things at the worst moments and engages in actions that might have the audience saying, “No, please don’t do what I think you’re gonna do.”

In a way, Friendship does its job almost too well. Craig is a terrible human being, and just when we might begin to sympathize with him, he says or does something so awful (or sociopathic) that we can’t stand being around him anymore. The movie has its share of funny moments, but just as many that are uncomfortable. But like witnessing a terrible car crash, it’s hard to look the other way. And admittedly, watching Craig’s escalating behavior as his life unravels around him is morbidly fascinating.

Robinson and Rudd are great in the lead roles, especially the former. In the very first scene, he establishes Craig’s entire personality with just a few lines of dialogue. And speaking of which, writer-director Andrew DeYoung has created characters who look and feel authentic, while effectively conveying what it’s like to be in a toxic relationship (not just the one between Austin & Craig). Friendship isn’t always a “funny” film, but since most of us have probably known someone like Craig, it might be relatable.

EXTRA KIBBLES

MEN TALKING IN THE DARK - A Q&A session featuring writer-director Andrew DeYoung, actors Tim Robinson & Paul Rudd.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By writer-director Andrew DeYoung, actor Conner O’Malley, cinematographer Andy Rydzewski.

EXTENDED GARAGE SCENE

6 BEHIND-THE-SCENES POSTCARDS

ULTRAMAN DECKER: More Monsters & Mayhem

ULTRAMAN DECKER - THE COMPLETE SERIES (Blu-ray)

2022 / 700 min (25 episodes, 1 movie)

Mill Creek Entertainment

Review by Nick Lyons, from DVDCorner.net

2022’s Ultraman Decker (which is part of the Reiwa era) is simultaneously a sequel to Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga and is also based on Ultraman Dyna. The 25 episode series begins at a time of peace in which there have been no monsters for 7 years. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a series if there were no monsters, so as you might expect, all hell breaks loose when alien Spheres attack Earth and Mars. Moreover, a barrier covers Earth which prevents ships and communications from coming or going from the Planet. Luckily, Earth has hope. A brave and optimistic grocer named Kanata Asumi winds up becoming Ultraman Decker (who can transform into various types). Kanata himself also joins Earth’s TPU training school (and later becomes a part of the GUTS-Select team) alongside cadets Ichika Kirino and Soma Ryumon. Together this team (also comprised of robots HANE2 and Terraphaser) combat the evil Sphere forces (including the big bad Mother Spheresaurus) as well as Kaiju such as Deathdrago and Pagos. 

Along the way, some familiar faces pop up, such as Ultraman Trigger, Cameara, Grace, Marluru, and a Kanata descendant. Elsewhere in the plot is a key storyline involving the alien Agams who may or may not be connected to the Sphere invasion. Last, but not least is a movie finale titled Ultraman Decker Finale: Journey To Beyond, where Ultraman Decker, GUTS-Select and Ultraman Dinas team up to fight against Earth invader Professor Gibellus.

A great find from the Ultra Yard Sale.

Much like Super Sentai (AKA Power Rangers), the Ultra franchise has been running for decades. The Japanese Tokusatsu franchise has had many incarnations including Ultraman Decker. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultraman Decker is far from being one of the more beloved series in the franchise. Ultra Q and the original Ultraman, it certainly is not. The series is filled with cheeseball dialogue, an over-the-top Kanata (played by Hiroki Matsumoto), overly dramatic speeches, war cries, bad CGI, and an episodic formula involving new Ultraman types and a new Kaiju or monster. There’s nothing here that you haven’t seen before in previous Ultra series. 

On the plus side, the show delivers plenty of explosive action, which tends to be the selling point for the Ultra series. Yes, the CGI is pretty rough, but it’s nice to see that suits/costumes are still being used. Sure, you can do more with CGI, but nothing beats people in costumes duking it out. On top of that, it’s nice to see some cameos from past series. Anytime there’s more than one Ultraman on screen, it’s a treat to be sure.

Ultraman Decker is unlikely to be a fan favorite, but it’s still an entertaining tokusatsu series that will undoubtedly appeal to super fans or completists.

THE POOP SCOOP: Clowns, Cronenberg and Krueger

🙀CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD Available on 4K UHD Steelbook on September 9th from RLJE Films. RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks along with Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, will release the acclaimed horror film, CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, on 4K UHD Steelbook on September 9. In CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father (Aaron Abrams) have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time. Welcome to Kettle Springs. The real fun starts when Frendo the clown comes out to play.

🙀David Cronenberg’s THE SHROUDS on Blu-ray & DVD October 21 from Criterion Collection. David Cronenberg returns with one of his most personal films, an audacious, elegiac exploration of grief, mortality, and love wrapped in the guise of a corporate-espionage thriller. Karsh (Vincent Cassel) is the enigmatic entrepreneur behind a new tech package that allows bereaved relatives to view their loved ones’ decomposing remains. When his futuristic cemetery is vandalized, he begins to suspect a conspiracy is at work, forcing him to confront the trauma of—and mystery surrounding—the death of his beloved Becca (Diane Kruger). Conceived in the wake of his own wife’s death, The Shrouds finds Cronenberg exploring heady ideas around sex, surveillance, and the ultimate body horror: the physical decay that awaits us all.

😺THE LIFE OF CHUCK on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD September 30 from Decal/Neon. This unforgettable tale celebrates the life of Chuck Krantz as he experiences love, loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us. Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, Mark Hamill.

🙀A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 7-FILM COLLECTION on 4K September 30 from Warner Bros. This chilling 7-film saga becomes available as a 4K UHD collection for the first time. From his first terrifying appearance on Elm Street to his resurrection through nightmares, the collection includes the original seven films. 

🦸James Gunn’s SUPERMAN on Digital NOW, Coming to 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 23 from Warner Bros. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original Super Hero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind. 

😺FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK: BALLERINA arrives on Blu-ray, 4K UHD, and 4K UHD Steelbook on September 9 from Lionsgate. The next chapter from the World of John Wick follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. Eve seeks revenge for her father’s death, and finds herself crossing paths with John Wick himself.

🛸LOST IN SPACE on 4K UHD September 2 from Arrow Video. The Limited Edition set is packed with hours of special features, collectible packaging, and such newly commissioned extras as assorted interviews and a video essay.

🙀CREEPSHOW 2 on 4K UHD September 30 from Arrow Video. The Limited Edition 4K UHD features a brand new 4K restoration from the original negative, packed with hours of special features and an illustrated collector’s booklet.

👰Tim Burton’s CORPSE BRIDE on 4K UHD September 23 from Warner Bros. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the stop-motion-animated fantasy musical film Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, the 2005 film will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital for the first time. 

🕵MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE FINAL RECKONING on Digital August 19 and 4K & Blu-ray October 14 from Paramount. Both the digital and physical releases come with hours of bonus content, including behind-the-scenes interviews, exclusive commentary, and deleted footage not seen in theatres.

🛧AIRPORT: THE COMPLETE 4-FILM COLLECTION on 4K and Blu-ray September 30 from Kino Lorber. This 4-Film collection includes all four newly-restored Airport movies, accompanied by new audio commentaries. 

🤖MEGAN 2.0 On Digital Now and 4K & Blu-ray September 23 from Universal. The rewired bot will also be launching on 4K UHD and Blu-ray on September 23, 2025, and you can unlock M3GAN’s newest updates with over 30 minutes of exclusive bonus content.

😺Oscar Winning FLOW on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD September 23 from Criterion Collection. This Academy Award–winning international sensation follows a courageous cat after its home is devastated by a great flood. 

🎸THIS IS SPINAL TAP Goes to 11 on 4K & Blu-ray September 16 from Criterion Collection. This Is Spinal Tap, now beautifully restored, capturing all the mishaps, creative tensions, dwindling crowds, and ill-fated drummers.

NCIS: ORIGINS: As Reliable As Oregon Fireworks

NCIS: ORIGINS Season One (DVD)

2024-2025 / 776 min (18 episodes)

Paramount

Review by Carl, the Couch Potato😺

Watching the NCIS franchise is kind of like buying Oregon fireworks.

I don’t know what it's like in your neck of the woods, but in Oregon, the type of fireworks that have would-be pyromaniacs rushing to the ER with blown-off appendages are illegal. Instead, the stands that pop-up in stripmall parking lots every summer are filled with fireworks that all do essentially the same thing. The size, shapes and colors may be different, but for the most part, we celebrate the 4th of July with glorified sparklers.

I was never a dedicated NCIS viewer, though there have been plenty occasions when I’ve entered the room while my wife was watching either the original series or one of the half-dozen spin-offs, and the episode was intriguing enough to prompt me to plop on the sofa with her. But unless Mark Harmon showed up as curmudgeonly Special Agent In-Charge Leroy Jethro Gibbs, I had no idea if we were watching NCIS: New Orleans or NCIS: Los Angeles or NCIS: Hawaii, etc.

That’s because, aside from the casts and subplots involving them, the narrative differences between these shows are like red sparklers versus yellow sparklers. That’s not necessarily a slam against the franchise either. It’s been a successful formula for a quarter-century, so if it ain’t broke, why fix it? The latest one, NCIS: Origins, is no exception.

"Sorry, sir...we've exhausted all our resources and still can't find your hat."

As the subtitle suggests, Origins is a prequel of sorts, chronicling a younger Agent Gibbs as the newest recruit to the Naval Investigative Service (NIS). As played by Austin Stowall, he reminded me more of Alan Ritchson’s depiction of Jack Reacher than the character made famous by Mark Harmon, though he carries a lot more emotional baggage. Recently discharged from the Marines, Gibbs is having trouble coming to terms with the death of his family, murdered by someone who’s still at-large. Many of the narrative detours (and flashbacks) are related to this aspect of Gibbs’ past and how it adversely affects his current job.

Beyond that recurring plot thread (which is sporadically interesting), it’s business as usual. Gibbs joins an eclectic team led by Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid), a hardnosed, rednecky agent with good reasons for recruiting the troubled young ‘Probie.’ While Franks is easily the show’s most best character, “Lala” Dominguez (Mariel Molino) is also pretty interesting as a feisty agent working hard to stand-out in a male-dominated environment. 

Elsewhere, individual episodes adhere to the mystery/police procedural structure that has served the franchise well. There’s no attempt to break new ground by tweaking the formula, but it still works. I initially sat down to check out an episode or two and wound up binging seven, which makes it the most NCIS I ever intentionally took-in at one time. Some stories are more compelling than others, but longtime fans of the show should have no complaints. After all, Oregon fireworks are still kind of fun, and even if they're just different colored sparklers, I've never lit one that turned out to be a dud.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - NCIS: Origins Season 1 - The Story Behind the Story; Retro Crime-Solving - The Sets and Styles of NCIS: Origins.

GAG REEL

Revisiting THE CONJURING in 4K

THE CONJURING (4K UHD)

2013 / 112 min

Warner Bros

#InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

The Conjuring was sort of a breath of fresh air back in 2013. In a genre glutted by remakes, sequels, rip-offs, torture porn, gorefests and PG-13 bubblegum aimed at the mallrat crowd, along came this earnest, atmospheric and genuinely scary horror film that managed to terrify millions with a total on-screen body count of zero (unless you count the poor pooch). You’d have to go all the way back to the original Poltergeist for another film to manage the same feat.

And like Poltergeist, a major reason its scares and tension are so effective is because the film takes the time to get us invested in its characters. Think about it…the entire foundation of the Conjuring films (not the spin-offs) is built around a married couple who in-real-life were basically paranormal con artists. But whether or not we actually buy into their history ultimately doesn’t matter. As depicted in the films, not only are the demons real, Ed & Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga) are sincere, dedicated (to their jobs and each other) and above all, extraordinarily likable. 

In an awkward moment, Ed and Lorraine accidentally thread a movie made when they were young and needed the money.

Two solid sequels (with a third around the corner) and a half-dozen inferior spin-offs later, the original film remains the best of the entire franchise, and arguably the best to deal with demonic possession since The Exorcist. Though the intensity, dread and jump-scares don’t have same impact as seeing them the first time (preferably in theaters), The Conjuring is always worth revisiting from time to time. 

Considering its legacy and influence on both the horror genre and popular culture, I’m kind of surprised we’re just now getting a 4K UHD edition. Of course, the film is worth having in any horror collection, but the picture and sound quality of the 2013 Blu-ray version was already pretty damn good, so whether or not it’s worth a 4K upgrade largely depends on one’s set-up (namely the size and quality of your TV). The black tones are a bit deeper, the details a bit sharper, but save for ardent videophiles, the difference might be almost negligible. The DTS-HD 5.1 audio track is the same one featured on the Blu-ray edition, which is good enough that any new mix would probably be superfluous. This one also throws in a couple of brand new retrospective bonus features to entice collectors into upgrading. They’re entertaining but fairly short, meaning the primary appeal of this 4K edition is the video boost.

EXTRA KIBBLES

NEW KIBBLES - Scariest of Them All and Reflections on The Conuring are a couple of retrospective featurettes. Each runs around seven minutes and features interviews with various cast & crew, as well as behind-the-scenes footage.

OLD KIBBLES (carried over from the original Blu-ray) - The Conjuring: Face-to-Face with Fear; A Life in Demonology (short doc about the Warrens); Scaring the “@$*%” Out of You.

DIGITAL COPY