DAY OF THE DEAD (4K + Blu-ray) - Largely maligned when first released 40 years ago, George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead has since become a beloved cult classic and has even gone under critical reassessment in many circles. Today, it stands alongside Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead as one of the most influential zombie films ever made. Arguably Romero’s darkest, most nihilistic film, it isn’t as “fun” as Dawn, but as usual, the director has more on his mind than simple gut-munching (though this remains the most ferociously gory entry in the entire franchise). Shout Factory has pulled out all the stops for this 4K boxed set. Wonderfully packaged inside and out with new and vintage artwork, this 4-disc set includes the restored film on 4K and Blu-ray, both with an excellent overall picture and four audio options. The remaining two discs feature a huge selection of new and archival supplemental material. With a set of 12 lobby card replicas thrown in for good measure, this is a must-own for horror fans. Now could someone please do the same thing for Dawn of the Dead? (1985/101 min/Shout Factory).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼😼😼
SOLO (Blu-ray) - Solo begins with an orgy and ends with a shoot-out. All that’s missing in between is Alain Delon, whose French thrillers from the ‘60s and ‘70s have been some of our favorite watches lately. Instead, Jean-Pierre Mocky directs himself as Vincent, an international thief who returns to Paris to stop his little brother from committing terrorist attacks on various wealthy people, occasionally pausing to boink most of the female cast. Mocky is certainly no Delon, he’s a reasonable facsimile and does a decent job carrying the film. Behind the camera, he stays on-point and keeps the pace lively, though the screenplay (which he co-wrote) could have put a bit more effort into making the other characters a little more interesting (or likable). Solo doesn’t rank among the greatest French thrillers of the era, but it’s entertaining in the moment. Also included with this disc are interviews with Mocky and co-star Anne Deleuze. (1970/83 min/Radiance Films).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺
MARLOWE (Blu-ray) - Private detective Philip Marlowe has been played by a wide variety of actors over the years. Bogart did it best, of course, but there’s been some other good portrayals over the years. Even James Garner took a stab at it back in the ‘60s, and while he’s not terrible, his performance feels like a dry run for his Jim Rockford character. In fact, the whole thing plays like an extended Rockford Files episode, only with more violence and boobs (and less laid-back humor). Watchable without ever being memorable, at least it sports a good cast, including none other than Bruce Lee in a small role (doing what he does best). This disc includes a nifty video history of the Phillip Marlowe character by Howard S. Berger, which runs almost an hour and is actually more interesting than the movie itself. (1969/96 min/Arrow Video).
KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼
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