ARMSTRONG: Quite the Life

ARMSTRONG (Blu-ray)

2019 / 100 min

FROM GRAVITAS VENTURES

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Pepper the Poopy😺

If you know nothing about the first man to set foot on the moon, this is a great documentary. Since I’m among the ignorant, I really enjoyed Armstrong.

The film affectionately chronicles Neil Armstrong’s life from his humble upbringing in Wapakoneta, Ohio to his death in 2012 at 82. After a succinct summary of his childhood - and fascination with airplanes - the focus segues to his Korean War combat fighter experience and eventual career as a test pilot. It’s during this time he meets and marries his first wife, Janet (who’s interviewed extensively).

But the meat of the movie is Armstrong’s time at NASA. Beginning in the fledgling space program, he eventually becomes part of Project Gemini, during which time his skills help to avoid a catastrophic disaster during a space mission (I had no idea). Of course, the Apollo 11 mission and moonwalk are covered and discussed in the most detail. Even though we’ve all seen and heard it a million times, the event is made more interesting by numerous anecdotes and comments from those who were involved.

Of all his accomplishements, Neil is most proud of his piercings.

Speaking of which, Armstrong features dozens of interviews with friends, fellow aviators & astronauts, as well as family members, including his two sons. Nearly all of them describe him as a smart, selfless and relatively quiet man who didn’t particularly enjoy the limelight. The only time the film approaches depicting Armstrong negatively is when Janet explains why she eventually divorced him. And even then, there’s no scandal or dirt…he was simply married to his work. 

Director David Fairhead does a fine job combining new and vintage footage to tell an engaging story rather than just an academic account. Armstrong’s own words are given a bit of dramatic oomph from Harrison Ford, while the affecting music score renders everything a bit more awe inspiring. As someone who knew nothing about Neil Armstrong beyond his lunar footprint, I found his life quite interesting.

EXTRA KIBBLES 

FEATURETTES - In Gemini 8 Capsule, director David Fairhead gets to film in and around the spacecraft used by Neil Armstrong; Flight of Fancy goes behind the scenes of the song that plays over the end credits, which was written by Neil’s son.

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ADDITIONAL SCENES

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS and the Unexpected MacGuffin

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS (Blu-ray)

2024 / 83 min

FROM UNIVERSAL

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Leave it to one of the Coen Brothers (and his wife) to come up with the most unexpected MacGuffin I've ever seen, which I won’t even hint at. But when it’s revealed, chances are you’ll laugh, if for no other reason than Ethan Coen & Tricia Cooke’s audacity. 

Even without Joel co-writing/co-directing, Drive-Away Dolls reflects the brothers’ quirky sensibilities, though even longtime, unsuspecting Coen fans might be initially blindsided. For one thing, the film is raunchy as hell, often hilariously so, though the humor occasionally feels a bit too calculated. Still, we kinda need a movie like this…a screwball comedy featuring two protagonists who happen to be lesbians. Their orientation is certainly part of the narrative, with a ton of jaw-droppingly frank dialogue and ample sex scenes (which are more comedic than erotic), but that isn’t what drives the plot. 

Drive-Away Dolls is a road movie with elements the Coens have visited before. Margaret Qualley & Geraldine Viswanathan play Jamie and Marian, two close friends who take a road trip to Tallahassee in a drive-away car. However, stashed in the trunk is a briefcase containing the aforementioned MacGuffin. The problem is that the car was supposed to be picked up by a couple of criminals to deliver the case to the same town. Those guys, Arliss (Joey Slotnick) and Flint (C.J. Wilson), are ordered by their boss (Colman Domingo) to track the girls down and retrieve the case.

The movie's two clean gags.

Of the two protagonists, Jamie is more free-spirited and uninhibited (to say the least), bent on spending a good deal of this trip hitting lesbian bars while trying to get perpetually-uptight Marian to loosen up a little. During their episodic journey, we get to know both pretty well and their relationship is often amusing, ultimately endearing. Elsewhere, the segments with Arliss and Flint chasing down the girls - usually a step or two behind - are frequently hilarious, while Beanie Feldstein threatens to steal the movie as Jamie's disgruntled ex, Sukie (and also a cop).

I’ve avoided specifics because much of what makes Drive-Away Dolls fun is not knowing what’s going to happen next…or what’ll fly out of someone’s mouth, especially Jamie’s. Overall, it’s an entertaining film with excellent performances by the entire cast. Though never quite as clever as the Coens’ best comedies, there are enough oddball characters and off-the-wall moments to remind us who’s behind the camera. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - The Drive-Away Gang; Drive-Away Dolls: An Ethan and Tricia Project; Road Trip Essentials.

DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

THE POOP SCOOP: Upcoming Kibbles!

😺SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT 25th Anniversary & TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE 20th Anniversary 4K Ultra HDs debut on June 25th

Join us as we celebrate 25 years of warping fragile little minds when the critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT arrives for the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc June 25, 2024 from Paramount Home Entertainment. On June 30, 1999, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker unleashed their wildly popular South Park characters on the big screen for the first time. Twenty-five years later, SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT remains as irreverent, insightful, and hilarious as when it first premiered. The 25th Anniversary 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo includes legacy bonus content detailed below, access to a Digital copy of the film, and—for the first time—the Sing-A-Long version of the film. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s uproariously subversive TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, which will also make its 4K Ultra HD debut on June 25th.  The 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo includes access to a Digital copy of the film, the Uncensored and Unrated cut of the film on Blu-ray, as well as legacy bonus content.

😺DUNE PART TWO Arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD May 14, and on Digital NOW from Warner Bros.

Dune: Part Two explores the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. Dune: Part Two is directed by three-time Academy Award nominee Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival,” “Blade Runner 2049”) from a screenplay he and Jon Spaihts wrote, based on the seminal bestselling novel of the same name written by Frank Herbert. The expanded all-star international ensemble cast features returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar nominee Josh Brolin, Oscar nominee Austin Butler, Oscar nominee Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Oscar winner Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, with Stellan Skarsgård, with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling, and Oscar winner Javier Bardem. 

🐕ARTHUR THE KING now on Digital and coming to Blu-ray and DVD May 28 from Lionsgate.

Based on the “heart-swelling true story” (Courtney Howard, Variety) of friendship and loyalty, ARTHUR THE KING arrives on Premium Video on Demand and Premium Electronic Sell-Through on April 23, and on Electronic Sell-Through, Blu-ray (+ DVD + Digital), and DVD May 28 from Lionsgate. Embark on the physical and emotional journey based on the true story of adventure racer Mikael Lindnord and Arthur, the dog that changed Lindnord’s life. The film stars Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg. In ARTHUR THE KING, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur over the course of a grueling 10-day, 435-mile racecourse. An “inspiring story for the whole family” (Rachel Wagner, Rachel’s Reviews), and based on true events, ARTHUR THE KING follows Light, desperate for one last chance to win, as he convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. Pushing the team to the outer limits of endurance and sacrifice, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty, and friendship truly mean.

🙀FEAR & LOVE: THE STORY OF THE EXORCIST Now Available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime.

Do You Remember STIGMATA?

STIGMATA (Blu-ray)

1999 / 102 min

FROM CAPELIGHT PICTURES

Review by Joey, the Sudden Cat🙀

I watched Stigmata back in the day, but until revisiting it for this Blu-ray review, couldn’t have told you a damn thing about it. There was nothing in the film that resonated enough to make it all that memorable. 25 years later, I felt like I was watching it for the first time.

And you know what? It still isn’t all that memorable.

Which is not the same as saying it flat-out sucks. Stigmata is competently made, is reasonably well acted and has a premise that, in the right hands, has great horror potential. However, I suspect it was put together by a committee of craftsmen who had no clue about how to make an effective horror film.

The basic plot has atheist hairdresser Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) suffering from the titular ailment, in which the victim bears wounds similar to those inflicted upon Jesus during the crucifixion. They don’t appear all at once, of course, and most of the horror sequences feature Frankie violently receiving these wounds. I’m no filmmaker, but do know that scenes intended to instill terror shouldn’t be shot & cut like a Michael Bay action movie.

Looks like Frankie's gonna do some re-gifting this year.

Vatican investigator Father Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne) is appointed to investigate, while Frankie begins to show the usual signs of possession…not of a demon, but a dead priest whose stolen rosary was given to her. It’s not adequately explained why a clergy’s spirit - no matter how pissed - would subject anyone to pain, possession, levitation and fire just to reveal an ancient document containing the gospel of Jesus himself. Sounds a bit excessive.

But that’s just nitpicking. All the flash, fireworks and hyperactive editing in the world can't mask uninspired storytelling. Stigmata offers nothing we haven’t seen before, in movies or a well-made heavy metal video. On the plus side, it’s so forgettable that one could revisit it every couple of years and feel like they’re watching a brand new movie.

EXTRA KIBBLES

DIVINE RITES: THE STORY OF STIGMATA - Part making-of featurette, part speculative look at the history of stigmatics.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Rupert Wainwright.

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ALTERNATE ENDING

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THE TIN STAR: A Worthwhile Little Western

THE TIN STAR (Blu-ray)

1957 / 93 min

FROM ARROW VIDEO

Review by Mr. Paws

The Tin Star is one of the few westerns Anthony Mann directed during the 1950s that doesn’t star Jimmy Stewart. While no Winchester ‘73, it’s an entertaining film thanks to good overall performances and an engaging (if thematically familiar) story. 

Henry Fonda is Morgan Hickman, a wandering bounty hunter riding into town with the dead body of his latest quarry. He meets idealistic-but-inexperienced sheriff Ben Owens (Anthony Perkins), who got the job after the last one was killed. He doesn’t approve of Morgan’s methods, believing everyone should get a fair trial. However, his righteous resolve is frequently tested by Bart Bogardus (Neville Brand), a local bully who regularly challenges and intimidates him.

Bounty hunters aren’t held in high regard in this town, so when only hotel refuses to rent him a room, Morgan ends up staying with Nona (Betsy Palmer), a widowed dressmaker who lives on the edge of town and is also something of an outcast herself, raising a son she had with a Native-American. As he’s waiting to collect his bounty, Morgan becomes close with them, while Ben, despite his initial misgivings, realizes this stranger is more than he seems. In fact, he’s a former lawman. Somewhat reluctantly, Morgan agrees to teach Ben the ropes.

"Welcome, stranger. We have 12 cabins, 12 vacancies."

Later, when beloved town doctor Doc McCord (John McIntire) is murdered, the mayor demands Ben to form a posse to track down the killers. Ben wants to bring them in alive, while Bogardus and his bloodthirsty bunch plan on lynching the culprits. Despite the bounty placed on the killers, Morgan initially refuses to get involved and implores the inexperienced Ben to think twice about trying to catch them. However, when the boy follows the posse into the hills, Morgan is compelled to try and same them both.

Running a brisk 90 minutes, The Tin Star isn’t a particularly complex film, but it’s generally pretty enjoyable, with well-drawn characters and an interesting story that culminates in a satisfying climax. Fonda doesn’t really stretch himself here, but his indubitable earnestness is just what a character like Morgan needs for us to be invested. On a side note, it’s kind of amusing that two prominent cast members would someday be best-known for playing legendary psychos. Palmer is actually quite a dish in this one (and gets to keep her head).

Fairly light on action until the final act, The Tin Star benefits from a well-written screenplay (which was nominated for an Oscar) and typically confident direction by Mann, both of which compensate for the story’s overall predictability. While not as big or ambitious as some of the more iconic westerns of the genre, it's a worthwhile little western that looks great on this limited edition Blu-ray, which comes which a smattering of interesting bonus features.

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.

APPRECIATING A MASTER - A pretty thorough appreciation of the film by critic Neil Sinyard.

BEYOND THE SCORE - Elmer Bernstein’s son, Peter, talks about growing up with the legendary composer.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By historian Toby Roan.

TRAILER

IMAGE GALLERY

BOOKLET, MINI-POSTER, LOBBY CARD REPLICAS & REVERSIBLE COVER (not reviewed)

THE CHURCH (4K): Dario's Disciple Delivers

THE CHURCH (4K UHD)

1989 / 102 min

FROM SEVERIN FILMS

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

This one crept onto my radar back in the day because I’ve always been a huge Emerson, Lake & Palmer fan and had heard keyboard god Keith Emerson did the music score. But it would be years before I actually got the chance to see it, and was initially disappointed that most of the soundtrack consisted of music by Phillip Glass and one of the guys from Goblin. 

Still, Emerson’s sinister main title track sets the tone for the prologue, where witch-hunting Teutonic Knights in medieval Germany slaughter an entire village and bury their corpses in a mass grave. Then a massive church is built on the site to keep the demons at bay. Centuries later, Evan (Tomas Arana) is hired as a librarian in the same church, where he quickly gets cozy with restoration artist Lisa (Barbara Cupisti) and befriends plucky teenager Lotte (Asia Argento), the daughter of one of the priests.

Though warned to stay out of the building’s catacombs, Evan can’t help himself (otherwise, no movie). After reading an ancient parchment discovered by Lisa, he goes looking for the Stone with Seven Eyes, which he finds, of course. Removing the stone releases long-dormant demons which possess Evan and eventually trap a variety of other secondary characters in the church during the third act. It’s the only aspect of the plot where The Church resembles the Demons sequel it was once apparently conceived to be (but wisely abandoned).

Comic relief.

Why some become possessed while others don’t isn’t explained, nor is it really all that important. With lessons learned from good buddy (and co-producer) Dario Argento, director Michele Saovi emphasizes atmosphere and surrealism over logic and exposition. The film is visually impressive, especially sequences taking place within the labyrinthine church. There reaches a point in the narrative where the story itself - pretty-much bereft of a traditional main character - takes a backseat to aesthetics, including some creepy imagery and well-executed death scenes. And I have to admit…the Goblin music enhances the overall tension more effectively than Emerson’s few contributions do.

Though not as well-known or appreciated as some other Italian horror films of the 80s, The Church is definitely worth checking out. It reflects an obvious Argento influence, but I’d argue that it’s better than anything he was cranking out at the time. This 4K UHD release boasts an excellent picture and three audio options, English 5.1, English and Italian Stereo. There’s also a Blu-ray disc with the feature film and, more significantly, a ton of retrospective interviews with various cast and crew members.

EXTRA KIBBLES

REGION-FREE 4K and REGION A BLU-RAY COPIES

INTERVIEWS - 13 individual, often extensive interviews: The Mystery of the Cathedrals (with director Michele Saovi, who’s probably the gives the most entertaining interview of the bunch); Alchemical Possession (with producer/co-writer Dario Argento); The Eleventh Commandment (with co-writer Dardano Sacchetti); Lotte (with actor Asia Argento); Here Comes the Bride (with actor Antonella Vitale, who played the bitchy bride); A Demon Named Evan (with actor Tomas Arana); Father Giovanni (with actor Lombardo Rapice); Monsters & Demons (with FX artist Sergio Stivaletti); Holy Ground (with make-up artist Franco Casagni); Building the Church (with set designer Antonello Geleng); The Right-Hand Man (with assistant director Claudio Lattanzi); Return to the Land of the Demons (with Dario Argento biographer Alan Jones).

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THE SCARFACE MOB is Big Screen TV

THE SCARFACE MOB (Blu-ray)

1959 / 102 min

FROM ARROW VIDEO

Review by Mr. Paws😺

The original Untouchables was a TV series that ran for five years during the late 50s-early 60s. It starred Robert Stack as real-life federal agent Eliot Ness, who famously took down Al Capone during the prohibition era. The show itself was mostly fanciful fiction, with only the two-part pilot episode being based on actual events.

That two-parter was later recut & released as a theatrical feature, The Scarface Mob, which was pretty violent for its time and boasts a striptease by bombshell Barbara Nichols that would never have made it past TV censors back in the day. It chronicles Ness and his small team of incorruptible cops (and one reformed ex-con) as they try to bust Capone’s illegal operation, one brewery at a time. 

Most of the narrative takes place while Capone (Neville Brand) is in jail, with right-hand man Frank Nitti (Bruce Gordon) running things while he’s gone. Once released, Capone raises the stakes, targeting Ness, his team and even his wife. But of course, Ness won’t be intimidated, even after his wife is assaulted and a trusted partner is murdered.

Extreme hall monitors.

Those who only know of The Untouchables from Brian De Palma’s 1987 classic might find this film a bit quaint, which doesn’t quite escape its episodic TV origins. That’s likely due to time and budget restraints, and why a lot of exposition is urgently provided by narrator Walter Winchell. Still, the story is more or less the same and fitfully entertaining, with some pretty good action and a stoic performance by Stack. As Capone, Brand is suitably menacing, though his Italian accent is terrible.

The Scarface Mob features solid, no-nonsense direction by Philip Karlson, whose extensive film noir background keeps things fast moving and visually interesting. As gun & gangster epics go, it’s no classic, but certainly an agreeable way to kill a few hours...and an enjoyable trip down memory lane for those who might recall the original TV show.

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.

GANG BUSTERS - video essay about director Philip Karlson

PHILLIP KEMP ON THE SCARFACE MOB - The film critic discusses Elliot Ness and his depiction in the media, including this film and up to 1987’s The Untouchables.

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IMAGE GALLERIES - Posters, stills, lobby cards & publicity photos.

BOOKLET, MINI-POSTER, LOBBY CARD REPLICAS & REVERSIBLE COVER (not reviewed)