THE GIANT GILA MONSTER & THE KILLER SHREWS: Two Atrocities from Texas

THE GIANT GILA MONSTER & THE KILLER SHREWS (Blu-ray)

1959 / 74 & 69 min (2 movies)

FROM FILM MASTERS

Review by Mr. Paws😼

These two supremely silly slabs of cinema have much in common. Released in 1959, both feature the same director (Ray Kellogg), producer (Gordon McLendon) and screenwriter (Jay Simms). Both were shot on-the-cheap in Texas. And because they were mercilessly riffed on Mystery Science Theater 3000 during the height of that show’s popularity, both might have a bit of a cult following…mostly Mysties, I imagine.

Another thing they share is an amusing history, which this two-disc set offers with the bonus features. Perhaps not as many as a hardcore fan would like (if any exist for these films), but there’s enough backstory about the guys behind the scenes to make them far more interesting than their movies.

Of the two, The Giant Gila Monster is the most fun. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a regular-sized critter stomping around miniature sets? What really makes these scenes a hoot is that the titular lizard looks pretty irritated throughout the entire movie, as though he’d much rather be in his trailer. For bargain basement drive-in fodder, the overall performances actually aren’t half bad, and it’s hard to completely dismiss any film that pits a giant lizard against a hot rod.

A typical morning commute in Dallas, Texas.

The Giant Gila Monster is Jurassic Park compared to The Killer Shrews. Sorry, but never in the history of movies has a mole ever terrified anyone, even with ominous voice-over narration (courtesy of producer Gordon McLendon himself) and dogs dressed up as the title creatures. The acting, direction and special effects are predictably terrible.

There’s some laughs to be had at both movies’ expense, but I gotta say they were a lot more entertaining with Joel, Crow and Tom Servo’s silhouettes in the corner. Still, the transfers for them are pretty good, especially the 4K restoration for The Giant Gila Monster. For bad movie connoisseurs, this set is kind of fun, though probably not essential.

EXTRA KIBBLES

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Features 2 essays: “Pirate Radio, Presidential Assassinations and Gila Monsters,” by Don Stradley (about the life and career of producer Gordon McLendon) “The Unkillable Killer Shrews,” by Jason A. Ney.

THE GIANT GILA MONSTER

1.85: 1 THEATRICAL & 1.33:1 TELEVISION VERSIONS

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By podcasters Larry Slothe, James Gonis, Shawn Sheridan & Matt Weinhold.

AUDIO INTERVIEW - With actor Don Sullivan

TRAILER

THE KILLER SHREWS

1.85: 1 THEATRICAL & 1.33:1 TELEVISION VERSIONS

“RAY KELLOGG - AN UNSUNG MASTER” - An interesting 15 minute documentary about the director of both films, who actually had quite an impressive career.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By Jason A. Ney.

RADIO SPOTS

TENEBRAE (4K) : Dario's Greatest Hits Album

TENEBRAE (4K UHD)

1982 / 101 min 

FROM SYNAPSE FILMS

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Back in the day, Dario Argento had a knack for giving his films cool sounding titles, even if they often had little to do with the actual plot. For example, there’s absolutely nothing in 1982’s Tenebrae related to Christianity. It’s just the title of the main character’s latest novel, which is about a serial killer.

Tenebrae is about a serial killer, too. While mystery writer Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) is doing a book tour in Italy, a madman inspired by his writing begins slicing ‘n’ dicing, mostly people Neal knows. He also leaves the author cryptic notes trumpeting his handiwork. 

Returning to giallo for the first time since redefining the genre with Deep Red, Argento pulls out his usual bag o’ tricks…an unseen black-gloved killer, extended murder sequences, Daria Nicolodi, red herrings, a pulsating synth score by members of Goblin and an overwhelming emphasis on style over substance (or plausibility). It doesn’t come together quite as effectively this time around, perhaps because the director doesn’t bring anything new to the table. Watching Tenebrae is sort of like listening to a greatest hits album.

A Farewell to Arm.

Which is not to say the film isn’t enjoyable for fans. After all, sometimes we listen to a greatest hits album because we already know the songs. In that respect, Tenebrae works just fine. At this point in his career, Argento still knows how to put together intense, violent murder scenes, with the usual atmospheric build-up preceding each one. Sure, we have to put up with Anthony Franciosa (which no one deserves), but Argento himself is the true star. His name is ultimately more relevant to the film than its own title.

As with this year’s earlier release of Argento’s Phenomena, Synapse Films has put together another great 4K package for Tenebrae. This is the original uncut version, offered in both Italian and English, with a sharp & colorful transfer. An abundance of bonus features are also included, the best being a feature length documentary on the history of giallo. Being that he’s synonymous with the genre, plenty of Argento’s greatest hits are prominently featured and discussed. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K & BLU-RAY COPIES

ITALIAN AND ENGLISH VERSIONS

“YELLOW FEVER:THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GIALLO” - This is an excellent 90 minute documentary about the history of the giallo genre, featuring plenty of interviews with historians and directors. One thing is certain…Umberto Lenzi has a pretty high opinion of himself.  

“VOICES OF THE UNSANE” - Archival featurette.

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By Dario Argento biographer Maitland McDonagh; 2) By critics Alan Jones & Kim Newman; 3) By Argento expert Thomas Rostock.

INTERVIEWS - Individual archival interviews with actor John Steiner, author Maitland McDonagh, actor Daria Nicolodi, director Dario Argento and composer Claudio Simonetti.

INTRODUCTION BY DARIA NICOLODI

ALTERNATE OPENING CREDITS SEQUENCE

UNSANE END CREDITS SEQUENCE - Unsane was the film’s title when first released in the U.S.

INTERNATIONAL & JAPANESE TRAILERS

IMAGE GALLERY

THE YOUTUBE EFFECT is No Surprise...But Still Chilling

THE YOUTUBE EFFECT (Blu-ray)

2022 / 98 min

FROM DRAFTHOUSE FILMS

Available at www.moviezyng.com

Review by Fluffy the Fearless😺

In some ways, The YouTube Effect isn’t particularly revelatory. Part of this documentary chronicles the meteoric rise of the video sharing platform, from our go-to source for cat videos to a Google-driven cultural behemoth. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 20 years, you knew this already. 

Still, its history is kind of interesting. The film introduces us to its creators, as well as several individuals who’ve used YouTube for their various endeavors, some of whom achieved stardom (whether they deserve it or not). But what The YouTube Effect does best is show how the platform has become a double-edged sword. 

YouTube may indeed be the entertainment medium of choice for an entire generation, but it's also a soapbox for everyone with a chip on their shoulder and a hate-fueled agenda to reach others. In particular, members of the extreme right frequently rely on YouTube to present any crackpot belief as actual news. And as the film effectively shows, this is where an alarming number of people actually get their news. Again, we kinda knew this, but revisiting acts of intimidation, terror and violence perpetrated by YouTube-influenced psychos is chilling.

You can thank this guy for all those cat videos.

The YouTube Effect definitely directs a lot of focus on the platform’s dark side, mostly due to an distressing lack of self-regulation. Hence, one man’s struggle to have Google/YouTube remove video footage of his newscaster daughter’s murder has been largely fruitless. The film provides a persuasive argument that this social media giant is ultimately more concerned with advertising revenue than anything resembling ethics. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is also prominently interviewed, but comes across as oblivious (or indifferent) to the negative aspects related to the platform.

None of that is really a surprise, either, nor is the slightly subjective nature of the film as a whole. The YouTube Effect ain’t all doom & gloom, but while some of the platform's positive aspects are included, it definitely portrays Google and YouTube as a Big Brother-like corporate monster with its hands in everything. Whether or not the viewer ultimately agrees, this is a viewpoint worth contemplating.

EXTRA KIBBLES

Q&A WITH DIRECTOR ALEX WINTER

BAD CITY is a Good Throwback

BAD CITY (Blu-ray)

2022 / 118 min

FROM WELL GO USA

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

Kaiko City is a bad place indeed, hence the movie’s title. Not only is the town crawling with Yakuza, there’s corruption everywhere, including a lot of the police and district attorneys. So it’s the perfect place for mob-tied businessman Gojo (Lily Franky) to run for mayor.

His actual candidacy doesn't last long, however, because he’s too busy pitting two warring Yakuza clans against each other while getting involved with a South Korean mob. Meanwhile, the DA’s office sets up a secret squad called the Violent Crimes Division to put a stop to all the murders and nail Gojo. 

To head the team, they release disgraced ex-cop Torada (Hitashi Ozawa) from prison. Originally sentenced for murdering a Korean gangster (the son of the mob boss in league with Gojo), his freedom is only temporary, though he does appear to have something of a personal stake in all this.

A breather between beatdowns.

As antiheroes go, Torada’s pretty badass. Tough, streetwise and not above forming alliances with other bad guys, he’s a fun character who prefers his fists over guns (and gives a pretty amusing reason why during the climactic showdown against countless Gojo thugs).

Bad City is an entertaining throwback to the Yakuza films of the past, with the prerequisite amounts of action, violence and betrayal. At first, the narrative is a bit pokey and convoluted, with too many characters introduced all at once. But after it settles into the story and connects the dots, the film is generally pretty engaging. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

ENGLISH LANGUAGE OPTION

THE POOP SCOOP: Cruise, Creepers and a Colossal Collection

🐁DISNEY LEGACY ANIMATED FILM COLLECTION on Blu-ray November 14 from Disney.

Got $1500 laying around? Well, you could shell-out for the Disney Legacy Animated Film Collection, which contains 100 movies dating back to the first, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, through the most recent, Elemental, and damn near everything in between. And it isn’t just the Walt Disney classics…the Pixar movies are all here, as are a few of those disposable direct-to-video sequels the studio loves cranking out…and even Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas, which I don’t think anyone ever really considered part of Disney’s animated canon. While $1500 might seem like a steep price, look at it this way…assuming the average price of a Blu-ray is twenty bucks, you’d spend more buying all of ‘em separately. So I guess if you’ve never bought any of them but were always planning to, this is sort of a bargain. Available for pre-order at Walmart on September 15, the set comes with original poster art, a lithograph from the upcoming film, Wish, and a set of 100th Anniversary Mickey ears.

😺MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING Part One Comes to Digital 10/10 & 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD 10/31 from Paramount.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission - not even the lives of those he cares about most. Hailed as “the biggest and best action movie of the year” (Screen Rant), the edge-of-your-seat, non-stop thrill ride MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—DEAD RECKONING Part One becomes available to buy on Digital for fans to watch at home starting October 10, 2023.  The blockbuster hit will debut on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook™, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, and DVD on October 31st. Fans who purchase the film on Digital can go deeper into the mission with extensive, action-packed bonus content.  Get an inside look at how Tom Cruise and the filmmaking team pulled off multiple breathtaking stunts, go behind-the-scenes of the exotic filming locations, delve into spectacular footage not seen in theatres, learn about the intricacies of the filmmaking process with director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton, and more!

🙀TALK TO ME arrives October 3 on 4K + Blu-ray + Digital and Blu-ray+ DVD + Digital from Lionsgate.

When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits with an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, unleashing terrifying supernatural forces in the eye-popping, nightmarish debut from filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou. of @RackaRacka YouTube channel fame. They blend a ghost tale with modern sensibilities of a horror-thriller in their debut feature, Talk to Me. The Philippous collaborate with A24 for Talk to Me, arriving on 4K + Blu-ray + Digital and Blu-ray+ DVD + Digital on October 3. Starring Sophie Wilde (The Portable Door), Alexandra Jensen (Beat), Joe Bird (Rabbit), and Miranda Otto (The Lord of the Rings franchise). Talk to Me will also be available at Amazon with exclusive lenticular artwork on 4K + Blu-ray + Digital, and at Walmart with exclusive artwork on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital.

😺TERMS OF ENDEARMENT Celebrates 40th Anniversary with New 4K Ultra HD Release on November 14th from Paramount.

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the heartfelt drama TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, arriving for the first time on 4K Ultra HD as part of the Paramount Presents line on November 14, 2023 from Paramount Home Entertainment.  James L. Brooks produced, wrote the screenplay (based on the novel by Larry McMurtry), and made his directorial debut with TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, which ultimately earned 11 Academy Award® nominations and won for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Shirley MacLaine), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Jack Nicholson), and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. Both critically acclaimed and a box-office blockbuster, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT features a powerhouse cast including Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, and John Lithgow.  Originally released on November 23, 1983, the enduring classic follows the ups and downs of a mother-daughter relationship with honesty, heart, and humor.

APORIA: Small Film, Big Ideas

APORIA (Blu-ray)

2023 / 104 min

FROM WELL GO USA

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Sometimes having no money can work to your advantage.

For example, Aporia is an unassuming sci-fi drama written and directed by Jared Moshé, who obviously isn’t working with deep pockets typically afforded the Spielbergs and Nolans of the world. Without those kinds of resources, you gotta rely strictly on your concept. But if it’s a good one, you don’t need a lot of whiz-bang spectacle.

The film puts an interesting spin on a familiar premise: The ramifications of altering history. Sophie (Judy Greer) hasn’t gotten over the death of her husband, Mal (Edi Gathegi), who was hit by a drunk driver the previous year. The tragedy has also affected her relationship with daughter Riley (Faithe Herman), the two growing increasingly estranged. Worse yet, the driver still hasn’t faced any consequences.

Then family friend Jabir (Payman Maadi) shows her a device he and Mal had been working on in his apartment. Though it looks like a discarded engine block, it’s actually a time machine, of sorts. It doesn’t allow someone to physically travel back in time, but Jabir informs her he can direct its energy to a specific moment in the past and kill someone...such as the drunk driver before he causes Mail’s death. There’s just one catch…once it’s done, it can’t be undone.

"If you want me to stay this time, that paneling has got to go."

Sophie is initially reluctant, but inevitably relents. Then just like that, Mal is back, unaware that he was killed a year earlier (though both Jabir and Sophie still remember losing him). However, killing the driver caused a ripple effect that has slightly altered the present (in ways that I won’t disclose, because those reveals are part of the fun). Mal, Sophie and Jabir argue over whether or not to use the machine again, especially after discovering how it adversely affected the life of the drunk driver’s family. Meanwhile, Jabir takes it upon himself to prevent a mass school shooting, altering things even further.

Utilizing no special effects, Aporia is a low-tech sci-fi drama built on an creative idea and engaging characters. We’ve seen movies that explore the Butterfly Effect before, but this one keeps it small and personal. While the fate of the world may never be at stake, it’s life-changing for the protagonists, all of whom are well-meaning and likable enough that we’re invested in how their fates are altered.

The film is given an additional boost from the performances. Greer, in particular, convincingly conveys Sophie’s sense of loss, as well as the joy of seeing her husband again when it should have been impossible. She is ultimately the main reason Aporia works on an emotional level, in addition to being a great example of thought provoking sci-fi on a limited budget.

EXTRA KIBBLES

MAKING-OF FEATURETTE

TRAILER

THE MERGER: Footy Fun

THE MERGER (Blu-ray)

2018 / 103 min

FROM INDIEPIX

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

If you’ve regularly watched ESPN for any discernible length of time, you might have noticed that filling a 24-7 TV schedule with all-things-sports has occasionally yielded some peculiar programming…including things you didn’t even know were real sports.

This was especially true in the network’s early days, when they didn’t have broadcasting rights to most of the biggest sports. It was back then that my dad and I were introduced to Australian Rules Football, or “footy,” as it’s apparently called down-under. We never quite figured out the rules, but as a violent game that looked like it might have been conceived while throwing-back pints of lager, it was certainly fun to watch.

The Merger doesn’t spend much time explaining footy, either. But that’s okay, since director Mark Grentell & screenwriter-star Damian Callinan offer just enough for us to get the gist. And for a sports movie that puts its own cultural spin on the triumph-of-the-underdog story, we don’t need much else besides engaging characters…

…which the film provides plenty of, starting with reclusive wine-maker Troy Carrington (Callinan). He’s a former footy star who isn’t held in high regard by the people of Bodgy Creek because they blame him for the lumber mill closing. A lot of these folks - spearheaded by cantankerous team manager Bull Barlow (John Howard) - also resent the number of refugees who’ve relocated here (derogatorily referred to as ‘refos’).

Ladies Night.

But with the local footy team on the verge of folding due to lack of money and players, Bull’s widowed daughter-in-law, Angie (Kate Mulvany), suggests making Troy the coach. This initially doesn’t go over well at all, especially since Troy’s willing to let refugees on the team, the most skilled player being Sayyid (Fayssal Bazzi), who defected from Syria and is waiting for visas allowing his family to join him.

Filled with interesting characters, likable or otherwise, much of the narrative focuses on the various interactions between them. The most charming of them is probably the developing friendship between Troy and Angie’s brash 10-year-old son, Neil (Raffert Grierson), who lost his father a year earlier and sort-of serves as the film’s narrator (through a documentary he’s making about Troy).

There are a few other affecting side-stories related to the prejudice and tragedies these refugees have endured, the plea for empathy being an obvious theme. But plotwise, you’ve seen The Merger before, adhering to a tried-and-true formula pretty religiously. And that’s okay, because the film is also funny, insightful and ultimately heartwarming. I still don't know much about footy, though.

EXTRA KIBBLES

BEHIND-THE-SCENES FEATURETTE

INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR MARK GRENTELL

TRAILER

ELIZABETH (4K): An Upgraded Reminder

ELIZABETH (4K UHD)

1998 / 124 min

FROM UNIVERSAL

Available at www.moviezyng.com

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

For some reason, I often get Cate Blanchett and Gwyneth Paltrow mixed up. So revisiting movies like Elizabeth tends to remind me who's who. Paltrow is the weirdo hawking coffee enemas and crotch-scented candles, while Blanchett is the one with enough genuine talent to carry a movie entirely on her shoulders…

…which she does to a large extent in Elizabeth, earning an Oscar nomination in 1998 (though ironically, Paltrow actually took home the award). She deftly depicts the transformation of the film’s titular character from the illegitimate, idealistic daughter of Henry VII to the Queen of England nobody seems to want. 

Inheriting the throne while the country is most vulnerable to surrounding enemy countries, Elizabeth’s advisors urge her to marry a neighboring monarch and produce an heir. Elizabeth stubbornly resists, partially because she’s in love with earl Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes), but even he turns out to have an ulterior agenda.

Elizabeth creates another uncomfortable silence.

Others - including the Catholic church itself - conspire to get rid of her. Elizabeth’s only trusted ally seems to be Francis Walsingham (Geoffrey Rush), a once-exiled Protestant whose violently-efficient methods of protecting the queen eventually allow her to extend her influence. This culminates in a final act similar to those in the Godfather films, where Elizabeth attempts to solidify her throne by dispatching numerous enemies (even those close to her).

I don’t know how much of this is accurate (nor do I care), but it’s a pretty fascinating story, anchored by Blanchett’s powerful performance. If nothing else, Elizabeth reminded me to quit confusing her with Gwyneth Paltrow. But while key to its overall success, she’s not the only standout. Rush, in particular, is terrific, making Francis both cold-blooded and sympathetic. The film is also noteworthy for featuring Daniel Craig in a smaller early role as John Ballard, a priest appointed to assassinate the queen (and looking kind-of like a Sith Lord about to slaughter younglings).

This set comes with both a new 4K UHD transfer and a copy of the original Blu-ray released years ago. Visually, the 4K image is a big improvement, with a lot more sharpness and depth. However, there is no audio remix or upgrade. The Mater Audio 5.1 track is the same for both discs, which is fine because it still sounds quite good. And aside from a digital code, no new bonus features are included. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

FEATURETTES - The Making of Elizabeth; Elizabeth Featurette.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Shekhar Kapur.