JACK L. WARNER: THE LAST MOGUL: These Folks Know Jack

JACK L. WARNER: THE LAST MOGUL (Blu-ray)

1993 / 101 min

FROM VISION FILMS

Available at www.moviezyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

Warner Brothers Studio and its namesake siblings have been the subjects of many documentaries and books over the years, all of which vary in terms of quality and objectivity. This 1993 biographical documentary focuses squarely on Jack, arguably the most prominent of the brothers because he was creatively involved with the studio’s daily operations.

Directed by step-grandson Gregory Orr, Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul chronicles his life and career from childhood to his death in 1978. The Warners’ rags-to-riches tale has been told before, but since Jack was always the most boisterous and brash, there’s a lot more to chew on here than simply highlighting his career. Featuring interviews by many relatives and associates who knew him personally - not all of whom are filled with praise - we get more of a warts-and-all portrait than one might expect.

Jack is painted as congenial and ruthless in equal measures, in both life and his position as a studio head, which he held long after most other moguls succumbed to changing times and a business model which transferred most of the Hollywood power to artists and agents. His personal life was tumultuous, especially the combative relationship with older brother Harry and his estrangement from his own son, whom he more-or-less disowned. And yes, Jack M. Warner discusses his father, who seems remorseful they never reconciled.

Jack prepares for his meeting with Bette Davis (though he's still outgunned).

Of course, the film details his many achievements as the head of Warner Bros. - from The Jazz Singer (the first feature length talkie) through his last triumph, Mr Fair Lady - before being ousted from the studio in the ‘60s (much like he undermined his own brothers years before). And while this documentary doesn’t paint him as a saint, one still senses a lot of affection for its subject, even from those who find eloquent ways to say Jack could be a real son of a bitch. 

Originally produced 30 years ago, director Gregory Orr - who also figures into the story - has updated and re-edited his film with additional photos and visual enhancements to coincide with Warner Bros’ 100th Anniversary. Such accouterments don't make Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul any more definitive than other books or movies on the subject, but film history buffs will certainly enjoy it.

EXTRA KIBBLES

JACK L. WARNER TESTIFIES BEFORE THE HUAC - Vintage footage (from 1947) of his testimony.

INTERVIEW - Warner Brothers biographer interviews director Gregory Orr, who also discusses updating the film.

LAUNCH OF SS BENJAMIN WARNER

MERCY ROAD Gets Bumpy

MERCY ROAD (Blu-ray)

2023 / 86 min

FROM WELL GO USA

Review by Fluffy the Fearless😼

Mercy Road starts with a bang, with protagonist Tom (Luke Bracy) jumping into his truck and speeding away. He’s got blood on his hands and is obviously distraught over an incident that just occurred. Little by little, the narrative puts some of the pieces together through urgent cell phone conversations…

…in a nutshell, Tom has just murdered the man who apparently took compromising photos of his teen daughter, Ruby (whom he’s unable to locate). That man also happens to be his ex-wife’s new husband, and she’s already called the cops, convinced Tom has abducted Ruby. While trying to elude the authorities, Tom also receives a series of calls from a mysterious man simply known as “The Associate” (Toby Jones), who coolly informs him that he has Ruby and she’ll die unless Tom complies with all of his demands.

Evoking the similarly-structured Locke (2014), Mercy Road takes place almost entirely within the confines of the truck, and for a while, the film creates quite a bit of tension, especially regarding its main character. With his short fuse and checkered past, we’re never quite certain if Tom is someone we should be rooting for. Depending on the viewer, Bracy’s performance is either grippingly intense or amusingly overwrought. But considering he’s practically the only on-screen character, he does an admirable job holding our attention as long as he does.

When yet-another Taylor Swift song pops up on the radio.

But once the setting's novelty wears off, the story is kind of a bumpy ride. At this point, Mercy Road can be viewed two ways: As a straight thriller, the film achieves ridiculous levels of implausibility. Conversely, if we distrust Tom from the get-go, then the ultimate outcome can be predicted within the first 30 minutes, especially with writer-director John Curren’s ambiguous touches - like Tom being briefly terrorized by a malevolent spider - and the surreal artifice of the dark, fog-bound setting. Either way, this story probably could have been just as effectively told in half the time.

While the obvious, sometimes heavy-handed attempts to keep the viewer guessing grow a little wearisome, Mercy Road earns points for trying something a little different with its basic premise. It’s also wonderfully atmospheric - almost like a horror film - with the creepy-ass spider scenes being one such example.

LONG ARM OF THE LAW, PARTS I & II: Vintage '80s Asian Action

LONG ARM OF THE LAW, PARTS I & II (Blu-ray)

1984-1987 / 196 min (2 movies)

FROM 88 FILMS

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

Long Arm of the Law was a popular series of violent Hong Kong action films, all four of them released between 1984 and 1990. Other than the titles and some of the people behind the camera, there’s no narrative connection between them. Each features different characters and a stand-alone story. This nicely packaged Blu-ray set serves up the first two.

The first film, Long Arm of the Law, is about a close-knit band of thieves who plan a huge heist from a high-end Hong Kong jewelry store. The task is made more arduous by trusting a conniving local gangster who’s actually a police informant. The heist itself is exciting, as is the brilliantly edited climactic shootout. Until then, the story moves in fits & starts. These are unapologetically bad guys, but not all that interesting when they aren’t bashing faces and shooting people. The scenes involving personal drama or quests to get laid are pretty meandering. Still, the film was influential and remains highly revered.

Cheetos can be quite sensual in the right hands.

Personally, I found Long Arm of the Law: Saga II more entertaining, featuring a trio of former cops who escaped a mainland China prison, only to be apprehended in Hong Kong. The police give them a choice…work undercover as gangsters for two years or be sent back to prison. Naturally, they choose the former, though their brutal methods don’t sit well with the police chief. This one has an interesting plot - plenty of murder, betrayal & corruption - and a team of antiheroes whose loyalty to each other is pretty engaging. It also includes some truly despicable antagonists.

I’m not sure why the other two films in the series weren’t included. Maybe it’s a rights issue, maybe there’s another boxed set in the pipeline, or maybe they simply suck by comparison (I haven’t seen them, though Part III does feature the great Andy Lau, so it’s on my list). Whatever the case, these two films are brutal, blood-soaked fun for fans of classic Hong Kong action cinema. The set also comes with interesting bonus features for each film, which offer a lot of historical context.

EXTRA KIBBLES

TWO VERSIONS OF EACH MOVIE - Hong Kong & Export Cuts 

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Features a lengthy retrospective essay by film scholar Tom Cunliffe; cast, crew & Blu-ray credits.

REVERSIBLE COVERS - Featuring new and original artwork.

2-SIDED MINI POSTER - Featuring original Hong Kong artwork.

AUDIO COMMENTARIES - Frank Djeng provides commentaries for the Hong Kong cuts of each film.

LONG ARM OF THE LAW

NEW INTERVIEWS - Individual Q&A interviews with producer Michael Mak (brother of director Johnny Mak) & screenwriter Philip Chan.

VINTAGE INTERVIEWS - 1) with director Johnny Mak; 2) with screenwriter Philip Chan & action director Billy Chan.

TRAILER

LONG ARM OF THE LAW: SAGA II

NEW INTERVIEWS - Individual Q&A interviews with producer Michael Mak (who comes across as pretty impressed with himself), co-star Ben Lam, stuntman Stephen Chan & screenwriter Philip Chan.

HONG KONG & ENGLISH TRAILERS

THE FIFTH THORACIC VERTEBRA is a Bedtime Story

THE FIFTH THORACIC VERTEBRA (DVD)

2022 / 65 min

FROM INDIEPIX UNLIMITED

Review by Fluffy the Fearless😼

In the Korean film, The Fifth Thoracic Vertebra, a sentient, parasitic fungus gestates inside a mattress, growing larger as it feeds on the titular body part of anyone unfortunate enough to sleep there. Over the course of years, the film chronicles the mattress’ journey (and its occupant) as it’s acquired by various characters, mostly people experiencing some form of heartbreak. 

However, those expecting a goofy & gruesome slab of body horror are likely to be disappointed. The film does contain some effectively icky sequences - such as periodic montages depicting the humanoid creature’s growth, aided in large part by sickening sound effects - but in between are lengthy, low-key scenes of each character’s personal crisis leading up to being (sort of) attacked. 

One of the film's big action scenes.

By sort of, I mean the victims react in pain, but don’t appear to struggle, nor is it clear whether or not they die after the creature helps itself to their vertebra. It’s also suggested that it (again, sort of) grows stronger by feeding on their emotions. Writer-director Park Sye-young strives for a surreal aesthetic & tone, which he largely achieves. And conceptually, there’s some interesting stuff here, especially the nature of the creature. Whether for narrative or budgetary reasons, it’s never fully revealed, but through clever use of sound and sparse puppetry, Sye-young renders it fairly malevolent.

However, a major liability is the repetitious, episodic structure: Characters are introduced, they engage in brief verbal conflict, they’re attacked, the creature grows. Then the mattress ends up somewhere else, where the whole thing is repeated. Not a single character has more than about ten total minutes of screen time, nor are we given much reason to care about any of them. Additionally, a deliberate pace and overall emotional aloofness make the whole thing feel longer than its brief running time.

But even though the film is ultimately more cerebral than visceral, especially during the ambiguous final act, The Fifth Thoracic Vertebra has just enough intriguing moments to make it worth checking out at least once. There’s a definite Eraserhead vibe running through the whole thing that adventurous viewers might appreciate.

THE WARRIORS: History in a Box

THE WARRIORS Limited Edition (Blu-ray)

1979 / 93 min (2 cuts)

FROM ARROW VIDEO

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

Sometimes the history behind a movie is just as interesting as the movie itself.

Back in 1979, there was a little film called The Warriors, a simple-but-stylish thriller directed by Walter Hill about a small Coney Island street gang who are framed for the shooting of a powerful New York gang leader. They are then forced to make their way through New York City, avoiding rival gangs and the police in order to make it back to their home turf, where they will allegedly be safe. It is a long and perilous journey, and several gang members don’t make it back.

If you've ever seen this movie, you know The Warriors bears absolutely no resemblance to anything in the real world. It’s a cartoon fantasy - an aesthetic precursor to the likes of Escape from New York - with elaborately-attired gang-bangers whose ‘colors’ are more like Halloween costumes than the uniforms of the street (in fact, a lot of kids did dress-up like the Baseball Furies for Halloween that year). The violence is romanticized and choreographed, shot more for dramatic effect than any attempt at realism…kinda like West Side Story without the songs or the movie Kiss should have made instead of Phantom of the Park.

Still, a few real-life gangsters decided to go see it, but got into a tiff with rivals before or after the movie and commenced trying to kill each other. There were shootings, as well as a few deaths.

"Admit it, Swan...we're lost."

With these few incidents, totally unrelated to the movie, The Warriors became the most controversial film of the year. The media jumped all over it, suggesting the film itself was inciting deadly riots. Paramount Pictures reacted by removing all of its TV and radio ads, and eventually started pulling it from theaters. With hindsight, maybe the powers-that-be at Paramount used these incidents to create a high must-see factor for would-be thrill-seekers. 

So for a brief time, The Warriors was seen as dangerous, therefore irresistible, which undoubtedly contributed to the cult status it now enjoys. With the media whipping people into a frenzy, the movie had a sudden street-cred it didn’t really warrant, since it’s relatively lightweight fluff…not remotely dangerous, but a hell of a lot of fun and arguably Hill’s most entertaining movie. If not for the actions of a few gang-bangers, there’s a chance The Warriors would have been forgotten by the general public within a few weeks. Instead, it became something of a cultural phenomenon.

Boxed sets were made for classics such as this…the ones with stories every bit as enjoyable as the film. Arrow Video has put together a great two-disc set with 4K remasters of both the original theatrical cut and the Alternate Version, which was first released on DVD in 2005. Also included is a large selection of new and vintage bonus features covering all aspects of the production, as well as its immediate and long-term cultural impact. As with other Limited Edition sets from Arrow, plenty of physical goodies are thrown in (100 page booklet, poster, artcards, stickers), but unfortunately were not made available for review.

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.

THEATRICAL AND ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS - The theatrical cut is offered in its original aspect ratio (1.85:1) on home video for the first time 

NEW INTERVIEWS - Individual interviews with director Walter Hill, editor Billy Weber, costume designer Bobbie Maddox.

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION - This new feature has filmmakers Josh Olson, Lexi Alexander & Robert D. Kryzkowski in a Zoom meeting discussing their appreciation for the film.

NEW FEATURETTES - Come Out and Play (a look at the Coney Island locations today); Sound of the Streets (film historian Neil Brand discusses Barry De Vorzon’s prepulsive music score); Armies of the Night (a feature on the costumes, as well as conceptual costume design)

VINTAGE FEATURETTES - The Way Home (with cinematographer Andrew Laszlo); The Beginning; Battleground; The Phenomenon.

NEW AUDIO COMMENTARY - By critic & Walter Hill biographer Walter Chaw.

ISOLATED MUSIC SCORE - I always felt Barry De Vorzon’s score was vastly unappreciated.

INTRODUCTION BY WALTER HILL

ORIGINAL TRAILER - Which actually uses the theme from Sorcerer.

IMAGE GALLERY

MINE’S BIGGER THAN YOURS: A Book for Action Fans with a Sense of Humor

MINE’S BIGGER THAN YOURS: THE 100 WACKIEST ACTION MOVIES

(Book Review)

By Christopher Lombardo & Jeff Kirschner

2023 / 239 pp

FROM SCHIFFER PUBLISHING

Review by Tiger the Terrible😺

If you’re already familiar with the picture on the cover, then Mine’s Bigger Than Yours is probably the book for you.

Incidentally, that image is from the original promotional artwork for 1987’s Strike Commando, starring the one and only Reb Brown. And if that name rings a bell, this is definitely the book for you. Not only are Strike Commando and Strike Commando 2 featured among the selected titles, so are a few other films in Brown’s dubious resume (though unfortunately, not his magnum opus, Yor: the Hunter from the Future). 

The book’s subtitle, “The 100 Wackiest Action Movies,” is pretty accurate. Having seen Strike Commando, I can attest that this silly, sloppy Rambo rip-off might be the Holy Grail of wacky action movies. Not stopping there, authors Christopher Lombardo & Jeff Kirschner dive deeper than the Surgeon General recommends to unearth a slew of other films, many of which I never knew even existed. The cheeky essays dedicated to each title certainly has me curious about some of them…they may be bad, but are they Strike Commando bad?

Elsewhere, some of the usual suspects appear…titles from the likes of Dolph Lundgren, Steven Seagall and Chuck Norris, along with more-than-a-few action hero wannabes (like Reb Brown). But the authors don’t just pick on the little guys. A few comparatively bigger budget Hollywood films are here, too, like Electra, Roadhouse and Batman & Robin (and they deserve to be). 

Still, it’s the essays dedicated to the low-to-no budget boomfests that are the most entertaining. The plot synopses are often very funny, but also informative and detailed without providing spoilers (which is appreciated). Unsurprisingly, a lot of these films hail from the 1980s, but older and more recent titles are included as well. The list is divided into nine different chapters for different subgenres. Each film is given its own one-to-two page summary and assessment, along with stills and (best of all) promotional art that’s often as silly as the movies themselves.

My only personal quip? No Cobra, certainly the silliest of Sylvester Stallone’s cinematic suppositories. It might come as a surprise that only one Stallone flick is featured (Lock Up). But other than that, Mine’s Bigger Than Yours is a fun read that encourages action fans with a sense of humor to check some of these crappy classics themselves (I, for one, can’t wait to see Crocodile Fury).

TITANIC (4K): Epic Movie, Epic Boxed Set

TITANIC Collector’s Edition (4K UHD)

1997 / 194 min

FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😻

Please forgive me while I take a brief moment to indulge in a little nitpicking. James Cameron’s Titanic was first released in December of 1997. So this year is actually the film’s 26th anniversary, not the 25th, as touted on the outer sleeve. It’s a minor calculatory error that I doubt anyone has lost any sleep over. Besides, 25 years does sound like more of a milestone.

What really matters is Titanic is finally available in 4K, both as a standard release and this beautifully packaged Collector’s Edition loaded with all kinds of physical goodies fans are sure to get a kick out of. And since it remains one of the biggest films of all time (even taking inflation into account), there are obviously a lot of fans out there (though I know it's uncool in some circles to admit that). 

So even though it’s very likely that a copy of Titanic on DVD or Blu-ray already sits in many of your movie collections, this one is definitely worth upgrading to 4K. The overall remastered picture reveals an extraordinary amount of detail while retaining enough grain so it still looks like a film. This more sharpened image does, however, tend to render a few of the once-jawdropping CGI-heavy scenes a bit more artificial, such as the ‘flyovers’ of the ship with people walking the decks. Still, the film looks gorgeous. The disc sounds great, too, with three audio options, the most immersive being a stunning new Dolby Atmos track.

Cinema snobs shouldn't bother.

Additionally, the set comes with a huge selection of new and vintage bonus features. While the new interviews don’t reveal a whole lot that hasn’t already been said (by the same people), some features include some previously unseen footage (mostly behind-the-scenes). Most of the older material is carried over from the Blu-ray and/or 2005 DVD. But the Collector’s Edition is the version you really want. Its price tag is a little on the hefty side, but the additional physical material is really cool (and outlined below).

As for the movie itself, Titanic remains grand, old-fashioned entertainment on an epic scale, the kind of which they don’t make anymore (actually, they weren’t really making ‘em in the ‘90s, either). Sure, some of the dialogue has always been clunky and certain scenes are shamelessly manipulative, but unless you’re a smug, self-impressed cynic, the film is still a thrilling, emotionally-powerful crowdpleaser. Paramount has done right by its legacy with this outstanding boxed set.

EXTRA KIBBLES 

TITANIC: STORIES FROM THE HEART - New interviews with directors James Cameron, producer Jon Landau and actor Kate Winslet.

REFLECTIONS ON TITANIC - A four-part, hour-long archival doc about the film’s production and cultural impact. Features interviews with numerous cast & crew.

TITANIC: 25 YEARS LATER - A new feature, running about 25 minutes, where director James Cameron explores and discusses real life details about the sinking and, more amusingly, tests whether or not Jack could have gotten on the raft with Rose.

FEATURETTES - Behind-the-Scenes Presentation (producer Jon Landau host, covering much of the same ground as other bonus features); Additional Behind-the-Scenes; Deep Dive Presentation (director James Cameron narrates his actual dive to the ship); $200,000,001: A Ship’s Odyssey (an amusing and cheeky montage assembled by the crew, with plenty of clowning around on-set); Videomatics (pre-production test footage with scale models and storyboards; Visual Effects (montage of various before & after effects sequences).

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By writer-director James Camron; 2) By various cast & crew; 3) Historical commentary by Don Lynch & Ken Marshall.

5 DELETED SCENES - With optional commentary by director James Cameron.

TRAILER PRESENTATION - Producer Jon Landau presents and discusses two very different trailers created for the film.

VIDEO: “MY HEART WILL GO ON” - Of course.

STILL GALLERIES - Titanic script; Storyboards; Production art; ; Photos; Ken Marshall Painting Gallery; Concept Posters & One Sheets (from 1997, 2012 and some additional fan-created art).

HARDCOVER BOOK - Text and behind-the-scenes photos of some of titanic’s most famous scenes.

PHYSICAL KIBBLES! - Titanic schematic blueprint (shows actual locations of various famous scenes on the ship); Titanic boarding pass replica; Launch viewing ticket replica; Meal menu replicas (1st, 2nd & 3rd class); Note replicas (Jack’s note to Rose and Rose’s note to Cal); “My Heart Will Go On” sheet music. (All this material comes in a large, sturdy envelope).