Meet MR. LUCKY

MR. LUCKY (Blu-ray)

1943 / 100 min

From Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

It seems like quite a few Cary Grant movies have been getting upgraded lately. One of the all-time great thrillers, North by Northwest, recently got a masterful 4K restoration, as did the 1942 comic-mystery The Talk of the Town. Lesser known than those two classics is Mr. Lucky, a charming romantic comedy featuring Grant doing what he does best…which is being Cary Grant.

During World War II, fast-talking gambler/conman Joe Adams (Grant) is trying to avoid the draft while looking to get-hold of quick cash for his casino ship, which is docked in New York. He assumes the identity of one of his dead partners, becoming Joe Bascopoulos, but is unsuccessful raising money. Then he meets Dorothy Bryant (Laraine Day), who’s in charge of a war relief organization. Joe proposes putting together a charity casino night for an upcoming fundraiser, in which he and his boys would provide the games and equipment with the promise of raising thousands of dollars. In reality, he plans on absconding with the winnings afterwards. 

"You might wanna wait a few minutes before going in there."

Dorothy is reluctant and suspicious at first, but Joe endears himself to her colleagues…and eventually Dorothy herself, despite learning - from her overprotective grandfather - that “Joe Bascopoulos” is a career criminal one step away from being sent away for life. Of course, the two fall for each other, and after hearing of the tragedy that the real Bascopoulos’ Greek family endured during a Nazi invasion, Joe has second thoughts about his scheme. Meanwhile, Joe’s disgruntled ex-partner, Zepp (Paul Stewart), has plans of his own, which involves setting Joe up to go to prison while making off with the $200,000 in casino earnings.

Mr. Lucky immediately establishes a light, breezy tone, with amusing dialogue and playful performances. Grant is…well, Cary Grant, which is just the type of persona Joe needs to make him lovable, even when he’s swindling others (most of them actually deserve to be duped). As Dorothy, Day is lovely and engaging, first as a funny foil, then as Joe’s (sort-of) partner-in-crime. Also enjoyable is Alan Carney as “Crunk,” Joe’s beleaguered right-hand man forced to take up crochet on his boss’ behalf (a great running gag).

The story is needlessly protracted during the final act, with a comparatively serious (and violent) clash between Joe and Zepp, as well as a bit more melodrama then the film really needed. But until then, Mr. Lucky offers plenty of fast-paced, fast-talking fun. Though not one of Cary Grant’s more iconic roles, he’s nevertheless in fine form here.

EXTRA KIBBLES

2 RADIO BROADCASTS - Lux Radio Theater with Cary Grant & Laraine Day; Screen Director’s Playhouse with Cary Grant and H.C. Potter.

TRAILER

THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH: A Historical Footnote

THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH (Blu-ray)

1974 / 84 min

From Sony

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😽

Poor Paul Mace. Not only did he die pretty young (in 1983), he’s the only primary cast member of The Lords of Flatbush who never went on to bigger things. I wonder what he thought of his co-stars’ hitting the big time almost immediately after this film’s release, while he spent what was left of his life guest starring on TV shows.

Not that The Lords of Flatbush itself catapulted the careers of Sylvester Stallone, Henry Winkler, Susan Blakely and Perry King. This low budget American Graffiti wannabe had a short run in theaters before quietly disappearing…until Happy Days and Rocky made Winkler and Stallone household names. Then the film enjoyed a lot of renewed attention when it aired on television. Of course, we were all curious, perhaps some of us unaware this was made when they were still struggling actors.

Taking place in the ‘50s, the movie is a coming-of-age, slice of life drama focusing on the titular characters, four high school hoods (who don’t remotely resemble teenagers) that spend their days disrupting class, shooting pool, hanging out and stealing cars. There are couple of subplots along the way, such as Chico (King) trying to get with a girl way out of his league (Blakely), and Stanley (Stallone) being coerced into getting married by his bossy girlfriend. But other than that, there isn’t much of a story.

"I ordered my fries an hour ago."

The film meanders along at a leisurely pace, none of it particularly thought provoking and, overall, pretty light on significant conflict. There are also a lot of scenes where the dialogue feels improvised, and is sometimes pretty raunchy for a PG-rated film. The four leads are decent in their roles, with Stallone being a particular standout as Stanley, who could be seen as a precursor to Rocky Balboa. 

Today, I imagine the primary appeal of The Lords of Flatbush is largely nostalgia…or maybe curiosity. The film is watchable and occasionally engaging, but mostly just a historical footnote in the careers of its impressive cast. Except for poor Paul Mace, who pretty-much became a footnote himself.

EXTRA KIBBLES

TRAILER

CONCLAVE Makes the Mundane Memorable

CONCLAVE (4K UHD)

2024 / 120 min

From Universal

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Bonnie the Bishop😺

It was with a sense of obligation that I first watched 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front. A German film based on an ancient novel I was force-fed in high school didn’t seem like my idea of a good time. But I always try to see as many Oscar nominated films as I can before the big night. It makes the evening more interesting.

But damn, if it didn’t turn out to be one of the best war films I’ve seen in recent years, perhaps second only to Dunkirk. Though I still think the best movie did win (Everything Everywhere All at Once), a small part of me was a tad disappointed the Academy didn’t throw everyone a curveball and pick this one.

It was with a similar sense of obligation that I sat down to review Conclave on 4K UHD. Recent flicks like Immaculate and The First Omen notwithstanding, Catholic shenanigans didn’t seem like a good time either, especially since the entire story revolves around a bunch of Cardinals gathering to elect a new pope after the old one dies.

But damn, if it didn’t turn out to be a compelling two hours, beautifully shot and unfolding like a thriller, teeming with intrigue. Ralph Fiennes gives one of his best performances as Cardinal Lawrence, reluctantly overseeing the entire conclave and managing the sequestered cardinals. It’s a long, grueling process, exacerbated by opposing philosophies, plenty of scandal and a shocking amount of backstabbing. Outside the Sistine Chapel, a few terrorist bombings occur, stoking political fires inside. In a way, the story feels a little like a microcosm of our current social climate.

Another losing Powerball ticket.

When it comes to the papal election process, I have no idea if Conclave is accurate, nor do I care. What truly matters is we feel like flies on the wall, witnessing these highly secretive events unfold. We might find even ourselves taking sides with certain candidates over others, much like the cardinals charged with such a consequential task.

In addition to its complex story and characters, Conclave boasts a loaded cast, including Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini, John Lithgow as conniving, ambitious Cardinal Tremblay, Sergio Castellitto as ultra right-winger Cardinal Tedesco and Isabella Rossellini in small but crucial role as Sister Agnes. But really, the movie belongs to Fiennes, who at least deserves a Best Actor nomination. 

The movie also belongs to Edward Berger, who directed this and All Quiet on the Western Front. These films that couldn’t be more different, yet both are narratively and visually fascinating. Maybe the guy’s got a knack for making the mundane memorable. At any rate, Berger’s another director I’m gonna start paying attention to.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - Sequestered: Inside Conclave is a pretty good making-of doc featuring interviews with director Edward Berger and the primary cast.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Edward Berger.

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

KITTEN COLLECTIBLES #10: Shut Up and Take My Money

A Treasure Hunt by D.M. ANDERSON💀

In addition to watching and writing about films, I’m something of a memorabilia collector. Cursed with a teacher’s salary, I ain’t out there bidding on Dorothy’s ruby slippers or anything, but certainly enjoy haunting local shops for a variety of movie-related stuff. Or when feeling particularly bold, I’ll occasionally overpay for some retro relic on eBay. More often than not, I leave stores empty-handed. But every now and then, I’ll find a small treasure that doesn’t completely empty my wallet and give it a new home in the Dave Cave.

During the holidays, my father, bless his heart, always gives me a rather sizeable check. Thanks to him, I’m afforded the opportunity to blow money on frivolous shit without feeling guilty about it. At no other time would I drop $160 bucks on a Lego set at my age. But not just any Lego set.

I loved Legos as a kid, but back then, sets weren’t created and sold to build anything specific…just a big box of bricks to construct whatever you could imagine. And my collection was huge, the result of being the go-to gift for relatives to buy me when they couldn't think of anything else. Except my grandmother, of course, who gave me a subscription to National Geographic every year under the apparent assumption that’s what preteen boys enjoyed reading. Good thing she never got a look under my mattress.

After leaving such childhood things behind, Lego sets became more elaborate…and expensive. Not only that, you can hardly find just a simple box of bricks anymore. Every set is designed to build something specific, with accompanying instructions. I have a friend - a big Star Wars nut - who shelled out $300 for a Millennium Falcon set. After spending 18 hours putting it together, he proudly brought it to work so we could admire his achievement. I offered a polite attaboy, but was mostly thinking, A little obsessed, aren’t ya guy? I mean, Star Wars is a great movie, but geez.

Lego Jaws, though? 1,497 pieces dedicated to the greatest movie ever made? Just shut up and take my money. 

As of this writing, it’s still in its beautiful blue box, and I’m waiting until I have a good 18 hours to kill before putting it together. Afterwards, I’ll proudly show it to my wife so she can admire my achievement, and likely offering her own polite attaboy while silently thinking that money would’ve been put to better use on a pressure washer. Just like she did when I recently dropped 75 bucks on a Pulp Fiction action figure (but more on that later).

Then it will become part of my ever-growing Jaws shrine, never to be disassembled.

Revisit THE SPANISH MAIN

THE SPANISH MAIN (Blu-ray)

1945 / 100 min

From Warner Archive Collection

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

If I were to go back in time to and meet Maureen O’Hara on the set of The Spanish Main, I’d probably be as clumsy and tongue-tied as Goofy. “Gawrsh, Miss O’Hara…yer sure purdy,” I’d awkwardly stammer while tripping backwards over director Frank Borzage’s shoes. 

I’ve always admired O’Hara and she’s intimidatingly gorgeous in this one, to the point where I’m sorta surprised co-star Paul Henried didn’t end each of his lines with “Gawrsh!” But I guess that’s what makes him such a good actor…better than Errol Flynn ever was anyway. I mention Flynn because The Spanish Main is the type of action-adventure film where casting him would’ve been a no-brainer…

…which makes Henried the real surprise here. He’s cast more-or-less against type in The Spanish Main as Laurent van Horn, a Dutch immigrant whose dreams of starting a new life in America are thwarted when his ship gets stranded in Cartagena and he’s imprisoned by tyrannical governor Don Juan Alvarado (Walter Sleazak). After escaping, he becomes a notorious pirate known as the Barracuda.

"The brochure said there was a buffet."

He’s also hell-bent on ruining Alvarado’s life, which includes kidnapping and marrying Contessa Francisca (O’Hara), a woman betrothed to Alvarado by her father. She only agrees to marry Laurent to spare the lives onboard her escort ship, and the two initially seem to have an acrimonious relationship…though there’s never any doubt that they’ll actually fall in love. Meanwhile, some of Laurent’s fellow pirates feel like he’s violated the “brotherhood,” leading trusted shipmate Mario Di Bilar (John Emery) to betray him, eventually conspiring with Alvarado.

This movie’s a hell of a lot of fun, with an engaging (if familiar) story, plenty of humor and some great action sequences. But what really makes it memorable are the characters and performances. As Laurent, Henried seems to be having a good time playing a devil-may-care buccaneer, a far cry from the roles he’s typically associated with. Not only is O’Hara especially radiant here, her character is more than window dressing. Francisca is smart, headstrong and ultimately quite resourceful. The film also features a terrific villain in Alvarado, who’s quickly revealed as a hateful, narcissistic pig.

Though it might not be as widely remembered as some of the other swashbuckling epics of the era, The Spanish Main is a first-rate action-adventure film, lavishly produced and massively entertaining. It isn't the most original movie ever made, but with O'Hara and Henried lighting up the screen like this, who cares?

EXTRA KIBBLES

SHORT - Movieland Magic is sort of a promotional studio tour, with movie clips and songs.

2 CARTOONS - Buccaneer Bunny and Captain Hareblower feature Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam in a pirate setting. Two of the better Looney Tunes shorts to be included in a Warner Archive release.

TRAILER

Revisiting SE7EN in 4K

SE7EN (4K UHD)

1995 / 127 min

From Warner Bros.

#InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Mr. Paws😺

I guess we can add David Fincher to the list of directors compelled to go back and tweak with his movies (even if they don’t need tweaking). But unlike George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Ridley Scott, he doesn’t mess with the content or narrative of Se7en…just a few CGI enhancements here and there that I doubt most viewers will even notice. 

Still, those changes are there, which I’m sure will raise the hackles of the few purists who’ve committed every single frame to memory. For cinephiles who still venture outdoors on occasion, this 4K UHD version - overseen by Fincher - looks and sounds tremendous…a fitting restoration for the film’s 30th Anniversary.

Wow, has it really been that long? It seems like just yesterday everyone at work was talking about this one. Still, I was a tad skeptical at the time because, not only did I assume Se7en was just another serial killer movie in the wake of Silence of the Lambs, it was directed by the same guy who just took a massive dump on Alien’s legacy. But curiosity eventually got the best of me and I dragged the wife along with me to check it out…

Brad in time-out.

…and I was floored. With its relentlessly grim take on your standard police procedural, Se7en was nothing like Silence of the Lambs. The beautifully grimy aesthetic enhances its bleak tone, creating an immersive experience in which our most recurring emotional response is dread. And since there was not much of an internet for dumbass doorknobs to drop spoilers, the twist ending was a jaw dropper that I didn’t see coming. My wife was horrified. So was I, but in a good way because, even today, it isn’t often that a major studio film has the cajones to end on such a dour note.

With this one film, David Fincher was suddenly a director to watch, Brad Pitt escaped his pretty boy image and “What’s in the box?” became part of our vernacular (eventually an overused meme). It also features one of Morgan Freeman’s best performances, which should have at-least gotten an Oscar nomination (with the exception of an editing nod, the film was shamefully snubbed that year).

Three decades later, Se7en has aged remarkably well and remains a wonderfully unnerving film, even if that climax no longer has the power to shock as it once did. But like Planet of the Apes, that’s due more to its cultural impact than the cruelty of time. While the 4K edition nicely presents the film in all its grimy glory, there aren’t any new bonus features and the outer packaging is pretty similar to a DVD set released by New Line 25 years ago. This one is for those interested in a technical upgrade…or David Fincher’s CGI enhancements.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Production Design; Mastering for Home Theater; Exploring the Opening Title Sequence.

EPK

4 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By director David Fincher, actors Morgan Freeman & Brad Pitt; 2) By writer Andrew Kevin Walker, director David Fincher, editor Richard-Francis Bruce, New Line president of production Michael De Luca; 3) By writer Andrew Kevin Walker, director David Fincher, cinematographer Darius Khondji, production designer Arthur Max. 4) By composer Howard Shore, sound designer Ren Klyce, director David Fincher.

ALTERNATE ENDING - With optional commentary and storyboards.

6 DELETED SCENES - With optional commentary.

6 STILL GALLERIES

DIGITAL COPY

SHELF LIFE: Paul Bartel's Last...at Last

SHELF LIFE (Blu-ray)

1993 / 81 min

From Liberation Hall

Review by Princess Pepper

Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell, maybe you’ve seen Paul Bartel before. As an actor, he’s appeared in a lot of B-movies, mostly supporting roles. But for some, he’s the cult hero behind such quirky classics as Death Race 2000 and Eating Raoul. 

Shelf Life is the last film Bartel directed before passing away in 2000, not that anyone was aware of it at the time. Made in 1993, it sat unreleased for 30 years. Now it’s on Blu-ray and DVD from the boutique label, Liberation Hall, which is great news for Bartel's fans. Those not already in-tune with his eccentricities probably shouldn’t bother.

Even then, Shelf Life has the look and feel of an unfinished film, almost like a workprint. Nor does it appear that there was a very good original negative available this transfer. Or hell, maybe it’s supposed to look like its been playing too long at a second run theater.

It’s got a neat premise, though. Following the assassination of JFK, a family of five retreat to a bomb shelter. 30 years later, both parents have since died and the kids are now grown up…but only in the physical sense. Psychologically, they are still children. Isolated from the rest of the world, everything they know and feel comes from what they remember of their parents, a few books in the shelter and periodic TV signals.

Never play with your food.

However, there isn’t much in the way of a story. Nearly the entire running time consists of Tina (O-Lan Jones), Pam (Andrea Stein) and Scotty (Jim Turner) role playing what they see and hear on television, with a few brief moments of childlike conflict interspersed here and there.

Based on a play originally conceived by the three lead actors, Shelf Life is initially kind of interesting and occasionally funny. But once the novelty of the premise wears off, these characters are less endearing and the viewer might grow impatient waiting for some kind of significant plot development. After awhile, I found myself thinking this might have been more effective as a short subject.

Still, the performances are quite good, and considering the whole thing takes place in the dingy, cluttered confines of a bomb shelter, the production design reflects a lot of imagination. Ultimately though, historical curiosity is the film’s primary appeal. Shelf Life does not rank among Paul Bartel’s best work - not even close - but it’s nice to finally see what would be his last directorial effort. That alone makes it a must-see for some people.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - American Cinematheque Q&A - This is a Zoom conference featuring actors O-Lan Jones, Andrea Stein & Jim Turner and filmmaker Alex Mechanik; Q&A with Tina, Pam & Scotty is a faux Q&A session featuring the actors in-character…in someone’s backyard.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By actors O-Lan Jones, Andrea Stein & Jim Turner, production designer Philip Holahan and filmmaker Alex Mechanik.

TRAILERS & TEASER TRAILERS