CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (4K) and the Yuck Factor

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (4K UHD + Blu-ray)

1980 / 93 min

FROM CAULDRON FILMS

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

"THIS FILM CONTAINS SCENES WHICH MAY BE CONSIDERED SHOCKING. NO ONE UNDER 17 WILL BE ADMITTED."

That histrionic announcement was a major part of City of the Living Dead’s ad campaign when released in the U.S. as The Gates of Hell (a much cooler title, if you ask me). Back in the early '80s, tags like this were a good indication of a movie's 'Yuck Factor.' Lucio Fulci’s previous goopfest, Zombie, boasted a similar ‘warning,’ but for thrillseeking teenagers like myself, it was always more of a dare than a deterrent.

Accepting the challenge, me and a few buddies piled into my VW bug to catch it at the drive-in. Sure enough, The Gates of Hell delivered the gore goods, especially in two scenes that have-since become somewhat legendary in cult circles. The first is a long, lingering sequence of a young woman vomiting all her entrails before crushing the back of her boyfriend’s skull and squeezing his brains between her fingers. The second has an angry dad slowly impaling a vagrant’s head on a drill lathe. 

Even today, both scenes are spectacularly violent and fairly convincing. Like most of Fulci’s exploitation films, the Yuck Factor is high with this one…not just those sequences, but the undead make-up, worm-ridden corpses, disemboweled priests, maggot-covered faces, etc. Sure, there are admirable attempts to create a foreboding atmosphere, but more than any other post-Zombie movie he cranked out, it’s obvious that City of the Living Dead mostly exists just to gross the viewer out. After all, the nasty drill death has absolutely nothing to do with the actual story. 

Oh, yes…there’s a sort of a story, which begins when a sunken-eyed priest hangs himself in a Dunwich cemetery, making it possible for the dead to rise from their graves to engage in a variety of nasty business. Beyond the village’s name, there’s little related to Lovecraft here, just a series of gory set-pieces that, while admittedly well-executed, could be presented in almost any particular order without adversely affecting the narrative. In between those sequences are traumatized medium Mary Woodhouse (Catriona MacColl) and cigar chomping reporter Peter Bell (Christopher George) trying to reach Dunwich before all hell breaks loose on All Saint’s Day.

Like most of Fulci’s horror efforts, the tension doesn’t lie in whether or not a particular character will die, but how badly they will die. As such, the film packs plenty of cheap thrills, enough that I later brought a VHS copy to a college party one weekend, where we challenged each other to see who could bring the sickest movie. I thought The Gates of Hell would be a shoo-in…at least until another guy whipped out his dad’s bootleg tape of Cannibal Holocaust.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL (Oh, wait...yes it is).

But I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that City of the Living Dead does feature what’s arguably the best sequence Fulci ever shot. While most of the film is exploitative, narratively nonsensical and typically artless, the scene in which Peter realizes Mary is buried alive in a casket and uses a pick-axe to break her free is brilliantly suspenseful, with the tip repeatedly striking dangerously close to her face. Considering the fates of most Fulci characters, I thought for sure we’d see her skull split open.

Whether titled The Gates of Hell or City of the Living Dead, this isn't what I ever considered a ‘good’ movie (nor is it particularly scary). But four decades later, its memorably nauseating death scenes evoke a bit of fond nostalgia, harkening back to the days when slapping a warning on an Italian gore flick made its 'Yuck Factor' too tempting to pass up. 

City of the Living Dead has been released quite a few different times - especially lately - on both 4K and Blu-ray (under both titles). Having not seen the film since the old VHS days, I can’t draw any comparisons regarding the video quality. However, this particular 4K release from Cauldron Films features an outstanding transfer, presenting the film with a stellar overall image (considering how grainy it’s always been). It sounds terrific too, especially Fabio Frizzi’s pulsating score. Additionally, the third Blu-ray disc is loaded with entertaining bonus features, including a few Easter Eggs that are worth looking for (see below). 

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K UHD & BLU-RAY COPIES

ENGLISH & ITALIAN LANGUAGE VERSIONS (as well as a ‘hidden’ VHS version of The Gates of Hell).

4 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By Samm Deighan (new); 2) By Nathaniel Thompson & Troy Howarth; 3) By actor Catriona MacColl; 4) By actor Giovanni Lombardo Radice.

INTERVIEWS - Lengthy, informative and entertaining individual interviews with production designer Massimo Anttonello Geleng, actor Giovanni Lombardo Radice, special effects artist Gino De Rossi, actor Carlo De Mejo.

3 ON-STAGE Q&A SESSIONS - 1) With actor Venantino Venantini & Cannibal Holocaust director Ruggero Deodato; 2) With actor Catriona MacColl; 3) With composer Fabio Frizzi.

“PAURA, LUCIO FULCI REMEMBERED, VOL. 1” - Various cast & crew recall working with the director, who was notoriously cantankerous.

VIDEO INTRODUCTION - By actor Catriona MacColl.

A TRIP THROUGH BONAVENTURE CEMETERY - A look at the cemetery in 2022…which is decidedly less creepy.

IMAGE GALLERY - An 8-minute slideshow.

EASTER EGGS - 1) The VHS version of The Gates of Hell; 2) Christopher George’s Playgirl spread (seriously!). After highlighting the Image Gallery,

press left > enter or right > enter.

3 TRAILERS - Including the histrionic The Gates of Hell version.

ABOUT MY FATHER: Another Grumpy Old Man

ABOUT MY FATHER (Blu-ray)

2023 / 90 min

FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😾

I remember when Midnight Run came out. Not only one of the best comedies of the ‘80s, it was sort of a revelation. Here was none other than Hollywood's most renowned method actor, Robert De Niro, doing comedy, something he was definitely not known for at the time. And a huge part of what made the film so damn funny is because it was De Niro.

But that was decades ago and the novelty has long-since worn off. I wouldn’t quite accuse him of coasting (not to his face, anyway), but De Niro has lent his name to some pretty uninspired, occasionally godawful comedies over the years. 

About My Father isn’t quite godawful, nor is it particularly inspired. The main protagonist is comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, who co-wrote the screenplay, which is partially based on his relationship with his own dad. However, De Niro’s character plays like a composite of other stubborn, grumpy old men he’s been doing lately. As such, he’s not bad, but not required to bring anything new to the table.

"Get your own plate."

Maniscalco doesn’t really bring anything new, either. The familiar plot has him as a working class hotel manager wanting to propose to girlfriend Ellie (Leslie Bibb), which he plans to do during a visit to her wealthy parents’ home. Rather than leaving his Dad home alone during the holiday, Ellie suggests they bring him along. Naturally, Sebastian is terrified Dad will embarrass him, which he ends up doing quite a bit.

Ellie’s family are caricatures of overbearing privileged rich folks we’ve seen plenty of times before, leading to the usual clash of classes and cultures. Some of it’s funny, but seldom uproarious. There are also moments of crude broad comedy for the yahoo crowd, as well as a few half-hearted attempts at sentiment and insight, indicative of a film that can’t seem to pick a tone and stick with it.

Maniscalco and De Niro are good, their characters being the only ones given anything resembling depth. The rest of the cast - including Davis Rasche and Kim Cattrall - does what they can with thankless, one-dimensional roles. Ultimately, About My Father is the kind of lightweight, predictable comedy one tends to forget shortly after watching. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - One Big Happy Family: The Making of About My Father; Sebastian: The Big Stage to the Big Screen; About My Look: From Frugal to Fancy.

TRAILER

DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

BRIGHTWOOD Doesn't Explain Itself

BRIGHTWOOD (DVD)

2022 / 84 min

FROM CINEPHOBIA RELEASING

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Sometimes the best explanation is no explanation. That’s the first thing I appreciate about Brightwood.

Jen and Dan (Dana Berger & Max Woertendyke) are an unhappily married couple out for a morning jog, fighting about something that happened the night before. Their run leads them down a path to a lake. However, after doing a lap, they can no longer find that path, and each time they look for a way out, they end up at the same spot. More ominously, they aren’t quite alone.

What makes this especially engaging is who’s stalking them, which I’m not gonna reveal because it’s a nifty surprise, as is the distorted loop of time they appear to be stuck in. Writer-director Dane Elcar wisely provides no explanation for what’s happening to his characters, which somehow makes it increasingly creepy, culminating in a haunting (and brutal) conclusion.

"I don't care if he followed you home. You can't keep him."

The other thing I appreciate about Brightwood is its minimalism. We’re provided just enough exposition about its only two characters to make them seem human (if not particularly likable). Not only that, Elcar manages to do quite a lot with very little. Aside from a few scenes of nasty gore, there are no special effects, fancy editing or gratuitous jump scares. The whole thing even takes place entirely during an innocuous sunny morning. But despite a few stretches that are a bit too repetitive, he builds tension quite effectively.

No one’s likely to walk away from Brightwood thinking they’ve seen a masterpiece. But while never flat-out scary, the film is quietly unnerving, mainly because it doesn’t spoon-feed the story to its audience. Viewers who don’t need every question answered might find this low budget effort pretty rewarding.

EXTRA KIBBLES

“THE POND” - Original short that was the basis for this film.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Dane Elcar, actors Max Woertendyke & Dana Berger.

DELETED SCENES

VARIOUS CINEPHOBIA TRAILERS

KILL SHOT: Clothing-Optional Conflict

KILL SHOT (Blu-ray)

2023 / 94 min

FROM WELL GO USA

Review by Tiger the Terrible😾

The interminable opening prologue features a little girl shuffling through snowy Afghan mountains with a suitcase of drug money, which is later intercepted by a crew of heavily armed bad guys led by Dina (Mara Ohara). Most of it is presented in lengthy long-distance shots from different altitudes, and since it has almost no bearing on the actual story, one might assume director Ari Novak got a new drone from Santa and wanted to show it off. 

He co-wrote Kill Shot with beefy star Rib Hillis, which includes a WTF scene where he suddenly goes down on co-star Rachel Cook in the middle of the woods, with no foreshadowing that he's even attracted to her. Sure, it turns out to be all in his head, but definitely evidence that parading Ms. Cook around in various stages of undress was given just as much priority as the story itself, no matter how laughably gratuitous.

Speaking of the story, Kill Shot is essentially a rip-off of Cliffhanger, minus the budget and talent. The logic-free narrative has the antagonists agreeing to rendezvous in Montana. Since they already have their cash, why they actually need to rendezvous is never explained, but the plane carrying the briefcase crashes in the mountains. Meanwhile, our surly hero with a bad marriage and the usual dark past, Jackson Hardison (Hillis), is a hunting guide who agrees to take Kate (Cook) into the woods to shoot an elk in honor of her dead father. 

"Gimme back my shirt."

Of course, they find the suitcase first. So of course, they’re now being hunted. And of course, Jackson turns out to be an ex-Navy Seal with skills perfectly suited for the situation. And of course, the 'highly skilled' killers chasing them have the marksmanship of Imperial Stormtroopers. But it takes forever to even get to that point. The entire first act bores us with drab details about Jackson’s miserable life, followed by his and Kate’s endless trek into the mountains. As if that wasn’t padding things out enough, even after we’re shown the dead rendezvous pilot hanging from a tree, Novak includes a pointlessly protracted shot of Jackson approaching the body, accompanied by an overbearing score, as if walking up to a dead guy is inherently suspenseful. In fact, Kill Shot is loaded with scenes that are twice as long as they need to be.

Elsewhere, idiocy reigns, as does howlingly bad dialogue, lethargic action, drab performances and a main antagonist dolled up like a leather-clad dominatrix…even in the snow. Then there’s the out-of-the-blue twist ending, clumsily tacked-on for shock value. When done right, a twist ending can make even a mundane movie somewhat memorable. But not-only does this one come without a single hint of foreshadowing, it requires one character to display a neck-snapping change in personality and behavior. 

If viewed as an unintentional comedy, Kill Shot might be good for a few shits & giggles, particularly the superfluous (and plentiful) scenes of Cook running around in her underwear. The film also includes a post-credit scene, suggesting Novak is under the misguided impression that his movie is good enough to justify a sequel. Don’t hold your breath waiting for that green light, buddy.

AMERICAN POP is Worth Another Look

AMERICAN POP (Blu-ray)

1981 / 96 min

FROM SONY

Available at www.moviezyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😼

1981 was sort of a banner year for adult animation, with two films being released by the same major studio. The first, Heavy Metal, achieved some notoriety for its soundtrack and has since become something of a cult classic. I remember being blown away at the time by the audacious amounts sex & violence, probably because I was high as hell.

The second film, American Pop was comparatively underwhelming. This was arguably the last creative gasp by Ralph Bakshi, somewhat notorious in the ‘70s for Fritz the Cat, the first X-rated cartoon, and taking the initial stab at adapting The Lord of the Rings to the big screen (with middling results). 

Having seen Rings and his previous film, Wizards, I was aware of Bakshi’s penchant for “rotoscoping,” which is basically tracing over live action shots to create an animated look (one could consider it the precursor to motion-capture). At any rate, I felt it was a lazy tool that Bakshi relied on way too much. Not only that, American Pop didn’t have much in the way of a story or engaging characters. And speaking as a teenage metal fan, the soundtrack was comparatively dull. 

But time can do funny things to a movie. Heavy Metal has aged terribly, and not just its sophomoric content. Even the technical aspects are sometimes kind of sloppy and amateurish compared to later adult animated films (especially the stuff coming out of Japan). 

Little Pete insists he paid this bill.

Conversely, I sort of enjoyed revisiting American Pop four decades after it bored me in theaters. Possibly due to my age, I finally appreciated what Bakshi was trying to do: Creatively chronicle the history of 20th Century American music as experienced by four generations of a family who first immigrated from Europe. 

Since it's essentially a period piece, the film seldom feels like a product of its decade. More significantly, one aspect I thought was boring in the ‘80s is actually its greatest asset: American Pop features an absolutely killer soundtrack, a mixture of classic standards spanning a half-century or so. Even the underappreciated score by Lee Holdridge deftly incorporates melodies from a variety of recognizable songs.

The film’s biggest issues remain. Transitions from one generation to the next are interesting, especially how music becomes an integral part of each person’s life (sometimes with tragic results). However, none of the characters are particularly dynamic, mostly created just to move the narrative forward. And the sequences that feature live action and rotoscoping (which still sucks) feel more like cost-cutting measures than creative decisions.

Still, American Pop is often visually engaging. Some of the actual animation is excellent, especially the unusual color palettes used for key scenes. As a purely sight & sound experience, the movie kind-of works…at least better than it did when I was a teenager. It doesn’t enjoy the cult status of Heavy Metal, but it’s a better film…and the last halfway decent one Bakshi would ever make.

GO TELL THE SPARTANS: The Vietnam War on a Budget

GO TELL THE SPARTANS (Blu-ray)

1978 / 114 min

FROM MGM

Available at www.moviezyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😺

When you release your small but earnest Vietnam War picture amidst the likes of Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter, of course it's gonna be overshadowed and largely forgotten. A shame, really, because while Go Tell the Spartans isn't in the same league as those towering classics (released roughly within the same year), it’s an efficiently directed and well-written condemnation of American involvement in that particular war.

It stars Burt Lancaster, who gave a lot of undervalued performances in the ‘70s (such as the woefully overlooked thriller, Twilight’s Last Gleaming). Not only did he like Go Tell the Spartans enough to help finance its completion, he was willing to appear in-the-buff (at the age of 65) in one key scene. And speaking of old butts, I suspect he had a friendly competition with pal Kirk Douglas to see who was willing to bare it all at the most advanced age. Kirk did it at 63 in Saturn 3, so Burt bests him here. Lucky us.

Anyway, Lancaster is excellent as weary and cynical Major Asa Barker, a veteran of both WWII and Korea who’s commanding a undermanned outpost during the Vietnam War in 1964. He’s ordered to send a small squad of soldiers and mercenaries to reoccupy a nearby deserted village where 300 French soldiers were slaughtered a decade earlier (during the Indochina War). Though he abhores with the decision, he follows orders. 

"Sounds like the neighbors are making up again."

After they’re attacked by the Vietcong, Barker wants to pull his team out, but his request is denied. When they’re attacked again, he’s finally given permission, but is ordered to leave South Vietnamese soldiers and rescued civilians behind, which doesn’t sit well with Barker or compassionate Corporal Courcey (Craig Wasson), who saved and befriended a local family. Meanwhile, over 1,000 Vietcong troops are about to descend on the village, far more than anyone was expecting (hence, the “Spartans” analogy).

After a slow start, Go Tell the Spartans tells a pretty compelling story that mostly looks and feels authentic (despite being shot in Southern California), with a few surprising narrative turns along the way. It also boasts interesting supporting characters, many who won’t make it until the end credits. My personal favorite is the severely burnt-out Sgt. Oleonowski, featuring a wonderfully angst-ridden performance by Johnathan Goldsmith (best-known today as “The Most Interesting Man in the World”).

Go Tell the Spartans isn’t as aesthetically stunning as Apocalypse Now or as emotionally harrowing as The Deer Hunter. It never had the financial resources or behind-the-camera talent for that. However, the film makes the most of its limited budget and legendary star to deliver an unpretentious anti-war message. Largely ignored back in the day, it's a minor gem worth discovering.

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL: The Seafood Snuff Film

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (1974)

Starring Edward Fox, Michael Lonsdale, Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair, Alan Badel, Tony Britton, Derek Jacobi. Directed by Fred Zinnemann. (142 min)

ESSAY BY D.M. ANDERSON💀

I have a list of my personal choices for the greatest 100 movies ever made. If interested, you can find it HERE. It’s a fluid list that changes from time to time. I occasionally add new films (or older ones that are new to me) and remove others, while some titles climb or descend on the list based on my growing or waning appreciation of them. My age and changing tastes factor into the rankings, as do my personal values.

One film on the list is 1973’s The Day of the Jackal, based on Frederick Forsyth’s bestselling novel that speculates a 1963 assassination attempt on France’s president, Charles de Gaulle. It’s one of those rare “perfect” films that once ranked among my top 10 titles. 

There have been scores of great films, of course, and perfect ones are usually great by default (though not always). For me, the greatest of all time has always been Jaws, but have to acknowledge it ain't perfect. A perfect film, however, is technically, conceptually & creatively flawless. No throwaway scenes, redundant characters or questionable casting decisions. The direction, performances, pacing, editing, writing, cinematography and score are all spot-on. The i's are all dotted; the t's are all crossed. By that reckoning, I can't think of a single aspect of The Day of the Jackal that doesn't meet the criteria.

This is all-the-more impressive when one considers the film intentionally minimizes two aspects that often contribute to a movie's greatness: complex characters and a discernible music score. I never read the novel, but the most intriguing character in the film is the assassin (Edward Fox), who goes by the code name of Jackal. Even then, all we really know about him are his cold-blooded, calculating methods. And while music is present in the film, it's used very sparingly, enhancing the docudrama directorial style utilized by Fred Zinnemann.

As a matter of fact, I do like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.

Since a real assassination attempt on de Gaulle never actually occurred, we already know the Jackal - hired by the French military underground - is destined to fail, making the ending a foregone conclusion. But as they say, the journey is more important than the destination, and the journey this film takes is intricate, consistently fascinating and surprisingly suspenseful. 

I’ve seen The Day of the Jackal many times and it remains cinematic perfection. However, while recently revisiting the film, one key scene unexpectedly stirred my sense of moral outrage. Because of this, I’m sad to say, the film has dropped several spots on my list. 

That scene occurs late in the film. The Jackal has arrived in France to complete the job, and since authorities have already learned of the pseudonym he’s traveling under (Lundquist), a massive manhunt is underway. Visiting a bathhouse, he goes home with a gay man in order to hide out at his apartment. Later, the man brings home groceries for a romantic dinner, which includes a live lobster. As he holds up the lobster to show it off, the TV news announces “Lundquist” is wanted for murder and displays the Jackal's picture. Suddenly realizing the guy he picked up at the bathhouse is a killer, he drops the lobster, which hits the floor with a loud crack.

The Jackal kills the man off-screen, while the lobster lies on the floor, twitching a few times before dying. How do we know this? Out of the water, lobsters basically die when you look at ‘em crossed-eyed, let-alone being dropped five feet to the ground. In my neck of the woods is the Seaside Aquarium, which at one time was the home of Victor, an 80-year-old lobster who weighed 28 pounds. Some douchebag tried to steal him, then dropped him while trying to escape. One crack in his shell pretty-much sealed Victor’s fate.

So the poor crustacean in The Day of the Jackal was unceremoniously killed for the sake of a shot…and not even credited in the end titles as compensation for his sacrifice. I’ve seen the film at least a dozen times, but only now did I notice this unnecessary act of animal cruelty. 

"Sure, I'll be in your movie. What do I gotta do?"

I know some of you reading this are thinking, It’s just an oversized bug, so who cares? And I get it. This lobster’s untimely demise isn’t as reprehensible as the ghastly animal torture committed in Cannibal Holocaust, but I’ve developed a lot of animal empathy over the years. I’m one of those guys who could never bring himself to choose a live crustacean from a restaurant's tank. As much as I love lobster, I can’t single one out for execution, just like I’d never want to look a trusting cow in the eye before he’s turned into sirloin. No, this guy prefers to live in denial and assume all his meat simply comes from Safeway.

As much as I love movies, they aren’t worth anyone dying for, even animals (including oversized bugs). So when a live snake is decapitated in Friday the 13th, I’m thinking “Fuck you, Sean Cunningham! You didn’t need to do that!” When rats are unceremoniously killed in First Blood, I’m thinking “Fuck you, Sly! You didn’t need to do that, either!” And don’t get me started on Michael Cimino’s decision to blow up a horse in Heaven’s Gate. None of those critters asked to be actors.

"Uh...I think I just broke this."

But unlike snakes, rats and horses, lobsters are pretty tasty. Maybe the cast & crew of The Day of the Jackal celebrated wrapping that death scene with a fine seafood dinner. If that’s the case, dropping him on the floor is arguably less cruel than tossing him in a pot of boiling water. For my own piece of mind, I had to know. Director Fred Zimmerman and most of the cast are now dead, but as of this writing, the film’s star, Edward Fox is still kicking around, so I gave him a call.* The conversation didn’t go as I hoped…

“Hello?” replied a groggy voice on the other end of the line.

“Mr. Fox?” I greeted formally. “Is this Edward Fox, the legendary Jackal?”

“Uh…wait, who the hell is this?”

“This is Dave. I just watched The Day of the Jackal again and have a question about -”

“Dave? You again? Jesus Christ, I thought I blocked you. You know what time it is?”

“Sure, it’s 7:30.”

“Well, it’s 4:30 in London! 4:30 AM! And for the last time, I don’t know the Jackal’s astrological sign. Now piss off!”

“Sir, just one more question. It’s really important.”

There was a slight pause, followed by an exasperated sigh. “Fine.”

“Was the lobster eaten?”

Another pause. “Lobster? What lobster? What the hell are you talking about?”

“You know, the one you guys killed for that scene in the guy’s apartment. Did you eat it afterwards?”

“Jesus Christ, Dave, that was 50 fucking years ago! How the hell should I know? Who cares, anyway?”

“Well, I would think you’d care, since it dropped The Day of the Jackal down to 21st on my Top 100 list. I can’t stand animal cruelty, but if the lobster was at-least eaten afterwards, he wouldn't have died for nothing. I might even consider moving your movie back into the top 10.”

Another sigh. “You have a lot of spare time on your hands, don't you?”

I continued. “You know, Ed, The Day of the Jackal isn’t on all that many all-time lists. Not AFI’s list, Sight & Sound’s list…but it’s on mine. I would think you’d want to make sure it stays there.”

“Oh, gee. Dave’s list. What an honor.” I detected a bit of sarcasm in his voice. “Look, you maladjusted wanker. It’s the middle of the night, and don’t remember a goddamn thing about a movie I made decades ago. But if it helps…maybe it was a stunt lobster!”

With that, he hung up. I considered calling him back, but think I learned what I needed to know. The Day of the Jackal remains a tension-filled masterpiece with a chilling performance by the great-but-grumpy Edward Fox. But because of a harrowing scene of abject animal cruelty, this seafood snuff film no longer ranks in my top 10 (though it’ll probably return there once I’ve gotten over it).

* No, I did not call Mr. Fox.