WARNER ARCHIVE'S 16th ANNIVERSARY SALE

 
The Warner Archive’s 16th anniversary is this Sunday 3/23. And, you know what that means. We're celebrating with a 4 for $49 sale at Movie Zyng! Click https://zyng.us/6UI5QP to get a great deal with over 500 Blu-ray releases (including some Warner Bros. Home Entertainment titles) to choose from. This sale ends on the 31st so shop early and add great releases to your collection. Even better, please feel free to share the link with friends and fellow collectors. Everyone's welcome to join in on the celebration.

DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING (4K): The Lucio & Donald Connection

DON’T TORTURE A DUCKLING (4K UHD)

1972 / 105 min

From Arrow Video

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Duck Hunter😽

I’m pretty sure whenever Lucio Fulci visited Disneyland (which we all know was often), he never bothered with souvenir mouse ears. The guy’s favorite character was obviously Donald Duck, so he probably made a bee line to the blue sailor hats. 

Not only did Fulci’s sicko slasher in 1981’s The New York Ripper imitate the duck’s voice, a doll of ol’ Donald is a prominent component of Don’t Torture a Duckling (decapitated, of course). Italy’s daffiest director certainly had a soft spot for him, and if he had his way, probably would’ve had a guy in a duck suit square-off against the undead in Zombie’s underwater sequence.

That being said, I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with Lucio Fulci. On one hand, I’ve never found him to be a particularly skilled director and he was mostly content to follow in the footsteps of better directors, cranking out exploitation flicks in various genres (mostly horror during the last half of his career). On the other hand, his willingness to push the boundaries of good taste (especially in terms of on-screen violence) makes some of his work morbidly fascinating.

In the early ‘70s, Fulci dabbled in giallo, Don’t Torture a Duckling probably being his best known example. On paper, the premise sounds even more distasteful than The New York Ripper, that of a serial killer who murders children in the superstitious village of Accendura. As the local police investigate, there are numerous suspects, most notably local witch Maciara (Florinda Bolken), and later Patrizia (Barbara Bouchet), a morally ambiguous socialite hiding out in the village following a drug scandal. 

"Blah, blah, blah!"

Though the film involves the brutal murders of children, Fulci demonstrates an admirable amount of restraint. Apparently, even he knows their graphic deaths would put-off audiences. Still, this is the first film where gore begins to creep into his work, in addition to some sleazier elements, such as a nude adult female flaunting herself to a young boy, who gawks in wide-eyed wonder. But even without the nasty accouterments. Don’t Torture a Duckling serves up a fairly compelling mystery, as well as some none-too-subtle jabs at the Catholic church. And though hardly a work of art, it’s pretty well constructed compared to some of Fulci’s flakier films. 

Lucio himself was a notoriously difficult director to work with. As with most of his home video releases I’ve reviewed, this one features plenty of bonus material featuring collaborators who find eloquent ways of confirming he was a dick. Don’t Torture a Duckling is no exception, though some interviewees do profess a little grudging admiration for him. As such, it’s a pretty good batch of extras, though little of it is new. What is new is Arrow Video’s brand new 4K restoration. While I have no basis for comparison, the overall picture and sound quality is pretty good. 

For those who know and love Lucio Fulci for his gore pictures, Don’t Torture a Duckling will seem comparatively benign, though it does boast a few effectively nasty moments. As for his Donald Duck fixation, it’s sort of a shame Lucio didn’t live long enough to see all those Disney characters become public domain. He’d be a shoo-in to turn the duck himself into a serial killer.

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.

ENGLISH & ITALIAN VERSIONS

INTERVIEWS - Who Killed Donald Duck?, with actress Barbara Bouchet (the disc’s only new bonus feature); Those Days with Lucio, with actress Florinda Bolken; The DP’S Eye, with cinematographer Sergio D’Offizi; From the Cutting Table, with editor Bruno Michel; Endless Torture, with make-up FX artist Maurizio Trani.

VIDEO ESSAYS - In Giallo a la Campagna, historian Mikel J. discusses the movie; Hell is Already in Us features critic/historian Kat Ellinger, who defends the film against charges of misogyny. 

LUCIO RULCI REMEMBERS - A two-part audio interview.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By Troy Howarth.

TRAILER

VENOM (4K) and the Minor Miracle

VENOM (4K UHD)

1981 / 92 min

From Blue Underground

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Look at that cast! 

Without knowing the title, one might naturally assume it was assembled for an English art film or one of the crazy cult classics Ken Russell used to crank out. But no, 1982’s Venom is a fairly straightforward hybrid of hostage drama and killer critter flick. It’s not bad as these things go, though the eclectic cast certainly makes it worthy of attention…and maybe even a little admiration for its director, but more on that in a minute.

The bitchy beast in this case is a black mamba, “the most dangerous snake in the whole world,” according to toxicologist Dr. Marion Stowe (Sarah Miles). Due to a pet store mix-up, it goes home with Philip Hopkins, the young son of wealthy parents who happen to be out of town, leaving Philip with his grandfather, Howard (Sterling Hayden), and Louise Andrews (Susan George), their maid.

However, Louise is conspiring with hot-headed chauffeur Dave Averconnelly (Oliver Reed) and cold-blooded criminal mastermind Jacques Muller (Klaus Kinski) to kidnap Philip, take him to a remote cottage and demand a ransom. Concurrently, Dr. Stowe, who was supposed to receive the mamba in the first place, traces the purchase to the Hopkins home and warns the police, who send an officer to check it out.

The kidnappers didn’t count to two things…the snake getting loose, killing Louise, and Dave shooting a police officer at the door. The house is quickly surrounded by cops, led by Commander William Bulloch (Nicol Williamson), who’s forced to negotiate with Muller for Philip’s release. Meanwhile, the stealthy snake slithers throughout the house, continuing to take a bite out of crime.

Though there are certainly moments of unintentional camp, Venom isn't quite as outrageous as the premise and cast suggest. One can’t help but expect a little scenery chewing with Reed and Kinski in the cast, and they don’t disappoint. But believe it or not, it’s Williamson who walks away with the movie. He’s highly amusing as a droll, exasperated detective who’d rather be somewhere else. Elsewhere, Hayden is decent in what would be his final film role (though he isn’t given a hell of a lot to do). Sultry Susan George checks-out too soon, but not before offering Reed a nice little striptease.

Once again, Klaus wrestles his demons.

As for snaky himself…we’re rooting for him from the get go, especially since he appears to have a taste for bad guys. He's shown sparingly, but the POV shots of him sneaking around the house are pretty cool, especially those that suggest he’s capable of flight (as when he leaps at Kinski for their climatic wrestling match…a hilarious highlight). I’m also pretty sure snaky is the only cast member who didn’t do the film simply for the money.

Venom is watchable, but the minor miracle is that it got completed at all. As many of the entertaining bonus features attest, the movie was a tumultuous production, largely due to the cantankerous cast, some who truly hated each other. When we see Reed & Kinski’s frequent conflicts, these guys ain’t acting. Director Piers Haggard (taking the job on short notice after notorious nutjob Kinski forced Tobe Hooper to quit) must have had the patience of Job dealing with these people. Being aware of such behind-the-scenes debacles sheds a different light on the film…and its director. Way to stick it out, Piers!

So in addition to a really great 4K restoration, Blue Underground has loaded the disc with some excellent new bonus features which extensively discuss the film’s torrid history. The supplements might even be more entertaining than the movie itself, and if one doesn’t mind spoilers, watching them first might even make Venom a lot more fun. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K AND BLU-RAY COPIES - Both feature great picture and sound.

INTERVIEWS (Blu-ray only) - Fangs for the Memories is an interview with Venom editor/2nd unit director Michael Bradsell; A Slithery Story features make-up artist Nick Dudman; Author/critic Kim Newman, who’s always interesting, offers his thoughts in Mamba Memories; Pick Your Passion features The Dark Side magazine’s editor, Allan Bryce, who covers a lot of the same ground as Newman.

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By director Piers Haggard; 2) By historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thimpson & Eudenio Ercolani.

TRAILERS & TV SPOTS

POSTER & STILL GALLERY (Blu-ray only)

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - Featuring photos, cast & crew credits and an essay by Michael Gingold.

THE END: Burt Goes Black (But Not Really)

THE END (Blu-ray)

1978 / 100 min

From MGM

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Mr. Paws😾

That 1978’s The End was a big hit says more about Burt Reynolds’ box office clout than the movie itself. At the time, he could do no wrong...big enough that he was occasionally allowed to step behind the camera. As a director, he was merely adequate, and none of those films would ever be mistaken for classics.

Still, The End would probably never have been made without his involvement. Black comedies about the main character repeatedly trying (and failing) to commit suicide aren’t the kind of thing major studios get excited about. But with Reynolds' name & face above the title and in the director's chair? Well, that’s a different story.

Speaking of which…for a Burt Reynolds movie, the story is kind of a departure. He plays Sonny Lawson (but basically himself), a real estate agent who learns from his doctor that he’s got less than a year to live. Distraught and depressed, he tries to kill himself with pills. Failing at that, he ends up in a mental hospital, where he meets another patient, Marlon Borunki (Dom DeLuise), who’s happy to help Sonny finish the job.

Taste the rainbow.

Sonny’s failed attempts to off himself are sometimes amusing, but until then, the movie is interminable. The entire first half focuses on Sonny’s self-pity and tumultuous run-ins with others. And for a supposed black comedy, The End plays like it’s too afraid of alienating Burt Reynolds fans to risk delving into anything more than sitcom silliness (exacerbated by DeLuise’s obnoxious schtick). Elsewhere, the film boasts an large, impressive cast, including Sally Field and Joanne Woodward, but most only show up for a scene or two. 

As a movie star, Reynolds has always had a great screen presence, especially his ‘70s films. But for a concept like this to really work, it needed someone other than a movie star…on both sides of the camera. He was simply the wrong guy for the job. While The End slightly detoured from his usual fare, it’s not enough to be considered anything but another Burt Reynolds vehicle, and not a very good one at that.

Revisiting DEEP BLUE SEA in 4K

DEEP BLUE SEA Limited Edition (4K UHD) 

1999 / 105 min

From Arrow Video

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

My daughter, Lucy, loves sharks, which I like to think stems all the way back to when I introduced her to Jaws years ago. Like her old man, she can’t resist a good shark movie…or a bad one, for that matter, which we all know there’s an abundance of. 

Since she hadn’t yet seen 1999’s Deep Blue Sea, Lucy was more than happy to join me for this 4K review. The big difference now is she’s in college and has considerable knowledge of real sharks, having extensively studied and read a lot about them over the years (Like I said, she really does love them). So at one point, when the species of the sharks doing all the sharking are identified as Makos, Lucy asked me to pause the film to say real Makos don’t grow to be twenty feet. As sharks go, they are comparatively small. 

Did that factual faux pas dampen her enjoyment of the film? Not really. Since there’s never been 25-foot Great White either, it ain’t like Jaws was ever mistaken for a documentary, yet in my humble opinion, it’s the greatest movie of all time. But Lucy’s observation is indicative of Deep Blue Sea’s willingness to forego science and plausibility for the sake of entertainment. Besides, the average moviegoer couldn’t identify a Mako shark if it swam up and bit them in the ass.

Deep Blue Sea does have a bit of historical significance. First off, it was the first big budget Hollywood shark movie since Universal put their own franchise to rest (two movies later than they should have). Fans of fearsome fish also tend to claim it was the first good shark movie since Jaws, an argument I can't really refute, though “good” is a relative term. In terms of production values, cast (Samuel L. Jackson! Yay!) and overall sense of fun, it’s a very good movie indeed.

A Farewell to Arm.

And while the shadow of Jaws continues to loom large over the entire subgenre, I’ll suggest Deep Blue Sea has been pretty impactful in its own right, albeit more dubiously. The film’s premise is inherently ridiculous, that of researchers - led by Dr. Susan McCallister (Saffron Burrows) - seeking an Alzheimer's cure by genetically enlarging the brains of three sharks and extracting the cells. But they discover the hard way that this has rendered the sharks super intelligent (with the foresight to knock-out surveillance cameras) and more dangerous. As a storm rages on the surface, the sharks manage to flood the underwater facility, enabling them to stalk the cast through labs, corridors, elevators. 

Throwing caution to the wind on a grand scale - including the most memorable shark kill since Chrissie Watkins went skinnydipping - is ultimately what has endeared Deep Blue Sea to fans over the years. But it also opened the floodgates for a slew of subsequent (cheaper) shark flicks where, almost literally, anything goes. We’ve since been inundated by the likes of Sharknado, Bait, 2-Headed Shark Attack, Ghost Shark, Under Paris, Sky Sharks, Santa Jaws, Jurassic Shark, etc…you get the idea. In terms of wild premises, most of them owe a tip-of-the-fin to Deep Blue Sea’s audacious spirit.

And if you think that’s a stretch, wait’ll you get a load of the visual essay included on this 4K release, where film critic Trace Newman identifies numerous sexual Freudian metaphors in various scenes and plot elements. Like the movie itself, it’s outlandish, but certainly entertaining. In addition to a smattering of additional new and archival bonus features, this limited edition set from Arrow serves up another great restoration, with excellent video quality and two audio options, DTS HD-MA 5.1 and Dolby Atmos.

The film itself is certainly showing its age, particularly the clunky CGI. Additionally, I personally don't think it remains the best shark movie since Jaws (The Shallows or The Meg hold that distinction). But Deep Blue Sea is still a lot of silly fun and fans will probably get a kick out of this edition.

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.

FEATURETTES - From the Frying Pan Into the Studio Tanks is an interview with production designer William Sandell; When Sharks Attack is your basic making-of featurette; The Sharks of Deep Blue Sea focuses on the animatronic creatures themselves.

BENEATH THE SURFACE - Trace Newman offers a shockingly Freudian analysis of the film. I don’t know whether or not he’s actually serious, but it’s a real hoot.

3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By podcaster Rebekah McKendry; 2) By co-screenwriter Duncan Kennedy; 3) By director Renny Harlin and Samuel L. Jackson.

DELETED SCENES - With optional commentary by director Renny Harlin.

2 STILL GALLERIES

TRAILER

LAMBcast Movie of the Month: TWO-MINUTE WARNING

FREE KITTENS MOVIE GUIDE recently participated in this podcast for The LAMB (Large Association of Movie Blogs), along with a few other friends and fellow writers. Revisiting 1976’s Two-Minute Warning was an enjoyable look back at this sort-of forgotten film…though it’s one of FKMG’s childhood favorites. 

You can find the episode HERE.

MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR: Everyone Has to Start Somewhere

MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR (Blu-ray)

1954 / 64 min

From Film Masters

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Film Masters has been restoring and releasing quite a few Blu-ray collections of early Roger Corman productions. Unlike previous ones, the latest isn’t a double feature, but does offer a film of considerable historical importance…

Monster from the Ocean Floor is the first film Corman ever produced. It’s pretty silly and slapdash, but hey, everybody has to start somewhere. If Corman had failed to scrape together the meager funds he needed to throw this together, just think of all the other B-movie bonanzas that would be missing from our lives.

The plot is simple…there’s an octopus-like monster with a glowing white eye lurking off the coast of a Mexican village. The locals are afraid of it, which convinces commercial artist Julie Blair (Anne Kimball) the legend might be true. However, hunky marine biologist/love interest Steve Dunning (Stuart Wade) is skeptical, at least until he motors around the cove in his one-man submarine (which is prominently featured throughout the movie because Corman got to borrow it from the builders in exchange for an on-screen credit).

When light bulbs attack.

The beast kills a few people, of course. An unfortunate cow also meets an untimely demise, but not before Julie hilariously encounters it on the beach and runs away, screaming her head off. While that scene alone is worth the price of admission, the monster itself is kind of a neat creation, though more cute than scary. The climax pitting it against Submarine Steve is a hoot.

Monster from the Ocean Floor is definitely lower-tier sci-fi horror, but fairly well assembled for the budget. It’s also been given a pretty decent facelift here, and as usual, Film Masters includes a smattering of entertaining bonus features offering some historical context. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Bob Baker: From Monsters to Marionettes is a charming look back at the legendary puppeteer, who created the monster for this film; Roger Corman: Becoming a B-Movie Maker is an archival interview with Corman, who fondly recalls his humble beginnings.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By Tom Weaver., with some commentary by Roger Corman.

SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKLET - With photos and an essay by Tom Weaver.

STILL GALLERY

TRAILER

THE POOP SCOOP: Classics from Criterion

⛟William Friedkin’s classic, SORCERER Coming to 4K + Blu-ray June 24 from Criterion. A hallucinatory journey into the heart of darkness, William Friedkin’s pulse-pounding reimagining of the suspense classic The Wages of Fear was dismissed upon its release, only to be recognized decades later as one of the boldest auteur statements of the New Hollywood. In a remote Latin American village, four desperate fugitives—a New Jersey gangster (Roy Scheider), a Mexican assassin (Francisco Rabal), an unscrupulous Parisian businessman (Bruno Cremer), and an Arab terrorist (Amidou)—take on a seemingly doomed mission: transporting two trucks full of highly explosive nitroglycerin through the treacherous jungle. Aided by Tangerine Dream’s otherworldly synth score, Friedkin turns each bump in the road into a tour de force of cold-sweat tension—conjuring a hauntingly nihilistic vision of a world ruled by chance and fate. Includes a new 4K restoration; the documentary, Friedkin Uncut, new & vintage bonus features and more.

😺BRAZIL Coming to 4K + Blu-ray June 4 from Criterion. In the dystopian masterpiece Brazil, Jonathan Pryce plays a daydreaming everyman who finds himself caught in the soul-crushing gears of a nightmarish bureaucracy. This cautionary tale by Terry Gilliam, one of the great films of the 1980s, has come to be esteemed alongside antitotalitarian works by the likes of George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and Kurt Vonnegut. And in terms of set design, cinematography, music, and effects, Brazil is a nonstop dazzler. Includes a new 4K restoration; new & vintage bonus features; the “happy ending” cut of the film and more.

😺MIDNIGHT, Coming to Blu-ray June 17 from Criterion. Screwball comedy doesn’t get any more effortlessly elegant and gleefully irreverent than this roulette wheel of romantic deception, gleaming with cunning wit and Continental élan. A couture-clad Claudette Colbert is divine as a penniless American showgirl who crashes Parisian high society by posing as a wealthy Hungarian baroness—but both a scheming nobleman (John Barrymore) and a smitten taxi driver (Don Ameche) are soon on to her game. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett’s sophisticated script—a typically subversive blend of fairy-tale escapism and caustic social observation—and the pitch-perfect direction of master craftsman Mitchell Leisen yield a topsy-turvy Cinderella story with a cynical bite.

🕮MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS Coming to 4K + Blu-ray June 3 from Criterion.

Paul Schrader’s visually stunning, collagelike portrait of the acclaimed Japanese author and playwright Yukio Mishima (played by Ken Ogata) investigates the inner turmoil and contradictions of a man who attempted the impossible task of finding harmony among self, art, and society. Taking place on the last day of Mishima’s life, when he famously committed public seppuku, the film is punctuated by extended flashbacks to the writer’s past as well as gloriously stylized evocations of his fictional works. With its rich cinematography by John Bailey, exquisite sets and costumes by Eiko Ishioka, and unforgettable, highly influential score by Philip Glass, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is a tribute to its subject and a bold, investigative work of art in its own right. Includes a new 4K restoration; new & vintage bonus features; interviews and a documentary about the author.

🤠THREE CLINT EASTWOOD CLASSICS on 4K UHD on April 29 from Warner Bros.

Three films from legendary filmmaker Clint Eastwood – Dirty Harry, The Outlaw Josie Wales and Pale Rider (40th anniversary), will be released for the first time on 4K Ultra HD and Digital on April 29. All films are remastered in 4K and include new and vintage bonus features.

🛧PLANE Re-departs April 29 on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook + Blu-ray + Digital from Lionsgate.

This nail-biting action-thriller is now packaged in an all-new SteelBook exclusively at Amazon.

🙀COMPANION on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD April 1 from Warner Bros..

New Line Cinema—the studio that brought you “The Notebook”—and the unhinged creators of “Barbarian” cordially invite you to experience a new kind of love story written and directed by Drew Hancock.

🪐DUNE: PROPHECY: The Complete First Season - Coming To 4K UHD, Blu-ray, & DVD on May 13 from Warner Bros.

Get ready to binge all 6 episodes from the epic sci-fi adventure, along with over an hour of bonus content including 5 extended featurettes and an all-new, never-before-seen featurette exclusive to 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD.