Rest in Peace, Neil Peart

Though never really associated with cinema, the late, great Neil Peart (as well as the rest of Rush) has always had a special place in our hearts at Free Kittens Movie Guide. Thanks for all the great words and music.

Neil Peart (1952-2020)

Rest in Peace, Ivan Passer

Ivan Passer (1933-2020)

LOST NOIR: Overlooked Film Noir Thrillers

LOST NOIR: 10 Overlooked Film Noir Thrillers from the Classic Era (with one exception)

Essay by D.M. ANDERSON💀

I'm relatively late to the party when it comes to film noir. Sure, I've seen the indisputable classics, but wasn't until doing Blu-ray reviews that I've come to love this dark new world. Well, new to me anyway.

Part of my growing appreciation for the genre comes from the good films that, for one reason or another, have somehow fallen into relative obscurity compared to, say, Double Indemnity. The following essay is a round-up of some noteworthy, lesser-known examples of film noir released during the genre’s heyday (with one more modern exception). So while you won’t find any Mitchums, Stanwicks or elusive falcons, these films are worth checking out by noir fans looking for something beyond the classics. And fortunately, all have recently been given new life on home video, making them easy to find.

THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (1950)

Edward Cullen (Lee J. Cobb) is a hardnosed San Francisco cop whose married girlfriend, Lois (Jane Wyatt), shoots and kills her estranged husband. Accidentally? Hmm...that's debatable, but Cullen dumps the body near the airport, making it look like a mugging before tossing the gun into the bay. Ironically, his younger brother Andy (John Dall) is assigned the case. New to the force and eager to make a good impression, Andy looks to Edward for assistance and advice. This sets up a wonderfully complicated quandary for Edward: mentoring his brother through the investigation of a crime he took part in. Naturally, circumstances begin to spiral wildly out of control.

Lean, mean and economically made, The Man Who Cheated Himself is a solid example of classic film noir on a limited budget. The casting is interesting, as well. Cobb displays an outward cynicism that's perfect for the character; even as his plan begins to unravel, it's almost as though part of him expected them to. I've always admired John Dall's work in Rope and Gun Crazy and he's equally interesting here, playing against-type as someone who's actually likable and sympathetic. However, I do concur with the general consensus that Jane Wyatt is out of her element. Fortunately, most of the film focuses on the Cullen brothers' increasingly adversarial relationship.

Seldom mentioned among the great noir classics of the era, The Man Who Cheated Himself is nevertheless a lot of seedy fun, with a perfect final shot that speaks volumes about the genre's enduring appeal without using a single word.

SO DARK THE NIGHT (1946)

Though largely unheralded, Joseph H. Lewis created some wonderful films with limited budgets. He was a B-movie master in a variety of genres, though film noir was where he excelled. Granted, I haven't seen many movies on his resume, but thought 1950's Gun Crazy was a quirky little gem. So Dark the Night, on the other hand, is a lot more perplexing, since it certainly doesn't appear to fit the textbook definition of film noir...at least initially.

In fact, the tone is almost whimsical at first. When we first meet our overly-congenial protagonist, Henri Cassin (Steven Geray), he's strolling down a Paris street with a grin on his face, giving friendly greetings to children and shopkeepers. Hell, I have-expected him to break-out into song while skipping down the sidewalk.

Cassin is France's most famous detective who decides to take a break from police work to vacation in the country, where he meets Nanette (Micheline Cheirel), the young daughter of an innkeeper. She's half his age and, complicating things further, already engaged to hunky, hot-headed young farmer Leon (Paul Marion). Everything's still bubbly at this point, though Nanette's manipulation of both men suggests she could turn out to be some sort of femme fatale.

When Nanette later turns up dead, Cassin must put his renowned detective skills to work. He initially suspects Leon, at least until his body is discovered later. For the first time in his illustrious career, Cassin has no leads and is completely baffled. So are we...right up until the killer's identity is finally revealed.

So Dark the Night doesn't play by the rules. It unfolds like a whodunit yet offers no clues. The final revelation is nearly a red herring, a narrative suckerpunch with no overt foreshadowing. Yet at the same time, this is definitely what puts the film in noir territory, because in the end, all of Cassin's questionable decisions and subsequent problems are due to the love of a woman. Isn't that the narrative which drives so many movies of this genre?

THE BIG CLOCK (1948)

As noir goes, The Big Clock isn’t a perfect fit – there’s too much breezy humor present for that – but has enough of the same inherent aesthetic and narrative stamps to draw favorable comparisons to the best the genre has to offer. It also happens to be a hell of an entertaining film.

Ray Milland is George Stroud. As the editor-in-chief of Crimeways magazine, he’s an expert at using clues and evidence to track-down suspects who’ve eluded the police. The publication is run by ruthless, time-obsessed mogul Earl Janoth (a wonderfully-repellent Charles Laughton), who expects George to yet-again postpone an oft-delayed honeymoon with his wife, Georgette (Maureen O’Sullivan). When George refuses, he’s fired. Stopping at a bar before he meets his wife for their honeymoon, he meets Pauline (Rita Sullivan), Janoth’s former mistress who suggests a blackmail scheme as payback. Unfortunately, George loses track of time and Georgette leaves without him. Angry that she wouldn’t wait, George spends the rest of the night drinking with Pauline, acquiring a sundial from a local dive bar along the way.

He awakens at Pauline’s apartment the next morning and makes a hasty exit just before Janoth shows up to speak with her. During a heated argument in the apartment, Janoth kills Pauline with the sundial. Rather than go to the police, he turns to his lawyer, Steve (George Macready), who suggests they re-enlist George and his staff to lead an investigation, hoping to frame Pauline’s ‘mysterious’ visitor. It’s a brilliant set-up for an intriguing plot in which George and his staff are investigating his own actions that night, interviewing witnesses and following leads which threaten to expose him. George has no choice but to play along, trying to cover his own tracks while attempting to find the real killer himself.

The Big Clock is everything a good thriller should be: intelligent, suspenseful and engaging right from the opening scene. It’s often very funny, some of the best bits coming from Elsa Lanchester as a wonderfully eccentric artist. In fact, most of the characters are well-rounded and perfectly cast.

GUN CRAZY (1950)

True to fashion, Bart Tare (John Dall) is a troubled sort whose life spirals out of control due to piss-poor choices for the sake of a woman.

He’s been a gun lover his entire life. As much as he loves shooting them, Bart detests the thought of actually taking a life. As a teen, his obsession leads him to actually steal a gun, resulting in four years at a reform school.

Following a stint in the military, Bart returns home and reunites with childhood friends, Dave and Clyde. He also meets his soulmate, Annie Laurie Starr (Peggy Cummins), a sharpshooter performing with a traveling carnival run by her sleazy & jealous boss, Packett (Barry Kroeger). The two venture off and get married, but soon they are broke. At Annie's urging, they embark on a cross-country crimewave, robbing stores, banks and eventually a company's payroll, which gets the FBI involved. Though Bart doesn't want to hurt anyone, Annie has no qualms about killing anyone who gets in their way.

It's a timeless story told with a lot of flare and Gun Crazy is a superior example of modestly-budgeted film-noir. But even the most stylish film-noir is nothing without its morally questionable characters, and Dall is especially effective. Bart's no saint - nor the brightest crayon in the box - but Dall instills the character with an increasing sense of remorse over the couple's escalating actions, making it difficult not to feel sorry for this poor rube, doomed from the moment he lays eyes on Annie. Sure, he ultimately brings all this misery on himself, but Dall's performance assures us Bart was never a truly bad man...just a conflicted one.

PHANTOM LADY (1944)

Who says you can't find good help these days?

Unhappily married engineer Scott Henderson has a fight with his wife and goes to a bar to drown his sorrows, where he meets a mysterious woman. She seems morbidly depressed, too, so he suggests they attend a show he already has tickets for. She agrees, so long as they remain anonymous. Afterwards, Scott goes home, only to find wife murdered - strangled by one of his own neckties - and he's the police’s number one suspect.

Since Scott’s only alibi is a woman whose name he doesn't know, Inspector Burgess (Thomas Gomez) has a hard time believing his story, especially since potential witnesses claim they never saw Scott with a woman that night. But his dedicated secretary, Carol (Ella Raines), is convinced of his innocence. With 18 days left until he's executed, she goes out on her own to find this mysterious woman and clear his name.

If you ask me, that level of dedication makes Carol a shoo-in for Employee of the Month. Well, she is secretly in love with Scott, which I suppose is good motivation. She eventually gets help from Burgess and, almost too conveniently, Jack Marlow (Franchot Tone), a friend of Scott's who later flies into town upon hearing about his conviction.

A minor and obscure entry in the film noir genre, this crime caper moves along at a brisk enough pace that we don't question most of the story implausibilities until it's over. Despite the billing order, Raines is the real star of the film and she's quite engaging. So while we ain't talking Hitchcock or Huston here, Phantom Lady is no classic, nor does anything about it doesn't resonate much afterwards, but certainly entertaining in the moment.

TRAPPED (1949)

While hardly the most stylish thriller ever made, Trapped has some nifty surprises along the way.

Many of those surprises are found in the plot itself, particularly during the first half. Incarcerated counterfeiter Tris Stewart (Lloyd Bridges) is offered a reduced sentence if he helps the Treasury Department track down the same engraving plates he once used to print fake bills. Agents plot a staged escape, but Stewart double-crosses them, which they actually expected to happen, having already bugged girlfriend Meg’s (Barbara Dixon) apartment and planted uncover agent John Downey (John Hoyt) as a low-level gangster in anticipation of Tris returning to his old ways. But the plot twists don’t end there.

For me, the biggest surprise was in the casting. Predating his days as an underwater man-of-action or glue-sniffing buffoon, Bridges is tough, cold-blooded and menacing as Stewart. Conversely, Hoyt – mostly known playing arrogant bad guys – makes a formidable adversary, ultimately becoming the story’s main protagonist. Their roles could have been reversed and the film would have been fine, but watching them play against type adds an extra layer of fun.

Economically directed by Richard Fleischer, Trapped is entertaining and unpredictable, with interesting characters bolstered by solid performances. For film noir lovers, Trapped is worth rediscovering.

THE SET-UP (1949)

Film noir and boxing go together like cops & doughnuts, and for my money, there isn’t a more effective example than The Set-Up. More so than The Killers or The Harder They Fall, we really feel like we’re examining the underside of a rock.

Robert Ryan is terrific as “Stoker” Thompson, an aging boxer who never hit the big time. Still, he clings to the hope that he’ll win again someday. And he’s just one of a dozen-or-so others who fight each weekend at the seedy Paradise City Arena. Some are young hopefuls, others are as worn-out and weary as Stoker. Though it’s never spoken, most of these men seem aware they’re destined to serve as cannon fodder for up-and-coming boxers bankrolled by crooked gamblers.

Thompson’s manager, Tiny (George Tobias) arranges for him to take a dive during his next match, but since Stoker has lost his last 27 fights, neglects to inform him. Meanwhile, Stoker gears-up for the match, confident he can win this time. However, his wife, Julie (Audrey Totter), refuses to watch him take another beating. In fact, she wants him to quit so the two of them can start a new life.

Primarily a character study, The Set-Up is presented almost in real time, from the deal Tiny makes with local mobster Little Boy (Alan Baxter), through the revealing, introspective locker room moments and culminating in Stoker’s match. By this time, his quiet desperation not-only has us rooting for him, but fearing for his life since he’s completely unaware he’s supposed to lose.

Director Robert Wise has made a slew of iconic classics in a variety of genres, which tends to overshadow how skillfully he could put together a comparatively small, visceral piece of film noir, particularly in his early years. The Set-Up is a prime example of the genre, full of intriguing character-driven moments, a bruising climax and a bittersweet resolution.

APPOINTMENT WITH CRIME (1956)

Leo Martin (William Hartnell) is a smash & grabber, hired by local boss Gus Loman (Raymond Lovell) to hit a downtown jewelry store. During the job, however, Leo’s wrists are broken and Loman leaves him behind to be apprehended by the police. After doing his time, Leo is released and plots revenge by framing Loman for a murder. But Loman answers to an even bigger crime boss, Gregory Lang (Herbert Lom), the actual owner of the gun Leo used. Meanwhile, Leo hooks up with local dancer Carol Dane (Joyce Howard) in order to provide an alibi and throw local police off his trail.

This is typical film-noir fodder with the usual tough-guys, femme fatales and overwrought performances, Hartnell’s in particular. Although Appointment with Crime offers nothing new (Leo still refers to the police as coppers), the story is told with enough panache to maintain interest. Old school Doctor Who fans will enjoy seeing Hartnell unleash his inner Cagney and it’s always a pleasure to check out the late, great Herbert Lom before he gained worldwide notoriety as Inspector Clouseau’s oft-suffering police commissioner.

WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS (1956)

There's a serial thrill-killer (John Drew Barrymore) who preys on young women in their apartments. At the scene of his latest kill, he scrawls a cryptic message, "Ask mother," on the wall with lipstick, prompting the press to dub him the Lipstick Killer.

Meanwhile, Kyne Inc., one of the city's media empires, is thrown into turmoil after its owner suddenly dies. Kyne's son and heir, Walter (Vincent Price), is an arrogant douchebag who uses the Lipstick Killer story to manipulate three of his greedy underlings into competing for second in command. One newsman who wants no part of this is Edward Mobley (Dana Andrews), who’s more concerned with catching the killer than getting a promotion and keeps abreast of the investigation through a friend on the force, Lt. Kaufman (Howard Duff).

Not much sleeping gets done in this city (though there's some sleeping around) as everyone undermines each other's attempts to be promoted, to the point where the film sometimes plays more like a soap opera than hardcore film noir. Still, the story and subplots are just interesting enough to keep our attention until this perpetually perspiring perve strikes again. Andrews' no-frills acting style serves his character well, while Rhonda Fleming & Ida Lupino make terrific temptresses who are as conniving as they are easy on the eyes.

A relatively minor late-career directorial effort from the great Fritz Lang, While the City Sleeps is nevertheless an engaging potboiler. Though not particularly memorable, it's efficiently-made, fast-paced and sometimes quite humorous.

NIGHT MOVES (1975)

Night Moves isn't from film noir's Golden Age, but like the rest on this list, it never really found an audience during its initial release. Is it a lost classic? Not quite, but it does showcase another great performance by Gene Hackman.

Despite a murder mystery thrown into the mix relatively late in the story, this is mostly about Harry Moseby (Hackman), an ex-football player, now a private detective who's been hired by a has-been starlet to locate her wayward, free-spirited daughter, Delly (Melanie Griffith, in her debut). Harry meets a variety of eccentric folks along the way, some who are in the movie business, others eking out a living on the Florida coast. But all of them have some sort of connection to Delly. Harry's also trying to come to terms with his cheating wife (Susan Clark) and her lover (Harris Yulin), which forces him to re-examine his own life.

It's a leisurely-but-enjoyable ride peppered with interesting characters, including a quirky early performance by James Woods (he hasn't changed much since). The movie belongs to Hackman, though. I don't know if the role was created for him, but he embodies Harry's world-weary cynicism perfectly.

Night Moves has grown in stature over the years, though it's hardly a cinema milestone compared to Hackman & Penn's previous collaboration, Bonnie and Clyde. Still, Hackman is compulsively watchable, as usual, and as a solid mid-70s' spin on classic noir, it's an interesting curiosity worth rediscovery. 

Rest in Peace, Buck Henry

Buck Henry (1930-2020)

GEMINI MAN: Better Served Cold

GEMINI MAN (2019)

Starring Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen, Benedict Wong, Ralph Brown, Linda Emond. Directed by Ang Lee. (117 min)

ON BLU-RAY FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Tiger the Terrible😽

Ultimately, Gemini Man might have been partially undone by its own trailer, which spills the beans that Will Smith is a retiring government assassin forced to square-off against his younger self, an equally-skilled clone developed by his own people. But even though I think this is a dish that would have been best-served cold, it’s also a pricey, high-concept action picture and one would be hard-pressed to create any kind of promotional campaign that didn’t tease the viewer with two Will Smiths. 

The problem is the way the narrative actually unfolds. Henry Brogan (Smith) is betrayed by the DIA after learning his last kill was not the terrorist he was led to believe, but a scientist working for the DIA on a black-ops project called ‘Gemini,’ headed by its nefarious director, Clay Varris (Clive Owen). Varris sends his best assassin to track-down and kill Brogan. Up to this point, Gemini Man is a watchable-but-unremarkable thriller featuring solid performances by Smith and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, the latter of whom who is a tough, resourceful DIA agent originally assigned to keep an eye on him, but ends up a target herself.

Neither learns who’s actually hunting them until well-into the second act and it's obviously intended to be the story’s big revelation. But since the audience is privy to all of this from the get-go, instead of being pleasantly surprised by the sudden plot twist, we spend the first hour waiting for Brogan to figure out what we already know. The remainder of the film plays itself out in predictable fashion and is certainly watchable, but I suspect viewers going into this completely cold would have a lot more fun with it.

"Well, I guess you're riding shotgun."

Elsewhere, Gemini Man works best when director Ang Lee briefly returns to his comfort zone, which is exploring the internal conflict of both Brogan and “Junior,” the latter of whom is also played by Smith through motion capture and CGI. Speaking of which, the ballyhooed “de-aging” of Smith works about as well as it has in other recent films like The Irishman and Endgame: Not entirely convincing, but less of a distraction once we acclimate ourselves. The action itself ranges from exciting to ridiculous. A close-quarters fight in the catacombs of Budapest is impressive, but a CGI-heavy motorcycle chase earlier in the film plays more like a Grand Theft Auto mission. The climax itself has our protagonists surrounded by dozens of Gemini super-soldiers, yet they’re collectively worse shots than Imperial Stormtroopers and are little more than canon fodder.

But again, Gemini Man is ultimately more of a marketing mistake than a failure as a film. The characters and performances are enjoyable and even the action is kind-of fun, like an exciting video game. However, the overall narrative is hampered by waiting so long to reveal what we already know without really expanding on such an inherently intriguing concept any further.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - “The Genesis of Gemini Man” (the film does have an interesting history, going back a few decades); “Facing Your Younger Self”; “The Future is Now”; “Setting the Action”; “Next Level Detail”; “The Vision of Ang Lee” (A majority of these bonus features cover the special effects and technical aspects of the film, featuring interviews with the primary cast, director Ang Lee, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and various effects artists & stunt performers.)

ALTERNATE OPENING

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DVD & DIGITAL COPIES

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD. LIKE CAT CHOW.

THE POOP SCOOP: War ISN'T Hell Edition

VIEW THE TRAILER

MIDWAY on Digital 2/4 and 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 2/18

Midway centers on the Battle of Midway, a clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy which marked a pivotal turning point in the Pacific Theater during WWII. The film, based on the real-life events of this heroic feat, tells the story of the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude, and bravery to overcome the odds. Directed by Roland Emmerich. Take home Midway and immerse yourself in history with multiple featurettes, including “We Met at Midway: Two Survivors Remember” and “Joe Rochefort: Breaking the Japanese Code,” which focus on real-life Midway decorated flyers sharing their story of survival and the enigmatic genius Joseph Rochefort, whose team broke the Japanese naval code essential to winning the battle.

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER Collector's Edition Steelbook Coming 2/25  

On March 2, 1990, moviegoers were first introduced to Tom Clancy's legendary CIA analyst Jack Ryan when the thrilling and suspense-filled The Hunt for the Red October debuted in theaters. Now fans can relive every tension-laden moment with a special 30th anniversary Limited Collector's Edition 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray Combo Steelbook, from Paramount Home Entertainment. Based on Tom Clancy's bestseller, directed by John McTiernan (Die Hard), and starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin, The Hunt for the Red October seethes with high-tech excitement and sweats with the tension of men who hold Doomsday in their hands. A new technologically-superior Soviet nuclear sub, the Red October, is heading for the U.S. coast under the command of Captain Marko Ramius (Connery). The American government thinks Ramius is planning to attack. A lone CIA analyst named Jack Ryan (Baldwin) has a different idea: he thinks Ramius is planning to defect, but he has only a few hours to find him and prove it because the entire Russian naval and air commands are trying to find him, too. The hunt is on!

THE DAY OF THE DOLPHIN on Blu-ray 2/28

From Mike Nichols, the legendary director of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Graduate, Catch-22, Carnal Knowledge and Silkwood, comes this nostalgic favorite of those who grew up in the '70s. The Day of the Dolphin stars George C. Scott (They Might Be Giants) as a scientist who trains dolphins to speak, only to find them enmeshed in a government assassination plot. Acclaimed screenwriter Buck Henry (What's Up, Doc?, Candy, The Owl and the Pussycat) adapted this fantasy-adventure from the popular novel by Robert Merle (Weekend at Dunkirk). Two of the film's best features are the terrific cinematography by the great William A. Fraker (Bullitt, Rosemary's Baby) and the Oscar-nominated score by Georges Delerue (Platoon, True Confessions). Bonus Features: Brand New 4K Restoration | NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson | Interviews with Screenwriter Buck Henry and Actors Leslie Charleson and Edward Hermann | Radio Spot | Optional English Subtitles | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Theatrical Trailer
 

The Original FAIL SAFE (1964) on Blu-ray 1/28 from Criterion Collection

This unnerving procedural thriller painstakingly details an all-too-plausible nightmare scenario in which a mechanical failure jams the United States military’s chain of command and sends the country hurtling toward nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Working from a contemporary best seller, screenwriter Walter Bernstein and director Sidney Lumet wrench harrowing suspense from the doomsday fears of the Cold War era, making the most of a modest budget and limited sets to create an atmosphere of clammy claustrophobia and astronomically high stakes. Starring Henry Fonda as a coolheaded U.S. president and Walter Matthau as a trigger-happy political theorist, Fail Safe is a long-underappreciated alarm bell of a film, sounding an urgent warning about the deadly logic of mutually assured destruction.

TRAPPED Has Been Sprung

TRAPPED (1949)

Starring Lloyd Bridges, Barbara Payton, John Hoyt, James Todd, Russ Conway, Robert Karnes. Directed by Richard Fleischer. (78 min).

ON BLU-RAY FROM FLICKER ALLEY

Review by Mr. Paws😸

Trapped is a lesser-known slab of film noir, recently rescued from public domain obscurity by Flicker Alley. As such, it’s been given an exemplary restoration, with a much better overall image and sound than any previously slapped-together release. While hardly the most stylish thriller ever made, it’s efficient, quick-n-dirty fun with some nifty surprises along the way.

Many of those surprises are found in the plot itself, particularly during the first half. Incarcerated counterfeiter Tris Stewart (Lloyd Bridges) is offered a reduced sentence if he helps the Treasury Department track down the same engraving plates he once used to print fake bills. Agents plot a staged escape, but Stewart double-crosses them, which they actually expected to happen, having already bugged girlfriend Meg’s (Barbara Dixon) apartment and planted uncover agent John Downey (John Hoyt) as a low-level gangster in anticipation of Tris returning to his old ways. But the plot twists don’t end there.

"Looks like your boyfriend picked the wrong week to quit smoking."

For me, the biggest surprise was in the casting. Predating his days as an underwater man-of-action or glue-sniffing buffoon, Bridges is tough, cold-blooded and menacing as Stewart. Conversely, Hoyt – mostly known playing arrogant bad guys – makes a formidable adversary, ultimately becoming the story’s main protagonist. Their roles could have been reversed and the film would have been fine, but watching them play against type adds an extra layer of fun.

Economically directed by Richard Fleischer, Trapped may not rank among the stone cold noir classics, but it’s entertaining and unpredictable, with interesting characters bolstered by solid performances. This disc also includes a some bonus features that explore the film’s backstory, with particular emphasis on Fleischer and Barbara Dixon, the latter whose life choices pretty much destroyed a promising career. For film noir lovers, Trapped is worth rediscovering.

EXTRA KIBBLES

"FEELING TRAPPED” - A retrospective look back at the film featuring numerous interviews, including TCM’s Eddie Muller. Barbara Payton sure met a sad end.

"A SEDULOUS CINDERELLA: RICHARD FLEISCHER REMEMBERED” - The director’s son, Mark, discusses his father’s eclectic career.

AUDIO COMMENTARY – By author Alan K. Rode & historian Julie Kirgo.

SUPPLEMENTARY BOOKLET – Includes photos, promotional art, storyboards, actor & director bios and a brief essay about the restoration by Eddie Muller.

DVD COPY

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.

Madness Lurks in THE LIGHTHOUSE

THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019)

Starring Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe and Valeriia Karaman as the not-so-little mermaid. Directed by Robert Eggers. (109 min)

ON BLU-RAY FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Fluffy the Fearless😸

Watching The Lighthouse, I couldn’t help but think this is the aesthetic approach Stanley Kubrick should have taken with The Shining, especially since he jettisoned most of the supernatural aspects King’s novel, anyway. Of course, we all know Kubrick was probably not capable of such minimalism.

Robert Eggers is, though. Shooting in chromatic black & white in a nearly extinct aspect ratio (1:19) establishes an oppressive, claustrophobic tone right away. We feel the isolation of the film’s only two characters before we even meet them: crusty, cantankerous lighthouse keeper Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) and newly hired-hand Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson), the latter of whom appears to be trying to escape his past.

A 19^th Century New England lighthouse is already an ideal setting for a horror film, even more so for depicting a descent into madness, which is ultimately scarier than less tangible terrors. But what’s interesting about The Lighthouse is – if one were so inclined – it could still be taken on face value as a supernatural horror film. But what would be the fun in that?

Willem sometimes needs burping.

Instead, the isolation slowly drives Wake and Winslow mad, exacerbated by their already adversarial relationship, no-small-amount of booze and a storm that delays the monthly supply ship. However, since Wake already seems a few cans short of a six-pack, maybe it’s only Winslow who’s losing his grip on reality. The story unfolds from his point of view and the increasingly disturbing hallucinations are all his. One could even go out on a limb to suggest Wake himself is just another product of Winslow’s delusions. A relatively weak argument, but there is some circumstantial evidence.

And if Eggers’ The Witch veered from the beaten path, The Lighthouse doesn’t even set foot on it. In the disc’s behind-the-scenes documentary, Pattinson stated he was looking for something weird. Well, young sir, mission accomplished. Nearly every aspect of the film – both visually and narratively – is fascinatingly bizarre, reciprocated by all-in performances from both leads. Dafoe’s no stranger to such roles, but Pattinson is turning into a really interesting actor, something none of us would have predicted 10 years ago.

All of which means The Lighthouse is likely to spark plenty of love-it-or-loathe-it debates, which automatically renders it a unique film worth checking out by adventurous horror fans. Unpredictable, maddening, ambiguous and surreal – even quite funny, on occasion – one thing the film definitely isn't is boring.

EXTRA KIBBLES

"THE LIGHTHOUSE: A DARK & STORMY TALE” - Considering its unique technical aspects, this is a pretty interesting behind-the-scenes doc, running nearly 40 minutes.

AUDIO COMMENTARY – By Director/Co-writer Robert Eggers.

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DIGITAL COPY

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.

THE POOP SCOOP: New Year's Kibbles

The Original FAIL SAFE (1964) on Blu-ray 1/28 from Criterion Collection

This unnerving procedural thriller painstakingly details an all-too-plausible nightmare scenario in which a mechanical failure jams the United States military’s chain of command and sends the country hurtling toward nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Working from a contemporary best seller, screenwriter Walter Bernstein and director Sidney Lumet wrench harrowing suspense from the doomsday fears of the Cold War era, making the most of a modest budget and limited sets to create an atmosphere of clammy claustrophobia and astronomically high stakes. Starring Henry Fonda as a coolheaded U.S. president and Walter Matthau as a trigger-happy political theorist, Fail Safe is a long-underappreciated alarm bell of a film, sounding an urgent warning about the deadly logic of mutually assured destruction. 

 

COUNTDOWN Available on Digital 1/7 & Blu-ray and DVD 1/21

What if your phone could tell you when you’re going to die? Would you want to know? There’s a killer new app in COUNTDOWN, the terrifyingly original and inventive horror-thriller from STXfilms and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The film follows a young nurse who downloads an app that claims to predict exactly when a person is going to die. With only three days left to live and death closing in, she must find a way to save her life before time runs out. Combining “jump scares around every corner” (Kimber Myers, Los Angeles Times) and intense suspense, COUNTDOWN chronicles a frightening twist on the consequence of technology’s invasion of our lives. 

 

ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD 1/21

Set one decade after the events of the first film, ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP finds Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), and Wichita (Emma Stone) working together as a well-oiled, zombie-killing machine with a new home in the now-vacant White House. These four slayers must face off against the many new kinds of zombies that have evolved since the first movie, as well as some new human survivors. But most of all, they have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family. The bonus materials for ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP include audio commentary by Ruben Fleischer, a hilarious blooper reel, nine alternate & extended scenes, and several behind-the-scenes featurettes diving into the making of the film and more!

 

BLACK AND BLUE on Blu-ray & DVD 1/21

BLACK AND BLUE is a fast-paced action-thriller about a rookie cop (Academy Award nominee Naomie Harris) who inadvertently captures the murder of a young drug dealer on her body cam. After realizing that the murder was committed by corrupt cops, she teams up with the one person from her community who is willing to help her (Tyrese Gibson) as she tries to escape the criminals out for revenge and the police who are desperate to destroy the incriminating footage.

 

PARASITE on Blu-ray 1/28

Meet the Park family, the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide "indispensable" luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims' newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, Parasite showcases a modern master at the top of his game. 

 

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE on Blu-ray 1/28

Decades after Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) prevented Judgment Day, a lethal new Terminator is sent to eliminate the future leader of the resistance. In a fight to save mankind, battle-hardened Sarah Connor teams up with an unexpected ally (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and an enhanced super soldier to stop the deadliest Terminator yet. Humanity's fate hangs in the balance in this action-packed thrill ride from Tim Miller, the Director of Deadpool, and Producer James Cameron.

Marathon MAID

JOAN THE MAID (1994)

Starring Sandrine Bonnaire, André Marcon, Jean-Louis Richard, Olivier Cruveiller, Baptiste Roussillon. Directed by Jacques Rivette. (336 min)

ON BLU-RAY FROM COHEN MEDIA GROUP

Review by Fluffy the Fearless😸

My first experience with director Jacques Rivette was reviewing Cohen Media’s restoration of La Belle Noiseuse, a 4-hour film about a frustrated artist painting a nude. A daunting task, but it turned out to be surprisingly compelling (and not because of the nudity). Marathon movies are sort-of a trademark of Rivette’s and his next, Joan the Maid, is even longer. But even at five-and-half-hours – to say nothing of a complete lack of traditional action one typically associates with historical epics – this is an interesting film, though it does require some serious commitment by the viewer.

Originally released as two separate films – and presented on Blu-ray as such – this is another re-telling of Joan of Arc, dominated by an impressive, dedicated performance from Sandrine Bonnaire as the titular character.

JOAN THE MAID 1: THE BATTLES - The subtitle is a little misleading, with only one actual battle depicted on-screen. Even then, it’s a fleeting skirmish, and a rather clumsily-executed one at that. However, one also gets the impression that, with the armies' lumbering armor and unwieldy weapons, this is probably a pretty accurate depiction of reality. The film focuses primary on Jeanne d’Arc’s journey. Driven by her godly visions, she appeals to Charles, Dauphine of France (Andre Marcon), to lead a French revolt against the British so he can assume the throne as the rightful king. She faces a lot of opposition, of course, but also earns a loyal following along the way, particularly from those who choose fight alongside her.

Joan the Emo.

JOAN THE MAID 2: THE PRISONS - Part 2 gets off to a shaky start with the crowning of Charles as the new king, which isn’t recognized by the British still occupying the country. Running over 20 minutes, the ritual is depicted in excruciating detail, essentially bringing the narrative to a grinding halt. It’s the only time the film is truly boring and could have easily been trimmed to a few short minutes without impacting the story whatsoever. The remainder unfolds sort-of like the final act of Braveheart without the blood & body parts. Jeanne is captured, betrayed, imprisoned and...well, we know the rest. The trial is sort-of a kangaroo court, where her faith and womanhood are questioned, yet even with the prospect of a horrible death, Jeanne remains steadfast in her beliefs. Following the trial, her incarceration in a British prison is by-far the most emotionally harrowing part of the film.

Jeanne herself is not depicted as the deified historical figure we grew up reading about. She’s sometimes stubborn, confrontational and maybe even a little over-confident. While there are many moments when the viewer thinks her unshakable faith is simply the product of a delusional mind, she’s a remarkably complex character, sympathetically portrayed by Bonnaire, who’s in nearly every scene.

Considering Joan the Maid is almost like binge-watching an entire season of a Netflix series, it helps to know in-advance that Rivette’s prolonged narrative tendencies are here in abundance (and this isn’t even his longest film). The story is filled with so much exposition – often directed right at the audience by various characters – that it requires your constant attention. But as exhausting as that can be at times, it’s ultimately worth the effort. A unique and interesting presentation of a revered historical figure.

KITTY CONSENSUS:

PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.