June 30, 2020
June 29, 2020
Mr. Biscuits' ADVENTURES IN THE BUDGET BIN: The Mystery of the Disappearing Potato Skins
Dollar
Tree is the only place in town that carries TGI Friday's Potato
Skins. The restaurant itself may be an endangered species, but my
local local Dollar Tree is always packed with these
strangely-addictive craptastic crunchies. The downside is my kids
like them, too. The last time I brought some home, they asked for a
few...then proceeded to POLISH OFF THE WHOLE FUCKING BAG! Perhaps
they were just looking out for my health, but the fact remains I
didn't get a single fucking chip.
But
my trip wasn't a total loss. In addition to grabbing some gum to
counter the rancid coffee breath I kept blowing into my own face
mask, I found a DVD copy of a film I'd been seeking for a long
time...
VIRUS
(DVD) – This 1980 Japanese-produced global disaster movie has
an interesting history. The original cut runs 155 minutes, while the
US cut – running 108 min – is sloppily butchered in an effort to
boost the screen time of the Americans in the cast. I still haven't
been able to find the original version on DVD or Blu-ray, but for
$1.00 at DOLLAR TREE, the edited version will do just fine. It
may have been the most expensive Japanese film ever made at the time,
but it sure as hell ain't a classic. Still, it's kind of timely right
now, especially early scenes depicting dumbasses in denial.
DELIVERANCE
(Blu-ray) – Everything I know about hillbillies I learned from
Deliverance, and so far, I've
yet to hear any examples which contradict my opinion. All that's
missing from the film's depiction of hillbillies as backwoods
butt-fuckers are curtains made from confederate flags. A
bonafide classic, this is the film that taught us to fear banjo
music, demonstrated Ned Beatty's extreme dedication to his
craft and featured Burt Reynolds when he was still taken relatively
seriously as an actor. ($5.99 at BEST BUY)
JEEPERS
CREEPERS 1 & 2 (Blu-ray) – While I like Shout Factory
releases, they are generally overpriced and I'm convinced the company
intentionally manufactures demand by limiting the number of copies
they produce. It didn't appear to create much demand for the Jeepers
Creepers, though, because I found this double feature in a Best
Buy budget bin. I dunno...maybe they overestimated how many horror
fans wanted a film directed by a guy who was busted for child
pornography. While neither film is terrible, they sure as hell ain't
worth what they're fetching individually on Amazon. But $5.99 at
BEST BUY makes it a bit easier to overlook Victor Salva's
repugnant proclivities.
THE POOP SCOOP: Classics and Craziness Edition
Alejandro
Jodorowsky's PSYCHOMAGIC, A HEALING ART to Premiere Exclusively 8/7
on Alamo on Demand, Along with 5-Film Retrospective (Blu-ray Boxed
Set Coming 8/21)
ABKCO
Films will premiere internationally acclaimed Chilean filmmaker
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s latest film Psychomagic, A Healing Art in
the US and Canada on August 7 through an exclusive arrangement with
Alamo Drafthouse's new VOD platform, Alamo
On Demand.
Preceding the premiere, there will be a retrospective beginning
August 1, also exclusively at Alamo On Demand, featuring 4K
restorations of the surrealist filmmaker’s cult classics
Fando y Lis, El Topo and The Holy Mountain,
as well as the more recent The
Dance Of Reality and Endless Poetry.
A virtual master class in Psychomagic with Jodorowsky is planned
for August 8. The
home edition of Psychomagic,
A Healing Art will
be available as part of ABKCO Films'
Alejandro Jodorowsky: 4K Restoration Collection due
out August 21. This deluxe box set also includes The Maestro's
films Fando
y Lis, El Topo
and The
Holy Mountain restored
in 4K on Blu-ray, along with new bonus features and CD soundtracks of
the latter two titles.
-----------------------------------------------------------
AIRPLANE!
and GHOST Limited Editions on Blu-ray 7/21
Paramount
Home Media Distribution will release new Limited Editions of
Airplane! (1980) and Ghost (1990). The two releases, which will be
part of the studio's recently launched Paramount Presents
line, will arrive on the market 7/21. Both
films feature new 4K restorations. AIRPLANE!
BONUS FEATURES: Filmmakers Focus:
Writers/directors Jim Abrahms, David Zucker, and Jerry
Zucker on
Airplane!; Q&A with the directors of Airplane!:
Filmed at the Egyptian Theater, Hollywood. January 10, 2020; Isolated
Score; Vintage audio commentary by Jim Abrahms, David Zucker, Jerry
Zucker, and producer Jon Davison GHOST
BONUS FEATURES: Director Jerry Zucker on Ghost ; Audio
commentary by director Jerry Zucker and writer Bruce Joel Rubin;
Alchemy of a Love Scene Featurette; Ghost Stories - The
Making of a Classic; Original theatrical trailer.
THE
TERROR: INFAMY: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray and DVD 8/18
In
the second installment of producer (and Primetime Emmy winner)
Ridley’s Scott’s horror-tinged anthology – World War II-era
Japanese-Americans on Southern California’s Terminal Island are
menaced by a “bakemono,” or, folkloric specter. Suffering forced
evictions and imprisonment after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the
Terminal Islanders are hounded by prejudice and injustice, as well as
bad omens and bizarre deaths. One of them, Chester Nakayama, decides
to take on the malevolent entity, journeying to realms of evil in
both the present…and the distant past.
MONEY
PLANE on Digital 7/10
A
professional thief with $40 million in debt and his family’s life
on the line must commit one final heist - rob a futuristic airborne
casino filled with the world’s most dangerous criminals.
Starring Adam
Copeland, Denise Richards, Kelsey Grammer, Thomas Jane, Katrina
Norman, Patrick Lamont Jr.
June 28, 2020
THE PAINTED BIRD: Curse the Beasts and the Children
THE
PAINTED BIRD (Film
Review)
Starring
Petr Kotlár, Nina Šunevič,
Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier,
Harvey Keitel, Jitka Čvančarova,
Julian Sands, Barry Pepper, Ala Sakalova. Directed by Václav
Marhoul. (2019/169 min)
OPENING IN THEATERS, DRIVE-INS & DIGITAL/VOD ON JULY 17 FROM IFC FILMS
Review
by Fluffy the Fearless🙀
The
metaphor of the title may not be subtle, but it's effective.
About a third of the way into this Czechoslovakian film, a bird keeper paints the
wings of one of his animals. After releasing it, the bird ascends to
join a flock hovering above them. The flock then proceeds to attack and
kill it.
That
bird represents the young boy (Petr Kotlar) who just
watched it die. He's a WWII-era Jew whose parents left him with his
aunt for his own safety. When she unexpectedly dies, he's on his own
to begin a long, terrifying journey through war-ravaged Europe. Along
the way, he's seldom treated as human by the adults he meets, most of
whom vilify, exploit and abuse him (verbally, physically &
sexually). He also witnesses a variety of atrocities inflicted upon
others, from animals to town whores to entire villages raided by
Cossacks.
Speaking
of animals, The Painted Bird opens with a scene of the boy
running through the woods clutching a pet ferret. Some other kids
catch him, beat him bloody and set fire to the animal. In fact, a lot
of animals meet a violent demise throughout the film, to the point
we're fearing for the life of any critter that pops up
on-screen, very much like we constantly dread what this poor kid will
be forced to endure next. And is he destined to share the same fate as
the ostracized bird?
"Who's the bird brain now, kid?" |
Running
a harrowing three hours, The Painted Bird is the most
emotionally exhausting Holocaust-related film I've seen since
Schindler's List. But instead of mass killings and the
redemption of one man, the entire narrative is a single boy's
personal experience, which nobody with an ounce of empathy would
wish on anyone. Like the animals, he's silent through most of the
story, either out of fear or a sense of futility. Only on rare
occasion is he treated with compassion by those he meets.
You
might have to go back to The Passion of the Christ to find a
film that inflicts more misery on a single character. But conversely,
The Painted Bird doesn't sensationalize its sometimes-shocking violence and the scenes involving sexual abuse
are discreetly handled. Dialogue is generally kept to a minimum,
allowing imagery to tell much of the story, which is enhanced by
stark, darkly beautiful black & white cinematography. What really
holds the film together, however, is young Petr
Kotlár,
who's in nearly every scene. The entire cast, which includes a
smattering of familiar faces, is uniformly excellent, but the
performance writer-director Václav
Marhoul manages to pull out of this kid is remarkable.
While
The Painted Bird
tells a compelling story (based on a Jerzy Kosiński
novel), it is also relentlessly somber and frequently horrifying.
It's the kind of film that leaves the viewer emotionally drained and one
most will be content to experience just once. But love it or hate it
– I can't imagine much middle ground - nobody is likely to forget
it. Animal lovers, however, are advised to look elsewhere.
KITTY CONSENSUS:
RELENTLESSLY BLEAK, BUT UNDENIABLY COMPELLING.
June 26, 2020
BRAVEHEART (4K SteelBook): Mel's Masterpiece
BRAVEHEART
25th Anniversary SteelBook
(4K
Blu-ray Review)
Starring
Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen,
Brendan Gleeson, Catherine McCormack, David O'Hara. Directed by Mel
Gibson. (1995/177 min)
FROM
PARAMOUNT
Review
by Tiger the Terrible😺
Before
he went all funny on us, Mel Gibson could do no wrong. In addition to
being one of the most bankable actors in the world, 1995's
Braveheart showed he was also a director to be reckoned with.
Since it's generally considered a modern classic today, it might be
difficult to appreciate what a risk this film was back then. Big,
bold three-hour historical epics weren't being made much at the time,
let-alone one directed by a guy with just a single small film under
his belt.
Five
Oscars and $200 million later, not-only was it Gibson's biggest film
to date, one could easily argue it opened the doors for such action
epics as Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator and Alexander.
And as history has shown, Braveheart ended up being the
pinnacle of his career. Say what you will about the man now, Mel Gibson
put together one hell of a film that stills holds up as grand,
voracious entertainment, despite hipsters making great sport of its
historical accuracy.
Besides,
the film never claimed to be a history lesson. Rousing, romantic,
tragic and gleefully gory, Braveheart is audience manipulation
at its most effective. Only cynics get wrapped up in such
petty details as a skewed timeline, inaccurate depictions of historical figures and the car parked on the battlefield. It's all about good &
evil, heroes & villains, love & revenge and, of course, buckets of blood & brutality. What's not to love about that?
"You know it's Commando Friday, right?" |
It's
hard to believe Braveheart is now 25 years old. As modern
historical epics go, it still ranks among the most entertaining and
is always worth revisiting from time to time. So of course it
deserves some kind of commemoration. But be aware, 4K and SteelBook editions have
been released before, as well as several Blu-rays that are loaded
with the same extensive bonus features that are included here.
Like
the simultaneously released 4K SteelBook of Gladiator, the
only difference is the packaging itself, which differs from previous
editions and features one of the film's more iconic images. If
you've never added Braveheart
to
your shelf, the 25th Anniversary Edition is a good as it gets. But if
you already have it on 4K Blu-ray, time to decide if the new
packaging is worth double-dipping for.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
BRAVEHEART
TIMELINES - A neat interactive feature consisting of three
timelines related to the production, the film's narrative and the
actual history of William Wallace. Includes text, behind-the-scenes
footage, interviews and selected scenes.
BRAVEHEART:
A LOOK BACK – An hour-long documentary originally produced in
2009. Features interviews with numerous cast & crew.
SMITHFIELD:
MEDIEVAL KILLING FIELDS – A look at the location where Wallace
*and countless others) were tortured. It's a meat market today.
TALES
OF WILLIAM WALLACE – A 30 minute documentary about the
real-life Scottish hero.
A
WRITER'S JOURNEY – Interview with screenwriter Randall Wallace.
AUDIO
COMMENTARY – By Mel Gibson.
TRAILERS
DIGITAL
COPY
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEE-OW! LIKE TAUNTING A MOUSE TO DEATH.
June 24, 2020
Long Beautiful HAIR
HAIR
– Olive Signature Edition
(Blu-ray Review)
Starring
John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D'Angelo, Annie Golden, Dorsey
Wright, Cheryl Barnes, Melba Moore, Ronnie Dyson. Directed by Milos
Forman. (1979/121 min)
FROM
OLIVE FILMS
Review
by Stinky the Destroyer😺
My
God, it's my parents' playlist...
I
remember when Mom & Dad bought their first stereo, or hi-fi,
as they were called back then. It was a thing a beauty...AM and
FM, turntable, 8-track tape player and two cabinet speakers. Since it
was Dad's baby, I was forbidden to mess with it.
To
celebrate their purchase, Dad ordered a dozen 8-track tapes from one
of those record clubs, and for the next few years, the family was
inundated by Three Dog Night, The Fifth Dimension, America,
The Cowsills, Gilbert O'Sullivan and a shitload of Neil Diamond (to
appease Mom). I still know a lot of that music by heart, whether I
want those songs swimming in my head or not. Even today, whenever I hear
“Good Morning Starshine,” I see Mom vacuuming the living room on
Sunday mornings, singing along to the 'glibby gloop gloopy' parts.
A thing of beauty. |
What
I didn't know at the time was how many of those insanely-popular
songs originated from the Broadway musical, Hair. I
don't think my parents knew, either, since that hippie stuff wasn't
their bag. But Hair
not only inspired more cover versions of its songs than I could
possibly list without developing carpal tunnel syndrome, it pretty
much invented the conceptual rock musical. The likes of Rent,
Grease, Tommy and Hamilton arguably wouldn't exist without it.
The
film version is directed by Milos Forman – fresh from sweeping the
Oscars with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest – and features a
star-making performance by Treat Williams. The songs are all there,
too...”Aquarius,” “Easy to Be Hard,” “Good Morning
Starshine,” “Hair,” “Let the Sunshine In” and of course,
that perennial family favorite, “Sodomy.” The musical numbers are
enhanced by playful choreography and the film's mostly upbeat tone congenially contrasts the underlying anti-war theme.
It's a bit overlong and comes to a gloomy conclusion, but overall,
Hair remains an enjoyable snapshot of bygone era.
Treat Williams wins the ass-kicking contest. |
Hair
has been revived on-stage several times over the years, yet the movie
seems to have fallen into comparative obscurity. Grease
notwithstanding, movie musicals were a tough sell in the late
seventies. But with classic music, excellent direction and great
performances by an ensemble cast – most of whom were unknown at the
time – it's a film worth rediscovering.
Mom
& Dad eventually upgraded from crusty old 8-tracks to sparkly
new CDs. The music was the same, but now Neil Diamond sounded like he
was in the room with them. Similarly, Hair has been released
on Blu-ray before, but this edition (part of Olive Films' Signature
series) comes loaded with brand new bonus features to go along with
the great picture and sound, definitely making it worth upgrading for
fans.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
"THE
TRIBE REMEMBERS” - The primary cast – sans Williams –
reflect on being cast and the production.
"MAKING
CHANCE WORK: CHOREOGRAPHING HAIR” -
Interview with choreographer Twyla Tharp, who appears pretty
impressed with herself.
"CUTTING
HAIR” - Interviews with editors Lynzee
Klingman & Stanley Warnow.
"HAIR
STYLE” - Interview with production designer Stuart Wurtzel.
"ARTIST,
TEACHER, MENTOR: REMEMBERING MILOS FORMAN” - The best of the
bonus features, this is an entertaining appreciation of Milos Forman
by director James Mangold
AUDIO
COMMENTARY – by Treat Williams and assistant director Michael
Houseman.
ESSAY
– By critic Sheila O'Malley
BOOKLET
– Includes the same essay.
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...GIMME A HEAD WITH CAT HAIR.
June 23, 2020
12 ANGRY MEN and the Jury Duty Journey
12
ANGRY MEN (1957)
Starring
Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman,
Ed Begley, Martin Balsam, Robert Webber, George Voskovec, John
Fiedler, Edward Burns, Joseph Sweeney. Directed by Sidney Lumet. (96
min)
Essay
by D.M. ANDERSON💀
I
had to report for jury duty today. I fucking hate jury duty.
I
should amend that last statement, since I've never actually sat
on a jury. This was the fifth goddamn time I've been
summoned and not-once have I made it past the waiting room to be questioned by
the judge and attorneys. My civic duty has so-far consisted of sitting.
I once sat for 16 fucking hours over two days – reading three
novels and subjected to a nonstop barrage of Fox News' verbal vomit
from the overhead TV – just to be sent home with nothing but a
thank you and a $15 reimbursement for parking. That's a damn shame
because I've always been ready for the judge's questions with a variety of creative
responses to avoid being selected, such as ending each of
my answers with “according to prophecy.”
Perhaps
more effectively, I could simply recite some of the bigoted bile
spewed by Juror #10 in 12 Angry Men:
Look,
they're lushing it up and fighting all the time and if somebody gets
killed, so somebody gets killed! They don't care! Oh, sure, there are
some good things about 'em, too! Look, I'm the first one to say that!
I've
known a couple who were OK, but that's the exception, y'know what I
mean? Most of 'em, it's like they have no feelings! They can do
anything!
I'm
pretty certain quoting any
line by that character – out of context, before being asked a
single question – would get me immediately excused. One brief
uncomfortable silence later, my obligation to the county would be
fulfilled.
Since
driving in downtown Portland is like playing Tetris with cars, I
decided to take the commuter train to the courthouse. I generally hate public
transportation because a lot of people who use it don't seem to
have any particular destination in mind. For them, the train is more of a social gathering. Worse yet, some are
under the mistaken impression I'm open to friendly banter, even if it's one-sided. The last time I rode the
train, a guy who smelled like taco meat decided to regale me with his
days as a bounty hunter, occasionally pausing to swat imaginary
flies. I would have moved but there were no other available seats, so
I simply did my best to ignore him.
Or
maybe this was how he
planned to avoid jury duty and was simply getting into character.
Another social gathering. |
But
on a more positive note, today's train was relatively empty, even
though it was rush hour. That's because the COVID-19 pandemic is
still raging, so not-only are masks required to ride public
transportation, social distancing guidelines allow only 26 people per
car, meaning I pretty much had a section all to myself.
See
kids...even global pandemics have a bright side.
Since
this wasn't my first rodeo, I brought a backpack carrying my
Chromebook, a water bottle, a bag of Funyuns and the Stephen King
novel I got for Christmas but never got around to reading. And who
knows...perhaps coffee & Funyun breath might turn enough stomachs
to get me excused right away.
But
that wasn't gonna happen because suddenly I realized I left my coffee
tumbler on top of the ticket dispenser at the station where I
boarded. This didn't bode well for those poor bastards downtown.
Coffee is my personal heroin and without it, there was a distinct
possibility the Multnomah County Courthouse would soon be sending out
a batch of jury summonses for a murder
trail.
Thank God my bounty-hunting, fly-swatting friend wasn't around to
incur my wrath.
Hopefully,
there would be an open Starbucks downtown to defuse an
already-explosive situation.
Whenever
I receive a jury summons, 1957's 12
Angry Men inevitably comes to mind. It’s arguably the greatest courtroom drama that doesn't actually take
place in a courtroom and undoubtedly the greatest film ever set
in a single room. Based on the Reginald Rose play, the story has 12
nameless jurors deliberating the fate of a young man on trial for
murdering his own father. Though the boy's ethnicity is never
mentioned, stereotypical comments and assumptions made by certain
members of the all-white jury make it clear he's a minority. Their initial 'guilty' votes are also supported
by overwhelming, seemingly irrefutable evidence.
Henry Fonda...sick of your shit. |
Initially,
Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) is the sole 'not guilty' vote and the only one
with enough compassion and empathy to discuss the facts before
condemning the boy to death. On the other end of the spectrum is the
aforementioned Juror #10 (Ed Begley), who's clearly a racist, and
Juror #3 (Lee J. Cobb)...belligerent, judgmental and increasingly
infuriated as Juror #8 finds fallacies in the testimony, gradually prompting other jurors to change their vote. But in one
of the film's most powerful moments, we eventually learn why he's so
angry, which is actually kind of heartbreaking and ultimately has
nothing to do with the boy's race (though it doesn't make Juror #3
any less of a dick).
Once
downtown, I debarked the train at the stop nearest the courthouse. Strutting down the sidewalk was a tough looking young man who either just climbed
out of a time machine or was cosplaying as Benny Blanco from the
Bronx (a gangster played by John Leguizamo in Carlito's
Way).
He was decked-out in a similarly flashy three-piece, complete with a
wide-brimmed fedora and a rose in the lapel. He even had the same
pencil-thin mustache. Since he was heading the same direction as my
destination, I followed from a discreet distance. When he reached
Pioneer Courthouse Square, he suddenly perched himself on one of the
benches, produced a big bag of bird seed and commenced feeding the
pigeons. An elderly, white-haired lady approached and smiled. He greeted her by-name as she joined him on the bench, then they began feeding the birds together.
Considering his look and demeanor, I was surprised these two actually knew each other.
Because of 12
Angry Men...I always picture juries as a
batch of weary guys in a dingy room, ties loosened and
shirts pit-stained, pounding the table as they vigorously debate
someone's fate. I also tend to wonder which of those guys is the most
like me, because one of the film's greatest strengths – besides
themes that are still timely today – is its rich, believable
characters. Every one of them resembles somebody we've all had
pleasure or displeasure to know in real life. That somebody may even
be ourselves.
Of
course, we'd all like to think we're Juror #8, an analytical,
cool-headed leader with the resolve to stand by his convictions and
the temperament to avoid making snap judgments. But honestly, who
hasn't
made relatively harmless face-value evaluations of people we've never met
personally? What assumption did I make of Portland's own Benny
Blanco? While he probably didn't wake up this morning and head downtown to
bust a cap in Al Pacino's ass, it never crossed my mind that
a guy resembling a high-toned gangster would begin each day
fattening the pigeons with an old lady. Just because someone looks or behaves a certain way doesn't mean you know them. Yet some of the jurors in 12 Angry Men base their initial vote on similarly ignorant presumptions.
Benny Blanco, the bird feeder. |
Unfortunately,
I'm not as admirably unassuming as Juror #8, but at-least I'm not as
bitter as Juror #3 or as ignorant as Juror #10. Given my overall
attitude toward the idea of jury duty in the first place, I suppose
I'm most similar to Juror #7. As played by Jack Warden in the film,
Juror #7 doesn't want to be there, either. With a couple of baseball
tickets burning a whole in his pocket, he just wants to wrap things
up and get the hell out of there. As the deliberation drags on, impatience is
the main reason he eventually changes his vote to 'not guilty.' I'd like to think I wouldn't have such an indifferent attitude in a murder case, but would the prospect of lengthy deliberations influence my own vote? I'm not sure I want to know the answer to that.
In
that respect, if I intentionally torpedoed my chances for jury
selection today, I'd still be doing my civic duty by making certain
they selected someone who actually gives a shit.
As
it turned out, I didn't have to worry about it anyway, and this time
I didn't even make
it to the waiting room. I was met outside the courthouse by a clerk
(because, you know...pandemic) who took my jury card and informed me
that trial selection was canceled. She said I should have checked my
voicemail, but since I showed up, I was free of my obligation to the
county for another two years. It's a good thing I was wearing my
COVID mask so she couldn't see my shit-eating grin.
Suddenly
free for the fifth time, I headed back the way I came with an extra
spring in my step. Benny Blanco and his lady friend were still on
their bench, now surrounded by a legion of hungry pigeons. It also
looked like one of those ungrateful birds crapped on the brim of his
fedora, but Benny didn't seem to notice.
And
after the hour-long return trip to my neck of the woods, the coffee
tumbler I left behind was still sitting atop the ticket dispenser,
which was awesome because it cost be twenty bucks. But even though I
knew its contents would still be hot, I didn't dare take a sip, no
matter how badly I needed a caffeine jolt at that point. For all I
knew, some crazy bastard came along and used it for a piss
jar...maybe even my bounty-hunting, fly-swatting buddy.
Considering
I'd been dreading this day for weeks, everything suddenly seemed to
be going my way. With this run of good luck, I should have stopped by 7-Eleven on the way home and grabbed me some lottery tickets. As for 12 Angry Men, the film remains compulsively watchable and - considering our current cultural turmoil - might be even more thematically relevant than it was in 1957. And who knows, maybe someday we can all be like Juror #8.
June 22, 2020
June 19, 2020
THE POOP SCOOP: Trolls & Trauma Edition
Universal Pictures
Home Entertainment Debuts Trolls World Tour Music Video
Universal Picture Home
Entertainment debuted a Zoom-style music video for the song "Just
Sing," which can be found on the Trolls World Tour Official
Motion Picture Soundtrack - Available everywhere now! In the times of
social distancing, nothing can stop Trollskind from having fun and
singing together. This is one Zoom call you won’t want to miss!
Just remember: “Let Me Hear You Sing!”
Trolls World Tour on
Digital 6/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray and DVD 7/7.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AS IF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND MURDER HORNETS WEREN'T ENOUGH, ON-TAP FOR JULY...
THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE on Blu-ray 7/7
From Val Guest, the
director of The Quatermass Xperiment, Quatermass2, The Abominable
Snowman and Hell Is a City, comes one of the greatest
doomsday movies ever made! When the United States and the Soviet
Union simultaneously set off nuclear explosions, London's Daily
Express begins to report on bizarre weather changes around the world.
But when the reporters dig deeper, they discover that the blasts have
knocked Earth off its axis and sent it hurtling towards the sun. Now,
as scorching heat and devastating floods plague the planet, cities
explode in chaos and mankind is left with one last hope: A final
massive detonation that will either rebalance Earth's orbit or
destroy the world forever! Produced, directed and co-written by
Guest, this British classic is legendary for its brilliant dialogue,
chilling realism and one of the most provocative endings in sci-fi
history. Bonus Features: Brand New 4K Master | NEW Audio Commentary
by Film Historian Richard Harland Smith | Audio Commentary by
Co-Writer/Producer/Director Val Guest | 4 TV Spots | 4 Radio Spots |
Theatrical Trailer | Dual-Layered BD50 Disc | Optional English
Subtitles
The Original WAR OF THE WORLDS Coming 7/7 from Criterion Collection
BLU-RAY
SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES: New 4K digital restoration, with
uncompressed monaural soundtrack • New alternate 5.1 surround
soundtrack, created by sound designer Ben Burtt and presented in
DTS-HD Master Audio • Audio commentary from 2005 featuring
filmmaker Joe Dante, film historian Bob Burns, and author Bill Warren
• Movie Archaeologists, a new program on the visual and sound
effects in the film featuring Burtt and film historian Craig Barron •
From the Archive, a new program about the film’s restoration
featuring Barron, Burtt, and Paramount Pictures archivist Andrea
Kalas • Audio interview with producer George Pal from 1970 • The
Sky Is Falling, a 2005 documentary about the making of the film •
The Mercury Theatre on the Air radio adaptation of The War of the
Worlds from 1938, directed and narrated by Orson Welles • Radio
program from 1940 featuring a discussion between Welles and H. G.
Wells, author of the 1897 novel The War of the Worlds • Trailer •
PLUS: An essay by film critic J. Hoberman.The Original WAR OF THE WORLDS Coming 7/7 from Criterion Collection
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IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO JOIN THE CULT...
RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, is releasing the acclaimed documentary YOU DON’T NOMI on July 21, 2020. The feature screenwriting and directorial debut of Jeffrey McHale.. In YOU DONT NOMI, a chorus of film critics and fervent devotees explore the complicated afterlife of 1995s biggest film flop, Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls, from disastrous release to cult adoration and extraordinary redemption. The films features Adam Nayman (Vice Guide to Film), April Kidwell (I, Nomi) and Peaches Christ (Milk).
SPLIT SECOND Starring Rutger Hauer (RIP) Makes Its Long-Awaited Blu-ray Debut On 8/11
MVD
Rewind Collection has teamed up with 101 Films to bring collectors a
fully loaded special edition. Starting with a brand new high
definition presentation overseen by Joe Rubin, the main feature is
presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, newly scanned,
restored and color graded in 4K from the 35MM internegative, with
uncompressed 2-channel stereo audio. Split Second is packed with
hours of bonus material produced by 101 Films exclusively for the US
(and the UK) including brand new cast and crew interviews, new audio
commentary, and rarely seen 1992 legacy features, an alternative cut
of the film, deleted scenes, promos and more!
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