Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

The "Nature" episode "Snow Monkeys" has an ace up its sleeve with the titular macaques. These creatures are adorable (at least when they're young) and immensely amusing to watch in action, immediately elevating the documentary's appeal. Thankfully, "Snow Monkeys" has a lot to offer the viewer, tracking the seasonal cycle for the primates as they battle life and death in the far reaches of Japan, with their adventures narrated by Liam Neeson — a rare flash of marquee value for a series that prides itself on scientific study. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The teaming of stars Kirk Douglas and John Wayne carries a surplus of masculinity. 1967's "The War Wagon" is their third and final pairing, after "In Harm's Way" and "Cast a Giant Shadow," and it's a film that perhaps extracts the purest expression of screen charisma from the actors, who contribute beefy appeal to a routine western that concerns a heist scenario. Everyone else just looks small in the feature, though the ensemble contribution is quite valuable to the picture, which has use for a range of reactions that shy away from the confidence Wayne and Douglas project. Directed by Burt Kennedy (who remained in the western genre for years to come, but also helmed "Suburban Commando"), "The War Wagon" has all the highlights a genre enthusiast could ask for: gunfights, a bar brawl, a runaway wagon, acts of nostril-flaring intimidation, and a bridge explosion. While dramatically the movie is missing a rich understanding of motivation, the surface delights of the effort are handled with care, allowing plenty of room to explore western traditions and allow the leading men an opportunity to trade barbs and suspicions as they attempt to out barrel-chest each other (spoiler: Douglas wins). Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Well, if you're a filmmaker and you're trying to rip-off Hitchcock, excessive amounts of nudity always helps. 1973's "Sugar Cookies" isn't the most memorable sexploitation shocker of its era, but a few of the names associated with its creation certainly raise eyebrows, with credits boasting the participation of Troma Entertainment founder Lloyd Kaufman (who co-scripts) and Oliver Stone, who's listed among the producers. Everyone has to make their start somewhere, and I can certainly understand the external appeal of "Sugar Cookies," with its elements of mystery, bare skin, and perversion. It's a strange picture, not entirely coherent despite the illusion of comprehensible sinister business, but it's entertaining in a B-movie way, offering a steady stream of threatening behavior and spastic seductions to help ease an awkward "Vertigo"-inspired plot into place. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1970's "Death Occurred Last Night" is a difficult film to gauge. Although it teases giallo interests with unsavory criminal behavior and police procedural highlights with some minor supercop beats, the feature doesn't rest any place in particular. It's not a thriller, but far from a drama, capturing an uneasy tone of discovery that drives interest in the story, along with nicely shaded characterization that elevates its emotional potential. Director Duccio Tessari manages to find a unique gravity to the endeavor, delivering on a kidnapping concept that heads into unexpected places, while the screenplay (adapted from a novel) provides at least an effort to avoid the norm when it comes to the cliches of nosy cops and overprotective fathers. "Death Occurred Last Night" is a grim picture, but always compelling with its mournful tone, broken up by flashes of exploitative habits that keep the movie approachable, even downright goofy at times, but the asides rarely break Tessari's concentration. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1970's "Eden and After" doesn't represent a change of creative direction for director Alain Robbe-Grillet, but it does bring a hearty dose of color to his style after his previous work bathed in the mystery of black and white. Perhaps the addition of bold hues encourages the primal side of the filmmaker, as "Eden and After" is more feral creation for the notoriously arcane helmer, indulging the wild side of youth as it explores psychological gamesmanship and unlocked desires. True to Robbe-Grillet's cinematic approach, it's cold to the touch, but for a low-wattage freak-out, "Eden and After" achieves its vague goals. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After the success of "Trans-Europe Express," director Alain Robbe-Grillet continued his exploration of the abstract with 1968's "The Man Who Lies," a fascinating but bloodless film interpretation exercise that's more academic than involving. Working with the concept of the untrustworthy narrator, Robbe-Grillet invents a puzzle of deception that only he can solve, or perhaps nobody can — either way, the helmer seems to be satisfied with the confusion he summons and the manipulation he maps out. The effort is impressively knotted and bizarre, but Robbe-Grillet treats emotional involvement like a case of the cooties, once again making viewing of his work an extended appreciation of cinematic form, not storytelling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," has been adapted countless times for television and cinema, with its gothic tale of deception and protection ideal fodder for visual mediums. Arguably the most famous incarnation of the story is this 1923 film, a colossal epic produced by Universal Studios with intention to sell the picture as their "Super Jewel" production of the year. And the feature lives up to its epic reputation, with glorious sets (amazingly, the effort was shot at Universal City in California, but the illusion of Paris remains intact), costuming, and performances contributing to this vivid retelling of Quasimodo and his dealings with destructive acts of obsession. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1973's "Gang War in Milan" asks a lot of the viewer as it goes about its Eurocrime business. The screenplay by Franco Enna and Umberto Lenzi (who also directs) pits crooks against crooks, trying to build sympathy for the main character as he slaps around women and engages in provocative business tactics, while the cops are basically useless, mere decoration for the feature to occasionally call on to apply pressure. It's a troubling picture in many ways, with the material's pronounced distaste for women difficult to digest. However, accepted as the genre effort it aspires to be, populated with roughhousing, uncaring men, and "Gang War in Milan" is certainly diverting with its operatic inclinations. Winding through betrayals, antagonism, and murder, the movie does a commendable job establishing criminal escalation and the price paid for such rampant misdeeds, with only the payoff that's unsteady, losing a little third-act hustle as Lenzi struggles to find a way out of this maze of unpleasantness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In their second collaboration during a fruitful creative run throughout the 1960s and '70s, star Clint Eastwood and director Don Siegel elected to return to old business with 1970's "Two Mules for Sister Sara." Inspired by Eastwood's work with filmmaker Sergio Leone and the global success of their "Dollars" trilogy, the production mounted a vague homage to the Man with No Name, only here he had a name, and plenty of dialogue. Saddling up with a score from Ennio Morricone and gorgeous Mexican locations, "Two Mules for Sister Sara" is a solid return to icy Eastwoodian action, this time pairing the iconic figure with Shirley MacLaine, a noted intimidator in her own right. Against all odds, the stars share spunky, charged chemistry, making this heat-stroked trip across the open desert highly entertaining, observing a pair of mismatched travelers as they unite to achieve a common goal. Plenty of drinking, flirtations, and short tempers are shared, and while the movie doesn't offer an overwhelming sense of conflict, sly personalities and chewy western traditions are big enough to capture attention. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The documentary "The Dave Clark Five and Beyond: Glad All Over" is intended to celebrate the career of the titular band, who rocked the British and U.S. charts during the 1960s with their thumping rock and roll sound and clean-cut looks. They were an integral part of the British Invasion, but a group that's often overlooked when talk of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones arrives, forcing Dave Clark himself to launch a media revival, using the two hour retrospective to remind viewers of such classics as "Glad All Over," "Bits and Pieces," and "Catch Us If You Can." His evidence is persuasive, but the control-freak tone of the effort is disconcerting, with Clark producing and directing the picture, which eventually abandons Dave Clark Five history altogether to focus on Clark's achievements as a burgeoning mogul and his forgotten stab at musical theater with 1986's "Time." A mixed bag of treats, "Glad All Over" is often more frustrating than enlightening, though there's pure joy in seeing performance footage from 50 years ago, watching the band tear through television and stage gigs with a unique sonic energy and cheery demeanor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Countess Dracula" is a confusing title for this 1971 feature, as traditional images of fangs, bloodsucking, and undead majesty aren't included in the story. A Hammer Film production, the picture eschews gothic severity to portray a unique panic tied to the aging process, with the titular character not interested in drinking blood, only out to bathe in the stuff. Details, people. While "Countess Dracula" runs out of drama after the hour mark, this is an engaging effort from director Peter Sasdy ("Hands of the Ripper"), who wisely plays up the exploitation aspects of the production to avoid answering questions, keeping the film more invested in a dark hunt for virgin flesh as it teases strange fairy tale elements, though, overall, it's executed with enough exposed flesh and growling jealousies to keep it engaging in a B-movie manner. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Stranger by the Lake" is mysterious, sensual, and disarmingly casual. The latest from writer/director Alain Guiraudie, the feature is a splendidly crafted effort that sneaks up on the viewer, lulling them into a state of comfort with the characters before gradually introducing elements of murder and suspicion. It works due to Guiraudie's moviemaking control and patience, while the cast submits exceptionally interior work, projecting emotional concerns while working through the subtleties of small talk. Although it's a repetitive film, it winds with purpose, slowly ratcheting up the tension in a confident manner that keeps the picture riveting, even when it seems to have no direction at all. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1971's "The Jekyll and Hyde Portfolio" is notable for being one of the rarest VHS releases during the format's reign during the 1980s and '90s. Why collectors would go crazy for such a weirdo piece of work is beyond me, but the game of exclusivity seldom makes sense. Something tells me the treasure hunters that went after the tape never actually sat down and watched it. A softcore oddity that merges chilly sexuality with extreme violence, "The Jekyll and Hyde Portfolio" appears to be inspired by the 1886 Robert Louis Stevenson novella, but most likely came into existence after a night of heavy drinking. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Hallucination Strip" (a.k.a. "Roma Drogata" and "The Hallucinating Trip") is an apt title for a movie that tends to wander around in a daze, never quite accomplishing anything as it serves up a feast of flesh and social commentary. The 1975 effort from director Lucio Marcaccini (unsurprisingly, his only feature) seeks to understand what the kids of Italy are up to as drugs and dissent flood the streets, but its appetite for concern is short-lived, with more concentration placed on sex and surreal adventures into psychedelics, limiting the world-changing impact the picture seems intent on achieving in its early going. "Hallucination Strip" is interesting in fits, but its ambition is more fascinating than its execution, with Marcaccini not exactly guiding the endeavor, he's just surviving it, hoping random jabs at profundity will cover the film's lack of absorption when it comes to the details of discontent and the weight of mistakes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As the cities of the world gradually run out of space, the only direction left is skyward. Massive buildings were once the darling of any self-respecting metropolitan area, and now they're being replaced with concrete goliaths, massive displays of architecture that seek to merge style with practicality, while one tower in particular appears to exist solely as a symbol of perseverance. "Super Skyscrapers" is a four-part documentary that highlights a handful of superstructures as they endure the trial of construction, with setbacks, weather concerns, and the challenge of assembly contributing to a long, arduous process. While the program isn't exactly a global look at the triumphs of the business, the essential elements of anxiety and professional passion are accounted for, making for a surprisingly tense viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

ITV's "Mr. Selfridge" was always a thinly disguised take on the hit show, "Downton Abbey," trying to replicate the formula of the rich and the working class existing uncomfortably in the same expansive environment. However, "Mr. Selfridge: Season 2" has shed its inspiration and simply gone after the same dramatic arcs as its competitor. Vaulting forward five years so the fine personnel and customers of London's top department store, Selfridge's, can deal with the commencement and ongoing misery of WWI, the series becomes mimicry of the worst kind. Already a program of iffy performances, plots, and emotional discoveries, "Season 2" somehow makes all new mistakes, growing ambitious with limited resources, while giving in to the some of the worst melodrama I've seen in quite some time. Not that "Downton Abbey" is the epitome of refined scripting, but the second go-around for Harry Selfridge and the commerce gang reeks of desperation, eschewing thoughtful, significant conflicts to become a turn-of-the-century "Days of Our Lives." Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The director of "Still Life" and "Unknown Pleasures," director Zhangke Jia continues his commentary on Chinese society with "A Touch of Sin." Gathering four tales of despondency and behavioral extremity, the helmer embarks on an odyssey of desperation, tackling issues of corruption and dismissal that guide the characters to situations of impulse and reckoning that alters their lives forever. Sold in a meditative manner that makes the innate horror of the stories all the more terrifying, "A Touch of Sin" is an evocative and devastating portrait of demoralization, with the origins of these tales based partly on factual events. However, the intermittent intensity of the effort doesn't carry throughout, as gaps in understanding add up in the end, leaving these tattered people and their woe curiously unexplored beyond key details that lead to their unraveling. It's a strikingly shot picture with some genuine dramatic weight, but as an overall piece of understanding, the movie leaves too much obscured, keeping the viewer in the dark despite some incredibly intimate acts of deliberation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The late Jess Franco was an insanely prolific director with a specific appetite in exploitation cinema. Perhaps 1973's "The Demons" doesn't summarize his skills as a helmer, but it's a solid introduction to his fetishes, delivering a movie that's stocked with graphic violence and softcore sex scenes. It's a ludicrous picture at times but it's undeniably fascinating, with Franco pursuing a provocative screen energy that's often impossible to achieve, merging lustful antics with historical hysteria. It's a Penthouse Letter written during Sunday School, and while it's never secure in its storytelling, often trailing off into inscrutable conflict, "The Demons" is memorable, with a specific visual approach and strange sense of evil that keeps it moving along for its entirely excessive two-hour run time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1983's "The House on Sorority Row" was released during a fertile time for slasher entertainment, when everyone with access to a camera, topless actresses, and fake blood decided to launch their own horror experience to cash in on the macabre merriment. Unfortunately, most of these productions were derivative of one another, riding trends to a point of exhaustion. The surprise of "The House on Sorority Row" is how it teases such genre fatigue, yet manages to build a semi-effective scare machine of its own, merging "Friday the 13th" levels of gore with a distinct Hitchcockian influence that pushes the picture into thriller mode over your basic rampage-and-stab viewing experience. Creative particulars are unexpectedly tight, with writer/director Mark Rosman investing in suspense over pure exploitation, though the basics in nudity, bloodshed, and screamy panic are covered. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The manic energy of "Big Fat Liar" is almost too much to handle. Aimed toward the attention spans of 8-year-olds, with agonizing screenwriting simplicity to boot, the picture is a dizzying display of slapstick comedy with an industry insider lean, taking on the immoral cesspool of Hollywood with a pronounced Nickelodeon tone of pre-teen mischief. Marking Shawn Levy's big studio debut as a director, "Big Fat Liar" plays as broadly and obviously as possible, missing necessary laughs that could make it all palatable. Instead of considered humor, there's Paul Giamatti, who pops a lung with his bellowing performance here, leaving no scene unchewed. It's an aggressive, obnoxious turn from an actor addicted to harmful decibel levels, slamming the otherwise witless endeavor with his wall of noise. It's a feature best viewed on mute. Or not at all. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com