Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

Man's best friend goes insane in 1976's "Dogs," a rather assertive attempt on part of the producers to cash in on the growing eco-disaster/animal-attack subgenres popular in the decade of disillusionment. That's right, old Spot and Snoopy are the enemy in this feature, which gleefully serves up violence, preying on fears of a domesticated animal uprising where no one is safe from harm. The premise is goofy, but nobody told director Burt Brinckerhoff (a longtime television journeyman) and screenwriter O'Brian Tomalin ("Acapulco Gold") they needed to play the picture tongue-in-cheek. In fact, "Dogs," outside of some obvious touches of camp, plays out with refreshing severity, watching the cast maintain straight faces as they engage in battle with neighborhood pooches. Extremely entertaining when it isn't tying its shoelaces together with laborious scientific exposition, the movie delivers exactly what the title promises, organizing stalking sequences and kills that highlight the four-legged co-stars and their insatiable appetite for human blood. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Chipmunks today are not The Chipmunks of yesteryear. There was once a time when the characters weren't completely disagreeable, armed with fecal matter jokes and voiced by Justin Long. There were two previous phases of Chipmunk rule, the first beginning in the late 1950s, which gave birth to the omnipresent holiday tune, "The Chipmunk Song," and the program, "The Alvin Show." The second phase commenced in the 1980s, where the titular group returned to television with a distinct MTV inspiration, riding a pop wave of hits to the delight of Saturday morning cartoon warriors everywhere. Midway through the run, 1987's "The Chipmunk Adventure" was issued to multiplexes, hoping to cash in on a theatrical boom triggered by the surprising success of 1985's "The Care Bear Movie," which managed to out-gross Disney's sure thing, "The Black Cauldron." Suddenly, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were prepped for big screen stardom, and while the effort didn't take as expected, "The Chipmunk Adventure" eventually acquired a considerable following through cable and television showings, finding the fanbase on a more intimate level. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I'm beginning to understand what inspired David Lynch to start directing films. 1963's "L'immortelle" exists in a dreamscape, or perhaps a nightmare, or perhaps it's all set in a level of purgatory. Famed French New Wave architect Alain Robbe-Grillet isn't in the mood to provide answers with his directorial debut. He's mounted an avant-garde ode to the minutiae of loss and psychological disorder, setting this often indescribable tale in Istanbul, where the lead character and the viewer are strangers in a strange land, unable to decode the local language and decipher the landscapes. "L'immortelle" isn't an approachable picture by any means, instead marching forward as an exercise in cinematic form. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the vast collection of Italian crime sagas, perhaps 1976's "Meet Him and Die" wouldn't rate very high on the quality scale. The story isn't energizing, with a blur of names and motivations competing for director Franco Prosperi's attention, and the resolution leaves much to be desired, electing for a blunt conclusion that doesn't retain its intended sting. However, looking past the picture's obvious shortcomings, and there's an entertaining tale of revenge to embrace, with heated performances and daredevil stunt work to wow viewers. "Meet Him and Die" gradually builds into an engaging underworld adventure, complete with double-crosses and near-misses, but its interests remain with visceral events, as Prosperi has a fondness for the physical stuff. Well paced and surprisingly scrappy, the feature contributes to the funky subgenre with a healthy dose of action, aggression, and a few gulps of the old J&B. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When Lloyd Kaufman gets around to making a movie, he doesn't mess around. The co-founder of Troma Entertainment, Kaufman returns to directorial duties with "Return to Nuke 'Em High: Volume 1," a reboot of the cult splatter series from the 1980s and '90s. Opening with narration by Stan Lee, a starring credit for "Kevin the Wonder Duck," and seasoning the agony early with a scene of penile dismemberment and full-body melt, the feature doesn't waste any time trying to become the zaniest, goriest, more offensive picture of the year. Mission accomplished, but with Troma, a little ugliness goes a long way, and while "Return to Nuke 'Em High" retains a certain B-movie moxie, its chaotic nature fatigues the film long before it reaches its non-conclusion. Points to Kaufman for the hurricane of sick ideas, but would it kill Troma to show a little patience? Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1968's "The Swimmer" is a dream and a nightmare rolled into a deceptively simple mission of memory evasion. It's a strange picture, but engrossingly so, taking the viewer on a journey of self-delusion and nostalgia that gradually exposes a richly tortured main character as he attempts to immerse himself in a life that's no longer available to him. Strikingly made and outstandingly performed by Burt Lancaster, "The Swimmer" (directed by Frank Perry and scripted by Eleanor Perry) deftly combines disturbing realities with the romance of fantasy, constructing a riveting psychological portrait of a man set loose in his own playground of emotional fragmentation. Beautifully shot and executed, the effort is generous with disturbing, puzzling behavior, yet wise enough to provide clear clues to aid interpretation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"The Flesh and Blood Show" opens with a shot of blood pouring down a pier pillar, setting a macabre mood for all the evildoing to come. It's a fantastic way to kick off the picture. Cruelly, it's the first and last bit of nasty business to cause a scene in the movie. A 1972 effort from director Pete Walker, "The Flesh and Blood Show" doesn't even seem particularly interested in scaring its audience, instead offering a mix of titillation and flaccid dramatics to fill the run time, while suspense is nonexistent, featuring extended sequences of horror that aren't the least bit frightening. Although the collision of egos, nudity, and infighting certainly has promise, it remains unfulfilled in Walker's feature, which is so glacial and mild, it's a wonder what the production was actually trying to achieve with its emphasized but underutilized genre elements. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Frightmare" represents my official introduction to the filmography of Pete Walker. A British director who specialized in low-budget horror features, Walker made a name for himself with efficient chillers and scrappy visions of brutality, with efforts such as "Schizo," "House of Whipcord," and "The Comeback" earning the respect of cult audiences who live their lives to make such discoveries. 1974's "Frightmare" is perhaps his most admired production, if only because it caused quite a stir during its initial theatrical release, upsetting critics at the time with its X-rated vision of cannibalism and murder, while offering a provocative condemnation of criminal rehabilitation services. In 2014, it's difficult to understand why such a fuss was raised, with the genre now exposing every perversion and evil known to man, but what remains under the aged layers of condemnation is a crafty chiller, wonderfully performed and executed with a refreshing grimness. "Frightmare" has its share of ugliness, but it's also considered work from Walker, who isn't merely out to sicken, but haunt his audience with this effective picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When it finally saw a wide release in January 1992, "Fried Green Tomatoes" shocked Hollywood with its box office staying power, ending up with grosses nobody could've predicted. Finding its audience at the right time, it's easy to spot why the film connected in a big way. With characters worthy of emotional investment, sassy humor, and a female perspective rarely viewed in such a frank manner, "Fried Green Tomatoes" is a full course cinematic meal, retaining its literary origins with ideal confidence. Quibbles aside, it's a well-told tale with unexpectedly secure performances, also retaining a nice edge that helps to dial down the potential for syrup. After all, it's not every day that one encounters a sensitive tale of sisterhood that also contains an element of cannibalism. For that alone, the movie deserves respect. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Although other films have made the attempt to master the same moves as epic cinema of old, 1992's "Far and Away" was perhaps the last effort to come the closest to a David Lean-style spectacle without employing sizable help from CGI. Director Ron Howard's throwback feature doesn't achieve iconic status, but it's fine entertainment overall, exploring a classic tale of immigration and desire, set against the backdrop of the American Dream. Even with a few hiccups in storytelling, the production satisfies a sizable amount of its goals, hitting beats of romance and tragedy while stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman bring reassuring star power to the picture, allowing Howard to find his sense of sweep as the movie makes its way to a wonderfully widescreen conclusion. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Stories rarely come more uncomfortable than "Mysterious Skin." Not only is the film's sexuality bluntly displayed, but the tale concerns molestation and abandonment, detailed in a graphic manner that requires viewers to place their trust in the hands of writer/director Gregg Araki. A helmer not known for his sense of good taste, Araki plays this 2004 effort carefully, aware of the tonal tightrope walk the material demands as it visits places of deep-seated despair and lifelong confusion. "Mysterious Skin" contains a few flat notes of community participation, but Araki locates all the necessary surges of hopelessness and misguided desire, ending victorious in his quest to adapt Scott Heim's provocative novel. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Vietnamese production, "Sword of the Assassin" (released as "Blood Letter" in its homeland), is reportedly one of the country's most expensive movies. Budgetary might shows throughout the picture, which submits elaborate costuming, a wide range of locations, and wire-intensive martial arts sequences, supporting an epic tale of destiny and revenge. The feature also represents a flirtation with the wuxia genre, bringing that bag of tricks to a national film scene that hasn't had the practice. Uncertainty comes across clearly during the effort's more elaborate moments of violent engagement and escape, but what's more troubling is the tangled plot, which seems to go out of its way to provide names and motivations without making secure introductions first. There's plenty of narrative business to sort through, but the dramatic claustrophobia does little to dilute the sheer beauty of the film, making "Sword of the Assassin" a feast for the eyes with its dazzling colors, far off locations, and vivid costuming. Just make sure you have a pen and a pad handy to keep characterizations in check. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I recognize and respect the movie's position in the exploitation hall of fame, but let's not kid ourselves here: "Snuff" is a terrible motion picture. More of a triumph of provocative marketing than a coherent feature, this 1976 endeavor is all about shock value, attempting to work itself under the skin of the viewer with a parade of macabre events and displays of gore, with the very act of anticipation the key to the horror here, not anything actually contained in the effort. Bizarre, deathly dull, and distinctly amateurish, "Snuff" is best left as a ridiculous urban legend, as any exposure to a mere minute of this punch-drunk picture diminishes its power as a nightmare machine using the tease of genuine murder as a way to attract the curious and dubious. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Count Dracula is often mentioned as Christopher Lee's most iconic character, with the actor playing the famous bloodsucker in nine different movies over the course of his career. With such immediate popularity, triggered by the 1958 release of "Dracula" (co-starring Peter Cushing), it seems odd that Hammer Films waited eight years to mount a follow-up with the actor, finally arriving at a point of cinematic resurrection with 1966's "Dracula: Prince of Darkness," only to rob the monster of all his lines and delay his introduction to comedic degree. Despite its routine dramatic interests and habitual need to postpone the inevitable, "Prince of Darkness" has enough proper Hammer Horror elements to engage, gifting the viewer the titular ghoul, a creepy castle located in the middle of nowhere, and a cast of innocents who boldly step into the line of fire, completely ignoring repeated pleas for vigilance. It's almost enough to fuel an effort that practically refuses access to its most interesting screen element. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

By the time "Frankenstein Created Woman" arrived in theaters in 1967, the series, from legendary horror factory Hammer Films, was already three installments into its run. Facing a new cinematic adventure, the producers elected to avoid coarse savagery of the flesh to travel within, sparking to a story concerning the trappable aspects of the human soul. Of course, some gore zone visits were required to please the fan base, yet, for the most part, "Frankenstein Creates Woman" is a movie with ideas, just no real sense of how implement them into a riveting feature. Lead work from Peter Cushing is reliably passionate and regal, and bombshell Susan Denberg makes an impression as an innocent vengeance machine, but the effort lacks a certain macabre zest present in other Hammer Horror endeavors. While it's digestible, with a handful of respectable scenes, the picture doesn't rise to the occasion, reaching its potential as a Frankenstein film with a minor in metaphysics. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Robert Redford is no fool. The screen icon and celebrated director knows full well that audiences wouldn't be very patient with "The Company You Keep" without the security and color of a large cast made up of famous faces. It's a smart move, providing a sense of stability with this labyrinthine tale of aging radicals, weighty secrets, and dubious journalism, with the talent helping to ease the often scattered feel of the storytelling — an effort that faces a difficult job of establishing numerous names and places. Never underestimate these modest flashes of star power, as the ensemble manufactures the suspense and reflection necessary to make "The Company You Keep" stick as a stirring drama and as a statement of generational idealism greeting the golden years. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When most directors repeat themselves, it's typically a sign of artistic exhaustion or perhaps unshakable fixation. In Wes Anderson's case, his visual repetition has become an irresistible thumbprint, and one of the great moviegoing joys I've encountered in recent years is the opportunity to watch this supremely gifted filmmaker use his leather-bound imagination to impart varying stories of eccentric outsiders and their enduring emotional wounds, with each picture connected by exotic aesthetic degrees of detail-oriented splendor. Now Anderson takes his cinematic language to the hand-woven field of stop-motion animation for "Fantastic Mr. Fox," and, yet again, the helmer shapes a breathtaking cinematic marvel; he finds a magnificent home nestled firmly in the lush textures of the animation, the dancing vocal performances, and delicious wry tone that makes for stunningly fanciful cinema. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It's easy to dismiss the music business these days as a soulless machine of mediocrity, always chasing a buck with any novelty act or trend it can massage for a few years before moving on to the next big thing. "That's the Way of the World" is a troubling reminder that it's always been this way, with the 1975 picture employing a mildly satiric approach to expose the vulgarity of record companies as they pick and choose popularity, tossing talent aside to invest in pap for the masses. It's a potent message, and one the feature isn't shy to share, often taking the most obvious route possible to expose the mind-numbing predictability of the industry. However, while its messages are about as subtle as an air horn, "That's the Way of the World" remains a successful, entertaining interpretation of vampiric business practices and the burden of selling out, scored to a series of hits from Earth, Wind & Fire, who also appear in the effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Although it's dressed up as your average exploitation feature, 1974's "Flavia, the Heretic" actually contains some intelligence to go along with its nudity and bloodshed. Director Gianfranco Mingozzi dips back into the history books to explore a period tale of an oppressed woman struggling to define herself in a world controlled by men, permitting the picture to inspect the vicious side of gender politics and domination, while tending to all the necessary violence that comes along with a story that concerns the workings of Christian and Muslim forces in the 15th century. While it has a tendency to wander when concentration is needed, "Flavia, the Heretic" is a fascinating dissection of frustration and desire, led by a powerhouse performance from star Florinda Bolkan, who gives the titular role her all as the character is humiliated, beaten, and exploited, with her only crime being a thirst for independence. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Because of the erratic nature of Blu-ray review assignments, there are times when a critic is presented with a program they aren't necessarily familiar with. Even more complex are situations when the writer must jump into a program mid-run, tasked with covering a show that's already established a tone and characterization. I'm relatively new to ITV's "Inspector Lewis" (simply titled "Lewis" in England and on this BD set), leaving me at a disadvantage when it comes to exploring this "Series 5" set, not having viewed previous adventures in prior years. However, credit must be paid to the production, which has such a firm handle on mood and personality, it's scarily easy to slip into the whodunit groove of the show. That the writing could welcome a newcomer so effortlessly without disrupting the ongoing narrative is wholly impressive, making these four episodes engaging and unexpectedly meaningful. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com