Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

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

There's a reason why Martin Short is largely considered to be a comedic genius. Through his television work on "SCTV" and "Primetime Glick," supporting roles in films such as "The Big Picture," "Father of the Bride," and "Three Amigos," Broadway productions, and numerous talk show appearances, Short has displayed a sharp wit, endless supply of energy, and a rascally spirit. However, translating that delightful impishness to starring roles has proven difficult for the actor, who's been primarily stuck in unimaginative duds like "Pure Luck," "Captain Ron," and "Three Fugitives." Outside of 1987's "Innerspace" (a wonderful picture), Short hasn't found his niche when it comes to toplining major movies. 1997's "A Simple Wish" is another misfire for the funny man, although the premise provides more than a few opportunities for Short to shine. Instead, he appears handcuffed by the production, forced to work through habitual acts of physical comedy to compete with crude CGI and an aggressive cartoon vibe director Michael Ritchie (who passed away in 2001, making this his final feature) seems intent on selling as loudly as possible. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Period pieces are all the rage these days, thanks to the success of "Downton Abbey," yet "The Making of a Lady" offers a slight deviation from the tea-and-dismissal routine. It's a thriller, based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, hoping to lure viewers in with a portrait of romance before it turns into a semi-horror effort. The intent of the production is clear, but the execution is hopelessly mangled, leaving a picture that commences with dignity and concludes as an absolute mess. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Murder on the Home Front" appears to be a pilot of some sort, establishing the daily activities of forensic scientist Lennox Collins (Patrick Kennedy) and his assistant, former journalist Molly Cooper (Tamzin Merchant). For this program, the pair work diligently to locate a serial killer stalking the single women of London during The Blitz, and while "Murder on the Home Front" is a 90-minute-long show, it could easily feed into a weekly series, following the duo as they carefully gather cues during the early years of scientific study, with the "C.S.I." template happily pinched, refreshing the business of crime scene examination. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Most television programs take a few years before they begin messing with a good thing. "The Bletchley Circle" boldly shakes up the formula in its second season. The changes are a gamble, some of it perhaps contractually required, and it doesn't represent a positive new direction for the series. The first season of "The Bletchley Circle" was a surprising nail-biter, with a stellar cast and a consistent pulse of suspense that carried from the first episode to the last. The second go-around for the codebreakers and their itchy position in 1950's society has been sliced in two, which ruins any extended run of tension while awkwardly inserting a new cast member into a dynamic that hasn't had time to gel. The show remains intermittently impressive, always boasting top-tier acting, but there's a lack of dramatic consistency as the production tackles two major plots that deserve their own season-long explorations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1972's "Joe Kidd" reads like a dream come true for cineastes. It stars Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall, it's written by Elmore Leonard, and the director is John Sturges. Heck, if you're a Dick Van Patten fan, his brief supporting turn is merely icing on the cake. The feature boasts an impressive roster of credits, working within a proven genre that plays to everyone's strengths. However, the realization that "Joe Kidd" is a good picture and not a great one is a source of tremendous confusion, with all pistons firing on a project that really doesn't go anywhere in particular, with blurry characterization and the flaccid conclusion weakening a passable take on a manhunt adventure. While its lacks consistency and scope, "Joe Kidd" remains a superbly entertaining effort, offering the patient a few meaty showdowns and a cheeky lead performance from Eastwood, who delivers amusing work as the titular brute, carrying the movie with his proven western poise, while Sturges emphasizes naturalistic grandeur with magnificent Californian locations. Perhaps in filmographies shellacked with greatness, this simple tale remains forgettable, but for those who enjoy gunfights and acts of intimidation, the lean endeavor offers the goods with conviction. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the heart of Ireland lies the Shannon River. Over 200 miles long, the river represents the soul of the country, with its serene beauty, delicate ecosystems, and unflinching patience with the elements. Wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson has spent many years studying the Shannon, recording its personality and noting its changes, with "Ireland's Wild River" his valentine to the waterway. Taking a camera crew down the river, Stafford-Johnson curates a look at the seasonal residents and future of the Shannon as he floats downstream, appreciation the view. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com