Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

1979's "Arrebato" is written and directed by Ivan Zulueta, and he's interested in taking viewers on a journey few will fully understand. It's a feature about drugs, movies, and sleep, and it doesn't form a traditional narrative approach, preferring to slosh around the muddiness of interpretative cinema. Zulueta enjoys getting lost with the audience, creating a picture that's primarily a Lynch-ian study of textures and behaviors, embracing a different kind of power that comes from inscrutable filmmaking. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

To many, Alan Moore is a legend in the comic book business. He's been the driving force behind such famous works as "Watchmen," "Batman: The Killing Joke," and "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." His contributions to the art form and his deconstruction of the superhero experience has inspired generations of artists, but he's been very outspoken about the movies adapted from his own material. Critical of "Watchmen" and "V for Vendetta," Moore is more than happy to share his opinion about way the film industry treats his material, but "The Show" provides a rare opportunity to watch him manufacture an original tale for the big screen. Moore isn't straying far from what he knows about corrupt and troubled human beings, but he also doesn't have the budget to do much of anything with "The Show," which is basically a T.V. pilot for an English version of "Twin Peaks," dealing with eccentrics, lunatics, and the puzzling ways of dreamscapes. Moore is no David Lynch, leaving the picture quite an endurance test for those who don't worship the comics industry deity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The co-writers/co-directors of "The Dorm That Dripped Blood" and "The Power," Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow, make a third attempt to do something vicious and mysterious in the horror genre with 1987's "The Kindred." They go the monster movie route, creating a bizarre but compelling tale of genetic experimentation and scientific mistakes, aiming to pull viewers in with elements of exploration before unleashing their true creature feature intent. "The Kindred" doesn't have the sharpest acting or screenwriting, but it does make a noticeable effort to deliver gruesome encounters with the central monstrosity, and the helmers are committed to a brisk pace for the endeavor, giving it speed when overall polish sometimes eludes them. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

If you were a certain age at a certain time, there were two VHS boxes at the local video store that stood out from the pack. The first was "Frankenhooker," which featured a sound button that chirped "Wanna date?" when firmly pressed. It was fun. The film was not. 1989's "The Dead Pit" also successfully worked a bottom shelf gimmick, offering a button that activated flashing green eyes on the cover's lead zombie, attracting attention to an otherwise forgettable release. The green lights aren't around anymore, but "The Dead Pit" has remained, with co-writer/director Brett Leonard ("The Lawnmower Man," "Virtuosity") trying to make the most of his helming debut, looking to use some Romero-esque undead action to fuel an extremely low-budget genre offering of terror. There's gore and panic, but Leonard isn't committed to a tighter edit of the endeavor, allowing padding to become the star of the show, not frightening situations of survival. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1977, director John G. Avildsen was experiencing a major career triumph, soaking up the success of 1976's "Rocky," which became a box office success and an Oscar-winning film, with Avildsen picking up a trophy for his work. He had his pick of projects after the boxing blockbuster, but strange creative instability, which led him to being fired from the making of "Saturday Night Fever," recovering with 1978's "Slow Dancing in the Big City," which doesn't stray far from the "Rocky" formula. Avildsen plays it safe with the picture, making a bland endeavor that's not strong enough to carry its romantic or dramatic intentions. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There's not a lot of room to do something different with the found footage subgenre. These films basically share the same moves, working to create some level of realism while teasing elements of horror or mystery before being whipped into a frenzy for the finale. 2016's "1974: La Posesion de Altair" is no different, with writer/director Victor Dryere taking his tale to the decade of 8mm home movies, tracking the decline of a young woman in touch with dark forces, while her husband captures her grim awakening with his new camera. Dryere has some atmosphere and a dramatic destination he wants to reach, but there's not a lot of suspense in "1974," which sticks close to the found footage playbook. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Shot in 1999, "The Collingswood Story" takes credit as the first "screenlife" feature, with writer/director Michael Costanza inventing a type of dial-up phone cam connection between two characters, who spend their time discussing separate lives and dealing with the Other Side as a mystery involving cult happenings in New Jersey develops. The gimmick is well-executed for a no-budget feature, but it's difficult to generate much enthusiasm for a project that clearly should've been a short film. Costanza doesn't have enough dramatic material to carry 82 minutes of screentime, and while there's fine idea for internet-age chills in play, "The Collingswood Story" doesn't get wild enough to rattle the senses. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Alex Ross Perry specializes in off-beat character examinations, and he's done depressive downfall with actress Elisabeth Moss before, in 2015's "Queen of Earth." Their collaboration was powerful then and remains vibrantly poisonous in "Her Smell," with Perry taking his fixation with mental illness to the alternative rock realm, dialing back the clock to the mid-1990s to examine the complete and utter erosion of a music star. Perry doesn't pull punches here, creating a deep sea dive into madness, with Moss going for broke in a turn that runs exclusively on pain and shame. "Her Smell" demands an audience with the ability to remain in the vortex of a nervous breakdown for 135 minutes, and those with the proper preparation are rewarded with a raw, often thrilling display of behavioral excess. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Spencer" is not a bio-pic of Diana, Princess of Wales. It's a chamber piece about the haunted woman, offering more of a psychological profile than a tour of exact details concerning her personal history. The feature is directed by Pablo Larrain, who attempted a similar study of unimaginable stress brewing inside a delicate mind with 2016's "Jackie," seemingly drawn to these types of cinematic inspections. "Jackie" was a hypnotic, funereal viewing experience, while "Spencer" aims to be more abstract and artful, with Larrain intentionally getting away from expectations during his examination of Diana's fragile state of panic. Larrain aims to get inside Diana's head and remain there for two hours, which is good for some striking images of struggle, but the picture isn't exactly satisfying, with its addiction to elusiveness throttling dramatic potential. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1983, John Candy already appeared in many movies, making an impression in "The Blues Brothers" and "1941," and he stole scenes in 1981's "Stripes," establishing a big screen career for the "SCTV" performer. "Going Berserk" attempted to promote Candy to leading man status, with the Canadian comedy giving the actor room to show some range and display his love of silliness. To help the cause, the producers also bring in "SCTV" vets Eugene Levy and Joe Flaherty to support Candy, perhaps trusting such television gold might translate to a cinematic success. "Going Berserk" is an interesting failure, as it tries to latch on to a plot about the assassination of a congressman, but co-writer/director David Steinberg is an easily distracted man, endeavoring to work in as many skits and asides as possible, hoping to make something supremely wacky when the effort is, at best, mildly amusing. Candy works extremely hard to sell the mediocrity here, and it's always fun to see the late, great comedian onscreen. It's the starring vehicle that fails him, attacking funny business without a clear plan for story or character. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While major animated releases from studios such as Pixar and Dreamworks manage to dominate the box office and command critical conversation, some of the finest examples of the medium have been produced by Cartoon Saloon over the last decade. They've churned out magnificent efforts such as "Song of the Sea," "The Secret of Kells," and "The Breadwinner," invested in the art of challenging audiences with unusual tales of resilience and wonder, digging into extremes of fantasy and reality to inspire their stories. The artistry and integrity of this company is astounding, and for 2020, they offer "Wolfwalkers," once again crafting a story that welcomes hearty emotion and real suspense for family audiences, also delivering a visual feast of 2D animation that supplies some of the most striking imagery of the film year. "Wolfwalkers" is stunning and sincere, preserving Cartoon Saloon's position as the most exciting animation studio working today. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2009, writer/director Tomm Moore made a dent in the notoriously competitive animation marketplace with "The Secret of Kells," a charming adventure that eventually worked its way to an Academy Award nomination. Not too shabby for a modestly budget effort from Ireland. Eschewing a bold follow-up to play into industry trends, Moore returns with "Song of a Sea," another delightfully modest picture that trusts in the power of imagery and amplifies a spectacularly successful sense of emotion. A gorgeously crafted take on Celtic myths and sibling bonds, "Song of the Sea" is a soulful smash, with Moore absolutely nailing the needs the heart to go along with his command of traditional animation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As strikingly animated and superlatively textured a motion picture as "The Secret of Kells" is, it can be a little aloof. A blend of history and mythology, the feature is a distinctive enterprise that aims to challenge family audiences and animation purists with a tenaciously 2-D snapshot of the world. It's a passionate, dreamlike offering of filmmaking that requires the viewer to surrender to its often challenging storytelling, yet the time invested with this fringe player in the animation marketplace clash of the titans is rewarded with a resourceful, exquisite tale of tradition and education. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Perfect casting doesn't come around very often, but when it happens, it's a real treat for movie fans. 1984's "Mass Appeal" has perfect casting, with Jack Lemmon hired to play the part of a priest. Not just a man of God, but an old-school priest who lives to entertain and inspire with his sermons, loves to kick back with some cocktails, and generally deals with church business at arm's length, preferring to be a man of the people. Lemmon was specifically built for these kinds of roles, and he singlehandedly elevates "Mass Appeal" with his spirited, layered performance. Thankfully, there's material to back him up, with the feature an adaptation of a play by Bill C. Davis (who also scripts), providing fascinating ideas on faith and service while Lemmon commands the picture with his thespian gifts, offering a lived-in feel to a potentially stuffy endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Trog" is a film beloved by bad movie aficionados. The 1970 endeavor is notable for its use of an ape mask from "2001: A Space Odyssey" on the eponymous character, and the effort represents the last big screen appearance for actress Joan Crawford, completing a career with a role as a scientist trying to make some type of connection to a troglodyte. Despite its reputation as a classic howler, "Trog" isn't quite the campy festival of B-movie wonders its reputation suggests. It's not quality work, but director Freddie Francis certainly tries to keep the picture moving along with some speed, eventually turning a tale of a special discovery into a horror experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1979's "Radio On" is co-produced by Wim Wenders and resembles much of his filmography. Perhaps it's a homage, maybe an intentional replication, but director Chris Petit embraces a rare opportunity to soak in the juices of existentialism, following a character who takes a trip across Britain, observing a bleak world and meeting a few of its inhabitants. Petit makes a deliberate feature that's slowly paced and limited when it comes to dramatic developments. It's an art-house viewing experience offering a wonderful soundtrack from new wave artists of the day, and B&W cinematography handles the production's love of depression superbly, offering atmosphere to support layers of ennui. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Recently, AFGA celebrated the drive-in experience with "Blood-A-Rama: Triple Frightmare," and now they turn their attention to a similar viewing event, only this time they focus on the highlights of satan-themed adult film shorts. "Smut Without Smut: Satanic Horror Nite" is a strange offering of a "feature-length mixtape," combining softcore scenes from three shorts, along with additional promotional footage, ending up with a smorgasbord of visuals with plots concerning black magic and sexual slavery. Why the company is doing this isn't immediately clear, but they commit to the offering, stitching together a wild ride of old footage, which will likely be of some appeal to exhibition enthusiasts and those interested in the development of erotic entertainment from the 1970s. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The ending of "Tiger Claws II" promised a more fantasy-based sequel to come, but 2000's "Tiger Claws III" is turned into a superhero story in many ways, with writer/director J. Stephen Maunder taking inspiration from "Superman II" and "Rocky IV" to fashion a new direction for the increasingly confused series. Thankfully, concentration remains on fighting, though "Tiger Claws III" isn't nearly as engaging as the previous two chapters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While the story found its way to a conclusion in 1991's "Tiger Claws," producer/actor Jalal Merhi isn't ready to leave money on the table. Trying to transform a simple action vehicle into a franchise, Merhi returns with 1996's "Tiger Claws II," reuniting with stars Cynthia Rothrock and Bolo Yeung for a second chapter that's more about setting up a second sequel, making some noise while the tale works its way to a cliffhanger conclusion. Merhi's vision is bigger for "Tiger Claws II," but his budget restraints are more pronounced, finding the follow-up wrestling with limited sets and a few poor creative decisions while trying to offer B-movie fans an exciting continuation of the suddenly-a-franchise. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1991's "Tiger Claws" is a Canadian action film directed by Kelly Makin, who was one of the key creative forces involved in The Kids in the Hall, helming "Brain Candy" and "Death Comes to Town." These are unusual ingredients for bruiser cinema, but Makin makes it work, offering a reasonably tight and active martial arts feature that does well with its talent. It's not much of a mystery and acting limitations are obvious, but "Tiger Claws" has energy and a drive to deliver some interesting fight sequences and chases, finding compelling ways to batter bodies. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com