Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

Cineastes will surely respond to "Dawson City: Frozen Time" with utter joy, as it details a film distribution discovery previously thought impossible. The tale takes place in Dawson City, a remote Canadian town near the Yukon River, where, in the mid-1970s, a routine excavation project managed to unearth 533 film reels from the permafrost, exposing cans of nitrate film to the sun after 50 years, gifting the National Archive of Canada a treasure trove of lost cinema and footage of history. While the discovery occurred 40 years ago, director Bill Morrison endeavors to summarize not only the unearthing and ensuing restoration effort, but the very history of Dawson City itself, turning what initially seems to be a picture about a film preservation miracle into an offering of history captured in the moment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

"Center of My World" is an adaptation of a novel by Andreas Steinhofel, and it preserves the structure of a page-turner, winding through the lives of dysfunctional characters trying to keep themselves together during troubling times. It's a melodramatic effort from writer/director Jakob M. Erwa, but he strives to preserve the heartfelt aspects of the story, beguiling through the guidance of passionate performances and attention to nuanced behavior, offering depth to what could easily become a shallow viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

Horror doesn't come easy to 1990's "Night Angel," which is more of an erotic thriller with periodic dips into gore zone activities than a straight nightmare machine. The picture couldn't be more late-1980s if it tried, combining the ways of yuppiedom with freewheeling bedroom antics involving a bloodthirsty demon and her quest to rise in the ranks of the modeling business. Screenwriters Joe Augustyn and Walter Josten are after something awfully specific with the material, which is ambitious in the way it pulls from biblical mythology and Skinemax, but it's clear director Dominique Othenin-Gerard ("Halloween 5," "Omen IV: The Awkening") doesn't quite have a handle on the proceedings, dutifully trying to visualize a haunting of the mind and genitals while keeping the effort soaked in blood. "Night Angel" charms with its interest in make-up effects and period style, but it doesn't have the inspiration to emerge as a formidable genre endeavor, and its titillation factor is debatable.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1981's "The Salamander" is meant to be a hard-charging conspiracy thriller, adapted from a novel by Morris L. West. The final cut keeps the general outline of chills and spills, but lacks a considerable amount of energy and clarity, asking the audience to play the name game with a host of Italian characters and their cloudy motivations. The production has all the advantages a movie could ask for, leading with an all-star cast, a rousing score by Jerry Goldsmith, and Italy itself, which provides a memorable backdrop for all kinds of political and personal manipulations. And yet, while stuffed with threats and troublemaking, "The Salamander" is a frustratingly flat effort.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After becoming a sex symbol, or perhaps THEE sex symbol of the late 1970s, Farrah Fawcett struggled to be taken seriously as an actress. After rising to the top of pop culture awareness with "Charlie's Angels," Fawcett turned to television movies to make a different impression. While trying to find a sense of creative satisfaction, Fawcett struck gold with 1984's "The Burning Bed," which offered the actress a chance to put away demands of glamour and portray a woman subjected to horrific abuse in her toxic marriage. "The Burning Bed" takes inspiration from the true-life tale of Francine Hughes (who passed away earlier this year), and director Robert Greenwald ("Xanadu") treats the severity of the story with some care, trying to keep melodramatics at arm's length for as long as possible. But this is truly Fawcett's big showcase, delivering a haunted performance that's impressive in its dramatic commitment and physical display, helping the endeavor remain grounded as its television interests fight for attention. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

Here's one problem with "Nightkill": the first character to die in the film is murdered during the day. It's a small detail, for sure, but an important one that identifies the general lethargy of the event, which isn't even titled correctly. It's meant to be a sinister thriller, a Hitchcockian endeavor with Euro chiller interests, also presenting Jaclyn Smith with a starring role that begins to inch the actress away from her "Charlie's Angels" television success. And yet, while the story details murder, betrayal, and deception, large chunks of the movie are simply devoted to Smith acting agitated and teary, groaning as her character struggles to figure out an impossible situation of guilt and homicide. "Nightkill" is quite dull and somewhat unsatisfying, with director Ted Post fumbling a growing sense of suspense, content to portion out shocks in brief reveals, which does nothing to build the effort's fright factor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

There's a slasher film for every star in the sky, and every now and then, one of these productions manages to upset a lot of people. 1984's "Silent Night, Deadly Night" was intended to become another holiday horror staple, joining the ranks of "Halloween" and "My Bloody Valentine" as a perennial moneymaker. Instead, the Christmas-themed endeavor from director Charles E. Sellier, Jr. was immediately condemned by parents and family organizations, objecting the use of a maniacal, murderous Santa Claus in marketing materials, moving on to destroy the movie itself as protests were assembled during the feature's theatrical run. Even Siskel and Ebert went to town on "Silent Night, Deadly Night," decrying its sleazy content and ill-advised use of an ax-clutching Santa on the poster. The picture didn't have much luck during its initial release, but like everything that's branded taboo and hated by parents, it managed to find a second life on home video, giving horror fans a chance to spy what's actually a fairly clumsy, amateurish, tonal disaster that strives to be cheeky fun, but offers more than enough repellent content to fully stifle whatever yuletide joy ride the producers were intending to make. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

"They Call Me Bruce?" is a difficult film to understand, and perhaps it helps to be reminded that the production is from 1982, where stereotype-based humor was in its waning years, finding audiences growing tired of jokes that reinforced ugly ideas about race and foreign cultures. The screenplay strives to get in a few final hits before the window of opportunity closes, with director Elliot Hung seemingly have a ball staging this action comedy, which emerges as a purely cartoon understanding of East meets West clichés, striving to add a serious dollop of Looney Tunes to an already manic creation. "They Call Me Bruce?" isn't a movie that's ideal for a casual viewing, demanding an understanding of the time and place in which it was created, but for those capable of leaping over the effort's questionable taste in jokes, perhaps there's a wily creation in here somewhere that supplies sufficient entertainment value.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

Technically, 1981's "Kill and Kill Again" is a sequel to 1980's "Kill or Be Killed," but the productions have little in common besides star James Ryan, who's not even playing the same character. However, hindsight is apparent throughout the picture, as it takes what worked before and amplifies the actioner attitude of the follow-up, with director Ivan Hall (returning for duty) creating a bigger adventure that's filled with martial arts demonstrations and meaty threats, but escalates the whole thing into a James Bond-style spy extravaganza set in South Africa, only without a grand budget.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

After exploring a real-world nightmare in "Heli," co-writer/director Amat Escalante returns with something sinister from outer space for "The Untamed," though the effort is far from a traditional alien terror extravaganza. The helmer goes for unease with this study of relationships and profound sexual experiences, with Escalante working a more metaphorical route to disturbing behavior, locating unusual suspense as he achieves a clear view of domestic dysfunction.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

After achieve fame as part of the sketch comedy group The Kids in the Hall, actor Dave Foley tries on leading man moves with "The Wrong Guy." He's not exactly testing his thespian skills in the 1997 effort, but Foley is permitted a frame all to himself, playing a man on the run in this Hitchcockian comedy, primarily in charge of depicting hysterics and executing straight man reactions to the weirdness and extremity the screenplay (written by Foley, Dave Higgins, and Jay Kogen) has to offer. "The Wrong Guy" is silly endeavor, and a consistent one under the guidance of director David Steinberg, who packs a surprising amount of sight gags and goofiness into the picture, while Foley remains in command of reactions, adding his special sense of humor to the mix while running all over the frame.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It's easy to root for 1984's "The Woman in Red." It's written and directed by Gene Wilder, who also takes the starring role in this remake of the French comedy, "Pardon Mon Affaire." Wilder has increased the odds of laughter by securing such a fine supporting cast, including Charles Grodin, Joseph Bologna, and Gilda Radner. He's gifted the world the sight of Kelly LeBrock, who makes her acting debut as the titular object of desire. There are San Francisco locations to enjoy, and a lively soundtrack is largely supported by Stevie Wonder songs, including the once omnipresent smash hit, "I Just Called to Say I Love You." There's so much to enjoy here that it hurts the heart to realize the feature doesn't quite come together as substantially as Wilder envisions. He's got the tone and the cast, but "The Woman in Red" is something of a mess, with aborted subplots, random encounters, and strange technical choices conspiring to wear down the natural rhythms of the effort. It's easy to see what Wilder had in mind for the semi-farce, but it's difficult to watch him fumble scenes and lose concentration on connective tissue.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After achieving success with 1989’s “The Church,” co-writer/director Michele Soavi (best known for 1994’s “Cemetery Man”) takes on a smaller enemy for 1991’s “The Sect,” retreating the wilds of the mind for this horror endeavor. Strange water and nightmare realms define the slow-burn shocker, with Soavi taking his time building trouble for his lead character, asking the audience to sit patiently while the material works around some narrative dead ends and lengthy scenes of investigation. “The Sect” isn’t pulse-pounding entertainment, in dire need of another editorial pass, but the helmer scores with certain macabre visuals, offering wild, invasive camerawork and a game cast to conjure a cult disturbance.

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There's nothing particularly special about 1958's "The Man Who Died Twice," but it delivers a meat-and-potatoes crime story with relative ease. Directed by Joseph Kane ("The Yellow Rose of Texas"), the picture offers viewers time with very bad people and a mystery involving murder, drugs, and deception. And there's a little feline torment in there as well. "The Man Who Died Twice" is pulpy entertainment with a limited scope, but Kane understands what's expected of him, handling the screenplay's acts of intimidation and burgeoning violence well. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Brothers of the Night" is often classified as a documentary, but it's difficult to understand where the line between fiction and non-fiction remains. The picture tells the story of young Bulgarian men who've come to Vienna to establish a new life and make money, with some of them ending up as "gay for pay" prostitutes, collecting cash to send back home to family and spouses. Director Patric Chiha has an unusual topic to explore with his feature, but the blend of interview footage and nightlife recreation takes some time to get used to, with "Brothers of the Night" often resembling a reality show, not a deep dive into the wilds of identity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

After sending viewers through a traumatic ride in the provocative 1971 film, "Straw Dogs," director Sam Peckinpah settles downs for 1972's "Junior Bonner," which plays unnervingly peaceful, offering a helmer known for his violent cinema a rare shot at emotional excavation with defined characters. Peckinpah's gone soft before, but the change in attitude works especially well here, as "Junior Bonner" offers a story that's open for community spirit and self-inspection, while utilizing colorful Prescott, Arizona locations to support this saga of a rodeo hero facing the twilight of his career. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

After a highly successful producing career in television (responsible for such shows as "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley," and "Mork & Mindy"), Garry Marshall made the leap to feature filmmaking with 1982's "Young Doctors in Love." It's material that plays to his sensibilities, offering character- based comedy that's silly, but just misses the mark in terms of a snowballing madness. The picture is often labeled an "Airplane"-style farce that lampoons daytime soap operas, and while "Young Doctors in Love" has that intention, Marshall can't quite wind the effort up correctly, content to pepper the movie with throwaway gags and limp one-liners. In the grand scheme of things, Marshall's done worse, a lot worse, but his helming debut, while brightly made, lacks snap and edge, displaying some of the cuddliness he'd come to rely on. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For her second directorial effort from 1988, Robert Findlay returns to the comfort of horror to inspire the extremes of "Lurkers." It's a ghost story that's primarily fueled by paranoia, again keeping the helmer busy with a vision of Hell on Earth that doesn't require much in the way of locations and story. It's a simplistic nightmare, and one that's not particularly tasteful, but it has closure, giving it the appearance of a "Tales from the Crypt" episode, only with slightly more feminine hygiene-inspired sexuality. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The plot of "Prime Evil" would find a more suitable home as a short story, or possibly as part of a horror anthology film, but director Roberta Findlay isn't about to give up on her moviemaking mission, laboring to stretch the 1988 effort without completely breaking it. It's a Satanic Panic endeavor, and one that's fairly light on thrills, often falling back on traditional exploitation moves to keep viewers interested in the feature. Findlay's working hard to make something threatening out of very little, and while she comes up short, "Prime Evil" is not completely devoid of entertainment value.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1947's "Driftwood" is aimed at a family audience, making its general weirdness a bit more understandable as the production goes big to appeal to all ages. After all, this is a movie that features on dog on trial and a young Natalie Wood trying on her best Shirley Temple impression, so any expectations for subtlety and depth are generally punted out the nearest window five minutes into this endeavor.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com