September 7, 2017
Blu-Ray News: WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES on Digital 10/10 & 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray 10/24
Bring Home the Final Chapter in the APES Trilogy on Digital October 10th and on 4K Ultra HD, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on October 24
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES. Certified Fresh on RottenTomatoes.com and “one of the very best films of the year” (Kristopher Tapley, Variety) arrives on Digital October 10 and on Blu-ray™, 4K Ultra HD™ and DVD October 24. Andy Serkis returns as Caesar in the thrilling and climatic chapter of the PLANET OF THE APES saga as Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel (Woody Harrelson). After suffering unimaginable losses, Caesar resolves to avenge his kind, pitting him against the Colonel for a final showdown that will determine the future of the planet!
September 6, 2017
Blu-Ray Review: NIGHT MOVES (1975)
Starring
Gene Hackman, Susan Clark, Jennifer Warren, Edward Binns, Harris
Yulin, Janet Ward, Anthony Costello, James Woods, Melanie Griffith,
Kenneth Mars. Directed by Arthur Penn. (1975, 100 min).
Night
Moves is another film that, despite its director and star, never
found an audience during its initial release. Is it a lost classic?
Not quite, but it does showcase another great performance by Gene
Hackman.
Then
again, when hasn't Hackman been great? Even the bad ones he's
appeared in are never really his fault. That's not to say Night
Moves is a bad movie. Far from it. Maybe initial audiences were
expecting more of a standard thriller than an atmospheric character study. Despite a murder
mystery thrown into the mix relatively late in the story, this is
mostly about Harry Moseby (Hackman), an ex-football player, now a
private detective who's been hired by a has-been starlet to locate
her wayward, free-spirited daughter, Delly (Melanie Griffith, in her
debut).
"Goddammit, someone took the last YooHoo!" |
Harry
meets a variety of eccentric folks along the way, some who are in the
movie business, others eking out a living on the Florida coast. But
all of them have some sort of connection to Delly. Harry's also
trying to come to terms with his cheating wife (Susan Clark) and her
lover (Harris Yulin), which forces him to re-examine his own life. If
it sounds like film noir from the 40s, that
was undoubtedly director Arthur Penn's intention.
Best...fondue...ever. |
As
such, it's a leisurely-but-enjoyable ride peppered with interesting
characters, including a quirky early performance by James Woods (he
hasn't changed much since). The movie belongs to Hackman, though. I
don't know if the role was created for him, but he
embodies Harry's world-weary cynicism perfectly.
Night
Moves has grown in stature over the years, though it's
hardly a cinema milestone compared to Hackman & Penn's previous
collaboration, Bonnie and Clyde. Still, Hackman is compulsively watchable, as usual, and as a solid mid-70s' spin on classic noir, it's an interesting curiosity worth rediscovery.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTE:
"The Day of the Director" (Vintage behind-the-scenes promo
documentary)
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
Blu-Ray News: Lost German Classic, 1943's TITANIC Coming to Blu-Ray 10/17
From KINO CLASSICS (Blu-Ray & DVD)
1943 / Action-Drama / 85 min / NR / B&W / German with English subtitles
Launched in the midst of World War II, this epic production was intended as a Grand Hotel on the Atlantic, filled with romance and intrigue, laced with strong anti-British and -American sentiment, and climaxing with a spectacular recreation of humankind's most notorious maritime disaster. But the Tobis production was almost as doomed as the ocean liner itself, with the arrest and subsequent "suicide" of director Herbert Selpin (replaced by an uncredited Werner Klingler). For years, Titanic was withheld from release (largely because its scenes of panic might be demoralizing to wartime audiences), though some of the effects footage did appear, uncredited, in the 1958 British film A Night to Remember. Restored in 2004 by the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung, Titanic can now take its place among the most important disaster films of the 20th Century.
Bonus Features: Audio commentary by Gaylyn Studlar, co-editor of Titanic: Anatomy of a Blockbuster | Original 1912 Newsreel | White Star Line promotional film, offering a tour of the Olympic, Titanic's sister ship | Theatrical Trailer
1943 / Action-Drama / 85 min / NR / B&W / German with English subtitles
Launched in the midst of World War II, this epic production was intended as a Grand Hotel on the Atlantic, filled with romance and intrigue, laced with strong anti-British and -American sentiment, and climaxing with a spectacular recreation of humankind's most notorious maritime disaster. But the Tobis production was almost as doomed as the ocean liner itself, with the arrest and subsequent "suicide" of director Herbert Selpin (replaced by an uncredited Werner Klingler). For years, Titanic was withheld from release (largely because its scenes of panic might be demoralizing to wartime audiences), though some of the effects footage did appear, uncredited, in the 1958 British film A Night to Remember. Restored in 2004 by the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung, Titanic can now take its place among the most important disaster films of the 20th Century.
Bonus Features: Audio commentary by Gaylyn Studlar, co-editor of Titanic: Anatomy of a Blockbuster | Original 1912 Newsreel | White Star Line promotional film, offering a tour of the Olympic, Titanic's sister ship | Theatrical Trailer
September 5, 2017
Blu-Ray News: SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING on Digital 9/26 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD 10/17
Loaded with Over 60-Minutes of Bonus Material, Including Deleted Scenes, Gag Reel, a Pop-up Factoid Track & Seven Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes!
One of the most beloved and iconic super heroes of all time is back with a fresh, new take on the character for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, debuting on digital September 26 and on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD October 17 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War) stars as Peter Parker, who, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark (two-time Academy Award nominee Robert Downey, Jr., Best Actor, Chaplin, 1992; Best Supporting Actor, Tropic Thunder, 2008), tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in New York City while fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man.
The SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING Blu-ray comes loaded with over 60 minutes of bonus material, including deleted scenes, a gag reel and The Spidey Study Guide, an entertaining pop-up factoid track with facts on the movie in relation to the comics that Spidey fans will love. Also included are four unseen alternate Captain America PSAs featuring Chris Evans, seven behind-the-scenes featurettes and a photo gallery. In the featurette “A Tangled Web,” Kevin Feige details how Homecoming came to be and its integration in the constantly evolving Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Searching for Spider-Man” explores the casting process and what makes Tom the perfect Peter Parker as witnessed from his audition tape. Meet Homecoming’s adrenaline-craving stunt specialists in “Spidey Stunts,” as they crawl, swing and leap from great heights, and discover why Tom Holland rarely needed a stunt double. “Aftermath” features Kevin Feige and the producers filling in the blanks between the Battle of New York and where Homecoming begins. Explore Michael Keaton’s villainous turn in “The Vulture Takes Flight” and learn why he demands Peter Parker’s fear and respect. In “Jon Watts: Head of the Class,” fans catch up with the visionary director on the set, while he manages colossal set pieces, a massive crew and the daunting task of reintroducing one of Marvel’s most beloved characters. Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon (Ned) discuss the humorous realities of life with superpowers in “Pros and Cons of Spider-Man.”
One of the most beloved and iconic super heroes of all time is back with a fresh, new take on the character for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, debuting on digital September 26 and on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD October 17 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War) stars as Peter Parker, who, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark (two-time Academy Award nominee Robert Downey, Jr., Best Actor, Chaplin, 1992; Best Supporting Actor, Tropic Thunder, 2008), tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in New York City while fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man.
The SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING Blu-ray comes loaded with over 60 minutes of bonus material, including deleted scenes, a gag reel and The Spidey Study Guide, an entertaining pop-up factoid track with facts on the movie in relation to the comics that Spidey fans will love. Also included are four unseen alternate Captain America PSAs featuring Chris Evans, seven behind-the-scenes featurettes and a photo gallery. In the featurette “A Tangled Web,” Kevin Feige details how Homecoming came to be and its integration in the constantly evolving Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Searching for Spider-Man” explores the casting process and what makes Tom the perfect Peter Parker as witnessed from his audition tape. Meet Homecoming’s adrenaline-craving stunt specialists in “Spidey Stunts,” as they crawl, swing and leap from great heights, and discover why Tom Holland rarely needed a stunt double. “Aftermath” features Kevin Feige and the producers filling in the blanks between the Battle of New York and where Homecoming begins. Explore Michael Keaton’s villainous turn in “The Vulture Takes Flight” and learn why he demands Peter Parker’s fear and respect. In “Jon Watts: Head of the Class,” fans catch up with the visionary director on the set, while he manages colossal set pieces, a massive crew and the daunting task of reintroducing one of Marvel’s most beloved characters. Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon (Ned) discuss the humorous realities of life with superpowers in “Pros and Cons of Spider-Man.”
September 4, 2017
DVD Giveaway: PHANTASM: 5 MOVIE DVD COLLECTION
FREE KITTENS MOVIE GUIDE and WELL GO USA are giving away copies of the PHANTASM: 5 MOVIE DVD COLLECTION
Well Go USA Entertainment brings all five
films in Don Coscarelli’s iconic horror franchise to DVD for the first
time in one box set when PHANTASM: 5 MOVIE DVD COLLECTION debuts on September 19. The collection includes PHANTASM: REMASTERED (1979), PHANTASM II (1988), PHANTASM III: LORD OF THE DEAD (1994), PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION (1998) and the most recent installment PHANTASM: RAVAGER (2016).
Each film finds Mike (Michael Baldwin) facing off against a mysterious
grave robber known only as the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) and his lethal
arsenal of terrible weapons.
TO ENTER:
Leave us a message in the KITTY CONTACT form in our sidebar. Your email will not be shared or used for any other purpose. Giveaway ends September 15.
www.wellgousa.com |
September 3, 2017
Blu-Ray Review: BORN IN CHINA
Narrated
by John Krasinski. Directed by Lu Chuan. (2017, 79 min).
Born
in China
is the latest film in the DisneyNature series, sort-of the 21st Century
version of all those True-Life
Adventures
they used to make.
Some
of you might remember those: Most
of them were theatrical short subjects which occasionally showed up
on ABC‘s Wonderful
World of Disney
on Sunday nights. They were cheerful - sometimes humorous - looks at
various critters and their environments, accompanied by cornball narration from Winston Hibler. These movies were always
fun, but not always documentaries in the truest sense. As we
grew older and wiser, it was obvious many scenes were
staged and scripted for the sake of entertainment.
The
big difference is the DisneyNature films are big, sprawling and
gorgeously shot. And while they attempt to turn their subjects into
"characters," none of the animals are manipulated into
performing. They usually round up an actor to provide narration -
John Krasinski this time - which is created to manipulate the
audience instead.
Not amused. |
In
my household - with two daughters - two animals rule the Cutieverse:
Cats and pandas, especially baby cats and pandas. Born in China
has both, meaning every time they happened to be in the room when the
trailer showed up on TV last spring, I saw this:
Predictably,
there's more cute in Born in China than
the Surgeon General recommends, and not just panda and snow leopard cubs. We also follow a family of golden
snub-nosed monkeys and a migrating herd of chiru, both with their own
fair share of doe-eyed darlings. Watching this disc with my
daughters, they patiently waited through those segments, which have
their cute moments, but what they really wanted were more pandas,
more kitties. So whenever the narrative returned to them...well...
But
cute isn't all Born in China has to offer. It's the best
looking DisneyNature film to-date and these "stories" are
more interesting. One is even surprisingly poignant, which usually
never happens in these movies (though the narrative does try to
sugarcoat tragedy by rambling about the circle of life). Without giving
anything away, when one of my daughters remarked how sad one animal's
story was turning. I reassured her, "Don't worry, this is
Disney. These things always end happy." However, once it was
over, she turned to me and quipped, "Thanks a lot, Dad."
While
the film does have its unexpectedly heart-tugging moments, it's also
quite funny at times. The male chiru's courting dance had us laughing
until it hurt, as did a lot of the unused footage that plays during
the end credits, especially when the snow leopard cubs engage in the
nature film version of breaking the fourth wall.
Born
in China is another impeccably-crafted entry in the DisneyNature
series, and the most engaging one since 2014's Bears. It's
charmingly narrated, filled with beautiful imagery and, of course, dishes up an abundance of cute.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTES:
"Panda Suits & Bamboo Shoots"; "Walking with
Monkeys"; "Masters of Camouflage"; "Wading
Through Wetlands" (All four are behind-the-scenes shorts about
the painstaking efforts by the crew to capture these animals on
film).
MUSIC
VIDEO: "Everything Everything" by American Authors
PROMO
VIDEO: "DisneyNature: Get Inspired, Get Involved"
DVD
& DIGITAL COPIES
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
Blu-Ray Review: FREEBIE AND THE BEAN
Starring
Alan Arkin, James Caan, Jack Kruschen, Valerie Harper, Loretta Swit,
Alex Rocco, Mike Kellin, Paul Koslo, Linda Marsh, Christopher Morley.
Directed by Richard Rush. (1974, 113 min).
Before
Lethal Weapon or Bad Boys, there was Freebie and the
Bean, a relatively forgotten 1974 action comedy that preceded the popularity of the "buddy cop" film by a decade.
I
remember seeing this with my folks at the local Southgate Quad when
it was the bottom half of a double bill (remember those?). I don't
recall the main feature at all, and even forgot Freebie and the Bean's plot by the time we got home. But it had
destructive car chases, two cops swearing & fighting like an old
married couple and - be-hold! - a sexy young woman's naked butt!
When you're 11 years old, that stuff is glorious.
When you're 11 years old, that stuff is glorious.
Despite
being a big hit and inspiring a short-lived TV series, Freebie and
the Bean is mostly forgotten today, seldom cited among
70s' enduring action classics. I never gave the film much thought over the
years, either, at least until it was mentioned in a recent website
article and triggered old memories: "Hey! I remember that
one!"
Watching
the film forty years later, I was reminded of a few things:
Car
chases were a virtual art-form in the 70s. Everything was done in-camera
without seizure-inducing editing or CGI. Expertly-choreographed
ballets of speed and destruction, they somehow looked & felt more
real. Freebie and the Bean has, not one, but three
elaborate chase scenes, one which is as slick and exciting as those
in The French Connection or The Seven-Ups, and another
with enough gratuitous destruction to rival The Blues Brothers.
At the worst possible moment, a bee flies into the car. |
James
Caan (Freebie) and Alan Arkin (the Bean) made a great team and it's a
shame they didn't do more films together. Arkin has always been
amusing, but considering Caan's tough guy reputation and dramatic
intensity, this film is a great reminder of how genuinely funny he could be.
There's
a good reason I never recalled the plot when I was a kid: It's nearly non-existent. Freebie and Bean are one witness away from
nailing a local racketeer, Red Meyers, then learn there's a contract
out on Red's life. Now they are forced to protect Red from hired
hitmen until their witness turns up. The film spends about as much
time on the actual plot as I did to write that summary. And it
doesn't matter anyway because the movie's always been about the
cantankerous friendship between Freebie and Bean.
Though
definitely a product of its time - including a
considerable amount of decidedly un-PC dialogue - Freebie and the
Bean is still pretty damned entertaining, mainly because of the
emphasis on character over action. With hindsight, its easy to see
the film's belated influence on the action-comedy genre. Aside from a trailer, this disc from Warner Archive is sadly bereft of any bonus material, though still a wonderful stroll down memory lane.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
September 1, 2017
Blu-Ray Review: ALL EYEZ ON ME
Starring
Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Jamal Woolard, Kat Graham, Dominic
L. Santana, Lauren Cohen, Jamie Hector, Annie Ilonzeh. Directed by
Benny Boom. (2017, 140 min).
Fairly
or not, All Eyez on Me will inevitably be compared
to Straight Outta Compton. The
latter gave us a nearly-epic story with rounded,
three-dimensional characters. One didn't necessarily need to be
an NWA fan to appreciate their musical influence and cultural impact.
It also happened to be one hell of an entertaining film.
Surely
an artist as charismatic, influential and culturally polarizing as
Tupac Shakur is worthy of an equally compelling biography. But comparatively speaking, All Eyez on Me doesn't even come close.
It's
certainly not the fault of newcomer Demetrius Shipp Jr in the lead
role. He looks and sounds uncannily like Tupac, right down to his
mannerisms and stage presence. However, his remarkable performance can't
overcome the film's fatal flaws. The most tumultuous aspects of his
life, career and conflicts (with both police & peers) are
touched upon - perhaps over-speculated - but seldom explored
in any depth before moving on, ultimately ending with his untimely demise.
Four-eyez on me. |
Despite
the movie's oppressive length, Tupac goes from zero-to-famous within
the first thirty minutes, and after that, we don't really learn much
about him beyond what countless tabloids have already told us. Not
only are most of Tupac's well-publicized conflicts presented almost
without context, the film suggests few of his issues were really his
fault. It's been well-publicized that the man was no saint, so why
does this film feel the inclination to consistently offer up Tupac as
a victim?
Aside
from Tupac's troubled mother, Afeni (Damai Gurira, in a surprisingly
empathetic performance), most of the other characters come across as
mere symbols of their real-life counterparts. Their relationships
with Tupac - good or bad - are dutifully documented, but never
revealing enough to engage the viewer. For example, it's long been
speculated that the rivalry between Tupac and Biggie Smalls was the
catalyst for both of their murders. Here, the complexities of that
dynamic relationship - if not the entire East-Coast-West-Coast
rivalry - are merely summed up in a few scenes.
In
the end, I don't feel like I know Tupac Shakur any better than I did
before. All Eyez on Me plays like a cross between a greatest hits
album and a book of Cliff's Notes, skimming the surface and covering
all the highlights without giving the viewer a comprehensive portrait of
its subject. Comparisons to Straight Outta Compton may indeed be unfair, but even on its own terms, this film is a massive disappointment.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTES:
"Legends Never Die: The Making of All Eyez on Me";
"Becoming Tupac"; "All Eyez on Me
Conversations"; Demetrius Shipp Jr. Audition"
DELETED
SCENES
DVD
& DIGITAL COPIES
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEH...
August 31, 2017
Blu-Ray Review: THE STRANGER (1946)
Starring
Edward G. Robinson, Loretta Young, Orson Welles, Philip Merivale,
Richard Long, Konstantin Shayne. Directed by Orson Welles. (1946, 95
min).
It
warrants mentioning where I'm at regarding Orson Welles...
While
I freely acknowledge Citizen Kane as a technical and artistic
cinema milestone, I must
confess I've never really enjoyed it. The Stranger, a relative obscurity on his resume, is a lot more fun.
One
of the few times he's essentially been a director-for-hire,
Welles' casts himself as the heavy in this story of a U.N. appointed
Nazi hunter, Mr. Wilson (Edward G. Robinson), in pursuit of fugitive
war criminal Franz Kindler (Welles). Wilson follows a fellow Kindler
crony, Meinike, to the small town of Harper, Connecticut. Kindler has
assumed the identity of local professor named Charles Rankin. He's
highly respected and about to marry Mary (Loretta Young), the
daughter of the town judge. Meinike's arrival alarms Kindler enough to kill him and hide the corpse in the woods. Wilson suspects Meinike is dead and
hopes to convince Mary who her husband really is. She's reluctant, of
course, unwilling to believe the man she knows as Charles is a notorious mass
murderer.
"Rosebud? Nah, that was just my nickname in college." |
The
Stranger is a lot more entertaining (and amusing) than it sounds.
Though there's some disturbing real-life concentration camp
footage (the first Hollywood film to feature any), the fleet-footed story unfolds like a straightforward suspense thriller with a few bits of subtle humor (mostly courtesy of a checker-loving shopkeeper).
Robinson is fun as Wilson, while Welles hams it up considerably - even sporting a "dastardly" mustache - and clearly having a good
time with his character's unrepentant nastiness.
"One move and I'll shoot your pee-pee off." |
It's
no secret that Welles' heart really wasn't in this one. But by appearing to go through the motions directing what's essentially a
potboiler, he accidentally crafted one of the more exciting films of
his career. It may not have garnered him the accolades he was used
to, but ironically, The Stranger was a bigger box office hit than his more ambitious projects.
The Stranger
is not Welles' greatest film. In my humble opinion, that honor goes
to Touch of Evil, which perhaps owes some of its existence to this similarly-noirish little gem. Additionally, this new disc by Olive
Films doesn't have as many bonus features as previous Blu-Ray
releases, but sports much better picture and sound.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
ESSAY:
"The Strangers: Murderers Among Us," by film
historian Dr. Jennifer Lynde Barker
AUDIO
COMMENTARY - By classic film blogger Nora Fiore
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
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