Disc Reviews

“Most people think if they pay a few dollars to a community chest and goodwill agencies and so on, they’ve done their duty and they can shrug aside all responsibility. But you’ve got to do more than that.”

Fritz Lang was one of the greatest directors of all time. He was one of the masters of the early silent films and of the German Expressionism that he brought with him when he got to Hollywood. Metropolis and M with Peter Lorre are two of the most renowned silent films ever made, and unlike many actors and directors, he was able to bring his style and talent forward when the talkies started bringing sound to our movie theaters. His later sound pictures included Beyond A Reasonable Doubt with Dana Andrews and The Return Of Frank James with Henry Fonda and Jackie Cooper.
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“On the night of March 8th, 1916, a large mounted force of Mexican rebels under Pancho Villa crossed the American border and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico, killing and wounding both American civilians and soldiers. As a result of this action, the United States Army sent an expedition into Mexico with orders to capture Villa and disperse his forces. It was during this campaign that one man, a United States Army officer, was forced to come face to face with two of the great fundamental questions that affect mankind: What is courage? What is cowardice? This is the story of his search for an answer.”

John Wayne accused the film of a lack of patriotism and condemned his pal Gary Cooper for taking the role of a coward who is charged with collecting names of heroes for the Congressional Medal of Honor. He claimed the film made a mockery of the coveted award and was quite outspoken about the film’s impact on our own servicemen.
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Most of you have never heard of Irene Dunne. You all have heard of Lucille Ball, of course. What if I told you that if there hadn’t been an Irene Dunne, there would not have been a Lucy, at least not the actress/character who we all remember today. It was by Dunne’s performance as her co-star in in a film called Joy Of Living that Lucille Ball was inspired to create the character that would be Lucy. You see, Irene Dunne was the original master of the ditzy screwball comedic character that we all associate with Lucy. KL Studio Classics have brought us two of Irene Dunne’s films. When Dunne left acting, she devoted herself to international causes and was selected by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as an official delegate to the United Nations. Her acting career included three films, each with Cary Grant and Charles Boyer. She’s an actress who never quite held up over the years, but she should have. She was nominated five times for an Oscar but never ended up taking one home. Thanks to these two releases from KL Classics, you get to see a couple of her lesser-known works
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“Where there’s life … there’s hope. Bob Hope, that is.”

Few American entertainers have had a career to match that of Bob Hope. He lived 100 years and spent over 80 of those years in the entertainment industry. He appeared in over 70 films, wrote various books, and has over 300 appearance credits to his name on television and radio. He cut out a niche for himself during World War II that carried him through the Korean War and the war in Vietnam. He conducted literally hundreds of appearances for GIs out in the field, performing sometimes for audiences at the front. He brought a ton of his celebrity friends and was Mr. USO for decades. An honest look at his career is impossible here. Thanks to the folks over at Kino, we have the opportunity to explore a couple of his films from the 1930’s. You can pick up each of them on Blu-ray now, and we’ll give you an idea of what you’re going to get for your money
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I kind of felt like I was brought in at the middle of the story. The story is intriguing nevertheless. I’m a sucker for a good fashion heist movie or con movie. In some respects, Righteous Thieves is both. However, I would have appreciated greater context before being dropped in the middle of things. As the film opens up, we are brought into a flashback featuring a younger version of our main character, Annabel, as she attempts to steal a valuable painting. She is discovered by the painting’s owner, who instead of turning her in, takes her in. Based on this introduction, I was expecting the owner, Josef, to be a prominent member of the film. I suppose in spirit he is, but this is the only interaction we get with him, which to my mind was not enough to make the needed lasting impression. In my opinion, we could have benefited from more inclusion of this character, even if it was simply in flashback form. It would have gone miles towards connecting more with the Annabel character played by Lisa Vidal. Vidal isn’t the only familiar face, as the film also features Twilight’s Cam Gigandet, as well as Station 19’s Jaina Lee Ortiz and Carlos Miranda.
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What began in 1968 allowed individuals with intellectual disabilities to have the chance to play athletics and be a part of the greatest sporting event on earth, the Olympics. One of the most popular and favorite sports in the Special Olympics is basketball. These extraordinary players learn a lot about sportsmanship and friendship, and also have lots of fun. When Marcus (Woody Harrelson) is kicked out of professional basketball for pushing head coach Phil Perretti (Ernie Hudson) and gets arrested for DUI, he is assigned by the judge to coach a Special Olympics team called the Friends. This group of special needs players who play basketball at the local church are unorganized and not ready to compete against the rest of the teams. When Marcus finally arrives to meet the Friends, a bunch of fun-loving characters like Johnny (Kevin Lannucci), Darius (Joshua Felder), Cody (Ashton Gunning), Cosentino (Madison Tevlin), Craig (Matthew Von Der Ahe), Blair (Tom Sinclair), Benny (James Day Keith), Arthur (Alex Hintz), Marlon (Casey Metcalfe), and Showtime (Bradley Edens), he realizes these guys need a lot of help and instruction to finally win a game. With help from program director, Julio (Cheech Marin), assistant coach and friend Sonny (Matt Cook), and new-found friend Alex (Kaitlin Olson), he finds that these new-found team members will win his heart.
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When you come across a movie that is co-written by Alec Coppel, it is hard to not have a certain expectation from the film. Sure, he may have numerous writing credits, but the one that I feel most film enthusiasts will point out is Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. While many hail Vertigo as Hitchcock’s masterpiece, it is widely considered one of the best films of all time. I somewhat disagree with this ranking; personally I’m more fond of Rear Window and Strangers on a Train, but I do respect the story of Vertigo, and of course its place in film history. At first glance Moment to Moment has all the earmarks of a Hitchcockian thriller, but what makes this film stand out is that it is foremost a romance that happens to have a thriller element, and it is because of that that director Mervyn LeRoy thrives with this film that is equally charming and thrilling to the very end.
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“In the 1940’s, a new genre – film noir – emerged from the world of hard-boiled pulp magazines, paperback thrillers, and sensational crime movies. These films, tough and unsentimental, depicted a black and white universe at once brutal, erotic, and morally ambiguous.”

Film Noir officially started in the 40’s, but the movement was well underway by the early 30’s. You can trace its roots to the Great Depression and the arrival of the dime pulp magazines. These were highly stylized, mostly mystery stories that provided cheap escapism for the masses who were not having a good time of it. Writers like Raymond Chandler crafted the mold that was easily transferred to the silver screen. These were low-budget films that were intended to be second billing with the more mainstream releases. They were shot quickly. Many have a very flat look, created intentionally. The lighting was often minimal, crafting odd shadows and unusual textures.
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“I wonder if you ever stop on the way home and watch the children playing. In the street, or in the yard. And when the time comes and their mothers call them in, they’re often reluctant. They … they get a little contrary. But that’s as it should be. Far better than to be the child you occasionally see, he’s sitting by himself in the corner not taking part, not happy, not unhappy. Merely waiting for his mother to call him in. I’ve become afraid that I might end up like that child. And I so very much do not wish to do so.”

I love Bill Nighy. It doesn’t matter if he’s doing roles covered in makeup like Underworld and Pirates Of The Caribbean, or he’s doing heartfelt characters like About Time.
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Backtrack, AKA Catchfire, is one of those films where you look at the stacked cast and you’d think this would have to be a great film, or how have I not heard of this film? Dennis Hopper and Jodie Foster, just one year before starring in The Silence of the Lambs; just this pair alone makes this film worth checking out. What also makes this film a bit unique is that it directed by Dennis Hopper as well.  Easy Rider is pretty much a classic in its own right, and in 1988 he had also done this film Colors, which starred Sean Penn and Robert Duvall. It is a pretty solid film and worth checking out, but right now the focus is on Backtrack. Really, it is at its core a simple crime/mobster movie, but it is sort of a cautionary tale of what happens when you try to inject too much “art” into a film that really is just a basic (yet strange)  neo-noir story.
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Well, it would seem that Tyrone Power’s Mark Fallon can’t catch a break. Despite remaining honorable and showing compassion, it would seem that dishonorable and disreputable people try to bring about his ruination. The Mississippi Gambler is the story of one gambler’s efforts to succeed while also acting morally and ethically. This was a principle that I enjoyed watching, as I wondered whether his conviction would waver as the film went on. I mean, in a land of cheats and dishonor, how can one expect to remain honorable in kind? However, such ethics make for a compelling character, and that is certainly the case here. In fact, when we first meet Mark Fallon, his first official act is to bust and convert a would-be con man. Fallon’s charisma is such that he and this con man forge a unlikely friendship and bond. The backdrop is the Mississippi River and New Orleans, which worked well for the film’s purposes, providing a sophisticated and elegant background for the film. Rounding out the cast is Piper Laurie of The Hustler and Carrie fame, Julie Adams of The Creature from the Black Lagoon fame, and John McIntire of westerns Wagon Train and The Virginian fame.
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I’ve never been much for spoof movies. There are some exceptions, like the first two Scary Movies or Don’t Be A Menace. However, for the most part, these types of movies have never resonated with me. The jokes are usually not of great quality and kind of cheesy. Unfortunately, The Big Bus fell into this category. From the premise, I couldn’t wrap my head around the plot of this movie. A nuclear-powered double-decker bus piloted by a disgraced bus driver accused of cannibalism. It just didn’t resonate with me. I understand that films of this type were popular during this time, such as Airplane and its sequel, but for me, I couldn’t get past the sheer ridiculousness of the film to get any enjoyment out of it. Of course, my opinion is not the be-all end-all, as my research suggests that the film has apparently obtained cult classic status in this genre as well as won the audience award at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival in 1977. So clearly someone enjoyed it. However, as you are reading this review, I will assume that you are interested in my opinion, and my opinion is that it was not for me.
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