Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

The crew of the Orville has had an interesting ride, both within the show and also outside it. This homage to Star Trek created a huge, divisive disparity between harsh critics and loving fans, with the latter side clearly emerging as the victor seeing as a second season is right round the corner. Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville is not just a fitting homage to Star Trek‘s long legacy – it’s a show that deserves to have its place within Star Trek canon. While initially starting out being decent enough but highly promising, the show’s own identity began to slowly emerge and flourish as it went on, which can also be said of its characters and their development.

Achieving the balance between sci-fi, drama and comedy was always going to be one of the crucial elements to tackle, and for the most part that healthy balance is effortlessly achieved. From the beginning, the marketing was always sort of misleading since it made the series look like a sci-fi comedy/spoof in the same vein as Spaceballs or Galaxy Quest, when actually it’s more of a drama with some comedic elements sprinkled throughout. This may be why critics weren’t so struck with it, feeling that the comedy was unnecessary and added nothing to the overall vision of the show, and while it is true that the comedy aspect can be hit or miss, that is ultimately an unfair criticism. You need to have levity and humour in a dark situation, otherwise you’re just completely mired in depression and angst, plus it helps make the serious moments all the more weighty and relatable.

This series also addresses its concepts, politics and issues superbly, and not once did these ideas become watered down to the point where it became ineffective. The show tackles the issues of race relations, war, gender reassignment, self-doubt in a working environment, religion, faith, media, infidelity and so forth, and each instalment feels fresh and exciting in a way that keeps you coming back for more. Highlight episodes like ‘About a Girl’, ‘Into the Fold’ and ‘Firestorm’ are perfect examples of how well this show approaches certain topics and how characters cope with them. The writing is strong for the most part thanks to MacFarlane, David A. Goodman, Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and co., while the music makes the whole show feel grand and adventurous. The set design is impeccable, capturing the look, feel and essence of Star Trek, while the makeup and effects are pretty top notch for this kind of TV budget.

The characters help make this series shine, and the cast do their best in giving the characters their identity and personality. While he does have the occasional humorous moment here and there, MacFarlane actually gives a very nuanced and restrained performance as Ed Mercer, really making us believe he is the everyman in position of commanding an entire fleet, and in the end he quite possibly delivers the best performance of his career. Adrianne Palicki does an astounding job of bringing real sympathy and likeability to Kelly Grayson, a character who is desperately trying to redeem herself after committing adultery in the beginning, and props to Palicki for maintaining this all the way through. Other terrific standouts include Penny Johnson Jerald as the highly resourceful and believable Dr. Claire Finn, Halston Sage bringing real dedicated feistiness and vulnerability as Alara Kitan, Peter Macon as the reliable but deadpan Bortus, and Mark Jackson who manages to give depth and charm to the inhuman android Isaac.

Whatever you may think of The Orville, there is no denying that this is a heartfelt reiteration of Star Trek‘s 52-year legacy and captures the tradition of what makes that world so distinctive and creative. It feels like a cross-bred hybrid of The Next Generation and Galaxy Quest, balancing the drama and weight of TNG with the latter’s knowing self-awareness and sly humour, and it all just about works for the most part. Excellent characters are complemented hugely by terrific performances, it’s visually stunning, and it approaches its themes and concepts with real maturity. With season 2 approaching fast, hopefully MacFarlane and company will iron out the kinks and continue to build upon what made this first season a great first outing. Whether or not you’re a Star Trek fan, a sci-fi fan or a Seth MacFarlane fan in general, The Orville is a thoroughly entertaining show that deserves to be seen.

THE ORVILLE SEASON 1 / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: VARIOUS / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: SETH MACFARLANE, ADRAINNE PALICKI, PENNY JOHNSON JERALD, SCOTT GRIMES, PETER MACON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Written and directed by Satoshi Kon, Tokyo Godfathers is an over-the-top tale about three homeless people who find an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve. Vowing to find the baby’s parents, they’re led on a wild goose chase across the heart of Tokyo in the hope of finding answers. With a cast of misfits which include an ageing transvestite, a middle-aged alcoholic and a teenage runaway, we’re able to get a glimpse into three individuals who have somehow lost their way.

Whether it’s their constant bickering or boisterous personalities taking centre stage, the dialogue never fails to convey the harsh reality of living life on the streets. With cutting retorts going back and forth like machine gun fire, the voice acting manages to effortlessly breathe life into the characters and make the most out of every situation.

Quirky, funny and offbeat, Tokyo Godfathers doesn’t give in to its relentless pace and manages to keep viewers glued to the action. This does, however, rob the audience of the chance to make the most out of some of the more sentimental moments which can at times become a little jarring. The music by Keiichi Suzuki manages to capture the magic and wonder of all of the events that are unfolding onscreen whilst sweeping the viewer into a joyous Christmas frenzy.

As to be expected from any of Satoshi Kon’s work, the animation is jaw-droppingly beautiful. With the Blu-ray release enhancing the visuals even further, Tokyo becomes even more of a spectacle as the neon lights shine amongst the snowy backdrop. The facial expressions are immensely detailed, giving the characters a life-like quality while the streets are painfully recreated to the most minuscule of features.

A film with universal appeal, Tokyo Godfathers is still as witty today as it was at the time of its original release 15 years ago. With the Blu-ray release containing some tasty extras about the creation of the film and a breathtaking look at the art, there’s plenty for fans to sink their teeth into.

A film which shows the limitless potential of animation, Tokyo Godfathers is an alternative Christmas classic that’s full of unexpected twists, turns and miracles. A festive bonanza which will put plenty of smiles on many faces.

TOKYO GODFATHERS / CERT: 12A / DIRECTOR: SATOSHI KON / SCREENPLAY: KEIKO NOBUMOTO & SATOSHI KON / STARRING: TORU EMORI, YOSHIAKI UMEGAKI, AYA OKAMOTO / RELEASE DATE: 15TH OCTOBER

Timing is everything. The Amityville Horror was released in 1979, riding on the wave of some highly successful source material. The book had been a huge best seller, its claim to be ‘more hideously frightening than The Exorcist because it actually happened’ cleverly making the most of existing cinematic interest in possession and hauntings. Fabricated stories of strange on-set goings-on had been drip fed to the press for months ensuring that interest in the film was at fever pitch. Consequently it took enough at the box office to be the most successful independent film ever at that point, a position it remained in for nearly a decade. Almost forty years on, it’s hard to see why the film was such a hit.

George and Kathy Lutz bought a fantastic house cheaply because the previous family had all been murdered in it by the eldest son, shot in their beds because he said that demonic voices had told him to do it. After 28 days, the Lutz family fled claiming that they and their children had been tormented and terrified by supernatural forces. The film recounts the gradual build-up of these events – slamming doors, demonic voices, flies – until, literally, all hell breaks loose.

Starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder (fresh from her success as Lois Lane), The Amityville Horror concentrates on the characters rather than special effects and it’s their mental, emotional and, in George’s case, physical breakdown which drives the movie along, their relationship going from happy to almost fatal as history starts to repeat itself. And as the young couple, Brolin and Kidder carry the film, their conviction encouraging you to believe even if you don’t. Alongside, heavyweight actor Rod Steiger chews the scenery like it’s a Curly Wurly bar in his scenes as a priest trying to help the family but being thwarted by the supernatural and his own Church. He never shares an actual scene with Brolin and Kidder, which is a shame.

The problem is that it’s just not scary. The Amityville Horror came half a decade after The Exorcist, three years after The Omen and year after the (underrated) Damien: Omen 2 and, in just three years time, Poltergeist would come along and do this so much better. Sure, you don’t have to show things for them to frighten you – Rosemary’s Baby anyone? Even so, watching it now, you realise that, without the excellent Oscar-nominated score by Lalo Schifrin, The Amityville Horror wouldn’t be scary in the slightest.

The extras on this Blu-ray edition though are pretty good. There are some revealing and funny interviews with Brolin and the late Margot Kidder, some interesting shorts about the writer and Schifrin too, plus a commentary from a genuine parapsychologist who had investigated the mystery / hoax at the time.

But the most interesting thing on the disc is a feature-length documentary about Daniel Lutz, the now grown man who was just a child when all of this happened. Whatever happened (or didn’t) back in the 1970s, it has affected this man’s life forever. Seeing what this all did to him is more upsetting than anything in the film.

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: STUART ROSENBERG / SCREENPLAY: SANDOR STERN / STARRING: JAMES BROLIN, MARGOT KIDDER, ROD STEIGER / RELEASE DATE: 15TH OCTOBER

George A. Romero created a furry little monster with this lovably daft 1988 chamber horror. No longer tied to his long-time production partners due to their wish to put out more diverse, family-friendly product, the man who lit a fire under the zombie genre went solo and threw all his eggs in the basket marked ‘crazed monkey madness’. You never know unless you try.

Jason Beghe (a sort of Poundland Ryan O’Neill) plays Allan Man, an athlete who ends up in a wheelchair after a truck hits him while he’s out jogging. Now paralysed from the neck down, he’s stuck both with a wheelchair and the worst fake beard in cinema history. Things begin to look up when his boffin pal from the local monkey experiment lab (we’ve all got one of those, right?) brings joy to his life in the form of Ella, a lovable – if you like monkeys – little helper. What our hero doesn’t realise is that Ella has received human brain tissue injections and is liable to go seriously ape. Sure enough, she’s soon inhabiting Allan’s feverish mind and going on a murder spree at his unwitting behest – or rather some highly convincing Tom Savini fake SFX monkeys are (many were constructed for the shoot).

A box office dud back in 1988, the passage of time has been kind to Romero’s arch script, self-adapted from Michael Stewart’s novel. The absurdity is played up, the dark laughs are plentiful and some very-repeatable lines of dialogue suggest Romero may have been midway through a John Waters marathon at the time. Joyce Van Patten as Beghe’s mollycoddling mother and Christine Forrest as his Nurse Ratchet-alike carer get the lion’s share of the hammy zingers, the cherry being Forrest’s boggle-eyed response to finding out Ella has murdered her pet bird: “YOU KILLED MY BOGIE!!!” Only Kate O’Neill’s super-sensible monkey trainer isn’t playing to the bleachers, but she does have to negotiate Allan’s full-body paralysis to perform one of mainstream cinema’s most ingenious sexual favours. You’ll definitely learn something new when you see it.

For the above reasons, and despite being lensed and lit like an episode of Columbo, Monkey Shines is well worth a look, especially with a few beers and some audience participation. The extras on this release include a commentary from the late director, a very decent retrospective and lots of making-of footage that reveals the surprising degree of on-screen monkey business that was really the work of Savini’s crew. Also included is an alternate ending that Romero preferred but is no great shakes compared to the one we finally get. You can’t go wrong with a monkey exploding out of a human being.

And yes, the real monkeys didn’t give a toss and would shit down the actors’ backs at every opportunity.

Extras / special features: Limited edition slipcase, feature length audio commentary by Travis Crawford, audio commentary with director George A. Romero, An Experiment in Fear – The Making of “Monkey Shines”, Alternate Ending and Deleted Scenes, Behind-the-scenes footage, original EPK featurette, vintage interviews and news reports, Trailers and TV spots, limited edition collector’s booklet

MONKEY SHINES / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: GEORGE A. ROMERO / SCREENPLAY: GEORGE A. ROMERO / STARRING: JASON BEGHE, KATE MCNEIL, JOHN PANKOW, JOYCE VAN PATTEN / RELEASE DATE: 8TH OCTOBER

Chris and J.C. are the dorks on campus. You know these guys, one’s a straight-A cardigan-wearing student, while the other is the wisecracking funny guy who’s always got his buddy’s back. Throw into the mix the gorgeous and popular Cynthia (who Chris falls immediately in love with) and you’ve got almost every teen movie released in the 80s. But wait, there’s more.

In order to get Cynthia’s attention and enter a fraternity, the underdog duo break into a science lab to secure a cadaver as part of their initiation. It doesn’t go well. Before they know it, Chris and J.C. have unwittingly kickstarted a Night of the Living Dead scenario thanks to some parasitic alien slugs that like to nest in human brains before multiplying and exploding out.

Fred Dekker’s directorial feature debut is 80s B-movie magic in all its gory (sic). An ode to every film he loved, Night of the Creeps is Dekker’s love letter to the genre. Every surname is a director (Cameron, Landis, Raimi, Cronenberg etc) and every scene is inspired by the filmmakers that the Dekker admired. Yet this classic chunk of 80s cinema is far from a slavish checklist. Instead, Creeps is a brilliant example of a fun, popcorn-munching horror movie that is rarely seen these days. Plus this comes with the legendary alternate ending as standard (as it was always meant to be seen) to thrill you.

The beautifully restored disc comes with a wealth of Special Features that will sate any fanboy while also providing valuable insight for anyone interested in the genre. Two Commentaries are on offer, the first by Dekker himself and the second by the main cast. Dekker’s walkthrough is an honest and insightful one. There’s stuff in the film that he genuinely loves (and plenty that he doesn’t) which makes this essential listening.

Thrill Me: The Making of Night of the Creeps is a brilliant hour-long documentary charting the film from start to end, with interviews from all the main players, including the effects crew. The film’s resident cop, Tom Atkins also gets his own fascinating mini featurette in which he discusses his career, film by film leading up to Creeps.

Interview with Fred Dekker is just that, expanding on what we already knew from the Making of doc and filling in a few blanks while the Deleted Scenes back up Dekker’s claim that the studio cut quite a few scenes down for pacing. The brief Theatrical Ending and Trailer are also included.

Far from a forgettable slice of schlock, like the alien slugs themselves, Night of the Creeps will nestle in your brain for years to come thanks to its embracing of the genre. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you squirm, and it’ll leave you screaming like a banshee.

NIGHT OF THE CREEPS / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: FRED DEKKER / SCREENPLAY: FRED DEKKER / STARRING: TOM ATKINS, JASON LIVELY, JILL WHITLOW, ALLAN KAYSER / RELEASE DATE: 8TH OCTOBER

Richard Marquand’s 1981 film follows Nazi spy Henry aka The Needle (Donald Sutherland) as he attempts to escape Britain back to Germany with his secret about the planned Allied invasion. He must make it to a meeting with Hitler that could change the direction of the war to Germany’s advantage. On the run, Sutherland finds himself stranded on the aptly-named Storm Island off the coast of Scotland awaiting rescue from a German U-Boat. There he meets Lucy and David and their young son Joe. The embittered David was once a Spitfire pilot but a motor accident took his legs years before and now he and Lucy share a marriage in name only, both miserable. As Lucy and Henry grow closer, David’s suspicions intensify and the stage is set for tragedy.

A mix of spy-thriller and romantic melodrama, Eye of the Needle has much to recommend it. The Needle, so called because of his preference for a stiletto blade as weapon, is a compellingly unknowable central character, and Nelligan’s Lucy the film’s melancholy heart. Marquand and cinematographer Alan Hume construct an achingly beautiful film that makes full use of the Scottish scenery as Henry’s doomed imposition on Lucy and David plays out. It’s a fairly unusual mix of occasionally brutal wartime thriller and windswept love triangle with two excellent performances at its core from Sutherland and Nelligan. A little too long perhaps, hanging together on contrivance and wasting Ian Bannen’s dogged investigator, but it’s mostly grandly entertaining.

The BFI’s new Blu-ray release compliments the film well. Despite some scratches here and there and occasional softness, the picture is usually sharp, clear and rich in detail, ably assisted by Miklós Rózsa’s score. For extras, there’s three short propaganda films made by Ealing Studios (36 mins approx) warning about the dangers of loose lips, an alternate ending for the film, an enthusiastic and appreciative commentary track and an audio-only interview with Sutherland from 1987 (73 mins approx). The release should also come with a booklet featuring writing by Paul Fairclough. It’s a good package for those interested in the film’s production.

For those who appreciate an exercise in classic Hollywood thriller filmmaking techniques, or twisted romantic entanglements, Eye of the Needle gets a solid recommendation from us.

Special Features: Director Richard Marquand’s preferred cut of the film, presented in High Definition and Standard Definition, Audio commentary by Julie Kirgo, Nick Redman and music historian Jon Burlingame, Alternate ending sequence, Donald Sutherland Guardian Interview (1987, 73 mins, audio only), Careless Talk Costs Lives: Wartime Warnings (1940, 36 mins): three short wartime propaganda films produced by Ealing Studios for the Ministry of Information, Theatrical trailer, Illustrated booklet with full film credits and new writing by Little White Lies essayist Paul Fairclough

EYE OF THE NEEDLE / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: RICHARD MARQUAND / SCREENPLAY: STANLEY MANN / STARRING: DONALD SUTHERLAND, KATE NELLIGAN, CHRISTOPHER CAZENOVE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Those folks over at Arrow Video have been making a habit of bringing old favourites back to HD life, and throwing an abundance of special features in for good measure. And now, Arrow has turned their attention to Ted Post’s 1973 effort, The Baby. So, let’s take a look at what’s on offer here.

For those not familiar with The Baby, let’s just say it’s a unique beast. You see, the Wadsworth family – led by Ruth Roman’s matriarch – have a 21-year-old baby known as, err, Baby. As in, goo-goo noises, nappies, crawling, baby food, and the full shebang. Anjanette Comer’s Ann Gentry is a social worker tasked with exploring the strange case of Baby, and once she realises that something isn’t right, all hell begins to break lose. Before you know it, the Wadsworths and Ann are butting heads over what’s right for the mentally-challenged Baby – with each party willing to go to extreme measures to do what they think is right for this manchild.

To discuss any further plot details would likely veer towards spoiler territory, but let’s just be clear that this is a film that doesn’t waste any time in setting its stall out as something to shock. Not to worry, mind, for this isn’t a picture that is full of shocks, shocks, and more shocks, all for the sake of shocks. Instead, The Baby uses its twists and turns sparingly but with maximum impact. And trust us, if you’ve never seen this movie, it has certain moments that will leave your jaw agape.

If you’re coming in with fresh eyes, The Baby may seem very much of its time and could have you asking some very valid questions involving, well, logic. But that aside, this is a twisted film that messes with its audience at a moment’s notice; lullabies a-playing as brutal acts play out on the screen. Is it a masterpiece? Not quite. Is it worthy of the infamous tag that some place on it? Again, not quite. This is, however, a film that is certainly worth a one-off watch or worthy of a revisit if you’re one of those wishing to see if this is as bizarre as you remember. And with a runtime of less that 90 minutes, The Baby is an effort that grabs you by the seat of your jumpsuit and rarely lets you go. And special praise must go to David Manzy as the titular character, making the harder-than-it-may-sound task of playing an infant seem like a breeze. Then we have to mention Ruth Roman, though, with her on fierce form as Mrs Wadsworth. Part caring mother, part tough gun moll of yesteryear.

Of course, with any of Arrow’s releases over the past several years, a lot of the attention here will be on the bonus material included. On that front, the Down Will Come Baby retrospective with Fangoria and Blumhouse alum Rebekah McKendry is a highlight, with that taking a trip down memory lane and looking at what makes The Baby such a one-off feature. The new chat track from critic Tom Crawford is an interesting accompaniment, and the archive interviews are similarly fun to check out.

All in all, The Baby is a movie that all genre fans should watch at least once. Even if it will leave you feeling a tad uncomfortable when all is said and done.

Special Features: New audio commentary with Travis Crawford / Down Will Come Baby new retrospective / Archival audio interviews / Trailer / Collectors’ booklet

THE BABY / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: TED POST / SCREENPLAY: ABE POLSKY / STARRING: DAVID MANZY, ANJANETTE COMER, RUTH ROMAN, MARIANNA HILL, SUZANNE ZENOR, ERIN O’REILLY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Nick Briggs has long since earned his star in the geek pantheon for his knowledge of and support for Dr Who during its Dark Ages. Here he tackles Blake’s 7, often seen as Who’s little brother, particularly with regard to the sharing of quarries, one of the many sets visited by the interviewees in this compilation of interviews old and new(ish).

The interviews are, mostly, conducted by Briggs, who does a very good impression of a fanboy on his best behaviour, desperately trying to ask thoughtful questions about jobbing actors’ lives while bursting to ask about interpersonal tensions on the bridge of the Liberator.

There is something particularly loveable about all of these interviews, particularly because the interpersonal tensions on the Liberator seem to have amounted to zero, zilch and none, every interviewee stressing (separately and without prompting) what fun they had working with each other.

Peter Tuddenham (or Tudders, as the others call him) is particularly adorable and, in an extra cute touch, plays his own interviewer, in character as Orac. The sadly recently-departed Jacqueline Pearce is also every bit as languid and minxy as you could possibly want or hope of her, and Blake himself (the late Gareth Thomas), while still clearly trying to position himself as an actor of some standing outside of the role of Blake, is still willing to enter into the silly fun of having Federation troopers stalking around as he’s being interviewed. Michael Keating (Vila) doesn’t have a huge amount to say, but clearly has a lot happy memories, particularly of location shooting. We also discover, many many many times over, that his life since has been very rich, since “he’s a rambler, you know”.

One downside is the clear negative effect that this childhood favourite clearly had on the careers of these jobbing actors, for whom repeat fees and, later, conventions have ended up being a boon, but perhaps not one that would make up for the loss of work in the years after they left Blake’s 7. Vila only seems unfazed by this, but aside from being Walford’s vicar, nothing fazes him as “he’s a rambler, you know”.

Paul Darrow (Avon) is frustratingly notable by his absence, but often summoned up – almost literally by two interviewees – only in third person. Stephen Greif manages a very good impression of him though.

If all you’re interested in is Blake’s 7, you may find yourself disappointed as there’s not much new here, but if you’re interested in people, then these are seven interesting people with stories to tell. And one of them is a rambler, you know.

BLAKE’S 7: MYTHMAKERS / CERT: E / DIRECTOR: NICK BRIGGS / STARRING: GARETH THOMAS, JACQUELINE PEARCE, JAN CHAPPELL, STEPHEN GRIEF / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW