Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

1984

Truly great novels which have their greatness translated to the screen are pretty rare. Women in Love? Absolutely. The Handmaid’s Tale? Praise be. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie? Och aye! It’s a brave filmmaker who takes such a task on and, in 1984, Michael Radford, a few years before international acclaim hit him with Il Postino, made a film version of one of greatest novels of all time, 1984.

It’s is a very timely release (as part of HMV’s exclusive Premium Collection), given what’s going on in the world right now, but can it live up to the masterpiece from which it was adapted? In short, the answer is no. But it makes a damn good crack at it.

John Hurt plays Winston Smith, a sickly man who spends his days re-writing history for the benefit of The Party – if they say something didn’t happen, that someone didn’t exist, it’s gone. In this world where war is continuous, where love is a crime, where thinking the wrong thing can get you tortured, he risks everything for an affair with Julia. But Big Brother is always watching…

This is a faithful and respectful translation of George Orwell’s prescient and continuously relevant novel. It looks perfect (Roger Deakins’ is behind the lens), the decrepit sets, bleak locations, worn costumes, emaciating makeup all bring to life the pages many of us read at school. The script, which Radford also adapted, somehow manages to bring complex ideas to the surface, taking its time, a cerebral rather than emotional piece of writing. As for the cast, John Hurt is the perfect Winston Smith, as gaunt and hopeless as could be, his scenes in the latter part of the film painful to watch. In his final film role, Richard Burton underplays so much that he’s absolutely horrifying as the calm but determined torturer O’Brien, reminding you of what a truly great actor he was. And as Julia, Suzanna Hamilton shines – why she didn’t become a huge star is a mystery because she’s superb.

And yet, it’s partly because of the respect for the intellectual nature of the novel that it all feels a little staid, a bit one-note, somewhat unexciting. Such is the issue with bringing to life a book about ideas; celebrated as one of the best ever written.

There’s also a distracting Eurythmics score that was tacked on by backers Virgin, much to the annoyance of Radford, which sits ill with the rest of the film.

The disc contains no extras (apart from some postcards), which is annoying and the Blu-ray transfer doesn’t really improve on previous DVD releases either.

So, a film to admire, rather than love, from a book to treasure.

1984 / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: MICHAEL RADFORD / STARRING: JOHN HURT, RICHARD BURTON, SUZANNA HAMILTON / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 13TH (HMV EXCLUSIVE)

DIGIMON ADVENTURE TRI THE MOVIE – PART 5

Covering the episodes of Digimon Adventure Tri under the Coexistence banner, the DigiDestined start the movie in the middle of a run in with a corrupted Gennai, and they spend most of the film mulling over the implications of what they have learned and what they need to do next.

Coexistence is the penultimate instalment in the series, and that really comes across in the film’s plot. The vast majority of the story is either dealing with the fallout of the previous movie, having characters spell out their feelings, or setting up what is to come next. As a result, it lacks a plot that is as cohesive as earlier instalments in the franchise. The second film had Joe and Mimi struggle with personal issues that proved relevant to the plot, the third movie had T.K. struggling with his fear of losing Patamon again. Coexistence, on the other hand, simply exposition – a lot of exposition. There is some action but it isn’t choreographed well and doesn’t take up much of the film’s runtime. The latter issue is a problem which also affected the earlier entries in the saga, but those films at least had the excuse that they were at a time in the series when it was still trying to set up the plot. Such an excuse doesn’t apply here.

Each of the releases in this series so far have included one extra designed to offer a look at how the show is made. This time, it’s a brief interview with Johnny Yong Bosch, the actor who has taken on the role of T.K. this time around. Bosch talks about what it was like to act in the series as a newcomer alongside veteran Digimon actors, and it is a lot of fun. Bosch is at ease and seems happy to be there, with the whole thing having the feel of an informal chat.

This may be a low point in the Digimon Adventure Tri movies; existing purely to bridge the earlier parts of its series to the finale, it offers little in itself that might have helped it succeed as a complete product. There are elements which work, the emotional turmoil the characters are going through does feel real, and as always, the animation is beautiful to look at. The problem is that these elements are buried under a lot of exposition and a needlessly long run time.

The extra feature is nice, but it isn’t enough by itself to justify purchasing this release.

Extras: Interview with Johnny Yong Bosch

DIGIMON ADVENTURE TRI THE MOVIE PART 5 / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: KEITARÔ MOTONAGA / SCREENPLAY: MITSUTAKA HIROTA / STARRING: JOSHUA SETH, VIC MIGNOGNA, COLLEEN O’SHAUGHNESSEY, MONA MARSHALL, PHILECE SAMPLER, ROBBIE DAYMOND, JOHNNY YONG BOSCH, TARA SANDS, CHRISTINA VEE / RELEASE DATE: JULY 30TH

THE HUMAN GODDESS

Ever wondered what the Carry On films might have looked like if they’d been made as musicals in Hong Kong in the early 1970s? While that description might be just a little disingenuous, Meng Hua Ho’s The Human Goddess is very much an Asian variation on the kind of late 1960s / early 1970s Terry Southern-esque satirical comedies epitomised by the likes of The Magic Christian – and your taste for it will be determined by quite how broad you like your humour.

Li Ching plays Seventh Sister, who comes down from Heaven to Hong Kong out of curiosity about the mortal world, only to discover the apparent reincarnation of her old lover Dong Yong. Zili (Feng Chin) is the owner of an orphanage that’s run into debt and is sold off to local gangster Xu Caifa (Hsiung Chao), and thus Seventh Sister gets involved, in an attempt to make the orphanage self-sufficient and earn enough money to pay off Xu Caifa and buy it back.

That’s the plot, but what that doesn’t convey is the tone of the film, which was released in 1972 but might have been made at almost any point during the previous two decades (bar perhaps for the Carry On Camping-style ‘Barbara Windsor moment’). There’s a section after Seventh Sister first arrives where she wanders the back streets of Hong Kong, all expansive studio sets by the look of it, and comes to realise that humankind isn’t the generous, inquisitive species she’d been expecting; thereafter she uses simple magic to foil robbers, bursting into song after arriving at the orphanage (and many, many times thereafter) and to the film’s credit, it uses all of these aspects in the resolutions to the problems it sets its characters – albeit in a wrap-up final act that probably lasts at least quarter of an hour too long.

The Blu-ray transfer, while making The Human Goddess a mostly crisp experience, also sets into not-quite-so-sharp relief some of the filmmaking choices made by director Meng Hua Ho. Numerous shots are recorded on inappropriate lenses, the main characters or important elements out of focus for long moments at a time – although elsewhere, this predilection for shallow focus helps set a magical tone and sets up Seventh Sister’s disassociation from the ‘modern’ world.

The overall impression is of a Chinese Doris Day walking onto the set of Singin’ in the Rain and finding herself in a grown-up version of Annie under the auspices of the team behind the Confessions films. The acting and comic action are often clumsy and obvious, but Ho’s film certainly has a heart and a little bit of politics too – and should prove fascinating for fans of low-brow period cinema.

BLU-RAY REVIEW: THE HUMAN GODDESS (1972) / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: HO MENG HUA / SCREENPLAY: HO MENG HUA / STARRING: CHING LEE, FENG CHIN, PENG PENG, HSUNG CHAO, PENG-FEI LI, LU PAI, LAN SUN, YI HSU / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

DARK CRIMES

At this point, we all know that Jim Carrey can be a very good serious actor. After The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, he’s not a man who needs to prove anything to anyone. Nevertheless, admirably, Jim Carrey the actor continues to take chances, popping up in experimental Indie cinema like The Bad Batch and bizarre supporting roles as he did in Kick-Ass 2. It may not always pay off, but that’s certainly preferable to another Dumb and Dumber sequel or Mister Popper’s Penguins.

Hidden behind an impressive Serious Actor beard, Carrey disappears into the role of miserable homicide detective Tadek, investigating the apparent crimes of a novelist who appears to be taking inspiration from his own work. Based on a true story, this isn’t a bad concept for a Serious Crime Drama and, make no mistake, this is a Very Serious Crime Drama.

The naturally fascinating Carrey is a strong choice for the lead too, allowing the actor to add procedural thriller to his catalogue of surprising roles. He and Dark Crimes both look the part, clearly taking influence from Nordic noir TV and cinema, all washed-out greys, blues (and that’s just his beard) and knitwear. The erstwhile Ace Ventura broods like you’ve never seen before, delivering a performance unlike anything he has ever done.

Which isn’t to say it’s a good one. Remember, when The Number 23 was first released, that was a unique Jim Carrey performance too. And Alexandros Arvanas’s moody crime drama is even worse than that, entirely lacking in wit, charm or excitement. Carrey barely wakes up, enlivening himself only to shout at a suspect or harass Charlotte Gainsbourg again. As an exercise in restraint, it’s as admirable as it is boring.

Dark Crimes aims for the heights of Christopher Nolan’s Memento, but it’s barely any better than the notoriously horrible The Snowman. While this is a failure for Arvanas, it feels like a step backwards for Carrey; like the work of a comedic actor first dipping his toe into the pool of serious cinema, as opposed to one who has already conquered it.

REVIEW: DARK CRIMES / DIRECTOR: ALEXANDROS AVRANAS / SCREENPLAY: JEREMY BROCK / STARRING: JIM CARREY, MARTON CSOKAS, CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

MY FRIEND DAHMER

The very title conjures feelings of dread and scenes of graphic blood and gore throughout and, given the nature of the serial killer genre film, most if not all viewers will go into this expecting something substantially nasty in the process.

Well, get ready for a surprise – My Friend Dahmer is actually surprisingly subdued in its analysis of the life of one of the most notorious murderers in American history and focuses instead on the backstory and the context leading up to Dahmer’s dispersal of seventeen men from 1978 until 1991, described in the production notes as ‘the story before the story’

Director Marc Meyers has adapted Derf Backderf’s critically acclaimed 2012 graphic novel of the same name, as well as his own 2014 Black List script. My Friend Dahmer is as much about perception as perceptiveness of individuals and friends who seemingly enter and exit our lives. One would not expect anything remotely shocking and graphic here, although the set-up of the film to the circumstances will have viewers wondering when the first brutal moment is about to happen.

Compared to Peter Jackson’s acclaimed 1994 murder drama Heavenly Creatures, which revealed Kate Winslet to the world and proved that Jackson could make a solid human drama against the grain of his earlier gore fests Dead Alive (Brain Dead in the UK) and Bad Taste, this solely focuses on the dark thoughts of Dahmer and his interaction with his fellow high school students, who see him as a figure of fun.

Jeffrey Dahmer (Ross Lynch) is a troubled individual, compounded by the impending breakdown of his parents’ marriage. He seeks solace in a shed, where he keeps roadkill and dead cats in jars, subsequently pouring acid on them to dissolve the remains. However, his father Lionel (Walk the Line’s Dallas Roberts) puts his foot down and destroys the shed, offering dumbbells as an alternative focus and hoping girls will take more of an interest in him. His mother, Joyce (Anne Heche, virtually unrecognisable and excellent), has her own problems and hospitalisation issues and doesn’t appear to take much interest in him or his younger brother.

In a desire to make new friends, Jeffrey decides to simulate epilepsy and spasms in the school corridors, leading his fellow peers to create a perverse fan club in his honour. However, the ruse only temporarily disguises the dark emotions that are beginning to manifest themselves…

Director Meyers has certainly confounded expectations with this reasonable effort, although one would have expected a brutal moment or two à la Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which is inevitable given the context of what we about to see at the outset. Lynch is very convincing as Dahmer and the young ensemble acquit themselves convincingly with good all-round performances.

Overall, this is more in keeping with more mainstream high school dramas, but doesn’t have the vicious comic tone of films like Heathers and Mean Girls, both of which hit the mark in their respective ways. On balance, though, it is rare that a film focusing on a notorious real-life murder subject would restrain itself and the audience expectations from relying on strong bloody violence.

MY FRIEND DAHMER / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: MARC MEYERS / STARRING: ROSS LYNCH, VINCENT KARTHEISER, ALEX WOLFF, ANNE HECHE, DALLAS ROBERTS / RELEASE DATE: JULY 30TH

ROLLERCOASTER (1977)

A relatively late entry into the disaster film cycle of the 1970s, Rollercoaster is as much a psycho-thriller as it is anything like Earthquake or Airport. The film begins with the unnamed ‘young man’ (Timothy Bottoms) placing a bomb on the tracks of a roller coaster that he later detonates, killing a number of people. Safety inspector Harry Calder (George Segal) had cleared the track as safe fairly recently and so he is called to investigate. When there’s a fire at another location Calder begins to suspect something else is going on and inserts himself into a high-level meeting of theme park owners to find out more. However, Calder becomes more deeply entwined in the blackmail scheme of the young man than he had either expected or desired.

Rollercoaster was written by Columbo creators Richard Levison and William Link. Although there are certainly disastrous events, the majority of the film finds Levison and Link weaving a psychological thriller about the efforts to stop the young man, a coldly remorseless villain. It’s often beautifully shot and comes with a heavy late-‘70s vibe that now acts as a fascinating time capsule of America as it was as well as writing and filmmaking techniques. Director James Goldstone is restrained in his approach, concentrating instead on tried and tested methods of building suspense. It’s certainly anachronistic in this respect and occasionally, the pace flags. Most things really still work, however, not least the charming and charismatic Segal in the lead. It refreshingly ignores motivation for its bomber and takes narrative swerves here and there, avoiding obvious tropes. Although overlong, it’s compelling and exciting, and for fans of the period and disaster or high-stress ‘70s thrillers, it’s definitely recommended.

This new release comes with a fine print that highlights an age now lost to time. It’s a little soft here and there, but so rarely that it’ll never bother you. The soundtrack might not be in ‘Sensurround’ anymore, but the fantastic score from Lalo Schifrin still thunders from the speakers. For extras, there’s a good 22-minute piece with film historian Simon Fitzjohn talking about the film and the disaster movies of the decade. Writers Allan Bryce and David Flint provide a very worthwhile commentary that’s done with affection for the film and veers off in all sorts of different directions. There’s a second disc with an ever-so-slightly different German ‘uncut’ version, and the accompanying booklet features writing from Bryce and also from Scott Harrison. A solid package for an entertaining film ripe for rediscovery.

ROLLERCOASTER (1977) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: JAMES GOLDSTONE / SCREENPLAY: RICHARD LEVINSON, WILLIAM LINK / STARRING: GEORGE SEGAL, RICHARD WIDMARK, TIMOTHY BOTTOMS, HENRY FONDA, HARRY GUARDINO, SUSAN STRASBERG / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

A.I. TALES

This short sci-fi anthology has a peculiar title considering how there is no A.I. involved at all. Or at least, it’s not obvious enough to merit a mention in the title. What the four short films do have in common though is a character having to defy odds, expectations or even their own will in the name of ‘something greater’. A reliable set up for any beyond-this-world story then, even if like most short movies these four are quite minimalist about it.

Seed sees Nathan (Nelson Lee) celebrate his 40th birthday in an alternate future where that means you are killed as per a population control measure. It is fascinating to watch, like a mini-episode of Black Mirror, managing to pull off a similar sense of unease and nervousness. The scene where Nathan talks alone with his one-time love Kat, however, drags badly for such a short film. There is no chemistry between the two, the only major blotch on what is otherwise a decent stab at a thought-provoking short.

This is followed by In/Finate, on balance the strongest film of the four even though it’s fairly thin on plot. Writers Kristen Hilkert and Ashlee Mundy (who also stars at the lead, Jane) keep everything very believable as if this could be your neighbours you are watching. The speech feels very natural and flowing, and you learn a lot about Jane in a short time span without it feeling rushed. When it threatens to fizzle out on a low note, you learn the job that is forcing Jane to make such a hard choice. After a moment of reflection, it is really a penny dropping moment.

Phoenix 9 tries to be a fifteen-minute Mad Max and does not pull it off. It features a stand-out performance from Paul Lange as a pre-apocalypse millionaire who has fallen from grace but feels like it’s trying to pull off just a little too much at once. It’s entertaining, but it doesn’t force the same kind of afterthoughts that the other three manage. It is best seen in context, therefore; a little mental break from the minor mind-bending of the films immediately before and after.

The final film is Redux, a ‘fight the corporate power’ mini-thriller that takes a short while to wrap your head around. If Michael Bay fantasises about a Die Hard 6, expect it to look like Redux; armed guards, a suited baddie (the ever-suave Eric Roberts) and time travel – possibly. Not polished, but again a good short blast and the right film to end the anthology with, wrapping things up more nicely than the other films manage.

A.I. TALES / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: NELSON LEE, KRISTEN HILKERT, AMIR REICHART, VITALY VERLOV / SCREENPLAY: NELSON LEE, ASHLEE MUNDY, KRISTEN HILKERT, PEER GOPFRICH, VITALY VERLOV / STARRING: NELSON LEE, ASHLEE MUNDY, DANIELA FLYNN, PAUL LANGE, RUSSELL FENTON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (US), TBC (UK)

DOOM ASYLUM (1987)

Doom Asylum is not a great film, but very much on purpose. It’s a slasher film, that ticks off all of the clichés of the subgenre along the way and a satire at the same time. Not just of slashers or horror films, but of genre filmmaking in general and therefore not to be taken seriously.

The premise is suitably generic, beginning with Mitch and his fiancé Judy celebrating a huge court case win that will set them up for life. A car accident later, however, and Judy is dead and Mitch is laying on a coroner’s office table where his horrific injuries have people believing he is dead too. Mitch wakes up and – now insane – kills the examiners. Some years down the line, Judy’s daughter Kiki and her group of friends stop at an abandoned asylum not realising it hides the disfigured and murderous Mitch. As well as a Goth-punk girl group trio who, while practising their music, will also get caught up in the events that follow.

The film doesn’t skimp on the expected kills whilst also adding in numerous gags, visual and through dialogue, which means it can be enjoyed as both low budget horror film and commentary on the popular tropes of the genre. Whether you are on board with this will depend on how much Doom Asylum’s off-kilter sensibilities and wilful humour lands with you. This reviewer found it tiresome and eventually irritating but, and this really is the key here, other viewers will find it all a hoot. It’s presented here on Blu-ray by Arrow in a brand new 2K restoration and for the most part (the reasoning behind both widescreen and 1.33:1 versions are explained), it’s another example of just how sharp, colourful and vibrant this process can make a 30-year-old low budget film pop.

For extras, it’s a reliably good selection. There are a number of interviews included; with actor Ruth Collins (18 mins), cinematographer Larry Revene (19 mins), and special effects creator Vincent J. Guastini (18 mins) all sharing their newly-recorded memories of the film with additional archival interviews with director Richard Friedman, producer Alexander W. Kogan and production manager Bill Tasgal (11 mins). We have two commentaries as well, a moderated one with screenwriter Rick Marx and the other with slasher aficionados The Hysteria Continues. Marx’s, in particular, unravels some of the intent behind the film’s creation, and the other done with affection and insight (it’s described here as ‘the slasher John Waters would make’). First pressings come with a booklet featuring new writing by the estimable slasher expert Amanda Reyes. For fans or those interested, it’s a great release.

DOOM ASYLUM (1987) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: RICHARD FRIEDMAN / SCREENPLAY: RICK MARX / STARRING: PATTY MULLEN, RUTH COLLINS, KRISTIN DAVIS, WILLIAM HAY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

THE BRINK [FANTASIA 2018 REVIEW]

Getting a screening at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Jonathan Li’s Martial Arts actioner The Brink comes on the heels of an Autumn 2017 release in the Far East.

Li’s pedigree before his debut as director here makes him an ideal choice. Not only has he been a long-established Assistant Director on a number of Hong Kong action classics, he is also backed up by a veteran of the business in the form of Nicky Li, who worked on a number of Jackie Chan’s blockbuster hits and who has been nominated for a Best Action Choreography award for this.

Illicit gold smuggling amidst a fishing ban in local waters is the backdrop for this thriller, which tells of a rebellious police inspector’s desire to take down a local gangster, Jiang, with his eyes on the water-bound prize. Jiang makes his presence felt early having been betrayed by a greedy boss, by gutting his son and leaving his quarry on the edge of death.

The cop isn’t having the best of times in the world, having been wrongly incarcerated and released without charge, but is determined to make amends (and is also the guardian to the daughter of a man he killed) by going after Jiang. Inevitably, his superiors are none-too-pleased with his methods, and a retiring partner is roped into the mix for one last case.

Before long, though, his actions are creating all manner of complications, but the cop is convinced that his instincts will prevail, and justice will be served to right the wrongs…

While the plot-line and premise is pretty standard for the genre, and you can sense how and when people are going to do their worst, the film is elevated thanks to some well-choreographed action fights and sequences which progress towards a climax that wouldn’t look out of place in The Perfect Storm.

Fans who haven’t really got into Far East cinema yet may get something out of this too, particularly fans of James Bond films such as Licence to Kill and Thunderball, as there is a suspenseful mid-point underwater fight that exudes energy and purpose in a way that the latter movie was often criticised for back in 1965 and beyond.

There are moments where the pace drags, particularly when the cop is wanting to show his more emotional side. This can be the death knell for these types of thrillers, as audiences genuinely want to concentrate on the action, which admittedly this has in abundance from the early minutes.

We’re hoping that Fantasia will help raise The Brink‘s profile and secure it a wide release internationally soon.

THE BRINK / DIRECTOR: JONATHAN LI / SCREENPLAY: PACO WONG / STARRING: KA TUNG LAM, JANICE MAN, CECILLIA SO, TAI-BO / RELEASE DATE: TBC

THE OUTLAWS [FANTASIA 2018 REVIEW]

There is something about the evident brutality of Far Eastern Cinema when you compare it to Western classics like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard that grounds it in a more art-house context, rather than have this ability to shock the local audiences. That isn’t to say that any form of violence is acceptable in a real level and that filmmakers would rather stage violence as a form of primal release to tap into the emotional frustrations of the times the audience is living.

One such example of this which is being screened at the 2018 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal is Kang Yun-Sung’s The Outlaws, which was selected in 2017 in the Dubai and Macao International Film Festivals. It has won a couple of domestic awards and is certainly going to provide some intrigue and interest.

Based on a real-life incident that took place in 2007, The Outlaws focuses on the exploits of the Serious Crime Squad in Seoul, South Korea. Online reports tell of a total of thirty-two people being investigated for the vicious crimes, so it does seem to have quite a place in Korea police history, who formed the backbone of a Chinese crime syndicate and one individual who was smuggled into South Korea.

Led by a worldly and wise veteran officer Ma (Don Lee), the police are seemingly on the brink with resources stretched, thanks to the arrival of the Chinese Black Dragon Gang amidst the Korea locality. The film doesn’t waste any time demonstrating the true brutality of what the gangs are capable of, thinking nothing of using an axe to reach the body parts they need to and stabbing any number of victims to show their strength.

Compounding the Squad’s efforts comes in the form of senior officers, who have determined that Ma and his team only have another ten days to solve the case, and ensure they can restore order and decency to the district they watch over…

The Outlaws is a taut and tight piece of police drama, as bloody, brutal, profane and violent as anything to have emerged in the last ten years. Fans of Infernal Affairs and the work of John Woo will certainly get a lot from this production and those who might want to research the real-life incident it is based on may find a lot more brutal and shocking evidence, which is often different to when it comes to dramatising what we see on screen, as filmmakers sometimes have to tone down the violence to make it acceptable for viewing by the masses.

There are some well-staged fights and action – notably one sequence when a gang member lets off a fire extinguisher during a birthday celebration – and there are a few well-chosen moments of dark humour here and there, as is the norm for the type of film you can expect from the Far East film community.

Fantasia 2018 is clearly a solid foundation for The Outlaws to build an international fan-base on, and American audiences and beyond will embrace it like they will a Jackie Chan or John Woo film.

THE OUTLAWS / DIRECTOR: YOON-SEONG KANG / SCREENPLAY: YOON-SEONG KANG / STARRING: JIN-AH BAE, GWI-HWA CHOI, HYUNG-JOON IM / UK RELEASE DATE: TBC