Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

This release brings together three horror films made in the early 1970s by Michio Yamamoto for Toho Studios. These Japanese takes on the vampire myth were heavily inspired by Hammer, with some Bava and Corman’s Poe cycle in there too. This leaves us with a thematically linked trilogy of films that are decidedly Western-influenced and as such an interesting anomaly in Japanese horror cinema. The films still incorporate more traditional influences from Japan, particularly the country’s ghost stories. They also do something Western cinema was very much into at that time as well, updating the tropes of gothic horror and the Dracula story into the present day. 

First is 1970’s The Vampire Doll, a mix of British gothic, Poe and Bava and the best film. Like Hammer’s 1958 Dracula it’s an elegantly brief reworking of many of the themes of the well-told classics but unlike that film, there’s no Count or surrogate here. Instead, it’s a mix of vampire lore and themes and imagery that could comfortably sit in an Italian horror of the period. It’s a deft and entertaining mix of all of its influences. Not quite as successful is 1971’s Lake of Dracula which takes a similar approach but is less creative and more straightforward, despite the inevitable novelty of the setting. The trilogy is completed with 1974’s Evil of Dracula, with a stronger European influence in its tale of breast-biting, boarding school-dwelling vampires. Both films are still strong and enjoyable entries. All of them benefit from likeable characters and strong performances and they are frequently beautifully composed and full of great imagery. If you’re into Japanese horror or British and American gothic horror classics (or both) you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

Perhaps we’ve been spoiled by the depth and variety of extras on other recent releases as this one comes with only one substantial additional feature, as well as trailers and a stills gallery (and for early purchasers a limited-edition booklet). It’s a good one, however, with estimable genre expert Kim Newman appearing in a video piece (16 mins) to provide some context for these films and as ever, his knowledge and insight is welcome and valuable. And for those who want these films, they are presented here in fine HD fashion, which is important given how visually arresting they are. The prints are clear and sharp and show off Yamamoto’s interesting experiments with those Western influences and the strong cinematography and production design throughout. It’s a solid package and for fans of the films a welcome opportunity to be reacquainted with the trilogy. For anyone new to them, for now, at least, you won’t find a better package.

THE BLOODTHIRSTY TRILOGY / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: MICHIO YAMAMOTO / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: KAYO MATSUO, AKIRA NAKAO / RELEASE DATE: MAY 14TH

When you flick through David Cronenberg’s writer and director credits, words like ‘dark’, ‘prophetic’, ‘intelligent’ all spring to mind. As an adapter of other people’s work, he’s made one of the best ever Stephen King adaptations with The Dead Zone (now more relevant than ever) and turned a graphic novel into a modern day classic with The History of Violence. And his own work has produced many brilliant films, justifiably earning him the moniker of genius with Dead Ringers, still arguably his best work.

The word ‘fun’, however, isn’t one easily associated with the man and his movies. His 1999 foray into the world of gaming, eXistenZ, somehow pulls of the incredible trick of being dark, prophetic and intelligent but is more fun than almost anything in his career.

When the new product test event for ultra-cool games designer Allegra Geller (Leigh) is sabotaged, she is forced to go on the run from assassins who think that her virtual reality games, which use a port to plug into your spinal column, have gone too far. Trainee marketer Ted Pikul (Law) becomes her on-the-run companion and would-be protector as the pair try to a) see if the game is damaged by playing the game, b) lose themselves inside different layers of reality and c) try to stay alive.

eXistenZ is a hugely enjoyable SF thriller with a playfulness to its narrative that keeps you well and truly baffled as too where you are. Because the characters shift from game to reality, our sense of what’s ‘real’ becomes complicated and, just when you think you have a handle on things, the game changes…

The cast are great, with Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh making a charismatic pair and the climax, where some of the earlier dodgy performances make sense, is fantastic.

On shiny Blu-ray the film looks wonderful and there are a host of extras, some of which are brand new for this release. Two new commentaries are included to accompany one from Cronenberg from the original release. It’s fascinating to hear him talk about his first use of digital effects and how he thinks that will become the norm in cinema… The ‘making-of’ feature is an old documentary and deals exclusively with the production designer Carol Spier but there are also backstage interviews with the main cast and Cronenberg plus a look at the special effects. Of the new features, an interview with Christopher Eccleston, seemingly in his kitchen, seems like an odd thing but turns out to be a great insight into the world of David Cronenberg.

EXISTENZ / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: DAVID CRONENBERG / STARRING: JUDE LAW, JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, IAN HOLM, WILLEM DAFOE, CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON / RELEASE DATE: MAY 21ST

Jurassic Games you say? Would there by any chance be a new, big-budget franchise dinosaur movie hitting our cinema screens in the next few weeks? An ideal opportunity, then, for studios to dig around at the back of their ‘cheap and cheerful’ cupboard to see if there’s anything vaguely prehistoric they can foist upon a public eager for the latest in the Isla Nublar saga or else too stupid to realise that this similarly-titled knock-off isn’t the real thing.

In fairness, The Jurassic Games isn’t the worst of these wannabes we’ve endured over the years, delivering plenty of dinosaur bang for your buck and some decent action sequences wrapped around a storyline which, a little late to the party, takes its lead from the reality TV show obsession and throws in a dash of Hunger Games YA-style survivalist drama in an attempt to rope in as many demographics as possible. The titular games is a near-future TV series in which convicted death row killers are sent into a prehistoric virtual reality environment and are tasked with fighting to the death – against each other, blood-hungry predators, deadly plants – with the winner being the last man or woman standing. But if they die in the artificial environment, they die in real-life, their bodies terminated by lethal injection out in the real world. Fun for all the family and, we’re told, essential viewing.

This year’s Games promises to be the best yet with rootable hero Anthony Tucker (Adam Hampton), wrongly (it seems) convicted of killing his wife fighting his desperate fellow-competitors as they turn on one another and battle to survive tyrannosaurs, raptors and pterodactyls as well as booby traps and killer bugs. Meanwhile, back in the Games’ mission control, obsequious and unnamed host (Merriman) is milking the show (and its manufactured emotional set-ups) for all it’s worth but there are those who don’t share the audience’s enthusiasm for the grisly spectacle and are working to shut down the show.

There’s a lot going on in The Jurassic Games and by and large, it’s breezy highly watchable stuff. Dinosaur die-hards will be pleased to find that there’s no shortage of their favourite beasties on display and the CGI is generally pretty effective, any shortcomings  attributable to the fact that they’re supposed to be creations of VR technology – which doesn’t stop them chowing down on one two of the unfortunate competitors as the games rage on.  There’s some joyous scenery chewing evident in the acting department, a bit of miscasting (some of the competitors don’t convince as ruthless killers) and as the games themselves seem to occur in real-time, it appears that the Jurassic Games TV series runs only as long as the film itself. This is a surprisingly agreeable effort which you’ll forget as soon as the new Jurassic Park movie hits but it’s a completely harmless and enjoyable way of passing the time until the real big boys show up.

THE JURASSIC GAMES / CERT: TBC /DIRECTOR: RYAN BELLGARDT / SCREENPLAY: RYAN BELLGARDT, GALEN CHRISTY / STARRING: RYAN MERRIMAN, PERRY REEVES, ADAM HAMPTON, KATIE BURGESS, ERIKA DALEY/ RELEASE DATE: MAY 21ST

The prolific Italian director Joe D’Amato liked this 1973 Poe-influenced Gothic horror so much that he attached his actual real name, Aristide Massaccesi, to it upon its release. We fully agree with Joe as this is one of his very best films and thanks to Arrow it can now be enjoyed in this excellent new Blu-ray release.

Set in Austria in the first decade of the 20th century, Death Smiles on a Murderer tells of the beautiful and tragic Greta, a young woman routinely abused by all of the men in her life, including her insane brother, Franz. When Greta dies Franz resurrects her using ancient magic to take revenge on the von Ravensbrück family he believes destroyed her. Greta inserts herself into the lives of Walter and Eva von Ravensbrück and as her power over them intensifies, violence and tragedy will tear the family apart. That’s pretty much it for the plot, because here D’Amato is concerned with mood and atmosphere, and this is where the film excels.

Plenty of films have sought to achieve the feeling of a dream or a nightmare with varying degrees of success. D’Amato absolutely nails that approach here and provides us with the only caveat in recommending this film. To some, his focus on imagery over narrative cohesion might prove patience-testing. But for us this was all part of the joy of Death Smiles on a Murderer. Also working as cinematographer, Joe ignores a relatively low budget and goes all out on making his film often remarkably, hypnotically beautiful. It’s aided and enhanced here by a glorious 2K scan for this release which shows off the costumes, set design, mix of grisly horror and beauty and D’Amato’s direction. The eerie score by Berto Pisano is perfect to match all of this. Ewa Aulin is beguiling as the vengeful Greta and she is supported by some excellent performances including Klaus Kinski in an extended cameo. But the real highlight is Angela Bo who is outstandingly good as Eva, falling apart through sexual desire and jealousy. It’s a great performance and a wonderful film.

Arrow’s release recognises this. In addition to that excellent picture we get a commentary by genre expert Tim Lucas. There’s a six-minute archival interview with D’Amato looking back on his achievement with affection, as well as a 43-minute newly made career retrospective with Aulin. Trailers, galleries and a first pressing collector’s booklet add further value, all capped by critic Kat Ellinger’s marvellous 22-minute video essay on D’Amato’s horror films. It’s the release this classic of Italian genre cinema deserves and comes very highly recommend.

DEATH SMILES ON A MURDERER (1973) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: ARISTIDE MASSACCESI / SCREENPLAY: CLAUDIO BERNABEI, ARISTIDE MASSACCESI, ROMANO SCANDARIATO / STARRING: EWA AULIN, KLAUS KINSKI, ANGELA BO, SERGIO DORIA / RELEASE DATE: MAY 21ST

It’s that time of the year again where we have yet another actioner with Liam ‘Don’t call my agent’ Neeson, and yet again this is another collaboration between him and director Jaume Collet-Serra, this time being their fourth time working together after such delights as Unknown, Non-Stop, and Run All Night. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they become this generation’s DiCaprio and Scorsese. The ‘plot’ involves Neeson as a fired businessman who ends up getting caught up in a criminal conspiracy during his daily commute home. By all coincidences, he’s also a former cop with a particular set of skills and just resorts to punching people up the train carriages until he finds the person he’s blackmailed to finding. Sounds almost similar to Non-Stop, doesn’t it?

Realistically, if you’ve seen Non-Stop or Run All Night, then you know instantly the kind of movie you’re expecting with this, and in all honesty, there is nothing new here that you haven’t a bazillion times before. It starts off with a semi-promising start with decent drama and a puzzling yet intriguing scenario, yet after roughly 25 minutes in, it just resorts to Liam doing exactly what he did in Non-Stop, which is punching and shooting people down the aisles until he finds the culprit. Run All Night too also fell into this trap, which too started off with half-an-hour of semi-character setup before turning into B-movie actioner, and with this film now being the third time in a row to follow this pattern, it does start to come as both repetitive and tired as a result. The other guest actors in this film don’t get much too do and are wasted because of it, like Sam Neill and Patrick Wilson. Even poor Florence Pugh is relegated to a glorified cameo role.

It’s a real shame too considering the fact that Liam Neeson is a charismatic presence who has lent some truly great turns in films like Schindler’s List, Kinsey, and Batman Begins. Hell, even his role as Good Cop/Bad Cop in The LEGO Movie has more development and weight than his role here! So, it just seems that after the surprise sleeper hit of Taken back in 2008 that there was demand for more of the same, which became more and more less significant as those movies went on. The Commuter is by no means a god-awful terrible movie; if you’re bored during a Friday afternoon then there’s some mindless pleasure in giving it a watch and it does its bog-standard running-punching-shooting reasonably well. So in the end, it’s roughly on a par with Run All Night, it’s less fun than Non-Stop and Unknown, but is more entertaining than the Taken sequels, however, just like Roger Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon, you do get the impression of Liam thinking he’s “too old for this shit“.

THE COMMUTER / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JAUME COLLET-SERRA / SCREENPLAY: BRYON WILLINGER, PHILIP DE BLASI, RYAN ENGLE / STARRING: LIAM NEESON, VERA FARMIGA, PATRICK WILSON, JONATHAN BANKS / RELEASE DATE: MAY 21ST

In its early days, Pixar was the studio who could do no wrong, producing a string of classic animations such as Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Up, which set them apart from their competitors. Even their more middling fare such as A Bug’s Life and Cars had a warmth and inventiveness that stood out from the farting ogres and wisecracking animals that other, lesser studios regularly churned out. 

In recent years, though, their reputation has been somewhat tarnished. They’ve alternated between wildly inventive classics like Inside Out with films like the Cars sequels and the likes of The Good Dinosaur – outings that were by no means bad but felt beneath them.

Happily, Coco sits firmly in the first category, easily up there with the studio’s finest. Set around Mexico’s Día de Muertos festival (that’s Day of the Dead for the non-Spanish-speaking), it tells the story of aspiring 12-year-old aspiring musician Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez). His only problem – his family hate music and have banned it from the house after Miguel’s great great grandfather ran out on his wife and daughter (the titular Coco) to pursue his musical dreams.

Idolising the late Ernesto de la Cruz – Mexico’s greatest musician (in the film, at least) – Miguel ignores his family’s wishes and pursues his dream.

So far, so conventional, but things take a twist during the Día de Muertos festival – where the dead visit their families, and the living celebrate their ancestors – which sees Miguel accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead.

And it’s here that Coco – somewhat ironically – really comes to life. The afterlife is beautifully realised as a gorgeous twist on Latin America, with talking skeletons and visual gags aplenty.

Miguel soon meets up with loveable loser Hector (Gael García Bernal), who is on the verge of being forgotten in the land of the living, and therefore disappearing from the afterlife. Along with Miguel’s loveable dog Dante (who surely deserves his own spin-off), they set off on a quest to find de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), and return Miguel to the real world.

If it all sounds a little trite, Coco never feels clichéd; in large part due to the glorious animation, winning characters, catchy songs (from the team behind Frozen) and the Trump-baiting deep exploration of Mexican culture. It’s a rich, vibrant culture rarely seen in mainstream cinema, and – Pixar being Pixar – something that the creative team immersed themselves in (more successfully than their fun but flawed delve into Scottish history with Brave).

It’s also got heart in abundance. Pixar’s ability to make even the most hardened of us cry (the last shot of Monsters Inc. – gets us every time) is again on display, with the company’s ability to make us feel for – let’s be honest – a bunch of pixels unmatched anywhere.

It’s not perfect – a few of the songs aren’t quite what you’d expect, and one major plot twist feels borrowed from Up. But on the whole, Coco is a stunning achievement from the most consistently impressive animation studio in the business. It bodes well for their next feature – the eagerly-awaited Incredibles 2.

The Blu-ray comes with a plethora of extras, including an entertaining commentary with director Lee Unkrich, and a host of fun, entertaining featurettes featuring Pixar’s by now familiar mix of kid-friendly content and a look at their dazzling artistry.

COCO / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: LEE UNKRICH, ADRIAN MOLINA / SCREENPLAY: ADRIAN MOLINA, MATTHEW ALDRICH / STARRING: ANTHONY GONZALEZ, GAEL GARCIA BERNAL, BENJAMIN BRATT, ALANNA UBACH / RELEASE DATE: MAY 21ST

It’s without saying that Masamune Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell is one of the largest and most influential anime of all time, and the franchise has spun off into various manga, movies and TV shows, yet it’s firmly established that each and every one of them is its own entity. Even Shirow himself admitted that, claiming that there is no ‘definitive’ Ghost in the Shell and that each version, despite some similarities, should be seen and viewed as its own unique entity. If we learnt anything from the past 30 years since the franchise started, it’s that each version delivers a different separate, yet unique take on the source material within the franchise. However, despite the original movie reputation as a classic and Shirow’s belief that there isn’t a definitive version out there, the Stand Alone Complex TV show is quite possibly the truest and most fully realised vision of Ghost in the Shell to date.

This show is the full potential of what the franchise has to offer, combining simple episodic stories with grand overarching plotlines, and much like TV’s Westworld, this show is like an intricate puzzle box with each piece being placed out before the major truths reveal themselves towards the end. It dabbles with philosophy and psychology, but like The Wire, it requires at least a basic understanding of politics, economics, and sociology, and all of that plays into the show’s greatest strengths. Another of this show’s major positives is its brilliant use of world-building as its constantly evolving and changing like its central characters, and all of that gets to be explored via different avenues the show takes us through. While the world-building is realised brilliantly, this doesn’t overshadow the excellent characterisation and character development so that they don’t get lost in the world they inhabit. Akin to Mass Effect or Metal Gear Solid, this offers a beautifully realised world while also delving into complex themes, deliver gripping narratives and giving us fleshed out characters that each have their own identity and personality.

All of this came from writer/director Kenji Kamiyama, who is, without question, a genius by taking Shirow’s complex manga and transforming into something much more creative and expansive, which is also helped by the extraordinary animation that is delivered by Production I.G. Everything about the animation, from the lush backgrounds to the well-choreographed action sequences to even the slightest of emotions displayed on the character’s faces is far and beyond anything yet seen in an anime on this scale, plus the music by Yoko Kanno is out of this world. However, it is well-rounded characters that ultimately takes the spotlight, and every character here certainly makes a huge impact, whether it’s our main protagonists in Major Motoko Kusanagi and Batou or its central villains like Hideo Kuze and Kazundo Goda. While the original movie was groundbreaking, its characters didn’t really have that much humanity or personalities for us to be invested in them, yet this show delivers that and actually provides moments of levity to make the heightened events all the more real and grounded. Most of those light moments come courtesy of the think-tanks known as the Tachikomas, and these adorable machines are a welcome presence while also probably being the most interesting, complex and effective characters in the entire show.

This entire Blu-ray collection contains the original two seasons (totalling at 52 episodes), the two condensed movie versions of those seasons, and the ‘finale’ movie Solid State Society, and this last chapter of the Stand Alone Complex saga is an admirable effort if ultimately anticlimactic by the end. Ultimately though, Stand Alone Complex is one of the greatest anime to have ever been released and is the true Ghost in the Shell to this day. Everything on display here is top-quality, whether it’s the gorgeous animation, the superb score and sound design, its strongly-authored narratives, the iconic characters or the brilliant voice cast (the English dub is top quality and includes the excellent Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Richard Epcar). Recent efforts like the Arise series and the live-action movie tried to capture the magic of this series, yet they failed to understand the true passion and ingenuity that went into this show and that was all down to combined efforts of Kenji Kamiyama and Production I.G. There have been anime that have been celebrated for their innovative creativity and this series is no exception; Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is an engrossing piece of genre fiction and further proof that mature anime like this can be a true writer’s medium.

GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX – COMPLETE SERIES COLLECTION / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: SHIRÔ SAITÔ, MARY ELIZABETH MCGLYNN, WILLIAM KNIGHT / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

All four Pokémon movies set during the Diamond and Pearl era of the show are finally collected in one box set. Unusually for a Pokémon movie (at least at the time they were released) the first three movies in this box set form a trilogy of sorts, with the plot of The Rise of Darkrai directly affecting the plots of Giratina and the Sky Warrior, and Arceus and the Jewel of Life.

Having an interconnected plot between the three movies hurts and helps them in equal measure. The second and third movies in the collection use the first in their set up, being able to explain why certain Pokémon act the way they do without much set up because the first movie has already done the legwork in that regard. Unfortunately, it also leaves The Rise of Darkrai feeling a little hollow in that regard. It takes most of its runtime to even get properly going, and it doesn’t offer much that can’t be found in other Pokémon movies. This is a criticism that is also true of, and Zoroark – The Master of Illusions. In both these movies, there is a cute Pokémon and an almost or entirely irredeemable bad guy who wants to exploit said cute Pokémon for their own selfish ends. Neither of these two movies offers anything new to add variety to this formula, and while they aren’t outright bad they don’t stand out among the series.

The exception in terms of quality is Arceus and the Jewel of Life. The plot moves at a good pace, the villain is one of the more sympathetic villains of the series, and the movie even does a couple of interesting things with time travel. There are two scenes set in the same room across different time periods with each time period directly affecting how the occupants interact with that room. It shows actual consideration of the implications of the set up rather than using it to handwave plot holes. Most importantly, Arceus and the Jewels of Life is a prime example of the very real emotional drama that can be present in Pokémon when it isn’t just about people being mean to Pokémon because they are evil.

There are some good elements to Pokémon Movie: Diamond and Pearl Collection and the third movie in the set is even a solid addition to the series. As a whole however this box set represents something of a rut for the franchise. Most of the meat of the movies included are either undeveloped or repeating patterns that were being used as far back as Pokémon 4Ever. Skip this release unless you already know you want to watch it.

POKÉMON MOVIE: DIAMOND AND PEARL COLLECTION / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: KUNIHIKO YUYAMA / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: SARAH NATOCHENNY, EMILY BAUER, BILL ROGERS, IKUE OTANI MICHELLE KNOTZ / RELEASE DATE: MAY 21ST

With a reputation in horror circles, it’s taken a while for Baskin to really make itself known on the UK shores. A Turkish production fitting firmly in the European horror genre, Can Evrenol expands his short film of the same name.

Called to an emergency, a police squad head towards a run-down apartment block littered with rumour and hushed stories. Inside they’re pulled in to horror as they become embroiled in a satanic mass with hell waiting for them.

Baskin is a visceral film. It’s got blood under its chipped fingernails and you can almost feel the moist, suffocating heat and the stink of corrupted air that permeates every frame. It often has the distressing feeling of a fevered nightmare, bolstered by the Giallo style neon reds and blues that drench the screen. So it’s telling that it starts with a nightmare, the disturbed recollections of a child remembering a moment that should have been a fond reconciliation, but instead turned out to be a terrifying moment. The film continues this fractured dream state in its form, flipping from tense moments late at night in a roadside restaurant before the team get the emergency call and their descent into the depths of depravity at the apartment block.

Baskin always leaves you a little unsettled, like something is off in this world, from the piles of frogs that start appearing, to the break of hysteria triggered by something seen off-screen by one of the characters. Into this world are our group of lawmen who don’t seem to abide by the law themselves, and though they have strong group interaction you don’t care for any of them enough to be anything more than disgusted by their fate. The film has quite a strong visual style but remains lacking in character and a strong plot.

But when Baskin feels like it’s building toward something – that you’re stuck in its grasp as it pulls you under, towards a place that you dread seeing but know you wouldn’t be able to look away from, a viscous landscape of atrocity in hell – it seems to lose its bottle. The plot and danger wrap itself up with convenience robbing us from the further horror you thought were in store.

Building up a steady and oppressive atmosphere, with grubby and disturbing sights, it does lose its edge towards the end, backing out when it should push itself over the cliff. There’s still much to be interested in but it can’t help but leave a feeling of disappointment.

BASKIN / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: CAN EVRENOL / SCREENPLAY: OGULCAN EREN AKAY, CAN EVRENOL, ERCIN SADIKOGLU, CEM ÖZÜDURU / STARRING: MEHMET CERRAHOGLU, GÖRKEM KASAL, ERGUN KUYUCU, MUHARREM BAYRAK / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW