Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

In This Corner of The World is set against the backdrop of Japan during World War Two. At the start of the movie main character, Suzu moves to a naval port city after getting married suddenly. Suzu’s trials and tribulations throughout the movie are a reflection of what life was like for women living in Japan at the time. Food is rationed, so when Suzu loses sugar she is told to go to the black market. At one point in the movie, Suzu gets in trouble with military police for making an innocent drawing of the port. In the climate of the time, this action was enough to raise suspicions that she could be a spy.

These two scenes both highlight different sides of what it was like to live under the conditions of World War Two. Suzu and the rest of the cast have little choice but to do what they can to survive under the circumstances. This theme acts as a thread that connects the various scenes of the movie together and makes it feel a completed whole rather than a collection of anecdotes.

In This Corner the World is adept at portraying the circumstances surrounding its chosen era because of its tone. Most of the movie is quiet and contemplative. Each of the scenes gives the characters room to breathe. In doing so this film allows the viewer to see the full experience of what each moment means to the movie’s characters.

The characters are something of a mixed bag. They exist as a medium for the experiences of their time and place, and some of them are more complex than others. Suzu is the most complex. She benefits from a character arc, a brief love interest, and small defining character details. The other characters mainly exist to react to her. Individually only a few of the cast stand out, though they do work well as a whole.

The tone of the movie’s narrative is always supported by the movie’s art style. The colours are bright for the happier scenes and subdued for the sadder moments. The art style works equally well with both moods and the transition from one to another is seamless.

There aren’t any special features to accompany the movie, but this release does come with both Japanese and English language options.

This is a touching look at the daily grind of a family living during a time of war. It handles the subject with the appropriate level of sensitivity. It succeeds through a tight focus, and a mature handling of its subject matter.

IN THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD / CERT: PG / DIRECTORS: VARIOUS / SCREENWRITER: VARIOUS / STARRING: LAURA POST, TODD HABERKORN, BARBARA GOODSON, KIRK THORNTON, KIRA BUCKLAND, AVA PICKARD / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

With a name like Dawning of the Dead, you should know to expect something derivative and uninspired. The title, switched from the more generic Apocalypse prior to release, presumably amounts to an acknowledgement that its only chance at making money is by piggy-backing on George A. Romero’s similarly titled masterpiece.

Writer/director Tony Jopia’s fourth feature feels like a student production. The instinct is to go easy on something clearly so low-budget, but it frequently hints at money that, perhaps, could have been put to better use elsewhere. One wonders if the elaborate stunt-driving scene could have been cut in favour of hiring a competent actor or two. Many of the performances in the film have the feel of a decent actor being badly directed, but some of them are straight-up Tommy Wiseau.

To be fair, it’s not as if the cast are given anything to work with. Dialogue is copied and pasted from better films (e.g. news reports about “removal of the head or destruction of the brain”) and occasional gags in the third act fall flat whilst upsetting the otherwise sombre tone.

The film seems to have been built around the idea of “zombie movie in a newsroom”, which is great on paper. Sadly, after the first 15 minutes, this promising concept is largely forgotten, giving way to a trite subplot following a pair of men in black.

Even the editing is noticeably choppy. At one point, the film features an outright cutting error where a shot is immediately followed by an out-of-sync alternate take. How this managed to go to print is unfathomable.

In its defence, the movie does a remarkably good job at conveying a sense of scale given its humble resources. It’s frequently peppered with images of zombie carnage from recognisable places around the globe – all shot, on location, by various 2nd unit departments. It also does well to avoid falling into the micro-budget zombie-movie trap of only having three or four zombie extras to work with. The streets are frequently lined with the undead, and that those streets range from England to San Fransisco to Tel Aviv is pretty cool.

The zombies are, generally, handled very well. A lot more care seems to have gone into the performances of the extras than any of the actors portraying human beings. The gore special-effects are also (relatively speaking and some CGI blood aside) not bad at all. Additionally, the film’s colour-grade is fantastic, taking what would otherwise be very cheap-looking footage and turning it into something far more appealing.

If, somehow, you’re desperate for new zombie content, then it is possible to do worse than Dawning of the Dead… just. Otherwise, avoid like the zombie plague.

DAWNING OF THE DEAD / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: TONY JOPIA, NIKA BRAUN / SCREENPLAY:  STUART BEDFORD, TONY JOPIA,  / STARRING: HONEY HOLMES, LEO GREGORY, PIXIE LE KNOT / RELEASE DATE: VOD OUT NOW

Alongside the two other releases in the October 2017 slate of Studio Canal’s Hammer celebration on Blu-ray, Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb another welcome addition to the collection of classic British Horrors. The producers of the recent Tom Cruise reboot of The Mummy might do well to learn a thing or two from this cheap production that probably cost the equivalent of the food budget for the hundreds of technicians, but which tells the story in a far more effective way, and at a fraction of the cost.

Bond girl Valerie Leon plays dual roles of modern girl Margaret and evil Egyptian Queen Tera, whose remains have been transported back to the London home of her father, Professor Julian Fuchs (Andrew Kier, Professor Quatermass in Quatermass and the Pit) after an expedition he led in Egypt discovered Tera’s tomb.

The day before her birthday, Julian presents Margaret with a mysterious ruby ring which contains a representation of the Plough constellation which she is instructed to wear at all times. However, a curse and Tera are about to emerge and the dark and deadly power is about to get a second lease of life centuries after her previous demise…

Probably not as blood-soaked as other Hammer offerings of the time, Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb still provides a solid and satisfying addition to the Mummy series of films, be it the Universal classic of yesteryear or the Raiders-style blockbusters starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Simple production values and some neat little physical effects add to the impact. Leon is very good in the dual role and Keir was solid in the sort of role he made his own in films like the Quatermass series.

It’s not as scary today, and looks relatively tame compared to the still-bloody offerings from the era like Scars of Dracula and Demons of the Mind, but fans will still have an affection for this film and an appreciation of what Hammer was aiming to achieve overall.

Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, like William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, is a film that was plagued by troubled production issues. Peter Cushing was originally cast in the Andrew Keir role, but left after one day when his wife was diagnosed with emphysema. Tragically, director Seth Holt died one week before filming was to be completed of a heart attack, with directorial duties completed by Michael Carreras.

It is little facts of trivia like these that will help give Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb a new platform for people to discover. It’s a darkly fun yarn – and another proud example of what can be achieved on a limited budget with talent.

BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY’S TOMB / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: SETH HOLT, MICHAEL CARRERAS (UNCREDITED) / SCREENPLAY: CHRISTOPHER WICKING / STARRING: ANDREW KEIR, VALERIA LEON, JAMES VILLIERS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Another of the Anniversary re-masters from Studio Canal commemorating Hammer’s 1957 colour debut, The Curse of Frankenstein, the 1972 release Demons of the Mind is a contrasting affair compared to some of the more Gothic offerings, although set in a similar period to the Cushing and Lee classics.

The recently-deceased Robert Hardy plays Baron Zorn, a widower who is determined to keep his two children, Emil (Shane Briant) and Elizabeth (Gillian Hills) locked up and under sedation in light of his ongoing fear of them losing their sanity in a similar fashion to his dead wife. Meanwhile, in a locality of 19^th Century Bavaria, a mad priest (Michael Hordern) and others are gathering. Events are going to also heighten with the arrival of Professor Falkenberg (Patrick Magee) who may hold the key to curing the children of their problems…

Whilst it may not have been as high-profile as other Hammer releases from the time, Demons of the Mind does represent a change in tone, if not a change in genre, for the brand. It’s an intriguing film dealing with the effect of conditioning and medical malpractice on two seemingly healthy and intelligent youths. Patrick Magee certainly had much to be proud of around the time of the original release, as he was also prolific thanks to his key role of Mr Alexander in Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1971 work A Clockwork Orange.

It is certainly a great opportunity to view the film now and in the context of the advancement of medicine and science, it is one that will have much cross-over appeal, not just to fans of Hammer, but also medically-minded cineastes. There are two strengths to the film, with the period setting rendering the concept timeless and it has a tendency to play well alongside some of the more contemporary David Cronenberg offerings like Rabid and Dead Ringers, where sinister ideals and beliefs temper the desire to survive in a strange world.

If you remember Robert Hardy from the likes of All Creatures Great and Small, he is barely recognisable in the lead role as Zorn, but still gives a stirring performance. Another revelation to contemporary fans here in the supporting cast is the late Robert Brown, who took over the mantle of M in many of the later James Bond films which starred the late Sir Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton amongst others. Here he plays a rather rowdy farmer having his wicked way with a local female and is another of the wonderful heritage that Hammer gave classic British actors in their production slate.

Demons of the Mind is a welcome contribution to the series of films and deserving of a new Blu-ray release.

DEMONS OF THE MIND (1972) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: PETER SYKES / SCREENPLAY: CHRISTOPHER WICKING / STARRING: ROBERT HARDY, SHANE BRIANT, GILLIAN HILLS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

In 1981, Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat helped usher in a resurgence of interest in film noir. Laden with genre homages, including John Barry’s atmospheric score, sizzling on-screen chemistry between William Hurt and Kathleen Turner hotter than the heatwave that provides a heady backdrop, and with barely hidden plot twists, it is a film that compares favourably with classic noirs such as Double Indemnity.

With the cinematic beats of film noir so familiar, Kasdan makes little effort trying to disguise the plot, instead revelling in the depth and intrigue those beats provide. From the moment Turner – in her debut film role – breathily appears in a haze of cigarette smoke and soft focus, you know where things are headed; she might as well have stood provocatively beneath a bright pink neon sign screaming “femme fatale”. Hurt’s horny, knowingly seedy lawyer barely pauses to wipe his permanently sweaty brow before embarking upon a steamy affair with the married Turner, and the repercussions are as predictable as they are engaging.

And yet that predictability doesn’t lessen Body Heat’s impact. Film noir is renowned for style and murder – this isn’t the genre of complicated plotting and surprise-laden twists and turns. You come to the genre to be absorbed in the future-less nature of the relationships, to luxuriate in the lack of moral, principled characters and to drift away on a wave of smoke and bourbon. Kasdan knows his responsibilities and provides his audience with everything they would expect and more.

Accompanying the film are a selection of documentaries and footage from filming, but while interesting to a point, lack the style of the film itself and are rendered somewhat bland by comparison. The interviews are largely standard and provide little extra to what you may already know about the cast.

That said, if Body Heat is a film missing from your collection, then this is a good time to invest in a strikingly beautiful version. Despite being filmed in a cold snap, the heat the film generates will keep you warm on the chilly nights ahead. There has, and will rarely be, such a compatibly incompatible couple as Hurt and Turner, and as the film that turned the latter into an instant sex symbol and in-demand star, Body Heat carries a certain cinematic relevance.

BODY HEAT / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: LAWRENCE KASDAN / SCREENPLAY: LAWRENCE KASDAN / STARRING: WILLIAM HURT, KATHLEEN TURNER, RICHARD CRENNA / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (HMV EXCLUSIVE)

The Czech historical drama Witchhammer was released not too long after Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General and could be compared to it in some ways. Both are about the panic that overtakes society when the hysteria of witchcraft accusations begins to pit neighbour against neighbour. Of course, both are about other things too, from commentaries on violence to, in the case of Witchhammer, a blunt allegorical fable on Communism and the total moral corruption of the desire for power.

A closer cinematic relation is Ken Russel’s The Devils but, if possible, this film is even bleaker than that masterpiece. When an old woman foolishly tries to steal a communion wafer from church, events spiral out into an investigation that will find almost everyone in an area of a couple of towns in Moravia accused of conspiring with the devil. It ultimately pits two men against each other, Lautner (Romančík), a flawed man of God, and the monstrous inquisitor Boblig (Šmeral). The film tracks the historically accurate events of the trials as, one after another, innocent women (and men) ‘confess’ to witchcraft after brutal torture.

Although this doesn’t spare on depictions of violence and nudity, there’s no element of exploitation here. It’s instead serious-minded stuff with a clear point to make about political oppression and violence against women, and it’s nearly impossible not to become angry at the rampant hypocrisy taking place, not least because it’s something we have done time and again as people, seemingly refusing to learn the lessons of history. Performances are excellent from all involved, with Romančík an outstanding, compelling lead clinging hopelessly to faith that devastatingly dwindles as he finds himself at the centre of a vendetta by Boblig. And as the vain, venal, power-hungry Boblig, Šmeral is fearsomely good, giving us probably one of cinema’s most wicked, immoral villains ever.

Otakar Vávra, who directed and co-wrote the film with Ester Krumbachová, presents us with a measured, coldly matter-of-fact film that still manages many moments of mournful visual poetry. The cinematography by Josef Illík is remarkable, and the production design here is excellent. The black and white print on this Second Run Blu-ray is generally in good shape, and despite some damage here and there, it’s a more than acceptable presentation of the film. As for extras, you get a 22-minute visual essay by critic Kat Ellinger that provides historical and cultural context. You also get a valuable booklet with writing on the film by Samm Deighan, and The Light Penetrates the Dark, an experimental 1931 short by Vávra.

It’s subversive, haunting, horribly compelling stuff, and that comparison with The Devils is one Witchhammer can well withstand.

WITCHHAMMER / CERT: TBD / DIRECTOR: OTAKAR VAVRA / SCREENPLAY: VACLAV KAPLICKY, OTAKAR VAVRA / STARRING: VLADIMÍR SMERAL, ELO ROMANCIK, JOSEF KEMR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Notable for being Brigitte Bardot’s first major movie role – and notorious for being the shoot whereat that famous photo of her naked on the beach was taken (she’s not quite so naked in the film itself) – Willy Rozier’s film is a dreary production with a script and performances that most school plays would put to shame. Nevertheless, it does possess a weird kind of otherworldly charm, almost in spite of itself.

Gérard (Calvé, like a waxwork double of Guy Pearce) is a 25-year-old student who realises the myth he’s currently studying, concerning sunken treasure off the coast of Tangiers, matches a small find he made on holiday some five years previously, rather too closely to ignore. He then spends the entire first half of the film securing passage back to Tangiers, before finally rocking back up at the lighthouse where he had previously been friends to the 13-year-old Manina – now a buxom Bardot wearing a bathing costume at least two sizes too small.

If you’ve got this far, you can guess how the latter 45 minutes plays out, doing so without bothering to attempt a single surprise along the way. There’s a brief hunt for the loot, involving some relatively nice underwater photography, and an even briefer romance that goes from “Remember me?” to “Let’s spend our lives together” faster than you can get a Peloponnesian penny out of your pocket. The highlight of the film is the “erotic” sequence during which a waterborne Bardot follows Calvé’s trail of air bubbles around the sea as they break upon its surface. It’s trite and embarrassing, and about as sexy as steaming cabbages.

Most of the photography is pretty pedestrian too, failing to show off the admittedly beautiful locations to anything like their fullest extent, and while this new restoration has returned a crispness to the picture, the budget sadly doesn’t appear to have stretched as far as removing any of the blemishes on the print. Some of the reel changes are in shockingly bad repair, for maybe hundreds of frames on either side.

The extra features are just as bizarre, including as they do an entire bonus film (albeit in standard def) – the equally bland courtroom sexual politicker 56, Rue Pigalle – and a short about a sword fighting duel fought between Rozier and the film critic François Chalais (is it too late to place some money on our fellow critic?), plus a twenty-minute photo gallery comprising around a dozen photos in repeated rotation.

Bardot, of course, is the main attraction, and when she finally appears she certainly holds the attention far more than the tame bar brawl, the laboured comedy lecture or anything else about this dim-witted, bizarrely unadventurous fairy tale.

 

Extras: 58 Rue Pigalle (feature) / the Rozier-Challais Duel / Photo gallery

MANINA, THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER’S DAUGHTER (aka THE GIRL IN THE BIKINI) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: WILLY ROZIER / SCREENPLAY: WILLY ROZIER / STARRING: JEAN-FRANÇOIS CALVÉ, BRIGITTE BARDOT, HOWARD VERNON / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 13TH

Peter Sellers was, and still is, regarded as an icon of comedy; Seeding the Goons style of comedy with the likes of Spike Milligan that would, in turn, help to birth the mighty Python.

Perhaps best known for the ‘Pink Panther’ films, Sellers’ work includes the seminal Kubrick classic Dr Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. Alongside this we can count Chance, a gardener with learning difficulties in Being There, and Casino Royale’s ‘sort of Bond’ in the diverse list of roles Sellers played. Add to this the bile inducing paedophile (though never clearly labelled as such), Claire Quilty, in another Kubrick masterwork Lolita, and we can clearly see the man could act. Whilst perhaps not in Starburst’s wheelhouse, Lolita is absolutely worth your time.

It is unfortunate that The Peter Sellers Collection, from Fabulous films, feature none of the above titles, nor Sellers on anything close to form. It should be noted that during the late sixties and early seventies, the period during which the collected four films were made, Sellers was battling with depression and a drink and drug addiction. This shows in scenes across all four films, often the erratic performances seem tainted by whatever Sellers was going through at the time and, when the films are firmly in the mould of seventies slapstick farce, some of his performances leave the sour taste of a man going through the motions.

The Magic Christian is unfortunately weighed down by the one thing that brings in the punters – Ringo Starr. After his scene stealing turn as a heightened version of himself in A Hard Day’s Night, Starr struggles to fill the screen and as such it falls to Sellers to carry him throughout the film. The pair play practical jokes on their unsuspecting friends and the film degenerates into a game of spot-the-cameo.

‘Ghost in the Noonday Sun follows in the slapstick tradition of Monty Python and Benny Hill.’ So states the blurb on the film’s cover. Monty Python has stayed in the hearts and minds of many a fan and continues to garner a new audience. Benny Hill is slowly, blissfully, being consigned to the annals of time. Guess which of the two Ghost in the Noonday Sun is more like?

A reteaming of Sellers with his ol’mucker Milligan brings the funnies back with The Great McGonall. One would be entirely forgiven for expecting John Cleese to turn up behind his desk in between what is essentially a sketch show. Peter Sellers is no Terry Jones when it comes to donning a dress.

The Prisoner of Zenda shows Sellers in both his guises as serious actor and comedian, and still not hitting the heady heights he had achieved before, on either count. Doctor Who did it better with The Androids of Tara.

One for the aficionados who probably already own them, the films in this collection are the sort of thing you flick past showing as a Saturday afternoon matinee on BBC2 when there is bugger all else on. Give them a go; they may be your thing.

 THE PETER SELLERS COLLECTION / DIRECTOR: VARIOUS / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: PETER SELLERS / RELEASE DATE:  OUT NOW

Eureka Entertainment’s new Blu-ray release of the 2015 South Korean period drama, The Tiger: An Old Hunter’s Tale is recommended viewing to those of you who were gripped by the Oscar-winning The Revenant, in a truly epic tale of man vs nature at a time of significant change in the South-East Asian country.

Renowned hunter Man-duk (Choi Min-Sik, who appeared in the original version of Old Boy) has hung up his rifle and picks herbs amongst the cherished mountains he lives in with his son Seok (Sung You-bin). It’s a tranquil, if challenging, experience and he is recovering from the stress of a family tragedy years earlier. However, his existence is about to be compounded and compromised by the on-going presence of a 400ft tiger that roams the mountain forest and range and known to the locals as ‘The Mountain Lord’.

His fellow men appreciate and respect his privacy, but the stakes involving the killing of a tiger mean profit and hunger relief, something not lost on his son, who has a hunter’s heart and a desire to go after the ultimate prize. An ongoing conflict between the local Koreans and the arrival of Japanese soldiers, themselves interested in the mysterious animal inhabitant of the area for their own material gain, also makes Man-duk question his place in the world – and whether or not he has the desire to pick up that weapon for one last hunt…

Although at times the film overreaches its intention (it is about twenty minutes too long), it has to be commended for not being another martial arts or horror yarn with extreme violence, a staple of the territory. The classification rating will certainly deny younger viewers a chance to experience and enjoy an admittedly mildly gory adventure movie, which has echoes of the Oscar-winning Dances with Wolves, as there is some virtue and morality in the characters here, and there is sufficient spectacle throughout (the action sequences are excitingly staged, reminding one of the likes of Cliffhanger, First Blood and Southern Comfort in tone).

The CGI-rendered tiger is a masterstroke and the experts have scored highly as well with this, helping to reaffirm the potential of storytelling through visual effects. The director wisely keeps visual sightings of the tiger to a minimum and relies more on the human element in the story, the conflict of whether these hunters and soldiers should pursue their goal of stopping the animal for fortune or glory.

It’s a pity that this particular Blu-ray release doesn’t come with any major special features about how the film was produced, limited to a couple of trailers. Still, perhaps that is a blessing in disguise, as it will help the viewer concentrate on a purely cinematic experience and reflect on what the film represents as a complete work.

THE TIGER – AN OLD HUNTER’S TALE / CERT: / DIRECTOR: HOO-JUNG PARK / SCREENPLAY: HOO-JUNG PARK / STARRING: MIN-SIK CHOI, MAN-SIK  JEONG, HONG-PA KIM / RELEASE DATE:  OUT NOW

“Vampires with machine guns … what’s not to love?” runs the strap-line for Eat Locals, a line from the script; in the film, its garbled delivery is almost unintelligible. And that’s symptomatic of the entire project. There’s plenty of decent talent both behind and in front of the cameras, most of them doing good work. Unfortunately, there’s a lack of focus that mainly stems from the writing – which probably looked great on paper – that leaves Eat Locals so far adrift tonally, it’s hard to be certain what it really wants to be or say.

Actually, what it wants to be is patently obvious. This is Jason Flemyng’s directing debut – notably his father supervised the 1960s Dalek films – and it’s clear he’s aiming to emulate Edgar Wright, with a hint of Joe Cornish. The languorous long takes interspersed with quick bouts of idiosyncratic kinetics, the left-field musical choices, the distinctive compositions; all are present and correct, such that Eat Locals manages that graphic novel feel so sought after among emerging British film-makers. But the comedy and characterisation are so sorely absent, it’s impossible to engage with what’s happening on screen.

Newcomer Billy Cook is Sebastian, invited to unwittingly join a council of vampires on their five-yearly meet-up on the very night the Vatican has sent its military division to seek the bloodsuckers out. Essentially what we get, therefore, is an all-night siege with the bickering undead hiding out in an isolated farmhouse while the poorly prepared soldiers work out what to do about them. Shades of Dog Soldiers, of course, especially in the substitution of humour and ostensible action in place of horror.

But what Danny King’s script provides is simply a series of situations included because they presumably felt either cool or interesting, rather than because the characters would have prompted their happening. Thus the actors, who are certainly game enough to try and make things work, end up behaving without any rationality, and rather than promoting a tension about what’s going to happen next, Eat Locals instead begs the response “WTF’s going to happen now?”

It has its moments, certainly. Any one of its scenes might have made a worthwhile basis for another film coherent to what’s occurring therein. But jumbled together like this, Eat Locals isn’t funny, it’s not exciting, has no scares, and very little of it manages to stick long enough to live on in the mind. It’s not exactly tedious, it just lacks the consistency necessary to matter, to make the viewer care.

There is enough ability here for sure to make this worth a look. But somewhere between page and screen, whatever it was that attracted all that talent has evaporated into the night.

Extras: Making of, cast interviews, Danny King interview

EAT LOCALS / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JASON FLEMYNG / SCREENPLAY: DANNY KING / STARRING: BILLY COOK, ANNETTE CROSBIE, VINCENT REGAN, TONY CURRAN, EVE MYLES, FREEMA AGYEMAN, MACKENZIE CROOK, CHARLIE COX, DEXTER FLETCHER, RUTH JONES, JOHNNY PALMIERO, LUKAZ LEONG / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW