Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

If a year is a long time in politics (Harold Wilson, circa 1964), then it can also be a hell of a long time in the world of television. Debuting in July 2015 Channel 4’s Humans, based on the Swedish drama Real Humans, was a surprise hit with a notoriously fantasy-shy British audience, its first episode alone pulling in nearly seven million viewers and quickly establishing the show as the channel’s highest-rating new drama in well over a decade. Sadly the second season fared considerably less well, losing two-thirds of its first-run audience; part of this audience drift can be attributed to the fact that the second season was scheduled in the much more competitive winter season where it was pitted against louder, shoutier reality shows and popular swashbuckling costume dramas. How can a show like Humans compete with the appeal of watching someone from The Only Way is Essex eating a kangaroo’s back passage live or the prospect of the bloke off Poldark taking his shirt off? Again. Phoaaarrrr…

But perhaps the real problem lay in the fact that where season one had been ‘science-fiction by stealth’ – the largely-domestic story of super lifelike synthetic ’humans’ integrating into an uneasy human society – season two was pretty much out-and-out sci-fi with its head held high and, as we’ve seen demonstrated again and again in recent years, the British viewing public aren’t much given to embracing TV with a bit more imagination on display than the average Police procedural. Besides all this, of course the killer blow even for genre fans has probably been HBO’s wonderful Westworld, a sleek and monstrously-budgeted show which took the idea of artificial life and took to the sky with it when Humans, for all its strengths, was still taxiing around the runway.

 

The show’s rapid fall from grace is a disappointment though because this second run is bigger, bolder and broader than the tentative first season. These eight episodes are bristling with busy storylines, many of them picking up where the first season left off and with a few new characters and strands easing the show into higher concept directions. So we have the Hawkins family moving home and trying for a ‘fresh start’ after an unfortunate moment of human weakness for Dad Joe (Goodman-Hill), synth Mia/Anita (Chan), now working at a seaside café and becoming romantically involved with her employer whilst part-synth Leo (Morgan) is still on the run and trying to make contact with synths who are showing increasing evidence of humanity and independence. Season two sees synth Niska (Berrington) release the ‘consciousness’ programme into the network which slowly spreads across the synth community, awakening psychopathic tendencies in Hester (Sonya Cassidy). Niska, determined to prove that she is human, returns to the UK and tries to persuade the authorities that she is a thinking being and capable of being tried ‘as a human’ for her crimes in the first season. Then there’s the ice-cool Dr Athena Morrow (Moss), a San Francisco-based scientist brought over to the UK ostensibly to ‘uninvent’ synth technology – but even she has her own secret agenda.

 

It’s a rich stew of intriguing, intelligent storytelling and whilst it asks a lot from its audience it repays the attention demanded of it ten times over. Well-plotted and thoughtful and sympathetically-performed by its sprawling cast, the show suffers a little from its slow pace (although that wasn’t a huge problem for Westworld), and a surfeit of stories which means that sometimes characters are shunted aside in the haste to move on to the next plot development. But season two is infinitely denser stuff than the first series, a tougher ’ask’ for an audience who just bought into the idea of sexy robot servants in the first series and who perhaps weren’t quite ready to accept the deeper philosophical urgencies and troublesome ethical questions thrown up by the second series.

 

Despite its ratings crash Humans still deserves a third season, if only to wrap up those plot threads left dangling and to resolve a superb, subtle cliff-hanger which finally sees the synth ‘revolution’ begin as the consciousness virus finally appears to be kicking in across the country and, indeed, the world. It might not be quite ‘the rise of the machines’ but this is one series which really does not deserve termination just yet.

 

Special features: Making Humans 200 / Niska’s escape: behind the scenes

 

HUMANS – SEASON TWO / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: VARIOUS / WRITERS: VARIOUS / STARRING: GEMMA CHAN, COLIN MORGAN, KATHERINE PARKINSON, TOM GOODMAN-HILL, CARRIE-ANNE MOSS, EMILY BERRINGTON, NEIL MASKELL, RUTH BRADLEY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

For Takashi Miike fans, Arrow’s release of his Black Society Trilogy will be a welcome addition to a relatively small Miike Blu-Ray shelf. There’s a spectrum of low-budget straight-to-video releases and TV movies which have never seen a release in the West, even with his global status as a horror icon. The trilogy consists of Shinjuki Triad Society (1995), Rainy Dog (1997) and Ley Lines (1999), three films which share no characters, instead addressing rootlessness, racism and criminality in Japan.

Shinjuki Triad Society is one of Miike’s most important films and his first made specifically for theatrical release. Not surprisingly, it’s much better than most of his earlier work, fusing gorgeous visuals with great editing and a bit of Miike’s distinct nastiness. Between corrupt Yakuza cop Kiriya (Kippei Shina) and deranged sadist Wang (Miike’s regular Tomorowo Taguchi) there’s plenty of shocking moments and some superb shootouts. It’s a gangster film with a real Gonzo approach to the Tokyo underground and its many shady inhabitants which, in a way, makes Miike feel like a stylistic cousin to Abel Ferrara.

Rainy Dog is the odd one of the three. Rather than being about groups of Chinese and Japanese men who hide their true Nationality, it follows a Japanese hitman marooned in Taipei. Unlike Shinjuki Triad Society it never feels totally like a thriller, instead embracing Noir imagery and a Western-themed soundtrack for an oddball drama about a hitman and his young son. You could view Rainy Dog as a reply to Leon: The Professional. As bombastic as that might sound, Rainy Dog is a surprisingly restrained film about an unlikely family trying to survive gang revenge in a rainy sleazy town.

Ley Lines continues Miike’s discourse on criminality and youth, this time playing out like a Japanese Trainspotting (1996). Miike focuses on a young man (Kazuki Kitamura- Killers) and his friends, who face discrimination for their Chinese lineage and turn to crime. It’s perhaps Miike’s most politically charged film, looking at a generation neither accepted into Japanese society, or drawn to the culture of their parents. It’s an angry film full of tragedy, but it also has time to laugh.

As a trilogy these films are perhaps more interesting as a three-part transition in Miike’s career. From his early straight-to-video days, right up to his breaching of the international audience via Audition, the Black Society Trilogy follows Miike’s expansion of subject matter and visual prowess.

BLACK SOCIETY TRILOGY / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: TAKASHI MIIKE / SCREENPLAY: ICHIRÔ FUJITA, SEIGO INOUE, ICHIRO RYU / STARRING: KIPPEI SHIINA, TOMOROWO TAGUCHI, TETSUYA IKEDA, SHOW AIKAWA / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Trailer compilations are an odd sort of sub-genre. For most viewers, they exist in a trashy sort of TV world. Many of us grew up with clip shows, which promise great things but give the viewer very little insight. Worse still are the late night TV shows that poke fun at a beloved genre of movies.

Fists of Fury, however, is a better example of the form. It is essentially one extended clip show filled with trailers from martial arts movies, it’s all held together by our host, Cynthia Rothrock. The former action movie star is a fairly fun presenter and each section of the show has its own skit. These are all painfully unfunny, yet somehow still entertaining.

Fists of Fury breaks down into sections. These include Femme Fatales. Mostly 70’s and 80’s trailers, including the likes of Deadly China Doll, Above the Law and Sister Street Fighter. There’s even some Cynthia Rothrock movies in there, which are presented without irony.

Predictably, Bruce Lee gets his own section and the trailers are filled with a bus-load of Enter The Dragon Knock Offs. In addition to the likes of Taiwan’s own Bruce Li, we also get some great appearances from genuine fans of Lee’s work. It does feel like the movie makers of the 70’s only ever saw the master pull off one move, but never mind. The trailers are worth it for the nostalgia alone.

Next up is an entire section on martial arts weapons, the sillier and more impossible the better. There’s enough here to make a British censor from the 80’s break out in moral panic. With modern eyes, the whole thing looks gloriously silly. Guns get their own section; mostly connected to trailers for crime movies. There’s some martial arts fun here, but it’s pretty weak.

The last two sections sort of merge into one. One Man Army and Bizarre Brawlers. Both are staples of the genre and predictably the trailers pull out the more interesting and energetic action sequences. Five Fingers of Death, The One-Armed Executioner, Chinese Hercules, all those strange classics from the back of the video store are here.

Rothrock pulls together what could be a boring list of fun martial arts movies and creates something you can watch, especially at the start of an epic martial arts movie session.

FISTS OF FURY / CERT: N/A / DIRECTOR: CHARLES BAND / STARRING: CYNTHIA ROTHROCK / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

From Star Wars to film-noir to the work of Tim Burton, each owes a debt of some kind to the German expressionist classic Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari; originally created by Robert Weine in 1920, its surreal sets, its sinister title character and its use of narrative completely changed the way the world looked at films, and it is now being given a limited edition 2-disc blu-ray release.

 

The story opens on the recollection of another story from the past; Francis (Friedrich Feher) and his friend Alan (Rudolf Lettinger) are larking about at the annual local fair when they encounter the sinister Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss) whose star attraction is the somnambulist Cesare (screen legend Conrad Veidt), who can predict the future of those who dare to seek a glimpse. However, the story takes a murderous twist when Cesare’s prophecy comes true; is Cesare involved, or is a more hypnotic puppet master at work?

 

Dr. Caligari is a must see for anyone interested in horror, psychological thrillers or extravagant set pieces, the foundations of so many influential films have a route in this film. It is a compelling story told with more plot twists and turns than some modern features can handle; you are left thinking that this was essentially the true original motion picture. In addition, for a film that is nearly a century old, it does not fail to disturb the audience; Caligari is a truly foul character, whilst his victim Cesare has enough power in his eyes alone to make an audience member wince.

 

Of course, what also makes Dr. Caligari an excellent piece of cinema is the context of its making. In addition to the film, audiences are given the documentary ‘From Caligari to Hitler’, a two-hour chronicle of the German cinema of the interwar years, in which its unintended prophetic nature gives an even more chilling interpretation to this brilliant piece of work.

 

In order to complete this review, this reviewer stands by their initial claim, anyone interested in the history of cinema, must see this film; it shows first hand the power of film through set design, through performance and through narrative.

 

THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (DAS CABINET DES DR. CALIGARI) / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: ROBERT WEINE / SCREENPLAY: HANS JANOWITZ, CARL MAYER / STARRING: FRIEDRICH FEHER, WERNER KRAUSS, CONRAD VEIDT / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

Having not seen the Theatrical version of Brian De Palma’s Raising Cain on it’s original 1993 (UK) release, this writer came to it with some awareness and knew that it was less like the stylish action genre films of De Palma’s output in the 1980s, such as Scarface and The Untouchables – and more like the Hitchcockian homages that he had made his career with the likes of Obsession, Carrie and Dressed To Kill.

 

This two-disc Arrow Blu-Ray Edition also contains a Director’s Cut – in fact a fan-made version by Dutch film-maker, Peet Gelderblom, who had re-edited it based on an early draft of the De Palma script and with approval from Universal’s legal team – and De Palma, who discovered the version and liked it so much that he approved the new cut of the film.

 

So, with that little explanation out the way, here goes. We would recommend that you watch the re-edited Disc Two ‘Director’s Cut’ ahead of the Disc One ‘Theatrical’ to really appreciate Raising Cain, as it is a more subtle and satisfying version. A lot of the intentions and pay-offs are more obvious and predictable in the Theatrical, whereas the Director’s Cut seamlessly and subtly cuts together a more slow-burn narrative, making the shocks and revelations more impactful overall. However, don’t let this put you off watching the Theatrical first, as you will appreciate the changes in the Director’s Cut – and enjoy the experience more.

 

John Lithgow is Carter Nix, a respected child psychologist who, to the chagrin of his wife Jenny (Lolita Davidovich), is studying their daughter Amy a little too much for scientific research. The situation becomes even more complex with Jenny having an affair with Jack Dante (Steven Bauer) and Carter suffering from psychological issues that begin to unravel….

 

All the De Palma traits and trademarks are here – slow-motion suspense, homages to Hitchcock, an ever-reliable score from Pino Donaggio, stylish panning shots. Also, look for appearances from two 1990s TV stars, Thirtysomething’s Mel Harris and Beverly Hills 90210’s Gabrielle Carteris.

 

Although it is pleasing to see a version of Raising Cain closer to what the director intended, it is slightly off-putting that De Palma has legally allowed another film-maker to provide a clearer and definitive version of his work. It is from a De Palma script and is using the original Theatrical Cut as a reference point, so on balance it is still De Palma’s film but you do wonder whether De Palma should have taken more direct control of the film and resisted studio suggestions and interference on the original release a quarter of a century ago. It also makes the ‘Tobe or not Tobe’ controversy in Poltergeist interesting in context.

 

Still, Arrow and Mr. Gelderblom are to be applauded for bringing both versions – and a more satisfying second version to the masses again

 

RAISING CAIN – SPECIAL EDITION / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: BRIAN DE PALMA (DIRECTOR’S CUT EDITED BY PEET GELDERBLOM) /  SCREENPLAY: BRIAN DE PALMA / STARRING: JOHN LITHGOW, LOLITA DAVIDOVICH, STEVEN BAUER / RELEASE DATE: 30TH JANUARY

 

Starburst Rating (Theatrical Cut):

 

Starburst Rating (Director’s Cut):

Years before the Austrian Oak Arnie started his film career with a Hercules picture, there was another Mr Universe who hit the big time as the titular mythological brawler in a low budget peplum. Steve Reeves parlayed his success as a bodybuilder into a boom period as star of various sword and sandal adventures from the 1950s onward.

Despite wanting to break away from just playing musclebound heroes, Reeves reportedly turned down parts as James Bond and The Man With No Name in Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars. A few years later Reeves financed and co-wrote his own spaghetti western, and what would turn out to be his final film, called Vivo per la tua morte (I Live for Your Death! in English). Released here as the slightly less lurid A Long Ride from Hell, it’s a tale of betrayal and revenge in the old west.

Reeves plays Mike Sturges, a cowboy who finds his life spiralling out of his control after firstly his herd of cows is stolen and then he and his brother Roy are framed for murder and robbery. Mike and Roy find themselves sentenced to hard labour at the imposing, brutal Yuma prison. Before this, Mike gets a good idea who betrayed and framed the brothers and vows revenge. He bides his time in Yuma until circumstances force him to take action, setting off a violent retribution on those that Mike believes must get what is coming to them.

Made in a time when almost every genre was full of manly men doing manly things, A Long Ride from Hell is very much in keeping with that spirit. Reeves rarely says anything unless it’s to utter a threat or promise of violence. That violence is rarely bloody but usually loud (gunshots by the bucketload) and though there’s a promise of it occasionally becoming more lurid, it’s generally a straight-ahead western with few surprises and little of the humour that Leone incorporated.

Still, Reeves is in his own way iconic, and though he wasn’t going to to trouble Brando for acting chops, here his Mike makes an agreeable hero. Thoroughly wronged by plenty of ‘bad hombres’ there’s no moral quandaries here, just an entertaining 90 minutes of Mike quenching his thirst for vengeance until there’s no more bullets left to fire.

Umbrella’s release is completely bare bones and the soundtrack and video frequently feel no more than VHS quality. This isn’t going to interest the casual viewer, but for those who enjoyed Reeves as Hercules (and various other mythical and historical heroes) or those who enjoy Italy’s take on the most American of genres, it’s certainly fun to spend a bit of time with.

A LONG RIDE FROM HELL / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: CAMILLO BAZZONI (ALEX BURKS) / SCREENPLAY: ROBERTO NATALE, STEVE REEVES / STARRING: STEVE REEVES, WAYDE PRESTON, GUIDO LOLLOBRIGIDA / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Released in 1987, around the same time as Dirty Dancing, Luis Valdez’s film chronicling the successful, albeit brief, career of Ritchie Valens, has remained somewhat underexposed in the shadow of that popular chick-flick, given the gradual growth of the Swayze hit to becoming a much-beloved film for hen nights and home parties. A full generation on, given the subject matter, it might hold less appeal to a modern youth audience.

Anyone who has been to a retro night in many a club has probably heard the Los Lobos title track, which hit the top of the charts around the time of the film’s release and has become a much-requested part of any retro DJ’s playlist.

This new thirtieth anniversary Blu-Ray release through Eureka Entertainment gives La Bamba a welcome renaissance release. Co-produced by Taylor Hackford, with original music by the legendary Carlos Santana, the film is cut from the same cinematic acetate as the likes of the Oscar-winning The Buddy Holly Story (1978) and John Carpenter’s TV movie Elvis (1979), a competently made musical drama that focuses as much on the human relationships as the music the characters created. There is more than enough crossover appeal within La Bamba to satisfy.

The story opens in Northern California in 1957. Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips in his official film debut), lives with his mother and ne’er do well brother Bob (Esai Morales, who had previously at that point featured in Sean Penn’s acclaimed 1983 youth drama Bad Boys, directed by Rick Rosenthal). Valens is a teenager with great musical talent and big dreams. He auditions and joins a local band called the Silhouettes, but quickly becomes the lead at dance halls and events. Before long, he attracts the attention of a record producer, Bob Keane,  (Joe Pantoliano) and records some early demos of what become the likes of “Donna” and “Come On Let’s Go”….

As mentioned, La Bamba might have lost some of it’s veneer given that the subject matter may only appeal to a certain generation who fondly remembers the original film – and the original artist. It is a pity if things do go that way with it, as it is a finely-acted drama that treats the characters and the culture with appreciation and affection. Phillips is perfectly cast in the lead as Valens, but it is Morales who steals the show with his highly emotional and charged performance as Valens’ brother. Look also for Stray Cats lead guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer as Eddie Cochrane.

The Blu-Ray contains original music promos from Los Lobos and a mini-featurette, Remembering Ritchie. The cinematography by Terminator’s Adam Greenberg encapsulates the period and the setting perfectly: sunny California climes coupled with stirring 1950s beats.

LA BAMBA – 30TH ANNIVERSARY / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: LUIS VALDEZ / STARRING: LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS, ESAI MORALES, ROSANNA DESOTO, ELIZABETH PEÑA, JOE PANTOLIANO / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Caradog W. James’ new feature Don’t Knock Twice is an interesting film, but not necessarily for the reasons you would initially expect. On the surface, this is a traditional horror story, with a supernatural folklore element running through it. But delve a little deeper and what you find is a bleak family drama that continues the parent-child theme James used to great effect in his previous film The Machine.

Jess (Sackhoff) is an artist desperate to connect with her estranged daughter Chloe (Boynton). Her attempts appear futile due to the family being plagued by a demon that is thought to be nothing more than an urban myth.

Watching Don’t Knock Twice sees you slowly becoming less concerned with the horror element and more engaged with the unfolding drama. Much of this is down to the performances from Sackhoff and Boynton, both of whom are intense and wholly believable in roles that could easily have become wearing to the viewer. There is little joy in their lives, and the ongoing troubles they face in their strained relationship are exacerbated by an inability to shake off a vengeful spirit.

As far as James is concerned, he set himself extremely high standards with The Machine, and as you would expect Don’t Knock Twice is visually striking, peppered with a macabre beauty. There is an aesthetic of creeping weariness, as if the energy has been forcibly drained which strongly reflects in the plight of the characters. Balanced with this are encounters with a supernatural being which are as gripping and stylish as they are kinetically charged. One scene set in a kitchen will rekindle horrific memories of childhood nightmares, and may even instigate more.

Sadly, visual quality will only carry a film so far and in its quieter moments Don’t Knock Twice suffers from an underdeveloped script and story. The cast, Jess and Chloe aside, are given little to work with. Nick Moran is underused as the curiously attentive detective charged with debunking Chloe’s story and James favourite Pooneh Hajimhammadi plays a woefully stereotypical “messenger of doom”. All this conspires to give the film an underlying sense of contrivance as familiar tropes you’ve seen time and again are ticked off.

That said, Don’t Knock Twice is still a superior film when compared to many of the recent additions to the genre. But is it truly a horror? In truth James’ film is a tale rooted in drama with supernatural horror elements. Intriguing while you’re watching, visually engaging throughout, but apart from the scene in the kitchen, it just isn’t quite as good as you hoped it would be.

DON’T KNOCK TWICE / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: CARADOG W. JAMES / SCREENPLAY: MARK HUCKERBY, NICK OSTLER / STARRING: KATEE SACKHOFF, LUCY BOYNTON, JAVIER BOTET / RELEASE DATE: 31ST MARCH (VOD); APRIL 3RD (DVD)