Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

THE GREEN MILE

BLU-RAY REVIEW: THE GREEN MILE / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: FRANK DARABONT / SCREENPLAY: FRANK DARABONT / STARRING: TOM HANKS, MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN, DAVID MORSE, BONNIE HUNT / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The best film that opens with Tom Hanks pissing has again hit the shelves in a slightly more extravagant Blu-ray edition. So grab yourself a nice cup of Coffey, sit down with your battered copy of Stephen King’s original serialised novel, and bemoan how this three-hour adaptation isn’t faithful to the original. Or something. How you watch this superb film is your business.

For those who have not yet walked The Green Mile, it’s a gripping and tragic Depression-era tale of a prison guard (Hanks) who has the unpleasant task of executing a man (Duncan) who might be an honest-to-God miracle. It’s three hours long and totally worth every minute.

Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts: the picture quality is immensely improved from the crappy DVD you bought for a couple of quid that time. There is little to no digital noise on the picture, leaving it as clear as if you were watching it in the cinema for the first time.

Also on this disc is an insightful and funny commentary on the film by director Frank Darabont, who goes into detail about some of the things that you probably missed. Accompanying it are several featurettes (taken from an earlier release) and little nuggets of footage, such as screen tests and trailers. Locked in solitary on the second disc is a significantly extended version of Walking the Mile, the making-of documentary that’s on the first disc. Why anyone would watch the edited version when this cut exists baffles us.

In the end, the improved picture quality and wealth of special features shouldn’t make a difference to whether you watch this. It is one of the best adaptations ever made (beaten only by Darabont’s earlier adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption) and features several great actors working at the top of their game. If you haven’t seen this film, you need to. If you have, you may as well pick up the Blu-ray and watch it again.

Special Features: Commentary by Frank Darabont / Twelve featurettes inc. screen tests / Extended “Walking the Mile” making-of documentary / Trailers

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Find your local STARBURST stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.

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ARKHAM SANITARIUM: SOUL EATER

DVD REVIEW: ARKHAM SANITARIUM: SOUL EATER / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: JULIAN GRANT / SCREENPLAY: JULIAN GRANT / STARRING: SHANNON BROWN, RINSKA CARRASCO, MARC EDWARDS, RON FITZGERALD / RELEASE DATE: TBC

Nothing to do with Batman or Gotham City; as well-read horror fans might expect, Arkham Sanitarium is a H.P Lovecraft-inspired found footage horror film set in the titular institution. After standing vacant for years following the arrest of the sex and death cult operating inside, a group of paranormal investigators pop in for a look around. Trapped inside, the filmmakers must do battle with the all-too real monsters and nightmares written about by the mighty Lovecraft.

There’s a real dearth of good Lovecraft movies out there – especially since Stuart Gordon stopped making them – so there’s plenty of room for a film like Arkham Sanitarium to take budget horror by storm. When the best recent years have to offer is the Poundland staple The Last Lovecraft, you know there’s a drought on. Will writer and director Julian Grant (responsible for that other great Poundland bestseller, Robocop: Prime Directives) buck the trend and breathe some life back into the author’s work?

Alas, no – Arkham Sanitarium is yet another cheap found footage horror film set in a disused sanitarium featuring petrified would-be filmmakers running around in the dark. The Lovecraft name and use of his mythos give fans of the writer a little something to chew on – but they’re small morsels, at best. For the most part, it’s business as usual – billed as a horror comedy, there’s more humour than you might expect, but nothing revelatory – lots of running around in the dark, screaming at mostly unseen terrors and demonic possessions. Again, the Lovecraft mythos elevates it beyond the level of most Paranormal Activity rip-offs, but name-dropping the Almighty Cthulu and his Old Ones will only get you so far.

Arkham Sanitarium is less soulless than a lot of found footage bores than we’ve become used to these days, but could have done with taking a leaf out of the great Lovecraft’s book(s) – namely keeping it shorter, sweeter and doing away with those bloody handheld cameras.

Special Features: TBC

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THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1924)

BLU-RAY REVIEW: THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1924) / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: RAOUL WALSH / SCREENPLAY: ACHMED ABDULLAH, LOTTA WOODS / STARRING: DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, SNITZ EDWARDS, CHARLES BELCHER, JULANNE JONSTON / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 24TH

To some, cinema before sound is irrelevant; merely the embryonic experiments before the advent of sound and film as we know it today. ‘Silent cinema’ is too often shunned and overlooked as primitive when in fact some of the fundamental genre defining effects, narrative structures and filmic aesthetics were being crafted by filmmakers and studios who were harnessing the creative aspects offered by this new medium. With an outrageous budget, lavish special effects and some exceptional acting, The Thief of Bagdad is a fantasy epic to behold and an illustration of truly great early cinema. Even in a present day society where we are inundated with fantasy tales, The Thief of Bagdad– a story crafted by its charismatic star Douglas Fairbanks – is truly a spectacle.

The film’s blend of magic, storybook romance, mythopoeic fantasy travelogue, and sense of wonder and fun is incalculably engaging and immersive. Fairbank’s character, Ahmed, is an early cinematic example of a loveable anti-hero, that rogue we’re all rooting for (think Travis Bickle crossed with the Prince of Persia). Ahmed is introduced as a pickpocket who swaggers through the massive marketplace sets as if they are his own before he manages to make a chase from palace guards look graceful and poetic (such is the power of Fairbank’s exuberant and calculated performance). Later, Ahmed falls in love with a princess and his quest to win her heart by retrieving the rarest treasures known to man leads him to battle dragons, go deep-sea diving and even ride a flying horse – what commitment! Some of the effects such as the magic carpet riding or the giant spider look unmistakably old-fashioned but that really is part of the charm.

This Eureka Cinema release on Blu-ray of a film that reputedly cost over $200 million in art design and set production fortunately manages to do it justice; though one can only imagine the awe felt by audiences in 1924 being treated to this tale on the big screen. This is an impressive looking release, however, and it even boasts restored original tints (something that will surely please any cinephiles). The picture is not as sharp as more contemporary films (not to state the obvious), but given the age and filming techniques (extreme close-ups were a relatively rare commodity in this era and this film tends to exploit midrange and wide shots which best show the expansive sets), things look crisp and well defined. Audio-wise it holds up too, and Carl Davies’ grand orchestral score really has a breadth to it that perfectly complements the film.

In regards to silent fantasy, The Thief of Bagdad is a film that warrants a viewing, if only to experience the sheer delight of seeing a man battle a giant spider, ride a flying horse and disregard authority with an effortless bravado.

Special Feature: Audio commentary by Douglas Fairbanks biographer Jeffrey Vance / 40-page booklet

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CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA

DVD REVIEW: CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: STUART SIMPSON / SCREENPLAY: ADDISON HEATH / STARRING: GLENN MAYNARD, KYRIE CAPRI, ASTON ELLIOT, LOUISE BREMNER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

When Warren (Maynard) accidently runs over his cat it seems he has lost his only true friend in the entire world. This guiltily comedic and deeply unfortunate act forms the catalyst that sends the already desperate and tragically lonely life of this socially awkward ice cream vender tumbling out of control. For Warren, the daily routine of peddling frozen desserts to a generally unappreciative clientele and obsessing over Katey George (Capri), the star of his favourite television soap opera, is now all that remains to fill his time. So when within days of the feline’s funeral an aggressive local pimp begins to confront and threaten poor Warren, something was bound to give. And give it does. Brutally.

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is a wickedly churned blend of genre references, with a pinch of Taxi Driver and Forrest Gump thrown in for extra flavouring. Any attempt to accurately classify this independent Australian production would more than likely fail; it isn’t a horror but certainly contains horrific moments. Neither is it a comedy as while there is some of the blackest humour you will see, you’re more likely to try and stifle a chuckle than to laugh out loud. Warren is also very complex and the film successfully treads a fine line with his character, portraying him somewhere in a Venn diagram crossover of having learning difficulties and being a sociopath. Certainly his daily post-dinner activities of masturbating to episodes of fictional soap Around the Block are given a slightly more sinister edge with evidence of a barely-controlled, aggressive side to his nature that becomes more prevalent as the film goes on.

The greatest strength however of Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla also happens to be its weakness. Maynard’s central performance is so incessantly creepy, so malevolently sweet, varying effortlessly between sympathetic and unsympathetic, sometimes within a single line of dialogue, that it emphasises failings in the supporting cast. Without exception they are all stereotypical ciphers and while some of this may be intentional, offering a view of weary, sigh-inducing despair for today’s society, it all feels a little forced and insincere.

That said, this is a fascinatingly-dark little film that lingers in the memory long after the final scenes. There is a quirky, understated madness to the whole thing that is both brave and refreshing, and despite the graphic nature of the some of the scenes still seems to retain a certain wholesome quality. You may ultimately feel empathy with Warren, perhaps even some reluctant understanding. One thing is for certain though, you probably wouldn’t want to know him and you definitely wouldn’t want to try his ice cream.

Special Features: Feature with commentary / Cast and crew interviews / Deleted scenes / Trailers / Short film “Baby Did a Bat Bat Thing”

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THE GUEST

DVD REVIEW: THE GUEST / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: ADAM WINGARD / SCREENPLAY: SIMON BARRETT / STARRING: DAN STEVENS, MAIKA MONROE, BRENDAN MEYER, SHEILA KELLEY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Having made a name for themselves in the horror genre with their work on V/H/S 2 and You’re Next, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett would look to further their mark in the genre with their follow up film. And while The Guest does stray a little into that territory, it’s very much a different beast.

The film tells the story of “David”, an ex-soldier who follows up on a promise and arrives at the home of a fallen comrade to check in on them and offer a helping hand. Welcomed into the Peterson family, “David” fills a void that has been missing in the family since their eldest son was killed. But as a series of deaths begin to occur around town, questions begin to surround whether or not “David” is actually who he claims to be.

Following in the footsteps of Drive, The Guest feels very much like a seventies exploitation film playing out in a weirdly timeless contemporary setting. It’s a feel that works to the films advantage, giving it an oddly surreal realism that is both wonderfully stupid and firmly grounded. It’s the kind of film you could imagine John Carpenter would have made back in the early days of his career.

The film is sharply written and directed, with a great flair for style and substance and a score that (much like Drive) takes on a life and character all of its own. The cast keep the tone perfectly by both playing it straight whilst having fun with their roles. In particular both Maika Monroe and Brendan Meyer, as the Peterson children, give perfectly pitched performances, whilst the always fantastic Leland Orser and Sheila Kelley add a subtle mix of comic tragedy to their roles as the oddly detached parents.

The real stand out of this film though, is in the brilliance of casting Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens as “David”. Stevens shines in the role, turning in a performance that is equally likeable, terrifying and funny, completely stepping out of the shadows of the Matthew Crawley character that brought him to the world’s attention. It’s upon seeing him in this that you can start to see where they were coming from when his name was put out there as a possible heir to the role of Snake Plissken.

Overall, this is the kind of film that will split audiences down the middle in the best possible way, with your enjoyment largely boiling down to your willingness to go along with its mixed tone and frankly surreal brilliance. And if you are, this may just end up being your new favourite cult movie!

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE: 40TH ANNIVERSARY RESTORATION

BLU-RAY REVIEW: THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE: 40TH ANNIVERSARY RESTORATION / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: TOBE HOOPER / SCREENPLAY: KIM HENKEL, TOBE HOOPER / STARRING: MARILYN BURNS, GUNNAR HANSEN, EDWIN NEAL, JIM SIEDOW, PAUL A. PARTAIN / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 17TH

Fair warning: this review comes from a writer who will happily and confidently describe Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre as the greatest horror film of all time. So, for the film itself, that’s a perfect, easy ten out of ten. Done.

With the fortieth anniversary upon us, Second Sight have brought us this attractive steelbook Blu-ray edition, featuring a full restoration of the film, overseen by Hooper himself. The 4k restoration is impressive enough, although maybe not as revelatory or immersive as one might hope. It’s an improvement over previous DVD releases, but not by a massive amount. That said, the grubby, cheap visuals account for much of the film’s atmosphere – seeing it too cleaned up and polished wouldn’t sit right with Leatherface and his family at all.

In addition to the tremendous-looking steelbook case, the Anniversary Restoration comes loaded with a second disc of extras and bonus features, new and old. These include new audio commentaries by Tobe Hooper and the film’s cinematographer, sound recordist and editor. New documentaries and featurettes accompany a set of newly uncovered deleted scenes and outtakes (sadly minus sound and commentary). There’s none as darkly amusing as the outtake video of a bound and gagged Marilyn Burns falling over in her chair (sorry Marilyn) but they make for fascinating viewing all the same. Also included is the comprehensive documentary The Shocking Truth, which covers all aspects of making the film from its production through to distribution and sequels. Most of the main cast and crew (including Hooper and the late, great Marilyn Burns) pop up for a chat, while the always entertaining Bill Moseley appears to re-iterate his wonderful “lick my plate” line. This documentary has been knocking about for a while (hence Moseley’s considerably younger looking features) but it still makes for fascinating viewing, especially if you’ve not seen it before.

That’s a fairly comprehensive set of extras, but there’s a feeling we’ve been spoiled, recently, by the likes of Arrow and the wonderful releases film fans have been treated to. With that in mind, Second Sight’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre might come up a tad short for some tastes. The Shocking Truth is all fine and well, but it would have been nice to have a little something else for the film’s 40th.

Nothing, after all, is too good for the greatest horror film of all time.*

*Your own tastes may vary.

Special Features: Four audio commentaries / The Shocking Truth documentary / Seven featurettes / Cast and crew interviews / Deleted scenes / Outtakes / TV and radio spots / Trailers

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MINE GAMES

DVD REVIEW: MINE GAMES / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: RICHARD GRAY / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / SCREENPLAY: JOSEPH CROSS, BRIANNA EVIGAN, ETHAN PECK, JULIANNA GUILL / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: taking a break from full-time education, job hunting and contributing to society, a group of attractive, all-white mostly-American youngsters head off to their clichéd vacation destination of choice – a rickety old cabin (you guessed it) in the woods.

Among the so-called characters, there’s the troubled one, recovering from mental health issues, his sympathetic girlfriend (played by recognisable face Brianna Evigan), the annoying boozehound, the hippy, the blonde, and the bland. Gathering for a weekend of drinking, partying and swimming in the nearby waterhole, the group are surprised to find the existence of a mysterious mine beneath their cabin. Ill-advisedly investigating, what the kids find there turns their holiday (literally) back to front, and it’s not long before they’re fighting, locking each other downstairs in the mine and otherwise dropping like flies.

Like, yes, Cabin in the Woods, there’s nothing so simple as serial killers, hillbillies or even zombies at play in Mine Games. Instead, the stage is set for a twisty, timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly sort of thriller that has more in common with Doctor Who than The Evil Dead. We’ve mentioned Cabin in the Woods, but its closest comparison is the ill-remembered (but not that bad) Melissa George vehicle Triangle. To go much deeper would be entering spoilery territory, but the dull characters and uninspired writing don’t exactly make it worth one’s while waiting for the mysteries to unravel.

It’s appreciated that Mine Games tries to do something a little different with its characters and location, but that promise is sadly wasted in execution. The sci-fi elements take too long to kick in, the ideas never utilised to their full effect. Like its characters, viewers may feel a little trapped watching Mine Games – a mundane horror film which really does make the passing of time feel like a considerably slower affair.

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NEKOMONOGATARI WHITE

DVD REVIEW: NEKOMONOGATARI WHITE / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: TOMOYUKI ITAMURA / SCREENPLAY: AKIYUKI SHINBO / STARRING: YUKA IGUCHI, TSUKIHI ARARAGi, HIROSHI KAMIYA / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 24TH

Nekomonogatari White is the animated tale of a young lady called Tsubasa Hanekawa, who becomes possessed by the spirit of a great white tiger and can thus assume a magical cat form. As this is an animated TV series made by the Japanese, it’s no happy tale of a girl who gets up to kittenish shenanigans, and is instead a bloody and rather tragic tale in parts. The main character, of course, just wants to be an ordinary girl.

Nekomonogatari White is as difficult to watch as it is to pronounce. There’s no dub; it’s subtitles all the way, and the dialogue is intricate and involved. There are some rather harsh scenes involving the main characters, and the central plot revolves about a young woman who can assume a cat-like form. This makes the entire thing hard work, even though the animation is very pretty and the main characters fun to watch, this doesn’t make up for the over wordiness of the storytelling. The heroes talk an awful lot.

This new collection features the whole first series and it is not recommended as light viewing; it isn’t the subtitles that are the problem, it’s that they can take up most of the screen. Each episode does tend to wander, as does the attention of the viewer. Add to this themes of isolation and domestic abuse, and what we have here is something that is less a fun romp and more an episode of Coronation Street or EastEnders but with longer dialogue and cute anime girls.

The direction, voice acting and soundtrack are very well done; all these elements combine to create a very pleasing experience. Each scene is well designed, with a great amount of fine detail gone into each significant element. The problem is that unless you’re a fan of anime, you will find it hard to engage with the main characters, even when they go through hell. Fans of Bakemonogatari will love this, the rest of us should check out Bakemonogatari first before giving this a go.

Special Features: None

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ATTACK ON TITAN (PART 2)

DVD REVIEW: ATTACK ON TITAN (PART 2) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: TETSURO ARAKI / SCREENPLAY: HIROSHI SEKO, NOBORU TAKAGI, YASUKO KOBAYASHI / STARRING: BRYCE PAPENBROOK, TRINA NISHIMURA, JOSH GRELLE, MATTHEW MERCER, JESSICA CALVELLO, LAUREN LANDA, ROBERT MCCOLLUM, DAVID MATRANGA, MIKE MCFARLAND, ASHLY BURCH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The first half of Attack on Titan primarily dealt with the fight back against the second titan assault and the emergence of central character Eren’s holy-shit ability to transform himself into a titan, but now a new and deadly abnormal titan makes an appearance. Although lacking eight-foot dongs dangling between their legs, thus far all the titans have been nominally male, but this latest threat is the first female ever seen, a skinless horror whose form is covered by corded muscle like the colossus, looking like a gargantuan and terrifying anatomy doll. Not only that, she also exhibits a dangerous intelligence; unlike the blank and barely-sentient faces of the mindless lumbering male titans, her eyes are sharp and focused and her every movement is deliberate and precise. It doesn’t take much to deduce that Eren is not the only one with the ability to transform, and whoever it is operating the female titan has far greater control over the form, fighting with agility and coordination as opposed to Eren’s rampaging bestial fury.

Carrying on where the first half left off, the second half wastes no time in picking things up, with Eren now in the custody of the Scout Regiment and roped into a reconnaissance mission outside the walls, the precise objective of which is a little murky to seemingly everyone involved, and where the female titan is first confronted and the fallout of the encounter is dealt with by those still alive when it’s over.

The human factor is still very much a significant part of the show, dealing with PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and takes pains to fully convey the emotional turmoil of soldiers forced to witness the horrific deaths of their friends and squad-mates. The series takes the time to allow you to get to know various characters (possibly even growing to like them) only to callously slaughter them without warning a few episodes later. It may seem sadistic, but it adds a degree of realism and uncertainty to events. To appropriate the unofficial motto of Game of Thrones, don’t get too attached.

We also get some idea of the attitudes of ordinary people living in relative safety behind the inner walls. Although the show’s perspective is from the military who train for years to fight titans, a vast majority of humanity have never even seen one, and consider them a vague threat at best. They believe the scouts are suicidal maniacs whose upkeep is a waste of resources that could be better spent on issues closer to home, deliberately echoing the real-life views of people who resent their tax money being used for government subsidisations from which they attain no personal benefit. On the less stable end of the spectrum are Wall Cultists, fire and brimstone fundamentalists who believe the walls protecting humanity from the titans are stone deities sent from on high to protect those worthy with mineral benevolence, and whose repent-ye-sinners ravings wield a disturbing level of authority.

The measured but nevertheless compelling pace of Attack On Titan means that several mysteries remain unresolved, most significantly how much of a part Eren’s father may have played in his son’s attainment of the titan ability and what secret is buried in the rubble of their house in what is now titan-occupied territory (also, where the hell is he?), but the stratospheric popularity of the anime and its source manga means that the series will doubtless return for a second season. It can’t get here fast enough.

Special Features: None

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NATURAL BORN KILLERS

BLU-RAY REVIEW: NATURAL BORN KILLERS / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: OLIVER STONE / SCREENPLAY: DAVID VELOZ, RICHARD RUTOWSKI, OLIVER STONE, QUENTIN TARANTINO / STARRING: WOODY HARRELSON, JULIETTE LEWIS, ROBERT DOWNEY JR, TOMMY LEE JONES, TOM SIZEMORE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers caused rather a bit of a controversy upon its original 1994 release. Aiming to satirise media representations of violence, the strongly 18-rated serial killer movie ended up accused of inciting ‘copycat’ crimes itself. Returning to it 20 years later with this new Blu-ray release, it’s not difficult to see why it raised so many eyebrows.

The film opens with Mickey (Harrelson) and Mallory Knox (Lewis) visiting a diner. In a matter of minutes, Mallory’s sparring with a lecherous customer, and the couple then massacre just about everyone else in the room. As this pair of extremely dangerous murderers carry on their spree, they come into conflict with glory-seeking cop Jack Scagnetti (Sizemore), ratings-seeking journalist Wayne Bale (Downey Jr., on delightfully egotistical form) and eventually end up captive to psychotic prison warden Dwight McCluskey (Jones, as terrifyingly OTT as his Two-Face).

While the couple on the run provide the film’s Badlands-inspired emotional backbone, Stone’s real interest lies in the vast and sensationalised media storm that brews up around Mickey and Mallory – we see interviews with their ‘fans’ across the globe, and the film’s climax sees Gale broadcasting live from a prison riot Mickey incites, even as the riot descends into horrifying carnage. Important questions are raised about media portrayal of criminals – questions which there are no easy answers to and which are still relevant in 2014.

Stone adds to this theme with his use of hyper-stylised visuals. The violence may be more stylised than a Tarantino flick (indeed, Quentin wrote an early draft of the script) but this is all part of the highly political filmmaker’s argument – it’s telling that the fight scenes, which switch between colour and black & white seemingly at random, are shot in exactly the same style as a “reconstruction” in Gale’s show, the only notable difference being that Mickey and Mallory are played by different actors. Television intrusively permeates throughout the killers’ journey – various violent shows are shown through window frames in the backs of shots, and flashbacks to Mallory’s traumatic upbringing are presented in the style of a quirky 1970s sitcom, with comedian Rodney Dangerfield cast very much against type as her abusive father.

The sheer style and brutality of Natural Born Killers may leave you shocked on first watch, but close examination reveals a darkly satirical film with a thought-provoking central issue, one that’s as relevant in the year of the film’s 20th anniversary as it ever has been – which, along with the great range of extras, is a very good reason to pick up this new release.

Special Features: New ‘How would it all go down now?’ featurette / Commentary and new introduction / Documentary / Deleted scenes / Interview with Oliver Stone / Alternate ending / Trailer

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