Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

DEPARTMENT S: THE COMPLETE SERIES

This fun spy-fi show came from Lew Grade’s ITC Entertainment – the company behind some of the best telefantasy shows. It introduces the titular arm of Interpol that is tasked with investigating cases where all others have failed. Headed by Sir Curtis Seretse (Dennis Alaba Peters), they are led on the ground by American Stewart Sullivan (Joel Fabiani), the team consisted of just two others: Annabelle Hurst (Rosemary Nicols) and a crime novelist playboy named Jason King (Peter Wyngarde). It’s King who’s the real star of the show, as evidenced when he was later given his own series.

A silver-tongued Lothario, King is always watchable with a tendency to leer into the camera and quip things like “Fancy”, particularly if there’s a nice-looking lady around. The show bears all the hallmarks of an ITC production; colourful décor and equally colourful characters and an evocative score from Edwin Astley (Danger Man, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)). Modern audiences can still have fun with the kitsch aesthetics and camp interpretation that age has allowed.

A great line-up of writers and directors provide their services throughout the series including Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks, and Hammer regulars John Gilling and Roy Ward Baker. ViaVision’s release contains an impressive array of extras, including several commentaries on some episodes and an entertaining 50-minute documentary, which is the first in a series about the wonderfully sleazy Jason King.

Department S ran for just one series, and all 28 episodes are included here over eight discs. It’s a shame ViaVision didn’t push for a Blu-ray release since all the episodes were filmed on 35mm film, but even on mere DVD, they look amazing, despite the obvious stock footage that makes up most of the location-establishing shots. Fans of the era and the show itself may already have it in their collection, but if you haven’t now’s a good chance to remedy that as it’s certainly a fun romp and highly recommended.

KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER – THE COMPLETE SERIES

Following two hugely successful TV movies, investigative journalist Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) was given his own series in which he continued his quest to uncover the sinister supernatural goings-on on America’s streets.

Over twenty episodes of the character’s sole series, Kolchak manages to cross paths with zombies, vampires, werewolves, ghosts and much more. McGavin was perfect in the role. Sardonic and enthusiastic, he is the epitome of the classic Hollywood screen reporter.

Widely known to have been an influence of The X-Files, Kolchak: The Night Stalker is full of wise-cracks, noir-esque narration, and some surprisingly effective chills. It’s no surprise that the stories were quality since various episodes were written by the likes of Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale (Back to the Future) and Jimmy Sangster (regular Hammer screenwriter). Several interesting guest stars appear too. Scatman Crothers, Antonio Fargas, Tom Skerritt, Richard Kiel, and Erik Estrada are among the familiar faces.

If we’ve any negative points to take away from the show, it’s that the 50-minute duration doesn’t give much time to develop the creepier aspects of the story, but it’s still far above the average monster of the week format show. It’s a shame, too, that ViaVision has only released the series on DVD, as we’re sure it would look even better than it already does in HD.

All that said, it’s a fun series that holds up well after almost fifty years, making it an easy re-watch.

THE INVADERS – THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

This classic sci-fi drama only had a short two-season run in the late ‘60s, but has left such an indelible impact on fans that it’s almost a no-brainer that a box set of all the episodes would be a must-buy.

Created by Larry Cohen, who would later bring us classics like It’s Alive! And Q – the Winged Serpent, The Invaders utilises a conspiracy plot in which one man – an architect David Vincent (Roy Thinnes) – witnesses a UFO landing while resting during a long journey home. He then spends 43 episodes trying to convince the authorities and anyone else who’ll listen that we’re slowly being assimilated. It’s a premise that could get old very quick, but it’s a credit to the writing team that almost every episode stands up as gripping television. There’s impact of the McCarthy-era witch hunt against communism in the industry is an obvious inspiration for the series, as it was only a decade earlier that the US was being warned about ‘a red under your bed’.

Towards the end of the second season, Vincent finds allies in ‘the Believers’, a group that accept Vincent’s proclamations if aliens being on Earth. Although there are a few of these believers, we only see one regularly (played by Kent Smith).

Like many of the best TV shows of the era, there are plenty of special guest appearances from the likes of Roddy McDowall, Gene Hackman, Ed Asner, Ralph Bellamy, Michael Rennie, and Barry Morse, amongst others. This is Roy Thinnes’ show, however, and his everyman character makes him easy to root for.

Australian label ViaVision’s DVD set has commentaries on two episodes and some introductions from Roy Thinnes, as well as an extended version of the show’s pilot episode. What’s strange is this extended cut is also included as a Blu-ray, which begs the question why not release the whole set like that? It certainly doesn’t spoil the enjoyment of a classic show, though.

THE DOCTORS – THE JON PERTWEE YEARS: BEHIND THE SCENES VOL 1

Reeltime Pictures’ latest 2-DVD presentation of archive Doctor Who material from their previously-on-VHS series takes us to one of the most interesting, exciting and enduring eras in the show’s long history. With the series skirting close to cancellation at the end of the black and white 1960s era, it fell to incoming producer Barry Letts and his script editor Terrance Dicks to refashion the show’s format as it relaunched in colour with Jon Pertwee taking over from Patrick Troughton in the lead role. Doctor Who’s long-term prospects were far from guaranteed and Pertwee’s first season in 1970 could well have been his only run and the show’s final roll of the dice if the audience hadn’t taken to the new Earthbound format imposed upon by Letts and Dicks by both the BBC are their production office predecessors. To this extent then, Letts and Dicks and probably the most important creatives ever to have left their mark upon the show (original producer Verity Lambert and relaunch supremo Russell T Davies notwithstanding) because of their terrific five years on the show and their dedication to making Doctor Who the best it could possibly be pretty much guaranteed the show’s place in TV’s history books.

Disc One of this new archive release is devoted to two long interviews with the pair, conducted by a young Nicholas Briggs and it’s fascinating, charming stuff. Letts and Dicks are no longer with us, of course, so this opportunity to spend time with them in their post-Who pomp as they wander amiably down memory lane, gently guided by Briggs, is an absolute delight. They briefly recall their own early days and careers before starting their chronological journey through their Doctor Who years, reminding one another of some forgotten anecdote or other, correcting one another when the memory has cheated and generally glorying in their years reinventing and refining Doctor Who for the 1970s. Long-time fans are unlikely to find too much really new here – many of these anecdotes are familiar territory for the hardcore – but there’s unbridled joy in watching these titans of Doctor Who telling these stories in their own words and the strength and depth of their friendship and admiration for one another shines out from every fascinating frame.

Disc Two is no less interesting even if it ventures from ‘behind the scenes’ to ‘in front of the camera’ in places. Vintage convention footage sees Letts and Dicks (with some stories we’ve enjoyed on Disc One) joined on stage by 1970s writer Bob Baker and a rare appearance from writer Don Houghton who crafted 1970’s seven-part serial ‘Inferno’ widely championed as one of the very best Doctor Who serials from the classic era. Volume 1 of ‘the Directors’ sees Christopher Barry and Paul Bernard, both no longer with us, talk fondly about their extensive work on the series. A timely inclusion sees Damaris Hayman, who passed away only recently, discussing her iconic role as local white witch Olive Hawthorne in 1971’s acclaimed serial The Daemons, ‘Day of the Daleks’ actors Anna Barry and Valentine Palmer recall their time on the 1972 serial, which saw the Daleks return after a five-year absence and Terence Lodge remembers his trio of Doctor Who appearances in the 1960s and 1970s.

These Reeltime releases remain an important resource for anyone interested in the history of Doctor Who, offering the opportunity to see and hear the people who were there talking about how and why it all happened and how a low budget family sci-fi series became a national institution. As the passage of time distances us evermore from the show’s roots and its original glory days and with so few of its 1960s and 1970s behind-the-scenes talents still around to tell their stories, Reeltime’s archive – hopefully Vol 2 of this Pertwee-era series isn’t too far away – is invaluable and essential, a form of time travel that the Doctor him/herself would surely approve of.

DEMENTER [FrightFest 2021 Digital]

Chad Crawford Kinkle’s second film after his superb debut Jug Face has been a long time coming and is much more experimental, both visually and audibly.

Katie (Katie Groshong) takes up a job caring for special needs adults. She lies about where she’s living – she sleeps in her car and washes in gas station toilets – and is clearly trying to escape a disturbing past. We’re shown through flashbacks that she was a victim of some kind of occult group (led by Larry Fessenden), and bears the scars to prove it. She develops a bond with one of the clients in the home, Stephanie (played by the director’s sister), who has Down Syndrome. When Stephanie falls ill, Katie becomes convinced something evil is behind it and attempts to help her with incantations.

There’s a documentary feel to the care home scenes, with the clients and workers essentially playing themselves. These moments are shot with care, and there’s never a feeling of exploitation of the people in the home, but more that they enjoyed being a part of something fun. The satanic story crafted around these scenes is discomforting and alarming and has a surreal quality.

Dementer is full of discordant chimes, ominously hushed voiceovers and screeching violins that add to the sense of unease more than the fractured visuals ever could.

Kinkle’s sophomore film is a difficult watch, and won’t be for everyone. As the movie builds to its climax, the nightmarish imagery and sound design take over. As a coherent narrative feature, Dementer doesn’t entirely succeed, coming across instead as a disturbing art piece.

Dementer is released on Blu-ray from Arrow Video (with Jug Face) on October 4th.

400 BULLETS

The latest film from writer/director Tom Paton follows a different direction to his previous output, being a full-on action flick.

Noah (Andrew Lee Potts) is part of a British army team escorting some high-tech missiles across Northern Afghanistan. He has the all-important guidance chips, guarding them literally with his life. The Taliban hijack the convoy, but Noah, assuming the team has been killed, manages to escape with the chips despite being shot. He manages to make it to an outpost manned by two soldiers holding the fort while the rest of their team are on manoeuvres. Noah reaches out to one of the men, a Gurkha named Rana (Jean-Paul Ly), to help him fend off the oncoming attack.

As well as 400 Bullets allowing us to see a new string to Paton’s bow, it also gives us Potts in all-out action mode. It’s only later on in the film where the actor’s trademark quips come into play, and even then, it’s very restrained. The powerful theme of honour and loyalty is pushed to the fore as Potts and Ly begin to trust each other and fight for what is right, which is why they signed up. It’s a fast-paced action film, but it doesn’t skimp on some powerful storytelling. The treatment of soldiers in the field – and how they are often unsupported and disposable after they complete their tours of duty – adds a human element alongside the realistic and painful-looking injuries the characters receive. These are soldiers running on adrenaline and determination rather than inhuman supermen, which adds to the realism. That’s not to say that the fights are not OTT and bombastic.

With 400 Bullets, Tom Paton confirms his position as a director to watch, bringing us an indie film that can easily sit shoulder to shoulder with larger budget Hollywood efforts. It boasts a tight script, believable and well-acted characters and plenty of no-nonsense action scenes. There’s plenty of blood for the horror fans and a lot of heart to keep it grounded.

NIGHTMARES (1983)

You can always spot a horror anthology that began life as a TV show (or, in this case, an unrealised TV pilot) because the individual stories always tend to hit the ‘here’s the moral!’ button pretty hard. Sometimes that can be annoyingly patronising but sometimes the moral can be so well disguised that it’s not until the end credits roll you realise you’ve been hit with the crypt-keeping equivalent of Aesop’s Fables. And that’s pretty much what you’ve got with the ridiculously entertaining Nightmares, a fantastic wedge of ‘80s horror cheese wherein a host of familiar faces teach us lessons it would be best to heed, especially if nicotine addiction, video game addiction, loss of religious faith and how rodents and homeowners don’t mix are among the life problems you’re encountering right now.

The kick-off, Terror in Topanga, features The Sentinel’s Cristina Raines as a California housewife who rates going on a late-night drive to buy cigarettes above the fact that a vicious serial killer is stalking her neighbourhood. No prizes for what happens when her car runs out of gas. It’s probably the weakest of the quartet but Ms. Raines’ is terrific, even if the fade-out dialogue will make your eyes roll hard enough to fall out of your head.

The Bishop of Battle follows obsessive video games hustler Emilio Estevez as he attempts to reach the hallowed thirteenth level of the Bishop of Battle arcade game and then lives to regret his persistence. Or does he? The outcome won’t be a surprise for anthology veterans, but it’s still a great little story with some surprisingly neat effects for a low-budget 1983 movie.

Is it a shock that Lance Henricksen’s episode is the best? Probably not, even if this tightly structured vignette about a disillusioned priest who finds himself pursued on a lonely highway by a sinister black truck is just a blatant rip-off of Spielberg’s Duel. Who could the driver be? For those who are slow on the uptake, the inverted cross hanging from the psycho’s rear-view mirror is a heavy-handed clue.

This leaves us with Night of the Rat, in which Alien’s Veronica Cartwright and The Thing’s Richard Masur discover a giant cat-killing rodent making nasty holes behind their sideboard. Will it munch on Veronica’s arrogant husband before the viewer reaches through the TV screen and strangles him ourselves? If you want to find out, we predict some naff green-screening in your future.

For a film that’s well over thirty years old, Nightmares looks surprisingly fresh, and the addition of an interview, an audio commentary and a booklet (not available for review although the contents sound nice) make this a no-brainer for horror fans who secretly miss the days of chunky Walkmans, Karate Kid headbands and inappropriately bouncy hair. Go on, put the nasty back into nostalgia. You know you want to (squeak, squeak).

BRITISH COMEDY CLASSICS 1: UP POMPEII + 2

There was a time when you could rely on British comedy cinema. You knew what you were going to get: some well-known faces, some bawdy humour, and a dollop of self-deprecation. The trio of films that make up ViaVision’s British Comedy Classics 1 3-disc set delivers that in spades.

Starring the inimitable Frankie Howerd, the ‘Up’ series was a spin-off from the hugely popular BBC TV series Up Pompeii, in which Howerd played Lurcio the slave. Continuing his characteristic way of addressing the audience, the movie version of Up Pompeii (1971) took everything up a notch. Not only was the humour a little saucier, but the visuals were much more salacious. There is a story, though, as Lurcio inadvertently picks up a scroll containing plans to assassinate Nero instead of a cucumber. Set during the Roman Empire’s rule and as Vesuvius is about to erupt, it’s a star-studded romp that boasts a fantastically bouncy theme tune and plenty of ribald humour of the type we’re not allowed to find funny anymore.

Next up is Up the Chastity Belt (1971), set during the Middle Ages, Howerd plays Lurkalot, who has been brought up as a serf to a wealthy but dim baron. A twin at birth, his sibling went on to the King while Lurkalot had a sideline making chastity belts, which were popular with the menfolk as they went on to fight in the crusades. There’s a lot of laughs at the expense of the landed gentry here, and, surprisingly, a slightly bigger storyline as Lurkalot masquerades as the King while the real one is indulging in sinful pleasures. While not as consistently hilarious as Up Pompeii, there’s still plenty to enjoy and Howerd is always watchable.

The final part of the trilogy, Up the Front (1972) brings us to the start of the First World War, where after being hypnotised, cowardly boot-scrubber Lurc (Howerd) heads off to the trenches to fight ‘the Boche’. There’s a bit of a casting scoop as Zsa Zsa Gabor plays Mata Hari, but otherwise, it’s more of the same from the team.

All three films are ably directed by Bob Kellett, who helmed the Ronnie Barker classic Futtocks End (1970) as well several lesser British sex comedies and episodes of Space: 1999. Of course, it’s easy to dismiss the films as ‘of their time’, but there’s some real comedy gold here, particularly in Up Pompeii, with Howerd’s timing and ease at addressing the viewers makes for a lot of fun. It’s by no means highbrow humour, nor is it meant to be. We only wish Tarantino’s alternate history takes were this funny.

As mentioned, there are a host of familiar faces throughout the films. Bill Fraser appears in all three, while Lance Percival and Madeline Smith grace two of the movies with their respective charms. Quite how they got respected thespian Michael Hordern to appear in the first film is anyone guess, although it could be down to noted satirist Ned Sherrin being the producer.

ViaVision presents all three films in the best possible quality short of a Blu-ray release (we can but hope), but they’re highly recommended for anyone who isn’t offended by bawdy humour (there’s little else that would cause offence). And if you don’t, as the late great Frankie Howerd would often say, “Please yourselves”.

JAGGED EDGE

In 1992, Basic Instinct was released onto VHS to the sound of a thousand young men pausing and rewinding their copies. The film redefined the erotic thriller, pushing at the boundaries of acceptable taste and revelling in its controversy. It made writer Joe Eszterhas a household name and while Basic Instinct remains a career highlight, earlier scripts hinted at what was to come. None more so than with 1985’s Jagged Edge.

When San Francisco socialite Paige Forrester is brutally slain in her beach house bedroom by a masked intruder suspicion falls on her husband Jack (Jeff Bridges). He hires a reluctant Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close) to defend him against an aggressive district attorney and things become predictably complicated.

But as predictable as that story is, Jagged Edge manages to retain your attention, largely due to the strength of the performances. There is an essence of pantomime about much of what takes place, but the cast commits to their roles with welcome conviction. Bridges inhabits Jack with enthusiastic vigour, playing with the audience’s affections as much as with his lawyer’s, who is, of course, unable to resist those charms. Robert Loggia – nominated for an Academy Award for his part – growls and grumbles throughout as an old school private detective, and you can almost hear the boos when Peter Coyote’s prosecutor appears on screen.

Jagged Edge is erotic, pulpy fun and worth revisiting, only there is little in the way of extras to make this Blu-ray an essential purchase. But if it is your first viewing, and you don’t see the barely hidden twist coming, you need to have a quiet word with yourself.

THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR – THE COMPLETE SERIES

When the hugely popular anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents came to the end of its eighth series, it was time for a change. Although there wasn’t much difference in the format, the title reflected the expansion from stories presented under 30 minutes to those that run under the hour – 50 minutes when you take out the constant commercial breaks. The signature theme tune – Funeral March of a Marionette – in place as always. In fact, it’s still hard to picture the portly director without hearing that tune in your head. From Season Two, the opening credits were updated to boast a creepy illustrated piece as opposed to the regular Hitch outline drawing.

The show debuted in September 1962 and ran for three seasons, running up 93 episodes. ViaVision’s exhaustive box set includes all three series across 24 discs. The venerable rotund host displays his usual sardonic style in the introductions, which could have very easily have been the best thing about the show, were it not for the fact that many of the stories were cracking little thrillers in their own right. Like all the big anthology series, there are some tales that work better than others, but generally, they are all entertaining.

There are star names a-plenty playing in the teleplays, including a young Robert Redford in the opening story. Other familiar faces include Christopher Lee (as a horror actor in a stand-out in the second season’s eerie The Sign of Satan), James Mason, Jayne Mansfield, and Leslie Nielsen. While Hitchcock directed a number of episodes of Presents, he only helms one here, and it’s in the first season. The story, I Saw the Whole Thing is a courtroom drama in which a hit-and-run driver defends himself when faced with five witnesses who claim he didn’t stop at a junction. It’s a small entry from the master of suspense but is full of twists.

ViaVision’s box set presents all the episodes in perfect quality, and features a bonus episode from the Ford Startime series, a story called Incident at a Corner, which was directed by Hitchcock and featuring Vera Miles and George Peppard. This colour episode was filmed soon after Psycho and featured much of the same crew. The story has an old man losing his job as a school crossing warden when a letter is found accusing him of improper conduct. It features plenty of shots that you wouldn’t normally see in a TV drama and the subject matter is nearer the knuckle than anything you’d expect too.

If you’re a fan of the Master of Suspense, the series is a must-buy if only for the brilliantly pithy intros. The addition of the rare colour story is a nice bonus.