Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

TIMELESS – THE COMPLETE SERIES

This all-but-forgotten NBC series may not have the reputation of others, but was loved by its following and is now getting a new lease of life thanks to this Blu-ray set released by Australia’s Via-Vision Entertainment.

The plot follows history professor Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer), Master Sergeant Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter), and engineer/pilot Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett), who as part of the ‘Lifeboat’ team, who traverse time to stop a thief, Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjić), changing history with the ‘Mothership’, a time machine he has stolen. After the first mission, Lucy arrives home to find her life has totally changed. Her mother is no longer on her death bed, stricken with cancer, and her sister doesn’t exist at all. As their adventures go on, something much more sinister as it turns out Flynn is trying to rid the world of a nefarious Illuminati-type group called Rittenhouse. An organisation that is more deadly and closer to the team than they can imagine.

With elements of Quantum Leap and Back to the Future (which gets the obligatory namecheck), Timeless is a fun show that managed to rise above its simple premise to become a series with a lot of heart. The opening episodes were directed by Neil Marshall, and he sets the pace well. There are very few saggy moments as the crew navigate their way through some key historical moments. The natural moral argument constantly arises – Rufus, a black man, struggles with not being able to save Abraham Lincoln, damning a whole race of Americans to a lifetime struggle – and these moments are handled compassionately. The show was originally cancelled after one season, even though it ended on a cliff-hanger, but Sony quickly managed to get that reversed, only for the axe to fall after the second season. Luckily, there was a special two-part finale that takes place at Christmas and ties all the pieces up nicely (also included in the box set).

For a show that no one talks about, it’s a mighty fine one and well worth either revisiting or discovering. The Blu-ray set includes some outtakes and inessential deleted scenes, but it’s the quality of the series that is the pulling power.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY – 4K UHD

CERT: 15 / PLATFORM: 4K UHD / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 30

With Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies getting new 4K restorations overseen by Jackson himself, let’s shine the spotlight here on the iconic LOTR offerings.

It’s absolutely nuts to think its nearly 20 years since our first cinematic trip to Middle-Earth, but here we are, 19 years on and with so many fond memories associated with this legendary triumvirate of films. And boy, does this 4K restoration serve The Lord of the Rings well.

Plot-wise, a ragtag group find themselves on a mission to destroy the One Ring and defeat the nefarious Sauron once and for all. Chances are, you’re already well, well, well aware of the antics and adventures documented in The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, of course.

The selling factor here is obviously the 4K treatment given to The Lord of the Rings. With this restoration and a new beefed-up Atmos audio, the viewing experience served up by this release is something truly special. It’s almost redundant to say that The Lord of the Rings has never looked or sounded better, but that’s the undeniable truth.

Whereas the most recent Blu-ray release of this trilogy tried to lighten up certain moments, the 4K restoration pulls back on that – and the movies are visually so much better for that. Instead of brightening scenes as a way to show more of what’s on screen, the 4K means that Jackson and his team can simply rely on the greater detail of 4K to proudly show off the intricacies of the trilogy and the sheer time and effort that went into bringing J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material to the screen. From characters, to armour, to weaponry, to landscapes and more, The Lord of the Rings in 4K is an utter delight.

One slightly negative aspect for some of this 4K release, though, is that there is no new bonus material included. In fact, that’s no bonus material, period. Across the nine discs that comprise this release – the theatrical editions of the movies getting one disc a-piece, and the extended editions spread across two discs each – there’s zero special features or additional content included. On that front, a further ‘ultimate’ release is scheduled for next year which will included new bonus features – which then poses the question of whether to commit to this release or hold off until next year.

The Lord of the Rings is one of the best 4K releases that we’ve seen in terms of the visuals and audio on offer, but that next new edition being on the horizon may be enough to put some fans off from picking this one up. Ultimately, it comes down to how much you value special features – and new ones, at that.

THE HOBBIT TRILOGY – 4K UHD

CERT: 15 / PLATFORM: 4K UHD / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 30

With so many favourites of yesterday currently getting swanky 4K upgrades, now comes the turn of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies to get a new sheen. A 4K restoration overseen directly by Jackson himself, then, lets see how An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies shape up under the 4K spotlight.

To loosely skirt over the plot, The Hobbit sees Martin Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins on a reluctant journey to accompany some Dwarves in their quest to get their mountain home back. Along the way, there’s all manner of creatures and fantasy tropes dotted out in a trilogy of films adapted and expanded from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit book.

It almost feels redundant to say it, but this new release of the beloved Hobbit movies looks utterly fantastic. Whereas The Lord of the Rings trio of movies can often be a dark and grizzled affair when it comes to their colour palette, The Hobbit trilogy is a more vibrant triumvirate of films – and that vibrancy lends itself beautifully to the 4K UHD format.

During their cinema run, An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies all looked marvellous. Likewise, the initial Blu-ray home release of those pictures looked stunning. But here, with a 4K sheen, your appreciation of the time and detail that’s gone into every single frame of these movies will be taken to a whole other level. The work from Peter Jackson, WETA and co. for their characters, landscapes, outfits, weapons and so much more is just jaw dropping here.

Whether it’s the backdrops of Middle-Earth, the menacing visage of Azog, the sun-drenched skies, the intricate scales of Smaug, the rendering of Gollum, the iconic barrel escape sequence, the trinkets in Bard’s house, or just the shimmer of the corduroy adorned by Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit Trilogy will have you in awe at what this 4K UHD restoration brings to the table. Until the capability of 4K is increased, however, it’s 24 frames-per-second here rather than the 48 fps that winged its way to the silver screen.

Although there are six discs included as part of this release – with 4K treatments for both the theatrical and extended cuts of all three films – fans hoping for new bonus material will be left disappointed on that front. In fact, Warner Bros. actually has a new ‘ultimate’ release planned for next year which will be crammed for a new additional content. Here though, there is no extra material on offer whatsoever. That obviously throws up the question of whether or not to shell out for this new trilogy release, or hold off until next year when you can get a release that’s adorned with new special features.

Visually and aurally, The Hobbit Trilogy is the sort of release that’s worth investing in a 4K player for. It’s just, as mentioned, whether you’d rather hold off until next year to get a fix of new bonus content.

THE H-MAN & BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE

CERT: 12 | PLATFORM: BLU-RAY | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Two films from Godzilla creator / director, Ishiro Honda, making their European Blu-ray debuts? Yes please!

The H-Man is a sci-fi noir thriller which finds the Tokyo police department trying to solve a most improbable case involving a radioactive mass of gloop that seeks out humans and instantly turns them to liquid, and also has the ability to take the form of a ghastly see-through glowing green humanoid. The plot doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but that’s all part of the charm. Set firmly in the real world, there are none of the models and miniatures that Honda / Toho would become known for. What we do get, though, are some classy cabaret performances, a few bits of goofy comedy, some really disturbing practical effects (the melting humans are super unsettling) and a rather tense showdown in Tokyo’s sewer system. The film takes its time – the yakuza / police plot takes up the majority of the running time – but it picks up when the H-Man finally makes an appearance.

Battle In Outer Space is likely to be much more along the lines of what you’d expect if someone said “hey, fancy watching a 1950s sci-fi film?” The action kicks off immediately when the crew of a space station find themselves in a sticky situation, and a UFO lifts a railway bridge into the air back on earth, causing the train to crash in spectacular fashion. Unexplained accidents start to occur across the world, and then it becomes apparent that the aliens have arrived! The actual battle doesn’t kick off until the second half of the film, with a wonderfully kitsch depiction of space exploration. The airborne dogfights between human and alien craft seem kind of quaint these days, but it’s still difficult not to be excited by all the tiny plastic spaceships whizzing around firing lasers all over the place. There’s also some riveting destruction towards the end, including some of the wobbliest cities seen anywhere outside of a Kaiju Big Battel show.

Both films include new commentaries from film historian David Kalat and the duo of Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, authors of 2017’s Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film. Between them, these commentaries put each film into context with what was going on in the world at the time, giving plenty of background details and generally treating the films with very fond reverence. All of the participants come across as likeable chaps, too – there’s none of the super-serious and stuffy tones that can be found elsewhere. Throw in a couple of stills galleries and the option to watch either the original Japanese or English dubbed version of each film to round things off, and you end up with a very enjoyable, if maybe not quite essential, package.

THIRST

The ‘Icelandic gay vampire splatter comedy’ strand of contemporary horror filmmaking might reasonably be described as ‘niche’. That means there are few reference points against which to compare Thirst; a new low-budget tale of crime, cults, and carnage that’s determined to stand out from the indie pack.

Mourning the passing of her brother, drug-addict Hulda is arrested by the police on suspicion of involvement in his death. Released for lack of evidence, Hulda meets Hjörtur, a 1000-year-old vampire with a voracious appetite for a certain male appendage. With detectives still convinced of Hulda’s guilt, Hjörtur decides to help by reanimating her brother’s corpse. Circling these chaotic creatures of the night, are an evangelical TV preacher and a bizarre underground fringe group with Hjörtur in their sights. The plot of Thirst takes a distant second place to the gore and the twisted freakishness that directors Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson and Gaukur Úlfarsson want the audience to focus attention on instead.

Pretty much everything about Thirst is gleefully, wilfully grotesque. Hollywood vampire flicks are populated with the beautiful, seductive, and effortlessly-stylish undead. In contrast, Thirst star Hjörtur looks more like Richard O’Brien’s ‘Riff Raff’ from Rocky Horror – after a few extra centuries of hard living. There’s nothing romantic about Thirst. This is no epic tale of loss and redemption; the usual ‘ancient prophecy’ beats barely feature. Instead, there are buckets of blood and entrails, and mouthfuls of bitten-off masculine meat. This is a small-scale movie in which the limitations of budget are as evident on-screen as the makers’ clear belief that they have crafted a ‘cult’ classic. Not every horror aficionado will choose to drink deep from Thirst. Whether you laugh, gag, or roll your eyes at the surreal, absurdist blood-letting on offer here will tell you something about the kind of genre cinephile you are.

Thirst is released on DVD and digital in the US on December 1st

HE CAME FROM THE SWAMP: THE WILLIAM GREFÉ COLLECTION

CERT: 18 | FORMAT: BLU-RAY | RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 30TH

Back in the 1960s and 70s, William Grefé specialised in low-budget grindhouse / exploitation fare for the late-night drive-in crowd. Based in Florida, he made full use of the surrounding countryside and local celebrities with varying degrees of success. Freely admitting to creating many of his films without a script (which often shows, but in a fascinating and intriguing kind of way), some of these films saw moderate success at the time while others failed quite miserably indeed. Apart from a handful of limited DVD releases in the early 2000s (which are pretty tricky to get hold of these days), Grefé’s films have languished in the more obscure corners of the cult cinema world for many years – until now. Arrow Films have taken the best available prints of seven of these most magnificent works of art, polished them up to the highest possible standard and released them on Blu-ray for the very first time.

Sting of Death and Death Curse of Tartu were released as a double bill, and are presented here together on the same disc for the full 1965 drive-in experience. Set in the Everglades, with copius overlong shots of the cast mucking about on airboats, the two films take care of the supernatural / horror side of things in exquisite fashion. Sting of Death follows a bunch of college kids on a short break in the wilds of Florida, where they encounter a terrifying mutated jellyfish man-monster (a man in a wetsuit with what appears to be a large opaque pillow on his head). Expect wholesome 60s-style go-go dancing freakouts, lingering close-ups of boobs and bums in bikinis, a couple of excellent rock n’ roll tunes, unbelievably massive plot holes and a tremendous jellyfish attack where the jellyfish appear to be tiny plastic bags filled with brightly coloured paint bobbing about on the surface of the water. It’s a tough act to follow, but Death Curse takes things a step further with its tale of a shapeshifting witch doctor hell-bent on defending his sacred burial ground from a team of archaeologists. Locations change mid-scene, dubbed-over dialogue is repeated like a bugged NPC in a videogame, more bikini babes shake their “thang” like there’s no tomorrow, and Tartu’s vengeance (which takes the form of a variety of animal attacks) and the climactic showdown are truly a sight to behold!

Drugs and general weirdness take centre stage on disc two’s The Hooked Generation and The Psychedelic Priest. Of the two, The Hooked Generation offers the most entertainment value by far, following a three-man gang of drug runners trying to escape the FBI who are closing in fast. The bad guys are really despicable, spending the majority of the film shooting people, mistreating their female hostage and generally causing chaos wherever they go. It’s a bit like a 1960s version of the motel scene from The Devil’s Rejects, only spread out across Florida’s overgrown waterways. Then, in The Psychedelic Priest, a man of the cloth drinks some pop that has been spiked by some mean teens, which sends him off on a journey of self-discovery. One of the more plotless / scriptless (and, without wanting to be too cruel about it, talentless) entries in the set, it’s slow going but still manages to be watchable in a “why haven’t I turned this off yet?” sort of way (top tip: you might find it more agreeable if you spike your own drink before pressing play).

Next up, a “twilight of her career” Rita Hayworth stars in The Naked Zoo, which forms the set’s low point. The story of a matronly lady finding lust and excitement with a younger man isn’t really up to much, even when her wheelchair-bound husband finds out what she’s up to and sets out to get his revenge. Its visuals make for a nice snapshot of the era, but that’s about the best thing you can really say about it (unless getting two versions of the film – the original, and a re-release with added nudity and an appearance by blues rockers Canned Heat – are plus points). This is followed by Mako: Jaws of Death, a 1976 effort that sought to capitalise on the shark craze that was sweeping cinemas thanks to the release of Jaws just one year earlier. It flips the script in a nice way, making the sharks into sympathetic characters rather than the killer mammals from the sea that you might expect, and has some ridiculously absurd scenes that you just aren’t going to find anywhere else. A real curiosity, and ranks just below the movies on disc one in terms of enjoyment value.

Lastly, the final disc includes Whiskey Mountain, where a gang of deranged bikers hassle a bunch of kids in the wilderness (there’s almost a bit of a theme going on here, isn’t there?), and a two-hour extended version of 2016’s They Came From The Swamp, a tremendous documentary that features interviews with Grefé along with many cast and crew members recounting their memories of working on set. There’s plenty more behind the scenes stuff across all four discs, with several films including archive commentaries from previous releases, featuring Grefé chatting away with Basket Case director (and B-movie aficionado) Frank Henenlotter, and there are plenty of other featurettes and mini-documentaries covering various aspects of 1970s underground movie-making.

As you’d expect from 50 year old low-budget films, the scripts, acting, special effects, cinematography, editing and overall audio / visual quality vary wildly across the board, but every film has its merits and the restoration job that has been done to each movie is really ten out of ten. You wouldn’t get away with handing this set to a serious movie buff, of course, but if you’re a fan of obscure cult cinema then it definitely shouldn’t be missed!

TOTAL RECALL – 4K UHD

CERT: 18 / PLATFORM: 4K UHD / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

To mark its 30th anniversary, Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall is the latest old favourite to be given a shiny new 4K release. Having had chance to look under the hood of said new release, let’s see whether this one’s worth spending your money on.

Plot-wise, Total Recall takes place on Mars in 2084 and centres on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Douglas Quaid. A construction worker by trade, Quaid soon finds himself thrown into a crazed tale of espionage and mystery. Are his memories and experiences real, or are they all merely implants of a life he wishes he’d lived? With twists and turns a plenty – and with an impressive ensemble cast featuring Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside and Ronny Cox – Total Recall has long been a favourite of so many genre fans.

As someone who hasn’t watched Total Recall for a good few years, it’s striking to realise all over again just how fun the film is. Not in a slapstick manner, of course, but Total Recall so often has an undercurrent of humour flowing through it, and the practical SFX on show are just as charming this time around as they were when the film was released back in 1990.

The majority of you are likely well, well aware of Total Recall as a movie, but what does this new release of an old favourite offer up to make you contemplate parting with your pennies? Firstly, the 4K restoration of the movie works so, so well for the more outlandish elements of Verhoeven’s film – in particularly, the red desolation of the trippy Mars scenes pop from the screen in a ridiculous manner. Likewise, this new sheen also affords further appreciation for the aforementioned SFX of the feature, with you again being able to realise why Total Recall was such a true revolutionary of its time when it comes to the movie’s visuals.

Elsewhere, the Total Excess: How Carolco Changed Hollywood documentary could well be a release all of its own, such is the quality as we get to explore the golden years of ‘80s and ‘90s cinema. Detailed doesn’t even cut it when it comes to describing how great Total Excess is, with this such a fantastic watch for anyone with even the slightest of interest in the films of those times. In addition to this, though, there are so many other fantastic pieces of bonus material included on this release – whether that’s the Open Your Mind: Scoring Total Recall featurette, the Dreamers Within the Dream: Developing Total Recall effort, the audio commentary from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven, or the other plentiful little nuggets dotted across this anniversary edition.

For fans of Total Recall, this new release is an absolute must-have. For those who have yet to see the movie, this is the absolute perfect way to experience a bona fide sci-fi classic.

SPRING (2014)

FORMAT: BLU-RAY / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 30TH

Aaron Moorehouse and Justin Benson are quite the filmmaking team and, if you’re not yet familiar with them,

Spring is an impressive way to introduce yourself to their work. Between the pair, they seem to be able to do pretty much everything on a film – write, direct, photograph, edit, even act.

In Spring, their follow up to their time bending debut feature, Resolution, a young American man escaping the death of his mother and a violent act travels to Europe, settling in Italy where he takes a job on a farm and develops a relationship with a beautiful woman. Evan and Louise spend time getting to know each other against the backdrop of this sleepy, out of season coastal town, although Louise keeps Evan a distance. For good reason, as Louise is not all that she seems.

Beautifully mixing drama, romance, and horror, Spring is a captivating exploration of loss, love, and how far we’ll go to find a meaningful connection with someone. The cast are fantastic, it’s beautifully shot and scripted and most of the gooey effects work well within the limitations of the clearly low budget. It goes from a charming meander to the grip of a slimy tentacle…

Extras on they Blu-ray release include the original 2014 commentary plus a brand new one, the perspective of time offering some tasty insights. There are a few bloopers and deleted scenes, and a brief look at the main six set piece, but mainly, the extras consist of short comic films showing how much fun the team obviously had making the film.

Moorehouse and Benson are a very talented pair, as they went on to show in their next film, the brilliant Endless. Now, they’ve hit the big bucks, a major film with Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan starring in Synchronic. This Blu-ray gives a real insight into where the filmmakers’ talents sprung from.

LA HAINE (25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

CERT: 15 | PLATFORM: BLU-RAY| RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 23RD

Writer/director Mathieu Kassovitz’s second feature La Haine gripped audiences and critics alike when first released in 1995. 25 years on, it’s more impactful and relevant than ever. The perfect time, then, for another look at it, as the BFI’s new restoration reaches Blu-ray.

After the police shooting of young immigrant Abdel leads to riots erupting across Paris, three of Adbel’s friends wait to find out whether he will emerge from his coma. The film follows them across 20 hours as they kill time, full of anger but powerless to do anything.

La Haine has a real edge, a sense of growing anxiety, set on the fringes of society and on the fringes of major events. It’s perhaps remembered as a brutal, grim film, but it’s not all monotone depression; there’s a sense of humour undercutting everything, and we enjoy spending time with these characters.

Which, of course, makes the anxiety and the brutality, when it comes, all the more hard-hitting. As summed up in its memorable quote, La Haine is “about a society that’s falling – so far so good, so far so good.” This persistent sense that everything could fall apart at any moment feels very 2020, as does, in light of Black Lives Matter, the film’s anger at police violence towards ethnic minorities.

The restoration work is impressive; if you didn’t catch the 4K screenings in cinemas, this Blu-ray version is the next best option. Plus, the 2-disc box is packed with extras. Highlights include an in-depth introduction from Riz Ahmed and a new interview with Kassowitz. There’s also an 80-page book of essays and interviews.

BURST CITY (1982)

Japanese punk-rock action musicals are a hell of a niche market, but Arrow Video have thrown caution to the wind and released the 1982 Sogo Ishii classic Burst City for the first time. The film has been long-lauded as one of the first statements in modern Japanese filmmaking, and has attained a cult status among those in search of a frenetic, dystopian take on corporate greed and the power of community, however that may look.

The story, as such, is told through musical set-pieces, and though there are those who view the movie more as a cultural document of its time, a depiction of a changing Japan and the ensuing class struggle that needed to be recorded, it holds up to remote viewing from almost forty-years’ distance. Ishii’s early films, and especially Burst City, were pivotal in the creation of the Japanese cyberpunk movement, which later birthed Akira and Ghost in the Shell, and although he found more fame in the West than at home, this release stands as a welcome reappraisal of his position in history.

The Arrow Blu-ray comes with several interesting extras, including a new audio commentary by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes, a documentary on the making of the film, and an hour-long interview with the director, titled The Punk Spirit of ’82. Throw in a reversible cover with art by Chris Malborn, and this is a worthy acquisition to your Japanese, punk, or 1980s Blu-ray libraries.

Burst City is one of those films that isn’t for everybody but should be, an explosion of kinetic energy in cinematic form, and is two hours well-spent in an era when our time is so very precious. Japanese punk-rock action musicals? The best kind, mate.