MR VAMPIRE (1985)

mr vampire

CERT: 15 / FORMAT: BLU-RAY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Horror and comedy have gone hand in hand for years, from Abbott and Costello to Ghostbusters and even Scream. Yet, some of the greatest horror comedies of all time are still criminally underrepresented. One of the deepest and most rewarding wells of the sub-genre is easily the ‘80s offerings of East Asian directors like Sammo Hung and Ricky Lau. Lau’s first horror comedy, Mr Vampire, is the latest film in Lau’s filmography to receive a restoration from Eureka!

Master Gau (Lam Ching-Ying) performs complex magic to keep the undying corpses of vampires, eternally at rest. After accepting a reburial job from a wealthy businessman, Gau stumbles across a powerful vampire, and takes him home to study. Whilst Gau works to keep the vampire at bay, his two inept apprentices Man-choi and Chau-sang, work hard to woo the daughter of the wealthy businessman.

After the success of Sammo Hung’s Encounters of the Spooky Kind, horror comedy became a more bankable venture in Hong Kong and Chinese markets. So much so that Hung produced this film for Lau in 1985, five years after Hung’s breakthrough film. The goofy roots of Hung’s humour are easily spotted in Lau’s Mr Vampire, as is the fondness for sheer camp, folklore, and slapstick. From scene one, Mr Vampire is a farce in every possible way, its story spurred forward by sheer misfortune and stupidity. Its characters are a mixture of classic pantomime archetypes caught in a fateful duel with pure evil. The results are inconsistent but so easily enjoyable the film is a worthwhile venture.

Though made in the ‘80s the period setting and cosiness of the humour is very reminiscent of the old Hollywood Abbot and Costello films. The dark gory roots of ‘80s Chinese horror cinema lie with auteurs like Chang Cheh, but Lau’s is a world of family friendly thrills. Whatever horror might have been in the original folklore is all but stripped out in favour of slapstick and stupidity. Which isn’t a bad thing at all. Lau carefully balances his goofy comedy with fascinating folk magic and action set pieces bound to entertain even the most hard core fans of East Asian cinema. It’s also a wonderful starting point for potential new fans of the subgenre.

SUPERMAN: MAN OF TOMORROW

Superman Man of Tomorrow

CERT: 12 | PLATFORM: DIGITAL, DVD, BLU-RAY (REVIEWED) / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 23RD (DIGITAL), SEPTEMBER 7TH (HOME VIDEO)

With the phenomenal Justice League Dark: Apokolips War bringing the DC Animated Movie Universe to a close earlier this year, the world of animated DC pictures is a fresh canvas in every possible way. And now, the formative days of the Big Blue Boy Scout’s rise to herodom gets an all-new adventure in Man of Tomorrow.

In Man of Tomorrow, we find a Clark Kent (Darren Criss) who is serving as an intern at the Daily Planet while also moonlighting as a masked hero. Unsure of himself or his place in the world, this is an angle to Clark that’s rarely been focussed on in an animated feature as the film pulls plentiful elements of characterisation from the fantastic Superman: Birthright comic book run, and screenwriter Tim Sheridan does a marvellous job in hitting the right beats for such a tale.

While it’s always initially a little jarring to hear new voices in roles so synonymous with other dulcet tones, the cast of Man of Tomorrow all deliver wonderfully. Darren Criss makes for a stoic but vulnerable Superman – with one particular scene bringing genuine goosebumps to the arms – Alexandra Daddario’s Lois Lane is forever fiery in hunting down the big stories of the day, Zachary Quinto devilishly devours every scene his Lex Luthor is in, Ike Amadi absolutely nails the calm demeanour of the Martian Manhunter, Brett Dalton shows great versatility as his Rudy Jones gets put through the wringer more than most, and Ryan Hurst’s gravel-drenched delivery is an inspired choice for Lobo.

It’s not just the cast who are new here, for director Chris Palmer and animation veteran Butch Lukic have developed a vibrant, smooth style for characters and landscapes that are very much in the wheelhouse of Archer – and it works brilliantly for Criss’ Supes and his supporting players, with the look of the movie making its moments and characters personable yet powerful, while the distinct visuals simultaneously distance Man of Tomorrow from previous Super-flicks.

Elsewhere, this release is rounded out by two great featurettes each showcasing Lobo and the Martian Manhunter, a grin-inducing early look at ‘70s-set martial arts picture Batman: Soul of the Dragon, two classic offerings of Superman: The Animated Series, and a couple of other fun bits and pieces.

All in all, Superman: Man of Tomorrow is a great all-round package, with the main feature film proving to be a poignant, action-packed tale of discovery that lays bare what makes the Man of Steel tick.

EQUUS (1977)

equus

CERT: 15 / FORMAT: BLU-RAY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Film versions of stage plays are generally divisive: how far from the original to stray? How beyond the playwright’s intention is the filmmaker’s? All that jazz. But Sidney Lumet’s 1977 version of Peter Shaffer’s hit 1973 National Theatre production is one of the most effective and powerful stage-to-screen translations because it takes confident risks and lands them. Stridently literalising a highly stylised stage production, with real horses instead of giant puppets, it’s a full-tilt psychodrama of a very English persuasion, despite the rather conspicuous Canadian location filming.

Teenage loner Alan Strang (Peter Firth) is committed to the care of psychologist Martin Dysart (Richard Burton) following an incident where the curly-haired lad blinds six horses with a sickle at a stable where he’s been working at weekends and getting the eye from Jenny Agutter. Alan isn’t the full shilling, of course, being the product of a fractured homelife in the ‘care’ of a religious zealot mum and a pussywhipped dad (Joan Plowright and Colin Blakely – utterly brilliant both). His self-created mode of ‘escape’ from all this is a bizarre worship of horses – which is how he ends up starkers above a stable with Jenny. But – drat it! – this most-‘70s of teenage sexual opportunities has him flapping like a wind-sock, so it’s time to take his abject failure out on those innocent nags downstairs in the most medieval way imaginable.

Lumet casts this to perfection. Firth, who created the role of Alan on stage, is astonishing, but this is all about Richard Burton in his last truly towering performance. Delving into Alan’s psyche and seeing a profound pattern to the boy’s outwardly crazed behaviour has a converse effect on Dysart’s fragile academic assumptions about ‘sanity’. Deep into late-phase alcoholism, the actor rages and broods with a controlled power you know is taking him over the top to a place few performers could, or perhaps should ever inhabit. It’s not a movie you’ll want to go back to very often, but because of Burton’s harrowing conviction, entreating us to come with him into the mouth of madness, you won’t need to: it’ll be under your skin and in your dreams.

This comprehensive 2-disc BFI re-release majors on director Sidney Lumet, with an 89-minute interview from 1981. Peter Firth is the subject of an excellent new 45-minute chinwag on his career and there’s a host of other equine goodies including some tangential but still-interesting short films although not (Firth fans rise up now and fight back!) any episodes of his breakout series, Here Come the Double Deckers. Best of all here is In from the Cold? A Portrait of Richard Burton, Tony Palmer’s sprawling 1988 feature-length documentary profiling the great man. To call it an ‘extra’ doesn’t do it justice.

PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS

coming attractions

As the title suggests, this is a collection of movie trailers packaged as a standalone film. Or films in this case, as the DVD includes a further two collections, Schlock O’Rama and Trailersploitation. That pair of assorted clips epitomise what you get here: low budget, gore-and-boob-filled trash. That said, it’s mighty enjoyable.

Despite opening with a double-whammy of The Driller Killer and Night of the Living Dead, Previews of Coming Attractions focuses on the type of film you won’t easily come across in HMV. Put together by Tony Newton and Nathan Hill, we get 100 minutes of trailers for the likes of Easter Bunny Bloodbath, An Hour to Kill, There’s Nothing Out There, Deep Undead, and Cool as Hell II. They’re all ultra-low-budget, shot on video fare, with limited acting skills and improvised gore (not to mention a plethora of naff digital effects) but they look fun, which is why we watch exploitation films anyway. One thing’s for sure, there will be a few films that you’ll make note of and want to track down later – even if it’s to confirm the WFT element of them.

As mentioned, the disc also includes another two compilations. It’s probably best not to binge them at once as there are a couple of films that crossover into all the collections and you’ll more than likely get trash film fatigue. They are great as background if you’re having a party (remember those?) or want a braindead night on the couch. There’s a world of movies out there that never touch the glamour of Hollywood or will ever bother the local multiplex. Don’t be afraid of trying them out. It’s just entertainment, not rocket science; it is all art, though.

THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (1928)

The Man Who Laughs

CERT: PG | PLATFORM: BLU-RAY | RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 17TH

Though best remembered for inspiring the face of DC’s Joker, The Man Who Laughs, a 1928 silent movie directed by Paul Leni for Universal, is an important part of horror history. It now gets its first ever UK home release courtesy of Eureka.

Based on a Victor Hugo novel, it’s an eighteenth century-set tale. Conrad Veidt stars as Gwynplaine, who as a child had his face mutilated into a disturbing grin. He scrapes a living as a carnival performer, amusing audiences with his permanent ‘laugh’, but when Queen Anne’s court learns of his existence and true aristocratic heritage, the subsequent scheming throws this life into turmoil.

The movie packs a lot in – romance, political intrigue, swashbuckling action, and an enjoyably anti-authoritarian energy – but at the centre is Veidt’s incredible performance. You can see how he inspired the Joker, but Gwynplaine is a different character entirely, much more sympathetic, unable to believe that his blind companion could truly love him were she able to see his face; this heart-rending take on living with a deformity puts the film ahead of its time.

Yet it also had a massive influence on horror cinema; Leni’s eerie gothic visuals strongly informed the later Universal classics, and two of his main collaborators here – art director Charles Hall and make-up virtuoso Jack Pierce – would help define that series.

The 1080p presentation comes from Universal’s 4K restoration, and there’s a choice of soundtrack – a recently recorded score by the Berklee School of Music, or the (much tinnier) original movietone. Behind the scenes interviews and featurettes explore the film’s place in cinema history, plus there’s a booklet of essays.

THE FIFTH ELEMENT (1997)

CERT: 12 / FORMAT: 4K BLU-RAY, BLU-RAY, DVD, DIGITAL / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 24TH

Brainwashed by the evil Mr. Shadow, villain Zorg (Gary Oldman) is doing everything he can to find and stop the intelligent alien life-form, and key to the superpower of The Elemental Stones, Leeloo (Milla Jovovich)/The Fifth Element. Unluckily for him, Leeloo is under the protection of soldier turned taxi cab driver Korben (Bruce Willis), who have both stumbled into a mission to try and stop a humongous fireball from ending life on earth.

In this florescent, and refreshing ‘90s sci-fi classic, director Luc Besson merges grand CGI and neat practical effects to paint his vision. We see this well executed combination occur a lot, however one of the most memorable scenes has to be when Leeloo runs away from a ‘Dredd’-looking police force, and crash lands into the taxi cab of Korben – all with a futuristic, flying car packed New York City as its backdrop.

After our heroes find each other, peculiar occurrences and conflicts keep flying right at them. While journeying through a retro space station, a flying hotel, and a historic temple to name just a few very detailed and bright set pieces for an answer, we come across a variety of quirky characters. From the hilarious live radio show host Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker), to the glue of finer plot points Cornelius (played by the late and great Ian Holm), the running time holds an array of larger than life acting performances, who between them, have helped give this film its legacy. Some sci-fi outputs like to be too confusing for no reason, but The Fifth Element is light-years from that. It’s just a very fun, comedic action blast battle of good against evil.

DOCTOR WHO – POWER OF THE DALEKS SPECIAL EDITION

daleks

CERT: 12 / FORMAT: BLU-RAY

Broadcast in November 1966, Power of the Daleks is one of the ‘Holy Grail’ Doctor Who serials in that it introduced both Patrick Troughton as the second on-screen incarnation of the Doctor and the concept of ‘regeneration’ (referred to here as ‘renewal’) that gave the series a handy get-out clause when its lead actor decided that it was time to move on from the show, paving the way for the dozen or so actors who have followed in Troughton’s wake. Frustratingly, the original episodes were purged by the BBC back in the 1970s and the entire serial was animated in 2016, in time for the story’s 50th anniversary.

Power of the Daleks reappears now in 2020 to celebrate… err… its 54th anniversary and the animators, having admitted that the ‘rush job’ nature of the original meant that the animation wasn’t quite all it could have been, have made some tweaks and adjustments that make for a smoother and more naturalistic viewing experience, albeit within the inevitable limitations of an animated version of an original live action production. This is really the best we can expect from what is actually a fairly mundane story – the newly-renewed Doctor and his friends Ben and Polly arrive on the planet Vulcan where Earth colonists are foolishly experimenting on a recovered space capsule containing a group of apparently inanimate Daleks – but even improved animation can’t properly fill in odd gaps in the high quality audio and we don’t really get a decent sense of the little tics and quirks the expressive Troughton would have brought to his performance.

Still, this new 3-disc edition boasts a raft of interesting new special features (especially an archive Alan Whicker documentary from 1968 exploring the phenomenon of horror fiction on film and TV, which is a hoot) that alone make the double-dip purchase worthwhile.


 

SPLIT SECOND

CERT: 18 | PLATFORM: BLU-RAY | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

It’s 2008 and global warming has caused London to flood, meaning the use of leather jackets, weird John Lennon sunglasses and very big guns are now compulsory for the police. Well, at least for the renegade, loose cannon type. Fulfilling this iconic stereotype is Harley Stone (Rutger Hauer), who is on a mission to stop the serial killer who murdered his partner. Joining him on this gun-toting, blood-soaked ride is green pencil-pusher Dick Durkin (Alastair Duncan) and Stone’s ex-partner’s wife, Michelle (Kim Cattrall), who do their best to add some comedy and sex appeal to the proceedings. Oh, and the creature doing the killing is as baffling as it is cool.

The appeal of this low-budget indie favourite is that it wears its meagre budget, cliché-ridden script and general cinematic inadequacies on its sleeve. Clearly visually inspired by Japanese manga and 2000AD, the stereotypes and banality of the dialogue are masked deftly by a wonderful sense of daft escapism. And, above all, it’s Hauer that makes this infinitely watchable as he lives out every fanboy’s fantasy of becoming a cigar-chomping, quip-spitting action man on the edge, all beautifully “haused” in his enigmatic screen presence. Honestly, any film is worth watching for Hauer’s performance and this film is no different.

The film looks great in this new high-definition transfer and comes complete with an audio commentary. But, as is often the way with these releases, it is fulfilled by fans of the film rather than cast or crew talent. Not that this is always an issue, but here it certainly is. The facts are plentiful, but while filmmaker Arne Venema does his best to stay on track, film historian Mike Leeder loves the sound of his voice far too much and constantly talks over Venema with jokes only he laughs at. It’s also out of sync with the movie by a good few minutes, which is frustrating.

A second disc gives you a great selection of interviews with the producer, actor Alastair Duncan, music composer, line producer, effects designer and cinematographer. All of which help to fill in the blanks left by the audio commentary and make for much more interesting viewing. Original material is also included, including a making of, featurette and promotional TV clips.

Best of all, though, is the inclusion of the Japanese cut, featuring a flurry of additional scenes that are great to see, even if they are presented in 4:3 with burnt-in Japanese subtitles. Finally, the set comes with a gorgeous little booklet on the making of the film that sits in a box with really nicely-produced new artwork.

FLASH GORDON (40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

CERT: PG | FORMAT: 4K BLU-RAY | RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 10TH

Flash Gordon’s reputation has grown over the years and, watching this glorious 40th anniversary 4k restoration, you can see why.

The things it was criticised for back then are now its crowning achievements. Its comic book nature translates perfectly to the screen, acting and script strike the right balance of fun and gravity and the whole thing speeds along like an Ajax rocket.

The ropey effects are now filled with loving nostalgia. They are breathtakingly beautiful, especially the stunning cloudscapes. And the production design is out of this world – rarely has a film looked so good. Queen’s score is the best thing they ever did, although most of it is the work of Howard Blake.

Max Von Sydow as Ming gets it just right with a menacing balance of charm and sadism. Topol’s bonkers turn as Zarkov matches the film perfectly, not knowing whether it’s high camp or serious SF, and the rest of the cast go along with it – Timothy Dalton coming across all Errol Flynn, Peter Wyngarde stealing scenes with just his voice and, of course, Brian Blessed.

A host of extras includes a commentary from Blessed and one from director Mike Hodges. Both Sam Jones and Melody Anderson appear in the 90 minute “Life After Flash” documentary which provides a fascinating insight into what happens when you don’t become a big film star, but it all gets a bit ‘praise Jesus.’ More interesting is a documentary about the year Nic Roeg spent working on the film before Dino de Laurentiis abandoned his serious dystopian version for something more fun. If only both versions had been made…

DEATHSTROKE: KNIGHTS & DRAGONS

CERT: 15 | PLATFORM: DVD, BLU-RAY (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 4TH

Slade Wilson AKA Deathstroke is one of the greatest villains in the DC Universe, with a fascinating backstory, complex goals and motivations and having gone head-to-head with the likes of Batman, Nightwing, Green Arrow, the Justice League and the Teen Titans. He was so popular that the character began transitioning from comics to other forms of media, including the Teen Titans animated show, CW’s Arrow and Batman’s Arkham videogame series. Oh, and he also had an extremely brief cameo in Justice League (that’s including both versions). This new animated film dives deeper into Deathstroke’s backstory, touching upon Slade’s life as a military man, becoming a test subject that gave him his heightened abilities, his complicated family life with two children (Rose and Joseph Wilson) spawned out of two different love affairs, and his battle against H.I.V.E..

For a near 90-minute movie, this does a very solid job at analysing Deathstroke’s character, showing what drives him as a person, revealing his more compassionate side as opposed to his more ruthlessly violent one, and how being a mercenary for hire leads to devastating consequences for him and his family. This is largely because this story was written by expert comic book writer J. M. DeMatteis who, for the most part, hasn’t put a foot wrong when it comes to writing exciting yet layered stories. The animation style is really impressive, allowing for more fluid character movements and is leagues better than most of the recent DC animated movies that were modelled in the style of the New 52. Michael Chiklis does an impressive job at capturing Deathstroke’s war-weariness, nailing both the humanity and the ruthless sides of Slade’s character.

While the ending feels too abrupt and could’ve been resolved better, Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons is an impressive animated film that shows why DC’s Greatest Assassin is one of the best characters in that universe. The writing, voice-acting and animation are all solid, resulting in this being of the better DC animated movies in recent years.