Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

FORMAT: BLU-RAY | DIRECTOR: JOHN HUGHES | SCREENPLAY: JOHN HUGHES | STARRING: MOLLY RINGWALD, PAUL DOOLEY, JUSTIN HENRY, ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Humans love nostalgia, the word being a compound of the Greek for homecoming and pain. It sums up two emotions that really drive us – happiness and sadness, and we can’t get enough of it, hence the current popularity of series like Stranger Things. Luckily for those into even more authentic nostalgia, we have John Hughes and the release of Sixteen Candles on Blu-ray. Originally released in 1984, the film is lovingly restored, with a fine package of newly filmed extras. Thirty-five years later, it doesn’t fail to entertain.

Most people purchasing this disc will probably know the classic story of Samantha (Ringwald) turning 16, only to be frustrated that her family have forgotten, as they’re too busy preparing for her sister’s wedding, and her pursuit of Jake (a popular senior with movie star good looks) only to be targeted by Geek Ted (Hall), who manages to steal every scene he is in – impressive for a 15-year-old. We are presented with many of the classic high school movie tropes; hanging out at a dance, crazy house party, nerds clashing with jocks, complete with the fashion and music, nostalgia is practically dripping from every frame.

This can only get you so far, yet what keeps Sixteen Candles popular is the genuinely funny script, an array of good characters and great performances, including John Cusack’s first full role as an awkward nerd, Edward Andrews who delivers some great lines as Samantha’s Grandpa and of course Ringwald who, at 15 herself, provides a perfect teen angst performance that many have related to over the years. There are also some nice touches you may not have noticed the first time; we witness some concerned parents forcibly dropping their son off at the dance when he states he would rather hang out with them, a funny aside, but also a comment on the sometimes-difficult period of your life, when you have to discover who you are without your parents.

There are a couple of troublesome pieces that sadly haven’t aged so well. Chinese exchange student Long Duk Dong, complete with Chinese music and gong, every time we see him, is completely over the top and certainly offensive by today’s standards. To be fair to actor Gedde Watanabe, he plays it so well that Dong is actually one of the more memorable characters; plus he manages to get a girlfriend and have the wildest night of his life after his first high school party, what a legend! Impossible to defend is the treatment of Jake’s drunk girlfriend, Caroline. After she passes out at the aforementioned house party, Jake lets geek Ted drive her home, even though he’s drunk and has no licence – stating that “she’s so blitzed she won’t know the difference.” This is the other side of nostalgia, realising that not everything that has gone before was better; we can actually improve society in meaningful ways by learning from the past, so learn from this movie, indulge in the extras but ultimately just enjoy this unapologetically silly but great film, because there will never be another Sixteen Candles.

KILLERS ANONYMOUS / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: MARTIN OWEN / SCREENPLAY: SETH JOHNSON, ELIZABETH MORRIS / STARRING: TOMMY FLANAGAN, RHYON NICOLE BROWN, MYANNA BURING / RELEASE DATE: 26TH AUGUST

Support groups for those battling addictions and illnesses or dealing with the repercussions of trauma have long been recognised as an essential part of the recovery process for many sufferers, and are widely recommended by counsellors and clinicians of different disciplines. It’s less common to come across a therapeutic safe space for assassins and hitmen. This intriguing idea is the premise for Martin Owen’s sassy and stylish new whodunnit, Killers Anonymous; a mixture of crime caper, surrealist thriller and mission-gone-wrong movie motifs. Troubled guns-for-hire and those who kill for pleasure as well as for profit are invited to attend sessions at which these murderers can share feelings and describe their experiences of dispensing death with other practitioners of the art.

The members of the London Killers Anonymous (KA) group assemble on a night when the capital is in uproar. Visiting US Senator and Presidential hopeful John Kyle has been gunned down, and the police are on the hunt for whoever pulled the trigger. But this set of killers, each of whom is seeking some kind of comfort or absolution through meeting with like-minded individuals, are not sure which of their number might have carried out the hit. It’s hardly the ideal session at which to welcome the young and nervous Alice, a first-timer who none of them have met before.

This could all suggest a film with an extremely grim and downbeat tone. But Owen’s script uses this setting as the springboard for a study of an ensemble of larger-than-life characters all of whom are wrestling in some way with the psychological toll of taking life. Tim McInnerny is believably chilling as Calvin, a doctor who hastens the death of his patients, Michael Socha is oddly endearing as a Triad enforcer who turned on his own boss, and MyAnna Buring is brilliant as the unflappable group facilitator (and vicar of the parish) Joanna.

As the group squabble and “share,” their discussions are being monitored by the unnamed mentor of the Los Angeles KA chapter, played by Gary Oldman (who, thankfully, is in restrained less-is-more mode here). It’s Oldman’s character who sets events in motion, through a debriefing session on a botched hit job in a London boozer with the impetuous and impulsive Jade (Jessica Alba on fantastic form, as a transatlantic shooter).

But it’s the richness of Owen’s dialogue, the ensemble of unreliable killers, and the continual surprises and switches which unfold in the confines of the church that give Killers Anonymous its appeal, rather than the star names. In truth, the film doesn’t need the LA connection at all; but this might just be something aimed at boosting its appeal Stateside.

The whole film is beautifully rendered on screen, making the most of what’s clearly a modest budget. The atmospheric lighting and nightclub-style colour palette reinforce the sense that the group are locked away in a backstreet drinking den. There’s an assured confidence and self-belief underpinning everything, and the film is punctuated by some inventive narrative tricks. It’s arguable that the compound revelations of the plot stretch credibility a little too far, but it’s all entertaining stuff.

The film’s violence is surreal and grotesque rather than gory (and is literally cartoon-like in the fight sequence that accompanies the opening credits). And while it might feel inevitable that a showdown amongst murderers (all of whom find pacifism something of a challenge) will be explosive, the film’s endgame remains an entertainingly crafted bloodbath, delivered with a great deal of glee.

THE BLOOD OF A POET (1930) AND TESTAMENT OF ORPHEUS (1960) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JEAN COCTEAU / STARRING: JEAN COCTEAU, ENRIQUE RIVERO / RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 5TH

The French cinema of the twentieth century produced many notable filmmakers, but few as distinctive as Jean Cocteau, a master of the avant-garde. Also a playwright, poet, and visual artist, he mixed in various artistic circles, all of which inspired his striking celluloid creations. Two films made thirty years apart, which bookend his career in film, are Le sang d’un poète, or The Blood of a Poet, and Le testament d’Orphée, or Testament of Orpheus; both now receive 4K restorations as they debut on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The Blood of a Poet stars Enrique Rivero as an artist who draws a face, only for the mouth to come to life. He then ‘experiments’ with this mouth for a bit (no prizes for working out what that means… it’s surprisingly kinky for a 1930 film), but the plot only gets weirder from there, as a statue comes to life and forces the artist through a mirror into a surreal and torturous world. The meaning of it all is deliberately enigmatic, but it’s a dream-like visual delight, with some impressive in-camera effects for its era.

Jumping forward 30 years, Testament of Orpheus is an equally abstract film in which Cocteau stars as himself. After an opening sequence in which he time travels to various points in the life of a professor, Cocteau becomes trapped in a world that can best be described as a reflection of his artistic career, with a character he’d previously killed as a ghostly guide – think the avant-garde version of Scrooge being taken through his own lifetime. There are also cameos from many notable figures of the time, including Pablo Picasso, Yul Brynner, and Brigitte Bardot.

Both these films, then, are a reflection on the artistic process. This can, to be frank, come across as irritatingly pretentious, as if the only person Cocteau is interested in is himself. Nevertheless, both films have a plethora of imaginative visuals that, except for one overlong trial sequence midway through Testament, prevent them from becoming tedious. Cocteau’s approach seems to have lightened over the years; Blood of a Poet is a dark, grim dive into the psychological struggles of an artist, whereas Testament is a much more cheerful musing, with several moments of humour.

If that appeals to you, then these two films are a good introduction to Cocteau’s career, and they look better than ever on these well-restored Blu-ray presentations. The extras are a little slim; each film comes with a half-hour documentary exploring an aspect of Cocteau’s career, featuring interviews with experts.

EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR:JOE BERLINGER / SCREENPLAY: ELIZABETH KENDALL, MICHAEL WERWIE / STARRING: LILY COLLINS, ZAC EFRON, ANGELA SARAFYAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (NETFLIX), 9TH SEPTEMBER (DVD / BLU-RAY)

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile chronicles the events of serial killer Ted Bundy’s arrest and subsequent trial, all as seen through the eyes of Elizabeth “Liz” Kloepfer (Lily Collins), Bundy’s long-term girlfriend.

It starts when Kloepfer reflects on first meeting Bundy (Zac Efron) in 1969 and the bliss he brought her as a single mother. Life seems good until he is arrested and convicted for abducting a young woman. At first it seems like a miscarriage of justice, with Bundy seen as a victim of coincidence, matching the description of the suspect and driving the same car. As the years roll on, a picture begins to unravel when detectives from several US states, all with evidence of abduction and murder of young women, seek to indict Bundy, which culminates in a landmark trial in Florida. How could Liz possibly still believe him now?

Initially, Extremely Wicked throws out the question: what is Zac Efron doing in this film? However, he absolutely nails it in the part of Bundy. He is subtle, charming, clean cut (as Efron has been perceived in previous films) yet highly manipulative, so superficially you are drawn in to the idea that Efron couldn’t possibly be a murderer just like Bundy was (strategically, there is only one scene in which Efron as Bundy kills someone, to heighten this perception). Equally, Lily Collins plays Liz with such awareness and sensitivity that you understand how someone could be manipulated to an unhealthy point of self-doubt. They are supported with appearances by Kaya Scodelario as Carole Ann Boone, who eventually carries Bundy’s child, John Malkovich as the judge who ultimately sentences Bundy (and describes him with the words in the film’s title), Jim Parsons as the prosecutor (nice to see him in a role that’s not Sheldon!) and Haley Joel Osment as the man who helps Liz to move on with her life after Bundy.

However, with such an excellent cast, Extremely Wicked makes some serious mistakes with its handling of the narrative. Firstly, it makes use of some blinking obvious visual metaphors (like a dog barking at evil Bundy, the image of a shark always drawn by Liz’s daughter etc) which border on patronising. Secondly, when the trial takes off, it diverts from its original story about the relationship between Bundy and Liz in an attempt to comment about the media’s relationship with the US judicial system (Bundy’s trial was the first to be televised); it just feels out of place.

Extremely Wicked is a very interesting film; its cast makes the film engaging to the point that you can overlook the more careless elements of storytelling.

FOR ALL MANKIND (1989) / FORMAT: BD / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: AL REINERT / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind, making the first human footprints on the moon’s surface, fifty years ago this month. You’re unlikely to have missed this anniversary, as it’s been marked by the cinematic releases of two new documentaries, Apollo 11 and Armstrong. The Criterion Collection has also marked the occasion with this new Blu-ray release of Al Reinert’s 1989 documentary For All Mankind.

While the two new films focus on the most famous mission and its commander, For All Mankind compiles footage from several Apollo flights. Reinert discovered, back in 1979, a huge NASA archive of film footage from these missions. Over a course of ten years, he meticulously sifted through it and edited it together, accompanied by audio interviews he carried out with the astronauts.

The finished film takes the structure of one lunar mission – take-off, the journey through space, landing, exploring the surface, and the return. The first impression anyone must get from it, particularly the cutting between different angles of the launch procedure, is amazement at the sheer breadth of footage. We do know that it’s not actually one mission but several edited together, but this artifice doesn’t matter, as what Reinert created was not a factual account but an emotive one, a dramatisation of what it feels like to go to the moon.

Brilliantly edited, the film rattles along at pace and you can’t help but share in the awe of the astronauts as they recall travelling into space and looking back at Earth. Also infectious is the fun they have – playing zero-gravity catch on board the spacecraft and singing silly songs as they skip across the moon, not to mention the short-statured Apollo 12 astronaut who remarked, upon stepping out of the lunar module, “Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that’s a long one for me.”

For All Mankind is a stunning way to experience the Apollo missions for yourself, and now is the perfect time to do so, thanks to both the big anniversary and this great release from Criterion. The high-def digital transfer and 5.1 soundtrack make it more immersive than ever, and there’s an impressive range of extras, though not all of them are new to this set.

The standout is An Accidental Gift, a half-hour ‘Making Of’ documentary from 2009 which goes into how NASA shot the footage and how it has been preserved and restored, as well as Reinert’s journey compiling it – genuinely fascinating content for us film history nerds. There’s also a commentary from Reinert and astronaut Eugene Cernan, a collection of on-camera interviews with Apollo crew, and a video about astronaut Alan Bean’s lunar-inspired paintings, plus a booklet with essays from Reinert and Terrence Rafferty.

WEIRD SCIENCE / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JOHN HUGHES / STARRING: ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL, ILAN MITCHELL-SMITH, KELLY LeBROCK / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

When Gary and Wyatt are left alone for the weekend, they decide to put their nerd skills to the test by creating a virtual girlfriend to help with their love life. When Kelly LeBrock walks through the door demanding that they shower with her, the gobsmacked duo embark on what can only be described as the magical ride of their lives. We’re not talking candle wax on the nipples or witchcraft or anything like that, just a couple of kids running around in their underwear acting like complete animals.

Having broken new ground with a string of endearing teen-angst comedy dramas, writer / director John Hughes decided to go a little crazy with this formidable entry into his cinematic cannon. Although Weird Science has its fair share of angst in places, for the most part this celluloid wet dream is a gloriously cartoonish, infinitely quotable, hilariously fun-filled celebration of 80s youth.

While it’s a given that we’d all love up-to-date extras featuring LeBrock and the boys looking back on the film, it’s equally clear that this isn’t what we’re going to get from Arrow. Having said that, their achievement in creating this hi-def release (incorporating two rightly deleted moments that have been restored) is undeniable, and they’ve done a pretty good job assembling some behind the scenes people to discuss the film almost 35 years on, including the casting director, make-up creator, editor and score composer. Actually, if anything, the lack of A-list talent actually helps in this case as, had they been onboard, you’d have likely never heard the stories that this ensemble reveal. The pictures of Robert Downey Jr with a prosthetic pig’s head is almost worth the purchase price alone!

There is also an archive documentary, It’s Alive! Resurrecting Weird Science, which features Anthony Michael Hall, along with the TV edit, Theatrical and Extended version, Trailers and TV spots and photos. The cover too is pretty cool, providing the original art and a newly commissioned cover on either side. All of this, along with a gorgeous hi-def transfer means that there’s never been a better time to boot up the computer and modem (or Blu-ray player) and rediscover the joy of this 80s classic once more. Bras on head are optional.

Special features: New restoration by Arrow Films from a 4K scan of the original negative; High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of the original Theatrical Version of the film (94 mins), plus seamlessly-branched exclusive Extended Version (97 mins), featuring two additional scenes newly remastered in high-definition; Original lossless stereo audio, plus 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround option (theatrical version only); Original English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing; Edited-for-TV version of the film (SD only, 94 mins), plus comparison featurette highlighting the alternate dubs and edits; Option to watch additional scenes from the Extended Version separately; Casting “Weird Science”, an all-new interview with casting director Jackie Burch; Dino The Greek, a newly-filmed interview with supporting actor John Kapelos; Chet Happens, a newly-filmed interview with special makeup creator Craig Reardon; Fantasy and Microchips, a newly filmed interview with editor Chris Lebenzon; Ira Newborn Makes The Score, a newly filmed interview with the composer; It’s Alive! Resurrecting Weird Science, an archive documentary featuring interviews with cast, crew and admirers, including star Anthony Michael Hall; Theatrical trailers, TV spots and radio spots; Image galleries; BD-ROM: PDF of the original shooting script; Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tracie Ching

FM / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: JOHN A ALONZO / SCREENPLAY: EZRA SACKS / STARRING: MICHAEL BRANDON, EILEEN BRENNAN, ALEX KARRAS, CLEAVON LITTLE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Released in 1978 as punk was threatening to kill off the soft rock dinosaurs of the 1970s, FM inhabits a world where punk may as well not exist. That’s not to say that the world of this AOR radio station is in any way fantastic, more that punk didn’t quite make the in-roads that musical historians might have you believe. No, the world of Los Angeles’ finest, Q-SKY, and its cast of eccentric DJs, is very typical of the musical world of 1978, and the film is all the better for that.

The basic story behind FM is a familiar, comfortable one; a popular radio station is pressured by its corporate owners to compromise on its programming, leading to a revolt by its staff and fans. The spectre of The Man loomed large over all popular culture after the counter-culture revolution of the 1960s, and while Q-SKY specialises in the largely risk-free soft rock of the era, that corporate interference will always rankle with creative types.

The battle is set, then, between Q-SKY’s lead programmer and star DJ, Jeff Dugan (ably played by Dempsey & Makepiece’s Michael Brandon), and the regional sales manager sent to increase the station’s revenues by running hokey ads for the military. Waiting in the wings is Jeff’s counterpart at rival station KLAX, who is all too willing to take the corporate dollar…

FM’s core strength is in its ensemble cast, with Martin Mull making his debut as the womanising Eric Swann (who does a “Tony Blackburn” years before the British DJ ever did) and M*A*S*H’s Eilenn Brennan as Mother, a veteran late night record-spinner, a particular delight. Brandon’s Dugan is a likeable lead, and carries the movie’s inertia well; by the end of the first reel, you’re rooting for him to keep Q-SKY the way it is, and the way its listeners like it.

FM was not terribly well-received when it was released, with poor reviews across the board, but time has been kind and there’s a certain comfort in retreating to the much simpler times FM depicts. There was also criticism for its soundtrack, but for fans of soft rock and AOR (album-oriented rock), and the genre which has recently been christened “yacht rock”, it’s a delight, with live performances from Jimmy Buffet, Linda Ronstadt, and REO Speedwagon as well as copious amounts of Steely Dan, Eagles, Boston, Foreigner and Tom Petty, who also makes a cameo in the movie. The Arrow Blu-ray release comes with a good slice of extras, and of most value to fans of the music is a journey through the film’s soundtrack with music critic Glenn Kenny.

There was nothing groundbreaking about FM when it was released, and there’s nothing life-changing about it now. What it is, is 104 minutes of comedy and pathos, and sticking it to The Man. For fans of the music featured, and fans of movies of its particular type (Roller Boogie, anyone?), it’s a treat, and God knows we all need one of those every now and then.

Extras: No Static At All, a newly filmed interview with Michael Brandon; Radio Chaos, a newly filmed interview with screenwriter Ezra Sacks; The Spirit of Radio, a newly filmed video appreciation of the FM soundtrack by film and music critic Glenn Kenny; image gallery; original trailers; reversible sleeve

USED CARS / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: ROBERT ZEMECKIS / SCREENPLAY: ROBERT ZEMECKIS, BOB GALE / STARRING: KURT RUSSELL, JACK WARDEN, GERRIT GRAHAM, DEBORAH HARMON / RELEASE DATE: 12TH AUGUST

The feuding Fuchs brothers (both played by Warden) have car sales lots on opposite sides of the road. Whereas Roy runs a respectable establishment, the Mayor is about to green-light a new road going straight through his showroom. Roy’s brother, Luke, owns the other car lot, which sells cars of dubious quality, enabled by his best salesman, Rudy (Russell), and Roy wants to take over the land so he can move over the road and have the biggest car sales lot in the area. Roy is also not against using underhand tactics to get his way…

When one of his plots ends up with Luke dying from a heart attack, Rudy and his pals, knowing that Roy can take over the lot if Luke’s death is confirmed, cover it up and try to carry on usual. While all this is going on, Rudy is also trying to get enough capital together to run for State Senator and, to confuse matters further, Luke’s daughter, Barbara, suddenly turns up out of the blue. Rudy tries to keep Luke’s death a secret while he woos her, but the ruse doesn’t last long and Barbara fires him when she finds out. Barbara is then stitched up by Roy and taken to court to prove she has as many cars as she claims in a commercial – only for Rudy to and a bunch of drivers-ed students to swoop in and save the day.

Most early 80s comedies have dated badly, mostly because of crude humour, but Used Cars still shows itself to be harmless enough, which is perhaps not that surprising considering the involvement of Zemeckis and Gale. Although the comedy value of Luke’s corpse is not taken to Weekend at Bernie’s levels, there are more than enough moments on show to make you smirk, many involving one of the most lovable dogs on screen. Russell was still honing his skills here, but manages to make Rudy a fast-talking loveable rogue rather than the slimy womanising scumbag that he could so easily have been. The supporting cast all do their jobs well and, as a result, although Used Cars doesn’t have that total new car smell, it does have an aura of an older classic that has a few miles left on the clock. It’s a reliable old runner and well worth a test drive.