I skipped my first month's worth of Criterion releases since restarting the blog last month. Why, you may ask? Well, I may reply, there wasn't a single title that met my high standards of making up some bullshit. It happens. They can't all be winners. There's always one month every year that I don't preorder anything. This year, it was February. March, however, has one bona fide must have in it, as well as a quartet of titles worth discussing. So let's do the damn thing.
March 9
Djibril Diop Mambéty's 1973 post-colonial classic, "Touki bouki" ("The Journey Of The Hyena"), gets its first Blu-ray release after a 2013 DVD-only edition. When Mrs. Ape and I discussed this month's lineup (as is the custom in our house), this was the title she was most excited about. She doesn't currently own a copy, but she regaled me with tales of going to San Francisco to see it, and how taken she was by the film's movement and pacing, as well as the filmmaker's take on French New Wave. Who am I to argue with the missus? It's the tale of two Senegalese 20-somethings, an iconic motorbike, and a trip to Paris and the promise of a new life. Sounds pretty cool to me. The 2K transfer came from a 2008 restoration, but it's the first time that the film has been available on video with an uncompressed soundtrack. Mambéty's 1968 short film, "Contras' City" has also been added here, along with an introduction by Martin Scorsese, interviews with Mambéty's family and collaborators, and an essay from Ashley Clark, the current curatorial director at the Criterion Collection. This is one I'm looking forward to seeing for the first time.
March 16
The first new release in March comes via "Céline and Julie Go Boating" ("Céline et Julie vont en bateau"), a 1974 French film from Jacques Rivette. I don't know a lot about Rivette, other than many of his films are incredibly long and that I've heard he stands along the same line of strangeness in filmmaking as Lynch, Jonze, and Gondry. The Criterion page for "Céline and Julie" calls this "both one of the all-time-great hangout comedies and a totally unique, enveloping cinematic dream space". I've not taken the opportunity to dive into his worlds of mystery until now (I've been watching a lot of film noir and Marvel Cinematic Universe sorry not sorry), so this stands as a good opportunity to jump in. The film itself has received a 2K restoration along with a commentary track from Australian critic Adrian Martin, whose insights always add something to film watching for me. Claire Denis, whose work I've really gotten into in recent years, also contributes her 1994 documentary mini-series on Rivette. There are interviews with Rivette's cast on the film and producer Barbet Schroder (!), and an essay from all-around badass writer Beatrice Loayza. I expect I'll be carving out 4-5 hours to watch this one; after all, the dog loves to take walks in the midst of enthralling movies.
March 23
Are you tired of paying top dollar for out-of-print Criterion titles? Worried you might end up with a shoddy bootleg? Have you beat that Kino DVD snapcase to death? Well, Criterion finally takes care of you with "World Of Wong Kar Wai", their first box set of the year. And, much like their previous Bruce Lee and Godzilla sets, this is a Day One must have for me. Collecting seven of the first eight films of WKW's career (only "Ashes Of Time" is missing), and offering them with 4K restorations, in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "In The Mood For Love". His movies are poetry given form; his collaborators, typically stars on their own, become supernovas when they work together. It's awesome to see these films collected together.
So, what does $200 get you? The gatefold case, designed by Nessim Higson, appears to be of the same dimensions as the Bruce Lee set; a bit oversized to fit with the rest of my collection, but c'est la vie. As I mentioned above, each film has received a 4K restoration. "As Tears Go By" and "Days Of Being Wild" both receive uncompressed audio, while the rest get a really sharp DTS-HD 5.1 audio mix. There's also an alternate edit of "Days", never before released on video. The bonus materials offer a ton of archival material, but the big get here is the Q&A between WKW and the likes of Sofia Coppola, Rian Johnson, Lisa Joy, Chloé Zhao, André Aciman and Jonathan Lethem. That's a murderer's row of creatives, asking questions and getting answers from one of their influences. John Powers, whose spots on "Fresh Air With Terry Gross" always make me stop and listen, also provides an essay as part of a perfect bound booklet. It's the cherry on top of a very tasty cake.
March 30
Damn, dude, we getting old. It's been 25 years since I sat in the Rotunda Theatre in Hampden and watched Mike Leigh's "Secrets & Lies". Real talk: I don't recall enjoying it. I think I was trying to impress a girl who had no interest in me. Good call, right: take a girl to a British drama about an adoptee searching for her birth mother. Christ, I'm dumb. The French knew what's up, though. They gave it the Palme d'Or at Cannes that year. I've learned better, too, having really enjoyed diving into Leigh's ouevre over the past several years. Leigh, along with his DP Dick Pope, put together a 2K restoration for this new release of "Secrets & Lies", as well as sat down with composer Gary Yershon to discuss the role of music in the film. Ashley Clark returns with a second essay this month, and star Marianne Jean-Baptiste speaks with Corrrina Antrobus (Bechdel Test Fest).
It really bums me out that Albert Brooks' directing career petered out the way it did, because, even as a kid, I really enjoyed his sense of satire and his directing style. Seeing "Defending Your Life" in 1991 came at a pretty key point in my life: a year out of Christian school and out of the Deep South for the first time in my life, asking questions of religion that hadn't come up before. To encounter this movie addressing some of these same questions within the framework of a rom-com was pretty revelatory. That's a good-ass cast! But that's Brooks' thing, innit? He addresses these huge existential issues within these innocuous packages. Plus, it has Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Lee Grant, and Buck Henry in it. Brooks oversaw the 4K restoration on this print, and sat down with long-time "Curb Your Enthusiasm" director Robert Weide for an interview. I'm also pretty excited to read Ari Aster's essay in this release.
And there you have it: another month's worth of Criterion releases on the page. It's pretty likely I end up adding "Defending Your Life" to my preorder for the WKW box set. I'll end up getting the other three as time and money allow. I'm back in 30 (more or less) for a lineup that I can sum up in three words: motherfuckin' "Irma Vep". Be there...aloha!
Regular readers of this here semi-regular blog know it's a regular confluence of music and moving pictures, occasionally crossing over into people humping for pleasure and amusement. It's not everyone's cuppa steeped leaves, but I'm of the firm belief that bad taste doesn't necessarily equal bad art, and art deserves to be preserved. Which is why I rep Vinegar Syndrome as often as I do. It's not a giant leap to say, "let's make sure the early work of David Cronenberg gets restored," to "Gerald Damiano's filmography is worthy of being preserved". These are auteurs with clear aesthetics that have influenced those directors who have follwed them for the past 50 years. The difference is that Cronenberg didn't show the dick going in.
That being said, Vinegar Syndrome is holding their second annual V-Day Weekend sale through the end of the day on Sunday, February 14. As they're wont to do, they're highlighting this sale with a few special releases. They've announced what they're billing as the first ever hardcore feature ever released in Ultra HD. It's an expanded release of Anthony Spinelli's 1977 "Westworld" homage, "SexWorld". I copped their original Blu-ray release a few years back, but I'm leaning towards snagging this, a result of the care they've put into this reissue. VS has performed an all-new 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative. They've also added a softcore cut of "SexWorld", something I had no idea actually existed. They've fleshed out this new release with interviews with hardcore legends Kay Parker and Joey Silvera, as well as photographer Joel Sussman. The release includes an UHD, a Blu-ray, AND the soundtrack on CD, as fine a collection of library tracks as one will find. It's limited to 5,000 pieces, which isn't some tight edition size, but at a sale price of $29.99, it's a bargain for one of the best Golden Age releases.
Also part of the celebration: a "SexWorld" t-shirt, available in an open edition and limited "Robot Valentine" print. There was a really rad holographic screen print available on Friday; this quickly sold out, but is definitely worth checking out. The entire VS back catalog of classic erotica, including all the Peekarama titles still in print, is 50% off through the end of the sale. If you're a film dork, a closet perv, or just want something fun to watch with your partner, it's a good time to pick up some pretty incredible titles. I'll be grabbing a few of the Lisa de Leeuw movies I don't already own. I'd suggest checking out a few of these if these interest you:
"The Lost Films Of Herschell Gordon Lewis" was the very first Vinegar Syndrome release, collecting three of the Godfather of Gore's sexploitation movies from the late 60s and early 70s
The "Boys In The Sand" and "Bijou" collect a number of Wakefield Poole's earliest films, as well as two of the earliest still extant example of American gay pornography
"Taboo", starring Kay Parker, is undoubtably one of the most controversial and important hardcore titles of all-time; VS has restored and reissued the first five films in the series on Blu-ray, but this is the one worth snagging
It was a legendary title when I was younger, so I hopped all over getting a copy of "Let My Puppets Come" when it came out a few years back. All you need to know are these four words: "musical puppet sex comedy"
...there's only one way to find out. Click here, and it will either be, or not be.
In my house, any Friday can be Bandcamp Friday. But having the day is a good opportunity to talk about new music I've been listening to and records I'm planning on buying. Here's a few worth looking into if you have some bread to spend.
I definitely slept on the release last February of "Brave Faces Everyone", the newest full-length from L.A.'s Spanish Love Songs. It took this showing up in the #1 slot for Best of 2020 at Sophie's Floorboard to even hit my radar. And you may ask yourself, as I did, "Who is this band with the terrible name, to have the best record of 2020?" Well, fer Crissake, do yourself a big ol' favor and stream it, tout en suite! Then drop the $5 on a digital download, or $20 for a record via their MerchNow. I'm almost embarassed at how into this record I've been. I've seen it described as "Depression: The Record". That ain't wrong, but that's not the full story, either. It's angsty without being melodramatic. The songwriting is great; the lyrics are a reflection of what it's like to be overeducated, underemployed, and up to your neck in meds and debt. A very apt record for this day and age.
I loved Loved LOVED Slant's 2018 demo, released on cassette from the folks at Pissed Off! Records. Just an angry hardcore band from Seoul, doing what they do best. They released a really limited 7" on Iron Lung the following year that I slept on; no doubt because it would have cost me over $10 for seven minutes of music on an EP. But they're back with their first full-length, titled "1집" (imaginatively), collaborating again on the release with the best label in Seattle (don't @ me). It's 10 songs, 17 minutes, and comes in marble blue, translucent pink, or black. As the page alludes, this mixes the fury of the NEHC scene of the teens with the classic rhythms of, say, a Minor Threat. And Yeji is a brutal vocalist. Approved! I'll be taking mine in pink, please and thank you.
Those Taylor boys are back at it again. I make no secret of what love I have for their previous bands, pageninetynine and Pygmy Lush. We may not have been next door neighbors, but they were kindred spirits who I was always happy to see out in the world. They have a new band with Ryan and Adam from City of Caterpillar called TERMINAL ESCAPE. Based in Richmond, I'm pretty sure they have yet to play out. But they do have their first record coming out, a one-sided 12" called "BRUTE ERR/ATA"on Relapse that's been ripping me from neck to nuts every time I listen to it. Think of your favorite iconoclastic hardcore bands from the past 40 years: this harkens to each of them, whether it's in Cris's lyrics (a la Born Against or Dead Kennedys) or in the absolutely gross, blackened sound (Void, Gauze, Necros). Their Bandcamp has a few preorders left for the limited-to-300-copies on clear with black inside. This is the aural equivalent of this Takishi Miike movie I'm watching right now; brutal, dense, and weird.
My buddy Jumbled has a new physical release coming, inventively called "Just The Singles". He provides the beats, lyrics come via Dwell, Taylo, Nyoka Ny-D, Ill Conscious, Vans_Westly, JBerd, ALYX Ryon, Jack Wilson, Berko Lover, Cody Cody Jones, Alaska, Action Bastard, Dot Com Intelligence, Butch Dawson, salk., Ullnevano, Drew Scott, Special Berriez, Torito, Bito Sureiya and more. If you're into the boom bap, or backpack hip-hop, or just punks making non-punk music, give this one a spin. He also has a new beat tape out, "Classic Rock Breaks Vol.1", in a limited edition of 10. It's not J.Dilla, but I like it. Don't think it's not tearing me up inside that I can't remember what this cover is calling back to.
This is but a sample of what's out there. I actually like going to Bandcamp's front page on days like today, and just finding something that catches my eye. Had I previously considering copping some Flying Lotus? No, but seeing this article makes me think about it. So, you know, live a little. It's Friday, you just got paid, son.
Although readers of this here blog may not know it, closer's 2018 debut record, "All This Will Be", was one of my most unfuckwithable, favorite, most-listened to records of the past five years. No foolin'! It's tough to make a screamo record (or ANY punk record, for that matter) that makes me want to shake my ass and lose myself in the music, but a song like "Hardly Art" takes me back to the late 90s...to clap alongs and group leaps at the drop and mic piles in dim basements with shitty PAs. It evokes bands like Envy, Majority Rule, and Funeral Diner.
And, by Gawd, Ryann hits the drums so goddamned hard it almost hurts. Frontperson of the year, in my humble opinion. And I've never seen them live.
So I'm wrapping up my evening when an e-mail comes through. "New releases from closer", reads the subject line. Cue a badly Photoshopped meme of my head on Philip J. Fry's head, screaming at Bandcamp and the good folks at Lauren Records to take my money. "within one stem" is their new LP, a split release between Lauren & Middle Man Records here in the States, as well as five European labels. I respect the spirit of cooperation that brings this new record to me. The pre-order of 500 first presses on "natural" clear vinyl is live now, and available via closer's Bandcamp site. The full record comes out March 12, but the first song, Side B's "angry flood", is available for download when you preorder.
I feel a bit bad, because I missed writing up Vinegar Syndrome's November and December releases. As a result, I didn't get to talk about what I got in the Black Friday sale (a lot more porn than I would have expected, for one), and I didn't cover what I didn't pick up. But here we are, in January, and there's a solid slate of new releases coming at the end of the month, so no need to kick ourselves in the ass for the past when the future is so near.
Take, for instance, our first film of the month, 1978's "Satan's Blood" ("Escalofrío"). If you want to grab my interest entering the new year, then put "Satan" in the title and let Earl Kessler Jr. put together some runes and a shirtless dude wielding a sacrificial dagger. It's a great take on the original Spanish poster from director Carlos Puerto. It sounds like a rad bit of Eurosleaze, with a young couple getting drawn into a secluded mansion, only to be set upon by horny devil worshippers. A new 4K scan means this will probably look better than anyone has seen this since its late 70s debut. We get both the Spanish- and English-language soundtracks, as well as a commentary track from V.S. mainstays Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger. I'm really digging this focus on Spanish-language exploitation from Vinegar Syndrome; it's an era I'm not super familiar with, but I enjoy watching. I like simple things, like butter in my ass, and blood orgies; that's just me.
From Lucifer to Elder Gods: Spanish director Juan Piquer Simón put in some uncredited work on "Satan's Blood", as well as helming one of my personal favs, "Slugs". His 1992 movie, "Cthulhu Mansion" ("La mansión de los Cthulhu") gets a 2K restoration for its North American debut on Blu-ray. And while the title doesn't really sync up to the storyline, I doubt anyone who hasn't seen this will be disappointed. It's got punks on film, evil magicians, spooky amusement parks: it's a "Scooby Doo Mysteries" episode, done in hard-R fashion. I'm really in love with Richard Hilliard's cover art/slipcase for this release; the Chthuluized skull reminds me of a lot of the mid-Atlantic tattoo aesthetic that came out of hardcore/metal in the past 15 years. There's also a full-length documentary about Simón's career. It's in Spanish, but should come with subtitles.
Something sinister is happening in a newly-opened Barcelona apartment skyscraper. Michael Moriarty plays the hard-boiled security consultant hired to uncover the mystery behind an on-site death. Is he ready for something more than simple murder? Joined by Jenny Agutter, can this duo solve matters before another death occurs?
And that's 1988's "Dark Tower" in a nutshell, originated by Ken Weiderhorn and finished by Freddy Francis in the director's chair. The cast is deep, with the likes of Carol Linley, Theodore Bikel, and Kevin McCarthy all making appearances. I passed up a VHS copy of this I saw in a suburban Atlanta thrift store a few years ago, because I was probably being a ding dong or something. I can now rectify that mistake with this debut on region A Blu-ray, featuring a 2K scan and restoration. The interview with Steve Neill should be interesting; the former Corman and Cohen collaborator worked on a wide range of awesome movies in makeup and effects, including "Ghostbusters", "The Stuff", and "Galaxy of Terror".
Every time I decide to wait to buy a Vinegar Syndrome Archives title, it immediately sells out. It's enough to make a fella feel like a real screw up. But 2021 will be different; this year, I'm won't make the same mistakes. I know how much time that wastes. So it is with cash and hand that I happily preorder the January VSA release of 1989's "The House Of Usher". I don't know a ton about Australian director Alan Birkinshaw, other than his work on "Killer's Moon", which I'm pretty sure I saw a third-gen dub of sometime in the late 90s. But 1989 was an incredibly productive year for him, between this, another Poe inspired film in "The Red Masque Of Death", and his adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians". The latter two featured...you guessed it, Frank Stallone! VS says this is the first time "House Of Usher" has been released on disc; I believe them. Oliver Reed and Donald Pleasence star alongside TV mainstay Romy Windsor. You get a limited to 4,000 piece, Region A Blu-ray with 2K scan and restoration and the always enjoyable bottom loading slipcase. A bargain now at $27.99, compared to what we'll be paying in six months on eBay, no doubt.
AGFA has a pair of releases in January, the first of which is inventively named "The AGFA Horror Trailer Show". And, because they are big believers in truth in advertising, what viewers get here is, indeed, a big ass Blu-ray, chock full of horror trailers. Normally, I'm a bit dubious about collections of trailers (smut comps being the exception). Here, however, I'm absolutely intrigued what the kids at AGFA have dug out of their archives. They describe it as "the most spine-ripping, slime-slinging, soul-shredding horror trailers that you’ve never seen." After watching their trailer, I'm inclined to believe them. And if that weren't enough, there's the bonus feature of "VIDEORAGE", which is nothing but direct-to-video and shot-on-video horror trailers. Slice me off a hunk of that and serve me a pair of biscuits to mop it up with.
As for "The Curious Dr. Humpp", I can only say that I must have it. A true Argentinian curiosity from 1969, this was originally shot by Emilio Vieyra as a straightforward horror film, only to mutate into a pretty legendary blend of Italian horror, Buñuel-esque surrealism, and late 60s grindhouse smut. As they'd say back in the day, "far out!" Not only do you get a 2K restoration of the film that Something Weird has been sharing on DVD for years, you also get Vieyra's "La venganza del sexo" cut, also with a 2K restoration. It even gets English subtitles for the first time ever. "Basket Case" & "Frankenhooker" director Frank Henenlotter, whose ouevre owes a bit to "Dr. Humpp", provides commentary on "Humpp". I'm sure that's going to be worth the price of admission. There's also a line on the VS website stating there will be "brain damaged shorts and trailers from Dr. Humpp’s laboratory" on this release. I don't know what that implies, but I'm dying to find out.
We end our January lineup, as we normally do when we have the opportunity, taking a look at the classic pornography whose preservation Vinegar Syndrome has built their business upon. It's worth mentioned (to me, at least) that regardless of the sexual nature (and politics thereof) of the films, these are as worth studying and discussing as any lost film or indie curiosity. To say they don't make them like this anymore is an understatement; it's a lost era of filmmaking that's never coming back, sadly.
Take, for instance, this double film Blu-ray release in the Peekarama series. "Taxi Girls" and "Heavenly Desire" are a duo of sex comedies from the Israeli-American director Jourdan Alexander (directing under his birthname of Jaacov Jaacovi here), who had a reputation for making these sort of things. His trademark was casting talent that resembled Hollywood starlets, then letting them fuck on film. What you end up with are movies that are both arousing and, dare I say, pretty damned funny. "Taxi Girls" is led by Nancy Suiter in one of her iconic roles, Seka headlines "Heavenly Desire", and Serena stars opposite both in each film. Add in appearances from John Holmes, Jamie Gillis, Aubrey Nichols, and Johnny Keyes, and you have a pair of movies well worth watching.
From "Satan's Blood" (Carlos Puerto, 1978)
So, what am I buying? I think I'll cop that "Taxi Girls"/"Heavenly Desire" 2-pack, as well as both AGFA releases to start. If I'm feeling real frisky (aka I come into some loose money), I'll add on "The House Of Usher". As always, if all four Vinegar Syndrome/VSA titles float your boat, you can save some serious bread ordering the the January 2021 Package, at a relative bargain price of just $99.99 (with free shipping!). I promise to be back in less than 30 days with the February lineup. Until then: be easy, and don't go blind.
Like December, January is a light month for Shout! Factory releases. A mere five films/shows arrive on 5" discs in the first month of 2021. HOWEVAH! Two of these are must haves for the Ultra High-Definition collector. What, you didn't get a 4K TV and UHD Blu-ray player from Santa this Christmas? Well, maybe yours is on backorder with mine, sure to arrive within the next 12 to 24 months. Never mind that: let's look at what's coming.
January 12
I know I'm not the only person confused or intimidated by all the various "Lupin the Third" manga and anime releases over the years. No less a master than Hayao Miyazaki made his directorial debut on the second "Lupin" feature film, 1979s "The Castle of Caligostro". There have been a total of six anime series and six theatrical releases over the years, the newest of which, 2019s "Lupin III: The First" gets its home release via GKids today. It's the first 3D and first CGI release in the series and, frankly, looks like a good place to jump in for yours truly. There's options for fidelity and packaging: you can choose from the DVD, the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, or the steelbook Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. The steelbook features that attractive cover to the left; all three versions come with a lithograph if you order them direct from Shout! Factory. As for bonuses, look for Blu-ray-only interviews with director Takashi Yamazaki and the Japanese cast, as well as animation breakdowns, a CG model gallery, Japanese- and English-language trailers, and a featurette on the "yellow" carpet premiere. No need to steal this one.
January 19
Everything else is coming this week, with a couple of real bangers leading the pack. I'll get to those shortly, after I dispatch with the direct to Blu-ray and DVD release of "Dead Reckoning". Andrzej Bartkowiak is a long way from directing "DOOM" and "Exit Wounds", now helming this action thriller starring K.J. Apa from "Riverdale" and India Eisley from "The Secret Life of the American Teenager". It was originally shot back in 2016, and finally came to VOD in November. The most interesting parts of this to me are Scott Adkins as the lead antagonist, and James Remar serving as what I assume is some sort of law enforcement officer, preferably grizzled. I do love a meaty role for a favorite character actor, and Scott Adkins is always threatening. Light pass from your favorite Ape.
Anime Limited is the latest label to join the Shout! family. This Scottish distributor is already pretty well established in the UK and EU, spinning out of the Scotland Loves Anime convention 9 years ago. They hit my radar back in May when they announced they'd be releasing "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and the two films from the series on Blu-ray for the first time ever. They'll be releasing Masaki Watanabe's adaptation of Araki JOH's manga "Bartender" ("バーテンダー") on Blu-ray on the 19th. Originally airing in Japan in 2006 on BS Fuji, "Bartender" centers around Ryu, a genius barman with a kind ear and a golden arm. It was only available on DVD in Japan, along with some unsubbed, undubbed bootlegs, so the announcement back in September that this would be appearing in Region A & B was welcomed. It's a cool looking set: along with all 11 episodes on two discs, purchasers will get nine recipe cards featuring Ryu's best cocktails, and four bar coasters. It's rare that anime inspires me to drink, so bottom's up to "Bartender" coming to Blu-ray.
Finally, a pair of John Carpenter classics come to UHD for the first time. I already own the Collector's Editions of "They Live" and "Prince Of Darkness" that came out in 2012 and 2013, respectively. And, as I alluded to above, I still don't have the 4K TV or UHD player that would require copping these immediately. But there's enough bonus material available as part of the preorder that I'm considering snagging them. Both films now come as a UHD/Blu-ray combo pack, with Dolby Atmos 7.1 soundtracks available on both for the first time ever. It appears that the Blu-ray portion of each release more or less the same of as their earlier releases; the most obvious changes being the 7.1 mixes being upgrades over the earlier versions. "Prince Of Darkness" is available as two different pre-order SKUs: the standard combo pack with poster, or a package including the combo pack, poster, and exclusive colorway of the new Sacred Bones 7" featuring Carpenter's re-recording of the film's theme. As has been the case with other Scream/Bones collabs, this 7" gets its own pretty rad slipcase illustrated by Chris Bilheimer.
As for "They Live", still my all-time favorite John Carpenter film (don't @ me), there are a lot of options. There's the UHD/Blu-ray combo pack, which, at one point, had a poster as a bonus, which is now gone. This is the one you'll see on the shelves of finer video retailers around the world. As with "Prince Of Darkness", there's also a package containing the combo pack, a poster, and an exclusive colorway of Carpenter's 2017 re-recording with his son Cody of the title theme. This also gets a dope Chris Bilheimer cover and slipcase. NECA has also recreated Keith David's Frank in their Mego-style 8" action figure line. The figure, limited to just 4,000 pieces, is sold out as a separate SKU, but is still available as part of a movie/poster/figure package AND/or movie/poster/7"/figure package. If Santa brought you a bit more holiday dosh, or you've got nothing better to spend your Trump bonus on, well...congratulations. You're in better waters than the most of us. Enjoy your giant stack of "They Live" gear!
From "Lupin III The First" (Takashi Yamazaki, 2019)
Things get back to normal in February, with a full slate of new releases, Steelbook reissues, another NECA action figure, and even a Shout! exclusive color of vinyl headed our way. I'll get back to normal by writing and posting this before the first of the month. Hooray! Be there...aloha.
Hi, gang. You remember what the deal is here, right? Kino Lorber: arthouse releaser, repertory distributor, source of films both foreign and grindhouse. Good stuff coming in January. Of the 28 releases coming from the venerable label, here are a few of my picks.
January 5
I know "Savage Streets" only as a rad-looking title on a shelf I wasn't allowed to browse in my mom's video store back in the 90s. So here's my chance to grab it IN WIDESCREEN! ON BLU-RAY!!! How's that for a lil' slice of fried gold? This 1984 revenge actioner (three words that work extremely well together) stars Linda Blair in a skintight suit, Linnea Quigley as her deaf-mute sister, John Vernon as what I assume is some sort of hard-assed authority figure, and 80s generic baddie Robert Dryer. Code Red really breaks out the extras on this one: three separate commentary tracks, a fat grip of interviews with most of the key cast and crew, an isolated music track of the John D'Andrea/Michael Lloyd score, an intro from Kat of Kat's Scratch Cinema, all on an all-region disc. While I still love the artwork on the 2014 Ronin Trax release, giving it up is a small price to pay for what I expect to be the very best film to spend money on the first week of January...
...although Code Red's reissue of 1975's "The Black Gestapo", had it not been a reissue, might have given it a run for its money. Also known as "Black Enforcers", "Ghetto Warriors", and the only film Mrs. Ape will not allow me to hang a poster up for, this was one of the final films from one of my favorite sleazemongers, Lee Frost. It's a pretty rad take on blaxploitation and community empowerment: when the Mafia tries to move in to Watts, a local Black Panthers-esque organization is forced to choose between its original mission and a more-fascist approach. It's been out of print for a hot minute, but now "Black Gestapo" is back, featuring its 2015 2K master and commentary featuring Charles Robinson and Rob Perry. Fun note: Donald Trump once watched this and thought it was a Black Lives Matter documentary.
January 12
Typically, I wouldn't shout out a DVD edition of a five-year-old Blu-ray release of a 70-year-old movie, but, fuck it, it's my blog, and some of y'all might want to save some bread. Cohen Media Group is kicking out a $20 edition of 1952's "Sudden Fear", a fantastic noir thriller originally released by RKO Pictures. It earned four Oscar noms, including for leads Joan Crawford and Jack Palance, cinematographer Charles Lang, and costumer Sheila O'Brien. This is one my granddad showed me back in the day after we went to see "City Slickers". "Ape, m'boy," he said. "Ya want ta see Curly really get mean?" I really didn't, but it's probably one of the first noirs I'd ever seen, so it stuck with me. It has the same 2K restoration as the 2016 Blu-ray release, the same commentary from Jeremy Arnold; it's just on DVD now, and costs $15 less. So save yourself a few bucks, or get an extra movie. Treat yourself: we have no clue how this year's going to turn out.
If you've never seen it before, think of "Buried Alive" as a gender swapped "Sudden Fear". It matters because it's Frank Darabont's directorial debut, originally airing on the USA Network back in 1990. It stars Otter, Amy Archer, and Walter Peck, who I can confirm has no dick. Mark Patrick Carducci, who wrote "Pumpkinhead" and "Neon Maniacs", contributed the teleplay. And if it seems like I'm lacking in details or enthusiasm here, I assure you that I spent it all on coming up with an appropriate "Ghostbusters" reference for William Atherton, who gets interviewed on the disc of this 2K restoration. Apparently there's a sequel, but KL Studio Classics isn't putting that one out...yet.
It's time for another Code Red reissue: this time, the Italo horror-sleaze classic "The Devil's Wedding Night" ("Il plenilunio delle vergini"). I guarantee anything involving Joe d'Amato will be visual in nature. Directed by Luigi Batzelli (as Paul Solvay), and starring Rosalba Neri as a Lady Dracula/Elisabeth Bathory-type, this is a 1973 Italian knockoff of a later-period Hammer vampire movie. Which means, for readers of this blog, that you'll probably dig it if you haven't seen it before. The Kino store clearly points out that this release features the US cut of "Wedding Night"; I can't be arsed to check to see if there's an European X-rated version with hardcore inserts.
January 19
Mrs. Ape and I are typically pretty interested in anything North Korea related, so I think I'll surprise her with Ryan White's newest documentary, 2020s "Assassins". It follows the story of the two women charged and convicted of assassinating Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam in 2017. Jong-nam was poisoned in Kuala Lumpur International Airport by a pair of women who thought they were on a TV prank show. If that's not enough to draw you in, maybe hearing that White's last docs were "Ask Dr. Ruth" and "The Keepers" series will get your attention. It's his sixth feature in a decade, each of which is both entertainment and informative. And I'm running out of words to write, so let's wrap it up here.
There's also a ton of Fox and MGM "first time of Blu-ray" releases coming in January, as well as a few cool looking documentaries and another in Kino Classics' Forbidden Fruit exploitation series. I'm really regretting not writing something about "Tintorera...Tiger Shark", but we're already several thousand words into this shitshow, so let's leave it at "that's probably something worth looking at". February brings some great reissues (a pair of Sammy Davis Jr. features amongst them), last year's Billie Holiday doc, and a Blu-ray release of "The Kid Stays In The Picture". Come back in 30 for my best Robert Evans impression.
From "Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese" (Martin Scorsese, 2019)
I really didn't think we'd make it. Yet here we are, on the cusp of a new year, with a new slate of Criterion releases to consider. The list of Q1 2021 releases is pretty solid so far, heavy on debuts, with a few reissues salted in. I'm not sure if I'm going to end up broke yet, but I'm really hoping this is the year that I get on the promo list (hint, hint).
January 5
Let's start the new year off with something really iconoclastic. The Criterion Collection has always provided a video home here in the States for Spanish/Mexican provocateur Luis Buñuel. I have laserdiscs of "Belle de jour" and "That Obscure Object of Desire" dating back to the 90s, and Criterion has released nine of the master's films on DVD over the years. Only a couple, though, have received Blu-ray releases until now. So it's pretty cool that Buñuel's last three films are being collected on Blu-ray as "Three Films by Luis Buñuel", a most apt title.
The three-disc set compiles hi-definition transfers of 1972s "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie", 1974s "The Phantom of Liberty", and "That Obscure Object of Desire" from 1977. All three are absurd and political and brutal and really fucking funny, even in a language that isn't native to me. "Discreet Charm" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Feature in 1973; Buñuel put down the honor, saying it was based on the judgement of "2,500 idiots, including...the assistant dress designer." Pretty tough stuff. In addition to the films, there are a number of new bonus features that didn't appear or exist when Criterion released the DVD counterparts 20 years ago. The featurette on Carole Bouquet and Angela Molina, who both portrayed Conchita in "That Obscure Object of Desire", looks most interesting to me. I may not immediately run out to replace my DVDs, but it's on my short list of cool box sets to keep an eye out for.
January 12
I really got into "Minding The Gap" when we finally regained internet access and a good bud passed me his Hulu password last year. This story of three skateboarding friends, growing up in an Illinois city just shy of the Wisconsin border, really resonated with me. I grew up in a similar place, doing the same kind of shit, finding release and purpose in punk rock. That it spun out of director Bing Liu just shooting he and his friends for fun years ago only added to the appeal; this small thing finding purchase and reaching an audience when it was initially only intended for fucking around. It all reminds me a lot of "Hoop Dreams", following these subjects over the course of a decade through some good times and a lot of shit times. I'm really glad to see this finally get a home release, especially with the wealth of supplemental material added. Liu, along with his co-stars/friends Keire and Zach, provide what I expect to be a really good commentary track. There are featurettes with Liu's producers, as well as Tony Hawk (the Ian MacKaye of skateboard docs), as well as one of Liu's short films. It'll be great to dive further into this one in the coming months.
January 19
How's this for an understatement? I have a really complicated opinion of Bob Dylan. I suppose that's to be expected of someone who'd already had three distinct career arcs before I was born. There's the Village folkie, the poet superstar, and the re-emerged rocker, all leading up to his "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour in 1975 & 1976. The idea was simple: Dylan had never assembled his own band to tour behind him, so do that and play smaller rooms after the "Dylan & the Band" arena tour of '74. Long-time Dylan cinematographer Howard Alk joined the tour to shoot footage for Dylan's self-directed film "Renaldo & Clara". The initial tour wound down post the release of "Desire", having fizzled out in the second leg. "Renaldo & Clara" came out in 1978 to a wet fart's worth of criticism, and was quickly withdrawn. Yet Dylan still continues the "Rolling Thunder Revue", 3,000+ shows and 40 years on.
Like "Minding the Gap", "Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story" debuted on streaming (via Netflix). Unlike "Minding the Gap", Martin Scorsese was given charge to take 40+ year old footage from the tour and turn it into another of his music documentaries. What came out is rightfully described as a magic trick, blending the archival with the modern, along with a fair amount of that ol' Zimmerman mischief. It's crazy, the people who pop up throughout the film: Patti Smith, Ronnie Hawkins, Joan Baez, Sam Shepard, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Roger McGuinn. Everything is underpinned by Allen Ginsberg. It's a wild document. If you're buying this, instead of just streaming it, it's probably for the DTS-HD Master Audio mix on the Blu-ray, the additional concert footage, and/or the interviews with Scorsese, David Tedeschi, and Ratso Sloman. I always thought this was the real beginning of Dylan's "head-up-his-ass" period that only came to an end with "Time Out of Mind", but I guess I have a better handle with age and exposure to other art what was going on here.
January 26
Is it fair to call this re-release of "The Ascent" ("Восхождение") a reissue? I've had the Eclipse Series release of "Wings" & "The Ascent" for a hot minute now, but this...this, with its 4K restoration and uncompressed sound and deeper bench of extras...this, I'm going to buy for Day One. Larisa Shepitko was a Ukranian director who made but four features before she died in a car accident in 1979. However, all four are pretty amazing, with "The Ascent" being foremost amongst them. Along with the 2020 reissue of "Come & See", this is not just a great war movie; it's one of the finest examples of Soviet filmmaking, an allegory about betrayal and loyalty and spiritual value. I've only been able to watch it through twice, because even though I love it, it makes me weep the same way I do when I watch "The Passion of Joan of Arc", and I just cannot finish. Included here are Sheptiko's second film, a short called "The Homeland of Electricity", and her spouse's posthumous tribute, "Larisa". If it seems like I'm being overly effusive about this, it's because I am. I don't typically feel that strongly about a film that doesn't include boobs or gore, but this is art, and I cannot recommend it strongly enough. It'll change your life, man.
From "The Ascent" (Larisa Shepitko, 1979)
So it is written; so it shall be. Go forth, preorder "The Ascent". Those are marching orders. We're back in approximately 30 to review February, what with its Warren Beatty and Laura Dern movies and its world cinema. Be there...aloha!
If you follow him on Instagram, then you're probably already hip to John Yates' take on the classic graphic design aesthetic behind Blue Note Records. John kicked off his "Punk Note" series in May, with a killer take on "Here Are The Sonics", influenced by Reid Miles' covers for the timeless jazz label in the 50s and 60s. As John notes in his initial posting, "I took [Miles's] aesthetic and applied a history of punk filter. I took 1965 as my starting point, and took it through to 1990, the year before “punk broke” #sonicyouth. There are going to be bands/musicians I either missed, or chose to leave out, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time." 200 covers and a month later, he'd covered a huge swath of punk history. And all of it, as you'd expect, looked pretty grand.
While that was taking place, the Bad Brains were consolidating chunks of their back catalog under their dormant Bad Brains Records label. Teaming with California's Org Music, the DC/NY hardcore legends had regained the masters to all of their records from their first 10 years in existence, excepting 1986's "I Against I" (still under control of SST Records). They relaunched their website and solicited preorders for the first round of reissues, due to launch in February 2021.
Now, you're probably like me, in that you own every Bad Brains record you want to own, often times in multiple formats. I have my Caroline CD of "Rock For Light" that I bought from Stikky Fingers in Fells Point sometime around 1996, a yellow shell copy of "Bad Brains" that I snagged on eBay a few months ago, and my Victory Records picture disc 10" of "The Omega Sessions". Having copped that 2019 "Black Dots" vinyl reissue when it came out, I don't need any more Bad Brains records any more.
BUT, part of this reissue campaign involves Sr. Yates doing limited edition "Punk Note" covers for the BB's first, second, and fourth records. Over the next year, Bad Brains Records will reissue "Bad Brains", "Rock For Light", and "Quickness" on limited-to-1,000-pieces colored vinyl, featuring a redesigned cover. "Bad Brains" (aka the ROIR tape) comes in green, "Rock For Light" on yellow, and "Quickness" on red. "Rock For Light" is even reverting to its original 1983 mix and track order, a great development if, like me, you've only had access to the 1991 Ocasek/Jennifer remix. And as used to the lightning bolt hitting the Capitol Building as I am, the design and photography on these reissues is simply phenomenal.
One can preorder "Bad Brains", as well as a new pressing of the "Pay To Cum" 7", at Bad Brains Records now. Both are shipping spring 2021.
