Rampart Blu-ray review

Actors: Woody Harrelson, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Foster
Director: Oren Moverman
Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 2
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Millennium Entertainment
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Run Time: 107 minutes

            This is Woody Harrelson’s film. I don’t just say that because he is a strong performer who dominates the screen. I say that also because it is within a film we have all seen dozens of times before. There is little new within the screenplay by James Ellroy and Oren Moverman, and that is why it quickly becomes a character-based film in which Harrelson is able to show off his acting chops in some very indulgent sequences. This is not to say that Rampart is a bad film. In many ways it was mostly entertaining and well made, but it has been made better before. In some ways the entire film felt like a rehash of Bad Lieutenant. Either version.

            Set in 1999 Los Angeles, Harrelson plays Officer Dave Brown. Brown is a cop that is accustomed to doing what he wants, when he wants. This is quickly clear both in his personal and professional life. He has two children by two different women, who also happen to be sisters. In his professional life, Brown is no better. He is used to doing the dirty work of his department, but things have changed after the beating of Rodney King. When Brown is caught on camera excessively beating a suspect, he is forced to manipulate the system by lying and cheating in order to survive.

            The entire film is a character study of a man who has more bad qualities than good, which can be somewhat difficult to enjoy, regardless of the talent involved. Eventually Brown becomes involved with a lawyer (Robin Wright), having a sexual relationship that nearly seems to have the ability to save him. In the end it is clear that the machismo attitude prevents Brown from changing his way, and eventually he digs himself in even deeper than he can lie or manipulate a way out of. The cast is impressively stacked even beyond Harrelson’s performance, though there are too many names which are underused within the film. These names include Ned Beatty, Ben Foster, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Cynthia Nixon, Sigourney Weaver and Steve Buscemi.

            The Blu-ray includes a commentary track with director and co-writer Oren Moverman, cast and crew interviews and a behind the scenes featurette.   

Blake Edwards Classics Find Their Way to DVD for the First Time

            Blake Edwards is probably best known for his film adaptations of The Pink Panther and his presentation of middle-aged men in mild crisis in films such as 10. Edwards always reminded me of a filmmaker not unlike Robert Altman with a sillier sense of humor. He made some classic comedies in his time, many of which managed to balance mature themes with slapstick humor. Too many of his films have been lost with the test of time and audience’s unwillingness to enjoy dated movies. Three of his greatest forgotten accomplishes have finally been released on DVD for the first time, despite the remarkable quality and popularity when originally made in the 1980s.

S.O.B.

            S.O.B., which stands for Standard Operating Bullshit, is one of Edwards’ crowning achievements in satire. After the difficulty that Edwards had with the studios in releasing two flops, he made a comeback with a film that poked fun of the manner in which the studios handle art as a business. The film business is an easy target to poke fun of, and Edwards’ aim is impeccable. Even though the telephones may be outdated and the costumes absurd, there is still relevance in the biting humor of S.O.B., a film which carries a great deal of true personal baggage within the storyline.

            Richard Mulligan stars as Felix Farmer, a successful Hollywood director whose latest and greatest film exploit has ended in absolute failure. It is his most expensive and biggest flop, and this causes a personal identity crisis along with a studio panic. Edwards’ real-life wife, Julie Andrews, plays Farmer’s wife and the star of his latest failure. She also changed her image drastically from the Mary Poppins wholesome films to this flesh-exposing role. Farmer must find a way to save his film, and he does so by changing his wife’s image, just as Andrews did for this film. It is a mind-bending art-imitates-life scenario which adds to the relevance of the storyline. The film also co-stars William Holden in his final film role, Robert Preston, Robert Vaughn and Shelley Winters.

Victor/Victoria

            Victor/Victoria is one of those rare musicals to make it into the 1980s, somehow still carrying the feeling of many classic musicals of yesteryears. The main difference in the flippancy with which homosexuality is addressed. Robert Preston and Julie Andrews star as a pair of struggling cabaret performers in an impoverished France. Both are unsuccessful in their attempt to make a living by singing, until they devise a plan to change that. Victoria (Andrews) becomes Victor, pretending to be a man impersonating a woman. Everyone thinks that this is a sign of talent, but it is actually her ability to appear slightly more masculine that convinces audiences that she is a man pretending to be a woman instead of a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman.

            There are plenty of fantastic musical numbers within this film, helped a great deal by the Academy-Award-winning score by Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse, though it is Preston’s performance which elevates the final number to excellence. James Garner co-stars as a gangster who risks his reputation when he falls in love with Victoria, while she is playing Victor. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, it is shocking that this classic is only now making its way to DVD.

Skin Deep

            With themes that are not far off from 10, Skin Deep is the story of a middle-aged man who must face the reality of his situation. John Ritter stars as womanizer Zach, whose unhappiness stems from his inability to find lasting love or motivation to write a second novel. Though he is determined to win back his ex-wife, this doesn’t stop Zach from self-destructively sleeping with every available woman that comes his way.

            There is plenty of slapstick and one unforgettably shocking sequence, and though the humor is very much directed at adults, it still manages to resemble the Pink Panther. Verbal wit also takes over, as our protagonist is an author. In many ways, Skin Deep is like the film version of the hit television series, “Californication.” Though dated with 80s clothing and music, all of the plot points and character attributes line up in the same way.

            All of these three films are being released through the Warner Brothers Archive Collection, which releases the movies in the best available condition without any restoration or attempts to create special features.  

Madison County DVD review

Actors: Ace Marrero, Katie Stegeman, Nick Principe, Colley Bailey, Matt Mercer
Director: Eric England
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Image Entertainment
DVD Release Date: May 8, 2012
Run Time: 82 minutes

            Madison County is hardly a feature film. With a concept that is hardly original and a running time of 82 minutes, this is a horror film that has few surprises and only predictable twists amidst the usual graphic gore. There doesn’t even seem to be enough time or effort for a unique villain. Instead we just get a masked killer who wears the face of a pig and slaughters innocents for unknown reasons.

            The film begins like so many other slasher films before. If there weren’t generic horror films like this, it wouldn’t have been possible for the tongue-and-cheek creation of Cabin in the Woods. A group of co-eds decide to travel to a rural town which is brought to the attention of a few students who read a book about a local serial killer named Damien Ewell. After corresponding forebodingly with the author of this book, the young students are lured into the lair of the killer, hoping to discover the truth. Despite the fact that there is a book written about the hog-masked psychopath, it comes as no surprise to find that he still remains.

            We expect that there are going to be some bloody murders done by the masked man, but Madison County is slower than Bridges of Madison County in getting there. At first the entire town folk insist that the author no longer lives in town and that the murders were all fabricated. It is a small town, so their presence is known immediately, but we must wait half of the short running time until the attacks begin. At first there is the cliché moment of discovery and several useless conversations about relationship dynamics within the group, all of which is made irrelevant with death.

            Fans of bloody horror films may also find themselves disappointed by the lack of creative carnage within the film. There are some adequate moments with an axe, but none of this is remotely original or even the slightest bit daring. The special features of the DVD include an audio commentary track with writer/producer/director Eric England, producer Daniel F. Dunn and actor/producer Ace Marrero. There are a few other odds and ends, including a trailer, though nothing which improved my opinion of this highly forgettable horror film.

Frank Sinatra Film Collection review

Format: Box set, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 10
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: April 3, 2012

            The two volumes which make up this Frank Sinatra Collection of MGM classics include mostly films from the celebrated crooner’s later cinematic career. Most notable is the John Frankenheimer political thriller, The Manchurian Candidate, followed by World War II Von Ryan’s Express. This collection is filled with films in which Sinatra is a cop or a soldier, and rarely ever singing. Only the rare film in this collection (such as Frank Capra’s A Hole in the Head) actually have Sinatra doing what he is best known for: singing.

            Just because there are fewer musicals in this collection doesn’t mean that these are throw-away films. Nearly every one of them is worth watching, and some are forgotten classics. From 1957’s The Pride and the Passion to 1968’s Lady in Cement, the collection includes ten of Sinatra’s films in an 11-year period. Volume 1 includes two war films and the only two musicals in the collection. Starting with the strange historical epic, The Pride and the Passion, there is also a tradition of love triangles within this collection. Sinatra is a Spanish resistance fighter resisting against Napoleon’s French army with the help of a British soldier played by Cary Grant. Both men vie over the affections of Sophia Loren. In Kings Go Forth (1958), the love triangle continues between two World War II American soldiers (Sinatra and Tony Curtis), who each have their eye on an American girl raised in France (played by Natalie Wood).

            The two remaining films in Volume 1 are much lighter, beginning with Capra’s A Hole in the Head, which isn’t a full-blown musical but has the classic song “High Hopes” to remind us of Sinatra’s other abilities. Based on the Arnold Schulman Broadway play, the lighthearted comedy about a hotel owner and his street-smart son also includes a supporting performance by Edward G. Robinson. The final film in the first volume is the only true musical, and another Broadway production turned into a classic film. Taking place in turn-of-the-century France, this film follows the forbidden dance of the Can-Can, and co-starring Shirley MacLaine as a dancer who must once again choose between Sinatra and another man.

            The second volume of the Sinatra collection includes several more war films and a collection of movies in which Sinatra plays a convincingly seasoned detective. In The Manchurian Candidate he is a military commander who discovers that one of his men has been brainwashed during the war to become an assassin. In Von Ryan’s Express he is an American POW who leads his fellow prisoners in an escape from the Germans aboard one of their own trains. Cast a Giant Shadow is a monumental cinematic achievement, though one in which Sinatra only has a supporting role and Kirk Douglas stars as an American commander leading the Israeli military against the Arab forces. It also co-stars John Wayne.

Two of the final three films have Sinatra playing wise-cracking Miami private detective, Tony Rome. This title character takes on the mystery of a missing diamond broach in the first film. The follow-up movie, Lady in Cement, begins with a dead nubile woman found beneath the sea, which results in a dangerous investigation. Lady in Cement co-stars Raquel Welch, though it is Sinatra’s wisecracks which make this film so enjoyable, even if only as a poor-man’s Phillip Marlowe. Also included is the darker crime drama, The Detective, which begins with a bizarre murder mystery and turns into a bold social commentary for the times. Not all ten of the films included in this tow-volume collection are perfect movies, but each and every one of them has admirable and interesting qualities. Most importantly, these are perfect films to showcase the abilities of “ol’ blue eyes” when he wasn’t singing.

Mutant Girls Squad Blu-ray review

Actors: Tak Sakaguchi, Yoshihiro Nishimura
Director: Tak Sakaguchi, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Noboru Iguchi
Format: Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 2
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Well Go USA
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Run Time: 89 minutes

            Sushi Typhoon is back with another patently vulgar and graphic horror action film, with all of the predictable over-the-top violence and blatant vulgar sexual innuendo that we have come to know them for. This time we have a kind of demented teenage boy’s fantasy of a highly sexualized and violent female X-Men, otherwise known as the Mutant Girls Squad.

            After a typical gory intro sequence we are brought into the revelation that mutants have existed under the radar in Japan for as long as humanity has been there. Their powers don’t manifest until their sixteenth birthday, so Rin must suddenly come to terms with the fact that she has a mutant arm which is a sharp and destructive claw. After watching her parents brutally murdered by the government insurgents who are aware of the mutants, Rin escapes and finds a group of mutants out for revenge against the Prime Minister.

            It is never explained why there are only girls in this mutant squad. There are male mutants elsewhere, including Rin’s father. So why is it, beyond the obvious male fantasy, that there are only young teen girls in this group? They each have unique qualities and natural weapons, some of which are more sexualized than others. One girl has sword blades emerging from her breasts while another has a chainsaw which appears from her rectal area. It is sophomoric at best, but still manages to be one of the stronger Sushi Typhoon endeavors.

            The Blu-ray includes an opening day featurette, as well as a behind-the-scenes making-of featurette and interviews with cast and crew. There is also a spin-off short film.

Shock Labyrinth 3D Blu-ray review

Actors: Ai Maeda, Suzuki Matsuo, Shoichiro Masumoto
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Format: Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, 3D, Widescreen
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 2
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Well Go USA
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Run Time: 89 minutes

            Shock Labyrinth 3D is somewhat like the house of horrors which the storyline takes place in; it a film which is full of cheap 3D thrills and a pathetically dull and dragged out storyline to match. Without the 3D it is even more unbearable to sit through. There is also a DVD version available in this package of three ways to view a below average film, but in standard definition only the story and characters remain in focus. I don’t recommend watching this film at all, but at the very least there is some spectacle in the 3D, whereas the remainder of the film feels incomplete.

            The storyline makes even less sense the more we find out, but it begins with so little information that it has a bizarre logic that works. The quality of the filmmaking is actually quite poor looking when not shown in 3D, regardless of the definition. At the beginning of the movie a group of childhood friends are reunited by a long lost member of their group. As children they all entered a House of Horrors at an amusement park, though one of them did not walk out the same. Ten years later Yuki suddenly appears to rejoin the friends, luring them into a trap at the same House of Horrors from their childhood.

            The film asks for more than just suspension of disbelief. It asks audience not to think about the movie at all, and this is not easy when there are so few sincerely entertaining moments to at least be distracting from the discrepancies. The halls of the House of Horrors are predictably haunted and filled with all sorts of mind-bending tricks and 3D effects.

            The Combo pack includes the 3d Blu-ray and 2D Blu-ray, as well as a DVD. The special features include interviews and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

           

The Organizer Blu-ray review

Actors: Marcello Mastroianni, Annie Girardot
Director: Mario Monicelli
Format: Black & White, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: Italian
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Criterion Collection
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Run Time: 130 minutes

            There is far less judgment within Mario Monicelli’s The Organizer than there are ideas. Monicelli does not offer a transparent presentation of preconceived notions about labor unions in Italy, but instead shows a fairly even presentation of a single conflict between poor factory workers and their business-minded bosses. Despite a political background that began with an upbringing by his political journalist father, filmmaker Monicelli allows the story to permeate ideas in the audience’s head rather than forcing Marxist propaganda down their throat. In some ways, the protestors are seen to be equally goal oriented and cold-hearted in achieving their goals as the greedy factory owners refusing better conditions.

            Though the subject matter is serious, at times even deadly, The Organizer allows a sense of humor to drift in the story. The ignorance of the factory workers attempting to organize a strike is often comical, and even the educated leader often carries more resemblance Charlie Chaplin’s tramp than a revolutionary leader. Only arriving after we have seen several sequences of the factory worker’s incompetence, Professor Sinigaglia (Marcello Mastroianni) appears unexpectedly to help the cause. Wanted by police elsewhere, the professor quickly becomes a rebel asset that the factory owners realize they must fear. Even more dangerous is the weak will of the workers, who are uncomfortable with the amount of sacrifice that they discover must be necessary in order to cause change to occur.

            Released in 1963, The Organizer is more of a look back at the struggles which came with achieving some rights for the modern workers than it is a realistic presentation of present conditions. This is not to say that the film had no relevance in the early 1960s, but rather that it was a reminder of the beginnings which made modern struggles possible. Beyond the message, however, is a remarkably entertaining film, even at an even-paced 130 minutes. We are slowly immersed into this world along with the outsider, allowed to discover unique qualities and personality traits within each character.

            The Blu-ray release includes a new high-definition digital restoration, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack and an introduction to the film by director Monicelli from 2006. There are also improved English subtitles and a booklet insert with an incredibly dry and factual essay by film critic J. Hoberman.     

Late Spring Blu-ray review

Actors: Chishu Ryu, Setsuko Hara, Yumeji Tsukioka, Haruko Sugimura, Hohi Aoki
Director: Yasujiro Ozu
Format: Black & White, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Criterion Collection
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Run Time: 108 minutes

            It is through repetition that a larger understanding of a single theme can be properly examined with increased understanding and nuance. At least this is the belief system which is a constant throughout the artistic history of Japan, from poetry to painting, stage to screen. When considering the family portraits which dominate the filmography of cinema master Yasujiro Ozu, one cannot help but compare him to the traditions held constant within his country. Using the shomin-geki (“modern family drama) and restrained and understated filmmaking, Ozu has remained one of the most recognizable names in Japanese cinema for the last 60-some years.

            Considering the fact that many themes and structures are revisited within an Ozu film, it is a wonder that one stands out among the rest. Perhaps it is because of historical significance, or maybe it was simply made at the pinnacle of his creative career. Whatever the reason, it is Late Spring which seems to stand tallest in the filmography of the late great Japanese master. There is a certain amount of peaceful wisdom and self repair with Ozu’s third film outing after the close of World War II. It is the fact that he had already visited the shomin-geki prior to the war which allows us to understand the changes which had occurred in the post-war world, however subtle they may be within the simplistic stylistic choices.

            It is the simplicity itself which makes Ozu such a lasting figure in cinematic history. His ability to use uneventful moments to give way to a deeper understanding of their character is unbelievable. Many directors can get their story across effectively with excess, but only the truly talented can do it through the non-moments which fill the storyline of Late Spring. A widowed father, Shukichi Somiya (Chishu Ryu) worries about his only daughter’s future. He knows that if his daughter, Noriko (Setsuko Hara) does not marry soon, she will becomes older and once he is gone will have no one to take care of her. Though she now dedicates her time to taking care of him, he is determined to remedy this with upcoming nuptials.

            There are no long dramatic and emotional speeches. Everything is said and seen in simple subtle statements and reactions. Many ignorant modern audience members might call this film dull, but it is simply a film which requires attention and thought. Each time I watch it, I find myself understanding the characters more and appreciating Ozu exponentially. The Blu-ray release is well-worthwhile, as the cinematography is also as excellently simplistic. Ozu is completely unpretentious in his filmmaking, and the high definition digital restoration with an uncompressed monaural is well worth having. The special features include an optional commentary track with Richard Peña, program director of New York’s Film Society of Lincoln Center. Also included is a feature-length documentary by Wim Wenders about Ozu; Tokyo-ga (1985). The booklet insert has essays by critic Michael Atkinson, Japanese-film historian Donald Richie and an excerpt from Ozu on screenwriter Kogo Noda.  

             

¡Alambrista! Blu-ray review

Actors: Ned Beatty, Trinidad Silva, Edward James Olmos, Robert M. Young, Julius Harris
Director: Robert M. Young
Format: Color, DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen 
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: Criterion Collection
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Run Time: 96 minutes

            ¡Alambrista! is still relevant today, which is a sure sign that it was groundbreaking in its depiction of illegal Mexican immigrants when originally released in 1977. Remarkably made by a non-Spanish speaking filmmaker, ¡Alambrista! somehow still manages to capture the experience of migrating to the new land for work with compassion and raw realism. Writer/director/cinematographer Robert M. Young made his way into the world of film as a documentary filmmaker, which is helpful in creating the feeling that we are witnessing un-choreographed action even within this narrative film. We are a fly on the wall to the ostracized and ignored, experiencing the arrival to America first-hand alongside our protagonist.

            With the heart of a journalist and an activist’s attitude, ¡Alambrista! allows for Young to make a film with the political edge of his early documentaries while retaining narrative control that allowed him to clarify a message. This is done subtly though, with the use of documentary as stylistic choices allows for a feeling of realism to lull the audience into the experience rather than pounding a message into our heads with an over-written screenplay. Young understands the same methods as the Italian neorealist filmmakers in creating an authentic feeling narrative film.

            After making the short film documentary, “Children of the Fields,” Young became fascinated with the brutal living conditions of the undocumented Mexican immigrants working in the fields. This is how the idea for ¡Alambrista! was born, following the journey of a single immigrant as he struggles to make money for his family back in Mexico. Roberto Ramirez (Domingo Ambriz) leaves behind a wife and newborn baby, hoping that the poverty in Mexico can be avoided by finding work in the fields of America. After crossing the border, he finds that although there is plenty of work available for him, there are very few guarantees that he will get proper treatment or pay. There is also the constant threat of being deported by la migra, though this eventually becomes the saving grace for our homesick protagonist.

            Originally shot with money from the Guggenheim Fellowship and aired on KCET and PBS in the fall of 1977, ¡Alambrista! went on to rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival and a best film award at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Even with all of the positive attention, the film was still never given a theatrical release in the United States, and even disappeared for two decades before finally released on DVD for the first time. This Blu-ray edition includes a re-edited version from that DVD release, which allows for some additional humor and a slightly tighter running time.

            The Blu-ray includes a new high-definition digital restoration with an uncompressed stereo soundtrack, with an optional audio commentary track featuring Young and co-producer Michael Hausman. There are also new interviews with actor Edward James Olmos and Young’s short documentary, “Children of the Fields.” The booklet insert also includes an essay by film historian Charles Ramirez Berg.