REAL MOVIE NEWS: 2013-08-18

Amour Blu-ray review

Actors: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, Alexandre Tharaud, William Shimell

Director: Michael Haneke

Writers: Michael Haneke

Producers: Alice Girard, Bettina Reitz, Bettina Ricklefs, Daniel Goudineau, Hans-Wolfgang Jurgan

Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: French

Subtitles: English

Number of discs: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Date: August 20, 2013

Run Time: 127 minutes

Filmmaker Michael Haneke does not make easy films to watch. Though often undeniably entertaining, he is a director more interested in challenging audiences with his art form than he is entertaining them. Funny Games (1997) is a film that the director said was intended to get audiences to leave the theater, almost a test of endurance meant to jar audiences from the place of traditional complacent voyeurism we bring to a darkened theater. The act of watching is thematically significant in Haneke’s latest masterpiece, Amour.

What we are watching is the difficult end to a long and gratifying love story, and we watch it without musical manipulation or forced sentimentality. Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) have lived a fabulous life when a silent stroke begins the slow end to their romance and Anne’s life. With such a simple storyline Amour is inevitably a film about performances, and they are spectacularly and bravely played by two film legends that have literally aged before our eyes through the years. But it is also a film about direction, and what Haneke is willing to show us.

In one sequence Georges is unexpectedly visited by their obtusely intrusive daughter (Isabelle Huppert) and he describes many of the difficult daily acts that must be endured caring for his dying wife. Georges also mentions that these are not events deserving of being seen, and though he is speaking to his insensitive daughter, Haneke also seems to be talking to the audience through these lines. We are not forced to endure more voyeuristic pain than necessary and the director’s choices in what to show and how editing quickens the passage of time is an act of mercy which also runs parallel to the film’s poignant narrative.

This is not an easy film to sit through, despite the way editing manages to quicken the timeline. It is also not an indulgent film, or one that begs for adoration, despite the glowing reviews and many awards. The Blu-ray includes a making-of featurette, along with a filmed Q&A session with Haneke.

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 10/10

Historical Significance: 8/10

Disc Features: 6/10

The Devil’s Backbone Criterion Collection Blu-ray review

Actors: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve, Irene Visedo

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Format: Blu-ray, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: Spanish

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Criterion Collection

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Run Time: 108 minutes

Guillermo del Toro has made a career out of making nothing but monster movies, and has done it in a way which has elevated the genre picture rather than brought down his career. Proving that monsters have just as much of a place in foreign art films as they do in Hollywood blockbusters, del Toro may have gained mainstream popularity with big budget films such as his Hellboy franchise and Pacific Rim, but he has also achieved remarkable critical success with Cronos, Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone.

Del Toro began his career with a completely unique take on the vampire mythos with Cronos, setting the groundwork for the filmmaker’s style and ability to blend reality with fantasy realistically. It also began his tendency to utilize children protagonists, as was the case with Pan’s Labyrinth and also with The Devil’s Backbone, and with storylines that take place a specific time and place in history. Set in the final days of the Spanish Civil War, The Devil’s Backbone is a coming-of-age ghost story in which human behavior is more frightening than the film’s “monster.”

The story follows a twelve-year-old boy as he is brought to a rural orphanage after his father is killed in the resistance. As one among many orphaned children of freedom fighters living in an orphanage in the middle of nowhere, there are many new dangers. Among them is the rumor of the ghost of a missing child, a spirit haunting the halls late at night and interacting with our newcomer protagonist. There is a mystery at the heart of The Devil’s Backbone, but even with the secrets revealed this is a film worth watching numerous times.

Part of the reason that The Devil’s Backbone is such a great film is not because of the horror aspects, which is usually highlighted in Hollywood horror as the primary emphasis. Less important than the monster and the special effects used to create it are the characters within the screenplay and the actors who bring them to life. Del Toro makes personal horror movies with an emphasis on humanity over the monstrous even amidst dark material. Because of how we care for these characters, due to their elegant construction, the horror has more significance without needing to overwhelm the storyline.

The Criterion Blu-ray release comes with a newly restored 2K digital film transfer, supervised by del Toro and his director of photography, Guillermo Navarro. The film has 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master audio, with an optional director’s commentary track, who also provides a video introduction from the 2010. The special features also include new and archival interviews with the director, as well as a making-of documentary from 2004 and four deleted scenes with optional commentary by del Toro. It doesn’t stop there. With an interactive director’s notebook, new interviews with Spanish Civil War scholar Sebastian Faber, storyboard and thumbnail comparisons and a new English subtitle translation done by del Toro himself, this is as good as any fan could hope for. There is also a foldout insert with an essay by critic Mark Kermode.

Entertainment Value: 9/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 10/10

Historical Significance: 9/10

Disc Features: 10/10

Seconds Criterion Collection Blu-ray review

Actors: Rock Hudson, Salome Jens, John Randolph, Will Geer

Director: John Frankenheimer

Format: Blu-ray, Black & White, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 107 minutes

Seconds makes a perfect companion paranoia piece to auteur filmmaker John Frankenheimer’s earlier masterpiece, The Manchurian Candidate. The storylines share little in common, though there is a similar mood and series of themes running through the dissimilar narratives. Both involve are shot in stark black and white, with purposefully feverish camera angles, and both stories rely on covert scientific experiments which force our protagonist to question the reality of his existence. These are science fiction films which make use of a growing distrust in government and authority in the 1960s.

Seconds has the type of plot which could easily be made today as a large-scale Hollywood blockbuster, complete with as many chase sequences as the narrative could hold. The way that Frankenheimer approaches it is much quieter, however, combining the creativity and mysteriousness of a “Twilight Zone” episode with the artistic patience of John Cassavetes. The film follows the dark path taken by a tired old bank executive named Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph), who late in life realizes that he may have been too safe with his choices. Given the opportunity for a second chance, Hamilton is contacted by a friend telling him about a company with the ability to use science in order to give the old man a new body.

After bringing Frank Sinatra acclaim with The Manchurian Candidate, Frankenheimer makes another revelatory casting decision by placing Rock Hudson in the role of Arthur Hamilton’s new persona, Antiochus Wilson. Whereas the company that gave him this opportunity had planned for Hamilton to use Wilson to do thing differently, the life of quiet brooding changes only in location. Even with a new job as a painter, complete with a failsafe plan that removes any pressure for success, Wilson is even more maladjusted than Hamilton was, leading to a revelatory final twist which adds a chilling context for the entire film.

Frankenheimer’s filmography is remarkable for many reasons, one of which is the mere length of time he has continued to make solid suspense and thrillers, but his paranoia films from the 1960s are the solid foundation of his illustrious career. The Criterion Blu-ray release for Seconds includes a newly restored 4K digital film transfer, with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack and optional director’s commentary track. Additional special features include a new interview with Alec Baldwin, a new making-of program about the film, as well as an excerpt from an older behind-the-scenes program for the film and an interview with Frankenheimer from the early 1970s. There is the usual booklet insert with an essay by film critic David Sterritt, as well as a new visual essay by R. Bartin Palmer and Murray Pomerance, which is included on the dic.

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 10/10

Historical Significance: 8/10

Disc Features: 9/10

Hatchet 3 Blu-ray review

Actors: Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, Zach Galligan

Director: BJ McDonnell

Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: Unrated

Studio: Dark Sky Films

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 81 minutes

The Hatchet series started by Adam Green pays homage to the horror films of the 1980s, especially the Friday the 13^th franchise and its duplicates, so it should come as no surprise that the sequels have consistently been released since the original film. Adam Green helmed the first two films, though he passed directorial reigns to BJ McDonnell for this third installment. I’m sure we will see many more of these in time.

Beginning where the second film left off allows for an easy transition, and McDonnell is capable of continuing the franchise in the same bloody manner, for better or worse. None of the issues I had with the first two have been resolved, and all of the assets from the first films have been adequately amplified. In other words, this is a safe bet if you enjoyed the practical effects carnage and mayhem from the previous horror films.

Danielle Harris was bad in Halloween, but she is absolutely unbearable as the continuing protagonist of the Hatchet franchise, Marybeth. After surviving the attacks of her inbred swamp-residing relative in the first film and returning for revenge with mercenaries in the second film, Marybeth is still alive and now teaming up with local law enforcement to try and take out the ghostly hatchet-wielding maniac Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder).

The local sheriff (Zach Galligan) conveniently has an ex-wife (Caroline Williams) obsessed with the mythology of Crowley and a theory on how to stop the monster. There are many scenes of pointless violence and action as others try to take Crowley down in the incorrect manner, but this is much more engaging than the pointless dialogue that Marybeth and the sheriff’s have in between the effects shots. Bad acting abounds, along with dialogue that is only occasionally intentionally cheesy, but there is no denying the impact of practical effects that are used in the Hatchet franchise.

The Blu-ray release includes a crew commentary track with writer/producer Adam Green along with McDonnell, cinematographer Will Barratt and make-up effects artist Robert Pendergraft. There is also a second commentary track with the Green, McDonnell and Hodder. The featurettes includes a typical behind-the-scenes making of feature, as well as one about Hodder and the swamp setting for the film. There is also a trailer gallery.

Entertainment Value: 8/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 5/10

Historical Significance: 3/10

Disc Features: 8/10

The Guillotines Blu-ray review

Actors: Zhang Wen, Xiaoming Huang, Shawn Yue, Yuchun Li, Ching-Tien Juan

Director: Andrew Lau

Format: Blu-ray, Dolby, NTSC, THX, Widescreen

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Subtitles: English

Dubbed: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Well Go USA

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 113 minutes

I’m not sure how much historical accuracy there is in the weapons at the center of The Guillotines, but the special effects used to show what they are capable makes them seem more fantasy than fact. This is fine had director Andrew Lau committed to a film of spectacle, but instead The Guillotines attempts to balance between historical accuracy and fantastical action sequences. In the end, both suffer as a result, resulting in a moderately entertaining and modestly realistic historical epic with a rather typical storyline.

The Guillotines were a secret brotherhood of assassins utilized by Emperor Yong Zheng during the Manchurian-ruled Qing Dynasty. When Emperor Qian Long took the throne, he brought Western ideas and technology with him, making the Guillotines unnecessary and expendable. While fighting against the Han Chinese rebels, The Guillotines must also worry about the new army of artillery brought by the new emperor, which could easily be turned on them.

Though The Guillotines is not an action-packed film, and has less hand-to-hand martial arts than many might have hoped for, what action the film has is incredibly violent. The decapitations from the aptly named weapon and subsequent crew of assassins using them are the obvious source of many violence sequences, though there are many others involving more traditional weapons as well. There are a few good sequences here, though some of the action is a bit of a let down considering the buildup and emphasis that is placed on the title weapons.

The Blu-ray includes a making-of featurette, as well as interviews with the cast and the crew. There is also a trailer which shows how much importance is placed on the film’s central weapons.

Entertainment Value: 7/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7/10

Historical Significance: 6/10

Disc Features: 5/10

To the Wonder DVD review

Actors: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem

Director: Terrence Malick

Format: AC-3, Blu-ray, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen

Language: English

Subtitles: Spanish

Dubbed: French

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: R (Restricted)

Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment

Release Date: August 6, 2013

Run Time: 113 minutes

Terrence Malick has a unique style of filmmaking which is immediately recognizable; gorgeous photography, often with fields and blowing summer dresses, combined with minimal dialogue and soft-spoken voiceover narration which is more poetry than plot. The familiarity of Malick’s style combined with the fact that he has drifted even further from the realms of mainstream storytelling makes To the Wonder simultaneously one of Malick’s most personal and most inaccessible films.

Though perhaps inaccessible is an unfair way of describing To the Wonder, which is ripe with emotions and ideas for those willing to participate. This is not a film for passive viewing. Audiences must be willing, and in some cases, brave enough to bring their own life experiences into the theater with them. This isn’t a film which demands intellectual probing, analyzing for significant ideas and concepts buried within the screenplay. I’m certain some scholars can and will do so, but this is a film which must be felt.

There isn’t much of a plot in To the Wonder, but rather a series of vignettes following the various emotions echoing throughout a relationship, even after it has ended. Ben Affleck is an American contractor named Neil, though we rarely hear his name or learn much about him. While on a business trip of some sort he meets and has a relationship with Marina (Olga Kurylenko), bringing her and her daughter back to his home in rural United States. From here the film drifts through a series of vignettes, showing the stages of a relationship and the emotions along the way.

With a minimalist storyline involving a couple as they struggle through stages of a relationship, not much needs to be said for there to be moments which ring true. This is helped along by Emmanuel Lubezki’s photography and Hanan Townshend’s beautiful soundtrack, which is a bit like a sophisticated version of Thomas Newman’s Meet Joe Black score. Rachel McAdams has a brief supporting role as a former girlfriend that Neil reconnects with, and Javier Bardem plays one of the film’s most difficult roles as a bitter priest.

The DVD has a making-of featurette, as well as a couple additional extras. There is a featurette about the actors’ experience on set and one on the location choices that Malick makes. There is also a theatrical trailer.

Entertainment Value: 6/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 8/10

Historical Significance: 7/10

Disc Features: 5/10

New Classic Doctor Who on Blu-ray and DVD: Spearhead from Space and The Green Death

Actors: Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, Caroline John

Director: Derek Martinus

Writers: Robert Holmes

Producers: Derrick Sherwin

Format: Color

Language: English

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Run Time: 96 minutes

Each time the Doctor changes his appearance in “Doctor Who,” it provides the opportunity for new beginnings. This is helpful, especially since many of the earliest episodes of the series have been destroyed. Many actors have been able to play the same character with the convenient plot device of the Time Lords changing the Doctor’s appearance as punishment. “Spearhead from Space” marked the arrival of Jon Pertwee in the role, which he played for four years.

Rather than releasing the show by season, the classic “Doctor Who” is released by stories, which are a series of half-hour cliffhanger episodes that make up an entire storyline. “Spearhead from Space” is story number 51, and “The Green Death” is 69, and both star Pertwee and are newly available for home entertainment purchase. While “The Green Death” is available only on DVD due to the typical video quality, “Spearhead from Space” was shot on film because of a strike at BBC and is now available on high definition Blu-ray as a result. This was also the first of the Doctor Who stories to be shot in color, adding some historical significance with the glorious picture.

“Spearhead from Space” has a storyline remarkably similar to that of the pilot episode of the reincarnation of “Doctor Who.” The mannequins in London begin to come alive and attack people, and it is up to Doctor Who and a female cohort to put a stop to them. The Blu-ray extras include a restoration comparison, showing how the 2K Master from the original 16mm negative was done to bring a better version than was previously available. There is also 22-minutes of title sequence material, though a majority of the features are dedicated the cast members. There is an exclusive profile of Pertwee with actors Katy Manning, Judy Cornwell, David Jacobs, Geoffrey Bayldon, Kenneth Earle and writer Terrance Dicks. There is also a tribute to Caroline Shaw, who played Liz Shaw.

“The Green Death” has giant bugs and a final appearance from Doctor’s assistant Jo Grant (Katy Manning). When a man is found dead in an abandoned mine with his skin glowing green, the Doctor and Grant go to Wales to investigate, only to discover a chemicals factory may be creating deadly giant maggots. The DVD Special Edition special features are extensive, including a commentary track with Manning, producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Discks. There are additional commentary tracks for episodes 3-5 with actors Richard Franklin and Mitzi McKenzie and visual effects designer Colin Mapson, moderated by Toby Hadoke. There is also one for episode six with Manning and writer Russell T. Davies. The special features also have a number of interviews and some making-of documentary type featurettes, but the highlight are a couple of episodes from the new “Doctor Who” featuring Manning returning to play the role of Jo Grant one more time, with Matt Smith as the 11^th Doctor.