DVD Review: The Merchant Of Venice

Laurence Olivier is known for his earlier Shakespeare films – Hamlet, Richard III, Henry V – but it was his King Lear that first really impressed me, much more than his earlier work.  He gave an incredible performance as Lear. A decade before his King Lear, he took on the role of Shylock in Jonathan Miller’s production of The Merchant Of Venice, and now that production is available on DVD, thanks to Shout! Factory. And again, Olivier is incredibly impressive. Joining Laurence Olivier are Joan Plowright as Portia, Jeremy Brett as Bassanio, Michael Jayston as Gratiano, Anthony Nicholls as Antonio and Anna Carteret as Nerissa.

Joan Plowright seems too old for Portia, but she delivers a good performance anyway, as you’d expect. Anna Carteret is also quite good as Nerissa, full of wit and playfulness. Because of this production’s more modern setting, Nerissa is able to show photographs of the suitors to Portia, and about these photographs they share a laugh. It’s a wonderful moment, and a delightful scene. I particularly like Joan Plowright’s delivery of the line when she first recalls Bassanio too fondly, then catches herself.

Laurence Olivier is, as I mentioned, excellent in the role of Shylock. Even the way he plays with the word “well” after “Antonio is to become bound” is wonderful. And his delivery of “I will be assured I may” is pointedly full of meaning. Antonio is an older man, which gives more humor to his “O, fie” in response to the suggestion that he’s in love. Having an older Antonio also creates a wonderful connection between him and Shylock, two men of an age, and when we first see the two together, they are dressed in similar fashion, both with black top hats (Shylock’s over his yarmulke). It creates an intriguing image of similarities between the men who will become adversaries.

The caskets in this production are on a turning platform, which is an interesting choice. Morocco turns in a humorous and appropriately goofy performance. I particularly love the moment when he approaches Portia, asking what would happen if he stopped and chose the silver one, like he’s hoping for some hint from her. I’m glad to see the comedic moments early on in this production, because without them, the fifth act can’t work at all. The second suitor, the Prince of Arragon, is an elderly man, which amuses Nerissa. There’s a funny moment when he delivers a speech, and Portia and Nerissa sip tea in the deep background, clearly not caring to give ear to any speech this old man might give. There is some funny, playful business with sugar cubes. And because he’s old, he nearly inserts the key in the lead casket rather than his chosen silver, but for Nerissa quickly turning the platform. This entire scene is wonderful, and you actually feel for the old guy at the end when he asks honestly, even a bit sadly, “Did I deserve no more than a fool’s head?”

And of course we feel for Shylock at moments in this production. Like in the first scene of Act III, when he’s upset about Jessica’s flight, we side with him, particularly because of the way Salarino and Salanio speak to him, without a trace of pity or kindness. It makes his anger much more understandable. And it is only then that Shylock decides to call in the forfeit of Antonio’s bond, an excellent moment. We can see it all on Laurence Olivier’s face, as he turns his pain and anger toward Antonio. What a great performance. And that’s before he delivers that famous speech (“Hath not a Jew eyes…”). His scene with Tubal is likewise excellent.

The centerpiece, of course, is the courtroom scene, which is handled really well. I love Laurence Olivier’s delivery of “No, none that thou hast wit enough to make.” Both Nerissa and Portia do a good job disguised as men. There is an excellent tension to this scene. And a moment is allowed after Shylock’s exit, where we see other characters’ reactions. Particularly intriguing is Portia’s, as she seems to have sympathy and perhaps even a bit of regret. And then I love that Portia slaps Bassanio on the shoulder when she says, “I pray you, know me when we meet again.” Is she upset that he didn’t recognize her?

This production of The Merchant Of Venice was directed for television by John Sichel. The DVD was released on May 17, 2016 through Shout! Factory. It contains no special features.

(Note: For serious Shakespeare fans, I posted a scene-by-scene review of this production on my Shakespeare blog, Mostly Shakespeare. Just be aware that it contains spoilers for those unfamiliar with the play.)

DVD Review: Secundaria

Secundaria is a documentary that follows a class of students through the three-year program at Cuba’s famous National Ballet School. It focuses primarily on two students: Mayara, who comes from a poorer neighborhood and who has to take a one-hour bus ride to get to school, and Gabriela, whose family has more money and lives closer to the school. This film gets us very close to its subjects, and has a wonderfully natural feel, which works to pull us in right from the start.

We are introduced to both girls at their homes before seeing them at the school. Mayara lives in a two-bedroom home that is apparently infested with termites. We learn that at the beginning of each year the high school sponsors a competition for teenage ballet dancers and uses the results to establish class rankings. In the first year, both Mayara and Gabriela make it to the final round, and Mayara comes in second overall, and as a result is suddenly at the top of her class. As the film shows us, this will change Mayara’s life in significant ways (and, perhaps just as remarkably, will not affect it in other ways). She is then taught by Martha Iris, Cuba’s most famous teacher, and we are treated to footage of their one-on-one lessons. Not everything is subtitled, and because my Spanish is a bit rusty, I just enjoyed the images from these scenes.

Much of the information is presented in voice over narration, rather than in formal interviews with the participants. In scenes at the girls’ homes, Mayara and Gabriela and their families do offer their stories, but it’s almost like the families are talking among themselves and the camera just happens to capture it, rather than anyone speaking directly to the camera, answering questions. This helps give the film a very natural feel. Plus, all the students and faculty must have become quite accustomed to the camera, for they rarely even acknowledge its presence, and are quite natural around it, even when it is extremely close. And the camera is often very close to its subjects, focusing on details regarding costume, hair and makeup, as well as the dance itself.

At one point, the narrator tells us that Gabriela injured her toe. But because of how close the camera is on her face, we can see something is wrong before being told. You can read it in her eyes, as she tries to remain strong. It’s a very moving moment, and this film has plenty of these moments.

The economics of the area are never too far from the minds of those involved, as when a tour of Cuba is canceled because of lack of a working bus for the students. That’s crazy. Crazier still is that the students don’t seem surprised or put off by this. Mayara, however, is selected for a travel team which goes to South Africa and Italy, and later to Canada. In Italy, Mayara wins the top prize of 500 euros, which as the narrator explains to us, is approximately three times what her mother makes in a year. But the next day that money is taken from her by the school so it can be used to purchase items the school needs. Mayara doesn’t seem to make a fuss about this either. But while in Canada, she makes a surprising move.

Special Features

The DVD includes a photo gallery of images of the film’s participants as well as of the area. There is a brief biography of Mary Jane Doherty, and a director’s statement regarding the project and her technique.

Secundaria was directed and edited by Mary Jane Doherty, and was released on DVD on February 9, 2016 through First Run Features.

DVD Review: Invisible Scars

Invisible Scars is a documentary about child abuse. The movie’s co-director and co-producer, Johnna Janis, was abused by her father as a child, and by exploring and exposing that abuse with this documentary, she seems to be coming to terms with her own experience. It is obviously a very personal film, and she herself is on camera for the majority of it. Right at the beginning of the film, in voice over, she tells us, “I’m also a survivor of child sexual abuse.”

Interestingly, the first images in the film are very positive, happy ones – images of her children and footage of her wedding in 2009. Her husband, Dean, provides his perspective too, for a time. Johnna was involved in a car accident, which left her in pain and requiring surgery. Johnna compares the lack of control she felt after the accident to the lack of control she felt as a child. Before the accident, she was very active physically. But after it, she didn’t have that avenue of escape from the memories and flashbacks that plagued her. And so, through this film, she deals with them. There is some video footage of her as a child taken by her father, which surprised me.

Johnna does interview others about child abuse, including a psychologist and a victims’ attorney, who give advice to parents about talking with their children. And Johnna talks with other survivors of child abuse, who have their own heartbreaking stories and details. “I never went to sleep feeling safe in my house,” one woman says. Johnna actually created a support group, and filmed a meeting in which each of the members talks about his or her past and resulting troubles. Plus, there is information on the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, regarding the relationship between childhood trauma and a person’s health later in life. The film shows us the questionnaire that this study uses, with questions such as “Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or who used street drugs?” This stuff is particularly interesting. She also talks with Matt Sandusky. This film is partly about healing through talking about the issue, and it is also about the impact – positive and negative – we have on each other’s lives.

Johnna does get into stuff regarding her car accident and taking the other driver to court, which isn’t nearly as interesting or compelling. And after the trial, she ended her marriage to Dean. But either she isn’t giving us enough information about this for us to care, or she is giving too much, for it feels a bit off the track. If it’s related, we need to see how. It’s not enough just to give us information about her current life, but to connect it all. Some of the best stuff in this film is when other people are telling their stories, or when the experts give information on abuse and the ongoing issues stemming from it.

Special Features

The DVD includes a lot of bonus footage (more than an hour’s worth), including an interview with former NFL player Al Chesley, more with Johnna’s husband, more with the psychologist, and more with Erin Merryn. There is some really interesting stuff with Dr. Vincent Felitti, as well as personal stories from other victims. There are also short biographies of Johnna Janis and Sergio Meyers.

Invisible Scars was directed by Johnna Janis and Sergio Meyers (Meyers also directed The Zombinator), and was released on DVD on March 29, 2016 through First Run Features.

DVD Review: Everlasting Love

The opening scene of Everlasting Love has a documentary feel, as people are asked by a man off screen how they go about hooking up. And they talk, somewhat candidly, somewhat embarrassedly, about flirting and crushes and about the idea of love lasting forever. One girl says, “When you fall in love it’s because you think it’s going to be eternal.” But a guy then opines: “I don’t think eternal love exists. I think there are powerful moments when you think it may last forever. But then you hurt yourself.”

It’s an interesting opening, yet doesn’t quite prepare you for the completely engaging and absorbing and unsettling story that follows. The film shows us a couple arguing, a relationship disintegrating, the girlfriend left behind. But we see it from a distance, the camera behind them, off to the side, like it is (and thus we are) spying on them. And indeed, an older man is watching them from his car. This scene establishes a voyeuristic angle that the film maintains, more or less, throughout. While the man, Carlos (Joan Bentallé), goes off into the woods, the girlfriend is suddenly grabbed by another man. The film creates a strange and haunting reality, and when we follow Carlos, for a moment we think we’ll never know what befell this girl, that she is just one detail in a creepy landscape. Carlos spies on several different people – men, women, couples. But one young man, Toni (Aimar Vega), looks back at him with recognition. The girl, now unconscious, is brought to a group of people that this young man is a part of. One member of this group asks, “Is she going to stay with us?” It’s so unsettling an atmosphere that I am immediately pulled into this film.

The film then cuts to a classroom, where Toni is a student and Carlos is the teacher. And because we were so quickly immersed in that strange world of the forest, this normal world now seems strange to us, and just as unsettling. Toni asks for a ride home, and Carlos speaks quite openly about meeting one-night stands in that area of the woods. It’s interesting that while they talk, we see them in close-up, but then when they have sex in the car later, we see it from a bit of a distance, which has the effect of making it colder, more alien, and again giving it a voyeuristic bent. The camera does slowly close in on them, almost like we’re getting bolder in our watching. But what’s also interesting is that the closer we get, the harder it is to see. Adding to the film’s unsettling atmosphere is its sound design, by the way.

And though Carlos impresses upon Toni the fact that their love-making was a one-time thing, Toni tries to see him again. And after Toni doesn’t show up to class a couple of times, Carlos goes looking for him, interested in him in spite of himself. Carlos has a colleague with whom he’s talked about cruising the forest area and so on, and this colleague turns out to be a bit of a voyeur himself. Meanwhile, we see that Joana, the girlfriend, has now become a part of the group that abducted her, her hand wrapped in a bloody bandage. It may seem difficult to get a grasp on the world of this film. You just have to go along for the ride. And it’s definitely worth it. I got completely sucked into this film, and I feel it’s one that’s going to stay with me for a while.

Everlasting Love was directed by Marçal Forés, and was released on DVD on November 3, 2015 through TLA Releasing. The film is presented in its original Spanish, with English subtitles. The DVD includes the film’s trailer.

Film Review: Beautiful Something

Beautiful Something is a really good character-driven drama that follows four gay men over the course of a night. It stars Brian Sheppard, Zack Ryan, Colman Domingo and John Lescault as men who are trying to find some human connection, or perhaps are questioning the connections they already have. The movie creates a strong sense of characters with real desires and real histories, without relying on exposition or any other clunky tactics.

The film opens with Brian (Brian Sheppard) beginning his day. He keeps looking into the mirror, as if trying to come to some conclusion about himself, or simply checking in to make sure he still appears to be the man he feels he is, the man he perhaps worries he isn’t. He introduces himself to the person in the mirror: “Hi, I’m Brian.” Brian is a published poet who is struggling with his new book. He sits down at a typewriter, which helps me immediately like this character. After all, when was the last time you even saw a typewriter? It’s such a comforting image.

There is something of a dreamlike quality to this film at times. For example, at a bar, the moment the bartender puts on Brian’s favorite sad song, a man comes in and sits next to Brian. Or in the shot when we’re introduced to Jim (Zack Ryan), he looks directly at us as he removes his shirt. We then see Drew (Colman Domingo) photographing him, but just for a moment we are Drew, and Jim is smiling at us. But that pleasant dreamlike quality can just as suddenly end, as the film cuts to Jim angrily getting ready to leave, glancing at the photos which now seem like a distant past. Drew is a sculptor, and Jim decides he is tired of being his muse, and wants to move to New York to pursue acting.

Bob (John Lescault) is on older man cruising the streets in a limousine. When we first see him, he has the driver pull the car over so he can flirt with a younger man. Interestingly, the camera remains on the younger man as he leans into the car during the conversation. Also interesting is that Bob isn’t actually just looking for sex, but rather something more, something lasting. He tells the younger man, “I don’t know what I want, but I’ll know him when I find him.” But can one find that sort of real connection by trawling the streets?

Even though this film introduces each man separately, as in chapters, it doesn’t feel episodic, but rather manages to make each scene feel like part of a larger tale. And their lives do intersect. At the same time, their stories do feel rather insulated from the city at large, almost like these men are all part of a different world. One of my favorite scenes is when Brian climbs through the window of a one-time lover and the subject and inspiration of his published poetry. It’s a great scene, as Brian tries to reach back to recapture that elusive thing that got him writing in the first place. This scene rings true, in large part because of the honest performances by both men. When Brian fails at recapturing his earlier muse, he goes searching for a new one, at one point very wrongly choosing Jim.

This is a remarkable and wonderful film, with its own atmosphere and a strong heart. And by the end, I was kind of in love with this movie. Beautiful Something was written and directed by Joseph Graham, who also made Strapped, as well as Edward, a creepy short horror film in the anthology The Horror Network.

DVD Review: The Nasty Terrible T-Kid 170: Julius Cavero

I’d long had a theory that all graffiti was done by twelve-year-old girls. Because, honestly, who likes to write in big bubble letters? That’s right: twelve-year-old girls. But apparently some grown men also like big bubble letters. The Nasty Terrible T-Kid 170: Julius Cavero is documentary film following one such grown man, Julius Cavero. I knew very little about graffiti art before watching this film. And actually, I hesitate to call “art” something that mars or damages someone else’s property. That being said, I’ve seen some beautiful, vibrant paintings on the sides of buildings, paintings which somehow made an ugly section of city look friendlier, happier.

As the film opens, Julius in voice over, tries to distinguish the artists from those who are just looking for attention, the difference between art and simple tagging. The movie basically stays with him and his perspective. There is quite a bit of pseudo-philosophical musing on his part. He says things like: “The bottom line is with the past there is no future. Remember that. You have to have a past to have a future.” Did he just contradict himself there? Well, it’s clear this isn’t the brightest guy around. There is also a whole lot of bragging. “I’ll always be relevant,” he tells us. And he says, “We took this to a whole nother level.” By the way, everyone, “nother” is not a word. The word you’re looking for is “other.” Remember that.

The filmmaker does ask him why he chose spray paint as his method of self-expression, and he tells the story of being young and seeing two kids spray painting a train. And that moment had a strong impact on him. To the director’s credit, she also asks him, “What do you think about expressing yourself on other people’s property?” He tells her: “I never personally, like, spray painted on somebody’s car or I spray painted on somebody’s house. I did tag my name on mailboxes, trucks, anything commercial.” He says he only spray painted on public property “because I am the public.”

He does talk about joining a gang, and about leaving it. And he tells us where the name T-Kid 170 comes from. And when he’s not bragging, he does have a few interesting things to say. Like about getting legitimate jobs. But this documentary is a bit messy, and it’s difficult to know just when certain things occurred. And a lot of shots just aren’t properly identified. For example, there is a shot of him with Brian Grazer, but no explanation of how this meeting came about, or when, or where. Plus, there is a lot of poor-quality old video. And for such a short film (it’s only 49 minutes, though Amazon currently lists the length as 94 minutes), there is some pointless stuff, like several moments of him trying to pronounce “Champs-Élysées” while he’s in France.

There are brief snippets of interviews with other graffiti artists, but this isn’t any kind of in-depth documentary on the subject of graffiti. No other perspectives are really presented. For example, we don’t hear from the people who own the property that’s been vandalized. We don’t hear from the police. I thought it might also be interesting to hear from the guys whose job it is to clean up graffiti. And I wish the people who had hired Julius Cavero for legitimate jobs had been interviewed. This documentary is essentially a puff piece. At one point Julius actually says, “We was doing masterworks of art on subway cars.”  Wow.

The Nasty Terrible T-Kid 170: Julius Cavero was directed by Carly Starr Brullo-Niles, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on May 20, 2016 through MVD Visual. The DVD contains no special features.

DVD Review: Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume Two

Did you miss Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume Two when it was first released? I did too. And do you refuse to pay a few hundred dollars to some guy selling his copy on Amazon? Well, no worries. Shout! Factory is now re-releasing this four-disc set which features some of the best episodes of the series, as well as some of the best short films. Included in this box are Cave Dwellers, Pod People, Angels Revenge and Shorts Vol. 1.

Disc One: Cave Dwellers

Yes, some of the worst movies make some of the best episodes. Cave Dwellers, a Joel episode from 1991, is a perfect example. The opening title sequence is presented in some weird, slightly out-of-focus manner, so when the director’s name appears – David Hills – Tom Servo says, “The Hills Have Eyes, but they have glaucoma right now.” Later, during a break, the gang creates its own opening title sequence, which is hilarious. At one point there is suddenly an odd wide shot, and a character says, “Come over here, my dear.” Crow adds, “Where the camera moved to.” The man speaks very slowly, which of course the gang pokes fun at, at one point saying “This has more pauses than a Pinter play.” And there is a whole lot of backstory, delivered as narration, leading Crow to quip, “Geez, Tolkien couldn’t follow this plot.” After a while, Joel asks, “Are we still in a flashback?” When that man tells his daughter, “When you seem to have reached the ends of the earth,” Crow interjects, “Ask for Earl.” There are hand rails in the stairway of the castle, and of course they make fun of them each time they’re shown. At one point Ator says, “We must act quickly,” but then continues to stand there, leading the guys to joke: “But not right now. In a minute or two. Half an hour, maybe.” Then when Ator says, “We’ll take them back to the village and I’ll speak with their people,” Joel asks, “The Village People?” There are also references to Batman, The Gong Show, Marshall Crenshaw, The Rolling Stones, Heart, The Warriors, This Is Spinal Tap and Macbeth.

As a bonus, this disc includes the introduction and breaks to the Mystery Science Theater Hour version from 1993.

Disc Two: Pod People

Pod People is also a Joel episode from 1991, and oddly the opening credit sequence is similar to that of Cave Dwellers. When a shot of three men in the woods cuts to a shot of outer space, Tom Servo says, “Meanwhile, a few miles away.” This movie has scenes with a lot of fog, leading the gang to remark, “Even the movie The Fog didn’t have this much fog.” One guy in the woods says, “Now we can kill us some game in peace and quiet.” Tom Servo rightly responds, “Do you realize what you just said?” Later, a grumpy older guys says: “There’s been a rock fall. The road’s blocked. The phone lines are probably down too.” Joel nervously exclaims, “There’s no way out of this film!” During one of the breaks, the gang records its own version of a terrible song from the movie. During another break, they poke fun at new age music. My favorite bits, however, are when the gang adds a voice to the alien the little boy is keeping as a pet. For example, in one scene, the boy says, “Sooner or later, Mommy’s going to notice all this food disappearing.” The gang has the alien respond, “Then you’ll have to kill her.” The boy begins putting food away, saying, “These we’ll put away for later.” The gang says: “No. More.” The boy continues, “Now we can play.” The gang has the alien say: “Like hell. More food.” This episode contains references to Randy Newman, Bob Dylan, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Star Trek, The Monkees, WKRP In Cincinnati, Fawlty Towers, The Brady Bunch, The Empire Strikes Back, Straw Dogs and Psycho. And the little boy has a Red Sox pennant and a Bruins pennant on his bedroom wall.

As a bonus, this disc includes the introductions and ending to the Mystery Science Theater Hour version from 1993.

Disc Three: Angels Revenge

This is a Mike Nelson episode from 1994. And hurrah, there is a Red Sox reference right at the beginning. Both Alan Hale and Jim Backus are in the movie, leading to several Gilligan’s Island references. When the girls arrive in a black van, the gang jokes, “It’s the T&A-Team.” When one character says, about his guard dog, “But if I lost control of him for one instant, he’d tear my throat out,” the gang adds, “But he’s great with kids.” After the girls blow up some drug processing plant and are giggling with glee about their success, Mike comments, “The war on drugs was never sexier.” Noticing some similarities to the Charlie’s Angels television show, the gang begins humming that series’ theme music. When a school girl clings to the back of a car, Crow says, “If he drops her on that part of the road, it’s a five hundred dollar fine.” When the girl finally falls off, Mike says, “You see, this is why getting a bus pass is a good idea.” During a break, Aaron Spelling’s mansion passes the Satellite of Love, leading Gypsy to say, “I feel so insignificant.” During the closing credits to the movie, the gang riffs on the 1970s. And at the very end Mike says, “Hey, where was Bruce Jenner in this movie?” On screen is a photo of the seven girls, and Crow answers, “He’s the one on the left.” How is that for a bit of prognosticating?

This disc contains no bonus features.

Disc Four: Shorts Vol. 1

Shorts Vol. 1 is something I used to own on videocassette, and watched many times. Actually, I think I still have it. This is not a full episode of the series, but rather segments from several different episodes. In addition to full-length movies, sometimes the gang on the Satellite of Love was subjected to old short films. This DVD collects seven of them, including two of my personal favorites. This collection is hosted by Tom Servo, who in his introduction calls it a tape, because it was originally a videocassette.

The first short is “The Home Economics Story.” One of the opening credits says, “This is an Iowa State College Production,” leading Joel to remark, “Iowa State College – the high school after high school.” And when the narrator says, “It wasn’t hard for Alice to return to reality,” Tom Servo quips, “She just went cold turkey.” Then in “Junior Rodeo Daredevils,” the narrator (because there always must be a narrator) says, “Jim Rand, champion calf roper of senior high,” and Crow adds, “And next year’s janitor.” “Body Care And Grooming” was always one of my favorites. It’s a short film that stresses the importance of a good appearance. The narrator begins, “Ah, spring.” Crow adds, “Filthy, shameful spring.” The narrator picks on one girl’s appearance, saying, “You don’t seem to be exactly the type to make this guy behave like a human being.” The gang says, “You know, to make him grope you and paw at you.” The narrator stops and says, “Let’s start all over again.” The gang says, “And find new ways to shame her.” Crow adds, “Expressing individualism is just plain wrong.” And at the end Crow says, “And remember, when you touch yourself, the saints cry.” In “Cheating,” the narrator says, “And right there in front of you sat your pal Mary, with her head chock full of all the answers you needed.” Crow urges, “Split it open now.” My other favorite is “A Date With Your Family,” the title of which leads the gang to say, “Hey, I like my family as a friend.” When the narrator says, “Brother seats Junior, then helps Mother to her chair as he would his best girl,” Mike comments, “The less said about this, the better.” Crow jokes, “Emotions are for ethnic people,” and Tom Servo adds, “I can’t stress ‘unemotional’ enough.” When the narrator says, “Father serves mother first, then daughter,” Mike jokes, “Let’s go to the flowchart for this.” This disc is rounded out with “Why Study Industrial Arts” and “The Chicken Of Tomorrow.”

This disc contains no bonus features.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume Two is scheduled to be released on May 24, 2016 through Shout! Factory.

Blu-ray Review: Sharkansas Women’s Prison Massacre

I admit to having a weakness for shark movies. That’s led to me viewing such masterpieces as Sand Sharks, Snow Shark, Swamp Shark and Avalanche Sharks. Yes, sharks can turn up anywhere, even in tornadoes. Sharkansas Women’s Prison Massacre is not only a shark movie, but is also a women’s prison movie. It’s a two-for-one deal. And it is surprisingly enjoyable, much better than the majority of shark movies. It stars Dominique Swain, Cindy Lucas, John Callahan, Christine Nguyen, Amy Holt, Corey Landis and Traci Lords, and was directed by Jim Wynorski (certainly not known for making great films; he directed Ghoulies IV, for example).

Explosions free some sharks from an underground ocean, and they surface to terrorize a group of women on work detail from the local prison. Is it that only sexy women are criminals? Or that only the sexy ones get caught? Or perhaps only the sexy ones are permitted to go out on work detail? Well, whatever, the point is the women look good. They’re out clearing stumps from a section of swamp (why the warden would want this done is never quite explained). But the girls take a break to drink from their water bottles (in slow motion, of course), and also pour some of the water on their white tank tops. When one girl sees a shark coming, she has time to say, “You gotta be kidding me,” but not time to take two steps back out of the water.

Honey (Dominique Swain), Anita’s hot red-haired girlfriend, shows up to break Anita (Cindy Lucas) out, and takes the prison employees hostage. So there is a whole plot outside of the weird sharks. They drive to a small house in the swamp, where three of the girls get in a hot tub. They’ve somehow acquired bikinis, but hey, shouldn’t they be naked? What kind of exploitation flick is this? Anyway, soon it is clear that these sharks are not confined to water, and everyone must team up against this larger threat.

Meanwhile, two detectives (played by Traci Lords and Corey Landis) are searching for… Wait, what are they searching for? I’m not sure, but soon they are on the trail of the escaped female convicts. And they too come into contact with what one character calls sharkosaurus.

This movie has fun with its subject, but is not a goofy comedy. It does approach the characters and situations with enough seriousness and sincerity to make us interested. This is partly to be credited to the cast, who turn in believable performances, not always an easy feat in films like this. I especially like John Callahan as Carl, one of the prison employees. This movie also takes a lesson from old monster movies, as it doesn’t show too much of the monster too soon. It also certainly leaves room for a sequel, and if one is made, I will definitely be excited to see it.

Special Features

The Blu-ray disc contains a commentary track by director Jim Wynorski and cast members Cindy Lucas and Amy Holt. Jim mentions how the producer and production designer play the guys driving through the swamp at the beginning, and how the vehicle really did get stuck in the swamp. They talk about shooting in Florida, where it was surprisingly cold, as the girls mention many times. Jim mentions that the film was made for American television. Ah, so that’s why there’s no nudity. They do get onto several tangents, and as Jim says at one point, it isn’t the most informative commentary track ever, but it’s fun.

There is also a photo gallery, which is presented as a slide show running approximately four minutes. Also included is the film’s trailer (which has a shot of a great white shark in the ocean, which has nothing to do with the movie).

Sharkansas Women’s Prison Massacre was released on Blu-ray on May 3, 2016 through Scream Factory, a division of Shout! Factory.

DVD Review: She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry

She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry is a documentary about the women’s liberation movement, focusing on the 1960s and 1970s when groups like The National Organization For Women were getting started. It opens, however, with some footage of the current battle in Texas over access to abortion clinics, showing immediately that this is a continuing struggle, that the issues dealt with in this film are not things of the past. That’s an important point to make from the start.

The film shows how the women’s movement emerged from the anti-war and civil rights movements, and shows what the women learned from the civil rights movement. The motivation for most of the women in founding these organizations was employment, putting an end to employment discrimination, but of course many other issues soon sprang from these initial meetings. There is a lot of interesting footage from this time. It’s so depressing to see footage of men within the student movements reacting negatively to the emerging women’s movement. Even the very people you’d think they’d be able to count on for support initially reacted negatively.

What’s wonderful is that the film includes interviews with many of the women in leadership positions within the movement, so that we see footage of them from that time and then footage of them now. People like Jacqui Ceballos, Muriel Fox, Mary Jean Collins, Kate Millett, Rita Mae Brown and Heather Boot are interviewed, and these interviews really function almost like narration. The women are allowed to tell their stories, and thus the larger story, and in the process do away with the need for an outside narrator. Heath Booth says: “The big insight of the women’s movement was that personal is political. Problems that you felt were happening to you alone probably were your fault. But if it’s happening to other people, then it’s a social problem and not just a personal problem.” And Susan Griffin in an interview reads some of her poetry. What might be surprising is the wonderful humor to the poetry of the movement (surprising because usually when people are involved in a movement, they take themselves rather too seriously).

This documentary presents footage of various demonstrations, including some I was previously unaware of, such as the burning of college degrees to show that the schools had taught them nothing of women’s place in history and art. There is also footage of early meetings of women’s organizations. Another thing I had never heard of before was The Chicago Women’s Liberation Rock Band. There is footage of them performing, and this band is actually really good. (I just looked them up, and apparently they did release one record. I need to get a copy of this on CD.)

I also had no idea about the child care bill that Richard Nixon vetoed. Just imagine if that bill had gone into effect. Would things be different now? Perhaps. But the film returns to the current battle in Texas, and as on interviewee says, “The bitter lesson is that no victories are permanent.”

Special Features

This DVD contains a lot of bonus footage. There is footage on the first feminist comic book, with an interview with its creator, Trina Robbins (who is immediately lovable). There is also some material on the sit-in at The Ladies’ Home Journal, featuring interviews with a few of the women involved and including some great news coverage from the time. Other subjects tackled in the bonus footage include marriage, civil rights, organizing demonstrations, and poetry readings (including a funny anecdote involving Allen Ginsberg). The film’s trailer is also included.

She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry was directed by Mary Dore, and was released on DVD on March 1, 2016 through Music Box Films. By the way, I love this film’s title.