DVD Review: Hot Type: 150 Years Of The Nation

The Nation is the country’s oldest published weekly magazine, having been founded in 1865. The film Hot Type: 150 Years Of The Nation documents the current state of the publication, with an eye both on its past and its future. The film takes us inside the magazine’s offices, as well as to the locations of current stories the reporters are tackling, focusing on the folks who keep the magazine running and their reasons for doing so, particularly in regards to the new media landscape.

There is some interesting information on the editors and writers, especially the relation between the current editor and publisher, Katrina vanden Heuvel, and the previous editor, Victor Navasky, who still holds a position in the magazine. Several editors and writers are interviewed, and these are not strictly straight, traditional interviews, but rather glimpses of them at work talking about what it is they are doing. A common thread is their passion not only for journalism, but for The Nation specifically. Katrina says, “We believe success means treating journalism as a public good, holding the powerful accountable and making sure that light is shed on those who are committing abuse wherever, and that is our mission.” It is a mission that everyone involved in the publication seems to take quite seriously.

The film takes us into the field as reporters pursue several stories. Contributing writer Sasha Abramsky pursues a story in Texas about troubled farms and climate change. He says, “The common theme here is big issues hitting ordinary people.” What I also like about the way this documentary approaches these current stories is that it relates them to stories from earlier issues of the magazine, in this case from a 1935 issue. This doesn’t just illustrate the importance of the magazine, but the continuing importance of these issues to us as a people.

Some history of the magazine is provided, such as that it emerged from the Civil War, and that it was during the 1930s that it really took off. Portions of old articles are presented in voice over by folks like Sam Waterston. And the list of famous, respected authors that have written for The Nation is astounding. Folks like Kurt Vonnegut, Upton Sinclair, Arthur Miller, D.H. Lawrence, Theodore Dreiser and Alice Walker all contributed to the magazine. Another area that I found intriguing is the magazine’s internship program. It’s striking just how many of the publication’s editors began as interns. And we’re introduced to those hoping to become interns, and then those who are chosen.

Though this documentary celebrates the history of the magazine, it’s really not as much a look back as a look at the present with an eye on the future.

Special Features

The DVD contains three bonus scenes. The first is of Katrina and her father talking about the perception of The Nation. In the second, advertising and marketing designer George Lois creates a campaign for celebrating the 150th anniversary of the magazine. The third is of graphic designer Milton Glaser designing a cover for the magazine.

Hot Type: 150 Years Of The Nation was directed by Barbara Kopple, and was released on DVD on October 4, 2016 through First Run Features.

DVD Review: Tales Of Poe

Tales Of Poe is a horror anthology of three works by Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask Of Amontillado and Dreams. The film is directed by Bart Mastronardi and Alan Rowe Kelly, who present their own original takes on these familiar tales, in many cases changing the gender of the characters from male to female and stacking the film with actors known and loved for their work within the horror genre. Among the film’s cast are Adrienne King (Friday The 13th, Friday The 13th Part 2), Amy Steel (Friday The 13th Part 2, April Fool’s Day), Debbie Rochon (Rage Of The Werewolf, Fort Doom), Caroline Williams (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Stepfather 2), Desiree Gould (Sleepaway Camp), Lesleh Donaldson (Happy Birthday To Me, Curtains), Alan Rowe Kelly (Skinned Alive, Gallery Of Fear), Randy Jones (Bleeding Hearts), and Bette Cassatt (V/H/S/2, Model Hunger).

The film is divided into three chapters, the first chapter being “The Tell Tale Heart,” which stars Debbie Rochon as the Narrator who tries to convince Evelyn (Lesleh Donaldson) of her sanity while describing the murder she committed. Interestingly, the Narrator is locked in an asylum, and we’ve already seen her splattered with blood, so there is little question right from the beginning of her lunacy. When Evelyn, another inmate, asks her why she’s there and tells her, “I bet you haven’t done half as much as what I’ve done,” the Narrator begins to tell her story. And the film takes us to the home of the old man from Poe’s short story, here an old woman (though played by a man, Alan Rowe Kelly). And though the film shows us the story, we still get voice over from the Narrator. There are some great shots in this segment, as when the bell sounds from upstairs and the Narrator stops polishing and simply turns her head toward the stairs. The look on Debbie Rochon’s face is fantastic – dark, calculating, creepy. Because the Narrator is female in this telling, the interaction with the policeman who shows up at the door takes on a different tone. There is a vomit scene I could do without (it caught me by surprise, the way the vomit scene in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas always does). Though obviously the filmmakers have a love for Poe, here they allow the other patient to laugh and poke fun at the tale, perhaps providing a voice for those who find the story unbelievable. “The cop didn’t smell her dead body?” she says. “That is a pathetic, sad story.”

The Cask Of Amontillado, here titled simply “The Cask,” is the second chapter of the film, and is somewhat different from the short story. Here it is Fortunato’s new bride that turns on him, with the help of a male friend, rather than just a male friend. Also, interestingly, Fortunato (Randy Jones) appears to be a gay man who has somewhat unexpectedly decided to marry a woman (though that woman is played by Alan Rowe Kelly), and the wedding party pokes fun at this union. The exposition about the cask of priceless wine is awkwardly introduced – a wedding guest says, “Fortunato, tell us more about amontillado.” And then moments later she again says, “Fortunato, tell us more.” Bad writing, and poor delivery. But this segment does get better. Fortunato leads the wedding party into his own vault, where he says he has a surprise for his bride. But she has a bigger surprise in store for him. I love when she says, “This is the best part.” Delicious.

The third chapter, “Dreams,” is based on one of Edgar Allan Poe’s poems. It begins with a close-up of a hand, and we hear the sounds of hospital equipment before we see another pair of hands grasp that hand. The woman on the hospital bed then begins to recite the poem in voice over: “Oh, that my young life were a lasting dream…” This one is full of strange, creepy imagery, and the entire thing has a dream-like atmosphere, with very little dialogue. It’s more of a mood piece, the mood often being dark, with different faces of death. It employs those dreadful feelings of isolation and vulnerability one has when in a hospital bed, but also has moments of peace and beauty. Some of the actors from the previous chapters appear in this story too, which furthers the eerie dreamlike quality of the film. Though toward the end, when a woman points and opens her mouth to let out a creepy scream, it’s right out of the end of the 1978 remake of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

Special Features

The DVD contains several special features, including ten minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes. There are also nine deleted and extended scenes, including the old woman reading her fan mail in “The Tell Tale Heart,” a shot of Debbie Rochon outside ignoring the woman’s bell, and more of the wedding reception scene from “The Cask.” Most of the deleted footage, however, is from “Dreams,” including scenes with Amy Steel watching home movies, and a strange scene where the Dreamer is led to touch a wall and disappear into it.

The special features also include an interview with Bart Mastronardi from the New York City Horror Film Festival. He talks about their strategy for getting people interested in the film, particularly their use of social media. The interview is audio, during which we see still photos from the production. This is approximately six minutes. The film’s trailer and Kickstarter promotional spot are also included.

Tales Of Poe was released on DVD on October 11, 2016 through Wild Eye Releasing.

DVD Review: One Nation Under Trump

One Nation Under Trump pretends to be a documentary on presidential candidate Donald Trump, but something should be clear from the very beginning. This is not a documentary. It is a puff piece. Interestingly, it was written by BC Furtney, who was responsible for writing such other horror fare as Werewolf Rising and New Terminal Hotel, as well as a segment of Fangoria: Blood Drive II.

Sections of One Nation Under Trump are narrated. At the beginning, the narrator tells us, “His campaign slogan was clear and concise, striking a chord with many throughout a deeply divided land: Make America Great Again.” What the narrator fails to mention is that this slogan was lifted from the campaign of another nut, Ronald Reagan. Though the DVD case promises this movie to be “the first comprehensive feature documentary” on Trump, we are given a very small amount of biographical information, and all of it harmless, such as the fact that Trump co-produced a play that flopped (Paris Is Out!). The narrator does mention the beauty pageants: “For nearly twenty years Trump was the owner or partial owner of the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants.” But he says nothing about the controversy surrounding Trump’s questionable behavior regarding the contestants and his showing up in their changing rooms. Comprehensive? The movie is only an hour, including credits. Most of it is focuses on Trump’s presidential campaign.

Though sections of this movie are narrated, a large part of the film is just footage of Trump’s political speeches, offered without commentary. In one of his speeches, Trump says: “We tell it like it is. We tell the truth.” The narrator does not offer any of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The narrator does tell us, “From the outset, Trump stayed true to his rebellious reputation, making himself available to mainstream and fringe media outlets alike.” Sure, until they published anything he didn’t appreciate, at which point he banned them from his events. The film includes footage of him ripping on the press. “They are the most dishonest people,” he says. “They are the worst,” he says. “The press is so totally dishonest,” he says.

The problem, of course, is by including his speeches at any length, the film cannot help but show what a complete asshole Donald Trump is, even to a woman working for FOX News. And for a film that promises to be a “comprehensive feature documentary,” there is absolutely nothing about his much-documented criminal behavior. There is nothing about his alleged rape of a thirteen-year-old girl, nothing about his fake universities and the resulting lawsuits, nothing about his possible mob ties, nothing even about how he somewhat casually urged the assassination of Hillary Clinton.

But there is footage of him boasting about his position in the polls and so on. “I get by far the biggest crowds,” he says. He also boasts to his supporters that if he’s elected, “You people are going to be so rich so quickly.” And there is footage of him urging security to remove a protestor, indicating that protestors are the problem with this country. Yes, why can’t everyone just get in line and support everything Trump says, lies and all? Check out those kids with “Trump Wall” T-shirts, using the cover of the Pink Floyd record for inspiration. They chant “Trump, Trump, Trump.” It’s frightening. But again, this movie was written by a horror movie writer.

The film’s title is unintentionally very telling regarding Trump’s outlook. One Nation Under Trump indicates that Trump considers himself to be God, or at least on equal footing with God. If you watch several of his speeches, he does seem to suffer from that kind of delusion. At one point he goes on and on about how he’s won the votes of men and woman, rich and poor, white and black, educated and uneducated. It’s bizarre.

One Nation Under Trump was directed by Jim Gufferson, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on October 25, 2016 through MVD Visual (who should be embarrassed to have any part in it). The DVD contains no special features. By the way, an instrumental rendition of the National Anthem plays on the DVD menu screen. Oh boy.

Blu-ray/DVD Review: My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Legend Of Everfree

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Legend Of Everfree is the new feature-length My Little Pony offering, taking us once again to the land of the ponies’ human counterparts. In this movie, Twilight Sparkle (Tara Strong) and the other girls are going on a field trip with their classmates to Camp Everfree. It’s a chance to get away from the magic and get back to nature, but of course it isn’t long before strange things begin happening. It is presented as a two-disc set, Blu-ray and DVD in the same package, along with a code for a digital download, so however you want to view it, this set has you covered. It also includes a patch to put on your jean jacket.

When the movie opens, Twilight falls asleep on the bus on the way to camp and has a nightmare about the return of Midnight Sparkle, the darker side of herself. Pinkie Pie (Andrea Libman) is adorable as ever, and of course excited about the trip. “We’re going to roast marshmallows, and eat marshmallows and sleep on marshmallow pillows.” When Rainbow Dash (Ashleigh Ball) expresses doubt about that last item, Pinkie Pie holds up her pillow, a giant plastic bag of marshmallows.

The camp sounds perfect, with the students deciding which activities they’d like to do, while the camp director, Gloriosa Daisy (Enid Raye Adams), says yes to everything. Of course, the theme of friendship comes into play, as Gloriosa describes one important activity, creating a gift for future campers. “Every year campers work together to create something useful, a gift for future campers. Working toward this common goal is key to forming the strong bonds that will last well beyond your time at camp.” However, there is some tension between Gloriosa and her brother, Timber Spruce (Brian Doe), as well as a mysterious, creepy man named Filthy Rich who threatens the continuing existence of the camp.

Twilight has her own personal troubles. She suddenly uses magic, but isn’t sure how it happened, and so it frightens her. And there is a question about whether she’s really doing it at all. Timber tells the campers a scary story about the origins of the camp, describing a magical creature that swore to return to reclaim her lands. Could it be this creature that is behind the strange magical occurrences?

Legend Of Everfree might be the best Equestria Girls movie so far. It certainly has some of the best songs. “The Legend Of Everfree,” the song during the opening credits, is particularly good, with a delightful, joyful folk vibe and lines like, “Will your story be told or remain a mystery.” And Twilight has a good number about battling her own darkness. Sunset Shimmer also gets a good song, this one about how the magic could be embraced as a positive thing. But perhaps my favorite is Gloriosa’s song about keeping the camp.

There are plenty of funny moments, like when Sunset Shimmer (Rebecca Shoichet) realizes she’ll actually have to bend down and pick up the tube of sunblock when magic fails to levitate it. Also funny is when Rarity (Tabitha St. Germain) tells her own special brand of scary story. And when the girls decide to replace the deteriorating dock as their gift to future campers, Pinkie Pie exclaims, “Yay, adult supervision!” But my favorite moment by far is when Sunset Shimmer uses her magic to read Pinkie Pie’s thoughts, and we’re given a glimpse inside Pinkie’s mind. After watching the film, I went back and watched that part a few more times. Hilarious!

Twilight learns a Luke Skywalker lesson, that size doesn’t matter when levitating objects. And be sure to watch the closing credits, as there’s an extra scene at the end.

Special Features

This set contains some special features, including a commentary track by Meghan McCarthy, Ishi Rudell, Katrina Hadley, Jeremy Tin and Daniel Ingram. There is also a section of “bloopers,” but of course as this is an animated film, these “bloopers” are all intentional little jokes. Or perhaps some of them were bloopers in the audio recording, which then the animators ran with. Either way, they’re kind of cute, and run just over two minutes. The special features include three sing-alongs: “The Legend Of Everfree,” “The Midnight In Me” and “The Legend You Are Meant To Be.” The lyrics are presented at the bottom of the screen.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Legend Of Everfree is scheduled to be released on November 1, 2016 through Shout! Factory.

Movie Review: She Who Must Burn

She Who Must Burn is a tense horror film about a woman named Angela who counsels other women regarding health issues in a very backwards town that seems to be run by a religious kook and his band of lunatics, people who soon come to see Angela as the enemy.

When the film opens, a man in a doctor’s office spouts some biblical passage (hey, isn’t that the same bit that Mace Windu recites in Pulp Fiction?), then shoots the doctor in the head (hey, isn’t that what Mace Windu does in Pulp Fiction after reciting that passage?) before then giving us a fairly poor rendition of “Amazing Grace.” We soon learn that this murdered doctor performed abortions, and that’s what caused the religious nut to go completely sideways.

The film introduces us to Mac (Andrew Moxham) and Angela (Sarah Smyth), an unmarried couple living in a small town. He is a deputy sheriff, and she works at a clinic providing counseling to women. Funding for the clinic has been pulled, but she is determined to keep helping these people, even though the sheriff tells Mac it’s a bad idea. Another bad idea is having the camera constantly jolting around. Hold still! Please, directors and cinematographers, don’t have your cameras constantly in jerky motion, as it’s really irritating.

Some anti-abortion folks picket outside their home, and after a while we learn that Angela actually runs her clinic from their house, which seems like an incredibly bad idea. Who would do that? Anyway, we see Angela at work, and she immediately strikes us as very compassionate and competent. That puts her in great contrast to Jeremiah (Shane Twerdun, who also co-wrote the screenplay), the town’s minister who forbids a woman from getting an abortion even though following through on the pregnancy will certainly mean her death, and then in another scene watches on without any compassion as a woman gives birth to a stillborn child. Oddly, the effect on Jeremiah of seeing this dead baby is to turn him on, and he goes home to his wife, telling her he’s had a vision that they should conceive a child. And though she tells him she’s not in the mood, he takes her anyway. And after she reveals she’s on the pill, so no child will result from this rape, he savagely beats her.

Jeremiah’s wife then commits one of the film’s few rational, understandable and laudable actions, and leaves her husband. By the way, Jewel Staite is quite good in this supporting role as Margaret, Jeremiah’s wife. Of course, it is Angela who arranges for someone to take Margaret to a safe place, which further raises the ire of the unstable preacher. Though Margaret has taken only one suitcase, Jeremiah says, “Everything in the house is gone, her clothes are gone.” That is one magic suitcase. Or perhaps they didn’t own very much. Either way, rather than taking responsibility for his own actions, the religious freak blames Angela for his wife’s absence, and Jeremiah begins threatening her, demanding to know where his wife is.

Even though her boyfriend is in law enforcement, Angela does not call the police. She does not call a lawyer to get a restraining order. She does nothing. She doesn’t even want Mac to put any pressure on the religious nuts. And that’s hard for me to swallow. Angela would have had some training, in which she would have learned to take all threats seriously, to document them, and to let the law protect her. And even after a murder occurs, one with an eye witness, the sheriff makes no arrests. I don’t buy that either. Even if he’s somehow sympathetic to the religious cause, even if he’s nervous about the power of the religious right, as soon as there is a murder, I think his professional side would take over because he has an important job to perform. But he too does nothing. And that is what is so frustrating about this film.  I don’t believe that he wouldn’t perform his duty, or at least defer to others to do it, calling the state police or something if he didn’t want to start the investigation himself.

Rebecca, one of the religious weirdos, hears a voice that tells her that they should burn Angela. And who is there to stop them? There are some good performances here, particularly by Sarah Smyth as Angela, but this film left me in a foul mood. Perhaps that’s the point.

She Who Must Burn was directed by Larry Kent, and is now available on Video On Demand.

Blu-ray Review: Child’s Play: Collector’s Edition

October is the perfect month to add to your horror Blu-ray and DVD collection. For a few years, I tried to watch at least one horror film a night during October, leading up to Halloween, the best holiday of the year. One horror movie that is fun to return to regularly is Child’s Play. And now a new two-disc Collector’s Edition of Child’s Play is being released on Blu-ray, with a new 2K scan and a whole lot of bonus material.

A gun battle between a cop and a criminal ends in a toy store, and as the criminal is dying he stumbles into a display of creepy Good Guys dolls. And hey, aren’t all dolls a little creepy? But this is no ordinary criminal. He’s into some voodoo occult stuff, and manages to transfer his evil soul into one of the dolls before dying. And he vows revenge on Eddie (his accomplice) and Detective Mike Norris, the cop who shot him.

Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) is a young boy who loves Good Guys – the cartoon, the cereal, the clothing, everything. For his birthday, he hopes to get a Good Guys doll. So, as any good mother would do, Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) buys a doll from a homeless guy in the alley behind the store where she works. Guess which doll it is? “Hi, I’m Chucky, and I’m your friend ‘til the end.” The doll is more interested in watching the news than playing, but after killing Maggie, who was babysitting Andy, it’s clear Chucky just has a different sense of play. Alex is adorable as Andy, by the way, especially when he tells his mother, “His real name is Charles Lee Ray, and he’s been sent down from heaven by Daddy to play with me.”

Child’s Play is a delightfully creepy movie. I’ve seen it several times, and it still scares me when Karen is alone with the doll and discovers the batteries were never inserted. And hey, I never noticed this before, but the exterior shot of the train is sped up. Watch the pedestrians on the lower section of the bridge.

Special Features

The first disc contains four separate commentary tracks. The first is with director Tom Holland, and is moderated by Nathaniel Thompson from Mondo Digital. Tom talks about casting Chris Sarandon and Brad Dourif, both of whom he had worked with before (in Fright Night and Fatal Beauty respectively). He talks about early work with the script, and about some of his other scripts, and those themes which led to this film. He also talks about test screenings.

The second is with Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks and “Chucky” designer Kevin Yagher. Catherine Hicks talks about getting top billing in the credits, saying that Chris Sarandon deferred to her. “He said I had to carry the picture, which I thought was touching,” she says. Catherine and Kevin are married, and actually met on the set of this film. Kevin talks about the many puppeteers that were needed to work the various Chucky puppets. Alex talks about how his younger sister plays Chucky in an early scene. Alex was six years old when he made this film, and he talks about the process of getting the role, including an interesting anecdote about not wanting to say a certain line in front of his mother.

The third is with producer David Kirschner and screenwriter Don Mancini. Don mentions that he was the first of three writers on the film. David talks about the explosion in the toy store in the opening sequence. They talk about a lot of the crew members and some of the cast.

The fourth is with Chucky himself, and is only for certain scenes. He comments on the scene in which Maggie is killed, for example, laughing and bragging about his work. He also comments on that great scene where Karen Barclay learns that the doll is alive. Though at one point he says: “You know, this stuff is so good. It’s a shame to even talk during this part. Just watch.”

The second disc is all special features, including an hour of behind-the-scenes special effects footage, old raw video footage from the model shop, including, of course, lots of shots of various Chucky models, plus footage from the set of special effects shots, such as Chucky on fire. Howard Berger: Your Special Effects Friend ‘Til The End is an interview with Howard Berger, in which he talks about the rest of the folks in the department, especially about Kevin Yagher. He mentions replacing Chucky’s hands often on set, and talks about how these were all practical effects. This feature also uses some of that same behind-the-scenes footage. This interview is approximately forty-one minutes. There is also an interview with Ed Gale, the man who played Chucky in several scenes. He talks about training as a mime for this job, so that he could move more like the puppet. This interview is approximately forty minutes.

Evil Comes In Small Packages is a featurette that includes interviews with writer Don Mancini (whose original script was titled Blood Buddy), writer John Lafia, producer David Kirschner, puppet designer Kevin Yagher, and cast members Chris Sarandon (who spent some time with the Chicago police department in preparing for the role), Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks and Alex Vincent. Don says, “In my original script, the doll is actually a sort of supernatural manifestation of the boy’s id, so the doll is specifically going out and striking out against the people that this kid feels this unexpressed rage toward.” He also mentions how for him the voodoo part makes no sense, because if Chucky can make voodoo dolls, why not make them of all his intended victims. Good point. This also includes part of an interview with Tom Holland from 1988, as well as rehearsal footage with Brad Dourif acting out the doll’s part. This featurette is approximately twenty-five minutes.

Chucky: Building A Nightmare is a ten-minute featurette about Chucky, containing more of the interviews with Kevin Yagher, David Kirschner, Don Mancini, plus interviews with special effects experts Tom Savini, Alec Gills, Shane Mohan and Tom Woodruff, Jr. And there is great stuff on how the puppets work. A Monster Convention is a five-minute featurette on the Child’s Play cast panel at Monster Mania in 2007, featuring Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks and Chris Sarandon. Introducing Chucky: The Making Of Child’s Play is a six-minute promotional featurette from 1988 that includes interviews with Tom Holland, David Kirschner, Chris Sarandon and Kevin Yagher. There is another five-minute featurette from 1988, featuring footage from the film, as well as some behind-the-scenes footage.

The second disc also includes the film’s trailer, a television commercial, a behind-the-scenes photo gallery and a posters gallery.

Child’s Play: Collector’s Edition is scheduled to be released on October 18, 2016 through Scream Factory, a division of Shout! Factory.

Blu-ray/DVD Review: Raiders! The Story Of The Greatest Fan Film Ever Made

Raiders! The Story Of The Greatest Fan Film Ever Made is a completely enjoyable and even inspiring documentary about a few friends who at age eleven, after seeing Raiders Of The Lost Ark in 1981, decided to make their own version. And they did. They made a shot-for-shot remake over a period of seven years, shooting every scene except one. This documentary then recounts their attempt, now as adults, to complete their project. While doing a shot-for-shot remake of a film might seem like a waste of time (I’m talking to you, Gus Van Sant), it is actually quite remarkable (and often funny, and sometimes frightening) what these folks were able to do as children, and now what they set up for themselves to do as adults.

The three friends – Chris Strompolos, who played Indy; Eric Zala, who played Belloq and directed; and Jayson Lamb, who was behind the camera and did the effects – are at the center of the film, and are all interviewed. They take us to the places where they originally shot their film. There are also interviews with other people who played parts in the kids’ film, as well as family members. There were lots of troubled childhoods. Did all of the kids involved in this project have parents who divorced? Seems that way. And perhaps that’s part of why this project took on such importance during their childhoods. Interestingly, John Rhys-Davies is also interviewed, and talks about the difficulty of the actual Raiders Of The Lost Ark shoot.

The adaptation’s shoot of course had its own problems, and this documentary treats us to plenty of outtakes. Holy moly, watch them trying to put a fire out. The stuff about the adult supervision they got after the first fire is hilarious. And the stunt work is insane. Eli Roth is interviewed about a screening of the videotape he had managed to obtain, as is Harry Knowles. The information they provide is wonderful.

As I mentioned, part of this documentary is about these guys completing the project by shooting the fight scene around the moving airplane. So we meet the people responsible for building the plane and for blowing it up. For one shot, they even got a camel. There is a great moment where a woman gives the camel a bottle of water, then tells, it, “Go on, back to one.” This is a fantastic and fun documentary, and the end will stun you.

Special Features

This two-disc set includes a lot of bonus material, including approximately thirty-two minutes of deleted and expanded scenes. Among these scenes are bits on purchasing an Indiana Jones whip, launching the Kickstarter campaign, and more on the poor look of their movie, and how the camera had automatically rewound a few seconds which led to them recording over their own footage multiple times. There is more on the designing and building of the plane and other parts of the set. There is also some stuff on the girl who originally played Marion before Angela came on board, as well as some material on editing at the local television station.

The special features also contain some behind-the-scenes footage and outtakes from the adaptation, including some of their stunts and special effects shots. These outtakes are approximately twenty minutes. And there is footage from the Alamo Drafthouse premiere of the adaptation on May 31, 2003, the first time the film had been shown since 1989. This includes footage of the line, plus the Q&A with Eric, Chris and Jayson, which is often hilarious. During the Q&A, someone asked about the missing scene with the plane. This feature is approximately forty-one minutes.

There are also two separate commentary tracks. The first is by the directors of the documentary, Tim Skousen and Jeremy Coon. Interestingly, the interview with John Rhys-Davies is the first thing they shot, before they even went to Mississippi. Tim and Jeremy mention that they’re both fans of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and that’s part of what drew them to this project. The second is by Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala, who mention that they weren’t aware at the time what a strange thing it was that they were doing.

The film’s trailer is also included, as well as a booklet which contains some of the storyboards.

Raiders! The Story Of The Greatest Fan Film Ever Made was directed by Tim Skousen and Jeremy Coon, and was released as a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD set on August 16, 2016 through MVD Visual.

Blu-ray Review: Suddenly

Suddenly is a tense, well-written thriller about an assassination attempt on the president of the United States. It stars Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden, James Gleason and Nancy Gates, and was directed by Lewis Allen (who also directed the excellent mystery The Uninvited). Suddenly is the name of the quiet town where the story takes place, and a police officer in the opening scene jokes with a tourist that things have changed so much over the years that they’re considering changing the town’s name to Gradually. But of course things are once again about to get more urgent in the town.

I love the way this film takes time to establish the tranquility of the town, as well as the characters and some of the thematic elements. For example, a young boy named Pidge wants a toy gun so he can practice being sheriff, but his mother, Ellen (Nancy Gates), forbids him from anything associated with violence, including war films. Ellen is a widow, whose husband was killed in the war, and she understandably wishes to protect her son from violence. Interestingly, it is the town’s sheriff, Tod Shaw (Sterling Hayden), that is courting her, and he buys Pidge the toy gun. (By the way, it is difficult even now to watch Sterling Hayden without thinking of how he’s protecting our precious bodily fluids.)

When a telegraph message comes in that the president will arrive in town by train, Tod goes about making preparations for his arrival. The secret service men arrive before the train, and ask about a certain house overlooking the train tracks. The house in question belongs to Peter Benson (James Gleason), who was once in the secret service himself. He lives in the house with his daughter-in-law and grandson, who turn out to be Ellen and Pidge. Because Dan Carney, the head secret service agent, used to work with Benson, he leaves that house until later. But in the meantime, Johnny Baron (Frank Sinatra) and his two men arrive at the house, posing as FBI agents.

The film does such a great job of building tension, even at a moment when it feels like it might actually be releasing tension, such as when Dan Carney and Tod finally show up at Benson’s home and Dan greets Peter by asking, “Hey, why aren’t you dead?” It’s a funny moment, but it’s right then that things start getting serious.

Frank Sinatra is excellent in this film, giving a compelling and nuanced performance. And he’s given some great dialogue to deliver as well. Ellen asks him, “Haven’t you any feelings at all?” He answers: “No, I haven’t, lady. They were taken out of me by experts.” His is a truly interesting character, a talkative war hero who is very proud of his silver star, but who somewhere along the way went a little sideways.

Suddenly was digitally restored, and is scheduled to be released on Blu-ray on October 25, 2016 through The Film Detective. The disc contains no special features.

Blu-ray Review: Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Collection

The new three-disc Bill & Ted box set, Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Collection, provides the perfect opportunity to revisit a couple of films that cracked most of us up when they first appeared in the movie theatres so many years ago, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. The new set is part of Shout! Factory’s Shout Select series, and includes a whole lot of bonus material, including commentaries, documentaries and other goodies. Much of this material is new for this release, but this set also includes the special features from the earlier DVD release.

Disc 1: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

The first disc contains the first film, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, which opens with George Carlin (my favorite comedian) as Rufus directly addressing us from the future. He tells us that he’s traveling into the past to keep Bill S. Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted Logan (Keanu Reeves) on the right path for the sake of civilization. Yes, all of future humanity depends on these two lovable idiots.

Mr. Ryan (Bernie Casey), their history teacher, tells them they have to get an A+ on the following day’s report or they’ll fail the class. And if Ted fails the class, his father will force him to go to military school, and Bill and Ted won’t be able to get their rock band going. (This film does act as a reminder of just how bad music was in the late 1980s.) So Rufus arrives in a time machine in the form of a phone booth to help them with their report. “Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.” When Napoleon accidentally gets sucked into the time portal, Bill gets the idea of collecting other historical personages. At one point they’re dressed as medieval knights playing Star Wars. And I love Genghis Khan with the baseball bat, and Beethoven at the keyboard. Plus, Joan of Arc is played by Jane Wiedlin.

Disc 1 Special Features

The first disc contains two separate audio commentaries. The first is with Alex Winter and producer Scott Krooph, and is moderated by Sean Clark. It’s interesting that originally it was to be a van, not a phone booth, to function as the time machine, but that after the release of Back To The Future, they felt they had to change it. They talk about how there were various ideas for Rufus, including Charlie Sheen and Sean Connery.

The second audio commentary is with writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. They talk about the original title and the ideas in the original script, as well as the origins of the characters. They too talk about the change from a van to a phone booth because of Back To The Future. Interestingly, they say that George Carlin wrote that opening monologue, after early test audiences were confused.

The film’s trailer is also included.

Disc 2: Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey

The second disc contains the second film, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. It is the year 2691, and an evil dude named De Nomolos (Joss Ackland) wants to stop Bill and Ted. Seeing the fashions of the times, you might not think it’s such a bad idea, actually. People are wearing clothes straight out of local access programming for children. Rufus is teaching at Bill & Ted’s University, using the phone booth to bring historical figures to the classroom. “Remember, this Friday Ben Franklin and Aretha Franklin will be here,” he tells the students. De Nomolos and his armed band force their way in, and send two robot versions of Bill and Ted back in time to dispose of our unlikely heroes. Rufus manages to follow them back in time.

Meanwhile, Bill and Ted’s band is struggling, though the two medieval chicks seemed to have already learned their instruments. And hey, look at that Pepsi product placement. Impossible not to see it, as the can is dead center of frame, with four characters around it. Nothing subtle there. In that scene, the guys propose to their babes. Things are going well until Evil Bill and Evil Ted show up and kill our heroes, and the afterworld presents its own problems. “Dude, there’s no way I can possibly do infinity pushups.” To get back to the land of the living, rescue their girlfriends, stop the evil robots and win the battle of the bands contest, Bill and Ted must first challenge the Grim Reaper (William Sadler) to a game. No, not chess, as in The Seventh Seal, but Battleship. I love when the Grim Reaper says to the smoker, “See you real soon.” And I love that Primus is in the battle of the bands.

Disc 2 Special Features

Like the first disc, this disc contains two separate commentary tracks. The first commentary is by Alex Winter and producer Scott Kroopf, and is again moderated by Sean Clark. They talk about getting this sequel made, about the cast. Alex mentions that Joss Ackland hated him and Keanu. “He just thought we were a complete waste of talent, and it drove him crazy.” The do touch on the strange recasting of the two girlfriends, and how the hair colors of the two characters switched in the process.

The second commentary is done by writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. They talk about the tight schedule, and about how the success of the first film affected them. The original idea for this film, interestingly, is that Bill and Ted would go into literature, the same way they went into history in the first film. They also talk about the mistake they made of switching the two girlfriends. “We might have switched them accidentally.”

The special features also include the film’s trailer.

Disc 3: Special Features

The third disc contains bonus material. Time Flies When You Are Having Fun!: A Look Back At A Most “Excellent Adventure” is an hour-long documentary, featuring interviews with cast members Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Amy Stock-Poynton, Jane Wiedlin, Rod Loomis, Dan Shor, Terry Camilleri, Clifford David, AL Leong, and Hal Landon, Jr., as well as with producer Scott Kroopf, writer Chris Matheson, composer David Newman, and special make-up and creature creator Kevin Yagher. They talk about the original ending, in which the historical figures simply show up in Mr. Ryan’s classroom.  And interestingly, at one point the film wasn’t going to be released.

And then Bill And Ted Go To Hell: Revisiting A “Bogus Journey” is a documentary on the second film, featuring more from some of the same interviews, plus interviews with William Sadler, production designer David L. Snyder, production illustrator Simon Murton. William Sadler reveals it was his idea to have the cigarette line. They talk about some of the things that didn’t make it to the final cut. This documentary is approximately fifty-two minutes.

The Most Triumphant Making Of Documentary is a documentary on both films made for the earlier DVD release. It features interviews with director Stephen Herek, director Pete Hewitt, producer Scott Kroopf, writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, production designer Roy Forge Smith, as well as cast member Alex Winter. There is some discussion about the connection with Monty Python. This is approximately thirty-one minutes.

This third disc also includes The Original Bill & Ted: In Conversation With Chris And Ed, a twenty-minute segment with the writers, and Score! An Interview With Guitarist Steve Vai, in which he talks about air guitar, Frank Zappa and about scoring films. There is also a segment just on air guitar, with interviews with two people who seem to take it very seriously (Did you know there are air guitar competitions? Wait, no, this has to be a joke). The Hysterical Personages Of Bill & Ted is an odd sort of history lesson. A vintage EPK for the second film is also included, as well a bit on the characters’ manner of speech.

Bill & Ted’s Most Excellent Collection was released on September 27, 2016 through Shout! Factory.

DVD Review: The Neon Dead

The Neon Dead is a horror/comedy about a recent college graduate named Allison who discovers that the large house she inherited comes complete with undead creatures. She enlists the help of a couple of young, self-proclaimed paranormal exterminators and engages in a battle with ancient forces of evil.

This movie is enjoyable right from its opening moment, with its nod to Apocalypse Now. Allison’s phone rings, and the sound is Wagner’s “Ride Of The Valkyries,” and then when she holds up the phone to see who is calling, behind it we see (and hear) the ceiling fan. Allison (Marie Barker) is unemployed and eager to accept a position as an assistant manager somewhere, but before she can make it to her job interview, she discovers an undead woman in her bathroom. A girl scout then lets Allison know that slimy zombies thrive in this area, and gives her the business card of paranormal exterminators. Hey, the girl scouts really are prepared! Desmond (Greg Garrison) and Jake (Dylan Schettina) are the would-be heroes, but their days are spent working in retail, Desmond at a video rental counter (glad to know they still exist somewhere).

Interestingly, we catch a glimpse of the undead woman’s earlier human life, which is still a part of the creature’s memory. That’s really cool, and something I don’t recall seeing in other horror films. Later, in a flashback, we learn the identity of the undead woman. These aren’t just random undead monsters. Jake recognizes that these creatures “are actually the undead servants of a demon who hasn’t been worshiped since the dawn of civilization.” And Allison discovers a book among the undead woman’s remains, the diary of her great great uncle Drake Hillstead, which might hold the key to what’s happening.

This movie provides some good advice. “Everyone needs a machete, Jake,” says Desmond. Also, keep a handy supply of salt, candles and incense. I love when Allison feeds the zombies potato chips. And the line “All right, everyone, look alive” made me burst out laughing. Sure, the creatures are a bit goofy-looking, like electric clowns or something, and the title keeps making me think of Neon Maniacs, but this movie is not just comedy. There is definitely a good dose of horror here. Plus, the cast handles the material quite well. And be sure to watch the entire end credits sequence.

Special Features

The DVD includes a commentary track by writer/director Torey Haas, in which he discusses the low budget aspect of the film, and how that affected the way he shot it. He mentions that in high school he was a video clerk in a grocery store, as Desmond is in the film. He also explains the “twin” line as being a reference to First Date, a short film that is also included in the special features. He talks about the special effects and about the cast, and provides some great advice for low-budget filmmakers.

There is also some bonus footage, including stuff with Allison playing video games and learning that she’s inherited the house, and getting a warning about the evil aspects of her inheritance. Other bonus footage features Jake dealing with an earlier disturbance. There is also some promotional behind-the-scenes material, such as interviews with Bonnie Harris, one of the actors who played the creatures, as well as with director Torey Haas.

The special features include two short films written and directed by Torey Haas: First Date and Troll Picnic. First Date stars Greg Garrison as Chris, who arrives early for his date with Gwen (Keyla McClure) and while waiting for her to finish getting ready, notices some unsettling decor. Troll Picnic stars Nathan DeRussy as Ricky and Keyla McClure as Robin, a couple who go on a picnic in a part of the park that is inhabited by trolls. Both films are approximately ten minutes.

The trailer for The Neon Dead is also included.

The Neon Dead was written and directed by Torey Haas, and was released on DVD on September 13, 2016 through Wild Eye Releasing.

Blu-ray Review: Patterns

I’ve been getting into Van Heflin’s work lately. I was really impressed by his performance as Jim Hessler in Till The Clouds Roll By, and was excited to finally get a chance to see him in Patterns, which is now available on Blu-ray thanks to The Film Detective. Here he turns in another incredible performance, this time as Fred Staples, a man who starts a new job in industrial relations in New York, only to find he’s being groomed to replace an older employee who is no longer valued. This film boasts an excellent cast that includes (in addition to Van Heflin) Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, Beatrice Straight and Elizabeth Wilson, and a screenplay written by Rod Serling, the man responsible for writing and narrating The Twilight Zone television series.

It has an interesting opening, showing us the women of the office, the secretaries who seem to know at least as much as the men they work for. From them we learn bits about the men from their conversations and interactions. And there is some excitement over the new man, Fred Staples, whom they have not yet met. Their office is the top floor of a crowded building, so some prestige is attached to the corporation even before we see the men in action. And then, when we meet Mr. Staples, he is saying goodbye to his wife, who has driven him to work on his first day – a really nice touch, for it gives us immediately a different impression of the man than we might otherwise have had, a more human one. And it aligns him in our eyes with Bill Briggs (Ed Begley), a friendly older man who has been with the firm for decades.

Biggs voices concerns over the way another company is going to be purchased, with its workforce put out of work for a period of some months while the plan is implemented. It is clear his views are not appreciated by Mr. Ramsey (Everett Sloane), who now runs the company. What is not yet clear is precisely what Fred’s voice will be within the company.

There is some wonderful composition of shots, as in the moment after the meeting when Mr. Ramsey speaks with Fred. Ramsey and Staples are on the left side of the screen in the background. Dominating the shot is Mr. Briggs, who faces out toward us and is still seated, giving us the impression that he is truly the topic of the conversation, that he and his job are somehow being affected by the niceties exchanged by the two men behind him, and perhaps that he was where Staples is now, and thus that Staples may become what Briggs is now.

And indeed, Staples soon learns that he has been hired as Briggs’ replacement. What is interesting and compelling is that Ramsey is given good points to make, and isn’t simply portrayed as a corporate villain. That of course is due in no small part to Everett Sloane’s performance. Also excellent in this film is Beatrice Straight as Nancy Staples, particularly in the scene with Fred after a dinner party. This is one of the most dynamic and exciting scenes in the film, and indeed is reason enough to view this film. Another remarkable scene is that with Fred Staples and Bill Briggs one night in the office, when Briggs should be at a Red Sox/Yankees game with his son. Briggs says: “This business didn’t grow, not since old man Ramsey passed on. It’s been added to. That’s not growth. It’s just plain acquisition.” And when Fred says, “Well, times change, Bill,” Bill responds, “But do they always change for the better?”

There is a lot going on in this film, about how dedication to a company affects one’s humanity and family life. It’s an incredible film with captivating performances.

The film is presented in its 1.66:1 aspect ratio, and the picture looks fantastic for this Blu-ray release. Patterns was directed by Fielder Cook and was released on Blu-ray on September 27, 2016 through The Film Detective. The disc contains no special features.

DVD Review: Francofonia

Francofonia is an unusual film about the Louvre at the time of the Nazi occupation of Paris, and about the two men who helped keep the art safe. It has an odd feel right from the start, opening with a voice conversing with old photos, which is strangely haunting. And the film is aware of itself as a film, even showing us the Francofonia clapperboard a couple of times.  It is sort of a documentary, but one without interviews or any of the usual trappings, though there is voice over throughout the film.

Early on that voice tells us, “The French are all cinematographers, making films regardless of the situation.” And we see old footage of Paris from 1940 when the Nazis entered the empty city. Regarding the Louvre, the voice posits, “Might it be that this museum is worth more than all of France?” And then, “It sometimes seems museums don’t care what happens around them as long as they’re left in peace.”

There are two men at the center of this film, though the footage of them is all recreations. Jacques Jaujard was the French official in charge of the Louvre and all national museums in Paris. Count Wolff-Metternich was the representative of the German command sent to inspect the Louvre, saying his mission was to preserve art collections, museums and historic monuments in France and Europe. Both men were in their forties at the time of the occupation, and the film gives us a bit of the backgrounds of both men, including information regarding the first World War.

The film is also about French identity under the occupation, which is fascinating, as well as about the unoccupied territory, and the importance of art to one’s identity, both personal and national. We’re given a bit of history of the Louvre and the land where it stands, and of course we see many works of art. But, unlike most documentaries, the works aren’t identified. And that’s all part of the film’s more conversational and personal tone. The film has an unusual tone and pacing, almost like a meditation on the Louvre at the time of war, with a relaxed feel, and several reminders that this is a film, giving it a peculiar perspective, one that seems more personal and subjective. The film also at times directly addresses the audience in voice over. “You aren’t tired of listening to me yet?” the voice asks at one point.

We do learn what happened to the two men after the war, and this information is also presented in an unusual way. The narrator speaks directly to them, giving them a glimpse of their futures.

Special Features

The DVD includes the documentary Illustrious & Unknown: How Jacques Jaujard Saved The Louvre, which you can watch with French narration and English subtitles, or with English narration. It is approximately an hour, and to me is actually a more interesting film than the main feature. It is about how Jaujard moved many of the great works of art out of the museum before the Nazis arrived, and what he had to do to continue to ensure their safety. It’s interesting that he had employees rehearse the evacuation, and that he used colored discs to represent the importance of a painting. This documentary includes photos of the empty Louvre. Even though many works were saved, this film does mention that in one day the Nazis burned 600 paintings, including works by Picasso and Dali.

The DVD also includes Visitors To The Louvre, a documentary on the making of Francofonia, which is approximately fifty-four minutes and features footage of the production in the Louvre, as well as other locations. Approximately ten and a half minutes in, check out the extra having her fur stole pose for a photo on her phone.

The film’s trailer is also included, as well as a booklet with thoughts on the film by Alexander Sokurov and Jeremi Szaniawski.