Quick Reviews: The Andromeda Strain, The Frozen Dead, Used Cars, It - The Terror from Beyond Space

Four random reviews on tap today of some stuff that's been lighting up my home screen in the last several weeks.

"The Andromeda Strain": Robert Wise's film version of Michael Crichton's best-selling novel remains an engrossing science fiction tale. Told realistically and soberly with a non-star cast, Wise and screenwriter Nelson Gidding create an atmosphere of scientific competence undone by arrogance and human error. Even after multiple viewings the film still generates enormous suspense through to its climax. Universal released this on Blu-ray back in February as a Best Buy exclusive with very little fanfare, it will be available to other retailers beginning in July. The picture transfer is serviceable but might very well be the same older HD master that was created for the special edition DVD from 2003 but with the benefit of Blu-ray's higher resolution and color space. The mono audio is better than the DVD, showcasing Gil Melle's weird electronic score. Extras (duplicated from the special edition DVD) include a "Making of", a "Portrait of Michael Crichton" featurette, and the theatrical trailer. Recommended at the low price point, but not a particularly huge upgrade over the DVD.

I don't see the problem

"The Frozen Dead": Dana Andrews stars in Herbert J. Leder's notorious shocker about an ex-Nazi scientist who is charged with bringing key officers of the Third Reich back to life. You see, the Nazis froze them for later revival when it appeared the war was lost. Sounds like a plan to me. Filled with repulsive imagery (at least, as much as they could get away with in 1966) including severed limbs, mutilated faces, a severed talking head, brain-damaged soldiers, lurid color, and a totally straight performance by Andrews, The Frozen Dead is a must see. That is if that sort of thing appeals to you. Beautiful High Definition stream on the Warner Archive Instant channel, also available on DVD. Recommended, but don't say you weren't warned.

"It! The Terror from Beyond Space": Often cited as one of the inspirations (alongside Mario Bava's "Planet of the Vampires" and others) for "Alien", this film from 1958 takes only 69 minutes to tell almost the same story. But it's actually much more than just an inspiration. Within its obvious budgetary limitations it tells a straight-forward horror/science fiction story and layers on the suspense. Sure, the special effects are dated and the monster is effective only when kept in shadows, but director Edward L. Cahn (and who thought he would ever have a film on Blu-ray) and writer Jerome Bixby keep a good grip on the audience. Finally seen in its proper widescreen ratio, "It" looks a lot better now than it did on the old full frame TV prints and videos. The lone extra on this is a very poor looking trailer. The Blu-ray from Olive Films is a significant upgrade over the old MGM DVD and is Highly Recommended for fans, others approach with the caution reserved for low-budget and unpretentious science fiction.

Your next State Senator

"Used Cars": Twilight Time has released this Blu-ray of the hilarious 1980 Robert Zemeckis comedy starring Kurt Russell, Jack Warden, Frank McRae, Deborah Harmon, and Gerrit Graham. Made in an era when comedies weren't forced into being politically correct, Used Cars's simplistic plot involves twin brothers, their rival used car lots, a long-estranged daughter, political shenanigans, and a scheme involving massive free - and highly illegal - television advertising. Filled with plenty of quotable moments, a bevy of lewd and crude scenes, plus a romance that is (almost) sweet, Used Cars was a cable TV staple throughout the early 1980s and is fondly remembered to this day. The Blu-ray is a stunner: wonderful 1.85 widescreen picture, solid audio (offered in both the original theatrical mono and a newly remixed 5.1 surround track) and it has a nice selection of extra features: an isolated score track, an unused score track, audio commentary with director Zemeckis, writer Bob Gale, and actor Kurt Russell, bloopers and out-takes, radio spots, trailers, and more. This Twilight Time release (available only from Screen Archives) is Highly Recommended for its fans and also lovers of non-PC comedy. You might feel a little guilty later, but you will have laughed at it while watching.

NY/NJ Classic Movie Events This Weekend 5/29-5/31

Just a fast note with some interesting movie programs going on in the New Jersey & New York areas this weekend.

The historic Paramount Theatre in Middletown, New York, is hosting the Hoboken International Film Festival, which runs from 5/29 through 6/4. More information HERE

This historic Rahway Theatre at the Union County Performing Arts Center is hosting a screening of the silent film classic WINGS on Saturday, 5/30 with Bernie Anderson accompanying on the Rahway's Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ. Bernie is a terrific silent film accompanist so this show will be a treat. More information HERE

The Film Forum in New York City is featuring a new 4K digital restoration of Samuel Fuller's PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET through June 4. More information HERE

The Ramapo Film Festival at my old haunt, the historic Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, NY, continues this Saturday morning with a showing of Charlie Chaplin's CITY LIGHTS. More information HERE

The Landmark Loews Jersey in Jersey City has another of its theme weekends with Woody Allen's SLEEPER on Friday, 5/29 and STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN on Sunday, May 31. More information HERE

Happy Birthday: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price

Three of my favorite performers ever celebrate their birthdays this week:

Peter Cushing, born 5/26/1913 (died 8/11/1994)

Christopher Lee, born 5/27/1922

Vincent Price, born 5/27/1911 (died 10/25/1993)

Here's to you, gentlemen of horror.

Taps - "From Here to Eternity"

Blu-ray Review: "Bunny Lake is Missing" from Twilight Time

Blu-ray specifications

Distributed By: Twilight Time

Video Resolution: 1080p high definition

Aspect Ratio: 2.35 widescreenAudio: DTS-HDMA 1.0 (mono)

Feature Running Time: 107 minutes

Blu-ray street date: 11/11/2014

srp: $29.95

Limited Edition of 3000 copies, still available as of 5/22/15 exclusively from Screen Archives Entertainment

Source: Reviewer purchased copy

"Bunny Lake is Missing", 1965, produced and directed by Otto Preminger, written by John Mortimer and Penelope Mortimer, based on the novel by Evelyn Piper, theatrically released by Columbia Pictures, black & white, 2.35:1 Panavision widescreen, 107 min., starring: Laurence Olivier, Carol Lynley, Keir Dullea, Noel Coward, Martita Hunt, Finlay Currie, The Zombies

Studio package synopsis: Bunny Lake is Missing (1965) offers us director Otto Preminger’s dark view of a London less swinging than it is sinister; the script by John and Penelope Mortimer presents a dodgy kind of thriller, in which the central damsel in distress (Carol Lynley)—a mother who claims that her child has been snatched from school—may be mad, joining the ranks of eccentrics who surround her. Also starring Keir Dullea and Laurence Olivier as a steady-on police inspector, giving one of the more sneakily larcenous performances of his illustrious career.

Producer/director Otto Preminger was just coming off of several big productions - Exodus, The Cardinal, In Harm's Way - when he went to England to shoot Bunny Lake is Missing. In many ways it's a reversion to his earlier days when he was making stylish film noir thrillers such as Laura and The Fallen Angel. The central mystery in Bunny Lake (which, for obvious reasons, can't really be discussed here) is fascinating and just a little creepy. In fact the whole movie is creepy starting with the detached performance of Keir Dullea to the behavior of the worst neighbor of all time: Noel Coward's Wilson - a man with big touchy hands and threatening words. But probably the best example is a scene towards the climax set in a Doll Hospital (apparently a real place in London) where a kindly old man (Finlay Currie, from Ben-Hur and many other pictures) presides over a crowded shop full of disembodied and amputated dolls under repair. Skin-crawling stuff from Preminger and his writers.

"Houston, we've got a problem"

What's not shown is the iceberg of discs below this stack.

Too many discs...too little time.

Video Streaming Review: Warner Archive Instant

2016 NOTE: I'm leaving up this post because it was true at the time it was written. However, as noted in this subsequent posting: Bye_bye Warner Archive Instant, I have retracted my recommendation of the service.
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Warner Archive Instant website home page

Review note: I have been a paying subscriber to this service since 2013

In this post I'll be taking a critical look at the Warner Archive Instant Streaming Video-on-Demand service . For those of you who like to flip to the end of the book first I'll save you the trouble: this is the essential streaming service for classic film fans.

OK, I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. Perhaps I should take the time to explain just what it's all about.

WHAT IS IT? A monthly subscription video streaming service - similar to Netflix, but featuring only titles from the Warner Archive library. The biggest difference between Warner Archive Instant (I'll refer to it as WAI from here on) and other streaming services is that it focuses exclusively on classic titles from the 1920s through the 1980s that are part of the Warner library. You won't find "Harry Potter" here but you will find "Home from the Hill," "Dark of the Sun," "Night Nurse," "The Unholy Three," "The Bad and the Beautiful" and many more.

Roku Streaming Box

HOW DO I GET IT? WAI costs $9.99 a month (even less if you sign up for 6 or 12 months) and has over 500 movie and TV titles available for streaming at any one time. You need a Roku streaming box (which start at around $50) to connect to your high-speed internet service and your HDTV. You can also watch via the WAI app for an Apple iPad (and if you also have an Apple TV, you can then use Apple's AirPlay to send it to your HDTV). Viewing on your computer is also available, though that is in standard definition only.

WHY DO I NEED IT? Like to watch classic movies from the Warner stable of studios (Warner, MGM, RKO, Allied Artists, and many more)? Like to watch High Definition films that aren't available on Blu-ray? Want a choice of viewing over 500 different titles at any one time? Then you want Warner Archive Instant.

Now it's time for some further details, so please continue reading after the jump.

Blu-ray review: X - The Man with the X-ray Eyes

Blu-ray specifications
Distributed By: Kino Lorber Studio Classics
Video Resolution: 1080p high definition
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 widescreen (theatrical 1.85)
Audio: DTS-HDMA 2.0 (mono)
Feature Running Time: 79 minutes
Blu-ray street date: 05/12/2015
srp: $29.95
Source: Reviewer purchased copy

("X" - The Man with the X-ray Eyes, 1963, directed by Roger Corman, written by Robert Dillon and Ray Russell, based on a story by Ray Russell, produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff & James H. Nicholson, theatrically released by American International Pictures)

Studio package synopsis: Dare To Look Into The Eyes Of Madness! Fantastic tale of heart-pounding suspense, this harrowing and terrifying sci-fi shocker will fascinate horror film fans. Starring Ray Milland, it charts the startling transformation of a doctor so blinded by ambition that he dares to glimpse eternity! When the brilliant Dr. Xavier (Milland) concocts a serum to improve human sight, he stumbles upon a formula for x-ray vision. Inspired by its awesome medical potential, but shunned by his short-sighted colleagues, the doctor tests the potion on himself, only to discover that his ability to see through walls, clothing and flesh is slowly eclipsed by and insatiable desire to look still further - even if it means seeing more than any mortal can bear!

Well, there's certainly a lot of exclamations in that description.

Something strange happened on the way to the making of this film. The usually exploitative Roger Corman (director of films as diverse as "Attack of the Crab Monsters" and "Swamp Women") became far more ambitious around 1960 when he started working with more literate scripts (by such luminaries as Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont) for his series of films adapted from the works of Edgar Allan Poe, most starring Vincent Price. In the middle of all this Price and Poe, Corman found himself directing what would turn out to be a superior science fiction film, one that's nearly profound in its implications. While Corman's abilities as a filmmaker are generally strong he wasn't always known as a director with intellectual intentions but in the case of "X" he had a strong science fiction concept to visualize. 

Running a tight 79 minutes, "X" benefits from a fully committed performance by Ray Milland (Academy Award winner for "The Lost Weekend" in 1945) as the doomed Dr. James Xavier. Other than the party scene where Xavier realizes he can see through everyone's clothing, the picture is generally free from comedy. It even achieves a certain melancholy feel in the final third, in particular the sequences set in the seedy carnival pier and when Xavier sets himself up in the slums to become a "healer" to the poor. While the special visual effects that are used to convey Xavier's new "sight" are not exactly state of the art, they are perfectly serviceable for the film and also contain few elements that certainly could have been influenced by the psychedelic drugs of the day. Corman regular Les Baxter is on-hand to contribute a strong music score. Note: the official on-screen title is "X" - the subtitle was only on the advertising and marketing.

Minted from a newly created (in 2014) HD transfer from MGM, Kino's Blu-ray of "X" is terrific. The picture quality (reproducing the original widescreen 1.85  theatrical ratio correctly) is solid, with only a few minor instances of dirt and debris cropping up - mostly in the optical effects and scene transitions - but never enough to detract from the film. Film grain appears to be well rendered with no visible artifacts that would indicate that overzealous digital processing was used. The two channel mono sound is flagged correctly to make capable audio processors automatically decode and route it properly to a single center channel speaker. Frequency extremes are somewhat limited, which is to be expected given the low budget nature of the film, and there is a trace of sound distortion in the early going that clears up. Overall, the transfer compares favorably to the excellent 35mm print I ran of this film back in 2013, so MGM must have quality elements on hand and did an excellent job preparing this master for Kino.

The Blu-ray has decent supply of extras on-hand: the theatrical trailer (and just what does "Filmed in Spectarama" mean, anyway?), a "Trailers from Hell" segment with Mick Garris, a spoiler-laden introduction from Joe Dante (to Kino's credit, there's a text screen warning the uninitiated to not watch it until after seeing the film), and two optional audio commentaries: one by Roger Corman (from MGM's DVD release in 2001) and a newly-recorded one by writer/publisher Tim Lucas. Also included is the rarely seen 5 minute prologue that was added to the initial TV prints to pad the short running time. Contrary to what's been in written in some reviews, the prologue was only for the television viewings and was not shown theatrically.

This Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics is Highly Recommended.

Blu-ray review: "Sharky's Machine"

SHARKY'S MACHINE
(1981, directed by Burt Reynolds, written by Gerald Di Pego, based on the novel by William Diehl, Rated R)

Warner Home Video, Blu-ray release date 4/7/2015, $14.99 srp

Specs: 1.78 widescreen, DTS-HD Master 5.1 audio.

(Quick take review)
Excellent long-awaited Blu-ray from Warner of this action film favorite from 1981 that has been treated poorly in the past on video with non-widescreen releases and indifferent audio. This Blu-ray has a near-perfect picture (some excessive film grain is noted in some shots but is likely on the source) and a big, wide, booming surround audio track that bring this gritty story to life. Reynolds directs (arguably his best effort behind the camera) and stars (also his best hairpiece) and acquits himself well. Some unfortunate and forced comedy bits intrude a little (and did Burt direct Charles Durning by simply telling him to yell through every scene?) but are redeemed by a terrific jazz score and a great location shooting (in Atlanta and surrounding areas). Rachel Ward is beautiful and memorable as Dominoe and Henry Silva and Vittorio Gassman are properly sleazy villains; great supporting cast includes Bernie Casey, Brian Keith, Richard Libertini, and Earl Holliman. Highly recommended on Blu-ray, avoid the old DVD at all costs.

Source: Reviewer purchased copy. Portions of this review previously published on Amazon.

Back from the Dead

OK, it's time to bring this thing back from the dead. Watch for some mini Blu-ray movie and equipment reviews over the next week or two.